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  <row Id="1" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:05:45.237" Score="13" ViewCount="10075" Body="&lt;p&gt;What would be some good exercises to develop more power in a Wing Chun chain punch?  Is it as simple as working on my triceps?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3" LastEditorUserId="93" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T10:09:29.183" LastActivityDate="2018-01-04T05:12:57.330" Title="Best weight lifting exercise to develop a Wing Chun chain punch" Tags="|wing-chun|punching|weight-lifting|" AnswerCount="10" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:15:46.367" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;IMO no; just tris isn't enough&amp;ndash;it's basically a press (at a weird angle), which involves shoulders, tris, chest, and core. When I was studying I used isometrics against a wall, at various extensions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Isometrics give you a chance to check your alignment, posture, and rooting at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cable punches, or various &quot;pressing&quot; machines you can stand and use, are the best equipment. I don't like the cables as much since (a) they pull you back, which is different, and (b) there are cables.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastEditorUserId="13" LastEditDate="2014-01-09T12:34:53.787" LastActivityDate="2014-01-09T12:34:53.787" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:16:26.737" Score="11" ViewCount="1932" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Aikido it is known that repeated suwariwaza techniques (seated techniques) are very hard on your knees. Most of the older masters have knee issues where they struggle to transition from seated to standing positions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any knee exercises that can be done to help prevent this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastActivityDate="2014-05-04T08:56:03.180" Title="What exercises can I do to strengthen my knees for seated techniques?" Tags="|aikido|exercise|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:19:58.790" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Squats are your friend,  as well as leg presses.  You want to strengthen all the muscles around your knee so if/when the tendons and ligaments start to wear out, the muscles can compensate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When your doing your squats,  make sure to keep your back straight, your heals on the floor, and try to keep your knees from going to far forward (they shouldn't pass your toes). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Avoid doing leg extensions if you have any patella or meniscus injuries.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If body weight squats are easy, progress to single leg squats :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T04:39:59.823" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T04:39:59.823" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="20" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:22:09.177" Score="11" ViewCount="416" Body="&lt;p&gt;I took Shidokan for several years, and was very happy with my dojo and my sensei.  I recently had to move for work, and I know from experience that these are two of the most important parts of your advancement.  What considerations need to be taken into account when searching for a place to continue my training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="16" LastEditorUserId="7" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T00:21:14.657" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T05:42:17.193" Title="When moving to a new city, what considerations need to be taken into account finding a new teacher?" Tags="|dojo|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="16" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:22:34.437" Score="11" ViewCount="35551" Body="&lt;p&gt;After heavy usage, boxing gloves and wrist wraps can get build up mildew and other nasties. What should I do the keep my gloves and wraps in good shape?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4" LastActivityDate="2019-07-12T14:56:38.060" Title="Proper way to take care of boxing gloves and wrist wraps after use?" Tags="|equipment|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="39" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:23:55.853" Score="14" ViewCount="13202" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some time ago I regularly took part in Tae Kwon Do, but that was ~4 years ago and I'm out of shape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What should I do to prepare to return to the martial art, and should I start from the beginning relearning my Patterns or should I jump back in at my belt level?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="23" LastActivityDate="2017-06-08T13:17:57.043" Title="How to return to Tae Kwon Do?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|training|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:24:00.113" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Knee issues more often than not come from postural mistakes, rather than suwari waza.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice is to just practice suwari waza and try to increase the amount of training until you get confortable. If you learn to do it properly, your movements will improve and will prove less painful to your knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I should also note that doing suwari waza is much easier when you wear an hakama, once you get the handle of it, since the hakama helps the knees slip more easily on the tatami.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T21:24:00.113" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="9" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:29:12.203" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;When developing any technique, there are pairs of muscles that must work together.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the case of punching, and this kind of a punch, your recoil from the punch is just as important for absorbing the impact as the actual delivery itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To practice the punch, start with the technique in open space and focus on delivering the energy of the punch to the same open space target with accuracy and speed and retracting to the same starting point with the same degree of accuracy and speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be aware of your breathing and how much breath you need on each move so that you become aware of your requirements for oxygen on each delivery and how long it takes to recover from each one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After your accuracy in delivering the technique improves, then increase the rate at which you can deliver the blows with either hand.  For example, develop a routine for punches and breathing that allows you to work up 2 successive punches with right, then left then both hands, then break and then repeat.  Work this up to 5, then 10 and then 20 and then 50, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even without training your muscle groups, a routine such as this will train the various muscle groups without straining them, so that they work together as you hone the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then apply resistance to your punches by either holding a lightly weighted 'weight' or holding them on your wrists.  Make sure they are secure and don't move or rub.  I recommend holding a weighted implement with the weight either side of your fist so your technique can remain as true as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember to keep both the delivery and the recoil together in your technique.  When working with resistance weights, remember to start your routine from the bottom up, such as 1 punch at a time, then 2, then 5 etc, or you risk causing painful damage to muscles, ligaments or tendons that are not trained to handle the load yet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With most training of your body, start with technique, accuracy, speed and then resistance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will always, then, be working with your body and not making your body work with something else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="19" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T21:29:12.203" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="10" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:29:49.473" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The biggest things that have helped me:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To second Patricia: Squats, particularly bodyweight squats, close squats (where your feet are closer together), and (now) one-legged squats.  Ensuring good form all the way through the exercise and ensuring that you go below parallel (above parallel may cause knee issues).  There are a couple of good progressions out there to work yourself up into Single Leg Squats if you can't do them now (e.g., Convict Conditioning has an excellent one, just ignore the propaganda that they use to sell it).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use a foam roller on the legs, particularly on the IT band, and either use a foam roller or massage directly the &lt;em&gt;vastus lateralis&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;vastus medialis&lt;/em&gt;. Work on these particularly after working out.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Checking your form while transitioning, in your stances, and when doing anything that involves the knees.   This also means listening to your knees: if they start acting up then don't push them, stop.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T21:29:49.473" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="11" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:30:06.827" Score="7" ViewCount="413" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whilst I've never practised an &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNkeTjs833I&amp;amp;t=0m4s&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;X-stop&lt;/a&gt;, I was wondering what the benefits of it are? The move consists of a jump, punctuated by the back foot being placed a head of the front foot, and behind it, forming an X shape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems like it would put you off balance, but it may be good for turning? I don't know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="23" LastEditorUserId="23" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T00:13:35.213" LastActivityDate="2016-01-07T05:14:21.213" Title="Benefits of an X-Stop in Tae Kwon Do?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="12" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="15" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:30:10.680" Score="9" ViewCount="1997" Body="&lt;p&gt;In some variations, such as &lt;code&gt;kata tori&lt;/code&gt; and &lt;code&gt;gyaku hamni katatedori&lt;/code&gt;, &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt; and &lt;code&gt;nikkyo&lt;/code&gt; techniques are very similar, except for the ending pin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is then, the real difference between, say, &lt;code&gt;kata tori ikkyo omote&lt;/code&gt; and &lt;code&gt;kata tori nikkyo&lt;/code&gt;, at a more profound level?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;(note: I'm not asking for esoteric stuff; it's a technical question.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2023-09-22T11:49:35.827" LastActivityDate="2023-09-22T11:49:35.827" Title="What's the real difference between Ikkyo omote and Nikkyo omote?" Tags="|aikido|technique|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:32:31.507" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here are some things I have done before joining a new dojo: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Find out if you can observe a class. This is great opportunity to observe the environment of the dojo and get a sense for the teaching style of the instructor(s). &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ask to speak to the sensei before joining. Explain your martial arts background and experience so the instructor will have an idea of where you are coming from.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Try to meet some of the other students (if you are not allowed to observe a class drop by just as the class is ending). Ask them what kinds of likes/dislikes they have.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most dojos are going to be at least a little different from the place you are coming from. Everyone has their own style and intrepretation of how a dojo should be run and how techniques should be performed. Expect to have a little learning curve as you adapt to the new environment. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T21:32:31.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="14" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:37:19.480" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;First I'd talk to your instructor and see what his/her philosophy is for returning students. They will be the best guide for what fits in their class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my (Hapkido) class we tend to throw you back in at your belt level for everything, partly because a big part of being at that belt level is teaching, and teaching is a way of learning and getting back into shape.  When doing things your own belt level after coming back it is expected that you will take it more slowly on areas where you are rusty or more prone to injuring yourself or others (e.g., throws).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond that: I would start on your own with your basic forms and climb your way back up in your own time, exercising and working out on your own to try and improve outside of class. If you can't remember your forms, try going through them anyways: Sometimes you can remember them once you put on your dobak and actually start to move.  In class, of course, it is whatever the instructor points you toward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T21:37:19.480" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="15" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:43:08.497" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Personally when I am performing &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt; from something like &lt;code&gt;kata dori (tori)&lt;/code&gt; I am just gingerly holding the wrist, with the emphasis on the other hand articulating the elbow. When I am performing &lt;code&gt;nikyo&lt;/code&gt; from the same attack I am gripping the wrist in such a was to actually be applying &lt;code&gt;nikyo.&lt;/code&gt; Some people may not make this distinction, and it could be they perform both ways identically until they get down to the pin. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me, the differences are more pronounced when you move away from static grabs and make it more dynamic. When you are performing the technique &lt;code&gt;ki no nagare&lt;/code&gt; style (flowing, or with energy (ie not static)) and you do &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt; you should no longer be grabbing, but scooping up the wrist and proceding with the technique just as you would from something like &lt;code&gt;shomen uchi.&lt;/code&gt; To perform &lt;code&gt;nikyo&lt;/code&gt; in the same way, you will need to grab the wrist. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course different instructors  are going to have different styles, and there is no right answer to say definitively which way is the most correct way. The most correct way is the way that works best for you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastEditorUserId="9" LastEditDate="2012-02-18T15:31:20.997" LastActivityDate="2012-02-18T15:31:20.997" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="16" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:45:31.683" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;The problem with boxing gloves is that they get moist inside, and don't always get a chance to dry. What you can do is to crumple a few pages from your local newspaper and stuff that into it. That will absorb the sweat, and they won't get moldy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also heard of people putting them in the freezer or out in the sun, but I'm not sure if any of these are good options. It seems most logical to me to make sure they dry up properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for wrist wraps, simply unroll them and hang them over something, and toss them in the washing machine once in a while. Fortunately, wrist wraps are inexpensive, and can easily be replaced when they're done for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="30" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-07-12T14:56:38.060" LastActivityDate="2019-07-12T14:56:38.060" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="17" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:58:06.903" Score="15" ViewCount="11256" Body="&lt;p&gt;I find even with things like Napisan etc my Gi ends up with stains around the neck and Sleeves.  Are there any ways to keep it pure white?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-12T03:05:26.170" LastActivityDate="2015-06-05T12:47:34.497" Title="What are the ways to get sweat stains out of a Gi?" Tags="|equipment|gi|dogi|uniform|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="18" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12" CreationDate="2012-01-31T21:59:07.323" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have always approached (and been taught) &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt; as a martial exercise, rather than technique.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rather than being a strong technique, static &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt; practice teaches:    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Moving in and off the line of attack,   &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Footwork and movement,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Posture and breathing,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;And other very basic concepts (&lt;code&gt;hara&lt;/code&gt;, &lt;code&gt;centeredness&lt;/code&gt;, &lt;code&gt;maai&lt;/code&gt;, etc)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;code&gt;Nikyo&lt;/code&gt; (as well as &lt;code&gt;Sankyo&lt;/code&gt;, &lt;code&gt;Yonkyo&lt;/code&gt;, etc) then &lt;em&gt;build&lt;/em&gt; on this foundation by adding effective pins and hand movements (holds, lock applications, etc).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally my Aikido differs slightly (only slightly) from that of JackBNimble in that in regular, static, practice, the Aikidoka should be focusing on the mechanics of the movement, making sure they are correctly applied.  In &lt;code&gt;ki no nagare&lt;/code&gt; practice, however, an Aikidoka should have the basic foundation already and should focus more on the opponent at hand, and less on the technique, developing such skills as &lt;code&gt;zanshin&lt;/code&gt;, &lt;code&gt;mushin&lt;/code&gt;, and &lt;code&gt;maai&lt;/code&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And now I'm going to cheat and steal part of JackBNimble's answer, because I liked it so much I had to include it a second time:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Of course different instructors are going to have different styles,&#xA;  and there is no right answer to say definitively which way is the most&#xA;  correct way. The most correct way is the way that works best for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="33" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T21:59:07.323" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="19" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:01:10.580" Score="17" ViewCount="656" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do all schools of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) come from the same original source? Or did some come down different path ways and hop on to the BJJ marketing wagon?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-12T07:57:05.030" LastActivityDate="2019-09-12T07:57:05.030" Title="Do all schools of BJJ come from the same root?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|history|schools|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="20" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:01:54.043" Score="18" Body="&lt;p&gt;Jack has some very good points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Observe a class, or better yet, join in if you may.&lt;/strong&gt; This is crucuial.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don't sign&#xA;anything, without trying it first.&lt;/strong&gt; If they don't allow trial classes&#xA;or even spectators, this is not the place for you.&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Also, be careful about signing long term contracts, especially if there's a clause in it that forbids you to practice somewhere else.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Speak to the instructor. Prepare a few questions, to make sure this&#xA;is the dojo    for you. For example, if you are a tournament fighter,&#xA;you want to    know if this is an area they focus on. Also ask how&#xA;long the senior    students (say, the brown belts and shodans) have&#xA;been practicing.    This way, you can give a rough estimate of the&#xA;quality of teaching    and the dedication of the students, and&#xA;whether or not this is a belt    factory or not.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ask about the pricing plan. Make sure it's within your budget, and&#xA;that there aren't any strange hidden fees.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ask about their grading criteria. That will also give you an indicator to whether or not they are serious.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's also a good idea to ask about their opening times, and whether&#xA;or not you are allowed to practice individually while the school is&#xA;open, like doing bagwork etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Realize, that even though you hold rank in Shidokan, &lt;strong&gt;you are a&#xA;beginner in the new dojo&lt;/strong&gt;. Some dojo may transfer your rank, especially if it's within the same organization/style, while&#xA;others make you start over (possibly with shortcuts to a more&#xA;suitable level).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="30" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T22:01:54.043" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="22" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:07:29.847" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed in the late 1920s and 30s by Morihei Ueshiba (often referred to by his title 'O Sensei' or 'Great Teacher'). Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker from injury. Aikido incorporates basic elements of other martial arts (mainly &lt;a href=&quot;/questions/tagged/jujitsu&quot; class=&quot;post-tag&quot; title=&quot;show questions tagged &amp;#39;jujitsu&amp;#39;&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;jujitsu&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;/questions/tagged/kenjutsu&quot; class=&quot;post-tag&quot; title=&quot;show questions tagged &amp;#39;kenjutsu&amp;#39;&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;kenjutsu&lt;/a&gt;), but it does not use (much) punching or kicking. An aikidoka (practitioner of Aikido) will not oppose an enemy head-on. Instead he/she blends with the motion of the attacker and redirects the force of the attack. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The word &quot;合気道&quot; (aikido) consists of 3 parts: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;合 (ai), union or harmony&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;気 (ki), energy or spirit&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;道 (do), way or path&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;so Aikido translates to &quot;The way of combining energy&quot; or &quot;The way of harmonious spirit&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditionally, there is no competition in Aikido, nor is there a system of colored belts to indicate rank. However, there are forms of Aikido that do include a competitive element (e.g. Shodokan Aikido). Today Aikido is found all over the world in a number of styles, with broad ranges of interpretation and emphasis. However, they all share techniques learned from Ueshiba and most have concern for the well-being of the attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Resources&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikidofaq.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.aikidofaq.com/&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-19T09:46:01.793" LastActivityDate="2017-07-19T09:46:01.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="23" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:07:29.847" Score="0" Body="A Japanese martial art that focuses on using an enemy’s energy to either throw or pin them using natural movements, posture, and movement." OwnerUserId="9" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-06-22T09:26:02.947" LastActivityDate="2017-06-22T09:26:02.947" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="24" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:08:56.517" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just returned to TKD after a seven year hiatus and this is what I wish I had done before going back to the dojang:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Relearn the Korean terms for each of the major stances&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Relearn at least the first 2-3 poomse so that, when my instructor asks, I can teach lower belts.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Get into at least a modicum of decent shape - it's embarrassing to wear a black belt and be huffing and puffing in front of the lower belts!&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're going back to a dojang different from your previous dojang, you might also want to collect as much information on their curriculum as you can via their website so you know where they are similar/different from your previous school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="39" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-08-05T17:28:31.450" LastActivityDate="2015-08-05T17:28:31.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="25" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="84" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:10:38.227" Score="8" ViewCount="1168" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Rory Miller's book &lt;em&gt;Drills&lt;/em&gt; he talks about various &quot;one-step&quot; drills where you each get one  movement at a time with a partner.  This move can be either an attack or a defense, done slowly, and they can do one move as well per one of yours.  The description is &quot;one partner initiates a move in slow motion and the other patner at equal speed makes one motion to respond.&quot;  It continues to say that &quot;The flaw in this drill is the artificiality of the timing–both slow motion and taking turns.&quot; (OS1, for anyone with the book).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like this drill conceptually as a self defense drill and I have experimented with it a few times.  Some things I can't quite seem to settle on are how much the turns overlap and the degree of commitment.  For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;code&gt;A&lt;/code&gt; initiates a straight punch at &lt;code&gt;B&lt;/code&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;code&gt;B&lt;/code&gt;, seeing the straight punch comes in, starts to initiate a block.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At what point does &lt;code&gt;B&lt;/code&gt; start to move to get the maximum effect out of the drill? At what point does &lt;code&gt;A&lt;/code&gt; get to alter their attack or are they carrying it through to completion just to start the next attack?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially I am looking for the most effective way to manage turns and to explain how a &quot;turn&quot; works to people who are potentially quite experienced martial artists, but who have never done this drill before. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2014-07-23T08:35:09.460" Title="Doing Miller's One-Step Drills" Tags="|drills|self-defense|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="26" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:11:00.607" Score="7" ViewCount="11672" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have no domestics skills, and I'm very poor at sewing!  A number of badges I've attempted to sew on to my Gi have come off when grappling.   Is there a good way to sew badges on so to minimize the chance of them coming off?  Any particular way of stitching it that works better?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-10T18:41:36.470" LastActivityDate="2016-07-04T00:18:21.553" Title="What's the best way to sew badges onto a uniform so they don't come off?" Tags="|equipment|gi|uniform|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="27" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="17" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:13:53.463" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I usually wash it at hottest possible temperature, and that does the trick (beware though, this might shrink a new dogi). If it is very dirty, I handwash it with plenty of washing detergent (making sure it gets in there), and then let it soak overnight, before I wash it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Back when I was a kid, my mom used to soak it with chlorine to get the worst grass and blood stains out. This works, but it has some drawbacks. First of all, it will bleach all the colours from badges etc. It may also damage the fabric over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you sweat a lot, I would recommend soaking it in water as soon as possible after class. You may also consider bringing two jackets to class, and change midway through, if it becomes too unbearable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="30" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T22:13:53.463" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="28" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="45" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:13:59.887" Score="18" ViewCount="12034" Body="&lt;p&gt;I tend to suffer a number of these in training.   Various people have various ideas on ways to quickly stop the bleed.  Is there a well researched way to quickly stop a nose bleed?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-08-07T17:55:03.913" LastActivityDate="2015-11-28T20:24:43.420" Title="What's the best way to stop a nose bleed quickly?" Tags="|injury|health|safety|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="29" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="19" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:24:57.960" Score="19" Body="&lt;p&gt;Genuine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu all stems from one man: Mitsuyo Maeda of Kodokan Judo. Maeda had numerous students the world over, and upon settling in Brazil, was featured in a circus there, where he was seen by Carlos Gracie, the eldest son of Gastao Gracie, a business partner of the circus there. Carlos was accepted as a student, passed on his training to his brothers, and Gracie Jiu-jitsu was born out of that training, adapted by the more naturally frail Helio Gracie... This is the best known form...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other significant form is that of Luis França, who was also a student of Maeda's... Personally, I would not recognize the difference, but know the latter is recognizable by its unique forms of foot locks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T22:24:57.960" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="30" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="28" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:27:13.727" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The most common advice that I usually hear is to just pinch your nose, which reduces the blood flow. If the bleeding is a bit heavier, then using a moist teabag (black tea) is known to help as well due to the tannins in the tea. Additionally, the bag itself acts as a poultice to help absorb the excess blood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="46" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T22:27:13.727" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="31" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="28" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:30:48.510" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Keep your hands up! :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's easy to get a nose bleed, especially if you've had a few of them. There are many ideas — I haven't tested any of them myself, but I've heard some of them debunked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most common one, is to tilt your head backwards — this won't stop the bleeding though, but you may keep it from soiling your clothes for a while. Be careful about lying down, as the blood will only be redirected the wrong way, and that might harm you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I would do, is to tilt the head &lt;em&gt;forwards&lt;/em&gt; while pressing the nose, so that the bleeding is stopped. After a few minutes, the blood should clot naturally. If the nose bleed doesn't stop, seek immediate medical advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="30" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T22:30:48.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="32" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="26" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:32:54.993" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most patches on a gi are sewn on in the same way that &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wikihow.com/Sew-a-Patch-on-a-Uniform&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;they are for military uniforms&lt;/a&gt; so if there is a base near by, then there should be tailors or other such shops that should offer basic services such as sewing patches on uniforms, or on a gi. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of keeping them from actually coming off, if you them sewn on by someone else, they will most likely use a sewing machine and you can specify that they use heavy weight thread which should stand up to some wear and tear. If you do it yourself, then you might also want to try sewing around the outside of the patch twice which should be a bit stronger. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias=garden&amp;amp;field-keywords=fabric%20glue&amp;amp;x=0&amp;amp;y=0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;fabric glues&lt;/a&gt; might be worth trying but the results might be hit or miss or not look right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="46" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T22:32:54.993" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="33" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="866" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:35:43.797" Score="69" ViewCount="187749" Body="&lt;p&gt;A little background: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I was practicing with my instructor one morning. It was just him and me and we were doing free training of submission grappling. At one point I managed to get him in a choke hold and I expected him either to break free or to tap out. When I looked down at him his eyes were rolled back and only partially opened. I released him and he lay there gasping for a moment. I asked him if he was alright and he kind of blinked a few times and said &quot;Of course I'm alright, why do you ask?&quot; I replied &quot;Because you appeared to be dying.&quot; None of his students had ever beaten him before in submission grappling. He told me later that he thought to himself &quot;this is a tight choke, I should consider tapping out&quot; and then he saw himself running through a meadow, without a care in the world. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It kind of freaked me out a little, because we were the only two people there, and I wasn't sure what I would have needed to do if he hadn't immediately woken up (other than call 911). I know some schools make a point of choking their students unconscious at least once, so they know what it feels like. Personally that has always struck me as unnecessary.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What kind of dangers are there in choking someone (or being choked) to the point of unconsciousness?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-02-18T23:07:06.250" LastActivityDate="2020-12-09T09:07:39.310" Title="How dangerous is it to choke someone unconscious or to be choked unconscious?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|safety|health|chokes|" AnswerCount="11" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="34" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="38" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:44:09.033" Score="18" ViewCount="2839" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have often heard that yes it does, and no it does not. The fact is that densho (transmission scrolls) do exist detailing the skills used in war and defense, including hand to hand combat. Does this qualify it as a martial art?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="7" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T00:21:07.683" LastActivityDate="2017-07-03T08:13:06.070" Title="Does ninjutsu qualify as a martial art?" Tags="|style|ninjutsu|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="35" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:44:11.273" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The art in general emphasizes kicks thrown from a mobile stance, employing the leg's greater reach and power (compared to the arm). Taekwondo training generally includes a system of blocks, kicks, punches, and open-handed strikes and may also include various take-downs or sweeps, throws, and joint locks. Some taekwondo instructors also incorporate the use of pressure points, known as jiapsul, as well as grabbing self-defense techniques borrowed from other martial arts, such as hapkido and judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="121" LastEditorUserId="121" LastEditDate="2012-02-03T20:03:11.653" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T20:03:11.653" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="36" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:44:11.273" Score="0" Body="A Korean martial art, whose name literally translates to 'the way of the hand and foot'. It emphasizes kicks thrown from a mobile stance, employing the leg's greater reach and power (compared to the arm). " OwnerUserId="45" LastEditorUserId="121" LastEditDate="2012-02-03T20:03:21.827" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T20:03:21.827" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="37" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="33" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:52:09.253" Score="20" Body="&lt;p&gt;Worth making the distinction between a blood choke and a air choke.  ie, are you cutting off the air ( through the throat) or the blood (through the arteries).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Throat choking is a lot more dangerous because of the damage you can do to the actual throat.  Can cause swelling, etc and can cause people to die some time later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Blood chokes, less dangerous, but can still cause problems for people who are predisposed to various conditions.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similar kinds of risk as being hit in the head.  Things can go wrong.   Its worth knowing the first aide responses to the likely scenarios you might find yourself in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T22:52:09.253" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="38" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="34" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:53:19.837" Score="21" Body="&lt;p&gt;From the standpoint of &quot;is it a martial art&quot; I think the answer is most definitively &quot;yes.&quot;  Many of the techniques it practices are very fitting in with other contemporary &quot;martial arts.&quot;  It teaches hand-to-hand combat and techniques such as dive rolls and breakfalls, among other things, that are commonly found in other martial arts.  I can't really think of anything that would keep it from being considered a &quot;martial art.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, that's an easier question than whether it should be considered a &lt;em&gt;traditional&lt;/em&gt; martial art.  That's a substantially more difficult question, but not one that really detracts from whether it should be considered a martial art in its current form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-01-31T22:59:59.377" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T22:59:59.377" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="39" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7" CreationDate="2012-01-31T22:57:17.220" Score="16" Body="&lt;p&gt;How you re-enter the school will depend on the school and instructor. Ask their advice, and be up-front about how much you've forgotten and your current level of fitness. Don't pretend you can walk into a school with a preconceived idea of what belt you'll be wearing and what level you should be training at: that is ultimately your instructor's decision. It's a good idea to think through the options, though, as they may ask you what your thoughts are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been through this experience myself. There are a few things to keep in mind personally as you re-enter your art:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the guiding principles of tae kwon do is indomitable spirit. Do not be discouraged when the other students at your level are doing push-ups in sets of 30 and you can hardly manage 10. Do not stop at your comfort level, but push yourself hard to recover your strength and fitness. That said...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You won't be as strong or flexible as when you left, and if you're not careful, injury will slow you down or stop you. There are three things you need to worry about:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You're probably not as flexible as when you left. Warm up properly, and don't be tempted to rush your flexibility training. Especially when doing things like high-heel/axe kicks, be aware that your brain remembers kicking higher than you can now, so build up to it gradually.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You're also probably not as strong as you were. This can result in a different kind of injury. Be careful with your kick pull-backs, especially. Work on strengthening your hamstrings. Trying to throw a kick with more force than you can handle will result in injury.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Particularly if you haven't been doing other exercise, your general level of fitness may not be as good as when you left. Train hard, but don't over-do it and don't let yourself get run down. You may need to improve your diet (more healthy food, less junk).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also keep in mind that a tae kwon do class is (usually) not a complete personal training regime. Your instructor can probably offer advice, but schools often expect students to do their own strengthening, stretching, and cardio work outside class. You may have extra catch-up work to do!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As always, if you're older, have heart or other medical conditions, or have a history of recurring injuries, it's worth talking to your doctor as well - not because he might say no, but because he might have suggestions specific to your medical history for getting back into things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="48" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T22:57:17.220" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="40" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:01:43.163" Score="46" ViewCount="4471" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there any evidence to suggest that practising techniques on the left &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; right side of the body produces more adept martial artists?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By &quot;adept&quot;, I mean the learned ability to proficiently and consistently nullify one or more trained or untrained aggressors displaying genuine intent to do harm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And by &quot;nullify&quot;, I mean to prevent an attack from causing bodily injury to yourself, your friends, or your family by restraint, counterattack, or evasion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have heard instructors say to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Train your dominant side more.&lt;/strong&gt; It is better to get good on your dominant side before practising on your non-dominant side. (&quot;That's why guitarists pick a side and stick with it.&quot;) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Train both sides equally.&lt;/strong&gt; It is important to practise both sides from the very beginning. (&quot;Because you don't want to train a technique on the right side for five years only to get jumped by a left-handed attacker.&quot;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Train your non-dominant side more.&lt;/strong&gt; Because it will require more work to get it to the standard of your dominant side, because &quot;the best martial artists just react -- they don't favour one side&quot; and because it is best to &quot;train your weaknesses until you do not have any&quot;. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I've seen little evidence to support each argument; they are merely expressions of opinion. Hence, I am specifically interested in:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Scientific study that shows that practising on one side only or both sides speeds development and / or produces a higher calibre martial artist after sustained practise. This study can reference other, non-martial fields if necessary.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Quotes supporting either case (pro both side training or against it) from established martial artists, including their rationale if available. (e.g. &quot;Bruce Lee did it this way... because...&quot;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="17" LastEditorUserId="17" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T10:13:42.347" LastActivityDate="2021-05-25T03:39:16.757" Title="Is practising techniques on both the left and right sides beneficial or detrimental to martial development?" Tags="|training|drills|teaching|" AnswerCount="19" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="41" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="33" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:02:04.943" Score="19" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two types of chokes: a blood choke, in which blood flow to the brain is, at least temporarily, halted; and an air choke, in which compression to the trachea or chest stop airflow into the body, and thus oxygenation of the blood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both are inherently dangerous. During an air choke, excessive pressure can lead to the collapsing of the trachea or lungs, making it impossible for the victim to draw breath. Treatment for this is dependent upon the cause: a tracheotomy (in the case of a collapsed trachea) or chest tube (in the case of pneumothorax) may be required to reestablish breathing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Blood chokes, on the other hand, can in rare cases lead to the collapsing of arteries. One theory is that compression of the carotid artery, in addition to causing cerebral anoxia, also sends a signal via the vagus nerve to the heart, which can cause arrhythmia or reduce bloodflow further to as low as 1/3 normal volume.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it should be noted that the greatest threat, cerebral anoxia, causes brain cell death after 4 to 6 sustained minutes. All other dangers are minute in comparison, and odds are against long term damage or death. That said, it's worth remembering that even a simple hematoma (bruise) can cause death (a clot can break away and cause a stroke or heart attack or other infarction), and training in any sort of martial art should be treated with the respect it deserves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It should be noted that the dangers inherent in martial arts chokes are also similar to those of breath-play in the S&amp;amp;M community. In &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.telecomassociation.com/pubs/chokinggamereport/files/aea3.htm&quot;&gt;an article by Jay Wiseman&lt;/a&gt;, who is, in his own words:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I was an ambulance crewman for over eight years. I attended medical school for three years, and passed my four-year boards, (then ran out of money). I am a former member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and a former American Heart Association instructor in Advanced Cardiac Life Support. I have an extensive martial arts background that includes a first-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. My martial arts training included several months of judo that involved both my choking and being choked. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A simple rundown is this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The primary danger of suffocation play is that it is not a condition that gets worse over time (regarding the heart, anyway, it does get worse over time regarding the brain). Rather, what happens is that the more the play is prolonged, the greater the odds that a cardiac arrest will occur. Sometimes even one minute of suffocation can cause this; sometimes even less.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So why can this happen? When denied oxygen, the heart contracts at multiple sites, usually in the ventricular region (causing &quot;premature ventricular contractions&quot; or PVCs). In the event that a PVC occurs during a phase in which ventricular depolarization is occurring (called PVC-on-T or R-on-T), then ventricular fibrillation (a form of cardiac arrest) can occur. The more PVCs occur, the higher a likelihood of an R-on-T event, and thus the higher a likelihood that event will trigger cardiac arrest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondarily (and briefly, since detail is gone into in the article), the build up of CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; in the blood stream will cause a dissociation in existing H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;CO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; (carbonic acid, an equilibrium of H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O and CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;) into HCO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;sup&gt;-&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; (bicarbonate) and H&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; (an acidic Hydrogen ion). This build-up of acid can shift the pH lower. Since both the increase of blood carbon-dioxide and decrease of blood oxygen lower the pH, the effects of suffocation can cause the pH to plummet. pH levels below 6.9 or above 7.8 are considered incompatible with human life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-04-27T16:13:23.310" LastActivityDate="2012-04-27T16:13:23.310" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="42" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="33" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:09:26.583" Score="34" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two types of choke:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Blood Choke&lt;/strong&gt;: Cerebral blood flow (CBF) chokes involve restricting the flow of blood to the brain, thereby denying it of oxygen.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Strangle&lt;/strong&gt;: Windpipe (Air) chokes involve compressing the trachea which deny the entire body of air.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This shouldn't be done in training to the point of unconsciousness as it can cause tissue damage and long term health issues.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Properly 'tapping out' is vital when practicing a choke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Brain tissue can be damaged or die completely if CBF is partially or completely occluded causing ischemia. Although the person should pass out before damage occurs there could be underlying health concerns that may cause issues.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When practicing BJJ, I always tap out before passing out: I just ensure there is the necessary tightness. Personally, even under training conditions with supervision and the person releasing right away, I still would not want it to get to the point of passing out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastEditorUserId="539" LastEditDate="2016-01-13T09:38:18.933" LastActivityDate="2016-01-13T09:38:18.933" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="43" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:17:08.310" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;To add one to the list of excuses: &quot;If you can do it on your right side, you can do it on your left&quot;. This is, of course, completely false.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most simple analysis of this is playing catch, which most will acknowledge as a game of gross motor skill. Have someone lob a dozen balls to you, attempting to catch with your dominant hand; then have them repeat and attempt to catch with your off hand. There will, in the case of most of us, be a significant difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason for this is two-fold: the relative inactivity of our off-hand, which causes a slower muscle twitch response to signals; and also the lack of efficient &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neural_pathway&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;neural pathways&lt;/a&gt; to relate to the action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If we ignore one side, we do not create efficient transport across receptors. That is, when we try to do an activity, whether of fine or gross motor control, with an unused part of our body, it can be quite difficult because we simply do not know how to access that part of our body. Flex, for a moment, your abdominal muscles... This should be relatively easy since you do it consciously each time you move to stand up from the couch. Now attempt to twitch your oblique muscles without, for instance, moving another muscle. The less used muscle has a delay in its use as your body attempts to send a signal to it. It's only through forcing that action repeatedly that we develop a pathway (a shortcut, if you will) to find it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to this basic example, it may help to understand &lt;a href=&quot;http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/human-biology/nerve2.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;how it works&lt;/a&gt; by visiting &lt;a href=&quot;http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/human-biology/nerve2.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/human-biology/nerve2.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Edit:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; In an effort to better address your concerns posted on &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/79/questions-with-no-marked-answer&quot;&gt;meta&lt;/a&gt;, I would like to better post to your specific interests in this question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Scientific study:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dominant Laterality and Flexibility: &lt;a href=&quot;http://books.google.com/books?id=3pPAWd1PW2sC&amp;amp;pg=PA125&amp;amp;lpg=PA125&amp;amp;dq=laterality+in+martial+arts&amp;amp;source=bl&amp;amp;ots=6msOJjBUXa&amp;amp;sig=NU_NZt53GtabOKDpWaaDpfQ5IRM&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;ei=PxAwT6uxF4eiiQKwkqW7Cg&amp;amp;ved=0CE4Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=laterality%20in%20martial%20arts&amp;amp;f=false&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://books.google.com/books?id=3pPAWd1PW2sC&amp;amp;pg=PA125&amp;amp;lpg=PA125&amp;amp;dq=laterality+in+martial+arts&amp;amp;source=bl&amp;amp;ots=6msOJjBUXa&amp;amp;sig=NU_NZt53GtabOKDpWaaDpfQ5IRM&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;ei=PxAwT6uxF4eiiQKwkqW7Cg&amp;amp;ved=0CE4Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=laterality%20in%20martial%20arts&amp;amp;f=false&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Perceptual Motor Activities for Children: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.humankinetics.com/products/all-products/Perceptual-Motor-Activities-for-Children&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.humankinetics.com/products/all-products/Perceptual-Motor-Activities-for-Children&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Motor control and cerebral hemispheric specialization in highly qualified judo wrestlers: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ahealthymind.org/ans/library/Judo.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.ahealthymind.org/ans/library/Judo.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Quotes: I have none. I've heard them said time and time again, but I have none that I can reference. I believe this is with good reason: Generally in training, you're working from a prescribed set of movements. That is, your curriculum is based on a set of discrete techniques (in Japanese arts, these are &lt;em&gt;waza&lt;/em&gt;). The &lt;em&gt;waza&lt;/em&gt; is how the technique is taught. You apply first the &lt;em&gt;happo&lt;/em&gt; (The eight directions – ahead, behind, left, and right, then each point between), then the apply the &lt;em&gt;sanpo&lt;/em&gt; (three elevations - high, middle, and low). Then you apply them mirrored (I recall seeing this sometimes referenced as &lt;em&gt;kage&lt;/em&gt;). It's not simply that the techniques are not there, but they are traditionally taught right-handed (it is, after all, a right-handed world). This is based on my own observation and training in the Bujinkan. Not really what you're looking for, but here's something that I'm hoping will suffice: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/weapons/rock4.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Southpaw Swordsmen&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-03-16T15:50:09.570" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T18:02:37.760" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="44" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:21:15.143" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have any evidence I can give you in support either way, but just wanted to contribute what I've learned and what I've been taught, so take it with a grain of salt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In fight or flight, life safety situations, it will be your conditioning and natural reactions that take over, your muscle memory. This will instinctively feature what your body considers the dominate side. Building that conditioning and muscle memory in your dominate side will afford better instinctive reactions featuring it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But your training should never exclusively focus on one side, you should train with your less dominate side at least 1/4 to 1/3 of the time. Your strengthening your other muscles, conditioning them and building new neural pathways. Take for example the left handed people that were taught to use their right hand to write with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T23:21:15.143" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="45" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="28" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:21:40.847" Score="22" Body="&lt;p&gt;St John Ambulance has a page containing &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sja.org.uk/sja/first-aid-advice/wounds-and-bleeding/nosebleeds.aspx&quot;&gt;advice on treating nosebleeds&lt;/a&gt;. Specific points relating to stopping a nosebleed &lt;em&gt;quickly&lt;/em&gt; are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Advise them not to speak, swallow, cough, spit or sniff because this may disturb blood clots that may have formed in the nose.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Ask the casualty to breathe through their mouth (this will also have a calming effect) and to pinch the soft part of the nose.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Tell the casualty to keep pinching their nose (for 10 minutes).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Importantly, their advice is not to tip the head &lt;em&gt;backwards&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Do not let the head tip back; blood may run down the throat inducing vomiting.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, the casualty should &quot;tilt their head forwards to allow the blood to drain from the nostrils.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Shut up, stay still, stop sniffling, pinch your nose, and tilt your head forward&quot; might not be the most reassuring advice, but it is probably the most effective way to stop a nosebleed quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="17" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-08-07T12:26:13.620" LastActivityDate="2012-08-07T12:26:13.620" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="46" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="28" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:27:01.123" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;As an EMT I would have you sit down and lean forward where your elbows were supported on your knees. With a clean rag or paper towel try to compress your nostrils, or pinch them closed if not to painful. This will prevent blood form going back into your throat and allow it to pool in the nostrils and form a clot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending how bad it is it should stop quickly. Blood is a very powerful gastral irritant, try avoid swallowing any.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T23:27:01.123" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="47" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:27:47.673" Score="17" Body="&lt;p&gt;Define &quot;adept.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You aren't going to find much in the way of scientific studies that are specific to martial arts in this regard.  There are too many variables, and we encounter many of the same problems that the fitness community does. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To add a data point, however: With my group's Hapkido, we're taught to use both because it is a self defense martial art and both you and your opponent have &quot;two arms and two legs&quot; and in a real world circumstance one or more limb may be injured or tied up (e.g., held by your attacker, holding your beer, whatever).  You may also be injured on one side in class, so rather than starting from nothing on the side or not training you are already prepared to continue training the technique and seeing what it looks like from the other side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This comes in particularly handy later, because a great deal of our later training involves push-pull motions where both hands are active.  If you are starting from nothing or have neglected your offhand side, it shows when you are then trying to use it in a combined technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T23:27:47.673" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="48" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:31:20.210" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ninjutsu (忍術) is the collected set of skills of the ninja, a type of feudal Japanese mercenary. These skills may include, but are not necessarily limited to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Espionage&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Escape&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Evasion&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Distraction&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Guerilla tactics&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Weapons use&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Unarmed combat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most widely recognized organizations claiming to teach ninjutsu are the &lt;a href=&quot;http://bujinkan.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Bujinkan&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://genbukan.org/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Genbukan&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;http://jinenkan.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Jinenkan&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T00:19:23.630" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T00:19:23.630" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="49" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:31:20.210" Score="0" Body="A specific set of skills of or related to the acts of espionage, stealth, counter-intelligence, and assassination." OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-02T02:09:52.483" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T02:09:52.483" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="50" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="33" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:32:59.023" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The only answer that can be given is that it is very dangerous. The reason for this is that everyone has different biological and physical toughness and you, as their opponent, cannot make any valid guess as to how much they can take. (And the truth is that they wouldn't know either if they were honest.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Back when I was young and stupid, I used to tough out chokes on a regular basis. I look back and cringe at that behaviour. Thankfully, I always erred on the side of caution when attempting such a move on my opponent and would discontinue my attack if I thought they were trying to tough it out themselves. I have been penalised for this in contests, but I'll take the points against me rather than the possibility of a life of regret that I didn't stop sooner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a reason what we do is called &quot;martial&quot; arts. We learn very efficient ways to kill people. With great power comes great responsibility. That's not just a movie quote, it's an honest to goodness fact. Always err on the side of not hurting your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="54" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T23:32:59.023" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="51" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:38:20.747" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should practice techniques on both sides. That being said, most of the time you're going to use your dominant side, so you should practice that the most, but more often than you expect, the opportunity is going to come up where a non-dominant side technique will allow you a decisive score or perhaps even a victory, so never discount the possibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, life is not &quot;handed&quot; and threats or attacks could come against you from any side at any time. Being experienced at handling your non-dominant side could make the difference between being a victor or a victim.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="54" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T23:38:20.747" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="52" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:39:33.600" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;For my large MMA/Boxing gloves:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Spray Lysol on the inside&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wipe it down with a dry paper towel&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;With a damp paper towel wipe down the inside&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;With all straps/Velcro open let try and air out in a well ventilated area&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I normal wrap my hands in the paper towels to clean out the inside of the glove. For wrist straps I always let them hang dry in a well ventilated area. Using the Lysol has kept my new gloves from developing the smell that my old ones eventually got, even though I let them ventilate and dry every time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T23:39:33.600" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="53" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="17" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:43:42.033" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had a off-white/cream coloured gi back in the day and that was great for not showing sweat stains. If you have to have a bright-white gi, there are non-chlorine, colour-fast bleaches you can get today.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure what my mother did about the blood stains, but that's a separate conversation. (Yes, I lived at home and was pampered. :-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="54" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T23:43:42.033" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="54" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="11" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:46:09.467" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should actually be able to land quite on balance in this stance: get your instructor to check how you're placing your feet. Make sure your knees are bent and you're dropping your weight low, but without bending your knees so low that you lose strength in the stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would defer to someone more experienced than me, but I think of the main advantage of the stance is it lets you deliver power forward from the jump while enabling you to become immediately grounded and mobile. From the x-stop, you can drop back into a sparring stance, or easily turn in either direction, or even rotate through 180 to defend against an attacker behind you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the palgwe form I linked in an earlier comment &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNkeTjs833I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNkeTjs833I&lt;/a&gt; I think the point is that the supported-uppercut finishes an opponent, and the student is then ready to answer an attack from any direction: in the form, it comes from the right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="48" LastActivityDate="2012-01-31T23:46:09.467" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="55" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="11" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:46:41.860" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;That is a reinforced-backfist with the left foot crossed behind the right.  Aside from the striking application I can't figure out how to directly apply that specific part to self-defense.  If you can see the previous part as a takedown the backfist (x-stop) could be a followup strike to put down your opponent.  The previous part being the high block/low block/back stance that gets converted to the high block/inside chop/front stance.  That can be construed as a release from a rear bear hug or both hands being grabbed from behind.  I hope this makes sense.   I'll ask my master and respond.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="55" LastEditorUserId="55" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T00:25:15.537" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T00:25:15.537" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="56" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="62" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:58:00.763" Score="17" ViewCount="91134" Body="&lt;p&gt;My kids currently train under UKTF, which follows ITF guidelines and techniques. Will this cause problems if they move to a WTF trainer? They aren't quite at black belt yet, so I'm hoping that if they do transfer it won't be too much of a problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there differences in technique or style that would make this a difficult transition?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="57" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T00:04:10.233" LastActivityDate="2018-10-31T20:59:53.800" Title="What are the differences between ITF and WTF Tae-Kwondo?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|style|" AnswerCount="18" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="57" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="26" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:59:36.580" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Be more Zen. Wear the badge of no-badge. :-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think that after my first gi, I didn't bother ever sewing any badges on. Maybe it's my inner British general&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; rising up, but I never saw the point of them. My belt and my reputation says everything you need to know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; Several high-ranking British officers were renowned for eschewing insignia on their regular uniforms. People knew who they were and that was all that mattered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="54" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T16:33:51.893" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:33:51.893" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="58" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-01-31T23:59:38.623" Score="4" ViewCount="380" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was curious at what point weapons used in various martial arts are (generally) regulated in the US--I know people need concealed carry permits to carry swords and knives of a certain length in some states, but I have not found much discussion of how, say, clubs like yantoks or practice swords are treated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are practice weapons that are lighter or blunter than real weapons completely un-regulated, or do they technically fall under the same rules as standard weapons? Where is the line usually drawn between a piece of sports paraphenalia and a weapon? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="45" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-01-18T10:29:32.410" LastActivityDate="2017-01-18T10:29:32.410" Title="Are martial arts practice weapons regulated?" Tags="|weapons|equipment|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="6" ClosedDate="2012-08-18T18:44:31.233" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="59" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="26" CreationDate="2012-02-01T00:03:46.373" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;What I used to do for me (Shotokan then Shukokai karate) and for my kids (Tae-Kwondo) was a round stitch twice round the perimeter of the badge and they &lt;strong&gt;never&lt;/strong&gt; comes off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grappling is going to cause more problems though - some areas of your gi will just never be good to attach badges (eg for judo the shoulders and anything too near the centre of the chest)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on what you are permitted to do, the front tails (not sure what the bottom of the front of a gi is called) are likely to be best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="57" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T00:03:46.373" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="60" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="17" CreationDate="2012-02-01T00:06:32.960" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I find wearing a 100% cotton undershirt helps if you can tolerate it.  It acts as an intermediate layer and worse case can be swapped with another.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For stains that manage to get past this using some sort of spray'n'wash product is useful but it needs to applied after a training session or soaked in combination to help remove the stubborn ones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="47" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T00:06:32.960" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="61" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="95" CreationDate="2012-02-01T00:13:36.460" Score="29" ViewCount="1755" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are some examples of clear ways to describe martial techniques in writing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I often take notes during and after classes, and occasionally find that I haven't described a particular technique clearly enough to fully understand it when reviewing my notes months later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any established shorthands or notation systems that make recording and understanding techniques easier when videos, photos, and diagrams are not available?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am interested in written systems to describe solo forms as well as techniques involving a single attacker and defender.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="17" LastActivityDate="2021-04-01T14:22:36.027" Title="What martial notation systems exist for describing techniques in writing?" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="62" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2012-02-01T00:49:43.730" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;The main difference between WTF and ITF is WTF is South Korean and ITF is North Korean.  The forms are different, kicks are the same.  Attitude in ITF may be geared more towards self-defense and WTF is certainly geared more towards sport sparring in most dojos.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Taekwon-Do_Federation&quot;&gt;ITF Wiki&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Taekwondo_Federation&quot;&gt;WTF Wiki&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Actually to better answer your actual concern, would it be difficult for your kids to transition:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This depends.  The new things that they would have to learn in WTF, such as forms and one step sparring, will be easy to pick up.  Things that they have already learned, like kicking and blocking, may be difficult if the WTF instructor teaches those moves with a different variation.  Its always harder to change a habit.  (Or the teacher will see it as something to fix)  Best bet is to go to the WTF school/s you're interested in, talk to the instructor, see if they can take a class, and see if it fits.  A good instructor will be able to tweak things that aren't consistent to his style over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="55" LastEditorUserId="55" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T18:49:08.467" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T18:49:08.467" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="63" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="34" CreationDate="2012-02-01T01:11:27.770" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;For some reference, Ive been training in a ninjutsu school for a couple years now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what I have gathered is that the ninjutsu aspect of the art is more of a state of mind rather than specific martial schools.  The ninjutsu aspect focus's on getting out of line of sight and distracting the opponent.  In fact the only unique ninjutsu kata i have found teaches the person to distract and evade the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the other techniques are very jujutsu like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a good read on the school i attend.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://blog.bushinbooks.com/archives/11&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://blog.bushinbooks.com/archives/11&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="61" LastEditorUserId="61" LastEditDate="2017-03-23T14:33:18.373" LastActivityDate="2017-03-23T14:33:18.373" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="64" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1483" CreationDate="2012-02-01T01:43:39.013" Score="7" ViewCount="4850" Body="&lt;p&gt;In wrestling, we would drop a kg of water weight the night before and call it good. In MMA it is typical to drop between 4-6kg in the months before a fight. One issue I have is that I put on muscle mass when I train. So, if I step up training to lose weight, I just end up gaining muscle weight (especially training BJJ).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How can I drop weight without sacrificing my current muscle and training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user66" LastActivityDate="2013-03-02T16:45:27.517" Title="Dropping weight before a MMA fight" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|weight|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="65" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="28" CreationDate="2012-02-01T01:46:27.903" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I used to wrestle and I get nose bleeds very easily. In wrestling, you only have a couple minutes to stop a nosebleed before you forfeit the match. As weird as it sounds, we would use a small tampon. Just stick it up there and tilt your head forward. It'll be stopped very quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user66" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T01:46:27.903" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="66" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2012-02-01T01:49:46.870" Score="28" Body="&lt;p&gt;Traditionally, in times of war you teach the right hand. In times of peace, you teach both hands. I train in a Chinese school, and Chinese schools typically favor ambidextrous training ... if you have the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my case, I find myself freely using either hand in simple, day-to-day life tasks. This happens without thinking. I find that movements that show up during daily life tends to come out during fight-or-flight. Most of the buddies I play with can also freely use either hand while sparring, even though they come from other arts. You need both sides in order to play past a certain level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T01:49:46.870" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="67" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="64" CreationDate="2012-02-01T01:54:10.570" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming you have no fat to lose, then you haven't really got anything to lose.  (maybe get non essential organs removed :-) )  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are on the edge, then water weight is what you have to lose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, avoid muscle.  Given a lot of strength is about how many muscle fibers you can employ at the same time,  not size of muscle cells  ( you can't gain muscle cells).  You can get stronger without enlarging the muscles a lot  (strong like a indoor rock climber rather than strong like a power lifter).  Which means avoiding massive break down of muscles when training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastEditorUserId="8" LastEditDate="2012-03-26T18:25:56.780" LastActivityDate="2012-03-26T18:25:56.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="68" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="64" CreationDate="2012-02-01T02:16:45.683" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I never worried about weight before contests. I trained and whatever I was on the day is the weight I fought at. The fact that they usually combined my normal category with the open weight also meant that there was no point worrying about my weight as I was going to be in with the big boys anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="54" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T02:16:45.683" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="69" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="283" CreationDate="2012-02-01T02:28:31.510" Score="3" ViewCount="4074" Body="&lt;p&gt;Standing naturally is REALLY HARD. Farmers spend their days bent to the earth, techno-people spend their days sitting at a desk, etc. The body adapts, and deforms, and loses its natural efficiency. This is a Bad Thing(tm).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway. What muscles is one supposed to use to stand straight? Assume the body is only 'actively' doing two things, in addition to everything else it needs to do to stay alive - breathing and standing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Major bonus points for a diagram of the body that shows these muscles highlighted vs. other muscles that aren't used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a quick example - in internal arts like tai chi, a LOT of emphasis is placed, early on, on standing and slow movements. These teach you where your balance is and how your weight shifts. Over time, you learn to fix your alignment and only use the muscles you need, because it's easier and less work if you use fewer muscles. The direct advantage of that is that, at full speed, you're also using fewer muscles -- so you're less likely to have antagonistic muscles tensed up, so you're likely to be much faster. Much faster also means more powerful. And harder to stop. And harder to see.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-02-18T03:03:14.070" LastActivityDate="2012-02-18T03:03:14.070" Title="Which muscles do I use to stand?" Tags="|relaxation|anatomy|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2012-04-05T17:37:56.270" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="70" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="34" CreationDate="2012-02-01T02:38:02.343" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would think it can definitely be considered an &lt;em&gt;art&lt;/em&gt; because it evolves over time, and students who become teachers will favor certain techniques and skills, and will assimilate techniques and skills from other arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also is not a closed system bound by unbreakable rules - IOW if you come up with a new technique or skill that works then you can incorporate it in. This in itself would mean it satisfies the definition of an &lt;em&gt;art&lt;/em&gt; as opposed to a science or practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T02:38:02.343" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="72" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="90" CreationDate="2012-02-01T02:39:40.823" Score="32" ViewCount="74503" Body="&lt;p&gt;One common urban legend that tends to be passed around from time to time is something along the lines of the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Black belts are considered lethal weapons by the law!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which might also be extended to include something along the lines of also having to register with the police when you make black belt in a given style. While there doesn't seem to be much truth to the matter, are there actually any legal ramifications involved if a trained martial artist is involved in an altercation?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="46" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-01-18T08:03:48.730" LastActivityDate="2017-09-06T04:58:14.990" Title="Are there legal ramifications to being a trained martial artist?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="10" CommentCount="11" ClosedDate="2020-03-01T04:22:48.957" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="73" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-02-01T03:06:17.933" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T03:06:17.933" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T03:06:17.933" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="74" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-02-01T03:06:17.933" Score="0" Body="Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Questions with this tag should be related to the physical mechanics of techniques." OwnerUserId="46" LastEditorUserId="46" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T04:40:14.520" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T04:40:14.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="75" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="72" CreationDate="2012-02-01T03:08:04.457" Score="16" Body="&lt;p&gt;This will probably vary depending on where you are, but weapons law is generally fairly specific about what is a weapon and what isn't, and I think it's unlikely that you'll find martial arts training defined as a weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you need to worry about more is the reasonable use of force. I know that in Australia (or at least, my state, Queensland), the laws which allow self-defence, defence of others and property, and so on, all require that the defender only use as much force as is reasonably necessary in the situation. Unfortunately, this is often considered in hindsight, and a prosecutor or jury have the benefit of seeing your training record, knowing whether the attacker was armed or had friends ready to help, knowing whether the attacker had training themselves, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice (and I am not a lawyer) would be that if you ever injure someone when you're in a self-defence situation, be clear from the first moment you talk to the police that it was chaotic, you weren't sure if he was armed, you were afraid for your life, and so on. You may be called on to justify the force you used, and all of those impressions will be weighed against your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="48" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T03:08:04.457" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="76" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="72" CreationDate="2012-02-01T03:10:43.517" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;My understanding is that the major ramification is that it can make a self-defense plea more challenging because of the way a jury will perceive you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's one thing to try and convince a jury that what you did to defend yourself was reasonable if you are wholly untrained.  It is another thing entirely to do so when you're a 3 dan. Just a matter of perception.  This partly comes in with the question of whether you have acted &quot;reasonably&quot; given the circumstances. Of course, this is mostly hearsay itself (I don't have case law to back it up at the moment), but it makes some degree of sense given the nature of jury trials. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can see some fairly good analysis of it from a US lawyer: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.lbcclaw.com/article.php?news_id=112&quot;&gt;Part I: Civil Liability&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.lbcclaw.com/article.php?news_id=113&quot;&gt;Part II: Criminal Liability&lt;/a&gt; which also addresses some of the sport aspects.  It also talks about the hand or foot being classified as a &quot;deadly weapon&quot; for legal purposes (not registration purposes, but for matters of determining things like &quot;assault with a deadly weapon&quot;) and self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T03:10:43.517" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="77" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="61" CreationDate="2012-02-01T03:18:14.100" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know - and have never seen - martial notation systems out in the wild.&#xA;Here are a few small things that I've used that were helpful, to get started:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;RFF - Right Foot Forward&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;LFF - Left Foot Forward&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;FFK - Front leg Front Kick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;RFK - Rear leg Front Kick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;FRK - Front Roundhouse Kick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;RRK - Rear Roundhouse Kick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now for more complex things like, say, the following movement:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are in stance A facing direction X, left hand down block, right hand on hip. Look over right shoulder, right foot steps behind left foot to stance B facing direction Y, both hands come up in double head block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have no idea, but using the notation above as a guide, I would suggest:&#xA; - A -&gt; X, LH DB, RH 0 (zero, meaning the initial position, base position, whatever)&#xA; - Look RS (right shoulder, as opposed to just to your right)&#xA; - RF behind LF - B -&gt; Y&#xA; - LH+RH double high block&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, this looks all neat out of context, but the key will be to be really consistent with this otherwise it's going to become unreadable REALLY QUICKLY. I never used this because my memory is excellent -- and I know one form that I'm still not sure, after five years or so of studying it, how I would write down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This was the direct answer to your question. You can use this to describe two-person drills as well by prepending a number.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Truth be told, you probably ought to review your notes more often, and ask questions within one week at the most if you don't remember clearly. It's a lot of work, but it just has to be done in chunks - not all at once.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T03:18:14.100" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="78" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="33" CreationDate="2012-02-01T03:30:59.420" Score="23" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;and I expected him either to break free or to tap out. When I looked down at him...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There would have been a physical sign that your instructor had lost consciousness, like his muscles relaxing and possibly a slight change in posture. You need to be considerably more aware than you were. You cannot always rely on your training partner to know when to tap out, as they may try to tough it out and/or not know their own limitations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should only be taking your choke holds to this level when you have reached a level of proficiency, and part of that should be knowing how to handle the situation if unfortunate accidents happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I know some schools make a point of choking their students unconscious at least once, so they know what it feels like. Personally that has always struck me as unnecessary. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People will have different views on this, but personally I think it is important to know your technique inside out and back to front. Being choked out benefits both participants:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the recipient gets to experience the sensation of losing consciousness via the choke, this helps them know their limits, know the power of the technique, and know when they should be submitting&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the person giving the choke gets to know the stages the recipient will go through as the choke progresses. If you expect to use a potentially dangerous technique like this on a regular occasion (either in training or in the ring) then it is vital you don't over do it and know when to stop &lt;em&gt;despite what your opponent may be indicating to you&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T03:30:59.420" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="79" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2012-02-01T03:32:24.067" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should practice both sides to develop neural connections faster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is one notable exception, specifically: things that target the meridians as understood in Chinese Medicine. The body is MOSTLY symmetrical (there are a few exceptions) with respect to these meridians, so working one side is OK, but working both sides would disrupt the energy symmetrically in the body, and that could lead to Bad Things(tm). Some examples - tiredness, vomiting, dizziness, fevers.. It depends on what is worked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T03:32:24.067" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="80" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="97" CreationDate="2012-02-01T03:33:13.440" Score="16" ViewCount="1995" Body="&lt;p&gt;What should I be aware of if I would like to start training Aikido? I used to train as teenager in small dojo. I picked up few tricks but I never got the essence of Aikido. Is there something you would recommend I research or be aware of before I signup with local dojo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user72" LastEditorDisplayName="user72" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T14:07:49.743" LastActivityDate="2016-08-26T08:07:32.360" Title="How to select the right Aikido dojo" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="81" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="91" CreationDate="2012-02-01T03:40:09.363" Score="24" ViewCount="17496" Body="&lt;p&gt;How do you practice your judo throws at home or any time that you're by yourself?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The leg movement is easy to do as long as you have the space, but proper arm movement and strength is hard to simulate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've tried tying a belt to a post around shoulder height and some sort of cushion at hip level. It's decent, but not that great.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any suggestions?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="71" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-04-10T16:00:22.177" LastActivityDate="2022-08-02T14:26:31.757" Title="How do I practice judo throws on my own without a partner?" Tags="|judo|training|drills|throwing|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="82" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="80" CreationDate="2012-02-01T03:41:19.283" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wrote &lt;a href=&quot;http://trevoke.net/blog/2008/03/20/which-martial-arts-school-is-right-for-you/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;something&lt;/a&gt; a few years ago that is still fairly relevant. The thing is - how do you choose a school, and that is not specific to aikido. I hope this helps -- let me know if this brings up any questions in your mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The basic point is: make sure the teacher is personable and not just trying to sell you on a subscription. Pay attention to the students. How do the beginners look? How do the intermediate students look? The intermediate students should look like they have an idea what they're doing, and should look worse than the advanced students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally - as a student, once you have chosen a school, you have a responsibility to shut up, listen and learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-12-01T04:42:11.737" LastActivityDate="2012-12-01T04:42:11.737" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="83" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="494" CreationDate="2012-02-01T04:34:25.207" Score="10" ViewCount="438" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my school we teach, at around the 5th kup level, a series of &quot;advanced basics&quot; that involve taking the seven sets and doing them in a push-pull motion while moving.  An example might be doing a downward hammerfist block while raising an open hand (fingers spread wide) to cover the head and stepping.   Evidently they used to be taught at a lower belt, but it was thought to be best to delay until the students had a firm grasp on the basics first. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My teacher (and his) say that these are fundamental to hapkido, and they certainly are fundamental to the way we practice it: A lot of our later techniques are based on these techniques. I have also seen these techniques appear in videos of hapkido online, but not as a set, usually just as part of some other technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Despite a fair bit of searching, I can't find a source outside of my school that talks about these techniques.  Part of the challenge in that is figuring out what to call them: &quot;Advanced Basics&quot; is too generic as a lot of martial arts have an &quot;advanced basics&quot; set.  Does anyone know of a (preferably Korean) term or a reference that describes these techniques more precisely?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For identification purposes, neither of these are my specific style (we don't have forms), but they are performing the same or very similar techniques:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BkQ8DyN9Fs&quot;&gt;Hapkido Chun Ki Hyung Sae&lt;/a&gt; one of them is performed, referring to it as a &quot;high-low block&quot; at 1:38.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo6rkkjoVA0&quot;&gt;Hapkido Form&lt;/a&gt; incorporates one of the knifehand ones at 0:05—0:07.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recognize that it may be that other styles do not practice them as a set, but even references to a broad category or specific Korean names for the above two techniques would be useful. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-08T07:08:30.527" LastActivityDate="2012-02-14T18:09:25.080" Title="Official Term/Good Reference for Hapkido Advanced Basics" Tags="|hapkido|technique|terminology|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="84" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="25" CreationDate="2012-02-01T04:42:14.120" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was taught a drill by a Systema friend that may well be this one. I really liked it, because it allowed for mistakes and for development of positional understanding. Big for me, more natural for my friend, was development of creativity and free flow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We did not perform that drill in 'slow motion' - we performed it around half speed and with full intent. This means that we don't easily move away if the strike gets batted with a hand, and if the partner does not do anything, the strike would make contact and continue through. Half-speed, without whatever extra exploding power may be added on contact, is enough to guarantee no damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway - the basic idea is that you do this exactly as you would at full speed. If you would prefer to move as you see the partner's center shift, do so. If you'd rather wait until the very last moment, do so. If you'd rather punch to his face as you see him frown in anger, do so. Just do it at the exact same speed the partner is doing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think of it as one-step free sparring. Any one move, any one answer, alternating who answers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can build up complexity by doing TWO attacks as part of one turn, so the receiver has to deal with two strikes (simultaneous or not, whichever).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How to make it more realistic - well, if the received blocks a straight punch without trapping the elbow, there is nothing wrong with bending at the elbow to continue the strike towards the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope this helps. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T04:42:14.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="85" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-02-01T05:09:29.640" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hapkido is an eclectic Korean martial art that is oriented toward self defense.  It combines a wide variety of joint locks, kicks, strikes, pressure point techniques, soft and hard blocks, throws, and weapons styles.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is based on three principles:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The Nonresistance Principle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The Circle Principle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The Water Principle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T16:34:08.010" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:34:08.010" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="86" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-02-01T05:09:29.640" Score="0" Body="Hapkido is an eclectic Korean martial art that is oriented toward self defense. " OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T16:34:10.510" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:34:10.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="87" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="25" CreationDate="2012-02-01T05:14:04.953" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;To add to Trevoke's answer: this drill will easily expose a beginner's tendency to avoid making contact. If I find my partner starts veering a punch away from me, or punching in a way that won't make contact if I do not move, then I simply do not move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes, the partner is afraid to make contact. I usually demonstrate the speed and intent. I do it to them so they can feel how it does not hurt. Once the fear goes away, it becomes fun. That's when we start coming up with some creative plays.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people are too aggressive or have a deep need to win. They will often speed up. I have not yet found a good way to deal with this. In the past, we've usually made it so boring that those people go elsewhere to seek their thrills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T05:14:04.953" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="88" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5" CreationDate="2012-02-01T05:42:17.193" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Another couple more tips:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Try find out about the lineage of the school. If the master won't reveal who taught him/her, maybe this is not the right place. Also, are members of the school active participants/judges in competitions and various associations?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ask if they have a long-term development programme. My kung fu school has the entire curriculum mapped out and you can see exactly what you will be learning at which level.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Assess whether the physical demands are a good match for you. Some schools are simply more intense than others, even within the same style. Watching a class should give you a good idea if you're fit enough or if it's too slow for you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="75" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T05:42:17.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="89" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="11" CreationDate="2012-02-01T05:47:20.920" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Looking at this motion, I see a few potential interpretations of this motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The back foot can act as kind of a foot check while jumping forward&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The crossed position has an inherent coiling that can help with turning.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Though it's not common in Tae Kwon Do, I see how this position can transition to a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC-0b_Y1EFE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;scissor style take down&lt;/a&gt; used in silat and other styles.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="78" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T05:47:20.920" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="90" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="72" CreationDate="2012-02-01T05:55:54.467" Score="28" Body="&lt;p&gt;That misconception doesn't just exist in the USA, I have heard of it since I was a kid, and is most likely a product of Hollywood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the country of New Zealand, there is no differentiation in law between a trained martial artist and the ordinary person on the street. You have no extra legal obligations than the normal person next to you. But much like a police officer and judge are both subject to the exact same laws as everyone else, like them you also have extra moral or social obligations that the average person may not be subject to. These obligations usually come into consideration &lt;em&gt;after&lt;/em&gt; you have used your skills to defend yourself. A recent example of this are the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/daniel-christie-dies-following-kinghit-punch-20140111-30ndv.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;comments from a prosecutor in Australia&lt;/a&gt; after a self-styled MMA fighter king-hit an innocent bystander who later died:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;NSW Attorney General Greg Smith expressed his sympathies to the families and said he had contacted the director of public prosecutions over the matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;I have spoken to the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions and asked him to closely examine this case with a view to determining if murder charges are appropriate in light of the evidence, and in light of the alleged offender’s reported martial arts experience,&amp;quot; said Mr Smith in a statement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;br/&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The law here can be summarized as saying:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;You may use the minimum necessary force to defend yourself&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the past the school I train at has obtained a legal definition of exactly what this means, which is: as soon as I reasonably believe my safety to be in danger I may use reasonable force to protect myself. That reasonable belief can exist the moment I see my opponent telegraph a move, I can then use a reasonable amount of force to defuse that situation and preserve my safety. As a trained martial artist there is a far higher duty of care required in my application of force to my opponent, &lt;em&gt;and this changes the definition of what can be considered reasonable&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If a situation ever occurs, being careful will serve you well after the fact. Consider what a jury would think during a trial on assault charges:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the attacker has two broken limbs, three dislocated joints, and exhibits signs of having lost consciousness in a sudden way (i.e. lack of memory, possible concussion). The defendant (you) says that he honestly only used the minimum amount of force to defend himself. Was the attacker particularly tough and persistent and high on methamphetamine and was consequently tough to stop? Or did the defendant not stop when he should have and administered his own brand of justice?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the attacker claims he did nothing and the defendant just hit him out of nowhere. The defendant said he saw the attacker start to attack so he (legally) acted first. The attacker's telegraphing moves are too small to be seen on the grainy CCTV footage shot from 20 feet away in dim lighting conditions. The people standing around either didn't see what happened or were too drunk to be reliable witnesses. Can the defendant really justify the dislocated shoulder or knee suffered by the attacker?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the attacker is claiming vast amounts of monetary compensation for damages because although the attacker was drunk, hostile, belligerent, out of control and was threatening your girlfriend with forms of behaviour more at home in a fifteenth century torture chamber, you gave him a sore head and because you are a trained martial artist you should have known better and should have just humored him. Now he is suffering lifelong braincell loss from your blow and he didn't actually do those things to your girlfriend so he is the victim.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In all these cases you could have acted perfectly reasonably at the time, but who is the jury (or judge) going to believe? They weren't there, they didn't experience what happened, they are analyzing the event after the fact. Your extra responsibilities due to your training dictate that you only do what is absolutely necessary. So although you may have 50 lethal moves in your repertoire, you only use the minimum number of non-lethal moves necessary to defuse the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A guilty or innocent verdict often comes down to interpretation of imprecise wording and interpretation of confusing and muddled events, and as a trained martial artist you may have a disadvantage due to people's perceptions of you and what you do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Edit&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ironically, just over a year since I wrote that answer, I had to serve on a jury in an assault with a weapon case where the accused pleaded self defence, and this gives me some insight into how this can play out with respects to a martial artist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The accused was not a martial artist, but there were many parts of point #2 from above present in the case:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the complainant claimed he was attacked first, the accused said she was attacked first and defended herself&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;grainy inconclusive CCTV footage shot from a distance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;unreliable eye witnesses&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;excessive and/or random injuries suffered by the complainant that were out of scale compared to the alleged infringement&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This shows how conflicting or contradictory the case can be when self defense is claimed. In this case the accused is innocent until proven guilty which means the prosecution have to prove that it &lt;strong&gt;wasn't&lt;/strong&gt; self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the accused is a martial artist the prosecution's job is easier because the jury will have an automatic bias &lt;em&gt;even though they don't mean to&lt;/em&gt; (remember that they are ordinary people from the community). This will be compounded by the fact that due to your training you may not remember the exact sequence of actions that took place and the exact force you may have hit with - you are trained to react without conscious thought which makes remembering really hard and the jury will not necessarily understand this. If the case relies upon balance of probabilities then it will be harder for you to convince the judge/jury that your actions were reasonable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/strong&gt; (in this jurisdiction) there are no specific legal ramifications for being a martial artist involved in a fight, but there will certainly be consequences or complications for you should it reach trial and you are the accused.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2014-01-15T03:23:54.450" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="91" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="81" CreationDate="2012-02-01T06:18:53.533" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;Have you considered an MMA ground and pound dummy or a wrestling throw dummy? There are several types out there and not all of the work. I would consider looking for one with full length arms and is sturdy enough to nearly stand on it's own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some examples:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Throw Dummy:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/d5w6X.gif&quot; alt=&quot;http://www.jrwrestling.com/images/freestyle_throwing_dummy.gif&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ground and Pound: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gzLWq.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I think the throw dummy would work better than the ground and pound dummy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user66" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-02-04T13:22:34.377" LastActivityDate="2013-02-04T13:22:34.377" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="92" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2012-02-01T06:28:39.163" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is not scientific, nor a quote from a famous martial artist, but I've noticed during sparring that my seniors pick up very quickly on what is my dominant side and use it effectively to their own advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would expect the same thing to happen in a prolonged real-life fight with an experienced opponent. Alternatively, in an emergency situation, you want to be able to react in the most appropriate way possible which again may not be with your dominant side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="75" LastEditorUserId="75" LastEditDate="2012-02-07T19:56:40.953" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T19:56:40.953" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="93" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="100" CreationDate="2012-02-01T06:59:45.990" Score="22" ViewCount="48665" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been training martial arts for several years but still aren't impressed by the height of my side kicks. I think its a combination of strength and stretching since I can use my hands to lift my leg higher than I can kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are good exercises for both strength and stretching that can improve my side kicks? Also, what muscles should I try to strengthen and what muscles should I try to stretch?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm guessing that the outside of the hips and the outside of the thigh are the muscles to focus on but I'm not really sure how to strengthen the hip muscles. I regularly work on both the straight and the side split (sorry don't know what they are called in english). What other good stretching exercises can improve my kick height? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="80" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-04-04T13:28:40.910" LastActivityDate="2014-09-04T12:12:09.940" Title="Good exercises for higher side kicks?" Tags="|technique|kicking|strength|stretching|flexibility|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="94" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-01T07:12:49.933" Score="5" ViewCount="9429" Body="&lt;p&gt;First a little background here, I've done Karate for 7 years and quit some years back because of reasons I won't discuss here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In either case I have all this experience build up and recently met someone who is good at aikido. It seems they have really good techniques for locking up your body in all sorts of awkward positions without almost no effort using joints pressure points. This can be really good techniques to use in harmless defense - which in karate is almost non existent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jiu-jitsu also seems to have really good techniques to lock other people but they seem less refined imo, they do have a much better ground game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'm searching for a discipline to replace Karate with but am wondering what the best addition to Karate skills would be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="81" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T17:06:11.360" LastActivityDate="2015-11-24T11:18:13.327" Title="Is aikido a good addition to Karate? Or shoud I go for jiu-jitsu?" Tags="|aikido|jujutsu|karate|recommendation|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2012-02-02T16:21:48.780" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="95" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="61" CreationDate="2012-02-01T07:12:55.020" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you have some artistic skills you could try to draw sketches/stick figures of the different movements in order (I've tried it). You won't be able to teach using them but you probably shouldn't do that anyway. They are however a very good memory aid (e.g. &quot;What comes after ...?&quot; or &quot;How should i place my feet while doing ...?&quot;) and can be used to communicate between teachers within the same style when only teaching parts of a longer routine. We've used sketches to communicate what parts of longer routines we teach (e.g. &quot;From this movement until these three&quot;) and it works well as a communication tool between teachers. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise, If you are allowed in your style, it CAN be very good to take some time for yourself and film yourself doing certain techniques after someone has showed them to you. That way you will catch a lot of small details in the movements (although you may catch some wrong details as well so be sure to understand the movements and do them well &lt;em&gt;and slowly&lt;/em&gt; when filming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="80" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T07:12:55.020" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="96" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="94" CreationDate="2012-02-01T07:37:18.033" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aikido, judo and karate are all complementary arts: One (karate) focus on strikes, the others on avoidance, control of the opponent, and using body physiognomy to control/throw.  Judo works from grapples and Aikido from a distance.  As such, they are all good additions to each other. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whatever art you chose to do, remember to &quot;empty your cup&quot; before starting to learn. AKA train with an open mind. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T13:50:14.550" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T13:50:14.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="97" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="80" CreationDate="2012-02-01T07:45:14.090" Score="17" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best indicators I ever found were:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are the senior grades teaching the lower grades?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is the instructor friendly and approachable?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is everyone (from the top to the bottom) having fun?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are there special fees, secret techniques, and a cult mentality?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are many people injured?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are all fees clearly labelled and explained? &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are the instructors' qualifications?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/6739/82&quot;&gt;The dojo is &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; a McDojo&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With those you should not err too far. Note that those are not only applicable to Aikido but especially the injury and qualifications ones are very applicable.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido can be hard on the wrist, knees and ankles.  Break falls can be hard on your neck and back.  Thus it is important to know your limit and pay attention to instructions.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that qualifications includes both proficiency at Aikido (which can be hard to judge) as well as teaching qualifications and insurance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for styles, pick the right dojo.  Do not worry about the style as in the end, it is all Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-08-26T08:07:32.360" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="98" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="94" CreationDate="2012-02-01T07:52:41.410" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aikido is not simply about locking and throwing, it also has striking (atemi waza). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido complements a lot of other arts; once you have practiced some of the Aikido techniques you will find it very beneficial to your karate blocks (uke), and you will find some of the same Aikido concepts buried within your karate bunkai. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T07:52:41.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="100" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="93" CreationDate="2012-02-01T08:35:04.493" Score="17" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kicking has four parts to it: flexibility, technique, focus and ab's.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the flexibility, I have found &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PNF_stretching&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;PNF stretching&lt;/a&gt; to be quite beneficial. This is a form of stretching that uses periodic resistance/contraction followed by relaxation to achieve a deeper stretch and excellent long term results (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=791XXiYzNbE&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here is a reasonable Youtube example&lt;/a&gt;). Of course flexibility is only part of the story and by itself doesn't get your foot up there, being flexible simply ensures that you have the minimum resistance to getting your foot up high.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For technique: concentrate on breaking down the kick into its component parts. Practice it slowly. First raise your knee, hold it, extend the leg, hold it, lower the leg but keep your knee up, hold it, then lower your leg back to where you started. These positions should all be held for several seconds each (holding them longer can help build tendon strength). &#xA;Breaking the kick down into its component parts helps you master the mechanics of it, and helps to prevent sloppy technique that is little more than a quick sideways leg raise rather than a good high sidekick. The groin adductor muscles which are the main muscles involved in getting the height (angle) on this kick are not very large, especially when compared to the total size of your thigh, you can work those muscles at the gym* but strengthening them is only going to get you part way there; what is more important is the speed and technique used. Once you have the kick at the desired angle your quads and glutes take over and extend the leg - those are easy to strengthen, but concentrate on them last (accuracy and technique is more important than brute strength at this stage).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Focus is very important. Your mind (focus) needs to be just beyond the edge of your foot (which should be through the other side of the target). Your focus needs to be impeccable, but it is hard to achieve when battling poor technique and/or tight/weak muscles. If you cannot kick at a height that satisfies you, then back off a little and perfect your kick at a lower level, then gradually work your way up in height. Don't be a glutton for instant gratification, this sort of thing can take a lot of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, I cannot understate the amount of importance that ab's play in your kicking, even side kicks. Without strong abdominals your kicks will always be weak. They are a crucial support muscle used during the kick, without them you may as well just swing your leg around in a haphazard way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*use the machine where you sit in it and spread your legs apart sideways (it will usually be situated near its counterpart where you squeeze your legs in together, which is the opposite group of muscles).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2014-09-04T12:12:09.940" LastActivityDate="2014-09-04T12:12:09.940" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="101" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="94" CreationDate="2012-02-01T08:51:37.597" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you practiced Shotokan karate, or one of the very rigid forms, then Aikido provides a balance, with fluid moves and a focus on movement rather than the solid anchor that Shotokan uses, and it trains you in flexibility and the awareness of body, rather than the focused strength and power that karate often aims for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For those reasons I think it is an excellent complementary martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately I know far less about Jiu Jitsu, so can't talk to that aspect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="57" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T08:51:37.597" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="102" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="107" CreationDate="2012-02-01T08:52:53.270" Score="17" ViewCount="23555" Body="&lt;p&gt;When performing kicks, I quite often lose my balance, which results in me being positioned in a stance where I'm more exposed to attacks. This is normally due to me trying to raise my leg for the kick, while turning my body to allow my leg to be raised higher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any exercises and/or stretches that specifically focus on improving strength in the legs and help to improve overall balance when transitioning to one foot?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="89" LastEditorUserId="89" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T09:02:37.077" LastActivityDate="2016-01-06T05:31:59.283" Title="Exercises to improve balance when kicking" Tags="|exercise|kicking|strength|stretching|balance|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="103" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="94" CreationDate="2012-02-01T08:55:26.403" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a friend who is very near to taking his black belt in Karate and he started Aikido with me just under a year ago. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So far he has found it to complement his Karate very well and often demonstrates how techniques can work together in his Karate lessons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In learning Aikido he has found it easier than me as he already has a base in some of the concepts and his punches and kicks are already much better. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="60" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T08:55:26.403" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="104" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="315" CreationDate="2012-02-01T09:10:13.390" Score="19" ViewCount="9878" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the difference between External martial arts and Internal martial arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="83" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-12-26T15:31:12.200" LastActivityDate="2017-03-26T13:33:37.733" Title="What's the difference between Internal and External martial arts?" Tags="|internal|" AnswerCount="14" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="105" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="104" CreationDate="2012-02-01T09:16:48.983" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;External martial arts focus on concussive impacts. These impacts cause damage by hitting with more force. Training focuses on developing strength, speed and specific techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Internal martial arts focus on using the leverage of the relaxed body to control an opponent. Training focuses on internalising (making second nature) a holistic set of attributes including correct posture, control over the tension-relaxation of muscles and correct positioning of the limbs and body without focusing on specific techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe that internal-external is a spectrum, rather than absolutes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="83" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T09:16:48.983" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="106" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="94" CreationDate="2012-02-01T09:16:51.843" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;depends what you are looking for.  Martial arts tend to be quite a personal choice.   I'd say go try both  ( and make sure you do try both, and not start up with the first one you try )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another choice which can be quite enjoyable for ex-karate is  Kali / Escrima / Arnis.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;but basically, it's whatever you enjoy doing the most, so try different arts!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T09:16:51.843" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="107" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="102" CreationDate="2012-02-01T09:18:01.213" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of my favorite exercises in that area is holding a side kick against the wall. You execute a side kick with your foot against the wall, and then you shift your weight forward until your foot no longer slides down. This will only work if you hold your leg at least in a horizontal line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have some balance you can work on height. If you get your foot to face level without losing balance and while maintaining a proper side kick position you will have greatly improved both power and balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: in the beginning you may be tempted to hold on to something for support. Don't. It'll spoil the whole exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="79" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T09:18:01.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="108" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="81" CreationDate="2012-02-01T09:24:15.760" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've seen some people using elastic rope attached to a wall to to practice certain throws.&#xA;Elastic bandage is widely used for that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is not good for every throw, but is rather cheap and simple to use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user91" LastEditorUserId="12356" LastEditDate="2022-08-02T14:26:31.757" LastActivityDate="2022-08-02T14:26:31.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="109" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="104" CreationDate="2012-02-01T09:36:59.597" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;An external martial art is one in which the emphasis is on physical application of force (whether your own or the opponents force redirected) to cause damage to your opponent.  This is the case whether you are relaxed (re-directed force or joint locks etc.) or applying force directly via the application of brute strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An internal martial art is one in which the emphasis is on application of chi energy in order to disable the opponent.  Once again, this is regardless of whether you are relaxed or applying what looks to be a strong, physical movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Internal martial arts stress the training of chi via exercises like Chi Gong and External martial arts stress the training of physical/muscular strength.  This generalisation is true particularly at beginner levels.  Later on both schools of thought tend to come back closer to the centre more often than not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Added info:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The above info is the classical definition of an Internal or External martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also hard and soft styles.  For example an external martial style can use redirection and deflection instead of applying direct opposing force, without it being thought of as internal.  Similarly an internal style can apply what appears to be direct application of force to combat an attack, once again without being thought of as external.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="67" LastEditorUserId="67" LastEditDate="2012-02-02T00:33:40.960" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T00:33:40.960" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="110" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="80" CreationDate="2012-02-01T09:42:18.267" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends on what result you expect from studying martial arts, but in many cases it will be useful to look at the students there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In most martial arts with sparring, students who are taught by a good trainer will win in competition. I suggest instructors which have such students are better than those who have not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In most cases in Aikido there is no such scale, but you can ask about certifications (both student and instructor). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, there must be some &lt;strong&gt;external&lt;/strong&gt; verification of instructor quality available.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user91" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-16T15:36:08.937" LastActivityDate="2012-05-16T15:36:08.937" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="111" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-01T09:49:19.923" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;While not what most would think of as a &quot;weight lifting&quot; exercise (body weight rather than external weights), push-ups on your fists will help with Wing Chun punches as it promotes strong wrists and forearms (along with the standard push-up muscles).  In order to train for the explosiveness of the punch you can practice these push-ups with an explosive movement when pressing upwards.  Later on, add more weight via the use of a weight vest.  Don't go overboard with developing muscles for this punch as it is more quick and explosive than slow and about the application of brute strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally as a Wing Chun punch is vertical and is usually delivered with no recoil before the punch core and hip muscle development will help as power and support for the punch come from low in the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="67" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T09:49:19.923" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="112" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="138" CreationDate="2012-02-01T09:56:47.807" Score="9" ViewCount="1108" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am relatively tall - when practicing many Jiu-Jitsu throws I am frequently given the advice to &quot;bend my knees more&quot; or to &quot;get lower&quot;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I really focus I find this is very effective (especially with a shorter Uke), however I also find it very uncomfortable and as a result as soon as I stop concentrating I tend to stand up again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What exercises can I do to make this easier / less uncomfortable?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="92" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-09-27T19:52:59.200" LastActivityDate="2012-09-27T21:33:46.277" Title="Exercises to help &quot;getting lower&quot; when performing Jiu-Jitsu throws" Tags="|exercise|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="113" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-01T09:58:18.250" Score="2" ViewCount="1495" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wing chun seems to be very effective style. But why they are using so much punches (like chain punch)? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&amp;amp;feature=endscreen&amp;amp;v=OyXSocQyLwE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Punching can lead to serious injuries&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0e3atmlteA&amp;amp;feature=relmfu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;is not as effective as palm strikes&lt;/a&gt;. Look at this video:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9pDee74oMU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Wing Chun Techniques For Street Fight Self Defense, CloseQuartersCombat.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is exactly what I think.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, why wing chun still uses the punches? For historical reasons? Is there any clone of wing chun that uses only palm heels? Yes, I know wing chun also uses palm heel strikes, but also very much punching (like the chain punch). I'd like to practice wing chun but I don't want to fix wrong habits that can lead to injury!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="93" LastEditorUserId="93" LastEditDate="2012-05-17T14:19:26.327" LastActivityDate="2013-10-22T12:27:06.687" Title="Wing chun modification with only palm heel strikes?" Tags="|safety|wing-chun|punching|fist|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="17" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="114" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-01T10:01:57.963" Score="10" ViewCount="1422" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there any other martial art apart from wing-chun, that uses technique or drills like &lt;em&gt;chi sao&lt;/em&gt; (sticky/sticking hands)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="93" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-07-10T01:21:11.300" LastActivityDate="2013-01-13T15:05:56.447" Title="Are chi-sao-style drills found anywhere other than in Wing Chun?" Tags="|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="115" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-01T10:09:00.570" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This technique is not about power, it's about speed!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You shall try to deliver punches as fast as possible. I think some of the body-building excercises can actually slow your hands down. Also remember that the explosive strength is not what you train in e.g. in bench press - this is a static power. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For chain punch technique, I think it is best to train your hands to be flash fast and &quot;strike-strong&quot; (i.e. explosively), e.g. by practicing with weapons like jo or nunchaku.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember that this technique is not for 1 strong KO strike. Also watch this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9pDee74oMU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9pDee74oMU&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="93" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T10:09:00.570" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="116" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="218" CreationDate="2012-02-01T10:12:32.437" Score="4" ViewCount="160" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does anyone have any historical information about the following picture: when was it taken?  Who is in the background?  Where was it taken?  What was the occasion? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JeC7U.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Tomiki and Uesiba picture.&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="10" LastEditDate="2012-02-02T14:23:21.680" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T14:23:21.680" Title="Ueshiba and Tomiki picture identification" Tags="|aikido|history|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="117" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="121" CreationDate="2012-02-01T10:17:35.813" Score="19" ViewCount="2489" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am kind of a total beginner. I did &lt;em&gt;some&lt;/em&gt; Tae Kwon Do when I was little, but I don't take that much into account, considering everything; I always liked Martial Arts and everything that revolves around them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, in the case that I want to choose one in the future, what exercises can be done alone by someone with no or little experience? Are there any? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I mean this as a physical preparation and training: including jogging, etc, I was wondering if there were some extra exercises particularly useful for (want-to-be) martial artists that are safe even if done alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And this unavoidably brings me to ask: what exercises a beginner must absolutely avoid to do alone?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="94" LastEditorUserId="94" LastEditDate="2012-02-06T17:36:40.227" LastActivityDate="2013-03-06T18:18:02.820" Title="What exercises are safe (or not) for total beginners?" Tags="|exercise|self-training|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="118" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2012-02-01T10:20:24.860" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Very good question. Actually, the situation in Aikido for example is very schizofrenic. The master insisted on that &lt;strong&gt;we must train both sides, especially the weaker one&lt;/strong&gt; - for falls, all the techniques, jo, etc...&#xA;Which I consider very good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But when it came to bokken, &lt;strong&gt;only right hand had to be dominant!&lt;/strong&gt; Just because it was a tradition of how to use it. Sorry, left-handed people. I think japanese martial arts have clear priorities: 1) tradition, 2) reason &amp;amp; logic. :-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="93" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T10:20:24.860" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="119" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="113" CreationDate="2012-02-01T10:25:02.670" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some of the comments to that youtube video correctly point out that the example of straight punching given in the video is not actually Wing Chun.  If you take a look at a number of other Wing Chun videos you will see that not only is the punch delivered very differently, but also that Wing Chun practitioners will deliver a mix of punches, chops and open hand strikes depending on the target (punches for soft targets or when a punch to the head is suitable, chops to the neck and side of the head and open palm attacks to the face/head).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun, like most martial arts, features a number of different strikes that can be used depending on the circumstance.  You are correct in saying that a punch can lead to serious injury, but any poorly executed martial technique can end very badly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To answer your question directly, Wing Chun still uses punches as they are an extremely effective technique when delivered correctly (hopefully your training allows you to do this).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="67" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T10:25:02.670" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="120" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="135" CreationDate="2012-02-01T10:33:26.007" Score="12" ViewCount="3462" Body="&lt;p&gt;How can I improve teaching forward and flip (kote gaeshi and sumi otoshi for those that know what it looks like) breakfalls?  I have been teaching those for a while and students do pick them up and end up being good (and safe) at doing them.  However, I would like advise, suggestions and ways to make students more proficient in those break falls faster. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am well aware that the best answer is going to be &lt;em&gt;practice, practice,and more practice&lt;/em&gt;. However, there should be methods that make practising easier.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: I am guessing that the same techniques could apply to judo and jui-jutsu as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-15T17:49:50.787" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T08:19:45.563" Title="How can I improve my teaching of ukemi or break falling?" Tags="|aikido|jujutsu|judo|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="121" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="117" CreationDate="2012-02-01T10:35:05.700" Score="16" Body="&lt;p&gt;Firstly I really apologise for this round about answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To train as a martial artist really requires that you seek out proper instruction from qualified, competent instructors.  They should lead you through the appropriate exercises based on your physical fitness and ability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, any exercise that causes sharp pain, dull continuous pain or that causes recurring pain is usually worth avoiding.  You will get a range of opinions as to specific exercises, if you really want a better answer you should seek out an exercise professional (qualified martial artist/gym instructor/personal fitness instructor) who can evaluate you in person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't have any of these available and are learning completely from books then go slow, get a range of resources, use pain and soreness as a guide and use your common-sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Was thinking about this overnight, and in terms of physical preparation for studying martial arts I'd say there are three main areas that you can give some focus to before beginning.  Of course the most important thing is to actually get along to a class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cardio&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Jogging should be fine for this.  If you can get a slow jog happening for 15-20 mins you'll be streaks ahead of most people who start a martial art.  Jogging is also good for recovery training.  Perform a faster jog until you're puffed, then walk for 30-60 seconds and repeat.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Flexibility&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Some basic leg stretches (from a seated position to avoid injury)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Basic Muscle Strength&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Lots of martial arts classes have students perform sit-ups, push-ups and squats/horse stance as part of basic warm ups.  If you can make a start on these three exercises then you'll have a head start.  When performing any of these moves focus on correct technique rather than number or repetitions or speed.  If you are unable to perform the exercise then start them from an easier position (eg. from your knees for push-ups).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="67" LastEditorUserId="67" LastEditDate="2012-02-02T00:48:17.120" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T00:48:17.120" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="123" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="117" CreationDate="2012-02-01T10:41:31.127" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Rule 1&lt;/em&gt;: &lt;strong&gt;cardio!&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It applies not only in a zombie apocalypse but in all martial arts. Let's face it, it is always useful. Any exercise that will increase your cardio are good provided you do them in a safe way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T10:41:31.127" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="124" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="72" CreationDate="2012-02-01T10:45:48.467" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the UK, you can defend yourself provided you use &lt;em&gt;reasonable force&lt;/em&gt;. This sadly has no legal definition whatsoever and is solely based on your lawyer(s), their lawyer(s), and what the judge decides is reasonable force for yourself in the particular case of the case.  As such, any martial artist will have a stronger burden of proof than they used reasonable force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For more details, look at the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/self_defence/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Self-Defence and the Prevention of Crime&lt;/a&gt; section of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cps.gov.uk/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Crown Prosecution Service&lt;/a&gt; web site. ⚠ Law speak inside.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best option is to run away following rule one: cardio!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-02-25T15:56:48.423" LastActivityDate="2016-02-25T15:56:48.423" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="125" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="114" CreationDate="2012-02-01T11:12:54.987" Score="19" Body="&lt;p&gt;Several martial systems contain drills to improve sensitivity with varying degrees of systemisation and formality. As a result, they have a different flavour from the chi sao in Wing Chun, but they each have a similar purpose: to build sensitivity and awareness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Specific examples:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Taiji has &quot;push hands&quot; drills&lt;/strong&gt; that involve one or both hands. (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XALpOmuQR88&quot;&gt;YouTube demo.&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Karate also has &quot;kakie&quot; (push hands)&lt;/strong&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XdUJ6_e8n0&quot;&gt;YouTube demo.&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muay Thai uses clinch drills&lt;/strong&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ5pJ4lyB7o&quot;&gt;YouTube demo.&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jeet Kune Do has &quot;hubud&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuHQhSThvIA&quot;&gt;YouTube demo.&lt;/a&gt; Demo starts about 5 minutes in.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other arts such as Aikido contain many sensitivity drills, but they're often ingrained into the philosophy of the art as a whole, which means they don't look anything like chi sao or push hands. They're less static and formalised, and they involve full body movement rather than isolation of the upper body. (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaRcJZYmBu4&quot;&gt;YouTube demo.&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="17" LastEditorUserId="17" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T11:21:13.807" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T11:21:13.807" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="126" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="140" CreationDate="2012-02-01T11:16:28.723" Score="18" ViewCount="3797" Body="&lt;p&gt;When teaching martial arts, particularly to juniors we sometimes run into problems with discipline.  Most people assume that you can hand out physical exercise as a good disincentive to poor behaviour, however we have several (usually male) students that enjoy doing push-ups etc. If the problem is serious and involves only a single student then having them sit out works very well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What have people found to be an effective way to discipline an entire class (when either all or the majority of students are involved) for low level problems?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="67" LastActivityDate="2015-11-05T16:18:04.737" Title="What's the most effective way to discipline students (particularly juniors)?" Tags="|teaching|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="127" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="161" CreationDate="2012-02-01T11:24:26.220" Score="55" ViewCount="51721" Body="&lt;p&gt;This may sound like a bit of a daft question, but I have heard and read different sides. On the one side, people say weight training will increase your strength and power and therefore will be beneficial within a martial arts application.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I have also heard that weight training focuses more on physical size, as opposed to strength; and that it is possible to increase your muscular strength without gaining the size. Similar arguments also suggest weight training to be less beneficial in martial arts, given that the extra mass would result in slower movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does weight training benefit martial arts in terms of power, or does it actually not really introduce much benefit and instead result in slower moves?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="89" LastActivityDate="2020-10-13T08:45:53.167" Title="Is weight training useful in martial arts?" Tags="|strength|weight-lifting|power|speed|" AnswerCount="19" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="129" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2012-02-01T11:32:30.620" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Like David H. Clements says  in his answer, scientific studies on effectiveness are probably rare, but there is evidence that athletes in general that train a certain movement exclusively on one side (e.g. tennis players or pole vaulters) have a high risk of developing injuries caused by an inbalance in muscle strength. When one side of the body becomes stronger, more strain is being placed on the other side which may lead to lower back or pelvis related problems. Several books have been written on this topic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I'm not sure if this translates to martial arts. Doing a couple of exercises exclusively on one side probably won't lead to a muscle inbalance, but what if you do &lt;strong&gt;all&lt;/strong&gt; exercises on one side only?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T11:32:30.620" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="130" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="126" CreationDate="2012-02-01T12:24:32.133" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Try the opposite, have them sit in the corner and do nothing while the rest of the class gets to do push-ups. Just don't make it a punishment for the rest of the class, they get to do push-ups because push-ups are good for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="97" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T12:24:32.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="131" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2012-02-01T13:40:25.953" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the past weight training was almost synonymous with body building, but nowadays there is a huge difference between the two. Doing training with &lt;strong&gt;heavy&lt;/strong&gt; weights &lt;strong&gt;will&lt;/strong&gt; make you slower, but you can counter this by switching between heavy weights and explosive power exercises regularly. Also, there are many weight training exercises (with low weights) that can you do to increase your strength and power while keeping your speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people I know who are rather serious about their sport and are keen on improving speed and power do at least one weight training a week (unless they are in a period with many matches).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T13:40:25.953" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="132" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-02-01T13:41:34.333" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Shidokan, also known as the 'triathlon of martial arts', was founded in 1981 as the World Karatedo Association Shidokan by Kancho Yoshiji Soeno.  It incorporates elements of the arts that he studied in his travels; judo, Kyokushin Kaikan karate, and Muay Thai kickboxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Name&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The meaning of Shidokan can be translated thus:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;SHI — warrior&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;DO — the way&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;KAN — group or training hall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shidokan means the place dedicated to building a kind and benevolent character through the practice of Karate. It should not be confused with the karate style founded in 1948 Shidō-kan (志道館, &quot;House of the Way of the Warrior&quot;), Shōrin-ryū Shidōkan, another style of Karate. It is unknown why Soeno Yoshiji chose to use an identical sounding kanji with a nearly identical meaning that had been well established for 33 years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Questions related to the practice, history, and practitioners of this art should be encompassed by this tag.  Tangentially related topics in the sub-arts of this martial art are also also fair game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For more information, see the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shidokan.net/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;official Shidokan page&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shidokan.org.uk/index.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Shidokan UK&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shidokan.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Shidokan USA&lt;/a&gt;, or &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.org/Shidokan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Shidokan on Bullshido&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="16" LastEditorUserId="16" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T16:34:13.337" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:34:13.337" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="133" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-02-01T13:41:34.333" Score="0" Body="Shidōkan (士道館, Shidōkan) karate encompasses bare-knuckle knockdown karate (sometimes referred to as full contact karate), Muay Thai, and grappling. Tournaments are full contact and are normally held in a boxing ring. Shidokan Karate was created by Yoshiji Soeno and originated in his training in Kyokushin karate." OwnerUserId="16" LastEditorUserId="16" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T16:34:16.023" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:34:16.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="134" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="94" CreationDate="2012-02-01T13:46:25.990" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aikido is not a good addition to anything. Aikido is a complete budo and a specialized (thus, incomplete) martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's to say Aikido does give you all means for your psychophysical development as a budoka (m.a. practitioner). At the same time, Aikido technique is very focused and thus:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;there is no direct linkage between dojo technique and self-defense application&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;many things are missing or almost missing (ground wrestling, kicks, etc).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While your karate experience may give you some of the tools you'd miss from aikido practice alone, you still may be find yourself missing something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jujitsu is wholly different beast. There are traditional schools and modern schools, but - usually - the practice covers a much wider technical spectrum than aikido. Its value as a form of &quot;budo&quot; practice, though, varies much from dojo to dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice is to clear up your goals: if you're looking for self defense, you may find yourself better with jujitsu or even consider something different like kali, jeetkunedo, and alikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido provides something much different and deeper and you should perhaps not embrace it if not interested in it as itself. But trying never hurts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(basic disclaimer applies: it's smarter choose a sensei than a martial art)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastEditorUserId="10" LastEditDate="2015-11-24T11:18:13.327" LastActivityDate="2015-11-24T11:18:13.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="135" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="120" CreationDate="2012-02-01T13:52:57.977" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Check this video and other from the same author:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5U2E0kA8_8&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5U2E0kA8_8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The method comes from Germany and France.&#xA;It's pretty useful for overcoming fear at first. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(resulting falls are too soft for actual use with a shihan tori, but still a good start)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: you may notice that the ukes in the video actually strike the tatami in the wrong way. That has nothing to do with the teaching method, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T13:52:57.977" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="136" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="126" CreationDate="2012-02-01T14:01:06.020" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I'm teaching kids' classes, there tends to be two types of kids: the ones that want to learn, and the ones whose parents drop them off so they (the parents) can have some peace and quiet. Those are the trouble-makers every time!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I tend to pair them up with a hard-working student; this helps keep them in line. At our club, pushups are traditionally the punishment for acting out, but if the behaviour is something that would endanger another student, I usually sit them aside for a few minutes.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I always re-iterate at the beginning of each class what won't be tolerated, and what the consequences will be. This keeps them in line most of the time. Usually, if something starts I just have to give a look with a little eyebrow raise and it stops dead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the whole class is misbehaving, before you get too harsh with them, think about what's going on. Is it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The last day of school?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A full moon?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A PA day?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All these things mess with the students ability to focus, and sometimes just shifting the focus of the class from being very technical and focus oriented to group &quot;games&quot; that build skills can fix the insanity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-05T16:18:04.737" LastActivityDate="2015-11-05T16:18:04.737" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="137" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="120" CreationDate="2012-02-01T14:05:03.707" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;for rolling breakfalls with new students i have 2 different methods for making them less intimidating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;start from a &quot;high kneeling&quot; position, IE:  one knee down, and one knee up.  then teach the roll from their.  It tends to keep their posture more inline and stops them from freaking out about the floor being so far away.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;the other technique i use, which tends to work better with smaller students (would be tricky to find a ball big enough for someone 6'+).  is to use one of those big exercise balls, have them hug the ball with their arms in the right position, and roll over the ball.  This makes the technique pretty much perfect, and they can learn the position without having to worry about crashing down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T14:05:03.707" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="138" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="112" CreationDate="2012-02-01T14:10:17.693" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've had the same problem for my whole judo and jiu jitsu career!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Squats and lunges. When your coming in for your &lt;em&gt;o-goshi&lt;/em&gt; (hip throw) or &lt;em&gt;seoi nage&lt;/em&gt; (shoulder throws) be sure to be stepping in low, not waiting until your turned in to get low. This makes the motion a lot easier. The other thing is try to keep it all one fluid motion. I found when I was breaking things down into obvious steps, it was more awkward and difficult than when I do techniques fluidly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-02-06T14:22:35.913" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T14:22:35.913" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="139" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="64" CreationDate="2012-02-01T14:20:02.300" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are plenty of guides to cutting weight out their on the internet.   The best advice i can give you is to not try to cut to much.    Personally, when i was fighting MMA,  i didn't really cut weight.  I would diet a little bit, but never got into the whole cut 15lbs of water weigth and hope to get properly hydrated in 24h.  It's not good for your performance, it's not good for your kidneys, and the rest of your body either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now.  if you want to cut weight anyway... the basics is this:   the week before, drink lots and lots and lots and lots of water.  this get's your body thinking yay i've got so much water i'll just pass it right through.  then the day before weighins, only drink when your thirsty, day of weigh ins don't drink at all.   at least 3 days before cut out all sources of sodium.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;day of weigh ins,  find a suana,  sit in it.  for as long as you can stand,  then take short breaks.   some people like to wear a lot of layers in the sauna,  some like to go nude.    some take a credit card or something similar, and scrape the sweat off their bodies with it.   the theory is that sweat evaporating is how you body cools off, so if you don't let it evaporate, you'll stay hotter, and sweat more. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;there are other theories like shaving your whole body right before will open up your pores and make you sweat more,  2 fighter friends of mine swear by this. but i haven't tried it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;depending on your weight, you should probably be able to cut 10lbs of water weight with just the super hydrating and sauna.   of course if your only 125, it's probably less the that. and if your 250 it's going to be more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T14:20:02.300" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="140" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="126" CreationDate="2012-02-01T14:20:11.427" Score="23" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kids are fast. If you don't keep them occupied they will do something else: chatting, joking, bullying, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While you may need to impose discipline from time to time, don't forget to work on the root cause; try to be more engaging. Here are some ways:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Vary exercises frequently (this is not always the best thing to do).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't talk too much (no long explanation, direct corrections for the win).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Engage their focus with a reflexes based exercise/game at the start of the class (e.g. when I say one you punch, when I say two you kick). Think of it as a warm up for their brains.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tire them. Not too much, but make sure to keep a healthy level of fatigue for everybody.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pretend engagement: when they seem too lax, incite them to get better stances and more focus. Have them act like samurais when they're on the mat, and expect them to. Put that in a game perspective.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The younger the kids are, the higher the chance they won't be interested in your fine talks! :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastEditorUserId="10" LastEditDate="2015-11-04T14:03:52.210" LastActivityDate="2015-11-04T14:03:52.210" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="141" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="112" CreationDate="2012-02-01T14:26:38.673" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best 'drill/exercise' I've used for getting low is to make sure I'm the balls of my feet with my knees bent. Whenever my heel touches I find it impossible to bend my knees enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I spent a few years doing all of my hip-throw repetitions with duct-tape over covering my heels. This gave me an extra little reminder every time my heels touched. After a few months i was able to get my hips an extra six inches lower which made a world of difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for exercises, I would suggest frog-hops. Start with your knees bent to the point where your hips are BELOW your knees. Then do an explosive leap forwards and land with your hips below your knees. For a little more difficulty you can do it while holding a weight above your head. This really helped me to learn to EXPLODE up and to get enough 'spring' in my knees to get low quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="102" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T14:26:38.673" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="142" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="102" CreationDate="2012-02-01T14:34:48.527" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have vague memories of simply trying various kicks in slow-motion, trying to keep my balance, until I could do most of them without losing my balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, try to just lift one foot off the ground from a &quot;feet together&quot; standing position. The foot only needs to be lifted until it's no longer touching the ground. Try to keep your balance. After a while, lower the foot and lift the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hopefully, you'll get a feel for how to keep your balance with only one ground contact point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="96" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T14:34:48.527" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="143" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="80" CreationDate="2012-02-01T14:34:51.560" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Try to consider the dojo as a whole. Beside avoiding scams and cult staff you should look at this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the teacher has to be good and motivated.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the amount of talk from the students should be minimum or absent. Basically you should hear breakfalls noise, not people speaking.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a healthy number of senior students ( one third of students is a good number)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;white pajamas should be at least half of the total students. (not necessarily true for very big dojos)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;students, especially white belts, should look very motivated.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;there should be physical training. If they don't look tired at the end of the lesson don't join the dojo.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Avoid dojos where senior students regularly give explanation to novices. That's a break of etiquette and should be a seldom exception. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastEditorUserId="10" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T15:14:10.823" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T15:14:10.823" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="144" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6" CreationDate="2012-02-01T14:36:58.020" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wash my handwraps every other class.  They don't take up much space in the wash machine so it's no trouble at all.  I would recommend getting one of those lingerie/delicates  laundry bags to put them in, or they turn into a tangled disaster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;as for the gloves like everyone else says, dry them out/ sanitize them after class. and don't store them in a bag.  i  hang mine on the outside of my gear bag,  keeps them and my bag from getting smelly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;my coach has these freshner things that are a mesh bag full of volcano pebbles.   they supposedly absorb the moisture from the gloves.  and then every few months you put them out in the sun for a day and they are good to go again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;one last trick is to put a dryer sheet in each glove.  they smell fantastic!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T14:36:58.020" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="145" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="148" CreationDate="2012-02-01T14:44:41.367" Score="9" ViewCount="14625" Body="&lt;p&gt;What would constitute good routine after you get up in the morning to make your body more acclimated for hard lessons later in the day? I'm talking not just about muscle exercises, but stretching and meditation as well. Is there some common knowledge that I should know in this regard? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user72" LastActivityDate="2013-05-22T17:21:29.260" Title="Morning exercise routine for student of Aikido" Tags="|aikido|exercise|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="146" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2012-02-01T14:47:53.887" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Absolutely it does!  When I was training judo seriously, I was in the gym lifting weights 3x a week. In most martial arts, you don't want to get huge and bulky like THelper mentioned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But it's easy to train explosive power and balance and endurance, all of which will help your martial arts training.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-01T21:23:59.223" LastActivityDate="2012-05-01T21:23:59.223" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="147" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="102" CreationDate="2012-02-01T14:49:48.503" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;A fun way to work on balance (and endurance) is to stand in your kick stance,  and draw out the alphabet with your kicking leg.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This doesn't really work your actual kicking technique much, but it will work your balance and your endurance and strengthen all the muscels needed for kicking, and therefor your balance and technique will improve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T14:49:48.503" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="148" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="145" CreationDate="2012-02-01T14:55:15.003" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Varies much depending on your Aikido practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meditation, for instance, is not practiced at all in many dojo, and rightly so. Do you need it ? Depends.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a typical novice question, as novices don't know what is best for them. And the real difference between a novice and a expert is just that experts do know what they need.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In order to become expert and progress, you need to do what is really required, to understand what you need to progress. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Your solo time is only yours. It's the time you can take for yourself to experiment&lt;/strong&gt;, without having seniors and even the teacher to interfere with your experiments. &#xA;One of the things novices miss most in aikido is time to think about it and experiment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many things to do. Choose by yourself, you don't even need to stick with a particular exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for me the only thing I've been constantly doing for years is solo movements: &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_sabaki&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;tai sabaki&lt;/a&gt; and shadow techniques (that's to say: mimic a ikkyo/iriminage etc without a real partner). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastEditorDisplayName="user72" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T16:33:55.597" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:33:55.597" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="149" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="145" CreationDate="2012-02-01T14:55:27.547" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The only thing I do is to hydrate a lot during the day.  A two hour class is exhausting enough without having to run to get water all the time.  But do drink during exercise, as it is better for you and your performance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On days without a class, I tend to visualise techniques while waiting for coffee or the kettle.  But do not over do it.  Your brain needs time to think about other things if you are to learn effectively. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As tacone said, tai sabaki and basic movement are always useful to do if you are doing them right.  Do not reinforce bad habits. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T14:55:27.547" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="150" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="81" CreationDate="2012-02-01T14:57:15.500" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;A gi and a pole is all you need!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had support beams readily available when I was training in judo. Put your gi on the beam, and you're good to go for a lot of different throws.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It works pretty well for &lt;code&gt;uchi komis&lt;/code&gt; for throws like &lt;code&gt;o soto gari&lt;/code&gt;,  &lt;code&gt;o goshi&lt;/code&gt;, &lt;code&gt;seio nage&lt;/code&gt;, and the like. Not the best for &lt;code&gt;o uchi&lt;/code&gt; or &lt;code&gt;ko uchi gari&lt;/code&gt; though.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To make it a little more interesting, or add resistance, put a resistance band through the sleeves and grip that instead of the gi sleeve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-10-14T14:05:26.737" LastActivityDate="2015-10-14T14:05:26.737" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="151" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="102" CreationDate="2012-02-01T15:06:32.197" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;To mirror @Vatine - go in slow motion. Get into a stance, slowly bring your leg up in a chamber (that is, knee bent, foot as close to your thigh/buttock as possible) and slowly extend it, then slowly bring it back, then slowly put it down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Start with a kick about knee high and progressively increase the height. Do this ten times on each leg. If you're just starting, I'd recommend doing one kick a day, or one kick every other day - so ten reps on each side per day or every other day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T15:06:32.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="152" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="179" CreationDate="2012-02-01T15:33:20.730" Score="9" ViewCount="390" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have an old jo and bokken that are quiet damaged after repeating hitting other fast flying pieces of wood.  Is there a way to bring those back to life from an aesthetic point of view as they are find from a structural point of view.  They just look fairly well worn.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-15T19:18:55.137" LastActivityDate="2012-07-13T22:28:58.983" Title="Bokken and Jo restoration" Tags="|aikido|equipment|weapons|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="153" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="155" CreationDate="2012-02-01T15:33:34.957" Score="18" ViewCount="1931" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen different recommendations for different styles as to what age to introduce a martial art to a child, sometimes as young as 4 years old.  Factors such as attention span and interest of the child definitely affect the individual.  What are the right criteria to measure age appropriateness for a child?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="47" LastActivityDate="2015-03-31T05:38:53.797" Title="What is a good age to introduce children to a martial art?" Tags="|teaching|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="154" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="172" CreationDate="2012-02-01T15:33:48.483" Score="75" ViewCount="6821" Body="&lt;p&gt;How do you prepare for a real stress situation, in which you are forced to defend yourself or others? I'm not talking about avoiding conflict, but a scenario where resolving the situation without physical conflict has been tried but failed, and you are forced to use physical action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the training like when you really want to find out if you can withstand the attacker's verbal and physical abuse, and effectively neutralize the conflict?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From experience, I have seen people who either collapse under the pressure and cannot apply their training, or people who go overboard and have no control whatsoever over their rage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user72" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-01-13T13:51:24.737" LastActivityDate="2020-01-13T13:51:24.737" Title="How do you prepare for the stress of a real self-defense situation?" Tags="|self-defense|exercise|training|" AnswerCount="16" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="155" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="153" CreationDate="2012-02-01T15:50:38.143" Score="24" Body="&lt;p&gt;For myself, the main criteria is not to do damage to the child's growth.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Repeated strains on joints (wrist locks for example) and repeated impacts can have &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/4267/82&quot;&gt;negative effects&lt;/a&gt; much later in life. Some aikido dojo will have a syllabus for under 18s, other will just refuse to train anyone under the age of 18. What adults do is not necessarily what a child should do. Having a junior syllabus is a good indication that someone has thought about that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Psychologically, some children are much more mature than others at the same age.  But all do need good teachers to get discipline and a healthy states of mind in which to approach martial arts -- including western ones like fencing. Competition should be about learning to grow and not crushing your enemies and hearing the lamentation of their women. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my not so humble opinion, the right criteria is &quot;&lt;em&gt;What will lead to the best development of the child, both mentally and physically, without causing harm?&lt;/em&gt;&quot;.  The answer to that, will vary between child, parents, teachers and the law of your country.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some McDojos will be teaching badly and those should be avoided at all costs.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-03-17T15:22:03.810" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="156" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="153" CreationDate="2012-02-01T15:59:59.273" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sardathrion  made some excellent points!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I just wanted to add:  every child is different,  we have had kids as young as 4 in our jiu jitsu program, and some kids as old as 6 or 7 that couldn't handle the class.  Of course we don't teach the small children any joint locks! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Our main criteria for determining if a child is old enough to participate in the class is their ability to pay attention during demonstrations, and to focus on the practice.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if the kids are having a hard time with the move, as long as they are not disrupting the class for the other students, or taking up all of the instructors time because they weren't paying attention and now need 1 on 1 attention for a long portion of time, they are welcome in our class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T15:59:59.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="157" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="154" CreationDate="2012-02-01T16:01:15.257" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note that this answer generated a lot of debate.  This is good, in my opinion, as I hope it prompted people to think about the issues of how we all should react to violence.  However, it made the comments really argumentative which is not the purpose of this site.  Thus, I have added some of the comments after the section.  I believe that the section I added reflect the opinions of many&lt;/em&gt;.  &lt;strong&gt;If you have a problem with this post, please add another answer of your own&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are at the stage of a physical confrontation, in my opinion, you have already failed as a martial artist*.  You have missed dozens of clues, failed to run to safety, and in all likelihood helped precipitate a physical confrontation.  &lt;em&gt;Do you carry and know how to use a whistle for self-defence?  If not, you should.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, put them down hard enough to be able to run towards safety.  Remember that you may be asked to defend your actions in a court of law.  Did you use &quot;reasonable force&quot;/&quot;minimal force&quot; to get out of trouble?  This requires control and self-discipline. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for training, all of your classes should be about using your might in a controlled way. This is what sparring is all about. Can you remain calm and controlled when someone really is going for you?  Fight in a ring (or at a competition event) and find out.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;No nonsense self-defense&lt;/a&gt; is a good site to read on the matter of self-defense in general. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that I am assuming that the question is aimed at &lt;strong&gt;civilian self defence&lt;/strong&gt; and neither law enforcement and military self defence advise is sought.  Those latter two are utterly different beasts that would require their own answers and those above advise would no longer be fully applicable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit&lt;/strong&gt;: Anecdotal evidence is never acceptable as proof for any argument whatsoever.  It is a logical fallacy.  Just because you know of someone that had something happen to them where they had to stand and fight, does &lt;strong&gt;NOT&lt;/strong&gt; mean that it is good advice to do it in all cases. &#xA;Are there cases where you must fight?  Sure: soldiers do it all the time.  Their job is to kill the enemy.  They even use martial arts for that -- look up the etymology of the word if that confuses you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can think of a thousand cases where without any fault of your own you must fight.  I can think of a billion cases were you could have avoided it.  But, in my not so humble opinion, any martial art teacher that says that you should stand up and fight in all or most cases is a dangerous cretin that will get his/her students killed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(*): Yes, this is a general statement.  Yes, it does not apply to 100% of cases -- soldiers or police for example will have to use up to lethal force to defend themselves and others.  Yes, all martial artists, &lt;strong&gt;in my opinion&lt;/strong&gt; should have enough common sense, learned ability and intelligence to avoid getting into trouble.  Sun Tsu said that &lt;em&gt;Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.&lt;/em&gt; Surely, that is what all martial artist aspire to.  The rest is just excuses for having failed that goal. &lt;code&gt;&amp;lt;/flame war baiting&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/do not feed the troll&amp;gt;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;These are additions from comments, with credit&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;GrandmasterB states that &quot;In an ideal world, yes, the martial artist should be picking up on indicators and know how to avoid putting themselves into bad situations. But its not always up to the defender whether or not a physical attack occurs. It could be a home invasion, carjacking, or (as is more common) someone you know/are familiar with. Or you could be defending someone else. Short of living in a steel safe there's no a priori guarantee of a non-violent way out of all situations.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;David H. Clements adds &quot;I think there is a confusion of different types of confrontation that can occur and what you can realistically do to avoid them. There's a difference between a &quot;monkey dance&quot; (which is a mutual engagement), other social violence dynamics (sometimes mutual, sometimes avoidable but not trivially so, etc), and what happens with a predator who has specifically isolated you in a situation you aren't realistically always going to be able to avoid (e.g., in an apartment alone).&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Swift quoth &quot;The point that I'm trying to make is that just because it's a violent situation doesn't mean you automatically have to resort to violence on your side, i.e. the mugging example, Id just give up the money. In the CCW example I said &quot;deadly physical force would be warranted&quot;, we should all be aware of the legal ramifications of our actions with or without weapons. Nothing is ever black or white, every situation is different. The vibe I got from Sardathrion post was that we, as martial artists, should avoid violence whenever possible.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, Rophuine gets irate &quot;I'm not saying the sentiment isn't on the right track: most violent escalations involving a martial artist will involve a failure on the part of the martial artist. It's important to keep that in mind. But it's also important to be ready for violence when it is unavoidable, and that flexibility is the whole point of martial arts. To stick to the argument that it's always a failure of the martial artist is an insult to every martial artist who's stepped in once a situation has already turned violent and defused the situation.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2012-02-08T09:01:29.863" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T09:01:29.863" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="158" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="153" CreationDate="2012-02-01T16:06:52.267" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is really a broad question (there are many kind of martial arts).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Speaking of karate, I wouldn't reccommend training to anyone under 9, and even then the training should avoid fight (kumite). It should cover kihon and kata only.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They lack the maturity to understand what they are learning and the consequences of their acts; they usually want to play; they do not control their strength and may easily injure other or themself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it is always up to the teacher to adapt the lesson to the audience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="85" LastEditorUserId="85" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T16:17:45.307" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:17:45.307" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="159" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="182" CreationDate="2012-02-01T16:16:48.257" Score="56" ViewCount="12094" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm trying to make sure I ask this question in a manner that doesn't make it subjective or argumentative. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While all martial arts have merit, I believe those merits lie in various areas. Which martial arts focus on real world self defense? I'm talking about something that can be applied to defending yourself in a real world scenario where there are no rules, no fair conditions, and &quot;winning&quot; means getting yourself and the people with you out of the situation safely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like martial arts for the physical and mental exercise but I have no desire to compete in any kind of tournaments. I feel like if I'm going to learn one it may as well be one that would provide real world benefit if I ever needed it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most martial arts seems to lean more towards the art part than the martial part. For example, BJJ is probably great for the controlled environment of a professional fight but putting someone in a hold only to have his friends start beating on me is not ideal. Obviously there are situations where no amount of training will help but what martial arts best prepare someone to handle bad situations?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="107" LastEditorUserId="107" LastEditDate="2012-02-02T22:57:35.377" LastActivityDate="2016-08-31T19:20:40.167" Title="Which martial arts focus on self defense?" Tags="|training|self-defense|" AnswerCount="20" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="160" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="173" CreationDate="2012-02-01T16:22:56.363" Score="18" ViewCount="2980" Body="&lt;p&gt;Finding the right teacher is important. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While personal achievement has it merits just because someone is good at something doesn't make them good at teaching that same thing. Are there core characteristics one should look for? What kinds of questions should I ask to find someone that is right for me?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="107" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-12-26T15:31:38.723" LastActivityDate="2014-01-07T18:11:12.283" Title="What characteristics should I look for in a sensei?" Tags="|teaching|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="161" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2012-02-01T16:24:05.970" Score="42" Body="&lt;p&gt;What you have heard is at least partly wrong.  Heavy weight lifting can be about increasing size, but it is more often about directly increasing strength (it's part of the distinction between a bodybuilder and a powerlifter).  The expression is that &quot;no one gets bulky by accident.&quot; I also have never seen any reliable evidence that it makes you slower at reasonable level, and one of the big proponents of weight lifting in the martial arts world was Bruce Lee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can see what the &lt;a href=&quot;http://stronglifts.com/weight-lifting-myths-debunked/&quot;&gt;Stronglifts people say&lt;/a&gt; about some general weightlifting myths, and their answer is basically the same as many other sources on the subject.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll also see it with other sports: those that require speed still emphasize some form of strength training.  That's not always weightlifting (e.g., gymnastics, and they look better built than many weightlifters I've come across) but it is still strength training.  Frequently emphasizing compound motions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I've found that strength training (again, weights are not necessary for strength training) a tremendous advantage in martial arts, helping with speed, flexibility, body awareness, and power.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:24:05.970" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="162" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-02-01T16:25:25.883" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;i would say traditional jiu jitsu is probably the best for self defense.  In our dojo and style,  90% of the techniques are based of countering some kind of attack.  which is ideal for self defense!   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;i agree 100% that bjj isn't the best, it's a great martial art, and has it's place, but if you were to only train 1 art,  jiu jitsu would be the way to go.  It covers the basics for all forms of combat without focusing to much on one particular part.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;striking arts would be my 2nd vote, something like muay thai is good for self defense, but becomes much less useful when someone gets a hold of you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:25:25.883" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="163" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="145" CreationDate="2012-02-01T16:29:51.323" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here are a few things that any level of student should be able to do on their own:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sit in seiza and breath slowing in through your nose, hold for a moment, and then exhale through your mouth. You might try to visualize something while you do this (such as when you inhale imagine clear pure water entering your body, when you exhale imagine all the dirty filthy water leaving your body).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Practice ukemi (small or standing rolls)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Go over basic movements (kaiten, tenkan, irimi) and basic attacks (shomen uchi, yokomen uchi, munetsuki). Make sure you know how to do these properly before you start doing them though. It wouldn't do to engrain the wrong way into your mind. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you are familiar enough with a technique, perform it solo. Imagine your opponent and go through the movements. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Practice Kata or Suburi with jo or bokken. Again, make sure you are proficent enough that you aren't developing bad habits. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of these things can help keep you in a constant mindset of Aikido. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/4770030304&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The Secret Teachings of Aikido&lt;/a&gt; O'Sensei said that Aikido is a pathway to enlightenment. When asked how long it would take to reach enlightenment by practicing Aikido the founder said that it would take someone training everyday at least 10 years. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:29:51.323" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="164" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2012-02-01T16:31:16.150" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;First off I wouldn't worry about accidentally turning in to Arnold. Body builder forums are littered with people struggling to gain mass. It's much tougher than you think and you'd have to be REALLY focused on gaining mass and not just strength to even have much of a chance of that happening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While strength is not always paramount in many martial arts, it sure doesn't hurt either. There is a reason competitions are divided by weight class. Weight (especially muscle mass vs fat) offers a large advantage - you can hit harder and you can take harder blows. I think the evidence is fairly obvious if you watch any professional fighters - none of those guys got to that size or build without some sort of weight training regimen - whether it's free weight, body weight, or machine weight exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="107" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:31:16.150" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="165" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="154" CreationDate="2012-02-01T16:38:20.993" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of my instructors used to say that martial arts is only good if you know you are going to be in a fight. If you are attacked unexpectedly what will likely happen is you will have a natural instinctive reaction (fight or flight, flinch response). This is because you weren't in the mental mindset of expecting a confrontation (as you would be in a class or a competition).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing you can do is to train a little everyday. This will allow your mind to be thinking about the martial art more often. When you are thinking about your skills you are going to be more likely to use them in a surprise situation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course conflict should be a last resort. There may be situations where you need to use your martial arts skills to defend yourself, but it isn't going to be very often. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I invite you to read Terry Dobson's account of a conflict situation called &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC04/Dobson.htm&quot;&gt;Aikido In Action&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt; At the end of the article he says:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;As the train pulled away, I sat down on a bench. What I had wanted to do with muscle had been accomplished with kind words. I had just seen aikido tried in combat, and the essence of it was love. I would have to practice the art with an entirely different spirit. It would be a long time before I could speak about the resolution of conflict.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:38:20.993" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="166" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-02-01T16:41:52.673" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga is a noncompetitive martial art taught to Israeli soldiers. You learn how to defend yourself from being attacked in a variety of situations - multiple opponents, armed attackers (knife, gun, clubs, etc), surprise attacks, etc. You are taught to defend yourself by any means necessary. That means most things that are usually illegal - groin strikes, eye gouges, small joint manipulation, hair pulling, even biting, is all fair game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You learn striking as well as how to defend yourself in grappling situations. It's a martial art for when your life is potentially on the line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="107" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:41:52.673" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="167" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-02-01T16:42:54.277" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo is always my advice for self-defense. It's high contact in it's training, so plenty of realism there. And most fights are either over very quickly or they turn into a robust tussle, so the Judo would help there as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="54" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:42:54.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="168" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-02-01T16:44:17.880" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;That is a question that is very difficult to answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The short answer is that any martial arts school that teaches without a focus on tournaments is more likely to provide real world application.  The tendency in such clubs is to learn how the techniques work and why and in what applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every art will have their strengths.  The key is to find the right one that focuses on what you feel suits your temperament best.  Some may deride karate, for example, since there are a lot of clubs out there whose sole focus is getting their students into tournaments and bringing home the trophies.  But a well trained karateka is an incredibly dangerous opponent.  A well placed strike can end a fight before it starts.  On the other end of the spectrum, you may look into tai chi chuan.  It largely exists in North America through the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.taoist.org&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Taoist Tai Chi Society&lt;/a&gt;.  They focus on the health aspects of learning the movements, but do provide teaching of the martial form of tai chi.  For someone well versed in the art, the circular defense techniques and energy redirection make it extremely difficult for an opponent to actually attack you.  My mother told me about an occasion where my stepfather was attacked by someone at a party.  My stepfather, a dedicated practitioner of tai chi chuan, threw him across the room.  Not bad for an art that trains in such slow, easy movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like some of the other training questions, it comes down to what suits you best.  If you prefer something that will get you out of the way and control an opponent, a softer style would work well.  If you want to know that you take someone down with the right application of force, a harder style would be better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="105" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:44:17.880" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="169" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-02-01T16:45:14.080" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a few different martial arts that focus in that area. Some traditional and some modern.  It should also be mentioned that the art you practice regularly and reliably is the &quot;best&quot; art in this regard: A very experienced US Tai-Chi practitioner can still be very effective in a self defense situation, simply because they know so much about how to move their bodies.  Boxers may end up breaking their hands by the time the fight is over and know next to nothing about groundfighting, but are very dangerous opponents because they are trained to take a lot of very hard hits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That having been said, what you are looking for are eclectic arts that combine strikes with locks and place a philosophical emphasis around self defense.  Preferably that involve some form of weapons training around things like short sticks, knives, and possibly guns. Here are a few possibilities to look into:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Traditional Jujutsu and Aikijujutsu are both old self defense martial arts that make a variety of assumptions that are good for self defense. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hapkido, a Korean self-defense martial art that is similar in a lot of respects to aikijujutsu (though exactly how or if they are related is debated).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Krav Maga, an Israeli battlefield/self defense martial art.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(Combat) Sambo, &quot;self defense without weapons.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Systema, a set of Russian battlefiled/self defense martial arts.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Really though, the standard advice applies here: Choose based on the instructor more than the style, and talk to the instructor and see if they emphasize thinking in terms of self defense (keeping your feet, not having to adjust significantly if your opponent has a weapon, using what's around you, etc). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:45:14.080" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="170" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2012-02-01T16:48:51.953" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Toning and conditioning your muscles is very important, couple that with weight lifting and building your quick twitch muscle groups can only help you improve as a martial artist. You have to realize though that depending on the scenario the added weight and bulk of muscles can hinder you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a larger guy some of the leg locks I can't do because of my calfs, notably a triangle choke. Also moving my weight around in a sparing session I get winded far easier then my lighter counterparts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've never been a fan of 'power lifting to get ripped'. I know a number of people I train with that are stronger than me and far smaller.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastEditorUserId="89" LastEditDate="2012-02-02T02:09:05.043" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T02:09:05.043" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="171" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-02-01T16:55:57.257" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Almost any martial art can be help you in self defense scenarios. Developing strength, stamina, reflexes and muscle memory will aid in any life safety situation. You should pick an art or school that makes you work with partners or groups constantly and that has a sparing class or portion of the class consistently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example in my MMA class we pair off every class, and work with a different partner all the time. 90% of all my classes are with somebody. Our sparring class, after a certain belt rank, is full contact 50% in gear. This is what I believe the traditional/sport/form martial arts classes miss and set up unreasonable expectations for someone when they are in a life safety situation and have never had to strike another person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My suggestions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;MMA Schools&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jiu Jitsu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Judo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Western Boxing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T16:55:57.257" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="172" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="154" CreationDate="2012-02-01T17:05:43.997" Score="51" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, each art and instructor is going to approach this differently. Most everyone that I've trained with over the years has, at least somewhat, agreed that &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliveness_%28martial_arts%29&quot;&gt;aliveness&lt;/a&gt; is a vital component.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, there's no way to truly prepare; at its worst, we still always know that our training partners are not going to kill us. Part of the mental preparation then can not be physically training to prepare yourself for death. The best we can do in training is find ways to release adrenaline, and become more or less accustomed to the feeling (in the way a drug addict can no longer get high from the same fix).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, some of the best methods (in my opinion) that I've encountered have been:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Training while exhausted – Before practicing techniques (waza), and certainly before randori or sparring, elevate the heart rate by running, doing pushups, etc. From this elevated heart rate, greater stress is more likely to induce an adrenaline dump.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Play acting – Both parties in a technique's practice must resolve to act their role, and feel the intent to harm or be harmed, as they would in the circumstance. Method acting can do wonders for the martial artist wanting both to learn a new way to train, as well as deception in his execution.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Getting hit – The serious practitioner should realize that fear is what motivates him to move offline or to strike away an incoming punch, and learn two things: 1.) being struck does not hurt quite so bad as we imagine it to hurt; 2.) that we have plenty of time between the point when we see the fist begin to move forward, to when we're actually impacted. Knowing these two points, the serious practitioner should resolve then to learn to move at the last possible second. Interestingly, this serves the purpose of both forcing him to have the adrenaline response from realizing he will get hit if he does not move, and frighten him enough about moving that he'll be in a constant adrenal cascade. Over time, this lessens the fear response, and we become resistant.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Really, this is what, on a modern level, mushin (the zen concept of &quot;no mind&quot;, or freedom from distracting thoughts) is all about: when you perform the exercises above, you are forcing yourself (in all three cases, albeit in different ways) to be in that moment. Mushin can be achieved through far easier methods, including meditation (which, if you've not been informed, is not about sitting around and not thinking... Meditation happens at every moment), but the above give you a short-cut glimpse into this oft-misunderstood principle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T17:05:43.997" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="173" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="160" CreationDate="2012-02-01T17:05:57.047" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;Positive energy and attitude. You want to find an instructor who is there, and doesn't have his upper belts teaching all the time. Sit in and participate in some classes, make sure you feel comfortable with the school and how the other instructors handle themselves and treat students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Too many times I've walked into a school and it's be constant yelling at the students or other behavior not suited for real learning. Martial arts is a journey, your instructor should still be learning as they teach you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I always find it helpful finding out why the instructor got into martial arts, what drives them to be a martial artist, why do they teach and how are the continuing their martial arts journey.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most important, make sure your comfortable with the school and all the instructors. If your not comfortable, or can't get comfortable, it won't be a positive or fulfilling experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T17:05:57.047" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="174" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-02-01T17:10:45.603" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T17:10:45.603" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T17:10:45.603" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="175" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-02-01T17:10:45.603" Score="0" Body="Gi or dogi refers to a martial arts uniform. " OwnerUserId="9" LastEditorUserId="9" LastEditDate="2012-02-02T02:09:10.770" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T02:09:10.770" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="176" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-02-01T17:13:41.073" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T17:13:41.073" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T17:13:41.073" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="177" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-02-01T17:13:41.073" Score="0" Body="Also known as jujutsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon." OwnerUserId="9" LastEditorUserId="9" LastEditDate="2012-02-02T02:09:48.477" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T02:09:48.477" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="178" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="154" CreationDate="2012-02-01T17:16:48.273" Score="21" Body="&lt;p&gt;Rory Miller has written a few books that talk about this topic extensive and provide a variety of drills focused around the mental aspects of self defense, specifically:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Drills: Training for Sudden Violence&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;em&gt;Facing Violence&lt;/em&gt; he talks about the various stages of escalation in the real world and what, your options are in each stage, and some of how to recognize the various stages when you are in them.  It also tends to emphasize ways of avoiding a physical confrontation if you can avoid it, but committing to it fully if you need to be engaged.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;em&gt;Drills&lt;/em&gt; he provides specific drills (section IW: Internal Work) that are entirely geared around the mental aspects. There's also a section (WW: World Work) that includes awareness. The internal work exercises includes both &quot;psychological first aid&quot; as well as techniques to identify your own &quot;glitches&quot; or limits. There's also a section on articulation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He has his own particular style and biases, but I've found these books to be very valuable in this regard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T19:03:24.813" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T19:03:24.813" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="179" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="152" CreationDate="2012-02-01T17:17:26.917" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Usually, it's enough to give a light sanding with fine grit sandpaper and a rub down with boiled linseed oil. It's important to use boiled linseed oil, as it will properly permeate the wood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they were meant more for decoration or a trophy after years of service, and no longer intended to be used, a light varnish will give them a beautiful luster. Typically, it's this sort of varnish that's put on inexpensive and poorly made bokken, and tends to crack and chip away after little use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T17:17:26.917" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="180" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="120" CreationDate="2012-02-01T17:40:51.300" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Break falls (especially those that require a student to turn over himself, as in kote gaeshi) are usually quite intimidating to new students... Most instructors take the approach of propping up mats for students to learn on, making it a nice, soft place to land. My background (I was a performing magician, specializing in applied psychology, hypnosis, and mind-control) led me to a rather different approach that has resulted in nearly no injuries during training and much better break-falls. The difference? I understand fear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you prop up a bunch of mats, or make the landing surface soft and inviting, you're psychologically cementing the idea of failure in their heads. You are, in fact, suggesting that they need this soft landing place because, if they do it wrong, they're going to get hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, take them outside. Go out on a lawn – someplace natural, but a bit forgiving. Don't make a big deal about it, don't differentiate between it and the sidewalk... Just explain that it's a big open space to perform the technique on. The ground (especially in the winter) is just as hard, if not harder, than dojo carpet with worn pad, but it's not dangerous, and they'll simply do what you tell them. Further, there are bio-chemical effect of training outside: playing in the dirt releases endorphins, which will help ease any soreness they may develop from wrong landings, and generally make them have more fun. They'll be, essentially, more relaxed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Throw students into the deep end. Expect the best from them and they'll often surprise you by giving you just that. Coddle them, however, and they'll struggle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T17:40:51.300" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="181" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="160" CreationDate="2012-02-01T17:45:51.677" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;He should have great students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;That is: you realistically have more chance of becoming like the students of a teacher rather than like him/herself. There are plenty of high-ranked senseis with bad students out there. They are very good at practice and have a great reputation, but apparently they don't get good results at teaching.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-30T20:58:17.673" LastActivityDate="2012-04-30T20:58:17.673" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="182" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-02-01T17:47:09.657" Score="71" Body="&lt;h3&gt;Consider learning a self defence system instead of a martial art&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If getting good at defending yourself in a fairly short space of time is more important to you than long-term study of a particular martial system or philosophy, you may wish to consider a self-defense system instead of a martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In an essay titled, &lt;a href=&quot;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/AreMASD.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;Are Martial Arts Self-Defense?&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt;, Marc and Diana MacYoung have this to say:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are Martial Arts Self-Defense? The short answer is 'no.' Although what&#xA;you learn there can be used for self-defense, martial arts are not&#xA;synonymous with self-defense. Quite frankly, when it comes to teaching&#xA;the realities of staying safe in a modern urban environment, most&#xA;martial arts suck -- especially strip mall schools. Your personal&#xA;safety will be far better served understanding crime, home security&#xA;and avoiding high-risk behavior than being able to break a board with&#xA;your big toe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They go on to say:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...if you're only interested in learning self-defense, then save your&#xA;money because long term studying isn't what you're looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I have found that there &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; much to be gained in long-term study of a martial art, I agree with their sentiment that the best way to learn to defend yourself is to study self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In an essay titled, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/the-truth-about-violence/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;The Truth About Violence&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt;, writer and philosopher Sam Harris agrees that the study of self-defense does not necessarily mean following the path of a martial artist:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...instruction in self-defense need not consume your life. The&#xA;most important preparations are mental. While I certainly recommend&#xA;that you receive some physical training, merely understanding the&#xA;dynamics of violence can make you much safer than you might otherwise&#xA;be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Why martial arts do not equal self-defense&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be clear, the study of self-defense and the study of martial arts are not necessarily the same thing. This is because martial arts - even supposedly more 'practical' ones such as Krav Maga - are usually constrained by the following things:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;They are often adapted and diluted for safe civilian training.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;They must have commercial appeal to survive and spread. (Some become more like fitness systems than fighting systems, and there will be schools who are less interested in producing students who can defend themselves than they are in making money.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;They often introduce a sport element with rules to ensure participants' safety and improve the experience for spectators.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Some arts have been known to hide techniques deliberately behind flowery or planted false movements to 'keep the true power a secret'.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Most arts have to balance effectiveness with tradition. Some arts still do things a certain way 'because it's traditional'. This is fine, but it can mean that applications are less effective than they could be.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some would say that all of these things impede the study of martial arts as effective fighting systems. Of course, it depends on how you apply yourself, how hard you train, how long you study for, who you teachers are, and what their opinion is on the &lt;em&gt;purpose&lt;/em&gt; of a martial art in modern society.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;How is a pure self-defense course different?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sam Harris recommends the following instructors for practical personal protection courses:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tonyblauer.com/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tony Blauer&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Marc MacYoung&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://chirontraining.com/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Rory Miller&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.urbancombatives.com/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lee Morrison&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.geoffthompson.com&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Geoff Thompson&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you watch Tony Blauer's course videos, you'll notice that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Participants are wearing a special type of full body armour that doesn't impede movement much.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Much more force is applied in the attacks - they are more 'real'.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The defences are often incredibly simple - almost to the point of appearing clumsy.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There is a lot of emphasis on overcoming and using the natural flinch response to your advantage.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, practical personal protection courses tend to teach people how to defend themselves against violent attackers and only that; martial arts training provides a more holistic experience, of which self-defense is one element.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to decide which is more important to you -- learning to defend yourself, or studying a martial art. Personally, I would recommend that you try both -- start with a self-defence course (or two, or three) and take up a martial art if you don't find what you're looking for. It is important to learn and regularly drill basic blocks and attacks, and you may not get this from a self-defense course alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Focus less on the martial art and more on the school and instructor&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If training in a martial art &lt;em&gt;does&lt;/em&gt; appeal to you, that's great too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I'd suggest focussing on the school and instructor more than the martial system. Visit five nearby schools that you feel are close enough to regularly commit to, watch a lesson, and speak to the instructors and students there. &lt;em&gt;All&lt;/em&gt; of them will say that they teach self-defense, but you may notice that some of the schools are more self-defense orientated than others. Specifically, look for and ask about:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pad work. (Hitting and striking pads.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Light, controlled sparring.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fighting at a range of heights, from ground to standing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Defense against a variety of attacks, delivered with intent.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use of weapons, including knives, bottles, and improvised items.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Training in 'normal' clothing as well as traditional clothing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, if you cannot find what you are looking for in a class environment, don't be afraid to approach an instructor for private training. Ask him or her to put together a dedicated self-defense course to teach you how to defend yourself in a short period of time. Most instructors will be very happy to help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="17" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-08-31T13:06:09.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="183" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-02-01T18:02:56.190" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;As simple as you put it: look for martial arts that &lt;strong&gt;explicitly&lt;/strong&gt; claim to teach their students to &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;defending yourself in a real world scenario where there are no rules, no fair conditions, and &quot;winning&quot; means getting yourself and the people with you out of the situation safely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll eventually find out that most martial arts don't - officially - claim that.&#xA;Some martial arts that are supposed to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;modern Jeet Kune Do schools&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kali&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(maybe) krav maga &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;some self defense systems&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The above doesn't mean you'll eventually learn that, you need a good instructor (usually pretty difficult to find unless you live in a big city and are capable to distinguish one when you see him) and lots of work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's no a real answer to this question as the teacher's quality and method may change things sensibly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T18:02:56.190" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="184" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="72" CreationDate="2012-02-01T18:12:15.270" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've had to answer this question a lot over the years, and used to have a link on my old computer about where that came from: Essentially, the rumor of martial artists having to register their hands as lethal weapons stemmed from boxing, where a boxing promoter once claimed his client had his hands registered as weapons... It was, of course, completely bogus, though some countries in decades past did have laws, generally stemming from more Victorian/Edwardian sensibilities, about the use of a closed fist, naming it a weapon of lethal intent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are, however, significant legal ramifications of being a martial artist on trial for assault, namely that your training, if brought into question, could be construed as an ability to cause serious bodily injury or harm. This is, however, entirely dependent upon state statutes, and not federal ones (unless, of course, you assault a federal officer, in which case his status would automatically make your crime aggravated...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;a href=&quot;http://wings.buffalo.edu/law/bclc/web/calpenalcode245.html&quot;&gt;California Penal Code, §245(a)(1)&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Any person who commits an assault upon the person of another with a&#xA;  deadly weapon &lt;strong&gt;or instrument other than a firearm or by any means of&#xA;  force likely to produce great bodily injury&lt;/strong&gt; shall be punished by&#xA;  imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years, or in&#xA;  a county jail for not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding&#xA;  ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've highlighted the point of contention. According to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shouselaw.com/assault-weapon.html&quot;&gt;SHOUSE Law Group&lt;/a&gt;, while hands and feet do not constitute deadly weapons, you can still trigger an Aggravated Assault charge because those may be constituted a means of force &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;likely to produce great bodily injury&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The real point to remember is that you can be arrested for anything at any time. The police can hold you on suspicion, generally for 48-72 hours dependent upon jurisdiction. During that time, it's up to a prosecutor to decide if you should be charged, and if he can make a case against you for the crime he feels you should be charged with. Generally, even if you defend yourself or others, you are going to be held to the standard of proving the circumstance warranted your action. As such, self-defense is considered an affirmative defense: you're claiming that you did commit the act you are charged with, but the circumstances of acting were such that it was permissible under the law. &lt;em&gt;Quod est necessarium est licitum&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NB&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;: Nothing in this answer, stated or implied, is intended as legal advice. It is advised that all concerned parties consult their own legal council.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T18:12:15.270" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="185" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="81" CreationDate="2012-02-01T18:20:32.950" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A traditional response to this, particularly in Shinden Fudo-ryu, was to use trees or bamboo. In positioning yourself for the throw against the tree, you are performing a form of isometric exercise to adapt your body and tendons to the motion. In performing against bamboo which flexes and moves, you become capable of following the movement through.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-02-06T20:07:05.053" LastActivityDate="2013-02-06T20:07:05.053" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="186" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="117" CreationDate="2012-02-01T18:28:14.730" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Like Sardathrion said, Cardio is very important. Stretching is also vital, I've tweaked my planting knee because I can't split my legs far enough apart. There are a number of very good books on Amazon about martial arts stretching and exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know some people who self trained them selves through books, like Bruce Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune Do. But honestly not learning from an instructor in an art you like will only get so far. Not having someone to critique your form, your angles, foot shape, fist and wrist, etc could lead you to injure yourself on easy exercises. One example is I had an improper kicking form and poor foot shape and ended up spraining my ankle and toes on a heavy bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep up the jogging, especially road work with good shoes (lowers the stress on your legs and knees). Stretch every morning, before and after every work out, getting your legs as flexible as you can. Do burst exercises with light weights, to build up your reflexes and quick twitch mussels (the Type 2 muscle fibers). Shadow boxing is also very good to do, keeping yourself on your toes, moving and soft bouncing, keep your hands and guard up and visualize an attack and defend and counter. Do that in intervals and stress you but don't completely burn you out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T18:28:14.730" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="187" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="120" CreationDate="2012-02-01T18:54:06.307" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;For forward break falls, we start from kneeling (both knees on the floor), then squating, then to standing.  The kneeling is for minimal impact and meant for making sure technique is correct.  I wouldn't imagine any are intimidated by this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="55" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T18:54:06.307" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="188" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="160" CreationDate="2012-02-01T19:03:33.093" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with the first two comments, is there instructing and has great students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you see someone who is third degree black belt but looks sloppy in everything they're doing you may want to look else where.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More importantly you want to find a school that doesn't just let you test every two months.  Those schools are just trying to make the extra money earned from tests.  If you witness a student ask the instructor when hes going to test and the instructors response you will test when you're ready/don't ask me about testing when this is still sloppy/30 pushups for asking me...then find a different school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="55" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T19:03:33.093" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="189" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="160" CreationDate="2012-02-01T19:34:16.467" Score="8" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Are there core characteristics one should look for?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Affability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Quite simply, we learn more from teachers we like. We like people who are like ourselves, or rather, like the people we wish we were. Simply put, if there's something that we find particularly lovely about another person, we're more inclined to do as they ask and find interesting the things that they say.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This works well for martial arts too since we're asking someone to both invade our personal space and that they respect the trust we're placing in them. There is, of course, a level of intimacy that goes along with this, which is why most people who genuinely like the school they're in spend a great deal of time there, or with their instructor or classmates in social situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, your interest in what he's teaching. If you have no interest in the subject matter, no amount of interest in the sensei will change that. This can be as grave as you simply don't find the art interesting, or as simple as his approach being sport while your interest lies in personal defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thirdly, a knowledge of the material. It's rather a common con to see an instructor with lots of framed certificates teaching something that's passably some art, or would be to the untrained observer. If you take the trial lesson or sit in, observe, and attempt to remember the format that a technique took, then compare that with known high-quality instructors of whom video evidence exists (Youtube can be your friend!), you can determine at least reasonably if they appear to know what they're doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What kinds of questions should I ask to find someone that is right for me?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem with questions is two fold: if you do not know the answer, you simply need to know if they're lying. If you can not do either, then the question serves no purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The basic questions that you should know are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How much does it cost? (This should be relatively in line with what others are charging)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are there testing fees? (This is a hidden cost)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are there contracts? (Again, these often contain hidden fees, including a cost to break)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do you offer a free trial? (Most, worth their salt, will.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anything else can be helpful, but these should be your priority.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T19:34:16.467" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="190" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2012-02-01T19:35:24.530" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Jiu-Jitsu fighter here. Bear in mind that the technique in question can play into this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, when escaping from a position where your opponent has a clear upper hand (such as the bottom of the mount), you're less likely to control which side you escape on; you have to look for openings and take what you can. If you're in a dominant position and trying to attack (such as the top of the mount), you have more options, and can choose which side you're best at. So it's useful to consider the use case for the technique before you train it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I tend to practice one side only, but on escapes I try to use the weaker side at least a little. I usually get practice on both sides during live rolling anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="104" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T19:35:24.530" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="191" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1113" CreationDate="2012-02-01T20:23:47.123" Score="14" ViewCount="2510" Body="&lt;p&gt;Probably the oldest overall is something like wrestling,  but of the eastern arts,  what would be the oldest that people still practice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-03T22:49:25.947" LastActivityDate="2016-09-23T18:53:26.520" Title="What is the oldest documented Eastern Martial Art that is still practiced?" Tags="|history|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="192" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-01T20:27:34.123" Score="9" ViewCount="14384" Body="&lt;p&gt;This question is more focused on kickboxing since it is the discipline I practice. But it would be of course handy to know for martial arts in general.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been training for a bit more than a year and I keep getting my toes injured. I asked my trainer and he said that it's pretty random since sometimes the feet hit the defensive elbow of my opponent etc.. etc..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So concretely I want to know what can I do to prevent future injury, of course you can't avoid it to 100% but there must be something I could do to bring down those chances. (It is horribly painful at least for me)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have heard about strapping together the toes. Is this effective?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks a lot!!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How my toes where hurt:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;My little right toe got inflamed and is painful when I touch it or move it, it was when I hit the elbow of my opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The big toe on my left foot got hurt once I hit the knee of my opponent and got worse when it got stepped on the same day. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both toes are relatively ok now, not yet completely healed but I can train effectively. I just want to prevent future injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="112" LastEditorUserId="112" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T20:39:14.513" LastActivityDate="2017-12-14T11:02:02.727" Title="How to avoid toe injury?" Tags="|injury|kickboxing|prevention|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="193" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="214" CreationDate="2012-02-01T20:35:14.270" Score="11" ViewCount="18241" Body="&lt;p&gt;I always receive some very bad sidekicks when I try to go offensively while in kickboxing. Mainly because I try to make a jab with my right hand but the kick comes too fast (or I'm too slow) I have countered this a bit by putting my left hand on the side while making the jab to protect myself. It is sometimes effective but lowers my defense on the left side of my face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I want to address the problem at its root: footwork and speed. I will not ask which is the most effective way of improving those because it is too subjective. I am asking about an effective way to improve it and that is easily accessible (i.e. no need of special facilities or equipment)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance I have heard that to improve footwork, dancing is effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="112" LastActivityDate="2017-03-26T01:18:55.927" Title="How to improve speed and footwork?" Tags="|speed|kickboxing|footwork|defense|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="194" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="193" CreationDate="2012-02-01T20:42:46.990" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd say that doesn't sound like a footwork issue, but rather like a problem of timing and distance. If you jab and your opponent has time to counter with a side kick then you are to far away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try to work out your exact range for the different types of techniques (using a heavy bag or any other target, or just a wall if you don't have equipment. Don't actually hit the wall :-)) and train using the technique that's right for the distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's essential for all Martial Arts to know what ranges apply to what techniques. Basically: if you punch and the other guy successfully counters with a kick then either he is Superfoot, or you are too far away for punching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="79" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T20:42:46.990" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="195" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="193" CreationDate="2012-02-01T21:03:43.990" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would suggest you to learn parrying the sidekick, instead of rushing in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Am I wrong or it's just one person that does sidekick you ? I can also imagine that person is using a lateral stance and often lean backwards with his head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If so, you're just going into his trap. Try instead to provoke his sidekick and then attack. Or low kick him, if the rules allow for that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T21:03:43.990" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="196" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="191" CreationDate="2012-02-01T21:35:24.210" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;An interesting question, and very difficult to answer. The reason is that, especially among far eastern arts, there were many oral traditions, and poor written documentation... Many arts claim ages that documentation does not really support.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what we know, codified systems of boxing (striking) and wrestling (grappling) were depicted in the murals of one of the tombs of Beni Hasan in Egypt that are dated to about the 20th century BC. We see similar notations in Gilgamesh epics dating back to about 18th century, moving eastward. The next we really know about from the East is Sun Tzu describing the Art of War in the 6th century BC.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is likely then that some form of folk wrestling from the Middle East, the Jacket wrestling of the Chinese... It's likely something in this range is the missing link of martial arts, and, while different or evolved, is the oldest extant martial art from the east.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit:&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;For the sake of completeness, I feel I should mention this, despite it being difficult to phrase for me... There is a collection of arts (martial, healing, etc.) that combined is claimed to be some 2700 years old (originally written about 700 BC) written in a set of scrolls claiming to be the history of Japan. These scrolls are called Amatsu Tatara Hibumi. Supposedly the martial traditions were added around 500 BC after repelling Malay invaders from Japan...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I find the whole thing entirely suspect, though numerous Japanese koryu arts do claim ties to the scrolls, though only a few claim to be &quot;masters&quot; – generally, the claim is that XYZ set of techniques ties back to these scrolls (For example, a portion of Kukishin-ryu is claimed to derive from Amatsu Tatara Bumon).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-03T23:33:02.943" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T23:33:02.943" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="197" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="34" CreationDate="2012-02-01T22:17:27.837" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;If we assume, as others have described, that arts such as Kyudo, Kendo, Kickboxing, Kumdo, Escrima, etc. are martial arts, then we need to give a broad definition to the term. Martial Arts could, therefore, be described as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A codified system for the development of skills of or derived from the arts of war.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this way, we include under the banner 1.) combat sports (which we must acknowledge as, at the very least, being derived from warrior virtues), 2.) philosophical pursuits of war (Heiho/tactics, for instance, or the zen aspects of Kyudo without including pursuits such as Shodo or tea ceremony), and 3.) weapon arts (to not exclude those arts that are purely related to the development of a weapon skill, such as Iai, whether or not they are viewed, correctly or incorrectly, as practical). Further, we exclude any need or demand for any moral guidance through the art, allowing both those arts dubbed &lt;code&gt;do&lt;/code&gt; and &lt;code&gt;jutsu&lt;/code&gt; to be acceptable. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, if we accept this definition, we must accept ninjutsu as a martial art, since it is inclusive of tactics, weapon skills, and those traditionally warlike aspects of effectively eliminating an enemy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Going through the &lt;em&gt;shoninki&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;bansenshukai&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;shinobi hiden&lt;/em&gt; (along with new translations) have led to a new understanding. This too is likely to change.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ninjutsu&lt;/em&gt; is an erroneous name; the art is better written 忍ノ術, read &quot;Shinobi-no-Jutsu&quot;, the arts of the &lt;em&gt;shinobi&lt;/em&gt;. The art, or rather collection of skills, is not combative, and consists of a series of skills related to their abilities:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;kajutsu&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;kayakujutsu&lt;/em&gt; – The use, carrying, and creation of fire and explosives (black powder and compressed explosives). This would include sub-skills of arson and demolitions.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Shinobi-iri&lt;/em&gt; - To go as a &lt;em&gt;shinobi&lt;/em&gt;; that is, to move through a target location with the intent of completing a mission and without detection. This would include infiltration and extraction, cartography, human intelligence management (torture), breaking and entering, acting, deception, cold reading, espionage, conversational skills, disguise, con-artistry and misdirect, scouting, climbing, tunneling, and signaling.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Suijutsu&lt;/em&gt; - Swimming, boat building, and other water-crossing skills. I'd also include bridge/platform construction here.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Taigyou&lt;/em&gt; - Sabotage and trapping methods.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;doku&lt;/em&gt; - Use and creation of poisons and acids.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Youjutsu&lt;/em&gt; - This might be a misnomer, but would include all the various esoteric practices the &lt;em&gt;shinobi&lt;/em&gt; may study.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, this is &lt;em&gt;shinobi-no-jutsu&lt;/em&gt;, or what we commonly call &lt;em&gt;ninjutsu&lt;/em&gt;. Saying that it is a &quot;martial art&quot; is a bit like saying that a KGB agent living in the US during the cold war was a &quot;soldier&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as combative skills, it's likely that many had training, likely in some form known to their family or through affiliation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know if this is an answer, but I thought I should post the new information and add it for evaluation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-03T08:13:06.070" LastActivityDate="2017-07-03T08:13:06.070" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="198" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="202" CreationDate="2012-02-01T22:23:29.997" Score="11" ViewCount="15067" Body="&lt;p&gt;I train archery as part of my martial arts training. What is the best way to lower or control heart rate before taking shot? Assuming I have been doing activity that raised it. I know just waiting for few minutes will resolve the issue, but I'd just like to know if there is any technique that would speed up that process. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user72" LastActivityDate="2014-02-07T09:27:26.227" Title="Lowering heart rate at will" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="199" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="198" CreationDate="2012-02-01T22:39:30.993" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In hypnosis, we often see a subject's heart rate decrease as they begin to enter a hypnotic or hypnogogic state... Essentially, as the mind calms, the heart rate decreases... Therefore, an easy way to decrease your heart rate is simply to calm down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since this, of course, is not much of an answer, I'd suggest this little exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step up to the firing line.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Take your stance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Take a relaxed grip: one hand on the bow, the other on the arrow and string.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Close your eyes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Take a deep breath in.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Visualize yourself drawing the bow, firing, and hitting the target.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Let the breath out.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Raise the bow.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Take aim.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Breathe in.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fire.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Breathe out.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Relax and reflect on how your shot differed from your visualization.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This may seem completely bogus, but the result is a peaceful calm and assuredness in the shot, both of which will ease any anxiety and allow you to achieve a more relaxed heart rate. The first time, you won't see a significant difference, but with repeated use you create a recallable state which you can enter into at will. By reflecting on your visualization, you're helping to cement the idea that your visualized event was your reality and that you can take control of that reality at a moment's notice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Swift reminded me of another thing that's similar in effect to what he was proposing – a form of yogic exercise called Pranayama. They have corollary forms in Togakure-ryu ninpo, and I generally teach it as an aside to training in the water to reduce the amount of air needed when under the water.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rather than get into it in detail, since there are various aspects which could be of a great deal of use to you, I will suggest you check out a great introductory text on the subject, &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1570628890&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The Yoga of Breath&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T23:10:30.950" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T23:10:30.950" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="200" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="198" CreationDate="2012-02-01T22:39:45.317" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Controlling your breathing,  by slowing your breathing and movement right down. Big long slow breaths  Helps to have a heart rate monitor and you can watch the changes in your heart rate based on your breathing and relaxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T22:39:45.317" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="201" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="192" CreationDate="2012-02-01T22:47:57.383" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;One way I protect my feet in my classes is I wear shin guards with a foot flap or sleeve. There are full encapsulating feet protectors as well, they basically cover the entire top of the foot, with straps on the bottom allowing your bare foot to come into contact with the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For toe injury, foot space is very important, keep your toes pointed or a basic foot shape during a kick with the top of the foot or a block. Curling your toes and kicking with the ball of the foot for push kicks, horse kicks, etc. It took me quite a while to get my foot shapes correct to where I wasn't banging my toes here and there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When blocking, or getting block and you hit someones bones, elbows are the worst, there's not much you can do about it. Maintain control, not striking with a lot of force or too fast but striking with intent is all I could recommend. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T22:47:57.383" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="202" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="198" CreationDate="2012-02-01T22:55:34.670" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the fire service we have to train on conserving air in life safety situations. So we work on breathing control which lowers our heart rates as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One method &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-161/issue-4/features/rethinking-emergency-air-management-the-reilly-emergency-breathing-technique.html&quot;&gt;Reilly-Emergency Breathing Technique (R-EBT)&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;While exhaling, “hum” your breath out in a slow, consistent manner.&#xA;  The hum is low and usually cannot be heard over the low-air alarm. In&#xA;  situations where you need to disentangle your SCBA or rapidly move&#xA;  around obstacles, it may be difficult to continuously hum after each&#xA;  breath. Breathe as you normally would and intermittently use the&#xA;  R-EBT. The more you use the R-EBT, the more it will increase your&#xA;  survival time. Try it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The goal is not to 'hold your breath' because that will trigger your body to panic for O2. Take deliberate, calm controlled breaths and your heart rate will lower. In addition don't flex or tighten up, stay relaxed, and loose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastEditorUserId="51" LastEditDate="2012-02-01T23:59:22.460" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T23:59:22.460" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="203" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="193" CreationDate="2012-02-01T23:04:32.283" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;To answer the root question (which is not how to counter a side kick), I recommend actual simple one-punch drills that emphasize the explosive lunge associated with a quick back knuckle punch.  As noted in a previous answer, the distance in essential when delivering a technique, but I don't agree that just because your opponent is delivering a side kick that your jab can not be delivered as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From your natural fighting stance, practice lunging foward and using your lead hand for the jab. It is a total commitment move, as any delay or hesitation will allow your opponenet to deliver their kick. Practice this over and over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="56" LastEditorUserId="56" LastEditDate="2012-02-02T21:17:46.130" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T21:17:46.130" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="204" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="104" CreationDate="2012-02-01T23:13:21.380" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The distinction between Internal and External martial arts I believe is primary around kung fu and other Chinese martial arts and was a way to categorize the distinct styles of kung fu that existed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An internal kung fu is one with progressive and slow forms that allow for almost a moving meditation. They are much more of a finesse art. Your focusing more on your soul, mind and chi to control and opponent and not relying brute strength or force. Using principals of rotation, deflection and evasion to overcome an opponent, making them beat themselves. A good example of an internal kung fu would be Tai Chi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An external kung fu is more of an outward showing of force and aggression, can be characterized by sharp, fast and succinct motions. Moving with deliberate motions and with purpose. In an external style you will have direct attacks, your will beat your opponent with your force and will oppose your will on theirs. An example of an external style would be Wing Chun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the distinction is pretty blurry, and possibly moot, now a days. A lot of martial arts have elements that one could categorize as either internal or external.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-02-01T23:13:21.380" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="205" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="192" CreationDate="2012-02-01T23:18:03.787" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your little toe incident sounds like a fracture. The big toe may be the same, or just a deep seated hematoma (bruise).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In either case there is very little you can do to prevent this, toes are not really made to collide with solid objects at high speed. Strapping toes together is not particularly productive due to the shortness of the toes, the fact that they are brittle anyway, and the toes need to be able to spread and move on the support foot in order to be able to support you properly during the kick. The golden rule is to keep your toes out of the way&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;. You should also avoid doing big power kicks (like the roundhouse or leg kick) using the top of your foot, as the bones there are also somewhat brittle - use your shin instead. To achieve this you may have to stand a little closer to your opponent when you deliver the kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To treat the injury, find a Chinese apothecary near you and talk to them, they have a variety of treatments for bruises, strains and fractures. One I've used for many years is called Zheng Gu Shui, it is dirt cheap and works by promoting blood flow through the area where it is applied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Possibly your best option though is conditioning. Have you ever seen pictures/video of the Muay Thai practitioners kicking banana trees? That is done specifically to toughen the bone structure in the shin and foot area. It takes time, lots of time, maybe years to achieve a good result. You might want to consider conditioning your big toe - the way I do it is to extend the big toe, curl the other toes down out of the way and then gently kick the end of the big toe against a solid surface, increasing the power of the kick over time. This hardens the end of the toe and strengthens the two joints in the toe (making the joints less susceptible to bruising).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Unless using the toe as the weapon (usually the big toe, much like using the fingertip to strike with)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2012-02-02T00:10:32.970" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T00:10:32.970" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="206" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="193" CreationDate="2012-02-02T00:03:12.670" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Side kicks are notoriously difficult to avoid without practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practice stepping off the centre line off the side kick - you'll need a partner to practice with. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pay close attention to the telegraphing signals that he gives off before he kicks.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Make sure that you avoid the kick, but move forward at the same time. Do not side step as this will not close the gap.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't do kick boxing, but I hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="83" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T00:03:12.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="207" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="240" CreationDate="2012-02-02T01:56:26.213" Score="19" ViewCount="12510" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a background mostly in Krav Maga and ICS (Israeli Combat System), and one of the techniques taught for disarming a gun, involves grabbing the barrel of the gun and pushing it to the side before taking it away. They tell you that the gun may end up going off at this point, but since it is no longer pointed at you when it does, this is not a problem. What I am wondering is what kind of damage can be done to your hand through either burns or something happening when the slide of the gun slides back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-02-18T18:49:12.700" LastActivityDate="2021-02-09T14:30:41.240" Title="What kind of damage can your hand get from holding the barrel of a fired gun when disarming it?" Tags="|self-defense|krav-maga|firearms|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="208" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-02T02:09:22.883" Score="12" ViewCount="6298" Body="&lt;p&gt;Often when doing in knife fighting sparring, people tend to ignore that they've got cut.  I've seen shock knives on the net, and they seem kind of interesting as they at least give feedback that you've been 'cut'.  Does anyone have any experience with them?  Do they make for a more realistic knife fighting situation?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2012-02-02T19:13:49.513" LastActivityDate="2015-09-27T11:19:20.737" Title="Do shock knives make a good 'training' alternative to real knives for knife fighting sparring?" Tags="|escrima|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="209" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="154" CreationDate="2012-02-02T02:23:37.270" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a huge and complicated topic, with active academic research ongoing. I am not an expert; any summary I give will be incomplete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that said: Everyone's heard of &quot;fight or flight&quot; mode: That's what happens when someone perceives an immediate danger, and has a rush of adrenaline.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those who've been to a psychology class more recently will recall the &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-or-flight_response&quot;&gt;fight/flight/freeze&lt;/a&gt;&quot; model by Walter Cannon. This has also been called &quot;flight/fight/submit,&quot; because the freezing corresponds to that of a wolf accepting a lower place in the pack hierarchy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditional martial arts try to avert the adrenaline rush entirely, by training you to fight in calmness, without experiencing fear or anger. Modern &quot;reality-based self defense&quot; arts like Krav Maga teach you to feel the fear, and use it to trigger violent action instead of immobility. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're interested in the psychological theory of stress from a martial perspective, I highly recommmend &lt;a href=&quot;http://kojutsukan.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;kojutsukan&lt;/a&gt;--it's an accomplished martial artist researching deeply into the emotions behind combat, and how to leverage them to win.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="114" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T02:23:37.270" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="211" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-02T02:53:10.637" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some people are warning about weightlifting slowing you down. This is only true in a limited sense: High repetitions with moderate weight will build more slow-twitch muscle.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Powerlifting workouts--high weight, with low repetitions and longer breaks between sets--build fast-twitch muscle.  You can actually assess your ratio of fast-twitch to slow-twitch muscle &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/muscle-fiber-composition.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;using weights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that said, building fast-twitch muscle can help, but you will only punch well if you practice punching well.  Do it a lot, with someone checking your form. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="114" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T02:53:10.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="212" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="126" CreationDate="2012-02-02T05:01:33.200" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a slight problem with the idea that anyone coming to a martial arts class needs disciplining. Based on the way you ask your question, we can assume it is, in fact, 2 questions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What's the most effective way to discipline adult students? &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What's the most effective way to discipline junior students?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In response to the former, I ask you to consider yourself, an adult, being disciplined by another adult. Perhaps you've been disruptive, intentionally or not. Would you rather a.) be humiliated or singled out or made to be the cause of public scorn, or b.) politely asked not to return if you can't control yourself? I'll presume the answer to be &quot;b&quot;, assuming of course that you are a logical and empathetic adult.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In response to the latter, you simply have to demonstrate what it means to be disciplined, rather to enforce some form of punishment. If you can not do this effectively, then you do not belong teaching youth classes. There are, of course, tricks to doing just this that many have not figured out, but they are relatively simple:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tell the kids &quot;Do XYZ.&quot; rather than &quot;Don't do ABC.&quot; In order for a human being to understand a negative, they must first process the positive, then negate it. Children typically do not have the attention span to process further than the affirmative.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Keep it simple. Studies have found that children watching Sesame Street pay attention when they understand something; further, they tend to &quot;tune in&quot; on 90% of Blues Clues.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Keep them entertained. Find new ways to present the same information repetitively without boring them. Children will become disruptive if they're disinterested; they become disinterested when they become overwhelmed; they become overwhelmed when there's too much information that they do not understand.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keeping abreast of educational research studies like those conducted around children's education programs (like Blue's Clues and Sesame Street) can make you a far better educator of children. If you eliminate the idea of disciplining the students and instead teach them to discipline themselves, you'll have a far easier time managing your class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T05:01:33.200" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="213" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="94" CreationDate="2012-02-02T06:08:54.250" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;No art is the ultimate art. Any martial artist should strive to be well rounded. A good striking art, good ground skills, good conditioning, being able to control your technique and having a true martial arts dojo and great instructor so the martial art phylosophy part is not left out is what I recommend. Any part of the equation left out leaves a hole in the bucket of a complete martial artist. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="115" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T06:08:54.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="214" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="193" CreationDate="2012-02-02T08:23:33.463" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;Footwork is not just about moving in the right directions, it's also about getting there quickly and being in balance as you do it. Footwork will be no good to you if you are a lumbering elephant with no balance or dexterity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A couple of ways to get lighter on your feet are:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;skipping. While used extensively in boxing for fitness, it also teaches you to stay light on the balls of your feet. Once you can easily do one pass of the rope for one jump, double it up and do two passes of the rope for every jump. Before you know it you will be bouncing around everywhere. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;find some creaky stairs and run up them - &lt;strong&gt;quietly&lt;/strong&gt;. This teaches you how to place your feet and move your body weight through a range of motion without pausing or sticking in any one spot&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;take a karate stance such as zenkutsu dachi and do it up and down a beach. Doing long lines of this in the sand helps you learn to glide with no up/down bobbing as you transition between left and right versions of the stance. The sand will show you whether you are digging in or bouncing around in any particular spot. Your feet should leave nice grooves of equal depth all the way down the beach. While this is usually a slow exercise, it is training your mind and body in the correct way to move and is just as applicable when moving fast.   &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;practice a snap front kick. Pay attention to the end of the kick - don't just let your foot drop down back into place, instead place it back in its original spot in a nice controlled manner. Pick your foot up, snap it out, place it back down. This helps train you to pick your feet up fast, maintain your balance, and best of all the snap front kick can be used as a closing-the-gap technique. Keep practicing the kick even when you are tired as that will be when your technique starts to get sloppy and you go back to your old habits.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;practice multiple kicks. Doing a single kick from a fixed position is all very good, but doing combinations of kicks one after the other forces you to pay attention to your balance and will also improve your footwork.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T08:23:33.463" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="215" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="207" CreationDate="2012-02-02T08:34:45.713" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've personally sliced my finger open from a kick before. If your grip isn't that great, you'll get cut, but a minor laceration is nothing compared to a gunshot would. Also, many external hammer pistols will not go off if the slide is pushed back a little it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a side note, if you manage to grab the cylinder of a 6-shooter that hasn't been cocked (hammer still forward as is common in many double action revolvers), then it will not fire.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The technique you mentioned saved the life of one of my buddies who is a sheriff, so it does work... sometimes. We used to train this with airsoft guns and you do get plinked... some people more than others&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, someone wants my wallet, I'll give him that over trying to disarm him. Someone wants to rape my wife, time to try a disarm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user66" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T08:34:45.713" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="216" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="345" CreationDate="2012-02-02T08:49:35.770" Score="14" ViewCount="1597" Body="&lt;p&gt;This may be getting into technical minutia, but it's something that's been bugging me since I first came across it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen multiple different views (as one might expect) for the position of the grounded foot for performing back-leg front kicks (striking with the ball of the foot).  In the first variation (the one I am most familiar with) the grounded foot stays planted, pivoting to the side for increased reach if needed.  I've seen several sources that use this pattern.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also come across several other sources that clearly show that the kicker rises up on the ball of their foot for this kick.  Sometimes this is rather extreme, going &lt;em&gt;way&lt;/em&gt; up onto the ball of the foot. Tedeschi (in &lt;em&gt;Hapkido&lt;/em&gt;) talks about how this gives &quot;increased reach,&quot; but nothing else really seems to be said on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most sources I've seen just seem to pick one strategy or the other.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recognize that there are inherent stylistic differences in how different schools approach the same move. In this case, I'm curious if anyone is aware of any inherent advantages or disadvantages to one over the other as a means of increasing reach, if it derives from different in approach to how/when that kick gets used, or if it is mostly just a matter of style?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2016-03-15T14:37:31.927" Title="Going up on the ball of the foot for a front snap kick" Tags="|technique|kicking|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="217" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="81" CreationDate="2012-02-02T09:11:23.763" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As Iaroslav said, some sort of elastic resistance equipment around a sturdy pole is your best bet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I have found that resistance tubes ( &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reebok-Resistance-Tube-Level-Black/dp/B002KMK57O/ref=sr_1_4?s=sports&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1328173425&amp;amp;sr=1-4&quot;&gt;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reebok-Resistance-Tube-Level-Black/dp/B002KMK57O/ref=sr_1_4?s=sports&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1328173425&amp;amp;sr=1-4&lt;/a&gt; ) are better resistance wise, however the bands ( &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dyna-Band-Purple-workout-resistance/dp/B00293SIVO/ref=sr_1_8?s=sports&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1328173425&amp;amp;sr=1-8&quot;&gt;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dyna-Band-Purple-workout-resistance/dp/B00293SIVO/ref=sr_1_8?s=sports&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1328173425&amp;amp;sr=1-8&lt;/a&gt; ) can provide a more realistic gripping position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For an even more realistic method you can take apart an old gi and attach parts of the lapels to the handles of a resistance tube and grip that instead of the band itself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="117" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T09:11:23.763" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="218" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="116" CreationDate="2012-02-02T09:58:39.773" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;I found the same picture at several websites.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;a href=&quot;http://brunocarmenisjudoblog.com/1104/&quot;&gt;this blog&lt;/a&gt;, the picture was taken in 1942 at the Kenkoku University. It also mentions &quot;(Manchria)&quot; but that's probably a typo for &quot;Manchuria&quot;, the old name for north-east China which at that time was under Japanese control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://tomikiaikido.blogspot.com/2010/09/tomiki-and-ueshiba-in-manchuria.html&quot;&gt;Another website&lt;/a&gt; mentions that the building in the background is Shimbuden Hall and describes the man standing on the right as &quot;Hideo Oba&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://blog.aikidojournal.com/2011/11/24/historical-photo-morihei-ueshiba-in-front-of-shimbuden-dojo-in-manchuria-1942&quot;&gt;This page&lt;/a&gt; confirms both the year, location and identity of Hideo Oba. Since the people in both photo's have a similar position and are wearing the same outfit I'm guessing that both photo's are taken on the same day. If this is correct then the occasion was &quot;the 10th anniversary of the founding of Manchukuo&quot;, which is the Japanese name for Manchuria. Between 1940 and 1942 Ueshiba visited Manchuria several times for teaching and demonstrations and it has been said that this was the last time he visited.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T09:58:39.773" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="219" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="226" CreationDate="2012-02-02T09:59:33.343" Score="8" ViewCount="3165" Body="&lt;p&gt;So, I am looking to increase my general cardiovascular fitness to fit better into the martial art training I do -- Aikido but that should only matter a little.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main question is &lt;strong&gt;What exercises are worth doing to increase cardiovascular fitness for martial art training?&lt;/strong&gt; However, this is too generic and not martial art specific so, as clarifications, I am looking at increasing my recovery period between randori rounds/bouts and improving cardio more rapidly?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Please see &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/19/question-about-running-jogging&quot;&gt;the meta question&lt;/a&gt; as well if you feel this should be either downvoted or closed.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-03-16T15:50:09.570" LastActivityDate="2013-03-29T12:14:41.357" Title="Rule 1: Cardio. What exercises are worth doing to increase cardiovascular fitness?" Tags="|aikido|exercise|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="220" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="219" CreationDate="2012-02-02T10:05:04.453" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Crossfit tends to be great compliment to martial arts training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CrossFit&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CrossFit&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T10:05:04.453" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="221" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="228" CreationDate="2012-02-02T11:13:32.187" Score="3" ViewCount="959" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have very limited mobility in my toe joints, to the extent that I can't pull my toes back the way you need to to perform a front kick, so currently the only forward kicks I know I can manage are axe kicks (where you hit as the leg comes back down) or pushing kicks (where I can get the ball of the foot up high enough to push) as everything else I try ends up hitting with my toes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My physio says mobility isn't likely to improve in the future, so are there other front kicks which would be possible for me?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="57" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-04-03T15:58:23.847" LastActivityDate="2012-04-03T15:58:23.847" Title="I have very little toe flexibility - are there other front kicks I can use?" Tags="|kicking|flexibility|mobility|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="222" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="223" CreationDate="2012-02-02T13:12:40.983" Score="11" ViewCount="11871" Body="&lt;p&gt;Until recently I have been told that ninja do not abide to a moral code (in particular, the samurai bushido), and that the definition of a ninja is &quot;a warrior without honor&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this true? A ninja is not required to follow any moral code at all? What are the differences between the bushido and the &quot;ninjado&quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="85" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-02T15:14:15.433" LastActivityDate="2019-04-01T13:27:48.080" Title="Do ninja follow the bushido?" Tags="|ninjutsu|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="223" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="222" CreationDate="2012-02-02T13:25:06.847" Score="22" Body="&lt;p&gt;This depends what time period you refer to.  Bushido was a not formally written till the Tokugawa period at a time of peace and rigid order.  During the Sengoku Jidai, Bushido was thought of as mere guidelines in a similar way to the &quot;chevalerie&quot; of the middle age Europe. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ninja, or shinobi, were foremost spies.  As such, of course, they had no honour and no morals! Unless, of course they were in your employ.  In that case, they were another weapon in waging war. Oda, Toyotomi and Tokugawa were famous for using ninja -- after getting bitten by not using them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stephen Turnbull is a good source for this, &lt;s&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ninja-1460-1650-Warrior-Stephen-Turnbull/dp/1841765252/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1328188631&amp;amp;sr=1-12&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ninja AD 1460-1650 (Warrior) &lt;/a&gt; in particular&lt;/s&gt;. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Do not get that book&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, instead read &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ninja-Unmasking-Myth-Stephen-Turnbull/dp/1473850428/ref=sr_1_4?qid=1554125043&amp;amp;refinements=p_27%3AStephen+Turnbull&amp;amp;s=books&amp;amp;sr=1-4&amp;amp;text=Stephen+Turnbull&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ninja: Unmasking the Myth&lt;/a&gt; which correct errors in the previous book.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See &lt;a href=&quot;https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/300/during-the-sengoku-jidai-what-were-shinobi-aka-ninja-used-for&quot;&gt;this question on history.se&lt;/a&gt; for the role on ninja during the Sengoku Jidai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After the OP edit.  In the same way as you cannot be a chivalrous Knight of the Round Table, you cannot be a Bushido Samurai.  The samurai class does not exist any more after the &lt;a href=&quot;https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/120/when-and-why-was-the-samurai-class-abolished&quot;&gt;order of Emperor Meiji&lt;/a&gt; on the 7 April 1868.  I am not aware of any such order regarding the ninja clan.  So, I guess you could follow a shinobi-do but I am unaware of any such thing being formally drawn -- more like guidelines really. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The definition of ninja as &quot;a warrior without honour&quot; is erroneous.  It literally means hidden person, see &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.theartofcalligraphy.com/ninja-kanji.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this page&lt;/a&gt; for example but the wikipedia article has it too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-04-01T13:27:48.080" LastActivityDate="2019-04-01T13:27:48.080" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="224" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="221" CreationDate="2012-02-02T13:26:33.547" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Several arts teach front kicks using the heel. That should work for you. It has more power, but less speed and reach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The movement is also slightly different, it's less of a snap and more of a thrust.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="79" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T13:26:33.547" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="225" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="216" CreationDate="2012-02-02T13:33:06.620" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I find when doing a muay thai push kick, i can get my kicking leg up higher if i go on the ball of my base leg,  i think it has to do with my base leg bending a bit.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;my kru also said you can get more power b/c of the way it makes you engage your hips more to be on the ball of your foot.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T13:33:06.620" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="226" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="219" CreationDate="2012-02-02T13:36:55.647" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;INTERVALS!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;the best way to train cardio for martial arts is to train is as similar a fashion as the activity your are training for.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;hrm, that's a bit of an awkward sentence.  take football (american)   those big dudes that have to explode out and block the other big dudes, they arn't running miles and miles and miles, they are doing sprints and a lot of resistance training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;you need to do the same.&#xA;do high resistance high intensity running/eliptical/rowing for the length of your rounds(or maybe a little bit longer, not a lot longer)  and then take a rest (as long as your rests at aikido are).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;running is not the best, something that offers resistance(like you would be getting in randori is better)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T13:36:55.647" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="227" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="216" CreationDate="2012-02-02T13:50:42.550" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question you need to answer, empirically, is if it will work for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every action generates an equal and opposite reaction. Going on the ball of the foot might be a bad idea if the way you kick does not take into account a potential loss of balance when you encounter the resistance of your target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, there are also many ways of delivering power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes you want to go THROUGH the target (ex: Muay Thai roundhouse kick).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes you want the power to get in there with minimal backlash (ex: Isshinryu karate punch, with its small snapback at the end).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes you want to deliver maximum power with as little effort and compromise to mobility as possible (ex: any strike within Systema).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T13:50:42.550" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="228" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="221" CreationDate="2012-02-02T14:56:55.213" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can think of two:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Heel front kick. As @Sean Patrick Floyd said, it's more of a thrust kick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Toe front kick. Basically, you will kick straight in, with your toes into the target. The target, in this instance, is the abdominal waist band muscles. The direction of the strike is in and down.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not recommend the toe front kick lightly - for most people who aren't trained that way, it's a great way to break toes. Play with it a little, very lightly, and experience for yourself the amount of flexibility and pain that you have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;@THelper recommended sitting in seiza for a while - not a bad way to increase flexibility, but it sounds like what you need is actually sitting for a while, moving your toes up and down, maybe isolating one and moving it with your fingers (gently, of course!) while exercising the muscles (gently, of course!). After a few years, you might get an improvement. The body DOES change based on what you ask of it - but bone changes take a long, long time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An art like taichi, done properly, is very good for any and all flexibility. Working the entire body takes the boredom out of focusing on solely your toes, and you might get results at the same speed or faster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or not. Your mileage may vary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T14:56:55.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="229" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="154" CreationDate="2012-02-02T15:17:52.567" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've heard and grown fond of this statement:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Martial arts without meditation are like a loaded gun in the hands of a baby.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is also the well-known statement by Musashi: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Make your warrior's walk your everyday walk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And one shouldn't forget the analogy &lt;em&gt;mind like water&lt;/em&gt;, or the japanese word &lt;em&gt;mushin&lt;/em&gt; (see @Sardathrion's comment).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What do all these mean? Well, the first one means that if you don't meditate, training in martial arts will get SOMEONE hurt. You or someone else. Meditation helps calm the mind, and not be overtaken by emotions when something happens. It also helps you learn to see things clearly. @Sardathrion's answer is quite on topic here - if you get to that point, you probably have made a series of mistakes, but that's not what we're discussing :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Musashi's quote - do you really want to go around all day on hair-trigger-alert mode? You'll punch your boss, elbow your wife, choke out a good friend -- who knows. You'll have an overzealously defensive reaction that is unwarranted. Meditation helps you. It means that your warrior's walk (the ready state) is the same as the everyday walk. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mind like water - one of my favorites! The water in a pond reflects the moon. No matter what you do to the water, it reflects the moon. Your mind should be like the reflection of the moon on the water. No matter what goes on outside, and how turbulent things are, you should be calm and centered inside.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Serious training, it goes without saying, means learning how to control, neutralize, disable, hurt, maim and kill, and you have to be ready for these. Meditation also helps you get in a state where you start contemplating the questions of what it means to be alive, dying, taking a life, so you are not troubled by doubt or uncertainty should the moment come.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-02-02T15:25:59.407" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T15:25:59.407" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="230" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="208" CreationDate="2012-02-02T15:22:01.640" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best way to develop awareness of ANYTHING is to do it slowly. Take a training knife (can't be rubber, has to be solid) and slowly put the point on someone's chest and slowly press in. They'll be aware of it, I bet you, way before it touches them. Slowly get to their arm and slowly slice across it. Again, they'll be aware.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do slow-motion sparring. Half-speed -- or slower. Because knives are inherently dangerous, people have a hard time staying slow. Have someone act as a referee and stop when someone speeds up. No need to say who - just stop, realign, start again. For the slow-motion sparring, you don't need a solid knife.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T15:22:01.640" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="231" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="219" CreationDate="2012-02-02T15:43:03.707" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two sources of energy in the body - aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic energy is the energy you get from the air you breathe. Anaerobic is what your body can get out of itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hint - aerobic energy is better! It's easier to recycle (breathe out, breathe in, hey, new energy!) and takes less energy. Using anaerobic energy releases lactic acid, and that's the part that hurts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, you want to develop better veinous/arterial circulation in the areas of your body where you need it -- along with good training to actually breathe in and out regularly without the breathing muscles getting tired or your body panicking from the high-intensity exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Patricia's answer is quite good and, hopefully, this will give you some more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T15:43:03.707" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="232" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="262" CreationDate="2012-02-02T16:32:56.247" Score="37" ViewCount="18994" Body="&lt;p&gt;A lot of martial arts use forms as a part of the training. They are taught and drilled. One benefit, of course, are the applications that you get from them. Small books of self-defense and movements that can be ingrained in the body memory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some forms are very small : iaido forms have sometimes only one cut. Taijutsu 'form' are sometimes limited to postures 'kamae' (this is one way of looking at it, please bear with me). Some forms are much longer, like nijushiho or kusanku / kanku dai in styles of karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What purposes do they serve?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="121" LastEditDate="2012-02-03T20:13:12.823" LastActivityDate="2022-11-08T23:04:35.180" Title="What are the purposes of martial arts forms?" Tags="|forms|" AnswerCount="25" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="233" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2012-02-02T16:50:34.423" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think the main purpose of forms (kata) is muscle memory;  drill something enough, and it you will be able to do it without thinking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The precision and exactness of the forms also encourages the participant to focus on the little details of a technique which will make their overall technique much better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The final reason I see for doing forms/kata is discipline, doing the same thing over and over gets boring and it builds discipline and character to be able to get past that and maintain focus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other thing some people may find that doing forms/kata is a form of meditation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorUserId="9304" LastEditDate="2022-11-08T23:04:35.180" LastActivityDate="2022-11-08T23:04:35.180" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="234" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="208" CreationDate="2012-02-02T17:40:33.147" Score="16" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had the displeasure of training with a set a few years back when they were still restricted to LE and Military. Based on the ones I used, there are two things that you should be aware of:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The knives can be &quot;cranked up&quot; by a little screw at the bottom. When they're cranked up all the way, they do not feel like you've been cut, but more like you put wet hand on an outlet. Anyone whose ever had that displeasure knows what that feels like... &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The price tag at that time was about $1000 for a set of two.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The training quality can take one of two paths:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You begin to focus more for fear of being shocked. You will take the training extremely seriously because there's actual feedback of just how likely you are to get cut.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You'll be moving even slower, take any aliveness out of your body, and be too afraid of the tool to use it effectively.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen both, for me it was the former, but I have no desire to repeat the experiment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A much less expensive solution that Kevin Secours taught was the scratch stick. He describes in a video here: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaHVDSwk6Vs&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaHVDSwk6Vs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I prefer this idea since it gives quality feedback, and is cheap enough to be replaced after each use. Pens are a distant second, since they tend to not feel like anything, and the slightest touch can leave a mark (making it difficult to tell what connected with flesh and what just connected with clothing).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; The discussion in the comments for the original post left me thinking about the extremes to which some people want to go for realistic training. As someone who has trained with edged blades in the past, I can say without any hesitation that &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;any form of training&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; is a simulation; if you put two knives in two training partners hands, they will still lack the key component that takes training to reality: intent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've trained with guys who hated me; I have a grating personality that can test the patience of Buddha himself. Even with that, there was never the worry that my training partner was going to say, &quot;You know, $%#^ it, I think I'll just kill him.&quot; Without that intent to actually cause harm and desire to kill you, there is still an ancient ocean between your training and reality; anyone attempting to sell you on the idea otherwise is out to make money off of your fear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shock Knives are a safer and easily as effective method of training as training with a real knife without the unnecessary danger of being involved in an accidental stabbing. I see no reason as an instructor, a husband, and a human being to endanger my students with a bladed knife in the attempt to show them the fear of being stabbed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, I feel the scratch stick is still superior for the reasons expressed above, as well as one I neglected to mention; a shock knife carries all the same dangers as a violet wand or TENS unit. These should &lt;em&gt;never&lt;/em&gt; be used on or brought into contact with a person with a pacemaker or other medical implant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-09T23:46:44.733" LastActivityDate="2012-02-09T23:46:44.733" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="235" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="221" CreationDate="2012-02-02T18:01:04.883" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;The Stomp / Push / Teep&quot; kick&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;an effective frontkick.   Imagine the kind of kick you'd use if you were trying to kick a door in.  You make contact with the flat of your foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T18:01:04.883" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="236" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2012-02-02T18:08:34.317" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Forms are a way to transfer the knowledge from instructor to the student. In many cases, forms are what defines specific martial art. Change the form and you have different martial art. If only one practitioner is left of the entire art, the art still can be resurrected via forms. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's what I was taught and this is my belief as student and instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I agree with other answer, though. Muscle memory, focus and precision are  important outcomes of kata practice. They are developed as specific individual practices the form many times and gains understanding of knowledge getting transmitted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="110" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T18:08:34.317" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="237" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2012-02-02T18:09:21.473" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;One thing to keep in mind is that most all Kata are extremely contrived.  You will never, in a real situation, find yourself in a situation where a Kata fits fully.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kata are trained to teach you two things. First they are there to train your body to move without thinking, muscle memory, like Patricia stated.  Secondly they are to teach you to keep moving. To quote Johannes Liechtenauer &quot;He who is still, is dead, he who moves will live&quot;.  They teach you to keep moving, and applying small aspects of many different Kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="61" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T18:09:21.473" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="238" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2012-02-02T18:26:03.447" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kata's normally don't have any 'real world' implications. Because they are basically a predefined chain of movements that almost would never happen in the real world. But Kata's are still important for the following reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It slows down the art, allowing you to work on form&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In a Kata you move with power and purpose, snapping your action&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You work in completely control, focusing on each action&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ki Ups's and sound offs to generate power&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Action chaining and flow and builds muscle memory&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your practicing how many others through time have practiced&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A Kata will teach you discipline, focus and allow you to prefect the motions and actions in the Kata. Don't overlook them and take them seriously as they can be an integral component to your growth as a martial artist. Work on snapping, moving with power and purpose and try and be as accurate as possible when your going through your Kata, that muscle memory will translate over to your other actions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T18:26:03.447" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="239" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2012-02-02T18:31:24.420" Score="22" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a couple of different reasons I can see for the use of forms. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first is that they are a functional mechanism of communicating patterns of movement that tend to go together, and to ingrain those movements into muscle memory.  I've seen a few people talk about doing something in real life, only to realize later that it was part of some form that they had practiced.  It is worth reflecting that many of these arts, at their very core, started as ways to survive a life-and-death situation, and kata is a traditional way of safely practicing this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To go with Rory Miller's statement from his book &lt;em&gt;Drills&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Fighting is inherently conservative and this shows in martial arts. Fighting is dangerous. People get hurt and killed.  For everything that might work there are a hundred things that seem like a good idea that can lead to a messy death.  We have kata and tradition NOT because people are stuck in tradition but because when people consistently survived it was considered imperative to remember how to model it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He also comments in &lt;em&gt;Meditations on Violence&lt;/em&gt;, describing something that happened in real life, that &quot;Occasionally, I would have an encounter, often an intense one, and later see the action in my wife's Karate &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt;.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other part of it is that there is a distinction between simply following the forms by rote and actually trying to understand what is going on.  In the book &lt;em&gt;The Way of Kata&lt;/em&gt; by Kane and Wilder describes the idea that &quot;&lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; is our textbook.&quot;  Essentially that the essence of the art is stored in the forms, you just have to know how to read it, and the exact lesson that is being communicated may be different for each art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To compare it to the game of Go: we have patterns that can form in the corners called (in Japanese) &lt;em&gt;joseki&lt;/em&gt;.  These are patterns that are supposed to be locally optimal for both players.  Real games aren't exactly like what happens in the &lt;em&gt;joseki&lt;/em&gt;: the surrounding situation modifies what moves make sense.   Memorizing &lt;em&gt;joseki&lt;/em&gt; and following them by rote is a recipe for disaster, and it is possible to get reasonably strong (at an amateur level, at least) without any detailed work with &lt;em&gt;joseki&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there's a lot of value in the &lt;em&gt;study&lt;/em&gt; of &lt;em&gt;joseki&lt;/em&gt;.  Trying to understanding the &quot;why&quot; of each move and trying to understand when it makes sense to play that way, when it makes sense to deviate, and whether and to what degree you may be able to take advantage if your opponent deviates.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel similarly about forms. They aren't necessary, and memorizing them without actually trying to understand them is only of limited value (good for muscle memory, so maybe your body will understand more of the &quot;why&quot; even if you don't, also potentially troublesome depending), but there's a lot that can be gained from their detailed study and trying to understand them in the context of what the art is trying to achieve. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-02T18:41:27.680" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T18:41:27.680" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="240" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="207" CreationDate="2012-02-02T18:44:27.380" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming your not in the tragectory of the bullet when it's fired, you can obtain the following injuries:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Friction injuries&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Thermal Injuries&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lacerations&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Broken/Avulsed fingers&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first danger, excluding the round, will be the slide. There is considerable amount of force exerted by the gas release and slide recoil. If you finger is trapped inside the ejection opening in the slide it can be cut, broken or suffer an avulsion (separation). Secondly as the slide moves you can get a sliced and/or a friction burn. The barrel of the gun will also be very hot, normally encased inside the slide in most semi-automatic you could come into contact with it and get a thermal burn from it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the gun is being fired when you grab it your hand and forearm will be in close contact to the the ignited gun powder and super-heated gases. You can suffer thermal injuries in this case.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I try and attempt wrist control when disarming a gun and get in close. If it goes off and damages my hand, possibly severely, I may not put up much of a fight at that point. You hand position in the gun will be very important to minimize injury, as user249228 showed in his YouTube video link. But you have to understand body and hand positioning at that point, in that video he has his hand clamped on top of the rear sight and the slide moves toward him. If it's someone else holding the gun, you will have an outside grip to get that position and the slide will be moving away from you, both are contention with normal body mechanics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T18:44:27.380" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="241" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="243" CreationDate="2012-02-02T18:54:35.013" Score="30" ViewCount="30806" Body="&lt;p&gt;When going into a longsword bind, or getting hit as part of a Kata, I tend to flinch visibly and shut my eyes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are some exercises I can do, solo or with a partner, to help me keep my eyes open?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="61" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-05-18T12:22:32.060" LastActivityDate="2021-08-10T23:26:54.163" Title="Drills for reducing your natural &quot;flinch&quot; reaction" Tags="|exercise|training|self-training|" AnswerCount="12" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="242" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-02T18:55:58.260" Score="9" ViewCount="2027" Body="&lt;p&gt;I find it quite tricky to maintain a closed guard as I shortish legs,  I find that its not that hard for someone to break it open.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any good advice on how to keep a good closed guard if you have shorter legs?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(actually there are a number of things that seem tricky if you have have shorter legs, eg, triangle chokes)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2012-02-05T23:27:34.937" Title="How to maintain closed guard with short legs?" Tags="|jujutsu|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|closed-guard|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="243" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="241" CreationDate="2012-02-02T19:18:44.250" Score="36" Body="&lt;p&gt;The flinch reaction is a nervous system reaction to a stimulus in order to protect a portion of the body inherently felt to be at risk. When your nervous system is repeatedly overridden (for example, when we repeatedly stretch past the point of basic resistance) the body relaxes and the signal to fire that reflex is no longer sent under that stimulus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, the simplest way (and I say simple meaning &quot;basic&quot;, not &quot;easy&quot;) is to repeatedly expose yourself to the stimulus and consciously resist the urge to flinch. Performing waza (techniques) at a slow pace and building up speed can allow you an opportunity to convince yourself consciously that you can avoid that flinch response, and that you are in fact protecting that portion of your body (usually the eyes) that is felt to need protection. Ultimately, however, you need two things to happen:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To realize that the threat is not as significant as perceived (being hit in the face sucks, but isn't usually as bad as we make it out in our imaginations). We can do this by actually getting hit to accelerate the process.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To control the reaction that we have to the stimulus. Visualization and experience can help a lot with this, as both are a method of sending neural impulses to the region of your body needing to act.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flinches are not, by and large, a bad thing. The response is, in fact, quite healthy. It can, however, be controlled, and this is the far better use – redirect rather than inhibit natural responses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T19:18:44.250" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="244" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="241" CreationDate="2012-02-02T19:24:25.367" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;stslavik has the right idea.  You need to dampen your current reaction so you can substitute another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial Arts hoodoo talk:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;You flinch because your mind gets caught on the idea of being hurt.  If you can still your &#xA;  mind, your reactions will become more in line with your intent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me the thing that's helped most is visualization.  As stslavik says, you need to repeatedly expose yourself to the stimulus in order to change it.  Fortunately you can avoid actually getting hit, because visualization actually fires the same neurons that would fire in the real situation!  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So find a &quot;natural&quot; (comfortable, easy to concentrate, etc) spot and visualize getting hit or getting into a bind.  During the visualization, really concentrate on the idea of keeping your eyes open and staying focused. You may even feel an impulse to close your eyes or half-flinch while you're going through the flow in your head.  Notice it, address it, and change it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="33" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T19:24:25.367" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="245" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="242" CreationDate="2012-02-02T19:29:59.590" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;there are a few things you can do to help with this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;break down your opponents posture,  it's very hard, if they are sitting tall, even for someone with normal/long legs to keep the guard closed.   use your legs to draw them in, and lock up their upper body, this keeps them closer, and makes it easier to keep your guard closed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;develop a good open guard game instead of focusing  on keeping your guard closed.  the beauty of bjj is that it can be adapted to suit your body type.  a strong open guard whether it be a butterfly, spider, or just regular open guard, can be just as effective as a closed guard.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;strengthen those legs.  exercises likes squats and side lunges, as well as sideways leg lifts will all strengthen the muscles needed to maintain a good guard.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;as for triangles, the same rules apply, you need to control your opponents posture a bit more then a long legged person.  the plus side being, once you've got it on, it's a lot easier for a short legged person to finish a triangle then a long legged person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T19:29:59.590" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="246" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-02-02T19:43:35.440" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ninja (忍者) was the name given to people whom, using the arts of stealth, intelligence-gathering, and assassination would carry out missions as part of their employment. Unlike the Samurai, who were a caste in the social order of feudal Japan, the ninja came from every social class, whether samurai, peasant, merchant, or even burakumin (Non-humans or untouchables, a subjugated class of people whose family and employment made them outcast).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not all organizations acknowledged as ninja worked on the same premise; some functioned as mercenaries for hire, others were comprised solely from the ranks of the samurai as a special division of a Daimyo's army, and others simply worked and lived as brigands and highwaymen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Famous organizations of the ninja include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Iga-ryu&lt;/strong&gt; - One of the most well known schools of ninjutsu, the ninja of Iga were said to relate to their contracts solely on the basis of monetary exchange - they would work for whomever would pay the most; and they lived by a code: Nukenin Seibai ('Deserters Shall Be Punished'). They were divided into three classes: Jonin (high ninja), Chunin (middle ninja), and Genin (low ninja).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Koga-ryu&lt;/strong&gt; - Another of the most famous organizations of ninja, the Koga were said to be a much more open community, allowing outsiders to study with them as well as to join their ranks. They are said to have had only two ranks: Jonin and Chunin.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mitsumono&lt;/strong&gt; - A group of some 200 ninja organized for intelligence operations by Takeda Shingen, daimyo of Kai Province. Takeda would draw from all walks of life, so long as the person was capable.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fuma/Soshu-rappa&lt;/strong&gt; - A group of some 200 ninja lead by Fuma Kotaro that served under the Hojo family of Sagami Province. They were widely feared for their brutality.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kurohabaki-gumi&lt;/strong&gt; -  A group of ninja organized by Date Masamune of Sendai, usually operating in extraordinarily large units of 30 to 50 ninja. They were said to be organized from bandits, and were named for their uniform of black leather leggings.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-02T20:26:50.700" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T20:26:50.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="247" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-02-02T19:43:35.440" Score="0" Body="A feudal Japanese person whom, using the skills of ninjutsu, would perform espionage, assassination, counter-intelligence, or combative acts as a mercenary or brigand." OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-02T20:26:57.813" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T20:26:57.813" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="248" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2012-02-02T20:00:15.433" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You'll want to take a look at &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/030746363X&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The Four Hour Body&lt;/a&gt;. It's a good book that shows a lot of interesting tidbits about ways to use weight lifting. The short of it is - you can do it for size or for power, and you can even do it for speed. Now.. Tailor this to your own training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T20:00:15.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="249" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-02-02T20:19:30.777" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The natural and often-times involuntary responses to external stimuli. Reflexes may be further broken down into &quot;involuntary reflexes&quot; (which are natural, like the shutting of the eyelid to avoid a bit of dust from scratching the cornea) and &quot;conditioned reflexes&quot; (which are an overridden natural response, like the martial artist moving offline of an attack rather than cowering).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-03T02:18:24.630" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T02:18:24.630" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="250" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-02-02T20:19:30.777" Score="0" Body="Natural and often involuntary muscle movements in response to external stimuli." OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-03T02:18:26.737" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T02:18:26.737" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="251" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="242" CreationDate="2012-02-02T21:29:32.663" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Patricia has some good answers for closed guard. I have issues with a triangle choke and cannot do it due to flexibility and the size of my legs. So in my BJJ class the guys who cannot do the triangle choke practice another way. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When in position where you would throw your leg across horizontally instead walk your legs down there back as far as they can go and lock your ankles together. Pulling the opponent in toward your body trying to get there neck and arm as deep into your legs as you can. Then clamp down with your heels pushing in toward you, leaning back and thrust your hips upward like your doing an arm bar. This should generate significant opposing forces to make up some of the difference in the power that the lever action of a triangle choke generates.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-02-02T21:29:32.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="254" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="255" CreationDate="2012-02-02T23:52:05.533" Score="12" ViewCount="1401" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I did rapier, with some emphasis on sparring as well as structured drills, one of the things you got very good at was reading the other person's tells.  Some of which were things that could be changed with good technique–such as the path that the arm followed and whether the shoulder rolled at all–as well as things that are more fundamental to how the body moves. You also learned to read through more subtle techniques such as feints, to see when an opponent was over or under committed to an attack, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We had some drills to facilitate this, but I'm mostly familiar with how it would manifest during sparring (and seeing the opponents rapier go under my guard and into my knee until I learned to read the attack).  It's an element that I've been looking for ways to train others for in hand-to-hand, but without the sparring element. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am wondering if, for hand-to-hand, anyone knows of good structured drills (as opposed to sparring at various speeds/intensities) that could be used to help teach body reading, or  ways to adapt attack-defense pair-drills to better train this aspect?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-15T19:15:21.633" LastActivityDate="2013-11-30T06:52:49.687" Title="Training Body Reading Without Sparring" Tags="|training|drills|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="255" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="254" CreationDate="2012-02-03T00:22:44.507" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Very interesting question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having long been fascinated by body language and micro expressions, I incorporated that into my training. This won't even remotely be an option for most people as the time it took to even develop a functional use when not under pressure was well over a decade.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, a few tips that came from that training that have been of use to others:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shift your focus&lt;/strong&gt;: In his nearly complete rubbish book &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0925480533&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;PhotoReading&lt;/a&gt;, Paul R. Scheele talks about looking straight ahead whilst imagining an apple or similarly fist-sized fruit at the top rear of your skull, imagining the weight and heft of it. Now, without moving your eyes, shift your focus from the bridge of your nose to that point, allowing your eyes to get a bit wider and take in more information. It's garbage for reading, but I find it immensely helpful for seeing more of my opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Think about what you're doing&lt;/strong&gt;: Becoming aware of what you're doing and how you project those movements, even microscopically, can help you recognize them in others. The most detrimental thought most of us have to our own survival is that we are unique when in fact we are just like everyone else. We have the same tells, the same cues, and we give them away the same ways. If we understand ourselves, we can better understand our opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Play guessing games&lt;/strong&gt;: Silly, I know... But make a guessing game out of sucker punching. You're already controlling one aspect (namely that he is going to throw a punch at you); now guess at the other aspect. Have him think about where he's going to strike and watch how his body shifts. A nifty little trick? When a person thinks about one hand too much, their nose will point toward that hand. Is this significant to striking? Not necessarily, but it's about learning to look for subtle clues that may help you later.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keep the big picture in mind&lt;/strong&gt;: If you focus on any one individual aspect, you'll lose sight of the whole. Like the &lt;a href=&quot;http://kendo.home.ro/PDFuri/The_Unfettered_Mind.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Thousand-Armed Kannon (PDF, page 5)&lt;/a&gt; (千手観音 &lt;em&gt;Senju-Kannon&lt;/em&gt; in Japanese), if you relax and take in everything, everything is in harmony and all your arms can do what they need to do; the second you focus on one aspect, everything else becomes useless.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This probably isn't exactly the sort of answer you're looking for – there's a lot of non-martial-arts-derived thinking to my methods, and some of it is pretty hard to get to understand since it's only a small part of a much larger picture. Others trained in a different art than they do now for many years, shaping how they now perform the art they're learning; I spent nearly 15 years learning to appear to read minds by simply watching and trying to understand the things that make people so similar, and it's had its own effect. I hope this can be of some use to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit&lt;/strong&gt;: I want to make a comment about the approach you all are taking, and try to offer an alternative from my point of view which seems quite different than 90% of martial artists I've encountered...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Drilling implies that you act a certain way during the period of the exercise, then leave that behind when you stop performing that exercise. This is, of course, one way to do things, but I personally find this to be an extremely inefficient method of learning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider a memory exercise: If asked to remember 20 objects in order, most people will remember between 5 and 9, less than 50%. The reasons are that 1.) we seem to have difficulty remembering unrelated objects, and 2.) that even if the objects were related in a general sense, they may not be noteworthy enough (as in the case of 20 digits) for us to have an interest to remember them. Enter mnemonics, and the anchoring of ideas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of us can remember the layout of our homes explicitly (though not necessarily every item of furnishing) because they're a part of our everyday lives. As such, in mnemonics, the concept of the memory palace is to tie in things we need to remember to the everyday. My childhood home (in mental representation, of course), for instance, holds in the living room (in which I was only ever allowed on holidays, which made it deliciously memorable each time I snuck into it) representations of each of the 52 cards in a deck of playing cards. Let's just say my time in Las Vegas was rather poorly spent. Because I relate this to something &quot;everyday&quot; it's quite easy to remember, and I can recall the cards that I've seen at a glance by simply mentally looking about a room.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We can anchor all sorts of concepts: objects, doctrine, ideas, and actions. By anchoring actions to everyday actions (that is, by anchoring the idea that when I walk, I must defocus my vision), we can make an act &lt;em&gt;natural&lt;/em&gt;, and thus remove the necessity for it to become learned through rote repetition (drilling). We're awake for some 16 hours of the day, we train for an average of 2 hours a few times a week. What are we doing for those other 14 hours? If we're not making our learned behaviors natural, we're not making effective use of our time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;em&gt;Proposed Drills&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;This might sound a bit off, and since you're intending it as a method of instructing others in it, this might help: take a head band and a small piece of fist-sized fruit (or a ball, or whatever. Something good sized with some weight) and tie it around the head of one of the students. Tell them to focus on it (which, of course, is impossible... It's behind you, and completely out of your field of vision). Like the visualization exercise, instruct them &lt;em&gt;how to notice&lt;/em&gt; that they have the piece of fruit there without looking at it; to feel it, and, by virtue of feeling it, focus on it. The game is simple – the person without the fruit must try to strike the person with the fruit in such a way as to be able to retrieve it; the other must maintain the fruit. Switch after a few minutes or a de-fruiting.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I hadn't really considered this because it's something we train for a different reason (sakkijutsu – detecting and projection of murderous intent), but it's really the same thing in a different take, but it may be one of those things you just don't understand until you're taught it. This drill is for pairs. One person (&lt;code&gt;A&lt;/code&gt;) stands in front of another (&lt;code&gt;B&lt;/code&gt;), turned away from their partner, with their eyes closed. &lt;code&gt;B&lt;/code&gt; holds up both hands about 6 inches from &lt;code&gt;A&lt;/code&gt;'s shoulder blades then hits &lt;code&gt;A&lt;/code&gt; in the back with either hand at regular intervals. When &lt;code&gt;A&lt;/code&gt; is comfortable and relaxed and feeling the flow, as soon as he starts to detect a strike coming, he should instinctively move that side out of the way. This is a game in dual-suggestion: 1.) &lt;code&gt;B&lt;/code&gt; is suggesting to &lt;code&gt;A&lt;/code&gt; the strike through subconscious signals and 2.) &lt;code&gt;A&lt;/code&gt; is suggesting to &lt;code&gt;B&lt;/code&gt; where to strike strike via subconscious signals.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-17T18:21:52.387" LastActivityDate="2012-02-17T18:21:52.387" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="256" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-02-03T03:13:37.207" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the interesting things I've noticed here in NZ is that many of the self defense situations just required to fight back for the attacker to back off and run away.   I've heard of Karate, TKD, Judo and BJJ being effectively used.   But also, heard of grannys with handbags dealing out some justice also.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said that, most martial arts offer something you can use for self defense.  Three ones that I think offer more focused self defense (depending on the school)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Japanese Jiu Jitsu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Krav&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Escrima / Kali / Arnis&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are various other arts of course that offer similar self defense focused techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T03:13:37.207" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="257" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="254" CreationDate="2012-02-03T04:29:57.450" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Flow drills.  You work with a partner each exchanging one strike and one block.  So one will throw a punch, you block, return the punch with the same hand they did, they block, punch, flow...Start slow, build up speed.  This will train to build an automatic response to that one particular attack.  Make sure to do with good form, look at your opponent's shoulders so you are building memory that when their shoulders move in that specific way, you know whats coming.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For techniques that are too complicated or just don't flow, have your partner attack with the specific attack you want to learn to respond to, do your response, reset, and repeat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="55" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T04:29:57.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="258" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="261" CreationDate="2012-02-03T08:26:56.557" Score="11" ViewCount="937" Body="&lt;p&gt;In &quot;Les Trois Mousquetaires&quot;, we have a lot of sword fights.  We have a dozen different people who are described as really good sword fighters.  What sword schools were active during the 17th century in France?  Do we still have fighting manuals from that period?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-12-19T09:31:58.460" LastActivityDate="2016-12-19T09:31:58.460" Title="Alexandre Dumas' Three Musketeers: 17th century French Rapier" Tags="|sword|fencing|historic-european|rapier|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="259" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-02-03T08:44:57.900" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just for completeness sake: gun fighting.  Soldiers and military the world over use fire arms to defend others and themselves.  Police officers in most countries (not the UK) have guns and are trained (some better than others -- see &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/180a8f06-2bc1-11e1-98bc-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1lJD6y9ws&quot;&gt;BOPE&lt;/a&gt;) to use those weapons to defend themselves and others.  Note that in France, the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.defense.gouv.fr/gendarmerie&quot;&gt;Gendarmerie&lt;/a&gt; (see &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.gendarmerie.interieur.gouv.fr/gign&quot;&gt;GIGN&lt;/a&gt;) is a branch of the military applying French laws to civilians so there is a cross over between military and policing.  I am sure that many gangs have training programs for their members that could be described as martial arts.  Training manuals and books are available from Amazon -- which ones would be a good question to ask here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you consider using a gun as self defence, I strongly recommend that you look into a reputable gun club to learn.  You maybe dissuaded to use a gun by said gun club and given a whistle instead -- true story.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NOTE&lt;/strong&gt;:  &lt;em&gt;I am neither a member of the NRA nor do I play one on TV.  Gun control is flame war territory.  I have no wish for this answer to degenerate into a flame war so please please please take what you read in the best possible light.  I do believe that this answers the questions as it is currently phrased.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2012-02-03T09:20:35.597" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T09:20:35.597" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="260" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2012-02-03T09:51:41.453" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In addition to the excellent answers by Patricia and David H. Clements, let me add two small historical foot notes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some kata were developed to hide essence of a technique with extra movements.  Thus, it allowed the master to teach something to all the students but only those with insights or special favours would be given the heart of how it worked.  This would work as well as an obfuscation to any spy that wanted to learn how to defeat said style by observation.  How effective those were, I do not know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some schools claimed to teach fighting styles in times of peace were duels and fighting was no longer du jour.  Those would use paired kata as a way to simulate fights without resorting to sport. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit&lt;/strong&gt;: In a similar way, the names of the techniques were obfuscating what the technique was about.  Kano, Tomiki, and Bruce Lee (to name but three) all changes the names to reflect more what they were about rather than some abstract concept.  While not directly linked to obfuscating movement, it is obfuscation nonetheless. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2012-10-16T14:51:06.293" LastActivityDate="2012-10-16T14:51:06.293" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="261" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="258" CreationDate="2012-02-03T10:57:03.967" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are quite a few historic manuals linked from &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thearma.org/manuals.htm&quot;&gt;ARMA's page of manuals&lt;/a&gt;. The majority are pre-17th century, but there's a good dozen from that period.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to schools, my understanding is that practically every fencing master would claim his/her own style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="96" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T10:57:03.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="262" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2012-02-03T12:19:14.953" Score="39" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a mix of answers already offered on this question. I would like to rebut a couple of points proffered in some of those answers. These rebuttals are made with due respect - we all have different teachers, walked different paths and have learnt different things. &lt;em&gt;Please don't be offended if I have chosen to critique one of your statements.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Kata's normally don't have any 'real world' implications&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That has to be one of the most incredibly wrong statements I've ever heard. Centuries ago people lived and died by their kata. Not so many people die from them these days, but their meaning and intent is still there, even if it isn't as widely understood or taught as it once was. Some kata have evolved over time, usually due to teaching styles and preferences - this is normal within martial arts (styles evolve over time). There is also anecdotal evidence that a lot of knowledge was withheld from American GI students after WWII, leaving them to decide (invent) the knowledge for themselves&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;One thing to keep in mind is that most all Kata are extremely contrived.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sure there are some contrived kata/forms out there, without a doubt. However all the kata I have ever learnt were not contrived. Some of the simplest kata out there, the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taikyoku&quot;&gt;Taikyoku katas&lt;/a&gt; invented by Gichin Funakoshi, are full of death and destruction. They contain just simple blocks and punches, right? Turn left, block the kick/punch coming from that guy, turn right, block the kick/punch coming from that guy and then hit him in return&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; yada yada yada yawn... If this is what you think the kata is then you have been sadly mistaught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Katas were assembled by teachers and families&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, the &quot;owners&quot; of styles. It is a package of moves that represents their knowledge, each move could have several specific applications (bunkai). The owners of the kata would keep the meaning of them secret except to the select students who were taught them, the moves and knowledge in the kata gave them a competetive advantage over the family or school on the next farm when issues arose and fisti-cuffs started. These &quot;owners&quot; also didn't have dozens of katas like we do these days, they had just a few which they honed to absolute perfection.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You don't use all the moves in a kata one after the other&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; until the opponent falls over - if you need more than one or two moves from a kata then you are doing it wrong. In some kata the third move may be the same as the first move but they are not necessarily doing the same thing. In a sequence of moves that consist of a straight punch followed by a groin block followed by another straight punch, consider this: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;taken individually, the straight punches can both be doing exactly the same thing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the first straight punch is done followed by the groin block &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the groin block is done first followed by a straight punch&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In cases 2 &amp;amp; 3 the straight punch can be doing something vastly different. When in a fight I can use moves 2 and 10 from the kata provided I have sufficient understanding of it to do so, I don't have to start at move 1 and progress to move 2.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Each move from a kata has specific applications.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; After I execute one of these moves on an opponent, I know exactly the position he is going to be in, I know where his head should be, where his torso should be, etc. If I execute the same move with my eyes shut in a pitch black cave, I still know exactly what I have just done to him and his body position. Depending on the exact application I just used, I know whether I need to follow up with something else, and depending on his (and my) body position I know which kata technique I should use next. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Even simple bunkai is powerful&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. Take one simple move found in many kata: soto uke while pivoting sideways into kiba dachi (inner block while pivoting sideways into horse riding stance). Depending on how I'm engaged with the opponent when I start this move it is either an arm break/elbow dislocation, a knockout, or a hip dislocation. This stuff is all buried in the kata. If successfully executed then this move is all I need to stop the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kata trains the mind and muscle memory.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Every single move you execute in a kata, you should be visualising what you are doing on your opponent. As your knowledge grows you will have more options to visualise, even back in the basic kata you learnt when you were a white belt. This visualisation is what helps to cement the knowledge I talked about in my previous point, where I know exactly what I've just done and what position the opponent is in. Visualising the bunkai of the kata assists with the state of mushin, where you do not have to consciously think about your current or next move, it just flows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; I will try to dig out some citations to support this in the next day or two.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; Please please &lt;em&gt;please&lt;/em&gt; stop and ask yourself: what happened to the first guy where all you did was block his technique? Is he going to stand there and patiently wait for his next turn while you deal with his friend? Do you &lt;em&gt;really believe&lt;/em&gt; kata are teaching you that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; I should point out that the Taikyoku katas are a watered down or simplified version of the Heian and Kusanku katas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2012-02-03T12:46:03.440" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T12:46:03.440" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="264" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="291" CreationDate="2012-02-03T15:24:17.750" Score="22" ViewCount="6443" Body="&lt;p&gt;Systems of martial arts utilize of variety of weapons that include polearms, blades, and blunt objects among others. While Systema and some branches of ninpo budo taijutsu include firearms as part of their training, why have firearms not historically become part of most other martial arts systems or assimilated into practice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-02-03T15:44:35.137" LastActivityDate="2012-11-16T01:47:17.717" Title="Why are firearms not part of the martial arts world?" Tags="|weapons|history|firearms|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="265" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="264" CreationDate="2012-02-03T15:44:26.003" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As near as I have been able to tell, it is more due to the philosophy of most martial arts systems as firearms do not require the same skill and arguably grace that other weapons require. There was a book on the history of dueling that touched on this briefly from a different perspective, namely that dueling with pistols was looked down upon because they didn't require any significant skill (i.e. you can train someone to be competent in an hour or so) when compared to dueling with swords which would require months of training and a high degree of skill to be competent with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If we look at most of the weapons that are incorporated into martial arts systems, they tend to either be very simple (i.e. knives) or fairly exotic form the standpoint of combat (i.e. nunchaku) and either require a great deal of practice to become extremely dangerous with, or are actively dangerous to their wielder if they are not properly trained. This tends to mesh well with the philosophy of most martial arts of not just being a way to defend yourself, but also a form of long term self improvement that firearms just don't offer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="46" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T15:44:26.003" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="266" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="264" CreationDate="2012-02-03T15:45:26.907" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would say that they have become part of martial arts in the greater sense of martial arts.  By this I mean in training relating to war.  It is just a very vague and unstructured one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All military and police forces will teach firearms use.  There are set movement and training regimes -- very similar to kata in hand to hand and ranged weapon styles.  Body position and breathing are taught before you handle a gun.  Philosophy is even taught -- &quot;This is my gun, This is for fun&quot;.  Practice is strongly suggested.  There are even sport competitions: quick draw, target shooting, clay pigeon, and biathlon to name but a few.  There are &quot;teachers&quot; and &quot;students&quot; and &quot;ranking systems&quot; -- snipers as black belts?  There are dojo or shooting ranges where one can practice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, most people would not equate martial arts with fire arms.  I think this stems from a misunderstanding (or rather a narrowing) of the definition of martial arts.  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martial%20art&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Merriam-Webster defines martial arts&lt;/a&gt; as &lt;em&gt;any of several arts of combat and self defense (as karate and judo) that are widely practiced as sport&lt;/em&gt;.  As such, I see fire arms as one.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe ease (as compared to other weapons) with which fire arms can taught means that there is no need for the whole classical structure of martial arts.  This, I believe, is the real reason why Aikido or Muay Thai do not have gun-kata in them.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-03T20:48:25.463" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T20:48:25.463" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="267" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="254" CreationDate="2012-02-03T16:00:28.577" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Two suggestions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, the answer about &quot;defocusing&quot; is excellent. This is called &quot;soft gaze&quot; in some traditions and explicitly trained in a few. You are engaging the peripheral vision, which gets processed in a different part of the brain. It also bypasses triggering fear. The drill for that can be found in: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.navaching.com/hawkeen/nwalk.html&quot;&gt;http://www.navaching.com/hawkeen/nwalk.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since it is a long (yet fascinating) article, the short description of the drill is: (1) walk at night, (2) use only your peripheral vision for navigation, (3) hang a glowing ping-pong ball off the bill of a cap until you can shift to peripheral vision at will. After that, the trick will be do that during sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, you can practice a &quot;go/no-go&quot; drill with the help of friends, start learning to feel intent for attacks. (We tongue-in-cheek called this &quot;playing ninja&quot;). For example, in a group of 4, one person is the person practicing the drill, the receiver. The other three will randomly decide who is the &quot;attacker&quot;. All three will walk towards the receiver. However, only the attacker will project the intent to attack. The other two make sure they are neutral. The receiver acts in response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is important that the designated attacker strongly projects the intent to attack, at least in the beginning stages. Think of it as helping your brothers so they can watch your back when it counts. To deceive in order to &quot;win&quot; is to cheat yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The advanced variation of this drill involve using street clothes outside the context of the dojo. You designate an area (college campuses are great for this if you still look like a college student), and you have the three scatter (so you don't see them walking towards you at the same time).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T16:00:28.577" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="268" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="241" CreationDate="2012-02-03T16:03:28.953" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Flinches are caused by fear and fear is caused by:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;bad technique. Your defence is lacking and you instinctively realise that. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;lack of strength. The attack is too strong for you to parry&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;surprise. Your timing/position is bad.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first one applies much more often than you'd think.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second and third apply when you're training with opponents that are too novices to actually control their rhythm and strength in order to help you learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find that cyclic exercises may help much. If you're practising a sword for example it could be something like that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;up-to-down vertical cut, the opponent parries. Then he attack up-to-down in the same way and you parry. And so on.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;opponent does tsuki, and you swordbind and deflect. then you do tsuki and he deflects.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those are just examples you can adapt to your art of choice. Keep in mind:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;plan your exercises to include the most minimal movements available. The time between your attack and his next attack should be minimum number-of-movements wise.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the strength should be minimum. And should not increase with experience. Resist the temptation to do it with strength.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the speed should be slow but should increase pretty soon. It may eventually go up to a point when you're not knowing what you're doing, but just doing it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you should get the strong sensation of not relying on your eyes that much any more rather than on the sensation you get from the clashes of the weapons.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Example of how it should feel (empty handed):&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcwccwO57UQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcwccwO57UQ&lt;/a&gt; (jump to the middle of the video)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T16:03:28.953" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="269" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2012-02-03T16:23:02.480" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are some excellent answers here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a use for kata that goes beyond muscle memory or instilling discipline through boredom. I am reminded of it just now when reading &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/244/65&quot;&gt;this answer&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stilling your mind is difficult just sitting down. Stilling your mind while standing is harder. Stilling your mind while walking is harder still. It is most difficult when you are in physical conflict with someone else. Kata provides a stable physical base for you to work on stilling the mind ... but I suppose that means you need to first practice until you are as unconscious of kata as you are of walking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-02-05T23:56:29.407" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="270" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="219" CreationDate="2012-02-03T16:34:34.190" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kettlebells.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wish I'd known about these things back when I was a lad. The aerobic workout they deliver using an exercise technique like the Swing has to be experienced to be believed. And they help with functional strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="54" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T16:34:34.190" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="271" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="275" CreationDate="2012-02-03T16:38:17.820" Score="9" ViewCount="2589" Body="&lt;p&gt;About a year ago I suffered a major knee injury and while I have been cleared to return to the dojo and train, I still have some weakness in the knee. What are some good exercises to strengthen the knees for when you are in low frontal stances such as shiko dachi (四股立)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="46" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2012-02-05T23:56:18.660" LastActivityDate="2014-01-09T12:43:55.173" Title="What are good exercises for strengthening knees to hold stances better?" Tags="|exercise|health|stance|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="272" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-02-03T16:39:24.370" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Stance&quot; is a term used for certain codified body positions used in the martial arts that may involve body orientation, weight distribution, and hand positioning. They range from &quot;neutral&quot; positioning such as the traditional western boxing stance or the relaxed bent-knee position of a martial artist preparing to move without apparently preparing for a fight, to more extreme positions such as the &quot;cat stance&quot; will all weight on one leg, or the &quot;hourglass stance&quot; where the martial artist is standing sideways with the knees angled inwards to prepare for an explosive kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-12-14T14:18:04.697" LastActivityDate="2018-12-14T14:18:04.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="273" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-02-03T16:39:24.370" Score="0" Body="A stance is a body position that is designed to achieve certain goals such as creating greater stability or improving movement." OwnerUserId="46" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-12-14T14:18:04.697" LastActivityDate="2018-12-14T14:18:04.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="274" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="271" CreationDate="2012-02-03T17:03:19.437" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not to sound terribly flippant or dismissive, but the best way to build up to doing a stance is to do the stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When we perform a specific activity, we engage the muscles necessary for that activity. If you want, for instance, to effectively chop wood, then you should chop wood. This also serves the secondary purpose of building up your neural pathways to reacquaint your body with what is potentially going to become a new way of performing that action; if you have any sort of nerve damage or muscular damage, the surrounding muscles and tendons will compensate to the best of their ability to protect the damaged region as well as the body as a whole.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, physical therapy only goes so far – their interest is largely to get you back up to the ability to live an ordinary life. Your life, as a martial artist, is extraordinary, and thus has higher demands of your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The real key is to perform the activities you need to perform, but slowly and carefully building up to deeper and more intense variations of that activity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T17:03:19.437" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="275" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="271" CreationDate="2012-02-03T17:39:10.933" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;As mentioned in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/3/what-exercises-can-i-do-to-strengthen-my-knees-for-seated-techniques/10#10&quot;&gt;this and other answers to that question&lt;/a&gt; one of the biggest things you can do to help your knees are progressively more difficult bodyweight squat variations or barbell/dumbbell squats (preferably with help of a trainer). These have a direct impact on the muscles that are responsible for stabilizing the knee, and done correctly they are tremendously valuable for these sorts of things. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The big thing is to make sure your form is correct and that you are going below parallel (if your form isn't correct they are hell on your knees), and I'd talk to your physical therapist about any particular considerations, if squats are counterindicated by your particular condition, and if so what alternatives exist that would serve a similar purpose.  I wear a knee brace when doing squats on recommendation of my chiropractor (who is also a physical therapist).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other thing, as mentioned by stslavik, is to do the stance or as closely as you can reasonably manage.  My experience here is that &quot;lots of light practice&quot; is a good way to go: We used to advocate rapier students go into their fighting stance and hold it during commercial breaks while watching TV, or just for a few minutes here or there throughout their day.  So rather than trying to do it only in class, on days when you don't have class take a few minutes here and there throughout the day to practice. Sink into it (or as close as you can manage without pain), hold it for a little while (letting up if you can't manage it, no sense further injuring yourself), maybe do a little of the footwork from that stance or do a little practice from that stance, and then go on with whatever you are doing. Listen to your knees and don't overdo it, but keep practice to whatever degree you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T18:10:54.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="276" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="271" CreationDate="2012-02-03T17:53:30.020" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a knee injury that I take care of by an excersize recomended by my orthopedic surgen. It's basically knee bend while hovering and moving your other leg around your body in different positions. Here you can see an &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPyJlF_MAww&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;instructional video&lt;/a&gt; of how to do it. The exercise will strengthen the muscles around the knee and the ankle and I've found that it helps me hold my forms better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T17:53:30.020" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="277" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="258" CreationDate="2012-02-03T18:04:28.657" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;As far as French manuals go, I know of only one from the late 16th century, entitled (deep breath): &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bvh.univ-tours.fr/Consult/index.asp?numfiche=259&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Traicté contenant les secrets du premier livre sur l'espee seule, mere de toutes armes, qui sont espée dague, cappe, targue, bouclier, rondelle, l’espée deux mains &amp;amp; deux espées, avec ses pourtraictures, ayans les armes au poing por se deffendre &amp;amp; offencer à un mesme temps des coups qu’on peut tirer, tant en assillant qu’en deffendent, fort utile &amp;amp; profitable por adextrer la noblesse, &amp;amp; suposts de Mars: redigé par art, ordre &amp;amp; practique&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The title is nearly longer than the book.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially, it became a bit of a gentlemanly sport by the 17th century, leading to the development of the foil, and modern fencing is largely derived from the French school of sword work. Unfortunately, having done no fencing since high school, this is all I can recall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-03T20:14:02.003" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T20:14:02.003" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="278" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="264" CreationDate="2012-02-03T18:15:18.113" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some martial arts trace their lineage back to times that predate firearms. Other martial arts are more of sport arts and focus on point systems and forms. Others are for physical and mental fitness rather then actual combat. A martial art that would be used totally in real work scenarios where weapon use would be common or viable is pretty specific. But this by no means that there are no martial arts the focus on firearms. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As started in other answers most law enforcement and military organisations teach weapon use, multiple firing positions, stances, grips, drills (kata's) and actions that are very much an art form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would say that because of the requirements, legalities and logistics required to teach people how to use a gun, fire it and practice with it are outside the capabilities of most organizations other then government ones. Martial arts can be dangerous, but it's very seldom fatal, one tiny mistake with a firearm and someone can die, there is no margin for error.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-02-05T23:56:24.510" LastActivityDate="2012-02-05T23:56:24.510" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="279" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2012-02-03T18:41:02.563" Score="5" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Will this cause problems if they move to a WTF trainer? They aren't&#xA;  quite at black belt yet, so I'm hoping that if they do transfer it&#xA;  won't be too much of a problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Answering the other half of the problem: what problems will the kids face?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Techniques problems: no.  There are differences in technique and forms.  If the kids are nearly at Cho Dan, they'll know how to accept direction from the new instructors.  The different viewpoint might make it more interesting.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Advancement problems (very important to some kids): It's going to depend on the school.  There are some schools that could get sticky about a non-black belt retaining their rank and insist that they start over at white belt.  My instinct would tell me that such a school would be great at accepting my money and not so great at instructing my children.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="121" LastEditorUserId="121" LastEditDate="2013-12-16T21:18:24.987" LastActivityDate="2013-12-16T21:18:24.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="280" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="264" CreationDate="2012-02-03T19:00:13.280" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;Okay, after reflection, I'm going to try to answer this with the respect it deserves:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Firearms became a part of military life in China in the late 12th century, as the invention of gunpowder led to the development of portable cannonry. This sort of firearm and others were introduced and adopted by the Japanese sometime in the 15th century.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The musket was adopted into the regimented lifestyle of the Japanese Bushi in the 16th century (I may be mildly off on the dates; I believe it was brought to Japan by the Portuguese), and the traditions that formed around the militaristic use of these weapons led to the later development of schools of &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hojutsu&quot;&gt;Hojutsu&lt;/a&gt; (gunnery skills). Many of these schools had teachings on the use of the firearm in hand-to-hand combat based on common stances (kamae) in which the wielder might find himself (reloading, ready, marching, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Many modern martial arts teach the use of the firearm as a weapon, both insisting or instructing in the proper discharge of the firearm, or its adaptation as a weapon. Systema Ryabko (commonly referred to only as Systema in the US) teaches a number of ways to adapt the pistol and the very common AK-XX (the 47 and 74 can be interchanged) weapons to hand-to-hand combat.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Many arts come from countries that were, at one time or another prior to the present day, largely disarmed. The Communists disarmed the Chinese people, and manipulated the ways that many martial arts were taught by making these traditions into nationalized sports. The same was true of the Russians, in which the traditional styles of folk wrestling and hand-to-hand combat were prohibited to the general populace. We can draw the likely assertion as well that firearms, commonly deemed more dangerous and more easily controlled than the human body, would likely have been stripped from the majority in places with Socialist or Nationalist political ideologies. This also occurred in Post-War Japan under the American occupation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since the firearm has a long and lustrous history, especially in the east from which many of our currently fascinating martial arts stem, it is completely illogical to ignore historical occurrences when wondering why firearms are largely ignored in modern training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T19:00:13.280" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="281" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="102" CreationDate="2012-02-03T19:01:02.883" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;When talking to people about this specific problem in class, I usually surprise them with my comment: &quot;stop standing on your heel.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are light on your heel but strong on the ball of your foot you have several advantages:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You are using your calf muscles.  They're very strong and confidence inspiring.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You have less rotational friction than a planted foot.  It's easy to rotate on the ball of your foot and maintain balance.  It's possible to rotate on your heel but very hard to stay straight up.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You are less likely to hurt your knee (or to hold back to avoid injury).  A planted foot does not want to rotate and will force you to twist your knee or keep your hips back.  Either will lead to an off-balance weak kick.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You are ready to launch another kick from your bottom foot.  Kicking from a planted foot is awkward at best.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of exercise to strengthen those lower legs and the transition, I would suggest jumping jacks.  &lt;em&gt;Admittedly, this is because almost all classes will have you do a lot of these so it's an easy sell.  Jump rope also works but I never seem to find time....&lt;/em&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Concentrate on keeping your weight on the balls of your feet rather than stomping down with your whole foot on each jump.  Keep those feet close to the ground rather than bouncing up high.  I found that this greatly improved my footwork, my dynamic balance as well as my stamina.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By controlling my effort and using my stronger muscles, I went from 60 jacks seeming like a lot to the point where I'll warm up the class with jumping jacks until I get bored (and they've all turned green :-).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="121" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T19:01:02.883" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="282" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="221" CreationDate="2012-02-03T19:14:20.300" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If your mobility difficulties are limited to your toes, then crescent kicks might be another option for you. They start out similarly to a front kick, but you aim slightly to one side of your target and  then snap your leg around in a crescent motion to connect with the inside or outside edges of your foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="45" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T19:14:20.300" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="283" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="69" CreationDate="2012-02-03T19:40:17.443" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Interesting question... I didn't really give this enough thought before, so I'll relate it to martial arts by way of kobujutsu taisabaki to keep it on topic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Standing, and thus stance (kamae) in kobujutsu, is a vital aspect of proper positioning relative to the opponent. Asayama Ichiden-ryu, Masaki-ryu, Kukishin-ryu, Yagyu Shingan-ryu all stress the importance of the alignment of the spine, maintenance of the position of the shoulders over the hips, and proper stability of the legs and positioning of the feet. In other words, all stress the importance of natural body posture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The human body when standing is in a state of constant dynamic movement; essentially, every muscle of the body is activated to one degree or another at different points. There is a constant and near imperceptible swaying along the saggital (forward/backward in relation to vision) plane, causing an action in the toes, the knees tensing and relaxing, the hips maintaining relative alignment with the shoulders, the core muscles activated. To show a diagram of this would require a video of the various muscles of the body being lit up at different times as impulses are sent at impossibly high rates of speed to maintain relative balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Posture, however, is a different thing. Good posture (also called &quot;neutral spine&quot;) is the maintenance of the three natural curves (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar, in order from top to bottom) of the spine along the saggital plane without significant deviation along the coronal (left/right in relation to vision) plane. Here you're activating, again while standing, the gluteus, lumbar, thoracic, and cervical muscle groups to maintain the proper alignment, aided by the rest of the body to protect balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Movement (walking) among Oriental (differentiating from Occidental) cultures in the past differed significantly more from their Occidental counterparts than they do today. Take, for example, the Japanese. The Japanese had a unique method of walking influenced by their clothing, environmental habits, and body development; today this method is referred to as Nanba (ナンバ). The wearing of kimono necessitated, and the act of kneeling assisted, a form of movement in which the shoulders remained in constant alignment with the hips (Westerners walking for extended periods in kimono may find a rather annoying habit of constantly retying the obi as the whole ensemble comes open). This form of walking, which happens to be natural, less tiring, and capable of allowing one to travel further with less energy, also happens to keep the spine properly aligned and the balance properly situated in a direct line from crown through the abdomen and down to the ground. It was no surprise that the Japanese yoroi (armor) was so easily maneuvered by a people who naturally moved in a method that facilitated the wearing of that armor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technically speaking, every culture has different nuances to its movements. Asian cultures, specifically, tend to move with more hips; Russians lead with their abdomens; Americans slouch; Brits move upright and with a purpose; and Germans move with a rather stomping swagger. The ways people stand and move are directly related to the society in which they grew up. You can't necessarily generalize across the board. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-03T21:02:08.893" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T21:02:08.893" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="284" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="193" CreationDate="2012-02-03T19:43:48.630" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you have a partner to work on this with, below is a set of drills I've found particularly useful for improving footwork, speed, and timing (which, I'd agree with Sean,  seems like a large part of what you're asking about).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You and a partner face off as you would for a sparring match, and one of you takes the role of aggressor. The aggressor steps forward and back sharply, going through the footwork of a match without throwing any techniques. The person defending tries to keep the same distance between themselves and the aggressor at all times, backing up when the aggressor moves forward and moving forward when the aggressor moves back. That'll help you get used to following someone else's physical cues and footwork minutely. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After you've done that for a while, you can start trading off 3 (no-contact) techniques each, where the 1st technique is a fast counterstrike to the previous person's last move. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a seperate note, kicks have a lot more reach/power than punches. You might experiment with countering a kick with another, faster kick rather than a jab.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="45" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T19:43:48.630" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="285" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-02-03T19:55:58.577" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-02-03T19:55:58.577" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T19:55:58.577" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="286" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-02-03T19:55:58.577" Score="0" Body="A Filipino martial art founded by Remy Presas, derived in large part from the techniques of Eskrima. Its practitioners use weapons (primarily a rattan club) from the beginning of training." OwnerUserId="45" LastEditorUserId="45" LastEditDate="2012-02-03T20:03:09.237" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T20:03:09.237" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="287" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="288" CreationDate="2012-02-03T19:57:57.390" Score="22" ViewCount="73498" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the process of doing a round kick, or roundhouse kick, you need to turn your kicking leg over, to be perpendicular with your body. When I do this I loose significant height on my kick and can rarely get it above my waist level, which prevents me from obtaining optimal angles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I normally feel a tightness on the outside of my leg near my hip joint. Properly warming up with splits and static leg stretches doesn't seem to help terribly. For example when split stretching on the ground I will feel a tightness in the side of my hip, I think the lateral rotator group, before the groin. Working though this doing a split stretch hasn't improved it much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Has anyone else encountered this, or does anyone know, what exercises or activities do you recommend that I do to attempt to gain more lateral hip flexibility?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-04-03T15:57:25.860" LastActivityDate="2015-06-19T21:31:54.740" Title="How do I increase hip flexibility for round kicks?" Tags="|kicking|flexibility|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="288" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="287" CreationDate="2012-02-03T20:13:11.443" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;First off, &lt;em&gt;start small&lt;/em&gt;. Any stretch should be done by going to maximum natural (untensed or relaxed) extension, then moving slightly past it until it feels relaxed and natural, breathing through discomfort, but heeding pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you get into position, hold it until it relaxes, then extend the stretch a little further. Repeat as possible. By going further, you enhance your range of motion to a point slightly less than you maximum stretch, but further than your natural maximum each time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My old dance teacher used to have a saying: &quot;If you want to move like a dancer, train like a dancer.&quot; If you want to kick high, kick. It doesn't mean that stretching is bad, but it means that you must learn tricks to override you nervous system that's telling you that you can't do X to realize it needs to and can do X and it won't get hurt. Stretch and kick. Stretching is static, kicking is dynamic. Kick in all directions, in hooks and in arcs, front and back and side to side. Plant your foot and rotate around it with your other leg and hips. All of these things will combine over time (and this is key because your body needs to learn that an action is going to be repeatedly and regularly required of it) to make you a more flexible martial artist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit&lt;/strong&gt;: Between you, me, and everyone else, I'll admit to having a slightly greater than passing interest in ballet, especially due to its great methods of training flexibility and lightness in the body. If you want a great workout, you might want to look at &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B000HRMAR2&quot;&gt;The New York City Ballet Workout&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T20:13:11.443" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="289" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="287" CreationDate="2012-02-03T20:34:44.353" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;i find the best way to increase flexibility is to stretch with a partner and resistance.  I used to to this will my strength and conditioning coach back in they day,a nd a bit in my muay thai classes as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;first version:&#xA;basically what you want to do is stand (probably with a hand on the wall) perpendicular to the wall, put your leg up into the position you want for the kick,  and have a partner hold your leg and push it up.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2nd version:&#xA;once your comfortable with that... when your partner is holding your leg (at the edge of your flexibility range)  you should push against their hold for 10-20 seconds,  then relax, and they should be able to lift your leg a bit higher.   don't do more then 2 or 3 of these a day.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;over time with these two exercises (for any number of different flexibility points) you should be able to increase your flexibility dramatically!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T20:34:44.353" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="291" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="264" CreationDate="2012-02-03T22:27:26.863" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would disagree with the premise that firearms arent in the 'martial arts' world.  Firearm training most definitely falls into the category of martial arts.  It may just not immediately be recognized as what we typically consider to be a 'martial art' because its not surrounded by the trappings of Japanese/Chinese technique names, uniforms, and cultural influence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, I suspect the reason it hasn't been picked up and assimilated into 'traditional' martial arts is two-fold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, economic/social.  In most places in modern America you can walk into a gun store, plop down $500, and walk out with a high quality, reliable handgun (assuming you pass the instant check and such).  But in the locales where most of the 'traditional' martial arts were developed, that simply wasn't feasible at the time.  Even if it was legal in such places, and at a time when the technology was available, a hundred or two hundred years ago the residents of those places simply wouldn't have been able to afford it.  Most were subsistence farmers.  We'd be talking spending a year's earnings on a single weapon (and then starving to death).  That's why Karate uses nunchuku (rice flails), and Filipino arts use sticks - that's what they had available to them. (and some extent, that still holds true in a lot of places around the world).  Had they had M1911A's freely and cheaply available to them, the arts you know of now would be very different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second part of the reason is tautological.  The reason most arts don't then assimilate firearms training &lt;em&gt;after the style matures&lt;/em&gt; is because they aren't firearms training arts.  That is, the art exists to train people in unarmed fighting, not to train people with firearms.  That's what firearms trainers are for.  Its the same reason Judo hasn't 'assimilated' Filipino stick fighting techniques.  No one denies that hitting someone with a stick is effective.  &lt;em&gt;Its just not what they are there to teach&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="84" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-25T14:54:19.753" LastActivityDate="2012-04-25T14:54:19.753" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="292" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="241" CreationDate="2012-02-03T23:04:23.903" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As @stslavik already gave an excellent answer, I'll just throw in an anecdote.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not long after I started Judo, one of the more senior members of the club decided that he needed to cure my flinch that I had developed over being thrown. That evening he took me to the end of the mat and if my memory doesn't fail me, threw me solidly for at least half an hour. By the end of that time, I was tired and had completely given up fighting being thrown. That was the beginning of the end of my flinch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just goes to show that you can &quot;train in&quot; or &quot;train out&quot; muscle memory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="54" LastActivityDate="2012-02-03T23:04:23.903" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="293" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="302" CreationDate="2012-02-04T02:02:35.727" Score="17" ViewCount="20601" Body="&lt;p&gt;When doing certain exercises, I get the feeling that they would cause stress on the joints after doing them for years and years (such as elbow joints in the instance of wing chun chain punches).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, from anecdotal experience, it doesn't seem like long-time martial arts practitioners suffer joint problems. Is this because joints regenerate like muscles do, or because the development of martial arts focuses on ways to reduce joint stress? Or is it that practitioners &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; suffer joint problems more often than non-practitioners, and I just don't hear about it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="77" LastEditorUserId="77" LastEditDate="2012-02-04T19:15:36.897" LastActivityDate="2020-11-05T18:54:56.077" Title="How are joints affected in the long term by martial arts practice?" Tags="|health|wing-chun|punching|" AnswerCount="11" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="294" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="408" CreationDate="2012-02-04T03:18:10.500" Score="18" ViewCount="11089" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for exercises to help maintain a grip on an opponent's gi while pulling them around. There are two elements to this: strength and endurance. Meaning, I want my grip to be hard to break but also not tire out too much when I'm holding on to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="125" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-10T17:49:25.367" LastActivityDate="2021-07-25T10:25:52.310" Title="What are good exercises for building grip strength for judo and BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|strength|grips|" AnswerCount="16" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="295" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="294" CreationDate="2012-02-04T03:32:29.080" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Take a newspaper (remember them?) and page by page, crumple the paged from flat paper to the tightest ball you can make with one hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="126" LastActivityDate="2012-02-04T03:32:29.080" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="296" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="293" CreationDate="2012-02-04T03:33:29.737" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My knees think so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Honestly, every form of exercise stresses &lt;em&gt;something&lt;/em&gt;.  Be careful about form, and don't do things that hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="126" LastActivityDate="2012-02-04T03:33:29.737" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="297" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="294" CreationDate="2012-02-04T06:39:21.153" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a couple of things that you can do to help.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Go hang from something&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically either go outside and find something overhead or get a pullup bar and hang from it. You can make a progression out of this, going from a pullup bar to one-hand on a pullup bar to hanging from a rope. The basic idea is that if you want to improve your grip strength, grip something!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also tends to be pretty easy to find things to hang from, making it something you can do throughout the day if your environment is conducive to it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are looking for a program, &lt;em&gt;Convict Conditioning 2&lt;/em&gt; has one that incorporates progressively more difficult variations of this and also recommends fingertip pushups.  My standard disclaimer on CC applies: it tends to have great progressions, but ignore the marketing material.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Learn Massage (and other skills)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Trigger point massage is one of the things that has helped my overall grip strength a great deal.  I started with Clair &amp;amp; Amber Davies's &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1572243759&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook&lt;/a&gt;, but really many if not most systems of massage will help tremendously here. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here the big thing is to learn to work with your fingers, not your thumbs, but it does help grip strength if you practice regularly.  Learning has the added benefit that you can treat a wide variety of muscular issues on yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also other sports that strongly emphasize grip strength and it may helps to get a foundation in.  I don't personally practice it, but an example here might be rock climbing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Weapons Training&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing I've had very good luck with is weapons training.  Working with swords and short sticks (and probably any other weapon that you grip and has some mass), and particularly against a target, is a great way to build up hand strength, and is particularly useful for the &quot;endurance&quot; part.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The added advantage here is that it can usually be incorporated into your martial arts practice if your art uses weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-02-04T06:39:21.153" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="298" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="294" CreationDate="2012-02-04T08:06:35.053" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;We did an exercise at my first Judo club that seemed to help with grip. We would hold our arms out directly in front of us and then alternate between making a grip and having our hands as open as possible. Basically, like gripping thin air, but repeatedly. A very simple exercise, but it seemed to help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How many times we repeated was a measure of how many were attending the session that evening, because we'd stand in a circle, facing in, and everyone would do the exercise together, but someone would count to ten and then the next person would count to ten and so forth until we'd been around the circle at least once; twice if we had a low turnout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="54" LastActivityDate="2012-02-04T08:06:35.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="299" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="153" CreationDate="2012-02-04T08:21:29.053" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Back in England at my first Judo club we had a very active pre-junior (under eleven) class. The basic criteria for continuing in the class was interest, attention span and not being disruptive. We had kids as young as five, but most were seven to eleven. Having helped in the teaching of that class, I can tell you it was great fun and the kids that kept coming back seemed to have lots of fun as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In British Judo organisations, under sixteens do not get taught or permitted to use armlocks or strangles. This combined with all activity on nice foam mats, kept everything pretty safe from an injury perspective. If there was a Judo club near me, I'd have my daughters enrolled in it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="54" LastActivityDate="2012-02-04T08:21:29.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="300" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="153" CreationDate="2012-02-04T10:21:18.323" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My local tae-kwondo club has an excellent juniors program. I started my two eldest at 3 and 5&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;At that age, the patterns and circuit training, as well as the discipline, are really good for them, teaching core strength, fitness and respect&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;They would also start and end each session with some games, which helped them enjoy it&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;From the age of 4 the competed, both in patterns and sparring (which in TKD is very controlled - 90 second bouts, body armour etc) so got used to the competition aspect&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now 6 years on my eldest is almost at black belt, and my daughter is only 2 belts behind him, they have a wide collection of medals and trophies and despite currently spending more time in swimming competitions, they love the core strength, speed and discipline TKD gives them so they don't want to give it up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of that is definitely down to the instructor - a good one will handle the youngsters as well as the transition to older classes well, whereas one who doesn't have the connection with the children may find they leave after a while - but also the way almost all martial arts give the individual a way to measure their own improvement. That challenge keeps them progressing and interested.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="57" LastActivityDate="2012-02-04T10:21:18.323" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="301" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="293" CreationDate="2012-02-04T12:12:24.980" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;My sifu told me this: advanced martial arts practitioners were willing to &quot;break&quot; their body a little in order to gain the upper edge in a fight (life or death situations). This means that not all advanced techniques are safe for all body parts such as joints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Moreover, certain martial arts have been designed by and for smaller people (e.g., southern Chinese martial arts vs. northern Chinese martial arts) so taller people have to adjust if they don't want to put too much pressure on their knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, this was a long time ago. Nowadays, still according to my sifu, competent instructors won't teach techniques that are fundamentally dangerous for the body. In general, if you feel a burning sensation, that's good. If it hurts, that's not good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="133" LastActivityDate="2012-02-04T12:12:24.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="302" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="293" CreationDate="2012-02-04T15:21:06.567" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Any trained athlete, such as martial artists, will develop injuries due to accidents that will get worst over time.  Joints are amongst the first thing to go because of the large amount of repeated motion that we use in all martial arts.  However, if done safely martial arts pose no more dangers than any other sport. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember to warm up, not over exert any joins (stop when it hurts), see the physiotherapist when it does hurt for longer than a week, and keep good care of your body.  We only get one of those, once it's broken, the game is over.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2012-02-05T15:29:36.297" LastActivityDate="2012-02-05T15:29:36.297" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="303" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="112" CreationDate="2012-02-04T15:30:29.757" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;@Patricia makes a good point. It's all about being low. By that I mean don't step in and then try to get low, because that doesn't work. I'm 6'2&quot; and I can vouch for that. Even back when I was young and fast, trying to get low after getting inside my opponents guard was time consuming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What worked for me was any attack where being low was a natural part of the turn in. To that end, I worked up a pretty successful drop Seoi-nage where I would turn while dropping to my knees. My drop Tai-otoshi wasn't as good an experiment, but then I figured a way to squat real low on my left leg and shoot my right leg out to trip their legs and that worked better for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of that said, I also worked very hard on improving my &quot;tall man&quot; Judo. Height can be an advantage if you learn how to use it. That's for another question on another day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="54" LastActivityDate="2012-02-04T15:30:29.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="307" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="293" CreationDate="2012-02-04T17:35:27.497" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I refer you to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/69/which-muscles-do-i-use-to-stand&quot;&gt;this question that I asked&lt;/a&gt;. There is a natural, proper way to use the body, and ... Other ways. A martial arts should follow the natural way and only enhance body movements and effectiveness, not put undue stress on the body. This goes for forms, striking techniques, and calisthenics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training joints, tendons, ligaments - this is done through, for instance, careful Chin Na (joint locking) training with a partner. It is a good way to put some stress on these weak parts and let them get used to it over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-02-04T17:35:27.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="308" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="309" CreationDate="2012-02-05T08:20:08.210" Score="14" ViewCount="1670" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whenever I go into a fighting stance or do techniques I have a tendency to carry a lot of excess tension in my shoulders. Even when I consciously relax my shoulders, it'll be noted that I am &quot;too tense.&quot;   This has been an ongoing thing for over ten years and doesn't seem likely to reduce anytime soon.  Things such as massage, yoga, chiropractic have helped, but are not a panacea and do not seem to be addressing the root issue as yet (though I have only started the yoga relatively recently). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This has a few consequences, one of which is that it makes proper flow for the techniques significantly more difficult and it raises the temptation to use more muscle than is needed.  It also means more accidental projection of what I am going to do to my opponent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the question is: Are there any things I can do–particularly while doing the techniques, but just in general–that will help me to relax my shoulders and reduce my overall tension?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2018-08-10T18:44:13.250" Title="Shoulder Tension" Tags="|relaxation|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="309" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="308" CreationDate="2012-02-05T10:13:56.850" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;To me this is most likely a mental problem not a physical one, so chiro and massage won't help (although they'll gladly accept your money for as long as you throw it at them). This also sounds like a teaching flaw - you've been told &lt;em&gt;what&lt;/em&gt; the problem is but not &lt;em&gt;how&lt;/em&gt; to fix it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a couple of suggestions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;snap technique drills. Some karate techniques like reiken uchi* (backfist) require a very relaxed delivery with a snap at the end. You can practice this in thin air or on a light bag, and another very good way to practice it is to swat flies during summer (just keep you hand open while doing this). If you manage to start hitting flies then you are either improving or the flies are docile :)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;cross train in Aikido (if that isn't already your style). When leading the chi (redirecting your attacker's energy), it is imperative that the technique is executed in a relaxed manner, if you stiffen up and use muscle then this change is transmitted back to the attacker who can then resist what you are doing. A simple throw like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.gedanate.com/martialarts/japanese/aikido/shodokan/12-kotegaeshi-outer-wrist-throw/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kotegaeshi&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB01hhonf8Q&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;good video&lt;/a&gt;) is very easy to learn but your technique has to be perfect to really make it work.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*To be pedantically correct, with most karate techniques the delivery limb should be quite relaxed until moment of impact, but some techniques are even more so. IOW with most of the techniques they will still work if you are not relaxed, but with techniques like reiken uchi you &lt;em&gt;have&lt;/em&gt; to be relaxed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2018-07-24T00:55:21.690" LastActivityDate="2018-07-24T00:55:21.690" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="310" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="308" CreationDate="2012-02-05T16:58:15.510" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have had similar issues, although perhaps not as bad.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;What I generally do when I realize I am tensing up is slow down, focus on my breathing, and close my eyes.  Generally I have to go through the motions on my own, as doing a technique on a partner without looking is difficult.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Essentially just calm yourself down and focus on doing it in a relaxed manner, and work on getting it correct after you can get the basic motions down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="61" LastActivityDate="2012-02-05T16:58:15.510" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="311" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2012-02-05T21:15:38.983" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Forms will teach you almost everything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You start with a basic form, mostly stances and a few basic moves. They go into muscle memory, forms are an excelent way for that. You also learn how to learn, because martials arts have a different learning way, and you learn to trust your teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then you get a form with some complex movements, like kicking and punching or blocking and kicking at the same time. You improve coordination, balance and start developing some muscles you weren't aware you had. You learn to know your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At some point you learn a two people form, which will teach you more coordination, timing and a lot about hitting and not being hit. It's not real combat, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you don't stop practicing your forms, the new ones teach you something you didn't learn the first times. That takes discipline, but you start evolving the form and learning how to express yourself through the form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you learn a form from 3 different people you get 3 different visions, which is confusing but really useful, because forms have a lot of angles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on the teacher and the martial art, there will be a fixed curriculum or the students will get the forms in the order that matches their needs. For example, people with weak balance should get a form with a lot of moves that requires good balance, but the guys that are too rooted should get a different form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Forms might not be the best or quickest way to learn everything, but time has proved they are way to do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="116" LastActivityDate="2012-02-05T21:15:38.983" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="312" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="242" CreationDate="2012-02-05T23:27:34.937" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are physical limitations, you have to figure out if the person you are trying to contain can actually fit in your guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they can but you are struggling then a good tip I've learned is to reduce the space between their belly button and your groin, raise your hips and curl your feet to their butt and this works to give you more control of their hips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another good guard maintenance tip is every time they move to do anything, whether they adjust their base or stand a leg up to pass standing, pull them in with your legs. If you feel your control of their hips slipping then doing this can disrupt their base enough for you to readjust.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="123" LastActivityDate="2012-02-05T23:27:34.937" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="313" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="308" CreationDate="2012-02-06T01:18:42.350" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wish you had specified your martial art of choice in the question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stiffness and even more perceived (by others) stiffness can have many causes and it's difficult to help without more detail.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a general note, stiffness is usually the result of a bad body alignment, which is often (but not always) caused by a lack of strength. Strength training may help over some months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally don't value much the mental relaxation value in lessening the shoulder tension (that's not usually the case), but if you think that may be the cause it's easy to check for it: while doing technique check you're breathing. If you're not breathing normally (holding your breath, breathing too much) then you're mentally over tensed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another cause for stiffness is bad technique or attitude, but it's difficult to give you suggestions without knowing which kind of techniques. &#xA;Here are a few examples of what you could do:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;too tensed in boxing guard ? Make sure your elbows touch your body,your rear hand touches your head. That will offload the shoulders a bit.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;too tensed when punching: as noted by others practicing a relaxed backfist works wonders. Think of it as a slap more than a strike.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;too tensed while applying armlocks: strengthening your grip will offload your shoulders (may in turn make your partner think you're stiff, though)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a last thing: &lt;strong&gt;there's no such thing as a relaxed shoulder when you're holding your arms up&lt;/strong&gt;. The shoulder is the main muscle helping you holding the arms lifted. When somebody speaks about &lt;em&gt;relaxed shoulders&lt;/em&gt; what you really want is having &lt;em&gt;mobile shoulders&lt;/em&gt;, that is: shoulder than can move. Move them, use them, don't try to use them less.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastEditorUserId="10" LastEditDate="2018-07-23T09:39:36.800" LastActivityDate="2018-07-23T09:39:36.800" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="314" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="308" CreationDate="2012-02-06T02:01:32.997" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do you change the way you stand when you go into a stance? I'm guessing your foot position changes. Do you change the angle of your back? Does your spine curve or straighten too much close to your neck? Do you bring your head forward, or keep it too far back? All these things contribute to potential shoulder tension.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing you can do is use a speed bag (from boxing - that bag that hangs down). Just hold your hands up and punch it for a few minutes. Your shoulders will get real tired. Do this for a while and it will eventually strengthen the right muscles and fix your posture for you (Because, of course, you WILL be lazy and your body will eventually fix problems with your posture like you standing too close or too far away, etc).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T02:01:32.997" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="315" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="104" CreationDate="2012-02-06T02:57:03.403" Score="22" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is not the best answer, though it is &lt;em&gt;an&lt;/em&gt; answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Internal&quot; and &quot;External&quot; can be traced through Sun Lu Tang's writings on the &quot;Neijia&quot;. Being of the Chinese literati, he used the words 內 (internal) vs. 外 (external) because it has double meanings. Besides the connotations of &quot;esoteric&quot; and &quot;exoteric&quot;, those words were widely used to describe &quot;domestic&quot; and &quot;foreign.&quot; Some martial arts express Taoist (that is, &quot;domestic&quot;) philosophical principles. Some martial arts express Buddhist principles. Since Shaolin, like Buddhism, came from India, this makes Shaolin and Shaolin-derived arts as &quot;foreign&quot; arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you dig deeper into the histories, it gets murkier. But in general, the Chinese are proud of being Chinese and like to point out things that originate from the Chinese as evidence of a superior civilization.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When American practitioners came back from China and Taiwan, the connotations of &quot;domestic&quot; and &quot;foreign&quot; got lost in the translation. The connotation of &quot;esoteric&quot; and &quot;exoteric&quot; got exaggerated out of proportion. And now the Internet has amplified this confusion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd spend less time worrying about exact definitions of &quot;internal&quot; vs. &quot;external&quot; and more time in practicing the art. &quot;External&quot; arts will eventually take you through the &quot;internal&quot;, and &quot;internal&quot; arts will eventually express through the &quot;external.&quot; Don't cheat yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Update 2014/02/19&lt;/strong&gt;: To clarify the controversy, I'm well aware that the sense of &quot;internal&quot; vs. &quot;external&quot; in use, particularly in America, refers to some notion that external arts tend to use brute physical strength, and internal arts use whole body motion or perhaps refined with &lt;em&gt;qi&lt;/em&gt; (氣). There is further, an argument that English is a living language, and should reflect the actual usage. That is a fair point. However, in this case, the popular usage of &quot;external&quot; vs. &quot;internal&quot; is a misconception -- a distortion that happened when it was taken out of context of the original culture and further distorted for marketing purposes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, &lt;em&gt;Shaolin&lt;/em&gt; (少林) is considered many by Western practitioners as an &quot;external&quot; art in the sense that it seems to use a lot of brute physical motions. This is a misconception. There is quite a bit of whole body motion training, ground path, and &lt;em&gt;qi&lt;/em&gt; development. In other words, if you used &quot;internal&quot; vs. &quot;external&quot; to designate power generation in a lineage, this distinction is fuzzy. It is fuzzy because that distinction only appears in the minds of people who are marketing their art, either as teachers trying to attract students, or students trying to posture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As another example, from what I've seen with Systema practitioners, their body movements and power generation expresses many of the principles found in what Western practitioners would call &quot;internal&quot;. My encounter with Systema is fairly shallow, but I have never heard a Systema practitioner talk a big deal out of &quot;internal&quot; vs. &quot;external&quot; or posture about it. These folks train hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Further, if you investigate the origins even further, you'll find that what we now considered &quot;internal&quot; as far as the woo goes, that is, the neigong (內功) was traditionally taught as separate  practices. It was not unknown for say, a &lt;em&gt;Xingyi&lt;/em&gt; (形意) or a &lt;em&gt;Shaolin&lt;/em&gt; practitioner to learn &lt;em&gt;neigong&lt;/em&gt; from a different lineage. &lt;em&gt;Neigong&lt;/em&gt; as a practice has never been restricted to a martial art, and so there are no martial art for which there is an &lt;em&gt;inherent&lt;/em&gt; practice of &lt;em&gt;neigong&lt;/em&gt;. It was only when the literati like Sun Lu-tang practiced it, they also did what they did best as one of the educated elites: documented, categorized and talked about it, and perhaps befuddled it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the &lt;em&gt;neigong&lt;/em&gt;, what could arguably distinguish &quot;internal&quot; from &quot;external&quot; was never a distinguishing factor of a particular lineage. It was a distinguishing factor of the individual practitioner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words: there is no such thing as an &quot;internal art&quot; or an &quot;external art&quot;. However, there are individual practitioners who might express an art &quot;internally&quot; or &quot;externally&quot;. If we want to use the Western sense of &quot;internal&quot; vs. &quot;external&quot;, then use it distinguish the skill attainment of a practitioner rather than the art itself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to use it to distinguish lineages, the original distinction is a lot more useful ... if you are Chinese or Taiwanese and want to be proud of your homegrown Taoist lineage, defend the honor of your civilization, and all that crap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Update 2014-04-10:&lt;/strong&gt; I've seen some new things. I don't have anything coherent to share yet. I would have preferred to delete this answer outright but StackExchange will not allow me to delete accepted answer. Instead, I've made edits to say that this is &lt;em&gt;an&lt;/em&gt; answer, not a bad story to tell about on this subject, and not the final word on the subject. I'm tempted to just erase the text, but people can check revision edits so there is no point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastEditorUserId="65" LastEditDate="2014-04-11T04:16:57.443" LastActivityDate="2014-04-11T04:16:57.443" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="316" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="112" CreationDate="2012-02-06T03:16:06.170" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recommend not thinking much about bending the knees but rather to try bending your &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankle&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;ankles&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That will help you achieve a low stance in a much more natural way and improve much your connection with the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T03:16:06.170" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="317" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-02-06T03:46:49.253" Score="5" Body="&lt;h3&gt;There are Several Problems with regular &quot;martial arts&quot;&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Something that many people will suggest is MMA or Brazilian Ju Jitsu. While these are very effective styles of fighting, and are used by professionals such as UFC fighters, it is probably a very bad idea to learn these for self defense.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a few reasons for this:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;MMA is primarily meant to be fought in a cage, with referees, and only one on one&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;MMA involves a lot of ground fighting (Brazilian Ju Jitsu is all ground fighting)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;As an ICS (Israeli Combat System) student, I have taken ground &lt;strong&gt;survival&lt;/strong&gt; classes, that have been given in the parking lot on pavement, and I must tell you, it sucks! You end up scraping and cutting yourself every time you move, and there is no padding when you fall after a take down. In addition, it becomes much more difficult to defend against weapons such as a knife when you are on the ground. The best thing to do in a real fight is to &lt;strong&gt;stay off the ground!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;MMA does not teach how to address weapons or multiple attackers&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The problem comes up when an MMA fighter tries to use his skills to defend a threat that is not subject to the rules of the ring.  This video shows an individual who decides to react to a subject with a handgun.  The defender uses kicks to defend himself against a handgun.  End result, he is shot in the left shoulder. You can view the video &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e3e_1323809703&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;What you need is practical &lt;em&gt;Combat&lt;/em&gt;  System:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the best ones to learn would be Krav Maga, however, when it comes to things like this, you have to be careful of where you learn from. The idea behind Krav maga is based in the fact that the best defense is a good offense, and krav maga is lethal enough to make sure that if you engage an aponent, they will not be able to continue to fight, and you can walk home alive. The problem with Krav Maga in the US is that it tends to be a watered down version of what real krav maga is, and contains some moves that are American made and can sometimes end up being strength dependent. I personally learn something called ICS, which stands for Israeli Combat System. I take it at a place called &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.masadatactical.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Masada Tactical&lt;/a&gt;. The theory behind it is the same as Krav Maga, but it tends to be a more practical, less watered down as some of the american krav maga schools might be. The differences can be found &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.masadatactical.com/index.php/civilian-division/ics-and-krav-maga/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, however with both of them, the idea behind them is clear &quot;&lt;em&gt;make sure your the one who goes home alive&lt;/em&gt;&quot;. These are not arts, they are simply &lt;strong&gt;Real tools for the real world&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12" LastEditorUserId="12" LastEditDate="2012-02-07T17:08:53.370" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T17:08:53.370" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="318" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="271" CreationDate="2012-02-06T04:12:14.533" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are in a stance and your knee hurts (glancing pain), then most likely your weight is too far forward. If you put more weight in your heel, you'll find that your quads get to work much more. When your knees begins to hurt that way, ease up from the stance. Eventually the knees will get stronger and the type of 'pain' you get will change.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now - it is all well and good to be able to get into a stance without hurting your knees, but the problem is, a stance is only good if you can move with it. It's important to remember that the knee is only a bidirectional joint. You can bend the knee and you can straighten the knee, but if you attempt to turn the knee sideways, you'll soon realize, probably painfully, that the body is not meant to do that. So, you're down to two options: the ankles and the hips. The ankles are useful for the smaller tweaks, mostly the ones involving the feet (which I'm sure you already knew, even if you weren't aware of it). This only leaves one option - the hips. For proper mobility, it is CRITICAL to have good hip flexibility. The hip is a rotating joint, so it can move your leg. Even better, you can move BOTH legs! Now, if you attempt to move in a way which the hip cannot accommodate, the movement will stop. If you force it, other joints will try to accommodate you.. And the knee will try, and then possibly give out, if you ask for a movement which SHOULD be a hip movement and turns out to be a knee twist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The short of it is, don't do that. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-02-06T16:19:48.140" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T16:19:48.140" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="319" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="355" CreationDate="2012-02-06T08:59:40.620" Score="14" ViewCount="960" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are the classical/canonical books written about Aikido?  I am interested in all styles (aikikai, iwama, yoshinkan, shodokan, whatever) training &quot;manuals&quot; as well as more philosophical work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am taking the hit, see &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/75/book-recommendation-wiki&quot;&gt;this meta discussion&lt;/a&gt;.  Suggestions as to how to make this type of questions on topic are appreciated -- feel free to edit this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Just because there is an accepted answer does not mean I am not looking for more answers!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-03-16T15:50:09.570" LastActivityDate="2016-04-29T11:14:32.423" Title="What are the classical/canonical books for Aikido (all styles)" Tags="|aikido|books|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="320" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="319" CreationDate="2012-02-06T09:02:47.727" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Good foundations for Shodokan Aikido:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tetsuro Nariyama's &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aikido-Randori-Tetsuro-Nariyama/dp/0956620507/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;s=books&amp;amp;qid=1284403934&amp;amp;sr=8-1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Aikido Randori&lt;/a&gt; is the top one. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Scott Allbright's &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aikido-Randori-Reconciliation-Opposing-Forces/dp/1861264984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1304519800&amp;amp;sr=1-1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Aikido and Randori&lt;/a&gt; is a close second.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-10-09T12:45:28.880" LastActivityDate="2014-10-09T12:45:28.880" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="321" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-06T10:19:43.973" Score="4" ViewCount="648" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been reading about the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido_styles&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;different styles of Aikido on wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; and I was wondering how popular each style is? I know that in my country the vast majority of schools teach Aikikai style (I estimate about 75% of all schools), but how is this elsewhere?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm aware that popularity may be hard to quantify, but perhaps there is data somewhere on the number of registered practioners or registered dojo's?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastActivityDate="2014-08-07T09:00:04.350" Title="How popular are the different styles of Aikido?" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="322" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="321" CreationDate="2012-02-06T10:32:15.337" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the UK, you could look at the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bab.org.uk/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;British Aikido Board&lt;/a&gt; which covers most if not all the organisation that are teaching Aikido in the UK.  This will not give you a clear idea of participants (some organisation are one dojo with 3 people in it) but it should give you an overview.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bab.org.uk/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;British Aikido Board&lt;/a&gt; has had a mass exodus of clubs for various reasons that are utterly irrelevant here.  All in the spirit of Aikido's harmony⸮  So, it might no longer reflect all the clubs in the UK.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Aikiweb&lt;/a&gt; used to run some polls as to what its members where doing like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/polls/results.html?poll_id=3&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt; but I am not sure this is still accurate as it is more than ten years old.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-08-07T09:00:04.350" LastActivityDate="2014-08-07T09:00:04.350" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="323" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="271" CreationDate="2012-02-06T11:48:17.420" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In agreement with @stslavik, doing the stance and using the stances during your training will be the most beneficial to your ankle/calf/knee/quads/hips/lower back strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pay careful attention to remaining in the stance during the technique, and when moving through the &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt;.  Take care to keep your feet correctly aligned (according to the style of your training).  If you're supposed to stay low, then remain low all the way through - i.e. don't &quot;pop up/stand up&quot; with a straightened leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're trying to improve leg strength then worry less about getting the technique to work and concentrate on doing it right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a knee injury, you should concentrate on improving mobility and strength in the knee &quot;joint&quot; muscles, and in your lower back.  Squats (slow and low, back straight) are great.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="142" LastEditorUserId="142" LastEditDate="2012-02-07T21:40:01.823" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T21:40:01.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="324" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="319" CreationDate="2012-02-06T12:03:10.613" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0804800049&quot;&gt;&quot;Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere&quot;&lt;/a&gt; by Westbrook and Ratti  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;and for Yoshinkan style &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/4770020589&quot;&gt;&quot;Total Aikido&quot;&lt;/a&gt; by Gozo Shioda&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T12:03:10.613" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="325" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="34" CreationDate="2012-02-06T12:07:12.683" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;(Disclaimer, I train in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nin &quot;&lt;strong&gt;JUTSU&lt;/strong&gt;&quot;.  The answer is in the name.  &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jutsu&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot; title=&quot;Wikipedia&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Update&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&amp;amp;v=hjicC7H_pHY#t=184s&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Dr Kacem Zoughari&lt;/a&gt; discussing ninjutsu as an martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a &lt;em&gt;unique&lt;/em&gt; [set of martial arts] for the ninja?  Not in my experience.  The basic weapon work (&lt;em&gt;bokken, bo, tanto&lt;/em&gt;) is very similar to other &quot;traditional&quot; Japanese martial arts, and so is the un-armed stuff.  What is different (but again, not unique) is the emphasis on &quot;warrior combat&quot; and &quot;battlefield awareness&quot; with an eye on &lt;strong&gt;surviving&lt;/strong&gt;, not achieving an &lt;strong&gt;honourable death&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="142" LastEditorUserId="142" LastEditDate="2012-02-09T20:19:25.423" LastActivityDate="2012-02-09T20:19:25.423" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="326" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="112" CreationDate="2012-02-06T16:12:02.097" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Practice your squats, keeping your back straight and head up. Repeat until you die :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I &lt;em&gt;think&lt;/em&gt; your instructor is reminding you to 'bend your knees' and not 'bend your back' when lift or need to get low.  A common call at many dojo's I'm sure!  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're tall (I'm 6 foot and skinny) you will find it difficult to &quot;lift&quot; an opponent with, let's say &quot;a low centre of gravity&quot; but it can be done.  The good news is when you get it right, it's a lonnngggg way down for uke! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Concentrate on improving your strength and flexibility in your ankles, knees and back.  Don't worry too much about achieving the perfect &quot;throw&quot; (i.e. up and over via the hip) - it might be a bit messy (i.e. the uke slips off your hip or falls around your legs) but with practice, technique and timing you'll find the &quot;sweet spot&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be realistic, if you can develop a strong low squat and take their balance (by getting your CoG below their's), then they will be thrown.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="142" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T16:12:02.097" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="327" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="333" CreationDate="2012-02-06T16:42:55.613" Score="12" ViewCount="8991" Body="&lt;p&gt;Several Karate instructors I've spoken to indicate that Karate originated in the Okinawa region of Japan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, when visiting the region and speaking to some of the local Karate students, they seemed to be not aware of this bit of history.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Did Karate really originate in the Okinawa region of Japan? Is there historical evidence pointing to this fact?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="146" LastActivityDate="2023-07-17T11:39:37.733" Title="Did Karate really originate in the Okinawa region of Japan?" Tags="|history|karate|okinawa|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="328" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="331" CreationDate="2012-02-06T16:46:18.823" Score="19" ViewCount="889" Body="&lt;p&gt;In North America, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practice and instruction is quite different from what is found in schools of Jiu-Jitsu that describe themselves as Japanese.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are the two martial arts still related? Is training in one still recognized in the other?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="146" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-15T20:50:52.230" LastActivityDate="2012-02-15T20:50:52.230" Title="Has Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu been recognized as a form of Jiu-Jitsu in Japan?" Tags="|jujutsu|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|style|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="329" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-06T16:51:02.073" Score="4" ViewCount="669" Body="&lt;p&gt;What should I look for in a school or training program that would indicate that I will develop self-defense skills very quickly? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does my body weight or height or any other physical characteristic impact how quickly I develop self-defense skills? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How does the amount of time that I train (for instance, 6 months attending classes each night, 5 nights a week) impact my development?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="146" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-07T19:09:30.740" LastActivityDate="2013-12-25T00:28:18.533" Title="What should I look for in order to develop self-defense skills as quickly as possible?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2012-02-07T12:38:07.080" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="330" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1350" CreationDate="2012-02-06T16:53:58.623" Score="19" ViewCount="2593" Body="&lt;p&gt;For a bouncer, who is already larger, fitter and stronger than average, which martial arts training would you recommend?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which skills training, or other properties of the martial art, dojo and instructor should I keep an eye out for as I pick a place to train?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some specifics which I know are relevant, and which may be taught in a martial arts classes (I'm uncertain if they typically are), include training towards:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;skills required to properly control a hostile attacker, without excessive damage to him or myself (if the bar gets sued I'll get fired, no matter who wins the suit, and if I get hurt I'm out of an income until I recover)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;self-control/ability to make clear headed decisions in tense, high-pressure situations&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;quick assessment/awareness of a situation, especially with multiple concurrent threats&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a fairly wide range of skills, including striking, pulling punches, grappling and handling of people with weapons&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="146" LastEditorUserId="146" LastEditDate="2012-02-06T17:50:36.907" LastActivityDate="2022-05-04T12:42:13.847" Title="What do I need to keep in mind when picking a martial art as a bouncer?" Tags="|recommendation|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="331" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="328" CreationDate="2012-02-06T16:58:33.253" Score="22" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most people acknowledge that, given that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is derived from Maeda's teachings in Kodokan Judo (then known as Kodokan Jiu-Jitsu in the appropriate romanization of the time), it is recognized as a derivative of Judo, but they have each long-since taken very different paths.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jujutsu (the modernly accepted romanization of 柔術) is a broad term used to describe a large number of various styles/schools (&lt;em&gt;ryuha&lt;/em&gt;) of unarmed combat, and the rather generic description of &quot;Japanese Jujutsu&quot; used by dojo marketing gurus is usually just a collection of common techniques from those schools mixed with Judo, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;or&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, in rare cases, a marketing ploy to make a single &lt;em&gt;ryuha&lt;/em&gt; appear more familiar (People may not recognize, for instance, &lt;em&gt;Yagyu Shingan-ryu Heiho&lt;/em&gt; [poor example, since most people would doubt it's even jujutsu at first glance], but the broad term of &quot;Jujutsu&quot; or, with the modern upsurge of BJJ, &quot;Japanese Jujutsu&quot; [to differentiate] is easily more accessible). Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is very distantly related to these arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T16:58:33.253" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="332" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-06T16:59:05.570" Score="3" ViewCount="1369" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm practicing Yuan-style Tai-Chi, and I'm having difficulty keeping the bo staff from moving off centre as I twirl it - I consistently find my hold slightly to one end or another after a series of twirls.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What exercises can I try to help me twirl the bo staff, without moving it off centre?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="146" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-06T22:08:05.217" LastActivityDate="2012-07-26T11:09:09.313" Title="How do I keep the bo staff from moving off centre as I train in twirling it?" Tags="|training|weapons|bo-staff|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="333" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="327" CreationDate="2012-02-06T17:01:04.797" Score="19" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here are bits that we do know:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gichin Funakoshi, born and raised in Okinawa, is the man who opened the first official, public karate dojo, and he did so on the main island of Japan. Prior to that, it was mostly studied at night, in secret. This was due to Japanese occupation - making the carrying of weapons illegal. Like all resourceful people do, they started to hide their weapons within what they had with them (Similar to the birth of Capoeira). Farm implements make wonderful weapons. So do oars.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, karate? Here's a few fun facts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Karate today is made of two characters which mean open/empty hand&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Karate, until Funakoshi made it public and official, was made of two characters which meant Chinese hand*&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The Okinawan had a fighting style of their own which was called Nahate.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Oh, and one called Shurite&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Oh, and one called Tomarite&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Feel free to check out &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawan_martial_arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Okinawan Martial Arts, the Wiki article&lt;/a&gt;. Okinawa had the advantage of having easy trade with both Japan and China, so it was also the main place for cultural exchanges to happen, rather like a filter of sorts. I hope this helps you a bit in your search.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;* &lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note:&lt;/strong&gt; Dave Liepmann in a &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/327/did-karate-really-originate-in-the-okinawa-region-of-japan#comment3579_333&quot;&gt;comment&lt;/a&gt; mentions Funakoshi may not in fact be the originator of the &quot;Open Hand&quot; characters: &lt;a href=&quot;http://fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=197&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chomo Hanashiro's &quot;Karate Kumite,&quot; first published in August 1905&quot; according to a former instructor of mine&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-01T12:11:58.283" LastActivityDate="2019-06-01T12:11:58.283" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="334" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-02-06T17:01:20.913" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu&lt;/strong&gt; (BBT)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a TMA (traditional martial art) with it's fair share of 'historical context' and &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;densho&lt;/em&gt; etc. But when you boil it down, it can be a very effective training system for self defence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As already stated, &lt;strong&gt;find a good teacher/instructor that understands your reasons for training&lt;/strong&gt;.  Some BBT instructors will stick rigidly to the historical forms/kata and will not tolerate deviation.  This is a worthy path and can be very rewarding, but it will take you many years to internalise and make effective IRL (in real life).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many BBT instructors who use the kata as a teaching aid. Along with training your body and reflexes, they will also be able to show you how you can effectively make use of these techniques IRL, under pressure and with resistance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is not a sport system.  There are no competitions and usually very little sparring. But it is physical, you are 'tested' (in good dojo's) and you train one-to-one and many-to-one.  Weapons are also used (defensive and offensive).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a combat system, Everything goes.  Groin, throat, eyes - anything that will cause a pain response is employed.  More importantly, you are also drilled to PREVENT this happening back to you (which is where the kata / waza / kamae come in).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It will still take you many years of training to become proficient.  In order to make this &lt;strong&gt;self defence&lt;/strong&gt; you will still need to be instructed in basic SD techniques (shouting, running, don't get yourself into situations, awareness).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="142" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T17:01:20.913" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="335" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="329" CreationDate="2012-02-06T17:12:11.350" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial arts (excluding combat sports) are not, nor should they be considered, anything other than an opportunity to increase an individual's chances of survival. If a student trains under a quality instructor for a period of time, then, at the end of that period, provided the student is capable of learning, his chances of surviving an encounter that requires the use of force should be better to a degree relative to the period of his study.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The art, in this case, should be considered a complete art, and offer a well-rounded curriculum to create a well-rounded martial artist. If the art, for instance, only taught tackling, then the martial artist may become extremely adept at tackling, but extremely weak in avoiding blunt force trauma to the cervical spine. This is, of course, an extreme example, as no art teaches only one thing (that I'm aware of, though my inbox is commonly flooded with emails to teach me the 1 defense technique I need to know to survive any encounter).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The instructor is key, whereas the art is not. A complete art is made incomplete by the instructors lack of knowledge in one area. Further, the attendance and capability of the pupil is a heavily deciding factor. If the class is moving through a manual of techniques in order with each class, and he covers the curriculum from &lt;em&gt;mukyu&lt;/em&gt; (no rank) to &lt;em&gt;ikkyu&lt;/em&gt; (1st grade before black) (&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;NB:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; These ranking systems are used to exemplify beginners classes, wherein more advanced beginners [low &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; ranks] would not be learning new material), then he may have had an opportunity to train each technique only a few times in those six months, thus effectively having too little time to develop muscle memory in any one movement. On the other hand, he may train in only one technique for those six months, which effectively makes his training no different than that of the proposed 1 technique art above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every art has its strengths and weaknesses. Over the centuries, older arts have filled in the gaps to make them as effective as possible, while newer arts, via one means or another, find themselves functionally similar to these older arts. So long as the art is taught well, the chances of success in self-defense will be greater than the student had prior to his training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="1566" LastEditDate="2013-12-25T00:28:18.533" LastActivityDate="2013-12-25T00:28:18.533" CommentCount="0" CommunityOwnedDate="2012-02-06T17:12:11.350" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="336" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="17" CreationDate="2012-02-06T17:18:47.163" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I use a Wipp-tube (you might know of this brand better as 'Persil'). It has a handy hard plastic brush that helps the rubbing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wipp is also perfect for stained collars of regular shirts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="139" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T17:18:47.163" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="337" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="330" CreationDate="2012-02-06T17:20:51.153" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is going to be less about the specific martial art, and more about the instructor. The answers to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/159/which-martial-arts-focus-on-self-defense&quot;&gt;this question&lt;/a&gt; are going to be relevant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of the big things to keep in mind when selecting a dojang for this sort of application:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do they emphasize &lt;a href=&quot;http://chirontraining.blogspot.com/2006/01/ooda-introduction.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;operant conditioning&lt;/a&gt;?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Does it train you to miss through light contact sparring?  Probably not ideal.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do the techniques need to be substantially modified based around whether the attacker has a knife? If so, then I'd argue it is not going to be appropriate.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do the techniques emphasize keeping your feet but account for that you may end up on the ground?  Situations in bars tend to be filled with obstacles and in a fight things like broke glass and you may have multiple attackers, so keeping your feet tends to be important.  Or, to quote &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/pdf/USMCcombat.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the Marines&lt;/a&gt;: &quot;The last place to be in a close combat situation is on the ground.&quot; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do they combine strikes with locks and throws?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, most importantly: Can you learn from the instructor?  Talk to the instructor about your specific concerns and situation and see if they can work with you in those regards and, if not in class, then they still might be able to recommend things you can do on your own that might help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I mentioned in the linked-to question: You'll probably want to look at Rory Miller's work, particularly &lt;em&gt;Drills&lt;/em&gt;, since a lot of the things you'll specifically need to work on can be generalized and practiced outside of the context of any specific martial art.  His other books also talk social violence dynamics, which will probably be useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, there's not going to be any martial art that will get you where you want/need to be, as you have concerns that aren't really covered at the level of the art itself, and a lot of what you are looking for is not specific to any martial art, and nothing is going to provide a complete solution.  So I cannot emphasize enough the need to talk to the instructor: figure out what the individual instructor can help you with as part of the class, outside of the class, and then fill the gaps on your own with supplemental training (self-drills, other programs, etc). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-02-09T17:02:04.783" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="338" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="332" CreationDate="2012-02-06T17:25:27.683" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I was training staff, my instructor started with having us measure the length of the staff and putting a piece of electrical tape exactly in the center. That made it easy to tell if you were drifting during the technique and helped trained where you place your hands while twirling it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also try a piece of string or something else along those lines if you want something you can take off before going to class, but that means you'll have to constantly remeasure and retie it unless you mark the staff in some other way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T17:25:27.683" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="339" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="330" CreationDate="2012-02-06T17:29:39.677" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Systema. It is absolutely no-nonsense, focuses on acting without aggression, naturally, without sudden movements, and is ALL about practical experience. It will more-or-less-naturally start teaching things like the locks and movements that a bouncer is most likely going to need.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T17:29:39.677" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="340" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="117" CreationDate="2012-02-06T17:31:52.273" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The major thing you might want to avoid is anything that can harm your back. Really, most muscles and tendons can cope with some inappropriate handling, but your spine (including your neck) is the one part of your body you do not want to mistreat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This applies specifically for abs-exercises. When you join a dojo, ask your teacher if you and he can work together to find some variants that will work your abs without involving your hip-flexors directly (you might want to look at Janda Sit Ups).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason for this is that most experienced martial arts practitioners have strong enough muscles to protect their backs, but as a beginner you might hurt your spine by performing classic abs-exercises. A classic sit-up predominantly uses the hip-flexors to pull up your upper body using your spine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="139" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T17:31:52.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="341" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="117" CreationDate="2012-02-06T17:38:38.073" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is very well-intentioned, but it is also a Bad Thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to study martial arts, find a teacher. You are responsible for joining a martial arts school as a blank slate, without any preconceived notion of how to move or what is good or bad for you. Any knowledge you THINK you have will hinder you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So - don't do anything. Find a teacher. Learn from him or her.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T17:38:38.073" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="342" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="198" CreationDate="2012-02-06T17:39:10.857" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A way to lower your heart rate that, in my view, is easier than the other answers, is this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If possible, first lie down. Then maximize the tension in as many muscles of your body as you possible can, and hold the tension for, say, three to five seconds. Then, all of a sudden, let go of all tension, and just imagine yourself floating in a calm sea, or lying back in you sofa on a Sunday afternoon, or lying in sunny, grassy meadows (this picture is my personal favourite), or whatever relaxes you most.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="139" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T17:39:10.857" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="343" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="329" CreationDate="2012-02-06T18:19:57.973" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If your goal is to become, very quickly, proficient in fighting / survival abilities, then check out things like Krav Maga, Systema and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.vforcesfc.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;V-Force&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the record, this training is most likely going to be &lt;em&gt;incomplete&lt;/em&gt; as far as real martial arts go, but it &lt;em&gt;will&lt;/em&gt; teach you to defend yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an addendum, this is likely to overly develop your aggressiveness, which is likely to land you into trouble if you don't check it with meditation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T18:19:57.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="344" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="104" CreationDate="2012-02-06T18:45:32.793" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;External and internal martial arts are the same thing, but they start from a different place. All martial arts follow different paths up the same mountain, but the end result is the same. Because a teacher can't take you all the way up the mountain does not mean the style is incomplete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The limited point of view is this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;An external martial art will teach you to punch and kick.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;An internal martial art will teach you self-discipline, meditation and how to throw fireballs (Sorry - I couldn't help it).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In truth, here is what is most likely accurate:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;An internal martial art starts by turning the focus inward, letting the student become more aware of his body and mind, then building on these foundations to create complex movements and use that sensitivity to drive the applications.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;An external martial art starts by bigger movements - like steps, blocks, kicks. It focuses on the outside first, and then eventually turns inwards to do what the internal martial arts start with.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is the same mountain. Just a different path.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T18:45:32.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="345" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="216" CreationDate="2012-02-06T18:57:36.720" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;My answer is not exactly on the question &quot;Rising on the ball or staying flat&quot;, but rather tries to make clear the reason why exactly you might prefer to stay flat, and not even pivot away. The underlying reasoning can be transferred to your question, since standing up will diminish power and snap according to the views below. Of course, all of the following reasoning adheres to karate axioms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is an interesting video on this (in French) by karate &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt; Johnny Gence (look for Mae-Geri). I won't link to it here, so readers have to look for themselves, to save his bandwidth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The gist of his explanation is this: if you keep your foot fully planted, toes pointing forward, you can exert a lot more power through hip-snap, and you can retract your kicking leg much more easily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, you cannot reach quite as far as you could if you would twist your standing foot so the toes point outward: if you are in a competition for points, then you can absolutely use this lengthier technique. This, I think, can be transferred to your question: standing on the ball of your foot might increase reach, but will decrease snap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, if you are in a true budo situation, stick to the most powerful technique: foot down, toes forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="139" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-12-17T14:08:41.610" LastActivityDate="2015-12-17T14:08:41.610" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="346" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="349" CreationDate="2012-02-06T20:55:15.370" Score="16" ViewCount="53313" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've recently starting light sparring (Muay Thai and Boxing) and use one of those single boil+bite style gum shields.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How often should I need to re-mould it as it seems to have lost it's fit after just a few weeks? Is this normal?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, should I really use a double gum shield for boxing - even if it is just light contact training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="147" LastEditorUserId="8" LastEditDate="2012-02-06T21:32:39.497" LastActivityDate="2016-01-08T22:34:02.987" Title="Mouth guard / gum shields - tips?" Tags="|boxing|sparring|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="347" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="287" CreationDate="2012-02-06T21:24:10.323" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I used to have similar problems with the round house...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have you tried dynamic stretches such as simple front, side and outward/inward kicks into the air, instead of static stretches? Static stretches before you're fully warmed up might actually making things harder for you by weakening the muscles/tendons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also are you turning your (grounded) foot outwards to open up your hips? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It might just be a case of practicing until your body gets used to the rotations and movements involved. Start with low kicks and gradually increase the height - the key is to get the technique and hip rotation right first though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="147" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T21:24:10.323" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="348" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="126" CreationDate="2012-02-06T22:21:26.067" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Under 10's?  It needs to be fun.  You're not going to have a dojo of little angels.  You're best bet is to try to keep it down to a low roar!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like most kids, they actually like a routine.  They want to know what's happening next (it helps with their concentration and engagement).  Set and keep boundary's.  They should know not to 'misbehave' before class, to stand quietly when bowing in (or whatever your 'start of the class' procedure is) and they should know that the first thing they start to do is warm ups. (I get them to run a circuit around the dojo then get them to jump, hop, skip, side walk, roll, crawl, etc etc - pretending to be animals is good too!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then you do your &quot;technical bit&quot;, then a bit of practice, then a game.  Rinse and repeat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Give the kids a favourite game at the end (we play &quot;sumo&quot; with them).  This is their reward for a good lesson.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a martial arts teacher, the way you behave directly influences the kids (and the parents) so you must never lose your temper.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's much better to reward good behaviour than to discipline bad behaviour.  If you know &quot;little Johnny&quot; is a PITA then try to catch him doing something good, and reward him (try to get that in early).  If he then starts to play up then tell him your disappointed 'cause he was doing so well (and the warning) and if he repeats the misdemeanor then he will sit out for 5 minutes.  Then catch him doing something good again (real quick).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's funny, but it does work!  Everyone wants to be accepted, wants to be liked.  Some kids have learnt that they can get attention from being bad.  You need to show them that they can get better results by &quot;just not being that bad&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, at the end of the lesson, re-enforce the good things he did and say &quot;see ya next week!&quot;.   And start next week completely fresh with no hang ups or carry over from the previous week.  If the kids comes back, it's 'cause he wants to come back so give him credit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="142" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T22:21:26.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="349" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="346" CreationDate="2012-02-06T22:27:43.177" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;In a perfect world, your mouth guard should fit for the life of the guard if properly molded in the first place. It is extremely common, however, to have a mouth guard that doesn't properly retain its shaping, mostly because of a relaxation or remodeling of the guard from wear, being cleaned with too high of heat, or simply from never having been properly shaped in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boil and bite mouth guards are generally better than the cheaper &quot;uniform fit&quot; style, but if improperly fitted in the first place may not last long at all. For clarity, and in case some step was ignored, try these steps for fitting a mouth guard:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Boil a pot of water and prepare a cup of cool water.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Drop in the mouth guard, gently using tongs to push it about so it does not lay flat against the bottom of the pot (which can cause deformations). Allow to boil for 30 seconds.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Gently, with minimal pressure, remove the mouth guard from the boiling water and submerge in the cool water for about 5 seconds. The guard should be warm but comfortable to touch.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Remove from the cool water and push the guard over your teeth, applying pressure with your fingers to mold to the shape of you mouth.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Close your mouth without closing your teeth and suck to remove air and water from within the mouthguard for about 40 seconds.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Finally, bite down for about 20 seconds to set the mouth guard the rest of the way.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideally, following these steps will give you a good, near-custom fit that lasts. You should, at the least, be able to get a couple of months out of a guard at the very least, but likely more. You may want to familiarize yourself, however, with &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.livestrong.com/article/454694-how-often-should-a-player-change-a-mouth-guard/&quot;&gt;how often one should change their mouth guard&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The double mouth-guard may or may not be a good option. The most important function of the mouth guard is to keep the teeth from slamming into each other, causing a shock to reverberate through the mouth and skull which could cause damage to the teeth, sinuses, ears, and brain. A single mouth guard is generally sufficient for this, and may provide a better fit for people with misaligned bottom teeth. The straighter your bottom teeth, the more likely a double mouth guard will be of use to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T22:27:43.177" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="350" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="287" CreationDate="2012-02-06T22:33:41.733" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two principle exercises, one for inside round kicks, and one for outside round kicks.  The excersices are also referred to as &lt;code&gt;'inside-out'&lt;/code&gt; and &lt;code&gt;'outside-in'&lt;/code&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, for &lt;code&gt;inside-out&lt;/code&gt;:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bring your right leg as close to your chest without bending over or lifting your left foot off the ground.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rotate your right leg to the right, while bringing your foot up to make your lower leg as vertical as possible.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;At the max of your rotation, lower your foot and bring your leg back to the ground&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Repeat without touching in between repetitions (if you can; lots of people can't because of balance, which this will also help!)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For &lt;code&gt;outside-in&lt;/code&gt;, do the opposite:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Start from flat feet by rotating your right leg to the right, while keeping your core straight.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lift up your knee and bring it towards your left side, trying to get your lower leg as parallel to the ground as you can (great stretching for sidekicks too!)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Let your foot come down back to the start&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Repeat without touching the ground.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do this often, but no too often.  Do it slowly, but not too slowly.  Don't do it fast.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Precision is your friend.  Work on getting your legs parallel to the ground.&#xA;Do equal numbers of &lt;code&gt;inside-out&lt;/code&gt; and &lt;code&gt;outside-in&lt;/code&gt; and equal numbers on your left and right sides.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, be sure to develop your hip muscles here also (not just stretching), or you could develop loose joints!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source: myself, and my loose hips from doing exactly this!  Start of 6 months ago I couldn't kick above waist height; now I'm kicking at head level!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="33" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T22:33:41.733" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="351" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="153" CreationDate="2012-02-06T23:09:57.927" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a co-instructor for classes of younger kids (under 8's) and juniors (8 to 14).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With very little ones (4 to 6 year olds) it's just about safe fun, developing confidence, concentration and improving co-ordination.  I find it does not matter what you do, as long as they are enjoying it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Along with plenty of games (sumo, wrestling, running, &quot;sock war&quot; etc), we also show them some of the basic rolls and falls was well as throws and sweeps (it goes without saying, nothing that goes anywhere near a joint lock!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It teaches the child empathy.  (Example, outside &quot;arm twist&quot; - &lt;em&gt;kote gyaku&lt;/em&gt;) - the fact the arm gets torqued and moves &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;, means that &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt; has to empathise with uke and help her fall without hurting her.  This can be an important learning point for young kids.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Up to about 8, I don't personally think it should be too serious. Kids are very fickle.  As long as they are doing something active (my daughter does dancing and my son rugby, as well as martial arts) then I'm not too fussed.  From around 10 then they should have developed enough concentration and discipline to be taught properly (safely). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="142" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T23:09:57.927" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="352" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="241" CreationDate="2012-02-06T23:30:45.263" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Following up from @stslavik answer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flinches are good.  A controlled but instant reaction to a threat developed through muscle memory,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flailing is bad.  An uncontrolled reaction to a threat that will likely get you hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, closing your eyes is &quot;A Bad Thing&quot;, and that comes from you not trusting your blocking or your footwork (say, from a standard &lt;em&gt;tsuki&lt;/em&gt; punch to the head) from stopping or missing the fist.  This is quite natural!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With the aid of a good training partner, they can drill and repeat the punch to you while you practice and improve your (in this order):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Footwork (feet first)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Timing (later the better)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Angles and distancing (closer is better)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The block (deflect, absorb, stun or whatever your style enjoys) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your partner needs to try to hit you!  No flouncing about with punches that are 6 inches short of your nose (that's called dancing!)  But, with practice, you'll start to internalise the movement so it becomes less of a shock and more controlled until you get to that &quot;controlled twitch&quot; state.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With a bit of luck, you will get hit a few times, but it will be a graze and you'll laugh it off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="142" LastActivityDate="2012-02-06T23:30:45.263" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="353" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="346" CreationDate="2012-02-07T00:26:44.107" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The boil and fit mouth-guard, once it's fitted properly, should not loose it's fit, especially not that soon. Some wear and tear can cause it to become a little loose over time. I've had mine for a couple of months and it still is well fitted to my upper teeth. Mine is one of those clear rubbery ones that cost like 2 bucks. You might want to try fitting another one as that one could be bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More general mouth-guard selection information:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two mouth-guard types, single and double mouth-guards. Single mouth-guards protect your upper teeth and double mouth-guards protect both your upper and lower teeth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Single Mouth-guard benefits:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lighter weight&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Well forming&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cheaper&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Smaller size and profile&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Double Mouth-guard benefits:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Prevents less jaw movement&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Thicker/Stronger&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knockout/Concussion Mitigation*&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Decreases jaw movement&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*I've heard many times that double mouth-guards help mitigate 'button' knockouts by removing additional jaw movement, but I honestly don't thinks that is completely true, just based on my medical knowledge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both a single and double mouth-guard will help protect your upper teeth and only a double mouth-guard will protect your lower teeth. Normally this isn't an issue as your lower teeth have a much smaller profile and are less likely to get knocked out. Both mouth-guard types will keep your teeth from slamming into each other, but the double mouth-guard will provide a little more protection in this area due to it's increased profile, decreasing the amount of vertical jaw movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My major issue with double mouth-guards is that they have a small breathing channel, compared to your normal unobstructed mouth. This decrease in tidal volume could pose some issues when your really sucking wind and impact air exchange. Personally a nice single mouth-guard well formed to you upper teeth will provide all the protection you need, while not decreasing your tidal volume. I use a single guard for all MMA activities and when I Airsoft. Take good care of them, cleaning them off and follow @stslavik post for changing your mouth-guard out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T00:26:44.107" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="354" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="346" CreationDate="2012-02-07T01:55:04.970" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would advocate that you throw the boil &amp;amp; bite mouthguard away and spend the money to get a properly moulded one from your dentist or orthodontist. The advantage these have is that they are moulded very closely to your teeth, and they are very hard to dislodge. Consequently you don't end up distracted by it while sparring and don't end up gagging from it moving around your mouth. You should also be given a moulded mount to put the mouthguard back on when its not in use so that it doesn't get squashed or deformed between trainings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are considerably more expensive than they common boil &amp;amp; bite variety, but ask yourself this question: how much would it cost to get your teeth reconstructed because you used a cheap (crap) mouthguard compared to how much it would cost to get a properly moulded/fitted mouthguard?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With some safety or training equipment you can cut corners on quality and cost, your mouthguard shouldn't be one of those.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T01:55:04.970" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="355" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="319" CreationDate="2012-02-07T02:42:11.030" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I won't answer for classical, as it's a matter of personal opinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I'd consider &quot;canonical&quot; just the two books written by O'Sensei:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/4889960791&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Budo Renshu&lt;/a&gt;: a book of aikido drawings illustrated by Morihei Ueshiba himself&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/4889960791&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Budo Teachings of the Founder of Aikido&lt;/a&gt; (mainly photographs) &lt;em&gt;(note: one listed author is Kisshomaru, but the content is most completely from Morihei)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, given that Kisshomaru Ueshiba gave a significant contribution to help O'Sensei shape Aikido, Kisshomaru's own books may also be considered as canonical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastEditorUserId="941" LastEditDate="2013-02-17T02:45:30.393" LastActivityDate="2013-02-17T02:45:30.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="356" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="332" CreationDate="2012-02-07T03:53:01.890" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hold the staff in thirds - with one hand facing up and one facing down. Flip the staff over 180 degrees so that your hands are reversed. The hands should slide evenly along the staff. Repeat this exercise at least 20 times as part of your warm up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will teach you to feel the centre point of the staff and get your hands used to feeling exactly where the centre is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="83" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T03:53:01.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="357" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="329" CreationDate="2012-02-07T07:07:01.063" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial Arts cannot be attained or achieved all in a night, It requires years of practice. It has to be mastered and it is not book to mug up all in a night, it has to be learned only through practice. Th true purpose of martial arts is to train your body and mind to perfect and healthy. The true purpose of martial arts is to train your physique. Please remember the term slow and steady wins the race. Only the involvement and commitment you give to the art trained will give back the fruitfulness of success. So don't think to learn quickly, it cannot be learned quickly, remember it has to be mastered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="119" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T07:07:01.063" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="358" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2012-02-07T13:01:06.990" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In some way it really depends on the type of kata as well, to use Renshinkan Shorinji-Ryu Karate-Do as an example, one can argue that the kata come in two types, those that typify the core kata that in part define the style for what it is, and Yakusoku Kumite which isn't generally called a kata but which arguable is one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The kata that define the style are in part just that, a way of defining the style and making it stand apart from others. If you look at the way one karata-ka does Seisan-no-kata (Kata Seisan) and compare it to another you can usually tell if they are doing the same style or not and if their &quot;Kata Seisan&quot; is related to each other or not, thus, defining the style. In terms of how my sensei has instructor me, the kata also provide you with a means of practicing all of your &quot;basics&quot; at once in a more fluid motion that would be more typical of an actual combat situation. We are generally stressed not to just &quot;go through the motions&quot; but make it actually look like we would injure someone with a punch and really bock someone with our blocks while doing the kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In regards to the second part, Yakusoku Kumite, or &quot;Prearranged Sparring,&quot; as to if it counts as a proper kata is arguable as it requires two people and is done in short bursts, but it is stressed as soon as you make san-kyu (green belt) because it also stresses the application of the &quot;basics&quot; in a more rigorous environment that also drills offensive and defensive muscle memory into you. One of my instructors always mentions that &quot;Yakusoku Kumite is where Renshinkan goes for self defense&quot; and it makes sense because you do it so much and for so long. From the stand point of a kata though, it doesn't really look like one as it lacks the &quot;showiness&quot; that most people tend to associate with kata. However, on the other hand, it is definitively a fixed set of forms that are drilled and you can definitively see what the applications of them would be. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, consider things from the stand point of instruction in an art, kata are usually complex enough that you can see where students are having issue and it also provides a situation where they can really be placed under a microscope. If you throw punches at the air often enough you can make it look good and sparring tends to be chaotic enough that even an expert may not look like one, but when you make someone do a series of techniques while moving around their flaws tend to show through and you can generally tell someone who really owns what they are doing from someone that is just going through the motions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So to summarize:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The type of kata in part defines it purpose&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Some kata are used to define the style and make it stand on its own from others&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kata provide you with a venue to practice your &quot;basics&quot; in a way that isn't just doing the same motion repeatedly&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kata can also provide a venue for drilling offensive and defensive techniques that you may come to eventually default to when needed&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kata provide instructors with a way of testing students to see where their weaknesses are by forcing the student to learn to &quot;own&quot; the kata&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="46" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T13:01:06.990" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="359" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="364" CreationDate="2012-02-07T14:28:49.437" Score="41" ViewCount="44749" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I see people doing forms, competing, or breaking blocks of concrete or wood with their hands, they are always vocally expressive in what they are about to do. What names does this &quot;shouting&quot; have and why is it done in techniques?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-20T16:58:09.563" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T19:26:41.413" Title="Why do martial artists &quot;shout&quot; in the execution of a technique?" Tags="|technique|breathing|kiai|" AnswerCount="15" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="360" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="359" CreationDate="2012-02-07T14:41:27.550" Score="16" Body="&lt;p&gt;Depends on the style, but for the purposes of most Japanese martial arts, the &quot;shouts&quot; are &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiai&quot;&gt;Kiai&lt;/a&gt; and serve a couple different purposes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Contracts the diaphragm and chest which can allow you to take a hit better.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Puts extra &quot;energy&quot; behind the strike as it causes you to focus on the moment of impact.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shows &quot;spirit&quot; when in competition.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shows where strong strikes would be during kata.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Can catch opponents off guard if they are anticipating it or don't know what to expect.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending upon the situation they can also act as a battle cry in some ways but I haven't heard that explanation for them given at the dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="46" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T14:41:27.550" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="361" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="359" CreationDate="2012-02-07T15:15:48.507" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A proper 'spirited yell', or 'power exhale' or what-have-you actually is meant to activate the very core muscles, the abdominal band, and the tantien, one of the three main chi centers and the place where the body stores chi). This allows you to release more energy and, well, be successful in your technique. When breaking boards, it's useful so you don't hurt yourself. In a competition, it's to impress the judges, so forget that. In a form, in practice, you are training yourself for specific ways to release this energy (kick, uppercut, elbow, etc).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T15:15:48.507" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="362" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="359" CreationDate="2012-02-07T15:16:04.343" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In addition to Rob Z's answer, kiai force you to breath.  This is a good thing, especially when you are in a randori/competition situation where one tends to hold their breath.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T15:16:04.343" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="363" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2012-02-07T15:48:26.053" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;A slightly different answer than the others above: forms are excellent &lt;em&gt;relevant&lt;/em&gt; exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using myself as a specific example: if I perform every poomse from Taeguk Il Jang to Taebaek with total focus on form, accuracy and power, I will have tested my flexibility, exercised my core and soaked myself in sweat.  When I have an hour that I can dedicate, I'll run through them all three times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that &lt;em&gt;relevant&lt;/em&gt; is important.  Sure, I can (and do) exercise my core with crunches.  However, poomse has always struck me as exercise with purpose, intent and relevance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="121" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T15:48:26.053" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="364" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="359" CreationDate="2012-02-07T17:08:57.130" Score="36" Body="&lt;p&gt;The shouting, called &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt;, has multiple purported purposes. I would note that I'm posting these not out of a necessary belief in them, but out of explanation as they were taught to me:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The forced and trained rapid exhalation of breath. This can be used as both focus (by focusing on breath, one is less inclined to focus on the fear of failure when faced with the thought of breaking something apparently hard), and as a method of rapidly exhaling carbon-dioxide from the body to increase oxygenated blood flow to the extremities.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The external (outer or &lt;em&gt;omote&lt;/em&gt;) harmonizing of &lt;em&gt;ki&lt;/em&gt; energy (気合 - &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt;), as opposed to the internal (inner or &lt;em&gt;ura&lt;/em&gt;) harmonization of &lt;em&gt;ki&lt;/em&gt; energy (合気 - &lt;em&gt;aiki&lt;/em&gt;). [&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;NB:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; This is not something I believe, so this is best left to someone else to explain familiar with the concepts.] &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The expulsion of intent. &lt;em&gt;Kiai&lt;/em&gt; acts as a declaration of your fighting spirit, your internal desire to prevail in those circumstances. This can be for intimidation, self-reassurance, rallying (the war cry was essentially a form of kiai), etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Something that many people may never learn: the &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt; need not be loud. In some arts, the &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt; is taught as a voiceless projection, called &lt;em&gt;kage no kiai&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, some arts offer specific forms of &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt;, for example (from the Bujinkan; I have no record from which school, I simply have it in my notebook as &lt;em&gt;kihon&lt;/em&gt;, but the proper term is more likely &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kotodama&quot;&gt;kotodama&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;ei!&lt;/em&gt; - A growling shout, meant to accompany an attack; intended to force the opponent to lower his guard momentarily.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;toh!&lt;/em&gt; - A heavy shout, meant to accompany a counter; intended to make the opponent believe he has left an opening.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;ya!&lt;/em&gt; - A boisterous shout, meant to respond to a series of blows; intended to dishearten the opponent, making him believe that you believe you're already victorious (may tie in to folk beliefs that a battle is decided the moment two adversaries first see each other).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's said the &lt;em&gt;kage no kiai&lt;/em&gt; taught in the Bujinkan is a harmony of these three shouts, voiceless or in a low hum, assuring the warrior of victory. This might be viewed as a form of self-assurance, helping to maintain a form of inner calm or &lt;em&gt;mushin&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-07-26T12:08:18.753" LastActivityDate="2012-07-26T12:08:18.753" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="365" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="359" CreationDate="2012-02-07T17:23:58.470" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a few reasons that they claim is why they do this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;They claim that it may scare off the attacker&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It is supposed to alert other people&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;and lastly, it is supposed to put more power behind your technique&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can understand the mentality behind this, if your attacker doesn't want to attract attention, shouting will attract attention and may scare them away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When it comes to the last one, I can understand that too. it does in fact help the power of the technique. Personally though, being that I do Krav Maga, and ICS, I prefer using a technique where you breathe out quickly with each punch making sort of a quick ssshhh sound. This particular technique is also used in MMA, Muay Thai, Boxing, and other similar fighting styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-07-24T14:00:48.457" LastActivityDate="2020-07-24T14:00:48.457" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="366" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="359" CreationDate="2012-02-07T17:41:54.217" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;All the answers about aiding concentration and releasing your inner power are good, but mostly for striking moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the Judo side of the house, the Kiai mostly manifests itself as a loud and determined grunt. That said, I have heard a few roars during some particularly impressive standing work ... generally where a smaller player gets a larger opponent airborne. A roar like that is often followed by standing applause from the spectators if the technique worked!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="54" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T17:41:54.217" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="367" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="359" CreationDate="2012-02-07T18:45:25.563" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two kind of shouts, long and short ones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Long shouts:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The shouts you're referring, &lt;code&gt;Kiai&lt;/code&gt;, are a way to increase intensity, and give the practitioner an easy meaning to give a direction to his/her KI.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When speaking about &lt;code&gt;Ki direction&lt;/code&gt;, do a favour to yourself, and refrain to think in esoteric terms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;code&gt;Ki direction&lt;/code&gt; really means direction of everything: mind and body intentions. &lt;strong&gt;A shameless and (really) strong scream practically forces your mind and body to focus on one direction and one thing.&lt;/strong&gt; It's physiological. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A cheap trick to know what we're talking about is to look at something in front of you and scream very strongly at it and then turning your head and screaming very strongly at something in another direction (say 90° left). Pay attention to actually look what the objects/persons you're screaming at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you do that strongly and shamelessly enough, you should feel subtle differences in your body position. That is: the scream effectively directed your body here or there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Summing up: it's an easy (when done right) way to achieve something otherwise difficult.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since it works when you're screaming hard, though, it is difficult to practice in many environments. If you're a novice and screaming less than your maximum then you're doing it wrong and it will serve no purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Short shouts:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They're just a mean to contract the diaphragm, and coordinate breath and body actions to improve breath endurance and marginally augment the power of the strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T18:45:25.563" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="368" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="287" CreationDate="2012-02-07T19:45:24.667" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In addition to the usual suspects mentioned, the &quot;pigeon&quot; vinyasa yoga postures are also very effective for opening the hips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.yogacards.com/vinyasa_yoga/vinyasa-yoga-cards/vinyas-yoga-for-hips.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.yogacards.com/vinyasa_yoga/vinyasa-yoga-cards/vinyas-yoga-for-hips.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="18" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T19:45:24.667" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="369" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="382" CreationDate="2012-02-07T19:55:14.280" Score="3" ViewCount="350" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are the ankles good for? What is their most efficient use? I posited, somewhere else, that they are good to absorb the energy generated from moving out of a stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In martial practice, how can the ankles be used to maximize benefit?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note - benefit is defined as minimum energy usage and maximum result in speed, power, mobility, and precision. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance - if doing a front-kick with the ball of the foot, if you chamber your leg (bring up the knee, keeping the foot down and tight) and keep the toes straight forward, when you extend the leg, the simple act of &quot;keeping the foot facing forward&quot; and raising the toes up to open the ball of the foot will increase leverage (like a pulley power multiplying system) and give the kick some more power, because you're activating the joint of the ankle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, specifically, relating to being in a stance. For the purpose of not having to leave anything to the imagination, let us imagine this very, VERY specific situation:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Say I am in a horse stance. That is, my legs are approximately two to two-and-a-half shoulder-widths apart, my knees are approximately bent to 90 degrees, my back is approximately 90 degrees from my thighs (which are, of course, parallel to the floor), my lower back is relaxed, my hips aren't tight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, and I forgot a very important point, since we are talking about ankles - the feet are facing straight ahead, they are parallel to each other, and the shins are approximately vertical (that is, the knees are not &quot;over the toes&quot; or &quot;past the toes&quot;). The weight is distributed approximately equally between the front and the back of the foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, let's say I need to jump three feet forward and land in the same stance. Is there a particular way to use the ankles to get maximum efficiency, that is, use the minimum energy while providing maximum speed, balance and mobility?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-02-08T01:56:09.180" LastActivityDate="2014-06-03T16:05:07.237" Title="What are the ankles good for, relative to stance work and mobility?" Tags="|technique|mobility|stance|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="370" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="198" CreationDate="2012-02-07T20:09:45.180" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Keep breathing, as steadily and as deeply as you can. In tai chi you are often taught to breathe in to the count of six, and breathe out to the count of six (seconds), such that the hairs in your nose do not move. Not always possible even at the best of times but a good ideal to strive for. I find that simply focusing on this helps a lot after a quick burst of cardio activity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Certain moves such as those practiced in qigong - raising the arms in sync with your breathing - help expand your lung capacity. Breathing deeply into your dantian using your diaphragm trains your body to engage your core muscles in the act. Doing this in a controlled manner should help you steady your pulse, but it also helps move air more efficiently during peak exertion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, simply doing regular hard cardio sessions will naturally increase your capacity for being active with your heart rate staying relatively low. If your body is stressed beyond what it is used to, then all the techniques in the world won't help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="75" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T20:09:45.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="371" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="359" CreationDate="2012-02-07T20:20:00.743" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;A &lt;strong&gt;Kihap&lt;/strong&gt; is basically a battle cry, carried over into modern times. But there are actually some very positive benefits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It strengthens your core by tightening your abdominal muscles. This translates into more power in your motion and increased defense. The Kinetic Chain, also called Kinetic Linking, is the way your legs can pass their power through your torso and into your arms. To be effective every part of the chain must work as one unit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It makes you breathe. Heavy physical activity requires energy, the cellular process in your body to generate energy (ATP or Adenosine Triphosphate) requires oxygen. There is another process that doesn’t require oxygen, but it generates much less ATP.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It can help you focus. With lots of repetition your mind and body can be programmed a certain way. National Geographic has a show called &lt;em&gt;Fight Science&lt;/em&gt;; in one episode, SWAT team members could control their heart rate even with highly elevated levels of adrenaline.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It startles your opponent. To me this one is a side benefit, but still valuable. It’s possible to avoid the fight completely by dropping back and letting your kihap out; might make them think twice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It doesn’t really matter what sound you make, you can achieve benefits 1 and 2 by remembering to breath properly when striking. Some people make a &amp;quot;Tsst&amp;quot; sound when striking; as long it comes from the abdomen it should still provide benefits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don’t believe letting out a long blood curdling battle cry is beneficial when striking. Your kihap needs to be very quick, one, maybe two syllables max. The reason I’m saying this is because if you have a long kihap when striking your jaw is in a vulnerable state, it’s open. A tight jaw will help guard against dislocation or outright breaks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another negative might be that you signal your intent if you kihap too soon in your strike against a trained opponent, or signal the end of your attack. For example, in class we kihap at the end of the pattern, which means the attack is over. A large component of fighting is information warfare, you're reading your opponent's weaknesses, trying to conceal your own, and conceal your intentions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So there is something to this ancient activity. It doesn’t summon the power of the spirit world to let you shoot a fireball out of your hands, but it gives you more power, a better defense, and might scare your opponent off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-07-24T13:59:19.630" LastActivityDate="2020-07-24T13:59:19.630" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="372" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="374" CreationDate="2012-02-07T21:37:33.457" Score="9" ViewCount="423" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice in WCMA and BJJ, which means I can spend a fair amount of time on the ground working on flows, take downs, clinches, locks, etc. I've been looking around for a decent mat system that I can put in the garage that would allow me and my wife and/or friends, to practice at home. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's important that that it won't separate or move easily and that it provides some form of padding without causing other issues, i.e. carpet burn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'm wondering if there are any recommendations out there from the community on mat systems, or DIY systems, that I can put in to facility at home training. I'm willing to take any suggestions, but cost is a factor, can't really afford more then a few hundred.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2017-02-24T14:42:32.187" Title="What is a good mat system for home MMA training?" Tags="|training|recommendation|equipment|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="373" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="330" CreationDate="2012-02-07T21:46:26.777" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aikido is all about controlling someone without harming them. Aikido is basically ju-jitsu without strikes or kicks. The practice includes defense against bladed weapons and multiple attackers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="169" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T21:46:26.777" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="374" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="372" CreationDate="2012-02-07T21:57:47.357" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are various versions of the rubber jigsaw mats that are pretty good, I've trained on a number and have had them for home.  They are not cheap cheap, but also not that expensive.  But there are options, it gets more pricey the thicker you get them.  Any thickness is pretty good for purely grappling.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For throwing / takedowns then the thicker the better really.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T21:57:47.357" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="375" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="379" CreationDate="2012-02-07T23:25:10.980" Score="9" ViewCount="17633" Body="&lt;p&gt;My knuckles were at one point fairly pointy, with deep valleys between them. I noticed after a while that the first two knuckles (where I generally strike with) have flattened out slightly. I can even notice a change between a soft fist and a slightly more clenched fist - I can visibly see the knuckles slightly roll outwards to form an even flatter surface.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this normal and as I continue how should I expect my fist to change?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no pain or anything like that, just an interesting change I've noticed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;EDIT:&lt;/strong&gt; Because I'm seeing a lot of people talking about bone reshaping I want to point out that this change is not intentional, it's just what I've noticed. There are currently no known medical implications. It's more of a curiosity in whether or not this was common and how it might continue to change in the future.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="107" LastEditorUserId="107" LastEditDate="2012-02-08T14:59:56.710" LastActivityDate="2012-02-09T10:16:47.657" Title="How should I expect my fist to change over time from punching?" Tags="|fist|striking|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="376" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-07T23:35:38.703" Score="15" ViewCount="1990" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I have a few tournaments coming up and I am training in my sparring techniques. I am 12 years old with 2 national sparring championships (and on the shorter side) I have moved up in age division so, I will be sparring guys almost 6-12 inches taller than me. I do kicking drills on the bags and practice sparring with other black belts, unfortunately, they are my size and younger. What techniques can I add to get faster, get my hits, while maximizing my reach? I do have a good flexibility but I think I may be to short and slow to get the kicks to the head for points.&#xA;Thanks&#xA;E..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="76" LastActivityDate="2017-12-17T17:55:45.160" Title="Should I train differently to spar guys who are bigger than me?" Tags="|training|technique|tae-kwon-do|sparring|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="377" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="375" CreationDate="2012-02-07T23:53:19.900" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Depending on the surfaces your striking and with what protection your using, i.e. gloves or wraps, you can to modify your knuckles. In practice called &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yENNqRJ2mu0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Bone Remodeling&lt;/a&gt;, placing stress on your bones over long periods of time you can develop micro 'stress' fractures that get filled in with calcium, this modifies the bone itself and might be noticeable where the bone can be clearly visible through skin, i.e. knuckles and elbows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might also be developing calluses and/or thicker skin in those areas due to repeated stress. Additionally you have muscles in between your knuckles that can be growing larger and modifying your normal bone alignment slightly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend using at least wraps when punching as you can develop RSI injuries to the knuckles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T23:53:19.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="378" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="376" CreationDate="2012-02-07T23:56:54.477" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm going to be very precise with my answer here. Your &lt;em&gt;technique&lt;/em&gt; will remain the same, your kicks and punches should still be the same as when you practice them. What does change though is your &lt;em&gt;approach&lt;/em&gt; to your opponent so that you can deliver that technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because your opponent is taller, you will have more issues than it just being harder to reach their head and therefore harder to score points. They will also have a longer reach, making it more difficult for you to get close to them. This sort of thing can be easy to remedy or adapt to in real life situations, but because you are participating in tournament Tae Kwon Do you have rules to adhere to (and specific targets that must be hit).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For this particular tournament, change your strategy.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kick to the body instead of going after the money shot to the head. It may be slower to earn points this way, but you cannot earn any points at all if you can't reach their head and only concentrate on that.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Move off your center line before delivering a technique, this means you are coming from a different angle and are forcing your opponent to also change their direction. It is much harder to defend (and counter-attack) when the angle of attack is changing (straight line attacks are comparatively easy to deal with).  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Own the center of the mat, make your opponent do all the moving around.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Look for oppotunities to close the gap to your opponent, watch for them telegraphing a move. When they raise a knee or tilt/drop their hips for a kick, step in - it is harder for your opponent to deliver a clean kick when you are in punching range.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T23:56:54.477" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="379" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="375" CreationDate="2012-02-07T23:58:53.377" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The fist, like the rest of your body, adapts to the demands under which it's placed. The difference in the valley between the knuckles of the fore- and middle-fingers is likely not due to a remodeling of the bone structure of those joints, but rather is likely a change in the development of the muscles of the hand under demands of the grip, causing those two knuckles to flex slightly further apart. This is completely normal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unless you're punching against concrete walls, human skulls, or trees with regularity, bone remodeling is not likely to occur - proper strikes against even heavy bags are not resisted enough to cause significant fracturing and calcification.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a personal level, &lt;em&gt;atemi no tanren&lt;/em&gt; training resulted in building the muscles in my hand significantly, which now looks a bit like a squished toad on the end of my arm. This is purely the result of the muscles building especially in my dominant hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are at all concerned that any sort of training you're doing is leading to any sort of detrimental result, you should consult a doctor. An x-ray of your hand will show signs of remodeling and calcification that might lead to repetitive stress injuries or arthritis due to inflammation and remodeling of the joints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-07T23:58:53.377" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="380" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="375" CreationDate="2012-02-08T00:48:11.980" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Definitely don't try to rush bone conditioning. It is a slow development that happens over years of training martial arts. It's also a good idea to make sure your diet has plenty of calcium in it (dark greens have lots of calcium, don't just chug gallons of milk.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="180" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T00:48:11.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="381" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="332" CreationDate="2012-02-08T00:57:00.533" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It sounds like you're rolling the staff over the wrong part of your hand. It's difficult to explain, so my best advice would be to ask someone in your school who does not have this problem to show you in slow motion how the staff rolls over their hand. When it rolls wrong (the way most people do it at first) you'll get a little more off center with each revolution and quickly lose control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="180" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T00:57:00.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="382" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="369" CreationDate="2012-02-08T01:27:29.997" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm taking just this piece as the real question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In martial practice, how can the ankles be used to maximize benefit?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flexible ankles can significantly lower your stance (just bending them) in a much more natural way than trying to flex just your knees. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To lower my stance I prefer to just focus on flexing my ankles and forget about the knees. &#xA;When you lower your stance in that way, the plant of your feet tends to open up a bit, improving stability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Trying to move from such a stance (I mean footwork) also &lt;em&gt;may&lt;/em&gt; change the inner structure of your movements. (but that's too difficult to explain here and probably OT). Ankles -not knees- are ultimately responsible for moving your weight from one leg to the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another perk is the increased ability to absorb power (such as a front push). If you resist by deliberately flexing your ankles it will be more difficult to move you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the last thing, as every join, ankles must be kept aligned. A common mistake in many movements is letting the rear foot point backward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And yes, there's a use for power: if you practice &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa_jin&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Fa jin&lt;/a&gt; ankles are involved as most other big joints. (you probably referred to this in your last paragraph, I'm not sure though)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T01:27:29.997" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="383" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="390" CreationDate="2012-02-08T02:13:40.687" Score="17" ViewCount="6102" Body="&lt;p&gt;Within the context of Brazilian Ju-Jitsu and its rules:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming you are on the ground and someone has your back and hooks in,  is there a defense to a rear naked choke?  Or is the only defense to stop the choke before it can be put on?  or is there good defenses when  its only partially on?  or ideally is there a tactic to use when it's fully on?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-02-08T18:49:04.930" LastActivityDate="2013-12-17T12:09:11.587" Title="What is a good defense against a rear naked choke?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="384" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="61" CreationDate="2012-02-08T02:38:33.777" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Maybe it's a style thing (I practice Chow Gar kung fu) but movement of weight is at least as important as angles of feet. I keep a recorder (nowadays a phone) in my car and make detailed verbal notes on corrections and insights from class as I leave. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Verbal notes have the benefit that you can play them back as you make the movements, often at reduced speed which is useful practice in itself. I imagine I'm coaching someone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you progress through an art, it's not the gross combinations of moves that matter so much as these fine details. If you want to get really detailed, you could even go down to where to distribute tension and effort throughout a movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been intrigued by the idea of notation for a long time but not got around to doing much study. I've been partly waiting for computer animations to get to the point where detailed hand shapes and movements could be tracked. One big benefit of having an animated rendering is that you could not only represent external changes in position but use colour to show weight shifts or muscle tension.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A paper I found, following up on the recommendation above, that has promise describes the use of notations to drive computer animation - &lt;a href=&quot;http://smartech.gatech.edu/jspui/bitstream/1853/3287/1/02-25.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Choreography-driven Characters&lt;/a&gt; [pdf].&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also recently saw the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.martialcodex.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Martial Codex&lt;/a&gt; site, which has some great animation stuff. It would be awesome to have generation of movement of such characters from a notation, which would be an ultimate test of how comprehensively a notation covered movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It recently occurred to me that games character Rigging and motion-capture data formats might help in this area. There's an interesting overview from 2013 in &lt;a href=&quot;https://alastaira.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/using-free-mocap-data-for-game-character-animation-in-unity/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this article&lt;/a&gt; which covers using Blender to reformat and cleanup files.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Update 2018-11-10&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been thinking about this a lot more and considering writing an app to help document things. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This occasional background idea has acquired a lot more urgency because we sadly lost our beloved Sifu suddenly earlier this year and want to ensure recording more of our school's knowledge before his older relatives are unable to clarify or add details for us.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've bought some books on &lt;a href=&quot;http://user.uni-frankfurt.de/~griesbec/LABANE.HTML&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Laban notation&lt;/a&gt; but it may not be a great fit so have been doing my own design. Whilst it includes some description of &lt;em&gt;weight carrying&lt;/em&gt; it seems to lack &lt;em&gt;weight distribution&lt;/em&gt; notation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Somewhat abusing this answer to record some thoughts in public) I think we need a way to document things more as variations on basic stances and transitions between them. It may be that Laban notation could be used for detailed bits but a recording of a form would use a simpler summary. There is a lot more repetition of standard positions and moves in most martial arts forms compared to free-form dance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm doing some &lt;em&gt;paper prototyping&lt;/em&gt; of having multiple columns indicating:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stance (allowing use of a simple symbol or letter code)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stance facing direction&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Eye facing direction&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Feet positions and turns (starting position of feet implied by the stance)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Complex arm movements&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Complex foot movements eg when kicking&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Movement of weight - I think a simple bar with gradient or &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparkline&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sparkline&lt;/a&gt; would summarise this.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="179" LastEditorUserId="179" LastEditDate="2018-11-10T10:45:41.043" LastActivityDate="2018-11-10T10:45:41.043" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="385" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="375" CreationDate="2012-02-08T02:52:58.580" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had a friend who was a large, strong man who radically reshaped his hand over several years of punching wooden dummies without wraps, displacing the first two knuckles back to an unpleasant and less-functional position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More seriously, training a lot of punching without wraps can ruin your technique. If you start tightening the fist too much in preparation for impact, that's training you to tighten up and can reduce your speed and power delivery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My own painful lesson in over-conditioning was from doing too many fingertip pushups. I worked my way up to 50 per day over a period of about a year and then within another year had developed stress fractures in the bones in the back of my hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="179" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T02:52:58.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="386" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="61" CreationDate="2012-02-08T02:59:49.570" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I haven't heard anything about martial arts notation per se; however, there is &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_notation&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;dance notation&lt;/a&gt; that is used by ballet that might be useful for if you wanted to develop your own system. Also, some hunting around can also lead you to some limited information on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fightdirector.com/fightnotation.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;fight notation&lt;/a&gt;, but such systems tend to apply to a specific style and may or may not also only apply to sword fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do some hunting around on the internet you can find some blog entries (&lt;a href=&quot;http://analytic-ma.blogspot.com/2007/10/preliminary-proposal-for-system-of.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://martial.jessecrouch.com/search/label/notation&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;2&lt;/a&gt;) that discuss the concepts for martial arts specifically but one thing that I've noticed is that such discussions tend to highlight the fact that the notations are useful as reminders if you already know what you are doing and aren't really that useful to attempting to demonstrate new information to someone that is not already familiar with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="46" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T02:59:49.570" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="387" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-08T03:22:31.757" Score="12" ViewCount="614" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am nearly 50 and have been training more-or-less continuously for most of my adult life. I am careful to baby myself after injury, particularly joint injury, because I'm painfully aware how much longer it takes to heal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, a friend who is of a similar age recently asked to join our club. He's not practised any martial arts for many years. We're a fairly traditional kung fu style with a lot of forms work and moderately deep stances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm trying to think of a list of things to ease him into training without injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, is it a good idea to encourage him to do more stretching, particularly using &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PNF_stretching&quot;&gt;PNF (isometric) techniques&lt;/a&gt;? I think improving flexibility, particularly in the hips, is a very important guard against injury particularly as you get older.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="179" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-09-19T20:49:32.393" LastActivityDate="2019-09-20T09:48:14.127" Title="How do you ease someone over 40 back into training after many years absence?" Tags="|teaching|stretching|aging|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="388" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-08T03:25:00.257" Score="5" ViewCount="659" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've just gotten back into karate about a month ago after a long long break, and I'm finding it hard to cope with kicks to the legs (with or without pads), especially the quads. Being a cyclist I have fairly well developed quads but even one hit through a pad can be excruciating. What can I do to condition my legs to such hits and get a bit more resistant to the pain?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="175" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T15:02:29.837" Title="Leg conditioning advice" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="389" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="387" CreationDate="2012-02-08T03:35:17.777" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;What do you do to an old engine the first time you start it up ? You warm it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Literally, the most important thing is making sure your friend is actually training. Pay attention to the body warmth, not only when it comes to warm up (also very important), but also right after the end of the training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gradually, he should come out of the dojo as warm (sweated and such) as everybody else. Also make clear with him that fatigue (muscular) pain the day after is a needed and welcome signal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Body temperature is ultimately what should lead us further into body development. :) The more you help him do that, the faster he'll get in shape and the less his change to get injured will get as the time goes by.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T03:35:17.777" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="390" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="383" CreationDate="2012-02-08T04:21:50.333" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;Depending on if the choke is on and how their arms are positioned here are a few options I'm aware of and try to work on (these are very brief descriptions, barely scratching the surface of back and RNC defense, to get you started on further research):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hooks in no upper body control&lt;/strong&gt; - Protect your neck with the &quot;V&quot; &quot;prayer&quot; position , flare your legs out and keep scooting down, once you feel you are low enough so they can't pull you back up straighten one leg and kick off the hook and spin to your knees away form the side you just kicked their hook off. This is a short summary of the Saulo Ribeiro type escape on his dvds and book.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hooks in with &quot;seatbelt&quot; upper body control 1&lt;/strong&gt; - Pull their top choking arm down to get some space, turn and tuck your chin into their elbow. Bridge and roll your body in the opposite direction of their choking hand, your goal is to get your head and back to the ground then shrimp and regain guard or half guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hooks in with &quot;seatbelt&quot; upper body control 2&lt;/strong&gt; - Get a &quot;wedge&quot; or &quot;frame&quot; under their clasped hands, using your own arms and frame their grip off, get control of their top choking arm get it to the other side of your head then spin around to your knees to be in their guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hooks in with RNC sunk in&lt;/strong&gt; - Tap ;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="123" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T04:21:50.333" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="391" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="383" CreationDate="2012-02-08T04:31:49.480" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are in  the street some options are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Claw the face:&lt;/strong&gt; reach back to gauge the eyes, grab the larynx, etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Assault the hands:&lt;/strong&gt; If any fingers are exposed grab and twist them, try to break them.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="182" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-02-08T21:58:04.197" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T21:58:04.197" CommentCount="13" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="392" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="383" CreationDate="2012-02-08T04:33:12.160" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen some people grabbing the little finger of the attacker and pulling it away from the neck. That puts the attacker in immense pain and he is bound to leave the choke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="73" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T04:33:12.160" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="395" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="387" CreationDate="2012-02-08T08:00:03.723" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suggest walking up and down hills if possible.  Then back that up with gentle stretching.  Do that for 4-6 weeks and the body will have adjusted a bit to the stress of physical activity and loosened up a bit.   Then can start trying out training.  But make sure you arrive early,  I'm 40, and I find I need to turn up to class a bit earlier and make sure I stretch out all the trouble spots.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T08:00:03.723" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="396" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="387" CreationDate="2012-02-08T08:06:41.467" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do not over do it.  Warm up before and cool down after each class. Eat well, hydrate before and after class, and keep in mind that doing things slowly is good at first. You can always speed up later once you know the form/kata/technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-09-20T09:48:14.127" LastActivityDate="2019-09-20T09:48:14.127" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="397" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="359" CreationDate="2012-02-08T08:23:45.557" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This question is too broad to give it an exaustive answer, because (as you can see from the answers) each martial art gives its interpretation of the kiai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Speaking of Karate Shotokan, the kiai is performed to stress the power on a technique (for kihon and kata) and to intimidate the opponent (for kumite, and also for validating a successful blow during tournaments).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is worth noting that the kiai is not performed by &quot;shouting&quot; (after some shout in succession you lose your voice); but instead is performed by a powerful contraction of the abdomen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="85" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T08:23:45.557" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="398" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="387" CreationDate="2012-02-08T08:57:44.790" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm fifty two years old. Returned to Ninjutsu after decades of inactivity. After a few years I've had to stop training because of a back injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My way back into training involved a one year term with the long staff: This allowed me to stay mostly upright, and not put a load on my back. Moreover, the group I've joined is a women's one, and is defined as &quot;Feldenkrais + long staff&quot;. So we train with the staff AND study motion-awareness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my suggestion is: Do it slowly, do it easy, and try to figure a way that would allow you to become active while avoiding injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="173" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T08:57:44.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="399" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="388" CreationDate="2012-02-08T10:03:59.997" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;My Kung Fu teachers regularly address this in sparring classes, because in contests, those kicks are a common tactic to wear down an opponent with a good cover. Most of the time, it's to risky to cover the legs (because it makes you expose more vulnerable spots) or evade the blow, so it's good if you can just take it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We are taught to briefly tighten the muscles as much as we can at the moment of impact. Timing is essential. You want the contraction to be as short as possible. If you keep the muscles tight for too long, you lose the agility for a counter and waste energy. We practice this with one person standing in the middle and three or for others repeatedly kicking spots on that person's legs, not necessarily hard, since it's about the timing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shins are different, because there are no muscles on them. We sit down and slowly roll a log up and down the shins for some minutes, very regularly. The log should have some weight, so as to exert enough pressure, and, if you use one straight out of the woods, it's good if there aren't too many knobs on it, those hurt. If the log is very light, you can kneel on the log and move back and forth, using your body weight, but this might be too much pressure, at least in the beginning. This practice gradually lowers the sensitivity to pressure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a side note, if the shins are well prepared, and your legwork is fast enough, you can quickly pull up your knee and block a blow to the leg with your shin. This can be very effective, but you need to be fast, if you're too slow, you put your knee at risk during the upward movement. Also, as with all blocks, you want to be ready for a counter very quickly, so you want the leg back on the floor soon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="186" LastEditorUserId="186" LastEditDate="2012-02-08T15:02:29.837" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T15:02:29.837" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="400" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="330" CreationDate="2012-02-08T10:48:29.020" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;A full blown martial art takes too long to master to help you for that specific situation. Also, in most traditional martial arts, the actual self-defense or &quot;streetfight&quot; part is small, if it exists at all. For example, the self-defense / streetfight classes in my Kung Fu school teach us the following options, to be considered in that order:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;avoid confrontation&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;walk away&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;run away&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;push the guy out of the way and run away&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;punch in the stomach, then run away (but this is already quite risky)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;incapacitate the attacker as quickly and thouroughly as possible, this almost certainly means serious harm to the attacker, common results include broken elbows or knees, which is no fun&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This strategy, obviously, is not very practical for your job. I would suggest that you put a very strong focus on your deescalation skills, and your psychological skills. You need to stay on top of the situation, &lt;strong&gt;you have to prevent becoming angry or frightened&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might want to think of, and prepare for, a portfolio of unconventional measures. For instance, it might help to be aware of larger deposits of (preferrably cold) liquid nearby, a bucket full of ice water from the bar and a quick grapple might be just as effective as any special forces training. With all sincerity, I can recommend watching a lot of old Kung Fu B-Movies, they are often quite creative when it comes to using bowls of rice to defeat the bad guys.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The one-line summary for deescalation is to &lt;strong&gt;act firm and confident, but polite and non-threatening&lt;/strong&gt;. As a man, this means you have to be aware of, and in control of, your biological tendency to beat your chest and show your teeth and stare down your opponent. Testosterone really gets in your way here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To protect yourself and others from harm, you probably want the type of techniques (civilized) police forces use on unarmed citizens. A close-combat style with little frills might be a good idea too, examples include Systema, Wing-Tsun or Krav Maga. However, those are often designed for and / or by military personnel and might encourage techniques that would be considered undue force in a civilian context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fights &quot;in the wild&quot; are dirty and dangerous, and it's very hard to handle them gracefully. Don't get into one. Especially if you're the one hired to prevent trouble.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For further reading, and pointers to even more reading, I recommend &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/the-truth-about-violence/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;&quot;The Truth about Violence&quot; by Sam Harris&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://postmasculine.com/how-to-survive-a-street-fight&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;&quot;How to Survive a Street Fight&quot; on the &quot;Post Masculine&quot; blog&lt;/a&gt;. The latter article is aimed at an audience with a general interest in the meaning of &quot;manliness&quot;, so you might find the tone slightly weird. It's still good advice, imo, especially if you also read it as advice to the guests at your venue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="186" LastEditorUserId="186" LastEditDate="2012-02-24T14:54:18.707" LastActivityDate="2012-02-24T14:54:18.707" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="401" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="387" CreationDate="2012-02-08T13:48:43.453" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The body they have now is not the body they used to have. They may need a lot of attention for a few months, if they are not very self-aware, because they may try to do what they remember, and damage their body in the process.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best way is to start like any beginner would. Learn the basic movements. Slowly go down into the stances, getting feedback from them as far as where and when and how it hurts. Do the movements. Just that. Do the movements. Martial arts change the body over time - let them spend the time and effort, and their body will change.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No rush.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T13:48:43.453" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="402" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="154" CreationDate="2012-02-08T14:32:52.913" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/the-truth-about-violence/&quot;&gt;good article called &quot;The truth about violence&quot; by one Sam Harris&lt;/a&gt; which explains the necessary mental preparedness nicely, imo. With regard to your question, I'd say the key takeaway is this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;This is the core principle of self-defense: &lt;em&gt;Do whatever you can to avoid a physical confrontation, but the moment avoidance fails, attack explosively for the purposes of escape&lt;/em&gt;—not to mete out justice, or to teach a bully a lesson, or to apprehend a criminal. Your goal is to get away with minimum trauma (to you), while harming your attacker in any way that seems necessary to ensure your escape.⁠&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that &quot;for the purpose of escape&quot; part. Even if it has to get physical, you still want out. It might always get worse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For this to work, you have to handle your anger, pride, and fear such that they don't get in the way of your judgement. As a male, knowing what testosterone does to you is critical to that. You can't avoid your biological setup, but you can handle it gracefully.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="186" LastEditorUserId="186" LastEditDate="2012-02-13T13:31:15.193" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T13:31:15.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="403" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="375" CreationDate="2012-02-08T15:04:51.237" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In short term the pain tolerance will increase and the ability to hit harder will also increase but&#xA;In long term expect problems with your hands, shakes, floating pices of cartride in your knuckles etc. . &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hands are not meant to be used as hammers, intelligent beings use hammers instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="194" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T15:04:51.237" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="404" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="383" CreationDate="2012-02-08T17:56:37.273" Score="5" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Assuming you are on the ground and someone has your back and hooks in, is there a defense to a rear naked choke? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not everyone is going to agree with me here, I can guarantee that. I am not familiar with competition rules for BJJ, but I understand them to be fairly liberal, with the exception of small joint locks and soft-tissue mauling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With hooks in, you're pretty well S.O.L. If he's got you from behind, hooks in, and is already applying an RNC, you've screwed up badly. Here's what I'd do (assuming I were competitive; I'm not, and would inflict a great deal more pain on the way):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tuck the chin into the crook of the elbow.&lt;/strong&gt; This is all or nothing, so force your chin into that space.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Slip your hands inside their thigh.&lt;/strong&gt; This will create a minuscule amount of space.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Arch your back.&lt;/strong&gt; Remember that small amount of space you created before? You're creating more space by keeping your hands in their space-making position, and opening your body into a spot where he has to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;slide down.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;open his legs due to the strain.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While you're creating space, flex your elbows out to create more.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shoot your legs to one side.&lt;/strong&gt; Preferably, you're going to shoot in a direction opposite where your chin is pointing. If he has you in RNC with his right arm, your chin will point slightly right, so shoot left.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sprawl.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bring your hands back up to pull on that elbow.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pull him down&lt;/strong&gt;. Sliding down to the wrist/forearm as you pull that elbow down to release your head will give you control through mechanical and minimal pain compliance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember, at this point, you're losing. You're going for a hail mary, so really commit. This will &lt;em&gt;only&lt;/em&gt; work in rare occasions where you can flow from one point to the next and fully commit. Further, if they're aware of what you're doing, you're hosed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NB&lt;/strong&gt;: This is a ground variation of a standing technique used in the Bujinkan, and may need to be adjusted a bit to fit the BJJ rule set.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Or is the only defense to stop the choke before it can be put on?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best defense is being able to defend against it before it happens. This is about awareness and applying a quality defense. Unfortunately, you have a lot of restrictions working against you because of the rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can protect your carotid artery, you're going to remove the effect of the RNC, which buys you time. The secondary danger (and an extremely common one) is the neck crank that can accompany it. Practice everything in a controlled manner before you apply it. If you're not flexible enough, keep training until you are. The neck is a really dangerous playground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;or is there good defenses when its only partially on? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Definitely. The less on, the more options. As you see it coming around, you have the option to  adjust into an arm bar. Further on, you can get most of you face down into the elbow and you're half out already. From there, you can control the ankle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are tons of options. Explore them at various points in the technique by training slowly with a partner to discover your options. Get into one position, begin the technique, and say, &quot;Stop!&quot; at different points. Explore where you can go and how the body moves when restricted at various points. Part of what makes good martial artists into great martial artists is their ability to explore their body's capabilities in various ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-03-23T21:06:30.090" LastActivityDate="2012-03-23T21:06:30.090" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="405" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="406" CreationDate="2012-02-08T19:00:42.980" Score="11" ViewCount="473" Body="&lt;p&gt;In our dojo (Kung Fu) we kneel and bow. Where did this tradition come from?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="197" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2012-02-08T22:30:06.870" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T22:30:06.870" Title="Where do kneeling and bowing down in Kung Fu come from?" Tags="|bowing|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="406" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="405" CreationDate="2012-02-08T21:55:02.783" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bowing in Kung-Fu will take various different forms; not surprising as there are hundreds, if not thousands, of individual styles from various families and various regions all throughout China.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In China, bowing (especially the traditional kowtow) serves as a sign of reverence. Modernly (following Imperialisms decline in China), the kowtow has been replaced by the standing bow in many formal situations. Bowing is also common under Buddhist traditions, especially when honoring both the student-teacher relationship, as well as in honoring ancestors and memories of predecessors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, bows may be used in apology. As @BenCole said in one of his comments to the original question, this may be a way of bearing the neck in a sign of supplication, but is commonly used by political and celebrity figures to show remorse for a perceived fault.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bows in Chinese martial arts tend not to be as strict as bows in Japanese martial arts, as bowing is not such a formalized practice in China any longer. The core ties are, however, to both Buddhist and Confucian traditions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T21:55:02.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="407" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="413" CreationDate="2012-02-08T22:34:07.850" Score="16" ViewCount="467" Body="&lt;p&gt;I often see martial arts schools claiming to be &quot;Shaolin&quot; in some way or another. As far as I know, though, that claim doesn't necessarily  mean they are connected to the temple.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where can I find a formal genealogy of styles, showing me which ones are directly derived from the Shaolin temple, and which ones are not? (Is this available at all)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="146" LastActivityDate="2020-03-14T06:31:50.300" Title="Have any Kung Fu styles established a formal connection to the Shaolin Temple?" Tags="|history|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="408" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="294" CreationDate="2012-02-08T23:22:39.723" Score="16" Body="&lt;p&gt;A good way to get gi / kimono specific grip training is sling your gi / kimono top around a pull up bar or a tree branch and use that to do any number of exercises, such as&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pull ups, grip the lapels and hoist yourself up&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Grab lapels and pull yourself up&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Grab lapels and bring your lower body up and wrap your legs around the gi in triangle position&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Just hang as long as you can&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are plenty more, use your imagination, but using the gi top is a good way to condition your grip and fingers to get that killer death grip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="123" LastActivityDate="2012-02-08T23:22:39.723" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="409" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="145" CreationDate="2012-02-08T23:29:59.997" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In many [Japanese] arts, there are a series of techniques called (with some minor variation in naming convention) &lt;em&gt;hojo undo&lt;/em&gt;, or supplementary exercises. They may also be called &lt;em&gt;taiso&lt;/em&gt;, which implies an awakening of the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While studying Aikido, I took notes on the various warmups we did at the beginning, which I'll post for you here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tekubi Furo Undo&lt;/strong&gt; - Shaking the Hands and Fingers Exercise&lt;/em&gt; – With your hands hanging limply at your sides, all tension removed from your shoulders, begin shaking the hands and fingers vigorously as if trying to dry them. This is to encourage blood flow into the extremities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sayu Udefuri Undo&lt;/strong&gt; - Twisting the Body to the Side Exercise&lt;/em&gt; – Stand with your feet apart at about shoulder width. With control, twist your body (including your head) and let your arms be carried about by the motion, to and fro. Your feet should remain still.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sayu Jotai Undo&lt;/strong&gt; - Sidelong Upper-body Exercise&lt;/em&gt; – Still with your feet apart at shoulder width, swing one arm over, reaching across your body to stretch your sides.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Zengo Jotai Shincho Undo&lt;/strong&gt; - Forward/Backward Upper Body Morning Prayer Exercise&lt;/em&gt; - With your feet still apart, swing the arms up to stretch the chest and abdominals, then back down to stretch the back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nikkyo Undo&lt;/strong&gt; - Second Technique Exercise&lt;/em&gt; – With the right hand, grab the left, right thumb encircling the left thumb. Press and stretch the hand, pushing against the back of the hand and fingers, gently pushing the fingers toward the inside of the forearm. Repeat on other side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kotegaeshi Undo&lt;/strong&gt; - Reversing the Wrist Exercise&lt;/em&gt; – Raise the left wrist to chest level, and rotate outward (if looking at the back of the hand, rotate clockwise) so the left pinkie and side of the hand face toward the chest. Place the wright hand around the left, with the right thumb resting between the ring and middle fingers of the left, pushing in against the wrist and move in outward circles while gently stretching the wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, rotate the left wrist counterclockwise until again the pinkie and side of the hand are again facing the chest, and stretch the wrist while moving in inward circles toward the chest. Repeat both parts on opposite wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These were the ones I recall doing daily, though we had occasional exercise-heavy classes in which most of the time was spent going over some 40-odd warm ups. &lt;em&gt;Ukemi&lt;/em&gt; is always a great exercise when free space allows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While not precisely relevant, performing these sorts of body-awakening exercises can offer you a few moments of peace before a busy day, which can be a perfect time to ponder brain teasers or zen koans as an exercise for the mind; these sorts of exercises provide new insight into the way we approach our daily lives, and create new neural pathways which can result in faster threat assessment and problem solving in simpler problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some things I've pondered, based on various teachings, that may be of use to you are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Koan&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Will a stone canoe float?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In a world without thought, would sin exist?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Does a dog have a Buddha Nature?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How do you remove a chicken from a box with no openings?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lateral Thinking Puzzles&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;&lt;em&gt;If you're unfamiliar, these are a portion of a much larger story. There may be multiple scenarios which will lead to the conclusion offered by the story, but only one is generally wholly satisfying. The point is to consider what you know, and determine what would have caused it.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A child falls from a 20 story building and survives.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A man is found dead in a field clutching a broken match.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Why is it better to have round manhole covers than square?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In the middle of the ocean is a yacht, and several corpses are floating nearby.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not encourage people to meditate while stretching or as part of their morning ritual; this tends to lead to the false assumption that meditation is an activity that must take place under a prescribed set of circumstances. Instead, meditation should happen in every moment; problem solving however can lead to the ability to naturally and instinctually clear your mind of external thoughts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-05-22T17:21:29.260" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="410" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="17" CreationDate="2012-02-09T06:00:09.803" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Oxi-Clean, baking soda and white vinegar in the washing machine works.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Baking soda and vinegar are cheap comparatively to the other cleaning agents. Off the top of my head I dont know why they work so good, but they do. I'd have to google the chemistry reasons as to why they work so good but I can vouch that they do the trick. Don't use clorox or bleach on your gi as for it destroys and weakens the fabric. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user201" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2015-06-05T12:47:34.497" LastActivityDate="2015-06-05T12:47:34.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="411" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="481" CreationDate="2012-02-09T09:42:47.970" Score="11" ViewCount="2225" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are the benefits of a formal &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senpai_and_k%C5%8Dhai&quot;&gt;senpai/kohai&lt;/a&gt; relationship within the cadre of a western (aka based in the UK) Aikido dojo?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am interested in personal experience (not opinions) as to whether there are any benefits to a senpai/kohai relationship for enhancing the process of learning Aikido.  Since I am a western teaching westerners (mostly), that relationship would require some setting up thus I want to know if there are any benefits to doing it. I would be happy to hear about other martial arts as well but since I am teaching/learning Aikido, this is where my focus is. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2012-02-09T17:04:09.617" LastActivityDate="2012-02-14T16:50:34.707" Title="Benefits of a formal senpai/kohai relationship within an Aikido dojo" Tags="|aikido|dojo|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="412" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="375" CreationDate="2012-02-09T10:00:25.760" Score="5" Body="&lt;h3&gt;Calluses (skin growth)&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After many years of hand conditioning (punching makiwara and doing knuckle press ups) karateka can develop calluses on their dominant knuckles, such as these from Dan Djurdjevic's &lt;a href=&quot;http://dandjurdjevic.blogspot.com/2010/04/punching-alignment-and-conditioning.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;essay on conditioning&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ueM5V.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;callused knuckles from makiwara training and knuckle press ups&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another example of callused knuckles from the &lt;a href=&quot;http://bigstickcombat.wordpress.com/tag/wwii-combatives/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Big Stick Combat Blog&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/94LUp.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Cortical remodelling (bone adaptation)&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolff%27s_law&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wolff's law&lt;/a&gt; states that bones adapt to the loads they're placed under. The bones in the hand can remodel themselves to become denser and change shape when subject to repeated load.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A study into the effect of lifetime loading on bone density (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thebonejournal.com/article/S8756-3282(10)01341-4/abstract&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;available here&lt;/a&gt;) supports the idea that prolonged loading leads to denser bones:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion, a greater lifetime loading history was associated with&#xA;region-specific adaptations in cortical bone density.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The U.S. Department of Health's website offers a lot more information on the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/bonehealth/chapter_6.html#ImpactonBoneMassBMDandOtherBoneQualities&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;effects of exercise on bone density&lt;/a&gt;. Interestingly, they suggest that bone density will decrease if you stop conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some examples of training regimes to build bone density on &lt;a href=&quot;http://sihingpaul.com/2011/08/12/wingchun-impacts-on-your-bones/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sihing Paul Wang's site&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Broken knuckles&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These typically appear sunken (not pronounced, as you describe in your question). You can reduce the chance of broken knuckles by aiming for soft targets and using open-handed strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Broken or sprained wrists&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Caused by misalignment. It's very important to punch with a straight fist: the back of the hand should lie flat with the arm; there should be no 'ramp' where the hand begins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="17" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2012-02-09T10:16:47.657" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="413" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="407" CreationDate="2012-02-09T11:51:20.673" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;To quote &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaolin_kung_fu&quot;&gt;wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;Aside from a few very well known systems, such as Xiao Hong Quan, the&#xA;  Da Hong Quan, Yin Shou Gun, Damo Sword, etc., after the loss of&#xA;  records during the 20th Century Cultural Revolution it would be almost&#xA;  impossible for a particular style to conclusively establish a&#xA;  connection to the Temple.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The shaolin.com website claims to be working on a list of Shaolin styles based on knowledge &quot;&lt;em&gt;directly or indirectly from refugee Shaolin priests who fled China and emigrated to America before the temples were destroyed in the 1920's.&lt;/em&gt;&quot;&#xA;The site currently has a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shaolin.com/StyleContent.aspx?Style=Styles&quot;&gt;small list of styles&lt;/a&gt; and is working to expand it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastActivityDate="2012-02-09T11:51:20.673" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="414" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="294" CreationDate="2012-02-09T14:06:11.443" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a few things you can do to improve grip strength.  Like everything else,  sport specific drills are best,  training the closest to the actual activity your trying to improve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;on that note:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Like others have mentioned, throw a gi over a bar and do pull ups with it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;My favourite, because it works all sorts of different parts of your upper body, and can be incorporated into warmups.  with a partner, one person takes off their belt, and goes down the mat far enough that the belt is stretched out.  the other partner lays on their back, and &quot;climbs&quot; up the belt.   to make it more interesting, hold your legs straight, about 6&quot; off the mat.    We used to do this drill down the full length of the dojo.  once on our back, once on our stomach, and once on each side.   Both partners will get a good hand workout, and the climbing/pulling partner will get a good overall upper body workout.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;get a fairly firm stress ball, and play with it, all the time.   squeeze it with your full hand,  one finger at a time, a couple fingers.  If you can't find a firm enough stress ball that it is challenging, use a tennis ball like stslavik mentioned.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do more grip fighting, nothing will improve your grip strength and technique more then just practicing gripping.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Put a gi on the ground in the middle,  one partner on each side,  lying on their stomach.   the goal is to get the gi away from your partner, or pull them to the other side.    We did this in class the other day, it was fun,  challenging, and sure made the forearms burn, which is a good sign ;)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-02-09T14:06:11.443" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="415" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="346" CreationDate="2012-02-09T14:20:05.183" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boil and Bite are ok, better then nothing.  But like others have mentioned, not as good as a custom fit one you can get from your dentist.   Or from a company like smart guard, or one of the many others around.  My first mouth guard was a top of the line shock doctor, which are arguably one of the best brands of boil and bite.  it fit ok, but came loose easily, and was a bit bulky.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't bother with a double mouth guard, it's quite rare to have your bottom teeth knocked out, and the breathing restrictions and uncomfortableness of them makes it not worth while (to me anyway).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Price wise,  a shock doctor boil and bit will cost you about 30 bucks,  you can get a custom fit smart guard (or similar) for about 70.  which is twice the price, but really, 30-40 bucks is nothing when u realize how much nicer the fit is, and how much less bulky it is.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I use my custom fit mouth guard for muay thai, boxing, mma, and bjj.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-02-09T14:20:05.183" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="416" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="294" CreationDate="2012-02-09T14:55:51.537" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your goal to increase your grip strength should focus on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/ForeArmWt.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;exercising your forearm muscles&lt;/a&gt;. There are several strength exercises and tools you can use to work out the different muscles in your your forearms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Tennis Ball or Hand Grip&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/294/what-are-good-exercises-for-building-grip-strength-for-judo-and-bjj#comment399_294&quot;&gt;@stslavik stated in his comment&lt;/a&gt;, you can grab a tennis ball and squeeze it to your heart's content. When squeezing the tennis ball, also hold the squeeze for a few seconds before releasing. As you improve, you can increase the number of repetitions you do. Additionally you can buy hand grip tools. These aren't terribly expensive things, but keep in mind you might reach an upper limit to the amount of strength training you can do with them once you reach a certain level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Wrist Curls and Reverse Wrist Curls&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A single barbell or a dumbbell in each hand will can suffice for this. You can do this while sitting and resting your arms on your legs. Anything that will support the weight of your forearms will work really.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hold the barbell or dumbbell with your palms facing up and just roll your wrist towards you without lifting your arm and then release back down to a relaxed position. The reverse wrist curl is the same except your palms are facing down, and you roll your wrists backwards towards you. Here are pictures of what these two exercises look like:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/h1tLk.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Wrist Curl from BodyBuilding.com&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/T55Jm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Reverse Wrist Curl from BodyBuilding.com&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could also perform the wrist curls with your arm outstretched, but depending on what your level of ability is, you might end up working to keep your arms out more than working on your wrists. If weights aren't an option for you, consider using a resistance band instead (stand on one end and pull the other end up with your wrist).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Make Your Own Wrist Roller&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A simple thing you can do is buy a plate or dumbbell, tie a rope through or around it and tie the other end to a bar or rod. Hold your hands out in front of you, and begin twisting the rod so that the rope wraps around the rod as the weight goes up. When the weight reaches the top, begin untwisting and let the weight go back to the ground. You can also choose to use different weights with it if you so desire. Here's an example of what it looks like from BodyBuilding.com:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/3Mmo9.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Wrist Roller - BodyBuilding.com&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's the basic premise of one. If you don't have plate or barbell, you can improvise with using other materials like a gallon of water or a bag of rocks. You don't need a whole lot of weight to feel it as you curl the rope up or down. A broomstick would work just fine for holding onto as you train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Buy a Wrist Roller&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sportgrips.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;SportGrips SideWinder&lt;/a&gt; is a simple device that is an extremely durable, small, and portable, and has adjustable tension which is controlled by a knob at the top. I wrote a blog post about this on the &lt;a href=&quot;http://fitness.blogoverflow.com/2012/02/open-jars-with-ease-a-sportgrips-sidewinder-review/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Fitness &amp;amp; Nutrition blog&lt;/a&gt;. It's simple and easy to use - adjust the tension, grab, and twist. It definitely helped me increase my grip strength over the last few months. The &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sierraexercise.com/Forearms.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sierra Mega Wrist Roller&lt;/a&gt; is also a similar product you can use. The only downside to these type of products are the cost if money is a concern, but you get what you pay for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9d2XN.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;SportGrip SideWinder&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-02-09T17:47:32.103" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="417" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="420" CreationDate="2012-02-09T15:36:44.537" Score="23" ViewCount="89461" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MWNwN.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This motion shows up in some styles of Karate (opening movement of several &lt;em&gt;Shotokan kata&lt;/em&gt; - &lt;em&gt;Bassai Dai, Jiin, Jion, Jitte&lt;/em&gt;) and some Kung-Fu styles.  What does it represent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="47" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-15T19:19:55.497" LastActivityDate="2017-08-30T16:56:42.763" Title="What does the closed fist covered by open hand signify?" Tags="|bowing|application|" AnswerCount="14" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="418" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="417" CreationDate="2012-02-09T16:00:03.017" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are many reasons for this action. It is, by the way, not the opening movement of a form, but a salute, a ritualistic motion. Here are a few reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Closed hand is aggression, fight &amp;amp; open hand is peace. Cover aggression with peace to indicate that there is such a power within you but you choose not to use it. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Closed hand is yang, open hand is yin. Join yin and yang.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Connect the meridians from the specific point in the open left hand to the specific point in the knuckle of the right hand to close an energetic loop in the body&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-09T16:00:03.017" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="419" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="61" CreationDate="2012-02-09T16:43:32.797" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have thought about his myself at an earlier point. The plan was to develop a system of forms across different Taekwondo styles, possibly even across arts. My idea was to establish a notation that is abstract enough so that every art / every style can interpret it individually.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I eventually gave up on such a notation because it's pretty much impossible to determine the right level of abstraction. I'll give an example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A common technique in Taekwondo is &lt;code&gt;Bakat-Palmok-Bakat-Makki&lt;/code&gt; (Kukkiwon-Terminology, but the ITF-terminology is similar),  a mid-section outward block using the outside of the lower arm, see the upper right picture &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.olympictaekwondo.org/taegeuk-yuk-jang.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;in this form diagram&lt;/a&gt;). Basically the elements you have here are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;direction of movement (outward)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;depending on the style, this may be a horizontal or upward movement, the arms may be crossed or chambered or moved in a parallel axis&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;weapon (outside of the lower arm)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;depending on the style, this may be close to the wrist, close to the elbow, on the outside or on the top side of the arm&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;type of movement (block)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;depending on the style, this may be an offensive or defensive, pushing or breaking block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that's just one technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now who is to decide which level of abstraction is needed for which notation? As an example: I originally learned traditional Taekwondo forms in the 80s from a book (the &quot;Choi bible&quot;) that didn't have many pictures and only vague descriptions (at least in the german translation). Explanations were often something like &quot;Execute a kick in direction L&quot;. A kick? Gosh, we have a few of those in TKD, now which one will I use? Here, obviously the abstraction level was way to high.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, a low level of abstraction means a very verbose text which is a nightmare for both author and reader (very error-prone and an awful signal-to-noise ratio).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think, for a formal notation to be effective, you need an established common ground. A Grandmaster may just say something is a a Front kick and abbreviate it as FK, because his students will know his individual interpretation of the technique. But in an exchange with another master from another system, he will have to go into a lot more depth, the same technique will probably need at least two sentences of explanation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Borrowing notations from non-martial arts (or from &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category%3aSign_language_notation&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Sign Language notation&lt;/a&gt;) does not seem helpful to me, because martial arts techniques have purposes, not just movements, and these purposes are pretty unique to martial arts, I'm afraid. So, no, I don't think there is or ever will be such a notation that is powerful enough to give a common ground for many or all martial arts but still simple enough to actually be useable (and readable).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="79" LastEditorUserId="79" LastEditDate="2013-06-12T10:42:17.680" LastActivityDate="2013-06-12T10:42:17.680" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="420" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="417" CreationDate="2012-02-09T19:25:25.800" Score="20" Body="&lt;p&gt;This ritual is called &lt;em&gt;Bao Quan&lt;/em&gt; (抱拳), literally meaning &quot;Fist Wrapping&quot;, and is a common etiquette derived from (but not exclusive to) Chinese Martial Arts. It is not necessarily a bow, but rather a salute. Traditionally, this is practiced by:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Standing upright, the body straight.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Clenching the right fist.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Straighten your left palm to have your four fingers in a plane. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wrap the left four fingers together around the right fist.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Place the two hands in front of your chest, without bringing the elbows up. [&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Edit:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; I come to understand that the elbows may or may not be &quot;up&quot; dependent upon the situation, locality, or perhaps personal preference.]&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two traditional explanations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The left palm with its 4 fingers represent the 4 nurturing elements: Virtue, Wisdom, Health, and Art. These symbolize the spirit of martial arts. The left thumb is slightly bent to imply one should never be arrogant or self-centered. The right fist symbolizes rigorous practice. Since the right hand is clenched in a fist, it symbolizes attack, while the left, being virtuous and disciplined, stops the attack, symbolizing self-discipline and restraint.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The left hand symbolizes the 5 (major) lakes of China, the fist representing the 4 seas surrounding China. The two hands together show the unity of martial artists. This is exemplified in the saying 五湖四海皆兄弟 (I believe &lt;em&gt;wu hu si hai joe xiongdi&lt;/em&gt;, but I don't know much Chinese), which means &quot;The people of the 5 lakes and 4 seas are all brothers.&quot; This, I'm lead to understand, is commonly taught as a meaning to &lt;em&gt;Bak Mei&lt;/em&gt; practitioners. This also has ties to the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiandihui&quot;&gt;Hung Society&lt;/a&gt;, but this trends off-topic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; I have also heard numerous other explanations from various instructors in different styles of Kempo and Wushu, ranging from the &quot;Right is war, left is peace&quot; to the meeting of Taoist (right) and Buddhist (left) cultures in unity. The two I list as traditional (above) come from sources who've been very helpful in researching things in the past. These edit-included excuses tend to be perpetuated down less reputable lines.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-09T23:17:47.477" LastActivityDate="2012-02-09T23:17:47.477" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="421" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="422" CreationDate="2012-02-09T20:06:01.727" Score="7" ViewCount="260" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have recently begun practicing escrima, and I find it difficult to simultaneously wield two sticks  while keeping co-ordination and rhythm. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there some drills I could do on my own to improve my ability to use both hands at once?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="45" LastActivityDate="2014-01-09T09:41:16.550" Title="What methods are effective for increasing co-ordination on dual handed techniques?" Tags="|training|drills|escrima|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="422" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="421" CreationDate="2012-02-09T20:30:14.537" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't practice Escrima, so you will have to adapt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practicing both hands starts in your daily life. (See: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/66/65&quot;&gt;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/66/65&lt;/a&gt;) Generally, be aware of when you are comfortable doing something with one hand, and deliberately trying it with the other hand instead. Examples:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Move the computer mouse to the other side.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Open doors with the other hand.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Switch your knife and fork.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you hold things with your left while manipulating with your right, hold things in your right and manipulate with your right.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will take a while. You do this while practicing your art. Over time, the movements in your art will show up in your day-to-day motions without conscious thought.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the art itself:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learn and practice half of the motion on your dominant hand first.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Let your dominant hand teach your off-hand.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice until your off-hand moves smoothly.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Alternate the movements between the two hands until you can hand them off smoothly.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Then do the pattern with both hands at the same time.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Try to let go of both hands and allow a single motion to emerge. (Reminded me of this by Trevoke).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the case of that figure-8 weaving pattern that seems common among dual-weapon techniques, I ended up spending six hours trying to get the rhythm. By this time, I'm already doing little things with either hand without thinking. In spite of that, that particular weave was still difficult ... probably as difficult as someone learning to play a piano piece where both hands play a different, phase-shifted melody line (like a Bach fugue).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I tried working off the video, but this did not go anywhere. Since I have skill at programming computers, I made up a notation system to describe the pattern. Then, I brute-forced it. I look at the notation and just moved my hands. (This might not work for you). Eventually, I'd have flashes where it gelled, like the weapons were weaving themselves. Then I became aware of it and it was gone. I would keep going until it gelled for a brief moment again. Eventually, I gave up, went to bed. when I woke up the next day, I was able to flow into the rhythm. The rest of the practice went into making things smoother, varying striking angle and blade facing, playing with footwork, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-02-09T21:19:47.250" CommentCount="13" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="423" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="421" CreationDate="2012-02-09T20:42:18.737" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I mostly agree with Ho-Sheng Hsiao's answer.  The only real difference in how we do things is that we tend to practice offhand first, though we tend to do both in the same session back-to-back, but everything else fits with my experience on training coordination between the hands.  I did want to add the following, since it is how I do this with two sticks:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Slow things down and work on getting everything right. Speed comes from repetition, so start by going slowly through whatever patterns you are doing. Work on getting the flow down and to keeping a consistent speed.  Then, as you keep practicing, slowly increase that speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, past that, practice the motions daily. A bit like learning the piano: changing the overall speed of a piece while trying to keep the flow, focusing on basics and drills, and daily practice are a great way to get better quickly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-02-09T20:42:18.737" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="424" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="421" CreationDate="2012-02-09T21:06:10.110" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don't think of it as two sticks; think of it as one stick.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The human brain is not good at multitasking. You can only do one thing at a time, but you can do that one thing extremely well. As you get more comfortable with a simple task, you can make it more complex, and your brain learns to understand a more complex combination of movements as a single task.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-09T22:04:42.727" LastActivityDate="2012-02-09T22:04:42.727" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="425" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="431" CreationDate="2012-02-10T00:25:25.523" Score="11" ViewCount="1135" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial arts movies suggest that some musical instruments (drums, for example) are particularly well suited and matched with martial arts practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any truth to this claim? Which instruments are known to be well suited/complement martial arts practice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="146" LastActivityDate="2012-08-07T15:19:40.703" Title="Are there musical instruments which, when practiced, noticeably increase martial arts skills and performance?" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="426" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="440" CreationDate="2012-02-10T01:37:57.570" Score="12" ViewCount="555" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to learn more about the various applications and interpretations of Karate katas. Is there a written source I can use?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="146" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-10T16:43:29.620" LastActivityDate="2016-03-15T21:07:53.443" Title="Is there a written, authoritative source I can reference for interpretations (Bunkai) of Karate (Shotokan) katas?" Tags="|karate|forms|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="427" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="425" CreationDate="2012-02-10T01:53:21.543" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would have to say that the connection is marginal at best.  The closest connection that I can think of would be high energy percussion instruments.  I know that my forearms feel well exercised after a couple of hours on the drums.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="121" LastActivityDate="2012-02-10T01:53:21.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="428" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="425" CreationDate="2012-02-10T02:57:38.483" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Taiko&lt;/em&gt; are large drums of Japanese origin that require movement of the whole body to be properly played. They're played whilst standing, carry their own &lt;em&gt;kamae&lt;/em&gt; (postures), and have a distinct rhythm; all of these can be applied to martial arts training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are not, so far as I know, any specific correlations, however, between aptitude with a musical instrument and aptitude as a martial artist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-10T02:57:38.483" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="429" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="425" CreationDate="2012-02-10T03:52:00.023" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know about &quot;noticeably.&quot; That depends on the perceiver.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All musical instruments will exercise impeccable timing, tuning in, and flow. Music is meant to be played with others or for others, so you won't exercise those skills if you only play by yourself. Specific instruments may exercise fine motor dexterity or breath control, but that depends on the instrument.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This question is similar to asking, &quot;what is the best martial arts for X?&quot; This is well-intentioned yet framed awkwardly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/422/65&quot;&gt;my answer for training both hands&lt;/a&gt;, I used Bach fugues as an example. These specifics are trivial though -- I don't recommend chasing after performing music if you don't enjoy it. Mastering music is it's own gongfu (功夫).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-02-10T06:24:37.947" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="430" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2012-02-10T09:38:58.533" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am going to give a slightly different answer than the others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the empty-handed techniques in my kung fu style can be practiced both sides. Most of the weapon-based techniques should be practiced on one side only, but the forms and techniques always include some parts on both sides (e.g., your fan is always in your right hand but your right foot is sometimes in front, sometimes in the back, etc.). According to my sifu, it just isn't worth it to develop your other side with a weapon (most people will never achieve the dexterity of their strong side). That excludes double weapons (double swords, double daggers) or double-sided weapons (our staff has a bigger side, but I believe the traditional karate staff has the same diameter on both ends).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you practice martial arts to condition your body, practicing on both sides is important to prevent injuries. If you practice martial arts to defend your life (that is, you live 100 years ago), practicing both sides is a trade-off that may not always be worth it. If you have practiced the same technique on the right side a thousand times and your opponent has practiced the same technique 500 times on both sides, you'll have the upper hand if you manage to perform the technique on your good side. Moreover, most styles have techniques that start on various sides and stances so you should always be able to find a technique that will suit your particular situation, even if you practiced only one side of each technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="133" LastActivityDate="2012-02-10T09:38:58.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="431" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="425" CreationDate="2012-02-10T14:49:03.387" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suspect that what you are seeing in martial arts movies is more of a cultural artifact than anything: A representation of what that culture considers valuable, as opposed to a representation of an absolute association.  In capoeira music is played for (strongly) cultural reasons as a way of setting the style and the energy of the game, but not because it specifically makes you better at the art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will say that it is valuable to not become too narrowly focused. Don't &lt;em&gt;just&lt;/em&gt; be a martial artist: go play an instrument, learn how to paint, learn poetry, learn a language, learn chess or go, etc. These can help you develop as a martial artist on the Way side of things and help you get more in touch with yourself, but should be taken as incidental the details of the practices: there are aspects in everything you do that may give you inspiration or your improve you as a well-rounded martial artist.  In short: The specific choices don't matter, just that you do them.  That you keep your mind engaged and active and seek to better yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The details–which instrument, whether it is music or something else–is something that I would argue is largely secondary, though certainly some are going to have more direct application than others (specifically &lt;em&gt;taiko&lt;/em&gt; and dance, which have already been mentioned).  What &lt;em&gt;does&lt;/em&gt; matter is that you enjoy it, even when it gets hard, and that you want to do it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-10T16:34:51.847" LastActivityDate="2012-02-10T16:34:51.847" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="432" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="444" CreationDate="2012-02-10T15:01:07.023" Score="24" ViewCount="7253" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been told that I don't have much power behind my punches and that push-ups are a good way to improve this. Is there a good push-up route that could be done at the beginning or the end of the day that involved more than just the standard push-ups?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="46" LastActivityDate="2013-10-12T03:58:58.347" Title="What is a good push-up routine to build punch strength?" Tags="|exercise|punching|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="433" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-02-10T15:02:20.283" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Exercise is any activity requiring physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness, &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This tag should be used for: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;specific exercises&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;routines&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-12T01:30:03.763" LastActivityDate="2012-02-12T01:30:03.763" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="434" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-02-10T15:02:20.283" Score="0" Body="An activity requiring physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness." OwnerUserId="46" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-12T01:30:06.773" LastActivityDate="2012-02-12T01:30:06.773" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="435" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-02-10T15:03:25.757" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-02-10T15:03:25.757" LastActivityDate="2012-02-10T15:03:25.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="436" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-02-10T15:03:25.757" Score="0" Body="A punch is defined as a strike with a fist (i.e., a closed hand). Use this tag for questions related to striking techniques that are performed with a fist." OwnerUserId="46" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-06-22T12:56:58.113" LastActivityDate="2020-06-22T12:56:58.113" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="437" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="432" CreationDate="2012-02-10T15:56:22.527" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are finding them hard from a plank position, do them from your knees. The plank is a good one to re-enforce your core which you will use when you punch.  Pull ups and chin ups will help as well.  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Iron-Total-Upper-Body-Workout/dp/B002GHBRWA/ref=tag_stp_s2_edpp_url&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;A pull up bar&lt;/a&gt; can help you do push up and dips, plus they are not that expensive.  Make sure you do triceps and biceps as well -- do not do just one. Note that a good door frame should take a normal person. If you are very overweight or muscular, you might find the door frame starts to peel off the wall. If the wood is of poor quality, you will see the frame digging in. As with any equipment, do inspect it before and after use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is push up challenge on the net somewhere but the number increase do get silly after week 3/4. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.zuzkalight.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Zuzana Light&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rudyreyes.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Rudy Reyes&lt;/a&gt; sites should have some interesting exercises.  Do be careful when you do then not to hurt yourself.  Remember, little by little does the trick.  Remember to have days off to let your muscles recover.  Eat well (proteins) and hydrate yourself.  Eggs are good and filled with goodness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In all of those boring exercises, you need to find some way to motivate you: goals are great!  Set yourself some goals (do X push ups in Y or do X+1 today where X was yesterday or keep doing them for length of favourite song).  They have to be small goals that you can do again and again. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2013-10-11T13:53:54.723" LastActivityDate="2013-10-11T13:53:54.723" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="438" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="432" CreationDate="2012-02-10T16:33:02.287" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are actually a lot of different pushup variations that can help build the base muscle.  &lt;em&gt;Convict Conditioning&lt;/em&gt; (ignore the marketing) has an excellent one that goes from wall pushups through a ten-step progression to one-armed pushups, with standards at each level for when you should advance to the next more difficult pushup variety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also other pushup variations such as decline pushups that can help target specific muscles that might help here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have a good base of strength–and you will definitely want to take the time to build a good base–for punches specifically you are probably going to want to move into &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plyometrics&quot;&gt;plyometric&lt;/a&gt; pushups, e.g., &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti0ugruVaGI&quot;&gt;clapping pushups&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGkJZoycSr8&quot;&gt;other variations&lt;/a&gt;, etc.  These are useful for the development of what's called &quot;explosive strength&quot; and some coordination around these movements. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also don't forget to balance these out with pullup variations of some sort, since you don't want to just work on one set of muscles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other ideas that work some of the same muscles are handstand pushups (also in CC) and a variety of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.gymnasticbodies.com/store/homepage/building-the-gymnastic-body.html&quot;&gt;gymnastic exercises&lt;/a&gt; (generally involving parallel bars and/or rings) that you can do that can help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-02-10T16:33:02.287" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="439" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="426" CreationDate="2012-02-10T16:40:18.457" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;No. To avoid such knowledge being used by the wrong people, it is kept hidden and only shared to students. It's fair to assume that some particularly effective applications are not taught to people who haven't reached a certain rank.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1594390584&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The Way of Kata&lt;/a&gt; will help you learn to think about the moves in your forms and how they can be interpreted. It is well-written and will get you started, but it is not the be-all, end-all of form interpretation. I recommend you also study the following two books:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1583942432&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Hidden Hands&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1583942300&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Martial Maneuvers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be responsible, study, practice, meditate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-10T16:40:18.457" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="440" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="426" CreationDate="2012-02-10T17:02:29.333" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are numerous resources for learning various bunkai or kata. I don't know if I would consider any one of them authoritative (instead preferring this sort of classification better left to the teachings of a shihan), but they exist and there is no sense limiting that information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1886969884&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Shihan Te: The Bunkai of Kata&lt;/a&gt; by Paul Anderson and Darrell Craig&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0953893219&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Bunkai-jutsu&lt;/a&gt; by Iain Abernathy&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1594390584&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The Way of Kata&lt;/a&gt; by Lawrence A. Kane and Kris Wilder&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.budovideos.com/shop/customer/product.php?productid=32690&amp;amp;cat=&amp;amp;page=1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Bunkai Oyo DVD&lt;/a&gt; with Jean-Piere Lavorato&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.budovideos.com/shop/customer/search.php?substring=Kyokushin+Kata+Bunkai+DVD&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Kyokushin Kata Bunkai DVDs&lt;/a&gt; with Bertrand Kron&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.fr/KARATE-Bunkai-Applications-Emmanuel-AKERMANN/dp/B0013UO9D0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;KARATE - Katas, Bunkai, Applications&lt;/a&gt; and Karaté Bunkais-Katas by Emmanuel Akerman (in French)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1583942432&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Hidden Hands&lt;/a&gt; by Phillip Starr&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1583942300&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Martial Maneuvers&lt;/a&gt; by Phillip Starr&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Editor's Note:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; These previous two books give a serious look at how moves can be interpreted, and how some movements are very deceptive and should be examined in some depth to figure out what the applications can be.]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I encourage this list to be expanded and edited by those far more knowledgable in this field than I.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-13T17:57:37.907" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T17:57:37.907" CommentCount="0" CommunityOwnedDate="2012-02-10T17:02:29.333" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="441" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="432" CreationDate="2012-02-10T17:53:20.993" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You generate more power in your punches via Kinetic Chaining or Kinetic Linking of your legs through your torso/core into your arms then just raw arm strength. Some good Kinetic Chaining exercises are push ups, pull up and chin ups. Not because they work on your arm or arm strength but because they can build up all the muscles that link the chain (i.e. your core) between your arms and your legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal routine for push-ups is that I do sets of 10, throughout the day. Wake up, do 10, before I leave for work, another 10, at lunch, another 10, when I get home another 10, before I go to bed a final 10. As Sardathrion said in his answer if you can't do them from the toes (plank) do them on your knees, your still working the muscles. Don't cheat yourself, go all the way down (hovering your chest above the ground), hold for a second and push back up. Try doing 50 a day, either on your knees or normal, then start doing more reps per batch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good core and stance will lead to more powerful punches then someone with big arms. My friend has much smaller arms then I, but a ripped core and perfect stance (bent kness, toes, forward, ball of foot, good extension, rotation, etc) and throw those punches like cannons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-02-10T17:53:20.993" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="442" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="425" CreationDate="2012-02-10T18:06:29.773" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This does not answer the question to be honest: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Iron-flutes can be (and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=99977&amp;amp;page=1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;were&lt;/a&gt;) used as a sword. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I bet you can practice fighting arts like &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskrima&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Eskrima&lt;/a&gt; using the flute as a baton. So yeah, when you practice the flute you can infact increase you skills at martial arts, you only have to practice with it in a &lt;em&gt;different&lt;/em&gt; way. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="108" LastActivityDate="2012-02-10T18:06:29.773" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="443" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="411" CreationDate="2012-02-10T20:54:19.310" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The real and only benefit is having novices practicing with more experienced students, that's it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not attempt to artificially create sempai-kohai relationships. Have everybody just practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastActivityDate="2012-02-10T20:54:19.310" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="444" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="432" CreationDate="2012-02-10T22:05:36.423" Score="26" Body="&lt;p&gt;For all the talk about kinetic linking (like it's something we didn't already know for centuries), the truth is really rather simple: pushups, while good for developing muscle and overall personal health, are really ancillary to the development of raw punching power. Further, the tendency to isolate the arms by maintaining rigidity in the rest of the body can lead to a loss of dynamic motion in the whole body, which can be detrimental to the dynamic movement required by a strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider for a moment the pushup (in any format; it's really irrelevant):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Take the plank position with arms slightly bent at the elbow, shoulders inline with the hips inline with the ankles.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The arms lower to a point that the chest distance is about three inches above the ground; this activates the biceps and fatigues the triceps as you slowly lower down.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hold to further fatigue both sets of muscles.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Push up, activating the triceps in a slow manner to near full extension.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This seems, logically, to put an emphasis on extending the arm, which is correct. This builds &amp;quot;push&amp;quot; muscles, which allow you to extend your arm with force, allowing you to push heavier objects. Unfortunately, a side effect of this is that you're also pushing with &lt;em&gt;only the arm&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, pushups are good. Please don't misunderstand this point. But consider now this formula&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.scribd.com/doc/5509980/Martial-Arts-Physics-of-Striking&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.severntaekwondo.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/severn/general/physics.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P&lt;sub&gt;avg&lt;/sub&gt; = &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_(physics)&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;∆W&lt;/a&gt;/&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_in_physics&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;∆t&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This states that Average Power is equal to a change in work over a period (change) in time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If we take this further:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;∆W = (m • a) • ∆s&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or the change in Work is a function of a change in displacement times the combined mass times acceleration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, in terms of a strike, we can understand this much:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;m = Mass. This is the mass of the inflicting body. For most people throwing a punch, this is the mass of the fist and the arm. If you threw a punch without moving the rest of your body, just your arm and hand up to and including the shoulder, you'd be striking with 4.8% (average) of your body mass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason that everyone is jumping on this &amp;quot;new&amp;quot; idea of &amp;quot;kinetic linking&amp;quot; is that it explains in a catchy term what martial artists have known for centuries: the more rotation you put into a strike, the more mass is put behind the fist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;a = Acceleration. Here we're actually referring to the average change in distance over time from the point a fist first moves to the time the punch ends. In some styles of Systema, you'll hear of a concept called &amp;quot;The Wave&amp;quot;, in which the movement begins in the toes and moves up and out through the fist and into the body of the opponent. From the point the fist leaves the rest position to the moment it stops moving. We obviously have a stronger punch if we increase the speed at which the punch moves and the mass behind it. We're dealing with optimal distances, which give us time to get up to speed without taking too much time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;∆s = Change in &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Displacement_(fluid)&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;[fluid] Displacement&lt;/a&gt;. When you strike, if you punch past the target, your strike will push the target a significant distance. By the same token, if you don't punch far enough into your target, your strike is already decelerating by the time it connects. Ideally, if we punch into the center of the target (for instance, the head, though this carries risk), we do not begin decelerating until after contact has been made, and the force is carried into the internal fluids (in our example, the brain), causing shock trauma. This means our punch has carried more power by internally displacing more fluid/soft matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;∆t = Change in Time. The time of our contact should be extremely limited. The longer a period of contact we maintain, the less power our strike has as it's dispersed between our two bodies. The faster a strike, the less time expended, and therefore a lower divisor with higher yield.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't want to discourage strength training; you can develop explosive energy with clapping pushups and the right kind of training. Pushups in general, however, are only minimally useful, and I would hate for your expectations to be greater than your output from the time invested.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2012-02-17T18:15:31.967" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="446" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="426" CreationDate="2012-02-11T00:29:25.980" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;One outstanding source for anything bunkai is any of the &lt;em&gt;chin na&lt;/em&gt; books by &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/192-2736599-6158703?url=search-alias=aps&amp;amp;field-keywords=yang%20jwing%20ming&amp;amp;x=0&amp;amp;y=0#/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=i%3aaps,k%3ayang%20jwing%20ming&amp;amp;keywords=yang%20jwing%20ming&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1328919966&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Dr. Yang Jwing Ming&lt;/a&gt;. Dr. Yang has probably forgotten more than most people learn in a lifetime. He authors/teaches mainly from a Chinese (Kung Fu, Tai Chi Chuan) perspective, but once you read one of his books or view one of his DVDs your reaction will be &lt;em&gt;&quot;Dang!! That might not be my art, but I've got a move in my kata that looks incredibly similar!&quot;&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And therein lies one of the secrets of bunkai - it doesn't matter what art you train in, the opponent's body is the same no matter whether you use Kung Fu or Karate*. The application of bunkai can be adapted across styles. Even if you have yet to learn similar techniques to what he shows, he has shown you the points on the body to use and the mechanics of the move and you will find that you know other techniques that can utilise the same points and mechanics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*Speaking broadly, the bunkai Dr. Yang teaches can be utilised in most &lt;em&gt;external&lt;/em&gt; styles&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-02-11T00:29:25.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="447" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="411" CreationDate="2012-02-11T01:55:17.060" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A senpai/kohai relationship fosters the correct attitude of respectful practice and community. It makes, in a sense, everyone responsible for everyone else's practice - always show the best example, always try your best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The downside to doing it in the US is that, unless there is already some things borrowed from the Japanese culture, it might feel overly artificial to explain this in detail, because it is such an intrinsic part of the aforementioned culture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-11T01:55:17.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="448" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-02-11T16:16:08.280" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun is a Chinese martial art for close-range combat that focuses on self-defense via striking and grappling. It is a Southern style Kung Fu characterized by short and fast movements. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun originates from the famous Shaolin monastery in China that studied and practised many styles of Kung Fu. Legend has it that the name Wing Chun (which means &quot;Beautiful Springtime&quot;) comes from a young woman with that name.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun Kung Fu was made public by grandmaster Yip Man in 1949 and his students spread the art in the 1950s. In the 1970s Wing Chun was made popular in the west via the movies of Bruce Lee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2012-02-12T01:30:13.000" LastActivityDate="2012-02-12T01:30:13.000" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="449" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-02-11T16:16:08.280" Score="0" Body="Wing Chun is a Chinese martial art and Kung Fu style that specialises in close-range combat. " OwnerUserId="88" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2012-02-12T01:30:15.603" LastActivityDate="2012-02-12T01:30:15.603" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="450" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="411" CreationDate="2012-02-11T23:30:16.690" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Little Brother gets into trouble, Big Brother bails him out. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you understand this, you understand &lt;em&gt;sempai&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;kohai&lt;/em&gt;. Formalized rules distract you from the main thing. The good stuff is in what's unsaid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The clever will notice that this is the essence of &quot;splitting&quot; in xingyiquan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastActivityDate="2012-02-11T23:30:16.690" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="451" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="411" CreationDate="2012-02-12T04:05:36.687" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am lucky enough to be the only westerner in an otherwise 100% Vietnamese club, so I think I can help. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The words sempai/kohai are obviously not used, but I know who are my &quot;elders&quot; and my &quot;juniors&quot; (I never tried to name the difference before, sorry if it doesn't sound right). The belts have a role, but not only. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;The elder/junior relationship&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, everyone that was already there before you started is your elder, everyone that starts after you is your junior. It is nuanced by the belts: someone with a higher belt is &lt;strong&gt;always&lt;/strong&gt; your elder, someone with a lower belt is &lt;strong&gt;always&lt;/strong&gt; a junior.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is not static though, and &quot;ranking&quot; changes inside a belt. I have become the elder of some people of the same belt than me, because I came more often, and so learned more than them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Age has almost no influence, as you will consider someone your elder regardless of his age (as an example, one of my elder is 7 years old, and I respectfully listen to his advice). Age only plays a role if two people are of the same belt, and approximately the same experience: then the older one will be the elder of the younger one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even though it is not clearly defined, you see it best during group practices: everyone organize by lines/rows, and no one would position himself before someone he considers his elder. As a result, the group ends up organized from more experienced to less experienced, very naturally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Benefits&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main benefit is pretty simple actually. It means that during group practices, &lt;em&gt;you have in front of you someone who is a bit better than you&lt;/em&gt;. And it is really, really effective for training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other benefit is also related to training: Since the teachers can't be everywhere at the same time, your elders will act as sub-teachers for you. As long as there is a good understanding of who is your elder and who is your junior, you know whose advice you should listen (you don't &lt;em&gt;have&lt;/em&gt; to, but you know it is better for you), and to who you should/can give advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, overall, the factors are: first belt, then date of arrival in the club, then experience, then age.&#xA;And the benefits are: better cohesion, and faster / more efficient training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope it helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="227" LastEditorUserId="227" LastEditDate="2012-02-12T15:36:26.800" LastActivityDate="2012-02-12T15:36:26.800" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="452" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="216" CreationDate="2012-02-12T04:25:46.487" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;tl;dr&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flat foot&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pros: More balance, uses groin muscles to produce more power (is this proven? probably not)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cons: Puts a lot of stress on your knee, restricts rotation&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ball of toes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pros: No stress on knee, easy rotation&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cons: Requires more balance&#xA;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Foot planet:&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;The idea with this one is that you hyper stretch your groin muscle by pointing your ground foot outward. This give you more power as the muscle tries to rebound to a normal state. Also, with the foot planted, you have more surface area where you are standing which results in more balance. The problem I have with this is that it puts a lot of stress on your knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ball of toes:&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;Honestly, I haven't heard any good reasoning from this from any other fighters. I have though of some logical reasons for it and ultimately have chosen this method as my style of kicking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So when you punch and kick, you are guiding your body weight into your opponent. That is were you want the power to come from. When you cross, you rotate your hips to project your body weight into your opponent. Your fist is just the means in which your are connecting your body with your opponent. Same goes for the kick. If I am up on my toes I can swing by body like a ballerina. My entire body moves as one. Try spinning around 360 degrees on 1 flat foot. Its pretty difficult. On your toes it is easy. This makes it easy to rotate your body into your opponent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On that note, I wouldn't go to the extreme with going on my toes. Keep it just enough so you can spin. If you go to high, your calfs are already engaged completely and this will make it difficult to jump if you need jump or move mid kick. Also, its really difficult to balance on your tippy toes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="228" LastActivityDate="2012-02-12T04:25:46.487" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="453" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="454" CreationDate="2012-02-12T04:27:48.573" Score="20" ViewCount="973" Body="&lt;p&gt;As I understand it, you have to have a passion for the path you choose when learning martial arts, and it is a life long process. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I have met people who's passion dwindled and they no longer had heart in their training. Or people who had heart in the right place but were unable to approach the study with discipline. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do you maintain discipline and how do your rekindle the passion of your studies if you start noticing that either is amiss?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user72" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-04-29T14:26:01.690" LastActivityDate="2020-04-29T14:26:01.690" Title="How can one maintain or rekindle discipline and passion in martial arts?" Tags="|training|mentality|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="454" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="453" CreationDate="2012-02-12T05:13:35.980" Score="16" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience there are a few reasons why someone loses that passion:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;that person was never going to stick around anyway  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;they have a mistaken idea of the glamor and mysticism in martial arts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the teacher fails to keep the student inspired &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the student requires a bit of a holiday&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For #1, there is nothing you can do. Life is full of people like this who will drift, think that martial arts is for them, then realize that it isn't. That realization may take some time to arrive, i.e. their work life may get too busy, they may have kids, etc., but at some point they re-evaluate what they are currently doing and decide that the martial arts will have to go, it's priority isn't as high as the other things they have got going on. And some people just aren't made for the arts. The trick is to recognize this, and don't waste your time trying to convince them to come back. They might come back some time in the distant future, but in the short term there is nothing you can really do for them, they will come back in their own time if ever.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For #2, you just have to accept this and live with it. Some of these people will stick around for some time before realizing that it isn't really what they wanted, that you don't get awarded a bunch of hot groupies the moment you attain your shodan (in fact the learning gets harder). It may take a real fight before they realize that Jean Claude van Damme's jumping spinning back hook kick that they so assiduously perfected is not really the kick-ass fight finisher that they thought it was. It may be a number of years before they realize that owning a hundred bonsai and practicing wax-on, wax-off isn't going to bring you love, happiness and enlightenment (like it does in Karate Kid (the original one)). If you are a teacher you will get some of these people through your school; teach them what you can but apart from that when they go you need to let them go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If #3 is the problem (and often it is), then there are ways to fix it. People mature and evolve and learn at different rates. Students can out-grow teachers, especially teachers who have stopped learning themselves. I would suggest a two stage fix for this: first try cross training in another art while retaining your main art, and secondly leave your main art and find a new teacher (or art) altogether.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cross training in another art can be of enormous benefit to your main art. It can bring new ideas and techniques. It can also help you past some sticking points that the student may have been stagnating on for some time. Not all teachers will appreciate you doing this, some will feel insulted by it, but it is the student's choice and a good teacher should never discourage it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you just need to find a new teacher, try and find one in the same art (or in an affiliated school). If possible find somewhere where your previous work can be recognized and credited - if that art still interests you. Otherwise the student will have to dabble in the different arts available to them before deciding on what to follow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Scenario #4 is also a common one, and frequently manifests around the time the student gets their black belt (or equivalent). They will train relentlessly for a number of years, immersing themselves in the art, and get graded on a frequent basis. Then they reach the magic milestone they always wanted to reach and suddenly they wonder: &lt;em&gt;what's next?&lt;/em&gt; It is common for students to either reduce the amount of training or take some time off while they spend some time readjusting their goals. This can be avoided to a certain extent if the school has a good sylabus that is still full of learning after the shodan grade, and a teacher who is accustomed to dealing with students of that grade. If this is the problem then the best thing you can do is be there for the student to talk to, they will need someone to talk with and bounce questions off. They are trying to decide on their next milestone and will often look for affirmation, approval or guidance in their decision making. Apart from being available to the student like this, there is little more you can do because they will decide their next step at their own speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2012-02-12T05:20:38.560" LastActivityDate="2012-02-12T05:20:38.560" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="456" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="216" CreationDate="2012-02-12T13:30:00.013" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I understand what was said about the increased reach, but it is my experience that as you decrease the surface area of the foot in contact with the ground, you decrease your stability and support, meaning that if you kick someone who is in a stronger stance you have the tendency to fall backwards rather than drive through them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="233" LastActivityDate="2012-02-12T13:30:00.013" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="457" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="453" CreationDate="2012-02-12T15:10:24.633" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Everyone comes to train for a different reason. People stay for various reasons. People leave for various reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I started training for some set of reasons. After a few years, they were entirely different. Then they changed again. Now, still, I'm training for a different set of reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My passion for the arts? &lt;strong&gt;Every day is like I am a beginner, learning something new, watching with wonder&lt;/strong&gt;. Not everyone is the same way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your passion fades, then you ought to examine yourself. Either you will leave, or you will stay. Sometimes you just need a change in perspective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-10-26T00:38:37.197" LastActivityDate="2012-10-26T00:38:37.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="459" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="471" CreationDate="2012-02-12T17:21:10.173" Score="10" ViewCount="8420" Body="&lt;p&gt;Big part of my training is maintaining control of your body even though I feel physical pain. There are usually two situations, in physical pain while still having energy to fight, and in physical pain while being exhausted. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do you train attacks/defense while in physical pain? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there safe ways to cause a lot of physical pain without long term damage? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do you learn to recognize when there is too much physical pain?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some examples of pain that I have experienced but was unable to overcame as quick as I'd like: punch in the ear, solar plexus pain when breathing from kick or a punch, when kicked near the shoulder blade or kidney paralyzing pain in my spine. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of the above cause intense pain for few seconds and than go away to the point where I'm able to refocus and become more avare of what is happening around me.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are more instances but I would say that the above are the once I'm concerned about the most. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user72" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-15T17:00:35.033" LastActivityDate="2012-02-15T17:00:35.033" Title="How does one mentally push past pain in training?" Tags="|training|health|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="460" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="459" CreationDate="2012-02-12T17:39:43.190" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;What kind of pain? There are many kinds. Beyond the obvious &quot;mental / emotional / physical&quot;, there are many kinds of each. The awareness of this will get you started on the path to understanding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When is there too much pain? When there is so much pain that you can't think. When your world disappears, and your body, and your mind, and all that is left is the pain. Over time, with training, the pain can be your friend, too. Not to be feared, but to be understood, to be recognized.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pain is a great teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[Edit - Okay, your concern is that your body is made of flesh and can be disoriented. As far as I can tell, you could try PCP or just practice really hard not getting hit that way, or examine these situations and examine how to minimize damage / effects. There are always ways. It just takes time, and my answers may not work for you.]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-02-13T03:34:48.163" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T03:34:48.163" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="462" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="459" CreationDate="2012-02-13T03:19:21.083" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A lot of disclaimers apply here because different types of pain tend to mean different things and while you can ignore some of them to an extent, you want to be careful not to ignore things too much your you may find yourself with a serious injury on your hands. I'm going to run down the short list of issues that I've encountered while training:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sharp pain while stretching - Stop and ease up a bit, odds are you have hit a threshold and you don't want to keep pushing yourself any farther than you already have as it could result in torn muscles.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pain during cardio work (i.e. &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side_stitch&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;side stitch&lt;/a&gt;) - These are just something you have to tough through, on the bright side, the better shape you get into, the less likely the are to occur if you are warmed up properly.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dull aches and pains following practice or deadening exercises - I like to call these &quot;demotivators&quot; because they tend to persist anywhere from a couple minutes after practice to a couple days later and have a tendency cause people not to come to class any more. Assuming these aren't sharper pains they tend to be something you can safely ignore. Just make sure you stretch and warm up properly before class and in some cases rubs like &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Balm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Tiger Balm&lt;/a&gt; can help a lot afterwards.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sharp pain following a strike from another - This really depends upon where you get hit and how hard, make sure you pay attention to what your body is saying so you don't make something worse by ignoring it, but generally when it comes to sparing practice you shouldn't have to worry too much. However, even though you can't stop a fight if you get hurt on the street, you should be careful not to push yourself to do something that could get your injuries. One thing to note though, in my experience, my worst injury (partly torn &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anterior_cruciate_ligament&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;ACL&lt;/a&gt;) didn't result in any immediate pain due to shock, I just couldn't support my weight on my knee any more. In the event that something like that happens, stop immediately. Likewise if you are dizzy and are having problems recovering in general, you can make things worse by pushing yourself when you should not.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="46" LastEditorUserId="46" LastEditDate="2012-02-13T12:11:45.780" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T12:11:45.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="463" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="459" CreationDate="2012-02-13T03:32:21.410" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;All of the above cause intense pain for few seconds and than go away to the point where I'm able to refocus and become more aware of what is happening around me.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course they do - they are supposed to, your body doesn't like being hit in those spots!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can mitigate some of these to a certain degree by:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;building the muscle groups around the target area. This can lessen the pain and discomfort from a wayward shot, but still will not prevent pain and/or damage from a precise and expertly targeted shot. You can have abdominals of steel but a correctly placed shot into the Solar Plexus will still cause issues because of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vagus_nerve&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Vagus nerve&lt;/a&gt; cannot be completely shielded by muscle. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;working on your technique and awareness so that you do not get hit in vulnerable spots&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;doing a lot of linework and katas/forms to enhance your muscle memory so that even when suffering through a blow to one of these areas you can still continue to function.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;IMVHO you should not work on conditioning these areas without expert supervision.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; You will never eliminate the pain of being struck there (unless maybe you join the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shaolinmonksinmalta.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;traveling Shaolin monks&lt;/a&gt; and spend many years training). The best (and fastest) solution is to not get hit there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2012-02-13T10:00:36.857" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T10:00:36.857" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="464" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="407" CreationDate="2012-02-13T07:44:05.447" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is important to recognise that the vast majority of styles and variations may have never been documented at all, with every little remote village possibly having some knowledge passed down from generation to generation. The Shaolin Temple merely happened to be a gathering place with a strong enough tradition of formally collecting this type of knowledge. Therefore there may be a lot less meaning to &quot;Shaolin style&quot; than many people assume. There is a great condensed history in &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1594864004&quot;&gt;The Shaolin Workout&lt;/a&gt; although I'm sure many better references are available.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe that a lot of work was done to formally document Chinese martial arts by the Central Chinese Martial Art Institute &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.longfist.com/ENGLISH/history.html&quot;&gt;[1]&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kung-fu.co.za/grandmasters/han-ching-tan/&quot;&gt;[2]&lt;/a&gt; in the early 20th century. However with the Cultural Revolution outlawing the practice of martial arts, many of the masters either fled China or stopped practicing openly. Some established schools in Taiwan and Hong Kong but many are now old and very traditional in their teaching approach in that they'll only teach one student, if they can even find one they consider worthy; most are also weary of foreigners. As you can imagine, this is a serious threat and possibly countless forms and sub-styles have been lost already.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Back to establishing a link between specific schools and the temple, it is best to ask for the particular school's lineage of masters and try match that up with known historical figures. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The opinion of my school's master is that what is practiced at Shaolin nowadays is a much more acrobatic form of Wushu acceptable to the current Communist government, and the Shaolin area with its countless &quot;Shaolin&quot; schools is merely exploiting the name for commercial gain. (I am merely relaying other visitors' impressions here, take it for what it's worth.) This view was reinforced when the traveling Shaolin Monks show visited our school in 2010. For one, the troupe were amazed at some of the forms - particularly weapons forms - that they witnessed in a western school. What I'm getting at here is that an official &quot;Shaolin stamp of approval&quot; may not mean a whole lot today. By the same token, it sounds like the Communist Party has also realised that they've made a mistake in wiping out a huge chunk of history and are actively working to restore some of that in the name of national pride. Just bear in mind that their vision of Wushu may no longer fit the traditional definition of martial arts. (Think WTF Taekwon-Do.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &quot;real Shaolin&quot; styles are probably lurking in a myriad tiny independent schools in the most unexpected places, and proving a formal connection is not necessarily all that important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="75" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T07:44:05.447" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="465" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="474" CreationDate="2012-02-13T16:18:13.523" Score="12" ViewCount="5145" Body="&lt;p&gt;The title pretty much sums it up,   I often have trouble maintaining mount, so much so, that i rarely even bother going to the position because i get reversed so quickly.  This makes me miss out on those 4 points, which can make a big difference if the match goes the full length.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2014-01-24T13:25:25.527" Title="How to best maintain mount position" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|positions|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="466" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="469" CreationDate="2012-02-13T16:42:26.357" Score="33" ViewCount="19748" Body="&lt;p&gt;Young male, not looking for anything specific, but I am a huge fan of MMA in general. (not just the UFC/SF) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What would be a good beginner martial art for both fitness and relevancy to watching MMA/fighting? I'm thinking jiu-jitsu simply because you would understand all the holds they're doing, and if you ever went into MMA, you could use it right away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate seems very useful for positioning, and several recent champions use it or are trained in it at a high level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any recommendations welcome, and why you would think it would be good. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I should also state that I'm not looking for a &quot;base&quot; so much as what would be good for when considering ALL of the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Base&lt;/strong&gt; - Something that's not just a &quot;one trick pony&quot; art (difficult to find, I know)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ease to get into&lt;/strong&gt; - I don't want something that takes forever to get into, a ton of equipment, specialized training/gym, or requires hours and hours just to START it. (not maintain)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Safety&lt;/strong&gt; - Not super important, but the safest to do on regular basis. For example, boxing isn't really safe for either your head or hands if you did it (hard) twice a day COMPARED(!) to Capoeira or similar. Again, not super important.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fitness&lt;/strong&gt; - Something that will get me moving and I can do it whenever. Again, not overly important, but boxing would be GOOD here because I could get a workout whenever I did it, and wouldn't need partners or a gym to get a good sweat going anytime.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fun&lt;/strong&gt; - I don't want to HAVE to do grueling practices just to get into this art, and I don't want to have to sit silently for hours meditating. Something in between if possible.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, what's the best when considering 1-5 &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;as a whole&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="240" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-13T20:48:15.283" LastActivityDate="2016-09-05T07:11:39.460" Title="What martial art should I start with?" Tags="|training|health|safety|recommendation|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="13" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="467" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="466" CreationDate="2012-02-13T16:53:04.447" Score="21" Body="&lt;p&gt;A wrestler will say wrestling, a bjj player will say bjj, a muay thai fighter will say muay thai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But to be fair, they are all right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There isn't really one specific art that is better then the other for a base. I know, some people will argue with me for this, but if you look at the current state of mma, there are champions with a wide assortment of backgrounds.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It depends what schools are available to you and the level of instruction at them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, since you want a recommendation, i will give you one. JUDO. It's what I started with, it gives you good balance, good takedowns, great control on the ground, and submissions. Throw in some muay thai, and you'll be a fairly well rounded fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Disclaimer:  It takes a LOT longer to get proficient enough at judo throws for you to not blow them completely and end up in a bad spot then it does wrestling takedowns. But when you do get there,  it's well worth the effort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorDisplayName="user1221" LastEditDate="2013-10-24T19:12:11.530" LastActivityDate="2013-10-24T19:12:11.530" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="469" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="466" CreationDate="2012-02-13T17:24:07.633" Score="49" Body="&lt;p&gt;Go and have a look at all the clubs around where you live.  Train once or watch a session. Then pick the one that has the best instructor, the more friendly students, and the one you had the most fun with.   Style is second to whoever is teaching you, to whomever you train with, and to however much fun it is.  All in equal measures.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T17:24:07.633" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="470" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="473" CreationDate="2012-02-13T17:28:11.710" Score="25" ViewCount="908" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice Taekwondo regularly with the club at my university. There are three main instructors, one 3rd dan and two 1st dan (my belt level).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The club has a lot of black belts of varying degrees who want to keep in practice, but also a lot of beginners trying out martial arts for the first time. This makes it very difficult to run a class suitable for all students. The head instructor generally does a good job tailoring the class to the level of the students present or splitting it into two groups, but often the other two instructors essentially run a black belt level class even if it is the first day for half the students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Several people who started practicing with the club have quit because the classes made them uncomfortable, and I worry that it has turned some of them off martial arts entirely. I also think that even for the ones that stick it out the class style is substantially lowering their ability to gain mastery and leads them to get hurt more often than they otherwise would because they aren't ready for various techniques and drills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's difficult for me to figure out an appropriate way to bring this to the instructors' attention--I don't want to be disrespectful or undermine their authority, but attempts to subtly direct their attention to this after class haven't been particularly successful. Students who are uncomfortable usually just quit, and the others are excited to get to try advanced moves/sparring right away, so I don't have the impression the newer instructors are getting any feedback on this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a proper way to handle it? Or should I just let it alone? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="45" LastEditorUserId="45" LastEditDate="2012-03-02T00:19:38.160" LastActivityDate="2012-03-02T00:19:38.160" Title="How can I respectful​ly raise concerns about class difficulty level/teac​hing style at my club?" Tags="|teaching|dojo|etiquette|social|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="471" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="459" CreationDate="2012-02-13T17:32:02.523" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to make sure I hit every part of this, so I'm going to make heavy use of quotes here...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, we need to answer an unasked question: &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;What is pain?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is important first off since, in order to work through pain, you have to understand pain. Pain is a nervous-system response to intense or damaging stimuli. When someone strikes you, your body perceives the stimulus, nervous impulses fire, hormones flood your body, and your brain sends a message – Something has happened at XYZ location, be aware of it!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Part of overcoming pain is overcoming fear. The fear of pain intensifies pain and prevents you from thinking through the problem. This does not help, so it can also be important to experience pain as a means of overcoming a fear of pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, it's important to notice that it's the brain that sends the impulse as to how pain is perceived. There are those who, either through an addiction to the hormone release, or through mental control, or even through misfiring of neurons experience pain as a pleasurable sensation. &lt;em&gt;Since the brain tells the body what to feel and how, we have an opportunity to change our interpretation of that pain, maintaining acknowledgment that it is a warning of imminent danger, but perceiving it as a welcome message, rather than a crippling one&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now let's answer your questions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How do you train attacks/defense while in physical pain?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem that most practitioners experience is that they jump straight into pain. That is, from the first moment, they're taught to feel pain, to tap out, and the pain ends. This instills a fear of pain. Like a child learning to walk, you have to take easy first steps, not attempt to run full out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, experience pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I was first faced with this same issue, my &lt;em&gt;shidoshi&lt;/em&gt; (instructor in the Bujinkan) was using me as the class &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;, demonstrating techniques on me with regularity, and always taking them to a final control. After a bit of this, he would make the pain excruciating; I would be screaming in pain. Eventually, I knew that I had to take the pain, and I began to &quot;drift off&quot;. I would use visualization to get myself into a nice place (I have a fondness for Maui, so I'd visualize myself on the beach there), only to be wrenched back to reality, being told I needed to experience it. He was right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you experience pain, you can isolate the pain. Use the pain, and feel for it; what direction is the pain moving, how are you contributing to it, and, most importantly, what happens when I breathe?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A French obstetrician by the name of Dr. Fernand Lamaze, in the 1940s, became rather fascinated with the techniques practiced by midwives in the Soviet Union. Many of these practices included breathing and relaxation techniques guided by the midwife during childbirth, and led to the development of a series of techniques designed to increase a woman's confidence in her ability to give birth. Similarly, these techniques are used by (and may stem from) Cossack practices for avoiding or shrugging off pain, by giving the mind something else to focus on. The human brain is fairly well maxed out most of the time on its ability to multi-task, and forcing a specific focal behavior (e.g. breathing) can be distracting. Distraction, as you'll note I'd already found, is imperative in blocking pain. Finding a distraction that allows you to stay active and focused is far better than imagining yourself on a beach in Hawaii.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you find yourself in pain, first start breathing in forced deep breaths. While you do so, find the source of your pain. Once you find the source, the most general rule of escape is to move toward the pain. Note the way you need to move in performing escapes from shoulder locks, wrist locks, chokes, etc. when you're training escapes. Pain wants to draw you away from the thing hurting you; sometimes to escape a burning house you need to leap through flames.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Are there safe ways to cause a lot of physical pain without long term damage?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, yes and no... Any impact injury carries risk. Any rending, tearing, pulling, grabbing, etc. can have the risk of dislodging a blood clot leading to infarction; grappling could lead to fracture and bone shards could cause an embolism. That said, so long as you're carefully training, these risks are minimum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training with a partner you trust is key. Exploring your pain threshold carefully can lead you to a greater understanding of when enough is enough, always being careful to push just past where you want to tap. You want the immediate result, but &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;there is no easy way to learn to overcome pain&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. It's equal parts personal resolve and psychological trickery to move past the things that cause you intense pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How do you learn to recognize when there is too much physical pain?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Very good question. Before you begin training to resist pain, you need to learn what causes you pain. Work with a partner in slowly inflicting pain upon each other, being careful to not injure the other, and resolving to push further than you'd normally allow before tapping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, if you can't escape from this level of training, then you just need to tap. Your partner should continue to slowly apply greater pain until you tap or escape. If something gets torn, you've gone too far. Careful training is vital, and only you can know your limits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Here are some examples of pain that I have experienced but was unable to overcame as quick as I'd like: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is irrelevant. All pain offers the same effects. The compression of the sciatic nerve leads to a collapse in the legs, compression of the suprascapular nerve leads to a numbing of the arm. But pain is pain. These nerves carry impulses, and you can not overcome their compression immediately; it's a physiological function. The pain you feel, however, you can overcome, but to do so quickly will mean practice. Nothing comes overnight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For those that cause a momentary loss of function, train from the position to which you're dropped. Do that, and you'll still be defensible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T17:32:02.523" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="472" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="466" CreationDate="2012-02-13T18:28:31.420" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are many clubs that are MMA clubs.   They often have instructors who are trained in various martial arts and fitness.   If you are interested in MMA, this is a good way to go. These clubs are often connected with other clubs and they hold MMA matches.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T18:28:31.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="473" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="470" CreationDate="2012-02-13T18:40:35.747" Score="19" Body="&lt;p&gt;Typically, the correct way to approach this is personally, away from the rest of the class. If you have a problem with the way an instructor conducts himself, then, if it's important enough to warrant being brought to their attention, going to them one-on-one and requesting a private moment of their time is proper.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's important to not seem combative or accusatory. I have found that making the assertion a personal issue rather than a communal one makes them feel less attacked, and will make them in time begin to look at the issue among more than just yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's important to make this private; in a social setting in which you are questioning a superior, it's important to maintain the hierarchical standard. Anything else will be perceived as a challenge or a threat to their capability, and their status can lead to your ostracism.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In those cases where they're completely unresponsive to your requests, then it may be necessary to take this same approach with the head instructor. &quot;I'm having a problem in the class, and I feel that I'm unable to keep up. I feel okay under your instruction, but I feel like I struggle with the other instructors. I'm sure this is a problem I'm having, perhaps I feel less confident. Could I ask you to look in on our class from time to time perhaps to see if there's something that I'm not understanding?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, remember you are questioning them by claiming your own inadequacy in private; this is to make them feel like the privacy was for you to save face, not for them. If they are not defensive, then they will likely notice your message and change appropriately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T18:40:35.747" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="474" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="465" CreationDate="2012-02-13T18:52:55.027" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a number of common issues in maintaining a mount. Examine your mount, and perhaps you'll find one of these to be a problem:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No base with your knees&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – When you're riding low, you need to create a strong base, and your knees offer you that base. Keep your knees out while pulling your feet in to give both control and a base at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stop going forward and down&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – When you're riding low, it's likely that you're putting your weight forward and down, making yourself a nice convenient package to get bucked and taken into a half-guard. Keep your posture higher and back a bit, then work for the arm control.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Maintain your posture&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – It's easy to want to look down at your opponent. Looking down is bending forward, and you're going to get bucked, even when you're riding higher.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Go to one knee&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – When they do hip out, go onto the front-side knee to keep them from  pulling you into that half- or full-guard.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lock your feet&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – Keeping your feet locked behind them keeps them from pushing up and slipping into butterfly guard.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Control their hips&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – Keeping your feet locked behind them and your weight down against the hips can keep them from bucking to change the position.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are not a guarantee of anything, but they are extremely common problems, and may help you examine your own positioning and see where you're going wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T18:52:55.027" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="475" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="417" CreationDate="2012-02-13T20:26:48.560" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the system that I teach in, the left hand symbolizes the mind, the right symbolizes the body.  We have three bows as you progress through training:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;For beginners, the hands are at the side in a fist to symbolize your mind and body are far apart.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Roughly half way to Black Belt, hands together similar to the picture, however left hand fingers are straight out, symbolizes your mind and body are coming closer together.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;From 1st Degree and up, as in the picture above to symbolize your mind and body have come together.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="244" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-14T17:53:31.957" LastActivityDate="2012-02-14T17:53:31.957" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="476" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="466" CreationDate="2012-02-13T21:01:51.543" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Personally, I've had classes in both traditional and more modern forms, and I have to recommend Muay Thai. At least in my experience it fits your requirements:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Base - Muay Thai is more or less where most modern MMA fighters start. And in that sense it's a bit more practical than (for instance) kung fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ease to get into - Again this fits the bill. Get yourself some gloves, and start working out. I've seen countless students start with no knowledge of martial arts, and within a week they at least know enough to know when they are &quot;doing it wrong&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Safety - Muay Thai can be practiced with zero contact between students. About the most contact you'll ever have is hitting a bag someone else is holding. But if you want to step it up, you can always get into sparring. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fitness - I've lost about 1lb/week since starting Muay Thai. That's more than I can say for other forms I've practiced. Muay Thai is more about conditioning that memorizing patterns or forms, so you'll normally get a much better workout. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fun - I've had more fun in this sport than any other I've worked with. Tons of energy in the room, a few egotistical jerks, but overall just a group of people having fun learning how to beat the snot out of someone in a sports fight, and just having fun over all. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So anyway, I've studied several martial arts int the past. Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai, Kung Fu, Krav Maga, etc. Of all these I've found Muay Thai to be the best balance, of conditioning, frivolity, and learning. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="245" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T21:01:51.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="477" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="113" CreationDate="2012-02-13T21:37:51.640" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Punches can cause injury to your wrist, if delivered incorrectly. Search the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/user/dragonfishpond?ob=0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;dragonfishpond channel on youtube&lt;/a&gt; for an explanation of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWgsToKWc7g&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;correct structural alignment of the fist&lt;/a&gt;. Cuinn Wylie is also correct in saying the CQC instructor is not using proper Wing Chun. He is striking without controlling the opponent's arms - which is very dangerous and can also result in injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding palm strikes - yes, Grandmaster Sum Nung of the Yuen Kay San lineage of Wing Chun used to say that in the old days people preferred more palm strikes (80% palms, 20% fists). They give you more options to follow up, but this requires greater skill as you'd have to be closer to the opponent. Nowadays, people favour more fist strikes (80% fists, 20% palms) although &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.yunhoiwingchun.com&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Sifu Yun Hoi&lt;/a&gt; favours the palms and demonstrates often in class why this is superior.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as Cuinn said about &quot;chain punching&quot; - this is really the notion of continuous attack. In proper Wing Chun each strike carries knock-out power. Have a read of my &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.peteronwingchun.com/2011/the-chain-punch&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;blog post about chain punching&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="246" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-13T23:57:39.617" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T23:57:39.617" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="479" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="466" CreationDate="2012-02-13T21:44:10.317" Score="17" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Young male, not looking for anything specific, but I am a huge fan of&#xA;  MMA in general.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You just answered your own question: try something that has already caught your interest.  It's not at all hard to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/search?q=mma%20school&quot;&gt;find a school in your area&lt;/a&gt;.  Look some up and check them out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="121" LastEditorUserId="121" LastEditDate="2012-02-14T13:23:19.777" LastActivityDate="2012-02-14T13:23:19.777" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="480" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="470" CreationDate="2012-02-13T21:53:47.060" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Have the adult conversation with the instructor in question.  Let them know that you have some feedback from people that have left, that they felt that their introduction was too advanced for a novice and leave it at that.  Don't put words in people's mouths but provide the constructive critical feedback.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they are upset at your feedback, you have a decision to make: either discuss the feedback with the head instructor or don't.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've done a fair bit of teaching, mentoring and instructing and I am the type of person who wants feedback while there's still a chance to do something useful with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, if they get bent out of shape about constructive criticism, you should seriously think about whether this is a place where you want to spend your time.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="121" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T21:53:47.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="481" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="411" CreationDate="2012-02-13T22:43:36.933" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Something to understand: In Japanese society, the &lt;em&gt;Sempai&lt;/em&gt; / &lt;em&gt;Kohai&lt;/em&gt; relationship is largely organic. In a status-based society, the senior and junior naturally recognize their obligations to each other, and follow these social norms without issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Japan, the &lt;em&gt;Sempai&lt;/em&gt; / &lt;em&gt;Kohai&lt;/em&gt; relationship is not simply a one-way relationship. It's not simply the junior having an opportunity to train with a senior member, it's not about simply communal respect... Any attempt to simplify the understanding of the relationship is to neglect its sociological importance in an upwardly motivated society.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sempai&lt;/em&gt; (先輩)&lt;/strong&gt; – The Elder/Senior&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most westerners attempt to understand this relationship in the terms of the Master/Protégé relationships of artisans and their assistants. This is incorrect. The &lt;em&gt;sempai&lt;/em&gt; is a person acknowledged as having earned the privilege of a higher status by means of seniority within the organization. Age or even ability do not necessarily dictate &lt;em&gt;sempai&lt;/em&gt; status.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Within martial arts, typically this sort of role is fostered by example; the advanced students (&lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; and high &lt;em&gt;kyu&lt;/em&gt; ranks) are encouraged or placed with students that are newer to the organization. They recall being taught in a manner that their senior would instruct them in fine points, to correct them in issues that the &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt; might miss as he watches over the whole group. The &lt;em&gt;sempai&lt;/em&gt;, therefore, is responsible for the growth of the &lt;em&gt;kohai&lt;/em&gt;. In this way, the &lt;em&gt;sempai&lt;/em&gt; is responsible for the guidance, protection, and teaching of the &lt;em&gt;kohai&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In businesses, you might view the manager or supervisor as &lt;em&gt;sempai&lt;/em&gt;, and this would largely be accurate. It's important to note that this relationship better illustrates the importance of the &lt;em&gt;sempai&lt;/em&gt; role – in fact, his advancement and development is as tied into his &lt;em&gt;kohai&lt;/em&gt;'s abilities as his own. A poor manager does not get promoted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kohai&lt;/em&gt; (後輩)&lt;/strong&gt; – The Junior &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;em&gt;kohai&lt;/em&gt; has much expected of him as well. In many schools, the &lt;em&gt;kohai&lt;/em&gt; is often burdened with the &quot;grunt&quot; work, expected to clean the &lt;em&gt;dojo&lt;/em&gt;, stack mats after training, and may even be required to do laundry. This is often viewed as a means of testing the resolve of the &lt;em&gt;kohai&lt;/em&gt;. Essentially, the expectation of the &lt;em&gt;kohai&lt;/em&gt; is to respect, obey, and assist their &lt;em&gt;sempai&lt;/em&gt;, and this relationship will generally continue for as long as the two maintain contact, regardless of any transition in status.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Benefits of the Sempai/Kohai relationship&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The relationship between these two roles is symbiotic; both parties are benefitting from their interaction. The &lt;em&gt;sempai&lt;/em&gt; gains the experience necessary to become &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt;; &lt;em&gt;kohai&lt;/em&gt; gains the experience necessary to become &lt;em&gt;sempai&lt;/em&gt;. If both parties acknowledge and respect their part in the society, then the formal nature of the class is upheld, and a natural order is maintained in the class as a whole. The &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt; / &lt;em&gt;sempai&lt;/em&gt; / &lt;em&gt;kohai&lt;/em&gt; hierarchy is symbolic of the larger hierarchy of feudal structures which defined and shaped Japan as a society, and continue to do so even in the post-Imperialist age.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The individuals benefit from this sort of relationship on an individual level; it's vital that the newly indoctrinated be protected and trained, that the elder students learn what it means to lead and to follow (you are, even as &lt;em&gt;sempai&lt;/em&gt;, still &lt;em&gt;kohai&lt;/em&gt; to someone) and to be responsible not just for yourself but for the class as a whole.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fostering a natural sensei/sempai/kohai hierarchy in the dojo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;NB:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; I found this structure common in a study of cults I did at university. I've adapted it to the use of Japanese names, but this pattern exists in cults, secret societies, religions, pyramid schemes, and even in a great number of highly commercialized &lt;em&gt;dojo&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;TAKE NOTE: This method is extremely subversive and not recommended. It is posed here as one way of establishing a hierarchical microcosmic society.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Introducing this as a concept is artificial; the students should never be expected to adopt an entirely new way of acting and behaving and be expected to not rebel. Instead, an indoctrination format can be adopted to create natural hierarchies within the classroom, but it must be done patiently with a longterm goal in mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Create a hierarchical divion.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; When you examine your class, find the median rank. Sometimes it's easiest to divide at around 4th &lt;em&gt;kyu&lt;/em&gt;, but this may alter based on your class size and ranking. A scatter-plot of your students ranks can help with this. The &quot;upper&quot; group will be &lt;em&gt;sempai&lt;/em&gt;, having earned more rank. The lower division will be &lt;em&gt;kohai&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Match your own pairings.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; When you break apart for &lt;em&gt;waza&lt;/em&gt;, tell ranks &lt;em&gt;x-kyu&lt;/em&gt; and up to pair with a junior student. Start by using the terms &quot;senior&quot; and &quot;junior&quot;. You're cementing an idea of rank being an important issue here insofar as who can train with whom.  After a couple of months, start slipping up once in awhile: &quot;Seniors, join up with your &lt;em&gt;kohai&lt;/em&gt;, er, juniors&quot;... Then after a while stop correcting yourself... Sometimes you &lt;em&gt;sempai&lt;/em&gt; for seniors, other times used &lt;em&gt;kohai&lt;/em&gt; for juniors. After a while you shouldn't need to correct or use english terms at all for these two divisions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reward natural pairings.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; When a senior student naturally pairs up with a junior student, acknowledge the senior student. The junior student should want to pair with the senior student, as they should understand they stand to learn more, and thus need no acknowledgment. In fact, they'll seek it more if they never seem to receive that attention.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Address the senior students.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; When you teach, teach to the &lt;em&gt;sempai&lt;/em&gt;, and the &lt;em&gt;sempai&lt;/em&gt; will teach to the &lt;em&gt;kohai&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Maintain and enforce hierarchy.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Traditionally, students are lined up according to rank, usually front to back, right to left, highest to lowest for bowing. This may differ based on the organization, but insist on the order. You're affirming the importance of hierarchy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do not explain yourself.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; You are &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt;. You do not need to explain yourself to your subordinates; they are all &lt;em&gt;kohai&lt;/em&gt; to you, and their place is to obey and respect you. The fact that you want things this way means that should be enough of an explanation. Encourage those who follow, do not waste much time with those who don't.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not encouraging you to take this route, but this is a way that you can indoctrinate (and I use this term because it's appropriate and reflects the sort of attention this behavior draws in the west) your students into hierarchical structures. Make the change gradual, and they won't notice anything amiss; too rapid of a change and everything will fall apart.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-14T16:50:34.707" LastActivityDate="2012-02-14T16:50:34.707" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="482" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="485" CreationDate="2012-02-13T22:54:54.353" Score="6" ViewCount="1406" Body="&lt;p&gt;I always find it difficult to concentrate and empty my mind when I have just had argument with someone or have done very tough physical training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are good pre-meditation techniques to find the calm in your mind and just keep it there during meditation even though your body has adrenalin rush.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user72" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-15T20:51:37.393" LastActivityDate="2012-02-15T20:51:37.393" Title="How to meditate after an adrenaline rush or exertion?" Tags="|training|meditation|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="483" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="470" CreationDate="2012-02-13T22:57:33.163" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;As with any type of job, class or organization try and raise the issue in private in a one on one session. This will ensure that the instructor, owner or leader does not feel threatened or disrespected and become defensive or combative. It's important to try and not make them feel threatened or that your criticizing them. Steer the conversation into as much factual information you can, asking student why they quit and more like your passing along their suggestions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Normally when I have to have these conversations with people, I sandwich my suggestions between compliments. It sounds strange, but it really does help. Were all human and no one like to hear stuff that seems negative all the time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also try and use the chain of command if possible. I never like to go over peoples head and if there is an intermediate that is between you and the overall instruct try communicating with them first. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like to have some non-opinion based data, like questions from other people, comments, etc. Don't bring them with you, keep it one on one, and also don't make it seem like you've gone and surveyed people, might seem like you've gone behind their back. I normally approach it like &quot;I overheard some guys talking, or a friend of mine who was in the class..&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not every instructor is receptive to peoples comments or suggestions. I wouldn't take this personal if it happens, but just try and help them see it for themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T22:57:33.163" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="484" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="482" CreationDate="2012-02-13T23:10:42.270" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;For training you never want to go from very physical to sedentary. Always have a cool down and a stretch, this allows your body to adjust to the changing physical and energy demands and for your nervous systems to switch over (sympathetic/parasympathetic).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I'm stressed, due to work or an argument, I personally like to go out into nature if possible. The sun, air and sounds always calm me down. If I can't get out into nature (i.e. at work) and the sun is out I go outside and look at the sun with my eyes closed for five or so minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We all will have different forms of mediation, different things that our minds and bodies will respond to. What makes you comfortable, where are you at peace? If possible try to find those thoughts or places. Don't cling onto thoughts and emotions, instead let them flow over you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Breath consistently, focus on your breathing. Take air in though the nose, exhale though the mouth and reverse. Keep it a slow and steady pace, developing into a rhythm. I find that if I focus on breathing with my eyes closed that it clears my mind before a test or belt exam.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="51" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T23:10:42.270" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="485" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="482" CreationDate="2012-02-13T23:19:20.353" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I remember a passage from Way of the Peaceful Warrior in which Socrates asks a hippie, &quot;Do you meditate?&quot; like it was a dirty secret. It always stuck with me because it seems like this is how 90% of people treat meditation: as a dirty secret, done behind closed and locked doors, out of sight of other people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The approach of pre-meditation techniques and adrenaline rush disturbing meditation? They're wrong-headed thoughts. That is, if you're having that much trouble, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;you're not meditating&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Adrenaline rush is a response to fear; the endorphin rush from exertion is different, though the feeling is similar. There are only two things that people really fear: what happened in the past (depression), and what they believe will happen in the future (anxiety). In this very moment, there is no time to be afraid. We are alive in this moment, we can not change the past, and we can not control the future. So of what on earth is there to be afraid?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this very instance, ask yourself these questions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What is going on?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Where are you?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What time is it?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It was amazing, but these three stupid questions were all it took for my life to take an entirely new meaning. &lt;em&gt;What's going on?&lt;/em&gt; There's always something happening, there's always something going on; everything and everywhere, there is life happening all about us and we are simply one small part of that overall world; there is never nothing going on. &lt;em&gt;Where am I?&lt;/em&gt; I'm right here; my body may be at my desk, or going through some rote activity, but I am right here, living and experiencing what is around me. &lt;em&gt;What time is it?&lt;/em&gt; It's now; I can't change the past and I can't control the future; the only thing that matters is what's happening this moment. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you can see those same conclusions in your own way, you'll understand meditation. It's not some event, your mind doesn't need to be quieted. It just is quiet, and you just are experiencing life. The more amazing part? Harmony. The same silly concept everyone was prattling on about in zen groups and buddhist clubs since high school? It's the simplest thing on earth – care, but don't be consumed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't need meditative techniques or tricks. Just let go. Be always in a meditative state and you won't need to clear your head; it simply will be clear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I heard a story once:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A monk walks by the side of a river. From nowhere, a stone is thrown and strikes the monk in the side of the head and he collapses to the ground. A moment later, he gets up and without looking around or tending to his wound, he continues walking in the direction he was headed. A man who witnessed the whole thing runs after him and asks, &quot;Why did you not try to find who threw the stone at you?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The monk replied: &quot;The stone is in the past.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T23:19:20.353" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="486" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="482" CreationDate="2012-02-13T23:21:53.050" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is an excellent answer here (http://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/202/65) to &quot;How to lower heart rate at will&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially: soft humming. This will resemble softly chanting &quot;om&quot; or humming a lullaby.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;stslavik has the rest of the answer: meditation doesn't stop when you get off the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastActivityDate="2012-02-13T23:21:53.050" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="487" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="482" CreationDate="2012-02-14T00:09:33.870" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The same way you get to Carnegie Hall: practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not exactly a serious student of meditation, but for about a year I had about twenty minutes between a exercise class at the University gym and the beginning of the Akindo Club practice session. I started spending the time meditating; sitting cross-legged or in half-lotus or even in seiza, and just breathing with deliberation. At first I had a very hard time because my body was keyed up, but after a while I became more adept at slowing my breathing, lowering my heartrate, and putting aside the cares of the day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="210" LastActivityDate="2012-02-14T00:09:33.870" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="488" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="459" CreationDate="2012-02-14T01:09:16.467" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm glad you clarified your question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The question I see there is not &quot;how can I overcome pain&quot; but &quot;can I overcome (partial) paralysis?&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is simple: no, you can't. Weak spots are just that, weak, and should be defended.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your problem is not - apparently - the simple pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastActivityDate="2012-02-14T01:09:16.467" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="489" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="465" CreationDate="2012-02-14T02:36:46.383" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I tend to grapevine to help with establishing a mount with a really squirmy opponent.  You can't stay there for long because its kind of neutral, and there are counters, but it can be good to help settle into mount.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2012-02-14T02:36:46.383" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="490" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="113" CreationDate="2012-02-14T03:52:26.460" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is reckless to make changes to a style without fully understanding the consequences of that change. The wing chun punches are good punches, they make sense, and done properly, they will not damage you. A palm heel strike and a punch are not the same strike and will not have the same effect if directed at the same target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-14T03:52:26.460" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="491" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="465" CreationDate="2012-02-14T04:27:24.513" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Something I've noticed helps me sometimes is (after doing what Keith Nicholas suggested in his tip) driving my knees up towards their armpits, separating their elbows from their sides. This takes away the power from their bridge and isolates their arms somewhat, giving me attacks or setups when they try to regain that space back. Also sometimes when they bridge and I ride them I sneak my feet under the small of their back, this seems to stifle their bridging power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in summary, play with&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;High mount, on their upper body&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Driving knees into their armpits&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Feet under the small of their back&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="123" LastActivityDate="2012-02-14T04:27:24.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="492" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="470" CreationDate="2012-02-14T08:00:49.133" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I cannot add more to the answers already there apart form a few advice: be assertive. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Assertiveness-Work-Practical-Handling-Situations/dp/0077095332&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Assertiveness at work&lt;/a&gt; is a good book to have to learn how to do it.  Basically, it is looking at how to criticise actions but not the person doing them while focusing on resolving the problem at heart. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So instead of saying &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;&lt;em&gt;Your classes are too hard so new members quit&lt;/em&gt;&quot;, &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;say &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;&lt;em&gt;I believe that some of the new members are disheartened because they feel that the classes are too hard.  While it is good that the yudansha train hard, could we sometimes break the class and let one of the dan grades teach the lower belts?  I think that it would help us grow (we have to learn to learn the kata well enough to teach it) and it would help them feel less swamped.  What do you think?&lt;/em&gt;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-02-14T08:00:49.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="493" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="411" CreationDate="2012-02-14T08:09:15.550" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the dojo I am studying in more senior students are responsible for helping less senior with their techniques, preparing for the tests, etc. It is custom for more senior students to work with more junior ones, which is beneficial both for beginners - they enjoy the best example while their basics are not set yet and they also are more safe since the senior student knows better how to adjust his techniques if and when the junior student does something wrong. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The relationship should naturally follow from this - I think it is natural to respect somebody who is more knowledgeable and advanced in something than you and at the same time gladly shares his knowledge and helps your advancement. It is also natural, having received such help while being junior student, to pass it to one's juniors when becoming more experienced. I think it is as natural for the Western person as it is for anybody else - there's nothing non-Western in this concept. Of course, for some cultures it goes much deeper than that but even for a Western person like myself there's nothing wrong with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can speak only about the dojo I'm studying in, but there are people of all kinds of backgrounds and descents, and I haven't noticed anybody having problems with accepting this concept. I have benefitted from it on both sides of the relationship - while being helped by more advanced students and now when I have some experience by refining my techniques while working with more junior students and discovering new aspects while trying to assist them. I think this arrangement makes a lot of sense. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="49" LastActivityDate="2012-02-14T08:09:15.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="494" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="83" CreationDate="2012-02-14T17:47:50.407" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't believe your &quot;advanced basics&quot; are a set of techniques, but rather an application of a hapkido principle called &lt;em&gt;Hwa&lt;/em&gt; (화), which is a principle of non-resistance, to your fundamentals (&lt;em&gt;kibon sool&lt;/em&gt;). This can be thought of as similar to applying the &quot;joining&quot; principle in &lt;em&gt;aikido&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;aikijujutsu&lt;/em&gt;, in that when the opponent pushes, you move in the direction of the push, or &quot;pull&quot;. This makes sense given the similar roots (&lt;em&gt;Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu&lt;/em&gt;) of both &lt;em&gt;aikido&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;hapkido&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In (&lt;em&gt;Tokimune&lt;/em&gt; branch) &lt;em&gt;Daito-ryu&lt;/em&gt;, the &lt;em&gt;Hiden Mokuroku&lt;/em&gt; which comprises the fundamental 118 techniques of the art begins first by teaching the basic techniques as &lt;em&gt;jujutsu&lt;/em&gt; until they're learned and can be applied, then teaches them again using &lt;em&gt;aiki&lt;/em&gt;. This may be a similar approach being taken in teaching &lt;em&gt;hwa&lt;/em&gt; in your &lt;em&gt;hapkido&lt;/em&gt; training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-14T18:09:25.080" LastActivityDate="2012-02-14T18:09:25.080" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="495" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="17" CreationDate="2012-02-14T19:26:17.653" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Back when I trained more, I was nicknamed &quot;tidal-wave&quot; because of the amount that I sweat.  A few tips I used:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) wear an undershirt.  Not fun when it's 8 zillion degrees out in the middle of summer, but it works well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) stash a small dishtowel up your sleeve.  Between sets/exercises, dab at the sweat with the towel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) bring your gi to class and wear street clothes.  Pack a clotheshanger.  After class change into your street clothes.  This limits the time you are sweating in the gi.  Yes, even when you are driving to class, you are perspiring a little (the average human perspires about 1-2 pints per day even when inactive).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4) put the gi in the washer (and undershirt and towel) as soon as you get home.  Run it through a rinse cycle.  I typically put it in the washer, and it was still going at bedtime, so I'd leave it overnight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;5) When the rinse is done, wash it with whatever detergent you prefer, but also add the recommended amount of oxy-clean.  As I understand the chemistry, Oxyclean is a peroxide (such as h2o2) that gets between the fabric fibers and then the unstable oxygen atom breaks off and takes the salt/uric acid molecules with it.  All I know is that Tide + Oxyclean removes an amazing amount of stains (sweat, grass, blood, food, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The above method worked for my white, black, and red gis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="249" LastActivityDate="2012-02-14T19:26:17.653" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="496" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="466" CreationDate="2012-02-14T22:14:08.773" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You are probably correct about jiu-jitsu if you ever want to compete. Forrest Griffin makes a distinction between being a fighter and a martial artist in &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B002BD2V3I&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Got Fight&lt;/a&gt;. He seems to emphasize jiu-jitsu and grappling for success in being a professional MMA fighter. I've learned some karate, judo, boxing, hwa-rang-do, and most recently Aikido. I am most interested in having fun while exercising and being able to do it as an old man, which I kinda already am. Aikido has come in handy for me a few times during a slip and fall, but never had to use it in self defense. I was fairly good at karate about 30 years ago, had been learning it for 3-4 years, but one day I got jumped and woke up in the hospital. Oh well, I suppose some of the best fighters learn by simply doing it for a living. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="169" LastEditorUserId="169" LastEditDate="2012-02-14T22:20:06.147" LastActivityDate="2012-02-14T22:20:06.147" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="498" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="120" CreationDate="2012-02-15T16:43:32.663" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I trained in a variant of Hapkido.  Some of the specifics may be different between our two styles, but this seems very similar.  We learned falls this way:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crash Mat with pauses between as many steps as possible.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crash mat doing the whole technique, but doing it as slowly as possible.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crash mat putting everything together.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Regular mats with pauses (maybe 1 or 2 reps)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Regular mats, whole technique, slowly (again, 1 or 2 reps)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;regular mats, all put together.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;increment the technique. First you run up to the mat, stop, then do the roll.  Then you run up to the mat and roll.  Then you do a running jump roll, then you do the tornado fall (jump, do the somersault in the air and land on your side).  As for standing falls, first you start on the knees, then standing, then jumping, finally a jump-kick-fall.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Crash Mat: It's about 4-6 inches thick and prevents injury no matter how badly you screw up the technique.  I one time landed on my head, and did not get hurt (as opposed to a good chance of breaking my neck with that same mistake on a hard surface).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regular mats: These are about an inch or two thick, very dense, and very similar to the mats used in Gym class in school.  We do ALL of class on the regular mats.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="249" LastActivityDate="2012-02-15T16:43:32.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="499" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="549" CreationDate="2012-02-15T17:36:54.013" Score="14" ViewCount="344" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't use testing when I teach; I observe and promote when students are ready (hopefully avoiding various observer effects). That said, I judge individuals based on their individual capabilities and ability to move (which is a vital component of our art). I've also, however, never trained with anyone who has had a significant physical disability, though I've met a small number of martial artists in wheelchairs and with other disabilities. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In organizations in which students have a prescribed test, are tests modified to make allowances for such disabilities? If so, how?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-06T17:44:13.787" LastActivityDate="2019-09-07T00:08:37.653" Title="Are students with disabilities tested differently?" Tags="|training|teaching|grading|disability|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="500" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="499" CreationDate="2012-02-15T17:49:10.677" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;They can be. I don't know that they are universally, but a lot of schools/teachers seem to be willing to accommodate at least some degree of disability.  I suspect that it would be something that could be asked of each individual instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my school, at least, testing is a formality that takes place when the instructor judges that you are ready to advance.  You essentially aren't going to be given the test unless the instructor believes you are ready to advance, after which the result of the formal test is as much there for the student as anything.  We've had students with injuries or non-crippling disabilities (e.g., can't do most kicks but can still walk) both take and pass tests.  The test just gets adapted: perhaps we do more lock techniques, we emphasize the techniques in that set that they can do, or we work with the modified versions of the techniques for their particular situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, at least for my specific school in my specific art, the answer to this question is &quot;yes.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-15T18:47:57.577" LastActivityDate="2012-02-15T18:47:57.577" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="501" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="502" CreationDate="2012-02-15T18:43:04.653" Score="9" ViewCount="9546" Body="&lt;p&gt;One technique in many martial arts is a spear-hand strike, where you make your hand rigid and thrust into the opponent.  There are a couple of different variations: in hapkido, we have a flat-hand attack (palm down); an inverted strike (palm up); and a spear thrust (palm perpendicular to ground). However, the hand shape remains essentially the same in each. There are also a few variations in the exact shape of the hand depending on the source, but the gist of it is that the fingers are rigid and the thumb is pulled back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A few different sources and some, er, practice indicate that this technique is very easy to jam or otherwise injure one's fingers when practicing against a target; many of the areas and objects that are safe to hit (i.e. soft targets) are not ideal for the strikes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the question is: How can one effectively practice spear-hand strikes,  for either conditioning or simply hand-training purposes, with minimal risk of injury, while still knowing if you got the technique right?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-10-29T18:36:57.187" LastActivityDate="2017-01-21T13:26:39.137" Title="How can one practice spear-hand strikes, while still knowing you got the technique right?" Tags="|technique|hapkido|" AnswerCount="16" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="502" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="501" CreationDate="2012-02-15T19:04:03.877" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;Generally (though this is often mis-taught), any sort of fingertip striking is done to the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strike_%28attack%29#Spear_hand&quot;&gt;soft tissues of the body&lt;/a&gt;, a notable exception being thumb tip striking which may attack bone. You'll notice the way the body must be positioned in each regard to the twisting of the hand to strike palm up, palm down, or palm perpendicular, which hints at positioning for the impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like any other activity, it's best learned by doing; that is, if you want to train rigidity in the finger tips, only impact training will properly build the small muscles of the fingers to allow for this sort of activity. There is, after all, no similar activity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, any of this sort of training has the potential to cause &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repetitive_strain_injury&quot;&gt;RSIs (repetitive stress injuries)&lt;/a&gt;, much the same way continuous typing can lead to arthritis in the hands as you age. You must be willing, to some degree, accept this as an eventuality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find that training with a BOB (Body Opponent Bag) gives a reasonable facsimile of skin over a more rigid core, as well as a body shape. Start slow, targeting the vital points you know are appropriate for those strikes (an inverted strike lends itself well to slipping under the floating ribs, for instance) and repeatedly make the strike in slow motion to build the muscle memory to go to that location. Push into that spot, and move back out. Go further out with each strike. Do this for a couple of weeks, pushing harder into the spot while maintaining correct alignment in your fingers. Over time, slowly build up speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not think of this as a strike in the same regard as a punch. It's dangerous to confuse these two strikes, and will lead to broken fingers. The sides of the human body are soft and sensitive, protected normally by the arms. You're exploiting this sort of nerve-dense tissues with quick, sharp jabs to create openings, not to permanently cripple or break anything. Look at it appropriately and you'll see how to use it; knowing how to use it leads to discovering new ways to train it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-17T18:29:21.363" LastActivityDate="2012-02-17T18:29:21.363" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="503" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="501" CreationDate="2012-02-15T19:05:41.427" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Shaolin has some conditioning training. (They have all sorts of conditioning training).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know if it is worth the time to strengthen fingers to be able to jam into people. At least, it is not for me. I've heard of people with iron finger and hand skills to have shortened fingers. Though I'm not a professional musician, I make my living by typing, not beating people up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There may be alternative ways to use a knife hand. I tend to use a variation of this on soft targets. Like locks or pressure points, I do this as opportunity arises. Or I might use this as a set up for sticking the palm or the back of the hand to the other person's movement. Or to fix their attention on the hand while I'm doing something else with a different body part.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastActivityDate="2012-02-15T19:05:41.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="504" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="501" CreationDate="2012-02-15T19:57:18.337" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not familiar with hapkido, so this may simply be a technique difference, but in Taekwondo usually you don't hold the fingers perfectly straight in spear-hand strikes--you do hold the fingers rigid, but with a very slight bend so that if you do hit something too hard the fingers crumple inward in the natural direction of the joints, which doesn't really hurt much. You can still get good force out of that if you practice (holding your fingers in that position can take some getting used to), and you're at no risk of jamming your fingers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;stslavik's points about target area/purpose of the strike are good ones also.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="45" LastActivityDate="2012-02-15T19:57:18.337" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="505" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="522" CreationDate="2012-02-16T06:27:48.150" Score="11" ViewCount="802" Body="&lt;p&gt;At my taekwondo school, we have several levels of sparring - non-, light-, medium-, and full-contact. We do, however, have one over-riding rule: no matter the level of contact, we always endeavour to avoid causing injuries. This leads to a problem: all of the sparring we do is somewhat restrained. Our kicks can't ever be fully committed until we know they will be dodged or blocked effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We train with gloves and shin+instep pads, but it's still possible to cause injury with a number of kicks, especially against a smaller or lighter opponent - and I'm one of the biggest and most experienced students in the class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This doesn't just mean I'm learning to hold back slightly in my sparring: it also means my opponent has slightly less pressure to put up a great defense. They know they might get a bit of a whack if I get a kick through, but they know, ultimately, that they're (probably) safe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What can you do, either during sparring or in drills, to up the level of intensity without creating too high a risk of injury?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="48" LastActivityDate="2012-02-17T06:22:18.533" Title="Balancing control and intensity in sparring" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|safety|sparring|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="506" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="509" CreationDate="2012-02-16T06:49:17.687" Score="12" ViewCount="788" Body="&lt;p&gt;I find that sometimes when I'm sparring, particularly if I'm sparring someone around my own level of ability, I can get quite riled up - particularly if I take a heavy hit. This gives me a serious energy boost: I'll throw more techniques, faster and harder. It also makes me more reckless: I'm more likely to take a hit if I think it will lead to an opening. My techniques, and more worryingly, my tactics, get sloppier. My footwork suffers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of these results are good, some are bad, and some could go either way. I feel like there's a great deal of potential in harnessing this intensity properly: the increased speed and power I can manage when the adrenalin is really pumping is substantial.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any mental techniques I can use to focus my emotions, to get more of the good results and fewer of the bad? Are there particular meditation techniques which can improve my control of this sort of thing? Or is this a dead-end, and I should find a less-emotive way to tap into my full potential?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="48" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-04-02T14:43:45.707" LastActivityDate="2012-04-02T14:43:45.707" Title="Harnessing emotion during sparring" Tags="|sparring|meditation|power|mentality|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="507" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="505" CreationDate="2012-02-16T07:46:52.210" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Control, control, and more control with some salt added.  The salt is what are you aiming for in the sparring?  It is going to be different if you train to get your body used to movement, avoidance, and attacks or to weather the storm or to improve your tactics during a competition or ... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, since your goal is more intensity, then all you need is more and more control.  You should be able to control where and how hard your attacks land.  It's easier said than done. Try to aim for where the pads/protections are.  You could try to increase the length of the rounds, making you more and more tiered -- thus relying on technique and craftsmanship instead of brute force.  Start slow and built it up to full on contact.  A little pain is a great teacher.  An injury is a lossy one.  Knowing the difference when you start the attack require control, more control, and even more control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that full contact means that you will get hit.  You &lt;em&gt;should&lt;/em&gt; be able to take it. That said there is a thine line between training and beating up.  Make sure that the other person's level is before going hell for leather!  After all, they are your friends/colleges/fellows in arms... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-02-16T07:46:52.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="508" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="506" CreationDate="2012-02-16T09:22:44.657" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a good article I came across on this subject....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.damientrainor.com/2012/you-dont-need-to-win-in-sparring&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.damientrainor.com/2012/you-dont-need-to-win-in-sparring&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some points + some of mine &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;you don't need to win!  meaning, the mindset about what you think sparring is is going to effect how you spar and what you will get from it.  It will effect your emotional reaction to getting hit.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;if you spar like you need to win, you will only ever play your A game, which means you aren't going to play with stuff you aren't very good at doing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The feeling of getting riled up just because you are sparring with someone of your level means your ego is involved.  This is why it gets messy.   I think this is common.  Best thing to deal with is generally the instructor, I think you need to be taught how to spar at 50/60%, often its just said &quot;hey, just go 60%!&quot; and everyone just slowly ratchets up the intensity.  But sparring drills can be used to get people to 'losing' without losing face.   &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastEditorUserId="8" LastEditDate="2012-02-16T18:43:58.240" LastActivityDate="2012-02-16T18:43:58.240" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="509" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="506" CreationDate="2012-02-16T09:53:29.360" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It seems you are suffering a rush of adrenaline when you get hit, hence why you speed up and can take (or are prepared to take) further hits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overall, this rush of adrenaline is &lt;strong&gt;bad&lt;/strong&gt; and should be avoided. Adrenaline is great when little old ladies need to lift crashed cars off people or you need to sprint into a burning building to save someone. While sparring you should be trying to achieve a state of &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushin&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;mushin&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (no mind, knowing without knowing) when you spar. This is a state where you can just react without thinking while still retaining full control of your technique.*&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You also shouldn't be willing to take a hit to create an opening unless you are training for a tournament or the ring. During sparring openings will present themselves constantly - imagine your opponent's arm extended as a punch, that extened arm is itself an opening. You simply need to know and understand what you can do with these openings. Trying to force an opening would indicate that there is possibly no fight happening (your opponent is not attacking), in which case the correct defence (in a strictly traditional sense) is simply to hold your ground in the ready stance. Of course two people just assuming the ready stance and then staring at each other doesn't make for particularly interesting sparring no matter how technically correct it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*To be honest, this is actually a little scary an unnerving the first few times you experience it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-02-16T09:53:29.360" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="510" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="519" CreationDate="2012-02-16T12:23:50.463" Score="9" ViewCount="1703" Body="&lt;p&gt;Listening to music while practicing is something I see many martial artists do; especially those in boxing and MMA; I have seen it less in wrestling and judo. Is this because of the stereotypic groups that go to these styles, or does the style itself get support by listening to music?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does it offer any effect, positive or negative?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do fighters who are not absorbed in practice need music?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-16T19:22:19.433" LastActivityDate="2012-02-16T21:33:07.273" Title="What benefits (if any) are there when listening to music while practicing? And does it depend on the style?" Tags="|judo|training|boxing|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="511" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="510" CreationDate="2012-02-16T12:55:30.967" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would suggest that the boxing and MMA practitioners are using the music to &quot;get in the zone&quot; as they train, and has little difference to listening to your iPod during your gym workout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've personally never seen music used during practice of traditional arts (with the exception of some music played to assist with meditation). Playing music is also not conducive to group training as you wouldn't be able to hear the commands and counts that are being called out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-02-16T12:55:30.967" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="512" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="518" CreationDate="2012-02-16T13:13:38.613" Score="29" ViewCount="15382" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many martial arts (&lt;em&gt;karate, judo, jiujutsu, taekwondo, kung-fu,&lt;/em&gt; etc.) use some form of coloured belts to denote rank and level.   How did this come about?  Did the concept have common origin or did some styles create the idea independently?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="47" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-02-16T17:14:25.140" LastActivityDate="2021-12-08T20:30:34.037" Title="How did the colour belt ranking system originate?" Tags="|history|belt|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="513" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="512" CreationDate="2012-02-16T13:28:10.243" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Jigoro Kano first came up with the kyu/dan ranks in 1883 for Judo.  The &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo_ranks_and_grades&quot;&gt;original&lt;/a&gt; belts were blue (6th kyu), white (5 and 4 kyu), brown (3, 2, and 1 kyu), and black for dan grades (10 ranks).  The idea behind the system was to promote a quick reward/progression system and a way to identify your opponent's average skill in randori.  After that, a myriad of colours were added. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Aikido, Ueshiba determined that kyu grades should wear white, yudansha black and those with a Menkyo Kaiden (high level certificate) will be 8th dan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that the black belt is not because either the belt gets died may times or as it getting dirtier and thus looks black.  Those are (stupid) myths. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note as well that other arts such as Muay Thai have a ranking system with colour (in that case arm bands called Prajeat) but they have no common root with the kyu/dan rank system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2012-02-16T13:38:34.017" LastActivityDate="2012-02-16T13:38:34.017" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="514" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="425" CreationDate="2012-02-16T13:34:56.847" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Muay thai has &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.muaythai-fighting.com/muay-thai-music.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;music&lt;/a&gt; in all ring fights and in training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-02-16T13:34:56.847" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="515" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="706" CreationDate="2012-02-16T15:23:19.583" Score="5" ViewCount="662" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is Systema a modern version of &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankration&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pankration&lt;/a&gt;? The ancient style is very loose in the rules. Except that for Systema, there are weapons included, it is also quite loose in restrictions and practical for serious combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are all styles with few rules going to be similar to each other?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-12-18T19:15:45.660" LastActivityDate="2020-12-18T19:15:45.660" Title="Are Systema and Pankration similar to each other?" Tags="|style|systema|pankration|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="516" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="510" CreationDate="2012-02-16T17:00:02.757" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Speaking of the zone in Slugster's answer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In his book, &lt;em&gt;The Art of Learning&lt;/em&gt;, Josh Waitzkin, described how he used music. It was part of his ritual to trigger the zone at will. He did this before the national Tai Chi push-hands competitions in Taiwan. Like all things, &quot;learn the big circles, then make the big circles smaller&quot;, he gradually reduced the ritual time until he could do this in under one minute. YMMV.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastActivityDate="2012-02-16T17:00:02.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="517" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="515" CreationDate="2012-02-16T17:21:12.153" Score="6" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is Systema a modern version of Pankration?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Interesting, but no.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pankration is a modern martial art recreation of an ancient combat sport introduced in the Greek Olympics in 648 BC which combined grappling and striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Systema (by which I'm going to make an assumption that you're referring to &lt;em&gt;Systema Ryabko&lt;/em&gt; [Система Рябко], as taught by Vladimir Vasiliev, or &lt;em&gt;Systema Kadochnikova&lt;/em&gt; [Система Кадочникова, or its better-known-in-the-United-States off-shoot, &lt;em&gt;Systema Spetsnaz&lt;/em&gt; (Система Спецназ)]; I can think of half a dozen to a dozen other styles from the former Soviet Union that are called Systema), is derived from a number of different traditions, including folk wrestling traditions, as well as Cossack warrior traditions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One fundamental difference is that Pankration (as practiced nowadays) is a combat sport, where Systema (as defined above) is a system of combat designed for military use. While Pankration may have few rules, it does, at its core, &lt;em&gt;have rules&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Are all styles with few rules going to be similar to each other?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, when you look at the big picture of all arts, they're still fundamentally tied to the artists using them: we all have human bodies, and thus are restricted to human body movements. In this way, the broad strokes of all martial arts will always appear the same to a person with little or no experience in them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-03-15T18:11:06.373" LastActivityDate="2012-03-15T18:11:06.373" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="518" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="512" CreationDate="2012-02-16T17:42:29.693" Score="29" Body="&lt;p&gt;Interesting question!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first ranking system in Japanese arts was a merit system based on &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menkyo&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;menkyo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; or licenses. Essentially, you trained until you learned enough to earn a license recognizing your ability in that set of techniques or lessons. You may have a &lt;em&gt;menkyo&lt;/em&gt; for each section of the syllabus (&lt;em&gt;mokuroku&lt;/em&gt;), or you might have &lt;em&gt;menkyo shoden&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;menkyo chuden&lt;/em&gt;, etc. Ultimately, though, this culminated in a final license, &lt;em&gt;menkyo kaiden&lt;/em&gt; (license of full transmission).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kan%C5%8D_Jigor%C5%8D&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kanō Jigorō&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (嘉納治五郎) was the first to incorporate a system of &lt;em&gt;Kyu&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Dan&lt;/em&gt; into martial arts, but this system actually originated in a chess-like game called &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_%28game%29&quot;&gt;Go&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;em&gt;Igo&lt;/em&gt; in Japanese, &lt;em&gt;Weiqi&lt;/em&gt; in Chinese). He split his students first into two ranks (Unranked, or &lt;em&gt;mudansha&lt;/em&gt;; and ranked, or &lt;em&gt;yudansha&lt;/em&gt;), and instituted a belt system to recognize the difference between them. These were later divided into levels of &lt;em&gt;Kyu&lt;/em&gt; (white belt) and &lt;em&gt;Dan&lt;/em&gt; (black belt) based on the rankings in Go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The colored belts came after Judo began to be taught outside of Japan. &lt;em&gt;Sensei&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikonosuke_Kawaishi&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kawaishi Mikonosuke&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (川石酒造之助) introduced various colored belts in Europe in 1935 when he started to teach judo in Paris. The story goes that he felt that the Europeans he was teaching needed some sort of encouragement to continue training, and that a new belt at a new grade made the sport more appealing. This system was later adopted into various other martial arts taught throughout Europe, but was also adapted into Karate by &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gichin_Funakoshi&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Funakoshi Gichin&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (船越義珍) attempting to increase &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotokan&quot;&gt;(&lt;em&gt;Shotokan&lt;/em&gt;) &lt;em&gt;Karate&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;'s appeal to the Japanese.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-03-27T17:55:33.283" LastActivityDate="2012-03-27T17:55:33.283" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="519" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="510" CreationDate="2012-02-16T18:09:36.947" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In an attempt to answer this question objectively, and on topic:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.buzzle.com/articles/effects-of-music-on-the-mind-and-brain.html&quot;&gt;A Buzzle.com Article&lt;/a&gt; on the Effects of Music on the Brain, music has the following effects on the brain:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Increases Concentration Levels, Improves Memory&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It is known that music helps increase your concentration levels. [...] Research has shown that the silence between two musical notes triggers brain cells which are responsible for the development of sharp memory. Flute music, and instruments like santoor and sarod [and] Classical music improves the ability to recall what's retained in the brain in the form of memory. Strong beats cause the brain waves to resonate in synch with the beat, thus leading to increased levels of concentration and increased mental alertness. This also trains the brain to change speeds of processing easily, as need be.[...]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When examining this from the perspective of martial arts, we can assume that continued listening &lt;em&gt;to appropriate types of music&lt;/em&gt; during training would promote (in addition to other things):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Better technique retention.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Better focus in performance of techniques and kata.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Better recall of learned techniques.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Increases Creativity and Problem-solving Skills:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Music plays a vital role in enhancing creativity. Music has a positive impact on the right side of the brain. Music triggers brain centers which deal with the enhancement of creativity. [...] Music increases spatial and abstract reasoning skills. These are the skills required in tackling problems, solving puzzles and taking decisions.[...]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this case, consider &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; or sparring. Increased problem-solving and creativity can increase the students ability to respond to a given situation using the learned techniques and the creation of new techniques based on the underlying principles of those techniques already learned. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Makes Learning Easier:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;[...] you can remember songs because they are musical compositions and not plain words lacking music or rhythm. [...] Learning beat patterns (talas), helps improve math skills. The study of rhythm is known to help students learn math. Music stimulates the brain centers that deal with thinking, analyzing and planning, thus enhancing one's organizational skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here we're dealing with rhythm. What makes a 30-step form memorable? Rhythm. Every fight has a rhythm, and manipulating that rhythm gives the martial artist an advantage. Further, by learning to a rhythm, the technique is more easily retained, and more easily manipulated by altering that rhythm, again increasing the students understanding of the application of that technique.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One last notable issue from that article:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;[...]the effects music can have on your mind or brain depend largely on the kind of music you choose to listen to[...]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is incredibly important; amelodic thrash-metal will have an entirely different affect on your brain than listening to Mozart (this can be noticed in a basic experiment of simply listening to both and noticing the difference on your mood after listening to each).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-16T18:09:36.947" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="521" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="510" CreationDate="2012-02-16T21:33:07.273" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;stslavik's answer covers a lot of the sciency benefits as they relate to learning and such.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd like to add, from the sport psychology / coaches point of view:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like a lot of other things, practicing in as close to competition environment / circumstances as possible will provide a greater ability to perform at the same level in competition as you do in practice.   So, if there is music playing at your competition venue, it makes sense to have it at practice.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Music also helps set the tempo of the class.  I find in my bjj classes we often listen to reggae style music, it keeps people chill and seems to keep people from being a spazz and going to hard.    In Boxing and MMA,  we tend to listen to heavier rock and roll, alternative and metal.   I find if i'm hitting the bag, listening to disturbed, or metallica, i hit the bag harder and my strikes are crisper then when i'm listening to bob marley.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-02-16T21:33:07.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="522" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="505" CreationDate="2012-02-17T05:47:21.553" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;In rapier we would encounter this problem all of the time: You'd go up against opponents in sparring that were significantly weaker or stronger than you all of the time, and you have to learn to not walk over the weaker opponents so that they could still have a good game and learn something while working on your technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, though, let me say that there is nothing that compares with having someone your own level or stronger to fight.  So if you are lacking that in your training, talk to your instructor about ways to fill that gap. When working with weaker opponents, your goal is going to be to help to elevate them to your level or beyond. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In rapier (and currently for me in Hapkido) there were a couple of things that we emphasized when fighting weaker opponents, in particular, that might help:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Make your technique perfect.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Limit yourself in some way.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do more &quot;at speed&quot; structured drills.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Make your technique perfect&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's really easy to win against a newer fighter with slop.  Things you can't get away with against a stronger fighter (or very rarely get away with against a stronger fighter) work beautifully against newer fighters because they haven't seen it before, or because their technique isn't good enough to counter it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, focus on perfecting your technique.  If you throw a kick or a punch, it should be perfectly under your control. It should be placed exactly where you want it (we used to talk about &quot;superior point control,&quot; which included the ability to consistently hit someones hand through a &lt;a href=&quot;http://ed.toton.org/weapons/practice-rapier.html&quot;&gt;swept hilt&lt;/a&gt;).  It should land with precisely the amount of force you dictate, not any more or less, on precisely the location you want it to. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Work on not telegraphing anything of your own and on reading them perfectly.  Work on seeing what they could have done and could be doing that would slip through your guard. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Personal Handicaps&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A common one for us right now (given that Hapkido is a self defense art) is to focus on countering.  Don't attack them, get out of the way and counterattack only.  If you miss or if they get out of the way, reset and wait for their next sequence.  You can limit yourself here in the number of attacks you get in reply or in the length of the exchange that you engage in with them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also limit your techniques.  See if you can win with nothing but a front kick.  Or perhaps with nothing but a front kick off of your non-preferred leg. You might throw other techniques (or not), but the only one you will allow to land is a perfectly placed front kick off of your non-preferred side.   You can also focus on techniques you don't feel as comfortable with or aren't as good at. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another one we used to do is to either anchor your feet or, alternatively, require that you only evade and never block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Drills&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of older martial arts have a concept of a &quot;two person form.&quot;  In Taekwondo (at least for my instructor's students), an element of this is preserved in the one-step (and two step, etc) drills, which you can adapt with the help of the instructor to the purpose if they don't quite fit what you need, or you might modify to work with pads (or hand pads). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The great thing about interactive drills is that they provide an opportunity to do things at a very high degree of intensity, since the other student should know what is coming next and may have something to do when that happens. If you can work with a more advanced student on these drills it may prove particularly valuable, since they can take the hit and will certainly get the block into place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also bears mention that when doing drills on your own against a bag or the air you should always strive to do it at full force and with perfect form. Which is itself a great way to improve the intensity of your fighting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-17T06:22:18.533" LastActivityDate="2012-02-17T06:22:18.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="523" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-02-17T11:13:47.027" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-02-17T11:13:47.027" LastActivityDate="2012-02-17T11:13:47.027" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="524" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-02-17T11:13:47.027" Score="0" Body="A place for training in martial arts. This may be a hall, building, room, natural environment, or any established place for the practice of one or more martial arts." OwnerUserId="88" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-19T04:30:37.377" LastActivityDate="2012-02-19T04:30:37.377" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="525" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="319" CreationDate="2012-02-17T15:00:11.837" Score="2" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Once I read a book about the Life of Morihei Ueshiba (though I don't remember the exact book's name...). I never thought of it as of a &quot;canonical book&quot;, but if something is, it is this book - for me.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I'd definitely take a look at &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/4770030304&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The Secret Teachings of Aikido&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="93" LastActivityDate="2012-02-17T15:00:11.837" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="526" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="145" CreationDate="2012-02-17T15:18:14.053" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the morning I used kokyu (breathing) and some warm-up excercises:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;kokyu&lt;/strong&gt;: breathing excercises (we never called them by names, I just them &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikidocb.cz/index.php?option=com_content&amp;amp;view=article&amp;amp;id=34%3atrenink-aikido-dychani&amp;amp;catid=14%3ao-aikido&amp;amp;Itemid=19&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;  - not in English though -  and hope I have not messed it up:&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jang note kokyu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jin note kokyu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(Gaeshi kokyu we did only after the end of lesson to regain energy)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And then we did many &lt;strong&gt;warm-up excercises&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;rotate arms in shoulders - forth, back, and then each hand in the opposite direction, hands meet in the vertical position above head. Good for backbone.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;relax your arms and just by hip rotation twist your hips (and upper body) swiftly to the left and to the right. Hands are just flying loosely in the air from side to side. Good for backbone.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;various head twisting and rotation, slowly, carefully especially in back-bend&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;cradles&quot; - the stage when you fall backwards when you cradle on the floor&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;... and many other things for hips, backbone, knees, etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="93" LastActivityDate="2012-02-17T15:18:14.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="527" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12" CreationDate="2012-02-17T15:27:35.023" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a &lt;strong&gt;great difference&lt;/strong&gt; - nikyo works on the wrist, while ikkyo works on the elbow!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I guess why you are probably asking: because nikyo is often demonstrated as if it was ikkyo, i.e. the main work is done on the elbow and the wrist work is just an unecessary &quot;demonstration crap&quot; at the end of the technique, like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI79gFyiDf4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;at the start of this video&lt;/a&gt;. But proper, &quot;clean&quot; nikyo is the work on the wrist - look &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMEFlZzDU9Y&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;how clean nikyo works&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="93" LastActivityDate="2012-02-17T15:27:35.023" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="528" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="501" CreationDate="2012-02-17T19:03:12.887" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Realistically, unless you practice and condition like crazy for many years the spear hand strike is only useful in a real emergency.  A spear hand isn't going to be effective anywhere on the soft body.  It is most useful for a life or death situation where you would finger jab someone in the eyes or throat with enough force where your fingers will probably be broken but your opponent would be worse off.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should think of the spear hand more as a movement than a strike.  It is more applicable to locks and throws though I won't go in detail as to how.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;DO NOT TRY THIS ON ANYONE.  I AM MERELY TRYING TO PROVIDE MY OPINION ON AN ACADEMIC LEVEL AND WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE IF YOU HURT YOURSELF OR ANOTHER.&lt;/strong&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="55" LastActivityDate="2012-02-17T19:03:12.887" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="529" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="865" CreationDate="2012-02-17T19:17:50.483" Score="9" ViewCount="1749" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isshin-ry%C5%AB&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;As of 1989, there were 336 Branches of Isshin-ryu Karate (a style only named as of January 15, 1956)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given this fragmentation, I have chosen a fairly recognized figure in the Isshinryu world, the grandmaster: Shimabuku-soke. He performs &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRhzhfUqEVg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Seisan&lt;/a&gt; in this video. I am curious about the opening move (so, 0:08 to 0:012 or so). I don't want to ask a silly question like &quot;What is the authoritative bunkai&quot; -- if there were such a thing, we'd all know it, I'm sure -- but &lt;strong&gt;what is a -reasonable- bunkai for this small sequence?&lt;/strong&gt; You are welcome to extend the bunkai to the next move if you feel that the section I have chosen is too small.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many things which factor in this question. The fact that the first step is forward, for instance, as well as the spirit of the form itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-04-20T00:04:00.537" LastActivityDate="2017-03-21T01:48:02.250" Title="Isshinryu karate - seisan kata - opening move bunkai" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="530" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="470" CreationDate="2012-02-18T05:13:59.217" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You've gotten some good answers here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another approach might be to suggest to the head instructor that it might be time for the club to offer different level classes.  Most schools separate out beginners from advanced students; if the club has a mix of black belts and newcomers, it would be appropriate for the club to do the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might have to offer to teach the beginners, though, to make this happen.  You should think about whether this is something you're interested in before you approach the head instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="27" LastActivityDate="2012-02-18T05:13:59.217" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="531" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="785" CreationDate="2012-02-18T10:28:13.107" Score="8" ViewCount="8383" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I did Aikido, several years ago, my teacher knew a lot of bokken and jo katas and other three or four combinations moves (small kata) for bokken and jo that I don't know how to call. The number of smaller moves katas was more than 40.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For some years now I am searching for a book or a reference that includes all those techniques and katas but with no luck. I have found the kata 1 or 2, but nothing more, let alone a complete guide about them. There are many books about Aikido itself, but they don't talk about Jo and Bokken or have only one or two references.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any complete book with Bokken and Jo movements?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="267" LastEditorUserId="267" LastEditDate="2014-07-20T06:07:47.757" LastActivityDate="2018-06-13T21:53:44.850" Title="Bokken and Jo Kata book" Tags="|aikido|weapons|forms|bokken|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="532" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="533" CreationDate="2012-02-18T10:46:25.720" Score="8" ViewCount="3016" Body="&lt;p&gt;On training I hear all the time the world &quot;relax&quot; and &quot;loose your self&quot; etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what I have see you must be relax to do anything, from martial arts to dancing, to talk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my question is very simple: &lt;strong&gt;is there any fast and simple technique for the relax&lt;/strong&gt; ? and how do I know or prove that I am relax to my self ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I mean a technique that can be done as you are stand or not, on every place you are, in any moment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Mind or Body ?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wish to learn for both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I know: Emotional is the feedback of the body to the mind. So emotional is reflect the body and its the signal to the mind, its how the body affect the mind status and we fell like that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can relax your body with one technique, but you need a second technique for the mind. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The one can affect the other&lt;/strong&gt; ofcource mind &amp;lt;-&gt; body, if the body is relaxed then maybe and the mind go to relax, or if you relax your mind thinking birds and see maybe the body relax also, but they are 2 different and is better to have different techniques for 2, and not wait the one to affect the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For the mind I expect for mental technique, but for the body I expect a physical one.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="267" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-18T17:08:14.090" LastActivityDate="2019-04-29T00:19:18.750" Title="Relaxation Techniques" Tags="|technique|relaxation|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="533" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="532" CreationDate="2012-02-18T14:11:42.797" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no &quot;fast and simple technique to relax&quot;, except maybe a hypnose-induced trigger, and I expect it would have to be carefully composed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is done like everything else - piecemeal. &lt;em&gt;And when you get familiar with meditation, &lt;strong&gt;it becomes something you carry around with you.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other solution is to start paying a lot of attention to your body, so you get aware enough that you can go through a quick body scan and relax what needs to be relaxed. Either will take you many hours of practice to develop.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-02-18T21:45:49.800" LastActivityDate="2012-02-18T21:45:49.800" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="534" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="532" CreationDate="2012-02-18T18:59:47.423" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;As Trevoke said, there are no shortcuts, no fast-and-easy way to know you are relaxed. This is a very deep subject. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Relaxing the body is much easier than relaxing the mind. There are biofeedback methods you can use to relax your body.  Relaxing the mind gets into meditation. However, as long as your mind searches out for an objective -- or a shortcut like the way you are doing, you won't actually relax your mind. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a fairly common trap for a lot of people seeking this. Its root cause isn't the inability to quiet or relax the mind so much as thinking you are important and fearing non-existence. To continually prove that you exist, your mind comes with clever reasons to justify itself. It will find ways to measure &quot;relaxation&quot; or come up with &quot;goals&quot; in order to avoid its own impermanence. Biofeedback will get you started but fear will eventually co-opt it. If you seek to relax the mind, you're going down one wild adventure. This venue is not a good place to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;learn how to relax the mind&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are content with relaxing the body, some things to try:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;Dead Arm&quot;. Let the body part fall to the ground with gravity. This is easier to demonstrate physically.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/202/65&quot;&gt;Learn how to slow your heartrate.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/243/65&quot;&gt;Learn how to soften your flinch response.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/471/65&quot;&gt;Learn how to let go of fear, particularly fear of pain.&lt;/a&gt; Few people enjoy themselves when in pain. Fear and fear of pain keeps you from relaxing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/508/65&quot;&gt;When sparring, avoid trying to &quot;win&quot;.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.navaching.com/hawkeen/nwalk.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Learn how to use the peripheral vision.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Learn how to be gentle&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. Learn to be gentle with yourself and with others. This is one of the most underestimated and least-respected skill among people attracted to martial arts. It takes significantly more strength, precision, and dexterity to be gentle than it is to go all-out. Being gentle is how you &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Th%C3%ADch_Qu%E1%BA%A3ng_%C4%90%E1%BB%A9c_self-immolation.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;endure while staying relaxed.&lt;/a&gt; (But please, do not try that at home).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/485/65&quot;&gt;Learn how to stay relaxed.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will find more as you keep playing. Despite StackExchange's format, you will never find the &quot;best&quot; answer all in one place. There are some things you cannot find on Google. You pick up the best stuff along the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-02-18T21:46:55.640" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="535" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-19T01:54:46.297" Score="8" ViewCount="1300" Body="&lt;p&gt;In hapkido we have a large number of kicking techniques, ranging from sweeps and kicks from the ground up to and including spinning kicks, skip kicks, jump techniques, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question here is in respect to some of what we think of as the more advanced spinning kicks (e.g., &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MajmKruZcM&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Spinning Heel Kick&lt;/a&gt;, hook kicks, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6QXyqJHFag&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;sit-down-backspinning-heel-kicks&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are three reasons commonly given for practicing these in my school:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tradition (it's part of the art)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In case someone ever uses one on you, you'll know what it looks like and be prepared to counter it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Improves your balance and muscle coordination.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is explicitly stated by my instructor that you are unlikely to ever actually &lt;em&gt;use&lt;/em&gt; the advanced spinning kicks in reality (reality here being defined as &quot;in self defense situations,&quot; not in a ring or a duel).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I see the first one: There's more to a martial art than what is currently considered practical. The second one I consider a low-margin game considering how few people seem to use them, though I understand it (e.g., if you've never seen a &lt;em&gt;passata soto&lt;/em&gt;, you can end up quite dead to it before realizing how to counter it).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am wondering, however, if there is any validity to the last one or if there might be other reasons that we haven't discussed for training in these techniques? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-20T21:08:37.793" LastActivityDate="2020-04-30T20:19:00.157" Title="Value in Practicing Spinning Kicks" Tags="|hapkido|kicking|spinning-kicks|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="536" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="535" CreationDate="2012-02-19T02:38:56.180" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think this nicely illustrates the mental conflict between drills and practical application.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider one of the key points of a high spinning kick (taekwondo in my case but the commonality with hapkido is obvious): a high spin draws your upper body down and away from your target.  Obviously, the movement of your upper body will differ based on flexibility and the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now consider a threat: a baseball bat swung at your face.  In that case, you are naturally inclined to withdraw the upper body and counter-attack with the big muscles in your legs.  I find that a variant of the sparring back spinning kick serves as an acceptable compromise between speed and power: the back kick provides the power and the spin allows me to position the strike at an off angle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this a risky maneuver?  Of course.  It requires finicky timing.  However, it accomplishes one of my major goals (i.e., keeping the bat away from my face) and there's an excellent chance that I'm going to hit the bad guy &lt;em&gt;somewhere&lt;/em&gt; and quite hard.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nothing in the real world will ever match your training.  By learning a variety of techniques, you have the fundamentals required to adjust and adapt to the situation at hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Or, in this case, at foot.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: I found the link for the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.taekwondoanimals.com/taekwondo-sparring-2004-heavy.asp&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;2004 Olympic heavyweight match&lt;/a&gt;.  In this case (at about 4:40), the Korean victor saw his opponent commit to an attack and was able to counter with a knockout.  As always, you have to remember that sparring is not real life.  That said, this video serves as a clear lesson that an aggressor is often more vulnerable than he realizes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It is explicitly stated by my instructor that you are unlikely to ever actually use the advanced spinning kicks in reality (reality here being defined as &quot;in self defense situations,&quot; not in a ring or a duel).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been thinking about your instructor's comment quite a lot lately.  I have to agree that these are not techniques that you are likely to have to use in real life but not because they aren't practical.  These are killing techniques.  Look at the knockout in that video: a highly trained expert wearing full head protection was knocked unconscious with one blow.  It is likely that a normal person would be dead or permanently disabled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hopefully, you'll never be in a position where that seems like a desirable outcome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="121" LastEditorUserId="121" LastEditDate="2012-02-22T14:16:11.247" LastActivityDate="2012-02-22T14:16:11.247" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="537" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="535" CreationDate="2012-02-19T03:17:06.540" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Everything you say is fairly accurate. There is one very interesting further use case, which expands on your idea of balance and muscle coordination - If you think of that sequence of movements as two-player drill, you can begin to examine it in a different light. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Theoretically: this particular low-spinning heel strike might be a follow-up to a high parry and a leg takedown. Practicing this particular sequence would teach you the exact sequence of movements needed to take down someone else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is an addition - these kicks are just small parts of a much more complete training curriculum. In martial arts, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Training all these kicks teaches you much more than just a bunch of kicks. But I can't answer that for you -- because that is the path you're on, and you have to find that answer within yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-19T03:17:06.540" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="538" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="376" CreationDate="2012-02-19T06:26:57.813" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a first dan black belt, and on the taller side. What really is effective on me is getting close, in other words, get past my legs so I can't kick. The problem is, if your tall opponent is fast, getting past is hard. I'd suggest (after having people do this to me numerous times) is let the tall person kick first, then 빠른 발, a kick that (I don't know the word in english) which means, &quot;quick foot&quot;, and sounds like baumbai when pronounced in korean. 빠른 발 past there kick. 빠른 발 is basically, sliding over to your opponent, back foot touching front foot, lift your front knee up, and doing a turning kick/round house, what ever you want to call it. After that, follow up and keep kicking. NEVER give the opponent a chance to recover or he will be able to use his height to his advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="268" LastActivityDate="2012-02-19T06:26:57.813" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="539" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="679" CreationDate="2012-02-19T13:03:22.913" Score="9" ViewCount="835" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Tai-Chi, if I remember correctly, many stances and movements signify something , such as &quot;push opponent away&quot;, &quot;block a kick&quot; etc. At least that's whatone of my trainers claimed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In one of the tracks of Body Combat 50 (a kickbox workout) there is this stance. Does it come from a traditional martial arts form, such as Shaolin Kung Fu? If so, what does it mean? Does it stand for something more violent such as &quot;ready to strike with a dagger&quot; ? Or is it just an &quot;energy stance&quot;/ just showing readiness?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BUxGN.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Stance&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="269" LastEditorUserId="6654" LastEditDate="2018-01-09T08:12:38.577" LastActivityDate="2018-01-09T14:39:52.610" Title="What's this posture called, and does it signify something" Tags="|kung-fu|tai-chi|stance|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="3" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="540" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="539" CreationDate="2012-02-19T17:03:58.243" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Korean, I would call that &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.lehightaekwondo.com/poomse/poomse.php?name=Taegeuk%20Pal%20Jang&amp;amp;move=7&amp;amp;index=12&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;santul makki&lt;/a&gt; or mountain block.  It appears two times in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OVy2qReaEc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Taeguk Pal Jang&lt;/a&gt;.  It is followed (in that poomse) by a crossing shoulder grab (using the lower blocking arm) and a killing uppercut (using the raised blocking arm).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of it's meaning, I would interpret as &quot;protecting your head from an attack on your left as you move quickly inside the strike of the attacker on your right so that you can quickly disable him.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="121" LastActivityDate="2012-02-19T17:03:58.243" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="541" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="539" CreationDate="2012-02-19T18:57:05.587" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Postures encode a lot more than the obvious. Sometimes you'll find yourself in the middle of sparring, and you flow through a posture you've trained before. &quot;Oh! I just did X! I didn't know I can use it like that!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Striking and blocking are the most obvious application. The next layer beneath that relates to what you can do when you grab or use joint locks. In this posture's case, there are some sort of throws/sweeps in there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastActivityDate="2012-02-19T18:57:05.587" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="542" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="555" CreationDate="2012-02-19T19:08:16.707" Score="7" ViewCount="2656" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm basically asking for an established MMA &quot;curriculum&quot;. By that, I mean a way of training students for mixed martial arts that has been applied successfully by a significant number of schools. The aim of the program should be to train students for participating in amateur, later maybe professional fights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have over the years trained Judo, Boxing and Kickboxing. Watching and participating in MMA classes that try to practice everything (standup, grappling, groundfighting etc) combined from the very beginning seems to show me that this is a bad idea. Those who participate only in those classes, i.e. without prior experience in other arts, apparently don't have any solid skills at all. Instead they show a lot of sloppy techniques at almost anything they do. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, does it even make sense for beginners to start with training everything or should they first acquire some skills in one art relevant to MMA, then another, and so on, and finally put it all together?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;[Please bear in mind that here in Germany MMA in general is much less known and established as a sport that it probably already is in the US, Brasil or Japan. But it's definitely gaining momentumm, especially among youths]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="129" LastActivityDate="2021-11-27T16:37:37.890" Title="Established &quot;curriculum&quot; for MMA?" Tags="|training|teaching|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="543" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="547" CreationDate="2012-02-19T19:30:03.720" Score="15" ViewCount="745" Body="&lt;p&gt;While most of the gyms and dojos where I've trained so far had mirrors to help you work on your technique I think videos are underused. In my opinion, taking a video of e.g. a sparring session or while training technique is much better than looking at a mirror, because you can fully concentrate on what you are doing and watch the resuls &lt;em&gt;later&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Historically, this is understandable, as video cameras used to be expensive and replaying the videos used to be cumbersome. But nowadays, where smartphones have ridiculously good cameras I believe it could and should be used more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is your take on this? Does filming and analyzing yourself in training help to improve technique?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="129" LastActivityDate="2012-02-22T22:08:39.883" Title="How helpful is it to film yourself during training and analyze videos after training?" Tags="|training|equipment|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="544" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="539" CreationDate="2012-02-19T19:59:17.820" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;To add to one of the answers, blocks in two different directions, such as the mountain block in Taegeuk pal-jang, make sense in the case of defending against multiple attackers. If there are multiple threats, then you have reason to defend yourself in different directions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll also see some weapon forms taking a similar stance to create a longer block using the weapon (i.e. staff forms). In the forms I've seen, it has been used as part of a longer sequence of blocking and striking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you look across martial arts, blocks are rarely used alone. They are often used with other blocks or strikes either before or after. The use of the stance above would depend on the context - what happens before and after.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="271" LastActivityDate="2012-02-19T19:59:17.820" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="545" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="543" CreationDate="2012-02-19T21:04:50.643" Score="5" Body="&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;Does filming and analyzing yourself in training help to improve technique?&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; video is even more important to the coach.  Video becomes an objective record that student and coach can both examine in detail.  There is no room for interpretation of the facts: this is what actually happened.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Full disclosure: I hate looking at video of myself.&lt;/em&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="121" LastActivityDate="2012-02-19T21:04:50.643" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="546" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="543" CreationDate="2012-02-19T22:40:23.747" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A tool is only as dangerous as its user.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Analyzing yourself is only as good as you are able to be objective, and &lt;strong&gt;only as good as you will be at analyzing yourself&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sending a video to a teacher because of geographical reasons is a good idea, if the teacher agrees to it. The teacher can make corrections.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-19T22:40:23.747" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="547" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="543" CreationDate="2012-02-19T23:36:03.343" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Its really useful.  Most useful the sooner you see it afterwards.    I've found, in the past,  that anything relatively tricky (like jumping techniques, or flips) really benefit from this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many times with instruction I've been told, &quot;you just need to do X&quot; and I'll think to myself that I was doing X!   Very easy to sort out the &quot;I thought I was doing X&quot;  once seeing the video shows how far off from doing it you were!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is best if you do the technique and instantly watch it on video.  You have awareness of what your brain was telling you and now you can see what actually happened.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's just like mirrors can be useful when drilling techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2012-02-19T23:36:03.343" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="548" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="535" CreationDate="2012-02-20T01:56:01.260" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hook kick is very beneficial as both a &quot;stealth technique&quot; and if you have bad aim with a side kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Start by throwing a side kick that misses the opponent such that your foot is in front of his head (heel points to his head, toes point to the audience).  If the side kick was high enough, and far enough from his head, he probably blocked the kick with a low block and his head is open, throw the hook part of the kick and you just hooked his head.  2 points for head contact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another trick is to use skips and scissors to break the distance quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="249" LastActivityDate="2012-02-20T01:56:01.260" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="549" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="499" CreationDate="2012-02-20T13:38:24.563" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have trained with several people with disabilities.  None of them wanted to be treated differently from the rest.  We, as teachers, did not want to treat them differently.  So they passed the same tests as the rest.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But do let reason dictate things: Of course, we had to adapt some tests.  If you do not have a right arm, it is impossible for you to have your right arm grabbed.  If you are blind, it is impossible to avoid an attack that is not a grab. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the students requires breaks (insulin, prosthetic falls off, or just MS being too painful) then of course, you should allow it.  In the same way that an on call medic (or whatnot) during a grading should be able to rush to their cell phone.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mental disabilities need to be taken into account as well.  For me, dyspraxia was one of the hardest one to deal with.  But getting that same test others and passing it meant a lot to the practitioners even if they took a little longer to get there.  It require a lot of change of how the techniques were taught: reinforcing good behaviour as opposed to pointing out what is wrong.  Mentally handicapped people can be hard work -- mainly because we are not generally used to dealing with them, again how you teach must change not what you teach or how you grade them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess the answer boils down to &quot;&lt;em&gt;How can a disabled person do the same tests or as close as it is feasible as everyone else?&lt;/em&gt;&quot;.  Mostly, this becomes self evident once you think about it that way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-02-20T13:38:24.563" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="550" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="551" CreationDate="2012-02-20T15:34:15.140" Score="5" ViewCount="373" Body="&lt;p&gt;My fiancé is practicing Karate in the style of Kanzen Ruy. She has a very good technique and strength, and was seen early as a promising practitioner. I have Kyokushin experience and support her in her development. Now I would like to hear advice on how to approach the following.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;She has only one roadblock that prevents her from winning a lot of competitions: her mindset. I believe to win a competition, you must be confident and have fighting spirit. By fighting spirit I mean to use controlled amounts of anger against your opponent. Let me elaborate that small anger part of the fighting spirit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When she gets angry, she forms a bubble around her head and emotions overwhelm her. The anger doesn't get outside of her head, which leaves a weak point to use rather than it is helping her. This is intertwined with the issue that when she reach set-backs, she doesn't get braced/spurred/stimulated. Quite the opposite; she resigns a little (psychologically).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This has a bit to do with self confidence and self esteem, but I think no one could give better tips on this than the Martial Arts community. Do you have any experience with these issues and what advice can you give us?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="231" LastEditorUserId="46" LastEditDate="2012-02-22T17:15:19.473" LastActivityDate="2012-02-22T17:15:19.473" Title="How do I coach her mindset to better suit karate competitions?" Tags="|teaching|karate|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="551" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="550" CreationDate="2012-02-20T19:41:31.100" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;My fundamental answer isn't going to change, but I will approach it from another angle.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You've identified a problem that many practitioners have to deal with.  If they've never been involved in the world of sports, then they may not be used to the amount of focus that is necessary in fighting.  It's a mindset centered on &quot;what do I have to do &lt;em&gt;right now?&lt;/em&gt;&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anger is the enemy of focus.  It can either make you reckless, or as in your girlfriend's case it can make you shut down.  Whichever way a student or fellow practitioner tends when they get angry, the way to approach it is the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You have to face the internal demon--so you have to get to that ragged edge and &lt;em&gt;choose&lt;/em&gt; not to give in.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You deal with it by teaching your body to move without the need to think about the move&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You also have to build confidence in your training&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is why I suggest &lt;em&gt;technique sparring&lt;/em&gt;.  If you are used to point sparring, or one-steps, all action stops when the point is scored or the technique is complete.  You don't have opportunity to stretch your focus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Go over the techniques and combinations she should attempt to use&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Keep sparring for a certain amount of time&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If the other person starts to shut down, find a cue that gets them back in the game.  The shorter the cue the more effective.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The technique sparring forces you to keep going and get closer to your ragged edge and face your demons.  When you get to that ragged edge, you have to simply &lt;em&gt;choose&lt;/em&gt; to focus on what's &lt;em&gt;the most important thing right now&lt;/em&gt;.  What I've seen in people who tend to shut down is that they are feeling overwhelmed, and that manifests in frustration, which works against them.  When the combinations and techniques they are learning start to click, it's less to worry about.  However, the discipline of shutting out all the unnecessary thoughts and only focusing on the fight at hand is not easy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Original Answer&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think it is more constructive to use focus rather than anger.  Focus is an aspect of many different sports, and is a very constructive force.  In short, the challenge is to empty the mind of all distractions.  From thoughts of winning and losing, from thoughts of anger and fear.  Simply focus on the fight at hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can only maintain that kind of focus for so long, and it takes time to develop it.  It's not too different from the concept of a basketball player standing on the foul line with the crowd doing their best to distract the player.  The player, when they are &quot;in the zone&quot;, doesn't even hear the crowd.  They simply see the basket and focus on the one thing that is necessary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would not be surprised if what we are trying to express is very much the same thing.  However, different words are sometimes necessary to express the meaning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To help develop the focus, try an approach my sensei uses with me: technique sparring.  Technique sparring doesn't stop with a point scored, or when the technique is over.  The goals are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Perform the techniques in a sparring situation&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Continue moving and be prepared for the next attack&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Focus on the flow and movement of the technique&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the techniques are effective, they will work.  It takes time to build confidence in the technique, and build up the automatic response of how the body needs to move.  Muscle memory, if you will.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastEditorUserId="274" LastEditDate="2012-02-22T13:23:54.883" LastActivityDate="2012-02-22T13:23:54.883" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="552" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="535" CreationDate="2012-02-20T20:06:57.833" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In many ways, what comes natural to us may not be natural to others.  And vice-versa.  As such there will be techniques you have to learn and teach that might not be great for you, but will be for your student.  When it comes to the spinning techniques, my &quot;grand-sensei&quot;, if you will, was a natural at them.  My direct sensei much less so.  And I am even less comfortable with them--but that may change with practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even so, the spin techniques are very good stealth techniques.  For example, a back-turn side kick or hook kick looks like someone is just trying to get away from you.  When you have a foot in your side, you realize that wasn't the case after all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to whether something like that is practical now, you have to consider the environment where you expect to be fighting.  Almost anything is practical when you have a ring with a flat surface.  The choice of techniques that remain practical can be different if you are fighting in a train (moving platform, confined space, several obstructions).  The same could be said about mountainous terrain or grassy fields (more traditional settings).  I'd be inclined to argue that a spin kick of any sort would be problematic if you are on a moving platform.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-02-20T20:06:57.833" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="553" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-21T03:21:56.240" Score="7" ViewCount="1761" Body="&lt;p&gt;A little background on the situation:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You can be in either sitting / butterfly or on your back in open guard&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Opponent is on one knee, other one up&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;DLR, 1 Leg X-guard, full x-guard, hooking sweeps are out (this is arbitrary admittedly, but in my case this is due to a knee injury) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've played with pulling half and then moving to closed but was wondering if there were any closed guard specialists that have any tips for forcing closed from this position that adhere to the points I listed above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks in advance! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="123" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-02-22T23:12:11.327" LastActivityDate="2012-07-04T09:25:14.027" Title="How to get to closed guard when your opponent is in the combat base position?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|closed-guard|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="554" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="550" CreationDate="2012-02-21T04:26:02.357" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, as an obligatory comment, you &lt;em&gt;should not be dating the people you are teaching&lt;/em&gt;. This is a big thing on multiple levels, if for no other reason than that I have observed on multiple occasions that it prevents effective student-teacher communication.  &lt;em&gt;Especially&lt;/em&gt; when it comes to the topic of attitude and approach.  Coaches need a degree of professional detachment to effectively help here, something that any significant other is going to be too emotionally entangled with.  I have seen a lot of good fencers seriously  undermined by dating their teachers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So really, the best thing you can do is separate the role of a coach and a the role of a boyfriend.  If you want to be a boyfriend, the best thing you can do is provide a supportive environment to help her reach her goals here, while letting her coach handle the rest. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to be her coach:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anger is almost certainly not the right approach here, as anger makes you sloppy and careless out on the mat.  It can make you hit harder and it can sometimes contribute to focus, but for the most part it is better to be &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/505/11&quot;&gt;perfectly controlled&lt;/a&gt; than it is to be angry. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, with those things having been said, what I have seen work here is a combination of:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sparring. Simply practice, particularly against people roughly your own level, which raises your confidence out on the mat.  Any sparring works, though the recommendation of Berin Loritsch here is a good one. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Full speed/force drills. Forms (both one and two person), one-step drills, pad work, etc.  Basically anything done at full intensity.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Time and patience.  Confidence can't really effectively be brought about &lt;em&gt;ex nihilo&lt;/em&gt;.  It needs an environment where it can be allowed to grow on its own terms and the time to do it in.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On top of all that–and this is part of why you are not the ideal person to help here–she has to actually really want it for herself.  That's something else that can't be forced (at least not without serious repercussions) and it is something that cannot be coached, least of all by her significant other.  She will need her own intrinsic motivations for sparring to really excel. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-02-21T04:34:05.467" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="555" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="542" CreationDate="2012-02-21T08:29:29.767" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although I haven't trained with the Alpha MMA system, I have trained with and in the BJJ system of John Will. He is the author - the man is a legend and an amazing and inspirational teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.alphamma.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.alphamma.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the only established curriculum that I know of (although I am sure there are others out there) - I can at least attest to John Will's usual teaching quality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="83" LastActivityDate="2012-02-21T08:29:29.767" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="557" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="550" CreationDate="2012-02-21T13:54:00.017" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think you have the right idea, but you are playing with fire. If you really, really, REALLY want to get her anger out, then take a hint from the standard black belt test - spar people continuous, people who will push you, not stop, keep going, hit you when you want to breathe. You have to push her back into her trenches, past her comfort zone, so far past that the anger becomes the only way out for her.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming that her instructor is good, he will do this for her when she gets to the right level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hey, there's a very important question that we need to ask, here. DOES SHE &lt;em&gt;WANT&lt;/em&gt; TO WIN? Or is that your desire for her?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-21T13:54:00.017" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="558" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="560" CreationDate="2012-02-21T14:51:36.487" Score="12" ViewCount="5042" Body="&lt;p&gt;While in training, it is advised to pivot on your foot when going in for a kick (such as a side or round-house kick), so that your foot is facing as much in the opposite direction as possible. The idea being that the kick is much better supported and has a better reach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, when trying this on standard training mats, I find there tends to be a lot of friction with the mat and my foot, so as to make the turning of my foot difficult - especially in fast-paced situations. Are there any specific approaches to take when attempting this, such as how to execute the technique; or what type of foot wear to use?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;EDIT&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Different to the suggested duplicate as this is referring to a side stance and pivoting, rather than a forward stance and raising onto the ball of the foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="89" LastEditorUserId="89" LastEditDate="2015-12-23T10:45:44.633" LastActivityDate="2017-03-26T03:17:15.837" Title="Pivoting for a kick" Tags="|technique|kicking|footwork|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="559" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="558" CreationDate="2012-02-21T16:28:04.630" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Roundhouse kick - if not already, try rotating a bit more on the balls of your feet to reduce some of the surface area that may be causing friction. Just be careful you're not compromising your balance in the process.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also try different mats - foam puzzle mats, such as those used for taekwondo sparring matches, may be more comfortable for practicing kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Vibram five fingers have also become a popular choice of footwear for martial arts. It's more flexible than traditional martial arts shoes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people just build up callouses though, and eventually it becomes less of a problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="271" LastActivityDate="2012-02-21T16:28:04.630" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="560" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="558" CreationDate="2012-02-21T17:03:07.907" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;Try pivoting on the heel, before you shift your weight onto the foot, as opposed to pivoting on the ball after the weight is already on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had an interesting experience regarding this question when I switched from traditional Tae Kwon Do to Shaolin Kung Fu years ago:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In TKD, there was a very intense focus on all the little details of how exactly to position which part of your body. Pivoting my foot on the ball prior to a kick, with most of the weight on it, was something I practiced over and over and over, for years, with limited success.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I switched to Kung Fu, I immediately noticed that everybody was pivoting on the heel, and, more specifically, pivoting &lt;em&gt;before&lt;/em&gt; they put their weight on the foot. This felt very natural, was very quick, and I quickly forgot my TKD training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps more interestingly, from that day on, that was about it on pivoting. To TKD or Karate students, Kung Fu seems to have a great degree of anarchy in it. I asked my teachers on many occasions for detailed instructions like how far I should pivot, 45, 90, 180 degrees? I was accustomed to those things mattering a lot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer was always something like &quot;don't bother, that depends on far too many things to make this a useful thing to worry about&quot;. I asked, what does it depend on, and they said, are you wearing footwear? How important is effectiveness vs elegance? What's the ground like? What shape is your body in (like, if you're not warm, or slightly out of shape, you should pivot less)? Do you need to be very quick? Are you aiming high or low? What technique comes next? Is it important to hide your intent? Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="186" LastActivityDate="2012-02-21T17:03:07.907" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="561" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="558" CreationDate="2012-02-21T18:57:47.280" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;So did I. I had this issue &lt;strong&gt;when I first started&lt;/strong&gt; going barefoot, going with shoes, doing Japanese swordsmanship.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You eventually learn to move your weight. There are no 'tricks'. It is a skill, a subtle but important one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-21T18:57:47.280" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="562" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="550" CreationDate="2012-02-21T21:49:35.210" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;She has only one roadblock that prevents her from winning a lot of&#xA;  competitions; her mindset. I believe to win a competition, you must be&#xA;  confident, along with a little anger and a lot of determination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Confident: Absolutely&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Determination: Absolutely&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Anger: No. Absolutely not.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think anger goes agaisnt pretty much everything martial arts is about. What she actually needs to work on is some metal training. She should be doing visualization exercises, and positive self talk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some examples of these exercises:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Visualization (a judo example):&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Close your eyes. In your head, watch yourself step up to the mat to the edge, walk in, bow again at your marker, step up. The ref calls Hajime, you take your grip, fake an &lt;em&gt;o uchi gari&lt;/em&gt;, and drop in for a perfect drop &lt;em&gt;seoi nage&lt;/em&gt; for &lt;em&gt;ippon&lt;/em&gt;.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically what you're doing is visualizing exactly what your game plan is and replaying it over and over from start to end in your head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Positive self talk:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's pretty much what it sounds like. Talking to yourself about positive things:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;I have trained harder then anyone for this day.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;My technique is solid.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;No one can stop my harai goshi.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;I will win this fight.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These same things apply to any martial art, and any sport. To someone who's never done any sport psychology at all it sounds a little whacky, but as a coach, and a former athlete at high level competition, I can attest to their value.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-02-22T16:41:49.830" LastActivityDate="2012-02-22T16:41:49.830" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="563" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="564" CreationDate="2012-02-22T02:40:41.770" Score="9" ViewCount="1873" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it proper to refer to anyone who teaches classes at your school as &lt;code&gt;Master&lt;/code&gt;, or is that title generally reserved just for the person who is the head of the dojo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;FWIW, to give it a little more context as - given the responses and comments - it's clearly not something that crosses genres, I am studying specifically in a Kempo Karate dojo. So that would be of most interest to me, though it is interesting also seeing what other arts' usages and terms are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="167" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-22T18:47:01.730" LastActivityDate="2021-08-20T17:48:35.003" Title="Correct usage of the title &quot;Master&quot;?" Tags="|terminology|etiquette|kempo|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="564" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="563" CreationDate="2012-02-22T03:55:25.537" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;My understanding is that the use of the word &quot;master&quot;–as it tends to get used by US practitioners in US schools–is generally a European/US thing that started when these arts got imported after WWII, and one that varies heavily by style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Japanese systems, at least, tend to just use the term &quot;Sensei&quot; (先生).  Some systems may use another term for extremely well recognized individuals or founders of the system, who may be (and probably is) distinct from the instructor, but who gets that title is unique within the system and doesn't really translate cleanly to &quot;master.&quot;   Words like &quot;Shihan&quot; (師範) that frequently get called the title of &quot;master&quot; can have specific meaning and requirements of their own (independent from the &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; grading system) and also is not cleanly translated to &quot;master&quot; with the same connotations.  Just because someone is called &quot;master&quot; or &quot;grandmaster&quot; in a Japanese martial art in the US may just be a form of respect and does not necessarily imply that they have attained the title from the licensing organization or are actually an exemplary example of the art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My experience so far has been that Korean arts tend to use Korean terms, some of which are based around their relative status (e.g., the owner of the school is kwan-jang-nim (관장님)), sometimes adapting these terms in the US to mean &quot;Master&quot; or &quot;Grandmaster,&quot; depending. While if my research is right Muay Thai mostly uses &quot;khruu&quot; (ครู), which translates to &quot;teacher&quot; but in the US (or Europe) may still use the term &quot;master,&quot; but it isn't immediately clear who gets the title.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, &quot;sifu&quot; (师傅), which gets used uniquely for a master of an art or craft (though not necessarily a martial art, and not for every profession), but the characters mean &quot;teacher&quot; and &quot;tutor.&quot;  The similar term that you might use for your own master as a form of respect (师父) takes the character &quot;teacher&quot; and combines it with the character for &quot;father.&quot;  The exact usage here is nuanced and, again, not something that cleanly translates into a US context that is applicable across different martial arts without an intimate familiarity with the cultural context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other systems have varying implementations on the theme, but the long-and-short of it is that it is going to be &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; art specific (especially in the United States), down to the details of the individual school, who gets called by what, and requires an understanding that the word &quot;master&quot; has a broad range of meanings that may or may not apply when you change cultural context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-22T18:18:11.300" LastActivityDate="2012-02-22T18:18:11.300" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="565" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="563" CreationDate="2012-02-22T04:49:48.083" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The world of martial arts is far too varied – both geographically and culturally – for there to be a one-size-fits-all  answer to this.  Some places use the term (or a similar term in the local language) for the 'head' instructors, others only for a specific rank and above (such as 5th dan), others use 'master' for all black belts, others don't use it at all.  It completely depends on the individual school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="84" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2021-08-19T17:44:15.310" LastActivityDate="2021-08-19T17:44:15.310" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="566" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="570" CreationDate="2012-02-22T11:14:15.640" Score="13" ViewCount="1974" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice Taekwondo. My biggest hurdle at the moment is that I am afraid of falling down. For example, when I do a scissor kick, I was told to level my torso to kick higher. But I am afraid that I keep it straight. The same to the legendary 540 spinning kick. My fellows told my to just let my body go, but I just can't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes when I try jumping from a few steps higher, my landing is really bad. One of my fellows weigh 40lbs heavier than me, lands like a ninja. I envy him. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How to be comfortable jumping around? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any method to train jumping around, like those fearless parkour guy?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you practise jumping or flipping on soft mat? Does it help? (I don't got access to these)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;-- Update --&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wow~ I never could have expect to get so many useful replies in such a short time!! This place is great!!! By your replies, I should try more jumps and get some training in falling. Thanks for the replies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="281" LastEditorUserId="281" LastEditDate="2012-02-23T15:17:26.650" LastActivityDate="2012-02-23T15:17:26.650" Title="How to overcome fear to jump?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="567" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="566" CreationDate="2012-02-22T12:40:34.643" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Might sound silly, but practicing on a trampoline can help you get much more aware of where your body is in space, and a deeper understanding of your orientation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;it doesn't necessarily help your control or power, but understanding how you are about to fall can directly improve your ability to fall correctly, and that then makes you more confident.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than that - &lt;strong&gt;practice, practice, practice&lt;/strong&gt; as often as you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="57" LastActivityDate="2012-02-22T12:40:34.643" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="568" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="566" CreationDate="2012-02-22T13:24:35.123" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You could learn how to take ukemi (break fall).  I would recommend learning from someone who knows how to teach it as well as do it.  Otherwise, start small and build up -- that's how the parkour people do it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-02-22T13:24:35.123" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="569" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="566" CreationDate="2012-02-22T13:32:16.893" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The key to a successful jump is knowing how to land.  In martial arts where trips, throws, sweeps, and such are common (jujitsu, aikido, etc.) you are also trained how to fall without hurting yourself.  And the only way to be confident in your landing is to practice landing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key to landing is not to be already rigid when you hit the ground.  Think about how crumple zones work in a car.  In order to absorb the impact, you start out relatively loose, and only tighten up as you are either absorbing the force or redirecting it.  For example, if you land into a roll, you are redirecting the energy of the impact behind you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-02-22T13:32:16.893" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="570" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="566" CreationDate="2012-02-22T13:46:52.100" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;tl;dr: The key to comfort in the air is learning how to fall.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no One True Answer to building this sort of confidence.  Instead, I'm going to try to give you some specific tips that I've shared with students in class.  Some of these suggestions have worked for some of those people: your mileage will vary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How to be comfortable jumping around? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, you must learn to fall safely.  This &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW8c-_aQYvs&quot;&gt;front falling video&lt;/a&gt; and this &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UODeSSGMyVc&amp;amp;feature=relmfu&quot;&gt;side falling video&lt;/a&gt; are both excellent illustrations of fundamentals.  However, watching them isn't close to sufficient.  You must practice falling to the point where your instincts won't lead you to a broken wrist (or worse).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Worst case&lt;/strong&gt;: if you ever fall over in real life, you might injure yourself less.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Do you practise jumping or flipping on soft mat? Does it help? (I don't got access to these)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do but that's not the only option.  I was the knife wielding attacker in our senior demo team at our local tournament some years ago.  We were demonstrating in a high school gymnasium / basketball court.  I was flipped and flopped many times during that demo and, while I can't say that the wooden floor was pillowy soft, it was much safer (and more comfortable) than a concrete floor.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Worst case&lt;/strong&gt;: buy some exercise mats, stack them a couple of layers thick and practice falling at home.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Sometimes when I try jumping from a few steps higher, my landing is really bad. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Add jumping rope and jumping jacks to your daily routine (i.e., hundreds of each per week).  Concentrate on landing towards the front of your foot (i.e., less weight impacting on the heel).  That's where you'll have the most control over your balance.  You'll also strengthen those calves: your landings might not be ninja soft immediately but you'll be able to put your whole leg system to work.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Worst case&lt;/strong&gt;: Jumping rope is great exercise.  Even if you don't turn into a ninja, you'll be more fit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The same to the legendary 540 spinning kick. My fellows told my to just let my body go, but I just can't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The 540 kick is very hard.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Full disclosure: I've never managed a clean 540 kick.&lt;/em&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I were coaching you, I would ask that you put that out of your mind an concentrate on achievable goals in the short term.  Consider, instead, the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUnU4PZIBC0&quot;&gt;tornado kick&lt;/a&gt;.  Notice how, in that video, the instructors show you all the pieces of the puzzle &lt;em&gt;on the ground&lt;/em&gt;.  Also, even when everything is running at full speed, they never really get very high.  Once you feel confident falling safely, you'll start to feel that that small number of inches off the ground really isn't so daunting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you are approaching mastery of the tornado kick, I wouldn't advise going to the 540 kick directly even though that might seem logical.  Instead, start practicing a series of tornado kicks: two in a row, three in a row, etc.  Concentrate on the flow so it's not kick - pause - kick - pause but instead is a constant series.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Full disclosure: the combination of repeated tornado kicks is a bane of my existance.  As soon as I think I can do N kicks in a row cleanly, I try N+1 and feel like a lumbering elephant.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Victory:&lt;/strong&gt; if you get to this point, you'll realize that you lost your fear of falling long ago.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="121" LastActivityDate="2012-02-22T13:46:52.100" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="571" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="566" CreationDate="2012-02-22T14:08:43.410" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Part of completing a jumping technique successfully is jumping high enough, so that you have more room/time to complete your technique. With that in mind, it might help to do some exercises that strengthen your muscles. Box jumps are used in parkour to train the body to jump higher, as well as a lot of muscles that involve strengthening the quads - squats, lunges, etc. Breaking down the technique will also help if you're having trouble with a particular part of the technique. Try evaluating what is holding you back - jumping, landing, technique, confidence?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knowing how to take a fall is also important. Being able to walk away from a fall without injury goes a long way in boosting confidence. As others have suggested, break falls will help to learn how to recover from a fall. In parkour, (shoulder) rolls are one of the first things taught to ensure safe practice of the sport. If something feels like it's going to go wrong as you land, drop and roll. If mats aren't an option, rolls are usually more practical than breakfalls for a hard surface, but you should learn breakfalls too. If you can, start on standard mats (or soft grass) with someone who knows breakfalls. Enroll for a month at a martial arts that teaches breakfall if that's an option, or ask your instructors at your school to see if they teach it. Some taekwondo schools will. Regardless of your end goal, breakfalls are good to know if you plan to practice martial arts. You never know what can happen in sparring matches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again referencing parkour, one jump that may improve landing is the tuck jump. The focus placed on landing on the balls of your feet. It will help you work on balance when landing, and work on developing a soft landing. Here's a video:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.americanparkour.com/train/exercises-2/183-bodywieght-exercises-parkour-skill-specific/3421-tuck-jump-to-silent-landing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;tuck jump video&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Parkour also builds on the tuck jump by then using it to hop from one &quot;block of wood&quot; [used abstractly, could be anything flat] to another. It's usually elevated from the ground so that you're actually jumping across a gap to land on the other side. Not something you would need to practice, but just putting it in context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, practice makes perfect. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="271" LastActivityDate="2012-02-22T14:08:43.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="572" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="499" CreationDate="2012-02-22T16:27:48.603" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu1DnuoDsvo&amp;amp;feature=player_embedded&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;a video&lt;/a&gt; of an MMA studio training kids with autism. The key thing is understanding the disability and using positive reinforcement. Different approaches will need to be taken with different individuals. I know of some instructors who do not have the patience nor skill set to effectively train students with disabilities, and they wisely decline such students. I know others who do an amazing job working with students with mental and physical disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I primarily commented to share an experience I had with this, however. I trained in a system of Kenpo Karate that was being taught in a church by a youth pastor. He had effectively created his own system to teach to churches. The system taught self defense techniques and students memorized bible passages and wrote about various faith-based topics along with learning the martial art (these additional steps were required during belt tests). What I found interesting is that this instructor awarded traditional colored belt rank but he also assigned military rank to students in the form of patches. The military rank was subjective, but some leadership was implied. He used this military rank as a means of rewarding students for working hard and achieving immediate tasks/goals while working towards the next belt. I saw several students with disabilities receive this alternate rank, which I believed further encouraged them as they worked towards their next belt (which often took them longer than other students). Just an interesting idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="238" LastActivityDate="2012-02-22T16:27:48.603" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="573" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="543" CreationDate="2012-02-22T17:13:58.633" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a huge problem with videotaping yourself and playing it back for your own purposes, in my experience. When I was first starting out, I would often times (along with another &lt;em&gt;buyu&lt;/em&gt;) film classes and go back and review the footage, especially what I was doing, and correct my technique based on that while I practiced between classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's take, for example, the &lt;em&gt;waza&lt;/em&gt; of &lt;em&gt;ganseki nage&lt;/em&gt;. I'm going to show you the technique the way &lt;em&gt;Takamatsu Toshitsugu&lt;/em&gt; performed it as an authoritative reference. See it on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0oOI4P_Vf4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;YouTube&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, since I was performing the technique as a new student, I was watching videos of myself with a hunched over back straining with all my muscle (I didn't have much) to make the technique work, and eventually my partner's balance would get disrupted by me pushing my leg out wide, etc. So I was watching what worked, and unable to see that it was &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;wrong&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My first clue was years later when I learned the real fundamentals; the principles on which the art operates. I kept my back in alignment to maintain balance, I used my strong (rigid/bones) parts against their weak (flexible/joints). I took their space. It took years of training to learn how to have eyes for the art. I had to learn how to examine the art from my instructor so I could see the problems I was facing the way he did.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We are subjective animals. We want to view our abilities as flawless, but we are inherently flawed. As soon as we start to have the ability to some degree to perform an act, we want to think we are the best at performing that act. This is human nature; we are naturally biased toward our own abilities because it helps us have a desire to continue to learn. But we are completely unable to learn solely on our own. We make mistakes that we can not recognize, even in subjects such as math and science. We see farther by standing on the shoulders of giants.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to film someone, film your instructor. It'll be far less of a waste of tape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-22T17:13:58.633" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="574" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="623" CreationDate="2012-02-22T19:10:33.803" Score="4" ViewCount="441" Body="&lt;p&gt;When doing stage combat, safety is a large part of it. All strikes do not hit or are exaggerated, and many of the more intense moves are controlled by the victim.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What would be a good approach to adapting Karate moves to stage combat?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="282" LastActivityDate="2012-03-05T19:04:27.513" Title="Adapting karate to stage combat" Tags="|training|technique|karate|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="575" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="574" CreationDate="2012-02-22T21:19:21.063" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here's the main problem:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Efficient, deadly moves are not pretty. They're mostly invisible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pretty, showy, artistic, theatrical moves are not efficient, or deadly. And they're very visible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, from there, take an efficient, deadly, invisible move and make it pretty, show, artistic and theatrical. There's your recipe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll throw you a bone: The punch does not come from the hip, it comes from WAY FAR BACK!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, once all this has been said, you can't &quot;adapt Karate to stage combat&quot;. What you can do is adapt stage combat to look like karate. And that's going to depend on the guy doing the choreography. Big stances, hand movements... Lots of aikido-like throws and rolls, maybe. Who knows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This question really belongs in some kind of Theatre Q&amp;amp;A, not a martial-arts Q&amp;amp;A, unless you need amazing detail. And you most likely don't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-22T21:19:21.063" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="576" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="543" CreationDate="2012-02-22T22:08:39.883" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's a lot like playing back your game in go or chess.  Incredibly useful, incredibly powerful, but easy to read too much into or not see what is blazingly obvious to someone with a little more experience.  In go our expression is that you are 4 stones stronger when reviewing, but services like the &lt;a href=&quot;http://gtl.xmp.net/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Go Teaching Ladder&lt;/a&gt; exist, in part, because sometimes 4 stones is not enough to actually see what is going on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We used to do this with some frequency when I was rapier fighting. Except that when we played back the tapes, we would actually do it on a &quot;pizza night&quot; and get a large group of us together to comment.  That way you got the benefit of more experienced input and of being able to watch those who are weaker than you, both of which in turn can help you analyze your own technique.  That gives you the best of all worlds (so long as you have thick skin, they can identify a lot wrong in a group setting like that).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In many ways it is similar to looking at another student of about your level and seeing what they are doing differently from either what you are doing or what you think you should be doing. Last night I was doing this with the other black belt student in the class: Trying to see what she did that looked different from my mental image or from what I was doing, and  asking for clarification about which way the technique was supposed to look.  Similarly, by looking at yourself in a video you can see minor variations from how you may think it is supposed to look, and it gives you an opportunity to ask questions and gain clarifications.  It is similarly beneficial to look at others in the same light, since it helps you with identifying your own gaps in technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do think it is easy to walk away with a mistaken impression of what you are doing wrong, but I don't think that removes the fundamental value of the exercise.  It just means that when you are doing it, it is worth remembering that your analysis is not perfect, and part of what you are doing is training yourself to analyze students for when you teach in the future. In that light, I've found it useful to pretend that the person I am analyzing is not me: it is someone else who I am trying to help or who I am trying to understand, giving a level of depersonalization to the exercise. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other side of this is that the problem with looking exclusively at people much better or much worse than you is that what they are doing is going to be subtly different.  Or in some cases what they are doing is not &lt;em&gt;quite&lt;/em&gt; the same technique, or perhaps they come from a &lt;em&gt;slightly&lt;/em&gt; different school.  By looking at others your own level while analyzing yourself, you can see a little more of how the technique is taught at your school to people of your level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So long story less long: absolutely use it as an exercise, but with a few caveats/pieces of advice:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't do this in an echo chamber: Get the feedback of others.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice reading others as well as yourself.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Depersonalize it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's what has helped me the most with this sort of exercise. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-02-22T22:08:39.883" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="577" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="586" CreationDate="2012-02-23T10:19:45.823" Score="4" ViewCount="6147" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have heard the word Misogi (禊) during Aikido, and read it on books. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Says that aikido is one thing, but also that misogi is the &quot;extra training&quot; in order to make aikido really works in a real battle / real life. I have seen that it also translates as purification.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is, what actually is this? Are there techniques that this can be done, and what is the actual effect on the person ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="267" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-23T14:33:42.153" LastActivityDate="2018-09-30T17:30:45.287" Title="What is misogi?" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="578" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="587" CreationDate="2012-02-23T10:24:59.500" Score="14" ViewCount="7418" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aikido training does not have kicks.  They have of course one-two techniques to avoid and lock kicks, but do not have any. They have strike techniques called &quot;atemi&quot;, but did not use kicks in general, and they avoid them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you know why is that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="267" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-02-23T14:30:52.470" LastActivityDate="2020-08-13T01:27:06.597" Title="Why doesn't aikido have kicking techniques?" Tags="|aikido|kicking|" AnswerCount="10" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="579" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="578" CreationDate="2012-02-23T12:05:10.770" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not sure if I understand this right: Your asking why Aikido has no kick attacks and not why Aikido has no techniques against kicks, correct?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido, as it is today (at least the Aikido I have seen so far), has no attacks at all. It's principle is avoiding conflict on all levels. Attacking means conflict. Even the defensive techniques of Aikido are not about disabling the opponent. Instead they focus on harmonizing your energy with the attacking force and transforming the attack in something else. So praticed right there will be no fight and no opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why Aikido has no attacks in any form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="286" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-03-14T17:14:16.850" LastActivityDate="2012-03-14T17:14:16.850" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="580" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="578" CreationDate="2012-02-23T12:23:49.447" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aikido does not expressively have attacking kicks.  Several techniques do open uke to receive a kick but those kicks are not practices.  It is assumed that the practitioner knows how to kick from a different art or uses a knee strike, or punches or does not bother with the strike and does the throw/pin directly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido does have a wide range of techniques that can be applied against a kick.  Generally speaking, any kick is best avoided and not soaked.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-03-14T17:15:33.213" LastActivityDate="2012-03-14T17:15:33.213" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="582" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="583" CreationDate="2012-02-23T13:29:00.720" Score="4" ViewCount="136" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I was studying my underbelt katas I could always refer to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/216795.Jhoon_Rhee&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Master Jhoon Rhee's books&lt;/a&gt; covering the kata.  Those books are no substitute for learning how to perform the kata with my sensei, but provide a decent reference if I loose my place or get confused over the order of techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, I'm learning my first black belt level kata: Bassai.  The art I'm learning uses TKD katas for 10-1st kyu katas, but switches to pulling from another discipline for the dan katas.  I've gone through the kata several times with Sensei, but still finding myself getting confused over the order of techniques from time to time.  When I'm in class, I can always get corrected but outside of class I'm relying on faulty memory.  I just want to make sure I'm reinforcing the proper form rather than incorrect form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-02-23T20:53:19.780" Title="What are some good sources to remind me of the order of Bassai kata?" Tags="|forms|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="583" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="582" CreationDate="2012-02-23T14:47:11.250" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am going to take a bit of a stab in the dark on this based on &lt;em&gt;passai&lt;/em&gt; (披塞) being an older form with multiple interpretations and variations, and I don't know which one specifically your group is using.  Hopefully you will find it helpful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The book &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0804821100&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do&lt;/a&gt; contains illustrations of multiple kata, including one that it refers to as &lt;em&gt;passai&lt;/em&gt;. They do not provide the pages containing it as part of the amazon preview, so it may be a little difficult to confirm that it is the same thing, but it may be close to what you are asking for. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is also what looks like an independently published book, &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B006PHTUQ2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Perfect Learning Karate Kata For Athletes: Bassai dai&lt;/a&gt;, which states:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;This book illustrates a kata named “Bassai Dai” by three methods. Front Section: Sequential pictures demonstrate the views in front of the kata performer: You can see stance, the name of stance, and the direction of movement. 4 Angle Section: Sequential pictures taken from four different angles around the kata performer: You can see the detail of each movement of the kata. Count Section: List of count (static) pictures. You can use this section when you do review for the kata. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hopefully one of those two is close to what you are looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-02-23T14:47:11.250" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="584" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="563" CreationDate="2012-02-23T15:33:12.990" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think this varies among different places. I just provide the situation of where I train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I train Taekwondo in Hong Kong. My master is a Korean, so I guess this is quite a traditional way. In my school there is only one master 師父 (師=teacher, 父=father) and all of us are his students. All of us call him master.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For those who teach, we call them 師兄/師姐 (兄=elder brother, 姐=elder sister).&#xA;The term 師兄/師姐 has the meaning that we are all siblings, fellows of the same generation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the one who teaches is an adult and those who learn are young kids, they call him 教練 (instructor/coach).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="281" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2021-08-19T17:43:13.357" LastActivityDate="2021-08-19T17:43:13.357" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="585" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="578" CreationDate="2012-02-23T18:08:06.227" Score="16" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, you have to understand what &lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt; is, and what it is not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt; is the final culmination of &lt;em&gt;Ueshiba Morihei&lt;/em&gt;'s training in:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tenjin Shin'yo-ryu Jujutsu&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Goto-ha Yagyu Shingan-ryu Taijutsu&lt;/em&gt; (Goto Family Branch of Edo Line of Yagyu Shingan-ryu)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Numerous other forms of jujutsu (&lt;em&gt;Ueshiba Morihei&lt;/em&gt; was a dabbler in his youth)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Omoto-kyo&lt;/em&gt; (A religious sect originating from &lt;em&gt;Shinto&lt;/em&gt;, sharing many similarities to the American Spiritualism movements of the Victorian era)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Training of Military Personnel.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of these were important aspects in the development of &lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt;, though the two largest influences were undoubtedly &lt;em&gt;Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu&lt;/em&gt; (in which he trained the longest), and &lt;em&gt;Omoto-kyo&lt;/em&gt; which preached harmony and world peace.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's this latter element that led away from teachings of &lt;em&gt;atemi&lt;/em&gt;; the later &lt;em&gt;aikido&lt;/em&gt; becoming much more about a &quot;way of life&quot; and harmony with ones attacker. This is not to say by any means that it's a weak art (as my old &lt;em&gt;aikido&lt;/em&gt; instructor used to say, &quot;There's a reason we say &lt;em&gt;harm&lt;/em&gt;-ony&quot;). In this way, &lt;em&gt;aikido&lt;/em&gt; became much more about the &lt;em&gt;aiki&lt;/em&gt; techniques/approach of &lt;em&gt;Daito-ryu&lt;/em&gt;, which clearly was more inline with the &lt;em&gt;Omoto-kyo&lt;/em&gt; teachings, as well as the fostering relationship between &lt;em&gt;Ueshiba&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Deguchi Onisaburo&lt;/em&gt; (the second spiritual leader of &lt;em&gt;Omoto-kyo&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Prior to this time, &lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt; was known as &lt;em&gt;Aikibudo&lt;/em&gt;, and was being taught to military personnel. At this time, there was a great deal of &lt;em&gt;atemi&lt;/em&gt;, both punching and kicking. Still, however, it's important to note that this was derived from &lt;em&gt;Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu&lt;/em&gt; most heavily, and much of the movement in &lt;em&gt;Daito-ryu&lt;/em&gt; is derived from sword work (&lt;em&gt;kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In (if I recall correctly) &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.budovideos.com/shop/customer/product.php?productid=28597&amp;amp;cat=&amp;amp;page=1&quot;&gt;Morihei Ueshiba &amp;amp; Aikido: Aiki Budo&lt;/a&gt;, some of the early clips of &lt;em&gt;Aikibudo&lt;/em&gt; showed kicking that I felt were similar to that done in &lt;em&gt;Yagyu Shingan-ryu&lt;/em&gt; (and many other forms of &lt;em&gt;jujutsu&lt;/em&gt;, of course – The human body can only move so many ways). There are many schools, also, that have gone back to an older, more &lt;em&gt;aikibudo&lt;/em&gt; feel, and incorporate kicks in their modern training. This has more to do with the instructor and his background than the art specifically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Often times, when you're questioning the absence of something, it's best to track back through the history of the development of the art; &lt;em&gt;Ueshiba Morihei&lt;/em&gt; did not invent anything profoundly new, but rather, like &lt;em&gt;aikido&lt;/em&gt; teaches, redirected the energy of his art in a new direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-23T18:08:06.227" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="586" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="577" CreationDate="2012-02-23T19:02:52.803" Score="9" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What is misogi?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Misogi&lt;/em&gt; is any of a number of purification rituals found in &lt;em&gt;shinto&lt;/em&gt;, the most common of which is &lt;em&gt;misogi shuho&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;misogi-no-gawa&lt;/em&gt;, a purification ritual of cleansing the body in a river.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be somewhat precise, the &lt;em&gt;kami&lt;/em&gt; (&quot;spirit-god&quot; for lack of a better description) who created the Solar System and the ancestor of all &lt;em&gt;kami&lt;/em&gt; on Earth, Izanagi-no-Okami) visited &lt;em&gt;yomi&lt;/em&gt; (the world of the dead) and, upon emerging, performed the first &lt;em&gt;misogi shuho&lt;/em&gt; to cleanse his body of the defilement of that world. In doing so, he first cast all his belongings into the river, then himself, and from all his belongings, from his eyes, and from his nose, came the other &lt;em&gt;kami&lt;/em&gt;. (I am, of course, overly simplifying this because I doubt you care which &lt;em&gt;kami&lt;/em&gt; sprung from which orifice).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This &lt;em&gt;misogi shuho&lt;/em&gt; has 6 elements:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To purify yourself from attachments&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Self reflection&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To find the middle way&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To check constantly and correct thoroughly&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Inner willingness and sincere effort &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Completeness&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another ritual common among &lt;em&gt;aikidoka&lt;/em&gt; is something called &lt;em&gt;misogi-no-kokyu-ho&lt;/em&gt; or purification of spiritual refinement. This is an arduous form of directed meditation, restricted diet, and imposed asceticism, the first experience of which is four days long.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Are there techniques that this can be done[?]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes. It's an extremely &lt;em&gt;shinto&lt;/em&gt; concept, and &lt;em&gt;Ueshiba Morihei&lt;/em&gt; was part of a &lt;em&gt;shinto&lt;/em&gt; cult called &lt;em&gt;Omoto-kyo&lt;/em&gt; (I use the term &quot;cult&quot; to imply a non-mainstream religious sect, not to imply anything else – some people get touchy about this word).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the four day &lt;em&gt;shogaku shugyo&lt;/em&gt; of &lt;em&gt;misogi-no-kokyu-ho&lt;/em&gt;, the student wears &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;hakama&lt;/em&gt;; eat 3 meals a day consisting of a barley-rice mixture, soybean paste, salted plum (&lt;em&gt;umeboshi&lt;/em&gt;), and radish pickles (&lt;em&gt;takuan&lt;/em&gt;); and sleep on &lt;em&gt;tatami&lt;/em&gt; mats. For those four days, the students sit in &lt;em&gt;seiza&lt;/em&gt;, practice breathing techniques, and chant from their &lt;em&gt;hara&lt;/em&gt; (abdomen). This is an intensive; a practice of deep commitment to push the aspirant hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the &lt;em&gt;misogi-no-gawa&lt;/em&gt;, the aspirants strip down to &lt;em&gt;fundoshi&lt;/em&gt; (loincloth) and &lt;em&gt;hachimaki&lt;/em&gt; (headband), and sit in meditation for a time. Then they are led through a river to a waterfall, where they stand in meditation and self-reflection, performing a chant (&lt;em&gt;misagi- no-Oharai&lt;/em&gt;) under a waterfall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;[W]hat is the actual effect on the person?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are rituals, and, like all rituals, the &lt;strong&gt;actual&lt;/strong&gt; effects will vary from person to person based on the meaning they ascribe to them. &lt;em&gt;Ueshiba Morihei&lt;/em&gt;'s epiphanies at different times in his life were an understanding of his martial art as an expression of his spiritual beliefs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you ascribe no personal beliefs to the practices, they will be shallow, rote motions and have no gain. In this case, the best one can hope for is a capacity to sit in &lt;em&gt;seiza&lt;/em&gt; and breathe, or, in the case of &lt;em&gt;misogi shuho&lt;/em&gt;, a resistance to icy cold water.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if you take the time to ascribe a belief to what you will get out of something, and that belief is reasonable (&quot;I will emerge with a cleared perspective of the world,&quot; not &quot;I'm going to come out of the water to find $50 on the ground.&quot;), it will have that effect &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;upon you&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-23T19:02:52.803" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="587" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="578" CreationDate="2012-02-23T19:12:14.367" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;You will rarely, if ever, find a martial art that truly uses kicks above the knee*, unless that art is centered around kicks. Most art are very concerned about their balance, and use kicks for disruption, not necessarily for damage. Aikido mostly uses the feet and legs for footwork. Kicks would just take time away from footwork.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the same token, because you don't see it doesn't mean it isn't there. If there are kicks in aikido, they may just not show up in your average self-defense application, but they might be very useful, as explained in the other answers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;ast; [Uh-oh, I should specify that kicks during practice can be higher, of course, without any loss of face from the art.]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-06-01T18:20:31.477" LastActivityDate="2012-06-01T18:20:31.477" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="588" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="582" CreationDate="2012-02-23T20:53:19.780" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best thing to do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Practice.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practice the form normally. Practice it backwards. Explain it to someone. Write it down. Start from the middle. Do the mirror image (instead of left foot, move with the right foot, etc).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you've done ALL of these, the form should be pretty set in your head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh... Right after class, TAKE NOTES.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-02-23T20:53:19.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="589" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7029" CreationDate="2012-02-24T12:21:36.907" Score="15" ViewCount="20004" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have heard a lot about ancient Indian martial arts called Kalaripayattu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone have info on this? How does it compare to kung fu?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="288" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-03-13T09:20:25.090" LastActivityDate="2022-03-27T13:16:33.553" Title="What exactly is Kalaripayattu?" Tags="|kalaripayattu|" AnswerCount="11" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="590" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="589" CreationDate="2012-02-24T14:13:51.713" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know there are some books on Kalaripayattu, e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1581604807&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1409226263&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt;.&#xA;There's also a large entry on it on &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalaripayattu&quot;&gt;wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've heard it's popular mainly in India, there should be quite a number of schools there. Also, there a few places to learn it in Europe as well:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kalarippayatt.co.uk/2012/index.php&quot;&gt;London, UK&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://kalari-koeln.de/kalari1280.html&quot;&gt;Cologne, Germany&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.paris-kalari.com/&quot;&gt;Paris, France&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastActivityDate="2012-02-24T14:13:51.713" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="591" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="553" CreationDate="2012-02-24T17:07:41.227" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let me start with a disclaimer, I am not a BJJ practitioner, and I don't like fighting from the ground.  However, based on the descriptions about the different &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.grapplearts.com/Glossary_BJJ_Closed_Guard.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;BJJ guards here&lt;/a&gt; you don't use the closed guard when someone has their front knee raised.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might use the high guard instead.  The problem is the raised knee.  You can't get the legs around the opponent when there is something blocking the way.  The high guard has you wrapping your legs around the torso.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another option is to make it so that the opponent is no longer in the combat base position.  One of the options I was taught for those times when I get knocked down and I need to fight my way back up is to use my feet to grapple the leg.  Without any way to demonstrate it, I'll have to describe it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Using the top of one foot, hook the opponent's heel and keep it fixed.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Using the heel of the other foot, strike the opponent's knee.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Completing the technique, you are pulling the bottom foot and pushing the top foot&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, you can hook the knee and kick the heel, but the opponent's weight is stronger in this variation.  Since you're knee isn't great right now, that might not be the best.  The technique I described will knock the opponent out of the combat base position.  Since the opponent is kneeling, the strike to the knee should be at an angle and not straight on.  If the opponent were standing the same technique could be used straight on, which would knock the opponent back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The opponent will be off balance, and start falling toward you.  Assuming you are quick enough, you can scoot in and get in your closed guard position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-02-24T17:07:41.227" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="592" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="593" CreationDate="2012-02-27T15:59:09.897" Score="3" ViewCount="1578" Body="&lt;p&gt;Our club needs to pick a helmet for knife-fighting sparrings which would satisfy several conditions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;protect face and eyes from &lt;em&gt;accidental&lt;/em&gt; stab (it's forbidden by rules to stab head or throat) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;be 'mobile': head should be moved rather freely&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;be compact: it should not be twice as big as head&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;protect head from chops and slices (with nothing harder than wooden tanto)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;allow peripheral vision&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Our best ideas now are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fencing mask: good protection, but big, clumsy and heavy. With those we even can allow face-stabs.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Boxing helmet + goggles: compact, mobile, but does not protect the whole face.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Need every suggestion what we shall use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user91" LastEditorDisplayName="user91" LastEditDate="2012-02-28T08:56:37.487" LastActivityDate="2012-02-29T00:23:13.007" Title="Helmet for knife fighting sparring" Tags="|equipment|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="593" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="592" CreationDate="2012-02-27T17:11:14.787" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've tested a variety of different solutions for protection in sparring. I have found nothing better suited to the task than the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tonyblauer.com/4105/03_01_highgear.asp&quot;&gt;BTS High Gear&lt;/a&gt; system. This offers a similar profile to boxing/sparring headgear with wrap-around eye protection, full face cover, full peripheral vision, light weight...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problems with fencing masks is they tend to have an unwieldiness about them; the metal face mask pulls the helmet forward, and it's often held in place by a piece of padded wire, and occasionally an elastic strap. This makes it slide about quite a lot, and it doesn't offer too much in the way of back of the head protection (I have no idea what sort of training you're doing that has rules for knife fighting, so I have no idea what would need to be covered).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://speargear.myshopify.com/collections/high-gear/products/high-gear-helmet&quot;&gt;High Gear helmet&lt;/a&gt; is quite similar to the boxing helmet with goggles, but with full head protection. The down side, of course, is going to be the price – $370 for the helmet alone; a throat guard is available for an additional $75.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Less impressive options are any of the number of various forms of &lt;a href=&quot;http://compare.ebay.com/like/140695154926?var=lv&amp;amp;ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&amp;amp;var=sbar&quot;&gt;martial arts face masks/shields&lt;/a&gt; which offer inferior protection, especially in the region of the eyes. Alternately, you might look at how various types of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&amp;amp;rls=en&amp;amp;q=face+masks+for+knife+fighting&amp;amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;amp;oe=UTF-8#q=face+shield&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;client=safari&amp;amp;rls=en&amp;amp;prmd=imvns&amp;amp;source=univ&amp;amp;tbm=shop&amp;amp;tbo=u&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;ei=2rhLT83cMYKziQLe-PXZDQ&amp;amp;ved=0CJABEK0E&amp;amp;bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&amp;amp;fp=1238b290e853a605&amp;amp;biw=1917&amp;amp;bih=1086&quot;&gt;face shields&lt;/a&gt; from other fields might suit your needs, since these will likely be far cheaper, but also less likely to offer the protection required (good stress testing is a must before use).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-27T17:11:14.787" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="594" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-27T21:53:59.783" Score="8" ViewCount="258" Body="&lt;p&gt;A long time ago I used to study fighting with a &lt;em&gt;tanto&lt;/em&gt;, derived loosely from aikijujutsu.  Recently I have found myself glancing through a lot of forms practice and analyzing the movements, and was wondering if there are any good references out there to &lt;em&gt;tanto&lt;/em&gt; forms.  I've found a few online, but many of them don't quite have the right feel to them at least in video form, and so I am looking for some sort of printed reference I can look through and try to better understand. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Art isn't that important, but older forms are preferable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2016-02-15T06:53:42.730" Title="Tanto Forms Reference" Tags="|books|forms|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="595" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="607" CreationDate="2012-02-27T23:36:34.767" Score="14" ViewCount="38319" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I throw a punch, sometimes my wrist doesn't stay straight and I run the risk of spraining it. What kind of exercises can I do to strengthen my wrists so that my wrist isn't going to bend when I punch?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="282" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-18T23:13:23.453" LastActivityDate="2017-03-09T18:12:38.237" Title="How do I increase my wrist strength for punching?" Tags="|exercise|technique|punching|" AnswerCount="13" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="596" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="595" CreationDate="2012-02-27T23:51:30.770" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;One simple one I used to do until I got decent strength in my wrists was wrist raises and twists with a light dumb-bell or barbell.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a seated position, rest your elbow on your knee, forearm out in front with a light dumb-bell.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Raises palm down or palm up help to strengthen the main muscles in your forearm which hold your hand rigid, and twists help to strngthen the twisting muslces.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="57" LastActivityDate="2012-02-27T23:51:30.770" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="597" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="595" CreationDate="2012-02-28T00:59:31.387" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Vertical Knuckle push ups on a soft surface will train your alignment and improve the stabilising muscles around the wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep the elbows close to the body and use the front 2 knuckles of the fist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not allow your wrist to buckle side to side - keep the correct alignment through your hand, wrist and elbow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This gentleman's left arm has good alignment, but his right wrist has buckled.&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UU4KF.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Push up&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you need an easier introductory form, try simply holding the push up position with the arms fully extended and try completing the same push ups from your knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="83" LastActivityDate="2012-02-28T00:59:31.387" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="598" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="595" CreationDate="2012-02-28T01:37:18.673" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;bag work ( punching bag ).   Just glove up and start punching,  going light,  building up.  Practice coming in from different angles.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't have to do LOTs of this, just a regular 10 - 15 minute session working the bags will do a lot for improving the your whole of your punch, including wrists bending on impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2012-02-28T01:37:18.673" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="599" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="595" CreationDate="2012-02-28T13:20:49.500" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a few things you can do:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knuckle pushups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fingertip pushups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bestkettlebellworkout.com/the-kettlebell-press/&quot;&gt;Kettlebell presses&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Heavy bag work&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The knuckle pushups have the following benefits: strengthens the fist, strengthens the forearm muscles.  But they also have some drawbacks: rough on your knuckles, overdoing it can induce joint pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fingertip pushups also strengthen the forearm muscles, and help with knife-hand techniques.  They are hard to do, but well worth your time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kettlebell presses are my new favorite.  The uneven loading of the kettlebell strengthens your grip, and the movement of the kettlebell press also strengthens your rotator cuff muscles (the smaller muscles in your shoulders).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't have access to a kettlebell, you may want to try alternating pushup styles:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a set of 10 fingertip pushups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a set of 10 knuckle pushups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a set of 10 standard pushups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have access to a heavy bag, that will give you the most direct work to get used to punching.  However, I recommend on &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; taping up or putting gloves on.  As a martial artist you need to toughen your hands to be able to hit properly.  Sure, the rough material on the bag doesn't feel good--but it's a part of toughening the skin as well as the joints involved in the punch.  Concentrate on technique and form.  Use your hips.  Don't try to be fancy.  If you need to buy a heavy bag, I recommend a good 50lb bag.  Any heavier than that is unnecessary, and potentially will wear out your joints quicker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-02-28T13:20:49.500" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="600" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="529" CreationDate="2012-02-28T19:46:32.637" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;As you mentioned, there are a couple of different bunkai that are applicable here. My favorite is to have your attacker perform a cross grab on your right wrist. This makes the first move an escape (your left arm comes across and under the right hand of your attacker and &quot;brushes&quot; it off of your wrist as your right hand pulls back). The next move is a simple straight punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another bunkai has this first move as a block/stike/deflection to an incoming right straight punch followed by a simple straight punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="294" LastActivityDate="2012-02-28T19:46:32.637" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="601" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="595" CreationDate="2012-02-28T20:25:42.147" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;simple dumbell exercises are great for strengthening wrists.   i did a lot of these when i was having trouble with wrist pain and it helped a lot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;there are 3 movements you will want to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;palm down  curling your wrist up and down.&#xA;palm up curling your wrist up and down.&#xA;palm down or up, tipping your wrist side to side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;start with a fairly light weight so your wrists can get used to the movements, and increase the weights as you go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;i see a lot of people posting about doing pushups to strengthen wrists, and while push ups are great for general strength and whatnot, if you have weak or injured wrists, there are exercises you should be doing before attempting knuckle or finger tip pushups.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-02-28T20:25:42.147" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="602" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="369" CreationDate="2012-02-28T21:08:41.117" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What are the ankles good for?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a rather odd question so I will give a rather odd answer. One of the uses I have found for the feet/ankles is disarming techniques while lying on the ground. We practice this some (very little really) in FMA. Specifically, some stick disarms that are used while standing are also available while one is prone utilizing the feet. These disarms are typically those that don't require a lot of finesse. Since you can't as easily grasp anything with your toes (as you would with your fingers during a disarm), you have to rely more on your ankles to perform wraps, grabs and immobilizations. I will admit that it is a novelty, but a lot of fun to practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="294" LastActivityDate="2012-02-28T21:08:41.117" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="603" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="574" CreationDate="2012-02-28T22:34:29.213" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here are a few suggestion to take into consideration...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In doing stage combat you will want to stick with large exagerated movements. For video you can utilize smaller movements through close ups.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Make moves fluid and natural. When one attack is delivered, what is the next weapon available and what target is available for that weapon. Use combination striking with two being the minimum and probably around five being the maximum.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Think of moves in geometric terms. An attack can either be delivered as a straight line or as a circle. A good defense to a straight line attack is a circle and a good defense to a circular attack is a straight line offensive (though a circular defense will work as well). All things being equal, a straight line will be faster than a cirlce.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use multiple &quot;unskilled&quot; attackers to increase tension and excitement and allow the skilled defender(s) to pull off many actions. Stick to two or three at once unlsess your main character is a super hero or destined to loose.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The prolonged use of two skilled fighters in one on one combat will by necesity look choreographed to the skilled eye, posibly even to the laman.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There are a lot of good Kenpo techniques and Bunkai from other syles on YouTube that can easily be adapted to stage combat. There are stick spar drills in FMA such as Sombrada that can be adapted for weapon fighting.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When working with weapons - sticks, knives, swords, etc. - make sure the actors are aiming for a target on their opponent. Meaning, they are not just clanking two sticks together. The attacker is attacking an actual target on the other person, and the defender &lt;strong&gt;has to&lt;/strong&gt; block/counter the attack to keep from getting &quot;hurt.&quot; This goes for empty hand techniques as well but it doesn't seem to be as noticable. In practice this comes across as pushing or pressing the opponent, causing them to want to get off the line of attack or give ground.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The human body can (to some degree) take a little pounding to the torso and thighs during a fight, but not to the head or groin, and certainly not a weapon strike delivered to an unprotected arm. For this reason keep fights relatively short and simple unless one of the characters is supposed to be &quot;pulling&quot; thier punches.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The skilled fighter will try to avoid any conflict but if forced, will strike when the opportunity presents itself.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="294" LastActivityDate="2012-02-28T22:34:29.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="604" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="595" CreationDate="2012-02-29T00:16:53.967" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Of all the answers I like Patricia's best.  There is little musculature in the wrist proper.  The muscles that flex the wrist or hold it stable are in the forearm.&#xA;Hand-curling motions, hand extension motions....The old classic &quot;wrist roller&quot;....All these strengthen the flexor and extensor musculature in &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="295" LastActivityDate="2012-02-29T00:16:53.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="605" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="592" CreationDate="2012-02-29T00:23:13.007" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen modified fencing masks...Essentially, pieces of closed-cell foam insulation material fastened to the outside area, and perhaps some elastic straps to keep it on....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I took Western fencing for about 2years and the masks are not difficult to work with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="295" LastActivityDate="2012-02-29T00:23:13.007" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="606" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="595" CreationDate="2012-02-29T01:41:28.437" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just want to throw some Hojo-Undo in the mix.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Specifically the Chi-Ishi and Ishi Sashi.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;After a few weeks of using the Chi-Ishi my wrists and grip strength were noticeably improving, and the tools are really simple to make.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="61" LastActivityDate="2012-02-29T01:41:28.437" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="607" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="595" CreationDate="2012-02-29T18:41:26.200" Score="16" Body="&lt;p&gt;I feel there's a core issue here being neglected:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;When I throw a punch, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;SOMETIMES MY WRIST DOESN'T STAY STRAIGHT&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; and I run the risk of spraining it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I could highlight, underline, and make it flash, I would. Your issue here is not simply wrist strength (which, by the way, is not going to be corrected by simple strength training alone), but rather your form. Let me do my bold and caps thing again here to drive this point home:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;IF YOUR WRIST IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT, YOU RUN THE RISK OF SPRAINING YOUR WRIST&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shocking, I know, but there's a key here: &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;If your wrist is out of alignment&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. If it's not, your strike will be true, the impact will be absorbed down the long bones of the arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I really can't stress this enough: you must work on your form before you can rely on your punch. So, let's break down a punch (not necessarily your punch; I don't have any idea what you're studying, so I'll describe one method:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hold your arm straight out in front of your chest, fingers pointing ahead at a stationary target.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Curl your fingers from the furthest joint inward into your palm. Keep your thumb pointing straight up like you're giving your target a thumbs up.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Curl the thumb from the joint downward to rest on the first knuckle of the index finger. If you're looking straight down your hand, your thumb should be acting like an iron sight on a firearm.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Align your wrist. The position of your thumb should make a small tendon at the side of your wrist bulge slightly. Use this as a line through your thumb into your target.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Pull your elbow back keeping your wrist in that alignment, and practice pushing forward with that fist, like you're slowly punching. Practice keeping your wrist in alignment.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Step up to the target and slowly punch. Right now you're practicing just maintaining that alignment. Pick up a little momentum without putting your body into the punch yet.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Now, relax every muscle, just taking on a very relaxed posture. Curl your fist as before and make a slow loping punch at your target. Punch however feels natural, but maintain that tension in your wrist only. Maintaining that alignment is critical to throwing a decent punch.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Practice, practice, practice. Build up speed slowly, and start adding more body rotation into the strike. Be patient; this won't happen over night, but this is the truest way to build the right sort of strength for striking.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Punching with good form is its own workout. Your body naturally adapts to the lifestyle you set it to: If you work in a job sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day, your body adapts to that; if you chop wood every day for 2 hours, your body adapts to that. Punch to build the strength you need in the right muscles rather than performing exercises that target general groupings at the risk of not developing essential muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-02-29T18:41:26.200" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="608" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="610" CreationDate="2012-03-01T15:08:29.497" Score="11" ViewCount="255" Body="&lt;p&gt;The title pretty much explains it.  What criteria have to be met for a martial art to be considered for inclusion in the Olympics.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that there has to be some semblance of international governing body, but what exactly does that entail?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There also has to be international competitiveness (like in all sports), what is the criteria for that?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wasn't sure what to tag this question as, so feel free to add some tags as you feel appropriate :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-03-01T15:41:54.797" LastActivityDate="2012-03-01T18:54:47.100" Title="Criteria for a Martial Art to be considered as an olympic sport?" Tags="|sport|olympics|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="609" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="608" CreationDate="2012-03-01T16:55:21.093" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is kind of a short answer, but you can find out a summary of how it worked for Tae Kwon Do on Wikipedia:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo_at_the_Summer_Olympics&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo_at_the_Summer_Olympics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There isn't as much of a history for Judo: &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo_at_the_Summer_Olympics&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo_at_the_Summer_Olympics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't find a source for this, but I heard that the hosting country can choose an event for the Olympics. It may well be how Judo made it in. And it may well mean that beyond having rules for competition, there aren't / weren't really any criteria back then.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-03-01T16:55:21.093" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="610" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="608" CreationDate="2012-03-01T18:54:47.100" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;For any sport, there must be a level of what the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.olympic.org/ioc&quot;&gt;IOC&lt;/a&gt; (International Olympic Committee) calls &quot;universality&quot;; in other words, the sport must be practiced under an international governing body in multiple countries in most continents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially, the sport:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Must have an international governing body. (For Judo, for instance, this is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.olympic.org/ijf&quot;&gt;International Judo Federation&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;That body must hold a world championship.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The organization must be in compliance with the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.olympic.org/Documents/olympic_charter_en.pdf&quot;&gt;Olympic Charter&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Numbers:&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Summer Games:&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Men: Participants from 75 Countries over 4 Continents.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Women: Participants from 40 Countries over 3 Continents.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Winter Games:&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Participants from 25 Countries. (I don't know the breakdown for men vs. women and continents)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;NB&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;: The sports do not have to be &lt;em&gt;popular&lt;/em&gt;; Ice Hockey isn't that popular in Ireland, but they still are members of the International Ice Hockey Federation]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Physical (not mechanical) athletic performance is required (Sorry if you're hoping for robot boxing [Rock'em Sock'em Robots] to make it into the Olympics).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sport is already recognized and had (usually at least) 2 international championships before being chosen.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even a sport meeting these requirements is not guaranteed inclusion. The IOC still convenes to vote on the inclusion of new sports. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Two martial arts are up for inclusion in 2020: Karate and Wushu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-03-01T18:54:47.100" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="611" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="614" CreationDate="2012-03-02T00:10:51.987" Score="9" ViewCount="1178" Body="&lt;p&gt;My girlfriend has expressed interest in learning one of the martial arts I practice with me, but when she has come to a class she has been very self-concious about being new and inexperienced (I've done martial arts of some variety for a long time, she's never done them before).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;She has said she would prefer to practice with me, rather than in a dojo, and get to be fairly capable that way and then start attending classes. I have taught beginners' classes in Taekwondo before, so I could reasonably teach her that, but I am skeptical about how valuable/effective it would be to learn 1) without a peer group at a similar level 2) from someone you know in a personal context such that recreating the rigor of a dojo would be difficult and feel forced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm interested in the experiences of anyone who has taught or learned a martial art in a similar fashion--how well did it work? Did the student improve at a rate comparable to beginners in a dojo, and were they able to transition into some kind of formal training more easily than someone who had not done this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="45" LastActivityDate="2015-04-11T03:25:18.493" Title="How effective is practicing a martial art strictly outside of a dojo for beginners?" Tags="|training|teaching|dojo|social|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="612" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-03-02T00:19:07.397" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-03-02T00:19:07.397" LastActivityDate="2012-03-02T00:19:07.397" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="613" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-03-02T00:19:07.397" Score="0" Body="Questions related to the social aspects of practicing martial arts." OwnerUserId="45" LastEditorUserId="45" LastEditDate="2012-03-02T02:05:45.447" LastActivityDate="2012-03-02T02:05:45.447" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="614" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="611" CreationDate="2012-03-02T00:52:29.643" Score="16" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience this is not a good way to learn, no matter how capable a teacher you are. I'm not saying that it won't work, just that the chance it being successful is very low.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any martial art takes a lot of time, patience and discipline to learn. Outside of the dojo these things can all be in short supply. Training at the dojo forces you to make the time available and training there helps with the patience and discipline side of things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also think your relationship status is going to influence the training. As an example, my children have been learning various martial art techniques since they were old enough to wrestle and play fight (roughly 18 months old IIRC). However they have had very little formal training from me - not because I can't do it, but because they don't want to accept it from me. I am Daddy, not Sensei, and they simply don't want formalized lessons from me. I am fine with this and am quite happy to let other teachers teach them for now and I'll pick up the pieces later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With your girlfriend you will strike the same issue. Sure you can teach her a few cool moves, but you also need to demand a certain amount of blood sweat and tears from her&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; in order to train properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can understand your girlfriend's concerns, but you really need to get her to the dojo. Everybody is afraid or nervous the first time they start learning a martial art, so she is not alone. She will benefit far more from the structured dojo environment and being surrounded by others at the same level as herself. She will also progress faster if she has other people to measure herself against, and having multiple opinions available from senior students (or multiple instructors) can be quite beneficial. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once she is in the dojo she will soon get over her mental hurdles and not care how she looks or what other people think :) At that point she will be quite keen to do extra training which you can then help her with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; A teacher in a dojo environment is going to have far more success demanding bunches of press ups and loads of line work from her than you can in an informal environment at home.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-03-02T00:52:29.643" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="615" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="611" CreationDate="2012-03-02T07:26:59.680" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Slugster's answer is a good one to read (I up voted it) but I am going to play devil's advocate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your relationship is strong and there are no underlying issues, then it can work well. She can practice the things she learns in the dojo with you so she can improve her form.  Remember to criticise the actions, not the person doing them; &quot;&lt;em&gt;the technique is not quite right&lt;/em&gt;&quot; is better than &quot;&lt;em&gt;you're shit!&lt;/em&gt;&quot; and leads to fewer arguments.  After a little while, people in the dojo will start to notice progress.  But it is important that she gets past her &quot;I do not want to look foolish&quot;... We all do.  Ignorance is only a crime if one delights in it.  Seeking to reduce it by any means is a good thing (TM). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One sensei said something to me that has stayed with me for a long time: &quot;&lt;em&gt;I don't expect you to get it right, I expect you to try!&lt;/em&gt;&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2015-04-10T13:44:02.243" LastActivityDate="2015-04-10T13:44:02.243" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="616" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="611" CreationDate="2012-03-02T21:34:12.653" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;If you ask people who the greatest guitar player in the world was, you&#xA;  would get varied results, but someone would inevitably say that it was&#xA;  Jimi Hendrix. Even if you disagree about Jimmy Hendrix being the best,&#xA;  you have to admit that he was very good. Jimi Hendrix taught himself&#xA;  how to play guitar.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think training at home is fine but I have to agree that your relationship may present a problem. That aside, there are some right ways and wrong ways to go about it. First off, you have to decide what the two of you want out of the Martial Arts. Is it for self defense, to learn the art, sport, or for the experience of the dojo? If it is either of the last two, training at home is not for you. If it is to learn the art or self defense, training at home may be an option. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The key things to remember for self training are:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Curriculum - Know what you want to achieve and design your program&#xA;around it. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Schedule - Set time aside for training and stick to it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Accountability - Have someone that is going to encourage you to stick to&#xA;it. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Seminars are your friend&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as accountability goes, I would not try to self train with fewer than three people. So in your situation you need to find at least one other student. To be clear, self training is not the optimal way to learn martial arts. Youtube and DVDs are a great source, but a good teacher is worth their weight in gold. Home training should really be a supplement, not a replacement for formal training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Look here for a couple of articles that cover &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.practicalblackbelt.com/Articles/Article/tabid/121/smid/479/ArticleID/89/Default.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Deciding to Self Train&lt;/a&gt;&quot; and &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.practicalblackbelt.com/ArticlesBlogs/Article/tabid/121/ArticleId/90/How-to-Self-Train-90.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;How to Self Train&lt;/a&gt;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="294" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-04-11T03:25:18.493" LastActivityDate="2015-04-11T03:25:18.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="617" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="619" CreationDate="2012-03-03T14:00:51.357" Score="8" ViewCount="154" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know a boxing trainer who insists that, when training for a fight with one-minute breaks between rounds, it will give you an edge conditionally over your opponent to use only 30-second breaks during training. Unless the other guy's trainer has the same idea, of course. Common sense seems to suggest that's correct, but sadly common sense is not always the best approach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, are their any more substantiated insights on this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="129" LastActivityDate="2012-07-06T03:37:19.793" Title="Does it help to use shorter breaks during training than during competition?" Tags="|training|exercise|kickboxing|boxing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="618" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="813" CreationDate="2012-03-04T20:02:03.183" Score="2" ViewCount="730" Body="&lt;p&gt;In ITF Taekwondo, movements 15, 16, 18, and 19 of Yulgok are hooking blocks, as far as I know. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Recently, however, I've been practicing Taekwondo with people who learned in different dojos, and a couple of them were taught to use knife-hand blocks at this point in the pattern instead. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this usual in an alternate ITF off-shoot or some other Taekwondo tradition I'm unfamiliar with?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="45" LastActivityDate="2021-01-17T22:05:44.260" Title="Are there alternate versions of the ITF Taekwondo pattern Yulgok?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|forms|itf|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="619" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="617" CreationDate="2012-03-05T08:27:42.117" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;This reminds me of a training technique my old track and field trainer sometimes used for condition training. If you get short(er) breaks then you'll be forced to run (or in this case fight) while you are more fatigued than usual which indeed is good for condition training. It will also teach you to &quot;keep up&quot; your coordination and technique while running/fighting. &#xA;However, if you want to focus on improving your technique then it's better if you are well-rested and this method should not be used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastActivityDate="2012-03-05T08:27:42.117" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="620" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="618" CreationDate="2012-03-05T09:21:17.410" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The ITF syllabus does require a hooking block. See an &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D9RlQ1_OaA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;example here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Due to arguments as to who the ITF should be, there are &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Taekwon-Do_Federation&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;three organisations claiming&lt;/a&gt; this role. In addition to the WTF, this does give scope for different interpretations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said that, my understanding is that despite the political differences, and the style differences between WTF and ITF, the actual moves should be taken from the syllabus, so I don't think that a knife hand block is officially sanctioned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="57" LastActivityDate="2012-03-05T09:21:17.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="621" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="589" CreationDate="2012-03-05T12:35:51.027" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;As an Indian, I'd like to put forward a fact about Kalaripayattu. There are a good number of schools in India that teach/focus on this form of an ancient martial art. As far as effectiveness of this martial art is concerned, I wouldn't like to comment on it because every martial art is great in its own way. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would opine that Kerala (a state in Southern part of India) would be a wonderful place to start your training in Kalaripayattu, as Kerala is supposedly the origin of this martial art. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="304" LastActivityDate="2012-03-05T12:35:51.027" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="622" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="574" CreationDate="2012-03-05T14:34:33.360" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Important disclaimer:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;Reading this answer, or any answer to this question is no substitute for getting actual training on stage combat from someone who knows what they're doing. Staged combat can be dangerous when performed incorrectly.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The elements of getting stage combat looking good are reasonably simple, although actually doing it well is another matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For any strike there are three elements: the build up, the impact and the follow-through.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Build up&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unskilled fighters will tend to show a much greater build up, as they telegraph their strikes, but in practice this phase will cover everything from when someone starts moving to the point of impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Impact&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two things that really sell the impact - sound, and timing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The classic technique to get sound is called the &quot;nap&quot;, and it is where the attacker (usually) slaps their own body with their non-hitting hand. This also helps the defender time their reaction right. If the form of the martial art prevents this (i.e. karate's double punch) then the defender can do the nap instead. Other options include offstage sound effects, foot stomps (a la professional wrestling) and a shout to mask the lack of impact noise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other important thing about the hit is &lt;strong&gt;don't actually hit them&lt;/strong&gt;. With an audience on only one side you can aim a punch to pass between the audience and the victim (especially head punches) and - as long as the defender gets their timing right - it will look realistic. Kicks are much harder, and typically will need to be pulled a little short. Roundhouse kicks will work better here than front kicks. If the defender is willing, you can make a small amount of contact with kicks, but you mustn't actually kick them - just give them a little push on the chest / shoulder with the sole of your foot (not the instep).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Weapons should be swung in such a way that a missed block will miss altogether. This can be achieved by aiming swings past the body by an inch or two, or by keeping just out of hitting range. If the margins are smallish the audience won't notice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Follow through&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This includes any literal follow-through on the hit, but also includes the victims reaction. For karate this is probably very little follow through on the hit, but a big follow reaction from the victim.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Putting it all together&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll notice that none of the key points above actually refer to any form - just principles. You can apply these principles to fencers, pirates, soldiers, untrained brawlers and martial artists simply by adopting the relevant postures, attack / defence styles, apply the right philosophy to the choreography, and (most importantly, actually) footwork.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sources: I've been trained in staged combat and am a professional wrestler.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="305" LastActivityDate="2012-03-05T14:34:33.360" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="623" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="574" CreationDate="2012-03-05T19:04:27.513" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stage combat is multidisciplinary.  You have to know both enough of the martial art or fighting style you are trying to &lt;em&gt;emulate&lt;/em&gt;, and you have to understand the restrictions of the stage, and the audience view point.  You use these things to hide your cheats, and your non-contact fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The details of the different aspects vary based on whether the staged fighting is live or filmed.  For example, you can use different camera angles and lighting to substitute a body double who is more skilled than the main actor.  Additionally, with filmed fight scenes, you can break the fight into much smaller pieces which are easier to reassemble into a contiguous fight scene later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Choreography:&lt;/strong&gt; plan footwork and movements so that the audience sees something happening--but you can still hide the lack of impact from the strikes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Landing Strikes:&lt;/strong&gt; practice and teach how to fall properly.  This is important both to sell the fight, and to protect the actors.  How should it look when the person who receives the strick?  How would that person physically move if the strike landed for real?  A kick to the groin wouldn't have the victim flip over backwards.  They would fall forward and drop to their knees.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Details:&lt;/strong&gt; part of selling a fight is using proper hip movement, and tight muscles on impact.  The important thing is to make it &lt;em&gt;look&lt;/em&gt; like impact happened, but not actually cause the impact to happen.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Practice, Practice, Practice:&lt;/strong&gt;  live engagements are the most difficult because the fight has to be perfect from start to finish.  Filmed fights are easiest because you only have to get one segment of a fight at a time.  No matter what, the fight participants need to know the fight scene forwards and backwards, to the point they don't even have to think about the next move.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Be prepared for someone to get hurt.&lt;/strong&gt;  no matter how diligent you try to be, accidents happen.  Check out the clips at the end of a Jackie Chan movie for examples of well rehearsed and choreographed fight scenes gone wrong.  Also keep an eye on fatigue levels.  When people get tired, they get sloppy, and other people get hurt.  Have first aid on hand, and a speed dial to the emergency room.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of this has to be done in a way that is consistent with the rest of the setting.  If we are dealing with modern warfare, basing the techniques on a stage variant of Krav Maga would be a good choice.  If we are dealing with something set in historic Japan, you'll want to base it on styles from that area and period of time (at least reasonably look that way).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A fight choreographer needs to have the whole sequence outlined from start to finish and know the following details:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How long the fight will last&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What story critical techniques need to be incorporated&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Who gets hit, and how those targets respond&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Where people land and move to, how to get debris from the fight out of the way&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Build up, and wind down of the fight&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What pauses need to be in the fight&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fight choreographer will be working with the director to get the details worked out, and where you focus on a character for any reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-03-05T19:04:27.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="624" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="617" CreationDate="2012-03-06T18:57:38.147" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends on what martial art you are training for.  Which one are you doing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shortening the rest intervals is a great idea because it makes you get used to fighting with less energy, thus you get stronger and accustomed (sharper under more strain) to it.  I would highly suggest doing this.  Though, I would still suggest doing at least one practice a week using the normal intervals so that you are used to that as well.  At least from a self-defense standpoint, it would be best to work down to having one long continuous round to mimic a situation where you may not have the option to rest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also take the opposite approach and instead of shortening rest period, increase the round time.  This will help build your endurance.  Make sure to fight with the same intensity throughout as you would with the regular interval as you don't want to think you have more time to accomplish the same goal.      &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="55" LastActivityDate="2012-03-06T18:57:38.147" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="625" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="660" CreationDate="2012-03-06T22:53:58.343" Score="14" ViewCount="7201" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Hapkido we do a great deal of training with various pressure point techniques. These include pinches that hit a nerve (e.g., on the inside of the leg or on the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.yinyanghouse.com/acupuncturepoints/lu5&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;outside of the elbow&lt;/a&gt;) or strikes that are specifically targeted, e.g., to hit the center of the muscle on the outside of the leg. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These work fairly consistently: You can approach a person, apply one of the techniques, and get an anticipated pain or muscular response.  The locations are consistent, and if you can find it on one person you can generally hit the same spot on others. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Except when... they don't.  It varies by the person, but many people seem to lack one or more of the standard set that we hit.  It isn't that the points are hard to find; they just consistently lack them.  We've also found in at least one case it looks like the ones that do or do not work run in family lines.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's well understood &lt;em&gt;that&lt;/em&gt; people are different in these regards, but particularly for the more philosophical points it seems odd to see so much variation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the question is... why do some people seem to be missing certain points? Studies that might explain it are best if anyone knows of any, but I'll take other explanations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-12-09T16:19:34.767" LastActivityDate="2020-07-22T23:44:16.477" Title="Why Do Pressure Points Work Differently Against Different People?" Tags="|anatomy|pressure-points|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="626" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-03-07T00:39:39.293" Score="4" ViewCount="1478" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are several ways for students to pay for martial arts lessons: per month, per lesson, and contracts. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these for both the student and school? Specifically, what effect do each of these have on student attrition? Do per month/lesson payments make it too easy to leave or take a break without any consequence, that it's all too easy to not come back?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-21T03:28:45.123" LastActivityDate="2019-04-21T03:28:45.123" Title="How effective are different pricing structures for martial arts studios?" Tags="|teaching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2019-04-21T03:29:07.570" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="628" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-03-07T07:45:13.063" Score="5" ViewCount="813" Body="&lt;p&gt;My understanding is that after the unification of the various &lt;em&gt;kwan&lt;/em&gt; under the &lt;em&gt;Kukkiwon&lt;/em&gt; the basic library of techniques that each school employed became relatively uniform.  I've seen firsthand, however, how much two people working with the same technique set can diverge in the details and understanding of what they are teaching and how they are teaching it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I talk to my instructor (who is &lt;em&gt;jidokwan&lt;/em&gt;) about Tae Kwon Do, he talks about distinctly different flavors and philosophical differences behind the schools, how they train, what they emphasize, etc. I have heard as well different views on what exactly these differences entail and am curious: What are the modern differences between the various &lt;em&gt;kwan&lt;/em&gt;, and how does this manifest in what/how they teach?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2014-12-01T10:10:06.847" Title="What are the philosophical differences between the TKD Kwan?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="630" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="466" CreationDate="2012-03-07T08:07:17.327" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would recommend you to try out Tai Chi Chuan. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been practicing this art but never meditating because I am not trying to get enlightened by practicing it! Another thing is that I believe Tai Chi is meditation in motion so we do not need to sit down and meditate!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="288" LastActivityDate="2012-03-07T08:07:17.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="631" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="635" CreationDate="2012-03-07T11:49:26.223" Score="9" ViewCount="14672" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am looking to practice a form of martial arts which will be good for reducing back pain and work stress while improving general body fitness. Which would be best to start with?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="308" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-10-11T15:39:55.180" LastActivityDate="2021-10-11T15:39:55.180" Title="What is the best martial art for reducing back pain and stress while increasing my fitness?" Tags="|exercise|strength|recommendation|self-training|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="632" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="631" CreationDate="2012-03-07T12:51:38.100" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tai Chi. Any kind. Possibly even any teacher should do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TaiChi is neat, because of the general focus on smoothness. The movements must be carefully orchestrated and done not only with the minimum effort possible, but also with efforts to relax.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only way to relax fully, over time, is going to include fixing the posture, going as far down as the bones and tendons. The body ends up used to tightness and deformity over years of misuse, but the opening and closing and stretching and rotating required by the taichi movements help fix that over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The very simple (note: not easy) action of lowering oneself while keeping the back straight and relatively vertical does wonders for the muscles and mobility of the lower back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-10-02T00:15:42.580" LastActivityDate="2012-10-02T00:15:42.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="634" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="625" CreationDate="2012-03-07T14:21:21.270" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Everyone is different.  It is important to realize that things like this is usually ON AVERAGE.  Such as 98.6 is the AVERAGE temperature for a human but it doesn't mean someone is necessarily sick if their temperature is off from this.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everyone has their own tolerance for pain or it may just turn out to not be a painful spot for them.  I would expect everyone to have their nerves in more or less the same location but sensitivity will vary.  The person could even have built up a tolerance.  Haven't you ever seen the video of the monk that gets kicked in the nuts repeatedly without flinching?  A person may have had an injury or surgery that desensitized the nerve.  Someone could be on drugs.  I am sure there are more reasons than I have mentioned here.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts is about adaptation. What may work on one person may not work on another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="55" LastActivityDate="2012-03-07T14:21:21.270" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="635" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="631" CreationDate="2012-03-07T17:16:02.110" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Honestly, the best thing you can probably start with is not going to be a martial art at all. Instead, try the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Strength Training&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the biggest culprits in back pain, knee pain, etc can actually be corrected by increasing the strength of the surrounding muscles.  I had hip issues and years and years of martial arts did not fix my hip issues, 3 months of doing squats did.  Not that a different martial art wouldn't have necessarily gotten me there, but squats were a much more direct route to fixing the underlying problem. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So start working out and engaging in strength training.  This can be using weights (e.g., with a program such as &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0976805421&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Starting Strength&lt;/a&gt; or using a bodyweight system such as &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dragondoor.com/b41/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Convict Conditioning&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.gymnasticbodies.com&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Building the Gymnastic Body&lt;/a&gt;. There's also &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/&quot;&gt;Fitness.SE&lt;/a&gt;, which is a great resource here. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Stress Reduction&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Working out in general &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise-and-stress/SR00036&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;will be good for your stress levels&lt;/a&gt;. So any form of workout will help.  Basically here you can go with any martial art, and which one will suit you best will depend more on your rapport with the individual teacher and how you personally like to de-stress than it will any specifics of the art itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally find that weapons work in particular is a great way of bleeding off excess stress, but you may not be the same and so it is worth playing around to see what works for you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may also find that you have good success with &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/yoga/CM00004&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;yoga&lt;/a&gt;, which frequently is more targeted in this regard than many of your martial arts will be, so it might be worth giving that a try, and it is something that is fairly easy to get started with. Or just go with what Tony Horton says and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2-CLZLqo4A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;do your yoga!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may also find that meditation helps here.  Many martial arts have a meditation component if you want to integrate it with your martial arts practice, or you can pick it up separately.  Talk to the instructors of different styles and see what they emphasize, or find a meditation/sitting practice and go from there. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:46:50.943" LastActivityDate="2012-03-07T17:16:02.110" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="636" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="639" CreationDate="2012-03-09T08:08:59.467" Score="13" ViewCount="553" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm an Aikido beginner and haven't had many classes yet, so I hope this is not a stupid question. My teacher recently said that when we practice with someone then the attacker should adapt to the defender before he starts the exercise. With adapt I mean that if the defender has his left foot in front for example then the attacker should make sure the he has also his left foot in front and not his right.&#xA;But when I tought about this at home it didn't make any sense. In the real world you do not know when you will be attacked, so why shouldn't the defender adapt to the attacker?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="314" LastActivityDate="2012-03-12T15:41:22.847" Title="When doing Aikido practice why should the attacker adapt to the defender?" Tags="|aikido|positions|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="637" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="636" CreationDate="2012-03-09T10:42:21.647" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think you are missing a crucial distinction here: &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; vs &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; practice.  Or practice of a form to learn the movement (aka kata) and making that movement yours and applying it (aka randori).  Kata is designed to make you do the technique in a rigid and fixed form.  It is here to teach your body how to react, how to move, and why this is a reasonable option given uke's attack.  In randori, you start making those movement yours.  This takes time and is really hard. It is the first part of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikidofaq.com/essays/tin/shuhari.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Shuhari&lt;/a&gt; where shu corresponds to kata training and hari to randori training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since you are a beginner in Aikido, the attacker (aka the more experience practitioner) adapts to make your learning more effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-03-12T15:41:22.847" LastActivityDate="2012-03-12T15:41:22.847" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="638" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="636" CreationDate="2012-03-09T15:11:02.357" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;My answer may look stupid and comes from common sense more that from aikido trainings, but:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In these exercises defender usually studies one specific technique (this includes specific stance, attack etc.). This means that before attack both uke and nage should come to specific stance (for example, Ai Hanmi). As far as nage's training is primary now, uke should adapt to him to make training faster and smoother.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After that, the process gets different: for example, uke is attacking from both sides and stances, so nage should use at least 4 techniques to defend himself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is closer to real life, but needs knowledge of the techniques, which is obtained in the way you describe in the question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user91" LastActivityDate="2012-03-09T15:11:02.357" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="639" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="636" CreationDate="2012-03-09T21:04:36.963" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not specifc to Aikido, but here's my impression from other martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally when you do the drills, you are trying to eliminate many of the variables and focus on the technique as it flows a particular way. So if the technique &lt;em&gt;in that form&lt;/em&gt; is supposed to be practiced with a closed stance (same foot forward), you ensure that both parties have the same foot forward before starting the drill.  This doesn't mean that in reality you won't have to deal with an open stance (opposite feet forward), it means that for the purpose of that technique and the purpose of that drill you practice in that particular way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, later, you also practice open stance variations and there are other drills where you as a defender simply get to figure out what to do and respond, having now trained a variety of techniques.  The important thing to remember is that this is one style of practice in an art that encompasses many different approaches. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My understanding of Aikido is that in many traditions, especially during practice, they take this one step further and the attacker will often &quot;guide&quot; or &quot;help&quot; you through the technique.   This is designed to help you learn how to move your body under optimal conditions, so that you know the technique better before adding additional degrees of complexity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Different schools handle the details of how all of this works differently.  In most martial arts I've been in, we start  with one hand and then switch to the other: rather than see that the defender has the left foot forward and adapt, we instruct both parties which foot should be forward and then switch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The goal, however, is the same: To help you learn the fundamentals of the technique so that you can see how it works and learn to apply it, and so that you can improve your ability to move and control your own body. Then, as you progress, you get to see more variations and may also deal with resisting or (either fully or partly) spontaneous opponents.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-03-09T21:04:36.963" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="640" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-03-09T22:16:56.890" Score="8" ViewCount="786" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know Escrima generally has minimal emphasis on forms, but that there are nevertheless some patterns associated with certain Escrima variants.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many more popular/formalized martial arts have books available detailing each step in a kata for several skill levels, and I'm wondering what (if any) books are out there that do that for Escrima patterns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would prefer books that have line drawings of people in each stance for each move (or if there are photographs, good ones) with some notes on proper positioning at each step. Thanks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="45" LastActivityDate="2012-03-13T14:35:43.060" Title="What books of Escrima patterns that detail each step are available?" Tags="|recommendation|training|books|escrima|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="641" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="640" CreationDate="2012-03-10T00:48:32.830" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A process cannot be understood by stopping it. Understanding must move with the flow of the process, must join it and flow with it.&lt;/strong&gt; -- Dune, Frank Herbert&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not know of any books that do this, but you are better off watching Youtube videos, like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w07cUh7z1Q&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt;, which describes heaven and earth. You're better off looking for 'heaven six' first, though. The key will be to look up some list of drills so you get the names, then look 'em up on Youtube.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-03-10T00:48:32.830" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="642" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="645" CreationDate="2012-03-10T14:16:04.063" Score="4" ViewCount="532" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since I was young, martial arts have triggered my interest, and lately I attended some &quot;try one for free&quot; lessons in various gyms in my town. I come from a competitive level in a totally different sport (free climbing), so I know how serious training is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been disappointed by all these lessons. Omitting the teachers that present themselves as the True Future of Martial Arts, besides those who clearly aren't that competent and physically fit (I don't ask for perfection since I'm a total beginner), I believe that's ridiculous to offer one hour long lesson, included the time for the locker room. This is for people who just want to persuade themselves that they are doing some physical activity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Browsing a bit, it looks like that the Italian average is, sadly, this. Is my impression right? If not, is there any name of teacher that I should look for?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I intentionally don't state what MA I'm interested in. For me, good training is better than the subject. My preferences anyway are no weapons, completeness (e.g. not only defense), no &quot;crystallized&quot; practices that lack effectiveness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="317" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-03-14T17:26:50.810" LastActivityDate="2012-08-10T02:11:32.593" Title="How can I deal with the impressive number of charlatan teachers in Italy?" Tags="|training|teaching|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="643" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="642" CreationDate="2012-03-10T14:38:07.957" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Offering a one-hour lesson is the standard in the US as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To make a profit, martial arts teachers need to offer many different classes. They could be organized by age (children / adults) or rank (beginner / intermediate / advanced), but they need to be able to cater to many audiences. Remember that most of the people who come in have a regular job and a life and cannot dedicate that many hours to the training - they would simply have to stop training. And the school would close.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you truly are serious, then take the one-hour lesson. Do your homework. And offer to come in and help teach after a while. That is how you will increase your time spent in the school. That is how you will put your training under real scrutiny.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Though there is always the option of offering the instructor to pay for a multi-hour private lesson if you're interested.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: Here is a reference - following a personal bias of mine, because I have never met this teacher, though I have met the grandmaster of the style, and this man is allowed to teach: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pa-kua.it/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;One of Master Park Bok Nam's students teaches in Padova&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-03-10T22:20:23.417" LastActivityDate="2012-03-10T22:20:23.417" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="644" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1079" CreationDate="2012-03-10T22:16:13.720" Score="18" ViewCount="3004" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are the criteria I need to evaluate in order to conclude that I should run away?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes the right answer is to walk away, sometimes it is to give them your wallet... When is it time to leg it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2014-01-07T19:01:13.633" Title="When should I run away?" Tags="|self-defense|awareness|" AnswerCount="13" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="645" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="642" CreationDate="2012-03-11T03:07:27.723" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Choosing a teacher can be very important, but as you are a beginner you don't have to be too fussy initially, you should be prepared to experiment and trial a few different schools. But personally I think you are looking at this the wrong way. There are a number of things to consider:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;the classes are only an hour long.&lt;/em&gt; This could be the result of a number of things. Maybe the teacher can only hire the premises for an hour at a time? Maybe an hour is the sweet spot for his class length? Maybe all the other students are perfectly happy with hour long classes? Personally, I would agree that this is short, especially if it includes time get get changed and warm up. But that doesn't stop you from either doing more classes, or training in your own time - fitness and conditioning is definately something you can do in your own time.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;present themselves as the True Future of Martial Arts.&lt;/em&gt; IMVHO it doesn't matter whether this is sales talk or ego talk - in both cases it is demonstrably false and they are arguably teaching for the wrong reasons. It is only fair that teachers make money, if they are good then they deserve it (and it costs money to run classes or schools). But if a teacher claims to be the shiz then I would walk away, they have the wrong attitude and will be imbuing that attitude into their students.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;those who clearly aren't that competent and physically fit.&lt;/em&gt; While being physically fit is a desirable attribute, it isn't essential unless it is a sport or tournament based art. In general physical fitness synergises with your martial arts training, but it isn't a core part of the art. I've seen people of all shapes and sizes doing martial arts - just because a black belt is fat and cannot run 5km doesn't mean they can't kick your butt.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead of looking purely at the teacher, I think you should also study the students. Are their moves crisp and clean, do they look well taught? Is there a good vibe in the class, are people enjoying being there? Do the senior students interact well with the juniors? Is the training facility clean and tidy and well kept? Is it well equipped? Checking these points off the list will give you a better overall idea of the capability and competency of the teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-03-14T17:29:27.593" LastActivityDate="2012-03-14T17:29:27.593" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="646" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="644" CreationDate="2012-03-11T03:46:32.963" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Basically it is time to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=get%20the%20hell%20out%20of%20dodge&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;get the fudge out of Dodge&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; when you are in a situation you cannot handle. There are many variables that go in to determining when that moment is, and there is no formula for it (otherwise everyone would know that formula). It is something you learn from experience and from following your gut feeling (intuition).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should you hand your wallet over? That depends. Do you have an escape route? Is there much money in your wallet? Will giving the guy $10 make him go away? How determined is he to cut you up or shoot you if you don't comply? Is he going to cut you or shoot you anyway? Do you have people with you who also need to escape with you? Are you already &lt;a href=&quot;http://newsstore.smh.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&amp;amp;sy=smh&amp;amp;kw=ninjutsu&amp;amp;pb=all_ffx&amp;amp;dt=selectRange&amp;amp;dr=2years&amp;amp;so=relevance&amp;amp;sf=text&amp;amp;sf=headline&amp;amp;rc=100&amp;amp;rm=200&amp;amp;sp=nrm&amp;amp;clsPage=1&amp;amp;docID=SMH1005209S9A550IBIH&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;standing outside a school of Ninjutsu&lt;/a&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2012-03-11T03:54:26.700" LastActivityDate="2012-03-11T03:54:26.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="647" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="644" CreationDate="2012-03-11T14:06:07.417" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should never run &lt;strong&gt;away&lt;/strong&gt;.  You should always run &lt;strong&gt;towards&lt;/strong&gt; safety.  A small but important distinction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-03-11T14:06:07.417" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="648" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="784" CreationDate="2012-03-11T20:57:35.583" Score="19" ViewCount="4130" Body="&lt;p&gt;Among runners there are a fair number of studies out there right now that static stretching before exercising, at least if you aren't doing it now, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-287--7001-0,00.html&quot;&gt;doesn't reduce your risk of injury&lt;/a&gt; and in other sports there seems to be some evidence that either &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2953312/?tool=pmcentrez&quot;&gt;other warmups are more effective&lt;/a&gt; or can &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20634743&quot;&gt;negatively impact performance&lt;/a&gt;.  The evidence overall does seems to be of mixed quality, however.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yet in many martial arts studios I've seen a combination of static and dynamic stretching as a way of warming up before exercise.  I'm wondering if anyone knows of research in this field that's particular to martial arts or combat sports, and if anyone has experience with how effective alternatives to static stretching are in a martial arts context?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2016-01-22T01:53:34.000" Title="Is Static Stretching Before Practice Beneficial, Harmful, or Something In-between?" Tags="|stretching|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="649" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="653" CreationDate="2012-03-11T22:36:49.137" Score="9" ViewCount="8843" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm into Ninjutsu. We have just started some boxing + kicking: Gloves, mouth guards. I'm speaking &quot;friendly&quot; here - this is in-house sparring, not MMA competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, the instructor has recommended shin guards, and I'm contemplating buying &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B004GWTSK6&quot;&gt;these ones&lt;/a&gt; (I always go for quality, these seem highly appreciated, and the price difference between those and average ones is about $50) but I wonder - Don't guards defeat the purpose of getting a little tougher, learning to perform even when hurting?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, had I been into MMA competition I wouldn't hesitate buying the best guards available, and the price isn't the issue - it's the principle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, my question is this: &lt;strong&gt;Do guards defeat the purpose of training?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="173" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-03-12T15:41:31.473" LastActivityDate="2017-10-11T09:37:16.650" Title="Do shin guards defeat the purpose of training?" Tags="|equipment|kicking|sparring|ninjutsu|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="650" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="644" CreationDate="2012-03-12T02:00:01.910" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;From what I've heard, most of the self defence classes teach students to just hand over the money to the mugger and ask the mugger to spare their lives. They say it's not worth fighting for some bucks when it's the matter of your life itself. I kinda incline to agree with them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since muggers will be aiming for the money we've, I think it's ok to hand over the wallet and walk away instead of getting cut or shot. As an addendum, if there's someone else with you, like your own family or a friend, that would add more to the safety issue. So, I guess it's always better to just comply with that guy and get the hell out of that place to safety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="304" LastEditorUserId="304" LastEditDate="2012-03-22T04:55:36.340" LastActivityDate="2012-03-22T04:55:36.340" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="651" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="649" CreationDate="2012-03-12T02:06:30.393" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;yes an no :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;any padding tends to make you spar less realistically.   But then, 'realistic' is not always the goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2012-03-12T02:06:30.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="652" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="649" CreationDate="2012-03-12T03:27:19.967" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes they defeat the purpose, they prevent conditioning. Are you going to hurt a few times if you don't have them? Absolutely you will :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you practice Ninjutsu I wouldn't expect the leg kicks to be raining down on your shins though. Any conditioning you do also has flow-on benefits - I play football (soccer) without shin guards, I haven't needed them for many years. You will likely want to do some extra conditioning as well, for that you may get some value from &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/399/70&quot;&gt;this previous answer&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-03-12T03:27:19.967" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="653" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="649" CreationDate="2012-03-12T03:33:57.290" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;It depends.&quot;  Partly on your goals, partly on what you hope to achieve via sparring. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First things first: If shin guards are standard in your studio or if your instructor recommends them, then absolutely get them.  You might talk to the senior students and see if they agree with the advice before springing for them, but this is one of the situations you may want to go with your instructor's recommendation, at least at first. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &quot;friendly&quot; sparring people will be throwing strikes as if you had them on (since that is what they are used to, even if they cognitively know you don't have them), which can lead to unpleasant consequences until you have the conditioning in place (and even then).  There will still be plenty of aches, pains, bruising, etc (depending on how hard you guys go when sparring, but especially when you begin) to learn to fight through without adding bone bruises or hairline fractures on your shin to the mix.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which leads to the next point: If you want to condition your shins so that you don't need the guards (which may be a desirable goal for you), you can do heavy bag work (lots of shin kicks) or other forms of conditioning outside of sparring to &quot;toughen up&quot; your shins.  Don't just dive right in to sparring without the guards if you go all out: condition yourself up to that point first and then ease yourself in. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, the guards will slow down your conditioning somewhat if you guys are used to blocking with your shins or throwing significant shin kicks.  The guards are there to prevent injury more than anything (take, for example, that your mouth guard is preventing expensive dental work and broken teeth), which particularly while you are learning or when focusing on things other than physical conditioning (such as getting operant conditioning into place) can be very valuable.  You may still want to take them off eventually, but where you end up and where you start and may be two very different places, as might be how you transition. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-03-12T03:33:57.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="655" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="648" CreationDate="2012-03-12T14:00:19.730" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suspect there are hardly any interesting scientific studies on this topic. Most studies I've read focus on popular sports like soccer, football or running. I was able to find two papers that did look (sort of) at martial arts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fpjournal.org.br/painel/arquivos/1561-8_Alongamento_estatico_no_jiu_jitsu_Rev3_2009_Ingles.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this paper&lt;/a&gt; but since they've measured bench-presses instead of actual training or fighting effectiveness I don't think the study is very relevant or useful.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2010/03000/Static_Stretching_Does_Not_Impair_Performance_in.31.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This paper&lt;/a&gt; may be a bit more interesting but it doesn't seem to be freely available.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do know that  research on (static) stretching has been contradictory. There seems to be consensus among researchers that stretching during warm-up doesn't prevent injuries, can actually be the cause of injuries if done incorrectly and that it will reduce power and strength (bad for martial arts!?). However, there is also consensus that static stretching does improve flexibility (good for martial arts!?) and that it is safer than dynamic stretching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keeping this in mind, my guess is that mainly martial art practicioners with low flexibility and/or already great power and strength will benefit from static stretching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastActivityDate="2012-03-12T14:00:19.730" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="656" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="658" CreationDate="2012-03-12T14:01:52.130" Score="11" ViewCount="15801" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've trained in several martial arts over the years. During that time, I've paid less ($60/mo) or more ($150/mo) depending on the area, skill level of the teachers, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I'm noticing an odd pattern; it seems that while other styles like Tae Kwon Do or Muay Thai charge by the month, most Krav Maga schools charge by the lesson, and in general, the lessons are quite expensive ($20-$50 for an hour). Why is this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it mostly that Krav Maga is easier to pick up than more traditional sport martial arts, therefore you pay more for a faster paced course? Both my wife and I would love to take Krav Maga at some point in the future, but it's a bit too expensive to go to classes once a week. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any suggestions?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="245" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-03-14T17:22:49.100" LastActivityDate="2020-06-11T01:30:15.207" Title="Why is Krav Maga expensive?" Tags="|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="657" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="644" CreationDate="2012-03-12T14:28:33.433" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here are the basic principles I've been taught in regards to self defense:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Be vigilant.  The sooner you see the attacker approach, you better you can prepare for it--and even better avoid the situation entirely.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Never assume the attacker is alone--even if you can't see their friends.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Never hand the money to them, always drop it on the ground.  If they bend over to pick it up, you have an opening to leave.  If they make you bend over to pick it up, you have an opening to disarm them and leave.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you are with someone you want to protect, don't comply--disarm and run.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When/if you run, run to a densely populated area, or to the police station.  Most pursuers won't follow.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some justifications for these basic principles, and they affect how you train for situations like this.  The first principle is the most important.  If you always assume there is someone else, you aren't going to focus all your energies on that guy--nor are you under the impression that going to the ground is a safe idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are alone, the only risk you are trying to mitigate is personal harm.  If you lose a couple bucks in the process, it's well worth it.  Dropping the money on the ground provides an opportunity to fight or flight--or more accurately fight &lt;em&gt;to&lt;/em&gt; flight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are with company, the risk you are trying to mitigate is for the attacker to have control of your loved ones.  Once they do, you are completely at their mercy--unless you are prepared to lose your loved ones.  This is the worst case scenario.  I've played it out a few times in my head, and there are always serious drawbacks.  If your loved ones know how to avoid being in the path of danger, it helps.  For example, if they know to drop to the ground when you move, you'll have more space to work and they will be more difficult to grab.  If they know to pin a knife to their chest when the attacker comes behind them, it gives you the opportunity to finish the attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which brings to the last and probably most important point: the better you are prepared, the more likely you and your loved ones will survive.  The problem is that many people think they are better prepared than they really are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-03-12T14:28:33.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="658" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="656" CreationDate="2012-03-12T14:39:56.650" Score="20" Body="&lt;p&gt;I honestly think it comes down to old fashioned economics.  Simple supply and demand.  Krav Maga is a very effective martial art, however the supply of good teachers is rather limited.  Contrast that with Tae Kwon Do, and even Muay Thai, and you'll find the schools much more plentiful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muay Thai and TKD have to compete with each other due to the fact that every shopping center seems to have a Tae Kwon Day Care program (I'm not making that up BTW).  Since supply is so plentiful, and demand is marginal at times, the schools need to maintain competitive rates.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga has a much better reputation than the plentiful schools have in regards to its effectiveness.  Not to mention, the pricing structure reinforces the notion that &quot;you get what you pay for&quot;.  If Krav Maga was more in line with TKD/Muay Thai, it would undermine the appeal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally am of the opinion that an art is only as good as its sensei.  If a sensei is only interested in competitions, they will only teach competition martial arts.  The disciplines required for proper self-defense, or modern warfare (where Krav Maga originated), are quite different than what's necessary for a ring with rules.  The same is true for MMA classes.  A sensei will--at best--get you to their level of skill.  If they aren't that skilled, it will reflect in their students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-03-04T18:50:21.767" LastActivityDate="2019-03-04T18:50:21.767" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="659" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="648" CreationDate="2012-03-12T14:49:42.300" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;From what I've read regarding stretching is that your muscles need to be warm.  Whether you do jumping jacks, jump rope, run, practice your forms, it doesn't matter.  You need to get your muscles moving first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After that, it seems that dynamic stretching is more beneficial before exercise, and static stretching is better as a cool-down activity.  You can see from this fitness.stackexchange.com question, &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/455/should-i-stretch-after-exercise&quot;&gt;&quot;Should I stretch after exercise&quot;&lt;/a&gt;, that there are several considerations and contradictory studies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The goal of stretching is to improve your range of motion.  As such, your stretching should be limited to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The range of motion required to perform your technique correctly&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Already warm muscles&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:46:50.943" LastActivityDate="2012-03-12T14:49:42.300" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="660" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="625" CreationDate="2012-03-12T16:27:08.420" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;This has nothing to do with wiring; we are, essentially, all wired the same way (ignoring, of course, the outliers: e.g. people with an improperly developed nervous system [&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congenital_insensitivity_to_pain_with_anhidrosis&quot;&gt;CIPA - Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis&lt;/a&gt;]). There are, however, various reasons you might have different effects on different people:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muscle Mass&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – While this is not a direct inhibitor of reception of pain by any means, the muscles do serve to protect the weaker points on the body (as does the general format of the body itself). Large muscles make it difficult to strike between them into the indentations of the body, or the points at which nerve clusters are exposed. For example, the biceps and triceps serve to buffer somewhat the ability to strike into the nerve clusters on the arm. This is generally the weakest form of resistance, as this sort of definition also accents the location of nerve centers (the indentations between muscles).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hormone Levels&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – Hormones are the electro-chemical signals of the nervous system. Various factors, such as environment, genetics, diet, etc. can all contribute to increased or decreased hormone levels, some of which are responsible for the neurotransmission of pain. An adrenaline response is a great example of this; elevated hormone levels producing a form of anesthesia.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Drug Use&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – A far more common than realized reason is drug use. Many drugs work by inhibiting or altering the neuro-chemical signals. I don't imply simply PCP and other illicit drugs here, but prescription medications (For example, Lyrica) as well.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Neuron Damage&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – Nerve clusters, like the rest of the body, can be damaged. Repeated injury can &quot;wear out&quot; a nerve, preventing the feeling of pain from that location as a means of self-preservation. Burn victims often suffer intense pain often because of the memory of the pain, their nerves long since destroyed, before drowning with pneumonia. Many people who were particularly clumsy as children (thus falling a great deal) seem to share a distinct resistance at the knees and elbows that may suggest nerve damage occurring in childhood from repeated trauma.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conditioning&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – Through mental conditioning, we can become more resistant to pain. Whether we call it conditioning, self-hypnosis, or anything else, it boils down to asserting ones will upon their existence. In whatever ways one may do this, they are essentially thinking (consciously or subconsciously) themselves out of pain.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pressure points are not some mystical, magical tool; they are a difficult concept of inflicting massive amounts of pain when possible. You should not strive to strike or grab or tear at a vital point, but rather train so that all your strikes find these points automatically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A Note About Use of Pressure Points&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;You should be able to hit your opponent's &lt;em&gt;kyusho&lt;/em&gt; [vital points] at any time.&quot; – &lt;em&gt;Hatsumi Masaaki&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xA;&quot;Create your own &lt;em&gt;kyusho&lt;/em&gt;&quot; – &lt;em&gt;Hatsumi Masaaki&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Appendix 1 of Valery Momot's &lt;em&gt;Anatomy of Life and Death: Vital Point of Human Body&lt;/em&gt; (&lt;em&gt;sic&lt;/em&gt;), a series of prints taken from &lt;em&gt;Fujita Seiko&lt;/em&gt;'s book on &lt;em&gt;Kyushojutsu&lt;/em&gt; are reproduced showing the vital points given in various Chinese, Japanese, and Okinawan arts. The placement of the points is varied, sometimes over a relative [scaled] foot in difference between the two points labeled as the same &lt;em&gt;kyusho&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will admit here and now: I do not believe in &lt;em&gt;Qi&lt;/em&gt; meridians. When I was creating my kyusho charts for my training manual, I sat down with that book, my own diagrams, and &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/081210644X&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Gray's Anatomy  of the Human Body&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and found the nerve clusters that corresponded to the points. I stepped through diagrams that I barely understood to find the ways I could recognize the body's weaknesses. I visited the Bodies exhibit in Vegas to sketch and learn anatomy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's an error to think that people are different. It's our search for identity that makes us believe we are unique and special. Underneath the skin, we still exhibit the same characteristics, excluding the outliers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kyusho&lt;/em&gt; are one tool. We can strike, grab, press, pull, and otherwise manipulate these points, and not all manipulations produce the same results. Ultimately though they are simply dense clusters of nervous tissue that are easily exploited; however, our bodies are full of this sort of tissue. Do not rely on solely these points, but instead explore the ways in which the rest of the body can cause horrific pain just as easily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-03-15T18:09:18.560" LastActivityDate="2012-03-15T18:09:18.560" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="661" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="644" CreationDate="2012-03-12T17:40:39.850" Score="21" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Sometimes the right answer is to walk away, sometimes it is to give them your wallet... When is it time to leg it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Always. You always need to get away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're going to try to walk away, you need to make sure you can keep them in your sight until you're at a safe distance. Distance is determined by the threat of their weapon's reach. If they are obviously unarmed, 10 feet should do before you turn your back on them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;never&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; just hand over your wallet. When I travel, I keep an old spare wallet on me, loaded up with cards like my supermarket club card, or things that otherwise can't identify me but look like actual cards. I also keep a twenty in there, along with old faded receipts or pieces of paper. Tell them you're going to reach for your wallet, remove the dupe from your pocket, flash the twenty, then throw it either past them (if you have an escape route behind you) or off to the side (if you need to get past them). You have to create your escape. Do not stick around, do not passively give up your identifiable information. Remember, someone is holding you up; what's to keep him from coming to your house once he has your ID? Protect your family first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for &quot;legging it&quot;? Well, you've got to be able to evaluate the situation... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What are the criteria I need to evaluate in order to conclude that I should run away?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;We do not rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level of our training.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br/&gt; – &lt;em&gt;Archilochus&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Greek Soldier, Poet, c. 650 BC.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have not been training for this from day one, you are behind on your training. Stop everything else, and start practicing to escape. Escaping is not just about knowing when to run, but how to run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I took a pursuit driving course with a friend of mine a few years ago that covered both how to chase and how to evade. The instructor made a comment that's stood out to me: &quot;Evading a pursuit is about doing what the other guy is not willing to do.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think about this for a moment: You've got a guy holding you up, for instance. You've already made his job easy by not paying attention to your surroundings. You've screwed up, you've failed. Now what are you willing to do to get home to your family?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ask yourself these questions (now, before you're in this situation):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are you prepared to die for?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are you prepared to kill for?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Early on in my training, I was surrounded in a parking lot by two men as I passed between cars; I know they intended to rob me, and I know that one of them had a knife he had difficulty getting from his pocket. In the split second it took for me to realize that, I had that adrenaline red out, my brain disconnected and I acted purely on my training. I was in my car, driving away as one of the men was on the ground when I realized what was going on. I didn't remember what happened for another hour or more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had walked out of a crowded restaurant still putting away my change, and the two men had been sitting outside on a bench. I know this because I saw them and chose to ignore the feeling I got. I knew they were following me through the parking lot and I chose to ignore the feeling I got. I knew that when I passed between the cars I was making a choice to not show them where my car was, which was probably the best move I could have made after screwing up so bad. Any time that you find yourself in a self-protection scenario, evaluate why you are there in the first place. What choices did you make that got you there?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, now, when you train, think about those types of situations. Train in environments that put you at a disadvantage and evaluate what you'd need to escape from them. Train in parks, parking lots, offices, night clubs... Any place you might find yourself in a fight but in a manner where you can control the situation. Stop everything if you need to, but in the moment, ask yourself:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Where is my exit?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If I disengage, does someone I care about get hurt?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Could I diffuse the situation?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What can I put between myself and my attacker to keep me safe?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How far do I believe this person will go?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ask yourself these questions each time you engage someone so that you can answer them quickly. Then learn to ask yourself these questions before anything happens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Evaluate your enemy: If he's armed, what's the effective range of his weapon? What does his mental state appear to be (calm? insane? drunk? high?)? [&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Edit:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1944/25&quot;&gt;Evaluating Targets When Surrounded&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are you alone or with friends? You need to be responsible for your loved ones as well. Provide an escape. If they're frozen in fear, you're going to have to disable the opponent. This means you're going to have to get comfortable with cheating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can you draw attention to what's happening? Don't yell for help, yell &quot;I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT YOU! PLEASE DON'T HIT ME!&quot; Things like this. Make a big show of it; he'll either back off (in which case, exit out the back) or when people are questioned later, they'll think it was you yelling for their help (especially when you thank them for their help and call them heroes).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, there's one thing you must realize: &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;You are going to die, and nothing you do to try to save yourself is wrong.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; I consider this my application of &lt;em&gt;Hassan-i Sabbah&lt;/em&gt;'s &quot;Nothing is true; Everything is permissible.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-05-02T18:23:51.923" CommentCount="20" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="662" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="649" CreationDate="2012-03-12T18:29:26.353" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;If there's one thing I've learned over the years of training (Ninjutsu as well): It's better to have the equipment and not need it than to need it and not have it. If the instructor suggests them, buy them; he'll make your life hell if he thinks you're not taking his advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any sort of padding will make the training less realistic, but is that necessarily a bad thing? Training inside of a dojo is nothing like real life anyhow. You're having some friendly sparring matches, so using the pads isn't going to make it any more unrealistic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring, especially &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt;, is an essential part of training... It's just not the most realistic way to train. Nothing will prepare you for real life better than having a teacher that will push you to the very edge or even over, but is always ready to grab your hand and lift you back up. I'm talking about the instructors that'll leave you with bruised ribs, mild concussions, and black eyes teaching you how to fight for your life. And even then, it still doesn't compare.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No one wants realistic training. They want to feel like the tough guy for a few hours a week. They don't want to be reminded just how close to dying they are every time they throw down with some idiot in a parking lot. Train to train; it can help you defend yourself, but don't worry about the level of realism; practice when to run away and when to fight and don't worry about how much difference a pair of shinguards makes. If you survive, you're doing good enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-03-12T18:29:26.353" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="663" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="666" CreationDate="2012-03-12T20:31:00.367" Score="4" ViewCount="761" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been practicing judo for about 6 months and I've found that I frequently manage to &quot;jam&quot; the big toe on my right foot during randori. Are there strengthening exercises that I can do for my big toe? Should I tape my toes before randori?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="325" LastActivityDate="2012-03-13T02:13:16.023" Title="Preventing jammed toe during judo randori" Tags="|judo|injury|prevention|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="664" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="644" CreationDate="2012-03-12T22:35:10.273" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should first consider whether you &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; run away. No point in turning you back to the adversary unless you're quite sure he won't get you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Me, with my weight and bad knee, it would take an old mugger in a wheelchair before I'd consider this option :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="173" LastActivityDate="2012-03-12T22:35:10.273" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="665" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="649" CreationDate="2012-03-13T01:17:40.320" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you're conditioning your body, shin guards defeat the purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're sparring, shin guards allow you to walk home afterwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-03-13T01:17:40.320" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="666" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="663" CreationDate="2012-03-13T02:13:16.023" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should practice slide-stepping -- with the ball of the foot, arching the toes up. Slowly, slowly, slowly -- quicker -- quicker -- quicker -- full speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Until the step becomes so natural that you will not hit your toe in the mat anymore.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And now, practice losing your balance and recovering it with that step.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-03-13T02:13:16.023" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="667" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="668" CreationDate="2012-03-13T11:16:56.693" Score="11" ViewCount="1895" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have done a boxing-for-starters class in a nearby club and after that joined the club for the regular training. As I really enjoyed the sport and got into sparring the fun faded because my sparring partners (I had no headgear at the time, they had) always beat me bloody, without hesitation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sure, you get beaten in boxing, I'm aware of that but isn't there supposed to be something like trust in sparring, so that you hold a little back, especially when the opponent has no headgear? Or am I just having a wrong idea of the sport?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="326" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-03-26T17:14:51.280" LastActivityDate="2014-06-24T01:45:14.873" Title="Bad boxing club or wrong idea of the sport?" Tags="|training|sparring|boxing|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="668" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="667" CreationDate="2012-03-13T11:54:24.353" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Tae Kwon Do, we definitely are trying to win, but we aren't going to kill each other over it. When I first started sparring, I got kicked quite often, and thought, &quot;Oh Jesus this hurts&quot; but after a while, I got used to it. Sparring hurts when you first start, but you get used to it. If you find that you keep getting hurt, something is wrong. If you find that your opponent is always attacking you when you are down or always tries to get that last hit in once the ref (if you've got one in boxing) tells you to stop, I'd say that something is wrong. I know for sure that when sparring, I hold back a lot and don't beat someone bloody. That's just over the top.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, sparring does hurt, but beating someone bloody, though accidents do happen, is over the top.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;DISCLAIMER: I've only done kick boxing and Tae Kwon Do, so I don't know how violent boxing is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="268" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2014-06-24T01:45:14.873" LastActivityDate="2014-06-24T01:45:14.873" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="669" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="648" CreationDate="2012-03-13T11:58:48.407" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my personal experience, stretching is very important. In my two hour Tae Kwon Do class, we warm up with 10 minutes of running before static stretching. This takes about 45 min. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This martial art has been around for centuries, time tells, and so, I'd say that stretching is important. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once I didn't do any stretching whatsoever before a test. When I went to sparring, I ended up pulling a muscle in the first 20 seconds, making me lose the spar, be unable to break wood and fail the test. Stretching is important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="268" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-17T15:09:09.833" LastActivityDate="2012-04-17T15:09:09.833" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="670" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="667" CreationDate="2012-03-13T13:10:57.473" Score="18" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sparring should emphatically not end in you being beaten bloody, no matter the sport.  Sparring is a contact activity, and you should expect to take some knocks, but it is also an activity founded on control and trust. There's an important difference between toughening up and learning to take a hit and actually being harmed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is doubly important for sparring without gear--you should &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; be taking hard blows to the head without protection. The brain is extremely delicate, and pugilistic dementia has a name for a reason. If the guys you're sparring against have headgear on, clearly the club you're practicing at acknowledges the need for safety and these guys are either oblivious to how hard they're hitting or are taking a careless attitude toward the sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd suggest trying to talk to them about the lack of control in their sparring matches and if they fail to take your concerns seriously, you should find yourself another club.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="45" LastActivityDate="2012-03-13T13:10:57.473" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="671" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="667" CreationDate="2012-03-13T19:45:23.687" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;If the students are going too hard on the beginners, the instructor either don't care or has lost control of the class. It's his or her responsibility to make sure everybody is safe. Most good schools ease their beginners into sparring. They start of with some light sparring, and then progress from there. Even pro fighters spar easy a lot of the time, as it's not worth the constant risk of injury or head trauma.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, this is a contact sport — bruises and a couple of cuts should be expected. Some times accidents happen, and you get injuries, such as broken nose or rib. However, if you are beaten to a pulp on a regular basis, this is most certainly a problem. You say nothing about the severity of the injuries, but still.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for head gear, it's not a bad idea, but don't put too much faith into it. Depending on the style, it will protect you from some cuts, but you will still receive the blow. Keep that in mind, and keep your hands up. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT:&#xA;Another important detail, is that there's no shame in telling your sparring partner to go lighter. If he or she can't submit to those terms (due to tournament preparations or other), he or she should find a more suitable partner. Even when sparring hard against an equal opponent, you should break in case of injury. This is common sense, as there is no reason to make the injury even worse. The fight can continue if the injured fighter feels okay, but keep in mind it's also important to treat injuries. Thanks to @Russell for pointing this out in the comments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="30" LastEditorUserId="30" LastEditDate="2012-03-17T12:21:47.013" LastActivityDate="2012-03-17T12:21:47.013" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="672" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="673" CreationDate="2012-03-13T22:13:46.153" Score="11" ViewCount="417" Body="&lt;p&gt;I find it extremely difficult to memorise all terms - there is no connection to me with them. Is there a good German or English translation for all terms used in Aikido?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="328" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-02-29T10:15:46.057" LastActivityDate="2016-02-29T10:15:46.057" Title="Is there a good translation for all the terms used in Aikido?" Tags="|aikido|terminology|japanese|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="673" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="672" CreationDate="2012-03-14T02:47:18.173" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Have fun with this list: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ne.jp/asahi/dji/home/aikilex/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.ne.jp/asahi/dji/home/aikilex/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;This is a tool for people who want to gain greater insight into the&#xA;  vocabulary of the art of aikido. Its purpose is not to offer&#xA;  authoritative definitions of the many terms we use in the dojo, but&#xA;  rather simply to list, in Japanese and romanized script, the words and&#xA;  word fragments which are the building blocks of that terminology. It&#xA;  has been, of course, necessary for me to include some indication of&#xA;  the meanings, and I've tried to give the most accurate and appropriate&#xA;  translations possible. It is my hope that this lexicon will help my&#xA;  fellow martial artists not only to grasp the deeper nuances in these&#xA;  terms and find semantic connections which have been obscured through&#xA;  the use of the roman alphabet, but in general to appreciate the&#xA;  linguistic heritage of their art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-07-20T21:47:38.733" LastActivityDate="2012-07-20T21:47:38.733" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="674" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="672" CreationDate="2012-03-14T07:21:37.663" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;The names will depend on your style.  For example, oshi taoshi is called both ikkyo and ikajo but refers to the same technique.  You should try to get hold of your syllabus in romaji (the Roman alphabet transcript) as this will telly you the minimum you have to learn.  The rest is just flavour. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;The aiki web&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikidofaq.com/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;the Aikido FAQ&lt;/a&gt; both have a glossary of common terms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-03-14T16:09:36.727" LastActivityDate="2012-03-14T16:09:36.727" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="675" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="626" CreationDate="2012-03-14T18:27:40.920" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience as both a student and an instructor, I've found that there are advantages and disadvantages to both parties from all forms:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Per lesson&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;– &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Instructor:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Advantages&lt;/strong&gt;: Able to demand higher rates for the convenience. More flexibility in asking students not to return. Students pay or are not taught.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disadvantages&lt;/strong&gt;: Students feel more free to come and go, meaning less reliable income. Higher rate of attrition in the long term since students don't commit.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;– &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Students:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Advantages&lt;/strong&gt;: More flexibility in their scheduling. Not held to a contract, so they can leave at any time.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disadvantages&lt;/strong&gt;: Higher cost per lesson.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Per month&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;– &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Instructor:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Advantages&lt;/strong&gt;: More reliable income. Lower attrition rate (students commit to at least the month). Better overall quality of students. Able to teach at a higher level because of larger class sizes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disadvantages&lt;/strong&gt;: Students can still come and go with only the loss of the rest of a month.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;– &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Students:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Advantages&lt;/strong&gt;: Per lesson cost reduced (more you attend that month, the lower the per-lesson cost). Greater flexibility than contracts. Better lesson quality. Reliable training partners.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disadvantages&lt;/strong&gt;: Must commit more money up front.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Contracts&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;– &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Instructor:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Advantages&lt;/strong&gt;: Commitment of payment for a whole year or longer with legal recourse. Strangely, lower attrition rates.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disadvantages&lt;/strong&gt;: General mutual distrust between the school and its students. Fewer students join out of distrust for contracts.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;– &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Students:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Advantages&lt;/strong&gt;: Possibility of higher training quality (since many of the students commit, they tend to work harder. If the instruction is good, the training quality goes up because those that commit do so for longer meaning higher level students). Reliable training partners.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disadvantages&lt;/strong&gt;: Stuck with the contract. Contract break fees. Higher probability of McDojo.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are exceptions to the rule in every scenario, and many that offer monthly rates also offer per-class rates which combines the two advantages and disadvantages somewhere in the middle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While easier to leave does usually mean easier to not come back, contractual billing can lead to extremely bad press for a dojo and is usually not a good sign. Many of the contract billing services for martial arts schools have horrible reputations and lead to more threats from lawyers than happy students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember, every choice has a consequence; choosing a specific type of payment plan can have both good and bad repercussions. If at all possible, schools should offer all three at staggered rates – this way, you can maximize your benefit, put the consequence of the choice upon the shoulders of the client, and you'll have an easier time managing threats and have a better chance of winning any small claims you choose to pursue. A great example of this is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assume a monthly rate in line with your environment (other teachers in your art locally). If the market is at $100 a month, make this or slightly higher your monthly rate. Now, figure a two month termination fee ($200, equivalent to charging for first and last month). Divide this by 12 to get $16.66. Subtract this from $100 and round back up to the nearest $5, which gives you $85. This is your contract rate. This way, you're offering a non-trivial (15% discount), but making clear up front that there is a termination fee, and if they plan to leave, it might be better to pay month-to-month. For your per-lesson rate, figure out how many lessons your students will be attending each week for an average (4 week) month. My students, for instance, attend 2 classes a week, so about $12.50 a lesson (in this case). Of course, we have a convenience factor to this, so we raise this rate a non-trivial amount (I would round up to the nearest $10, so each lesson would be $20). By doing this, you're creating a fair and scaled pricing schedule, and offering them an advantage to committing longer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-03-14T18:27:40.920" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="676" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="677" CreationDate="2012-03-16T14:45:25.113" Score="10" ViewCount="4286" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was wondering what are the key differences between kenjutsu and kendo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that kendo is considered as an art of fighting where as the kenjutsu is the art of killing, or am I wrong here?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="333" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-01T10:12:52.743" LastActivityDate="2019-08-01T10:12:52.743" Title="What are the key differences between kendo and kenjutsu?" Tags="|sword|style|kendo|kenjutsu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="677" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="676" CreationDate="2012-03-16T16:04:53.583" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt; is the skill of using the sword, divided into various styles by &lt;em&gt;ryuha&lt;/em&gt; (roughly, &quot;schools&quot;). This can include skills such as drawing (&lt;em&gt;iai&lt;/em&gt;) or engaging (&lt;em&gt;battou&lt;/em&gt;), as well the disarming of an armed opponent (&lt;em&gt;shinken shirahadome&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;muto dori&lt;/em&gt;). Generally (though certainly not in all cases), &lt;em&gt;kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt; is one component of a greater curriculum within a &lt;em&gt;ryuha&lt;/em&gt; and is taught as a means to kill an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kendo&lt;/em&gt; is a martial art with sport-like elements of competition. It originated in the 18th c. with the development of &lt;em&gt;shinai&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;bogu&lt;/em&gt; as training tools for students of &lt;em&gt;kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt;, and was changed heavily by the banning of militaristic activities following WWII when, in 1950, it was reintroduced into public life as &quot;Shinai Competition&quot; (&lt;em&gt;shinai kyougi&lt;/em&gt;), then in 1952 was again renamed to &lt;em&gt;kendo&lt;/em&gt; under the governance of the &quot;All Japan Kendo Federation&quot; (&lt;em&gt;Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei&lt;/em&gt; or ZNKR). Modern &lt;em&gt;kendo&lt;/em&gt; is much heavier in competition, whereas the origins of the art were a means of practicing the skills of &lt;em&gt;kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt; in a safe manner (using &lt;em&gt;shinai&lt;/em&gt; [bamboo sword] and &lt;em&gt;bogu&lt;/em&gt; [armor]).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kendo&lt;/em&gt; has much stronger philosophical ties to Buddhism than &lt;em&gt;kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt; on its own. While specific &lt;em&gt;ryuha&lt;/em&gt; teaching &lt;em&gt;kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt; may have religious or philosophical views, concepts of &lt;em&gt;mushin&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;fudoshin&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;zanshin&lt;/em&gt; (all related to the doctrine of &lt;em&gt;Fudo Myo-o&lt;/em&gt;) are essential to the practice of &lt;em&gt;Kendo&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-03-16T16:04:53.583" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="679" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="539" CreationDate="2012-03-16T17:29:01.903" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Shaolin Kung Fu, that is actually a combination of a few different moves. Forms will typically encode movements in combinations like this, for multiple reasons. One, it makes it easier to remember large amounts of moves, as forms were typically used to preserve techniques where handwritten manuals weren't sufficient. Also, when fighting in real life, you never will be using a single technique in isolation and will often have to combine techniques fluidly. This translates into the fluid movements and transitions in forms, and the seemingly superfluous arm and legs movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll break down the different parts of the stance, according to my own training in Northern Shaolin Kung Fu Wu Su. Different styles may have some differences in detail, but probably will have similar constructions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The diagram is demonstrating someone in a &lt;strong&gt;reverse bow and arrow leg stance&lt;/strong&gt;. A typical bow and arrow leg stance is used for stability in the front-back direction. It will have both feet positioned at an angle, with the front leg bent and the back leg out straight. The front knee is turned in and the toes on both feet are pointing in the direction of the knees, parallel to each other. Weight will be distributed 70% on the front (bent) leg and 30% on the rear (straight) leg. The practitioner will be facing forward. The &lt;em&gt;reversed&lt;/em&gt; variant of this stance will have the weight distributed the other way: the rear leg is bent with 70% of the weight and the front leg is out straight with 30% of the weight. Often, the reverse version of the stance is used in transition while stepping or preparation for a technique (such as a sweep or a kick).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The right arm is executing a &lt;strong&gt;low circular block&lt;/strong&gt;. These are typically used to deflect low punches or kicks, or other incoming attacks. It is likely that the person in this diagram either is mid-turn, defending against an attacker striking from behind, based on the body position.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The left arm is executing an &lt;strong&gt;upper block&lt;/strong&gt;. These blocks will typically be used to defend against high incoming attacks striking in a downward motion. They can also be used to deflect attacks to the face or break out of shoulder or lapel grabs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The positioning of the person in this diagram makes me think that this is the likely situation that it is illustrating:&#xA;The practitioner is engaged against a person in front of them, and is in a bow and arrow leg stance at the time (he could have transitioned to it from executing a strike, or other technique, or it could be his &quot;ready&quot; stance). The attacker executes an upper attack or grapple and is deflected via the upper block. At the same time, another attacker advances from behind and attempts to attack the practitioner with a mid-range kick to the kidney or floating ribs. He turns and deflects this incoming attack while still maintaining control of the first attacker's arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course there are other situations where this position may end up occurring. However, this is what immediately occurred to me when looking at the diagram.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="334" LastEditorUserId="334" LastEditDate="2012-03-16T18:28:05.140" LastActivityDate="2012-03-16T18:28:05.140" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="680" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="553" CreationDate="2012-03-16T17:54:17.130" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Maintain 3 points of contact, i.e. head control, arm control and foot on the hip opposite of the leg that is up. Take your foot that is not on the hip and make sure your knee is touching their leg near the thigh, hook their ankle with your foot, pull them toward you to off balance them and kick their leg out (just like they are taking a stride while running, natural body movement). If they reset to combat base do it again and use it as a setup for other things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="335" LastActivityDate="2012-03-16T17:54:17.130" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="681" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="682" CreationDate="2012-03-17T17:09:32.190" Score="11" ViewCount="1750" Body="&lt;p&gt;How can one find out if a martial art school is legitimate/registered?  I took a style back in the 90's called &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oom_Yung_Doe#Lineage_and_history_of_Oom_Yung_Doe&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chung Moo Quan&lt;/a&gt;.  The school eventually closed because of some investigations into it being a cult and the master, John C. Kim, &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oom_Yung_Doe#1995:_Conviction_for_tax_conspiracy&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;went to jail for tax fraud for 5 years&lt;/a&gt;, I think.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So basically, did I waste my time on a martial art that was just a school that took peoples' money and wasn't even legal?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="263" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-04-24T12:48:37.957" LastActivityDate="2019-04-24T12:48:37.957" Title="What qualifies a school or business as a legitimate martial arts system?" Tags="|history|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="682" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="681" CreationDate="2012-03-17T19:23:52.837" Score="21" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a few different phenomena that are easy to conflate here and which may or may not impact the perception of &quot;legitimacy.&quot;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Lineage and Certification&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One are claims of lineage.  A lot of martial arts, especially eastern ones, have a variety of extraordinary claims about their lineage that are a) largely irrelevant and b) pretty grandiose.  Frequently conflated with cultural meaning and conflicts that people in the United States are usually only vaguely aware of (e.g., it used to be said that the founder of Hapkido  &quot;lived in the mountains&quot; and came down after World War II, partly to avoid saying that he had actually been in Japan).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Related to that is the matter of registration and certification.  Sometimes the registering organization can give you an indication, but I've known some very good instructors who have no (advertised) official affiliations along these lines, or who have certifications that it is very difficult to confirm (e.g., it requires being able to speak Korean to actually confirm what they are saying).  The latter is a solvable problem to some extent, but not a trivial one. On the other hand, I've known some very &lt;em&gt;bad&lt;/em&gt; instructors who have a long list of things posted on their wall. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example: You'd find no certifying organization for my rapier school beyond that they met a certain minimum of safety standards, but they were still quite excellent and dedicated to the art, and had some great students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a movie reference, compare the characters of Mr. Han and Master Li in the 2010 edition of the Karate (Kung Fu) Kid (or John Kreese and Mr. Miyagi in the original). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Extraordinary Claims&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another item you'll come across is that many martial arts schools have a tendency to try and talk themselves up relative to their competitors.   Practitioners will frequently make claims that just aren't true, or the differences may be true but it is debatable whether the form is superior–or even significantly different–on the basis of those claims. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How much this matters to you is, well, up to you and it also depends on what you are looking for as well as what you personally believe. In many cases in the United States, at least, these are now toned down or not made with the same force that they used to be, but you'll still find remnants of these claims drifting around.  You'll also still find plenty of talk about concepts that are not well demonstrated by evidence-based scientific process.  This, again, mostly depends on you to the extent that you will want to worry about it.  Some very good martial arts instructors still have some claims built-in to their arts in these regards and it doesn't really detract significantly.  In other cases it can be a significant hinderance to learning what works or doesn't from a martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a general rule, many martial arts are &quot;effective.&quot; The question is &quot;at what,&quot; and that depends on your goals more than anything. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;How To Tell&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I'd argue that the earlier two categories are frequently conflated with legitimacy, I'd also argue that by themselves it doesn't tell you much one way or the other.  These martial arts are going to be–by and large–legal, regardless of whether they are effective.  Kim's schools were eventually broken for things relating to false advertising and tax fraud, but it would have been very difficult to ascertain the extent to which the books were cooked just by being in the classroom. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, go talk to the students and the instructor.  Watch them work.  Don't just listen to their marketing material, but actually have a conversation with them. Look at the conversation in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/466/11&quot;&gt;What Martial Art Should I Start With?&lt;/a&gt; as a baseline here.  See what you have fun with.  See if you can find statements about them online (a lack of statements is not necessarily a danger symbol: some of the best instructors I've seen have very little presence, but if people are making lots of negative statements you should at least listen).  See if they are the sorts of people you want to hang around with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some things to look out for:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Long running contracts that don't have clean ways out or other options.  If they are trying to get you to sign a year long commitment right through the door, be very cautious.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Not receiving copies of anything you sign. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Special &quot;promotion deals&quot; to put you on a special &quot;black belt track.&quot;  1st dan (black belt) is an arbitrary designation: One school may not have you get there for years, others may get you there within a year, but the rank isn't as important as the student and the school.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lots of belt promotions that all cost significant amounts of money, especially if they are shady about them up front (with many organizations your dan ranks are going to be expensive, but they are also generally years apart, your lower rank tests shouldn't be hugely expensive). &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Claims about the instructor who is teaching you that defy reason.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Instructors who have stopped practicing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Instructors who are abusive.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Students who treat their particular school of Vastly Superior™ to everything else ever or who seem to deify the instructor.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Students who are cruel. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the end, the most important questions are: &quot;Can I learn here?&quot; and &quot;Is this what I want to be doing?&quot;  Even an art that is not run very well may still be effective for you, while one that is run extremely well you may just not click with for one reason or another. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-03-17T19:23:52.837" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="683" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="681" CreationDate="2012-03-18T02:30:03.507" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;David has an excellent answer. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would just like to add that it is important to remember that styles evolve over time - this is a natural phenomena that has been going on for centuries. It is a result of students getting to a sufficient level where they start their own school, they then have their own style of teaching and will tend to emphasize the parts of the style that they prefer or have found to work for them, and they also tend to mix in teachings from other arts they may have done. &lt;em&gt;There is nothing wrong with this and it doesn't mean the style or instructor should be avoided&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could stick to a school that has a proven lineage back to a governing body, but that by itself doesn't make it a good choice. It means you will get taught in a franchise or cookie-cutter fashion, your progression and learning can be predicted well ahead of time, and if that is what you are happy with then more power to you. The instructor's capabilities are more important than the school's lineage or (stylistic) political affiliations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;None of us like it if we pay money for something and don't receive good value on that money. Your previous instructor going to jail for tax evasion doesn't make the style illegal, it simply means he didn't run it as a business in a way that complied with goverment regulations. It doesn't necessarily mean what he taught you was a waste of time - you should have something that you can take away with you and apply in the next style you learn. One thing you can certainly take away with you is knowing the warning signs of a school that is being run in an unmaintainable way so you won't get burnt again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-03-18T02:30:03.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="684" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="689" CreationDate="2012-03-19T07:36:33.877" Score="7" ViewCount="1163" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/25/stslavik&quot;&gt;stslavik&lt;/a&gt; in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/677/82&quot;&gt;an answer related to Kenjutsu&lt;/a&gt; mentions the concepts of &lt;em&gt;mushin&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;fudoshin&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;zanshin&lt;/em&gt; as part of Fudo Myo-o.  While I am somewhat familiar with all three, I am seeking a more in depth explanation as to how they relate to &lt;em&gt;kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;aikido&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-03-20T16:10:20.627" Title="What is Fudo Myo-o (concepts of mushin, fudoshin, and zanshin)?" Tags="|aikido|kenjutsu|philosophy|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="685" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="688" CreationDate="2012-03-19T08:48:54.477" Score="4" ViewCount="3401" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to pick up my kendo but I'm afraid I'm a bit out of shape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone know a good training scheme to get into shape and be ready by September (5 - 6 months)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="333" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-03-19T16:44:38.257" LastActivityDate="2022-05-09T11:40:53.763" Title="What is a good training scheme for kendo?" Tags="|training|kendo|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="686" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="676" CreationDate="2012-03-19T11:00:55.047" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your question may be answered more generically as thus:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What is the difference between -do and -jutsu?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; (with the exception of judo and jujutsu)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;-Jutsu&lt;/em&gt;, grossly, means 'technique'. It means something applicable, practical, extremely concerned with getting results.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;-Do&lt;/em&gt;, grossly, means 'path'. It has much stronger ties to a lot of other aspects of life, including but not limited to social and spiritual.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a summary, you may find interesting to note that budo and bujutsu, on wikipedia, refer to the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud%C5%8D&quot;&gt;same article&lt;/a&gt; - Budo. Here is the key point from this article, related to the difference:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Budo and bujutsu have quite a delicate difference; whereas bujutsu only gives attention to the physical part of fighting (how to best defeat an enemy), budo also gives attention to the mind and how one should develop oneself.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any further talk would just be expanding on this sentence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-03-19T11:00:55.047" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="688" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="685" CreationDate="2012-03-19T12:13:15.713" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Without knowing what your goals are for getting into shape, or how you intend to get back into kendo, all I can do is comment on how I approached getting back into karate.  I had a lengthy layoff from karate (about 2 years) due to issues with psoriasis on the soles of my feet.  What I didn't know at the time is that the intensity of the psoriasis was related to my body weight.  Long story short, I got to my &quot;sick of being like this&quot; state and lost a lot of weight.  The psoriasis cleared up, but I lost a lot of strength in the process.  So I attacked getting back into karate in a couple phases:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;General strength and conditioning&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Relearning the techniques I knew&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;General Strength and Conditioning&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To redeem my strength, I started a simple &lt;a href=&quot;http://ironstrong.org/index.php?/topic/65-intro-to-strength-training/&quot;&gt;barbell training program&lt;/a&gt;.  Now, that only addresses one aspect of what I lost.  But I did find going up in weights on a regular schedule quite addicting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next up was conditioning.  The problem of being able to keep my breath during the rigors of martial arts training is no small task.  Barbells don't normally do that (there is a way, but off topic for this reply).  I employed a couple of approaches:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sprints: forwards, backwards, side to side&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jump rope: two legs, one leg, alternating legs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Katas: one right after the other (but that required the next section)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key to conditioning for martial arts is to make the effort you spend similar to what you need for both classes and taikai.  You have periods of rest and activity.  If a round in a match is always 2 minutes, and you have no more than three rounds (TKD tourneys are like that), then you need to at least be able to do that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Relearning Techniques&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the most part, my knowledge was largely in-tact.  However, the different combinations and katas were quite rusty.  I did find resources to help jog my memory of the sequence of my katas.  Some of the katas were very simple, and I remembered without help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I didn't wait too long before asking my sensei if I could rejoin class.  We worked on getting back to a certain level of knowledge, and are still working on it.  There is a lot to cover.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where I am now&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm back.  I'm in better shape than I ever have been, even though I'm not a young guy anymore.  I've figured out how to make the general strength and conditioning support my martial arts training, partly through trial and error, and partly through learning from others.  There's still some gaps in my knowledge because I haven't used it for so long, but those gaps are being filled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-03-19T12:13:15.713" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="689" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="684" CreationDate="2012-03-19T16:37:44.863" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;You're asking a lot of interconnecting but separate questions. Depending upon the view and the school, you will generally get different answers, but in &lt;em&gt;Mikkyo&lt;/em&gt; (Esoteric Buddhism), these concepts (&lt;em&gt;Fudōshin&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Mushin&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;Zanshin&lt;/em&gt;) are all derived from the teachings of &lt;em&gt;Fudō Myō-ō&lt;/em&gt;. There is an order to these things, as I was taught it, so I will answer in that [relatively descending] order, attempting to keep it as simple as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Who Is&lt;/em&gt; Fudō Myō-ō?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Fudō Myō-ō&lt;/em&gt; is the Japanese name of &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acala&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Acala, one of the Five Wisdom Kings of the Womb Realm&lt;/a&gt;. His name in Japanese roughly translates to &quot;Immovable Wisdom King&quot;, is the patron of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamabushi&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Yamabushi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, and, according to &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shingon&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Shingon&lt;/em&gt; Buddhism&lt;/a&gt;, is not technically a Buddha. &lt;em&gt;Fudō Myō-ō&lt;/em&gt; is the destroyer of delusion and a principal protector of Buddhism, and is the &quot;Immovable Wisdom King&quot; for his mind being forever unmoved. He carries a sword in his right hand, to cut away delusions and ignorance, and a rope in his left hand to bind violent and uncontrolled passions or &quot;evil forces&quot;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What is&lt;/em&gt; Fudōshin?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Fudōshin&lt;/em&gt; is the immovable mind; calm, serene, perfectly stable, and unchanged. It is a state of equanimity, and imperturbability and acceptance of the present moment. It can be viewed that both &lt;em&gt;Mushin&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Zanshin&lt;/em&gt; are aspects of &lt;em&gt;Fudōshin&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What is&lt;/em&gt; Mushin?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mushin&lt;/em&gt; is the state of no mind, or the mind unfettered by ancillary or superfluous thoughts. It is the mind in the moment, clear and unobstructed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What is&lt;/em&gt; Zanshin?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Zanshin&lt;/em&gt; is the state of the remaining mind; the mind maintained in the moment, relaxed but alert. While many martial arts attempt to &quot;grade&quot; &lt;em&gt;zanshin&lt;/em&gt; by looking for the continued ready stance, this is not indicative of the minds awareness. Instead, the mind in &lt;em&gt;zanshin&lt;/em&gt; has overcome an impediment and is ready for another, while still remaining in the present moment. This is sometimes called &quot;relaxed awareness&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What is the Mind?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've purposely left this for last in the discussion of &lt;em&gt;Fudō Myō-ō&lt;/em&gt;: the mind referred to above is not the mind (in a philosophical, &lt;em&gt;cogito ergo sum&lt;/em&gt; sense) necessarily as we think of it, but rather the Buddha Nature – the capacity for sentient beings to become Buddhas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The relationship to&lt;/em&gt; Kenjutsu &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; Aikido&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is incorrect to say that these concepts relate to &lt;em&gt;kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;em&gt;Kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt; is a broad category, comprised of various different arts (For example, &lt;em&gt;Kukishin-ryu kenpo&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Niten-Ichi-ryu Nito Seiho&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;Yagyu Shinkage-ryu Kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt; are all individual styles of &lt;em&gt;kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt; with different philosophies). Schools of &lt;em&gt;kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt; with ties to Buddhism may teach some or all of the aforementioned virtues, each with different takes on the importance. Further, it is not necessary that it be a sword art for them to be viable (&lt;em&gt;Fudōshin&lt;/em&gt;, for example, is taught as an important aspect of the &lt;em&gt;taijutsu&lt;/em&gt; of &lt;em&gt;Shinden Fudō-ryu&lt;/em&gt;). &lt;em&gt;Fudō Myō-ō&lt;/em&gt; is commonly revered, however, in Japanese martial arts for the stillness of his mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt;, being derived from training in &lt;em&gt;Daitō-ryu Aikijujutsu&lt;/em&gt; which in turn likely developed a great deal of its &lt;em&gt;taijutsu&lt;/em&gt; (&quot;body skills&quot;, which includes positioning [&lt;em&gt;taisabaki&lt;/em&gt;]) from the &lt;em&gt;taijutsu&lt;/em&gt; of &lt;em&gt;Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū Kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Ono-ha Ittō-ryu Kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt;, likely took a great deal of the Buddhist teachings popular among Samurai of its ancestor schools. When I studied &lt;em&gt;aikido&lt;/em&gt; in an &lt;em&gt;aikikai&lt;/em&gt; school, I never heard more than &lt;em&gt;mushin&lt;/em&gt; ever talked about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;References&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0877734437&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Shingon: Japanese Esoteric Buddhism&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; - &lt;em&gt;Yamasaki Taiko&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0914910108&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Shingon Buddhism: Theory and Practice&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; - &lt;em&gt;Kiyota Minoru&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-03-20T16:10:20.627" LastActivityDate="2012-03-20T16:10:20.627" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="690" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="649" CreationDate="2012-03-21T14:43:00.120" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Short answer - catch your shin on your opponent's knee or elbow in a roundhouse kick without shin guards and see how you feel. ;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or, to look at it another way - Do targets defeat the purpose in training? Does a face mask or mouth guard defeat the purpose of training? Does practising with dull/not metal throwing stars or a wooden blade defeat the purpose?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are all tools designed to keep you safe while learning the techniques, and they have their place. As stslavik mentioned, randori is essential, but it's still not the same as getting in a real street fight, making it, by nature &quot;not realistic.&quot; Randori is a lot more controlled, and your opponent has training, and you're both sober. In a street fight, your opponent is most likely not trained, may be drunk, may have backup, and the situation as a whole is a lot less controlled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I tend to liken Ninjutsu with chess - when it comes down to it, the moves themselves don't matter much. What matters is that you're thinking two or three (or four) moves ahead of your opponent. Knowing the moves gives you the ability to determine what to do in a given situation, and power to plan them ahead of time, but when it's all said and done, what matters is what worked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As David said, if you want to toughen your shins up, do conditioning exercises that will do it gradually and safely. You'll do more harm than good to yourself in the long run if you're constantly out for weeks at a time for bone fractures.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="341" LastActivityDate="2012-03-21T14:43:00.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="691" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="692" CreationDate="2012-03-21T16:20:31.070" Score="6" ViewCount="360" Body="&lt;p&gt;A lot of non-sport-related martial arts, in my experience, seem to limit ground technique to getting back to the feet in an effective and quick manner. While I don't disagree that being on your feet is preferable to being on the ground, it seems that you may still need some means of disengaging from your opponent when you're on the ground before you can stand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As such, can the standing techniques and forms being taught regularly in the class be applied when you're on your back on the ground?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2016-04-08T11:54:19.240" Title="Can Forms (Kata/Poomsae/etc.) or Techniques (Waza) be practiced on the ground?" Tags="|technique|forms|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="692" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="691" CreationDate="2012-03-21T16:59:31.740" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes and no.  The techniques you use while standing have to be modified to work from the ground.  If the art you are studying does not have a ground combat set of techniques, you need to get back to a stance where your art works.  You have a different set of vulnerabilities and tactical advantages than you may be used to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some things don't change:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Power comes from the hips&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Block and counter is still important&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The attacker may have a friend ready to pounce on you&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some things do change:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Center of gravity&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Available techniques&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Available targets&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The remainder of this is written with the perspective that you don't want to remain on the ground.  I realize that one of the key aspects of BJJ is the ability to fight from the ground, in practice it's really only safe when you are in a ring and there's no other opponent to worry about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Attacker standing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have four weapons available to you because you are on your back.  However, your best bet is to keep your legs between your body and the attacker.  The legs can be used to block strikes, as the attacker has to either kick or lean over to make contact.  You can also use the legs to perform a modified sweep: one foot striking the knee, and the other sweeping the foot.  That will allow you to get back up, or pounce on the downed attacker.  NOTE: get back to a position you are used to fighting from.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Available targets: knee, groin, ankle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Available attacks: kicks, blocks, sweeps&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Attacker mounting you&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is where it pays to learn a bit of Jujitsu.  You have to be prepared for the hand strikes to the face, and your forearm blocks will be effective for that.  However, from this point, you will likely have to use a throw taking advantage of your lower center of gravity to get the attacker off of you.  It's outside the scope of what I can write here, and you will have to work with your sensei to come up the proper counters.  Knee strikes are still useful in this situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Available targets: anything upper body (groin is usually too well protected in this position)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Available techniques: blocks, grappling, finger strikes to eyes and throat, punches&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bottom line:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may not be able to get up until you've knocked your opponent down.  I've always been taught to be aware of the guy you don't see.  If you can knock the opponent down as soon as possible, and get back on your feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-03-21T16:59:31.740" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="693" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="695" CreationDate="2012-03-22T00:24:45.260" Score="3" ViewCount="1882" Body="&lt;p&gt;Periodically, we all experience a hamstring issue, such as a pulled, ripped or torn hamstring. In relation to my current issue (a pulled hamstring in the left leg), I would like to continue practicing my martial art (Taekwondo) while still trying to heal the damage, but this often proves to be easier said than done. What are the recommended approaches for dealing with an injured hamstring while still continuing to practice a martial art?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-03-28T15:06:09.123" LastActivityDate="2014-05-14T00:44:37.333" Title="What's the recommended way to deal with an injured hamstring while still practicing?" Tags="|training|injury|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="694" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="701" CreationDate="2012-03-22T00:35:16.243" Score="7" ViewCount="6413" Body="&lt;p&gt;At my Taekwondo school, we practice the traditional hyungs as created by General Choi. After reviewing several materials for WTF practitioners and reading books on the history of Taekwondo, I'm left wondering what are the primary differences between the ITF-style hyungs and the WTF poomsae are. Specifically, is one more kick intensive? Stance intensive? What are the key characteristics that differentiate the two styles of pattern (if any!)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastActivityDate="2019-08-27T08:13:44.843" Title="What are the primary differences between poomsae and hyungs?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|forms|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="695" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="693" CreationDate="2012-03-22T00:38:00.557" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don't.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stop practicing and let it heal. What you should do is rehab work. Stretches, slow (VERY SLOW) movements exercising the range of motion of various muscle groups.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[Edit - I know a girl who injured something in her hip, I don't know what, and she won't let it heal. She reinjures herself constantly.]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-03-22T01:48:23.993" LastActivityDate="2012-03-22T01:48:23.993" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="696" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="691" CreationDate="2012-03-22T03:25:55.167" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Berin Loritsch has a good answer, but I wanted to add something here as well, as one who primarily has trained in standup martial arts, but also had spent some time training Brazilian Jiu-Jutsu in an MMA gym as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are on the ground and primarily train an art that emphasizes standing techniques, and are engaged against someone whose art has them primarily train while fighting on the ground, they will by default have an advantage due to their specialty. While you can, and it should encouraged, to train your techniques so that you may use them in as many situations as possible, which may include on your back on the ground, your element is fighting while standing. Try to keep the fight standing as much as possible. There, if your opponent is not as trained in standing fighting as you, you will have an advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also is good to mention that while an art may emphasize standing techniques, often they may incorporate or include some ground techniques as well. This may not be as common, depending on the origin of your art or its purpose (for instance, Judo has a very strong tradition of ground techniques, but Savate probably won't). If your style includes some ground techniques, you already have an baseline from where you may expand or experiment (of course, with a partner who knows what he's doing, and &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; in isolation). Cross-training in different styles also can be encouraged, if you are experienced enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From my experience, my kung fu training was primarily stand up. However, we had a few techniques that had us on the ground, as well as a &quot;laying stance&quot;, in which we were on the ground on our back. The techniques that I was exposed to was limited, but there was a small variety. They mainly were concerned with being able to get back up quickly to fight. When I trained for several months in Brazilian Jiu-Jutsu, I found, to my delight, that the ground techniques I learned in kung fu translated very well to BJJ ground use. For example, the &quot;laying stance&quot; that I trained was very close, with some slight modification, to open guard. While my kung fu training only had limited help with situations focused on fighting on the ground, it allowed a very easy transition into the techniques that Brazilian Jiu-Jutsu trains you for ground fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, each style has its own emphasis and specialty. No one style is the end-all and be-all of all aspects of fighting. You can adapt some techniques for use on the ground, but ultimately, they are not always going to be sufficient when up against someone trained in ground fighting. Of course, if you want to try and train these techniques specifically against ground opponents, it is best to, at some point, train them in sparring against someone who is skilled in ground fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="334" LastActivityDate="2012-03-22T03:25:55.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="697" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-03-22T03:47:21.853" Score="9" ViewCount="2245" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm currently a yellow belt but I'm sparring with brown, red and black belts. Of course I'm not as good as they are so during sparring I get emotional and frustrated very quickly... I know it's silly and I try to compose myself but I was wondering if there is an excersise Or some kind of meditation I can try out? or do I just have to be patience to get to the &quot;Mushin&quot; stage? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="342" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-04-02T14:43:29.247" LastActivityDate="2018-12-13T16:02:32.670" Title="Controlling my emotions during sparring" Tags="|sparring|mentality|" AnswerCount="11" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="698" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="697" CreationDate="2012-03-22T05:27:26.543" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Meditation is not going to help you in an immediate way with that problem. Your question is closely related to the previous question &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/506/harnessing-emotion-during-sparring&quot;&gt;Harnessing emotion during sparring&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What may help immediately is a boost to your self confidence. When sparring against higher grades it can be difficult to measure your progress over time, especially if they are also progressing. They are also trying to not be beaten by you - as higher ranks they should be faster, more co-ordinated, know more moves and be able to hit more openings than you can. So instead why don't you try sparring with someone of equal or lower rank? You don't want to beat the snot out of them, it is simply so you can measure your progress. Once you have got an accurate idea of where you are at you can take that knowledge and work on it, use it to improve yourself. This understanding may also give you a new and improved attitude when sparring higher ranks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Of course I'm not as good as they are  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Turn that statement around and look at it this way: you get better by sparring them. So becoming frustrated or emotional is pointless, the sooner you recognise that then the sooner you can let it go.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;or do I just have to be patience to get to the &quot;Mushin&quot; stage?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It can take years to get to that stage. Patience is important (not having it may get you hurt), but that alone will not get you to the stage where you experience mushin. Part of achieving mushin is recognising incoming attacks and having the proficiency to deal with them&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;, and this is built up by sparring thousands of times against people better than yourself, which takes.... patience.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary: people react in many different ways when attacked or in a stressful situation. This is one reason why we train so much - it helps overcome those natural responses. While there are various little techniques or practices you can apply to the problem there is no quick fix for it. Training and patience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;This recognition and reaction is something that happens subconciously, so it isn't something you can force yourself to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-03-22T23:35:07.093" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="699" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="697" CreationDate="2012-03-22T11:29:02.533" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't play their game. If they're not thinking of the sparring with you as an exercise, they're not learning anything, and neither are you. Talk to your instructor about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-03-22T11:29:02.533" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="700" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="644" CreationDate="2012-03-22T11:37:29.620" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;On my krav-maga lessons teacher used to say that if escape is possible it is always best solution. Also giving money or anything else is safer than fighting. When being threaten you never know what happens next. Maybe he has knife that is really hard (after some practice I found it undefendable for me) to defend or even worse his friends are observing how their new apprentice is managing and will help him when you will start fighting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also if attacker is not negotiative (you fell he will hurt you anyway) it is nice to flee after one (or two hits) that distracts aggressor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Firstly it was very weird for me that fight-system that shows how to kill people or make them disabled advises that reaction but it really better than risking fight. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="90" LastActivityDate="2012-03-22T11:37:29.620" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="701" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="694" CreationDate="2012-03-22T11:57:27.803" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Basically: The Hyungs are chaotic, the Poomsae are well-organized and (mostly) symmetric.&#xA;Whether this point is in favor of Hyung or Poomsae depends on personal taste, I guess.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Poomsae have a much smaller technical repertoire, especially, but not only, when it comes to kicks. (Palgwe: Front, Side and Crescent Kick; Taegeuk: Front, Side, Crescent, Roundhouse and Jumping Front Kick; Black Belt Forms: Front, Side, Crescent, Jump-Spinning-Crescent, Jumping Side Kick. This is ridiculously little for an art that claims to be &lt;em&gt;the&lt;/em&gt; kicking art)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I have always wondered how a fascinating art like Taekwondo could come up with a forms system as boring as Poomsae (I hold a 5th Dan WTF, so I know what I am talking about).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At least the newer Poomsae school, Taegeuk, which replaced the older Palgwe school, was also designed to look less like Karate. Large parts of both Hyungs and Palgwe were copied from Shotokan Karate Kata, and that was an aspect the officials liked to hide (after all, TKD was &quot;officially&quot; 2000 years old and had nothing to do with Karate).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="79" LastEditorUserId="79" LastEditDate="2012-03-22T21:04:06.977" LastActivityDate="2012-03-22T21:04:06.977" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="702" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="697" CreationDate="2012-03-22T13:58:36.113" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whenever I've sparred with the advanced belts, I always come away with the opinion of &quot;I could have &lt;em&gt;WON&lt;/em&gt; if I had thrown that punch an instant sooner, or turned the other direction when that kick was coming in&quot;.  This means that the blackbelt (and/or the Master) was sparring me at my level.  I learned tons this way.  Getting my behind kicked would have taught me nothing other than how to take a beating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are getting frustrated because you keep getting close to connecting with punches/kicks, relax and let it happen, you will get some shots in sooner or later.  If you are getting frustrated because you are in a no-win situation, then you need to figure out what's wrong.  First ask one of the advanced belts you are sparring with after class why you can't seem to get ahead for all your trying.  Maybe you do the same 3 moves in order over and over again, and they know what you are getting ready to do, and are prepared for it (then you need to mix up your sparring style, or plan that they know those moves are going to come in; since I stand backwards in fighting position, I became known to throw a round kick first thing.  The guy I sparred with would start by taking a step back.  I learned to then throw a back kick).  If they are unhelpful, ask the class instructor if they can help you figure out why you are doing so poorly.  S/He will either watch you and an advanced belt spar, or will spar with you and give you help directly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This should calm you down enough that your emotions are cooler to start with, after that, you need to learn to deal with emotions.  For that, meditate.  Figure out how your mind wants to be calmed down if you start to get hot in the middle of sparring.  For me, I remember the face of the kid who almost got really hurt when I once lost control on the school yard, and it reminds me of the consequences of losing control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="249" LastActivityDate="2012-03-22T13:58:36.113" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="703" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="697" CreationDate="2012-03-22T18:42:06.307" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with what's been said so far, but I'd like to add my 2 cents.  One thing to keep in mind is that part of martial arts training, and an essential part of sparring, is controlling your emotions.  This is not something that people do automatically, or it wouldn't take training.  Keep in mind that, not only are you training your body to move correctly, but you are also training your emotions and ki.  It's a small adjustment to the way you perceive yourself, but it will make a big difference.  Every time your emotions start to well up, look at it as an opportunity to train yourself to control them, rather than just trying to suppress them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And don't feel bad.  This is something that we have ALL had to get our monkey brains wrapped around.  You are not alone!  :-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="344" LastActivityDate="2012-03-22T18:42:06.307" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="704" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="707" CreationDate="2012-03-23T01:37:28.507" Score="10" ViewCount="1131" Body="&lt;p&gt;For many people, the front leg kick is a very effective &quot;stopping&quot; move when faced with a charging opponent. The faster (and more accurately) a defender can deploy this kick,  the better the opportunity to prepare a counterattack. What exercises have been shown to help develop frontal leg speed such as what you need for a typical front kick (beyond just practicing front leg kicks)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastActivityDate="2012-10-02T13:23:33.503" Title="What exercises help to develop frontal leg speed?" Tags="|exercise|stretching|speed|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="705" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="704" CreationDate="2012-03-23T13:34:44.243" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stairs work really well.  Power up and down, take them multiple steps at a time, go sideways, backwards, everything.  Put as much vertical power into your step as possible.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second thing to try is working in front of a mirror or with a videocamera.  This way you can watch your form and see where your sticking points are and where you're making unnecessary moves.  Half of the wasted time is probably on the windup for the kick; get that as minimal as possible, and just strike in a direct line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thirdly is to walk a lot on the balls of your feet.  There's not a really good way around this: you need well developed calves and lower legs for strong, accurate kicks.  You may look into &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qinggong&quot;&gt;&lt;code&gt;Qinggong&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, which is all about toning and honing the lower body in a traditional kung fu manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And lastly, of course, is to practice kicks.  But you probably wanted other advice. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="33" LastActivityDate="2012-03-23T13:34:44.243" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="706" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="515" CreationDate="2012-03-23T16:37:07.583" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;No&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pankration is an ancient form of fighting in competition&lt;/strong&gt;. Participants wrestled, hit each other as hard as they could, choked each other, broke each others' fingers and other bones, and generally put a beating to each other in a manner similar to modern no-holds-barred matches. (Note the subtle difference between NHB and MMA--it's the difference between UFC 1-15 and UFC in the era of the Unified Rules.) Fighters often competed in both pankration and boxing. (Boxing, also, was a rather different and more brutal sport at the time.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Systema is a modern martial art that involves little or no sparring&lt;/strong&gt; until advanced stages of training. It involves no wrestling per se, no boxing per se, and competition is rarely or never emphasized. This is a fundamental departure from sparring- or competition-based training like Pankration or MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is zero historical relationship between the two arts. The two are only alike in that they are both martial arts; they barely share any similarities beyond that. One should also be careful: it is not uncommon to see Systema teachers who are pure charlatans, teaching fakery like no-touch knockouts and magical thinking. This is complicated by the fact that some of them used to actually fight, and may know how to train hard -- but the fact remains that all students should avoid &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbmOnDwjdNI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;bullshido&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2020-12-16T11:44:10.580" LastActivityDate="2020-12-16T11:44:10.580" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="707" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="704" CreationDate="2012-03-23T19:32:09.980" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;As my sensei says, &quot;there is the right amount of power and speed in the technique&quot;.  Basically, what he is saying is that if you do it right, the speed will come on its own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Foundation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, there is a difference between speed, strength, and power.  It's one thing to say you can put 400lbs on your back and squat with it.  That speaks to strength.  It's another thing to say you can move your foot at 24 ft/s.  That speaks to speed.  However, putting the two together to move 400lbs off the floor at 24 ft/s tells a whole different story.  It's one of power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Application&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a reason I wanted to define those terms, and it speaks towards the difference between sport karate and self defense.  When you go to the average TKD tournament that does point sparring, most of the contestants train for speed.  Just speed.  There is no power behind those kicks, nor is there any reason to generate power in a point sparring match.  However, speed alone is not going to &lt;em&gt;stop&lt;/em&gt; a 250lb man charging you.  To do that you need &lt;strong&gt;power&lt;/strong&gt;.  Power is generating force over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a few things you can do to train for power vs. raw strength or speed:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Heavy bag work.&lt;/strong&gt;  You practice the technique, but the bag has resistance and bad technique is punished.  Having all the power in the world does nothing if you don't learn how to kick with the ball of your foot and prevent your ankle from bending.  Start light, and increase intensity when form allows.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Plyometrics.&lt;/strong&gt;  It doesn't require a lot of skill, but box jumps and the like will help you generate more power from your hips to your legs.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Power Cleans/Olympic style lifts.&lt;/strong&gt;  Much more technical, but allows you to generate a whole lot more power throughout your entire body than either of the two other options listed. Oly lifts include: clean &amp;amp; jerk, and snatches.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another option is to do your heavy bag work with ankle weights.  I do &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; recommend doing that, but absolutely do not if you can't kick a heavy bag at full force without hurting yourself.  The problem with the ankle weights is that it provides unnatural leverages, and can wear your joints out prematurely.  If you do choose this route, be smart.  Start with light weights, do not fully extend your legs on impact (other wise you will hyper-extend them and injur yourself), and don't ever put on more than 5 lbs.  When you take them off, you will be quicker.  My sensei did use this approach when he was young, but he also had to have both his hips replaced at a relatively young age.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-03-23T19:32:09.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="708" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="704" CreationDate="2012-03-23T20:34:02.390" Score="1" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Spar copiously.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regardless of the physical attributes of speed, your reaction time will largely be determined by how quickly you notice your opponent moving in, and how well your nervous system is trained to react with that technique in that specific situation. No training outside of sparring can give you that kind of natural reaction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-03-23T20:34:02.390" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="709" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="704" CreationDate="2012-03-23T23:38:42.267" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think reaction time drills might suit you better.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Like Dave said, spar copiously, but with intent.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Work on conditioning yourself to not think, to kick.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://chirontraining.blogspot.com/2006/01/ooda-introduction.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This&lt;/a&gt; is a basic overview of what you are trying to overcome, but its lacking on the practical ways to train it.  I will see if I can dig up some actual exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="61" LastActivityDate="2012-03-23T23:38:42.267" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="710" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="667" CreationDate="2012-03-24T07:16:48.513" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;What you are describing in your question sugggests to me that this is indeed a bad club, or at least a bad trainer. Let's&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pitting a beginner against a guy with years of experience is only a good idea if the trainer trusts the more experienced guy to hold back and &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; beat the beginner up. The goal should be to show the beginner where he makes mistakes, where he has technical flaws. The trainer should step in if someone is using his clearly weaker opponent as a heavy bag with arms.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The role of the more experienced practitioner is to help the beginner, in that situation he isn't really training himself but helping the other one.  The trainer should have made that clear.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Both guys should be given headgear, or only the beginner. Not the other way around.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In my opinion a good trainer will have beginners start with conditional sparring first. In this type of sparring only certain combinations are allowed, which should have been practised before. It's basically a mix between technique training and free sparring.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, boxing is rough, like all full-contact combat sports. And beginners will react differently to a punch to the face than someone with years of experience. That's why you start with low intensity, than increase it over time. That's why you start with conditional sparring and do free or &quot;all-out&quot; sparring later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, to answer your question: I think you should look for another gym. Either they don't know what they are doing or they don't want you there. If you like boxing as a sport, don't let this ruin it for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="129" LastActivityDate="2012-03-24T07:16:48.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="711" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="801" CreationDate="2012-03-24T12:17:55.317" Score="10" ViewCount="19386" Body="&lt;p&gt;Two weeks ago I participated in a seminar at my dojo where a so-called &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubotan&quot;&gt;Kubotan&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;em&gt;self-defense stick&lt;/em&gt; was introduced. I had never heard of that thing before. In two sessions, we got some background info and theory, then quickly went on to the practical part, practising punching and grappling techniques with this tool.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal impression is that this tool (I won't call it a weapon because even here in Germany it is not considered a weapon by the law) can be very useful in a self-defense situation. But I see it more or less as an &lt;em&gt;amplifier&lt;/em&gt;: if you can punch, then it will add power to your punches. If you can grapple, you can use it to amplify your leverage on your opponents joints. If you know how to attack pressure points, you can apply a lot more pressure to them with a Kubotan than with your bare hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there other ways a kubotan can be used in self-defense?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="129" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-04-13T18:48:18.650" LastActivityDate="2017-07-12T11:13:27.813" Title="How is a Kubotan used in self-defense?" Tags="|self-defense|weapons|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="712" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-03-24T16:10:15.067" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A form is a sequence of movements traditionally used in the practice and performance of a martial art. By practicing a form over and over again, it is hoped that in time the practitioner will be able to execute those movements in a natural and reflex-like manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most martial arts don't use the English word &quot;form&quot; in their teachings. Instead they use a word from the country where the art originated. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Japanese: &lt;a href=&quot;http://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/kata&quot;&gt;kata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Chinese: &lt;a href=&quot;http://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/taolu&quot;&gt;taolu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Korean: &lt;a href=&quot;http://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/hyeong&quot;&gt;hyeong&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;or &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/poomse&quot;&gt;poomse&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that these tags should not be used. Use the more generic &quot;forms&quot; tag instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T03:10:41.737" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T03:10:41.737" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="713" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-03-24T16:10:15.067" Score="0" Body="A form is a sequence of movements traditionally used in the practice and performance of a martial art." OwnerUserId="45" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-03-28T14:02:20.607" LastActivityDate="2012-03-28T14:02:20.607" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="714" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-03-24T16:16:45.090" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Definition:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Krav Maga is a noncompetitive self-defense system developed in Israel that involves striking techniques, wrestling and grappling. Krav Maga is known for its focus on real-world situations and extremely efficient, brutal counter-attacks. It was derived from street-fighting skills developed by Imi Lichtenfeld, who made use of his training as a boxer and wrestler, as a means of defending the Jewish quarter against fascist groups in Bratislava in the mid-to-late 1930s. In the late-1940s, following his immigration to Israel, he began to provide lessons on combat training to what was to become the IDF, who went on to develop the system that became known as Krav Maga. It has since been refined for civilian, police and military applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga has a philosophy emphasizing threat neutralization, simultaneous defensive and offensive maneuvers, and aggression. Krav Maga is used by Israeli Defense Forces, both regular and special forces, and several closely related variations have been developed and adopted by law enforcement and intelligence organizations, Mossad and Shin Bet. There are several organizations teaching variations of Krav Maga internationally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Basic principles:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;A key principle of Krav Maga is finishing a fight as quickly as possible and therefore all attacks are aimed towards the most vulnerable parts of the body (e.g., face, neck, groin, knee, etc.). Because there are no sporting rules, individuals trained in Krav Maga are not limited to techniques that avoid severely injuring their opponents, but training and sparring drills provide maximum safety to the students by the use of protective equipment and the use of reasonable force. For example, kicks to the groin during sparring is commonplace, but groin protection must be worn and students should demonstrate due diligence with regards for their partners' safety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Students learn to defend against all variety of attacks before engaging in full-contact sparring. Students are taught to respond to attacks in the quickest and most efficient way; a common lesson taught is 'always use the nearest tool for the job'. This basically means use whichever limb is closest to your attacker at the time and whichever feels most natural. Men and women generally undergo the same drills. It has no sporting federation and there are no official uniforms (such as a gi). Usual training attire consists of a t-shirt and loose fitting trousers. Krav Maga is also one of the few martial arts in which footwear is habitually worn, due to it being 'reality-based training'. Most organizations recognize progress through training with rank badges, different levels, and belts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;General principles include:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Counter attacking as soon as possible (or attacking preemptively).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Targeting attacks to the body's most vulnerable points such as the eyes, jaw, throat, groin, knee, etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Neutralizing the opponent as quickly as possible by responding with an unbroken stream of counter attacks and if necessary a take down/joint break.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Maintaining awareness of surroundings while dealing with the threat in order to look for escape routes, further attackers, objects that could be used to defend or help attack and so on.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basic training entails a warm-up, learning essential pressure points, and learning how to approach and control an opponent using force. Students learn how to execute strikes and kicks including punches, hammer fists, elbows, and various kicks. Students learn defenses against take-downs, chokes, bear-hugs, arm bars, and other possible attacks. Training also includes learning to defend against various weapons, such as knives, bats, guns, etc. Pressure drills, in which students engage with multiple attackers, are also common. Other tests include students closing their eyes and reacting to a variety of potential threats. Fitness and endurance training is also incorporated into regular classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training can also cover situational awareness to develop an understanding of one's surroundings and potentially threatening circumstances before an attack occurs. It may also cover ways to deal with potentially violent situations, and physical and verbal methods to avoid violence whenever possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Organizations and forces using Krav Maga:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Israel&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Regular Forces&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Mossad&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Shin Bet&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;United States&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;United States Air Force&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12" LastEditorUserId="12" LastEditDate="2012-04-30T21:27:08.933" LastActivityDate="2012-04-30T21:27:08.933" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="715" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-03-24T16:16:45.090" Score="0" Body="Krav Maga is a martial art developed in the late 1930s by Imi Lichtenfeld and used by the Israeli Defense Forces. The name is Hebrew and translates roughly to 'hand-to-hand combat'." OwnerUserId="45" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-13T09:09:08.600" LastActivityDate="2017-07-13T09:09:08.600" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="716" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-03-24T16:32:21.733" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-03-24T16:32:21.733" LastActivityDate="2012-03-24T16:32:21.733" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="717" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-03-24T16:32:21.733" Score="0" Body="Questions related to martial arts training with/for children." OwnerUserId="45" LastEditorUserId="45" LastEditDate="2012-03-24T16:36:24.937" LastActivityDate="2012-03-24T16:36:24.937" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="718" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-03-24T16:35:00.670" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-03-24T16:35:00.670" LastActivityDate="2012-03-24T16:35:00.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="719" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-03-24T16:35:00.670" Score="0" Body="Questions related to martial arts when treated as a sport, and the pursuant official rules and regulations." OwnerUserId="45" LastEditorUserId="45" LastEditDate="2012-03-24T16:36:13.017" LastActivityDate="2012-03-24T16:36:13.017" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="720" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="727" CreationDate="2012-03-25T03:38:51.213" Score="8" ViewCount="251" Body="&lt;p&gt;Frequently with newer students when we begin teaching them locks, we encounter the phenomena that when they don't get the lock to go on they will try to apply more force to make it work. This can be problematic, and is one of the reasons we talk about people between 9th and 4th kup being more likely to cause injury: They throw that extra force on, and if the other pieces line up correctly–even accidentally–they can cause serious injury.  Not to mention the excess force is just bad in general.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We try explaining this, but in some students it seems almost instinctual (and/or they just don't see how little force is required, or how the force can get in the way of the technique).  We can explain this and we can show this (and ask them to slow down), and they do learn it eventually, but it would be really nice–both for their training and my wrists–if we could somehow more directly demonstrate this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They always get the experience of having it done to them by a higher belt–and in my current class generally by a 1 dan or better–but they haven't yet gotten to the point of being able to recognize how much (or little) force actually being used and this isn't the same as having the experience of seeing it work when you do it yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any exercises, drills, or other forms of practical experience that people have experience with that can be used to tactilely teach this understanding?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-03-25T15:54:52.173" LastActivityDate="2012-03-27T16:12:12.877" Title="Demonstrations of Minimum Force" Tags="|drills|hapkido|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="721" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="720" CreationDate="2012-03-25T04:21:32.097" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best way is for them to feel those locks done to them with that minimal amount of pressure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise, I remember reading this idea for push hands which may be useful:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;We do push hands with force - because the simplest way to get to the real push hands drill is to be too exhausted to do it wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, if the students are too tired to put the force into it, they may do it right.. Because they can't do it wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-03-25T15:00:34.160" LastActivityDate="2012-03-25T15:00:34.160" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="722" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="726" CreationDate="2012-03-25T19:35:03.507" Score="5" ViewCount="24895" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't understand the differences between Iaido and Kendo. If I compare any other Japanese martial art, like Karatedo and Judo, the differences are obvious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why are there two different Japanese martial arts related to swords?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="352" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-03-26T16:00:07.447" LastActivityDate="2016-09-25T10:57:12.993" Title="What are the differences between iaido and kendo?" Tags="|kendo|iaido|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="723" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="724" CreationDate="2012-03-25T19:43:41.000" Score="18" ViewCount="6152" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are the most effective ways to increase flexibility for karate kicks? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="352" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-04-03T20:57:44.053" LastActivityDate="2013-04-26T07:08:56.847" Title="What are ways to increase flexibility for karate kicks?" Tags="|karate|kicking|flexibility|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="724" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="723" CreationDate="2012-03-25T22:43:32.563" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a huge fan of &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PNF_stretching&quot;&gt;proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation&lt;/a&gt; (PNF) stretching. It is what I used to be able to do the splits cold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideally you need a partner for it, but most of it can be done by yourself although you will have slower or limited results doing it solo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The premise of the stretch is to relax the target muscles, then force them to tighten and do work, then relax them again - going deeper into the stretch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a couple of points to note though:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;you don't need to be massively flexible. Due to anatomical or degenerative issues many people will never be able to do the splits. That's okay - being able to kick people in the head is nice, but not necessary - many of the old schools never kicked above the waist anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;even if you do become super flexible you still need to practice kicking technique. Flexibility will simply help you with reach and height and speed, none of which are any good if your technique is still sloppy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;PNF stretching is heavy duty, you need to allow recovery time between stretching sessions. Stretching damages the muscles so you need to be careful not to overwork yourself - twice a week is ample for this type of stretching.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;once you do the splits you need to maintain it. If you don't your muscles will gradually tighten and you will progressively lose your flexibility. If you get lazy you will lose it :)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=791XXiYzNbE&quot;&gt;Here is a reasonable Youtube example&lt;/a&gt; I've posted before, you can follow the Youtube trail to find more examples.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-03-25T22:43:32.563" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="725" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="722" CreationDate="2012-03-26T11:28:16.117" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The main difference between the two is that Kendo is a competitive sport, whereas Iaido is more of a traditional art. Since Iaidokas often practice without a real opponent (katas) they don't use any protective gear. Iaido beginners usually start with wooden swords and then progress up to blunt metal blades (intermediate), and then to sharp blades (only very experienced practitioners). Because Kendo is a sport with matches, it is practiced with bamboo or carbon fiber swords and kendoka do wear protective gear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure about the history between the two, so I cannot explain why they are different or how they came to be. You'd better check wikipedia for that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iaido&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iaido&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendo&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastActivityDate="2012-03-26T11:28:16.117" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="726" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="722" CreationDate="2012-03-26T12:33:50.683" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Truthfully there are three: iaido, kendo, and battou-do.  They differ on their focus or in their origination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iaido&quot;&gt;iaido&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  The art of sword drawing.  All katas begin and end with the sword sheathed.  In some ways you could liken it to preparedness at all times, not just in battle.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendo&quot;&gt;kendo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  The art of of sword fighting.  In modern kendo, there is an emphasis on sparring during taikai.  Typically, the sword is already drawn.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batt%C5%8Djutsu&quot;&gt;battou do&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  A more modern form of iaido.  This was formed in 1925, after much of Japan had forgotten the older arts, and soldiers weren't able to deliver the same kind of cuts that the katana is ledendary for.  In Nakamura Ryu Battou-Do, the inspiration for the cuts, sheathing, and stances was taken from calligraphy.  There are 8 of each, which corresponds to the 8 strokes used in traditional calligraphy.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both iaido and battou do practice with edged katanas and engage in a practice known as &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tameshigiri&quot;&gt;tameshigiri&lt;/a&gt;.  Typically, you practice on rolled up used tatami mats that have been soaked in water over night.  Beginners are told to practice on &quot;half mats&quot; which have a lot of give to them.  If the technique is off, you won't be able to cut it.  When you are proficient with the half mats, you can graduate to the full mats.  Full mats are less forgiving, and can bend swords if the student is not careful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With both iaido and battou do, beginners may be instructed to practice with an &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iait%C5%8D&quot;&gt;iaitou&lt;/a&gt;.  The iaitou looks and feels much like a proper katana, but the blade has no edge.  It is forged with a metal that is too soft to take an edge.  This prevents a student from accidentally cutting their hand during notto (sheathing), but it is still dangerous as a blunt weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kendo uses a shinai.  &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinai&quot;&gt;Shinai&lt;/a&gt; are the bamboo &quot;blades&quot; that have some give to them.  While they hurt when you are struck, you typically won't suffer from broken bones or cuts.  Kendoka (kendo students) also use a type of armor for further protection.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both iaido and kendo are more traditional arts dating back to samurai times.  Battou do is more modern.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;NOTE: There is more than one way to write traditional Japanese words using English letters (known as romaji).  I used the form that takes the long &quot;o&quot; and writes it as &quot;ou&quot;.  When searching you may try dropping the final &quot;u&quot;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-03-26T17:17:54.843" LastActivityDate="2012-03-26T17:17:54.843" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="727" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="720" CreationDate="2012-03-26T13:48:29.577" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a big guy.  I had a hard time with this.  What really helped me was when the instructor (by happenstance) saw me doing this.  Do the technique wrong, start pushing to get it right, keep pushing harder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How he helped me was:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I was taught the phrase, &quot;If you are &quot;trying&quot; to do it, you are doing it wrong.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;He watched me, and as soon as my instinct said &quot;push harder&quot; he would say &quot;stop&quot;.  He'd address the technique problem (wrist isn't rotated enough, etc), then have me continue.  A few times he had me practice on him until I learned the control of the move.  But by the time I was testing for my green belt, I had learned that nothing requires brute strength.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A trick I learned while playing music is the single-note approach.  You play 1 note, then take as long as you need to find/play the next.  Works very well for martial arts as well.  You do a technique very slow, and stop between each muscle movement for a second or two.  For example, I learned a technique called 1-finger-magic.  The attacker grabs your gi, and you put your hand on his.  You then rotate his hand/wrist until his wrist is perpendicular to the floor.  Then you take your other hand and bend his elbow, then you push 1 finger down on the elbow.  Run the technique a few times (before/after class is great for this purpose) like this, then start to put it together.  Do step 1, 2, 3, 4; then 1-2, 3, 4; then 1-3, 4; finally all together.  If your partner knows about your weak spot he can say &quot;nope&quot; if you do a step wrong, and that speeds up the learning.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me, it took doing it slow before I learned that I was over/under rotating the wrist and had to learn the right amount of torque to apply.  I also learned from this slow method how little pressure is needed to do these moves, EVEN when the attacker is resisting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="249" LastActivityDate="2012-03-26T13:48:29.577" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="728" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-03-26T13:55:57.023" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;The gentle way&quot;, a Japanese martial art and Olympic combat sport that focuses on throws, chokes, pins, and armlocks. Practiced in a &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A philosophical preference is given to the &lt;em&gt;ippon&lt;/em&gt; (full-point win), due to its decisive nature. Throws which are hard, fast, and controlled count for &lt;em&gt;ippon&lt;/em&gt;, as do pins held for twenty-five seconds, choking the opponent unconscious, or making the opponent give up by way of armlocks or chokes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ju&lt;/em&gt; - gentle or pliable, yielding. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Do&lt;/em&gt; - way or path, lifestyle.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo is derived from feudal Japanese &lt;em&gt;jujitsu&lt;/em&gt;, in particular the &lt;em&gt;Kito Ryu&lt;/em&gt; and the &lt;em&gt;Tenshin Shinyo Ryu&lt;/em&gt;. The style was founded by Jigoro Kano in 1882 as a method of physical, mental, and moral education by amalgamating the various existing &lt;em&gt;jujitsu&lt;/em&gt; schools and exponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-03-26T14:28:11.790" LastActivityDate="2012-03-26T14:28:11.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="729" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-03-26T13:55:57.023" Score="0" Body="Japanese modern martial art, combat sport, and Olympic sport of throwing, pinning, choking, and locking; developed by *Kano Jigoro* in 1882." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-03-26T15:38:34.963" LastActivityDate="2012-03-26T15:38:34.963" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="730" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-03-26T13:57:02.907" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Grappling art derived from judo, focusing on forcing the opponent to submit using jointlocks and chokes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Often referred to within combat sports circles simply as &quot;jiu jitsu&quot;, with that particular spelling and context denoting Brazilian origin. Variants include Gracie, 10th Planet, and other personality-branded streams (e.g. Marcelo Garcia jiu jitsu, Lucas Lepri jiu jitsu).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-01T21:24:06.040" LastActivityDate="2012-05-01T21:24:06.040" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="731" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-03-26T13:57:02.907" Score="0" Body="Grappling art derived from judo, focusing on forcing the opponent to submit using jointlocks and chokes." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-03-26T14:28:04.300" LastActivityDate="2012-03-26T14:28:04.300" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="732" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="542" CreationDate="2012-03-26T14:15:49.217" Score="1" Body="&lt;h2&gt;There is no established curriculum.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like within any single competitive arena or style, there are nearly as many methods of organizing training as there are schools. Most schools, such as Black House, focus on Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, and wrestling. Backgrounds in other arts are found as well, but these are the most common.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&quot;Feeder&quot; Styles&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a number of non-MMA competitive organizations that produce successful entrants into elite mixed martial arts competition. In these scenarios, a martial artist will become a world-class competitor in one form of combat sport before rounding out their game with the other skills necessary for MMA. Most notable are American wrestling (e.g. Cain Velasquez, Josh Koscheck, Dan Henderson), Olympic judo (e.g. Ronda Rousey and Rick Hawn), Brazilian jiu-jitsu (e.g. Roger Gracie, Jacare Souza, Demian Maia), knockdown styles of karate (Georges St-Pierre), kickboxing and others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;All-At-Once MMA Training&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're not concerned with finding already-elite-level combat sportsmen and turning them into elite-level MMA fighters, training several arts at once is a fine approach. We are also seeing competitors succeed at elite levels with this approach. However, the sport is so new that there are not enough people who have been training MMA-qua-MMA since they were children, such as in wrestling or other feeder sports. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-03-26T14:15:49.217" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="733" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="294" CreationDate="2012-03-26T14:28:38.840" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Get Strong First&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're weak, there's no point in trying to get a strong grip. You're too weak for it to matter. Instead, you should first work on getting your whole body strong, and then--only then!--focus on developing your grip. Mark Rippetoe has some words for people lacking general strength who want to increase strength in one particular area. From &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.jimwendler.com/2012/09/lifting-for-sport-great-quote-from-mark-rippetoe/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Jim Wendler's blog&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Strength is the most general adaptation. It is acquired most effectively through exercises that produce the most force against external resistance, and as such is always best trained with five or six basic exercises. The same exercises that are correct for weak football players and lifters are correct for weak volleyball and baseball players, because the best way to get strong will always be the same. Strength is NOT specific, and cannot effectively be acquired through exercises that mimic sports-specific movements, because these movements lack the potential to produce as much force as general barbell exercises, and therefore lack the capacity to make weak athletes as strong as barbell training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, grip-specific training is barking up the wrong tree. Unless the student is already quite strong, the best way to develop grip strength is to work on general strength. Whole-body training will improve your grip strength &lt;em&gt;faster&lt;/em&gt; than forearm-specific work, while giving you health benefits and strength for other movements as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;General Training with a Focus on Grip&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keeping that in mind, what is the best way to tailor your general strength training to grip strength?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;deadlift&lt;/strong&gt; should be your primary exercise. After an initial period of a few weeks doing higher-rep sets to get your form down, your priority should be warming up to one near-maximal set of three to five reps. Avoid the mixed grip and even the hook grip for as long as possible in your training, and once you start using them, keep doing your warm-ups without them.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pull-ups with a gi are king&lt;/strong&gt;. They train grip strength (particularly on the downward phase) as well as grip strength endurance when done for 10+ reps. Best of all? You'll develop enormous upper-body strength that's applicable in grappling far beyond just gripping. You can supplement this training with climbing a rope and finishing your pull-up sets with holds at the top and bottom. If pull-ups are hard for you, negatives are very useful. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do at least a little of the counter movements to these exercises, to prevent imbalances. Dips and barbell front squats would be fine choices.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you can perform fifteen full-range-of-motion, no-kip gi-grip pull-ups, plus a double bodyweight deadlift, the student can add the awesome grip-specific training mentioned by others. Fat grips, oversize bars, wrist rollers, curls and other specialized training are very productive...once someone is strong enough everywhere else for it to matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other approaches are of course possible: a kettlebell-centric program with many swings and clean-and-presses would appropriately develop whole-body strength while also working the grip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-12-03T14:02:41.173" LastActivityDate="2013-12-03T14:02:41.173" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="734" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-03-26T14:39:04.287" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrestling, throwing, pinning, choking, breaking limbs. Fighting by way of holds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T03:10:46.480" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T03:10:46.480" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="735" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-03-26T14:39:04.287" Score="0" Body="Wrestling, throwing, pinning, choking, breaking limbs. Fighting by way of holds." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-03-26T15:48:49.910" LastActivityDate="2012-03-26T15:48:49.910" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="736" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-03-26T14:41:22.553" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Mixed martial arts permits both striking and grappling techniques, drawing from boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiujitsu, muay thai, and several other styles. The term mixed martial arts was coined in 1995 to describe the fighting style emerging from the Ultimate Fighting Championship competitions, which allowed competitors to use any martial art in an effort to determine which style would be most effective in a real fight. Instead of producing a clear victor, the UFC fights created  a new, 'mixed' style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="45" LastEditorUserId="45" LastEditDate="2012-04-04T17:03:24.183" LastActivityDate="2012-04-04T17:03:24.183" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="737" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-03-26T14:41:22.553" Score="0" Body="Mixed martial arts permits both striking and grappling techniques, drawing from boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiujitsu, muay thai, and several other styles. The term mixed martial arts was coined in 1995 to describe the fighting style emerging from the Ultimate Fighting Championship competitions." OwnerUserId="45" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-04-04T17:05:09.173" LastActivityDate="2012-04-04T17:05:09.173" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="738" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-03-26T14:42:55.593" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A collection of empty-handed martial arts originating in Okinawa, Japan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Major Japanese styles include Goju-ryu, Uechi-ryu, Shotokan, Kyokushin, Wado-ryu and Shito-ryu. There are many Okinawan and American styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most karate schools focus primarily on kicking and punching, though grappling and other techniques are common as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T03:11:02.330" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T03:11:02.330" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="739" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-03-26T14:42:55.593" Score="0" Body="A collection of empty-handed martial arts originating in Okinawa, Japan." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T03:11:08.197" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T03:11:08.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="740" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-03-26T14:44:33.547" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Testing of techniques through practice with a partner or against an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In judo, sparring is restricted to grappling techniques and called &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt;. It is considered an essential part of the progression of &lt;em&gt;waza&lt;/em&gt; from &lt;em&gt;uchikomi&lt;/em&gt; to &lt;em&gt;shiai&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In karate, sparring is usually restricted to some set of striking (and sometimes limited grappling) techniques and is called &lt;em&gt;kumite&lt;/em&gt;. It is considered one of the three pillars of training, along with &lt;em&gt;kihon&lt;/em&gt; (basic techniques) and &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; (forms).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Questions involve sparring tactics and strategy, etiquette and rules, application of technique, and any of the problems that naturally arise when friends punch each other in the face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-25T15:36:16.543" LastActivityDate="2012-05-25T15:36:16.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="741" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-03-26T14:44:33.547" Score="0" Body="Testing of techniques through practice with a partner or against an opponent." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-03-26T15:50:21.077" LastActivityDate="2012-03-26T15:50:21.077" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="742" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-03-26T17:10:30.277" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Western martial art of punching, on which the competitive combat sport of boxing is founded. May also refer to kickboxing, which includes a multitude of other arts, such as muay Thai or san da/san shou.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-07T09:23:13.557" LastActivityDate="2016-01-07T09:23:13.557" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="743" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-03-26T17:10:30.277" Score="0" Body="Western martial art of punching, on which the competitive combat sport of boxing is founded." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-07T09:23:34.967" LastActivityDate="2016-01-07T09:23:34.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="744" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="697" CreationDate="2012-03-26T17:23:48.457" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, ask yourself this - why are you getting frustrated?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it because you're getting your ass handed to you? Or is it because you find yourself almost getting something, but not quite?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's because you're getting your ass handed to you...well, that's what you get for sparring with the black belts. :P But seriously, though, even if they're holding back and sparring with you at your level, they're probably still doing things subconsciously that you don't know how to do or counter at all, or at the very least, they know the cues better than you and will react accordingly. If you don't want them to do this, find someone closer to your training level to spar with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're finding yourself &quot;beating yourself&quot; (that is, it's your own mistakes that are getting you into those positions, and not an experience difference or lack of knowledge), then make a resolution to do something different next time. You can also ask the person you're sparring with if they see things you can improve or comment on your cues or patterns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing I've found is that the martial arts are a lot like chess - you have to think three moves ahead, and until you can do that, it's frustrating as hell, because if your opponent is more experienced then you, they'll see a lot more than you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you find yourself getting frustrated, take a step back and take a few deep breaths. Force yourself to relax by concentrating on your breathing. Then talk either to yourself or with your sparring partner about what you could have done better/differently. Ultimately, it's the only way to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meditation will, of course, help you take longer to get to that frustration point, but it's a long-term solution, not a short-term one. That said, there are a number of different kinds of meditation. Yoga and Tai Chi are both meditative, but in different ways. You might want to start with them, if you can find a class that does them with a focus on meditation. You can also do visualizations, guided meditation, or just sit in silence. What one works best for you is ultimately going to be up to you, though, so in that case, Google will be your friend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, as Morpheus put it &quot;stop &lt;em&gt;trying&lt;/em&gt; to hit me and &lt;em&gt;hit&lt;/em&gt; me!&quot; In other words - stop thinking so damn hard about it. If you've trained enough, you have the muscle memory and the subconscious knowledge to do what you need to do, so stop &lt;em&gt;thinking about&lt;/em&gt; the moves and &lt;em&gt;trying&lt;/em&gt; to do them, and just &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; them. Relax, even while you're sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="341" LastActivityDate="2012-03-26T17:23:48.457" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="745" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="756" CreationDate="2012-03-27T02:18:31.873" Score="5" ViewCount="329" Body="&lt;p&gt;For my next grading, I'm planning to demonstrate a split-kick break, similar to the kick shown here: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox46E-GNVQ8&amp;amp;feature=related&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox46E-GNVQ8&amp;amp;feature=related&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;(In case the video becomes unavailable, the technique involves a flying kick, jumping between two boards held facing each other, chambering both legs and turning the hips, performing a front- or round-house to the board on one side, and a side-kick to the board on the other, both kicks hitting simultaneously.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can perform the kick reasonably well, but I'm having trouble with targeting: if I look forwards, I have no trouble breaking the front board (the side the video refers to as a roundhouse), but I hit the other board off-centre and don't break with the sidekick. Same goes, in reverse, if I focus on the sidekick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any drills I can use to improve my aim on the board I'm not focusing on? Or is my focus in the wrong place? How can I ensure I break both boards every time?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="48" LastActivityDate="2012-03-28T17:45:38.590" Title="How can I improve my precision when performing a split kick?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|kicking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="746" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="754" CreationDate="2012-03-27T02:41:10.677" Score="7" ViewCount="1046" Body="&lt;p&gt;My family just won a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.centurymartialarts.com/Targets_and_Shields/Shields/Body_Shield_1032.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Century body shield&lt;/a&gt; as part of a raffle to help raise money for our school's booster club. We don't often use a body shield in class (in fact, I only recall having used it in one drill and that was when helping a younger student whose aim was somewhat questionable) and so I'm at a bit of a loss on the proper technique for holding the shield for various drills typical in Taekwondo (particularly kicking drills). Simply put, what is the proper technique for holding a body shield?&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/FY21K.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Century Body Shield&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastEditorUserId="338" LastEditDate="2012-03-28T02:00:49.150" LastActivityDate="2018-04-13T08:49:24.327" Title="What is the proper technique for holding a Century-style body shield for use in Taekwondo?" Tags="|equipment|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="747" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="720" CreationDate="2012-03-27T16:12:12.877" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;From the time that we're born, we're trying to counter forces pulling us down by resisting. Why on earth would you expect new students to do any different just because you explain it to them? It's innate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;@Trevoke has a great point: When a student has no ability to fight back any longer, they can learn to blend with the energy. When I first started learning the &lt;em&gt;jutaijutsu&lt;/em&gt; of &lt;em&gt;Shinden Fudo-ryu&lt;/em&gt;, my instructor started out the day by turning the first hour into a full-out gymnastics event. We first did a heavy warm-up-turned-work-out, then did rolls for the rest of the hour. By the end, most of us could barely stand, every part of our bodies hurt. Everyone matched up (and, being class &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;, I was matched up with my instructor who was all ready to go having not just done an hours worth of non-stop exercise). When he would step up to throw me, I couldn't do anything. I had to take &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt;, which, by that point, was painful. So how did I stop taking &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; and stay standing? I moved with it and flowed into the counter: I let him give up his balance to maintain my own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That night, all I could dream about was doing it right. I was exhausted beyond belief, and was having dreams of being thrown and falling awake, my chest pounding as I woke in a pool of sweat. Eventually, I started to drift off thinking about doing it right, and my dreams began to reflect it, and I slept the rest of the night. Visualization is as useful as training; it can build the required neural pathways to provide your muscles with the correct signals in proper intensity and speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Drilling is also important; by repeating actions, we build our ability to respond appropriately. Remember, practice does not make perfect; only perfect practice makes perfect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Exhaust the students. Make a seminar of it – a saturday multi-hour class starting with at least an hour of intense exercise. Make everyone complain and feel like they can barely move. When they can't resist, then start training them to act the way you need.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NB:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; This, like many other suggested training methods, may be a wee-bit subversive. It's all about how you use it and your reasons for using it – if you are using it to make them more pliable to take more money from them, it's &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;wrong&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;; if you're using it to make them more capable in a shorter time frame out of concern for their safety, then it's simply a necessary evil. Only you can decide.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-03-27T16:12:12.877" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="748" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-03-28T10:40:57.533" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A kata is a sequence of movements traditionally used in the practice and performance of a martial art. By practising a kata over and over again, in time the practisioner will be able to execute those movements in a natural and reflex-like manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kata is actually a Japanse word and literally means &quot;form&quot;.&#xA;Chinese martial arts use the term &quot;Taolu&quot;, whereas in Korean the term &quot;Hyeong&quot; is used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-03-28T10:40:57.533" LastActivityDate="2012-03-28T10:40:57.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="749" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-03-28T10:40:57.533" Score="0" Body="A sequence of movements traditionally used in the practice and performance of a martial art." OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-03-28T10:40:57.533" LastActivityDate="2012-03-28T10:40:57.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="750" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="751" CreationDate="2012-03-28T11:03:15.463" Score="4" ViewCount="3133" Body="&lt;p&gt;I came across &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9tK1Zb715E&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this youtube video&lt;/a&gt;. Being a beginner in Aikido I was wondering, is this the traditional way of tying your belt? Are there other ways to do it? Does it matter how you tie it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="314" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-03-28T11:46:39.073" LastActivityDate="2012-04-09T14:16:46.890" Title="Is there one traditional way of tying your belt in aikido?" Tags="|aikido|belt|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="751" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="750" CreationDate="2012-03-28T11:45:35.477" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;With Japanese forms, you'll find a greater emphasis placed on even the small things.  That said, the method demonstrated to tie the aikido belt in that video is the same way I've been instructed to tie my belt in karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The benefits of that method are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Presentation: the belt lays flat and looks neat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lack of distraction: because the belt stays tight, you aren't catching your hand on it, or tugging at it during class&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, the method shown seems to be the correct way of tying a belt who's sole purpose is to display rank.  This is the same for aikido, judo, taekwando, etc.  I've seen students from other schools who just put the belt on any way they can.  Either the ends of the belt hang so far down they trip on it (not wrapping it enough), or the wraps don't lay flat and it looks messy.  Any time you are in a competition where you are being judged, the way you present yourself shows the way you approach your training.  If you look haphazard, often the results of the forms you demonstrate echo that presentation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's another type of belt (or obi) that is used with traditional sword arts where you use a hakama and gi.  The obi for sword arts functions to hold the saya (scabard), and has no purpose related to displaying rank.  There are multiple correct ways to tie an obi that goes with the hakama.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-03-28T11:45:35.477" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="752" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-03-28T12:52:08.853" Score="0" Body="" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-03-28T12:52:08.853" LastActivityDate="2012-03-28T12:52:08.853" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="753" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-03-28T12:52:08.853" Score="0" Body="International Tae Kwon Do Federation" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-03-28T12:52:08.853" LastActivityDate="2012-03-28T12:52:08.853" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="754" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="746" CreationDate="2012-03-28T13:13:59.497" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I never used these when I briefly took Tae Kwon Do when I was younger, but we use these same kicking pads in my kung fu classes. The way we hold them depends on the kick, but in general we tend to hold the pad close and braced against our bodies while in a grounded stance. I don't quite recall the stances in Tae Kwon Do, but I'm sure there is some analogue to what we do in kung fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For some thing like a roundhouse kick, we use stand in a stance where one foot is front of the other (knee bent) and the back foot is extended out. I believe &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo_stances&quot;&gt;&quot;walking stance&quot;&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;em&gt;gunnun sogi&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;ap kubi&lt;/em&gt;) is the general terminology of what I'm describing. In terms of holding the pad, we wrap one arm in the two back handles and use the other to hold the side handle. The placement of the pad is either to the right or left of our body (depending on what side leg is doing the kick).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For something like a front kick or side kick, we use the same forward leaning stance while holding the pad the same way (one arm wrapped in the handles, the other holding the side handle), but with the pad in front. For some people, it may be easier for them to hold the pad on their side while in a &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo_stances&quot;&gt;&quot;sitting stance&quot;&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;em&gt;annun sogi&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;jumchum sogi&lt;/em&gt;, horse riding stance, or middle stance). I find the latter to be better for absorbing the impact from these type of kicks though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For axe kicks, crescent kicks, or spinning kicks, I would hold the pad in a way so that the eventual momentum transferred to the pad is unrestricted (in the direction of the kick). For a  crescent kick, I would just hold the pad out facing sidewards and let the other person swing the leg and kick the pad. Don't try to resist the incoming force; just move with it and let it go. If the pad flies out, it's not a huge issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes you will have to adjust your stance based on how much room you have in relation to where the kick will be traveling. You may also have to adjust for height differences, but that is as simple as kneeling on the floor for young and small children or just standing a little higher in your stance. One thing I do not recommend doing is extending your arms out. You don't want the impact to shoot straight into your arms (as you could hurt your elbows or shoulders in the process) as much as letting the impact disperse throughout your whole body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These pads are meant to be tools to help in the practice of techniques. There is responsibility that falls on both the person kicking and the person holding the pad. When holding it, there is some level of understanding that the person kicking isn't going to go all out as a safety precaution to the other (and this can vary depending on skill level) while the  person holding the pad can be trusted to help train the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-03-28T13:25:45.143" LastActivityDate="2012-03-28T13:25:45.143" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="755" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="693" CreationDate="2012-03-28T15:42:35.200" Score="3" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Let it heal. Stop doing things that hurt. Stop getting into situations where it will probably get re-injured.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, really.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember that we generally &lt;em&gt;feel&lt;/em&gt; better about halfway through the healing process. Our body is lying. Listen to your doctors and stay away from practice for the full period recommended.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Strengthen and rehabilitate the affected areas. Re-evaluate your strength and mobility. (Yoga, weightlifting, and physical therapy are probably your best bets.)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Reintroduce yourself to training at a reduced intensity. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ramp up to your original intensity, with your stronger and more mobile body.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-03-28T15:42:35.200" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="756" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="745" CreationDate="2012-03-28T17:45:38.590" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Precision comes with practice.  There is no other way.  However, there are a few things that you can do to help that practice be more purposeful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Video&lt;/strong&gt;.  It's amazing how many mistakes are made manifest by an unforgiving lens.  It will help you judge things like your approach, accuracy, body position, etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Field of Vision&lt;/strong&gt;.  You mentioned that you can accurately kick what you are looking at.  In the video you displayed, the attacker was looking straight ahead.  My guess is that he had an eye on the targets using his peripheral vision.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reusable Targets&lt;/strong&gt;.  It might be useful to use a target printed on paper to help you focus.  Once a board breaks it's done.  If you have the paper on something stiff but has give, you can reuse the targets to keep working on your accuracy.  For example, tacking the targets on a pair of heavy bags might work well for you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The goal here is to apply fairly equal power in the right location.  Focusing on one target or another can affect your body position--particularly in air.  Focusing on the sidekick might have you over-rotate, and focusing on the front kick might have you under-rotate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-03-28T17:45:38.590" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="758" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="697" CreationDate="2012-03-30T16:48:59.630" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a yellow belt, you have to realize you are just beginning.  The most dangerous time in a student's career is when they are between the yellow and green belt level.  It's because they know more than most of their friends, and might even be able to win a fight or two.  Part of your training is to learn how to deal with defeat and not let it defeat you.  Another big part that will be with you always, is actively thinking about what you are going to do next.  Your at a place where you can't help but think about the next move, and that's OK.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The things to focus on at this stage are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Put the techniques and combinations you've learned to practice&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Work on awareness (can you see the attack that is coming)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Work on timing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Work on &lt;em&gt;control&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The awareness, timing, and control are all fundamental aspects of martial arts.  Control can be worked on every time you do your forms, or practice combinations in the air or on a target.  However, the awareness and timing are only developed when you have an opponent.  When you realize this, pay attention.  Don't think of winning or losing, focus on the list I gave you.  If you win against a brown belt it's probably because they dumbed down what they were doing too much and you got lucky.  If you go into it with that attitude, it will help you keep your emotions in check.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-03-30T16:48:59.630" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="759" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="763" CreationDate="2012-03-30T19:07:57.590" Score="18" ViewCount="2744" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was doing some surfing today and noticed a few mentions of lineage when considering a given school/dojo. The people asking about lineage of a given school seemed to feel that if the instructor(s) didn't post their training lineage, then the school was shady and/or you couldn't be sure that you were getting a good education from them, and that they should be avoided (no matter your reasons for getting into martial arts).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It got me curious: Aside from established associations that require dojos to have certain certifications/credentialling in order to be associated/officially sanctioned with the organization, how important is the lineage of a given school or instructor when it comes to credibility or trustworthiness?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="341" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-03-31T22:40:48.797" LastActivityDate="2021-07-09T20:53:48.427" Title="How important is lineage when it comes to credibility or trustworthiness?" Tags="|history|dojo|schools|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="760" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="759" CreationDate="2012-03-31T13:03:12.457" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;My answer here is going to be very similar to my answer to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/682/11&quot;&gt;What qualifies a school or business as a legitimate martial arts system?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The short answer is: &quot;It isn't unless you think it is or you are operating in a culture that thinks it is, and then only to the degree that you accept it as valid.&quot;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lineage is frequently &lt;em&gt;claimed&lt;/em&gt;, but difficult if not impossible to actually &lt;em&gt;demonstrate&lt;/em&gt;.  Sometimes this is because the claim clearly has merit but there's no documentation (e.g., he clearly learned the martial art somehow but there's no record of where); sometimes it is because there is no written record that even indicates the style practices resemble the modern forms; sometimes because &quot;trained with&quot; has cultural meaning that may not imply what we think it does (e.g., &quot;took a class with the grandmaster but mostly trained under one of his students); and sometimes it is just because it was made up out of whole cloth at some point (possibly several generations ago, and possibly by people who are no longer alive).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also the phenomenon of &quot;yes, X studied P under Y, but what they practice has borrowed from other traditions and now looks very different.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there's fundamentally very little way to demonstrate any actual lineage. Sometimes the best teachers will have no confirmable lineage or won't even claim a lineage to speak of (beyond possibly referencing their instructor who may very well still be alive and active), where some of the worst may have a long chain of certificates and trophies on their wall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the core, there's only so many ways for the body to move and each instructor adds, subtracts, or at least flavors the style while they teach it.  The hapkido I am learning from my instructor now is taught a little differently and feels a little different than what I was studying years ago under the same instructor, because both my understanding and my teacher's understanding have evolved over time.  This will be reflected in past versus present students, and in their students.  Especially long after the people involved are dead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a general rule, efficacy and practice of the teacher are more important than any claims from the lineage itself. There is an interesting historical exercise behind it, and researching the matter can help you gain perspective on the art and how it relates to other arts, and sometimes it can help clarify exactly what style of whatever art you are practicing (especially &lt;em&gt;recent&lt;/em&gt; lineage). In terms of actual overall importance, however, I am going to steal a line from Worf in &lt;em&gt;Deep Space Nine&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The only real question is whether you believe in the legend of Davy Crockett or not. If you do, then there should be no doubt in your mind that he died a hero's death. If you do not believe in the legend, then he was just a man, and it does not matter how he died. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-12-26T12:51:06.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="761" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="764" CreationDate="2012-03-31T15:20:55.610" Score="6" ViewCount="14049" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am diagnosed with &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inguinal_hernia&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Inguinal Hernia&lt;/a&gt;. I'm 21 years old, so the doctor said he cannot predict whether it's going to be a 'mesh' or a 'sewn-up' repair.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am very interested in martial arts - especially for self-defense, flexibility, health cultivation and fitness aspects.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given these parameters, what kind of martial art can I learn, if at all? I am very worried about the hernia, can I be confident like a normal person?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Update&lt;/em&gt;: I've had the surgery done (the doc used a mesh) and have been healing for four months now, it does feel great to not worry about the specter of a strangulated hernia anymore :) I am waiting for a bit before heading off to a martial arts class, for now just practicing some tai chi with videos at home. The pain has not yet completely gone away - I feel it when my stomach feels 'full' - or when I run for a bit. So I guess I will hold off martial arts for a while longer, will get a clearance from the surgeon before doing any! Thanks for all the answers people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="367" LastEditorUserId="367" LastEditDate="2012-10-25T12:58:58.103" LastActivityDate="2019-10-21T07:19:24.930" Title="Can I practice any of the martial arts after a hernia surgery?" Tags="|health|injury|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2020-04-03T16:01:48.857" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="762" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="766" CreationDate="2012-03-31T19:05:08.197" Score="13" ViewCount="1533" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm looking to practice some with a training dummy at home. I live in a condo (apartment building), and am concerned with:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;being able to mount it properly&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;noise absorption - minimal noise production&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;reduced space requirements&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a wing-chun style training dummy (or an equivalent device) that would be suited for use at home in a condo or apartment building?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="146" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-04-02T14:42:08.453" LastActivityDate="2020-10-01T17:18:08.503" Title="Are there any Wing Chun Kungfu training dummy designs that are fit for use in a condo?" Tags="|training|kung-fu|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="763" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="759" CreationDate="2012-03-31T21:22:56.340" Score="14" Body="&lt;h2&gt;What Use Lineage?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A traceable lineage neither guarantees a quality training environment nor a legitimate experience. One should also keep in mind that Asian martial arts have a tendency to embellish their relationships and lineages. For example, it's common in Japanese arts for a soke to claim he was the only student of his teacher, or for a practitioner to claim he studied under X, when in fact he studied under X's student Y.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Teachers Versus Lineage&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a distinction between one's teacher and a full lineage. For instance, in judo, it's common to say &amp;quot;I study under Joe Blow&amp;quot;, or &amp;quot;I train at Acme Dojo&amp;quot;, whereas it's very rare to hear a &lt;em&gt;judoka&lt;/em&gt; lay out the full lineage-chain back to Jigoro Kano. The same situation holds true in many Western arts such as boxing, and schools that focus on practical application. The perspective here is that the quality of one's teacher matters a great deal, but can be judged in itself, without needing to reach back further in history.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The opposite is true in many schools of &lt;em&gt;karate&lt;/em&gt;, all Japanese &lt;em&gt;koryu&lt;/em&gt;, and schools that focus on history and tradition. Being able to trace an authorized teacher-student relationship to the founder of the style is considered in those circles as the &lt;em&gt;sine qua non&lt;/em&gt; of legitimacy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another form of legitimacy similar to lineage is membership in an association. In some martial arts, affiliation with a greater body is extremely helpful in establishing a basic level of credibility. In judo, you can ask (and double-check) if a school is affiliated with USJF, USJA, or USA Judo. In Brazilian jiu-jitsu, you can ask (and double-check) who they got their rank from, and in some situations, whether they are part of an association like Alliance, a Gracie branch, Atos, et cetera.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note the differences between affiliation and lineage: it is current instead of based in history, it sometimes involves insurance coverage (such as in judo and many forms of Korean karate), and while informative, it is generally not considered a test of legitimacy in itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;What Instead?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If one does not subscribe to the idea that legitimacy is transmitted solely through lineage, one must take on the task of evaluating the legitimacy of a school.  This is a very broad task and should take into account many factors, such as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The practical ability of a teacher, best assessed through a competition record or direct experience (e.g. sparring)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The pedagogical ability of a teacher, best assessed by observing their students' behavior in life, competition, and class&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The environment of a school, best assessed by going there and training&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If one of your goals for training martial arts is to learn to fight, then the first one of that list is important. As &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.straightblastgym.com/street03.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Matt Thornton notes&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to know if someone is &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; at fighting, or teaching some element of fighting then you must:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A) Watch them spar, or pull off their movement against a resisting opponent. or&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;B) Watch the &amp;quot;Instructors&amp;quot; students spar, or pull off their movement against a resisting opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is really no other way.... Anyone can 'look good', even 'look crisp' hitting focus mitts. Or demonstrating one and two step sparring, etc. It has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with whether or not they can actually fight, or know how to teach anyone else how to fight. All it means is. . .they know what they think it should 'look like'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2012-11-18T07:08:30.733" CommentCount="0" CommunityOwnedDate="2012-03-31T21:22:56.340" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="764" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="761" CreationDate="2012-03-31T23:26:22.530" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;After surgery, there is a period of time you have to let your body heal.  Your physician will schedule several follow-up visits to check on the progress of the healing.  During that time, &lt;em&gt;let your body heal&lt;/em&gt;.  Martial arts can wait.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After that period of healing your physician will clear you for all normal activity.  This means everything from general exercise and sports to martial arts.  Discuss your intentions with your doctor, and ask if there is anything that would prevent you from resuming martial arts.  Also discuss with your doctor what causes the hernia in the first place.  You might be surprised at the cause.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as self defense goes, you may look into traditional jujitsu.  When the techniques are formed properly, you really aren't using brute force to pull it off.  That will minimize the risk of the injury reoccurring.  Flexibility is never a bad idea, and you will likely have to actively work on hip and groin mobility once you are cleared for normal activity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If all goes well with the surgery, you should be able to carry on normal life with full confidence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-03-31T23:26:22.530" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="765" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="761" CreationDate="2012-04-01T09:08:39.560" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Absolutely you can. I've had exactly the same thing (I believe I caused it by doing too much leg-pressing in the gym).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After the surgery it took about 6 weeks to fully recover - by this I mean I had no more tweaks and niggles from it. I recommenced training considerably sooner than that though. Just don't do anything that stresses the abs, or specifically the lower abs and hip flexor area for a while. This means you need to back off kicking for a while, and take it easy with any crunches/situps/leg raises that you do. Also be careful with anything that &lt;em&gt;stretches&lt;/em&gt; that area (like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9wVZr.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;cobra stretch&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QW4Ce.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;longitudinal&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ukpMi.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;side&lt;/a&gt; splits, or anything imparting &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SmS6J.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;rotational stretch&lt;/a&gt;), as scar tissue doesn't stretch readily so you will cause yourself some discomfort if you go too hard too soon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;Note: the stretching images were shamelessly &quot;borrowed&quot; for illustrative purposes from dance.about.com and health4ever.com.au, although it seems they've been ripped off in several other locations too. This borrowing was simply to avoid link rot hence this attribution.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2012-04-01T11:29:39.733" LastActivityDate="2012-04-01T11:29:39.733" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="766" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="762" CreationDate="2012-04-02T12:31:54.563" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;What you are asking for is a tall order.  If you live on the ground floor, noise issues are more easily addressed because you don't have to worry about impact noises with the floor.  Impact noises are the hardest to control, and they radiate through rigid structures like floor joists rather well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have no affiliation with the site, but there are a great number of styles for Wing Chun dummies &lt;a href=&quot;http://superiormartialarts.com/cgi-bin/uniform/perlshop.cgi?ACTION=thispage&amp;amp;thispage=wingchun.html&amp;amp;ORDER_ID=270390366&amp;amp;affiliate=!affiliate!&quot;&gt;shown here&lt;/a&gt;.  Another individual has some &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMQfSk48xRI&quot;&gt;video instructions&lt;/a&gt; on manufacturing your own.  You may decide to draw some inspiration from the different models shown on the first site and some sweat equity and pointers from the second link.  That will at the very least deal with the reduced space requirements.  You have several mounting options, and as long as the dummy is secure and won't topple over during use that will be good enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to noise absorption, the best ways of dealing with it go against the best ways of mounting the dummy.  As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, impact noises are your worst enemy in a condo or apartment environment.  If you mount the dummy so that it is fixed (i.e. no rotation), then you have some options to minimize impact noise from the dummy transferring to the walls.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use high impact rubber as spacers between the top and bottom of the dummy.  One low cost but effective material are the rubber hockey pucks intended for indoor gym use (not the kind intended for ice hockey).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You will likely have to cut the dummy so that the sticks remain at the right height, but you have room for the sound absorption material.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use rubber washers between the metal washers and the mounting surface.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't let the dummy's &quot;foot&quot; come in contact with the ground.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mount on an a wall that does not border a neighbor.  If you have a wall that connects to the outdoors, that is an ideal mounting surface.  If you have a wall that is between you and your neighbor, that will be the last place you want to mount it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wrap the arms with high impact foam.  This can affect your training and the feel of the dummy, so use it as a last resort.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last but not least, all these steps can only minimize the noise made from the dummy.  There will be noise.  As a good neighbor, you may introduce yourself to your neighbors and let them know your intentions--asking if there are times when it would be best not to train.  For example, if your neighbor has to get up at 5:00am, they are likely going to bed at 9:00pm.  Training after that time would be rude to them.  Some neighbors will be upset by anything above a soft whisper, so you'll have to use judgement with them.  But as I also mentioned in the beginning, living on the ground floor allows you to get away with a lot more.  You can mount your dummy normally because earth is the world's best sound absorber.  Still mount the dummy so it isn't on a bordering wall with your neighbor, but you won't have to go through too many extra steps to sound proof it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;note: I have a background in audio engineering, even though I don't use it as much these days.  That's where the information on sound absorption comes from.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-04-02T12:31:54.563" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="769" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="759" CreationDate="2012-04-02T20:07:15.503" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note: This is from my own perspective training within a specific style and culture. It is skewed to my own personal experience and observations, but I hope that the thoughtfulness will be valuable to other people.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lineage's importance in relation to credibility or trustworthiness of an instructor and school depends on what you are looking for in martial arts training. For some people, that aspect of the traditional culture, fellowship, family, and the values of passing down knowledge from one generation to the next can be very meaningful. For others, those values aren't as important or meaningful to them. Maybe they just want to train simply for exercise or health, the school may be close to where they work or live, or people might have very involved lives in areas outside of martial arts. You don't have to force those values upon them and &quot;convert&quot; them so to speak (doing so might actually push them away), but it is something people can develop an appreciation for if they so choose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lineage itself does not indicate the quality of an instructor's teaching or the environmental conditions of a school. There may be good teachers who might not have a well-defined lineage (or perhaps it is one they do not advertise). Their ability to teach and share knowledge comes from within; it is not purely and externally dependent on who taught that person nor where they trained.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A school or instructor that claims a specific lineage doesn't necessarily correspond to official sanction or certification in an art. There are some people who believe that they can take from another art, combine it with their own experience, and claim they have developed a new style or system (believing themselves to be &quot;experts&quot; in whatever regard). It can be seen as disrespectful in some circles because those people don't pay respect to their predecessors or maintain connections or associations with other generations of students and teachers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on how lineage is claimed or worded, it can also be might read as a vain marketing tactic or as a veiled sign of disrespect. If written in a positive way, however, that describes how the lineage and tradition contributed to an instructor's training and own personal growth (and hopefully that instructor is still learning and teaching within that system), then it shows the treatment and seriousness that someone has given to the martial art and the character of that person which feeds into how that instructor teaches a particular style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I come from a background and culture where tradition and history is deeply ingrained. With regards to martial arts, the aspect of lineage signifies that the instructor has trained properly within a system and respected it for what it is. The issue of trust and credibility is something I see growing out of the relationship between a person and the art. In what I study, that means paying respect to your ancestors, treating everyone else with respect, cleaning the school, and carrying whatever other responsibilities that come with practicing martial arts. For some people, it is a sacred thing they take very seriously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There was a phrase (and I think this might be of a particular culture) mentioned to me once that people say which as indicator of how good you are at your skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;You have a good teacher.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The meaning of that phrase can be interpreted a number of ways, but it also is an sign of the legacy that is passed down generation to generation. Teaching a martial art is not only teaching movements; it is also about passing down values and lessons, creating a nurturing environment and letting people grow physical, mentally, and spiritually. While some of those things emerge from martial arts, it is not the only source either. With respect to lineage, it is important to me for the values I hold, and I believe that it is valuable to have that. However, it is not something I would consider to be sole determining factor for evaluating the quality of a teacher of school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastActivityDate="2012-04-02T20:07:15.503" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="770" PostTypeId="7" CreationDate="2012-04-03T02:25:19.977" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of combat that are practiced for self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental, physical and spiritual development.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial Arts is a site for students and teachers &amp;mdash; beginners, experts, professionals, and enthusiasts &amp;mdash; of all martial arts. If you have a question about…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Characteristics, regimens, history, and culture of martial arts systems worldwide&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Execution, instruction, and practice of techniques (with or without weapons)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Martial arts equipment (including use, maintenance, and construction)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Analysis of tactics and strategies from historical competitions, tournaments, and sparring matches&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Evaluating and choosing martial arts given specific criteria (e.g. grappling, high kicks, self-defense, etc.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Conducting or teaching martial arts classes, workshops, or seminars&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Injury prevention within the context of martial arts training&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;…then feel free to ask. Please do a &lt;a href=&quot;http://martialarts.stackexchange.com/search/&quot;&gt;search&lt;/a&gt; to check that no one else has asked first, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Questions that should &lt;strong&gt;not be asked on Martial Arts&lt;/strong&gt; include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Recommendations for schools or teachers in area &lt;em&gt;X&lt;/em&gt; (too localized)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What martial arts system is &quot;best&quot; or if art A is better than art B (not constructive)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Theatrical or stage combat that focus more on theater or entertainment (for role-playing, re-enactments, etc.) (off-topic)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fitness issues unrelated to martial arts (off-topic, please ask on &lt;a href=&quot;http://fitness.stackexchange.com/&quot;&gt;Fitness &amp;amp; Nutrition&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Martial arts movies, comics, science fiction, or fantasy (off-topic, please ask on &lt;a href=&quot;http://movies.stackexchange.com/&quot;&gt;Movies&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;http://scifi.stackexchange.com/&quot;&gt;Science Fiction &amp;amp; Fantasy&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Business aspects of running a martial arts school (legal advice, retention, location, advertising, etc.) (off-topic)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;General injury treatment or medical advice (off-topic)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2011/08/gorilla-vs-shark/&quot;&gt;If martial artist A would beat martial artist B&lt;/a&gt; (not constructive)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Above all, remember that your question should have a clear answer. It should not prompt extended debate or invite opinion. If your question is not related to an actual problem you face or trends away from martial arts to a different subject, it probably does not belong on this site.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are unsure whether the &lt;a href=&quot;http://meta.martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/scope&quot;&gt;scope&lt;/a&gt; of your question is appropriate for the site or not, feel free to bring it up on the &lt;a href=&quot;http://meta.martialarts.stackexchange.com/&quot;&gt;Martial Arts Meta&lt;/a&gt; for discussion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-09-02T22:20:00.747" LastActivityDate="2012-09-02T22:20:00.747" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="771" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-04-03T07:13:20.477" Score="11" ViewCount="8100" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no substitute for a live training partner, but sometimes a training partner just isn't available and drilling is an important part of training for groundwork grappling.&#xA;For those times I don't have a training partner available and want to train/drill grappling technique and ground work how useful would a grappling dummy be?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The closer to a live person a dummy is, the more useful I would expect training with them to be. How close to a live person are they?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Can you put them into different positions and expect them to be able to maintain those positions given no outside interference? Eg If a dummy is put into a kneeling position, can it hold that position without toppling?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When you attack a joint, how much resistance is there? Eg If you try to armbar a dummy, will you feel no resistance at first, then  resistance when the arm is straightened out at 180 degrees, or will you feel progressive and increasing resistance leading up to the straightening of the arm, or will you feel no resistance even past 180 degrees?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How lifelike are the joints? Eg are the elbows hinge joints, do the shoulders simulate the ball and socket joints of a human shoulder?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course the dummy would be unable to react respond to your movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Extra points for those who have tried multiple dummies, and both commercially available dummies and home made dummies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="373" LastEditorUserId="373" LastEditDate="2012-04-04T01:07:18.357" LastActivityDate="2022-06-20T00:31:31.420" Title="How useful is a grappling dummy, when you don't have a live training partner available?" Tags="|training|equipment|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="772" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="750" CreationDate="2012-04-03T22:53:15.363" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;For Aikido I was taught the same method as in the video, except that I start with the end hanging to the left instead of the right. I was told this is so rolling is more comfortable. The X tying version (starting with the middle of the belt on your stomach and wrapping around both directions simotaneously) is supposedly used by martial arts that don't do a lot of rolls (like Karate). All the places I've ever trained at Aikido have tied their belt with the &quot;flat back&quot; version. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I took Kenpo the instructor said I should start with the end hanging to my right (as shown in the video). So I had to learn how to tie my belt in the opposite direction of what I was already accustomed to. My friends who did Taikwondo / Karate at other places usually tied their belt in the X fashion. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.worldtaekwondo.com/tiebelt.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This website&lt;/a&gt; has an interesting division of belt tying. For the colored belt he shows the X version (starting from the middle of his stomach). For the black belt with name and school he shows the flat back version. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastActivityDate="2012-04-03T22:53:15.363" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="773" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="93" CreationDate="2012-04-04T06:48:23.773" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Slugster's great post forgot to mention relaxation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Conditioning to build strength and improve flexibility is very important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, fast, fluid motion also requires you to be relaxed and it's harder to achieve relaxation of the large leg muscles than it is of the arms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One drill I give people is to get a pile of cushions at a height they can comfortably hold their leg out on and stand there in a kicking position with the leg supported by the cushions. They are not to try stretching but concentrate on relaxing every muscle in the leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This helps them stop moving like a &lt;em&gt;powerful but rusty hinge.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the topic of abs conditioning - I'm a big believer in using a Swiss ball (fitball) as a seat. It's easy to acquire the habit of moving continually through the day when sitting on one and it develops an awesome range of abdominal muscles especially the lateral ones. I have been doing this for years. I was kicked in the abdomen by a racehorse, earlier this year, hard enough to break the floating rib backwards near the spine. Doctors were very surprised I suffered no organ damage from the blow (expecting kidney or liver tears) - I credit my abs development.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="179" LastEditorUserId="179" LastEditDate="2012-12-12T19:01:50.950" LastActivityDate="2012-12-12T19:01:50.950" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="774" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="775" CreationDate="2012-04-04T14:47:58.753" Score="3" ViewCount="2029" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently (a week ago) got side-kicked with a heel in my sternum pretty hard, enough that it knocked me down (I weigh 215 lbs).  Needless to say it was very painful and a week later it still kills if I try and do any pushups or move certain ways.  There is no external bruising or anything; it's just very uncomfortable.  Any idea how long this will take to feel better?  Do I need to go get it checked out?  Anything I can do to speed the process?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="113" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-11-17T13:28:31.090" LastActivityDate="2015-11-17T13:28:31.090" Title="kicked in the sternum - tips on healing, time frame? any lingering danger?" Tags="|injury|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="775" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="774" CreationDate="2012-04-04T15:17:35.533" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I occasionally get what I think is a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/costochondritis/DS00626&quot;&gt;costochondritis&lt;/a&gt; flare up, so I can sympathize. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First: If you have &lt;em&gt;any&lt;/em&gt; doubt on getting it checked out, even if you think it isn't that big of a deal, it is probably a good idea to do so.  There are a host of things that a bunch of people on an internet forum won't be able to tell just by your description, and you shouldn't listen to our advice over that of a professionals anyways.  So best practice: if you are still having pain a week after, it is probably a good idea to get it checked out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, at the risk of being somewhat obvious: It will take substantially less time to heal if you just let it heal.  It is amazing how many things can slow sternum healing, including doing things like pushups or even some stretching.  Certainly things that activate the surrounding muscles, such as pushups, should be avoided.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The standard advice for most injuries applies: use ice and let it rest. Make sure you are getting enough calories (if you have been eating anything less than maintenance, stop that, and consider going beyond maintenance until you are recovered). Then ease yourself back into working out, generally starting with stretching until you are recovered.  Avoid sparring or anything that is likely to get you reinjured. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-04-04T15:17:35.533" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="776" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-04-04T16:42:24.793" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-04-04T16:42:24.793" LastActivityDate="2012-04-04T16:42:24.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="777" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-04-04T16:42:24.793" Score="0" Body="Questions related to the short exhalation of breath or shout that comes before or during a technique in many eastern martial arts." OwnerUserId="45" LastEditorUserId="45" LastEditDate="2012-04-04T17:03:14.870" LastActivityDate="2012-04-04T17:03:14.870" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="778" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-04-04T16:46:02.213" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-04-04T16:46:02.213" LastActivityDate="2012-04-04T16:46:02.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="779" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-04-04T16:46:02.213" Score="0" Body="Martial arts traditions that originally arose in Asia. " OwnerUserId="45" LastEditorUserId="45" LastEditDate="2012-04-04T17:05:18.113" LastActivityDate="2012-04-04T17:05:18.113" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="780" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-04-04T17:12:40.340" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-04-04T17:12:40.340" LastActivityDate="2012-04-04T17:12:40.340" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="781" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-04-04T17:12:40.340" Score="0" Body="Escrima is a term that encompasses several different styles of Filipino martial arts. It emphasizes use of weapons such as sticks or knives, though it also uses bare-handed techniques." OwnerUserId="45" LastEditorUserId="45" LastEditDate="2012-04-04T17:19:20.767" LastActivityDate="2012-04-04T17:19:20.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="783" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="771" CreationDate="2012-04-05T14:13:46.093" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Grappling dummies have their place and are useful.  But like you said they are no substitute for a real body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I must preface this with the fact that they only grappling dummies I've used are the ones with no legs or arms that are really only mean for dragging around, picking up, and working ground and pound.  and they are good for that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for grappling dummies for practicing throws:  I would say your better of doing uchi komis to work on your foot work, body movement and breaking the balance,  once you've got that, no grappling dummy will react the same as a human body for the actual throw part so it won't be that beneficial.  Better off wrapping a gi around a pole.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For working ground techniques like arm bars, chokes, and pins,  something like the bubba dummy is pretty ideal, but its a little on the expensive size: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bubbadummy.com/html/how_to_order.html&quot;&gt;http://www.bubbadummy.com/html/how_to_order.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This website has some reviews and information on some of the dummys available: &lt;a href=&quot;http://grapplingdummys.net/&quot;&gt;http://grapplingdummys.net/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any of the three on there would be suitable for drilling basic ground technique with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T02:43:18.583" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T02:43:18.583" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="784" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="648" CreationDate="2012-04-05T18:57:18.760" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are some very extensive answers on this &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/455/should-i-stretch-after-exercise/&quot;&gt;stretching question on Fitness.SE&lt;/a&gt;, which I will use as the basis for this one but adapt in relation to martial arts. Dance, particularly ballet, seems close enough to martial arts due to its large range of motions. Not all martial arts feature extended leg movements, but you can probably infer to some degree how applicable ballet movements are to your martial art given the extremes those dancers can reach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a study titled &lt;a href=&quot;http://tca.d4sportsclub.com/object.aspx?id=516&amp;amp;o=486&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Impact of Stretching on Sports Injury Risk: A Systematic Review of the Literature&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Ruth Solomon agrees. Professor emeritus at the University of&#xA;  California, Santa Cruz, Solomon has been a dancer and dance trainer&#xA;  all of her professional life. She has published dozens of books,&#xA;  monographs, and journal articles about training and injury prevention,&#xA;  and is a member of the board of the International Association for&#xA;  Dance Medicine &amp;amp; Science.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;She is often shocked when she walks into dance studios to teach for&#xA;  the first time and sees dancers stretching on a cold floor.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;I say, 'Please don't do that!' and explain that we'll stretch in the&#xA;  middle and at the end of class,&quot; she said.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;According to Solomon, stretching must be an integral part of the&#xA;  warm-up process.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;As long as the blood is coursing through the body, the oxygen is&#xA;  flowing through the muscles, and the muscles are warm-then you can&#xA;  stretch,&quot; she said. &quot;But not before. If you don't stretch and&#xA;  strengthen together, you'll have a weak muscle. The strength must&#xA;  balance the stretch if you want to control your movements.&quot;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Solomon explained that dancers are at risk for injury partly because&#xA;  dance demands such extended ranges of motion. Moreover, ballet dancers&#xA;  typically do exercises such as developpes and grand battements that &#xA;  develop their quadriceps, but may neglect the hamstrings. The&#xA;  resulting strength imbalance puts extra stress on the knee joint.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;If the muscles are really stretched out, the ligaments may not be&#xA;  able to protect the joints,&quot; she said. &quot;So you get unstable joints,&#xA;  particularly knees, and you may get hyperextension and ligament&#xA;  tears.&quot;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretches are now favored in&#xA;  the dance community because they both strengthen and lengthen muscles,&#xA;  Solomon said.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rocky Bornstein, a physical therapist and long-time dancer, also&#xA;states in the same study:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;Dancers tend to have a lot of laxity in their joints, a lot of range&#xA;  of motion, so in some cases strengthening may be more of an issue than&#xA;  stretching,&quot; she said. &quot;If you have a joint that is not&#xA;  biomechanically lined up, the muscles that move it will be working&#xA;  overtime to compensate. Stretching the muscle without addressing the&#xA;  joint won't help.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;Muscle lengths affect other joints in the body,&quot; Bornstein said.&#xA;  &quot;People with short hamstrings who don't stretch them are going to&#xA;  break down somewhere else, probably in the lower back. We stretch our&#xA;  pectorals not just to lengthen them, but to alleviate upper back or&#xA;  cervical strain. It's allowing joints to move in the best way&#xA;  possible-and that's not necessarily the joint directly attached to the&#xA;  muscle.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21358428&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Another study conducted with soccer players&lt;/a&gt; explored the effects of static and dynamic stretching on the hip's range of motion during kicking. The study concludes that there is little difference between prior static stretching and no stretching during the backswing phase (when you get ready to kick). However, dynamic stretching creates a significant difference versus static stretching all throughout a whole soccer kick. Again, the soccer kicking analogue is not a perfect one-to-one mapping to martial arts, but some of the fundamental muscular movements should translate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One study, titled &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21364485&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Effects of Two Modes of Static Stretching on Muscle Strength and Stiffness&lt;/a&gt;, compared constant-torque stretching vs constant-angle stretching of the leg flexors on peak torque. The study results show that musculotendinous stiffness decreased after constant-torque static stretching. If the purpose of the stretch is to reduce this stiffness, then constant-torque stretching &lt;em&gt;may&lt;/em&gt; be more appropriate than the constant-angle stretching (holding a stretch at a constant muscle length).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Different studies have different conclusions, and there are many variables to consider. It's debatable as you say. In short, static stretching prior to exercise &lt;em&gt;may not&lt;/em&gt; prevent injuries. Performing workouts at lower intensities corresponding or relating to the stylistic elements of your martial art is probably better for martial arts than solely stretching. The goal of a warm-up should be to increase the blood flow and temperature in your body, which is not synonymous with stretching (though it can be a component of the warm-up). Your body will adapt to the stress you place on it, and once you have warmed up, then stretching afterwards can help increase your range of motion and relieve muscle soreness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:46:50.943" LastActivityDate="2012-04-05T18:57:18.760" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="785" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="531" CreationDate="2012-04-05T20:32:33.370" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a number of video resources available. As was pointed out in the comments depending on your style (and even instructor) there may be small changes. I included most of the ones I've been taught over the years. My instructors were generally influenced by Saito Sensei. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For Jo:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eGt_8sUqo0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;31 Count Jo Kata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1TxOYUellc&amp;amp;feature=related&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;13 Count Jo Kata&lt;/a&gt; (Saito)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R9XqrT8UMA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;20 Jo Suburi (basic attacks)&lt;/a&gt; (Saito)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei1tt7ij7js&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kumi Jo 1 - 5 (partner)&lt;/a&gt; (Saito)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJolX8mVyEk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kumi Jo 6 - 10 (partner)&lt;/a&gt; (Saito)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For Bokken:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh83FbeiJSM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;7 Ken Suburi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h3z8bnEuws&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;7 Ken Suburi&lt;/a&gt; (Saito)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJDOnAaU-q4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;8 Direction cuts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60ALo9nKAJY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chiba Sensei's 8 Ken Kata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9EpY6PirZw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ki Musubi No Tachi (partner)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastEditorUserId="267" LastEditDate="2018-06-13T07:56:18.173" LastActivityDate="2018-06-13T07:56:18.173" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="786" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="648" CreationDate="2012-04-05T20:38:03.713" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Static Stretching Doesn't Go in The Warm-up&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I disagree that the exercise science is of mixed opinion or quality. It seems pretty clear to me that static stretching before dynamic exercises is contraindicated. Warm-up before working out, but don't sit down and relax into a stretch, or hold it for thirty seconds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Per &lt;a href=&quot;http://stadion.com/author_kurz.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tom Kurz&lt;/a&gt;, a martial artist who specializes in exercise science and stretching in particular:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Doing static stretches before a workout that consists of dynamic actions is counterproductive&lt;/strong&gt;. The goal of the warm-up, which is to improve coordination, elasticity and contractibility of muscles, and breathing efficiency, cannot be achieved by doing static stretches, isometric or relaxed. Isometric tensions will only make the athlete tired and decrease coordination. Passive, relaxed stretches, on the other hand, have a calming effect and can even make an athlete sleepy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Static stretches reduce maximal strength (Kokkonen et al. 1998) and impair activity of the tendon reflexes (Rosenbaum and Hennig 1995). By making fast dynamic movements immediately after a static stretch, an athlete may injure the stretched muscle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Static stretching has its place in the cool-down, or in separate workouts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kurz has a wealth of other references, but the basic ideology is there and sound. One might say, &amp;quot;Hey, that doesn't describe my martial arts warm-up!&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;My class isn't run that way...&amp;quot; or even &amp;quot;I don't run class that way.&amp;quot; That's true. Most martial arts classes are not run optimally along these lines. A method being popular does not make it correct.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Proper Warm-up&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Doctor AnnMaria de Mars, judo coach and the first American to win a world championship in judo and the mother and coach of two-time Olympian and current MMA champion Ronda Rousey, &lt;a href=&quot;http://drannmaria.blogspot.ca/2012/11/ways-and-whys-of-warm-ups.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;has this to say about warm-ups&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are spending 20% or more of your practice on warm-ups it's a waste of time. Judo class is not gym. Let them get in shape at home.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For beginning students, spending 10-15% of the practice on warm-ups is not a bad idea, for two reasons.  One, most new students are not in very good condition. Very few schools have daily physical education classes and your students are a lot more likely to spend their after school hours playing video games than playing soccer. So, warm-ups are good to gradually get them in condition. Two, they don't really know anything yet, so it's not as if you can have them spend the whole time doing throws and pins if they only know one throw and one pin. That's going to get boring pretty fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your warm-ups shouldn't be one more bit of monotony. Some people don't mind push-ups, sit-ups and other calisthenics. Some hate those exercises. I try to mix up what we do for warm ups.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kurz has a more regimented approach, though he agrees that sometimes it's best for hard-charging martial athletes to put aside their Very Serious Training for a workout and go down to the park to play football:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A properly designed workout includes the following parts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The introduction, where the coach briefly explains the task&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The general warm-up, including cardiovascular warm-up and general [dynamic] stretching&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The specific warm-up, where movements resemble more closely the actual subject of the workout&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The main part of the workout, when the main task is realized&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The cool-down&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The closing, summing up fulfillment of the tasks and dismissal of the group&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Part 2 refers to dynamic, not static, stretching.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2012-11-30T14:33:44.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="787" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-04-05T21:56:09.663" Score="9" ViewCount="2893" Body="&lt;p&gt;Power is defined exactly like in the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_%28physics%29&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;wiki article&lt;/a&gt;, and the units are also as in the wiki article:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The dimension of power is energy divided by time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Breathing is largely composed, as far as my understanding goes, of four parts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;inhale&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;exhale&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the moment between the inhale and the exhale&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the moment between the exhale and the inhale&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, first, at which point in this cycle can I generate the most power for a strike? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Breathing can be done, at its most basic, in two ways. There are many more ways, which is of course why I am asking this question - if there were only two, I would have already gone through all the variations and figured this out myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;belly/diaphragm breathing (which involves raising/lowering the diaphragm when you breathe in/out)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;chest breathing (which involves expanding the upper chest when breathing in and contracting it when you breathe out).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other kinds of breathing involve back breathing, reverse breathing, embryonic breathing, etc. Many methods can be found quite easily by googling, if you only know the name.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also understand that breathing, in a vacuum (no pun intended) is completely useless. It must be done within the context of the body, but if we make abstraction of the body movements, relaxation, etc, the question remains:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which kind of breath allows one to generate the most power for striking?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-04-11T01:34:43.253" LastActivityDate="2018-07-20T15:24:18.863" Title="Which kind of breath provides the most striking power?" Tags="|power|striking|breathing|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="14" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="788" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="787" CreationDate="2012-04-06T12:08:11.403" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Before discussing what type of breathing generates power, you have to discuss how the body generates power.  And even more importantly, how martial artists apply the principles of power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts is less interested in the physics definition of power--mainly because it is of little practical use.  Typically, a martial artist is interested in the force transferred to a target.  Crushing a coconut requires roughly 1600 psi (pounds per square inch), which is 100 psi more than it takes to crush a skull.  The martial artist isn't interested in the physics that cause the kick or the punch to generate the transfer of force, although that is done with power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In the realm of physics:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Power is force over time.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Moving a 400lb object 2 feet in 5 seconds requires less &lt;em&gt;power&lt;/em&gt; than moving a 400lb object 5 feet in 0.5 seconds&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In the realm of martial arts:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Power is how much force is transferred to the target&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Knocking a 300lb man on his butt requires more power than knocking an 80lb child&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How the Body Transfers Power&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the short summary as applies to martial arts.  You can have two martial artists that can move their hands and feet with the same amount of power as defined by physicists, but the impact on the target is different.  There's a few reasons to explain this, but if we eliminate external factors and focus on the &lt;em&gt;budoka&lt;/em&gt; (martial arts students) the difference is the stability of the budoka's base.  The target has force, even if it is stationary.  The target absorbs some of the force, but due to surface tension, and how stable that object is, some of the force is pushed back.  The budoka with the most stable connection with the ground is going to be in a better position to overcome that push back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a concept that power flows from the earth through you into the target.  It sounds mystical, but also has application in a physical description.  When a budoka is in a solid stance, any force applied to him will be transferred to the earth.  The earth has a greater surface tension than any of us, so assuming the body is rigid, the earth in essence pushes back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same applies when transferring the physical power of a punch or kick to a target.  The more rigid the rest of the body is, the less the push back from the target is going to overcome the force applied for all the same reasons that a good stance helps the budoka.  If any of the muscles used in the technique are not tense, then it absorbs some of the push back and diminishes the force applied to the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How this Relates to Breathing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a reason why we are instructed to kiya when we strike.  In order to form the kiya, our core needs to tighten quickly and force an exhale.  When our core tightens, it is more rigid and it becomes a strong component in our stance.  This applies to both receiving and delivering a punch.  Even if you don't make an audible noise, tightening the core at the moment of impact provides a good balance between stability and freely getting the breath you need.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Different arts have slightly different emphasis, with different focus on breathing and how it applies in the spirit of the art.  I'll only provide a couple of examples that I'm aware of, as I wouldn't know where to find out all the answers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tae kwan do, and similar arts focus on one-hit-one-kill.  Even a block is a strike.  To that end, the kiya happens with the strikes and the blocks.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Go Ju Ryu, and some similar arts focus on prolonging your energy to fight.  Breathing becomes an important part of practice.  It's blocks are more of a parry to deliver a counter attack.  On the block, the budoka breaths in, and on the counter strike the budoka kiyas.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jujitsu, and some similar arts focus more on grappling than strikes.  The budoka needs to learn how to breath while they are under pressure, as well as how to apply the techniques.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just to throw something else in the mix, several martial arts teach the student how to fall.  Typically, when the student hits the ground then need to exhale.  That exhale releases tension from the body and helps prevent injury.  It is also a normal reaction to the impact of hitting the earth, so it is best to learn how to control it so that when the body hits it is not too relaxed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding where the breath comes from, and all the different methods you referenced, that is highly dependent on which martial art you are studying.  There are different philosophies regarding combat, and how best to survive.  Applying the breathing techniques from tae kwan do in go ju ryu will leave you in a disadvantage if the fight goes longer than you expect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that disclaimer, breathing through the chest (chest rises and falls when you breath) is the least ideal way to breath when we need to control force.  The same thing applies with singing.  If your breath comes from your gut (same as diaphragm but more descriptive of how the body feels when doing it) you will usually do much better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-04-06T12:08:11.403" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="789" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="750" CreationDate="2012-04-06T23:47:51.720" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This one is pretty much what I see Shihans and high ranks do:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4hXo1KqSww&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4hXo1KqSww&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastActivityDate="2012-04-06T23:47:51.720" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="791" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="750" CreationDate="2012-04-09T14:16:46.890" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ask your Sensei or an advanced student. I've learned Aikido in a number of different schools (often I have find a new school if I get laid off at work and have to move). Some schools want it one way. Others, another. I is the same with techniques. Your dojo will have a specific way of doing things with a level of importance attached to each practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="169" LastActivityDate="2012-04-09T14:16:46.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="794" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="795" CreationDate="2012-04-10T20:58:57.987" Score="6" ViewCount="9498" Body="&lt;p&gt;One thing I've seen practiced before are stretches involving a partner, particularly for the legs. I've seen mixed reviews of this practice in a variety of different locations, and wondered if someone had some good experience or research on whether they were beneficial, dangerous, harmful (or perhaps counterproductive), beneficial only in selective situations, or beneficial and dangerous (in a way that can be mitigated through proper technique).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen this particularly with respect to legs before doing kicks in arts that emphasis high kicks, generally working off of a wall with a partner facilitating the leg stretch. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the purpose of this question I'm ignoring the commonly reported issue of a partner going too far relative to what a person would ask them to do or move too quickly. I've mostly heard of or seen this done with more experienced practitioners who go very slowly and who communicate quickly and effectively.  Basically I'm interested in the &quot;happy path&quot; arrangement: the partner goes as far as the person being stretched indicates they should and no further, at a consistently slow speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2014-01-13T08:30:25.460" Title="Is stretching with a partner beneficial, dangerous, or both?" Tags="|safety|stretching|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="795" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="794" CreationDate="2012-04-12T14:30:19.330" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Both!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Starting with dangerous:&lt;/strong&gt; Obviously, if your partner pushes you to hard, you could easily over stretch and tear something. Just like if you try to stretch to much, or to cold by your self and over do it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Now on to the good stuff:&lt;/strong&gt; It is absolutely beneficial. The one technique that I use quite often is to have yourself stretch to as far as it's comfortable, have your partner hold it, and you resist against your partner for 8-12 seconds. Then relax and your partner will push the stretch just a little further (as far as comfortable). This style of stretching is great for increasing flexibility and is hard to do solo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By favorites for this are:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Place your back against the wall, lifting a leg straight in front, with the resistance pushing down.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sideways to the wall, leg straight up to the side, with the resistance pushing down again.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The butterfly stretch (sitting, bottoms of feet together, partner will be behind you, pushing your knees down).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could also adapt these to some shoulder stretches. I don't do a lot of those, because I have fairly messed up shoulders, and the joints don't like that kind of stress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also note that it is important for the partners to communicate well with each other and for there to be a level of trust. They need to work together and push each other but not overdo it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some More information about the benefits of using a partner:&#xA;Some of these you could, in theory do with out a partner,  but you'll get a better stretch, and be able to push against the resistance better, if it's being provided by a partner.    The standing, leg sideways one is a good example,  sure, you could get almost the same stretch from doing the splits, but how can you resist against that?   For the &quot;butterfly&quot; stretch, having to use your own elbows or hands to push your knees down will take away from your proper posture for the stretch.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, by using a partner for the resistance, you allow for better range of motion and form and will have more steady source of resistance then you could provide yourself.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;here are a couple of links about isomentric or pnf stretching:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://articles.submityourarticle.com/Richard-Lane-372/stretching-83751.php&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://articles.submityourarticle.com/Richard-Lane-372/stretching-83751.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/docs/rec/stretching/stretching_4.html#SEC34&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/docs/rec/stretching/stretching_4.html#SEC34&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorUserId="21" LastEditDate="2012-04-13T16:57:25.547" LastActivityDate="2012-04-13T16:57:25.547" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="796" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="794" CreationDate="2012-04-12T20:52:00.363" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;From Tom Kurz' &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0940149451&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Stretching Scientifically&lt;/a&gt;, page 25, it's a great book, pick it up:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The practice of using partners in stretching is a waste of time, and it is dangerous. The helper is neither stretching nor resting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is an important point to remember: the wild inefficiency of partner stretching. Class time is valuable. Spending it holding someone else's leg for no good reason is a waste. Continuing!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The danger of using a partner in stretching is obvious. The partner does not feel what you feel. He or she can easily stretch you a bit more than you would like. If you feel pain and let your partner know about it, by the time the partner reacts, it can be too late.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think there are exceptions (such as &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGfVDEaAGWA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt;), but they are very rare, and involve professionals guiding you through very specific stretches that, without a partner, would be logistically impossible or difficult. This is not the case for the vast majority of basic stretches, and does not include students haphazardly trying to help each other, or as happens too often in the martial arts, an instructor walking by in a group setting and trying to &quot;help&quot; (or more likely, show off his prowess at producing such flexible students) with a push.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-04-12T20:52:00.363" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="797" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="800" CreationDate="2012-04-12T21:49:25.130" Score="4" ViewCount="1213" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dillman.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;George Dillman&lt;/a&gt; claims to teach &lt;em&gt;Ryukyu&lt;/em&gt; (Okinawan) &lt;em&gt;Kempo Tomari-te&lt;/em&gt;. The theory here is that there were three villages teaching Kempo: &lt;em&gt;Naha&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Shuri&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;Tomari&lt;/em&gt;. I have heard that &lt;em&gt;Tomari&lt;/em&gt; really did not have its own form of &lt;em&gt;Kempo&lt;/em&gt;, and George Dillman has simply used this but it is historically inaccurate. Can anyone shed any light on this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="238" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-04-13T16:38:33.067" LastActivityDate="2012-04-17T16:59:59.683" Title="Is Tomari-Te a valid type of Okinawan (Ryukyu) Kempo?" Tags="|kempo|okinawa|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="798" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="771" CreationDate="2012-04-12T23:13:04.287" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Dummies (with limbs) are a great tool to build proprioception, specifically around maneuvering across and around body-shaped objects (like a body). They build awareness of possible limb positions and help drill the &quot;baseline&quot; moves used in grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your specific questions are unanswerable, because there a wide variety of dummies available.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Heavier ones can be used as part of a strength and conditioning program and can help figure out your own idiosyncrasies regarding throws, pivot points, and so on--obviously a dummy won't react like a person, but that isn't always the point: when you're learning a technique, particularly ones drill able from a static(-ish) starting point, your opponent isn't going to defend either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dummies are an adjunct, helpful in fairly limited ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2012-04-12T23:13:04.287" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="799" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="797" CreationDate="2012-04-12T23:54:06.917" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;By all accounts that I've read, &lt;em&gt;Tomari-te&lt;/em&gt; was indeed a distinct style, but over time (and proximity to &lt;em&gt;Shuri&lt;/em&gt;) largely blended with the more popular &lt;em&gt;Shuri-te&lt;/em&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is some information that might be helpful to you:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://karatedo.hakuakai-matsubushidojo.com/tomarite.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://karatedo.hakuakai-matsubushidojo.com/tomarite.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;and: &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.msisshinryu.com/history/tomari-te/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.msisshinryu.com/history/tomari-te/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="390" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-04-13T16:13:31.333" LastActivityDate="2012-04-13T16:13:31.333" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="800" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="797" CreationDate="2012-04-13T16:01:50.553" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Each style of &lt;em&gt;Te&lt;/em&gt; (or &lt;em&gt;Tii&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;Dii&lt;/em&gt; in the Okinawan language) is named for the region from which it originated; in this case, the &lt;em&gt;Tomari&lt;/em&gt; village, which is in the greater &lt;em&gt;Naha&lt;/em&gt; region.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tomari-te&lt;/em&gt; is not just a predecessor of Dillman's &lt;em&gt;Ryukyu Kempo&lt;/em&gt;, but of &lt;em&gt;Shorinji-ryu&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Motobu-ryu&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Shorin(Matsubayashi)-ryu&lt;/em&gt; and many others. Saying that Dillman teaches &lt;em&gt;Tomari-te&lt;/em&gt; is a bit like saying that I teach &lt;em&gt;Iga-ryu Ninjutsu&lt;/em&gt; – Some of the techniques in the &lt;em&gt;Bujinkan&lt;/em&gt; may derive from the older &lt;em&gt;ryuha&lt;/em&gt; but I was never trained explicitly in that. By that same token, Dillman's instruction traces back to Tomari-te by way of (from what I can determine):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(&lt;em&gt;Teruya Kishin&lt;/em&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;em&gt;Sokyu Karyu&lt;/em&gt;) -&gt; &lt;em&gt;Matsumora Kousaku&lt;/em&gt; -&gt; (&lt;em&gt;Motobu Choki&lt;/em&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;em&gt;Kyan Chotoku&lt;/em&gt;) -&gt; &lt;em&gt;Shimabuku Tatsuo&lt;/em&gt; -&gt; Harry G. Smith -&gt; George Dillman&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In all fairness, before he got all into the &lt;em&gt;Dim Mak&lt;/em&gt; / &lt;em&gt;Kyushojutsu&lt;/em&gt; stuff, Dillman was a [fairly respectable martial artist(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Dillman) [&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;NB:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Labeling someone as a fantasist seems to be pretty non-NPOV for wikipedia]. As far as I can determine, Dillman had no direct training in &lt;em&gt;Tomari-te&lt;/em&gt;, and uses the name as a means of promoting his brand of &lt;em&gt;kempo&lt;/em&gt; as something older.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dillman aside, &lt;em&gt;Tomari-te&lt;/em&gt; is acknowledged as a root of &lt;em&gt;Isshin-ryu&lt;/em&gt;, and is noted as a root of &lt;em&gt;Motobu-ryu&lt;/em&gt; in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.koryu-uchinadi.com/index1.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;McCarthy, Patrick and Yuriko (2002). &quot;Motobu Teacher/Student Lineage Chart&quot;. Motobu Choki: Karate, My Art. Australia: International Ryukyu Karate Research Group. p.118.&lt;/a&gt;[aka &lt;em&gt;Watashi no Karate-jutsu&lt;/em&gt;].&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-04-17T16:59:59.683" LastActivityDate="2012-04-17T16:59:59.683" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="801" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="711" CreationDate="2012-04-13T22:42:54.180" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Kubotan (a trademarked name for what's otherwise called &lt;em&gt;eda koppo&lt;/em&gt; or the similar &lt;em&gt;yawara&lt;/em&gt;) is effectively a force amplifier, as you said. It's limited only truly by an individual's understanding of the weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Uses&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Striking&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;By holding the kubotan in the middle of the fist, it acts as a &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tekko&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;fist-load&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;By laying the stick along the thumb, and using the thumb to strike, it lends rigidity to the thumb (useful for pressure point striking).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;By allowing an end to protrude from the bottom of the fist and bracing the kubotan with the thumb, you lend lethality to hammer-fist strikes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wrist Locks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The kubotan can be spanned between the smallest finger and the thumb and used to apply pressure to the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Radius4.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;radius at the styloid process&lt;/a&gt; to amplify pain.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Held similarly, it can amplify pressure along the dorsal side of the hand at the carpal bones to aid &amp;quot;breaking&amp;quot; the structure of the wrist.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Holding&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The protrusion of a kubotan can act as a hook for snaring clothing in a grab.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Held similarly to the techniques described in the wrist locks, grabs to protruding bones (floating ribs, collar bones, etc.) are amplified.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Throwing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Any of the above can be used to break the balance of the opponent and aid in throwing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Really, the uses are limited only by 1.) accessibility and 2.) your imagination. Repeated practice and exploration is key, as with anything in the martial arts. This is by no means an exhaustive list.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Substitutions&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps the most important aspect of such a weapon is that training with it can lead to effective substitution. While the kubotan is generally produced from a hardened thermoplastic polymer like lexan or from (usually anodized) aluminum, it can be substituted with a small wooden dowel or stick, a pen or pencil, a small flashlight (like the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.maglite.com/AA_Cell_LED.asp&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;maglite&lt;/a&gt;), or (if you get a bit more creative) the handle of another weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you train to understand the principles underlying what you're taught, you open up a world of possibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2012-04-13T22:42:54.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="803" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="805" CreationDate="2012-04-17T11:40:41.637" Score="7" ViewCount="2979" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Bokken&lt;/em&gt; are supposed to mimic/represent a &lt;em&gt;katana&lt;/em&gt; for training purpose.  There are &lt;em&gt;suburi bokken&lt;/em&gt; which are heavier than normal to train muscles and develop power. But &lt;strong&gt;why are there different shapes of 'normal' bokken?&lt;/strong&gt; Is it just to be different or are there real differences between the swords that the &lt;em&gt;bokken&lt;/em&gt; are supposed to represent between the different styles?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, see &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ninecircles.co.uk/Wooden_Weapons__Shinai/Bokken/Specialised_Bokken.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nine Circles's specialise bokken section&lt;/a&gt; for example of different bokken by styles: &lt;em&gt;jigen ryu daito&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;niten ichi ryu daito&lt;/em&gt;, etc...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-04-17T16:16:21.153" LastActivityDate="2013-06-20T08:46:01.557" Title="Why do different shapes of bokken exist?" Tags="|weapons|kendo|kenjutsu|iaido|bokken|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="804" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="803" CreationDate="2012-04-17T15:03:21.383" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Swords come in different shapes and sizes. &lt;em&gt;Bokken&lt;/em&gt;, to represent them as facsimile, should follow. This is sufficient explanation for variation in curvature, thickness, edging, grooves, or any other variables.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, different styles demand different weights, shapes and styles for their &lt;em&gt;bokken&lt;/em&gt; due to personal or organizational preferences that are often inscrutable. I would not be surprised if some of these preferences are only discussed internally in some cases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-04-17T15:03:21.383" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="805" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="803" CreationDate="2012-04-17T16:00:48.030" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Generally, there are a few points in which the sword will differ between arts. The history and mythology (or oral tradition) of the evolution of the Japanese sword (from &lt;em&gt;ken&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;tsurugi&lt;/em&gt; to &lt;em&gt;tachi&lt;/em&gt; to &lt;em&gt;katana&lt;/em&gt;) spans thousands of years. Generally, differences may be caused by:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Locality&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – The available material sources at the time may have led to a design out of practicality more than necessity. For instance, it's said that &lt;em&gt;Miyamoto Musashi&lt;/em&gt; created a &lt;em&gt;suburito&lt;/em&gt; from an oar that he found in order to prepare for a duel with &lt;em&gt;Sasaki Kojirou&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Temporality&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – The norms of the time shaped the crafting virtues of &lt;em&gt;bokken&lt;/em&gt;. That is, if the swords of the time at which the &lt;em&gt;ryu&lt;/em&gt; is founded are straighter (closer to &lt;em&gt;tsurugi&lt;/em&gt;, as the differentiation was not immediate), then the &lt;em&gt;bokken&lt;/em&gt; may mimic this.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Proximity&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – The location relative to emerging schools of craftsmanship may result in choices of &lt;em&gt;kisaki&lt;/em&gt; or relative weight.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Necessity&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – Some &lt;em&gt;ryuha&lt;/em&gt; have requirements of lighter, faster &lt;em&gt;bokken&lt;/em&gt; to train movement, while others believe in using a heavier and thicker design to encourage powerful strikes. The contact of &lt;em&gt;kukishin-ryu&lt;/em&gt; makes a thick &lt;em&gt;tsuba&lt;/em&gt; a necessity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, the differences will be noted in terms of:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Thickness&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – Bokken of &lt;em&gt;Kashima Shin-ryu&lt;/em&gt; tend to be thicker than those of &lt;em&gt;Yagyu Shinkage-ryu&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kisaki&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – The tip or point tends to differ amid styles. Common variations may be a blunt, chisel, or sword point.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Length&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – &lt;em&gt;Kukishin-ryu&lt;/em&gt; tends to favor a longer &lt;em&gt;bokken&lt;/em&gt;, while &lt;em&gt;Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu&lt;/em&gt; is significantly shorter (by about half a foot). The length of the &lt;em&gt;bokken&lt;/em&gt; used for &lt;em&gt;Togakure-ryu&lt;/em&gt; is shorter still to emulate a style of sword developed for deception.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tsuba&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – The &lt;em&gt;tsuba&lt;/em&gt; used on &lt;em&gt;Kukishin-ryu bokken&lt;/em&gt; is a thick, wide piece reminiscent of a donut, while &lt;em&gt;Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu&lt;/em&gt; commonly uses none.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, by researching into the histories of different schools, you can find the reasoning behind the choices they made. More often than not, someone at some point has explained it, and even the most secretive practices often end up as public knowledge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-04-17T16:00:48.030" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="806" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="803" CreationDate="2012-04-17T18:29:25.647" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bokken are both training tools and weapons in their own right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;em&gt;suburi bokken&lt;/em&gt; comes from the legend of &lt;em&gt;Musashi&lt;/em&gt;.  As the story goes, he was crossing a river on a boat to go to the duel of his life when he realized he didn't have his &lt;em&gt;katana&lt;/em&gt;.  He fashioned one of the oars into a sword.  It was heavy, but Musashi was well renowned for his strength.  He, of course, defeated his opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more traditional bokken was used as a training tool.  It hurt when you were hit, but it didn't cut you.  It was plain, without grooves, &lt;em&gt;saya&lt;/em&gt; (scabard), or &lt;em&gt;tsuba&lt;/em&gt; (hand guard).  It was used primarily to learn the sword katas for beginners.  Newer tools such as the &lt;em&gt;iaito&lt;/em&gt; and the &lt;em&gt;shinai&lt;/em&gt; replaced its use in more modern times.  The &lt;em&gt;iaito&lt;/em&gt; looks and feels more like a &lt;em&gt;shinto&lt;/em&gt; (new blade/cutter) allowing the student to practice drawing the sword and &lt;em&gt;notto&lt;/em&gt; (sheathing the sword).  The &lt;em&gt;shinai&lt;/em&gt; is used in modern kendo, as it produces fewer injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some schools still use the bokken, as it has a &lt;em&gt;ha&lt;/em&gt; (edge) and &lt;em&gt;mune&lt;/em&gt; (back).  These features ensure that the &lt;em&gt;waza&lt;/em&gt; (techniques) practiced translate better to a proper &lt;em&gt;katana&lt;/em&gt;.  Modern kendo includes &lt;em&gt;waza&lt;/em&gt; that will only work with a &lt;em&gt;shinai&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Outside of the &lt;em&gt;suburi&lt;/em&gt; bokken which is studied as its own weapon, and builds strength (it's heavy), all the other variants of bokken are just modern conveniences to fit the tastes of the buyer.  The &lt;em&gt;hi&lt;/em&gt; (groove) only serves to lighten the weight of the bokken.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastEditorUserId="274" LastEditDate="2012-04-17T19:23:45.657" LastActivityDate="2012-04-17T19:23:45.657" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="807" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="711" CreationDate="2012-04-17T18:52:51.560" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The kubotan has a few uses other than as a fist load or as a joint-lock/pressure-point force multiplier. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Choking&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen kubotan techniques which allow it to be used as a &lt;em&gt;leverage point&lt;/em&gt; from which to hold with both hands in order to execute a scissoring choke with the forearms (similar to how a &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt; collar is used in jujitsu-derived arts).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Swinging&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also seen a kubotan attached to a keychain or other implement and swung, such that it becomes a mini-flail. This is another method of force multiplication.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Passing&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The kubotan is also valued for its innocuousness. Many normal objects--pens, markers, spoons--can be used as makeshift kubotans, and even a key-ring kubotan is often considered unobjectionable. It is also easily hidden, quickly retrieved, and unlike a knife, capable of both lethal and non-lethal use. This makes it ideal in many legal jurisdictions as a weapon of self-defense and everyday carrying. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Further study&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The kubotan is also known as the &lt;em&gt;yawara&lt;/em&gt; (or yawara stick). I like &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B001J4KVQE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this DVD&lt;/a&gt; of techniques for it, which includes the stuff mentioned above. (Full disclosure: I was involved in the DVD's production but am no longer affiliated with the group and receive no compensation from promoting the DVD or them.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-04-17T18:52:51.560" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="808" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-04-17T20:28:07.307" Score="4" ViewCount="314" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, I have read the other kick balance thread but I've tried the wall side kick, repeating slowly many many times, and the other drills but my balance issues don't arrive until I'm recovering from a hard kick, not initiating it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm about 5'9&quot; and 150 lbs,around 4% body fat. I've been in various sports such as football and track, so I'm pretty confident in my overall muscle strength despite my light weight.&#xA;Especially my legs, I ran sprints in track so I know they are fairly strong and quick. I'm also confident in the strength of my abs, back, and obliques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a background in tae kwon do, karate and muay thai, but I never took classes for more than a couple months at a time. Whenever I'm repeating a muay thai round kick or a TKD back kick, I never land gracefully. I'm always taking a step to the side to re-balance myself. Even if I exaggerate lowering my center of gravity, as soon as I put power into a kick it's like the recoil of my own move throws me off balance. I do emphasize hitting completely through a target, but I still believe I should be able to control my own body posture throughout the move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have noticed that on the bottom of my feet, my weight distribution rockets to the side during a kick, and that is the direction my body moves towards. But I'm always keeping my heels off the floor and bouncing on the balls of my feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's an example of what happens, I'm standing in a typical TKD stance with my left foot forward. I twist my hips and initiate the back kick, and as soon as I &quot;snap&quot; the kick and tuck it back down, my new front foot(right) has to step off my center line towards the right. So how would I train to have a swift, graceful balance that lands on my center line after a kick without sacrificing power?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="397" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-04-18T02:39:12.613" LastActivityDate="2012-04-27T05:09:18.617" Title="How do I improve landing on my center line after a back kick?" Tags="|power|kicking|balance|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="809" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="808" CreationDate="2012-04-17T20:46:54.580" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I hate to say it, but you probably do need to train with a coach to show you why you are pushing your weight off centre.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a straight kick, you should be pushing through your centre of mass to your anchor foot - it sounds like you are aiming incorrectly, or possibly twisting your body incorrectly, but it would need someone to watch you to help you correct this, I think.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For any kick where you spin, you need to know where your weight is going - a good test is to try a 360 spin while jumping on a trampoline. If you can land exactly back on the spot, then your balance is working. Try the same with a kick and watch where you move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the end, though - you need a coach for martial arts, otherwise you just teach yourself bad habits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="57" LastEditorUserId="57" LastEditDate="2012-04-18T20:17:00.187" LastActivityDate="2012-04-18T20:17:00.187" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="810" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="808" CreationDate="2012-04-18T02:59:57.610" Score="1" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Tanner's Law&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The number of people who can self-teach martial arts is terrifically small. These people do exist. They are generally genetic freaks, established extraordinary athletes in another discipline, and/or have an unusually dedicated group to train with. This is called &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.org/Tanner%27s_Law&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Tanner's Law&lt;/a&gt;, after one such impressive individual.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is of particular importance that you realize that a couple months each of a smattering of different striking arts is not going to produce optimal soil for self-training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Get Coaching&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your best bet is to find a good coach--whether Muay Thai, karate, or tae kwon do--and train diligently under their guidance. Three orders of magnitude less productive than that solution would be posting video and getting it critiqued over the internet. Describing the problem with words? I can't imagine it will be at all productive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a totally unrelated note, please don't say you're at 4% body fat unless you have a DEXA or bod-pod report saying so. If you do, I am very impressed. I don't think many people can stay at 4% for any substantial length of time. Bodybuilders hit 4% for competitions. As for your level of strength, I recommend using objective measures like how much you can squat or deadlift, instead of subjective measures like &quot;I &lt;em&gt;feel&lt;/em&gt; strong&quot; or &quot;I used to run track.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-04-18T02:59:57.610" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="811" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="808" CreationDate="2012-04-18T11:53:08.990" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Go slowly. Go through the motion really slowly. And while you're doing that, pay attention to where your balance is going. When you're done with the extension, bring your leg back. Really slowly. And pay attention.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will teach you what you need to know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-04-18T11:53:08.990" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="812" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="808" CreationDate="2012-04-18T12:18:10.730" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If training with a sensei is not an option at the moment, understand that it limits both your knowledge and what it takes to self-correct.  A trained eye can see where you are having issues.  Since that has been harped on with just about every answer, I'll move on to the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use a Heavy Bag&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind that there is a huge difference between striking a target, and performing a technique in air.  There is a lot you can learn about small deficiencies in your technique from actually striking an object.  This is where the heavy bag becomes your friend.  All you need is a 50lb bag, nothing too heavy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just by striking the bag, you can feel the impact on your foot.  When the foot is a little off, it just doesn't feel solid.  Also, by having a visible target it can improve your accuracy.  The energy of the kick should transfer into the bag.  If you have noticeable push back, you could have a couple problems:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Timing:&lt;/strong&gt; releasing the kick too soon or too late either results in missing the target completely, or not having the center of gravity driving into the planted foot.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Commitment:&lt;/strong&gt; you have to commit to the kick and trust that it will do its job.  If you don't, you won't use the proper amount of force which will result in balance problems.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aim:&lt;/strong&gt; if you aim too high or too low for a technique, you will be off balance vertically instead of laterally.  Any side kick is designed to work from the solar plexus to the belt level.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are things you can never tell by simply striking air, or a target that doesn't have any weight.  Once it feels good and solid on the bag, you can go back to doing it in the air.  The kick should feel a lot better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-04-18T12:18:10.730" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="813" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="618" CreationDate="2012-04-18T12:36:38.220" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to The 1995 Condensed, 1999 Condensed and 2008 15 Volume (as well as the original 1985? 15 Volume) these are Hooking Blocks (16 and 19 preformed as the first half of a Connecting Motion). Online resources back this up as well, such as &lt;a href=&quot;http://chk-taekwondo.com/id28.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://chk-taekwondo.com/id28.html&lt;/a&gt; which is an excellent, excellent resource. My own writeup on the patterns is here: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fusionmartialarts.com.au/freeware/BlueBook_CondensedPatterns.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.fusionmartialarts.com.au/freeware/BlueBook_CondensedPatterns.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having come from a traditional/military wing of Taekwon-do into an ITF school myself, there were a number of movements from patterns that changed or were otherwise never fully explained as they are in the ITF. A few examples that come to mind are: Do-San 1, 3, 9 &amp;amp; 11 were done mid-section in the traditional school; Hwa-Rang 21-23 obverse punches were preformed at much more than 15 degrees; Spot Turns were all preformed differently; Fixed Stance Punches were Side Facing; etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So... differences abound if the school is based on the traditional/military (basically pre-ITF) teachings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="398" LastEditorUserId="398" LastEditDate="2012-06-13T03:59:12.910" LastActivityDate="2012-06-13T03:59:12.910" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="816" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-04-20T00:40:21.927" Score="5" ViewCount="4144" Body="&lt;p&gt;I train in Taekwon-do (1st Dan Instructor) and &lt;em&gt;ninjutsu&lt;/em&gt; (Beginner) and I had an interesting insight/question arise from my &lt;em&gt;ninjutsu&lt;/em&gt; Instructor (which is why I picked up the second art):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;em&gt;ninjutsu&lt;/em&gt;'s Shizen (almost like TKD's Outer Open Stance, so a 50/50 weight distribution per &lt;strong&gt;LEG&lt;/strong&gt;), we are supposed to bear ~2/3rds+ of our weight on the ball of the foot, and only ~1/3rd on the heel. This is to produce a more assertive stance that is more agile as well as better able to better absorb a hit from the front.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me, this made a lot of sense as in Ice Hockey if you are caught on your heels you end up on your butt. Plus the shape of the human foot; a long-ish forward platform (the tarsals + metatarsals) with a rounded back that does not extend to the rear (the heel). If you are caught with too much weight behind, that rounded heel will dump you over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I brought this question to my Taekwon-do instructors (2nd, 4th and 6th Dans) and it was pretty clear that they had never thought about it in this way either. The question is still open on the TKD side (we are all having a think about it) but they seem to think it's a 50/50 weight distribution across each &lt;strong&gt;FOOT&lt;/strong&gt; (50% heel, 50% ball of foot).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So... why would you place more weight on the forefoot (ball of foot)? Why would you have an equal distribution between the ball of foot and heel? Why would you place more weight on the heel? I'm interested in some overall views on this that are generally applicable to stances, as well as views from how other martial arts use this &quot;adjustable feature&quot; of a stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;IE: TKD's L-Stance (aka Back Stance) has a weight distribution of 30% on the front &lt;strong&gt;LEG&lt;/strong&gt;, and 70% on the back &lt;strong&gt;LEG&lt;/strong&gt;, but where do you carry that 70% on the back &lt;strong&gt;FOOT&lt;/strong&gt;?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MORE INFO...&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I once again spoke with my &lt;em&gt;ninjutsu&lt;/em&gt; instructor about this, and he mentioned that Yoga practitioners have a concept of 4 points of balance and weight distribution per foot; outside-ball-of-foot, inside-ball-of-foot, outside-heel and inside-heel. Again, from an Ice Hockey players perspective, this makes a lot of sense (and makes me wonder why I've never thought of it in this way before). Ice skates have 2 edges; an inner and outer edge. It is also important to keep your weight centered over the blade for a neutral stance, and forward for an aggressive/fast stance. As Ice Hockey skates are rounded (you never have more then 1-2cm on the ice at a time), it's of course important not to rotate too much weight back (else you're on your butt). So, in Ice hockey, you have inner and outer edges, along with forward and back/neutral, so like Yoga, there are 4 points of balance on each foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway... Yoga having 4 points of balance per foot is fascinating to me in relation to this question. So... does anyone else have a deeper understanding of how this concept applies to distributing your weight in relation to martial arts stances? What advantages would you gain by having a majority of your weight on the outer-ball of your foot? When you spar, where do you carry your weight in relation to these 4 zones of the foot? Why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More MORE INFO...&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found a decent video on Yoga's concept of the &quot;4 corners of the foot&quot;: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bk6zBPs79g&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bk6zBPs79g&lt;/a&gt; . It focuses on muscle engagement / development as well as awareness of these 4 &quot;zones&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="398" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-04-24T18:51:34.070" LastActivityDate="2012-06-15T05:58:25.737" Title="&quot;Rules&quot; for weight distribution per FOOT (not leg, foot) for any given stance/intent?" Tags="|technique|tae-kwon-do|ninjutsu|stance|itf|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="14" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="817" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-04-20T05:08:45.713" Score="20" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Self-defense Scope&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self-defense has many elements unrelated to hand-to-hand combat. Everyone interested in self-defense should wear a seatbelt, avoid smoking and addictive drugs, stay fit (in particular, capable of running very fast), and cultivate a basic knowledge of general self-defense strategies like being assertive, de-escalation, and situational awareness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But unless you're investing serious time each week in role-playing scenarios, drilling home invasions, quick-draw tactical pistol shooting, working a Neighborhood Watch shift, or sparring with a shock knife, when you say &quot;self-defense&quot; you're probably talking about &lt;em&gt;optimizing hand-to-hand combat abilities&lt;/em&gt;. We have known methods of rapidly developing hand-to-hand combat abilities, and I don't mean marginally useful tricks like hail-Mary knees to the groin or eye pokes. I mean regularly and repeatedly beating up other fit, trained opponents who are trying to do the same to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Sparring and Competition&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training and competing in full-contact grappling, striking, or both is the fastest method to a solid base in meaningful self-defense skills. (Your desire not to compete is immaterial and counterproductive.) If you wish to learn about self-defense tactics in addition to developing that sparring- and competition-built base, the sources in Nick's answer are excellent. But no amount of drilling or simulated ball-punching is going to provide a sufficient substitute for the enormous adrenaline dump of competition or the hands-on hand-to-hand combat experience of copious sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Further, it is folly to ignore the other benefits of hard sparring and competition with regards to self-defense. As &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shenwu.com/discus/messages/25/2828.html?1145415932&quot;&gt;Tim Cartmell notes&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It is important to train, at least sometimes, under conditions you find stressful (hard contact sparring, competiton...) so that you can learn to manage your stress induced reactions. Many people that never condition or engage in stressful training practices believe their perfect technique and Zen-like calm will be enough to defeat the thug in a street fight. These same people will often be shocked to find they are exhausted after their initial adrenaline dump, often before a single blow is thrown.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Boxing and Muay Thai&lt;/strong&gt; are good options for striking competition. Kyokushin or other &lt;strong&gt;knockdown karate&lt;/strong&gt; styles can be good as well, but since being punched in the face is one of the primary Habitual Acts of Violence in the Western world, disciplines that involve being punched in the face are optimal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu&lt;/strong&gt;, or (if you can find it outside of a high school or college) &lt;strong&gt;wrestling&lt;/strong&gt; are good options for grappling competition. (Let's pre-empt the comments about grappling with this: you don't want to fight on the ground or get stuck in a clinch, but it's not always your decision. If it happens, wouldn't you want to be very, very familiar with it? Don't you want to be the thrower and not the throwee?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mixing grappling and striking competition might be best left for those with prior experience in the two options above, but &lt;strong&gt;mixed martial arts and San Da/San Shou&lt;/strong&gt; are good options. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&quot;Theory&quot; Skills versus Tested Skills&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Schools that talk a big game about self-defense but shortchange the hard sparring leave their practitioners with either an overconfidence in their never-truly-tested skills, or a nagging anxiety that their skills are only theoretical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In contrast, six months to a couple years of frequent, hard training in one of the competitive disciplines listed above will give you skills that you &lt;em&gt;know&lt;/em&gt; will work, because you will have made them work against resisting opponents. If you compete, you'll be doubly sure, because your tactics and technique will have been tested vigorously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Why &quot;Knees to the Balls&quot; is A Misguided Syllabus&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Critics of this approach often point out that it's quite easy and fast to teach a self-defense course consisting largely of &quot;knee them in the balls and do this trick to escape their wrist grab&quot; to weak, unfit non-martial-artists. Unfortunately, that approach is counterproductive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Teaching a freshman girl (or an overweight middle-aged non-athlete) ball-kicking tells her that she knows what to do in a violent situation and that she can do it. In fact the technique will not work and she is incapable of doing it. Such techniques are overly simple, ineffective against even the most barely physically capable assailants, and may escalate an encounter that the weaker person is already losing. Faith in these techniques can be dangerous. We should be telling these people that they should either learn to fight or acknowledge that they can't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've taught those classes, and from that experience I think they're misguided if they don't impart actual grappling and striking skills (beyond wrist grabs and ball punches), and if they don't involve hard sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What we want to avoid at all costs is &lt;a href=&quot;http://davetrains.tumblr.com/post/28135659495/rapists-tell-their-story-askreddit&quot;&gt;leaving the sheep with the impression that it is a wolf&lt;/a&gt;. That's what non-sparring or light-sparring-only self-defense training does to people. Their ability to fight is still marginal, but they believe themselves to be competent or somewhat competent. After seeing it happen to dozens of people, despite my efforts to convince them otherwise while teaching groin kicks etc, I firmly believe that such an approach makes the world worse. Weak people who don't train in hard-sparring arts are at the mercy of stronger and better-trained aggressors, regardless of whether we tell them to knee them in the balls or not. Hiding this fact from weak people does them no favors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-01-28T18:39:59.430" LastActivityDate="2013-01-28T18:39:59.430" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="818" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="816" CreationDate="2012-04-20T08:13:32.173" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is an interesting question and I'd like to hear other's views on this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I once read an article about diabetic foot ulcers. The articles explained that some diabetic lose sensation of pain from their feet. Your feet will automatically adjust weight distribution based on biofeedback. This happens subconsciously. However, since some diabetics don't feel pain in their feet, they keep hitting the ground on the same spot over and over again. This eventually lead to ulcers. Since these diabetics do not feel pain, they do not feel the ulcers. When left untreated, they develop conditions that requires amputation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key part here relavent to martial arts is this notion that your feet will automatically adjust how you place your feet. It means that attempting to consciously manage this will put you at a disadvantage as a martial artist. Natural foot placement probably works better in many cases (unless you have suffered injury in the past). There's a lot more discussion about this with the people that go barefoot running.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This story suggests that it is far more effective to train foot sensitivity than it is to train weight distribution on the individual foot. Going barefoot, wearing five-toe shoes, or other thin-soled, heel-less footwear on varying terrain will help train this. So would moving through kata slowly (which forces you to avoid falling into the step, and &quot;rest&quot; on your weighted leg) and holding stances for a long periods of time (which works out the kinks in the way your foot spreads out the weight). It's probably why much training has traditionally focused on weight distribution of the legs, and not the feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now having said all of that, there are some consequences to things like pivoting on your heel versus pivoting on the balls of the feet. Pivoting on the heels is how I learned much of the changes (the essence of evading, throwing, stepping, etc.) in baguazhang. Pivoting on the balls of my feet was what messed up my knees. I didn't have sufficient hip flexibility, so pivoting on the balls of the feet added an more torque to knees. In contrast, pivoting on the balls stays better aligned with the opening and closing of the hips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So while pivoting does not have a direct bearing on carrying weight in a static posture, if you are trying to eliminate telegraphing, I suppose it makes sense to carry your weight on the heels if you plan on pivoting on the heels. It just feels unnatural.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastEditorUserId="65" LastEditDate="2012-04-20T08:26:11.940" LastActivityDate="2012-04-20T08:26:11.940" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="819" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="529" CreationDate="2012-04-20T12:58:09.657" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The most accurate and productive interpretation of that move that I came across in &lt;em&gt;Isshinryu&lt;/em&gt; is &quot;put up yer dukes and punch 'em.&quot; Other moves might have secret wrist-locks and pressure points on Chinese meridians that the superstitious Okinawans believed in, but the opening move of &lt;em&gt;Seisan kata&lt;/em&gt; is getting your hands up and punching. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The step forward is just because standing square on your heels is going to get you knocked over and is sub-optimal for producing power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-04-20T12:58:09.657" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="820" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="851" CreationDate="2012-04-20T18:14:39.297" Score="5" ViewCount="448" Body="&lt;p&gt;While I was in Brazil, I heard that there is no such thing and it's against the Aikido principles, but I don't remember more than that. In the UK, I heard about some guys that do it. Is there really some fundamental reason that would make championships go against Aikido philosophy ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="403" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-04-20T18:55:21.817" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T06:43:34.737" Title="Are championships against Aikido philosophy?" Tags="|aikido|philosophy|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="821" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="827" CreationDate="2012-04-20T18:22:26.267" Score="6" ViewCount="287" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've seen some videos of Sambo, but I've never seen real practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've practiced some Aikido and BJJ. It looks like Sambo has some ground elements that might be similar to Jiu-Jitsu and some standing locks/throws that might be compared to Aikido perhaps. What really impressed me was the continuity of the throws evolving to ground locks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As almost everything, there's a lot of garbage in the internet, so some pointers would be good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="403" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-24T11:44:18.997" LastActivityDate="2020-02-24T11:44:18.997" Title="Does anyone know a good source of information about Sambo on the web?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|aikido|style|sambo|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="822" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="820" CreationDate="2012-04-20T18:28:54.797" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tomiki Aikido&lt;/em&gt; (aka &lt;em&gt;Shodokan Aikido&lt;/em&gt;) holds tournaments and championships. There are competitive aspects in many branches of Aikido. There's quite little commonality between mainline &lt;em&gt;aikido&lt;/em&gt; and the &lt;em&gt;Tomiki&lt;/em&gt; schools. The idea was a &quot;rationalization&quot; of &lt;em&gt;aikido&lt;/em&gt; by means of training in &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;competition&lt;/em&gt;, which &lt;em&gt;Tomiki Kenji&lt;/em&gt; felt made the art more accessible (like &lt;em&gt;judo&lt;/em&gt;, by which it was inspired).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ueshiba Morihei&lt;/em&gt; however believed there was no place for competition within &lt;em&gt;aikido&lt;/em&gt;. At this point, &lt;em&gt;aikido&lt;/em&gt; was heavily influenced by the pacifist teachings of &lt;em&gt;Onisaburo Deguchi&lt;/em&gt;, leader of the &lt;em&gt;Omoto-kyou&lt;/em&gt; religion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-04-20T18:28:54.797" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="823" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="820" CreationDate="2012-04-20T18:36:40.280" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most modern aikidoka reject competition and sparring in any form. The philosophy is delineated well on the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15624&quot;&gt;Aikiweb forums&lt;/a&gt; by Stefan Stenudd:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;[P]ractice is not about defeating an opponent, but about both participants being victorious by finding a truly peaceful solution and growing as human beings in the process.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;We train the aikido techniques in order to perfect them, and thereby somehow also our minds. Non-competition is an attitude, not just the lack of fighting for medals, and should be trained as such. Only by diligent practice can we become non-competitive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tomiki Aikido (aka Shodokan Aikido), founded by Kenji Tomiki, is a notable exception. From the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikidofaq.com/introduction.html&quot;&gt;Aikido FAQ&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Tomiki Sensei believed that a &quot;rationalization&quot; of Aikido training, along the lines that Kano Sensei followed for Judo would make it more easily taught, particularly at the Japanese Universities. In addition, he believed that introducing an element of competition would serve to sharpen and focus the practice since it was no longer tested in real combat. This latter view was the cause of a split with O Sensei [meaning Morihei Ueshiba -Dave] who firmly believed that there was no place for competition in Aikido training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It should be noted that the extreme restriction of techniques makes this form of competition significantly different from more liberal rule-sets such as judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-04-20T18:36:40.280" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="824" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="219" CreationDate="2012-04-20T19:03:00.293" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Sport-specific cardio&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unless you are quite good at a particular sport, the best way to improve your conditioning for that sport is to practice that sport at high intensity. If you flag during judo randori, do more randori; if you get winded while boxing, then hit the bag more; if your aikido conditioning is poor, then go to aikido class more often, and make sure those classes are intense enough to be challenging.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some sports, people can get so efficient at the skills involved that practice doesn't improve their cardio much. This is particularly true in sports like Brazilian jiu-jitsu, where a black belt often doesn't have to expend much energy to fend off or tap a white or blue belt. In these cases, &lt;a href=&quot;http://davetrains.tumblr.com/post/14476229060/paleo-for-grappling-notes&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;using other forms of cardio to improve your conditioning can be productive&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Generalized cardio&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found it helpful to understand the three metabolic pathways. Humans burn energy differently in (and recover differently from) different lengths of exertion:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/dma7h.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Metabolic pathways over time&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/3463/how-does-one-train-for-sports-when-the-three-metabolic-pathways-interact&quot;&gt;this question on Fitness.SE&lt;/a&gt; for a more detailed explanation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Intervals in any form are very productive for increasing your &amp;quot;wind&amp;quot; for multiple bouts of randori. This includes sprints, &lt;a href=&quot;http://startingstrength.com/articles/death_by_prowler_reynolds.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Prowler pushes (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;, kettlebell work (swings, clean-and-jerks, or snatches) and a variety of other work. The key is that allowing yourself to recover partially or totally between exertions allows you to train the explosive phosphagenic and hard-but-brief glycolytic pathways in addition to the steady-state, slow-and-plodding oxidative pathway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also just do a single brief-and-hard workout on the order of 5 to ten minutes of all-out effort. Glenn Pendlay has weighed in on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pendlayforum.com/showthread.php?t=2417&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the most effective conditioning for combat sport&lt;/a&gt; (which is tangentially related to aikido):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember, the goal is overall strength and condition, not to get good at any one particular thing. Find 5 or 6 exercises that work for you and rotate through them, using one per workout. Keep track of the reps you get in 10 minutes on each exercise, and try to improve. Here are some good ones…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Push a prowler.... Kettlebell clean and jerks.... Farmers walk.... Take a barbell, a light one, and keep it moving without setting it down for 10 minutes....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-03-19T16:01:56.357" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="825" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-04-20T20:33:01.417" Score="9" ViewCount="628" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a very common capoeira movement and I've seen similar things in some kung-fu styles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can do it for a couple of seconds (or 2,3 steps) for about two years now, but never managed to go past this barrier. Does anyone have tips ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="403" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-04-21T03:29:59.313" LastActivityDate="2014-03-06T13:08:54.800" Title="How can I improve my &quot;bananeira&quot; (hand-stand / walk head-down)?" Tags="|kung-fu|balance|capoeira|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="826" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="825" CreationDate="2012-04-20T21:29:22.233" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Increase your arms and torso Strength.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Work on your wrists. Strength and flexibility.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You have to increase your body constrictive Strength. (to keep your body hard, independant of the position.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Find out your balance point while upside down.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;During a handstand, Try to push the ground and at the same time do not let your gravity center to raise.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Work with both hands, and each Hand individually.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shoulder Press while on a handstand. It will make it more comfortable soon.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yeah Thats it! &#xA;Good workout!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="404" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-04-20T22:08:31.750" LastActivityDate="2012-04-20T22:08:31.750" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="827" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="821" CreationDate="2012-04-20T23:01:14.693" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Chances are, if you've looked into Sambo at all, you've noticed similarities between it and other arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sambo (or SAMBO, the transliteration of САМБО, which itself is short for &lt;b&gt;Сам&lt;/b&gt;ооборона &lt;b&gt;Б&lt;/b&gt;ез &lt;b&gt;О&lt;/b&gt;рыжия) is a hybrid martial art with roots in various forms of Folk Wrestling and &lt;em&gt;Judo&lt;/em&gt;. As such, many of the techniques share similarities with those arts which derive from similar backgrounds (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, for instance, derives from &lt;em&gt;Judo&lt;/em&gt;, which has its roots in &lt;em&gt;jujutsu&lt;/em&gt;, a form from which &lt;em&gt;aikido&lt;/em&gt; is also derived).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is, of course, no substitute for training, and finding good training is about doing the leg work. That said, there are a number of different varieties of Sambo which you should be aware of, and knowing the differences can help you narrow down what kind of instruction you're looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;The Two I'm Familiar With&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sport Sambo (борьба Самбо) – This form of Sambo is similar to Olympic Wrestling or &lt;em&gt;Judo&lt;/em&gt;, with some leg locks permitted, and chokeholds disallowed. There are very few restrictions related to gripping or holding, and it emphasizes throwing, groundwork, and submission.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Combat Sambo (Боевое Самбо) – Originally developed for the military, this is sport Sambo with fewer restrictions, and includes striking and grappling that would normally not be legal. In Combat Sambo competitions, there's an increase in protective gear as well.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Other's I Know Of&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Freestyle Sambo – A step less restrictive than Combat Sambo with some neck cranks and more leg locks allowed. This is an almost exclusively American form of Sambo.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Special Sambo – A style of Combat Sambo specially geared toward use by special forces groups (ФСБ, ГРУ, etc.). It is not so much a unique style, but a subset designed and drilled to maximize efficiency in training special forces agents.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have never seen anything of any quality on the internet. That said, if you're looking for media to get you headed in the right direction to pick a quality instructor, it's worth investing in good quality media. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.budovideos.com/shop/customer/home.php?cat=339&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Budo Videos has an extensive collection of Sambo material&lt;/a&gt;, and generally the reviews have been pretty accurate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T04:09:10.393" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T04:09:10.393" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="828" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="825" CreationDate="2012-04-21T03:59:35.633" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;From what you describe, it sounds like the problem you have is maintaining your balance using other parts of your body other than your arms. While your arms and hands will bear the weight while in a handstand, you should also focus on using your core strength (abs and back) to hold yourself up. The idea is similar to standing up straight on your feet and using your core to maintain an upright posture (otherwise you slouch). The concept is flipped upside-down for a handstand. Having strong arms will not help much if the the rest of your body is tipping over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While you can improve your arm and wrist strength (it will help), you should also focus on doing exercises to strengthen your abdominal and back muscles. There are many, many different types of strength exercises you can perform to improve your core. Some of these include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Deadlifts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://getpaidwithfitness.net/p90x-day-28-and-29-stretch-and-core-synergistics/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Supermans&lt;/a&gt; or a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/WtBackExtension.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;back extension&lt;/a&gt; (like a reverse situp) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/BWSupineRow.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Inverted rows&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crunches and sit-ups (there are several variations of these types of exercises)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wikihow.com/Do-Leg-Lifts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Leg lifts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those suggestions aren't a training regimen necessarily (you didn't mention any details of  what your current training or physicality is). You can decide for yourself what you think is appropriate for your body and fitness level. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of addressing balance, you can try doing a handstand but with your feet and legs separated (like going outwards in a center split). This is actually something I learned from juggling. The purpose of doing this is to spread your weight over a distributed area rather than keeping it concentrated in a smaller space. It will force your body to figure out which way to move and and train your muscles to realign your center of mass so that you don't lose balance. Once you start getting used to that feeling, you can slowly move your feet and legs closer together. The movements you make to correct your balance will become smaller and more subtle as you bring the weight into the middle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastActivityDate="2012-04-21T03:59:35.633" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="829" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-04-22T21:24:45.833" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;An style of Okinawan karate founded by Tatsuo Shimabuku as a synthesis of Shorin-Ryu and Goju-Ryu. Characterized by a vertical-fist punch, Sunsu kata, and an upright fighting posture. Generally not practiced with full-contact or knockdown sparring. The style is highly fragmented politically, with multiple disputed claims to 10th dan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kata curriculum:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Seisan&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Seiunchin&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Naihanchi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wansu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Chinto&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kusanku&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sunsu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sanchin&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-22T23:39:26.247" LastActivityDate="2012-04-22T23:39:26.247" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="830" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-04-22T21:24:45.833" Score="0" Body="An style of Okinawan karate founded by Tatsuo Shimabuku as a synthesis of Shorin-Ryu and Goju-Ryu. Characterized by a vertical-fist punch, Sunsu kata, and an upright fighting posture. Generally not practiced with full-contact or knockdown sparring. The style is highly fragmented politically, with multiple disputed claims to 10th dan." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-22T23:39:38.273" LastActivityDate="2012-04-22T23:39:38.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="831" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-04-23T00:02:40.300" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Striking with the leg, including the knee or shin, or the foot, including the instep, toes, heel, ball, outside edge or &quot;blade&quot;, inside edge, or any other part of the lower extremities. Arts that are renowned for kicking include Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do and its relatives, Savate and others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T03:11:11.270" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T03:11:11.270" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="832" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-04-23T00:02:40.300" Score="0" Body="Striking with the leg, including the knee or shin, or the foot, including the instep, toes, heel, ball, outside edge or &quot;blade&quot;, inside edge, or any other part of the lower extremities. Arts that are renowned for kicking include Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do and its relatives, Savate and others." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T03:11:13.890" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T03:11:13.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="833" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-04-23T00:06:08.207" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The incorporation of weighted resistance training for the purpose of maximizing strength, power, endurance, and mobility in the martial arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tools used include barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, and traditional implements such as chi-ishi (as in Okinawan &lt;em&gt;karate&lt;/em&gt;), stone locks (as in &lt;em&gt;shuai jiao&lt;/em&gt;), and many more. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T02:56:53.387" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T02:56:53.387" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="834" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-04-23T00:06:08.207" Score="0" Body="The incorporation of weighted resistance training for the purpose of maximizing strength, power, endurance, and mobility in the martial arts." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T02:56:42.950" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T02:56:42.950" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="835" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-04-23T00:15:16.993" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Position in grappling when one person is on top of the other, such that the bottom person has their legs wrapped around the torso of the top person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a fundamental self-defense method in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, from which many techniques are launched. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T03:09:59.413" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T03:09:59.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="836" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-04-23T00:15:16.993" Score="0" Body="Position in grappling when one person is on top of the other, such that the bottom person has their legs wrapped around the torso of the top person." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T03:10:07.510" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T03:10:07.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="837" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-04-23T00:18:51.700" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sambo (or SAMBO, the translation of САМБО, which itself is short for Самооборона Без Орыжия) is a hybrid martial art originating in Soviet Russia, with roots in various forms of Folk Wrestling and Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Types of Sambo include sport, combat, freestyle, and special.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T03:11:24.670" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T03:11:24.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="838" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-04-23T00:18:51.700" Score="0" Body="A hybrid martial art originating in Soviet Russia, with elements of wrestling, judo, striking and leglocks." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T03:11:26.760" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T03:11:26.760" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="839" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-04-23T00:20:30.683" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T00:20:30.683" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T00:20:30.683" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="840" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-04-23T00:20:30.683" Score="0" Body="The application of kinetic energy to an opponent via percussive impact with an intent to injure or incapacitate." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T03:11:36.917" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T03:11:36.917" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="841" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-04-23T00:21:21.683" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A major Japanese style of karate, formed by Gichin Funakoshi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T03:11:31.643" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T03:11:31.643" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="842" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-04-23T00:21:21.683" Score="0" Body="A major Japanese style of karate, formed by Gichin Funakoshi." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T03:11:34.233" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T03:11:34.233" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="843" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-04-23T00:28:55.650" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Japanese for &quot;technique&quot;; part of the curriculum of judo, jiu-jitsu, karate, or koryu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T02:58:07.580" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T02:58:07.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="844" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-04-23T00:28:55.650" Score="0" Body="&quot;Technique&quot; in Japanese arts." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T02:57:20.610" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T02:57:20.610" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="845" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-04-23T00:29:20.080" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T00:29:20.080" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T00:29:20.080" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="846" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-04-23T00:29:20.080" Score="0" Body="Israeli Combat Systems" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T03:10:50.257" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T03:10:50.257" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="847" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-04-23T03:01:30.253" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The practice of martial arts. How, what, where, when, why.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-14T18:14:40.897" LastActivityDate="2012-06-14T18:14:40.897" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="848" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-04-23T03:01:30.253" Score="0" Body="The practice of martial arts. How, what, where, when, why." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-14T18:14:43.627" LastActivityDate="2012-06-14T18:14:43.627" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="849" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-04-23T03:02:36.430" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial arts training implements: uniforms, things to hit, things to hit with, &quot;boffer&quot; and other less-dangerous practice weapons, protective gear, matting and more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T03:10:14.530" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T03:10:14.530" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="850" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-04-23T03:02:36.430" Score="0" Body="Martial arts training implements: uniforms, things to hit, things to hit with, &quot;boffer&quot; and other less-dangerous practice weapons, protective gear, matting and more." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-04-23T03:10:19.057" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T03:10:19.057" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="851" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="820" CreationDate="2012-04-23T06:43:34.737" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends how one view &quot;competition&quot;.  If it is the desire to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women ... Then, yeah, that style of competition is not compatible with &lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt;.  If it is a desire to learn effective techniques in a safe environment against opponents who vigorously resist so as to perfect your understanding of &lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt; ... Then, yeah, they are compatible. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt; being the &quot;Way of Harmony&quot; has many political battles and camps.  All of them quote &lt;em&gt;O'Sensei&lt;/em&gt; as the source for them being right and everybody being wrong -- or charitably mislead.  &lt;em&gt;Ueshiba&lt;/em&gt; did spend a lot of time changing his own version of &lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt; so quotes and insights while interesting should not be treated as canon. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Shodokan Aikido&lt;/em&gt; competitions formats are generally misunderstood: &lt;em&gt;embu&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; are different beasts requiring different skills. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aikido-Randori-Tetsuro-Nariyama/dp/0956620507/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1335162966&amp;amp;sr=8-1&quot;&gt;Aikido Randori&lt;/a&gt; by &lt;em&gt;Tetsuro Nariyama&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aikido-Randori-Reconciliation-Opposing-Forces/dp/1861264984/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1335163049&amp;amp;sr=1-2&quot;&gt;Aikido and Randori: Reconciliation of Two Opposing Forces&lt;/a&gt; by &lt;em&gt;Scott Allbright&lt;/em&gt; are goods book to pick up if one was interested in learning about competition with &lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T06:43:34.737" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="852" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="816" CreationDate="2012-04-23T12:38:34.290" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is quite an interesting concept, and underlies why it can be advantageous to cross-train in more than one martial art.  There are many variations and emphases between arts, and even within the same art across schools.  Cross training can force you to rethink things you've already learned, and perhaps come up with a blend where each influence only makes you better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In arts that don't prescribe weight distributions for the foot, it's not seen as important.  By that I mean that any advantage you get is overshadowed by other factors.  For example, TKD and similar arts are built on the premise of &lt;em&gt;one-hit-one-kill&lt;/em&gt;.  The underlying principle is that a strong base provides power.  When that strike lands, the fight is over (still be ready for the next opponent or the strike being blocked).  As such, the weight should be over the whole foot, or if there is any variation it would be the heel into the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The ninjitsu art you are studying sounds like you are training to be agile, and for speed being a major component of the art.  While I am not familiar with the underlying philosophies of Ninjitzu's Shizen, it is safe to say that the founders of the art did find strategic value in weight distribution in the feet.  Traditionally, ninjitsu was used by spies, who's goals were not necessarily to win every fight.  That does not mean that they weren't skilled fighters, but they had responsibilities to their missions and had to remain undetected as much as possible.  A slight shift in weight on the foot would not make  noise, while still readying the ninja for an impending confrontation.  Again, this is my take based on what I know of Japanese history and what it sounds like is important to this art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To summarize:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Arts that don't specify foot weight distribution focus on other things.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Arts that do specify foot weight distribution find value in it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When discovering the optimal foot-weight distribution (for example applying ninjitsu to TKD), exercise your &lt;em&gt;proprioception&lt;/em&gt;.  Proprioception is your perception of your body position in space.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Experiment to find out what feels best, and see if you can improve on it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Practice until you don't need to think about it any more.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Active thought about stance, technique, etc. while fighting is what can cause you to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.  What is more important is that you learn the techniques so well, your body just reacts and flows on its own.  It should be muscle memory that takes over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I were to venture some hypotheses on foot balance applied to TKD I would think on it this way:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Back stance: back foot 70% heel, front foot 70% toe&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Front stance: back foot 50/50, front foot 70% heel (we need power, not quickness)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kima stance (horse stance): 70% on the outside edge of each foot&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fixed stance: both feet 50/50&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fighting stance would depend on your style of fighting.  Many people prefer to be on the balls of their feet for extra quickness.  This can also lead you to telegraph your movements.  Some people will move their back foot to close distance and then move in for a strike.  Others will launch off the back foot where they are.  The former will instinctively distribute more weight on the portion of the foot farthest away from the attack for stability, while the latter will distribute more weight on the ball of the foot for more speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Honestly, I think you will find that your foot weight distribution will rock back and forth depending on the technique you are doing.  Another art that might cause you to think about some things is &quot;Wave style&quot; iaido.  I wish I could remember the Japanese name for it so I could get you a link.  The concept behind the art is generating a wave of power.  Meaning the way the body moves rolls the muscles being contracted until the momentum does what it needs to do.  Footwork in this style predominantly puts the weight on the heel, allowing the artist to turn freely while having a strong stance.  Strikes with the katana roll from the pinky to the pointer finger, and the same technique is used to stop the blade from moving.  It is actually a rather modern adaptation originating from California.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T12:38:34.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="853" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="816" CreationDate="2012-04-23T17:06:01.787" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[NB: It is entirely likely that you will have no idea what I'm talking about here. Unless you have training in &lt;em&gt;Bujinkan Ninpo Taijutsu&lt;/em&gt;, this will all be foreign to you, and this is purposely so. This is based on content from my own training manual, and is meant to aid students in their continued study of &lt;em&gt;taijutsu&lt;/em&gt; and is not for everyone.]&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the perspective of &lt;em&gt;ninpo taijutsu&lt;/em&gt;, before you can understand the shifting of weight in stances, you have to understand what stances are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kamae&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;em&gt;ninpo taijutsu&lt;/em&gt;, it's true that we teach a number of different stances, each will have different weight distributions. For example, we teach distributions such as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Shizen no Kamae&lt;/em&gt; – AKA &lt;em&gt;shizen tai&lt;/em&gt;, here the body is in a relaxed posture. Weight is centered, 50% left, 50% right. Your balance is forward slightly onto the balls of your feet. This stance represents the natural posture one might find oneself in prior to moving.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ichimonji no Kamae&lt;/em&gt; – From &lt;em&gt;shizen no kamae&lt;/em&gt;, step back to the right on the 45° angle, creating an L-shape with your feet (the front [left] foot points toward your opponent, the right is perpendicular to the line of the left). Your weight is approximately 60% to the rear, the knee of the right foot above the right toes, putting the weight more foreword on the ball of the right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are two of our most fundamental examples, but they illustrate an important point – Why does the description of &lt;em&gt;ichimonji no kamae&lt;/em&gt; start from &lt;em&gt;shizen no kamae&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The lazy answer to this is simply to give a point of reference. Giving it no more thought would make this a suitable explanation, but what reference do we give for &lt;em&gt;shizen no kamae&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Stances&amp;quot; is a poor translation of &lt;em&gt;kamae&lt;/em&gt;, which implies &amp;quot;posture&amp;quot;, not stance. This is an important distinction, as ones posture is dynamic. At the most basic of levels, we start from one &lt;em&gt;kamae&lt;/em&gt; and move to another. These, however, are snapshots in time, and we do not move &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;to&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;kamae&lt;/em&gt;, but &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;through&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Weight Distributions&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider for a moment stepping into &lt;em&gt;ichimonji no kamae&lt;/em&gt;. If this movement is a natural movement, then you step back and pause briefly as you put your foot down. Ask yourself this question: &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where is my momentum going as I step here?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may have only learned &lt;em&gt;ichimonji no kata&lt;/em&gt;, and believe your next step is forward, but it's not. Your next transition would be into &lt;em&gt;doko no kamae&lt;/em&gt; with your hand beside your head (you have, after all, in stepping back received an incoming strike). Your momentum then is carrying you away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, it's not important to view your positioning at one moment based on the percentages so long as your body is stable. You will maintain stability so long as you don't fight momentum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In order to properly step back into &lt;em&gt;ichimonji no kamae&lt;/em&gt; the butt must be tucked in slightly. If it's sticking out at all, you're leaning forward with your torso. Where, then, would the balance between the ball of your foot and the heel be? It will be on the heel, and you will be off balance (easily pulled forward).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Training for Proper &lt;em&gt;Kamae&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I was first starting in the &lt;em&gt;Bujinkan&lt;/em&gt;, I heard a quote from &lt;em&gt;Hatsumi-sensei&lt;/em&gt; that Charlie Chaplin had great &lt;em&gt;kamae&lt;/em&gt;. I made a little game out of this quote by seeing if I could move the way that Chaplin did in his old films. I watched &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHdmaFJ6W6M&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Modern Times&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7825676509326646750&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Kid&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and played at emulating his movements. What I realized was that Chaplin had &lt;strong&gt;balance&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It wasn't about percentages left or right or forward or backward, but about moving and maintaining proper balance. You're stopping mid-movement, so make the most of it. &lt;em&gt;Taijutsu&lt;/em&gt; isn't about techniques, it's about principles, and principles are found in moving naturally. Taking advantage of your movement, ask yourself if:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Your spine is plumb and shoulders parallel with your hips. (That is, they are in line, shoulders above hips, with no twisting of the back).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Your balance points are in line. (You should be able to connect a string between each of your 6 balance point and find them more or less parallel to the ground. The six points are: Eyes, Shoulders, Elbows, Hips, Knees, and Ankles).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You are breathing. (Breathing oxygenates the muscles, allowing them to work efficiently with minimal strain. This is surprisingly more important than realized).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You are still natural! (Once you've made all the other assessments and corrections, are you still in the same position you stepped into? If not, go back to &lt;em&gt;shizen&lt;/em&gt; and try again!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kamae&lt;/em&gt; are like a kick at full extension – a snapshot of continued motion. Everything is &lt;em&gt;kamae&lt;/em&gt;, since your movements, striking, etc. are all transitioned through &lt;em&gt;kamae&lt;/em&gt;. Focus on finding where you enter and leave the known &lt;em&gt;kamae&lt;/em&gt; as you train, and you're looking at the key principles of the art. And remember this above all else: everything comes from &lt;em&gt;shizen no kamae&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2012-04-23T17:06:01.787" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="854" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="816" CreationDate="2012-04-23T19:05:53.640" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wMKJmQqC-M&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Here (Youtube)&lt;/a&gt;'s some related eye/mind candy from the show Fight Science.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I will ask you some other questions instead.&#xA;Why are you in stance X? What do you want to be able to do from there? Anything you need to do will require energy transfers: from you to the ground, from the opponent to you (and maybe to the ground). Weight distribution on the foot, in various stances, helps or hinders this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[Edit - an addendum because of a problem I had while thinking about this over the years: do not let your weight rest in your knees!]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-06-12T11:54:09.463" LastActivityDate="2012-06-12T11:54:09.463" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="855" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2012-04-23T20:53:29.697" Score="26" Body="&lt;p&gt;Weight training is very useful for martial arts. Sports scientist and martial artist &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stadion.com/martial-arts-and-the-squat/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tom Kurz notes&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo master Hee Il Cho, famous for his powerful and precise jumping kicks, says, “Weight lifting can help athletes in any sport, including the martial arts. The more strength and size you have, the better you will perform. If two people weigh the same, the one with more muscle can hit harder.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should listen to Hee Il Cho. He knows what he's talking about. (Kurz gives the source as: Jeffrey, D. 1994. The Master of Devastating Kicks: Hee Il Cho's Routine for Fast, Powerful Kicks. Martial Arts Training March 1994, pp. 20–25, 62.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;What Kind of Weight Training?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Weight training is only about muscle size if that's what you choose do with it. Weight training is useful for so much more than size. Weights are a tool. &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/a/3679/1771&quot;&gt;You can use them to get bigger, or to develop strength or power or endurance&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's important to distinguish the basic forms of training with weights:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bodybuilding&lt;/strong&gt; — lifting for size and appearance; the goal is to look like, say, Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jay Cutler. This is the &lt;em&gt;least&lt;/em&gt; productive form of weight training for martial arts: one is primarily trying to get bigger, using methods such as machines and isolation work that are sub-optimal for functional or sportive purposes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Powerlifting&lt;/strong&gt; — lifting for strength; the goal is to improve one's ability to produce force. It is hard for me to conceive of a situation where, independent of other factors, strength is anything but a boon to martial arts practice. (The only possibility I've heard is that exceptionally strong individuals must make a conscious effort to rely on technique instead of physicality. This is akin to the curse of being naturally agile or naturally flexible: this is undeniably a good thing, not a hindrance.) The basics include the slow lifts: squats, deadlifts, bench and overhead presses, pull-ups.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Weightlifting&lt;/strong&gt; — lifting for power; the goal is to improve one's ability to produce force quickly. The primary tools are the fast Olympic lifts: cleans, jerks, and snatches. Power is a derivative of strength, and everything I said about strength's applicability to martial arts counts triple for power. Exerting force quickly is a fundamental aspect of nearly all sports, particularly for striking and throwing techniques.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Unusual movements&lt;/strong&gt; — a catch-all category which includes functional training, odd lifts, and rehabilitative exercises; the goal is movement quality in a variety of positions. It is tremendously useful for a martial artist to develop body skill through such exercises as Turkish get-ups, Zercher squats, lunges, suitcase walks, and so on. One could also look at niche strength sports like Strongman or kettlebell sport, which develop attributes like strength, power, and conditioning to an incredible degree.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many programs for strength and power training that focus on developing those qualities without adding mass. (Some of them are &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.uk-muscle.co.uk/strength-power/43138-hybrid-crossfit-met-con-strength-program-aka-gant-grimes-hybrid-program-write-up.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;martial-arts specific&lt;/a&gt;.) A certain amount of mass, however, is often a boon anyway for undernourished martial artists. Nearly all martial artists would do well to use weight training for increased power and strength. The benefits to athleticism and durability are enormous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is unfortunately common for many people, especially young men interested in martial arts, to reject training with weights because it feels like a &amp;quot;jock&amp;quot; thing. This aesthetic reactionism is mind poison. Bodyweight training is great for many things but cannot replace weight training. So many people perceive a cultural mismatch where there isn't one, and train ineffectively because they don't see themselves as the &amp;quot;kind of person&amp;quot; who lifts weights, or because they are intimidated by the gym. Don't be that guy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Benefits of Strength&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Achieving a significant level of strength and power is one of the most straightforward ways to increase the effectiveness of your techniques. However, getting bigger for the purpose of getting bigger is not directly productive for martial arts. (Getting bigger will probably mean you'll get stronger, which would be good.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But martial arts is about physicality combined with technique. Strength and power are essential components of the physicality necessary to execute any technique properly. Lifting weights is arguably the most efficient method for developing those qualities. People who say differently are either already athletic (either naturally or through prior training), or are inexperienced with weight training and shun the unknown.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Minimum Strength Necessary to Practice Fighting&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to become reasonably strong before you actively start sparring against fully resisting opponents. People who are weak are liable to get hurt, and will find themselves unable to properly execute basic movements and techniques. Martial arts are about &lt;em&gt;optimizing the use of strength&lt;/em&gt;. This is not the same as obviating the need for a &lt;em&gt;baseline level of strength&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you've been around a popular martial arts dojo long enough, I'm sure you can remember a new person signing up who is physically incapable of performing even the most basic techniques. Often they find themselves injured and re-injured, toughing out muscle spasms and sore joints in order to continue doing the activity they love. This is not healthy. Students should be required to achieve a basic level of physicality before joining regular class. Strength, mobility, and conditioning are of primary concern in this period, so that students can make it through training sessions and safely achieve positions required by technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take well the advice of Kurz (ibid):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;People who can't put a barbell or a partner weighing at least as much as them on their shoulders and easily do a few squats are too weak to learn fighting techniques.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Test this hypothesis yourself: take six months to work up to a bodyweight barbell squat. Then, ask yourself whether it helped you hit harder, spar longer, wrestle better, and keep a better grip on your opponent. If so, great. If not, go back to doing nothing, and with scant attention to the &amp;quot;problem&amp;quot; of excess strength, you will be smaller and weaker again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2020-10-13T08:45:53.167" LastActivityDate="2020-10-13T08:45:53.167" CommentCount="6" CommunityOwnedDate="2013-05-08T19:31:14.140" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="858" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="501" CreationDate="2012-04-25T01:55:16.967" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You can't.&lt;/strong&gt; You can spear your hands into buckets of sand, try to practice &lt;em&gt;something like&lt;/em&gt; the technique by wearing goggles while sparring, and thrust your hands into the air all you want...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...but in a fight, we don't rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level of our training. (The transliteration from Musashi is, &quot;You can only fight the way you practice&quot;.) If you never train eye pokes and fingers-to-the-throat pokes &lt;em&gt;in sparring&lt;/em&gt;, you won't ever really have a good handle on the technique. Neil Ohlenkamp, judo 6 dan, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judoinfo.com/sport.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;notes&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I have never seen realistic training in throat strikes or eye gouges in any martial arts class, even though these are often recommended for self defense. The teaching generally done for these techniques helps students to understand what to do, but does not provide effective results for fast, reflexive and accurate application of these techniques against an unwilling opponent in real life combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as Gillian Russell accurately points out,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;there are a lot of martial beliefs that we do not get to test in such a direct way. Unless you're unfortunate enough to be fighting a hand-to-hand war you cannot check to see how much force and exactly which angle a neck-break requires, or learn from experience about the psychological effects and stopping power of an eye-gouge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In an epistemically ideal--though morally horrible--situation, we'd be able to test the effectiveness of techniques by doing them in realistic set-ups over and over again. How many times out of 100 does your no-holds barred nukite to the throat result in death within 5 minutes? 20/10? 80/100? What's the most likely alternative outcome? Bruising? Scratching? Coughing? Unconsciousness? Internal bleeding? Partially crushed trachea? Escalation? Can subjects partially armour against it or roll with it? These questions have answers, but&#xA;  for good ethical reasons, we can't get at those answers by direct testing, and though martial techniques do get used 'for real', this rarely happens as part of a controlled experiment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Our inability to properly test the answers to these questions has a knock-on effect. If you can't test the effectiveness of a technique, then it is hard to test methods for improving the technique. Should you practice your nukite (spear hand) in the air, or will that just encourage you to overextend? Is it helpful to practice 1000 a day, or would it be more effective to practice three sets of ten with good focus against a pad? &lt;strong&gt;Our inability to test our fighting methods restricts our ability to test our training methods.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(&lt;a href=&quot;https://gilliankrussell.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/epistemicviciousness.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Source - Martial Arts and Philosophy, edited by Graham Priest and Damon Young, Open Court, 2010 - PDF&lt;/a&gt;, emphasis mine.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'd do better to work on your jab, wearing gloves, against a heavy bag and a good sparring partner. You'll know exactly how well it works. And anyway, as Luis Gutierrez &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59181&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;points out&lt;/a&gt;, &quot;If you can't even hit a guy with a 16oz. glove how the hell are you going to eye jab him?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;However&lt;/strong&gt;, with modern gear, some useful practice is possible. You still won't know how much of an effect these techniques will have, but wearing goggles, elbow pads, and open-palm gloves while wrestling is an awesome way to find out where you can punch, elbow, eye gouge, and grab throats or whatever during grappling. You can also study how those strikes and grabs might be countered. Make sure both partners exercise good control, are wearing all the gear, and have full rights to execute the same techniques. Go light.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2016-01-06T12:18:13.350" LastActivityDate="2016-01-06T12:18:13.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="859" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="264" CreationDate="2012-04-25T17:49:01.763" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most of the arts are very practical, and deal with things you will always have with you, such as your body, your sword (in some cultural roles, for some historical periods), etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts meant for categories of people using weapons which include firearms naturally include firearms: systema, ninpo, etc. To some extent, it could be argued that the military is trained in a martial art regarding their weapon, as they become intimately acclimated to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since the arts are practical, it does not make sense to add a study of firearms when you, or the people likely to force you to use your skills, will likely not have a firearm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In today's world, the situation is a bit different - and if no one has managed to include firearms training in a traditional art, there may be many reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Instructor is not skilled enough to do it. Adding a new skillset in a coherent and cohesive manner into an existing art is HARD.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Legal reasons. Pray tell, WHY do you need to purchase twenty handguns and five thousand rounds of ammunition? Oh, right, your martial arts school. Stand over here while I call the police.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Instructor is not thinking about it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It is still not very likely that you will encounter a firearm (I do not have data available to argue this fact in either direction, and it depends on where you are anyway).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know of at least one example (sorry, no source) of someone who has brought handgun manipulation into their bagua training. I can't find it again, unfortunately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is happening, but not very quickly, because it's hard. A lot of small skills come into play when managing a weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-04-25T17:49:01.763" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="860" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="864" CreationDate="2012-04-26T12:19:12.907" Score="8" ViewCount="10136" Body="&lt;p&gt;The problem I have is that I have class once a week, and the class is small.  Striking techniques, and overall one-step sparring techniques I can practice at home and in the air.  Grappling, joint-locks, arm-bars, etc. really feel different when you do them on a live person.  Common problems without the positive feedback of a training partner would be over or under rotating the wrist, footwork getting tangled up in the opponent, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I saw the question on &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/771/how-useful-is-a-grappling-dummy-when-you-dont-have-a-live-training-partner-ava&quot;&gt;grappling dummy&lt;/a&gt;, and it looks useful for certain holds, possibly more akin to wrestling techniques and floor work.  However, without hands, wrists, and proper joints you can't practice a whole set of jujitsu techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, are there equivalent tools with proper joints?  Are there others who have found ways of training those techniques in the absence of a training partner?  The purpose of this question has to do with self-training, and not training in a classroom environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-11-30T06:11:02.210" Title="How can you practice wrist locks/grappling holds without a partner?" Tags="|training|grappling|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="861" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="387" CreationDate="2012-04-26T12:36:45.930" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question is whether that person who hasn't done martial arts in a long time has done &lt;em&gt;anything&lt;/em&gt; to stay in shape over the years.  If they have been sedentary for a long time, they will likely need to build up to a base level of fitness first.  This is just to get the joints used to moving, build up some mobility, and add a bit of strength.  If they are already fairly active, they might be able to jump in and adjust well enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One example of the latter that comes to mind is someone I met in my teens.  He was in his 50s, and could play basketball pretty much all day long.  That person would be able to jump into Kung Fu, or any other martial art, and learn the way most beginners learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, since people like that are rare, it might be worth doing a bit of a physical assessment and giving some homework to help solve the problems.  Most common issues with getting older (and I hate to admit I'm approaching that) are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Increased need for mobility (this is range of motion, not just flexibility)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Need to build up cardiovascular system.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A need for basic strength to overcome &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcopenia&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;sarcopenia&lt;/a&gt;, which starts about age 30 and robs up to 15% (in sedentary people) of your muscle mass every decade after that.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the person is lacking in only one area, have them work on improving that area.  If they are lacking in all three, then start with what you feel is most important for your art and build up from there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The basic strength can be obtained through body-weight exercise.  Mobility can be done either through stretching, or other exercises designed to increase the range of motion.  Most likely hip mobility and shoulder mobility will be the most affected.  The cardiovascular system can be built up rather quickly by running intervals.  If they are very detrained, start with walking/jogging intervals and work up to jogging/running intervals.  Tabata training is very effective (20s activity, 10s rest, 8 cycles).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-04-26T12:36:45.930" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="862" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="860" CreationDate="2012-04-26T13:37:40.037" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do you have a friend or significant other that is willing to help you? Even if they're not trained, they can help provide feedback on how the different things feel and you can adjust based on what you know they should be feeling. If you go this route, it would probably be good to teach them breakfalls (if you're doing any kind of takedown or any lock that has a takedown side-effect) and make sure you go slow. This does, however, also provide the added side effect of helping you learn, as you explain what they need to expect).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't have that option, I don't know of any dummies that are specifically designed for martial arts that include the joints, but you could check out art supply places (higher-end/professional level), as they might have anatomically correct manikins that you could use. Of course, this option is a little more fragile, but could provide you the ability to actually &lt;em&gt;see&lt;/em&gt; how the joints move in response to your moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A third option is to talk to your instructor about the possibility of organizing an open mat time, or, barring that, find a martial arts or MMA oriented gym where you can find others that may be willing to help you. Both of these would provide you with trained people that can provide the necessary feedback.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="341" LastActivityDate="2012-04-26T13:37:40.037" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="863" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="860" CreationDate="2012-04-26T14:11:09.480" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't trust training any standing joint locks (wrist, elbow, shoulder locks) on anything but a live person. It's not &quot;practice makes perfect&quot; but &quot;practice makes permanent&quot;. Real feedback is at its most crucial with small joint manipulations like these, where fine motor coordination is so key. The chance of ingraining a wrong pattern is too high.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would focus my &lt;strong&gt;solo training&lt;/strong&gt; on other aspects: bag work, working throws on a dummy or elastic bands, strength, conditioning, mobility, agility. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I was in a similar situation, I had fair success with organizing &lt;strong&gt;open mats&lt;/strong&gt; with one or two dedicated buddies. I kept an email list of potential partners, and would send out a blast to everyone proposing a time. If I got one firm response, it was on. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-04-26T14:11:09.480" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="864" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="860" CreationDate="2012-04-26T15:04:55.450" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Things that I have found help me with specifically wrist locks, but some of which are adaptable to other forms of practice as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Grab a Partner for an Extra Day&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is really the best option, but also logistically the most difficult. Talk to the other students in your class and see if one of the more experienced ones would be willing to add an extra day of practice every week or so. I understand that this is side-stepping the problem slightly (since you asked about training outside of class without a partner, and it is an answer on training outside of class but still with a partner), but it really is the best form of practice since no tool I am aware of can properly simulate not just the joints but how the body moves when put into a lock.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend avoiding using a friend or significant other unless they also have training. You really don't want to accidentally injure your significant other, which is easy to do if they don't have some experience in the locks themselves. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Wrist Stretches&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my hapkido class we practice a variety of wrist stretches where we simulate many of the basic wrist-lock motions. So for example: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hold up your left arm so that your elbow is level with your shoulder, palm down, pointing forward.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Turn the elbow inward 90 degrees, so that your fingertips are pointing toward the wall on your right.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rotate your wrist, so that the palm is facing toward the wall directly in front of you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Turn your wrist so that it forms a 90º angle with your forearm, fingertips pointing toward the front wall, palm toward the wall on your left.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Move your wrist over in its current position so that it is directly on your center line.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Take your right hand and place it against your left hand. Thumb on top, fingertips underneath and in front of the thumb.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Gently&lt;/em&gt; push in and pull up toward your face.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hold that for a little while, then release, repeat with your right hand.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can build an entire set of these.  They have three advantages:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;They simulate the direction your wrist should turn for a lock, stretching and strengthening your wrist against these techniques.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;They train you in the mechanics of the locks and can help practice it when you do not have an available partner. It tells you a lot about the mechanics of the lock, which then will translate into your actual practice. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It lets you experiment on just the wrist mechanics without risking injury on a partner. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Footwork First&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of the key parts of getting locks to go on correctly are actually independent of practicing the locks themselves. Things such as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Moving your feet correctly, without sloppy stances (or as we like to say, &quot;sloppy stances make sloppy technique&quot;).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sinking your weight.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Breathing. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These things can be practiced independently of actually doing the lock, but can provide a dramatic improvement to your execution. You can also easily practice these on your own, so take the opportunity when you aren't in class to practice these ancillary components.  That way you can spend more time in class productively studying the locks themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-04-26T15:04:55.450" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="865" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="529" CreationDate="2012-04-26T19:51:15.163" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is a possible movement which, with a little tweaking, works for grabs or punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Block/trap/disrupt at the top (adapt for grab or punch), bring the left leg behind the other person's left leg (or behind their right leg, if you're right in front of them) and takedown.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-05-12T00:12:50.703" LastActivityDate="2012-05-12T00:12:50.703" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="866" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="33" CreationDate="2012-04-26T22:29:53.290" Score="53" Body="&lt;p&gt;Being choked unconscious might not be good. But we have very little evidence that shows that it's bad to any significant degree, and considerable evidence that being choked all the way out doesn't seem to be of notable danger. Let's look at a few different kinds of evidence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A side note: we must keep in mind the vast difference between being &amp;quot;choked out&amp;quot; to the point of tapping and being choked &lt;em&gt;unconscious&lt;/em&gt;. We will not use the former interpretation. For us, &amp;quot;choked out&amp;quot; means choked past the point of losing consciousness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another side note: in medicine, choking and strangling are specific technical terms. We won't be using those more precise definitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Studies Where We Choked People Unconscious In a Lab&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One obvious thing to do is choke someone unconscious while they're connected to a bunch of sensors, and see what happens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There has been limited medical research regarding neck restraints. One of the first studies was conducted by the United States Military in 1943. A team of American military scientists examined the effect of acute cerebral anoxia —a short and severe lack of oxygen to the brain. To do this, they used an inflatable cervical pressure cuff designed to induce temporary arrest of circulation without affecting the respiratory tract; essentially, a mechanically created carotid pressure hold. The cuff was held down to the lower third of the neck and pressure increased to 600 mm of mercury within one-eighth second. One hundred and twenty six prison volunteers and 11 diagnosed schizophrenic patients were fitted with the cuff which was tightened until unconsciousness was induced. The average time from arrest of cerebral circulation to loss of consciousness was six to eight seconds. The study concluded that arrest of cerebral circulation in normal young men results in fixation of the eyes, tingling, constriction of the visual fields, loss of consciousness, and brief, mild tonic and clonic seizure after restoration of the blood flow. This study, though dated, is perhaps the largest study ever conducted in terms of the sheer number of participants. &lt;strong&gt;No deleterious effects were observed from repeated tests on these subjects.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Source: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nletc.com/files/GJPD--LVNR-Staff-Study.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;PDF&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, I'm not sure I trust these researchers. They're in the military, conducting tests on prisoners and mental patients. Perhaps their evaluation of deleterious effects is not, shall we say, the most thorough. So we have Ken Endow's &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dssanctuary.org/shimewaza/shimewaza/DANGER%20IN%20THE%20JUDO%20CHOKE.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;DANGER IN THE JUDO CHOKE?&lt;/a&gt;, where they arrange an array of sensors to some guys and choke them out:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any danger in the use of shimewaza? This is what a team of experts came together to try to discover. Representing several of Japan's foremost medical schools and universities as well as the Kodokan, this group of medical specialists and ranking educators used the electroencephalograph to detect brain changes; the earoxymeter for blood oxygen saturation, the sphygmomanometer for arterial blood pressure; the plethysmograph peripheral blood vessel reaction and the micropipometer for skin temperature changes. Other studies probed the plasma protein concentration, blood water volume, hematrocrit complete blood count, eosinophil count and urine 17 keto-steroid content.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After only 10 seconds of choking, the victims fell unconscious. As soon as they were diagnosed unconscious, the performer released them and, the subjects remained unconscious from 10 to 12 seconds. During this period the victims some times developed clonic, a jerking or fluttering, cramps. All subjects woke up spontaneously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;As the subject regained consciousness spontaneously his electroencephalogram readings returned to normal.&lt;/strong&gt; It should be repeated that in all the cases the performer released his grip immediately after the subjects fell unconscious, thereby limiting the effect of choking to a short period. But had the strangulation continued serious aftereffects would have been expected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The electroencephalograph recorded symptoms very similar to that of a short &lt;strong&gt;epileptic seizure&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those findings sound alarming but not actually dangerous or troubling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We also have &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/new/alphabetical-list/research/467-modern-judo-research-abstracts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this three-way comparison&lt;/a&gt; between judoka (who choke and get choked regularly, though &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; normally to unconsciousness), boxers (who punch and get punched in the head regularly), and a non-choking, non-punching control group. It's pretty straightforward what they found:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long-term effects of boxing and judo-choking techniques on brain function.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Author: Rodriguez G , Vitali P , Nobili F&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source: Italian Journal of Neurological Science, 19(6): 367-72 1998&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This study shows the relevance of the neurophysiological assessment of athletes engaged in violent sports which can cause brain impairment. In fact, while professional boxers may show brain functional impairment in comparison to normal subjects, judoka do not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So we see that normal judo practice, which might involve the occasional choke-out, has no evidence of being injurious to brain function in the long term. This is supported by &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/new/alphabetical-list/research/467-modern-judo-research-abstracts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;another study&lt;/a&gt; where they choked some guys unconscious and looked at their brain waves. Again, the results are not a cause for worry:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Spectral analysis of electroencephalography changes after choking in judo (juji-jime).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Author: Rau R , Raschka C , Brunner K , Banzer W&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source: Med Science Sports Exercise, 30(9): 1356-62 1998&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;RESULTS: A significant increase of global field power in the delta- and theta-range occurred, while physiological alpha-power decreased. These changes in the low-frequency range reached a statistically significant level within a time span up to 20 s after choking, which was performed at an average choking time of 8 s. &lt;strong&gt;In no case did choking provoke neuropsychological symptoms&lt;/strong&gt;. Yet, spectral EEG-analysis revealed &lt;strong&gt;subclinical&lt;/strong&gt; changes of brain function.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;CONCLUSIONS: Choking in judo may induce &lt;strong&gt;subclinical&lt;/strong&gt; electroencephalographic perturbations. The extent and duration can be objectified by means of spectral analysis of EEG data, global field power computation, and brain-mapping representation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me reiterate the non-troublesome aspects of their results: these changes in brain function were neither brain damage nor injury, and the results were less than what a doctor would consider problematic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Weighing this kind of evidence, the Kodokan issued two warnings, the first of which has good evidence, the second of which seems a reasonable precaution:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To prevent any dangers that may accompany the choke, the Kodokan bulletin advises &lt;strong&gt;it is dangerous to perform the choking [both] on subjects with cardiac disorders or those suffering from hypertension&lt;/strong&gt; since the load to the heart and the rise in blood pressure is marked. It is also advised that &lt;strong&gt;it is dangerous for youngsters whose nervous system and heart have not yet attained complete development&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Source: Ken Endow, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dssanctuary.org/shimewaza/shimewaza/DANGER%20IN%20THE%20JUDO%20CHOKE.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;DANGER IN THE JUDO CHOKE?&lt;/a&gt;) You can see &lt;a href=&quot;http://yamada-t.sakura.ne.jp/pdfshelf_full.php?key=CHOKING%20IN%20JUDO&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;details here&lt;/a&gt; in an awful pseudo-PDF format.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Epidemiological-Type Evidence Where We Check How People Turned Out After They Get Choked Out In Training and Competition&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If being choked out was known to produce injuries or deaths in training or competition, that sure would be a sign that we shouldn't do it. Yet, judo organizations keep good records, and we find the opposite. A judoka-doctor argues persuasively from empirical evidence that choking someone unconscious in the manner of judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu or modern no-gi grappling is reasonably safe:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[Choking in judo] is considerably less dangerous than a &amp;quot;knock-out&amp;quot; in boxing and there is no necessity of completely excluding &amp;quot;choking&amp;quot; from Judo, provided necessary precautions are taken.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are, however, three main dangers of choking based upon the above experiments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To perform a &amp;quot;choking&amp;quot; hold on subjects with cardiac disorders or hypertension.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To apply &amp;quot;choking&amp;quot; on youngsters whose central nervous system and heart have not yet attained complete development.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To continue to hold after the subject falls unconscious.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since the advent of Judo, first developed by Professor Jigoro Kano in 1882, no death directly attributed to choking has been reported. There are four main reasons why fatalities do not occur:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Choking, whether in practice or competition is supervised and observed by qualified trained instructors and officials.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The contestant submits before unconsciousness occurs.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;After choking the contestant regains consciousness naturally and spontaneously without difficulty in ten to twenty seconds.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The immediate application of artificial respiration by the qualified instructor or official prevents prolonged hypoxia.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Choking in Judo is safe because since the advent of Judo statistics show no fatality attributed to the shime-waza. Moreover, scientific studies on choking reveal no deleterious after effects. Finally, the precautionary rules and methods used make the technique of choking a relatively safe means of subduing an opponent in competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Source: E. K. Koiwai, M.D., &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/chokes2.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;How Safe is Choking in Judo?&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Our dear doctor goes further, investigating a number of deaths due to law enforcement choking various persons, and finds:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In all 14 cases, this author has noted evidence of injuries to the structures of the neck from bruises, ecchymosis, hemorrhages to fractures of the cartilage of the neck (Cases 1, 5, 10, 13, and 14), and intervertebral discs (Case 7).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He makes the point that these injuries suggest improper application of the choke, such that these should not be considered in the same category as actual judo techniques:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the carotid artery hold is properly applied, unconsciousness occurs in approximately 10 seconds (8-14 seconds). After release, the subject regains consciousness spontaneously in 10-20 seconds. Neck pressure of 250 mm of Hg or 5 kg of rope tension is required to occlude carotid arteries. The amount of pressure to collapse the airway is six times greater.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Source: E. K. Koiwai, M.D., &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/chokes5.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Deaths Allegedly Caused by the Use of &amp;quot;Choke Holds&amp;quot; (Shime-Waza)&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;A Dissenting Case Report&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Owens and Ghiadiali present a contradicting possibility. From the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1806745&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;abstract&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A case is presented of a patient with signs of anoxic brain damage, with psychometric investigation showing memory disturbance consistent with a left temporal lobe lesion. This patient had been frequently strangled during his career as a judo player; it is suggested that such frequent strangulation was the cause of the damage. Such an observation indicates the need for caution in the use of such techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not have access to the full text. It is not clear that judo is well implicated in this case, nor do we know the extent to which this individual was choked out (how often, how long, &lt;em&gt;et cetera&lt;/em&gt;), nor can we extrapolate from this one data point. Even being charitable, the conclusion to take from this case would be &amp;quot;don't be choked &lt;em&gt;all the way to unconsciousness&lt;/em&gt;, and if you do, don't do it &lt;em&gt;frequently&lt;/em&gt;&amp;quot;. NB: this is not &lt;strong&gt;shown&lt;/strong&gt;, merely &lt;strong&gt;suggested&lt;/strong&gt; as a cause for further research.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;My Tentative Conclusion&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some contraindications for being choked: heart conditions, hypertension, young kids. But people who are choked out for ten or thirty seconds seem to be fine within five minutes, and certainly by the next day. Being choked out repeatedly would seem to be a bad idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not going to go out and try to get choked out. But if it happens in the course of training or competing, the only thing I'm worried about is that someone notices before too much time passes. Students should know to pay attention to their partner and not hold onto a choke with a limp partner. Instructors should pay attention to students who are grappling, taking particular note of those caught in a choke, and make sure nobody holds on to a choke after the other person passes out. These simple precautions have, according to the data, largely prevented choke-related serious injury in one of the world's most practiced martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Normal practice of grappling chokes is almost entirely safe. One instance of being choked out and immediately resuscitated doesn't appear to have any serious negative consequences, say both anecdotes and the data.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So barring contraindications, choke away, &lt;em&gt;judoka&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2020-12-09T09:07:39.310" LastActivityDate="2020-12-09T09:07:39.310" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="868" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="808" CreationDate="2012-04-27T05:09:18.617" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Coming from a taekwondo background, I see a lot of balance issues come from &quot;banana&quot; alignment. When you strike with your back-kick (or more commonly, side-kick), you want your body to be in a straight line from heel through your hips to your head, but it's very common for people to lean forwards to look around their body, which will lead to over-balancing in that direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to sight your target by rotating your head to look over your shoulder or narrowly along your body (&quot;under your armpit&quot; sometimes works), rather than bending forward at the waist and moving your whole torso off-centre.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="48" LastActivityDate="2012-04-27T05:09:18.617" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="869" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="873" CreationDate="2012-04-27T12:35:45.767" Score="16" ViewCount="10328" Body="&lt;p&gt;This question is a little different than a previous question on &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/193/how-to-improve-speed-and-footwork&quot;&gt;speed and footwork&lt;/a&gt;.  Recently my sensei critiqued my sparring, saying my block and counter techniques are pretty strong, but I'm lacking in that initial attack speed.  Essentially, I'm doing better with defense than offense.  While my footwork can still use some improvement, I know what to do for that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He suggested using hand and ankle weights when practicing the techniques, but I am resistant to that idea for a couple reasons.  Firstly, the loading just isn't natural and increases the stress on the joints.  Secondly, my sensei also had to have both his hips replaced due to the extra training like this that he did when he was younger.  However, the basic principle of his recommendation seems sound: add resistance so that you need speed to overcome it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From my weight lifting experience, when lifters are trying to work on speed they will use band resistance on the bar.  That increases resistance the further the bar travels.  Basically, you have to do the technique quickly or you won't be able to do it at all.  I was thinking that this might be a good way to apply my sensei's recommendation without killing my joints.  When I mentioned it to my sensei, he said it makes sense and would be worth a try.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, am I on the right track, or is there something else I should try or incorporate?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just an addendum.  My technique is good according to my sensei.  The &quot;go slow&quot; approach and focus on technique is how I got as good as I am with blocking and countering.  Once the distance is closed, and I am actively fighting, I'm in my element.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The issue is increasing the speed to close the distance and deliver the initial attack.  Depending on the situation and the opponent, you can't always rely on just the block and counter.  There is strategy involved, and sometimes going on the attack is what is needed to deal with a particular opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of power, once my strike lands it will deliver in spades.  The fundamental problem I'm trying to solve here is to deliver that power quicker.  While I'm not a physics guy, I do know enough that when you combine work and speed you get power.  The engine has enough torque, it just needs some more horsepower.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2018-08-21T13:16:44.760" Title="How do I improve my attack speed?" Tags="|karate|sparring|speed|" AnswerCount="10" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="870" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="869" CreationDate="2012-04-27T13:58:21.290" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I train technique so I do it right, I train strength so I can do it against people my size or bigger, I train conditioning so I can keep doing it when tired. But to do it faster, I train power. I've found success with:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Olympic lifts, Olympic lifts, Olympic lifts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sprinting&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My N=1 tests with those have felt like they turned some of my strength into speed-strength. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also heard that these exercises are also helpful, but I doubt they are as good as power cleans and sprints:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Weighted jumps (wear a vest, do box jumps and broad jumps), or just &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/mentoring_wendler&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;unweighted box jumps&lt;/a&gt;, per Wendler&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dumbbell or kettlebell Olympic lifts, which are less productive than the barbell version, but safer and can be done for higher reps&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Clapping push-ups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/mentoring_wendler&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Throw heavy things&lt;/a&gt;, again per Wendler&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-28T03:15:23.370" LastActivityDate="2012-06-28T03:15:23.370" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="871" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="869" CreationDate="2012-04-27T13:58:47.620" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Go slow. You need a partner who can work with you very well on this (though if you're both learning the drill, it's fine). Organize various sparring situations where your partner has initiative, then some where you have initiative. Both of you are to move at about 1/4-1/3 speed, so you can examine the situation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You'll see where you're not moving when you should be.&lt;/strong&gt; And then you'll be able to figure out when you should start moving.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, when taking the offensive, it's particularly important to get feedback from your partner. You'll know what your tells are, where your blockages are, and he/she will even tell you when you missed an opportunity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll also give your body the time to relax the muscles that need to be relaxed so you can move faster (including your brain).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-04-27T16:51:40.923" LastActivityDate="2012-04-27T16:51:40.923" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="873" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="869" CreationDate="2012-04-27T15:47:03.940" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are several things I can think of that might help, depending on exactly what the underlying problems are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Slow Repetition&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most fundamental thing I've ever seen improve speed is slow repetition. We say that &quot;speed comes from repetition&quot; in my Hapkido class and when I trained with a rapier we had similar expressions: you had to go slowly before you were able to go quickly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Frequently this is because as your technique improves it gets faster, and it is easy to throw slop when you are performing these techniques quickly.  If you train  slop as being &quot;correct&quot; for your muscle memory, you will plateau in speed, but slowing down and training that muscle memory can help dramatically.   A lot of issues, such as muscle tension, can dramatically impact your technique and can be addressed through training slowly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go into a stance and start performing your punches (say).  Going slow.  Breathing at a speed scaled to the speed you are performing the technique.  Do 4 slow, two off of each hand, and then do four fast, then move on to some other hand technique or repeat the cycle with your punches. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Reaction Time and Body Reading&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another component of speed is actually not about the speed itself, its about the appearance of speed as the result of when you have registered the need to start moving.  This may be less applicable in your case since you are talking about initial attacks, but I figure its always wort mentioning. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In rapier fighting there we people we referred to as &quot;chargers&quot; who would start fairly far back and basically charge at you with a blade by stepping from a reversed stance (sword on the same side as the back leg) to a forward stance (sword on the same side as the forward leg) very quickly.  If you didn't move out of the way you could get skewered fairly easily, and some of these guys were downright &lt;em&gt;fast&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, because of the nature of their attacks, you could see that very fast attack coming and you didn't have to move as much to defend as they did to attack.  The amount you had to move was… frequently a 15º pivot and a parry-4 (across the body). You didn't have to move as much as they did to defend, or could even preempt their attack if you could see them getting ready for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So take some time and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/254/training-body-reading-without-sparring&quot;&gt;train body reading&lt;/a&gt;: the ability to identify what your opponent is going to do and work on your reflexes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Plyometrics&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Build &quot;explosive&quot; strength: the ability to rapidly generate a lot of power through the use of &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/438/11&quot;&gt;plyometrics&lt;/a&gt;. Things like clapping pushups or gymnastic exercises. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will help develop the muscles for these sorts of techniques, and is something that's easy to do without additional equipment or even time in the gym. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Don't Forget Bringing it Back&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the things about &quot;fast techniques&quot; is that they come back faster than they go out.  It's not just the ability to throw that first punch fast, it is the ability to throw the &lt;em&gt;next&lt;/em&gt; one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So when training your snaps, focus on getting the hand chambered back into place for an immediate follow-on. This is also where going slow at first comes in: It makes it easy to train bringing it back faster than it goes out. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-04-27T15:47:03.940" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="874" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="869" CreationDate="2012-04-27T17:28:18.483" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think I have something similar. For myself, my current conclusion is that I lacked skill in entry. The idea of &quot;speed&quot; is more of a method to enter within range where I have the advantage. The strategy I have chosen to implement this is less of speed, and more of moving in a way that does not set off someone's reactions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This was built on top of the basics though: training power in the legs to close the gap faster. Fortunately, there are specific forms within my art that trains precisely that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Update:&lt;/strong&gt; Eliminate hesistation. See: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1465/how-to-overcome-freeze/1469#1469&quot;&gt;how to overcome &amp;quot;freeze&amp;quot;?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-10-01T15:30:04.977" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="875" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="876" CreationDate="2012-04-30T05:02:35.677" Score="8" ViewCount="1811" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been studying taekwondo for about 15 years, and I've always been taught to keep my fists closed tightly in sparring to reduce the chance of finger injury. Splayed fingers seems to be a common error, especially among younger students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the time a student receives their black belt, they've learned to keep their fists closed all the time. But a few years after that, once they start getting into the dan ranks, open-handed blocks always seem to creep back into their repertoire - I've noticed this in myself and plenty of other senior students. These aren't the splayed-finger disasters that junior students sometimes do - the thumb is tucked in, fingers are nice and tight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is, should we still try to avoid open-handed techniques even once we've learned to make a decent knife-hand? Or are open-handed blocks safe, once you've developed enough experience?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="48" LastActivityDate="2022-07-06T04:41:31.137" Title="Should I avoid open-handed blocks in sparring?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|defense|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="876" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="875" CreationDate="2012-04-30T07:01:05.120" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can give a Hapkido perspective on this, since at least at my dojang we are taught that you keep your fists closed until you reach 1 dan, at which point you can open them (and do so more and more as you go up from there).  We relax it a bit for blocks (we don't teach hard blocks until 9th kup), but not for attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two major reasons we give for emphasizing closed-fist technique in sparring:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It prevents an injury to yourself from a jammed finger or something similar.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It prevents &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt; from injuring &lt;em&gt;them&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In TKD there may be tournament reasons for keeping your fist closed which do not apply to HKD, but I can address these two reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Injury to Self&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From my perspective, once your technique gets into the dan range then it is both natural and desirable that you would open up your hands when doing the techniques where appropriate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming, of course, that your technique is good enough to justify it.  Your training by that point should be good enough that the risk of injury to yourself is substantially reduced, and you can actually make a more nuanced decision about when it might be appropriate, and also are more prepared to deal with the consequences if you are wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Injury to the Opponent&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This mostly is involved in attacks. Here the problem is that many open handed techniques–especially if improperly aimed or if there is a mistake–can cause substantively greater damage than a fist is likely to do.  It's one thing to miss a bit on a punch to the chest, it's another to screw up on something designed to hit their eyes.  Especially in arts where head strikes and throws are banned, there's also less reason to employ open-handed attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here I think there is still merit in limiting your repertoire that your use while sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With blocks, unless your instructor says otherwise, I'd say &quot;go for it&quot; since many of the safety concerns are obviated by the point that your technique has solidified a little. That said, I might have that conversation with your instructor, since he may have a set point where that becomes more allowable, or may feel that you personally aren't ready for it. On the other hand, he may also feel that now it is time to learn it and use it in a sparring context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-04-30T07:01:05.120" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="877" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="875" CreationDate="2012-04-30T15:10:24.473" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;An open hand requires less tension, which means faster movements. Once you have acquired the awareness/control over your hand, and your fingers aren't all over the place, it is to your benefit to modulate the tension and change your hand's position. I know that when I spar, with closed hands, I feel like I have much fewer options available, and I feel like I'm losing sensitivity to what's happening around me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-04-30T15:10:24.473" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="878" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-04-30T21:36:07.953" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aesopian, BJJ black belt, has &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/oft6d/are_purple_belts_and_up_the_equivalent_of/c3gz2zs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this input&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The best combination for quickly learning self defense is to train &lt;strong&gt;sumo&lt;/strong&gt; and the &lt;strong&gt;100 meter dash&lt;/strong&gt;. Here's why. Most hand-to-hand assault situation against an untrained attacker would be solved by 1) having good balance so you don't fall down, 2) aggressively shoving, smacking and overwhelming they so they fall down, then 3) running away as fast as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other serious exponents have told me that rugby is the best self-defense training. Notice the themes of rough-and-tumblry and sprinting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self-defense might mean any of the following, which may be studied concurrently but which are not the same:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;Let's assume a physical altercation; what's the best response?&quot; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;How do I avoid physical altercations?&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;How do I beat someone in a physical altercation?&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If we're using the first definition, a little scuffling and leaving the scene might be optimal. (My other answer assumes the third definition, which I believe is what most people really want the answer to.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-04-30T21:36:07.953" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="879" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-04-30T23:29:37.373" Score="0" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;⚠ Please read the &lt;a href=&quot;http://meta.martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/407/82&quot;&gt;should this tag be burninated&lt;/a&gt; post on meta.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;⚠ Anything not related to a specific martial art, any hypothetical situations, and anything related to the law are &lt;em&gt;off topic&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Physical:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Physical self defense is the use of physical force to counter an immediate threat of violence. Such force can be either armed or unarmed. In either case, the chances of success depend on a large number of parameters, related to the severity of the threat on one hand, but also on the mental and physical preparedness of the defender.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Unarmed:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Many styles of martial arts are practiced for self-defense or include self-defense techniques. Some styles train primarily for self-defense, while other martial/combat sports can be effectively applied for self-defense. To provide more practical self-defense, many modern day martial arts schools now use a combination of martial arts styles and techniques, and will often customize self-defense training to suit the participants' lifestyles, occupations, age groups and gender, and physical and mental capabilities. Now one of the most popular to learn, is a martial art called &lt;a href=&quot;/questions/tagged/krav-maga&quot; class=&quot;post-tag&quot; title=&quot;show questions tagged &amp;#39;krav-maga&amp;#39;&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;krav-maga&lt;/a&gt; specifically for self defense scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Law:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Note that self defense laws vary from country to country so one thing that might be true where you live is not necessarily true elsewhere. A quick &lt;a href=&quot;https://search.disconnect.me/searchTerms/serp?search=34c19c66-ca48-4086-9dc4-42d2a4f009d8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Google search&lt;/a&gt; can lead to several legal sites. If you are interested in legal aspects of self defense, please see &lt;em&gt;a defense lawyer in your jurisdiction&lt;/em&gt; as asking for legal advice from strangers on the Internet is unlikely to yield good results.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-03-17T15:28:10.993" LastActivityDate="2016-03-17T15:28:10.993" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="880" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-04-30T23:29:37.373" Score="0" Body="Self-defense or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from harm. Anything not related to a specific martial art, any hypothetical situations, and anything related to the law are off topic." OwnerUserId="12" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-03-17T15:28:10.993" LastActivityDate="2016-03-17T15:28:10.993" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="882" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-05-01T20:12:19.017" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-05-01T20:12:19.017" LastActivityDate="2012-05-01T20:12:19.017" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="883" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-05-01T20:12:19.017" Score="0" Body="Choosing a martial art, tool, technique, teacher, or training partner." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-01T21:24:22.780" LastActivityDate="2012-05-01T21:24:22.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="884" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-05-01T20:15:04.363" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Interpretation or application of a technique. Applicable to Japanese kata-based arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some arts, such as taiji, have generally-accepted combat applications for techniques in their forms. Others, such as many styles of karate, have lost the original meanings of the techniques through poor transmission of the art, and are left to make up their own. This has mixed results.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-01T21:24:15.980" LastActivityDate="2012-05-01T21:24:15.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="885" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-05-01T20:15:04.363" Score="0" Body="Interpretation or application of a technique. Applicable to Japanese kata-based arts." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-01T21:24:19.583" LastActivityDate="2012-05-01T21:24:19.583" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="886" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-05-01T20:15:52.273" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hitting someone with the ground. Methods for picking people up and tossing them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-01T21:24:31.687" LastActivityDate="2012-05-01T21:24:31.687" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="887" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-05-01T20:15:52.273" Score="0" Body="Hitting someone with the ground. Methods for picking people up and tossing them." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-01T21:24:33.437" LastActivityDate="2012-05-01T21:24:33.437" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="888" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-05-02T00:49:04.603" Score="12" ViewCount="3491" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm completely new to martial arts. I would like to know if there are techniques that can be used in self-defense if you had one hand tied behind your back or in the case you lose your hand?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="423" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-05-02T18:29:07.607" LastActivityDate="2016-04-10T01:15:36.090" Title="Self defense with one hand tied behind back?" Tags="|training|technique|self-defense|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="889" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="888" CreationDate="2012-05-02T02:11:25.063" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In one school I trained at we would change the sparring rules up to &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;keep from getting locked into patterns that were driven &lt;em&gt;by the rules&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;simulate disadvantages you might labor under. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sure, you can can do various things one handed---blocking and punching with the other hand for instance---but it is much, &lt;em&gt;much&lt;/em&gt; harder. Use your legs for trips or kicks. Run away if time and circumstances permit. Yell for help. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being tied will also affect your balance, and the range of motions available to you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No fun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="210" LastEditorUserId="108" LastEditDate="2012-05-09T10:57:48.783" LastActivityDate="2012-05-09T10:57:48.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="890" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="896" CreationDate="2012-05-02T03:36:16.863" Score="7" ViewCount="1473" Body="&lt;p&gt;While I was practicing drills tonight, it occurred to me that I have not seen roundhouse kicks in any form we do. All the forms I have seen in our system thus far, whether beginner forms or the more advanced ones, do not feature any roundhouse kicks at all. Though our style (a Northern Chinese praying mantis system that also descends from Northern Shaolin) features kicking that involves striking with the toe or instep, I can't ever recall seeing kicking movements that involve rotating the hip and body to strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When when I studied wushu from Bow Sim Mark (I can't remember exactly what style is was, but I do remember elements of Shaolin in it), I don't recall doing any type of roundhouse kick at all. Most of the kicks were, in general, straightforward in terms of delivery and execution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is the roundhouse kick common in traditional kung fu styles? If so, how widespread is it? What are the reasons why roundhouse kicks are not commonly performed if my assumption is actually true?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastActivityDate="2016-03-20T22:48:06.063" Title="Are roundhouse kicks prevalent in traditional kung fu systems?" Tags="|kung-fu|kicking|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="891" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="888" CreationDate="2012-05-02T04:28:25.173" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are plenty of techniques available to you if you only have one hand available, but it really depends on which martial arts you're referring to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Locks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In our Hapkido classes, we'll randomly practice our grabs in different scenarios (eyes closed, kneeling, lying down, sitting on a chair, one hand behind our back, etc). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It teaches you to really understand the concepts behind how a specific technique works and how to adapt to whatever situation you might be put in. It also forces us to learn how our entire body is used to apply techniques and generate power.  From a kneeling or seated position, you really have to adapt how your apply certain locks when you no longer have the full strength/power/mobility of your body — it forces you to rely on technique rather than brute strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Strikes/Kicks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I often practice my kicks with one or both hands behind my backs, not for any practical reason, but more so just to gain a greater understanding of how my body and balance is affected in different stances or scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In real life situations, you never know what you might injuries/limitations you might have to contend with, so practicing dealing with them in class can be very beneficial. Even if you don't put that one-handed technique into practice, it still helps you expand your understanding of how the technique works.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user28" LastEditorDisplayName="user28" LastEditDate="2014-03-11T12:30:45.753" LastActivityDate="2014-03-11T12:30:45.753" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="892" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-02-10T07:41:43.613" Score="6" ViewCount="2622" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have flat, wide feet, and tae kwon do classes are starting to hurt. I'm thinking to try wearing shoes with my running orthotics. Are there specialty martial arts or wrestling shoes that are wide and structured in a way that would accommodate an orthotic? What should I look for in these type of shoes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="425" OwnerDisplayName="Mike Hedman" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-05-02T13:37:38.377" LastActivityDate="2021-08-05T21:40:44.073" Title="Wide shoes for martial arts" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|shoes|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="893" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="892" CreationDate="2012-04-30T13:22:19.250" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I dont think they sell shoes by width. if you really want the perfect width, then you'll probably have to get some shoes custom made, which will probably be expensive. however, you should probably check out &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.karatedepot.com/martialartsshoes.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.karatedepot.com/martialartsshoes.html&lt;/a&gt;  first if you havent already. they have good stuff. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="Charles Shields" LastActivityDate="2012-04-30T13:22:19.250" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="895" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="888" CreationDate="2012-05-02T16:22:27.697" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Absolutely. Actually, one of the schools in the &lt;em&gt;Bujinkan&lt;/em&gt; (&lt;em&gt;Gikan-ryu&lt;/em&gt;) was reportedly heavily influenced by the inclusion of a one-armed &lt;em&gt;soke&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is, of course, a strong natural disadvantage (all else being equal) to having only one arm available (for example, the opponent knows your high attacks will largely come from that side, you are not naturally balanced, etc.), but martial arts are about learning to compensate for your disadvantages. Most (un- or under-trained) people fight as if they have an arm, an arm, a leg, and a leg; not as if they have one body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To give an example, I have a couple of techniques from &lt;em&gt;Gikan-ryu&lt;/em&gt; that exemplify a one-handed approach. &lt;strong&gt;NB:&lt;/strong&gt; These are from my notes, according to my understanding at the time of learning, and may not be typical of all students in the &lt;em&gt;Bujinkan&lt;/em&gt;. These should not be attempted without proper supervision as injury will likely occur. I've used the left hand so I can copy from my notes directly for ease, but the techniques are meant for either side and do not require both hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Gyaku Mune Dori&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reversing Lapel Grab&lt;/strong&gt; (Left hand only, exemplifies lock and throw.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Uke&lt;/em&gt; grabs both lapels.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; steps in and right at 45° angle, weaving left hand over &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;'s right arm and under &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;'s left. &lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; slides right foot forward into &lt;em&gt;kukan&lt;/em&gt; to lock both elbows, pulling elbow in and pushing hand out, disrupting balance. Step across with right foot at low forward 45° angle to throw.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Ichimonji&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Straight Line&lt;/strong&gt; (Left hand only, exemplifies lock and throw.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Uke&lt;/em&gt; grabs the right lapel with his left hand and performs &lt;em&gt;tsuki-ken&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; drops to the right knee to unbalance &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;, and swings the left hand up to parallel incoming &lt;em&gt;tsuki&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; takes the wrist and twists clockwise while rising to lock &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;'s arms in &lt;em&gt;jumonji&lt;/em&gt; (taking &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;'s right hand below). &lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; swings back right leg to throw.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Tsuri Gane&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hanging Bell&lt;/strong&gt; (Left hand only, exemplifies striking and throwing.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Uke&lt;/em&gt; performs a tackle around &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt;'s midsection.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; wraps left arm around &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;'s chest, kicks to &lt;em&gt;kinteki&lt;/em&gt; (testicles) with right foot, and swings right foot across into &lt;em&gt;yokonagare&lt;/em&gt; to pull &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; over.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Breaking it down&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At a very, very basic level (and since you're new, this will be the case), you fight with your arms and your legs. You likely move deliberately, each technique performed step-by-step. This is a very low-level style of training, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you improve, your body is one body. The exclusion of an arm is compensated for by the actions of the unified body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is all well exemplified by the story of &lt;em&gt;Senju Kannon&lt;/em&gt; (千手観音), the 1000-Armed Boddhisatva in esoteric Buddhism (&lt;em&gt;mikkyo&lt;/em&gt;). As Takuan Souhou wrote in The Unfettered Mind:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Considering that the Thousand-Armed Kannon has one thousand arms on its one body, if the mind stops at the one holding the bow, the other nine hundred and ninety-nine will be useless. It is because the mind is not detained at one place that all the arms are useful. As for Kannon, to what purpose would it have a thousand arms attached to one body? This form is made with the intent of pointing out to men that if their immovable wisdom is let go, even if a body have (sic) a thousand arms, every one will be of use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By this same virtue, we can see that men have the preconceived notion of not understanding the idea of having more than two arms any better than having less than two. Through training, we let go of distracting thoughts to learn to act and move naturally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether a man has no arms or ten, if he trains his body to move as best and as efficiently as possible, he will always be more capable than the man distracted by his own thoughts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-05-02T16:22:27.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="896" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="890" CreationDate="2012-05-02T20:07:54.880" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes. There are many different forms of kung fu and some do certainly contain techniques reminiscent of the roundhouse kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I studied a system called Northern Shaolin Kung Fu Wu Su and one of the kicks we were taught was called the &quot;bow leg kick&quot;. It had all the elements of a roundhouse kick. From in stance, you would pivot onto one leg so you are facing sideways from your opponent, chamber (or &quot;table&quot;) your leg (as if it's on a table) with the knee bent back, and then strike out with your instep/shin. Of course the steps are broken down for beginners and as you advance in skill you will perform it more fluidly and with more power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It has all the elements of a roundhouse kick, complete with power generation from turning your hips over as you strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This particular kick was taught later on in our curriculum, as it involved more advanced stepping and balance. The beginner classes always focused on straight front kicks, back kicks, and side kicks. So if you were training in a style such as mine, you may not have been exposed to the kick until later on. Of course, some styles forgo those kinds of kicks altogether. If you are curious if your style has a technique like the roundhouse kick, it's always best to ask your Sifu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="334" LastActivityDate="2012-05-02T20:07:54.880" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="897" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="890" CreationDate="2012-05-03T01:22:59.213" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why is a technique included or not included in a style?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What was the terrain like in the area where the style was born? Swamps, mountains, plains, rivers, beaches, all these things will influence the available techniques.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What was the founder like? Tall? Flexible? Strong? Wide of shoulders? Big-bellied? Did he have arms the size of tree trunks? This will also influence the available techniques.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What did the founder like doing? Come straight in? Go around? Joint locks? Arrows to the knee? This will also influence the available techniques.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then of course there's my thoughts on the roundhouse kick: you give up the centerline, mobility and stability/balance for this kick. Unless you can make it go REALLY FAST and to the head, there's very little stopping the opponent from just hitting you in the nose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mind you - I am not talking about kicks below the waistline, to wit: to the quads, the knees, the ankles, the shins, as well as sweeps. These have some superficial resemblance to the roundhouse kick and are infinitely more useful, and can be done from much closer in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the essence of the technique? What is the essence of the style? Do these two mesh? (Quick example: northern shaolin, monkey form - would you expect this essence to match the essence of the roundhouse kick?).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-05-03T01:22:59.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="898" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="899" CreationDate="2012-03-22T16:45:13.033" Score="11" ViewCount="621" Body="&lt;p&gt;I realize that it's impossible to simulate a combat situation. But I think that shooting at  target practice is wildly different from shooting under duress when lives are on the line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How can someone without military or law enforcement experience practice shooting in a stressful situation so they can be better prepared if the time comes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="Soup" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-05-04T21:46:41.017" LastActivityDate="2018-06-20T13:59:59.020" Title="How can I practice shooting for a combat situation?" Tags="|training|firearms|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="899" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="898" CreationDate="2012-03-22T17:55:19.563" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here are some options off the top of my head:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Drills&lt;/strong&gt; are useful since your body will likely default to what it trained.  There are a multitude of drills from a multitude of sources (thunder ranch, magpul dynamics, uspsa stages, etc.), however I assume this is what you mean by target practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Exercise&lt;/strong&gt; can put your body under stress to give you some small indication of what you might face.  Doing jumping jacks or push-ups (With your gun tabled or in a very secure holster) and the firing a string forces you to control your breathing and pulse, and if maintained long enough causes muscle fatigue i.e. loss of fine motor control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Force-on-Force&lt;/strong&gt; is used by many law enforcement and military organizations to train for combat.  This is when two individuals or groups run training scenarios against one another using non-lethal devices ranging from paint balls to lasers.  Gas blowback airsoft pistols are likely the most cost effective method of force on force training available to civilians.  Many airsoft guns have controls that function identically to the real thing, and many firearms manufacturers contract with airsoft companies to produce training pistols.  Fear of failure, and small doses of pain may provide you with some quasi-realistic training.  You and colleagues can simulate scenarios that you might encounter in your AO.  The failing points of this kind of training tend to be using cover that wouldn't stop bullets, reduced sensory input (noise and light), and no recoil control training. Remember to wear eye protection.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="Präriewolf" LastActivityDate="2012-03-23T14:30:49.360" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="900" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="898" CreationDate="2012-03-22T18:51:46.003" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Join your &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.idpa.com/clubs.asp&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;local&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.idpa.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;IDPA&lt;/a&gt; group. While not the same as being shot at, the time constraints and various scenarios can add some decent stress and will have you practicing drawing, firing from cover, tactical reloads and target/threat assessments. If you feel your not being tested well enough, take a run shortly before your event to get your heart and breathing rate up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="OldWolf" LastActivityDate="2012-03-22T18:51:46.003" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="901" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="898" CreationDate="2012-03-27T17:13:32.553" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a common statement made often by trainers in this regard:  under stress in the &lt;em&gt;real deal&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;you will only be as good as 50%&lt;/strong&gt; of your typical day in training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training and running drills distills the muscle-memory into your arms, fingers, legs, etc.  This muscle memory is what will typically default to under stress.  Keep in mind you lose all fine motor control when under serious stress.  If you train regularly, expect your training results to be to get worse by a factor of 1/2 in the real deal (it's not a perfect science, this is just what is typically quoted).  This means hand-palm size groupings will roughly double in size.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knowing some of the above, you adjust how you train to fit those common rules and guidelines.  When your training reaches a level where you are near perfect, then you start adding stress (in the ways mentioned in some of the other posts) to the training, and repeat until that level of training reaches a reasonable level of perfection as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are quite a few shooting schools you can go to, that will do this.  And &lt;strong&gt;over time&lt;/strong&gt;, you will better your abilities with self-defense and weapons.  Shooting is a perishable skill, so it's particularly important you maintain a level of ability consistently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="Jack" LastActivityDate="2012-03-27T17:13:32.553" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="902" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="898" CreationDate="2012-05-04T19:54:33.013" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;One method espoused by a couple CrossFitting military folks is to elevate your heart rate through exercise and go shooting. They call it a &quot;stress shoot&quot; and use a modified version of CrossFit's Helen workout (&lt;a href=&quot;http://vimeo.com/5639109&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Vimeo&lt;/a&gt;), which means several rounds of running, kettlebell swings, barbell push press (substituted for pull-ups), and target practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point is to train or test one's ability to remain accurate while fatigued, with elevated heart rate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-05-04T19:54:33.013" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="903" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="904" CreationDate="2012-05-07T03:36:46.890" Score="7" ViewCount="235" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hapkido has an extremely large number of techniques and an even larger number of variations in it. It includes a huge variety of techniques with the hands, feet, and with various weapons. Not to mention that there's a tendency to teach you progressively more fluid variations as you continue to train (so basics, then &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/83/11&quot;&gt;advanced basics&lt;/a&gt;, etc).  Then there's also the matter of needing to learn how to teach it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My particular class is a small class of mostly upper kup and dan ranks, but with a few lower belts as well (one white belt and one 9th kup at the moment).  The challenge I am seeing is in making sure that, in the course of the class, the students are getting sufficiently exposed to the &lt;em&gt;breadth&lt;/em&gt; of the material while not losing focus on the depth of their individual understanding.  As an example, we recently we realized that a 4th kup had basically never seen a set of techniques that we taught for a long while at white belt. Simply because with so much to cover it had been skipped over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It being a small class presents an additional level of challenge, because it isn't always easy to simply split the class. I've heard of people trying lesson plans with gap analysis and other things along those lines, but I am not sure how well they work in practice in this sort of environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that we are not the only art that has this phenomena, so I figured I would put the question out there: What is a good method to make sure that the material is being adequately covered in a small class? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-07-09T23:36:02.613" Title="How to cover all of the material? Especially in small classes" Tags="|teaching|hapkido|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="904" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="903" CreationDate="2012-05-07T17:00:42.813" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is a good method to make sure that the material is being adequately covered in a small class?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am fortunate in my training that I haven't just learned from one instructor, but have studied under at least a dozen different instructors at different times. There are two approaches that I saw, and my approach was born out of a combination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;1) The Rigid Lesson Plan&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most martial arts have a logical progression: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced. Often times, classes will be divided up according to these progressions, making for more manageable selections for teaching, but this is not always the case.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The rigid lesson plan is a syllabus of all the techniques you're approved to teach from beginning to end. Generally, this is determined by the school, but if you're on your own, it's your responsibility. In the &lt;em&gt;Bujinkan&lt;/em&gt; for instance, we have the &lt;em&gt;Ten Chi Jin Ryaku no Maki&lt;/em&gt;, which details all the techniques that should be known by the time you reach &lt;em&gt;shodan&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With your syllabus in hand, start at the beginning. Practice each technique for as long as it merits (you need to decide this based on class performance, but generally between 15 and 30 minutes per technique is good for a 2 hour class). You're not going to make it through the spectrum each class, so don't bother trying. Make it as far as you make it, then place a marker in your book. Next class, you pick up at that point and move forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eventually, you will get through everything. If a student has never seen the pre-requisite for a technique, then it's sink-or-swim time. Expect them to &lt;em&gt;try&lt;/em&gt;, not to succeed. When the pre-requisite technique comes around again, they'll learn it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pros&lt;/strong&gt;: Everything get's taught in a relatively predictable sequence.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cons&lt;/strong&gt;: Classes can get boring for more advanced students.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;2.) Teach What You Want, When You Want&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My first &lt;em&gt;Bujinkan&lt;/em&gt; instructor took the route that he would teach us what he wanted when he wanted. We would sink-or-swim each class. The key here is that you're teaching what you're passionate about, and &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt; know what you're looking for with your students. In small classes, this is great because you adapt what you're teaching based on their skill levels, then each time you look at them practicing, you focus on one aspect: perhaps foot movement, or perhaps their angles... Then you tell them what you think: &amp;quot;Very good&amp;quot; or just shake your head. They may never know where they stand with you, but they sure as hell will work hard for the &amp;quot;very good&amp;quot;s.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to not just be wandering around while you teach this way, though. You have to participate. Pick a student and practice with them when you train in two-person techniques. If you're performing &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;poomsae&lt;/em&gt;, then pull it apart with them and show them when and where it works.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have to know your students for this to work. If you don't, focus on the ones you do know until you know them all. Encourage the newbies by taking time to ask if they understand. You don't have to necessarily explain, but demonstrate the technique again when they don't. Force them to struggle and they will be excellent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pros&lt;/strong&gt;: In the long run, those that stick with the art will be far more adaptable than those with the rigid lesson plan.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cons&lt;/strong&gt;: Short term, you may see that a lot of students don't like not knowing where they stand, and may quit.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;3.) My way&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a full lesson plan that I make available to my students if they want it. Every technique that I teach is described in detail. If I'm teaching mostly newbies, I teach the fundamentals and expand them how I feel like at that moment. If I'm teaching more advanced students, I may teach a class based solely around a principle (&lt;em&gt;nagare&lt;/em&gt; [flow], or control, or angles), but I always give them a reference to go back to. If I'm showing flow, I may demonstrate the full technique form of &lt;em&gt;oni kudaki&lt;/em&gt; before doing it very small with adaptations of body movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is about knowing how you're comfortable teaching. You have to be confident in your students abilities, and if you're not you have something to fall back upon (the syllabus).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pros&lt;/strong&gt;: Classes aren't boring because they're not predictable.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cons&lt;/strong&gt;: Visitors (especially lower-level) hate this and think you're doing it wrong since you're not doing it the way they've been doing it, and may turn some of your students off to you as well.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No matter what teaching style you may choose, you're always making trade-offs. There's no perfect system, and no everyone will learn the same way. Ultimately, you have to do what you're comfortable with and make sure that you're confident in your abilities to teach the material effectively with minimal interruption. Less interruption means more practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2012-05-07T17:00:42.813" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="905" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="903" CreationDate="2012-05-07T20:10:40.337" Score="0" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The challenge I am seeing is in making sure that, in the course of the class, the students are getting sufficiently exposed to the breadth of the material while not losing focus on the depth of their individual understanding. As an example, we recently we realized that a 4th kup had basically never seen a set of techniques that we taught for a long while at white belt. Simply because with so much to cover it had been skipped over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm inclined to harp a little bit on the 'Rigid curriculum' that stslavik mentioned in his answer. Define a subset of ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY SKILLS that each rank must, simply MUST have. Make sure this subset is LESS than the time that these students will be in class. Now:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You have an easy frame of reference for testing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You can split the class easily by telling the ranks you are not actively working with to work on a particular technique&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Everyone has more time than requirements (Ah, wouldn't that be nice if it were true?), so it's OK if you take three black belts to work on a green belt drill. Chances are they could use it anyway. And of course, rotate the partners so the black belts are sometimes together, sometimes with lower ranks.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The previous point means that you can now say: &quot;Work on drill X&quot; and if they say they haven't seen it yet, you can pull the entire class into teaching that particular drill and still easily split the class by giving the lower ranks drills that THEY know&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You can pull a higher rank who needs teaching experience and let them lead/teach a drill to lower ranks without worry or concern.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, now the problems:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's easy to progressively devolve into &quot;This is the curriculum, you only need to know this&quot;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's easy for a student to say &quot;Why am I being tested on this? It's not in the curriculum.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's easy for a student to say &quot;Why am I learning this? It's not in the curriculum.&quot;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To the previous two points I want to say, &quot;Find another school&quot;, but that's of course &lt;em&gt;not always&lt;/em&gt; a good business decision. There is no perfect answer, these must be handled on a case-by-case basis if they crop up.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's HARD to come up with an efficient subset and not leave out something essential&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You might get criticized for trying to create a new martial art when, inevitably, you make a change or create a drill to encompass a few concepts that it takes too long to teach on their own.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One way might be to wrap the ranks with &quot;What a student is taught right after they get to this rank&quot; (which might involve a new way of doing basics and such), &quot;What a student is taught right before the test&quot; and of course &quot;What a student is taught in-between&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-05-07T20:10:40.337" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="906" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="903" CreationDate="2012-05-07T20:20:02.193" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It helps to have an established curriculum or progression through your system. Your system does sound like it has that, but perhaps something was simply missed or perhaps there isn't a structure of progression of the things that people need to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With a huge breadth of material to learn, a way to cover those teachings is to drill out the fundamentals that are essential to your style. This is something that I do in my particular system, and no matter what level anyone is, we continue to work even on what seems like the most basic of movements simply because they are the foundation of all the advanced material you learn later. For what we do, it scales up and down for large and small classes. Our school promotes a culture of learning and understanding so that no one feels like they are superior or inferior to each other, because we all have to go through the same thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes when people reach a certain level, their path in their art might diverge. Within in our school, part of this plays to people's different strengths and weaknesses. People might learn certain weapons or hand forms that &quot;fit&quot; them (in terms of movements, personality, characteristics, etc.). Another way to look at this is in &lt;em&gt;how&lt;/em&gt; do you pass down the teachings and traditions to your students and maintain the &quot;life&quot; of the knowledge so that it doesn't &quot;die.&quot; However, given that, we still continue to emphasize and focus on what makes your kung fu &quot;good,&quot; and a huge part of that goes back to the basics that everyone learns and will eventually be tested when the time comes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure if I understand &quot;splitting the class&quot; properly, but I am guessing you mean into various levels like beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The way I read this is sub-dividing the students within the class to drill various exercises. This is something that I've done whenever we've had small classes. Sometimes the students will be at similar levels, or their years of experience might differ. In the latter case, sometimes you can have a group of students work on something together in their own group (whether one or a few people) while helping another with different materials and bouncing between the two groups. Once in a while, we might just have everyone drill the same thing together (again, because we emphasize our fundamentals).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can allow this type of thing, sometimes having the more senior students help out with teaching class or showing various techniques can lift the burden. How you decide this is up to you really. It is a valuable tool for both the teacher and the student; teach to learn and learn to teach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there's anything to take away from this, I'd say figure out the exact materials and lessons you want to teach your students. Create a plan of progression of what you want to emphasize from the beginning to later years so that you can cover the aspects of what your system entails.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastActivityDate="2012-05-07T20:20:02.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="907" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="908" CreationDate="2012-05-08T06:00:13.150" Score="6" ViewCount="1132" Body="&lt;p&gt;A lot of techniques in Hapkido have clear derivations from other arts. A lot of our kicks come from either TKD or from a parent art of TKD, while a lot of the hand-techniques seem to be derived from Daito-ryu.  The implementation tends to vary a bit from the parent arts and even between schools, but the fundamentals of the techniques look quite similar. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am, however, curious about the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MajmKruZcM&quot;&gt;backspinning heel kick&lt;/a&gt;. Note the differences between that technique and what we call a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSliiB1AQdE&quot;&gt;backspinning hook kick&lt;/a&gt;, which a lot of taekwondo schools refer to as a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0Ltdvhlxes&quot;&gt;heel kick&lt;/a&gt; (in the heel kick the leg doesn't bend while striking).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some TKD schools do practice a heel kick like it shows up in HKD, but according to my instructor they borrowed these techniques from HKD rather than the other way around. I do not know if this is true, but I haven't seen it much outside of HKD and since I've been working on the details of this kick recently I figured I'd ask here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my question is two part:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What other arts practice a backspinning heel kick, as distinct from a hook kick?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Does anyone know the origin–likely or just potential–of this kick in HKD? &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2014-10-23T14:12:14.923" Title="Backspinning Heel Kick, Hapkido Origins" Tags="|kicking|hapkido|spinning-kicks|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="908" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="907" CreationDate="2012-05-08T12:15:19.283" Score="4" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I'm aware of Tang Soo Do and at least some forms of Karate having a spinning heel kick, but beyond the Korean martial arts and Karate, I'm not aware of any (though it seems likely that there is at least a related move in Capoeira and some styles of Kung Fu).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In Alex Gillis' A Killing Art (a heavily sourced origin of modern Taekwondo), Gillis relates an incident where Jong-Soo Park demonstrates a kick that could only be identified as a spinning heel kick to Choi (sometime around 1964).  Choi is so taken with the kick that he adds it to his manual under the name Bandae Dollyo Chagi (reverse turning kick), a heading that covers spin side kicks, spin heel kicks and spin hook kicks.  That said, Gillis actually attributes the origin of the kick (in TKD at least) to Woo Jong-Lim (sometime in the 1950's), though Jong-Lim never applied the kick to sparring or competition (that I'm aware of). Neither Park or Jong-Lim had exposure to Hapkido at this point according to what I've been able to see.  It's actually very likely that the technique evolved within the various Korean martial arts in roughly the same time frame thanks to a very healthy tournament circuit.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastActivityDate="2012-05-08T12:15:19.283" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="909" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="977" CreationDate="2012-05-08T16:56:30.927" Score="4" ViewCount="1164" Body="&lt;p&gt;Entrance into judo competition as a new &lt;em&gt;judoka&lt;/em&gt; is contingent on the go-ahead of a recognized judo instructor. What criteria would an experienced judoka instructor use to make that determination? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I expect many instructors require at least some &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; ability, if not basic strength, knowledge of the competition format (including tapping) and skill in throwing and pinning. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My coach's standard was essentially, &quot;Can you do &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt;? Do you understand how &lt;em&gt;judo&lt;/em&gt; works--throwing, pinning, choking, tapping?&quot; Should instructors be concerned with anything else?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-05-14T15:50:52.957" LastActivityDate="2012-05-26T16:37:56.517" Title="What do instructors look for before allowing students to compete in judo?" Tags="|safety|judo|competition|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="910" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="898" CreationDate="2012-05-08T21:20:00.107" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You need to have partners and setup realistic drills using something like air soft guns (should be a given not to use real firearms). Think of scenarios, setup a drill or the scenario, run through it and critique afterwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastActivityDate="2012-05-08T21:20:00.107" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="911" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="219" CreationDate="2012-05-08T21:26:45.967" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tabata intervals/workouts are great for cardio. I like doing them on a stationary bike, but using a timer you could do heavy bag drills too. Toss in some strength training (basic barbell stuff) and you'll be golden.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rosstraining.com/articles/tabataintervals.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.rosstraining.com/articles/tabataintervals.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastActivityDate="2012-05-08T21:26:45.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="912" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-05-09T02:03:29.390" Score="11" ViewCount="5934" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a 4th Degree in American Karate. The dojo I have recently become a part of has a number of Black Belt candidates, and I will be serving on the panel. I don't have much experience attending black belt testings outside of my own, so I'm not sure what type of questions I should ask the candidates during the interview portion of their test. I would like some input from the martial arts community about what kinds of questions you have encountered, or what a few good questions for the candidates may be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="436" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-05-14T15:01:02.353" LastActivityDate="2019-12-11T15:35:19.317" Title="What are good questions to ask for a black belt testing?" Tags="|karate|belt|grading|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="913" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="912" CreationDate="2012-05-09T06:57:08.410" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is an interesting question, there isn't really any one right answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Asking them questions regarding their character is not really appropriate. They should have been training at a particular dojo for some time, and a lot should already be known about their character before they are invited to grade. Therefore asking character oriented questions at the grading is mostly redundant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This leaves philosophical and theoretical questions. Philosophical questions can give you insight into their understanding of the spiritual and moral side of the art, and show any gaps (or negative leanings) in their understanding. Philosophical questions should be quite open ended, i.e.:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;what is the meaning of &lt;em&gt;the way of the open hand&lt;/em&gt;?  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;how will your responsibilities change once you have received your black belt?  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;how do you deal with someone who pesters you to show them some of those cool black belt moves?  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you have mastered a particular technique; what do you do next?  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;some people want you to set up a dojo of your own, what are your thoughts on that?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These questions don't necessarily have a definitively &lt;em&gt;right&lt;/em&gt; answer, but they certainly do have &lt;em&gt;wrong&lt;/em&gt; answers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The theoretical questions could include testing the candidates knowledge of the history of the dojo and/or style, or questioning them on applications of techniques which haven't been covered during the practical side of the grading.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditionally shodan gradings push the candidate to their physical limit, there is no reason why you shouldn't test their mental limits as well :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-05-09T06:57:08.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="914" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="160" CreationDate="2012-05-09T08:22:58.220" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Scam detection :&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately there are many so-called masters out there, that have rather creatively found ways to rip off students. These methods can be subtle to very obvious. I'll list out some that I've actually come across : &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Offering belts with all possible colour combinations from the visible spectrum. This is why I avoid martial arts like karate. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kids who are barely 10 year olds with black belts. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Conducting test every two months.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stealing from students' backpacks while they are told to 'meditate' (Yep, this actually happened) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Overcrowded schools. This is not an enviornment where you can really learn. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If students are asked to pay up-front for the next 6 months. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ridiculous costs of weapons or defense gear or uniforms. (Always cross check with your local sports shop)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Martial Science&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The instructor should be able to explain every move in a kata/sequence, in a scientific manner. This is very important for me. If I only wanted to get fit, I'd rather join ballet classes or gymnastics. You should be seeking to grow mentally as well as physically, so make sure that your instructor knows/teaches the &quot;why&quot; along with the &quot;how&quot;.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;S/He should have studied other branches of martial arts. For e.g a karateka should also know some Chinese martial arts that rely on different principles. If they're uptight about their 'style', I wouldn't trust them&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;They should have some basic sports instructor certification from a reputed body. They should know how to treat common injuries, sprains etc. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Random&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Generally a school is affialted to some national or international body. I always check the reputation of that body. A really good school has exchange programmes, and the level of teaching is uniform, irrespective of geographic locations.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Word of mouth can give you very important clues, so keep your ears open. If I were you, I'd ignore charisma while considering instructors. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Once you've found the right instructor, who is a good human, it is safe to put your trust in him/her wholeheartedly. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reply to the comment by Tomas (clarifications)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe they should, I can understand if the science bit is left as an excercise for the student to figure out - so that spoon feeding is avoided. Or if this is taught at a latter stage in order to avoid confusing those who are new. I personally feel that you can learn much faster and avoid injuries, by learning why a technique is performed the way it's performed. Details do matter, especially when you look into branches like Wing-chun, where every move is designed to have an edge over the opponent in every parameter of fighting (speed/timing/position/damage inflicted/centre of gravity). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="108" LastEditorUserId="108" LastEditDate="2012-05-16T12:29:20.340" LastActivityDate="2012-05-16T12:29:20.340" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="915" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="909" CreationDate="2012-05-09T17:37:21.893" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.intjudo.eu/Rules&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;IJF Statutes&lt;/a&gt;, competitors must comply with International Judo Federation (IJF) and International Olympic Committee rules.  The IOC rules usually amount to antidoping laws, weight classes, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wikipedia has a decent article for &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo_rules&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Judo competition rules&lt;/a&gt;.  For a more official answer, read the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.intjudo.eu/IJF_Referee_Rules/English_Version_/English_Version&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;IJF Referee rules&lt;/a&gt;.  This answers the question of &lt;em&gt;A) what standards are enforced&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to what &lt;em&gt;should&lt;/em&gt; be enforced, that is up to the sensei at your dojo.  If a sensei tells you that you are not ready for competition, then listen and work on the areas he has you working on.  The IJF provides the minimum requirements for competition, and all dojos will comply with those rules if they want to compete in a sanctioned tournament.  However, there does need to be some freedom for the individual dojos to select the competitors that represent the dojo.  The sensei will emphasize the strategies and techniques that they feel are important to the particular style of Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally don't think that there is any way to come up with an authoritative or even useful list of techniques that are absolutely required.  If you take a dozen sensei, you will have a dozen answers.  Even on the commonalities, there will be disagreement on the emphasis necessary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-05-09T17:37:21.893" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="916" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="912" CreationDate="2012-05-11T17:30:02.213" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;What does a black belt mean to you?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;What would it mean if you did not receive your black belt today?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Are you ready to wear a black belt?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;What is the difference between you wearing a white belt and you wearing a black belt?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Imagine you are in a fist fight - the other person has just started throwing the first strike, and you haven't started moving yet. What are all the things you may have done wrong to get you in that situation?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-05-11T17:30:02.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="917" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1363" CreationDate="2012-05-11T23:38:55.113" Score="3" ViewCount="5970" Body="&lt;p&gt;I previously used a groin protector in kickboxing but that still hurt when you take a kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most groin protectors will not work in Krav Maga, which is very heavy groin-kick oriented. What makes a good groin protector?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="412" LastEditorUserId="412" LastEditDate="2012-09-11T22:06:48.173" LastActivityDate="2020-04-15T12:06:28.860" Title="What features makes a good groin protector?" Tags="|equipment|krav-maga|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="918" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-05-14T14:02:08.593" Score="9" ViewCount="3395" Body="&lt;p&gt;Looking at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjmBPFPTq-g&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;, it seems that Krav Maga has a lot in common with Aikido, suprisingly! &lt;em&gt;A lot&lt;/em&gt; of the techniques demonstrated here seem to be from Aikido, and also, the keikogi is almost identical. Is this a general property of Krav Maga, or is it specific to this practitioner's style?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="93" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-02T10:49:57.030" LastActivityDate="2020-03-03T09:24:04.987" Title="Does Krav Maga have any roots in Aikido?" Tags="|aikido|history|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="919" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="912" CreationDate="2012-05-14T14:52:53.470" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many of the other answers are good. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At my test I was asked questions about the lineage of my style - who the founder of the style was, who my teacher learned from, basic stuff like that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might also want to ask questions about what techniques, forms, etc. the student feels are his or her best - it'll give you an idea of what to look for during the testing, and whether the student has an accurate view of his or her own abilities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="445" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-05-21T13:48:44.840" LastActivityDate="2012-05-21T13:48:44.840" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="920" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="529" CreationDate="2012-05-14T15:02:18.717" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;After watching a few times, I think this is a pretty straightforward sequence: get your hands up so you can defend yourself, move forward and attack. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The form seems to assume that your attacker has made his or her intentions clear, and that you can move in to attack immediately without compunction. I learned a slightly different variation that has an explicit middle block at the beginning, on an &quot;always defend first&quot; principle, and having seen Shimabuku's fairly small movements before, that may be implicit in the raising of the hands in this version.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="445" LastActivityDate="2012-05-14T15:02:18.717" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="921" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="917" CreationDate="2012-05-14T15:29:10.650" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I use Shock Jock compression shorts with the added cup. How would it handle a full force knee to the groin? No idea, just as I have no idea how well my mouth guard would handle a full force elbow to my chin. It does handle the level of force used in my training, and I have caught some pretty good shots.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastActivityDate="2012-05-14T15:29:10.650" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="922" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5119" CreationDate="2012-05-14T15:58:12.377" Score="5" ViewCount="1313" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let us examine this &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joaYFa_sRr4&amp;amp;feature=player_detailpage#t=575s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;one section&lt;/a&gt; (9:35-9:38) of only a few seconds of a video of Okamoto-sensei, a Daito-Ryu practitioner, demonstrating a way to free oneself from an opponent grabbing both your wrists when both are in a seated position. He shows one of the most fundamental techniques of daito-ryu, in which he raises his hands in a circular motion towards the shoulders of the opponent (or towards the sky) and then sends the opponent to the side. The opponent appears to be pushed back through the arms before being jerked forward and rolling out. Additionally, the seated practitioner's movements throughout are small and subtle. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PlxpWywLiY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;demo of work using similar principles&lt;/a&gt; that shows some of the same principles being applied through simple fighting examples.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What happens inside &lt;code&gt;uke&lt;/code&gt;'s body during this technique? How does &lt;code&gt;tori&lt;/code&gt; create these effects inside &lt;code&gt;uke&lt;/code&gt;'s body?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2015-06-05T12:48:36.013" LastActivityDate="2015-06-05T16:47:28.287" Title="What makes this seated Daito-ryu technique work?" Tags="|internal|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="923" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1570" CreationDate="2012-05-14T17:12:11.580" Score="3" ViewCount="206" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've trained with a bokken for many years, mostly though instruction by students in various arts and David Lowry's text. I'm at a point in my life where I would like to formalize my knowledge and receive more formal and direct instruction in a Japanese sword art, specifically Iaijutsu. However, finding an instructor/school is proving to be a challenge. So my question is this: is there a central body/organization in the US that focuses, at least in part, on promotion of Iaijutsu in the US?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastActivityDate="2014-06-05T08:40:49.940" Title="Is there a US-based organization supporting Iaijutsu?" Tags="|sword|bokken|iaijutsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="924" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="957" CreationDate="2012-05-14T18:39:02.510" Score="12" ViewCount="1713" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some techniques in hapkido are practiced with a foot sliding along the ground or remaining in contact with the ground. For example, in a sequence we call a stepping pattern, it isn't uncommon to step with one foot moving forward, and then slide the back leg into position.  Similarly when practicing sweeps there are several sweeps where the leg is picked up, but there are multiple others where you slide your foot along the ground until just before you make contact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The justifications given here are related to stability and &quot;getting power from the ground.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I practiced rapier fighting, however, the emphasis was &lt;em&gt;always&lt;/em&gt; on picking up the feet. The justification given for this was that you weren't always sure what the terrain would be that you were fighting on, and you wanted to pick up your feet so as to firmly place them where you wanted them.  We also tend to practice hapkido barefoot and inside, where we tend to practice rapier with boots on and outside.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen this now in a few other places: Either the foot is &lt;em&gt;never&lt;/em&gt; supposed to slide across the ground, or it consistently does in some situations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the pros and cons of doing this? Is it just practiced as an artifact of the arts being indoors on good mats or do you actually generate stability/power/flow by remaining in contact with the ground for longer?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2021-07-23T11:42:08.353" Title="Sliding the Feet in Contact With the Ground" Tags="|hapkido|footwork|rapier|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="925" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="922" CreationDate="2012-05-14T18:47:39.413" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no 'wave' sent into the opponent. The senior man is waving his hands and his students, knowing the drill, take a breakfall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&quot;Jump for sensei&quot;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many factors contribute to this being a &quot;work&quot;: Okamoto is working with incredibly dedicated, long-term students of his. They are demonstrating for a crowd. They are being taped. Both &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt; have invested years, if not decades, in making these techniques look effective on a &lt;strong&gt;compliant&lt;/strong&gt; partner. In the past, it is almost certain that if Sensei attempted a technique and &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; did not flip over and tap, Sensei would apply A) some other technique with a greater degree of force, and B) group social shaming of that individual for not receiving the technique compliantly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gillian Russell's &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~grussell/epistemicviciousness.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Epistemic Viciousness (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; makes this point eloquently:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Not everyone treats their martial art like a religion, but another, more inevitable problem for martial arts epistemology is that those who already have beliefs in the area tend to have a lot invested in those beliefs. The people whose testimony we are most likely to believe have inevitably put years of effort into perfecting their techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everyone involved in Okamoto's demo is subject to an extraordinary degree of cognitive dissonance of the form &quot;whatever Sensei does, I'd better take &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt;, and fast.&quot; One way you can tell that the students' responses are socially programmed is that &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/joaYFa_sRr4?t=3m58s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;they yell with exaggerated faux-surprise&lt;/a&gt; when they take nearly any fall. Another tip-off is that they flip and recoil from &lt;em&gt;any and all&lt;/em&gt; of sensei's responses throughout the video, including &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/joaYFa_sRr4?t=7m4s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;ludicrous neck-twitches that send his attacker flying (and where you can cleary see &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; jump, instead of be thrown!)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More than anything else, Okamoto has set up a contrived parlor trick. He twitches his hands and the students jump for him. This is meant to showcase some broader principle or efficacy of technique, but largely it demonstrates the power of social suggestion and long-term setting of expectations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For an example of how this fares against actual martial techniques, please see this &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEDaCIDvj6I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;challenge match&lt;/a&gt; (YouTube) of a &quot;kiai master&quot; against someone trained in punching and kicking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Drilling for intangibles?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's nothing wrong with odd drills that develop &quot;intangibles&quot;. Balance, intuition, sensitivity, and timing are all hard to isolate during practice. Sometimes we'll do an odd drill that involves taking easy falls, but that should only be occasional. The more these drills (like the demonstrated Daito technique) supplant sparring and straightforward technique drilling, the more one should become dubious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One should also be wary of techniques that seem to have over-the-top results. Sometimes, the technique is valid and just unusual. Other times, the technique simply does not have a solid basis. Instead, its production of over-the-top &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; relies on cooperation from a compliant demonstration partner. Ask yourself: can this person execute this technique in chaotic conditions (like sparring) against opponents that aren't senior students?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Demonstration, not technique?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most charitable interpretation one can give of this move is that this is a &lt;em&gt;demonstration&lt;/em&gt; meant to illustrate a concept. It is not intended to be a &lt;em&gt;technique&lt;/em&gt; that can be applied as shown and it is not intended to be interpreted as an effective combat technique. It's more Harlem Globetrotters than the Bulls.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem with such an approach is that nearly everyone who watches this demonstration fixates on the finger instead of the moon the finger is pointing at. People see this amazing &quot;technique&quot; and practice getting the demonstration to work instead of practicing fighting. It would be like someone training for the NBA spending more time on spinning a basketball on their finger than dribbling, passing, and shooting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Demonstrations of concepts aren't so bad when the people doing it understand that they're engaging in historical re-enactment or cultural preservation. The problem is that most of those people think they're training to get better at fighting or defending themselves, and they're not. They're rehearsing a demo. It's a parlor trick used in the service of pedagogy that almost always fails to impart its lesson.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-06-02T13:21:26.177" LastActivityDate="2015-06-02T13:21:26.177" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="926" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="922" CreationDate="2012-05-14T19:46:13.053" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two things going on there that need to be separated out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One is the technique that Okamoto-sensei is performing, the other is the technique that the &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; is performing. It is important to observe both, since both are part of what is fundamentally occurring here. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a purely physical level, what he is doing is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pushing them back while they hold on.  This is reminiscent of a few of our escapes in Hapkido: Pushing them back weakens the grip and forces them to adjust their balance. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pulling them down and to the side.  This is pulling their center off, down, and to the right and aligning their (now forward) momentum along the angle to the side. This is particularly effective when combined with the previous technique, so that their balance is already disrupted.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;By turning his arms over, it is forcing their arm all the way over to the opposite side from where it started.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;As mentioned by others, there is a psychological force in play compelling everyone to go along with the technique (to be compliant, as it were).  Part of this is the nature of the training and the situation (you want to look good for the cameras), part of this is actually practice (see below).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's all part of the first component there. The second thing deals with how the &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; are responding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From here multiple things can result.  If the &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; does nothing here but just holds on tightly, then with a little extra movement in the technique the &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; will probably end face-planting and/or ending up in a lock (depending on what the &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt; is aiming for).  Minimally, the &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt; will end up in a position where his hands are free and he can strike his (hopefully off-balance) attacker. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, they are going along with the technique, which trains them in how to escape it.  This is part of the &quot;compliance&quot; piece: in hapkido we don't just train how to put the techniques on, but how to get out of them or keep the lock/throw from going into place on us. That's the other side of what you are seeing here: they are training to essentially break the lock and escape by kipping out of it. As we like to say: &quot;Don't be the dummy for the other side.&quot;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is further exaggerated by the desire to make it look good for the cameras, so you get what looks like a fluid and pretty much choreographed movement, where the instructor is slowly demonstrating a technique and students–who are training in the movement that will help them not get caught by it and have seen it many times before–see what is coming and go along with it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-05-14T19:46:13.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="927" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="909" CreationDate="2012-05-14T19:56:08.447" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think the main criteria a coach/&lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt; should look at before allowing his/her students to compete are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Can they handle losing?&lt;/strong&gt;  If the kid cries everytime they get thrown in &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt;, or pinned in &lt;em&gt;ne waza randori&lt;/em&gt;, they aren't ready to compete.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do they know the rules? Can they follow them?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do they have a couple throws they can do in &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt;? &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do they have any &lt;em&gt;osae waza&lt;/em&gt; they are able to hold with some success? Are they aware of how to escape from the usual ones?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Break falls of course should be very good, but that's a given i think.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If the student is an adult, then they should be able to their ego aside and tap when the time is right.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I imagine this list is a little different then ones other people will suggest, but to me,  #1 is probably the most important.  If a kid doesn't handle losing well, then competing in a tournament will likely be a terrible experience for him/her and their parents.  It may even be enough to make them quit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Adult Students&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a new adult student, there isn't much different from the kids. The ego stuff still stands for sure.  As far as physical requirements: if they can't do 5 minutes of &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt;, they shouldn't be competing.  I don't think strength specifically is something that needs to be measured, as you know, judo is about &lt;em&gt;kuzushi&lt;/em&gt;, using momentum, and their weight movement. They should be able to last a match without falling over from exhaustion.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also important to note that, even if you can do 5 minutes of hard &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; no problem, chances are new competitors will find themselves completely gassed after one match, even if they are quite fit.  Stress, nerves, and adrenaline all play a big factor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-15T15:13:05.883" LastActivityDate="2012-05-15T15:13:05.883" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="928" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="922" CreationDate="2012-05-14T21:08:56.337" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no one, unifying piece that is at work in the video provided, but many pieces working in parallel. I will be as explicit in naming as many as possible to give an accurate view of the principles at work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Balance&lt;/strong&gt; – &lt;em&gt;Okamoto-sensei&lt;/em&gt; (I have it as &lt;em&gt;Okamoto Seigo&lt;/em&gt;, though have seen &lt;em&gt;Okamoto Shogo&lt;/em&gt; as well, especially from Russian videos) sits upright in &lt;em&gt;seiza&lt;/em&gt;, shoulders over hips. &lt;em&gt;Uke&lt;/em&gt; sites in &lt;em&gt;seiza&lt;/em&gt; at a distance of about a foot; in order for &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; to reach &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt;'s wrists, he has to give up his balance – that is, he breaks alignment of his hips and shoulders, whereas &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt; need not do so. Therefore, &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; is imbalanced, his arms at a full extension by virtue of needing to keep some balance (avoiding falling forward). In this way, &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; gives himself to &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt; needs only to steer him right or left to point him where to fall. This loss of balance, interestingly enough, occurs at 9:35-9:36, immediately following &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;'s best attempts to seat himself in a balanced posture.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Locking&lt;/strong&gt; – Once that &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; makes contact, he is supported partly by &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;em&gt;Sensei&lt;/em&gt; now has a lever in the form of &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;'s arms provided that he can maintain rigidity. To do this, &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt; first raises the hands and points up (an exaggerated example of this technique is available on the DVDs &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.budovideos.com/shop/customer/product.php?productid=16138&amp;amp;cat=&amp;amp;page=1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Daito-ryu Roppokai&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.budovideos.com/shop/customer/product.php?productid=16353&amp;amp;cat=&amp;amp;page=1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Daito-ryu Roppokai Hawaii Seminar&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, the latter being from which the question's link is drawn.) which bends the wrist, locks the elbows, and pushes the arms up into the shoulders. So long as &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt; maintains his balance, the pressure on the joints will prevent the lock from being released. This occurs at 9:37 in the video.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Flow&lt;/strong&gt; – Called &lt;em&gt;nagare&lt;/em&gt; in Japanese, or known as &lt;em&gt;The Wave&lt;/em&gt; in &lt;em&gt;Systema Ryabko&lt;/em&gt;, the continuity of motion from 9:36 to 9:38 begins in the knees, a slight wave moving up from the knees through the hips and up through the arms. This combined with the lock setting at 9:37 lifts &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;, and the continued movement in a circle biased toward one side leads &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;'s already natural tendency forward.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Will&lt;/strong&gt; – This is, without a doubt, the most difficult aspect to teach. Without getting too philosophical, the martial artist has to realize that we are not all that different than Hermetics; we are workers of will. When we move, we move where we are invited and take the space that we desire. We command our movements take priority. The novice struggles with technique, assuring himself he's performing correctly when it works, never understanding why it just so happens to always work for &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt;. The reason is that the &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;wills&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; for the technique to work, consciously or not. His presence, his actions, and his authority all lend themselves to his ability to act.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; On the simplest of levels, I understand that if I tell you, &quot;Don't think of a black cat.&quot; you must, in order to understand me, think of a black cat. By making this statement, I am subjecting you to my will, whether it is your intent to be subjected or not. It is unavoidable. For a technique like the &lt;em&gt;te hodoki&lt;/em&gt; seen in the video to work, the martial artist must first bend the reality around him; that is, he must create the illusion that the only viable option is for the &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; to grab his wrists. To say that the martial artist must wait for that opportunity to present itself is misguided, as that would put him into the realm of reaction, which is too slow to be effective. Why does &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; grab for &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt;'s wrists then? Because &lt;em&gt;sensei&lt;/em&gt;, through his position and his intention has set up the scenario in which that is the appropriate response. &lt;em&gt;Uke&lt;/em&gt;, then, puts himself into position such that he has no choice but to be thrown. [ &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Related&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; - &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1994/25&quot;&gt;Reality and Non-Reality of Techniques&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am, of course, asking you to accept this conclusion based on my experiences knowing full well that you do not have the same experiences necessary to have come to these conclusions as well. You'll notice in here that I only once mentioned a technique (calling what was performed as &quot;&lt;em&gt;te hodoki&lt;/em&gt;), but gave you four points to examine. In order for you to make use of what I'm telling you, you're going to have to take a moment to consider that techniques are not the smallest unit of training. These are all principles, the atomic units upon which techniques, forms, and even movement are all based. If there's anything at all that you feel remotely unclear upon, please ask, and I will do my best to break it down further.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-05-22T20:48:43.570" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="929" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="924" CreationDate="2012-05-15T01:52:23.250" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;IMVHO, reasons like &lt;em&gt;&quot;getting power from the ground&quot;&lt;/em&gt; (or similar) are usually given by someone who either doesn't have a good explanation for the practice or does not want to tell you the real reason (either due to complexity or insufficient rank).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, there is a bio-mechanical advantage to be gained from correct leverage of the leg/foot against the ground, but that simply doesn't apply to the foot sliding across a surface.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe the simplest answer to your questions is that the different emphasis between the arts is due to one (Hapkido) using the foot as part of the attack and the other (rapier fighting) is using it purely as a support.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the arts I have learnt, the stance is not just for standing in, it is part of the movement, part of the attack. Similarly &lt;em&gt;changing between stances&lt;/em&gt; is also part of the movement/attack. Sliding your foot from one position to the next is part of that stance change. A stance change can be particularly effective when you have contact with the opponent, e.g. you have them in a hold, or you are using the stance change to contact/attack them. In rapier fighting where you are mainly relying on poking/cutting the opponent there is a lot less emphasis on the stance (or change of stance) due to it not being an integral part of the attack as it is in Hapkido or other arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-05-15T01:52:23.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="930" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="924" CreationDate="2012-05-15T02:59:32.307" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Hung brothers, Hung I-mien and Hong I-hsiang, differed on their expressions of baguazhang and xingyiquan. Both men had trained under the same teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hung I-mien, being smaller and whipcord thin, picked up his feet. He tend to dance around in unpredictable directions and taught the forms that way to his students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hung I-hsiang, on the other hand, was built like a bear. He dragged his feet. He was big enough to be able to step into someone else's space and bounce them out. He taught his students this way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was taught to choose one or the other. I have noticed big guys tend to favor dragging the feet. It takes more effort for them to pick up their feet, and keeping the feet closer gives them more stability. A small person may find picking up the feet gives him greater mobility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally treat picking up vs. dragging feet as variations. Picking up the feet encodes hidden attacks in the form of low kicks, low point strikes, pinning the other guy's feet, manipulating the other guy's structure with the knees, and invasion of space (among other things). I treat dragging feet as a small-circle variation of the big-circle (and obvious) picking up of the feet (learn the forms with big circles; refine it by making the circles small).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastEditorUserId="65" LastEditDate="2012-05-15T22:51:25.807" LastActivityDate="2012-05-15T22:51:25.807" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="931" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="945" CreationDate="2012-05-15T03:40:39.637" Score="11" ViewCount="949" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartitsu&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bartitsu&lt;/a&gt; is the British Gentleman's MMA. And one of the self-defense sequences, pictured underneath, involves hooking the opponent's foot with your cane and pulling his legs apart.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've found &lt;a href=&quot;http://vimeo.com/13407898&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;one video&lt;/a&gt; of Tony Wolf (Sorry, it's a Vimeo link - it's at 44 seconds) showing this particular self-defense move. I've tried this with a friend with rather laughable results. Try as we might, we could not find a way to use the cane to split the legs enough to unbalance the attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Our tentative answer was, &quot;This is marketing material and does not actually work.&quot; The video seems to indicate something different. So... Is it marketing material? If not, how should we pull the ankle with the cane in order to obtain the result shown?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wJbls.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Bartitsu excerpt - Self-defense with a hooked cane&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-04-09T15:20:23.803" LastActivityDate="2020-04-09T15:20:23.803" Title="How does Bartitsu's &quot;foot hook with a cane&quot; technique work?" Tags="|technique|weapons|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="932" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="931" CreationDate="2012-05-15T04:05:19.510" Score="0" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Displacing the Foot&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This spurs thought of kosotogari or kouchigari from judo. If I can sweep his foot with my foot, surely I can do so with a cane. Unfortunately I've never tried, and so cannot answer definitively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;This Gentleman's Apparent Technique&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It appears that instead of swatting the foot inward, the...bartitsuka?...is hooking and drawing backwards and upwards while connecting the cane to his body. Thus he is pulling with his body instead of just his arms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Limitations and Further Research&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As with anything, and &lt;em&gt;particularly&lt;/em&gt; reverse-engineered techniques from kata or books, we should be very careful to distinguish &quot;this could be made to work against a compliant partner&quot; from &quot;this is useful for fighting&quot;. The true test of technique is only against a competent, motivated and fully resisting opponent, the easiest and most relevant of which to procure in this case being a Dog Brothers gathering. They'll probably let you use a cane in a full-contact fight with one of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-05-15T04:05:19.510" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="933" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="931" CreationDate="2012-05-15T04:15:08.577" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The pictures raise almost as many questions as they answer ;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But as with foot sweeps in Judo, it would come down to a question of timing. Once the forward foot is planted firmly on the ground, I don't see how this would work. You'd have to catch the leading foot as the opponent was advancing, just as he's about to transfer his weight. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It looks like it might be fun to have a go with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="443" LastActivityDate="2012-05-15T04:15:08.577" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="934" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="938" CreationDate="2012-05-15T04:40:02.617" Score="8" ViewCount="2763" Body="&lt;p&gt;Where I used to train, I was taught a reverse punch was performed with the opposite fist to the forward leg, while stepping forwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, for example, if I stepped &lt;em&gt;forwards&lt;/em&gt; into a left hand front stance (left leg forward), the reverse punch would would be done with the right hand. (This is in contrast to the froward punch being done with the left hand in this scenario.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where I am training now, I was told that a reverse punch can only be performed when stepping &lt;em&gt;backwards&lt;/em&gt;. So as the right foot moves backwards (leaving you again in a left hand front stance), the reverse punch is done with the right hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In both scenarios, you end up in a left hand front stance, with the right hand punching forwards. But in one scenario, you are stepping forwards. In the other, you are stepping backwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a right or wrong way to do this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or should I just shut up and do what Sensei says?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="443" LastActivityDate="2016-03-01T22:54:03.377" Title="how to perform a reverse punch?" Tags="|technique|punching|stance|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="935" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="937" CreationDate="2012-05-15T04:49:47.190" Score="4" ViewCount="256" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does anyone know of any good references covering the history of Jujitsu? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been studying Judo, Jujitsu (Japanese), and BJJ, and everyone I ask has a different version of the history of these arts. The internet doesn't help much either, so if anyone knows of a book that might be useful, that would be great.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't expect there to be a single definative version of this history, but I'd love to know more about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Seems to me there's a &lt;em&gt;lot&lt;/em&gt; of cross fertilisation between Judo, Pre-Judo Jujitsu, Post-Judo Jujitsu, Aikido, and BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="443" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-05-15T13:17:11.473" LastActivityDate="2012-10-29T13:32:12.027" Title="history of Jujitsu?" Tags="|history|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="936" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="907" CreationDate="2012-05-15T05:09:27.733" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Moon Hwan Lee set up a taekwondo school in Australia in the '70s, and it's grown independently since (under his direction) - notably not incorporating many changes which happened in Korea during the late '70s and '80s.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We have a kick which we call spinning-hook kick or spinning-heel kick which is identical to the backspinning hook kick described. The heel kick, however, is something we actively avoid - any spinning kick striking with the heel uses the hook technique. We usually describe it as a 'hallway' kick - you should be able to perform it in a narrow hallway without touching the walls.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This tends to suggest that taekwondo may not have incorporated the heel kick you're describing when Moon Lee left for Australia, in the early '70s, but that it's been incorporated since.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="48" LastActivityDate="2012-05-15T05:09:27.733" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="937" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="935" CreationDate="2012-05-15T05:52:55.227" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Jujutsu&lt;/em&gt; means soft techniques, aka techniques done without a sword. Those were definitely not soft on people. It is an all encompassing term for Japanese martial arts.  As such, your questions is &lt;strong&gt;What is a good reference covering the history of martial arts in Japan&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stephenturnbull.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Stephen Turnbull&lt;/a&gt; is a good source to start of with.  Otherwise, you likely are going to have to go through historical sources on different families' styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2012-10-16T14:46:29.233" LastActivityDate="2012-10-16T14:46:29.233" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="938" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="934" CreationDate="2012-05-15T05:55:58.607" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience they are &lt;strong&gt;both&lt;/strong&gt; a reverse punch, or &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyaku_zuki&quot;&gt;gyaku zuki&lt;/a&gt;, which is done on the same side as the rearward leg and is one of the most basic foundation techniques taught in traditional karate styles. You should practice it stepping forwards and backwards, you never know when you are going to need it. In terms of co-ordination it is certainly harder to perform correctly while stepping back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;IMVHO I do find it odd that your Sensei is firm in his belief that it is the act of stepping back that defines that particular punch, or that it can only be done while stepping backwards. By all means follow his instruction, however you could also ask him: what's it called or what is the difference when performing the same punch while stepping forward?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-05-15T05:55:58.607" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="939" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="934" CreationDate="2012-05-15T06:18:35.120" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Answering from a taekwondo perspective (I suspect from your question you're more interested in karate):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reverse punch is less commonly performed while stepping forward during forms - forward- and double-punches are much more common. You do encounter the reverse punch while stepping backwards, but it's not until more advanced forms where you use a single reverse punch while walking forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's certainly done, though: see, for example, taebaek (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpxC61tNJSQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpxC61tNJSQ&lt;/a&gt; - you'll see several at around the 0:20 mark). If your instructor is adamant that the reverse punch is not performed while walking forward, it may be an idiom of the particular style; he may have an alternative term for it; or he may simply be unfamiliar with that aspect of his style (which strikes me as the most likely alternative).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="48" LastActivityDate="2012-05-15T06:18:35.120" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="940" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="934" CreationDate="2012-05-15T14:42:58.890" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;They are both valid. The difference stems from how far from the opponent you are, how far you need to be, and what kind of movement the opponent is doing (including what kind of movement &lt;em&gt;you are making him do&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-05-15T14:42:58.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="941" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="935" CreationDate="2012-05-15T14:53:03.757" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The basics are:  First there was jui jitsu (or ju jutsu, or a billion other ways of englishizing the Japanese name for it).  then Kano took it and made it more gentle and sport like, taking out most of the strikes and such. Then Maeda took judo to Brazil, and it was turned into Brazilian jiu jitsu or bjj.  which, in North America, is quickly being simplified to being just called jiu jitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;as far as books that tell the history and how they evolved form each other, I doubt one really exists that tells the whole story.  Like Sardathrion mentioned,  you'll likely need to read several sources about the individual arts to get the entire story.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is the wikipedia page about Maeda: &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsuyo_Maeda&quot;&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsuyo_Maeda&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;It's actually got a fairly accurate (as far as i know) summary of it all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-05-15T14:53:03.757" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="942" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="931" CreationDate="2012-05-15T15:02:26.930" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;We use the cane in my kung fu class, and it is surprisingly easy to uproot even a firmly planted foot. The lower leg is hooked near the ankle, and a quick jerk pops it loose from the floor. Once that happens, just keep pulling the leg forward. Sideways action is more difficult because of a lack of leverage - canes don't have much mass to them, and a double-hand grip can bring the wielder in close enough for a counter attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="337" LastActivityDate="2012-05-15T15:02:26.930" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="943" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="931" CreationDate="2012-05-15T15:03:35.553" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you were unable to split the legs enough to unbalance an attacker, it just might be that both of you might have really good grounding in your stances or leg strength to resist the pulling of the cane. An inexperienced person with a cane might not have fuller understanding of how the cane works (even though the &quot;hook and pull&quot; premise looks fairly straightforward).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think it &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; work, but that might also depend on who you are using the technique against. A person who does not have a martial arts background may not be aware of his own body. I'm going to venture a guess on how something like this would work effectively against anyone. I think what is key is, like Dave said, is using your own body mass and not just your arms. I imagine you would engage your core and back more. Using only your arms to pull backwards will also generate a counteracting pull forwards and throw you off-balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the person can resist pulling, it would take more effort on your part to displace that foot and move it forward. If the person moves in (like in the video), the upward trip also requires body movement to force the attacker to fall. The basis of how to redirect a person's movements depends on your ability to &quot;read&quot; or &quot;feel&quot; how that person is moving, i.e., how their center of mass is placed. It can be very subtle, and developing that skill takes time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to that, there are probably cane techniques I'm missing (since I don't know how to use one of these) that focus on how to place the cane in relation to the biomechanical structures of the foot and ankle and the effects that come from that. I would say that's probably a more critical component than sole body grounding and movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The elongated stance in the photo &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; be an exaggeration for the demonstration and visualization of the footing or grounding in relation to the subsequent pulling move. The video shows something a little more close-quarters where the stances are not as exaggerated and appears to be something you would more likely see in reality (in a street self-defense situation like that).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastActivityDate="2012-05-15T15:03:35.553" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="944" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="931" CreationDate="2012-05-15T16:28:18.070" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You'll notice a difference between the images in the book and the way &lt;a href=&quot;http://vimeo.com/13407898&quot;&gt;Tony Wolf&lt;/a&gt; performs it (I suspect, and I say this out of speculation based on a childhood of slipping on dance floors in dress shoes at cotillion, that this has a great deal to do with foot wear and surfaces). When Mr. Wolf is performing the technique, he's deep under the armpit, and the assistant has his balance backward (thus removing weight from the front foot).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, let's break this down:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Assistant punches.&lt;/strong&gt; This is a lunging lead punch, which you'll often see in Victorian/Edwardian fighting styles. It may have its roots in the carrying of a town sword that fell out of favor half a century to a century prior. In the book, this punch is long, and the balance of the assistant is fairly stable; Mr. Wolf's assistant is similarly placed until disrupted.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disruption.&lt;/strong&gt; The practitioner moves in to receive the punch. In the book, you'll notice he does so at the wrist; in Mr. Wolf's video it's clear to the armpit, which sends the balance of the assistant backwards and removes weight from the front foot. Meanwhile, the cane is hooked about the ankle. Positive, pulling pressure is applied whilst still imbalanced.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stepping away.&lt;/strong&gt; The practitioner turns and steps back, which pulls with the whole body. Figure 180 pounds pulling against the lower leg as it attempts to push weight forward (causing the assistant's leg to continue forward and his weight to shift to compensate). The end result is a fall.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Something to be aware of – most of the arts upon which Bartitsu was based still exist: Pugilism, &lt;em&gt;Le Canne&lt;/em&gt;/*Canne de Combat*/&lt;em&gt;Canne d'Arme&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Savate&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;jujutsu&lt;/em&gt; are all still popular and practiced around the world. The technique in question is a rather anglicized version of a technique from &lt;em&gt;Le Canne&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-05-15T16:28:18.070" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="945" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="931" CreationDate="2012-05-15T18:33:47.283" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Thanks to Dave L. for alerting me to this very erudite discussion!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Re. marketing material; there is no strong evidence that any of the &quot;set play&quot; sequences demonstrated by Barton-Wright and Pierre Vigny for B-W's &lt;em&gt;Pearson's Magazine&lt;/em&gt; article were performed verbatim during training at the original Bartitsu Club in London.  On that basis, it's arguable that they may have simply been improvising for the camera; the articles themselves definitely doubled as marketing for the school.  However, another article written by Captain Laing, a soldier who had trained at the Bartitsu Club for three months, recorded a number of similar &quot;set play&quot; sequences, which serves as evidence that the Club did employ this &lt;strong&gt;type&lt;/strong&gt; of training, if not necessarily the specific sequences shown in the &lt;em&gt;Pearson's&lt;/em&gt; articles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Re. the practicality or otherwise of the &lt;em&gt;Pearson's&lt;/em&gt; set-plays; the overall premise of the current revival is that Bartitsu was essentially an experiment in cross-training, abandoned as a work-in-progress in 1902.  The object of the revival is to try to pick up where Barton-Wright left off. The revival is a very &quot;open source&quot; movement and every instructor works out their own relationship to the original (or &quot;canonical&quot;) material, including the walking stick articles.  My own take is to work with the canonical set-plays at three levels:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, they are practiced as a mark of respect and out of purely historical, academic interest; it's fun and, in a &quot;living history&quot; sense, valuable to be able to learn the sequences exactly as Barton-Wright demonstrated them.  At that level, they also serve as a useful common technical and tactical &quot;language&quot; for the revival movement, directly comparable to ko-ryu kata, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, practiced verbatim they teach some generally useful skills of combat body mechanics; extension, alignment, tactile response, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, the canonical set-plays really come to life when you mess them up.  A central exercise in my own Bartitsu classes is to allow the &quot;opponent&quot; to spontaneously defeat the &quot;defender's&quot; pre-arranged responses, forcing the defender to improvise solutions.  There's a good example of this semi-freestyle drill applied to the technique in question at 2:18 in &lt;a href=&quot;http://vimeo.com/11042520&quot;&gt;this video clip&lt;/a&gt;, which was also shot at the 2010 seminar in Eugene, Oregon.  Given permission to defeat the set-play, my demo. partner crashed through the guard, pulling me down into an awkward semi-crouch; I improvised a response by converting the crouched position into a foot-sweep and takedown.  As mentioned in the video captions (and the whole video is worth watching to get a sense of how this type of drill works in practice), this &quot;combat improv&quot; drill provides a useful &quot;bridge&quot; between the formal set-plays and free sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding the ankle-hook technique specifically; several of the existing answers have already nailed it, especially re. &quot;connecting&quot; the cane to the defender's hips, so that the sudden backward sliding step engages the core muscles and the defender's weight against the opponent's ankle, and also the value of being able to &quot;read&quot; measure (combat distance) and so-on.  I would only add that there's also an element of pain compliance when the hard inner surface of a cane crook is applied to the bony ankle.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, although I don't regard this sequence as a &quot;high percentage&quot; move and would not teach it verbatim as self defence per se, I was told that a seminar student actually did successfully execute the &quot;ankle pull&quot; aspect in a real-world self defence situation.  Wonders will never cease ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="449" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-05-16T06:43:53.033" LastActivityDate="2012-05-16T06:43:53.033" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="946" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="922" CreationDate="2012-05-15T21:27:16.520" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;(this is not intended to be a full answer - I just want line breaks)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other answers are good ones, and all bring up valid points.  I think they're all a bit long though.  I like stslavik's answer (it's very technical and detailed, which is nice), but I think he missed a couple points:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first is that Okamoto-sensei isn't letting his &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; settle into the grab.  As soon (or before) their hands have touched his wrists, he's moving into the technique.  This difference in timing can make or break a technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second is that while the students may not be deliberately 'going with the technique', they are almost certainly not attacking.  They are &lt;em&gt;giving&lt;/em&gt; Okamoto-sensei an attack; not actually attacking him.  Another important difference, in that the students are more willing to give up their position when they haven't fought to get it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, if there's one part that is really the key to this technique, it's that Okamoto-sensei puts himself underneath (not literally, but focus/force/positional-wise) the &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;'s elbows and then applies force; this creates a joint lock and from there, any sort of pin or throw can be applied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="33" LastActivityDate="2012-05-15T21:27:16.520" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="947" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="924" CreationDate="2012-05-16T14:25:42.557" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my experience with iaido, sliding the foot along the ground is actually just the first level of a more complex skill which involves expanding your energy forward from the hips (and sliding the legs back involves compressing your energy). The movement actually comes from the hip and is expressed in the foot. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This changes rather drastically the power expressed through a technique like a two-handed sword cut or a throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With a rapier, the most important thing is a very gentle and smooth touch, if you intend to pierce something. This means that power is not our primary objective -- speedy footwork, to control range, direction and timing, is what we care about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is similar to trying to hit someone with your fist and bringing it crashing down with all your force on their collarbone -- or relaxing all your muscles and letting gravity do the work. It turns out gravity provides you much better acceleration than your muscles ever will, meaning that with the appropriate amount of skill, you can provide a very light, very quick touch/pierce with a rapier in a very particular direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2017-02-06T17:49:30.533" LastActivityDate="2017-02-06T17:49:30.533" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="948" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1062" CreationDate="2012-05-16T16:36:44.977" Score="14" ViewCount="3131" Body="&lt;p&gt;A common tai chi pedagogy is to progress from forms to push hands (&lt;em&gt;tui shou&lt;/em&gt;) to free sparring (&lt;em&gt;san shou&lt;/em&gt;). As &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shouyuliang.com/2002-october-november/sanshou-and-the-complete-martial-artist.shtml&quot;&gt;Ayron Howey says&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;[You] cannot simply practice Tai Chi forms without other training in push-hands and other physical applications and call yourself a martial artist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;At first students work basic patterns, then patterns with moving steps coordinated in different directions, patterns at differing heights (high, middle, low and combinations) and then finally different styles of &quot;freestyle&quot; push hands, which lead into sparring that combines closing and distancing strategies with long, medium and short range techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(from Wikipedia's &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pushing_hands&quot;&gt;Pushing Hands article&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Most Yang taiji systems will have you do push hands for quite a while before you do &lt;em&gt;sanshou&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(from the &lt;a href=&quot;http://ymaa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2697&quot;&gt;YMAA forums&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Assuming&lt;/em&gt; that &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWWYliy3PgQ&quot;&gt;tai chi is a fighting art&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;assuming&lt;/em&gt; that one is primarily training tai chi in order to gain &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=58040&quot;&gt;martial skill&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;assuming&lt;/em&gt; that one is studying at a school that believes similarly and is primarily teaching martial applications by &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/user/FullContactCMA&quot;&gt;fighting&lt;/a&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What are the primary considerations as one progresses from the grappling-only practice of push-hands into the striking-and-grappling practice of free sparring?&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The principles of the art should of course remain constant, but what common pitfalls should be avoided? What modifications to technique are helpful as one makes this transition to include punching and kicking?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-21T15:05:07.187" LastActivityDate="2022-04-04T01:28:14.500" Title="How does one progress from tai chi push hands to free-sparring?" Tags="|sparring|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="949" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1053" CreationDate="2012-05-16T16:43:32.533" Score="10" ViewCount="1165" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the context of tai chi push hands, &lt;strong&gt;what are the most commonly effective techniques&lt;/strong&gt;? (Push hands in competition and in class both count.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For analogy, in judo, it is well known and documented that the strongest players at the international level win most commonly with throws like &lt;em&gt;osotogari&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;seoinage&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;uchimata&lt;/em&gt;, whereas &lt;em&gt;haraitsurikomiashi&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;udegatame&lt;/em&gt;, for instance, are seen much less often and mastered by fewer practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the high-percentage techniques of tai chi push hands, that nearly all players employ, or that many players employ to great effect? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-16T18:48:59.947" LastActivityDate="2021-08-08T02:04:09.440" Title="What are tai chi's high-percentage push hands techniques?" Tags="|tai-chi|push-hands|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="950" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="952" CreationDate="2012-05-16T16:47:30.490" Score="10" ViewCount="692" Body="&lt;p&gt;When people speak of Tai Chi, usually they speak of it as a single style, even (in my experience) among those who are knowledgeable about martial arts. At first look, they do look very similar in that they each catalog and teach its techniques through the use of extensive forms practice at slow paces. They seem to have very similar techniques. So what makes one style of Tai Chi distinct from another?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="334" LastActivityDate="2012-05-17T01:30:51.977" Title="What differentiates the major styles of Tai Chi?" Tags="|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="951" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="948" CreationDate="2012-05-16T19:58:34.643" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This won't be a popular answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The goal of taijiquan (太極拳) push-hands isn't to push the other guy off-center. That's a side-effect of the real training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The goal of taijiquan push-hands is maintaining no-mind even through disruption by outside agency. You are training for:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/243/65&quot;&gt;Accepting flinch responses&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/244/65&quot;&gt;Noticing your attachment to the notion of getting hurt&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/485/65&quot;&gt;Just being&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is actually quite difficult (yet stupid-easy once you know the &quot;trick&quot;). One usually works up to this training, first by no-self during standing (zhang zhuang, 站樁), then no-self during walking (forms). It's assumed you know the body methods (shen fa, 身法) well enough that techniques will flow out naturally during push-hands. By this point, staying centered in no-self, no-mind is the most significant challenge. You learn to lose a lot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just as practicing no-mind during standing and walking prepare you for practicing no-mind during push-hands, the push-hands practice prepare you for practicing no-mind during sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-05-17T18:44:22.097" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="952" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="950" CreationDate="2012-05-17T01:30:51.977" Score="10" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Chen-style has explosive movements (fajin), jumps, directional changes.. It is the style of Daiji closed to Bagua.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The Yang style is more flowing, has bigger and more open postures (longer stances, arms open wider). It has a slow form and a fast form, thus separating concepts that are found together in the Chen forms.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wu style has a higher stances and smaller circles than Yang. It is also sometimes called Hao style.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sun style is in fact a combination of Xing-Yi, Bagua and Wu-style Daiji created by Sun Lu Tang, so it has some properties of each: the more evasive movements of Bagua and the more &quot;martial flavor&quot; of Xing-Yi.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wujian style is very close to the Yang style but has higher stances and a recognizable leaning forward of the torso in most of the movements.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The above is a summary of information found in a compact yet readable manner on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shenwu.com/taichi.htm&quot;&gt;this website&lt;/a&gt;, which I really recommend as a read on TaiChi, as it has a lot of very good information on Bagua, Xing-Yi, and some fairly fundamental concepts including how to stand / good posture and a page on the philosophy of martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-05-17T01:30:51.977" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="953" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="954" CreationDate="2012-05-17T03:03:13.743" Score="12" ViewCount="6603" Body="&lt;p&gt;I hear it commonly said that internal arts such as tai chi require a significant amount of time to become proficient. If undertaking the study of tai chi, without necessarily having prior experience in another style, &lt;strong&gt;how long should it take to have a basic degree of competence&lt;/strong&gt;? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a metric, &quot;basic competence&quot; means having significantly improved fighting skills compared to when you started. We are looking for the time it takes to reasonably be expected to successfully apply techniques learned in class on an untrained but motivated opponent in a real situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-17T03:12:47.320" LastActivityDate="2020-11-19T19:12:58.310" Title="How long should it take to gain fighting proficiency in tai chi?" Tags="|training|tai-chi|internal|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="954" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="953" CreationDate="2012-05-17T03:05:41.803" Score="4" Body="&lt;h1&gt;A few months to a year&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To achieve mastery in taiji it takes a lifetime, like in any art, martial or otherwise. But to achieve fighting proficiency should take less than a year.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similar to any other hard-sparring martial art, &lt;strong&gt;it should only take a few months to a year&lt;/strong&gt; to attain a basic level of skill in internal martial arts such as &lt;em&gt;tai chi&lt;/em&gt;. This is what tai chi teachers who train people to fight say. I will show some examples.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Tim Cartmell&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shenwu.com/background.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tim Cartmell&lt;/a&gt;, lineage holder in multiple Chinese martial arts in addition to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.budovideos.com/shop/customer/product.php?productid=24680&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;many more accomplishments&lt;/a&gt;, talks about his views on the subject in this &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=58040&amp;amp;p=1663243&amp;amp;viewfull=1#post1663243&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;interview&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Karl-Heinz&lt;/em&gt;: Many IMA teachers in the west say that you have to train minimum 10 years to use the IMAs, especially Taiji for fighting / self-defence. In my opinion, this makes no sense. What do you think about this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tim&lt;/em&gt;: If you have a good teacher of the IMA and practice hard, you should begin to develop real fighting/self defense abilities within several months of training. Teachers that tell their students it takes 10 years to learn how to fight with any martial art either don’t know how to fight themselves, or don’t know how to teach. Learning to fight is the same as learning any other physical skill. If you went to a swimming instructor who told you it would take 10 years of training before you could jump in the pool, would you sign up for lessons?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Mike Patterson&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mike Patterson is an accomplished trainer and competitor in full-contact Chinese martial arts, and incidentally the long-time coach of kettlebell guru Steve Cotter. He &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=58040&amp;amp;p=1663318&amp;amp;viewfull=1#post1663318&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;agrees&lt;/a&gt; with Tim, putting the time necessary closer to a year:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Karl-Heinz&lt;/em&gt;: How long do you think an average student of internal arts needs to train until he is able to defend himself or to fight in the ring? Do you think it needs longer than in the so called external arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mike Patterson&lt;/em&gt;: It depends on the focus of training. I have been successful training people with no experience within a year to be competent ring fighters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I should add the disclaimer that if it takes longer, it could be either that one is not training hard enough, or one's school isn't oriented towards fighting skills. For instance, without unscripted &lt;em&gt;tuishou&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;sanshou&lt;/em&gt;, including wrestling and getting hit, the learning curve for martial skill will be a horizontal line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Shen Yi Valencia&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The student in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;amp;v=OnDRtZ9Pqbc#!&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this YouTube video&lt;/a&gt; from Shen Yi Valencia has six months of training in Chen taiji, and is shown winning 3rd place in the 60-65kg division at the National Open kuoshu tournament in Madrid in September 2013. He is still a beginner, and may not yet have mastered taiji, but he has certainly gained a significant amount of usable fighting ability in those six months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-05-27T02:11:47.263" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="955" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="948" CreationDate="2012-05-17T03:07:24.587" Score="4" Body="&lt;h2&gt;1. Static Push Hands&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The purpose is to teach you to let go with your hips and your back, to allow flow, yielding and redirecting of energy properly. In addition, of course, you are learning to apply every other Tai Chi concept. I've found that Roberto Sharpe's videos on Youtube are amazingly detailed. He explains things very well, and most importantly, he will frequently stop mid-motion in push hands to explain and to leave the student figure out the next thing they should do, which is extremely instructional. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EutRbqY02HM&amp;amp;feature=relmfu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Here is an 8-minute video&lt;/a&gt; during which he says, most interestingly, &quot;It's not a technique, it's an understanding&quot;. If you are very impatient, go straight to 7:40 and just watch the last minute.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;2. Push Hands with stepping&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now you are learning to direct your energy and your intent, still applying every taichi principle and the lessons from static push hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;3. Patterns&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From there, all the high/mid/low patterns get applied, and while studying and practicing them, you apply every taichi principle and the lessons from static push hands and push hands with stepping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;4. Sparring&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But Trevoke, I hear you say, you can't spar at push hands speed, that's just dumb! Ah-ha, I tell you, and what exactly do you think push hands is? When you get to freestyle full-speed sparring, all the lessons from all the above elements still get applied. Nothing gets changed. If you have to change it to spar with it, either your understanding is poor or the principle is poor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, sparring is nothing if not a two-person cooperative exercise in, among other lessons, speed, distancing and rhythm. That's exactly what push hands is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-05-17T03:07:24.587" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="956" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="426" CreationDate="2012-05-17T04:43:26.417" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Iain Abernethy has some good information online relating to Bunkai:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/articles/The%20Basics%20of%20Bunkai%20%28Kata%20Application%29&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/articles/The%20Basics%20of%20Bunkai%20%28Kata%20Application%29&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And also in video form:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://iainabernethy.co.uk/news/25-minutes-bunkai-videos&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://iainabernethy.co.uk/news/25-minutes-bunkai-videos&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="456" LastActivityDate="2012-05-17T04:43:26.417" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="957" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="924" CreationDate="2012-05-17T12:08:09.647" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kondo Sensei (Tomiki Aikido, check wikipedia for his vitals) says that the reason we slide our feet rather than lifting them is that when you lift your feet you give up a bit of balance.  I would rephrase this to say that you cannot lift your foot unless you have no weight on that foot; that means for that instant your balance is focused on the weight bearing foot.  Yes, you still need to reduce the weight on the moving foot when it slides, but the balance is better distributed.  Aikido relies heavily on unbalancing your opponent; I don't practice Hapikido (yet) , but I'm told the same in that art.  Aikido also relies heavily on the foot slide (I think you're describing what we refer to as &quot;Tsugi Ashi&quot;).  Both of the weapon techniques I've studied (jo and sword) also slide feet, although I haven't advanced enough in those arts to know whether that is consistent, or merely an artifact of my beginner status.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know very little about rapier, but from watching and listening, it seems to me that the action is linear and that speed and distance matter more than balance.  Consequently it isn't as important to defend your balance. (I'm not saying balance isn't involved, I'm saying that from my understanding Aikido emphasizes balance and unbalance more than I understand that rapier does)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said this, let me quickly point out that I'm not claiming to have a final answer. &#xA;Parker Sensei of Mokuren Dojo  has stated that in Karate one does &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; slide the feet (I can't find his article and his site doesn't seem to have search. That said he has written two articles &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mokurendojo.com/2009/04/to-fall-or-to-step-over-hill.html&quot;&gt;Fall or step over hill&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mokurendojo.com/2011/03/naihanchi-footwork.html&quot;&gt;Naihanchi footwork&lt;/a&gt; that may be relevant), and that my Taiji teacher  does &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; want me to slide feet, despite the fact that Taiji is heavily invested in balance.   My MuGai Ryu teacher explained it in terms that not dissimilar to Trevoke who explained that point of view as well as I understand it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in summary the pro to the &quot;sliding&quot; motion is that it preserves your balance more effectively against certain types of attack. The Con is that you are somewhat limited in the distance and speed you can manage.  I'd also agree with you that sliding works best on a mat; when I work outdoors, I make the appropriate compromise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you need more answers, I'd suggest contacting Parker Sensei who can both walk the walk and write the talk.  I'll ask if he'd be willing to comment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&#xA; (Had to go back through and remove all the links in the original; I don't have the reputation needed to post all the links).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-05-17T12:08:09.647" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="958" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="953" CreationDate="2012-05-17T13:43:49.573" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends on many factors. Tim Cartmell comes from one point of view (am referring answer given by Dave Liepmann), and from that point of view he is absolutely correct.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can imagine a Tai Chi teacher who'd teach you to fight with Tai Chi and you'd get proficient, certainly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many variables to take into account. I am here &lt;strong&gt;making the assumption that you are training three times a week for an hour each time, at least&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are you and your teacher disregarding every other aspect of TaiChi to focus only on the fighting aspect? If so, like Tim Cartmell, I'll certainly say you'll be fine in a few months. And by 'fine', I mean you will end up with bruises and maybe a bloody nose, but you'll have won the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, when you look at it that way, any and all martial arts can get you there within a few months if you discard everything else - the best evidence of that is found within MMA / Krav Maga schools where everything but the fighting is discarded, and these people become relatively adept fairly quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is after all a very simple equation: time + effort = result. If you put in the time, you practice hard, and you practice &lt;em&gt;correctly&lt;/em&gt;, you will develop skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, can you become proficient at fighting in a few months and still get ALL THE OTHER BENEFITS of TaiChi? I don't think so. You will get some improvements if you have a good teacher, regarding your posture and ability to connect your body, but you will most likely not get all the health, mental and emotional improvements that TaiChi practice can bring you (if you want them - triple your practice time).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will leave you with a blog post named &lt;a href=&quot;http://blog.spiralwise.co.uk/2012/05/how-to-calculate-your-tai-chi-skill.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;how to calculate your tai chi skill&lt;/a&gt;. I'm sure you'll have fun with it. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[Edit - I found a very interesting &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shou-yi.org/taijiquan/5-levels-of-skill-in-chen-taijiquan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; that talks about five levels of skills in Daiji. It has nothing to do with 'fighting' but fighting proficiency is certainly acquired along the way, as a byproduct. I hope you enjoy it.]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-05-30T13:39:38.240" LastActivityDate="2012-05-30T13:39:38.240" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="959" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="924" CreationDate="2012-05-17T17:16:32.997" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Every martial art has its own philosophy which influences what is emphasized.  That philosophy is in turn influenced by:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Terrain of the region it grew up in&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Available weapons (including strikes as weapons)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The martial arts of the surrounding areas (i.e. common enemies)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the terrain is a loose gravel, or many unpredictable sink holes in the ground, sliding feet will help discover those areas and compensate more quickly.  There's nothing more useless than falling down or twisting your ankle in the middle of a fight.  Areas with more predictable or stable terrain will enable more picking up your feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rapier is designed for thrusting strikes.  The point is tempered to a harder steel than the body.  The thrust being the kill technique.  In order for that type of weapon to work, you need speed.  Rapier arts are designed around that philosophy, so the combination of picking your feet up, and the types of attacks and defenses available are influenced by the sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Iaido and kendo are built around a katana which is designed to slice on the edge.  One side of the blade is tempered to a harder steel, providing a sharp cutting edge while the main body of the sword is tempered to a softer steel providing strength.  While there is a thrust technique, it is only one of the 8 strikes and the least preferred.  The katana based sword arts use the hip as part of the cut.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even in a broader sense, Japanese martial arts tend to favor a philosophy of &quot;no wasted movement&quot;.  If I can close the distance by barely moving my feet just as quickly as someone who picks their feet up, then I would consider picking the foot up to be wasted movement.  I can use that energy for the &lt;em&gt;hissatsu&lt;/em&gt; (final/lethal strike).  The sword arts were also influenced by the open hand arts (and vice versa), so you'll find many similarities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What all this means&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every martial art has a philosophy, and not all philosophies are compatible.  Training for pure speed is very different than training for power.  Some arts favor speed because a strike, while it may not disable the opponent, will distract or disorient them allowing for more strikes.  Some forms of kung fu are based on that the idea that you overwhelm the opponent by a barrage of strikes.  Others are based on the idea of &quot;one hit, one kill&quot;, which is a philosophy in Tae Kwan Do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The philosophies behind the rapier fighting would be at odds with hapkido.  You use different tools.  You have very different cultures and environments where the martial arts grew up.  Eventually, you will gravitate toward one of the more basic philosophies and embrace it.  That doesn't mean that one is inherently better than the other.  It means that one is more useful in certain circumstances than another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The basic law of the jungle is: &lt;em&gt;whoever is most prepared for a fight will win&lt;/em&gt;.  Some of the factors that can favor one approach vs. another can include the terrain, whether you are indoors or out, elevation, etc.  However, all things being equal, the one who has trained the best for that fight will win 9 times out of 10.  (the remaining 1 time is for someone who just gets lucky).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastActivityDate="2012-05-17T17:16:32.997" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="960" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="949" CreationDate="2012-05-17T19:22:09.620" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From &lt;a href=&quot;http://0101.nccdn.net/1_5/0e8/0f0/3e2/LiYaxuanPushHands35Points.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;a translation of Li Yaxuan's 35 points of Push Hands&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The real Taijiquan skill is invisible. The application of Taijiquan is to be found in&#xA;  understanding of insubstantiality, formlessness, and mind alone. The taste and feel of real&#xA;  Taijiquan cannot be had from any application of visible technique or obvious force. That just&#xA;  drifts you farther and farther from the real art of Taijiquan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps this means that Taijiquan does not attach itself to particular techniques. The most popular skill, then, would be no-mindedly leading the opponent to unbalance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-05-17T19:22:09.620" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="961" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="953" CreationDate="2012-05-17T19:32:40.277" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ben Lo, senior student of Yang Chengfu and senior classmate of Professor Zheng Manqing, prefers the cop-out:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Ben said that if you are working correctly, combative skill will evolve naturally. It's just like walking - if you set out in the correct direction, and keep walking, then no matter when, even if you didn't want to reach the destination that lies in that particular direction, you'll definitely get there no matter what. So don't worry about it, but keep trying to correct your practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a compilation by Scott Meredith (&lt;a href=&quot;http://0101.nccdn.net/1_5/119/0a9/356/BenLoTeachings.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;PDF&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-05-17T19:32:40.277" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="962" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-05-17T20:18:04.277" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Chinese internal martial art involving both striking and standing grappling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practice can involve forms (broken up into techniques or practiced as a dance), push-hands (&lt;em&gt;tui shou&lt;/em&gt;), and free sparring (&lt;em&gt;san shou&lt;/em&gt;). The art is practiced by many solely as physical culture, for health without martial application.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-22T04:19:18.860" LastActivityDate="2012-05-22T04:19:18.860" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="963" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-05-17T20:18:04.277" Score="0" Body="Chinese internal martial art involving both striking and standing grappling. " OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-22T04:19:22.183" LastActivityDate="2012-05-22T04:19:22.183" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="964" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1585" CreationDate="2012-05-17T20:35:41.493" Score="7" ViewCount="3224" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I was young, I took a few years of Shaolin-Kempo-Karate at a couple Villari's dojos. As part of our training, we had the expected set of katas that we were required to learn. However, there was another class of forms that we were required to learn that resembled the Kata in classification but clearly were different in technique and style. These were referred to as &quot;pinyons&quot;. While our katas (at least the ones that I learned while studying) typically had us move in an &quot;H&quot; pattern, and essentially contained a shorter set of techniques repeated 3 times. The pinyons, I do not remember quite as well, but I do recall them having us stepping in more directions and containing more variations in stances (such as cat stance, as well as horse stance and half-moon stance). They also featured a greater variation in striking, and contained less repetition (if I'm remembering properly).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've never heard the term &quot;pinyon&quot; used anywhere else so I'm not really certain from where these forms came from, if they were created by Villari, or even from what language &quot;pinyon&quot; derives.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone have any insight into this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="334" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-08-09T12:15:45.970" LastActivityDate="2021-08-09T12:15:45.970" Title="Origin of the &quot;pinyon&quot; in Villari's Shaolin-Kempo-Karate system?" Tags="|karate|history|forms|terminology|kempo|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="965" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1005" CreationDate="2012-05-17T20:38:09.337" Score="11" ViewCount="4830" Body="&lt;p&gt;What the bleep is going on in tai chi's single whip posture? It seems to be emblematic of tai chi, being a pose frequently struck by practitioners in the presence of cameras.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jpDTW.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;single whip&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SeMMw.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;single whip application&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The actual sequence is shown in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naxPC576mPo&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this short video clip&lt;/a&gt;. Coming from an outsider's perspective, this looks like a tough position to apply in a fighting context. What is the martial application of this sequence or posture?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-17T21:42:56.590" LastActivityDate="2018-01-10T06:16:44.190" Title="What is the application for tai chi's single whip?" Tags="|forms|tai-chi|application|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="966" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="964" CreationDate="2012-05-17T21:04:06.047" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;You are indeed looking for the 'Pinan' (or 'Heian') forms. The &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinan&quot;&gt;wiki&lt;/a&gt; article sheds quite a lot of light upon them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Short story - they are in Shito, Wado, Shorin, Kobayashi, Kyokushin Shorei, Matsubayashi, and Shindo Jinen Ryu, as well as Shukokai and Shotokan. They were created by Anko Itosu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They consist of pieces of the larger forms KankuDai / Kusanku and 'Channan', which seems to be a lost form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-05-17T21:04:06.047" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="967" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="241" CreationDate="2012-05-17T22:43:48.077" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've done some studying with &lt;a href=&quot;http://tonyblauer.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Tony Blauer&lt;/a&gt; and I'm also a &lt;a href=&quot;http://pdrteam.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Personal Defense Readiness&lt;/a&gt; coach in his program. We use Emotional Climate Training to do what you describe. In this case it i more of converting the natural flinch response to a tactical response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Adding some information on Emotional Climate Training (too long for a comment).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, Emotional Climate Training (ECT) is a six stage drill used to help convert the startle/flinch response into a tactical response. Drills are done at a safe speed and under control. The various stages are designed to wean the initial startle flinch, progressing to identifying pre-contact attack cues, identifying safe/unsafe moments during the attack, and finally taking the trainee through the primal SPEAR tactic (think cover and protect yourself), the protective SPEAR (pushing away danger), and finally the tactical SPEAR (launching at the initial stage of the attack to intercept and counter the attacker. Hope this gives a little more detail about ECT. It is a lengthly process but you can use it in any attack scenario (haymaker punches, tackles, kicks, etc,).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-05-21T22:01:13.217" LastActivityDate="2012-05-21T22:01:13.217" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="968" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1828" CreationDate="2012-05-18T03:49:18.223" Score="12" ViewCount="20374" Body="&lt;p&gt;Nearly all martial arts have some form of supplemental strength and conditioning exercises. Karate has &lt;em&gt;hojo undo&lt;/em&gt;, boxing has road work, Brazilian jiu-jitsu has &lt;em&gt;ginastica natural&lt;/em&gt;. These can be more separate from the art, as with barbell training in judo, or more integrated, such as sumo's &lt;em&gt;shiko&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What kind of strength and conditioning work is used in tai chi?&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, how are stance work, forms, and other methods arranged for maximum benefit to tai chi skill? What attributes are worked on, other than the presupposed technical skill?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-18T17:33:05.330" LastActivityDate="2020-10-27T00:55:38.823" Title="What strength and conditioning exercises are used in tai chi?" Tags="|strength|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="10" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="969" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2139" CreationDate="2012-05-18T05:09:23.740" Score="11" ViewCount="1835" Body="&lt;p&gt;In tai chi circles outside of China, push hands competitions are noticeably more restrictive in their rules and format:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Many competitions use &quot;fixed-step&quot; rules (for example, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7V_826ESNQ&quot;&gt;this British event&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhUa0LlJ7KQ&quot;&gt;this Canadian event&lt;/a&gt;). In these events, such as in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKGRgkTlZH8&quot;&gt;this clip&lt;/a&gt;, points are scored for merely getting the opponent &quot;off balance&quot;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;As documented in &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNAV_AurtKI&quot;&gt;Pushing the Issue&lt;/a&gt;&quot;, several American events have rules against &quot;charging&quot; or clashing, using any substantial grip, and even &quot;throwing&quot; or simply using force.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not all European and American events have these restrictive rules, but it seems very common.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In contrast, Chinese events seem to be much more free-form, as a rule. There are no such restrictions on stepping, far fewer on grips, clashes are only separated in the case of stalling or lack of action, and throws and force are absolutely encouraged. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LrLPA1akdk&quot;&gt;this Chen village push-hands tournament clip&lt;/a&gt; shows participants fighting for grips and throwing with vigor. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUJ_VKiz6No&quot;&gt;This tournament in China&lt;/a&gt; showcases many big throws and multiple instances of force. The same is true of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg-5D8Hkcv0&quot;&gt;this tournament&lt;/a&gt;, and seems to be true in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw0hzhWE7KE&quot;&gt;everyday practice in the park&lt;/a&gt; in addition to competitive events. Points are scored for knocking an opponent down, throwing them to the ground, and pushing them out of the competition area, not for merely getting someone &quot;off balance&quot;. We see that Chinese tournaments seem much closer to vigorous wrestling than a calm drill.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why the distinction? When and how did these two paths diverge?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-18T15:57:39.333" LastActivityDate="2018-06-14T12:14:48.407" Title="How, historically, did American push-hands get so restrictive in comparison to Chinese push-hands?" Tags="|tai-chi|push-hands|competition|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="970" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="771" CreationDate="2012-05-18T14:28:12.720" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Disclaimer: I can add up the number of minutes I've personally spent with grappling dummies without taking off my shoes. (And by &amp;quot;grappling dummies&amp;quot; I don't mean &amp;quot;judoka who've had too many concussions&amp;quot;.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a RGA London student on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/ts2sc/my_project_build_of_a_600_bubba_bjj_grappling/c4ph0hc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;/r/bjj&lt;/a&gt;, a disclaimer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're fairly new to grappling I would stress that it IN NO WAY is a substitute for training with real partners and that you'll still need to do that all the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...and some answers to specific questions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Q&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;em&gt;Can you put them into different positions and expect them to be able to maintain those positions given no outside interference?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A&lt;/strong&gt;: It depends:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can probably imagine basically which moves it's possible to do with a dummy, but here's an extended take. Standing guard passes work really well, as you can basically bend the limbs out to mimic somebody spider-guarding you - although obviously you won't get the same pressure. Moves from mount and side mount are great. Leglocks (I've been working on some stuff from Reilly Bodycomb which are against BJJ rules) work great. Submissions from guard are more tricky, because it's difficult to get the right pressure from the dummy - but I've been practicing some rubber guard stuff with reasonable success. Sweeps from guard are tough, because you can't really get the dummy to posture up on its knees properly without tying its legs together. Guard breaks aren't that useful, although you can simulate a closed guard/halfguard by tying its legs together. Escapes from mount and sidemount aren't the best because you aren't getting proper pressure from your opponent. Moves that require the dummy to be on hands and knees (stuff from sprawl control, say) require you to tie the dummy's legs together. Anything with you on the ground and the dummy standing clearly won't work. A general rule of thumb is, if you need to 'feel' an opponent's pressure or balance to make a move work, you aren't going to be able to drill it properly with the dummy. The website claims that you can practice throws on it, but that seems ridiculous. That still gives you a lot to work on, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am surprised and a bit dubious that he doesn't see the benefit of practicing throws on an object that doesn't whine when you &lt;em&gt;makikomi&lt;/em&gt; (land on it). Perhaps that's more useful for people who already understand the mechanics and pressures of a throw and just need to ingrain the total commitment necessary to throw hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Q&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;em&gt;When you attack a joint, how much resistance is there?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A&lt;/strong&gt;: It's not meant to mimic a human's resistance, it's meant to mimic a body's mass. So, no, it won't try to stop your armlock and then have the same amount of tension at the elbow joint. From a related &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/ts2sc/my_project_build_of_a_600_bubba_bjj_grappling/c4p91tc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;/r/bjj&lt;/a&gt; post, this time regarding a homemade dummy:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[He] comfortably bends his joints at all the same angles as we do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you try and force it at points where the natural tap &amp;quot;zone&amp;quot; would be you meet resistance. The wiring is electrical service entrance wiring as well so provides stiffer resistance when you go against the natural curvature of Bubba the majority of the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Q&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;em&gt;How lifelike are the joints?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A&lt;/strong&gt;: If you take a look at the pictures of this &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fc4c3.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;homemade dummy&lt;/a&gt;, obviously the answer is &amp;quot;not terribly&amp;quot;. The answer above suggests that commercial dummies are better, but I wouldn't expect much. These are more &amp;quot;punching bags with limbs&amp;quot; than crash-test dummies. Again, we're replicating the mass of the body, not its actual physiology.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I'm not sure that's the point. As the homemade-dummy-maker explains, the purpose of the dummy is to drill copiously, or drill when no partners are around, not to perfectly mimic the feel of a real human:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How much use this dummy is going to be to you is down to two things: how convenient it is, and how dedicated you are. I've got a girlfriend who lets me leave it in the living room for days on end and at worst put it in a cupboard, and as such it's always there - if I had to go train in the garage with it, or wait until I was alone in the house, it wouldn't be as useful. As it is, it's like having a training partner who never demands a go, or says he's tired, or doesn't fancy training. If you want to do a move 100 times you can. If you're reading an instructional at midnight and need someone to try the move on, it's there. If you've got ten minutes before breakfast, you can bang out some reps of that move you're going to try in the evening. I can't emphasise enough how useful this is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that wouldn't work without discipline. I enjoy jits, but more than anything I enjoy feeling like I'm getting better at it, and going from class to class without a structured way to improve was getting to me. Training with the dummy is boring, but if you've got the discipline to do those 100 reps, it will get you results. Look at it this way: if you're the sort of guy that ends up chatting to your partner during the drilling bit of class, you might not get much out of it. I'm a big believer in Eddie Bravo's idea that doing a move should be as instinctive as tying your shoes, and if you do enough reps, it will be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2012-05-18T14:28:12.720" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="971" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="968" CreationDate="2012-05-18T15:15:40.143" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Because the motions are performed slowly, tai chi ends up being its own conditioning exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Holding stances increases overall stamina as well as helping find root.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, at one point I'd taken to doing stressed forms, where I'd wear a weight belt, arm and/or wrist weights, used leg bands, etc. depending on what I was trying to work on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than that, qi gong, silk reeling, and similar things are the typical answers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Silk-reeling is a &lt;em&gt;neigong&lt;/em&gt; (內功 - &quot;internal skill&quot;) exercise mimicking the movements of reeling silk from silk worms; the movements are long, exaggerated, smooth, and slow (like they'd need to be to avoid damaging silk). These movements are common in Chen and Wu taijiquan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-20T11:42:20.220" LastActivityDate="2012-05-20T11:42:20.220" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="972" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="969" CreationDate="2012-05-18T15:18:31.170" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;After watching a few Chen village comps I was pretty disappointed in their view of push. IMO the point of push isn't to overpower or butt heads but to bring about unbalancing through subtlety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm guessing, but I'd attribute it to wanting to be a competition of graceful mechanics rather than outright grappling. Is subtlety important in grappling? Of course, but I think in a different way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2012-05-18T15:18:31.170" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="973" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-05-18T15:41:05.807" Score="5" ViewCount="2815" Body="&lt;p&gt;We know that Master Park studied Tang Soo Do when he was younger, and then transferred to Bagua, and only studied Bagua under one teacher, Lu Shui Tian.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bluedragonkungfu.com/martial-arts-school-logo/281/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Blue Dragon Kung Fu's website&lt;/a&gt; explains the lineage a little, and indicates there are two unknown elements:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The only written records of the origination of Ba Gua Zhang can be traced to Dong Hai Chuan [...]. However, Lu Shui Tian first learned from one, &lt;em&gt;Li Qing Wu, and stated that his Ba Gua Zhang did not come from Dong Hai Chuan&lt;/em&gt;, and was at least 500 years old. In fact, he believed what he learned from Li Qing Wu was much deeper and complete than what he learned from his second teacher, &lt;em&gt;(believed to be Lu Shui Kui, though unconfirmed)&lt;/em&gt; who was a Fourth Generation lineage holder in the Yin Fu lineage under Dong Hai Chuan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the question is .. How do we trace the lineage, up from Lu Shui Tian? Where does Li Qing Wu's Bagua come from? Who was Lu Shui Tian's second teacher, in the Yin Fu lineage?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-07-13T11:12:18.683" LastActivityDate="2015-08-29T22:17:27.843" Title="What is Grandmaster Park Bok Nam's Bagua lineage?" Tags="|bagua|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="974" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="953" CreationDate="2012-05-18T16:19:08.240" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;9 to 12 months.  Just a guideline.  I say this time frame because, simply from experience, thats about how long - after regular and quality training - before a student &lt;em&gt;starts&lt;/em&gt; to see &lt;em&gt;some&lt;/em&gt; of their training take hold as instinct.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the question itself is fairly unsophisticated, and isnt answerable in a way that'd be relevant to any given individual.  Its too specific to the individual and situation.  Is the student athletic?  coordinated?  Mentally prepared to defend themselves?  They can train for 20 years, but if they still overthink when attacked, then they're not getting anything out of it.  What about the instructor?  Is the instructor teaching in a way that allows the student to apply the techniques so they could be used in self defense?  If not, then they may &lt;em&gt;never&lt;/em&gt; acheive any sort of 'fighting competency'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Internal martial arts do tend to take longer simply because most people arent used to moving like that.  Punching, kicking - easier to understand because people are familiar with it.  So most people tend to start off from square one when learning an 'internal' art.  This is why I usually recommend at least a year of a external/hard art first, to get the body first used to &lt;em&gt;learning&lt;/em&gt; how to move before attempting the more subtle movements of internal arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="84" LastActivityDate="2012-05-18T16:19:08.240" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="975" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="968" CreationDate="2012-05-18T16:30:57.320" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tai chi is about integration of the whole body and developing structure - ideally using every muscle in every move. Any strengthening &quot;gym&quot; type work will basically be about isolation of muscle groups, which kind of defeats the point unless you are addressing a specific weakness. In tai chi you should &quot;throw away your hard strength&quot;. Doing specific strengthening work would seem to me to be building hard strength, and hence is the wrong approach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To develop structural awareness and &quot;appropriate&quot; body strength, you should concentrate on the fundamentals. Build up the amount of time you spend doing the standing wu-chi posture. For variation you can hold specific postures from the form. Over time you can lower your stances which will require more strength. Silk reeling is a core fundamental training that you should focus on, again building up time and deep stances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you really feel you need to improve strength (rather than focusing on relaxation and loosness which is the most important thing), you can occasionally attach weight belts or wrist/ankle weight braclets and then do the standing, foundation and form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary - more time on standing and foundations - don't waste your time being a &quot;form collector&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="459" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-05-18T16:41:03.623" LastActivityDate="2012-05-18T16:41:03.623" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="976" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="968" CreationDate="2012-05-18T17:26:16.150" Score="9" Body="&lt;h2&gt;&amp;quot;Not tai chi&amp;quot;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many tai chi teachers espouse physical development through means other than tai chi, and reserve tai chi for the refinement of skill. Similar to pre-war Aikido (wherein students were required to have significant expertise in other arts such as karate, judo or jiujitsu), tai chi strength and conditioning is often mixed with other styles of internal and external Chinese martial arts. Practice of the arts was traditionally porous, with students training xingyi, bagua, tai chi, and other arts either successively or simultaneously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hung_I-Hsiang&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hung I-Hsiang&lt;/a&gt; trained multiple arts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[His] internal arts training program included xingyiquan, baguazhang and Wu (Hao)-style taijiquan, Shaolin kung fu and qigong.... Hung believed that, in practicing the xingyiquan five elements as an introduction to the internal martial arts, the student can clearly understand the way the body should be trained to move in the internal styles. If the student starts out in taijiquan it is very difficult to develop and understand internal power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this way, much tai chi strength training is borrowed or classified more generally. For instance, Hung's students practiced &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT2sJtknMi0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;fuhugong&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; (crouching tiger exercises). Other forms of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV0lXdpLdjk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;stance&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfBWIYau2YM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;work&lt;/a&gt; were common in Chinese martial arts, but were not specific to tai chi. However, tai chi practitioners could often be assumed to use them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, there are a few practices that we can pin on tai chi, either because they are integrated with the art directly by some teachers, or because some teachers consider the exercises to be central to developing the physical strength and power necessary for executing proper tai chi form and technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Stone Locks&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ujqmk.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;stone lock training&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to tai chi teacher Cheng Tsang Lu via &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pushingsky.com/pspages/news/nwRS.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jacob Fitisemanu's article in Kung Fu magazine&lt;/a&gt;, tai chi strength exercises include the Chinese stone lock, which &amp;quot;has been part of traditional kung fu regimens since at least the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD)&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The traditional stone lock workout consists of swinging and lifting routines performed in sets of several repetitions (from 5-50, depending on ability) after which the lock is transferred (often by spinning or flipping the lock in midair) to the alternate hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The basic lock maneuvers for building strength consist of swinging and hoisting the lock while gripping the handle. Advanced exercises include manipulating the lock with one’s elbows/forearms, spinning the stone in midair, or heaving the weight while maintaining low stance postures.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The stone lock can be used in many ways. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_tyGxyaZfc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Flipping it&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMlVUcNQIhE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;flinging it in a circle&lt;/a&gt;, and swinging it seem to be the primary themes, as seen in those shuai jiao clips. I do not see a way that this practice would not build tremendous gripping and seizing (&lt;em&gt;na&lt;/em&gt;) strength, in addition to hip power, shoulder and back strength. The implement seems strikingly similar to the kettlebell. (One wonders if there was any cross-pollination of the practice across Asia, and may have influenced the Russians. It is clear that the stone lock piggybacked on martial arts to Okinawa, as evidenced by &lt;a href=&quot;http://ymaa.com/files/B1361-Hojo-sample.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;its prevalence in karate (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Heavy Round Stone&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another implement common to Chinese martial arts, including tai chi, is a big ol' rock that you lift:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Occasionally seen in movies and picture books, the “big stone ball” (da shi qiu) is a rarity in contemporary training regimens. The origin of using round boulders for bodybuilding is said to have emerged during the era of Emperor Shi Huangdi—whose civilian construction workers became renowned for their muscular strength and endurance after just a few months of hauling rock. To many people, the round stone has become affiliated with Tai Chi and Chi Kung, but its benefits transcend regional or systemic boundaries. Common exercises consist of rolling the ball at torso level (like many Tai Chi postures), coordinating “walking” routines, and slowly raising and lowering the weight in front and to the sides of the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is strikingly similar to the modern strongman practice of deadlifting, carrying, and shouldering Atlas stones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Miscellaneous resistance contraptions&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some tai chi teachers, such as &amp;quot;Grandmaster&amp;quot; Tu, practice and teach a variety of strength, flexibility, and conditioning movements. Tools include homemade suspension gear, wooden spheres, logs, gripping exercises using springs, and a kind of primitive Swiss-Family-Robinson style Smith-machine (see &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-2-wOU9FFs#!&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; for examples). While this seems to work for Tu, it is necessary to point out that the explanations he gives for how these methods work sound like complete pseudoscience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Stance Work&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As &lt;a href=&quot;http://thepeacefuldragon.com/stancetraining.shtml&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Eric Sbarge&lt;/a&gt; explains, static stance work has been a staple of tai chi training for as long as there's been tai chi:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ch'ang Dung Sheng, renowned as the &amp;quot;king of Shuai Chiao&amp;quot; and founder of Ch'ang Style Tai chi Ch'uan, was one master who maintained stance training was a key to his martial arts success. He won China's national kung fu tournament at the age of l7 and then remained undefeated until he passed away in 1986 at age 80. His early training included holding postures such as Leaning Forward Searching for the Sea for up to an hour at a time. This particular posture allowed him to develop such sweeping and lifting power with his legs that he could actually pull small trees and saplings out of the ground by wrapping his leg around them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chen village instructor and push-hands champion &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=681&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chen Ziqiang agrees&lt;/a&gt; that low-stance work is vital:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First you need a good root. To achieve this, Chen stylists practice in low stances that build strong legs. Strong legs enable you to move faster and push harder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As he demonstrates here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CkTlo.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Chen Ziqiang low stance&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is not clear whether he is referring to moving stances here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&amp;quot;Unusual&amp;quot; bodyweight movements&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tim Cartmell &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shenwu.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?tpc=23&amp;amp;post=3471#POST3471&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;relates the following&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I teach Zhao Bao Tai Ji Quan. Actually, I have only had one student in the seven years I have been back teaching in the States that has actually learned the entire form, it has proven too physically difficult for the rest of the students that have tried to learn it. There is a basic set of conditioning exercises that students learn at first, my teacher's standard was 36 repetitions of each exercise before learning the form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shenwu.com/discus/messages/23/517.html?1153073877&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;feats of strength&lt;/a&gt; that students must accomplish before learning the form include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Twisting, Alternate Knee Drop Squats&lt;/strong&gt;: Stand in a low 'horse' stance with the feet parallel and about shoulder width and your thighs parallel with the ground. Your arms hang at your sides and your back is straight. Twist your hips to the left and 'close' the right hip toward the left hip as you drop your right knee to touch the ground lightly (your left thigh remains parallel with the ground). As you turn left, your right shoulder also 'closes' and your right arm twists inward. Then you turn back through the center position, lifting your right knee then repeat dropping the left knee to the mat as you twist to the right. You need to stay in a full squat (thighs parallel to the ground) as you transition left to right. Work up to the minimum number of reps, 36 on each side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Butterfly stretch squat:&lt;/strong&gt; A more exotic looking basic exercise is to sit in the common 'butterfly' stretch position (bend your knees and put the soles of the feet together in front of your crotch). Then lift the body up so you are balanced on the outside edges of your feet only (soles of the feet pressed together). Then, keeping the soles of the feet pressed together, straighten your legs until your legs are straight (the soles of your feet must remain pressed together, you balance on the outside edges of the feet only. Be careful, there is a great stretch on the outside ankle). Squat up and down in this fashion, balancing on the outside edsges of the feet with the soles pressed together.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2015-01-13T21:02:10.127" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="977" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="909" CreationDate="2012-05-18T22:15:43.800" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I feel that pretty much anybody can enter into competition, and learn from it. If a judoka knows how to fall safely, knows at least one throw and one hold down, there is no reason they cannot compete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course any coach has an obligation to be open with their students and if you feel someone should not compete inform them on why, and how they can get to that level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Competition is an important tool to help a student grow and learn. By not allowing a student to enter competition, if that is what they desire, it is going to hold them back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fortunately judo allows us to use it with less of a threat of bodily injury compared to other arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="462" LastActivityDate="2012-05-18T22:15:43.800" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="979" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="981" CreationDate="2012-05-19T10:01:18.817" Score="3" ViewCount="284" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have read of Bodhhidhharma's story, who taught Shaolin monks martial arts. I've read of Tai Chi to be the first martial art and root of all other. I've also read of Okinawa island where Japanese martial arts started. I understand Tai Chi and root of martial art is Yoga. What are the facts about history?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="466" LastActivityDate="2012-05-20T03:41:36.410" Title="How and when martial art was originated, who originated it?" Tags="|history|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2012-05-21T13:45:28.727" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="980" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="912" CreationDate="2012-05-19T13:13:42.167" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The most common question I've heard asked at my school is &quot;what does being a black belt mean to you?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This question is very broad and open ended. It provides insight into how a person has evaluated oneself up to that point in time, and potentially what a person will do upon receiving one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="271" LastActivityDate="2012-05-19T13:13:42.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="981" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="979" CreationDate="2012-05-20T03:41:36.410" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are you looking for the origin of Tai Chi? Or of the many different styles of martial arts? Or of martial arts in general?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts have existed as long as people have been fighting. And as often as people have been fighting, people have been figuring out better and more efficient ways of fighting, and teaching these methods to others. There is no one origin of martial arts. Every society that ever existed have developed their own. They all will have some similarities because there are only so many ways to throw a punch, swing a stick, etc. This similarity does not indicate that they all derived from one style, but that we all have the same anatomy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="334" LastActivityDate="2012-05-20T03:41:36.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="982" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="912" CreationDate="2012-05-20T19:19:43.410" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some good suggestions here. I would like to add:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;What are your thoughts about why we have these tests in general, and black belt test in particular?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;What would you like to improve?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You are away/travelling/on vacation: Can you mention (and show?) some good exercises to do?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="409" LastActivityDate="2012-05-20T19:19:43.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="983" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="948" CreationDate="2012-05-21T18:14:30.043" Score="0" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Breaking up the form&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://wulinmingshi.wordpress.com/2009/01/30/fu-nei-pai-taiji-of-li-zheng/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;According to Li Zheng&lt;/a&gt;, Fu Nei Pai Yang style &lt;em&gt;tai chi&lt;/em&gt;, uses a 30-posture taiji &lt;em&gt;sanshou&lt;/em&gt; set to bridge forms practice and free-sparring:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many teachers split up the movements of the form in order to make it easier to teach. This is a teaching method which can make things easier for students, but actually applying these ‘split out’ components of the form in combat is very difficult, which is why our system has these 30 individual ‘moves’. In the old days, they used to be called &lt;em&gt;dan cao shou&lt;/em&gt;. There are three variations to each move, and each move has a 4-sentence mnemonic to help students remember the move’s purpose and requirements. These sanshou moves are a bridge from &lt;em&gt;taiji&lt;/em&gt; forms practice into combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These individual moves are used for drilling and even partner work:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each ‘combo’ is a unit that can be practiced by itself. The...moves can also be combined at will.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This reinforces the use of forms as a mnemonic for straightforward, concrete combinations or counters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;More vigorous push-hands&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tim Cartmell, lineage holder in multiple Chinese martial arts and accomplished competitor, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shenwu.com/discus/messages/23/1501.html?1141617299&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;explains&lt;/a&gt; that his teachers used an intermediate step between semi-scripted or gentle &lt;em&gt;tuishou&lt;/em&gt; and totally-free &lt;em&gt;sanshou&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both of my primary Yang style teachers advocated sparring. There were two basic formats. One method was a free method of &amp;quot;push hands&amp;quot; sparring that started at contact and allowed pushes, pulls, sweeps, throws and takedowns and chin na techniques. The other method was regular &amp;quot;sparring,&amp;quot; starting from a distance with all of the above techniques allowed including blows (we kept head contact light).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My belief is it is virtually impossible to learn how to apply your techniques for real without non-cooperative sparring (no matter what style you practice).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can also be seen as a more continuous gradient between a pure grappling drill and freeform combat, per &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=57922&amp;amp;p=1514855&amp;amp;viewfull=1#post1514855&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this exponent of the art&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Taiji tui shou&lt;/em&gt; becomes &lt;em&gt;taiji san shou&lt;/em&gt; by way of incorporating more and more techniques and footwork into &lt;em&gt;tui shou&lt;/em&gt; until one is simply sparring using the body mechanics and techniques of &lt;em&gt;taiji&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=57922&amp;amp;p=1521881&amp;amp;viewfull=1#post1521881&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Elsewhere&lt;/a&gt;, he adds this warning:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main difference — and, in my opinion, stumbling block to transferring skills — between &lt;em&gt;tui shou&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;san shou&lt;/em&gt; is bridging. &lt;em&gt;Taiji&lt;/em&gt; fighters...tend to go through a small crisis when they move from drills that start in contact to ones in which they must establish contact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-05-10T15:23:27.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="985" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-05-22T03:34:58.580" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;(In Chinese, &lt;em&gt;tuishou&lt;/em&gt;.) A grappling exercise used in tai chi to develop attributes and technique. Some practice it as a cooperative drill, others as non-cooperative wrestling. Variations include fixed-step instead of free-stepping, one-hand instead of two, and low-stance instead of natural.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Questions may also relate to push hands competitions, which come in many forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-22T04:18:50.873" LastActivityDate="2012-05-22T04:18:50.873" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="986" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-05-22T03:34:58.580" Score="0" Body="Tai chi grappling exercise." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-22T04:18:56.710" LastActivityDate="2012-05-22T04:18:56.710" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="987" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-05-22T03:37:32.883" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tournaments, sparring, wrestling, and uncooperative drills all involves varying degrees of competitiveness. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Questions can be about confusing etiquette (including rules), strategy, and training preparation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-22T04:18:09.470" LastActivityDate="2012-05-22T04:18:09.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="988" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-05-22T03:37:32.883" Score="0" Body="Tournaments and other uncooperative practices." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-22T10:43:49.167" LastActivityDate="2012-05-22T10:43:49.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="989" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-05-22T03:38:46.920" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial arts origins, lineage, intermingling, influences, and cultural contexts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-22T04:18:22.263" LastActivityDate="2012-05-22T04:18:22.263" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="990" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-05-22T03:38:46.920" Score="0" Body="Martial arts origins, lineage, intermingling, influences, and cultural contexts." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-22T10:43:55.130" LastActivityDate="2012-05-22T10:43:55.130" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="991" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-05-22T03:40:58.790" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Signifier of expertise of some kind. Can refer to one or many of fighting skill, time in grade, coaching ability, competitive record, or lineage holding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-22T04:19:04.650" LastActivityDate="2012-05-22T04:19:04.650" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="992" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-05-22T03:40:58.790" Score="0" Body="External signifier of expertise." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-22T04:19:07.317" LastActivityDate="2012-05-22T04:19:07.317" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="993" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-05-22T03:42:39.663" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Internal martial arts generally refer to &lt;em&gt;tai chi&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;xing yi&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;ba gua&lt;/em&gt;. Whether there is an actual distinction between these and other arts, and what the internal/external divide means, is hotly disputed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-22T10:44:03.453" LastActivityDate="2012-05-22T10:44:03.453" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="994" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-05-22T03:42:39.663" Score="0" Body="Internal martial arts: taiji, xingyi, bagua." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-22T04:18:40.733" LastActivityDate="2012-05-22T04:18:40.733" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="995" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="996" CreationDate="2012-05-22T15:18:12.603" Score="12" ViewCount="905" Body="&lt;p&gt;Similar to other practices--strength training, physical therapy, running, &lt;em&gt;et cetera&lt;/em&gt;--we can evaluate the effectiveness of tai chi for improving fitness, mobility, strength, and other health markers. So, &lt;strong&gt;what aspects of health and fitness does tai chi improve?&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;In this context, assume a form-based, health-only approach. No self-defense applications, no push hands, no sparring, not necessarily any combative drills.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-25T18:20:45.020" LastActivityDate="2021-12-27T14:06:51.530" Title="What aspects of health does form-based tai chi improve?" Tags="|health|tai-chi|strength|flexibility|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="996" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="995" CreationDate="2012-05-22T18:00:55.927" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;This seems like a tough question to answer to me because &quot;health&quot; is a vague term and it begs to be compared to other things. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would think one advantage forms based tai chi would have over the other things you mentioned (running, strength training) is an additional mental discipline / meditative aspect that would contribute to mental health and well-being that strength training (for example) by itself would not have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, Tai chi is probably worse at any one aspect of health than something dedicated to that specific instance would be. For instance, it will not make you as strong as strength training. It will not make you as cardiovascularly fit as running, it will not make you as flexible as yoga, it will not make you as centered as meditating. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="472" LastActivityDate="2012-05-22T18:00:55.927" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="997" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="995" CreationDate="2012-05-22T19:44:51.883" Score="11" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Classifying tai-chi-for-health&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are we talking about when we talk about forms-based tai chi? Evaluating the practice as an ignorant outsider, it's essentially a slow dance. There are a number of one-footed balancing postures, deep lunges or otherwise low stances, and opportunity to stretch the limbs as well as flex and extend. In addition to the meditative aspects, there is a degree of social interaction if it is performed in a group or class. These are all swell, but not particularly revolutionary compared to anything else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As with many group dance and movement programs, tai chi's primary appeal is its compliance factor. People like doing it! A mediocre program that people do over the long term is better in every way than a perfect program that people do for six weeks then quit. Similarly, a mediocre program that people enjoy doing is generally better than a perfect program that people find boring or stressful. This may be where tai chi shines.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In reviewing some scientific studies, we find that there may or may not be awesome healing properties to tai chi. Most likely, it's just that it's a good idea to get up and move, particularly if you don't do so very often.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;A Survey of PubMed Science by an Amateur&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Context&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are lots of studies on forms-based tai chi as a useful exercise modality. Largely, what we can conclude from this glut of research is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wow, do scientists love having old people do tai chi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It's important to put the science in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11982679&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;context&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Despite the increased number of studies in recent years relating Tai Chi to balance and fall prevention, results are scattered and inconsistent. There is wide variation in the use of balance measures, subject population, type and duration of Tai Chi exercise, and type of study.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;We must be &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21792371&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;skeptical&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although many investigators have reported possible psychological benefits of TC for children, young adults, older healthy adults, and for a variety of patient populations, many of the reports suffer one or more methodological flaws. These flaws include inadequate study design, including lack of control groups, small sample sizes, unsophisticated statistical techniques, or publication without rigorous peer review.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In particular, I find it preposterous that so few studies use a reasonable control group, such as a group that takes up chess or hopskotch or skeeball or Irish shin-kicking, to see whether the beneficial effects are due to something about Tai Chi, or sports, or mental exercise, or meditation, or another factor. It belies an egregious lack of rigor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Inconclusive studies&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found a number of negative or inconclusive studies from a quick and dirty PubMed search:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tai chi &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16959668&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;didn't prevent falls&lt;/a&gt; (but the study isn't so hot)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tai chi once or twice a week &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22587850&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;isn't better than any old exercise program for preventing falls or strength in geezers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tai chi &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22465404&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;didn't help disabled people&lt;/a&gt; (but compliance was terrible)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tai chi &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22377774&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;didn't help with depression&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These do not suggest that we should avoid tai chi. They just mean science is hard, and these scientists are good and honest folk. Admitting null results is good for science. It should be applauded.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Something is better than nothing, particularly for geezers&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of positive results, that quick-and-dirty search lead me to the entirely unsurprising conclusion that something is better than nothing. Again, it's important to keep the admonitions in the Context section in mind when reviewing these.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tai chi is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22345677&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;better than nothing&lt;/a&gt; at improving knee strength and arterial compliance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tai chi is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22419420&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;better than nothing&lt;/a&gt; at improving balance in dizzy old men&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tai chi is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22451320&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;equivalent to socializing and better than walking&lt;/a&gt; for combating dementia&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tai chi practitioners are &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22560715&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;better than lazy bums&lt;/a&gt; at taking steps&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tai chi is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22039380&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;better than nothing&lt;/a&gt; for improving sleep for geezers&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tai chi is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22105705&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;better than nothing&lt;/a&gt; for maintaining ability to step as you become a geezer&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tai chi is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22160628&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;better than support groups&lt;/a&gt; (a.k.a. no exercise) for breast cancer survivors&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tai chi is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15963186&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;better than nothing&lt;/a&gt; at improving risk-of-falling indicators&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this point I am confident that forms-based tai chi is superior to sitting in a wheelchair while waiting to die.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Tai chi actually beat something&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There were a few studies that used control groups more useful than &amp;quot;watching Dynasty reruns&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;tai chi is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22579072&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;better than &amp;quot;stretching and toning&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt; for combating cognitive decline. (I don't know what &amp;quot;stretching and toning&amp;quot; entails, but it's better than nothing, I guess.).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;tai chi is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20818876&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;better than stretching&lt;/a&gt; for fibromyalgia&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;tai chi is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22110979&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;better than doing the same old thing&lt;/a&gt; for strength and body sense. (Take-home message: varying your training is good.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22071817&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;study of studies&lt;/a&gt; provides a good perspective for evaluating the science, in tai chi and beyond:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most trials were judged at unclear risk of selection bias, generally reflecting inadequate reporting of the randomisation methods, but at high risk of performance bias relating to lack of participant blinding, which is largely unavoidable for these trials. Most studies only reported outcome up to the end of the exercise programme.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is weak evidence that some types of exercise (gait, balance, co-ordination and functional tasks; strengthening exercise; 3D exercise [such as tai chi] and multiple exercise types) are &lt;strong&gt;moderately effective&lt;/strong&gt;, immediately post intervention, in improving clinical balance outcomes in older people. Such interventions are probably safe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overall the science is not convincing in any specific way. I'm sticking with my unscientific &amp;quot;moving &amp;gt; not moving&amp;quot; perspective detailed above. This would point to forms-based tai chi as indeed a productive but not necessarily superior practice for health.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2012-06-26T21:39:03.580" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="998" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="999" CreationDate="2012-05-23T15:22:18.757" Score="16" ViewCount="34208" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not asking for medical advice, I'm just asking this out of sheer curiosity:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me it seems that kickboxing is the best kind of workout I could get, nothing else gets me in shape quite as quickly and as well. But as a noncompetitive kickboxer, I've always wondered what doctors would say about the potential for brain damage with kickboxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I mean, is it something that always occurs, or is it incidental? Sometimes when I'm hit well (about 2 - 3 times every training), I see stars and feel a little lightheaded. I've always wondered what's actually going on in my body when that happens. I mean, most sports tend to damage you a little, but in the long run the gains are worth it and you heal from the damage. Or is the damage you do to yourself with kickboxing beyond healing (and if so, is there a point of no return)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user474" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditorDisplayName="user474" LastEditDate="2020-10-21T00:14:30.543" LastActivityDate="2020-10-21T00:14:30.543" Title="How bad is kickboxing for your brain?" Tags="|kicking|sparring|kickboxing|health|brain-injury|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="999" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="998" CreationDate="2012-05-23T15:40:21.087" Score="23" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think the science is settled to a degree where we can give a solid answer, or make too many specific conclusions. Disclaimer: I'm not a kickboxer, and I haven't studied the subject deeply.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dementia_pugilistica&quot;&gt;Dementia pugilistica&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Getting hit in the head is not good for your brain. Getting hit a lot in the head is &lt;em&gt;very bad&lt;/em&gt; for your brain. That's true regardless of dosage, but large, repeated doses of getting hit in the head over long periods of time are particularly problematic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Medicine has known about the brain damage from boxing and kickboxing for a long time. We have a name for it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Dementia pugilistica...[is a] variant of chronic traumatic encephalopathy... Symptoms and signs of [dementia pugilistica] develop progressively over a long latent period sometimes amounting to decades, with the average time of onset being about 12 to 16 years after the start of a career in boxing. The condition is thought to affect around 15% to 20% of professional boxers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would argue that there are probably a lot of people with minor brain damage that doesn't rise to the level of dementia pugilistica. That damage might be insignificant, but it exists. This is backed up by more recent studies, as reported in the &lt;a href=&quot;http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/19/sports/la-sp-boxing-medical-study-20120419&quot;&gt;LA Times&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A yearlong study of boxers' and mixed martial-arts fighters' brain activity has found those who fight for more than six years begin to experience damage and those who fight longer than 12 years expose themselves to an even greater decline each time they return to the ring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Mitigation&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The degree of brain damage depends greatly on how you train.&lt;/em&gt; Competing seriously is definitely a different animal from training hard, and training hard is different again from training casually. Getting your bell rung is a minor concussion, make no mistake, and those are no good. But in terms of serious damage, I bet a lot of people get a handful of minor concussions spread out over a few years of training and don't suffer any major brain damage. Taking three or four ring fights a year, and the training that requires, would probably mean a greater degree of brain damage. (Not debilitating in every case by any means, but it's certainly present.) Doing this for several years would in most cases cause noticeable problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reading up on the signs of concussions is extremely informative. Staying out of hard training after a serious or moderate concussion is definitely a good idea. It would be a good idea for boxing and kickboxing coaches (in addition to grappling and field sports coaches) to adopt a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stopconcussions.com/2011/09/king-devick-test/&quot;&gt;concussion-recognition protocol&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.neurology.org/content/early/2011/02/02/WNL.0b013e31821184c9.abstract&quot;&gt;The King-Devick test has been shown to work well for boxing and MMA&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The King-Devick (K-D) test is based on measurement of the speed of rapid number naming (reading aloud single-digit numbers from 3 test cards), and captures impairment of eye movements, attention, language, and other correlates of suboptimal brain function. We investigated the K-D test as a potential rapid sideline screening for concussion in a cohort of boxers and mixed martial arts fighters. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In particular, getting knocked out or losing the match were predictors of damage:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Those with loss of consciousness showed the greatest worsening from prefight to postfight. Worse postfight K-D scores and greater worsening of scores correlated well with postfight MACE scores.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So work on your slipping and defense!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is also probably a good idea to get regular MRIs or other brain tests done, if you continue to train over several years. As noted in the LA Times article, this is already enforced by boxing commissions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in the end, hard training is not knitting class. The risks of learning to hit and get hit can be mitigated through careful control in sparring and diligent use of equipment (and recognizing the limitations thereof), but at some point you're going to get concussed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-31T21:32:29.957" LastActivityDate="2012-05-31T21:32:29.957" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1000" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="969" CreationDate="2012-05-23T21:14:52.733" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well, let me preface everything I am about to say with &quot;this is just my personal opinion&quot; - I have only been practicing &lt;em&gt;taijiquan&lt;/em&gt; for past 10 years and although this is enough to give me some insight to the art, it is certainly not enough to have any claim of accuracy on the more general history that has brought us where we are now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First of all, let me start out by claiming that big part of the more restrictive set of rules and adherence to these restrictions is largely motivated by a wish to make competitions safer for participants and by extension to the organizers who do not have to worry that much about any potential of serious injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another reason is the difference of focus and motivation of the push hands practice. The Chinese in the videos were not all that bad (well, with the exception of the guys pushing in the park). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While for the Europeans I've pushed with, the exercise of push-hands is one of sensitivity and skill in &lt;em&gt;listening&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;following&lt;/em&gt; and  of duifang's energy, for the Chinese in these videos, the focus is on the goal of actually defeating the opponent. The skill is still there, if you know what to look for, but the execution of the techniques is fast and precise and executed with perfect timing (well, not in the video that was made in the park).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would claim tat the approach of Chinese is much more martial than that of the Westerners, who are more of the &quot;academic&quot; in their pursuit of idealistic perfection - that in their practice as well as in the way the competitions are ruled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastActivityDate="2012-05-23T21:14:52.733" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1001" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="965" CreationDate="2012-05-23T21:36:44.267" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are many applications, depending on what part of the single whip sequence one looks at. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is hooking and pull-down and push with the right hand at the beginning of the motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then there is a potential albeit well hidden elbow strike when turning around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then there is a combination of a ward-off, pull-down and push, the end of which can be seen on the picture. These are just the &quot;text book&quot; applications the way I've learned the form. With enough practice and proper mind intent, the movements may reveal more subtler applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The important thing to realize here is that applications in the form are given only as a guide to understanding the intent of the movements in the form while learning it. The true work and insight will come from adding to the form everything one learns from push-hands exercises, swordplay and &lt;em&gt;sanshou&lt;/em&gt; practices, to name a few.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastActivityDate="2012-05-23T21:36:44.267" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1002" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="998" CreationDate="2012-05-24T03:35:56.953" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Interesting question...  just the other night there was a segment on brain injury on local TV  ( not sure if you'd be able to see it or not...  &lt;a href=&quot;http://tvnz.co.nz/sunday-news/research-reveals-damage-football-video-4894963&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://tvnz.co.nz/sunday-news/research-reveals-damage-football-video-4894963&lt;/a&gt; )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;basically it was saying that any concussion is BAD, but even more minor hits can cause injury.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;It can the manifest itself in many ways later in life, like higher rates of depression.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2012-05-24T03:35:56.953" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1003" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1004" CreationDate="2012-05-24T16:44:37.110" Score="3" ViewCount="971" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the things we emphasize heavily in my Hapkido group is breathing.  It tends to flow with your motion and be very deep in nature.  We also have deep breathing exercises along these lines (danjeon [단전] or abdominal breathing) which over time help develop the appropriate channeling of breath. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Recently we had a white belt join our dojang who is having some difficulty with the louder, more forceful breathing through his motions and asked how we do what we do. The answer is &quot;years of practice doing the breathing exercises&quot; (most of the people he's seen are 4th kup and above), but I wondered if there was some sort of exercise that I can show him that would illustrate the &quot;how&quot; a little more explicitly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Has anyone had good luck with drills, really in any context (e.g., singing), that help train the &quot;how&quot; of making strong, deep breaths?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-05-24T16:51:25.027" LastActivityDate="2012-05-24T17:46:31.147" Title="Explaining how to breathe deeply" Tags="|hapkido|breathing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1004" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1003" CreationDate="2012-05-24T17:46:31.147" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;From your description, I believe that your breathing is similar to what we did when I studied Northern Shaolin Kung Fu Wu Su.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way that we were taught how to breath was actually through a breathing exercise we would do every start of the class as part of our standard warm-up routine. Laying on our back with our hands lightly touching our abdomen below the belly button, we were guided as we would first inhale slowly through our noses, into our abdomen instead of our chest cavity. Then, just as slowly, we'd exhale loudly, making a &quot;sssssh&quot; sound through our mouths. This would be done as slowly as you can, making sure that the sound you make remains as steady and as constant as you can. At first it is difficult but quickly you gain more control over your breath and can do this even more slowly and much more steadily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After the slow breathing, we'd repeat the process, but instead, breath very quickly and with power. We'd inhale in the same way as quickly as possible, and then exhale just as quickly making the same sound. We'd do this over several repetitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Through repeated practice, this helped me quickly gain control over my breathing technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, when actually practicing techniques, we would apply the same things learned through that exercise to our breathing in our techniques. When going through the motions slowly, we'd breath in and out slowly according to the requirements of the technique, in slowly through our nose, and exhaling slowly through our mouths making the same &quot;sssssh&quot; sound. When moving on to train the techniques at a faster, more real-world pace, we'd adjust our breathing to match.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Over time this should help train you to breath properly through your technique. This is how we trained it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="334" LastActivityDate="2012-05-24T17:46:31.147" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1005" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="965" CreationDate="2012-05-24T21:11:33.730" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;One application is to capture a punch. If you enter the puncher's space, there's an arm break and/or a relatively violent takedown similar to some silat takedowns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It can be a deflection and striking/throwing entry without any capturing or breaks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;One application&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Attacker steps in with a right-hand punch. Defender outward-deflects punch using the right arm and hooks over top of the attacker's arm. (This can be enough to temporarily capture the arm, it can be a grab, etc.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Defender steps in and brings left arm across attacker's neck.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Arm break is sticking chest forward while bringing arms back (depending on alignment). &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Takedown by dropping center, bending the left arm and sticking elbow into neck or shoulder depression makes it even easier, as does off-centering attacker backwards. Can be assisted with a hip nudge and/or knee to back of attacker's lead knee.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A more silat-ish application would have defender's left hand rise from &lt;em&gt;under&lt;/em&gt; the attacker's punch; this can be an uppercut. It may also turn in to coming over the top of the attacker's neck, after which much merriment arises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastEditorUserId="13" LastEditDate="2014-06-04T12:12:05.417" LastActivityDate="2014-06-04T12:12:05.417" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1006" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="114" CreationDate="2012-05-25T13:48:06.473" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Shaolin (Chi Sim) Weng Chun (which is not the same style as Wing Chun) also has chi sao, although it's a bit more like Tai chi's pushing hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chi Sim Weng Chun has chi sao sets &#xA;(looping through several certain moves following each other) as well as 'free' or open chi sao. It's a practice with semi-relaxed arms 'twirling' around each other where you try, without using force, to find the right opening and hit the opponent. In this way it's similar to other &lt;em&gt;chi sao&lt;/em&gt;/pushing hands exercises I suppose. It is fairly similar to taichi pushing hands.&#xA;To get a better idea, watch these example videos: &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtube.com/watch?v=LxBZsevd5zY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;vid1&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtube.com/watch?v=q7rOMNdRKsg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;vid2&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think there's any style besides Wing Chun that works from the center line, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="478" LastEditorUserId="478" LastEditDate="2012-05-25T14:51:47.737" LastActivityDate="2012-05-25T14:51:47.737" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1008" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="114" CreationDate="2012-05-25T14:40:24.417" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Chi sao&lt;/em&gt; can be considered a drill for developing sensitivity to positioning and vulnerabilities within a quasi-sparring context. Under that definition, I would add:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wrestling's &lt;strong&gt;head position drills&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys9tmw3TIEU#!&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;handfighting&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, as well as judo's &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl5l-YELUls&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;gripfighting&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; all have a similar goal to &lt;em&gt;chi sao&lt;/em&gt; (finding a dominant position so that one can attack freely) and emphasize sensing vulnerable positions&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Brazilian jiu-jitsu's &lt;strong&gt;flow rolling&lt;/strong&gt; emphasizes the discovery of technical possibilities through constant movement (in a less competitive environment than actual sparring)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those with experience in sticking hands as well as exposure to other arts are likely to note &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=57922&amp;amp;p=1518897&amp;amp;viewfull=1#post1518897&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;the fundamental similarities between &lt;em&gt;chi sao&lt;/em&gt; and the grappling drills found in other arts&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Push hands&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Sticking Hands (notice the 'ing' and not 'y')&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Grip Fighting&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Hand Fighting&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Plum Drills&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Pummeling Drills&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=57922&amp;amp;p=1519893&amp;amp;viewfull=1#post1519893&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Fa li&lt;/a&gt; from Yiquan&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-07-02T02:48:33.730" LastActivityDate="2012-07-02T02:48:33.730" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1009" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1195" CreationDate="2012-05-25T19:00:00.903" Score="11" ViewCount="2107" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What does it mean to &quot;uproot&quot; someone in tai chi&lt;/strong&gt;?  What do tai chi practitioners mean when they use this word? I can tell there's a specific meaning to this jargon, but can't identify it. I see the term &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.combat-journal.com/pages/16677&quot;&gt;used&lt;/a&gt; to imply simply off-balancing: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;cutting the root to disrupt balance&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;but also as a synonym for &quot;defeat&quot;, &quot;throw&quot; or &quot;project&quot;, and &quot;lift&quot;. Is the transliteration this simple? What Chinese terminology are we reflecting here, and has that kanji changed in meaning since it was used in the taiji classics?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2021-04-29T01:55:31.017" Title="What does it mean to &quot;uproot&quot; someone in tai chi?" Tags="|technique|tai-chi|terminology|" AnswerCount="10" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1010" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1009" CreationDate="2012-05-25T23:40:20.540" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Being rooted means having a stable center of gravity (CoG).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Uprooting someone means to go under their CoG and take control of it. Once that is done, &lt;em&gt;defeat&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;throw&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;project&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;lift&lt;/em&gt; are just possible courses to follow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/946/68&quot;&gt;This answer&lt;/a&gt; to a question about a seated Daito-Ryu technique makes allusion to it even by the wording used - the teacher takes control of the uke's root.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/928/68&quot;&gt;This other answer&lt;/a&gt; to the same question splits the concept (&lt;em&gt;for the purposes of that particular question&lt;/em&gt;) into the first two bullet points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many ways to uproot someone, depending on the situation - but it comes down to controlling the CoG.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-05-25T23:40:20.540" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1011" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1014" CreationDate="2012-05-26T14:59:02.177" Score="5" ViewCount="7088" Body="&lt;p&gt;When performing a straight punch (left or right) to the head, what is the best target for maximise the chance of knockout ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="412" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-08-18T18:04:31.053" LastActivityDate="2015-09-02T20:02:52.933" Title="Straight punch to the head and knockout" Tags="|technique|punching|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1012" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1047" CreationDate="2012-05-26T15:05:09.280" Score="3" ViewCount="6140" Body="&lt;p&gt;How does one become a Krav Maga instructor in the United States?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More precisely:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is there a federal authority who fix the necessary requirement for teach as instructor?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If there is one, what is the minimum belt needed for become an instructor?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If there is, what is the minimum time that you have to train in Krav Maga before become an instructor?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="412" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-06-03T13:12:56.477" LastActivityDate="2012-06-03T13:12:56.477" Title="What time requirement and certification does one need to become a Krav Maga instructor?" Tags="|krav-maga|certification|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1013" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="909" CreationDate="2012-05-26T16:37:56.517" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;From The Medical Care of the Judoka by Anthony Catanese, MD, FACS, 4th dan judo:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the athlete's neck muscles are not strong enough to hold the head stable while being thrown, he or she is prone to getting one of these [head/neck/spine] injuries. For this reason, an athlete should not be playing in a tournament until a certain level of strength and skill has been achieved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many instructors have rules designed to prevent an athlete who is inexperienced from getting hurt in a tournament. Some instructors want their students to be playing for about six months before being allowed to play in a tournament. Other instructors require athletes to be yellow belts. The instructor determines the rules on an individual basis for the safety of the student. If an athlete is a wrestler who has been doing judo for only a couple of weeks, he or she is likely fine to compete in a tournament.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the take-home points seem to be:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A basic level of strength and skill&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; a certain amount of time training (yellow belt or ~6 months)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;or&lt;/em&gt; past experience&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2012-05-26T16:37:56.517" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1014" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1011" CreationDate="2012-05-26T16:39:30.860" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;A knockout occurs when the brain bounces around the braincase. This movement causes injury which will lead to unconsciousness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In order to have a high chance of knocking the person out, the best place to target is the chin. This is both a relatively soft target, compared to other parts of the skull, and is relatively easy to get to. Impact there creates a lever effect that creates a lot of brain movement, which means a high chance for knockout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a reason that boxers refer to easily knocked out people as having &quot;a glass jaw&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="334" LastActivityDate="2012-05-26T16:39:30.860" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1015" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1012" CreationDate="2012-05-27T15:57:09.067" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well, if you're going to believe a website called &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kravmaga.com/programs/law-enforcement-military/instructor-certification/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;kravmaga.com&lt;/a&gt;, there are instructor certification programs. I linked you to one under &quot;law enforcement / military&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems to be very much documented and regimented.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[Edit - or check out &lt;a href=&quot;http://krav-maga.com/exclusive-krav-maga-training&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;krav-maga.com&lt;/a&gt; - these give you more information on prerequisites.]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Either way, in the end, you'll probably just end up with a piece of paper that says you can teach Krav Maga.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-05-27T23:26:22.220" LastActivityDate="2012-05-27T23:26:22.220" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1018" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1011" CreationDate="2012-05-27T22:41:43.193" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A &quot;knock-out&quot; is loss of consciousness due to the brain making contact with the skull. The brain is surrounded by fluid and, normally, does not make contact with the skull. That contact is a traumatic event and the body can shut down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The easiest way to cause this response is to &quot;hook&quot; the side of the chin, making the skull turn faster than the brain can follow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With a straight punch, and with the assumption that you are facing an opponent who has his hands down and is just waiting for you to hit them, I really can't think of a good knock-out target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-05-27T22:41:43.193" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1019" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1020" CreationDate="2012-05-27T23:20:30.727" Score="4" ViewCount="1027" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the difference in the physiological mechanics for a knockout caused by an impact to the head and a knockout caused by an impact to the liver?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="412" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-28T00:05:57.640" LastActivityDate="2012-06-28T00:07:00.850" Title="What are the differences in a knockout from the liver versus the head?" Tags="|technique|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1020" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1019" CreationDate="2012-05-28T02:28:00.837" Score="11" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Head shots - knock &lt;em&gt;out&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Impact to the head can cause actual loss of consciousness, by brain trauma. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Liver shots - knock &lt;em&gt;down&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hitting the liver can be devastating, but does not cause loss of consciousness. As shown &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;amp;v=6UeYWanxhfs#t=164s&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here in the Hatton/Castillo fight&lt;/a&gt;, or &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;amp;v=cfvlZjmWa4o&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here, with de la Hoya getting hit by Bernard Hopkins&lt;/a&gt;, liver strikes can be so incredibly painful that even hardened fighters will give up--turning away, taking a knee, writhing in pain--but nobody passes out from them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even when &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x82e1_bas-rutten-vs-jason-delucia_sport&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bas Rutten hit Jason Delucia in the liver five times&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;em&gt;rupturing&lt;/em&gt; the organ, nobody passed out. Jason is just &lt;strong&gt;stunned&lt;/strong&gt; and collapses from the enormous amount of pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My understanding is that it is somewhat easier to hit the liver with smaller gloves or no gloves. For this reason it is a popular target in Kyokushin karate, as seen here:&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gUKPu.gif&quot; alt=&quot;kyokushin liver punch knockdown&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For further information, I recommend &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A7b9gBUYJU&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this overview by two doctors&lt;/a&gt;, in the context of muay Thai, self-defense, boxing, and mixed martial arts. They contend that strikes to the liver are the most debilitating out of any target on the body (excluding the head).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-28T00:07:00.850" LastActivityDate="2012-06-28T00:07:00.850" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1021" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1029" CreationDate="2012-05-28T13:11:54.057" Score="4" ViewCount="1586" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm one of those tall, lanky people whose legs are much longer than their arms. While this is often advantageous in Taekwondo, our style attempts to integrate punches and kicks. While leading with a punch and then following up with a kick poses little problem, I find that combinations that start with a kick and then lead to a punch result in swinging into thin air. So my question is this: what are some techniques that can help me close the distance/extend my reach when transitioning from a kick to a punch during a combination?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-05-29T00:27:20.253" LastActivityDate="2013-09-28T18:20:11.797" Title="How does one better execute kick then punch combos when the legs are significantly longer than the arms?" Tags="|technique|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1023" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1012" CreationDate="2012-05-28T14:34:09.973" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You become a certified instructor, which means passing an instructor's course supervised by a certified coach. Once you're an instructor you can grant belts up to blue if you're ranked two belts higher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instructor in three years? Sure. I'm leery of people who ask questions like that, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2012-05-28T14:34:09.973" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1025" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1021" CreationDate="2012-05-28T23:16:31.650" Score="1" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Personal Style&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo is a great system, but I believe the essence of martial arts is to develop your own personal art, based on a system. Different body shapes will tend towards different combinations and techniques - it's still Taekwondo, but it's Taekwondo done your way. Be careful though: this is not permission to ignore your instructor. He's there to help you discard the bad, focus on the good, and develop your personal art; he's not there to be ignored because you're &quot;doing it your own way&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Range&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Punching and kicking have naturally different ranges for lots of people. Different kicks, and different punches, have their own ranges. One of the key skills you need to develop as a martial artist is the ability to select the right strike for the range, or to control your range to suit your style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Combo Selection&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Combination kicks and punches are key to taekwondo - but you need to adjust the combination to suit your opponent's reaction. If you throw a right-leg front-kick and your opponent slides away to your right, you need to discard the plan to follow up with a left-leg roundhouse. Sparring is very dynamic, and you're constantly adjusting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Kick-Punch Combinations&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kick-punch combinations aren't likely to work well if your opponent is moving back out of range to avoid your kicks. If you commit, in your head, to a kick-punch and your opponent just steps back out of range of the kick, you're gonna have to close the range as you punch - and in my experience trying to close range with a punch is asking for them to have a go at a quick front-kick as you move in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;When K-P Can Work&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that said, I use kick-punch combinations all the time. Whenever my opponent side-steps a kick and I find them in close, it's much faster to follow up with a few punches than to try to gain enough room to throw a kick. For me, punching is a range-gaining technique - you can certainly land effective hand techniques in sparring, but their main utility to me is to keep my opponent occupied and push them back to bring them in range of a kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Other Takes&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know people who do use punches differently - I tend to use kicks to close range, punches to gain them, but I've seen people who can close in with punches. If you want to work that into your own style, ask your instructor to help you work on it. I can offer this advice - your biggest risk is that your opponent will see your ribs as a tempting target as you step in without a kick chambered. The best way to combat this, in my opinion, is to either let your opponent close the range for you (move sideways out of the way of their kick) - you can also just watch for an opening when they're off-balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the original question, regarding the kick-punch, you can throw a quick kick in as you move out of the way - I often find that if someone's wound up a big kick I can step sideways as I throw a prop kick, and then finish in punch range - or you want wait for the right opening, often if they're off-balance &lt;em&gt;after&lt;/em&gt; a missed kick, and then throw in a quick kick while stepping in to punch range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary, what you really need to do is to think about range. Kick-punch combinations are all about using a kick &lt;em&gt;as you close in&lt;/em&gt; to punching range, and that just isn't going to work if you're both on balance and your opponent tends to step out of range of kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's worth noting that it can be a great technique on what I think of as &lt;em&gt;bully sparrers&lt;/em&gt; - people who rely less on technique and more on throwing their weight around and forcing you to move. These people tend to step in even with no opening, and rely on the tendency of taekwondo students to want to stay in kicking range. Punish them by stepping off the line of their movement, throwing in a quick prop kick, and following up with a few punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="48" LastActivityDate="2012-05-28T23:16:31.650" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1026" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="501" CreationDate="2012-05-29T11:23:09.747" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A conditioning method Chinese fighters (used to) use, is spear-thrusting your hands into a pot/bag of beans repetitively. The idea here is to have &lt;em&gt;some&lt;/em&gt; counter-pressure on your fingertips per strike, but not too much as it would when striking a single solid surface. Just like training muscles or bones, the fingertips grow stronger by just slightly damaging them by doing a lot of these 'bean spear thrusts'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This may be what &lt;em&gt;Ho-Sheng Hsiao&lt;/em&gt; is talking about by the way, although this method isn't limited to Shaolin training. Especially for &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_Kung_Fu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Shéquan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; kungfu this is an essential training method.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shéquan (snake style kungfu) is a kungfu style that focusses specifically on spear-thrusts, sybolising a snake (hence the name). As Ho-Sheng Hsiao already pointed out, it's important to only use this techniuqe, despite of conditioning, to certain softer and weaker parts of the body (pressure points and nerve centers, throat, etc). In fact, I'm pretty sure it's pointless to use this against most parts of the body, e.g. the chest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some martial art schools use a variation on this strike: instead of pointing the fingers towards your target, using the outer side of the hand. But, as a thrust forward, rather than a 'chop'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="478" LastActivityDate="2012-05-29T11:23:09.747" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1027" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1021" CreationDate="2012-05-29T13:39:21.533" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Getting a good kick-punch combination relies on where you are moving to, and where your feet are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most common use is when a kick is blocked. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If the opponent closes, in which case legs aren't any use any more so can you get a punch or two in?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If they stay their ground, is your body weight moving you forwards such that a punch can be landed without overstretching too much?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Either of these are relatively straightforward, and the punch is often the fastest way to get a point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="57" LastActivityDate="2012-05-29T13:39:21.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1029" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1021" CreationDate="2012-05-30T07:25:29.617" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;1 A short good hint that helped me a lot (I am also a 2 m. long guy). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don't lean backwards when kicking.&lt;/strong&gt; Many do this to counterweight their legs. From that position it's hard to follow it up by a punch and you are vulnerable for overtakes and even more (if allowed): takedowns and swipes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may take some practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2 Extend those arms! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I still find so many people who don't fully extend their arms and don't twist their hips enough. This is necessarily to get the speed, reach and power you need.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3 Train with positioning, train with both legs in front (regular and south paw) in other words train &lt;strong&gt;footwork&lt;/strong&gt; a lot!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="422" LastEditorUserId="422" LastEditDate="2013-09-28T18:20:11.797" LastActivityDate="2013-09-28T18:20:11.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1030" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1045" CreationDate="2012-05-30T07:59:16.673" Score="10" ViewCount="784" Body="&lt;p&gt;My Aikido teacher advised us (I'm in a beginners group) not to study Aikido movies on youtube, at least not until we get our black belts. He said that's because there are different Aikido styles and we might be studying techniques that are totally different from our particular style. What's your opinion on this? Is he right? Or is it possible to find movies on the internet showing techniques for a particular Aikido style?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="314" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-05-30T13:42:57.033" LastActivityDate="2012-11-29T23:15:34.213" Title="Are Aikido movies on the internet helpful for beginners?" Tags="|aikido|style|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1031" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1030" CreationDate="2012-05-30T13:36:18.697" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;YouTube may be a valuable tool in learning how to do something (much like this site), but that will vary depending on the student and the teacher. I don't know much about the variance of aikido styles, but I know that there are hundreds of different kung fu styles. While some fundamental movements may be similar or the same, there are lots of different characteristics unique to each style, its forms, and culture that make them very different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your instructor is right in saying that you might end up learning the moves that aren't in your particular style. Others might view this as a negative move, because they might see or feel that you aren't being respectful to the system or your instructor if you are going behind their back on your own to learn something else. If an instructor makes a living off teaching martial arts, that person could be seen as doing a disservice to the teacher (and is probably not the kind of student they might want in that case).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may also end up learning a particular technique incorrectly as well due to inexperience. If you're watching a video that isn't instructional, you only have visual input (and the view could be obstructed) on how to perform that move without a verbal or more detailed or nuanced explanation for it. Some videos may not be performed by experts either, so you might end up learning an incorrect movement from an inexperienced or beginner person who hasn't fully understood what they are doing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some systems may not want videos of their style online to maintain the traditional aspect of learning martial arts. I know this is true in various kung fu systems I've met in the Chinatown area. A lot of it has to do with maintaining the tradition, culture, and history that is passed down from teacher to student along with the physical movements and respecting your martial arts ancestors. Some of those videos might outdated or old or perhaps performed by people who aren't fully trained in that particular art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since you've written that your instructor has told you not to learn from the Internet, my advice is to respect that person's wishes and not go off on your own. Once you do reach a certain level or proficiency or mastery (in your case reaching black belt status), then I would assume you've reached a level where you &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; discern what is going on in a video and also interpret or analyze and use it in a way that would be respectful or complementary to your style. I would personally still bring it up with my instructor for discussion and try to share that knowledge and give back rather than go solo and &quot;take, take, take.&quot; The context or content of the video might also set the tone of what could be useful or not as well, and that is also something I would also bring up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One behavioral phenomenon I've seen with students (especially with new and young youths) is that they tend to get &lt;strong&gt;very&lt;/strong&gt; eager after the initial &quot;beginner's hump.&quot; They start to get more comfortable and relaxed, often times becoming more boisterous or ostentatious about what they can do (more so in the presence of other newer and incoming students. It's okay for them to feel proud, but they also need to be reminded to not show off (it's very disrespectful) especially when they've only been there for 6 months compared to others who have been there for 6 years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point is to have patience and control over one's self and develop that self-discipline when studying an art. My perspective comes from a traditional kung fu perspective on that, but the way I see it is that there is always room to learn and grow more no matter what your age, level, or discipline is. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastActivityDate="2012-05-30T13:36:18.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1032" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1030" CreationDate="2012-05-30T13:55:18.843" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;IMO observing techniques, even if from other styles, is more helpful than harmful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course you should be able to find techniques from whatever style you practice, assuming a reasonably well-known style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Should&quot; you &lt;em&gt;practice&lt;/em&gt; another style's techniques before &quot;mastering&quot; your own? That's a separate issue, and it depends entirely upon your goals. Would I suggest &lt;em&gt;studying&lt;/em&gt; two different styles of the same art simultaneously? Probably not. Would I suggest &lt;em&gt;comparing&lt;/em&gt; different styles? &lt;em&gt;I&lt;/em&gt; would, because understanding the differences can enhance the understanding of your own style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would I tell your instructor I was doing so? Doesn't sound like it would be a good idea--but I'm wary of instructors that attempt to dissuade &quot;outside&quot; information, whether it's the same art or not, so I'm biased.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2012-05-30T13:55:18.843" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1033" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1030" CreationDate="2012-05-30T15:27:24.173" Score="7" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Videos don't teach technique&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning from videos is just not an effective way of learning technique. It can work, but it's wildly inefficient and can produce bad habits. One of the primary reasons to avoid video-based learning is that without an excellent feedback system (e.g. great training partners at home, or near-daily practice where you test the video-learned techniques) you will pick up bad habits. Without feedback to warn you away from bad habits, your technique could stagnate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So even if you could find videos of your specific Aikido style, it probably won't be very helpful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Videos can teach possibilities or &quot;style&quot;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, videos of high-level exponents of a style can convey a lot of useful information that isn't about technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By watching a significant amount of video, and being discerning about who to watch, what to watch, and the quality of each piece, one can pick up an idea for the &quot;style&quot; of a style, or the approach of a given technician. For analogy, in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, it's not too helpful to try to learn the cross-collar choke by watching Roger Gracie. But watching tape of him cross-collar-choking everyone in the heavyweight division is mighty informative about the power of the technique, and of Roger's stylistic approach. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One can get an okay idea of the &quot;feel&quot; or &quot;flow&quot; of a style or practitioner by watching tape. This can be useful as a &quot;finger pointing at the moon&quot;, guiding one's practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other somewhat useful thing one can pick up from video is possibilities. I won't learn from a video the &quot;feel&quot; of a technique, or figure out how to apply it well, but I'll at least be aware that it exists. This can be helpful in defense against people without too much expertise, and can expand one's understanding of the problem space.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Reasons an instructor might object&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's look at it from your instructor's perspective. I've trained under instructors who ran the gamut of opinions on this: totally opposed to outside instruction like video, tolerant of it, or wholly embracing it (though recognizing its drawbacks). I've encountered three serious objections:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It gets old correcting a student's bad technique that was caused by outside instruction.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learning a snazzy technique from outside of class is great...until you apply it improperly, or without understanding it, and someone gets hurt. Or maybe you just didn't know that there was a rule against that kind of technique (e.g. flying &lt;em&gt;shiho nage&lt;/em&gt; in aikido, sacrifice throws in judo, heel hooks in BJJ), and that's why your instructor hadn't shown you it yet.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It takes focus away from what you're doing. This is valid in some circumstances, but is by far the weakest objection.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-30T20:02:12.827" LastActivityDate="2012-05-30T20:02:12.827" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1034" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1030" CreationDate="2012-05-30T19:48:40.363" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've never heard of a good instructor (of any subject) recommending students not learn something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's nothing wrong with watching youtube videos to get different technique ideas.  Unless you engage in serious 'offline' training, though, you're not actually 'learning' them.  Just learning that they exist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I just dont see what the issue is - if you show up to class and start doing a technique incorrectly, then he corrects you.  Its not like you're going to build up massive muscle memories and become untrainable form watching some aikido videos. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="84" LastActivityDate="2012-05-30T19:48:40.363" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1035" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1077" CreationDate="2012-05-31T13:57:36.927" Score="11" ViewCount="66753" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are those who say you have to cool and those who say you have to warm your leg, there are those who say you should rest and those who say you should keep using it as you would normally. It makes sense that the cooling stops the internal bleeding and/or reduces inflammation (so I do this right after training) and it makes sense that warming your muscle helps the recovery (so I do this the day after).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you guys have any tips of how to speed up the recovery even more? And is the method how I do it wrong?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="422" LastEditorUserId="422" LastEditDate="2017-01-27T10:23:04.207" LastActivityDate="2017-11-01T21:01:58.557" Title="How can I speed up the recovery of a bruised leg?" Tags="|kicking|injury|kickboxing|medical-advice|" AnswerCount="13" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1036" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1035" CreationDate="2012-05-31T14:34:04.267" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The things that help for me, or maybe I only thought they did, were:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;stretching and warming up thoroughly in the morning&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;going for walks&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;drinking plenty of water&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;eating lots of quality food&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, the things we should be doing normally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-05-31T14:34:04.267" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1037" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1044" CreationDate="2012-05-31T19:50:08.803" Score="9" ViewCount="971" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am looking for guidelines or sources of information regarding behavior patterns that prevent the escalation of conflict. It would be nice also to see some differentiation and analysis of conflict stages and recommended priorities in each stage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="485" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-05-31T21:24:58.547" LastActivityDate="2013-04-15T12:16:21.600" Title="Conflict escalation management resources" Tags="|self-defense|social|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1038" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="918" CreationDate="2012-05-31T21:22:17.367" Score="20" Body="&lt;p&gt;Imrich Lichtenfeld - the founder of Krav Maga - does not appear to have any formal asian martial arts roots that I can find. His bios state that he learned wrestling and grappling from his father, and later honed his skills fighting on the street. (&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kravmaga.com/about-us/our-history/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;kravmaga.com&lt;/a&gt;). Once he immigrated to Israel he joined the para-military forces and started teaching self-defense techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During that same time Aikido was being developed by Morihei Ueshiba. He based Aikido off of his years practicing Daitō-ryū,  Tenjin Shin'yō-ryū, Gotōha Yagyū Shingan-ryū, and Judo. (&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido#Initial_development&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;) He continued to refine the art throughout the duration of his life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I watched the video. These are the techniques I felt were similar to Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kotegaeshi - There were a number of examples of this&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Iriminage - Several examples which looked very rough.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Nikyo - The angle was not good. It might have been nikyo.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sankyo? - At one point (After the supposed nikyo) it looks like he does a sankyo against his chest.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking at the techniques:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kotegaeshi is probably just a natural development of anyone experimenting with joint locks. There are only so many ways to bend the wrist.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Iriminage in this video is akin to a close line, and it doesn't have the fluidity or grace of most Aikido styles I've seen.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Those may be nikyo and sankyo, but again, there are only so many ways to hurt a wrist. They are probably variations on the same principles.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because Imrich Lichtenfeld continued to evolve Krav Maga it is not impossible to say that Aikido may have eventually started to influence a few of the techniques, but there is nothing in his online biographies to suggest that. The two martial arts have very conflicting philosophies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/strong&gt; has a philosophy emphasizing threat neutralization, simultaneous defensive and offensive maneuvers, and aggression. &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aikido&lt;/strong&gt; is often translated as &amp;quot;the Way of unifying (with) life energy&amp;quot; or as &amp;quot;the Way of harmonious spirit.&amp;quot; Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker from injury. &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido#Initial_development&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2012-05-31T21:22:17.367" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1039" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1037" CreationDate="2012-06-01T00:17:17.323" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm going to answer this question by pointing my finger at the moon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Conflict comes from ego. Your ego. Other people's ego. And two or more egos suddenly wanting really hard to &quot;win&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If YOU don't want to win, then where is the conflict? Well, unfortunately, sometimes egos make up big long stories and they don't need another ego.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So now you know: once you've disengaged YOUR ego, you just need to stay aware of the other egos.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, how do you do that? Oh yeah... Meditate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-06-01T00:17:17.323" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1040" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1037" CreationDate="2012-06-01T02:54:30.340" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my experience as a bouncer, I can unequivocally state that you are making two very big assumptions here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;escalations &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; be avoided&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;escalations &lt;em&gt;should&lt;/em&gt; be avoided&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best way to avoid an escalation is to walk away. However there are many times where you can't or shouldn't avoid the escalation, and there will be times where you need to join the escalation (you could be intervening in someone else's situation). This can be rephrased more succinctly as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Don't avoid the escalation, take control of the escalation.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is what you train for, to know when and how to fix a situation, and by how much. Training teaches you to read an opponent and to know whether walking away or an on-the-spot-counselling-session is an option. Some subtle body language changes may assist with your situation, but this has to be natural (i.e. instinctive) rather than acted. Two people exhibiting the same behaviour pattern can have totally different outcomes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You cannot learn this stuff from a textbook - knowing some theory is fantastic but it isn't going to get you very far when you face a real situation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-06-01T02:54:30.340" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1041" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1035" CreationDate="2012-06-01T03:56:08.087" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;For me icing is the most effective. On the first two days, I iced bruised area for ten minutes. It keeps my bruised area from going black.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And I go jogging once a week. I feel that lots of minor injuries go away after running, since it helps blood flows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="281" LastActivityDate="2012-06-01T03:56:08.087" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1042" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1037" CreationDate="2012-06-01T15:11:39.757" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Rory Miller and Marc MacYoung do a &quot;Conflict Communication&quot; course. They are available for seminars, and I beleive will have a book coming out soon on the topic. I've been through the seminar with Rory and it was a great learning experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://conflictcommunications.com/index.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://conflictcommunications.com/index.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rory's book &quot;Facing Violence&quot; is also a great resource on this topic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastActivityDate="2012-06-01T15:11:39.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1043" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1037" CreationDate="2012-06-01T15:35:45.293" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have personal experience of any books on the broader topic of conflict resolution, but a few different texts I've read touch on different specific sub-topics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My old karate school uses Joan M. Nelson's &lt;em&gt;Self-Defense: Steps to Success&lt;/em&gt; for a reference manual on the topics of &lt;strong&gt;assertiveness&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;de-escalation&lt;/strong&gt;, which are key concepts in conflict resolution. She gives good advice that is simple, reasonable, and actionable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Books about the sociology of criminality and the psychology of crime and ape dominance games might be useful in your search. In that vein I've read &lt;em&gt;Fight Time: The Normative Rules and Routines of Interpersonal Violence&lt;/em&gt; by Terance D. Miethe and Gini R. Deibert. It's not terribly specific in its recommendations, and is a good but not great overview of some of the high-level studies on the issue. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Much better in my mind were two books by Richard T. Wright and Scott Decker: &lt;em&gt;Armed Robbers in Action: Stickups and Street Culture&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Burglars on the Job: Streetlife and Residential Break-ins&lt;/em&gt;. These are fascinating and enormously detailed works on the tactics, inner mental states, and social lives of criminals. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with hundreds of currently active armed robbers and burglers, and included gobs of quotes. They took substantial time to gain the trust of these people, in order to really examine how they implemented these crimes, as well as how they thought of those acts. I highly recommend these books if &quot;conflict resolution&quot; in the context of those crimes is part of your study.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-06-01T15:35:45.293" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1044" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1037" CreationDate="2012-06-01T17:48:34.030" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Stages of Conflict&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Prior to any discussion of conflict, we need to examine what the conflict is and at what stage we're entering into it. The stages below represent levels of escalation (delineated clearly &lt;em&gt;only&lt;/em&gt; for illustrative purposes; they are never quite so clear), and your entry into a conflict may occur at &lt;em&gt;any&lt;/em&gt; stage (that is, you can be trained to recognize conflict signs when you are not directly involved in the conflict).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;No Conflict&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – In this stage, no conflict yet exists. Given human nature, it's probably incorrect to call it a &quot;no conflict&quot; stage, but rather &quot;pre-conflict&quot;, since conflict is an inevitability.&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1451002238&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Latent Conflict&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – This is the stage at which there is a conflict of ideas. This could be as simple as political or philosophical ideologies, or the split second in which one person attempts to occupy the same space as another unintentionally (that is, bumping into someone).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Emergence&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – At this point, one or both parties have made it clear that there is a difference between them that requires a resolution. Signs of tension become clear, discord will start to emerge.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Escalation&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – The escalation stage is marked by direct and heated exchange. In business, we may see this in terms of a negotiation (marked typically by the phrase, &quot;And that's my final offer.&quot; This is, of course, not the final offer, but an escalation bluff.), or in a fight we may see this in the form of shoving.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Stalemate&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – I choose this term carefully; at this point, the conflict reaches crescendo, and the conflict is at its worst. In this stage, if we consider a fight as a form of conflict, then it's at this point the worst violence will occur.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;De-escalation&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – At this point, someone gives up; one party is worn down by the other, and it's clear to one party that they are not likely to reach a favorable resolution.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Settlement&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – At this point, the conflict is settled. In a negotiation, this would be both parties walking away or coming to an agreement; in a fight, this is usually someone fleeing or someone dropping.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Reconciliation&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – This might be considered &quot;the aftermath&quot;. If we're talking about a fight, this may be a prolonged arrest, trial, and sentencing; in a failed negotiation, it might be a peace offering to rebuild relations between two companies. Even mutually beneficially resolved conflicts have a reconciliation stage.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;NB:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; There are numerous variations on the stages of conflict, ranging on average from 6 to 9 steps. These are the 8 I use in conflict examination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Conflict Indicators&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Recognizing signs of emerging conflict can be extremely difficult. I've been studying and employing the examination of micro-expressions and body language for over a decade now and I still have difficulties. The keys to recognizing emerging conflict lies in your ability to rapidly and correctly identify the circumstances around you. At any given point, in the absence of any other evidence, consider yourself in the pre-conflict state. Before entering into conflict as an outsider, or when you find yourself entering into a conflict, examine and evaluate these criteria:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;What is the conflict at hand?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br/&gt;If you find yourself in a conflict, know what the subject is. At the first indication, make note of the content of the conflict – Is someone demanding your wallet? Do they disagree with your ideological views? Did you bump into them?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;At what stage in the conflict are you finding yourself?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br/&gt;You now know the eight stages of conflict; do you recognize where you currently are?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;What body language is being exhibited?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Here's where my specialty lies, so let me throw a few out there:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Blading – Blading is the act of turning the body at an angle to a perceived threat. It's a &lt;em&gt;natural behavior&lt;/em&gt; that is adopted and trained in shooting for the same reason that it occurs naturally: the creation of a smaller target. A person feeling defensive will blade in an effort to protect the ventral side (which is the most vulnerable).&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0061438294&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Pushing – Pushing, shoving, etc. are distancing behaviors. You're seeing someone who is giving you a chance to keep your distance, so take it. Instead of charging back in like a picked on kid in a school yard, step back further. This is your chance for de-escalation, and the pushing can be the stalemate.&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0061438294&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Crossed arms – First, determine if it's cold. Obviously, if it's cold, cross-arms may indicate simply that they're cold. Were they cross-armed before? This is a baseline posture for them then (and likely indicative of a nervous personality, since this is also known as a self-hugging gesture), and it has nothing to do with you. If they crossed their arms while dealing with you, then this is likely a defensive posture; they're feeling attacked, and may be open to ending the conflict. Context is key, and knowing how to end the conflict at this point can save you a lot of discomfort.&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0061438294&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Shedding – The removal of clothing (also symbolized in the loosening of a tie during a meeting) can indicate an increase in body temperature, which may be tied to an increase in stress (and thus adrenaline) in the body. Like self-hugging gestures, context is incredibly important (Sometimes, it's just about making oneself more comfortable – Swallowing while performing this action may indicate strong emotion, which leans more toward [non-sexual] arousal).&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0061438294&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Emotional leakage – In complicated terms, I'm looking for indications of AU combinations of 1+2+4+5+20+26, 4+5+7+23, 9+15+16, or 12+14 [unilaterally]. In more simple terms, I'm looking for indications of Fear, Anger, Disgust, or Contempt. These are universal emotions that leak through in varying intensities in the faces of otherwise mentally healthy individuals when stress is increased despite attempts to suppress them. In psychopaths, there may be indications of arousal (through pupil dilation) or joy. Again, context is everything.&lt;a href=&quot;http://face-and-emotion.com/dataface/estore/main.jsp&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are by no means exhaustive illustrations. They are meant as potential indicators of internal processes in others.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Priorities in Conflict Resolution&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Despite the stage, your priority is simple: get to stage 6 quickly. The earlier you can push through 4 and 5, the better the resolution will likely be. In other words, @Trevoke is right to an extent: the sooner you give up your willingness to pursue the conflict, the sooner the de-escalation stage is reached, the sooner you can reach a resolution, and you can begin to unwind or repair the damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In training, I use conditioning to aid conflict resolution; at the end of each and every technique, run. You're training yourself in this way that when the opponent is no longer a threat, you create distance to force de-escalation. Running away is not the best solution for every conflict (for example, running away from arguing with your wife will lead to emotional leakage of first anger, then disgust, then contempt. If your wife is showing you contempt, hire a lawyer – you're going to be divorced soon).&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0316010669&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Directly Related Answer:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/661/25&quot;&gt;When Should I Run Away?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-06-04T16:25:40.080" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1045" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1030" CreationDate="2012-06-01T19:07:32.760" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've found videos very helpful when I already knew a particular technique (or especially a form), and very unhelpful when I did not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On those occasions when I became stuck and couldn't remember the next move in a form, it was great to see a video of someone practicing the form in the exact manner I was taught. I have a video set from one of my sifu's contemporaries for exactly this reason. However, this is rare. A particular form or technique can have many different variations from school to school, even within the same style, so even if I was successful at picking up what was in the video, I would end up having to unlearn it later as I was taught the right approach for my school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I tried to learn something for the first time, something I wasn't already familiar with, seeing it on film was worse than useless. More often, I would end up not even knowing what happened in the video. Yes, obviously, this guy moved and that guy hit the floor, but what was really going on?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once I had 8-10 years of experience I started to be able to figure out what the intent was for different techniques. After almost 20 years, I'm able to gain a little more by watching a technique, whether in person or online. However, getting hands-on with a technique is still by far the best way for me to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think your teacher is giving you just one of many reasons to avoid trying to learn martial arts through video, and I agree with him (or her).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="445" LastActivityDate="2012-06-01T19:07:32.760" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1046" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1009" CreationDate="2012-06-02T02:48:18.720" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;This answer is in reply to @Dave Liepmann's query, and is in support of Trevoke's answer. No need to upvote this one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dave Liepmann asked, &quot;So, unbalancing and locking, or unbalancing or locking?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a common way to frame this concept. When your body has not learned this stuff, your mind wants to put this into neat boxes because the underlying &lt;em&gt;principle&lt;/em&gt; is still too abstract.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This isn't the full explanation, but it will do for now: Every human being has structure underlying their bodies and mind. The structure that underly the human body is the skeleton; the structure that underly the human mind is the ego (learned self). Disruption of the structure is what allows a weaker person to defeat a stronger person: you don't fell a mighty tree by toppling it from the top.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Uprooting is &lt;em&gt;one&lt;/em&gt; tactic by which someone disrupts structure (by undermining the person's power base). Locking is &lt;em&gt;one&lt;/em&gt; tactic by which someone disrupts structure (through unexpected and/or painful manipulation of structure). They are different, yet they are the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Disrupting &quot;balance&quot; is an many-layered inside-joke whose first layer of meaning refers to &quot;kicking someone out of their comfort zone.&quot; Falling is one of the two basic fear instincts wired into the human body since birth. When we feel we are in free-fall (aka, &quot;unbalanced&quot;), we tend to instinctively and immediately try to stop falling. For the untrained, this instinct is powerful enough to override higher-brain function. By undermining or manipulating someone's structure in a way to trigger this instinct, that person will be so busy trying to right himself that he will not notice what you are really doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And some art derive their entire art from falling (and rolling out of falls).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is also why, one way or another, all combat-effective traditional arts spend so much time on body structure. (Why would you &lt;em&gt;give&lt;/em&gt; your enemy a broken structure? Well ... ) You learn the right way to carry yourself; you learn how to disrupt structure by experiencing your weakness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This goes much, much deeper. (For example, why did Cheng Man-ch'ing say, &quot;Invest in loss?&quot;) If you want the full explanation, you'll need understand what Sun Tzu, Musashi, and Col. John Richard Boyd were saying in common.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastEditorUserId="65" LastEditDate="2012-06-02T03:00:01.823" LastActivityDate="2012-06-02T03:00:01.823" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1047" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1012" CreationDate="2012-06-02T06:35:20.777" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am an official licensee of Krav Maga Worldwide, a sanctioned organization of krav maga. I own and operate two schools in my area &amp;amp; have been teaching for close to 10 years, but I am not a black belt in krav maga. I am what they rank as Expert III/IV in black belt preparation and will have up to 2 more years before qualifying to test for black belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I began, I was already a higher level student &amp;amp; entered what we call Phase training in LA, at their nat. training headquarters. This consists of 7 days of physical, mental, and teaching type of training with a final phase testing. Having previous krav maga training, I went through the program at an accelerated pace but still had to do each phase &amp;amp; then enter Expert &amp;amp; do each of them passing each test.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as your question, you can definitely become an instructor in krav maga in three years, but you will not be a black belt nor the nor the best instructor you can be. On average, it takes 5 to 7 years to test for a black belt in krav maga (by US standards as opposed to Israeli standards when I started my krav maga training in NYC).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="493" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-06-03T13:09:38.790" LastActivityDate="2012-06-03T13:09:38.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1048" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1030" CreationDate="2012-06-02T12:18:38.453" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a beginner at Aikido as well.  Personally I find looking at lots of videos and reading lots of books very enjoyable, and pretty helpful, particularly when it comes to remembering the Japanese names for attacks, techniques, etc.  (for our 5th kyu we have to do 9 arts from 2 attacks omote and ura, so that's 36 combinations to nail down).  From reading books and articles I've got a rudimentary understanding of the different schools/styles arising from the main splits that have occurred over Aikido's relatively short history.  If you build this background knowledge it should be fairly apparent whether you are looking at aikikai, yoshinkan, ki society, tomiki, etc. and hence how relevant it is to your particular school.  If I felt all that was closed off for at least 4 years (probably more like 8) until I reached Shodan I'd probably get bored fairly quickly.  Maybe your teacher feels that all the history and politics behind this could be off-putting to new students though.  Certainly our teacher discourages questions and analysis during class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that said, there's no replacement for hard practice and you can't learn martial arts from videos or books, they are purely supplemental to time in the Dojo with a good teacher, but IME a great way to feed your addiction when you can't get on the mat.  :-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="495" LastActivityDate="2012-06-02T12:18:38.453" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1049" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1009" CreationDate="2012-06-04T02:51:55.270" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;Someone who is &quot;rooted&quot; to the ground is difficult to move or control and can use this property to move and control others more easily. It's all about body structure. Here is a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU7nH5_kGW0&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; of a short demonstration of being rooted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Uprooting someone is when you break their connection to the ground or the structure that connects them to the ground so that they become easy to move or control. Uprooting is what you do to remove their connection, then you can throw, lock, etc. Here are &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X4Rw4sbADU&quot;&gt;some&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ILczURN99k&quot;&gt;examples&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="83" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-13T13:06:52.253" LastActivityDate="2012-06-13T13:06:52.253" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1050" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1060" CreationDate="2012-06-04T18:32:18.480" Score="12" ViewCount="852" Body="&lt;p&gt;I teach Aikido at a local community college. Roughly half of the kids are there just to fulfill a P.E. requirement. These students can be frustrating because they aren't really interested in martials art, they just arbirarily picked a class that met their schedule needs. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I make it a policy that everyone in class has to change partners every 5-10 minutes, but I know the students who are actually interested in learning become frustrated by the ones who never pay attention enough to do the simplist of exercises. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any ideas how I can get less interested students to become more involved in class?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastActivityDate="2013-09-25T14:59:10.127" Title="How can I try to engage students who don't really want to be there?" Tags="|aikido|teaching|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1051" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1050" CreationDate="2012-06-04T22:03:43.967" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You have a problem a lot of us teachers have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What age are you talking about?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I tend to do is from the 60 minutes I have, spend the warming up and cooling down with a game they love. Of course this game should actually have some physical contact, for that is what you slowly would like them to get used at. Don't forget that for some kids it's not boring but weird or scary!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reward them with the fun cooling down, don't reward them if they don't deserve it. Be strict and always keep your word. When they're are doing good, motivate them with a lot of positive energy and try to compliment a lot!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A great warming up game:&#xA;Bulldog (yes it even sounds cool)&#xA;All children sit on one side of the mat, 2 &quot;bulldogs&quot; in the middle. You count to 10 or 15. If someone doesn't reach the end before you stop counting, he or she is a bulldog too. Make sure they are a little bit warm before you do this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have to be a bit cautious that the children don't stack on each other, bite or other stuff. Pay attention!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kids also love the &quot;tap shoulder&quot; sparring game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At some point, some kids are simply not made for the sport. Don't let them transfer negative energy to the rest of the group and especially not to yourself. But don't be too hard on them if they simply not love it. For me I see this as having to dance ballet or something ;). As long as you love it, some and maybe of the kids will.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It will never be easy, but you should love the challenge as a teacher ;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the strongest lessons I had to learn: Encourage effort and not victories!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="422" LastActivityDate="2012-06-04T22:03:43.967" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1052" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1070" CreationDate="2012-06-05T00:29:45.297" Score="5" ViewCount="553" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suffered a heart attack right after Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training last year, and as a result I have been paying much more attention to my health.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've trained in martial arts on and off for years, but now that I've been through rehabilitation, and talking to various health and fitness professionals (Osteos, Dieticians, Physios, Personal Trainer, etc) it has become clear to me how little I have been taught about basic fitness as part of my martial arts training. I'm convinced that many (but certainly not all) warm-up routines are just some exercises the instructor learned somewhere and threw together.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sure I could (and probably &lt;em&gt;should&lt;/em&gt;) have gone out and taught myself about these things, but I'm curious how many martial arts schools, or instructors, have fitness qualifications, and use that as part of their normal training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not aware of any &lt;em&gt;requirement&lt;/em&gt; for being a fitness instructor when you start teaching martial arts. Do many people do this of their own initiative or see value in it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="443" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-06-05T02:25:06.620" LastActivityDate="2012-07-14T07:07:55.303" Title="Do martial arts instructors also seek fitness instruction certifications?" Tags="|training|teaching|certification|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1053" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="949" CreationDate="2012-06-05T02:51:04.677" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Needle at Sea Bottom is a fave for fixed feet push hands. Personally, I don't like the move but have been on the receiving end enough to know it's effective in competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can see it in &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/QBZlyPNrd1s?t=33&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video at about 33 seconds in&lt;/a&gt;. The initial body and hand positioning is reasonably close to tournament and you can see the hip turn whilst sliding the weight backwards and controlling the opponents arm to throw them to the side. With fixed feet push hands, all you need to do is uproot and this move is often used very quickly from the start of the point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A counter to it is to relax the arm being pulled, initially going with the movement (in the example above the hips would be rotating around to the left) but then rotate the hips to the right, slapping with the pulled hand followed up by a push with the left hand. Or just relax right out of the initial hold and help your opponent continue his movement backwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He also used as the first move in &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/966xSjpEjlI?t=45&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this demonstration at 45 seconds&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="307" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2021-08-08T02:04:09.440" LastActivityDate="2021-08-08T02:04:09.440" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1054" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="644" CreationDate="2012-06-05T04:35:04.923" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some great answers here already, but I'll just add that where I used to train, we had a set of &quot;self defence&quot; techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self Defence #1: Run away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's the first thing all students were taught there. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the answer to your question would be: run away at the first possible opportunity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="443" LastActivityDate="2012-06-05T04:35:04.923" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1055" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1129" CreationDate="2012-06-05T11:54:55.443" Score="4" ViewCount="352" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are so many techniques to be found on the internet. At the Uni (where I train kickboxing), they just refer to the internet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I keep on winding up with crappy hand wrappings. The one that stays on my hand well, doesn't feel like it's really protecting the knuckles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="422" LastActivityDate="2012-06-13T03:35:30.803" Title="What technique should I use for hand wrappings?" Tags="|punching|fist|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1056" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1063" CreationDate="2012-06-05T12:27:23.283" Score="6" ViewCount="2395" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've just purchased a staff made of white waxwood. I need a way to make it stand out from other staves made of white pine. The easy answer is of course to use a marker and put my initials on it, but I was wondering if I could do something a little more personal - like putting some engravings on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want the staff to be easily recognizable, that is, without having to pick it up and look at one end or the other, know that it is mine, and more important, have other people know that it is not theirs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;NB - by engravings, I mean etching with a knife, lines that would be at the most 1 millimeter deep.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, should this staff be used for striking and blocking, is this likely to be a problem as far as the staff being able to stay in one piece?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-06-05T19:50:23.807" LastActivityDate="2016-09-25T15:35:45.830" Title="Will engraving a staff made of white waxwood compromise its integrity?" Tags="|bo-staff|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1057" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1056" CreationDate="2012-06-05T12:42:52.280" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strike&gt;I own a Japanese White Oak staff (bo), and my understanding is that it is a protected tree. To me it would be sacrilegious to engrave my bo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said that, Japanese white oak is a tough wood, a small amount of shallow engraving is not going to compromise it at all.&lt;/strike&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I would suggest - why not use a small sticker instead? After many hours of thrashing the manufacturer's decal is still on mine, you should be able to get a sticker that is reasonably resilient and sticky, and you can just replace it if it does perish.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Answer edited due to question being edited&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2012-06-06T04:56:20.490" LastActivityDate="2012-06-06T04:56:20.490" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1058" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="995" CreationDate="2012-06-05T14:00:55.073" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/996/424&quot;&gt;both&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/997/424&quot;&gt;answers&lt;/a&gt; so far have made good points I happen to agree with, I would like to weigh in with an alternative albeit perhaps not so very popular answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would argue that by selecting just a small subset of the whole system, you are already forfeiting some of the benefits that the whole system can offer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or to quote the words of &lt;em&gt;Yang Cheng Fu&lt;/em&gt; from his book &lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;The Practical Application of Taijiquan&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Taijiquan, the ability to cultivate oneself physically and spiritually, but not to defend oneself, is civil accomplishment. The ability to defend oneself, but not to cultivate oneself, is martial accomplishment. The soft Taiji method is the true Taiji method. The ability to teach the art of self-cultivation and self-defense, both cultivation and application, is complete civil and martial Taiji.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-- (translation adapted from Douglas Wile's translation).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is unfortunately rather common in world everywhere to state that &lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;I am not interested in fighting, only health or aerobic exercise&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt; and still claim to be practicing &lt;em&gt;tai-chi&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That all said, it is my experience that Taijiquan can be good for your health. Just as regular jogging and any other form of exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Provided that you practice it regularly and with good measure of concentration, it can be good for your physical and mental health, just as any good regular exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an additional bonus, the underlying principle of Taijiquan - that of applying softness to defeat hardness - can be used not only in the physical interactions, but also in your social and intellectual interactions with the external world, thus greatly increasing your quality of life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only catch is that it will require you to be immersed in the full system of the teaching without limiting yourself just to a subset of exercises of your choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2012-06-05T14:00:55.073" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1059" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1056" CreationDate="2012-06-05T14:41:30.887" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Any cutting or etching of a stick used in vigorous contact with another stick will cause a dramatic increase in the likelihood of splitting and splintering at the location of the etching. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shallower etching is less problematic, but it's still going to be a problem to compromise the integrity of a stick you're going to be hitting with. If it's only for kata it'll be fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-06-05T14:41:30.887" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1060" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1050" CreationDate="2012-06-05T15:43:32.830" Score="8" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;They receive a letter grade for the class. It is participation based, and they have to demonstrate a few basic things at the end of the semester. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have a fundamentally simple solution: &lt;strong&gt;Use positive and negative reinforcement to encourage change&lt;/strong&gt;. When they try, recognize it and encourage them. When they slack, ignore them. At the beginning of class, remind them that their grade is predicated upon their participation in the class – if they fail to participate, they will not pass. This isn't mean, it's fair.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You, though, have to change the way you view your students. Keep your students at arms length until they prove their interest, and then reward them with your attention. &lt;strong&gt;Whatever reason they find themselves in your class, &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt; have the ability to make them seek out your encouragement&lt;/strong&gt;. This is by means of promotion, one-on-one training, or even invitation out to group dinners following a class. Napoleon Bonaparte knew the importance of a &quot;bit of ribbon&quot;, and really this is all to which belts amount. Further, working toward the ends of social cohesion, most with the exception of the most antisocial (sociopathic) will strive toward being part of the social group in an unfamiliar and specialized setting (organic solidarity, Durkheim).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember that you're dealing with late-teens and up; essentially adults (though the younger crowd may still be trapped in the sociopathic tendencies of teenage rebellion). &lt;strong&gt;Show them respect, be friendly, but don't be a friend&lt;/strong&gt; (at least not while you're still grading them). You're not going to engage everyone, but you can use the group dynamic to leverage the outsiders into the fold. Teach those who are willing to learn, and let them pick their own partners. &lt;strong&gt;Do not force the hard working, interested students to include or choose anyone they do not wish to partner with&lt;/strong&gt;, which will further separate the outsiders from the group; they will then either a.) leave, or b.) assimilate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;strong&gt;New Subversion Tactics&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It occurs to me that you have literally no excuse to be anything less than a perfect teacher. When a class is set on a schedule (that is, that it begins at the beginning of a semester, and it ends at the end), you have a finite time to create impact but you also have an audience that is captive to your message for a set period of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ask yourself this: What makes a story work? There are, in every story, three parts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Invitation – The Hero/Heroine is introduced to the idea that everything will change. Dagny loses the railroad, Odysseus meets Athena, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Initiation – The Hero/Heroine is forced out into the world to seek a solution. Who is John Galt?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Return – The Hero/Heroine returns fundamentally changed. Dagny leaves Galt's Gulch to return to the railroad as the government collapses.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We can break up a semester similarly:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Invitation – The student must have a reasonable expectation set out in front of them. The student &lt;strong&gt;is&lt;/strong&gt; going to learn &lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt; and be able to demonstrate a functional capability to defend themselves from XYZ attacks. Failing to demonstrate that capacity is abject failure.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Initiation – The student must be shown that it is possible, and be expected to demonstrate. Those that refuse will be failed. To succeed, they need to know that they are dependent upon your guidance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Return – Final exam time. What they have been taught they must now demonstrate. Much as the hero must succeed to return changed, so too must they succeed to pass the class.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The truth is that you are expecting results; therefore, you must expect them to deliver those results. Show them that you're willing to fail them. Welcome them to the real world where decisions have consequences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I realize now in saying this, however, that your unwillingness to choose an answer exhibits the same attitude that brought you to ask the question in the first place: for whatever reason, you're unwilling to fail these students. You are accepting that your class is a class designed to be an &quot;easy A&quot;. And that's not only disappointing, but shameful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have an ounce of pride and start out the way you mean to go: Invite the students to succeed or fail, and let them know that if they don't want to be there, they are invited to fail or find another class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2013-09-25T14:59:10.127" LastActivityDate="2013-09-25T14:59:10.127" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1061" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="644" CreationDate="2012-06-05T17:10:25.893" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Trying to come up with a checklist of when you should run away is impossible. By myself is one situation, with my 16 year old son another, my girlfriend with bad knees is another, with my 75 year old mom that is out of shape is still another. Then where am I? How many people do I know I'm facing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each situation is unique and has to be approached as such. Also, as stated before, run towards safety, don't run away. Have a goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastActivityDate="2012-06-05T17:10:25.893" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1062" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="948" CreationDate="2012-06-05T17:58:21.607" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would argue that there is no such progression.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While push-hands may look like a &quot;slowed down&quot; version of sanshou, it is an entirely different exercise on its own. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only way to progress to sanshou is to start doing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To elaborate, the practice of &lt;em&gt;sanshou&lt;/em&gt; (or free form sparring if you like) is an integral (albeit rarely practiced) part of &lt;em&gt;taijiquan&lt;/em&gt; as a martial system. It is ultimately, what all the other practices of the system are designed to support.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In order to progress to &lt;em&gt;sanshou&lt;/em&gt;, the practitioner should have at least passing understanding of the core principles of &lt;em&gt;taijiquan&lt;/em&gt; and have some experience in applying those principles. This is actually where &lt;em&gt;push-hands&lt;/em&gt; comes into play.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You use &lt;em&gt;push-hands&lt;/em&gt; practice, to teach how to apply core principles of &lt;em&gt;taijiquan&lt;/em&gt; in a mildly uncooperative confrontational setting. It is not a hard prerequisite to &lt;em&gt;sanshou&lt;/em&gt; however.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Below is my take on the progression to practicing &lt;em&gt;sanshou&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Step 1: Single person drills&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To start with &lt;em&gt;sanshou&lt;/em&gt;, in addition to working on &lt;em&gt;push-hands&lt;/em&gt; you should probably work on your &lt;em&gt;fa jing&lt;/em&gt; (or releasing energy/power). In particular, learning to deliver your punches and kicks, first one at a time then in rapid successions - starting from a static stance and then adding stepping to the mix.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When feeling reasonably comfortable, try adding few more tricks to the game - first try adding some &lt;em&gt;peng&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;lu&lt;/em&gt; for blocks and deflections and then slowly increase your arsenal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take care however not to get too fancy and complex. There is time and place for all the neat applications from the form, but this in not it. Most of the stuff you see in the form is rather advanced in the terms of practical applicability and usually works best if the relative difference in skills is heavily skewed in your favor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At first I would not recommend to start off with hitting punching bags or dummies - learn to release &lt;em&gt;fajing&lt;/em&gt; without using &quot;external&quot; (or muscular) force first and then use punching bags only for checking and improving the structural soundness of your punches and kicks. However, I've found that punching bags are useful for improving your punches, as they offer much needed focusing target and allow you to test the your &lt;em&gt;fajing&lt;/em&gt; without fear of hurting anyone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Step 2: Two person drills&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might want to start working on these at about the same time as you work on your single person drills. Maybe altering between two.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would recommend starting out with relatively structured and well defined sets and slowly progressing to more free-form variants as your skill and confidence improves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Probably the simplest thing to start with would be to try and apply &lt;em&gt;lu&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;peng&lt;/em&gt; against a punch. &lt;em&gt;Lu&lt;/em&gt; (or rollback) works the best against relatively straight punches and &lt;em&gt;peng&lt;/em&gt; would work the best against hooks from outside.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Start out with one and first just learn the body mechanics of these techniques by starting out with low energy punches from one side, increasing the energy and speed of the punches as you progress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind that you are practicing &lt;em&gt;taijiquan&lt;/em&gt;, not brawling, so work hard on applying proper body mechanics and core principles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember the classics &lt;sup&gt;[&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.scheele.org/lee/classics.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/sup&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The &lt;em&gt;jing&lt;/em&gt; [intrinsic strength] should be&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  rooted in the feet,&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  generated from the legs,&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  controlled by the waist, and&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  manifested through the fingers. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That means you should diligently work on using your entire body instead of only hands to deflect or block, which is the most common mistake.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you get hand on the &lt;em&gt;lu&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;peng&lt;/em&gt;, the one who feeds should start varying the right and left punches more often and varying the speed and adding occasional feigns to the mix, to make it more interesting and keep the &lt;em&gt;duifang&lt;/em&gt; alert.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also - at some point you should add stepping. First simple forward and backward half-stepping and then more complex sideways, diagonal and snake-stepping.&#xA;The main thing is - you should keep your drills alive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One good exercise at this point is a variant of &quot;willow bends&quot;, where you essentially just let your &lt;em&gt;duifang&lt;/em&gt; attack you with various punches and your only concern should be to avoid those punches (and/or kicks) by turning your waist and using stepping - keeping yourself &quot;just in range&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Use your imagination, but keep it real. The one that feeds, needs to feed punches and kicks, not caricatures of punches and kicks. They need not be delivered with full force, but they have to target the specific points on &lt;em&gt;duifang&lt;/em&gt;. If &lt;em&gt;duifang&lt;/em&gt; fails to void or block, they must hit the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Step 3: Freeplay&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While at some point the drill may look a lot like freeplay, the important distinction here is that in drills usually there is an asymmetry of initiative, that is designed into the drill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most important thing in freeplay (ie &lt;em&gt;sanshou&lt;/em&gt;) is that both of the duifangs have equal freedom of initiative.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may intentionally limit various aspects of freeplay for the purposes of training. Usually it means limiting the &quot;energy level&quot; or intensity of the play, but sometimes you may also agree to exclude some techniques or distances to make it easier to concentrate on specific areas of your skill set - for example only limiting yourself to punches so that you would not have to think of dealing with feet while you are still struggling to handling the punches. Or disallowing take-downs if the conditions in the practice area make it either dangerous or impractical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Start out with low intensity (10% is good) and work yourself up as you progress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastEditorUserId="424" LastEditDate="2012-06-12T21:56:37.703" LastActivityDate="2012-06-12T21:56:37.703" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1063" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1056" CreationDate="2012-06-05T18:43:43.327" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Simply, yes. You will be reducing the compressive strength of the wood by taking away fibers that would make it more resistive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The integrity loss from engravings could be compensated for by using a slightly thicker piece of wood (the compressive strength then being equal to or greater than the deepest groove – if none were greater than say 1/16&quot;, then adding 1/8&quot; to a 1&quot; diameter bo would give you a 1&quot; core.), or by using a more resilient hardwood (using a 3/4&quot; hanbo of osage orange [horse apple], I have broken 1&quot; white oak hanbo on multiple occasions).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Carving with a knife can have additional consequences. Often, if the wood is too dry, the knife can cause further splitting than intended, and your 1mm cuts will become significantly deeper. For this reason, I find a Dremel to be a superior tool for this sort of work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any engraving should be followed by a full sanding of the wood, then re-oiling the wood with boiled linseed oil to permeate the newly exposed fibers. This will improve the flexibility of the fibers (their ability to bend without tearing) which increases compressive strength. Please note that only &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;boiled&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; linseed oil should be used for this purpose; regular linseed oil will not permeate the wood effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Very Important&lt;/strong&gt;! You're using white wax wood, which is a very flexible wood with medium to long fibers. It takes a beating and compresses nicely. Any engraving will shorten exterior fibers, so good sanding and rounding will prevent splintering. Follow with oil to prevent the bigger threat to your engraved wood staff: Wood Worms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wood worms burrow into wood, eating away at it which compromises core integrity by creating little tunnels. White wax wood is &lt;em&gt;extremely&lt;/em&gt; susceptible to these little pests. Regular oiling and care are a must.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2012-06-06T15:38:32.067" LastActivityDate="2012-06-06T15:38:32.067" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1065" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1056" CreationDate="2012-06-05T20:36:47.540" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wouldnt worry about it too much. Any wooden weapon used in practice where it will be struck by other weapons, will eventually need to be replaced. Some woods will last longer than others. But in the end they all take a beating and will need to be replaced. Will carving it make it more likely to break? Maybe a little. But not nearly as much as bashing it against other sticks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I say go for it!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As has already been pointed out, make sure you sand the finished results well so you don't give yourself, or your partner, splinters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I should add that I tend to carve my initials into the end grain at the butt end of a weapon to mark it as mine. No danger of weakening the weapon there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="443" LastEditorUserId="443" LastEditDate="2012-06-08T09:21:25.980" LastActivityDate="2012-06-08T09:21:25.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1066" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1052" CreationDate="2012-06-05T21:30:50.490" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Difficult question. It depends on your location. Some places have very strict requirements by law. For instance, I believe instructors and even black belts in Singapore need to pass certain courses and be approved by a national agency.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many places don't have such requirements, but quite a few good teachers and students do learn this either by their own accord, or by the recommendation of their school. It is of course always in the best interest for a school that they have good instructors to make good and fit students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At our school, all our instructors get some basic teaching courses. I also know of schools who require more advanced courses, and schools who require nothing at all. Put short, it differs greatly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this is a concern to you, I'd advice asking your prospect school what their goal is, what they require and what their current instructors already can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to keep in mind, is not to stare yourself blind at certifications and ranks. An instructor with lots of fancy stripes on his belts and smart-sounding certifications, doesn't nescesarilly have to be great. On the other hand, an instructor with no certifications, and whom doesn't even hold a high rank, may very well be terrific at what he does.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="30" LastActivityDate="2012-06-05T21:30:50.490" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1067" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1055" CreationDate="2012-06-05T21:38:39.587" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If the wraps are coming off, then maybe you are wrapping the knuckles too much?  Maybe using too many horizontal loops without crossing low to high?  That tends to unravel easily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everybody's hands are different, but I tend to focus more on wrapping the wrist and thumb, which are both vulnerable if you are hitting a heavy bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good tight fist is the best way to support the knuckles, so make sure you don't wrap so tight that you can't make a solid fist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="504" LastActivityDate="2012-06-05T21:38:39.587" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1070" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1052" CreationDate="2012-06-05T22:20:42.233" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've had only one martial arts instructor who was also a certified personal trainer (in the US, through a single certification organization). I would be very surprised if even half of the instructors and assistant instructors in the US were also certified personal trainers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not aware of any federal or state requirements regulating this, but there may well be some.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most martial arts schools focus on their art, not general fitness, too--although some arts focus more on aerobic conditioning/readiness than others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More recently, I believe warm-up routines have become &lt;em&gt;better&lt;/em&gt; as the value of a functional warm-up has become better known and isn't just some mindless stretching or jumping jacks but rather a focused, graduated set of exercises that increases the heart rate, moves all joints through their ranges of motion, and preps the body for real work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2012-06-05T22:20:42.233" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1071" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1056" CreationDate="2012-06-05T22:30:24.263" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've used wood burning tools as a way to mark my rattan, hardwood, and waxwood weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've never seen any negative impact on structural integrity, they stand out great (IMO), and the work can be as simple, complex, or elegant as desired. IMO it's one of the best ways to mark gear, and it can be pretty.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also used tape, but the complexity of a mark that's easy-to-spot, relatively unique, etc. turned into a mathematical problem my tiny brain couldn't comprehend. Using one of those boutique duct tapes is the easiest way around that, but I've had issues with small strips sliding and making sticky weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2012-06-05T22:30:24.263" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1073" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1035" CreationDate="2012-06-06T01:01:54.277" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;All of these sound like &quot;dirty hippy&quot; solutions, but they work well for me!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Epsom Salts - Take a warm bath with 0.5 - 1 cup of Epsom Salts added, soak injured section for as long as possible (may work in a cold bath, just never tried it).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Arnica Cream - Use like &quot;deep heat&quot;, rubbing the cream into the effected area.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cold showers/baths after training/injury. A lot of the pros are doing ice baths now, as it slows damage and aids in recovery (I've personally not been brave enough to try this).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've got an injury to my hand now (low block to a shin) and the Arnica takes the sting from the bruise for half the day per application. Great stuff!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="398" LastActivityDate="2012-06-06T01:01:54.277" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1074" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1050" CreationDate="2012-06-06T01:52:29.113" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I teach Taekwon-do to kids (5-18) and while they all choose to be there, not everyone is fully engaged every day. So while not the issue you are seeing, I have experienced similar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So... with the kids we need to learn the basics while keeping it fun. If I see the class start to wane I throw in an active game (see list of suggestions below). These are full class participation style games and I &quot;encourage&quot; engagement by handing our sit-ups/push-ups/burpies/etc to those who do not &quot;tag&quot; someone else. A number of these games actually work really well in my adult classes as well as they are energetic and fun. &lt;strong&gt;The trick I have found is to playfully pit the students against each other while still maintaining a strong sense of fairness.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing is to allow students to write on a section of the board (or wherever) what activities they would like to do today. Be it drills or games or whatever. This is a good way to see what the students actually enjoy doing (and further helps with engagement). You can further help class engagement by awarding team leaders based on answering questions in class, doing demonstrations in front of class, or whatever you want them to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In class demonstration can also be used to get rowdy students back in line by halting class, having them all sit and bringing the rowdy student in front to demo the activity you were just doing. Have them execute the activity, then ask the class what was good about the demonstration, what they missed and what they can improve. Try not to make any direct comments yourself, let the class do it for you. Then thank the student for the demonstration and ask them to return to their line. If they know they can be called to the front if they screw around to demo the technique, they don't screw around nearly as much!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, I state that I am not the arbiter of arguments. It is up to the students to resolve any issues between themselves during games. If they cannot resolve the issue, then the game is stopped. This alone has solved A LOT of in-class problems when using games (because everyone wants to play). I remind students that are having an argument to use their honor, and that's about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Always show them respect, and &lt;strong&gt;require&lt;/strong&gt; the same from them (but do this via a soft touch, rather then a Cartman-esque &quot;respect my athor-a-tie!&quot;). Don't be afraid to send someone out of class for the day or otherwise make them sit out. Especially for martial arts, they can put themselves or other students in danger if they are not paying attention. But discuss it with them after class or before the next class so they understand why you took the action, and ask them how you can both avoid it in the future.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Here are A LOT of examples of drills/exercises/etc I use in class with both my child (5-18) and adult students...&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;'Round the Circle (Running Laps):&lt;/strong&gt; Generally part of warm-ups, I have my students run a single lap at a time. I first line them up by rank (high to low) and tap them on the shoulder to start running the lap. They can &quot;tag&quot; anyone that started before them, but not anyone who starts behind them. If you get tagged, you stop and do 10 burpies/push-ups/etc, then finish the run. Each person can only be tagged once per lap. The students MUST wait for the shoulder tap. If they do a false start, I have them reset and tell them to be patient (all the while the students they can tag gain ground). I then tap their shoulder and the shoulder of the student behind them in quick succession so they are more likely to be tagged themselves. After the first few rounds, everyone gets that they have to listen to the instructor and follow directions, else they will be screwed over. For the following rounds, I generally have the students who were tagged in the last round placed at the end of the line (so they have more students to tag and less chance to get tagged again). Further, I keep everyone on their toes by switching ends of the line at times (so students who thought they had everyone to tag now have to RUN). It's really funny to see the look on their face when their shoulder gets tapped and they weren't expecting it (but they know the rules, so they haul ass)!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Protect the Top of Your Head / Belt Knot / Feet:&lt;/strong&gt; This exercise is AWESOME and works with all ages. It works well as a 30 second class reset and get's everyone on the move and works well in martial arts as blocks and dodges are employed. The rules are: You have to jump and touch the top of another students head. If you touch, they do 2 push-ups. If you touch but didn't jump, you do 4 push-ups (and they do none). The Belt Knot and Feet versions do not have a jump, but can also involve penalties of different forms. And covering the target is not allowed, and en-cures a 10 push-up penalty. Head and Belt Knot are tagged with hands, (tops of the) Feet are tagged with feet (so everyone ends up looking like a Riverdancer =).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dare Base:&lt;/strong&gt; This is what inspired the running laps game above. You have two teams, each with their own &quot;base&quot;/safe zone. If they are in their safe zone they cannot be tagged. If you get tagged, you are out until the next round. You can only tag students who entered the no-man's-land between the two bases before you (and therefore anyone who enters after you can tag you, but you cannot tag them). The goal is to be the only team left with untagged members. All kinds of strategies start to happen to goad the other team into entering no-man's-land. It's a fairly quick fire game with each round ending in a minute or two. If the games has started to drag on, you can start shrinking the size of the bases to encourage them to take risks.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Grab The Bacon:&lt;/strong&gt; Another favourite of the kids and adults alike. Like Dare Base, there are two teams that start in their respective safe zones. In the middle of no-man's-land is placed an object (the bacon, which can be a whiteboard eraser or a rubber pig like I have, just something about the size of a hand). As the instructor, call out one (or more) names per team for a head to head. They cannot enter no-man's-land until you say &quot;Go!&quot; else they are tagged out (so more listening). At &quot;Go&quot;, the students who's name were called enter no-man's-land. No one can tag anyone else until someone touches the bacon. Once someone has touched the bacon they can be tagged by anyone on the other team. If they are tagged before getting the bacon to their safe zone, they are out. Else if they get the bacon into their safe zone (under control, not throwing it in) then the other person/team is out. After the students get used to this game, they tend to have long stand-offs waiting for the other side to flinch and touch the bacon (or waiting for a clear opening themselves). As the instructor you can help this by moving the bacon around, forcing them to readjust. I also like to kick it around a bit, and if someone get's touched by the bacon when I move it then they are still live (so the students end up backing right away when I come in, which can lead to an opening). It keeps it interesting and helps to shorten each round.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dare Bacon:&lt;/strong&gt; This is a game the kids came up with, and is a mixture of &lt;em&gt;Dare Base&lt;/em&gt; with the bacon from &lt;em&gt;Grab The Bacon&lt;/em&gt; mixed in. The rules are as per &lt;em&gt;Dare Base&lt;/em&gt;, but if a team is able to get the bacon back to their base without getting tagged then their team wins. This is a nice mixture of the two games that speeds up the play and tweaks the strategies a bit.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sharks &amp;amp; Minnows:&lt;/strong&gt; Just like you used to play in the pool (just without the pool). There are two safe zones, with a no-man's-land area in between. Start out with one (or two) Sharks in no-man's-land and all the Minnows in one safe zone. The Minnows have to make it across to the other safe zone by not getting tagged by a Shark. The Shark can tag more than one Minnow, and once a Shark has tagged at least one Minnow they are out. The tagged Minnows become the Sharks for the next round. the goal it to tag more than one Minnow and to end up with everyone as Sharks in the middle. This is a good, fun, rapid-fire game that doesn't have a sense of &quot;losing&quot;. Works on agility and strategic thinking.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1-Step Tips (Simple):&lt;/strong&gt; Everyone disperses around the room. On each count, players are permitted to take one step. If you can reach another person without moving your feet, you can tag them and they freeze. You are only permitted to tag 1 person per move. The goal is to be the last untagged person. There is an issue with this game as since everyone is trying to tag everyone else, there can be debates on who tagged whom first. I avoid this by saying that I will not arbitrate any disagreements, we will simply stop the game.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Team 1-Step Tips:&lt;/strong&gt; Same basic rules as &lt;em&gt;1-Step Tips&lt;/em&gt; with the addition of teams of players (two or more teams). Fellow team members can tag their frozen team mates to unfreeze them. The goal is to be the last team standing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jurassic 1-Step Tips:&lt;/strong&gt; Same basic rules as &lt;em&gt;Team 1-Step Tips&lt;/em&gt; with the addition to rules on how you are allowed to move and tag. There are four teams; T-Rex, Brontosaurus, Velociraptor and Dilophosaurus; each with their own rules. Number per team is roughly 1/4 of the class (with at least 2 Raptors). &lt;strong&gt;T-Rex:&lt;/strong&gt; Are large and move quickly (they can do two steps per count), but they have poor eyesight that is based on movement, so T-Rex's may only tag someone who is moving. &lt;strong&gt;Brontosaurus:&lt;/strong&gt; Are huge and slow (their steps are all heel/toe half steps). They cannot be frozen (tagged) and they can unfreeze any other players. &lt;strong&gt;Velociraptor:&lt;/strong&gt; Are pack hunters, so you have to be tagged by no less than two at a time (so team mates have to work together). &lt;strong&gt;Dilophosaurus:&lt;/strong&gt; Spit to blind their prey from a distance, then move in for the kill. I give these students 50cm/18&quot; long pool noodles we use for blocking drills to extend their tagging reach. I use post-it notes and foldback clips to designate each team (T-Rex's are red/pink, Bronto's are green, etc.) so the student's know who is &quot;attacking&quot; them. The goal is to keep your species alive. The mix of team attributes is excellent in this game! If the student's don't want to &quot;play&quot; they chose to be Bronto's as they don't have to worry about getting tagged and are the &quot;good guys&quot; because they can unfreeze everyone else. Student's love the T-Rex because they get 2 steps rather than one and the Dilopho's because they get extra reach to tag. The only odd one out is the Raptors, but even they are fun as you have to work together with your team mates. The rules to this one are complicated as hell, but after playing it 2-3 times the kids know the rules (it may help that I make them tell me the rules as we are choosing teams). Also, the kids LOVE this one. No team ever seems to win, and everyone is almost always unfrozen, but they absolutely love it. Another nice thing about this game is encouraging class participation throughout class. I put up the team grid on the board, and any student's who answer a question or volunteer get to choose their Dinosaur team. This works on spatial awareness and agility.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Animals:&lt;/strong&gt; This &quot;game&quot; is specifically for younger students as it works on body movements and awareness. The class is moved to one side of the dojang, sitting down on the floor in a line. If you have too many students to move across the hall at one go, you count them off into two (or three) groups. You then ask for animal requests, choosing a student who then relays an animal (frog, cheetah, etc.). If it is an animal that the class has done before, the student then demonstrates the movement while you explain it. Once the demonstration is complete, the class moves across the hall and back in the motion of the animal. If it is a new animal suggestion, discuss it with the class on how that animal moves, and how that should be recreated. then get the student to demonstrate it, followed by the whole class over and back. Now, while called animals, we've expanded it a bit beyond just naimals. Some of the &quot;animals&quot; we use are: &lt;strong&gt;Frog&lt;/strong&gt; high jumps with hands between feet, &lt;strong&gt;Rabbit&lt;/strong&gt; long jumps with hand outside of feet, &lt;strong&gt;Cheetah&lt;/strong&gt; all-fours running in long strides 2 hands, 2 feet, &lt;strong&gt;Elephant (or Bear)&lt;/strong&gt; all-fours walking left side hand+foot followed by right side hand+foot with straight arms/legs, &lt;strong&gt;Speedboat&lt;/strong&gt; Laying on back in sit-up position with hands over crown of the head (as head bumps can happen), use only feet to propel yourself, &lt;strong&gt;Butt Walk&lt;/strong&gt; sitting upright, scoot across the floor using only your glutes and legs to walk across the floor, &lt;strong&gt;Commando Crawl&lt;/strong&gt; like a commando crawling under barbed wire, lay on belly and use arms and legs to crawl, &lt;strong&gt;Inchworm&lt;/strong&gt; like commando crawl, just without any arms, &lt;strong&gt;Duck Walk&lt;/strong&gt; squatting on the ground, walk across the room using only your legs without standing. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few, but you get the idea. the kids are allowed to dictate the exercises to do, as well as make up new ones that the class agrees on. Excellent developmental game!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Roman Chariot:&lt;/strong&gt; This game is better for older students/adults. Pair up students with someone roughly their own height/weight. One student removes their belt, running it around their waist with the ends in the hands of the other student standing behind them. The goal of the student in front it to get to the other side of the room first. The goal of the student holding the belt at the back is to keep them from coming first (but not to stop them completely). Once they get to the other side of the room, the roles are reversed. You do have to be careful with this one, as it's about slowing (but not stopping) your partner.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ball-based Kicking Drills:&lt;/strong&gt; For younger/less advances students, use larger balls while more advanced students get tennis balls. This can be done individually or as partners. The point is to toss the ball in the air and kick it as it falls. the smaller the ball, the more accuracy you need. Due to the partially random movement of the ball, different kicks can be employed based on where it's falling. In addition to tennis balls, bundled rags can be used. Basically the point is not to chase the ball, but to drill kicking accuracy, so the less bouncy the ball the better.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Class Engagement Tricks:&lt;/strong&gt; These &quot;tricks&quot; work best if you do not over use them, and if you switch up the rules/games fairly often to keep the kids on their toes. You also have to be careful as to maintain the sense of fairness. But having said all of that, these strategies can be an excellent way to get the class focused and engaged. I have a number of card games in my pack; Uno, Scrabble (cards with A-Z), traditional (Ace, King, etc.) and Monopoly (which I haven't figured out how to use yet). I also plan to put together cards depicting Taekwon-do techniques (walking stance, mid section punch, etc.) and use these in a game where the first student to collect cards depicting a drill/pattern wins (so they learn theory as well). You keep the stack of cards at the ready, and before you ask a question or request a volunteer, you peal off X-number of cards. You can hand out cards for participation and/or for executing a drill well. You can also have their fellow students hand out cards. After each drill, you give the class 30 seconds to decide who in the line in front of them deserves a card/cards. Uno cards can be useful here as the back line hands out red cards, the middle line hands out blue, etc. (and you as the instructor hand out cards to most junior students). Having the juniors determine if/when their seniors get cards helps instil a sense of leadership to the senior students. I generally keep the rules of how you win a secret through class. Sometimes we play by the rules of the game (highest poker hand wins), or by who has the most cards (this is the least &quot;fair&quot;), or who can spell the longest word, or who has the highest face value (adding up the numbers on the Uno cards), who has the most of one kind of cards (&quot;I have five 2s!&quot;)... pretty much anything you can think of. You can also &quot;sell&quot; candy, or &lt;em&gt;Jurassic 1-Step Tips&lt;/em&gt; positions, or whatever for 1,2,3 cards mid class. If the class doesn't know the rules, they don't know if the card they just got is good, bad or indifferent (or if they should &quot;sell&quot; or not). All of this helps maintain that strong sense of fairness as it's not simply the one with the most cards wins (but you do have to be consistent and not be seen as favouring any students).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stance Spacing Drills:&lt;/strong&gt; In Taekwon-do, our stances are somewhat rigidly defined based on shoulder widths. In order to get students of all ages to be aware when their feet are 1 shoulder width apart (or 1.5) I tape down ribbon on the floor at the prescribed width. I generally setup 2 different tracks on either side of the room and have the students move through them in a circuit. Taekwon-do's L-Stance and Fixed Stance prescribe a gap of 1 inch between the inside of the heels, so for this measurement I have an approx 1-inch wide ribbon with ladybugs on it. I tell the students that their heels have to be touching the ribbon WITHOUT squashing my ladybugs. If they do squash them, they do a push-up (etc.) or don't get a card, etc. This drill has worked really well for my students of all ages to build their &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprioception&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Proprioception&lt;/a&gt; on when they are in the correct stance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, there are a few of my greatest hits you can try in class. I found a few PE teacher websites with some of these games (see: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.gameskidsplay.net/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.gameskidsplay.net/&lt;/a&gt; , &lt;a href=&quot;http://pazz.tripod.com/lesson.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://pazz.tripod.com/lesson.html&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.playkidsgames.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.playkidsgames.com/&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps (and do let me know how these games work on college kids!)!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Almost forgot: &lt;strong&gt;As the instructor, be involved in the games!&lt;/strong&gt; The students LOVE to tag the Black Belt and make them do push-ups! It helps maintain the sense of fairness and you can target the students who are not as engaged. When I step into a game, the intensity instantly goes up for all of the students (as they don't want to be tagged by me as I can &quot;get everyone easily&quot; or &quot;I'm gonna make the black belt do push-ups!&quot;). The troublesome students can get a tiny bit of revenge on you in a non-threating way (and you win as the instructor anyway as they are now engaged in class ;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="398" LastEditorUserId="398" LastEditDate="2012-06-13T03:34:57.917" LastActivityDate="2012-06-13T03:34:57.917" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1077" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1035" CreationDate="2012-06-06T04:43:48.167" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;Icing reduces swelling. That is the only reason to ice as far as I know. Swelling can inhibit the motion of joints and make the injury more painful. It may also take a long time to reduce back to normal levels. Icing is effective up to about 48 hours after the injury occurred. Basically, if it keeps swelling, then icing it will continue to help stop that swelling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Warmth increases blood flow, which is involved with healing. So after the swelling stops being an issue, increasing blood flow will help healing. Exercise also increases blood flow, so that could also be beneficial, so long as you don't worsen the injury in doing so. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: Another way to reduce swelling is to strap the area using sports tape. This literally compresses area so that it cannot swell as much. The strapping can also help in stabilising joints, and I have used this technique with a rolled ankle which swelled a lot. Not too tight though! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="506" LastEditorUserId="506" LastEditDate="2012-06-07T02:36:24.767" LastActivityDate="2012-06-07T02:36:24.767" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1078" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1050" CreationDate="2012-06-06T04:52:52.180" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here are &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-are-the-3-steps-for-getting-people-to-pa&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;3 ways to get people's attention&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Start with what you know&lt;/strong&gt;: Classes start with routine exercises or rituals. The same each week. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Surprise them&lt;/strong&gt;: Teach a new technique, or demonstrate a loud or exciting technique. At my Taekwondo class, a senior might demonstrate a complicated turning kick to the class to get people's attention. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Set up a situation of cognitive dissonance&lt;/strong&gt;: I like to get students to do the exercise where they have to swing their arms in different directions, which confuses them usually. Or ask a question about self defense in a way that introduces cognitive dissonance - &quot;Do we study martial arts to learn to fight, or to learn &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; to fight?&quot; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've used techniques like these in class before to different levels of effectiveness. Hope that helps. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="506" LastActivityDate="2012-06-06T04:52:52.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1079" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="644" CreationDate="2012-06-06T05:06:12.553" Score="25" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sam Harris wrote a good article on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/the-truth-about-violence&quot;&gt;the principles of self defense&lt;/a&gt;. In summary (quotes are from the article linked):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Principle #1: &lt;strong&gt;Avoid dangerous people and dangerous places.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;“What are you looking at, asshole?” &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;“Sorry, man. I was just spacing out. It’s been a long day.” &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;De-escalate and move on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Principle #2: &lt;strong&gt;Do not defend your property.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Whatever your training, you should view any invitation to violence as&#xA;  an opportunity to die—or to be sent to prison for killing another&#xA;  human being. Violence must truly be the last resort. Thus, if someone&#xA;  sticks a gun in your face and demands your wallet, you should hand it&#xA;  over without hesitation—and run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Principle #3: &lt;strong&gt;Respond immediately and escape.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do not waste an instant imagining that you can reason with him.&lt;/strong&gt; Most&#xA;  victims of violence are so terrified of being injured or killed that&#xA;  they will believe any promise a predator makes. It is not difficult to&#xA;  see why.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;However bad your options may appear in the moment, &lt;strong&gt;complying with the&#xA;  demands of a person who is seeking to control your movements is a&#xA;  terrible idea.&lt;/strong&gt; Yes, there are criminals whose only goal is to steal&#xA;  your property. But anyone who attempts to control you—by moving you to&#xA;  another room, putting you in a car, tying you up—probably intends to&#xA;  kill you (or worse). And you must understand in advance that your&#xA;  natural reaction to this situation—to freeze, to comply with&#xA;  instructions—will be the wrong one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I pretty much agree with these principles, and Harris argues well for them in the article linked. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="506" LastActivityDate="2012-06-06T05:06:12.553" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1080" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1021" CreationDate="2012-06-06T05:20:35.937" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recoil&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't leave your left out too long after the kick, you will lose balance and won't be able to put your foot where you want it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Distance&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're too far away to punch, don't punch! Keep kicking if you're too far away, and if you're too far away to kick, don't kick at all. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Footwork&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practice footwork drills. These differ between martial arts, so you probably need to talk to your instructor about how they do it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="506" LastActivityDate="2012-06-06T05:20:35.937" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1082" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-06-06T08:16:55.670" Score="13" ViewCount="5056" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there any official certification system for Judo mats?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What specific characteristics should one be looking for in a Judo mat? Remember the primary purpose of the Judo mat is injury prevention.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assume a hard unsprung floor underneath the mats (eg concrete garage).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please address all of the following factors:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;thickness (I've heard varying advice...anything from 1 inch to 2.5 inches, what's the minimum for injury prevention)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;material type (eva crosslinked foam?)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;material density (different densities affect the impact absorption characteristics)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;longevity (I've heard it said that EVA foams are sacrificial, so that they break down over time and lose their impact absorption qualities)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Extra points for the effects of UV (for outdoor use), on the mat in your answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="373" LastActivityDate="2018-05-22T11:14:15.227" Title="Judo mats: any certification? what characteristics should one look for?" Tags="|equipment|safety|judo|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1083" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1082" CreationDate="2012-06-06T08:42:20.007" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Firstly, there is no minimum for injury prevention - but the thicker the rubber, the better the protection. Too thick and it will feel spongy, so while a thick rubber might be suitable for a martial art that incorporates a lot of throws, you might want a thinner one for disciplines which require jumps and rapid changes of direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The karate and TKD clubs round here all go for the 40mm thickness (about 2 inches), and use EVA high density foam (which will last longer under repeated impacts)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main provider in the UK specifies that their mats pass:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;EN71 (2005) + A6 Part 1 Physical &amp;amp; Mechanical   &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;BS EN71 (2006) +A1 Part 2 Flammability  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;BS EN71 (1995) +A1 +AC1 Part 3 Toxicity  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;and of course Lead Free and  Latex&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm afraid I have no information as to UV protection, and never seen any.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="57" LastActivityDate="2012-06-06T08:42:20.007" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1084" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="968" CreationDate="2012-06-06T11:29:37.197" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;My teacher &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_M._Rodell&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Scott M Rodell&lt;/a&gt; advocates weapons training in addition to zhangzhuang for general conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When using real-weight weapons like wooden (or steel) jian or long spear, they provide the additional weight for a simple yet focused workout as well as great resistance to &quot;push against&quot; when applying &lt;em&gt;fajing&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, it is not unheard of to practice other forms of conditioning to accelerate the improvement of your overall fitness. The only thing to remember here is that these extra conditioning should not work against achieving &lt;em&gt;fangsong&lt;/em&gt; (放松, interpreted as relaxed movement, lit. &quot;let loose&quot;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is mostly the reason why it is sometimes not recommended for beginners to do weight lifting or other similar conditioning exercises as they have not yet learned to recognize the difference between using &lt;em&gt;li&lt;/em&gt; (the external or muscular force) and &lt;em&gt;jing&lt;/em&gt; (the internal strength).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-11T18:33:36.550" LastActivityDate="2012-06-11T18:33:36.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1085" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1050" CreationDate="2012-06-06T18:10:12.753" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You're fighting a lost battle. By the way:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) What I would do is to expect everybody to keep a high rhythm for most of the time (with breaks of course).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Start with a energetic warming (may be running, push ups, shouting, cognitive dissonance (shomenuchi in  different directions depending on your verbal commands) and so on.&#xA;That's something you can do and &lt;strong&gt;expect&lt;/strong&gt; everybody to do. (don't tire them, you're trying to excite them)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then during the lesson, explain the less possible and have them train with the same rhythm. Inciting them verbally to keep the rhythm high is possible but optimal. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you see somebody going too slow, too fast, talking, etc, go to him/her, and have him as uke for 4-5 throws. The purpose is to non verbally impose your rhythm on him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In extreme cases (verbal refusal from a student) have him leave the class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep the technical explaination and all the talking for the end of the lesson, when they start to get tired.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) have them develop one or two specials. That's to say one/two simple (non dangerous) techniques that you'll teach almost every class. Something they can become confident with quickly and that they will be able to do without thinking to much. Have them practice it when they look confused and lost. The goal is to help them find a ludic perspective in the training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastActivityDate="2012-06-06T18:10:12.753" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1086" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1030" CreationDate="2012-06-06T18:12:03.797" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My advice is to keep looking at videos and possibly change teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking is a training per se, in Aikido. (Tada Hiroshi used to teach that, at least: metsuke no keiko)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastEditorUserId="10" LastEditDate="2012-07-02T21:59:05.243" LastActivityDate="2012-07-02T21:59:05.243" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1087" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1097" CreationDate="2012-06-06T18:21:35.287" Score="4" ViewCount="1518" Body="&lt;p&gt;I left my Jo (white oak, 1 inch diameter, 51.5 inch length) leaning in the corner for two years. Now I'm using it again and it is noticably bowed and deformed. While it is straight &quot;enough&quot; to be functional, I don't like it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people have told me if I suspend it between two points and put a weight on it it could in time (weeks) bend it back. Other people have told me they haven't been successful with that method. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any to repair the weapon and make it straight again?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastActivityDate="2012-06-07T16:12:51.220" Title="Any way to repair a Jo that has become warped?" Tags="|aikido|weapons|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1088" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-06-06T18:28:40.677" Score="7" ViewCount="3685" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a follow up to my question on the state of my neglected jo:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/1087&quot;&gt;Any way to repair a Jo that has become warped?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been thinking I don't like my wooden 'Jo's very much. I've broken a couple and  neglected one. I was wondering if anyone has had success using something other than wood. I ordered an aluminum rod which is 51 inches long and 1 inch diameter. It is the correct size, but it is more than double the expected weight of a Jo. It comes to around 4 lbs, where as it would ideally be about 1.6lbs. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Someone suggested a carbon fiber rod to me, but that may be too light, and I'm worried about the thing shattering (I don't know much about carbon fiber). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there an alternative material other than wood that people have found works well for Jo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-11-22T17:54:34.117" Title="Are there good alternatives to wood for weapons?" Tags="|aikido|weapons|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1089" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1087" CreationDate="2012-06-06T22:14:43.407" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;While there are various ways to remediate wooden items in general (hot water, weights, braces, etc.), I don't believe there is a way to properly fix your jo without compromising its strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is most likely either moisture or direct heat and (sun)light that caused the warping - assuming that it really is white oak (and not a similar softer wood just sold as white oak). Personally I would donate it to the dojo for general use and purchase a new one - try and get one that has a cover to keep it in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-06-06T22:14:43.407" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1090" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1088" CreationDate="2012-06-06T23:43:23.577" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Polypropylene works well for shorter stuff, but people complain about longer weapons because of an excess of flexibility (I tend to agree). For example, my &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.coldsteel.com/escrimastick.html&quot;&gt;Cold Steel Escrima Sticks&lt;/a&gt; are pretty great and have held up well, although they've been part-time, and they're short.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They make a number of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.coldsteel.com/bokkens.html&quot;&gt;training swords&lt;/a&gt; with the same material.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure how fiberglass would hold up over time. I have some fiberglass canes and umbrellas that can hold my weight, and have taken some pretty serious smacks, but none of that has been long-term. With an outer protective layer I would think it could be pretty sturdy, depending on how they lay it up, and what the properties of the core material are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm wary of many of the fiberglass bo staffs I've seen, though; they seem more like they've been designed for kata/competition rather than full contact, but I'd be interested in knowing if anyone has had any experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Just&lt;/em&gt; carbon fiber would likely be too light, but you could use a core.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd steer clear of aluminum, personally, if only because IMO it's more likely to cause a training injury should a strike go awry. Probably not enough to make a difference, but a heavy chunk of aluminum will carry a lot more energy, and likely deform less.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastEditorUserId="13" LastEditDate="2012-06-06T23:51:42.380" LastActivityDate="2012-06-06T23:51:42.380" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1091" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1088" CreationDate="2012-06-06T23:48:40.770" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't use any of Cold Steels training weapons for their intended purpose.  I use their bokken as a cutlass by cutting down the handle, and adding a better hilt.  That's about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I highly recommend &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.theknightshop.co.uk/catalog/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The Knight Shop&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.woodenswords.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=1837&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Purple Heart's&lt;/a&gt; trainers.  While they both have mostly WMA stuff, I'm sure if enough EMA folks ask they'll start making katana and other stuff as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="508" LastEditorUserId="508" LastEditDate="2013-11-22T17:54:34.117" LastActivityDate="2013-11-22T17:54:34.117" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1092" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1087" CreationDate="2012-06-07T01:08:39.697" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;While @slugster is most likely correct (though as you're not likely to take it into battle, I don't think it's a huge issue if the integrity is effected slightly), my grandfather used to intentionally warp wood for furniture using a saltwater soak for a number of hours (days?) then placed the wood into a frame for shaping. This may be do-able in the reverse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not know the specifics (nor can I ask as he is no longer with us), but I'm sure you could find info online regarding wood warping for furniture/etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Best of luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="398" LastActivityDate="2012-06-07T01:08:39.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1093" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1088" CreationDate="2012-06-07T01:15:11.840" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Look to other sports where heavy contact is common. I play ice hockey and we have wooden, aluminium and &quot;composite&quot; sticks that handle the punishment of other similar implements slashing and crashing into them (not to mention the odd head or leg strike &gt;=).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course what is actually available on market is another question entirely! Other then the odd warping issue (which you have with your Jo) I've not had an issue with wood myself (though I do love and prefer my aluminium ice hockey shaft, despite the fact that it's sooo 90's).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="398" LastActivityDate="2012-06-07T01:15:11.840" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1094" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1088" CreationDate="2012-06-07T05:41:31.520" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.lrpstore.com/Katana---43/p--923/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;LARP&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.lrpstore.com/Northlands-Staff--60/p--32/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;weapons&lt;/a&gt; would do if you wanted something that could safely hit somebody else.  Note that many of them cannot safely be used for stabbing although some can -- please check before buying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-06-07T05:41:31.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1095" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="466" CreationDate="2012-06-07T08:39:25.910" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree that if there are nice people at a gym, this will motivate you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But you must choose the art based on your personality, I'm sure MMA or BJJ will fit you, based on &quot;I am a huge fan of MMA in general&quot;. If you are a fan of an MMA fighter and you are inspired to become like him I'm sure you will decide very quick. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="500" LastEditorUserId="500" LastEditDate="2016-09-05T07:11:39.460" LastActivityDate="2016-09-05T07:11:39.460" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1096" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1088" CreationDate="2012-06-07T15:55:57.817" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Polyoxymethylene (aka Delrin, acetal, polyacetal, and polyformaldehyde) and other similarly dense thermoplastics can be used for many substitute training weapons including, but not limited to (in my personal experience), bokken, bo, jo, hanbo, training knives, jitte, kunai, and training shuriken (with thin plates). For staves, it's often best to order them pre-cut to size and use a buffing wheel on a rotary tool to round the edges (the friction heats the plastic and creates a melt removing the sharp edges. Alternately, scrap carpet may be used).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aluminum could conceivably be used, though it's recommended that you use a tube rather than a rod to eliminate weight, welding a cap to the end to create the appearance of a rod. Aluminum is flexible and light, and will likely dent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For body contact, we in the Bujinkan often use &lt;em&gt;fukuro hanbo&lt;/em&gt;, which consist of a core – either a bamboo rod or pvc pipe – wrapped with leather and light padding. This tool is dense enough to withstand throws, and gentle enough to do little more damage than a good bruising.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyone who has ever spent any time around boats or surfboards knows to stay away from fiberglass. Exterior layers of the material crack when forced to flex.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, wood is the standard way to go. There's a vast variety, and having a sturdier (more perpindicular-compression resistant) wood than your opponent means your weapon will outlast theirs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-06-07T15:55:57.817" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1097" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1087" CreationDate="2012-06-07T16:12:51.220" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;More often than not, it's not worth the trouble (unless you're sentimental about the staff). A white oak &lt;em&gt;jo&lt;/em&gt; is not terribly expensive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;@Campbeln is right. Here's one way to straighten a warped &lt;em&gt;jo&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you'll need:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Three 1x4s longer than the &lt;em&gt;jo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;One large wooden clamp for every foot of the jo.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Boiled linseed oil&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What to do:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sand the &lt;em&gt;jo&lt;/em&gt;. This will expose the pores of the wood.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fill a basin longer and wider than the &lt;em&gt;jo&lt;/em&gt; with salt water near saturation (this is enough salt that it dilutes in water. Fill the basin up enough to cover the &lt;em&gt;jo&lt;/em&gt;, add salt until it no longer dilutes, then add just enough water to make it dilute)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Place the sanded &lt;em&gt;jo&lt;/em&gt; into the bath overnight. The salt water will permeate the wood quickly and cause it to swell.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Remove the &lt;em&gt;jo&lt;/em&gt; from the water and towel dry.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Place the &lt;em&gt;jo&lt;/em&gt; on a flat surface. Clamp two 1x4s on the sides, and one on top of the &lt;em&gt;jo&lt;/em&gt;. Clamp directly over the ends of the &lt;em&gt;jo&lt;/em&gt; and about every foot in between to give fairly even pressure.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Allow to dry. Depending on the climate, this may take a while (a week or a month in some cases). When the outside of the wood appears dry, move to step 7. Do not attempt to accelerate the drying process unless you have a wood dryer (at which point, why do you need this?).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Remove from clamps and blocks.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Store someplace flat and do not use for about 6 months. This will give it time to dry completely.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Before use, sand again and rub with boiled linseed oil.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So now that you've seen you're about to invest either some serious money or ridiculous time into this little misadventure, it might be time to just break down and buy a new &lt;em&gt;jo&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-06-07T16:12:51.220" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1099" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1088" CreationDate="2012-06-07T23:46:44.690" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Should you want to do wood anyway, I recommend &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.crane-mountain.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Crane Mountain&lt;/a&gt;. I love their weapons, and mine have never warped - although I don't leave them leaning for years, either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-06-07T23:46:44.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1104" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1127" CreationDate="2012-06-10T04:02:28.427" Score="9" ViewCount="2171" Body="&lt;p&gt;I need to know the real and original history of Goju-ryu karate. In other words, I need to find why this style of karate was introduced. I am a Goju player, this is what I know:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Goju is specially developed to fight in small places like boats and places with very less space, and it is specially developed for Japanese naval soldiers, thousands/hundreds of years ago. Goju was created because, when a naval fleet is under an attack of enemies, Shotokan karate didn't help them because it uses lot of space. So, Goju was introduced and developed in two versions. One is for places with less space and another one is for normal land fights. They can switch to these versions by changing the main stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have you heard the same or something different? &lt;strong&gt;Is it true that Goju-ryu karate was developed specifically for use by the Japanese navy, hundreds or thousands of years ago, as an alternative to Shotokan karate?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="519" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-09-23T12:17:06.000" LastActivityDate="2021-09-23T12:17:06.000" Title="Was Goju-ryu developed specifically for use by the Japanese navy?" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1105" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1106" CreationDate="2012-06-10T19:01:58.153" Score="12" ViewCount="4988" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the good old days I used to train karate. I would like to come back to martial arts (not necessarily karate) to work on my agility and endurance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two catches:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Now I have a myopia + astigmatism (not so strong, but vision without glasses is blurry).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I can't wear contacts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any hints?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="520" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-06-10T23:58:48.093" LastActivityDate="2015-03-19T12:17:17.053" Title="What glasses can I wear for martial arts training?" Tags="|equipment|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1106" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1105" CreationDate="2012-06-10T19:08:17.137" Score="13" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;For non-contact training, I just wear my glasses.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;For sparring, I take them off &lt;sup&gt;[1]&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;For non-contact stick training, we wear safety goggles, which fit over the top.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;For heavier stick training, I either take them off, or wear prescription sports goggles. They're goofy-looking, but so am I--it's a wash.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;[1]&lt;/sup&gt; In a fight, your glasses &lt;em&gt;will&lt;/em&gt; come off--might as well get used to not having the vision you want. It sounds like my vision is noticeably worse than yours--honestly, my vision isn't the gating issue when I'm getting whupped in class ;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2012-06-10T19:08:17.137" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1107" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="644" CreationDate="2012-06-11T07:57:48.107" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A few good and bad answers here. I completely &lt;strong&gt;disagree&lt;/strong&gt; with the ones saying running is &lt;em&gt;always&lt;/em&gt; the best thing to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Imagine:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;someone attacks you without warning; you're under attack before you can even react.&#xA;--do you run? Once the guy is in-close you would probably better off at least giving yourself some time to run, like punching or creating several feet distance. You could &lt;em&gt;then&lt;/em&gt; run. But maybe it'd be better to make sure he won't come after you, since you've already knocked him off-balance. Maybe in those few seconds you already saw he &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The opponent has a weapon. Even if you are proficient in deflecting knife attacks and disarming, you would do best never ever to try fighting someone with a weapon. One little mistake will leave such a big mess. I'd try to talk them off it carefully and otherwise run.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;As for unarmed opponents you face, when you still have some time to decide what you're gonna do, it's all up to you. If you can estimate how the opponent would fight opposing to how good &lt;strong&gt;you&lt;/strong&gt; think you can fight, you may want to beat him. This might, in some cases, actually be better because turning your back against the opponent is also risky.&#xA;---&lt;strong&gt;Important though!!!&lt;/strong&gt;: A guy without a weapon may &lt;strong&gt;still&lt;/strong&gt; be carrying a weapon, which he might decide to wield when he can't win a fist-to-fist fight!! As for that matter I would give my wallet or run after all.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case I would try to stay calm and act self-secured, instead of showing fear. It might make some of the more miserable/insecure types get more insecure because fear is what they expect from you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, if you do run, it's a good thing to say/yell something totally weird and unexpected. Could be &quot;frying pan on wheels!&quot; because the mugger/asshole/.. will think 'huh?' which may give you an extra half a second for him to react. (don't try &quot;behind you!&quot; :p) A guy I saw on television told that he pulled his own hair one time when being harassed, which made the 'bullies' back off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="478" LastActivityDate="2012-06-11T07:57:48.107" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1108" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="466" CreationDate="2012-06-11T08:17:17.757" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think it's important to know the difference between martial arts and MMA. Even though MMA means 'mixed martial arts', it really just involves the 'martial' part. 'Art' is an exaggerated term, though, in my opinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As Bob Cross said, if you're mostly interested in MMA that might be your best option.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you should surely take into consideration, is/are the reason(s) for your practice. Do you mostly want to train for fun, or do you actually want to learn how to fight effectively? Are you interested in martial arts because of their forms and history, or do you want &lt;em&gt;action&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, every school and teacher is different. Make sure you don't entirely get your idea of a specific martial art because of one school of that martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, as for safety: If you feel boxing is not very safe, then I think MMA is unsafe even moreso. Mainly because in (kick)boxing you have big, soft gloves. I'm not sure though, never done MMA myself, so if I'm wrong anyone; correct me. Also depends on the school and teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;IMHO, most martial arts are more effectively than MMA, although they generally do take some more time to get good fighting skills. MMA is kinda 'brutal' and has very appliance-based training and strength, while martial arts usually concentrate more on techniques and perfecting moves. Again, depends on the school. MMA requires more strength and hard determination, might be better for you if you feel you are the 'warrior' type.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="478" LastActivityDate="2012-06-11T08:17:17.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1109" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1011" CreationDate="2012-06-11T08:27:44.390" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not too fond of this question, you should &lt;strong&gt;never&lt;/strong&gt; want to knock someone out. Not even with boxing gloves. Knocking someone out is always tricky, as a K.O. is a result from brains bouncing back and forth (or extreme pain, but then it'd be rather called 'passing out').&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be especially careful with the temple. It's known to be a good knock-out hitting spot, but hitting someone's temple &lt;strong&gt;can actually kill the person&lt;/strong&gt;. Don't EVER hit it!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a sidenote, this site is about &lt;em&gt;martial arts&lt;/em&gt;. The thing about any martial art, is that it has some thought, philosophy and morals behind it, and one of those morals is that you don't do brutal things like deliberately K.O.'ing someone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="478" LastActivityDate="2012-06-11T08:27:44.390" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1110" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="589" CreationDate="2012-06-11T10:58:14.933" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kalaripayattu is an old martial art. It is said (though we'll probably never really know for sure) that it's (one of) the oldest existing martial art(s). And that Bodhidharma, an Indian pilgrim monk, would have taught the Chinese Shaolin monks some of the early Kalp. moves which evolved into Shaolin Kungfu (which in its turn is said to be the mother of kungfu).&#xA;I believe there isn't any written evidence or clues for the Kalaripayattu part on this though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Discovery Channel had a series called Fight Quest where one episode is about Kalaripayattu. Interesting to watch, and downloads can be easily found for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="478" LastEditorUserId="478" LastEditDate="2013-07-23T20:38:05.100" LastActivityDate="2013-07-23T20:38:05.100" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1111" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="191" CreationDate="2012-06-11T11:46:59.617" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The legend goes that in the 6th century A.D., an Indian monk named Bodidharma came to a Shaolin temple in China where he taught the monks - who were in bad shape and had troubles with raiders sometimes - 'something' (either some martial arts or just excercises to increase fitness, body strength and condition) &gt; which became the foundation of Shaolin kungfu. &gt; It spread to other Shaolin temples and &gt; eventually spread through the whole country. Then it spread to the rest of East-Asia.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe there are some written documents on this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, there is an old martial art in India called Kalaripayattu. Some or most of the Indian practitioners of this style claim this style was what laid the foundation of Shaolin kungfu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess that we'll never be able to be too certain about it though. What's even harder to say, is how much &lt;em&gt;any&lt;/em&gt; living style/martial art is the way it was centuries ago. I personally think that martial arts always keep evolving and changing bit by bit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="478" LastActivityDate="2012-06-11T11:46:59.617" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1112" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="589" CreationDate="2012-06-11T12:01:33.603" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is not a dying art exactly. It is now only priactised only in the state of Kerala in India. Many other arts like Kung Fu have its root from Kalarippayattu. The only thing is that one who wishes to practise it need to find a good master from a reputed institute (Kalari). Also atleast we need to spend a three years to cover the syllabus. There are two styles of Kalarippayattu mainly, one is &quot;Northern Style&quot;(Kadathanaadan) and the next is &quot;Southern Style&quot;. In Kalari only there are treatment for any injuries caused during practice. In other martial arts we cannot cure injuries. In the treatment methods used in a Kalari, there are effective treatment methods and medicines to cure any injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="120" LastActivityDate="2012-06-11T12:01:33.603" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1113" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="191" CreationDate="2012-06-11T14:24:25.227" Score="10" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Wrestling&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As long as there have been people, there has been wrestling. Nearly every culture has some form of it used for contests internal and external to the group. When we talk about old martial arts, we are talking about wrestling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Egypt, the fifteenth tomb of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beni_Hasan&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Beni Hassan&lt;/a&gt; has a large wall depicting wrestling techniques. At this point we're talking about roughly the &lt;strong&gt;19th to 20th century BCE&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uTwJW.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Beni Hasan wrestling&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We have similar evidence of wrestling in older tombs such as &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ioa.leeds.ac.uk/1980s/84085.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Petah Hotep&lt;/a&gt; (aka &lt;a href=&quot;http://wysinger.homestead.com/nubiansport.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ptahhotep&lt;/a&gt;). It is specifically an ancestor of Kirkpinar, Turkish oil wrestling:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The oldest known proof of the existence of oil-wrestling in Ancient Egypt is found in limestone from the tomb of Ptahhoteb near Saqqara from the fifth dynasty (about &lt;strong&gt;2650 BC&lt;/strong&gt;) from the same period as the Chafadji-bronze.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In China specifically, there is some evidence that something related to (but probably very different from) modern &lt;em&gt;shuai jiao&lt;/em&gt; wrestling called &lt;em&gt;jǐao dǐ&lt;/em&gt; (角抵, horn butting) was used in &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuai_Jiao#History&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;2697 BCE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note, however, that defining &quot;still practice&quot; (as well as &quot;Eastern&quot;) is very difficult. People still wrestle using almost certainly the same or very similar techniques as those in ancient China, Nubia, Egypt and Iran. But it is very difficult to establish an unbroken line of teaching the same practice going back even a few hundred years. If that is what one is looking for, the often informal and omnipresent art of wrestling might not satisfy you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-11T15:25:56.287" LastActivityDate="2012-06-11T15:25:56.287" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1114" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-06-11T17:14:23.940" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Questions about self-defense using firearms, fist loads, knives, and other weapons, as well as ritual/historical and competitive practice with weapons, such as archery and with swords.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-12T02:41:08.647" LastActivityDate="2012-06-12T02:41:08.647" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1115" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-06-11T17:14:23.940" Score="0" Body="Questions about self-defense using firearms, fist loads, knives, and other weapons, as well as ritual/historical and competitive practice with weapons, such as archery and with swords." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-12T02:41:09.537" LastActivityDate="2012-06-12T02:41:09.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1116" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-06-11T17:16:16.980" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Use this tag for questions on the proper application of physical movements (&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9540/boxing-right-punch-how-to-improve-shoulders-full-turning&quot;&gt;Boxing, right punch - how to improve shoulders full turning?&lt;/a&gt;), the appropriateness of a move or a set of moves in a specific situation, and how to deal with specific movements (&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8660/how-to-counter-a-powerful-left-roundhouse-kick-from-a-southpaw-in-mt&quot;&gt;How to counter a powerful Left Roundhouse Kick from a Southpaw in MT?&lt;/a&gt;). Questions may also relate to classification of techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Examples of excellent questions/answers that use the &lt;a href=&quot;/questions/tagged/technique&quot; class=&quot;post-tag&quot; title=&quot;show questions tagged &amp;#39;technique&amp;#39;&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;technique&lt;/a&gt; tag:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9632/how-do-you-help-students-empty-their-cup-to-learn-a-new-technique&quot;&gt;How do you help students “empty their cup” to learn a new technique?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9648/what-is-the-difference-between-osoto-otoshi-and-osoto-gari&quot;&gt;What is the difference between Osoto-Otoshi and Osoto-Gari?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-07-04T18:19:49.733" LastActivityDate="2020-07-04T18:19:49.733" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1117" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-06-11T17:16:16.980" Score="0" Body="Use this tag for questions on the proper application of physical movements, the appropriateness of a move or a set of moves in a specific situation, and how to deal with specific movements. Questions may also relate to classification of techniques." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-06-29T16:01:13.727" LastActivityDate="2020-06-29T16:01:13.727" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1118" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-06-11T17:29:15.073" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;How to effectively transmit the martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-11T23:30:35.200" LastActivityDate="2012-06-11T23:30:35.200" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1119" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-06-11T17:29:15.073" Score="0" Body="How to effectively transmit the martial arts." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-11T23:30:37.913" LastActivityDate="2012-06-11T23:30:37.913" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1120" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-06-11T20:35:31.563" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Minimizing or evaluating risk in the practice of martial arts. Includes inherently harmful techniques like strikes to the head, as well as potentially damaging techniques like chokes, and avoiding injuries through proper technique and classroom management.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-11T23:30:28.037" LastActivityDate="2012-06-11T23:30:28.037" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1121" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-06-11T20:35:31.563" Score="0" Body="Minimizing or evaluating risk in the practice of martial arts. Includes inherently harmful techniques like strikes to the head, as well as potentially damaging techniques like chokes, and avoiding injuries through proper technique and classroom management." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-11T23:30:31.063" LastActivityDate="2012-06-11T23:30:31.063" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1122" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="918" CreationDate="2012-06-11T21:17:07.640" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;That's clearly a man that has been practising a lot of martial arts, not just krav maga. There's lots of Brasilian Jujitsu in those videos, as well as typical aikido stuff (especially direct irimis, which are not found in almost every other martial art).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Summing up, it has not to be krav maga just because the video title says so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastActivityDate="2012-06-11T21:17:07.640" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1123" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="918" CreationDate="2012-06-11T21:51:47.330" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are only so many ways the body can be manipulated, off-balanced, locked, thrown, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Put a bunch of students in a room and they'll argue about systemic differences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Put a bunch of masters in a room and they know they're the same (but different).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I see an &lt;em&gt;amazing&lt;/em&gt; number of similarities in seemingly-disparate arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2012-06-11T21:51:47.330" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1124" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-06-12T02:12:15.640" Score="11" ViewCount="6296" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have heard that in China, the emperor's bodyguards used to be Baguazhang practitioners. I do not have source to back this up, but &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baguazhang&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; at least hints at it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Because of his work as a servant in the Imperial Palace he impressed the emperor with his graceful movements and fighting skill, and became an instructor and a bodyguard to the court.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have heard that nowadays, the leader's bodyguards are Bajiquan practitioners. Again, no source to back this up, but &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajiquan&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; hints again:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Li Shuwen's students included Huo Dian Ge 霍殿閣 (bodyguard to Pu Yi, the last Emperor of China), Li Chenwu (bodyguard to Mao Zedong), and Liu Yun Qiao 劉雲樵 (secret agent for the nationalist Kuomintang and instructor of the bodyguards of Chiang Kai Shek)[citation needed]. Baji quan has since acquired a reputation as the &quot;bodyguard style&quot;[citation needed]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you see, it's missing a few key citations. So, can it be said with complete truth that &quot;The bodyguards of the leaders of China used to study baguazhang, and now study bajiquan&quot; ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-06-18T11:48:45.487" LastActivityDate="2017-12-08T11:54:38.890" Title="China leader's bodyguards: From bagua to baji?" Tags="|history|bagua|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1125" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1124" CreationDate="2012-06-12T04:06:13.440" Score="8" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Likelihood of truth&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We're talking about one or two &lt;em&gt;bagua&lt;/em&gt; bodyguards, and then three &lt;em&gt;baji&lt;/em&gt; bodyguards, out of how many--dozens? thousands?--of royal bodyguards during that time. Your sources suggest that the bagua-to-baji idea is at best an oversimplification and probably just a saying unless you find more substantial evidence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, it is an interesting question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;What do we know about the bodyguard business in late Imperial China?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kennedy and Guo, in the excellent &lt;em&gt;Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals: A Historical Survey&lt;/em&gt;, note that bodyguarding was a common way for martial artists to make money. It would be hard to say that they were primarily &lt;em&gt;bagua&lt;/em&gt;-, &lt;em&gt;baji&lt;/em&gt;-, or whatever else practitioners:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;By the mid 1800s, the favored secret weapon of bodyguards was a Colt pistol... The popular image of a Qing dynasty bodyguard is a skilled swordsman using his saber [or &lt;em&gt;bagua&lt;/em&gt; -Dave] to drive off bandits. In reality, he was an intelligent man using his reputation, his connections, and his diplomatic skills to protect his charge, all backed up by a gun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, these guys did know hand-to-hand combat:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The general public associated the martial art of San Wang Pao Chui, The Three Kings Cannon Pounding style, with the Qing-era private security business... Non-Shaolin systems were equally well represented, however--in fact if not in public perception. The internal systems of Xingyi and Bagua were also common systems of choice for men working in private security. It is important to keep in mind that the majority of private security guards spent their martial arts training time with weapons work, just as it was in the military.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, this was the private security business. Also, I still haven't tracked down the (possibly nonexistent or apocryphal) source of your claim, to wit, that bajiquan has acquired a reputation as the Emperor's bodyguards' martial art of choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;em&gt;Bagua&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Baji&lt;/em&gt; Bodyguards&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for &lt;em&gt;bagua&lt;/em&gt; being the style of earlier bodyguards, there seems to be some evidence that &lt;strong&gt;some&lt;/strong&gt; bodyguards did &lt;em&gt;bagua&lt;/em&gt;, but what does that tell us? Passages like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.chinwoo.com.ar/imperial.htm&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; shouldn't be ringing your Interesting Martial Arts History bell, they should be setting off your Chinese Martial Arts Marketing alarm:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Under Grandmaster Chu, Gong Zhong Xiang learned Xingyiquan, Xingyi Bagua, Taiji Splashing Hands, Stationary and Dynamic Push Hands, and both long and short range weapons. Gong was Chu's most devoted and talented student. Chu placed complete trust and confidence in Gong, passing on to him secrets that he imparted on no other student. Master Gong also studied under the King of Chinese Pugilism, Wang Zhang Fei, a student for over 15 years of the legendary Imperial Baguaquan master Gong Bao Tien - a personal bodyguard of the Emperor during the last years of the Qing Dynasty. This Imperial style Bagua was taught exclusively to the Imperial guards. It's superior fighting techniques were a closely guarded secret, never being taught to the public to ensure the safety of the emperor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.baguakungfu.com/history.html&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Yin Fu [of Yin style Bagua] later became the personal bodyguard of Emperor Guang Xu and Empress Dowager, the highest prestige position of its kind in the entire country. Royal merchants along with the imperial court depended on Yin Fu’s Bodyguard Company for protection. Yin Fu taught the complete baguazhang system to Men Baozhen who taught Xie Peiqi, who taught He Jinbao the current grand lineage carrier.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Closely guarded secrets. A special style. The complete system, only available through our school. Taught exclusively. No other student. Secrets. &quot;Xingyi Bagua&quot;. This is hyperbole, not history. Were there bodyguards, perhaps instructors even, who studied &lt;em&gt;bagua&lt;/em&gt;? Of course. Was it the official style? Was it the most common? Was it even a big deal what hand-to-hand martial art they practiced, considering weapons were so much more important? No.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This claim about &lt;em&gt;bajiquan&lt;/em&gt; being the Emperor's bodyguards' style is repeated nearly verbatim to the Wikipedia version across the internet. Let's suppose it's true. Was &lt;em&gt;bagua&lt;/em&gt; or any other style dominant among the Emperor's bodyguards? Do we really think that the modern Chinese version of the secret service would care enough about hand-to-hand combat, or attachment to any style, to pick one single or primary style of kung fu to teach? I see no credible reason to say so yet. So the assertion &quot;Chinese leaders' bodyguards used to study baguazhang, and now study bajiquan&quot; is groundless on both the first and second clause at present.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-18T12:14:47.937" LastActivityDate="2012-06-18T12:14:47.937" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1126" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="816" CreationDate="2012-06-12T06:57:28.827" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Having seen your question in context, I can understand why you've asked it and I believe you're being a thorough practitioner by posing it.  If I may (...well, I'm going to anyway :D ), Have you given thought to how you distribute your weight across your feet while you're standing relaxed?  Also, how would the same question be answered were you sprinting... or for that matter, side-stepping while carrying a heavy bag on a narrow beam?  The point being, weight distribution across the sole of your foot is secondary to the scenario the practitioner is in.  As you'd know, when we're competitively sparring, very little if any heel is ever constantly settled. By contrast, Power breaking will see a completely different set of weight distributions depending on the technique and almost all would involve a solid grounding of the heel even if only 50%.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given you're considering a specific distribution across your foot as opposed to being fluid in your distribution as the need arises I'd argue that for Taekwon-Do, this isn't a concern and in fact I'd consider maintaining a tense calf muscle for the effect may be an unnecessary energy consuming activity if there isn't a specific objective you'd likely achieve or other reason for it.  For examle, say the purposes of retreating in a hurry, this may be an ever so slight advantage for your average ready (L) stance but I'd imagine a Taekwon-Do student would, given the same scenario, near instantly diverge all weight to the ball of the forward foot for maximum effect.  By contrast, maintaining a two-third weighting on the ball would be counter-intuitive for a lunging offensive.  That certainly isn't to say it's wrong because as already mentioned here, different arts will derive value from different specifics for different reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you know, to wholeheartedly weight your heel is to commit structural blasphemy (for giggles, try walking around on your heels for a while...) In Taekwon-Do, it's important for the student to be well balanced and comfortable in his or her stance.  If they believe it involves two-thirds of their weight forward to the ball then so be it, but Don't advise the student so, unless of course you're instructing a Ninjutsu class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;:D&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="521" LastActivityDate="2012-06-12T06:57:28.827" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1127" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1104" CreationDate="2012-06-12T15:42:53.903" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, we must understand what it means to &quot;create&quot; a style: someone learned martial arts from someone else, perhaps several someones, fought a little in competition or in the street, made some changes to what they were taught, and gave it a name. We're not talking about wholesale development of a military training program, enlisting experts from multiple fields for the express purpose of covering certain topics. So right off the bat we should be dubious of claims that &quot;this style was designed to fight on rice paddies&quot; or &quot;this style is for the Navy&quot;. Those are usually just myths.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Chojun Miyagi&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Goju-ryu became goju-ryu when Chojun Miyagi had to register the name of his art with the Dai Nippon Butokukai. Prior to that, it was referred to by the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=197&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;general terms for &lt;em&gt;karate&lt;/em&gt; of the time&lt;/a&gt;, such as as &lt;em&gt;te&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;ti&lt;/em&gt;, or &lt;em&gt;toudi&lt;/em&gt;, or by its &quot;village art&quot; name, Naha-te, after the city of Naha.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Kanryo Higaonna&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Miyagi learned from Higaonna (aka Higashionna), whose teacher is under dispute. Much of the stories we tell about him are oral histories, which is to say, totally made up in some parts. He studied in China as well as in Okinawa, and synthesized aspects of both traditions in what he taught. It is likely that what he learned had some roots in Crane styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Further back&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is total folly to try to determine lineage of goju-ryu further back than Higaonna, that is to say, no one has done so with any degree of certainty or evidence. Considering that he was alive from 1853 to 1916, and that even he didn't call his style goju-ryu, it is totally unfounded to say that goju-ryu is &quot;hundreds&quot; or &quot;thousands&quot; of years old. That is plainly false.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend not listening to &quot;just so&quot; stories about the origins of styles and techniques. &quot;The northern Chinese kick more&quot; and &quot;Naihanchi is for fighting on rice paddies&quot; are after-the-fact rationalizations for the origins of things we simply don't know. If one is looking for truth (as opposed to feeling good due to the camaraderie of hearing dojo myths), it is a much better idea to look at history and research. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think critically: what decade are we talking about, where anyone would seriously care about unarmed hand-to-hand fighting on boats? World War Two, when Shotokan and Goju-ryu were actually recognized styles? In the 1920s, when Funakoshi and Miyagi started teaching? Any intimations of the sort are better chalked up to martial arts politics, where a style is given official designation, used primarily for bragging rights. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Charitable interpretations&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At best, we could say that Goju-ryu might be better suited for close-quarters combat than some other style, such as Shotokan. This could be true. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-01-02T22:18:38.767" LastActivityDate="2013-01-02T22:18:38.767" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1128" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1082" CreationDate="2012-06-12T15:44:06.433" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Thicker doesn't equal better.   It's more about the quality.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo mats need to be different then TKD or Karate or even wrestling mats.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should be looking for mats designed for judo.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dax, Swain, and Zebra are all reputable brands that make excellent tatami.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;things to look for:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;texture on the tatami (should be the rice grain pattern, this is&#xA;ideal for judo as it allows for quick movements, and is best for sliding your feet on)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the material on the bottom (should be some kind of rubberized and textured material that doesn't slide easily, or you will constantlybe&#xA;fixing the mats)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Swain has a 10 year warranty which is pretty impressive.  I know my old judo club had the same mats for the entire time i was a member (well over 10 years) with no issues at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't have any kind of spring in the floor, I would recommend having a layer of cheap puzzle mats or something underneath any mat, just for a little extra.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of people use wrestling mats for judo, but the one big difference in wrestling and judo is foot sweeps, which can be dangerous on wrestling mats because they are softer and you sink into them a bit.  This can lead to a lot of ankle and knee injuries.    So the &quot;harder&quot;  more impact absorbing and less &quot;sinking&quot; judo mats are best. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-06-12T15:44:06.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1129" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1055" CreationDate="2012-06-12T15:51:53.473" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This link shows how I was taught to wrap my hands:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mmafightgearonline.com/Articles.asp?ID=131&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.mmafightgearonline.com/Articles.asp?ID=131&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To prevent link rot here are the steps from it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 1&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Your hand should be held open in a relaxed position, with your fingers&#xA;  spread apart. Begin by placing the hand wrap thumb loop around your&#xA;  thumb and be sure that the 'This Side Down' text on the hand wrap is&#xA;  against your skin. Bring the wrap across the back of your hand and&#xA;  wrap around your wrist 2 or 3 times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Be sure to wrap high enough (2&quot; to 3&quot; up from your wrist joint) on the&#xA;  wrist to maximize support. You want to keep the hand wrap snug&#xA;  throughout this process, but not so tight that it will cut off your&#xA;  circulation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 2&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;From the wrist, bring the wrap across the back of your hand and around&#xA;  your palm, then across the top of your knuckles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 3&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Wrap around the knuckle area 2 to 3 times. From the top of your&#xA;  knuckles, wrap across the back of your hand toward your wrist and&#xA;  around. This will create an 'x' pattern across the back of the hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Repeat the 'x' pattern 2 or 3 times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 4&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Continue around the palm of your hand to the base of your thumb. Wrap&#xA;  completely around your thumb and back toward your wrist on the palm&#xA;  side of your hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It is important to keep the wrap from twisting while wrapping the&#xA;  thumb.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 5&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Continue wrapping around the back of your hand to the thumb and once&#xA;  again wrap around your thumb, this time from the opposite direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 6&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Wrap from the thumb over the back of your hand and around your wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 7&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Continue around your wrist, over the back of your hand and through the&#xA;  space between your pinky and ring fingers. Wrap around your palm back&#xA;  toward your wrist and repeat the steps for each finger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Be sure to keep the wrap as flat as possible and twist free.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 8&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;With the last finger completed, bring the wrap across the palm back&#xA;  toward your wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 9&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Continue wrapping across the back of your hand toward your knuckles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 10&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Wrap once more around the top of the knuckles and across the back of&#xA;  your hand toward your wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 11&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Secure your wrist with the remaining hand wrap. Be sure to wrap it&#xA;  snugly to provide support for your wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 12&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Fasten the Hook &amp;amp; Loop closure and you're done. (IE:velcro)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;If your having trouble with it sliding off, it's likely that it's to&#xA;  loose, of you've finished your wrap in a less then ideal position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-06-13T03:35:30.803" LastActivityDate="2012-06-13T03:35:30.803" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1130" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1105" CreationDate="2012-06-12T17:38:29.967" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would recommend plastic/goggle type glasses with an elastic band around your head. While it's true that glasses will normally come off in any real physical altercation, seeing and understanding the techniques during the hours and hours of practice is more important (IMHO) than your potential discomfort if you have them knocked off. Sport glasses were very good to me while I used them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="522" LastActivityDate="2012-06-12T17:38:29.967" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1131" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1088" CreationDate="2012-06-12T17:41:52.300" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I like Japanese white oak. It's strong and won't splinter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know you don't want to use wood, but how about incorporating care of your equipment into your training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="522" LastActivityDate="2012-06-12T17:41:52.300" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1132" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1050" CreationDate="2012-06-12T17:55:49.063" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do you have any students that you can trust to take a fall? If so, demonstrate with your best uke(s) the more advanced interpretations of techniques (i.e. showing a high fall from shihonage vs. rolling out of that techique) or showing some reversals, might engage some of the students. I think that aikido is harder to grasp as a beginner, particularly one with no previous martial art experience or desire to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="522" LastActivityDate="2012-06-12T17:55:49.063" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1134" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1135" CreationDate="2012-06-13T00:05:03.703" Score="7" ViewCount="813" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are there any secrets that come from the hidden, secret, traditional world of martial arts (you may smile), that could be taken or applied before or after extensive sessions to prevent, lessen or relieve soreness?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm thinking of things like herbal remedies, thinks to drink, eat, or apply on your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that I am not talking about how to relieve pain from multiple-people drills or sparring, but soreness and pains from long, deep stretches, and movements to which the body is not accustomed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am interested in things that help the body recover, essentially: promote blood circulation, energy circulation, muscle relaxation, all that good stuff and more if possible. I don't want painkillers or anti-inflamamtories (they'll hide what my body is telling me) .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-06-28T16:56:57.323" LastActivityDate="2015-07-06T13:47:38.743" Title="What martial arts cultural remedies are there to avoid and relieve soreness?" Tags="|health|injury|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1135" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1134" CreationDate="2012-06-13T06:55:37.653" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since you're basically asking for anecdotes, here's a third hand account of a technique used by a purported 80+ year old Korean war veteran who still runs marathons. &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_bath&quot;&gt;Ice bath&lt;/a&gt;. Yup, after your exercise, you take a bath full of cold icy water. OK, so it's not from martial arts exactly, but it seems sufficiently anecdotal. I think you'll find lots of cultures have used ice baths here and there. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have also personally used &quot;hot/cold&quot; showers when I'm particularly sore from intense exercise. The method is to to turn the hot water off in the shower and try to leave cold water running over you for about 30 seconds, then turn the hot back on. Do this about 3 times. I imagine that this causes less of your blood to be pumped to your extremities during the cold periods, and then the opposite during warm periods, which essentially just helps you get good blood flow all around your body, which helps recovery. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="506" LastActivityDate="2012-06-13T06:55:37.653" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1136" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1082" CreationDate="2012-06-13T14:10:45.707" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Our club uses Zebra mats. They are the best mats I've practiced on. Firm but not hard. They also have a non-skid bottom which work even on a highly polished floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.zebramats.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.zebramats.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We bought ours after a national judo tournament. They supplied the mats and sold them for cheap when finished. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The mats will fade some in sunlight, but I haven't noticed anything else (direct sunlight through the window - not outside). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even after getting soaked a few times (leaky windows and flooding), they still perform well after 10 + years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="522" LastActivityDate="2012-06-13T14:10:45.707" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1137" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="25" CreationDate="2012-06-13T16:27:54.810" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some additional notes/thoughts. Remember it is a single movement. If B makes a turn and blocks that is two movements, step and block is two movements. one movement is all you get.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A won't alter their attack. If punching they will punch till they hit their target and hold it as pulling the punch back is a second movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember to practice to hit, not to miss.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastActivityDate="2012-06-13T16:27:54.810" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1138" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="892" CreationDate="2012-06-14T17:03:06.073" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been in a similar situation for most of my life, very wide feet and orthotics. I train in a school that wears shoes to train, so I've seen a lot of solutions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might try looking at indoor soccer shoes (might work, but not made in my size). I ended up with New Balance walking shoes, which are orthotic friendly and aren't very aggressive in the tread.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It could be that your feet will just get used to it, too. I've trained barefoot as well, and it wasn't a big deal after a while.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="528" LastActivityDate="2012-06-14T17:03:06.073" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1139" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1134" CreationDate="2012-06-14T18:35:14.630" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dit_da_jow&quot;&gt;Dit da jow&lt;/a&gt; is a classic. There are a variety of recipes, each supposedly for a different purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The stuff we use at the school seems pretty good for reducing bruising, and is a mild pain-reliever on par with Arnica Montana (neither is as good as Tylenol, IMO).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen it available from an acupuncturist I tried once, but I didn't get any from her.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="528" LastActivityDate="2012-06-14T18:35:14.630" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1140" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="931" CreationDate="2012-06-15T01:02:16.370" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Someone mentioned Kosotogari. There are three ways it could work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Catch the foot before weight comes onto it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Catch it as he is trying to step back.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use a sharp jerking movement but the leg has to be braced backwards at an angle to the floor.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thought would be Kibisu gaishi - the heel pick as it was formerly done in Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="530" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-06-15T02:54:42.427" LastActivityDate="2012-06-15T02:54:42.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1141" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1134" CreationDate="2012-06-15T03:28:20.200" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most places I've trained have seen bruises and soreness as a badge of honour. Perhaps modern sports medicine would suggest ice, pain killers, and anti-inflamatories, but as I understand it, your question is about traditional techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Conditioning has often been a component where I've trained. Beat on the makiwara until your hands are too tough to hurt. Punch each other in the stomach until you toughen up enough that it doesn't hurt. Do pushups on your knucks until it doesn't hurt. Legs sore after kicking drill? Do more drills tomorrow until it doesn't hurt anymore.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen some people use various herbal ointments to help develop calouses to prevent hurting and to do more damage. But I think that's just a way of speeding up the toughening process.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in the end, most of the &quot;traditional&quot; tecniques I've heard of all centre around toughening up until it just doesn't hurt anymore. Nothing about potions or lotions to prevent you from hurting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="443" LastActivityDate="2012-06-15T03:28:20.200" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1143" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1145" CreationDate="2012-06-15T19:54:54.297" Score="6" ViewCount="473" Body="&lt;p&gt;One problem I've seen in myself and others at various stages of training is a tendency to become fixated on a particular target or technique when fighting. The tendency to focus on only a handful of targets and not to see the whole person.  In my dojang we frequently talk about remembering how both you and your opponent have &quot;two arms and two legs&quot; (and a head, and knees, and elbows…) because there's a tendency to fixate on one thing to the exclusion of everything else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing I'm wonder is if there are good ways to help overcome this through drills or other structured exercises (not sparring).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there good drills out there to train seeing the whole of the opponent and adapting more dynamically to changing circumstances?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-06-16T12:23:16.650" LastActivityDate="2013-11-30T06:05:17.050" Title="How to train to avoid target fixation?" Tags="|drills|awareness|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1144" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1143" CreationDate="2012-06-15T20:28:07.883" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If working with a group you can watch for these patterns and then come up with a scenario where this technique either won't be effective or just flat out won't work. Do the drills slow and give your mind a chance to think at this level. You could also check out Rory Miller's book &quot;Drills&quot; which has some good tips and ideas on thinking outside the box. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/44993&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/44993&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastActivityDate="2012-06-15T20:28:07.883" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1145" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1143" CreationDate="2012-06-16T15:47:43.737" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you are in a kata-based art, practice your least-favorite kata until you start noticing it pop up in your daily life (opening doors a certain way, stepping to dodge someone in a crowded area just like in the kata). You pick your least-favorite because it is most likely to move you out of your comfort zone. Don't force it though. As you practice, let your discomfort flow out of you as you practice. You don't want keep repeating motions while associating it with &quot;this sucks.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Keep drilling the choreographed two-man applications from that kata until you are not thinking much about it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Slow down the sparring to half-speed, full intention. Don't focus on each individual technique. That is, don't let your mind be completely attached to the technique you are doing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learn to become aware of your peripheral awareness. It's from the peripheral that you learn to initiate movement that will break and disrupt whatever pattern you find yourself in.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(Updated): Practice with other people. Sometimes you keep doing the same thing because your partner keeps giving you the same bad habits to exploit. If you really want to shake things up, cultivate friends who practice completely different lineages from other cultures.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(Optional) Probably the most important practice that few people really try: Meditate. Set a timer for 5 minutes and stare at a candle flame or a dot on the wall. You &lt;em&gt;will&lt;/em&gt; feel urges to get up and off the cushion. You &lt;em&gt;will&lt;/em&gt; want to check on the timer. You &lt;em&gt;will&lt;/em&gt; thrash hard to try to avoid meditating. You &lt;em&gt;will&lt;/em&gt; get lost in stories inside your head, forgetting to stay with the dot on te wall. Accept the reality that you are sitting there and allow the urge to pass through you and out of you. Until you have accepted reality, meditating is far more difficult and painful than anything you can ever do in your physical training of martial arts, but no martial artist who has never tried ever believes me. :-) Those thrashing are the root cause for you getting stuck in patterns; when you learn how to confront the things you hide from yourself and accept them, then breaking out of getting stuck in a technique is easy.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastEditorUserId="65" LastEditDate="2012-06-19T05:38:35.343" LastActivityDate="2012-06-19T05:38:35.343" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1146" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1143" CreationDate="2012-06-16T23:42:52.500" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Fixation is a natural part of the way we train new techniques and new forms. When you practice, you say, &quot;Okay, I'm going to work on XYZ kata.&quot; or &quot;I'm going to train ABC technique now.&quot; We then proceed to drill the technique repeatedly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is good training at a very low level, but it's something that needs to be abandoned at a point. In my estimation, this is the point where the student begins dissolving techniques into the handful of principles at the core of any art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the &lt;em&gt;Bujinkan&lt;/em&gt;, if I examine the &lt;em&gt;torite kihon goho&lt;/em&gt; (5 basic techniques in our art), I'm looking at five techniques that deal with locking the body by means of the joints, disrupting the balance, creating exceeding pain, and controlling the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, rather than saying, &quot;I'm going to practice &lt;em&gt;ura gyaku&lt;/em&gt;&quot; which gives me two techniques to practice (right and left), I'll instead say, &quot;I'm going to practice disrupting balance.&quot; Now if I only know the &lt;em&gt;torite kihon goho&lt;/em&gt;, I am practicing 10 techniques (5 techniques, right and left). But these techniques are composed of small pieces, so I skip portions, change movement, and seek to still disrupt balance. Now I'm no longer practicing techniques but principles, and I'm not rooted to any one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So then I'll work under stress; rapid-fire &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; after a few laps around the room to elevate my heart rate. Don't think, but respond and let the attackers attack how they will.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you stop focusing on performing the technique and begin to just move, you'll find 1.) that you know the techniques you've been training and 2.) that you do not need the techniques to be effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-06-16T23:42:52.500" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1147" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-06-18T18:24:06.677" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;How to practice martial arts for well-being, mental and physical fitness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-19T16:27:08.620" LastActivityDate="2012-06-19T16:27:08.620" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1148" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-06-18T18:24:06.677" Score="0" Body="How to practice martial arts for well-being, mental and physical fitness." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-19T16:27:12.180" LastActivityDate="2012-06-19T16:27:12.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1149" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-06-18T20:04:56.773" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Strength training methods, historical and modern. (Strength is the ability to produce force.) Also includes questions about relevance of strength to various techniques and strategies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Distinct from bodybuilding training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-19T16:27:14.207" LastActivityDate="2012-06-19T16:27:14.207" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1150" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-06-18T20:04:56.773" Score="0" Body="Strength training methods, historical and modern. (Strength is the ability to produce force.) Also includes questions about relevance of strength to various techniques and strategies. For applying strength, use the power tag. " OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T21:04:03.097" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T21:04:03.097" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1151" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="595" CreationDate="2012-06-18T20:44:02.513" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Strength and Form, Not Wrist-Specific Strength&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your best bet is improving your overall strength, not your wrist strength specifically. This, along with practicing good form with your punch against resistance, will keep you from bending your wrist. As &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.jimwendler.com/2012/09/lifting-for-sport-great-quote-from-mark-rippetoe/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mark Rippetoe points out&lt;/a&gt;, it is more productive to get &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt; strong, rather than get &lt;em&gt;your wrist&lt;/em&gt; strong:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Strength is the most general adaptation. It is acquired most effectively through exercises that produce the most force against external resistance, and as such is always best trained with five or six basic exercises. The same exercises that are correct for weak football players and lifters are correct for weak volleyball and baseball players, because the best way to get strong will always be the same. Strength is NOT specific, and cannot effectively be acquired through exercises that mimic sports-specific movements, because these movements lack the potential to produce as much force as general barbell exercises, and therefore lack the capacity to make weak athletes as strong as barbell training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Focusing on wrist strength alone will lead you to do physical therapy or bodybuilding-style isolation workouts. You'll get just as much wrist strength by doing whole-body strengthening exercises, with the added benefit of being stronger all over. Wrist rollers, wrist curls, and other hyper-specific work is best left to the injured, or those who are strong but have a specific deficiency. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That doesn't mean you can't get yourself stronger alongside some punching-specific work. How?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;How&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hit things&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;em&gt;Bag work&lt;/em&gt;, as suggested by many others, is a great suggestion. Keep it light and short as you start, and gradually ramp up the intensity over several weeks. Focus on maintaining good form with a straight wrist. Historical implements like the Okinawan &lt;em&gt;makiwara&lt;/em&gt; or the Chinese wall-sandbag are useful too, though they omit the (enormously helpful) element of simultaneously training your footwork. Hitting something reinforces proper mechanics while at the same time making denser bones and stronger soft tissues.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lift&lt;/strong&gt;. If you want stronger wrists, I imagine that &lt;em&gt;push-ups, pull-ups, and presses&lt;/em&gt; should be central in your lifting program. Normal push-ups are okay at first, but clapping or knuckle push-ups are superior and should be switched to as soon as possible. Pull-ups, particularly on a thick bar, rope, or towel will strengthen your forearms (as well as most of the rest of you) and thereby help you maintain wrist position as you punch. Adding weight will be another great help, so overhead presses, performed with lots of weight for low reps, will train your ability to keep the wrist straight under heavy loads. Those will work with kettlebells, dumbbells, or barbells (in decreasing order of my opinion of each tool's wrist-strength specificity).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-09-27T17:03:04.780" LastActivityDate="2012-09-27T17:03:04.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1153" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1154" CreationDate="2012-06-19T01:29:52.410" Score="4" ViewCount="11815" Body="&lt;p&gt;Obviously, the WaveMaster series of standing bags from Century will never be as stable as a ceiling mounted heavy bag with a floor anchor.  However, for many home gyms, the WaveMaster 2XL is a wonderful compromise for those trying to train at home. That said, they do tend to be overly mobile and prone to tip over.  So in short, what are the most effective techniques for stabilizing a WaveMaster 2XL standing bag?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JMyn9.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;WaveMaster 2XL&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastActivityDate="2019-04-23T14:56:16.407" Title="What is the most effective way to stabilize a WaveMaster 2XL?" Tags="|equipment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1154" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1153" CreationDate="2012-06-19T01:56:58.620" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;We have a few training tools like these at my school where you have to fill the base up with something to weigh it down. One of the items we have is filled with water, but is smaller than  the equipment you've described. Water, which has a density of 1 g/cm&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;, keeps our equipment weighed down enough that the base doesn't move when you hit the target (which is on a spring). The downside is that water can leak out of it if you're not careful with it or if the container wears out, breaks, or is shoddy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the other larger items we have, similar to the item described in your question, is filled with regular playground sand. It holds down our item pretty well and is sufficient enough that even really hard hits will not knock the thing over (even though it may move back a few inches). It does take some heft to push it around the room if you want to move it, but it works well enough for our purposes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another option is concrete which has a density of 2.3 g/cm&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; (give or take, I've found various references citing different values depending on the type of concrete) which is great than water's density. I haven't had experience with filling these types of equipment with concrete, but I do recall from my childhood that the concrete will expand and warp the shape of its container. My dad filled buckets with it for various purposes (which my 10-year-old self thought was heavy to pick up).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideally, you should have some method to measure how forceful the hits will be to the training tool to calculate which material is best based on the density and the weight given the volume. It depends on who is hitting the bag and that person's strength. At our school, we have lots of youths who can't move the bag no matter how hard they hit. Some of the adults though can keep moving the bad slowly over time with enough forceful hits. Moving it back isn't too huge an issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-08-06T12:12:44.280" LastActivityDate="2012-08-06T12:12:44.280" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1155" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-06-19T17:26:07.943" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kickboxing is an umbrella term for all stand-up striking martial arts that allow both punching and kicking. It includes Muay Thai; Dutch, Japanese, and American Kickboxing; Full-contact Karate; Taekwondo; Sanda; and Shoot boxing. Use this tag for questions about striking, combinations, defense, rules, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See Wikipedia: &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kickboxing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kickboxing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-06-25T23:01:27.563" LastActivityDate="2020-06-25T23:01:27.563" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1156" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-06-19T17:26:07.943" Score="0" Body="Kickboxing is an umbrella term for all stand-up striking martial arts that allow both punching and kicking. It includes Muay Thai; Dutch, Japanese, and American Kickboxing; Full-contact Karate; Taekwondo; Sanda; and Shoot boxing. Use this tag for questions about striking, combinations, defense, rules, etc. &#xD;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-06-25T23:01:16.347" LastActivityDate="2020-06-25T23:01:16.347" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1157" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1143" CreationDate="2012-06-20T16:40:14.513" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;One class of drills that worked well for me in karate, as well as my very short time training MMA, was changing the phase or range of the fight. So we'd drill, in isolation:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Closing the distance on kickers&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shooting a takedown on punchers&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Standing up instead of going for a sweep or submission from the guard&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Maintaining distance against someone who wants to clinch&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being able to change the terrain of the fight from long-range to short-, from striking to the clinch, and from the clinch to the ground (and all the permutations in between) encourages fighters to take advantage of alternative possibilities instead of getting stuck brawling or brute-force-wrestling in the position they're in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Disclaimer: I can't say that I really achieved proficiency with any of these; really, I was only exposed to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-06-20T16:40:14.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1159" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-06-21T00:49:55.823" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-06-21T00:49:55.823" LastActivityDate="2012-06-21T00:49:55.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1160" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-06-21T00:49:55.823" Score="0" Body="Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art mostly known for its acrobatic movements and musical accompaniment." OwnerUserId="541" LastEditorUserId="541" LastEditDate="2012-06-21T07:46:29.990" LastActivityDate="2012-06-21T07:46:29.990" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1161" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1143" CreationDate="2012-06-21T01:06:05.977" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have completed the following drills before sparring. I can say that they work very well to put you in a more creative mode of thought. Repeat these drills before sparring. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Take a partner and a tennis ball (or anything you can throw to the other person). Face each other at a distance of about 1 metre. The first person throws the ball and calls &quot;left&quot; or &quot;right&quot; just before they throw it. The other person must catch the ball with their left hand or right hand, whichever side is called out by the other person, then return the ball and repeat. Continue for about 1. Swap roles and repeat. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Repeat the exercise as above, except this time, when you catch the ball, you must throw the ball back with the opposite hand you caught it with. Continue for about 1 minute and make sure you both have a go at catching. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Repeat as above, except this time when you catch the ball, you must do a 360 degree spin in the direction of the hand you caught the ball with, while still swapping hands before you throw the ball back. Again, 1 minute each. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Repeat the above, but this time whoever is catching the ball must count backwards from 10, out loud, while they do all the other things as well. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you make a mistake during the exercises above, like catching the ball with the wrong hand, take a moment to turn away from your partner, regain focus and then return and continue with the exercise. Do the drills in order, and follow each drill with the next one after a short break. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These drills are based on &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programming&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;NLP&lt;/a&gt; principles. My understanding is that they overload your conscious mind, and active your unconscious mind and put you into a &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_state&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;flow state&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can say this technique worked well for me and for everyone in my class. It improved focus, creativity, enjoyment and overall performance during the training session immediately after doing the drills. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately I don't know very much about NLP so I can't really say much more. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How does this answer your question? Well, when we are thinking too much during sparring, our reactions are too slow. By being &quot;in the zone,&quot; that is, in a flow state, you will react more quickly. This is part of the problem I think you're describing. That is, thinking too much and therefore reacting too slowly, which cuts down how many options you have and decreases your awareness. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In combination with improving your flow during sparring, learning new techniques will increase the overall repertoire available to you during sparring. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="506" LastEditorUserId="506" LastEditDate="2012-06-21T01:12:10.073" LastActivityDate="2012-06-21T01:12:10.073" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1162" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-06-21T03:09:37.543" Score="5" ViewCount="395" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a berimbau verga that has cracked at the top. I've tried to glue or tape it it back together but the wood keeps cracking apart where the leather is nailed in. Does anyone have any suggestions for repair?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="541" LastEditorUserId="541" LastEditDate="2012-06-21T19:22:37.710" LastActivityDate="2012-06-21T19:22:37.710" Title="How do I fix a broken berimbau?" Tags="|equipment|capoeira|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1163" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="25" CreationDate="2012-06-21T06:06:28.620" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was at Rory Miller's seminar. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4019031432527&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Here is a short video of this exercise&lt;/a&gt;. This is a group version of the drill, but we spent hours doing the couples versions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found this drill to be amazing. I'm a (novice) student of Ninjutsu, and I've never being able to apply locks in a Randori. Moreover, I've never seen locks applied by anyone else - The Randori always appear to be Karate hits and kicks or Judo throws, but never locks. This time, because everything was in slow motion, I was able to understand where, when and how its possible to apply locks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, the concept of this drill was hard to grasp even during the seminar and one of my partners, for example, accused me of &quot;stealing turns&quot;. However, to my current understanding (and what follows is my own interpretation, which might be incorrect), this is a little similar to Capoeira dance in that the aim is not to win but to &quot;dance&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means that when A does her motion she keeps doing it and does not change what she has began based on B's reaction. So A starts with Action1A, B reacts with Action1B as soon as he wishes but - in slow motion. After A completes as much of Action1A as she may, she starts Action2A, B reacts slowly with Action2B and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This would appear to be a continuous sequence of A attacking and B defending and this exactly is one of the points of this drill, because it forces B to think about how he can at the same time defend, move and/or attack. Everything that's done in one turn is counted as one, so B can block with one hand and at the same time slide out of touch. Or, at the same time - kick. Which will force A now to evade the kick and, if she can do it at the same time, block or attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember - the goal here is not to win. The goals as I see it is:&#xA;1. Get into the habit of working concurrently. &#xA;2. Recognize opportunities and opening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;HTH&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="173" LastActivityDate="2012-06-21T06:06:28.620" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1164" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1162" CreationDate="2012-06-21T10:39:12.470" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The pressure that is generated from the string (Arame) is high and constant thats why your tip keeps cracking, If the broken piece is not too big I would suggest to get rid of it and try to make a new tip. The sound won't be the same (it will be a bit higher) but it's a solution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="542" LastActivityDate="2012-06-21T10:39:12.470" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1165" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1193" CreationDate="2012-06-21T11:02:13.750" Score="6" ViewCount="7648" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am looking for an online store (preferably) or a store with a physical location in northern New Jersey (if possible, otherwise central works too) that sells either tatami or beach mats (they can be combined to get a similar feel to tatami) for cheap, for the purpose of tameshigiri (cutting) practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A friend of mine can buy two beach mats for $6 (no shipping costs). Most people who do cutting say that two beach mats roughly match one tatami -- so that's the kind of price range we're looking at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2018-05-27T12:43:29.210" LastActivityDate="2018-05-27T12:43:29.210" Title="Looking for cheap cutting material for tameshigiri practice" Tags="|recommendation|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1166" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2256" CreationDate="2012-06-21T13:27:58.763" Score="12" ViewCount="4343" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am 6 foot 2 inches and weigh about 90Kg - I find it very difficult during randori to get a full turn in for (for example) O Goshi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My instructors are always telling me that I need to get lower and bend my knees more - but I find this very difficult, especially when my legs are tired from a long class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should I be doing squats (or something similar?) to help my endurance with bent legs?  Or is it more likely that my technique isn't correct and therefore I'm using more energy than I should be?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="539" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-22T14:36:29.963" LastActivityDate="2013-10-09T15:35:01.923" Title="What can I do to improve my squat for judo throws during randori?" Tags="|training|judo|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1168" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1124" CreationDate="2012-06-21T14:44:01.227" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is back-up for the Wikipedia entries on Baji in the book &lt;em&gt;Lone Sword Against the Cold Cold Sky&lt;/em&gt; by Adam Hsu, page 249:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In the area of private security, Baji people also have an outstanding reputation. [...] The person widely recognized, form the turn of the century to this day, as the strongest of China's Baji masters was the legendary Li Shu Wen. [...] And three of his outstanding students trained the bodyguards  for three of the most important political leaders in modern Chinese history: Hou Dian Ge followed Henry Pu Yi, the last emperor of the Qing dynasty, until the fall of Manchuria. Li Yu Hai protected Chairman Mao Ze Dong and other highest ranked government officials of the communist Chinese government. And Liu Yun Chiao, trusted by President Chiang Kai-Shek, trained his bodyguards and those of the next three presidents of the Republic of China, as well as secret service agents from several other countries such as Singapore and Vietnam.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="235" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-06-21T14:53:21.247" LastActivityDate="2012-06-21T14:53:21.247" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1169" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1166" CreationDate="2012-06-22T13:04:23.453" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would suggest developing slow twitch muscles and flexibility in your legs and lower back.  Your back maybe the thing that is giving way first, without you realising it.  By stretching it correctly, you will increase the range of motion it has.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Slow twitch muscles will allow you to do more for longer -- think climbers.  This will build up your stamina and thus allow you to feel tiered later. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for not doing the technique correctly, that is quiet probable.  Remember there is a difference between &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; (teaching form and principles) and &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; (application).  It takes a long time to get good at &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; then that knowledge can be applied into &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt;.  Go back to your kata and see what is wrong there.  If that's too complex, go back to the basic exercises you do: what can you improve there?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-06-22T13:04:23.453" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1170" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1166" CreationDate="2012-06-22T14:52:01.297" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had this exact problem, at the same point in my progress at judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Things that didn't work for me&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I tried doing &lt;em&gt;uchikomi&lt;/em&gt; slowly and deliberately. This usually ended up with me hunched over in a full squat, unbalanced, unable to stand back up with the throw, without any &lt;em&gt;kuzushi&lt;/em&gt; applied to my &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I tried &lt;em&gt;uchikomi&lt;/em&gt; for speed, whipping into each rep. Doing &lt;em&gt;ogoshi&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;seoinage&lt;/em&gt; fast ended up one of two ways: not bending my knees at all (and thereby ingraining a bad habit), or bending my knees too much and ending up like the slow and deliberate reps (just faster).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I tried doing more reps, not really fast and not really slow. This just made me tired, and increased the number of bad reps I got in. Remember, &quot;practice makes perfect&quot; is a pernicious lie. It's &quot;&lt;em&gt;perfect&lt;/em&gt; practice makes perfect.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I tried doing drop &lt;em&gt;seoinage&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;makikomi&lt;/em&gt; (&quot;wrapping&quot;, falling onto one's partner) variations during randori. This worked...a little...sometimes...against weak players...in &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; but not &lt;em&gt;shiai&lt;/em&gt;. It didn't develop my technique, and was only a temporary poultice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Things that did work for me&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Squats. &lt;strong&gt;Heavy. Barbell. Squats.&lt;/strong&gt; A bunch of other strength work (deadlifts! blessed deadlifts, plus power cleans, and presses and chin-ups) helped as well. &lt;em&gt;After&lt;/em&gt; I was able to squat a barbell weighing as much as I did multiple times for reps, with ease, going back and putting in my &lt;em&gt;uchikomi&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;nagekomi&lt;/em&gt; and moving &lt;em&gt;nagekomi&lt;/em&gt; reps helped tremendously. I still have a long way to go, but the difference was like night and day. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before, it was a question of collapsing in the middle of the throw, or not being able to bend my knees, or being too tired to continue bending my knees after twenty reps. Now, it's a matter of ingraining good reflexes and instincts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Why?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technique requires physicality. Technique can overcome athletic people's attributes, but no technique can be executed without a minimum of strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was weak. Many people who go into martial arts are weak. That's okay. The problem occurs when we tell these people that just training martial arts will fix the issue, that somehow strength will arise naturally, and that technique will always eventually overcome strength. That's certainly true for some people, but it's certainly &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; true for others of us. (Many men who got strong by training hard and frequently during their teenage years say this. They rode the wave of testosterone.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The less genetically blessed need strength- and power-specific training. Barbells are by far the best implement known to man to achieve those two tasks. Bodyweight training, kettlebells, and dumbbells are all great tools too, but the barbell is king for getting stronger and more explosive as fast as possible. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I agree that you need to work on endurance and technique. However, those get plenty of work in class. Strength does not. Furthermore, &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/a/4351/1771&quot;&gt;endurance is dependent on strength&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In the absence of developed strength, strength training always improves work capacity [and endurance -&lt;em&gt;Dave&lt;/em&gt;] by reducing the relative intensity of repetitive tasks. (&lt;a href=&quot;http://startingstrength.com/resources/forum/showthread.php?t=25190&amp;amp;p=291395#post291395&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mark Rippetoe in his Starting Strength forum&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;How&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep doing &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt;, keep going to class frequently, keep developing perfect technique and posture, keep studying timing and &lt;em&gt;kuzushi&lt;/em&gt;. But outside the dojo, get a copy of Rippetoe and Kilgore's &lt;a href=&quot;http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Starting_Strength_Wiki&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Starting Strength&lt;/a&gt;, a barbell, and a squat rack, and start lifting. (The program they recommend--three days a week without other exercise--is not appropriate for you, but the instruction and advice is top-notch.) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Greg Everett's books would also be a good choice; his Olympic Lifting for Sports is probably exactly what you need, but having only read his more general Olympic Lifting for Coaches and Athletes, I can't yet recommend it with full confidence. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://judoforum.com/index.php?/topic/55875-sensible-weight-routine-for-judo/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Gant Grimes' lifting program for &lt;em&gt;judoka&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is based on Rippetoe's, and might be appropriate:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Here is a two-day per week lifting program. If you work hard on this&#xA;  for 6-12 months, you will be stronger than 95% of the people who spout&#xA;  silly things on this forum (the other 5% have already done something&#xA;  similar to this). Notation is sets x reps (3x5 is 3 sets of 5 reps).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A: Power clean 5x2, Squat 3x5, Bench 3x5, Chin 3x10-15&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;B: Power clean 5x2, Squat 3x5 (or front squat 5x3), Press 3x5, Deadlift 1x5&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;You do this. That's it. I'd recommend another day or two of agility work, complexes, and sprints/prowler work, but that's another topic.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;You add a bit of weight to powercleans each week (not every day). It should feel a little lighter on B day. This is practice day.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;You can back squat both days if you want (that's what I recommend starting out). If you feel tweaked, if deadlifting is hard after&#xA;  squatting, or if you just want to front squat, then you can alternate.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;If you can do 3x15 dead hang chins, then you need to add weight to keep the reps between 10 and 15. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;If you have extra time at the end, do farmers walks. Great ROI.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;All work sets sets are &quot;sets across&quot; (same weight for each set). Do 3-4 warmup sets (always start with the empty bar) to get there.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Add ten pounds per week to squat, five pounds per week to your presses, and 5 or fewer pounds per week to power clean.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Once the weights feel heavy the gains slow, work for 3 weeks and deload for 1 week.  E.g. for squats:  week 1 405x5x3 week 2 415x5x3&#xA;  week 3 425x5x3 week 4 225x5x3 (or go play soccer) week 5 435x5x3 (or&#xA;  425x5x3 if you need to) etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;When you record your workouts, it is weight x reps x sets. I'm not sure why this is, but it is.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:46:50.943" LastActivityDate="2012-11-21T16:56:41.797" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1171" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="25" CreationDate="2012-06-22T17:19:46.137" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;As far as turns overlapping, it doesn't matter as much.  The drill eventually gets to a free-flow, but the goal is to move slower than your opponent to force yourself to move (and think) more efficiently.  In other words you can wait until after the opponent lands before initiating your movement.  Does that happen when someone tries to hit you?  Yep, frequently...and in slow motion you can look at how that can be used.  Or you can initiate after the move and intercept.  That happens too.  Neither is wrong, they just work different aspects.  The only wrong is using the flaw-- going faster or taking two moves to your opponent's one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm a big believer that every motion should defend and attack and improve position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="543" LastActivityDate="2012-06-22T17:19:46.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1172" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2012-06-23T07:13:08.833" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;From a street fighter. I'm right-handed, 6'1, and 160 lbs. Like the others I have no scientific facts to support my claims other than experience. In real fights, you are typically (if not the aggressor) in the position of defense; if you survive you win. If you are on the offense, total submission is required to call it victory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It has been my experience that in those situations both hands should be trained; though I hesitate to use that word, since to train unless strict attention is paid to actual scenarios, i.e. sparring, wrestling, and throws done with the view of true combat, they are robotic programs that will crash upon being struck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No one lets you punch them out or throw them around or pummel them without a fight. When you practice keep this in view. Mix up your partners; short, tall, fat, skinny, agile, clumsy. I can't tell you the number of times I've gotten hit by the clumsy guy with no technique rather than the well trained &quot;black belt,&quot; who attacks by rote, with a form or kata, or some predetermined move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That stuff will get you in real trouble if your in an actual life or death situation. Mostly I use south paw though right-handed. This is for the reach (for throws and take downs) but I mix it up and if I'm fighting a lefty I usually adopt the regular stance (left foot forward) to mirror my opponent. This takes some training though as others have mentioned, the main thing is not to be caught in an unfamiliar or compromising position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The mistakes I typically encounter are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Feints that are not followed up by attacks.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Don't waste time on stuff that does not affect your opponent. This also can be a disadvantage since to an experienced fighter the faint can show you a lot about your opponents style and lines of attack so be wary of using it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Trying to land a favorite punch.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Watch the Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield fight for details. So many times I've been in a fight with someone right-handed, 6 foot plus, over 200+ lbs. with loads of upper body strength with a preference for the right cross or right hook, who they'll try and turn every encounter into an opportunity to throw that favored punch. That's an almost guaranteed way to get your hat handed to you. Same goes for combos if you can't throw your right hook without first setting up with the left jab or something else, then you'd better hire a bodyguard. There is no one punch/one kick fits all solution. The best fighters, the ones you really don't want to fight in a dark alley are guys who have no formal training and therefore; they have no hang-ups nor preconceived ideas.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;They get up when you knock them down, and are most often a greater threat than men skilled in one particular set of routines. I'm not knocking any particular martial art. I've sparred with most of them who practiced tai chi, kung fu, krav maga, akido, sebukan to name a few. The best of them, when sparring, almost threw their formal training out the window and hardly a &quot;traditional&quot; punch or kick was thrown.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Always striking.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA; You've seen that guy that gets red in the face lowers his head and charges, or that guy who throws wild haymakers without aim or intent. This is an easy victory to the man who has any street fighting under his belt or judo for that matter. In the first situation, let him come and his momentum will do the rest. You can apply total stoppage to that momentum, as in a knee to the lowered face, or let the momentum continue until they are committed and then side step and throw or take down, etc. If you are not good at your ground game, don't take guys to the ground. Just throw them down and get ready again. It wears down their ego as well as there body.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My final word of caution is don't get cocky. There is no defense against a well timed and properly aimed attack. Be patient but never hesitate. Try to react without thinking but out of instinct. By all means give ground; it is the fool who can't give a yard to take a mile. Unless your back is to the wall, moving backward is just another direction. Though like the feint simply retreating is not going to win anything. I find that if I retreat for the first couple encounters I can get a feel for their rhythm and disrupt it. It's like in music even the rests are counted, and when played properly every note in the song has meaning. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every move your opponent makes reveals more about him. Learning to recognize and counter those movements is the key. For me in my training since my muscles are not for show but for work, I don't go in for fancy or elaborate workout routines. I run every day I can. I chop wood for practicing my aim, especially making kindling. I spar with as many different types of guys as I can. I eat what I call the homeric diet, cut out the bread from your burger and you're close. Avoid being stuck with only one option, this goes back to your question. There are countless situations that could arise wherein your strong hand is out of the picture. What then? I don't care how good you are if your only good with your right hand. You will betray yourself in real combat. Your stance and your moves will indicate to someone like me your favorite hand, and I will break it should the opportunity arise. What then? As a street fighter the only rule I honor is &quot;there is no such thing as a fair fight.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have an advantage take it. If your opponent has a weakness, exploit it. If you only have one option, i.e. your favorite hand, what happens when I break it? You may discover hidden reserves of strength and talent latent in your hitherto unused limb but what do you think the chances are of that happening? Better to train both hands so you'll have something to fall back on. All of which is to say better to have no training than to be a slave to your training. The more you fight or lacking that, spar, the less you do and the more you be? You react less and respond more, you intuit the next move from the one that preceded it. you don't waste time or energy. and formalities disappear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am lucky that I have a twin brother who is left handed where as I am right, so I get a lot of experience fighting lefties. I am good at throws but don't really like the ground too much, where as my brother can fight on the ground like nobody that else I've seen, but he doesn't like the long game. Both of us train our weak arms as much as we train any other part, which is to say that I don't train, I practice, I fight and spar. For out and out beginners I suppose that training in the mirror will improve execution, but against what? When you kick the air it doesn't drop down and smack you in the balls or trip you. How can you be sure that that timing and force were correct?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Still I can count the times that I knocked I guy out with my favored hand on my hands, but I couldn't tell you the number of times my left hand and being proficient with it saved my ass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So yeah train both hands bot not against wood or the air but against a live and reacting opponent. I recommend Bruce Lee's works for further reading especially if you are not at the beginners stage, and fencing and boxing for foot work.       &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="544" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-06-23T13:02:12.687" LastActivityDate="2012-06-23T13:02:12.687" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1173" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1177" CreationDate="2012-06-23T07:21:57.313" Score="8" ViewCount="2179" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/uhmOzhPRxQs&quot;&gt;A video of a road rage fight&lt;/a&gt; shows two people, Mendez and Ramirez, who were arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. The man who was beaten in the video was Jerry Patterson. In a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/21/los-angeles-road-rage-beating-suspects_n_1615058.html&quot;&gt;Huffington Post article&lt;/a&gt; about the incident, Patterson states,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;I made a simple driving mistake and cut them off unintentionally, and&#xA;  it just escalated from there,&quot; Patterson told the television station,&#xA;  &quot;It just spiraled out of control, and I felt I didn't have any choice&#xA;  – either get beat up in my car or get out and fight.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's clear the situation should be avoided, but assume it couldn't be, what would you do in terms of handling such a situation based on your martial arts knowledge? Assume that you cannot run away, call for help, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal conclusions based on this movie, on what I've learnt and of my meager fight experience would be:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Always try to keep one opponent between you and the other guys.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Never kick, for fear of losing your balance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Try to target the alpha guy first.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Try to be really fierce, to be feared. For example, go for the eyes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, what's your take?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="173" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-06-24T03:04:23.287" LastActivityDate="2012-06-28T03:08:46.253" Title="What would you do to handle a road rage fist fight?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1174" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1173" CreationDate="2012-06-23T15:04:13.093" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;He had a choice, he made it by stopping his car, getting out of his car, by allowing his monkey brain to take charge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Talk about some stupid commentary afterwards by the newscasters.... Geez...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Plus didn't Patterson have past issues with road rage/DUI's?  As Marc MacYoung said the number one pre-attack indicator is you being an asshole. I doubt Patterson was totally innocent in this situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what would have done? try not to be an asshole, not stop the car, not get out of the car.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastActivityDate="2012-06-23T15:04:13.093" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1175" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2012-06-23T22:59:36.763" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I try to train my left side only, because it's going to give me an edge if I ever need to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're right handed and you don't train your left side because you think training the right side is enough, try brushing your teeth with your left hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, I don't train for self defense. Hadn't needed to defend myself without a weapon* for forty years, don't expect to need to in the next forty years. I train for the sake of training, and for the occasional Randori. And for those situations I think it's essential to train your weak side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(last weapons used: M203, HAWK anti aircraft missiles platoon :))&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="173" LastActivityDate="2012-06-23T22:59:36.763" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1177" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1173" CreationDate="2012-06-24T01:52:01.547" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;OK, I've just watched the video. This situation was ludicrous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;looking at the body language of the participants as the car approached, this probably could have been defused with a simple apology - there were words being flung but little more than that  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;those two &lt;em&gt;wanted&lt;/em&gt; to fight. They rolled up their sleeves and squared off.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm going to refer to the participants as BG, MG#1 and MG#2 (black guy, mexican guy, etc.). Before I answer, let me state my unequivocal opinion: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;BG is an ass and he escalated that situation, he needs to man up and admit that he made a mistake and that he probably deserved the kicking he got. He should think himself incredibly lucky that none of his opponents produced a weapon. If he came to me to be taught I would turn him away.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To answer the question of &lt;em&gt;&quot;If you were BG, how would you have handled this?&quot;&lt;/em&gt;:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;he had ample opportunity to apologise and walk away. He admits he made the driving mistake, he should have been man enough to say sorry to the other guys   &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;he should never have tried to kick MG#1. His kick were very sloppy and he didn't retract his leg quickly, he left it hanging out there for his opponent to grab  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;once he had MG#1 in a head lock, he suddenly found he had no hands to deal with MG#2 who was simply stepping in to help his mate  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are numerous ways to lock someone up and still remain capable of defending yourself. You can escalate your level of defence as the level of the attack grows - this means if you have multiple attackers you may need to start disabling them one by one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This was a quite expansive and long fight - they had plenty of area to fight in, and it was a clumsy brawl more than a fight. If you are trained you should look to end this as quickly as possible. Your observations about taking out the alpha attacker and keeping someone between you and the other attackers is quite correct. Your observations about never kicking, going for the eyes and being quite fierce are quite incorrect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;being fierce&quot; is only applicable if you are not trained and it is the only weapon you have.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;going for the eyes&quot; (testicles, whatever) is also a bad approach. While it may work, your chances of pulling it off are actually quite slim and you should never concentrate on just the one target or vital point  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kicking is a legitimate way of striking, you simply need to be prepared in case it doesn't work (which is the same for any type of strike you use). The only time you should never kick is if you kick like a retarded monkey, or your opponent is already on the ground and the fight is over.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-06-24T01:52:01.547" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1178" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1030" CreationDate="2012-06-24T10:53:33.623" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My teachers also object to learning from videos, because they say one should learn in class, during training. I, for one, disagree.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think videos can be a great resource because they show you exactly what should be done, not what you remember from what the instructor has said should be done. They allow you to see the details of the movement, and you can use them to extract summaries of the techniques &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="173" LastEditorUserId="173" LastEditDate="2012-06-26T21:51:19.273" LastActivityDate="2012-06-26T21:51:19.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1179" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1173" CreationDate="2012-06-25T02:37:52.727" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Keep driving.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they follow you in their car, drive to the nearest police station. Or your dojo. (True story).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The real answer: meditate daily as part of your martial arts practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastActivityDate="2012-06-25T02:37:52.727" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1180" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2012-06-25T11:18:56.713" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm afraid I can't give either of your desired answers (scientific study or statement from an eminent authority); I think that various answers above have covered those bases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that as I learn Taiji, I have found that when I practice on my non-dominant side it reveals weaknesses in the technique on my dominant side.  Transitions that are easy and natural on my dominant side require thought and effort on my non-dominant side.  That in turn forces me to think about the underlying meaning of the stance and the transition between stances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-06-25T11:18:56.713" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1181" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-06-26T14:32:35.103" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It may not be one single art. Every art is going to have it's strengths and deficiencies. What you probably want to do is outline exactly what it is you feel will enable you to get out of a situation. That may include joint locks, ground fighting, upright striking, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, your personal attitudes and preferences will dictate some of this. You may be much more comfortable using your feet, in which case an art that favors leg techniques (Such as TKD) might be more suitable, or you may like grappling, in which case BJJ, Judo, etc. may be more suitable. Hapkido is a good combination art, but there are dozens around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, when choosing a school, don't be afraid to try several different schools (Even in the same art) for a few weeks before making a choice. You may find that art A taught by instructor A is horrible, but taught by instructor B is something you enjoy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Guns may be good, but unless you carry it in your hand with the safety off, you're vulnerable to anyone within ~ 20 feet of you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-06-26T14:32:35.103" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1182" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-06-26T20:36:26.963" Score="6" ViewCount="1698" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was in sparring class doing a basic drill (switch stance into a rear leg front kick) and blew out my right Achilles with a complete rupture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had surgery to repair it about 4 weeks ago. I am currently on crutches, but I will be walking starting in two weeks, along with physical therapy and other therapy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Has anyone had/recovered from this surgery and still competed? What do you do for preventive measures. Do you tape the area or do something else? If I recall correctly from my school days, I don't think there is a specific Achilles support taping, but I was curious if anyone else had had anything recommended to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-06-27T03:49:05.627" LastActivityDate="2020-12-28T22:11:43.193" Title="Has anyone had/recovered from achilles rupture?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|injury|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1183" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="11" CreationDate="2012-06-26T21:32:37.837" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a couple of benefits of the x-stance (or x-stop as you call it).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Reach. If you are in a middle or front stance and you simply slide forward, your body weight and torso are centered between your feet (Mostly, there is some percentage difference in weight distribution, but for the purposes of this they are equal). Now, your torso is 6&quot; to 1' or more behind the front foot of your stance. Slide your rear foot up into the X stance, and you gain that foot or so of reach.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow up strike. You are pre-tensioning the lateral muscles of your leg for a follow up side kick with your front leg. Because of the angle, your body already wants to release tension and move the front leg forward, so this gives a bit more speed and power to the kick. (And, as mentioned above, you are already much closer and not having to move stances to perform the kick.)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now admittedly, the techniques will be slightly weaker because you aren't coming from a solidly grounded stance, but the reach may or may not make the x stance worth consideration in a particular situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-06-26T21:32:37.837" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1184" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1165" CreationDate="2012-06-27T14:53:32.920" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd go to a place like Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. and see what they have that can be rolled to approximate the thickness/consistency of a tatami. I'm thinking possibly shower pan lining either rolled loosely or with spacers, possibly astroturf, things of that nature.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another possibility (Especially when beginning or doing strict form practice) is to get 1&quot; stryrofoam sheets and tape/glue them together, then cut to size.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-06-27T14:53:32.920" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1185" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1165" CreationDate="2012-06-27T14:57:57.573" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.reddit.com/r/martialarts/comments/vdl58/looking_for_cheap_tatami_beach_mats_for/c53rp3a&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this answer from reddit&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Young bamboo offers somewhat similar resistance to tatami, though it splinters easily if the cut is not right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-06-27T14:57:57.573" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1186" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1165" CreationDate="2012-06-27T15:00:42.030" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.reddit.com/r/martialarts/comments/vdl58/looking_for_cheap_tatami_beach_mats_for/c53r0ik&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this answer from reddit&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nihonzashi.com/tatami.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Nihonzashi&lt;/a&gt; offers fairly cheap tatami and ships per box. One box of 10 sells (as of today) for $4.49, and boxes with more tatami are a little cheaper. The trick is, of course, shipping. If you live near them in St. Petersburg, Florida, you can just go and pick up your order at the store.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-06-27T15:00:42.030" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1187" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1182" CreationDate="2012-06-27T16:57:58.910" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stretching the calves and alternating exercise type from high impact (running) to low impact (walking and swimming) can help prevent them from happening again. Avoid jumping type movements or hill runs. I've known more than one person that has had this injury due to box jump exercises. Slowly ramp up the training intensity during recovery to avoid re-injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Explain to the physical therapist that your exercise goals are around TKD and the type of movements involved. Have them come up with a plan to get you back to doing those activities. Of course they could also tell you &quot;No, you really don't want to be doing those movements anymore).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastActivityDate="2012-06-27T16:57:58.910" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1188" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="33" CreationDate="2012-06-27T20:53:07.743" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a former LAPD police man who went through academy training in the early 70s, I can give testimony about the bar arm control hold and its effects, on other police cadets and myself as well.&#xA; We were taught to know what to do when gaining consciousness, how to identify by hearing, where our main threat was (man with a gun) and how to proceed. Naturally in order to do that, we were choked out no less than 20 times during training. We were trained to use the bar arm control hold, which consisted in turning the adversary around from a frontal position, by keeping our gun leg back, extending our left hand inches beyond his right arm and hitting and pushing his right shoulder hard. Well applied, this maneuver resulted in turning the person around, into the cutting side of our right forearm, while our left hand was locked on to  our right one, applying force to the subject's neck pressing him aginst our chest. Ounce that maneuver was done, his arched body was taken down hard to the ground by retrieving our left leg.If the choke hold was well applied, he was supposed to be out by the time he hit the floor.&#xA;When the choke hold was applied to me by training officers, supposedly experts in martial art, it was not painful at all. It was swift and quick, because the martial arts expert, maintained at all times the pressure on the neck and of course there was no resistance from the me, since this was just a demonstration.&#xA;The problem started when the choke hold was applied by trainee to trainee in an effort to get it right. In my class, at least two persons were taken out of the field by ambulance, and one was never seen again.&#xA;In my case, weeks after wrestling classmates ussually 40 to 60 pounds heavier than me, and being choked out almost daily, or even choking out some classmate, I started to have migraines, vertigo, pain and stiffness of neck and other symptoms. I reported all these to my superiors at the academy, but complaining about pain was not part of the job description, so I went on to graduate and stayed on the job for about 7 years.&#xA;Eventually I was given a stress IOD type pension. &#xA;An evaluation by a Neurologist was performed a couple of years ago, and subsequent testing (brain and cervical MRIs and xrays) revealed significant and important lesions from c3 to c7. These lesions are congruent with a great amount of pressure applied to my neck. They are degenarative, and may be the cause of headaches, sleep paralysis, and a whole series of symptoms, that are often confused with stress and other psychological ailments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To conclude this commentary, let me just emphasize that choke holds applied by martial arts experts may result and minimal to no permanent lesions, but the barm arm control hold, or the caratoid version, use in law enforcement by officers, even when it is well intended to just control and avoid lethal force, is not being applied by experts, nor to persons that may tap out, which may lead to: death...permanent neurological injury to brain and back to the suspect, it may also be the cause of lesions to back and knees of the officer, because if it happens in the field, the patient is taken down hard to the ground and the officer absorbs the impact falling hard on his knees, not on a training padded surface or grass, but ussually on a concrete paved street.&#xA;I respectully advised retired or active officers to consider my experience and seek profesional neurological evaluation when faced with headaches, tingling sensation of back of head, hands and feet, pain on back of legs, unsteady gait, urinary incontinence of any type, pain in lower back that extends to gluteus, even lose of sexual drive. In my humble opinion any officer who went through the barm arm experience and lost of consciousness at the academy, should have a neurological evaluation and testing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same advice goes to any person, whom might have been choked out, lost consciousness and is know exprience some of this symptoms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks for your patience and tolerance&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;E.R. Jimenez&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="554" LastActivityDate="2012-06-27T20:53:07.743" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1189" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1173" CreationDate="2012-06-28T03:08:46.253" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;How to handle a &quot;road rage fist fight&quot; ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't get in one. Keep driving. Here you clearly have a choice - you're in a moving vehicle. None of that &quot;sucker-punched from behind in a bar while telling my friends a joke&quot;. You have no reason to actually get involved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-06-28T03:08:46.253" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1190" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="869" CreationDate="2012-06-28T04:55:05.837" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just a small note: I am not a fan of using wrist and ankle weights when training in martial arts for a couple of reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It places a large amount of weight out at the ends of long levers (arms/legs), which makes it really easy to hyperextend the joints when doing any kind of technique at speed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Contrary to popular belief, training with a heavy object can actually slow down the speed later. There was a study in the early 90's with baseball, swinging a heavier bat than your actual batting bat in the on deck circle produced slightly slower swing speeds.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Balance and timing will be thrown off. You'll be used to balancing to counter act the weight, and adjusting your techniques for the weight, and then it will be off a bit when the weights come off.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more you can reduce the amount of thought in your sparring, the faster you will be. Practice, practice and more practice. Try goofy things, weird combo's, have fun with it. Your offense will get better, but there's also nothing that says striking from a defensive counter isn't just as effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-06-28T04:55:05.837" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1192" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1134" CreationDate="2012-06-29T14:38:50.083" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This might be in a similar vein to the Dit da jow mentioned by &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1139/46&quot;&gt;GraduateOfAcmeU&lt;/a&gt;, I have heard that &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_balm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tiger Balm&lt;/a&gt; works wonders and have used it from time to time myself as well. In general its one of those remedies that tends to work best on some things, but not on others. For example, the Arnica montana gels seem to work to help bruises heal a bit faster, but the Tiger Balm seems to work best for general soreness. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you pay attention to the ingredients you will notice that a lot of the traditional remedies tend to have some of the same ingredients as modern remedies such as &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IcyHot&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Icy Hot&lt;/a&gt; so even some of the modern remedies arguably have a long history behind them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="46" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-06-29T15:25:37.903" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1193" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1165" CreationDate="2012-06-29T16:04:05.980" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a number of decent options I've used in the past... Keep in mind that I do use a genuine stand, but as for materials, these are reasonable facsimiles:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tatami Omote&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – The real deal. I've got a supplier here in Orange, CA at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tameshigirimats.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.tameshigirimats.com/&lt;/a&gt; that sells them rolled for $7.95 each (minimum 5, sold in lots of 5), or unrolled for $5.95 each (minimum 5, sold in lots of 5). They also offer them in bales of 30, for as low as $3.65 each. I've never used &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nihonzashi.com/tatami.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;nihonzashi&lt;/a&gt; but I've had great luck with tameshigirimats and avoided shipping based on being able to pick up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Woven Beach Mats&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – Walmart (or similar) puts &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B000ZOR3FG&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;woven beach mats (similar to this)&lt;/a&gt; on clearance at the end of each summer. These things cost them about $0.15/each, they sell for about $10/each during the season, and go on clearance for about $0.99 each. Cut the fabric off the ends (it's synthetic and doesn't cut cleanly), and roll.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pool Noodles&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – If you're just looking to measure the cleanness of your cuts and your aim, pool noodles are great. Dollar Tree &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dollartree.com/Wham-O-Round-Foam-Water-Noodles-49-/p308025/index.pro&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;sells them for a dollar a piece if you order 32&lt;/a&gt;. These are great – if you aren't cutting properly, they'll flop about. If you are, you'll slice clean through. Similar and cheaper is buying bulk &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&amp;amp;langId=-1&amp;amp;catalogId=10053&amp;amp;productId=203357675&amp;amp;R=203357675&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;pipe insulation&lt;/a&gt; – cut to length and seal around a stand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One tip: local instructors know local suppliers. I found tameshigirimats.com by paying attention to a local &lt;em&gt;shihan&lt;/em&gt;. Keep good relationships with others in your area, and chat them up about their suppliers. It's good business for both of you, especially if you name drop to the vendor (Small vendors often like to deal with a  handshake – being able to create a connection gets you better supplies; keep in mind, however, that you have to treat them well going forward or it reflects on both of you).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-06-29T16:04:05.980" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1194" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="33" CreationDate="2012-06-29T17:58:44.140" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The distinction between &quot;blood choke&quot; and &quot;air choke&quot; does not make sense from a medical point of view, especially when unconsciousness is involved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any form of unconsciousness is perilous (in a sense of &quot;possibly lethal&quot;). You are entirely right about feeling scared, unconsciousness is scary. The body loses its adverse-effects reflexes, which can easily result in death by aspiration/asphyxia even on an entirely healthy person. Also, secondary effects (e.g. circulatory or neurological ones) which you may or may not notice and which you may or may not be able to handle can join in at any time.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Certainly, not everybody who goes unconscious for a moment dies, but it's something you cannot safely assert at that moment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hyperextension of the neck as learned as one of the basic measures in every first aid course is helpful in such a situation, it literally saves lives. It's the first thing you want to do when someone doesn't come back within a few seconds.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Since you said you wouldn't have known what to do, this is a valuable thing to look into.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for which is more dangerous, &quot;blood&quot; or &quot;air&quot; choke, both are -- also in absence of unconsciousness -- equally dangerous insofar as both can easily cause severe side effects and death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It doesn't take much to break the thyroid cartilage, and if that happens, you're in trouble (or rather, for the time being the other person is, you'll be in trouble when the police arrives).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also doesn't take much on some people to stimulate the vagus nerve so they develop a sudden bradycardia with extreme hypotension. This is very individual, and you only know when it's too late. Extreme hypotension can, even when people tell you &quot;of course I'm alright&quot; a few minutes later, result in organ failure (usually the kidney) up to 48 hours later.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Also, a &quot;blood choke&quot; results not only in oxygen depletion, but also in a sudden change of blood pressure in the brain. Most martial artists should hopefully be healthy people, but you never know -- there are young and apparently healthy people with aneurysms, too. When you find out, it's too late.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, all in all, choke with care, be responsible and stop early before someone goes unconscious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="559" LastActivityDate="2012-06-29T17:58:44.140" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1195" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1009" CreationDate="2012-07-01T21:36:21.357" Score="-4" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Root/Structure/Base/Balance/Posture&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Root&quot; is the word used in Anglophone taiji to refer to what is called &quot;base&quot; or a combination of balance and posture in other grappling arts. Likewise, &quot;to uproot&quot; is precisely similar to &quot;to off-balance&quot; such as in wrestling, or &quot;to apply &lt;em&gt;kuzushi&lt;/em&gt;&quot; as in judo. Uprooting is disrupting the opponent's structure and stance. An uprooted person is unable to stage attacks since they are out of position: their power generation platform is in disarray. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=64212&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;As one taiji exponent puts it&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Any claim that &lt;em&gt;taiji&lt;/em&gt; is more mechanically sensitive than, say, Greco[-Roman wrestling] is -- IMO -- silly. The way of talking about it is very different, but the actual ideas about balance, base, &amp;amp;c, are ultimately the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;[The] systematic description of leveraged pushing and pulling (&lt;em&gt;lu&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;an&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;ji&lt;/em&gt;, &amp;amp;c) is just another way of teaching grip and &lt;em&gt;kuzushi&lt;/em&gt;. I honestly don't feel there's anything unique in the techniques themselves, just in the way they're described. This vocabulary is, I think, much of the problem. The Chinese call &quot;base&quot; &quot;root,&quot; &quot;off-balancing&quot; &quot;uprooting,&quot; and so on, which prevents us from having reasonable conversations between disciplines.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This view is echoed in the context of &lt;em&gt;qi&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;jin&lt;/em&gt; by internal martial arts practitioner Mike Sigman, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21957&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;via aikidoka Chris Hein&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;One of the confusing things I used to run into was the number of statements about things that were done in a Chinese martial-art; the impression was &quot;these are the things done uniquely in this art&quot;. It took a while to realize that almost all of the &quot;things that we do in this art&quot; are also pretty commonly the things that are done in all the other arts, although with occasional variations and permutations. Looking into some of the written lore that is sparingly available in Japanese martial-arts, it's pretty clear that the same basic principles are also found in those arts, again with variations, permutations, and different levels of completeness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this reading, uprooting can take many forms. It would therefore qualify as an umbrella term that covers many types of grappling techniques, such as lifting, projecting, and locking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Other definitions&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most &lt;em&gt;taiji&lt;/em&gt; practitioners probably do not mean this when they say &quot;uproot&quot;. I suspect that the large majority of that population are asserting that there is something unique (often mystical) about &quot;uprooting&quot; that is not found in wrestling, judo, or other arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2016-04-14T20:05:36.120" LastActivityDate="2016-04-14T20:05:36.120" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1196" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1134" CreationDate="2012-07-02T16:49:23.577" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Dit da jow is the traditional liniment of Chinese martial arts. Arnica cream is a popular Western herbal analog. More than a few higher-level martial artists lovingly brew or compound their own secret/proprietary recipes for these.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've used both jow and arnica successfully. I've come to suspect that the exact formulation and ingredients of the liniment don't matter nearly so much as the massaging action of application. In this case, any hand lotion or massage oil would do just as / almost as well. But many people swear by specific lotions' perceived analgesic, thermal, or herbal properties, whether of jow and arnica or widely-available brands like Bengay, Icy Hot, Tiger Balm, Mentholatum, and Aspercreme. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Though decidedly &quot;non-cultural,&quot; someone mentioned Tylenol (acetaminophen). While a successful pain-killer, you might do better with ibuprofen, which also has anti-inflamatory properties. Many athletes (martial and non-martial alike) consume 400-600mg post-training or post-performance to combat pain and joint inflammation. In addition to icing and liniments/massage, I've found this very successful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastActivityDate="2012-07-02T16:49:23.577" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1197" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1198" CreationDate="2012-07-03T18:36:19.160" Score="4" ViewCount="2701" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Hapkido we have a variety of striking positions for the foot using a front-kick-like motion.  What we use for a front kick is to point the ball of the foot, curling back the toes, and using the ball of the foot to impact the target (e.g., knee or groin).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other day another student and I were discussing: How does this change when using a boot, particularly one with a plate or a steel toe, since this would both limit the range of movement for the toe and also the optimal striking surface.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The question is: When wearing such footwear, what is the optimal foot position(s) and striking surfaces to avoid damaging yourself while inflicting damage to the enemy, contrasted with what you can do barefoot?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2016-12-21T12:31:53.077" Title="Proper Toe Position for Boots with a Front Kick" Tags="|kicking|shoes|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="0" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1198" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1197" CreationDate="2012-07-03T18:56:55.693" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends on your target area and your intended results.  I use two different types of front kicks, which I refer to as a snap and a thrust. The thrusting front kick is much like a side kick, where you lift your leg and fire the kick straight towards your target area.  The snap kick, on the other hand, is comparable to a round-house kick, focusing more on using the knee as a pivoting point, rather than the knee acting as a piston.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The foot position of a thrust kick, to the knee, perhaps, would be the same with a boot on as it would be barefoot.  You would still lead with the ball of the foot, pulling back the toes (as much as possible with the boot restricting your movement) to get them out of your way. If you have some type of metal plated boot, the striking with the ball of your foot is still likely to include some of the metal plating, but it depends on the boot itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A snap kick, great for targeting the groin, might be more likely to strike more on the toe of the boot, but I would still recommend pulling your toes back, within to boot, to avoid injuring yourself with your own metal plated boots.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, I guess I would keep the foot position the same, or as close as possible, when adding a boot to the situation.  Hopefully this helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="564" LastActivityDate="2012-07-03T18:56:55.693" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1199" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1197" CreationDate="2012-07-03T20:28:53.210" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You need to shift your thinking slightly. When wearing a boot, stop thinking about striking with the toes back, down, etc. You want to focus more on what part of the shoe will be striking for the most effect. Read flody's answer, it's pretty good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other thing to think about is striking for maximum damage. When we practice street sparring, I rarely go for a groin shot. For it to be debilitating, you generally need to strike the area dead on, and most guys are reflexive about avoiding strikes there. A simple hip shift and your target is inaccessible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I much prefer round kicks to the side of the knee, then you can hit it with anything from the knee down and still do some good damage. If you're already to the side, a low side kick/stomp is preferable. Even if you end up striking high on the side of the leg, there's a good chance you'll hit the pressure point there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You also want to consider adapting the strike for the type of footwear. If you are wearing typical running sneakers, they usually have decent padding on the sole, so I'd prefer to strike with the top of the shoe. With boots as you describe, toe to sole would be a preferable striking point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-07-03T20:28:53.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1200" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1197" CreationDate="2012-07-03T22:16:48.083" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Savate trains kicking with shoes with hardened toes, which for the toe part is close enough to a steel toed boot (however I'd be concerned about how a high laced ankle boot would influence mobility and how that would affect the technique - as you mentioned). In Savate, as a result, one of the striking surfaces is the toe. That makes a lot of sense to me, if I were using brass knuckles I'd use a conventional punch over a palm heel strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you spend a lot of time training barefoot though, that could introduce a bad habit that could leave you with a broken toe in training, even though it's a sensible idea while wearing shoes. For that I would lean towards kicking with the heel. The biggest effect on the technique of the boots for that I imagine would be the weight of the boot. Training kicks with heavy duty Muay Thai style shin guards on would likely lead to appropriate adaptations to deal with the added weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-03T22:16:48.083" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1201" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="33" CreationDate="2012-07-03T22:37:59.087" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;On a healthy adult with no pre-existing conditions that could be exacerbated by the choke, it's not dangerous at all. The problem with that is you might only find out there was a condition after the fact. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Choking out your instructor - no big deal, he probably didn't get to where he is with a heart condition, and with his experience the onus to tap is really on him. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Choking out a white belt should be avoided at all costs. If there's a referee who's keeping an eye on things you can off course wait for the ref to stop it or for the tap (when I'm reffing I ask the athletes to keep their eyes open, the moment I see them lose focus, or if their eyes are obscured while in a choke I stop the match). If there's no ref present, you have to moderate yourself. If the tap doesn't come within a few seconds of sinking in the choke, let go. Either the other guy is stubborn and doesn't want to tap (don't let that become your problem by choking him out and finding he's one of the few cases where something bad happens!), or your choke wasn't very good. Either way, let go, move on to something else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-03T22:37:59.087" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1202" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="327" CreationDate="2012-07-03T23:02:48.760" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The site &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.karatebyjesse.com/free-karatebyjesse-ebook-the-matsuyama-theory-feat-sensei-patrick-mccarthy/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.karatebyjesse.com/free-karatebyjesse-ebook-the-matsuyama-theory-feat-sensei-patrick-mccarthy/&lt;/a&gt; is an interesting (cheesy too!) read on the topic. It seems plausible to me, and goes a bit more in depth into the origins of Karate than just &amp;quot;from Okinawa, originally from China&amp;quot; that's usually disseminated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The TL;DR version is that it specifically coalesced in Matsuyama Park where people would practice/fight together. Incidentally, if you were to go there today you wouldn't see anyone practicing Karate, which reflects your experience with Okinawan students not knowing about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That might also be a tendency among martial artists to overemphasise the importance of a particular style in its country of origin. I've talked to some Thai people who were slightly annoyed that some people assumed they knew Muay Thai just because they were from Thailand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2023-07-17T11:39:37.733" LastActivityDate="2023-07-17T11:39:37.733" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1203" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-07-04T08:14:25.600" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &quot;real world&quot; as you might surmise from the &quot;world&quot; part is a big place, and things are quite different in one part of the world from another. There are many different situations which might call for self defense, some of which only affect some people and others which only affect different people. So for the question to really garner a useful answer you have to specify which &quot;real world&quot; situation you are concerned with in particular, and what type of person you are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, I know in Vancouver a number of women who have been mugged, yet have never been hurt as they merely gave up their purse and whatever contents it had. That's getting out of the situation safely, and they didn't need any self defense training to be able to use good sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now in other parts of the world, I understand muggings can be fatal. Simply giving up your posessions will not necessarily keep you safe. So where do you live, how do muggings play out where you live, in your neighbourhood?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some parts of the world you have to worry about car-jackings. That's not a concern where I live, so the extent of my knowledge on that is that apparently in Johannesburg people have flame throwers built into their cars to defend against them! Clearly if you live in Johannesburg, technology is of far greater value to you than any martial art training could be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another situation, while living in a more rural area I had a serious concern about dogs near the suite I was renting. One of them was a Rottweiler, and while it was always on a chain, it would charge at me as I walked past on the road with so much force that when it came to the end of the chain it would swing around. Clearly if the chain broke, or the owners neglected to tie the dog up, I was screwed. I carried an umbrella with me, even on days with clear skies, as I figured it might work as a shield for me. Most importantly though, I moved away as quick as possible. No martial art I'm aware of teaches you how to fend off an attack by a Rottweiler. With trees nearby, assuming I could sprint to them fast enough, callisthenics training in the style of BarStarzz (check them out on YouTube, they're quite inspirational) might have allowed me to get into a high branch quick enough, but again, that's not a skill any martial art would give me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Speaking of running and getting into trees, many martial arts will pay lip service to running, but how many of them even have you do sprints as a warm up, let alone play an important part of the training. You'll have to do Parkour/Free-Running for that. Many martial artists seem far more interested in talking about the importance of running while instead training to stand their ground and fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any local combat sports that are popular? Wrestling is quite common here, so you'd better know how to deal with it. For those who would like to bring up a point that wrestling has rules, I'd like to introduce you to the term &quot;oil check&quot;. For those unfamiliar, it involves jamming a finger into the opponents rectum to have better control of their hips. It's quite illegal in competition, but it still has a name for it. Wrestlers fight dirty, they're also very tough and headstrong. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Has MMA taken off locally? Stephan Kesting in one of his seminars brought up an rather depressing anecdote about a fight between two hobos in which one of them went for a guillotine and pulled guard on the other. Make sure you know how to fight better than someone who has just learned from watching UFC through the window of a bar. I know from experience (being the person doing it) that just knowing the strategy of taking the fight to the ground and going for a choke is enough to defeat a number of martial artists with years of training. That's also why so many TMAists will try to list a bunch of reasons why you don't want to go to the ground in a &quot;real fight&quot;, they're unwilling to admit their style has a huge gaping hole that needs to be filled by BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What's the gun situation like? Are they commonly used in crimes where you are? If so, don't just trust any MA instructor that claims to teach gun disarms. There's a ton of useless stuff out there in the realm of gun disarms. Most of the stuff that is taught will get you shot - whether that gets you killed is a question of luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there wildlife where you are? Bears perhaps? That fish commercial from 10 years aside, no style will teach you to beat a bear. Bears also run incredibly fast, and contrary to popular belief, Grizzlies can climb trees. Not only black bears. Mace can be effective, primarily to dull their sense of smell so they can't track you as you make an expeditious retreat, but what you really want is a treeing dog, so called because it will chase bears into a tree rather than running as fast as it can to bring the bear right back to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're a woman concerned about being raped, hands down BJJ is the best style to practice. No other style comes even close in specificity of skills taught for dealing with a rape situation. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is trying to cover for their own style's inadequacy in this department. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a bouncer I've found wrestling to be by far the most useful. I clinch and talk to the guy until he settles down. It's clear I'm trying to de-escalate, so his friends actually side with me in order to keep anyone from getting hurt. They appreciate it. One guy I had to deal with, whom I handled without throwing a single strike, taking him to the ground or causing any sort of injury actually had my back in a different fight 5 months later, which was quite welcome given we were understaffed. Does the style that teaches real world self defense teach you to consider the aftermath of the fight and use restraint whenever possible, or does it try to work you up into a blind rage where you think every altercation has to be dealt with extreme, psychopathic violence? Other bouncers who rely on boxing instead of wrestling find themselves getting dogpiled once they punch someone. In reality, it's striking that has you dealing with the guy's friends trying to kick you in. So the striking exponent who says you don't want to grapple because of dealing with some guy's friends believes so because of a self-fulfilling prophesy. His approach leads him to having to deal with multiple opponents simultaneously. My approach has my opponent's friends supporting me to de-escalate the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now if there were a culture of saving face, where someone couldn't maintain their honour, or somesuch, by walking away from a fight, then my approach might no longer be reliable. But what I have done is tailor my approach specifically to my environment to give me the best chances taking everything into account. Know your area. Know the people in the area. Know how they'll react in the short term and the long term based the actions you'll consider taking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based on that analysis of your particular situation, determine which styles best suit your situation, and as others have said, which instructor teaches with the best eye to dealing with your situation. And it has to be your situation, an instructor with a fondness for drinking who gets his experience from barfights isn't that great of a source of information for you if you're a sensible person who doesn't drink to excess and get into fights at bars.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-04T08:14:25.600" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1204" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="553" CreationDate="2012-07-04T09:25:14.027" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming no-gi and they're starting with right knee down and left knee up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Plant your left foot on his right hip, it makes it pretty hard for him to get rid of it or pass, and since your foot is on his hip it gives you something to push off of to swivel and get an angle. Your right leg should also be somewhere on his torso, but since it's going to move the specific location doesn't matter quite as much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grab his left ankle with your right hand, and pull. If he's smart he'll bring his knee down to prevent the sweep. This might not work if your partner knows sweeps aren't an option for you, but going against someone who knows your weaknesses is always a bigger challenge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As he brings his knee down, get your right leg past his hip, so you've got one part of the closed guard in place. Get your back at least 45 degrees off the ground, but 90 degrees is better. Get your right arm either with an underhook controlling his back or an overhook controlling his arm (depending on what he's looking for).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your left arm should be ready to deal with his right hand, in particularly in defending the cross face to flatten you out, but if he doesn't go for that you have some control options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If he's not too experienced, his right knee will still be down, and you can easily complete the closed guard from here, particularly if you had to settle for the overhook instead of the underhook.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you got the underhook though, instead of going for closed guard, try to climb up onto his back. More often than not this won't work, but when it does it's pretty awesome. When it doesn't work, he'll be actively going into your closed guard. Since that's your initial goal, that's fine anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If he's a bit more experienced, when he brought his left leg down he lifted his right knee up, but you've still got your left foot firmly on his hip. Your course of action will again depend on whether you got the underhook or the overhook. If it's the underhook, again, try to climb onto his back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you got the overhook instead, swing your left leg around to go for a triangle. If you're good at the triangle you might just attempt to finish here, if you're not so good, you're just threatening it and expecting him to defend it. Since you've got the overhook, a smash pass isn't a good option for him, he'll likely just go for the solid sit up and both arms in defense. As he gets his right arm in, grab his elbow with your left hand and pull towards you. If you're good at armbars, here's a good opportunity to go for one. If not, you're preventing him from planting his forearm in your thigh.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you've got difficulty with the swivel, put your right foot on his left hip to push around and square up while you put your left leg past to get closed guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're wearing gi, I'd assume he's got a solid grip inside both pant legs. In that case his icebreaker shin isn't as much of a problem as his grip is, and breaking that grip would be your priority. He's also quite likely going to be passing, so focusing on sweeping him as he passes, or shoving him through to go to your knees and take his back is more important than trying to reguard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If he's grabbing your waistband, belt or lapels (I'm not sure why, it doesn't work very well) then the no-gi strategy I described above actually still works.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-04T09:25:14.027" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1205" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1211" CreationDate="2012-07-04T09:34:49.260" Score="7" ViewCount="350" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have little hope for an answer, but would like to hear your ideas:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yesterday evening I went visiting my dear old ma. She lives at one of very best neighborhood of Tel-Aviv - Very quiet, very secure. This is my childhood neighborhood, so I know it very well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Around 11 P.M. I decided to take the bus back home. I waited at the bus station, very near my old high-school. There was almost no traffic. It was quite dark as the street light kept turning off and on again. To pass the time I decided I'd train a little in the Alexander technique, and I started practicing the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.alexandertechnique-running.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/monkey-copy1.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;monkey stance&lt;/a&gt;. This makes me look rather peculiar, but there was no one around so I didn't mind. I mention this because for me practicing this technique has almost meditative qualities - it really calms me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was absorbed in my meditation when two teenagers on an electric korkinet passed me by. Out of the blue one of them shouted a curse at me, spat on me, and they sailed away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All this is a preface and setting the scene to what really troubles me: In a blink I straightened, used my &quot;low, manly, aggressive&quot; voice, and shouted an insult at him  describing the sexual practices of his mother. And, on the way home on the bus, though I was shocked by the unexpected and unprecedented aggression, and though I felt soiled by the spit, I really felt good about how manly I reacted. That is - I felt good about it till I calmed down and analyzed my response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, I like to think of myself as a rational guy. Just previous month I've had &lt;a href=&quot;http://chirontraining.com/Site/Seminar_Information.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;a seminar with Rory Miller&lt;/a&gt; about how to deescalate violence and avoid fights. So I'm really disappointed with myself and my reaction: In the first real test - I flunk and respond aggressively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, my question is: &lt;strong&gt;Can you think of any method or training method to try and restrain such automatic aggression reactions?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="173" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-08-02T11:18:56.363" LastActivityDate="2019-01-20T20:50:43.507" Title="Ways for restraining an &quot;automatic aggression response&quot;" Tags="|automatic-response|reaction|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1206" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="465" CreationDate="2012-07-04T09:40:38.017" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This doesn't directly answer your question, but instead of thinking about the missed 4 points, consider the opportunity for a submission. Pick one that you're good at from guard (triangle, guillotine, armbar, kimura, but not americana) and start setting it up before you get rolled. Finish as he comes up on top.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like working one leg high to set up the triangle, but left elbow to his left (or right to right) shoulder to set up the kimura also works nicely for me. Going straight for a one armed guillotine from mount gives you a good opportunity to sink it in tighter as he bridges. For armbar grab his right elbow with your right hand (or left with left), and palm his left ear with your left hand (or right with right) to have the armbar waiting for you on the bottom.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Going for americana from mount is a waste, you're just giving them a free bridge, and odds of finishing it are miniscule. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-04T09:40:38.017" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1207" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="383" CreationDate="2012-07-04T09:56:55.343" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming it's a traditional RNC, locked in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Look at his wrist (obviously not the one that's behind your head), this will bring your neck to his bicep, and you'll have better leverage to pull on his wrist to give yourself a bit more space. Don't look at the elbow and don't try to pull on it, that's an exercise in futility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having given yourself a quick breather, you now need to deal with the hand behind your head. Since he's got both his hands occupied you don't need to worry about a wrist lock so you can afford to reach your hands back where you can't see. Grab his wrist and pull it in front of you where you can see it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go back to pulling on his arm that's across your throat - wrist again, as far from the elbow as you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the same time as you're using your hands fighting his hands, keep working your back to get it to the mat. Once your shoulders are on the mat, the choke threat is gone (unless you're wearing a gi, in which case there's still collar chokes, but you can defend that by grabbing your collar, which also protects you against another RNC attempt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's not fully sunk in yet, then what you're doing is hand fighting. Every time you see his hand cross your field of vision grab it and pull it away or slip your hand in between your neck and his hand and push it away. Make sure you're always keeping your hands where you can see them - if you reach behind then you're at risk of getting wrist locked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While you're doing this kick your feet up and forward, dig your heels into the mat and pull your body forwards. You'll be getting your armpits closer to his thighs, making it much harder for him to get the choke in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this point, same strategy as for the first one, you want to work your shoulders to the mat. Pick a leg of his, put your body weight on it so it's pinned to the mat, and if you have to bridge a bit to get your shoulders on the mat - do so. Once you're there, the threat is gone. But make sure your weight is still on his leg, otherwise he'll very easily take the mount.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From here, thread the needle to get on top in his guard. Threading the needle involves keeping one foot flat on the mat, and lifting the other foot and pushing it through the point between your calf and hamstring. This will naturally make your hips turn, so turn the rest of your body with it. Make sure your arms are t-rexing so you get your palms on his hips as you come up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-04T09:56:55.343" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1208" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="19" CreationDate="2012-07-04T10:03:38.563" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's Morganti Jiu Jitsu that is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu style. It's usually not what is thought of when people say Brazilian Jiu Jitsu though, as Brazilian is a stand in for Gracie because Rorion sued his family members for using the name in the US.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-04T10:03:38.563" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1209" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="860" CreationDate="2012-07-04T10:07:21.930" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can practice doing rear naked chokes on your leg. When you're sitting down bring your knee up. Wrap your arm around your shin as if it were your opponent's throat and squeeze. Do both arms. This will also benefit your guillotine choke and clamping down for solid overhooks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will make you better at finishing the chokes, but unfortunately there's no substitute for a partner when it comes to sinking it in against a resisting opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-04T10:07:21.930" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1210" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1205" CreationDate="2012-07-04T10:10:42.563" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Pick up a competetive* martial art and go into some competitions. It's a great way to get the urge to fight out of your system. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*full contact/full resistance ideally, rather than kata competitions&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-04T10:10:42.563" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1211" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1205" CreationDate="2012-07-04T10:33:00.793" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's absolutely fine and normal to feel agrieved at the insult that was yelled at you. I suspect your disappointment in your reaction is because you realise you were not in control of your action. Expressing doubts about their parentage is fine as long as it isn't a sudden reflexive action, effectively you are lashing out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where you &quot;failed&quot; was you didn't recognise and/or mentally process that there was no immediate physical threat. This &quot;processing&quot; is a subconcious thing and is a result of not only training but also being in situations where you need to exercise it. You could train everyday for years and still automatically have the wrong response the first time you have a real life situation - in a way that is part of the training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you failed this time - that is fine, there is no damage except maybe to your self esteem. Often we learn not by doing the right thing, but by doing the wrong thing and realising afterwards that it was wrong. You will have a far better chance of having the right reaction next time it happens, if ever.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-07-04T10:33:00.793" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1212" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1197" CreationDate="2012-07-04T10:41:07.477" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Quite simply, use the tip of the boot, make the boot work for you. Make sure you point your toes and they are quite rigid, because depending on the fit of the boot you will get some force coming back as the boot shifts upon impact. This technique should be useable for just about all closed footwear types except the very soft, like soft casual shoes or kung fu slippers. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember that your kick will be significantly slower when wearing boots, so don't try fancy kicks - for example I would tend to avoid snap kicks and even big round house kicks, instead I would use powerful thrusting front or side kicks - even if you don't manage to get perfect focus and penetration it will inflict pain and give you room to move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-07-04T10:41:07.477" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1213" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1205" CreationDate="2012-07-04T13:11:55.083" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think your reaction was the best possible at the time.  The attack on you was not purely physical, O. K. Some spit hit you. That is very unpleasant and humiliating, can cause you to be angry for days and to want to hit someone. &#xA;That is normal. But there was no danger to you and you did react. You didn't freeze like most people will and you didn't throw a stone at them. You reacted perfectly with the situation and without unnecessary force. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it was me, I would throw a stone and run and kick their heads after they fall to the ground. Next time, while meditating, try to see the attack in advance. I think what you need to work is not the response, but to see the danger before the attack. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="566" LastEditorDisplayName="user5562" LastEditDate="2019-01-20T20:50:43.507" LastActivityDate="2019-01-20T20:50:43.507" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1214" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1205" CreationDate="2012-07-04T16:10:28.410" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Start meditating. You reacted (note: not &quot;response&quot; but &quot;reaction&quot;) to a perceived aggression that, in truth, had nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't quite know how far they were - if they spat ON you and not just AT you, then very close.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, you say they headed away from you right after the spitting. This means they did not want an altercation with YOU. They were simply acting out some kind of energy - maybe the interaction between the two of them is tense and they feel that they have to do this to ease the tension. Who knows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key here is the spitting. Culturally, it tends to be one of the most vulgar things one can do to someone else. I'm sure they knew that and wanted to provoke you - but that's it. That's as far as they wanted to go. They wanted to elicit a response from you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Imagine: they spit on you, leave, and you give them no reaction. Or: they spit on you, and you beat them up. Or: they spit on you, and you yell at them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the last scenario, I'm sure they feel like they won.&#xA;In the second scenario, I'm sure you'll feel like you lost, right after you get arrested.&#xA;In the first scenario, they'll act as though they won because they totally spat on that weird dude. But it wasn't satisfying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now ... you could do nothing and it could eat you up inside. That's why: meditate. You need to be able to let go of your emotions if they bubble up that way. You need to be able to perceive things for what they are. The threat here was imagined, and not even physical - an imaginary threat to your ego.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-07-04T16:10:28.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1215" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1205" CreationDate="2012-07-04T18:27:51.857" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;All part of learning to come to terms with your monkey brain, and learning to recognize when it wants to play with the other monkeys in the area. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not easy. Start always with what you did here, self examination, become aware of what you did and how you could have handled it differently. I would even suggest meditation type activities to learn to calm and relax yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastEditorUserId="7461" LastEditDate="2016-11-07T10:53:34.393" LastActivityDate="2016-11-07T10:53:34.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1216" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2012-07-05T04:16:24.963" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bud Jeffries has a great article on this; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.strongerman.com/articles/martial-arts-and-strength/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.strongerman.com/articles/martial-arts-and-strength/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He's a strongman, not a bodybuilder, so is much more in line with what martial artists should be interested in. He addresses the pros and cons, particularly noteworthy is that with his focus on strength training he doesn't train as much for skill, so from that a reasonable conclusion is up to a certain point strength training is absolutely beneficial, but after that point you make a decision as to whether you want to primarily be a martial artist or primarily a strength athlete, and dedicate your time appropriately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I have deep interest in the martial arts, have studied several, and fought some. However, because of my heavy commitment to strength training in and of itself, competitively and my outlook toward being an all-around-athlete, I have decent, but not excessive technical skills. Nothing close to the greats as far as technical ability, but I generally do understand enough to take care of myself on a mat. Infact I have grappled some tough, very tough fighters and made quite a competitive match. Not because I had the technical ability that they had, but because their techniques are much harder to make work on a stronger opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastEditorUserId="565" LastEditDate="2012-07-05T16:30:23.710" LastActivityDate="2012-07-05T16:30:23.710" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1217" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="432" CreationDate="2012-07-05T04:31:14.070" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm going to go ahead and sidestep the pushups part specifically and answer the question about strength training for punching power instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you check out &lt;a href=&quot;http://punchingpower.org/the-falling-step/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://punchingpower.org/the-falling-step/&lt;/a&gt; and go through all the videos, you'll come across a hook punch one that involves doing a swinging motion with medicine balls. That's a very specific resistance training exercise that's applicable to punching. The entire series also goes into detail about the technical aspects of throwing a punch for increased power. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, when you break down the technical aspects of the punch you'll see there's a lot more to punching than the pushing motion of a pushup. Of course it certainly wouldn't hurt to do pushups, but you'd have to balance it off with a pulling motion (chin ups or pull ups). You'd also want a twisting motion (the aforementioned medicine ball exercise for example) and a stepping or lunging motion (unsurprisingly, lunges, bulgarian squats could work too). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-05T04:31:14.070" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1218" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1225" CreationDate="2012-07-05T15:02:37.503" Score="10" ViewCount="4618" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are there any school/style of Japanese swordsmanship that teach blocking (a parry or deflect is fine as long as there is contact between them) incoming attacks with the sharp edge of the blade of a &lt;em&gt;katana&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Edit:  I keep hearing that blocking/parrying with the edge of the katana was not done because it would dull the blade.  Yet, I know of at least one kata in Aikido that does just that: You must block with the edge.  I was described this as a &quot;Yes, it's not done that's why we are doing it that way...&quot;.  So, I want to know is this accurate or an urban myth?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2012-07-06T05:30:55.930" LastActivityDate="2020-05-12T20:09:24.097" Title="Blocking with a katana blade" Tags="|style|sword|japanese|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1219" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1275" CreationDate="2012-07-05T23:19:01.280" Score="14" ViewCount="6051" Body="&lt;p&gt;At training last night (Japanese JiuJitsu), we had two people with TKD backgrounds training with us. I couldn't help noticing how bouncy they both were. They both came from different TKD school, yet they both have trouble keeping their feet on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When it came to doing leg sweeps and throws (basic Judo stuff: osoto gari and ogoshi, for example), they struggled becuase their centre of gravity was being held so high. They just couldn't seem to settle on the ground and drop their centre. They punch well, but when it came to throws, they struggled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm wondering if this is a typical TKD thing? I've never studied it before, so I don't know how they train. Is it normal to hop around on your feet so much?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And regardless of &lt;em&gt;why&lt;/em&gt; they do this, what advice do people have for helping them ground themselves for throws?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="443" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-07-20T18:53:11.950" LastActivityDate="2016-02-29T01:06:02.100" Title="Why do taekwondoists bounce so much? (And how do we help them stop?)" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|judo|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1220" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1219" CreationDate="2012-07-06T00:41:05.100" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;What style of TKD? ITF, WTF, ATA, STF, etc? I would suspect that they are probably WTF, and their bounce has to do with the style of sparring that they train for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TKD sparrers in general use their feet a lot, and there is a lot of switch stance, spins, aerial kicks, things of that nature, so the requirement is to be light on your feet. Watch any WTF or Olympics (WTF is the governing structure for Olympic TKD), and you will see what I mean. Lots and lots of kicks, in series, with very little hands or anything like that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as grounding, it's going to be difficult because it's directly opposite of how they often train. I'd work on widening stances a bit, working with them on dropping their heels rather than being up on the balls of the feet, and how to &quot;sit&quot; their hips slightly. Start with that, and see how it goes from there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-07-06T00:41:05.100" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1221" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="759" CreationDate="2012-07-06T01:44:33.257" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm personally skeptical of any school that advertises its lineage prominently, and have never signed up to train at one of them. My reasoning is; don't they have something better to sell me on why they're good? What about the school's values and principles that they expect students to (mostly) follow? Even if I don't feel it's for me, I'm at least impressed with the integrity they display.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing, when looking at full contact competitive styles, in which a fight record is put on the same kind of pedestal as lineage is for some traditional styles, it has more recently become trite to point out that a good fighter isn't necessarily a good teacher, and vice versa. Take that a step further, and the student of a good teacher isn't automatically a bad teacher, and the student of a bad teacher might actually turn out to be a good teacher themself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, there's a couple things I would look at. How competent are all the students as a whole? That's an indication of teaching ability. If you have a couple star students but everyone else is mediocre, that tells you that it's more their natural ability than the teaching skills of the teacher. Given how long the school has been in business, how many long time students are there? If it's less than a year old, you wouldn't be too concerned about that, but if it's more than a decade old and just a couple people are left who have been training there that long, it means a lot of people decided to leave. Maybe it's not because the teacher is a bad teacher, it could be a bad personality instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-06T01:44:33.257" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1222" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="617" CreationDate="2012-07-06T03:37:19.793" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a confounding variable here. The adrenaline you'll experience in an actual fight will be different from what you'll experience in training. There's no way to properly test someone's conditioning while they're in a fight, so you're never going to get anything more substantiated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a good hypothesis, and it makes sense to put your body under more stress than you expect to have to deal with for training, but it'll never be more than a hypothesis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-06T03:37:19.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1225" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1218" CreationDate="2012-07-06T11:57:20.393" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've studied iaido for five years, and practiced a variety of styles under one teacher (that's how much my words are worth). In general, parries, blocks and deflections are done with the side or the back of the sword. It provides a very convenient yin/yang balance to the movements, where you can draw from your opponent's strike and smoothly deflect it, then return before they can recover.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do know of one style, however, that says &quot;What's more important to you, your sword or your life? You can buy another sword&quot; and on occasion does some fairly strong blade-edge blocks, which would ruin the sword, but can be used very effectively. I don't want to give a name, because it's been several years and my memory has somewhat faded, but I remember this explanation very well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm fairly certain that doing a blade-edge blocks has other implications regarding body structure, interaction between the two opponents, and such, but at this time I'm unable to provide valuable information on those topics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-07-06T11:57:20.393" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1226" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="964" CreationDate="2012-07-06T17:49:59.573" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;in the Villaris system there are only 2 &quot;pinions&quot; that use an &quot;I&quot; pattern that is 1,2 pinion. up to Black Belt there is 1,2,3,4,5 pinion and 1,2,3,4,5 kata. 1 and 2 pinion are also taught before 1,2 kata in the Villaris system. I do not think you could have been at a school for a &quot;few&quot; years and not got more than 1,2 pinion. You would have been taught them first in forms. They start white belt with 1 pinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="570" LastActivityDate="2012-07-06T17:49:59.573" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1227" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1021" CreationDate="2012-07-08T19:52:06.897" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Option 1: Lead with closer range kicks - following a crescent kick or an axe kick with a punch will be a lot easier than following a front or side kick with a punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Option 2: Instead of returning your feet to the original position after a kick, them fall where they kicked. So after a kick you'd end up in a lunge position (think Yoga's Warrior poses), from which you could follow with a punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Option 3:  Make footwork part of your combo. So instead of trying for kick-kick-punch-punch you could do kick-kick-step-punch-punch. There's a pause, but that pause is likely timed with the opponent making a step to the back or to the side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Option 4: Bait your opponent to come in, your legs are likely longer than your opponent's, so they'll want to close the distance and get inside. Throw a couple of kicks then chamber and have the punch ready for them as they close the distance (if you can do a superman punch this could be a good opportunity to use it).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-08T19:52:06.897" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1228" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2012-07-08T20:11:21.570" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;My #1 strategy when I was sparring with people with far better striking ability than me was to take a southpaw stance, even though I'm right handed. The stance confused them, so they ended up just doing single punches, which was a lot easier for me to deal with than combinations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you only train one side, it means your training partners all stand with that side, and when you fight someone with a different stance, you'll have no experience in dealing with it. Now technically this means it's not that you need to train both sides, but you need a decent split of training partners who use each side themselves, but that's not likely to happen because left-handed people make up only a small percentage of the population. Realistically, you're only going to have training partners who train both sides if you train both sides as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I couldn't say whether 2 or 3 is the best option, just that 1 is the worst option. Fighting isn't playing guitar, if you injure your hand, you'll just not be playing guitar, but in a fight you might not have a choice. In terms of interpreting 3 in different ways, I wouldn't want to train only to the point of keeping my dominant side in line with my supporting side. That might end up being an 80/20 split, which is a pretty significant time expenditure to get to only 20% of my dominant side's potential on both sides. A 60/40 split though could still make sense, as you're working to get both sides as good as you can without excessively holding back your dominant side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing I've noticed is that due to muscle imbalances I naturally go to a different stance for right or left side forward, and the different stances leave me better suited to different techniques (spinning back fist is a decent option for me in orthodox, but not in southpaw). Obviously that's something I'm working to correct, I'd rather be able to choose whichever technique is best for the situation and the stance I'm in, but it is something to consider as well when you're switching stances - are they perfectly symmetrical or are there differences other than which side you have forward?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-08T20:11:21.570" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1229" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1218" CreationDate="2012-07-09T17:07:11.910" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Japanese martial arts traditionally do not block. The theory is Evade and Strike.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An easy way to consider this is to look at the footwork. In Aikido, your hanmi is not a strong stance to block, but it's a great stance for moving and evading. With this mindset, I have trouble believing that there is a proper &quot;Block&quot;. I can't think of any time I've been taught, seen in a seminar or even on video any type of block. Extending your opponents attack, yes; stopping an attack during the windup, yes. But never a block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a nutshell, bladed practice was not the Founder's strength, so I'm wondering about the origin of this kata. If there is one movement in one kata that shows something like this, then maybe it's as Trevoke said - &quot;What's more important to you, your sword or your life?&quot; Ask your instructor, perhaps he knows the significance of the movement, but I just can't believe it's a block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="522" LastActivityDate="2012-07-09T17:07:11.910" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1230" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="903" CreationDate="2012-07-09T23:36:02.613" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've trained Hapkido under a couple different instructors, and while the curricula had some differences, they were more similar than not. One thing that really struck me is the selection of technqiues at each level was almost arbitrary, and out of order from how they should be taught. Some techniques that were taught to white belts really shouldn't have been taught until the variation taught to green belts had been taught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what I would suggest is find the most basic variation of a technique (from any belt level), and teach that to everyone. The lower belts would just focus on that one and the out of order one for their respective belt test, while the higher belts would practice a wider variety. This way you would have one day/week in which the focus is on hip throws or arm throws, the lower belts would practice 1 or 2, while the higher belts would practice 5-8. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The lower belts get exposed to a small number of techniques to ensure they don't get overwhelmed and start confusing one technique for another, and the higher belts don't end up missing out on some important lower belt techniques because everyone is learning those together in the class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-09T23:36:02.613" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1231" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="998" CreationDate="2012-07-10T07:27:22.603" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;The biggest risk with concussions is getting a second one shortly after the first. For competetive boxers and kickboxers, this means the 10 count and standing 8 count are sentencing them to long term brain damage. If you're training casually, wearing very good headgear (Winning FG-2900 if you can afford it, Rival d3o would seem to be a good second choice) and a very good mouthguard (custom made for boxing) will help. Also, if you get hit once and see stars - call your sparring off right away, and don't finish the round. You'd want to not do any further sparring for at least 2 weeks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-10T07:27:22.603" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1232" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="154" CreationDate="2012-07-11T08:03:11.297" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;For the physical aspect, you have to ramp it up to as close to the intensity of an actual fight as you can. That is to say your training partner will be trying to knock you out, they'll be throwing kicks that if unchecked will have you limping for a week, throws are aggressive and quick, and takedowns are often done as slams. You'll get hurt in the beginning with this, and it'll really suck, but gradually you'll get used to it. When you get poked in the eye you keep going, you don't bother checking if your nose is bleeding or if it's just snot, you don't take a time out for getting hit in the groin, and if you get a minor joint injury, ignore it and keep going (obviously stop if it's a full break). You want to get in the habit of dealing with any damage you take later, and your immediate concern is your opponent and taking him out of his ability to do any further damage to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some attacks will be worse than that training, but I haven't yet encountered one that is - for me the training has been more intense and more stressful than any of the real fights I've had. The injuries have been worse too (the most I've come away with in an actual fight is some skin scraped off, although I don't recall how it happened as I didn't feel it at the time), which brings up an interesting question of how much you want to get hurt in training to protect yourself from getting hurt outside of training. Particularly since getting attacked shortly after sustaining a training injury really isn't good (same goes for getting attacked after a long, hard class that has your quads so sore from plyometrics drills, squats and horse stance that you can't really bend your knees). Still, preparing for the worst means experiencing something that's at least pretty close to it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-11T08:03:11.297" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1233" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="759" CreationDate="2012-07-11T14:39:18.737" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I co-sign the preceding answers. As a ostensible &quot;lineage holder&quot; myself, my contribution is more personal:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm a direct student of a famous grandmaster swordsman, from whom I have a &lt;em&gt;fabulous&lt;/em&gt; diploma certifying me as &quot;a master.&quot; He officially made me a lineage holder and expressly permitted me to teach the discipline, use its symbol, and propagate the art. From another grandmaster, a &quot;style collector,&quot; I have numerous &quot;skill badges&quot;: style/skill certificates in Tiger, Dragon, Drunken Boxing, Chin Na, staff, sword, &lt;em&gt;et cetera&lt;/em&gt;. I've also studied a few steps removed from an infamous Eskrima grandmaster. It all would make for &lt;em&gt;great&lt;/em&gt; advertising. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But here's the truth: I'm great in &lt;em&gt;none&lt;/em&gt; of these disciplines. Very far from it! I'm just an interested student. The swordsman's diploma isn't even in swordsmanship, but qigong. He's also (rightly) famous for qigong--but not nearly as famous as for sword. It would be so, &lt;em&gt;so&lt;/em&gt; easy to mis-represent or mis-understand these lineages, connections, and certifications. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I see &lt;em&gt;many&lt;/em&gt; martial arts poseurs boasting of impressive lineages or high &quot;ranking.&quot; At the same time, I have several teachers who lack impressive pedigree and ranking. They're the &quot;lineage holder&quot; in nothing whatsover. Yet they are truly &lt;em&gt;outstanding&lt;/em&gt;--because they've put in the time, study, and attention to understand how the body works, how the style works, and how to use them together. They are constantly studying and improving themselves and their understanding. That's true &lt;em&gt;gōngfu&lt;/em&gt;. I aspire to &lt;em&gt;that&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lineage may help you evaluate &quot;How close is what is taught here to the historical named style?&quot; But it won't help you evaluate the quality of martial arts taught there, nor the quality of the teachers or the teaching. Judge the school and the teachers instead. They're vastly more important than claimed degrees of separation from some historical master, school, or concept.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastEditorUserId="562" LastEditDate="2012-07-13T15:38:40.370" LastActivityDate="2012-07-13T15:38:40.370" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1234" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1238" CreationDate="2012-07-11T22:11:31.217" Score="9" ViewCount="2325" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've got a combination of neck and shoulder injuries on my left side. Neck from being spiked, shoulder from an americana and a west point ride suplex. I've definitely got weakness in my rotator cuff. I intend to get that strengthened before I go back to training tachiwaza, but since once a shoulder is injured, it's always a bit more injury prone, I'm figuring a brace would be a good idea. Does anyone have a recommendation for one that would be good in terms of providing a bit of extra support while still allowing a good range of motion and also not having anything hard or exposed velcro that would make it unsuitable for Judo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-26T14:48:59.270" Title="Shoulder brace for Judo?" Tags="|judo|injury|grappling|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1235" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1234" CreationDate="2012-07-12T03:00:58.807" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have no shoulder brace recommendation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My recommendation is to stop all the practice that requires the use of that part of your body and go to rehab instead. I'd recommend soft movements like taichi or chi kung because of their particular health-building properties, if you want to heal faster (though it requires finding a skilled teacher).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again - stop practicing entirely. Would you rather be out for a few weeks to a few months while this heals, or potentially be out for years or a lifetime if an accident happens? An accident, by the way, could be you lifting your arm the wrong way, or it could be you taking a bad fall for whatever reason.. Too many ways to damage yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take care of your body. You only have the one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-07-12T03:00:58.807" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1238" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1234" CreationDate="2012-07-12T16:46:53.357" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a shoulder brace recommendation, but before I give it, I will explain why I don't think it's going to do what you want it to as far as the muscles are concerned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your stated injury is in the SITS muscles which are what comprise the rotator cuff. Only one of the muscles actually produces motion of the limb in a plane, the primary function of these muscles is rotation of the arm. The brace is going to do nothing to help that, and may actually make the muscles work harder as they have to rotate the limb against a resistance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where the brace helps, is preventing over stretching and extreme motion, which will protect the ligaments in the shoulder, and to some extent the muscles from tears.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The shoulder is barely even a joint, and is the most vulnerable joint in the body simply because the structure has to allow such a wide variation of movements. This means any injury is going to really make the structure vulnerable to more injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will second @trevoke on the don't work it until healed, and I know you said you will rehab it first, which is good. Once it's fully rehabbed, I would recommend the SB04 shoulder brace by EVS sports : &lt;a href=&quot;http://evs-sports.com/store/product.php?productid=17697&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://evs-sports.com/store/product.php?productid=17697&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It bases the support going across the body as well as directly down to a strap that goes around the entire chest. It includes an impact protection plate over the shoulder, and is very adjustable. While nothing will fully protect (Especially in an arm intensive art such as judo), this is one of the best I've seen in use. I would get a lightweight close fitting tech tee to wear under it to prevent chafing, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2012-07-12T17:02:48.703" LastActivityDate="2012-07-12T17:02:48.703" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1239" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="152" CreationDate="2012-07-13T21:13:35.167" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you have mechanical dents in the wood -- not broken fibers/splintering -- there's a wood working trick you can use to raise the dents: Get an iron, put it on highest heat setting. Take a clean rag wet, but not dripping. Fold the rag so a wet corner of the rag covers the dent -- touch the iron to the rag. The idea is to flash the water into steam with that part of rag against the wood. THe steam goes into the wood a little bit and you'll be left with -- usually -- a little bump where the wood is now 'proud' (above the rest of the surface height.) Then just a touch of sanding or planing. I suggest making dents in something else and experimenting a little.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="579" LastActivityDate="2012-07-13T21:13:35.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1240" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="152" CreationDate="2012-07-13T22:28:58.983" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is also a small glass rod type tool that you can find at better billiard/pool stores. It's designed to be rubbed along the pool cue to raise the dents that can occur through normal play. It will also work if the wood is already lacquered, where the steam trick (Which is quite useful) won't work on sealed wood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-07-13T22:28:58.983" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1241" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="973" CreationDate="2012-07-13T22:36:43.390" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;As far as the first part of your question, it appears that Li Qing's teacher is unknown from this source: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pa-kua.co.uk/teachers.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.pa-kua.co.uk/teachers.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Lu wanted to learn more, he heard that the best of the fighting arts was Ba Gua Zhang so he sought a teacher. The teacher that he found was Li Qing-Wu (Li Ching-Wu). Not much is known  about Li Qing-Wu, and so far, no one has been able to determine who his teacher was. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And for the second, from the same article:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;After Li Qing-Wu died, Lu Shui-Tian sought out other Ba Gua Zhang instructors. There is evidence that he spent some time with a Fourth Generation practitioner from Dong Hai-Chuan's lineage. Master Park does not know the name of Lu Shui-Tian's second teacher because Lu Shui-Tian seldom spoke of his background. Whenever Master Park happened to ask a question that related to Lu's background, Lu Shui-Tian would always respond &quot;That question will not help your practice.&quot; Since Master Park knew that Lu Shui-Tian's Ba Gua Zhang was very good, he was not particularly concerned about where his Ba Gua Zhang had come from and did not press the question. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, it doesn't appear that anyone really knows. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2015-08-23T19:20:50.953" LastActivityDate="2015-08-23T19:20:50.953" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1242" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1243" CreationDate="2012-07-13T23:17:46.390" Score="16" ViewCount="5453" Body="&lt;p&gt;Renzo Gracie's book Mastering Jujitsu makes the interesting and not otherwise repeated claim that BJJ is descended directly from Fusen-Ryu rather than Judo. Allegedly, while Judo was cleaning up at the Tokyo Police competitions, Fusen-Ryu was the only style that beat them, and they apparently did so by butscooting and going for submissions. This is also apparently how Judo got its newaza.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing is, I've tried to find just any shred of evidence that Fusen-Ryu has newaza, preferably from someone who practices it, rather than heresay a few generations removed. I haven't found anything that even closely resembles it. MMA.tv forum member and BJJ blackbelt Shen was interested in this a few years ago as well, and he also came up empty. All anyone I've been able to talk to has been able to find is that Fusen-Ryu isn't distinguishable in a meaningful way from other classical jujitsu styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I have been able to find though is a video documentary in the 50s (can't remember the title or the videographer at the moment, will edit when I find that info) showing one of the Kodokan's higher black belts doing some pretty advanced newaza - I saw what definitely looked like X-Guard (60 years ago!). The videographer, a Judo black belt himself wasn't well versed in newaza though so he wasn't able to describe or explain it in any detail beyond the awe he had for the newaza specialist's skill. So there's evidence of advanced newaza in Judo in the first half of the 20th century. Anyone have something similar for Fusen-Ryu?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I'm looking for as far as documentation goes is either video showing newaza, photographs showing newaza, or technique and/or kata descriptions that clearly incorporate newaza.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2015-03-07T01:15:43.657" Title="Is there any documentation of newaza in Fusen-Ryu?" Tags="|history|judo|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1243" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1242" CreationDate="2012-07-14T02:49:07.977" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;The relationships between judo, Kosen judo, various traditional Japanese jujutsu ryu, groundwork (&lt;em&gt;newaza&lt;/em&gt;), the nature of challenge matches during that period in Japan, and pinning a style on a given grappling expert during that period in Japan are all very complicated and deeply interconnected. In my view, if we are to develop an understanding of this history, we must do so very carefully, and by focusing on primary source documents as frequently as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Evidence and theories we should take into account&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;User Ddlr on Bullshido is an accomplished martial arts historian, and has &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=31426&amp;amp;p=891175&amp;amp;viewfull=1#post891175&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; to say:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;[I]t's probably not accurate to say that Tanabe of the Fusen introduced the concept of ground fighting to the Kodokan, but he may have been of higher proficiency than most of Kano's boys. Kano wasn't above inviting experts to teach at the Kodokan; I suspect this is another example of Kano recruiting from the best to teach at his school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=87066&amp;amp;p=2157566&amp;amp;viewfull=1#post2157566&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;He goes on&lt;/a&gt; (bless our lucky stars):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Fusen-ryu per se may also be something of a red herring; we know that Mataemon Tanabe was also associated with the Handa dojo and that both Uyenishi and Miyake referred to the Handa dojo in connection with their own training before they started competing outside Japan. As I quoted earlier, Miyake specified that the style(s) taught at the Handa dojo emphasized ne-waza.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;My best guess on this, because we quickly run out of documentable sources, is that ne-waza was something more in the nature of a personal specialty of Tanabe's, perhaps shared by Yataro Handa (I can't recall their formal relationship offhand). I would further speculate that there may have been some connection between what was being taught at the Handa dojo and the more-or-less informal inter-style competition rules/conventions that were evolving as a result of the high-school level competitions during the 1890s and very early 1900s, which was when the international judo/jujitsu pioneers were training in Japan. Again, those rules also appear to have emphasized competitive ne-waza.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ddlr goes into the Fusen ryu red herring in more detail &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=87066&amp;amp;p=2157377&amp;amp;viewfull=1#post2157377&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. His thesis that Tanabe was a great grappler who just happened to be a Fusen-ryuka is greatly buttressed by the September 1952 edition of Henri Plée's &lt;em&gt;Revue Judo Kodokan&lt;/em&gt;, in which 8th dan Kainan Shimomura &lt;a href=&quot;http://ejmas.com/jalt/jaltart_Noble_1000.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;wrote&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;[I]n January 1891 an inter-group combat took place in which Tobari (then 3rd dan judo, he died an 8th dan) for the Kodokan opposed [Matauemon] Tanabe, expert of the Fusen-ryu school. One must not commit the error of considering the ancient jujutsu as being a priori inferior to modern judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Straightaway Tanabe sought the combat on the ground, but Tobari succeeded in remaining standing up. After a fierce fight Tanabe won by a very successful stranglehold on the ground. Tobari, bitterly disappointed by the defeat, began to feverishly study groundwork.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The year after, he challenged Tanabe again. This time it was a ground battle and once more Tanabe won. He was now famous and, in the name of the ancient schools, challenged the members of the Kodokan, and even Isogai (then 3rd dan, at the time of his death he was a 10th dan) was put in danger from his ground technique. The Kodokan then concluded that a really competent judoka must possess not only a good standing technique but good ground technique as well. This is the origin of the celebrated 'ne-waza of the Kansai region'. And in conclusion to all this one may very well say that Mataemon Tanabe, too, unconsciously contributed towards the perfecting of the judo of the Kodokan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That theory grows even stronger with &lt;a href=&quot;http://sydhoare.com/FUSEN.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this telling (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; of Tanabe's time growing up and learning (Fusen-ryu) jujutsu from his father through rough training and competition:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;When I trained with my father’s other students I would never give in to a strangle or a  lock. When I was fifteen I got caught in an arm-lock and my elbow was dislocated with a loud crack. My tactic was to wait till my opponent got tired and then make a move to free myself. It was the same with strangles. This ability to endure locks and strangles created various strategies for me. I soon came to be called Newaza-Tanabe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It only makes sense to give him a nickname about his preference for groundwork if the style doesn't focus on newaza. It's certainly possible that the techniques that officially made up the style didn't even include groundwork or wrestling, since rough-and-tumble childhood grappling was the norm. Men were expected to know the basics of wrestling; a given jujitsu &lt;em&gt;ryu&lt;/em&gt; was meant to supplement that with specific advanced techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend thoroughly sifting through &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=29740&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;all&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=31426&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;of&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=87066&amp;amp;p=2157629&amp;amp;viewfull=1#post2157629&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;these&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoforum.com/index.php?/topic/25227-revue-judo-kodokan/page__hl__Fusen&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;threads&lt;/a&gt; to piece together what makes what degree of sense. It's important to keep multiple contradictory beliefs in your head, each rated by degree of evidence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Evidence that Tanabe Knew His Groundwork&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The head of the Fusen-ryu during the era when judo came to prominence, Mataemon Tanabe, had some tight ground-grappling technique:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZxjAI.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Mataemon Tanabe executing what judoka call *juji-gatame*&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LeFqN.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Mataemon Tanabe executing what Brazilian jiu-jitsu calls the rear naked choke&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UuR3l.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Mataemon Tanabe holding his opponent with *kata-gatame*&quot;&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LESAe.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Mataemon Tanabe executing what judoka call *ude-gatame*&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Images are from &lt;a href=&quot;http://abloodyblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/kosen-judo/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;R. H. Marcus' blog&lt;/a&gt;, which argues as I do that Kosen was merely a ruleset preferred by some judoka, and that calling some techniques specifically Kosen would be misguided.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note also that while this is the head of Fusen-ryu executing what he would obviously call Fusen-ryu techniques, and he had success with these techniques in challenge matches using what was known as the Fusen-ryu approach or tactics of focusing on these techniques, we still cannot say that Fusen-ryu's canonical techniques, the ones transmitted as the core of the art, include any groundwork. (They may. They may not. We don't know. A fusen-ryu lineage holder would.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Conclusions we may draw&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All told, the claim that Brazilian jiu-jitsu is directly descended from Fusen-ryu does not seem to hold water. (We know that Maeda learned judo (or &quot;Kano jiujitsu&quot;), not Fusen-ryu, and this is what he taught the Gracies.) Similarly, the claim that Fusen-ryu was a style with formal techniques oriented towards ground grappling does not seem to be supported by the evidence. The theory that a Fusen-ryu practitioner just happened to specialize in a subset of grappling techniques is much more likely, given the evidence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We can definitively say, however, that Mataemon Tanabe, who literally embodied the Fusen-ryu at the time of Jigoro Kano, most definitely possessed extensive and skilled &lt;em&gt;newaza&lt;/em&gt;, as we see in the images above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-02-10T01:16:02.767" LastActivityDate="2013-02-10T01:16:02.767" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1244" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1052" CreationDate="2012-07-14T07:07:55.303" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is going to vary from region to region. Here in BC, Canada there's a local fitness instructor certification group (BCRPA) and there's also national coaching certification covering Judo, TKD and Karate (also Wrestling and Boxing, but that's more expected). Outside of Judo, Wrestling and Boxing I'm not sure there's any enforcement of that. There are so many TKD and Karate organisations that you could have one that requires it (likely WTF), while another doesn't. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think it should be necessary, one of the local schools does away with any fitness training and just trains technique. If you want to get strong/fit, you can do that on your own time. That's a perfectly acceptable arrangement. However, if the instructor chooses to include a fitness routine, I'd rather they be certified. Most of them seem to be whatever was taught in PE class when the instructor went to school, and often that does more harm than good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-14T07:07:55.303" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1245" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="542" CreationDate="2012-07-14T07:27:00.147" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the strengths of MMA, and the common feeder styles (wrestling, BJJ, boxing) is the absence of a curriculum. Once you have a set curriculum, you get stuck with having to use it, and then you've got everyone training things they really shouldn't be bothering with, as better methods have been discovered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee touched on this with the idea of constantly emptying and refilling the cup with water. As you discover something you've been doing isn't useful anymore, you drop it. If you find a better way of doing something, you use that instead. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's inherrent in MMA - mixing and matching aspects from various styles. As you're introducing new elements, you find some things just don't work. You have to ditch them as a result. You still keep the core though, and the adaptations you've made still work in the original style. With boxing you would stop bobbing and weaving, but you'd still make good use of jabs, crosses and uppercuts, and you'd still work on slipping punches and working combinations. It wouldn't exactly look like orthodox boxing when you box, but it still is boxing nonetheless. With wrestling you'd eliminate going flat to your stomach when someone has your back and would instead heavily emphasise sit-outs. When you wrestle you'd be known for doing a lot of sit-outs, but it would still obviously be wrestling. In BJJ you'd have to stop relying on techniques that use gi grips, and would instead emphasise overhooks and underhooks, some of the more avant garde guards would also be ill-advised. DLR isn't a great idea when punches are allowed. Still, you'd be working closed and open full guards, half guard, butterfly guard, and bread and butter submissions like the armbar and RNC, and when you do BJJ it would still clearly be BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a result, you can go to a boxing gym, and assuming the instructor is open minded and doesn't require you to do things only one way, you can tailor your boxing style to be suitable to MMA. If you can find a wrestling club for adults, you can change up your strategy when you wrestle, and work on standing up even if the scoring doesn't encourage that. You can go to a BJJ school and focus on what works for MMA, while still advancing. You won't be a permanent white belt because you don't like using X-Guard or DLR, and you prefer not to bother with Ezekiel chokes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try training Karate while refusing to chamber your hand because you want to keep it up, or advancing in Judo if you don't want to do Ippon-Seioi-Nage because it's too risky in MMA. It would have to be a really open minded instructor for that to work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;MMA is all about being the best fighter, and that requires you not to be constrained by a curriculum, so you're not spending time doing anything but whatever helps you the most. You're not going to find many MMA schools with an established curriculum as a result, and the ones you find that do have it probably aren't producing any champions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-14T07:27:00.147" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1246" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1248" CreationDate="2012-07-15T01:24:39.263" Score="11" ViewCount="16791" Body="&lt;p&gt;So, I've started doing Judo again after 8 years abstinence (I'm 28 now) and I really suck fitness wise and technical wise. Unfortunatly we only have training once a week which is probably not enough to keep the momentum going. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for ideas how to brush up my skills. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some points I'm struggling with at the moment:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I really really suck at chins (I'm hardly be able to finish 1). Looking for ideas how to train that (I don't want to go to a fitness studio, body-weight, DIY training is prefered)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Technical wise I feel I need to refresh some stuff (I've done weekly traing from age 13 to 20 so I'm not starting from zero) but I'd like to train for myself but I'm not sure how to correct myself because more often than not I'm not getting the technique at the first tries. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I'm running about 10kms 2x a week, is this enough? Should I push here harder?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What would be a good daily routine for Judo?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that matters, I'm rather large (1,90m, 95kg) guy. 2nd Kyu. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any Ideas are welcome. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;edit: Wow. I'm overwhelmed by your great responses. Would like to mark everything as correct answer. Thanks to all!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="575" LastEditorUserId="575" LastEditDate="2012-07-16T19:03:45.143" LastActivityDate="2022-07-25T10:20:54.313" Title="How to get fit (again) for Judo" Tags="|exercise|judo|training|self-training|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1247" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1246" CreationDate="2012-07-15T02:24:53.143" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For chin ups, do as many as you can (starting with the one) from a dead hang, then jump yourself up to the top and hold yourself as long as possible, and then slowly lower yourself down. Assuming you give yourself enough rest (in days), you should be able to see an improvement of 1-2 per week. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Squats will be hugely useful for a lot of Judo techniques. If your body has a hard time physically doing the action (generally you'll not be able to get low enough), it'll look like your technique is crap. The hip drive on squats and deadlifts is also quite applicable to a lot of throws. If you don't want to sign up at a gym, buying yourself a set of dumbbell handles with some plates to adjust weights would still be advisable. Most weight routines are designed with barbells in mind, and you need one to do back squats, but I've found dumbbells to be plenty to start with. Bodyweight only routines are great if you don't have the money for any equipment, but given Judo costs money, I'd assume you could afford to spend some one-time money on equipment you'll use for a long time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think running is that applicable to Judo, you could cut it back to 10km 1/week if you like, if you're fine with 2/week no reason to stop doing that though. Only way I'd suggest upping it is if you're running a greater distance in the same time, there's really no point in drawing it out to the point that you're going on 2-3 hour runs on a regular basis (unless you enjoy it so much that it feels more like recreation than a workout). I'd suggest rope skipping as being more applicable to Judo training than running, while being in the same general category of exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd avoid actually doing a daily routine, rest days are really important, so the most frequent you'd want is every second day. For starters, 2-3 times per week working on weights (deadlifts, squats, presses, chin ups) would be good, and as you get stronger you'll probably find it useful to cut back to 1-2 times per week - as you get stronger your body needs more time to recover. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, grip strength is pretty useful, so once you're good enough at regular chin-ups, start doing towel chin ups instead, or do as many reps to failure with the towel and then switch to a normal grip and do those to failure, followed by the assisted up to hang and then lower. Getting yourself a grip trainer, like the &lt;a href=&quot;http://ivanko.com/Ivanko-Super-Gripper.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Ivanko Supper Gripper&lt;/a&gt; might also be a good idea. For the price I think it's a good investment given the importance of grip strength in Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-15T02:24:53.143" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1248" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1246" CreationDate="2012-07-15T02:58:43.947" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Disclaimer: I am a beginner in both judo and physical culture. My views on strength, conditioning, and technique should be viewed with skepticism.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're right that training once a week is insufficient. Most people won't see much progress in either physical condition or skills at less than two days a week minimum. I'll address solutions in the context of the &quot;struggle points&quot; that you mentioned. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Chin-ups and a Workout Routine for Judo&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are right to be concerned with strength, and chin-up strength in particular. While judo is a sublime skill and technical art, it relies on the body being strong and agile. Pulling strength is of particular use in judo. (The first movement of nearly all &lt;em&gt;uchikomi&lt;/em&gt; practice is &quot;pull your partner off balance&quot;, is it not?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend an &lt;strong&gt;all-around strength training program&lt;/strong&gt; for judo, such as described in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1170/347&quot;&gt;this answer&lt;/a&gt;. For further technical reading on this topic, see &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aasgaardco.com/store/store.php?crn=199&amp;amp;rn=328&amp;amp;action=show_detail&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Practical Programming&lt;/a&gt; by Rippetoe and Kilgore. If you're training judo once a week and running twice a week, and assuming you're eating right and getting enough sleep, then two lifting sessions per week is probably about right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might not feel ready for that yet, or you might want to focus on the smaller goal of chin-ups, in which case &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/733/347&quot;&gt;my advice in this answer&lt;/a&gt; is relevant: train your strength as generally as possible, but pull-ups with a gi are king. (A towel will serve admirably in a pinch.) Since you can't yet do a pull-up, a goal of three in a row is a fair one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Start with a bar and work up to gi or towel pull-ups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Remember to get a full range of motion: arms fully extended and relaxed at the bottom, chest touching the bar at the top.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Start with negatives: jump up to the top and lower yourself down as slowly as possible. Keep trying to resist the downward movement all the way to the end. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;One method that I've seen espoused, but have not tried, is holding the top of the chin-up for a 10-count before lowering oneself down. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;At-home technical training&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My biggest concern for training for judo at home is to avoid ingraining bad habits. To that end, most of my solo training is for strength, power, conditioning, mobility, or agility. That can include lifting weights (squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, power cleans, presses), sprints and unusual exercises to make myself tired very quickly, morning warm-ups and stretches, yoga, and &quot;pre-hab&quot; exercises. So I am not very well acquainted with at-home technical training, such as discussed in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/81/what-do-you-use-to-practice-judo-throws-on-your-own&quot;&gt;this question&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, I have tried the following, which may have been marginally productive:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Uchikomi&lt;/em&gt; (fitting-in practice) using a bicycle inner tube&lt;/strong&gt; tied to a tree or post&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Grappling movement drills&lt;/strong&gt;, such as &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aesopian.com/202/bjj-warm-ups-and-exercise-videos/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the excellent (BJJ/groundwork-oriented) ones collected by Aesopian&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have heard that &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/771/347&quot;&gt;grappling dummies&lt;/a&gt; are fun, but I have not used one. My understanding is that they are better for &lt;a href=&quot;http://paleochallenge.tumblr.com/post/24935893278/6200-reps&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;drilling well-known technique&lt;/a&gt;, rather than figuring out new possibilities or trying to turn a technique one barely knows into a technique one is good with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Running for Judo&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Running twice a week is great, but &lt;strong&gt;consider switching to or adding sprints&lt;/strong&gt;. Distance running is good stuff, but judo (and most athletics in general) benefit greatly from the power and metabolic training of short-duration, high-intensity bursts of effort. My method, adapted from my coach's advice, is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXOlbtx7DZY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a brief dynamic warm-up&lt;/a&gt; followed by a half-mile run. I then sprint two to six times on the way back, with the distance of the sprints inversely proportional to the number I intend to do: 50 yards each if I'm going to do 5 or 6; 100 yards each if I'm only going to do a couple. I let myself recover completely or almost completely between sprints. I'll throw in some lunges and karaoke runs and the short workout is over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-06-07T19:17:50.870" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1249" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1246" CreationDate="2012-07-15T16:58:06.020" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fitness for martial arts doesn't mean just strength or aerobic capacity. It also requires flexibility and agility.&lt;/strong&gt; Please don't ignore stretching--both in order to be better, and also to train safer. Injuries often inhibit, even preclude, eager training. (Said by the guy who's not trained seriously for a month while nursing a shoulder injury.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I moved from judo to eskrima and kung fu, I was astounded how much more time and attention practitioners of these other styles spent on stretching than &lt;em&gt;any&lt;/em&gt; of the judo clubs I'd trained in (including great ones like Oishi and Columbia University in New York). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without doing a complete &quot;how to stretch for judo&quot; spiel, I'd suggest stretches emphasizing the groin, legs, wrists, neck, and back. Also, don't just drop down into stretches cold. Warm up first, and start with light stretching, deepening as you get warmer and more limber. It also helps to do your final, deepest stretching set &lt;em&gt;after&lt;/em&gt; the main part of your workout, when you're at your warmest. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.google.com/search?&amp;amp;q=stretching+for+judo&quot;&gt;There is a lot of how-to material already out there&lt;/a&gt;, including some good videos on YouTube and blogs on specific techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also found that &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wushu_stances&quot;&gt;holding stances&lt;/a&gt;--a practice of Chinese martial arts that many judoka I trained with openly mocked--dramatically improved my ability to execute pretty much every sweep and throw. The &quot;bow&quot; and &quot;horse&quot; stances are the most immediately applicable to judo, though &quot;crane,&quot; &quot;crossover,&quot; &quot;tiger,&quot; and others have all helped me. The biggest trick of using these is not just to hold them with strength, but to use them as stretches and &quot;relax into them.&quot; Focus on proper posture rather than how low you can go. To go lower and get a deeper stretch, relax rather than using muscular force. If you're not used to doing them, they're &lt;em&gt;not comfortable&lt;/em&gt; to hold and you'll being thinking &quot;Relax?! WTF is he on about?!!&quot; But as you stretch more--safely and mindful of your body's current flexibility, please!--they really, &lt;em&gt;really&lt;/em&gt; improve your martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might also consider cross-training in a discipline such as yoga, Pilates, or dance that focuses on stretching, posture, flexibility, and limberness. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastEditorUserId="562" LastEditDate="2012-07-15T18:35:25.860" LastActivityDate="2012-07-15T18:35:25.860" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1250" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1254" CreationDate="2012-07-17T19:52:51.387" Score="14" ViewCount="9653" Body="&lt;p&gt;I train in non-grappling arts. I have a reasonable amount of experience with this. However, I'm not sure how I would deal with an untrained opponent coming to grapple with me -- or someone whose training has been entirely in grappling and who therefore feels the need to grapple with me because they're uncomfortable at another range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've failed to walk away multiple times, and now the fight has started. How do I prevent the grappler from grappling? What drills, exercises, training can I do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2014-12-18T22:25:28.980" Title="How does a non-grappler train to be ready to avoid grappling in a real-world situation?" Tags="|training|grappling|" AnswerCount="12" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1251" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1250" CreationDate="2012-07-17T20:22:41.917" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Train in grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sorry, but a grappler will almost always win out against a non-grappler. Just ask just about any TKD student who's sparred a BJJ student. Or, for that matter, the evolution of MMA and the UFC when Gracie and other grapplers won time and time again for several years, until people started adding it into their styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing about grappling is that even untrained fighters will instinctively try some amount of grappling by going for things like headlocks or tackles. You can try to avoid that, but more often than not, the fight will end up on the ground. Try to avoid doing so, and use the skills you have to keep them from taking you down, but if you don't train in grappling, once they take you down, you have no tools to change things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can't train specifically in a grappling art, then at least learn about mounts and guards, and how to escape them. Even if you just learn that much and how to get back to your feet, you'll be a lot better off than someone who's only trained to avoid getting taken down in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for how to avoid the takedown, learn to dodge. Unless you're a big guy, chances are, the person you're fighting will be your size or larger, meaning you will very likely not be able to straight defend against them if they connect with you, and you really won't be able defend yourself with sheer muscle if they're trained in any way, as once they get their hands on you, they'll have a dozen or so ways of taking your feet out from under you, most of which requiring very little effort (let's have fun with science!). However, if they can't touch you, they can't take you down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(A side note, in light of the comments my answer has spawned - I'm of the opinion that the more rounded your training is, the better off you'll be in a real-world situation. Both striking and grappling have their strengths and weaknesses, and not all situations will have the exact same circumstances, but most will have some of both. However, if you're only trained in one area, your odds of success in a fight once the other is employed decrease dramatically. Just like you'd be screwed as a striker if you get taken down, you'll also be screwed as a grappler if you don't know how to anticipate and handle strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for my UFC reference, which seems to have ruffled some feathers - I don't believe that tournaments are a great indication of &quot;real world fighting.&quot; I do, however, feel UFC and other MMA-style fights (and the Gracie-era fights, specifically) beautifully expose the shortcomings of striking-only fighting when a grappler enters the scene. Bearing in mind that MMA and the UFC are about as close to a real fight (in terms of what's allowed and what isn't) as tournament fighting can get, it provides a pretty good analytical environment for such questions as this. Consider this - if the reigning UFC champions, who have trained for years and tested their skill (and beat) everyone, or nearly everyone, they've faced, can get repeatedly dethroned by up and coming fighters, solely because the champions have no grappling training, how can a striking-only student, even at Shodan level, expect to fare any better? In a real fight, you don't have the luxury of knowing whether your opponent is trained, so you might get lucky and have someone that's not trained at all, which you can easily dodge and avoid until you knock him out, or you could get unlucky and get taken down before you know what hit you, and be done because you have no way to get back up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key takeaway from my answer is that in order to defend against grappling, you have to know how to grapple yourself. Even if you favor striking and live by the &quot;don't take the fight to the ground in the first place&quot;, you don't always have that option, and if you have no grappling training, once you're down, you're done. If you have at least enough training to get out of a grappling position, then you have a way of controlling the fight and bringing it back to your favor.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="341" LastEditorUserId="341" LastEditDate="2012-07-18T13:16:53.333" LastActivityDate="2012-07-18T13:16:53.333" CommentCount="14" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1252" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1250" CreationDate="2012-07-17T20:26:09.693" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my experience, the most important part is to retract your strikes fast and not leave any limbs where your opponent can grab them.  This is especially true for kicks, since you will probably have faster reactions if someone tries grabbing an arm than a leg.  Even when ground fighting, one of the biggest mistakes to make is leaving an arm extended where your opponent can get a handle on it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also practice keeping your kicks low - a high kick is more likely to be grabbed and used against you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="583" LastActivityDate="2012-07-17T20:26:09.693" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1253" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1250" CreationDate="2012-07-17T20:28:34.480" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've found Tony Blauer and his SPEAR system (disclosure: I am a PDR coach in with Blauer Tactical Systems) to be great at helping  a striker deal with a grappler. You need to intercept the attack and have the tools to help keep the fight standing and remember that if you do go to the ground not to be a shitty grappler, which many strikers become. You still have your striking skills so learn how to use them from the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I agree with learning some basics ground fighting, especially on how to disrupt the other person's balance to gain an edge. You could also check out Tony's DVD that deals with this very topic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://speargear.myshopify.com/collections/dvd/products/how-to-beat-a-grappler-the-beginnings-of-the-s-p-e-a-r-system&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://speargear.myshopify.com/collections/dvd/products/how-to-beat-a-grappler-the-beginnings-of-the-s-p-e-a-r-system&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastActivityDate="2012-07-17T20:28:34.480" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1254" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1250" CreationDate="2012-07-17T20:57:59.607" Score="18" Body="&lt;h2&gt;&quot;Clinch happens.&quot;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without training, people who fight very frequently end up in a clinch or on the ground. (This is common for people who train in non-sparring, non-grappling arts, too.**) It's just a natural outcome for a fight, unless you're proficient in grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In most cases, one cannot stop grappling without...&lt;em&gt;drum roll&lt;/em&gt;...grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Probabilities&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might be supremely lucky and catch your opponent with a knee, or knock them out with a punch before they get close. It works, sure, but certainly &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/2nzHykS-r2M&quot;&gt;not every time&lt;/a&gt;. What's the chance of throwing that knockout punch? One in ten? Twenty? Five hundred? There's good reason to take that chance, but no good reason to rely on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In contrast, the high-percentage options for defending takedowns--the ones that work against people very good at takedowns, pick-ups, trips, and throws--are themselves grappling:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A well-executed sprawl works even against good wrestlers, as Tank Abbott showed UFC fans back in the day. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The hip block, as learned in judo, is another fundamental. Footwork and posture learned in that art, as many other jacket wrestling styles like Sambo, is key.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Detailed knowledge of the techniques going to be used against you (e.g. double-legs, foot sweeps, hip throws...) is vital. Defense is contained in understanding offense.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice that all of these involve copious actual grappling. Whether judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, freestyle or Greco-Roman wrestling--and there's significant overlap and carryover between all of them--you'll need to learn the techniques and practice them against a fully resisting opponent in alive drilling, in-class rolling/&lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt;/wrestling, and competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Opposing views&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like Einstein, let's try a thought experiment. What would it look like if we tried to train stopping the takedown &lt;em&gt;without&lt;/em&gt; training grappling?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, we'd be using an awful attack. It's foolish to assume that a non-grappler, totally untrained in the double-leg takedown (or whatever), could execute one as well as someone who drills it day in and day out. Your takedown defense trained on that non-grappler would be weak and untested. (Many aikido instructors recognize this as a problem, since it's common in that art to train against strikes thrown largely by non-strikers.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, what would it even mean when I don't knock my opponent out while defending the takedown? He grabs my shirt, and I...am not grappling? Surely I am grappling, however poorly. I can't expect to go for the grab-defense wristlock (or the knee strike from the clinch) if I ignore the fact that he's tripping me. I'd get tossed on my head in an instant. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point is that &lt;em&gt;we don't always get to decide&lt;/em&gt; where the fight goes. If he gets lucky, or is faster, or catches me by surprise, guess what--I'm grappling whether I like it or not. If I don't even know the terrain of that phase of the fight, I am bound to do poorly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I could rely on hail-Mary eye-pokes and knees to the groin. However, nothing stops my opponent from throwing those back at me. Plus, &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/UiiUHFCkoZ0?t=3m23s&quot;&gt;the better grappler is going to be better at executing those dirty techniques&lt;/a&gt;, since he'll be on top, or choking me, or at least have a better idea of where we are and what matters. So that sounds like a bad idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, who do I trust for grappling technique? The boxer, who hasn't faced more than a half-dozen takedowns in his life...or the Samboista, who has a mean ankle pick and has competed numerous times (even if only at the local level) against people skilled at throwing, pinning, and controlling the grappling phase of the fight? I'd prefer to learn from the Sambo guy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Final thoughts&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So we've concluded that we should go to a painter to get our house painted, instead of the plumber. Great. But which painter?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestling, playing judo, training Sambo or BJJ or Greco or any other grappling-only option is good. That's important to gain a base in the fundamentals. However, it might be optimal to train MMA, &lt;em&gt;san da/san shou&lt;/em&gt;, or another art where grappling is integrated with striking. Note, however, that best results will always be obtained with schools that train hard: sparring or wrestling every class, and entering competitions at least a few times a year.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tim Cartmell's Ground Proofing DVD, developed with the express purpose of giving non-grapplers the minimum grappling skills and drills necessary to prevent, control, and exit the ground fight, might be a great fit. Tim is a second-degree BJJ black belt, as well as lineage holder in multiple traditional Chinese martial arts and a champion several times over in both BJJ and knockdown kung fu tournaments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;** &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.karateforums.com/william-cheung-and-emin-boztepe-wing-chun-incident-vt1836.html&quot;&gt;As happened&lt;/a&gt; to two prominent Wing Chunners, Emin Boztepe and William Cheung:&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;He was struggling like a wounded mule because he had no countering &#xA;  technique against the headlock. Because of the slipperiness of the floor &#xA;  and my shoes, I was sliding around like I was on roller skates. At that &#xA;  time, I started slipping, and then he fell as well. He was more or less &#xA;  lying on top of me. Then he was sitting on my stomach, and tried to throw &#xA;  a few punches&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-11-08T13:19:50.977" LastActivityDate="2013-11-08T13:19:50.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1255" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1250" CreationDate="2012-07-17T20:59:46.267" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Great question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think of all the categories of fighting as different spokes on a wheel. If you are equally poor in all categories, your wheel is small, and you may move smoothly, but you won't move far, at least not quickly. If you are completely missing spokes, these are points at which your wheel falters, and you have a rougher ride. Which is better? To have no skill, then, and to ride smoothly only on an axle, or to have unequal skills and shudder and skip every few feet?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So long as you think of yourself as Not X (in this case, not a grappler), you will continue to have a weakness to X. In numerous other questions about fitness, I've responded the same way: To improve at X, do X. If you need to be better against grapplers, train against grapplers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The flaw here is thinking that being a great grappler makes up for everything else; this is equally as fictitious and dangerous of a mindset. If you can grapple, your effective range is inside striking range. Striking is what you do to maintain that range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be well rounded. Train in everything you can because you have a love of martial arts, and you will improve. Train only in selected categories, and you will continue to have a rough ride. My view, however, is that even a rough ride is a good one if you get there in one piece.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-07-17T20:59:46.267" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1256" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1250" CreationDate="2012-07-17T22:47:32.903" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately for you, unlike grappling which can be used without any striking ability to neutralise striking, there's no way to use striking to neutralise grappling. The only way to deal with a grappler is if you can grapple yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your focus is on avoiding getting taken down, you can train a takedown centric art. Judo would be the most likely one that's nearby for you to train. Unfortunately Judo's got very little in the way of standing back up once you've been taken down, but being able to take the other guy down first while you're still standing fits with your goals. You can also just work on standing up as quick as possible when you get taken down in randori, make it a habit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;San Shou might also be available to train where you are, particularly as a component of a CMA school. You can set your strategy to work on striking, and you'll learn how to deal with takedowns and clinches that you wouldn't otherwise learn. Knowing how to do a takedown or a clinch well will help you defend against it. Also, like Judo, getting in the habit of standing up right away after a takedown will help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideally, you'd want to train American Folkstyle wrestling, but outside of US high schools that usually isn't available. The reason American Folkstyle wrestling is the ideal style to train is the emphasis on standing back up - unlike Freestyle, Folkstyle scores escapes and standing back up. It also scores holding top position for a minute, so you not only train and learn how to stand up, you train to stand up against a guy who's trained to hold you down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there's a Freestyle or Greco-Roman club where you are, you could train in a Folkstyle manner by heavily emphasising sit outs and not waiting for the ref to stand you up. It's not always encouraged by coaches if they're too heavily focused on scoring and avoiding being scored on, but as far as a personal style goes, particularly if you get it to work, they won't complain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally though, any indigenous wrestling style (and I'm pretty sure every country has one, so you should be able to find something where you live) will help. If the training focuses on taking the opponent down and maintaining top position, it'll give you the skills you need to be able to fight off a grappler.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, lift weights. Strength is always beneficial, especially with something you're not skilled in. Of course a very skilled grappler can overcome a strength advantage (assuming he has a sufficient level of relative strength himself), but it's always harder and takes longer to make anything work against a strong opponent than a weak opponent, so it will give you more opportunity to stand up and get away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-17T22:47:32.903" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1257" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="672" CreationDate="2012-07-18T10:46:07.640" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is also a small reference work called &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1411618467&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Aikido Terminology: An essential reference tool in both English and Japanese&lt;/a&gt;.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The book has very thorough explanation of the language -- with things grouped usefully, (e.g. &quot;stances&quot;, &quot;etiquette&quot;, etc). It very clearly explains the words in English and Japanese including pronunciation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="579" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-07-18T11:55:28.043" LastActivityDate="2012-07-18T11:55:28.043" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1258" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1274" CreationDate="2012-07-18T15:24:58.543" Score="6" ViewCount="1971" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let's work with the following assumptions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I have good awareness of the area&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I have good mobility: the floor is not slippery, and my shoes work, and I have room to move&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I need to avoid grappling in this particular situation (let's say my life depends on it)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I don't have any weapons that change my range (whether ranged weapons or long weapons like a staff)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I don't need to win this, I need to get away&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It is currently impossible for me to run away right now - but I'll be able to if I can just fend off that one opponent&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm in a situation where someone wants to grapple with me. They might be rushing head-first, or running at me, or simply trying to clinch -- in any case, their goal is to get a hold of me and not let go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is vital that this not happen. If it happens, I'm dead. Imagine the guy has two friends with knives.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What techniques can I use to slip his grasp? What can I do to move out of the way?  What strikes may be effective (e.g. kicking at one of his knees to disrupt his equilibrium and momentum) in this situation?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-08-02T11:20:34.170" LastActivityDate="2016-08-07T05:22:47.890" Title="What can one do to avoid entering a grappling situation?" Tags="|grappling|" AnswerCount="10" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1259" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1258" CreationDate="2012-07-18T17:48:15.097" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1258/what-can-one-do-to-avoid-entering-a-grappling-situation#comment2157_1258&quot;&gt;@WayneInML&lt;/a&gt; is right... This is the &quot;40 ninja in trees armed with automatic weapons and a nuclear device&quot; question – you can always provide enough circumstances to counter an argument. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only sure-fire, 100% reliable way to survive is to not be there. Don't engage idiots, listen to that oh-so-obnoxious sub-conscious of yours that tells you walking down that dark alley is a bad idea, don't flash money in public, and when in doubt control your environment to discourage confrontation (entering a busy shop, for instance).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you had &quot;good awareness of the area&quot;, you wouldn't be in that position. You get into these positions by ignoring basic fear signals that your body sends out to keep you safe. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any position, do what you've been trained to do and use your best judgment. If you need to do better, train against it. Anything else is supposition. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you want to know what to do? Set up the scenario. Be critical in training so that you can be effective in real life. Tell yourself at what point the scenario becomes unlikely. Train with good partners who want you to help them as well. Look at the fight from each POV. Then improve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Control your environment – Are you in a small alley? An office? A large parking lot? A refinery out of some Jason Statham movie? What's around you? How do walls present or absent change your tactics? What do different lengths of knives change? What happens if the attacker suddenly changes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're going to get hit, you're going to get hurt. Suffer and improve. Otherwise, you're just making worthless assumptions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-07-18T17:48:15.097" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1260" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2055" CreationDate="2012-07-18T19:27:24.307" Score="10" ViewCount="1432" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am specifically speaking about the London 2012 games.  I am not asking if any athletes &lt;em&gt;are&lt;/em&gt; doing this, just whether it is technically permitted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wikipedia says nothing, but this was allowed in boxing for a while, before being stopped years ago.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Answers pertaining to more than just the Olympics are definitely appreciated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="587" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-07-24T17:11:19.353" LastActivityDate="2013-06-26T15:52:41.527" Title="Can a Judo athlete compete in more than one weight class in the Olympics?" Tags="|judo|olympics|weight|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1261" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1260" CreationDate="2012-07-18T19:51:13.497" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Wikipedia page on &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics_-_Qualification&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Judo at the 2012 Summer Olympics Qualification&lt;/a&gt; states (emphasis and italics mine):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The top 22 men or 14 women from the world rankings in each division&#xA;  qualify, &lt;strong&gt;subject to a limit of 1 judoka per NOC &lt;em&gt;(National Olympic&#xA;  Committee)&lt;/em&gt; per division&lt;/strong&gt;. Further continental quotas (Europe 25,&#xA;  Africa 24, Pan-America 21, Asia 20 and Oceania 10 across both sexes&#xA;  and all divisions) also qualify subject to &lt;strong&gt;an overall limit of 1&#xA;  judoka per NOC and 2 judokas per division from each continent&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So for the 2012 London Summer Olympics, the short answer to your question is no.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It was somewhat ambiguous when I had looked up &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo#Weight_divisions&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;judo weight divisions&lt;/a&gt; and also &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo_at_the_Summer_Olympics#Weight_classes&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;judo Summer Olympics weight classes&lt;/a&gt; since the &quot;dividing&quot; number between weight classes was included as the upper or lower limit for adjacent weight classes. My initial thought would be no, competitors wouldn't be able to compete in multiple weight divisions out of fairness issues.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastActivityDate="2012-07-18T19:51:13.497" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1262" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1258" CreationDate="2012-07-18T20:31:37.047" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a boxer who went into mixed martial arts, I would say your best option once conflict is unavoidable is a simple stiff but uncommitted jab, and of course counter-take-down techniques such as a stiff arm or sprawl. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end you will either be able to run after a jab and a shove, or in your scenario, you're dead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="588" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-07-19T19:43:20.413" LastActivityDate="2012-07-19T19:43:20.413" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1263" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="656" CreationDate="2012-07-19T03:40:53.833" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga is a short intense course, where one can receive an instructor certificate in less than a year. They charge more because of the higher turn over rate  due to the intensity, physical &amp;amp; mental demand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="589" LastActivityDate="2012-07-19T03:40:53.833" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1264" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="656" CreationDate="2012-07-19T04:39:03.413" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Same reason Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is so expensive. It's popular, people actually go out asking for Krav Maga, so they can afford to charge more. If some unknown style charged that much they'd have empty classes and wouldn't be able to afford the rent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think about it, if you saw a place teaching Gou Chuan at $25/class, you'd just think &quot;Yeah right,&quot; but you wouldn't even bother coming on here to ask why it costs that much. Krav Maga, you're actually interested in doing but are taken aback by the price. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-19T04:39:03.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1265" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1219" CreationDate="2012-07-19T07:57:27.317" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;TKD people usually aim for competitions and tend to train techniques which would score them the most points. Most of this high-score techniques are high kicks. In competitive TDK (WTF) there is very little (if any) room for grappling and things alike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the time it's an exchange of kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="591" LastActivityDate="2012-07-19T07:57:27.317" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1266" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1258" CreationDate="2012-07-19T18:24:07.693" Score="6" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Good Luck&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your not-getting-stabbed plan relies on your not-engaging-in-any-form-of-clinch, then I'd hire a combat medic to follow you around, because chances are you're going to have some stab wounds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;We don't always get to choose where the fight goes. Our sprawl might fail, we might get caught by surprise, our knee or punch or debilitating nerve strike might miss. (In fact, the evidence points to these methods failing more often than not.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The corollary to this is that often the best way to avoid being thrown, taken to the ground, or dominated in the clinch and beaten senseless is &lt;em&gt;to train groundwork and the clinch extensively&lt;/em&gt;. The clinch happens. People fall to the ground. Wouldn't you rather be the guy who is very familiar with ground grappling, instead of the guy relying on it never happening?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Anti-Grappling is Just Grappling&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As noted in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1254/347&quot;&gt;my answer to the training-oriented version of this question&lt;/a&gt;, there are a couple points of folly in trying to arrange one's training around the sole goal of never hugging an opponent:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might be supremely lucky and catch your opponent with a knee, or knock them out with a punch before they get close. It works, sure, but certainly not every time. What's the chance of throwing that knockout punch? One in ten? Twenty? Five hundred? There's no good reason to take that chance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In contrast, the high-percentage options for defending takedowns--the ones that work against people very good at takedowns, pick-ups, trips, and throws--are themselves grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ergo, the best option for avoiding the clinch, or fighting on the ground, is highly dependent on what methods your opponent uses (osotogari? fireman's carry? arm-drag?) and their tactics for entering the clinch (a shot from outside? punching and grabbing? crashing into a clinch?). Most likely, the defense to that will involve a heaping dose of grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;100% No-Clinch Guarantee&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A small minority of takedown defense strategies do avoid the clinch entirely. They should not be relied on as a defense of last resort, since like all methods, there is a strong chance of failure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're able to apply an Anderson Silva- or Jose Aldo-style approach of flawless pivoting footwork and counter knees, with a great deal of work devoted to freeing one's legs from half-materialized holds and the &amp;quot;fence&amp;quot;-style semi-sprawl, you have a chance of not getting stuck in the clinch. Even in that best-case-scenario, however, you're probably going to get stuck grappling for at least a moment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basing an entire training regimen around such an approach would be a bad idea, since even the best in the world at this method get stuck in a clinch or on the ground. People who succeed with this method are also excellent ground and clinch technicians.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-08-03T08:31:20.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1267" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1258" CreationDate="2012-07-19T20:02:14.530" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the very nice things about people who want to take you down is that they're usually very frank and honest about it. There's very little dilly-dallying going on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means the energy coming in your direction is very clear, and all of its variations are, well, just variations on the same theme. Whether the opponent is just running into you or applying a slightly more complex method involving splitting your limbs, there's very little trickery going on. The trickery happens when they have succeeded to make contact and the prey tries to resist - that's where their game begins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, it also means the rhythm is usually fairly obvious (it could be the rhythm of the steps they're taking towards you, or a much quicker rhythm if they are highly skilled, but again, it's not hidden).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you know where they are, where they're going, how fast they're going and, with reasonable accuracy, how quickly they'll be able to readjust and recalibrate when you make changes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is an awful lot of information just handed to you on a platter. The next thing to do is to give them what they think they want. Make light contact with their arms so they can zero in on the feeling of the contact. The effect you're looking for is just enough contact/push that they feel resistance, but not enough that you're pushing back. You don't want to commit your center to this move - just trick them into thinking they have access to your center.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once they have this, you can essentially direct them where to go while stepping off where YOU want to be. Once they're past the critical point, just give them a shove and run the hell away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this answer simplistic? Maybe a little bit. Still, all variations will basically come from that, whether you need to go down, up, left, right, circle around the arms or do other things to stay away from the grappling range. Variations will depend on the skill of the person trying to grab you. And, of course, the question is somewhat simplistic, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-07-19T20:02:14.530" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1268" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1258" CreationDate="2012-07-19T21:37:05.187" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;@stslavik's answer hit it on the money, but I wanted to give my two cents, alongside his.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know you didn't use these words, but basically, there's no real &quot;anti-grappling&quot; that isn't, truthfully, just grappling. I have a couple things that I'd like to recommend if you want to avoid being put in a grappling situation, though:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) As @stslavik said, avoid getting in the confrontation in the first place. This is something we all should do, anyway. While we train how to fight, it doesn't give us a right to go out and pick them. On the contrary, we should be acting as peacekeepers. In the ring is another story, of course, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) Assuming the fight is unavoidable, then make sure your trained technique is solid. Mistakes easily lead to off-balancing, which easily lead to being thrown/pushed over/tripped, and once you're on the ground, unless there's distance, you will likely be mounted and find yourself in a grappling situation. This should be something that, unless you're learning how to fight from the ground, all styles should teach. This doesn't mean &quot;do this to counter a shoot&quot;, but how to stand, move, parry, and strike without providing an opening (or giving as small of one as possible) or losing your balance. It also means knowing how to control the distance with your opponent (especially emphasized in TKD, for instance).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will probably be effective enough for most people. Unless you plan on fighting in the ring against people who you know will be very proficient and experienced in grappling their opponents, you will more than likely find yourself fighting more unskilled opponents. In these situations, it's most likely that lack of technique, not superior technique, will be the cause of a grappling situation. From what I can tell, an unskilled fighter will quickly default to sloppy wrestling and pushing when their strikes become ineffective (which is also likely). Even among seasoned fighters, if they are primarily strikers, they will still start to do basic grappling as they get tired or if their technique is otherwise sloppy (see the clinch, often featured in professional Boxing matches).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) If you feel that your current training isn't adequate for controlling the distance, or you believe that it may be inevitable that you will end up on the ground (maybe you're worried about facing against a Judo or BJJ practitioner), you will &lt;em&gt;have&lt;/em&gt; to learn how to grapple. This means finding a wrestling, judo, jujutsu, or some other school that has a grappling curriculum and training in it. This, however, is something that I would only recommend for those who are comfortable with their current style and have enough experience in it that the new training wouldn't confuse them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, there's no real sure-fire way to avoid a grappling situation without actually grappling. Outside of close range, whether someone is closing towards you with intent to grapple or strike doesn't create a lot of difference in how they come at you. Their limbs must still enter your space, which means you can still control distance or parry their incoming attacks as you would a striker. This is why I say to make sure your current training is solid. If a grappler can get inside and take you down, you probably would have also gotten hit by a striker in a similar situation. But once they actually start grappling you, you will not be able to counter without some knowledge and training in grappling techniques, yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="334" LastActivityDate="2012-07-19T21:37:05.187" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1269" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1273" CreationDate="2012-07-19T23:18:35.420" Score="5" ViewCount="395" Body="&lt;p&gt;Basically every answer I've ever read that involves a &quot;real-world&quot; situation begins with &quot;If you got into a fight, your training already failed you&quot;. I know - I gave a couple of those answers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, I'm in a fight. What have I failed to do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-08-02T11:22:25.630" LastActivityDate="2019-02-19T12:25:44.210" Title="How many (and what) things have I failed to do if I get into a fight?" Tags="|prevention|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1270" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1082" CreationDate="2012-07-20T01:52:07.477" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no certification for Judo mats, which sucks because I've seen people advertising 1&quot; puzzle mats as judo mats where someone can get their back broken on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo around the world is performed on 1.5&quot; or 40mm mats. You want to make sure you buy a quality mat; it's all about quality because not all foam is the same density - stay away from EVA foam its high density... but very low density when comparing it to any judo mat. (We helped my gym's owner pick the right mat for his club after a nightmare we had with our swain mats, the vinyl was bubbling and the mats warped after only a few years.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We learned that Swain mats are made in China and the manufacturing process is different to mats made in Europe and they just don't hold up the same. DAX and Zebra mats are both made in Germany (isn't everything better that's made in Germany?), anyway we ended up getting Zebra mats for a really good deal and they are a dream, we all pitched in. They tend to be a little more expensive, but we all feel it was well worth it. By far the best mats I've trained on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We didn't make a slam floor; we cheated and just put a 1/2&quot; roll of cheap foam underlay under the mats to give a bit added cushion and it's all we needed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I definitely recommend the Zebras. Check them out!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="594" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-10-01T08:42:11.793" LastActivityDate="2015-10-01T08:42:11.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1271" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="860" CreationDate="2012-07-20T02:09:28.157" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In short, there is no difference between joint locking and throwing which prevents you from practising &quot;in the air.&quot; Simply rehearse the movements without a partner, visualising your opponent; your opponent's position and reactions, how they feel when you lock them or throw them and so on. There are some limitations, but the exercise is still beneficial, in my experience. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It might be difficult to do at first, especially if you're not experienced. But this is also true of striking movements. While many people find it quite natural to practice striking without a target, others need to learn to do it. I think it is the same with joint locking and throwing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Visualisation can be done at various levels. You can do it entirely without any physical movement, or you can do shortened or limited movements and you can do full movements without any targets or opponents. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="506" LastActivityDate="2012-07-20T02:09:28.157" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1272" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1269" CreationDate="2012-07-20T02:24:58.517" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most likely, you haven't&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;been careful of your situation and mindful of your surroundings,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;avoided dangerous places or people, and/or &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;worked hard or smart enough to defuse and de-escalate situations of rising emotions, tensions, and territoriality (either your own or of those around you).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, a lot of &quot;you failed to do &lt;em&gt;X&lt;/em&gt;!&quot; discussions seem to assume that perfect situational awareness and response mechanisms are always feasible. That borders on magical/Utopian thinking--in the same class as &quot;true black belts can block any punch!!&quot; Haha--no. Only on television. It's unrealistic to assume that everyone can always be in only safe places, only associate with calm/respectful people, or at all times be observing and managing their situations with perfect aplomb.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But let's assume you've taken &quot;reasonable precautions&quot; about where you are and who you're with, that you have &quot;good&quot; (though not Sherlockian) situational awareness, and yet you still find yourself near to or in a fight. What did you not do? I'd wager:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You didn't back down.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People generally don't like to appear weak or submissive. That's what &quot;losers&quot; are, right? If someone &quot;gets in your face&quot; or claims this is &lt;em&gt;their&lt;/em&gt; territory, you &quot;stand your ground,&quot; right? Maybe even &quot;take the fight to them.&quot; After all, you're a trained martial artist! You have every right to be here. Dammit, you're in The Right! &lt;em&gt;They&lt;/em&gt; should back down. Next thing you know, you're in a fight. Getting hit. Or shot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because even though you were reasonably careful and aware initially--especially of your external surroundings--you weren't sufficiently aware of your own internal responses. Your anger. Your ego. Your territoriality. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of martial arts schools teach &quot;how to fight.&quot; How many teach &quot;how to avoid a fight&quot; or how to calm down a situation&quot;? Not so many. In theory, many teach a little Zen-y mumbo jumbo, or do a little meditation. Not many do much work on that moment of escalation, where everyone's emotions and territoriality are flaring. Not many teach you how to not fight, how to back down, to submit gracefully. That's probably why you're in that fight!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastActivityDate="2012-07-20T02:24:58.517" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1273" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1269" CreationDate="2012-07-20T04:05:05.627" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think it really just comes down to one thing. If you made a mistake, the mistake is that you were looking for a fight. It's an understandable tendency among martial artists, especially those that train for the &quot;mean streets,&quot; after all; what's the point of training to fight and defend yourself in the mean streets if you don't ever actually use your training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If we're talking about a fight that happened, only someone who was there can for sure know whether the fight was actually avoidable. Usually, however, we're talking about a hypothetical, and in this hypothetical, martial artists want to &quot;test&quot; their fight theory. If you think about hypothetical situations like that, that could create a tendency to actually go for the fight when there was an option available to avoid it. So constantly reminding ourselves (I really think it's more for personal benefit than for anyone else's) that you always want to avoid the fight will create that tendency when a potential fight situation comes up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So assuming you weren't looking for a fight, and it happened anyway, any mistakes are of the &quot;hindsight is 20/20&quot; variety. There probably was something you could have done, like not be where the fight happened, even if that meant skipping your friend's birthday party, but then why would you think about the potential of a fight breaking out unless you were looking for a fight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's obviously a bunch of common fight avoidance strategies:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cross the street to the other side if you see someone suspicious/drunk/on drugs &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't drink alcohol unless around people you know and trust&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Walk with purpose, don't wander aimlessly&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't be alone&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't get into arguments&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't go to pubs/clubs/etc where fights commonly happen&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't go anywhere that they feel a need to have security and check everyone for weapons&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Move to a new apartment/suite/etc if you have regular problems with your roommate/neighbour&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't take a job that puts you somewhere that you might have to fight (server, bouncer, nurse)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But really those are only guidelines that will help you avoid &lt;em&gt;most, but not all&lt;/em&gt; fights. What if there's only a sidewalk on one side of the street and there's heavy traffic? What if you just want to enjoy one of the few sunny days outside? What if your job ends late and walking alone is your only option? What if you have to take any job you can get, or else be on the street ('cause that'll definitely increase your chance of getting in a fight)? There's tons of what-ifs, and they're perfectly legitimate as long as you're not looking for a fight. If you were looking for a fight, it's just an excuse to be in a situation where you can test your skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are someone who's itching for a fight, take up a competitive, full-contact, full-resistance style. Either train MMA, or one or more common MMA feeder styles. You'll get your desire to fight worked out in competition, so when it comes to &quot;real life&quot; you're satisfied. If you're generally conflict-averse, remain conflict-averse and you'll be fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another way you can look at it is like this. If you had no training of any kind, what would you have done to avoid the fight? Did you do it? If yes, there's nothing else you could have done. If no, that was your mistake.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-20T04:05:05.627" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1274" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1258" CreationDate="2012-07-20T13:00:47.663" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just a shortie (declaimer: I am not very much into martial arts, unfortunately).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Throw something at his face: knife, keys, wallet, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/di_grasseCloak.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;jacket&lt;/a&gt;, stone. That is, I claim you always have some kind of weapon that changes your range. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you remain there, what do you win? You spend time fighting, he spends time fighting, but his friends are free to surround you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, these are thought experiments. No grip on reality whatsoever.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="485" LastActivityDate="2012-07-20T13:00:47.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1275" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1219" CreationDate="2012-07-20T15:59:52.650" Score="16" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rulesets determine skillsets&lt;/strong&gt;. Tactics are determined by the &quot;battleground&quot; (read: competition setup). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If a style focuses on competition that doesn't allow foot-sweeps or clinching, and kicks are scored higher and more frequently than face punching, your fighters will end up looking like Olympic TKD: hands at the sides to deflect body kicks, facing sideways to minimize target area on the torso, bouncing up and down to set distance. It works in that venue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Fix it with sparring&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best remedy for a bad habit is to remove the contrivances that created it. Have them spar, but change the rules:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Allow foot-sweeps&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Encourage clinching, takedowns, and throws&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Add leg kicks and face punching&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These don't have to be done all at once, or all together. MMA sparring is not necessarily required to break the bouncing habit. It is absolutely possible to add these changes piece by piece into their sparring practice. One day you could do all-inclusive striking, but no throws or sweeps. Another day you could do just face punching, clinching, and throwing (without kicks or foot-sweeps). Another day you could do anything-goes san-shou or MMA sparring. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;My experience&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I did karate, we did compliant drilling of throws, kicking below the belt, and standing joint locks. We talked about the importance of these techniques and their superiority over head kicks all the time. But our sparring rules--light contact &quot;tag&quot; with no leg kicks, no grabbing, no sweeps, no throwing--logically produced high kicks, bouncing, strikes as powerful as feathers, and stances vulnerable to getting knocked or taken down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Talking about the issue is fine. Correcting their stance or habits in forms or technique practice is good. But these approaches pale in comparison to allowing, &lt;em&gt;in sparring&lt;/em&gt;, the techniques that make bouncing such a bad idea. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once I started &lt;em&gt;sparring&lt;/em&gt; with throws, leg kicks, and face punches, the vast majority of my bad habits naturally melted away. I didn't need to be coached not to throw three spinning high kicks in a row, because my partner would knock me down. Nobody had to be reminded to keep their stance grounded, because if they didn't, they got clinched or swept. &lt;strong&gt;Good sparring rules are a breeding ground for good technique.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I predict with a few weeks of practice in a broader ruleset, their bouncing will be replaced by the habits common to more inclusive fighting disciplines and to fighting in general.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-07-20T15:59:52.650" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1276" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1269" CreationDate="2012-07-21T03:38:44.050" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;To be a little bit Zen:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;So, I'm in a fight. What have I failed to do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You've failed to &lt;em&gt;end&lt;/em&gt; the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There could be nothing that you've failed to do. People are like animals, one day you can end up in a fight that you had nothing to do with. To absolutely remove all chances of having a fight you would have to live your life in a vastly different way, eschewing human contact altogether, and you would probably still end up fighting - fighting the wild squirrels/monkeys/whatever to get your food.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;If you got into a fight, your training already failed you&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That sort of answer is &lt;em&gt;usually&lt;/em&gt; proffered by pontificating fools (they do exist, even in MA circles). Theory around de-escalating fights, managing crowds, soothing people's feelings, etc. is add-on humanity type stuff that some instructors teach and isn't strictly included in any martial art. Nor should it have to be - you can go to other classes to learn that stuff. Techniques that work for one person in one situation may fail miserably when used by someone else some other time. The quoted statement makes the very large assumption that you could have or should have walked away. Situational awareness (which is something that is learnt from martial arts) and experience will sometimes say that you should stay and fight (even if momentarily).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-07-21T03:38:44.050" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1277" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-07-23T10:35:11.820" Score="3" ViewCount="1337" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm at a training center right now where group classes are taught. Essentially there are six belts and getting to just the first 'belt' requires roughly six weeks of training. Also, I generally feel like techniques are rushed, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My problems are these:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I would like this to take less time. I've read about soldiers who enter six-week programs and come out ready to fight. This is the type of program I'm looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;From what I understand, there's a &quot;civilian&quot; KM and a &quot;police/security guard&quot; KM, and apparently the civilian version only teaches the basics. I would like access to the higher-end techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What can I do about this? I'm at an American place right now; maybe the curriculum is different?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="598" LastActivityDate="2014-09-29T12:56:13.140" Title="Quickly learning the full essentials of Krav Maga" Tags="|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1278" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1277" CreationDate="2012-07-23T13:32:19.890" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Levels/ranks/belts are dependent on Association You choose. Krav-Maga techniques are conceptually very easy but it takes much time to practice speed and precision (and strength of course).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway Military Krav-Maga bases on using weapons (especially assalut rifles) so it is less usable than civilian version and may be shorter due to army don't need many good hand combat soldiers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="90" LastActivityDate="2012-07-23T13:32:19.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1279" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1277" CreationDate="2012-07-23T14:49:12.570" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As far as I know, there is no &quot;division&quot; of civilian versus military KM, except in marketing hype. Certain schools may wish to train with less intensity and brand it civilian, or like many Americanized schools, emphasize the cardio and fitness aspect. But, it is all Krav, they just may not elect to use the full curriculum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as the rankings and the time, as teo noted it depends on the organization. Some use the same belt system as judo, some use patches, some use belts with levels within the belts, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have a belt in a martial art, then you know the majority of the techniques that KM will teach you, especially if you cover knife and gun defense as part of your curriculum. Where KM differs, is the philosophy of moving from defense to offense as quickly as possible, and making sure that there is no wasted motion in the movements. The closest limb should be used for the attack, and attacks are generally aimed at the most vulnerable points (eyes, jaw, ribs, throat, groin, etc.) KM emphasizes get in, disable, get out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-07-23T14:49:12.570" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1280" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1234" CreationDate="2012-07-23T17:00:13.303" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm with Trevoke on this one. Take it form a judoka who is a mess of never properly healed injuries, strains, and arthritis . FIX IT FIRST! Don't train until you get the all clear from a GOOD physio therapist and it's 100%. I might not personally recommend tai chi because i've never done it. But some yoga and perhaps running or something like that to keep your cardio up in the mean time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;IF you insist on training anyway:  Put your arm inside your gi.  and tie it to your body.  Do judo one armed then you can't make a bigger mess of it.   You can't do everything this way, but it'll help keep you active, and you can work foot work drills, and some uchi komis and the like.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorUserId="21" LastEditDate="2012-07-26T14:48:59.270" LastActivityDate="2012-07-26T14:48:59.270" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1281" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1277" CreationDate="2012-07-23T18:16:40.643" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm getting a bit of a disconnect from the question. You're feeling that the techniques are rushed, but you also want to get to your next rank faster? If you get there faster, they'd be even more rushed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It takes a certain amount of time from learning a technique to actually being able to do it, and while repetitions are a factor, it's my experience that there's also a fixed time before you can really start to understand something (incidentally, I've noticed the same thing for learning languages). I wouldn't expect doing any number of repetitions to accelerate you past 2 weeks for getting a decent grasp of the basics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That might suggest that you could cram everything into a 2-week intensive course, but there's also a question of existing physical ability. Are you actually fit enough to do 2 weeks straight of endurance work? The other issue is that unless you're talking something like boxing (and are ignoring the importance of footwork), the technique selection is broad enough that if you try to do &lt;em&gt;everything&lt;/em&gt; there's no way you can fit enough reps for all of them into that 2 week period, and you can't really handle too many different things at once.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I teach, I'll introduce something and it won't be understood very well, then I'll bring it back in a few weeks later and it's understood better. By the third or fourth time I go over it, usually 4-6 months later, it gets understood well enough for me to say they have a solid grasp of the basics. I'm teaching a group class 1/week though, so if you jump it up to 3/week you could expect significantly faster results, but the fact remains that most people don't really understand something the first time they're taught it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, if you're looking for faster results, lift heavy weights to train your strength. Technique is a force multiplier, which means it depends on the initial strength you have to apply force. If you're physically stronger, you'll reach a minimum level of competence faster. It doesn't mean you're going to be technically all that much better (although I'd suggest it helps a little bit), but if you're looking for fast results, that's probably all you can hope for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-23T18:16:40.643" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1282" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1288" CreationDate="2012-07-25T08:55:03.900" Score="24" ViewCount="2862" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a 22-year-old IT professional with 5 days work a week (8 hours daily). My office being far from my place I remain out for nearly 12 hours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I get stressed sometimes because of this schedule, and want a solution for this to achieve peace of mind, and control over my life.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that martial arts can give peace to one's mind, and I would like to learn one of those. Will martial arts suite my life-style? How much (dedicated) time will it take per day?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also would like to know about the preparations needed to done before enrolling into the learning, like exercise, diet, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="602" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-07-26T11:49:01.210" LastActivityDate="2014-12-04T17:28:48.360" Title="Are martial arts suitable for a busy, IT professional?" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1283" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1282" CreationDate="2012-07-25T09:51:52.953" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;What I suggest is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Find a &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/97/82&quot;&gt;good dojo&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/em&gt; The dojo will be more important than the art and its location will help greatly.  Closer to home would make it easier on the way back, closer to work would make it easier on the way in. Since you want this to gain peace of mind, maybe a &lt;em&gt;dojo&lt;/em&gt; that has some meditation would help.  Maybe you just need an intense physical workout.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Do not over do it.&lt;/em&gt; Once a week is a good start, then increase it to twice then three times then once a day then enrol as an &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uchi-deshi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;uchi-deshi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  It is easy to stop going when one is tired. Make sure you have at least one class a week when you will go, no matter what.  You will need to fit your day around that one which can be hard.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Do not die, do not quit.&lt;/em&gt; You will get there, just remember that the journey is more important than the goal. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The only preparation before joining a club (or for that matter any class) is to come with an open mind and a desire to learn.  Physical fitness will come given time -- remember that being fit and being dojo fit are two very different beasts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-08-29T07:31:20.627" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1284" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-07-25T10:01:08.510" Score="15" ViewCount="17042" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am 21 years of age. I have been learning taekwondo for a year. However, I am still unable to achieve a complete split. What are exercises that I can do to increase my flexibility to reach a complete split?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="597" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-10-28T12:26:38.947" LastActivityDate="2018-10-29T11:09:13.277" Title="How do I increase flexibility to achieve a full split?" Tags="|flexibility|stretching|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1285" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1282" CreationDate="2012-07-25T11:58:11.113" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;All due respect (there is no nice way to say this) but it seems from your question that you have no clue what you could be getting yourself into.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't get me wrong, martial arts can help you in a lot of ways. But from the phrasing of your question it seems like you are doing it on a whim, like you were searching for solutions, you rolled the dice and martial arts came up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People do martial arts for all sorts of reasons, some of them misguided. To me, the most important thing you should have before you start is passion. As I said you can benefit in many ways from practicing a martial art, but to get the full benefit you need passion to follow through with it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based on your question, the best advice I could impart is to find yourself an internal style like tai chi and work on that at least until you get a routine going. Don't start with a hard karate/kung fu/MMA style, try those once you've had some exposure and you've got some idea of what you like and what you can manage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-07-25T11:58:11.113" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1286" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="359" CreationDate="2012-07-25T13:10:36.043" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd say it's a waste of energy if you aren't using it to scare an opponent. When striking, kicking or blocking it is important to exhale to relax the body so that you can get more power into the strike. This should however be done more or less silently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People bench pressing also does this to get more power in to the press, most of them without screaming or making to much noise as you want the force to go into your arms not out through your mouth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="604" LastActivityDate="2012-07-25T13:10:36.043" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1287" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1143" CreationDate="2012-07-25T13:24:03.827" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd say you need to have a fairly big repertoire of techniques to chose from before you can achieve this. When you know a bunch of different techniques well, stop planning or thinking about which one you are going to apply, but rather apply the one which fits the given situation where you see an opening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By changing your technique according to how your opponent reacts I'd say you'd get rid of the &quot;fixation&quot; - it's best to take things slowly to start with, so that you have enough time to react to changes in your opponents posture and &quot;openings&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="604" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-07-25T13:34:26.377" LastActivityDate="2012-07-25T13:34:26.377" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1288" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1282" CreationDate="2012-07-25T13:25:02.160" Score="31" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, martial arts &lt;em&gt;could&lt;/em&gt; help you, just as any diversion that you enjoy could help you. Martial arts does help with focus, clarity, peace of mind, body improvement, a whole host of things, but so do many many other activities, both physical and non.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would not suggest a specific style, but spend a few months going around to different studios of different styles. Talk to the instructor, see if they will let you watch a couple of classes, and there are many schools that will let you take lessons for free for a week or two to see if you enjoy it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find the style that you enjoy, and work on that. You're going to (hopefully) be doing it a long, long time, so if you don't enjoy it, you won't stay with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may find that you really don't enjoy martial arts, or it's not giving you what you want out of it. In that case, it's not life shattering, simply move on and find an activity that you DO enjoy, that will give you the health and mental benefits that you are looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you find that you like martial arts, well, then welcome to the family! :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-07-25T13:25:02.160" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1289" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1282" CreationDate="2012-07-25T16:47:16.427" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Given what you're looking for, I'd lean towards recommending Yoga over martial arts. That also hits the question you were asking about preparation in terms of exercise. The other thing you'll want to look into is weightlifting for strength (incidentally, any MA instructor who tells you strength is unimportant isn't worth learning from). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do Yoga and/or weightlifting for a while, see if you still have an itch to try martial arts. If you still want to do it, then you'll at least be much less likely to be injured in training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-25T16:47:16.427" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1290" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1284" CreationDate="2012-07-26T03:44:14.503" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Deadlifts and squats. Thomas Kurz (who demonstrates some very impressive splits at a moderately old age) says that if you can't deadlift and squat your own bodyweight (minimum), you really shouldn't be training for martial arts or flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-07-26T03:44:14.503" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1291" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="120" CreationDate="2012-07-26T11:01:46.590" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;When teaching the backward break-fall you can start from laying down position. Teach the students the rolling and getting up bit, and then move on to the falling down bit once they now how to handle them selves on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gives them a bit of security before they dive into it from a standing position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="604" LastActivityDate="2012-07-26T11:01:46.590" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1292" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="332" CreationDate="2012-07-26T11:09:09.313" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sounds to me like you might do something wrong when switching grip on the staff that makes your hands wonder of towards one end.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another useful tip is to keep your elbows in with your body (tie your belt around your arms and waist) to force yourself to use your body rather than your arms to spin the bo. This also restricts movement of the hands/arms and might help you stay in the center.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="604" LastActivityDate="2012-07-26T11:09:09.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1293" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-07-26T11:23:09.997" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-07-26T11:23:09.997" LastActivityDate="2012-07-26T11:23:09.997" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1294" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-07-26T11:23:09.997" Score="0" Body="A bō is a long staff weapon used in Okinawa and feudal Japan. Bō are typically around 1.8 m (5.9 ft) long and are now used in Japanese martial arts, in particular bōjutsu." OwnerUserId="604" LastEditorUserId="604" LastEditDate="2012-07-26T14:12:11.063" LastActivityDate="2012-07-26T14:12:11.063" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1295" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="892" CreationDate="2012-07-26T14:10:20.910" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You could give Vibram FiveFingers a shot... I would't recommend anything with a thick sole, as that will probably lead to injury down the line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or you could try &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;tabi&lt;/a&gt;, which are used in some dojos in Japan. They are sort of a crossover between socks and shoes. You can get them with or without a rubber sole.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="604" LastActivityDate="2012-07-26T14:10:20.910" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1296" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1258" CreationDate="2012-07-26T14:17:25.567" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kick him in the groin or knock him out! Or you could side-step and attack at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But realistically you have to be fairly lucky to stop someone from closing in on you if they want to grapple with you. If you are lucky you'll get one or two shots in as he jumps you, if that doesn't take him out you'll have to start grappling to stop him from taking you down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="604" LastActivityDate="2012-07-26T14:17:25.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1297" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1258" CreationDate="2012-07-26T15:16:06.057" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Obviously the best answer is to not get into such a position.   But, if you do, you've got a few options, depending how the attacker is trying to &quot;grapple&quot; with you, are they going for a thai style clinch?  an wrestling over/under clinch? straight for a double leg?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A couple options:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If they are charging at you with some good momentum,  you can use a judo through like sasae tsuri komi ashi.  This throw uses their momentum, and redirection, along with a foot sweep/block to take them down.   I'm sure there are plenty of aikido techniques to use in this situation as well.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you have absolutely no throwing experience, option one is going to be tricky,  so you'll be better of striking.   In the long range, a stick Jab/cross punch right to the nose is a wonderful deterrent.   It'll slow down their momentum, maybe break their nose, and likely make their eyes water, which is a distraction, and may cause their sight to be blurred a bit.  a teep, or push kick, or front kick, depending on which art your taking it from,  to various targets is also a decent deterrent.   Some good targets are:   face (if your flexible), sternum, solar plexus, groin.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If they are to close already for the throws or longer range striking you've got to use your close range attacks.   Knees are amazing for stopping someone shooting in for a double.  also elbows.   For the knees, aim for the solar plexus. For the elbows,  right where the jaw and ear meet,  or temples are nice targets.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If they already have a hold of you, there are a bunch of japanese jiu jitsu techniques you could use, depending on how they have you.   this video covers one options: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35bTxFZo0YM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35bTxFZo0YM&lt;/a&gt;  not one i've learned personally, but it seems reasonably sound.  Since this isn't a jiu jitsu lesson forum,  I won't fill this will a wall of text describing a single technique.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-07-26T15:16:06.057" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1298" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1284" CreationDate="2012-07-26T16:33:04.273" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with Robin that squats and deadlifts are important.  but i disagree that if you can't squat your own body weight you shouldn't be doing martial arts.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Squats are actually great for improving your hip flexibility, most people think they are only for strengthening, but they definitely improve your hip and ankle flexibility.  Just make sure your form is good or you'll do more damage then good!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My favourite way to improve flexibility, which I have talked about in a few questions here, is active stretching, or stretching with a partner also known in more science like terms as isometric stretching.  Here's a link to an answer to another questions: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/794/is-stretching-with-a-partner-beneficial-dangerous-or-both/795#795&quot;&gt;Is stretching with a partner beneficial, dangerous, or both?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For doing the splits, I would work on the one standing against the wall primarily.  Doing the butterfly stretch won't hurt either.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To do the first one:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;stand perpendicular to a wall, about a foot or so away&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;left your leg as high as is comfortable (and that you are able) and then have your partner lift your leg until you can feel the stretch. (for some this will be the same height, for me, with a partner i can get my leg much higher).  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hold for 10 seconds.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;have your partner holding steady, push against there resistance.  For 10-15 seconds.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;relax and allow your leg to be lifted higher for 10-15 seconds..&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make sure you do both sides b/c the stretch is difference depending which leg is in the air! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also: Make sure you're very warm before doing any flexibility work. working on flexibility cold is not very helpful, and can be quite harmful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-07-26T16:38:12.800" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1299" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="998" CreationDate="2012-07-27T18:11:00.617" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I also think it's worth mentioning that if  you are a beginner then you should either, not be sparring until you learn proper technique, tactics, and defense, or spar with someone of your same level.  Frankly, as a kickboxer, if you are sparring with someone who rings your bell two or three times each session, then you are sparring with someone who is too far beyond your level.  It's one thing for your coach to toughen you up--that's part of the process--it's another thing for them to put you up with an opponent who is going to hurt you.  Think about that and whether your coach is making good choices.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="607" LastActivityDate="2012-07-27T18:11:00.617" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1300" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="667" CreationDate="2012-07-27T18:18:03.573" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a good link on this site about head injuries and that may be a way to judge whether you are in a bad club.  If you get hit and see stars, the recommendation is to stop sparring and sit down, even if you are in the middle of a round.  You are then not allowed to spar again for two weeks.  This may seem a little cautious, but it is the recommendation of a doctor.  Getting beaten bloody sounds way beyond this.  Personally, I would change clubs if I was you.  You need to take time to improve and to learn proper technique.  Sometimes coaches are more interested in seeing a good fight or making their guys as tough as possible than thinking about safety.  You have to weigh that against the health consequences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="607" LastActivityDate="2012-07-27T18:18:03.573" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1301" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1282" CreationDate="2012-07-27T18:28:55.100" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;Traditional the three most important things in Real Estate are &#xA;1) location&#xA;2) location&#xA;3) location.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In martial arts, the three most important things are:&#xA;1) Sensei&#xA;2) Sensei&#xA;3) Sensei&#xA;4) Dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(or Sifu, if you're inclined that way)&#xA;I'm coming late to this question and I think the others have provided very valuable comments, but one thing I saw missing was the piece in between making the decision and hitting the mat.  That is to visit as many dojo's as you can and watch as many classes as you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find a teacher with whom you're comfortable.  Someone who can provide training that matches your needs.  Based on your question, you're not looking for &quot;street self-defense&quot;, and you're not looking for deep mystical alignment with the universe.  Toss out any teacher that is intent on delivering those more than they are in meeting your needs.   (that is the most important thing I have to say; the rest is commentary)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watch a class.  Ask yourself if you're comfortable with the amount of courtesy displayed. (some dojo's bow ever 10s, others don't do so at all). Do you see people training safely? (Yes, there are limitations in your ability to judge that until you know more, but if on your first visit it doesn't feel safe, then it is probably not going to help you achieve peace of mind).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What tone does the teacher set?  Does the teacher instruct, or does he hand it off to senior students?  Do the senior students pass the &quot;comfort&quot; test?   Is the instruction more or less mystical than you want?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do the students relate to one another? Are these people going to help you achieve peace of mind? Do they seem egotistical, arrogant, obnoxious?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is the place clean? (tough to achieve peace of mind when you're face down in an old spill of some unidentified bodily fluid with a 350 pound stinky guy stretching your arm out of its socket.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a mix of beginners and seniors?  Are you comfortable with that mix? (at the moment my dojo is very skewed towards black belts; we welcome beginners, but our retention rate is high).  If you see a room full of green belts with only one black belt, that will give you one type of experience. If you see a room full of black belts with no green belts, that's another experience. Either can be OK - what is important is whether you think that will help you achieve peace of mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do the students seem to like one another?  At our dojo we hang out together and have lunch afterwards.  Sometimes we'll show up for an extra session just because someone needs the stress relief of being thrown at the ground repeatedly. (different stroke for different folks).  You don't have to be best buddies with the dojo mates, but it does go a long way towards comfort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What's the gender balance?  A room with no women, or no young people, or no old people or a room where everyone has the same (hard) body type &lt;em&gt;may&lt;/em&gt; point to an excessively aggressive training style that may interfere with peace of mind.  It would matter to me, but it might not matter to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you travel?  You may wish to join a dojo that is affiliated with a larger organization so that you can visit dojo's wherever you are. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you want weapons work and solo work?  I can't get to the dojo  as often as I'd like, so I want to study arts that I can do when I'm alone (weapons work is great for that - you get a lot of feedback from the weapon).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me, peace of mind comes from working hard till my body is exhausted, feeling  safe - that my partners will watch out for my safety, and that there is more learning in front of me than there is behind me. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd look at all those things before I'd look at internal/external or Japanese/Chinese/Korean/whatever.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2012-08-01T10:58:17.090" LastActivityDate="2012-08-01T10:58:17.090" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1303" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1282" CreationDate="2012-07-28T03:44:19.057" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Yes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At least, it worked out very well for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am in a high-stress, rack-em-and-stack-em IT job. When I started my current run of martial arts training seriously about ten years ago, the constant context switching and demands of my job were making me distracted, short-tempered, and less happy than I wanted to be. Finding a hobby that was very different from my workday experience, that &quot;got me into my body,&quot; that was fun, and that was challenging in a very different way--that made me happier and saner.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts isn't unique in being able to do this. I've successfully used weight lifting, rowing, biking, and xc skiing for the same thing. But martial arts worked better than many of those because it could be done several times a week, and because there was &quot;always another door at the end of the hall&quot;--always another place to advance, get better, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no preparation required. Just go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other answers give some hints on the different kinds and qualities of dojos/kwoons/studios/clubs/academies out there. Obviously you want to find a good one--a place you like, that you can afford, that you think you can and will attend on a regular basis, that&#xA;doesn't try to lock you into suspiciously expensive or long-term membership, etc. (Choosing one is much like choosing a health club in that regard.) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you lack experience, I wouldn't worry overmuch the style of martial art you pick up,&#xA;or try to build an N-way comparison of all possible schools and styles. That leads to &quot;analysis paralysis.&quot; Just get started. &#xA;You can always change what you're doing, or at which school, after you've learned a bit, both about martial arts and your own ability/interest/preferences.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my case, I was looking avidly for a judo club. I love the &quot;full contact sport&quot; aspect of judo, which I took up in college. But I couldn't find a judo club hereabouts. So I landed in a kung fu school. A decade later, I'm still training kung fu. I've added some boxing, MMA, jiujitsu, kempo, &lt;em&gt;et cetera&lt;/em&gt; along the way. But it's still a blast, and still helping me mentally and physically. So &quot;thumbs up!&quot; and &quot;just go!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastActivityDate="2012-07-28T03:44:19.057" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1304" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="359" CreationDate="2012-07-30T10:33:04.457" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of my partners this weekend reminded me of another reason that it is important to exhale during execution of a technique.  If you are hit, or hit the ground (take a fall) while holding your breath, you're going to (a) hurt more and  (b) take longer to get up.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't quantify the difference, and I would recommend against the experiment .  Sadly even though I remember (not pleasantly) the falls I've taken while holding my breath, I still have to work on it every couple of years - it is a bad habit that comes back. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-07-30T10:33:04.457" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1305" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="120" CreationDate="2012-07-30T10:49:59.230" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;All the above are good and I agree. They seem to emphasize teaching absolute beginners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once they are able to fall, a couple of hints that I think are important to (re) emphasize.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) Breathe.  Don't hold your breath.  For my own training, I purse my lips and &quot;hiss&quot; the breath out in order to ensure that I don't hold my breath.  Every couple of years I forget this, take a fall while holding my breath, and regret it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) Tuck your head.  Probably the most important safety feature.  Worth reminding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) Watch your foot.  As you commit to the roll, look at your opposite foot. This will ensure that you tuck your head and it helps to build the right structure, and to ensure that you're committed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4) Do not cross your feet.  Looks really cool, enables you to do a very pretty, very smooth roll.  But sometimes (1 in 10,000? whatever, the proportion is too high for comfort) your upper heel will land on your lower shin and shatter it.  I believe that this happened to a friend of a friend this past year.    Make a habit of always landing with the &quot;upper&quot; leg in front.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Couple of other ways to reduce the intimidation for students who can do breakfalls, but need more.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) Uke gets down on all fours, lifts one hand and extends it &lt;i&gt;under&lt;/i&gt; his chest to the opposite site.  Partner grasps hand and pulls (smoothly, sharply) upwards. Uke flips over and smacks the mat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) To transition from low falls to high, shake hands with your partner, who does a 180 pivot and then holds while you take the fall over. Start low, then work high.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And of course&lt;a href=&quot;http://artofukemi.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Art of Ukemi&lt;/a&gt;   (Other links invited)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-07-30T10:49:59.230" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1306" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1330" CreationDate="2012-07-31T03:25:54.377" Score="4" ViewCount="2442" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm currently getting ready for a TKD tournament in September (ITF-based, sport/light contact sparring and forms). As part of the training, I'm trying to ensure that I'm keeping a diet that maintains a proper energy level for competition/training as well as allowing for healing from the rigors of everyday training. My current training routine consists of:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Calisthenics (daily; 10-20 minutes)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Technique Drills (daily; 15-30 minutes)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Strength/Weight Lifting (3/week; 20 minutes)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sparring (3-5/week; 20-40 minutes)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tabata interval runs (2/week)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jogging (1-2/week; 30 minutes)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All training is at full intensity, though there tend to breaks between sets during weight lifting (2-3 minutes). While no plan can meet the needs of every martial artist, it seems like there should be some basic outline that is more broadly applicable. So the question is this, Is there a generally accepted diet for competition martial arts and if so, what is it? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastEditorUserId="338" LastEditDate="2012-08-01T01:15:46.520" LastActivityDate="2012-08-03T18:28:07.153" Title="Proper diet for preparing for a tournament" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1307" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6699" CreationDate="2012-07-31T14:47:11.737" Score="11" ViewCount="27838" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been watching the Olympic Judo matches and I'm confused. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that ippon is an instant win. And 2 waza-ari are the equivlent of an ippon. But then there is another number associated with the matches. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally there is a gold mark (or multiple marks) that appear occastionally next to a participant's name. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A complete answer of all scoring, points, and mark meaning would be appreciated. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastEditorUserId="9" LastEditDate="2012-07-31T16:44:53.523" LastActivityDate="2019-06-05T12:15:58.637" Title="How is the scoring determined in Judo for the Olympics?" Tags="|judo|competition|olympics|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1308" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1307" CreationDate="2012-07-31T16:27:48.787" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ippon will win the match  (throw where they land mostly on their back, done with speed, force and control, or osae komi of 25 seconds, or a submission)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2 waza ari = ippon (throw where they land mostly on their back, with one of the other criteria missing, or osae komi of 20-24.9 seconds)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yuko (for throws where they land on their side, or osae komi (pins) of 15-20 seconds).  No amounts of yuko will add up to waza ari or ippon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The gold marks I believe are penalties. The first penalty is recorded but no score is given to the other player (i think, it's been a bit since i competed, and when i did, the first penalty got you a koka, which no longer exists).  The 2nd will give the other player a yuko, and the 3rd will give them waza ari), The 4th will disqualify the athlete being penalized.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most common penalties are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;non combativity(not attacking with a real attack for to long),&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;false attacks(doing a lame throw attempt that gets you to the ground),   &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;defensive posture (standing with your arms locked out usually),&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;illegal grips (2 hands on one side of the opponents gi for more&#xA;then 2-3 seconds without attacking).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-07-31T16:27:48.787" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1309" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1311" CreationDate="2012-07-31T17:06:02.390" Score="13" ViewCount="34743" Body="&lt;p&gt;After watching a number of matches during the Olympics it seemed like a lot of opportunities for submissions weren't even pursued.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the matches I observed I only saw two legitimate submission attempts; an arm bar and a key lock. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many times I saw competitors achieve back mount against their opponents, only to instantly let them go, rather than attempting a rear naked choke. Are chokes allowed?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which submissions are not allowed in competitive Judo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-09T17:23:31.370" LastActivityDate="2022-03-22T11:40:55.530" Title="What submissions are not allowed in competitive Judo?" Tags="|judo|competition|olympics|submissions|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1310" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1309" CreationDate="2012-07-31T17:15:20.897" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Chokes are allowed, and elbow attacks are allowed. Everything else is not allowed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a bit of a grey area when it comes to &quot;key locks&quot; or ude garami, which can put the shoulder in peril, but it also attacks the elbow so is allowed, as well as the guillotine choke which while a choke can also be a neck crank, so some referees will prohibit it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the time chokes are abandon because ground work progress has to be pretty much instantaneous, so if the defending judoka can keep his/her chin down for 2 or 3 seconds, matte (stop) is called and they are stood back up.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorUserId="565" LastEditDate="2012-07-31T18:28:07.827" LastActivityDate="2012-07-31T18:28:07.827" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1311" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1309" CreationDate="2012-08-01T03:35:16.167" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo's groundwork (&lt;em&gt;newaza&lt;/em&gt;) looks strange to someone from a Brazilian &lt;em&gt;jiujitsu&lt;/em&gt;, wrestling, or SAMBO background. Its approach is fairly unique to this particular combat sport. Why? Because &lt;strong&gt;rule-sets determine tactics&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;The basics of &lt;em&gt;judo newaza&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than throwing the opponent, one can win in judo by pins, arm-locks that attack the elbow, and chokes. Some players get &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he2GttCwiYE&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;very good&lt;/a&gt; at applying techniques within that narrow range. Olympic judoka who have particularly notable groundwork include Flavio Canto, Jimmy Pedro, AnnMaria Burns (now AnnMaria de Mars), and her daughter Ronda Rousey.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other significant rule is that the match will be paused and restarted standing if there is a lack of progress in groundwork. Application of this rule varies widely across different referees and different levels of competition. For some referees a stand-up could be triggered by five seconds of no movement, despite a choke or technique being applied. For others, up to twelve seconds of inaction is acceptable, and significant attempts at turnovers, pins, chokes, armlocks, or transitions are enough to allow groundwork to continue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Anti-groundwork biases&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a number of reasons that groundwork is frequently nowhere to be seen in judo matches at all levels.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many modern referees allow very little time for groundwork before standing the players up to restart the match standing. Therefore, many elite &lt;em&gt;judoka&lt;/em&gt; simply prefer throws to groundwork. It's common for these players to work for the referee's stand-up instead of a choke or armlock, except for one or two scenarios for which they have techniques they are very confident in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many players also focus their judo training time on throws instead of groundwork. This means they might eschew groundwork simply because they might end up in a bad position against a player better versed in groundwork. Because the rules allow for stalling on the ground, which leads to a referee's intervention, this is a successful strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also common for &lt;em&gt;judoka&lt;/em&gt; to view groundwork as more tiring or time-consuming than stand-up work. Many players avoid groundwork for that reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Outlawed and uncommon submissions&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the perspective of modern grappling in the vein of Abu Dhabi Combat Club or NAGA, more submissions are illegal than legal:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;All leglocks are illegal, including heel hooks, straight ankle locks, kneebars, toe holds, and calf crushes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;All small-joint manipulations are illegal, including finger locks, wrist locks. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bicep crushes are illegal.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Both blood chokes and air chokes (attacking the arteries and attacking the trachea) are legal, but neck cranks are not. In addition, one cannot touch the &quot;mask of the face&quot; of one's opponent, so smothering and many wrestling-style cross-faces are illegal. The triangle choke is explicitly allowed and taught in judo (as the &lt;em&gt;sangaku-jime&lt;/em&gt;). However, some referees will disqualify a BJJ-style triangle choke finish where the head is pulled down, on the grounds that the neck is being strained.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shoulder locks are not allowed, but since there is a good deal of overlap between elbow locks and shoulder locks, and it's tough to tell as a third party which one is being affected, they are often allowed by referees. All forms of &quot;arm entanglement&quot; locks (&lt;em&gt;ude garame&lt;/em&gt;) are explicitly allowed and taught in judo, making Americanas, key locks, and Kimuras legal. &quot;Chicken wings&quot;, where the arm is forced up the back in a Kimura-like fashion, are not legal, since they more obviously attack the shoulder.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Straight elbow locks are the most popular submission in judo, and are definitely legal. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Back mount is a particularly interesting case. Since there are no points awarded for hooks, and there is intense time pressure to advance to a pin, choke, or armlock, the calculus for back mount is decidedly different than it is under Brazilian jiu-jitsu or mixed-martial-arts rules. Instead of holding the superior position and waiting for a good choke, it is generally a better strategy to explosively attempt an armbar or collar choke. This is because naked chokes often take longer to set up in the &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt;, it doesn't help the &lt;em&gt;judoka&lt;/em&gt; to stay on the back, and there's virtually no down side to losing the position if the submission attempt fails. Other players, instead of going for the hail-Mary choke, will go for a turnover to a pin, or simply stand up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-10-12T19:23:08.473" LastActivityDate="2013-10-12T19:23:08.473" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1312" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-08-01T07:04:34.953" Score="5" ViewCount="195" Body="&lt;p&gt;Given the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Shin%20A%20Lam%20controversy&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Shin A Lam controversy&lt;/a&gt;, I decided to look up the rules for the appeals process.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The technical rules I found on the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.britishfencing.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;British Fencing website&lt;/a&gt; indicate that a point of fact can not be appealed. A couple news reports indicated that Shin A Lam's appeal was rejected on those grounds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is a point of fact in fencing parlance? I'm assuming it's jargon because the situation doesn't make sense when interpreted in plain English.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2013-01-12T02:30:36.280" LastActivityDate="2013-01-12T02:30:36.280" Title="In fencing, what is a point of fact?" Tags="|sport|fencing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1313" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1333" CreationDate="2012-08-01T19:12:19.297" Score="9" ViewCount="24842" Body="&lt;p&gt;I tried looking for grappling mats online and they are really pricey, ranging from ~150 to $600 or more. Or for puzzle mats, each square is about $35 and the two sites I went to (one was fighters warehouse) had a minimum order I could not meet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is for home use for my two boys, ages 6 &amp;amp; 8, who are beginning Brazilian jiu-jitsu  students. I'm thinking something around 10'x 10'. Something we can take out onto the living room when needed and practice various techniques including takedowns. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where can I find affordable grappling mats? Or are there other cheap alternatives? I was hoping to stay under $100. Is that even possible?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;btw I tried craigslist by searching: &quot;grappling mats&quot; and &quot;sparring mats&quot;.  No dice though. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="572" LastActivityDate="2013-09-06T17:07:59.370" Title="Where can I go to order cheap grappling mat(s) for beginners?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|" AnswerCount="10" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1314" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1313" CreationDate="2012-08-01T20:07:06.300" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can get 1&quot; or 2&quot; thick folding mats from a gymnasium supply (think school gym) store, but they're still not really cheap, especially to cover a large area.  You wouldn't have to pay for shipping that way, at least. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While you can get puzzle mats in some sports equipment stores, they're not generally thick enough to offer a lot of protection. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="583" LastActivityDate="2012-08-01T20:07:06.300" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1315" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1312" CreationDate="2012-08-01T20:37:02.647" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Found this explanation on a fencing website:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In foil and saber there is a rule called right of way, or priority,&#xA;  which claims only one person may develop an attack at a time.  If both&#xA;  fencers are touched it is up to the referee to decide which fencer&#xA;  will be awarded the touch and why.  Difficulty arises when the&#xA;  priority relationship between the fencers becomes confused.  Each&#xA;  person is struggling to gain control of the attacking initiation.  If&#xA;  sharp swords were used the truth would become apparent, but with dummy&#xA;  tips understanding this is a subtle matter.  The rulebook has a&#xA;  standard explanation that the referee follows when arbitrating who&#xA;  will be awarded a touch.  However: each referee and each fencer may&#xA;  judge events a bit differently.  When a fencer does not agree with a&#xA;  referee’s call there is little he can do unless the referee said&#xA;  something which was unclear, or contrary to his own logic.  It doesn’t&#xA;  matter if both fencers think they performed in a way completely&#xA;  opposite to the referee’s opinion - so long as the description of the&#xA;  fencing phrase is clear the referee’s judgement is the final say in&#xA;  the matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In the rulebook this decision is called a point of fact.  There is no appeal for this.    However; “if the referee is ignorant of or&#xA;  misunderstands a definite rule, or applies it in a manner contrary to&#xA;  the Rules, an appeal on this matter may be entertained.”  (Fencing&#xA;  Rules, 2000 Edition, t.122, t.96b)  To make an appeal the plaintiff&#xA;  should courteously inform the director that he would like to make an&#xA;  appeal before the bout committee.  Right then and there the bout&#xA;  committee will decide on the issue.  The fencer making an appeal on a&#xA;  point of fact, or anything else for this matter should use discretion,&#xA;  since both the referee and the bout committee can penalize a fencer&#xA;  for an Unjustified appeal t.122, Delaying the bout t.31, or Refusal to&#xA;  obey the Referee t.82, t.84.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if I understand it correctly, the referee judged and called the point correctly, and since he followed the rule book it can't be challenged, despite the failure of the external equipment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: Just as a note, the rule book for USA Fencing is 230 pages long. That's about the longest rule book I've ever seen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-08-01T20:37:02.647" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1316" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1313" CreationDate="2012-08-01T23:44:34.760" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I see plenty of cheap play mats for kids in those cheap $2 shops. They are 1 foot square, so not big, and they aren't thick. But if it just for home with the kids doing a bit of rolling, they could do the job. I wouldn't try doing throws on them. As I recall, the ones I've seen are the jigsaw type that lock at the edge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an added bonus, some of them have nice colourful animals and letters and numbers in them :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="443" LastActivityDate="2012-08-01T23:44:34.760" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1317" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-08-02T06:21:01.670" Score="10" ViewCount="4652" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Olympic sport of Tae Kwon Do is conducted under a particular set of rules that were (in my understanding) developed relatively recently. The actual conduct of an Olympic Tae Kwon Do fight doesn't seem to be very reflective of the range to techniques taught in 'traditional' Tae Kwon Do. In that sense the sport and the martial art seem somewhat diverged.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If my assertion of a divergence is true, is there anything uniquely Tae Kwon Do like to the Olympic Sport? Would someone trained in Tae Kwon Do be at an advantage compared with say a Karate expert or a kick boxer who wanted to compete in the Olympics but happened to be trained in a system with a different label?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate is being considered for inclusion in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/sport/olympic/karate/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tokyo 2020&lt;/a&gt; Olympics. How would this differ from Tae Kwon Do, since presumably a full contact version would be considered too bloody so a watered down sparring contest would like very similar to Olympic Tae Kwon Do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Feel free to correct any assertions I've made that are simply incorrect, I am no great expert on striking based martial arts and perhaps there are more important differences than I am giving credit for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="619" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-23T14:53:49.630" LastActivityDate="2021-02-23T01:01:45.243" Title="How different is Olympic Taekwondo from traditional Taekwondo? And how similar are Olympic Taekwondo and Karate?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|style|striking|olympics|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2023-06-14T14:07:20.290" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1318" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1317" CreationDate="2012-08-02T11:54:03.977" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tae Kwon Do itself is actually a very recent development as well. Call it Korean Karate and you're not being inaccurate, just some Koreans/TKD exponents will lose their shit if you say it in front of them. If you're looking for the actually traditional art, it's Taekkyon, which as of 2011 was on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List. South Korea has its own similar list, on which Taekkyon is as well, but Tae Kwon Do is not. Taekkyon is quite different from Tae Kwon Do, in uniform, in competition conventions and in techniques used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't believe there's anything uniquely TKD like in WTF TKD, at least not beyond how a specific set of rules within any sport would be 'unique'. A WTF TKD practitioner would certainly be at an advantage in competing in WTF TKD due to their training with the specific rules, but it actually wouldn't be a stretch for a Kyokushin Karate practitioner to do quite well under the WTF ruleset, as Kyokushin competition shares some of the peculiarities of WTF TKD, namely no punches to the head. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would say it's incredibly unlikely that Karate will be included in the Olympics. While the WKF is recognised by the IOC, the Summer Olympics are already packed, and they're not even allowing host cities to do demonstration sports (Beijing was apparently an exception with Wushu, but I'm not sure why that is). As you say, Karate and TKD are very similar. However, WTF TKD actually is full contact, with a limited selection of legal strikes (not unlike boxing). I don't recall off hand whether WKF Karate is full contact or not, so that might be a difference. To an outside viewer however, they'd be the same, so there would be no point in including both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-08-02T11:54:03.977" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1319" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1313" CreationDate="2012-08-02T12:56:24.250" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your best bet is to buy them used from a tournament like grapplers quest.   They bring in new mats for every tournament, and sell them after at a steep discount.  A lot of tournaments re-use their mats though, so this might not be an option in your area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not attempt things like take downs on the cheap mats you can get at the dollar store, or even departments store puzzle mats,  some one will get hurt.   Kids are pretty tough and resilient, and the carpet and carpet padding will help, but That is a recipe for separated shoulders and whatnot.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The puzzle mats and other cheap ones you can find are perfectly fine for drilling ground techniques and maybe even rolling.   Your best bet is to go with them,  and save the take down practice for in class.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;something like these would be enough for drilling ground techniques:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.walmart.com/ip/CAP-Barbell-Anti-Microbial-12pc-Puzzle-Mat/15561928&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.walmart.com/ip/CAP-Barbell-Anti-Microbial-12pc-Puzzle-Mat/15561928&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-08-02T12:56:24.250" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1320" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1317" CreationDate="2012-08-02T14:46:47.243" Score="6" Body="&lt;h3&gt;Differences in TKD styles&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the most part, TKD is TKD is TKD. A front kick in WTF looks like a front kick in ITF looks like a front kick in ATA, etc. Differences in execution are relatively minor, even if you go from TKD to a Karate flavor, the techniques are pretty much the same. The differences between TKD and Karate are the emphases placed on various techniques. TKD in general tends to favor more leg techniques and less hands, while Karate is more towards the hands. Where the TKD flavors differ majorly is in forms and tournament sparring rules. WTF uses TaeGuk, ITF uses Palgue, ATA uses Songahm form sets, WTF sparring requires a fairly heavy hit while ATA sparring is light contact. It's not a huge difference in the tools, but in the application of said tools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Differences between TKD and Karate&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a chance that Karate could be included in the Olympics. Golf and Rugby are on the slate for the 2016 Rio Olympics. They changed the rules slightly, in that there are 25 &amp;quot;Core&amp;quot; sports, and room for 3 rotating sports. The rotating sports can be included or removed from the program by a simply 2/3 majority vote among IOC voting members.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After each Olympics, the IOC gets together and decides the inclusion or exclusion of sports, which is where the lobbying and confirmation of Olympic eligibility and all of that occurs. It's covered in Chapter 5 of the Olympic Charter (Last revision in 2010 or 2011, IIRC.) I &lt;em&gt;think&lt;/em&gt; the earliest karate could be included now would be the 2020 Games.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where I would see Karate being different from TKD, and thus meriting inclusion is if they modeled it after a NASKA event, and had such things as creative/extreme forms, breaking and weapons competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as the differences in techniques, remember that you are seeing a limited set of techniques that are designed to score points according to the rules. (Like boxing, that uses head gear for Olympic bouts.) TKD schools do teach the other techniques, but it's hard to score points in WTF style sparring using those techniques, so you rarely see them in competition. In that sense, yes, there is a divergence. You can find WTF tournament schools that place a heavy emphasis on tournament styles, and &amp;quot;traditional&amp;quot; TKD schools that don't support tournaments much and place a different emphasis on techniques used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One interesting rule change for Olympic TKD (In the whole anti-concussion movement in sports in general) is that head contact now only has to make contact to score a point, which is a big downgrade from the contact needed previously. I have not found whether this change is in effect for the Olympics only, or if it will be continued after the Games are over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-06-23T14:54:48.853" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1321" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-08-02T15:40:39.637" Score="6" ViewCount="839" Body="&lt;p&gt;My 8 year old son has been doing BJJ for a couple of months now. He keeps getting taking down by this simple maneuver: opponent's leg behind your leg trip. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are the options just to sprawl out on time or grab the leg? Anything else?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="572" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-08-06T14:58:10.723" LastActivityDate="2013-10-23T17:39:37.803" Title="How should my 8-year-old defend against a leg trip (kosotogake) in BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|defense|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1322" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1325" CreationDate="2012-08-02T15:51:37.470" Score="6" ViewCount="5986" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know the two most fundamental escapes: the &quot;buck and roll&quot; (&lt;em&gt;upa&lt;/em&gt;) to and the shrimping knee-push guard recovery (in which you buck onto your side, push down on knee to get half guard, and work from there for full guard).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any other options within context of BJJ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any excercises for producing a more powerful buck?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="572" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-08-02T16:06:44.310" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T11:14:48.857" Title="What are some options for escaping full mount in BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|escapes|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1323" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1322" CreationDate="2012-08-02T16:10:57.383" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can escape out the backdoor - underhook their legs with at least one arm and rotate to your knees (quickly, or you'll get triangled).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can press them away and tuck both knees in to get butterfly guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they have high mount you can reverse figure four them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can overhook an arm and bridge over the other shoulder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have good choke defense you can give up your back, as long as it's going to your knees and not your stomach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can bait the armbar and do a hitch-hiker escape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can bait the americana to facilitate an easier bridge and roll.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To get a more powerful buck, get your heels to your butt first. The further your heels are away, the weaker it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-08-02T16:10:57.383" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1324" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1321" CreationDate="2012-08-02T16:22:46.450" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The inside leg trip is a more reliable takedown than the outside leg trip, but it's not popular in BJJ because the inside leg trip puts you in their guard, while the outside one at least gives you half mount. The inside leg trip is a natural counter to the outside leg trip, and in practice the inside leg trip tends to win (I'm not entirely sure if this is because it's favoured by wrestlers and they're way better at takedowns than BJJers, but I would expect if the outside leg trip had viability you'd see it in wrestling competitions as well). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be able to get the outside leg trip, you need hip to hip contact, so fighting for control of the clinch to keep the hips apart will also entirely kill any chance of getting the outside leg trip. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-08-02T16:22:46.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1325" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1322" CreationDate="2012-08-02T16:35:26.563" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are tons more techniques for escaping mount, but the ones you have been taught are the ones you should focus on. There are several reasons for this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Focus on fundamentals&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The two escapes you know are arguably the most straightforward and efficient methods of escaping mount. In addition, they both develop &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aesopian.com/84/fundamental-five-of-escapes/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;absolutely critical grappling movement skills&lt;/a&gt;: the bridge and the shrimp. These two movements will be used in all sorts of situations. They are also complementary: if the person on top stops one, the other is often easier to apply. Instead of looking for other techniques, you'd do well to put your effort into applying these two techniques against a variety of opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other major reason to stick with these is that they are high percentage techniques. Even the best jiujitsieros have trouble with these two escapes. They are used in elite BJJ competition. Don't discount them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Don't be a YouTube grappler&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aesopian, a BJJ black belt who has been prolific on the web since he was a blue belt, used to be a voracious reader/watcher of instructional tapes and books. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aesopian.com/151/how-much-do-you-really-need/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;He has this to say about learning in this manner&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;You find some interesting techniques in a book or online. You glance them over and make a note to try later. At class, you’ve got your attention split between what is being taught in front of you and the half-forgotten tutorials floating around in your head. When sparring comes, you drop whatever the day’s lesson was and fumble to piece together something else entirely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He goes on at length. This is the fate of the grappler who attempts to learn technique from the internet or instructionals, instead of in class. Don't learn your technique from YouTube. Learn and drill in class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(That being said, learning techniques from video &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1033/347&quot;&gt;can be marginally useful in some limited sense&lt;/a&gt;.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Improving your &lt;em&gt;upa&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The bridge is a fundamental movement not just to escaping mount, and not just to Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but to all of BJJ, all grappling, and all fighting. Getting your bridge to be technically efficient as well as powerful is a great goal no matter what level of jiu-jitsu you have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I'm working on my &lt;em&gt;upa&lt;/em&gt; (bridge), I work on strength, power, and technique in the following ways:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(Technique) Movement drilling - I practice the movement on my own. I make sure I get my feet close to my butt, I make sure I'm not exposing my arm, I make sure I'm extending my hips fully, I make sure I'm pivoting on my shoulder. There are a variety of movements&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(Strength) &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVlQhlKf-5Q&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Barbell hip thrusts&lt;/a&gt; - I hope the implications of being ferociously strong in this movement do not need to be explained. Other general strength exercises that assist this movement are the barbell squat and deadlift.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(Power) Olympic lifts - The barbell power clean is a tremendously successful method of translating strength gained from other strength work into speed-strength (power), which is the most relevant attribute to athletics.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(Technique) Positional drilling - The simplest way to get gobs of training time in mount escapes is to drill it repeatedly. Give your partner mount in free rolling, or outside of class get a skilled partner on top of you. Set the timer for ten minutes and switch every time you escape. Have them resist, and try to submit you, to the best of their ability. Do this with as many partners as possible, and you will get very familiar with the minutiae of what works for escaping.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-08-02T16:35:26.563" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1326" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1321" CreationDate="2012-08-02T17:34:09.330" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;The advice I'd give to an eight year old for preventing a Gracie-family-style &lt;em&gt;kosotogake-makikomi&lt;/em&gt; would be limited.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dominate the clinch. Get double underhooks, and prevent the opponent from getting double underhooks.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Keep your hips away from their hips, and your legs away from their legs, once any clinch is established. This opens you up for other techniques, such as hip and sacrifice throws, but it will generally prevent the outside hook takedown.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(This is more technically involved, and to be safe, would require in-person tutelage from a skilled instructor.) If your opponent successfully starts this throw, turn hard in the opposite direction (i.e. to the left if my right leg is being hooked), back-step with the opposite foot, and twist hard with my arms and torso, attempting an uchimata-ish hip throw. Hopefully you would at least land in a &quot;dog-fight&quot; position, with both people side-to-side, face-down.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are more and better options, but for an eight-year-old, that's more than enough. They should be focusing on putting in and enjoying mat time instead of specific stand-up technical issues anyway. If the throw remains a problem after a few more months, the instructor should step in and provide tactical or technical advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-08-02T17:34:09.330" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1327" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1321" CreationDate="2012-08-02T19:35:21.463" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;For an 8 year old kid,  keeping the distance is probably the best option.  like robin and dave have mentioned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they are looking to be a little more adventurous.   o uchi gara, and uchi mata  are both viable counters to a bjj style ko soto gaki/gari.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/new/techniques/throwing-techniques/95-traditional-40-throws-gokyo-no-waza&quot;&gt;http://judoinfo.com/new/techniques/throwing-techniques/95-traditional-40-throws-gokyo-no-waza&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;o uchi gar is in the first group, uchi mata in the second.  both require a lot of practise for the timing, and are probably worth having your son work on, but not count on for a long time.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;uchi mata will work a lot kil this video: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpGzHiHNPQI&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpGzHiHNPQI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't find a video of o uchi gari as the counter.  but basically as they are hooking their leg behind your leg, you turn and steer their upper body around, dragging that foot in a circle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-08-02T19:35:21.463" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1328" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1329" CreationDate="2012-08-03T03:32:29.393" Score="4" ViewCount="214" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have a problem with the takeoff and landing of my butterfly kick, but various people have suggested different way to perform the kick. Usually when I do the kick, I launch my lower body upwards and keep my head level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have heard others say to dip your head downwards more or to arch your back. When I do arch my back, I feel as though I have a little more lift and keep myself airborne better. I tighten my muscles more rather than let leap high (I have the natural ability to do so) and then let gravity take over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a &quot;standard&quot; to how the butterfly kick is done or is arching my back (among other slight variations) merely a stylistic difference?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastActivityDate="2012-08-03T04:39:37.090" Title="Should I arch my back in a butterfly kick?" Tags="|kicking|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1329" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1328" CreationDate="2012-08-03T04:39:37.090" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Every time I've ever done a butterfly kick, I've arched my back. I've found that if I let my back be straight or slightly rounded, my hips drop and I lose the height needed to keep my body elevated enough for the kick to completely finish.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unless your sifu specifically says otherwise, I'd go with what feels comfortable and allows you to complete the kick. I think the arch is a personal/stylistic difference, and unless it's grotesquely torqued, it is probably much less than you think.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-08-03T04:39:37.090" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1330" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1306" CreationDate="2012-08-03T14:57:04.777" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your workout routine as it stands isn't unusual in any respect. For nutrition, I would go with the maxim of shopping the outside edges of the store, i.e. lean meats, veggies, fruits, whole grains, etc. I'm not going to recommend a ratio of the carb/protein/fats, other than to say you should be getting around 1.5 - 2 grams protein/kg per day to support the lifting and intensity work, and try to get your fats/oils from healthy or natural sources.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During your sparring/technique drills where you are likely sweating heavily, I'd go with a low calorie electrolyte replacement drink, and after your endurance work, I recommend chocolate milk for a recovery drink. (Those are my personal recommendations, if you have conditions such as lactose intolerance or other sensitivity, adjust as needed).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Figure out your calorie needs, adjust as needed to gain/lose/maintain, and you should be fine with a basic, healthy nutrition plan. A multivitamin might be an ok idea, but if your nutrition plan is sound, you most likely don't need it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-08-03T14:57:04.777" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1331" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1306" CreationDate="2012-08-03T18:28:07.153" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's good that you're looking at it now, settle on something that works for you quickly, and then don't change it. One of the worst things you could do with tournament diet is change it up a week before your tournament and find something disagrees with you. Even if technically something you're eating is 'bad' for you, if you're used to it you at least won't run into any nasty surprises. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-08-03T18:28:07.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1333" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1313" CreationDate="2012-08-06T06:44:40.850" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;While I understand the desire and even need these days to be frugal, I would be very careful buying mats from a Dollar Store or Box Store like Wal-Mart.  Safety is of greatest concern.  I have also used the gym style folding mats as mentioned above and they are problematic in that they do not stay together but easily slide apart when using them.  Your best quality will be the interlocking &quot;puzzle&quot; style mats.  You should be able to cover a ten foot by ten foot area for around $300.  Look for sales at places like &lt;a href=&quot;http://centurymartialarts.com/&quot;&gt;Century Martial Arts&lt;/a&gt; and other reputable Martial Arts outlets if you are unable to purchase a used set.  Generally you would need 3x3 or 9 mat squares to cover a 12 foot square area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="621" LastActivityDate="2012-08-06T06:44:40.850" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1334" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1153" CreationDate="2012-08-06T07:21:24.373" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aside from the filler material listed, we have placed this bag in the corner of the room. Our walls are cinder block so this works rather well.  Of course, this only works with one or two.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="621" LastActivityDate="2012-08-06T07:21:24.373" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1335" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="532" CreationDate="2012-08-06T12:27:12.893" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Exhale. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Exhale deeply and allow the jaw to &quot;drop&quot; and loosen. Spend a second looking for the tension in your body and make an effort to relax it.&#xA;(related link:  &lt;a href=&quot;http://copdcanada.ca/anxiety.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://copdcanada.ca/anxiety.htm&lt;/a&gt;  That is the first link I found, not the best link I could find.  Years ago when I was in management they taught a variety of techniques to link exhalation to bodily relaxation, which has an impact on mental relaxation.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, if you're willing to tolerate something a bit slower, try &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhan_zhuang&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;zhan zhuang&lt;/a&gt;, but that converges on the &quot;meditation&quot; answer given by others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I concur with some of the other comments that the question can be construed as asking a bit much.  I doubt that it is possible to quantify relaxation without equipment. (If you have a blood pressure cuff handy and if you're willing to accept that as evidence perhaps, but that seems to violate the precondition of anywhere/anytime).  You might be able to measure heart rate and use that as indirect evidence.  I have absolutely no idea how I would objectively measure mental relaxation.   I think the last half of the&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My answer is limited to techniques that can be done anywhere, at any time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-08-07T01:24:23.613" LastActivityDate="2012-08-07T01:24:23.613" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1336" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="995" CreationDate="2012-08-07T06:39:19.023" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As has been mentioned here, when studying Tai Qi, you need to study the system as a whole.  When studying any martial art for only health benefits, you lose the majority of the benefit of that art.  That said, the primary benefit of Tai Qi, health or otherwise, is strong Qi development.  As this occurs, health will improve.   The problem I have with Tai Qi taught for only &quot;health&quot; benefits is usually the lack of proper Qi teaching which, of course, significantly diminishes the true health benefits.  While practicing Tai Qi or any other art for solely health benefits can and does have some measurable health benefits, however small, using Tai Qi, in particular, for Qi development is it's greatest gift and greatest benefit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="621" LastActivityDate="2012-08-07T06:39:19.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1337" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="532" CreationDate="2012-08-07T07:27:36.423" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As had been said repeatedly here, there are no shortcuts and practice and continual training in self awareness of your body are required.  That said, a description that really helped me that has not yet been mentioned here, at least not in so many words, is to completely relax any and every muscle that is not needed for the current task.  In martial arts this tends to translate into speed as your body is not fighting its own tension.  I have found this to be a very difficult concept to put into practice.  When training, most martial artists try to do their techniques as quickly as possible but I have found that training slower, specifically my katas or forms, really helps me to relax the muscles not needed.  This &quot;slower&quot; training creates a greater fluidity which, paradoxically, creates faster speed.  Also, as previously mentioned, the best way to begin this type of training is with meditation.  This does not necessarily mean sitting, though that is the easiest way to start.  Try meditating while doing your best form, i.e. the one you do not have to think about the moves. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="621" LastActivityDate="2012-08-07T07:27:36.423" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1338" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="425" CreationDate="2012-08-07T08:13:03.700" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aside from percussion instruments mentioned here, I have also found any brass or woodwind instrument will help with breath control.  On the other hand any of my students in choirs train the same breath control.  Also, as David Clements pointed out, you are looking at this a bit backwards.  The martial arts will affect every other area of your life and while some things may enhance part of your training, do them because you enjoy them and not just for their martial application.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="621" LastActivityDate="2012-08-07T08:13:03.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1339" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="425" CreationDate="2012-08-07T15:19:40.703" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe that some of this perception comes from the upper class samurai of the 12/13th century and after, who for the most part were highly literate and encouraged to pursue the arts, poetry, musicianship, things of this nature.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, many of the things that make a good musician such as the long, tedious practice of the basics, attention to detail, focus, etc., make for good martial artists as well. While not required for martial arts success, many of traits needed between the two are shared.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-08-07T15:19:40.703" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1340" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="28" CreationDate="2012-08-07T19:03:48.677" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;After getting my nose broken I had perpetual nose bleeds for about a month, I usually had about one each day that would just spring up randomly. My brother was training to be a paramedic at the time, so he knew how to deal with it and taught me. Presumably as it was from his paramedic training, it's well researched.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1: Look down, not up. You don't want the blood draining into your throat and your stomach. It's unpleasant long term, since you won't digest it very well, and there's a tendency to throw up if you get too much blood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2: Pinch the soft part of your nose for 10 minutes. Don't let go to check if you've stopped bleeding, that's probably the most common mistake I see. If it's not really bad you might be able to get it done in just 5 minutes, but if after doing it for 5 minutes once you find it's still bleeding, just stick with 10.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And from the ENT specialist who did surgery to stop the bleeding from starting again. Presumably his advice is well researched as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3: Put a generous dose of Vaseline inside your nostril to keep too big of a scab from building up. If the scab breaks off, you get the nose bleed all over again, so you want it small enough that a light hit to your nose doesn't break it off or that sneezing doesn't blow it out starting a new bleed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-08-07T19:03:48.677" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1341" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1317" CreationDate="2012-08-08T06:12:30.290" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think it is always dubious to claim that any particular martial art has a unique technique, because no matter which technique you look at, chances are you will find something very similar in another art. However, I would say it is true that through the popularity of Olympic style sparring, many innovations and specialisations have occurred over the years. This is due to the particular rules of the Olympic sport and how points are judged. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an example, I think the &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVJyahmsI1o&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;double&lt;/a&gt;&quot; used in Olympic sparring is fairly particular to the sport. Although undoubtedly the technique could easily be considered to part of other martial arts and to be around well before the Olympic sport began, I think it's widespread use within the sport is unique. It's easy to see why this kick became popular in the sport - the predominant way to score a point is a roundhouse kick, and faster you can do them the higher the chance is that you will score. In other forms of sparring, this type of kick might not be as effective. But the rules of Olympic style Taekwondo make this kick very effective for scoring points. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The degree of difficulty that a martial artist from another art would have in making the transition to Olympic style sparring would depend on what extent they usually rely on techniques which are prohibited in the sport. Karate, as far as I know, tends to use similar rules to Taekwondo in training; that is, no faces punches, no striking below the belt, no grappling and so on. I would expect a good Karate practitioner would be effective in the ring straight away. However, those people who've trained specifically for the sport would most likely have an advantage, simply because they have trained within the parameters of the sport and have experience. Even someone who has trained in traditional Taekwondo will come up against some learning curve when attempting to play the sport. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I imagine it would be similar if you put a Kung Fu expert against a professional boxer in a boxing match. The Kung Fu expert would probably feel limited by the rules of the game, whereas the boxer has been trained for that specific situation, and has lots of experience in it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="506" LastActivityDate="2012-08-08T06:12:30.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1342" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1348" CreationDate="2012-08-08T06:36:27.827" Score="36" ViewCount="11639" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have often heard people make the claim that most of the time, two people who are fighting each other will naturally clinch and wrestle, and then shortly fall over. That is to say that there is a high likelihood that any fight between two people will soon became a ground-fight. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is whether or not this is true. However I would be more interested if some kind of evidence could be used to back up this assertion. I don't know what kind of evidence might exist for this; perhaps police reports or something, or perhaps some actual experiments have been conducted, or perhaps we can look at UFC statistics. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there is no evidence, what reasons are there to think that fights usually end up on the ground? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="506" LastActivityDate="2019-11-09T10:54:30.160" Title="Is it true that most fights end on the ground? What is the evidence?" Tags="|grappling|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1343" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1342" CreationDate="2012-08-08T07:48:00.560" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If we consider most fights to be 51% or more of fights, and we're looking at what happens in MMA fights (UFC, Pride, every other promotion out there), then yeah, there's evidence that most fights hit the ground. In fact I'd put it more at over 80% than over 50%, but I'm not exactly keen on trawling through a few thousand fights to figure out exactly where it is. If you want stats for fights going into a clinch, I'd say it's upwards of 95% (just try finding a single boxing match in which there isn't a single clinch).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could also look at a collection of fight videos on video sites that make light of people's misfortune (I'd rather not even name them, and certainly won't link).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can say with 100% certainty, that it is more likely for a fight to hit the ground than for it to stay standing the whole time. How likely depends on the skills and the goals of the people involved in the fight - outside of competition I prefer not to have my fights escalate, and prefer to negotiate an end to it in the clinch. In competition certain fighters have had significant success keeping their fights standing most of the time - which required deliberate effort and training to be able to do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It gets a bit murky when you look at how much time of a fight is spent on the ground, as some fights have some brief moments of ground fighting while mostly standing back up, or the ground component is the tail end of the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the reason for asking this question, I would presume that it would inform someone on what they might want to focus on training. For that, ground fighting is most definitely prevalent enough that if you're concerned about getting into a fight at all, you should be concerned about that fight going to the ground, and should learn how to fight on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastEditorUserId="565" LastEditDate="2012-08-08T09:00:10.150" LastActivityDate="2012-08-08T09:00:10.150" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1344" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1342" CreationDate="2012-08-08T16:51:12.920" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The issue you could encounter with police data is that LEO's will often take the person to the ground as a control measure (depending on the situation).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Could a fight go to the ground? Yup, this is why as part of self-defense training everyone should know tactics to try to keep the fight standing (going to the ground against multiple opponents is generally not a good choice), how to perform a tactical standup from the ground, and what are the common attacks from the ground and what are the counters. I'm one that prefers the striking arts but still do some practicing from the ground. Most people are surprised as to how much power you can still deliver with a strike from the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastActivityDate="2012-08-08T16:51:12.920" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1345" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1342" CreationDate="2012-08-08T17:38:23.663" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;A lot of the sources from which people draw that &quot;most fights go to the ground&quot; are fatally flawed in one way or another. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;UFC fights are not like real world engagements. Your priorities in a UFC fight are to win the mutual engagement, your priority in a real world engagement is frequently to  not be there as expeditiously as possible (at least if you are practicing self defense). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The LAPD data involved law enforcement officers in a state with a three strikes law where the &quot;end of the fight&quot; parameters, goals, and priorities are very, very different from self defense situations.  In a self defense situation, your goal is to get away. In an encounter with a law enforcement officer the officer's goal is generally not to escape the scene, but to subdue to the individual in question, which may very well involve going to the ground as a matter of training.  You can look at &lt;a href=&quot;http://ejmas.com/jnc/2007jnc/jncart_Leblanc_0701.html&quot;&gt; Going to the Ground: Lessons from Law Enforcement&lt;/a&gt; (a blog post) which takes a look at some of the data for the LAPD (I don't have a link to the original studies). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also important to reflect that what happens to get to the ground in a real world situation is not necessarily equivalent to what people think of when they talk about this in the context of ground fighting.  As I saw pointed out once: &quot;just because someone–especially the loser–ended up on the ground, doesn't mean that the &lt;em&gt;fight&lt;/em&gt; ended up there.&quot;  A fight can be either over or functionally over (someone not inclined to continue) and end up with someone on the ground, without the &quot;fight&quot; part of the fight continuing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know that there is good data on this out there that I would trust for evaluating self defense scenarios. More subjectively, however, &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/pdf/USMCcombat.pdf&quot;&gt;the US Marines have this to say on the topic&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Marines should avoid being on the ground during a close combat situation because the battlefield may be covered with debris and there is an increased risk of injury. However, many close combat situations involve fighting on the ground. The priority in a ground fight is for Marines to get back on their feet as quickly as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-08-08T17:38:23.663" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1346" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1342" CreationDate="2012-08-08T18:43:48.003" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The bottom line is that people are only barely suited for upright bipedal locomotion, are generally top-heavy, and clumsy. This means we fall over. Falling over rates will increase when being beaten or trying to avoid being beaten. People also tend to hold, out of instinct, which makes staying upright a pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd suspect most fights don't end up in police reports, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2012-08-08T18:43:48.003" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1347" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="667" CreationDate="2012-08-08T19:08:27.973" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It sounds like you went to a terrible club. They should never have allowed you, as a beginner, to spar without proper protection.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In boxing, you should wear headgear, kidney protector, and mouthpiece. You should wrap your hands properly and use sparring gloves (12oz or more). Additionally, I wear a vest-style chest protector.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Above that, no one should be beating you bloody unless you're ok with it. You should start sparring going very light, and work with opponents who are going to be able to teach you something, instead of just beating you up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing is a wonderful sport, and can be very enjoyable, as you've experienced. Go to a proper boxing gym, and work with a proper trainer, and you'll have a much better time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="629" LastActivityDate="2012-08-08T19:08:27.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1348" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1342" CreationDate="2012-08-08T22:02:44.910" Score="43" Body="&lt;h2&gt;The likely study&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://ejmas.com/jnc/2007jnc/jncart_Leblanc_0701.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chris Leblanc's 2007 article&lt;/a&gt; in the &lt;a href=&quot;http://ejmas.com/jnc/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Journal of Non-lethal Combatives&lt;/a&gt; argues strongly that the claim &amp;quot;most fights go to the ground&amp;quot; originates with the Gracie family, famous for popularizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a groundfighting art. Rorion Gracie makes this claim in the Gracie Challenge tapes (&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/UR7l4pfD3Rw?t=154&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;excerpted here at 2:30&lt;/a&gt;) saying:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many martial arts experts do not practice or teach their students how to defend themselves under realistic conditions because they just don't know how. They ignore the fact that 95% of all real fights go into a clinch and end up on the ground, especially if your opponent is bigger and stronger than you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This claim is also widespread in mixed martial arts circles, particularly among Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Leblanc argues further that the Gracies are referencing a specific LAPD study:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In 1991, Sergeant Dossey, an exercise physiologist with the LAPD, completed a comparative study of use of force incidents reported by LAPD for the year 1988. Sergeant Dossey looked at all 5,617 use of force incident narratives written by officers in 1988, and devised a method for codifying the information contained and analyzing it for what they identified as dominant altercation patterns. The study was replicated in 1992 by LAPD’s Training Review committee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice that already, the study deviates from what one would normally consider &amp;quot;all fights&amp;quot;. These are police/civilian use-of-force incidents, not civilian/civilian altercations or military/military violence. This distinction becomes clear when Leblanc excerpts the results:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Five scenario patterns accounted for 95% of the altercations...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Subject pulls away from an officer’s attempt to control the subject’s&#xA;arm...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Subject attempts to punch or kick the officer...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Subject refuses to assume a searching position...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Subject flees and officer pursues...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Subject takes a combative posture, but does not attempt to strike the officer&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those are very distinct from common civilian self-defense scenarios, such as conflicts of ego, domestic violence, rape, road rage, murder, robbery, or kidnapping. Leblanc's summary of the study should put the nail in the coffin of the idea that the LAPD study has any relationship to a BJJ or wrestling-related claim that &amp;quot;95% of fights go to the ground&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;all fights end up on the ground&amp;quot;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The report concluded: “Nearly two thirds of the 1988 altercations (62%) ended with the officer and subject on the ground with the officer applying a joint lock and handcuffing the subject.” Given this, it is better put that the LAPD data says when officers physically fought with suspects (versus simply encountering minor resistance or non-compliance which required a minor use of force, but did not escalate into an altercation), 95% of the time those fights took one of five patterns, and 62% of those five types of altercations ended up with the officer and subject on the ground with the officer locking and handcuffing the suspect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So &lt;strong&gt;if&lt;/strong&gt; the Gracies are citing a particular study, &lt;strong&gt;and if&lt;/strong&gt; the one Leblanc found is that study, they're pretty obviously dead wrong, or at least misrepresenting an unrelated set of statistics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If, however, the Gracies (or anyone else) are just saying that &lt;em&gt;generally&lt;/em&gt; fights go to the ground, or that &lt;em&gt;a different study or set of evidence&lt;/em&gt; shows that most fights go to the ground, then the question is still open.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Other studies&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://selfdefenceblog.com/2011/09/11/fights-going-to-the-ground/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Self-defence blog&lt;/a&gt; reviews a study (&lt;a href=&quot;http://jiujitsu365.wordpress.com/2008/03/11/do-most-fights-go-to-the-ground-research-i-conducted/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;available in e-book&lt;/a&gt;):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bakari Akil II (Ph.D), who is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Middle Georgia College and a no-gi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu martial artist, conducted a study to find out what percentage of fights go to the ground. He viewed hours of CCTV footage examining a variety of street fights looking for patterns in the violence. In summary the study discovered the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;42% of fights ended up with both people on the ground while 72% ended with at least one person on the ground.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Where at least one person was grounded 57% went down due to a throw or a take down, 7% were pushed, 35% from being punched and 1% were downed from a kick.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The person who hit the ground first lost the fight 57% of the time, while 33% were a draw (no discernable winner) and 8% went on to win the fight. These figures were reversed for those who hit the ground second or stayed standing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Restricting one's research to closed-circuit-TV-captured fights puts a major restriction on the type of altercations captured, but this is a good start. We see fairly convincingly that throws and groundwork happen with frequency in unscripted fights. We can also conclude that we want to be the ones doing the throwing, and that if we do end up on the ground, we want to be able to respond effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The conclusion I think one should draw from this study, and from similar surveys of street fights and instances of violence, is that the clinch (standing grappling) should take up the majority of one's self-defense training. Ground grappling, striking, and come-along joint locks should have a place as well, but the clinch is where most fights either end up naturally. (One can also initiate a clinch easily if it does not.) The clinch is also the place where it is decided if someone goes to the ground, and if so, which participant it will be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More text of the study is available at &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoforum.com/index.php?/topic/53905-most-fights-dont-go-to-the-ground/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;judoforum&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Define &amp;quot;fight&amp;quot;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You asked, &amp;quot;what reasons are there to think that fights usually end up on the ground?&amp;quot; The &amp;quot;usually&amp;quot; clause is what's tripping us up. Without somehow collecting data from violence of all causes--which is an absurdly long list--we're just lost. We simply cannot make any evidence-based conclusions without data, and I don't think the data currently exists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two ways to proceed once we realize that we don't have the information we want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;We can do the best we can by &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2007/11/sucker_punch.single.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;watching street fights on YouTube&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.scribd.com/doc/25415431/Mixed-Martial-Arts&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;studying patterns in mixed martial arts contests&lt;/a&gt;, putting on a mouthpiece and sparring as close to &amp;quot;no rules&amp;quot; as possible with people we trust, and collecting anecdotal data from our friends and coaches. This is an empirical approach.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;We can reason about how a variety of violent scenarios would play out. This is a theoretical approach.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As Kant noted(1), empiricism and idealism (theory) are both fundamentally flawed. We need to use (and recognize the drawbacks) of both. Theorizing about fights is good, but we should inform ourselves as well as possible before doing so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Violence in our lives is not restricted to a few moments of brawling in the bar, nor to knife fights to the death in dark alleys. In evaluating the need for ground fighting skills, we also must take into account situations of...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;de-escalation, where we might need to wrestle with, say, a friend or a teenager without harming them&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sexual violence, where one might expect the situation to become violent while already in grappling range or on the ground&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;being taken by surprise, or our striking or clinch skills failing us, leaving us on the ground despite our best efforts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether or not we conclude that ground-fighting happens in &lt;em&gt;most&lt;/em&gt; fights, we cannot determine where the fight will happen. This is true even if we are skilled at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showpost.php?p=176164&amp;amp;postcount=13&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;a non-sparring art&lt;/a&gt;, or &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.karateforums.com/william-cheung-and-emin-boztepe-wing-chun-incident-vt1836.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;some form of striking&lt;/a&gt;--note how frequent clinches occur in boxing, or how frequently who people who want to punch each other in a brawl will fall to the ground together. Fights are chaotic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This should, of course, be considered alongside broader questions about the goals of one's training. One's training time might be allocated differently depending on whether you are training for &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/878/347&quot;&gt;basic self-defense&lt;/a&gt;, or for &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/817/347&quot;&gt;comprehensive self-defense&lt;/a&gt;, or for self-improvement, military training, or another purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iep.utm.edu/kantmeta/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;(1)&lt;/a&gt; A serviceable summary of my point: &amp;quot;Kant responded to his predecessors by arguing against the Empiricists that the mind is not a blank slate that is written upon by the empirical world, and by rejecting the Rationalists’ notion that pure, a priori knowledge of a mind-independent world was possible.  Reason itself is structured with forms of experience and categories that give a phenomenal and logical structure to any possible object of empirical experience.&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-11-09T10:54:30.160" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1349" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="934" CreationDate="2012-08-09T09:59:29.473" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Jack Slack has an interesting &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/7/4/3136780/ufc-148-judo-chop-how-chael-sonnen-out-struck-anderson-silva#storyjump&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;post on the use of the straight rear&lt;/a&gt; which I think is relevant to this question. There's a clear advantage to using the reverse punch while stepping forward if you want to clinch, so in absolute terms, no, you wouldn't want to only step backwards, as clinching is sometimes a very good goal (especially if your opponent is a better striker than you are).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, if you want to keep a good distance so you can continue attacking with strikes, or without getting clinched yourself, stepping in with the reverse punch might not be tactically sound.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-08-09T09:59:29.473" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1350" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="330" CreationDate="2012-08-09T10:26:19.350" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;While bouncing I have used a single component of my skill set actively - clinch wrestling (or Greco-Roman if you will, but I only ever trained Freestyle). Every single altercation I handled by clinching, holding and talking to the trouble maker until they settled down. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I kept other things in mind, and adjusted specifically how I did it to account for strikes. I would take a grip that's sub-optimal for throwing but quite good for preventing knees or punches from being thrown, so I wouldn't suggest exclusively training wrestling, but it should definitely be a significant component of your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based on observing other bouncers who used different strategies, and talking to more, some of which used the same or similar strategies, I'd say it's a very good path to take. The clinch isn't that threatening of a position, and if you're short staffed and working alone, you don't want your troublemaker's friends getting concerned about his well being and dogpiling you. If you're clinched and talking to him, telling him to calm down, his friends have a very good option in supporting you, telling him to calm down as well and taking him away. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of them when they're sober will also realise they were being assholes and appreciate that you handled it with the minimum amount of damage necessary. They're less likely to cause trouble in the future, and the next time something goes wrong, they're more likely to be among the clear heads who support you. I've found this a couple times, and that's been repeated by other bouncers I've talked to who used the same approach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also very good for dealing with the police. You don't spill any blood, you didn't throw any strikes. There's really no reason for them not to take your side. You're doing your job and doing it well. You're not going to get criminal charges pressed for overuse of force (that could happen if you knock someone out and seriously injure them in the process), and there isn't much in the way of standing when it comes to civil suits either. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as passive skillset goes - boxing, or more importantly head movement and blocking. The most common type of attack you'll see that isn't some form of grab will be a punch to your head. You want to know how to not get hit. For that you need to practice a style that does full contact sparring, that includes punches to the head as a significant component and teaches good defense. Knowing how to clinch off someone else's attack is also very useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing, Muay Thai, San Shou are all good options for this, as they have the requisite qualities. Something like Kyokushin Karate or WTF Tae Kwon Do unfortunately isn't, due to the absence of head punches in the competition rules, and therefore the very high likely hood of their absence in sparring as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Clinching and blocking/head movement will be the bread and butter skillsets for you as a bouncer, they're the first things you'll want to learn well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, if you're not already big and strong. Correct that, at least the strong part. Lift heavy weights. I didn't focus on strength training much before starting bouncing, and I handled things OK anyway, but everything would have gone a lot better had I been stronger. When you're stronger, whatever you're trying to do, you can do faster and easier.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as supplemental skill sets go - throws, leg kicks and body punches are good to have in your arsenal. Head punches have problems - you can spill blood, cause concussions and break your hands. None of those are desirable for a variety of (I hope obvious) reasons. You could do some damage with a punch to the body, perhaps breaking some ribs, which could be a pain to deal with later, but there's plausibility in stating that you only did what was necessary, particularly if you refrained from attacking the head. Leg kicks you're a lot less likely to break anything, but you can cause a good Charlie horse, and making the guy limp for a bit when he's the aggressor isn't going to land you in as much hot water. Similarly, throwing while it can cause damage, there's plausibility that you were trying to handle the fight with minimum damage possible, and forcing an aggressor down to the ground to gain control over them is a well known an understood tactic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd suggest using chokes and joint locks as a last resort. If you don't cause any damage, it's not so much of a problem, but if you do, that really won't look good if you have to defend your actions in court. Particularly since chokes are banned for police officers in a lot of jurisdictions - if they're not allowed to use chokes but are allowed to use guns, you really don't want to be frivolously doing that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-08-09T10:26:19.350" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1351" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="330" CreationDate="2012-08-09T15:29:21.050" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Verbal Judo&quot; would be a good start, knowing how to talk down someone and de-escalte a situation is very helpful. After that I would tend to look towards something like JJ/Akido for joint locks and take downs. Add some striking art such as boxing or Krav Maga. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watch some videos on YouTube of actual confrontations in a bar. See what happens, how things start and escalate, what attacks people come at a bouncer with, how weapons are deployed, etc. Then work with others on training for these scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Peyton Quinn has some books (&quot;Bouncers Guide to Barroom Brawling&quot; and &quot;Real Fighting: Adrenaline Stress Conditioning Through Scenario-Based Training&quot;) that you may find helpful as a resource.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastActivityDate="2012-08-09T15:29:21.050" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1352" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-08-09T16:23:24.567" Score="8" ViewCount="6454" Body="&lt;p&gt;For what I've been found, this two arts have some similarities, but I can't fully understand it, this is pretty much the definition of each.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Iaido:&lt;/strong&gt; The art of sword drawing. All katas begin and end with the sword sheathed. In some ways you could liken it to preparedness at all times, not just in battle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Iaijutsu:&lt;/strong&gt; The art of drawing the sword, is one of the Japanese martial disciplines in the education of the classical warrior. It's a combative sword-drawing art but not necessarily an aggressive art because iaijutsu is also a counterattack-oriented art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll be grateful if someone could tell me a relevant difference!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks in advance!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="529" LastActivityDate="2019-12-28T14:10:18.107" Title="What's the difference between Iaijutsu and Iaido?" Tags="|technique|sword|iaido|iaijutsu|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1353" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1352" CreationDate="2012-08-09T17:02:41.353" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The exact answer would depend on which specific styles/lineages you're talking about. (And there I am not able to provide specific info.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But a general answer would be the difference is the meaning of 'do' versus 'jutsu'. Iaido would be a &quot;way&quot;; practicing for self-betterment being the more primary intent. Iaijutsu would be &quot;martially effective&quot;; practicing for literal effectiveness with live weapons being the more primary intent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A google search for &quot;do versus jutsu&quot; will give you a huge number of hits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="579" LastEditorUserId="579" LastEditDate="2016-09-27T12:00:43.227" LastActivityDate="2016-09-27T12:00:43.227" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1354" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1352" CreationDate="2012-08-09T19:18:22.540" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Likely the most significant difference you'd see is that Iaido is practiced as a stand-alone art, while Iaijutsu would be one component of a Ryu (school/style) that has a larger scope. It's unlikely you'd find someone who practices Iaijutsu who doesn't also know Kenjutsu, but you could quite likely find someone who practices Iaido who doesn't know Kendo or any other martial art but instead practices calligraphy and dance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-08-09T19:18:22.540" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1355" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="642" CreationDate="2012-08-10T02:11:32.593" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This isn't really a problem just for Italy. Martial Arts have this myth that they can be practiced regardless of physical ability, so they're a popular physical activity for those who don't want to engage in real physical activity. It's like walking, but less boring (for some people). Obviously compared to a sedentary lifestyle, it's better than nothing, but that's clearly not what you're looking for, while it's exactly what other people are looking for. As such, instructors will cater to their largest market.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on how large of a municipality you live in, that might be all that's on offer, and in that case, you're unfortunately screwed. If you're really serious about it you could try to track down someone who lives within a few hours and train with them once a month, while practicing by yourself, and then introduce a more serious MA program to the area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, you might just have to keep looking around until you find a club that suits you. It might be quite unexpected given what a particular style might be known for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-08-10T02:11:32.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1356" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1313" CreationDate="2012-08-12T04:37:32.823" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;How about building your own? It used to be commonplace.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wattaa.com/equipment/building-your-own-tatami-mat/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.wattaa.com/equipment/building-your-own-tatami-mat/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, since they'll be grappling, they really won't need much in the way of protection. Carpet is probably fine for now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="522" LastActivityDate="2012-08-12T04:37:32.823" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1357" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-08-14T12:13:12.850" Score="14" ViewCount="2156" Body="&lt;p&gt;For those of you who takes notes or keep a MA diary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What kinds of things do you write down?  Do you try and document each technique into a &quot;database&quot; of technique notes? or do you document each class in a more diary format?  For techniques, what kind of format do you write the technique down in?  do you use pictures at all?  do you find this process useful and make use of these notes later?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastEditorUserId="8" LastEditDate="2012-08-14T19:49:06.160" LastActivityDate="2023-01-17T23:02:51.257" Title="How do you take Notes on techniques you've learnt in class?" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="12" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1358" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1357" CreationDate="2012-08-14T12:28:12.773" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I take notes when learning a new technique. I'm on my 4th (of 10) belt now in the American Kempo system. Whenever I learn a new technique, either the first night, or sometimes the second night (for more complex ones) working on that technique, I will go home and write down the technique step by step. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I find this useful, not so much for studying necessarily, but for cementing. I've always been the type of person who once I write something down, it sticks it in my head better,.. even if I never look at the notes again. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an example, here are my notes for our technique &lt;strong&gt;Combination 8&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;Outside block, stepping back with opposite foot,&#xA;Keep weight on the front foot.&#xA;Back foot snap kick, followed by a roundhouse kick.&#xA;Cross and cover.&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="167" LastActivityDate="2012-08-14T12:28:12.773" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1359" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1313" CreationDate="2012-08-14T13:05:29.280" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Going back through some of my files, I found a box on making your own mats in &lt;em&gt;M. A. Training&lt;/em&gt; magazine, Summer 1988, by Jack Herman (p.55).  His plan shows a plywood backing board, a 2 inch thick sheet of styrofoam over that, then two layers of 9/8-inch thick foam carpet padding, covered with a tough fabric.  He points out that if you need to use thinner carpet padding, you need to use more layers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would suggest using 1/4-inch plywood for relatively light weight (25 lbs per 4 x 8 sheet) and connecting two of these together with a fabric hinge on the bottom to keep them together in use, but allowing you to fold them up for storage (4 x 8 feet is still pretty big in most houses, so you might want to make them smaller, say half sheets (4x4), and make more of them, if you don't have room).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="638" LastActivityDate="2012-08-14T13:05:29.280" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1360" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1357" CreationDate="2012-08-14T13:20:18.447" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I absolutely take notes. Our school actively encourages it, even during class--it's important to capture the information while it's still fresh. It's even &lt;em&gt;more&lt;/em&gt; important to actually &lt;em&gt;use&lt;/em&gt; those notes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more senses engaged during learning the better you'll tend to retain that information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also have some shorthand I use to help writing it down, for eaxmple, &quot;LH&quot; for left-hand, O and I with circles around them for &quot;outside&quot; and &quot;inside&quot;, etc. The techniques of a specific art might also get their own shorthand. I might try to sketch particularly-tricky things, although I can't really draw :(&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I return to those notes, or write down notes if I didn't take any during class, as soon after class as possible. During that time I visualize what we did in class, expand the notes, re-write them in a martial arts journal, and so on. I'm currently re-structuring that information in a variety of ways, including adding more meta-data so I can find &quot;similar&quot; techniques, group things in ways that make sense to me, associate them with any supplemental info I have (books, videos, etc.) and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also found that even just an audio recording of the class session can help me remember info I either didn't write down, wrote down poorly, or just plain forgot. It's not great audio since the device is in my gear bag at the side of the room, but it still helps. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2012-08-14T13:20:18.447" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1361" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1357" CreationDate="2012-08-14T14:18:02.360" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've found a distinct difference between my note-taking habits at judo and my note-taking habits when dabbling in Brazilian jiu-jitsu or boxing. I think my method makes sense, though I could certainly be rationalizing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Remember--I'm not accomplished in any of these disciplines, so taking the opposite of my approach might be called for!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Judo notes&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I rarely take notes for my twice-weekly judo classes. I used to, but it seemed to be a distraction from just buckling down and doing the work. (That was true even if I took notes after class instead of during.) My note-taking tended to devolve into either &amp;quot;this is &lt;strong&gt;a&lt;/strong&gt; way to do X&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;this is &lt;strong&gt;the&lt;/strong&gt; way to do X&amp;quot;, both of which were less helpful than just visualizing the technique and how it felt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think a large component of this is that judo's actual syllabus is rather simple. I understand that the gokyo and list of official and non-offical but recognized techniques, including groundwork, makes the number close to two hundred. But over and over, we see that there are a few techniques that are wildly more successful than all others: osotogari, seoinage, kouchigari, uchimata, haraigoshi, pick-ups, jujigatame, kesagatame, sangakujime. Some others are common but clearly not in the same class, such as sasaetsurikomiashi,  or ouchigari. The art is sublime and complex, but limiting one's practice almost entirely to this subset is a very successful and fairly common approach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The real place that things get hairy is variations and gripping. There are thousands of these techniques, and in my case they don't seem to get names. &amp;quot;Billy's uchimata&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;that grip break from camp&amp;quot;, or &amp;quot;Bobby's kouchigari&amp;quot; is as close as we get. &lt;a href=&quot;http://judotalk.com/profiles/blogs/unseen-techniques-of-judo-by-hayward-nishioka&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hayward Nishioka emphasizes the importance of such unnamed techniques&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem with not having a name to tag a technique with is that it becomes less recognizable and hard to study. With out a name it’s sort of like meeting someone interesting but you didn’t get a name or a number. This happens more so with other means of overcoming an opponent other than throws, pins, chokes and arm bars. These areas include counter moves, combinations, advanced tactics, which include an area that is ever more important today than in the past, gripping skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will most likely report to others, “[Teddy Riner] did a powerful osotogari,” when in fact he did much more. If you are a coach what will you be preparing your athlete for? Will it be the osotogari, or the gripping techniques leading to the one handed technique?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since my instructor focuses on classic Japanese judo, these unnamed techniques remain unnamed. We practice set-ups, gripping, combinations and so on, but they are more transient than permanent techniques. We try them, play with them, then discard them if they don't fit into our game. I think this is because judo is so fluid and fuzzy. Things happen quickly in &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt;, and are hard to pin down with words or diagrams. The movements that distinguish Bobby's kouchigari from the kouchigari in the gokyo involve the whole body, but are subtle. Describing them in notes is hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I come across a particularly stunning revelation, I might jot it down if it's confusing, or I've been doing it wrong for years. I'll put it in my training blog if I can make an interesting anecdote out of it. Usually just remembering that a possibility exists is plenty.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Brazilian jiu-jitsu notes&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In contrast, BJJ is an art with a huge list of even basic techniques. Sweeps, passes, submissions, transitions, and hierarchies abound. Just getting your head around all the very different possibilities for each position takes a good chunk of brain space.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More importantly, BJJ techniques are easy to break down. The art is sublime and complex, like judo, but it is much more sequential. &amp;quot;Take this grip. Pivot your hips this way. Swing your leg this way. Roll on top. Make sure your leg goes over here during the transition. Slide the knee through. Establish the side control.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me, BJJ lends itself to note-taking, so after class (never during), I jot down the steps of the technique and any sticking points that I ran into. Reviewing these notes has been fairly productive for remembering techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also find that the process of &lt;em&gt;writing&lt;/em&gt; the notes is more productive than the process (often omitted) of &lt;em&gt;reviewing&lt;/em&gt; the notes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Boxing notes&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using the axes of simple/complex or sequential/diffuse discussed above, one would expect my notes on boxing to be sparse. However, the other variable involved is simple training frequency.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't train in boxing at all. I occasionally do a session with a friend, and I'll hit the heavy bag once in a while. Training this is not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because I box so infrequently, I feel the need to cement the information more formally. So after my friend shows me a couple defensive head movements, I'll write them down. I don't train or test my boxing frequently enough to know if this is helpful, however. (NB: my BJJ is fairly infrequent as well, which is another factor in notes being useful in my practice of it.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2012-08-14T15:33:32.110" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1362" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1357" CreationDate="2012-08-14T18:40:40.920" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I only take notes if I'm dealing with something bigger than my mind can process and store at once. Sometimes this works against me, as I usually expect to be able to store everything that's handed to me, so when I get a buffer overflow, I'm not prepared to dump what I already got.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My mind works pretty well when it comes to storing things and retrieving them later. I'm also very good at connecting the dots, and I don't need to be able to connect information to prior knowledge to store it - I make the connection later. I can also remember things by connecting one element to its successor. For instance, I may not know off the top of my head an entire sequence but, given the first element, I'll remember the next, and so on until the end.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is also worth noting that I am always training in some way, shape or form. I may not be in a uniform and working up a sweat, but there's usually an element of training to what I'm doing - whether it's walking, standing, trying something in the air while I have a few seconds, or even just thinking about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have an unusual mind and memory. I am not a representative sample of the population.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have considered a martial arts diary, to keep track of thoughts and events. Hasn't been necessary yet. Again, it goes back to my memory. I'm vaguely aware that my memory may degrade as I age and I should write important stuff down now just in case. It's just not that important to me &lt;em&gt;right now&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-08-14T18:40:40.920" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1363" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="917" CreationDate="2012-08-14T22:48:14.150" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been training in (and recently teaching) Krav Maga for a while, and groin kicks are a regular occurrence. From my experience, it really doesn't matter all that much which cup you use, as long as you check it regularly, it shouldn't break spontaneously. Cups will usually crack first. Even if you wear a cup, it's still gonna hurt, you just have to get used to it. The difference is whether or not there is any real damage being done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a few things to make sure of to eliminate the risk of injury:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Make sure it fits tightly: &#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Personally, I prefer &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jockstrap&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jock Straps&lt;/a&gt; over &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compression_shorts&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Compression Shorts&lt;/a&gt;. Jock Straps tend to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kravmaga.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-5108.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;hold the cup in place better&lt;/a&gt;, while compression shorts tend to be loose. The one time I tried using Compression Shorts instead, I ended up getting kneed, the cup shifted, and actually made it worse...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Make sure you check it regularly:&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you notice any cracks in it, replace it! In Krav Maga, you &lt;em&gt;will&lt;/em&gt; get kicked in the groin! &lt;em&gt;A lot!&lt;/em&gt; My instructor has a collection of broken cups in his office (yes... he broke them all himself...) The last thing you want is for one to fail when you need it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Besides that, just make sure that whatever you buy has good reviews. And get used to the idea of getting kicked &lt;em&gt;hard&lt;/em&gt; in the groin. It's gonna happen a lot, but as long as you are wearing proper groin protection, and you check it regularly, it shouldn't do any real damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12" LastEditorUserId="12" LastEditDate="2012-08-15T08:08:35.343" LastActivityDate="2012-08-15T08:08:35.343" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1364" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="917" CreationDate="2012-08-15T04:31:42.717" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Muay Thai steel cups are the only way to go. Anything else has the potential (small, but still potential) of breaking when hit hard enough, and worst case scenario you get your foreskin ripped along with other such unpleasantness. They're also almost always too narrow, so it's easy to get one of your testicles caught between the cup and your thigh, which is actually more painful than just being hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't like the 'g-string' aspect of Thai cups, Ring to Cage makes a supporter that goes with a steel cup that should also work fine (I haven't tried it, I wear my cup when I expect the intensity to be high so I don't notice any minor discomfort, so the traditional design doesn't bother me).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-08-15T04:31:42.717" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1365" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1357" CreationDate="2012-08-15T10:39:16.167" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://aikidoamerica.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/mnemonics-for-koryu-dai-san-no-kata/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot; title=&quot;An example of notes&quot;&gt;An example&lt;/a&gt;  I've thought about expanding this article into a wiki and then further expanding with other kata. (I'm obsessed with Koryu Dai San right now because it is my grading kata.]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of the keys  - for me - are to find meaningful terms.  There are many ways to do &quot;oshi taoshi&quot;, but within a kata, there is only 1 right way to do it.  Even within the kata, there are specific grading points, and one of the points my sempai is emphasizing is that the attack has to be sincere and valid.  I need to expand these notes to indicate the specific things the attacker needs to do to make sure that attack is valid and sincere - and the exercises to validate that attack.   So we have dojo nicknames for many of the techniques; helps to remember variations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other themes in my notes are &quot;things that sempai has told me more than once&quot; - stuff I'm clearly having trouble integrating into muscular memory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-08-15T10:39:16.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1366" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-08-15T16:52:53.680" Score="9" ViewCount="12278" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I hear anyone talk about a specific Chinese martial art, it falls into either a Northern Chinese or Southern Chinese style. I have learned that the general differences between the Northern and Southern styles is that Northern styles have more legwork, acrobatics, and jumping moves. Contrastly, Southern Chinese kung fu systems focus more on short moves and stable stances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If Chinese martial arts fall into either of these categories, what is the explanation for it? Since the divide is geographical, are the development of Chinese kung fu systems related to regional, environmental factors? What are the historical roots that would also influence the development of these two general categories of Northern versus Southern?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2018-08-12T01:04:57.623" LastActivityDate="2018-08-12T01:04:57.623" Title="What is the cause for Northern and Southern Chinese kung fu differences?" Tags="|history|kung-fu|style|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1367" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-08-15T19:27:50.333" Score="4" ViewCount="253" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most schools do not allow discussions about current political events/people and current religious events/people as a matter of fact: things can get ugly if people can't keep their opinions in check.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wonder: should those discussions be allowed? Should they be a necessary part of the training? Are schools which forbid these discussions keeping their students from an important part of the growth process? Will they sow dissent in the school and eventually lead to its dissolution? Are they healthy to have?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Clarification: I do not mean students chatting during training sessions. I mean students chatting between themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My concern is about the dynamics that can result inside a school - not from the point of view of the students, but from the point of view of the school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-08-17T02:12:58.763" LastActivityDate="2023-10-05T20:26:47.553" Title="Should political/religious discussions be allowed inside the training place?" Tags="|dojo|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1368" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1366" CreationDate="2012-08-15T21:18:30.507" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Geography, population differences, influences, etc. Same reasons everything is different over space.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, one reason I've heard is that southern styles were influenced by ship-board fighting, for which large, sweeping moves are contra-indicated, and short, stable stances are a necessity because of deck motion. Oceans in the south, mountains in the north; southern styles would &lt;em&gt;tend&lt;/em&gt; towards being influenced by where a lot of fighting took place, and the people fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once trends are set in motion, they tend to snowball on themselves. A cooking ingredient becomes regionally popular, more regional dishes will use it. Variations on the theme are created and propagate. Sometimes something moves outside of a region. Sometimes a foreign region influences local flavors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2012-08-15T21:18:30.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1369" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1367" CreationDate="2012-08-15T21:26:45.677" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think schools can have whatever rules they think is best.    The idea people &quot;should&quot; do a particular thing is a bit bogus, it's really whatever they want.   They could require everyone to wear pink and speak klingon if they like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You just don't have to go to those schools if you don't like the rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally have never been to a MA school which has the particular rule you are talking about. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2012-08-15T21:26:45.677" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1370" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1366" CreationDate="2012-08-15T22:58:40.913" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A good part of the answer seems to &lt;strong&gt;genetics&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;distance&lt;/strong&gt;, and &lt;strong&gt;culture&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Northern Chinese people are, on average, inches taller than people of Southern China. Body breadth, skin coloring, and other patterns of physicality &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_and_southern_China&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;are often cited&lt;/a&gt; as being clearly different North to South. Different physical builds naturally lead toward different athletic expressions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;China is also geographically enormous. One has to &lt;a href=&quot;http://goo.gl/maps/3jdjc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;cross ~1,000 miles (~1,500km)&lt;/a&gt; to get from the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaolin_Monastery&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Northern Shaolin Temple at Zhèngzhōu&lt;/a&gt; to the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.chinafacttours.com/fujian/attractions/southern-shaolin-temple.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Southern Monastery at Fujian&lt;/a&gt;, or to another at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kungfusupply.nl/southern_shaolin_temple_in_quanz.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Quánzhōu&lt;/a&gt;. (Whether you believe these sites are the &quot;true&quot; sources of whatever style is another matter.) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Prior to the advent of modern vehicular transportation, 1,000-mile distances would have been inherently isolating, naturally leading to independent development and regional divergence (see also &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/13/dave-newton&quot;&gt;Dave Newton&lt;/a&gt;'s answer). There'd be good reasons to have strong differences even if they spoke the same language. &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_language&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Which they don't&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Considering the different physical builds, different languages/cultural history, and regional distances, it's surprising that we think of Chinese martial arts in as unified a way as we do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-08-15T22:58:40.913" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1371" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-08-16T07:57:21.403" Score="8" ViewCount="911" Body="&lt;p&gt;Lately a lot of BJJ Gi manufacturers have been making gis that are fitted for lanky players, but of those that make slim cut BJJ gis, their Judo gis are still just the standard cut (even Fushida now, surprisingly only has the standard sizes for their Judo gis).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any left that make proper cuts for slimmer players?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2022-04-28T11:09:54.767" Title="Judo gis for lanky players?" Tags="|judo|gi|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1372" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1390" CreationDate="2012-08-16T11:22:17.647" Score="11" ViewCount="1448" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does anyone know of a good supplier of white &lt;em&gt;dogi&lt;/em&gt; for either &lt;em&gt;aikido&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;judo&lt;/em&gt; that are tailored to women?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If not, does anyone know of homemade modifications that can be made to a &quot;male&quot; dogi to make it more comfortable for women to wear?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note after comment&lt;/strong&gt;: Women have breasts (men generally do not have them) and a thinner waist which means that most gis are either too big or open up, revealing sports bra and potential cleavage. Either way is not good for training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-05-30T15:43:19.077" LastActivityDate="2022-04-22T13:36:35.287" Title="Where can I find or how can I make a tailored white dogi for women?" Tags="|judo|aikido|gi|gender|women|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1373" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1371" CreationDate="2012-08-16T11:25:00.903" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ninecircles.co.uk/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nine circles&lt;/a&gt; has the following chart linking weight and height of gis.  This may mean that you can get a smaller/larger gi than just your size.  I am not sure how accurate it is but the dogi I got from them always fitted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2sinY.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-08-16T11:25:00.903" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1374" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1367" CreationDate="2012-08-16T13:26:06.697" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Keith's answer hits the ultimate essence of the issue - it really doesn't matter because you can always look for a new dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, no matter what, political/religious thought should &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; be interleaved with training.  If that is the case, you are no longer in a dojo, you are in a religious/political school that is teaching you martial arts as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before or after class it doesn't matter, but during class, if you're &lt;em&gt;being given lessons on political or religious thought&lt;/em&gt;, you're being turned into a weapon for someone else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="33" LastActivityDate="2012-08-16T13:26:06.697" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1375" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1372" CreationDate="2012-08-16T15:44:05.407" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Other than the tailor suggestion, here are a couple links that I've found:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mizuno.eu/en/sports/judo/products/judogi/36102/nippon-women/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.mizuno.eu/en/sports/judo/products/judogi/36102/nippon-women/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.budoexport.com/judo-judogi-kimono-femme-joal-sensei-kusakura-xml-245_261-894.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.budoexport.com/judo-judogi-kimono-femme-joal-sensei-kusakura-xml-245_261-894.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, I believe both simplicity and butterick sell sewing patterns for gi's as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-08-16T15:44:05.407" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1376" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-08-16T15:59:17.407" Score="0" ViewCount="358" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think it can be argued that what we are doing is the study of conflict (this sentence is true on many levels and gets funnier the more levels you go up).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it proper to limit one's study simply to the interpersonal conflict at the physical level, or is it proper to expand one's study to the interpersonal conflict at the verbal level?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should we expand, as well, up to the generally social level, and examine conflict between groups of people? Should our studies examine the arts of diplomacy and politics? Is it necessary to understand the interplay between diplomacy/politics (verbal) and war (physical)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-- the title of the question is a hard-to-translate quote from Clausewitz.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2018-05-27T12:44:05.327" LastActivityDate="2018-05-27T12:44:05.327" Title="War is a continuation of policy/politics/diplomacy by other means" Tags="|philosophy|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1377" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1367" CreationDate="2012-08-16T16:01:59.537" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I view the &lt;strong&gt;dojo&lt;/strong&gt; as a place to train and lean a martial art.  Therefore anything that is not directly related to this, I will either ignore as a student or stomp on as an instructor.  I include in this both politics as &lt;em&gt;martial art organisation(s) politics&lt;/em&gt; and religion as in &lt;em&gt;boogly and magic stuff&lt;/em&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, after class and in the &lt;strong&gt;pub/bar&lt;/strong&gt;, it is the perfect time to talk, debate, and re-make the world. Those conversation should be happening.  We have earned at a terrible price the freedom of speech and opinions.  Do not see it wasted.  You never know what you could learn by just listening.  Maybe even apply your martial art principles to debating?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a place and a time for everything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-08-16T16:01:59.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1378" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1376" CreationDate="2012-08-16T16:22:05.807" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;That's going to be a personal choice, and/or a dojangh/dojo choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could find a studio that reduces all study of the martial art to simply attack and defense. I would consider this to be a &quot;cobra-kai&quot; type of studio, in that any offensive is met with instant reprisal, &quot;a man faces you he is your enemy&quot; kind of thinking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are other studios that also consider conflict avoidance, and how to walk/talk and present yourself so as not to inflame a situation, but rather to be able to defuse it and walk away without having to resort to the physical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suppose that if you have a teacher that is widely read in the classical military strategists, then you could get a trickle down effect in the teaching, but I think for the most part, it's going to be WAY to broad a topic for a MA studio to even think of handling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the most part, I don't really think it's within the scope of training for MODERN martial artists to be schooled in international relations/diplomacy. There are even very few that teach the arts side anymore. I suppose there are still schools that adhere to the samurai/shogunate style of teaching where you learn art, instruments, poetry, etc. in addition to the martial side, but those are going to be very rare.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do believe it has value, but I think if you are going to pursue it in any depth, it's going to be more on a personal interest level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-08-16T16:22:05.807" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1379" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1376" CreationDate="2012-08-16T16:57:58.320" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This depends entirely upon your goals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Should&quot; implies a level of obligation I'm not comfortable with in this situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Very few, if any, would be prepared with a curriculum of the psychology of conflict at &lt;em&gt;any&lt;/em&gt; level, whether personal or regional. If you want to learn that, take classes, and prepare to spend as much time on that as on the more-physical side common to the dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My &lt;em&gt;personal&lt;/em&gt; opinion that our studies should be focused on where we're likely to actually deal with. I &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; study ways to handle interpersonal conflict as part of my interest in Buddhism. On a larger scale, while conflict is of a personal interest, conflict &lt;em&gt;resolution&lt;/em&gt; at that level isn't something I'll ever be actively involved in, so I don't study the general politics of conflict resolution or subjects related to it, even if I might study the history and nature of conflicts of a particular region of interest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2012-08-16T16:57:58.320" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1380" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1367" CreationDate="2012-08-16T17:51:34.440" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think the problem should come up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If people are talking so much that it's disrupting the class, &lt;strong&gt;that's a problem regardless of what the topic is&lt;/strong&gt;. It doesn't matter if it's about their hair and nails, politics, religion, bowel movements, the fights on TV last Saturday, or their charity work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like a rather loose class dynamic with a lot of socializing. I'm often the guy talking about the fights last Saturday. But if it's more than a few back-and-forth sentences while waiting in line for forward rolls, something is wrong. That something is not &lt;em&gt;what&lt;/em&gt; is being talked about (though general etiquette should be mandatory) but the fact that &lt;em&gt;people are gabbing during class&lt;/em&gt;. Training harder is the solution. Failing that, discipline should be expected. Natural consequences are always best--people have a hard time pontificating about their favorite skinhead band when they're in &lt;em&gt;jigoku-jime&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, although I don't agree with the political views espoused in many training facilities I've been a part of, I absolutely think that politics and religion and philosophy and sex and life and work and money and hair and nails and bowel movements should all be fine to talk about, within the bounds of etiquette. Such talk should be minimal during class, but copious before class, in the changing room, and at the diner after class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-08-16T21:42:42.997" LastActivityDate="2012-08-16T21:42:42.997" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1381" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1376" CreationDate="2012-08-17T09:17:40.073" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sun Tsu &lt;a href=&quot;http://classics.mit.edu/Tzu/artwar.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The Art Of War&lt;/a&gt; states:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need&#xA;  not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not&#xA;  the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If&#xA;  you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every&#xA;  battle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This, in my not so humble opinion, can be applied to personal physical conflicts, to conflicts between organisations such as war between nations or corporations in the market place, and to social interactions of all kinds.  For the latter, just think of this quote in the context of seducing someone. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, whatever martial art you practice will have repercussions in the rest of your life.  They are not a governing factor (not all who practice hard styles will end up as amoral killers) but will contribute to it. You, as a martial artist, should be aware of this.  Can it be taught?  Probably not, it's something you have to discover for yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;em&gt;If you have not read the Art of War, you should do it.  It is short, free, and will take you a lifetime to master.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-08-17T09:17:40.073" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1382" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="531" CreationDate="2012-08-17T10:52:20.660" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm very pleased with &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B006Y2ANLE&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Autrelle Holland's Aiki-jo manual,&lt;/a&gt; which contains the Suburi and Kihon (I believe those are what you refer to as &quot;small kata&quot;. &#xA;I've also been impressed with &lt;a href=&quot;http://aikido.stanford.edu/index.shtml?20josuburi&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Stanford Aikido's discussion of the Jo Suburi&lt;/a&gt;, which contains some very precise, practical advice and a wonderful sense of humor.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course for video the Saito Aiki-Ken and Aiki-Jo disks are excellent - although one of these days I need to get around to asking why Saito-sensei breaks his wrists at the end of the stroke and why he drops the sword behind his back at the beginning of the stroke. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2012-08-17T15:57:00.607" LastActivityDate="2012-08-17T15:57:00.607" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1383" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1366" CreationDate="2012-08-17T19:43:46.713" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Northern styles have more legwork, acrobatics, and jumping moves. Contrastly, Southern Chinese kung fu systems focus more on short moves and stable stances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Actually, that describes the differences between the unarmed techniques, to an extent the weapons forms are the other way around.  The way I heard it (at least 20 years ago, and I have forgotten the source) was that the Northern Chinese were more likely to be armed, so their weapons techniques tended to be more practical, since they were more often needed, while their unarmed techniques tended to be flashy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Southern Chinese tended to be less often armed, and when they were it was with shorter, more concealable weapons, so their unarmed techniques were more important and more practical, while their longer weapons forms tended to be stuff for showing off and for general development in training, rather than for practical use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="638" LastActivityDate="2012-08-17T19:43:46.713" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1384" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-08-18T16:31:24.110" Score="5" ViewCount="18200" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am 16 years old, and I am interested in martial arts. The most popular schools in India teach Tae Kwon Do and Karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wish to avoid something that may cause severe brain damage or concussion. I am fine with mild falls but not hard impact to the head. Are either of these more or less likely to involve hard impact to the head? What's my best option for training given my circumstances?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user647" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T20:27:24.003" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T20:27:24.003" Title="If I'm worried about concussions, should I train tae kwon do, or karate, or neither?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|brain-injury|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1385" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1384" CreationDate="2012-08-18T18:14:09.990" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;IMO this question is essentially impossible to answer with the information given.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What does being a mathematician have to do with that? Are we supposed to take that into account when deciding on &quot;appropriate&quot; arts? If so, how?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Define &quot;keeping fit&quot;. See potential conflict with #4.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I'm not sure how this is related to anything.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Define &quot;violent art&quot;, and how you see this requirement with the &quot;offense&quot; part of #2. I don't put too many martial arts into the &quot;non-violent&quot; category; their very purpose is to be violent, with only a few exceptions, and fewer that incorporate all aspects of physical combat.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based on essentially zero information, I'd say Aikido or Jiu Jitsu, although neither &quot;allows the use of arms and legs alike&quot; in the sense I &lt;em&gt;think&lt;/em&gt; you mean it (kicks and strikes) to any great degree. In which case an adjunct striking art might be in order, perhaps Tae Kwon Do, as the sparring tends towards no head contact unless someone kicks you in the face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can find a good school, something like Silat or Kali (Eskrima, Arnis, &quot;Filipino stuff&quot;) might be suitable as they can be complex (&quot;mathematical&quot; in a sense), are quite complete, and don't &lt;em&gt;generally&lt;/em&gt; spar full-force. Between them they incorporate a pretty wide range of techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to learn self-defense, IMO just learn self-defense; don't try to get to self-defense through martial arts if you don't want it to take a fair amount of time. Others will disagree with this, but I find them to be distinctly different things, although this varies wildly between schools. (For example, FMA tends towards being SD-applicable quicker than, say, Tai Ji Chuan, at least IMO.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2012-08-18T18:14:09.990" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1386" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1384" CreationDate="2012-08-18T18:37:52.387" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Specific advice&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Between karate and Tae Kwon Do, it very much matters what style of karate, and how each school trains.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll want to avoid a competitive school. Go to the schools nearby and ask them how they spar. If they train knock-down or full-contact sparring, you'll want to go somewhere else. The risk for concussion and brain damage is slight, but present.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A light-contact or no-contact school will keep you active and fit. You won't get very good at fighting without sparring hard (and accepting the risks involved), but you'll be able to train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can find any wrestling or non-competitive judo schools, that would be a good option.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;General advice&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Steer clear of competitive boxing, judo, and kickboxing, as well as &quot;Olympic-style&quot; Tae Kwon Do and knock-down karate styles. Head injuries aren't common in those arts but the risk of concussion is definitely present. Boxing or kickboxing as a practice, with little sparring but lots of conditioning, bag work, and pad work, would be fine, as would judo, and those are solid ways to get fit and learn some basic hand-to-hand combat skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestling, if offered at your school, would be a fine option. If the team is full of jerks, or the coach is big on severe weight cuts for competition, that would disqualify wrestling as an option.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a vigorous art that involves a minimum of contact likely to cause real injury, and might work well for you. A variety of light-contact karate and kung fu styles might work as well, but I doubt their usefulness in learning any real self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-08-19T21:56:23.117" LastActivityDate="2012-08-19T21:56:23.117" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1387" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-08-20T10:38:00.137" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C5%8D&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Jo&lt;/a&gt; staff is a roughly 1.3m staff.  This topic includes questions about the jo staff, including questions about kata, history, schools, care, and maintenance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please provide specific references - jo staff used in aiki-jo is different in size and technique from the jo staff used in shindo muso ryo jodo.  Different schools of aikido have different staff kata and assumptions.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2012-08-20T12:00:15.803" LastActivityDate="2012-08-20T12:00:15.803" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1388" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-08-20T10:38:00.137" Score="0" Body="The Jo is a roughly 1.3 m staff used in various martial arts." OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2012-08-20T12:00:12.870" LastActivityDate="2012-08-20T12:00:12.870" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1389" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-08-20T12:40:59.013" Score="6" ViewCount="282" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Japanese use the concept of &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuhari&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Shu, ha, ri&lt;/a&gt; to indicate progress in development/growth. Straight from its WikiPedia page, Aikido shihan Endou Seishirou said:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It is known that, when we learn or train in something, we pass through the stages of shu, ha, and ri. These stages are explained as follows. In shu, we repeat the forms and discipline ourselves so that our bodies absorb the forms that our forbearers created. We remain faithful to the forms with no deviation. Next, in the stage of ha, once we have disciplined ourselves to acquire the forms and movements, we make innovations. In this process the forms may be broken and discarded. Finally, in ri, we completely depart from the forms, open the door to creative technique, and arrive in a place where we act in accordance with what our heart/mind desires, unhindered while not overstepping laws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The question I ask is: as a teacher, how do you recognize that a student of yours has finally passed from 'ha' to 'ri' ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-08-20T19:54:14.677" LastActivityDate="2012-08-21T15:27:15.103" Title="How can a teacher recognize that a student has progressed from 'ha' to 'ri'?" Tags="|teaching|shu-ha-ri|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1390" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1372" CreationDate="2012-08-20T13:19:56.510" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Fenom is one of the most widely recommended womens bjj gi.  Not sure if it's judo competition legal, but they aren't too badly  covered in flowers and stuff, so depending on your school, they may be acceptable.  &lt;a href=&quot;http://fenomkimonos.com/products.html&quot;&gt;http://fenomkimonos.com/products.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;atama makes a fairly popular ladies gi as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fuji, which is a long standing brand in Judo and BJJ Gi's makes several women's gis as well, some would probably never be allowed in a traditional aikido or judo dojo, but some perhaps would.   &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fujisports.com/product.aspx?productid=95&amp;amp;pvavID=661&amp;amp;qty=1&quot;&gt;http://www.fujisports.com/product.aspx?productid=95&amp;amp;pvavID=661&amp;amp;qty=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This website has a review / list of bjj companies that market to the ladies: &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://gireviews.net/womens-gis-and-kimonos/&quot;&gt;http://gireviews.net/womens-gis-and-kimonos/&lt;/a&gt;  in the comments you can see discussions on which brands are just re-labeling their men's products and which are actually cut differently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't recommend trying to sew one yourself, especially a judo gi, the material is so thick, you need an industrial strength sewing machine for it.  Tailoring a pre-made one would be tricky to. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastActivityDate="2012-08-20T13:19:56.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1392" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1389" CreationDate="2012-08-20T18:47:20.653" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think that setting any sort of standard or criteria by which to judge attainment of the &lt;em&gt;ri&lt;/em&gt; stage is misguided.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like enlightenment or &amp;quot;mastery&amp;quot;, we bandy these terms about as if they had specific and concrete meanings. They do not. They are more meant as a finger pointing at the moon, as ways for us to guide our own practice. (Or to gently explain to white belts why they should shut up and do the technique the way they were taught.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;em&gt;shu-ha-ri&lt;/em&gt; concept is a philosophical division of form. It simply delineates the plain fact that the form is the proper way of doing things, whereas other times the form will hold us back. We don't literally &amp;quot;graduate&amp;quot; from one stage to the next across all our techniques, or even permanently. We might get it on one day and lose it the next. The three concepts are just putting a name to that phenomena.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is well-recognized in other fields where different levels of competence or knowledge integration are used. Wikipedia &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Levels_of_competence&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;uses the &lt;em&gt;shu-ha-ri&lt;/em&gt; concept&lt;/a&gt; to explain the familiarization process with editing Wikipedia:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the martial arts there is a concept of the road to mastery called shu ha ri that could be explained as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;He/She who is a beginner, plays within the boundaries;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;He/She who is proficient, explores the boundaries;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;He/She who is an expert, creates the boundaries—or ignores them altogether.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While editing Wikipedia: beginners don't know (or are only starting to learn) the rules; intermediate users learn the rules; advanced users learn the spirit of the rules; finally, once users understand the spirit of the rules and principles, they can ignore them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Further, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Four_stages_of_competence&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;four stages of competence&lt;/a&gt; are recognized across many disciplines. I see a direct parallel to the &lt;em&gt;shu-ha-ri&lt;/em&gt; concept, with the first stage of competence simply placed before even &lt;em&gt;shu&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Unconscious incompetence&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Conscious incompetence (akin to &lt;em&gt;shu&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Conscious competence (akin to &lt;em&gt;ha&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Unconscious competence (akin to &lt;em&gt;ri&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me, comparing the Japanese concept of form with Burch's model of competence stages plainly shows that these are not discrete states, and further that determining the state one is in requires knowledge of internal mental processes, making it difficult to say for sure which stage someone else is operating in. This would be the simplest way to tell if someone is operating at a high level: are they reacting naturally, casually, without thought or effort? Or are they executing techniques expertly and effectively, but with mental effort, consciously? We can't say with any certainty, but observing the smoothness and speed of their action can give hints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(It is also important to remind ourselves that we move into and out of these stages fluidly: I go through months where I start hitting &lt;em&gt;kouchigari&lt;/em&gt; without conscious thought, before losing it for another span of several months. I am forcibly reverted to conscious action.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2012-08-21T15:27:15.103" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1393" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1389" CreationDate="2012-08-20T18:52:20.850" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll start with the caveat. Since I don't have a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menkyo#Menkyo_Kaiden&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;menkyo kaiden&lt;/a&gt;, and quite frankly don't expect to achieve one in my lifetime, my answer should be viewed with a grain (or two) of salt.  Interpreted strictly, there are very few people who are qualified to answer this question.  (in point of fact it may be advisable to edit the question so that it can be answered more objectively, rather than discussed).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do have a menkyo kaiden in arrogance, so I'll provide my best advice despite the caveat. &#xA;I believe in every context where I've heard this discussed, &lt;em&gt;time served&lt;/em&gt; is a criteria.  I dislike that criteria for various andragogical reasons, and there are students in my dojo who are junior to me but whom I recognize as significantly superior in skill.  But time served does serve as a yardstick to reduce rank inflation.  The standards for how much time served vary from art to art. - see the caveat above about multiple variables.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe within most of the martial arts there are also measures that are useful. Within Tomiki aikido we have randori and competitions. Within Taiji we have push-hands.  Other martial arts have sparring.  Most martial arts have the notion of henka waza or jiyu waza. Does the student's performance within these exercises conform to the body of material already taught, or is the student able to improvise?  In static exercise we tend to control for and decrease variability. In dynamic exercises like sparring or randori there are more variables. Is the student handicapped when presented with a new attack, or can the student adapt elements of known techniques?  (You could argue that these are test for the boundary between Shu and Ha; I wouldn't disagree completely). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most schools have assumptions about attacks. - for example, most aikido schools don't practice extensively against kicks. (I acknowledge that &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.lulu.com/shop/mark-stokmans/aikido-keri-waza-full-colour/paperback/product-3953435.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Stokman's Keri-Waza&lt;/a&gt; is the exception that proves the rule.)  Aikido tends to practice against knife thrusts and stylized attacks, but not against the kind of knife fighting I'd find on a DC street which aims to bleed the attacker. How does the student react to attacks outside the assumptions of the art?  That would be evidence that the student has progressed to Ha.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wish I could provide a truly objective answer, but I don't think the question permits it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-08-20T18:52:20.850" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1394" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-08-21T10:44:07.287" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuhari&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Shuhari&lt;/a&gt; indicates the student's progression from simple obedience through to mastery. The definition quoted on the wikipedia page lists the progression as &quot;Shu&quot; - obedience -&gt; &quot;Ha&quot; - digression -&gt; &quot;ri&quot; Separation.   &lt;a href=&quot;http://martinfowler.com/bliki/ShuHaRi.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Martin Fowler&lt;/a&gt; defines the term slightly differently, emphasizing the source of the student's learning (from a single master to multiple masters and experimentation ultimately to full experimentation and self-examination).  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikidofaq.com/essays/tin/shuhari.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Ron Fox&lt;/a&gt; has an extended essay which explains the term more fully.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2012-08-21T12:12:32.500" LastActivityDate="2012-08-21T12:12:32.500" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1395" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-08-21T10:44:07.287" Score="0" Body="A term that describes a student's progress in learning any disciple. Shu or &quot;obedience&quot; indicates the initial stage when the student follows forms strictly.  &quot;Ha&quot; or &quot;detachment&quot; indicates the stage when the student begins to experiment and consult other masters. Ri or &quot;separation&quot; indicates full mastery; further learning is based on examination of fundamental principles &amp; research." OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2012-08-21T12:12:41.063" LastActivityDate="2012-08-21T12:12:41.063" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1396" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1384" CreationDate="2012-08-23T00:24:55.037" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is sort of a lost cause, as I doubt Sabyaschi will want to come back given his cold welcome, but let's take a look. I'm going to ignore the latest iteration and actually go with the original question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given the assumption that there are multiple TKD and multiple Karate schools available, with differences among each, here's what you're looking at for differences:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a distance, if you squint, you won't be able to tell TKD apart from Karate, unless you see someone wearing shoes, in which case it's definitely TKD.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two major TKD federations - ITF and WTF. WTF is used in the Olympics, and is what most people think of when they hear or say TKD. The rules of WTF TKD prohibit punches to the head, only allowing punches to the body, but allow kicks to the head and body. Punches are also not scored as highly as kicks, so as a result of the rules, WTF TKD is known for its kicks. It is full contact, and the dipped foam headgear they use is worse than useless, so there is a high risk of concussion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;ITF is 'semi-contact' which is rather hard to define, but in general, you're not supposed to knock anyone out. Since it's semi-contact, the reasoning for disallowing head punches in WTF (risk of opening a cut) doesn't apply, and ITF TKD is much more balanced with kicks and punches than WTF TKD. In fact, I'd go as far as saying ITF TKD is more alike with JKA Shotokan than it is different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are other TKD styles, but ITF and WTF are so dominant that I've rarely come across a school that isn't one of those two.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With Karate there's more variation, but loosely they could be broken up into Knockdown, No/Light Contact and Non-Competetive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most prevalent example of Knockdown Karate is Kyokushin. It features no protective gear (except for cups), allows kicks, knees, punches and elbows to the body. Only kicks to the head are allowed - knees, elbows and punches have a high risk of opening cuts. Fighting is largely a matter of attrition. You'll either drop out or develop a body that's very tough in being able to take hits. You'll also end up with bruises on a regular basis. There's a risk of concussions from being KOed with a headkick, like WTF TKD, but I'd say it's actually slightly less. Because there's no body armour (WTF body armour is actually pretty good, unlike the headgear), there's also a decent chance of being dropped by strikes to the liver or xiphoid process. Leg kicks are also allowed, and are a popular way of taking someone out of the fight. You'll certainly be at risk of being hurt, but the chance of concussion goes down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For No/Light Contact Karate styles, you'll see it being mostly like ITF TKD. Because you're not attacking with real force, punches to the head are allowed. There's relatively little risk of concussion, or any serious damage in one of these styles, unless they're fond of punching Makiwara to toughen the fist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Non Competetive Karate styles might have some form of sparring in class, but the emphasis will more likely be on forms, and despite the name, you might also practice with some weapons. You're not too likely to get hurt or acquire a concussion, but at the same time you're also not all that likely to learn how to fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're interested in learning how to fight well, Kyokushin is your best bet - just make a habit of protecting your head in competition, and also decline any invitations to compete until you feel you're really ready.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're interested in the cultural aspects of martial arts, a non-competetive style is probably your best bet. Either TKD or Karate would do, but again, I haven't seen any non-competitive TKD. If on the odd chance that there's a Taekkyon school where you are. Check it out, it's quite different from either TKD or Karate, and I'd say it has more in common with Capoeira than TKD, protestations of some TKD exponents to the contrary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-08-23T00:24:55.037" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1397" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="649" CreationDate="2012-08-23T10:24:04.803" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is an additional angle here: the shin guards do not just protect &lt;em&gt;your&lt;/em&gt; shins, they also protect your sparring partner &lt;em&gt;from&lt;/em&gt; your shins. This can even be the more important thing, because while your shins can hurt a lot when hit, they are actually quite robust, they are very effective as blocks and can do great damage in attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Head, groin and gum protection work one-way, as an &quot;armor&quot; if you will. Boxing gloves, shin protection and pads on the spans of your feet work both ways, they protect both the wearer and the other person. I guess your fists can take some damage on your partner's face, but I don't think that's what we're wearing gloves for, primarily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From that angle, no, shin guards do not defeat the purpose of sparring, which is to give you a reasonably safe way to practice your fighting. Not having injuries makes you able to do more sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="186" LastActivityDate="2012-08-23T10:24:04.803" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1398" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1384" CreationDate="2012-08-23T11:06:57.030" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think that style is less relevant than Sensei.  I don't practice either TKD or karate, but I believe that the most important factor in determining whether you'll take the kind of blows you want to avoid is the instructor (and the senior students).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watch a few classes. In particular watch juniors sparring and look for evidence that they're being observed by seniors, and that the seniors are monitoring safety and intervening with useful advice. (I'm aware that this isn't purely scientific; if the senior never intervenes, it may be because the juniors are never unsafe.  Edits welcome).  I'd watch juniors because the only study I've read about martial arts injuries indicated that injuries (and presumably safety violations) are most common in juniors and very seniors. &#xA;(I don't have the cite available, and I can't remember enough to google it except that it was done by a Japanese Sensei.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ask questions about safety.  Martial artists, like dancers, are nearly always injured in some way (scuffs, scrapes, bruises, etc.). I'd look for a school that admits minor injuries, but is very clear an open about any major injuries. In particular, if any major injuries have happened, what adjustments have been made to teaching to prevent that injury from happening again?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this is a significant concern for, ask how they'll handle it.  I wouldn't go near any  school that is not willing to make a reasonable accommodation for student health issues.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm getting too deep in the weeds here.  The point is that teachers vary in the emphasis they place on safety, and the variation in teachers is (I assert without evidence) more significant than the variations in style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="565" LastEditDate="2012-08-23T16:38:47.023" LastActivityDate="2012-08-23T16:38:47.023" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1399" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="649" CreationDate="2012-08-23T11:12:41.617" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd go strongly with no. The only people I've seen have full compound fractures of the tibia and fibula are Muay Thai fighters. They're also the ones to spend the most time conditioning their shins to toughen them up. Long term it weakens them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And really there's no point, you're not going to make them stronger not wearing shin guards, all you'll do is eventually desensitize them to the pain, but when you're in a fight, adrenaline and determination will do that for you.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Actually it strengthens them, the reason those breaks usually happen are from OVER conditioning.  Your shins can't be their strongest without time to heal and build&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2015-07-07T20:52:12.127" LastActivityDate="2015-07-07T20:52:12.127" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1400" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1384" CreationDate="2012-08-23T14:00:18.730" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can't really answer for Karate, as I've not done very much of it.  I have, however, spent quite a long time studying both ITF and WTF Taekwondo.  A lot of people have posted answers indicating that with WTF, there's a high risk of someone getting concussion, brain damage or whatever.  I would actually say that, given the current WTF Olympic rules, studying this is less likely to result in a head injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;WTF Taekwondo has many failings, for example, you probably wouldn't want to use any of the strategies it teaches in a street fight.  But it is more of a sport that a martial art - meaning that what you train for is to score points, and not to injure people.  Headshots are worth more points that body shots, however, the rules state that the foot simply has to &quot;touch the head guard&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've studied WTF for around 10 years and have seen one or two injuries, but never to the head.  It is possible to kick someone in the head so hard that you knock them out, but it's too risky, when you score the same points for a tap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="654" LastActivityDate="2012-08-23T14:00:18.730" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1401" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-08-23T16:55:23.310" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokken&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;bokken&lt;/a&gt; is a wooden sword used for training.  The bokken is also  known as a &quot;bokto&quot;.  The bokken represent a katana, and like a katana has a handle with enough space for two (ideally  three) hands, a curved blade, generally with a thrusting tip. &lt;a href=&quot;https://kingfisherwoodworks.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&amp;amp;Store_Code=kf&amp;amp;Category_Code=catbokken&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Different schools have different assumptions about the fine points of a bokken's shape.&lt;/a&gt; There is also an excellent MASE reference to &lt;a href=&quot;http://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/803/457&quot;&gt;bokken shapes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A bokken is different from a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinai&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;shinai&lt;/a&gt;; the shinai is flexible, split bamboo and is straight. The bokken is hardwood, solid and curved like a sword. These factors influence how they are used in training.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bokken are used in various &lt;a href=&quot;/questions/tagged/aikido&quot; class=&quot;post-tag&quot; title=&quot;show questions tagged 'aikido'&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;aikido&lt;/a&gt; schools, and in &lt;a href=&quot;/questions/tagged/mugairyu&quot; class=&quot;post-tag&quot; title=&quot;show questions tagged 'mugairyu'&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;mugairyu&lt;/a&gt;; these tags are logical candidates for use with the bokken tag.  Bokken can be used in solo practice &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikidofaq.com/practice/bokken_kata.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Kata from Chiba Sensei&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aiki-ken&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Saito-sensei&lt;/a&gt;, or in paired practice with a partner &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aiki-ken&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Saito-sensei&lt;/a&gt; (note: Saito is cited twice because he includes both solo and partner exercises.) &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stenudd.com/aikibatto/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Stenudd Sensei&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikieast.com/cgi-bin/mivavm?/Merchant5/merchant.mvc%20Screen=PROD&amp;amp;Store_Code=AES&amp;amp;Product_Code=102SWD2DVD&amp;amp;Category_Code=&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Saotome Sensei&lt;/a&gt;.  Iwama style aikido is particularly known for integrating weapons work early in training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The bokken is a lethal weapon; it should be used with caution and due attention to safety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-08-23T19:33:02.083" LastActivityDate="2012-08-23T19:33:02.083" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1402" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-08-23T16:55:23.310" Score="0" Body="A bokken is a wooden sword used for training, especially in aikido and MuGai Ryu." OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2012-08-23T17:31:19.100" LastActivityDate="2012-08-23T17:31:19.100" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1403" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1410" CreationDate="2012-08-23T17:15:29.600" Score="8" ViewCount="4104" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am 20 years old. I had a disc herniation two years ago, before that it was more than 1.5 years. I have been feeling good for the past six months. I do regular exercises and gymming, swimming, little aerobics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to learn karate. Will that do good for my back like swimming and aerobics did or is that a silly idea?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user655" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-08-23T19:24:27.090" LastActivityDate="2012-09-25T00:03:23.633" Title="Should I learn karate if I had a slip disc problem in past?" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1404" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1406" CreationDate="2012-08-23T17:22:07.137" Score="9" ViewCount="1950" Body="&lt;p&gt;My sword teachers raise the sword to above the head, just short of horizontal before beginning  a cut.  I've noticed that other instructors (e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgzhonxv5jE&quot;&gt;Breeland Sensei, at approx: 1:31&lt;/a&gt;, and I will try to find a similar reference to a Saito-Sensei video) drop the sword to a vertical position behind and aligned with the spine prior to starting a cut. I have a few sword manuals that offer similar advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the advantage to this?  Is this purely a training technique or does this offer some advantage in the subsequent cut? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(I believe that this can be answered objectively; my teacher explained why we use the specific position we use, and I'm sure that someone who has trained in Saito-Sensei's lineage could offer a similar explanation, which I would find acceptable. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-08-29T04:01:12.880" LastActivityDate="2014-10-02T07:13:20.253" Title="Why drop the bokken vertical prior to a downstroke?" Tags="|aikido|bokken|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1405" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="578" CreationDate="2012-08-23T19:14:08.040" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stokman Sensei covers defenses against kicks  in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.lulu.com/shop/mark-stokmans/aikido-keri-waza-full-colour/paperback/product-3953435.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;his book&lt;/a&gt;. I haven't consulted it in several months, but if I recall correctly, he was also puzzled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a young student I was told a teaching story - that part of the genesis of aikijutsu was when a Samurai lost his sword on the battlefield and had to take the sword away from an opponent. Most of the kicking and punching arts were limited by the opponents armor, but joint locks worked just fine.  I doubt that has any authenticity as other than a legend, but I like the concept.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-08-23T19:14:08.040" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1406" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1404" CreationDate="2012-08-23T20:14:02.833" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although I have not practiced aikido, I have some experience in kendo and can tentatively offer an answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the school I was in, we used to practice a multitude of suburi (sword swings). In most of them, the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C5%8Ddan-no-kamae&quot;&gt;jodan-no-kamae&lt;/a&gt; stance is assumed prior to striking. This sounds a lot like the stance your teacher is using. In this stance, your sword is placed in the optimal position for a downward slash, gaining speed and power from gravity as well as angular momentum, while at the same time minimizing your own expenditure of energy. It's basically the most cost-efficient stance for downward cuts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, in some suburi, we would send the shinai or bokken all the way back so it becomes, as you mentionned, aligned with the spine. This cutting technique is not meant to be used in an actual fight, as it is much slower. Indeed, &quot;charging up&quot; your cut this way means doubling the distance your sword needs to travel prior to the cut, as well as necessitating a lot more muscle energy on your part to get the sword back up. And that's exactly why it's a good practice swing. It's basically weight training, using the weight of your sword as a resistance while practicing proper swing control at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The suburi used in kendo and aikido are probably different, but it seems to me that this could be a possible explanation for your observations. Your teacher's preferences may influence his selection of suburi for his class so that you see some more than others but, by themselves, both are proper exercises. They simply have different goals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2012-08-23T20:14:02.833" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1407" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1404" CreationDate="2012-08-24T09:28:59.943" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I use the &lt;em&gt;bokuto&lt;/em&gt; touching the spine as an exercise to make sure that the &lt;em&gt;bokuto&lt;/em&gt; is straight and my hand and arm position is correct.  But that is it.  Otherwise, I do all the techniques with the &lt;em&gt;bokuto&lt;/em&gt; never going beyond horizontal.  For weight training, I tend to use a &lt;em&gt;suburi bokuto&lt;/em&gt; or a tire. Although, do make sure there is no bounce as your &lt;em&gt;bokuto&lt;/em&gt; hits the tire. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But why not try it: do the &lt;em&gt;kumi tachi&lt;/em&gt; with both style of cuts and see which one gives the best results. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-10-02T07:13:20.253" LastActivityDate="2014-10-02T07:13:20.253" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1408" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="154" CreationDate="2012-08-24T22:37:40.783" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had 3 types of training I feel helped me mentally preparing for a real life scenario.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Role playing - my coach told us: he wanted to rape your girl friend, kill him. When we were shocked he started describing what I &quot;did&quot; to my friend's girl friend.. that person attacked me like never before, I was really afraid, the fact that I took him easily sparring didn't matter in this point.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mass attackers, circle training - 1 person stands in the center of a circle and people attack him from all sides, he may not escape from the circle. This exercise will get that survival instinct out of you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Weapon training - same coach from before gave my friend a real commando knife, in its case and told my friend to kill me, again no real danger (the knife is in the case) but it's way scarier then a plastic knife. The use of the word kill also has a part in it I assume.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to say that this kind of training will not work with any group, the coach needs to know for sure that this things will &quot;pass&quot; before he tries them.&#xA;Even then I'm not sure doing that stuff is a good idea in general, just saying it helped me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="547" LastEditorDisplayName="user5562" LastEditDate="2019-01-20T20:50:09.563" LastActivityDate="2019-01-20T20:50:09.563" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1409" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-08-25T02:06:21.013" Score="4" ViewCount="285" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to choose a martial art for self-defense. I learned Karate when I was in middle school, but I don't think I'm good at punching or striking with power. I think I have great body flexibility, so I am wondering whether a throwing or grappling art would be a better choice. This would only be personal preference. I am not sure whether grappling would really help in terms of self defense. Guidance on this point would help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am now in my early thirties, and live in Singapore. The schools that are available near me are mostly Tae Kwan Do, Judo, JuJitsu, Karate and MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="659" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-08-26T04:48:07.127" LastActivityDate="2012-08-26T04:48:07.127" Title="Choosing the right one for self-defense purpose?" Tags="|self-defense|recommendation|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="18" ClosedDate="2012-08-25T04:23:14.287" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1410" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1403" CreationDate="2012-08-25T12:53:19.937" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Karate is a combination of aerobic and anaerobic activity. Those classifications in themselves are not a clue as to whether it is safe for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not a doctor, so I cannot give you a medical opinion. However I can offer you this perspective as an instructor:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pros:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Karate emphasizes the use and development of core body muscles, which typically results in the alleviation of backpain.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Karate keeps the body flexible, i.e. muscles have more elasticity and improved range of effectiveness. This can protect against back injuries.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Karate is an intense activity, with sharp movement and sudden application of force to the floor. This can create stress in the spine.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Contact during practice (with a bag, pad, block or person) means stress lateral to the orientation of the spine. This will be offset by the body muscles, but ultimately, the spine will be affected.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can say with some confidence that these points will be true for all styles of karate. The only art I can think of that does not include the cons, is non-contact tai-chi forms practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would suggest that you discuss this with a doctor and ideally with a specialist in sports medicine, to be safe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="660" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-08-25T13:37:32.787" LastActivityDate="2012-08-25T13:37:32.787" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1411" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2188" CreationDate="2012-08-27T13:07:38.740" Score="9" ViewCount="278" Body="&lt;p&gt;A colleague of mine will inherit her grandfather's collection of Chinese Martial Arts weapons including a number of swords.  They would like to display these weapons, since they have both sentimental and historical value.  They also have children, which means the display case probably should be enclosed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can anyone suggest a source for enclosed display cases? (4-5 items including staff weapons, and swords)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Aside: this is not a localized question; I imagine that she will have to purchase them via the internet.  It is martial arts related, albeit not related to a specific school or technique.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2013-09-24T15:51:47.910" LastActivityDate="2013-09-24T15:51:47.910" Title="Where can I find display cases for Chinese Martial Arts weapons?" Tags="|weapons|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1412" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1403" CreationDate="2012-08-27T21:59:57.210" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would say that if this is something you'd really like to do you might not want to let your back stop you but read further for details.  If this something you're thinking of doing to help your back (but you're really not that interested in), I'd say, maybe not the best of activities. Of course you need to work with your doctor and understand your limitations before doing anything...that being said...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are my own opinions and experiences but as someone who has been through the herniated disk experience where the pain was so bad I literally could not sit up or walk until after I had surgery and when, after surgery, I felt like a major league baseball player had hit me in the back with a bat and that pain felt like a relief compared to what I experienced before surgery I think I can offer a few thoughts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From my own experience I think it really depends on where you take karate and the attitude of the sensei and students.  When I began our senseis were in their 60s and had their share of health problems as many people their age do so they really understood what it meant not to be &lt;em&gt;able&lt;/em&gt; to do something.  This was a concern for me before I had a herniated disk because I was a woman &quot;of a certain age&quot; and went in to learn a martial art, to study something that took both mental and physical concentration, not to become a warrior, and not to get hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was about 2 years into karate when I had a herniated disk that required surgery and I was slow to recover both physically and mentally -- please note, I do believe this had &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;nothing&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; to do with karate.  When I began studying again I was very clear with the senseis about what I felt comfortable doing and what I did not feel comfortable doing and they were perfectly fine with this and encouraged me to modify or do something else if I did not feel comfortable with the current activity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the years have passed since the surgery I've felt more comfortable working harder and adding in more moves but when something just seems too risky I just don't do it and work with the (now new) sensei to come up with an alternative.  Falls are especially scary and we have modified requirements at belt levels to accommodate this.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My general thoughts about this are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;From my own experience I feel better when I do karate (as long as I am careful).  I think there is something about the more free form type of movement as opposed to an exercise bike or elliptical which is so, so steady.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Everyone has some sort of limitation - whether they recognize it or&#xA;not.  People favor one side over the other, are too focused, not&#xA;focused enough, don't have enough endurance, don't have quick&#xA;reflexes.  People (at least in my experience) don't stop because of these limitations.  Having problems with your back is another of these&#xA;limitations that you have to learn to deal with in your life. After&#xA;something as devastating as a herniated disk one is grateful to just&#xA;be walking pain free again so being able to do any moves is&#xA;life-affirming and leaving out a few is really no big deal. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I think karate is about the journey and about being the best you can be and&#xA;really coming to terms with this.  Where I study we all have jobs and&#xA;families and studies.  We are not soldiers.  We are pushing ourselves&#xA;and helping each other and traveling along this path.  For me, the&#xA;benefits outweigh the risks and I'm very careful to keep it that&#xA;way.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I think the coming to terms mentally with your vision for yourself and the reality of your physical situation is very powerful and allows you to embrace your humanity and empathy towards others.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="576" LastActivityDate="2012-08-27T21:59:57.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1413" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="578" CreationDate="2012-08-28T13:54:25.997" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aikido aims to protect yourself from injury, as well as your attacker (if possible). It aims to use very little, if any, force by itself, but instead redirect the attacker's force back onto the attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A kick is pretty much the opposite. A kick intends to apply a great amount of force onto the target, trying to directly damage it, by force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="559" LastActivityDate="2012-08-28T13:54:25.997" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1414" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1404" CreationDate="2012-08-28T16:38:05.367" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is largely going to be a matter of training – Since &lt;em&gt;aikido&lt;/em&gt; stems from &lt;em&gt;daito-ryu aikijujutsu&lt;/em&gt;, which in turn took its &lt;em&gt;aiki&lt;/em&gt; from the leverage of sword work, you will see the technique of bringing the sword to parallel with the spine taught often. There's a nice technique from the the &lt;em&gt;hiden mokuroku&lt;/em&gt; that counters a rear lapel grab by raising the arms into this same &lt;em&gt;kamae&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What happens is different &lt;em&gt;ryuha&lt;/em&gt; have different thoughts on the matter. Moving from parallel to the spine creates a larger arc, with more time to accelerate through the strike. The body, I find, is much more still in these schools, the arms and legs moving without changing the height of the torso.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other schools, however, you'll see a tendency to either a forward but vertical &lt;em&gt;dai-jodan no kamae&lt;/em&gt;, or one in which the sword rests perpendicular to the spine. In these schools, the arc is shorter, the strike is faster, and a distinct sinking of the body initiates and pulls through the sword. This gives nearly equivalent speed for the strike over a shorter period of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My attitude on the subject is this: Train both ways. If you perform an action in only one way, you will stagnate and not see the bigger picture. In &lt;em&gt;aikido&lt;/em&gt; you're training with the &lt;em&gt;bokken&lt;/em&gt; to understand the movement and how it relates to the leverage that &lt;em&gt;aiki&lt;/em&gt; requires. Perform a cut with the &lt;em&gt;bokken&lt;/em&gt; and then perform that same with an arm and you understand the reason for training both ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-08-28T16:38:05.367" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1415" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1404" CreationDate="2012-08-29T03:43:07.900" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Start with big movement. End with small movement. And keep your elbows in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-08-29T03:43:07.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1416" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1322" CreationDate="2012-08-29T03:56:17.090" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are other options, but bump and roll and elbow escaping are the best to spend your time developing. One tip that helped me a lot early on was learning to combine those two techniques effectively. Use a failed upa to set up an elbow escape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There have been some good tips foraging a more powerful bridge already listed, but I think most people have more of a problem making sure the leg and arm are properly trapped than they do actually bridging. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="666" LastActivityDate="2012-08-29T03:56:17.090" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1418" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-08-29T18:53:37.067" Score="28" ViewCount="51900" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not getting younger, and my weight will always be at least 200lbs.  The martial art I'm studying is not kind to my joints.  A particular problem is the flying kicks, one of which is featured in my next to top kata.  While I've gotten better at the technique, my knee of the leg I land on complains very loudly the following day.  I can't generate enough air time to land on both feet with a flying side kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am interested in something with practical use outside the ring, but less harsh than my current art.  My current style is a blend of Tae Kwan Do, Okinawan Go Ju Ryu, and Jujitsu.  I do enjoy the Jujitsu, but finding a good school near me will be a challenge.  I will talk with my sensei about making the art a bit more old man friendly--we both have physical challenges.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I am interested in broadening my horizons.  What I'm looking for is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;No flying techniques.  I'm a big man and my joints can't take it&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Incorporating both grappling and stricking&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A focus on practical use in modern settings (this rules out sword arts and kyudo)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I do have a fourth criteria, that would make the question too localized (i.e. something I can find near me).  An addendum to the question would be how to evaluate a potential school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Clarification about the knees:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The problem is not bad joints, medically speaking.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I can grapple just fine, the jujitsu aspect of my art is something I'm rather fond of.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The problem is inflammation in the knee due to the stress of landing &gt; 250lbs of mass on one leg.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The inflammation goes away in a couple days, but the day following practice it is quite acute.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also reminder about what I'm looking for:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A focus on &lt;strong&gt;practical&lt;/strong&gt; use in modern settings.  Arts like iaido, kyudo, etc. that are primarily internal martial arts are not something I want to pursue at the moment.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A de-emphasis on kicking, particularly flying or jumping techniques.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="274" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-09-19T15:51:43.580" LastActivityDate="2019-09-19T15:51:43.580" Title="What are good martial arts for aging bodies?" Tags="|self-defense|medical-advice|aging|" AnswerCount="24" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1419" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2012-08-30T00:02:20.980" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stylistically, I would go with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; the emphasis on the ground does keep it safer. In fact, American Folkstyle Wrestling has rules that encourage more mat-work to reduce the risk of injuries during take-downs, which is where most wrestling injuries occur (I can dig up a source on that if you really want, but it'll take me a fair bit of time). Kosen Judo, which is really best described as Scholastic Judo, similarly has rules encouraging more time spent on the ground, likely for the same reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finding a good school is really relevant here though. The meathead factor will be a big problem, and I've actually spent quite some time talking to people I know who have gone to various schools to figure out which one is the safest. It has more of an emphasis on drilling techniques than on sparring, which should control the risk of unexpected injuries better. The instructor is also a locally-certified group fitness instructor, which isn't mandatory for MA instructors here, but looking into whether the instructor has credentials specifically relating to teaching, and not just subject matter expertise would be a good idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For striking, I would lean towards boxing. The main reason being that boxing has far better protective gear than any other style. If you really want to protect your hands, there isn't really anything that comes close to Winning MS-600 gloves (and certainly nothing to protect your elbows or knees that's in that protective category, or even a few orders of magnitude down). The same goes for sparring: Winning FG-5000 headgear is about as protective as it gets, but not really appropriate for sparring that includes kicks as the facebar obscures vision. The down side is you'd end up spending near $1000 on all that stuff, but if you have the money I think it's a great investment, just like spending $150 on a custom mouth-guard instead of a $40 boil-and-bite.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as important qualities for a striking art goes - learning how to hit hard, sometimes sparring near 100%, and includes punches to the head - boxing has all the basics covered. The most common striking attack you're likely to face is a punch to the head, so it's very useful to know how to slip, block, and parry it. Whether you are taught to rely too much on the gloves to act as shields would depend on the instructor. Ideally, you'd find one that can teach you in multiple styles of boxing, and you can tell him that you're interested in self defense more than competition and get your advice tailored to that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't think of anything that incorporates both grappling and striking, that has a low risk of injury, and is something I'd want to rely on while bouncing. To get both I think you'll have to split it up. A Jeet Kune Do school might work, although it's much harder to really predict what a JKD class might be like. Some of them go much more boxing-like, while others go much more Wing Chun-like. I wouldn't be surprised if there are people using Muay Thai or Karate as their JKD base, as well. You might find that you've got boxing-like JKD that lets you benefit from the great boxing protective gear that doesn't teach grappling, or you might also find a quite suitable one that teaches BJJ with a focus on safety at the same location.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll talk around to some of the older wrestlers that I know and see if there's a chance that Greco-Roman Wrestling is less injury-prone than Freestyle Wrestling or Judo. If it is, I think it would be a good idea to do as well. I don't think there's a safer default strategy than shutting down your opponent's attacks with a strong clinch and talking them down until they decide they don't want to fight that much after all (&quot;I'm too old to be getting into fights any more, let's not do this, OK?&quot;). If you end up getting hurt training though it's pretty counter-productive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-02-25T08:14:53.433" LastActivityDate="2016-02-25T08:14:53.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1420" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2012-08-30T01:57:51.400" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;A couple of options immediately spring to mind:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Aikido&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the internal Chinese arts of Hsing - I, Ba Gua (Pa Kua) and Tai Chi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido is reasonably well known and needs no introduction. The internal arts though are relatively unknown to a lot of people. They are separate arts and they are quite different to your tradition karate/TKD/jiu jutsu, they do have some similarities with kung fu. However I think you will be amazed at how they complement and enhance your current styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a brief explanation of how the external and internal arts differ (excerpted from the first link below, which appears to have been first published in the magazine &lt;em&gt;Inside Kung Fu&lt;/em&gt;):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Although body mechanics and movements of external martial arts may vary greatly from style to style, the major difference between these and the internal styles is that external styles, while generating power through the coordination of the body as a whole, lack unity of motion in the internal arts sense. For example, many external martial arts strike using the power of the waist and upper body from the base of a stable stance, the blow would be relaxed during delivery, then tightened for an instant at impact This type of strike is capable of generating a great amount of power, with the force being produced mainly by the waist and striking limb. This whipping of a limb and tensing at impact is referred to as &quot;sectional power&quot; and differs from the whole body power of internal martial arts.&#xA;   The sequence of training in external martial arts also differs in purpose. In the early stages of training, external martial arts place greater emphasis on increasing strength and endurance as the &quot;raw material&quot; to be refined later into precise technique. Whereas the goal of internal style stance training is to train the nervous system into the feeling of a unified body, the external martial artist stands to increase the strength, endurance and flexibility. As a consequence, external stance training is usually lower and wider than that of the internal. Although an oversimplification, it may be said that the internal martial artist stands to cultivate feeling, while the external martial artist stands to develop strength.&#xA;  External martial artists often spend considerable time conditioning specific areas of the body, either to withstand impact or to increase sectional power. An external martial artist may especially condition the head, fists, elbows, shoulders, fingers, or emphasize a specific movement, resulting in the development of a specialized weapon. This is another example of the development of sectional power in the external martial arts. Once the martial artist has a strong foundation, form and technique training begins. Once again, the forms and techniques emphasized in external styles are designed around the sectional power developed through basic training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary the moves that comprise the internal arts are executed differently than the external styles; they don't just rely on a measure of speed or power to determine effectiveness. The internal arts also tend to concentrate on attacking the internal meridians of the opponent, whereas the external arts concentrate on external vital points and the external meridians. What this means for you is less hard impact on your body, and a whole bunch of new techniques that will both complement and enhance your existing techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some references I dug up quickly (I'll endeavour to find some better links in a few hours time):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shenwu.com/Internal_VS_External.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;INTERNAL VS. EXTERNAL: What Sets Them Apart?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baguazhang&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Ba Gua / Pa Kua&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hsing_I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Hsing I&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2014-08-05T10:34:00.180" LastActivityDate="2014-08-05T10:34:00.180" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1421" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2012-08-30T11:41:57.790" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sang Kim in &lt;em&gt;Martial Arts After 40&lt;/em&gt; gives some good advice, the most general point being the suggestion that older martial artists should consider switching from power styles to styles that emphasize precision.  He specifically suggests considering weapons arts, to reduce wear and tear that gets harder to recover from as one gets older, as well as their greater emphasis on precision.  The rest of his advice is complex enough (and the details important enough) that I am not going to try to summarize it here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sang Kim also has an older book out &lt;em&gt;Ultimate Fitness through Martial Arts&lt;/em&gt;, that, while not much for &quot;ultimate&quot; fitness, has a lot of interesting calisthenic type exercises people can do at any age to stay fit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="638" LastActivityDate="2012-08-30T11:41:57.790" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1422" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2012-08-30T14:25:03.350" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm going to beat the dead horse I keep near my keyboard.  I'm skeptical of any school that requires the student to perform any action that the student feels has the potential of being long term harmful.  That's not a problem with the school/style, that's a problem with the teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a counterexample, there are two of us who are currently preparing to test for nidan - both of us have knee problems that result in a close and ongoing relationship with the local Orthopod.   Our nidan test requires 8 kneeling techniques; our instructor has adapted these to standing techniques that allow us to safely demonstrate the same skills &amp;amp; abilities.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-08-30T14:25:03.350" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1423" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-08-30T16:26:15.627" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;We are martial artists, not health professionals. Martial Arts makes no claim to provide medical diagnosis, prescription or advice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Participants on Martial Arts Stack Exchange have been very careful to avoid giving medical advice; this tag merely provides a standard way to include the caveat, and to suggest that querents seek professional medical advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Answers provided with this tag (or to questions with this tag) are scoped to only the martial arts implications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-08-30T17:08:45.920" LastActivityDate="2012-08-30T17:08:45.920" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1424" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-08-30T16:26:15.627" Score="0" Body="These question ask for medical advice within a martial arts context. Martial Arts Stack Exchange does not claim to provide medical information, diagnosis, prognosis or treatment advice. Please consult a medical professional." OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-08-30T17:08:13.910" LastActivityDate="2012-08-30T17:08:13.910" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1425" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1428" CreationDate="2012-08-30T20:36:54.293" Score="4" ViewCount="651" Body="&lt;p&gt;When working with a rapier you use a very light touch, not just for safety reasons within the rules, but because that is entirely sufficient to kill someone and if you go any harder you are likely to get your blade bound up in their flesh. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is true of a lot of narrowly pointed thrusting weapons, such as court swords: unless you are working to overcome metal (in which case for a court sword you are doing it wrong), there's more incentive to go light them to go heavy with the amount of force used.  I've validated this with sides of beef, melons, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It occurred to me, however, that this may not apply for a spear. Working with a straight-bladed spear (similar to a &lt;em&gt;su yari&lt;/em&gt;, one without a crossguard in this case), for example: It's a wider blade and the shaft makes it easier to deliver harder strikes and have more leverage for removing the blade (and you frequently have two hands on it).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming that I am not working to overcome hardened armor, should I be concerned about the blade getting stuck in an opponent and thus not use full controlled force on thrusts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2019-04-30T23:55:36.887" Title="Force with a spear" Tags="|weapons|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1427" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2012-08-30T23:31:04.790" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Filipino and Indonesian martial arts incorporate a lot of striking and grappling, are quite usable and versatile in the &quot;real world&quot;, contain both empty-hand and weapon techniques (which are often the same), and in general, are kind to the joints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The exception being some of the silat groundwork where you're a pretzel, but any reasonable school will take your needs into account.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also found enough crossover between silat and taiji that both are enhanced, although IMO taiji can take some time to become street-usable--but that depends a lot on the school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2012-08-30T23:31:04.790" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1428" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1425" CreationDate="2012-08-31T16:55:09.360" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wounding deeply from a distance--that's pretty much the job description of spears, pikes, yari, and the 57 other varieties of pointy pole weapons. Their &quot;stand off&quot; nature lets you deliver aggressive thrusts from the relative safety of several meters back. If needed, you can quickly move the weapon through a double-cone of positions for blocking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, yes. If you can deliver a heavy/deep striking force from range, that's ideal. Both the style of use and the weight/extension of the weapons will naturally require more force than the flicks and pokes of jian/rapier. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But...the world isn't always ideal. Pole weapons were traditionally an infantry (sometimes cavalry) melee weapon. They were very successful &lt;em&gt;en masse&lt;/em&gt;, but don't seem to have found nearly as much favor in single combat. They're slow to move, thus vulnerable to quick side (flanking) attacks. (The longer they are, the better to strike at a safe distance--but also the slower they are to move.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In single combat, even with a &quot;stand-off&quot; weapon, it's not always possible to fight at the full range. Combat can quickly close in to the range where maiming/lethal counter-blows are likely. There you'll need to use the staff part of the spear, or the stock and forestock of the rifle, not just the bayonet, for defense. Heavy/deep attacks suddenly don't look so automatically appealing.  It becomes more like boxing, where you go for a knock-out if you can--balanced by the need to take care that you aren't yourself knocked out (or since we're talking about a spear fight, maimed or killed).  It's no good to land your spear deep, then be mortally stabbed by a dying enemy. That's a waste of a good long-range, stand-off weapon and its wielder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So it depends on the range. Use a killing / deep / heavy attack if it's available at a stand-off range, but if you're in closer, think defense. Consider not just the strike and the need to quickly free/re-ready your weapon, but also the probable counter-attack to whatever you've left open. That argues for a lighter touch, and at least until you can maneuver to a safer stand-off range where the weapon is more safely effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastEditorUserId="562" LastEditDate="2012-09-03T20:43:12.527" LastActivityDate="2012-09-03T20:43:12.527" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1429" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2012-08-31T17:26:44.333" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am myself in the Big Boy / Old Man category, so I feel your pain! Especially since you've been training in quite hard / high-impact styles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the inflammation:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;ibuprofen (600mg, &lt;em&gt;after&lt;/em&gt; training)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;ice packs or ice baths (lots of icing after training does wonders)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;frequent massage with arnica cream, dit da jow, or similar&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For your next training opportunity, in no particular order:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Yoga&lt;/strong&gt; - I really enjoy this as a cross-training discipline. Excellent opportunity to improve flexibility, balance, breath. Many life advantages, though teaches no direct fighting skills.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wing Chun&lt;/strong&gt; - All about controlling close-in fighting. Excellent defensive moves and combinations. No jumping. (If taught well.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Baguazhang&lt;/strong&gt; - Wicked locking/rending/controlling applications. No jumping.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;T'ai chi ch'uan / Taijiquan&lt;/strong&gt; - Especially if you can find a school that incorporates martial applications. Tai Chi made all of my other martial arts better.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jujitsu, Judo, or Aikido&lt;/strong&gt; - Great fun. Based on liking jujitsu a good place to look, though may be counter-indicated if constant kneeling a problem for your knees&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MMA or boxing&lt;/strong&gt; - Little to no jumping. Sparring emphasis improves fluidity and defensive reactions greatly. Good cross-over with real world self defense.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In choosing a new school, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/457/mark-c-wallace&quot;&gt;Mark C. Wallace&lt;/a&gt; is spot-on. If you have any injuries or propensities-to-injure that the school/instructors will not &lt;em&gt;cheerfully&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;helpfully&lt;/em&gt; work around, head immediately towards the door. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-08-31T17:26:44.333" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1430" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="532" CreationDate="2012-08-31T22:21:38.353" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Meditation methods have already been mentioned, so outside of that, having a good laugh helps me. Finding a way to laugh helps me relax mentally and physically and shake off nerves. Far side cartoons, watching Zoolander or the 40year old virgin, or talking trash with my brother always help me relax and get to a good place. I think the trick is finding the optimal state if arousal where I am relaxed but also positive and alert. Sometimes more classic relaxation techniques do the job too well and take me deeper into relaxation than is useful for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="666" LastActivityDate="2012-08-31T22:21:38.353" CommentCount="0" CommunityOwnedDate="2012-08-31T22:21:38.353" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1432" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1434" CreationDate="2012-09-02T17:39:21.957" Score="10" ViewCount="333" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am beginner at aikido and when I train, for some reason I tend to hold my breath when I should be exhaling. Mostly during falls and techniques where I'm nage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a way to get rid of this bad habit, other than eventually it will happen on its own? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user72" LastActivityDate="2012-09-05T14:04:28.627" Title="Avoiding breath lockups" Tags="|aikido|technique|breathing|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1433" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1435" CreationDate="2012-09-02T17:50:24.543" Score="5" ViewCount="230" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ten chin or Ttein Chien I'm not sure of transliterated spelling, is the footwork&#xA;where one foot replaces another/one moves back and the opposite forward,&#xA;It should one of the four fundamental primary footwork moves in aikido - irimi, tenkan, irimi tenkan, and &quot;ten chine&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can someone provide the correct transliteration spelling and possibly link to online resource?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user72" LastActivityDate="2014-11-20T14:52:25.687" Title="Ten Chin or Tein Chien or something else?" Tags="|aikido|footwork|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1434" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1432" CreationDate="2012-09-02T18:57:52.203" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a fairly common problem on both sides of the equation.  We have to continually emphasize the importance of breathing during the techniques with newer students… and the importance of breathing out when having a technique performed on you.  So step 1 is to trust that everyone in the room you are practicing has probably had this problem before, either in this or in another art. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to things that you can do to improve:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Stay Present&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When a technique is being performed it is very easy to get &quot;caught up&quot; in either the motion or, more frequently, in some specific part of the motion (e.g., in a strike-then-lock pattern it isn't uncommon to see people get preoccupied with the coming lock and thus throw a halfhearted strike).  The goal here is to work to stay &lt;em&gt;present&lt;/em&gt; all the way through the technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially when doing the technique take it slowly (where you can) and focus on the flow and on how to breathe through the technique.  When observing a technique make a note not just of how the bodies move, but also of how the participants breathe. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Meditate&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take 10 minutes a day and do a breath awareness meditation of some sort.  This doesn't have to be super formal (I used to do it on a train), but basically just &lt;em&gt;pay attention&lt;/em&gt; to your own breath for ten minutes.  &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1590301366&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Breath by Breath&lt;/a&gt; is a good basic guide if you are interested in the Buddhist variation of this practice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Practice Something that Emphasizes Syncing Breath&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pick up something in addition to Aikido that makes syncing breath and movement explicit, e.g., yoga (or, heck, even running).  Essentially find a practice where breathing is not optional and proper breathing is emphasized.  Your branch of Aikido or your instructors may even have such a practice built-in which you can do on your own (hapkido has &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1003/explaining-how-to-breathe-deeply&quot;&gt;danjeon breathing&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-09-02T18:57:52.203" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1435" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1433" CreationDate="2012-09-02T19:13:38.043" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tenshin is the same as Tenkai&#xA;&quot;Tenshin..Pivoting with feet in one position..face other direction.( also called Tenkai ).&quot; &lt;a href=&quot;http://aikidoshinryukan.weebly.com/uploads/4/6/6/4/.../glossary.doc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot; title=&quot;Aikido Glossary&quot;&gt;Aikido Glossary&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tsugi Ashi is the &quot;shuffling&quot; step (the first step in tai sabaki - there is an example at about 0:12 on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HayEdc69vQg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot; title=&quot;this&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;, and some more video &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZJvqTwWhHI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;here (video good - I don't speak the language in which it is narraged)&lt;/a&gt;.  There is a  quick textual description &lt;a href=&quot;http://discovering-aikido.com/posture.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;at &quot;g&quot; in this resource&lt;/a&gt;.  Patrick Parker (always an excellent resource for aikido) has &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mokurendojo.com/2012/04/tsugiashi-kuzushi-ayumiashi.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;a very nice article on why it is important&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;em&gt;edit&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://members.aikidojournal.com/encyclopedia/tsugiashi/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Aikido Journal's definition is somewhat weak&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tsugi Ashi is important because it keeps your center of gravity lower and less susceptible to unbalancing.  The alternative (Ayumiashi) requires that you lift your weight and lean backwards slightly as your feet cross. That's a moment of susceptibility.  If you want to see it, get a good judo player to show you how to harvest the foot as it comes forward (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IePA98nRc3c&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;de ashi bari&lt;/a&gt; as Patricia reminded me). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2012-09-05T20:53:46.940" LastActivityDate="2012-09-05T20:53:46.940" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1436" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1432" CreationDate="2012-09-02T19:25:13.157" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think I've been doing aikido for 12 or 15 years now. I'm still waiting for that habit to go away on its own.  I still catch myself holding my breath.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Things that work for me:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kiai - (Not all the time, but there are techniques where it helps. On the other hand, you get some funny looks) (I'm mostly not serious about this one)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hiss - Particularly when doing breakfalls, I try to be very aware of breathing out. I purse my lips and kind of puff or hiss the breath out to make sure that it is going smoothly.   (Holding your breath during breakfalls is &lt;em&gt;somewhat&lt;/em&gt; self correcting; the pain will remind you that you've just done something dumb. )&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Weapons Work - I've found that it is far easier to work on my breath control while doing weapons work.  Inhale when I lift the sword, exhale when I lower the sword. Inhale as I position the jo, exhale when I strike. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen some other aikido players utter a very soft, almost subvocalized &quot;Hsssu&quot; at the point where they would apply atemi (that depends on your school/lineage).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond that point the answer gets much more detailed, and depends in part on which type of aikido you practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2012-09-05T14:04:28.627" LastActivityDate="2012-09-05T14:04:28.627" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1437" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1432" CreationDate="2012-09-03T08:50:13.457" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Something that may help: take a short &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt;, something that you can do yourself is best if not find someone who does not mind doing the same thing.  Personally, I use either the 6 or 18 count &lt;em&gt;jo kata&lt;/em&gt;.  Do the &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; for one minute non stop.  Then rest for a minute.  Do the kata for two minutes non stop, rest for one.  Do the kata for three minutes non stop, rest for one.  Keep doing it so you can do the kata at a good speed for 15 minutes.  You will either learn to control your breathing or you will die.  The trick is to breath normally and neither force it nor fall into a breathing pattern.  It will build your endurance as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-09-03T08:50:13.457" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1438" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1432" CreationDate="2012-09-03T16:11:30.980" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Start paying attention to your breath more in your everyday life. You'll find yourself holding your breath in very small fashions - when you wait for a thought to begin, or complete. When you're watching someone's movement and you're not sure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you're typing at the keyboard. All those micro-moments when you're holding your breath. Start working on releasing those, and let your breath flow freely. This will help you realize what is happening in the aikido class and fix the problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-09-03T16:11:30.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1439" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2012-09-04T23:58:03.627" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1429/341&quot;&gt;Jonathan's answer&lt;/a&gt; covers a lot of good forms already, and I second the suggestions of his that I'm familiar with. I'd like to add a couple of my own suggestions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ninjutsu, Bunjinkan, Ninpo, and similar arts&lt;/strong&gt; This family of arts has a number of names, but in my experience, they have a good blend of grappling, throwing, and striking, without all the acrobatics. Some schools will do weapon work, but most good ones will at least touch on a number of different weapons (not just swords, but also chain/rope weapons, staves of varying lengths, small pointy objects, and even firearms; never underestimate the usefulness of knowing how to use the &quot;non-modern&quot; weapons). A few schools may even teach &lt;em&gt;shinobi-iri&lt;/em&gt; (stealth), &lt;em&gt;intonjutsu&lt;/em&gt; (escaping and concealment), and &lt;em&gt;hensojutsu&lt;/em&gt; (disguise and impersonation), which have a number of uses outside of the usual stereotypical situations where martial arts are applied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Capoeira&lt;/strong&gt; This Brazilian/African martial art is more acrobatic, but most of it comes from controlled, strength-based moves (handstands, rolls, etc), as opposed to jumping. It's not as much grappling, either, but I think it's worth mentioning due to its appeal toward older people, since it's generally practiced in a low-impact manner (I got to watch one of the local Capoeira groups, and several of the Capoeiristas were easily in their 50s). I've personally also found it intriguing, as it has many different uses, including being a martial art, a dance, and a game. If you have a group in your area, it would probably be worth checking out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="341" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-09-04T23:58:03.627" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1440" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-09-05T07:15:55.073" Score="8" ViewCount="684" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a berimbau verga that has cracked from the center while stringing it. &#xA;Need a few tips how should i go about it; can I glue it up and thread it around the berimbau verga, would there be difference in the pitch later ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, to make the verga look a little beautiful by putting some burn spots on it. Does that by any chance harm the verga?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="678" LastEditorUserId="268" LastEditDate="2012-10-05T23:42:18.137" LastActivityDate="2017-02-14T14:45:19.247" Title="How do i fix my Berimbau?" Tags="|equipment|capoeira|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1441" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1442" CreationDate="2012-09-06T19:05:33.210" Score="7" ViewCount="687" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had few inital classes where we have been training ikkyo. And I'm already getting pretty overwhelmed with the variations. &#xA;I know that ikkyo is usually followed by the attack name, and than it is defined by Irimi or Tenkan (which could be combined) and Omote and Ura (in front or back of uke). And there might be some tenshin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the most commonly practiced combinations of ikkyo? And are there any other terms I should be aware in combination with ikkyo other than irimi, tenkan, omote, ura and tenchin (I don't think nage and uka is ever used in description of ikkyo)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user72" LastActivityDate="2012-09-07T21:15:38.670" Title="Aikido ikkyo variations" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1442" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1441" CreationDate="2012-09-06T21:17:56.647" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt; is not different whether you're doing it Omote or Ura, Irimi or Tenkan.  &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt; is &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everything else defines &lt;em&gt;the path of how you get to&lt;/em&gt; &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt;.  It doesn't matter how you start, in the end you are in &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That probably isn't the answer you're looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt; can be applied from almost any formal Aikido attack:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Starting from (&lt;code&gt;Tachiwaza&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;Suwariwaza&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;Hanmi Handachi&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;Randori&lt;/code&gt;)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;     Using ( &lt;code&gt;Empty Hand&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;Tanto&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;Bokken&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;Jo&lt;/code&gt;)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;         &lt;em&gt;perform one of the following:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;      &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt;                 &lt;code&gt;shomenuchi&lt;/code&gt; (&lt;code&gt;omote&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;ura&lt;/code&gt;) (&lt;code&gt;irimi&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;tenkan&lt;/code&gt;)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;    &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt;               &lt;code&gt;yokomenuchi&lt;/code&gt; (&lt;code&gt;omote&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;ura&lt;/code&gt;) (&lt;code&gt;irimi&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;tenkan&lt;/code&gt;)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;    &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt;                           &lt;code&gt;tsuki&lt;/code&gt;  (&lt;code&gt;omote&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;ura&lt;/code&gt;) (&lt;code&gt;irimi&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;tenkan&lt;/code&gt;)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;    &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt;                     &lt;code&gt;katatori&lt;/code&gt;  (&lt;code&gt;omote&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;ura&lt;/code&gt;) (&lt;code&gt;irimi&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;tenkan&lt;/code&gt;)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;    &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt;                 &lt;code&gt;katatetori&lt;/code&gt;  (&lt;code&gt;omote&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;ura&lt;/code&gt;) (&lt;code&gt;irimi&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;tenkan&lt;/code&gt;)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;    &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt;     &lt;code&gt;ushiro ryotetori&lt;/code&gt; (&lt;code&gt;omote&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;ura&lt;/code&gt;) (&lt;code&gt;irimi&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;tenkan&lt;/code&gt;)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;    &lt;code&gt;ikkyo&lt;/code&gt; &lt;code&gt;ushiro ryokatatori&lt;/code&gt; (&lt;code&gt;omote&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;ura&lt;/code&gt;) (&lt;code&gt;irimi&lt;/code&gt; | &lt;code&gt;tenkan&lt;/code&gt;)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  ... etc&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Feel free to substitute any other technique (&lt;code&gt;nikkyo&lt;/code&gt;, &lt;code&gt;sankyo&lt;/code&gt;, &lt;code&gt;gokyo&lt;/code&gt;, etc).&lt;br&gt;&#xA;If you've never tried some combinations, ask your sensei to demonstrate!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(apologies for mis-spellings; my knowledge is mostly verbal)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;(also it should be mentioned that I train mainly in Aikikai)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="33" LastEditorUserId="33" LastEditDate="2012-09-07T21:15:38.670" LastActivityDate="2012-09-07T21:15:38.670" CommentCount="3" CommunityOwnedDate="2012-09-07T15:24:27.507" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1443" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1441" CreationDate="2012-09-07T12:38:12.450" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two questions here, and a couple of assumptions.  I'm going to try to answer your question, but I need to tease out the assumptions so that I don't offer a misleading assumption.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Prologue - for reasons that will become apparent, I suspect that BenCole's answer will be better than mine.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first &quot;&lt;em&gt;What are the commonly practiced variations of ikkyo?&lt;/em&gt;&quot; is unfortunately probably impossible to answer.  I suspect that the &quot;. . . most commonly practiced. . .&quot; portion of the question probably has meaning only within the context of your dojo (or conceivably of your Sensei).  I can't verify that because I haven't trained Aikikai - I defer to BenCole on that.  To the best of my knowledge, the only lineage that could answer &quot;most common&quot; is Tomiki, because it is the only lineage that has a formal curriculum.   When I've watched Aikikai (and Iwama), the techniques practiced have been dependent on the Sensei's agenda for the day.  I had the distinct sense that he presented one technique that fascinated him, then proceeded to demonstrate variations on that technique that would help his students to explore the portions of the techniques that were giving them trouble.  For example, start with simple ikkyo, then show ikkyo tenshin, then because the students were having trouble with tenshin, move to another tenshin technique.  If the students demonstrate adequate tenshin, try a technique that highlights sen-sen-no-sen (Quite possibly not a term used in Aikikai; it has to do with initiative, and if you don't have it, tenshin Ikkyo will be tougher.)  etc.  If  I'm correct about that, then &quot;the most commonly practiced Ikkyo&quot; is the Ikkyo that students are having the most trouble with (or have the most opportunity to learn from.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second question has to do with the structure of aikido attacks - the &quot;grammar&quot; if you will.  Bencole has given a table which illustrates many of the variations (I'll comment there on a few more possibilities, and suggest it may be community wiki) and  at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikidofaq.com/dictionary/techniques.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;there is a decent glossary&lt;/a&gt; but Aikido is kind of like a lego set.  You can assemble the modules in many different ways (See &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/1389/457&quot;&gt;ShuHaRi for a fairly advanced explanation of the concept&lt;/a&gt;.   You can choose an entry, and then a direction (omote/Ura), and then a control, and then a throw.  That is the key to Bencole's table.  &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/9178940257&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Stenudd Sensei's book&lt;/a&gt; is a good reference for the attack variations.  There are &lt;em&gt;loosely&lt;/em&gt; four controls - Ikkyo, Nikyo, Sankyo and Yonkyo (Tomiki doesn't use those words, so I defer to somone with greater knowledge). But even that is misleading. In Tenkai Kote Hineri I can think of three or four finishes, which are not named as part of the throw.  All are valid finishes.  Two of them will proceed to a pin, and I can think of at least two different ways to do the pin - again, none of them are named.  By definition, Shihonage has at least four different potential finishes to the throw, but there are at least two different entries, both of which go by the name Shihonage.  A third and final example, I'm currently preparing to demonstrate for Nidan. Because my partner has trouble remembering, we built this table &lt;a href=&quot;https://aikidoamerica.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/mnemonics-for-koryu-dai-san-no-kata/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Techniques in the Koryu Dai San no Kata&lt;/a&gt;. You'll notice significant repetition in that table; very different techniques referred to by the same name. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So let me try to unify those two paragraphs(and rely on someone else to adapt the answer to Aikikai assumptions).  The names are only rough indices to the techniques; they don't follow a formal grammar.  Inside the dojo we use far more informal names (and I've been told that this is also somewhat true in Japan, although that is a different question).  Kote Mwashi within our dojo is frequently known as &quot;Kneel before Zod!&quot; because it is easier to remember.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the goal underlying your question is a good one. But I want to warn you away from the assumption that there is a formal grammar. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sorry, I've run on too long.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-09-07T12:38:12.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1444" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2012-09-10T11:24:29.223" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;About your question i think the best is Wing Chun is a great art, develop by a women and does not uses force, the base is kung fu style of the crane.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I train Jeet kune do and i am heavy. And Wing Chun is a great base in martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing chun is a martial arts system based on realistic self defence. It is designed for combat and not a sport!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Centreline theory - Wing Chun utilises an imaginary line between yourself and your opponent (shortest distance between two points). The centreline is the most direct line to the target; intercepting,capturing and controlling this line will give the Wing Chun fighter good advantage over the attacker. Along this line are many vulnerable points to strike e.g. eyes, nose, throat, solar plexus, abdomen and groin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun also uses simultaneous attack and defence, making your attack also your defence and vice versa, making the system very quick to deploy it's weaponry and deal with the problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Force Generation - force equals mass x acceleration, so by having a good stance and structure,staying relaxed and focusing your strike, using your body mass and synchronising the joints simultaneously (pivoting, stepping etc.), you will maximise acceleration thus allowing you to be able to strike hard, no matter what your size or gender. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.conceptsdefence.com/wing_chun.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.conceptsdefence.com/wing_chun.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a combat art, learning how to use your body syncronized and always using the center line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The foot work doesn't go the waist up. it's not very fancy but it is good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being a heavy person, for me the Wing Chun system is very good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="686" LastEditorUserId="686" LastEditDate="2012-09-10T22:09:45.793" LastActivityDate="2012-09-10T22:09:45.793" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1445" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1704" CreationDate="2012-09-11T21:30:23.017" Score="6" ViewCount="2370" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many martial arts (taekwondo and karate being the most obvious examples) incorporate powerful jumping maneuvers as part of the standard set of techniques practiced within the art.  Many of these techniques are improved by a combination of height and speed (essentially, hang time to borrow a term from basketball).  While there is clearly a degree of phsycial talent and natural physique involved in having a &quot;good&quot; jump for martial arts, one can see a marked improvement from repeated practice of the maneuvers, indicating that there is some ability to train for a &quot;good&quot; jump.  So the question is this, are there any exercises that have been shown to improve jumping height and speed in a way that is suited to use in the martial arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastActivityDate="2018-03-02T16:28:06.547" Title="How do I improve my jumping technique for jumping maneuvers?" Tags="|training|technique|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1446" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1458" CreationDate="2012-09-11T21:39:42.037" Score="8" ViewCount="768" Body="&lt;p&gt;My wife recently introduced me to the practice of &quot;tricking&quot; (essentially, a form of martial arts demo that focuses on jumps and acrobatic maneuvers - in some ways, the martial arts version of parkour) - &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK-zbjs92nw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;video here for reference&lt;/a&gt;.  The art clearly has its roots in traditional martial arts but the core techniques seem borrowed from multiple disciplines. Is there any documented origin of tricking and how it developed?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-12-09T11:42:26.147" LastActivityDate="2015-12-09T11:42:26.147" Title="What are the origins of &quot;tricking&quot;?" Tags="|history|tricking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1447" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1452" CreationDate="2012-09-12T00:38:01.340" Score="14" ViewCount="4901" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just had first lesson in Aikido with &lt;code&gt;Jo&lt;/code&gt; and was surprised to see that some of the staffs were octagonal and some were round. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can someone explain what is the difference and if there are any advantages to round or octagonal shape of the Jo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user72" LastEditorUserId="539" LastEditDate="2013-11-12T11:42:40.660" LastActivityDate="2020-05-19T23:49:44.843" Title="Octagonal vs round shaped staff weapons" Tags="|weapons|" AnswerCount="11" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1448" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1447" CreationDate="2012-09-12T12:39:15.293" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Fascinating question; I'd like to know the answer.&#xA;I found one potential answer:&lt;a href=&quot;http://bujinkanweapons.com/jo-staff/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&quot;The octagonal cut of all the staffs also gives you nice surface contours for locks and submissions.&quot;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Several sources (none of which are reliable enough to quote) imply that octagonal weapons are associated with Okinawan martial arts, but that seems to be in the context of the nunchuku.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I spoke with one of my favorite jo authorities  (whom I didn't obtain permission to quote/name) who relayed that one of his colleagues has an octagonal jo.  Apparently, &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;One of my friends who does SMRJ has one. Supposedly it's &quot;Gonnosuke style&quot;&#xA;  It will cut you!! He emphasis striking with the edge of the jo's tip, like using the corner of a very small table that is moving very fast...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've found another author who suggests that the octagonal edges can cut &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The hakaku-bo, however, was octagonal, and its angular edges made it&#xA;  viciously effective when unleashed against an unprotected target,&#xA;  since they cut along with the strike.&#xA;  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.koryu.com/library/dlowry11.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Dave Lowry&lt;/a&gt; &lt;em&gt;also a nice, readable, survey of jo training&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.e-budo.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-40943.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;This&lt;/a&gt; provides another potential alternative answer, although it involves some inference.  Apparently the &quot;Pilgrim's staff&quot; or Kongojo is octagonal, and there &lt;em&gt;may&lt;/em&gt; be a separate formal school of training for combat with the kongojo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*update: Caveat: the following is personal opinion&#xA;Looking back over all the answers,  I'm unconvinced by the &quot;more wood&quot;  and even of the &quot;Gonnosuke&quot; answers.  With respect to the &quot;Gonnosuke appellation, although I don't deny that vendors may sell octagonal jo as &quot;Gonnosuke style&quot;, I'm skeptical that the octagonal jo is connected to the founder of Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo in any linear fashion. (Although I studied SMRJ for a very short time, my SMRJ teacher required round weapons, and I didn't find any mention of octagonal jo's in any of the SMRJ websites I visited.  I would expect that if anything were &quot;Gonosuke style&quot;, it would be SMJR). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as the &quot;more wood&quot; goes, the only way that I can imagine that making a difference is in placing more mass on target; as others have noted, I'm not sure how much &quot;more mass&quot; would be involved.  Furthermore if the goal is to increase the mass*velocity equation, I personally would choose a denser wood rather than an octagonal shape.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the most credible answer I've seen is &quot;personal preference&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However I'm eager to see any support for any of these hypothesis, or even new hypothesis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2012-09-14T11:46:48.637" LastActivityDate="2012-09-14T11:46:48.637" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1449" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-09-12T13:03:00.860" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C5%8D&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;jo staff&lt;/a&gt; is approximately 4' (128cm) long and approximately 1&quot;/2.5 cm in diameter (longer than a tanbo or hanbo, shorter than a full bo staff).  It is most famously associated with the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shindomusoryu.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo school&lt;/a&gt;.  There are several variants of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://kingfisherwoodworks.com/jo.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;history&lt;/a&gt; of this school. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many Aikido schools also teach &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aiki-j%C5%8D&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Aiki-Jo&lt;/a&gt; techniques that differ significantly from the Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo curriculum. (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.koryu.com/library/dlowry11.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Lowry&lt;/a&gt;, among others, claims that aiki-jo techniques are actually derived from sojutsu or Yari/Spear).  The Aiki-Jo is generally approximately 4&quot; longer than the Shindo Muso Ryu Jo, and the diameter is slightly thinner. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the past the members of the Japanese Police force have carried Jo as a crowd control weapon. Like the European quarterstaff, the jo is extremely versatile in that every surface can be used for parry as well as for striking. Also like the European quarterstaff, the jo can be improvised from readily available materials. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.koryu.com/library/dlowry11.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Dave Lowry&lt;/a&gt; has a nice survey of Jo schools. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2012-09-13T18:46:03.793" LastActivityDate="2012-09-13T18:46:03.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1450" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-09-12T13:03:00.860" Score="0" Body="Jo is a martial arts staff weapon, approximately 4 feet long" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2012-09-12T14:59:31.823" LastActivityDate="2012-09-12T14:59:31.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1451" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1447" CreationDate="2012-09-12T23:42:49.387" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Octagonal weapons are less prone to torque out of your grip; same reason bolt heads aren't round&amp;ndash;the flat edges give the weapon a means to find purchase, against the bones and skin of the hand. Whether it's enough of an advantage to prevent disarming, different issue. The disarms we practice in my FMA classes aren't turn-the-stick-on-its-axis disarms. Every little bit helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hear claims they'll do more damage because you can &quot;hit them with the pointy part&quot;, but I don't see how that would be possible in a combat situation. Even if it &lt;em&gt;was&lt;/em&gt; possible to align a strike in that fashion, I'm skeptical the difference would be worth any effort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastEditorUserId="13" LastEditDate="2015-12-14T15:39:34.330" LastActivityDate="2015-12-14T15:39:34.330" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1452" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1447" CreationDate="2012-09-13T22:37:34.023" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;My suggestion, based purely on experience as a wood worker, would be that octagonal staffs would traditionally have been easier to make.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The machines we have available these days can bang out nice round dowel pretty easy, but once upon a time, these things would have been make by hand using tools like planes and draw knives. Using tools like that, an octagonal shape would take half the amount of time to make. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps other traditions have grown up around the use of the different shaped staffs, but in my opinion, that would be a separate issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="443" LastActivityDate="2012-09-13T22:37:34.023" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1453" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1454" CreationDate="2012-09-15T19:35:46.187" Score="8" ViewCount="223" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the things that I spent a lot of time in rapier drilling on were range drills.  The essence of a rapier range drill is that there are three fundamental ranges that you frequently find yourself at:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lethal Range: Close enough to hit by moving your arm. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Critical Range: Close enough to hit by shifting your center of gravity (e.g., in a lunge).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Out of range: Anything beyond what can be reasonably reached by a lunge. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some nuances in this (e.g., you can also be &quot;under the point&quot; and someone who is out of range can get into range in a hurry, albeit at some cost), but essentially this rough breakdown appears frequently both when unarmed and dealing with weapons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When teaching students, one thing I've seen is that there is a tendency to naturally drift either too close or too far away (depending on the student and the circumstances) and that judging range is not something that comes naturally. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I am wondering, what are effective ways to teach range analysis, so that you can both know what will work from a given range, and know what you need to look &lt;em&gt;for&lt;/em&gt; at a given range?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-09-20T01:32:13.360" Title="Drills for teaching range analysis" Tags="|drills|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1454" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1453" CreationDate="2012-09-16T04:34:00.523" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;With empty-hand, I usually do the following exercises to get people used to distancing differences. I simplify it and do just &quot;one&quot; range - which should map pretty well to your situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The student stands still, and I do the striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every strike is preceded with a question like &quot;Can I hit you from here?&quot;. Variations on the question will become obvious as you read through the list.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Natural stance, facing each other.&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;About one (human) foot within reach for a kick with either leg&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;About one (human) foot outside of reach for a kick with either leg&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;About one inch outside of range.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fighting stance (one leg closer to the student than the other).&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Repeat the three earlier distance experiments with both legs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Now, add a step, and repeat the earlier distance experiments.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;And now, a sliding step, and repeat the earlier distance experiments.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is repeated a few times in its entirety. I usually only do this once per session (or every few sessions), though you could probably fill an entire session or seminar with such exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once the student is familiar with this exercise, I just bring back one of those at some time, to teach the student to learn to gauge distance at will. The strike itself, over time, becomes unnecessary. In essence, this is just a one-sided one-step striking drill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sure you could apply this drill to the rapier, and bring in your own variations. I never got around to playing with stepping around the student, having the student in a stance/guard and seeing if it was possible to get to openings from there and how - and whether that was a beneficial exercise or not. Usually, we take this knowledge and apply it in sparring and other free-form exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-09-20T01:32:13.360" LastActivityDate="2012-09-20T01:32:13.360" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1455" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1456" CreationDate="2012-09-16T17:45:22.173" Score="10" ViewCount="3216" Body="&lt;p&gt;How to do safely a Aikido front roll from standing position and from jumping ? What are the key point to be careful for avoid injury like shoulder dislocation ? What are other injury that can happen when doing it incorrectly ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="412" LastActivityDate="2012-11-29T22:55:09.610" Title="Aikido Forward Roll" Tags="|training|aikido|injury|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1456" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1455" CreationDate="2012-09-16T21:22:41.513" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;The first, and biggest, point is that &lt;em&gt;if it hurts don't do it&lt;/em&gt;.  Be careful with an injured shoulder, possibly focusing more on the opposite side or starting on your injured side significantly more slowly or at a lower height (get the dive roll perfect from the knees first).  The other major thing is to make sure you are practicing on good mats.  There's no sense in doing this on hardwood, concrete, or something uneven such as grass: focus your practice on high quality mats that are designed for this sort of thing (most Aikido dojos already have these). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A previous dislocation, assuming that you've healed from it (and are cleared by your doctor, standard caveats apply, etc), shouldn't keep you from doing the technique successfully without substantive risk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that in mind, the biggest thing to focus on is &lt;em&gt;perfect form&lt;/em&gt;. Your highest risk of injury is going to come from doing the technique incorrectly and landing sharply on the shoulder. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Major components of a dive roll, assuming we are talking about the standard seen in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coBaGhZ3siI&quot;&gt;this instructional video&lt;/a&gt;, which covers it fairly effectively:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Same arm, same leg.  Whichever leg is in front, the same arm should be in front (there are also cross rolls in some arts, but I am assuming we aren't talking about those).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Reach long&lt;/em&gt;. Especially on techniques with an obstacle, a common mistake is to try to go for height.  Generally you want to aim for &lt;em&gt;distance&lt;/em&gt; not &lt;em&gt;height&lt;/em&gt;.  Most of the height will come naturally if you already have the distance component.   Going for height is a good way to end up landing a lot harder than you anticipated. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tuck your chin and &lt;em&gt;look at your belt&lt;/em&gt;.  Not doing this is a good way to end up &quot;rattled&quot; or with a headache after class.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;One hand &lt;em&gt;brings you down&lt;/em&gt; the other hand &lt;em&gt;brings you back up&lt;/em&gt;.  So if your left hand (and thus your left foot) is in front and was the first to make contact, you'll push off the ground with your right hand. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shoulder to opposite hip. Your roll should not go along the spine or the side, but should start at just behind one shoulder and run diagonally along the ground to the opposite hip. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pick a point.  Especially when you are starting out.  Pick a point on the far wall before you go down.  As soon as you come around pick that point and lock onto it with your eyes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Breathe&lt;/em&gt;.  Basically breathe out through the technique, don't hold your breath.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is all based on Hapkido dive rolls, but should be substantively similar to what you are trying to work with. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Doing it at height (standing, jumping, etc) is substantively similar to doing it from your knees: Largely the same thing, just at different height. So I cannot stress enough the importance of working on your technique lower&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you practice slowly on good mats, taking it easy and working on perfect form, then you'll significantly reduce your chance of injury as you move on to more advanced–and higher up–versions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That all having been said and with the standard disclaimers in place: &lt;em&gt;listen to your body&lt;/em&gt;.  If your body says &quot;stop that&quot; then &lt;em&gt;stop doing it&lt;/em&gt;. Don't push an injury, its a good way to end up reinjured.  Listen to your doctor and your sensei if they have anything to say about the matter as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-09-16T21:22:41.513" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1457" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="61" CreationDate="2012-09-17T03:59:51.173" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Over the last several days, I've been personally working feverishly on just such a system, although admittedly for my own use. Not because I don't believe that it could benefit others, but because I don't expect wide adoption due to the splintered nature of the martial arts &quot;community&quot;, especially the ITF for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I'm developing is a system of notation similar to music notation. It developed that way fairly organically, given that I'm a musician as well as a Tae Kwon-Do practitioner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without getting into too much detail, it seemed elementary to me that such a thing should exist. Music, sciences, language...anything that enjoys world-wide contribution and advancement adheres to some system of communicating its elements and appointments. I hope to develop this notation system to the extent that it can express techniques while still leaving some room for style differences and interpretation, like any similar system of notation in other disciplines. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm still working on it, but as an example of how a pattern (Hyeong, Tul, Poomse) like Chon-Ji would like as a score, check the PDF I've uploaded here: &lt;a href=&quot;http://duaneneveu.com/notation/Chon-Ji.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://duaneneveu.com/notation/Chon-Ji.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="695" LastActivityDate="2012-09-17T03:59:51.173" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1458" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1446" CreationDate="2012-09-17T07:22:17.203" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://voices.yahoo.com/the-history-martial-art-tricking-2345673.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This Yahoo article&lt;/a&gt; may help you. It details the origin and evolution of tricking since the early 1960s.  It draws from movie stunts, capoera, and parkour as source for the creation of tricking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I have &lt;em&gt;no idea&lt;/em&gt; how authentic or authoritative it is. Feel free to add to this answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1566" LastEditDate="2013-12-26T03:00:39.830" LastActivityDate="2013-12-26T03:00:39.830" CommentCount="1" CommunityOwnedDate="2012-09-17T13:14:56.947" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1459" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1455" CreationDate="2012-09-17T14:20:28.920" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Speaking as an aikidoka, Mr. Clements' answer is good. I want to add my emphasis to a few points.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, look at your belt or your toes. This will prevent the most serious injuries (head and neck injuries). Tucking your head is the most important thing to remember.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, breathe. Breathing is the second most important. I'm not aware that you'll do yourself permanent injury from failing to breathe, but you will feel the fall much more. If you're holding your breath, the impact will be transmitted to your entire body in a very unpleasant way. If you breathe out, you'll hurt less.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, do not cross your legs. Get into a habit of which leg is forward and which one is back and make sure they don't cross. Very infrequently the top leg will come down on the lower leg with enough force to snap the lower leg. This is more common if you land with one leg &quot;horizontal&quot; on the mat and one leg &quot;vertical&quot; with only the foot touching. If the foot lands on the shin, you're in trouble.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fourth, watch the seniors do the high falls. Most dojos will practice high falls, and I've learned a lot from watching my sempai. There are a couple who are so smooth that they are almost artistic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wanted to provide a few more resources; there is quite a bit out there on aikido ukemi. As one of my fellow students points out, studying ukemi is as important as studying waza; perhaps more so, since waza and ukemi can occur in a chain, but one failed ukemi breaks the chain.)  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some useful links:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikidorepublic.com/aikido-ukemi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Perhaps the best collection of ukemi resources&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coBaGhZ3siI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Hai Ki Aikido center&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGw3FOc3Jus&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;A different video treatment - seems to go from simple to advances&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.designeq.com/deq/aikido/insideout/ukemi.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;A beginner's guide - very similar to what Mr. Clement posted, but repetition helps.&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You also asked about jumping rolls (by which I assume you mean what I call high falls - frex kote gaeshi).  The sources cited have some good advice in graduating to that level.  I'll try to find some video of other practice techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, kneel on all fours, and reach your left hand under your body to your right side.  Have a partner grab your left hand and raise it rapidly; you'll flip over and learn to take the high fall from a very low place.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I strongly prefer that my partner hold on when practicing or performing high falls.  If the partner doesn't hold on, I wind up skipping across the mat like a stone on a pond until I hit a wall or another student.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last minute update - I noticed that you also asked what other kinds of injuries (apart from shoulder dislocation) can happen.  Struck me as worth calling out that answer separately.  I've mentioned the possibility of a broken leg, and both I and Mr. Clements have alluded to the potential for head/neck injury from failing to tuck the head.  The two most common injuries of which I'm aware are not strictly the result of doing the roll incorrectly.  The most common injury in my experience is to &quot;miss the mat&quot; and slap (hand or foot) on the flooring under the mat.  Slapping wood or concrete will make you realize how much you appreciate the mat.   The next most common injury I've seen is when two tori's decide to throw two separate Uke's at the same area of the mat. I've had a 300+ pound man land on my head. Unpleasant but surviveable.  Tori has a responsibility to make sure that Uke's landing area is clear.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2012-09-18T12:30:47.160" LastActivityDate="2012-09-18T12:30:47.160" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1461" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1455" CreationDate="2012-09-17T16:50:01.803" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I was first instructed on rolling (apart from what has already been mentioned), I was told to imagine being wrapped around a beachball.  This can help in keeping the back curved which makes for a smooth roll. This is especially for those whose instinct is to flatten out mid roll and knock the hips into the ground towards the end.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="697" LastActivityDate="2012-09-17T16:50:01.803" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1462" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1372" CreationDate="2012-09-17T17:07:40.820" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not precisely qualified to answer this, but perhaps &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showpost.php?p=276296&amp;amp;postcount=2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Janet Rosen's description&lt;/a&gt; from an &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19405&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;AikiWeb forum thread&lt;/a&gt; of adding modesty ties will help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;If all you need is modesty ties, buy a long shoelace, cut it in half,&#xA;  sew the halves where you want them. Snap tape works as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Janet Rosen has also written a column on AikiWeb about &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/columns/themirror/2005_11.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;customizing the dogi&lt;/a&gt; which contains diagrams as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I have experimented with a variety of closures, including snap tape&#xA;  and velcro, and am happiest with a pair of white or natural (to match&#xA;  the dogi fabric) sneaker shoelaces. One lace cut in half will secure&#xA;  the waist, the other cut in half will secure the lapel. Put on the gi&#xA;  top, over the gi pants and belted as usual, and use straight pins to&#xA;  locate where you want the ties to be. For the waist ties, the left&#xA;  side tie will go on the inside of the top (wrong side) and the right&#xA;  side tie will go on the outside of the top (right side). For the upper&#xA;  lapel ties, the right side tie again will go on the outside of the top&#xA;  (right side), but it is easiest to secure the ties if the left side&#xA;  tie is directly at the edge of the gi top.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This doesn't address the &quot;slim&quot; issue, but it does address what I'm reluctant to call the &quot;modesty&quot; issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-10-01T02:09:37.437" LastActivityDate="2012-10-01T02:09:37.437" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1463" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1453" CreationDate="2012-09-18T18:13:09.863" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since footwork more or less determines reach, drills related to that will give good guidance. Further, while analysis works well during training, is too slow at speed. People jerk away or move too slowly because they react to artifacts of the mind. Such a drill has to address that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a fun drill where you only use footwork to step and evade incoming attack. You're not allowed to use your hands to block. With a twist. You let the attacking weapon shave as close to the body as you can. In the case of empty-hand, that means allowing contact and letting it slide past. (Precursor to sticky training).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a space about an half-an-inch to about an inch off the skin where people naturally jerk away from someone. Movement with hostile intent within that range tend to create this very strange sensation. People usually go mindless when something enters that range, and knee-jerk reacts to it. The attack has not yet made contact, yet people will react to it as if they were in pain. The point of this drill is to trigger this particular feeling, and instead of jerking away, to go with it and move with the feet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're not really trying to suppress this feeling. You're training to not react blindly to the feeling when it comes, and instead, stay present and let your training come out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've found people who have done this particular drill often enough will square off at pretty much exactly just outside the critical range (where you shift weight), and have good intuitive sensitivity on where boundaries of personal space are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastEditorUserId="65" LastEditDate="2012-09-19T15:12:09.220" LastActivityDate="2012-09-19T15:12:09.220" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1464" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2012-09-20T15:33:36.627" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Have you thought about tai chi chuan? I know that westerners tend to think about it more as yoga than martial art but that's a terminology mess to be blamed on popular culture. There are schools that are treating tai chi chuan as a martial art though you might put some effort in finding one. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is an internal art and it will give you freedom to go at your own pace and in accordance with your own body. Though moment might come from your background in Japanese arts (at least I had some problems about moving and distance due to my history in aikido and iaido). This switch might be very useful as it broadens your perspective. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good thing is that Tai Chi Chuan is beneficial for health (your joints will thank you in a while) as it training incorporate Chi Gong. Also, Ba Qua Chang and other Chinese arts are very close and Tai Chi Chuan is more often than not an entrance point to several arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="701" LastActivityDate="2012-09-20T15:33:36.627" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1465" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1469" CreationDate="2012-09-23T23:54:23.863" Score="9" ViewCount="626" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a grading coming up soon and one section of the test involves a series of wrist releases. Uke is supposed to grab me by the wrists several times and I need to display that I know and can execute several different escapes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know which wrist Uke will grab, or from which direction (same side, cross grip, left, right, or both wrists).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know quite a few of these escapes, but I keep freezing in this exercise. As soon as Uke grabs me, I start trying to &lt;em&gt;think&lt;/em&gt; how I can get out. All of a sudden, 3-4 second have gone by and I'm still standing there like a goose trying to work out which technique to use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can anyone suggest drills or something to help stop the freeze?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or do I just need to do more practice at this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="443" LastActivityDate="2012-09-25T10:38:37.230" Title="how to overcome &quot;freeze&quot;?" Tags="|escapes|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1466" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1465" CreationDate="2012-09-24T00:33:38.643" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is one reason why various styles have kata/patterns/drills that are performed repetitively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you do the move during training, you need to be visualizing exactly what is happening - what the attacker did, and what you are doing to counter it. You play this in your mind as you do the move &lt;em&gt;every single time&lt;/em&gt;. Doing this repetitively many hundreds or thousands of times means that when you come to do it for real no thought is required, you just do it. This also helps the flow when you are using multiple techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All due respect, but I would suggest that if you have this &quot;freeze&quot; then you are probably not ready for your grading, as a grading should cover both theoretical knowledge and actual application.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-09-24T00:33:38.643" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1467" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1465" CreationDate="2012-09-24T02:21:54.420" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here's a good sequence of things to overcome specifically this problem:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Breathe. Practice getting grabbed and making sure your breath does not get interrupted.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Move. Practice getting grabbed and moving instantly. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Make sure 1 and 2 happen all the time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Now that you're moving and breathing, figure out what it is you really want to do, and determine what movements will get you where.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Now, do 1, 2, and 4. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Slugster said something critically important: what is happening? If someone is grabbing your wrist and standing there, just pop 'em in the face or in the groin. You don't need a wrist release.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-09-24T02:21:54.420" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1468" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1465" CreationDate="2012-09-24T03:05:53.707" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The freeze comes from having too many options. It's easier to deal with any situation if you've got a few (3~5) options to deal with it instead of a much higher number. For the vast majority of wrist grabs, I find making a fist (less susceptibility to a wrist lock they might follow up with), and moving closer solves it. I'll also go for grabbing their wrist with the same or other hand (depending on how they grab). Pretty much any wrist grab, from any angle, for any wrist can be solved by combining those two things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your grading is expecting techniques that don't resemble anything like that, your best option is to figure out what certain techniques have in common, find out which of those commonalities you can use the best, and just practice those techniques. Don't even think about doing the ones that operate differently. That way you cut down on being paralysed by too many options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-09-24T03:05:53.707" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1469" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1465" CreationDate="2012-09-24T14:33:17.990" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;The other answers focus on practicing more. That's obvious, so I won't go into it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds like the freezing here comes from fear. Since you say that you &quot;need to display that [you] know and can execute several different escapes&quot;, it seems like performance anxiety. You think you are thinking, but you're actually afraid, and using thinking of your options to avoid feeling the fear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are two methods to work with this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Just move.&lt;/strong&gt; You're afraid of making a mistake. Instead, move&#xA;first, think later, and learn to accept whatever happens after that,&#xA;good or bad. This is essentially what the other answers meant by&#xA;&quot;more practice.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;This one goes deeper, and can be a much more profound&#xA;practice: &lt;strong&gt;Note the fear.&lt;/strong&gt; Admit that you are afraid -- at the moment&#xA;that it comes up. When you start thinking like that, let the&#xA;thoughts go by and look for the underlying emotions. Most men these&#xA;days are conditioned to reject and suppress emotions inside of&#xA;themselves, so they'll even say, &quot;I feel blah blah blah&quot;, but the &quot;blah blah &#xA;blah&quot; are more thoughts, not what they are feeling. I'm talking basic emotions here: fear, anger, contempt,&#xA;disgust, joy, happiness, surprise, etc. The kind of emotions that&#xA;shows up as microexpressions according to Paul Ekman's research. Identify&#xA;the emotion behind those thoughts, &lt;em&gt;then don't do anything with that emotion.&lt;/em&gt;     If&#xA;you try to do something with it, you are no longer noting. However,&#xA;you can note your reaction to having the emotion pass through your space.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The practice of (2) is where you'll find courage. Not the courage of bravado and swagger, but the courage to walk into a hellhole to do what you need to do, even when you're scared shitless. This is the courage that everyone drawn to the martial art desperately seeks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To get the most out of this, you will want to do (1) with (2). After noting the fear, you just move. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This question is related to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/172/65&quot;&gt;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/172/65&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/471/65&quot;&gt;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/471/65&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/243/65&quot;&gt;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/243/65&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-09-24T14:40:58.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1470" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1465" CreationDate="2012-09-24T18:28:40.413" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The reason you pause is because you're reacting and reaction is slower than action. You react because you're thinking about what to do instead of doing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most valuable tool in your arsenal is your ability to control the situation. When you practice, don't think about the technique; there is no technique. Instead, watch your &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;; he'll tell you where he's going to grab. Watch how his nose points toward the side of your body he thinks to grab, or the direction his eyes flicker as he examines you for the attack. Everyone has a tell, even if it's just that moment when he starts to move (that you notice). You have all the time in the world.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you start to see it, instead of passively waiting to be grabbed, move your hand a little forward to meet his grab; by doing so, you're able to take his momentum and move him before he realizes it. You're now taking control of the conflict, putting him into the defensive role.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As soon as you have contact, move. Move in the &lt;em&gt;happo&lt;/em&gt;, the eight directions (4 cardinal, + 4 diagonal – any direction), and this will eliminate choices (after all, you've already started to move). As you step, move your arms with your body. Just move whatever manner feels natural; you're simply eliminating choices. From there, you should simply have something already forming, and you can complete the escape or counter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing to realize is that it doesn't matter. Once that you force yourself to move, you're already breaking that freeze, and you're buying yourself a second. That second isn't the time to make a decision about what &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;technique&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; to use, but rather what your next &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;move&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; is going to be. Just move, and the techniques form themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2012-09-24T18:28:40.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1472" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1282" CreationDate="2012-09-25T06:28:51.987" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial Arts, Yoga, Gymnastics, Aerobics or any exercise for that matter,their purpose is the same. It is to &lt;strong&gt;fully understand your body, realize your physical and mental fitness and live a  pleasant, long and a healthy life&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;strong&gt;There is nothing like &quot;being-suited&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;. Everyone in a reasonable physical state can attempt all of the above under proper guidance. &#xA;:) have fun&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="597" LastActivityDate="2012-09-25T06:28:51.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1473" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="631" CreationDate="2012-09-25T09:20:09.670" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Relief from Work Stress?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I would suggest you to learn free style. Keep learning moves that enhance your flexibility. Start with front kicks,side kicks, round house kicks and other good kicks that will get u ready for some art that suits you. Then you can decide which art you would want to learn.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You could try aerobics or yoga for starters and then a few gymnastic moves later(this one depends largely on your physical fitness). You could opt for some recreation in Dance and Music too, but I think that is off topic right now. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Relief from Back pain?&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;1. Easy way - Go to a doctor, take medicines.&#xA;2. Better way - Do yoga. Sitting for half an hour a day with a straight ,stiff back.&#xA;3. Little tough but the best way- If you sleep on a soft cushion, get rid of it. Sleep on a hard surface. Do yoga. Do exercises that exercise your back bones. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have fun :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="597" LastActivityDate="2012-09-25T09:20:09.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1474" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1465" CreationDate="2012-09-25T10:38:37.230" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The honest answer is that I'm not sure what is causing the freeze or how to address it.  Like many others, I'm going to assume that this is analysis paralysis.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My first answer is probably to relax and ignore the problem; it happens to all of us sometimes.  (Of course, I'm not a &quot;street&quot; martial artist; I practice for the joy of it.)  But if you feel like you aren't satisfied with your &quot;freeze/respond&quot; ratio. You may be able to  escape the analysis paralysis with drill and practice.  As others have said, the point of drill is to make the response part of your zombie state - where your conscious mind isn't involved.  (Aside: I find it amusing when our sempai tries to demonstrate technique X, but winds up doing technique Y because the attack wasn't done correctly. His body has started the response before he is aware of it.  He has to take a break and teach us how to attack correctly before he can demonstrate technique X)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I were in your shoes, I'd do a structured drill; Uke grabs, respond with ikkyo.  Uke grabs, responde with nikkyo, then sankyo and yonkyo.  Then do release technique #1, #2, etc. (pick a sequence appropriate to your training level and the style you practice.)  You don't choose a response, you just iterate through the sequence. Second time through the sequence pause for just a second to analyze whether the response felt natural/effective/appropriate.  (it isn't always fluid to get to yonkyo for example).  Third time through, ask yourself if another response &lt;em&gt;would have been&lt;/em&gt; more convenient.   Fourth time through try to let yourself go free - see if your body will select a response.  If it doesn't, default back to the sequence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My final bit of advice may not be appropriate for all styles, but Tomiki-Sensei said that more than half your responses should be the first five techniques.    Sometimes the simplest is the best.  If you wind up repeating the same technique 75% or even 90% of the time, that may not be a terrible thing.  I think when I watch juniors during group attack/jiyu waza they're probably throwing the same technique 75% of the time.  But I'm judging them as juniors. I'm looking to see if they move off the line, if they are positioning themselves for the next attack, etc.  Your seniors will grade you against the standard that is appropriate to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Best of luck. Leave a comment and let us know how it goes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-09-25T10:38:37.230" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1475" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2012-09-25T13:29:50.987" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bujinkan Budotaijutsu (popular name in the west is Ninjutsu) lets you adapt the techniques to your own body, so everyone will find a way to execute the moves taught. No high kicks are taught. The only real acrobatics is break-falling, but once mastered, that will keep you from getting injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think jujitsu will be a good suite also, as it shares allot of techniques and philosophy with Budotaijutsu. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="604" LastActivityDate="2012-09-25T13:29:50.987" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1476" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1447" CreationDate="2012-09-25T13:38:19.900" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my experience the octagonal weapon inflicts more pain especially when incorporating the staff in joint/finger locks and throws as the edges will hurt your bone structure more than a nice round staff. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd say it would likely do more damage as well, as @davenewton mentioned, because of the pointy bits - but I have not seen actual evidence of this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="604" LastActivityDate="2012-09-25T13:38:19.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1477" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1404" CreationDate="2012-09-25T13:46:39.343" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The kamae you describe with the tip downwards are less likely to injure &quot;friendlies&quot; behind you, as it occupies less space behind you. The tip will be quite unpleasant to run into from behind if the sword is held horizontally :) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This kamae will also be better for fighting in confined spaces (up against a wall etc.) &#xA;- from a bujinkan point of view.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="604" LastActivityDate="2012-09-25T13:46:39.343" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1478" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1035" CreationDate="2012-09-25T13:53:31.067" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I haven't tried this myself, but a few of my friends who compete in Iron Man and the likes are big fans of compression clothing for use after training and competition. Supposedly it prevents the muscles from swelling up with blood, and reduces recovery time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Might be worth a shot - &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.2xu.com/product/239/Compression-Tight/12/296?set=us&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.2xu.com/product/239/Compression-Tight/12/296?set=us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="604" LastActivityDate="2012-09-25T13:53:31.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1479" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2012-09-25T13:56:43.887" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bujinkan Budotaijutsu / Ninjutsu&lt;/strong&gt; builds on about 1000 years of Japanese tradition when it comes to training for wartime. The techniques taught are meant to teach you how to survive an attack, and if necessary injure or kill the attacker. There are now rules involved, so anything goes - strikes to the throat, back of the head ,spine or groin is all fine. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although  some of the weapons training have limited use in today's society; not many people carries a sword anymore, but stick and knife fighting is still very relevant. Most instructors also talk about institutional awareness, so that you can stay out of trouble, or what to look out for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bujinkan is popular with certain branches of the military and police force as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;As for jujitsu&lt;/strong&gt;, I have limited experience with this, but know for a fact that some instructors focus entirely on self defense. i once attended a seminar with Ken Kulsho(?) from the U.K which definitely taught people how to take care of them selves. Lately it looks like jujitsu has evolved more and more into a sporting activity, at least in Norway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/strong&gt; was developed by the Israeli-an Armed Forces (although it startet in Hungary in the thirties) and is widely used in police and armed forces around the world for hand to hand combat and self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="604" LastEditorUserId="604" LastEditDate="2012-09-26T10:55:35.847" LastActivityDate="2012-09-26T10:55:35.847" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1480" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="595" CreationDate="2012-09-26T09:51:16.010" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You could try punching walls a bit. Slowly punch the value and punch in such a way that you feel only your knuckles against the wall. Slowly increase the power behind your punch. It helps a lot. I have been doing that for some time now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have fun :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="597" LastActivityDate="2012-09-26T09:51:16.010" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1481" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="631" CreationDate="2012-09-27T17:21:52.160" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Reducing stress, eliminating back pain, and improving fitness have little to do with martial arts styles. Instead, they have a lot to do with the &lt;strong&gt;physical culture&lt;/strong&gt; that a given school adheres to. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of strength, if a tai chi school has newcomers master one-leg squats, stone lifting, barbells, or gymnastics alongside forms practice, that could help. If they just do the form by waving their hands in the air, that will only get you stronger to the most minimal degree. The same goes for a judo, karate, or boxing program: if they encourage proper strength training, you'll get substantially stronger. If they just have you go through a few cursory bodyweight exercises as part of the class warm-up, your strength gains will be limited.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of back pain, generally the problem is either medical in nature, or is caused by bad posture or weak back muscles. This means that it would be more productive to fix those issues in a strength program, with medical advice, or by addressing your postural issues.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of stress reduction, any number of activities could help: cycling, yoga, judo, boxing, gardening, aikido...it really depends on what tickles your fancy. That's a very personal exploration. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-09-27T17:21:52.160" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1482" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="112" CreationDate="2012-09-27T21:33:46.277" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not going to say why it's happening in your situation. Instead, I'll describe when I was in a similar position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I couldn't get down low comfortably because I was weak. Weak people who wish to train martial arts should use heavy weights to become strong. I used barbell squats and deadlifts--the most effective methods known for increasing the strength of the human legs and torso.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend embarking on a general-purpose strength program, such as Gant Grime's judo lifting program, which is structured after Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength model. You lift heavy barbells using the squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, and power clean. You do chin-ups. You get immensely stronger. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With newfound strength, one becomes able to get low, as in jiu-jitsu throws, without discomfort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-09-27T21:33:46.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1483" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="64" CreationDate="2012-09-27T21:54:03.507" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As an MMA fighter myself, who has had to cut as much as 13 kgs in as little as 8 weeks, I will say this: It is very possible to cut a lot of weight in short periods of time. However, it can be difficult and a test on you mentally and physically. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was talking to a guy that claimed to have lost 20 kg in 6 weeks on a diet plan that he was give for this purpose by another MMA fighter that he knew. So if you have a couple of months before a fight and have a lot to drop this is the diet mixed with the exercise plan:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;At around 9 or 10 am eat a bowl of all bran cereal. This is good for your bowels and can help you go to the toilet more which in turn helps drop a small amount of the weight&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Then you would run between 3 to 6 miles a day. When you finish the run, scramble 3 egg whites, cut up a slice of ham and put it in with the eggs then put a bit of pepper on top (this surprised me as it was actually tasty)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Then go swimming and do between 20 and 40 lengths of the pool, with a 30 second rest period each time you do five lengths. Then eat lean chicken with a handful of brown pasta around 5 or 6 o'clock (you can get healthy sauces for the pasta) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Finally cycle between 3 and 5 miles. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem with this is that people have jobs to go to and can't always do this the way it was laid out for me. So in this case stick to the diet and do the exercises when possible. I was also told to never eat after 6 o'clock and, if I really have to, that I should eat some cereal. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At first you may feel a bit weak as its a bit of a shock eating so little but after a few days your stomach shrinks and adopts to this very well. Also, drink a lot of water and eat as much fruit as you want, but avoid bananas. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope this helps, it has worked for me and I'm sure it can work for anyone else who has the time to do it but I understand that not everyone can stick to this plan the way it was given to me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="714" LastEditorUserId="557" LastEditDate="2013-03-02T16:45:27.517" LastActivityDate="2013-03-02T16:45:27.517" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1484" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="869" CreationDate="2012-09-28T02:54:34.330" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tom Kurz' book, Science of Sports Training, has a chapter on speed training. Some of the major relevant points for your question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sports fall into five groups according to how they require speed. Your training falls into the first of these, &quot;demanding maximal manifestation of all three components of speed [reaction time, time of a single movement, time of performing a number of movements] in nonstandard situations&quot;, since it is an &quot;individual contact sport&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Page 179 and 180).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;There are three elements of speed training: perfecting reaction, speed training proper, and auxiliary training consisting of strength exercises, power or jumping exercises, coordination exercises, and flexibility exercises (Sozanski and Witczak 1981).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Page 181) I think that puts my other answer firmly in the realm of auxiliary training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Directed speed exercises for boxers are reaction time exercises with tennis balls and practicing single punches with additional light resistance...for wrestlers, short sets of throwing a dummy at maximal and high speed. A sport-specific speed exercise for wrestlers would be throwing a partner (Nowak and Ptak 1995, Perkowski 1995, Glaz, Klimas, and Kosmol 1995).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Page 191)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best time to do these, Kurz says, is &quot;immediately after the warm-up&quot;, scheduled either &quot;after a rest day, or on a day following the light technical workout&quot; (page 192). He also advocates many very short speed sessions performed throughout the day or week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The book itself is dense with information, and very helpful with planning and programming. I recommend reading it to get all the pieces I must leave out for brevity's sake.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would try resistance on punches, but I share your aversion to hand weights. Single punches against a band (Kurz recommends &quot;a pulley or bungee cord&quot;), with rest between attempts, sounds like it would jive better with Kurz' amalgamation of research. Reaction time drills sound like another area ripe for training: circle your partner, and at some sound or signal, or perhaps when they are in a certain position, you launch forward with an attack. General strength and power exercises (sprints, push presses, jerks, cleans, snatches) would seem called for as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-09-28T14:09:47.000" LastActivityDate="2012-09-28T14:09:47.000" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1485" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1486" CreationDate="2012-10-01T00:59:50.453" Score="8" ViewCount="3291" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently moved, and I found there are two classes within walking distance of my home. One is tai chi and the other is tae kwon do. I am in my thirties, have led a sedentary lifestyle so far. I'd like to join one of these two classes, for exercise and fitness. Any thoughts/advice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not overweight and don't have any physical ailments though I am slow and weak.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="716" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-10-01T01:04:32.227" LastActivityDate="2017-10-12T18:12:17.393" Title="For a total beginner, is tai chi a good start?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1486" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1485" CreationDate="2012-10-01T01:19:53.923" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tai chi can be best described as &quot;mediation in motion.&quot; It is more slow-moving than tae kwon do and focuses more on internal energy development whereas tae kwon do is more external. However, that does not mean that tai chi itself will not provide a workout for you. It may not be as strenuous or physically demanding as tae kwon do, but you will see some physical benefits out of doing it. In general, the movements will work your core, back, legs, and arms. Though it looks slow from an outside perspective, some of what you may be doing might not come so easy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tae kwon do on the other hand is more &quot;hard&quot; and external with its phsyical movements. You will be doing various punches, kicks, techniques, and forms as you go through the curriculum. Sparring, I believe, is also another component of it. Doing that for a while will have an effect on strengthening and conditioning your body for learning and adapting to the material.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It really depends on what you want in terms of &quot;fitness and exercise&quot; so it might be better to clarify that to get a better answer. I started doing both kung fu and tai chi at the same time at my school, but many people choose one or the other. Some people who do only tai chi do it just to move around (who tend to be older in age as well). I have seen people who choose that route improve their posture, joint movements, and some flexibility. People at my school who jump right into kung fu will also develop more physical stamina along with overall body strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Considering the difference between those two styles, what I would do is try to visit each class and observe it or try it out if you can. Stay with each one for some time to get a better feel of what you will be doing and how your body will respond. However, I don't think you should be averse to choosing one over the other (maybe not now, but perhaps later) since neither one should impair what you do in the other art. You may find them to be complementarily beneficial (over time once you develop a deeper understanding of your physical movements and what each art entails).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastActivityDate="2012-10-01T01:19:53.923" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1487" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-10-01T01:33:42.393" Score="10" ViewCount="1665" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently saw a Seven Star Praying Mantis school perform in public for a cultural festival, and one of their characteristics is the seven-star stance. The stance entails one of practictioner's leg sticking out straight with the heel on the ground and toe pointing upwards  whilst the body weight is placed more on the back leg which is bent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UVn87.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;A seven star stance&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was trying to figure out what is the purpose of this particular footwork in its applicability to defense and attack because it seems odd to stick out your leg like that, but I also wondered whether it may be a stylistic feature of this particular kung fu system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-12-14T14:20:14.877" LastActivityDate="2018-12-14T14:20:14.877" Title="What are the applications and principles of this particular seven-star mantis stance?" Tags="|kung-fu|stance|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1488" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1487" CreationDate="2012-10-01T12:00:46.843" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have not trained in Seven Star Praying Mantis; I will defer to anyone with even a modicum of specific knowledge.  I also admit my ignorance with respect to the hand position.  I can state that within Tai Chi there are several stances that are backweighted like that, and where the  heel is down and the toe is up. When I came to tai chi from aikido that drove me nuts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm still a relative beginner in tai chi, but I can tell you that from a learning perspective, that stance enforces separation.  If your heel is down and your toe is up, that leg does not bear weaight.  Your weight is 95% on the other leg.    Separation is an important feature of mobility for tai chi.  Separation forces me to move from my hips, rather than relying on momentum and mass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sorry - that's longwinded, discursive and has three different disclaimers.  But I believe that the stance both teaches and preserves a type of mobility that I find in Chinese Martial arts but not in Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2012-10-02T10:42:45.053" LastActivityDate="2012-10-02T10:42:45.053" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1489" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1485" CreationDate="2012-10-01T12:11:11.483" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Permit me to reinforce what Matt Chan states.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Style (tae kwon do or tai chi) (in my opinion) ought to be a tertiary selector.  I believe that I'm not alone in stating that long term success/happiness in martial arts derives first from the instructor, second from the classmates and only third from the art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may want to read &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1282/are-martial-arts-suitable-for-a-busy-it-professional/1301#1301&quot;&gt;one of my prior prolixities on the subject of how to choose a school&lt;/a&gt; So my advice is to visit both classes, observe and then choose. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My daughter is a shodan in Tomiki Aikido; when she went to college we contacted the aikido group there, and she joined for a few classes. Total bust.  The instructor didn't show up, the classes were taught by a junior student with insufficient understanding of either aikido or teaching.  She switched to isshinryu karate.   My current Tai chi teacher teaches two classes.  In our class we have to strap on pads for some exercises - full contact tai chi.  In his other class, they never ever discuss the martial applications of tai chi.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tai chi can be both practical and a good workout. Because you said that you're primarily interested in fitness, I'll only mention briefly that the push hands exercises in tai chi have been quite beneficial for my aikido.  From a fitness perspective, even after 10+ years of aikido, tai chi has given me stronger stabilizers, and I walk out of class with a sweat after every session. (I'll probably sweat less as I get better at push hands).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-10-01T16:12:58.887" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1490" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="869" CreationDate="2012-10-01T14:28:57.497" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A tip no matter what kind of movement you are trying to do fast is to relax the muscles when executing the move then tens your arm/hand when making contact with you opponent so that you don't break you arm. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can't go fast if you tense your muscles when kicking or punching. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is explained here in a more scientific matter:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The main issue addressed here is the paradox of muscle contraction to optimize speed and strike force. When muscle contracts, it increases in both force and stiffness. Force creates faster movement, but the corresponding stiffness slows the change of muscle shape and joint velocity.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The purpose of this study was to investigate how this speed strength is accomplished. Five elite mixed martial arts athletes were recruited given that they must create high strike force very quickly. Muscle activation using electromyography and 3-dimensional spine motion was measured. A variety of strikes were performed. Many of the strikes intend to create fast motion and finish with a very large striking force, demonstrating a &quot;double peak&quot; of muscle activity. An initial peak was timed with the initiation of motion presumably to enhance stiffness and stability through the body before motion. This appeared to create an inertial mass in the large &quot;core&quot; for limb muscles to &quot;pry&quot; against to initiate limb motion. Then, some muscles underwent a relaxation phase as speed of limb motion increased. A second peak was observed upon contact with the opponent (heavy bag). It was postulated that this would increase stiffness through the body linkage, resulting in a higher effective mass behind the strike and likely a higher strike force.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Observation of the contract-relax-contract pulsing cycle during forceful and quick strikes suggests that it may be fruitful to consider pulse training that involves not only the rate of muscle contraction but also the rate of muscle relaxation.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20072065&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20072065&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="604" LastActivityDate="2012-10-01T14:28:57.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1491" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1485" CreationDate="2012-10-01T14:44:40.667" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you're sedentary in a new city and looking for exercise, the best school to join is whichever one &lt;strong&gt;actually moves around vigorously&lt;/strong&gt; that &lt;strong&gt;you will enjoy and stick with&lt;/strong&gt;. Whether it's Tae Kwon Do, tai chi, yoga, lifting weights, or soccer doesn't particularly matter. Whether or not you sweat matters. Whether you like it and keep going matters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it's very likely that practice at the tai chi school involves less vigorous activity than your average yoga class. Most tai chi schools practice the form as a slow dance, with maybe a small amount of time spent doing very soft and compliant partner drills. It would be better than nothing at developing fitness, but certainly not a complete or optimal solution. Try the class and see how sweat-inducing it is. I'll bet that the TKD school makes you sweat harder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-10-01T16:24:00.777" LastActivityDate="2012-10-01T16:24:00.777" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1493" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1487" CreationDate="2012-10-01T15:28:44.557" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Off the top of my head and untested, one application could be to interdict the opponent's footwork while pulling/locking his upper body off center. Based on my experience of Xingyi Horse form, the right hand behind the ear is weak. He is probably using the extended left to apply a lock under the armpit. If the left hand is in the signature praying mantis hand, then there are probably various finger attacks to the throat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The extended leg also has an option for kicking up into the grown if the other guy gets distracted with what's going on up top.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are likely other applications. The important thing isn't to fix a particular function of a stance or a form. When you do that, you get &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_fixedness&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;functional fixedness &lt;/a&gt;. Instead, you want functional fluidity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2012-10-02T10:45:42.633" LastActivityDate="2012-10-02T10:45:42.633" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1494" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1485" CreationDate="2012-10-01T15:52:45.817" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are looking just for exercise and fitness, martial arts in general is probably not a good choice. Crossfit, P90X, walking, jogging, biking, swimming will work better. Most &quot;lifers&quot; don't rely on class for conditioning, and will tend to practice and condition on their own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tai chi is good if you want to start &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.quora.com/Fitness/What-are-some-ways-to-improve-your-posture/answer/Anuj-Agarwal-1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;correcting your posture&lt;/a&gt; but so can the milder forms of yoga. Dancing also works well, and you probably have a lot more fun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="65" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-10-01T16:12:24.410" LastActivityDate="2012-10-01T16:12:24.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1495" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="631" CreationDate="2012-10-01T16:02:40.553" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Doing Luta Livre helped my back and posture problems a lot. A lot of different muscles are used in both static and explosive manner. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Luta Livre is -just like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu- a submission wrestling sport, although in Luta Livre no gi is worn. The athletes usually wear tight-fitting clothes like fight-shorts and rash-guards.&#xA;Apart from that the two sports are very similar, even when the practitioners of any one might have you believe otherwise. It's probably a case of rivalry because of similarity. I've been told by both Luta Livre and BJJ fighters that the other art is all about using power and has less emphasis on technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;LL is a pure grappling martial art - No punches or kicks are allowed and attacking orifices or single fingers is forbidden as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So when practiced respectfully it is quite possible to grapple without much holding back without hurting each other, so i guess it's a great stress relieve as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Luta Livre is a very safe sport if both opponents understand some basic rules. Namely that a dangerous lock or choke has to be applied with caution, that tapping out is not a shame and that the bout is over immediately after tap-out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastEditorUserId="718" LastEditDate="2013-01-07T16:17:05.157" LastActivityDate="2013-01-07T16:17:05.157" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1496" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1497" CreationDate="2012-10-01T19:43:26.270" Score="1" ViewCount="140" Body="&lt;p&gt;One set of techniques that my dojang doesn't practice much with, but that I have seen in several other Hapkido sources (mostly &quot;lightning patch&quot; groups), are &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.hapkidocollege.com.au/3c_martial-arts-self-defence-hapkido-philosophy.html#5_live&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;live hand variations&lt;/a&gt; on locks.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Explanations regarding &lt;em&gt;ki&lt;/em&gt; notwithstanding, I've observed a major category where they seem to help: Showing new people how to balance the weight of their hand for locking.   There seems to be a natural tendency with people learning wrist locks to put their force toward their own index fingers while letting the little and ring fingers float, while livehand locks emphasize shifting that weight back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the negative side, one generally doesn't one to leave one's finger extended through a technique (too easy to jam or get grabbed). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The question I have is: Is it worth explicitly training this as an illustration, dropping it as the student progresses and can more reliably get the technique, or is it more beneficial to just start with the version they will be using in the long run, even if it means that they might struggle more up front?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-10-03T10:27:34.300" Title="Livehand Locks for Training Purposes" Tags="|training|hapkido|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1497" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1496" CreationDate="2012-10-01T20:23:41.553" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a student and teacher of Aikido (obviously not Hapkido, so take with as much salt as you see fit), my inclination would be to introduce this &lt;em&gt;as early as possible&lt;/em&gt;.  Moreover, I think you've provided the answer yourself:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;There seems to be a natural tendency with people learning wrist locks to put their force toward their own index fingers while letting the little and ring fingers float, while livehand locks emphasize shifting that weight back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a good reason to include the practice earlier rather than later.  If students have already learned to grab with their last couple fingers, you are losing part of the benefit of this practice.  Of course, this wouldn't be a reason to &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; include it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;On the negative side, one generally doesn't one to leave one's finger extended through a technique&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another reason to introduce earlier rather than later.  Older students will likely already have the muscle memory of withdrawing their fingers, so either you will program and then de-program this reflex, or they will simply not learn the new way to the degree it can be useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Explanations regarding ki notwithstanding[...]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This may be less important to you, but I would argue this as one of the most important reasons to introduce this practice as early as possible.  Esotericism aside, &lt;em&gt;ki&lt;/em&gt; is an interesting concept with regards to power generation and efficiency; if this practice enables the 'uninitiated' to harness greater levels of this, then by all means, practice away!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(one quick note: this may not be something for the &lt;em&gt;absolute&lt;/em&gt; beginner, but introducing it as soon as the student appears ready would be my recommendation).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="33" LastEditorUserId="33" LastEditDate="2012-10-01T21:16:45.860" LastActivityDate="2012-10-01T21:16:45.860" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1498" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="704" CreationDate="2012-10-02T13:23:33.503" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think crucial to speeding up the whole kick is to be as relaxed as possible for the most part of executing the kick.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you pull up the knee to your chest, it should be a relaxed, swift movement. &#xA;Even when pushing forward the leg, apart from the muscles used to propel it forward should stay relaxed, in a way that you would be able to abort the attack at any time.&#xA;Only in the very last part of the technique you put your weight in the kick by moving the hip forward strongly and put tension on your leg in order to achieve higher impact on your target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastActivityDate="2012-10-02T13:23:33.503" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1499" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1496" CreationDate="2012-10-02T13:34:01.463" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In both Tomiki and Yoshinkan aikido, when we teach the relevant techniques, we do teach them to emphasize the pinky fingers and to avoid (over) using the index finger. We teach that not from a ki perspective, but from an effectiveness perspective.  Specifically with respect to wrist grips and lapel grabs I've been told more than once to grip with my pinky. We wind up reinforcing the same concept later, because for some reason, people forget to grip with their pinkies and slip back to an index finger grip. (At least I assume that people other than me forget).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In point of fact our current Sempai does recommend keeping the index fingers extended - at least during kote hineri which is the reference technique that comes to mind.  I'll have to look at some of the other techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't find any citation or reference to teaching this way - that's just the way that it has been taught wherever I've studied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2012-10-03T10:27:34.300" LastActivityDate="2012-10-03T10:27:34.300" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1500" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1440" CreationDate="2012-10-02T14:51:00.633" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You could try to put wood glue in the crack and than wrap the verga strongly with some cord. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But honestly i doubt that it will be possible to get the same flexibility. You will probably have to replace it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Painting, slightly burning or even carving a good verga to add a personal touch should be no problem, if you go at it carefully.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastActivityDate="2012-10-02T14:51:00.633" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1501" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1502" CreationDate="2012-10-03T18:08:04.470" Score="7" ViewCount="220" Body="&lt;p&gt;We have a technique in hapkido that flows as follows (using the hard-grab variation for simplicity, there are variations):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Opponent grabs left hand with their right.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Defender pulls arm out to the side with their left.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Defender steps forward with their left foot adjacent to the right foot of the attacker.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Defender puts right hand on opponent's right shoulder.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Defender uses an axe kick to sweep the leg out from under them and sweep them to the ground.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some key points:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In reality contact is made heel-to-heel, this will shatter the ankle (this is confirmed from experience).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In the dojang we currently make contact calf-to-calf, which is a less effective technique but allows it to be performed at speed and with the full throw.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The question I'm having is for this situation, where we have safety mechanisms in place, are there any other things we can do to &lt;em&gt;safely&lt;/em&gt; train so that the instinct goes heel-to-heel instead of calf-to-calf, so that when performed outside the dojang the instinct is still heel-to-heel, but in the dojang no one gets hurt?  Or do we basically just accept that we are likely to perform it slightly less optimally in reality?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-10-04T13:20:31.317" Title="Safely Training Axe Kick Throws" Tags="|hapkido|safety|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1502" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1501" CreationDate="2012-10-03T19:02:42.227" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The founder of judo, Jigoro Kano, recognized this trade-off between &quot;deadly&quot; or severely damaging techniques and our ability to practice these techniques to a useful degree. The situation has improved with technology. Today we have good goggles, MMA and boxing gloves, and steel cups, so if we want to train out ball punches, &lt;em&gt;nukites&lt;/em&gt; to the eye, striking, chokes, and grappling, we can do so fairly productively with good gear. But for some moves there is always going to be a trade-off such as you describe: either you practice the technique in a safe manner at full force, developing fluidity and reflexes, or you train it as brutally as possible, omitting the development of a fast, natural reaction for enhanced &quot;realism.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Neil Ohlenkamp, judo 6 dan, describes the paradox in his article, &quot;Fighting or Playing -&#xA;The Martial Art vs. Sport Debate&quot;, at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=195&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Fighting Arts&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Sometimes the &quot;combat&quot; arts substitute intellectual perception, a highly subjective and deceptive frame of reference, for genuine training of the body and mind. Some martial arts don't train effectively for self-defense and combat because they can't train for combat without severe risk to training partners. So many martial arts have instead adopted highly stylized, ritualistic, and even dysfunctional training methods. Ironically, martial sports may provide the superior training in effective combat techniques because martial arts can't be practiced in a real life way without injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Sport, by removing the lethality, achieves the opposite. That is, &lt;strong&gt;sport more typically produces natural, fast, reflexive movement with full power application&lt;/strong&gt;, achieving a result against a struggling opponent who is also utilizing full power while engaging in strategic and tactical resistance using all of his or her resources and training. Techniques that don't work are soon abandoned, and successful skills are honed against different attackers under a variety of conditions. Maintaining control in various combat situations, both in attack and defense, is difficult when faced with the unpredictable nature of an opponent's efforts, but facing these situations in contest prepares you for similar situations. Each opponent in competition is operating at the limit of physical and psychological skill. By pushing that limit contestants are continually realizing and expanding their potential.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Emphasis mine.) Judo's answer to this conundrum was to practice the nerfed techniques, such as your calf-to-calf variation, with full power in sparring and competition. Techniques unsuitable for such rigorous, productive training were kept, but relegated to kata-only practice. That is, they would be trained, but only outside of competitive, unpredictable scenarios where the serious injury from those less controllable techniques was likely. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo's method was revolutionary at the time. It was--and remains--a systematic method of giving all students copious training against varying degrees of resistance, allowing each student opportunity to develop their skills maximally. Only the techniques that had to be held back were held back. Now, instead of haphazardly producing good fighters out of the naturally athletic students who picked up body skills with ease, judo's method of &lt;em&gt;kihon/uchikomi/kata/randori/shiai&lt;/em&gt; consistently turned diligent students, whether naturally athletic or not, into fighters familiar with applying a great many techniques with full power. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;True, this new method did not allow for the brutal old-style groin-kicking &lt;em&gt;tomoe-nage&lt;/em&gt; to be practiced in &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt;. But the previous choice was to allow it in free sparring (and see a great many students injured and unable to practice, and a great many more leave or never join for fear of injury) or practice it as a kata, which the judoka did just like the &lt;em&gt;koryu jujitsuka&lt;/em&gt;. These students still had fierce and well-tested chokes, trips, hip tosses, arm-locks, sacrifice techniques, foot sweeps, pick-ups, and throws. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe this to be the optimal solution. The techniques that work in sparring and competition should be practiced vigorously and at full power as frequently as possible, while techniques that cannot should be practiced occasionally in a proscribed, compliant or semi-compliant sub-optimal manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-10-04T13:20:31.317" LastActivityDate="2012-10-04T13:20:31.317" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1503" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1509" CreationDate="2012-10-04T10:00:17.313" Score="4" ViewCount="2744" Body="&lt;p&gt;So, there was an incident and now one of the mats has a hole in it.  The hole is about 1 x 0.5 cm wide.  What is the best way to repair it so it is still safe to train on said mat?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The mat is a plastic covered foamed judo mat similar to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blitzsport.com/IJF-Competition-Judo-Mat?sc=8&amp;amp;category=6544&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-10-05T02:08:29.277" LastActivityDate="2012-10-05T19:26:21.513" Title="How to repair a mat with a hole in it?" Tags="|equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1504" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1505" CreationDate="2012-10-04T12:14:43.677" Score="18" ViewCount="2451" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are things to look for in a school to indicate that one should absolutely NOT study there?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You know, things like having the name Cobra Kai or making you do donut runs because you're the new student. Or worse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-10-05T00:10:52.593" LastActivityDate="2019-04-11T20:00:32.163" Title="What are the signs *not* to train at a specific school?" Tags="|schools|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1505" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1504" CreationDate="2012-10-04T13:07:45.667" Score="19" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is a non-exhaustive list of warning signs. If any of them are present, you &lt;em&gt;should&lt;/em&gt; definitely politely leave and never return.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/6739/82&quot;&gt;The dojo is a McDojo&lt;/a&gt;: &lt;em&gt;Run, just run.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cult warning signs&lt;/strong&gt;.  Run, just run.  Here is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.religioustolerance.org/safe_sec.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;how to spot the signs&lt;/a&gt; although a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&amp;amp;ie=UTF-8#hl=en&amp;amp;output=search&amp;amp;sclient=psy-ab&amp;amp;q=cult%20warning%20signs&amp;amp;oq=&amp;amp;gs_l=&amp;amp;pbx=1&amp;amp;fp=e677b0b1e1b06dad&amp;amp;bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&amp;amp;biw=1917&amp;amp;bih=968&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Google search&lt;/a&gt; can lead to other sites.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Injuries&lt;/strong&gt;.  Too many people with injuries should let you know that something is wrong with the way they train.  Look for long term problems in senior grades.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Money&lt;/strong&gt;: Lots of (confusing) fees and the need to pay more to advance and learn advanced techniques.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Secret techniques&lt;/strong&gt;: There are things that are &lt;em&gt;&quot;too dangerous for the untrained to know or see&quot;&lt;/em&gt; that require special training -- see point 1.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Any forms whatsoever of &lt;strong&gt;Hazing&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Overt (or covert for that matter) displays of &lt;strong&gt;violence&lt;/strong&gt;, including &lt;strong&gt;sexual violence&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Instructors or students are allowed to train without insurance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Unsafe&lt;/strong&gt; training area because of disrepair, obvious unmarked hazards, or unhygienic surrounds.  Note that old does not necessarily mean unsafe. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, some of the above might prompt you to contact your local law enforcement agency although &lt;em&gt;I am not a lawyer nor do I play one on TV&lt;/em&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit on prices&lt;/strong&gt;: All fees should be clearly labelled.  I have nothing against contracts but do read them carefully -- see line about being a lawyer above. I have a problem with having to buy equipment, books, food supplements/vitamin pills, and so on all through the instructor's shell companies.  I have a problem with charging extra money to learn the &quot;secrets&quot; of the art or learn extra meditation or whatever which gets you to &quot;progress&quot; faster.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a side note, most martial clubs will be associations of some kind.  In most countries those laws I am familiar with, those require to have a treasurer and accounts that are accessible to members.  Thus, you &lt;em&gt;should be able&lt;/em&gt; to look at the books.  Of course, if the instructor has set up a company to teach martial arts, this is not &#xA;available. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-08-26T08:06:30.543" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1506" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1504" CreationDate="2012-10-04T14:53:32.290" Score="17" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sard has a good list. I would add a few other things:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Unwilling to let you watch/try out classes for a week or so.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A very high proportion of new students to more advanced students (Unless it is something like a brand new school) - this indicates lack of retention, which can be indicative of problems.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Phsyical (As in contact) discipline.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Long term contracts (See note below)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, some people may say that contracts are an automatic mark of a McDojo or crooked studio, but that's not necessarily the case. What a contract does, is allow the studio owner to project revenues and create a budget, without having to worry that 10 students might drop out next month. What to look out for are contracts that promise a rank (Join our Masters Club for 3 years and you'll be a 2nd degree black belt!), overly long contracts (More than a year) that don't have an &quot;out&quot; clause. There are some states where long (greater than 12 months) contracts without that out clause are illegal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An out clause would be something like if you move more than 50 miles away from the school and can't transfer to another school in the same system, or pay a 1 month extra penalty and the contract is done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would also address Sard's #3 point about money/fees. I am perfectly fine with owners charging more for different levels of training, PROVIDING that the different levels is basically more floor time. I am NOT ok with Basic club doesn't learn forms/poomsae, Intermediate club doesn't learn weapons, etc. If it's structured so that basic club gets 3 hours of classes a week, intermediate 5, advanced gets unlimited, I'm ok with that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, fees should be able to be disclosed up front. They should be able to tell you straight out &quot;You will pay X for training, Y for belt tests, and Z for equipment. Here's a list of the equipment that you will eventually need as you progress.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-10-04T14:53:32.290" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1507" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="948" CreationDate="2012-10-05T18:24:04.567" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Karel Koskuba, tai chi instructor and co-author of &quot;Tai Chi for Every Body&quot;, describes the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.yiquan.org.uk/art-zz.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;taiji syllabus&lt;/a&gt; as follows, leading to free sparring at the summit:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Taijiquan&lt;/em&gt; forms practice&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Fa Li&lt;/em&gt; (Release of Power) learning how to 'release' power by using phasic muscles supported by postural muscles (learning how to produce Jin by combining Qi with physical strength)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tui Shou&lt;/em&gt; (Pushing Hands) at first &lt;em&gt;fa-jin&lt;/em&gt; is omitted; later &lt;em&gt;fa-jin&lt;/em&gt; is also used.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Weapons training&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Shi Sheng&lt;/em&gt; (Testing of Voice) learning to augment power and integrate the center of the body in a more natural way using breathing musculature.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ji Ji Fa&lt;/em&gt; (Combat Practice) fixed and free sparring drills and sparring.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This puts weapons training and &lt;em&gt;shi sheng&lt;/em&gt;, with which I am not familiar, as stepping stones from &lt;em&gt;tuishou&lt;/em&gt; to &lt;em&gt;sanshou&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-10-05T18:24:04.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1509" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1503" CreationDate="2012-10-05T19:26:21.513" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;That doesn't sound like a huge hole. I would at least consider taping it and moving it to the to a spot off to the side. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that solution sets off your safety or insurance alarms, I'd look into a &lt;a href=&quot;http://swainmats.com/store/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=218&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;mat repair kit&lt;/a&gt;. The Swain one includes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;(1) 7/8&quot; x 7/8&quot; patch&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;(1) 1 3/8&quot; x 1 3/8&quot; patch&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;(1) 36&quot; reinforcement filament for repairing tears at edges&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;(2) Alcohol Prep pads&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Set of illustrated instructions&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestling mats have a different set of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.resilite.com/Departments/Wrestling-Mats-and-Supplies/Mat-Care-and-Cleaning/Mat-Repair-Supplies.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;recommended patch kits&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-10-05T19:26:21.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1510" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6" CreationDate="2012-10-05T19:42:23.007" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I try to wash my hand-wraps between uses, and if I can't, I at least hang-dry them. They get smelly and gross fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My gloves, I try to take out of my bag between uses. I also have some cardboard tubes with holes punched in the sides that I jam in there to get some air flow and dryness action on the inside. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have not tried these methods for more than a couple months at a time; so I don't know if they'll work for heavy usage over the long term.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-10-05T19:42:23.007" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1511" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1504" CreationDate="2012-10-05T21:04:16.407" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;First thing I look at is cleanliness. I expect the mats to uniformly be the same colour, unless they're distinctly different, but all the red mats should be the same shade of red, and the green mats should be the same shade of green (reasonable exceptions are made for colour fading due to age). I also want to see by the end of the first class that the mats are being mopped down and swept. If nobody pitches in to help, the instructor should be doing it, no matter what they feel about respect, they should be ensuring the facilities are clean.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll expect everyone to be wearing clean clothes, and there shouldn't be any unpleasant odours. Ideally there will be a sign in the change rooms asking everyone to be hygenic and have clean uniforms, but if everyone does it without the sign, that's fine too. I would also like for there to be showers. Some people can get home quickly and shower at home, but some people also have long travel times, and it's ideal if they have the opportunity to be clean, as that's what'll keep infectious diseases from spreading. Barring a shower, I'd expect a few people to be taking birdbaths in the washroom.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also related are attitudes towards training. Boneheaded ideas of training regardless of how you feel means a flu or cold will easily get spread around, that's bad for everyone. People will also get injured if they're training sick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll look at the warm-ups as well, they should really only be warmups, not a killer workout that leaves you exhausted for technical practice and sparring. Again, that's how people get injured. If there is a killer workout, I'd expect it to be at the end of the class, and even then I'd rather it not be there. There's nothing more idiotic than taking a martial arts class for self defense purposes and finding you can barely move, let alone defend yourself after a class and end up more vulnerable than if you hadn't trained at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best schools will expect you to do your own physical training on your own time, and focus primarily on technique, tactics and strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Class size to space ratio is also important. If there is insufficient space, you can barely train some things, and that leaves you with skill deficiencies. This is where I'm rather permissive of long term contracts and high prices. If that's what it takes to keep the business profitable while keeping the class size manageable, then so be it. If the class is a bit cramped and is priced to be affordable for everyone, then that also gets a pass - even if it's not ideal for training. Expensive and cramped though is an automatic no-no, that usually means they're spending a lot of money on advertising, and they're more interested in teaching from a business perspective than an educational perspective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Actual respect vs ostensible respect is also an issue for me. I expect the highest ranked students and the teacher to be treating the newbies with the same level of respect that they would like to be shown to them. You shouldn't be able to tell who is who just by looking at who gets the most deference. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Attitudes towards other schools and styles is also something that can set off warning bells. Some criticism is valid, but it should usually be tempered by some sort of praise that isn't a backhanded compliment. Really almost anything has something good about it, and if you're actually knowledgeable about martial arts you should be able to identify it. That said, some schools are just total crap - no need to say anything positive about a school that doesn't let the kids go to the bathroom and expects them to pee themselves and keep training (yes, such a place actually exists!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's an MMA type school, I would expect there not to be much in the way of rivalries, as that ends up wrapping you up in some very unpleasant politics. If it's a traditional type school, the instructor being dismissive of MMA in general terms is a warning sign that he really doesn't know much. There's obviously valid criticism, but the criticism should actually be specific (and usually confirmed by someone involved in MMA). I'll take false positivity towards other types of training over real negativity, simply as it makes for a healthy, less political training environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also related, if cross-training isn't encouraged (it should be if you have a choice), it should at least be permitted, and definitely not forbidden. No single school or style is by itself enough, even if multiple styles are taught at the same location by multiple instructors. Outside perspectives are always valuable, and the instructors should be happy that people are branching out and diversifying what they learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those are the main ones that I think are pretty important for anyone to follow. I have a bunch of other things that I personally wouldn't tolerate, but if I get to train there while making a short-cut around them while others don't, that's fine. This would be stuff like technique hierarchy based on rank. I've seen a few styles that teach crap techniques to lower belts to enforce a skill hierarchy in sparring. If I get to go straight to the good stuff, while everyone else enjoys the tradition in an otherwise socially and emotionally healthy training environment, then it's not a big deal. Realistically most people don't need to train martial arts to defend themselves as most people won't be attacked anyway, so what I want out of effectiveness doesn't necessarily apply to someone else, but the bottom line is that training martial arts should not be worse for your personal safety and well being than not training martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-10-05T21:04:16.407" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1512" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1517" CreationDate="2012-10-06T04:10:11.217" Score="8" ViewCount="216" Body="&lt;p&gt;When moving from rapier to Hapkido, there was a lot that transferred and very little that interfered.  Range, positioning, and most of the footwork transferred along with the mental aspects, and the muscle movement was different enough that I didn't end up tripping over my own feet any more than usual.  There were some challenges and some interference, but for the most part it wasn't a huge problem. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Later, however, when I studied Aikido I encountered a problem: The movements were &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; similar, but &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; the same.  I see the same thing in students who move into Hapkido who have studied a related martial art: The movements are just different enough to cause problems, because the muscles have been trained to go a very particular way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When working with a student who is transitioning between arts that have similar elements but which either think about or execute them &lt;em&gt;just&lt;/em&gt; differently enough, what are some ways to help the process along and reduce interference? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-10-08T23:16:57.760" LastActivityDate="2012-10-09T13:50:12.110" Title="Transitioning between similar arts" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1513" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1512" CreationDate="2012-10-06T08:55:46.083" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd concern myself more about the outcome of the technique than how it looks. It'll never look perfect if you're applying it in a real situation anyway. If you're the instructor, you've got the liberty to make that call. If not, then the instructor should be tolerant of the differences as long as there's no practical interference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="565" LastActivityDate="2012-10-06T08:55:46.083" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1514" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1512" CreationDate="2012-10-06T11:08:49.417" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, most of the weight for this one is going to be on the student. It is a student's responsibility to enter the school like a &lt;em&gt;tabula rasa&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the student's movements are stuck in a particular pattern, then the only thing that will help them is time. They will, over time, unlearn, and then relearn (unless they can overwrite the previous learning, which would save a bit of time).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How to help them depends on the student. They might appreciate being talked through the difference. They might prefer having the technique done to them many times. They might prefer doing the technique. They might prefer nothing at all, and just working through it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the student becomes frustrated, then it is the instructor's responsibility to remind them of patience, and tell them that the skills they have acquired did not come overnight -- and so the skills taught in the school will not come overnight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-10-06T11:08:49.417" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1515" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1512" CreationDate="2012-10-06T14:49:58.653" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since I train judo as well as Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the occasional wrestling class, this comes up a lot in my own training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Minor differences&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo's &lt;em&gt;morote gari&lt;/em&gt; (two handed reap), wrestling's double-leg takedown, and BJJ's double leg takedown are all the same technique. Except not. Just like the similar-but-not-the-same techniques you found shared between Hapkido and Aikido, each one has just enough individual detail to distinguish itself from the others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In judo, one wants to avoid initiating groundwork, so wrestling's knee-slide footwork must be kept to a minimum. In BJJ, one must protect against the guillotine choke, so head position is changed and the chin must be kept down. In wrestling, the head is used for an extra few percent of power and control, so the chin is kept up and the head is pushing hard. These are &lt;strong&gt;zero-sum&lt;/strong&gt; differences. One cannot do the wrestling version optimally if held to the judo standard, and thrice-versa. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Deciding&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These changes do not exist in a void. They have a purpose. Judo's version avoids wrestling-style footwork due to a rule in judo competition: a throw does not count for points if the thrower first goes into groundwork. BJJ's version sacrifices power and control in order to avoid being choked. So I have a clear choice before me: am I worried about getting choked? Do I care about judo's rules? I can determine which version I should practice based on my own priorities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the missing step in your question. Maybe we don't &lt;em&gt;want&lt;/em&gt; to excise our old habits. To take an example from my old karate school: teaching a student the Isshinryu method of a spinning back kick will make them needlessly worse if they already have an awesome Soryu spinning back kick. It's better to leave the kick alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We should be careful of the traditional approach that says &quot;whatever we teach here is the best&quot;. We should be open to different approaches, to new approaches, to foreign ways of doing the technique. (Whoever runs the class obviously has the final say over what gets taught, what gets practiced, and what is safe for sparring in their class. But we shouldn't do what we do just for inertia's sake.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;How to work around interference&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If one does make the decision to break their old method and imprint the new one, they should understand that it will require them getting worse before they get better. One must pass through the valley to get to the summit. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Such a student should be taken on careful and slower road to learning the technique. More drilling, more break-downs of individual steps of the technique, and more explanation is called for than with a brand-new student.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At first, they should be given fewer high-stakes opportunities to apply the technique quickly and naturally. If most of the training is in full-on sparring, the wrestler will keep rolling the dice with their wrestling double-leg instead of practicing their (worse) BJJ version. A higher volume of lower-intensity sparring is called for in this instance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-10-06T14:49:58.653" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1516" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1504" CreationDate="2012-10-09T00:29:08.877" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have a lot to add, as others have done a good job of answering this one. I do have a pet favourite thing to look for, though:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are the higher-ranked students obviously better than the junior students?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not talking about fitter, or stronger, or able to jump higher. Even to a relatively-untrained eye, you should be able to tell the difference between someone who is experienced and confident and someone who hasn't been at it for long. If the black-belts don't look substantially sharper and more precise than the white-belts, something is wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did spot a real example of this when I was looking for a new school when I moved house. I didn't hang around long enough to find out whether it was because they gave out black belts much too soon, or if they just weren't improving that much over the time it did take.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Especially if you're just getting into martial arts, the lower-ranked students are where you're at now, and the higher-ranked students are where you'll be five or ten years from now. If you don't like the look of what you're aiming to become, go somewhere else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="48" LastActivityDate="2012-10-09T00:29:08.877" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1517" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1512" CreationDate="2012-10-09T13:50:12.110" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Drill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First (and I infer from the question that you've done this), identify these problem differences and recognize that they're not &quot;wrong&quot;; they're just out of context. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then find the place where they differ and provide multiple opportunities to make the choice (could be raw drill, could be sparring, could be some structured form of semi-sparring). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My aikido training teaches me to keep one distance (ma-ai); my tai chi teacher prefers a closer distance; he provides multiple opportunities for me to learn this.  We do a lot of hand passes to give me the chance to expand on my prior habits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My tai chi teacher teaches me to rely on shoulder strikes; my aikido teacher feels that they're too slow. (Truth is that I'm probably either misapplying them, or they're too slow &lt;em&gt;when I do them&lt;/em&gt;, but the aikido teacher isn't interested in remedying that).  My aikido teacher has pulled me aside to give me opportunities to either use the shoulder strike, or to use a different class of techniques that he prefers (somewhat more difficult to summarize in a short sound bite - at least until I learn it better and have an epiphany).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In both cases the answer is &quot;drill&quot;.  It is possible that there is a follow-on question &quot;How does one drill?&quot;; I think that is one of those questions that looks trivial but is actually way above my knowledge level. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-10-09T13:50:12.110" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1518" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="64" CreationDate="2012-10-10T01:16:43.533" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The most extreme weight-cutting I've heard of was Nate Green's &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.biggersmallerbigger.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot; title=&quot;Bigger/Smaller/Bigger&quot;&gt;Bigger/Smaller/Bigger&lt;/a&gt; experiment, where he gained 20lbs in 4 weeks, lost it all in 5 days, and gained most of it back in 1. Might be work a look, as the techniques are from John Berardi and Martin Rooney, who both train MMA fighters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="733" LastActivityDate="2012-10-10T01:16:43.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1519" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2012-10-11T20:01:41.603" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Forms are good to check your posture and correct execution of the techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For some time I knew my posture was wrong : I am arching my back when I should not, which mean that on some blocks I would not correctly transfer the strenght of the attack to my legs and the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By working my form, I am now able to slowly but sure correct this bad back posture. I am now improving not only my martial skills but protecting my back for my old days.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kata or Form do allow the instructor to check that the moves are well performed and would work. It would be harder for my instructor notice my failing in a dynamic execution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="737" LastActivityDate="2012-10-11T20:01:41.603" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1520" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1530" CreationDate="2012-10-15T18:23:50.103" Score="21" ViewCount="12063" Body="&lt;p&gt;What's the difference between &lt;em&gt;Ju-jutsu&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Jiu-jitsu&lt;/em&gt;? In Sweden we only have Ju-jutsu and I have noticed that in the USA they have both Ju-jutsu and Jiu-jitsu and they look like the same thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="746" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-08T12:54:48.657" LastActivityDate="2022-05-09T21:30:18.680" Title="Ju-jutsu vs Jiu-jitsu?" Tags="|jujutsu|terminology|japanese|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1521" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-10-16T10:05:04.803" Score="5" ViewCount="11190" Body="&lt;p&gt;What I mean is that is it more dangerous than other contact sports that aren't martial arts? Such as Football, Soccer, Basketball, etc...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if yes, why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="112" LastEditorUserId="112" LastEditDate="2012-10-16T11:13:26.403" LastActivityDate="2016-05-07T23:26:58.820" Title="Is kickboxing or boxing particularly dangerous?" Tags="|injury|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1522" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1520" CreationDate="2012-10-16T10:17:27.167" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe these are spelling variations  - &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jujutsu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; lists both of these as acceptable transliteration of the Japanese word.   Of course I'm not fluent in Japanese, so I would defer to someone who is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-10-16T10:17:27.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1523" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1521" CreationDate="2012-10-16T12:07:04.510" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;While black eyes and minor bruises or the occasional broke nose are quite common in boxing, i think the devastating injuries like cruciate-ruptures are rare.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From my non-representative experience i'd say that runners, soccer-players and the like usually spend more time with doctors because of knee-injuries or broken ankles than (thai) boxers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing happens in a very controlled environment, there is only one opponent to pay attention to and the attacks and defenses are well-established. While there is a big strategic component, there is not much creativity going into making up moves on the fly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Soccer for example seems much less predictable to me. While running at full speed an focusing on the ball one may have to deal with being tackled at any moment. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastActivityDate="2012-10-16T12:07:04.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1524" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1520" CreationDate="2012-10-16T14:25:20.930" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/8910/ukemi&quot;&gt;Ukemi&lt;/a&gt;'s &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/7983/82&quot;&gt;answer&lt;/a&gt; is much more accurate than mine.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are referring to 柔術, then we can look at the two kanji. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first kanji is found in 柔道 -- &lt;em&gt;judo&lt;/em&gt;. The second kanji is found in 剣術 -- &lt;em&gt;Kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt;.  Thus, I would opt for &lt;em&gt;jujutsu&lt;/em&gt; as being the logical &lt;em&gt;romanji&lt;/em&gt; form of 柔術. The other &quot;spelling&quot; maybe viewed as either incorrect or illogical based on this. Thus, I would translate 柔術 as the &lt;em&gt;soft art&lt;/em&gt; which contracts nicely with weapon use -- aka hard. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;em&gt;I am not fluent in Japanese and thus could have got the meaning/translation of the kanji wrong.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-05-28T09:45:20.160" LastActivityDate="2019-05-28T09:45:20.160" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1525" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1521" CreationDate="2012-10-17T10:50:31.523" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure that your statement about the safety of boxing is generally accepted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2002/07/08/hlsb0708.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;&quot;There is absolutely no way you can make boxing safe,&quot; said Nelson Richards, MD, a delegate from the American Academy of Neurology who proposed the original resolution to ban the sport in 1983.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/boxing.shtml&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The BBC reported&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;According to brain surgeons, over 80 per cent of professional boxers have serious brain scarring on MRI scans. The evidence for harm or cumulative brain damage to amateur boxers is less clear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing advocates point out that amateur boxing &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.boxinggyms.com/gladiator/newpaper/safe.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;has fewer injuries&lt;/a&gt; than soccer, gymnastics, etc. However that source doesn't cite how they measure &quot;fewer injuries&quot;, and doesn't state whether they count long term damage to the brain. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.science20.com/news_articles/even_amateur_boxing_can_cause_brain_damage-89512&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;There is some evidence that even  amateur boxing can cause brain damage.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, you may want to look at a source which &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thecni.org/reviews/11-1-p35-gerberkozora.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;compares injury rates&lt;/a&gt;. A quick google search suggests that &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2267335/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;football and soccer&lt;/a&gt; have the highest injury rate/hour practiced.  But that doesn't address the severity or long term consequences of those injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-05-29T15:59:48.557" LastActivityDate="2013-05-29T15:59:48.557" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1526" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1521" CreationDate="2012-10-17T13:31:28.670" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;At a good gym, meaning experienced coaches and decent equipment, boxing/kick-boxing should not be that dangerous.  First of all, you're probably not sparring right away, and once you are its in a controlled environment with mouthpieces, headgear, gloves, and shinpads(if kickboxing).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As pointed out in a previous answer, you are probably at an increased risk of facial bruises, bloody noses, etc, but not serious injury.  However, if you are training for an MMA style of fighting which includes takedowns, your rate of injury is going to spike sharply.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Comparing it to other sports is tricky.  Even at a high-school level we certainly had a higher level of general injuries in football, and typically more severe...broken bones not being uncommon.  Basketball didn't have the same high incidence of really violent injuries, but a much higher incidence of high ankle sprains and the like.  Soccer seemed relatively safe but I never played at a highly competitive level, and if you watch the Europeans play you'd think it was more dangerous than trying to snuff volcanoes with your bare hands with the frequency they go down screaming in pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, I think there are too many variables to objectively answer your question, but the above has been my (anecdotal) experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="215" LastActivityDate="2012-10-17T13:31:28.670" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1527" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1528" CreationDate="2012-10-18T12:01:57.927" Score="-1" ViewCount="144" Body="&lt;p&gt;I live in Bulgaria and would like to know my rights and restrictions on carrying pens, knifes, axes. Ideally, I want to print the concerning law and carry it with me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have heard that there is no law prohibiting cold weapon carry. If this is so, how could I prove this (to e.g. police officer, not in court)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="485" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-10-18T16:53:23.360" LastActivityDate="2012-10-19T05:48:57.417" Title="How do I find out what are the laws on edged weapons in my country?" Tags="|legal|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1528" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1527" CreationDate="2012-10-18T12:34:25.887" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I am not a lawyer nor do I play one on TV.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your local association should have a clear understanding of the issue.  However, they can live in fantasy land so... Your best bet is the local branch of your law enforcement agency.  You can ask them and they should be able to tell you.  After all, they should know.  Failing that, a trip to a criminal lawyer may get you a much better answer as well as how to deal with the law in your location.  Note that the latter may charge you either answering or/and researching the answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are ever stopped and questioned about carrying a weapon (which I will assume is to/from your martial art club and not as a thug) then I suggest you be honest, polite, and informative. If you are arrested &lt;em&gt;stop talking and get a lawyer as soon as possible&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-10-18T12:34:25.887" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1529" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1520" CreationDate="2012-10-18T12:46:05.847" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Germany those two refer to different things but that is a special case: Jiu-Jitsu in Germany is usually used for the traditional japanese system and related styles while Ju-Jutsu is used for a system developed in the 1960s for German police forces. So in Germany those two are different but that does only hold for Germany because everywhere else the German Ju-Jutsu is called German Ju-Jutsu. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise I would say it is a question of transcription from Japanese.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="751" LastActivityDate="2012-10-18T12:46:05.847" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1530" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1520" CreationDate="2012-10-18T14:58:24.480" Score="29" Body="&lt;p&gt;They &lt;em&gt;are&lt;/em&gt; the same thing. It's only a matter of romanization (spelling japanese words using roman letters).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a reference point, &lt;a href=&quot;https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Ja-Jujutsu.oga&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; is how it is pronounced in japanese (found on wikipedia).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to how it is written, it all comes down to how the names were romanized. The most popular systems used today are probably the Hepburn system, the Nihon-Shiki system or the Kunrei-Shiki system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of those, the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihon-shiki_romanization&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nihon-Shiki&lt;/a&gt; system is the oldest, created in 1885 by a japanese physicist hoping to get rid of the traditional kanji and kana system in the hopes that it would make exchanges easier between Japan and other countries. This system was developped with japanese-speaking users in mind and as such is probably closer to the japanese pronunciation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this system, the proper spelling would be &quot;zyuzyutu&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunrei-shiki_romanization&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kunrei-Shiki&lt;/a&gt; system is an evolution on the Nihon-Shiki made just before WWII to incorporate the phonetic changes that naturally occured in the japanese language since the Nihon-Shiki system was put in place. Since it's still made with native japanese speakers in mind, it can, like it's predecessor, induce non-native speakers to pronounce words in an awkward way. As such, even though the japanese government made it the officially recognized romanization system, most people, including some government agencies, prefers to use the Hepburn system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this system, the proper spelling would be &quot;zyuzyutu&quot; as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most globally accepted romanization system is the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepburn_romanization&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hepburn&lt;/a&gt; system. This system was made in 1908 with a focus on english and italian pronunciations. As such, non-native speakers using this system will generally pronounce words with more accuracy. This system is the most used by non-native speakers, as well as by the japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (for passports) and by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (for road signs). There were some reforms to this system over the years, but I do not believe it affected the spelling of this specific word.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this system, the proper spelling would be &quot;jujutsu&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is important to note, however, that prior to these systems, there still existed a romanization system created around 1550 by a japanese catholic. Indeed, portuguese traders spread catholicism to Japan around these times and I guess a romanization system could prove useful when dealing with foreigners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanization_of_Japanese#Historical_romanizations&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; system, the proper spelling would be &quot;iuiutçu&quot; or &quot;jujutçu&quot;, depending on the version you used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As we can see, even in officially recognized systems (like Nihon-Shiki and Hepburn), there exist vast differences in spelling. Historically speaking, some systems have written jujutsu using an &quot;i/y&quot; sound in between the consonant &quot;j/z&quot; and the &quot;u&quot;. When confronted with non-native japanese speakers that only learned spoken japanese and no written form, it is highly likely that some accuracy in the pronunciation has been lost when they had to write the name of their martial art in their own language. This could explain the many spelling variants of jujutsu we can encounter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if I had to say that a specific one is the &quot;best&quot;, I'd go with &quot;jujutsu&quot; (Hepburn), as it seems to be the closest english analog one could get.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In North America (and likely other places)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally speaking, practitioners of Japanese Jujutsu will favour the &quot;Jujutsu&quot; or &quot;Jujitsu&quot; spelling, depending on their lineage. On the other hand, practitioners of Brazilian Jujutsu will generally favour the &quot;Jiu-jitsu&quot; spelling, which is much closer to the old Portuguese system and totally makes sense for Brazilians to use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastEditorUserId="557" LastEditDate="2018-03-08T23:01:17.617" LastActivityDate="2018-03-08T23:01:17.617" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1531" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1527" CreationDate="2012-10-19T05:48:57.417" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a tricky grey area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general I agree with @Sard. But I also feel compelled to mention this:&lt;br&gt;&#xA;You are probably more accurate saying that &quot;cold-carry&quot; is &lt;strong&gt;not illegal&lt;/strong&gt;, that in itself doesn't make it legal. And carrying a piece of paper with the law printed on it is not necessarily going to impress a law enforcement officer - if they cannot book you on carrying a weapon they may just find something else instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may also find that carrying a weapon isn't illegal*, but &lt;strong&gt;using&lt;/strong&gt; that weapon is. Remember that in general being a martial artist doesn't infer special rights on your or make you any different to a normal member of the public. If you carry a weapon you are far more likely to get into a situation that you should have avoided. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, do you really need to &quot;cold-carry&quot; that weapon? Or does it just make you feel better?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*For example it may be illegal unless you have a &lt;strong&gt;legal purpose&lt;/strong&gt; for carrying it, i.e. you are transporting the weapon to martial arts training.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;In this country I can go and train in the local park with a live katana, but if a police officer found me just carrying one in my car for no real reason then he has grounds to book me (&quot;self defense&quot; is not an adequate reason).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-10-19T05:48:57.417" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1532" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2012-10-20T23:28:48.470" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;IMHO, forms have purpose and are extremely beneficial.  Martial Arts isn't just about the physical.  If the mind can't execute then your technique will be useless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;My mind is my blade.&quot; - Lyoto Machida&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Forms on a high-level is a meditative practice.  Forms training can provide a type of &quot;walking meditation&quot; or &quot;dynamic meditation&quot; similar to the practice of zen monks.  Forms allow one to train in aspects of fluid motion, no mind, and matching  breathing to your technique and even to the nervous system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="756" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2012-10-22T12:21:42.383" LastActivityDate="2012-10-22T12:21:42.383" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1533" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="631" CreationDate="2012-10-21T00:28:44.073" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I highly recommend BJJ or Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.  I sit on an office chair all day and use to have lower back pain.  I even have an inverted table.  I train BJJ and muay thai.  But, BJJ movements feel similar to Yoga.  There is a lot of stretching, and isometric contractions of the muscles.  Plus being in the gaurd, and being in someones gaurd you are relieving back pressure.  Similar to child's pose.  I just know that I don't have any back pain anymore.  Give it a try for 3 weeks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="756" LastActivityDate="2012-10-21T00:28:44.073" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1534" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="327" CreationDate="2012-10-22T06:25:17.970" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have done extensive research into karate, this research concluded that karate was derived from kung-fu. Different styles of karate emerged from all over japan, but yes Okinawa is considered to be the birthplace of karate, even though it was only the birthplace of one of the many styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="757" LastActivityDate="2012-10-22T06:25:17.970" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1535" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2012-10-22T08:36:38.010" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Originally Kata was practiced with 3 attackers. It was used to teach students how to react when faced with dangerous situations. Although this is not used these days some instructors may still use this technique to put Kata into perspective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="757" LastActivityDate="2012-10-22T08:36:38.010" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1536" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1537" CreationDate="2012-10-23T05:37:14.240" Score="2" ViewCount="149" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my group as a way to practice improving flow we do the following series in every class:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Come into a neutral, relaxed stance) facing north (chosen for sake of ease of directions in this list).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stepping with the left, look over the right shoulder and turn into an upward, open-hand block.  This will have you facing south with your right arm bent at a 45º angle and your fingers spread wide. The left arm hangs loose.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stepping with the right, you look over your left shoulder and turn, raising your left hand into the same block while letting your right hand fall relaxed by your side.  At this point you should be facing north again.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stepping back with the right leg into a front stance at a 45º angle (facing approximately NE) you take your left hand and sweep it down and across, and then turn it outward (rotating your hips) into an open-hand block that goes to the edge of the body.  The right hand hangs limp.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step up with the right leg and then turn so that the left leg is in the back, putting your facing to the NW and repeating the earlier block.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step up with both legs and go into ready stance (준비/&lt;em&gt;junbi&lt;/em&gt;). &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to my instructor, he practiced it in &lt;em&gt;tomiki&lt;/em&gt; aikido (where he says it probably originated) and in a kyokushinkai group where the instructor picked it up from the same &lt;em&gt;tomiki&lt;/em&gt; class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We use it to help improve flow and coordination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a twofold question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Does anyone know where this technique chain originates?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Does this sequence have a name? It seems very set, and if it does come from &lt;em&gt;tomiki&lt;/em&gt; I wouldn't be at all surprised if they had a phrase or term for it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-10-23T14:49:32.137" Title="&quot;Spinning Block&quot; Pattern Origination" Tags="|hapkido|forms|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1537" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1536" CreationDate="2012-10-23T10:53:16.567" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, that is the final movement of &quot;the walk&quot; - I'm drawing a blank on the Japanese name.  Quick google search indicates that some schools call that &quot;taiso&quot;, but (a) we've never used that term (b) that term seems to refer to something more general, and (c) our school has always called it &quot;the walk&quot;.  You can see &lt;em&gt;a&lt;/em&gt; version of it in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP-RNsy11ng&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; video around the 42 second mark.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg3_waSexIg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt; is another version from Karl Geis' school. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSSg0kyLtik&amp;amp;feature=related&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kazeutbodokai&lt;/a&gt; has another variation and what you're describing seems to be around the 1:50 mark.  For some reason I cannot find a version that matches what we do in Konda-san's school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not comfortable describing the arm movements as &quot;blocks&quot;; that term has never been used in any aikido school in which I've studied.  I won't take the doctrinaire position that aikido doesn't involve blocks, but I would prefer that my own Aikido emphasize evasion rather than blocks (nagashi vice barai if I have my Japanese right). The point isn't to &quot;block&quot;, it is to learn to move the body as a single unit.  To my mind the arm movements aren't &lt;em&gt;blocks&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;strikes&lt;/em&gt;. Although I may occasionally perform the movement while thinking about a strike, I'm really thinking about structuring my body to transmit from my hips through my spine and arms.  I'm thinking about bodily structure. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does that answer the question?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-10-23T10:53:16.567" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1538" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1536" CreationDate="2012-10-23T12:09:12.320" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Thanks to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/457/mark-c-wallace&quot;&gt;Mark C. Wallace&lt;/a&gt;'s &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1537/82&quot;&gt;answer&lt;/a&gt;, I can see what you mean.  This is a very old version of the fifth movement of &lt;em&gt;tegatana doza&lt;/em&gt; as can be seen demonstrated by &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFgwdsEEvKM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Scott Allbright sensei here&lt;/a&gt;.  Tomiki was trying to abstract a lot of the moves in Ueshiba's Aikido into some simple moves that could be done as drills.  This lead to &lt;em&gt;tegatana doza&lt;/em&gt; as it is practised today.  Ethimological, &lt;em&gt;te&lt;/em&gt; is hand, &lt;em&gt;g[k]atana&lt;/em&gt; is sword, and &lt;em&gt;doza&lt;/em&gt; is move so those are hand-blade movements. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-10-23T14:49:32.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1539" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2012-10-23T17:35:45.333" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;What purposes do they serve? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) They correct your mistakes while you a learning (for example, if you don't keep your back straight, your form would not look right etc)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) They help you fight (yes, they do!); there is a simple but very powerful exercise - try to fight (spar) using movements from the kata and nothing else (as much as you can do it); I have done it many times and it works great&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) They work as a great riddles - ask everyone to come up with 1-2 different bunkais for a certain kata element and you will be surprised&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="759" LastActivityDate="2012-10-23T17:35:45.333" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1540" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="589" CreationDate="2012-10-23T18:36:48.893" Score="23" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a student of Kalaripayattu practicing in the US.  I've studied for 6 years with Anil Natyaveda who was trained traditionally in Kerala India.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reading the answers I figured chiming in might be useful.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalaripayattu&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; article is pretty decent as an introduction.  Also, I can recommend &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0195655389&quot;&gt;When the Body Becomes All Eyes&lt;/a&gt; - a book by a Western martial artist who studied in Kerala.  I wasn't so thrilled with &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1581604807&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt; - the pictures are not so accurate, although the descriptions are not too bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can also highly recommend some of the YouTube videos out there - there are too many for me to search through, but I have yet to see a bad one and seeing pracitioners moving can be very helpful - I always feel the static pictures don't do it justice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sadly, I don't have any other martial arts training, so I can't compare it easily to another art, but I can say from personal experience that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The form assumes no armor and very little in the way of clothing - the location of origin is very hot and humid so heavy armor is more of a liability than an asset.  As a result, the poses tend to focus on a very low stance where access to organs is blocked by shoulders and ribcage.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The form includes hand to hand, and weapon combat - the variations within the overarching style can have more or less kicks vs. hand to hand work - and the emphasis on certain weapons vary from style to style and school to school.  The most striking weapon is the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urumi&quot;&gt;urumi&lt;/a&gt; or flexible sword.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The focus is on contraction and expansion through the lower abdomen (nambi) - it works as the center of the body for spins, kicks, jumps and general movement.  Almost every movement can be seen as contracting, moving and expanding one's energy around this point.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The focus is on speed and targeted accuracy over brute strength.  After some significant time spent training, practicioners tend to develop long and lean muscle mass - they are strong, but also very flexible and quite lean looking.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It's a combat form that assumes war - while it isn't secretive, it does account for a multiple foe situation and the need to kill/maim or be killed.  In constrast to styles I've heard described as tournament styles (aiming for disabling, not death or maiming) or assination styles (assume one on one combat and that secrecy prior to attack is important).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A very interesting feature of the art is that practicioners also (at least in some schools) engage in vigorous massage - usually done with the feet.  If you search on YouTube for kalari massage.  It's done both to heal hurt people and to invigorate the body of healthy people.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The form goes hand in hand with Ayurvedic practices - a master is expected to also be able to heal using a variety of therapies (massage is just one) and the pressure points of Ayurveda are also the target areas of the combat form.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The training and knowledge transmission is fairly typical of other traditional Indian skills - dedication to a teacher, a long term commitment, learning movements in isolation as reflex before it becomes purposeful, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The general theory is as @poepje says - the style migrated with a monk from India to China, where it seeded other Asian styles, so it's often thought of as a root form... from what I've seen, it definitely has some similarities to othe SE Asian forms, but the farther the distance, the more the format has changed to suit the purpose of the new region... &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did KungFu for all of about 10 weeks - I can say that the basic horse pose in Kung Fu is remarkably different than the basic pose of Kalaripayattu - but that's about it.  In the end there's always a few similarities, because humans are basically grown from the same model. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="760" LastActivityDate="2012-10-23T18:36:48.893" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1542" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-10-25T03:51:29.823" Score="3" ViewCount="525" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a difference between the two terms &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;form&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;sequence&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; in martial arts? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="Linda" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-10-25T06:53:00.050" LastActivityDate="2012-10-25T07:53:53.857" Title="The terms &quot;form&quot; and &quot;sequence&quot; in Martial arts" Tags="|forms|terminology|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1543" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1542" CreationDate="2012-10-25T07:19:33.647" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kata#Non-Japanese_martial_arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;form or kata&lt;/a&gt; is a set sequence of moves, always performed the same way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously you can also have a sequence (or combination) of moves that are not a form/kata, however in my (limited) travels I have never heard the word &lt;code&gt;sequence&lt;/code&gt; used as a formal noun for anything in any style (I've only heard it used as an adjective).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However there are literally millions of variations in styles and arts out there, who's to say someone hasn't started using the term in a formal way, or possibly that the word used in one of the more esoteric styles doesn't translate to English literally as 'sequence'?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-10-25T07:19:33.647" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1544" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1542" CreationDate="2012-10-25T07:22:45.887" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you look at the &lt;a href=&quot;/questions/tagged/forms&quot; class=&quot;post-tag&quot; title=&quot;show questions tagged 'forms'&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;forms&lt;/a&gt; tag you'll notice it's description is&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;a sequence of movements traditionally used in the practice and performance of a martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An important word here is 'traditionally'. A form is not only a method to teach and learn&#xA;a particular technique, it has also been used to preserve and pass on a proven technique in a formal and systematic manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The word sequence is used in martial arts as well (just search this site), but then it refers to a set of movements, not necessarily being a form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that the term most people use in martial arts is the Japanese word 'kata', the Chinese 'taolu' or the Korean  'hyeong' or 'poomse', depending on the origin of the art one practices.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2012-10-25T07:53:53.857" LastActivityDate="2012-10-25T07:53:53.857" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1545" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1371" CreationDate="2012-10-25T14:50:38.303" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;@Sardathrion has a nice chart. Only it doesn't work for me. According to the chart, I should have a 180 gi, but I have a 185.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a Matsuru gi and an Adidas. The Adidas is more for slim players.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend an [IJF certified] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.adidas-judopak.com/adidas-judopak-champion-j800.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;J800&lt;/a&gt; for normal training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JwtMNm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;adidas j800 gi&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="212" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-04-22T21:04:28.200" LastActivityDate="2022-04-22T21:04:28.200" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1546" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1307" CreationDate="2012-10-25T15:02:03.710" Score="4" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;ippon&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;wazari&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;yuko&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;koka (deprecated)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It was explained in the past as ippon = 10 points, instant win, wazari = 7 points, yuko = 5 points, koka = 3 points. But since you &lt;strong&gt;cannot simply add&lt;/strong&gt; the points (like wazari + koka = ippon)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, now the scores are displayed&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;ippon, wazari, yuko, (warnings/penalties)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;the yellow card is a warning, the second is a shido. so the penalty's are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;shido&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;chui&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;keikoku&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hansoku-make (you have lost the match and are banned for the rest of the tournament)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;but since the scoreboard cannot hold those penalties, it is a point for you opponent.&#xA;so if you have your second yellow card, your opponent 'scores' a yuko. Your third 'yellow card' gives your opponent a wazari and a fourth yellow card gives your opponent an ippon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;it does not matter how many yuko's you score, they won't become a wazari. If your opponent scores a wazari and you have like 4 yuko's, you are still in losing position. I hope this makes it a bit more clear. I have heard more people struggling with the scoring-system of judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;edit&lt;/strong&gt; lol, my answer is from back in 2012 and I'd like to add some more detail for people who are watching the games in Rio at the moment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;the scoring board can show values like:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;100 = 1 ippon, 0 wazari, 0 yuko&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;010 = 0 ippon, 1 wazari, 0 yuko&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;001 = 0 ippon, 0 wazari, 1 yuko&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;it will never display:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;020 because a second wazari is equal to 1 ippon (waza-ari-awasete-ippon)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;but this is possible:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;004 because no matter how many yuko, it will never become a wazari&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="212" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-08-09T08:01:47.740" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1547" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1548" CreationDate="2012-10-25T15:22:57.603" Score="5" ViewCount="1634" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the advantage and drawback of gear with gel inside? Is it better than foam gear or is it commercial? Specifically is gel good for gloves, shin guards, body armor, or headgear?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="412" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-10-26T02:42:05.417" LastActivityDate="2012-10-26T20:46:11.690" Title="What are the differences between gel and foam gear?" Tags="|equipment|sparring|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1548" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1547" CreationDate="2012-10-25T23:47:26.563" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I use gel handwraps for boxing, and have used gel gloves. My experience with foam is that it compresses and shifts over time in your gloves, whereas gel gloves seem to do this less, and last a bit longer as a result.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is entirely anecdotal, based on my personal experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="629" LastActivityDate="2012-10-25T23:47:26.563" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1549" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1547" CreationDate="2012-10-26T20:46:11.690" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Gels are supposed to dissipate the impact better than foams, which in theory should result in better protection.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="215" LastActivityDate="2012-10-26T20:46:11.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1552" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1555" CreationDate="2012-10-28T21:48:51.667" Score="7" ViewCount="897" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been attending krav-maga lessons (twice a week) for two years and always had low endurance. After every lesson I feel exhausted a little more. My stamina improved since I started but I still have big problems during warm-ups (30-40 min). Will adding any additional regular activity (for example swimming) help or make things worse?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Answering answerers questions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I don't have any special diet but I eat a lot of sugar due to intellectual work (i'm programmer)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I did not used to be doing any sports when I was teenager (now I'm, 27) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I sleep 5-9 hours but I wake up tired no matter how long I sleep&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I tend to not have any medical problems (I had seamen medical certificate), I have normal TSH level, should I make additional Thyroid tests?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Last two years I've put on weight 5kg (now my BMI is 21.9)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thing I call &lt;strong&gt;warmup&lt;/strong&gt; contains almost everything starting from aerobic through anaerobic ending with flexibility exercises. IMHO it is nothing extraordinary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I really enjoy this course but I really can't stand being sleepy before every lesson.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="90" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2014-12-05T10:50:33.900" LastActivityDate="2014-12-05T10:50:33.900" Title="Endurance problems while practicing martial art" Tags="|training|endurance|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1554" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1552" CreationDate="2012-10-29T02:44:55.553" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;A standard way to increase endurance, for martial arts as well as most other sports, is to add a running schedule to your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Running itself is an art, and an appropriate schedule will heavily depend on how well you recover from class, how heavy your training is, your body type, how much time you have available, etc...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A general, all purpose, good way to start, is to add a short (20 minute) &quot;hills&quot; type exercise to your day. For example, if you have access to a treadmill or elliptical runner, set it to &quot;hills&quot;, and run for 20 minutes at that setting, every day. Use a higher than 0 resistance setting (usually a good starting setting is 30% resistance, or equivalent), and try to increase it over time (for example, you might try a 35% every 2nd or 3rd day, until you're comfortable, then push more).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without a treadmill, or elliptical machine, look for a nearby high incline hill (say, 45% or higher), that is at least 40m (120 ft) in length. Go to it at least once a day, and run as fast as you can to the top, then walk down. Repeat for as many times as you can, trying to increase the number every day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="146" LastActivityDate="2012-10-29T02:44:55.553" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1555" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1552" CreationDate="2012-10-29T21:25:17.787" Score="6" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Get more fit&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds like one problem could be that you're simply not fit. You're doing some sort of bodyweight-resistance strength/endurance/metabolic-conditioning/stretching routine twice a week, but if it was helping, it has stopped. I recommend starting a strength and conditioning program outside of class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/a/3364/1771&quot;&gt;Don't worry about BMI, as it's a flawed metric&lt;/a&gt;. Instead, focus on cleaning up your diet (particularly removing sugary snacks and drinks), squatting/deadlifting/pressing a barbell, running, and sprinting. Measure your progress over time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Maybe it's a bad warm-up&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider the possibility that the Krav Maga warm-ups are poorly designed. &lt;a href=&quot;http://stadion.com/column_stretch16.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;It's common&lt;/a&gt;. Many martial arts instructors aren't proficient in proper workout design. Perhaps the &quot;warm-up&quot; is too intense, or too long, or uses the wrong exercises, or in the wrong order. For instance, 30-40 minutes is a lot for &quot;warm-ups&quot;. That's more like a full conditioning workout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've heard of many martial artists claim that such workouts are useful for training one's ability to perform technique while tired. This view is contradicted by several exercise science experiments involving skill acquisition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this is the case, don't feel too bad about being tired during these workouts--they may be more of an exhausting conditioning routine than a warm-up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:46:50.943" LastActivityDate="2012-10-30T14:21:17.023" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1556" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1552" CreationDate="2012-10-29T21:33:54.730" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on your added details, I'll offer an opinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm a programmer too. I would suggest that your problem is sugar. This can be complicated by caffeine and other additives if you are drinking the energy type drinks rather than just the straight Coke/soda.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The drinks you have are absolutely loaded with sugar, this causes your insulin levels to go haywire, and your blood sugar levels spike rapidly and then drop rapidly. This would explain the &quot;sleepy&quot; feeling you are getting - so it's not your fitness at fault* but what you are doing to your body in the lead up to the fitness session.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is going to be tough, but try and do a sugar detox for a week. Eat your normal things, but go cold turkey on the soda and energy drinks, if you have coffee then don't have sugar in it**. Drink filtered water instead. By the end of the week you will be feeling a whole lot better and will notice your body performing differently during your workout. Once you have completed this detox, only drink your sodas in extreme moderation, make a can last several hours. Swap to a reasonably pure fruit juice instead - these still have sugar but it is a simpler sugar that is more easily digested and assimilated by the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*fitness is often misunderstood - it isn't a measure of how long you can &lt;em&gt;perform&lt;/em&gt; at a certain capacity, it's how long it takes to &lt;em&gt;recover&lt;/em&gt; from that workload. You should still feel fatigued after a fitness session, if you don't then you haven't worked at an intensity level that has pushed your limits (this effectively spends energy but you won't improve your fitness). You may require zero recovery time after working at 60% for an hour, and you may need three hours recovery after working at 90% for 30 mins - this is the fitness definition you should be using.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;**good coffee should never need sugar in it anyway&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2012-10-29T21:41:02.520" LastActivityDate="2012-10-29T21:41:02.520" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1557" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-11-01T05:17:50.023" Score="4" ViewCount="573" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to know about the background of Butthan martial arts. What is the focus of this art, and what are the strength and weakness of it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="378" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-11-03T04:11:26.733" LastActivityDate="2018-02-15T09:07:44.420" Title="Background about Butthan Martial art" Tags="|history|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1558" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1552" CreationDate="2012-11-01T23:17:54.887" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm also a programmer, so this is &lt;strong&gt;not a medical opinion&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Apart from seconding @slugster's comments about sugar (try more low GI foods instead of sugar), this sounds like it could be low iron, which could also be fixed by diet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a link to some info on iron deficiency &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Iron_deficiency_adults&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Iron_deficiency_adults&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can be tested for by a Dr, but cheaper and easier to play with your diet for a few weeks and see if it helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make sure you get enough red meat and leafy green vegetables. Many beans are high in iron &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; low GI. But a high fiber diet can present it's own problems in martial arts (flatulance). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="443" LastEditorUserId="443" LastEditDate="2012-11-01T23:42:38.873" LastActivityDate="2012-11-01T23:42:38.873" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1559" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="33" CreationDate="2012-11-03T15:00:42.173" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently found &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/techniques/gunther1.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;an article&lt;/a&gt; by Wendy Gunther Sensei, which asserts that during a controlled study there was no long term damage from chokes. Short term interruptions in blood flow, transient EEG anomalies but in each case the recipient of the choke returned to full functionality quickly.  The referenced article does  mention some more serious consequences that could occur, but should not if training under a competent instructor in a controlled environment. This contradicts what I've been told by others, and I think the subject merits further research.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Update: @Dave Liepman asked me to check with the MD's in my dojo who assert that there are dangers to chokes.  I'm still checking the facts, but Sempai said that one of our students who was a neurosurgeon found &quot;pukka's&quot; (phonetic spelling) on the brain of people who had suffered chokeholds, and that furthermore one of our top judo players (a national competitor who has more chokeouts than the rest of us put together) had an unusually large number of pukka's on his brain.  I need to check how strong the correllation is - I know who the MD in question is, but he no longer practices with us.  I'll see if I can get contact information and follow through.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2012-12-03T11:49:28.857" LastActivityDate="2012-12-03T11:49:28.857" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1560" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-11-08T14:03:46.393" Score="6" ViewCount="5190" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/1487/457&quot;&gt;This question&lt;/a&gt; asks about a seven star mantis stance.  In the Chen Man Ching Tai Chi form I practice we incorporate a move known as &quot;step up to seven stars&quot;.  Clearly there is some concept referenced by both.  Unfortunately a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&amp;amp;ion=1&amp;amp;ie=UTF-8#hl=en&amp;amp;tbo=d&amp;amp;sclient=psy-ab&amp;amp;q=seven%20stars%20taiji&amp;amp;oq=seven%20stars%20taiji&amp;amp;gs_l=hp.3..0i30.3549.4260.1.4470.5.4.0.1.1.0.136.284.3j1.4.0.les;..0.0...1c.1.Sx8pkatggFI&amp;amp;pbx=1&amp;amp;bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&amp;amp;fp=39827ea3e4be509f&amp;amp;bpcl=37643589&amp;amp;ion=1&amp;amp;biw=1425&amp;amp;bih=816&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Google search&lt;/a&gt; provides a plethora of noise and very little signal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is &quot;seven star&quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2018-04-04T20:27:07.600" Title="What is &quot;seven star&quot;?" Tags="|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1561" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1560" CreationDate="2012-11-08T14:16:34.220" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://chrischi.com.au/seven-stars/&quot;&gt;Chris Chi&lt;/a&gt; asserts that  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;seven stars refers to seven points of the body – head, shoulder, elbow, hand, hip, knee, foot – each can be used to deflect or strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alas, Chris Chi doesn't provide a graphic, and the seven star stance in my tai chi form is quite unlike the seven star mantis stance shown if I google for seven star stance. (Attempts to include links failed badly).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-11-08T14:16:34.220" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1562" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-11-08T19:09:04.417" Score="3" ViewCount="120" Body="&lt;p&gt;What type of conditioning should I perform after being out sick for 2 weeks? I'm taking a Muay Thai test in one week and going back to classes for Jeet Kun Do and Wing Chun in  a few days. I usually Strength and condition 2 days a week  and take classes 3 days with one day rest and stretch and Sunday one on one technique drills and cardio.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="785" LastActivityDate="2012-12-27T00:12:41.840" Title="Conditioning after sick leave" Tags="|exercise|kung-fu|strength|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1563" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1562" CreationDate="2012-11-08T19:50:19.047" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;We got this &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/q/9647/1771&quot;&gt;exact question&lt;/a&gt; over at fitness.SE. Essentially you just get back into it a little slower, with a little less intensity (less weight on the bar, running shorter distances, sprinting a little slower). Not much special to it, except crossing your Ts and dotting your Is. Make sure the sickness is really gone and start training carefully.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:46:50.943" LastActivityDate="2012-11-08T19:50:19.047" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1564" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1566" CreationDate="2012-11-12T03:46:47.213" Score="9" ViewCount="391" Body="&lt;p&gt;Occasionally I will get (inwardly) frustrated during class, usually when I cannot seem to make heads or tails of an advanced technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After class I'll work with a senior student to practice the technique, but during class I sometimes get frustrated that I'm not getting it. This causes me to lose concentration on the instructor, which of course means I continue the trend :D&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for suggestions on how to effectively refocus my mind and let my frustration go in the heat of the moment. While I do want to be able to concentrate on the instructor, I am also concerned with maintaining a proper attitude during class, I think this is very important for the &quot;sanctity&quot; of the dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be clear, I have no external indication that I am showing my frustration, and I don't get frustrated often, but I'd like to train myself to deal better with these situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="682" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T08:30:26.557" Title="How can I quickly regain focus during class?" Tags="|training|aikido|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1565" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1564" CreationDate="2012-11-12T08:04:24.873" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would suggest that you are losing focus because you are over-thinking what you are doing and putting too much pressure on yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Relax and try to maintain a state of almost-no-thought - similar to how your mind would be during meditation, aware of everything but fixing on nothing. You don't want to be &lt;em&gt;totally&lt;/em&gt; in this state, you still want to maintain enough focus to achieve the exercise at hand.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;When you have de-tuned and cleared your mind you can then start to increase your focus on what you are doing. Once you've started this process, instead of focussing on just the moves, start to think of &lt;em&gt;applications&lt;/em&gt; for the moves - focus on &lt;em&gt;what you are doing&lt;/em&gt; with the moves rather than the moves themselves - this should help you assimilate the moves and memorise them a lot easier, all without trying too hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-11-12T08:04:24.873" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1566" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1564" CreationDate="2012-11-12T09:10:54.507" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your teachers do not expect you to get it right. They know you will get it wrong.  What they expect is that you &lt;em&gt;try&lt;/em&gt;.  As long as you do that, you will progress. Focus on that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go back to basics.  There are no advanced techniques: just a way to combine basics in an unexpected way.  Take a step back and look for patterns that you know in the technique.  Then look for the differences from those techniques that you do know.  In other words: use your brain to figure out what is going on. Then let your body find its way around the technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, do the technique slowly.  No, more slowly than that!  Maybe at a tenth of the speed.  This allows your brain thinking time to let your body know what to do.  Once you master that, your body will execute the moves much faster taking your brain out of the process: This is where skill comes from.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise, just chill out. Let go of your ego (do not be afraid to do techniques wrong!) and just learn. That is the number one proper attitude that sensei should look for in their students. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-11-12T09:10:54.507" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1567" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1317" CreationDate="2012-11-12T18:26:11.223" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are actually 2 karate groups trying to get into the Olympics;  WKF and Kyokushin (various organisations). The rules for sparring are quite different. WKF is start-stop point sparring with limited to no contact depending on age.  Kyokushin is continuous bare knuckle full-contact fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I feel that there would be more benefit to opening up the competitions that are in the Olympics at this time.  There are people who have trained Karate who train in TKD clubs just for the chance to compete at the Olympics.  These people should not have to lie about there discipline or for that matter pay a lot of money for gradings they already have in another style purely for the chance of competing.  Team picking qualifiers should be open to any style as long as they follow the rules of the competition.  Karate, Kung Fu and Muay Thai practitioners should be able to try out for TKD Olympic teams without changing their styles.  BJJ fighters should able to compete in Judo if they follow the rules of the competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a personal note I have heard that the TKD may be on the way out anyway and if it is I hope Karate gets in.  The WKF is made up of many styles and organisations and as it stands TKD clubs have a monopoly for striking martial arts in the Olympics (boxing is another option but quite different).  The can charge what they like for classes charge extremely high prices for uniforms and gradings can be very high, I have been told £35-£40 per grading.  As a direct comparison the Karate club I train at charges £10 for club gradings and the price only goes up for brown and black belt grades (a lot of the extra cost is to cover costs).  WK karate in the Olympics could not achieve the same level of extortion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="789" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2012-11-13T03:27:10.193" LastActivityDate="2012-11-13T03:27:10.193" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1568" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1564" CreationDate="2012-11-12T19:04:37.230" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I like the other answers, so read those first, but I wanted to throw more ideas your way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I really understand getting frustrated when attempting a technique, new or old.  It's the same frustration when your fingers hit a wrong note when playing an instrument.  When it seems like all you can do is play wrong notes, who would want to continue!?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In that sort of situation, &lt;em&gt;don't try to NOT be frustrated, because if you can't 'un-frustrate' yourself, you'll get MORE frustrated!&lt;/em&gt;  See instead if you can channel that frustration into slow, total perfection (of course you may not achieve it, but the point is NOT to achieve perfection, but rather to get as close as possible in that moment).  Concentrate on a single aspect of each movement individually - while accepting that certain aspects may not be of the quality you desire.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a few specific aspects of a technique you can concentrate on at once, before you put it all together without thought.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First is balance - throughout the technique, go very very slowly, and hold your balance as perfectly as possible.  There is a walking style called &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tofugu.com/guides/namba-aruki/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Namba Aruki&lt;/a&gt; that should help you with this - one of the things they never teach you in Aikido (and other martial arts) is that the walking style is completely different than standard Western walking. It requires a lot more resting tension, but a lot less energy overall, since you don't have to catch yourself for each step.  It's a lot easier on your knees, too, though ease into it at first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second is effort - often we'll hear that Aikido should be effortless.  When doing techniques slowly, though, it's far easier to exert force and use muscles.  Focus totally on reducing the amount of energy you're putting into the technique.  Think about aspects such as levers and fulcrums and how they work in Aikido.  Aikido (and a lot of martial arts) is ALL about levers, fulcrums, and using those principles to your advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third is Extension - this one is more interesting, because it involves tricking yourself. Remember that each move in Aikido is either Forward (Irimi), Backward (Tenshin), or Pivot (Tenkan).  It's doubtful that you'll reach the point of perfection, only performing those three movements (the closest I've seen is a 7th Dan from Japan - all he did was in, out, and spin - literally nothing else, and people went FLYING).  When doing a technique, a lot of people will be watching themselves internally and thinking, &quot;ok, hand goes here, then pivot, then step&quot;.  Instead, break it down into those three movements (in, out, pivot) and then when you have to do those movements, visualize that you can move a mile in each step - so you aren't just stepping forward, you're stepping &lt;em&gt;through&lt;/em&gt;.  And for pivot movements, visualize a cylinder with a belt around it - you move into the pivot point, holding perfect balance, pivot around an imaginary vertical that runs from the center of the earth to the tip of the sky, and then move on.  But the pivot, the rotation movement, doesn't exist outside that pivot point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope these ideas can help you with your practice, but no matter what, hard work and dedication will be what propels you to the next level.  But remember, there will always be a new level to achieve, always something to improve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have fun!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="33" LastActivityDate="2012-11-12T19:04:37.230" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1569" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1564" CreationDate="2012-11-12T20:29:36.390" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a chinese sign hanging on the walls of where I practice which means&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Patience and perserverence. Tolerance and humility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've gone back to that phrase many times over the year, especially when Im getting frustrated about not picking things up quick enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="307" LastActivityDate="2012-11-12T20:29:36.390" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1570" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="923" CreationDate="2012-11-13T00:11:41.793" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think there are any major umbrella iaijutsu organizations. The All United States Kendo Federation &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.auskf.info/iaido-new/index.htm&quot;&gt;also supports iaido&lt;/a&gt; and you'll sometimes find (for instance) Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu or Muso Shinden Ryu instructors among the local kendo sensei. I used to study kendo and iaido in the Pacific Northwest and I thought the quality of the instruction available was very good; if I was in your position I'd start with the AUSKF &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.auskf.info/dojo/dojolist.htm&quot;&gt;dojo list&lt;/a&gt; and see if there was an iaido school in my area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, depending on where you are, there may also be excellent independent teachers or teachers affiliated directly with Japanese schools or organizations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="790" LastActivityDate="2012-11-13T00:11:41.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1572" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="264" CreationDate="2012-11-16T01:47:17.717" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tradition, inexperience. That is all I suppose. :) More often it is probably such that one hasn't been trained by their teacher, neither has ever had a gun, so they don't do so themself. Tradition continues.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to consider, depending on school of thought, the main intention of weapons training is not always to learn to use a weapon, but to act as an extension in training the body/mind. Weapons are also weights, and they require other considerations beyond the body, such as not hitting yourself, and how to put your energy through something that is not necessarily your body. It is not necessarily about the weapon, but enhances existing body/mind refinement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Military, law enforcement or &quot;combat training&quot; is not really the question. I think what we want to know is why aren't they slinging guns in Aikido, Karate, Kung Fu? Rubber guns are not fatal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="792" LastActivityDate="2012-11-16T01:47:17.717" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1573" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1588" CreationDate="2012-11-16T18:02:48.783" Score="11" ViewCount="3231" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a number of Martial Arts-related documentaries and reality TV shows (Human Weapon, Fight Quest, Fight Science, Kill Arman, Deadliest Warrior...) from the last few years, but I have my doubts about the validity of their information content.  I'm a long-time martial arts enthusiast but a beginning Martial Artist so it's difficult for me to judge these myself. Are any of these shows particularly good or particularly bad in their discussions of individual martial arts and comparison between arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, are there any worth watching for sake of learning something as a martial artist, as opposed to merely being entertained with something that looks like science?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="787" LastActivityDate="2014-10-23T11:05:25.713" Title="Are any Martial Arts Reality Shows/Documentaries useful to watch?" Tags="|training|recommendation|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1574" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2012-11-16T19:00:00.223" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practiced osotogari on the right side (my dominant) for years. I practiced the form, I drilled, I went for it in sparring. While it got smoother, and over time I was able to catch novice players with it, I never got the kind of return on investment that I got from practicing other techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I started prioritizing left-side osotogari in my drilling, forms practice, and randori, I discovered that &lt;em&gt;for osotogari&lt;/em&gt;, my left side is dominant. I was hammering people over and over. My footwork was snappier. I was finding openings I didn't see before, and I was able to exploit the ones I saw in a way that my right side never could.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So personally, I practice both sides on every technique until it starts to click. If after a time I find that I'm dramatically better at it on one particular side, then I focus my drilling on my best side. The accomplished grappler Marcelo Garcia &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgjU1269ROQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;describes a similar approach&lt;/a&gt; in prioritizing his own training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-11-16T19:00:00.223" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1575" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1589" CreationDate="2012-11-16T21:34:07.867" Score="6" ViewCount="41361" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been studying Taekwondo for about two months, and I took the first test that my school offered after I joined (two weeks ago), and received my yellow-stripe.  It looks like the school holds tests every two or three months.  I'm wondering how long it should take to advance through the ranks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm in no rush to get through the belts, I just want to make sure that I'm not pushing too hard and that the school isn't taking it easy on me by allowing me to test before I'm ready.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I attend about 2-3 times per week. At that rate, how much time should it take me to get my yellow belt? If I keep working about that hard, how long should it take to get a black belt?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="787" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2017-08-10T15:54:38.237" LastActivityDate="2018-07-09T03:29:58.900" Title="Belt advancement speed in Taekwondo" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="11" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1576" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1575" CreationDate="2012-11-17T00:23:21.223" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most styles of any art will have a prescribed syllabus which lays out what you need to know and/or achieve for each ranking, and they will also usually contain a suggested time period to be spent at each rank level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note the word &lt;em&gt;suggested&lt;/em&gt; - an instructor has the right to advance students or invite them to attend gradings as he sees fit. It is quite common for some students to skip through the lower ranks if they learn fast or have previous experience. Some instructors may also allow you to double-grade at lower ranks, i.e. you skip the yellow tip and go straight to yellow belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary, it's at the instructor's discretion. Provided that they apply the rules evenly and fairly then there is no problem when some students get advanced faster than others. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;If I keep working about that hard, how long should it take to get a black belt?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We can't answer that. But you should remember that a black belt is just another rank, you still have plenty of learning to do after that. By all means treat it as a target, but don't treat it as the end of the journey.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2014-12-01T11:56:46.497" LastActivityDate="2014-12-01T11:56:46.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1577" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2012-11-18T06:57:23.773" Score="4" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Solo kata&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I trained kata-heavy karate pretty seriously for a while, and most of what I got from that part of training was the ability to look silly and ineffectual while trying to look scary. I have a few trophies from the (in-house and local) kata tournaments, too. Today, I consider kata (the way the vast majority of people do it) to be a dance for people who'd rather not learn how to fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a number of problems with punching the air as a primary method of learning self-defense. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.straightblastgym.com/street03.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Matt Thornton describes some&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main reason people falsely believe forms have some sort of value is usually listed as &amp;quot;muscle memory&amp;quot;. The idea that a move repeated enough times, becomes smoother, or more accessible during an altercation. Repeating a move over and over again in the air will do absolutely nothing for your reflexes or so called 'muscle memory'. In fact, repeating a move or series of moves over and over again in the same pattern and sequence will actually be counter productive to your bodies ability to respond quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, there is no TIMING, without a resisting opponent in front of you. Since there is no timing to be had, your reflexes, or response time against a resisting opponent, will not change, increase, or be helped in the least.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, there is no impact, as there is against a heavy bag. So there will be no benefit to your strength, body mechanics, or conditioning. In fact, your body mechanics may become altered in correctly due to the fact that you are not making impact against anything, but merely striking 'air'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Worse yet, solo kata often involves either convoluted low-percentage applications, or use-your-imagination reverse engineering exercises where someone who doesn't know why a given move is in the kata simply tries to make up a scenario where the move makes sense. This is not an effective path for attaining martial skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But of course kata comes with all the benefits of dance: it's fun and keeps people interested, it involves a little bit of moving around with varying degrees of vigor, it requires varying degrees of strength and flexibility. As an added bonus, kata are used in many martial arts schools as a way to keep students busy with an extended curriculum without really challenging them. (In contrast, scheduling a ring fight or grappling tournament would be challenging, but would cause massive attrition in the student base.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, done correctly, solo kata can be part of a complete breakfast for developing gymnastic-level strength and mobility in the context of demonstrating fundamental movements of the style. Tai chi forms competitions are quite impressive in this regard. XMA--extreme martial arts--take this to a new level, a level with lots of shouting and posing, that I find particularly distasteful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Historically&lt;/strong&gt;, solo kata were also a swell mnemonic to remember all the moves Teacher was showing you and your five classmates, because you were all illiterate and didn't have DVDs. Later, they were also useful to the Japanese government as a highly patriotic form of physical culture that happened to inculcate bloodthirstiness and an affinity for militaristic formations in large numbers of schoolkids:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0Zq8d.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Shuri castle karate&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;None of these uses for solo kata are particularly compelling as a reason to base one's training around them. Partner drilling that uses &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aesopian.com/68/what-is-aliveness-by-matt-thornton/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;timing, energy, and motion instead of preset patterns&lt;/a&gt;, and that leads to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.caneprevost.com/2011/03/10/i-method/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;integrating techniques into vigorous sparring&lt;/a&gt;, is to be preferred. (See the latter half of this video for exposition of the same ideas.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Partner kata&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many styles of &lt;em&gt;koryu&lt;/em&gt; and grappling utilize two-person forms. These can be used ineffectually just as solo forms can, but they are frequently done with at least some degree of resistance and testing. &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/new/alphabetical-list/judo-competition/276-a-flawed-premise-by-steve-scott&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Steve Scott illustrates for us the kata situation in modern American judo&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, when someone practices &lt;em&gt;nage no kata&lt;/em&gt;, he should actually do the throws and perform the skills in such a way that &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; doesn't have to &amp;quot;jump for &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt; to make the throw look good&amp;quot; (as I once heard a semi-famous American judo instructor tell a young black belt at a kata clinic who was having trouble with &lt;em&gt;uchi mata&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jumping for &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt; isn't what doing &lt;em&gt;nage no kata&lt;/em&gt; is all about. Same with doing any technique or skill. The technique has to actually work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, describing that ideal requires noticing that judoka often fall short and just parrot the moves. But even that is at least a little better than solo kata--you get the chance to throw your partner, and work on a little bit of (contrived, but potentially pedagogically useful) timing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Steve Scott actually has a quite intriguing and compelling view on the place of &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; in everyday judo practice, which he describes in &lt;a href=&quot;http://welcomematnewsletter.blogspot.com/2010/10/welcome-mat-online-newsletter-oct-11.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the October 2010 issue of his Welcome Mat newsletter&lt;/a&gt;. Essentially, he says that you should do &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; every practice...in the form of drilling.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-11-08T13:37:40.710" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1578" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-11-18T17:07:54.270" Score="2" ViewCount="416" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a beginner with Tai Chi QiGong. There are 20 Movements of forms. I have been taking classes for a little over 3 months and I have only learned 13 of them. For the past 3 classes there have only been a series of stretching exercises and the movements have not been covered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel that there is too much exercising, of which I could go to the YMCA and work out, and not enough Tai Chi. Is this amount of exercising normal?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There were 3 new potential students in my last class and nothing was geared to my learning something new. I am disappointed, but am I expecting too much? I would appreciate your views as I do not want to be impolite to my instructor nor appear selfish.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="794" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-11-18T23:46:00.300" LastActivityDate="2012-11-24T15:24:56.287" Title="What rate should I be learning tai chi and qi gong?" Tags="|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1580" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-11-18T23:22:47.923" Score="3" ViewCount="3103" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm dropping a lot of weight for wrestling this year and I don't know if I can stay that light all the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any way to drop weight just for the weigh-ins (which are on the day of the match) but not feel tired for match?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="796" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-11-19T02:19:10.993" LastActivityDate="2013-12-26T12:50:42.210" Title="Cutting weight fast" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1581" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1578" CreationDate="2012-11-19T00:28:49.607" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Part of this really depends on where you are learning, how often the classes are, how big the class is, and the curriculum and structure of the class. Given that you haven't mentioned what style of tai chi you are learning, the movements/forms, and what your instructor or class format is like, I can only draw so many conclusions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, if your class is full of beginners and exercises or forms are conducted together in a communal learning environment, then I wouldn't expect to progress so quickly. Remember that you were once a beginner too. The instructor's time and attention has to be divided among all students. Some people, like very new beginners, may need more explanation to understand what they are doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way you pose your question does in fact make you sound very selfish in wanting more, like you have this unearned sense of entitlement and expectation based on what has taken place so far. To demand more material from your instructor is very disrespectful and also very inconsiderate to others. People I've seen who think they are ready are always not because their understanding is so superficial. You can choose to approach your instructor is fine, but please be aware of your place in the class and you are not running it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would not be concerned about &quot;losing out&quot; just because you have not advanced in anything over the last three classes. I am not understanding why you seem so concerned regarding this. If you feel like that what you're doing in class is useless or isn't right for you, then you are always free to choose something else or go somewhere else. Try to open your mind and accept that doing something different and unexpected can be beneficial.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just because you disagree with the teaching style or format of the class does not mean there is anything &quot;wrong&quot; with it. Regardless of what the curriculum is, sometimes the class will just have to be tailored to people there, what people are doing together as a group, the materials and forms people are learning, and so on. What goes on in a class is really up to that instructor, and that person should reserve the right to modify things as necessary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would not expect any tai chi student to really begin to fully grasp what he or she is doing after only three months. Even as an &quot;advanced&quot; student, I am still drilling and practicing fundamentals because they are so important; the are the basis of everything we do. Having a foundation is important, and you can really only get better from there. I wouldn't expect anyone so &quot;young&quot; in tai chi to make any huge advancements for a good while. All I can say is: practice, practice, practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-11-19T22:54:10.313" LastActivityDate="2012-11-19T22:54:10.313" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1583" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1580" CreationDate="2012-11-19T16:34:20.117" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;For same day weigh ins, cutting a lot of weight is not ideal, and it will affect your performance.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, if you are weighing in early in the morning, and competing later in the afternoon, you will have some time to properly rehydrate and recover.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This question talks about some techniques that are out there:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/64/dropping-weight-before-a-mma-fight?rq=1&quot;&gt;Dropping weight before a MMA fight&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But it mostly applies to the day before weigh ins that MMA has.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For wresting, BJJ and Judo,  I would really recommend getting leaner, and not cutting, and if you are cutting, not being more the 5lbs over a week before the competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;5 lbs you can get rid of with a strict diet, lots of fiber, and a little bit of dehydration.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally for weight cutting, you need to keep your protein up, and avoid almost all carbs and sugar (and by carbs i mean grains, and super starchy vegetables, things like spinach, brocolli, and such are fine).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Drink tonnes of water the week leading up to the fight, and then the day before only drink when you are quite thirsty.  This process is pretty common, and will super hydrate you, so your body will think it is going to keep getting all this water, so it just sends it straight through and keeps doing that, even when you only drink a little bit the day before.  This has varying degrees of effectiveness, depending on your body, your diet, and whatnot.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, really restrict your sodium for about 2 days before weigh-ins.  Sodium can really mess up a weight cut by making you retain water.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After you weigh in:&#xA;Gatorade / Powerade aren't bad for re-hydrating, but a bottle of Pedialyte (In the baby isle of your local drug store)  is better.  Pedialyte is designed for babies who are sick and dehydrated from it. It's great stuff.  (The no name brands are pretty much the same, so if your on a budget you can have that to).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, Don't Guzzle water like crazy right away, take your time to rehydrate or it'll go right through you.     &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have had to really restrict your food to make weight, make sure you have some fruit to eat to. It'll give you some sugar to use for energy right away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That about sums it up!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-11-19T16:34:20.117" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1585" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="964" CreationDate="2012-11-19T17:22:26.623" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kempo Karate is a unique blend of concepts and principles from the Chinese Temple Boxing and Japanese/Okinawan Karate forms from Nick Cerio who took them from Mas Oyama's system. Shaolin applied to the art of Kempo, combining to form the 4-ways of fighting system. The forms originate from those disciplines... Pinions 1 thru 5 originate from Okinawa and Katas originate from Kempo. The animal forms learned after the rank of 2nd dan are from Shaolin. I believe the crane form offered early in the Villari system could be Okinawan...&#xA;Forms are taught to provide new technique, understanding of foot work, combining motion with your basics and so on. You would have learned 1 and 2 pinion first. The &quot;I&quot; pattern of both is to teach you a balanced way of forward motion and not throwing your energy into your opponent and how to deliver power using body. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="799" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2014-05-25T16:35:46.507" LastActivityDate="2014-05-25T16:35:46.507" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1586" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="346" CreationDate="2012-11-20T12:15:22.823" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should remold your mouth guard every month, and you'll be fine. This is normal. I spar as well in tae kwon do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="800" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-11-20T12:33:37.153" LastActivityDate="2012-11-20T12:33:37.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1587" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="432" CreationDate="2012-11-20T14:48:43.920" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Push-ups are not the concern here. Instead, you are looking at a deficit of one or more of the following: strength, power, conditioning, strength-endurance, and technique. First, let's define those terms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Strength&lt;/strong&gt; is the ability of the body to produce force. &lt;strong&gt;Power&lt;/strong&gt; is the ability of the body to produce a given force &lt;em&gt;quickly&lt;/em&gt;, and is a derivative of strength. The human body moves through the use of muscles, so although technique is important, one must remember that the muscles are a major prerequisite of strength and power. Someone who is strong and powerful might have poor technique and therefore not punch hard, but someone who is weak will be limited in absolute terms in how hard they can punch, because their body simply cannot produce the force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conditioning&lt;/strong&gt; is how in-shape you are, or how well you can maintain a given level of exertion in a particular activity. Someone in poor boxing condition will quickly tire during pad or bag work, or during sparring or a fight. &lt;strong&gt;Strength-endurance&lt;/strong&gt; is related, being the ability to continue producing force over a stretch of time. For instance, someone with poor strength-endurance may be able to punch hard and quickly for a minute before their punches become slow and weak. This attribute is a derivative of strength, and is affected by one's conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Technique&lt;/strong&gt; is the maximally efficient harnessing of these attributes to produce results.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Adding Power to Punches&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any or all of these might be the concern in someone whose punches lack power. Push-ups could help a little with some of these attributes, but aren't really the optimal solution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to evaluate which of these aspects is lacking in yourself, and develop it. If you're weak, then basic resistance training the necessary first, even if your technique needs work too, because your strength puts an upper limit on what your technique can maximize. Basic resistance training would include barbell and dumbbell exercises such as presses and bench presses, as well as squats, chin-ups, and deadlifts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're strong but not powerful--if you have a big and slow bench press, but you push your punches--then speed work with resistance is called for. Push presses, throwing heavy implements, power cleans, and jumping are good training in this area. So are clapping push-ups, though only if you already have a good strength base.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're throwing awesome punches at the beginning of class, but later they're plodding push-punches later, then strength-endurance work might help. High-rep sets of push-ups could be called for, again, only if you have a good base of strength and power. More drilling and long rounds of working your punches might help. This is one area where I'm a little bit at a loss--I'm less familiar with the ideal training for this attribute.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technique and conditioning can &lt;em&gt;always&lt;/em&gt; use work, so keep training hard, keep refining your punches and your footwork, keep getting feedback from your instructor, and do tons of activity-specific conditioning like hitting the heavy bag, hitting pads, sparring and drilling with gusto.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-11-20T14:48:43.920" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1588" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1573" CreationDate="2012-11-20T18:56:47.233" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd say, none of the shows are by definition useful as a source of truth or any really useful information. They are mostly entertainment programs targeted at a specific audience of would-be martial arts enthusiasts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not get me wrong - martial arts shows are nice in the sense that they give  general overview of what's out there, but I would not refer to any of the &quot;facts&quot; represented in those.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastEditorUserId="3234" LastEditDate="2014-10-23T11:05:25.713" LastActivityDate="2014-10-23T11:05:25.713" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1589" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1575" CreationDate="2012-11-20T23:16:37.313" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;In short, grading every 3 months as a lower Gup is fairly normal. You will begin to be able to tell if you're in a &quot;belt factory&quot; if you look to the higher Gups and Black Belts and wonder how on Earth they have X Belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm an instructor for an ITF-based Taekwon-do school and the approach that our umbrella organisation follows is to have gradings four times a year (so every three months). For the Gups, especially the lower Gups, your gradings will come thick and fast over the first two years or so. With adults, we generally double promote to 8th Gup at the first grading if their focus and basic skills are there. Once you start getting to Blue and Red Belts (4th Gup and up) your gradings will very likely slow to every 6 months or more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But as @slugster mentioned, your pace is based on your wishes, your abilities and your instructors confidence in your collection of the skills (and training 2-3 times a week consistently will definitely help). Once you get to Black Belt, the gradings are much further apart. Our organisation prescribes 3 years between 1st and 2nd Dan, for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an instructor, we look for students who are confident at their current level, but are by no means perfect. You won't even come close to &quot;perfecting&quot; the 9th Gup pattern until you are a Red Belt at least. I'm two weeks out from my 2nd Dan grading and I wouldn't claim anything close to &quot;perfection&quot; on Chon-Ji!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the greatest things about Martial Arts IMHO is that it's a team effort to advance your individual skills. Unlike a team sport, if you &quot;suck&quot; you're only holding yourself back and not the team. But as it's based on you as an individual, so is your progress. So even if you cannot kick at head height or jump you can still improve your skill-set and still advance in the art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most important thing about any Martial Art is to find an instructor that you trust and helps you achieve YOUR goals rather than their own (such as pushing you into competition if your focus is self defense). Find a good instructor and maintain your own focus and you will go far.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Best of luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="398" LastActivityDate="2012-11-20T23:16:37.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1591" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="432" CreationDate="2012-11-21T09:10:07.127" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I found that push-up with fist (rather than palm) helps me a lot in fixing my wrist and getting my punch in correct forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A punch should hit target with the knuckles of the index finger and middle finger. (straight punch in taekwondo and karate) While doing push-up, You should roll your fist forward so that only these 2 knuckles (and the first part of these fingers) touch the ground. No weight should be pushed onto the ring finger and small finger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The elbow, the wrist and the first 2 knuckles should form a straight line, both while doing push-up and during punch. Through practising push-up with fists I learnt the feeling of the force of impact of hitting target. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The force should be delivered from core. The arms and fist should be strong enough to delivered that force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="281" LastActivityDate="2012-11-21T09:10:07.127" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1592" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1082" CreationDate="2012-11-21T10:03:37.403" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just a heads up for those thinking of buying German made mats. I purchased 50 of the highest quality judo mats from Regupol 6 years ago (as I understand it they are the biggest manufacturer of mats in Germany). Model was  E215 40 mm thick Tatami vinyl finish mats. They come with a five year warranty. Two months ago we pulled up the mats to clean the floor and found they were falling apart on the edges terrible (cracking, fraying etc). So far my attempts for an answer from regupol has been frustrating to say the least. Two months and I am still being pushed off and &quot;waiting&quot; for an answer for Germany. Worse still is I had a number of spare mats that I did not use in the dojo and kept in a spare room covered - and they are deteriorating as well! So far regupol Australia has dropped the ball on this and tried to infer that I &quot;did something&quot; to the mats.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been very disappointed by the poor service - I am about to take it up with consumer affairs in Australia.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It was a huge purchase for our dojo (over 11,000AUD) to get mats that wont last and so far sub par service.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="803" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-12-20T03:54:50.953" LastActivityDate="2012-12-20T03:54:50.953" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1594" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="685" CreationDate="2012-11-21T20:45:23.813" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Why prepare at all?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;If you want to be in shape to chop firewood, chop firewood. Runners run; Baseball players play baseball; and kendoka practice kendo. Whatever you do, your body will adapt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is marginally true, but misleading. Runners and baseball players lift and work on conditioning, too. &lt;em&gt;Judoka&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;karateka&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;kendoka&lt;/em&gt; even have a name for it: &lt;em&gt;hojo undo&lt;/em&gt; (&quot;supplemental exercises&quot;). That's because they're important. Being weak, slow, out of shape, and unable to perform basic movements will hinder your martial arts progress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Getting better at any practice involves lots of doing that specific thing, but it also often involves developing basic physicality and maximizing one's physical attributes. To discard supplemental or preparatory training altogether is folly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training time in martial arts is precious. Class time, whether group or one-on-one, should be spent on activity-specific technique, drilling, and sparring. Using that time for general strength, mobility, and conditioning wastes everyone's time. Sport-specific strength and conditioning is of course necessary, but instructors must assume a basic level of physical competence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;What to do&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any general strength and conditioning program should be sufficient, unless you have a specific hindrance. In most cases this involves some degree of barbell or other resistance training, as well as conditioning such as running, with a possible emphasis on sprinting rather than marathon distances. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With resistance training, be sure to emphasize athletic work rather than bodybuilding. That is, whole-body movements using compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, presses, chin-ups, and Olympic lifts are superior to hypertrophy-specific routines using isolation exercises. The goal is not performance in any of these specific activities, but rather overall strength and mobility. Rippetoe and Kilgore's Starting Strength is a good reference manual, though the specific program may not be appropriate for you while doing other training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll be able to dabble in &lt;em&gt;kendo&lt;/em&gt; no matter how you prepare. But you'll do better the more physically prepared you are. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-01-24T12:29:23.990" LastActivityDate="2014-01-24T12:29:23.990" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1595" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1578" CreationDate="2012-11-23T07:49:54.460" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Great answer Matt! Couldn't have said it better myself.&#xA;I sometimes wonder what is hardest: being the instructor and hitting the right level for most students most of the time; or being a new student, unaware of the overall picture by the very nature of being a beginner in what is essentially a complex an subtle art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, there are good instructors and bad instructors and that only complicates the issue. As a beginner, one has to balance humility with a discernment of what fundamentally good. I think that 'good' often manifests itself in character. Is the instructor kind, confident, organised, a clear communicator etc. Of course, someone can be fantastic in their Taiji or Qigong but a poor teacher. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep it up Barbara. Persevere and I'm sure it will pay big dividends in your life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="807" LastActivityDate="2012-11-23T07:49:54.460" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1596" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1578" CreationDate="2012-11-23T12:14:04.223" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;After more than a year of Tai Chi, (and ten+years of other martial arts), I find that I still have to build stronger stabilizer muscles in order to progress in Tai Chi.  It is possible that the workouts have more relevance than is immediately apparent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-11-23T12:14:04.223" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1598" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1578" CreationDate="2012-11-23T18:01:30.940" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I used to teach tai chi before my family came along.  The one thing nobody else has said is speak to your teacher.  Tell them you enjoy the movement more than the stretching and ask why there's been less of the movement.  Assume they did it for a reason.  Problem is that until you have a certain number of people who can help keep beginners busy it's difficult to get a class going.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;As others said tai chi is a massively complicated art (and I trained in a few before tai chi) and a lot of it is re-patterning how you move and how you stand.  A lot of people lose out by trying to run before they can walk.&lt;br&gt;&#xA; One of my favourite resources is this website &lt;a href=&quot;http://ismag.iay.org.uk/related/interview.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://ismag.iay.org.uk/related/interview.htm&lt;/a&gt; with some articles by Mike Sigman who does a lot of demystifying of the internal martial arts.  And more of his stuff here &lt;a href=&quot;http://mikesigman.blogspot.co.uk/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://mikesigman.blogspot.co.uk/&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also read the responses above.  Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;eta:  Stabilizer muscles - try doing the movements you know at home but in smaller movements to practice then take a wider, deeper stance and do them more slowly.  The first will reinforce your memory, the second build your stance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="689" LastActivityDate="2012-11-23T18:01:30.940" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1601" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="294" CreationDate="2012-11-25T16:43:07.960" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;i've always liked getting a bucket or small garbage can and filling it full of uncooked rice. you can do what we call rice grabs by jamming your fist into the rice while grabbing and releasing handfuls of rice. cheap and effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="814" LastActivityDate="2012-11-25T16:43:07.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1602" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1606" CreationDate="2012-11-26T20:53:40.990" Score="4" ViewCount="166" Body="&lt;p&gt;My daughter is six, knows her orange belt form so well the other kids (even the high oranges) often watch and follow her during form practice and has the three tips usually required to take the belt test to move to the next level.  She has work to do and more to learn (as well as strength to gain) in sparring.  However she was invited to take the &quot;high orange&quot; belt test even after only being in her orange belt for 4 weeks.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My husband and I feel she is being sped through very quickly, but would rather skip the &quot;half belts&quot; if possible, &lt;strong&gt;even if it means she is in each belt for longer&lt;/strong&gt; and know of a few other kids that are doing the same thing.  However, we have been told skipping half belts is not allowed before age seven.  This makes me wonder what the over-arching policies are vs. the policies at just our own studio.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based on what I see in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/1575/816&quot;&gt;this answer&lt;/a&gt;, it is mostly guidelines, but I wondered if things applied differently for the very young.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="816" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-02-02T00:42:40.413" Title="What universal structures or recommendations are in place for TKD advancement for children?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1603" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1219" CreationDate="2012-11-26T20:59:03.953" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My daughter is currently in her orange belt.  Learning through her, I have recently come to understand that in order to achieve a point in a TKD match one must make a loud slapping kind of sound.  This is usually attained through hard kicking (it is harder to get the sound with a punch).  This is why they need to use kicking so much and why they are trained to &quot;bounce&quot; or be light on their feet.  Punches are mostly used as a way to move the opponent back and gain more room to achieve a better kick.  Admittedly, I don't have a lot of experience, but that is how I have understood it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would think that switching to a style that requires less bouncing, will just take a change in methodology in the mind of the trainee and lots of practice to help their bodies apply the change.  In TKD forms (at least in the beginning belts) are much more &quot;in the feet&quot; and with bent knees at points.  Perhaps work stemming and bridging the two styles through forms would be helpful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="816" LastActivityDate="2012-11-26T20:59:03.953" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1604" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1573" CreationDate="2012-11-26T23:47:34.737" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to answer this in two parts: first, I really like watching Burn Notice.  Although it's about a burned spy, there's quite a bit of fighting and the voice-overs give you the why and strategies behind many of the choices that are being made which is very interesting.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, I also think you'd really enjoy reading Meditations on Violence, A Comparison of Martial Arts Training and Real World Violence, by Sgt. Rory Miller.  As the subtitle explains, he writes about what a fight is really about.  This includes psychology and the effects of adrenaline.  He has a nice discussion about the violence we see on TV and the movies and makes the point that first and foremost, that type of violence is for entertainment and generally does not represent the violence one would really encounter.  This is a wonderful book and really good companion to martial arts training.  Sgt. Miller really knows what he's talking about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="576" LastActivityDate="2012-11-26T23:47:34.737" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1606" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1602" CreationDate="2012-11-27T11:04:41.157" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The same principles should apply to the young as well - if you look at them statistically they will be pretty similar to the adults with the speed they learn. I personally would not make a rule about ages and half belts, but that's just me (there are no magical changes when you turn 7, so the rule is most likely based on tradition rather than cold hard logic).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That aside, your daughter may be extremely proficient with most of her syllabus but that is no guarantee of advancement - one is supposed to show a level of mastery of their particular level before advancing, so if she has holes in her capabilities (like you mentioned with sparring) then that could be reason to hold her back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember these things:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;progressing through the grades is not a race (against other people or against the clock) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;progressing too fast can be detrimental (you don't progress simply by demonstrating a photographic memory of moves and forms, you must show that you understand them and can apply them)    &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;progressing fast through (some) belts is no guarantee of fast progress through other belts (some people will speed through lower belts and then get stuck at higher belts which can play havoc with their motivation and self confidence)  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course we do not know the specifics of your school, and like you said a belt factory should be avoided at all costs. It may sound harsh, but the style you attend has been taught this way for a very long time, and there should be no reason why your little girl should get special treatment to anone else following the same syllabus. Celebrate the fast advancement when it occurs, but never ever expect it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Progressing in a steady and methodical way (even for the gifted) will make her a more well rounded and balanced martial artist with patience and discipline - without that patience and discipline she will have some major flaws in her learnings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-11-27T11:04:41.157" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1608" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1009" CreationDate="2012-11-28T23:28:55.493" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This question is specifically about uprooting in tai chi chuan.  &quot;All strength comes from the ground&quot;.  Your CoG is less important than your peng path or ground strength vector.  As I said in other posts it's not a mystical experience it's a mechanical process - see for example the articles here &lt;a href=&quot;http://ismag.iay.org.uk/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://ismag.iay.org.uk/&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To uproot someone means to disrupt the efficient resultant vector from their feet upwards.  It's often associated with &quot;cai&quot; - to pluck - one of the classic 8 methods of tai chi chuan and can refer to a downward force as well.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;I'm a tai chi guy who started in jujitsu (Nihon Shorinji Kempo) and it's not at all the same as base.  I would say they are analogous but the differences are non-trivial.  I'm not one of these neijia guys who says neijia are better.  But they are different.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="689" LastEditorUserId="689" LastEditDate="2012-11-28T23:46:50.967" LastActivityDate="2012-11-28T23:46:50.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1610" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-11-29T03:12:01.613" Score="7" ViewCount="1067" Body="&lt;p&gt;My left leg is 3/4&quot; shorter than my right leg. I have trained in Tae Kwon Do for 6 years and earned my first Dan. However barefoot training is becoming a real problem. Martial arts shoes all seem to have very narrow soles not suitable for buildup. Will a wide-soled shoe help or is there another solution that will help this problem?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="820" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-07T09:31:05.600" LastActivityDate="2019-09-07T09:31:05.600" Title="Short leg issue and wide-soled shoe" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|shoes|disability|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1611" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="644" CreationDate="2012-11-29T07:58:54.563" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of good answers and advices for the cases when you already are in trouble. I think martial arts develop an extra sense for danger, which you should use to avoid problems. The best case is that you never need to defend yourself with force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately you can always find yourself in bad situation, no matter how careful you are. I follow these principles:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Don't listen to your honor/ego/etc. It had already wasted a lot of lives and saved none. Someone insulted you, made laugh of you? So what? Scrap it, there are more important things to fight for.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Avoid dangerous places like dark streets, bad neighborhoods etc. Especially when you are with someone who can't defend him/herself or can't run as fast as you. Always take the safe way home.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Look around you and try to notice suspicious people early. Someone is sticking around your car? Is this really the perfect moment to unlock it and enter?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="821" LastActivityDate="2012-11-29T07:58:54.563" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1612" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1455" CreationDate="2012-11-29T22:55:09.610" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know this is not what you want to hear, but you cannot learn ukemi and falling technique from written descriptions.  You must learn from a qualified instructor who can coach, observe and give objective feedback.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are better off if the instructor knows how to teach falling in stages, so your first try is not a full forward roll from standing--this is an invitation to pain, which leads to avoidance, which leads to bad technique which leads to injury or quitting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are female, you can learn principals from male instructors; similarly for men learning from female instructors.  However, the detailed optimal (and safe) falling lines for males and females are different.  Women who try to imitate men falling tend to pile drive their shoulders and break their collar bones, which is not a positive outcome.  Men who try to fall like women pancake on their backs, and that hurts too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is only one thing that is true, and easy to write about falling technique in general, but no one does it until they learn it themselves the hard way.  Breath out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="824" LastActivityDate="2012-11-29T22:55:09.610" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1613" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1030" CreationDate="2012-11-29T23:15:34.213" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not to take away from any of the other answers here, but I would like to add another perspective.  I think visiting other dojos and watching videos is something that everyone must do at some point in their martial arts career.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The question is what is the right time?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my opinion, it is about the time you are a nidan or a sandan (2nd or 3rd degree black belt).  The reason for this is that you must develop the trained eye to understand what you are seeing.  To recognize what is universal (there is more similarity, for example, between good karatedo and good aikido than difference), to understand what is surface affectation, and to decode the language used by the instructor from the physical reality of what they are their students are doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of the senior martial artists I know have &quot;made the tour&quot; of many other dojos, styles, and arts (watching videos would fall in this category) and it is very, very helpful as you rise towards the senior ranks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, as a beginner--anything under shodan (1st degree black belt), you may not be ready for this.  It is easier to learn one system, without worrying about why things differ and whether those differences are important.   Pick a good instructor, and learn from them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason beginners are not ready to absorb multiple styles or systems is because they don't have the observational skill to see what is important or not important.  Sometimes surface details don't matter at all.  Especially in aikido (although in all martial arts eventually), the things that don't matter are very hard to see, until you have learned what to see--usually by doing and having done to you so many times that you begin to recognize.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beginners need the instructor to coach them through the beginners path, helping them to find the core of the correct, fundamental technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For this reason,  I don't recommend visits, videos, or books to beginners (everyone up to about shodan or nidan is a beginner).  It just isn't time yet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, a student is at the point where they truly know their own body, and can read others, then they are ready to begin review and exploration of the larger world.  This is an exciting time in any martial artists development.   You will see that much that earlier seemed incredibly different is really the same, yet things you couldn't see when you were a beginner have profound outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Conversely, if an instructor expressly forbids looking at videos, visiting other dojos, or whatever, that is not  good sign either.  Good instructors should be able to help their students understand the similarities and differences of other styles, and more importantly, why they are that way and what it means.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="824" LastActivityDate="2012-11-29T23:15:34.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1614" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="578" CreationDate="2012-11-29T23:26:09.703" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe their are historical reasons for the lack of kicks, most of which have been mentioned in other answers including:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Aikido is partially descended from sword technique where it is less relevant&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Aikido is descended from arts that were expected to be performed in classical Japanese armor, where kicking was less relevant&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The ground work is a palace art, where standing up for anyone other than the daimyo and their guard could be a major infraction leading to punishment up to death--kicking is hard while kneeling&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Aikido is partially desceneded from spear techniques, again where kicking is less relevant&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the question that seems to beg to be asked is: why hasn't aikido adopted kicking in all the years and all the styles?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would propose the real answer is that any kick above about the ankles is far, far too easy to counter, and the counters are very, very devastating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;High kicks are the realm of sport styles with rules preventing the devestating counters that are possible to a well trained martial artist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No one in their right mind (okay, why are we martial artists, then, but that is another question) would want to take the ukemi from kick defense practice!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="824" LastActivityDate="2012-11-29T23:26:09.703" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1615" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1618" CreationDate="2012-11-30T08:08:33.860" Score="11" ViewCount="1665" Body="&lt;p&gt;Say I went to a dojo (or gym or whatever the place where you train is called) and watched a class.  &lt;em&gt;How would I objectively judge whether or not the teacher was proficient at his martial art?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What do I mean by proficient is left open on purpose.  By leaving it vague, I risks the questions being closed and attract down votes.  By giving a strict definition, it would answer the question. However, I am really not interested in semantic arguments about the definition of proficient or competent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2015-08-11T10:38:24.097" Title="How can I judge the competency of a teacher?" Tags="|teaching|dojo|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1616" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1615" CreationDate="2012-11-30T12:40:56.097" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If the style is a sport fighting style, if they and their students win, its a good sign.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the dojo or dojang or practice hall or whatever it is called in the relevant style is in a mall, or has nothing but children practicing in what is essentially an athletic day care, that is a bad sign.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the dojo is part of a chain, that is a bad sign.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the dojo has contracts, and a big focus on money, and slick advertising, that is a bad sign.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise, unless you are a senior martial artist already, you cannot judge the technical proficiency of the teacher--you haven't yet developed the eye and so you cannot judge them technically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can find people you trust who are senior level martial artists, if you know any.  Here I am talking about 20-year people.  Their opinion can help guide you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You must ask your self why you want to start practicing a martial art.  There are many legitimate reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fun, social activity with some physical activity&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sport and competition&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Self defense&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Self improvement in the zen sense&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technical proficiency of the instructor is only important for sport (where you can see the winning or losing of the students, and the trophies on the wall) and for self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a classic martial arts joke that goes like this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A guy in New York gets mugged, and the mugger beats him up and takes all his cash.&#xA;  He swears this will never happen to him again, so he goes to his local dojo, and &#xA;  tells the instructor he wants to learn to defend himself so that he won't get beat up&#xA;  again.   The instructor says, &quot;Well, you live in New York.  You might get beat up&#xA;  and mugged once every ten years.  If you join my class, you will learn to fight and &#xA;  defend yourself, but it will take years.  And we will beat you up every night.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Real self defense (I recommend the books, especially the early books of Marc &quot;Animal&quot; MAcYoung of nononsenseselfdefense.com if this is your goal, and you can take his NSFW writing style) is not really about physical fighting skill.  Its about awareness, avoidance, and so on.  So if the goal is self defense, you have to ask yourself seriously if martial arts are the way to get there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of this is to say, judging the technical proficiency of a martial arts instructor is either impossible, moot, or won't get you very far.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why all serious answers about choosing an instructor or dojo or dojang or whatever it is called talk about how the instructor teaches their students, the culture of the dojo, and so on.  That is what you will live with year in and year out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If martial arts interest you, pick an instructor for these reasons, and begin practicing.  If they are not good, you will very quickly find your learning at an end (a year or two) and can try another.  If they are good, you will be on the road, and will start to develop the eye to let you see, and can eventually evaluate other instructors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="824" LastActivityDate="2012-11-30T12:40:56.097" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1617" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1615" CreationDate="2012-11-30T14:41:05.553" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;First off, there's a difference between &lt;em&gt;teaching&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;doing&lt;/em&gt;.  Depending on the art you are in, there may not be a big difference (e.g. Aikido).  In different arts, particularly sport or combative arts, there's a large gulf between being a good teacher and being a good practitioner (e.g. TKD).  It's not impossible to be both, or find someone who can do both well, but you have to know what you're looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to learn how to fight &lt;em&gt;according to that school&lt;/em&gt;, look for a good practitioner. Although they may not teach well, they know what to do, so it'll be up to you to make up the difference.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;If you are in a nonviolent art, or one where practicing and teaching are not so far apart, look for a good teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How to tell if a person is a good teacher:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ask their students (or watch them teach)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good teacher is the same across all disciplines: they pay attention to their students and they keep their students engaged in learning.  Better teachers can also analyze learning problems more effectively.&#xA;But the only way to know if a potential teacher is a good one or not is to watch or talk to their students.  Their students will tell you whether or not class is engaging, whether or not they learn new things often or focus more on basics (either is good, depending on what you want out of it).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Above all: know what you want, and take your time when looking for it.  Don't feel pressure to sign up or commit quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="33" LastActivityDate="2012-11-30T14:41:05.553" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1618" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1615" CreationDate="2012-11-30T17:03:50.000" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;You will be able to tell a good teacher by evaluating the students. Students should be:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Engaged in the class&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Proficient in the material for their rank (Assuming they aren't brand new belts)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Of a wide variety of ranks (not all brand new or been there for years)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the students display the above, then the instructor is presenting the material in a way that is interesting and informative, is able to make corrections in the form used by the students, and able to address a wide range of abilities. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Effective teaching is all about communication, and disseminating information to a wide range of physical abilities and learning styles. If the vast majority of the students are &quot;getting it&quot;, then the teacher is effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2012-11-30T17:03:50.000" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1619" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1615" CreationDate="2012-11-30T20:49:28.667" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;As an adult I've only studied Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  Before starting a new gym, I do some research to see what the community has to say.  For example, I would Google the gym and maybe ask for a review on a popular martial arts forum.  In my opinion lineage is important as well, so before visiting I make sure they're a black belt under a reputable person.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My goal when I visit for the first time is to make sure that the instructor is interested in his/her students.  Everything else (competition record, equipment, etc) is secondary.  What I really like to see is the instructor paying special attention to a student who is struggling or if the whole class is struggling, stopping and breaking down the technique further.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="827" LastActivityDate="2012-11-30T20:49:28.667" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1620" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-12-01T10:20:09.540" Score="3" ViewCount="5884" Body="&lt;p&gt;I used to practice karate earlier. 5 years ago I was diagnosed with minor disc herniation at L4 and L5. I haven't undergone any surgery and pretty much cured just by physiotherapy and can do all my day to day activities without any problem. I do a little bit of yoga everyday as suggested by the doctor. I want to restart my martial arts training. Is it safe to do so?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="828" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-12-01T13:49:14.830" LastActivityDate="2016-01-15T04:42:50.717" Title="Can I start martial arts after a minor disc herniation?" Tags="|karate|forms|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1621" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1620" CreationDate="2012-12-02T01:56:19.757" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Disclaimer: &lt;strong&gt;I have no medical background.  Please consult your Doctor.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First and foremost, (and I really can't say this enthusiastically enough) Please consult your Doctor!  His/her word will be much more valuable than anything you read here.  Second, I suspect that it should probably be OK to start up again, but do so very cautiously.  Here are some (non-medical, common sense) things to keep in mind:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If your Doctor says no, that means no&lt;/strong&gt;. Forget about it. Otherwise...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Let your instructors know.&lt;/strong&gt;  Any Martial Arts school worth its salt should eagerly invite you to continue your training, almost no matter the circumstances.  That said, it is critical that your instructors should know that you have a medical condition which may limit your ability to perform.  If they don't know, they'll push you exactly the same way as they do everyone else, and that increases your risk needlessly.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don't push it.&lt;/strong&gt; If you start sparring a week after going back to the class, you're not taking this seriously.  You could injure yourself much worse than the original injury that took you off the mats, and then training is all but certainly off the table for good.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pain is a bad sign.&lt;/strong&gt; If something feels bad, don't do it--everyone will understand.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If {Whatever}, stop.&lt;/strong&gt;  If you're in pain, stop.  If you think it might hurt you, stop.  If you don't think you can do it, stop.  If anything feels wrong at all, stop.  There's no honor, dignity, or heroism to be had in the middle of your dojo.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Be ready to get injured again.&lt;/strong&gt;  Even if your doctor is cool with it, you're careful, the instructors know what's going on and take care of you, and you do everything perfectly, something can still go wrong.  It might just be painful, in which case you're lucky.  It might actually be damaging, in which case you will need to stop.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Good luck.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="787" LastEditorUserId="787" LastEditDate="2012-12-02T15:38:49.050" LastActivityDate="2012-12-02T15:38:49.050" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1622" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1627" CreationDate="2012-12-03T01:36:31.760" Score="6" ViewCount="1558" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have put 40+ hours into aikido practice. It it is becoming very obvious that training in class is not sufficient. I need to stretch more and work on cardio to improve my physic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I'm having huge problems with is finding my center or hara as the aikidoa refer to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I tend to stick out my butt out and tense up in my shoulders which seems to be common among beginners. I asked my sensei but he just said it requires constant practice and patience and it will come in time. I'm fine with it, but I was hoping someone can suggest meditation, breathing, or visualization technique that could help in the long run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user72" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-12-04T12:58:03.167" LastActivityDate="2013-12-04T12:58:03.167" Title="Finding my center (hara / t'an t'ien)" Tags="|aikido|self-training|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1623" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1622" CreationDate="2012-12-03T09:00:52.113" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your centre is nothing more than the &lt;a href=&quot;http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2006/centerofmass.shtml&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;centre of mass of the human body&lt;/a&gt;.  It could refer as well to the line of symmetry of the human body.  I suggest you picked a book on human anatomy. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Body-Motion-Its-Evolution-Design/dp/1556439709&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The Body In Motion&lt;/a&gt; by Theodore Dimon is a good starting point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you really wanted to go down the mystical route, then &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.oomoto.or.jp/English/index-en.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Oomoto&lt;/a&gt; might be the sect for you. It was very influential to &lt;em&gt;Ueshiba&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2012-12-03T13:49:18.783" LastActivityDate="2012-12-03T13:49:18.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1624" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1632" CreationDate="2012-12-03T11:08:21.027" Score="15" ViewCount="490" Body="&lt;p&gt;The above sentence has been attributed to O'Sensei and I'd like to use it as a motto for my dojo's website.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Problem: I can't find a reliable source about when/where he said this. Or a proper Japanese version of the original sentence, either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have tried to cobble together a &lt;a href=&quot;https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/9652/how-to-write-aikido-wa-ichiban-budo-desu&quot;&gt;Japanese version first&lt;/a&gt;, hoping to be able to google for it and see if I can get something from Japanese sites... no success so far.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can someone please point me to a credible source, and possibly to the correct japanese quote used by Ueshiba?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="831" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:43:48.857" LastActivityDate="2012-12-05T04:55:16.663" Title="&quot;Aikido is first and foremost BUDO&quot;" Tags="|aikido|history|japanese|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1625" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="33" CreationDate="2012-12-03T20:02:10.467" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think chokes are some of the safest submissions in BJJ/Submission grappling and thus it's okay to train them as often as you want.  I think the main factor in terms of danger is making sure you're training with someone you trust.  Anything in martial arts can potentially be dangerous if your training partner has the wrong mindset.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="827" LastActivityDate="2012-12-03T20:02:10.467" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1626" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1624" CreationDate="2012-12-03T20:36:02.897" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I haven't been able to find a reference to that direct quote. There are a number of things that mean the same thing. O'Sensei appears to have spoken often about being on a quest to find the perfect Budo, and that Aikido (or Aiki Budo) is the result of that search.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The closest quote I've found is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;On reflection, Aikido can be seen as the root source of Japanese Budo.&amp;quot; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cityaikido.com/osensei-memoirs.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;O'Sensei Memoirs, pg 18&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found several quotes which speak to that idea but are not as short.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;“True budo is a work of love...Aikido is the realization of love.” &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.losangelesaikikai.org/aikido/teachings/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;ref&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;“Understand Aikido first as budo and then as the way of service to construct the World Family.&amp;quot; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.losangelesaikikai.org/aikido/teachings/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;ref&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a Q/A session with O'Sensei about True Budo&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First I learned Tenshinyo-ryu Jujitsu from Tozawa Tokusaburo Sensei, then Kito-ryu, Yagyu Ryu, Aioi-ryu, Shinkage-ryu, all of them Jujitsu forms. However, I thought there might be a true form of Budo elsewhere. I tried Hozoin-ryu Sojitsu and Kendo. But all of these arts are concerned with one-to-one combat forms and they could not satisfy me. So I visited many parts of the country seeking the Way and training. . . but all in vain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A: Is that the ascetic training of the warrior?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;O Sensei: Yes, the search for the true Budo. When I used to go to other schools I would never challenge the Sensei of the dojo. An individual in charge of a dojo is burdened with many things, so it is very hard for him to display his true ability. I would pay him the proper respects and learn from him. If I judged myself superior, I would again pay him my respects and return home.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;B: When did Aikido come into being?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;O Sensei: As I said before, I went to many places seeking the true Budo... Then, when I was about 30 years old, I settled in Hokkaido. On one occasion, while staying at Hisada Inn in Engaru, Kitami Province, I met a certain Takeda Sokaku Sensei of the Aizu clan. He taught Daito-ryu Jujitsu. During the 30 days in which I learned from him I felt something like an inspiration. Later, I invited this teacher to my home and together with 15 or 16 of my employees became a student seeking the essence of Budo. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?p=268150&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;ref&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2012-12-03T22:57:23.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1627" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1622" CreationDate="2012-12-03T23:06:50.120" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your sensei is correct and it will take patience and practice. That is true of all things in life. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For meditation / breathing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sit in seiza.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Either rest your hands in your lap, or hold your hands up, interlock the pinky, ring, and middle fingers. Extend your index fingers up and press your thumbs side by side. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Breathe slowly in through your nose, and exhale slowly out through your mouth.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For visualization:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Water &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;As you inhale imagine your body being filled with pure clear water.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;As you exhale imagine dirty polluted water leaving your body. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Energy&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stand in a horse stand and hold your arms out as if hugging a large tree (fingers about six inches apart from each other). &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;As you inhale imagine energy entering through your left hand, traveling up your arm, and into your torso.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;As you exhale imagine the energy continuing through your torso, down your right arm, and out of your right hand. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taking a few moments before class to sit in seiza and relax and breathe can really help to relax your mind and prepare you for Aikido. Learning to relax is also one of the hardest things for beginners. Particularly people who are fairly big or muscular, because they are used to throwing their weight and strength around. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastActivityDate="2012-12-03T23:06:50.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1628" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1622" CreationDate="2012-12-04T02:54:14.163" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You need to work on this enough to lose all the superfluous tension in your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you really want to work on this, then just do standing practice. Stand, feet approximately shoulder-width apart, and then scan your body in horizontal slices (along the sagittal plane) feeling for tension. Go from your head to your toes. I would recommend trying to limit yourself to five minutes at first (it will feel like forever). You can do two or three sessions a day. Progressively, increase the length of the sessions. Over a period of six months or a year, they may become as long as one hour -- or maybe even more. B.K. Frantzis mentions in one of his books that when he was younger and had nothing to do with his time, he was doing this up to six hours a day. Whether it's true or not, it's an indication of how useful this practice is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a note, 40+ hours is a wonderful beginning, but unless you are a prodigy, you ought to expect at least one year (I would, conservatively, say ten years) before you can properly feel and use your center.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-12-04T02:54:14.163" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1630" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4872" CreationDate="2012-12-04T22:15:02.507" Score="9" ViewCount="1411" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boxing gloves come in 8oz, 10oz, 12oz, 14oz, 16oz or 18oz. Is this sizing related to the hand size or to the amount of protection that they offer?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For use in sparring, is it better to have a heavier glove? How should I choose the size of my boxing glove?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="412" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2021-10-05T09:58:17.303" LastActivityDate="2021-10-05T12:48:32.040" Title="How do I choose a boxing glove?" Tags="|equipment|boxing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1631" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1035" CreationDate="2012-12-05T02:26:48.687" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do gymnastics and I'm the worst on beam. What I do is I ice my bruises overnight, then let them rest and get warm until about 12 then ice it again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="833" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2012-12-05T04:04:05.830" LastActivityDate="2012-12-05T04:04:05.830" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1632" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1624" CreationDate="2012-12-05T04:55:16.663" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sounds like a quote from Kisshomaru Ueshiba in &quot;The Spirit of Aikido&quot; (合氣道のこころ). I don't have the English version to compare, but in the Japanese version it's the first line of the first chapter:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;合氣道は、いうまでもなく本質的に武道である。&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kisshomaru expressed the same sentiment many times - his father may have as well, but I don't recall off hand. Morihei more often talked about things like &quot;true&quot; Budo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="834" LastActivityDate="2012-12-05T04:55:16.663" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1633" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1634" CreationDate="2012-12-05T10:18:28.010" Score="2" ViewCount="165" Body="&lt;p&gt;2 months ago I went to Muay Thai training session. I forgot my bandages and went on training. After the session I felt a little bit of pain in my wrist. The next day I had BJJ training. Everything went fine till the next morning, the pain in my wrist increased.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can still feel the pain today. Would postponing the training sessions help? What do you recommend? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kindly yours&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="500" LastActivityDate="2012-12-05T12:53:21.960" Title="Injury during training session, after 2 months still feel the pain" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="7" ClosedDate="2012-12-05T16:47:46.870" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1634" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1633" CreationDate="2012-12-05T12:53:21.960" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recommend you go to see either a doctor or a physiotherapist. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2012-12-05T12:53:21.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1635" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1342" CreationDate="2012-12-05T22:15:23.433" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I hear this, I think &quot;most streetfights&quot;, not MMA or LEO fights.  In that context, it has been my experience that, yes, most fights do end up on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people aren't trained fighters and its just not likely that two people are going to stand at range firing off strikes.  What tends to happen is that either someone lands a hard blow sending the other person to the ground, or they close the distance and end up doing some rudimentary form of take-down (usually closely resembling an American football tackle), or clinching and wrestling each other to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously this is highly anecdotal and doesn't take into account regional differences, the backgrounds of the people fighting, etc etc etc but that has been my experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="215" LastEditorUserId="215" LastEditDate="2012-12-07T16:05:51.473" LastActivityDate="2012-12-07T16:05:51.473" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1636" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1630" CreationDate="2012-12-06T15:08:58.373" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You'll likely need a couple pairs of gloves.  Most gyms require a certain size for sparring. Probably 16oz.  This tends to be the size required for boxing and Muay Thai fights as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For hitting a bag, I like to use light gloves and that is how my Muay Thai instructor taught me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people like to use the 18oz for training so that when they fight, their gloves feel lighter and they will be faster. I'm not a big fan of this, because, in theory, your aim could be affected and I'm a big fan of training as close to how you compete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bottom line is this:  Ask the coach what he would recommend/require, and if they have no recommendation, go with 16oz for your first pair.  Try on the gloves before you buy them.  Everyone's hands are a bit different so some gloves might not fit quite right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="21" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2021-10-05T12:48:32.040" LastActivityDate="2021-10-05T12:48:32.040" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1637" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1088" CreationDate="2012-12-07T01:33:29.320" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've had numerous people recommend laminated bamboo. It's light, springy, and durable. I have a &lt;em&gt;bo&lt;/em&gt; staff of this myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anecdotally, the person I bought mine from (8th &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; in shorin-ryu and one of the biggest equipment suppliers in my area, FWIW) said that he's never heard of anyone having problems with it. He also mentioned that he had a group of people come in every week or two for awhile because they kept breaking their wooden &lt;em&gt;bo&lt;/em&gt; staffs. He recommended laminated bamboo instead, and never saw them again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="733" LastActivityDate="2012-12-07T01:33:29.320" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1638" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1620" CreationDate="2012-12-07T17:50:40.177" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tony's answer is great, I won't repeat it here, though it's largely what I would have written.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will add that I had a herniated disk when I was in my early 20's while in, and certainly exacerbated by, my martial arts practice (I think also L4/L5).  With extensive physiotherapy, I avoided surgery, and did (several months later) ease gradually back into martial arts practice.  That was 20 years ago, during which time I have studied various martial arts on and off.  I'm careful to have good posture, good sitting and exercise habits, avoid things that would be especially straining on my lower back, and generally try to keep my core strength up to support the region. Being vigilant about those things, once I recovered fully, I have not found it to be an impediment to my martial arts training.  So -- all caveats in place with a sample size of one -- it certainly can be done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go over it with your own doctor, don't do anything that hurts, but if you are already recovered enough that you don't notice it in your daily life and you're doing other exercise without incident, I don't see why you shouldn't try martial arts again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="698" LastActivityDate="2012-12-07T17:50:40.177" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1639" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1640" CreationDate="2012-12-10T01:07:05.147" Score="6" ViewCount="219" Body="&lt;p&gt;Recenlty I had sit down with my sensei and he was explaining to me how to meditate in seiza. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only thing I'm unclear on is how should I compress the air into my center while breading in. He said it is like pouring water into a glass but focusing on the compression of air under my belly button where I rest my hands. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is the compression tightening of muscles or holding breath while trying to push with my abdominal muscles so I feel pressure in my lower abdomen?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If someone could translate the imagery into how to create the feeling of pressure, that would be of great help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user72" LastActivityDate="2012-12-10T18:21:09.450" Title="Learning breathing while meditating" Tags="|breathing|meditation|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1640" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1639" CreationDate="2012-12-10T18:21:09.450" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've never heard that specific description/instruction related to breathing exercises. But I agree there is a feeling which I could describe as &quot;compression&quot; happening, so here are my thoughts on that. I'm Presuming you're doing &quot;square&quot; breathing (or similar), where you are breathing in for one &quot;count&quot; (however long that is), then pause with your airways open for one count, then out for one, then pause for one count.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the second count, you are dynamically balancing the tension of your diaphragm muscle against your abdominal distension. During the inhalation you've progressively tightened your diaphragm muscles to pull air into your lungs. At the same time you're relaxing your abdominal muscles to let the surface of your abdomen move away from your spine -- making room for the abdominal contents being displaced by your diaphragm. When you stop the inhalation, there will be a sensation in your abdomen -- one could call it a sensation of compression.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, during the first count (inhalation), that sense of compression (again I don't like that description, but ...) would be increasing during the progress of the inhale as you progressively displace your abdominal contents through the movement of your diaphragm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you tense your stomach(abdominal) muscles, you'll constrict your inhale making the diaphragm work harder, and I think you'd be less likely to feel the compression we're talking about. My understanding is the abdominal/stomach muscles should be completely relaxed on the first(inhale) and second(pause) counts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="579" LastActivityDate="2012-12-10T18:21:09.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1641" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-12-10T19:15:58.363" Score="3" ViewCount="5229" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was sparring and received a pretty hard thigh kick. I have been in a tremendous amount of pain since it happened three days ago. I usually bruise easily but there isn't an bruising yet. The pain feels deep and the leg is tight. I can barely put weight on it or bend it. I've been putting ice on it and taking ibuprofen. Does anyone have more suggestions, I'm getting married tomorrow, I want to be able to walk!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="845" LastActivityDate="2012-12-10T21:19:45.163" Title="How do I treat my leg after a painful thigh kick?" Tags="|injury|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2012-12-11T13:25:44.857" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1643" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1641" CreationDate="2012-12-10T21:19:45.163" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;See a doctor. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They may give you stronger pain killer and/or muscle relaxants than you can get OTC, both of which will help you to stop stressing the leg and heal faster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from that stay off it as much as possible (you can walk down the aisle), go easy, keep up the ice until the swelling recedes then switch to mild heat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I didn't at first but instead kept training on it. Stupid. I was out for six weeks after the leg actual gave out just walking down the hall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="210" LastActivityDate="2012-12-10T21:19:45.163" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1644" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="995" CreationDate="2012-12-12T19:05:08.693" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have found it extremely good at dealing with RSI (tendonitis). Daily practice of Tai Chi helped me reduce nodules on an almost unusable right wrist to the point where the problem is a distant memory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My late mother also benefited hugely from some very simple Tai Chi, not much more than warmup and about half the short form, for her balance. As a long-term Leukemia sufferer on many medications, she was somewhat frail and had balance problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="179" LastActivityDate="2012-12-12T19:05:08.693" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1645" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1622" CreationDate="2012-12-12T19:27:10.420" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Standing practice ideas:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;wear light clothing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;stand with feet slightly apart, knees and elbows slightly bent, just enough to be relaxed and not have your legs or arms locked&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;stand in a breeze, different wind levels on different days, and think about how the wind feels on different parts of your body. Can you feel it moving your hands? Raise your arms a bit and feel the wind around your body. Feel it pushing your body.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;now stand out of the wind, in a similar pose, feel the absence of wind&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;repeat until you feel the wind blow right through you&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go ice skating (preferably with the figure skating blades so you can stand erect) and just skate around consciously standing upright and relaxing from your shoulders down. I tell people to imagine their body is a heavy coat hanging from a coat hanger. Yeah I know it sounds weird but I found ice dancing helped my martial arts considerably (and vice versa). I live in Perth, Western Australia - you find rinks in many cities where you wouldn't expect them ;-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just do the exercises and don't think about your centre - it will find itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="179" LastActivityDate="2012-12-12T19:27:10.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1646" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1357" CreationDate="2012-12-12T20:01:04.397" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm nearly 50 and my originally bad memory is getting worse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We don't have note-taking in class so I want to get things down as quickly as possible as I leave. I use &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.evernote.com&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Evernote&lt;/a&gt; on my mobile and record audio notes as I'm walking away and driving. I later transcribe them but retain the originals - I find the mixture of spoken and written helps recall the context. Transcribing a few days later also seems to help me relive the experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using a cloud-service like Evernote means I have the notes on both my phone and other computers without having to think about copying (I used to use a digital recorder and even an old analogue tape one before that - I've been an audio noter for a long time!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="179" LastActivityDate="2012-12-12T20:01:04.397" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1647" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="93" CreationDate="2012-12-14T12:01:38.553" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If it's Taekwondo, I've found there's too much static stretching before drills.  If I'm training on my own, I feel better warming up through fairly relaxed but rhythmic turning (roundhouse?) kicks, first a shin height, and working up as you feel comfortable, and keep going in a steady rhythm till you're about as high up as you normally kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then for side kicks, it's best to set up a drill where some obstacle forces you into good technique, rather than you having to consciously think about how you're supposed to move all the time.  You can put a chair right next to you and then practice side kicks over it - not jumping over it, but making sure you're tucking your foot in, out and over the back of the chair so you clear it, then snap it back in and clear the chair and back down to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also have a feeling in mind when you're doing this.  Have a think about what a good kick ought to feel like... balanced, effectively transferring force.  With a side kick, you want the movement to feel a bit like a piston... you're tucking in, raising angle, then firing out like a piston.  Aim for that sort of feeling when you're practicing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The idea is that you want to only have to think about the movement for as little a time as you need to to understand it.  After that, you want it to be all about muscle memory and how things 'feel'.  Also, doing that sort of drill... it's technique and muscle strength training all in one...  you'll be surprised how it's all those little muscles that never get a workout at the gym that can make such a big difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="852" LastActivityDate="2012-12-14T12:01:38.553" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1648" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1021" CreationDate="2012-12-14T12:19:08.543" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I find there's not enough time to change hip position after a kick, so if the combo is kick first then punch, I typically can only make use of a punch with the same side I kicked with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if I'm lunging in with a right kick, the punch is also with the right.  It feels a bit weird if you've never tried it that way before, and you have to set up your upper body for the punch as well... you'll need to practice it to figure out when it's most efficient to punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like, if you're doing a roundhouse kick, when you make the kick, bring your knee in straight away... you're kinda folding up or tucking in your kick as soon as you've past the striking point... and at the same time, cock your right arm in a position from where you can punch out and then punch.  It's different from a normal punch and sort of comes out a little sideways, but you can follow up really quickly with your left hand, and then the left leg is ready... turning kick, back kick, sliding side kick, then a fatality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="852" LastActivityDate="2012-12-14T12:19:08.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1649" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1652" CreationDate="2012-12-15T09:46:41.683" Score="19" ViewCount="14415" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is vertical fist punch in Hapkido as well as some Chinese martial arts and in older styles of boxing, but I see it a lot less in modern fighting and sparring. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a vertical fist (where the wrist never parallels the ground) versus a straight punch (which turns over)?    Where would one choose to use one over the other in an actual fight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2012-12-16T17:36:49.027" LastActivityDate="2021-07-06T17:20:26.393" Title="What are the advantages of using a vertical fist for punching?" Tags="|punching|" AnswerCount="13" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1650" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1313" CreationDate="2012-12-15T16:14:42.977" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm in construction and like to grapple in my spare time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I read somewhere on here someone recommended Horse Stall Mats.. thats a no-no.. falling on Vulcanized rubber is like landing on concrete, but you get a nice skid burn on top of that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I saw someone else say to make your own out of plywood, styrofoam, carpet underlay foam and drape your own vinyl... after buying all that material he would be well over $100 and still have an unsafe training area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your only chance to stay around the $100 is to get 1&quot; Puzzle martial arts mats from places like zebramats.com  and be careful with takedowns or throws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But honestly, if it's that hard to find 'cheap' martial arts mats, don't you think that would mean there is a reason they are priced what they are for a reason?&#xA;Like can you really be frugal when it comes to your safety? Can you put a price on a dislocated shoulder?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="854" LastActivityDate="2012-12-15T16:14:42.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1651" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1649" CreationDate="2012-12-15T20:57:39.350" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Isshinryu karate emphasizes the use of the vertical fist punch; it is a trademark of the style. Here is my perspective as an ex-Isshinryu practitioner who now (occasionally) trains boxing and muay Thai for striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Purported Benefits&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The spiel I gave when I taught Isshinryu was as follows: the vertical fist is part of a rising punch that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;fits into the upside-down V shape of the sternum&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;protects the wrist as the punch does so, &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;allows the top two knuckles (of the forefinger and middle finger) to make contact instead of other, weaker knuckles, and &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;is supposedly faster than a corkscrew punch&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have also heard other Isshinryu practitioners claim that such a hand position more efficiently transmits force to the fist. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Why It's Irrelevant for Most Practitioners&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If one is training to get proficient in hitting people, the overriding concern one should have is achieving fluency in what Matt Thornton calls the &quot;delivery system&quot; of striking. Or as Daisetsu Suzuki put it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Technical knowledge is not enough. One must transcend techniques so that the art becomes an artless art, growing out of the unconscious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means that we should evaluate training systems not by which one has a better checklist of reasons why they use a certain fist alignment (a comparison in which Isshinryu might win), but rather which one more consistently produces proficient strikers (a comparison in which boxing and kickboxing would win). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When choosing a style, it is dramatically more important to hit pads, work with the heavy bag, and spar with hard contact in a permissive ruleset than to worry about vertical versus horizontal fists. Avoid premature optimization--vertical versus non-vertical punches should be one of the last things to worry about in one's training. If a student was executing horizontally-oriented body punches, I wouldn't say that switching to a vertical fist was at all a priority.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, boxing does align the knuckles vertically during some punches--a lead hook comes to mind--but there is much less emphasis on this being a different kind of fist or a different style of punch. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Evaluation With These Considerations in Mind&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't mind the straight vertical-fist punch for strikes to the body, but I don't see its usefulness for striking the head, and I don't think it's really that different from turning the fist over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm no longer convinced by the idea that the vertical fist makes much of a difference for wrist stability; I would argue that if that is a concern for a trainee, that person should get stronger and hit the heavy bag very carefully and more frequently. I'm also not convinced that &quot;fitting into the V of the sternum&quot; matters very much. The xiphoid process might be somewhat easier to hit, but knocking the wind out of people seems more reliant on footwork, tactics, accuracy, and speed than on how the fist is positioned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I flat out don't believe that the vertical fist is faster than other punches, or that one can't hit with the correct top two knuckles using non-vertical punches, or that it transmits force more efficiently than non-vertical fist positions. I just don't see any credible evidence for these claims, though I mention them because I've heard them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2012-12-15T20:57:39.350" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1652" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1649" CreationDate="2012-12-16T11:28:16.473" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have done some Wing Chun; I do love the vertical punch - it's very fast, powerful and precise&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The vertical punch is the most basic and fundamental in &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_Chun&quot;&gt;Wing Chun&lt;/a&gt; and is usually thrown with the elbow down and in front of the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun favors the vertical punch for several reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Directness. The punch is not &quot;loaded&quot; by pulling the elbow behind the body. The punch travels straight towards the target from the guard position (hands are held in front of the chest).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Protection. The elbow is kept low to cover the front midsection of the body. It is more difficult for an opponent to execute an elbow lock/break when the elbow occupies this position. This aids in generating power by use of the entire body structure rather than only the arm to strike. Also with the elbow down, it offers less opening for the body to be attacked while the forearm and punch intercept space towards the head and upper body.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Strength and Impact. Wing Chun practitioners believe that because the elbow is behind the fist during the strike, it is thereby supported by the strength of the entire body rather than just a swinging fist, and therefore has more impact. A common analogy is a baseball bat being swung at someone's head (a round-house punch), as opposed to the butt end of the bat being thrust forward into the opponent's face (wing chun punch), which would cause far more damage than a glancing hit and is not as easy to evade. Many skilled practitioners pride themselves on being able to generate &quot;short power&quot; or large amount of power in a short space. A common demonstration of this is the &quot;one-inch punch&quot;, a punch that starts only an inch away from the target yet delivers an explosive amount of force.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Alignment &amp;amp; Structure. Because of Wing Chun's usage of stance, the vertical punch is thus more suitable. The limb directly in front of the chest, elbow down, vertical nature of the punch allows a practitioner to absorb the rebound of the punch by directing it through the elbows and into the stance. This is a desirable trait to a Wing Chun practitioner because it promotes use of the entire body structure to generate power. Whereas, the rebound of a horizontal punch uses only the arm to strike. In this elbow-out position the hinge-structure directs force outwards along the limb producing torque in the puncher's body.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When executing the punch, you must relax and &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;not use your shoulders&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. If your shoulders gets tired from using the punch, you did something wrong. The punch comes from the body and not the arm. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The punches may be thrown in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpNsY0IvjxE&quot;&gt;quick succession in a &quot;straight blast&quot; or &quot;chain punching&quot;&lt;/a&gt;. When executed correctly, it can be used as a disorienting finisher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="759" LastActivityDate="2012-12-16T11:28:16.473" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1653" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1654" CreationDate="2012-12-16T12:39:22.800" Score="6" ViewCount="628" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am an advanced blue belt in the Seido Karate system, and it has been very difficult to find any resources pertaining to katas and kumite. I would love to have a video or written instructions for these aspects.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="841" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-12-14T18:13:41.263" LastActivityDate="2020-12-14T18:13:41.263" Title="Where can I find Seido resources?" Tags="|karate|forms|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1654" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1653" CreationDate="2012-12-16T14:19:43.853" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Seido is related to kyokushin so a lot of the kara are very similar.  When it comes to the kihon kumite you may be out of luck.  You may want to write and/or film yourself doing your new material as a reference for later&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="857" LastActivityDate="2012-12-16T14:19:43.853" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1655" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="104" CreationDate="2012-12-17T20:02:12.137" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;External MA is about explosive power. Think of a sprinter. Boom! He goes OUT from the gate. Internal is about implosive power. Think of a figure skater. Watch as she brings herself IN towards her core in order to spin faster. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-techniques/punch-techniques/power-punching-secrets-part-2-implosive-punching&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-techniques/punch-techniques/power-punching-secrets-part-2-implosive-punching&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;may help clarify&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="859" LastActivityDate="2012-12-17T20:02:12.137" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1656" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1649" CreationDate="2012-12-18T20:07:50.617" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your mileage may vary, but generally, the choice of fist position has more to do with the ergonomics of the punch. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The distance and the height of the target and the angle of the punch seem to be the major aspects that contribute to the choice of the fist position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I punch above the chest height I usually prefer either open palm (I am a &lt;em&gt;taijiquan&lt;/em&gt; practitioner) or horizontal fist position. Below the solar plexus I definitely prefer vertical fist position. Lower than &lt;em&gt;dantien&lt;/em&gt;, usually means that the fist turns back horizontal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also the angle of the punch, the distance to the target and use of boxing gloves (or not) does influence it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me it has more to do with how the energy of my punch travels from the source of the punch through the structure of my body in to the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastActivityDate="2012-12-18T20:07:50.617" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1657" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2012-12-19T13:45:02.733" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2012-12-19T13:45:02.733" LastActivityDate="2012-12-19T13:45:02.733" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1658" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2012-12-19T13:45:02.733" Score="0" Body="a wooden bow with only one string, used to make rhythmic music in capoeira." OwnerUserId="88" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2012-12-19T19:46:47.577" LastActivityDate="2012-12-19T19:46:47.577" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1659" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-12-21T12:16:30.473" Score="7" ViewCount="1885" Body="&lt;p&gt;A while back, my Aikido teacher adviced me to do &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_yin&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;do-in / tao yin exercises&lt;/a&gt; to improve my flexibility because a particular muscle in my leg is relatively short and sometimes hinders me while practicing. I found that the exercises are quite effective for me. This got me thinking, what are the most effective exercises you do off the mat?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This question is somewhat related to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/145/88&quot;&gt;this question about morning routines&lt;/a&gt;. The difference is that I'm specifically interested in exercises (hojo undō or otherwise) that people found made a big difference to their martial arts practice (and not necessarily as a morning routine or as preparation for a lesson) .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-05-16T08:46:10.877" Title="What are the most effective exercises (hojo undō or otherwise) for martial arts?" Tags="|exercise|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1660" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1659" CreationDate="2012-12-21T15:30:37.263" Score="7" Body="&lt;h2&gt;What Is &lt;em&gt;Hojo Undō&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The term &lt;strong&gt;Hojo undō&lt;/strong&gt; is &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hojo_und%C5%8D&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;generally translated&lt;/a&gt; as &quot;supplementary exercises&quot;. Now, I can't read or speak Japanese, but the ever-useful &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.saiga-jp.com/kanji_dictionary.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Saiga-JP Kanji Dictionary&lt;/a&gt; translates the the following kanji in the phrase as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;補 &lt;em&gt;fill up / &lt;strong&gt;supplement&lt;/strong&gt; / &lt;strong&gt;compensate for&lt;/strong&gt; / assistant&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;助 &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;help&lt;/strong&gt; / &lt;strong&gt;assist&lt;/strong&gt; / aid / &lt;strong&gt;support&lt;/strong&gt; / save / rescue / relieve / be helpful / survive / &lt;strong&gt;assistance&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;補 &lt;em&gt;luck / fortune / chance / destiny / fate / lot / carry / convey / transport / &lt;strong&gt;make progress&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;動 &lt;em&gt;move / stir / shift / &lt;strong&gt;work&lt;/strong&gt; / go / &lt;strong&gt;run&lt;/strong&gt; / change / be touched / be influenced / waver / vacillate / transfer / start / &lt;strong&gt;a movement&lt;/strong&gt; / &lt;strong&gt;a motion&lt;/strong&gt; / a trend / &lt;strong&gt;an action&lt;/strong&gt; / a change&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I bolded the translations that I think sound like they apply in this particular phrase. Note that there is no mention that the exercises must be Japanese or Asian in origin, nor that they must be historically grounded. It's just the movements that help you make progress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;My &lt;em&gt;Hojo Undō&lt;/em&gt; Experience&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I did &lt;em&gt;karate&lt;/em&gt;, I tried a great number of the traditional &lt;em&gt;hojo undō&lt;/em&gt; implements: &lt;em&gt;chi-ishi, nigirigame, makiwara,&lt;/em&gt; and so on. The most productive one was the heavy bag, not any of the Okinawan tools. I didn't get much out of the traditional stuff, though a modern-style &lt;em&gt;makiwara&lt;/em&gt; was nice. I didn't notice that I got any stronger, nor did my grip strength improve. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I first trained &lt;em&gt;judo&lt;/em&gt;, I tried some supplemental conditioning exercises (mostly running variations), which helped a little. (I've always found that my conditioning was best improved by just going to class more and sparring more.) I tried the old &quot;rubber band uchikomi on a tree&quot;, but I didn't see any improvement, and I couldn't be sure I was ingraining good habits instead of bad, so it was tough to motivate myself to do them more often.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There were two things that dramatically improved my &lt;em&gt;judo&lt;/em&gt;. I noticed it, my instructors noticed it, and multiple training partners noticed it--and they didn't know anything had changed! One was &lt;strong&gt;getting up and doing &lt;em&gt;something&lt;/em&gt; first thing in the morning&lt;/strong&gt;--a quick run and stretch, a little yoga, jumping rope and doing some hip-opening exercises, it didn't matter. That made me more limber throughout the day. Any form of at least somewhat vigorous &lt;em&gt;dao yin&lt;/em&gt; would do fine here. The key is to make sure you break a sweat before breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second was &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/855/347&quot;&gt;strength&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1170/347&quot;&gt;training&lt;/a&gt;. Not making and trying traditional Okinawan strength equipment, though that was fun, but rather &lt;strong&gt;modern, scientific strength training&lt;/strong&gt;. Specifically, barbells. Kettlebells and dumbbells get novices plenty strong too, but barbells are tough to beat for developing raw strength, durability, and power. For the upper body, pull-ups, chin-ups and dips are also tremendously productive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;All Techniques Demand Some Minimum of Strength&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me be specific:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;achieving a barbell squat above my own bodyweight allowed me to practice lifting throws like &lt;em&gt;seoinage&lt;/em&gt;, whereas before it was an exercise in futility&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;achieving a deadlift double my bodyweight stopped the constant backaches and back injuries that I got from being wrenched during throws and twisted into a pretzel in matwork. It also allowed me, quite literally, to start turning people over (and resist being turned over myself) using a number of techniques that simply failed before. My technique was good, but all techniques demand some minimum of strength.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;being able to do eight to fifteen pull-ups instead of one to five meant that I stopped getting brutally exhausted during uchikomi and other workaday activities. When I was weak, each rep was a significant effort. With some moderate strength I get winded from uchikomi, but not spent.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;lifting in general forced me to notice and address a number of joint and mobility issues that I was able to just work around in my judo. I could always just modify my &lt;em&gt;jujigatame&lt;/em&gt; to avoid my stiff hip, but everything comes out in the wash when you need to squat.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;lifting in general--and particularly overhead pressing--helped me notice my body more, because I had to have precise control over which muscles were firing when. Taking on almost any new sport can do this, but it's worth noting.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I tend to wax poetic about barbells fairly frequently and vigorously, but I only do so because it was such a dramatic improvement in my judo, my health, and my life. Before barbells: body weak, mobility declining, judo stagnating. My body was too accustomed to judo, so I was losing physicality instead of gaining it. After barbells: at least moderately strong, mobility improving, judo progressing, healthier and happier. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend that everyone, and particularly every martial artist, lifts heavy at least once a week. Squat, deadlift, chin, clean, and press. (There is, of course, some leeway. Snatches, handstand push-ups, squats, and pull-ups would work too.) Start light, but heavy compound exercises, particularly with a barbell, are enormously productive supplemental exercises. One doesn't have to be strong, but one shouldn't be weak.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;What &lt;em&gt;Hojo Undō&lt;/em&gt; Should Not Be&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this point it should be clear that I reject the definition of &lt;em&gt;hojo undō&lt;/em&gt; as those exercises used by Okinawans or Japanese martial artists before 1950, or similar definitions. It is totally arbitrary and notably counterproductive to our health and our practice to limit our supplementary exercises to the pre-modern. We know as modern physical culturists that sprinting makes you fast, lifting make you strong, and the Olympic lifts are the most powerful human movement ever known. These facts are not changed by a preference for Asian-derived movements, full stop.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyone not convinced that barbells or strength training are not necessary or useful for martial arts, or that traditional methods are better for martial artists, should read Ishikawa &amp;amp; Draeger's &lt;a href=&quot;http://davetrains.tumblr.com/post/13223950681/ishikawa-draeger-judo-training-methods&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Judo Training Methods&lt;/a&gt;. This book was instrumental in convincing the ever-traditional Japanese judo community to adopt barbell training as a staple.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, of course bodyweight movements and traditional exercises have their place. But we should not delude ourselves into believing that they do things that they do not do, or that they are more effective than they are, or that they are superior to modern methods or barbell work just because one is not familiar with modern methods or barbells.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-12-21T15:44:49.853" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1661" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1662" CreationDate="2012-12-22T10:21:58.410" Score="3" ViewCount="297" Body="&lt;p&gt;Due to intensive training in the past few weeks, I injured my knee with the jumpers knee condition. For the first few weeks I have to rest and do nothing but after that I would like to start training again (which includes kicking and grappling). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What kind of knee band/brace should I opt for so I have optimal protection without much limitation?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="422" LastActivityDate="2012-12-23T21:12:49.270" Title="What type of brace should I use for the jumpers knee injury (patellar tendinopathy)?" Tags="|injury|grappling|kickboxing|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1662" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1661" CreationDate="2012-12-23T21:12:49.270" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;After consulting the physiotherapist, I went for the PSB Patella knee strap and it feels like the right choice. It keeps my kneecap (patella) in place and it makes sure I will not get full tension on my without feeling restrictive at all and it wasn't that expensive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="422" LastActivityDate="2012-12-23T21:12:49.270" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1663" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2012-12-24T00:04:26.583" Score="7" ViewCount="701" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of different options out there in guns to use in martial arts training, including wood, plastic, rubber, and with various degrees of realism.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know from working with knives that the differences in material and behavior makes a huge difference in training.   A rubber knife simply doesn't behave the same as a wooden tanto, which is a different weapon in behavior from a metal &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=9&quot;&gt;training knife&lt;/a&gt;.  Not just in terms of effectiveness or realism, but in terms of what you are actually teaching. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given the rather dizzying array of options when it comes to training guns, what are the advantages/disadvantages of different styles of weapon (and different styles of mock) and different materials for use in drills?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2012-12-24T08:09:38.840" LastActivityDate="2013-01-15T15:48:53.393" Title="What to look for in a training/mock gun?" Tags="|training|weapons|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1664" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1665" CreationDate="2012-12-24T03:30:00.593" Score="6" ViewCount="6994" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I'm doing a riding horse stance, I am trying to go for a low stance where my thighs are approaching a 90-degree angle with my lower legs. However, in doing so I begin to lose balance and tip my upper body forward. Doing it the other way would result in falling down on my rear end.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have the leg strength to hold the stance, but I am trying remove my habit of tipping forward  and sticking my butt out when I go lower in the stance. What process can I follow that will help me overcome this difficulty and achieve a lower stance?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user15" LastActivityDate="2022-07-08T14:52:19.373" Title="How can I keep my back straight in my horse stance?" Tags="|kung-fu|stance|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1665" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1664" CreationDate="2012-12-24T04:17:39.223" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;Depending on your chosen style, going for a 90 degrees angle right from the start may not be the proper position for the horse stance. In shorinji-ryu karatedo, for instance, we usually go for about 45 degrees with the knees about shoulder width. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although we eventually end up going lower as a training exercise to build leg strength, we don't advocate doing so for lower level students. In fact, most of the beginners in the dojo try to copy the lower stance of the higher belts and end up bending forward themselves. When we notice this, we set them on a slightly higher stance, closer to 45 degrees, and their back goes a lot straighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm no physician, but I assume this is due to better postural muscles in the lower back. Notice how your weight is distributed when you get in horse stance. Normally, your center of mass should be a little behind the imaginary line connecting your feet, as you seem to have noticed yourself. The horse stance is not naturally comfortable and, if you go too low too fast, you will bend as a way to maintain balance, especially since your own center of mass is pulling you to the back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you try to ease into the lower stance over time by starting a bit higher, in a stance that, while not as strong, is definitely more natural to your body, you will develop better postural muscles that will allow you to keep your balance more easily. These postural muscles, probably as much, if not more, as those in your legs, are what will eventually give you the feeling of being rooted into the ground (figuratively speaking, of course). This is when you know your stance is strong and you become very difficult to move around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Start with the lowest you can go that allows you to maintain balance with your back straight. Train like this for a few classes, then try to go a bit lower. As soon as you can do so without losing balance and still maintaining proper posture, bend a bit more. Don't try to rush it, as you might develop bad training habits that will make your stance weaker in the long run even though it looks good at first glance. Keep training for a bit and, after a few weeks or months, depending on your training schedule, you should see vast improvements in your stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I developped a really strong horse stance by cooking. I kid you not! I have a small kitchen, so when I cook, I don't move around much. So instead of just standing there cutting vegetables and stuff, I used to drop into a horse stance for as long as I could hold it. I eventually got to the point where I could handle being low enough that it wasn't very practical anymore, as I got lower and the kitchen countertop didn't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;tl;dr&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's normal to bend forward if you go too low too fast as your postural muscles aren't accustomed to this stance. Start a bit higher and gradually lower into the proper stance over a few weeks/months. You'll build the proper muscles over time and your stance will become stronger and lower. Tip: practice the horse stance everytime you'd just be standing up for another task.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2012-12-24T04:17:39.223" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1666" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1664" CreationDate="2012-12-24T07:11:24.600" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a few things you might try.  I will mention up front that this is from a Hapkido perspective, and if you have a variation of the stance that isn't quite the same this won't perfectly fit.   The wushu horse stances I've seen are similar to ours, except that you tend to go much deeper than we usually emphasize. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's look at the basic elements of a horse stance :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Knees out&lt;/strong&gt;.  We like to say (in Hapkido) that you are &quot;riding a Clydesdale&quot;: A common cause of the &quot;tilting forward&quot; problem is focusing on pushing the knees &lt;em&gt;forward&lt;/em&gt; instead of &lt;em&gt;out&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Back Straight&lt;/strong&gt;.  Your back should go straight up and down.   This is the part that we are working on through correcting the other elements, but it is fundamental to a good horse stance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chin up&lt;/strong&gt;.  It is very tempting, especially early on with the horse stance, to check the position of your feet visually.  This causes your head to tilt forward, which naturally causes your back to tilt.  One of the easiest things you can do to help keep your back straight is to straighten your &lt;em&gt;neck&lt;/em&gt; and pick a point on the wall.   Keep your chin (and thus your eyes) up. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Feet parallel&lt;/strong&gt;.  The reason for this will be obvious in a moment, but essentially if your feet splay out to the side it can get harder to maintain balance.  Your style may have variations on this, however, in which case I'd go with your style's guidelines. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Something else that you can check that may help keep you from tilting is to &lt;em&gt;push down with your heels&lt;/em&gt;.  This is part of where Dave Liepmann's advice about squatting comes in (in addition to the improvements in the muscles involves), since it emphasizes keeping your heels down, but fundamentally one common cause I've seen of this sort of problem is that people tend to ride up on the balls of their feet.  Remembering to push down with the heels can help refocus and help you keep balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, as for specific things that may help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Start shallower&lt;/strong&gt;. Follow Dungarth's advice: Build up your leg strength by starting on the easier variation, with your legs at a ~45º, rather than a ~90º, angle with the body.  We don't expect the same deep stances from a 9 kup that we expect from a 2 dan, but if the 9 kup attempts to emulate the 2 dan they are more likely to fall over.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stay deep for less time&lt;/strong&gt;.  Give your muscles some time to rest.  When you are in a deeper stance, hold it for as long as you can, and then come back up and give your muscles a chance to relax before trying it again.  Similar to doing squats. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Practice, Practice, Practice&lt;/strong&gt;.  If you watch TV, then during commercial breaks practice your horse stance.  If you do something that involves sitting for long times (e.g., desk jobs, homework), then when you take a break practice your horse stance.  As Dungarth indicates, you can do this when cooking.  Even a shallower horse stance will help you if you can hold it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also take a more reductionist approach and try coming at it from a different angle:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Work on the muscles involved with &lt;strong&gt;strength training&lt;/strong&gt;.  For this, squats and bridges are big (bodyweight will frequently work fine).  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Work on the &lt;strong&gt;body awareness&lt;/strong&gt;, your sense of balance, and your flexibility.  Regular stretching, yoga, or anything else along these lines should help here. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically what you are doing is getting your body more used to the elements, either through practicing versions of the technique you can do (in terms of time and/or depth) and through lots of practice to build muscle memory, and/or through specifically training those muscles to better hold your weight and to be better attuned to being in whatever position you put them in. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd generally recommend a combination of the above.  Practice, practice, practice with shallower stances for longer and/or by going deep for less time outside of the classroom.   When doing it try and get the elements perfect for whatever height you are at, with your knees out, your back straight, your chin up, your feet parallel, and with a 50/50 weight distribution.  If you have trouble keeping the elements right at a given depth, make it a little shallower until you get it right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then I'd also throw in some balance and strength training, so that you are better aware of where your body is in space and thus can recover earlier, and so that the muscles themselves are better prepared to hold your weight in odd positions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2012-12-24T07:11:24.600" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1667" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1663" CreationDate="2012-12-24T20:36:47.040" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Realism is key- you will really want a mock gun to weigh the same as a real one, otherwise it will not move as you expect, especially if you are in a country like the UK, where guns are unfamiliar to most. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are also going to use slightly different techniques to disarm someone with a pistol or a semi-automatic so if you want to learn those techniques, get a range of guns. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="57" LastActivityDate="2012-12-24T20:36:47.040" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1668" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="160" CreationDate="2012-12-26T14:38:06.803" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Excellent answers by @swift and @tacome; I believe they are correct, particularly with respect to affability; this person will be motivating you, it is vital that you respect and like this person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd add: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Flexibility.  My teacher has split with one other teacher because&#xA;that teacher insists that every technique must be done exactly the&#xA;same way.  There is simply no way that I (six + feet, 300 pounds,&#xA;weak knees) am going to take exactly the same number of steps to&#xA;unbalance someone as my daughter (5'2&quot;, 100 pounds, astonishingly&#xA;flexible).  The core technique remains the same, but each person is&#xA;bringing a different physique to the party. I'd be cautious of any&#xA;teacher who refused to permit any variation. Special variation -&#xA;which has been cited many times on MA:SE - medical flexibility.  If&#xA;the teacher can't flex to accomodate&#xA;injury/weakness/medical/whatever, then find someone who will. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Respect. My teacher split with another teacher because she asserts&lt;br&gt;&#xA;that she has mastered everything that Japan has to offer. There is no&#xA;reason for her to train in Japan because she is that good. But I'd be&#xA;very suspicious of any teacher who can't tell you what they're&lt;br&gt;&#xA;learning and who they're learning from.  They get partial credit if&lt;br&gt;&#xA;they admit they're learning from their students, but everybody has to&#xA;look up to someone.  If the teacher trash talks other styles, I'd&#xA;have trouble learning from them. (be rational; my teacher has&#xA;expressed reservations about the efficacy of certain techniques in a&#xA;fight situation. That's different from trash talking.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-12-26T14:38:06.803" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1669" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1653" CreationDate="2012-12-26T23:37:45.917" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As Seido Karate System is close to kyokushin system you could search the internet for the kyokushin katas and ask your instructor for the differencies between them. Also you could contact &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.seido.com&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.seido.com&lt;/a&gt; for more info.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="871" LastActivityDate="2012-12-26T23:37:45.917" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1670" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1615" CreationDate="2012-12-26T23:53:58.690" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would propose to talk mainly with the sensei and find out what type of person he is. Does he inspire you? Is he a good instructor? Does his dojo belongs to a verified federation? In my opinion if he is a good instructor he wouldnt try to impress you. He would tell you to give it a try. Also you could talk with other people from the dojo if they are satisfied with their training and their teacher. For me talk with balck belt practitioners (20+ years old) cause they know him better. You cannot judge his proficiency cause you dont know much about karate, you can start and if doesnt match your expectations find another. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="871" LastActivityDate="2012-12-26T23:53:58.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1671" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1580" CreationDate="2012-12-27T00:02:51.870" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are going for a tournament you should follow a program to everything, your training, your diet, your rest everything. So you should follow a program to lose weight and stay fit with endurance. There is no magical way to do this. Have a schedule and just follow it. Close to your tournament days you should rest, make a plan of your gameplay and watch your diet. Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="871" LastActivityDate="2012-12-27T00:02:51.870" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1672" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1562" CreationDate="2012-12-27T00:12:41.840" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all you should watch out not to get sick again. For me use your 50% of your strenght when going back to train. Your have drained a lot of strength during recovery. Keep a medium pace for your training for a week or two and then gradually increase your training pace. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="871" LastActivityDate="2012-12-27T00:12:41.840" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1673" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1674" CreationDate="2012-12-27T10:48:35.713" Score="10" ViewCount="15268" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;How to get rid of fear of fighting&quot;. When i get hit i am scared to get beaten more. I am worried about my nose getting break which costs me to lose. But i love the sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="873" LastEditorUserId="873" LastEditDate="2012-12-28T05:28:20.823" LastActivityDate="2013-06-05T20:59:17.413" Title="How to get rid of fear of fighting" Tags="|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1674" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1673" CreationDate="2012-12-28T01:02:49.253" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;To be honest this is a tough question to answer because there is no one right answer or technique for this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is healthy to be scared in a match. If you are not scared then you are either highly experienced or somewhat mental.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the only way to overcome this (without some hypnotic reprogramming) is experience - which means getting hit. Overcoming pain and fear requires training, it requires that you face the fear and receive the pain &lt;em&gt;and realize that you are still fine and you can carry on&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A smack on the nose can hurt and make you eyes water, ideally you should avoid it (keep your guard up, no be there Daniel-san). It might even break your nose, but after you've had a few of those you learn that it isn't so bad and you can continue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you fight you ideally want to be &quot;in the zone&quot;, which is a state where you are not consciously thinking about what you are doing and what is happening around you. When in this state you will still feel the hits but won't consciously register the pain from it (this is kind of important especially when your thighs will be getting smashed during the match!) - the only way to achieve this is with ring experience and training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2012-12-28T01:02:49.253" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1676" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1685" CreationDate="2012-12-28T05:53:31.013" Score="9" ViewCount="676" Body="&lt;p&gt;If i start my career with one martial art and become mature in that, will that particular martial art become my expertise and will other martial arts always be secondary like a native language and second language?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="873" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-09-29T11:59:45.733" LastActivityDate="2017-03-26T13:37:16.530" Title="Is it possible to become expert in different martial arts" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|cross-training|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1677" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1678" CreationDate="2012-12-28T12:38:18.613" Score="5" ViewCount="564" Body="&lt;p&gt;I hear instructors using awase tsuki or morote chudan in reference to a simultaneous strike to the stomach and face. I want to know if both phrases refer to the same strike pattern and if not which phrase is the correct one to use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="841" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-02-07T11:45:27.560" LastActivityDate="2013-02-07T11:45:27.560" Title="Does Morote Chudan and Awase Tsuki refer to the same thing?" Tags="|teaching|punching|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1678" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1677" CreationDate="2012-12-28T13:28:22.443" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would advise you to search the web for a glossary for your art - whichever it is. I've found a number of aikido glossaries, and I refer to them frequently. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My Japanese is rudimentary at best; others with better skill will correct me. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Awase  means    &quot;blend&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tsuki means     &quot;thrust&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Chudan means    &quot;middle&quot; - (Jodan is high, gedan is low)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Morote means    &quot;both arms&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've never heard of Chunad or Awazi, so I've supplied the closest sounding term from my experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Awase is a subtle word; I'm working on my awase in the koryu dai san tachidori, but I'm also working on the jo awase exercises.  Sometimes I think I won't fully understand the word until I'm more advanced in the exercises.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tsuki is thrust, and we use it when we strike with sword or jo. I believe I've occasionally heard it used to refer to a strike, but we more often use the word &quot;atemi&quot;, (or &quot;Uchi&quot;). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Japanese is like most languages - there are multiple ways to convey any concept, and more than one of them can be correct. Sometimes it depends on the specific nuance the teacher is trying to convey, sometimes it depends on where they originally learned the technique. Sometimes it depends on the kata in which the technique takes place.  Sometimes it is simply where the teacher's mind is at that moment.   There is no formal grammar of movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I'd assume that whoever is teaching me is using the term correctly.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-12-28T13:28:22.443" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1679" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1686" CreationDate="2012-12-28T16:32:59.633" Score="14" ViewCount="1204" Body="&lt;p&gt;A few years ago, my Taekwondo organization (ITF-based if that makes a difference for purposes of this question) made the shift from point-break sparring (sparring stops after one side scores, resets to start and begins again) to continuous sparring (sparring for a set time period with no breaks beyond those necessary for handling fouls or injuries) at competitions.  While I was not with the organization during the transition, many of the older members like to debate the merits of point-break sparring.  This led me to wonder, what are the primary changes one has to make in terms of approach and style when shifting from point-break to continuous sparring?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastEditorUserId="338" LastEditDate="2013-01-16T02:54:08.633" LastActivityDate="2013-12-16T15:43:41.340" Title="What are the key changes when moving from TKD-based point-break to continuous sparring?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1680" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1676" CreationDate="2012-12-29T16:43:16.317" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;IMHO, it's not only possible, it's advisable. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is the reason:&#xA;martial arts (in general) are divided into &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_and_soft_%28martial_arts%29&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Hard and Soft&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A &lt;strong&gt;hard technique&lt;/strong&gt; meets force with force; either with a head-on-force blocking technique, or by diagonally cutting the strike with (one's) force. It is an example of the defender using the attacker's force and momentum against him or her. Although hard techniques require greater strength for successful execution, it is the mechanics of the technique that accomplish the defense. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The goal of the &lt;strong&gt;soft&lt;/strong&gt; technique is turning the attacker’s force to his or her disadvantage, with the defender exerting minimal force. With a soft technique, the defender uses the attacker's force and momentum against him or her&#xA;Here are some examples:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hard Styles:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;kickboxing&lt;/strong&gt;: low kick aimed to break the attacker's leg.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shotokan&lt;/strong&gt; Karate:  block aimed to break or halt the attacker's arm.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Soft styles:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Aikido, Judo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;the biggest asset in hard style is force and conditioning&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;the biggest asset in soft style is technique&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would add one more gradation: &lt;strong&gt;semi-hard styles&lt;/strong&gt; (Wing Chun); the biggest asset there is speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now the fun begins: as far as I know, &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;soft style beats hard one&lt;/strong&gt; (if I want to stop a hard punch from Shotokan, the best thing to use would be a move from soft style like Aikido, &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;in order to defeat a soft style I will have to use semi-hard one (so far I was unable to find Aikido practitioner who would be able to do anything against a simple &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpNsY0IvjxE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;chain punch&lt;/a&gt;;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hard beats semi-hard (good Shotokan punch will break through that chain punch)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;all that looks pretty much like &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock-paper-scissors&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Rock-paper-scissors game&lt;/a&gt;!&#xA;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, in order to be successful, you should have in your toolbox at least 2 instruments out of 3 - having those you will be able to switch between them and properly adjust to the style of your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Disclaimer: I am aware that a single style may contain all 3 elements (hard/soft/semihard), so you are able to fill your toolbox without going outside of the style; however, I believe that style, specializing in one of these areas, still might give you more&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="759" LastEditorUserId="759" LastEditDate="2012-12-29T21:03:33.677" LastActivityDate="2012-12-29T21:03:33.677" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1681" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1673" CreationDate="2012-12-29T16:51:59.257" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;try some like-sparring drills (like sticky hands from Wing Chun) - those drills will give you lots of confidence without much of a danger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;update:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/results?num=100&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;newwindow=1&amp;amp;safe=off&amp;amp;q=sticky%20hands%20drill&amp;amp;um=1&amp;amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;amp;sa=N&amp;amp;tab=w1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;sticky hands drill&lt;/a&gt; presumes a very short distance of &quot;fighting&quot; (the distance is one thing lots of people and uncomfortable about)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) the drill can be done as hard (aggressive) or soft as needed&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) since the contact is kept all the time, the danger is much less than during &quot;conventional&quot; sparring; I can't post an essay about Wing Chun and it's philosophy, so you would have to believe me or do some research on your own (or just ignore my post alltogether)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="759" LastEditorUserId="759" LastEditDate="2012-12-31T02:05:41.497" LastActivityDate="2012-12-31T02:05:41.497" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1682" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1677" CreationDate="2012-12-29T18:50:49.550" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Seido Karate these are two different techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Morote Zuki&lt;/strong&gt; is a double punch to the same level (Jodan/Chudan/Gedan). &lt;a href=&quot;http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheiro%3aJud-morote-zuki.gif&quot;&gt;see image here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Awase Zuki&lt;/strong&gt; is a combined middle + face punch &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.americasfinestshotokan.com/images/AwaseZuki.jpg&quot;&gt;see image here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="876" LastActivityDate="2012-12-29T18:50:49.550" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1684" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1734" CreationDate="2012-12-30T04:09:32.590" Score="6" ViewCount="298" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the things that gets talked about a lot in martial arts (and software methodologies, for that matter) is that of &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuhari&quot;&gt;Shu-Ha-Ri&lt;/a&gt;.  We seem to follow a similar pattern in my hapkido class, but I have not been able to find any equivalent Korean term for either Shu-Ha-Ri or a similar concept that may have nuanced differences from shu-ha-ri.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the question is: do the Korean martial arts (either modern or historical) have an similar concept and, if so, does it have any variance in interpretation from the way the Japanese arts generally seem to use it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2013-01-26T04:46:45.050" Title="Korean Equivalent of Shu-Ha-Ri?" Tags="|terminology|shu-ha-ri|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1685" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1676" CreationDate="2012-12-30T04:31:03.573" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Wide or deep&quot;? is a classical question in a lot of different domains, and I think the answer depends largely on what your goals are and how you define &quot;expert.&quot;  You will generally have some set of base techniques–usually but not always from a single style–that you will learn to instinctively fall back on under times of stress, but this doesn't preclude becoming an &quot;expert&quot; in a wide variety of other techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So first ask yourself, &quot;what is my goal&quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is your goal…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To win fights in a ring? In what style(s)?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To win fights on the street?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To win fights in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/330/what-do-i-need-to-keep-in-mind-when-picking-a-martial-art-as-a-bouncer&quot;&gt;bars&lt;/a&gt;?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To get out with your skin intact from &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/159/which-martial-arts-focus-on-self-defense&quot;&gt;self-defense engagements&lt;/a&gt;?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To get &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_eTg6gMTE0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;mastery over moving your body&lt;/a&gt;?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To meditate through forms, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDfcu9BP5fI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;perfecting your movements and being completely present&lt;/a&gt;?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mastery of a single martial art for the sake of mastering that martial art?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;etc., etc., etc.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The short answer to your question is that it is absolutely possible to become an expert (depending, again, on how expert is defined) in more than one martial art, but your time is not infinite.   So if you have 5 hours a week to spend on martial arts, which will be a more efficient way to reach your goals, to spend 5 hours in one martial art, or 1 hour in five?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you've been practicing one art for five years and decide to add another one, if you still have 5 hours a week, do you allocate 3 hours a week to the new art and 2 to your old one? How will that impact your training? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unless your goal specifically requires cross-training–and sometimes even then–I generally would recommend reaching some stable state in one martial art (whether that is an &quot;expert&quot; is up for debate), and then deciding if you want to add another one, why, and how much time you are willing to devote to the matter. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2012-12-30T04:31:03.573" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1686" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1679" CreationDate="2012-12-30T04:36:57.817" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;The primary change is that daredevil / suicide moves now lose all interest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jumping up and hitting the top of the head&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Spinning kicks, in particular the spinning hook/reverse/something kick to the head&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;super-lunge-punch&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All these moves, and more, are now begging for punishment much more than before, when a judge might decide to call a point and stop the encounter before retaliation happens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This having been said, if you are doing continuous sparring without any kind of focused contact, then you might be inviting the windmill strikes: a lot of small strikes that don't really open you up, but also don't really commit to anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the major differences is stamina and cardio. Now you have to keep moving for the entire bout, and preferably keep the opponent unbalanced in some way (mental or physical or both). Better breath control is definitely required. In addition, you now also have to keep your hands up for the entire bout. That'll work your shoulders.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And finally (this is not an exhaustive list, but what I consider to be the main points from which everything else derives), point-sparring tends to easily remain on a straight line, like fencing. Continuous sparring forces you to shift around the opponent, otherwise you can easily get overwhelmed on a straight line only.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2012-12-30T04:36:57.817" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1688" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1673" CreationDate="2012-12-30T19:01:15.527" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I just started learning martial arts (Seido) I was in the same position that you refer to. The solution for me was sparring with black belts or a kyu at least two ranks above mine. They will have the experience to be able to control their strikes so you don't get hurt too much. An added bonus is if you make a mistake while sparring you will know immediately. Also keep practicing the basics eventually you will see their applications in sparring, osu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="841" LastActivityDate="2012-12-30T19:01:15.527" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1689" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1697" CreationDate="2012-12-31T04:46:57.380" Score="12" ViewCount="307" Body="&lt;p&gt;Regardless of the two-person drill, sometimes you have a partner who's certain he understands the drill, particularly when he's been doing it a while. Unfortunately, that's ... Not always true.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my eyes, the absolute best things to do are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ask the teacher for clarification on the drill&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Talk to the student about how the drill works&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice more until you understand the drill better as well&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes, the teacher or the student aren't readily available, and the pace of the class doesn't always allow for questions. While these are issues that probably require addressing in their own right, I don't want to focus on these here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note - here we're talking about classes where there is minimal talking happening, and the juniors do not talk back to the seniors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So - what is the best way to handle a partner who misunderstands the drill?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-12-31T22:30:28.423" LastActivityDate="2013-02-12T15:58:30.133" Title="What is the best way to work with a partner who misunderstands the drill?" Tags="|drills|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1690" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1693" CreationDate="2012-12-31T08:57:42.787" Score="20" ViewCount="38830" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have a place for a punching bag in my home. I wrap my hand in a cloth or a bandage and practice my kick boxing punches on the wall, along with knuckle push ups. My master told it isn't good for bones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="873" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-10-28T06:54:53.150" LastActivityDate="2016-02-15T10:35:12.033" Title="Is it good to practise punching a wall? No place for punching bag" Tags="|kickboxing|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1691" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1690" CreationDate="2012-12-31T12:49:29.303" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's not good for your body. It's also not good in general for your mental development. Walls and people don't move the same way. People yield* when they get hit. Walls do not. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Attach heavy pillows to the wall with velcro or glue or nails or something. Then punch those instead. It's a start, until you find something better to punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;YIELDING - the mechanics and distance of punch are different on a target that yields. Punch a bag/body and the energy goes into the target, punch a wall and the energy stays in your fist. (taken entirely from a comment by user 'craig').&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2012-12-31T22:29:28.047" LastActivityDate="2012-12-31T22:29:28.047" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1692" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1690" CreationDate="2012-12-31T12:49:37.423" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is not good to practice on walls especially if you are just starting out, this could hurt your wrist. Knuckle push ups are not bad since there is no kinetic energy transfer between you and the floor. There are pads that you can purchase which can be attached to the wall, and provide some level of cushioning for your punches outside of the cloth or bandage that you currently use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/J0guz.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;from: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.chinatown-shop.com/en/Wall-Punch-Pad-p-106.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;wall punching pads&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="841" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2013-01-09T03:40:29.050" LastActivityDate="2013-01-09T03:40:29.050" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1693" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1690" CreationDate="2012-12-31T14:37:37.687" Score="18" Body="&lt;p&gt;I concur with the previous answers - punching an immoveable surface is bad &lt;em&gt;unless your knuckles and wrists are already conditioned&lt;/em&gt;. For example I frequently do single-knuckle strikes on doorway framings - while I do it considerably harder than the normal person I still don't do it with anything near the power I would use on a soft target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would strongly suggest you find a martial arts shop (even if it is online, or even eBay) and purchase yourself a sprung makiwara that can be mounted on a wall, like this one:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/A8ByW.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be aware that while these are good for conditioning (I used one for a number of years), they are reasonably noisy so may bother the neighbours if you live in an apartment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2013-01-09T03:42:34.180" LastActivityDate="2013-01-09T03:42:34.180" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1694" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1676" CreationDate="2012-12-31T15:46:00.300" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Samurai were advised to master seven different martial arts. I don't expect to master even one in my lifetime. I've been studying Aikdio for 20 years or so now and Tai Chi for one.  I've also studied Shindo muso ryo jodo and mugairyu (both for far too short a time).  I'd like to study Bagua.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure that I'm comfortable with the assumptions underpinning the question.  I'm not comfortable with the notion that &quot;mastery&quot; is objectively observable. (We could discuss the criteria for Shihan, but that would be a discussion outside the scope of SE).  I'm not comfortable with the analogy with language - there are plenty of people who are fully conversant in their second language, or their third or their ninth.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Below it all I'm uncomfortable with the goal of &quot;mastery&quot;. If you study martial arts to be a master, then go to a black belt factory and lay down the money.  If you study martial arts to learn, then learn from each teacher as far as they can take you.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2012-12-31T15:46:00.300" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1695" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1673" CreationDate="2012-12-31T16:31:49.313" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can offer some advice from my experience working with Tony Blauer. In Tony's system we do some drills called Emotional Climate Training (ECT) where the purpose is to think about how an attack or situation makes you &quot;feel&quot; on an emotional level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How it works, starting with an attack such as haymaker is you stand there while an opponent tosses the haymaker at you in slow motion. What you do is a couple of things. First watch the attack, mental blueprint what a haymaker or whatever attack/situation looks and sounds like. Takes a good bad guy to do this part. Next think about how the attack makes you feel emotionally. Keep doing this attack over and over. Remember you are not making any defense movements, just analyze and think about the attack. This part of the drill can go on for a while. You stop when you start feeling &quot;comfortable&quot; with the attack on an emotional level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From here we would usually progress to describing the attack. Same as above except now you are verbally describing what you see and hear from the attacker. Again, repeat this drill, maybe 10-20 times or till you feel comfortable with describing the aspects of the attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The next part of the drills just keep building upon this same thing. Next would be describing the safe/unsafe parts of the attack (unsafe is when the attacker is making contact, safe is all other times) and then working on defensive responses. Doing this in class can take a couple of hours but it does work in helping with fear management and analyzing attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastActivityDate="2012-12-31T16:31:49.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1696" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1690" CreationDate="2012-12-31T17:25:34.170" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In general, one &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; do that, but as always, it depends. Also, with something as immobile as a wall, one needs to act with even more control, care, and moderation than usual.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also greatly depends on what martial art you perform and what your training goal is. For replacing a punching bag in kickboxing, I'm inclined to say &quot;no, don't do it&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Wing Tsun, the &quot;normal&quot; punching bag is a 6-7cm thick jute sack filled with dried peas (or something similar) fixed on a wall. I've been training on this for years without adverse effects, and I know dozens of people who have done likewise.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;The &quot;wall bag&quot; works perfectly well for making the typical constant flurry of punches faster, and harder, and at the same time training your wrists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, you have to account for the fact that the way you punch in WT is totally different from the way you do in kickboxing. I would doubt that a &quot;wall bag&quot; works comparatively well (and comparatively safely) here.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;You're applying an order of magnitude more force into each punch, and that same force acts, according to Newton's 3rd law, on any involved joints (including your spine). A &quot;normal&quot; punching bag that swings back takes away some of this abuse, the wall does not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="559" LastActivityDate="2012-12-31T17:25:34.170" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1697" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1689" CreationDate="2013-01-01T00:23:31.527" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;if teacher or the student aren't available and the pace of the class doesn't allow for questions (and your partner doesn't want to listen to you) -&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;just do the drill the best you can (if there are no safety concerns); consider this to be one more challenge; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;later (after the class) ask sensei what to do if this happens again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="759" LastEditorUserId="759" LastEditDate="2013-01-01T01:24:53.763" LastActivityDate="2013-01-01T01:24:53.763" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1698" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1690" CreationDate="2013-01-01T01:31:52.363" Score="11" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;My master told its not good for bones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;and he is right. Practicing &quot;non-sport&quot; karate (bushido dzen) I am following a simple rule: &lt;strong&gt;hit soft with hard&lt;/strong&gt; (like a punch to stomach or strike to throat) and &lt;strong&gt;hard with soft&lt;/strong&gt; (palm-strike to the head can cause lots of damage if done right). Of course, if/when you wear gloves, everything will be different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="759" LastActivityDate="2013-01-01T01:31:52.363" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1699" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1689" CreationDate="2013-01-02T16:19:30.810" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the context you've given I would do the following, based on my rank and experience relative to my partner. I'm setting aside safety issues and presuming nothing I'm suggesting here leads to danger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the other person clearly outranks me, (or has much more experience if ranking isn't a big thing in your art): This person is definitely my superior and I am wrong by definition. I would do the drill their way without discussion. My hope, (since I believe I am correct and my superior is wrong,) is that the teacher will see what we are doing and will correct us. Life and practice goes on wether I am vindicated or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the other person is my inferior, or we are close enough that we could discuss something as peers: I would do it their way when they are practicing (ie if I'm attacking and they're practicing a drill, then I'd do it their way when it's my turn to attack), and then I'd ask them to do it my way when I am practicing. I would NOT initiate a discussion. If they open a discussion, I'd say things like, &quot;I understand your point of view. I did it your way, please do it my way for me.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the key point of my answer here is that I would try to never correct/contradict a superior. I would try to help my inferior/peer partner by doing it their way, and would ask them to help me in return by doing it my way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="579" LastActivityDate="2013-01-02T16:19:30.810" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1700" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-01-02T21:04:21.680" Score="4" ViewCount="125" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to know how kiwase uke is done in Seido Karate? I know its a type of block but I would like preferably a video example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="841" LastEditorUserId="841" LastEditDate="2013-01-03T22:33:35.873" LastActivityDate="2013-01-03T22:33:35.873" Title="How is kiwase Uke done?" Tags="|karate|sparring|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2017-09-20T15:14:23.817" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1702" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-01-05T00:11:52.570" Score="7" ViewCount="310" Body="&lt;p&gt;I need some expert´s support for doing a piece of fiction. I am working on a scene between two fighters, fighting each other about a matter of honour. They are both trained in mixed martial arts and agreed on a fight without any weapons, but before the fight starts, one of them is discovered to have brass knuckles with him, hidden somewhere under his clothes. I need the other one to ask for some kind of compensation (the brass knuckles will be taken away anyway) and was wondering if handwrappings make only sense if you´re going to wear boxing gloves in addition or if they would allow him to hit harder with less risk for the fighter and give him an advantage by that. I´ve been taking Wing Tsun lessons for a while,but I have no experience with full contact fighting without any protection gear or boxing. Can anyone assist ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="887" LastActivityDate="2013-02-07T12:30:11.597" Title="Are handwrappings used only together with boxing gloves?" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1703" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1580" CreationDate="2013-01-05T11:53:07.487" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You don't give much info about your weight or age. That would help me give you a better plan. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At 28 years old, I would cut 5lbs an hour, for a total of 2 hours to make weight for freestyle tournies. By making the ambient temp in the room as warm as possible. I would then put on a cotton layer, then plastics, then a couple of layers of sweats. I would then exercise at a high pace for 5 minutes, play computer games for 10, workout for 5 and rest for 10 for the two hours. Go to weigh in an hour early and check weight. Cut more if needed. Remember your goal is sweating to make weight not working out. This was my no muss no fuss way. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In school you have a lot of crap going on around you that can get in your way. If you are in school wrestling you will make weight around an hour before your match. To modify the cut I would eat and drink normal to 24 hours before the scales. Then no more solid food, in the morning drink a protein/energy shake and if you can handle it coffee and a lot of it till 7 or eight hours before the scales. You will need to find out what conditions allow you to cut x/pounds an hour. Start your cut at lunch, try for 20% of the cut. After school try for 50% of what is left and then finish 10–15 minutes before the ref arrives or you arrive at the other school. This will be the hard part if you are traveling. As for drinking after weigh in, I tell everyone that doesn't need to make weight again that night or the next morning,&quot; drink a mouth full untill you piss clear/white. Don't gulp or guzzle more than is strictly needed because it will just come up during your match. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last bit of advice is to know yourself. When you know that you can, map out a weight cut and it is super easy. Write down your thoughts and feelings during the cut, review them after and make changes as you see fit. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="888" LastEditorUserId="1566" LastEditDate="2013-12-26T12:50:42.210" LastActivityDate="2013-12-26T12:50:42.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1704" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1445" CreationDate="2013-01-06T21:37:59.850" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Perhaps even more than jumping higher or farther, practicing the techniques you wish to use while jumping will help the most. The sharper the technique, the less motion and momentum you will waste while in the air. Get proficient at the techniques on the ground first before trying to figure out how to move your body in the air to get the same result. If you have the technique down, the remaining part of the equation will become how to get your body into a position to perform it and recover efficiently in the air.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="891" LastActivityDate="2013-01-06T21:37:59.850" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1705" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1702" CreationDate="2013-01-07T09:08:06.280" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The hands are taped in both boxing and MMA to protect the hand/wrist. A fighter might hold back and not use his/her full striking power when not using handwrappings in order to avoid injury. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if the fight was agreed to be bareknuckle without tape, being allowed to use tape would be advantageous.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastActivityDate="2013-01-07T09:08:06.280" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1706" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7" CreationDate="2013-01-08T03:13:20.493" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am going through the exact same situation now. Today was my fourth day of training after 7 years. I was a red belt, but I had a muscle tear injury plus financial issues so I had to quit Taekwondo and work extra hours, but the most important part is you still have the spirit and love for Taekwondo you can make it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Make your research and studies through out internet to remind your self the &lt;em&gt;poomsae&lt;/em&gt; and all the kicks and blocks and any thing else that a Taekwondo player should know.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Don't be in a rush. Take your time and take it easy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Make sure to warm up and stretch and train properly to prevent injury. Start with lower intensity kicks and work your way up.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sleep on time, wake up on time, and eat proper meals. If you think you're overweight try to eat less foods high in cholesterol like meat and sweets. Try more fruit and veggies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Take one day off to let your body recover. Spend an hour or so meditating instead.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Believe in yourself. I was one of the best players in our school. The reason I was a red eblt was because I concentrated on techniques of my kicks rather than &lt;em&gt;poomsaes&lt;/em&gt;. After I quit, I started smoking and drinking had sex 3 or 4 times a day. I didn't gain any weight, and I'm still 145 lbs and 5'9&quot; in height. I quit drinking and smoking, and I will make a better schedule for my sex life (lol). I cant kick the way I used to, and I get tired very often, but it's all a matter of time. I won't quit, and I will become much better even than I was before. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope you do the same. Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="894" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2013-01-08T04:54:18.677" LastActivityDate="2013-01-08T04:54:18.677" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1707" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7" CreationDate="2013-01-08T19:40:28.530" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've recently come back to a Korean punch-kick system similar to my first formal martia art after ~7 years in other punch kick systems, ~3 years of doing an akido derivative and ~3 years of not having a regular workout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not quite the same situation because I'm re-entered that world in a new school, which means that I at least get to wear my white belt (which is beginning to get as worn as a 3rd dan's black belt...sheesh!).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Talk to the instructor before beginning. Let him know your previous experience, that you're returning from a break, and about what level of fitness you have now.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't be afraid to take breathing breaks when needed until you regain your wind. But do persist while you are only a little winded: as long as you can do the technique correctly the stress will facilitate learning.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Even with the techniques you used to be best at, start slowly. You want to protect both yourself and your classmates.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Basics, basics, basics! Your gross muscle memory will return much faster than learning it the first time, but you will need to pay attention to the details which may have gotten lost and need to be re-instilled from the beginning.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Have fun.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="210" LastActivityDate="2013-01-08T19:40:28.530" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1708" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="953" CreationDate="2013-01-08T20:00:44.853" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It all depends on several aspects.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are you practicing a martial aspect of the taijiquan&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Does your teacher/school teach the martial aspect of the taijiquan&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How much do you practice and what is the main focus of your practice&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Who you practice with&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What else do you do to advance your skill&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is necessarily not a full list, but the main things should be there. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me elaborate on these points and then I'll give you an answer. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Are you practicing a martial aspect of the taijiquan&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a legitimate question as the martial practice of taijiquan is rare. So much so that even some practicioners of taijiquan who confided themselves fairly advanced adepts of the art do not even concisder taijiquan a martial art. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Studying taijiquan as a martial art means that one must always see and practice taijiquan as martial art. Just as the Yang Chenfu once said - &lt;em&gt;you can have enormous civil benefits from practicing taijiquan but you must first understand/achieve the martial aspects of it to get the civil benefits.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without practicing the martial aspects of taijiquan you can't even start getting the martial proficiency. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Does your teacher/school teach the martial aspect of the taijiquan&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically the same as previous point, but the onus here is on the teacher. If the teacher does not teach the martial art you really can't learn to fight. What does it mean to teach a martial art is an entirely another topic. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Enough to say that a good teacher can mean a world of difference in the speed of learning. One can try and achieve the same by self-learning but a good teacher can direct your focus and increase your skill level at a dramatical pace. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How much do you practice and what is the main focus of your practice&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It does not really matter what martial art do you practice and who is you teacher, if you only practice that one Thursday night after work every two weeks. &lt;em&gt;Practice&lt;/em&gt; is the only thing that can get you from no skill to perfection - and all the points in between...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What do you practice is also important. If all you do is form and choreographed application drills, you are not going to be any better in a real fight in a year or even ten years than you were when you started. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have to practice actual uncooperative and physical fighting to hone the skills you learn from form and tuishou and basic exercises or drills. In addition to adding additional context to your drills and improving your form, it allows to &lt;em&gt;season&lt;/em&gt; your skills and overcome your fears as no other practice can. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Who you practice with&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can't get a decent martial skill just by practicing alone. You need the feedback of your classmates just as much as from your teacher. If your practice partners do not want to spar, neither can you. Simple as that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What else do you do to advance your skill&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's just agree wit this - unless you are a prodigy, born to the fate of becoming the best fighter on this side of the galaxy, you will have to work for this. No matter how bright you are if you only put in the absolute minimum required from you in the class, you are always destined to be an average. And an average in the fight is just ... adequate at the best. Even less when it comes to taijiquan. Taijiquan (even more so than other internal martial arts) seems at times counterintuitive. You have to let go of your tensions and relax into tha &lt;em&gt;now&lt;/em&gt;. It can be hard if you are only learning the basics, but it is essential if you are learning taijiquan. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;So how long should it take to gain fighting proficiency in tai chi&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are properly focusing on the martial training and if you have a good teacher also proficient in the martial aspect of taijiquan. If you have a motivated class full of eager classmates who all share your desire to learn the full taijiquan system instead only bits and pieces and are ready to be engaged in all aspects of the practice. And if you include sparring in your curriculum, I'd say it should not take more than month or two to become adequate fighter. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It does not mean you'll win every match or even most of the matches. Also what you are doing is not necessarily using all the base principles of taijiquan. It simply means you will be able to hold your own in the fight and give as well as receive. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To become a &lt;em&gt;proficient taijiquan fighter&lt;/em&gt; will definitely take more time. By &lt;em&gt;proficient taijiquan fighter&lt;/em&gt; I mean that in addition to holding your own in a fight you also understand and are able to utilize taijiquan principles and body mechanics. This will certainly take years and can be a lifelong pursuit of perfection. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastActivityDate="2013-01-08T20:00:44.853" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1709" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-01-09T05:56:55.690" Score="6" ViewCount="4473" Body="&lt;p&gt;My training in kick boxing includes getting many punches on stomach. I kind of enjoy this painful training. Apart from my master everyone told its not good for stomach. Is it going to harm some internal organs if someone really hits hard many times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="873" LastActivityDate="2013-01-09T22:21:37.017" Title="Getting Punches in stomach as practice in kick boxing" Tags="|kickboxing|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1710" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1709" CreationDate="2013-01-09T22:21:37.017" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the eternal truths about martial arts is that you're going to get hit. And another eternal truth is that sometimes you're going to get hit hard. So it's a good thing to learn to take hits. Being struck in the belly is a good way to learn to tighten the abs and discover that they are an effective shield when they are properly developed and trained.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A friend of mine used to practice boxing about thirty years ago. They did many, many sit-ups every day. He hasn't done this more than two decades. To this day, his abs are rock-hard, and punching him in the stomach is an exercise in futility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This having been said, &lt;strong&gt;if someone hits you too hard, or you mess up and somehow allow the strike to get to your organs, or if you get hit too many times and your muscles get too tired to work properly, you can really mess yourself up&lt;/strong&gt;. Your teacher should overview it all and make sure the strikes aren't too powerful, and make sure you are receiving the strikes properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So - it depends. It's a good drill. It can be dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2013-01-09T22:21:37.017" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1711" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-01-10T13:46:14.233" Score="6" ViewCount="9068" Body="&lt;p&gt;Recently, I was told by my doctor that I have a fully torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL); I've been told to stay away from karate (specifically &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.renshinkan.org/renshinkan-karate/?lang=en&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Shorinji-Ryu Karate-Do Renshinkan&lt;/a&gt;) for the time being. At the moment, I'm not a good candidate for surgery for various reasons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been contemplating where I was going with regards to Renshinkan for some time now, as it does require some fairly low stances and I'm significantly taller than the average; the doctor thinks the low stances might have been putting too much stress on my knee. I ultimately fully tore it while going to throw washi giri (round kick) during kumite after partially tearing it two years ago.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For now, the doctor is taking a very conservative treatment approach, as I have extremely good knee stability (ran a 5k on it recently), but I was wondering what my options are with regards to martial arts that don't put a lot of pressure on the knees? I have been told that kendo might be an option and I've always had an interest in it, but I'm wondering if there are other options that I should take a look at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="46" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-04-07T12:40:47.387" LastActivityDate="2017-04-07T12:40:47.387" Title="Martial arts with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)?" Tags="|training|injury|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1712" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="531" CreationDate="2013-01-10T19:29:59.527" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Morihiro Saito's &lt;i&gt;Traditional Aikido Volume One&lt;/i&gt; (ISBN: 0870402668) includes jo and bokken kata and suburi. It seems to be out of print, but you can find used copies for (as of June 2018) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?isbn=0870402668&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;around $70&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as I can tell, his newer &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikidojournal.com/shop/index.php?category=2&amp;amp;subcategory=2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Takemusu Aikido&lt;/i&gt; series&lt;/a&gt; doesn't include the basic jo and bokken techniques at all, but there are some weapon-related techniques (mostly takeaways) in volumes 5 and 6.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="790" LastEditorUserId="790" LastEditDate="2018-06-13T21:53:44.850" LastActivityDate="2018-06-13T21:53:44.850" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1713" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1711" CreationDate="2013-01-11T16:53:27.637" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Talk to your doctor/physical therapist for the details on what you should avoid, but in general:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Avoid arts that involve kicks, especially high kicks. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Avoid arts that emphasize deep stances. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Avoid tournament arts. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kicking and deeper stances are, in general, significantly harder on the knees and the surrounding tissue. Not that you can't work up to it eventually, but generally if you are having knee problems I recommend avoiding arts that have a high focus there. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tournament arts, especially hand-to-hand tournament arts, are another one I generally recommend avoiding in these situations, because there's a high temptation to push your body to get just that extra inch of reach or go just a little further on adrenaline than you would otherwise consider.  There's also a higher chance of re-injury from an opponent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is less of a problem for highly constrained weapon arts (e.g., kendo), but is a problem for a lot of freer form fighting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as specific arts, without knowing the specifics of your area or your interests, I'd talk to the instructors of a few different martial arts that you are interested in and ask:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If they anticipate a problem in terms of stances or other techniques, given your medical restrictions. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If they emphasize avoiding self-injury (or as my instructor likes to say &quot;if it hurts, don't do it!&quot;). &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If they are okay with you going slower to accommodate for your injury. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you like the answers to these and otherwise like the school/art, then you've found a good match. Otherwise, keep looking, and keep the &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5/when-moving-to-a-new-city-what-considerations-need-to-be-taken-into-account-fin&quot;&gt;standard advice for looking for a new dojang in mind&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-01-11T16:53:27.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1714" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1715" CreationDate="2013-01-12T00:28:38.037" Score="10" ViewCount="1000" Body="&lt;p&gt;For a long time we would include board breaks as part of our belt tests as a demonstration, but in recent years have been moving increasingly away from doing them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While it can make for an impressive demonstration, is there any particular value in practicing or performing board breaks or is it an artifact of the days of doing traditional bone conditioning?   If it is valuable, under what circumstances?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2015-08-05T21:31:47.160" Title="Value in Breaking Boards?" Tags="|breaking-boards|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1715" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1714" CreationDate="2013-01-12T01:28:48.150" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think there is a lot of value in it still. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It has little to do with conditioning in particular - board breaking can indicate that your striking point &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; conditioned, but it isn't used &lt;em&gt;for&lt;/em&gt; conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rather, it is a demonstration and test of focus and power. You can hit thin air and a bag all you want, but none of that demonstrates focus. Breaking a 12&quot; x 12&quot; x 1&quot; thick untreated pine board is supposed to be the equivalent of breaking a human rib, hence the demonstration of power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Selective breaks are interesting and bound to generate the most debate. I have practiced and accomplished several different types of selective break, this shows my capability at changing my focus and delivering power/energy to very specific spots.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One reason for discontinuing breaking is the price of wood and/or the difficulty of sourcing good breaking material. There are plastic rebreakable boards that you can get in various thicknesses which are a good replacement (depending on manufacturer their integrity is pretty good, i.e. they still take the same force to break on the 50th time as what they did when they were new, although you should expect some degradation over the lifetime of the plastic board).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So while I am a traditionalist, I still believe that breaking has an important role to play and shouldn't be discontinued (although it can be a good idea to re-evaluate the who/how/when of the breaking).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2013-01-12T01:28:48.150" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1716" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1711" CreationDate="2013-01-12T02:15:28.007" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;the doctor thinks the low stances might have been putting too much stress on my knee&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would tend to contradict your doctor to a certain degree - low stances do not produce adverse stress on the knee joint&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;strong&gt;unless&lt;/strong&gt; you do specific things like let the knee drift out further than your big toe or you fail to maintain a straight perpendicular back (i.e. you let you butt drift back and you tend to lean forward).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Your instructor should be skilled and experienced enough to spot common stance issues like this.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I ulimiately fully tore it while going to throw washi giri (round kick) during kumite&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would suggest that this occurred due to poor technique. If it was on your support leg then it was most likely one (or more) of these:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you failed to rotate your support foot&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you didn't bring your hips up and over  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you were over-reaching&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you left the ground and landed incorrectly &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it was on your kicking leg then you were sloppy and didn't deliver focus at the correct point (i.e. you didn't tense at the moment of impact).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ligaments can take a long time to heal properly and I would advise professional help with it (use a physiotherapist). Once it is healed you will still have a certain amount of natural inbuilt apprehension when it comes time to start using that joint full on, that can be counter productive so do be aware of it. Other than that, I would concur with David's answer regarding ongoing training, and focus more on straight kicks like mai geri as they don't stress the knee in the same way. &#xA;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; This is generally true regardless of your physical dimensions unless you are an extreme case. The only time I would change someone's practice of low stances is if they were enormously fat, had a deformed skeletal system (like a warped spine), or they had a pre-existing condition (bone degradation, arthritis, artifical joints, unhealed breakages/tears, etc). Of course a low stance is like all other techniques, it takes time and practice to perfect and you shouldn't go for the ultimate low stance immediately - as mentioned above this comes back to the experience of the instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2013-01-12T02:15:28.007" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1717" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1875" CreationDate="2013-01-12T02:43:46.847" Score="4" ViewCount="176" Body="&lt;p&gt;In George Silver's &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thearma.org/Manuals/GSilver.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Paradoxes of Defense&lt;/a&gt; he makes the following comment:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;And again, the thrust being made through the hand, arm, or leg, or in many places of the body and face, are not deadly, neither are they maims, or loss of limbs or life, neither is he much hindered for the time in his fight, as long as the blood is hot. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Blows to the leg are frequently remarked to be either life-threatening (esp. for slashes) or, essentially, trivial (esp. for thrusting). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This indicates to me that when training realistic targeting for a court sword (blades similar to an epee) the legs should probably be avoided in the entirety, but I wonder if that is necessarily true for a broader rapier blade or a thrusting weapons in general if narrowing the focus to something smaller than &quot;leg&quot;?  Are there effective targets in the leg for these, or are the actual life/limb-threatening targets sufficiently small and mobile that they should generally be eschewed as actual attacks for the thrust in favor of higher margin targets?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2013-01-13T17:58:45.220" LastActivityDate="2013-04-06T01:34:09.967" Title="Thrusting Targets in the Leg" Tags="|rapier|fencing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1718" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="578" CreationDate="2013-01-12T11:41:14.757" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;simply because high kicks cause unbalence, which is very bad in aikido, because  the tori may take adventage of it (as aikidokas are quick)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="902" LastActivityDate="2013-01-12T11:41:14.757" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1719" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="114" CreationDate="2013-01-13T15:05:56.447" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen something a bit like Chi Sao in &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskrima&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Eskrima&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doce_Pares&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Doce Pares&lt;/a&gt;) hand-to-hand training exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="904" LastActivityDate="2013-01-13T15:05:56.447" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1720" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1714" CreationDate="2013-01-13T22:34:47.110" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;We don't practise board breaking in our dojo. When asked why, our sensei will alternatively quote Bruce Lee, &quot;Boards don't punch back&quot; or if he's in a generous mood he'll say that being able to punch through ice may demonstrate great focus and power and courage, but it isn't helpful to be proud of hitting stationary objects hard. Any meaningful expression of martial power has to be applied against another person. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally though I think courage is courage. If it takes courage to  drive your first through wood or ice, that courage will also be of use when someone tries to attack you, or you find yourself facing a bigger opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="905" LastActivityDate="2013-01-13T22:34:47.110" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1721" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="160" CreationDate="2013-01-13T22:59:11.883" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Generosity. Good teachers want you to &quot;catch the bug&quot; and make the training your own. They want you to fall in love with it. To get you to that point they will go out of their way to support your development. If the teacher doesn't have a giving spirit, it will show. They'll concern themselves only with the more experienced students. A good teacher will find a balance between helping the strongest and weakest of the students and make time for anyone who asks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="905" LastActivityDate="2013-01-13T22:59:11.883" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1722" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="918" CreationDate="2013-01-15T03:43:48.737" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The aikido connection seemed natural to me.  Considering that both Krav Maga and Aikido are modern &quot;made up&quot; martial arts and have no basis in &quot;tradition&quot;.  I was taken abak by the flow and simplicity of Krav Maga.  It is like Aikido (Ho Chi Dao) in Chinese Ho = flowing with, in harmony, Chi = Chi and Dao = &quot;the way&quot;.  The flow of Krav Maga is so smooth.  No extra posturing like formal Karate.  The other obvious strong point of Krav Maga and Aikido is the use of leverage.  An extended arm is not as strong as a move in close using the leverage and pivot of the body. Because they are &quot;made up&quot; by practical men well versed in grappling and wrestling it is no wonder they are similar.  Chinese techniques of &quot;Chin Na&quot; Firm grasping are also present in Krav Maga, and revolve around the obvious limited ways of bending and exploiting holds.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="908" LastActivityDate="2013-01-15T03:43:48.737" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1723" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1726" CreationDate="2013-01-15T05:26:05.243" Score="9" ViewCount="8217" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've often heard in various martial arts circles a lot of claims regarding:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The amount of force/pressure required to break a knee/ribcage/etc (e.g., the statement that a &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1715/11&quot;&gt;board is roughly equivalent to the ribs&lt;/a&gt; I've heard from multiple sources)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The amount of torque required to break a neck&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes the figures I've seen vary enough that I know they can't be coming from the same source.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I haven't seen is a good study or biomechanical analysis that would back up any specific set of numbers. Is this a well studied problem, and if so where are the studies, or are the numbers simply guesses?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2023-07-01T20:09:18.357" Title="Amount of force to do X" Tags="|breaking-boards|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1724" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-01-15T12:53:48.287" Score="3" ViewCount="1754" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have recently managed to break my left big toe in training. Because there is a competition in 5 weeks, which I &lt;em&gt;need&lt;/em&gt; to attend and &lt;em&gt;perform well&lt;/em&gt;, I need experienced advice on:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What exercises I can do to stay in shape while my toe heals&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How to recover faster&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="813" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2013-01-16T06:48:38.000" LastActivityDate="2013-02-26T10:42:39.387" Title="How can I continue to train with a broken big toe?" Tags="|training|injury|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1725" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1663" CreationDate="2013-01-15T13:03:14.787" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would go for a rubber gun. The ones we have weight more or less like a normal Beretta m92 but are much safer than hard plastic ones, for obvious reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would go for a dark colour, as the bright yellow ones we have draw too much attention, less so a real gun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, for safety reasons, &lt;em&gt;we have manually removed the trigger guard.&lt;/em&gt; We decided to cut it because of a number of techniques involving a high risk (not to say certainty) of finger injury. If the attacker does not promptly remove the index finger from the trigger, it can get caught and forced into a breaking lock. This happens even when the person practicing did not intend do so - and is especially dangerous in this kind of situation.&#xA;Wielding the gun without the index finger seriously hampers the strength of the hold, hence my advise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="813" LastEditorUserId="813" LastEditDate="2013-01-15T15:48:53.393" LastActivityDate="2013-01-15T15:48:53.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1726" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1723" CreationDate="2013-01-15T16:45:55.487" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;There was a study done by the Society of Automative Engineers that calculated the force required to break various bones by using cadavers (Vol 4, Biomechanics of Impact Injury and Injury Tolerances of the Head Neck Complex) that provided these equivalences (props to Ronin on the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=5903&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bullshido forums&lt;/a&gt; for sourcing the data):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Throat- 300 lbs of force&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Frontal bone (forehead)- 1900 lbs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Back of head (occipital)- 2100 lbs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mandible - 800 lbs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;nasal bone&quot; - 200 lbs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cervical vertebra - 500 lbs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crown of head - 1350 lbs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sternum with 4&quot; deflection (penetration) - 960 lbs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;ribs - 400 lbs ( 1-3 ribs are the hardest, 4-9 the most common to fracture)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Doing some really rough math, I came up with roughly 273 lbs of force to break a 1&quot; pine board (rough because I had to convert from a bare minimum break that was calculated rather than measured; should be in the neighborhood regardless).  So one board might be equivalent to a weak rib, but you really need 1.5 boards to truly simulate a rib.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, in all reality, it doesn't take much force to break the neck bones.  That said, these bones are extraordinarily cushioned within the body by musculature and cartilage and are mobile enough to absorb more force than raw &quot;force to substance&quot; measurements would indicate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which leads to the torque question, which is a fair bit harder.  There are a lot of variables there - support of the neck by musculature, technique used to apply torque and the point at which the torque (and resulting pressure) is applied.  I can't find any references for this particular question and the more I think about it, I'm not sure there is a set answer.  Torque is a measurement of force times distance.  In terms of breaking something, you can compensate for a lack of distance by increasing force and vice versa (I'm simplifying somewhat, but the principle is correct).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastActivityDate="2013-01-15T16:45:55.487" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1727" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1197" CreationDate="2013-01-15T21:45:02.593" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Typical boots, if they are the correct size, heavily restrict your toes movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When performing any of the two, I would aim to hit with the sharpest edge available, which is typically the edge of the sole. Reducing the hitting area in fact greatly increases the damage inflicted. This is especially true in this case, because you do not have to worry about injuring a part of your body, like might be the case with e.g. fingertips strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the boot constrains your ankle movement, I would avoid a thrusting kick, as the foot cannot achieve the desired final position. Limit yourself to shin kicks: they do miracles in boots. If your opponent is unaware/slow/elderly you can use a snap kick to the chin: it also does miracles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="813" LastActivityDate="2013-01-15T21:45:02.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1728" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1724" CreationDate="2013-01-16T04:11:13.827" Score="3" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Get checked by a doctor&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do not do the competition&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do the competition, you risk permanent damage to your body. And I'm fairly certain that no competition is worth this, although of course, it is your choice. Why permanent damage? five weeks for recovery to -normal- is possible, but to the point of recovering all the added training and strengthening? Nope. A competition will strain your body beyond normal and seriously increase risks of extra damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sorry, my friend. This competition is not for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2013-01-16T04:11:13.827" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1729" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1724" CreationDate="2013-01-16T06:47:12.637" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you haven't already seen a doctor (I'm assuming from your comment above that you already have and that's where the timeline comes from), I'd strongly suggest doing so.   Take their advice &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; seriously: If they say don't compete, then I'd strongly advise against competing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond that: Let the body do its thing and heal. This means the standard advice applies: Stay off of it, get the proper nutrition and eat at least maintenance-level calories. Don't do anything to exacerbate your injury or the surrounding areas. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of things you wouldn't expect can exacerbate a toe or an ankle injury (I couldn't do pushups with my last sprained ankle). This &lt;em&gt;includes things that do not hurt&lt;/em&gt;: walk on it less, even when walking gets to the point where it isn't painful.  Listen to your body, and then take a few good steps back from that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Conditioning wise, I'd limit what you are doing significantly in terms of physical training.  If your toe is so bad that you are having issues standing flat footed, the vast majority of technique training is right out.  What you can still do is &lt;em&gt;mentally&lt;/em&gt; prepare:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Watch videos of people competing in your art or in related arts.  Analyze them.  Or just watch things that inspire you.   It sucks not being able to move, but you can sometimes come back much stronger with a little rest and mental preparation. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Keep attending practice if you can physically make it and watch the class.  Teach if you are in a position to do so, but at least watch.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Meditate.  Practice breathing meditation, just focusing on your breath and staying present. I've recommended &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1590301366&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Breath by Breath&lt;/a&gt; as a book guide, but there are a wide variety of possibilities out there. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, in four weeks or so when you are cleared to return to practice, &lt;strong&gt;take things slowly&lt;/strong&gt;.  It will be tempting to rush in, which has a high chance of being disastrous for you.  Take it slow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then if all is going well, talk to your doctor and see if you are farther along than anticipated, but be ready to bad news.  If you do get bad news, then you will have still spent the last five or so weeks productively and shown good dedication, even in the face of an injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2013-01-16T06:47:12.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1730" PostTypeId="7" CreationDate="2013-01-17T00:53:04.773" Score="0" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Characteristics, regimens, history, and culture of martial arts systems worldwide&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Execution, instruction, and practice of techniques (with or without weapons)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Analysis of tactics and strategies from historical competitions, tournaments, and sparring matches&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Conducting or teaching martial arts classes, workshops, or seminars&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="118" LastEditDate="2013-01-17T00:53:04.773" LastActivityDate="2013-01-17T00:53:04.773" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1731" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-01-17T01:34:40.070" Score="4" ViewCount="10502" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does anyone have designs to build your own DIY board breaker/board holder for power breaking?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="398" LastActivityDate="2021-02-18T01:50:14.817" Title="Designs for a Board Breaker / Board Holder?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|power|breaking-boards|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1732" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1731" CreationDate="2013-01-17T01:34:40.070" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Around the beginning of 2012, I spent some time online trying to locate a freely available design for a martial arts board holder. At the time there was nothing available*. So after taking some inspiration from a few commercially available compact designs (see: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&amp;amp;q=board+holder+martial+arts&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&amp;amp;q=board+holder+martial+arts&lt;/a&gt;) I came up with my own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fusionmartialarts.com.au/blog/?p=57&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;In this HowTo&lt;/a&gt;, I show you how to make a collapsible martial arts board holder entirely out of broken Martial Arts boards. It can be easily attached to a heavy punching bag, held by a partner or supported against/hung on a wall. (see: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fusionmartialarts.com.au/blog/?p=57&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.fusionmartialarts.com.au/blog/?p=57&lt;/a&gt; )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a pure coolness bonus, this design is made entirely from previously broken martial arts boards (plus glue, screws, bungie and some fabric). In the posting is a demonstration of a power break using 4 UMAB boards (Yellow, Green, Brown and Black) of approx 5.5 boards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*- For reference, I recently found another HowTo detailing the build process of a non-collapsible board holder that has some very nice design ideas: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.karate.gregoryzone.org/?p=219&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.karate.gregoryzone.org/?p=219&lt;/a&gt;. It is worthwhile to have a look at this design to compare and contrast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="398" LastActivityDate="2013-01-17T01:34:40.070" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1733" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1689" CreationDate="2013-01-17T02:25:27.880" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming I am working with a superior/senior/sempai:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I am uke, and am getting it wrong, it is helpful if nage stops me, indicates that I should attack him/her, and then goes through the technique slowly and deliberately. Usually that helps a lot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I am nage, it's also very helpful when uke takes exaggerated ukemi (e.g. puts him/herself in place for the next part of the technique, even if I didn't necessarily &quot;put him/her there&quot;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the rare event that I am someone's sempai and am in a position to correct, I try the above techniques first (have them attack me, swap roles, take helpful/exaggerated ukemi for them). If that doesn't work, I will give verbal advice, but I try to avoid it. Even though our dojo doesn't frown upon talking on the mat in practice, we try to keep it to a minimum, and since I am a beginner I am quite self conscious of correcting anyone, even if I am their senior or have more experience than they.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="682" LastActivityDate="2013-01-17T02:25:27.880" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1734" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1684" CreationDate="2013-01-18T20:27:55.390" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If I understand what you are asking I would say :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The closest I can think of and what we use in Tang Soo Do a (Korean martial art); we refer to the Neh Gong, Weh Gong and Shim Gong. It does have different translations depending on it's use but you can think of this as the External Power, Internal Power and Spirit/Mind. When referring to it in the way of training its usually your internal energy, external energy, and your breathing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am a 4th Gup in Tang Soo Do and have been assisting in teaching for about a year now. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[edited to add] &#xA;We often say that a white-orange belt partake in the Weh gong aspect the physical. they learn by doing but they don't yet know the reasoning &quot;Why&quot; we learn the technique based solely on the teaching. They are raw, ridged and still young. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Upon demonstrating some degree of enlightenment in their techniques they are promoted to Green (on through red) as they now demonstrate the Neh gong or, the movements of forms or technique start to be refined along with breathing (inhaling or exhaling at the appropriate time is key as it improves power and precision), and as mentioned the movement becomes more refined you start to see proper rotations in the hips and feet when throwing punches or kicks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally when they have progressed in to the Shim gong there is a spiritual understanding where technique and drive have come together at the point you are promoted to 1st Dan (1st degree black belt) in our art the belt is navy blue as in Korean culture black symbolizes an end of grown, death or an end too being or reason. A 1st degree Dan (black belt) rank is called Cho Dan meaning True beginning. Its were you take all of your fundamental training and you have awakened enough to know not only how but why and when. That is when your real training begins. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am sorry if this does not help any but I hope if its not the answer you seek it at least helps you in your journey. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are two comments from Senior Masters within my federation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Master Rockhold:&#xA;Looks like a similar concept to Ryu Pa, river runs/flows down divided, but not quite. Gonna have to dig into some of my old paper notes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Master Danella:&#xA;Moo Do Chung Sin, the spirit of martial arts, is one that comes to mind when the subject of martial art mastery is discussed. As there have plenty of masters before us who authored the subject based on years of experience and concepts handed down before them, I believe there is a common thread that I see evident in any mastery of any martial art discipline. I think the path to martial art mastery is the internalization of specific areas of discipline that influences that particular art . For example, in order to master a low block, one must see what a correct low block looks like then the explanation all the science that goes into the low block. He then needs to be shown how and then comes the arduous task of repetitive moves until the low block looks like a low block. That’s the first part. The next part is to know the effectiveness of the low block. The practitioner has to go through what I call a “feel” process. Much like a culinary student who studies the manuals but eventually has to actually go in the kitchen and cook and makes adjustments to achieve the required taste. As in the case of the martial art practitioner, the internalization comes with knowing and understanding correct timing, speed, power, target specificity, and necessary intensity to effectively deploy the low block. This can only come with tons of repetitive work as everyone knows to master the move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="726" LastEditorUserId="726" LastEditDate="2013-01-26T04:46:45.050" LastActivityDate="2013-01-26T04:46:45.050" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1735" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1313" CreationDate="2013-01-20T22:35:11.333" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I got a good deal on used mats on craigslist, but it took some persistence.  I use craigslist a lot, and here's some things I've found helpful:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use a craigslist tool that shows pictures with the search results, e.g., a Firefox plugin (e.g., craigslist fusion), or smartphone app (e.g., cMobile)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Be creative about search terms, and include misspellings, e.g., martial, wrestling, gymnastics, exercise, cheer leading, mats, matts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I only buy things at a very good price on craigslist.  This is essential in the long run, to make-up for the occasional bad purchases, e.g., things that prove to not work well or not last long&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I often have to drive an hour when buying uncommon things (e.g., mats).  I try to get a lot of info over the phone first, to avoid wasted trips.  Some people exaggerate how good of condition things are in, but most don't.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Find good sellers--people you can trust.  Most sellers are like that in my experience.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I usually stay away from &quot;too good to be true&quot; sales, and esp. from shady people.  I don't want to buy stolen stuff, nor transact with thieves.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The mats I got were from a dojo that held a huge weekend tournament, and afterwards, they had hundreds of puzzle mats to get rid of.  I got a good price ($15 each for 3x3 ft mats), and they were barely used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestling mats are very heavy and thus hard to transport (need truck or van) and move around in your house.  Puzzle mats are better in those regards, but you may need to get two layers, to get enough cushion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BTW:  A friend is a wrestling coach, and he strongly discourages people from getting home mats.  The main reason is that, in his experience, most people don't use them much, once they get them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&#xA;Jim&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="916" LastEditorUserId="916" LastEditDate="2013-01-20T22:42:35.057" LastActivityDate="2013-01-20T22:42:35.057" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1736" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="531" CreationDate="2013-01-21T00:34:25.963" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Dave Lowry wrote a book each on bokken and jo work:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B000M1RRMQ&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bokken, Art of the Sword&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;and&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0897501160&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jo: Art of the Japanese Short Staff&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These go through basics as well as single and partner kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lowry has also written many books on Japanese martial arts that explore philosophy, culture, and experience, all of which you can easily find on Amazon.  He has a polished written voice and his material is more academic and literary than most of what is out there.  He began studying sword work in the Midwest by serendipitously stumbling upon a local master.  Highly recommended reading.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="917" LastActivityDate="2013-01-21T00:34:25.963" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1737" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2013-01-21T09:33:50.403" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Shodokan Aikido&lt;/em&gt; (昭道館合気道) or sport &lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt; was founded &lt;em&gt;Tomiki&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Oba&lt;/em&gt; just after WW2. This paper by &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.york-aikido.org/moin.cgi/TomikiOnModernJujutsu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Tomiki on modern Jujutsu&lt;/a&gt; offers some insight as to the development of &lt;em&gt;Shodokan Aikido&lt;/em&gt;.  A competitive element was added by Tomiki in a similar form to Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The two aspects of competition are &lt;em&gt;Embu&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Randori shiai&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;em&gt;Embu&lt;/em&gt; is the demonstration of &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; which is then judged and scored. &lt;em&gt;Randori shiai&lt;/em&gt; is where two &lt;em&gt;Aikidoka&lt;/em&gt; compete against each other so as to test their skills, similar to &lt;em&gt;Judo&lt;/em&gt; competition&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2013-04-08T12:14:43.697" LastActivityDate="2013-04-08T12:14:43.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1738" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2013-01-21T09:33:50.403" Score="0" Body="Shodokan Aikido -- 昭道館合気道 -- is a system of teaching Aikido developed by Kenji Tomoki." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2013-04-08T10:49:37.710" LastActivityDate="2013-04-08T10:49:37.710" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1739" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-01-21T13:42:20.473" Score="4" ViewCount="845" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a student of the Seido karate fighting style, I would like to know why weapons training starts only at the black belt level?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="841" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2013-01-23T03:41:25.637" LastActivityDate="2013-01-25T05:18:59.590" Title="Why does Seido Karate only teach weapons training at black belt level?" Tags="|weapons|sword|katana|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1740" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2013-01-21T18:07:36.623" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some interesting replies from people on here. Speaking as someone who works in the medical field and has studied martial arts most of my life I felt I had to add my part on this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your knees cause you problems then doing a martial art that uses a lot of leg work will exascerbate any problems and could make them worse. It might only be gradual but could easily lead to arthritis and potentially degradation of joints leading to replacements. I appreciate what people are saying about ice packs and ibuprofen but you do not want to have a reliance on these over a long time or even after each training episode. Pain does not equal gain.&#xA;Capoeira requires a lot of suppleness and strength and has some incredibly acrobatic demands on the body. If you don't have a history of this then stay away.&#xA;Ninjutsu and the other similar arts do not have a reliance on impact moves, in fact seem to push a relaxed body rather than the martial arts snap. Could be good but finding a good school is just so difficult. There are so many variations of this art.&#xA;Tai chi is excellent and as someone mentioned. Can be extremely effective if the martial aspect is taught although it can take a long time to learn your specific form before they allow progression. However. It is a very good art and often recommended for anyone of a certain age.&#xA;Aikido is a good soft art but requires a lot of kneeling&#xA;If it self defence you are looking for and have a background in grappling, I would highly recommend the previous posters suggestion of wing chun. I have studied it for a long long time and have had on occasion been required to use it. It is extremely effective and the footwork will not put any stresses on any part of your legs.&#xA;Another suggestion would be keysi, but again, finding a good school would be very difficult. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps in any way possible and I wish you good luck. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="918" LastActivityDate="2013-01-21T18:07:36.623" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1741" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1744" CreationDate="2013-01-22T18:23:33.150" Score="4" ViewCount="5262" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are the fighting styles which employ the katana from the beginning of training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="841" LastActivityDate="2017-08-09T00:05:43.027" Title="Fighting styles that use a katana from the beginning" Tags="|sword|katana|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1742" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1743" CreationDate="2013-01-22T20:08:39.550" Score="10" ViewCount="1542" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been looking for a semantic ontology defining the structure and varieties of attacks and defenses.  Initially I'm looking for a very simple tree, something like:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;Attack-&amp;gt;&#xA;  Punch-&amp;gt;&#xA;    Jab&#xA;    Hook&#xA;    Uppercut&#xA;    Hammerfist&#xA;    Backfist&#xA;  Kick-&amp;gt;&#xA;    Front&#xA;    Roundhouse&#xA;    Side&#xA;Defend-&amp;gt;&#xA;  Block-&amp;gt;&#xA;  Move-&amp;gt;&#xA;    Retreat&#xA;    Lateral Evasion&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;etc. etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone know of any attempt to systematize information about a Martial art or generically about combat in this way?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="787" LastActivityDate="2017-06-30T13:36:50.797" Title="An Ontology of Combat" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1743" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1742" CreationDate="2013-01-22T23:16:08.753" Score="20" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Mind Maps&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The BJJ community is big on mind maps, which are close but not an exact match in your search for ontologies. For instance, Aesopian has &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aesopian.com/181/concept-map-positions/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/bFlwr.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is not surprising, since the entire concept that set BJJ apart from judo was the idea of an inexorable flowchart:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Takedown&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pass guard&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mount (using a broad definition of the term--not necessarily top mount, but also encompassing back mount, knee-on-belly, side control and so on)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Choke, armbar, or strike without danger of counterstrikes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;or&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pull guard because we can't stop our opponent from taking us down&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sweep to top&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pass guard&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mount&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Choke, armbar, or strike without danger of counterstrikes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The original vision now has many new spin-offs, but the underlying philosophy of having a gameplan has had a tremendous impact on jiu-jitsu mentality, as well as mixed martial arts strategies. Very few dispute the truth of the positional hierarchy, which when boiled down simply says it's better to be on top than on bottom.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rickson was arguably the best in known history at implementing this plan. Here are his &lt;a href=&quot;http://stickgrappler.tripod.com/bjj/flow1.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;flowcharts&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/u8cDP.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/cuqFB.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mattsdailyjournal.wordpress.com/category/mind-maps-2/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mapping my BJJ journey&lt;/a&gt; has more (including &lt;a href=&quot;http://mattsdailyjournal.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/rickson-flowcharts.gif&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Rickson's&lt;/a&gt;), but most are not very &quot;complete&quot;, preferring instead to just explain the contents of a particular DVD. For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/h72ln.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Other arts&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my opinion, striking arts do not lend themselves particularly to mind maps or ontologies. There are way too many options--essentially it would just be a catalogue of techniques repeated several times over. The style of judo I'm familiar with doesn't use that kind of approach either, though I've heard that Russian and other Eastern bloc judo and wrestling coaches emphasize &quot;chained&quot; strategies that are similar. For instance, they'll attack with a particular technique, knowing that the opponent can only reasonably counter with A, B, or C, and for each of those they will have a fully fleshed out response, all the way down the chain to victory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-01-23T13:50:21.277" LastActivityDate="2013-01-23T13:50:21.277" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1744" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1741" CreationDate="2013-01-24T00:37:58.287" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Major categories that I am aware of (expanding slightly on Sardathrion's comment):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Iaijutsu&lt;/em&gt; (居合術) and &lt;em&gt;Iaido&lt;/em&gt; (居合道) are the art of drawing the sword. Iaijutsu, theoretically, prefers more practical application while iaido is closer to an internal martial art, but you'll find schools under both names that exist along a bit of a continuum. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kenjutsu&lt;/em&gt; (剣術) is actually a bit of a blanket term for traditional Japanese swordsmanship and is literally &quot;the technique of the sword.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kendo&lt;/em&gt; (剣道) can be more sport/sparring oriented than kenjutsu usually is, and has formalized rules, scoring, judging, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are all essentially umbrella terms for more-or-less what you seem to be looking for: martial arts that teach katana. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also needing a special mention here is &lt;em&gt;kumdo&lt;/em&gt; (검도 (劍道)), which is a Korean derivative of kendo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My experience has been that aikido dojo vary hugely in how early and how seriously they integrate weapon work, but you can certainly ask if you have an interest in learning aikido along with the sword work.  The same is true of a lot of other martial arts: Some of them integrate weapons early, some later, and the only real way to figure it out is to ask at the individual dojo level. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2013-01-24T00:37:58.287" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1746" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1742" CreationDate="2013-01-24T16:56:45.513" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know of an existing ontology, but we can create one. Everyone should feel free to edit this to make it more complete. I have organized it with the headings (big and small) as well as lists as end nodes. I expect it will become cumbersome very quickly. Feel free to rearrange. (Perhaps the lists would be better off paragraphed instead of bulleted, for instance.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've used the OP's ontology as a starting point, and have added judo's throwing syllabus (in English) as a basis for additional techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Strike&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Punch&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jab&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cross&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hook&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Uppercut&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hammerfist&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Backfist&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Open Handed Strikes&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side ridge hand&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Forward ridge hand&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Vertical Spearhand &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Horizontal Spearhand&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knife Hand&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Palm Strike&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;1 finger (eye poke)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;2 finger (double eye poke)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;3 finger (chicken beak)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fore-knuckle (bear claw)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Single knuckle (index or middle)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Thumb knuckle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Slap&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Backslap&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Arc-hand (tiger mouth)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Elbow&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Downward &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Forward and upward&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Updard to the rear&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sideways to the rear&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Across the body (out to in)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Across the body (in to out)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Head&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Forehead&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Occiput&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Head thrust&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Standard Kick - back leg&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Front&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Roundhouse&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stomp&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe (in-out)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe (out-in)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe (forward)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe (upside down)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Straight knee&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side knee&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Front knee&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Oblique&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Reverse Side/Back kick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Reverse Hook/Spin hook Kick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Spin&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hook&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crescent (in-out)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crescent (out-in)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Push&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Inverted roundhouse&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Standard Kick - Front leg&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Front&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Roundhouse&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stomp&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe (in-out)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe (out-in)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe (forward)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe (upside down)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hook &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crescent (in-out)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crescent (out-in)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Oblique&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Push&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Inverted roundhouse&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Hopping Kick - Rear leg&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Front&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Roundhouse&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stomp&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe (in-out)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe (out-in)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe (forward)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hook &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crescent (in-out)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crescent (out-in)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Oblique&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Push&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Skipping Kick&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Front&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Roundhouse&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stomp&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe (in-out)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe (out-in)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe (forward)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hook &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crescent (in-out)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crescent (out-in)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Oblique&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Push&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Tornado Kick - Backward spin&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Front&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Roundhouse&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe (out-in)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crescent (out-in)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Push&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Tornado Kick - Forward spin&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stomp&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe (out-in)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Spin&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hook&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crescent (out-in)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Push&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Specialty Kicks&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Feint front&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Feint roundhouse&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Feint side&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Feint inverted roundhouse&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Feint push&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Double jumping front (oblique)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Double jumping front (front)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Scissor&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Triple front snap kick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Quadruple front snap kick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Defend strikes&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Block&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lead hand parry&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rear hand parry&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Force-on-force block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Roll the shoulder&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cover up / shell&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bow wrist&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rising block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Low block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Double forearm block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;High X-Block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Low X-Block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Single knifehand&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Double knifehand&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;9 block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mountain block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Half mountain block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Large hinge block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Small hinge block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Move&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Retreat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step laterally&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step in and crowd&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Duck&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Weave&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Throw&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Hip throws&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Big hip throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shifting hip throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sweeping hip throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hugging high lift&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Spring hip throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sweeping hip throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hip wheel&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Full hip throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sleeve lifting and pulling hip throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lifting hip throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lifting and pulling hip throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Floating half-hip throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rear throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hip shift&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Flying/surfing hip throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rear wheel&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Shots&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Double leg&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Single leg&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;High crotch&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Leg throws&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Big outside trip&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Little outside trip&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Big inside trip&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Little inside trip&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Turning inner-thigh reap (also a hip throw)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Leg wheel&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Advanced foot sweep&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hip spring counter&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hip sweep counter&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lift-pull foot sweep&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knee wheel&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Small outer hook&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Small outer reap&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Small inner reap&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Large wheel&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sliding foot sweep&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Big outer reap counter&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Big outer reap&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Big outer wheel&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Big outer drop&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Big inner reap counter&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Big inner reap&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Propping and drawing ankle throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Swallow counter&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Inner-thigh&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Inner-thigh counter&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Hand throws&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shoulder throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Drop shoulder throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Body drop&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Single-handed back throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shoulder wheel&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;One-hand reversal&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Two-hand reap&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Belt drop&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Back throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Back drop&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Scoop throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Corner drop&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Body drop&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Inner thigh void throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Floating drop&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mountain storm&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Small inner reap reversal&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Single leg takedown&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hand wheel&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Sacrifice throws&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Captain Kirk&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lateral drop&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Suplesse (belly-to-belly, belly-to-back)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pulling in reversal&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Corner reversal&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rice bag reversal throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Circle throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rear throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;High separation&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Springing wraparound&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hip sweep wraparound&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crab or scissors throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;One-leg entanglement&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Big outer wraparound&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Outer wraparound&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Valley drop&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Inner wraparound&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Inner thigh wraparound&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Floating technique&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side prop&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side wheel&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side drop&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side separation&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jade wheel&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Arm reversal&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side circle throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Locks&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Arm Lock&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wrist Lock&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Upper four quarter hold down&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shoulder hold&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Scarf hold&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Broken upper four quarter hold down&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Broken scarf hold&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Vertical four quarter hold&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side four quarter hold&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ura-gatame&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Floating hold&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ura-kesa-gatame&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Reverse Scarf Hold&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Triangular Hold&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Leg entanglement&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Arm entanglement or &quot;figure-four&quot; key lock&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side-lying arm bar&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side-extended arm bar, lower stomach against opponent's elbow&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knee arm bar&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Back-lying perpendicular arm bar&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Triangular arm bar&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ude-hishigi-te-gatame&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ude-hishigi-ude-gatame&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ude-hishigi-waki-gatame&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Entangled leg dislocation&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knee crush&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Straight ankle lock&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Triangular entanglement&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Chokes or strangles&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Trunk strangle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Reverse cross strangle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Naked strangle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Single wing strangle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Half cross strangle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;One-hand strangle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Normal cross strangle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sliding lapel strangle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Two-hand strangle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Triangular strangle, triangle choke&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Eziquiel/Ezekiel choke&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Thrust choke&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hell strangle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ura-juji-jime&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Attack patterns&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Near knee guard pass&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Simple guard pass&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stacking guard pass&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Elevator Sweep&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Push Sweep&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side reversal&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Swissor sweep&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shoulder pin rollover&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ude-kakae&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Daki Wakare&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Turtle Flip Over&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Turnover from Koshi-jime&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Suso-sukui-nage&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Yoko-obi-tori-gaeshi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Obi-tori-sumi-gaeshi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Obi-tori-yoko-mawashi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ura-gatame&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Back Mount Escape&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Foot lock counter to rear-mounted position&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Switch back&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hikouki or Hikoki-Nage: Aeroplane&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Extracting your leg&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Double entanglement&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Immobilisation of arm&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Stances&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Front&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Back&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tiger/cat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Horse&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Parallel&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Closed&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Attention&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cross&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Breakfalls&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Backward breakfall&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sideways breakfall&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Forward breakfall&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Forward roll&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Back roll&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Resuscitation methods&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Inductive resuscitation method&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lapel resuscitation method&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Composite resuscitation method&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Testicle resuscitation method&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="6178" LastEditDate="2017-06-30T13:36:50.797" LastActivityDate="2017-06-30T13:36:50.797" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1747" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1739" CreationDate="2013-01-25T05:18:59.590" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sorry if this is a vague answer, and I don't know the first thing about the Seido karate style, but I remember an instructor (I can't remember what style. Kajukenbo, perhaps?) at a martial arts camp once telling me that they only taught weapons at black belt level to avoid weapons bias. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The idea was that a practitioner should be fully proficient in empty hand fighting before learning how to handle a weapon. If you first learn to fight with a weapon, and then got disarmed, or dropped the weapon or something during a fight, you might not be able to make the switch back to empty hand fast enough if your mind is still fixated on the weapon. Or you might get so focused on weapon fighting that you neglect other perfectly good striking opportunities during the fight. The classic example of this is in the movies where two people fight over possession of a knife/gun/weapon completely ignoring the fact that they could have just let go of the weapon and beat the snot out of the bad guy in the time it took them to recover the weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He also said that once they do start weapons training, the weapon would just become an extension of their normal fighting style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for Seido karate, I think you'll have to ask a Seido karate instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="443" LastActivityDate="2013-01-25T05:18:59.590" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1748" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="80" CreationDate="2013-01-25T08:04:24.980" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;It doesn't matter what they say about the school.  It matters what they do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe, the answer to the question lies in measuring the schools ability to help you find what you are looking for.  So go to the school and look for people who you can relate to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can see people that you have something in common with and you can see people making progress along a path of change that would motivate you then this is a good school for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example I heard once about this Aikido dojo that had a very impressive student body, they looked great.  For their warm up drills they did forward hand springs.  It turns out they were from a University and had been recruited from the gymnastics team.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What we are looking for is a place where we can make progress on our own path.  If you can see in the school the kind of change you are looking to make that school will probably work for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="923" LastEditorUserId="923" LastEditDate="2013-01-31T21:47:12.303" LastActivityDate="2013-01-31T21:47:12.303" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1749" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2143" CreationDate="2013-01-27T19:38:54.600" Score="7" ViewCount="841" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the challenges I've been running into lately is proper chaining around a reverse punch, especially with my off hand.  I continue to practice, but there are some fundamental difficulties with getting my off hand to fully cooperate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a good feel for how to correct this through practice–slowing down, more practice, etc–but I am wondering what are the elements, including the subtle details, that make a good reverse punch and are there any specific drills for improving those elements? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2013-10-09T10:26:59.727" Title="Elements of a good reverse punch" Tags="|hapkido|punching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1750" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="918" CreationDate="2013-01-27T23:15:10.550" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This video you linked to isn't just Krav Maga. A lot of it is Israeli Ju Jitsu. &#xA;Krav Maga is generally very static or 'rough' in it's movements, while Aikido (or at least the pieces of Aikido I have seen) is very fluent, and the fighting mechanics has an aesthetic focus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The guy from this video (Roy Elghanyan) has &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ignz0VLLwA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;another video&lt;/a&gt; where it's Krav Maga only, but his style is a bit different from the style I know best from the branch IKM (International Krav Maga).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In IKM you do not want to take the fight to the ground even though you train groundfighting, so Roy Elghanyan's takedowns are not to be preferred here. I should mention that IKM has a big focus on police and military training. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8HHdnttBQE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This footage&lt;/a&gt; is from civilians taking a police course to get a taste of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="924" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-01-28T12:15:45.513" LastActivityDate="2013-01-28T12:15:45.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1751" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1752" CreationDate="2013-01-28T07:09:16.900" Score="12" ViewCount="3252" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have heard this sentiment a handful of times before, and most recently when I was reading &quot;The truth about Violence&quot; by Sam Harris.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The gist is that real world violent attacks happen with absolutely no prior warning, and are brutally finished usually before the victim is even given a chance to realize how bad things are (there was an example knife attack video linked). Since martial artists are trained and practice fighting in controlled environments, and they have plenty of warning before the fighting begins, this does not help them and stand no chance against real criminals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this true?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="367" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-08-02T11:23:33.573" LastActivityDate="2022-11-14T17:19:50.690" Title="Is martial arts training 'inadequate' for the real world?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1752" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1751" CreationDate="2013-01-28T08:29:50.090" Score="24" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Yes&lt;/strong&gt;, depending on your definitions of &lt;em&gt;martial arts&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;inadequate&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;real world.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No&lt;/strong&gt;, depending on your definitions of &lt;em&gt;martial arts&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;inadequate&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;real world.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Surviving an attack (or combat) is all about stacking the deck in your favour: martial arts (arts of Mars, the God of War) do help, so do guns, team mates, artillery, the police, not being there, body armour, etc... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no such thing as a typical &lt;em&gt;real world violent attack&lt;/em&gt;.  For example, urban warfare is not the same thing as a bar brawl and both require very different skill sets to survive.  The &lt;em&gt;no prior warning&lt;/em&gt; is utter rubbish.  There are always signs that something is about to happen.  Sure, one may not notice those and a skilled attacker will be trained in camouflaging those signs but they always are. Police officers, body guards, soldiers, etc... are all trained in recognise those signs.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Making general sweeping statements about violence and how to survive it generally indicate either bad research or an agenda. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a good site about self defence, especially &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/martialarts.html&quot;&gt;the section on martial arts&lt;/a&gt;, see &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot;&gt;MacYoung's no nonsense self defense&lt;/a&gt;.  But this is about civilian self defence in a stable country.  If you were in a civil war zone, the advise would be very different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2013-01-28T08:29:50.090" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1753" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1756" CreationDate="2013-01-28T09:40:23.727" Score="21" ViewCount="5624" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have wanted to start learning a type of martial art for a long time, but my lifestyle didn't help (I have lived in 5 countries in the last 10 years, changed location at least once in each of those countries; very busy schedule, etc) and now that I've almost succeeded to settle I would like to finally get to that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem is that I have still to wait to move once more (and I'm not sure if it will be after a couple of weeks or months; I truly hope it will last less than a year before i'll be able to move) before selecting a dojo, because at my current location I can't find any. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, I wouldn't like to waste the time until then and thought that performing some basic training even before being in a dojo can't hurt. At least I'll be in better shape when I start. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should I do push ups? Run? What else? How much should I do, given that I'm an absolute beginner regarding martial arts? Are there recommended resources like books or videos?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How far can I go with the training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="925" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-06-09T14:53:31.833" LastActivityDate="2020-06-14T20:40:39.860" Title="How should a novice train if unable to join a dojo yet?" Tags="|self-training|beginner|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1754" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1753" CreationDate="2013-01-28T10:40:37.973" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Meet sportive people. Try to motivate yourself and start from scratch: e.g. the first day try to run 1 km and do 20 push-ups and 40 sit-ups. Try to push it to the limit. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="500" LastEditorUserId="500" LastEditDate="2013-01-28T11:45:06.360" LastActivityDate="2013-01-28T11:45:06.360" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1755" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1753" CreationDate="2013-01-28T14:12:53.643" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Endomondo...&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.endomondo.com/home&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.endomondo.com/home&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strap a cell phone to your arm, turn on the endomondo app and start jogging.  It makes jogging so much fun.  It tracks automatically tracks and graphs distance, speed, time, pace and allows you to compare yourself with other people around the world.  Uploads everything automatically online. As for weight work, you can never go wrong with pushups, crunches, pullups and squats.  But as with all things, the chances of you sticking with it are directly linked to how much investment you put in.  That's where the social aspect comes in.  Whatever you do, try and do it with others and preferable people you like..  It's the difference between dabbling in something and changing your lifestyle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="905" LastActivityDate="2013-01-28T14:12:53.643" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1756" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1753" CreationDate="2013-01-28T15:19:04.637" Score="28" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Training Martial Arts Without Coaching is Not Recommended&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I came to the same conclusion you did in &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/a/3491/1771&quot;&gt;this answer&lt;/a&gt; on Stack Exchange Fitness: skill development without a partner &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; without a knowledgeable instructor is very hard, slow, and prone to producing bad habits instead of ability, so you're better off becoming a beastly physical specimen instead. Your goal should be to become strong, powerful, mobile, and able to perform vigorous tasks without tiring. The question of how to do that is extremely broad and depends very much on your current physical abilities and attributes. Fitness.SE is a much better place to start that inquiry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Attribute Development Prior to Martial Training&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The short answer for &quot;what should I do instead&quot; is to develop the primary physical attributes for combat sports: strength, power, mobility, conditioning. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To do that, you'll first want to have an &lt;strong&gt;aerobic base&lt;/strong&gt;, best developed by running, swimming, rowing, or biking over medium-long distances. That could mean getting a solid mile or 5k time, or rowing 2000 meters on a machine. At the same time you'll want to train basic calisthenics for strength, as prerequisites for barbell training: push-ups, pull-ups, dips, air squats, lunges. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll also make sure that you've got the necessary &lt;strong&gt;mobility&lt;/strong&gt; for rigorous training, like an effortless third-world squat, overhead shoulder position, and being able to touch your toes. If you're not fit, I'd recommend the training program in Robb Wolf's book, The Paleo Solution (which is mostly about diet, but has a very respectable ramp-up program for physical training). Yoga is also a solid staple, and ideally should be practiced weekly throughout your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once these basics are in place, the more important &lt;strong&gt;heavy resistance training&lt;/strong&gt; can begin: loaded squats, deadlifts, bench and overhead presses, power cleans. Barbells are best for this task. To learn how to use a barbell properly, the book Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore is a great resource. At this stage of training your runs would become less frequent (once a week or every two weeks). Bodyweight calisthenics can be relegated to warm-up or accessory exercises at the end of a workout, or you can use bodyweight exercises as your upper-body resistance training: pull-ups, chin-ups, and dips are all productive and can be used with additional weight. Hindu push-ups and their advanced counterpart, handstand push-ups, are tough to load with additional weight but are extremely useful nonetheless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Setting long-term goals like a double bodyweight deadlift or a bodyweight press are helpful in spurring progress as long as they don't cause you to overlook injuries or mobility problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Short, high intensity conditioning&lt;/strong&gt; work such as kettlebell, dumbbell, or barbell complexes, sled drags and Prowler pushes, sprints and hill sprints would fit in a few times a week after you've developed a reasonable level of strength--more than five pull-ups, a squat loaded with your bodyweight for reps, a greater than bodyweight deadlift.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eventually you'll want to prioritize developing &lt;strong&gt;power&lt;/strong&gt; in addition to strength. Exercises would include snatches, jerks, push presses, broad jumps, height jumps, sprints, and increasing the priority of power cleans. Benchmarks such as a bodyweight clean-and-jerk or being able to jump up to sternum height are useful goals. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At that point I'd also consider &lt;strong&gt;gymnastics&lt;/strong&gt;: bridges, work yourself up to a pistol (and then jumping or weighted pistols), front and back levers on rings or a bar, muscle-ups, and so on. These feats build on your strength base and develop other attributes like balance and coordination. They're also clearly impressive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This training would take several months to several years, and would well prepare you for technique training and sparring once you have the chance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:46:50.943" LastActivityDate="2015-10-14T05:34:03.557" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1757" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1951" CreationDate="2013-01-28T19:34:34.367" Score="18" ViewCount="1803" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many martial arts schools have outreach programs either open to the public or at local colleges, high schools, or youth programs that are of a limited duration (one day or a handful of sessions) and focus on women's self-defense, particularly rape defense. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What material is fundamental to these courses? What should students come away thinking and being able to do? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-11-24T13:48:12.883" Title="What material should be covered in a rape-defense course?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="10" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1758" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1757" CreationDate="2013-01-29T02:18:13.603" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm going to concentrate my answer on techniques, I presume that in the course you will cover off basics like being aware of your surroundings, checking your vehicle before getting in to it, your car keys are a handy impromptu weapon, trust no-one, if attacked don't concentrate on trying to knee the groin, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With this sort of course you have to recognize the catch-22 that you have:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the student must be taught not to panic&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;they must be able to apply the techniques they've learned in a blind panic&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The surest way to do this is to compile an arsenal of one-strike remedies. These are the moves that with just the one strike will either disable (preferably) or slow down the attacker. You will be able to take some of these moves straight from whichever art is the basis of what you are teaching, some of them will be the good old &quot;vital point&quot; strikes (like a kick/knee to the groin, or finger tip into the eye), some of them will come from other arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The crucial thing is these moves must be incredibly simple and effective, the person using them hasn't got time to think, analyze, doesn't necessarily have a lot of strength or large range of motion, and most importantly has not practiced endlessly to perfect the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an example of one of these techniques, consider the move where the victim does a downward striking palm heel landing in the hollow just above the attacker's chin bone. This move is easy to perform because the victim simply has to swing (flail) their arm while opening their hand, the critical thing is to hit in a downward motion into that spot. This is a crippling blow, if you land it flush it will knock out the attacker for up to 20 minutes or so*. It is easy to learn, easy to practice (I've been one of the poor practice dummies on the end of these), and the technique doesn't have to be perfect to still be devastating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When teaching them moves that work, you also need to teach them moves that don't work, or are not particularly effective. An example is a kick or knee to the groin - it &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; work, but is very hard to land a good clean solid blow as most males will instinctively protect that area and it only takes a small change in position for the groin to become difficult to get (not to mention it just may not work if the attacker is amped up on adrenaline or meth).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Above all what these students must take away from their class is a sense of positivity and certainty - they need to know that if they are attacked they &lt;strong&gt;can&lt;/strong&gt; do something about it, this empowerment can be the best weapon you can give them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*I have this direct from the wife of another martial artist who had to use it once. She knocked the attacker out and had plenty of time to call the police and for them to turn up. This should also leave the attacker with an excruciating headache, this alone should distract them from whatever they were originally going to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2013-01-29T02:18:13.603" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1759" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1757" CreationDate="2013-01-29T08:07:50.200" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Whatever you think you know about rape is &lt;em&gt;probably&lt;/em&gt; wrong.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, I suggest that before even starting to think about what material you will teach, you must learn about rape.  A god web starting point is &lt;a href=&quot;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/rape.html&quot;&gt;the section on rape from MacYoung's site)&lt;/a&gt;. Next, find your nearest &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&amp;amp;ie=UTF-8#hl=en&amp;amp;tbo=d&amp;amp;output=search&amp;amp;sclient=psy-ab&amp;amp;q=rape%20support%20group&amp;amp;oq=&amp;amp;gs_l=&amp;amp;pbx=1&amp;amp;fp=5cc502237a87f8ec&amp;amp;bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&amp;amp;bvm=bv.41524429,d.d2k&amp;amp;biw=1596&amp;amp;bih=1090&quot;&gt;rape support group&lt;/a&gt; and contact them to ask them to teach you. Finally, look up your &lt;em&gt;local police force&lt;/em&gt; and ask them to teach you.  The latter should give you &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/crime-justice/crime/violent-and-sexual-crime/&quot;&gt;statistics&lt;/a&gt; on rape in your area from which you can extrapolate what situations are the most likely to happen in your area.  For example, most (2/3) of rapists are not &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rainn.org/get-information/statistics/sexual-assault-offenders&quot;&gt;masked strangers&lt;/a&gt;. Then you can start thinking of creating a program that will give women (and men) some tools that may prevent them being raped.  Yes, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.male-rape.org.uk/&quot;&gt;men do get raped too&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/rape-a-lack-of-conviction/&quot;&gt;Information is beautiful&lt;/a&gt; has a graphics that you &lt;em&gt;must study&lt;/em&gt;.  The data comes from the UK but is nonetheless interesting to all nationalities. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now that you have some more knowledge, you can look into how your martial art can be adapted to help.  This could be as simple as &quot;be more self confidence&quot; or &quot;how not to panic when hit in the face really hard&quot;, or whatever else.  If nothing else, martial art training does improve your ability to cope with violence and defend yourself against it -- be it only fitness to walk/run away. It is possible that your martial art may not be useful for the type of rape that happens in your area.  However, that depends on many external factors and there is no one true way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;em&gt;only thing&lt;/em&gt; that students should come out of a course like that is that &lt;em&gt;there are no easy answers&lt;/em&gt;. They need to stack the odds against being attacked and martial art training is just one part of what they should do. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a side note, if a person wants to join your club because of a sexual assault in their past, please make sure that you support them in contacting your local law enforcement agency about said assault.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit after comment&lt;/strong&gt;: Just to be clear, &lt;em&gt;prevent rape&lt;/em&gt; is in no way, shape, or form meant as &lt;em&gt;victim blame&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2013-02-14T15:12:48.990" LastActivityDate="2013-02-14T15:12:48.990" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1760" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1757" CreationDate="2013-01-29T17:56:52.403" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sardathrion &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1752/70&quot;&gt;already linked&lt;/a&gt; to Marc MacYoung's thoughts, which I would suggest as a starting point for anyone doing a rape defense class. From there, well depends on how much time you have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would say for starters covering where rapes occur and how to avoid being rape (i.e. making yourself less of a target) should be on top of the list. After that you can go into techniques. I usually tell them to &quot;fight like a girl&quot;, meaning punch, kick, bite, gouge eyes, scream, etc., then run to safety as soon as you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find too many rape defense courses focus too much on the techniques and not enough on how to avoid being a victim in the first place, just my opinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-02-01T09:46:48.927" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1761" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1986" CreationDate="2013-01-31T13:22:13.263" Score="8" ViewCount="5196" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm familiar with the basics of Krav Maga (history, philosophy and approach), but not a practitioner.  There's a lot to like in this martial art from my perspective, but I generally don't see any mention of a competitive/sports aspect of the art - in fact, I generally hear practitioners specifically promote how Krav Maga is &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; sports-oriented.  All of this got me to wondering, is there a sports-oriented version/aspect of Krav Maga?  And if so, how does it differ from the more self-defense oriented Krav Maga practice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastActivityDate="2017-07-12T04:25:06.973" Title="Is there a sport aspect to Krav Maga?" Tags="|krav-maga|competition|sport|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1762" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1761" CreationDate="2013-01-31T14:57:06.137" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga is a relatively new martial art which was developed by Israeli military for military applications, as such it does not have a competitive/sports aspect  as with Taekwondo or Seido. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="841" LastActivityDate="2013-01-31T14:57:06.137" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1763" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1757" CreationDate="2013-02-01T18:43:44.380" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've done this a few times back when I was teaching (we described it as &quot;women's self-defense&quot;, not rape specifically).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a short seminar, I concentrated on only two things:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Situational awareness -- basic rules of thumb to stay out of dangerous situations, be aware of your surroundings, and not to act/look like an easy victim.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Practice hitting or kicking something as hard as they can, and not panicking when somebody grabs them or does something physical with them. We only taught basic, can't-screw-it-up techniques like palm-heel strike or kick to the knee or shin.  But it's shocking how many people can't bring themselves to strike with any real force, even an inanimate object like a big kicking pad, or utterly lose their composure if somebody grabs them (even in a class). Not that they don't have the strength, it's just that they've never willed their body to apply their force to striking something and (especially for women) are conditioned to be very hesitant to do it. Heck, sometimes it was a struggle just to have them give a good loud yell. Breaking that mental barrier -- not panic because they're in a physical situation, yell loud, hit hard -- was, I figured, the biggest improvement somebody could make in a couple hours, and it didn't require teaching anything that couldn't be mastered in minutes. For some of them, it was a revelation that they could actually make their voice and body do it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="698" LastEditorUserId="698" LastEditDate="2014-11-21T20:01:13.973" LastActivityDate="2014-11-21T20:01:13.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1764" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1767" CreationDate="2013-02-02T01:08:10.917" Score="13" ViewCount="11837" Body="&lt;p&gt;A number of posts here mention, &quot;Belt Factories.&quot;  I am becoming a bit suspicious of the place my daughter is at.  There are a lot of wonderful things about it, but they really do seem to advance kids rather quickly and sometimes before they are able to do forms without following others.  She is in TKD.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How long should advancement from one belt to the next normally take?&lt;br&gt;&#xA;How does one learn exactly what is being watched for during tests?&#xA;Are tests and passing requirements fairly standard Or fairly subjective?&#xA;Are there different standards for advancement for children than adults (they seem more lenient with children).&#xA;Once &quot;invited&quot; to test, kids seem not to fail.  Is this the red flag I think it is?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sorry about the long list of questions - I'm trying to make my thoughts/concerns clear.  If you were choosing a new Dojo, what would the red flags you would look for and avoid be?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="816" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2013-02-02T17:12:08.950" LastActivityDate="2018-11-23T21:46:01.880" Title="Avoiding &quot;Belt Factories&quot;" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|schools|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1765" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1764" CreationDate="2013-02-02T02:10:56.530" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't worry about it too much - kids belts are not the same as ones received by adults; ask sensei what he thinks about all that&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;imho, as long as dojo doesn't make this belt factory it's core business (charging extra for every test and encouraging students to take more and more tests), it's not a big deal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="759" LastEditorUserId="759" LastEditDate="2013-02-02T02:29:54.940" LastActivityDate="2013-02-02T02:29:54.940" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1766" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1757" CreationDate="2013-02-02T02:48:33.000" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of my old instructor used to teach a couple of ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;3-hour seminar&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One approach was a free, one evening seminar (3 hour long) usually offered in the first or second week of the term at a university. Obviously this was a very limited unit. The focus was on rape-by-force and rape-in-a-coercive-social-setting scenarios (not the whole story of course, but it is the kind of thing that martial arts can help with). Materials covered include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Message of empowerment: you don't have to put up with that.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Situational awareness and avoidance. Avoid going into the dark and isolated parts of campus and the surrounding spaces alone at night; keep eyes out in parking lots; the blue lights are bike-patrol call boxes and they will escort you and so on. Avoid being too drunk in social setting with people you don't know very well; especially without a buddy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lots of emphasis on the buddy system for social settings. Your sober (or at least more sober) buddy is a resource for identifying and avoid threats and a possible deterrent to casual attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A shouting-in-peoples-faces warmup exercise which tied into the&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Three part strategy for a potential rape-by-force scenario: (1) draw attention (2) escape (3) evade. This was where the physical part of the unit came in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The strategy was shout/escape/follow-up/run/keep-shouting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basic technique escapes from two wrist grabs, a couple of bear hugs and the hammer lock were taught, each with a distracting or off-balancing strike at the end. Technique was practiced on some &lt;s&gt;victi&lt;/s&gt; volunteers brought along for the role (me!), and on each other to a lesser extent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Emphasis that the purpose of that counter is to make time to get away. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some discussion of &lt;em&gt;where&lt;/em&gt; to run. That is, towards people.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously this kind of thing is &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; limited, there just isn't enough time to do much and many students don't have much by way or preparation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And truth be told it was also a kind of loss leader for the PE course version which would bring in a little money.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;A 12 week PE course through the local university.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Two hours twice a week and students encouraged to practice outside of class. Not &quot;rape prevention&quot; as such, but it was a goal in the unit and made part of the discussion. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here there is a comprehensive set of ~16 escapes and a more flexible set of counters (some throws and some counter-lock-then-shove), and the students drill them with the goal of being able to react in under one second when blindfolded and presented with the attacks in unknown order and side. Again, more experienced students from the &quot;martial arts&quot; group would participate. That blindfold drill was instructive to me, I thought I knew my stuff but I fell apart the first few time through the drill.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some confined spaces (other students hold up some of the mats to make a corridor) and low light work.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some plain old physical fitness, but not strongly emphasized. A system that requires you to be a trooper to use just isn't going to work for most people.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Because the student do much more trading of technique they get chance to understanding that they &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; go on after being thrown about a bit. This being a beginner's class at the University they were not subject to really serious abuse. (The instructor use to brag that his classes had a lower injury rate than the golf classes.)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="210" LastEditorUserId="210" LastEditDate="2013-05-03T00:38:19.083" LastActivityDate="2013-05-03T00:38:19.083" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1767" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1764" CreationDate="2013-02-02T04:00:57.860" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some of the answers on the following questions may be helpful: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/681/11&quot;&gt;What qualifies a school or business as a legitimate martial arts system?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/759/11&quot;&gt;How important is lineage when it comes to credibility or trustworthiness?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/160/11&quot;&gt;What characteristics should I look for in a sensei?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of the danger signs I would look for in what people call a &quot;Belt Factory&quot;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Either significant cost per belt or lots and lots of belt tests that all cost money, especially if there are more than 10 or so between 10 kup and 1 dan.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Long contracts, especially those that have high penalties for leaving them or that are either required or foisted on you quickly after joining. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Special &quot;black belt tracks&quot; that promise to get you your &quot;black belt&quot; in some certain length of time. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1765/11&quot;&gt;As SteveV said&lt;/a&gt;: It is pretty common for &quot;kids belts&quot; to be somewhat different.  This is even formalized somewhat in some schools of Tae Kwon Do, which given a &quot;junior black belt&quot; (sometimes called a &lt;em&gt;poom&lt;/em&gt; (품)).  It also isn't uncommon for the higher &lt;em&gt;kup&lt;/em&gt; grades (9, 8, etc) to go relatively quickly, even among adults, especially in more modern schools. That's neither good nor bad: Ranks are arbitrary and can give people a sense of advancement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally things get significantly slower the farther you progress.  For us (in my Hapkido class) things start to slow down at 5th kup, and it isn't uncommon for the time between 3rd kup and 1st dan to take longer than the time between 10th kup (white belt) and 3rd kup.  Generally it's traditional for dan ranks to take at least as long as the number on the belt to progress to the next rank (they also frequently cost significantly more money if you are part of an organization).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To specifically answer your questions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How long should advancement from one belt to the next normally take?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is highly variable, because what a &quot;belt&quot; or a &quot;rank&quot; means is a highly variable concept.   Early ones will go quickly and not nearly as much is expected out of the students as later ranks.  This goes double when teaching children. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Among adults in modern TKD schools, I'm seeing 2-4 months per belt pretty commonly before you get into the lower kup numbers.   For TKD I'd expect the dan ranks to almost always take around (or at least, more realistically) the time on the belt (so 1 dan to 2 dan takes 1 year, 2 dan to 3 dan takes 2 years, etc).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How does one learn exactly what is being watched for during tests? Are tests and passing requirements fairly standard Or fairly subjective?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depends on the school.  For us tests are mostly just a formality: You aren't going to be given the test unless you are ready for the next promotion (as my instructor's instructor says: everyone has bad days and good days, you aren't going to hold someone back for a single bad day or promote them for a single good day when you see them 2-4+ times a week).  In those cases the test is mostly just an opportunity to push yourself and to show yourself what you can do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some schools do grade them harshly, but even these tend to be tweaked based on the student (e.g., by their age and physical capabilities) and, certainly, by their rank.  My instructor (8 dan Jidokwan Tae Kwon Do, 8 dan Hapkido) says that he still has things in his first form in TKD that he is working on.  Perfection is never required by a sane school. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Are there different standards for advancement for children than adults (they seem more lenient with children).&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Almost always.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Once &quot;invited&quot; to test, kids seem not to fail. Is this the red flag I think it is?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Especially among kids, but even among adults, I would not view it as such. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I said earlier: In my school, you won't be invited to test until the teacher observes that you are ready.  At that point, the writing is on the wall.  For example, when I tested for my 2nd dan, my teacher has been working with me for years and the process to go from my temp black to my 2 dan test took over a year.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He could have failed me, but why even invite me to test?   There might be a lesson in there, but much more straightforward to just threaten to take a belt away if the student is not acting accordingly than to invite them to test and then reject them because they had a bad day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;None of this to say that this school is or isn't a &quot;belt factory,&quot; simply that this these aren't the signs I look for when asking that question. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-02-02T04:00:57.860" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1768" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1610" CreationDate="2013-02-03T05:09:27.260" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well talking about shorter leg. i think wide soled shoes will work out but.. might be not. If you have acheived your dan.. then u mst be a good player. I think you have got to turn your basics and modify them. I mean to say go as per comfort. Dont you wory about shoes thats the least important thing in martial arts. The key is proper execution of your moves. You can get ordered shoes as per yor wants. And might you can asjust it with high and low healed shoes in alternate legs.. Hope this helps..&#xA;-adrocks09..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="933" LastActivityDate="2013-02-03T05:09:27.260" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1769" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1770" CreationDate="2013-02-05T17:01:01.110" Score="8" ViewCount="1492" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just recently started kickboxing/Muay Thai and my round to the bag causes a great deal of pain after a while. (20-30 kicks)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know you build up strength in your shins overtime, and most people advise against rolling bottles or wood on your shins because uneven rolling can cause painful &quot;bumps&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What is the best way to increase shin strength?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="934" LastEditorUserId="934" LastEditDate="2013-02-05T20:24:47.987" LastActivityDate="2014-06-10T18:47:41.707" Title="How do I increase shin strength?" Tags="|kicking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1770" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1769" CreationDate="2013-02-05T18:47:48.097" Score="8" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Pain&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds like the problem isn't strength so much as your shins hurting when you hit the bag. The pain will get better if you keep hitting the bag several times a week to the point of discomfort or mild pain, but stopping before severe soreness or severe pain. You'll get used to the feeling. If you only go to class once or twice a week, an additional home workout or two is called for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Strength&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd make sure to do heavy barbell squats, deadlifts, lunges, and farmer's walks in order to increase bone density, strength, and overall resistance to injury. That will help make sure that the shin pain doesn't develop into real injury. Once those are in place, I suppose sprints, jumps, and other forms of high-impact supplemental training could help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-02-05T19:20:57.187" LastActivityDate="2013-02-05T19:20:57.187" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1772" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2160" CreationDate="2013-02-08T17:57:09.350" Score="12" ViewCount="3308" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many ITF-based taekwondo practitioners come to notice a difference between different ITF-based organizations with some groups teaching a direct, forceful style and others teaching a more timed, flowing style often referred to as a &quot;sine wave&quot; style.  What are the defining characteristics of this &quot;sine wave&quot; approach to ITF hyungs/tuls and how did this style originate?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastActivityDate="2020-09-21T05:07:05.807" Title="What is the &quot;sine wave&quot; substyle of ITF taekwondo and how did it originate?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|forms|itf|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1773" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1772" CreationDate="2013-02-08T20:38:05.523" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &quot;sine wave&quot; terminology is used, in my experience, to refer to a more bouncing method of footwork in forms. A linear, non-size-wave execution of kata, such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hc1NMdjU9U&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this performance from Shotokan&lt;/a&gt;, values direct movement, crisp end positions, and minimal up-and-down movement between stances. In contrast, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho-uCckdv3I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this &quot;sine-wavey&quot; performance from ITF TKD&lt;/a&gt; exemplifies the up-and-down, more fluid method that the term refers to. Notice the exaggerated way that the practitioner settles into each step, and the alternating slow-fast cadence of each movement. This is dissimilar from the rather even pace that the Shotokan stylist uses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not familiar with the origin of this style, except to note that preferences regarding the look and feel of kata performance naturally change over time and with different personalities in charge. But the salient differences seem to be:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;More fluid movement rather than crisp, paused stances&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Up-and-down movement during steps instead of maintaining a constant vertical position&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rhythmic slow/fast cadence instead of steady&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Settling into each stance rather than stepping into it plainly&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-02-08T20:38:05.523" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1774" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-02-08T20:53:40.313" Score="12" ViewCount="2830" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm looking to put together a list of all the technique terms for: boxing, muay thai.  Such as the names for all the different punches, kicks, knees, elbow punches, etc...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyone know if there is a list of these available online somewhere (pics are not a full requirement, as I can find images from other resources once I have a complete list of the names).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks in advance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="928" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2013-02-09T08:25:15.383" LastActivityDate="2018-08-23T03:01:29.367" Title="Terminology: List of all boxing and muay thai technique terms with example photos" Tags="|technique|kickboxing|boxing|terminology|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1775" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2013-02-09T08:29:54.843" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;I'll leave this for someone who practice the art to fill in...&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Links&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ifmamuaythai.org/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;International Federation of Muay Thai Amateur&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muay_Thai&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Obligatory wikipedia page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2013-02-17T02:45:24.557" LastActivityDate="2013-02-17T02:45:24.557" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1776" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2013-02-09T08:29:54.843" Score="0" Body="Muay-Thai (มวยไทย), or &quot;Thai boxing&quot;, is a martial art from Thailand. It uses stand-up striking (i.e., punches, elbows, knees, and kicks) and various clinching techniques for takedowns and close-range fighting (i.e., with elbows and knees)." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-06-22T15:01:56.353" LastActivityDate="2020-06-22T15:01:56.353" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1778" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2140" CreationDate="2013-02-10T03:29:48.260" Score="13" ViewCount="465" Body="&lt;p&gt;Several Irish weapons-based martial arts were recently brought to my attention (through the writings of John Hurley):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Scianóireacht - knife arts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tuadóireacht - various forms of axe-fighting&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Corránóireacht - sickle fighting&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Spealadóireacht - scythe fighting&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Súisteáil - flail fighting&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm somewhat familiar with the more common shillelagh style (aka Irish stick fighting), but these others are unknown to me.  A survey of medieval fighting style resources and other sources familiar to me came up empty.  Are there any reliable sources of information (manuals, transcriptions of oral traditions or living practitioners) on any of these old, weapons-based Irish martial arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastActivityDate="2013-08-08T22:22:25.913" Title="Is there any information on pre-19th century Irish weapons-based martial arts?" Tags="|weapons|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1781" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1751" CreationDate="2013-02-12T15:11:19.870" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I fully agree with Sardathrion that there are almost &lt;strong&gt;always signs&lt;/strong&gt; before actual violence, because violence is almost always an &lt;strong&gt;escalation&lt;/strong&gt;. Even when there are no signs of the attack itself (e.g. a drive-by shooting), there is an history of violent escalation (insults, threats, etc.).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the inadequacy of martial arts with the real world, I'd first say that the many successful fights many of my martial arts practitioners friends got into are a strong body of evidence, if not conclusive proof, that martial arts &amp;quot;work&amp;quot;. And some of these friends are lanky skinny geeks. In one instance, a 11 years old weighing 30kg wet defeated two seemingly brawny 13 years old (they were racketing an even smaller kid in an alley). Which goes to show that &lt;strong&gt;good technique goes a long way&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But having tried a few martial arts (karate, judo, ju-jutsu, iaido and aikido), I must admit that they are not all equal in this matter, and appearances may be treacherous. First, the more sport-like an art is, the less easy it will be to apply in a real fight. In this sense, Ju-jutsu, being the most versatile one, may offer you the most: whether you kick, grapple, or get on the ground, you'll be on familiar ground (no pun intended). Judo would be the opposite, being very much a sport and less a martial art. But even being good at Karate would be enough to get the upper hand in many real fights: a good efficient punch or kick is often all you need to stop the fight (contrary to what Hollywood would have us believe, most people stop fighting quite quickly; it hurts like hell, after all).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for appearances, I sometimes wonder if this is not the source of this myth: many martials arts, when observed by a non-practitioner, &lt;strong&gt;seem&lt;/strong&gt; fake. Heck, even me, when I practice Aïkido, sometimes feel like the sensei's assistant willingly went the way he was supposed to, to make the demonstration better. And my feeling is strengthened when I try the technique and it has no efficiency on my partner or me. But then I practice the same technique with a seasoned aikidoka, and I'm &lt;strong&gt;flying&lt;/strong&gt; each time he applies only the most subtle pressure in the right direction. And some of these impressive techniques take a few years to fully sink in enough to be used both correctly and instinctively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I can understand why someone that &lt;strong&gt;only observed or quickly tried&lt;/strong&gt; a martial art would think they could never apply in a real fight. But it's clearly an &lt;strong&gt;uninformed opinion&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And I don't wish 5 of my worst enemies to try and fight the more experienced martial artists I know… (well, actually, it would not be that bad, many of them are very level-headed in a fight and would probably try to end it with the least amount of violence).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="941" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-11-14T17:19:50.690" LastActivityDate="2022-11-14T17:19:50.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1782" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1689" CreationDate="2013-02-12T15:58:30.133" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The thing is, until you have gained some understanding, you &lt;strong&gt;really cannot tell which is wrong&lt;/strong&gt;. This is why in some dojos the etiquette dictate that noone under 1st dan is allowed to give explanations (which just follows the principle that in any japanese art, not only the martial ones, 1st dan means you're able to teach below your rank).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One sempai recently gave me a piece of additional advice: you can always repeat the words of the sensei.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my experience, sometimes when my partner seems wrong, he's actually doing something that challenges my preconceptions about the technique. So I try to go with it and understand something new, if only that what he does is utterly wrong. But I try hard to believe they might be something right until a sempai or sensei corrects us (and I do mean &lt;strong&gt;us&lt;/strong&gt;, because when my partner does something utterly wrong, usually I was also doing something wrong).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="941" LastActivityDate="2013-02-12T15:58:30.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1783" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="28" CreationDate="2013-02-14T11:59:30.173" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;To stop a nosebleed first, hold your nose with a soft cloth, a tissue, or, a clean cotton wool. This will reduce the mess of flowing blood and will result in lessening your irritation with the nosebleed, when its over.&#xA;Second, while holding down your nose with a soft cloth through one hand, lean forward as much as you can, and pinch your nostrils with another hand for 10 minutes, at this moment you can breathe from your mouth. Try to wait for maximum of 10 minutes. It seems difficult, right? But, in order to stop the nosebleed quickly, its worth to hold on for such a long time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="955" LastActivityDate="2013-02-14T11:59:30.173" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1784" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1659" CreationDate="2013-02-15T14:19:29.200" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The old techniques of hojo undo were not necessarily just for strength training, it is my understanding that they were also a body conditioning exercise designed to create tiny micro fractures in the bone and muscles with each strike causing them to build back harder and more dense, with the use of the repetitive striking. After a few years of this you get a very very strong bone structure. It was my understanding that this was sort of the japanese form of the chinese iron palm and iron body training. &#xA;Most of the techniques used were created by a japanese doctor to aid the elderly to supplement for strength and speed, using the idea that if the body is hardened it becomes more difficult to damage. &#xA;There are multiple videos on youtube of mas oyama from kyoukushin karate and many others doing this type of training, many are breaking wooden baseball bats with the radial bone of their wrists due to this conditioning. I watched a thing on fight science about this recently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="959" LastActivityDate="2013-02-15T14:19:29.200" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1785" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1313" CreationDate="2013-02-15T15:05:21.600" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://secure.gracieacademy.com/categories/grappling-mats/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://secure.gracieacademy.com/categories/grappling-mats/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Gracie Academy often has sales of their style of grappling mats. Not knowing much about BJJ, I don't know anything else to suggest but wait for these to go on sale, and then order some. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="960" LastActivityDate="2013-02-15T15:05:21.600" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1786" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-02-18T07:34:02.943" Score="15" ViewCount="1810" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been practicing kung fu for the past one and a half years. I can do head level basic kicks like roundhouse, side and front kicks but when I spar I don't feel like attacking the opponent. I seem to prefer blocking. &#xA;How can I get rid of this mental block?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="872" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-02-18T08:50:19.390" LastActivityDate="2013-10-16T12:27:24.330" Title="Start attacking instead of blocking while sparring" Tags="|sparring|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="10" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1787" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1786" CreationDate="2013-02-18T08:49:51.980" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This question has already been kicked around here a few times in slightly different forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a whole list of things I could mention but personally I think the key thing is to gain experience, which you can only do by training more and sparring more. The exact 'thing' required is different for each person. For me (many years ago) it was the realisation that I could (i.e. had the capability) hurt and disable my opponent and therefore end the fight - this mainly came down to having confidence in my ability and technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't forget that you are not there just for your sparring partner to practice on - by 'beating' your sparring opponent you are doing them a favour and showing them the weaknesses in their technique (while building up your own proficiency - success breeds success).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While you may feel comfortable doing head high kicks in practice this in no way translates to sparring ability - in fact I would always advocate &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; using a head kick until the moment is right (a head kick is considerably slower than other types of kick). Stick with some shorter and more basic moves and don't forget to move around and read your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2013-02-18T08:49:51.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1788" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1786" CreationDate="2013-02-18T10:47:28.133" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You could try to focus on counter attacks for a while. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As soon as you receive a kick (and preferably block it) you immediately answer it with a kick on your own. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This helps your reflexes, may catch you opponent off-guard and -most importantly- you don't have to think about when might be a good time for an attack: your opponent gives you the command for your attack by their action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This way you may get used to the feeling of attacking and later start your own attacks to get more control of the bout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastActivityDate="2013-02-18T10:47:28.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1789" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1313" CreationDate="2013-02-18T10:54:43.510" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I live in a city with a training facility of the national Judo team (i think that's what it is) since Judo is olympic they receive quite a lot of funding. This leads to them perceiving mats as 'old' quite quickly and so they buy new one and get rid of the old ones frequently.&#xA;I got a bunch of slightly used mats for cheap from there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TL'DR: A well funded training facility may be willing to sell used materials cheaply.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastActivityDate="2013-02-18T10:54:43.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1790" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1679" CreationDate="2013-02-18T21:51:21.137" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my experience point-stop sparring can really lead to 'tag'-like situations, where both opponents are only trying to touch eachother as quickly as possibly with no regard for what happens after the attack / counter-attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the most frequently used techniques in TKD point-break is the jumping back fist, after which the attacker basicly falls over the defender and counts on the fact that the match is stopped to check if there was a score.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll find that training for point-break does have it's merits though. There should be a strong emphasis on explosiveness and accuracy. It also teaches you to see openings really well.&#xA;On the other hand the drills are focused on single attacks/counter-attacks and on a limited set of techniques. There's usually no point in training a double-punch combo followed by a round kick to the belly button for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Continuous sparring is often the favorite with people who believe 'sparring' should mimick a real fight as much as possible. There's a lot more contact and both participants are therefore forced to keep engaging and exchanging. You'll find a lot more combinations being thrown here and a lot more styles of fighting can be succesful.&#xA;Emphasis during training is on a greater variety of techniques and combinations and the sparring drills are different as well. You'll see that condition places a big role in this form of sparring as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I have always favored the continuous style of sparring and found it the most rewarding. That being said I believe you should always try to learn from what other aspects of the sport have to offer as they will almost always allow you to grow as a competitor and/or martial artist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="967" LastActivityDate="2013-02-18T21:51:21.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1791" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1786" CreationDate="2013-02-18T23:58:19.267" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;imho, you can do it in 3 ways; I am not sure what could be applied in kung fu, but here it is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;hard&lt;/em&gt;: your block itself is so strong and hard that it will hurt the&#xA;attacking arm/leg (like in shotokan)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;soft&lt;/em&gt;: let the attack fall through, attack at the same time (some&#xA;variations of aikido)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;semi-hard&lt;/em&gt;: cross the direction of the attack with your &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1652/759&quot;&gt;vertical punch&lt;/a&gt; (wing&#xA;chun) - you should strike at the same time (perhaps, a split second later) than your opponent, deflecting his strike and delivering yours &lt;strong&gt;at the same time&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(if you want to know more, please take a minute to read my answer, explaining soft/hard/semihard concepts &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1680/759&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="759" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-02-19T00:03:32.850" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1792" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1786" CreationDate="2013-02-19T01:04:53.443" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have two methods I rely on when I become a counter-puncher (or counter-thrower, or passive grappler). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The first is to simply &lt;strong&gt;attack constantly&lt;/strong&gt;. You will become tired. That's okay, you'll get in better condition. You will make mistakes. That's okay, mistakes are what practice is for. Start every round (against competent, non-noob partners) with an unrelenting torrent of controlled attacks. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The second is to &lt;strong&gt;set a mental timer&lt;/strong&gt;. It goes up to, say, ten and resets every time you make a committed attack. This allows for timing, feints, and counter-attacks and spares you a little wind compared to the first option. It imparts urgency.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Introspect&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But really, the best solution is to look inside yourself, and ask: why do you feel like blocking? Are you afraid of getting countered, knocked down, blocked, injured? Is this a new problem, or did it arise recently? Track down and destroy the root of this mental block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the issue is that you're afraid of hurting someone, then ask yourself why that is. Did you hurt a partner in the past? Do you not have control of your technique? Do you not enjoy being hit yourself? Recognize that trying hard to defeat your opponent is the very best thing you can do to help their progress. In judo, this is known as &lt;em&gt;jita kyoei&lt;/em&gt;, or mutual benefit and welfare. The idea is that by challenging each other, all students improve together. By depriving your partner of a diligent attempt to kick them in the head, you are stunting their growth as a martial artist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-02-19T17:57:08.370" LastActivityDate="2013-02-19T17:57:08.370" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1793" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-02-19T21:40:44.797" Score="5" ViewCount="448" Body="&lt;p&gt;Suppose you have a room full of people. You have access to all their biometrics: the mass of their arms, their body, and so on. You can also make them punch in open air and measure their punching speed or whatever else. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without making them actually punch a board, how do you determine who has the most breaking power? Is it momentum, kinetic energy, or some other simple physical amount?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="968" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-02-20T16:03:59.937" LastActivityDate="2017-03-16T12:36:03.567" Title="What is the best way to determine board-breaking ability?" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1794" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1793" CreationDate="2013-02-19T22:30:05.503" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Answer to the altered question&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Still &lt;em&gt;&quot;Neither&quot;&lt;/em&gt;. Breaking occurs when the localized strain exceeds the elastic limit of the material. That depends on the geometry of the board, it's supports and the location of the impact and on the &lt;strong&gt;peak pressure&lt;/strong&gt; applied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The geometric dependence is why you want to get a good hit in the center.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Answer to the original question&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most correct answer is &lt;em&gt;&quot;Neither&quot;&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Seriously, trying to use physics 101 concepts to understand biological damage in a fight is simply silly. If you insist on picking a single concept that is accessible on that level I'd look at either &quot;peak force&quot; or &quot;peak pressure&quot;, but those aren't complete answers either because it also matters what part of the body you are hitting and how you opponent reacts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an aside, I have seen a lot of people try to analyze this using physics 101, discrete-body collision kinematics. Usually &lt;em&gt;elastic&lt;/em&gt; collisions at that. That's not merely silly but downright stupid as we're not talking about free collisions of rigid objects.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Both the impacting bit and the hit bit are connected to extended bodies by a complicated gantry of rigid and tensile bits.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Both he the impacting bit and the hit bit may be subjected to active internal forces.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Both bodies are likely in active contact with the ground, so they are very much not free.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The make-up of human bodies is complicated. Different tissues can tolerate different levels of stress which often differ depending on what kind of stress (compressive, tensile shear) you're talking about.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In some cases a win can be scored on the opponents psychology or morale without dealing a traumatic physical injury&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="210" LastEditorUserId="210" LastEditDate="2013-02-19T22:55:02.517" LastActivityDate="2013-02-19T22:55:02.517" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1795" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1786" CreationDate="2013-02-20T03:45:10.073" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A good attack is an attack that succeeds. In order for an attack to succeed, it has to make contact with a proper area on the partner's body. In order for an attack to make proper contact, the way has to be clear, that is to say, it must not be blocked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, how do you throw an attack that does not get blocked?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Throw the attack so fast that the partner cannot react&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Throw so many attacks that the partner cannot keep track of them&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Feint so the partner tries to block somewhere else, this will open the area you really want to hit&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Throw a strike the partner cannot see: if they don't know it's coming, they can't block it&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Make your partner over-commit to an attack, so they open up and you get a nice target&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If all else fails, you could always ask them to stand still and then beat them up...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One good drill to help you is to work with a partner at quarter-speed. You always attack, he always blocks. Both of you are moving at only a quarter of the speed of a normal sparring match. Neither of you is allowed to speed up. Your goal is to chain your attacks, that is, as soon as one attack ends, another one begins. You must always attempt to make contact: there is no feinting in this drill. None of the attacks are allowed to be 'setup' attacks, either: there is no such thing as 'this round-house kick will get blocked but will put me in a good position for the strike I really want to throw'. Do this for three minutes, then switch roles. The defender's role is relatively simple: he is not allowed to attack, but he is allowed to sidestep, dodge, block, roll, weave.. Whatever is necessary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Quarter-speed is important: your brain will not move as fast as your body, at first. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2013-02-20T03:45:10.073" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1796" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1793" CreationDate="2013-02-20T04:05:28.273" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe dmckee is right when it comes to the physics of board breaking. I might not have his physics credentials, but I've still studied a bit of it myself and would have made the same argument. Whatever technique you are using to break that board, if the strain is greater than the local resistance of the board, it will break. This is influenced by the nature of the material as well as it's geometry, and that's pretty much it. No matter if someone has strong punching power or not, as long as he has at least the minimum power required to break the board, he will break it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;In the next part of my answer, I will try to stick to &quot;physics 101&quot;, and try to outline where it is insufficient in answering the question accurately. I invite dmckee and other more versed than I am in physics to correct me if I make any mistakes. My only wish is that the spirit of this answer (its reliance on &quot;physics 101&quot; and the outline of it's shortcomings) remains untouched.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Concerning your update... In my opinion, &lt;strong&gt;no matter what kind of biometrics you have access to&lt;/strong&gt;, there is no way to measure someone's punching/board breaking power without actually having them punch/break boards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is because the use of momentum in martial arts is way more complex than simply measuring your weight and speed and multiplying them together. Sure, that's the gist of it, but what portion of your total weight do you actually put behind your punch? It can depend on a lot of different factors, such as the quality of your stance or the efficiency of your weight transfer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an example, let's say I weigh twice as much as you do. According to you, I'd automatically have double the punching power. This interpretation is somewhat limited. What if I only punched using my arms, without regards to my stance or without shifting weight to my punch? If you had a better technique, you could easily achieve superior punching power. Momentum can indeed help you determine the punching power of an individual but, sadly, it's just about impossible to measure accurately, as there are too many factors to consider.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And even then, as dmckee said, that's not counting on the internal forces that you are applying to your body while punching. Different individuals will have different tolerances allowing for more or less powerful punches. What good is punching at your maximum power if your hand/elbow/joint/etc. breaks just as much as the board? Psychological limitations will also play a part here. Even given superior potential, someone afraid to injure himself (you are attempting to hit wooden boards, after all) will be at a disadvantage compared someone confident in his ability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And about kinetic energy? Assuming the perfect punch, where you are able to transfer 100% of your energy to your target, kinetic energy becomes a measure of your maximum potential damage on that specific strike. But, like momentum, what mass are you using in your calculations anyways? Only that of your fist? Of your whole body? And once again, the amount of kinetic energy you will be able to transfer as a deformation to your target depends on the target's nature, it's geometry and your own capacity to strike accurately on a location that will maximize the damage. And, not surprisingly, the momentum of your strike is a direct measure of how difficult stopping your punch will be, and thus influences greatly the amount of kinetic energy you will transfer to your target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wether you want it or not, both kinetic energy and momentum will matter in some way. Unfortunately, they are pretty much impossible to measure without actually breaking progressively harder boards, as there are too many different factors to consider, some of which even the best doctors probably wouldn't think about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope this shed some light on the situation for some of you, and I do hope I have not made a big fool of myself...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2013-02-20T04:05:28.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1797" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="104" CreationDate="2013-02-21T15:39:29.680" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Try reading Doug Wile's 3 tai chi books &quot;Tai chi touchstones&quot;, &quot;Lost tai chi classics from the late ch'ing dynasty&quot; and &quot;Tai Chi Ancestors&quot;, all available from Amazon.  Wile traces the first use of &quot;internal&quot; to (From the Lost Classics book)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Huang Tsung-hsi's (1610-95) &quot;Wang Cheng-nang mu-chih ming&quot; (Epitaph&#xA;  for Wang Cheng-nan) and his son Pai-chia's &quot;Nei-chia ch'uan-fa&quot;&#xA;  (Methods of the internal school of pugilism) which describes a&#xA;  strategy of &quot;stillness overcoming movement&quot; and &quot;reversing the&#xA;  principles of Shaolin&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may also find &lt;a href=&quot;http://mikesigman.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/silk-reeling-aka-six-harmonies-movement.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this blog post by Mike Sigman&lt;/a&gt; of interest where he covers a lot of ground in relation to internal arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="689" LastEditorUserId="689" LastEditDate="2013-03-04T19:19:59.733" LastActivityDate="2013-03-04T19:19:59.733" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1799" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1793" CreationDate="2013-02-26T14:07:38.940" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I guess this does not really answer your question: I wanted to add as a comment, but I reckon that because I have just joined this particular forum, I might not have enough privileges to add a comment. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But here is my view; two-fold approach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;1 - Power Generation&lt;/b&gt;&#xA;From my experience, the Karate guys are the best in this. A good way of assessing a partner's generation of power is getting him or her to perform the punch in &lt;b&gt;slow-motion&lt;/b&gt;. If you understand the principles of power-generation you will be able to really appreciate another person's skill when they do so in slow motion: the movements must be controlled, coherent to their positioning and look graceful and effortless. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;2 - Focus and Concentration&lt;/b&gt;&#xA;A Martial Arts student who has spent enough time training their mind and emotion (ironically a lot of students and instructors ignore emotions and frame of mind completely) will learn to be focused and really eliminate all distraction. This will lead to the build up of that emotional drive that adds extra speed and resistance to pain for example just like when we get hit by an adrenal bump. The reason why technique is important is that without control, you are just an uncontrolled irrational being. Your emotions to create a predator-like frame of mind while your technique would allow your attack to be accurate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So that's what I would look for someone in your case scenario. Wooden boards or cardboard is irrelevant... what matters is what the fighter has within themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="975" LastEditorUserId="975" LastEditDate="2013-02-26T14:41:53.280" LastActivityDate="2013-02-26T14:41:53.280" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1800" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1786" CreationDate="2013-02-26T15:41:17.977" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think you are pretty much on the right track when you say 'mental block'. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are not attacking; and it is very likely that you are not attacking because: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1 - you don't have enough confidence in your knock-out power&#xA;2 - you are afraid you will be exposed and counter-attacked. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;for the first one, I would train control and precision. Train in slow-motion. This cannot be over-emphasized. Accuracy, control and economic movements (as to not telegraph what you are doing) are the three main components for this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the second one, you need to acknowledge that eventually you will get hit. This is something that only experience will provide you with confidence that a) your technique is polished and b) that your confidence will provide you a safe betting on risking exposure via an attack. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would advise against trying to block. learn good foot-work and keep your distance while keeping your stance down. When it feels right to hit, hit with confidence... it is all about letting it go (with control)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="975" LastEditorUserId="975" LastEditDate="2013-02-26T17:36:33.777" LastActivityDate="2013-02-26T17:36:33.777" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1801" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1757" CreationDate="2013-02-26T15:50:25.180" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most importantly of all, &lt;b&gt;awareness&lt;/b&gt;. I train outdoors a coupe of days a week in a dark path with some friends. we go there because there are not too many people passing by and because the lack of light and slippery or wet surfaces make a good and realistic training environment for urban combat survival. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Still, surprisingly enough we see women walking there by themselves, or with a dog. This is usually after 21:00. Rapists are usually like predators, who will stalk their preys and use deception to launch their attacks. Getting a girl to train punches and kicks with the intent of freeing herself from a rape attack is a ludicrous idea, unless they are dealing with some drunk guys. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best defense for this is teaching people about the psychology of planned attacks and make them aware of how to avoid those places. If it is really necessary for your wife to go through a dark alley alone, it is better to give her a weapon. As I said, predators know when and how to launch an attack against a victim, regardless of being male of female. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="975" LastActivityDate="2013-02-26T15:50:25.180" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1803" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1804" CreationDate="2013-02-28T02:48:37.867" Score="9" ViewCount="2632" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 20 years old, and currently working as an IT professional (meaning I am busy). I want to learn either Muay Thai or BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How many times a week is ideal for me to fully learn? Is 2 times a week enough?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="981" LastActivityDate="2013-03-25T10:25:15.563" Title="Frequency of Martial Arts lessons" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1804" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1803" CreationDate="2013-02-28T03:52:39.367" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you go once a week, you'll make very slow progress. If you go twice a week, your progress will be mediocre. If you go three times or more a week, you'll make steady progress. Training five or more times a week is a whole separate level of learning. (If for some reason you're able to train many times a week, make sure you ease into it. Don't over do it in the first week and risk getting injured. It takes time to get the stamina to do five-plus sessions a week.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether it's enough is up to you. Going twice a week can be frustrating because that ends up being the maximum--that is, if something comes up, then it may be only once a week, and your progress backslides.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-02-28T13:23:07.617" LastActivityDate="2013-02-28T13:23:07.617" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1805" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-02-28T12:55:45.537" Score="10" ViewCount="9700" Body="&lt;p&gt;What and how big negative consequences might martial arts lead to?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was very interested in martial arts when I was younger, and I am still interested. However, I have chosen not to train any martial arts because of my fear of brain damages and/or getting swollen/damaged organs that either look aesthetically bad or are dangerous. It might seem a bit silly, but my academics are important to me, and I would definitely not want to do hurt my potential, neither do I want swollen organs and lose my aesthetics. So how would different martial arts affect these factors (and other possible factors that you might come up with)? I feel a bit insecure about doing kick-boxing since it puts a lot of pressure on the head with kicks, punches, elbows etc., (even though I think I very much would appreciate it), but I am thinking about karate, and possibly grappling too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would be grateful for any help,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thank you in advance!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="982" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-02-28T14:09:55.617" LastActivityDate="2018-07-13T08:42:19.113" Title="How likely is serious injury in martial arts practice?" Tags="|karate|injury|kickboxing|grappling|health|" AnswerCount="11" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1806" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1805" CreationDate="2013-02-28T13:15:04.310" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well, life is not safe at all. I believe that getting injured in a card accident is much higher than getting seriously injured during a training practice or even a competition. You can always ask your partner to be &quot;less harsh&quot; with you if you feel uncomfortable. And keep in mind that no martial art is safe enough. E.g. there are no sparrings in aikido, but people often twist and even break their arms and fingers. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="983" LastActivityDate="2013-02-28T13:15:04.310" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1807" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1805" CreationDate="2013-02-28T13:40:11.407" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;The main thing to understand is that your are in charge of how you train. So if you would like to train light contact, or no contact at all, you should be able to. If your club does not respect that, they are not worthy: Martial Arts nowadays is not as it used to be in terms of need. We need it less for warfare and more for &lt;b&gt;self&lt;/b&gt;-defence. As different people have different needs, if your Martial School does not have this awareness, they probably will not be very helpful to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll enumerate a couple of common injuries that are more or less associated with different styles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Grappling - BJJ&lt;/strong&gt; (of the grappling styles that's the one I have more experience with):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Broken toes - this is due to being on the ground, getting swept.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cauliflower ears, just like rugby guys, due to friction of ears against Gi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sore hip-flexors (sorry not too sure about the spelling) - this is because as a beginner of BJJ you will spend a lot of time on your back with the partner on your guard. This puts a lot of pressure on this area as you are tense and tend to squeeze your legs around the partners waist.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shoulders, some times due to locks applied to quickly before you have the chance to tap-out. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Judo&lt;/strong&gt; - Knees for falling badly; broken fingers for getting it stuck inside your partner's Gi and blisters on your fingers due to friction when gripping. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Interestingly I have had less injuries with stand up fighting style like &lt;strong&gt;Muay Thai&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Kickboxing&lt;/strong&gt;, but the training is sorer because of the hits onto the face and body. Although people tend to think that BJJ is very safe, that's the art I got most injuries from. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find training partners like-minded, people that appreciate the need to keep things safe and enjoy the training. Martial Arts' spectrum is so huge that you can adapt every training into your needs. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To sum up, I would take this approach:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Research the styles you like the most. Then, find out how the clubs in your place train. When speaking with the instructor, be clear to express your concerns and assess whether they have an open-mind towards your needs. Try to do your own researches on youtube and google about what your martial art is about. Then put an ad somewhere looking for partners or private instructors: as long as safety is your priority, the rest will flow. Remember, you don't need contact, strength or condition to simply train and enjoy martial arts as a hobby. In  fact, something I always say: &lt;strong&gt;the slower you train (hence safer), the more control you gain&lt;/strong&gt; (on a long run). The main think about Martial Arts is not about flying kicks or hitting hard; Martial Arts is all about being smart; so &lt;strong&gt;it's not about training hard, it is about training smart.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="975" LastEditorUserId="975" LastEditDate="2014-01-08T08:25:58.917" LastActivityDate="2014-01-08T08:25:58.917" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1808" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1805" CreationDate="2013-02-28T14:22:52.657" Score="28" Body="&lt;p&gt;Everything that's physically challenging carries the chance of injury. Deal with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Running risks joint degeneration. Bicycling can be bad for sexual function and mobility. Hikers get lost and freeze to death. Tennis causes elbow pain. Soccer players blow out their knees. Baseball players risk concussions from wayward pitches to the head. Lifting weights can cause muscle pulls and ligament tears. Sex causes pregnancy, STDs, and feelings. Anything strenuous risks heart attacks, strokes, muscle pulls and joint injury. I can't think of any exercise that doesn't have risks. But--sitting on the couch causes diabetes, heart disease, immobility, boredom, and a boring personality. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Martial arts&quot; is too broad a category to define risks for. The risks are totally different between two karate schools, because one is hard contact and the other is no-contact. Aikidoka and BJJ practitioners both experience accidental joint and soft tissue damage, it's just a question of which joints are more common to get hurt. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If injury prevention is a high priority, then you shouldn't train any sparring arts, nor anything that involves joint locks or drilling with contact. You'd be better served going to a gym and developing a maximum-safety running-and-lifting program. But if you want to learn a martial art, then recognize that all activities carry risks, get over it, find a place to practice where people aren't meatheads and they clean the mats regularly, and start training instead of thinking about it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2016-01-20T19:18:55.383" LastActivityDate="2016-01-20T19:18:55.383" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1809" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1805" CreationDate="2013-02-28T17:31:06.867" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Visit a couple of dojos that interest you and ask about their injury record.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Look for older students; once you cross 50, injuries count more and heal slower.  Moreover you're more likely to have other injuries that complicate your practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ask about training with injuries, and &quot;opt-out&quot;.  I can no longer do kneeling work, and when I visit a new dojo I reveal this and ask if it is OK if I step to the side of the mat when they do kneeling work. Listen to the grounds of the answer, and see if you can live with that reasoning.  Does it make you feel safer? Does it address your concerns?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watch a couple of classes and see if you would feel safe doing what you see. (This particular question will evolve over time).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All physical activity involves a risk of injury. Martial arts involves a higher risk of injury. You must accept that risk to get on the floor. There are ways to minimize the risk (Taiji, aikido, bagua skilled instructors, trusted classmates, strong physical conditioning, prudence).    You also need to decide what you want to learn. If what fascinates you is kick boxing or Krav Maga, then you're going to have to accept a much higher risk of injury than if you're fascinated by internal martial arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the question ought to be, &quot;In this dojo, with these people, doing the art I see, do I feel comfortable about the balance between what I'm learning and the risk of injury?&quot;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although I don't know enough about it, you may want to investigate Capoeira, which I understand to emphasize harmony over conflict in a sligthly different way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2013-02-28T17:31:06.867" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1810" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-03-01T07:25:33.337" Score="13" ViewCount="885" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a research scholar and I have to dedicate a lot of time everyday in front of the computer. This leads to pain in my knees and shoulder. I consulted with doctors and they suggested me some elementary physical exercises. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being just curious, I want to know whether martial arts can help me in dealing with them and also increase my fitness and stamina?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="984" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-03-01T21:05:49.403" LastActivityDate="2013-03-01T22:57:36.593" Title="Are martial arts helpful in dealing with pain from a sedentary lifestyle?" Tags="|training|exercise|health|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1811" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1810" CreationDate="2013-03-01T08:55:14.830" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Yes!&lt;/strong&gt; Martial arts can help you with posture, improve you overall fitness and stamina, and give you the discipline to do things correctly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No!&lt;/strong&gt; There are much better ways to get a good posture and behaviour while working at a desk than joining a martial art class.  You can see a physiotherapist, get a new chair, have a work station safety analysis done, take regular (every hour) breaks, etc... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The benefits you seek within a martial art are side effects of doing a martial art. However, if you find the gym boring and tedious,  a martial art class can offer you a more brain intensive work out.  Again, look at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/80/82&quot;&gt;right dojo&lt;/a&gt; and teacher, not at styles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;On a side note, talking to your doctor was a good decision.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-03-01T08:55:14.830" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1812" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1810" CreationDate="2013-03-01T11:07:59.793" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I give this answer as someone who also spends many hours in front of a computer all day. Note that I am not a doctor, as well as seeing a general practitioner you should also consult a sports oriented doctor (one who deals with more structural problems and physical injuries rather than illnesses).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, the martial arts will not help you with the pain you have, which is most likely caused by your work activity and posture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The pain in your shoulder is most likely caused by &lt;a href=&quot;http://sydneyosteopathicmedicine.com.au/neck-pain/neck-pain-referring-into-other-areas-is-it-a-pinched-nerve/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;referred&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://anatomynotes.blogspot.co.nz/2006/10/referred-pain.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;nerve&lt;/a&gt; pain or a &lt;a href=&quot;http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/rotatorcuff/a/shbursitis.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;localised tendonitis/bursitis&lt;/a&gt; (most likely your &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drryan51.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;bicep tendon&lt;/a&gt; or a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Rotator-Cuff-Injury-and-Inflammation.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;rotator&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000438.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;cuff&lt;/a&gt; inflamation). Note that muscle knots and spasms in the upper latissimus dorsi and teres major muscles can also cause nerve impingement or general discomfort in the shoulder area. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Something you can try is to have a workout at the gym that works the shoulders and upper back. The workout should be light - you are looking to work the muscles and get blood flowing through the areas (lighter weights, 10-20 reps, 3 to 4 sets), but you are not looking to stress the muscle as you would doing heavy weights with low reps. If this alleviates the pain for some time then the likelihood is that you have a soft tissue injury that can be managed yourself or with the help of a physiotherapist. If this doesn't alleviate the pain at all or for long then it is likely that you have a more serious nerve/ligament issue that is going to take some more intrusive work to fix.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The pain in your knees is curious and is quite possibly a sympton of something totally unrelated. Are you overweight? Do you play other sports? Do you have &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/7625.php&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;arthritis or rheumatism&lt;/a&gt;? There are too few clues to go on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In any case the pain control that you may learn through martial arts is not an adequate way to treat these injuries.&lt;/strong&gt; Go and see a specialist - it may be costly but it should be worth it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2013-03-01T11:07:59.793" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1813" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1810" CreationDate="2013-03-01T15:38:03.810" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Physical activity &gt; Physical inactivity&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts can help with combating the ill effects of sedentarism, but martial arts aren't very special in that regard. Some instruction on proper posture is common, but exercises or practices to maximize it are not common. I'd recommend martial arts because it's a fun way to stay active while learning a skill, but not because it fixes posture. For that, I'd direct you to physical culture: lifting, physical therapy, specific exercises and practices (covered somewhat in &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/q/6994/1771&quot;&gt;these&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/q/6/1771&quot;&gt;questions&lt;/a&gt; on Fitness.SE) to fix and prevent bad posture from sitting. Yoga would come before martial arts as a supplement for these things. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, martial arts--again, like many physical activities--can greatly help with overall fitness and stamina. So would soccer, weightlifting, running, squash, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Define &quot;Martial Arts&quot;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts is also a broad category, spanning from hard-sparring arts like wrestling, kickboxing, and judo to non-combative dance practice like most American &lt;em&gt;tai chi&lt;/em&gt; and vigorous but ritualized historical re-enactment like traditional Japanese jiu-jitsu. Whether something will help with or exacerbate your knee and shoulder pain depends on too many variables about you, your injuries, the style, and the school to say anything with confidence. You have to be more specific to determine anything of value.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:46:50.943" LastActivityDate="2013-03-01T15:38:03.810" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1814" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1810" CreationDate="2013-03-01T16:30:07.063" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;1) Working conditions. Good posture while working, a good chair, proper setup of desk and monitor, those are simple things to do, so you should always do that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) Stress. You sit too long in the same position. Get up for a drink, don't let your colleague do that. Drink a lot, so get up a lot. A ping-pong table at work might be a very good idea. Make a walk during lunch. At night, whether you do martial arts, or go swimming, dancing salsa, running, tennis, does it matter? I think what matters the most is joy! If you enjoy tennis, you don't have to force yourself to go to tennis lesson. You want to go, and it motivates you. So try out what you like, and do that. That usually works out best because you will keep on doing it over time. Doing martial arts for six months is fine, but doing tennis for twenty years is probably more helpful. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) Strength. When you have stronger muscles, your knees will hurt less because the muscles will compensate. So fitness training for arms and legs might really help. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="986" LastActivityDate="2013-03-01T16:30:07.063" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1815" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1803" CreationDate="2013-03-01T19:00:28.323" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a beginner, you can make really rapid progress 2x/week (lots of material to learn, and you have no place to go but up).  But as you get to an intermediate level, 2x will seem like treading water -- it'll keep you in shape and keep your skills sharp, but you won't improve rapidly -- but you'll need 3x or more if you want to keep advancing at a good clip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="698" LastActivityDate="2013-03-01T19:00:28.323" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1816" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1803" CreationDate="2013-03-01T19:01:35.810" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Expanded version of my comment on &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1804/210&quot;&gt;Dave's answer&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those who can't get in the forth and fifth formal sessions a week can get some of the benefit by doing some solo work. Forms, bag work, footwork drill, and so on. There are &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.turtlepress.com/Solo_Training_The_Martial_Artists_Guide_to_Training_Alone_p/121.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;whole books&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.turtlepress.com/Solo_Training_2_p/122.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the subject&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; You don't get the more learning, but you do forget less between sessions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also use these solo sessions as an opportunity to do some of the oddball things that people always recommend but are inconvenient in some class formats. Things like:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice in various footwear and on different surfaces. Doing kicks in boots or forms on loose, wet leaves requires a different mixture of muscles, balance and focus than doing the same things in the dojo. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice in street clothes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mixing practice on fine motor control skills with really demanding intensive exercises. Trying to do your basic movements when you're right on the ragged edge of exhaustion can show up some weaknesses you didn't know you had. Take care, however, not to put yourself at risk of a major injury this way.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Training in the wet and cold or in the baking sun.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Focus. There can be a lot of distractions out there in the world. Can you work with all that going on around you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; Links to a couple that I have and think are pretty good, but I have no relationship with the author and no interest in the books.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="210" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-03-01T19:01:35.810" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1818" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1810" CreationDate="2013-03-01T22:57:36.593" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes! I have a very strong opinion on this because of my accidental discovery. I was a very sedentary techno-geek and starting to get a lot of back pain, which I babied in fear of worsening. Then my daughter got promoted to the adult class in Karate, because she was too tall. I joined, because I prefer to do things together, and I would otherwise be sitting there. I was a little fearful of my lower back, but I did it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And amazingly, the core strengthening together with moving in ways I would never otherwise have done (e.g., kicking high, punching, etc. ) resulted in a complete elimination of problems with my back! I don't even think about it any more. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also discovered that studying Martial arts like this is a terrific workout that never feels like a workout. It feels like learning a new physical skill or taking a sport. It also clears the mind from my research interests and thus promotes refreshing me and helping me sleep. When I get too caught up in trying to solve problems, I often stay up late into the night thinking them over. But on Karate nights, sparring totally eliminates any other focus or thought: if you lose concentration on your sparring partner, you might get clocked! I'm starting to go off topic, but there are other benefits as well, such as learning about your own personality though sparring! Your mileage might vary, but I would give it try for at least 6 months and see if it helps. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="988" LastActivityDate="2013-03-01T22:57:36.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1819" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1805" CreationDate="2013-03-01T23:10:05.153" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sparring is not intended to be full-on, kill-or-be-killed, or even MMA style attacking. It's intended to be paced to your level, where you can practice closer to a real world situation. It lets you work on timing, evaluating the techniques you have learned &amp;amp; seeing how they fit with your personality, as well as integrating everything into a whole. It also helps you to find weaknesses and learn how to teach yourself what you need to learn. In the 3 years I've studied, I've been accidentally clocked once in the face. I was trying an advanced technique on someone too close to my level. Specifically, I was trying to go around the punch, rather than block it. I kind of backed off of that for a while. :-) But, I put ice on it for a solid 2 hours that evening, and the next day when I went to a job interview, they didn't even see a mark. And as to brain damage, that is just completely off the table. If the dojo you are considering doesn't control their sparring so that this is not an issue, then not only are they going to be having a huge backlog of lawsuits, but they are not pursuing this as why my grandmaster calls &quot;spiritual training.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="988" LastActivityDate="2013-03-01T23:10:05.153" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1824" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-03-04T22:45:15.160" Score="4" ViewCount="592" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've seen demonstrations with martial artists breaking various objects, including what looked like broom handles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I assume that the broom handles were either specially modified or otherwise selected to be within the range of objects that are breakable by the specific martial artist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Were I to try to break a wooden object, such as a broom handle - how do I do it safely? How do I determine in advance whether hitting an object at maximum force has a better chance of breaking the object, than it has of breaking my hand?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="146" LastActivityDate="2013-03-05T15:33:23.593" Title="How do I determine which pieces of wood I can safely attempt to break with my fist?" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1825" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1824" CreationDate="2013-03-04T22:52:40.360" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Practice is the first piece - working your way up in size or wood hardness helps you understand your limitations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other piece is to learn how brittle or hard different woods are. Pine is a brittle wood so it snaps easily. Some are much more painful to hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="57" LastActivityDate="2013-03-04T22:52:40.360" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1826" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1824" CreationDate="2013-03-05T04:14:33.550" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, recognize that breaking objects is about a few very simple ideas:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;proper positioning of the striking member&lt;/em&gt;: Different materials and objects have different characteristics that can simplify or complicate their breaking.  The most common example is wood boards - you want the striking member to be aligned to the grain of the wood (e.g. a side kick orients the foot parallel to the floor, therefore the grain should run parallel to the floor as well).  It's possible to break an object with improper orientation, but it can be &lt;em&gt;significantly&lt;/em&gt; more difficult and dangerous.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;speed at the moment of impact&lt;/em&gt;: The speed of the striking member at the point of impact is key in the breaking of an object.  Most people have difficulty with this idea.  It's best seen during speed breaks where an unsupported object is broken through speed  more than power (as the lack of support mitigates the influence of power, placing more emphasis on the impulse at the point of break).  Put more bluntly, you can break with speed and you can break with raw force, but you'll get the best effect when you use both. More to the point, when you start trying to break more complex objects like broom handles, speed becomes increasingly important - hesitance is your enemy.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;raw force applied to the object&lt;/em&gt;: This is something that most people intuitively grasp - the more force you apply to an object, the easier it is to break.  This is true, but without speed, you'll generally find breaking more difficult than necessary.  That said, few things substitute for pure, brute force -  particularly when breaking more dense materials like concrete shingles.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;(in some cases) conditioning of the striking member&lt;/em&gt;: The title of your post talks about breaking with a fist.  First, I want to warn you that this is &lt;em&gt;significantly&lt;/em&gt; more painful than you may suspect.  In fact, a break with the knuckles of the fist is something that my organization reserves for demos by people who've put in the time for the appropriate conditioning. Most breaks on most materials don't really require a lot of conditionging beyond that nearly all martial artists perform as part of the routine of normal training.  This changes when you start dealing with odd objects (broom handles, cocunuts, etc) and odd striking members (shins, head, etc).  For these situations, you should start with simple breaks - objects with greatly reduced resistance.  Combined with conditioning the striking member against traditional conditioning materials (striking heavy bags unprotected, striking sand, etc), you can build both conditioning and confidence.  In some cases (such as concrete), conditioning is insufficient for some and additional protection (sugical or duct tape is often sufficient) is required in order to avoid scraping that could result in bleeding. Don't overestimate the importance of confidence - a lack of it will result in pain more often than not.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're not already trained in the basics of breaking (including what I mean by these four concepts), then that's your first step.  I'd strongly suggest that you practice these basics with an instructor - they'll best be able to help identify any issues with your application of these ideas.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You asked two other questions that I'd like to tackle.  The first is the question of how to break wood.  Like I mentioned before, wood is most easily broken when breaking with the grain.  Thickness and knotting also play important roles - the thicker the board and the more knotting, the more difficult it will be to break.  However, the &lt;em&gt;type&lt;/em&gt; of wood is strikingly important.  White pine is what most marital artists use - it's breakable, common and easy to find without knots (though it's difficulty ramps up when damp).  Other types of wood can be significantly more difficult to break.  With something like a broom handle, this is almost certain to be something other than pine - ash and hickory are more common and far more difficult to break than white pine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second question is how to break without hurting yourself.  To be honest, you really have to work up to it.  There is no way to know before starting that you're not going to hurt yourself.  This is why you need to learn technique first and work your way up from more traditional, safer materials (rebreakable boards or white pine boards cut for breaking). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be clear, board breaking as a basic act isn't difficult - most martial artists could teach your average person to do a basic single board break with 15-30 minutes of practice and a conducive board (white pine, 11&quot;, grain lined up properly, well braced). It gets significantly trickier when you start moving up to stacked (non-spaced) boards, odd striking members (heads, shins, knees), more complex striking materials (concrete, brick, ice) and more irregular objects (broom handles, coconuts).  You seem to be talking about breaking a broom handle with a fist (I would assume a hammer fist - I seroiusly hope you're not considering a punch break) - this is a difficult break for a few different reasons.  Broom handles are made out of fairly sturdy wood, you're breaking against the grain and you're using a striking implement that can be difficult to use properly without practice and training (many adults avoid hammerfist breaks because of the occasional bad aim resulting in the break missing the meat of the palm and hitting with the bones of the wrist instead - those break in extraordinarily painful ways...).  Before attempting such a break I would strongly suggest working with an instructor on a plan to build up to the break before attempting it.  Its a great demo piece (though its usually done with an elbow or shin in my experience), but as with most great demo pieces, not something you want to try without the appropriate practice to build you up to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastEditorUserId="338" LastEditDate="2013-03-05T15:33:23.593" LastActivityDate="2013-03-05T15:33:23.593" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1827" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1830" CreationDate="2013-03-05T19:24:39.473" Score="8" ViewCount="4101" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sometimes after a hard Thai Boxing class for example containing long heavy-bag sessions or sparring (usually something consisting of intervals with explosive motions) I still feel tired or exhausted the next morning. &#xA;It's hard to get up and have the feeling i take longer to wake up and be able to fully concentrate in the morning. &#xA;Especially if i have not trained for a while.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The obvious conclusion is not to train too hard, sleep enough and take it easy after breaks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nevertheless it makes me think about what kind of techniques there are to aid recovery. Maybe things like a hot bath, certain minerals, etc...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastEditorUserId="718" LastEditDate="2014-10-04T17:33:50.763" LastActivityDate="2014-10-13T12:29:48.567" Title="Tips for faster recovery after training" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1828" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="968" CreationDate="2013-03-05T19:45:13.483" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;David Gaffney (co-author of the excellent &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chen-Style-Taijiquan-Davidine-Sim/dp/1556433778/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1362512407&amp;amp;sr=1-1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Chen Style Taijiquan&lt;/a&gt;) has an article on chen tai chi strength training (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.chentaijigb.co.uk/articles/Strength%20Training%20in%20Taijiquan.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;PDF&lt;/a&gt;) that mentions methods such as stone lifting, pole shaking, the taiji bang (short stick), taiji ball (akin to a medicine ball), and training with intentionally heavy weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;While it may come as a surprise to many, strength training is not a new phenomenon in Taijiquan. In the past, it represented one aspect of an all-encompassing training process. In Chenjiagou, within the garden where 14th Generation Chen clan member Chen Changxin is said to have taught Yang Luchan, founder of Yang style Taijiquan, can still be found an eighty kilogram stone weight that they are said to have regularly trained with. Traditional strength training methods such as pole shaking and practicing with heavy weapons continue to be used up until today.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Lifting heavy stones is done as a means to training the waist and lower body. Chen Ziquiang explains &quot;the strength training method is highly specialized. You are not training to develop 'stupid strength' (brute or localised strength). This is training strength in the waist. Your hand strength is like the hook you use when you are towing a car. You have to remember that your hand is the hook. Your strength is coming from the waist and how you push into the ground, combining the strength of the car and the rope. The hook is only the implement that connects the two. So when you lift the big rock, it is the strength of the legs and waist...&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a documentary I saw a few years back (but can't find online) showing Chen villagers training by tilting large heavy urns 45 degrees and spinning them, akin to how some judoka work out with an anchored belt as well as the techniques in David's article.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="689" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-03-05T20:09:33.517" LastActivityDate="2013-03-05T20:09:33.517" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1829" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1741" CreationDate="2013-03-06T01:15:05.580" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many &lt;em&gt;ninjutsu&lt;/em&gt; and related arts like To Shin Do have weapons classes open to all from the beginning, some even incorporate weapons training into regular classes as well. Look at your friendly neighborhood band of ninjas to see. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="994" LastActivityDate="2013-03-06T01:15:05.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1830" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1827" CreationDate="2013-03-06T06:34:20.077" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;While you are getting yourself into this state while practicing Thai Boxing this isn't a question that is specific to martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is perfectly normal to feel this way after intense training. Your body needs to recover, recovery will usually consist mostly of sleep and nutrition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Often after an intense workout the last thing you will feel like doing is eating properly (especially if you have to prepare the food), but it is important - your body needs protien for its rebuild, and it needs to replace various other minerals for effective functioning. While you're at it don't forget carbs, fluids and fat - yes you even need a regular intake of fat (on a controlled eating program many people miss this fact).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sleep is equally important to nutrition, it is when your body does the majority of its repair.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is just the basics and I encourage you to &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/search?q=recovery&quot;&gt;research the subject&lt;/a&gt; a lot more on the Physical Fitness site. Keep in mind that everybody is different and it's likely you will have to adapt the suggestions you find to your specific situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Paying attention to your recovery is also going to help you avoid over training. Keep a log of your results so you can keep track of what works and what doesn't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:46:50.943" LastActivityDate="2013-03-06T06:34:20.077" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1831" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1827" CreationDate="2013-03-06T13:55:42.200" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The way to recover properly is to eat properly, sleep enough, train in a rational manner, and avoid drains on your recovery ability like alcohol and stress. The topic of recovery in a training program is vast, but that's the starting point. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds like you are training hard in an abrupt or punctuated manner, instead of gradually building up to hard training. You should also check your sleep patterns. Your sleep should be regular, copious, and of a high quality. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make sure you eat enough, on a regular schedule, with particular attention to sufficient protein and post-workout carbohydrate, avoiding foods that upset your stomach or disrupt your digestion. Likely candidates include fried or highly processed foods, candy, grains, legumes, and dairy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-03-06T16:16:45.693" LastActivityDate="2013-03-06T16:16:45.693" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1832" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="117" CreationDate="2013-03-06T18:18:02.820" Score="1" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Exercises to do&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should develop the primary physical attributes for combat sports: strength, power, mobility, conditioning. This will involve learning: &lt;strong&gt;you should not restrict yourself to exercises which &quot;can be done alone by someone with no or little experience&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Much of this answer is cribbed from &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1756/347&quot;&gt;my answer to a similar question&lt;/a&gt;.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, you'll want to first develop an aerobic base, best developed by running, swimming, rowing, or biking over medium-long distances. That could mean getting a solid mile or 5k time, or rowing 2000 meters on a machine. You'll want to train basic prerequisites for strength training: push-ups, pull-ups, dips, air squats. You'll also make sure that you've got the necessary mobility for rigorous training, like an effortless third-world squat, front rack position, and good posture. If you're not fit, I'd recommend the training program in Robb Wolf's book, The Paleo Solution (which is mostly about diet, but has a very respectable ramp-up program for physical training).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once these basics are in place, the more important strength training can begin: barbell squats, deadlifts, bench and overhead presses, power cleans. The book Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore is a great choice at this point. You'll still work on conditioning and bodyweight stuff during this time, but the priority should be resistance training. The medium-distance runs would become less frequent, the bodyweight work relegated to warm-up or accessory exercises at the end of a workout. Short, high intensity conditioning work such as kettlebell, dumbbell, or barbell complexes, sled drags and Prowler pushes, sprints and hill sprints would fit in a few times a week after you've developed a reasonable level of strength--a dozen pull-ups, a bodyweight squat for reps, a greater than bodyweight deadlift. Setting goals like a double bodyweight squat or deadlift, or a bodyweight press, are helpful in spurring progress as long as they don't cause you to overlook injuries or mobility problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eventually you'll want to add power development work to your strength training. Exercises would include snatches, jerks, push presses, broad jumps, height jumps, and increasing the priority of power cleans. Benchmarks such as a bodyweight clean-and-jerk or being able to jump up to sternum height are useful goals. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At that point I'd also consider gymnastic work: work yourself up to a pistol (and then jumping or weighted pistols), front and back levers on rings or a bar, muscle-ups, backflips, and so on. These feats build on your strength base and develop other attributes like balance, proprioception, and coordination. They're also clearly impressive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This training would take several months to several years, and would well prepare you for technique training and sparring once you have the chance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Exercises to Avoid&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not engage in bodybuilding, because it has goals contrary to the goals of athletics. Avoid excessive long-distance running; as Forrest Morgan notes in Living the Martial Way, long, slow, plodding exercise makes for long, slow, plodding fighters. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In fact, don't get too hung up on any one activity: combat sports and martial arts are best performed by people who are athletic across essentially all disciplines. Those who specialize in strength, or mobility, or cardio, or any other attribute all suffer because opponents can exploit the inevitable areas where the specialist is deficient. A combination of gymnastics, Olympic lifting (accompanied by the attendant strength training), and various forms of cardio and locomotion is generally ideal for general purposes and preparation for martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-03-06T18:18:02.820" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1835" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1839" CreationDate="2013-03-14T10:18:08.737" Score="16" ViewCount="3423" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a Wing Chun student and my Sihing regularly tells me that I shouldn't be so tense in all my movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of techniques in WC require smooth arm and leg movements to react to our opponent's strikes. I cannot achieve this when making tensed contact&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I try my best to relax, but it just doesn't come by itself. Is there any way I can practice the routines so my movements aren't just filled with power?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1008" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-10-01T08:41:13.330" LastActivityDate="2024-03-06T06:34:08.953" Title="What can I practice to remove tension from my movements" Tags="|exercise|wing-chun|relaxation|" AnswerCount="11" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1836" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1835" CreationDate="2013-03-14T12:05:01.253" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Practice when you are &lt;em&gt;exhausted&lt;/em&gt;.  When you are just too tired to have tension, you will have none.  After a while, your body will remember how to do it without tension, since that is how you trained it. Note that this will not help you &lt;em&gt;learn&lt;/em&gt; the movement and might in fact be counter-productive to learning. However, once you know the move, it might be a good training method. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But above all, &lt;em&gt;start slow&lt;/em&gt;.  Most people try to perform moves at the same speed as the teacher or the senior students.  Well, you need to learn how to stand up, then how to walk, then you can run.  Tension can come from trying to do things too fast.  So, slow everything down to a crawling pace. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, everyone tends to carry tension/stress from the day.  It is important that you get rid of as much of that as possible before learning new things.  It is hard and there is no easy way.  What I do is to concentrate on the warm up and let my brain run on neutral.  Most of the time, that works ^_~.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-10-01T06:32:25.637" LastActivityDate="2015-10-01T06:32:25.637" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1837" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1835" CreationDate="2013-03-14T12:11:14.660" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Excellent Question, @Jeroen. I have had the same problem for a long time. I am not a Wing Chun practitioner, but this has haunted me all my life throughout my Martial Arts study on all stand-up Martial Arts styles, but specially Aikido and BJJ. The interesting thing is that it was via Aikido and BJJ (and by that I mean, non-striking Martial Art) that I found a way to relax and use the same concept onto striking-based Martial Arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I spent some time thinking about it and started realising and experiencing some new improvements that I would love to share. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the point of view more of a stand-up/striking Martial Art - Wing Chun - as far as I can see, I noticed three basic components associated with that (the third one below is variable; it will become clear in a minute):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Confidence&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;b&gt;Breathing&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;b&gt; ‘Chain Strike’&lt;/b&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Confidence&lt;/b&gt;,  is the ever-present element. By having more confidence on your skills and technique, you will be definitely more relaxed. In turn, the more relaxed you become, the more are you able to absorb, learn and more confident you become. In other words, you need confidence to relax and gain more confidence; and the more confident you become, the more relaxed you become. It is as if Confidence were the universe encapsulating the moment of a fight, or sparring, or training. It floats in the air like a thin cloud.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Breathing&lt;/b&gt;,. Deepening into the concept, breathing is the fuel, the drive behind your physical and mental preparation. It is quite difficult for me to put this into words, but when you are, say, throwing a punch, if your breathing is tense, your punch will lack speed, flexibility and more importantly, control and accuracy. If you were to practice in slow motion, for example, get to the stance or position you are training, pull all the air you can into your lungs and hold your breath for 5 or 7 seconds (&lt;b&gt;important&lt;/b&gt; - Don’t &lt;b&gt;hold&lt;/b&gt; your breath, as in shutting your throat, but simply stop breathing: there is a big difference between them. If you ‘lock’ your breath, you are creating tension, which goes against the whole point here). When you simply stop breathing for a few seconds, you will feel your brain oxygenated. This should bring a slight feeling of peace, then relax, by releasing the air again and as you release the air, focusing on trying to feel if your muscles are relaxing. I often imagine myself melting on a hot pavement as I relax. Once you do this for say 10 times, start adding a punch while you are releasing the air. This brings me to my ‘chain strike’.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt; ‘Chain Strike’&lt;/b&gt; - You know when someone uses a chain to launch it against a wall as if it were a whip? Noticed how relaxed and fluid the chain is while it is travelling? It goes in this liquid, fluid and relaxed motion until it hits the wall, but when it hits, it does so pretty hard. Well, I base my striking on this concept. How? By adding this third element to the aforementioned ones. I keep in mind the importance of developing confidence; I use the breathing-relaxation technique and attach it to the delivery of the ‘Chain Strike’. So again, I breath in, simply hold my breath without locking it, release trying to ‘melt’, but now, as I am releasing the air and relaxing my muscles, I also throw a very slow punch: I try to synchronise the duration of the punch with the duration of the air being released; so my aim is to hit the target right at the time when I have exhaled all the air left in my lungs. (Do it in slow motion; it is a lot harder to keep control when you do things slower). Why do I insist on this peculiarity? Because, when you are doing this at high power/speed, it this explosion of air that adds all the other benefits of a punch, such as speed, control and accuracy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If Confidence was the ever-present atmosphere around your training/fighting environment, breathing was the fuel to help you deliver your actual attack. So you have the environment, the drive or fuel and the actual action, i.e., run, jump, punch, kick, defend, etc. In this case I used an attack, the ‘Chain Strike’ analogy which is why this third element has a variable nature: being relaxed is present on all elements of your game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="975" LastActivityDate="2013-03-14T12:11:14.660" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1838" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1841" CreationDate="2013-03-14T13:44:03.490" Score="10" ViewCount="2199" Body="&lt;p&gt;In martial art circles, we often hear that training while exhausted (or tiered) will improve your technique.  The one I heard was that it will force one to stop all extraneous movement and do the minimum to get a technique to work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this true?  If not, when might it be a useful learning tool?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-03-03T14:42:06.993" Title="Training while exhausted" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1839" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1835" CreationDate="2013-03-14T14:14:55.727" Score="11" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Warm up with slow, high-precision, well-known moves&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should warm up thoroughly, ending with light, smooth, slow movements that you've already mastered. From Tom Kurz' article, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stadion.com/a-well-run-workout-the-warm-up/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;A Well-Run Workout: The Warm-Up&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Warm-up regulates emotional states because the flow of impulses from working muscles (respective motor and sensory nerve centers, actually) calms down an overly excited nervous system... For overly excited athletes, warm-up should include slow exercises that require precision, of high complexity but well known.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will be difficult since you probably do not determine the format of your warm-up in class. Warming up before class will help somewhat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Reduce stress&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practice technique frequently, in low-stress situations. I find that many martial arts instructors--even good ones!--have the bedside manner of a sociopath. It's normal to feel small or clumsy when having trouble learning a new technique, and many forms of feedback exacerbate the issue:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;No&quot; / &quot;Nope&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;Not that arm!&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;You're doing it all wrong.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;Stop!&quot; (exclaimed in the middle of the trainee executing a dynamic technique)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Overly rushed or vague corrections&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...and so on. The pseudo-militaristic culture and lack of proper education for instructors in martial arts more often than not leads to sub-optimal teaching methods. These can make it hard to clear your mind and try the technique again in a relaxed manner. Instead of criticizing a student for failing to execute impeccable form, instructors should generally use clear, compassionate pointers to guide the student towards better technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best way to work around a lack of positive, constructive feedback is to breathe, take your time, and ask the instructor for a second to collect yourself before trying again. Don't let poorly-structured feedback interrupt your learning process.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-12-01T10:03:51.907" LastActivityDate="2013-12-01T10:03:51.907" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1840" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1673" CreationDate="2013-03-14T14:29:24.003" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Yod Ruerngsa&lt;/em&gt; has a section on 'being hit' in &lt;em&gt;Muay Thai - The Art of Fighting&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here an excerpt:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;If you want to evolve and grow as a human being, don't worry about&#xA;  what you'll  get from others...learn to give, to try, to extend&#xA;  yourself, and to concentrate on  what you're doing to and for others,&#xA;  not on what's being done to or for you. &#xA;  If you want to learn how to box, same thing:&#xA;  don't worry about what others will do  to you, learn&#xA;  to give, to try, to extend yourself with effort, and concentrate on&#xA;  what you're doing, not on what's being done to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastActivityDate="2013-03-14T14:29:24.003" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1841" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1838" CreationDate="2013-03-14T14:44:26.687" Score="10" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Where did this myth come from?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts instructors are frequently tasked with running a sport workout without having any formal training (that is, outside of their own dojo) to do so. This means that many of these instructors--my past self included--ran classes that were particularly counterproductive from a workout-design perspective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the most common ways this manifests itself is with &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1555/347&quot;&gt;overly intensive &quot;warm-ups&quot;&lt;/a&gt;. Really, these are conditioning workouts in their own right, though they are generally not structured in a progressive fashion to realize training goals over time. This is common in any widespread exercise method. For instance, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;amp;v=LnPA3znZjGs#!&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this criticism of CrossFit&lt;/a&gt; notes that there's a distinct tendency to emphasize &quot;beat-down&quot; workouts instead of rationally designed progressions towards training goals. It's easy to run students through a grueling set of exercises and make them tired. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It requires time, knowledge, forethought, and effort to run a structured workout or design a training program correctly. That's why the ex-post-facto &quot;training when you're tired will make you learn the technique better&quot; explanation (and it's cousin the just-so story of &quot;training when you're tired means you'll remember the technique when you're tired&quot;) is so popular.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tom Kurz' Science of Sports Training page 267 (under Technical Exercises in a Workout) notes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;If, at the initial stages of learning a technique, athletes are allowed to get tired, their fatigue will alter the technique and incorrect technique will be learned, perhaps permanently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;(One of Kurz' articles on this topic, entitled Examples of Good and Bad Workouts, used to be available on stadion.com but is currently unavailable.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;When should this method be used?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the same book but on the next page, it is noted that techniques the student knows and can already perform well should occasionally be trained under some degree of fatigue:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;One [technical] workout can be done at the end of the [weekly] microcycle, when the athlete is tired [from previous workouts in the week], to learn how to use the technique in adverse conditions. In this workout only well-mastered techniques should be practiced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is contrary to the idea that one should learn the technique when tired, which interferes with learning. It only applies to techniques the athlete is proficient in, and now needs to practice under more challenging conditions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;What's a better approach?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For learning a new technique, a better approach is to run a structured workout that progresses from warm-up to directed warm-up to sport-specific movements and culminates (while the athlete is still fresh) in learning one technique. Learning multiple techniques causes interference and should be avoided.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-03-14T14:44:26.687" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1842" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1835" CreationDate="2013-03-14T15:46:37.860" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been practising both Wong Shun Leung and Mai Gei Wong Wing Chun, and I had the same problems as you in the beginning. In both of these styles, early training was focused on getting the bare basics right. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, we'd do a drill where we'd apply pressure to our partner's technique (say wu sau for example), just to train being relaxed in that particular posture. First, the pressure would be extremely light (as in barely touching), but over the weeks we'd increase it successively. The important thing at this stage is to never apply more pressure than you could handle in a relaxed state, as that would force you into tensing, but never too little as that would defeat the whole drill. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When comfortable with applying some pressure to your techniques, we'd start practising transition between them, in the same manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This approach was applied in all our training. We'd always start out with the lightest pressure conceivable and work upwards from there. Within just a few months of training like this I'd gotten rid of most of the tension in my movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1011" LastActivityDate="2013-03-14T15:46:37.860" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1843" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1846" CreationDate="2013-03-16T04:17:22.763" Score="13" ViewCount="33255" Body="&lt;p&gt;One characteristic exercises from when I studied Aikido was sitting seiza for periods of time, either for a short while between exercises/while watching or as part of an exercise where, sometimes, a great deal was done from a seiza position.   I've also seen people recommend sitting in seiza as a way to improve flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any specific benefits to sitting seiza, either in terms of proper posture (avoiding back/hip/knee trouble) or in terms of development (e.g., strength, flexibility)?  Especially as it compares to the Burmese sitting position?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2013-03-16T17:26:24.933" LastActivityDate="2019-06-13T19:05:35.283" Title="Are there any benefits to Sitting Seiza?" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1844" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1843" CreationDate="2013-03-16T05:53:44.797" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience it is simply a traditional and formal way of sitting at floor level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than the social aspects of it (everyone is considered to be of equal height when sitting in seiza) it has no special benefits - although it should be noted that it is a position that is both stable when seated and easy to rise from while keeping your balance centered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only benefit I've ever noted from extended sitting in seiza is that once your legs go to sleep it is arguably easier to meditate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2013-03-16T05:53:44.797" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1845" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1838" CreationDate="2013-03-16T12:32:00.960" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a lot of things that happen when you're training, whilst being over-exhausted. Improvement of technique is NOT one of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are three characteristics of good training methods - they should be effective, efficient and stretch your limits. If you're not trying to do all three you're either wasting time or you will not reach your fullest potential.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking at goals for training in terms of technique improvement, it is extremely inefficient to train the LEARNING of technique when you're overexhausted. You will not be able to absorp any new information, you will not be able to control your different muscle groups working together properly and you will simple have muscle fallout causing you to do things with incorrect posture, motion etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main reasons why you'd every train whilst being exhausted are to train mental strength and/or be prepared for fighting extended battles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So there can be reasons for training an experienced person who's exhausted, but you'd always have to keep the goals in mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take away: for each training program there are goals. Those will be split up in sub goals and each lesson is then designed to accomplish those goals over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Goals can be improvement of technique (split up into different techniques), improvement of conditioning, improvement of strength, improvement of focus etc etc. Looking at those goals you then arrive at a certain drill/routine/exercise/program.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck training - and always keep thinking for yourself. Not so much to second guess the trainer, but mostly to understand and aid your own training and development.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="967" LastEditorUserId="967" LastEditDate="2013-03-17T16:56:54.313" LastActivityDate="2013-03-17T16:56:54.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1846" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1843" CreationDate="2013-03-16T13:46:55.140" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my experience, sitting in seiza confers a couple of advantages in other, related, areas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, I don't know if you have to do this, but when people from the dojo I train at go to test, we end up sitting in seiza for long periods (~30 mins per period).  It is seen as disrespectful (though not uncommon) to not sit in seiza, so practicing is a good idea for that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, sitting in seiza will make you more comfortable with &lt;code&gt;suwariwaza&lt;/code&gt; techniques.  Your legs, by sitting in that position, will to some degree adapt to that position over time.  Although you may not do a lot of &lt;code&gt;suwariwaza&lt;/code&gt; formally, &lt;code&gt;shikko&lt;/code&gt; is a very useful skill (knee-walking) in everyday life (especially if you have a young child).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, though this one is more related to doing &lt;code&gt;shikko&lt;/code&gt; practice: it &lt;em&gt;will&lt;/em&gt; improve your balance.  Knee-walking while keeping your center alignment is very difficult, and will affect your movements outside of just &lt;code&gt;shikko&lt;/code&gt;, but only over time; it's not a quick or instant thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="33" LastActivityDate="2013-03-16T13:46:55.140" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1847" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1843" CreationDate="2013-03-16T14:21:16.103" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No&lt;/strong&gt;, sitting in &lt;em&gt;seiza&lt;/em&gt; is just etiquette and nothing more.  It has no other practical value whatsoever.  If you have not been practising since you were a child, you will always find it painful and difficult for long period of time. The only tiny benefit is that your legs are out of the way in case some falls towards you.  If you practices &lt;em&gt;suwariwaza&lt;/em&gt;, then you can move quickly out of the way. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, &lt;em&gt;suwariwaza&lt;/em&gt; has many practical applications. The most important one is to help focus on your technique to use your hips and not your legs.  This develops power and once you have power, you can add speed via leg movement. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2013-03-16T14:21:16.103" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1848" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1843" CreationDate="2013-03-16T20:23:17.030" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with almost everyone so far, except for the one that affirms that it is purely etiquette and nothing more. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Almost everything above is true, except that one thing was ignored. A very important aspect of Aikido, inherited from, amongst others, Shinto is &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mokuso&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Mokuso&lt;/a&gt;. Mokuso is the initial 'meditation' before and after each training session. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although the Mokuso practiced for those 5 minutes at the Dojo is not nearly enough to get someone into proper state of meditation, it is, nonetheless a good introduction for people to then go and practice their mokuso at home. Entering the meditation state of clear mind takes time. One very important aspect of meditation is proper breathing: it is by controlling your breathing that you allow yourself to focus on clearing your thoughts. This in turn allows your mind to be at ease and clear, so that you can actually meditate about your subject of interest. This takes time, so this person needs to be in a position that is 'comfortable' enough for the person to stay in it for a long period of time (but not too comfortable as not to fall asleep) while keeping good posture. Seiza allows a clear passage of air so that you can control your breathing more easily during your long meditation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="975" LastActivityDate="2013-03-16T20:23:17.030" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1849" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2013-03-17T17:32:30.433" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to think that I fall in the category 'established martial artists' as a former two-time world heavyweight champion Tae Kwon Do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I started practicing TKD I found it easy to pick up on techniques with my dominant side and it was very tempting to practice only that side or at least favor it in training. But after a few small successes in sparring I found that not only I could adapt quickly to my opponents, because of their limited versatility - but they could as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Moreover I started to develop a trait, which I think helped me to develop as a martial artist as well as a person, and that is to continuously look for your weaknesses, accept them (!) and improve upon them. &#xA;Because of that I used to start each drill with my weaker side, until years later it would really depend on the technique which leg/hand would really be dominant. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other examples of this trait are: always look for the toughest opponent to train/spar with, visit other gyms with different sports (i.e. go outside your comfort zone) and expose yourself to forces greater than your own (maybe this is why Kyokushinkai will stand under a frosty waterfall or I choose to take body shots from sparring partners that outweigh me by 40-50 lbs). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the top fighters I've been fighting over the years had great technique on both legs at least and whilst training with other top level fighters (on the squad for example) we used to make fun of eachother's 'chocolate leg' as an incentive for them to train it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my advice would be - challenge yourself and make than challenge so great that other people's challenges will pale in comparison. The hardest part then becomes training - not the fight....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="967" LastActivityDate="2013-03-17T17:32:30.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1850" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-03-19T08:22:12.147" Score="6" ViewCount="470" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am looking for the original Japanese phrase for the above quote by Ueshiba Morihei 植芝 盛平, and haven't been able to find it. It is in his book &quot;The Art of Peace&quot;, but I haven't got a Japanese version. Could somebody please give me the correct translation or point me to a reliable source for the right Japanese wording? Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1020" LastActivityDate="2013-10-21T05:50:59.500" Title="Translation for &quot;Those who are possessed by nothing possess everything.&quot;" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1851" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1630" CreationDate="2013-03-20T19:26:02.717" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Heavier gloves are generally preferred in sparring; in my gym, most amateurs won't spar in less than 16oz gloves. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pros generally use 8oz gloves in a fight (although this is a negotation point when making a match sometimes), in an amateur bout I believe you must use at least 10oz gloves; although the exact specification depends on age/weight/experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="629" LastActivityDate="2013-03-20T19:26:02.717" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1852" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1838" CreationDate="2013-03-21T04:00:33.307" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In martial arts mental strength is equally important with technique. The main advantage of Exhaustive training is increase in mental strength .  We learn that we can get tired to such an extend and still be able to fight. We acquire the experience to handle such a tough situation .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think Exhaustive training is not really good to learn a new technique. The technique must be learned slowly &amp;amp; properly after which can be executed in a  tired condition . From my experience it teaches us to use our energy most efficiently. like throwing the punches wisely, moving around the ring with minimum energy loss etc &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="881" LastActivityDate="2013-03-21T04:00:33.307" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1853" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1854" CreationDate="2013-03-22T16:11:34.443" Score="9" ViewCount="2498" Body="&lt;p&gt;Over the last 20 years or so I have been trying to incorporate several styles into one that is suited for my needs. My stance is now pretty much a Karate’s one, but my kicks have elements of Karate, Tae-kwon-do and Muay Thai. Tae-kwon-do kicks are very fast and offer great control for the person who has mastered their way of hip rotation. They also have a good principle of having almost all kicks starting from the same position, with the knee up in front of the body. Thai kicks can be extremely powerful with the leg switches and the sweeping motion. Karate ones have a lot of power behind as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like to know people’s opinions on the &lt;strong&gt;advantages&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;disadvantages&lt;/strong&gt; between &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76MgBFVGjiE&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mawashi Gheri&lt;/a&gt; from Karate and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcwNwbcoQS4&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Dollyo Chagi&lt;/a&gt; from Tae-kwon-do. Basically, as the links show, the Karate style uses the balls of the feet to hit, by pulling the toes back, whereas the Tae-kwon-do’s style is by using the instep of the foot. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="975" LastEditorUserId="8" LastEditDate="2013-03-25T05:14:48.827" LastActivityDate="2015-02-03T17:04:03.720" Title="Mawashi Gheri Vs Dollyo Chagi" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|kicking|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1854" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1853" CreationDate="2013-03-22T16:48:16.300" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Jammed toes&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't speak to the TKD technique, but I found trouble during years of karate with the ball-of-the-foot recommended &lt;em&gt;mawashi geri&lt;/em&gt; technique. Many others have done fine with it. For instance, Shokei Matsui shows it to be a formidable technique against the body and the head in his 100-man kumite; he uses it to devastating effect about a half-dozen times &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/7hpNixMscpI?t=2m59s&quot;&gt;starting at 3:00&lt;/a&gt; in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hpNixMscpI&quot;&gt;this YouTube highlight of the event&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I found that in my practice, pulling the toes back resulted in jammed toes more frequently than the other versions of the kick. Stretching and diligence can reduce the incidence of this phenomenon, but it's a common issue. I understand that reducing the surface area of the striking surface increases the effectiveness of blows, but that benefit didn't seem worth the repeated pain. People were plenty unhappy with my instep or ankle hitting them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Footwear&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another factor to consider is training gear. If you wear shoes, boots, or foot padding of any kind, your ability to train the toes-back version of many kicks is greatly diminished. I found this not to be a problem with front kicks, but very much an issue with dipped-foam gear combined with &lt;em&gt;mawashigeri&lt;/em&gt;. Your mileage may vary, but I recommend working with your equipment rather than against it. If you spar with shinguards or foot protection, I recommend using the shin or instep/ankle as a striking surface for this kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-03-22T16:48:16.300" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1856" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="383" CreationDate="2013-03-23T04:44:35.940" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If in a match, all you can do if they have their hooks locked in,  is tuck your chin and hand fight, and hope time runs out. AS said above, there are a lot you can do if its a street fight.  The best defense is try not to get your self in that position.  good luck. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1028" LastActivityDate="2013-03-23T04:44:35.940" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1857" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="72" CreationDate="2013-03-25T08:10:52.943" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Germany, if you are in a situation where someone is aggressive towards you, you are allowed to use reasonable force to defend yourself. As a trained martial artist or someone who has experience fighting, you are asked to first try and defuse the situation by blocking the first attack, instead off beating your opponent right away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course in practise, it might depend on the exact situation, how you handle it. If there is imminent danger, you can of course react in a reasonable way, without first trying to talk the attacker down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So much for theory. Let's all hope, we don't have to use it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1019" LastActivityDate="2013-03-25T08:10:52.943" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1859" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1803" CreationDate="2013-03-25T10:25:15.563" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some years ago I used to go wushu classes about two times a week, It took about a year for me to get to a 'decent' level, where I could do the basics, and a wee bit of advanced stuff. If you want to learn at a more accelerated pace I think you should consider slowly increasing the number of workouts  per week. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my opinion you should start out slow and then increase the frequency of workouts. (I work in the same field as you and I understand the sort of workload). I practice 6 days a week. Here is how I did it: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I started out with wushu, early mornings 4 times a week on Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun. It took about a month to get used to this routine. (Mornings are the best because you are not really missing out on your social or work life.) A month and a half later I started going to Kalaripayattu classes on Mon, Wed, Fri. The result of this is that in two months I've gained the same level of fitness that took me a year earlier. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key here is variation, I don't do the same exercises everyday. I mix up taolu, sanda, body conditioning, gymnastics, weapon practice and so on. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Later on I plan to introduce soft styles to balance out the hard exercises. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Couple of random pointers: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Winters require longer warmups &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You need one day of rest where you don't even lift a cat. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The frequency of practice depends on your level of motivation, your age, health.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Having milestones and deadlines helps. You can talk to your teacher about intermediate goals and a road-map for you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I believe in doing the minimal amount of exercise to attain a specific skill. Quality over quantity.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kittens. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="108" LastActivityDate="2013-03-25T10:25:15.563" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1860" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1673" CreationDate="2013-03-25T10:37:46.923" Score="-2" Body="&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;Sure, you can get rid of fear through daily practice &amp;amp; meditation.&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Through daily meditation, your mind will become calm and&#xA;accurate. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Through daily martial arts practicing, you will become&lt;br&gt;&#xA;stronger and healthier.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;And finally a calm, accurate, stronger and healthier person will not&#xA;  afraid of anything other than God.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt; &quot;Mind and Body are two parts of a coin&quot;&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1031" LastEditorUserId="1031" LastEditDate="2013-03-26T07:27:30.527" LastActivityDate="2013-03-26T07:27:30.527" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1861" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1673" CreationDate="2013-03-25T13:18:33.827" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Good old body conditioning / body beating worked for me. First I got a guy with the same height as me to punch me around. I did not defend. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It mostly consisted of &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Punches to the abdomen (with gloves on)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Punches to the chest. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jabs to the face &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hooks to the face &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Slap kicks to the thigh&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Slaps on my stomach &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Front kick to the chest &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Slap kicks on my shoulder &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This hurt for a few days, but after a month my body had got used to it. So I upgraded to a tall bloke (So that I did not get intimidated in an actual fight)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically you make yourself subconsciously used to get beaten up. I learned this from Kalari, where I was handed weapons on the first day. It seems daunting at first, the instinct of getting hurt/or hurting others just goes away over time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="108" LastActivityDate="2013-03-25T13:18:33.827" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1862" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-03-25T19:18:22.640" Score="5" ViewCount="7291" Body="&lt;p&gt;I train in one of the martial arts where Tabi is often used. I am about to order a pair of leather Tabi and have a question regarding measurement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The International Shoe Size Conversion Charts Table from &lt;em&gt;www.i18nguy.com/l10n/shoes.html&lt;/em&gt; looks like this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/PpX2G.png&quot; alt=&quot;International Shoe Size Conversion Charts Table from www.i18nguy.com/l10n/shoes.html&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Why is there a difference between Centimeters and Japan(M)?&lt;/strong&gt; I thought you measured, in centimeters, from the heel to the end of the longest toe and that it was you size according to the japanese shoe size convention. And if that is correct, I would assume that these rows would line up perfectly.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The actual vendor I am thinking about ordering from has this conversion table at &lt;em&gt;www.leathertabi.net/footsizechart.html&lt;/em&gt;:&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mijPc.png&quot; alt=&quot;Shoe size conversion table from www.leathertabi.net/footsizechart.html&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It does not match up with the previous conversion table. Any thoughts on that?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What is the correct way to measure the foot and converting it to the japanese shoe size system?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1034" LastActivityDate="2022-10-31T04:02:50.460" Title="Measuring the foot when buying Tabi (and giving the size using the japanese convention)" Tags="|shoes|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1863" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="319" CreationDate="2013-03-26T12:59:03.067" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shindokanbooks.com/shugyo.shtml&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Aikido Shugyo&lt;/a&gt; is also an excellent resource, containing both lots of anecdotes about Ueshiba Sensei as well as deep and well-explained insights from Gozo Shioda Sensei. And don't let the fact that it's writtem by the founder of Yoshinkan distract you -- there's not really anything specific to Yoshinkan in there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1036" LastActivityDate="2013-03-26T12:59:03.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1864" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1445" CreationDate="2013-03-27T20:02:51.540" Score="4" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Duck walking will help in jumping and stretching&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jumping up from a squat position and then coming back down into the same squat position&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ankle weights will also help in jumping by providing resistance to overcome, providing additional force when the resistance is no longer present.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been teaching since 1973 Taekwondo and a few more Korean arts practice practice practice using ankle weights in kicks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1040" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2014-08-15T02:01:11.797" LastActivityDate="2014-08-15T02:01:11.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1865" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1445" CreationDate="2013-03-28T05:43:01.027" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;From the viewpoint of science, if you want to jump higher, you need to generate more speed. And it's not a linear relationship between speed and the height of the jump (I think it is squared) which means putting in 2x speed will make you jump 4x higher&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another point to know is that the burst of power for a jump comes from ATP release. So this is not something related to stamina. You have to rest for a few mins in between your jump sets. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is something I improved on by doing the following : &#xA;(the exercises in the order of difficulty)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ankle jumps &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Frog jumps &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tuck jumps &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Squat jumps&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jumping over a stick which you hold horizontally with your hands. (Very difficult) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Along with this you must obviously do jump kicks/twirls to improve on the technique like raphael said &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notes : &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wear a supporter (jockstrap).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Always do jumps on a rubber mat - never on a hard surface. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you aren't flexible you should work on changing that first. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Quality is more important than quantity. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A proper warm up and cool down can not be emphasized enough. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use the skip rope for a warm up. Stretch to cool down. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It took me 6 months to double my vertical jump height. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I think it is okay to do just a little everyday (with a gentle progression, it takes 2 weeks for your body to adapt to a technique) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;They should be done with short bursts of intensity with rests in between. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I used to practice jumping on the beach, first on dry sand then on wet sand.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't rely too much on your ankle for jumping. Your power should be transmitted from the thigh(generation of power) to your heel   &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="108" LastEditorUserId="108" LastEditDate="2018-03-02T16:28:06.547" LastActivityDate="2018-03-02T16:28:06.547" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1866" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="968" CreationDate="2013-03-29T04:59:33.823" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Good and well thought out responses.  Like the key on relaxation comments.  My own training includes quite a bit of slow staff movement (twirling, thrusts, defensive blocks, strikes, slashes, etc), which is great for focusing the mind and body.  Combining non-weapon kicks, punches, strikes and blocks with staff movement is a great change of pace and requires much coordination. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I walk up and down hills for cardio and to add some core and leg strength, which seems to improve overall Tai Chi forms.  And kicking and dribbling a soccer ball has helped build strength and stamina.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1042" LastActivityDate="2013-03-29T04:59:33.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1867" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="219" CreationDate="2013-03-29T12:14:41.357" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The response regarding interval training hits the nail on the head.  It'll challenge your muscles and your heart, and avoid the loss of training effect that comes when muscles get used to a constant routine.  And it would seem to duplicate the exertions of a bout or fight, with activity highs and lows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My training routine includes walking over mild, moderate and extreme hill sections in my neighborhood, with interval training on the mild and moderate grades.  The extreme hill areas (some are at a 10 degree or 1-in-6 grade) bring on breathlessness and muscle fatigue, and can only be done at a slow speed.  Walking up the extreme areas is like pushing a heavy stone on level ground.  I find that this cardio type training also helps build the muscle strength and balance needed for martial arts practice, stronger legs are good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One advantage of hill walking is that going uphill utilizes different muscles in a different way compared to going downhill, so one gets the benefit of two different exercise motions.  Downhill seems more isometric, and research shows that uphill and downhill walking have different physiological benefits (one is better for blood sugar control, the other for blood lipids).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Running puts more stress on the muscles and joints than walking, which might be good or bad depending on the person.  I'am 63 so walking is my choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If one is going to be involved in a long contest, such as a 10 or 12 round boxing match, then fairly long distance running appears to help build the stamina needed to keep fighting over an extended period.  Some excellent boxers who tended to win short bouts and were not adequately conditioned were defeated by better conditioned and more wily opponents who were able to make the contest go the full number of rounds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1042" LastActivityDate="2013-03-29T12:14:41.357" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1869" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="327" CreationDate="2013-04-03T12:41:14.487" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Long story short: The martial art with the name Karate started in Okinawa, but was/is made up of elements from different martial art, like the previous okinawan arts, kung fu, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As with all martial arts today, karate was developed from and influenced by many other arts, just like southern shaolin kung fu for example originally started as a way for local monks to defend themselves from forest animals using their tools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You see, it really depends on what you see as the origin, but that's the case with most things in general and martials arts specifically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1019" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2023-06-13T15:15:46.700" LastActivityDate="2023-06-13T15:15:46.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1870" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-04-04T03:00:08.320" Score="1" ViewCount="634" Body="&lt;p&gt;I apologize this is a subjective question, but I need the recommendation from martial artists not just athletes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the best headphones to wear while training? The style of kung fu I practice has a lot of spinning and my cheapy wrap-around/in-ears come loose or fall out very easily. I like to train outdoors but I enjoy listening to &lt;a href=&quot;http://amzn.com/B008C8W6KY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The Eternal Om&lt;/a&gt; too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="180" LastActivityDate="2013-04-04T09:11:14.810" Title="Best headphones for use during training?" Tags="|equipment|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2013-04-04T11:14:17.520" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1871" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="465" CreationDate="2013-04-04T05:58:13.600" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sit astride of their chest and put your knees in their armpits. Sit up on your buttocks and spread them to get a  secure seat. Sit up high on him and ride  him as he tries to buck. Lean slightly forward or back upon him as you ride him. Tuck your feet under his buttocks or side and sit upright on him to prevent him throwing you forward. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1054" LastActivityDate="2013-04-04T05:58:13.600" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1872" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1870" CreationDate="2013-04-04T09:11:14.810" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't wear them whilst training but on a bicycle (only on safe paths and often with just one ear in place) - the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.klipsch.com/in-ear-headphones&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Klipsch&lt;/a&gt; Rugged S4i or maybe their Sport a5i.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They have an oval tip and big silicon earpieces that make them very secure. As a ruggedized headset I think they would survive sweat from training and would just run the wire inside a shirt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did train with headphones for a while. I wanted to avoid being distracted by the drums and cymbals we use during demonstrations so I recorded them and trained with that turned up loud for a few weeks. I can imagine doing my Tai Chi to a background Om as you linked but not sure I'd do much Kung Fu!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="179" LastActivityDate="2013-04-04T09:11:14.810" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1873" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1717" CreationDate="2013-04-04T19:23:01.410" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;My understanding is that damage to the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Femoral_artery&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;femoral artery&lt;/a&gt; (in each leg) would be very serious. Here's an &lt;a href=&quot;http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3130182&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;ESPN story about a death&lt;/a&gt; from femoral artery damage, (albeit from a gunshot wound, so that's a pretty severe injury).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My understanding is that severing either of the femoral arteries would cause and immediate drop in blood pressure that would cause the sufferer to pass out very quickly, followed by &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exsanguination&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;exsanguination&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've several years experience with pointed weapons (such as an epee), and I'm confident that it would be of low probability (ie, not worth the risk of trying) that one could damage that artery with a pointed weapon. However, I believe a deep cut on the upper, inner thigh would not be very difficult to accomplish with a bladed weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="579" LastActivityDate="2013-04-04T19:23:01.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1874" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1876" CreationDate="2013-04-05T07:30:19.797" Score="8" ViewCount="1914" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not so tall 1.70 meter but i have very short arms. When training Wing Chun i notice that from training distance all my training parters can easily hit me. But if i stretch my arm to hit i really need to come in to land a hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means i'm almost in elbow range of my opponent. My Sifu tells me this isn't a problem of size and that being bigger and having larger arms isn't really that big advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this right. Is there a way for me to train in such a way to overcome this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1008" LastActivityDate="2014-05-20T19:42:31.260" Title="Impact of being smaller(shorter arms) and how to overcome this" Tags="|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1875" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1717" CreationDate="2013-04-05T07:36:22.007" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;While the femoral artery is a potentially lethal target, Silver is not discounting that.  There are artery's in the arms, and every place he mentions.  He points out that a thrust may not do the damage one would expect from a cut.  He's telling you to not rely on thrusts at all, but rather rely on cuts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for avoiding the leg, Silver, all the Bolognese authors, most of the German authors all depict what to do against a leg attack - Slip the leg back and hit the head (or hands/arms).  It's one of the few universal defenses.  Most of the time you have to lean forward to hit the leg, unless you are close enough to grapple.  Leaning forward means leading with your head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for applying Silver to court sword, I would be very careful.  Silver's techniques and theories are oriented towards a heavier sword, with a basket hilt.  The weight of the sword has a huge impact on what you can do.  A lot of Silver carries over to Side Sword, but the lighter side sword doesn't handle the same, it's faster, more maneuverable. I've gotten caught doing Bolognese while fighting English basket hilt and vice versa, and rarely with a good outcome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="508" LastActivityDate="2013-04-05T07:36:22.007" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1876" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1874" CreationDate="2013-04-05T13:54:29.010" Score="7" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Reach is important&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know about wing chun, but in boxing, arm length (reach) is considered a significant advantage independent of other factors. It's important enough to report the &quot;wingspan&quot; of each fighter before a fight, as part of comparing other physical attributes like height and weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally speaking, many physical attributes are advantages, but significant skill can overcome these disadvantages. However, with equal skill, the fight will often be determined by those physical attributes. One should endeavor to improve those physical attributes that can be improved (e.g., strength, explosivity, speed) and to develop skills which overcome those physical attributes that cannot be changed (e.g., height, reach).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having long arms, &lt;em&gt;ceteris paribus&lt;/em&gt;, means there is a zone where I can hit you but you can't hit me. That means that you could be standing in my &quot;pocket&quot; getting hit while you are unable to return fire meaningfully. (If the fight or match involves kicks then that is a mitigating factor, but that simply means the reach of your legs is something to consider too.) That's an enormous advantage. You should work on developing techniques to overcome it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Overcoming an opponents' longer reach&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The solution is to avoid standing within the opponent's range, except when you commit to closing the distance such that you can hit them. Therefore extreme long range and extreme short range become your friend, and the middle distance your enemy. Refuse to accept standing where the opponent can hit you but you cannot hit them; either move back or move forward. Use proper footwork, angles, and evasive tactics as you do so, but do not stay there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know how much of a subject this is in wing chun, or if you'll get a chance to practice it in sparring by starting not touching, but it's an important skill for fighting. If most people have longer reach than you, then you'll want to get very good at explosively closing the distance and either A) landing your hits at close range quickly before explosively stepping off on an angle or B) winning at close range, perhaps with dirty boxing, throwing the opponent down, or taking the fight to the ground. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-04-05T13:54:29.010" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1877" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1717" CreationDate="2013-04-06T01:34:09.967" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The quote indicates that in some situations (we nowadays would probably say something like &quot;when adrenaline runs high&quot;), there are wounds that sometimes go unnoticed. As extreme examples go, it is easy to find news articles regarding people getting shot multiple times while under the effects of PCP and continuing as though nothing had happened.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a situation where a strike/hit/thrust/cut is an expensive action, that is, it requires significant commitment and/or leaves you open for a significant lapse of time, this simply means that a strike that does not have significant chance of ending the fight is generally not worth the risk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only meaningful targets in this case would be very small targets that would cause significant disruption, like the tendons. I'll let you do the rest of the math.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2013-04-06T01:34:09.967" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1878" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1883" CreationDate="2013-04-06T15:52:59.313" Score="5" ViewCount="2798" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa_jin&quot;&gt;Fa-jin&lt;/a&gt;, according to the Wikipedia article, means &quot;to discharge power explosively&quot;. If there is only one way to do this, what is it? If there is more than one way, what are the two or three main ways of doing this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2015-10-01T14:29:13.537" Title="What is Fa-jin?" Tags="|power|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1879" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1878" CreationDate="2013-04-06T19:13:24.817" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the context of taijiquan it means power released suddenly from a correctly positioned body in the correct state of relaxation (song).  The problem is that each of these steps above has to be explained.  I'd rather point you at a blog post by Mike Sigman &lt;a href=&quot;http://mikesigman.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/real-fajin-and-otherthings-internal-and.html&quot;&gt;on fa jing&lt;/a&gt; as there are back-references there to other material.  A common first step once you have developed good posture and stance is to train in &quot;bounce jing&quot; where you drive your rear heel into the ground and &quot;bounce&quot; the force back out to your hand without tensing up.&lt;br&gt;&#xA; Some other martial arts use the term and I have no problem with that.  Words take their meaning from context and I'm trying to describe the taijiquan context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="689" LastEditorUserId="689" LastEditDate="2013-04-06T21:47:00.110" LastActivityDate="2013-04-06T21:47:00.110" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1880" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1878" CreationDate="2013-04-09T01:19:33.840" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Jin&quot; means a trained force, somewhat like a force vector.  &quot;Fa&quot; is to attack. In a more practical sense, fajin is a pronounced force that involves the whole body shaking and adding to the power.  On a more titillating level, fa jin implies that the body relaxes to produce this burst of force.  And it's true.  So look for a way to store force and then release it by relaxing.  It's an interesting way to approach the puzzle and if you understand it, it will answer a lot of other questions about the evolution of the internal arts and the body mechanics developed over centuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1062" LastActivityDate="2013-04-09T01:19:33.840" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1881" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-04-09T06:02:11.817" Score="4" ViewCount="1690" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the best way to train my front kick. By this i mean raising the leg and thrusting forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have problems getting the right height and also i'm not stretching my leg fully. There is always a pretty large 'bend'.  This causes me to loose a lot of impact power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1008" LastActivityDate="2013-10-31T11:23:14.937" Title="Training front kick" Tags="|kicking|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1882" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1881" CreationDate="2013-04-09T07:16:17.933" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;We utilise a drill where the kick is broken down into four stages. The stages are:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Raise the knee (keeping the leg bent) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Thrust the kick out, and hold it for a couple of seconds&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Return the kick to the position attained at the end of step #1&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Place the foot back on the floor, so you are back in your stance (place the foot, don't just drop it)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is actually deceptively hard to do because it isn't done fast. It builds strength, and helps train the mind and body in the correct sequence for the kick. This also helps to train you to not kick too high - if you execute step #2 slowly and kick too high you will lose your balance. The four steps are all executed at the same speed - the slower the better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For snap kicks, steps 2 &amp;amp; 3 get merged together so that the snap out and return are completed in the same movement, the snap is executed quickly but steps 1 &amp;amp; 4 are still executed slowly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To address your specific questions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;There is always a pretty large 'bend'. This causes me to loose a lot of impact power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is most likely due to inflexibility, especially in the hamstring muscle. A bend in your leg at the moment of impact is itself not a large worry, if executed correctly you lose some power but not a lot (and there will be many times that you are not at a perfect distance for your kick so will have that bend).&lt;br&gt;&#xA;If flexibility is your problem then that is more concerning - apart from the injury risk (pulled/torn muscles, wrenched joints) your kick could be a lot faster and have more power if you were more flexible. Do bear in mind though that flexibility can be impaired by a number of factors (age, injury, physiology), so train it but don't over do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I have problems getting the right height&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Define &quot;the right height&quot;?&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Usually this is your idea of the right height, and for most people it is chest to head high. &lt;em&gt;You do not need to kick this high&lt;/em&gt;, and a kick at that height is not always an effective or quality move. I've been taught that many of the older styles of karate did not teach kicking above the waist, high kicks are more due to the western influence on the art. This is borne out if you view some old footage of instructors/masters training - you will seldom (if ever) see them kicking high. I'm yet to learn a kata that has high kicks in it. Note that this doesn't mean that you don't kick to the head - it simply means that you should bring the opponents head down before kicking it!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2013-04-09T07:16:17.933" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1883" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1878" CreationDate="2013-04-09T09:47:22.343" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;@Wudang tried to explain it from the point of view of a &lt;em&gt;taijiquan&lt;/em&gt; practitioner, but in my mind, he mostly just glossed over the description of &lt;em&gt;fajing&lt;/em&gt; and of how to get it working.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The term &lt;em&gt;fajin&lt;/em&gt; is composed of two words &lt;em&gt;fa&lt;/em&gt;, which means &quot;to send out, to issue&quot; and &lt;em&gt;jin&lt;/em&gt; is a word used for strength (quite interestingly, one of the pinyin translations I found through Google also mentioned that it meant &quot;crystal&quot;, which curiously enough, is fitting in the context).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means that literal meaning of &lt;em&gt;fajin&lt;/em&gt; could be translated &quot;to send out strength&quot; or to &quot;issue strength&quot;. And that, quite simply, is exactly what &lt;em&gt;fajin&lt;/em&gt; is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are probably many methods of issuing strength, mostly these are dependent on the system of MA you are learning. Some of the systems (including &lt;em&gt;taijiquan&lt;/em&gt;) generate power for the &lt;em&gt;fajin&lt;/em&gt; from the feet, other systems use other methods, that I am not qualified to discuss.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;em&gt;taijiquan&lt;/em&gt;, there is a classic text that describes very clearly how to &lt;em&gt;fajin&lt;/em&gt;.&#xA;Loosely translated (and from my memory rather than a strict citation), it says something like this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The strength is rooted in your foot, &lt;br&gt;&#xA;  generated in the leg, &lt;br&gt;&#xA;  directed by the waist &lt;br&gt;&#xA;  and hand takes the form &lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means essentially, that the act of &quot;releasing the strength&quot; involves your whole body, which must move as one unit, working for a common goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There in this verse there is a set of instructions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Make sure your foot is firmly rooted on the ground&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Generate force in your legs by pushing against the ground with that foot&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use your waist to direct the force from your leg(s) to the hand that delivers it&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Release the force into the target through your hand&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; &amp;ndash; The delivery vehicle does not necessarily have to be a hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is very likely that when you try this yourself, there is nothing springy or explosive about the body mechanics. The springiness is something that comes form relaxed (as in not tense or rigid) mind and body. To get to the point where the strength flows freely through your body and is being &lt;em&gt;released&lt;/em&gt; from your extremities, takes a whole lot of practice and there is no known shortcut there that would help anyone get there faster...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit:&lt;/strong&gt; When I say that &lt;em&gt;strength flows through the body&lt;/em&gt;, I mean quite literally that the strength (a physical force), that was generated in your feet and directed through the waist flows freely through the body and exits through the hand that delivers it (or a foot if you are kicking). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is definitely not &lt;em&gt;Qi&lt;/em&gt;, I am talking about (although effectiveness of &lt;em&gt;fajin&lt;/em&gt; may be greatly augmented by use of &lt;em&gt;qi&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can see how this explanation may sound quite mystical on the surface, but really, this is just a set of physical actions that together form a desired result. Anyone can learn to do this and in fact, many martial artists (including western arts) do that even if they do not call it &lt;em&gt;fajin&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastEditorUserId="424" LastEditDate="2013-04-10T10:57:38.243" LastActivityDate="2013-04-10T10:57:38.243" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1884" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1843" CreationDate="2013-04-09T20:27:29.277" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;To talk about seiza we need to look on this from the historical and cultural point of view. Seiza was used and is still used by oriental people as a form of sitting as we use chairs. Why that position was chosen well we would have to dig deep in to the tradition. The main thing is that this is just a form of sitting. The traditional martial arts are using seiza because this is tradition and part of a cultural etiquette.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now about good things about seiza and bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Good&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The position in fact was giving quicker reaction and ability to move from resting position to fight. Are we sitting in seiza at home or in work or in bar? Not really. Is it quicker to react from the chair. I think yes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sorry I ment to talk about good sides. This is a tradition and traditional systems use it to continue the tradition and I agree with that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bad ones&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;long sitting in that position might cause.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;knee pain and in long run injury&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;circulation problems&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Did you ever felt pins and needles in your leg after long seiza? That what it is. The problem is that if you stop the circulation for a long time your body will gather toxins, and if there are enough of toxins and you release them quickly, you will be dead. I mean really dead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Suspension trauma&amp;quot; is common when people are subjected to car accidents and are compressed against stuff or fall from heights wearing harness and are suspended for more than 20 minutes. Some may argue that oriental people can sit for a long time. That is true for two reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One is they practice from a young age and train their body to get used to that. You can do the same with time. Two, they use small pillows or wooden seats. So be careful when instructor is asking you to sit for 30 min. Regarding meditation, you can meditate in any position that is not restricting you to breath. I bet you can meditate longer when laying on your back than in seiza.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1075" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-04-10T01:35:11.603" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1885" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1835" CreationDate="2013-04-09T20:48:46.463" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tension in traditional arts is present and in modern systems as well the cause is common in some aspects but different in others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The nature of human is that if you are subjected to stress, adrenaline, unknown, you will tense up. This is a survival mechanism. Frankly the survival mechanism that animals use now is &quot;freezing&quot; in hopes that the predator will not spot us, the situation will pass, and the email will be unaffected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a bad system that is not doing good for us but is unfortunately present.&#xA;That part my be rectified by exposure to that stress. The body will get used to that. If you go on the training and you learn new thing your body will struggle to make it work with relax it will take a while to do it. If the instructor is giving you a hard time when you are learning that technique is not helping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The instructor should give you maximum stress when you are practicing fight but not when you studying a new thing. That does not mean that the training should be a nursery. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So all people are tense. In traditional systems, there are lots of techniques that are not really natural movements that is causing additional tension where modern system are more natural in motion. Seeing that taichi is verry natural system and mastering it takes less time. Nowadays you can go on the week course and become taich fitness instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Going back to the question what to do to be less rigid. The answer was already given in previous posts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;practice &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;understand the technique &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;do not try to hit it hard but gently not even fast but gently. If you want to hit it hard and fast you stressing yourself. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;do the technique in half speed or even slower focusing on keeping your muscles relaxed like taichi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;and finally practice&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1075" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2013-04-10T01:07:50.163" LastActivityDate="2013-04-10T01:07:50.163" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1886" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1757" CreationDate="2013-04-09T21:15:40.903" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are many good points in the other answer about what to do during the training. Here is a list of what might be useful and what not really.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How the predator thinks? Exercise using that as a base.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Personal perception. How do you look and behave and what to do to be a hard target for a predator.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Avoidance. This is related to first exercise. Do not put yourself in a place where predator will wait.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Detecting rape indicators. We can predict what might happen. When someone is approaching the car with the key we might predict that he will get in and start th engine and go. Rape is detectable as well as is everything else. The key is to spot the indicators.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When you make mistakes. Environmental awareness, use of environment, secondary crime scene.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How to behave in predatory violence. Deescalate.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Damage awareness, &quot;freeze&quot;, and tools to cope.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pactical exercises with a lot of stress in natural conditions, not in a nice clean studio.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What not to do:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Standard martial arts training kicks, blocks, and so on. No use what so ever.&#xA;To do stuff like punching kicking you need to practice a lot even good fighters under predatory assault forgetting stuff. Personal experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1075" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2013-04-10T01:27:20.560" LastActivityDate="2013-04-10T01:27:20.560" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1887" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1786" CreationDate="2013-04-09T21:37:46.140" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe most of people have ingrained into system a social unwritten law. We do not hurting other people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The law is unconscious and generally it is a good thing. Fighting systems do teach how to go over the psychical restriction, or I should rather say fighting systems should do it. Your problem is common and you need to work on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I remember the first time when I kicked someone in the head with full power, I felt the door opening and that was weird.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lack of attacking is caused by the unconscious fear of hitting and being hit. Additionally if your system is allowing head punches the barrier will be stronger. As hitting the head is as socially unacceptable. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you spar put your mind in the predator state. What I mean is think about your partner as a prey that you are hunting. Keep it in mind. Make your body ready for attacking, not for defense and do it by focusing on attack. Always when partner does brake the distance you go. Once, you brake your mind. You will see that even when you do block you putting yourself to attack position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1075" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2013-04-10T02:21:38.083" LastActivityDate="2013-04-10T02:21:38.083" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1888" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1805" CreationDate="2013-04-09T21:58:59.590" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;You need ask yourself a question: What do I want to achieve in martial arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you want a sport first place - injury guaranteed &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you want the cultural experience - no injury &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you want self-defense - depends on the system, injury might occur&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Usually martial arts are without contact or more usually instructors are keeping everyone safe so nothing really is happening during practices. I myself have been doing martial arts since 1990, and I had one serious incident at a tournament that sent me to the hospital with memory loss.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also have personally witnessed serious knee, hips, shoulders, and injuries that were as a consequence of football and rugby.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been an instructor since 1993, and I never had serious injury during my training. I am not counting one broken finger, two noses (one mine), and one fractured rib.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People training MA are usualy sensible and not abusing people. So to answer your question, if you want avoid all problems&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do not do:&lt;/strong&gt; Anything related with sport&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do&lt;/strong&gt;: Martial arts based on cultural aspect (e.g. kendo, aikido, yaido, kyudo)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you feel that some risk might be present, the most important thing to choose carefully is the instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1075" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2013-04-10T01:21:32.680" LastActivityDate="2013-04-10T01:21:32.680" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1889" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1751" CreationDate="2013-04-09T22:16:20.710" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Answering your question unfortunately yes they are not good for self defence. Saying that people who do MA have more chances to survive but not in all situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To make it a bit clearer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;MA teaching reiho that was a way of behavior in old times and in diferent culture. So it is not really a proper sets of skills on the street.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;MA teaching soldiers not a indyviduals. I terms of sets of orders and gradation in belts. Listen to sensei.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The MA teaching obedience not rebellious mind.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The MA not teaching about the violence detection and deescalation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The MA teaching sport not self defence. Different tactics and aproach.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The MA waisting time in teaching not usable perfection.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not all martial arts are the same. Not all points are related to all of them, but the answer is martial arts are not preparation for self-defense unless there is a wise instructor who is incorporating good things into the training. Not many of them are there though. Some of the instructors think that they do self defence. Unfortunately for a long time I was one of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The violence is not about pride winning but surviving. Social violence you can avoid by putting your pride on the side and the violence deescalates. It is a bit more complicated. The predatory violence is nothing like training in the dojo or even in the cage. Predators do not fight people, they hunt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1075" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2013-04-10T02:16:20.197" LastActivityDate="2013-04-10T02:16:20.197" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1890" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1805" CreationDate="2013-04-10T01:31:04.263" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been training Karate for the last 11 years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You get hurt sometimes, accidents or clashes happen. You get over it. I've had a few injuries over the years, broken foot, hand, ribs, all from accidents. It happens. You try to learn from it (block with your hand closed!) and carry on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Our Dojo is very strict on having control, which should be a factor in your choosing of a dojo or art. Take a look at the instructor and students, are they demonstrating good technique with control, or are they happy to apply a technique without control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I studied and trained through high school and university. Many of the people in my Dojo are professionals (several doctors, a lawyer), or studying at a high level (Working on Masters degrees or PHDs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I love what I do, and wouldn't change it for the world. Find something you enjoy and do it!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1026" LastActivityDate="2013-04-10T01:31:04.263" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1891" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1786" CreationDate="2013-04-10T17:26:33.507" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are already a bunch of good answers here, but let me indulge myself and try to rationalize the experience I've had in both learning myself and learning along with my classmates.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most common reason for this &lt;em&gt;blockage&lt;/em&gt; is usually fear. There are several types of fear and consequently several ways of overcoming the fear:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fear of getting hurt&lt;/strong&gt;. This one is probably the very first fear that inhibits attacking and counter attacking. To hit an opponent, you have to step into the distance where the opponent can also hit you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Prospect of getting hurt is frightening. This is something that you just have to get used to. The best cure so far is that in the controlled and low energy sparring situation, you deliberately let yourself be hit every once in a while. That will get you used to the sensation of being hit and knowing that sensation, it is no longer as frightening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fear of hurting the opponent&lt;/strong&gt;. This is the other side of the coin. If you are a normal human being, you have some level of empathy that forbids doing onto the others what you do not want to be done for yourself. This is normal to a point. I do not really know any other way to fight it except dropping the concept of &quot;attacking&quot; or &quot;violence&quot; from the interaction. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've heard people recommending humming your favorite tune while sparring or imagining that instead of gloves on your hands, you are holding two cups of beverages that you are trying to offer to the opponent. Any way, the act of &lt;em&gt;sparring&lt;/em&gt; is mostly not about violence but rather about strategy and tactics. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some sense it is a very much like playing a very quick version of contact chess. You just see an opening and you go in. Not thinking of hurting or hitting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fear of the &lt;em&gt;antagonist&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. This is somewhat tied to the fear of getting hurt, but it is different. Even if you are used to being hit and are not afraid of being hurt, quite often, what gets you is the fact that the opponent is attacking you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You usually start dealing with the attack, and you block it, but then comes the other attack and then next one, and then the next one. You are left dealing with one attack after another and it seems that the opponent is overwhelming you, and not giving you a chance to counter. And if the opponent stops, so do you, to compose yourself before you start looking for openings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this is what you feel, you are concentrating too much on the &lt;em&gt;antagonist&lt;/em&gt;. Instead of exclusively turning your attention to the attacking limb, you should instead look for opportunities to use that attack to &lt;em&gt;slip in&lt;/em&gt; and counter, blocking or deflecting &lt;em&gt;en route&lt;/em&gt;. Thus, the act of deflection will start feeling more like a side effect of the counter rather than primary means of defence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case, there is a wisdom in something that my teacher once said: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Fear comes from not being in the moment of &lt;em&gt;here and now&lt;/em&gt;. &#xA;  It is thinking too much of the past and extrapolating it into the future, that creates fear and distorts reality.&#xA;  There is no room for fear or deception in the immediacy of &lt;em&gt;here and now&lt;/em&gt;. You either deal with what is coming at you or accept it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastActivityDate="2013-04-10T17:26:33.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1892" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1751" CreationDate="2013-04-10T19:53:54.227" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I see lots of people are offended by my previous answer.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;I understand your feelings I felt that myself. My background is Kyokushin karate it is a tough system full contact no protection hard trainings and so on. I started in 1990 and reached 3 Dan. I spend some time on tournaments as well achieving 2nd place in international tournament 2003 in Poland. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way to recognize things took me a bit of time and I do not want to offend people but show what is reality.&#xA;MA are a great tool for character building, toughness, drive for success. But as they are now they are not for true self defence. They are sport systems. Of course we have some MA that do not have sport competition like Aikido but that system has no additives like the rest.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before you stop reading we have two broad kinds of violence: &lt;strong&gt;social&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;predatory&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Social there a few sub divisions that now are not important as such. The social violence is about domination, position within group, status, or punishment. Example in the bar standard &quot;what you are looking at!?&quot; Is a status and domination game. Your reaction for that with force is not really self defence but mutual fight and status / domination game. As such not a self defence. In that situation all self defence is verbal and giving the monkey his banana. Frankly social violence is legal on tournaments and on trainings &quot;sparring&quot; we all respect people who can kick us not necessary hard. Status?&#xA;All dominance game is outside self defence and defence against the social violence outside trainings is verbal. Of course there are times where verbal de-escalation might not work that depends on what kind of social violence we are dealing with but that is a deep subject. Is your MA system teaching how to not fight during the social violence? And not giving second cheek?... Myself I was told do not use karate outside the dojo... That was it. Maybe my instructors were not well educated... Maybe it is hard to think that person with 10th Dan is not well educated. That part is not in the system it is just like that.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now predatory violence. Predator is after your wallet, phone, body, life... &#xA;Predator is usually that depends of what he wants not much educated in MA... Surprise, surprise. This is not a golden rule. The predator will choose the target accordingly to his abilities and way to execute the attack. Now small Q and A.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The predator will attack you in well lit street from the front from the distance shouting to you give me your wallet, I want to rape you, give me your phone?  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The predator will attack you in dimly lit area far from people, from behind preferably with weapon that depends on resources available to predator and his intentions.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suspect you all have picked answer 2. So where in that attack is place for you to use all the tactics used in sport? How the training will prepare you for faster than you expect, closer than you expect and harder than you expect?&#xA;And the best at the end all martial arts were preparing people for self defence in the past when the masters had to survive in hostile times so what  happened time changed the MA in sport... Or just tradition... You Martial artist it is you who can rediscover your system and think what and how your system could be a self defence system. But you need to step back and see on what you are doing with objective critical aye.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And at the end if you are good looking MA in terms of better do not mess with me you outside the predatory violence. But good target for status seeking show. And vice versa if you are small person it is you who will be picked by the predator and you are a small target in social violence.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be safe and good luck with your journey to the core of your system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1075" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2013-04-10T22:36:56.923" LastActivityDate="2013-04-10T22:36:56.923" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1893" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1894" CreationDate="2013-04-12T04:39:02.557" Score="7" ViewCount="1303" Body="&lt;p&gt;How effective are techniques such as biting, eye pokes, groin grabs &lt;em&gt;et cetera&lt;/em&gt; as escapes from side control or other hold-downs? This would be in comparison to other escape methods like bridging, shrimping back to guard or a technical stand, or rolling to the knees in order to stand up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are those techniques which are generally illegal in grappling contexts more or less useful options than their legal counterparts? Why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2013-04-19T18:32:13.813" LastActivityDate="2013-12-04T11:46:05.403" Title="How effective are foul techniques as a side control escape?" Tags="|self-defense|grappling|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1894" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1893" CreationDate="2013-04-13T14:35:25.307" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the major differences between the 'illegal' moves and the 'legal' moves is that the legal moves have fairly previsible responses. If you poke someone in the eye, you're not quite sure what their response will be. If you bridge, no matter the opponent's response, you're probably (no pun intended) on much more comfortable ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To go one step deeper - the 'legal' moves tend to be setup moves, preparing for your next moves. The illegal moves will cause physiological and abrupt reactions, which you can plan for, but can't really predict. Who knows if biting someone will make them let go or make them punch you in the temple?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, what will be more useful to you is what you have trained for. Which probably means that, if you are training for self-defense, you should probably include the 'illegal' attacks so you are used to them, can defend against them, and can figure out when best to use them, if at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming you have equal training in both the legal and illegal moves, then there should be no visible difference in their utility to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2013-04-13T14:35:25.307" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1895" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1751" CreationDate="2013-04-13T17:12:29.560" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;First thank you for all the answers and question they are verry interesting and will gladly move forard with some answers.&#xA;First how to train to defend the predatory attack.&#xA;The key is how the predators attack.&#xA;Harder quicker and closer than we can imagine.&#xA;They will seek for opportunity to do it.&#xA;The best self defence is to predict and not to be there but let's put that on the side and for what eve reason we are in wrong place and time.&#xA;Sudden attack is causing freeze always, even the trained ones freeze this is natural reaction to adrenalin kick. As everything adrenalin might have less efect on some of people. With sudden adrenalization humans are loosing all complex movement abilities as body is preparing to minimase losses due injury. That means blood is taken from outside body into inside. And tunnel vision occurres. Now before the adrenaline kicks in we have one chance to do it and do it fast. So answer is train one reaction very simple and aggressive no complex movement, and learn how to use it in all possible situation. There are lots of good techniques but what ever you use stick to it and train it a lot. Do not dwel much on what is the attack as this is not verry important as you will get the first one a d train being hit (but with common sense ).&#xA;Sequence attack (dom the back or side close fast hard)&#xA;Defence your technique.&#xA;If your defence kicks in the predator will freeze, and the chances are equal. Now who first get over the freeze will be in better situation. There are techniques how to overcome freeze but this is a ocean subject itself.&#xA;And about point 6 and military.&#xA;History is MA were used in military that is background. MA took as well military reiho, talkin about Japanese MA it is verry visible. Bow when entering dojo, standing in nice rows, orders from sensey, answer to the orders (commands),  ... Every instructor is different and the reiho might be different and I see it as positive. I you have pleasure to train with instructor who is not blandly following strict reiho good for you.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;And about unusable perfection ...&#xA;Kata- &#xA;For a very long time I was the first defender to protect kata as usabl form of studying self defence and MA itself to get to the core.&#xA;Do not make me wrong there are systems that have usable kata that very practical.&#xA;I will give example of karate kata.&#xA;I was waiting time to learn all the kata in my system, additionally I spend even more time to do them in other way. Additionally I waisted more time to make them look LOOK good in order to go to tournament. Nice movement, nice presentation, perfect. What that had in common with self defence ... Nothing... Kata are perfect tool to get control over your body, get coordination in place, but not to fight and defenetly not for self defence.&#xA;I do known that people trying to find in kata self defence forms I did the same, and things look very good, thought the best self defence is straight forward self defence as you will loose complex movement ability. And once you regain your full abilities it will be over anyway. &#xA;MA in present times and lots depends on the instructor have lots of blind spots ... I will repet myself I do think that people doing MA have higher chances to survive. But I you thinking about self defence doing only MA it is risky.&#xA;Next question &#xA;BJJ is grate MA as lots of others.&#xA;The judo, wrestling, BJJ and all systems who work close infighting are good for lots of things, as the attack is close it is natural distance for them.&#xA;There are two main points one what if there are more than one and you start to wrestle with one ... Dangerous thing is to say I will do one and next. Secound is the lack of self defence tactics in the system...&#xA;The self defence against Homeless killer and a pedophile is not much different.&#xA;All of them will seek pray week enough for them to hunt&#xA;Will pick place, tool, time to suit them.&#xA;It is just mater of how tough is the pray.&#xA;Homeless will seek small week target but his attack will be equal fast hard as the rest of others. It is mater to behave in the way to be outside the the predatory range of victim&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The funny thing is that we are closer to the apes than we think... The social aspects and predator victim aspects are hard wired to us. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1075" LastEditorUserId="1075" LastEditDate="2013-04-14T16:15:11.390" LastActivityDate="2013-04-14T16:15:11.390" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1896" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1893" CreationDate="2013-04-14T09:47:17.427" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, I see we have some definition misunderstanding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Legal moves in terms of sport competition or self defense?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it is self defense, you need to legitimize the level of force you use. If a bite was an available tool for you to escape and you can justify it, it was a legal move ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, about biting itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is a great tool if you rip a part of the opponent's flesh, and this will surely have even greater effect if you spit it out into his face, but there is a great risk in getting into contact with bodily fluids such as blood. These fluids might contain blood-borne viruses, bacterias, like Hepatitis B or C, HIV... You name it,&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Would you consider to be covered with that, and have it in your mouth ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be safe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The option of eye poking with your pinkies is more safer, even better with the nails.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And the legality of it: if you can justify using that level of force it is legal.&#xA;Personally, if someone would hit me from behind in a dark alley I would not dwell about someone's health and safety, I could not know who, how old, and why someone did it, &lt;strong&gt;I would be in a position to deal with it to get away using level of the force that I perceived necessary to save my skin&lt;/strong&gt;. Pinky eye tactics would work well.&#xA;The face manipulation is well described in &quot;Sunshido shredder&quot;, have a look.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1075" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2013-04-15T15:33:00.580" LastActivityDate="2013-04-15T15:33:00.580" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1897" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1037" CreationDate="2013-04-14T10:11:52.123" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can find all your answers in &#xA;Rory Miller's books&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1594391181&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Meditation on Violence&lt;/a&gt; and&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1594392137&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Facing Violence&lt;/a&gt;.&#xA;There is no point for me to quote all what he is saying.&#xA;Have a good read.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Added.&#xA;Both of these books giving grate foundation of what is violence in particular:&#xA;Types of violence &#xA;How violence occurs &#xA;Deescalation&#xA;Recognizing&#xA;Stress management in particular freeze management&#xA;Lots of good examples&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1075" LastEditorUserId="1075" LastEditDate="2013-04-15T12:16:21.600" LastActivityDate="2013-04-15T12:16:21.600" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1898" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="888" CreationDate="2013-04-14T10:21:21.133" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes there are tools to work with when you can not really use your hands.&#xA;The idea of loosing your hand is a bit ... As you would go through Hades.;-))&#xA;I can see use hands free techniques in sudden attack situation where you are taken aback and there is no time to rise your hands, or in a crowd where your hands are obstructed, or when you are holding someone and you get under fire.. (Just expression of being battered)&#xA;So.&#xA;Use your shoulders, this is a massive bone with massive muscles, if you doge with your head and get behind works well.&#xA;Shoulder shrugs to deflect, get covered or even hit.&#xA;Way of practising.&#xA;First partner must attack slowly and be realistic you can not block Mae geri chudan with it;-)&#xA;You keep your hands in your pockets and have fun.&#xA;Practise in diferent distances but preferably close combat as common sense you would see attack comming from the long distance and there would be plenty time to use hands.&#xA;Have fun&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1075" LastActivityDate="2013-04-14T10:21:21.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1899" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="711" CreationDate="2013-04-14T10:30:22.407" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was using the kubotan in one of my previous jobs, not in UK. &#xA;The stuff is blessing i was using it at work to have a bargain preasure to get compliance, but for self defence is even better. &#xA;You do not have much training on it.&#xA;You can use most of office and DIW stuff as a kubotan (pencils, pens, stiks, key)&#xA;Anything that is more or less that shape, I was using the thin end of a snooker stick.&#xA;If you hit bonny point hurts.&#xA;If the asaliant is under adrenaline and can not feel much you can easily disable his computer. The problem is it might be permanently.&#xA;It is powerful weapon and must be used carefully.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The question is how to use it?&#xA;I prefer not to give you sets of techniques as that would be sort of restricting.&#xA;It is rather what you can do with it.&#xA;At work I was using it as a pressure point and you do not really need to press any special point to get the result - &#xA;Force given to any Bone point  and transferred via top of the kubotan will make an effect. Pressure was better as I did no wanted to do damage, hitting the hard parts of the body could cause fractures and as such not good as a result of being &quot;at work&quot;.&#xA;Saying that hitting muscles was not very harmless but effective.&#xA;In self defense I would consider to swap priorities .&#xA;So as you can see it is not about the techniques but when and why. &#xA;And at the end vein very simple, whatever you do the kubotan will make it stronger. Simple effective tool.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1075" LastEditorUserId="1075" LastEditDate="2013-04-15T12:43:40.753" LastActivityDate="2013-04-15T12:43:40.753" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1900" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1948" CreationDate="2013-04-16T09:40:17.063" Score="7" ViewCount="1999" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the system of close combat taught in the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.legion-etrangere.com/&quot;&gt;Légion étrangère&lt;/a&gt;?  How did it evolve during the history of the Légion?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2013-05-02T15:39:10.157" Title="Légion étrangère close combat system" Tags="|training|history|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1901" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1874" CreationDate="2013-04-16T12:49:49.357" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In addition to Dave's post, one should add, that being smaller has its advantages outside of punching techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When grappling and showin, a smaller person has a deeper stance, allowing him/her to better withstand shoving and pushing, or being better at shoving/pushing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1019" LastActivityDate="2013-04-16T12:49:49.357" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1902" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1786" CreationDate="2013-04-16T19:55:10.420" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The way I learn to avoid bad habits is sometimes to suffer the consequences of why they are bad in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Spar with fake knives... perhaps some markers as you can see where they hit.&#xA;Sometimes full contact (like boxing) is good as well.&#xA;Multiple attackers are also excellent practice for learning the limitations of defensive combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another option is practicing attacks in drill (freeform or planned) until they become more habitual.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And, of course, keep in mind what you are trying to do when sparring. Get some role-play in mind as to why you want to defeat your opponent rather than just not getting hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1079" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-04-17T08:46:26.313" LastActivityDate="2013-04-17T08:46:26.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1903" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1893" CreationDate="2013-04-16T20:00:09.630" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Biting is (generally speaking) a pain-compliance activity. Unless you are biting off a finger, or going for an artery, you are using your teeth as a method to induce pain in your opponent to either unbalance his technique or get him to abandon it entirely. Some other common examples include pinching and spraying people with pepper spray.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pain is not likely to help the person feeling it be a better fighter. It can be a useful distraction from focus; but it's going to be inferior to a mechanical compliance technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a life-or-death fight, I would bite any time there was something in front of my teeth for the same reasons I would use pepper spray: not because I expect it to win a fight, but because it can only reasonably serve to advantage me. It may tip the balance, though it is not reliable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;addendum to respond to follow-up below&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Biting pretty much always occurs in a grapple regardless. It's when a target is close and is also relatively stationary (one does not bite a punch); but I will try to refocus my phrasing on escaping a hold and in contrast to not biting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mechanical escapes (&quot;other escape techniques&quot; in your post) are more reliable. They work unless actively countered. Biting, and all pain-compliance techniques, are less reliable used alone as they rely on someone abandoning the hold because of discomfort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Biting during an attempt to exert a mechanical escape is more likely to improve, rather than lessen your chance of succeeding with the mechanical escape. It is a distraction to your opponent's brain as to what he is trying to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to escalation: That's a pretty situational question. In competition or friendly play biting is entirely inappropriate. In a life-or-death fight, there's no where it could escalate to it isn't already at. At something in between? That seems a judgement call.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1079" LastEditorUserId="1079" LastEditDate="2013-04-17T17:43:33.727" LastActivityDate="2013-04-17T17:43:33.727" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1904" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1893" CreationDate="2013-04-17T02:18:01.557" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Biting / Eye Gouging and Groin Grabbing  (BEGGG) aren't in themselves escapes.  You still need to know the mechanics of making some space and using it to escape.   The only thing stopping you escaping is the person adapting to your escape.   BEGGG could be used as a interrupt to that adaption.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2013-04-17T02:18:01.557" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1905" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1907" CreationDate="2013-04-17T09:50:44.333" Score="15" ViewCount="1394" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to know which (if any at all) contemporary system base their tactics in deciding who to attack first in order to create a escaping route.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Scenario:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cornered in a place where 4 aggressors are clearly escalating their intentions of attacking me. From my left to my right, the first one is the smallest and quietest of all, but it is always looking around for people passing by (call him Aggressor1 - Quiet [&lt;strong&gt;A1Q&lt;/strong&gt;]); the second, to A1’s left is the leader, not too built/strong, but definitely the loudest and the one that seems to control who does what, call him &lt;strong&gt;A2L&lt;/strong&gt; (L for Leader). The third one, to the left of A2L is the strongest and the one nearest my face. He smells of alcohol, though, so you can tell he is a bit drunk, which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage for me, call him &lt;strong&gt;A3S&lt;/strong&gt;, ‘S’ for ‘Stronger’. The fourth one is the most ordinary of all, but is keeping his hand hidden under the front of his loose jumper: this is common where I am from, where lots of people have guns, but keep it hidden until the last moment. I would assume he has a gun or at least a knife (if you were in my country, you would definitely assume that) so I call him &lt;strong&gt;A4G&lt;/strong&gt;, ‘G’ for ‘Gun’. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At that moment, I know that I am screwed. The more one complies, the more one is made a victim of. So my way is always attacking first, no matter what, as the attack on me is imminent and if I comply I will certainly suffer even more. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any contemporary system that studies this type of different case scenarios?&#xA;What is the process for choosing your first, and perhaps second target in order to open a gap to escape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NOTE&lt;/strong&gt;: I am not suggesting staying there fighting against them all. That would be stupid. What I am picturing is a sudden deceiving attack against one, potentially two, just so that they, shocked by the surprise, would allow me to run away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="975" LastEditorUserId="975" LastEditDate="2013-04-17T12:41:39.287" LastActivityDate="2022-02-17T12:43:43.927" Title="Choosing a Target When Cornered by Multiple Attackers" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="11" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1906" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1905" CreationDate="2013-04-17T10:41:40.143" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt; does have &lt;em&gt;X-nin ni randori&lt;/em&gt; where X is either 3, 4, or 5 -- generally pronounced in Japanese.   Youtube should have some examples of demo.  The basic idea is throw one attacker into the others or pin one so that their body offers you some cover.  Ideally, you go to the edge of the attach, thus making sure that all your attackers are in an arc in front of you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Within some styles, &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; is done with cooperation and harmony in mind rather than in a competitive way.  The effectiveness of multiple opponent training does depend on the level of resistance &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; gives &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt;.  What it will teach whatever the resistance is that long and flowing techniques are less effective than straight ones. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, knowing how to break fall on a &lt;em&gt;tatami&lt;/em&gt; mat is a lot different to falling on concrete. Fundamentally, &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; is a tool that helps not magic that solves. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2013-04-18T09:03:29.363" LastActivityDate="2013-04-18T09:03:29.363" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1907" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1905" CreationDate="2013-04-17T11:54:58.263" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If your goal is to make a run for it, and not to fight the multiple aggressors, karate, at least the style I practice, teaches you to strike at the strongest of the opponents that you feel are capable of downing/incapacitating in one strike (or at least doing so very fast).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they are four against you, they probably believe they won't get hurt so much (compared to you, anyways) and will most likely underestimate you. Use this opportunity to strike at one, opening a path for your escape. By choosing a target that is on the stronger side (but still feel confident about disabling quickly), you might gain a psychological advantage that will make them hesitate for an instant, which you can use to put some distance between you and them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People have suggested to go for the closest attacker if one of them is more aggressive. This is indeed the correct choice. My answer assumes that you are cornered or surrounded but still have a fraction of a second to actually chose a target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, I now realize I should have said &quot;strike the one presenting the biggest threat that you feel are capable of downing/incapacitating in one strike&quot;. In the context of formal karate training, &quot;strength&quot; is a decent approximation of threat, since we assume unarmed attackers. But in the context provided by your question, things might be different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Formal systems, even contemporary ones, can only prepare you to such scenarios up to a certain extent. You must decide for yourself wether you wish to fight or flee, and this objective will determine your next move. If you wish to flee, attack the opponent you feel will give you the best (safest?) opportunity to do so, favoring either psychological advantage or advantageous positionning. If you wish to fight, you definitely want to disable the biggest threats first, in the safest possible order. They are many, you are one, and you will tire faster than them for sure, this is why you need to be swift and efficient. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the situation you describe, I would personally go for the closest one first, then try to disarm/disable the armed one if I feel like it is safe for me to do so. If not, I would try to use the first one I disabled (or a new one if they try to jump me before the armed one can react) as a hostage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there is a crowded area nearby, though, the one you describe as the silent one will probably serve as the lookout for the other thugs. This means is attention is not 100% directed on you. I'd use this to my advantage by blindsiding him and joining the crowd as fast as I can, as most thugs wouldn't fire blindly into a crowded area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The general idea, though, is to eliminate threats in the order you feel is the safest in accomplishing your objective. But, truthfully, I have never been put into a situation such as this, and hope to never have to make these kinds of decisions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastEditorUserId="557" LastEditDate="2013-04-18T06:50:02.610" LastActivityDate="2013-04-18T06:50:02.610" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1908" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1905" CreationDate="2013-04-17T12:22:58.353" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd rather not pick the opponent based on their characteristics but on position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try to move yourself in a position where you only face 1 opponent and keep that one between you and the other ones. And provide yourself an opening whenever their position moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will cause you to change the opponent your faces whenever you're required to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The benefits of this system is that you will not be in a situation where you attack an opponent and immediatly you will be attacked by all others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Key is positioning and not choosing the right opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As soon as you find an opening to run away, just run. Even if you didn't have to attack any of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1008" LastActivityDate="2013-04-17T12:22:58.353" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1909" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1905" CreationDate="2013-04-17T17:36:57.977" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You attack the closest one (who is also, at that moment, the most aggressive).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your concern is multiple attackers with firearms: it's almost a moot point. You can run or try for a hostage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Attacking anyone other than the closest person is invariably turning your back to an attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1079" LastEditorUserId="1079" LastEditDate="2013-04-17T18:42:43.307" LastActivityDate="2013-04-17T18:42:43.307" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1910" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1679" CreationDate="2013-04-17T17:53:39.130" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with other answers here that cardio is definitely a factor. I have to disagree regarding more variation in technique moving from point-break to continuous sparring. I submit that, because the dominant form of competitive TKD sparring is Olympic-style sparring, that you will see &lt;em&gt;less&lt;/em&gt; variation in techniques moving to that style. I believe that the techniques one uses in any sparring competition, regardless of style, will be the techniques that are known to point most frequently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Granted, at the very highest level - the Olympics - you will see some amazing feats, but, often you'll see a lot of bouncing around and adjusting of equipment while each competitor waits for the other to make the first move. Even at that level, the repertoire of techniques and tactics is not really all that large.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The general flow of an Olympic-style match goes like this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, the defender has the opportunity to accept and incoming strike and immediately counter to nullify any points, or to get out of the way and bring an attack of their own. So, from what I've seen at competitions, there is a significant head game and waiting game going on. At first it involves lots of bouncing and adjusting of equipment. Then someone throws a fake to get the other person to commit. This behavior continues until someone commits, or until the ref calls timeout and fouls one or both combatants for not attacking (this particular foul is relatively recent and I believe is a direct result of the rest of the world getting really bored when watching TKD tournaments).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The adjustments to mindset/training:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Train for speed, not power. Roundhouse roundhouse roundhouse. Roundhouse. Oh, and roundhouse!&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Footwork:&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A short front stance is usually the preferred stance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learn how to put yourself in a position to counter the oncoming attacker.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Some of this is no-brainer - move off the line of attack to the open side, etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;We are taught at first to never kick with the forward leg, so you have to move into a stance opposite of your opponent's (e.g., your left leg is forward if his right leg is forward) and hit with the back leg. The reasoning is that the back leg is stronger (but admittedly slower) allowing it to penetrate your opponent's defense. Hence, looking for opportunities to counter, rather than initiate an attack.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learn first to counter with rear-leg roundhouse, then learn the best positions to counter with back and hook kicks.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Then, learn to do it with spinning and jumping back and hook kicks, and tornado kicks.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lift the forward leg up and pushing off the rear leg to advance. Lift the rear leg and pushing off the forward leg to retreat. From side to side, same principle.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Keep your guard up!&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In continuous sparring, timeouts happen, but not just because you score. Those who come from point-break styles have trouble with this at first.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Up is relative. If 90% of the kicks (roundhouse!) are coming at your chest, keeping your arms in the middle guard is usually what works. You'll see that a lot if you watch Olympic competitions on YouTube. So hands up can often mean &lt;em&gt;down&lt;/em&gt; in Olympic TKD.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are other factors, such as using the ring and the rules to force fouls or time-outs, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1081" LastActivityDate="2013-04-17T17:53:39.130" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1911" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1905" CreationDate="2013-04-17T17:56:37.203" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;here are few tips which could be useful:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;try to use your &lt;strong&gt;peripheral vision&lt;/strong&gt; (this takes some time to&#xA;master, but it will give you a lot, trust me); try some &lt;em&gt;sticky hands&lt;/em&gt; drills - they do develop an ability to fight without looking&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;if this this a street fight - use those &lt;strong&gt;dirty techniques&lt;/strong&gt; (if you&#xA;just punch a guy in the nose he might fight back; if you poke his eye, his fight is over and you can run away)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;try to mix fighting with grappling; spare against an opponent whose&#xA;goal would be to grapple and hold you and &lt;strong&gt;your goal is NOT to&#xA;grapple&lt;/strong&gt; at all but fight&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="759" LastActivityDate="2013-04-17T17:56:37.203" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1912" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1905" CreationDate="2013-04-17T21:50:42.637" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a good question. Unfortunately it is impossible to answer that defenately you should do, as it depends of what is around, what is the flooring, obstruction, light, wetter, distances, exits, ... There are lots of variations that have influence, so my answer is one of possibilities.&#xA;First I do agree with you to attack first and the law will stay with you as long you will be able to justified your actions at the court. In terms I did this as I noticed indicators of coming violence such as..... (Reading &quot; Scalling force&quot; by Rory Miller) &#xA;And my target would be the opponent one. &#xA;Explanation. This situation is extremely dangerous and the time in that conflict must be minimum.&#xA;Option of struggling with a leader.  I as the strong one will defend him&#xA;Option strong one . No as he is front one.&#xA;Option three gun. No as he has a weapon.&#xA;Option one as you acting violently and rapidly had the most chances to get yourself window for RUN...&#xA;But if we add a environment into play and for example the stron one would be just beside the kerb and could trip esly hmm that could change the target.&#xA;All is about situation reading I do known it is not easy under stress.&#xA;Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1075" LastActivityDate="2013-04-17T21:50:42.637" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1913" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1905" CreationDate="2013-04-17T22:34:52.833" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Choy Li Fut when faced with multiple opponents we are taught to take out the biggest threat first.  There are a number of factors that we can use to determine who this might be:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do they have weapons? Weapon &gt; No Weapon&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What type of weapon? Gun &gt; Knife&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Have they had martial arts training? Training &gt; No Training (probably hard to know)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How big are they? Bigger &gt; Smaller (usually)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Proximity? Close &gt; Farther away&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are they impaired in some way? Sober &gt; Drunk/Drugged (usually)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;and so on...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the cases where it is not possible to determine who the biggest threat is (i.e. same size, same distance) then we pick one and move towards them hence making them the biggest threat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are obviously just a guide but in most situations proximity, size and the presence of weapons are probably going to make it clear very quickly who the biggest threat is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll also add that it is my understanding (and we teach this at my school) that once there is more than one opponent involved you are justified in using lethal force to protect yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="369" LastEditorUserId="369" LastEditDate="2013-04-18T00:49:44.680" LastActivityDate="2013-04-18T00:49:44.680" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1914" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1905" CreationDate="2013-04-18T17:46:18.937" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Somewhere in my attic I have course notes from a CQB course run by an SAS instructor for bodyguards.  As I recall his advice was hit fast, hit hard, accept you'll be hit.  You need to hit one hard enough that he's stopped for enough time for you to hit or incapacitate the next guy.  As I recall there were one or two 3-1 scenarios but not 4-1.  If you think about it the probabilities of you being able to land enough effective-enough blows on enough guys diminishes rapidly as the number of attackers increases.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;You'll want a martial art that includes rough sparring where you get used to getting hit.  My money would be on boxing or something similar.&#xA; BTW I wasn't on the course.  A friend who worked close protection.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="689" LastActivityDate="2013-04-18T17:46:18.937" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1917" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1893" CreationDate="2013-04-19T16:43:48.400" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Environment Conditions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Firstly I wanted to make one thing clear: you will not have a nice, clean, easy-to-drag-your-butt ground for you to use to create space: you might be wearing tighter jeans, or have a backpack, or thick winter jacket; it might be dark, wet ground, or too near a wall... This means that not always you will be able to execute the drills you have been practising, which is when you would need to count on improvisation and unpredictability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective: Stand-up&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although BJJ proved to be really effective on a one to one (even &quot;no rules&quot; duels), on the streets the situation is very different: his friends might kick my head, he might pull a knife, the police might arrive and take us both... So the last place I want to be is scrambling on the ground with someone. Whatever escape/defense I try to pull, I will do so bearing in mind that what I ultimately want is to stand up, rather than trying to sweep him, or anything like that. I probably would not pull full guard, for instance; instead I would try and move from under the person to create space so that I can push his hips away with my feet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Foul Techniques and Context&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would never go for a groin grab. This is small target (not bring funny) and fairly easy to protect. One of the early UFCs had an episode like that, but instead of grabbing, they were punches. He was hitting the guy right on the balls, several times; no result. Biting, yes, but it would depend on timing and context. Look at nature, how lions hunt. They run behind their preys, usually take a first bite on their backs so they can secure their claws into their preys' skin, until they climb reaching a bite to the neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Neck control is very important in BJJ sport because that's how you control the whole of person's body, especially if you have their hips secure as well. Plus, strong bite to the neck can be fatal. If you can get your mouth near your aggressor's neck, you can rip their throats out. What about a stone? Stones are fantastic, either if I am trying to escape and all of the sudden I see a stone lying around there that I can grab and hit him from the bottom, or even if I am on the top and I wanted to finish him (in a very extreme case, as I do have consideration for human life; but if it were a much more serious situation I would definitely make use of it). Thus, in the same way that a triangle choke is only applicable depending on timing and context the same applies for what you are calling 'foul techniques'. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Timing: When to Make Use of Foul Techniques&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another key aspect to bear in mind is timing. If we are both standing in mid-range and he is launching a double-leg takedown, I would not try to aim my finger to his eye, but counter with a punch, for example, or more likely sprawl. If he already got me on side control but not fully locked, then I would not waste my time with foul techniques, as this extra time spent in trying to poke his eye would impede me from escaping and I would end up spending more time on the ground, which is against my principle of not staying on the ground. If, on another hand, the guy got me fully locked in this position, then that's when I would do a bit of bridging, and if that was too tight, then I would probably try to reach to the next available foul technique target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Why Bother with Foul Techniques&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because simply put, there is nothing your attacker on top cannot do while you are biting, or eye poking him that he cannot do if you were not biting him; to the contrary: the longer you stay on the bottom, the more exposed you become. I shall expand it further.&#xA;Bottom Targets While you are on the bottom you might potentially be exposed to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;getting choked, strangled - in other words, passing out;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;getting hit (a punch, stab, kick, knee, elbow, bullet, etc) by the guy on top;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;getting hit (a punch, stab, kick, knee, elbow, bullet, etc) by a different person;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;being bitten by the guy on top.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The attack vectors are virtually the same, whether you are biting, screaming or starting to create space to get out of the bottom - once the space has been created, then yes, his attack vectors are reduced. However, until such time, you are exposed to the same threats. What this means, essentially, is that you have a certain spectrum's width of risk (the types of attacks that can be launched against you from the top) which accommodate a certain number of escapes and counter you can perform. Adding foul techniques is an extra set of tools you could potentially add at no extra cost, meaning you are still exposed to the same threats as you would be if you had not considered foul techniques at all. So why not consider them?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, as a double benefit, by incorporating these extra repertoire that most of orthodox MA trained people do not expect, you would also add the benefit of unpredictability and shock: usually under a sudden moment of surprise and shock, the natural reaction is to back away from the source of the unexpected event, which might be another window of opportunity for you to escape. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Summary&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Foul Techniques are only labelled 'foul' because they are illegal in sports competition. This distinction does not exist on the streets, which is why for me they are like any other well-thought and practised technique that need to be mastered: self-preservation comes first. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Final Edit on Escalatin Issue&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Are you worried at all about potentially escalating the fight while in a disadvantageous position?&quot; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Worrying about this would mean stop reacting in the hope that the aggressor will suddenly calm down and let go of me. In no way this is realistic. The more you comply, the harder it becomes for you to escape. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="975" LastEditorUserId="975" LastEditDate="2013-04-19T22:23:35.923" LastActivityDate="2013-04-19T22:23:35.923" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1919" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1920" CreationDate="2013-04-21T22:05:53.017" Score="5" ViewCount="9749" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am 15 and I am currently being trained in Krav Maga, one on one with a partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a very practical question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Am I allowed to use Krav Maga for any case of self-defense? Even a threatening or grave suspicion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I live in Brooklyn, NY, but it would be nice to know how this works in other places too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(and as a plus, how the heck can you walk in a ready stance down the street without the whole freaken place going 'ooooh, aaahhh'. Lol, 'cuse I was walking like that once at like 8PM in Staten Island, and this guy on the side walk ahead went to his friend:&quot;yo, watch out&quot; and they stepped aside.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1092" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2013-10-16T19:20:27.813" LastActivityDate="2019-09-12T01:06:51.910" Title="Krav Maga, is it 100% legal for defense?" Tags="|krav-maga|stance|protective-equipment|legal|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1920" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1919" CreationDate="2013-04-21T23:45:14.590" Score="12" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Am I allowed to use Krav Maga for any case of self-defense?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course you are, within the normal parameters. You will only use what you need with the amount of force required in order to defuse and escape from a situation. The amount of force that is considered &quot;legal&quot; will differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction based on current law and precedent case law (you could also reference the previous question &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/72/70&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Are there legal ramifications to being a trained martial artist?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;), and will also depend on the severity of the situation you find yourself in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I live in Brooklyn, NY, but it would be nice to know how this works in other places too&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As mentioned the law is different everywhere - for example you will have a slightly different set of laws the moment you cross a state line. The important thing is not so much &lt;em&gt;what you use&lt;/em&gt; on the opponent, but the &lt;em&gt;damage you inflict&lt;/em&gt; on the opponent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;how the heck can you walk in a ready stance down the street&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't - you just walk normally. A stance is simply a starting or ending position for a movement or technique. You don't &quot;get into a stance&quot; before starting a fight, you assume the stance as you execute techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-04-22T00:07:45.827" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1923" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="723" CreationDate="2013-04-23T17:22:52.913" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;PNF is great! I started using it about 10 years ago and it has done wonders for me and some students. It is tough to show this method to students in class to most as there are different skill levels, and sometimes a new student or two.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I try to incorporate this into my karate program as well as yoga poses in the beginning and at the end. I also use straps and a ballet bar and it works wonders too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Catering to adults over 40 flexibility is key, in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.trivalleykarate.com&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;karate&lt;/a&gt; or just for overall health and wellness; prevent injuries and improved the range of motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just as stated above, in many traditional styles of karate, such as &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.trivalleykarate.com&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;goju ryu karate&lt;/a&gt;, head kicks aren't performed due to the close range fighting techniques, but if you can do it well you will definitely hurt your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And, yes, if you get lazy and don't maintain your flexibility you will lose it; I'm guilt of that, however, over the past 3 months regained much of it through my own classes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1095" LastActivityDate="2013-04-23T17:22:52.913" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1924" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="466" CreationDate="2013-04-23T18:13:04.540" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would suggest developing expertise in a number of systems. Start with systems that develop striking and kicking skills, such as karate, muy thai, kung fu, kajukenbo and tae kwon do. Then move to styles that build your groundfighting techniques, such as submissions wrestling, jujitsu, and MMA. Add weapons systems, such as Black Eagle Eskrima, Sayoc Kali, kenjutsu, and Kali Silat. If you want to develop internal power, Bagua Zhang and/or Taijiquan will serve you well. Then you will become a well-rounded fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1096" LastActivityDate="2013-04-23T18:13:04.540" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1925" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="723" CreationDate="2013-04-26T07:08:56.847" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my own experience, dynamic stretching is really effective for kicking flexibility. For kicking, you need a dynamic motion in your limbs and joints, so that is what you practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, rest a hand against the wall for balance, and do leg swings. Keep your leg straight, relax your muscles and lift it up until you feel a stretch, for a number of repetitions. When you begin to feel fatigued (around 10-15 reps), stop and do the other leg or a different exercise. If you do karate, this is very similar to mae keage geri, but the difference is that you should not push it as high as you can from the first go, but only as far as you feel comfortable with a light stretch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This exercise is done similarly to the sides and back. I also do roundhouse kicks while balancing myself against the wall, with the same set of mind – a steady pace, until my leg tires (usually 16-20 reps).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An added bonus for these exercises, is that you do something related to your class – kicks (but perhaps slightly different techniques). While you perform them, you don't just increase your range of motion, but also your balance, strength and possibly technique (depending on how you'll do the stretches).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that the goal here is not static flexibility, but range of motion and warming up the joints and muscles, which is why they should be done in the warmup, or immediately after.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It will also be a good idea to do static stretching, like front splits and side splits, but do it after class. This is because you are extending your muscles beyond their maximum stretch. This will not only tire it and damage it slightly, but it may lead to injuries if you jump up and do dynamic motions right after. Static stretching however, when done right, will increase your maximum flexibility, so should not be overlooked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I highly recommend reading &quot;Stretching Scientifically&quot; by Thomas Kurz. It explains in great detail not only how to stretch, but also why specific stretches are beneficial for which athletes, and most importantly how to avoid injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="30" LastActivityDate="2013-04-26T07:08:56.847" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1926" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1947" CreationDate="2013-04-26T08:09:08.133" Score="15" ViewCount="16302" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know the proper way to put on your gi is to put the left side over the right side, but why is this? Where did this custom come from? I think it applies to all martial arts (at least I know it does for Aikido, Karate and Judo) or are there any exceptions?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-17T10:27:06.277" LastActivityDate="2021-03-12T17:54:12.937" Title="Why is a gi worn left side over right?" Tags="|history|gi|etiquette|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1927" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1926" CreationDate="2013-04-26T08:17:11.707" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;As far as I know the left side over right is for the living. Dead bodies get kimono tied right over left.  Some sources include &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_funeral&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.japan-zone.com/culture/kimono.shtml&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Japan Zone&lt;/a&gt; for example. So, unless you are an undead, there are no exceptions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2013-04-26T08:17:11.707" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1928" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1926" CreationDate="2013-04-26T12:42:13.230" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;I seem to have been thaught a story similar to what Sardathrion explains, yet slightly different. Sadly, though, I have no reference other than &quot;my sensei told me&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to my sensei, people wore the left side on top because the inside of the kimono became easily accessible with the right hand, a bit like a big pocket, allowing to dissimulate weapons (most likely a tanto, or short knife) or carry small fans (which were popular in high society).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When someone died, they no longer needed to carry/hide weapons, at least not on this side anymore (I will admit I am not familiar with the traditionnal japanese afterlife). This is why, still according to my sensei, one would be buried with the right side over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2013-04-26T12:42:13.230" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1929" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1935" CreationDate="2013-04-26T14:48:57.420" Score="13" ViewCount="392" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently started MMA and have been learning wrestling, jiu jitsu, boxing, and some Muay Thai. Very beginner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In every Bruce Lee fight I've ever seen, he avoids opponents' blows by a combination of moving out of the way and lightly smacking their limb away with his hand. I realize these are film fights, but my understanding is that he's using his actual techniques nonetheless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which disciplines, if any, is this aspect taken from? Or did he just add it in himself?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1100" LastActivityDate="2018-06-08T10:47:24.403" Title="Which disciplines involve smacking away opponents' strikes?" Tags="|defense|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1930" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1929" CreationDate="2013-04-26T15:29:13.860" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This technique is one part parries and one part fight-scene choreography.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Parries are a basic element of boxing, many styles of karate, wing chun, and most striking arts in general. Bruce Lee studied each of these (wing chun most of all in his early career, and boxing close behind it as he explored other arts) and a given instance of Bruce Lee smacking away a strike could be a pak sao, a boxing parry, a karate parry, or just a parry without a particular style to pin it to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-04-29T14:23:58.230" LastActivityDate="2013-04-29T14:23:58.230" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1931" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1929" CreationDate="2013-04-26T16:40:57.113" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As with any historical study, the individual elements need to be contextualised.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At its core, MA was essentially either defending or aquiring assets. The way to do so was with weapons rather than empty-handed. Parry study in MA likely have come from its weapon equivalent; Aikido being one of such arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I think pretty much every MA that has its concepts readapted from weapon handling will incorporate empty-handed parry study on their curriculum. The remaining of arts that did &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; have their concepts readapted from weapon handling will &lt;strong&gt;also&lt;/strong&gt; incorporate empty-handed parry study on their curriculum, one way or another, simply because other arts do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NOTE&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even BJJ makes use of parry: before fighting for position one needs to fight for a suitable grip, which is where parries come in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="975" LastActivityDate="2013-04-26T16:40:57.113" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1933" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1929" CreationDate="2013-04-27T03:12:26.073" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;he avoids opponents' blows by a combination of moving out of the way and lightly smacking their limb away with his hand&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While the previous answers are totally correct in their statements about movie technique vs. real life, this observation actually strikes to the core of your understanding about the role of &quot;blocks&quot; in martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm going to approach this from a karate perspective, and I'm going to use three basic blocks as examples; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIYXl_SVkew&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;soto uke&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiohvWW8oPs&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;uchi uke&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XwWZMra7go&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;geidan barai&lt;/a&gt;.*&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first two mean respectively &lt;em&gt;outside&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;inside&lt;/em&gt; block and are traditionally taught to block incoming punches. Personally I would never use them for that. Ditto for the third one which means &lt;em&gt;groin or downward block&lt;/em&gt; and is traditionally taught to block incoming front kicks - to use this for that purpose is insane, you will end up breaking your ulna bone while smacking it against someone's fast moving shin bone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;So what's the point?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;The point is that these are still valuable moves but they are not strictly for &quot;blocking&quot;, rather they are for grappling and striking once you are correctly positioned to use them. &lt;em&gt;Can&lt;/em&gt; you use them as blocks? Yes. &lt;em&gt;Should&lt;/em&gt; you use them as blocks? Mostly no.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The real point is that you don't need traditional formalised &quot;blocks&quot; to deal with incoming techniques.&lt;/strong&gt; Parrying or slapping away the approaching limb is a perfectly adequate defense provided you do something immediately afterwards - if you don't then you and the opponent are back to the start again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the sake of the movie Bruce Lee will dance around and parry away the first 10 or 20 attacks before doing something - in real life you will do something immediately after the parry; you will move in, change the angle, execute a strike or grapple. The parry is the setup for the next move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xA;*These example videos were selected simply because they were top of the search results, nothing more. Using them is not an endorsement of their quality or correctness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2013-04-27T03:12:26.073" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1934" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-04-29T03:09:42.597" Score="9" ViewCount="426" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do MMA, and my gym has a Muay Thai class taught on the other side of the mats which I was considering joining also. The other day I was observing it and the instructor was teaching the students something called &quot;the heavy jab,&quot; a modification on a normal jab in which the shoulder was pulled back first and then surged forward &lt;em&gt;with&lt;/em&gt; the arm  to create an extra-forceful jab.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Confession: I have little knowledge or experience of muay thai.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Suspicion: The heavy jab is bullshit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I couldn't find any reference to it on the internet, not a single mention, and it just &lt;em&gt;didn't look right.&lt;/em&gt; It looked ridiculous and ineffective, telegraphing horribly as the shoulder pulled back in preparation to strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Am I incorrect? Is this a thing? Is there a definite benefit to this technique?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1100" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-10-31T13:59:07.180" LastActivityDate="2022-10-31T14:38:18.440" Title="What is a &quot;heavy jab&quot;?" Tags="|muay-thai|terminology|striking|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1935" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1929" CreationDate="2013-04-29T07:05:38.953" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;The 'parry' Bruce Lee does is a &lt;code&gt;pak sao&lt;/code&gt; (slapping hand). He incorporated this movement into his JKD and it originated from Wing Chun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not so much a real parry but rather a controlling move towards the opponent's elbow. Bruce Lee's execution of this technique is very hard. It's normally combined with a simultaneous strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, the real application is quite different from what you see in his movies but it's very effective as a controlling technique since it can be applied in many situations and is not for just one specific attack from your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1008" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-06-08T10:47:24.403" LastActivityDate="2018-06-08T10:47:24.403" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1937" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-04-29T13:47:41.013" Score="8" ViewCount="453" Body="&lt;p&gt;Who were the first female judo players? When did they train?   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keiko_Fukuda#cite_note-McCabeCardoza1996-17&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Keiko Fukuda&lt;/a&gt; was promoted to fifth dan in 1953.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-05-30T14:17:02.923" LastActivityDate="2019-05-30T14:17:02.923" Title="Who was the first female judoka?" Tags="|judo|history|gender|women|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1938" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1919" CreationDate="2013-04-29T14:18:31.660" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In German laws there is a term which could be translated as 'self-defense-excess'.  The classical example is shooting children from your cherry tree in order to prevent them from stealing the cherries.  That is forbidden in general (easy to understand).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the special case that your excess happens out of asthenic affects (i. e. due to fear or terror), that can be an excuse.  Sthenic affects like hate or fury will not excuse the excess.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What a judge will consider depends greatly on the question what he thinks of you.  If you argue that you were in terror and broke the attacker's nose because of that, then you could go free in case the judge believes you.  If you practice your martial arts for thirty years, judges tend to think you should control yourself better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It never is of interest which martial arts you are practicing or using, but of course using Krav Maga techniques facilitating a combat rifle or a knife would be illegal just because of carrying/having/owning the weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1105" LastActivityDate="2013-04-29T14:18:31.660" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1939" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1937" CreationDate="2013-04-29T16:42:04.270" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://blog.aikidojournal.com/2011/11/12/historical-photo-takako-kunigoshi-aiki-budos-first-female-instructor-by-stanley-pranin/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Takako Kunigoshi&lt;/a&gt; is a possibility; she started training in 1933.&#xA;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Margaret_Garrud&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Edith Margaret Garrud&lt;/a&gt; started studying Judo in 1899; combine that with Dr. Liepmann's answer below, and it appears that women started studying Judo in both Japan and Europe at about the same time, which is somewhat surprising.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2013-04-29T17:36:46.403" LastActivityDate="2013-04-29T17:36:46.403" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1940" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1937" CreationDate="2013-04-29T17:16:28.550" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judo-for-self-defense.com/female-judo.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;&quot;just another judo page&quot;&lt;/a&gt;, the first woman judoka was Sueko Ashiya, who started training in 1893, which (if true) would be 11 years after the official founding date of the art:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;First female Judo students started to train in Kodokan in late years of 19th century. First Kodokan female student was Sueko Ashiya in 1893 and joshi-bu (woman's section) of Kodokan was open in 1926.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No further reference is given. A direct inquiry to the generally fastidious records-keepers at the Kodokan seems called for to achieve a definitive answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that women's judo was highly modified, with more emphasis on kata and less on shiai. Women were not allowed to compete in the world championships until 1980, after protracted agitating. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-04-29T17:16:28.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1941" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-04-30T01:16:13.050" Score="5" ViewCount="419" Body="&lt;p&gt;What would be the best bo staff for an 8-year-old child to use in competitions. The bamboo toothpick is much too heavy for him. Would anyone recommend the fiberglass bo staff?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1108" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-04-30T11:19:25.457" LastActivityDate="2013-05-02T17:40:59.520" Title="What is the best bo staff for an 8-year-old for competitions?" Tags="|karate|weapons|drills|bo-staff|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1942" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1952" CreationDate="2013-04-30T05:17:29.890" Score="8" ViewCount="999" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started Muay Thai today, and when doing a basic kick (a straight teep) above my waist level, I felt strong resistance/mild pain where my leg connects to my hip, right at the top of the leg, by the joint. This sensation was in the front of the hip, at the top of the quad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It wasn't the kind of pain that's associated with injury or anything like that-- it was distinctly the &quot;this doesn't stretch that way&quot; feeling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But...I consider myself flexible. I can do a longitudinal split! However, trying a sideways split feels like I'm going to break a hip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So why can't I kick above waist level? And how can I improve this, if indeed I can?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1100" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-05-03T17:56:07.387" LastActivityDate="2013-11-26T14:55:55.097" Title="Stretches for kicking?" Tags="|kicking|stretching|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1944" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1905" CreationDate="2013-04-30T21:33:45.603" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Interesting. There are a lot of assumptions here. Let's cover the assumptions that you're making about the attackers first:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A1Q&lt;/strong&gt; - You seem to be indicating he's the lookout, as well as a fill in. His position would indicate that, if you're cornered, he's also closest to a wall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A2L&lt;/strong&gt; - Being loud, barking orders, etc. is not indicative of a leader necessarily. If they seem to be taking direction from him, this may be different. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A3S&lt;/strong&gt; - Drunk, belligerent, and strong are a bad combination. Alcohol slows reaction times, but also makes the body looser, and more likely to withstand an impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A4G&lt;/strong&gt; - Your description makes him a wild card. The others, we're assuming, clearly are unarmed. The potential for him to be armed (demonstrated by the absence of proof to the contrary) makes him a priority.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We'll assume, since you give us no detail of the location, that we're in a controlled scenario – that is, we'll consider the location to be no different than a white room with logical exits at two equal extreme distances at the furthest point from the current location, and whether you move left or right, you are equally likely to escape. Further, we will assume they are at an equal radius. We can make use of this &quot;room&quot; in that we know there are at least two walls, along a 45° angle from you to your left and right (this is the definition of &quot;cornered&quot;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will assume my own training to propose an approach; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;there is no one complete art that is necessarily more capable of extracting you from this situation than any other, but training makes it so. Good instruction and good practice are necessary.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since we assume our target &lt;strong&gt;A4G&lt;/strong&gt; is armed, his &lt;em&gt;effective distance&lt;/em&gt; (that is, the distance at which his capability of inflicting trauma) is greater. If he has a knife, it is between 1 and 10 inches greater than the next greatest threat. If he has a firearm, his effective range prohibits your safe escape. Fortunately, your scenario also puts him at the wall, a position that increases his utility as an effective target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, having a target in mind, and based upon seeing his hand in his jacket (per your description), and given the likelihood that he is a right hand (per the 90% of humans who are right-hand dominant), I would choose him as primary, moving between he and &lt;strong&gt;A3S&lt;/strong&gt;, attacking &lt;strong&gt;A3S&lt;/strong&gt;'s knee as I moved in to buy time. This would put me in position to control &lt;strong&gt;A4G&lt;/strong&gt;'s right arm, and use the wall as an additional point of control, and hopefully striking at &lt;strong&gt;A3S&lt;/strong&gt;'s knee will possibly damage the kneecap, or at least take him down while I control &lt;strong&gt;A4G&lt;/strong&gt;. This, at the same time, will allow me to stack &lt;strong&gt;A4G&lt;/strong&gt; in the struggle, putting he and &lt;strong&gt;A3S&lt;/strong&gt; between me and &lt;strong&gt;A1Q&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;A2L&lt;/strong&gt;. Before escaping, removing the weapon will increase the probability of survival.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of this said, consider something far more important – any training can provide you with tools to get out of this situation; it's a much higher quality of instruction that prevents you from getting into these situations in the first place. This is that highest level of training that puts you in a position to avoid confrontation, and not simply extract yourself from it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Edit:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; In re-reading some of my old answers, I came across &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/661/25&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt;, which I feel may be relevant to the issue at hand, and I feel these two answers complement each other nicely. Here you're talking about choosing a target, which is a vital component to escaping from a dangerous situation. There are also some issues covered regarding being responsible for loved ones, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-05-02T18:22:02.353" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1945" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1941" CreationDate="2013-04-30T21:52:22.277" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Century Martial Arts advertises their smallest bamboo toothpick starting at 12 oz. That would be the 50&quot; (4' 2&quot;) variety. The lightest fiberglass I could find in a non-exhaustive search was still 1 lb. 5 oz.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that's too heavy, the student should train so it is not too heavy. Lifting weights with proper form and properly trained supervision can be a safe and efficient way to increase overall strength -- a &lt;a href=&quot;http://pediatricinsider.wordpress.com/2010/12/18/weightlifting-for-children-teens-and-adults/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;standard recommendation for children beginning reasonable weighted exercises&lt;/a&gt; is to start with no weight (just the bar) and perform the exercise to learn good form, then increase just 1 or 2 pounds at a time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2013-05-02T17:40:59.520" LastActivityDate="2013-05-02T17:40:59.520" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1946" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1926" CreationDate="2013-05-01T03:35:02.030" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It may be something akin to button sides. This may explain the difference in death as well, as few corpses dress themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mens’ buttons are on the right side because men have always tended to dress themselves and most men (and women, for that matter) are right-handed. Womens’ buttons are on the left side because years ago (say, during the Victorian Era), the women that could afford fancy clothing with a bunch of buttons would rely on maids to help dress them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.primermagazine.com/2010/field-manual/why-do-men%E2%80%99s-and-women%E2%80%99s-shirts-button-on-different-sides&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Why Do Men’s and Women’s Shirts Button on Different Sides?&lt;/a&gt; (primermagazine.com)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a righty, I know I find it easier to tie the left side first as the whole top is less secure and my right hand is in a more comfortable position to do the tie, while the second tie (left over right) my left hand is now on point and it's a bit more awkward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="398" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-08-17T10:24:19.017" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1947" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1926" CreationDate="2013-05-01T17:46:59.933" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Gi&lt;/em&gt;, or more properly &lt;em&gt;dōgi&lt;/em&gt; (道着) is &lt;em&gt;wafuku&lt;/em&gt; (和服), or Japanese Clothing, and the handedness (for lack of a better word) of &lt;em&gt;kimono&lt;/em&gt; is that it is worn with the left panel over the right. It is mostly out of tradition, likely with roots in the the codification of &lt;em&gt;Shintō&lt;/em&gt; traditions in which an order of things must be observed (for instance, when praying at a &lt;em&gt;Shintō&lt;/em&gt; shrine, one washes their left hand first). This however is a guess based upon when we start to see the adoption of the left-over-right dressing correlating dates of Shintō's codification. As has been mentioned, in those occasions in which the body in a modern funeral is dressed in &lt;em&gt;wafuku&lt;/em&gt;, the right panel is placed over the left.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Prior to the &lt;em&gt;Heian&lt;/em&gt; period, we see a much larger variation in the styles of dress:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iz2.or.jp/english/fukusyoku/fukusei/3.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Yayoi&lt;/em&gt; Period&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iz2.or.jp/english/fukusyoku/fukusei/7.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kofun&lt;/em&gt; (Burial Mound) Period&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iz2.or.jp/english/fukusyoku/fukusei/15.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Asuka&lt;/em&gt; Period&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During the &lt;em&gt;Nara&lt;/em&gt; period, the tradition was to wear a form of proto-kimono which overlapped &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/japan/khist3.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;right over left&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The modern &lt;em&gt;kimono&lt;/em&gt; as a style of dress came into fashion during the &lt;em&gt;Heian&lt;/em&gt; period, at which point it was adopted out of convenience and ease of construction (the tailor no longer needed concern himself with the shape of the body wearing the garment).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are periods, as well, within the history of Japan in which the style of clothing has been controlled by law. For instance, government officials in the Meiji era were required to wear &lt;em&gt;yofuku&lt;/em&gt; (Western Clothing) to official events. Sumptuary laws in the &lt;em&gt;Edo&lt;/em&gt; period required the ostentatious colors of the &lt;em&gt;Heian&lt;/em&gt; period to be forsaken for subdued colors (so that the wealthier merchant class would not upstage the less wealthy but higher caste Samurai), which lead to brocade being added to clothing as a means of displaying wealth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, in answer to your question of &quot;Why do we overlap left over right?&quot;, the answer is simple: Tradition. It's the same reason that we may bow to a &lt;em&gt;kamidana&lt;/em&gt;, or that we do not wear shoes inside the &lt;em&gt;dojo&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-23T14:24:44.903" LastActivityDate="2019-09-23T14:24:44.903" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1948" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1900" CreationDate="2013-05-02T15:39:10.157" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;CAC, the French name for Close Combat, was replaced by Technique d'Intervention Opérationnelle rapprochée (TIOR), apparently somewhere around 2002. This is taught throughout the branches of the French military.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judging by what I can understand from École Interarmées des Sports &lt;em&gt;Notice T.I.O.R.&lt;/em&gt;, training appears to prohibit striking to the head, but authorizes strikes to the body and appendages. Also included in the training are escapes, gross locks, basic ground fighting, arrest procedures, sentinel takedowns (and basic counters to them), fighting with a baton, combat with a firearm, basic retention, knife fighting techniques, and operations techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like most modern military combatives, the training of the French Foreign Legion has its roots in W. E. Fairbairn's methods, and has adapted according to the specific needs. Specific branches may have more or less complete systems, or in depth training. Further, specific members may have access to more or less training than others, based on interest and availability near station.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2013-05-02T15:39:10.157" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1949" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1862" CreationDate="2013-05-02T16:00:23.750" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;When ordering Tabi, always use centimeters. If your foot is shorter than 10.5 US, you're in luck; you can actually use a piece of 8.5&quot;x11&quot; paper. Put your foot across the paper, your longest toe to one corner, heel toward the opposite, and use a pencil to make close to both. Then measure with a standard tape measure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You do not want to upsize tabi if you can avoid it. In shoes, sometimes you want a 10.5, others an 11, still others a 10. This is not the case for Tabi. Tabi are traditionally made out of cotton, with a sole of leather or flannel. Leather tabi in the &lt;em&gt;Bujinkan&lt;/em&gt; have a rather amusing story relating to &lt;em&gt;Soke&lt;/em&gt; and an adult boutique, and are not common inside Japan in the martial arts community.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Either way, you do not upsize tabi because you wear them against your feet, and your feet sweat and stretch them, which allows them to conform better to your foot. There's a reason for keeping your feet warm related to TCM/TJM, namely that major meridians run to the feet. If nothing else, tight tabi will keep you from tripping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just a tip, if you do order from leathertabi.net; include in the comments the length of the big toe from from the tip of the toe to the fold above the ball of the foot on both sides. These used to be made to order (I don't know if they still are, but I still include that measurement every time I order), but if they are, you'll get a better fit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2013-05-02T16:00:23.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1950" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1757" CreationDate="2013-05-02T19:29:01.133" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, the teacher should understand that if they're teaching even a moderately sized class, the odds are overwhelming that someone has experienced a violent sexual assault. If not them, then someone they are close with. Even overlooking the fact that those memories are painful, consider this when saying that such-and-such technique will work to prevent rape. They may have tried it and failed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Rape is not a masked man in the bushes&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some rapes involve a masked man jumping out of a bush. Most don't. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most rapes are committed by someone known by the victim, often someone they trust. It doesn't always involve substantial violence, since drugs, alcohol, or the threat of violence may be enough. It's important that students and teachers both understand this. Awareness of your surroundings while walking down the street is nice, but it's almost irrelevant to preventing rape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;There are no easy answers&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fighting is fighting. Fighting back against sexual assault is fighting. There are no tricks, no special techniques, that will make fighting easy. The attacker is often bigger, stronger, and possessing of greater experience in wrestling, hitting, and getting hit. One's odds of defeating such a person--that is, defending oneself physically against an assault, sexual or otherwise--are improved through technique and physicality. Hail-Mary knees to the groin, one-in-a-million knockout shots, and this-is-my-only-hope eye rakes cannot be relied upon. They might work, they might not. Actual self-defense skills such as boxing and wrestling can be relied upon at least somewhat because they've been tested.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of the teachers of this topic are fit men. To get in the right headspace, I did the following math: I'm about 5'10'' and 175 pounds. The average woman is 5'4'' and 150 pounds. (You can also use the height and weight of a specific woman you know, to understand their point of view.) I extrapolate from my size to see how big the average man would be if I were 5'4'' and 150#. That means I should envision men at about 6 foot 4 and 205 pounds. Or bigger. To mimic the difference in athleticism, envision this guy as a college sports star. That's your attacker. If at all possible, find someone the appropriate size and have them wrestle you to the ground, or spar with them under MMA rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Probably the most important lessons to impart are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;to explain the difficulty of the problem&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;to distribute contact information for local crime victim's organizations, therapy, and support groups (introducing a representative of these groups is even better, since they can speak about how to help someone in the aftermath of an assault) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;to show the effectiveness and fun of long-term training in fighting arts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Martial techniques to cover&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to the concepts above, there should be at least some physical content, if only to show students how hard it is to pull off these techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've found the biggest return on investment has been from three basic activities:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Yelling, to give the student experience with making noise. Emphasize that it's OK to be loud, it's OK to make a scene. Have one student grab the other by the clothing violently, and have the person grabbed respond by getting an inch from the others' face and yelling &quot;go away&quot; or profanity of their choice.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hitting pads. It makes students tired, gives them a taste of what it feels like to strike in anger, and reminds them just how hard they can or can't hit. A minute of knee strikes is good, as are groin-level straight kicks (often more difficult than they imagine) and punching pads as in boxing. If students do well with this, some very light hitting back is good.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Some form of free wrestling, like one would find in an intro to Brazilian jiu-jitsu class. Briefly pin them, let them escape, and repeat. If you later show students specific techniques, it is clearer to them how useful those techniques are if they've felt the helplessness of being pinned.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The latter two should be done with extreme caution and the reminder that these activities might be upsetting to students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, specific techniques that are popular, easy to grasp, and relevant include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knee strikes while grabbing the opponent's head or shoulders&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bridging escape from mount&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A technical stand-up, including kicks from the ground&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Simple finger and thumb locks starting from a rear bear hug (these should be recognized as low percentage)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Straight kicks, jab, and cross&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These techniques will not be sufficient for someone to reliably defend themselves. They are meant merely as exposure. Do not expect students to leave with any skills, nor retain any specific techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find it useful to end with a demonstration of two skilled practitioners sparring, either with strikes or without, to demonstrate the utility of training martial arts over the long haul. Seeing a small woman competently kickbox, or a small man sweeping a larger man from guard to mount, is eye-opening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-05-02T19:29:01.133" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1951" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1757" CreationDate="2013-05-03T17:10:49.100" Score="19" Body="&lt;p&gt;[&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Nota Bene&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;: A lot of this is going to piss off a lot of you. I am most certainly &lt;strong&gt;NOT&lt;/strong&gt; blaming any victims by saying any of this; I'm proposing a &lt;em&gt;better&lt;/em&gt; way to prepare people for the harsh reality that certain people are just not nice.]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;What Is Rape?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wasn't going to answer this question. I like Sardathrion's comment that &quot;Whatever you think you know about rape is probably wrong,&quot; and it's absolutely true. I also liked his inclusion of Mark MacYoung's page, which has a lot of good information, and encourages personal responsibility (for which I'm a huge advocate &lt;em&gt;prior&lt;/em&gt; to becoming a victim).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I posed a question here as a focal point to be considered because there are a lot of important pieces of information that are being ignored. Studies have suggested that 3% of women on a university campus in a 9 month period are raped, and as many as 25% of women will experience at least an attempted sexual assault during a degree program.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's go ahead and give rape an actual, usable definition: Rape is the commission of a sexual intrusion against another against the victim's will and consent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Understanding Rape Myths&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So let's start out by looking at something called the &lt;strong&gt;Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale&lt;/strong&gt; (aka &lt;strong&gt;IRMA&lt;/strong&gt;) -- I'm going to pose a series of statements and I want you to consider your answers on a standard Likert Scale of 1 (&quot;Strongly Disgree&quot;) to 5(&quot;Strongly Agree&quot;). Remember, you're on your own so no one knows your answers:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If a girl is raped while she is drunk, she is at least somewhat responsible for letting things get out of hand.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When girls go to parties wearing slutty clothes, they are asking for trouble.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If a girl goes to a room alone with a guy at a party, it is her own fault if she is raped.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If a girl acts like a slut, eventually she is going to get into trouble.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When girls get raped, it’s often because the way they said “no” was unclear.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If a girl initiates kissing or hooking up, she should not be surprised if a guy assumes she wants to have sex.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When guys rape, it is usually because of their strong desire for sex.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Guys don’t usually intend to force sex on a girl, but sometimes they get too sexually carried away.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rape happens when a guy’s sex drive goes out of control.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If a guy is drunk, he might rape someone unintentionally.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It shouldn’t be considered rape if a guy is drunk and didn’t realize what he was doing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If both people are drunk, it can’t be rape.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If a girl doesn’t physically resist sex — even if protesting verbally — it can’t be considered rape.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If a girl doesn’t physically fight back, you can’t really say it was rape.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A rape probably doesn’t happen if a girl doesn’t have any bruises or marks.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If the accused “rapist” doesn’t have a weapon, you really can’t call it rape.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If a girl doesn’t say “no” she can’t claim rape.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A lot of times, girls who say they were raped agreed to have sex and then regret it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rape accusations are often used as a way of getting back at guys.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A lot of times, girls who say they were raped often led the guy on and then had regrets.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A lot of times, girls who claim they were raped have emotional problems.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Girls who are caught cheating on their boyfriends sometimes claim it was rape.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Scoring this is simple: the lower the score, the less susceptible you are to &quot;Rape Myths&quot;, those little bits of information that have been passed around as truth about rape for as long as man's existed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We can use this to heighten our understanding of what rape is, and by sampling this data and it's studied results, we can understand the biases against rape, and look into ways to prevent it through education of well-equiped bystanders and not simply potential victims. FYI, something interesting came out of the study&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is interesting to find that there is a correlation between high scores on this test and a decreased likelihood of intervening in a sexual assault.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;The Inadequate Approach of Rape Defense Courses&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A very common, almost comical approach approach to Rape Prevention has been the &quot;STOP! RAPE!&quot; then kick to the testicles. Some of the slightly better courses teach women how to bridge and roll.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the smallest minority of victims, this may be enough. For that minute cluster that actually is the victim of an attack where they see it coming or are capable of performing the poorly trained and hardly practiced movements picked up from a weekend seminar, this is a victory. But it is not enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The approach of every Rape Defense course I've encountered has portrayed the same message: &quot;You don't have to be the victim.&quot; While this can be good, and even empowering, it is isolating, and puts the burden solely on the victim.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;The Psychology of Rape Prevention&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A girl is apparently drunk at a frat party and passes out on a couch. The guy sitting next to her puts her arm around his shoulder and stands her up. She's clearly in no condition to resist. She made a mistake; a horrible mistake that is about to follow her for the rest of her life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's very easy to think &quot;She needs to be responsible for herself.&quot; And yes, she should have. However, now she can't. Maybe it was a big mistake like drinking too much. Maybe it was a small mistake like not keeping a close enough eye on her drink. Either way, one person in a room of dozens is now about to take advantage of her; and all it takes is one of those people to speak up. But will they?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The bystanders in the room are going through a cognitive process as this is happening:&#xA;* Noticing the action. (This guy is trying to stand up a drunk girl). [&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;NB:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; In the social context of a party, based on social norms of what is polite in such situations, a person is less likely to draw attention to a perceived threat. &lt;em&gt;Latane and Darley. 1968&lt;/em&gt;]&#xA;* Evaluating the Context (&quot;This guy is trying to stand up a drunk girl &lt;em&gt;at a party&lt;/em&gt;.&quot;) [&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;NB:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Even &#xA;* Evaluating their degree of responsibility (&quot;I don't know the drunk girl or the guy; they're probably dating.&quot;)&#xA;* How to assist (&quot;I could intervene directly, but he looks pretty strong; or I could tell someone else and it'd be &lt;em&gt;their&lt;/em&gt; responsibility&quot;).&#xA;* Implementation (Act or don't.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is occurring is called the Bystander Effect, notably observed following the brutal murder of Kitty Genovese in which questioned witnesses rationalized away their responsibility in preventing the crime, some claiming they thought it was a loud television, others assuming that other people had already called the police so why should they...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stanley Milgram (psychologist renowned for his studies of obedience to authority) posits that commonly bystanders present a callous approach to those in need of help due to highly developed coping mechanisms related to the information overload in their daily lives.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Training for the Future&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As martial artists, we know the value of repetitive action. By repeatedly drilling a response, we make the response natural, even if it's a reconditioning of an established flinch. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Training in rape defense needs to be a reconditioning of established conditioned responses.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; That is, if we're undertaking the responsibility of leading rape prevention classes, we must do so in a way that is effective and reconditions the students to react in an effective way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By reconditioning against the Bystander Effect and training women not only how to look out for themselves, but for those around them, rape prevention classes can take on a drastically more effective curriculum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Considerations for Training&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Awareness&lt;/strong&gt; - Being aware of community views on Rape Myths can keep you safe. The fact is that even if you answered 5s on all of those questions, there's someone out there who genuinely believes those statements merited a 1, and is willing to act on it given the chance. Encourage awareness of surroundings, and seeking out help before you actually need it. Most parking garages do have security that will escort you to your car. Walking in a pair makes you a much less likely target than walking alone.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community&lt;/strong&gt; - We build communities as means of protection; to protect ourselves by relying on our neighbors. A certain level of responsibility comes from acknowledging this, and looking out for your neighbor means they are looking out for you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Action&lt;/strong&gt; - We need to get out of the habits of the Bystander Effect. We are &lt;em&gt;all&lt;/em&gt; guilty of it. Social norms are conditioned responses to common stimulus - &quot;Don't stare&quot;, or &quot;Shake hands with the nice man&quot;. They are also designed to counter instinctual responses to fear reactions. Drilling the response to pre-assault indicators from a 1st and 3rd person perspective is the &lt;em&gt;only&lt;/em&gt; way to prevent the crime from occurring.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Combatives&lt;/strong&gt; - We are not training combatives in any effective sense; we need to emphasize that their natural reactions are going to be better for them than half-hearted training, and that combatives are about training empowerment. By encouraging the students to see that they can fight back effectively, they can begin to claim their confidence. Encouraging continued training is a plus. We all make mistakes, and for some people those mistakes come at a horrible price. Resisting when able is imperative, but confidence built up before increases the likelihood that a victim will pursue justice.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[&lt;strong&gt;tl;dr&lt;/strong&gt; – If you're going to teach the &quot;Kick to the Groin&quot; method of rape prevention, you are doing a disservice to your students]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2013-05-03T17:10:49.100" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1952" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1942" CreationDate="2013-05-03T18:07:39.390" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Weakness&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It could be that your hip flexor was tired or even inflamed, since you're not used to raising your leg to the front. If this is the case, recovery and subsequent training over several weeks should resolve the issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Inflexibility&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Though you can do a split to the front and back, maybe your dynamic flexibility is poor. Static flexibility does not directly transfer to movements at speed. See Kurz' Scientific Stretching for more on this topic. If it's not painful, this kind of flexibility will grow gradually with regular training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-05-03T18:07:39.390" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1953" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1957" CreationDate="2013-05-05T17:48:00.757" Score="12" ViewCount="560" Body="&lt;p&gt;When did the first women start training in Aikido? Who were they and where did they train?&#xA;Who was the first female aikidoka to achieve teaching rank?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2018-02-28T07:02:28.827" Title="Who were the first female aikidoka?" Tags="|aikido|history|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1954" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-05-05T17:58:09.327" Score="9" ViewCount="445" Body="&lt;p&gt;Couple of weeks ago we were working on Kote Hineri; I am at least a foot taller than my daughter. My hands are correspondingly larger; I haven't measured, but my palm is probably an inch wider than hers.  How can she apply Kote Hineri against me (or other larger people)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ignore for a moment that this will never be her &quot;goto technique&quot; against large people; she is perfectly capable of using her lower center of gravity and superior skill at blending to introduce me to the mat at high velocity.  We accept that, but when studying kata, we try to learn how to do the technique realistically, effectively, and correctly.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dogmatically speaking, Kote Hineri should be performed with the middle finger across uke's knuckle, and the thumb in the &quot;pocket&quot; of the palm.  It is extremely difficult for someone with a small hand to perform that against someone with a large hand.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One option is to slip the hand down and work against the fingers, rather than against the hand. I am skeptical that this provides the same degree of control. The goal of a joint lock is to use the joints to communicate the control/hold to the whole body and to effect an unbalance.  Working against the fingers is likely to break the fingers; at that point the control is based on pain and fear rather than on full control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A second option is to use the other hand to reinforce; in many kata this is a legitimate option, but in Go Shin Ho No Kata, the other hand is used to capitalize on the unbalance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other suggestions? How do people accomodate different body sizes when doing joint locks?&#xA;(I think the general question is interesting, but I think I'll limit this question to joint locks.  If you think that the kote hineri is different from other joint locks, explain why.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2013-05-06T10:42:11.447" LastActivityDate="2013-05-07T17:51:51.863" Title="How to adapt kote hineri against a larger opponent?" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1955" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1956" CreationDate="2013-05-06T01:08:37.017" Score="14" ViewCount="4624" Body="&lt;p&gt;I thought this would be obvious, someone would just pass out and go floppy.  However last week during rolling I got someone in a sleeve / Ezekiel choke while in my guard and he didn't tap out.  He started making odd faces, eyes wide open, and twitching and grimacing, muscles seemed locked in place, and I thought he was just resisting and powering through, So I continued choking, then found I could just easily sweep him.  Still choking him while on top I suddenly figured something was wrong and let go (this all happened pretty quickly really &amp;lt; 30 seconds).  He lay there with face twitching a bit with eyes wide open....Took him a few moments before coming around again and he had no idea what had happened and had gone into dream land.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;obviously I didn't really expect someone to go out like this, so, my question,  what are the signs someone might of lost consciousness while being choked?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2013-12-07T07:04:35.430" Title="What are the possible signs some has lost consciousness when being choked?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|chokes|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1956" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1955" CreationDate="2013-05-06T01:28:33.447" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've personally seen the following, in various combinations:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;going slack&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tensing up and shaking&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sputtering&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;blinking/twitching&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;eyes glaze over&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;eyes close&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;snoring&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a lot easier to tell as a third party, since you can see things like the legs going limp while their upper body is locked in position by the choke. It helps to have a coach or whatever watching the groups.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I choke someone and I think they might go out, I listen and watch their breathing, their face, and how they respond to sweeps and other changes of position (as you did). The twitching, grimacing, odd faces, and muscles locked should be significant signs for next time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-05-06T01:28:33.447" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1957" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1953" CreationDate="2013-05-06T08:48:16.927" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is said that the first female instructor was Takako Kunigoshi. She was one of the first women to train under Ueshiba Sensei and started in January 1933 at what is now the Hombu Dojo. She trained there with another woman, but I don't know her name. Later she was asked to teach self-defense to other women.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More information can be found &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20120102150410/https://www.aikidojournal.com/article?articleID=613&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://members.aikidojournal.com/public/historical-photo-takako-kunigoshi-aiki-budos-first-female-instructor-by-stanley-pranin/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2018-02-28T07:02:28.827" LastActivityDate="2018-02-28T07:02:28.827" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1958" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1955" CreationDate="2013-05-07T08:31:50.463" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aside from all the signs that have already been listed, I would also look for your opponent to stop defending himself intelligently. If you feel that your choke is fully locked and your opponent doesn't seem to significantly relieve the pressure in any way (Blocking/Grabbing the chocking arm, adjusting his position, tucking his neck in etc...) chances are that he is already out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if their body isn't limp, you should at least notice them not really reacting to anything you do. In any case just let go as soon as you notice anything suspicious. It's just training, so better be safe than sorry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1114" LastActivityDate="2013-05-07T08:31:50.463" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1959" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-05-07T13:13:30.383" Score="5" ViewCount="727" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am starting MMA. Which excersises would be best to get my physical strength up to the levels of people doing MMA for years or experienced in MMA?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1116" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-02-19T18:39:56.760" LastActivityDate="2021-02-19T18:39:56.760" Title="Strength training for a mixed martial arts beginner" Tags="|training|strength|beginner|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1960" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1959" CreationDate="2013-05-07T13:27:58.200" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1756/347&quot;&gt;This answer&lt;/a&gt; has all the technical information you need, but recognize the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You will not and cannot replicate the strength and conditioning of an experienced MMA fighter, since those athletes have a tremendous amount of &lt;strong&gt;sport-specific&lt;/strong&gt; strength, conditioning, and skill that allows them to apply their general physical attributes efficiently and correctly to combat movements&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The best method for getting good at MMA is to train MMA or one of its component arts seriously&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The best way to improve conditioning for an activity is to do that activity, unless you are exceptionally efficient at the sport&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, as a novice to strength training, you should do the kind of &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/a/12406/1771&quot;&gt;strength training any beginner should do&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Squats&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Deadlifts &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Chin-ups or pull-ups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Presses, like dips or overhead press&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Eventually, explosive movements like the Olympic lifts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's quite straightforward. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/11_myths_of_warrior_training&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;There's no special MMA-style weightlifting&lt;/a&gt;; you just get strong and then get explosive and the whole time train your butt off in the sport. There are &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.reddit.com/r/MMA/comments/qno4j/strength_training_and_mma/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;other ways to get there&lt;/a&gt;--you could do lunges, Pendlay rows, and clean-and-presses instead, for instance--but the basic movements are constant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-05-07T13:51:32.407" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1962" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1954" CreationDate="2013-05-07T17:51:51.863" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;First off, let me just say that I have a different view than most people – I don't believe a technique is correct because your movements match your instructor; I believe a technique is correct because you can break it down into its bare principles and apply it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Differences in size can be understood from the point of view of handicapping yourself during training. With &lt;em&gt;most&lt;/em&gt; techniques, you are not adapting the technique, but manipulating the &lt;em&gt;kukan&lt;/em&gt; (empty space; you might also understand this as the angle-distance-timing of the movement). So, understanding how you might perform the technique from a chair (giving you a lower center of gravity), for instance can lead to new insights about the importance of positioning yourself in relation to your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The importance of &lt;em&gt;kote hineri&lt;/em&gt; is not in the placement of the hand, but in the twist-locking of the wrist, which continues up into the arm, and on into the torso. It is another angle (namely, up) from which the body is locked by means of the wrist. The placement of the hand as you've described makes a huge assumption: that the assailant has an open hand. &lt;em&gt;Goshin ho no kata&lt;/em&gt; (護身法の方 – means of the principles of self-defense) are about applying techniques to real-life situations, if still in a controlled manner. Outside of &lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt;, have you ever seen a big dramatic charging chop? Consider a fist, or a knife clenched in the hand, or a truncheon. Moving down to attack the fingers will only weaken your grip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ignore too the impulse to use only your hands and feet. What if you had only one arm? You could still use your shoulder, your hip, your chest, or even your head if you're in need of a means to support your grip. Be creative; you have a whole body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's assume you're an average man (I do not personally know you, so I'm going to work with averages here). If you attack her or resist her with your arm alone, you're resisting with roughly 4.8% of your body mass, or about 4.03 kg. If an average 11 year old girl were trained to use her whole body mass against you, she would be using nearly 9 times the mass you're using, or approximately 35.93 kg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The principle of the technique, remember, is to lock out that arm, to make it useless to the opponent, and use it to control the rest of his body. By locking out that side of the body, you're reducing the potential effective mass – you're no longer able to strike, grab, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, now, a bit of a &lt;em&gt;koan&lt;/em&gt; for you – how do you apply &lt;em&gt;kote hineri&lt;/em&gt; to a man with no hands? Break down the technique into it's parts and examine it, and not only is it possible, but knowing how, you'll better understand the application under normal circumstances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2013-05-07T17:51:51.863" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1963" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-05-08T04:01:47.607" Score="7" ViewCount="8346" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not yet strong enough in the legs to talk about precision, so I'll stick to punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Firstly, what is the upper limit of precise punches, how precise can I get them to be? Within millimeters of the target? centimeters? Mine vary upto couple inches, maybe more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And how/what do I exactly practice for precision? I've been told &quot;repetition is the key&quot; which I whole-hardheartedly agree with, but is that all I could do? what else?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="964" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-05-08T13:51:42.150" LastActivityDate="2016-03-02T15:13:49.603" Title="How much can I improve my punching precision? How?" Tags="|training|technique|punching|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1964" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1963" CreationDate="2013-05-08T11:38:48.960" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Knowing which MA you are studying is important in tailoring your precision techniques, as with anything else relating to a particular MA style. However this only becomes more crucial at the stage when you are already an advanced student in that discipline. Here is why:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess you would agree that what you really mean is how &lt;b&gt;to hit&lt;/b&gt; a target &lt;b&gt;with precision&lt;/b&gt;. The reason why I am saying this is because in a fight you will be hitting a &lt;b&gt;moving&lt;/b&gt; target. This involves more than simple precision, but also &lt;em&gt;control&lt;/em&gt; (very important one), movement prediction and, of course, luck: your opponent can move 1mm away from your punch; in this case, even though your punch would have had a 100% precision (a 0mm hit from the target) you would still have missed it, and therefore missed the main goal, which was to simply &lt;b&gt;hit&lt;/b&gt; the target. So answering your first question, simply put, to be precise you will want to &lt;b&gt;hit&lt;/b&gt; the target at the 0mm mark. Anything greater than 0mm is a miss; this is precision. if you just train to get your knuckles at 1mm from a static target without considering that &lt;b&gt;a)&lt;/b&gt; your target will likely move his head slightly; and &lt;b&gt;b) &lt;/b&gt; that 1mm away from the target is not a hit, you are wasting your time. Stopping at 1mm is not precision as such but &lt;b&gt;control&lt;/b&gt;: a little semantic difference in there (sorry for being pedantic); what I am about to share below covers both, precision and control. You can be precise but not have control of your movements, but this precision will be based on luck rather than conscious movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, when throwing a punch against a moving target you also want to have a sort of prediction as to where the target will/could move to, so this should be incorporated later, when you have already gotten into a pretty good level of the original precision you have mentioned (against a static target). In the end, if I were to choose between being precise on my punch (hitting it at the mark 0mm) versus having control (consciously stopping my punch at the 0.1mm mark) I would choose the former, because I can at least cause some damage. So in summary, actually hitting the target becomes more critical than simply being able to place your punch at the 1mm or the 0.1mm mark. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are spot on when you said that repetition is the key. However, the tricky bit that not many people tell you (or get it right) is how you train your repetitions. Efficiency Management becomes your vehicle, otherwise you would waste hours repeating something that might not bring you any benefits. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So to finally answer your question, “[...]is that all I could do? what &lt;em&gt;[sic]&lt;/em&gt; else?” I would say that in order to improve at something, you need to provide the necessary environment for it. For example, people in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.special-forces-adventure-training.co.uk/fire_starting_special_forces_sas.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Bushcrafting&lt;/a&gt; like practicing fire-lighting techniques to get good at quickly making fire with basic natural materials, under wet conditions, etc. As for the fire you need heat, oxygen and fuel. Once you have those elements in place, you find combinations and formulate hypothesis on how you can go about making fire more efficiently. We can apply the same knowledge to MA; more specifically improving precision/control. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because I have spent a lot, but not nearly enough, time also practicing this, I can happily share my experiences and findings about it; in no way do I consider myself as the keeper of the truth about it, but here it goes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;1 – Your Elements&lt;/b&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Energy Conservation&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not Telegraphing your Intention/Movement&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Releasing Tension in your muscles&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Breathing Correctly&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;2 – Your Environment&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Very, Very Slow Motion &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Very Slow Motion&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Slow Motion&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Normal Speed&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Faster Speed&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If what I have said so far makes any sense to you, and if you would like me to share my further thoughts on it, please post a comment saying so and I shall be happy to expand further on items &lt;b&gt;1&lt;/b&gt; and &lt;b&gt;2&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="975" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-05-16T19:57:06.570" LastActivityDate="2013-05-16T19:57:06.570" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1965" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1963" CreationDate="2013-05-08T13:38:35.597" Score="0" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Limits to punching precision&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The limit to punching precision is precisely hitting your intended target. Many boxers, kickboxers, MMA fighters, karateka and so on do this regularly. Watch Matsui's 100-man kumite, or an Anderson Silva highlight, or a Floyd Mayweather match. They hit their targets, period. Their accuracy is 100% on many punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You aren't going to get picometer precision because your target is never going to be defined in picometers. &quot;Hit him under the ear with my top two knuckles&quot; is just about the limit of precision, and is entirely achievable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Methods for improving punching accuracy&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To improve punching precision, I'd train on all the boxing apparatus: a heavy bag, mitts with a partner, and particularly a speed bag and double-end bag. Some karateka work on hitting a tennis ball that's been hung by a string; to me this sounds productive but also like a poor man's speed bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make sure your conditioning is top-notch so your punching accuracy doesn't decrease too much during a workout. (But don't believe the &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1838/training-while-exhausted&quot;&gt;myth&lt;/a&gt; that you need to train while you're exhausted; simply focus on staying fresh during your workouts.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if you're missing by &quot;a couple inches, maybe more&quot;, then you should simply focus on training more frequently. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-05-08T13:38:35.597" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1966" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1963" CreationDate="2013-05-08T17:32:10.870" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;What is precision?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a misconception about what it means to be precise, so to illustrate, let's examine two options:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;OPT1&lt;/strong&gt;: A direct punch going straight out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;OPT2&lt;/strong&gt;: A punch that follows the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If we attempt to strike a given moving target, it is the natural inclination to want to follow the target (&lt;strong&gt;OPT2&lt;/strong&gt;) as we strike. This extends the length of the strike beyond optimal, and decelerates into the target. Therefore, simply hitting the target is useless – we may hit the point we wish by following, but the strike becomes ineffective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If we take &lt;strong&gt;OPT1&lt;/strong&gt;, we have to assume there is a likelihood of missing our target, as we are punching where we are aiming, and our target can move. This is because we have a tendency (largely early in training when we're removing bad habits) to train commitment to the punch going to our target with full commitment, despite the fact it may move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Precision is the culmination; the ability to connect with our target by striking straight and true. Therefore, we have to understand &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;precision is the ability to strike a moving target with optimum impact.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Training for Precision&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training for precision is a progression. A precise strike moves straight out from the body toward a target first with maximum impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;The Straight Strike&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the lowest level, we practice striking using the whole body. For this purpose, the heavy bag is extremely useful, and the shuddering of the bag without swaying lets us know the force is being kept inside the bag. In this way we train to throw hard strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We need to also train to throw to where we're aiming, and we do this by punching past the target, albeit minimally. Our target, then, in this stage of training will not be a point on the body of our target, real or imagined, but a point in space in relation to us that is 1-2 inches past the current placement of the point we'd like to strike. In doing this we are training commitment: the strike going to a point in space, not on the opponent. When this becomes natural, we apply this targeting to a point in space where the opponent &lt;em&gt;will be&lt;/em&gt;; either by his will or ours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Small, Moving Targets&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sadly, the heavy bag is a stationary target, and there comes a point where we have to target something that's moving. A &lt;em&gt;buyu&lt;/em&gt; of mine taught me a drill that I use to keep my reflexes sharp, and I practice it as an eye strike (like a punch, but the fore- and middle-fingers flick out at extension). Take a small square of black electrical tape and put it on a light drape over a window at about eye height, and toward the edge of the curtain. Let the curtain blow in the breeze and time your strikes to hit &lt;em&gt;where the tape is &lt;strong&gt;going to be&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;. You're still practicing a straight strike here, and you need to learn to anticipate an opponents movements. The nice part about training like this is that you're aiming for a very small point, and if you were punching, the motion is otherwise the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Tying it Together&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, at some point we have to bring it all in together, and the best practice is against a live target. Unfortunately, training against an opponent usually means that you've got to smack the bejesus out of them, and partners don't usually enjoy getting hurt. For this purpose, I recommend training armor. Whether you use something like Century's line of &amp;quot;martial armor&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;sparring gear&amp;quot;, or any other line, the point here is to get you used to the less predictable (but still very predictable) nature of human movement, and striking with good intent and force to your targets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Suggested Drills Against Live Opponents&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1.) Have the opponent or a third party call out points to strike. Opponent moves but does not counter or block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2.) Mark small targets on the opponent's armor using masking tape. Quickly strike what is available at a given time. Opponent moves and blocks but does not counter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3.) Mark small targets on the opponent's armor using masking tape. Opponent moves, blocks, and counters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4.) Mark small targets on the opponent's armor using masking tape. Opponent is openly aggressive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember that we're trying to progress to build confidence in capability. Throwing a new student into the deep end and watching them get pummeled is not the right choice here, it's just setting them up for failure. I view drill 4 above as advanced training; it's full out live sparring with the added stress of training to strike specific targets; students need to be able to achieve a sense of &lt;em&gt;mushin&lt;/em&gt; for this level of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-05-10T00:39:52.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1967" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-05-10T00:34:13.690" Score="13" ViewCount="1729" Body="&lt;p&gt;Would like to learn Krav Maga but have injuries that mean I would only be able to learn it in a limited fashion.  I would want to learn it for self defense purposes after being accosted by a  male in broad daylight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After the incident - although it did not end in a bad way,  I did start thinking about owning a gun and getting a license to carry a concealed weapon after that. I really don't like the idea of having a deadly weapon on me though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Problem is-with cervical injuries- I can't afford to seriously learn Krav Maga as someone who would for the Police Force etc or for competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How can I possibly learn any of the self defense moves if I can't afford to get hit?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a way to teach this to a person with injuries so they learn defensive moves without further injury?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1121" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2013-05-10T01:33:37.740" LastActivityDate="2013-05-10T17:04:00.230" Title="Can someone learn Krav Maga moves without exacerbating injuries?" Tags="|self-defense|injury|krav-maga|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1968" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1967" CreationDate="2013-05-10T03:34:52.877" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Normally I would advocate against someone carrying a weapon (usually a gun or knife) - not because I don't believe in weapons, but because it tends to induce a false sense of security which can get you into serious trouble if the weapon fails when you go to use it (i.e. you drop your knife, the gun misfires, you get disarmed, or you simply can't get to your weapon).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While you do mention Krav Maga, a lot of what you ask is not applicable just to that specific art - the same could be asked about just about every other art. All is not lost though - you can still train, but concentrate on and perfect the things that you &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; do.  With any martial art you should be able to selectively choose bits from it that suit you, and most martial arts can be adapted to a certain degree to accomodate disabilities (or persistent injuries). It may be harder to attain grades if you use this approach, but that is not your primary objective. You may also have to shop round to find a school and instructor that is willing to work within your parameters. You might consider that you would get the most immediate bang for your buck by learning Krav Maga, but do look further than that as the other arts can be just as devastating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you do get a gun remember that it is just one option in your arsenal, don't use it or rely on it as your only option.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2013-05-10T03:34:52.877" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1969" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1967" CreationDate="2013-05-10T17:04:00.230" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a few things here that I want to address:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I did start thinking about owning a gun and getting a license to carry a concealed weapon after that&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel for you; no one should have to go through what you went through. Let me say this first off: I am 100% for responsible firearms ownership. That said, many people become victims of crimes and immediately respond to it by arming themselves without properly learning how to use the weapon – After all, it's &quot;point-and-click&quot;, so how hard could it be? Unfortunately, this attitude often leads to the gun owner bringing their own murder weapon to the crime scene.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those that do learn, often only go to the range. Like training in a &lt;em&gt;dojo&lt;/em&gt;, a range is a controlled environment. You have a target within a defined minimum and maximum range, and you have all the time in the world (in fact, my local range requires a minimum of 1 second [counting &quot;one-one-thousand&quot;] between shots – no rapid-fire, no double-tap. Like the controlled circumstances of a &lt;em&gt;dojo&lt;/em&gt;, this can lead to a false sense of security about your ability to shoot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training to shoot needs to be treated as one would train in martial arts for self-defense, with as much aliveness as possible. The most difficult aspect is conditioning yourself to look at another human being and pull the trigger. In the Civil War, bodies were found with barrel-loaded weapons loaded 8 or more shots deep as soldiers couldn't bring themselves to pull the trigger. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;If you can not mentally prepare yourself to kill another human being, you have no business owning a firearm for personal defense.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The military has had a long history of researching more effective ways to encourage soldiers to kill, many facets of which have made it into civilian training to improve the handling skills of firearms owners. I highly advise any program use simunition (non-lethal simulated ammunition in real weapons) to teach the student to draw down and pull the trigger on a live human being. The opponent should attempt to disarm you, to take away your weapons, and train you to keep moving.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How can I possibly learn any of the self defense moves if I can't afford to get hit?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your injuries are never going to heal, then the key here is finding the right instructor. A good instructor will help you to discover ways to overcome your limitations without further injury, and will patiently work with you to find ways to give your training the aliveness it needs to be effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being injured doesn't mean that you can't train. It does however add a new complication to locating a quality instructor. If the instructor is too blasé about your injury, then no matter how good of an instructor he may be in other situations, he is not the right instructor for you. He should never put you into a situation that you're uncomfortable with until you're confident in your ability to defend yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taking the time to locate a quality instructor is key to any martial arts training. Respect for you and your needs is a must, and it's through delivering this respect that a good instructor earns the respect he receives.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is there a way to teach this to a person with injuries so they learn defensive moves without further injury?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes. Without getting too specific, options may include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Modified drills.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Protective equipment.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Specialized training.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Conditioned defensive training.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without being fully aware of your condition, however, you can not expect an instructor to work with you to learn to defend yourself. Education of any sort is teamwork: both teacher and student need to be willing to work together to train in an art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Goal Of Training&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to add a final note on training – your goal needs to be realistic, and the most realistic goal is to learn to avoid putting yourself into harm's way. Avoiding high-crime areas, recognizing safe areas vs. non-safe areas, situational awareness, and, always, to escape. Your training, more than anything else, needs to focus on you escaping from situations in which you are in danger, and ultimately learning to avoid danger at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2013-05-10T17:04:00.230" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1971" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="191" CreationDate="2013-05-11T07:24:08.567" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is about the Bodhidharma Shaolin Kung Fu myth. There is no legitimate evidence for Kung Fu or Shaolin Kung Fu coming from India or Kalari being the oldest martial art or first martial art in the world and wrestling(for example in cave paintings in Mongolia), grappling, stone chinese swords were there in prehistoric times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bodhidhadharma taught meditation in China but there is no evidence for him teaching martial arts or self defense. The attribution of Shaolin's martial arts to Bodhidharma has been discounted by several 20th century martial arts historians, first by Tang Hao on the grounds that the Yì Jīn Jīng is a forgery.Huiguang and Sengchou were involved with martial arts before they became two of the very first Shaolin monks, reported as practicing Kung Fu before the arrival of Bodhidharma.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tang's findings are further supported by the work of Matsuda Takatomo in his book &quot;An Illustrated History of Chinese Martial Arts,&quot; published in 1979.Therefore there is no legitimate evidence of Bodhidharma's connection to Chinese Kung Fu or Shaolin Kung Fu.Many historians have proven that there is no evidence that Bodhidharma created Shaolin Kung Fu like , Matsuda Ryuchi, Paul Pelliot, Bernard Faure ,Stanley Henning and Micheal Splessbach, Tenjiku Naranokaku, Tang Ho  and Matsuda Takatomo. Matsuda Ryuchi could attest to the existence of the Yijin Jing only as far back as 1827.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the course of his research, Matsuda Ryuchi found no mention of—let alone attribution to—Bodhidharma in any of the numerous texts written about the Shaolin martial arts before the 19th century.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Yijin Jing appears to be the source for two other popular Qigong forms which are also attributed to various authors. Both the Eighteen Luohan Hands (also associated with Shaolin) and the Eight Pieces of Brocade (Baduanjin) forms seem like abridged versions of Yijinjing sets. The Baduanjin is sometimes attributed to Yue Fei. Of the many versions of all 3 of the above, some also contain forms from the older Wuqin, or Five Animal Frolics of Hua Tuo.There is lots of info on the internet if you do a google search for Bodhidharma myth or Yijin Jing forgery. Some sources : Wikipedia, A Venerated Forgery: The Daoist Origins of Shaolin's Famous Yijin ,Kenpukan , blackbelt magazine, Kung Fu magazine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1124" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2013-05-11T10:39:48.853" LastActivityDate="2013-05-11T10:39:48.853" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1972" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="691" CreationDate="2013-05-14T20:47:59.420" Score="4" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Kata on the Ground&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I taught karate, I used to do my various Isshinryu forms and try to find applications on the ground. I looked for sweeps in Chinto, arm-drags in Seisan, ground-and-pound in Seiunchin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This takes a lot of time: you need to train variations of the kata on your back, on top of the opponent, sitting, and so on. There's a lot of mental play involved with dreaming up scenarios in which a particular move has a parallel on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found this unproductive. After several years, I noticed that pointing out places where Sanchin applied to the mount didn't make my mount better. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Stop trying to jury-rig Chinese or Okinawan dances and &lt;em&gt;train grappling&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What did help my mount was training judo twice a week or more. What made my groundfighting better was to learn Brazilian jiu-jitsu from a Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor without regard for forms. Training even a couple months of MMA, BJJ, and judo made me dramatically better at getting to my feet from a ground-grappling situation than a year spent doing kata off my back. It turns out that all that time working my &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; into groundfighting was time taken away from just improving my groundfighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that's the goal, right? To improve ourselves? To me, the point of training is to improve martial skills, not to discover more places to &quot;plug in&quot; a move from some two-hundred-year-old Okinawan dance. Getting better at grappling is training, it's hard work, it's sparring and technique and drilling. Doing kata on your back, looking for connections and making moves up because they sound like a good idea in your head, is make-believe. It's a dry gi at the end of practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Get a judo nidan or BJJ purple belt before working kata off your back&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most judoka, in the absence of an injury that forces them to focus on kata prematurely, start working on &lt;em&gt;katame no kata&lt;/em&gt; (the Form of Holding, judo's two-man groundfighting kata) around shodan or nidan. That seems like an appropriate prerequisite to achieve before worrying about whether your Shotokan kata or Tai Chi form or whatever has any relevance to the guard or side control. If you're doing BJJ instead, wait until purple belt or so. Until then it's without a doubt a worse use of your time than just learning how to grapple without spazzing out. Once you're legitimately skilled at groundfighting &lt;em&gt;on its own&lt;/em&gt;, you'll naturally start to see parallels to your stand-up. (And you won't make naive false parallels.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd go further and assert that the entire project of playing &quot;what scenario does this move from kata work for&quot; is a fool's errand. Forms are meant to have straightforward applications that your teacher shows you and you drill until they are useful. Doing kata as a fantasy endeavor does not make one a better fighter. Stop doing kata on your back and join a judo, SAMBO, or BJJ school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-05-15T01:11:24.333" LastActivityDate="2013-05-15T01:11:24.333" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1973" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="691" CreationDate="2013-05-14T23:24:10.820" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;They can. The fundamentals of any technique can be brought back to leverage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your balance point isn't a foot or two anymore, it's your back. And, more precisely, a small area of your back, depending on, for instance, where your shoulders and hips are. And you may even have a foot or two, or an elbow, in there as well. There's a lot of flux there, which makes much of the work fairly subtle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your points of leverage are, well, just like standing, usually bits of body around the joints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The balance point(s) of your opponent will be, well, wherever his weight ends up. Hips/feet, hand..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the question can become, &lt;strong&gt;how do you translate the mobility and balance points of standing/stepping techniques to the mobility and balance points of, for lack of a better word, wriggling techniques?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thankfully, the hips can still be used fairly effectively, since the center of gravity and all movement should still be there. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This cuts off most techniques where you raise your hips off the ground - but this is rarely a good idea anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With this basis, effective study can be made.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2013-05-14T23:24:10.820" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1974" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1963" CreationDate="2013-05-14T23:30:08.710" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My punching training was really simple. I had two strikes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. Straight punch to the solar plexus&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. Uppercut to below the chin (going up and forward)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did these for &lt;strong&gt;ten years&lt;/strong&gt;. I never worried about punching to the face, or to the bicep, or to various nerve clusters, or other weird targets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then I met a friend who used a ton of targets I'd never thought about, because, well, I was already pretty efficient with the limited vocabulary I had. I was highly surprised to find that the simple training of punching to the solar plexus all the time, and punching below the chin all the time, translated to a variety of angles and targets completely transparently. &lt;strong&gt;My body-mind had built all the right connections.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every single time you punch, do so mindfully. Aim and focus. The rest will follow. Your body and your mind will adapt better than you might think.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like everyone else, I'll say that repetition is key. Mindful repetition. Swordswmen practice the simple vertical strike up to 1,000 times a day. If you throw 100 punches a day you're doing alright. If you can throw 1,000 and remain mindful, you'll be getting tons of extra training in things other than punching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2013-05-14T23:30:08.710" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1975" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1878" CreationDate="2013-05-15T18:21:12.940" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;發 and 勁 Transliterated&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fa-jin is two characters:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fa/&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.orientaloutpost.com/dictionary.php?q=%E7%99%BC&quot;&gt;發&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; - &quot;to send out; to show (one's feeling); to issue; to develop; classifier for gunshots (rounds)&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jin/&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.orientaloutpost.com/dictionary.php?q=%E5%8B%81&quot;&gt;勁&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; - &quot;stalwart; sturdy; strong; powerful; strength; energy; enthusiasm; spirit; mood; expression; interest&quot; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the context of martial arts, a fair translation of fa-jin would be &quot;emitting force&quot; or something similar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;There be no magic here&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fa-jin is just a Chinese term for explosiveness. This is equivalent to how we say a wrestler might have an explosive power double, or a kickboxer has a powerful round kick, or a boxer has heavy hands. There's nothing special, specific, or mystical about fa-jin. It's just hitting or throwing someone hard and fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are as many ways to employ fa-jin as there are techniques to hit hard with, and the details are fractal. One can go infinitely deep with explaining how to execute a particular technique explosively, but when you recognize the term &quot;fa-jin&quot; as simply referring to the concept of hitting powerfully, giving examples specific to fa-jin becomes obviously fruitless. If you are hitting hard and efficiently, that's &lt;em&gt;fa-jin&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, boxers hit hard (employ fa-jin) by engaging the glutes, twisting the hips, and keeping the trunk rigid to transmit force to the arms, which are as loose and relaxed as possible as they extend. This should sound familiar to hard-sparring exponents of karate, muay Thai, taiji, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-05-16T00:44:42.973" LastActivityDate="2013-05-16T00:44:42.973" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1976" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1659" CreationDate="2013-05-15T23:40:27.727" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;At this point it should be clear that I reject the definition of hojo undō as those exercises used by Okinawans or Japanese martial artists before 1950, or similar definitions&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why would you reject that? Every sport (I don't like to refer to martial arts as a sport but it works for this situation) has exercises that are designed to improve motions or actions specific to that sport. i.e. Football players use a blocking sled to improve coordination and strengthen muscle groups used in blocking. Basketball players use special exercises and equipment to improve their vertical jump. In karate the Nigiri Game (Gripping Jars) server 2 purposes: 1. They are used to train you to keep your shoulders down (boxers use devices to help train themselves to keep their chin down and elbows in) 2. To strengthen the grip, specifically the thumb which needs to grip the jar's lip in a specific manor.&#xA;Traditional Hojo Undo tools are a great example of the S.A.I.D. principal. With that said are to be used to supplement regular strength training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would recomment purchasing or getting a copy of &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/159439136X&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The Art of Hojo Undo by Michael Clarke&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;It is one of the most, if not the most, comprehensive books on the subject available in English.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1128" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-05-16T08:46:10.877" LastActivityDate="2013-05-16T08:46:10.877" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1977" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-05-16T11:51:42.087" Score="0" ViewCount="253" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was attacked in the street by my neighbour who is a black belt Tai Juitsu,&#xA;I want to know how I go about getting his licence revoked.&#xA;He is claiming self defence only because I tried to get him of me while he had his hands round my neck using his thumbs to push my adams apple into the back of my throat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regards&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Michael&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1129" LastActivityDate="2013-05-16T12:21:31.897" Title="Attacked by black belt" Tags="|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ClosedDate="2013-05-16T12:41:51.957" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1978" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1977" CreationDate="2013-05-16T12:21:31.897" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In most places, black belts do not have special licences to do anything. As such, you wouldn't be able to get his licence revoked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you can do, however, is file a complain to your local police department. If indeed he tried to strangle you while you had not acted menacingly (some places recognize pre-emptive self defense as valid if the threat was severe), this qualifies for assault under most laws and you, in fact, &lt;strong&gt;should&lt;/strong&gt; report such behavior to the authorities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Undergoing strangulation is good grounds for claiming self defense, especially if your opponent, as you claim, knew exactly what he was doing. If you chose to report the assault to the proper authorities, I would strongly advise you to be passively cooperative, and let the investigators to their job without interference. Self defense claims are not always so easy to judge if there is no evidence or witnesses, and police officers are often wary of these cases; being pushy about the investigation will not help you at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2013-05-16T12:21:31.897" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1979" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1980" CreationDate="2013-05-19T03:46:32.103" Score="8" ViewCount="398" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a layman in martial arts, I've been curious about this question: In a real life situation, is it easy/difficult/impossible for a seasoned professional fighting expert (in whatever discipline of martial arts you name) to beat a much stronger man, without fighting training but superor both in size and strength to him? For the latter think of those husky men pulling trucks or hurling ironballs in world-strong-man competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1133" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-08-02T11:28:24.423" LastActivityDate="2016-08-02T11:28:24.423" Title="How easy or hard is it for a combat sport champion to defeat a much stronger man?" Tags="|combat|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1980" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1979" CreationDate="2013-05-19T14:51:20.043" Score="18" Body="&lt;h2&gt;&quot;Real Life Situations&quot;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are too many variables encoded in this term for it to have any meaning. Is the big man stealing your car? Running you over with a car? Picking a fight at the bar because his wife left him and he's sad and drunk? Throwing one ill-conceived haymaker? The problem with such questions is that the premise of &quot;highly trained and conditioned fighter versus individual of enormous physical capabilities&quot; is inherently chaotic even before one adds situational concerns such as who decides it's a fight first. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds like what you're trying to ask is, &quot;without odd sport-specific restrictions, how much better at fighting bigger, stronger opponents does learning how to fight make a person?&quot; We can find suggestive parts of the answer in a few areas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Areas of Evidence&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Early MMA&lt;/strong&gt;: in the 1990s in America, mixed martial arts had no weight classes. In the early days of the UFC, Royce Gracie finished a long succession of fighters who had a large physical advantage but a mere fraction of his jiu-jitsu experience. Eventually, as jiu-jitsu skill and tactics became a more level playing field, smaller men had a tougher time beating bigger opponents. It still happens, though: Anderson Silva, the 185-pound division champion, has defeated several 205-pounders in dramatic fashion.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MMA mismatches&lt;/strong&gt;: Japanese mixed-martial-arts promotions had a liking for circus fights. That is, a smaller but more skilled man (often quite large in his own right) would be pitted against a GIANT. (For example, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW--agw_gmM&quot;&gt;Bob Sapp versus Nogueira&lt;/a&gt;, or &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i0iZcLIrTQ&quot;&gt;Fedor Emelianenko versus Hong Man Choi&lt;/a&gt;, or any of Fedor's other fights against enormous men.) Alternatively, a hard-hitting man with an iron chin but not much training would be pitted against similar-sized men with more experience (e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1550085-ufc-on-fuel-8-mark-hunt-k-1-level-striking&quot;&gt;Mark Hunt&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The successes (and failures) of brawlers in MMA is quite informative on this topic. Tank Abott and Kimbo Slice are good examples.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Absolute divisions&lt;/strong&gt;: Kyokushin karate, judo, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu retain no-weight-class divisions. These are full-contact striking, grappling, or striking-and-grappling contests, and can thus be informative about what works and doesn't work against bigger, stronger opponents. (Light-contact karate tournaments are not so informative, because not being able to clinch, grab, or hit hard removes a significant portion of the benefit of size and strength.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Marcelo Garcia is a great example of a smaller man successful in grappling against bigger opponents. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY8JlJZBgCk&quot;&gt;This highlight video&lt;/a&gt; shows him demolishing grapplers who are often bigger and nearly always stronger than him. These opponents are no slouches, either; many of them are champions in their own right. But Marcelo's victory through technical superiority and innovation is not absolute: he lost against Roger Gracie and Jacare Souza, both of whom possess elite-level fighting skill as well as significant strength and size advantages over Marcelo.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Street fight videos&lt;/strong&gt;: we can condemn the stupidity of street fights while pumping videos of them for knowledge. One notices when a street fight involves one or more persons with combat sport training: the clinch is still messy, many of the punches may still be haymakers, but &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/bHwMS32YoyA&quot;&gt;techniques get applied to great effect&lt;/a&gt;. Combat sports with a strong emphasis on hard sparring tend to have more and better clear examples of their techniques used successfully in street fights. For instance: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7PMp-yXHT0&quot;&gt;boxing&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxoOnPIUvfo&quot;&gt;boxing again&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJX9QnrZtfc&quot;&gt;BJJ&lt;/a&gt; (featuring a champion against a somewhat bigger and perhaps stronger but definitely drunker opponent), and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtcb5sVtxxQ&quot;&gt;judo&lt;/a&gt;. Finding examples with a strength/size mismatch is much tougher; but we can extrapolate that the results are similar but less successful.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In these combative arenas, smaller and weaker fighters frequently best stronger, bigger opponents. They frequently lose, too. Technique matters, but if technique is equal then physical attributes (size, strength, agility, power, reach, speed and so on) matter a lot. The standard advice for beating a physically superior opponent is to have superior tactics, technique, conditioning, and speed. In comparing combat sports to unscheduled street fights, some of those areas may be tougher to bring to bear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-05-20T03:02:07.087" LastActivityDate="2013-05-20T03:02:07.087" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1981" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1984" CreationDate="2013-05-20T08:03:29.510" Score="9" ViewCount="1984" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am just aware of the term martial arts and kung-fu perhaps from watching a lot of movies but I am unaware of how can I learn any of these in actuality. I want to learn some martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well kung-fu looks really cool, but I don't know which form of martial arts is best to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not a very strong guy but I have a thin body and I could make 6 km in about 30 minutes. I see a lot of posts and ads with some guy offering training for martial arts but most of his students are small kids, I don't wanna go and practice with kids.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can I learn it at my home? How and what to start with?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1134" LastEditorDisplayName="user5562" LastEditDate="2019-01-20T20:32:26.290" LastActivityDate="2019-01-20T20:32:26.290" Title="Martial art for a complete newbie - can I learn on my own?" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="1982" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1979" CreationDate="2013-05-20T10:47:14.350" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In a self-defense scenario, between &lt;b&gt;intelligence&lt;/b&gt; and &lt;b&gt;physical skills&lt;/b&gt;, the latter gives you &lt;em&gt;advantages&lt;/em&gt; over a untrained person, whereas the former gives you more chances of 'surviving' a less-smart person than you. If an untrained person is smarter than you, no matter how much you have trained, you will end up with a bottle on your head before you realize it, and thus all your &lt;em&gt;physical&lt;/em&gt; training will be wasted. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I love MA, and I train it for many different reasons, but if I had to choose between being really fit and well trained, vs being really smart, if we are talking about self-defense, I would choose the latter. MA training will give you the confidence, and the speed, performance, etc. But in many cases it will not directly address matters such as your emotional state (before, during and after the fight) or train you to 'cheat', or to use other techniques in order to be 'smarter' than your aggressor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some types of aggression, you can often spot the Point of No Return, that is, you know that this guy is going for you and there is nothing you can do to convince him not to crush your skull. His body language will tell you that: his upper lip will be curled up, his chest will be forward, his breathing pattern will be more accelerated, fists clenched up. At this point, you need to acknowledge that you will 'die', unless you do something about it. So you hit first, you use a weapon, you distract him and run, you offer money to someone to help, whatever, as long as you get him by surprise. The goal on the streets is not to compare skill vs strength, but to &lt;b&gt;survive&lt;/b&gt; by whatever means you have: usually intelligence will get you further.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To sum up, you don't need to necessarily train MA in order to really gain advantages against an aggressor on the streets: you just need to be smarter than him (and that also means, realizing that someone is starring at you and that you should leave the scene before things escalate further). If contemporary MA schools started to adopt this 'Urban Survival Combat' kind of thing and started getting people to realize the importance of outwitting an aggressor, then I would change my answer to say that: 'Yes, MA really train you for the streets'. Unfortunately most of MA disciplines have moved from a discipline that was to teach the individual to fight as part of an army to a system that train people for sports. Neither are suitable for a street self-defense where it is not very likely that you will be accompanied by a small army with you or that the aggressor will say: 'I will crush your skull using Karate rules only'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If, however, you are a good MA student, smart and capable of not letting your testosterone mess up with your brain, you learn how to avoid this situations and should you ever get into them, you will know how to defend yourself before you attacker has even the chance to blink. So my answer is: 'Yes, MA will help you a lot, but what is covered in a MA school is only a tip of the iceberg on your self-defense study, and you will need to learn a lot about the psychology of different types of attacks/fights and tame your emotions'. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some Reading on the subject:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.geoffthompson.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Geoff Thomson&lt;/a&gt;'s website - Book: '&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Alive-Self-Protection-Summersdale-Self-protection/dp/1840242795&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Dead or Alive: The Choice is Yours&lt;/a&gt;'&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.chirontraining.com/Site/Home.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Rory Miller&lt;/a&gt;'s website - Book: '&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gift-Fear-Survival-Signals-Violence/dp/0747538352&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The Gift of Fear&lt;/a&gt;'&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="975" LastActivityDate="2013-05-20T10:47:14.350" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1983" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1985" CreationDate="2013-05-20T11:43:47.790" Score="9" ViewCount="18526" Body="&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalaripayattu&quot;&gt;Kalari Payattu&lt;/a&gt; there is something called &lt;code&gt;choondu marmam&lt;/code&gt;, which is used to attack the opponent with spiritual power. Is it real?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1031" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-05-20T15:45:23.360" LastActivityDate="2016-11-05T18:07:32.527" Title="Is &quot;choondu marmam&quot; in Kalari Payattu real?" Tags="|history|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1984" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1981" CreationDate="2013-05-20T13:36:19.670" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on your comments above, I would definitely recommend that you start seeking an instructor. If you were looking for pure self-defense, then you could start doing things on your own, like understanding the different types of attacks - a bar aggressor has a very different motive from that of a professional criminal, like a mugger or rapist, so their approaches will also be different - or meditating to bring yourself to a suitable psychological state before an aggressor. For this basic proper self-defense preparation you don't really need to &lt;em&gt;start&lt;/em&gt; with an instructor, specially because it will be difficult for you to find a suitable MA club with this frame of mind. Rather, you would learn via reading, DVDs and then incorporating your training into that. Eventually, in this situation you would end up needing some help, but not to start with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You never mentioned this sort of priority on your list, which is perfectly fine: we all have our own goals and priorities. Usually the answer would be the same: you can perfectly well train on your own &lt;em&gt;in the beginning&lt;/em&gt;, until you are flexible and conditioned enough to join a gym or MA club. However you have already done some of your homework: your running, etc. It looks like it is a pretty good time for you to join a MA club. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I used to hear something in Aikido whose rough translation was something like that: 'you enter via the form; you leave from form'. I am sorry about the translation, but what this tries to say is that when you are a beginner you need to follow the form and approach of your Dojo. Then, when you have started mastering the style taught to you, you will start shaping your own style, so you are leaving the pre-existent form and start adapting your own. You essentially become your own master &lt;b&gt;for that discipline&lt;/b&gt;; you will still need guidance on other disciplines, should you want to engage them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The bottom line is this, you might not need a MA club, or a personal instructor right at the beginning of your path, or after a long time (perhaps a black belt and enven though you will still need someone more experience than you to occasionally point you in the right direction). You have passed the completely newbie stage as you have already started moving your bones. The next step is to find a style that is coherent to your vision and priorities and try to pursue it, one way or another (like posting this question on this forum for example).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="975" LastEditorUserId="975" LastEditDate="2013-05-21T07:08:47.067" LastActivityDate="2013-05-21T07:08:47.067" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1985" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1983" CreationDate="2013-05-20T14:09:55.050" Score="18" Body="&lt;h2&gt;The claim&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kalaripayattubangalore.com/html/kalarippayattu.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kalaripayattu Bangalore's website&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Marmas are the specific points in the body where the application of pressure or insertion of needles (Bhedan karma) will effect the flow of vital energy or Prana along a complex system of subtle channels calls Naadis. A knowledge of such specific points is called Marma Shastra.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Marmam has three divisions according to their toughness effect and expertise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Thodu Marmam - by touching.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Choondu marmam - by pointing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Nokumarmam - by looking.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Psychological powers were once used where certain mantras were used to fight the enemy. This falls under the category of the Choondu Marmam. Noku Marmam involves the use of the index finger and eyes pointing to the major Marmas, through which enemy can be made motionless. Both these techniques were mastered in the past and are mostly ignored in modern times because of the toughness of practicing them. Only very few have a knowledge of there Marmas and they too are secretive about it. Moreover, there use is controversial as they are dangerous but are still considered the ultimate in martial defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We can tell from this description that &lt;strong&gt;choondu marmam is a myth&lt;/strong&gt;. It is claimed to be a magical power that controls the opponent at a distance by merely pointing at them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If choondu marmam is taken out of its mystical context, we could defend it by saying that some people do intimidate their opponents. That's not objectionable, and is quite easily proved. Intimidation is a merely social skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that's not what Kalaripayattu is claiming. They claim that there is a magical force, developed through specific rituals, involving specific body parts, and making its effect through affecting a specific mystical quantity called Prana. Prana does not exist; the relationships of psychological intimidation do not relate to the specific body parts claimed, the specific rituals are not necessary, and there is no magical force involved. It makes as much sense to believe in prana or choondu marmam as it would to believe in &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_medicine_of_Western_Europe#Humours&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;medieval medicine's humours&lt;/a&gt; or the Egyptian sun god, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ra&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Magic in the Martial Arts&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Over and over, we find martial arts charlatans claiming to have magical powers over their opponents. The name varies, but the method is common: controlling, injuring, or knocking someone down without touching them. What we find happening is that teachers trick their students into playing along through a cult environment and social pressure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We've seen &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd7M4H0b62k&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;a supposed &amp;quot;kiai master&amp;quot; unable to use his powers against anyone but his students&lt;/a&gt;, the powers of Yellow Bamboo chi blasts &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1ykNZ7rAcw&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;debunked&lt;/a&gt;, and no-touch knockout &amp;quot;experts&amp;quot; shown to be &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z0_n7tGnK0&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;powerless&lt;/a&gt; every time they &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6XldR7pCFI&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;try their techniques against skeptics&lt;/a&gt;. Often these people have tricked themselves as well as their students, and are surprised to discover that their supposed powers are merely a game that they've convinced their friends to play. These examples remind us of James Randi's repeated debunkings of &amp;quot;psychics&amp;quot;, who were really just &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlfMsZwr8rc&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;mediocre sleight-of-hand artists&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtXMs7iZsT0&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;This video&lt;/a&gt; saying it shows choondu marmam from a kalaripayattu expert is a prime example of fakery. This instructor probably believes his own tricks. Every student he tries his &amp;quot;powers&amp;quot; on flies backwards! But this is only because the alternative is to &lt;em&gt;hit someone&lt;/em&gt;, which nice people are conditioned to avoid doing. Hitting would involve another enormous breach of etiquette: &lt;em&gt;embarrassing the instructor&lt;/em&gt;, whom they respect. These students have been given the opportunity to demonstrate a technique in front of the class, to perform in front of an audience including a camera. The stakes are therefore high. They will be ostracized and morally shunned if they suddenly swung full force and broke their instructor's face with a stick. They've learned, through repeated examples and a step-by-step grooming process, that they must respond in this way whenever the instructor moves like that. &lt;strong&gt;Someone who doesn't know what the instructor's supposed powers are, and who is really willing to hit the instructor, would not show any evidence of being affected by &amp;quot;choondu marmam&amp;quot;.&lt;/strong&gt; Don't be fooled. Find someone who really doesn't believe and have the instructor try to stop them from punching him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Magic does not exist. Any interpretation of choondu marmam that purports to be magical is not true.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-12-12T22:51:05.757" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1986" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1761" CreationDate="2013-05-20T16:45:34.413" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, Krav Maga doesn't refer to itself as a martial arts. It's more appropriately called &quot;Self defense tactics system.&quot; This might seem like marketing fluff, but the idea is that there is no art to it, and it want's to separate itself from traditional martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, there is no sports (also known as competitive) aspect to Krav Maga. Krav Maga itself takes it's learnings from many martial arts: Boxing, Tae Kwon Do, BJJ, Muay Thai etc, which do have competition and rules, but eschews them for a simplified fighting style. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want Krav Maga with a competitive nature to it, then I recommend MMA, which has a lot of overlap with krav maga, minus the weapon defense, small joint manipulation, and other &quot;hurt at all cost&quot; moves (eyepokes, ball-kicks, etc), which are generally illegal in competitive martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4" LastActivityDate="2013-05-20T16:45:34.413" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1987" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1277" CreationDate="2013-05-20T16:54:13.820" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The KM philosphy is one where you should be able to come out of a 6-week program ready to &lt;em&gt;protect yourself at all costs&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No program, no matter how good it claims to be, will make you a world class fighter in 6-weeks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;KM specifically is designed to train you through high stress, high fatigue situations, along with simple, yet affective attacks and defenses, so that if you're attacked or find yourself in a bad situation, you have some knowledge on how to protect yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you advance through the program (earn higher ranks), you learn more advanced techniques, including weapon disarms and defenses, which build on the basics you get early on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;WRT to Military vs Civilian KM, the techniques and principals are the same. The difference is the application and scenarios that each focus on. Civilian KM doesn't focus on battlefield combat, nor does it focus on protecting your pistol if you open carry. So unless you walk around with an open carry, you're probably unlikely to get any benefit from Military KM, other than training is some cool scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4" LastActivityDate="2013-05-20T16:54:13.820" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1988" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1981" CreationDate="2013-05-20T17:10:46.760" Score="7" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Fighting vs. Martial Arts&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First off, let me approach this from a different direction; what we see in movies and on TV is dance. It's a choreographed series of movements to display an idea of fighting, not actual combative action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The martial arts are codified systems to train a person to fight. In modern times, more spiritual and psychological meaning has been attached to them, but underneath, they are about learning to fight efficiently and have evolved (hopefully) with experience of those who took the art into the world and survived to say what worked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the base of the art is the ability to fight. You can learn this on your own (or rather, without an instructor), but you will be learning the meaning of the &amp;quot;school of hard knocks&amp;quot;. Monkeys can kick and scratch and bite and strike. Padding up and beating the crap out of some friends can teach you to pack some power behind your strikes. But this is not a codified system of fighting, and while you may emulate the movements you think you understand, you will be wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Learning Martial Arts&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The beauty of martial arts is that someone long ago started the journey for you. Even Krav Maga's Imi Lichtenfeld took the fight from the slums of Hungary before it became what it is today. But if you were to do what he did, you would not be learning Krav Maga, but your own style of fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts can only be adequately taught as effective styles by those who understand the styles. Understanding the styles means training in the style with someone who understood it before them. It's passed down from teacher to student, imparted with the fine tuning that has come from generations of teaching. Training at home will not give you this adjustment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Beginner Instruction in Martial Arts&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most schools advertise with children, because this is their bread and butter. Kids see TV shows and &amp;quot;want to learn to do that&amp;quot;. Parents want to make their children happy, so they enroll them in kids classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most every instructor I know has loathed teaching kids classes. It's an hour of babysitting for parents who want to do something other than listen to their kids complain. However, it pays the bills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During the evening, most of these schools offer adult classes. These are classes where the real art gets explored. There aren't any children, and in good schools it's a good chance for adults to get out some aggression in a healthy setting. Calling schools to find out about their adult programs will give you a better start.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-05-20T17:10:46.760" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1989" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1487" CreationDate="2013-05-20T20:58:17.500" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The technique depicted in this picture is called &quot;mantis spies the cave&quot; in 7 Star Praying mantis style.The right hand would be pulling an apponent into your space while the back of the left wrist is striking the face.The stance as you have said is Seven Star Stance and is used to signify a low sweep/stomp on the toe with heel/hooking into an apponents leg to destabilisestance or generally any opportunity which presents itself.As you say there is no weight on that foot so it is available for attacks and not easily exploited by sweeps from apponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regards&#xA;7StarMan&#xA;(Nine Years on the path of a Chinese Boxer)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1136" LastActivityDate="2013-05-20T20:58:17.500" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1990" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1404" CreationDate="2013-05-20T23:08:45.553" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My Aikido instructor has explained that the position you are referring to, if I'm not mistaken, is the most effective position to be in before doing any kind of forward strike with a bokken. It is called Jodan and it is a compromise between having the bokken far behind your head creating an offensive-focused power attack (being more strength oriented), and holding the bokken out in front of your head while in kamae, creating a faster more defence-oriented strike. Having the bokken in between these two opposing positions, creates the most effective strike as it comprises both strength and speed evenly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I have discovered myself is that depending on each individual person, this position may be ever so slightly different. I find that it generally tends to be around 45 degrees from straight over your head. Which is consistent with the curve of your back while standing in kamae, creating the correct position to act as an extension of your arms from your pinkys to  your shoulders- which of course follows Yoshinkan's &quot;ikkajo shape&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1137" LastActivityDate="2013-05-20T23:08:45.553" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1992" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="145" CreationDate="2013-05-22T14:25:13.870" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had very good experience with a short (under 10 minutes) routine based on the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Tibetan_Rites&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Five Tibetan Rites&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First Rite&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stand erect with arms outstretched...spin around until you become slightly dizzy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Second Rite&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lie full length on rug or bed... Raise the feet until the legs are straight up. If possible, let the feet extend back a bit over the body toward the head, but do not let the knees bend. Hold this position for a moment or two and then slowly lower the feet to the floor...relax completely. Then perform the Rite all over again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Third Rite&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kneel on a rug or mat with hands at sides, palms flat against the side of legs. Then lean forward as far as possible, bending at the waist, with head well forward—chin on chest. The second position of this Rite is to lean backward as far as possible. Cause the head to move still further backward. The toes will prevent you from falling over backward. The hands are always kept against the side of the legs. Next come to an erect (kneeling) position, relax as much as possible for a moment, and perform Rite all over again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fourth Rite&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sit erect on rug or carpet with feet stretched out in front. The legs must be perfectly straight -- back of knees must be well down or close to the rug. Place the hands flat on the rug, fingers together, and the hands pointing outward slightly. Chin should be on chest -- head forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now gently raise the body, at the same time bend the knees so that the legs from the knees down are practically straight up and down. The arms, too, will also be vertical while the body from shoulders to knees will be horizontal. As the body is raised upward allow the head gently to fall backward so that the head hangs backward as far as possible when the body is fully horizontal. Hold this position for a few moments, return to first position, and RELAX for a few moments before performing the Rite again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When the body is pressed up to complete horizontal position, tense every muscle in the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fifth Rite&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Place the hands on the floor about two feet apart. Then, with the legs stretched out to the rear with the feet also about two feet apart, push the body, and especially the hips, up as far as possible, rising on the toes and hands. At the same time the head should be brought so far down that the chin comes up against the chest. Next, allow the body to come slowly down to a ‘sagging’ position. Bring the head up, causing it to be drawn as far back as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sixth Rite&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An abdominal breathing exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;N.B.&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;em&gt;The Sixth Rite is &amp;quot;optional&amp;quot; and should not be practiced (according to the original source) unless you decide to abstain from sexual activity.&lt;/em&gt; YMMV - I don't practice it, for example&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing that is important to know is that this system includes a specific &amp;quot;progression&amp;quot; scale. You are supposed to start by performing each Rite exactly 3 times. I.e. in the case of First Rite, you spin around 3 times, then move to 3 repetition of the Second Rite etc.&#xA;&lt;em&gt;When you feel like you can move up a bit&lt;/em&gt; you add two more repetitions, and therefore you perform all 5 rites 5 times. Then, again when you feel like it, you add 2 and are now at 7... you self-regulate your progress until you hit 21 repetitions. And that's it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I talk a bit more of this &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pa-mar.net/Main/Lifestyle/5TibetanRites.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am 50, have been practicing Aikido (Iwama Style) for 24 years, and since I started doing this I don't get any sore muscles after seminars or when I start practicing again after the summer/Xmas breaks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that I practice it in the evening instead of in the morning (it just works better for me like this, but I practiced it in the morning for a few months, when I was experimenting) and that I do this as a purely physical routine, but you may incorporate some meditation along with it (in fact, I am probably doing it wrong precisely because I just do this as physical work).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="831" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-05-22T15:06:51.067" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1993" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1893" CreationDate="2013-05-22T15:06:17.157" Score="1" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Learn to fight before learning dirty tricks&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Luis Gutierrez has a nice &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.onedragon.com/article_05.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; about the differences between street and sport martial arts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Just add dirt&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can hear it now from all the street fighters... &amp;quot;But Luis, what about eye gouges, hair pulling, biting, ripping, pinching, scrotum striking, yanking and smashing, scratching, spitting, foaming at the mouth, growling, breaking bottles, wearing boots, colon control and crapping at will?&amp;quot; Well, what about all that? If you can't even hit a guy with a 16oz. glove how the hell are you going to eye jab him? If you can't keep a guy from putting you on the ground and proceeding to do his best rendition of River Dance on your cranium, how the hell are you going to just kick him in the balls or bite him? &lt;strong&gt;And if you indeed are getting punched, kicked, and out grappled by a superior martial artist and you get the bright idea to bite him, what's to stop him then from doing the same if not worse to you…and from a much better vantage point to boot?&lt;/strong&gt; (Pun intended.) Bottom line…if you build a foundation on movement (timing and awareness in motion) and the attributes necessary to deliver and apply efficient strikes, controls and finishes, you just need to add the foul or dirty tactics. It doesn't work the other way around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Foul techniques should be used as a &lt;em&gt;supplement&lt;/em&gt; to techniques based on leverage. Biting and eye gouging are unpredictable and not reliable as escapes from an inferior position or as a defense against a bigger, stronger opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Escalating when in an inferior position&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of Gutierrez' best points is that using dirty tricks to escape a bad position escalates the fight. If they were only intending to beat you, being bitten or eye-gouged is going to make them want to hurt or maim you. This is rarely a good idea, and it is a particularly bad idea when the opponent is already in a better position!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Contrary to the arguments of light-contact martial artists, this exact scenario sometimes plays out in MMA. &lt;a href=&quot;https://vimeo.com/80641551&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Gene Lebell versus Milo Savage&lt;/a&gt; is one example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I land on him, then I got behind him to choke him, and he grabbed my thumb and started to bite it. I said, &amp;quot;Milo, you bite my finger, I'll take your eye out.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So he opened his mouth.... I reached around and I choked him out.... Poor Milo was sitting down there, and when I walked [after the victory] I 'accidentally' stepped on him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-12-04T11:46:05.403" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1994" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1983" CreationDate="2013-05-22T16:51:42.470" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Interesting... I very much like @DaveLiepmann's answer, and agree with his message if not always his way of saying it. I do want to expand a little on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Reality vs. Non-Reality&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without getting into hundreds of years (Possibly thousands) of philosophical debate on what is and what is not real, let's consider Objective vs. Subjective reality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For something to be objectively real, it must be within the human experience that every person is in relative agreement that something is what it appears to be. That is, A ∴ A, or in more simple terms we agree that a daisy is a daisy because it appears to both of us to be a daisy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For something to be subjectively real, it simply must fit in with our belief systems as real. It fits into my belief systems that the martial arts I've studied over the years are effective; however, this is due to my particular experience, and not due to any core unifying aspect of those martial arts that makes them de facto &amp;quot;good&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is &amp;quot;Reality&amp;quot; therefore tend to be those things that are Objectively Real, and those things that we socially accept, although they are Subjectively Real, as well as anyplace these two realities intersect. &amp;quot;Non-Reality&amp;quot; then tends to be those things that are Subjectively Real but outside public consensus, and those things Objectively False (&amp;quot;One-eyed, One-horned, Giant Purple People Eaters&amp;quot;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;The Subjectively Real&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtXMs7iZsT0&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;, let's assume that the person dramatically flying around the room is, in fact, not consciously acting. For him, then, the effect being demonstrated is (subjectively) real, because he believes it (or perhaps the ability of his instructor) to be real.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To the person in the experience, somethings reality (subjective or not) may be genuine. It's easy to say, from the external point of view, that something is 100% fake; however, the external observer is not subjected to the same reality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider seeing a scary movie for the first time with a friend who has viewed it 10 times already. While you jump at every loud sound, he sits next to you bored. What is different? The difference lies not in the Objective reality of what is displayed on the screen or played through the speakers, but in the subjective reality of your inexperience of the stimuli compared to his experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Reality of &amp;quot;Psychic&amp;quot; (Psychological) Combat Techniques&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In training, especially in intense training where you might be dodging quite a bit from an unknown/unknowable varied series of attacks, it's possible to recreate this type of experience. As trained dodging is a conditioning of the flinch reflex, and repeated stimulus, exhausting as it may be, can make this flinch reaction fire subconsciously, the attacker, by observing which movements take you out of alignment, can follow up with subsequent motions to continue the flinch until you, the recipient, are completely off balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I was a child, my brother would attack me in wild fits of mania. He would run into my room where I was quietly playing a video game or with my toys, tackle me, beat me silly, then run away. Naturally, my reaction became, for quite some time, to flinch forward into a fetal position. My teacher knew about this, and used it to effectively demonstrate how some of this flinches can be manipulated. Of course, I didn't know what he was doing, so he threw a few punches, and I dodge like we'd practiced, when he feinted – he knew that my inexperience would cause me to move too early, and he followed up with a series of strikes to keep me moving. I remember suddenly being bent over then flipped to the side, but he never touched me. It was my reactions that had caused me to flinch my way to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In mentalism (magic tricks performed with a theme of the mind), there's a principle called the Dual Reality principle – the trick the audience perceives is not always the trick that the assisting spectator (shill) perceives. To the class looking on, their subjective reality may be one of two things: belief (&amp;quot;if he was never touched, it must be psychic/magic/voodoo/hoodoo/yaba-daba-doo&amp;quot;), or skepticism (&amp;quot;if he was never touched, he must be faking.&amp;quot;). To me, however, my subjective reality was that fear overwhelmed my senses when I was no longer able to keep up consciously, and my subconscious reacted by triggering my nervous system to cause me to continue to move, despite having lost my balance already. It was nothing magical or supernatural, but it was not objectively real either, as no one else had shared my experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;A Final Note On &amp;quot;Magic&amp;quot;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“The sin which is unpardonable is knowingly and wilfully to reject truth, to fear knowledge lest that knowledge pander not to thy prejudices.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;― Aleister Crowley, &lt;em&gt;Magick: Book 4, Liber ABA&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Outright denying experience is itself a denial of Truth. Whether you believe another's experience or not is a creation of a subjective set of rules within which you define your reality. To deny something without first experiencing it from the angle of performer and observer, and to accept the denial without thought of ones own is foolish.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is Magic? To paraphrase Crowley again, Magic is the art of causing change to occur in conformance with ones will. In this, there is nothing supernatural, but rather completely natural. It is only our inability to explain rationally our observations – to connect the dots from cause to effect - that makes it appear supernatural. It's our own irrational explanations that do not account for both Subjective and Objective Reality that put us at odds with Truth. Whether we accept or deny on occurrence, without &lt;em&gt;knowing&lt;/em&gt; the subjective reality of the person truly experiencing the event, acceptance or denial is the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-10-04T23:28:57.123" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1995" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="1996" CreationDate="2013-05-22T17:46:38.143" Score="11" ViewCount="2492" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is sort of a theoretical question that isn't as superficial as it will initially sound--&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take any one of the three living 10th dan judoka, the youngest of whom is 86.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would imagine that the attainment of this rank connotes complete and utter mastery of all existing aspects of judo. I would think all three of them should be in the top ten for most skilled living judoka (possibly some of the other 9th or 8th dan judoka are on their level? I am uncertain as to the nature of the knowledge/skill gap that apparently exists between dans at that level-- which is where my question lies).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But these 10th dan judoka are all &lt;em&gt;extremely&lt;/em&gt; old. They may be in excellent shape, but their bodies lack the power they had at the age of 30, it would be impossible to retain that sort of fitness level into your 90s.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'm wondering, sort of, is the knowledge/skill level of a 10th dan judoka &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;so great&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; that they could (despite their weaker body) easily overcome a 6th/7th dan in the prime of their youth and fitness?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1100" LastEditorUserId="1100" LastEditDate="2013-05-22T18:32:08.307" LastActivityDate="2015-10-29T18:37:04.433" Title="Understanding the nature of a high ranking judoka?" Tags="|judo|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1996" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1995" CreationDate="2013-05-22T18:05:28.343" Score="20" Body="&lt;h2&gt;What makes a 10th dan?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While judo 10th dans are all &lt;em&gt;supremely&lt;/em&gt; skilled at judo, the difference between a 10th dan and a 6th dan is not technique nor judo skill, but rather contribution to the art. Consider these excerpts from a &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/judan.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;list of profiles of judan-ranked judoka&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;He was unbelievably energetic and eventually stood at the head of the Kodokan's instructors. The speed with which he mastered the techniques of Judo can only be matched by the rapidity of his promotion... He was a permanent member of the Kodokan Dojo Consultative Group. He is the author of the Canon of Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;As a young man he was very keen to go abroad but in 1906 was asked to become Judo instructor at Keio (the oldest private University in Japan) and he remained there for more than fifty years, devoting his whole life to the work. He was a member of both the Kodokan Council and the Dojo Consultative Group.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In 1899 he became the head of the Judo Section of the Butokukai and later traveled extensively teaching at schools and police establishments. In 1931 he began teaching at the Kodokan and was a member of the Dojo Consultative Group.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;All his efforts were poured into the training of young teachers and he was of the greatest assistance to the President of the Kodokan. He did much to gain for the Kodokan the secure position it enjoys today&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Shihan's assistant from the very founding of the Kodokan, he is one of the great names in Judo. He entered the Kodokan in 1884 and gained a formidable reputation from his contests with the strong men of other jujutsu schools during the Meiji period. He later went to the United States where he taught Judo to President Theodore Roosevelt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;he worked for many years spreading Judo and training new teachers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Author of Kodokan Judo: Throwing Techniques, and several other judo textbooks. He has been the chief instructor at the Kodokan for many years, manager of the Japanese Judo Team at the 1976 and 1984 Olympics, an international referee, and he won the All Japan Judo Tournaments in 1951 and 1954.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The repeated themes are not competitive success, though that is a factor and certainly important. Nor is it technical mastery, though all of them possess that too. It is devoting one's life to judo: working to further the art, training new students and instructors, moving in order to establish a far-away school, representing judo in government.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, the ranks above 6th dan are for spreading the art, political success within the ranking bodies, past competitive success, and sharing the highest level of technical expertise with the next generation of students. So no, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keiko_Fukuda&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;70-year old 10th dan on the brink of death who sits in a chair to teach class&lt;/a&gt; is not going to beat a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronda_Rousey&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;26-year-old 4th dan who recently medaled at the Olympics&lt;/a&gt;. That's not what the 10th dan is awarded for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;High-ranked eldery judoka in competition&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Elite competitive judo is a game for the young. The training necessary to maintain the razor's edge of conditioning and reflex is severe, and not suitable for the elderly. That's not to say that old judoka can't be competitive and best their younger counterparts, but merely that there is a reason that judoka in their 40s don't win the Olympics in judo. However, it is interesting to note some of the age-outliers, as in this 36-year-old:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of his impressive competitions was the May 1926 Emperor's Cup final facing one of the young upcoming strong players, Ushijima Tatsukuma, a 26 year old 5th Dan. He won a decision here after a hard competition to take the title.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To understand this, watch 10th dan Kyuzo Mifune's &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46veLgINFjU&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Essence of Judo&lt;/a&gt;, particularly the parts where he &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aS6Bgk9aws&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;plays randori&lt;/a&gt;. Randori is meant to be as vigorous as possible, but one does not smash weaker players unless they are training for competition. Mifune's opponents are attempting techniques but not attempting to overpower Mifune. If they did, he would be in danger of injury--and they in danger of injury and social backlash.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2015-10-14T05:22:38.217" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1997" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1242" CreationDate="2013-05-23T05:27:46.740" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;one art, two halves, standup, and ground.  Rare is the judoka who can master both. To be called a master, you must master both, that's my take. yup two black belts in two different arts, only then are you a true jiu-jitsu man, or Judo man if you prefer.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When it comes to winning for its own sake, the newaza way is more practical, and actually easier to learn. That's how MMA guys with only 2 years of training can beat martial artists with many more years experience, the shit is easier to learn, and it works, usually.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When it comes to winning with style, and impressing upon spectators that you are the superior martial artist, it's all about Ippon (and on concrete that is serious injury or death, it's no sport).  Japanese are all about winning with style, making it look good even when unnecessary. It's a universal fact in all martial arts, that for the well rounded fighter, it's easier and takes less effort to win on your feet with strikes or dominant takedown. Why go to the ground if you don't have to (especially in a street fight)?&#xA;so Judo in Japan focused on the standup, and forgot about the ground game. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems that Maeda was perhaps the last surviving judo newaza master.  He taught his version of Judo with the Newaza focus to Gracie (it was not called jiu-jitsu).  Realizing it was a very different from the popular type of Judo, and knowing the Jiu-jitsu history (pre-judo), Gracie decided to change the name. It could have been Gracie Judo Newaza.  But they went with Gracie Jiu-jitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One more thing.  Gracie jiu jitsu is very innovative, still developing, cross training with wrestlers and mma strikers.  So jiu-jitsu is a developing art.  But what if it's a lost art, that's been broken down into several parts.  To reclaim this art, and make it whole, one must study throws (judo), standing joint holds (aikido/hapkido), groundwork (BJJ), and some sort of striking (Boxing and Wing Chun are the best, kickboxing just ain't jiu-jitsu compatible, takes too much effort).  Now you're talking. Now we are getting back to that world's oldest martial art, the first mixed martial art (real jim-jitsu uses strikes, or atemi to set up techniques). Well that's about all I got to say about that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1139" LastActivityDate="2013-05-23T05:27:46.740" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1998" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2001" CreationDate="2013-05-23T09:51:42.230" Score="8" ViewCount="2887" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Age 34, I'm a 6ft 2 inch, 95kg mesomorph and have been at 3rd kyu for about a year now. For the most part, I am an ambidextrous player, with little preference as to which side I attack from.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I love judo and train twice a week.  I regularly watch videos on youtube and study combinations and counters on my lunch breaks.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find myself unable to pick which techniques I should focus on:   I have a reasonable seoi-nage and seoi-otoshi, passable suma geishi, tai otoshi and o soto gari/gake, but I find myself unable to focus on a particular throw as I enjoy them all... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;My Question:&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;How do you pick which throws you specialise in?  (and secondly: how [if at all] would your choice be affected by body type)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="539" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-03-10T01:49:54.837" LastActivityDate="2016-03-10T01:49:54.837" Title="How do you choose which judo techniques to practice? (tokuiwaza)" Tags="|judo|throwing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="1999" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="922" CreationDate="2013-05-23T10:53:09.170" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I retract my answer - I have now viewed the technique, and I don't see ryoto mochi sukui nage (as done in tomiki's koryu dai san no kata section A) anywhere in that technique.  I had to look up the Japanese, but ryoto mochi sukui nage is &quot;two handed scooping technique&quot;; my answer is limited to that throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At around the 9:21 mark of the video referenced in @Trevoke's question there is a two hand grab that seems to finish with some sort of teshi nage (heaven and earth throw), but when I say &quot;some sort of&quot;, I really mean &quot; I don't recognize it, but if you held a gun to my head and forced me to give it a name, I'd call it...&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;---------------------- Old answer--------------------&#xA; (I haven't deleted it because I want to pursue the question raised by @DaveLiepman; I've edited the first line because I no longer believe the technique is related to OP).&#xA;There is a technique called &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/KapCk9MoWqQ?t=3m55s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;ryoto mochi sukui nage&lt;/a&gt;. (approximately the 4 minute mark in that video). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As others have said, one of the keys is to interrupt the attack (sen sen no sen).   If you allow them to take full initiatve and press the entire body weight on you, it is less likely to work.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;A second key is to drop the elbows, turn the wrists inward and upwards so that the palms face one another and raise the wrists so that you apply the technique at the right angle.  Dropping the elbows and rotating and raising the wrists has the effect of locking their elbows. uke cannot adjust their force if their elbows are locked.&#xA;The third and probably most important is to press upwards with the hips - as our sempai says, &quot;The Pelvic thrusts are what drive them......&quot;  The hip thrust comes from your core and uses some of the strongest muscles in your body. The thrust is also directed upwards through the locked elbows, which (and I can't explain precisely how) compromises uke's structure. It is easier for Uke to rise than to endure hyperextended elbows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As Uke rises, once again the locked elbows  prevent uke from recovering balance.  Like most of aikido, once you've stolen uke's balance, you have a variety of options. The turn and throw is the easiest and safest for both. There are variations of this that end in a tenshi nage  as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2013-05-23T18:21:33.247" LastActivityDate="2013-05-23T18:21:33.247" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2000" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1998" CreationDate="2013-05-23T11:35:12.850" Score="0" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How do you pick which throws you specialise in?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are asking the wrong question. You are trying to force not only on yourself but on your opponent a technique.  Chances are this will not work. Instead, here's a controversial statement: &lt;strong&gt;Let your opponent decide which throw you use.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they push, you pull.  If they pull, you push.  Let their movement guide you into doing the right technique that will throw them.  It will take (a lot of) time and training to become good at this but there are exercises which can help: start slow, concentrate of just a few throw, get thrown yourself.  Do not specialise in any one throw but learn how to apply them.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After a whole, you'll notice that you start falling into patterns and using the same few techniques over and over again.  Congratulations, they are your weapons of choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How [if at all] would your choice be affected by body type&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your body type or your opponent's?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The former is easy: do more of what comes naturally. The latter is harder and will require you to practice with them.  In fact, judo having weight and male/female categories makes that somewhat fairer and harder. Try to practice against women and men, both smaller and larger.  See &lt;em&gt;what works for you&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a side note: I view &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; as learning basic principles done in a rigid way as opposed to &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; that take those principles of &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; and and makes them your own. In turn, &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; improves your understanding of &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt;. No one can teach you how to be a good randori player.  You have to learn it yourself by doing it and by understanding kata. Thus, to my mind you are asking the wrong question.  Of course, the question &lt;em&gt;is interesting and should be asked&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2013-05-24T13:08:47.743" LastActivityDate="2013-05-24T13:08:47.743" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2001" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1998" CreationDate="2013-05-23T13:57:33.793" Score="7" Body="&lt;h2&gt;The role of body type in deciding &lt;em&gt;tokuiwaza&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The shape, strengths, mobilities, and capabilities most certainly have an effect on which techniques are most appropriate to use and develop. However, it is difficult to determine the preferences of one's body before choosing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One must also be alert to the body rejecting certain techniques due to a fixable physical pathology. That is, not being able to squat down to the ground is a good reason to be bad at seoinage, but &lt;em&gt;should be fixed&lt;/em&gt; because all humans should be capable of squatting to the ground and all athletes should be capable of standing up from a squat with weight on their back. The process of fixing these problems likely lies outside the scope of judo practice, and might indicate a need for supplementary yoga or weightlifting or doctor's visits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;How to pick a tokuiwaza&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I (and more convincingly, my coach) prefer the approach of teaching low-ranked (non-black-belt) judoka a wide variety of the basics and seeing which ones stick. Those basics might include osotogari, kouchigari, seoinage, haraigoshi, uchimata, and tai-otoshi. Other instructors might prefer a different list, for instance sumi-gaeshi, tomoe-nage, kosotogake, kataguruma, sotomakikomi, and koshiguruma. A wide variety of techniques can be fundamental, depending on the curriculum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I was having trouble finding a true tokuiwaza, my approach was to spend three to twelve months on a given technique before switching. Several times I would circle back to a technique I had already done a &quot;cycle&quot; of. So for instance, as I very roughly remember it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;For the first year, I was all over the place&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;For six months or so I worked on kouchigari&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;For six months I worked on seoinage&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I spent a year hopping between tai-otoshi, seoinage, haraigoshi, and kouchigari&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I spent a few months on osotogari and osoto-otoshi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I returned to kouchigari for a few months&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I focused on tai-otoshi for a few months&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During this time a given technique would rise and fall in its efficacy--sometimes without working on it! Over time I found that left-side osoto-otoshi and an ambidextrous kouchigari were working well for me, and so I started drilling variations, set-ups, and complementary techniques for them. This worked okay; my judo is still thoroughly a beginner's. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This method ended up being a combination of following what worked, doing remedial work on weak points, and developing complementary techniques to what was working. That's the best answer I know for how to develop a tokuiwaza, however, for me it didn't really create the kind of singular powerhouse tokuiwaza that judo is most effective with. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-05-23T13:57:33.793" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2002" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="191" CreationDate="2013-05-25T17:34:42.347" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The earliest document I'm aware of is Ch'i Chi-Kuang's &quot;Essentials of the Classic of Pugilism&quot;.  He studied 16 martial arts and combined them in a 32-step forum for troop training.  A number of martial arts can be traced back to that book.  Douglas Wile in &quot;Tai Chi Ancestors&quot; makes a good case for the book being one of the foundations of Tai Chi Chuan.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="689" LastActivityDate="2013-05-25T17:34:42.347" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2003" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-05-26T19:03:03.810" Score="6" ViewCount="151" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hung_Gar&quot;&gt;Hung Gar&lt;/a&gt; (洪家) has its roots in China. It has spread to many countries, but the curriculum varies from school to school, and the connection to China is of varying quality. In mainland China the style may have been influenced by the development of &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wushu_%28sport%29&quot;&gt;Wushu&lt;/a&gt; after 1949.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Has the style been changed much by standardization through Wushu? Are there still dedicated schools, or is the best option to start studying Wushu?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1146" LastEditorUserId="1146" LastEditDate="2013-05-27T09:03:20.557" LastActivityDate="2013-05-28T17:49:35.997" Title="Hung Gar institutions" Tags="|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2004" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2003" CreationDate="2013-05-28T17:49:35.997" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hung Gar has very little connection to wushu. It is not nearly as flashy, and puts a heavy emphasis on body conditioning and low stances to build a strong fighter, as opposed to wushu, which emphasizes gymnastic ability and flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1153" LastActivityDate="2013-05-28T17:49:35.997" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2005" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="193" CreationDate="2013-05-29T13:27:09.333" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just bought some adjustable 10lbs ankle weights to improve the speed of my legs. Currently i can properly perform the stances, shifts, and misc. kicks and footwork with 7-8lbs on each leg. When i train with the ankle weights i also hold a 10lbs dumbbell weight in each hand, which improves me hand speed. This type of training also helps with the main issue of poor speed in footwork: your core. You don't notice it too much until you hold the weights and try to maneuver while you strike. Your legs might be very fast but if your core isn't strong enough to keep your upper body at the speed of your feet then you lag when you try to strike or use footwork. I'm a Taekwondo first degree and i used to have the exact same problem as you. I'd try to punch one f the blackbelts but i couldn't get passed there legs.&#xA;Only need a month of the weight training and now i usually move to quickly for their legs to stop me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, like i said, practice shadow boxing with adjustable ankle weights and dumbbells. It should take no time flat for you to get really quick.&#xA;In the mean time, a nice little trick is to hold your foot just above their knee as you come in to attack. This is a legal move in sparring as long as you dont kick the knee. As long as your foot is above their knee theyll have a horribly hard time raising their leg to kick and it gives you a few seconds opening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1155" LastActivityDate="2013-05-29T13:27:09.333" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2008" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2014" CreationDate="2013-06-04T07:36:22.533" Score="7" ViewCount="257" Body="&lt;p&gt;My friend was a hard practitioner of Karate, now he is not practicing it for the last one year. His muscles are quickly becoming tighter when doing regular works like carrying little weighted bags, boxes etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this things have any relation with stopping his Martial Arts practice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1031" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2013-06-04T08:40:04.937" LastActivityDate="2013-06-05T20:06:22.803" Title="What are the physical problems for a hard practitioner when he/she suddenly stop his Martial Arts workouts?" Tags="|karate|training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2009" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2011" CreationDate="2013-06-04T10:31:06.587" Score="7" ViewCount="1254" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just joined a karate school. Their style is 'Isshinryu'. While using Google I found  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wikihow.com/Choose-a-Martial-Art&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt;. This is the excerpt from the article:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Recognize your physical limitations. If you are older or not very acrobatic, Wushu(China)  probably isn't for you, but Tai Chi (China) might suit you nicely. Furthermore, recognize  that striking martial arts like Karate or TaeKwonDo may or may not be well-suited for  smaller physiques. The grappling styles of Judo, Aikido, or Jiu-Jutsu, while being close- combat styled martial arts, emphasize technique and leverage and therefore become more readily useful as you progress. Likewise the combative Chinese styles are all about  technique and are less dependent on your being a particular height or weight to succeed&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does it really depend on the stature of your body while opting to learn some form of martial art?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;my height : 5 feet 5 inches&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;weight : 58 kilograms&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1134" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-06-04T11:05:11.953" LastActivityDate="2013-06-24T13:14:57.887" Title="Is learning different forms of martial arts dependent on the size and weight of a person?" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2010" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2008" CreationDate="2013-06-04T13:42:12.247" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;One generally becomes less flexible and of lesser endurance, and loses strength, when stopping a rigorous workout regimen. Reaction times increase as well. If an athlete stops doing the work that makes them an athlete, they will lose the attributes that mark them as an athlete. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is likely that your friend, by not working out or by working out less than he once did, is experiencing a downward slide of his physical capabilities. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-06-04T18:28:43.337" LastActivityDate="2013-06-04T18:28:43.337" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2011" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2009" CreationDate="2013-06-04T14:04:26.153" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The practitioner's body type makes a difference in their experience of a given art, but generally doesn't need to play a significant role in choosing a martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People with long limbs have certain advantages in striking arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Their longer reach makes them better able to execute a long-range striking strategy, and may make one's guard more dangerous. This does not stop short-limbed people from becoming fearsome boxers, karateka, or jiujitsieros. Those advantages also come with certain disadvantages: less leverage in the limbs, potential weakness in the clinch, a relative lack of strength and mass. People who are short and stocky have different advantages and disadvantages in each art. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This does not make them equal! A shorter boxer is absolutely at an objective disadvantage to a taller boxer, all things being equal. But all things need not be equal: the shorter boxer can train harder, have better technique, improve their strength and speed, and end up being the superior fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every art based in fighting has ways for people of a given body type to excel. Performance arts such as wushu or gymnastics might have less leeway, but all types of bodies can find a judo game that works for them. The same goes for taiji and all the rest. Certain body types might have an easier time, but that's not really a good reason to pick one art over another. It would be better to pick a martial art depending on your goals, the amount of sparring a school does, and the efficacy of the instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-06-04T14:04:26.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2012" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1440" CreationDate="2013-06-05T04:39:52.683" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can glue it back together and then cover the end with something hard. Usually it's a piece of leather, but leather doesn't hold up.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;I used run-of-the-mill 2-part epoxy for a while and it would hold up decently before the wire would start to cut deep and it needed a new coat.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;The best I've tried so far is JB Weld, which is a type of epoxy. It's very hard and durable, though eventually it will need a recoat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't notice any impact on the sound from doing this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1163" LastActivityDate="2013-06-05T04:39:52.683" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2013" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-06-05T19:18:48.203" Score="26" ViewCount="6359" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm fairly well acquainted with the history, concepts, goals, and methodology of judo and BJJ. I realize that BJJ evolved from judo, and that both involve takedowns/throws and chokes and joint submissions, and that there is much overlap in the techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's my dilemma--&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I started taking BJJ classes and I'm finding they focus heavily (entirely) on grappling technique. My BJJ place has taught absolutely zero in the manner of takedowns. I asked about this and they gave me a really iffy answer. I haven't seen the more advanced students working on it either. But they do a really good job teaching grappling!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I started taking judo classes on the side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And I've discovered they focus &lt;em&gt;entirely&lt;/em&gt; on throws, with zero mention of grappling technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are both my schools incomplete? Are they potentially sub-par? Or is this common, that BJJ should focus on grappling and judo should focus on throwing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1100" LastEditorUserId="1100" LastEditDate="2018-12-29T00:08:45.547" LastActivityDate="2019-01-07T20:07:45.097" Title="To what extent do (should) judo and BJJ overlap?" Tags="|judo|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2014" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2008" CreationDate="2013-06-05T20:06:22.803" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I get severe problems with my back and joints. For example, I was training rigorously five to six times a week for about five months while preparing for a grading test. Immediately after, I went on a relaxing holiday, where I spent most of the time in stationary position. A week into my holiday, I got serious problems with my back – as in, I couldn't walk or even sit up straight. This has happened before, and now I try to keeping active during my holidays. I get similar problems with my knees and elbows (although this may be related to my hyperflexibility).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've heard other similar stories. If they practice hard for a number of years, and then suddenly stop, their old injuries will come back to haunt them, because the muscles are not there to support any more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Apart from the physical problems, I also experience mental issues. I get very grumpy, tired, demotivated and agitated – it also affects my sleep, like dmckee mentioned. This makes sense, because exercise releases endorphines, which makes you happy and &quot;high&quot;. This is why people who suffer from depressions or stress are often told to exercise more. When you stop exercising, you experience withdrawals, just like with cigarettes or drugs (although in a milder form, of course).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know this is not the &quot;correct&quot; scientifically proven answer, but it is my personal subjective experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="30" LastActivityDate="2013-06-05T20:06:22.803" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2015" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2013" CreationDate="2013-06-05T20:09:52.180" Score="14" Body="&lt;h2&gt;My experiences in judo and BJJ&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The judo club I trained at regularly for several years was about 50/50 between &lt;em&gt;newaza&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;tachiwaza&lt;/em&gt; (groundwork and throws). (Actually, it was more like 43/47/10 with the 10% being kata and standing joint locks.) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My time at other judo schools has showed the ratio to be fairly different: 75/25 in favor of throwing, or even 90/10.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My six months at an MMA-oriented BJJ club involved zero takedowns. Those were covered in judo or wrestling classes. We were allowed to start standing if there was space.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My visits to sport BJJ schools have been about 90% groundwork, 10% throws, with most of the &lt;em&gt;nagewaza&lt;/em&gt; work being fitting in or throw-for-throw, not sparring. Maybe the advanced classes had more throws; I'm only a white belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've heard of BJJ schools that are supposedly 60/40 between groundwork and throws, such as the Ribiero or Camarillo organizations, but I have not experienced that personally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Considerations&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's nothing wrong with any of these approaches. It's all down to your goals and the school's goals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BJJ-for-MMA has little need for judo throws or working gi takedowns, but their wrestling might get a lot of attention. Sport-BJJ views takedowns as optional. Judo can be balanced or it can focus entirely on just surviving groundwork. Judo or BJJ for self-defense might give time to both, plus some work on defending against strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I am generally cautious of an instructor who can only teach &quot;their game&quot;. This means that it would be a negative mark if the school doesn't teach takedowns because the instructor can only win from his back, or if the school doesn't do groundwork because the instructor only knows &lt;em&gt;uchimata&lt;/em&gt;. It's not a disqualifying error, but it's something to take into consideration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;How Things Should Be&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I prefer a more balanced approach, because I want to have at least a portion of my training be relevant to self-defense. Aesthetically I dislike a judoka without a versatile ground game and the jiujitsiero whose only option from standing is to pull or jump guard. Options are good. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best thing in grappling is to throw your opponent devastatingly, pass their guard, mount them, and choke them out from the top. But it's equally great to pull guard against a larger, stronger, better takedown artist, then reverse the position with a quick guard sweep, take their back, and choke them out. The dominant performance should be valued as much as the weaker defeating the stronger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because of the way sport BJJ and sport judo are taught, sometimes the best option is to train both separately. But a BJJ-for-MMA school should be conversant with takedowns, and any school that purports to have general-purpose BJJ or judo should spend at least a tenth or a quarter of their time on groundwork and throws each.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-06-06T15:27:12.497" LastActivityDate="2013-06-06T15:27:12.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2016" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1673" CreationDate="2013-06-05T20:59:17.413" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to echo Reno's answer. We do a &lt;strong&gt;lot&lt;/strong&gt; of body conditioning. Basically we let the partner pummel us with kicks and punches, without defending. After a while, your body and mind are used to being hit. It's no big deal, really.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Naturally, we don't go 100% from day one. With beginners it's just light contact, and then the intensity is built up as they become tougher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When it comes to strikes to the head, it's a bit different ballgame, because you can't conditioning your soft, squishy brain to be hit all the time. However, our method is almost the same. We put some gloves on, and do some light contact boxing. Instead of targeting the fragile parts of the head, like the nose or jaw, we aim for the forehead or side of the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, conditioning is only part one. Part two is actually building up the courage and try to be a more aggressive fighter when you spar in class. This is easier, the more regularly you do sparring. Pick a good match (one that is more skilled than yourself), and put some pressure on. You might be hit more often, but it's no big deal. You might even be hit less frequently, because you leave your opponent less space to attack!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Part three is taking it completely outside the comfort zone. So far you've only been in a controlled environment (dojo/gym) with people you trust. The next step is to fight at a tournament, but only when you feel reasonably &quot;comfortable&quot; with that. It's never really &quot;comfortable&quot;. All fighters are a little bit scared, and that's natural and actually healthy (keeps you focused – it's dangerous to be careless). The hardest and most frightening fight, is your first one. As soon as you've been there a few times, you get used to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sidenote: tournament fighting is not for all. Some people simply don't see the point, and that is fair – however, if this is secretly a dream of yours, you should most definitely pursue it, even if you don't have ambitions to be an elite fighter. Too many martial artists skip tournaments, because they don't believe they are up to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, no matter how courageous and skilled you are, you will one day get hit really hard in the face. It's unavoidable. When that day comes, the important question is how well you handle it. The worst thing you can do is to panic. The best thing you can do (if you are still conscious), is to shrug and settle the score. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be prepared, and good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="30" LastActivityDate="2013-06-05T20:59:17.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2017" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2019" CreationDate="2013-06-06T13:27:39.023" Score="5" ViewCount="3411" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to locate a diagram or other documentation of the Tensho kata. There are some videos available (many of which are very helpful) but I'd like to obtain a printed description of the form if possible. I understand that the fluid motions of the form makes it difficult to capture this in perfection but I'd like to find something that would serve as a mental hint for teaching and for my own ongoing study of the form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Prior Research Examples&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are a few of the sites I've checked as a result of multiple Google searches like &amp;quot;tensho kata diagram&amp;quot;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ggodkarate.com/Documents/SANCHIN%20KATA.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.ggodkarate.com/Documents/SANCHIN%20KATA.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.uchinadi-kan.org/kata/katalist.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.uchinadi-kan.org/kata/katalist.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://ymaa.com/files/B0845SamplePages.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://ymaa.com/files/B0845SamplePages.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.guardiandojo.com/Kyokushin/Katas.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.guardiandojo.com/Kyokushin/Katas.aspx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dragonslist.com/threads/the-rokkishu-tensho-bubishi-connection.165/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.dragonslist.com/threads/the-rokkishu-tensho-bubishi-connection.165/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shorekarate.co.nz/kata/tensho.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.shorekarate.co.nz/kata/tensho.html&lt;/a&gt; (like the footwork diagrams)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also searched MA.SA for &amp;quot;tensho&amp;quot; with no results.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="962" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2014-01-28T19:37:59.513" Title="Diagram of Tensho kata?" Tags="|karate|forms|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2018" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2013" CreationDate="2013-06-06T14:03:12.293" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since both Judo and BJJ are combat sports, their competition rules will heavily dictate what is and what isn't trained. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo discourages training grappling on the ground in their rules by both limiting the time the athletes have on the ground as well as awarding Ippons which effectively end the match before anything can happen on the ground. Thus most Judo Schools focus heavily on the takedown.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other side BJJ discourages throws/takedowns. This is mostly done by declaring the guard a neutral position and not awarding any points for pulled guards. Oftentimes it is very hard to properly judge whether the takedown or the guardpull was initiated first. On top of that it offers an easy way out for anyone who hasn't a strong grasp standing up, as he can simply pull guard or even just sit on his butt and forgo the standup grappling completely. This is why BJJ schools often &quot;forget&quot; about takedowns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if you find a school with the right mindset about it, oftentimes they won't be as competent in the other arts, since they most likely come from a long lineage of BJJ/Judo Instructors who themselves were rather onesided.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fortunately with the surge of MMA it seems that a lot of schools identify with neither and incorporate whatever works in their training. This works especially well if they aren't too proud to cooperate with other Wrestling/Judo/BJJ/Whatever schools, since a specialist will always be better than a Jack Of All Trades. So if you have the opportunity and you are striving to be a &quot;pure&quot; grappler, I would highly encourage you to seek out experts of the various styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have already seen Grappling tournaments which have their own rulesets, less biased in either direction. I hope we will see more of that, as grappling for me is everything that can be described as &quot;No strikes allowed, full contact combat sport&quot;, I don't like rules that try to limit that artificially.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1114" LastActivityDate="2013-06-06T14:03:12.293" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2019" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2017" CreationDate="2013-06-06T19:57:59.847" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kyokushinkan-australia.com/kyokushin-kata.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Kyokushin-kan Australia website&lt;/a&gt; has this &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kyokushinkan-australia.com/uploads/1/8/0/0/18009363/5367939.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;diagram of Tensho&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/x30oV.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="962" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-06-07T17:07:01.397" LastActivityDate="2013-06-07T17:07:01.397" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2020" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2041" CreationDate="2013-06-07T04:02:33.937" Score="15" ViewCount="40881" Body="&lt;p&gt;Junior BJJ belts are different from adult ones. How are they converted when a junior becomes an adult?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So let's say I'm 15 and have Orange belt. When I turn 17 should I start from White again or will I receive a Blue, Purple etc?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/U8hTZ.png&quot; alt=&quot;BJJ belts&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1169" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-28T16:37:48.203" LastActivityDate="2020-01-19T22:40:34.007" Title="Junior BJJ belt conversion when one becomes an adult" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|belt|grading|children|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2021" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-06-08T04:39:45.323" Score="15" ViewCount="20606" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started taking BJJ last month and I gas really quick, especially when we roll at the end of the session. I can roll with two guys, but then I feel really out of breath, and my muscles feel extremely weak. I'm even dizzy. What can I do to increase my endurance? I'm like 5'11&quot; and 185 lbs, and pretty muscular so I don't think it's a strength issue, although my muscles do hurt afterwards. Is it cardio? I'm not eating the right thing beforehand?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit (about 2 months after starting):&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This question is generating a lot of good input. I'd like to give an update that might help anyone that comes across this question. After about 2 months of rolling (4 days a week), and a few private lessons here's what I noticed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.&lt;/strong&gt; As I gained a bit more tools (from classes, and especially private lessons) I exerted less energy when rolling because I was focused more on technique and not trying to muscle out of every situation. BJJ is more like chess than a show of brute strength. It's all about position and leverage, not strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.&lt;/strong&gt; I started taking &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.roletabjj.com/articles-bcaa.php&quot;&gt;BCAAs&lt;/a&gt;. This helped with muscle fatigue a ton.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3.&lt;/strong&gt; Training hard every day really does boost your cardio. I'm gassing a lot less than when I started.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1171" LastEditorUserId="1171" LastEditDate="2013-07-25T22:43:56.820" LastActivityDate="2017-04-14T19:27:59.137" Title="How to build up endurance when rolling?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2022" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2021" CreationDate="2013-06-08T08:35:31.420" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;but then I feel really out of breath&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is normally a cardio problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;and my muscles feel extremely weak&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is normally a glycogen depletion problem (i.e. you've used up your available glycogen supplies).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I'm even dizzy&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can be a sympton of both cardio &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; glycogen shortage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While glycogen shortage can be remedied somewhat by diet and/or supplements, increasing your fitness (aerobically for the cardio, and anaerobically for the glycogen stores) will be of the most help to you - but it will take time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the short term you could consider a supplement to help with the glycogen generation and release (what you choose will depend on what is available in your market). You could also try controlling the exercise somewhat so that you don't exhaust yourself aerobically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said that, the results you are experiencing are good - it shows the workout is pushing you to your limit and this is how you improve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2013-06-09T07:13:34.517" LastActivityDate="2013-06-09T07:13:34.517" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2023" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2021" CreationDate="2013-06-08T15:46:01.103" Score="7" Body="&lt;h2&gt;1. BJJ is Hard&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is perfectly normal that you can't keep up in your first month. Just keep at it. You don't necessarily need to supplement your diet or training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;2. Cardio is Activity-Specific&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Research and experience is fairly conclusive: one's cardio in a given sport does not transfer very well to other sports. Therefore, improving your cardio outside of class--like with running or weight training--will not help you in rolling. (NB: this is not the case with strength, which is best improved through non-sport-specific training.) You just need to roll more frequently, for as long and as hard as you can. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BJJ legend Marcelo Garcia is clear in &lt;a href=&quot;http://davetrains.tumblr.com/post/35229606635/marcelo-has-something-to-say-alright-lets&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;his advice&lt;/a&gt; for improving rolling cardio: push yourself, roll harder, train more often:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;If I want all my improvement in [jiujitsu], I don’t want to be improving my running, swimming, I only want to be improving upon jiu-jitsu. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;This is the way I figured out: put in as much energy as I have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Possible Issues&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're training only once or twice a week, improvements will be very slow. If you're not eating enough, improvements will be very slow. If you're not sleeping enough, improvements will be very slow. If you're tiring yourself out with a ton of other training, improvements will be very slow. You haven't told us about your schedule, diet, sleep, or other training, so analyzing those elements is up to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most likely, you just need another month or five of training before you don't feel totally gassed in every class. That's fine. Drink plenty of water, minimize booze and foods that disagree with you, get plenty of sleep, and train a lot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2017-04-14T19:27:59.137" LastActivityDate="2017-04-14T19:27:59.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2024" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2017" CreationDate="2013-06-08T16:13:07.200" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;After having done a little research on Tensho, I'm fairly certain that anything printed will not be useful without a massive amount of knowledge.&#xA;To that end, I'd rather point you towards &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiIv3zDJc-I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Higaonna-sensei's performance of Tensho&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, this video about a two-person drill on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34e77CtQjVc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Tensho&lt;/a&gt; is rather informative as far as what kind of energy/direction you are looking for in the Tensho movements. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This might be helpful in creating notes for teaching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-06-08T16:48:48.853" LastActivityDate="2013-06-08T16:48:48.853" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2025" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2021" CreationDate="2013-06-08T21:44:20.830" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was exactly the same way.  Slowly your body adjusts,  a lot is about muscle memory and learning to relax.  When you first start, you tend to carry a lot of tension.  When drilling, new people tend to be really stiff which wears them down, not so much cardio, but just muscle fatigue.  Its just hard to maintain that kind of tension for entire training lessons.  Eventually your body learns how to move better and it isn't so draining.  During rolling its the same thing when you have to think your way through all the moves, when it doesn't quite work, rather than compensating with technique, you tend to use more muscle, so you tend to carry a lot of tension through rolls, as it slowly turns into muscle memory, it gets a lot more fluid and efficient, and then you also start learning to relax.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think I'm that much fitter than when I started bjj, but I don't gas anywhere near as much as I used to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2013-06-08T21:44:20.830" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2026" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2021" CreationDate="2013-06-09T18:16:44.010" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Make sure you are breathing. Irregular breathing or holding one's breath (especially during rolls) is very common among beginners. If you're not sure how to be breathing for a given exercise, ask a senior student or the instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="682" LastActivityDate="2013-06-09T18:16:44.010" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2027" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2029" CreationDate="2013-06-17T02:42:37.287" Score="5" ViewCount="378" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been doing MMA for about 7 weeks and have generally only been using a rear naked choke for a submission and a triangle leg lock. What are other easy to do submissions that are effective and relatively low risk?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1168" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-06-17T07:47:54.517" LastActivityDate="2013-06-28T00:52:01.807" Title="What choke holds or submissions are safe enough for a beginner to practice?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|chokes|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2028" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2030" CreationDate="2013-06-17T12:08:54.213" Score="3" ViewCount="9275" Body="&lt;p&gt;For a lot of techniques, such as punches, kicks or even blocks in Karate or other arts you need to use your hip to generate force. I have come to realise, that I cannot generate enough power with my hip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do I train for that? What muscles do I have to train? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1019" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-06-17T14:58:38.457" LastActivityDate="2013-08-19T11:29:30.350" Title="What exercises help with explosive hip rotation" Tags="|kicking|punching|strength|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2029" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2027" CreationDate="2013-06-17T13:45:42.430" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are lots of other chokes applicable to MMA, but for now I'd focus your attentions on the two you've been taught. They are high-percentage techniques that you should be proficient in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you'd like to gain understanding of other possible techniques, keep in mind that you shouldn't try to learn techniques from books or over the internet. Just watch some MMA matches. If you want to understand submissions in MMA, I recommend watching Big Nog's fights from PRIDE, or early fights from Jake Shields or Royce Gracie, or any MMA matches from Roger Gracie, Rickson Gracie, Jacare, or Demian Maia. For the triangle choke in particular, Anderson Silva versus Chael Sonnen 1 is a great demonstration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But to answer your question directly: there's the arm triangle and guillotine, but those are easier for a new student to do poorly than a triangle or rear naked choke. I'd focus on the two you already know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-06-17T13:45:42.430" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2030" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2028" CreationDate="2013-06-17T13:50:42.040" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You might have sleepy glutes. It's tough to say what's wrong or what will help without seeing the specific problem. But if your job is sedentary and you don't lift, I bet you have sleepy glutes and a weak back and legs, and fixing those would help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're not squatting and deadlifting, you need to start. Corrective exercises for posture, such as yoga, might be necessary as well. Once you've proven to yourself that you have a basic level of strength and flexibility, the Olympic lifts are the best way to develop explosive hip power. Power cleans and power snatches (the latter of which require a significant degree of upper-body strength and flexibility as well) are probably the best bet once it's safe to do them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are already squatting, deadlifting, and doing Olympic lifts, then I'd look into rotational exercises as a supplement. But until you can deadlift double your bodyweight and power clean your bodyweight for reps, I'd hold off on rotational work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-06-21T04:32:02.137" LastActivityDate="2013-06-21T04:32:02.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2031" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1165" CreationDate="2013-06-17T15:19:09.327" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I produce affordable cutting targets from beach mats, with a center of foam pipe insulation so that my mats fit easily over cutting stand pegs, no pounding in those sharpened stakes. My estimated cost is $4.50 each plus Ground shipping. Can send photos if desired.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Danno in Michigan&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How it is made&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0vgb4.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How it looks on my Midwest cutting stand&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ncDvH.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1180" LastEditorUserId="1180" LastEditDate="2013-06-18T00:53:23.783" LastActivityDate="2013-06-18T00:53:23.783" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2032" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2009" CreationDate="2013-06-18T05:58:59.667" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will throw out a few things to consider.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, if you find a style that uses a wide range of techniques it is easier to hone in on the ones that fit your body type the best. For example, boxing is about the hands, while Tae Kwon Do is about hands and feet, some would say mostly feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, as Dave says, if you have short arms, punching might get you in to trouble. But being shorter can actually help in a style that does a lot of throwing. Also, you might find that a style with a lot of ground fighting can equal out size, although not necessarily strength. Throwing is very dependent on getting your center of gravity under your opponent, something that is just physically easier if you are shorter than them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course there are limits to this. An 8 year old isn't going to throw Andre the Giant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my advice is to find a style, like JanMuWon Hapkido, that has a range of techniques, including punching, kicking, twisting and throwing which at a minimum will allow you to find your strength. If you discover that you really want to focus on one of those broad areas, you could always move to a more specialized style. I don't know enough about Isshinryu to comment, but I would suggest that if it is your first style, you keep your question in mind and really decide if that style is a good fit for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1182" LastEditorUserId="1182" LastEditDate="2013-06-19T02:47:42.900" LastActivityDate="2013-06-19T02:47:42.900" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2033" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2028" CreationDate="2013-06-18T06:01:20.223" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You might also try Pilates. Pilates can be expensive but a few private sessions might really focus on your problems and possible exercises to solve them. Or, if you take a mat class and focus on hip exercises you should be able to take a few home that will help. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1182" LastActivityDate="2013-06-18T06:01:20.223" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2034" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2059" CreationDate="2013-06-18T10:14:01.620" Score="4" ViewCount="7960" Body="&lt;p&gt;What fighting style does the character 'Jason Bourne' played by Matt Damon in the 'Bourne Series' use? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user1082" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2013-06-18T23:58:11.543" LastActivityDate="2013-09-19T15:24:02.637" Title="What is Jason Bourne's fighting style called" Tags="|technique|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2035" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2021" CreationDate="2013-06-18T11:28:17.810" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. Relax&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just try to Relax. Sparring isn't a fight for life or death. It isn't even a competition. It should be a playful way to work on your grappling. Even if you go hard you should still be relaxed, a tense body just doesn't move that well. This takes some time, but you will get used to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. Grapple&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best way to build grappling conditioning is to grapple. It has the nice side effect of also improving your grappling technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3. Never skip a roll&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Never sit out because you are tired. This is when the real training begins. Use your technique, breathe, relax, hang in there. These are the most valuable rolling sessions there are. Once you get used to it, you can even start to push the pace.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1114" LastActivityDate="2013-06-18T11:28:17.810" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2036" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="803" CreationDate="2013-06-20T08:46:01.557" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;To clarify a couple of points in other answers:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Weight&lt;/strong&gt;: lighter bokken feel rather different to a katana. As already noted, you can do techniques with a kendo shinai that are not possible with a katana unless you are Conan the Barbarian! This is due to the light weight of the shinai vs a katana. A heavier bokken will be closer to the weight of a katana and thus there is less change when switching between them. So it depends on what your training goals are. In some cases, it is useful to practice with a lighter weight weapon to increase sensitivity. There are also very heavy wooden weapons to train strength and other aspects of the body (heading in the direction of kettle bell type training).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Resistance to contact&lt;/strong&gt;: in some schools such as &lt;em&gt;Kashima Shinryu&lt;/em&gt;, some of the kata use a bokken to strike a bokken. To avoid constant breaking of weapons, the bokken are thus both reasonably heavy and also straight - no curve. So it's horses for courses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1187" LastActivityDate="2013-06-20T08:46:01.557" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2037" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1009" CreationDate="2013-06-20T23:43:58.007" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;When you are well-rooted in Tai Chi you not only have good balance but your joints are unlocked and muscles relaxed. This gives the illusion that you are literally &quot;rooted to the ground&quot; because of the ability to absorb energy into the legs without moving of the feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A simple and visible uprooting is when someone is knocked off their feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A slightly more subtle uprooting is when they have to move their feet to respond to an attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The ultimate in uprooting subtlety is when they have not yet had to move their feet but they have lost that softness in their body - they are like a tree not yet removed from the earth but no longer anchored, as if all the soil around its roots had been taken away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="179" LastActivityDate="2013-06-20T23:43:58.007" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2038" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2028" CreationDate="2013-06-20T23:55:14.653" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A good start is to sit on a Swiss ball and move around on it much of the day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will build up your core muscles, the fine muscles in your hips and, most importantly, loosen things up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Explosive power also comes from removing opposition. Seriously, you probably have many times the power you think you have but can't apply it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of our advanced exercises is to just stand for many minutes and consciously relax the pelvis and lower back. If you find this difficult, start practicing the relaxation lying down on a soft surface or, even better, in a pool. It is very important, however, to learn to relax this area whilst standing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is vital when training for explosive power to only hit a resistance - a pad or bag. Kicking or punching into mid-air will undo all the reprogramming you have done to remove the opposition. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next work on being able to relax your hips through all the angles of the kick - stand with your leg out on a pile of cushions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For punching, imagine you are doing Tai Chi and try to soften your legs as much as possible. Slow it right down and note points where you can observe tension.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sit in deeper stances and do your rotation in a relaxed manner and you will find all the strength development you need, but it won't work if you haven't trained your nervous system to relax.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="179" LastActivityDate="2013-06-20T23:55:14.653" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2039" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2028" CreationDate="2013-06-21T13:49:08.290" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Actually there is a machine designed to increase hip rotation. It's call the Somax Power Hip Trainer. You can see videos of karate students increasing their punch and kick speed 10 mph after just their first workout on the machine. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.swing-speed.com/karate.php&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.swing-speed.com/karate.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can buy the machine online and set it up at home or in your dojo. It's pretty compact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem with squats and dead lifts is that you are not working the rotation muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1193" LastActivityDate="2013-06-21T13:49:08.290" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2040" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2013-06-22T06:47:20.220" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun and Tai Chi, as you get older learning use of the cane and depending where you live yoga for physical fitness and a concealed carry permit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1195" LastActivityDate="2013-06-22T06:47:20.220" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2041" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2020" CreationDate="2013-06-22T08:43:52.020" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no official method since every school has different rules. However, it is quite standard to convert all the belts from the yellow up to a blue belt. This is because there is normally no sense in letting these former under-16 people fight against white belts. On the other side, if they are much better than a blue belt they will prove it quickly during competitions and they will then be rewarded with the purple belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1183" LastActivityDate="2013-06-22T08:43:52.020" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2042" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2009" CreationDate="2013-06-23T08:48:32.030" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not at all, some of the best martial artists i have seen with judo have been very short.&#xA;I have seen short people from china who are better boxers than my 6 foot tall friends who do boxing. also real tai chi is harder than wushu in terms at acrobatics, so who wrote that article seems badly informed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For my wing chun class some of the younger students who are only just above 5 foot are better than some taller people.&#xA;I used to do karate in school and i was very short, i never fell behind because of this&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I say nobody is good when they start, but the things that matter like strength and flexibility come through training, your height may be a disadvantage at the very start but dedicated training will quickly overcome this &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1198" LastActivityDate="2013-06-23T08:48:32.030" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2043" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2028" CreationDate="2013-06-23T09:00:34.827" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kick a heavy bag?&#xA;do simple turning kicks at knee height, chest height and (when you can) head height on a heavy punch bag.&#xA;Over time your flexibility will increase along with your power.&#xA;If your hip movement is currently weak, you should find your strength increases quickly.&#xA;I recommend leg raises and plank exercise (google them) as this will work your lower back abs.&#xA;Front kicks and snap kicks you have to lift your leg fast (abs) and you need the back strength for good turning kicks (weak back could result in high recoil on you kicks and possible spinal damage).&#xA;Mostly though, go crazy on a heavy bag with kicks regularly.&#xA;Make sure you research and practice some hip stretches as well, it hard to get strength if you are inflexible&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1198" LastActivityDate="2013-06-23T09:00:34.827" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2044" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1934" CreationDate="2013-06-23T23:49:25.330" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Likely this is a jab after a turn. To describe...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stand in your fighting stance, swing your back foot directly in front of your other foot 「keep your foot close to the ground as you do this」 and twist your body around to be side on. You will do the jab with your back hand, not your front hand like a usual jab.&#xA;So if you are punching with your right hand, you have gone from facing forward to facing left, then just jab. Here you will be jabbing to your side instead of forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't throw the punch until your foot lands or you wont get the extra power. This movement would only be of use after a previous front jab, or when your foot lands after a snap kick. This kind of punch i would normally follow with a back kick or outer-crescent kick 「with my back foot」&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When i say do the punch with your back hand, i do not mean throw a cross instead of a jab. The arm movement is exactly the same as a front jab.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1198" LastActivityDate="2013-06-23T23:49:25.330" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2045" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="432" CreationDate="2013-06-24T00:09:57.783" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes push ups are good depending on the push up.&#xA;The two i find to work are handstand pushups and pushups on your knuckles, with your hands by your hips instead of shoulders.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you can manage to rapidly do a set of handstand pushups, you will have the shoulder strength to take someone of their feet with a cross or uppercut.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some explosive knuckle pushups will make your jabs better. Many fighters can put power into their slow heavy punches but a lot of them have no power in their jab. If you can jab as hard as someone can cross, you win as a jab is so much faster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note for knuckle pushups, start with your fists at position for a normal pushup and slowly work them down until you can do it with thumbs brushing against your hips.&#xA;For handstand pushups, do handstands against a wall with slightly bent arms until you can stay their for about 5 minutes. Then start doing pushups.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This routine every morning and night has done as much for me as a solid hour a day punching a heavy bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1198" LastActivityDate="2013-06-24T00:09:57.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2046" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1649" CreationDate="2013-06-24T00:30:39.527" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;We usually call this Sun Fist Punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically it comes down to efficiency. While it is rare to find someone proficient at jabbing&#xA;and vertical punching, but someone who is good at both will always have a faster vertical punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why it is efficient?&#xA;The fact that you are relaxed and only tense your arms muscles at short intervals means you can go a lot longer without noticing any fatigue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also with universal style punches, a lot of the force from the punch can go back into your shoulder, causing your back muscles to tire our, and out through the back of your shoulder. With a sun fist punch all the striking force and recoil is kept on your centerline and if you have a strong stance, this goes into your opponent. So unlike a jab, all of the energy you put into the punch will hit your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also important is the flick of the wrist at the end of the punch 「which a lot of people do not know about」 the difference in a rams head punch 「the standard punching style」 and a sun fist punch is like the difference between a solid bullet and a hollow point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With a rams head punch, you hit with the palm knuckles of your index finger and middle finger, this is sharp and the force shoots through your opponent. The sun fist punch hits with the palm and middle knuckles on your middle, ring and little fingers. This is more like a flat surface, transferring more force into the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The flick of the wrist i mentioned is where as you make contact with the punch, you bend your fist up so instead of pointing at 0 degrees, your fist points 10 or so degrees above horizontal. The purpose of this is to direct the shock diagonally, meaning the kinetic energy will travel through more flesh before dissipating into the air.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally prefer sun fist punch as wing chun is my main style, but you can never get nearly as much power as you would in a full range hook, cross or any other heavy punch that is chambered and then launched.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for deciding which one to use, pick one and stick with it. Mixing a rams head punch  with a sun fist is a horrible idea. Do not do it in a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1198" LastActivityDate="2013-06-24T00:30:39.527" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2047" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2009" CreationDate="2013-06-24T13:14:57.887" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can say from experience that your physique is probably the most important consideration when wanting to learn a martial art. For instance, I have fairly big legs, which makes my kicks hard, but slow, yet I was a Taekwondo-ka for many years. I was reasonably successful, even earning national colours, but I simply could not compete at international level because the emphasis is on speed and reach. I knocked the wind out of my opponents on frequent occasions, but in the end they would win on points because I simply couldn't match their speed and reach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mind you, your BMI suggests that you won't have the same problem I had. I am 2&quot; taller than you, but weighed 85kg when I was at my peak. Something like Isshinryu should be well-suited to your physique. Just focus on developing your fast-twitch muscles and do some strength training too. The build you're looking for is &quot;olympic sprinter&quot; or &quot;gymnast&quot;, rather than &quot;body builder&quot; or &quot;marathon runner&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-06-24T13:14:57.887" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2048" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2028" CreationDate="2013-06-24T13:17:59.587" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Strike a punching bag. Also, do a regiment of core-strengthening exercises and stretches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Striking a punching bag will remove the hesitation one has when performing power kicks in empty space. You don't worry so much about hurting your knee during a snap or losing balance during a thrust or follow-through kick. It also naturally encourages you to apply more power by applying hip rotation. It's just a natural feeling. Stretching and strengthening your core muscles improve your balance and obviously the very muscles needed for increased power. Increased flexibility allows for a larger range of motion, which in turn &quot;makes the slingshot longer&quot; ;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2013-06-25T07:07:58.037" LastActivityDate="2013-06-25T07:07:58.037" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2049" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1934" CreationDate="2013-06-24T14:41:12.433" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think that what the instructor called a &quot;heavy jab&quot;, was nothing else but a straight punch or cross.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-06-24T14:41:12.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2050" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2013-06-24T14:44:13.367" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boxing should be kind to your knees. Although you'd be hard-pressed to find a grappling style that was gentle on your joints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-06-24T14:44:13.367" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2051" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="656" CreationDate="2013-06-24T16:54:57.503" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most schools that teach Krav Maga charge those prices for various reasons. I'm about to get certified to teach at the school I go to. The school I belong to charges $35 per week. But they offer more than just Krav Maga (BJJ, Kali, Kick Boxing, Cage Fitness, and Karate) which you can take all of them for that price. I myself only teach. Krav Maga because that is what is going to benefit me in my current job and get me home safe to my family .  One reason schools charge so much is because Krav Maga is so easy to learn and retain, you advance so quickly that these schools need to teach other martial arts to stay in business. My suggestion is to look for a Krav Maga school with good instructors. The school should post on their web sites their instructor's background in Krav Maga. For example how long they've trained and what level they are trained at. The reputation of the school is another thing to look at. You can learn Krav Maga from other sources such as books and DVDs. You can pick up techniques off Youtube also. But its best to at least train under a qualified instructor for your first year.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1201" LastEditorUserId="10814" LastEditDate="2020-06-11T01:30:15.207" LastActivityDate="2020-06-11T01:30:15.207" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2053" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1963" CreationDate="2013-06-25T11:25:13.163" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For straight punches, i had my friend hold a pad and move it about. First circle it then move randomly, but smoothly and not too fast. This better trains your mind to continuously correct punch trajectory before the target is hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Distance is important, if you are too close it is harder to determine the impact point, and if too far you go past the optimal contact point and is harder to control where you connect with your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1198" LastActivityDate="2013-06-25T11:25:13.163" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2054" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1963" CreationDate="2013-06-26T07:10:58.143" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You improve punching precision in the same way you improve driving precision or your precision with a tennis racket or baseball bat: you learn to stop aiming for your opponent's head in general, and start aiming for the tip of his nose or chin (if allowed of course). You need to simply learn to attack with deliberate calmness and focus. Don't just aim for the side of the head, aim for the temple or ear, or back of the jaw, as your needs require. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short: the smaller your target, the greater your precision.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2013-07-06T19:22:36.103" LastActivityDate="2013-07-06T19:22:36.103" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2055" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1260" CreationDate="2013-06-26T14:33:43.717" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is not possible for one athelete to perform in two different weight categories in the same tournement, for the simple reason that weight categories don't overlap and there no longer is an &amp;quot;open&amp;quot; category.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A current list of weight categories is &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo#Weight_divisions&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;listed on wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;, and the same information is mentioned in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.intjudo.eu/upload/2013_02/18/136118164333262641/sor_final.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a document on the IJF website&lt;/a&gt;. To quote the 2013 IJF rules, page 13:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;8.5 Competitors may only be entered in the weight category to which they belong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;8.6 A competitor may not be entered in more than one weight category except for the&#xA;Senior Men and Women World Championships in which he can be entered also in open&#xA;category.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, on page 24:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The competitor shall weigh-in wearing only underclothing, under the supervision of a&#xA;weigh-in official; the competitor may be requested to remove his underclothing to ensure&#xA;he reaches the minimum weight limit of the weight category in which he is entered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On page 73, in discussing team competition, it is noted that judoka may not compete willy-nilly in any division above their own:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each competitor is entitled to fight in his own weight category or in the next higher category.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The strongest evidence is on page 10, where the weight categories are described explicitly in terms of maximums &lt;em&gt;and minimums&lt;/em&gt;. For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Middle weight - over 63 kg up to and including 70 kg&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1203" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-06-26T15:52:41.527" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2056" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-06-26T16:01:55.730" Score="8" ViewCount="1522" Body="&lt;p&gt;For some time, I've trained Modern Arnis (an Escrima Variant) and enjoyed this greatly, especially the fact that one learns to handle diverse weapons - sticks, machetes, knives, ball pens, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm thinking of starting Arnis again, but I'm open to other systems that also offer me the physical and intellectual challenge of handling vastly different weapons. I believe there are many well-rounded systems (and many scams and lots of BS too) and different valid approaches; I don't have a problem with challenging my beliefs and feelings by learning techniques from different traditions than Arnis. I don't have specific self-defense needs, but I do want to learn techniques that make sense and are realistic in their context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, what are good arts for me?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1204" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-28T11:31:44.103" LastActivityDate="2016-04-28T11:31:44.103" Title="What martial art should I try if I want to train with a wide variety of weapons?" Tags="|weapons|recommendation|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2057" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2058" CreationDate="2013-06-27T06:06:15.150" Score="12" ViewCount="18447" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is &quot;Qi power&quot;? Has it been scientifically investigated? How can we achieve this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1205" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2014-12-05T10:43:16.990" LastActivityDate="2016-01-15T00:46:55.783" Title="What is Qi power and has it been proven to exist scientifically?" Tags="|qi|" AnswerCount="13" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2058" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2057" CreationDate="2013-06-27T07:20:22.430" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is the idea that you can physically use spirit energy. If you've ever watched Bleach (you should if you haven't. It's awesome), you'll hear them referring to it as reiatsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's totally a myth of course. What old school practitioners of martial arts understood as spirit energy is actually just good old physics and/or body mechanics. When &quot;building up qi&quot;, all you're really doing is relaxing your muscles which means there is more &quot;snap&quot; in your technique. Or when you &quot;use qi to root yourself into the ground&quot;, all you're really doing is acting like dead weight. If you've ever tried to pick up a friend when his muscles are tense and again when his muscles are limp (dead weight), you'll understand the difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can improve your &quot;qi&quot; by increasing your fast-twitch muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Study on acupuncture: &lt;a href=&quot;http://consensus.nih.gov/1997/1997Acupuncture107html.htm&quot;&gt;http://consensus.nih.gov/1997/1997Acupuncture107html.htm&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;There's also this hilarious fight between what seems to be an MMA fighter and a chi master: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djUKqxGWj_Y&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djUKqxGWj_Y&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2013-06-28T11:45:46.847" LastActivityDate="2013-06-28T11:45:46.847" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2059" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2034" CreationDate="2013-06-27T08:56:24.297" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Believe it or not, you're actually seeing Jeet Kune Do (which was adapted to look more visually spectacular). Jeff Imada, who was the chief choreographer for the films studied JKD with no-one other than Brandon Lee. The knife techniques are actually his own. He spent a long time developing techniques with the butterfly knife and even published two books on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I should probably clarify: Jeff Imada and Brandon Lee both studied under Dan Inosanto, as opposed to Brandon being Jeff's teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2013-07-01T07:01:20.890" LastActivityDate="2013-07-01T07:01:20.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2061" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1521" CreationDate="2013-06-27T09:07:33.683" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The short answer is yes. The very point of the sport is to do damage to your opponent. That being said, the chances of you actually breaking something (apart from your nose) is pretty rare. The only particularly dangerous thing that can happen to you in boxing or kickboxing is a concussion, which can and probably will cause scarring of the brain and make you &quot;punch drunk&quot; after a few years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So yes, boxing and kickboxing is pretty dangerous, but the types of serious injury is limited to your brain unless you're very unlucky.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-06-27T09:07:33.683" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2062" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1983" CreationDate="2013-06-27T10:51:06.727" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've only started practicing Payattu*, and the students did try to convince me that such a technique exists. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course there is no way laws of physics can be bent in such a manner, this technique is a myth. I did try to find out where these stories came from. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First you have to understand that Payattu is thousands of years old (9th century CE). This martial art was suppressed when India was taken over by the British. But before then, mysticism was rampant. A lot of Payattu's principles were taken from &lt;a href=&quot;http://arganesh3.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/breath-prana-and-pranayama/&quot;&gt;ancient literature&lt;/a&gt; apparently handed down by 'gods'. These texts have also been used as a basis for other sciences like Ayurveda (medicine), yoga, mythology, dance, art and astrology.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In fact even now every Kalari has a shrine or two dedicated to gods and goddesses. Paying your respects to them before and after practice is a must. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ullanatfamily.com/glossery.html&quot;&gt;close ties to astrology&lt;/a&gt; and this martial art. (In ancient times the caste that was allowed to practice this art also dabbled in astrology). In fact this technique in question is not really a fighting technique. It is a technique of an astrologer/mystic who manages to change the 'intention' of the person whom s/he wants to influence just by looking at him or her. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Back then this also may have also a means of getting more students by claiming to have such super human abilities. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make no mistake that this is an excellent martial art and the more I learn about it, the more I love it. The attention to detail and the science involved in fighting is much more evolved compared to other martial art disciplines. But there is a leftover relics of a bygone era like casteism, astrology and magic. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;* Kalari literally means 'dojo'. Payattu is the actual martial art. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="108" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2013-10-04T23:25:27.090" LastActivityDate="2013-10-04T23:25:27.090" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2063" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2056" CreationDate="2013-06-27T16:12:17.043" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;My kung fu class teaches: staff[6foot or 13foot], fan, straight sword, broadsword, butterfly swords, spear and, once our teacher has finished learning, 3 section staff. It depends on teacher rather than style. My teacher was in china for very long time so has learned a lot of weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kung fu can train in a lot of weapons. Japanese weapon arts usually focus specifically on one or two weapons and street combat classes give you some experience but do not make you proficient with any weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want a large variety i recommend kung fu but you may hard difficult finding experienced enough teacher or one that allows sparring with weapons instead of only learning forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1198" LastActivityDate="2013-06-27T16:12:17.043" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2064" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="466" CreationDate="2013-06-27T21:49:57.673" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;You say you are young.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are still in middle or high school you should join the wrestling team. &#xA;This will be &lt;strong&gt;free&lt;/strong&gt; daily training, and you will have bi weekly competitions if not more often. So Once you can fight MMA legally (18 usually) you will have already had 100 or so competitions, which is a huge advantage when it comes to the adrenaline dump of competition. Wrestling will teach you effective takedowns, which are useful in submission grappling/bjj/MMA as well, and often under taught. Being good at the takedown will let you decide to either strike with your opponent or take him down. You will also be used to incredible conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can always start training boxing or bjj on the side, but I suggest while in school, at least wrestle. Its free, its proven.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source; MMA fighter. Wished I had wrestling in high school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2013-06-27T21:49:57.673" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2065" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2027" CreationDate="2013-06-28T00:52:01.807" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Learn submission grappling from an instructor, not from the internet. You say you've been training for 7 weeks. If you are training at a school, just keep going, you will learn more and more chokes. Maybe with the time you have free to practice at home, you can go to the gym extra and practice there? Text and video is not enough when it comes to grappling; you need the proper feeling as well. When trying some move out from the internet, you will always have questions about some little detail,  how to get things right. Without an instructor or someone more experienced to show you, you will not learn anything properly and will end up crappling instead of grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, what I am saying is, you need an instructor to teach you how.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2013-06-28T00:52:01.807" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2066" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2021" CreationDate="2013-06-28T00:56:37.360" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You just started. You use a lot of energy for a lot of inefficient movements. Until these movements become second nature to you, they will drain too much energy. The more experienced you get, you will learn to make the right movement at the right time, and thus be much more efficient with your available energy. What I am saying is, your bridge is not as efficient as the bridge of a purple belt. Same thing with your shrimp. And now add to it that you're likely defending the entire match since you just started, so you're probably constantly freaking out as to which of these aliens moves you have to perform as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, Cardio is specific to the activity. BJJ Cardio barely translated to wrestling cardio which is not the same as boxing cardio, nor is it the same as MMA Cardio. The way to improve BJJ cardio is to do BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, do more BJJ so you are more efficient at it.&#xA;And do more BJJ to build better BJJ cardio.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2013-06-28T00:56:37.360" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2067" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1983" CreationDate="2013-06-28T07:46:06.927" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;See this question: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2057/what-is-qi-power-and-has-it-been-proven-to-exist-scientifically&quot;&gt;What is Qi power and has it been proven to exist scientifically?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, these &quot;pressure points of spiritual energy&quot; are places on your body where important blood vessels and/or nerve clusters exist. E.g. punching someone below the ear and behind the jaw will hurt like a mother and possibly make him pass out. This is simply because you interrupted important signals traveling to-and-from the brain. You are basically causing static interference like when you use a power drill close to a television. It's not so much spiritual as it is bio-electrical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-06-28T07:46:06.927" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2068" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2077" CreationDate="2013-06-28T09:18:32.707" Score="6" ViewCount="796" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just started a jeet kune do classes a month ago, during the sparring parts I find it very hard to close the gap against people who have been doing this for much longer but I cannot understand (yet) how I can close the gap for going through their guard. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1208" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2013-06-28T10:40:30.500" LastActivityDate="2018-08-10T11:55:59.327" Title="What are the common techniques to close the gap in jeet kune do?" Tags="|jeet-kune-do|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2069" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2068" CreationDate="2013-06-28T10:49:35.353" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;A fake jumping kick works wonders. I am by no means a JKD expert, but I've found that faking a flying kick works well. Both in JKD and in Taekwondo. The idea is to sucker your opponent into counter-attacking, and then intercepting the counter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-06-28T10:49:35.353" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2070" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2068" CreationDate="2013-06-28T14:10:15.273" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't study JKD, but in other arts I've found that going from the outside (kicking or long punching range) to the clinch (wrestling or dirty boxing range) can be done with a front-leg kick or a jab that the opponent is not expecting to be followed up by a crash in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-06-28T14:10:15.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2071" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2057" CreationDate="2013-06-28T14:42:35.427" Score="22" Body="&lt;h2&gt;What do we mean when we say &lt;em&gt;Qi&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not possible to scientifically study &lt;em&gt;Qi&lt;/em&gt; until people agree on what it is. If it's good body mechanics, then that's perfectly reasonable. Nobody would argue that some people use their body well and can punch hard because they know how to relax and efficiently use their muscles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if &lt;em&gt;Qi&lt;/em&gt; is supposed to be something supernatural, then it very quickly becomes absurd. People claim &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z0_n7tGnK0&quot;&gt;they can perform no-touch knockouts&lt;/a&gt; with &lt;em&gt;Qi&lt;/em&gt;, but they always &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6XldR7pCFI&quot;&gt;fail when asked to do it on someone who is not their student&lt;/a&gt;. That tells us that their students are playing along--usually due to unconscious social pressure. Note that in that video, Dillman says that &lt;em&gt;Qi&lt;/em&gt; is a radio wave. If it's a radio wave, then we can test that, study it, see if it's present, and examine where it comes from. In fact &lt;em&gt;Qi&lt;/em&gt; is not a radio wave--Dillman is just making up BS.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;em&gt;Qi&lt;/em&gt; debunked--over and over and over&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Proponents of &lt;em&gt;Qi&lt;/em&gt; will always find a way to keep believing, despite every instance of &lt;em&gt;Qi&lt;/em&gt; being shown to be bunk. Skeptical people keep testing claims of &lt;em&gt;Qi&lt;/em&gt; and keep finding them to be plainly false. Over and over, whenever we scientifically examine &lt;em&gt;Qi&lt;/em&gt;, it turns out to be a &lt;a href=&quot;http://strikingthoughts.wordpress.com/2007/12/31/chi-debunked/&quot;&gt;parlor&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rationalskepticism.org/general-debunking/qi-gong-test-on-fight-science-t26494.html&quot;&gt;trick&lt;/a&gt;. Scientists aren't interested in claims so vague that we don't even know what &lt;em&gt;Qi&lt;/em&gt; is or what it does. To scientifically study it, first decide what you're trying to prove:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;That people get knocked out sometimes when you punch them hard in the right place?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;That some people hit harder than others?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;That we breathe and our blood circulates?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;That some fat old guy can knock people out without touching them?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Qi is similar to the medieval idea of &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_medicine_of_Western_Europe#Humours&quot;&gt;humours&lt;/a&gt;, or astrology. They are both clumsy attempts to describe very real phenomena (people getting sick, people getting knocked out with a punch to the neck) with naive and ultimately incorrect frameworks. It turns out that the planets don't even move the way that astrology describes, and that phlegmatic humours were just a shot in the dark that turned out to be wrong, and that &lt;em&gt;Qi&lt;/em&gt; was just a way to vaguely describe medical and martial phenomena that people didn't understand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;The word &quot;Energy&quot;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's perfectly reasonable to talk about &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.straightblastgym.com/aliveness101.html&quot;&gt;energy in the context of martial arts&lt;/a&gt;. Wrestlers and mixed martial artists use it to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-24623.html&quot;&gt;simply mean &quot;resistance&quot;&lt;/a&gt; or &quot;oomph&quot;. It's silly to think that the word is anything more than a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=29360&quot;&gt;metaphor or out-of-context hand-waving&lt;/a&gt;. It doesn't mean anything like what scientists mean when they talk about electrical energy. It's silly to claim that the word relates to any specific, tangible, yet mystical force. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-12-13T14:29:12.717" LastActivityDate="2013-12-13T14:29:12.717" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2072" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2057" CreationDate="2013-06-30T00:50:15.210" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think the main thing Qi does is subconsciously boost your own willpower. This may be simplified, but it works like a placebo. If someone believes they have an increased energy about them that will allow them to defeat their opponent, their thought goes less into fear and doubt, more into trusting their body and their knowledge/technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When training at home, i find that my spiritual excersises from tai chi have absolutely no effect on my performance. At first i relied on these techniques before training, but now i know the precise way to use each muscle and joint, i do not waste my time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being that most people seem to be incredibly biased on the subject, i doubt there is any credible scientific work into the subject. As for 'How can we achive this?', have no doubt in your technique and train for a lifetime. Keep in mind the martial arts grandmasters who claim to use Qi have been training their entire lives and have the skill and willpower to outmatch someone twice their physical strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your Qi or Ki or Chi or Energy or Willpower is really how much energy [as in actual electrical charge] you are willing to put into your body's muscles before deciding that you have lost and will not win the arm wrestle, or will not be able to hold your ground when being pushed, i could go on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One more thing i have to mention, on my first kung fu lesson, i watched a video of myself, my brother and two friends [with our eyes closed] being pushed forward or backwards by the sifu without him touching us, we were told this was Qi. His hand was very close but not close enough to make contact with the skin or hairs so i think this is a combination or two things,     - the fact you are expecting to be pushed in one direction&#xA;-your mind picking up signals such as heat, sounds at a negligible amount you would not normally pay them any attention and/or [i would like to believe, because it's cool] minute interference in your electric circuits due to the radiation given off by another persons electric circuit in close proximity. Either way it is nothing supernatural.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I used to believe in Qi when i started martial arts until i realized it was, as i say, a placebo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1198" LastActivityDate="2013-06-30T00:50:15.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2073" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-07-03T16:48:27.627" Score="6" ViewCount="2191" Body="&lt;p&gt;We may never know the definitive answer to this one, but was hoping someone could shed some light in terms of educated opinions and/or factual evidence that points in a certain direction. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's what I know:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There are lots of Southern &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.usadojo.com/styles/about-kung-fu-styles-list.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;styles of Kung Fu&lt;/a&gt; which appear to be of Shaolin origin&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The government of the People's Republic of China formally &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=&amp;amp;to=en&amp;amp;a=http://baike.baidu.com/view/147761.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot; title=&quot;Bing translation of article leaves much to be desired&quot;&gt;acknowledged the existence and destruction&lt;/a&gt; of a Southern Shaolin Temple&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;An &lt;a href=&quot;http://home.vtmuseum.org/articles/meng/holy_land.php&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;archeological excavation unearthed artifacts&lt;/a&gt; and monuments that point to Fujian province as the original source&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;At least the following cities/towns contain ruins of temples which they lay claim as being the site of the destroyed &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Shaolin_Monastery&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Southern Shaolin Monastery&lt;/a&gt;: &#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kungfusupply.nl/southern_shaolin_temple_in_quanz.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Quanzhou&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.whatsonxiamen.com/travel_msg.php?titleid=120&amp;amp;traveltype=Travel%20in%20Xiamen&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Fuqing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.chinafacttours.com/fujian/attractions/southern-shaolin-temple.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Putian&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I heard that for economic reasons, the Chinese government is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.hungkuen.net/history-riddleofshaolin.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;officially saying Quanzhou&lt;/a&gt; because it is less remote and thus more accessible (within a few kilometers of the city) and will thus appeal to more tourists, but that the archeological findings point to Fuqing. Also for economic reasons they are now &lt;a href=&quot;http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/7163410.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;going ahead with a so-called &quot;Western Shaolin Temple&quot;&lt;/a&gt; which I've personally never even heard of, may be a money-grab?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, and of course there's also the infamous Chinese saying: &quot;Northern kicks, Southern fists&quot; as an ideal combination of fighting styles (or what to beware of when facing an opponent from each region), because of each region's strengths, indicating a difference of styles by geographic region and thus reinforcing the idea of a Southern Shaolin Temple and of course the accepted &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaolin_Monastery&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Northern Shaolin Temple in Henan province&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We may never know the exact truth, but hopefully someone here knows more than me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1213" OwnerDisplayName="bcmoney" LastEditorUserId="1213" LastEditDate="2013-07-04T17:32:11.637" LastActivityDate="2020-03-15T12:18:32.053" Title="Was the Southern Shaolin Temple real and if so which location is valid?" Tags="|history|kung-fu|shaolin|southern-shaolin|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2074" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2057" CreationDate="2013-07-04T18:06:20.987" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;This article on &lt;a href=&quot;http://chriskresser.com/chinese-medicine-demystified-part-iii-the-energy-meridian-model-debunked&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;how Qi came west&lt;/a&gt; points out the origins of the confusion around the word:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The commonly accepted idea in the west that Chinese medicine is an energetic, metaphysical medicine was singlehandedly created by a French bank clerk with no training in medicine or ancient Chinese language.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you look up qi in a Chinese dictionary, there are ten definitions but not a single one of them is energy. Qi is defined as vital vapor, air, or the essence of air. It can also refer to the function of something (i.e. the qi of an organ would refer to the function of that organ) and the weather. Qi does not mean energy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A few chinese (born and trained) tai chi guys I've worked with have said &amp;quot;When the old people talked about Qi they meant leg strength&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="689" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2015-03-12T18:13:06.310" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2075" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2082" CreationDate="2013-07-04T18:41:06.753" Score="4" ViewCount="6835" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm researching lineages of various Kung Fu styles, can anyone provide an authoritative list of primarily Southern-influenced styles?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So far I only know that Hung Gar (Hung Kuen) and Choi Li Fut are the two main styles that typically come to mind when talking about modern Southern Shaolin descendants, from which there are many similar or inter-related subset arts that developed from them such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Animals&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Five Animal&lt;/a&gt; / &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.hungkuen.net/article-5animals5elements.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Five Element&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_Chun&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wing Chun&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Praying_Mantis_%28martial_art%29&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Southern Praying Mantis&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/southern.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Southern Tai Chi&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fut_Gar&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Fut Gar&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My knowledge so far other than that is limited to the unsorted (by North/South) list on Wikipedia: &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chinese_martial_arts&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chinese_martial_arts&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;As well as a short sorted list at Shaolin.com under the &quot;Style&quot; tab: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shaolin.com/StyleContent.aspx?Style=Styles&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.shaolin.com/StyleContent.aspx?Style=Styles&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, I've heard the saying &quot;Northern kicks, Southern fists&quot; so am particularly interested in Southern boxing styles (but the complete answer shouldn't be limited to such).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1213" LastEditorUserId="1213" LastEditDate="2013-07-04T19:32:28.117" LastActivityDate="2016-05-25T06:21:44.987" Title="What Kung Fu styles originated from Southern Shaolin?" Tags="|kung-fu|southern-shaolin|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2076" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-07-04T20:31:54.073" Score="6" ViewCount="2149" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming it did indeed exist, when was the Southern Shaolin Temple destroyed? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I've heard that it was possibly destroyed multiple times with the years (AD) &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=158&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;1646&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://history.cultural-china.com/en/169H8301H13063.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;1647, 1674, 1732&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shaolin.com/historycontent.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;1901&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shaolin-overseas.org/KungFu_History.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;1928&lt;/a&gt; mentioned as possibilities, but I have yet to see anything substantial to back that up. Of course, most of the research material is in Chinese only. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also heard that historical references to the complete destruction of the Shaolin Temple are not about the extant Northern Shaolin temple at the base of Songshan mountains in Dengfeng, Zhenzhou, Henan province (aka. &quot;the original&quot;) but are really about the many sattelite Southern Shaolin Temples (established when warrior monks stayed behind after fighting off Japanese pirates and other invaders on several occasions). From my research, whereas the original was never completely destroyed just suffered several fires and attacks, the Southern Temple was shown less mercy and constantly the subject of total destruction (which is why it had to be rebuilt in totally different locations) by changing dynasties and/or vindictive Emperors. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then there's that recent &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1533749/reference&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Shaolin movie&lt;/a&gt; which of course had the destruction being carried out by the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmgH1p9YVMY#t=01h51m00s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;evil foreigners&lt;/a&gt; (not too sure I've ever read that version in any history books) where the British are the ones shown destroying a temple. While mostly an unlikely scenario, when it comes to the British the Southern Shaolin Temple would be more plausible than Northern, as they physically fought battles for control of Hong Kong in several Southern port cities during the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Wars&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Opium Wars&lt;/a&gt; which surely could have caused some incidental destruction closer to the disputed Southern Temple locations (but certainly nowhere near the Nothern Temple deep in Henan province). If they wanted to show foreigners as responsible I wonder why they didn't choose to make it about the atrocities of World War II where the Japanese may have actually burned down a portion of the temple (again likely just Northern in this case) in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=157&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;1941&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this point maybe no one will ever know the definitive answer and all we have is speculation but I'm interested to know the perspective accepted by historians (western and eastern both).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1213" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-09-03T03:36:18.833" LastActivityDate="2016-09-03T03:36:18.833" Title="When was the Southern Shaolin Temple destroyed?" Tags="|kung-fu|history|shaolin|southern-shaolin|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2077" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2068" CreationDate="2013-07-05T03:47:50.673" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Practice at home footwork and angling. Speed is what will save you. When you move around a person they move faster because they just rotate on the pivot point. Timing your angled footwork lets you face their center point outside of there strikes if timed right. Control fighting distance. JKD secret is to make the other guy move first into range where you intercept his actions.  This is where you need to learn how to read a person. Also get rid of your own tells by shadowing boxing in a mirror and record your sparring sessions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1216" LastActivityDate="2013-07-05T03:47:50.673" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2082" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2075" CreationDate="2013-07-06T11:43:59.283" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can find a great starting point for learning about the southern styles' history, techniques and teachers at this wikipedia page: &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_martial_arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_martial_arts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the Wiki: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Chinese martial arts can also be categorized by location, as in northern (北拳) and southern (南拳) as well, referring to what part of China the styles originated from, separated by the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang); Chinese martial arts may even be classified according to their province or city.[24] The main perceived difference between northern and southern styles is that the northern styles tend to emphasize fast and powerful kicks, high jumps and generally fluid and rapid movement, while the southern styles focus more on strong arm and hand techniques, and stable, immovable stances and fast footwork. Examples of the northern styles include changquan and xingyiquan. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It goes on to add that examples of the southern styles include &lt;strong&gt;Bak Mei, Wuzuquan, Choy Li Fut and Wing Chun&lt;/strong&gt;, as well as: &lt;strong&gt;Fujian White Crane, Hung Gar, Mok Gar, Hak Fu Mun&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanquan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;^&lt;/a&gt;, Lau Gar&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Shaolin Nam Pai Chuan&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.usadojo.com/styles/about-kung-fu-styles-list.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;^&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1213" LastEditDate="2013-08-10T04:08:18.583" LastActivityDate="2013-08-10T04:08:18.583" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2083" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="589" CreationDate="2013-07-06T14:03:19.103" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kalaripayattu is the oldest martial in existence. It is also considered to be the deadliest martial art in the world. Kalaripayattu unlike other martial arts does not focus on developing 6 pack abs and 8 pack abs, but on making the person both physically and mentally strong. The oldest reference to Kalaripayattu comes from Vedas (3000-4000 bce) where Indra (god of sky) defeated a demon using a marma point (vital point).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kalaripayattu involves 4 steps:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Meithari&lt;/strong&gt;: involves oil massage (to make the body strong and flexible) and many training exercises and leg movement.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kolthari&lt;/strong&gt;: involves fighting with blunt weapons lke staffs, sticks, etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Angathari&lt;/strong&gt;: involves fighting with sharp weapons like sword, spear, dagger, axe and the dangerous urumi (flexible sword). Once the person has mastered Angathari he moves on to the next level.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Verum kai pryogam&lt;/strong&gt;: involves unarmed combat, fighting with armed opponents and fighting with multiple armed opponents.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the student shows extreme sincerity, devotion, discipline and other qualities, he will be introduced to the knowledge of marmas or varmas (vital points). Once a person becomes a master in this technique he need not apply high force, but can kill the opponent by merely touching his vital point,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another advanced technique is Nokku varmam or Meitheenda varmam. This requires at least 12-16 years of practice. Once a person has mastered this technique, a person can kill or disable a person without any physical contact. This can be done by starring/concentrating at the marmas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kalaripayattu is classified into 2 types; Northern Kalaripayattu and Southern Kalaripayattu. Northern Kalaripayattu involves Varma Kalai (bare hand fighting, from Tamil Nadu while Kalaripayattu is from Kerala) and Northern Kalaripayattu is weapon based.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1219" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-07-07T09:43:12.053" LastActivityDate="2013-07-07T09:43:12.053" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2084" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2089" CreationDate="2013-07-06T18:06:47.303" Score="7" ViewCount="2377" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm pretty decent at sparring, but I consistently struggle against power offensive fighters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Specifically, I mean people who &lt;em&gt;don't respect my punch, have natural powerful punches, and throw a barrage of punches&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I say they don't respect my punch, I mean that they have a naturally higher pain threshold and can walk through my punches. One fix, I think, is to throw more powerful strikes. When a strike is powerful enough to get them to back up, that usually invites them to throw harder. Since they have naturally powerful punches, this ends up becoming a slugfest, and not a sparring match.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Myself, I prefer to counter punch, slipping and bobbing punches, which isn't necessarily the best approach against people who throw a lot of punches in a row. When I spar them, I throw strikes on the way in, and cover up to get out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are other techniques I can employ when sparring offensive fighters?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4" LastEditorUserId="1566" LastEditDate="2013-12-26T08:17:08.490" LastActivityDate="2014-03-05T18:12:32.743" Title="Sparring against Offensive Fighters" Tags="|sparring|boxing|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2085" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1309" CreationDate="2013-07-06T22:09:30.493" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The reason why backmount is very often abandoned, is because in judo, you only have a &lt;strong&gt;very&lt;/strong&gt; little time to get a pin or submission. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, if the situation isn't making progress in about 5 seconds, competitors are commanded to stand up, and continue the match in &lt;em&gt;tachiwaza&lt;/em&gt;, standing position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For this, the rear naked choke is a pretty rare submission in judo, because you don't have much time, and if the opponent doesn't tap out, the match will continue in standing position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, you're allowed to make arm locks to shoulder or elbow, or even in between. As said, it is very hard for a third party (referee) to know the exact part of arm where the lock is placed. No wrist locks, or any kind of leglocks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are allowed to do any kind of &lt;strong&gt;chokes&lt;/strong&gt;, not neck cranks, and a guillotine from head is a neck crank, but if you have an arm in between, it's counted as a choke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user1221" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2016-07-12T02:51:54.603" LastActivityDate="2016-07-12T02:51:54.603" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2086" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1250" CreationDate="2013-07-07T11:44:29.550" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Poke eyes, squeeze balls, stab with knife etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are you sparring? Then sure, if you want to be able to grapple back you need to learn how to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if this is real life then there are no rules - only openings and defence. Wrestling would be a horrible way to take on someone with a knife. Punching and kicking would be a horrible way to take on grappling. Arm yourself with the superior ability and the superior tool (weapon+techniques).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If someone wants to grapple with you, you might get at most &lt;em&gt;one&lt;/em&gt; attack (or several while being grappled). If that isn't sufficient to win, you are using inferior tools, and if you win it is only luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1223" LastActivityDate="2013-07-07T11:44:29.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2088" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2084" CreationDate="2013-07-07T12:42:40.073" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;It sounds like you are fighting people tougher than you, a lot of the time this means you can be faster. Every time they throw a punch, do a quick strike to spots like the side of their arm, in between the tricep and bicep. Strike to their armpits. Strike upwards to their lats and if you can, down on their trapezius muscle. Also try striking the inside of their wrist/forearm. Cycle through hitting in places like this your opponent will lose their punching power and speed. Hitting the upper arm and lats will make their punches slower, the trapezius and armpits will take away some lifting power and the forearm will make their grip, and therefore their fists, weaker. Do not even bother wasting energy on a powerful strike if they can ignore it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I commonly use this fighting style when sparring with my MMA friends, most of whom are noticeably stronger than me. To start with you may want to practice with a friend slowly until you hit the correct points, speed it up until you can do this at fighting pace. This will not work so well with 10oz gloves as you need your knuckles to stab at their muscles, but it will still work with hand wraps or light, fingered gloves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1198" LastEditorUserId="1198" LastEditDate="2013-07-07T16:33:44.510" LastActivityDate="2013-07-07T16:33:44.510" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2089" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2084" CreationDate="2013-07-07T22:45:15.703" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Try talking to them; You're sparring so they working on their toughness is dumb; toughness is not a skill that increases with practice*; it's a deteriorating factor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being tough is a good quality to have, but it should never be someone's primary way to win. It's a backup. During sparring, where you are trying to improve, you should be working on (placing) winning techniques, so you can K.O your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try explaining to them that you can't 'win' in a sparring match; you can't K.O your partner, he won't be able to spar more that day, or maybe tomorrow, or he might even quit. Pretty soon, you'll have no one to spar with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regardless, you need to move after you stick them; from what I understand in the situation, they come in throwing punches, but eating one or two on the way in, but then they unload when they're close. Correct? You have a reach advantage on them? (e.g. you're taller?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Throw your punches and then step to the side. You're likely backing up too straight. It's harder for him to follow you when you keep moving to the side (you'll also not run out of ring/cage/&quot;street&quot;). I do MMA and Kickboxing, but I like the right uppercut and left hook versus a shot or a charging opponent. I spin out of the way when I throw the hook.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Depending on your skill and training goals; sometimes you do fight harder during training. But you should know what to do in this case before you get ready for a fight or the like, since this is a pretty common situation to encounter, I didn't figure you were.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2013-07-07T22:45:15.703" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2090" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2084" CreationDate="2013-07-09T07:07:37.720" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Circle them in the direction of their weaker hand. So if they're right-handed, circle counter-clockwise. This makes it very difficult for them to go toe-to-toe with you and they'll have to concentrate on more technical boxing. Think Mohamed Ali versus Mike Tyson.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, the old chestnut about float like a butterfly, sting like a bee applies: close the gap, do your business and get out as quick as possible. He can't hit you if you're not there anymore.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-07-09T07:07:37.720" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2091" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1250" CreationDate="2013-07-09T07:12:48.943" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Biting. If it's a real-world situation, anything goes. Bite his finger off. poke him in the eye. Scramble the eggs. Fish-hook his mouth. Choke him. punch him on the nose. Headbutt him. Twist his nipple. Make it really unpleasant to be close to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The chances of facing a highly-trained opponent on the street (or at a bar) is very slim, so you'll probably gain the upper hand simply by damaging an eye or a nose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-07-09T07:12:48.943" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2093" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2076" CreationDate="2013-07-09T15:00:30.577" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The history regarding the Shaolin temple is very muddy due to the fact that when the temple was being destroyed, so were many of its records and etc. As for research being Chinese only, you do have to remember that many of these far east countries (China, Japan, Korea) have all been fairly closed up until the 1900's. I mean there are barely any records of Mao's Famine outside of China and that was approximately in 1950's. So you won't find that many outside sources about Shaolin. I believe you are correct that the numerous Shaolin temples were indeed destroyed many different times. I believe the last time was when Warlord Shi Yousan burned it down and publicly arrested and executed many of the monks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1227" LastActivityDate="2013-07-09T15:00:30.577" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2096" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-07-13T01:20:18.283" Score="6" ViewCount="565" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've trained in Chun Kuk Do for years (still pursuing my black belt) and I want to cross train with grappling as to be balanced for real-world combat. My current goal is to get my black belt in this system (while cross training grappling on the side) and then to get my black belts in BJJ and Krav Maga. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So anyhow, here's my question: How best should I pursue grappling training to build on my previous training as a striker. I fully realize the need for grappling/ground training, I'm not asking about the pros/cons of &quot;grappling vs. striking&quot;. How best can I best build on the striking training I've learned to learning/becoming skilled at ground fighting? Any ideas?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1235" LastActivityDate="2013-11-30T05:27:59.973" Title="Grappling training for a striker" Tags="|training|grappling|self-training|striking|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2097" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-07-13T01:42:18.623" Score="7" ViewCount="743" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am planning on starting a martial arts club at my college as a student group. My main idea is that myself and others who are trained in different martial arts disciplines — striking, grappling, traditional katas, street fighting, etc. We will teach each other our styles of fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also want to, as a group, learn some highly-effective martial arts system with a focus on &amp;quot;street fighting&amp;quot; skills — ground fighting, fighting multiple opponents, defence against various weapons, etc. — something like &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/a&gt; or some military program like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Corps_Martial_Arts_Program&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Marine Corps Martial Arts Program&lt;/a&gt; (MCMAP).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are ways for the group to train in these types of martial arts? I've thought about perhaps having a &amp;quot;class&amp;quot; section every meeting where one of the members  teaches a lesson about something from their system, and then a section after that when people can spar/train in various systems their interested in. Also, what are good online resources for training in a system like &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/a&gt; Obviously nothing would replace a good teacher, but we won't really have access to that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1235" LastEditorUserId="9214" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2023-08-24T02:51:52.540" LastActivityDate="2023-09-22T18:16:05.080" Title="How should a college club train for MMA?" Tags="|training|mixed-martial-arts|self-training|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2098" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2097" CreationDate="2013-07-13T02:40:19.910" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your options as a college club are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Share what each member knows&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Find a coach or teacher&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Be a thoroughly mediocre &quot;fight club&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend avoiding (3). &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.org/Tanner_Law&quot;&gt;Learning from online resources is hard and not recommended&lt;/a&gt;. Either accept that the styles you'll learn are the styles that each of your (possibly flaky, deranged, drama-bringing) fellow students brings to class, or accept that you need to find a coach to show you things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of having a &quot;class&quot; separate from &quot;sparring&quot;; I highly disrecommend this. Showing moves for a half hour then sparring seems to me to be a much better option. You could change the sparring rules according to whomever is teaching, but this can also create confusion and lack of long-term progress. Focusing on one or two specific arts and their sparring rulesets over time is more likely to produce understanding and skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-07-13T02:40:19.910" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2099" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2096" CreationDate="2013-07-13T02:42:58.483" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stop planning your eventual wall of black belts and go get a blue belt in BJJ or a brown belt in judo or join a SAMBO school or join a wrestling club. Worry about integrating your grappling into your striking after you have some grappling skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try a class at each of the grappling schools in your area, pick the one with the highest quality teachers and best schedule and most copious sparring, and train. You'll figure out how to build it into your existing training without any extra work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-07-13T02:42:58.483" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2100" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2096" CreationDate="2013-07-13T19:07:52.800" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Greco-Roman wrestling is always a good option that isn't mentioned nearly enough. I mention it because there's bound to be a club close to you, no matter where you are in the world.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-07-13T19:07:52.800" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2101" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2876" CreationDate="2013-07-15T14:36:44.207" Score="10" ViewCount="5841" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been attending a few Krav Maga classes at a MMA gym. Recently, I was told (by another student) that the proper way to punch would be with the thumb knuckle facing up for the the three basic punches - jab, cross, hook. (no rotation of the wrist)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this correct? What are the advantages of punching this way?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've dabbled in a handful of martial arts, all of which emphasize rotation at the end of the punch except wing chun. It took a bit of adjusting on my part, but it made me wonder in what situations this type of punching would be useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="271" LastActivityDate="2015-11-17T10:29:44.703" Title="what is the proper way to punch in krav maga? what are the benefits of punching without wrist rotation?" Tags="|technique|punching|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2102" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2101" CreationDate="2013-07-15T15:11:35.290" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/1649/347&quot;&gt;This question about vertical-fist punching&lt;/a&gt; might help you. I'd say that keeping the fist vertical for a &quot;jab or &quot;cross&quot; makes it an entirely different punch with a dubious connection to boxing or MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for this specific situation, I think the salient point is that &lt;em&gt;a fellow student of unknown expertise is giving you advice that contradicts your instructor's&lt;/em&gt;. Unless this guy has some as-yet-unnoted expertise, I recommend strenuously ignoring him. I even make a point of saying &quot;nah man, I'm gonna do it the way Coach said...I don't want to get confused.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this guy persists in pretending to be an instructor, I might passive-aggressively bring it up to the instructor: &quot;Hey coach, Billy said to punch like this. Is that a secret advanced technique that you've been keeping secret from me?&quot; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-07-15T15:11:35.290" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2103" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-07-16T06:31:21.183" Score="9" ViewCount="1279" Body="&lt;p&gt;Except for Mexico and Japan there are not many nations where professional (fake) wrestling is so successful. Where did this come from? Why did it become so popular? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here in Europe we don't have people wearing masks and pretending to fight each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1243" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-07-17T15:20:01.297" LastActivityDate="2013-07-25T20:46:51.317" Title="When did fake pro wrestling become so popular in the US?" Tags="|history|wrestling|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2104" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-07-16T06:37:00.583" Score="5" ViewCount="751" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the things I've noticed is that short sticks are brutal on my wrists after I've been practicing for a prolonged period, but I don't tend to notice how brutal they have been until the next day (I have very strong wrists already, just not in a way that is conducive to working with short sticks). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recognize that, on a fundamental level, the easiest and best way to get better at this particular aspect and condition my wrists for short stick is to practice more frequently with sticks.  This, however, is not ideal since 1) I can't carry my sticks to work with me 2) I am having trouble recognizing my limits when my blood is hot from the workout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the question comes down to: What sorts of exercises can I do, preferably bodyweight or on-the-go, that I can do that will increase my wrist strength in a way that is suitable for short stick work? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2013-07-17T13:39:04.823" Title="Wrist strength for sticks" Tags="|exercise|weapons|short-stick|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2105" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2104" CreationDate="2013-07-16T09:16:22.093" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Squeeze a stress ball. Or a tennis ball if you're manly enough. The idea is to also work your fore-arms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-07-16T09:16:22.093" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2106" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2163" CreationDate="2013-07-16T11:38:16.763" Score="2" ViewCount="717" Body="&lt;p&gt;In kempo karate, what's the order of the forms you learn ? (up to brown or black belt)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So far I know it's 1 Pinyon, 2 Pinyon, 1 Kata, Crane, 2 Kata, 3 Pinyon, 3 Kata&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also how about combinations? what's the order you learn them&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it 7, 6, 3, 5, 2, ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[edit: added more forms in order]&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1244" LastEditorUserId="1244" LastEditDate="2013-08-21T10:57:01.973" LastActivityDate="2013-08-21T10:57:01.973" Title="In kempo karate, what's the order of the forms and combination you learn?" Tags="|karate|kempo|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2107" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2104" CreationDate="2013-07-16T14:13:59.620" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Whole body strength first&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As always, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1151/347&quot;&gt;if you're not already doing generalized strength training, then that's the first place to start&lt;/a&gt;. Trying to target your strength gains as a novice is dramatically less productive than following a program for strength training novices.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best approach for general strength training would be resistance training, such as with barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells. Deadlifts, Turkish get-ups, overhead and bench presses, and rows would seem to be in order.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Kettlebell&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're willing to buy minimal equipment, I'd buy a single heavy kettlebell, such as a 35 or 50 pounder. The kettlebell would allow you to do all get-ups, pressing, and rowing, as well as swings, cleans, and snatches. These are great whole-body movements that produce hip power and develop wrist strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Bodyweight&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can't or won't buy any equipment, I recommend doing gobs of pull-ups, dips, and push-ups. Ideally these would be in a formal workout with a warm-up and multiple sets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Whole! Body! Strength!&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, it's quite important to break out of the mentality that we should break the body into individual components in order to strengthen them. That's useful for high-level athletes and bodybuilders, but almost everybody else should just get strong all over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whole-body strength exercises such as the deadlift have a tremendous effect on the entire body, and trigger systemic changes that wrist-specific strength work cannot match without dramatically more time invested. If you're already deadlifting or performing feats of gymnastic strength, then maybe sport-specific exercise is in order. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/733/347&quot;&gt;Otherwise&lt;/a&gt;, deadlifting, pull-ups, and presses seem in order.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-07-16T18:16:45.863" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2108" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2110" CreationDate="2013-07-16T18:31:23.873" Score="22" ViewCount="40581" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started learning a martial art about 5 years ago, and I did it for 2 years. I very liked it, however I had to stop.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I didn't want to lose what I've already learned, so I kept practicing. Alone.&#xA;Doing the forms, punching, blocking, kicking in the air, imaginary enemies etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes I stopped for a few months, because of university and other things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel like I kept myself in a good shape, I still remember almost all the things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One day I will continue to practice like I did before, but I want to finish my studies and have a good job.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;My question is, is it worth practicing alone? How should I do it in the most efficient way?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(A wooden dummy would be awesome but that is way too expensive.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I really would like to practice with somebody, however I don't know anyone who lives near, and I don't know any place we could go to practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1246" LastActivityDate="2017-07-05T23:35:44.040" Title="How can one practice well alone?" Tags="|equipment|training|self-training|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2109" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2108" CreationDate="2013-07-16T18:45:16.553" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Without sparring partners and a coach, your best bet for solo practice is &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1756/347&quot;&gt;strength and conditioning work&lt;/a&gt; with a little heavy bag work, forms practice, and the like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-07-16T18:45:16.553" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2110" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2108" CreationDate="2013-07-16T22:27:44.260" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Okay well if you do wing chun that is great, so do i! Yes it is definitely worth practicing alone. Here are some of the things i do:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Get a 3 section wall bag and a wet towel (with somewhere to hang it). Assuming you have correct form on your sun fist punch, you should practice punching the center of a wet towel with out any water flicking back onto you. And with the wall bag (if you can not get one or have no where to put it, wrap towels around a tree) repeatedly throw a strike of any kind and a block to accompany it. This is good for muscle memory for striking and blocking. For example, tan sau and straight punch, switch to bong sau with turn and back fist, then lap sau and low punch. Basically just combine attacks and blocks as you hit the bag. Also practice chain punching and following up with kicks and strikes from different directions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also do you know the forms Siu Lim Tao, Chum Kiu or Biu Jee? Practicing the forms slowly, as in taking half an hour to complete the form, will be excellent for training your stances. If you are proficient with Siu Lim Tao, try doing it on one leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also footwork drills are very important. Repeatedly practice short steps, long steps, (both with and without switching feet), changing direction, moving sideways etc.&#xA;A good footwork drill (and later on, handwork drill as well) it to imagine a clock on the floor. Your opponent is at 12 and you are at 6. Start in neutral wing chun stance, practice stepping to different numbers, whilst keeping your front foot and your stance facing 12, and then step back to 6. After a while, start doing this with an attack as well, just remember you always want to be facing your opponent at 12 and make sure you have your weight aligned properly on each foot. If you have not done this before, start slowly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will be glad to know you can become a good wing chun practitioner without ever sparring or fighting, all it takes is dedication. And you can practice anywhere, you can practice wing chun standing still, at work, in the shower. If you want room, go find a park or field, or a small woods or forest somewhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1198" LastEditorUserId="1198" LastEditDate="2013-07-17T13:24:38.300" LastActivityDate="2013-07-17T13:24:38.300" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2111" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2108" CreationDate="2013-07-17T02:22:36.257" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Practice on your own is pretty much an unavoidable element of the martial way past a certain point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than developing your body through conditioning exercise (Bruce Lee's plyometrics are a good starting point), you can develop your body through breathing exercises (the Systema DVDs about breathing are pretty interesting and insightful).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is important to develop a visualization ability as well. When working your forms, &quot;see your opponent&quot;. Read &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mangahere.com/manga/baki_son_of_ogre/c005/3.html&quot;&gt;these few pages&lt;/a&gt;  from the manga Baki, Son of Ogre, to see a rather good example (if a little extreme) of what can be done with visualization.&#xA;You can develop visualization with shadow-boxing and with form practice. Visualization is also helpful in building the neural connections to remember the applications / fighting aspects of your forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, you can do sensitivity work without a partner, for instance by holding a ball against a wall and rolling it, kind of like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3tGb0rZq50&quot;&gt;n this video&lt;/a&gt; where you see a guy rolling a Pilates ball against a wall with various parts of his body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practice on your own also builds a certain kind of mental resilience. For me, this last one has proven the hardest to build, but the most valuable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2013-07-17T02:22:36.257" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2112" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2104" CreationDate="2013-07-17T13:39:04.823" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;1 stick-like object (eg 12&quot; ruler) big enough to hold with 2 hands, string, weight (eg housebrick). Tie end of string round brick. other end goes round stick.  Hold stick out in both hands and then keep rolling the stick in your hands to raise the weight up to your hands, lower and repeat.  Do as quickly as possible, hell of a workout to get the blood to your hands.  Most places you can find a weight so carry the string and stick.  I've done this on business trips with bottles of water in a bag in my hotel room.&#xA; Carrying bags - only use your 2 middle fingers and repeatedly curl the tips towards your wrist against the weight of the bag - helps with grappling grips anyway.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="689" LastActivityDate="2013-07-17T13:39:04.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2113" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2103" CreationDate="2013-07-17T17:11:50.313" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Fake professional wrestling grew out of one of the oldest martial arts tradition: the challenge match.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chinese martial artists sometimes fought on the &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lei_tai&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;lei tai&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; to establish dominance over teach martial arts in an area:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0eZio.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Colored version of an older drawing of two fighters on the lei tai.&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...and it was common in feudal Japan for students of one school to invade another school and demand a match. Fighting is at the heart of martial arts, and so determining the best fighter has long been a crucial component.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_professional_wrestling_in_the_United_States&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Fixed wrestling matches grew organically out of economic pressures applied to real challenge matches in the American post-Civil War period&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestling exhibits during the late 19th century were...shown across the United States in countless &amp;quot;athletic shows&amp;quot;...where experienced wrestlers offered open challenges to the audience. It was at these shows, often done for high-stakes gambling purposes, that the nature of the sport changed...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Carnies, who traveled and wrestled at these events, used tricks to protect their money and reputations during competitions, devising little-known and often dangerous wrestling moves, called &amp;quot;hooks.&amp;quot; Hooks are illegal in conventional amateur wrestling, but have high rates of success against even the most athletic and experienced of competitors, essentially removing rules from professional wrestling. In addition, some spectators capable of beating the carnies roamed the country to compete in open challenges, setting side bets to make money. The barnstormers competed as traveling wrestlers did and often cooperated with the carnies to stage the matches, providing enormous profits for both sides in betting. Through the interest in money-making among the three groups, wrestling became a business-oriented entertainment venue, distinguishing itself further and further from its authentic amateur wrestling background.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Later, it became popular due to commercialization and television.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2007/8/9/134253/6410&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The transition from real wrestling to faked matches was not clear nor was it one-way.&lt;/a&gt; Japanese shootfighters would transition back and forth from worked matches to real ones, and more recently, pro wrestlers like Brock Lesnar have become legitimate MMA fighters, and MMA fighters like Ken Shamrock and Quenton Jackson have switched over to pro wrestling to make money.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-07-25T20:46:51.317" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2114" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="965" CreationDate="2013-07-18T13:43:16.397" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've studied Yang style Tai Chi for two years. There are some very simple applications for Single Whip:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the images above, the guy is facing forwards, imagine if the attacker was coming from behind. You start in Wu Chi and when they try to punch the back of your head, you step backwards into single whip, using the whip hand to very subtly deflect the punch. very basic, very powerful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The power of the movement comes from being a small shape and expanding into a larger shape that over laps the other person. Moving towards a punch is the important part. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The whip hand is also seen in 'Snake Creeps Down' (03:20 &gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBvF6r6DOvc&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBvF6r6DOvc&lt;/a&gt;) near the end, you could use the upwards pointing whip hand to grab a kicking leg and then move into single whip to lift the leg high enough to push someone over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1251" LastActivityDate="2013-07-18T13:43:16.397" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2115" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-07-19T22:48:40.393" Score="5" ViewCount="1253" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a black belt in Tang Soo Do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I broke my ankle, snapped it clean off. Now I have a metal plate in there, and it's extremely sensitive to touch. I can no longer properly form a side kick with that foot, my stances are kind of unprofessional looking, and if anyone tries to sweep that foot it's excruciating. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any sort of stretches I can do or any way to get myself back to where I was before the surgery? It's not too drastic of a change, but to a perfectionist like me, I wind up really annoyed at myself for having bad form on that leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit:: I haven't considered getting the plate removed until just now. Has anyone had any experience with that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1254" LastEditorUserId="1254" LastEditDate="2013-07-20T12:08:59.137" LastActivityDate="2017-02-10T09:39:03.693" Title="Suggestions after breaking ankle" Tags="|injury|health|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2116" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2097" CreationDate="2013-07-20T02:21:11.497" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do any of you hold a teaching belt in any of the martial arts you do? It also sounds like it will be more of a 'mixing all of our martial arts together' than an MMA program as is understood with cage fighting?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The real thing you need is an instructor of some sort. You cannot just find highly effective street techniques; most of what you know, and what you see on the internet is ineffective lies performed by people who have never been in a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will not learn to fight multiple attackers in a realistic way from your friends. You won't learn that from a martial arts instructor either. Not in a way that works. Watch any of their demonstrations vs multiple attackers; they all rely on a script. Against multiple attackers your main defense is: run. Maybe : throw whatever you have in your hand, then run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I cannot stress this enough; get a qualified instructor; a judoka, a wrestler, a BJJ high blue/purple, then you can have a good class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a good class, you should 'spar' ( go live, with restraint) pretty much every class. like 95% of the classes. Sometimes there are circumstances; e.g. first few days, injury, etc. There always have to be drills where you can fail/go against a resisting opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're just a bunch of people who are all starting out from scratch, it can be very dangerous both in, you'll break each others arms, as well as, you'll (very likely) learn terrible technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2013-07-20T02:21:11.497" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2117" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2115" CreationDate="2013-07-20T23:44:03.127" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best thing i can say is to strengthen you shin and calf muscles a lot. This can help prevent future injuries. Start doing calf raises and if you have some sort or wrist or ankle weight (or a dumbell if you can balance it) that you can put on your foot and bend your foot up and down to work your shin muscles. I do not know the extent of your injury so this may not be the best idea if it causes too much pain, but if you do this start off VERY easy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing i can suggest is stand on one leg, switch legs to keep your muscles even, but standing on one legs can strengthen the fibers on your foot and ankle. You will get your form back in time. More muscle will provide protection from future injuries and lessens the impact you get in your ankle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With your side kick, do you mean you can no longer twist your foot on the side to strike with the blade of your foot? It depends on the metal plate, but it is unlikely you were given a plate that hinders movement, so you will probably get this ability back in time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you train, i would suggest going through what you know very slowly to find out what you can and can not do, currently. Do not think of this as a game ender, just a setback.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My mother once broke her ankle and had a plate inserted, she got it removed a month later and had no lasting damage, so consider it. However i suggest speaking with a doctor about whether this would be possible with your injury and what the lasting effects might be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1198" LastActivityDate="2013-07-20T23:44:03.127" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2118" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2021" CreationDate="2013-07-22T16:40:10.290" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my &lt;strong&gt;brief&lt;/strong&gt; experience with BJJ, I recall hearing that rolling is similar to sprinting. I don't know if that will directly translate, but perhaps one way to increase your endurance is to do 'sprints' of exercises that you would do in the context of rolling. You just have to find a willing partner, haha. Though, in the beginning, technique is more important than speed, so don't let technique suffer for speed. Please note, this is merely an idea. I'm no expert in this field. Be safe about it!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may have opportunities to roll during open mat practices. If this is the case, try finding a partner and doing so for longer periods than the typical sparring match of a 2-5(?) minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, practice will make a huge difference. The more you do it, the easier it will be to do so for longer periods of time. You'll learn when to expend energy and when to save energy. Easiest way - don't stop. Just stay in it, and you'll get there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="271" LastActivityDate="2013-07-22T16:40:10.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2121" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2013-07-24T18:30:09.693" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would say any of the FMA's, Escrima, Kali, or Arnis.  They are all weapon based arts that are easier on the joints than most martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1261" LastActivityDate="2013-07-24T18:30:09.693" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2122" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="965" CreationDate="2013-07-25T10:45:23.987" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Turns out my teacher was pondering the same question.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FdOzrsHqS4&amp;amp;feature=share&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;What are some applications for Single Whip?&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My teacher shows a variety of applications for single whip.  The &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/J1_H1hy2-YA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;second video&lt;/a&gt; emphasizes how to use the &quot;hook&quot; portion of the single whip. (and stars me as the portly victim).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2013-08-15T10:35:27.363" LastActivityDate="2013-08-15T10:35:27.363" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2123" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1322" CreationDate="2013-07-25T11:48:28.533" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here's something I liked to do when doing bjj, being a flexible guy:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the mounting guy sits up, I would put my leg between his torso and mine, kind of like when rubber guard, but in front of him, then it's really simple to push him away since your legs are so strong. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If he's isn't sitting up, i.e., making an s-grip with your hands between his ass, bridging and turning him over worked well, but requires a lot of explosiveness. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1265" LastActivityDate="2013-07-25T11:48:28.533" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2124" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-07-26T12:38:03.647" Score="6" ViewCount="2125" Body="&lt;p&gt;I find that I am able to cause a punching bag to swing much higher with my front kick than my turning kick. This could be due to me being able to transfer more of my body weight to a front kick. Another reason could be due to the snapping action required for a turning kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is there anything I can do to increase the power of my turning kick?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Does the snapping action results in a loss of power? I think it creates a greater momentum, but not sure whether it adds more damage.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1268" LastActivityDate="2013-07-27T10:36:04.023" Title="How to deliver more power to my turning kick?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|kicking|power|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2125" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2124" CreationDate="2013-07-26T14:39:52.803" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are too many variables to consider to be able to pick one out and say &quot;This is why&quot;, and you don't specify what kind of a &quot;turning&quot; kick you are doing. This could be a reverse, a spin, or simply a round kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To address Dungarth's point, when you do your front kick, do you draw your entire leg and knee up to your chest and then push out straight ahead, or is your upper leg horizontal with the ground when you do your kick?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will address one point that I see as very common among beginning martial artists, and that is not getting your hip and larger leg muscles into the kick. Many times on a rotation type kick such as a round kick this is due to bad foot placement on the planted foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your foot points straight ahead, this prevents any kind of hip rotation from adding momentum to the kick, with a few exceptions (such as axe kicks). For straight ahead kicks, I generally teach to rotate the foot out to 90 degrees. So for your front kick, if your left leg is planted, then it should be pointing out at the wall that is on your left hand side. For turning kicks, you want the foot to rotate so that it is pointing back behind you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's hard to describe without showing, but as you start for a round kick, you should be pivoting on the ball of your plant foot, and about halfway through the kick your plant foot should be fully rotated and flat on the ground. This allows your hips to turn over which adds rotational momentum to the kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can try this yourself, simply do your round kick (I'm assuming that is what you are calling a turning kick) with your lead foot in different positions. It's very difficult to do a round kick with the foot pointing straight ahead, and you lose a lot of power if you can do it that way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2013-07-26T14:39:52.803" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2126" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2124" CreationDate="2013-07-26T15:34:18.257" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is there anything I can do to increase the power of my turning kick?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make sure you have the full rotation. For a roundhouse, your standing foot should be close to 90 degrees at the end of the kick. You can check this by going up against a wall and  extending your leg out to kick (using wall to balance as needed). When it reaches the full extension, check to see if your standing foot has rotated, along with your hips. As JohnP mentioned, you should be rotating on the ball of your foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have the technique down, then it's just a matter of building the strength. A simple exercise for this - using the wall again for balance (as needed), hold your leg out at full extension for a certain length - 30 seconds, 1 minute, you decide what works for you. This will help strengthen your leg for kicks of varying heights. As you've probably heard many times - practice, practice, practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Does the snapping action results in a loss of power? I think it creates a greater momentum, but not sure whether it adds more damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In comparison to a what kind of kick? What is the baseline? A front kick? I feel that would be an unfair comparison, as the usage of a front kick is different from a turning kick. Though, I've mostly seen front kicks used as a &quot;push&quot; to move an opponent away, and less as a power kick/scoring kick in taekwondo. Someone else can provide insight on this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In taekwondo, the snapping action, I think, is more for recovery in preparation for the next kick(s). With the established rules in the sport of taekwondo, I am under the impression the snapping action is a result of this. Sparring is continuous, and it's usually only as a result of KO headshot that a single kick is enough to end a match. Those are not easy to land. You can still generate a lot of power from the snapping action though, and the key to that would be in rotation and continued practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a Fight Science Video that examines the kick style and uses numbers to create some baselines...but I still feel it ultimately comes down to the individual. With continuous practice, and you'll be able use whatever method you learn very well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcAfClb-f4g&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Fight Science Video&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="271" LastActivityDate="2013-07-26T15:34:18.257" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2127" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="191" CreationDate="2013-07-27T08:43:20.303" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a video on the Bodhidharma myth and it also has information on ancient martial arts&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6kwYocMnIo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6kwYocMnIo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This video shows how old martial arts are and that they have existed since prehistoric times around the world. It shows that there are Chinese martial arts which predate Bodhidharma and the Shaolin Temple. This video debunks the myth that martial arts and Shaolin Kung Fu came from India. It is shown why martial arts would have developed independently in countries and not come from just one country.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1272" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2013-07-28T20:15:06.080" LastActivityDate="2013-07-28T20:15:06.080" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2128" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2124" CreationDate="2013-07-27T10:36:04.023" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kick through the bag, instead of into it. The snap is merely to minimise the chance of you getting your leg grabbed and your crown jewels turned to scrambled eggs. Apart from that, you need to ensure your hips are loose and that you are limber. The greater your range of motion and the larger the arc of your kick, the more velocity will be behind it. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvcQRFPz6zg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Look at Muai Thai's low kick and emulate it.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-07-27T10:36:04.023" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2129" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2130" CreationDate="2013-07-30T08:44:28.377" Score="4" ViewCount="338" Body="&lt;p&gt;I only started Jeet Kune Do about two months ago. Everytime I am coming to the class, I find that my posture is still not correct even for the simplest strikes such as a straight lead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there anything I can do to make sure that I train with the correct posture. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I tried to train in front of a mirror but it seems that everytime I go to the class, there is something I did not pay attention enough such as the front arm not being directed towards the opponent or the shoulder line not being at 45 degrees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems that some other students are learning much quicker, what should I focus on to improve ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1208" LastEditorUserId="1208" LastEditDate="2013-07-30T10:34:20.470" LastActivityDate="2014-06-03T01:44:35.190" Title="What is the most efficient way for a beginner to improve his posture?" Tags="|jeet-kune-do|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2130" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2129" CreationDate="2013-07-30T14:34:14.423" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You don't seem to be asking about &quot;posture&quot; in the narrow sense, but rather how to improve your entire body positioning for all techniques. This is the majority of martial arts practice. Your best bet for improving body position for JKD techniques is to make sure you're strong and mobile enough to do all the postures correctly, and to go to class as much as possible. Expert external feedback is really key for improving skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're two months in, it's normal to be as coordinated as a drugged panda trying to tap-dance. Don't sweat it. Go to class a lot, do some strength training once a week or so, and be patient.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-07-30T14:34:14.423" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2131" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1282" CreationDate="2013-07-30T16:03:58.153" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was practicing Capoeira and Thai Boxing (separately, did Capoeira before switching to Thai Boxing) when I had a full-time job as a software developer. I am also doing Thai Boxing while I am pursuing my Masters degree and work as a part-time software developer, so the answer is &lt;strong&gt;YES&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I did not take part in any competitions for Thai Boxing, but that is because I also had other stuff on my mind, other than my job and university studies, but I would definitely be able to prepare for the fight if I only had my studies or the job. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As of benefits, it definitely helps you to reduce stress and build self-confidence. This is especially true in IT-world, since in my opinion there aren't many people who do martial arts It also helped me to think more clearly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Preparations: I did not prepare physically before, and of course had terrible conditioning in the beginning. But this naturally improves over time once you keep training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Diet: I try to stay away from sugar/fat and eat enough meat to rebuild muscles after workout. That's pretty much it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1239" LastEditorUserId="1239" LastEditDate="2014-12-04T17:28:48.360" LastActivityDate="2014-12-04T17:28:48.360" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2132" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2129" CreationDate="2013-08-02T00:33:18.917" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stretch a lot. Then just practice everything you are taught literally two thousand times, slowly. To start off, do a movement but stop after a centimeter. Check you are in the right position, are your hips and shoulders facing the correct way, should you be twisting, where should you hand be, what position should you feet be in, should your back be extended, every single thing. If you do not remember every thing, ask your teacher to hold techniques and write down his positioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Move another centimeter, check again. After 50 times, stop the technique once half way through, check it, then finish it, then check it. I would say after 500 very slow techniques, start to speed it up. This may seem boring but you should be dedicated. Some people naturally learn quicker, but someone's natural ability will never beat dedicated training. How are you for spare time? When i got serious with martial arts i would go to a woods somewhere every morning and train for 3 hours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not be worried about moving slowly, if you technique is slow yet perfectly executed, your teacher will notice. Also if attention to detail is a problem, execute a movement with your teacher watching, write down everything he says is wrong with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1198" LastActivityDate="2013-08-02T00:33:18.917" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2133" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="191" CreationDate="2013-08-03T20:47:39.720" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;For those interested some useful (and possibly wildly wrong) stuff from a BBC series from the 80's.   Episode 1 starts with Shorinji Kempo which itself raises some questions about history.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;eta: What was I thinking, google &quot;bbc way of the warrior&quot; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="689" LastEditorUserId="689" LastEditDate="2013-10-18T14:14:19.790" LastActivityDate="2013-10-18T14:14:19.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2134" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2013-08-03T21:03:46.067" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;To accurately answer the question, &quot;What is the purpose of martial art forms;?&quot; you have to answer first, ...what is the purpose of martial arts?  Since karate is the most popular martial art on a worldwide basis, I'll use karate and karate kata (forms) as the subject.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate develops the human potential on three dimensions, body, mind &amp;amp; spirit.  The development of this potential can then be used in a fighting or self defense application.&#xA;I'm going to concentrate on the first two dimensions of human potential, body &amp;amp; mind, because although the mental dimension of karate is often spoken to, it is typically misunderstood and neglected....  The 1st set of principles is then development of body &amp;amp; mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In traditional karate, the standard curriculum is comprised of three main components: (1) Kihon (basics), (2) Kata (predefined forms or patterns), and (3) Kumite (sparring or actual fighting exercises). Thus the 2nd set of principles is the three-sided karate curriculum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Only karate, as opposed to the sports-based fighting methods such as boxing, muay thai, mma striking, bjj, has the second component of martial training, i.e. kata.  Thus kata training becomes a focal point on how to train for martial arts....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Returning to the 1st set of principles, body and mind, I submit the overriding difference between the practice of karate and the practice of the sport-based fighting methods listed above, is the mental dimension.  Both karate and the sports-based methods such as boxing stress physical conditioning.  The huge difference in karate is the emphasis on mental discipline.  Under traditional karate, mental discipline is the key; mental discipline directs every movement and execution of technique, from basics, to forms, to fighting application.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once the body is physically conditioned, the mental discipline of karate develops fighting skill in two critical dimensions.  One, through the integration of the whole body's strength in a highly coordinated manner.  Second, that whole body strength is used in a completely controlled, deliberate and precise way against the actions of the opponent.  Highly developed mental discipline guides every single one of your actions against what ever the opponent puts forth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's true that practicing basics (kihon) and kumite (sparring) exercises can produce the karate result I have defined above.  However, it is kata that develops the mental control and discipline over the body's coordinated working in accomplishing deliberate, powerful actions or movements---to it's highest level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why solo kata practice or 'punching air' is not a useless activity, but an extremely sophisticated method of developing mind / unity and the accompanying powerful technique and effectiveness kata practice creates....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll stop here, surely there will be questions....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit&lt;/strong&gt; (reply/rebuttal to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/2138/70&quot;&gt;Mark's answer&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is kata superfluous in accomplishing excellent karate.  The answer goes back to the principles I stated underlying traditional karate as a martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The critical answer lies in how the mind is engaged in the training.  The secret of successful karate comes from integrating the mind and body.  This is problematic to demonstrate over the internet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me try to illustrate that repetitively drilling physical techniques until they are imbedded in &quot;muscle memory,&quot; is not karate mental disicpline. This kind of training produces the ability to replicate actions and creates quick reactions.  We see this kind of training output in every sports activity from gymnastics to 'karate kata performances' to basketball.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kata, or any aspect of karate,  practiced this way, or performed this way is hollow and weak.  The reason is the deliberate control of a highly disciplined mind has taken a back seat to the regurgitation of memorized physical actions.  This is why traditional karate fails, kata fails when is comes to actual application.  The fault is not the kata or karate exercises, it's the fault of the practitioner to understand how the mind is driving the physical actions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that for all the commentators here, not one has broken out the fundamental aspects of a basic kata, nor described their purpose and integration.... It's not wonder kata fails when practitioners are merely performing the physical monkey see-monkey do of an instructor....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, I want to say that a number of the posters have touched on what I'm working to describe, and have addressed the subject of Mental Discipline in certain areas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go to the specific, take a look at the first Shotokan kata, Taikyoku Shodan.  How do we begin this kata?  How is it shaped &amp;amp; many steps does it have?  What is the significance  of the ready position at the beginning and end?  What the precise moves in the ready position--and what is the body, mind, and spirit (metaphysical I know) doing with the ready position?  What are the steps in the 1st branch or leg of this kata and again what is the body, mind, and spirit doing at each step?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many criticize the Taikyoku kata as simplistic and impractical for fighting, that it's watered down. Is this really true for the purposes of kata training, and why did the Okinawan masters create these?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;edited for typos...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;@ Sarathrion: My invitation to describe the functions in the first Shotokan kata, Taikyoku was met with, &quot;confusing, &quot;mythical mumbo jumbo, etc.,&quot; and a &quot;downgrade.&quot;  The real problem is the failure of &quot;martial arts&quot; practitoners to methodically study &amp;amp; examine the purpose &amp;amp; structure of kata.  Instead, posters want to talk about their impressions of kata.... without serious challenge from someone of my point of view....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1286" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-08-10T00:44:14.270" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2135" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2233" CreationDate="2013-08-05T01:37:40.400" Score="16" ViewCount="1515" Body="&lt;p&gt;How do I maintain martial awareness of a person's movement and intent when that person is physically very close (conversation distance, or passing on the street) to me?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The situation could be a person who is high/drunk and asking you for money on the street; they always come close to try and talk to you. Or, people walking down the sidewalk on the same side as you, they look like they &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; be trouble but you don't know. Eventually they will pass right by you, and after that, they'll be behind you which is even worse for you if they have bad intentions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the end of the day, how can I maintain safety (which to me is being aware of the person's movements and not allowing them to get too close) in these situations, without doing something provocative (such as obviously stepping back to maintain distance or by watching them as they pass and move behind me)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that acting (and being) confident is very important, but I'm not very confident in my ability to defend myself against someone who is less than two feet away from me when I am unable to act defensively in order to avoid escalating a situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="682" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2020-01-13T13:54:51.647" LastActivityDate="2024-01-19T13:15:15.390" Title="How do I keep a safe distance from potential threats without escalating the situation?" Tags="|self-defense|prevention|awareness|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2137" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2135" CreationDate="2013-08-05T06:44:06.150" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mu shin, mu gamae&lt;/strong&gt; which means &lt;em&gt;no mind, no posture.&lt;/em&gt;  You have to rely on your training that if something happens, your body will react before your brain can make a conscious decision to do something.  This is why we do sparing and drills: to train to react instead of consciously forcing an action. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, my best advise would be: &lt;strong&gt;do not worry about it&lt;/strong&gt;. Looking at statistics, you can pass a billion people in the streets before one of them attacks you.  So, most of the time, all your martial awareness is going to do is make you look like a tool or worst, like you are about to attack someone!  Acting like a street fighter (or worst becoming one) will make you a terrible person with few (if any) friends, a life of paranoia, and a not too distant painful death. You sure you want to go that way?...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to feel safe, then make sure you look for a series of signs that will trip your warning.  From the neighborhood, to the level of lighting, to the time of the night, to what they are wearing all will give you clues.  Furthermore, if it looks like a shit place, do not go there. If it looks dangerous, go another way. If you know this bar attracts knife fights, go drink somewhere else. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Needless to say, sometimes a few kind words are enough to diffuse a situation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, the last bit of advise which you already know: be confident and do not look like a victim. Do not avoid eye contact by lowering your gaze, do not hunch over, do not look scared. Avoid being aggressive yourself -- instead be &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Assertiveness-Work-Practical-Handling-Situations/dp/0077114280&quot;&gt;assertive&lt;/a&gt;.  Show that you are aware of your surroundings. If it comes to that, nod and even say &quot;hey, having a good night?  Good me too!&quot;. Be friendly and not provocative. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2013-08-05T06:44:06.150" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2138" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2013-08-05T11:26:15.083" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, recognize that this is a large question and quite possibly a bad fit for SE. I think it is quite possible to write a book to answer that question.  Different arts may treat kata differently. The best I can do is offer some examples. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Within Tomiki Aikido, the owaza jupon (big ten) kata was designed to teach students to adapt/blend to a moving opponent. I'm drawing a blank on the name of the designer of this kata, but his students were restricting their aikido to a very static, low energy attack/defense pattern.  He designed owaza jupon to force them to confront a higher energy attack and to blend with an opponent who was moving more quickly. My source for most of this is verbal from my instructor, but &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mokurendojo.com/2011/05/koryu-no-kata-in-tomiki-aikido.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Parker Shihan&lt;/a&gt; (as usual) has some very thoughtful reflections on the kata.  In point of fact Parker Shihan has multiple essays that answer your question &quot;What is the purpose of kata?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Koryu dai go, if I recall is the koryu which is designed to test the partners under a different form of pressure - uke's attacks are continuous and relentless.  The kata teaches you that the attacker isn't going to be polite, but will presssure you.  Parker Shihan has an excellent essay on this, but I can't find it right now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Koryu Dai Ni has been described as the kata for tight spaces, and the kata for knee problems.  The true underpinning of that kata is probably a bit more subtle than either of those oversimplifications.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Final thought - I'm working on Koryu Dai Yon no kata right now; Sempai points out that the first seven techniques are what @Dave Liepman calls &quot;demonstrations&quot;; they're not particularly practical.  In fact we have to resist the actions which would make them practical. (There are multiple places where the kata prescribes one hand; a two handed technique would be more effective).  The &lt;strong&gt;next&lt;/strong&gt; seven techniques are the same, but the attacker begins to resist.  Resistance &amp;amp; counters are difficult to practice; both parties have to calibrate their resistance so that both parties get a chance to learn (rather than one dominating the other).  Koryu Dai Yon no Kata creates that calibration and teaches us something about what resistance feels like, and how to adapt and counter.  Phrased that way it sounds trivial, but there is a subtlety that I don't know how to get any other way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2013-08-05T11:26:15.083" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2139" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="969" CreationDate="2013-08-06T03:41:42.650" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;First off, the Chen village invented push hands, so what you see there is the way it is supposed to be played. I've pushed with some guys from Chen village, and real push hands is a lot closer to a combination of judo and sumo. Why do people have such a hard time accepting this? I suspect because its actually hard, and its a lot easier to spend your life playing softly and cooperatively without developing any real technical skill, all while avoiding hard physical training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taijiquan is heavily influenced by shuai jiao, and this shows in Asian push hands tournaments. Many tui shou players cross train in shui jiao and vice versa. Don't forget taijiquan is a martial art first and foremost.  The shuai jiao skills are mostly absent in America, most likely due to the influence of cheng man Ching whose style of tai chi and push hands was unusually soft. And if you expect some old man to be controlling people with one finger, sending them hopping around the room, then you probably will be disappointed when you see what it looks like without all the bs...it's just grappling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I look at these push hands players from Chen village, I am impressed, not appalled. To me, it shows real skill and technique to be able to handle an uncooperative opponent. When I hear someone criticize this it always makes me question if they really train taijiquan as a martial art, instead of just theoretical and hypothetical practice against a cooperative opponent. In my opinion, if you are not training how the founders intended the art to be trained, or how they currently practice it at its origin, you are doing something other than taijiquan. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ying and yang...hard and soft. Taijiquan is not yin.  It's not all soft. That gets you plowed. Sometimes you are forceful to bait someone to resist you, sometimes you are soft. You must maintain peng to keep the structure. This is taijiquan 101. If you don't see this in the Chen village matches you simply don't know what you are looking at, probably because you have never trained that way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1289" LastEditorUserId="5745" LastEditDate="2018-06-14T07:05:42.897" LastActivityDate="2018-06-14T07:05:42.897" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2140" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1778" CreationDate="2013-08-08T22:05:38.963" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Scianóireacht (Pronounced SKEE un a rakt) was basically just the Irish term for knife fighting in general, as are the rest of the terms. Other than some possible adaptations for the local &quot;flavor&quot; in the style of how the knife was crafted, there isn't anything that makes any of it uniquely Gaelic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Much of original Gaelic fighting was based upon the Ceithearn (Kern), who were basically the bombadiers of the time and would harass with missiles such as barbed arrows and darts. Before the Vikings came over and introduced new items and technique, combat was very ritualized. Often started with duels between chosen champions before any battle was actually joined.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Armor of the period was essentially almost non existent, usually just a leine (lehn, or loose shirt), or possibly padded clothing, so there wasn't a need for heavy arms (This also explains the prevalence/success of the Ceithearn). Once the Vikings started invading, there was a need for heavier weapons in combat, which is where you start seeing the heavier swords and axes being brought into play.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2013-08-08T22:22:25.913" LastActivityDate="2013-08-08T22:22:25.913" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2141" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2057" CreationDate="2013-08-10T01:01:30.820" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Qi is your life force energy.  When you die, your life force leaves the body and the skin and flesh become whitish in hue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You Qi is strengthened in a number of ways (I'm only a piker here.).  The breathing methods in traditional karate (as well as other martial arts, yoga, etc.) are a primary way of building up your Qi.  Diet, rest, and exercise are also elements of building up strong Qi.  Again, I have only a layman's understanding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The martial arts applications of Qi progress from increased health, to increased physical strength, to levels where the practitioner can mentally direct Qi to areas of the body for protection or to generate force by itself (advanced).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts exercises, starting with basic techniques, builds Qi through the proper breathing and alignment of the body, which then facilitates the circulation of Qi throughout the body.... leading to the enhancements described above....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Qi, as pure energy, is problematic to sense or measure.  As one poster comments, empirical evidence of Qi can be seen in the pink color in one's palm's, the breaking of bricks and boards (especially good vid of the chinese doing this.), and the resistance of the body to what would be certain injury (chinese vids again).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1286" LastActivityDate="2013-08-10T01:01:30.820" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2142" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="241" CreationDate="2013-08-10T10:47:54.387" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best thing i recommend is standard boxing sparring (with someone much better than you). Once you have been hit in the face enough times, you can keep your eyes open. You will only flinch when you have no experience. If you have racked up significant spar time you can dodge rather than flinch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1198" LastActivityDate="2013-08-10T10:47:54.387" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2143" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1749" CreationDate="2013-08-10T14:30:18.767" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;A - Elements of good punch&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hit with your shoulder not hand (focus on the shoulder and not the peripherals).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hips turning in the direction of the attack&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Rear leg pushing hips in the direction of the attack (on ball of the foot)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Position of front leg should be &lt;em&gt;enough&lt;/em&gt; to hold you in place and not falling forwards or becoming stuck in place. As a general rule: let your feet spread - to the front - one shoulder or a little more at first, once you get used to it, go wider and lower till you get all hitting stances in the comfort zone, then you can learn how to slide into the jump.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Aiming behind the target&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Releasing the punch at the end of the rotation, this is like&#xA;stretching an elastic band to full extend and then releasing.Result: maximal speed in minimum distance and spent energy - this is a result of relaxed and controlled practice&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;B- Mistakes (some not all)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hitting with hands not using the shoulders or even the whole body weight&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Having a centre of gravity leaning either to the front or the back&#xA;It should be to the middle, however, all of your body weight should go behind the punch)&#xA;So no leaning forwards (don't have your head as first point of contact after your hand let it be within the same vertical axe as your body, always front foot should be ahead of head) and no leaning backwards (you'll fall at contact).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hips should be horizontal if watched from the front&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Too much tension in the hands, only clench your fist tight at impact - which should be at best on 75% of your full extension if a straight punch or 75% of the path any other type of punch is taking (75% is your where you fist will be travelling at highest speed).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Let your punch drag you (it should be controlled with the shoulders and hips)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;of course useless movement before and after and not protecting yourself with the other hand or exposing the head or the body to dangerous openings.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;C - Steps&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Beginner - feel the hips&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Have your feet spread about a shoulder space&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Push with the ball of your rear foot forward - direction of the punch - while at the same time bending a little bit the front foot (just a little)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Keep head straight (chin a little down)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hands in place (you should be able to move your lower body with little to no effect on your hands except for rotation - this does not mean being stiff)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Once you complete your leg push (you might notice that your hips will be moving forwards) get to feel your hips and continue from there with the hips&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Practice having a single motion starting from foot to hip&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Intermediate - feeling shoulder&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Start with steps for beginner now just add a simulated punch with the shoulder i.e. hit as if your are hitting with your shoulder (keep hands relaxed in your guard and just attack with your shoulder like the boxers do when they warm up - very small hand movement)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Practice until you have a fluid movement from foot to shoulder and you can feel the weight coming from the lower body to the shoulder and the shoulder getting more and more loose in motion&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Advanced - Full punch&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Start with the previous and then just add the punch to it (Keep your focus on hitting with shoulder here and not hands)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stretches and notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Warm up (any type you like)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Make sure to have your shoulder fully warm up(the most basic one is a circular motion of the hands) until they are a little sore (tired) this is best.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do some static and dynamic stretching&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Systematically advance&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Practice slowly and then pick up the pace&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Start with one punch drills then add up&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Practice on the bag (don't push, hit, and withdraw your hand directly when you punch don't let it sink in the bag)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Try to train the weak hand (your case) in other scenarios like brushing teeth, driving, etc..&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Examples of Bad Shoulder forms&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7cEFi.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He is by coincidence the former many times Kata (WKF system) Karate world champ - notice that the punch looks as it could go much further and is stuck because of a stiff not extended shoulder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zD38l.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;same here only lunge punch&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Better form&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qLsmt.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Other examples&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZFJj5.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is good form, however, notice the little lean forwards (this is the effect of tucking in the chin)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This One is a great Example&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZUdCU.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This image is from &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.physical-arts.com/training/techniques/mn_reverse_punch.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this original page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As as side note, in Karate (and probably most old martial arts) there is a misunderstanding regarding the pulling hand, (the one that rests on the hips) and this is due to bad interpretations of forms, in fact the most simple explanation of this hand's position is holding (or locking in) the opponent's assaulting hand (and somehow turning it to gain more control) and attacking with the punching hand, however; explanations differ and vary depending on the situation and the location in a certain sequence of movements and of course the analytical perspective of the practitioner. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1295" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-10-09T10:26:59.727" LastActivityDate="2013-10-09T10:26:59.727" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2144" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2322" CreationDate="2013-08-12T15:37:17.137" Score="12" ViewCount="5352" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a heavy built 180 pound 6 feet 2 inches guy. The problem however is that I have very little self confidence in my own health and strength. I catch colds easily, and can't eat all types of foods, etc etc.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;What kind of martial arts out there focuses not so much on strength, but rather on building confidence and spiritual peace?&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Also sorry if this question is stupid, I am new here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT:&lt;br&gt;&#xA;By spiritual I mean something that can help me be confident in my health and remove anxiety.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;By heavy I mean it seems like I have muscles, but there is no definition, just bulk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks for all the help :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1202" LastEditorUserId="1202" LastEditDate="2013-08-12T17:06:56.433" LastActivityDate="2014-12-21T10:37:52.093" Title="Martial arts for building self confidence" Tags="|training|health|recommendation|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2145" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2144" CreationDate="2013-08-12T16:37:45.383" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt; sounds like something you should check out.  I would seek a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shinshintoitsuaikido.org/english/renew/aikidokai_001.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;ki-aikido&lt;/a&gt; school, if such existed where you lived based on your comment on &quot;spiritual peace&quot;.  Aikido generally relies on re-directing the attackers' momentum (and creating opportunity to do so) to either throw or pin.  Technique is more important than strength and I have seen tiny females throw great hulking men with ease. Some styles are harder than others (generally the ones that started before WW2) while others are more about the philosophical aspects. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although, I would &lt;em&gt;not focus on a particular style or art but on a school.&lt;/em&gt;  Find out what is available where you live, pay them a visit, and see if you'd like to do what they do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See these questions (well, more the answers) &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/466/82&quot;&gt;What martial art should I start with?&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/1504/82&quot;&gt;What are the signs &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; to train at a specific school?&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/80/82&quot;&gt;How to select the right Aikido dojo?&lt;/a&gt; for some general pointers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: Since you are seeking a build up of confidence, it is vital that you chose a good school and a good teacher.  Talk to them and make them aware of what your goals are. Talk to their students. Once you pick a school, make sure you commit for at least 3 months.  Otherwise, you might deceive yourself that it is too hard... ^_~&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-08-13T06:37:35.540" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2146" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2148" CreationDate="2013-08-13T10:44:53.327" Score="10" ViewCount="914" Body="&lt;p&gt;Within some &lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt; circles, I have heard it be said that the &lt;em&gt;jo&lt;/em&gt;-staff was representing a spear thus should be treated as if it had a blade at one end.  This help explains &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;'s reactions to some of tori's attacks in the later sections of the &lt;em&gt;goshin no kata&lt;/em&gt;.  I am having a hard time reconciling a jo with a spear for obvious reasons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, my questions is &lt;strong&gt;what is the origin of the jo in Aikido?&lt;/strong&gt; and as an aside &lt;em&gt;what weapon, if any, is the jo meant to represent?&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2016-04-29T07:55:27.100" Title="Aikido jo-staff origins" Tags="|aikido|history|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2147" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2146" CreationDate="2013-08-13T13:55:54.223" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my understanding, and this is an un-sourced comment from my instructor (Aikikai), the jo represents a rifle/bayonet combo.  If you consider that O-Sensei developed Aikido during various wars (largely formalized pre-WW2), this makes a lot of sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I have no sources, so this is faith in my instructor on my part, and pure speculation for the rest of you! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="33" LastActivityDate="2013-08-13T13:55:54.223" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2148" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2146" CreationDate="2013-08-13T14:13:06.407" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is borrowed/taken from various other arts (rifle/bayonet, spear(yari), and specific jo arts) with the founder of Aikido then blending/creating his &quot;Aiki jo&quot; art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stan Pranin of Aikido Journal (formerly AikiNews) has written:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The exact origins of the Aiki Jo remain somewhat of a mystery. Some&#xA;  have found traces of Morihei Ueshiba’s jo movements in the “juken” or&#xA;  rifle with bayonet he practiced as a young soldier. Others point to&#xA;  the influence in the Aiki Jo of the “yari” or spear that he studied&#xA;  with intensity during the Ayabe period. It might also be noted that&#xA;  the Founder was exposed to many classical systems due to his wide&#xA;  network of associations in martial arts circles&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The quote is take from &lt;a href=&quot;http://blog.aikidojournal.com/2013/07/18/morihiro-saito-the-founder-taught-the-31-jo-movements-for-beginners-in-addition-he-also-left-many-other-jo-kata/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. But you can find a few other apropos items on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikidojournal.com/&quot;&gt;Aikido Journal&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From other things I've read from Stan, I think the above quote sums up what little concrete knowledge there is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="579" LastActivityDate="2013-08-13T14:13:06.407" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2150" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2057" CreationDate="2013-08-14T15:00:57.447" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let us try to combine the descriptions an experience of a 3000 year old culture with the scientific accievments of our time:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To my understanding Qi means the energy or a fighter has available. That is to say, if I am tired or exhausted my Qi is low, but when I am well rested I have a lot of Qi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That would fit the answers others have provided like &quot;Qi is the power of your kick&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also would also provide a scientific prove that greter Qi can be attained trough a healthy life style and MA practice, the latter allowing you to create more powerful techniques through more precise execution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also certain breathing techniques are known to calm your body, thereby removing stress, thereby allowing a regeneration and increased energy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, from an ethymological viewpoint, I the last syllable of &quot;energy&quot; sounds a lot like &quot;Qi&quot; (Chi).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1019" LastActivityDate="2013-08-14T15:00:57.447" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2151" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2135" CreationDate="2013-08-15T01:15:59.437" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does this help? Geoff's seminars are legendary in the UK &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6OJnZG3joA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6OJnZG3joA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As others point out this is not a stack exchange good answer.  Please google &quot;geoff thompson the fence&quot; for information on Geoff's ideas on keeping a good distance from potential attackers.  The materials been disseminated widely so should be easy to find.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="689" LastEditorUserId="689" LastEditDate="2013-10-18T13:25:36.760" LastActivityDate="2013-10-18T13:25:36.760" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2152" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="918" CreationDate="2013-08-15T21:29:13.807" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There were two other creators of Krav Maga (beside Imi L) , who were Aikido black belts, so that's why you can see so many similarities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eli Avikzar and Rafi Algrisi (the two other aforementioned krav maga creators) both had black belts in aikido and judo. Elis Bio: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wincol.ac.il/lp/kami-eli&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.wincol.ac.il/lp/kami-eli&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cant find any info on the internet about Rafi.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everybody knows that Imi was a skilled boxer and wrestler, but you can clearly see that there is much more of other martial arts techniques in Krav Maga. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1301" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-03T09:24:04.987" LastActivityDate="2020-03-03T09:24:04.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2153" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2154" CreationDate="2013-08-16T17:12:34.767" Score="2" ViewCount="301" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been shown elbow strikes in my last class, one of the strikes was an elbow strike to the enemy's chin where you just move your elbow upwards. The hand goes around the ear and you should be touching your hair while doing the elbow strike and finishing by having the hand on the back of your head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When practicing with a partner I cannot hit the pad with a snappy sound but cannot figure out what is wrong. I could get the sound for all other directions (downwards and sideway)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where could I find some kind of tutorial with pictures so I can compare my moves and see what I am doing wrong ? What are the common mistakes and what should I do to get an efficient upwards vertical elbow strike ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to this, I was wondering what was the correct way to practices elbow strikes when you are at home without a punching bag and alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1208" LastEditorUserId="1208" LastEditDate="2013-08-16T17:20:13.093" LastActivityDate="2014-02-23T10:37:36.757" Title="How can you get a snappy and efficient vertical elbow strike?" Tags="|jeet-kune-do|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2154" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2153" CreationDate="2013-08-17T01:28:33.757" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A vertical or rising empi is no different in principal to any other strike - you should try to have a moment of focus.&#xA;The difference it does have to the other empi strikes is that it is a more unnatural movement, it is more of a short power strike. A lot of people also tend to have somewhat restricted motion when rotating the should in that way, not to mention you are working against some very large muscles in the back (like the Latisimus Dorsi). You should also ensure you have a bit of rotation in the waist so that you can apply a bit more power and get a bit more reach with it (this also changes the emphasis of the muscle groups responsible from solely using the smaller anterior deltoids to sharing the load with the larger/stronger medial delts). Try this yourself - keep your torso square and rigid and try the movement, then try it with a slight rotation of the torso.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would suggest you change your perspective of the strike - a nice slappy sound as you hit a pad isn't necessarily an indicator of good technique. Causing movement in the pad or pain to the holder is a better indicator. If you are a larger person you will never have the same whippiness to this technique that a smaller and more wiry person has. It's also not a commonly used technique - it's a fight finisher (any of the empi techniques are very damaging, but because of the target area of the rising empi you should expect to inflict critical damage if it connects cleanly).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2013-08-17T01:28:33.757" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2155" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2153" CreationDate="2013-08-18T17:27:16.047" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is possible that you lack sufficient flexibility to move your shoulder with speed through this range of motion. Many sedentary or recently ex-sedentary people, or those of us who spend lots of quality time at a computer, develop immobility in the shoulder. That is, we hunch forward. If this is the case, it is to be expected that you aren't able to generate power with an upward elbow strike, because your shoulder tells the arm to slow down as soon as it gets near the end of its mobility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can you raise both arms straight over your head, biceps on your ears, without puffing out your chest too much? Can you hang with arms close together from a pull-up bar without discomfort? Can you do a front rack with a barbell correctly, without pain or discomfort, and with a little bit of flexibility to spare? If any of these are lacking, it would make me even more suspicious of the shoulder. To fix, I recommend embarking on a diligent strength and mobility program with the goal of overhead shoulder mobility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-08-18T17:27:16.047" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2156" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="241" CreationDate="2013-08-19T07:53:18.750" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This happens as a natural reaction but you can train to 'disable' this reflex.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Drills:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;stand without defending while a colleague performs strikes(straight punches for instance) very close to your face and focus on not blinking.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;with large(boxing or kickboxing gloves) cover up when receiving punches and keep your eyes on your opponent through between your arms/gloves, don't flinch when hit.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;sparring with light contact to the face will remove some or all of the subconscious fear in time as you get used to getting hit sometimes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1306" LastActivityDate="2013-08-19T07:53:18.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2157" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2013-08-19T08:03:17.647" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In general the forms in all martial arts are a way of practicing some basic movements specific to a certain level of skill(belt degree). One generally starts of with the most simple movements and then moves on to more complex sequences which become more and more challenging. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All martial arts forms are used to perfect technique, timing, speed, breath, balance, stances, some footwork and even enhance memory. The more you practice forms, the more you train some movements the more likely they are to become reflex.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Shotokan Karate and Taekwon-do for instance forms challenge balance, speed, flexibility and breathing synchronization with movements. &#xA;In other styles the forms teach and practice footwork, for instance in Godai-Ryu there is a footwork kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1306" LastActivityDate="2013-08-19T08:03:17.647" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2158" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2101" CreationDate="2013-08-19T10:41:05.710" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well depending on the Krav Maga school it may or not be right. As far as I know from attending some IKMF training the punch is not rotated but it is not perfectly vertical either. The way to do it as I have been told was the position the you get when you raise your arm straight in front of you in a natural position and clench the fist. Bas Rutten, a former MMA champion also favored this type of punching and presented it in his DVDs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I am not mistaken the vertical punching involves some different back muscles in the striking process, removes the twist which may make it faster and fits better between the arms when someone tries to cover up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway it would be best to ask the coach how should it be done correctly so that you are sure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1306" LastActivityDate="2013-08-19T10:41:05.710" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2159" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2028" CreationDate="2013-08-19T11:29:30.350" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all make sure your technique is correct or otherwise you wouldn't be solving the root problem. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next you should some exercises to develop you muscles.&#xA;You could try training with kettlebells, the swing for instance uses a hip hinge to power the motion. More info on the swing here: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/eow-kettlebell-swing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/eow-kettlebell-swing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are quite a few kettlebell exercises that will work your whole body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last but not least, the legs and abs + lower back are powering your hip movements so it would be wise to work them in any way you like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1306" LastActivityDate="2013-08-19T11:29:30.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2160" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1772" CreationDate="2013-08-19T13:03:56.727" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;By reading the The Encyclopedia of Taekwon-do written by General Choi Hong Hi, the founder of Taekwon-do, one would find out that the sine-wave is a main characteristic of Taekwon-do and is part of the &quot;Theory of power&quot; that characterizes the style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The sine-wave emphasizes relaxation on the upward motion and the contraction and explosion on the downward(final) motion. This allows you to put the weight of your body into the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can read more about the theory of power here: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.saskgtf.com/theory.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.saskgtf.com/theory.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also the differences you see between ITF sine-waves in different practitioners is because the sine-wave has evolved over time and not all teachers will teach it the same way on each move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1306" LastActivityDate="2013-08-19T13:03:56.727" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2161" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1711" CreationDate="2013-08-19T13:32:10.520" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have had ACL issues for a long time, and I am still in martial arts after surgery(6 years ago) and a complete tear in the other ACL one year ago. For me careful training with strengthening my leg muscles and paying great attention to the technical details so that I won't force my knee in a wrong manner worked perfectly. I have very rare and painless instability issues in the knee with the torn ACL.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been into a few styles since: Kickboxing, Taekwon-do and Judo and I'm fine so I wouldn't worry about it, just go slow and let your body learn the techniques correctly(correct them if necessary) and strengthen your legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1306" LastActivityDate="2013-08-19T13:32:10.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2162" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1711" CreationDate="2013-08-19T20:24:15.683" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The main problem that you're going to run into with non surgical rehab is that part of the purpose of that runs contrary to what you need for martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The function of the ACL is to stabilize the knee when planting and/or turning. Given that we are often planting the foot and using it as a brace when kicking, or turning on the leg, it's arguably more important to a martial artist than many other sports.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The non surgical treatment usually relies on strengthening the upper leg muscles, and getting them to shorten a bit to take over for the stabilization. The problem for martial artists is that the flexibility training runs counter to that notion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other risk is that by going with a non surgical intervention such as muscle strengthening, you run a greater risk of injury to the remaining ligaments (PCL, MCL, LCL) and the meniscus if you do injure it further.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's just the ACL, then walking and even running or cycling aren't going to pose much difficulty, as there is almost no pivoting/turning in those activities. I'm just afraid that you may &quot;slide&quot; off your knee when doing something in martial arts and do much worse damage. Also, because of the instability, you may damage the meniscus more over time than you would if you had the repair.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the writeup &lt;a href=&quot;http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00297&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;on this page&lt;/a&gt; the replacement surgery has a pretty high success rate (82-95%), and the more active you are in a cutting/planting type sport, the more they encourage the repair.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2013-08-19T20:24:15.683" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2163" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2106" CreationDate="2013-08-21T09:51:12.410" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;At our school, the combinations go 6 &amp;amp; 7, 3 &amp;amp; 5, 2 &amp;amp; 18, 4 &amp;amp; 8, 9 &amp;amp; 12, 10 &amp;amp; 14, 15 &amp;amp; 26, 11 &amp;amp; 17, and that is all the way through green with a brown stripe (right before brown belt). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1310" LastActivityDate="2013-08-21T09:51:12.410" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2164" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1850" CreationDate="2013-08-22T04:49:57.593" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Part of the problem is that there is no original Japanese version of &lt;em&gt;The Art of Peace&lt;/em&gt;, since &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13217&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;John Stevens' book is a collection of Ueshiba Morihei's quotes from various sources&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At best, I think you could try to find Japanese versions of other books by him, but I haven't been able to find any resources that suggest they contain the original Japanese version of the quote.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1312" LastActivityDate="2013-08-22T04:49:57.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2165" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2144" CreationDate="2013-08-22T05:55:17.857" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure what you mean about the spiritual part since out of your post I would understand it's health and confidence related. Mostly all martial arts training increases self-confidence. I'd say the biggest boost in confidence is gained by training in something as close to reality as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At least in my opinion you should choose a form of martial arts or a contact sport that deals with medium or full contact. The fact that you will receive moderate strikes during training will increase your mental toughness and will ensure that you will not be left in shock when being hit for real as it might happen if you never get hit during training. I witnessed what I have said above with people training Shotokan Karate as a competition sport and I'm sure it can happen to people from many other martial arts (not trying to blame Shotokan Karate for anything).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the spiritual side I can't say that much but all martial arts develop discipline, character and the ability of detaching yourself from all other issues and focusing on the task at hand. Many teachers say &quot;leave your problems at the Dojo's door&quot;. Furthermore, you can read a lot about health improvements from martial arts online. Starting from muscle build, flexibility, lung capacity due to cardio up to a stronger healthier back promoted by correct postures there are a lot of benefits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last but not least martial arts do not focus on strength in general. The role of the techniques is to use the maximum potential of your body against an opponent, in general against an opponent's weakest points or weaknesses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just look what's available in your area and then check out what seems best. Most important is to get a good teacher in any style. You could try Krav Maga or MMA if you want something real and complex just make sure the schools are good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1306" LastEditorUserId="1306" LastEditDate="2013-08-22T06:21:44.803" LastActivityDate="2013-08-22T06:21:44.803" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2166" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2056" CreationDate="2013-08-22T05:59:57.487" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a few options: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kobudo - traditional Japanese weapons style so you will use weapons like: jo, bo, hanbo, tonfa, kama, katana, nunchucks &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Traditional Jiu Jitsu - should include level at some point depending on the school&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Filipino Martial Arts - most of them start off with weapons and work with sticks, knives, kerambit, various swords and some have rope or scarf techniques as well&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1306" LastActivityDate="2013-08-22T05:59:57.487" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2167" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2096" CreationDate="2013-08-22T06:05:36.043" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you want to start with a mixture of striking and grappling you should go to an MMA school where this is likely to happen but your grappling will develop slower than by joining a grappling school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand you could join: BJJ, Sambo, Wrestling or Judo depending on what you're more interested in ground work or throws. After gaining some skill you can try mixing up striking with grappling either with a training partner/friend or in some MMA training context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1306" LastActivityDate="2013-08-22T06:05:36.043" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2168" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2056" CreationDate="2013-08-22T15:10:48.300" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It really will depend on the art, and what types of weapons you would like to learn. For example, I currently take taekwondo, and we utilize the following weapons (Not all of which are traditionally Korean):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;6' staff - mid and long range forms.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Single and double bangh mang ee (escrima)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;single and double ssangh jeol bangh (nunchaku)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;ssangh nat (kama)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;jee pang ee (cane)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;gum do (sword)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;oh sung do (curved sword, similar to kung fu broadsword)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sam dang bangh (3 sectional staff)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okinawan styles may also include sai, tonfa, oar, spear. Kung fu has the butterfly swords, then there are various styles of knives, shurikens/darts, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there is a specific weapon that you are interested in, find an art that teaches that, or if you want a broad spectrum, I've found that kobudo, bujinkan or Okinawan arts have some of the widest varieties.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2013-08-22T15:10:48.300" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2169" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="907" CreationDate="2013-08-23T10:17:25.640" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The techniques you describe are two separate techniques in Taekwon-do, at least in ITF Taekwon-do. The spinning heel kick is called bandae dollyo chagi and the spinning hook kick is called bandae goro chagi. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since Hapkido is a Korean martial art it may have its roots in Taek Kyon which as far as I know was mainly a kicking art which was also one of the arts that were at the base of Taekwon-do. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This kicks are all described in the Encyclopedia of Taekwon-do written by general Choi Hong Hi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1306" LastActivityDate="2013-08-23T10:17:25.640" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2170" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1919" CreationDate="2013-08-23T14:24:56.047" Score="6" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How the heck can you walk in a ready stance down the street without the whole freaken place going 'ooooh, aaahhh'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was trained in hand-to-hand combat by the IDF, not by a school or embassy, so my perspective may be different than that commonly taught. But I do use the same approach on my home street as I do in Jenin. There are two types of people who will see you walk: those who might attack you, and everybody else. You want those who might attack you to think &quot;I'm not starting with that guy&quot; but you want everybody else to not notice anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I walk normally, but I always 'observe' buildings, the sky, anything that moves in my opposite direction so that I can also look back every now and then. Everybody who I pass gets looked at in the eye and usually gets a friendly smile. Sometimes I let them notice that I glance at their hips and their hands, sometimes I do it discretely. Yes, even women.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I turn a corner, I do it with the inside elbow slightly bent, and far from the wall / building and I'm always ready to pop back. That has saved me more from speeding bicycles than from terrorists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some tips: if you are with companions, walk slightly ahead of them. Thus, the assaulters notice &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt;, not them, and may be discouraged. It also gives you another reason for looking back occasionally. Always know what is available to jump behind if bullets start flying. You'll probably never need it, but it will help train yourself to be aware of your surroundings. When you drive, read all the signs. Again, this makes your driving better but also trains you to be more aware of your surroundings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, remember that your goal is to be visible to assaulters, but not to everybody else. Do not look paranoid, in fact always try to look confident. Don't walk like you're ready to fight somebody, walk like you are aware of everybody. And when you are attacked, smile and make the assaulter feel that he just did you a favour by confronting you. That scares them!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="262" LastActivityDate="2013-08-23T14:24:56.047" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2171" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1919" CreationDate="2013-08-23T14:32:19.690" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Am I allowed to use Krav Maga for any case of self-defense? Even a threatening or grave suspicion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should &lt;em&gt;never&lt;/em&gt; give this any concern in a real-life situation. You neutralize the attacker, and no more. If there are multiple attackers, you should be excessive on the first so that he will not return to the fight, but never do excessive harm to the last person you are fighting, i.e. don't kick them on the ground if they are alone, or if their partner is already out of the fight. Just stop them from causing danger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So long as all you did was the minimum to ensure your safety and the safety of those with you, don't care about the law. Had you done any less harm to the attacker(s), you would have been hurt more by them then by the law. Had you done more, you would have been reckless. Also, you will improve your own confidence (and your respect if others see the incident) by &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; going overboard. Think of all your favorite action heros. When the opponent is down, do they continue kicking or do they give the opponent opportunity to get back up and walk away quietly?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="262" LastActivityDate="2013-08-23T14:32:19.690" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2172" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2056" CreationDate="2013-08-23T16:44:42.363" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This might make a few people here unhappy, but I would say look into Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) and other western martial arts systems. &#xA;There are three kinds of SCA weapons combat categories. &#xA;Heavy list/Weapons. This is the modern sport equivalent of medieval combat. It is fought with armor, either 1 on 1 (tourney) or group vs group (melee). The weapons are rattan/plastic and sometimes have a bit of foam for looks( this is to allow for full strength hits.)&#xA;Weapons that are used include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sword and Shield&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Two handed sword&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pole-arm&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shield and Spear&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Axe&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mace&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second style is rapier with is basically fencing with a slightly different rule set (it allows for three dimensional moment and a wider range of swords and daggers)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The last is called &quot;Cut and Thrust&quot; This is sword-fighting that is entirely based off the manuals from the Renaissance and middle ages. To compete one has to not only be able to fight, but must be able to identify which moves come from which manual. This style of fighting trains nearly every kind of sword that was used over that time period. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(I have been involved in martial arts and combat sports for years before I started with the SCA.  From my experience a good SCA group is not at all different from a good training dojo)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="182" LastEditorUserId="182" LastEditDate="2013-08-26T13:29:41.137" LastActivityDate="2013-08-26T13:29:41.137" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2173" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2013-08-24T16:06:43.773" Score="-5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a WTF practitioner, only a 1st Dan, at least for the next 3 months. I was reading General Choi's encyclopedia whom I accepted as the father of Taekwondo and realize when he got to the patterns part and self-defense and controlled sparring, that they are ITF and foreign to me. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So while looking for a WTF type specific Encyclopedia of sorts I came across this site. If you want to learn Taekwondo in depth, Philosophy and way of life, and everything, ITF is the way. If you want to do spectacular yet realistic fast paced sparring Taekwondo, the martial art sport, the one that gives u attention, then, WTF is the way to go. So I'm practicing WTF in the dojang and Learning ITF philosophy from the father himself, (through the Encyclopedia of course) Grand Master Choi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1316" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2015-07-17T13:24:43.677" LastActivityDate="2015-07-17T13:24:43.677" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2174" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2176" CreationDate="2013-08-25T23:28:13.420" Score="5" ViewCount="321" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm training for a TKD tournament.  My Master is a very big proponent of counting calories, but I don't want to eat too little when I'm training intensely for the rest of the year.  I obviously don't want to go over or under my weight class either.  That being said, is counting calories something I should do?  Or should I just eat healthy (meats, fruits, and veggies) and not worry about caloric intake?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1318" LastActivityDate="2013-08-26T15:16:28.620" Title="Counting Calories when Training for TKD Tournament" Tags="|training|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2176" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2174" CreationDate="2013-08-26T15:16:28.620" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In its most basic sense, just let the scale be your guide. Weigh yourself at the same time under the same conditions every day (Such as first thing when you get up in the morning), and watch the trends. If you notice that your weight is creeping up, you need to either increase your cardio/workouts a bit or cut back on the calories a bit. Be aware that if you ease off your workouts to taper/be fresh for a competition, you may need to cut calories slightly as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To some extent, the &quot;3500 calories = 1 lb&quot; is a bit of a myth. The base fact is that if you expend more calories than you consume, you will lose weight, and if you eat more than you expend you will gain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as the composition, since you are not an endurance athlete, my personal recommendation is to aim for about 40-50% calories from lean proteins, 20% from healthy fats and 30-40% from carbohydrates (For comparison, endurance athletes will be in the 50-60% range for carbohydrates). You can get a lot of your carbs from fruits and vegetables, and any grains that you consume should be as unprocessed as possible. I generally tell people to &quot;shop the edges&quot; of the store, as that is usually the raw meats section, produce, bakery. The further into the boxes you get, the more processed/empty calories come into play.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lean meats: Turkey, chicken, pork, lean ground beef, certain steak cuts. Healthy fats - Vegetable oils, avocado, nuts. Best oils for cooking are grapeseed, walnut and avocado. Avoid oils with high levels of saturated fats.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on the style of tournament and the length, you may want to increase carbs slightly in the days leading up, but be aware that this will also cause a slight rise in weight as the muscles retain more glycogen and water. True carbo loading is a 1-2 week process, and generally only done by endurance athletes to maximize energy stores just before long events. You may also want to experiment in training with various food bars (Such as Lara bars, one of my personal picks) for energy/nutrition between matches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2013-08-26T15:16:28.620" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2178" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="104" CreationDate="2013-08-30T10:11:48.490" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Neijia mailing list, which was the vehicle created by Mike Sigman in the late 1990s to promote serious development of the internal martial arts, defined the internal martial arts to be those that respected the six harmonies (Sigman 2012a, 2012b).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The list followed the classical definition of the six harmonies due to (&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai_Longbang&quot;&gt;Dai Longbang&lt;/a&gt; 1750), a master of Xingyi:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;External Harmonies&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;The hands harmonize with the feets.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;The hips harmonize with the shoulders.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;The elbows harmonize with the knees.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Internal Harmonies&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;The heart harmonizes with the intention.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;The intention harmonizes with the Chi.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;The Chi harmonizes with the movement.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;When internal and external harmonies unite you have the six directions. When the six harmonies are perfectioned you obtain the six ferocities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Dai Longbang 1750) &lt;em&gt;The Six Harmonies Fists&lt;/em&gt;, verse translation from &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.centrosanti.com.ar/articulos/ver/the-6-harmonies&quot;&gt;http://www.centrosanti.com.ar/articulos/ver/the-6-harmonies&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Sigman 2012a) &lt;a href=&quot;http://mikesigman.blogspot.de/2012/10/silk-reeling-aka-six-harmonies-movement.html&quot;&gt;Silk Reeling, aka Six Harmonies Movement&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Sigman 2012b) &lt;a href=&quot;http://mikesigman.blogspot.de/2012/11/internal-and-bragging-rights-perhaps.html&quot;&gt;&quot;Internal&quot; and Bragging Rights&#xA;&lt;em&gt;Perhaps a bit deeper than that?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1326" LastActivityDate="2013-08-30T10:11:48.490" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2179" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2187" CreationDate="2013-09-03T13:40:15.350" Score="10" ViewCount="2729" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are there any Eastern arts that utilize a shield with a sword or a spear? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="182" LastEditorUserId="182" LastEditDate="2013-09-16T20:08:13.753" LastActivityDate="2015-06-10T14:37:52.317" Title="Do Any Eastern Arts Use a Shield?" Tags="|weapons|sword|shield|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2180" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2183" CreationDate="2013-09-03T13:47:25.233" Score="2" ViewCount="251" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been interested in the Naginata. Which arts train with it? I have seen the term Naginatajutsu, is this a practiced art on its own or simply a part of another art? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="182" LastActivityDate="2013-09-17T20:30:50.843" Title="Which arts use the Naginata?" Tags="|weapons|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2181" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2200" CreationDate="2013-09-03T13:50:50.497" Score="6" ViewCount="1256" Body="&lt;p&gt;For the jab I see on videos and from others a few different techniques for the jab punch (leading arm facing the opponent).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is one style which lifts slightly the forward foot while the arm pulls slightly back before pushing, and as the arm goes forward the forward foot makes a small step forward, and the punch lands at approximately the same as the foot grips the floor again. The whole body has only slightly turned in the direction of the punch. To get fast multiple punches the forward foot hardly touches till the jabs are finished as the step never completes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second style is where the forward foot does not displace but has a larger turning movement with the body for the jab. The forward foot at an angle of initially about 30 degrees turned away from the opponent becomes larger to about 45-60 degrees and the shoulders are almost completely in line with the punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The third places very little emphasis on the legs moving but calls for a dance like grip to support the shoulder's momentum pushing the arm. Recoiling the arm is fast here although the acceleration feels like there is a delay requiring my hips to support the body twist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is either one the &lt;em&gt;correct&lt;/em&gt; way? or do they serve a different purpose depending on the distance of the opponent and the strategy to place yourself in the opponent's space? or due to the speed/strength trade offs of each punch?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or is it a matter of personal taste. The third gives me the greatest speed as having the feet in place I recoil the arm without losing balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastActivityDate="2013-09-10T11:08:10.477" Title="What are the different ways of controlling the feet during a jab punch in boxing?" Tags="|technique|kickboxing|punching|boxing|style|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2182" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2181" CreationDate="2013-09-03T17:22:51.270" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to Bruce Lee's &lt;em&gt;Tao of Jeet Kune Do&lt;/em&gt;, the jab—which he called &quot;The Leading Straight Punch&quot; should be delivered with the fist but not generated from it adding other parts of the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All subsequent quotes are from the book the &lt;strong&gt;Tools —&gt; Striking&lt;/strong&gt; section&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Stance&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;When you are standing right foot forward, your right punch and right&#xA;  leg become the main offensive weapons because of their advanced&#xA;  position. With your right foot and your right hand much close to your&#xA;  opponent than the left. The same is true for the left stance position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Origin&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The delivery of the punch is different from the traditional gung fu.&#xA;  First of all, the punch is never positioned on the hip, nor does it&#xA;  start from there. This way of delivering is unrealistic and exposes&#xA;  too great an area to protect. Of course, this also adds unnecessary&#xA;  distance to travel towards the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Power&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In Jeet Kune Do, never strike your opponent with your fist only; you&#xA;  strike with your whole body. In other words, you should not hit with&#xA;  just your arm power; the arms are there as a means to transmit the&#xA;  great force with the correct timing of feet, waist , shoulder and&#xA;  wrist motion at great speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Delivery&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Instead of coming from the shoulder, the punch is thrown from the&#xA;  center of the body in the form of a vertical fist, thumb up, and&#xA;  straight toward the front of your own nose. The nose is the centre&#xA;  guiding line. The wrist is turned &lt;em&gt;downward&lt;/em&gt; before delivery and is&#xA;  immediately &lt;em&gt;straightened upon impact&lt;/em&gt; to add a corkscrew effect to&#xA;  the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Moral&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The important point is not to have any classical &quot;get-set&quot; posture or&#xA;  preparatory movements prior to delivering the straight punch — or any&#xA;  punch for that matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And with this, Bruce asserts what you would hear from many other master practitioners of martial arts. There is no one way to get things done.&#xA;Find a way that works for you—taking into consideration your body type, speed, agility, mindset and situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1333" LastActivityDate="2013-09-03T17:22:51.270" CommentCount="0" CommunityOwnedDate="2013-09-03T17:22:51.270" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2183" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2180" CreationDate="2013-09-03T17:42:00.647" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The use of the Naginata in martial arts, &lt;em&gt;naginatajutsu&lt;/em&gt;, is practiced in Bujinkan, Koryū (古流) and Kobudō (古武道) schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1333" LastActivityDate="2013-09-03T17:42:00.647" CommentCount="3" CommunityOwnedDate="2013-09-03T17:42:00.647" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2184" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="907" CreationDate="2013-09-03T17:59:31.940" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;So far as my knowledge reaches, I can only answer the first part of your question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, there are many arts which practice the spinning kick. My favorite: Capoeira. The &quot;back spinning heel kick&quot; is generally known as &quot;Meia Lua de Compasso&quot;—variations may apply. The &quot;back spinning hook kick&quot; is known as the &quot;Gancho&quot;—again, variations may apply across schools&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1333" LastEditorUserId="1333" LastEditDate="2014-10-23T14:12:14.923" LastActivityDate="2014-10-23T14:12:14.923" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2185" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2144" CreationDate="2013-09-03T18:17:19.147" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;All martial arts—if properly understood—can lead to &amp;quot;spiritual peace&amp;quot; (that's in quotes because in context, this would mean [the second half of] &amp;quot;calm&amp;quot;; but explaining that is a whole chapter of a book).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Examples&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ju Do&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;quot;judo&amp;quot; (the gentle way). Understand its concepts and you need not exert any strength at all.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tai Chi&lt;/strong&gt;: Understanding the forces of nature and how to channel them through human movements. Yang and Wu styles are recommended: Chen style may be too far a reach right now.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wing Chun&lt;/strong&gt;: It's purposefulness in direct hits trains one to zero out all distractions focusing on an immediate goal.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Capoeira&lt;/strong&gt;: Constant movement of body and soul in music and dance for war and peace… a balance of the inner self.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jeet Kune Do&lt;/strong&gt;: …need I say more about this? A derived from Wing Chun by Bruce Lee to maximize power while being miserly with motion.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;… the list can go on and on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Only main stream martial art I wouldn't recommend you start with is Muay Thai. This is by no means to diminish its prowess. But Muay Thai was developed to—in my terms—weaponize the human. In my opinion, this should not be practiced as a martial art until one realizes the difference between the subject-object splits between the self and the body—it may be practiced as a weapon of mass destructions though; &amp;quot;mass&amp;quot; as in body and &amp;quot;mass&amp;quot; as in many.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1333" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-09-03T18:17:19.147" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2186" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="825" CreationDate="2013-09-03T18:45:20.233" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Everyone is talking about strength… good but unnecessary. It is good to have strong arms—and I am pretty sure you already do—to hold you up upside-down. But if you have the wrong technique, strength will always fail. If not, how does water continually seep into rocks when rocks have spent all their evolution perfecting the art of hardness?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key/idea behind a bananeira is your centre of gravity—the fourth point in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/826/1333&quot;&gt;Bolinha's answer&lt;/a&gt;. (p.s it would be rather artistic is Bolinha also thought about this and made this the middle point—i.e. central point—in listings.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To get better at this, you need a wall, a tree or some vertical post.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do a half forward flip with your hands near (but not at) the foot of the wall, your legs should be up against the wall.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Support yourself this way for a while and get to understand your imbalance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Once you feel ready, push slightly off the wall and try to maintain a straight back.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The key is to have your shoulders and hips on the same vertical line.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When you begin to feel unstable, fall back to the wall and reiterate from 2.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you get the technique, you would understand why strength is not needed, you will understand why even &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_WUzUhzXww&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kids can do the bananeira&lt;/a&gt;—well, in this case, bananeira tres apoios (:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1333" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-09-03T18:45:20.233" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2187" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2179" CreationDate="2013-09-04T13:16:55.820" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Okinawan kobudo (weapons training) has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinbe-rochin&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;short-spear and shield combination&lt;/a&gt; called the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.reimondo.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Tinbe.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;tinbe (shield) and rochin (shortspear)&lt;/a&gt;. Purportedly, the shield was made of a tortoise shell, which is now illegal, causing modern versions to be made from plastic. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The tradition of Okinawan weapons is often associated with Okinawan and Japanese karate but it is also studied independently in traditions such as that of Shinken Taira (pictured below). Tinbe/rochin practice is less common among karateke than practice of sai, bo, and so on. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hNCX6.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Shinken Taira, Okinawan kobudo guru, brandishing a tinbe and rochin&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-09-04T13:16:55.820" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2188" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1411" CreationDate="2013-09-04T17:46:24.230" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In general a slightly modified shadow box (like one that used to display war medals) might work depending on the size/kind of weapons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If money is not an object, I would suggest commissioning one from a carpenter who can also set in glass. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of protecting and preserving the weapons, the case alone will not be enough. The weapons will need to be protected from rust. This can be done with a anti-rust/anti-water coating. It can also be assisted with a dehumidifier. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="182" LastActivityDate="2013-09-04T17:46:24.230" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2190" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2013-09-05T18:16:36.627" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think there is definitely more depth to the differences between ITF and WTF than the country of origin (which in this case is actually both South Korea although ITF is known as North Korean because of General Choi Hong Hi's exile from South Korea). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It really depends on what type of martial ART you are truly looking to learn. I would definitely say that WTF has a more aesthetic, fast-paced, and flashy art aspect to it whereas ITF is more about the art of how the human body could generate maximum power with the TKD techniques that ITF teaches. If you are interested in learning martial arts as a sport, try WTF. If you are looking for a martial art to teach you how to defend yourself properly, give ITF a shot. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cheers!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1338" LastActivityDate="2013-09-05T18:16:36.627" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2191" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2192" CreationDate="2013-09-06T04:22:00.287" Score="3" ViewCount="1056" Body="&lt;p&gt;I once heard a story about a Martial Art person who broke his hand after breaking the Tiles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The aim of story given below shows the mind power of a human being.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Actually I don't remember the exact name of that great person but know a little about the story, which is as follows:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once, a martial art athlete accepts a challenge to break (assumption) 50 tiles at one time. His friends and his masters tried to stop him, but the man did not step down from his determination. Even doctors advised him to not to do this; he refused all advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Breaking the Tiles:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The day came and he had broken all those tiles with one hand in first trial. He got an injury in his hand. Every bone was broken. He was literally bleeding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the spot, doctors had started their work so that they can help that man;  finally he was hospitalized. After looking at the bones/fracture reports, doctors concluded that the hand of that person is now no longer usable. Recovery is not possible; he got bed rest for around 6 months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mind Power:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During his hospitalization time, he started to think over it and used his mind power. He started to imagine that small people (like building construction labourers) are coming and walking on his broken hand and going into his mouth. After entering his body they go to the injured hand. A group of small people start to fix the injury by building slabs (like slab in building construction).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He thinks like this for around six months. Now, when doctors see him after six months, they are all shocked! They were all discussing that it's impossible to heal from injuries like a man had.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When the doctors asked the man how did he recovered from injury, the man explained about his mind visualisation, but the doctors did not believe the story told by man.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Moral:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The moral is we have a mind which is so powerful that we can recover from any injury like the man did.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to know the name of this man. I think there will be somebody who knows this man.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1340" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-06-04T19:41:50.877" LastActivityDate="2019-06-04T19:41:50.877" Title="Name of a martial artist who broke his hand when breaking tiles and recovered with the power of his mind" Tags="|training|mixed-martial-arts|injury|history|punching|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2192" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2191" CreationDate="2013-09-06T11:34:11.377" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a story by Joe Hyams in his book &lt;em&gt;Zen in the Martial Arts&lt;/em&gt; that is probably what you're thinking of, or comes from the same root. The tile breaking sounds different, but the &quot;men working&quot; visualization and miraculous recovery is identical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-09-06T11:34:11.377" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2195" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2180" CreationDate="2013-09-06T19:58:24.967" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just a brief introductory list for you:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;肥後古流 &lt;em&gt;Higo ko-ryū&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;天道流 &lt;em&gt;Tendo-ryū&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;戸田派武甲流 &lt;em&gt;Toda-ha Bukō-ryū&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;九鬼神伝流 &lt;em&gt;kukishinden-ryū&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;日下捕手開山竹内流 &lt;em&gt;Hinoshita Toride Kaizan Takenouchi-ryū&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;立身流 &lt;em&gt;Tatsumi-ryū&lt;/em&gt;,  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;水鷗流 &lt;em&gt;Suiō-ryū&lt;/em&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;柳生心眼流 &lt;em&gt;Yagyū Shingan-ryū&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;天真正伝香取神道流 &lt;em&gt;Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;鹿島新当流 &lt;em&gt;Kashima Shintō-ryū&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;馬庭念流 &lt;em&gt;Maniwa Nen-ryū&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;駒川改心流 &lt;em&gt;Komagawa Kaishin-ryū&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;鹿島神流 &lt;em&gt;Kashima-Shinryū&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;and a branch of 楊心流 &lt;em&gt;Yōshin-ryū&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;all teach 薙刀術 &lt;em&gt;naginatajutsu&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;em&gt;bujinkan&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;jinenkan&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;genbukan&lt;/em&gt; teach &lt;em&gt;naginatajutsu&lt;/em&gt; through 九鬼神伝流 &lt;em&gt;kukishinden-ryū&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're looking for a sport form (like &lt;em&gt;kendo&lt;/em&gt;), you might look into the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.naginata.org/inf/inf.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;International Naginata Federation&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2013-09-17T20:30:50.843" LastActivityDate="2013-09-17T20:30:50.843" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2196" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2181" CreationDate="2013-09-06T20:46:55.173" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Boxing... Western Boxing the &quot;popper&quot; way to stand for a jab is as follows &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jab hand being the forehand or the side closest to your opponent. Generally this is your weak side. If you are right handed then the power hand being your right hand is in the back with your left out front. keep your hands up in a defensive/protective fashion IE keep your hands up elbows in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your feet in this 'left hand lead' stance, your left foot up front and planted your right foot to the back and heel off the ground (on the ball of your foot). as you jab or cross your back foot does the pivoting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;however when your &quot;hook&quot; your shift your weight to the back foot and come up on the front foot and rotate with the hip on the front foot. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If my answer is unclear I will try to record a small video tonight in the gym and upload it to YouTube. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="726" LastActivityDate="2013-09-06T20:46:55.173" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2199" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2179" CreationDate="2013-09-09T19:11:57.407" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krabi_krabong&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Krabi Krabong&lt;/a&gt; the tradtional weapons art from Thailand has a panoply of arms, including different shields.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The shields are usually combined with offensive weapons. During a fight/show the participants often switch weapons/shields or pick up weapons others dropped. Thus many combinations are possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/rsTNw.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Two different shields used in Krabi Krabong&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastActivityDate="2013-09-09T19:11:57.407" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2200" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2181" CreationDate="2013-09-10T11:08:10.477" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not a boxer, I have almost zero boxing experience, but I've seen several valid approaches to footwork during the jab. The two I've been shown most commonly are a Jack Dempsey-style jab with a heavy forward step and a jab with no step, pivoting the front foot on the ball of the foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't speak to the jabs you've seen or the examples you describe, but there are multiple ways to throw a jab that are appropriate in different situations. People favor one or another due to strategy or personal preference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-09-10T11:08:10.477" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2201" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="589" CreationDate="2013-09-12T17:44:40.467" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kalari is greater than all martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A person who has learnt kalari can fight with others easily, because they have good knowledge of dangerous parts of the body. They can kill other MA practitioners quietly. They practice hard in defence or attack, with sword, axe, stick, urumi, charika, or otta knife. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my place many kung fu blackbelts have fought with kurickal (an experienced practitioner of kalari). They fall down in very few minutes. They lost badly because of the kurickal's tactical movement. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many such incidents in Kerala state.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1349" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-12-19T09:35:14.173" LastActivityDate="2016-12-19T09:35:14.173" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2202" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1487" CreationDate="2013-09-12T20:57:02.510" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A main use is to trap the opponent's foot in place - combined with the hooking hand this twists the body up exposing (for example) the kidneys. Additionally it could represent a 'bumping kick', used to displace the kneecap. Another common application is to hook behind the foot, setting up for a stance change to bow stance used to straighten out the opponent's leg and again attack the knee. I hope these suggestions are helpful!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1350" LastActivityDate="2013-09-12T20:57:02.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2204" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-09-13T06:08:44.397" Score="26" ViewCount="10027" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there any &quot;style&quot; or self-defence that teaches techniques against chainsaw attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;E.g. if somebody attacks you like this &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYSa8gRvxCg&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't now how to defend myself. Either I could run away or attack him before he start the chainsaw. But what then when the chainsaw is running? The chainsaw is quite heavy so he cannot practice fast movements, but still is there some guidance or techniques that teach defence against chainsaws?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;UPDATE for people who have never used any chainsaw before.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A chainsaw that is turned on and the trigger pressed cannot be touched  or blocked (the blade) using your hands or legs or any of your body part, as the chain has 10,000 - 14,000 RPM. This is unless you are wearing a special suit that is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buI2rvd-yAg&quot;&gt;used by professional lumberjacks&lt;/a&gt; and even then it's not 100% and depends on the angle etc. It will tear your &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZsfGIizMoQ&quot;&gt;tissue very badly&lt;/a&gt; even when you touch it just a little. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A chainsaw will eventually run out of petrol, at this point it is a rather ineffective weapon.&quot; Hmm, unfortunately the level of gas is not an issue. It can run for as long as half an hour if started and the trigger is continuously pressed. If trigger is not pressed all the time it can run even longer, of course. And it depends on the chainsaw type etc. If you have an electric chainsaw, you can run it indefinitely, however you are limited by the length of the electric cable/cord.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdwC4vhc594&quot;&gt;Only Chuck Norris can stop a chainsaw blade with his hand!&lt;/a&gt;. Everyone else will fail.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1243" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-04-09T09:49:36.850" LastActivityDate="2016-10-03T09:57:06.123" Title="Self-defense against chainsaw attack" Tags="|weapons|self-defense|" AnswerCount="16" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2205" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2204" CreationDate="2013-09-13T07:08:54.807" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's a somewhat contrived question, but I will answer as if it wasn't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;a chainsaw (even a smaller one) has a reasonable weight, if you cannot out sprint the attacker then you clearly need to do some work on your fitness (note I'm excluding the fact you might be injured (maybe chainsaw guy already removed one of your legs?!!)). &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;a chainsaw is similar to any large two handed bladed weapon. When swung there will be a significant carry-through in the motion, leaving you plenty of time to counter attack. Additionally the swing will be rather clumsy and slow.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;a chainsaw will eventually run out of petrol, at this point it is a rather ineffective weapon. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I would consider a knife to be more of a dangerous weapon than a chainsaw as the knife is silent, can be wielded in one hand, and you have a far greater attack speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2013-09-13T07:08:54.807" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2206" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2204" CreationDate="2013-09-13T08:43:36.137" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;A brick to the head is a great counter to a chainsaw. Or to anything, come to think of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Update: Since I am forced to give more than one line answers, let me explain: a brick can be thrown. It is hard and heavy and can crush the skull of the chainsaw wielder. If your skull is crushed, you will die. If you are dead, you can't attack people with chainsaws anymore.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2013-09-13T11:10:18.680" LastActivityDate="2013-09-13T11:10:18.680" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2207" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2204" CreationDate="2013-09-13T08:47:48.560" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I doubt there are styles specifically training against chainsaw attacks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What should work is a long (longer than the chainsaw) hardened object like a metal pole.&#xA;With that one should be able to ward of the chainsaw, as it cannot cut the pole or else will destroy the chain, thus making the chainsaw useless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1019" LastActivityDate="2013-09-13T08:47:48.560" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2208" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2204" CreationDate="2013-09-13T20:03:13.863" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;For any kind of a weapon like this, whether it is a sword, staff, knife, chainsaw, axe, you name it, you want to be one of two places:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Outside its range - Obviously if you are outside the range of the weapon + the wielders reach, then they can't hit you with it (Short of throwing it). Being outside the reach of the weapon also gives you the opportunity to just run away, unless you happen to be in a blind alley or similar.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Inside its range - This is not as desirable, as you can still sustain damage, but in the case of a chainsaw, your modes should either be a) flee, or b) survive. If you can be inside the range (Which in this case means just about chest to chest), then you minimize to negate the advantage of the weapon, and any damage that is done is more likely not to be immediately fatal.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And though it may sound harsh, if you are attacked by someone with a chain saw and you can't run, then it may come down to you having to sacrifice a hand/arm to be able to get in and disable the attacker. The bottom line is your own survival, even if that means you sustain serious damage in the process. Better handless than dead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2013-09-13T20:03:13.863" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2209" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9143" CreationDate="2013-09-14T15:47:40.140" Score="18" ViewCount="3311" Body="&lt;p&gt;During his tenure as president, Theodore Roosevelt held a third-degree brown belt in Judo (according to &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that in standard ranking systems, a third-degree brown belt is just below Black Belt, and just below an understanding of all the tenets of Judo, but what I don't know is if that was true in the first decade of the 1900's, or in America at that time.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What degree of expertise would a third-degree brown belt indicate for the president? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1355" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-05-29T07:49:54.580" LastActivityDate="2023-03-02T20:57:22.523" Title="What Level Of Expertise Did Theodore Roosevelt Have In Judo?" Tags="|judo|history|belt|grading|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2210" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2209" CreationDate="2013-09-14T15:57:53.300" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mentalfloss.com/article/18438/theodore-roosevelt-mojo-dojo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://mentalfloss.com/article/18438/theodore-roosevelt-mojo-dojo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to this document. he was the first brown belt in America.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1356" LastActivityDate="2013-09-14T15:57:53.300" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2211" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2209" CreationDate="2013-09-14T21:01:50.647" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;A third degree brown belt is the lowest level of brown belt, not the highest, and is thus the furthest from black belt. A black belt does also not denote an understanding of all the tenets of judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A third-degree brown belt means that you're not a total novice to the art. Sometimes it means even less.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Teddy Roosevelt was a tough guy who liked many combat sports. He was also a major political figure. When he trained a little jiu-jitsu, someone gave him a minor rank. The practice of giving Presidents rank in martial arts is fairly common and &lt;a href=&quot;http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/11/obama-lee-myungbak-korea-black-belt.html&quot;&gt;doesn't always reflect anything beyond goodwill&lt;/a&gt;. In this case, it probably meant that Teddy could play competently with the judo guys who he trained with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-09-14T21:01:50.647" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2212" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-09-15T02:20:15.603" Score="3" ViewCount="4701" Body="&lt;p&gt;Quick Question, were ninja still active during WW2? If not, when did they stop being utilized?  If so, any accounts worth sharing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1357" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2013-09-18T14:12:07.137" LastActivityDate="2016-07-26T15:45:06.957" Title="Were ninja still active during WW2?" Tags="|ninjutsu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2215" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2212" CreationDate="2013-09-15T20:25:06.013" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no evidence to support the &lt;em&gt;ninja&lt;/em&gt; being active much further than the Edo Period. &lt;em&gt;Fujita Seiko&lt;/em&gt; was claimed to have taught &lt;em&gt;ninjutsu&lt;/em&gt; at &lt;em&gt;Rikugun Nakano Gakko&lt;/em&gt; (Nakano School for Military Intelligence), but there's no evidence to support these claims.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially, the historical record of the &lt;em&gt;shinobi&lt;/em&gt; ends with the Shimabara Rebellion (1637-1638). &quot;Men from Kōga&quot; were employed by &lt;em&gt;Tokugawa Iemitsu&lt;/em&gt; to steal into and survey &lt;em&gt;Hara&lt;/em&gt; Castle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are similarities between the &lt;em&gt;ninja&lt;/em&gt; and the &lt;em&gt;Oniwabanshu&lt;/em&gt; (Garden Keepers – the secret intelligence service of &lt;em&gt;Tokugawa Yoshimune&lt;/em&gt; in the early 18th century); however, there is no evidence from contemporary records naming the &lt;em&gt;Oniwabanshu&lt;/em&gt; as &lt;em&gt;shinobi&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit:&lt;/strong&gt; A Last Account of &lt;em&gt;Shinobi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, I can't effectively corroborate this story. It was told to me by a friend after he visited the Iga Ninja Museum in &lt;em&gt;Iga-Ueno&lt;/em&gt;, while explaining a picture of a document in, if I recall correctly, Portuguese.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Toward the end of the &lt;em&gt;Momoyama&lt;/em&gt; Period, Japan began to close itself off. Before the Portuguese were effectively kicked out of Japan following the &lt;em&gt;Shimabara&lt;/em&gt; Rebellion, a small cadre of &lt;em&gt;shinobi&lt;/em&gt; were sent onto a ship to steal what was believed to be important documents proving espionage. Supposedly, since none of the agents could read Portuguese, what they came back with was a hand written document in Portuguese that amounted to a bawdy poem. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Supposedly, this was considered a complete disgrace, and signaled the beginning of the end for the &lt;em&gt;shinobi&lt;/em&gt; as reliable agents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="25" LastEditDate="2013-09-18T14:27:31.663" LastActivityDate="2013-09-18T14:27:31.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2216" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2204" CreationDate="2013-09-16T15:27:29.310" Score="17" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's this art form called Running. It defends against almost any handheld, especially heavy, melee weaponry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;How to defend using &lt;em&gt;Running&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Observe position of chainsaw and its wielder.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Distance yourself out of arms (+ chainsaw) reach: this should be some six to eight feet.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Turn away from the chainsaw.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Engage feet and quads in Running.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do not stop until the revving of the chainsaw can no longer be heard&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Not every situation calls for contact.&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1333" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-09-16T15:27:29.310" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2217" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2416" CreationDate="2013-09-16T20:05:33.737" Score="7" ViewCount="405" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am curious what Asain arts would have techniques that would be useful in Armored Combat League. Armored combat league is a combat sport done in armor promo vid with explanation: &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20171008043427/http://www.aclknights.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://web.archive.org/web/20171008043427/http://www.aclknights.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are group competitions, like this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnpQvAcOclg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnpQvAcOclg&lt;/a&gt;. The rules are basic; a standing fighter is in the fight, the team with all its fighters knocked down loses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The one on one competition is a three round competition, each round fought with different weapons First is bastard/greatsword, second is sword and buckler, third is sword and heater shield. The matches are scored based on successful sword blows. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qifBexJuk-8&amp;amp;list=TLXj08VAiaWu8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qifBexJuk-8&amp;amp;list=TLXj08VAiaWu8&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that Judo throws would be great for the group competition. Naginatajutsu would be useful for handling a pole arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="182" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2021-05-26T10:41:12.113" LastActivityDate="2021-05-27T02:41:35.220" Title="Supplementary Asian arts for Modern Medieval Armored Combat" Tags="|weapons|grappling|sport|shield|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2218" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2180" CreationDate="2013-09-17T01:38:13.997" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do &lt;a href=&quot;http://seishinkan.info/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Seishinkan Bujutsu&lt;/a&gt;, and we use a naginata as an optional part of the training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1360" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2013-09-17T10:49:20.143" LastActivityDate="2013-09-17T10:49:20.143" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2219" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2013" CreationDate="2013-09-17T19:56:34.790" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Nothing wrong with either your BJJ or judo schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you move up the ranks in BJJ you'll be exposed to more throws and the same goes for newaza in Judo. But like you said, BJJ is focused on the ground and Judo is focused on standing. You'll mainly train for the primary aspect of each sport, especially as a lower belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also seen a BJJ school never practice takedowns until a week or two before competitions, and even then it's practiced very lightly. The justifications:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's easy to get hurt practicing throws without practicing break&#xA;falls as much as you do in Judo, so the time and effort is channeled&#xA;towards practicing more ground techniques instead.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A throw is only worth 2 points in BJJ tournaments.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also mix BJJ &amp;amp; Judo. I think it gives a good confidence boost at the start of a BJJ match. And it's fun to train both - feels fresh going back and forth between BJJ and judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1362" LastActivityDate="2013-09-17T19:56:34.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2220" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2217" CreationDate="2013-09-19T00:41:23.140" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;At a guess, any of the Escrima/Kali guys that like the dog brothers.  &lt;a href=&quot;http://dogbrothers.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://dogbrothers.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Their sparring is geared for a semi no rules with weapons ( often wearing protective gear similar to armour )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;see &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CELN-DQI5qc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CELN-DQI5qc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2013-09-19T00:41:23.140" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2221" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2217" CreationDate="2013-09-19T07:43:02.240" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would think that Kendo is an obvious one. Especially since at its core, it teaches you to command the center and make your opponent open himself up before striking. This principle translates well into almost any art. Also, it teaches sword fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And don't knock fencing. It's surprisingly potent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-09-19T07:43:02.240" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2222" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2034" CreationDate="2013-09-19T15:24:02.637" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bourne's techniques come from a mix of Escrima/Kali and JKD, which makes sense, considering the martial arts consultant. It is most assuredly &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; straight JKD, but Sijo Bruce influenced Guro Dan, and Guro Dan influenced Sijo Bruce. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Source 1: Jeff Imada, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XCCFBNV--o&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XCCFBNV--o&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Source 2: My instructor, Guro Rick Tucci, Full Instructor under Guro Dan.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2013-09-19T15:24:02.637" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2223" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2224" CreationDate="2013-09-19T21:31:21.510" Score="7" ViewCount="10273" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've seen videos of extreme martial artists who can do some very amazing aerial stunts from a running, standing, sitting, kneeling, or even laying down position.  I have also seen parkour videos of people doing similar stunts.  This begs the question, is parkour a subset of a larger system or school of martial arts?  Or are the fascinating acrobatics of parkour present in many advanced forms of martial art?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1364" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-12-09T11:39:53.517" LastActivityDate="2015-12-09T11:39:53.517" Title="Which martial art is most closely related to parkour?" Tags="|tricking|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2224" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2223" CreationDate="2013-09-20T07:58:46.260" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;Parkour is more closely related to gymnastics and acrobatics than proper martial arts (even though one of the creator of modern gymnastic was Georges Hébert a French physical educator who invented &quot;the natural method&quot; which consists of basic conditioning and technical moves that is still used in a few countries for the military training, this method was considered to be a martial art). That beign said, I believe classic Ninjutsu is the closest fit. Ninjutsu (or whatever the actual Ninja called it) was about more than just fighting: it was about infiltration, stealth and getting the hell out of there when the job was done. This naturally entailed being able to get into and out of places unseen, or if that fails, as quickly as possible. Oftentimes taking an unorthodox route.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I won't claim to be an expert, but my knowledge stems mostly from the books I have read on the history of feudal Japan. However, to spare you a lecture, read this: &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninjutsu#History&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninjutsu#History&lt;/a&gt;. From the link:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Ninjutsu can also involve training in &lt;strong&gt;free running&lt;/strong&gt;, disguise, &lt;strong&gt;escape&lt;/strong&gt;, concealment, archery, and medicine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, to vindicate myself after I was accused of being ignorant for a different but related answer, please note the following line from the link:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;At some point the skills of espionage became known collectively as ninjutsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="5847" LastEditDate="2015-05-19T09:08:30.707" LastActivityDate="2015-05-19T09:08:30.707" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2225" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2217" CreationDate="2013-09-20T12:55:43.923" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;As this is an extremely broad question, it befits an extremely broad answer. Any technique can be applied with varying degrees of success, whether armed or armored. Much of the &lt;em&gt;kuden&lt;/em&gt; of the &lt;em&gt;Bujinkan&lt;/em&gt; for instance is related to the sameness of arms and armor, and how techniques do not necessarily change with respect to equipment, and ultimately the goal of martial training is &lt;strong&gt;no&lt;/strong&gt; technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, armed, a weapon used in a wrist lock becomes a force amplifier. Meanwhile, armor restricting movement of the arm can effectively lock the opponent earlier, allowing the application of additional leverage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What's important is not the technique, but your application of the underlying principles. Exempli gratia, the aforementioned &quot;wrist lock&quot; is not about locking the wrist, but about locking the elbow, shoulder, hips, knees, and ankles, in that order. It's the understanding of these principles that will allow you to apply &quot;techniques&quot; against an opponent, in varying levels of force, and regardless of equipment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2013-09-20T12:55:43.923" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2226" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2223" CreationDate="2013-09-20T13:31:35.297" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Parkour is a style of free running based on the philosophy of &lt;em&gt;Gymnastique Naturelle de Georges Hébert&lt;/em&gt;. It is centered around the efficient movement from one place to another regardless of impediment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Much of what you see is not martial arts, but a style of acrobatic performance art called XMA (eXtreme Martial Arts), spawned in gyms and dance studios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The difference between the infiltration techniques in &lt;em&gt;ninjutsu&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;shinobi-no-jutsu&lt;/em&gt;, and parkour are mostly about speed. &lt;em&gt;Shinobi&lt;/em&gt; were not averse to taking their time. Climbing a wall was not about doing so quickly, but doing so whilst avoiding detection. On that note, to say there is similarity is to say there's similarity between bowling and baseball an account that a round object is being thrown. Efficiency in &lt;em&gt;ninjutsu&lt;/em&gt; may be exchanged for stealth as warranted; no such thought is given in Parkour.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, certain techniques are incredibly similar. For instance, around 1917, &lt;em&gt;Gingetsu Itoh&lt;/em&gt; wrote &lt;em&gt;Gendaijin no Ninjutsu&lt;/em&gt;, of &quot;Ninjutsu for the Modern Man&quot;. In it, he attempts to set the record straight, amidst a &quot;ninja boom&quot; at the time, what it meant to be &lt;em&gt;ninja&lt;/em&gt;. Now, apparently, he may actually be the source of the term &quot;&lt;em&gt;ninjutsu&lt;/em&gt;&quot;, since most prior records use &quot;&lt;em&gt;shinobi-no-jutsu&lt;/em&gt;&quot; or just &quot;&lt;em&gt;shinobijutsu&lt;/em&gt;&quot; (I'm still slowly working my way through the text; my Japanese reading is slow). Anyhow, that said, in it, there are references to techniques for climbing and wall running very similar to Parkour. However, this was written in the early 20th century, and is not contemporary of the &lt;em&gt;shinobi&lt;/em&gt; at their height. Therefore, usually the &quot;big 3&quot; (&lt;em&gt;Shoninki&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Bansenshukai&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;Ninpiden&lt;/em&gt;) are considered authoritative sources for all things &quot;&lt;em&gt;ninja&lt;/em&gt;&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basic acrobatics (rolling, leaping, and even cartwheels and flips) exist in many forms of martial arts. Generally, however, their use is in clearing large amounts of distance quickly, or applying total bodyweight into a technique. They are rarely flashy, and anything seen as entertaining or amazing is likely not from martial arts themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2013-09-20T13:31:35.297" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2227" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2223" CreationDate="2013-09-20T13:56:08.403" Score="7" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capoeira&quot;&gt;Capoeira&lt;/a&gt; is a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance,acrobatics and music, and is sometimes referred to as a game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did this for a couple of months. There were some kicks, and a lot of acrobatics - flying kicks, back-flips, running against a wall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="485" LastActivityDate="2013-09-20T13:56:08.403" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2228" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2204" CreationDate="2013-09-23T14:29:47.337" Score="23" Body="&lt;p&gt;Interesting...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Assumptions&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider for a moment the &quot;Chainsaw-Wielding Killer&quot; of your apparent nightmares. Assume, for a moment, a weight of approximately 8.3 lbs. (Roughly 7.4 lbs. for a lightweight chainsaw, another .9 lbs. for fuel, using the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/homeowner-saws/ms192ce/&quot;&gt;Stihl MS 192 C-E&lt;/a&gt; as a guide) – roughly twice the weight of a european bastard sword. Said killer could:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wield the weighty weapon by the rear hand guard and handle, making his effective range arm length + a rough 2.5 feet (estimating 1 foot in length for the handle and motor, and 1.5 feet for the bar). I'm about 6', so assume and effective range of about 8.5' for a man my size. This would give greater range, but make the weapon clumsy and less easily controlled.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wield the weighty weapon by both the rear hand guard and the center support handle. This would give greater control, but would remove roughly 2.5 feet from effective range - one foot from moving a hand up halfway down the saw, and a foot and a half (give or take) from your ability to extend your arms.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Clearly, the goal would be to harm you and not himself, so an average attacker might be expected to forego range in favor of control especially given such a heavy weapon, which would make scenario 2 our likely candidate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Facing a Chainsaw&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The nature of the weapon tells us two things:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The weapon is no more effective than a stone at a distance, as it cannot run without the trigger depressed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It is most effective in a 1.5' range from the end of the bar to the motor.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These two being given, we can assume there are two relatively safe places to be. First, outside the effective range of the attacker; the second is inside the effective range of the attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Rule 1: Cardio&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you happen to find yourself outside the effective range of the attacker, stay there. Your goal is to put distance between yourself and the attacker, preferably with impediment. Climbing over walls is going to be difficult while lugging an additional 8 lbs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning to escape from an attacker is similar to escaping surveillance: you have to be willing to do what the other person is not. Climbing up high only to jump off of a building can buy you time, if you know how to disperse the energy of the fall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Moving into a public space is going to make it very hard for a chainsaw wielding killer to harm you. Not only is he going to look quite conspicuous, but he's also going to have a lot of trouble getting through a crowd while running with a chainsaw (it's a hinderance, not a help).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;em&gt;Muto Dori&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The techniques for fighting an attacker with a chainsaw are the same for fighting an attacker with a sword, but likely easier. Getting inside the bar will put you inside the range of the chain. Examples would be:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;As the attacker raises the chainsaw to slash down, follow him in and push up on the handle as you continue to drive through, letting the excess weight carry him backward. Alternately, take the handles, pull down as you turn to throw the attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If he lunges to drive the chainsaw forward, lunge forward on a 45° angle to move inside, and keep close. Attack to the head to drive the chin upward to carry him back.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Leap backward to avoid a slash across the abdomen, move to the outside to attack.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you find yourself wrestling for the chainsaw, remember that resistance has a direction, push until he pushes back then pull to imbalance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you find yourself in this situation, you are likely going to die. That said, whatever you do is correct and you should not worry about technique. Your best approach is to do whatever comes instinctually naturally to you, and to push yourself to act. The only wrong move is not to move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2013-09-23T14:29:47.337" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2229" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1035" CreationDate="2013-09-23T16:00:40.363" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should try keep your muscles in shape by doing light exercise without harming any damaged part (if it is the joint, then avoid exercise with impact. Walk and make rotations in water, or do exercise in the air with some weight attached to the leg). After some light training, take a rest until your tone gets normal. This is to check if all goes well. Depending on the results you may repeat this the next day, perhaps a bit harder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1369" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-09-27T07:22:18.797" LastActivityDate="2013-09-27T07:22:18.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2231" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1035" CreationDate="2013-09-24T14:20:42.987" Score="1" Body="&lt;h2&gt;What Is A Bruise&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A bruise is a rupturing of the capillaries under the skin which causes blood to pool in the adjacent tissues. Swelling and increased pressure from the bleeding causes the firing of nerve endings in the area, which the brain translates as pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Treating a Bruise&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruising heals in accordance with the severity of the damage to the tissues, and the aptitude of the human being in question to heal damage. For instance, consider two people receiving the same blunt force trauma to the same area; one may have a smaller bruise than the other due to increased genetic capacity to produce coagulating factors – this person will heal more quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Standard treatment is RICE: Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rest&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; - Decrease strain to the area. Continued pressure to the area will increase inflammation, which will prolong healing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ice&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; - Inflammation reducer; Recommended at 20 minutes per hour, with ice wrapped within a towel to prevent ischemia or frostbite.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Compression&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; - Prevents edematous swelling. Under normal circumstances, lymph fluid flows to the site to protect the injury. However, this can cause increased pressure, which increases pain and inhibits healing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elevation&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; - Elevating early will prevent additional blood from pooling at the site, minimizing pressure and appearance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, it is recommended that anti-inflammatories (preferably NSAIDs, never Aspirin) are used to reduce pain and swelling. Some topical creams, such as those containing mucopolysaccharide polysulfuric acid, retinol, or alpha hydroxy acids can help increase healing or reduce appearance of bruises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Risks of Bruises&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruising is often not a problem. However, part of being responsible in your practice and care is about knowing the risks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruises are pools of blood, and therefore susceptible to clotting. Clotting can increase pressure in an area, causing nearby major blood vessels to receive additional pressure, effectively closing them off and preventing blood flow to other tissues; this is known as Compartment Syndrome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, small blood clots can break away and be swept back into the blood vessels as an embolus, causing an obstruction to the blood vessel. Obstructions can lead to infarcts, in which the surrounding tissue is deprived of oxygen, resulting in necrosis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Much as how any strike can be deadly, so too can any bruise. Caring for your body means prevention as much as treatment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2013-09-24T14:20:42.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2232" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1411" CreationDate="2013-09-24T14:58:37.007" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a few things at issue here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Space&lt;/strong&gt; - If space is at a minimum, typically I would look at wall mounting. In this case, you're looking at a cabinet with a glass or perspex front. A long wall may be required for pole arms, but typically you're looking at 3&quot; deep hooks to support the item, which would mean you'd want a 4-5&quot; deep frame. I would recommend either a book-hinged door, or a slide sliding front.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cost&lt;/strong&gt; - Museum Quality display cases are extremely expensive. For example, a small archival quality display case can be as much as $800 - 1000 USD. Much smaller vitrines will still cost at least half that. So why would you want to pay so much?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Museum Quality cases are usually made of treated fiberboard that does not off-gas, which means that your display is not contributing to the decay of the items you're seeking to protect from tampering to begin with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any suitably large display will require significant upkeep; low quality casings will require even more upkeep.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Value&lt;/strong&gt; - Are these items of any monetary worth, or purely sentimental? Either way, a distinct budget should be created to determine what the value of their continued care is to the owner. This will determine whether the investment is immediate, or should be spent in greater sums over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr/&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, this is a generic question, so there's not a lot that can be said with any specificity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, for archival and display options, I would choose &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.gaylord.com/listing.asp?H=4&amp;amp;PCI=132381&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Gaylord Museum&lt;/a&gt;, or I would opt for a local company with experience building museum displays. I would make a list of all the items inherited, sorted by material (which would have different optimal storage humidity), and speak to a customer service agent to meet my specific needs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A caveat, however; I'm the sort that believes that things worth owning are worth caring for. I own a few &lt;em&gt;denshō&lt;/em&gt; which I keep in archive displays which cost more than the books did. These are my choices and may not reflect yours or your friends. This is why I believe &quot;value&quot; to be a key deciding factor; not simply price.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2013-09-24T14:58:37.007" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2233" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2135" CreationDate="2013-09-24T15:54:10.360" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Interesting. My answer is going to be a bit all over the place, but stick with it, because the question you're asking isn't the issue you need to address.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Why Everyone is a Potential Threat&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The issue with potential threats is recognizing a threat and not fabricating a worry. When martial artists begin training, we're thrown into a situation where, for a few hours each week, we are attacked again and again and again. We are forced to throw around and to get thrown around by people that we then stand up, shake hands or bow, and &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;do it again&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. Then we go home.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Psychologically, this is a bit like Sub- and Top-drop in BDSM – a certain level of aftercare is necessary to bring an individual after a scene back to the real world. When my training group started going to dinner after class and talking about our experiences, we all improved. Incidents of fighting outside of class dropped. Overall stress levels decreased. Why? Because we were unwinding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you go to class and get your butt handed to you for a few hours then you go home; what happens? Maybe you sit up for a few hours, watch an action movie, or you do a project until you can sleep. Why? Because you have stress hormones coursing through your body. Let's say you go to sleep still amped up; what happens? You have stress dreams and you wake up most of the night. Your levels of cortisol and norepinephrine don't decrease, which makes you tired and edgy, and actually causes you to stress more. So, after a few days of this, you have a baseline stress level that's higher than the average person. Then you go to training again, burn off some nervous energy, feel good while you're doing it, then feel edgy again the rest of the week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, meanwhile, your stress trigger is becoming people that you know and trust. If you know and trust the people that you're training with (the ones who are getting your blood pumping), you're going to trigger harder off of people who you don't know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Recognizing Actual Threats&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Our brain is extremely adept at analyzing patterns. So when your partner glances at a particular portion of your body, your subconscious mind registers the glance, and prepares your body to move as you've trained.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, when someone on the street gives you a similar glance, your mind is saying &quot;This person is a threat - I know this pattern!&quot;. Train longer and you refine this pattern; no longer is the glance the warning you need, but the fist flying toward you, because you'll know you have plenty of time to move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts are as much about avoidance of threats as they are about combating those threats. When your brain starts to acknowledge the patterns that lead you to those actual dangerous moments, you will begin to avoid those situations more fully. If going down a dark alley leads you to getting mugged, you'll stop going down dark alleys. This same pattern recognition (in a primitive form) is why prairie dogs always hide when they see a shadow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You &lt;em&gt;must&lt;/em&gt; learn to train your body and mind to recognize reasonable threats from fears, and learn to react appropriately. This is going to start by breaking the pattern that you've already developed – namely, that everyone is a threat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2013-09-24T15:54:10.360" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2234" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2235" CreationDate="2013-09-24T20:37:16.003" Score="11" ViewCount="2265" Body="&lt;p&gt;A few years ago I practiced Muay Thai at a gym. I was there on and off for about 2.5 years. Due to a move and busy schedule *cough*lack of motivation*cough* I haven't practiced in about 2 years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yesterday I went to a new place that is near my home and the instructor there taught me a few things which are contrary to what I was taught before and I think may be a little dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I should say that both instructors, old and new, are accomplished fighters but I can tell that the old instructor is more traditional in his approach to Muay Thai as an art and the new instructor (on my first impression) approaches it more as a competitive sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the past I was taught to NOT straighten my arm when shadow boxing. I believe this is because it teaches me to control my arm better overall and will prevent injury when I don't land a punch by preventing me from hyper-extending my elbow accidentally. Last night the instructor specifically told me to straighten my elbow when shadow boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Similarly, I was previously taught to NOT straighten my supporting leg at all. Not at any time during any kicks or when guarding. I believe this was for greater balance and injury prevention when taking a strike to the leg. Last night I was instructed to do the opposite for the same reasons: better balance and injury prevention.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Who's right?? To be honest I feel like my original instructor is correct (overall) because the reasoning seems more sound to me. Obviously the instructor I worked with last night knows what he's talking about because, as I said, he is an accomplished fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What should I do? Do I try to erase the habits of the past and conform to the new instruction or something else?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;update:&lt;/strong&gt; I voiced my concern via email (gym owner emailed me to ask about my first impression) and I got a reply that I feel is satisfactory. He explained they teach that way to reach maximum power and that I am free to let my coach know that I will be doing my own thing on these points during practice and that he hopes to see me back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1373" LastEditorUserId="1373" LastEditDate="2013-09-26T17:17:00.887" LastActivityDate="2016-08-01T01:37:43.140" Title="Two Muay Thai teachers teach different techniques. Who's right(est)?" Tags="|teaching|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2235" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2234" CreationDate="2013-09-25T03:31:00.983" Score="10" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Obviously the instructor I worked with last night knows what he's talking about because, as I said, he is an accomplished fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This doesn't make him an accomplished &lt;em&gt;teacher&lt;/em&gt; at all.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;During your travels you will encounter different instructors with differing quality. You need to recognise when they are either not the best instructor for you, or when they are lacking competence or run a sloppy studio/dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both what I was taught and what I've experienced have shown me that you &lt;em&gt;do not&lt;/em&gt; straighten the arm fully when punching. I also mention this specifically to students, however I know that they'll eventually find out for themselves why it is important. An example of the injury that occur from this practice can be found here: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kendo.org.uk/articles/common-injuries-4-elbow-hyperextension/&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;British Kendo Association: Common Injuries 4: Elbow Hyperextension&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. To quote:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;An elbow hyperextension injury occurs when the elbow is forcefully extended beyond it normally physiological range of movement. There is a little bit more movement available but the ligaments function is to prevent the joint moving to the anatomical range of movement. Movement beyond this will result in a fracture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The increase in power you may get from the extra bit of travel has a high chance of resulting in an injury that can take months to heal properly.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You also shouldn't straighten the support leg while kicking - in fact I find it impossible to do so. Keeping the leg slightly bent keeps the muscles under load and more able to withstand a strike should your opponent kick it. Biomechanically it can also help at the moment of impact if you still have some extension available in the support leg. Even while in a traditional stance such as Zenkutsu Dachi, the back leg is still slightly bent while punching, and definitely (noticeably) bent while kicking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2013-09-27T23:20:14.073" LastActivityDate="2013-09-27T23:20:14.073" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2236" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2234" CreationDate="2013-09-25T09:25:13.797" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best thing to do is to consult a physiotherapist or biokineticist. If you're cheap like I am, you could also practice both techniques, one each week and write down how your joints feel after cooling down post-workout. The one that gives less discomfort is the better one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-09-25T09:25:13.797" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2237" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2234" CreationDate="2013-09-25T11:28:33.440" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The three most important factors in choosing a martial art are &#xA;1) Teacher&#xA;2) Teacher&#xA;3) Teacher&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It doesn't matter who is correct.  If you have concerns about safety after one visit to this teacher, then you should probably find a new teacher. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As others have said, an accomplished fighter may not know how to teach, and even if he knows how to teach may not know how to teach safely.   Responsible teachers are willing to sacrifice a bit of authenticity in exchange for a lot of safety. There are too many martial artists who have experienced career ending injuries.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2013-09-25T11:28:33.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2238" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2234" CreationDate="2013-09-25T14:09:33.120" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your logical fallacy is: &lt;a href=&quot;https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/assets/FallaciesPosterHigherRes.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Appeal to Authority&lt;/a&gt;! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is actually really common in martial arts; we assume that because our instructor has experience in a competition, but all this means is that the instructor was better in that match (and often we're simply taking their word on that experience).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nearly every art teaches to not fully extend limbs – the extra ~2% of power that you'd get isn't worth the joint damage, and potential for breakage in an actual fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Balance has nothing to do with a straight leg, either. Your leg can be locked out, but your shoulders not counteracting the tilt of your hips still keeps you off balance. A locked out leg would potentially result in a nice, clean break, though, so it'll be less trouble for the doctors to set.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, now, how do you determine who is more correct? Statistical probability. In an answer to a question &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/189/25&quot;&gt;What characteristics should I look for in a sensei?&lt;/a&gt; I posited that your observations of your potential new instructor should be compared to others, specifically those that are acknowledged widely to know what they're doing. As we're discussing Muay Thai in this instance, both instructors can and should be compared to any number of professionals collectively, and their combined average knowledge used to determine what is correct.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any good instructor will encourage you to explore other available instructors, whether or not they would recommend them. Use that opportunity to explore and find the truth between the bits of misinformation, and grow as a martial artist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;EDIT&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;: In Response to the Update&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is a copout for the instructor to teach something potentially injurious for the purpose of &quot;increased power&quot;, especially since the increase is negligible so far as good technique is concerned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider that full extension might gain you an additional 2 inches of reach, you're only adding a negligible amount of velocity with no additional mass. That extra distance is a minute factor in the equation of your power, but a major detraction from your capable years of functioning life on this planet. Those extra 2 inches will likely be countered by the increased contact time with the opponent, meanwhile the counter-force will be absorbed by your bones and joints rather than your muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to increase power, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/444/25&quot;&gt;increase power&lt;/a&gt;. Don't do potential damage to your body for minimal gain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-09-27T13:16:32.883" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2240" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1487" CreationDate="2013-09-27T01:03:37.793" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;That stance could be an accepting of an attack.  Then shift the weight forward and into the attacker.   It's an empty stance.  I think of it as rolling back, like pulling back on a sling shot, then let go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1378" LastActivityDate="2013-09-27T01:03:37.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2241" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2248" CreationDate="2013-09-30T16:50:04.553" Score="9" ViewCount="1750" Body="&lt;p&gt;I haven't practiced (Wing-Tsun) for a long time, but now I have a chance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my new dorm gym, there's a huge boxing bag (~2 meters tall, ~0.5 meter wide) and it is pretty hard/tough/firm (I don't know the appropiate word.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing is, after punching my hand is red, sometimes a bit bleeding, but I don't think it's a big deal. I think my skin will be harder and I won't notice it.&#xA;But my wrist really hurts, sometimes I can hardly knuckle (again, I don't know if this is the word).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should I wear bandages to protect my joints, or will I overcome this by continuing practice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1246" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-11-06T11:39:17.397" LastActivityDate="2014-05-20T19:34:57.057" Title="Should I wear bandages?" Tags="|equipment|training|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2242" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2241" CreationDate="2013-09-30T20:30:32.083" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yeah, you should wear wraps and bag gloves when you hit the heavy bag. If your hands are bleeding, that doesn't mean you're a tough guy. It means you didn't wear proper equipment. If your wrist gets injured, that doesn't mean you're training hard, it means you traded one hard training session for weeks of not training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should get wraps and bag gloves and probably find a boxing gym instead of wailing on the bag at home. This is exponentially more true if your wing chun didn't involve heavy bag work at least monthly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-09-30T20:30:32.083" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2243" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2241" CreationDate="2013-10-01T08:58:03.930" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bleeding &lt;strong&gt;is a big deal&lt;/strong&gt;.  You are damaging yourself and that is bad.  You should wear protective gear, improve your technique, and punch less hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, I hope you clean all the biohazard that you leaked on the bag...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2013-10-01T08:58:03.930" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2244" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2241" CreationDate="2013-10-01T10:09:38.833" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Masutatsu Oyama (the founder of Kyukushin full-contact Karate and enemy of bulls everywhere) said later in his life that he regrets doing all that damage to his hands to &quot;toughen them up&quot;. Granted, there is a bit of toughening that needs to be done, but it is mostly to increase the bone density of your hand, rather than the skin itself. This isn't something you'll achieve by hitting a bag. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll want to bandage your wrists to protect from sprains if you hit the bag off-center, and wear light gloves that protect your skin from friction-burns. The bag is there to get you used to the feeling of hitting an actual human opponent (and also cardio).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to strengthen your wrists, the best thing to do is to squeeze a tennis ball or wave a heavy sword/cricket bat/frying pan around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to toughen your skin, find a pile of concrete rubble and just dig through it. You don't have to scratch yourself. It's just the idea of working with dry, rough, solid objects that triggers your body's natural ability to protect itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To increase bone density, you need to take lots of calcium (either by drinking milk or taking supplements), as well as expose the relevant bones and joints to high impact exercises. Note: High-impact does not mean you need to pick a fight with a stone wall. For reference, road-running is considered high-impact exercise for the ankles and knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2013-10-01T10:20:12.817" LastActivityDate="2013-10-01T10:20:12.817" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2245" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2241" CreationDate="2013-10-01T10:16:49.553" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, you should. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should also do it correctly: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-basics/how-to-box/how-to-wrap-your-hands&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;How to wrap your hands&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastEditorUserId="718" LastEditDate="2013-10-10T09:33:31.560" LastActivityDate="2013-10-10T09:33:31.560" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2246" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2241" CreationDate="2013-10-01T13:58:27.003" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I rather think you should not focus on the power of your punches on the bag but rather on technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You Sun-Punch should actually by quiet relaxed and on impact you should put your body behind this. Performed correctly you will have almost no friction and bleeding will no longer be an issue. I've had the same issue in the past, worked in it and improved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing chun does not rely on brute force of your punches but on the flexibility it gives you to modify your punch into a tan/bong/pak sau and react and stick to the opponent. You can then flow in with punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training on a heavy bag should get your focus on speed and being relax. The strength will follow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1008" LastActivityDate="2013-10-01T13:58:27.003" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2247" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2251" CreationDate="2013-10-02T13:58:49.847" Score="3" ViewCount="342" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am practicing SCA swordfighting and have started to try to train to fight with the sword in my non dominant hand. &#xA;So far I find retrain my entire body mechanics. What is the best way to develop them?&#xA;I know that the only way to gain proficiency is practice, my question is: How do I get the most out practice? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="182" LastActivityDate="2013-10-29T16:27:11.540" Title="Switching to non dominant side stance" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2248" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2241" CreationDate="2013-10-02T18:14:42.933" Score="4" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Wear protection&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Cant stress this enough&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Irrespective of what some schools may teach, it is detrimental to you and your well being to constantly increase your tenacity in hopes that your body would get &amp;quot;used to it&amp;quot; someday. Train smart. Master technique. If your body deteriorates, you have lost your primary weapon. Take care of your body at all costs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1333" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-10-02T18:14:42.933" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2250" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1664" CreationDate="2013-10-02T18:29:38.363" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;lots of great advice on the horse stance, Progressively sitting lower in the stance by staying 10000 of a meter above  the height of possible loss of balance while the back is as straight as a pole. root, trust, relax the legs and let the blood flow up. what's the worst that could happen from sitting in the horse for hours, muscles twitchin? those bones and tendons will always support your weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1386" LastActivityDate="2013-10-02T18:29:38.363" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2251" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2247" CreationDate="2013-10-02T19:44:07.153" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The same way you learned on your dominant side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You didn't just pick up a sword and be a master swordsman on your dominant side. You had to learn the forms and practice them. You had to start slow, with simple motions, before you moved on to more complex combinations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same principle applies to your off-hand side. Start with slow, simple motions, and as you gain muscle and coordination, you'll be able to build on what you've learned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing you can do, outside of sword practice, is work to build coordination with your off hand. You can do this simply by using it more for things you'd normally use your main hand for, including things like eating with silverware, doodling (I don't recommend writing seriously, because that's a skill unto itself), and anything else that favors one side over the other. This will help you build coordination that will transfer to your sword practice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind, though, that it may not happen as fast with your off hand as it did with your dominant hand. The coordination that you have with your dominant hand is the culmination of a lifetime of training. Even if you never picked up a sword in your life, you will likely be more coordinated with your dominant hand than with your off hand. This is because you use your main hand all the time, whether you think about it or not. You've spent the past 20, 30, 40 years or more practicing doing things with your main hand, and some of this crosses over into your sword fighting. With your off hand, you don't have that luxury, and so have to start from a point much farther back than you did with your main hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, at the end of the day, the best way to get better at sword fighting is to practice sword fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="341" LastActivityDate="2013-10-02T19:44:07.153" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2252" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1384" CreationDate="2013-10-05T03:30:40.620" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been  in TKD and Martial arts for over 40 years. I have a master rank in TKD. I also have a traumatic brain injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This happens very seldom but the head gear in any sport does not&#xA;protect you from concussion as the violent movement of the head causes &#xA;the injury. I learned a long time ago to move my head away from a punch or kick.&#xA;This minimizes the impact if you get hit. I do this automatically especially in sparing or fighting. I got hurt in one step sparring where you punch and then stand still while the other person does a move. We were wearing head gear and the other black belt, the husband of the studio owner, for some reason decided to do full power hook kicks to my head while I was standing perfectly still after punching the air.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I just stood there and was practically knocked off my feet 5 times. I thought the head gear protected me, but concussion is the head snapping and the brain slamming into the skull. So I did something stupid and will pay for it the rest of my life. The blood seeped into my inner ear which caused inflammation and scaring which  destroyed the nerves in the balance system on my left side. 3 days later everything spun, and for 6 weeks while my brain learned to compensate. I have headaches and bouts with vertigo that will never go away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I continue training but I learned to say NO at the right times. I still fight in tournaments on occasion though i am getting old. You can get the same injury walking across the street and slipping on  a banana peel, riding a bike, or skateboarding, surfing, driving your car, etc.. You've got to live and accept a certain amount of risk in life, but be smart about it and protect yourself. I should have protected my self and stopped him after the fist kick. I doubt he has any idea what he did. I have had to learn forgiveness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me TKD and other martial arts are not about beating up people, self defense, or winning sparing. It is about the Chi and learning what is important in life. Helping others succeed in things in things they thought they never could do. I am also a black belt in several other styles. Believe it or not, if you want to dramatically increase your speed in TKD or Karate, take tai chi. These arts came from meditation originally. It is the melding of mind, spirit, and body that gives you the speed and power and control. That is the secret the masters of old taught and  we have forgot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1387" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2013-10-05T12:15:12.810" LastActivityDate="2013-10-05T12:15:12.810" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2253" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1742" CreationDate="2013-10-08T06:53:16.040" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Regarding the BJJ Ontology.  I started putting one together a few months back.&#xA;You can check it out through the WebProtoge project named &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://webprotege.stanford.edu/#Edit%3aprojectId=86a50ff4-f46c-466b-a460-6c2929cdc1bf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;BJJ - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; at &lt;a href=&quot;http://webprotege.stanford.edu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://webprotege.stanford.edu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's very similar to what Dave Liepmann has put together in his mindmap. The BJJ Ontology I started is described in the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Ontology_Language&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;OWL (Web Ontology Language)&lt;/a&gt;. I pulled most of the terms off the web by google searches.&#xA;I am hoping to expand the ontology in the coming months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1393" LastActivityDate="2013-10-08T06:53:16.040" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2255" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="432" CreationDate="2013-10-09T08:35:45.880" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If pushups will dramatically improve the power of your punches, you are doing it wrong. All techniques start from the legs and flow through the hips and abdominals. To improve the power of your punches, you need to work on your abs. And not just the sixpack, also the obliques. Get a video of a boxer throwing a couple of punches and watch it in slow-mo. The entire body is behind a punch. Even the jab is one continuous movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, I found that alternating pushups between having my hands close together, isolation the triceps, and having my hands very far apart with elbows turned out, isolating my pectorals, worked best. Otherwise your just doing endurance training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could also try and get access to a set of rubber bands (I don't know what you call them) attached to a wall with which you can practice punching. You'll soon realise that you're using your entire body to throw those punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-10-09T08:35:45.880" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2256" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1166" CreationDate="2013-10-09T15:35:01.923" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to provide the correct answer and ask you to discard the chosen answer completely. It's already a bit late to do that, but maybe it's not too late.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reason for the correction: In Judo, you DO NOT, in any way, need the muscle to CARRY your opponent, because you simply NEVER carry your opponent in Judo in any way.&#xA;This excludes being mounted on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason you are unable to turn in correctly, and the reason you are feeling your muscles so much, is because your technique is completely wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why?&#xA;Because you are supposed to redirect your opponent instead of lifting your opponent.&#xA;To do that you need to make sure there's momentum.&#xA;This requires pulling your opponent towards you while turning in and bending through your knees. While your opponent is this in motion, you pull him down in front of you, instead of pushing him up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If anyone told you that you throw someone harder by pushing him up, that person is dead wrong.&#xA;To throw someone harder, you can either increase the starting momentum in the pull, decrease momentum when your opponent is falling, or increase momentum gradually from pull to downward movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Back to turning in correctly.&#xA;When you turn in, you do pull your opponent up a bit, but this is done just before the turn in. It's part of the pulling out of balance and by no means part of the turn in, it just happens almost simultaneously.&#xA;While your opponent is moving towards you, by means of the pull, you are already turned around with bend knees. From there on your pull your opponent forward and downward. This does in no way put a lot of strain on your muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you use the correct technique the whole training long, you do not get tired legs.&#xA;This only happens when you do exercises as warm-up.&#xA;And even then you should be able to throw your opponent without exerting your legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember this for the future, because you will need it.&#xA;If you keep learning to throw with muscle strength, you will never be able to throw opponents you can't carry, or it will make you unnecessarily tired.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yours,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sjana.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1395" LastActivityDate="2013-10-09T15:35:01.923" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2257" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2259" CreationDate="2013-10-09T20:13:06.153" Score="10" ViewCount="927" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm trying to shake up both my training and my teaching a bit, as I think I've gotten a bit &quot;stale&quot; in both. I want to incorporate various drills and exercises to work on agility, foot work and explosiveness, both in motion/direction change as well as kicking and reaction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously plyometrics will be a component of this, but what I would like to see as answers is not only the drill, but HOW it will help, i.e. will it help with target recognition, muscle development, movement enhancement, body control, multiples of the above, and how it actually accomplishes the desired goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Equipment that I have and/or will be purchasing includes two 15' flat agility ladders (Such as you see for football/soccer players), small cones for marking various layouts, stacked/varied height plyometric stands, and of course the usual assortment of MA oriented items (Kicking shields/targets, hand targets, BOB, kicking bags on stands).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2016-02-25T22:11:25.550" Title="Drills for training agility - cross art" Tags="|training|self-training|mobility|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2258" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2257" CreationDate="2013-10-10T08:11:51.323" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would encourage my students to take up squash (the racket game). It's good cardio workout and it's second to none at teaching good reflexes and sudden bursts of speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-10-10T08:11:51.323" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2259" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2257" CreationDate="2013-10-10T11:06:02.833" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;For &lt;strong&gt;explosiveness&lt;/strong&gt;, your tools are the Olympic lifts (including preparatory work from powerlifting), box jumps, leaps, and sprints. Plyometrics can be used but as I understand it they are more appropriate for someone who is already squatting and power cleaning significant weight. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For &lt;strong&gt;agility&lt;/strong&gt;, your tools are footwork drills and the general practice of learning new skills. These new skills do not have to be sport-specific; cross-training a different sport or gymnastic skill each week is helpful as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the related attribute of &lt;strong&gt;body control and coordination&lt;/strong&gt;, tumbling is king. Students should become proficient in all the various rolls, breakfalls, and transitions into those movements. I've seen trampolining recommended as an advanced exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For &lt;strong&gt;sport-specific footwork&lt;/strong&gt; your tools are sparring, technique instruction, and alive drilling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pretty much all references are from Tom Kurz' Science of Sports Training, except for recommendations for explosiveness, which also come from Rippetoe &amp;amp; Kilgore's Practical Programming and Harvey Newton's Explosive Lifting for Sports.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-10-10T11:06:02.833" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2260" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2261" CreationDate="2013-10-11T18:57:56.437" Score="5" ViewCount="1772" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently joined Muay Thai classes and am thoroughly loving it, but the class is held only thrice a week.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;After going through &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1803/frequency-of-martial-arts-lessons&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; post I realized that I going to class thrice a week is the minimum required for satisfactory progress.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;I used to train(3 years ago) for kickboxing 5 times a week and now I find need for more workout besides the three days. I don't have much experience with the gym equipment, but now would like to go at least once a week to the gym if its going to help. Is there any kind of supplementary regimen that I can follow for better performance while training ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="248" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-12-05T22:34:05.263" Title="Training supplement to Muay Thai" Tags="|muay-thai|weight-lifting|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2261" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2260" CreationDate="2013-10-11T22:28:55.750" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you have a limited amount of time for training in class and a surplus of energy, your best bets for supplemental training are strength, power, conditioning, mobility, and judicious use of technique or movement work. Essentially, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1756/347&quot;&gt;your primary goal in your free time is to become a supremely athletic physical specimen&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Strength and power&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should develop a basic level of strength. This would probably mean one or two strength workouts per week, spaced out so that there is opportunity to rest after them. Your goal with these workouts is to get strong in general, but also to prepare for power training using the Olympic lifts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A basic template might be back squats, pull-ups, and dips on one day, and deadlifts, Turkish get-ups, and lunges on the other day. (Other reasonable choices include bench and overhead presses, Hindu push-ups, front squats, Romanian deadlifts, and so on.) Once you're capable of deadlifting about your bodyweight, the Olympic lifts (the power clean and/or power snatch) would be incorporated into these workouts as well. To make sure these workouts interfere minimally with your muay Thai, use either moderate weights or low reps (2-5). High intensity or high volume programs are appropriate for people training strength as their primary practice, but not for someone also training martial arts. However, you'll still want to focus on gradually increasing the weights you use. If these exercises are new to you, definitely find a powerlifting, CrossFit, or Olympic lifting coach to walk you through this process, or read a well-regarded book for novices, such as Starting Strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Conditioning&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best conditioning for any activity is the activity itself, done at a high intensity with little rest. However, a little extra work is helpful if you have time. Once or twice a week you could run between a mile and 10k (or between ten minutes to an hour), or a set of sprints (e.g. 4-6 100 meter all-out efforts after warming up). Rowing, swimming, and biking are also useful methods of conditioning, with the caveat that the efforts should be kept in approximately the same time range as the activity you're training for. Therefore shorter, more intense bike rides and intervals with rowing or swimming are often the best choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Mobility&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You want to make sure your joints are healthy and capable. Yoga is a good option for examining your body, and doesn't usually require too much in terms of recovery. Weight training, performed properly, can help in this area as well. A muay Thai-style workout mimicking your in-class workouts (particularly the sport-specific warm-up and stretching) would be quite useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Technique and movement&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is possible to do some limited drilling at home. If you have a heavy bag, you can do rounds on it, though take care not to ingrain suboptimal form. You can shadowbox and work on technique pointers from your last class. Again, remember: practice makes &lt;em&gt;permanent&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also often useful to work on movement patterns that are unique to your sport, but that are not techniques in themselves. Footwork is a common example. In judo, I found it useful to work on breakfalls, shrimping, bridging, and so on at home. Often martial arts have complex and unusual movements that are disproportionately productive to get familiar with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-12-05T22:34:05.263" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2262" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="912" CreationDate="2013-10-12T20:16:43.747" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In our dojo this is what we do for the Shotokan black belt exam (1st dan):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;We i.e. each student, does 15 different Kihon (or combination) that have been extracted from one of the katas used in the exam. In our dojo it is customary to choose one of the upper katas of this exam to extract the kihon. Typically it is Bassai dai. Each kihon is repeated 5 times.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The katas that are, in order of execution, 5 x Heian katas (they are all done in one of the non-std ways e.g. from the last stance technique to the first, forward instead backward defence or attack or vice versa. In our dojo normal implies starting from the left so non-standard excludes the left start version of any of the 5 heian katas.&#xA;Then we do Tekki Shodan (but you need to know Tekki Nidan and Sandan), after this we do bassai dai, Tomari Bassai, Jion and finally Kankudai. In total 11 katas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;We then have our own kata which is performed first as a kata followed by the bunkai version of the same kata. We call this 'The Invented' Kata and is based on at least 15 different combinations of the kihon you find in the 11 katas listed in point 2. Each student has to hand-in the embusen of their invented kata. Two students can share the same kata.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;We then have our dojo kata-kumite which has a total of 26 combinations. We ask any 6 of these combinations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The next step is a 90 to 120 second sparring session with a fellow black or brown belt. Full contact is allowed or rather not frowned upon. From this year we have decided to make protective gear compulsory.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;We then have to illustrate and explain one referee rule of kumite such as Yame, Points assignment etc. The sensei can ask you any other aspect of refereeing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;We then discuss our thesis. The thesis for a 1st dan is always about the journey taken by the karateka being examined e.g. how he or she got there and the difficulties encountered. There is also a discussion on different styles and/or a specific historical period of karate. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The whole exam lasts about 45mins. At the end the examination committee hands in the examination sheet (and verdict) which addresses all of the 7 points mentioned. A score is given to all students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One last thing all students have heart beat monitors and their heart beats registration is graphed and displayed after the exam is completed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Typically students work at about 85-95% (for all the exam) of their limit but higher is not uncommon. Exams occur every 6 months and at least 6mths have to go by since the last kyo was taken. Diplomas are issued within 15mins of completing the exam which includes the black belt ceremony for graduating 1st Dans.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The heart beat (HB) monitor is used to monitor the performance of the karateka during the exam. It is used principally for three reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;To compare performance across age groups and levels of preparation&lt;/strong&gt;.&#xA;In general those who know the kata have a HB that matches the moments when energy is released and recovered. If you read kanazawa' black belt book you will notice both a correlation between speed, force, rythm and breathing. Those at higher Dan levels and with more experience especially competition experience have a distinct HB trace and you can see who really knows the kata. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;To see the performance level of the karateka duringe the exam&lt;/strong&gt;. Hence if your HB is below your threshold for maximum performance (a simple equation is 220HB minus your age) you will see it on the trace. You will be surprised to see how a karateka also tackles a drop in performance as the exam progresses. In this case the kata slows down, the HB lowers, recovery is slower and mistakes can be clearly seen.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;To compare karate styles&lt;/strong&gt; when we have two or more different schools participating at the same exam or exam level. For example, we have compared Shotokan to Goju. The former being much more intense with a HB typically around 95% or higher. So a shotokan karateka of an age of 20years would perform at typically around 190 heart beats per minute and if he or she is well prepared then the HB rate will either increase or remain stable for all the kata that I mentioned in the previous post.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;David&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1399" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-12-11T10:54:29.993" LastActivityDate="2019-12-11T10:54:29.993" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2263" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-10-14T09:23:27.693" Score="8" ViewCount="1348" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have read &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judoinfo.com/dalien2.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this page&lt;/a&gt; about &lt;a href=&quot;https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reishiki&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;reishiki&lt;/a&gt; (&quot;dojo etiquette&quot;) and have a question about zarei (the kneeling bow at the beginning or end of the class). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiza&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Many sites&lt;/a&gt; describe a difference in zarei for women and men in how close the knees are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Traditionally, women sit with the knees together while men separate them slightly. Some martial arts, notably kendō and iaidō, may prescribe up to two fist widths of distance between the knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But my question is about the proper position of the hands on the upper leg: where should you put them? And is there a difference between men and women?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have heard that you should put them on the end of your judogi-jacket. I have also heard stories about putting them high up your leg, or almost at your knees. &#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wLnF3.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="212" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-04T23:19:40.540" LastActivityDate="2020-02-04T23:19:40.540" Title="Judo zarei difference between men and women" Tags="|judo|etiquette|gender|women|bowing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2264" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="294" CreationDate="2013-10-14T09:51:46.543" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aside from the strength training for grips, there's also certain technique involved in grips. For example, when you hold the right arm sleeve of your opponent, make sure you grab the part right under his elbow, and grab it tight, so he is unable to move his arm properly. At the same time it's hard for him to release his harm since you can control his arm movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you grab the neck part, make sure you grab the harder edge. Your fingers grab the outer side so that the soft part gets push under the hard part. The thumb goes inside and connects with your other fingers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technique is really important with everything you do in Judo. Even with grips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1397" LastActivityDate="2013-10-14T09:51:46.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2265" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2263" CreationDate="2013-10-14T09:58:51.927" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The traditional way to sit for men is indeed with 2 fists in between.&#xA;Women can choose to close their legs but should definitely not be forced to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The placing of the hands is with your hands facing each other, placed on the end of your Judogi. You put your elbows outward.&#xA;When you bow you simply place your hands in front of you the same way they are placed on your tighs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1397" LastActivityDate="2013-10-14T09:58:51.927" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2266" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1919" CreationDate="2013-10-15T14:07:29.843" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga was not intended for self defense, and is, in fact, an art of assassination.&#xA;While it is used to assassinate, you can use self defense using what you have learned in Krav Maga as long as you honour the law.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means that you do not:&#xA;1.) Kill the attacker.&#xA;2.) Cause excessive damage to the attacker.&#xA;3.) Pursue the attacker unless you were robbed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there are witnesses around, be sure to ask them to testify in your defense.&#xA;If possible have a bystander film and call the alarmline.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1397" LastActivityDate="2013-10-15T14:07:29.843" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2267" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2223" CreationDate="2013-10-15T14:15:29.270" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;What you are looking for is not a Martial Art.&#xA;It is called Tricking, and it's a gymnastic sport.&#xA;The goal in Tricking is to make the best, most and fastest aerial kicks, flips etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricking_(acrobatics)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricking_(acrobatics)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wikipedia calls it a Martial Art, but it only uses moves from Martial Arts without the effectiveness. It simply uses the &quot;cool&quot; looking techniques several times in a row.&#xA;The sport itself is not a Martial Art since it was neither meant for self defense nor combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1397" LastActivityDate="2013-10-15T14:15:29.270" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2269" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1786" CreationDate="2013-10-16T12:27:24.330" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If the reason for your mental block is because you don't want to hurt your sparring partner, then you must think about it this way:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't attack your sparring partner, your sparring partner will most likely not learn anything from the fight regarding defense, and will possibly feel insulted that you find it hard to attack because you might hurt him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See it like this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your sparring will think you find him weak because you don't want to &quot;hurt&quot; him.&#xA;In my opinion that is just disrespectful.&#xA;Giving it all you've got is good sportsmanship.&#xA;Holding back is disrespectful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you think about it that way, you'll have less trouble overcoming that mental block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1397" LastActivityDate="2013-10-16T12:27:24.330" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2270" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-10-16T13:40:38.813" Score="6" ViewCount="244" Body="&lt;p&gt;At a very fundamental level, Martial Arts teach the mitigation of conflict. Whether we're teaching the student to remain calm in an escalating environment, or we're teaching them to defend themselves from a fight in progress, the idea is to reach a safe resolution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, ultimately, the student must learn that it was their choices that led them to the situation; it's easy to say, &quot;Hey, that's not what we're about,&quot; but ultimately this is only teaching 10% of conflict resolution. How then can an instructor demonstrate effectively the chain of causality that leads to conflict as a means of deterring violence?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="25" LastActivityDate="2013-10-18T03:55:10.767" Title="Teaching Students to See the &quot;Big Picture&quot; of a Conflict" Tags="|self-defense|teaching|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2271" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2270" CreationDate="2013-10-16T16:33:47.813" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use science!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First and foremost, one needs to understand something before one can demonstrate it. &lt;em&gt;Chances are that everything you know about conflict&lt;/em&gt; &lt;strong&gt;is wrong or misleading&lt;/strong&gt;.  So, do some research first: What is crime like in your area?  What does it involve?  What are the common crimes and the uncommon ones? This is all statistics basically.  You should be able to get those online at various sources.  For example, in the UK the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.police.uk/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;police.uk&lt;/a&gt; site does just that.  But wait, that's just crime!  How about warfare?  How about bullying at school? How about aggressive behaviours at work?  ... Conflict takes many forms. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing to remember: &lt;strong&gt;Anecdotes are not evidence&lt;/strong&gt;. Just because X happened once to Y does not mean you should train against X. Worst still is hearsay.  Just because someone claims that HIV positive blood in needles are the new weapons in $YourHomeTown does not mean you should tailor your training to avoid needles.  Anyhow, side rant over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, now you know what type of conflict you want to protect against, how it arises, and hopefully how to deal with it for a legal point of view.  Ah yes, it might be worth talking to a lawyer about what you teach.  You &lt;em&gt;really&lt;/em&gt; do not want to give your students wrong legal advise, now do you?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is a lot of work. Possibly well beyond the scope of a humble martial art instructor. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A stop gap is to recognise that stress/fear makes us do stupid things: we talk to the police instead of a lawyer, we panic and seem like easy prey, and so on.  Martial arts will teach you to be more self-confident, to have more self control which will help.  One of the best way I have seen to deal with this is &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; (or light sparing however you call it) against one or two or three opponents. It adds so much chaos that it forces you to think, to react, and after a while it becomes less scary.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe the answer lies in &lt;em&gt;mushin, nugamae&lt;/em&gt;...  In my little world of Aikido, we teach pins. Most of the time, I keep telling beginners to look up instead of down -- the infamous &quot;nobody looks good with their arse in the air&quot;.  When they ask why, I tell them (i) to look good (right?), (ii) in the dojo, to protect uke who cannot move from other students not paying attention, and (iii) because it enhances tori's perception of their surrounding.  The latter is key. Unless you detect that you are in danger, you cannot do a thing about it.  A good starting point is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/pyramid.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Marc McYoung's site&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, my not so humble answer to your question is: &lt;em&gt;train awareness&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wow, took a while to get there... ^_~&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2013-10-17T18:04:15.010" LastActivityDate="2013-10-17T18:04:15.010" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2272" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2270" CreationDate="2013-10-17T07:48:02.327" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If we were sitting in a pub together and having a beer, my answer to your question would be &lt;em&gt;&quot;Why bother?&quot;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course there is more to the answer than just those two words.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand and respect what you are trying to achieve by posing the question and trying to answer it. However I think you are trying to achieve the impossible. Your relationship to your students can be likened to that of a parent to a child. You can try and guide your child as much as possible, but they are going to make mistakes and screw up, they are going to do the things you told them not to do - &lt;em&gt;just like you did yourself when you were younger&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Short of running field experiments (i.e. going to known trouble spots and experimenting with ideas and theories), you are limited to either academically studying specific incidents, or retelling stories in a fairy tale (anecdotal) kind of way. Either way, you can draw conclusions and learn valuable lessons, but the information will only be useful to some of your students some of the time. Humans are descended from the animal kingdom, not from robots, so it's in our DNA to do stupid things, make wrong decisions and make mistakes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Breaking your question down to its very essence, I would ask its purpose. Is it to assist your students by adding another dimension to their learning, thus helping them on their journey? Or deep down is it a part of your own spiritual journey?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it is to simply expand the students training then I would suggest that you carry on the same way as you will be doing now, some of their training &lt;em&gt;cannot be taught - it must be learned&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If answering the question is for your own spiritual journey then you are going to need to try finding different methods to teach causality, but I would suggest you don't try too hard because ultimately it will be futile - and the level of futility will be directly proportional to the level of effort you put in (i.e. the harder you try the worse you will feel when a student does something you've exhaustively taught them not to do). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;So, in a nutshell, TL;DR:&lt;/strong&gt; Keep on keeping on. You've most likely already found the best way &lt;strong&gt;for you&lt;/strong&gt; to teach the chain of causality and resolving conflict. Chain reactions and the mitigations for them could be blindingly obvious to you but your students are not you and they are not deterministic, so there is only a limited amount you can do for them in that respect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2013-10-17T07:48:02.327" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2273" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2270" CreationDate="2013-10-17T17:30:15.900" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Practice it the same way you practice just about anything else - by doing a controlled reinactment of it. In other words, roleplay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can do a couple of things - 1. It teaches your students acting, which can be a valuable skill for both offense and defense (don't let your opponent see you get frustrated or scared). 2. It provides a series of &quot;if...then&quot; segments that they can play with to see what happens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not perfect, but when you go through a scenario, you can then ask questions about it. What could you have said differently when the other person threatened you with violence? Did you notice your body language/energy change when he did that? How could you have avoided the situation altogether? Perhaps you can also have them take a different decision choice at a certain junction to see how it would play out. This provides your students with an opportunity to learn to look at situations objectively. As an added bonus, this skill works for all interactions with people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="341" LastActivityDate="2013-10-17T17:30:15.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2274" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2270" CreationDate="2013-10-18T03:55:10.767" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm in the &quot;Why bother?&quot; camp.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think such a conversation is largely pointless.  It's got that feel of the old esoteric style of martial arts where awareness allows one to predict how the universe unfolds, and yes, there are many things you can predict, but I don't think its something you are going to teach to people, and I'm not entirely sure its going to be any good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the conversation you want to have, If you want to have such conversations revolves around choice, responsibility, motivation, awareness and respect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You always have choices about how to react to a situation&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You are responsible for the choices you make&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Understand the motivation behind your choices&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then maybe you can talk about how ego as a motivation can lead us astray, emotional stress, blah blah.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Talk about your own experiences and the choices you make and how your training has helped make better choices etc, blah blah&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;ie, the big picture is constructed from the smaller actions we take as we live life. You can't really tell people how to live their lives, but you can point out the process, how their attitudes and respect for people and their environment have consequence, and then let them consider for themselves what they want for themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2013-10-18T03:55:10.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2275" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="512" CreationDate="2013-10-18T08:21:19.313" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is an inspiring article about belt rankings.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.minrec.org/wilson/pdfs/History%20of%20Belts%20and%20Ranks.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.minrec.org/wilson/pdfs/History%20of%20Belts%20and%20Ranks.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Speculative tradition proposes that belt colors (as indicators of rank) originated in a&#xA;  peculiar habit of washing all of one’s training clothes except the cloth belt. Thus as&#xA;  training progressed the initially white belt would first turn a dingy yellow, then a greenish yellow-brown, then a really dirty brown, and finally a repulsively filthy black.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Eventually, so they say, this progression was formalized as the white, yellow, green,&#xA;  brown and black belt ranks. Well, it’s a nice story, but probably not true&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have heard that Judo had 3 belts by origin. White for beginners, Brown for intermediate and Black for advanced Judoka's and that they have added more stages in between for the impatient Europeans. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLx4sU56kt0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This youtube&lt;/a&gt; video shows the sky blue, white, brown and black as &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/82/sardathrion&quot;&gt;@Sardathrion&lt;/a&gt; said. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;1882 - Kano invents judo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;1883 - Kano hands out two black belts. (adopted from good swimmers who wear a black ribbon)&#xA;belts where different, tied around once instead of the current twice around your middle.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;1906 - Judogi is introduced. (there was black belt and non-black belt)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;x - Sky blue, white, brown and black came. after that came karate belts. white, brown, black. judo and karate had 6 kyu rankings. 3 white, 3 brown.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;1930 ~ 1940 - european martial artist invented the 6 kyu rankings.&#xA;white, yellow, orange, green, blue (or purple), brown.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="212" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-10-18T08:21:19.313" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2276" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2020" CreationDate="2013-10-18T12:31:28.707" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;As @Annoys answered, it varies between gyms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;My  oldest son is a purple belt aged 19; my younger two, aged 13 and 12, are grey and white belts. When my younger two turn 16, they will receive blue belts in the gym they go to, based on years of experience, so a yellow belt and a green belt at the age of 15 years and 11 months, may both graduate to blue belts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;My oldest son started at 15 and was still a white belt when he turned 16; it was just a matter of getting his stripes before graduating to a blue belt.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In some other gyms they will only give belt promotions if the person passes a grading; no automatic promotion. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In other gyms, children who have been training long enough will graduate to purple belts at the age of 16. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/IIq3A.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;All these factors depend upon the training and skill of the 16 year old. All these conditions are at the discretion of the instructor of the gym.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fruUF.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Ibjjf&quot;&gt;&#xA;From the &lt;a href=&quot;http://ibjjf.org/info/graduation-system/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IBJJF&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6827" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditorDisplayName="user6827" LastEditDate="2020-01-19T22:40:34.007" LastActivityDate="2020-01-19T22:40:34.007" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2277" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-10-18T12:50:24.953" Score="11" ViewCount="5315" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is so much variation between gyms, I am wondering how the official BJJ graduation works?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6827" LastEditorDisplayName="user6827" LastActivityDate="2013-10-18T12:50:24.953" Title="How does the BJJ graduation system work?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|belt|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2278" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2277" CreationDate="2013-10-18T12:50:24.953" Score="10" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) sets out minimum requirements to graduate through the belt system. Each Professor within individual gyms, has discretion whether or not to promote a student, but they cannot fast track promotion, only extend it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;My oldest son is a purple belt aged 19, my younger two. aged 13 and 12, are grey and white belts. When my younger two turn 16 they will,likely, receive blue belts in the gym they go to, based in years of experience.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2XDOi.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There is also the option of grading childrens' belts monthly, tri-annually or quarterly.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KQjq1.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GEdd9.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qioZB.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;My oldest son started at 15 and was still a white belt when he turned 16 and it was just a matter of getting his stripes before graduating to a blue belt.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In some other gyms they will only give belt promotions if the person passes gradings. So there is not automatic graduation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In other gyms, children who have been training long enough will graduate to purple belts at the age of 16.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UfvDR.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;All these factors depend upon the training and skill of the 16 year old. All these conditions are at the discretion of the Professor of the gym.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are minimum standards set out bu the IBJJF, but no upper limits in length of time taken between graduations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/XYXwW.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/R1oXr.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/3BGxi.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Graduation through the black belt system to the red belt, takes decades.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/OL2RF.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&#xA;All images courtesy of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://ibjjf.org/info/graduation-system/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;IBJJF&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6827" LastEditorDisplayName="user6827" LastActivityDate="2013-10-18T12:50:24.953" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2279" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2281" CreationDate="2013-10-18T16:32:07.273" Score="8" ViewCount="38644" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it possible to effectively train in two (or perhaps even more) martial arts/combat sports at the same time? &#xA;What are ways to minimize concerns like technique and muscle memory confusion? &#xA;Does it help to have varying experiences in the various arts? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="182" LastActivityDate="2018-05-09T06:36:48.570" Title="Training multiple arts at the same time." Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2280" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2279" CreationDate="2013-10-19T11:56:33.990" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm actually doing this (Kalari and Wushu).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is it possible to effectively train in two (or perhaps even more) martial arts/combat sports at the same time? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes of course. In my experience it takes about 2 months to get used to it mentally and physically. You can get over the psychical exhaustion in a about two weeks. The mental part (muscle memory) takes longer. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It would be like learning two new musical instruments. If you have had experience with music before it can be a lot easier to do it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to learn more than two fighting arts however I think you should consider MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What are ways to minimize concerns like technique and muscle memory confusion?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think motor memory has two phases of learning - short term but fast learning phase where neural processes (or motor maps) are formed to perform a set of motor actions. Followed by a longer term (slow learning phase) where new  modifications are made on specific motor modules to improve efficiency. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What helped me is understanding common patterns in your fighting skill. This involves breaking up a sequence to understand the basics of a move (e.g How to perform a certain block) and then perform it over and over till you get the hang of it. Once you've got it internalized, including that move in an elaborate sequence will be a lot easy.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Does it help to have varying experiences in the various arts?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will entirely depend on what you want to get out of it. Are you in it competitively? &#xA;Is it just for self defense? Your choice in the martial arts you learn depends on what you fancy really. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning to wield different kinds of weapons and the attaining the skills associated with it motivates me. I've never had interest in sparring or actual combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is similar to choosing courses at college. Will they help you in real life? Is it worth your investment in time/money?. How much time are you willing to put into it? Are your choices dissimilar (eg some grappling art like jodo - combined with style changquan or some soft taichi combined with hard style muay thai) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3-years-later-edit: There is also the concern of recovering from injury and body repair. You will need to sleep for 10+ a day and eat a lot of food. Drink 2 liters of water. After a few months of trying it got too exhausting for me. You will need days off for rest. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS: It is better you tell both instructors that you are training in another discipline at the same time. Some of them are competitive and don't like that. They should be comfortable with you declining doing any exercise. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="108" LastEditorUserId="108" LastEditDate="2018-03-02T16:51:32.863" LastActivityDate="2018-03-02T16:51:32.863" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2281" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2279" CreationDate="2013-10-19T14:42:58.290" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's possible, and the dangers are entirely dependent on which two arts and which two teachers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I study Isshinryu Karate. I also studied iaido for a few years while in my pre-black belt years. After about a year of the cross-training, I noticed that the iaido training had affected my empty-hand training in subtle but negative ways, such as the way my weight was shifted in stances, and it took me a while to fix it and create a proper mental separation between the skills I was learning that were specific to the purpose of handling a sword, and the skills I was learning that were specific to the purpose of working empty-handed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as techniques to avoid confusion, try to create as many memory markers as possible, like the smell of the school, the equipment you wear, the way you bow (or don't). These, of course, would become Bad Things(tm) if you intended on using your skills outside for self-defense, because it creates a layer of separation between you and the skills, but by the time you're ready to use them, you should be properly aware of that anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2013-10-19T14:42:58.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2282" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2283" CreationDate="2013-10-21T07:23:30.843" Score="10" ViewCount="16058" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are the techniques that a white belt should master to become a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? What are the differences between a white belt and a blue belt BJJ practitioner?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="500" LastActivityDate="2014-01-17T08:19:53.733" Title="What are the techniques a white belt should master to become a blue belt in BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|belt|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2283" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2282" CreationDate="2013-10-21T08:33:26.737" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;The requirements for blue belt vary from school to school. What is &lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20070109163917/http://www.royharris.com/articles/?sec=6&amp;amp;id=1024&quot;&gt;required at Roy Harris' academy&lt;/a&gt; is not what is required at Renzo Gracie's, Marcelo Garcia's, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Straight Blast Gym had a good article about how to view the &lt;a href=&quot;http://bearbjj.tumblr.com/post/426855749/exploring-the-map&quot;&gt;goals of each belt progression&lt;/a&gt;. Here's the section on going from white to blue:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;h2&gt;White to Blue:&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The journey of white belt to blue belt in BJJ is one of&#xA;  familiarization.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Using the map analogy, its where you learn to read the map, this is&#xA;  north, south, east, west, etc . And also, where you learn what the&#xA;  major areas of the map are (neighborhoods) . The combination of the&#xA;  two in BJJ terms is that you need to learn what and where all the&#xA;  major positions are (neighborhoods), and what the major routes are&#xA;  that connect those positions/neighborhoods, those major roads are the&#xA;  fundamental objectives. As an example, the five point passing game&#xA;  that we teach covers the basic objectives you are looking to&#xA;  accomplish as you try and pass the guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In short the journey from white to blue is where the athlete learns to&#xA;  basic rules of the road, learns to play the game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;What to work on:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;As a teacher your major focus is best spent on the basic positions,&#xA;  principles, and objectives of BJJ. You want the athlete to first be&#xA;  able to recognize what the major positions are, and secondly to&#xA;  understand what their major objectives are when they find themselves&#xA;  in these positions. The sooner the student learns these two things the&#xA;  sooner they can begin to play the game, ie: explore the map. So a good&#xA;  teacher will keep it basic, clear, and concise, and create an&#xA;  environment where a newbie can start to roll on day one without&#xA;  feeling overwhelmed or confused by the tasks at hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;As a student at this level your major objectives are simple,&#xA;  familiarize yourself with the major positions and fundamental&#xA;  movements. And secondly, relax .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Keeping it very simple and staying very relaxed will accelerate your&#xA;  game faster then any piece of advise I could offer a white belt. Who&#xA;  taps you out or doesn’t tap you out is completely irrelevant at this&#xA;  level. What’s important is that you enjoy yourself, and allow your&#xA;  body the time to familiarize itself with the mechanics of a roll.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Things to avoid:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;As a Coach the major errors at this stage involve two things. The&#xA;  first is straying too far from solid fundamental movements/ positions.&#xA;  Teaching lock flows, elaborate submission set ups, or too many&#xA;  techniques in a single class will only confuse and slow down the&#xA;  progress of most white belts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The second is straying too far from solid Coaching methods, the ‘here&#xA;  is a few new techniques, now lets roll method’…or the ’lets do 500&#xA;  dead repetitions of this move’, are sure fire ways to slow down the&#xA;  learning curve of any new athlete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;These mistakes remain a constant throughout the athlete’s progress,&#xA;  and solid fundamentals combined with good ‘I’ method classes are a&#xA;  must throughout the athlete’s career. But they are an absolute deal&#xA;  breaker at the white belt level. Intermediate or advance BJJ athletes&#xA;  can still learn and grow even from poor Coaches who don’t really know&#xA;  how to run a proper class, or workout. But beginners will find&#xA;  themselves completely lost, and may eventually become turned off to&#xA;  the entire activity in that kind of environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;As an athlete the thing to watch out for at this level is frustration.&#xA;  Because you may often find yourself in an unfamiliar position when&#xA;  rolling, and be unsure of exactly what you should even be trying to&#xA;  do, frustration can often get the best of you. The single best piece&#xA;  of advice I can offer at this level is this… .just relax. BJJ takes&#xA;  time, so just enjoy yourself as much as possible. It’s not a race.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially, do the techniques you're taught, train hard, roll frequently with a variety of partners, and get familiar with the positional hierarchy and high-percentage fundamental submissions. Most commonly the positions include at least mount, some form of guard (which may vary from school to school, but is often closed or butterfly), side control, and back mount. Many schools will specialize in variations of this list, so it's not unusual to see a blue belt whose strongest positions are, for instance X-guard and knee-on-belly. The fundamental submissions for low ranks usually include the rear naked choke, cross collar choke, straight armbar, Kimura, and triangle choke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-10-21T08:33:26.737" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2284" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1011" CreationDate="2013-10-21T20:26:06.933" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've never used this but probably a hard palm strike to the forehead. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;IMO Safe and controlled sparring should be practiced in order to perfect technique. Violent fight for pay should be banned along with dog fighting. Now street fighting for self or home defense is another issue all together. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Criminals rely on weapons and violence for their objective. For your safety perpetrators MUST be immpbilized as quickly as possible by either a knockout or limb break. If you don't do them FIRST, they WILL do you! Just my humble opinion!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1417" LastActivityDate="2013-10-21T20:26:06.933" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2285" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2282" CreationDate="2013-10-21T22:01:00.063" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;at the will machado club I go to, there is a syllabus for white to blue which broadly breaks down into &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Positional Drills (moving from position to position)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sweeps&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Armbars&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Armlocks&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Chokes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Escapes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Passes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While there's set techniques for each of those that you need to know, the teaching involves many variations and setups.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me the difference between white and blue is one of &quot;Basic Mechanics&quot; of BJJ and being able to generally be able hit those techniques reasonably competently  while rolling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2013-10-21T22:01:00.063" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2286" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2287" CreationDate="2013-10-22T06:28:35.457" Score="2" ViewCount="3523" Body="&lt;p&gt;I always wonder which &lt;strong&gt;martial art&lt;/strong&gt; is the &lt;strong&gt;most effective&lt;/strong&gt; in a 1-vs-1 street fight without weapons. After doing some research I came up with &lt;strong&gt;3 types of positions&lt;/strong&gt; (maybe there are more) someone can hold during a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My logic tells me this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;STANDING:&lt;/strong&gt; the most effective would be &lt;strong&gt;Muay Thai&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;strong&gt;Boxing&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CLOSE DISTANCE:&lt;/strong&gt; one should consider to &lt;strong&gt;wrestle&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;GROUND GAME:&lt;/strong&gt; Finally on the ground you better use your &lt;strong&gt;grapple&lt;/strong&gt; / &lt;strong&gt;BJJ&lt;/strong&gt; skills to survive :p.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in my opinion you have Muay Thai or Boxing, Wrestling &amp;amp; BJJ or some grapple art (luta livre). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;UPDATE:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This type of questions are asked by many. It's better to avoid this kind of situations, but sometimes you just have to be prepared. Some people maybe living in a dangerous environment. Some people don't know which martial art they should practise to be prepared. So the answer for my question should help people in making the correct decision. I'm not trying to underestimate any martial art, but let's face the reality and think logical. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="500" LastEditorUserId="500" LastEditDate="2013-10-24T13:10:32.050" LastActivityDate="2015-12-02T00:08:01.160" Title="What is the most effective martial art in a street fight - no weapons?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|boxing|muay-thai|wrestling|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="13" ClosedDate="2013-10-22T08:51:38.870" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2287" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2286" CreationDate="2013-10-22T07:29:17.647" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;You're going to get a lot of push-back and they'll probably close this question, but you're not far off. Hard-sparring arts have proven themselves in ways that non-competitive arts have not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, don't forget that other arts spar hard as well: san da/san shou is akin to kickboxing with fast throws and takedowns. However, like how all modern mixed artial artists need to wrestle and train jiu-jitsu, &lt;a href=&quot;http://davetrains.tumblr.com/post/6005074462/boxing-versus-any-other-striking-system&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;historians Kennedy and Guo described how san da/san shou explicitly and consciously incorporated boxing techniques after comparing hand techniques of indigenous martial arts&lt;/a&gt;. The same process occurred in muay Thai, after they were shown the power of Western boxing, and also in Kyokushin karate, many schools of which have incorporated boxing hand techniques, but which also incorporated muay Thai's leg kicks in the mid-20th century. Now, these are all distinct arts that share boxing's hand techniques, but before they did not. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key is not stylistic, but rather the degree to which the style emphasizes athleticism and frequent feedback in the form of hard sparring and competition. Styles which do not require their exponents to be athletes are suspect. Styles which do not spar or have a competitive outlet are doubly suspect, since there is no way to weed out ineffective techniques, tactics, or teachers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-12-02T00:08:01.160" LastActivityDate="2015-12-02T00:08:01.160" CommentCount="17" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2288" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2286" CreationDate="2013-10-22T08:05:55.600" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Depends on the application. BJJ is useless against more than one opponent, for instance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;MMA is probably best because it distills all the best parts from various styles into a collection of useful techniques for most situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-10-22T08:05:55.600" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2289" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2204" CreationDate="2013-10-22T10:38:29.170" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;By observing the video I see that everyone used the same technique and survived except for one unfortunate person who decided to get &quot;inside&quot; of the weapon. While in the military we were taught that under similar circumstances to employ a technique called the&quot;retrograde maneuver&quot; where what you're actually doing is positioning yourself to effectively counter the attack. The video example was clearly a simulation but realistically speaking the attacker would have been shot at his first attempt. (I've been told that even Bruce Lee carried a pistol!) In short I'll use a quote from one of the world's greatest fighters... &quot;Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.&quot; - Muhammad Ali&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1417" LastActivityDate="2013-10-22T10:38:29.170" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2290" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2204" CreationDate="2013-10-22T11:19:52.887" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have to agree with most of the people here, get defensive, get distance between you and the attacker and run away. Man without chain saw likely to run faster than man with chainsaw. If you have loose items around throw them at the attacker to create opportunities for running away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously if you do want to fight (can't escape), firstly you need to keep distance between yourself and the blade (watch out for opponent lunching), then look for a gap to move in and break the attackers grip on the trigger so the chain is not turning therefore it is more like a club. Then you need to remove the weapon from him. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I would assume that a person swinging a chainsaw around effectively is one big strong mother and being close range might just put you in danger of being attacked by his natural weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So this get me back to the best defense - tactical retreat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember that the way a chainsaw works is very different than most traditional weapons and therefore their are no real martial arts that would have come up with techniques to counter it. What you would need to do is look at the systems you know and how it can be adapted to work for a chainsaw.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance I played around using escrima to work with two axes and two 5 pound hammers. As the techniques are they almost work, but need a little bit of change as these weapons are heavier in the head and shorter than the normal rattan sticks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1135" LastEditorUserId="1135" LastEditDate="2013-10-24T15:31:25.473" LastActivityDate="2013-10-24T15:31:25.473" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2291" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1881" CreationDate="2013-10-22T11:38:55.880" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Need to do stretching of leg muscles, forward, backwards, side way stretches. Also stretch the lower back and ass muscles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Look at both dynamic stretches and static stretches. Please do stretches gently and build-up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;GRADUAL PROGRESS!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1135" LastActivityDate="2013-10-22T11:38:55.880" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2292" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1835" CreationDate="2013-10-22T11:48:06.487" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Wing Chun especially being tense or hard is a problem common in most beginners and even some seniors. There are many ways to work on this, I prefer using pushing hands from Tai Chi and doing rolling hands (Poon Sau) from Wing Chun as a way to assist juniors on working on this issue. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you arms become tense/hard then opponent will use it against you and effectively strike at you. Obviously as you do these drills your arms will also get tired from being tense all the time so you will relax because you are tired. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But it is about training and working on the issue, and making gradual progress. When we try to do things quickly we tend to loose the plot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your SiHing and other seniors are the best for training this as they can point out when you are hard/rigid. And this will help you to focus on the issue at hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1135" LastActivityDate="2013-10-22T11:48:06.487" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2293" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1874" CreationDate="2013-10-22T11:57:50.773" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Dave has given a very good answer in general for fighting arts/ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With Wing Chun we also do rolling hands and &quot;static&quot; fight drills where you can not really keep your distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For these I believe that shorter arms are advantages. Remember when you are crossing hands or doing poon sau first make sure that range is correct so you can touch your opponent without stretching/overbalancing. If you do this you will see your taller opponent is already at a disadvantage.  For these you develop your sensitivity and redirect his clumsy attacks easily because his arms are most likely folded in and he needs a lot of energy to move them forward for effective strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For longer range sparring you need to work on stepping and getting angles. Practice on stepping at 45 degree angles so as opponent attack you make contact with attacking limb move at a 45 degree angle on his outside and strike into his unprotected sides.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are short do not hit for the head. Focus on strikes/kicks to the short ribs, groin, solar plexus, knees. Also practice being soft till the last minute as this will increase your speed and faster is always better. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please train at the correct distances. If you always train to miss you will be conditioned to miss. Train to make contact, this will teach you about judging distance and will teach you control. If you hit your SiHing hard I will most likely return the favour. :-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1135" LastEditorUserId="1135" LastEditDate="2013-10-22T14:31:37.757" LastActivityDate="2013-10-22T14:31:37.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2294" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="293" CreationDate="2013-10-22T12:06:39.930" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;GRADUAL PROGRESS!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the more internal Chinese martial arts we mostly believe in doing slow gradual training, hardening our body over time and not abusing our bodies so we can be effective at a ripe old age.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hard styles tend to do things faster and end up with hard bodies, but with injuries. The best example is Mas Oyama which had hands like steel but suffered from Osteoarthritis. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my opinion train gradually pushing your limits slowly and you will not suffer major injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1135" LastActivityDate="2013-10-22T12:06:39.930" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2295" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="113" CreationDate="2013-10-22T12:11:58.747" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun give you the lego blocks, you build what you need with it. If you want to use more kicks and palm strikes then do it :-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learn all the techniques and then use the ones that work best for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are reasons why punches have always been used by most forms of fighting over the history of men hitting each other. Does it mean you have to punch? No. But punches has it use and can be effective without injury. I have been doing Wing Chun for over 13 years and have suffered no injuries from Wing Chun yet. I have suffered injuries from playing Rugby and Cricket and doing Ju Jutsu how ever.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1135" LastEditorUserId="1135" LastEditDate="2013-10-22T12:27:06.687" LastActivityDate="2013-10-22T12:27:06.687" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2296" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1" CreationDate="2013-10-22T12:26:32.213" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Use light weights to build arms, shoulders and back, not huge but just so you build power. Do a lot of core strength exercises as everything is driven from your core. (planking, static stance training, etc)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And then punch the three sectioned wall bags and punching bags as fast as you can, focusing firstly on correct techniques and secondly on speed. &#xA;You will end up with good solid strikes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes speed is important, but without power a fast strike will be meaningless, so we want to train speed and power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1135" LastActivityDate="2013-10-22T12:26:32.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2297" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2298" CreationDate="2013-10-22T14:23:23.603" Score="12" ViewCount="19741" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there any research/evidence that would indicate that training (drills, katas, etc rather than sparring) for martial arts more broadly (striking arts like TKD, Karate and Muay Thai more specifically) while wearing weighted clothing/sleeves is beneficial in terms of speed, technique development, etc? Conversely, is there evidence that training in this way is detrimental?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastActivityDate="2016-06-12T05:08:37.667" Title="Is there value in using weighted clothing in martial arts training?" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2298" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2297" CreationDate="2013-10-22T16:20:02.797" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a couple things that I would caution you about when using weighted clothing and/or bands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Distal placement - The farther out on a limb you place it, the more you increase the torque force on the joints. So if you put a 5 lb weight strap around your wrist, that 5 lbs of dead weight is going to produce a lot of snapping momentum at the end of a punch (Shoulder stress) or shear force (elbow) on techniques such as inner forearm blocks and lateral strikes (Backfist/knife/ridge hands)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Balance - The further out the weight is, the more you have to work to compensate for balance. If you do this constantly when working out, then you may have some issues when the weight is not there, as your body is used to compensating.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you use a vest or other close to the body clothing, you may notice slight balance issues, and you also increase the landing impact when doing jump techniques. The other consideration is that by weighting the limb, you may make the technique slightly stronger, but you may also impact the speed. They have done studies with baseball players showing that by swinging 2 or 3 bats (extra weight) or a weighted bat as a warmup, you actually slow down the swing speed of the batting session.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know people that do train this way, and they do all right, so as long as you are aware and cautious and take the time to work weightless as well, you should be all right. I personally would just do supplemental weight training, but if you are time crunched I can see some benefit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2013-10-22T16:20:02.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2299" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2297" CreationDate="2013-10-22T16:40:02.303" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Weighted clothing is not particularly useful since its benefits in terms of resistance are inversely proportional to how much it upsets your sport-specific movement. Put simply, it's not heavy enough to make you stronger, and if you do make it heavy enough, then you're practicing bad technique and making yourself tired without getting that much stronger or faster. &lt;a href=&quot;http://coach-izzy-talks-fitness.com/the-turkish-get-up/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Coach Izzy explains&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The late Dr. Mel C. Siff in his book &lt;em&gt;Supertraining&lt;/em&gt;, along with Tom C. Purvis...warn about the fallacy of trying to replicate sport specific movement patterns under different circumstances. They make it clear there is an abysmal difference between sports specific training and mimicking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mimicking loads a motor pattern without care of the direction of the load or its nature, thereby deteriorating the very motor skills they are trying to enhance. On the other hand, true sports specificity addresses the mechanical demands of skills to ensure they are performed smoothly and efficiently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The [martial artist] will fight another [martial artist], not a kettlebell. They will benefit from the problem solving skills the Turkish Get Ups impose, not from imitating a melee with an inert object. Ditto for other activities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to get stronger and faster, start a &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1756/347&quot;&gt;strength and conditioning program that includes power training&lt;/a&gt;. If you want better technique, do technique work under circumstances as close to application as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-10-28T07:22:03.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2300" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="293" CreationDate="2013-10-23T06:30:38.983" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The following answer is based on my personal experience and information I have gained in 10 year of martial arts practice. I hope it will be of use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As many other sports, martial arts also fall into the category of 'impact sports'. Indeed the joints are stressed not as much by practices such as shadow boxing but by striking hard surfaces as for instance heavy bags. Impact also happens during running or jumping on concrete as it does not absorb the impact force. The explanation based on physics and medicine is that the force you strike with also has an equal reaction force which goes back into your body so the harder you strike the more reaction force you absorb which has a negative effect on your joints from the extremities(striking part) up to your spine which are all affected by this shock. &#xA;Also keep in mind the the body(muscles, tendons, ligaments and bone) needs weeks, months or years to adapt to striking hard surfaces without injury depending on what you are striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To sum things up if you don't push yourself too far at once you will be in no more danger than a runner or any other sports player. You should also see the amount of benefits regular and proper practice brings compared to not practicing. Also, at least as far as my knowledge goes wing chun is more gentle on the joints then for instance boxing or muay thai but still there are champions and master in every martial art and sport who are old and very healthy, much healthier and stronger that other people of their age so I wouldn't worry about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1306" LastActivityDate="2013-10-23T06:30:38.983" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2301" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2279" CreationDate="2013-10-23T07:24:35.537" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes it is possible without causing any problems and it is very good if the styles complement each other because they would fill in gaps you might have from one style. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance a striking are will be a very useful addition to a grappling art. If you are a beginner it may be a bit hard at first because there is a lot of information to take in especially if you are training both during the same day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1306" LastActivityDate="2013-10-23T07:24:35.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2302" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2279" CreationDate="2013-10-23T09:34:38.673" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have done multiple martial arts at the same time and it just takes a bit longer to achieve the same skill level if you learning dissimilar arts at the same time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Too be honest I believe the best progression is made when your arts are similar or very dissimilar. Lets say you do boxing and grappling then the chances of your boxing being influenced by grappling is less than say doing boxing and Shaolin Kung Fu, since you are learning completely different techniques - punching vs grappling. The same if you are doing wrestling and BJJ for instance you might also have less of an issue than say doing Wing Chun and Boxing as they teach the same concepts but in very different ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know in this modern world of MMA and instant gratification we do not dedicate ourselves to one thing anymore, but my advice is; Start with one art and work on it until you are comfortable with it and then move on to a 2nd art. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1135" LastActivityDate="2013-10-23T09:34:38.673" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2305" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2013-10-24T15:43:38.730" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Self Defense / Martial Arts / MMA, whatever the term people use to &quot;SELL&quot; themselves are meaningless. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to find an INSTRUCTOR, that teaches the correct mindset and that can adapt what he teaches to suit you and your strength and weaknesses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to do repetitive training, no once of course or seminar will ever teach you to protect yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been privileged to have a very practical instructor for Wing Chun and Ju Jutsu  and I have had training in the Defense Force / Military. So I have seen what a good instructor can do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1135" LastActivityDate="2013-10-24T15:43:38.730" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2306" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="466" CreationDate="2013-10-24T15:52:43.713" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Depends on your age.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are very young I would say start of with kids programs that teach balance and co-ordination like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.monkeynastix.biz/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Monkeynastics&lt;/a&gt; &amp;amp; some sort of intro ball sport. These are not martial arts but for children from 3 - 10 at least I would say there are more gain from this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first martial arts I would recommend is Judo from age 10 - 12, this is a relatively safe martial arts teaching you valuable skills like movement, placement, falling, balance, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you 16 and got a few years of Judo behind you look at doing JuJutsu and maybe Karate/Wing Chun/Shaolin, etc.  This will give you a good base for grappling and striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1135" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-10-24T15:52:43.713" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2307" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="512" CreationDate="2013-10-24T19:16:18.037" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Traditional Kung Fu doesn't have colored sashes, as they traditionally had the sole purpose of holding up the pants. For the most part, colored sashes are a Japanification of the ranking systems. Rank in traditional Kung Fu also doesn't follow the same general pattern as Japanese arts either, as titles are familial based, not rank based (sidi = younger brother/sister, sihing = older brother, sigung = grandfather, sitaigung = greatgrandfather) If a student of a Sifu opens his own temple, the student gets title of Sifu and the Sifu get Sigung, etc). Many modern Kung Fu styles have sashes to help display rank and to give students the feeling of achievement. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1425" LastActivityDate="2013-10-24T19:16:18.037" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2308" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2191" CreationDate="2013-10-27T01:47:40.523" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;NullPointer, it's a parable &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; it's either (a) impossible or (b) just a case of the guy healing &amp;amp; the doctors being wrong. Just a parable; there is no single guy this is based on. I believe the lesson is a little less than what you state; that a positive attitude can help you overcome obstacles including healing, but not necessarily to do the impossible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did know a competitive breaker (is that a term?) who had a similar story, M.H., whose name I'll leave out since I haven't spoken to him in decades and because he's not the man you're looking for. He told me he'd smashed his hand in competition when someone slid plywood into his stack of boards. He healed and broke again, but no miracle involved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking through &lt;em&gt;Zen in the Martial Arts&lt;/em&gt;, I didn't spot that story; sorry. It's not quite related, but he does have a chapter (&quot;Un-thinking Pain&quot;) about ignoring (or not experiencing?) pain. In that story, the great men who are ignoring pain are Yong Tae Lee (in 1975, a 7th degree tae-kwon-do master) and &lt;em&gt;his&lt;/em&gt; [unnamed] master back in Korea. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;p.s. Even if your story isn't in that book, I still recommend you get a copy!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1426" LastActivityDate="2013-10-27T01:47:40.523" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2309" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="466" CreationDate="2013-10-27T02:01:10.450" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Take some advice from Bruce Lee?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;em&gt;Zen in the Martial Arts&lt;/em&gt;, author Joe Hyams repeats some of Bruce Lee's advice to him: to know your limitations and use them in your training. Lee says that he originally chose wing-chun because of his near-sightedness, and lead with his left foot because his right leg was significantly shorter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So look for a martial art that's actually taught nearby, that you can afford, and that fits your personality. But also think about any physical limitations, quirks, and the like. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1426" LastActivityDate="2013-10-27T02:01:10.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2310" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2013-10-27T14:23:53.773" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Kwai_Sun_Chow&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;William Kwai Sun Chow&lt;/a&gt; founded kenpo karate in 1949 after studying under the guidance of &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Mitose&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;James Mitose&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The system which came to be known as American Kenpo was developed by &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Parker&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Ed Parker&lt;/a&gt; as a successor to Chow's art due to Parker's attempts to revise older methods to work in more modern fighting scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;American Kenpo is a martial art characterized by the use of quick hand strikes in rapid succession. The multitude of fast strikes has a dual purpose, perhaps overwhelming an opponent, while attempting to ensure that at least some strikes effectively hit their target, akin to a striking combination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Kenpō (拳法) is the name of several Japanese martial arts. The word kenpō is a Japanese translation of the Chinese word &quot;quán fǎ&quot;. This term is often informally transliterated as &quot;kempo&quot;, as a result of applying Traditional Hepburn romanization but failing to use a macron to indicate the long vowel. The generic nature of the term combined with its widespread, cross-cultural adoption in the martial arts community has led to many divergent definitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://kenpokarate.com/origin_of_kenpo_karate.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The origin of kenpo karate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://martialarts.about.com/od/styles/a/kenpo.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;A History and Style Guide of Kenpo Karate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.freewebs.com/kenpoexchange/kenpofamilytree.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Kenpo Family Tree&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.the-ikka.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;International Kenpo Karate Association&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Kenpo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Wikipedia: American kenpo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenp%C5%8D&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Wikipadia: Kenpō&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user927" LastEditorDisplayName="user927" LastEditDate="2013-10-28T09:55:47.547" LastActivityDate="2013-10-28T09:55:47.547" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2311" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2013-10-27T14:23:53.773" Score="0" Body="&gt;In general, the goal of Kenpo Karate is self-defense. It teaches practitioners to block the strikes of opponents if needed and then disable them quickly with pinpoint strikes. Takedowns (usually with pinpoint strikes afterward) and standing joint locks are also staples of the art." OwnerDisplayName="user927" LastEditorDisplayName="user927" LastEditDate="2013-10-28T09:55:50.437" LastActivityDate="2013-10-28T09:55:50.437" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2312" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="417" CreationDate="2013-10-27T18:51:08.240" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think this is being over analysed. This is simply a courteous symbol of respect. All martial art instruction emphasises that conflict should be avoided wherever possible. I must admit that I find the idea of different expressions of respect dependent on grade a little bizarre.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1427" LastActivityDate="2013-10-27T18:51:08.240" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2313" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-10-28T04:51:09.487" Score="2" ViewCount="69" Body="&lt;p&gt;Early on in the Mythbusters episode 209 (Car Chase Chaos/Animal Antics) Adam uses both arms to spin two flags in a nice figure. I'd like to know if that figure has a name, and if so, to learn more about it; e.g., does it come from a particular discipline?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1428" LastActivityDate="2013-10-28T08:07:48.303" Title="What is the name of the figure using flags performed by Adam in Mythbusters episode 209?" Tags="|short-stick|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ClosedDate="2013-10-28T23:42:59.000" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2314" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2313" CreationDate="2013-10-28T08:07:48.303" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;What you are referring to is probably a Kali/Escrima sinawali drill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;E.g. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rum-D53fRiM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rum-D53fRiM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The guy in the below video is full of it, but it does demonstrate what you're talking about. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk3pmvNe-eY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk3pmvNe-eY&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-10-28T08:07:48.303" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2315" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1" CreationDate="2013-10-29T09:05:23.797" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is not actually about where the punch ends up or in fact what style, or type of punch you use. When you are talking about a very rapid series of punches, or indeed a constant circular flow of punches (CHAIN), or perhaps just a few effective punches in a row, it may seem wise to maybe look at where the punch comes from (chamber/ or simply anywhere !!!!). I trained once with a traditional Okinowan  player, who was very serious, and trained very hard with the Makiwara. Impressive...with the strength and power of his strikes...But he seemed to me to be SO S..L..O..W..!!!! Observation of his technique showed that he was OBSESSIVELY focused on the target (Makiwara)....Ahhh....FOCUS !!!! Upon being invited to &quot;ave a go&quot; he looked at my soft hands and stated that I shouldn't 'whack' the Makiwara too hard in case I damaged my hand !!!!  Needless to say I adopted an appropriate delivery stance (stood relaxed in front of the thing), Looked at my starting position and proceeded to 'whack' the crap out of the Makiwara !!!! I didn't look at it once, hit it many times in rapid succession - and BROKE the bloody thing !!!! LOL. After my mate settled down a bit... I explained that it wasn't how big and strong the punches were..it was all about how quick I could get my fist back to the starting point so that I could unleash hell upon it once more. My SOFT hands were not even red, or damaged !!!! The starting and ending point were only in fact momentary 'blips' in a CHAIN of motion that was never ending. Think of the 'MOBIUS STRIP' a constantly flowing, forward moving cycle. In the 'Siniwali' systems you may appear to go backwards at times, but in fact you forward motion never actually stops. Ponder if you will. Straighten the circle and curve the straight. SIMPLE&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1431" LastActivityDate="2013-10-29T09:05:23.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2316" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2279" CreationDate="2013-10-29T10:45:06.493" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the good old days before the fragmentation of the 'original' martial arts ways into all the 'different schools' There was really not this style or that - it wasn't stand and be counted - or lay down in your pyjamas and hug people. The martial 'arts' were complete systems in and of themselves. The old masters took on very few students. They were very carefully chosen. They were trained upright AND laying down. They were living in a world of constant war and danger (sounds like about now 'eh) &quot;Know you enemy&quot; was a simple but profound edict. Your enemy may be a pugilist, a grappler, an oarsman, a farmer, brigand, mad monk, etc, etc. He may have a sword, a spear, a halberd, an oar, a club, etc, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fragmentation came about when old masters passed away and families fractured and members went their separate ways. We became aware of this in Australia. In 1958 we had the Polish man Slagowski in Blacktown roughing it out with many pugilists, wrestlers,bouncers,policemen, prison guards, and brawlers. In the early 1960's We had little Merv Oakly return from Japan with Go Ju Kai (came from the Go Ju Ryu systems of Okinowa to Japan. In 1966 we had Tino Ceberano in Melbourne doing Go Ju Kai. We had many people of kyu grades leave these schools and start up there own way. We then had Richard Bradford (founded Goshin Ryu). We also had Dan grades like Bob Jones (created Zen Do Kai) -  then came Go Shin Kan and Go Kan Ryu (Door Knocker Karate). Many styles many ways - some very effective others not so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An old Okinowa master asked of prospective students (masters of other schools, ways,countries) What they did for a living - what was their profession. If they answered that their school was their profession he would dump them. You must have a separate means of funding your life and household. If you get money solely from your school you will be sorely tempted to adopt more students so that you could prosper and survive. This seems to be the modern institutional system, or way where you are guaranteed a black belt within 12-15 months !!!! More students - bigger school - bigger school - bigger reputation - bigger rep - more schools ad infinitum. Hence we have the stand ups versus the grapplers. The kickboxers versus the boxers. etc. etc. Now we have UFC, MMA, ABC etc. etc. Where EVERYONE is yearning for the COMPLETE system. &lt;strong&gt;You may indeed have to train in 2 or more separate martial arts these days to find a completeness&lt;/strong&gt; - a wholeness in your martial arts. People nowadays even want to belittle, cheapen, or even negate the 'ART' part of Martial arts. The 'martial' is the fighting for survival part of it. The 'art' part is the ability to heal what has been damaged or redress the balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the 'pure' Tai Chi (supreme ultimate pole - &lt;em&gt;modern day is Chuan or fist&lt;/em&gt;) the practitioner is an observer of all that is. When other 'martial artists' see a conflict or an enemy approaching they adopt the force to force principles or right is might!!!! Sadly a mistaken assumption - they will have already lost because they have enmeshed themselves with 'the opponents' inner demons. The Tai Chi practitioner does not see a 'confrontation' they see only that the other person is out of balance - they are unwell - or are beset by some inner demons. The Tai Chi person then activates the 'art' system of healing and rebalancing. They become smoke to the other persons mirror. They do not become the mirror THEY BECOME THE OTHER PERSON (borrow their congested and/ or leaking energy) they return to their own source and then release that 'borrowed' energy back into the unbalanced or imbalanced person. This puts congested energy and leaking energy through the yin - yang tumbler and restores it to a balanced flow. The person then no longer seeks a 'confrontation' with themselves by the use of LATERAL VIOLENCE !!!!! (taking it out on your fellows - family - friends etc.). The future comes soon where all 'ways' - 'schools' 'styles' and 'systems will blend once more into the one true way of the MARTIAL ARTS !!!!&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/cZlPH.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;An Overview of martial arts- Traish &amp;amp; Ollsen, My illustration on cover&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1431" LastEditorUserId="1431" LastEditDate="2013-11-02T01:21:16.623" LastActivityDate="2013-11-02T01:21:16.623" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2317" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="953" CreationDate="2013-10-29T13:36:49.500" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you study at a school that does both &quot;free fighting&quot; (&lt;em&gt;san shou&lt;/em&gt;) and &quot;push hands&quot; (&lt;em&gt;tui shou&lt;/em&gt;), and you practice the form 60-90 minutes a day, and you go to class two to three times per week, it should take approximately 5 years to be able to fight at a medium level for self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the school where I study they say that if you want to develop the ability to fight, you need to do both push hands and free fighting practice, AND that the form should be done 30 minutes a day for health, 2 hours per day for self-defense, and, like for any competitive athlete, 5-6 hours a day if you want to seriously enter free fighting/kick boxing type competitions against professionals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1434" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-10-29T13:53:19.673" LastActivityDate="2013-10-29T13:53:19.673" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2318" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2247" CreationDate="2013-10-29T16:27:11.540" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been moving towards using my left hand while fighting sword and buckler as well as having my left hand forward while using a zweihander.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So far I've found that I get better results by slowly moving through the motions, making sure to get everything right, just tapping the punching bag I use as a pell, not striking it.  Eventually over the course of a workout, I move to striking harder and harder.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1435" LastActivityDate="2013-10-29T16:27:11.540" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2319" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2492" CreationDate="2013-10-30T20:50:08.193" Score="6" ViewCount="429" Body="&lt;p&gt;They're both similar in execution and used as counters against hip techniques. Are there any reasons to prefer using one instead of the other in various situations?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1437" LastActivityDate="2014-01-02T17:35:48.897" Title="Utsuri goshi vs ushiro goshi usage" Tags="|judo|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2320" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2319" CreationDate="2013-10-31T09:13:44.463" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have an &lt;em&gt;utsuri goshi&lt;/em&gt;, but I like &lt;em&gt;ushiro goshi&lt;/em&gt; when my opponent hasn't broken my balance forward. After a successful hip block, &lt;em&gt;ushiro goshi&lt;/em&gt; often feels like just an extra little &quot;pop&quot; of my hips to send someone up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My understanding is that &lt;em&gt;utsuri goshi&lt;/em&gt; is a somewhat more difficult and skillful throw, but it seems to afford a greater deal of control over the person being thrown. That is, &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; can be controlled longer during &lt;em&gt;utsuri goshi&lt;/em&gt; than with &lt;em&gt;ushiro goshi&lt;/em&gt;, since &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; can be carried on the hip and connected to your center further along the trip to the ground. Then again, like I said, I don't use the throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-10-31T09:52:10.973" LastActivityDate="2013-10-31T09:52:10.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2321" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1881" CreationDate="2013-10-31T10:15:28.340" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are several aspects you should work on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Core strength is vital for front kick (mae geri in Karate). This is because you need to balance throughout the move from start to finish. Do some plank exercises and press-ups with good form (flat back). Pilates too, belive it or not, for deep-lying core muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chamber the knee as high as you can - this gives you the options of kicking at different heights. You cannot kick high with a low knee.&#xA;IMPORTANT: Never kick above waist height in a real fight, it is far too risky.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;When you deliver the kick the power comes from pushing the hips forward at the point of impact. This is why the core strength is vital.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Practice hitting a target like a low punchbag. This will tell you if you're doing it correctly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1413" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2013-10-31T11:23:14.937" LastActivityDate="2013-10-31T11:23:14.937" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2322" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2144" CreationDate="2013-11-01T06:23:45.503" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The problem however is that I have very little self confidence in my&#xA;  own health and strength. I catch colds easily, and can't eat all types&#xA;  of foods, etc etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a profound personal observation with regard to your training as a martial artist. Most martial art schools you may train in will naturally address these concerns as a matter of course, by simply engaging in training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if the health and nutrition aspects are of some concern, then may I suggest that you also look into health and nutrition as an adjunct to, or complimentary regime with, your martial arts training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You WILL get fitter and healthier by training at a decent school - unless of course you have a chronic condition, or medical issue that needs addressing - then your training may in fact become a danger to your health. It's a simple as A - B - C. A= AWARENESS (you are aware of the problem). B= BALANCE ( you are seeking a balanced approach to training - body and spirit). C=CONTROL ( you are wanting to control your confidence and health issues, and thus your destiny). &#xA;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What kind of martial arts out there focuses not so much on strength,&#xA;  but rather on building confidence and spiritual peace?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;is most obviously the one that allows you to to focus on the latter &lt;strong&gt;building confidence and spiritual peace&lt;/strong&gt;. &#xA;The other aspect is &lt;strong&gt;focuses not so much on strength&lt;/strong&gt; Again, the one who's focus is on &lt;strong&gt;BUILDING&lt;/strong&gt; strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I answer your question at the end QUILLION because most persons who ask a question have a lot going on in their statements that set up the question. Peace Mad Merlin&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1431" LastEditorUserId="788" LastEditDate="2014-12-12T00:46:39.397" LastActivityDate="2014-12-12T00:46:39.397" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2324" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1835" CreationDate="2013-11-02T16:04:32.407" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Grand Master Hisataka of Shorinji Ryu and Koshiki came to train with us once at our Blue Mountains Dojo, a most amazing man. He gave us many techniques and processes that were diametrically opposite to the accepted norms of martial arts training. One great example was his amazing ability to deliver various hand and foot strikes while actually BREATHING IN !!!! His reasoning for this was that most practitioners were so focussed on always expelling their breath to exert maximum force and power that they were usually stunned and disrupted when someone effectively launched a strike upon them when they were just beginning to breath in. You MUST be ready at ALL times. Often the mistake is made by adhering obsessively to the concept of 'intention force' - this then may be also seen as 'IN TENSION - FORCE' when applied incorrectly. &lt;strong&gt;&quot;to react to our opponents strikes&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; REACTION to an opponent's strike is unfortunate. As Sensei Chris Traish has stated many times &quot;we need to act, not react&quot;. If you have the time to execute a block, why then would you bother? You would more logically avoid the strike, or execute a strike of your own would you not? Why waste valuable time and effort.&lt;strong&gt;&quot;Now i try my best to loosen up but it just doesn't come by itself&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;. Bob Jones of Zen Do Kai gave valuable instruction and advice by way of 'NEMONIC TRIGGERS'. Small, easily assimilated and remembered memory triggers. I have picked up one from Arjuken karate, it is the 3 R's...learn them and utilise them whenever you are about to engage, or are engaging in training, sparring, or fighting. What are the 3 R's? simple...relax - relax - RELAX !!!! Create your own system of 'anti tension' nemonic triggers. Intention force is not contained within the clenched fist. It is a cumulative melding of mind - body - and spirit (breath). If the 3 do not become one tension gains a foot hold in the missing section, causing imbalance and thus you may well'PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION READY TO BE BEATEN' as the classic song goes. The most effective way, as a martial artist I have found, to eradicate tension is to learn, and thus understand the concept of pushing air through water, or the interplay of the 3 spheres - yin - yang - you. Young Bruce Lee put the arrows on the Tai Chi so that it could be released from the imprisonment of so called traditional ways, and become re activated!!!! As Master T.T. Liang stated in his wonderful book 'Tai Chi For Health and Self Defence' - He respects tradition, but asks the simple and profound question ....&quot;Of what use is tradition if the first move was wrong?&quot; In conclusion &lt;strong&gt;&quot;so my movements aren't just filled with power?&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; WOW if all your movements are filled with power why then the need to hold onto tension. Relaxed power...now that's the way to rumble !!!! Try visualising the most delicate and precious thing you can think of being held inside your clenched fist while you train - perhaps a drop of pure water? Peace - Mad Merlin&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1431" LastEditorUserId="1431" LastEditDate="2013-11-03T01:20:41.433" LastActivityDate="2013-11-03T01:20:41.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2331" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1649" CreationDate="2013-11-04T11:41:36.023" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As the young Master BRUCE LEE often asked &quot;Is it effective? Does it work?&quot; &quot;yes?&quot; Well he didn't really care what it looked like. As to the point of &lt;strong&gt;&quot;When executing the punch, you must relax and not use your shoulders.&quot;  Bruce Lee liked to use the **&quot;ball on the end of a chain&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; analogy for this type of punch when he said it would go &quot;WANG&quot; !!!! His student, Dan Inasanto showed a very effective way of developing, and testing the 'one inch punch'. Apparently Bruce Lee (I HAVE seen ALL of his training videos, interviews, and read all of his books) utilised a common weight lifting bar with a weight collar attached to one end, leaving enough room to hang  on to it out in front of the body as in the ready position. He then placed a 2.5 - 5.00 Kg weight on the bar. First he would drop his wrist, which would emulate the shape of the vertical fist. The weight would give out an audible 'clack' His next action was to move his elbow forward, which would activate the delivery system. This would give off an audible 'clack' as well. However, if you heard 2 'clacks' you would need to apply the technique more correctly so that the wrist drop AND the elbow thrust produced only 1 'clack'...VERY IMPORTANT..becoming synchronised..in unison. The final step was &lt;strong&gt;engaging the shoulder&lt;/strong&gt;!!!! You would also need to hear only 1 audible click....VITALLY IMPORTANT !!!! TRY IT - it is the most powerful punch training I have done, as it has enhanced every type of punch I have - and made them more powerful and effective from any range or direction. I have also witnessed many, many street fighters etc. break the knuckles and other bones of their fists. Explains why boxers effectively strap their hands B4 putting on the gloves - also why many martial artists use hand protection etc. It is mandatory requirement at KOSHIKI tournaments. I can tell you truly, you can still have soft hands AND a very effective punch, but if ALL YOU DO IS PUNCH, then you better wrap them up!!!! The  1 inch punch may well be delivered from the centre of the body, but simple physics will dictate that it will and must connect with the shoulder if you are to extend your arm to drive 'through' the opponent. We saw a magnificent example of this when GRAND MASTER ERNESTO PRESAS and SENSEI MICHAEL D'ARCY represented our art at an international multi discipline tournament in Germany a decade ago. A small WING CHUN man gave a demonstration of the classic 1 inch punch whereby he struck a huge German ARNIS man holding a 1 inch board. There was no sound as he went through the board like it wasn't there, struck the ARNIS man in the middle of the chest and drove him back 2 meters. The German martial artist's feet had left the ground !!!!. I did notice that the WING CHUN man fully engaged his shoulder when executing this strike. the punch only travelled 1 inch to strike the board, it then went straight through it and......the rest is, as they say, history. Peace Mad Merlin&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1431" LastActivityDate="2013-11-04T11:41:36.023" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2332" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2135" CreationDate="2013-11-04T12:01:56.617" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;How do I maintain martial awareness of a person's movement and intent when that person is very physically close (conversation distance, or passing on the street) to me?&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; perhaps the concept of &lt;strong&gt;&quot;martial awareness of a person's movement and intent..&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; may in itself create an almost insurmountable hurdle for you...it may make you become &lt;strong&gt;'TOO READY TO BE STEADY'&lt;/strong&gt; by that I mean your mental state or 'attitude' may be getting in your way. It may in fact be blocking your sensitivity to such things. Engaging in sensitivity drills would most certainly be of assistance here.  One of the best is environmental sensitivity. PUT ON A BLIND FOLD and learn!!!! Get other practitioners to assist you by approaching you from any and all directions. at first, loudly, then at talking level, then softly softly. They can remain silent vocally but give little 'noise' signals of their impending proximity. As you gain more environmental sensitivity you get them to apply stealth mode. single person at first...then 2 people...3 people...etc...etc. It becomes a case of &lt;strong&gt;learning how to feel what's going on&lt;/strong&gt;. Sometimes our eyes and thus our mind can become stumbling blocks to our overall awareness. It's as simple as A - B - C...AWARENESS - BALANCE - CONTROL Peace Mad Merlin. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1431" LastActivityDate="2013-11-04T12:01:56.617" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2334" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-11-04T13:27:44.613" Score="10" ViewCount="24728" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was wondering what would be the best way to protect yourself against a dog attack.&#xA;I am interested to know what unarmed options there are on the following scenarios:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Against a single rabid dog.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Against a pack of dogs.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Against a fight dog (pitbull, rotweiller, bulldog etc)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1442" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2013-11-05T09:43:50.710" LastActivityDate="2017-07-11T08:04:42.287" Title="How to defend against dog attacks?" Tags="|defense|" AnswerCount="13" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2335" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2334" CreationDate="2013-11-05T00:05:50.473" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure how much you need to analyze this one. Avoiding scary dogs would be a good start.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dogs attack in a straight line, and they use their teeth (and size/bulk). Other than striking or grabbing the dog's sensitive areas (nose, eyes, throat), you have little option but to bludgeon it with whatever technique you can safely deliver.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course this is assuming that you have no option than to beat on the dog. Animal handlers will have a whole range of options they would try first, but that would be best discussed elsewhere (animal handling techniques would be off topic here).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2013-11-05T00:05:50.473" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2336" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2334" CreationDate="2013-11-05T10:35:45.690" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;First off if you are attacked by a pack of dogs/wolves make sure you are up a strong tree and stay there and call for help. No martial art can help you against being attacked by packs of wild animals. Unfortunately in real life creatures/people do not each attack in turn so it is not like in movies where you can first fight one then the other opponent. So get up a tree or get yourself in a corner, or some place you can (a) avoid the fight or failing that (b) only need to fight against one opponent at a time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fighting a rabid canine or a well trained &quot;fighting&quot; dog will be pretty much the same. At least with one animal you can focus on it. Unarmed is always risky and being bitten is bad, but always keep your more crucial areas well protected, a bite in the arm or leg would be better than the throat, face or groin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrap your jacket or sleeves around your weaker arm so you can use it as something for the animal to take,  use the other hand to attack the animal. I would go for crushing the throat as soon as possible and if I can get the animal down i would use my body weight to hold the animal down. But here it can be very difficult as you have a strong fit opponent with sharp teeth, and it will basically be fearless if rabid or well trained. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As slugster said there will actually be a lot of better things to do than attack, so try looking for things on animal behavior and controlling animals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1135" LastEditorUserId="1135" LastEditDate="2017-07-11T07:34:12.493" LastActivityDate="2017-07-11T07:34:12.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2337" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2334" CreationDate="2013-11-05T16:02:55.227" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;A long sharp knife is best. Also steel-toed boots for kicking out their teeth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't bother trying to run away because dogs are faster. They also rarely respond to simple pain. As someone else said, it's a good idea to wrap an item of clothing around your non-dominant hand to act as a sort of &quot;shield&quot;. Stab the eyes and then cut the throat. Kick the teeth out and hope and pray you don't get bitten in the gooleys. Because then it's game over for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I faced a rottweiler once while walking home from school. I managed to kick his canines out, which probably saved my life, or at least saved me a trip to hospital. If I had a knife I would have killed it, but it's probably not a good idea if the owner is a neighbour.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-11-05T16:02:55.227" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2338" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2339" CreationDate="2013-11-05T18:47:16.877" Score="10" ViewCount="924" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a judoka, I've the bad habit of turning my back when ever I get in trouble in groundwork. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In competition judo, you only get points for throwing your opponent, and landing stomach down doesn't score anything. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Groundwork on judo only last for a typical of 10 to 15 seconds, if there's no progress. On the ground, you get points only for pins, or submissions. (Armbars, chokes, no leglocks)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because I rather stay standing, if I get forced to work on the ground, and I'm the one in trouble, I just defend against chokes and armbars flat on my stomach, without the possibility to see what's coming at me and fully exposing my back. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's very common in judo, if you're not a ground type fighter, you just have to survive for 15 seconds and you get back up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, my groundwork has developed a huge amount of what it used to be (still no match against a BJJ practicioner, of course), and I'd like to learn how not to turn my back, and instead try to get advantage of the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Could anyone suggest me on how to get rid of this habit?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user1221" LastActivityDate="2014-02-19T15:46:33.167" Title="Learning not to turn your back on ground?" Tags="|judo|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|self-defense|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2339" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2338" CreationDate="2013-11-05T21:52:18.567" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;You've taken the first step in doing so - acknowledging that you're doing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, where do you go from there? That largely depends on the situation, but here's a few things that might help to get you started.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Learn to roll.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You've been put in an arm bar, or you've been thrown, or basically any other situation that if it follows through to its natural end, you'll either end up with broken bones/joints (or you tap out or whatever in a competition scenario), or you're on the ground. Guess what? Most of those moves, you can roll out of them if you know how. Rolling is actually a counter to a lot of holds, locks, and bars.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, this does two things for you - gets you out of the hairy position you've gotten yourself into, and (hopefully) gets you back on your feet. Even if it doesn't get you back on your feet (yet), it gets you off your stomach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Learn how to get off the ground.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This sounds obvious, but it can be harder than you think. This isn't just about standing back up, it's about getting up as quick and efficiently as humanly possible, hopefully before your opponent gets you pinned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Learn to get out of a pin.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The details of this depend largely on the nature of typical pins in Judo. I'm not familiar with Judo, but I am with BJJ and &quot;street&quot; fights. In many cases in those environments, at least at one point or another, you're pinned because you're opponent is sitting on top of you, somewhere on your torso. Start with that, and learn how to get out of it, regardless of whether you get off the ground or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From there, advance into more advanced pins, including the ones you'd face in a Judo match. Don't forget, too, your escape methods that you might use while standing. The details might be different, but there's actually a lot of crossover between standing and ground techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Learn how to reverse a pin without standing back up.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a powerful thing to know. It's pretty self-explanatory, and the details will depend on what's legal in a given environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Practice more ground fighting.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, though, you're not going to be able to get better at ground fighting, even enough to get off the ground, unless you practice it more. See if your Judo class/teammates will do some groundwork-specific sparring. Same rules apply, except you have to start and stay on the ground. This forces you to do more ground fighting, and forces you to use tactics you wouldn't normally use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="341" LastActivityDate="2013-11-05T21:52:18.567" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2340" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2338" CreationDate="2013-11-05T22:53:13.510" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The general goal of not turning belly-down in judo competition is not enough. You need to develop specific, actionable goals to work on in &lt;em&gt;newaza randori&lt;/em&gt; (and even, perhaps, with proper etiquette, to set up in &lt;em&gt;tachiwaza randori&lt;/em&gt;) and to try out in &lt;em&gt;shiai&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo groundwork, in my view, is composed of several broad strokes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rapidly applied chokes, which generally start from a specific, drilled position that you'll find yourself in after a failed throw by you or your opponent&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Scrambling and specific rolls (e.g. the Peterson or Granby)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Landing on top from a non-ippon throw and fighting for a scoring position&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rapidly applied armbars, which may start from a specific position or found opportunistically&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Numbers 2 and 4 are particularly difficult skills to develop quickly. For those you just need copious groundwork time under a &lt;em&gt;newaza&lt;/em&gt;-oriented instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For number 1, it is possible to find some simple chokes that don't take as long to learn. The &lt;em&gt;hadakajime&lt;/em&gt; applied to a belly-down opponent is a fundamental, as is the hip choke, &lt;em&gt;koshijime&lt;/em&gt;, known as the clock choke in BJJ. Both of these are readily applicable to failed throw situations, and you should be able to find someone proficient with them to show you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For number 3, you should spend your &lt;em&gt;newaza&lt;/em&gt; time passing the half-guard (&quot;trapped leg&quot;) situation and looking for armlocks and chokes to be applied from there. Some of the submissions are rather brutish and inelegant, but this is judo. Make sure to spend time drilling pins, both maintaining and escaping them, to develop your transition skills between pins and to eliminate any fear of being pinned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, of course, if you want to transition into a different kind of judoka the two most powerful elements at your disposal are Time and an appropriate Instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-11-05T22:53:13.510" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2341" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-11-07T05:48:05.053" Score="10" ViewCount="980" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a Marine myself and between extensive combat experience, close quarter, and hand to hand, I am well versed in a variety of disciplines. For me this comes naturally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now that being said, I am having a hard time figuring out what to teach my wife and daughter. What is overkill versus necessary to defend effectively without going overboard? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My wife is 5'4&quot; and weighs 100 lbs soaking wet and my daughter is 5'7&quot; and 100 lbs soaking wet. So I am looking for suggestions as to how to approach their training without inevitably treating them like Marines and turning them off because I am &quot;too rough&quot; or &quot;too demanding&quot; or &quot;expecting too much&quot;? I want them to have the best but I know it may not be a reasonable expectation, so I am content to having them learn what provides them the most comprehensive and yet relatively easy to learn while effective techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1439" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-11-11T07:28:55.803" LastActivityDate="2015-07-23T18:51:04.207" Title="What is the Most Effective Discipline to Learn for Absolute Beginners" Tags="|training|technique|teaching|style|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="15" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2342" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2341" CreationDate="2013-11-07T08:47:39.917" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am afraid you are looking for a unicorn and you do not even know what a unicorn is.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a world of difference between giving your daughter enough training to &quot;survive&quot; a date and her surviving walking back to base after crossing Mogadishu. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;No Nonsense Self-Defense&lt;/a&gt; is a good place to start looking at these issues but is by no mean exhaustive.  As for myself, I would suggest a few things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First: &lt;em&gt;What are your aims?&lt;/em&gt; Keeping them safe is unrealistic since it is so broad.  Look at statistic of crime where you live. This will tell you what the most common things they &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; have to worry about. There is no need to train them for something that has no chance of happening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second: &lt;em&gt;What do &lt;strong&gt;they&lt;/strong&gt; want&lt;/em&gt;?  Is this your mind set that want to keep them safe because you are so used to violence?  Do they see the same world as you?... Ask them what they want. This will tell you what they want to learn. GµårÐïåñ has since said that his family is driving this.  This is a good thing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third: Now, pick a system of self defence or a martial art or dancing or advanced driving... Whatever you pick, there will be good things and bad things. There are no ultimate system. just stacking the desk in your favour.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, in the USA, you are eight times more likely to be killed by law enforcements than terrorists.  Thus a law degree might be more effective than a martial art. In the USA, you are as well about 150 times more likely to be killed in a road accident than in a terrorist attack. Thus a driving course is vastly more effective at keeping you safe than an anti-terrorist course. Now, if you live in Mogadishu, things might be different...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit after comments&lt;/strong&gt;: In answer to &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;My immediate goals are: deal with a perp that has a knife, gun, or&#xA;  just physical force. Not necessary stay and fight it all the way but&#xA;  disable and disarm long enough to get out of dodge without being&#xA;  pursued.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I see where you are coming from and please read the rest as helpful, supportive suggestions as it is how it is meant.  Self defence for you relies on surviving physical assaults.  It's your job as a Marine to fight.  Civilian self defence is about &lt;em&gt;not being in a position to survive a physical assault&lt;/em&gt;. Those are totally opposite things.   They are utterly different skills and you do not need to know anything about combat to be good at self defence. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for being hard asses, &lt;strong&gt;any good teacher&lt;/strong&gt; can do that, no matter the art.  Look at this &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/469/82&quot;&gt;answer&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/466/82&quot;&gt;question&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-11-08T07:45:17.203" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2343" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2341" CreationDate="2013-11-07T13:25:16.800" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Find a school that fulfills the following requirements:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;spars at least a little hard&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;your wife and daughter enjoy training at&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;is near you&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then be supportive--not hectoring, not demanding--with their training. All else is gravy. The goal here is to give them experience with either wrestling or hitting and being hit, &lt;em&gt;if they want that&lt;/em&gt;. It's nice that you're &quot;a beast&quot; but I didn't hear you say anything about what your wife wants, or what your daughter wants. Take care that this is their project, not yours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If no schools fulfill those requirements, then get them into some form of resistance training (Olympic lifting, kettlebells, CrossFit, dumbbell powerlifts--it doesn't much matter) and once in a while, when &lt;em&gt;they&lt;/em&gt; feel like it, have them glove up (or gi up) and work some boxing or wrestling with you, with you embodying gentility and encouragement and them going full force with ferocity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-11-07T13:25:16.800" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2344" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2144" CreationDate="2013-11-07T15:29:21.427" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know exactly how you feel. Pre martial arts I lacked confidence and felt very vulnerable in some situations. (Also being 6ft and 90kg). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found 'Modern Kenpo' a number of years ago. It is very streetwise and is incredibly good for building confidence and awareness when out and about. It is as much a way of life as a martial art. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I teach the art mainly to children and have three kids in my class with Asbergers and Autism - it has had a profound effect on their confidence and social skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But most importantly, find a club/teacher that you feel comfortable with, that is clean and enjoyable to train in. It's not all about training to defend and attack - there is a social aspect to our club that transcends all our lives.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't know where you are based but it shouldn't be too hard to find - google modern kenpo or Ed Parker's Kenpo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1445" LastActivityDate="2013-11-07T15:29:21.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2345" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2341" CreationDate="2013-11-07T16:52:42.100" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;While the answer can have all kinds of nuances, I suggest Krav Maga (full disclosure I practice it).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My gf is 110lbs wet wearing boots, and takes Krav. She had no background in martial arts, and no real natural skill for it, but after training in KM for some time, she now has the confidence, knowledge, and skillset to adequately protect herself in many situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4" LastEditorUserId="4" LastEditDate="2013-11-08T03:29:51.500" LastActivityDate="2013-11-08T03:29:51.500" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2347" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2341" CreationDate="2013-11-08T16:59:42.620" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The other answers here are great, but I have a couple more tips to add:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Find a well-rounded school.&lt;/strong&gt; A lot of arts are &quot;do one thing, really, really well&quot; types of schools. (If you know anything about MMA history, you'll know how well that mindset has gone over throughout the years.) Doing one thing really well is great, but street fight situations are nothing like tournaments. Find a school that does at least striking and grappling. Ideally, they should also train in throwing, escaping, and weaponry.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;See what schools your fellow soldiers and local police officers attend.&lt;/strong&gt; In my experience, soldiers and police officers won't attend a school that's not effective, and the police aren't likely to attend something that isn't applicable to their job. This not only helps ensure that the school is teaching techniques that will help in a real-life, but it's also more likely to teach things that aren't martial arts specific, such as situational awareness, how to keep someone pinned without using your hands, how to think about doing things within a given technique that allows you to draw your own weapon, and how to be mindful of the legal implications of a given move. It also gets you familiar with some of the members of your local police force, and can provide other perks like access to firearm training and certifications and shooting ranges.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Find a school that isn't heavily focused on tournament competition.&lt;/strong&gt; I'm not talking about one that doesn't spar, here. I'm talking about the schools where they teach for the tournament. Points and tapouts mean nothing on the street. Visit a class, and you'll likely know whether the school is tournament-oriented or not within a few minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Find schools that are like close-knit families.&lt;/strong&gt; You don't need a black-belt mill, you need focused training and a supportive but challenging atmosphere. There doesn't have to be a lot of black belts at the school for it to be good (and anything that guarantees certain ranks in certain timeframes are probably more focused on other things besides true understanding and learning). I practice in the Bujinkan, and one of the things that I like about it is that it's like a family, even among the different dojos. I'm in central Ohio, and we have a close relationship with the Indianapolis school, and try to support them when we can. That kind of community is often hard to come by. A school doesn't have to be small to have that, either. I've seen larger schools that had the same feel. So don't discount a school on this point, just because it's larger.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Find schools that specifically mix training partners.&lt;/strong&gt; Your wife and daughter only training with each other isn't going to help them any. Training with you will help this, but they need to be familiar with different body types, and they need to learn that they can throw, control, and otherwise defend against people quite a bit larger than them, and they need to learn the differences between how guys with your body type, the lanky guys, and the guys that are your size, but with 20% body fat move.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some school ideas:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;MMA&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Judo&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Ninjutsu/Budo&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Krav Maga&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Aikido&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Jujitsu (not necessarily BJJ)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Jeet Kune Do  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="341" LastEditorUserId="341" LastEditDate="2013-11-08T17:19:09.257" LastActivityDate="2013-11-08T17:19:09.257" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2348" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-11-08T19:43:40.590" Score="5" ViewCount="8924" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was reading an articles on kids doing mma in america and it stated an estimated 3 million kids participate in mma in America.  I also notice how many American guys study and know bjj and to a lesser extent do mma.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How many people in America actually train bjj and also mma?  What is the chance that I might encounter a bjj practitioner?  What percentage of americans do bjj e.g. how does 1 in every 100 sound?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1448" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2016-01-18T11:36:20.407" LastActivityDate="2021-03-02T01:22:37.483" Title="How many people know BJJ and/or MMA in America?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2349" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2348" CreationDate="2013-11-08T19:59:53.187" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The statistic I heard years ago was that 2 to 4 percent of the general population does some form of martial arts. I don't think that includes wrestling. This number was gleaned from marketing research aimed to help martial arts school owners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of that number, only a small fraction are doing BJJ or MMA. Though popular, they are dwarfed by arts like karate and TKD. I'd estimate that far fewer than 1 in a 100 people are familiar with BJJ at a blue belt level, and far fewer than even that have had an MMA fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-11-09T06:05:26.093" LastActivityDate="2013-11-09T06:05:26.093" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2350" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2341" CreationDate="2013-11-10T20:52:20.197" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;These kinds of questions are subjective, and normally don't make good questions for StackExchange, however it is one of those common questions people really want some kind of answer for...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having done quite a few martial arts, and having had &quot;taster&quot; experiences of quite a few more, I feel Krav Maga was the most directly focused on self defence as well as teaching a mindset as quick as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It reminds me of various martial arts who run womens self defence courses who distill out quick and effective techniques for the most likely scenarios.  Krav just feels like its made this its mission.  What I liked, at least the way I trained it, is it incorporated a lot of pressure testing drills. Highly recommended&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another art I thought was quite effective/good at self defence ( at least from the person who taught me ) was Kali/Escrima.  Can get quite fancy at a higher level, but a lot of the basics are really quite good, with some excellent stick/knife fighting stuff in there.  Also had lots of good pressure testing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Along with those, I think things like kick boxing and BJJ are quite good supplementary arts  as they have competitive aspect to them (disclosure, I do BJJ ).  I think competitive aspects help develop confidence, working under pressure, being realistic about what you will ACTUALLY remember in the heat of the moment.  BJJ I'd give extra credit because on the ground, it has lots of answers to a lot of situations that people would get stuck in without direct training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then my final observation from various news articles I've seen over the years... Many women martial artisra from many arts have successfully defended themselves coming from backgrounds of Judo, TKD, Karate, and others.  The recurring theme seemed to be, they were extremely assertive, and once they showed they weren't going to be compliant (through both force and non force), their attackers quickly gave up and took off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2013-11-10T20:52:20.197" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2351" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1955" CreationDate="2013-11-10T23:39:10.023" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;They will not be moving their eyes can still be open and their muscles can still be flexed.&#xA;Ways to prevent this if in a competion just tap if in a self defense situation pull the wrists down followed by chin down shoulders up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1450" LastEditorUserId="1450" LastEditDate="2013-11-11T01:04:24.353" LastActivityDate="2013-11-11T01:04:24.353" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2352" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="383" CreationDate="2013-11-10T23:44:02.543" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You pull their wrists down after doing that your chin shoots down to your chest whilst your shoulder shoot up. You can then start to take their hooks out if you are on the ground if standing up hip throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1450" LastEditorUserId="1450" LastEditDate="2013-11-11T01:01:13.247" LastActivityDate="2013-11-11T01:01:13.247" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2353" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="294" CreationDate="2013-11-11T01:15:47.053" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;We are taught to practise in bjj to use a gi (uniform) you can hang it on something strong and practise pulling up if you do not have a gi to use for this excercise you can use a belt a martial art belt if possible.&#xA;It helps to work your arms and you will be able to hold on with that grip when the opponent is resisting or moving.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1450" LastActivityDate="2013-11-11T01:15:47.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2354" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2356" CreationDate="2013-11-11T11:28:51.687" Score="11" ViewCount="815" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've done judo on and off for a number of years and haven't really competed. Now that I've started back I'd like to (once I feel I'm good enough) start entering more events. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Due to years of club practice I breakfall automatically. Is this likely to cause problems in competitions? I.e. getting thrown for wazari and then my opponent being awarded ippon due to the loud smack of my breakfall? If so is there ways I can practice this? Perhaps just being mindful in randori and trying to breakfall 'less'?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1374" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-12-17T12:33:45.193" LastActivityDate="2020-12-17T12:33:45.193" Title="Breakfalls in competition" Tags="|judo|competition|falling|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2355" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2354" CreationDate="2013-11-11T12:10:42.430" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In &lt;em&gt;Aikido&lt;/em&gt;, the referees will award an &lt;em&gt;ippon&lt;/em&gt; based on a good technique from &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt;'s part, however much noise &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; makes.  If, &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; falls over and the technique is rubbish, then all that is awarded is a &lt;em&gt;wazari&lt;/em&gt;.  There are three judges so even if one cannot see what happens, the other two should be able to.  Of course, judges are human and can err but a compliant &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; is really easy to spot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not know the rules within judo but I would suspect they are similar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I would suggest is start with a very light resistance and work towards fully resistance in your training. Start with just resisting techniques by moving your legs and movement.  Then add the arms so you can use grips to keep your balance. Finally, refuse to be thrown whatever happens.  However, &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; is all about protecting yourself.  &lt;em&gt;So, &lt;strong&gt;DO&lt;/strong&gt; breakfall before causing yourself an injury!!!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2013-11-11T13:35:28.563" LastActivityDate="2013-11-11T13:35:28.563" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2356" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2354" CreationDate="2013-11-11T13:23:12.590" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, doing proper breakfalls in judo competition means you increase the likelihood that your opponent will score and achieve higher scores for a given throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Non-&lt;em&gt;ukemi ukemi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Noted judo coach Gerald Lafon has made a lot of noise about how this presents the competitive judoka with contradictory goals:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Certainly, the most costly exercise in Judo in terms of wins or losses is the &lt;em&gt;yoko ukemi&lt;/em&gt; with arm bash, which results in a full point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lafon espouses the use of &lt;a href=&quot;http://betterjudo.com/articles/turnouts-unorthodox-ukemi/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;unorthodox ukemi&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the last twenty years, I haven’t taught my students how to do ukemi, at least not the traditional ukemi one thinks of when the word is uttered. Modernists call that form of ukemi mat bashing. If you ask many Judo people in Southern California what they think of me, the very first thing out of their mouths is “he doesn’t teach his kids how to fall” as they roll their eyes and imply that I am crazy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regardless of why traditional ukemi is what it is today, many modern participants in Judo, especially competitors, resort to all sorts of maneuvers to prevent falling on their back. For the most part, these skills are developed without the benefit of structured class training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He explicitly teaches turn-outs, under-rotation, over-rotation, and other methods for avoiding landing on one's back in &lt;em&gt;shiai&lt;/em&gt;. The benefits of this approach can be debated for the recreational judoka, as can the prioritization of this for the competitive judoka, but &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu_oLMJarWY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;acrobatics have potent results in competition&lt;/a&gt;. Gymnastics are an addition to your first lines of defense against being thrown (grip dominance, footwork, hip blocks, drilled counterattacks, balance) and less-preferred ways to prevent throws (straight-arming, direct resistance).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember, though, that the purpose of taking a fall is to avoid injury. The degree and frequency with which you refuse &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; is directly correlated with risk of getting hurt. I've sustained moderate injuries because I decided to fall on my front rather than get turned over by a &lt;em&gt;sumi-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;. That's a risk I took for a major competition. Decide: how much injury am I willing to risk for this match?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Recommendation&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Shiai&lt;/em&gt; is not &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt;. Your job in &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; is often to take your opponent's throws. Your job in &lt;em&gt;shiai&lt;/em&gt; is to defeat the opponent, only taking his throws when you are legitimately forced to against your will on fear of injury. Adapting to this might take a few competitions. I recommend competing frequently, particularly in local competitions, to thoroughly learn this lesson.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A competitor's &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; should include at least some rounds that are more like &lt;em&gt;shiai&lt;/em&gt;, where you demand a much more effective throw to take &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; from a partner's &lt;em&gt;waza&lt;/em&gt;. If your club has them, you can also practice by training harder and more uncooperatively with some of the more fit and vigorous competitors in your club. Do not do this too much, do not do this with new students, do not do this to the degree that higher ranks see it necessary to bury you with &lt;em&gt;makikomi&lt;/em&gt; so you stop being overly competitive inside the &lt;em&gt;dojo&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But whatever you do, don't go to &lt;em&gt;shiai&lt;/em&gt; and take a fall the way you do in class. Play loose, but stay uncooperative. This is one of the most powerful benefits of hard, competitive martial arts: you must learn to fight hard without being stiff, and to apply technique vigorously against a fully resisting opponent instead of a somewhat-cooperative fellow student in class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2015-07-04T18:38:58.943" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2357" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1649" CreationDate="2013-11-11T17:44:35.957" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have trained Isshinryu for a very long time here's some answers. Yes you punch with the top too knuckles. Why? It has more force. You wouldn't want a flat knife because then stabbing wouldn't work. Every force has an equal and opposite force. If you punch with your whole fist you are spreading out the force on both ends. With the top two knuckles you can concentrate that force. You DO NOT use your shoulder to follow the punch through. You use YOUR HIPS. You hips is what give you the &quot;hook&quot; boxers have. And you don't have to expose yourself. It is quicker and as any high school student would know W=1/2MV^2. Velocity of the punch is more important than your mass. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1451" LastActivityDate="2013-11-11T17:44:35.957" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2358" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2363" CreationDate="2013-11-12T02:54:36.610" Score="6" ViewCount="330" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have noticed some gyms don't focus on take downs, unless they have a special comp training class. The kids classes always start on their knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I trust that different gyms have different training strategies and so know that they would be doing this for a reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why is it that some gyms don't focus on take downs and doesn't this affect comp performance?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6827" LastEditorDisplayName="user6827" LastActivityDate="2019-05-21T17:11:26.743" Title="Why don't some gyms focus on take downs?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|competition|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2359" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2364" CreationDate="2013-11-12T03:01:00.983" Score="12" ViewCount="1448" Body="&lt;p&gt;My oldest son (19) teaches and trains BJJ 6 days a week. He teaches and takes morning, afternoon and evening classes, plus trains MMA, does fitness training and is currently learning some boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My younger two (12 and 13), train 5 days a week (they have the opportunity to train 6, but I make them take a day off midweek). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My 13 year old son assists in teaching some classes and trains a minimum of 2 classes 5 days a week.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;My 12 year old daughter trains just the single class 5 days a week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I encourage my younger two to walk to and from school, as I think walking is a great way to maintain a general fitness and stamina.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have seen questions about the minimum training a student should do. Given my children's ages and the fact the oldest does it full time for a living; can  too much training affect performance?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My younger two have taken a break from comps for six months, but will resume next year; is there a regime that maximises comp performance?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6827" LastEditorDisplayName="user6827" LastActivityDate="2020-06-11T12:25:20.343" Title="Can there be too much training?" Tags="|training|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|competition|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2360" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2367" CreationDate="2013-11-12T03:20:24.760" Score="11" ViewCount="11335" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was reading about some of the history of Karate recently, and this question came to me. I can understand, in modern times, different coloured gis with sport martial arts, but can anyone tell me, or point me to a resource, that can explain why traditional karate gis are white?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1026" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-09-21T07:55:21.837" LastActivityDate="2023-09-25T12:32:15.530" Title="Why are traditional karate gis white?" Tags="|karate|history|gi|uniform|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2361" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1447" CreationDate="2013-11-12T03:34:40.577" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If my walking staff is smooth round and shiney,then my hand is sliding  up and down all over the place, the more sides to the staff the better the grasp or hold I have to steady myself as I walk. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find the octagonal staff the best walking aid that allows my hand to stay firmly in one place on the staff or easily adjust up or down. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1452" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2013-11-12T03:44:10.353" LastActivityDate="2013-11-12T03:44:10.353" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2362" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-11-12T04:09:07.997" Score="4" ViewCount="6790" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it true that bulky people can't be fast like Bruce Lee or flexible like &quot;Superfoot&quot; Wallace or tall like the great Khalil? I want to be big, fast, and able to fight all at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1453" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-12-02T13:30:52.027" LastActivityDate="2017-01-22T03:04:55.400" Title="Can I be bulky and fast at the same time?" Tags="|strength|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2363" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2358" CreationDate="2013-11-12T06:51:21.280" Score="8" Body="&lt;h2&gt;1) Safety&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BJJ clubs often don't work takedowns because they regard stand-up work as more dangerous. This is not unreasonable. Even many judo schools will have prepubescent students practice more groundwork than throws. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In particular, takedowns require students to pay attention to when they might get thrown, and execute a safe breakfall when they do. Being able to break a fall from many positions is a fairly complex motor skill that takes time to develop. Small children, especially those that are only training a couple times a week, often have quite poor breakfalling skills for years into their training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;2) Focus&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a lot of curriculum to teach in BJJ: open guard, closed guard, mount, side control, back control, all of those positions in reverse, plus triangles, armbars, Kimuras, Americanas, naked chokes, and gi chokes. In contrast, a student doesn't necessarily need to learn throws in order to win--they can pull guard or get the fight to the ground by just...kind of...figuring it out....sometimes. (This approach favors the naturally athletic and aggressive and I therefore don't favor it.) Since kids have a lot of groundwork material that they absolutely will need to use, and the throwing material is not necessary to win in competition, a lot of instructors will leave it as an advanced topic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;3) Yes it affects competition performance&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Students who don't know takedowns, or who have only done a class or two on them, will have to pull guard or rely on innate wrestling ability. This dramatically reduces one's options in competition, and leaves the student open to being dominated in the important first seconds of any match.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-11-12T06:51:21.280" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2364" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2359" CreationDate="2013-11-12T06:57:09.423" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;There can be too much training, but everything you've described here sounds fine. If a student is overtraining they'll notice decreased performance on the mat, sluggishness all day, difficulty sleeping, persistent hunger, and other signs. Frequent training is fine as long as the student builds up training frequency slowly and remains on point with their sleep, nutrition, and workout intensity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fitness.SE has &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/a/9698/1771&quot;&gt;some&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/a/2396/1771&quot;&gt;Q&amp;amp;A&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/a/6803/1771&quot;&gt;on&lt;/a&gt; the topic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:46:50.943" LastActivityDate="2013-11-12T06:57:09.423" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2366" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2362" CreationDate="2013-11-12T09:37:13.260" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Have you ever watched American football, or heavyweight Olympic lifting? What about the heavyweight and light-heavyweight divisions of the UFC? It's absolutely possible to be simultaneously big, strong, fast, and flexible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key elements are getting &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/a/6836/1771&quot;&gt;big and strong,&lt;/a&gt; then incorporating a lot of &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/870/347&quot;&gt;power training&lt;/a&gt; into your strength and conditioning program, and maintaining that weight while &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1756/347&quot;&gt;working on mobility and explosiveness&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-11-12T09:37:13.260" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2367" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2360" CreationDate="2013-11-12T10:18:11.277" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;From &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/obi.htm&quot;&gt;the origin of belts and gis themselves&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Kano apparently began the custom of having his yudansha wear black obi (belts) in 1886. These obi weren't the belts karateka and judoka wear today -- Kano hadn't invented the judogi (Judo uniform) yet, and his students were still practicing in kimono. They were the wide obi still worn with formal kimono. In 1907, Kano introduced the modern judogi and its modern obi, but he still only used white and black belt ranks. The white uniform represented the values of purity, avoidance of ego, and simplicity. It gave no outward indication of social class so that all students began as equals. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially, the gi is white because unbleached cotton is white-ish and Kano wanted an unadorned gi for his students. Nowadays we bleach the cotton so we get a white gi instead of white-ish.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-11-12T10:18:11.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2368" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-11-12T11:32:03.433" Score="3" ViewCount="54" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was told that a student of martial arts  started with a white belt and used the same belt throughout their training and that they never washed the belt so over time it became darker and eventually black and that the current belt system is based join this graduation from light to dark.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this how the modern belt system developed?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6827" LastEditorDisplayName="user6827" LastActivityDate="2013-11-12T11:32:03.433" Title="How did the belt system color develop?" Tags="|belt|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2013-11-12T19:29:06.140" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2370" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-11-12T21:07:05.727" Score="6" ViewCount="2994" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm doing a Tai Chi class and am pretty much a novice at it, so I also youtube'd around and read a lot. I'm now confused about breathing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My class teacher (old guy, but aren't they all?) says for the first movement (lifting the arms, then lowering them again), that I should breathe out when lifting my arms, breathe in when lowering. His reasoning: when you lift your arms, you're releasing energy and that works best when you breathe out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A video series I found (also an old guy) said the exact opposite: when lifting, breathe in, when lowering, breathe out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've read &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/787/which-kind-of-breath-provides-the-most-striking-power&quot;&gt;this post on the stack&lt;/a&gt; about breathing in different martial arts, and the answer says it depends on the martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also found &lt;a href=&quot;http://scheele.org/lee/classics.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this &quot;classics&quot; text&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;BREATH&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;To Gather the Ch'i&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;If the ch'i is dispersed, then it is not stored and is easy to scatter. Let the ch'i penetrate the spine and the inhalation and exhalation be smooth and unimpeded throughout the entire body. The inhalation closes and gathers, the exhalation opens and discharges. Because the inhalation can naturally raise and also uproot the opponent, the exhalation can naturally sink down and also fa-chin [discharge energy] him. This is by means of the I, not the li mobilizing the ch'i.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This seems to be saying: inhale when lowering arms, exhale when raising them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I'm trying to do tai chi, and I'd like to do the breathing correctly. Does anyone have a definitive answer? Or is it &quot;feel what feels best&quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="293" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2019-02-18T11:13:02.783" Title="Yang tai chi breathing (when to inhale/exhale)" Tags="|tai-chi|breathing|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2371" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2370" CreationDate="2013-11-13T07:30:13.983" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you have confidence in your teacher's abilities, then do as they say. They might be teaching something different than what you think they are teaching at that time.  Of course, you could always ask them why.  They are there for that. A student's curiosity is (generally) a good thing. Besides, we learn best by understanding what we are trying to achieve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If, on the other hand, you do not trust you teacher: &lt;em&gt;What the hell are you doing taking their class???&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2013-11-13T07:30:13.983" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2373" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1649" CreationDate="2013-11-13T08:42:46.453" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a vertical fist (where the wrist never parallels the ground) versus a straight punch (which turns over)? Where would one choose to use one over the other in an actual fight?&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; The vertical punch has been utilised simply because it creates a straight line from the fist, through the arm to the elbow.In other words it is a straight punch.The bottom 2 knuckles are in a direct line with the lower edge of the forearm. The most efficient use of a vertical punch is upon the centre line of an opponent, utilising the 'chain' punch. It can be used to strike many targets, but it is usually used as 'hardness' against 'softness'. A punch where the fist turns over is commonly referred to in karate as a 'reverse punch'.The 'hook' in boxing is a good example of such a punch. Have a look at the world title fight of many years ago with Jack Dempsey knocking his opponent out with a very short left hook that few people even saw! A left lead, followed by an overhand right cross to set up the opponent by means of 'tai subaki' (body shifting), and the swiftly executed arcing punch that turns over as it strikes downward over the 'mind point' of the opponents jaw. This beautiful technique enables very small people to knock out very big people. A vertical type punch can be used as a lead punch, typically targeting the nose. Gov V 26, the cheek bones, the eyes, and the throat or neck areas. The fist that rotates is used for striking to the Temple, the ears, floating ribs, side of the jaw and head, and also down into the lower abdomen and pubic joins, as well as the same targets as above and vice versa. The advantages and disadvantages of each are when you choose the right target that presents itself to you ( ala BURMESE BANDO) or you don't. One punch will work in one situation and one in another. It is relative to the way you fight, and who you are fighting.&#xA;In response to the Isshinryu practitioners very assertive statements - Oh dear. Hips and shoulders knees and toes. All are connected. Of course the hips are used, as is every part of your body! If you persist in separating the parts you will become &#xA;dis-jointed, and inevitably suffer injuries. Where do the Hips get activated from? We've done plenty of left and right hooks in boxing, and sundry martial arts fighting. If the force, that comes from your toes; then through your legs; then through your hips; then through your body; then through your shoulders; then through your arms and wrists, and then through your punch is not synergistically synchronised as a complete and harmonious unit, in a split second, then I'm sorry but there would appear to be something causing a glitch in your training. &lt;strong&gt;&quot;You DO NOT use your shoulder to follow the punch through.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; Have you had to flog a very heavy bag for 60 seconds without putting your shoulders into it?. You would be told very quickly to 'get stuck in' or have an early shower. You can very distinctly hear a bag being hit hard and one that is simply being tapped by someone without shoulders. Oh! by the way I have seen one of our girls drop a 20 stone man with a massive punch driven by her hips AND her shoulders. When asked by Sensei where she felt the power come from she said &quot;From my toes!!!! I just launched it and BAM!!!!&quot; Of course she was named student of the year at our dojo in 1991. That's my beautiful wife Irene, she was 41 at the time. Peace Mad Merlin&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1431" LastActivityDate="2013-11-13T08:42:46.453" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2374" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2370" CreationDate="2013-11-13T09:18:44.853" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's often hard to get a good sense of what to do, in a practical sense, from classical tai chi texts. Their flowery language, extensive use of metaphor, references to connotations we aren't familiar with, and use of the obfuscatory term &quot;chi&quot; all contribute to this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The rule of thumb &lt;em&gt;for fighting&lt;/em&gt; is to usually exhale when striking or making an explosive movement. Similarly, a pulling or drawing-in motion is generally accompanied by breathing in. (Sometimes these two rules conflict (such as in a judo throw's &lt;em&gt;tsukuri&lt;/em&gt; or &quot;entering&quot; phase), in which cases these general guidelines must be broken.) Which of these rules apply to this particular movement depends on the combat application.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, in the context of the Yang tai chi form, I suspect there is a right answer to this question. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with the form. In checking whether your tai chi instructor is getting this move right, I recommend looking for this specific movement, not for general rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-11-13T09:18:44.853" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2375" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2376" CreationDate="2013-11-13T21:37:54.110" Score="4" ViewCount="915" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently started kick-boxing training and last time there was an exercise in which we had to deliver low round kicks to the partner's outer and inner thigh. The kicks were half power and I did not experience excess pain, however, the next day I had a big (10cm x 20cm) dark purple-blue spot on my right inner thigh (nothing on the outside, or on the left leg, just the right inner thigh).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have three questions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I'm worried about possible health effects of doing this regularly. I accept that hardening the body is important, but I am worried about the health of the veins in my inner thigh. I do not have any health problems right now (eg. no visible varicose veins), and I assume that if I continue to train like this, the symptoms will be less and less until eventually my body gets hardened. Is this true?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Are there any long term negative health effects of getting kicked in the inner thigh often?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;What are the best exercises for strengthening the inner parts of the thighs? I have strong, visible muscles on the front and the outside of my thighs, but less so on the inside. Generally, what's the safest way to harden that part of the body?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1302" LastEditorUserId="1302" LastEditDate="2013-11-14T08:48:05.513" LastActivityDate="2013-11-14T08:48:05.513" Title="How to safely harden the inner thigh" Tags="|health|safety|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2376" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2375" CreationDate="2013-11-14T07:44:36.657" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Toughen up. It's a bruise. You'll stop getting bruised after doing it a few months. I've never heard even the suggestion that there are long-term negative health effects of this kind of mild conditioning. If you don't want to get bruised, or if you suspect that bruises are indicative of some deeper danger, then kickboxing is not a good choice for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the bruise is really deep (like a bone bruise) from a massive impact, you could get some &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.mtbr.com/womens-lounge/there-any-long-term-effects-bruises-45418.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;permanent deformations&lt;/a&gt; that show you the bruise was there. I have bumpy shins from shin-on-shin clashes at karate. It's a merely cosmetic reminder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best way to harden the inner and outer thigh is to get kicked there in drills and in sparring, sometimes with the opponent wearing shinguards, sometimes not. It couldn't hurt to do some weighted squats and lunges outside of class too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-11-14T08:06:31.710" LastActivityDate="2013-11-14T08:06:31.710" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2377" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2135" CreationDate="2013-11-14T17:22:31.973" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would suggest that you look ahead of you so that you can detect potential threats before they get close to you, it is then much easier to keep your distance. Let them think that you don't see them, don't look directly at them, don't talk to them, don't walk toward them. Be like the wind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1463" LastActivityDate="2013-11-14T17:22:31.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2378" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1649" CreationDate="2013-11-14T18:15:26.147" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll consider that you're not talking about the upper cut but instead about the punch where the wrist turns. &#xA;Practice the straight/piston punch and the outward spin/tornado punch and you'll realise the differences. &#xA;First, some principles: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;spinning movements carry more energy (universal law)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;energy is lost with every joint from the centre of the body, the shoulder delivers more force than the elbow and the elbow more than the wrist&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the smaller and harder/denser the hitting area is, the more penetration it will have on the hit area&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With a tornado punch, your entire arm spins outward and gains momentum, the knuckle always face the opponent and can be pushed in and finally there is no  piston contrecoup.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;With a straight punch your knuckles are never facing the opponent unless you hit the opposite side, or bend (and break) your wrist or raise your elbow (less force). It should be reserved for punching downward or to the sides.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1463" LastActivityDate="2013-11-14T18:15:26.147" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2379" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2359" CreationDate="2013-11-14T18:24:47.940" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The body needs to rest to adapt or it won't develop properly and will breakdown. You can and should have daily workouts, however you should never train* two days in a row. Also, never train force and endurance the same day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*(as in being exhausted at the end of the day)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1463" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2020-06-09T14:08:44.740" LastActivityDate="2020-06-09T14:08:44.740" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2381" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2359" CreationDate="2013-11-14T21:26:17.523" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;physically they can probably do it. The 19 year old, if he's t the level he can really teach classes can probably train and roll all day, though a rest day would be best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With the youngest, too much training will be when they no longer want to go anymore but will have to be dragged to school. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2013-11-14T21:26:17.523" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2382" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1649" CreationDate="2013-11-14T21:29:38.463" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;All the answers here come from karate guys and whatnot so here is a boxing/kickboxing answer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It doesn't matter if you rotate your fist or not, as long as you keep your wrist and arm straight and hit the target with your index and middle knuckles. Look on youtube how Bas Rutten punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The advantage of vertical punches is sometimes they are straighter and don't encourage as much 'flick' motion but just a straight drive, which is what you want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2013-11-14T21:29:38.463" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2383" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2348" CreationDate="2013-11-14T21:36:22.967" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;About 2-3 % of the population here does Martial Arts according to statistics I have seen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of them however, don't train often enough to be proficient. Many of the frat bro's that tell you that they do BJJ have come in for 2-3 classes one or two months and then tell everyone that they do BJJ or MMA. Or they train in their garage with their walmart ufc gloves and no actual instruction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So perhaps 1-100 can do bjj/mma, but are they any good at it? A far smaller percentage than that. If you're no good at BJJ (or MMA) you will likely hinder yourself more than a person with no knowledge. Pulling guard in a streetfight is no good unless you know very quickly what you're doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;source: teach MMA/BJJ&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2013-11-14T21:36:22.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2384" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2144" CreationDate="2013-11-14T21:42:35.340" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Take a martial art that is very 'realistic' to be spiritually self-fulfilled. The realization that many of the techniques that you learn gets used by people who put themselves in a cage to fight other people with these techniques, makes you realize that they have enormous confidence in their techniques, that they're teaching/sharing with you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Live sparring is essential; it truly will teach you that yes, you suck and this hurts, but you don't suck as much as the guy who has never tried. And you don't suck nearly as much as you did 4-6 months ago. This progression through adversity will enlighten you. It will hurt, but through this suffering you will build a mental endurance, and realize the edges of your comfort level and go beyond it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fake fighting martial arts will give you a belt and some fake confidence, but in the back of your mind you know that all those kata's and whatnot aren't helping you out when a 250lb man is trying to grate your face on the concrete. Neither will that sidekick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So choose JUDO or Brazillian Jiujitsu. Neither of these Martial Arts will lie to you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2013-11-14T21:42:35.340" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2387" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2144" CreationDate="2013-11-15T06:02:25.880" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you want more self confidence regarding your fighting ability then any martial art with actual fights will be good.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;If on the other hand, like you said, you want more self confidence regarding your physical abilities alone then you should do a complete sport such as swimming or rowing machine and probably see a naturopathic doctor.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Nowadays not one martial art teacher will take care of your health, unless you're going there to become a champion (as in professional career).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1463" LastActivityDate="2013-11-15T06:02:25.880" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2391" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-11-15T06:49:41.700" Score="2" ViewCount="311" Body="&lt;p&gt;How to learn Muy Thai or to fight really well by myself? Somewhere online like YouTube preferably? so i can be good fighter&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user1466" LastActivityDate="2014-01-07T08:23:46.987" Title="How to learn Muy Thai or to fight really well by myself?" Tags="|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2396" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2391" CreationDate="2013-11-15T07:26:04.263" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's not possible to learn a martial art at home with no partners. Even if you had partners and the necessary equipment, you don't have a knowledgeable instructor to point out your errors. You need someone experienced in the art to notice and show you when you're doing things wrong, to schedule your training, to push you, to arrange sparring matches and appropriate competitive match-ups, and to hold pads for you effectively. You can't do it yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to find a quality muay Thai gym and train there at least several times a week if you want to learn muay Thai for fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-11-15T07:26:04.263" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2399" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2362" CreationDate="2013-11-16T19:20:04.190" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;One would need a picture to see exactly what you mean by bulky.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;The more volume you have the more mass you have and thus the slower you are.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;The more volume you have the less space (and tendon) you have for flexibility.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Look at the bodies of those who are the strongest, the fastest or the most flexible.&#xA;Look at animals in nature it's even more speaking. &#xA;You simply can't encompass all extremes, it's a physical limitation.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can however reach an optimum where you develop the maximum strength in the minimum volume (lean muscles) that allows you to be fast and flexible &lt;em&gt;enough&lt;/em&gt;.&#xA;Martial arts isn't about force, as in brute explosive force, as you don't try to lift your opponent over your head or snap his bones in two. Excluding the actual fighting techniques, a fighter needs to have stamina (lean muscles) to keep up a long fight, speed to attack before being seen and flexibility to execute extreme movements without injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1463" LastActivityDate="2013-11-16T19:20:04.190" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2400" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2360" CreationDate="2013-11-17T23:38:46.693" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've always heard that white gi's were their casual wear.  They might use them to do chores or something like that and their nice gi's would have color, use a finer material, etc.  As result of it being the most commonly used, it became the uniform adopted by traditional martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1407" LastActivityDate="2013-11-17T23:38:46.693" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2401" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2358" CreationDate="2013-11-17T23:47:40.443" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't BJJ; however, I do karate and Judo and I agree with reasons previously provided.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I teach Judo, we know the break falls and have good quality mats so throws are executed.  Even then, we don't always perform full competition strength throws so that everyone can remain safe and we can continue to train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I do my karate class, I am even more careful.  The quality of the mats aren't as good.  Along with that, the kids work break falls and are thrown a lot less - as a result, safety becomes a bigger issue.  And also, the focus of the class is not to do that.  I am actually planning a mini-Judo lesson for my beginner karate class and instead of being a standard Judo class it will focus more on break falls, defense to get to standing again, and one or two basic throws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for competition, training or lack there of in specific area will always affect how you perform.  Also, the rules and tournament system will also change how you perform, i.e. Judo vs. BJJ competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1407" LastActivityDate="2013-11-17T23:47:40.443" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2402" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2406" CreationDate="2013-11-18T02:43:04.477" Score="9" ViewCount="7638" Body="&lt;p&gt;In muay thai boxing there is the low kick to the inner thigh of the opponent's leading leg as shown in : &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AbDR4xpLUc&quot;&gt;link to video&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have practised this in training and seen people with bruises from those kicks. But during the training those hits did not impede them from their movement so I am assuming that they impact muscles which are not critical and therefore unworthy targets. So I assume that those hits are going to be almost 'cosmetic' in a match. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is whether significant hits to the inner thigh of an opponent will impede their ability to fight. Will they feel loss of strength and support from that leg with those low kicks? Or are significant results obtained from hitting the outer side of the thigh where the larger leg muscles are?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastActivityDate="2017-02-14T18:24:52.783" Title="Effectiveness of low kick to inner thigh of opponent's leading leg in mauy thai boxing?" Tags="|kicking|sparring|kickboxing|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2403" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2402" CreationDate="2013-11-18T05:09:01.567" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Try to kick a little wider and hit with your shin, unbalance them right as they step down on a jab for example. You can disrupt their balance with this kick. A few good ones will hurt their leg, even in sparring with shinpads on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can attack with it; use it to set up strikes to the head, or you can counter his advance with it as he jabs in; it ruins the right he wants to throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2013-11-18T05:09:01.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2406" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2402" CreationDate="2013-11-18T09:35:33.463" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would simply argue that not every strike needs to be debilitating in order to be effective. Most jabs aren't knockout-worthy, but the jab remains a critical piece of any effective boxer's arsenal. The inside leg kick does damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Further, the inside leg kick is an important weapon to attack the opponent's footwork and disrupt their planned steps or kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Evidence from Kyokushin Karate&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.sherdog.com/forums/f11/inside-low-kicks-hajime-kazumi-kyokushin-technical-breakdown-2119795/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;This sherdog post&lt;/a&gt; is an excellent breakdown of how the technique can be devastatingly effective. It includes gif highlights from Kyokushin karate. His argument is that the inside leg kick can:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;cause damage when applied to a supporting (weighted) leg&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;be disguised as an outside low kick to draw a check with the opponent's opposite leg&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;off-balance or knock down an opponent by exploiting or forcing poor footwork on their part&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;counter an opponent's charge&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;counter an opponent's mid- or high-level kick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Evidence from MMA&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mmamania.com/2011/8/22/2373511/the-striking-zone-why-legs-kicks-are-game-changers&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;This AintNoSunshine post&lt;/a&gt; argues that the inside leg kick is a powerful way to set up head kicks or mess with an opponent's footwork:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KoI3D.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Nunes versus Florian: inside leg kick example&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In his fight with Kenny Florian, Diego Nunes, despite taking the loss, showed how effective and dangerous an inside leg kick could be...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you see, Florian’s right leg is leading as he stalks Nunes. That is the leg targeted most often, as kicking the rear leg leaves you more vulnerable defensively and takes a little more effort with less guarantee of effectiveness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While Nunes is backpedaling in a subtle manner, he stops and sets his feet. While planted, Nunes swivels his hips thrusting his rear right leg forward in a slicing motion, landing right beneath Florian's knee. Part of the reason it lands so low is due to Florian checking/defending the leg kick. By picking up your leg, it helps absorb the strike in comparison to leaving it planted as it is kicked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nunes kicks Florian to his knee in a moment of unbalance and forces Florian to scurry up and retreat, resetting himself and stopping his stalking of Nunes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/i7UFm.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Second example of Florian versus Nunes&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Florian is once again stalking Nunes, walking him down while diligently looking for his opening. Not even a minute earlier Nunes caught the inside lead leg of Florian causing him to back pedal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is where that earlier strike gets paid off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the same manner as before, Nunes stops his retreating footwork and plants down to unload a kick. This time Florian is aware a kick may be headed his way, however, he assumes the kick will be attacking his leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He drops his posture as if to catch the kick and in turn, fails to protect his head. Nunes, instead of attacking the leg, goes upstairs for a head kick, landing flush on Florian's face and stumbling him backwards to once again retreat and reset.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By threatening Florian with the leg kick that threw him off balance, Nunes set up the head kick perfectly. Having Florian defend low enabled a high strike to land cleanly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Furthermore, not to pick on Kenny Florian, but &lt;a href=&quot;http://gfycat.com/DistortedCrispBluetickcoonhound&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jose Aldo also used an inside low kick to disrupt his opponent's balance, do damage, and set up subsequent strikes&lt;/a&gt;. There is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/11/27/9798748/the-night-we-faced-jose-aldo-ufc-194-conor-mcgregor&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;a beautiful piece of fight journalism&lt;/a&gt; consisting largely of quotes from Aldo's opponents describing how fearsome and debilitating his leg kicks were:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Florian&lt;/strong&gt;: He was kicking the inside of my leg, which affected the nerves in my legs so much that it took about a full two months to really get feeling back. It actually [became a game]. I would swipe my hand on the inside of my leg to see if I could feel it, and I just couldn’t feel it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Faber&lt;/strong&gt;: That was actually the most pain I’ve ever been in, because it was all soft tissue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He kicked me to the ground...I couldn’t bend my leg at all. Like, I really [couldn’t] use my leg on the ground either. I felt like I was going to pass out from the pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Brookins&lt;/strong&gt;: By the second round I was just, like, almost trying to jump over those leg kicks. Every time there were coming, I remember being terrified.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So yes, some people can make leg kicks into a pretty useful tool.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Evidence from Muay Thai&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the damage taken by &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.reddit.com/r/MuayThai/comments/26pbhy/inside_leg_kicks_ouch/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;one student&lt;/a&gt; from just a few rounds of sparring someone who was keen on inside leg kicks and wasn't wearing shinpads:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gXub2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Damage from inside leg kick&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Doesn't look like fun. The opponent now hurts, is distracted and worn down from that hurt, and is weaker and slower using that leg. Those all sound like effective uses of a strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The inside leg kick is used to damage the opponent, to counter their footwork and kicks, to disrupt and slow their footwork, and to set up head kicks. It is hella effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2017-02-14T18:24:52.783" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2407" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2402" CreationDate="2013-11-18T13:27:21.607" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is equivalent to boxers punching their opponents' arms: it increases muscle fatigue in later rounds. There are other uses as well, but this is the most useful effect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-11-18T13:27:21.607" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2408" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2217" CreationDate="2013-11-18T16:19:26.860" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;the team with all its fighters knocked down loses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sounds like judo would be a good choice indeed. Everything in the first video suggests that the decisive portion of the fight was most frequently in the clinch, but still at arms length. Judo and SAMBO, being jacket wrestling arts, are ideally suited for this range of combat. From the video, it appeared that techniques like osotogari, kosotogari (or gake), kouchigari, koshiguruma, and uchimata would be quite applicable. You'll of course need to adapt the gi grips to armor grips or using your weapon for leverage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you happen to be near a Japanese or Okinawan kobudo school--which would be quite unusual--training in their weapons might be useful. In particular, takedowns with the bo, jo, and hooking weapons like the hoe or kusarigama might be a fruitful area of study. However, direct study of techniques related to your chosen weapon would probably be the best use of your time on that front.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-11-19T09:57:56.757" LastActivityDate="2013-11-19T09:57:56.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2409" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2282" CreationDate="2013-11-19T14:39:20.230" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Forget about all the fancy techniques like chokes, sweeps, locks, armbars, etc.&#xA;As a blue belt you are expected to know how to survive and not do stupid things such as pushing the person off you when mounted. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Survival, that is all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1475" LastActivityDate="2013-11-19T14:39:20.230" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2410" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2411" CreationDate="2013-11-20T15:57:27.587" Score="4" ViewCount="242" Body="&lt;p&gt;I feel like when the training sessions are longer than 90 minutes, and when there is no recuperation/pause/break period, I feel drained after practice and technique and skill diminish. Is this a good thing or should a something more than a few minutes be given to regain energy for the rest of the practice?&#xA;(excluding the short 1-3 minute breaks between changing pads, getting water etc)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there should be a break how long should it be and what should be done during that time?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(having muay thai in mind)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2013-11-22T11:49:28.120" LastActivityDate="2022-12-05T08:19:05.153" Title="When training for more than 90 minutes is it advisable to take a break to recuperate?" Tags="|kickboxing|training|boxing|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2411" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2410" CreationDate="2013-11-20T16:02:52.980" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends on your level of intensity. 90 minutes is a long time to go without a break. Lots of short 30 second to 1 minute breaks throughout training are normally more effective. After an hour of doing anything intensive, the body normally requires intake of food e.g. carb drink to replenish salt stores. If you are not resting to do even this, you will damage your organs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1476" LastActivityDate="2013-11-20T16:02:52.980" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2413" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2391" CreationDate="2013-11-20T16:24:23.307" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've seen people at the gym hurt themselves badly by kicking a heavy bag without any technique. People often come up to me after one of my heavy bag sessions to ask for tips. I tell them to go and get 27 years of training under their belts and then they'll begin to appreciate what they are actually doing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can invest in all the right gear but you'll never get anywhere. It's like trying to play golf without having had any lessons. You could be a natural and get around a course on par (unlikely), but you'll never be playing with Tiger Woods!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen many bad instructors too, so do your research in advance. Look at their videos online beforehand to see if they kick well or ask someone who can spot a good kick to evaluate for you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1476" LastActivityDate="2013-11-20T16:24:23.307" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2414" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2341" CreationDate="2013-11-20T16:54:52.413" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd suggest taking them to a Krav class. I have this dilemma with my own son. I have been teaching for many years but it is extremely hard to train your own family. My first instructor taught his own daughters. One became a world champion but the other hated her dad. I wouldn't want to risk doing the later!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1476" LastActivityDate="2013-11-20T16:54:52.413" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2415" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2421" CreationDate="2013-11-21T14:01:55.987" Score="7" ViewCount="18068" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen a large portion (but not all) of Muay Thai athletes wrapping their ankles. What are the benefits of doing so? Is it for reducing damage incurred from kicking the opponent or preventing twists? How important is it to do so?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastActivityDate="2021-11-28T05:14:01.830" Title="Why are ankles wrapped in Muay Thai?" Tags="|equipment|kicking|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2416" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2217" CreationDate="2013-11-21T23:04:51.810" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Good armor will protect the user against a lot throws.  The protection is provide not only from impact resistance of the armor, but also the additional mass, and size the armor gives to the body.  Multiple that by two if both are in armor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By way of example, and speaking somewhat generally:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The arm cannon (forearm, elbow &amp;amp; upper arm as one piece) will prevent the elbow from being hyper-extended.  That's assuming that you can grab the arm with your hands.  In most cases the armor will add enough circumference to make it difficult to do so.  In terms of attacking an arm for a submission or throw, the armor makes this very difficult.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good chest &amp;amp; back armor will keep your spine straight.  It adds enough girth to the torso that wrapping an arm around that torso will be difficult.  Since both people are wearing armor, that makes it even more difficult to do so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo and modern grappling in any form is geared toward unarmored fighting.  Fighting in armor is very, very different.  Judo will help you understand leverage, but it's really hard to directly apply many techniques to someone in armor.  If you don't understand leverage, yes, Judo will be beneficial, otherwise, not so much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most modernly practiced eastern arts aren't as focused on armored combat any more.  Even those that have an armored combat curriculum, won't translate well to the sport.  European armor is very different.  The weapons are very different. The sport has rules (no thrusting) that need to be observed. Using an eastern martial art as a base might not be the best option.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Swordplay is not universal, in the most surprising of ways.  It also is surprisingly similar.  A Katana is not a longsword ( General examples: the curve, and lack of quillons causes the katana issues when defending the thrust.  It's curve makes some arm and hand attacks possible, that aren't from the longsword).  Nor is it a saber ( general examples: sabers tend to be more heavily curved, giving them more cutting options than the katana.  The katana would be better at the thrust).  It's not even remotely close to a falchion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a black belt in Kenjutsu, and studying Western Martial arts for the last 5+ years.  Find yourself a local SCA, or WMA group.  They'll be much closer to what you'll experience doing BotN and other armored sport combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="508" LastActivityDate="2013-11-21T23:04:51.810" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2417" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2410" CreationDate="2013-11-22T12:21:18.243" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is natural and expected to be tired and less precise towards the end of a ninety minute hard muay Thai class. There might be specific ways in which the instructor could run the class more optimally from a sports-science standpoint, but you should simply try to do the class as prescribed without taking extra breaks. (I could be more specific if you gave more detail in your question about the structure of practice, when and how you start having trouble during classes, how long you've been training and on what schedule.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Train hard, train frequently, eat plenty and well, rest plenty, hydrate well. Hard training is supposed to be hard. It will make you better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-11-22T12:21:18.243" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2420" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2334" CreationDate="2013-11-23T10:41:34.417" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let the dog bite your forearm or shirt and when it try's to pull back stomp on the front paw's or leg's dog problem gone it will yelp in pain run away or keep a safe distant&#xA;You.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1481" LastActivityDate="2013-11-23T10:41:34.417" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2421" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2415" CreationDate="2013-11-23T20:01:28.737" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know why kickboxers use ankle wraps, but I just happened to come across &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.reddit.com/r/MuayThai/wiki/index#wiki_gear_guide&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Reddit's /r/muaythai FAQ&lt;/a&gt;, which says they are for general ankle support:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;You may see thai fighters wearing what look like ankle braces while training or fighting. These are ankle supports that can help keep prevent a fighter from rolling his or her ankle while training or fighting. Ankle supports are not required to train in Muay Thai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I cannot vouch for this information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-11-23T20:01:28.737" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2422" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2415" CreationDate="2013-11-25T13:06:34.727" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It may prevent burns from scraping the ankle or the top of the foot on the canvas when slipping and getting back up. But I highly doubt that's the reason fighters wear them. I think it's more psychological. I remember when I was a young Taekwondo-ka, if I had wraps around my knees and ankles, it just felt like I could kick better. There's no science to support this, but it felt real enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may also be an attempt to make the shins &quot;harder&quot; or to afford a level of padding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-11-25T13:06:34.727" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2423" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2466" CreationDate="2013-11-25T21:35:51.223" Score="6" ViewCount="805" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have read that the black belt Taekwondo forms are each associated with an I Ching trigram.  Are these correspondences emphasized in any dojangs? What can I take away from these associations? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The correspondences between the trigrams and the eight changing palms of bagua are fairly well documented, but it seems like the associations in Taekwondo are incidental and not particularly focused on.  If your dojang &lt;em&gt;does&lt;/em&gt; focus on I Ching, can you tell me how extensive this study is and what, if anything, you've learned from it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1566" LastEditDate="2013-12-26T12:50:57.117" LastActivityDate="2018-04-12T13:36:01.130" Title="I Ching and Taekwondo forms" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2424" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-11-26T05:51:17.160" Score="8" ViewCount="32657" Body="&lt;p&gt;I like full contact hard body sparring. I'm not much of a fan of a lot of katas, since I've been through enough of that in TKD. However, I wouldn't mind some kata. I'm also not a fan of karate joint locks. If I wanted to emphasize that, I'd take BJJ or Judo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taking these stipulations into account, would I prefer Shotokan or Kyokushin? Which one would be a better fit for me?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1495" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-11-26T12:48:24.447" LastActivityDate="2017-09-14T15:13:05.197" Title="Between Kyokushin and Shotokan, which focuses more on hard sparring and less on kata?" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="10" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2426" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2424" CreationDate="2013-11-26T11:47:09.527" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I like the fact that Masutatsu Oyama, the fonder of Kyukushin, fought 50 bulls (or so the rumour goes).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would pick Kyukushin as the better style because its mixture of Japanese straight and powerful attacks and Chinese &quot;iron ball at the end of a chain&quot; techniques make it much more well-rounded. Oyama studied Chinese martial arts as a youth, before moving over to Karate and you can actually see the progression when you look at the difference between the lower Kata's and the higher. The lower Kata's are more traditionally Chinese, while the later kata show a more traditional Japanese rhythm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2015-10-19T06:55:33.210" LastActivityDate="2015-10-19T06:55:33.210" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2427" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2424" CreationDate="2013-11-26T12:19:57.467" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;If your preference is full-contact sparring, then Shotokan sucks and Kyokushin rocks, because Shotokan doesn't have full-contact sparring and Kyokushin does.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-11-26T13:18:46.350" LastActivityDate="2013-11-26T13:18:46.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2428" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2424" CreationDate="2013-11-26T12:45:33.200" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kyokushin sparring rules are almost always continuous and full-contact, with nearly the entire body as a target except that one cannot punch to the head. I've heard that some Kyokushin schools and offshoots incorporate boxing gloves and face punching. Generally, &quot;full contact&quot; sparring means &quot;medium to hard contact&quot; in class, titrated to one's partner's ability to take punishment, and &quot;full contact&quot; reserved mostly for competition. One scores by knocking the opponent down. Leg kicks are very, very common.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shotokan kumite is generally light-contact (or &quot;controlled&quot; contact), stops or resets after a successful strike, and usually does not allow leg kicks. Sweeps, however, are generally permitted. One scores by landing a clean blow. As collected on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.e-budo.com/forum/showthread.php?19981-Where-are-the-JKA-kumite-rules&quot;&gt;E-budo&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Attacking areas are limited to the face, head, neck, abdomen, side of the body, chest and back (excluding the shoulders).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Skin touch control must be exercised with any techniques to the face, head or neck.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that &quot;excessive contact&quot; is prohibited in Shotokan, as are &quot;repeated direct attacks to the arm or legs&quot;. This is dramatically different from Kyokushin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both styles wear the funny Asian pajamas, do the krotty dances, and have a lot of the bowing stuff. Whether they do joint locks is dependent on the individual teacher, but it probably won't be a major part of the syllabus in either style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-11-26T12:45:33.200" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2429" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1942" CreationDate="2013-11-26T14:55:55.097" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had the exact same problem and no one understood it. Then I showed it to someone and they looked at my kicking technique and noticed that my style was wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They showed me that if I try to lift heel above my knee height while the foot is horizontal and &lt;em&gt;behind&lt;/em&gt; my back, my leg will try to twist in a way which is hazardous. They put me to try the same motion on the ground and I saw how much it hurt. When stretching the leg never takes that position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He got me to kick in the same trajectory as on the ground stretches and to modify my posture to balance it accordingly and the hip pain stopped. It is kinda hard to describe without getting too wordy and losing the point but the essence was bad style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastActivityDate="2013-11-26T14:55:55.097" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2430" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="287" CreationDate="2013-11-26T15:01:03.243" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had the same problem until someone showed me the proper way to direct my body and leg in kicking. I developed a habit of trying to lift the heel behind my back higher than my knee as a type of defensive shield. This rotation is not natural and recommended especially while my body was trying to face directly the direction of the kick. So I kept my body orthogonal to the opponent, standing foot as well and brought the knee closer to my body so that the heel wasn't behind me and that pain went away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastActivityDate="2013-11-26T15:01:03.243" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2432" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="953" CreationDate="2013-11-27T00:15:40.180" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In reply to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/954/88&quot;&gt;the answer &quot;A few months to a year&quot;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My name is Johan Duquet and I am the teacher/trainer of the Shen Yi School in Valencia.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I teach Chen style Taiji Quan as taught to me by Fu NengBin and some Gao Bagua and XingYi as I learned from Luo DeXiu. I (among other things) try to teach/test the skills from these arts within the format of Sanda as seen in the video of my student. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do believe that training with the objective of learning how to fight one can achieve this relatively fast. To learn the complete art with all it's subtleties and all aspects takes a lot longer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1500" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-11-30T15:06:32.560" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2433" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-11-27T13:23:00.913" Score="2" ViewCount="6787" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have read this M.A. question: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/17/what-are-the-ways-to-get-sweat-stains-out-of-a-gi/27#27&quot;&gt;What are the ways to get sweat stains out of a Gi?&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;My gi is at least two years old (probably a lot older). It is an Adidas J800 (do)gi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is 30% polyester (800 g/m² polycotton) and cannot be washed warmer then 30 degreed Celsius. I wash it after every practice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like it to be more white. It does not have stains, it is just a bit off-white, yellow. I dislike it so much that I even consider to buy a new one. But on the other hand it seems a waste to me because the gi's fiber is still ok. It is just the overall color. Especially in the collar. It just looks unhygienic to me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have tried washing it with &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanish_%28brand%29#UK_product&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Vanish&lt;/a&gt; and some detergent which is especially for white clothes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A new judo gi will be over € 150,- so I would like to take a good look at my washing habbits, because this is not the first gi that became 'yellow'. Below are pictures of my 'should-be-white' gi with the washing-description. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My other gi which is 100% cotton has the same look.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;ps. my sleeves seem to became shorter too, so maybe I just washed it too much and I have to just buy a new one?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;edit&lt;/strong&gt; I have found this online source &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.budogi.co.uk/judo-gi-care-instructions/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.budogi.co.uk/judo-gi-care-instructions/&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;and I do not iron my gi and just hang it to dry. I use &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.robijndoetdewas.nl/producten/robijn-stralend-wit-klein-krachtig&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;liquid detergent&lt;/a&gt; (sorry for dutch link). Can Fabric conditioner be the cause of this yellow color?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/97Lq4.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;j800 label&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gGbGp.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;collar gi&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/rxXLi.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;washing description&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="212" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-11-27T17:52:32.730" Title="Getting my (do)gi white again" Tags="|judo|equipment|gi|dogi|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2434" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2433" CreationDate="2013-11-27T13:48:44.637" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Adding some bleach to the wash might make a difference. If it was 100% cotton, I would recommend it but 30% polyester &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; do something strange... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2013-11-27T13:48:44.637" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2435" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2433" CreationDate="2013-11-27T14:21:03.397" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You may have hard water that is yellowing them. I haven't had much success with reversing the process, but there are some palliative approaches like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mamaslaundrytalk.com/have-your-white-clothes-turned-yellow/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;lemon juice, borax, and bluing agents&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-11-27T14:21:03.397" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2436" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2433" CreationDate="2013-11-27T17:52:32.730" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;To clarify on the use of bleach, as long as it is non-chlorine based (like borax or OxiClean) you should be fine to use it. Chlorine bleach will yellow your non 100% cotton clothes but color safe or oxygen based bleaches should be fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I use baking soda (somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 a cup depending upon your washer/load size/etc.) to keep my workout whites bright and it works well as a preventative measure (especially if you have hard water); you might need something stronger to remove the existing discoloration though, like the methods mentioned in Dave's answer.  Some vinegar (1/2c to 2c again depending upon your washer/load size/etc.) could also help a little, though its more for preserving fabrics and softening them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would also like to add that how you dry your (do)gi can also affect its color.  Air drying in the sun for a little while can help bleach it back to white. Plus it is much better for the fabric than using a dryer!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1493" LastActivityDate="2013-11-27T17:52:32.730" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2437" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2415" CreationDate="2013-11-28T02:25:16.470" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is ideal—in any martial science which delivers blows as heavy as those in Muay Thai—to have some support around the joints most frequently used. This is one reason why the ankle is wrapped—akin to having a knee brace. This provides support and reinforcement&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second reason is for protection. That added layer of cloth, or whatever is used to wrap the ankle may end up cushioning some impact and preventing cuts, tears, and sometimes bruises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1333" LastActivityDate="2013-11-28T02:25:16.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2438" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2362" CreationDate="2013-11-28T02:39:39.663" Score="0" Body="&lt;h3&gt;YES, so much yes!&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have seen big bulky people contend in races. I have also seen bulky people out-spar their skinnier opponents in a dojo. It is possible&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The above answers your question but I would go on a bit, if I may.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To achieve this,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You would have to understand the difference between bulky and overweight. Someone who is overweight has excess fat which which pulls them down; and by &lt;em&gt;excess fat&lt;/em&gt; I mean extra body mas with neither function nor utility. However, someone who is bulky is made of larger muscle mass—may not necessarily be built or toned. Assess yourself and get into the bulky zone.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your training should have lots of running, with your full form in check: arms swinging, knees perpendicular and footsteps keeping a cadence. Pay attention to form more than anything else—once you break form, there's no need utility in continuing the training, take a break. And try to decrease your snap time.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Master your weight. The bulkiness is yours. Know it, accept it, love it, master it. Once it's no longer a burden on your thoughts, despite your size, you could be lighter than a feather.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;p.s: A little informal physics... velocity is caused by acceleration which is caused by jerk which in turn is caused by snap &amp;lt;— this is what you want to decrease. I should add, &amp;quot;it ain't easy&amp;quot;. You mentioned Bruce Lee who, in my books, was the master of minimal snap time. His acceleration posed a problem for video cameras of his time. Try to beat yours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1333" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2013-11-28T02:39:39.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2439" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2370" CreationDate="2013-11-29T05:23:47.110" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In general, you should be inhaling when raising the arms and exhaling when lowering them. This is taken from the 18 Lohan set which is where the 8 Pieces of Brocade was taken from. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When inhaling when raising the arms, you are gathering the chi, when exhaling while lowering, you are sinking the chi to the build the root in the stance, then you have a solid foundation for the first movement. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Inhaling is used to collect the chi and gather it in the posture, then the exhalation releases the chi for the strike, block, ward off or other actual martial techniques used in fighting. It's important to remember that Tai chi is not a health system at it's core, but an extemely effective and powerful martial art. All of the health styles that are so popular today are all derived from the original martial sets, of which the Yang style is probably the most popular. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The book &quot;Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan&quot; by Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming is an excellent book to get that will further guide you in this area should you really wish to pursue it further. Even if you only want to use it for health purposes, his books take you step by step through every move, the breathing, stepping, martial applications, fighting moves and theory, strikes and far more. All the best. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastActivityDate="2013-11-29T05:23:47.110" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2440" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2021" CreationDate="2013-11-29T13:51:18.270" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my experience of training BJJ, I've found that this kind of 'sprint' training does help, but nothing is as beneficial as regular training and rolling. Try to relax when rolling and concentrate on breathing. If you hold your breath when rolling you'll, obviously, run out and gas.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1247" LastActivityDate="2013-11-29T13:51:18.270" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2442" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2108" CreationDate="2013-11-30T05:17:55.993" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Cheap and highly efficient.  If you rehearse your techniques in your head instead of physically doing it( which can be tough without a partner), in one year at an hour a day you will only lose 1% of your applicable progress. Not bad right?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1504" LastActivityDate="2013-11-30T05:17:55.993" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2443" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2096" CreationDate="2013-11-30T05:27:59.973" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is from fa jing, grappler focused combat.  Never grapple a seasoned grappler that's always his game.  But a dim mak stun or knockout will set up a grapple for your style. Stick with your strengths.  Also very important, pick an object you see a lot.  Every time you see it in your peripheral vision as fast as you possibly can do a silent one syllable shout.  This let's you react to things instantly if practiced well.  &quot;Its the only way to defeat a grappler&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1504" LastActivityDate="2013-11-30T05:27:59.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2444" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2084" CreationDate="2013-11-30T05:34:52.450" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know one thing intercept the punch if you can't block it.  Cut them off don't let them full force punch you by standing there.  Also,foot foot foot footwork!  Front, back, sideways and circle left or right. Footwork footwork footwork that's like everything.  Also try push hands for dodging strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1504" LastActivityDate="2013-11-30T05:34:52.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2446" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1342" CreationDate="2013-11-30T05:53:17.153" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should really never ever be taken down.  Train well and hell if it still don't work you should keep your martial art but adopt better grab defence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1504" LastActivityDate="2013-11-30T05:53:17.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2448" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1143" CreationDate="2013-11-30T06:05:17.050" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Use your eagle vision.  Don't stare into tunnel vision but see everything in your field of vision.  Like the great eagle don't worry with detail just get the contrasts.  To train your eagle vision look with tunnel vision and swiftly switch to eagle vision.  Practice to a little while and you'll master it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1504" LastActivityDate="2013-11-30T06:05:17.050" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2449" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="860" CreationDate="2013-11-30T06:11:02.210" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yup yup just rehearse the moves in your head and it is 99% as productive as normal practice.  That 1% won't matter at all really I ain't scared of 1% ya know.  Reference from shadow warrior the art of the butterfly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1504" LastActivityDate="2013-11-30T06:11:02.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2450" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="898" CreationDate="2013-11-30T06:31:26.170" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Dude listen up no. 1 army vet here, for real its mine mine... first off keep a round in the chamber and safety it...when the time comes take your trigger finger from safely on the side of your weapon to unsafe then fire.  You need a buddy for this one tho, move as a unit in one path finding cover as one soldier moves to next cover and fires then you follow and do the same. This gets you comfortable shooting live rounds in a team fast paced environment. Yell cover me and I've got you covered. Paint balling will supplement this. Full on door kicking room clear in and house to house movement, if in woods its usually more open so you spread out and low crawl to avoid  detection.  I would get a good squad formation manual too, or just ask me! Oh one more thing if you did how dare you flag your battle buddy, let weapon point at buddy, and watch out in prone position no dirty little barrels...shame on me:-) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1504" LastActivityDate="2013-11-30T06:31:26.170" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2453" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="294" CreationDate="2013-11-30T06:48:34.427" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Put a 3 inch vertical handle on five gallon bucket. Each day fill it with a bowl of water and lift with fingers from floor to chest for 15 minutes with each hand. In three months your hands will be three times stronger. After using water, repeat the process with sand, and then with lead. If you can lift a full bucket of lead, you can actually control any man or beast with just hand strength. It's called dragon's claw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1504" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2013-12-01T01:27:15.433" LastActivityDate="2013-12-01T01:27:15.433" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2455" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-11-30T11:34:22.270" Score="3" ViewCount="325" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently came to know about Tai chi and I'm interested in learning it. Unfortunately, there are no Tai chi classes around. Can I learn it through internet or any other medium? If so please guide me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1506" LastActivityDate="2013-12-03T20:57:13.863" Title="I'm totally new to Tai Chi How to learn it and where to learn it?" Tags="|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2456" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="697" CreationDate="2013-11-30T12:27:13.467" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;it's hard to control your emotions (especially while your mind is busy helping you to fight), it could be somewhat easier to control your body;  that would most likely help you to calm down:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;keep your face relaxed (hard, but necessary)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;keep your shoulders relaxed (even harder, but even more necessary)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;try to unfocus your eyes, use peripheral vision - this will help you to stay relaxed, keep track of what is going on and increase your reaction speed&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;find some kind of an &quot;anchor&quot; to help you stay relaxed - for example, &quot;mind like water&quot; concept works for me.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="759" LastActivityDate="2013-11-30T12:27:13.467" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2457" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2084" CreationDate="2013-11-30T12:32:00.103" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;have you thought about cross-training? Meeting force with force is not always the best way; it might be useful to check what other martial arts have in their arsenal. Try to take a few aikido classes (just for fun), it could change the way you box with some opponents (even if you can't use the actual aikido moves while boxing, your mind will be changed already ...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="759" LastActivityDate="2013-11-30T12:32:00.103" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2459" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1366" CreationDate="2013-12-02T18:45:13.243" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a Wushu practitioner and what my master said is that Chang Quan or Northern Fist and Nanquan or Southern Fist are equally well and represent the style that evolved thousand of years ago in the North and South regions of China. The people of the South are more stronger and their style is very firm like the tiger claw, dragon claw, etc. The Southern style is the style of the ironsmith, whereas the Northern style is very dynamic. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nonetheless both are difficult to master and require a lot of patience and practice to develop. Nowadays in modern Wushu both Nanquan and Chang Quan emphasises jumps and movements which requires great agility. They are difficult but with practice can be acquired. I would also like to add that practice either Chang Quan or Nanquan. Don't go for both because the body language in both differs. If you try both it will lead you to nowhere. Try a single style and become the master of it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1511" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-12-03T12:40:14.680" LastActivityDate="2013-12-03T12:40:14.680" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2460" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2455" CreationDate="2013-12-02T21:51:15.637" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;You're probably wrong about not being able to find Tai Chi.  You probably just don't know where to look.  Google is a skill ;)  Make sure your google-fu is strong.  Tai Chi is a very popular martial art and it is taught in a lot of places.  Check your local gym or fitness club.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't try learning Tai Chi from the internet.  There are too many subtleties.  You need a teacher there to correct your posture for every slight mistake.  If you honestly &lt;em&gt;can't&lt;/em&gt; learn Tai Chi from a &lt;em&gt;qualified&lt;/em&gt; instructor, learn something else from a qualified instructor.  This will at least give you the balance and gross body movements that will aid you in learning Tai Chi later on when/if it becomes available.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finding a &lt;em&gt;good&lt;/em&gt; instructor is a whole different topic, which I won't address, since that's not what you asked.  I did, however, want to make sure to throw this advice in: learn what to look for in a qualified instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know the temptation is strong to ignore this advice and learn from the internet/DVDs, but you'll only be wasting your time.  You could find yourself having practiced what you thought is Tai Chi for years, only to realize you have no idea what Tai Chi is when you come into contact with a real Tai Chi person. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2013-12-02T21:51:15.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2461" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2455" CreationDate="2013-12-03T20:57:13.863" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would agree with the others - find a reputable instructor near your area if at all possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you truly can't find anyone in your area, Richard Clear has produced a number of DVDs. Thought I can't personally vouch for the DVDs, I attended one of his seminars, and my instructor routinely praises Mr. Clear's work in spreading the word about tai chi chuan, Hsing-i chuan and internal arts in general. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1502" LastActivityDate="2013-12-03T20:57:13.863" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2462" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="697" CreationDate="2013-12-04T00:31:13.040" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have had similar issues when training with more skilled/experience people than I am. These are some things that help me:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Focus on relaxing my breathing. If my breathing is under control, so am I, mostly.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't stare your opponent in the eyes. This is a big problem for most people and actually make your a worse fighter, since you it's harder to track what you opponent is doing. Focus your eyes on their torso area and let your peripheral vision do its thing. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Train more. I find that the more I train, the more I learn from other people. If you're learning more during sparring, you probably won't be as frustrated (and your form should improve quickly)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Realize that this isn't the end of the world. The more experienced students were where you are at one point in their lives. Getting frustrated is just you being impatient. Realize that the more frustrated you become, the more you're getting in the way of your own training. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1294" LastActivityDate="2013-12-04T00:31:13.040" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2463" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1622" CreationDate="2013-12-04T11:51:37.817" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Meditation, breathing, or visualization&quot; practice will not help with what is essentially a failure of physicality and technique. Technique usually improves with in-class practice, but physicality requires out-of-class work to develop for most adults who are not genetically gifted. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You must attain a basic level of athleticism--that is, physical strength, mobility, and conditioning--in order to reach a basic level of proficiency in any martial art. Consider basic strength training with resistance tools, short and long cardio work, and something similar to yoga for flexibility. You will find your &lt;em&gt;hara&lt;/em&gt; easier to find after you've developed a flexible, strong posterior chain and you don't tire during practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-12-04T11:51:37.817" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2464" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="697" CreationDate="2013-12-04T15:23:56.513" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best solution for this is to gain experience. Experience is what teaches you to remain calm during contact sessions. There's no meditation mumbo-jumbo that will keep you calm when you get punched in the face. The only answer is to get used to it. And the only way to get used to it is to experience it. A lot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's utter horse-puckey to let a yellow belt spar full or semi-full contact against much more advanced students. Ideally, you won't go more than two or three ranks up. In Taekwondo, that would mean a yellow belt should never fight anyone above Green or Blue belt. And I think the rule holds for most traditional Karate styles too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to get better, the best is to face someone who is only slightly better than yourself. If they're too advanced, you won't see any benefit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2018-12-12T07:41:27.910" LastActivityDate="2018-12-12T07:41:27.910" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2465" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2534" CreationDate="2013-12-04T20:55:38.513" Score="11" ViewCount="7499" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have trained weapons in a couple martial arts and I think that weapons should be a part of traditional taekwondo curriculum. For a particular school of taekwondo, they would not teach weapons as part of the curriculum except as an auxiliary lesson. If you went to the other martial arts of that same school, they did teach some weapon defense techniques. I know some taekwondo schools that do teach weapons as part of ranking curriculum.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I do not see it in the WTF or Kukkiwon texts, is weapon training a part of traditions in taekwondo or is taekwondo technically a no-weapons, free hand-foot form?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1513" LastActivityDate="2015-07-22T06:55:02.257" Title="Weapons in taekwondo?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|weapons|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2466" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2423" CreationDate="2013-12-04T22:04:41.800" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;For WTF/Kukkiwon taekwondo the black belt forms: koryo (virtueous man), keumgueng (diamond and mountain), taebaek (bright mountain), pyongwan (a vast plain), sipjin (life and longevity), jitae (struggle and aspiration), chonkwon (heaven), hanseu (water) seem to be paths towards Ilyeo (Buddhist enlightenment).  There may be some incidental references to water, earth, mountain, and heaven as those are essential trigrams of the i-ching, but the path of the poomse suggests to use the gifts of the Earth to go beyond the struggle of man towards Buddhist enlightenment especially as the symbolic references of the latter forms are of softer elements and embracing of the spirit of Heaven and selflessness.  So in a way they follow the course of change (e.g. I ching)  You also have to remember that I Ching is a Chinese /Confucius philosophy and the Koreans have adopted some of these, but it seems that the taekwondo forms (specifically, the Kukkiwon standard ones) are less about I Ching than a path towards selflessness and enlightenment (other than change, in of itself).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The I Ching is a deep discussion of all changes in and around the Earth and can represent the boundless opportunities and chances that are here. It would be neat to see the forms try to encompass this vast philosophy, but I do not think the current set of black belt (or even taeguek or palgwe series) would yield as much meaning as the I Ching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1513" LastEditorUserId="1513" LastEditDate="2013-12-05T15:23:27.970" LastActivityDate="2013-12-05T15:23:27.970" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2467" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-12-05T01:56:09.023" Score="9" ViewCount="1250" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I'm in randori, the technique that I mostly do that works nicely is &lt;em&gt;Harai Goshi&lt;/em&gt;, but I'm starting to get countered since I do it often. When I try to do something like &lt;em&gt;Seoi Nage&lt;/em&gt;, I can never seem to get it nicely. How can I improve this? I practice it a lot but it never comes out good. Either they stop me in the motion, or they don't let me get in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1515" LastEditorUserId="1566" LastEditDate="2013-12-26T12:51:24.057" LastActivityDate="2021-10-09T22:25:10.967" Title="How can I improve my technique in Judo?" Tags="|training|judo|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2469" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2467" CreationDate="2013-12-05T06:04:14.670" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The simple answer, which applies to all training, is to practise more, and in a greater varierty of ways:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice the technique very slowly and very fast.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice with a partner and without. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Get others to check and critique your form.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice with partners who are willing to be dummies, and allow you to use the technique.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice with different partners (larger, smaller).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1026" LastActivityDate="2013-12-05T06:04:14.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2470" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-12-05T06:17:19.460" Score="8" ViewCount="46523" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a software engineer basically but have been practicing taekwondo since 2-3 months. I just wanted to know what it takes to get a black belt? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1520" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-12-05T08:48:51.703" LastActivityDate="2021-04-04T14:45:57.803" Title="What does it take to get a black belt in Taekwondo?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|belt|" AnswerCount="11" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2471" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2465" CreationDate="2013-12-05T08:08:40.457" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo quite literally translates as the art of kicking and punching. You can certainly stylise that translation, but that's what it means.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason TKD doesn't focus that much on weapons is probably because it's quite a modern art, having been founded in the 1960's ( or was it the 1950's?) when people were shooting at each other with firearms, as opposed to beating each other up with sticks and swords or shooting with the bow and arrow. But that's just a guess. I never really asked anyone who might know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did see the benefit of training with especially the Kali sticks and the Bo. They are a great exercises for coordination, concentration and rhythm and help develop your ability to use groups of muscles efficiently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-12-05T08:08:40.457" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2472" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2467" CreationDate="2013-12-05T09:12:12.173" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You need to find or invent more setups for your &lt;em&gt;haraigoshi&lt;/em&gt;. Develop footwork and feints that allow you to enter into that throw from moving backward, forward, circling to the left, and circling to the right. More versatility in how you set up that throw will make counters less likely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the same time, but with less priority, keep working on other throws like &lt;em&gt;seoinage&lt;/em&gt;: &lt;em&gt;uchikomi&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;nagekomi&lt;/em&gt;, and keep trying it in &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; even if it gets stuffed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-12-05T09:12:12.173" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2473" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2470" CreationDate="2013-12-05T13:30:27.817" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, bear in mind that this will differ from dojang to dojang.  Depending on your association (WTF or ITA for example) there may be a list of techniques you will have to master for each belt.  If you are not affiliated with an association, your teacher will have a checklist of things he wants you to learn before each belt.  Ask your teacher what the requirements will be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than specific techniques, part of testing is also a fitness assessment.  You will have to do a certain amount of each exercise (push-ups, sit-ups, etc...).  Again, this varies from dojang to dojang.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At a certain level, your belt test will require sparring and/or board-breaking.  Where this begins, again depends on your dojang.  Many dojangs begin sparring at green belt.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Board-breaking is usually a requirement to earn your black belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There will probably be a &quot;time in grade&quot; requirement, i.e. you must hold each belt for a certain number of months before you can test for the next one.  Many teachers suggest that earning your black belt can take anywhere from 2 years (too short, if you ask me) to 4 years.  Don't get discouraged if you take longer than that, but &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; be suspicious if it takes less than 2 years.  A black belt earned in that short of a time is probably not worth it.  Also, bear in mind that the quoted time is if you train &lt;em&gt;consistently&lt;/em&gt;, that is, at least two classes a week, if not three or even four.  If you skip training because you're tired, you'll lose momentum and eventually get bored and lose interest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hate to give you the &quot;it just depends&quot; answer, but it really does just depend on where you train and who you train with.  Your teacher is your best resource for this, though it &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; wise to field this question to the TKD community at large to see what is typical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2013-12-05T15:33:47.593" LastActivityDate="2013-12-05T15:33:47.593" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2474" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2470" CreationDate="2013-12-05T15:21:39.667" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I like Juann and Wudang Kid's answers, but lets put some perspective on this. Every person that walks, for the first time, in a dojang or dojo wants to know what it takes to become a black belt and what it takes to know all the crazy things they see on TV or in the movies. Never mind the expense of promotion and some belt-factory schools, the question's answer involves the master instructor, time, learning, dedication, discipline, and perseverance but basically boils to what you are willing to do to achieve that rank. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For most taekwondo schools, you can pretty much count on 3 to 4 years to achieve the rank of 1st Dan provided you regularly attend class, stay healthy, and are willing to continue to grow. Once a person achieves that rank, they will likely find that their training has only begun at the point. The real interest of the art is in the mastery of those skills that you learned getting to the black belt rank. You will realize that one ends up re-asking (in different ways) many of the questions that you asked as a white belt. By that point, Hollywood is out of the question or focus because you are hopefully more focused upon how you can grow in the art.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1513" LastEditorUserId="1513" LastEditDate="2014-09-05T17:28:39.000" LastActivityDate="2014-09-05T17:28:39.000" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2475" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2470" CreationDate="2013-12-05T15:35:18.413" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I tested for 1st Dan, I was asked to perform Gae Baek, which is the blackbelt pattern (kata for all the karate philistines - JK). In addition to that, I was asked to perform two additional colour belt patterns at random. In my case, Won Hyu and Hwaorang.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then came the demonstration of breaking techniques. I was allowed to choose my own technique and decided on the inner knife-hand strike. I had to break a black and a white nylon board, which is the equivalent of six wooden boards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After that, I had to demonstrate 10 Tae kyu techniques, which I believe is optional in the curriculum. I also had to demonstrate two real world self-defense techniques ad-hoc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was then asked to perform a number of jumping and combination kicks. There was a particularly dificult one called the jumping front kick. What made it dificult was that I had to jump out of an L-stance, kick with my rear leg, and land in the same position. This was to test both my hip flexibility and the strength of my core muscles (the muscles under the bellybutton, in the case of TKD).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After that, I was asked some theory, e.g. what the 5 tenets are and what they mean, as well as some history and things about why we twist the front punch or why the elbow is a good striking tool.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, I was given two semi full contact sparring matches. Semi-full in the sense that we both wore protective padding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-12-05T15:35:18.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2476" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2470" CreationDate="2013-12-05T19:51:51.650" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with the other answers about the technique varying, but wanted to add one more:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Time and dedication. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We like to say that a &quot;black belt is a white belt who didn't quit&quot; (this is not unique to us, it's a fairly common expression).  We also talk about how when a new person enters the dojang it is impossible to tell if they will be one of the ones who sticks it out and keeps working at it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For us, if you attend all of your classes and are there every week (and no one makes all of them every week for every belt), you are looking at around 4 years of showing up every week. That's a lot of time dedicated to simply becoming a black belt. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are putting in that time–especially if you are taking the time you do in class and adding an extra day of personal practice and doing your warmups every day (both of which we strongly recommend)–you have put a lot of time, energy, and effort into your art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &quot;black belt&quot; (1 dan) is an &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/682/11&quot;&gt;arbitrary designation&lt;/a&gt;–both for what it takes to get it &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; for what it means–so your school may have a lot of specifics that they expect to see.  Many times the 1 dan barely represents base camp of the art: everything up to that point is, as one person put it for Hapkido, &quot;how to fall and how not to kill people when practicing.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in general, what will make you a 1 dan:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You are putting in the time.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You have the right attitude and are dedicated.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You are helping others.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You are continuing to improve. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rinse, repeat for as long as it takes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2013-12-05T19:51:51.650" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2477" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2480" CreationDate="2013-12-06T04:28:44.480" Score="3" ViewCount="1359" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practise Taekwondo and am amazed by all those flying kicks and flips and everything. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But when I was on YouTube watching tricking videos, I saw only a small proportion of women. Is it because less women practise kicks? Or is doing kicks a hurdle that is really hard to overcome?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="281" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-12-06T10:17:46.847" LastActivityDate="2014-07-17T01:21:00.203" Title="Are women not suitable for tricking?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|kicking|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2478" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2477" CreationDate="2013-12-06T05:41:54.217" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Given that women are extremely well represented in Gymnastic competitions, I think it's fair to say that women are quite capable of doing aerobatic flips with kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit to add: Other than maybe standing up and p***ing into a moving shot-glass, there isn't anything that women aren't capable of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4" LastEditorUserId="4" LastEditDate="2013-12-06T05:49:23.947" LastActivityDate="2013-12-06T05:49:23.947" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2479" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2467" CreationDate="2013-12-06T12:36:08.870" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Keep HaraiGoshi as your main attack, but try to develop a couple of other throws, to be less predictable. Develop your Kumikata to be able to launch from a different grip. Feint with HaraiGoshi to setup a new move. One I liked myself was to start with Harai Goshi, from a very close position, bend your leg and hook his exterior leg when he blocks, and use the fact he tries to force in the opposite direction to keep a good grip on him and to slide-jump-rotate in from of him into OSotoGari).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everything is about putting your opponent off balance. Since you &lt;em&gt;know&lt;/em&gt; they will counter your Harai Goshi, find a partner, instruct him to block your Harai Goshi, and to stop moving, keeping his feet at the same position etc. Now start your movement practice from there. Work to find a couple of techniques that will work in that situation, so you'll be able to use the reflex they have when you launch your Harai Goshi against them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After that, practice the other way around, find a technique that will force your opponent to move into the position you want to launch your Harai goshi from, like oGhoshi, or Ashi Barai. But you must be able to actually throw people with that move before it's a solid combination, else people will just know right away what you are trying to pull off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(sorry if I don't get the names right, I'm not used to spelling them down and I stopped teaching a few years ago)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1524" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2021-10-09T22:25:10.967" LastActivityDate="2021-10-09T22:25:10.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2480" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2477" CreationDate="2013-12-06T14:08:13.697" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Women are under-represented in martial arts generally, not just in tricking.  It isn't that they aren't well-suited.  I think this is a culture problem more than a physiology one (though physiology does play a part).  The culture problem I'm speaking of is mult-faceted, but boils down to the overwhelming masculinity in martial arts culture.  Women can feel out of place in such an environment and, all too often, they quit because they don't believe their physiology is suited for the task, and more importantly, they don't feel they fit in.  On the other hand, I've known a few exceptional female martial artists.  You're less likely to meet these women, however, simply because there are fewer women who stick it out in martial arts.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2013-12-06T14:08:13.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2481" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2465" CreationDate="2013-12-06T15:34:42.490" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's going to depend on your instructor and art, and how they promote weapons within the art. Traditional Korean weapons include spear variations (traditional spear, one similar to a naginata, trident, etc), bow, sword variations, a nunchaku variant, and the staff. Whether or not these are part of the curriculum at your dojang is variable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, many WTF schools emphasize sparring, as they are the recognized Olympic TKD style, and do not do much with weapons. ITF has had some weapons at a few schools I've been to, and ATA has quite a few weapons, some of which are borrowed from Okinawan/Japanese styles. (ATA weapons include staff, single/double escrima, 3 sectional staff, sword, single/double nunchaku, ssangh nat (kama) and cane.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you truly want to learn weapons, however, there are arts that focus much more heavily on weapons, and I would suggest adding those for the weapons training. The training that you will get in a TKD environment is not generally going to be a focus, it will be an adjunct, and nowhere near as in depth for instruction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2013-12-06T15:34:42.490" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2482" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2486" CreationDate="2013-12-06T15:54:15.783" Score="5" ViewCount="647" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to wikipedia O guruma is classified as a foot throwing technique. However my understanding was that the arms do the main work of breaking the balance and the leg acts as a block/pivot. Is my understanding of the technique incorrect?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1374" LastActivityDate="2013-12-06T21:45:20.677" Title="Why is O guruma classified as an Ashi Waza" Tags="|judo|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2483" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2482" CreationDate="2013-12-06T17:17:25.537" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The arms do the work of unbalancing in most, if not all throws. That includes &lt;em&gt;ashiwaza&lt;/em&gt; such as &lt;em&gt;okuriashibarai&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;osotogari&lt;/em&gt;, and quite obviously &lt;em&gt;sasaetsurikomiashi&lt;/em&gt;. These throws would be unworkable without breaking the balance through the arms. That doesn't make them arm/hand throws, because the telltale element of leg throws is that the leg is the pivot or dominant factor in the throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Contrast this with hand throws, where the arms don't just unbalance the opponent, they are the spot where the action occurs. For instance: &lt;em&gt;tai-otoshi&lt;/em&gt;, where the hip and leg do not make contact, &lt;em&gt;seoinage&lt;/em&gt;, where the shoulder or back is the pivot, or others like &lt;em&gt;kataguruma&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;sukuinage&lt;/em&gt;, or &lt;em&gt;morotegari&lt;/em&gt;, where the arms are the point of action . &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just like arm throws involve significant leg work (e.g. &lt;em&gt;kataguruma&lt;/em&gt;) or hip action (e.g. &lt;em&gt;sukuinage&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;teguruma&lt;/em&gt;), leg throws almost always involve a great degree of arm work. All throws should optimally be involve a coordinated whole-body effort. &lt;em&gt;Oguruma&lt;/em&gt; is a leg throw because the characteristic element of the throw--what makes the movement worth studying as distinct from other throws--is where and how the leg turns the opponent after a state of broken balance has been achieved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-12-06T17:17:25.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2484" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1269" CreationDate="2013-12-06T19:14:50.440" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your training hasn't failed you if you're not training conflict avoidance/resolution in your dojo.  Rather, your &lt;em&gt;lack&lt;/em&gt; of training has failed you.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have to specifically train how to read body language, detect warning signals, and recognize potentially dangerous situations.  These skills are usually relegated to a weekend seminar, if taught at all.  When we hit the mat, we're kicking and punching, not talking and thinking our way out of conflict.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're not receiving this kind of training in your dojo, you're going to have to devote time to it out of class.  If you'd like to learn more about how to recognize dangerous situations and how best to avoid them, read &lt;em&gt;The Gift of Fear&lt;/em&gt; by Gavin DeBecker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2013-12-06T19:14:50.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2485" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1269" CreationDate="2013-12-06T19:43:35.220" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sometimes you cross paths with a douchebag. The reason why martial arts and self-defense classes actually teach you how to hurt people, and not just how to run away, is because some situations are unavoidable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have found that the more useless the martial arts school, the bigger the emphasis is on running away rather than fighting. That being said, the best thing to do to avoid a fight is to not go to places where idiots hang out. And don't wear your TapOut shirt. Those things are douchebag magnets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2013-12-09T07:32:27.080" LastActivityDate="2013-12-09T07:32:27.080" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2486" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2482" CreationDate="2013-12-06T21:45:20.677" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Throws in Judo are typically classified/named in the original Japanese by the fulcrum or pivot center, not the point(s) of force origin. Sometimes the name of the move also involves a metaphorical description of any significant body motions imparted on the uke to help illustrate the overall look or feel of the move from the stand point of the person who is experiencing the throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in this case, the move is called Ō guruma, approximately meaning large or big wheel in English, because the uke is thrown over the leg such that they spin in a large vertical wheel. See this &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judopedia.com/index.php/%C5%8C-guruma&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; for a good example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is classified as Ashi-waza, meaning both leg and/or foot technique, because the leg is the point about which the uke rotates.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To reiterate what Dave said earlier, pretty much all throws involve the contribution of the entire body when it comes to the application of force (whether to off-balance, re-position,  or provide the tipping force), but there is only one pivot point and this is what is used to classify throws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1493" LastActivityDate="2013-12-06T21:45:20.677" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2488" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1955" CreationDate="2013-12-07T07:04:35.430" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;New user and first time poster here so please correct me if I am out of line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One factor I don't believe was addressed was being able to tell if someone is going out from &lt;strong&gt;BEHIND&lt;/strong&gt;.  An example would be and bow and arrow choke where your training partner may have both hands in the collar attempting to defend.  In this case it may appear and feel as if he is trying to defend -- your natural instinct may be to apply more pressure.  With both hands trapped, he/she may not remember to tap with his feet before it's too late.  Not being able to see his his/her face, you would not really know when they lost consciousness.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Remember that having a training partner is more important than getting the tap&lt;/em&gt;. Stop and check and make sure your training partner is not out.  From this position it's very easy to have someone go out and you may still continue to fight for the tap for 5-10 (or more) seconds longer AFTER they have already lost consciousness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1528" LastActivityDate="2013-12-07T07:04:35.430" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2489" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2490" CreationDate="2013-12-09T10:38:23.907" Score="2" ViewCount="158" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a novice in bushi ban style. I need to know can i participate in olympics after completing my study? or olympics allows only few styles (like tae-kwon-do)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1530" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-12-09T16:27:37.150" LastActivityDate="2013-12-09T16:27:37.150" Title="Could Bushi Ban martial arts prepare me for the Olympics?" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2490" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2489" CreationDate="2013-12-09T12:10:26.663" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The only Olympic combat sports are freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, Tae Kwon Do, judo, and boxing. If bushi ban prepared you for one of those then you could compete in the Olympics, but that is extremely unlikely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-12-09T12:10:26.663" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2491" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1219" CreationDate="2013-12-09T21:15:11.430" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;All the bouncing around is actually just how they were trained, I trained (still training) in TKD and did quite a bit of throwing, sweeping, and punching in my day, but I am one of the few.  We also have five belts instead of 100 different assorted colors to choose from.  We didn't really have a lot of padding back then, and today we have a ton of it, we keep our hands up even to this day.  I don't understand why people find it necessary to water the art down to the point where it is just a sport, after all little Tommy and Peggy may never make black belt and chances of going to the Olympics may be slim to nil!!  A quick anecdote for that is to teach them how to blend their martial arts with others, hence Taekwondo/Hapkido schools, I know bet that will actually work, in other words show them why the bouncing may and may not work in your system because there is a necessity for this either way. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1531" LastActivityDate="2013-12-09T21:15:11.430" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2492" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2319" CreationDate="2013-12-09T22:07:11.133" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can’t comment, so I'll answer it here instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As @Dave Liepmann said, it depends on your strengh and your ability. Utsuri Goshi is &lt;strong&gt;hard&lt;/strong&gt; to do. The hardest move I've done, seriously. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using the “right” move is always a decision based on your opponent's reaction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you start and manage to raise him off his feet (which is the first step of both moves) as set-up for ushiro goshi, 99% of the competitors will use their right leg to &quot;hook&quot; the inside of yours to prevent you from shifting correctly and easily over your shoulder/to your side, and often your grip isn't ideal and they will slip, turn, and try/manage to fall on you if you still try to get the move off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was a huge Harai goshi user, and got ushiro goshi used &lt;em&gt;a lot&lt;/em&gt; against me... And you train yourself &lt;em&gt;a lot&lt;/em&gt; to counter it. It's obvious when someone tries it, and not too hard to counter. I'd say in 14 or 15 years of competitions, it has been successfully used less than 10 times against me, and threw that about 2 or 3 times for anything higher than yuko.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other side, Utsuri ghosi gives you more control over your opponent, since once you manage to raise him off his feet, his first reflex will be to press or push against you, thus making it easier to pass in front of him, and once you do, you cannot miss scoring Ippon. Plus it's a hugely spectacular move to pull off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But most of all, it's counterintuitive for someone to really block you correctly, and it has a big surprise factor. I was training with the elite team here, and I've never seen anyone practice how to counter or dodge utsuri goshi, because it is &lt;em&gt;seriously&lt;/em&gt; hard to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1526" LastEditorUserId="1224" LastEditDate="2014-01-02T17:35:48.897" LastActivityDate="2014-01-02T17:35:48.897" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2493" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="697" CreationDate="2013-12-09T22:36:57.830" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had the same problem and I got to the bottom of it. I searched for what caused my frustation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First I worked out my ego. During martial arts most of the frustration is caused by fear of humiliation. If you are stressed during sparring that is because your ego fights back. Deep inside you fear loosing against your spar partner. From puberty to adulthood you develop yourself a powerful ego, telling you that you are the best. When that sparring partner gets in front of you, even at the beginning you are stressed because your ego gets challenged by the idea of getting beaten. That guy is better than you. He is beating you in sparring. That is striking your personality more than your body. You feel your dominance, your manhood, your ego threatened. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many ways to fight back at this feeling. First of all, you have to accept the idea that you are not the best martial artist in the world. There is always, always someone better. And everybody in this world can get beaten by someone. This is mainly about getting over your ego. When you start not caring if you are beaten or not frustration will slip away. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now some people might say getting lots of fight experience will help. I find this a wrong approach. Getting experience and training hard helps you to get over this feeling because now you are not getting beaten. Because you trained harder and had more experience you start not to loose so you are confident and not frustrated. But yet again when a better guy steps in you will start getting frustrated instantly. I actually think these kind of feelings are caused by movies and TV series. They shows us a -hero-, sometimes a CIA agent, sometimes a macho guy who beats everyone. Someone who always wins and never gets beaten or dumped to a garbage can. This creates a psychological pressure on men making them think they must always win and never get beaten just like that CIA agent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, the key concept of getting over this feeling is not being a better fighter. It is getting used to the idea of loosing. Since you can't be &quot;the best&quot; (there is no such thing). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1532" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-12-11T20:36:19.370" LastActivityDate="2013-12-11T20:36:19.370" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2494" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1269" CreationDate="2013-12-09T22:50:02.617" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Maybe you failed to do everything... maybe you failed to do nothing.  It's one of those quotes that may make an old master seem wise in a movie, but it's basically just a noble sentiment that falls apart on examination.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sure, perhaps you're out wandering in the wrong section of town... or didn't cross the street when you should have... or you're in the wrong night club.  Maybe when confronted your ego compelled you to try to save face.  Those sorts of things may indicate that you weren't being proactive in keeping yourself safe.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, what about home invasions?  predatory criminals?  or predatory government in some parts of the world?  Violent, mentally ill people?  Like it or not, random, no-fault-of-your-own violence occurs.  Short of locking yourself into a cold war era bunker (and even that has its limits), you can't be guaranteed of anything.  That is why we train.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that of course ignores the cases where the violence isn't meant to be avoided.  For example, a police officer purposely engaging in it to protect others. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="84" LastEditorDisplayName="user5562" LastEditDate="2019-01-20T20:33:37.190" LastActivityDate="2019-01-20T20:33:37.190" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2496" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1219" CreationDate="2013-12-10T11:01:28.917" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wish I could tell you, but as a TKD instructor, I had this same problem. You are supposed to match your rhythm with that of your opponent. Kind of like a dance (I got that from Bruce Lee). but because it looks like general &quot;bouncing&quot; to the untrained eye, many new students develop this habit and never quite shake it off. I tried to get them to watch how boxers like Muhammed Ali moved, but only a handful grasped what I was getting at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The times I went to international events, the guy who ended up winning in our division would almost always move like mister Ali, and not Super Mario. When you bounce, you run the risk of being caught off-guard mid-bounce by your opponent and sometimes a match is won or lost because you were in the air and your opponent took the opportunity to kick your face off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The easiest way of getting them to stop bouncing like bunnies is to perform a few low kicks. Also, because it seems that the farther away the opponent is, the more bouncing is involved, I would say close the gap and slow the fight down. Experience will take care of the rest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-12-10T11:01:28.917" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2497" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="875" CreationDate="2013-12-10T12:34:58.087" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;One should have dramatically less confidence in techniques which have not been validated in sparring and, optimally, competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, striking sparring with open fingers leads to broken, sprained, and jammed fingers, as well as accidental eyepokes. You should evaluate your need for open-handed techniques accordingly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-12-10T12:34:58.087" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2498" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2499" CreationDate="2013-12-11T17:10:20.437" Score="13" ViewCount="5633" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have heard two things about Taekwondo from different sources:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A) The founder of TKD (Choi Hong Hi) trained in Shotokan Karate and TKD is based on Shotokan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;B) Taekwondo is based on pre-existing Korean martial arts, i.e. Taekkyon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what I've read, both things are probably true to one extent or another.  I'm looking for a more complete understanding of the history of TKD's development.  What is the history of Shotokan's incorporation into Taekwondo?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2013-12-11T18:42:27.483" LastActivityDate="2022-10-07T22:20:03.280" Title="History of Shotokan's Influence on Taekwondo" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|history|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2499" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2498" CreationDate="2013-12-11T20:33:00.887" Score="20" Body="&lt;p&gt;See the translation of &lt;a href=&quot;http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&amp;amp;sl=ja&amp;amp;tl=en&amp;amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fja.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2F%E3%83%86%E3%82%B3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%89%E3%83%BC&quot;&gt;Taekwondo entry&lt;/a&gt; in Japanese Wikipedia. According to this article, in 1940s during the Japanese rule of Korean Peninsula, Karate (空手) was taking hold under the name Kongsoodo (공수도, 空手道) and &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_Soo_Do&quot;&gt;Tangsoodo&lt;/a&gt; (당수도, 唐手道).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To backtrack on these namings, we need to understand the origin of Karate. Sakukawa Kanga (佐久川寛賀) from Ryukyu Kingdom (today's Okinawa) studies in China and developed martial arts called 唐手 (read &quot;Tudi&quot;), which translates to Chinese (Tang) hands. When Ryukyu Kingdom incorporated into Japan, Tudi faced extinction, but Anko Itosu kept it going by introducing it to local elementary and junior high schools. At the time, Tudi was renamed to Karate, which is the Japanese way of reading 唐手. As an educator Itosu thought emphasis should be placed more on 型 (kata).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As Karate gained popularity in mainland Japan, Gichin Funakoshi (船越義珍) of Shotokan (松濤館) changed the Chinese characters of Karate from 唐手 (Chinese hands) to 空手 (empty hands). The character 道 (way; read &quot;doh&quot;) was appended, similar to Judo. This reflects the consideration to militaristic time in the 20s. By the way Funakoshi was also school teacher from Okinawa and he was also really into 型 (kata).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When Karate was introduced to Korean Peninsula, some used politically correct 空手道 (Kongsoodo), and others the original 唐手道 (Tangsoodo). In 1944 Won Kuk Lee (이원국, 李元國) a pupil of Funakoshi opens &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chung_Do_Kwan&quot;&gt;Chung do kwan&lt;/a&gt; (청도관, 靑濤館) the first Tangsoodo school in Korea. Apart from the known fact that Lee studied under Funakoshi, the fact that 靑濤館 borrows a letter from Shotokan (松濤館) signifies that it's meant to be a direct lineage from Shotokan Karate. Choi Hong Hi (최홍희, 崔泓熙) also studied Shotokan Karate in Japan and has 2nd dan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Choi kept practicing Karate after he went back to Korea, and later in Korean Army. In 1954, at the height of Korean War, Choi with 29th Infantry Division performed a demonstration in front of President Syngman Rhee. The legend goes that President praised the demonstration convinced that it was Taekkyeon. Fully aware of anti-Japanese sentiment, Choi had said that it was his original martial arts. Other account says that President has ordered the kwan leaders to unify to a single system so it could be introduced to Korean military. On April 11th of 1955, President Rhee certifies Taekwondo as the name selected by a committee headed by Choi, and on September 3rd of 1959 Choi renames Korean Kongsoodo Association to &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korea_Taekwondo_Association&quot;&gt;Korea Taekwondo Association&lt;/a&gt;. In other words, Karate was renamed to Taekwondo for political reasons, like Japanese renamed &lt;em&gt;Chinese hands&lt;/em&gt; to &lt;em&gt;Karate&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This by no means is meant to undermine the originality of Taekwondo relative to Shotokan Karate. As noted above, the lineage of Shotokan was influenced by educators who wanted to turn Karate into exercise. Meanwhile Taekwondo was introduced as practical combat martial arts to Korean army. So I'd imagine many modifications were needed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another interesting twist is the post-war internationalization and attitude difference towards sports. While the Japanese Karate stuck to traditions and kata, Taekwondo did not shy away from sparring and turning it into point-based sport, especially the South Korean WTF branch. This allowed Taekwondo to be included into Olympics wearing gloves and all while Karate remains not included.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1538" LastActivityDate="2013-12-11T20:33:00.887" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2500" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="875" CreationDate="2013-12-12T08:56:26.233" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;We teach knife-hand blocks for a reason. They're faster, require less energy and reduce the chance of a strike glancing off and hitting you anyway because the knife-hand block is more elastic than the closed fist variant. In other words, it remains in contact with the strike slightly longer than a more rigid closed-fist block. It also puts you in a more favourable position to perform a grab in one motion, if it is prudent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2013-12-12T08:56:26.233" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2501" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="104" CreationDate="2013-12-12T15:41:02.570" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;External&lt;/strong&gt;: the force is generated by local muscle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Internal&lt;/strong&gt;: the force is generated by the whole body, in which your waist and hips are the key part you need to coordinate well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any martial arts that can effectively use your whole body to generate the power of punching, grasping, etc., can be considered as an internal martial arts, or at least shares the same base of internal martial arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For high level practitioners, internal martial arts means you can not only generate power with your whole body, but also can change the direction, the amplitude, the position quickly and easily, up, down, in, out, left, right, front, back, clockwise, counter-clockwise, etc. Once you know how to do that, how to apply that to different scenarios, you know Yin-Yang, or in Tai-chi, you know how &quot;jin&quot; works&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1539" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-12-12T22:11:28.597" LastActivityDate="2013-12-12T22:11:28.597" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2502" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1269" CreationDate="2013-12-13T02:13:10.990" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;After spending years in Martial Arts , somethings get clearer to you. First of all , I am in MA for 12 years in distinct disciplines like Kick Boxing , Ninjutsu , Wing Tsun and BJJ. I am happy to combine these and Kali/Escrima. For those years , I took many blows during both training and competitions. Still taking. But in real-life , I have never been a tempered man. It is really really hard to drag me to a fight. Because , I accept the fact that , If I start fighting , I can die or I can kill. So if I am going to fight on street , it must be for a reason worth killing and dying. When I get angry to a person , I always imagine we fought and accidentally I killed him or broke his limb. He might loose a leg or arm/hand forever if i break it badly. I concentrate on aftermath. Do I feel guilty ? Was there any other option ? Did my ego cause this?&#xA;As a Muslim , when i die , i will be questioned for killing this guy. Do i have an ultimate reason? If i had another option and not taken it , how am i going to explain why i didn't? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you think that way , you will never take that dangerous path to home. You will never fight with a person because he talked you badly or insulted you. I am a strict Kant moralist (Immanuel Kant). Results are not important for me. Intentions are. If there is even a slightest chance that I might kill someone during a fight , that means I took that risk by starting a fight. Taking that risk , means responsibility. The degree of necessity is the distinction between me and a murderer. So if the trouble found me and I have nowhere to escape , I fight with all I got. This is also an important key to win fights. If you fight for weak reasons , you will be weak. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mostly, your ego puts you into a fight. A guy says something , you don't back off. Because your ego dictates you. Even if you are the right side , saying okay and backing off won't change anything for you or for rest of the world. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And all these ideas tend to shape with your training. More training means more sense of responsibility for a person who is conscious. Of course if you don't have a teacher who trains you like an attack dog rather than a human being. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1532" LastActivityDate="2013-12-13T02:13:10.990" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2503" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2504" CreationDate="2013-12-13T13:11:29.390" Score="7" ViewCount="1546" Body="&lt;p&gt;My question relates to the origins of Shorinji Kempo and its related arts.  I'd like to gain a better understanding of where it came from. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Part A: What styles did Doshin So train in while in China?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Part B: What Japanese styles did Doshin So train?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Part C: Is Shorinji Kempo a five animal style?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2018-02-09T12:26:28.300" Title="Origins of Shorinji Kempo" Tags="|kempo|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2504" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2503" CreationDate="2013-12-15T02:04:58.723" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Shorinji Kempo (少林寺拳法) literally translates to &lt;em&gt;Shaolin Temple martial arts&lt;/em&gt;; however, contrary to what English wikipedia page suggests, it has nothing to do with Shaolin Kunfu (少林功夫).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact that &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doshin_So&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;So Doshin (宗道臣)&lt;/a&gt;, born Nakano Michio (中野理男), fabricated the origin of Shorinji Kempo is a public secret. There has been various sources pointing out inconsistencies of Nakano's writings. It is likely true that Nakano did go to Manchuria and China during the Pacific War. The book 'Hiden Shorinji Kempo' (秘伝少林寺拳法) describes how he met Chen Lian (陳良) and Wen Taizong (文太宗), but his first wife has apparently testified that they were neighboring grocers. The style he claimed to have learned is Yihe quan (义和拳).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also in the book, Nakano claims that in 1936 he has gone to Shaolin Temple with Wen was given masterhood of Yihe quan in front of Abbot Shi Henglin (释恒林). Even though Nakano's martial art is not Shaolin style, that still sounds interesting if it were true. The problem is that the famous Abbot Henglin had died in 1923.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a likely historical account. In 1948, Nakano joined Hakkoryu (八光流) a style of Jujutsu. He started his own school in 1949 named Nihon Hokuha Kempo Kai. A novel was published in 1950 mentioning Shaolin style martial arts where he could have learned about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In 1951, Nakano started Sohonzan Shorinji, Religious Corp (宗教法人総本山少林寺). In 1963, Nakano publishes 'Hiden Shorinji Kempo' claiming to be the only heir of Shaolin quan sifu in Japan, and soon afterwards the number of students increases dramatically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In 1973 Shorinji Kempo sues Fudozen Shorinji Kempo (不動禅少林寺拳法) in Osaka based on 'Unfair Competition Prevention Act' (trademark infringement). The case, known as &lt;a href=&quot;http://husei.hanrei.jp/hanrei/uc/5143.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;昭和48年（ワ）1491号&lt;/a&gt;, was rejected by Supreme Court, and ended up exposing Nakano and Shorinji Kempo as a fraud. One of the inconsistencies pointed out was Neijia quan (&quot;internal&quot; quan) like Yihe quan would not have lineage along &quot;external&quot; quan Shaolin quan. When Nakano took the witness stand, it was pointed out that the passage that describes Shaolin Temple in 'Hiden Shorinji Kempo' book was a ripoff from another book 嵩山旅行記 (Song Shan Travels) by Masuda Kisaburo (増田亀三郎). On the stands, he was not able to produce any credible description of the place or a person who might remember him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After Nakano's death in 1980, his daughter So Yuki (宗由貴) takes over as the president. In 1993, Shorinji Kempo settles with Fudozen Shorinji Kempo by paying them 70 million yen (~USD 678k) in exchange for forcing Fudozen to rename to Shorinjiryu Kempo (少林寺流拳法). Afterwards, Shorinji Kempo has stopped claiming to have any Chinese martial arts origin. So Yuki even appeared in a tv show Trivia No Izumi (トリビアの泉) admitting that Shorinji Kempo was invented in Kagawa (香川県) in Japan, not China, and that there's no relationship whatsoever to Shaolin Temple (&lt;a href=&quot;http://marukado.net/syoNEWS.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Japanese transcript&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1538" LastEditorUserId="1538" LastEditDate="2013-12-16T22:10:28.467" LastActivityDate="2013-12-16T22:10:28.467" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2508" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-12-16T10:09:54.890" Score="8" ViewCount="572" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are the main differences between gi and nogi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user810" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-03-05T07:48:23.303" LastActivityDate="2020-03-25T21:09:40.653" Title="What are the main differences between gi and nogi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|gi|uniform|no-gi|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2509" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2508" CreationDate="2013-12-16T11:33:52.180" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Brazilian jiu-jitsu with a gi you wear the funny Asian pajamas. In no-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu you wear shorts and usually a t-shirt or rash-guard top. You can grab onto the funny pajamas but you can't grab onto any clothes in no-gi. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The gi absorbs sweat, adds friction, and provides a wide variety of grips to choke, throw, and control from. Often the rules in no-gi are more permissive, particularly with regards to leg locks. Brazilian jiu-jitsu with the gi has more carry-over from judo. Without the gi there is more carry-over from modern and Catch wrestling. Wearing the gi is more traditional. Playing without the gi has more applicability to mixed martial arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both are applicable to self-defense. Both are valid jiu-jitsu. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2013-12-16T13:39:09.193" LastActivityDate="2013-12-16T13:39:09.193" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2510" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1679" CreationDate="2013-12-16T15:43:41.340" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe that by changing the style, it helps to improve self defense as  well as stamina. It helps in self defense as it simulate a real fight. It also helps in stamina as the fight is continuous. Therefore,I believe that taekwondo  is not always focused on brute strength but also helps in thinking fast to either wear down their opponent or to be on the offensive :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1546" LastActivityDate="2013-12-16T15:43:41.340" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2511" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2402" CreationDate="2013-12-16T18:04:53.003" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Make sure you are actually landing the kick with your shin and not your instep, even when wearing protection.  This technique done poorly without instep protection can damage your foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I lost nearly half a year of training after one match of a dozen sloppy kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1547" LastEditorUserId="1547" LastEditDate="2013-12-16T23:24:42.050" LastActivityDate="2013-12-16T23:24:42.050" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2512" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1366" CreationDate="2013-12-17T00:11:15.263" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a well circulated myth that is related to the features of the northern and southern sections of China. The south tends to be hotter, muggier, and wetter. Conversely, the north is dryer and more rocky. Thus the southern systems don't use large movements from the legs because even if you can jump out of a patch of mud up to or above your ankles (think rice patties), your landing will most likely be uncertain and slippery. Southern styles tend to focus on hands and sure-fire stances because falling is a good way to get compromised.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1425" LastActivityDate="2013-12-17T00:11:15.263" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2517" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="383" CreationDate="2013-12-17T12:09:11.587" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Two hands in at all times no matter what and shrimp your way out. Don't push with your hands. The position is similar to the thai clinch. This has saved me from being subbed from black belts so many times!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1475" LastActivityDate="2013-12-17T12:09:11.587" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2518" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2519" CreationDate="2013-12-17T15:06:51.770" Score="6" ViewCount="321" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm quite fit and no stranger to sports, cardio or weight training but I'm not the most flexible.  So I gave &lt;a href=&quot;/questions/tagged/capoeira&quot; class=&quot;post-tag&quot; title=&quot;show questions tagged &amp;#39;capoeira&amp;#39;&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;capoeira&lt;/a&gt; a little try, just the basics.  Ginga and some basic Esquiva.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing is I feel a little uncomfortable, a little strain in my PCL when just performing a Ginga and a little more during lower Esquiva.  I know this is probably due to bad technique and perhaps a little to do with my slightly lower flexibility but is there anything I can do to make sure my form isn't going to cause a PCL injury while I'm getting my form up to speed?&#xA; Also, is this normal?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1551" LastActivityDate="2013-12-17T15:31:00.810" Title="How to avoid Capoeira PCL strain" Tags="|injury|capoeira|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2519" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2518" CreationDate="2013-12-17T15:31:00.810" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let me preface by saying that without seeing your movement, it's hard to say what you're doing wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, assuming that you're doing the movements with a close approximation of &quot;the right way&quot;, it probably boils down to flexibility.  I would just work on Ginga and maybe Esquiva for a while, throwing in some dynamic stretching kicks (try to kick your forehead with a straight leg).  Dynamic stretching is better for improving flexibility than static stretching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't give you technical pointers without a better description (preferably video) of your technique.  But, generally speaking, when first starting out, people tend to lean back when their foot goes back in the Ginga.  The weight should stay forward.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take it slowly!  Capoeira movements &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; rely on momentum, but you don't have to use speed where no speed is required.  I'm saying this, because if you're going too fast, you may not have time to recognize potential injury before it's already happened.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can clarify any of the above vagueness, I'll edit my answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2013-12-17T15:31:00.810" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2520" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="875" CreationDate="2013-12-17T21:50:04.003" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am now studying TKD after many years of sparring open handed whilst learning Kung Fu. Tonight my sparring partner took exception to this non TKD technique. I obliged him with closed fist inner and outer blocks. I did not have the same level of control and of course this means striking bone against bone, rather than palm against bone.&#xA;The consequence is that we are both now nursing sore arms and shins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1552" LastActivityDate="2013-12-17T21:50:04.003" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2521" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2391" CreationDate="2013-12-18T15:05:30.327" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can't! There are lots of stupid videos out there that are run by money grabbing organisations. Can you play the guitar without picking up a guitar? No! So you need to get down to a gym and learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1475" LastActivityDate="2013-12-18T15:05:30.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2522" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2021" CreationDate="2013-12-18T15:08:22.213" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just roll, it's as simple as that. The more you do it the better!&#xA;Matt Thornton Head of SBG once said he holds an hour class of rolling where no one is allowed a rest or drink of water. I've been doing this for about a year, it has massively helped my endurance and my skills as I cannot rely on power or speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1475" LastActivityDate="2013-12-18T15:08:22.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2523" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1322" CreationDate="2013-12-18T15:12:17.187" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Elbow Knee escape&#xA;Roy dean has some great techniques for escaping the mount! check out his blue belt reqs dvd&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1475" LastActivityDate="2013-12-18T15:12:17.187" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2524" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="465" CreationDate="2013-12-18T15:15:24.293" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I like to sprawl my arms and body right out, this means when your partner cannot shift you as your body is sprawled all over him. Also make sure your feet are touching and not grape vining.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1475" LastActivityDate="2013-12-18T15:15:24.293" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2525" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2532" CreationDate="2013-12-18T16:30:02.550" Score="3" ViewCount="428" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am coaching a youth wrestling club, and one of the wrestlers has a three year background in Judo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the most importance points for a judoka transitioning to (folkstyle) wrestling?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know many of the differences such as the Gi (and grabbing), stance, the scoring system, the match format, and the goal. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="182" LastActivityDate="2013-12-20T06:49:40.420" Title="Teaching wrestling to a Judoka" Tags="|judo|wrestling|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2526" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2525" CreationDate="2013-12-18T17:01:37.903" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here's what I would start with, with some judo knowledge and close to no wrestling experience: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Standard kumikata (lapel and sleeve) roughly maps to over-unders or collar-and-elbow. This should help jump-start the porting of judo techniques to wrestling without a gi.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hip throws are quite similar. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There are rules differences that I'm not qualified to speak to on the wrestling side&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2013-12-18T17:01:37.903" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2527" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1366" CreationDate="2013-12-18T17:37:20.377" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The differences between northern and southern gung-fu mainly came about due to the climate differences between the two different regions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With the north being colder, kicking became more common since it's easier to kick for a longer period of time in a colder climate than a warmer one because kicking takes more energy and generates more body heat. Northerners are also taller so again, that is another reason for the propensity towards kicking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The south being warmer and with a higher annual rainfall, meant that that the ground is softer and so the southern gung-fu styles, which has low stances for stability and less kicking, along with lower kicks since it's harder to maintain your balance on softer and/or wet ground.  Southerns were generally shorter than northerners so this also meant that kicks were not as effective as a long range weapon as their taller northern counterparts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Diet also played a factor as the northerners are taller so that also led to them develop more kicking styles, and with the southerner being shorter, again, less kicking and more hand strikes because shorter legs meant that kicking was not as effective as a long range weapon than their taller northern counterparts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why gung-fu men that are known as kickers, are called northerners, while hands men are called southerners. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastActivityDate="2013-12-18T17:37:20.377" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2528" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="890" CreationDate="2013-12-18T19:02:13.470" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, of course. ALL kicks that are practiced in every other form of martial art, exist in the gung-fu family of arts somewhere. In the system that I learned, it has all kicks whether standing, jumping, spinning, ground kicks and more. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Though individual styles will be limited in kicks and/or punches and other strikes as that is simply part of what makes a style, as long as the fighting drills and discipline techniques are practiced as well, so effective. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In gung-fu, the round house kick, which is a karate name, is known as either a bow leg, or whirlwind kick. Various systems and styles will call it by others name too. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastActivityDate="2013-12-18T19:02:13.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2529" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="102" CreationDate="2013-12-18T19:19:27.853" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some techniques to improve balance include getting into a horse or front bow stance, slowly go through all of your kicks 10x, bringing the leg up to chamber, turning between 90-180 degrees slowly, extending your kick, turning back to the original position, then down to the original stance. Once you can do each kick up to 10x without losing your balance, you'll be set. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another technique is to practice your kicks outside in a yard with uneven grass, such as small mounds. If you master the above exercise, then go to an area with uneven grass, you'll find that you'll once again be losing your balance, though not as bad as if you didn't master the above exercise. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another way to make it even harder is to close your eyes while practicing the slow kicks because the eyes are a huge factor in your balance. once you close them, you'll increase the connection between the brain, inner ear and muscles and further improve balance even more. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Adding a light weight of 1-2 lbs to the kicking leg, but none to the standing leg, then practicing slow kicks will further increase your balance as it forces your standing leg and brain to adapt to uneven weight distribution. So once you can do that well with a weight on the kicking leg, you should have much more solid footing and thus, solid kicking without the weights. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, remember to keep your foot flat as many arts make the big mistake of going  up on the ball of the foot when kicking, especially the karate arts. This is very poor because you're losing all your rooting to the ground, which is where balance, stability and power come from. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastActivityDate="2013-12-18T19:19:27.853" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2530" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2498" CreationDate="2013-12-18T22:54:21.443" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sorry I'm not able to give a more academic answer to your question. As a former black belt in TKD and a bit of a martial arts history buff, I took an interest in this question myself at one point in my past. Here are my observations and thoughts on the matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo forms used to be entirely from Shotokan karate. This comes about because many Koreans who served in the Japanese military during the occupation of Korea returned to Korea after the occupation and brought with them their knowledge of Japanese martial arts. These early TKD forms were actually the same ones as Shotokan karate, just with Korean-ized names. So &quot;Bassai&quot; becomes &quot;Passai&quot;, &quot;Tekki&quot; becomes &quot;Chulgi&quot;, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not too long after Taekwondo was born, the founder (general Choi) decided that TKD needed its own, unique set of forms (under pressure to disassociate with anything Japanese). So he made them up. But he based them all on the original Shotokan karate forms. You'll see individual techniques up to a series of 3 or 4 movements strung together in each form that can be traced back to one of these Shotokan karate forms. They're often jokingly referred to by others as the &quot;blender forms&quot;. These earlier TKD forms demonstrate almost none of the kicking style that TKD is famous for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some TKD schools still practice the original Shotokan forms, usually in addition to the new forms. Other TKD groups created their own unique forms after parting ways with general Choi and forming their own brand of TKD. These TKD groups typically emphasize kicking and other aspects of Korean style that were lacking in the early TKD and original Shotokan karate forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for Taekyon, I think its influence on TKD is overemphasized by the Koreans who want to further distance themselves from Japanese karate and other styles. Was there direct transmission? Maybe, but in a very limited way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's hard knowing what the historical facts are, though. That's because during the Japanese occupation of Korea, much of Korean culture, especially martial arts, were suppressed or wiped out. The Koreans resented the Japanese for it, and many still do. As a result, there was and still is a good amount of historical revisionism taking place in Korea, downplaying Japanese influences on their culture and over-emphasizing or outright inventing links to their own cultural heritage prior to the Japanese occupation. That's from my observation anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So whatever you do, take everything with a grain of salt. And check the sources, twice. My advice to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2013-12-18T22:54:21.443" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2531" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1995" CreationDate="2013-12-19T23:30:34.150" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;To answer a part of your question, I am a 1st dan and I studied with Hiroshi Nakamura (who's a 9th dan) in Canada from the age of 8 until 21. At about age 16, I was beating him in randori regularly and he stopped sparring with me (to my knowledge, though, he was better than me on the ground when I quit).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Physical skills and competition prowess don't count for much when you're going for higher dan grades. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I received my black belt when I was 16. I never tried for my 2nd dan; I didn't need it to win competitions. I imagine if I had made my whole life about judo, I would've started going for a higher dan AFTER I quit competitions. So I would've gone for my 2nd in my late 30s. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taken from &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo_in_Canada&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Judo in Canada wikipage&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...an 'outstanding' candidate for godan (fifth dan), for example, can be promoted after five years in the previous grade, but a 'good' candidate would have to wait eight&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do the math. You will end up OLD by the time you reach 8th or 9th dan, even when you are an outstanding candidate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1526" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-10-29T18:37:04.433" LastActivityDate="2015-10-29T18:37:04.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2532" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2525" CreationDate="2013-12-20T06:49:40.420" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I studied judo and many other martial arts. I've never studied wrestling. Personally, I feel like it's perhaps less helpful to a new student to try to explain things in terms they understand already. It's usually best to approach it like they have absolutely no knowledge and start from there, just like you do with every student. Otherwise you assume they understand something, so you just gloss over it, when in fact they're pretty weak on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That means starting over from scratch and making sure your students know how and why each aspect is done the way it is before moving on to other things. If they have grappling experience already, it will make sense to them more quickly maybe than others who don't already know grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if your goal is to get them into wrestling quicker, don't worry. They have grappling knowledge already, and they'll probably take to it faster than average on their own without you having to map judo into wrestling for them. Let them figure it out. That's part of the fun for them. And just adjust the speed at which you feed them new info accordingly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're worried that they'll get bored or will feel like the material is a repeat of what they already know, don't worry about that. First of all, I know for a fact that wrestling is very different from judo in many ways. So it's not going to be a repeat of what they already know. Second, if you adjust the rate at which you teach them based on the rate at which they seem to be understanding things, they won't get bored. At some point (probably almost immediately), you will find that they will start seeing new material that they've never seen before in judo. So don't worry about that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After putting on a white belt in probably a dozen martial arts, I can tell you that it's almost detrimental in the long term to try to mentally equate techniques I already know with new ones I'm just learning. At some point, I usually find that the techniques differ enough that I have to go back to the beginning and re-learn the new material properly, without any of the baggage I already have. It ends up taking me much longer to learn the new material in the end.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2013-12-20T06:49:40.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2533" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2477" CreationDate="2013-12-20T07:17:17.840" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, I agree with Alan's answer that women are quite able to perform at a high level in gymnastics, so tricking is not a problem for them physically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And I agree with others that there are generally more men in martial arts than women, so that is a part of the explanation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then there's the fact that there really aren't many &quot;tricking&quot; classes offered, period. There are lots of gymnastics and cheerleading classes, however. In many cases, the only place you'll find tricking instruction is on youtube.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, gymnastics and cheerleading are culturally more social than tricking is. According to psychology and sociology, women emphasize relationships and being socially connected more than men do. Guys, on the other hand, care more about the action itself, how it makes them feel or look, rather than whether it also leads to forming closer bonds with their friends. And so since tricking typically doesn't have many people in the class, or even any class at all (just youtube videos), guys more than girls get interested in it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way ahead if tricking is to become more balanced between the two sexes is to make tricking instruction more available, more social, safer / more professional, and less seen as a martial arts activity and more like a &quot;performance&quot; activity similar to contemporary wushu kung-fu, gymnastics, or modern dance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2013-12-20T07:17:17.840" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2534" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2465" CreationDate="2013-12-20T08:00:45.023" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;The situation of TKD is very similar to that of Shotokan karate (and indeed since TKD comes mostly from Shotokan karate).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Shotokan, you will occasionally see some weapons being taught, such as the nunchaku, tonfa, sai, and sword. But those weapons aren't in Shotokan's syllabus. Each instructor had to learn them from someone who knows Okinawan or Japanese kobudo (classical martial arts).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's usually taught as supplemental material, not part of the official syllabus, depending on what your instructor happens to have gone out and learned on his/her own. Weapons could be part of the syllabus for that particular school only, but not all Shotokan schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And this is the same as what you'll find in TKD.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my old TKD school, my instructor was adamant that weapons had no place in his school. To him, TKD was for defense purposes only, and weapons were offensive (in both senses of the word). At least to him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I later learned that other instructors see it very differently. They might point out that in order to defend oneself well against someone armed with a weapon, you better be familiar with that weapon. So it behooves you to learn how to use weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, they point out that learning to control a weapon will magnify any weaknesses you have in your stance, strength, coordination, speed, timing, etc. All of that can benefit your empty-hand abilities as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, if you're trying to decide between two TKD schools, one with weapons and one without, I think the choice of schools should almost entirely depend on how good their actual TKD (empty hand) skills seem to be, rather than valuing weapons training particularly highly. But that's how I would value them. You may see it differently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, I've not found very good weapons instruction in TKD schools, I'm afraid. In fact, I'd say most are absolutely atrocious at it. My recommendation is to look around. See who's teaching what. Go to their classes and see for yourself what it looks like. There is a lot of good weapon instruction in many different martial arts. Such as: Okinawan kobudo, kung-fu, iaido / kenjitsu / kendo, Bujinkan ninjutsu, classical jujitsu (many have weapons), Filipino martial arts, or Silat. Have a look around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2013-12-20T08:00:45.023" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2535" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="465" CreationDate="2013-12-20T23:29:25.663" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;To be honest, if you want to learn how to maintain and attack from mount - you should be watching Roger Gracie videos on YouTube.  No one is better than Roger from that position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally feel watching competition videos is MUCH more valuable than watching instructionals.  You may want to watch instructionals to get a good base understanding of the position but nothing beats watching what the black belts do in actual competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you find yourself having a lot of troubles maintaining mount (maybe you are smaller), don't be afraid to give it up and go straight to knee on belly / side control.  You can then go back to mount and score even more points.  I do this when rolling with really large (mid section large) opponents where my knee's don't even touch the ground when mounted!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1528" LastActivityDate="2013-12-20T23:29:25.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2536" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="241" CreationDate="2013-12-22T19:33:48.030" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Go slower and lighter, at a pace when you're not flinching. That might mean tai ji quan speed. Then over the course of a few weeks, you'll get used to more and more speed and power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1561" LastActivityDate="2013-12-22T19:33:48.030" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2537" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="875" CreationDate="2013-12-24T13:35:10.933" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on my training, open handed blocks are acceptable and even encouraged, but these may be different then what you are thinking of. We use an open hand to push the blow aside by striking the side of the incoming fist, the wrist, or the forearm. This is certainly something which requires having built up a sense of timing, but it can be quite effective. The potential for injury would probably be in a mistimed block which causes the open hand to be hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1568" LastActivityDate="2013-12-24T13:35:10.933" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2538" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-12-24T15:45:11.167" Score="2" ViewCount="266" Body="&lt;p&gt;I remember that a few years ago, I watched a YouTube video about Qigong. In that video, there is a man who cannot be lifted easily by other people when he does not use Qigong force, but when he does use his Qigong force, somehow others cannot lift him easily anymore. I tried to search for that video again, but couldn't find it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, do you believe in what that man did in the video? If that is true, then Einstein theories needs to be modified, as people found a new force besides gravity and nuclear force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1570" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2013-12-27T22:51:31.073" LastActivityDate="2014-01-19T06:05:15.690" Title="Video of a person doing Qigong where somehow many others cannot lift him easily?" Tags="|tricks|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2539" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2013-12-24T22:26:15.633" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with dandellion, but I can't add a comment under his post (or upvote it) since I haven't built up enough reputation points yet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Berin says he (I'm assuming. please correct me if I'm wrong) that he doesn't want to practice an internal art. I would challenge this statement by saying that it's a more-than-effective martial art in terms of practicality, and it's easy on the joints. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My tai chi chuan teacher learned his art while serving in the military in the 1970s. He has studied his art to learn many applications over the years. I come from a karate background, and he's very good about explaining how a tai chi chuan application can fit in with what I already know in karate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find a tai chi chuan class, and avoid tai chi classes. &quot;Chuan&quot; adds the &quot;fist&quot; element - the martial application. Tai chi is usually reserved for health purposes only, while tai chi chuan combines both health and martial aspects. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, they are internal arts. But they shouldn't be mistaken for ineffective or useless. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1502" LastActivityDate="2013-12-24T22:26:15.633" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2540" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2013-12-25T02:58:34.643" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tai chi would typically be an ideal art for older people, but finding someone that really knows the martial aspects of the art today is darn near impossible. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any of the softer more internal martial arts of the gung-fu family would certainly work as there are special techniques in gung-fu known as handicapped fighting which is helpful for those with physical limitations. Some other internal arts include Ba-Kua, Hsing-Yi and Liu Ho Ba Fa. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dr. Yang Jwing Ming has some of the best, most complete books on martial arts available today. He has a number of books on Tai Chi from beginning to advanced, as well as books on the other internal martial arts styles mentioned above. He also has some very extensive and complete books on Chin-na (seizing and grappling art of gung-fu) and many other subjects such as breathing, meditation, internal energy cultivation and more. See a complete list of his books here; &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/Yang-Jwing-Ming/e/B000APA9LA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.amazon.com/Yang-Jwing-Ming/e/B000APA9LA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding your knees, strengthening them with a low horse stance can help to bring them back to life and give them greater endurance to handle the stress. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, get a product called TOPRICIN. It's an amazing homeopathic all natural cream that is amazing at reliving pain, but even more so, it's made to actually heal injuries, including crushing injuries, nerves, sciatica, trauma injuries to joints, muscles, nerves and bones. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I threw out my back six months ago while sneezing as a leaned over the sink, 3 times. It was originally injured 28 years ago in a motorcycle accident, but my gung-fu had mostly healed it. It would stiffen up if I stood or sat for too long and often bothered me when sleeping. It felt like someone slammed me in the back with a sledge hammer each time. I was walking with a cane for the first week and it was only slowly getting better a month later, even with using massage, chi-gung, acupressure and tiger balm. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Upon using this product, the next day my back was 60% better, as I could stand up almost normally and walk without the cane. 5 days later it was not only better, it was better than it had been in the past 28 years. I always had to be sure to lift anything heavy using my legs. Now, I can literally use my lower back to lift things and I could only do that before the accident when I was 18. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's been over six months and it hasn't bothered me since then, this stuff is like something from sci-fi in how well it heals. It has something like 4.75 stars in over 400 ratings on Amazon. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My friend Rob who has had a bad back threw it out when moving his heavy TV just a few months ago. He had to go to the chiropractor and spend $80 in two days which is money he can't spare. I told him about the product and he had the exact same result. The next day he was able to stand normally and within 5 days, his back was totally healed. I also told him to use it on his hip that was a bit arthritic and his knee that hurt him ever since he broke his ankle 20 years prior.. it healed them all in just a few days and they haven't bothered him in months. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'm sure this product will do a lot to for your knees, if not heal it almost totally. It's surely worth giving it a try as a small two ounce tube is only about $14 and it has no smell, is not greasy and works amazingly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastEditorUserId="1486" LastEditDate="2013-12-30T09:38:45.937" LastActivityDate="2013-12-30T09:38:45.937" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2541" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2543" CreationDate="2013-12-25T15:26:50.707" Score="4" ViewCount="9883" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've recently bought a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.kungfudirect.com/prodimages/TDS/Dao/9-hooksword-b.jpg&quot;&gt;9 hook broadsword&lt;/a&gt; from an online martial arts store. I bought it mainly for decoration, but as an ex kung fu practioner and a general sword enthusiast I want to know how it is meant to be used, and preferably try out a few techniques myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I thusly went ahead and searched for an answer, but unfortunately it seems that the references to this weapon are scarce; except for one or two more stores which sell the weapon I didn't find any reference to it even existing at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why I came here. I wonder if this is a weapon that's existed historically, and if there are any references to its use if it is? Also, if it is a historical weapon but there are no real manuals on how to use it, could it be assumed that it was used similarly to a 9 ring broadsword?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1224" LastActivityDate="2018-04-25T13:30:01.927" Title="The use and historical authenticity of a 9 hook broadsword" Tags="|kung-fu|sword|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2542" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2013-12-26T07:41:20.413" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In general, yes.. but you have to do fairly specific exercises to have it truly be useful. If you are doing a general body workout consisting of exercises such as bench and shoulder press, tricep and bicep exercises, abdominal, several different squat, leg extension and leg bicep exercises, overall you will gain some decent strength and some extra power, but also it will help protect your muscles, tendons and bones from further injury, especially if you are practicing wrestling, grappling or ground fighting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We use weighs in gung-fu, but they are used in a very specific non traditional manner. When I was teaching my oldest brother that was a fairly serious natural body builder that would regularly bench press 280 several times a week and did this for over 10 years, along with squatting 350lb, a hundred push ups, etc.. he was always shocked at anytime we ended up grappling, I would either toss him around with relative ease or, when he would try to use brute strength to get out of various locks, he simply could not overpower his way out of it at all. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After getting real pissed one time that I was that much stronger and struggling for all he was worth, and getting exhausted after about 40 seconds he asked &quot;how the hell are you so much stronger than me!!?&quot; I simply told him &quot;Ancient Chinese secrets&quot; ha. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Point is that while he was working out with heavy weights all those years and even doing push up, I was using NO weights at all and simply doing specific gung-fu exercises and training for punching power, including internal power, and something called discipline techniques all of which involve no weights at all. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But for those that don't know these techniques, which almost no arts do, then using light weight training  up to about 30lb weights can given you some good basic strength, certainly much more than someone that does no such training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if you are looking to increase something like punching power, then you have to do other exercises such as high reps of said punches with light weights. This is the basic method that Bruce Lee used to get killing striking power. He would practice 2000 punches per day each arm with light weights and 1000 kicks per day. When you are working with those numbers, you don't need to do any other exercises for strength and power as you will be far stronger than anyone else and have seriously damaging power in time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In gung-fu, the most dangerous and most powerful Masters were always those that looked the frailest and were the skinniest or smallest, because real strength and power doesn't actually come from the muscles persae, but from the tendons and chi strength. Yes the muscles are involved to a degree, but only a minimum degree to be able to move of course, but it's the tendons at the end of the muscles, supported by chi, is what gives you true power, as well as greater strength too. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hard chi-gung exercise such as those from the Hong-gar system, of which I have a couple of videos on Youtube about this, give some good exercises and techniques to develop some true power and strength, which the Hong system is famous for. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you supplement these types of exercises with some light weight training, especially tendon strengthening which involves static holding exercises, will help you be stronger and more powerful than most other practitioners out there. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastActivityDate="2013-12-26T07:41:20.413" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2543" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2541" CreationDate="2013-12-26T12:49:52.420" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have any references, only anecdotes from instructors I've trained with, so please do not mistake this as historically accurate information.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The picture you show appears to be a variation on the 9 Ring Broadsword.  This is supposed to have been a training weapon.  The 9 Rings on the back of the blade provide a sound that assists the student in knowing the quality of the strike.  When slashing, the rings should click together &lt;strong&gt;consecutively&lt;/strong&gt; with 9 distinct clicks, one after the other.  When thrusting, all the rings should click at the same time, ensuring a powerful thrust.  The added benefit of distracting the opponent should be apparent.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you've noted, the weapon is similar to the 9 Ring Broadsword, and I think it should be treated as a variation of the same.  My guess is that you'll get more hits on 9 &lt;strong&gt;Ring&lt;/strong&gt; Broadsword than 9 Hook Broadsword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2013-12-26T12:57:59.407" LastActivityDate="2013-12-26T12:57:59.407" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2544" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-12-26T13:33:27.510" Score="2" ViewCount="227" Body="&lt;p&gt;Trying to remember the name of a kempo style I did as a child.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It had the 7 star blocking pattern as a white belt sequence.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It was a five animal (tiger, leopard, crane, snake, dragon) style.  Each animal was associated with a range of belts.  For example, tiger was associated with white through (i believe) orange.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;One of the yellow belt sequences was &quot;Tiger Vs. The Clock&quot;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The salute involved raising the hands above the head and forming a triangle with the forefingers and thumb.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It was, in fact, spelled Kempo rather than Kenpo.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think it was Villari's Shaolin Kempo Karate.  This is for a couple of reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I don't think Karate was in the name of the style (could be wrong)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Nor do I think Shaolin was in the name of the style (could be wrong), though pains were taken to associate the origin of the style with the Shaolin temple.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I am fairly certain the name Villari was not in the name of the style, nor was it ever mentioned.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm hoping that the above bullet points will help someone who has practiced the style to identify it based on the content of the curriculum.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2013-12-26T15:21:00.127" LastActivityDate="2015-01-28T18:34:48.427" Title="Name That Kempo Style" Tags="|style|kempo|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2545" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2546" CreationDate="2013-12-26T19:35:16.373" Score="8" ViewCount="781" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am thinking of starting practicing HEMA (historical European martial arts), and so I am about to buy a sword to practice with. After looking around a bit I've become curious about how heavy a weapon I should buy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like working hard, really taking myself out when practicing martial arts, so with regard to that I can't see any real problem with using a heavier sword. I have however heard from multiple sources that generally it's better to start out with a lighter weapon, and then move on to heavier weapons once you're proficient with the techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can see how the techniques might be harder to perform accurately with speed when using a heavier weapon, as it gains more momentum etc. At the same time I know that, in order to be able to learn the techniques properly at all, I need to start out slow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I came here to ask if what I've heard is true? Is it better to start out with a lighter weapon, or is it just a matter of preference?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1224" LastEditorUserId="1224" LastEditDate="2013-12-31T08:53:17.803" LastActivityDate="2014-08-23T03:50:11.970" Title="Is it better to start out with a light weapon?" Tags="|weapons|safety|sword|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2546" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2545" CreationDate="2013-12-27T06:26:04.880" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;In general yes, it's better to start out with a light weapon as you have to learn the forms and techniques first, without being concerned about injuring yourself with a heavy or real weapon. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Usually you would learn the techniques with a wooden version of the weapon while at the same time learning how to strengthen the arms, wrist and fingers in style and weapon specific ways to greatly increase control, power and proficiency. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember, it's always best to train slow and smart, not fast and reckless. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastActivityDate="2013-12-27T06:26:04.880" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2547" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2538" CreationDate="2013-12-27T13:10:24.610" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I guess you mean something like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ9InzTLNjs&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GkeCTS2Zok&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;.&#xA;There are other examples like this on youtube.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It has nothing to do with Qiqong or Chi, but with the timing, focus and mindset of the people who are trying to lift. The trick is called &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/05/27/2257305.htm&quot;&gt;Finger lift&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_as_a_feather,_stiff_as_a_board&quot;&gt;Light as a feather, stiff as a board trick&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The explanation is that the first time around people don't believe they can lift someone with just 2 fingers and their effort is not very coordinated. At the second attempt the people are more focused, believe they can do it and start lifting all at the same time, which makes it easier.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastActivityDate="2013-12-27T13:10:24.610" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2548" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-12-28T05:56:19.200" Score="5" ViewCount="2066" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 25 YO female and I am struggling with injuries and poor posture due to muscle imbalance - relatively weaker posterior chain. I used to train in Taekwondo many years back, then got sedentary and now I have been doing some strength and endurance work with weights since a year.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a feeling that my already overdeveloped quads and the muscles in upper body responsible for pushing action got emphasized in my flawed weight routine and led me to injury now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I want to be sure about it. Does taekwondo training by itself cause quad-hamstring and chest-upper back strength imbalance? If so, do instructors make you do exercises to overcome the imbalance or is the onus on the student?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My classes happened many years back and I don't recall any postural issue back then. Want to get back to it after my injuries heal but I also want to be informed on this matter to avoid further injuries...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1433" LastActivityDate="2013-12-31T04:36:45.467" Title="Taekwondo and muscle imbalance" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|injury|strength|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2549" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2548" CreationDate="2013-12-28T10:00:31.423" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, always be cautious when taking medical advice from the Internet. It's best to consult a doctor or physiotherapist before taking any actions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any training where you train one particular muscle group may cause a muscle imbalance. That is why a good instructor will let you train various muscle groups. I'm no Taekwondo expert, but I don't think that Taekwondo training by itself causes muscle strength imbalance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, not all people are the same and it's possible that some muscle groups in a person have always been underdeveloped. If such a person starts training, this can cause pain or injuries quickly, especially when doing too much too fast.&#xA;So always start slowly, talk to your instructor about your (former) injuries and if you are not sure or comfortable with the exercises consult a doctor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastActivityDate="2013-12-28T10:00:31.423" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2550" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="759" CreationDate="2013-12-29T03:03:36.993" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The current obsession over lineage is no different from what's happening in the rest of the world and culture regarding credentials, credentials, credential, in the workplace, where they all want you to have either a certificate or a degree even though in the majority of cases, such &quot;certifications&quot; have almost no correlations with work ethic, actual troubleshooting skills or how well one actually does the job. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have had to teach everyone that was brought on a job with their degree's or certifications numerous things about how to troubleshoot networks, routers, switches, computers, how to think logically, critically and technically, even though I've only taken classes and learned most of what I know from actually fixing said equipment. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same is also very much true for the obsession only lineage in the martial arts. I have advertised to teach in the past online and most of the questions I got were regarding lineage. Part of my advertizing was emphasizing that if you wanted to really learn how to fight using real gung-fu, not just forms galore with no real world fighting applications, then contact me to learn more. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But despite that, almost all of them were still more concerned with my specific linage and could I prove it, getting various ranks and how often I gave advancement tests, etc.. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I went back and forth with several of these potential students and ultimately almost all of them never bothered because, as usual with the entire culture today, they were more interested in getting a type of &quot;college course in Gung-fu&quot; rather than actually learning how to really fight, to work hard at improving themselves, gaining power, strength, physical, mental and spiritual skills that would vastly improve their health, strength, speed, endurance, toughness, longevity and more. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why I''ve had very few students overall, because most either do not want to work hard at all, don't care if they can ACTUALLY fight, as long as they FEEL they can fight and are more concerned with bragging to others about the lineage of their master or school than the skills they've obtained. To me this is utterly ridiculous, insane and waste of time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was taught privately by my first teacher who did learn directly from an Grandmaster that is now over 110 years old who was one of the last true students from the southern Shaolin Temple that was destroyed in 1928. So the &quot;lineage&quot; is about as authentic as you can get, but because I don't have some official looking document claiming that my teacher, or his teacher was granted the &quot;authority&quot; to teach or holds the official teachings, many people simply didn't want to bother even meeting and seeing what I can really do. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Several even said that they don't care how fast, strong, powerful, skilled or how much knowledge I actually have, if I can't prove lineage they didn't want to &quot;waste their time or money&quot;. I simply said to this person &quot;Then you are not really interested in true gung-fu, being an heir to that true knowledge, working hard to gain true skills or learning an amazingly powerful and effective art that can save your life in countless ways and improve your life on every level, so we're obviously not right for each other as I'm not interested in teaching people that are only concerned with the vanity of having some pointless certificates or bragging rights to some lineage that can't be proven either way. I could just as easily fake up some &quot;official&quot; looking document and claim it was from my teacher or the Grandmaster of the system and unless you went and spoke to the Grandmaster, you wouldn't have a clue. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So as I'm sure you can gather from my response, lineage has little to nothing to do with trustworthiness or credibility, nor with the skill of a teacher, his character, attitude, how good a teacher he is, the knowledge he or she possesses, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastActivityDate="2013-12-29T03:03:36.993" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2551" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2548" CreationDate="2013-12-29T03:31:52.633" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This in why symmetry is exercising is so important, but another factor that most people don't know about and which even martial arts schools that teach it, don't emphasize it's importance enough, is that of tendon strength. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is achieved through practicing your stances in a low position such as horse stance, front bow stances and other holding exercises. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using weights once or twice a week is good, but also working with natural body weight exercises with and without resistance is also vital as you will gain more true strength and power, especially striking power, as well as the strength that improves balance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practicing your stances for at least 5 minutes a day on each side in the case of stances with uneven weight distribution and lowering your the amount of weight you are using, along with holding your weights for at least 5 seconds at the end of each set will increase your tendon strength, which equals greater joint strength and increase your balance &amp;amp; control. Also, make sure to balance exercises that you do for the front of the body, such as push ups or the bench press, with exercises for the back such as bent over rowing and reverse flys and others that work the back muscles, will help prevent any imbalances from occurring &amp;amp; give you the kind of strength that increases balance and control at the same time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The primary exercises for developing the posterior chain are the Olympic lifts, squat, good-mornings,[Bent over rows] dead lifts and hyper-extension; the common denominator among these movements is an emphasis on hip extension&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Same of course goes for the quads and the leg bicep muscles, abs and back exercises, as well as making sure to stretch several times as week as resistance exercises of course tighten up the muscles and stretching helps to keep them elongated, prevents injuries and helps open up the energy pathways to allow for greater energy flow. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastEditorUserId="1486" LastEditDate="2013-12-31T04:36:45.467" LastActivityDate="2013-12-31T04:36:45.467" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2552" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2391" CreationDate="2013-12-29T05:54:05.713" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As the consensus has already stated, you can't learn on your own, at least not in the beginning. There are just too many things that you need someone to actually show you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have several years under your belt, typically about 5 solid years of learning, depending on the art 2 of 3 can suffice, then you can begin to learn from instructional videos, books and even good martial arts movies, because you'll already have a solid foundation and be able to simply incorporate new techniques into your fighting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But without that solid foundation that only comes from being taught in person by a good teacher that can you show you your errors, put you in the right positions for blocks, stances, kicks, strikes, grappling, escape techniques and to help you to get the FEEL of a technique, something that can never be learned from a book or video, you will simply not get much of anywhere and you will waste years of time, years of effort and probably a lot of money trying to do things on your own as you won't even know what videos or books to get that are or are not good, even if you could learn from those alone. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastEditorUserId="1486" LastEditDate="2013-12-29T21:20:47.697" LastActivityDate="2013-12-29T21:20:47.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2553" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2576" CreationDate="2013-12-29T05:59:05.157" Score="15" ViewCount="43453" Body="&lt;p&gt;What's the reasoning behind checking kicks? Is it true that it's supposed to hurt the kicker when his kicks are checked? The third law of motion dictates that both the kicker and the checker should receive the same amount of force and assuming that the two have the same pain threshold, they should feel the same right? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that is so, the advantage I can see in checking a kick as opposed to receiving it to the thigh is it reduces the force of the kick (if the checking leg is allowed to move to damp the kick) and it directs the force to somewhere one would feel less pain (the shin). I'm not saying that these aren't enough reasons for me to do them, but are there other benefits to checking kicks? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, a very famous MMA fighter just broke his leg after his kick got checked (the leg really snapped). I'm guessing that this famous MMA fighter just got brittler bones than his opponent, but is there any other reason as to why the leg would snap? Another guess is that the part of the kicker's shin that hit the opponent's is somewhere more at the bottom part of the shin which I believe is more thinner than the middle or upper part of the opponent's shin where it hit. Any insight on this would help me understand the technique better. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1574" LastEditorDisplayName="user898" LastEditDate="2014-01-29T17:00:15.683" LastActivityDate="2021-07-13T02:16:09.887" Title="What's the physics behind checking kicks?" Tags="|technique|kicking|kickboxing|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2555" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2559" CreationDate="2013-12-29T14:32:11.203" Score="11" ViewCount="22491" Body="&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2545/is-it-better-to-start-out-with-a-light-weapon&quot;&gt;a previous question&lt;/a&gt; I asked whether it is better to start out with a light weapon, and then move on to a heavier one. I got the answer that yes, it's better to start with a lighter one and strengthen arms, wrists and fingers while practicing with said light weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, my question now is quite simply a follow up to my previous question: Are there any exercises that are generally good for strengthening arms, wrists and fingers with the intent of sword use?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1224" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-08-24T06:58:41.670" Title="Exercises for strengthening arms, wrists and fingers with the intent of sword use" Tags="|training|weapons|self-training|sword|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2556" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2553" CreationDate="2013-12-29T15:17:38.873" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think that the reason that the checker receives less pain than the kicker is because of what part of the shin the checker uses to block the kick. The checker uses the upper part of the shin, close to the knee. The kicker uses the lower part of the shin, close to the foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Due to the great thickness (or density, I'm not sure) of the upper shin, I think that the force is distributed into a larger and thicker area, thereby dissipating the total 'shock' on the body. I think it would be the same principle as two people hitting each others fists while wearing gauntlets. If one person has a ticket gauntlet, I think that they would likely feel less pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I really wish I knew more physics to provide a more useful answer. I think the most useful part of my post is:&#xA;- The Kicker kicks with the lower shin.&#xA;- The Checker blocks with the upper shin, which is thicker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1576" LastActivityDate="2013-12-29T15:17:38.873" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2557" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2545" CreationDate="2013-12-30T02:06:38.323" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Umm, not an expert but a few castles and armoury museums I've been to the medieval training swords were heavy (compared to the dao, jian, katana and other training weapons I've used).  I suggest you try asking on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thearma.org/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.thearma.org/&lt;/a&gt;   and if that doesn't help &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aemma.org/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.aemma.org/&lt;/a&gt;  (with sound turned off FFS) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="689" LastActivityDate="2013-12-30T02:06:38.323" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2558" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2555" CreationDate="2013-12-30T02:14:29.323" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I checked Guy Windsor (which I should have done first) and found this: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.swordschool.com/wiki/index.php/Conditioning&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;conditioning exercises&lt;/a&gt;  If the link expires google &amp;quot;guy windsor conditioning&amp;quot;. He's well known in the sword world and I know people who've worked with his students.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;More directly to the OP he has this on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.swordschool.com/wiki/index.php/Wrist_and_Forearm_Exercises&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;wrist and forearm conditioning&lt;/a&gt; I'm sure he won't mind me copying this as he's a very open guy who provides a lot of free resources.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stick exercises:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;open-close: hold stick horizontally by the middle in both hands at arms length; open and close hands grabbing further out each time, and back to the middle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;alternating open close: hold stick horizontally by the middle in both hands, one palm up, one palm down, at arms length; open and close hands grabbing further out each time, turning palm up or down; and back to the middle same way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;feed stick: hold it by middle with hand down by hip; feed stick back intil holding the end, swing it through and repeat. 10 times each hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;prima-quarta: hold stick by one end with hand down by hip: lift to prima, down through seconda, into chest and extend to quarta, and back the same way to prima. Repeat 10 times each hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;stick turning squats: spin stick above head, follow it down to complete turning squat; reverse stick, rise and squat other way, repeat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Weight exercises (with 1-5kg weights):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wrist rolls: palm up, into the chest, out palm down, repeat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wrist turns: thumb up, thumb in, repeat&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;roll-up roll-down. Weight on a string attached to a stick; elbows locked into body, forearms horizontal. Roll weight up and down, both ways (so rolling palm forward, or back of the hand back)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;wings: weights together behind back; lift slowly until weights touch above head, return slowly to behind back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;small wings: open stance, lean forwards until back straight but horizontal. Arms out straight to the sides; bring weights together beneath chest, open out as high as you can, repeat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;longa: posta longa unarmed, weight in each hand: volta stabile each side, slowly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My previous answer below.&#xA;Yes a heavier sword.  I've tried some training swords at places like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.royalarmouries.org/leeds/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Leeds armoury&lt;/a&gt; and they're a dead weight but it's like a boxer switching between a heavy punch-bag and a speed-ball.  use the heavy one to build your muscles and the lighter one to build your skill&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="689" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-08-24T06:58:41.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2559" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2555" CreationDate="2013-12-30T07:22:48.713" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;It all comes back to the question: What are you trying to do? If you're training in sword fighting, then use a sword. Just repeat the same sword cut over and over again. Try to go as fast as you can without losing accuracy. Repeat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some amount of time, your forearms will tire. When they tire so much that either you're starting to slow down or you're starting to see your accuracy decline, that is time to end practice and/or move on to something else. Come back in two days when your forearms have recovered. Don't come back the next day, because it's not enough time to recover, and you need to be recovered in order to improve both your strength and your form. You always want to train fresh, or else you're training poor movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's an improvement over the traditional method, which just has you repeat something until your arms feel like they're dead. You don't improve as quickly that way. You always need to be fresh, or else you're going to drill into your mind / body an incorrect and inaccurate way of performing the technique. Sword training requires a high level of accuracy. You must keep your mind focused. Don't let yourself get sloppy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your goal is to make as forceful a strike as possible with your sword, that is another thing altogether.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First of all, strength isn't what you should be targeting. You can be strong and slow. You don't want that. You want speed and accuracy primarily, with strength secondary. Also, strength with speed equals power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might reason that adding a weight to the end of your sword or simply making sword heavier is the way to go. It is not. Think about it. What does that achieve? Sure, it makes you use your muscles more, and that could make certain aspects of your sword technique stronger. But it results in muscle imbalances when you go to use your sword without weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why is that? Because, gravity is a force that always acts downwards. But what you really want is a force that opposes your sword cut in whatever direction you happen to be cutting. So for when you're slashing the sword left to right, you want a force to push against your sword from right to left. And vice-versa. Simply adding weight will just increase downward force instead. And so the muscles on your arm, shoulders, back, traps, etc. will merely work harder to keep your sword up, rather than trying to increase strength in the direction of the sword cut.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's not ideal, and it will only lead to imbalances of strength. The muscles that hold a sword up are different from the ones that pull the sword through a lateral slash.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There really aren't many sword cuts that will be directly improved by merely adding weight to the sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A better way to train is use some kind of a pulley system, attaching a rope to the end of the sword, and the other end of the rope attached to weights through a pulley. Then complete the slash so that the rope is constantly pulling against your sword in the direction that it is slashing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that's kind of hard to setup properly, since you're talking about multiple pivot points and a high level of complexity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, get rid of the sword altogether. Just grab the rope in your hands and perform the sword cut motion in such a way that it feels like the rope is pulling against you continuously throughout the cut.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For lateral sword cuts, you'll work the obliques a lot this way. In fact, a lot of sword technique requires a strong torso. You can work obliques and the &quot;core&quot; part of your body using other exercises as well. But the rope pull is a great way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For overhead straight down sword cuts, get right under the pulley and pull down. This is actually a pretty standard weightlifting exercise called, oddly enough, the &quot;pull down&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it seems like the resistance is good for only 1/2 the sword cut, that's because the rope can't change its angle as you're changing your angle. That's a limit to this kind of equipment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So to get around that, you want to just perform that part of the movement that the rope / pulley system can resist against uniformly and continuously. Stop the movement when it begins to get off track. And just train that part of the movement over and over again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then isolate the remaining part(s) of the sword cut movement, and practice that/those separately with some other configuration of the rope / pulley system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also try bungee cord or rubber bands for resistance. My only problem with them is that they're hard to position properly and safely, and they only give you a fixed amount of force. In other words, you can't add weight to them as you get stronger. But maybe you don't need to add weight. It depends on what you're trying to get out of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other thing. Before you start doing any of these kinds of rope / pulley exercises, you should consult a personal trainer in a weightlifting gym that's equipped with rope / pulley machines. You want them to show you the proper form, so that you don't injure yourself or develop bad habits. You can even tell him what you're trying to do with the sword cuts, and see what he says. He might not know a thing about martial arts, but he does know proper movement. And that can really help you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, a lot of the sword fighters of the past used to practice sword cuts using a short wooden staff (hanbo or boken). They would practice the sword cut using the staff against a hard object, like a tree or a wooden post wrapped in rope or something. This is a less optimal and less direct way of improving power (strength + speed). It makes the sword cut feel light and easy until you hit the target hard, and then you suddenly have a huge load on your muscles. That works sub-optimally, because it's actually a kind of isometric exercise. Isometric exercises are different from dynamic exercises like I described with the rope and pulley. They have different benefits, but dynamic is superior for sword cuts, in my opinion, because it gives you resistance throughout the entire cut rather than just at the end. And this method of hitting a rigid object can lead to injury pretty easily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, hope that helps. Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;EDIT:&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just to clarify, what I'm saying is that whenever you actually use the sword to practice sword cuts, make sure your primary goal is accuracy - accurate to the form. You want to go as fast and strong as possible (as powerful as possible), but without sacrificing one bit of your form. Your goal is not to gain muscle from sword cut exercises, but to drill proper technique into your muscle memory (working on your body's nervous system). This is especially true because you should NOT be doing these cuts to complete exhaustion, because going to exhaustion will cause your form to become messed up, and that will just drill into muscle memory the wrong form. So pay attention to form primarily, whenever you do sword work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your grip strength will only increase a little bit this way when you do the sword cuts, so it's unsuitable as a way of gaining real strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To gain strength, you use the weighted supplemental exercises with the rope and pulley that I mentioned. When you do these exercises, you do not have to pay attention to sword form. You're not holding a sword, and you're not performing a sword cut. You are merely working the muscles that you use during the sword cut.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You still want to utilize the whole body when you do it. Do not isolate one muscle group. You want the whole body exercised at the same time (a complex weight lifting exercise).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you do these supplemental weight exercises, make sure you do them after your sword practice, not before. Whenever you work with the sword, your muscles should be fresh and non-fatigued. That also means never working on a sword two days in a row. Put a rest day between the two days.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some other good weight training exercises for sword work are: the dead-lift (great for building forearm strength and a whole lot more), the bent-over row, the pull-up / chin-up, dips, oblique crunches, the plank / flip-flops, and the lat pull-down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you're doing sword work, your instructor will correct your form and will point out problems. Some problems to watch for: 1) Being off-balance, 2) Over-extending yourself in some direction or over-rotating, 3) Allowing antagonistic muscles to get in the way (don't tense areas of the body that are not directly involved in the sword cut), 4) &quot;Winding up&quot; before a strike (you never want to telegraph the start of your cut), 5) Blinking, clenching teeth, grimacing, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, just wanted to clarify those points since my message. Didn't know if I was making myself 100% clear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2013-12-30T17:18:18.297" LastActivityDate="2013-12-30T17:18:18.297" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2560" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2555" CreationDate="2013-12-30T09:30:31.160" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I disagree with the above responder in regards to adding weight to the end of the sword, as that is a traditional method in gung-fu, especially tai chi sword training for well over 1000 years, because it works. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He gave a lot of good information, but in regards to having to have a force directly opposite to the intended cut, that sounds reasonable, but it doesn't work that way in reality because there is much more to actual power and strength than just the simple vector physics being proposed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why almost no martial arts today has attained the kind of speed, power, strength and discipline technique power that Gung-fu experts and Masters have attained over the centuries and even today, though extremely few in number. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is because training techniques to gain various levels of destructive force and power are often counter intuitive to what you would think, as in the example above regarding vector physics. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Gung-fu there are training drills for power as simple as tearing pieces of paper on a daily basis, washing dishes in a certain way and many other esoteric and seemingly silly methods that when done correctly and over time, develop seemingly almost supernatural strength and power, but it's true and it works. These things have been closely guarded secrets for obvious reasons over the centuries and today, when those techniques are no longer as valued as they once were due to the advent of modern weapons, those that used to know them either don't teach them or have since died, or been killed off. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why even practicing your sword techniques and forms slowly with basically no counter directional weight or resistance, STILL develops great striking power. This is one of the main reasons why tai chi is practiced slowly, because slow motion movements take FAR more muscles to control the movement, more concentration and because the muscles are in a relaxed state, they allow for greater chi flow, which equals and increase in jing or expression of power. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are looking for some good information on sword fighting, check out Dr. Yang Jwing Mings book called &quot;Taiji Sword, Classical Yang Style: The Complete Form, Qigong &amp;amp; Applications&quot;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1886969744&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.amazon.com/Taiji-Sword-Classical-Yang-Style/dp/1886969744/ref=pd_cp_mov_1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is a complete list of all Dr. Yangs books; &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/Yang-Jwing-Ming/e/B000APA9LA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.amazon.com/Yang-Jwing-Ming/e/B000APA9LA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if you are not training in Tai chi sword, it will give you a lot of great information on sword fighting, history, techniques, movements, how to train, strengthening and more which you can apply to any type of sword training that you wish to train in. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;His books are well written and some of the best available in English. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In regards to other exercises, those that will strengthen the shoulders, biceps and triceps, finger strength and wrists such as straight arm lifts to the front and side with a 10-15lb weight with a 10 second hold at the end of each set, wrist curls with a 20lb dumbell with your palm facing up and down known as reverse wrist curls, bicep and tricep extensions, push ups and some bench pressing will help to give you the basic strength to wield a sword with more accuracy, speed, power and control. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then there are other specific exercise and drills such as the aforementioned adding weights to the end of the sword which will further work the forearms and wrists as well as the grip, along with overall body toning because utilizing a sword, especially if you ever happen to use it in actual combat, requires a lot of muscles that don't normally get worked out because you will be stopping a strike from another person that either has a sword, a staff or perhaps a heavier weapon than you. This means that you'll need to have good technique, positioning to know which part of the sword to use to increase your own leverage and not waste your energy, along with having sufficient strength and endurance so that doesn't become a factor which can possibly cost you your life. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Granted, this is not an old kung-fu movie and the chances of ever actually having a sword fight are about the same as winning the lottery. But those skills can and do translate into many other facets of life that can make a difference in your quality of life on a daily basis and may even save your life some day. For once you know how to use a sword well, you can pick up almost anything and use it for self defense should it ever be necessary, things such as a metal flashlight like a Maglite, pipe, any kind of stick or pole, or just about anything because the basic general techniques and movements will be the same. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastEditorUserId="1486" LastEditDate="2013-12-30T09:42:04.407" LastActivityDate="2013-12-30T09:42:04.407" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2561" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2013-12-30T15:15:57.650" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Brazilian Jiu Jitsu my friend! A lot of people who get injuries from Judo go into BJJ as it's a lot softer on the joints as opposed to other martial arts such as Thai Boxing. It is also effective as opposed to pointless martial arts based on forms such as Karate or TKD that don't encourage sparring against a live opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1475" LastActivityDate="2013-12-30T15:15:57.650" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2562" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="759" CreationDate="2013-12-30T15:18:34.587" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just because somebody comes from a certain lineage does not mean he is a good teacher or has certain skills. Lineage charts are pointless as they encourage people to believe that an instructor is a good one just because of his lineage. What about the guys who don't have this fancy lineage? Are they bad teachers? Are they lesser martial artists? It doesn't matter who you get taught by, what matter is the skills and methodology the instructor uses to teach. I've trained with people who came from fancy lineages and had really bad skills. Lineage does not matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1475" LastEditorUserId="1475" LastEditDate="2014-01-02T10:42:05.567" LastActivityDate="2014-01-02T10:42:05.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2563" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2548" CreationDate="2013-12-30T18:19:55.050" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo instructors generally don't have the kind of knowledge you're talking about with regards to identifying muscle imbalance and improving it. For that, you need a personal trainer, someone who's knowledgeable in muscle building and proper exercise form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo itself can develop some muscle imbalance, but in general this should be a pretty minor issue. You're not loading your muscles with weights in TKD, so there's less risk of imbalance. But in TKD, you do practice some moves with greater power and frequency than other moves, and that can lead to muscle imbalances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether the types of imbalances caused by TKD training lead to injury or not is questionable. I personally didn't see myself and others having injuries due to muscle imbalance in TKD. About the only things I saw there that might be due to it would be groin pulls and hamstring pulls. But these were often the result of poor form and lack of proper warm-up. They almost certainly wouldn't occur in &quot;real life&quot; either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With regards to upper vs. lower body in TKD, this is obvious. TKD doesn't utilize the upper body as much. But this isn't generally what's termed a &quot;muscle imbalance&quot; issue. It's a lot less of a risk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, as an ex-TKD black belt, I still find TKD to be one of the best forms of exercise I've ever done in my life. It has a lot of good things going for it. You can easily just do TKD alone (no other types of exercise) and be physically fit. It improves functional strength in virtually all muscle groups.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only thing that is bad about TKD, in my opinion, is that it can be very stressful on joints, and this can cause real problems later on in life for some people (some people are more susceptible to it than others). That's okay, it just means you have to listen to what your body is telling you and adjust. If you find your joints are painful after some type of exercise, stop doing that exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your muscle imbalances will go away if you stop doing weight lifting altogether, since you said you were lifting improperly which caused your imbalance issues. Eventually everything will weaken again. But there's no reason why you have to give up weightlifting. You just have to be smart about it. Find a good personal trainer to give you a good, full body weightlifting program and to look over your form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you stick with these four whole-body exercises and stay away from isolation exercises and the &quot;machines&quot;, you should eventually re-balance yourself: Dead-lift, bench press, squat, and press. But stick to the proper form!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd also add other, complementary exercises to those to balance it out and make it more interesting. Such as: pull-ups, chin-ups, crunches, dips, lunges, step-ups, rows, and Bulgarian split-squats... Look into Jim Wendler's &quot;5/3/1&quot; program. I do that exclusively now and wished I knew about it a long time ago.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2013-12-30T18:19:55.050" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2564" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2567" CreationDate="2013-12-31T05:33:06.753" Score="9" ViewCount="6910" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a collapsed arch in one of my feet that makes repeated jumping or low-stance work quite painful. Some instructors are not fond of students wearing shoes (even if designed for martial arts use) with orthotics because the orthotics are still hard and can injure another student's feet if I accidentally stepped on them. I have prescription orthotics but could probably wear an alternate form of arch support for the couple of hours I'm in training. Obviously I will need to respect an instructor's wishes, but what can I do to minimize problems? Are any specific types of shoes and/or arch supports favored over others? What about taping techniques designed to minimize pain (I've heard that dancing schools use special taping techniques but have not seen it in martial arts).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="238" LastActivityDate="2018-01-11T18:00:58.767" Title="Arch support and martial arts shoes" Tags="|training|safety|medical-advice|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2565" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2553" CreationDate="2013-12-31T05:43:20.297" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Honestly, it is a choice between getting kicked in the flesh where I get hurt but the guy who kicked me didn't and checking so we both suffer pain. Once I check, he might be less inclined to throw another hard kick, because it hurts him just as much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2013-12-31T05:43:20.297" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2566" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2553" CreationDate="2013-12-31T09:38:28.837" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It seems to me that you're right about the fact that both the kicker and the checker should recieve the same amount of force. There are, however, other factors to take into consideration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I practiced Gung Fu, we ofter perfomed exercises with the intent of strenghening our bones and building up protective cartilage. I would assume this is done in other arts as well. To do this, we repeaditly caused our bones and bodies (slight) damage over a long period of time. Our bodies notice that the same areas are getting damaged and thus builds cartilage to protect said area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, if this is done to the shin we get a nice layer of cartilage over the periosteum, which is the real culprit when we're talking about impact pain on shins. If we have this cartilage over the periosteum, the impact is spread over a larger area, thus lessening the pain. We haven't increased our threshold (strictly speaking), but made sure that less pain is caused to us by the same force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another factor to bring into the equation is something my old Djeu Gao taught me. If I were to kick someone's thigh, my mind prepares for the impact. Knowing that the thigh is a relatively soft area, we prepare for a rather soft, padded impact. If I were to check a kick shin to shin, however, my mind would prepare for a very hard and stiff impact on a very sensitive area, so we'd prepare for the pain. The attacker, still focused on that padded thigh, will be caught &quot;off guard&quot; and won't be as prepared for the pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This difference actually makes a great difference; if our brain knows that pain will come and is ready for it, we can take more of it because we don't need to cause as lound an alarm since we already know, consciously, that the pain is there. Being caught &quot;off guard&quot;, as the attacker, our brains would alarm louder since the awareness isn't there, to that extent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact that you as the defender will likely feel less pain than the attacker is another reason for checking kicks; any intense pain will put the victim in a chocked state (perhaps not according to the medical definition..), if only for a short amount of time. This might be enough to gain the upper hand, if you play your cards right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1224" LastEditorUserId="1224" LastEditDate="2013-12-31T12:41:57.420" LastActivityDate="2013-12-31T12:41:57.420" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2567" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2564" CreationDate="2013-12-31T21:44:31.997" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is going to be something of a trial and error method for you, I think. You're going to have to try a bunch of things and go with what works the best or sucks the least.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First of all, if your instructor outright bans shoes, that's one thing. If your instructor says no shoes &quot;because&quot; of some reason, then you have a little wriggle room. In that case, see if you can find shoes that don't go against that reason. Once you can wear some kind of footwear, it opens the door to adding orthotic inserts, which is what you want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many &quot;minimalist&quot; shoes around now. They have a flat insole mostly, with a very little amount of rubber on the outside. They weigh so little.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, the problem with minimalist shoes is that they're still fairly bulky and introduce a wide, hard edge on the outside, along with a deep tread on the bottom and squishy foam on the inside. That doesn't fit in well with barefoot martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So one thing you can do is to look for shoes that are so minimal that they feel like they're painted on your foot, or that the edge is removed or tucked under.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, the Vibram Five Fingers shoes. Try a pair of these on, and see what I mean. Make sure your toes fit snugly and have very little room in them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Vibram shoes alone might work for you, believe it or not. You may find that's all it takes to make your life a lot better. And your instructor may actually say it's okay. There's no hard edge, no bulk to it. It's like having an outer skin, that's all. And if you make it clear that you only intend to wear them at the school and not outside (so it's not dirty), then that might work. Even suggest that you keep them at the school, so there's no doubt that they're for class use only.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If Vibrams don't work much for you, then you might need to try other shoes. I don't think you'll have complete success stuffing an orthotic insert into a Vibram shoe, but you can try. Their web site specifically says they're not made for orthotic insoles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are other shoes that are popular in martial arts like Taekwondo and Wushu kung-fu. For example, FeiYue (&quot;flying fish&quot;) shoes. They're really cheap and weigh very little, but they're not as &quot;painted on&quot; as Vibrams. And they do have a blocky edge, even if it isn't very hard. Those you can add inserts into also.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another good shoe is something like an Addidas martial arts shoe. Those are used a lot in Taekwondo. They're pretty soft and don't have a hard edge on them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for wrapping your foot, that may help also. Worth a shot. They even sell arch wraps. For example, the &quot;Mueller Arch Support&quot; wrap. Maybe your instructor would be fine with those. You probably won't get much support from it, but having the wrap there will give you feedback on how well your foot is doing. That can make you more conscious about it, so that you get better at not letting your foot completely collapse into the arch. (You can try rolling your weight forward onto your toes / ball of the foot when you feel it.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could also place a squishy foam insert into the inside of the wrap also. I mean, not between your skin and the wrap, but inside of the wrap itself. Open it up, insert the foam, and then stitch it back up. That way, you don't have to worry about the insert coming out and flying off during practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And almost certainly, your instructor wouldn't have anything against this option. It doesn't cover the entire foot, just the arch, and very minimally so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;About the only problem you might have with a wrap like that would be traction. You might slip. So, you can deal with that by coating it with something that causes it to grip more. Try a product called &quot;Plasti Dip&quot;. It's perfect. You can also use &quot;Puffy Fabric Paint&quot; and other products. Even &quot;Sugru&quot; might work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, dancers don't wrap their feet in a way that would help you. Their purpose is to wrap it so that they can point (for ballet). That's where they stand on their toes. It's not for arch support. It's to keep their toes from sliding out. And I might add that it's crazy what dancers do to their feet! That is, if that's what you were thinking of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2013-12-31T21:44:31.997" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2568" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2013-12-31T22:21:15.270" Score="3" ViewCount="2808" Body="&lt;p&gt;For someone untrained, if you hit a human body with open palm (think slapping or spanking type hit), the hitter usually discovers that it hurts the surface of his palm and bottoms of fingers significantly more than expected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any exercises to improve this situation (lessen the amount of pain when hitting)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for details specific, so &quot;hit something with your open palm&quot; is a bit too generic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What should be hit (something hard? Something with consistency of human body? Shape? weight? mobility of object being hit?)? How many hits in a row and how many sets a day to avoid actually damaging your hand?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should there be some specific muscle groups that can be strengthened to help?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1579" LastActivityDate="2014-01-04T01:12:37.277" Title="Good excercises to reduce the amount of pain in your palm/fingers when hitting with open palm?" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2569" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2568" CreationDate="2013-12-31T23:29:10.327" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think you need to consider your palm technique rather than do conditioning exercises. A slap by its very nature is done with the palm relaxed while a palm strike is done with the palm tensed  (and you should be striking with the heel of the palm, not the palm itself. When done in this way your fingers don't make contact with the target at all).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are specifically striking with the palm itself then try ridging your fingers almost like a slight claw, this should produce maximum tension across the bottom of the fingers, although the tips of your fingers will probably strike the target as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of all, I would question whether a slap is a practical strike to be using, the physics of it means that it is of very limited usefulness. Should you be using palm strikes instead?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2013-12-31T23:41:47.493" LastActivityDate="2013-12-31T23:41:47.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2570" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2568" CreationDate="2014-01-01T00:44:03.793" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would suggest practicing on surface that you would practice closed-handed strikes on, such as a punching bag. Simply keep hitting it until your hand gets sore. Do this a few times a day, and you should be able to more and more before your hand gets sore. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is what I call a custom workout fine-tuned to each individual participant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1568" LastActivityDate="2014-01-01T00:44:03.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2571" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2568" CreationDate="2014-01-01T07:06:59.387" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In martial arts, that is the reason for conditioning of the hands, so that when you hit a person or object, it breaks, not your hand. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any strengthening of the hands using things such as a Windlass, wrist curles with weights or other finger strengthening exercises, including finger push ups, will strengthen the muscles and tendons around the fingers and palms and thus give you some increased endurance in regards to striking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the real method which allows the hand or other body parts to withstand strikes is to condition the hands correctly to make them harder and to condition the nerves for shock over time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Check out my video on Iron Hand Conditioning that I have up on youtube for the proper way to do this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZrfuknGr44&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZrfuknGr44&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastActivityDate="2014-01-01T07:06:59.387" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2573" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2555" CreationDate="2014-01-02T22:59:00.567" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Discalimer: I'm a novice in strength and conditioning, and I know just about nothing about sword training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;General Strength First&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/733/347&quot;&gt;Activity-specific strength training is not a good idea until the student has already attained a basic level of whole-body strength&lt;/a&gt;. Therefore, instead of focusing on sword-specific strength training for specifically the arms, wrists, and fingers, you should direct your strength training towards mobility and a basic beginner's program.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, determine if you are capable of doing basic strength exercises through the whole range of motion without pain. You want to make sure you have proper mobility in the hips, shoulders, and back in order to do basic strength and martial arts exercises. Can you do a dead hang from a pull-up bar? Do a perfect plank and push-up? Support yourself from a dip station in good posture? Touch your toes? Do a third-world squat? If the answer to any of those is no, then congratulations! You have a goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming you can do those, you should start a basic program with a barbell, kettlebell, or set of dumbbells. The primary exercises should probably include calisthenic/gymnastic exercises like pull-ups, dips, Hindu push-ups, squats, as well as some kind of squat, and deadlift with resistance. Key points are lifting heavy but maintaining proper form. Add weight regularly but not prematurely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Sword strength&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practicing sword work is the best method of getting good at handling a sword, &lt;em&gt;if&lt;/em&gt; you have the requisite strength, conditioning, and mobility. But after you attain a basic level of whole-body strength through the use of general resistance training, it wouldn't be a bad idea to look at the specific requirements of sword work. Heavy lunges would probably be a good idea at that time, as would Olympic lifts like the clean and jerk. I imagine that a great variety of shoulder-centric functional exercises like pull-ups, ring support holds and then ring dips, and eventually muscle-ups, and perhaps front and back levers would be helpful for developing the qualities of strength, control, and mobility in the shoulder girdle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-01-02T22:59:00.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2574" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2553" CreationDate="2014-01-02T23:23:07.730" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There has been some discussion about the variables at play in this particular leg break, and leg breaks from checked leg kicks in general. It seems that &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mmamania.com/2013/12/29/5253398/bas-rutten-explains-how-not-to-break-your-shin-when-leg-kicking&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;turning the hip over&lt;/a&gt; during the kick helps prevent injuring oneself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is also a difference between a leg kick being checked against the receivers shin or against their knee. The latter is stronger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also worth noting that Silva threw a power leg kick without a set-up. &lt;a href=&quot;http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1904314-ufc-168-how-chris-weidman-buried-the-legend&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This is less than ideal&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Folks like Ernesto Hoost and Rob Kaman realized that low kicks are awesome, but kicking people shin on shin (or worse, shin on knee as we will talk about in a moment) is as damaging to the kicker as to the opponent. Ernesto Hoost, in his most recent seminars which you can find on YouTube, is often asked how come he almost never ended up kicking shin on shin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hoost explains that it was because he always either a) threw a flurry of punches against his opponent's guard to preoccupy them and keep their feet flat or b) kicked as they were stepping in toward him when their weight was on their lead leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...setting up with strikes is what everyone in MMA should be trying to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...There was nothing accidental about Silva getting hurt. When a hard kicker kicks a knee, he hurts himself. Sometimes it's enough to finish a fight, sometimes it's just enough to stop him from kicking for a while, but kick a knee Silva did.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2014-01-02T23:23:07.730" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2576" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2553" CreationDate="2014-01-03T16:15:38.210" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are 2 places where you can check a kick : the knee and the shin. If you check with your own shin bone, you are creating a shin to shin contact and, intuitively, one can expect the damage to be similar for both opponents. However, while the location of the hit will be similar, the results, at least if you want to talk about physics, will be very different. So yes, the same amount of force it applies, but where it goes and what it does can and will vary a lot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the kicker's part, you have a lot of momentum going through your leg. Once the hit occurs this momentum translates into a large amount of stress in your shinbone, in the form of a &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bending_moment&quot;&gt;bending moment&lt;/a&gt;. If there was enough momentum, this can cause the shinbone to snap, as bones are mostly made to resist compression rather than bending.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the checker's part, we need to remember that the knee is bent, but not fully. When the kick is received, the impact will cause the leg to bend further, up until the calf potentially collides with the thigh. This bending of the leg acts a bit like a cushion, absorbing part of the hit's energy. As a result, the bending moment on the defender's shin is greatly reduced and thus will rarely result in a snapped tibia. Also, the checker usually checks with the upper shin. Mechanically speaking, this also causes a reduction of the bending moment, resulting in lower stress for the bone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other possibility is a check with the knee. In this situation, the kicker's outcome is mostly the same, but the checker's is very different. As was previously mentioned, bones are designed to withstand tremendous compression forces. When checking with the knee, the force is mostly transferred to the femur, which is probably one of the strongest bones in your body (it is also the largest). If done properly (the check done in the UFC fight you mention being a very good example of proper technique), the force can all be absorbed by the femur with a greatly reduced risk of injury on the defender's part.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why do this instead of receiving the kick on your thigh? The kneecap and shinbone used to check the kick are pretty much sticking out of your body, meaning you will receive the kick straight on the bone, and not on muscle tissue. A strong kick on the back or side of the thigh can cause lots of damage, which will result in a reduced ability to fight (less powerful kicks, reduced balance, impaired mobility, etc.). Checking with a bone reduces the pain (less pain receptors in a bone than in a muscle) and the long term damage that you will endure in the fight, provided that your leg doesn't snap. But as was mentioned, it is more likely for the kicker's leg to break before the defender's does.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR&lt;/strong&gt; - Checking the kick redirects the blow to an area that can more easily withstand the hit or absorb part of the damage, at least compared to the kicker. When executed properly, it will likely hurt the kicker more than the defender.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2014-01-03T16:15:38.210" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2577" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-01-03T18:45:08.513" Score="13" ViewCount="18480" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm planning to start Taekwondo classes in a month but I just wanted to know if I have any chance being good at it to compete. Or am I a lost cause because I am 16 and people who go to national competitions or any important championships start training at like 3 years old. I'm very flexible, because I did rhythmic gymnastics and I'm quitting ballet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1586" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-06-09T12:30:23.307" LastActivityDate="2020-06-09T12:30:23.307" Title="Can I start training in tae kwon do at age 16?" Tags="|training|tae-kwon-do|beginner|" AnswerCount="11" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2578" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2577" CreationDate="2014-01-03T21:13:09.787" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Answer: Absolutely&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;16 is a great age to begin TKD training and you have plenty of time to become proficient enough for competition, provided you are in good physical condition.  Since you mention that you practice ballet and gymnastics, your athleticism makes you an excellent candidate for TKD competition training.  I would argue that someone could achieve some success in competition even beginning as late as 30 or 40 years old, though as you grow older, the opportunities for this do decrease.  I would expect a period of at least 2 to 3 years of physical conditioning before you will be ready for competition, depending on how consistently you train and at what belt rank your school begins competing.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-01-03T21:13:09.787" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2579" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2577" CreationDate="2014-01-03T21:53:21.980" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Certainly kids that started off earlier than you would have an advantage over you. But the good news is that Taekwondo divides competitors a number of ways, depending on how many people are competing: sex (m/f), rank (beginner, intermediate, advanced / black-belt), age (children, junior, adult, senior), and weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chances are, you'll compete very locally at first. I mean, you'll stick to tournaments sponsored or run by your TKD school. And it will take about 3-5 years for you to become a black belt. During this time, you'll be competing with others who are similarly experienced (because you'll all be in the colored belt ranks) and roughly the same age as you. So you'll have a pretty good chance to win, so long as you train very hard and often.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If anything, you might be a little older than most of your fellow competitors, and that might give you a slight advantage due to height, reach, and muscle strength differences (15 years old is typically seen as &quot;adult&quot;, yet 15 year olds are typically not very matured physically yet).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you start reaching advanced level (about a year before black belt), you'll probably start branching out and doing more regional or national competitions, instead of sticking with local tournaments only. That's where you're going to see a lot of differences in abilities. It's here that you'll be competing against people with a lot more experience than you have, because the advanced divisions means any black belt, even those with multiple degrees can compete in the same division.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I wouldn't sweat it. I think you'll have a great time regardless of any advantages or disadvantages you might have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now if you're asking whether you can possibly achieve &quot;greatness&quot;, that's a completely other question altogether. I guess you're thinking TKD is like gymnastics or something, where the best competitors are typically under the age of 18 for one reason or another. So you're thinking you're past your prime?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In TKD, there probably is an ideal age range for sparring competitors. In my experience, the ages for the &quot;best&quot; TKD competitors are typically between 18 and 28. But that's just a rough estimate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to Olympic medal statistics in Taekwondo, the ages of the winners for males tend to be around age 25, females around age 22-23. But those are median values. There are gold, silver, and bronze medalists in their 30's as well. And I know for a fact that many of them started off in their teens, not in their pre-adolescent childhood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you have plenty of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But here's another thing to think about. Why does it matter? Does it have to be possible to be the best at something before you begin it? The chances of you being considered one of the best at anything in life is exceedingly small. Can't you just enjoy being the best you can personally be instead?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My wife who's nearly 30 years old now started learning gymnastics at age 23. She started contemporary wushu kung-fu at that age also. I think she's very good at both. She actually blows me away with what she can do. But will she ever be in the same ballpark as Olympic gymnasts or the Beijing Wushu team? Oh hell no. Not even close. And yet, she loves it. That's all that matters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-01-03T21:53:21.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2580" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2568" CreationDate="2014-01-04T01:12:37.277" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You want to toughen your hand to reduce pain while avoiding damage.  The body gets stronger and tougher in response to stress placed on it.  Not enough stress and no change.  Too much and you get injury.  It's going to be up to you to find the right combination, but it's no more simple than repetition x times a week and tracking progress.  Be patient with outcome because it's a process of body conditioning and healing.  Also, it depends on how hard you expect to be hitting... sparring with light touch?  Street fighting?  The latter might suggest tougher hands.  On the other hand, you have a limited amount of training time each week and there are other things to consider, such as grip strength and resistance training, which can also toughen your hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, don't screw up your hands.  They are needed for much more than karate, and people generally get hurt more by over-training than anything else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1588" LastActivityDate="2014-01-04T01:12:37.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2581" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2234" CreationDate="2014-01-04T12:54:24.647" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hyperextension of the elbow? I would be more concerned about a kick on your head or knee, or maybe an elbow.  Muay Thai is a sport with certain risks and dangers.  Some instructors teach with a bent arm, some with a straight. Don't worry so much.  Learn what the new one is teaching you or move on.  Most instructors do not want to see you do your own thing so if you can't adapt then you have to go to a money making gym where the instructor will take your money and not care what you do.  I have been punching since 1990 with an arm fully extended when I jab and throw a right. Never had a problem with this.  I went to another instructor and he teaches with a bent arm for power purposes.  I learned that too.  When in rome...     &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1589" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-01-05T11:19:16.457" LastActivityDate="2014-01-05T11:19:16.457" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2582" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2234" CreationDate="2014-01-05T01:19:45.950" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your first teacher is correct. You should NEVER LOCK your joints or hyperextend anything as over time, you will start to have joint problems and eventual arthritis. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Gung-fu, the warning against hyperextention is particularly warned against because we learn, in various styles and in general fighting, to block and grapple strikes, pull to push the person off balance, turn, step, apply joint locks to cause pain or break the joint if needed, all in one fluid motion in less than half a second or faster, so any hyper-extension only helps your opponent in breaking your arms or other joints. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't need to hyper extend anything to gain power because power is a component of muscle and tendon strength, relaxation, your overall chi strength, the mind and other factors that almost no martial arts today understand at all. So doing something dangerous like hyper-extending your punches and kicks is not going to add that much power, but it will increase the risk of joint injury. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastActivityDate="2014-01-05T01:19:45.950" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2583" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-01-05T05:23:33.443" Score="1" ViewCount="4118" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to enter an open martial arts, MMA, or taekwondo tournament in my area. How should I go about looking for one?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1592" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-10-27T11:14:06.403" LastActivityDate="2021-10-27T11:14:06.403" Title="How should I look for an &quot;open&quot; tournament near me?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|competition|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2584" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2583" CreationDate="2014-01-05T10:15:47.963" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;MMA events, unlike the rest you mentioned, are generally not tournament-based, but rather based on planned-well-in-advance ring (cage) fights between pairs of specific fighters. Maybe an MMA promoter near you can schedule you a fight. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before entering a full scheduled ring fight, it would be a good idea to go to an MMA school and ask to have an MMA-rules sparring match. It might be eye-opening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-01-05T10:15:47.963" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2585" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="628" CreationDate="2014-01-05T16:11:53.030" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can't say for sure the philosophical differences between all kwans but as a general rough over view: &#xA; The five original; Chung Do Kwan(my association),Song Moo Kwan, Moo Duk Kwan, Chang Moo Kwan, and Jidokwan where all influenced by various founders with various philosophy and martial arts backgrounds. For example; founder of Chung Do Kwan, Won Kuk Lee was dan rank in shotokan karate and his art seems(at least in my opinion) influenced by it. There seem to be more hand techniques than most tae kwon do and one of our beginner forms are nearly identical to a form I had in my shotokan class.&#xA; The kwans are also greatly influenced by modern grandmasters and their individual ideas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1592" LastEditorUserId="1592" LastEditDate="2014-01-05T16:18:11.370" LastActivityDate="2014-01-05T16:18:11.370" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2586" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1761" CreationDate="2014-01-05T21:40:09.167" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As far as I know there has been one tournament held last year by the Israeli Self Defense Force. The scarcity for competition in this field are likely due to it's brutality. Krav Maga leaves the opponent damaged and crippled through the use of eye gouging, groin, and throat shots. It was created for the purpose of self preservation and many of the techniques would be unsafe and unethical to preform for sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1592" LastEditorUserId="1592" LastEditDate="2014-01-06T00:56:43.853" LastActivityDate="2014-01-06T00:56:43.853" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2588" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2583" CreationDate="2014-01-06T06:02:12.680" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;For a second there from the way you worded your question, I thought you were basically without any knowledge of martial arts and just wanted to try entering a tournament just for fun to see how you would do. That would be hilarious! But I see from your bio that you're at an intermediate level in Taekwondo. That's better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, so as for open tournaments in or around Indiana, this should be an easy thing to search for on google. Google shows that the Indy Cup Taekwondo tournament is coming up in April. It seems to be a well respected and large mid-west region tournament. Probably open to all comers, but you'll have to check.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are lists of tournaments that you can see on the web also. Like the ATA Taekwondo schools have a big web site for tournament listings, for example. Probably ITF, WTF, and the other TKD affiliations also have their own tournament listings. But the real question is whether they're for a specific school of Taekwondo or open to all. That's sometimes stated, and other times you just have to ask.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Probably your best bet is to follow a tournament circuit of some sort. Like NASKA. It can be either for Taekwondo specifically or for &quot;sport karate&quot;. Circuits list their tournament schedule online. And these kinds of tournament circuits are often open to all competitors from all schools and styles. You just have to register for a sanctioned tournament near you, pay the entrance fee, and go and compete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, since it's a circuit, if you actually win, you get points. The competitors with the most points at the end of a tournament season in a given minimum number of local, regional, and national tournaments have a chance to go on to the championship tournaments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for non-open tournaments, don't think those are off-limits to you. If I ever wanted to enter a tournament, and I knew it was closed to outsiders of whatever school system they have, I would just go to a local school (or email) and ask the instructor there if he/she can vouch for me and let me compete. It's sometimes just that easy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They may ask who your instructor is, what your style is, etc. Or they may ask you to come to their classes to evaluate you in person. Don't think it's too awkward to ask. Anyone can ask. It's no big deal. The worst they can do is say no, laugh at you, or both. But there are a dozen other TKD schools in your area, and all you need is for one to say yes. You can meet a bunch of people and make new friends this way, also.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for MMA... That's a different thing altogether. From your bio, I do not see anything resembling something that would allow you to have the ability to compete in an MMA match. These are matches, by the way, not usually tournaments, because in MMA people are generally too beat up to compete in more than one match per day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are cage matches and tough-man style competitions whereby anyone can enter, so long as they obey certain rules. The ones that let anyone compete are often pretty shady. Lots of drunk yokals yelling profanities at you, etc. You can do it, mind you. But like Dave Liepmann wrote, you need to know what you're getting into first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go to an MMA school. Do a sparring session with them. See how good you are there first. Chances are, you will be tapped out in short order. Unlike karate and TKD schools, you can get very hurt competing in a full contact MMA match.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you go to this web site, it lists MMA events:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma.cfm?go=events.home&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma.cfm?go=events.home&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might also want to read this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;How to find MMA fights&quot;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mmarecruiter.com/index.php?do=/forum/becoming-a-fighter-28/how-to-find-mma-fights-2/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.mmarecruiter.com/index.php?do=/forum/becoming-a-fighter-28/how-to-find-mma-fights-2/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-01-06T06:02:12.680" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2589" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2577" CreationDate="2014-01-06T07:10:34.327" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started when I was 13 and I won the British open the next year and by the time I was 16, I finished 5th at the world championships for Junior Male Patterns. Would I have been better if I started sooner? Yes. Did it stop me from competing at the highest level? Nope.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As long as you're flexible and can dance fairly well, you should be alright. Dancing isn't strictly necessary, but it is a good indicator of your suppleness and ability to learn techniques properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-01-06T07:10:34.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2591" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2391" CreationDate="2014-01-07T08:23:46.987" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's some things you can learn by yourself, and some things you can't.  Being a good fighter is definitely something you can't learn alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that said, here's some things to keep in mind:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You don't necessarily need a full fledged instructor&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; need someone to show you how to move, who is skilled enough to know the correct movement, timing and can give you tips on how to get that and the power you need.  That doesn't necessarily have to be a teacher - that might be someone who's done it for a while.   I've seen instructors teach poorly or in dangerous manners, and &quot;students&quot; who have taught really well and have the knowledge for safe training.  It really varies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Things you can't see&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not in some magical sense, but some things like feeling if the impact is right, balance, or shifting of weight are often things you have to feel, and have someone who can tell you what you need to do to get there.  This is the main reason you want someone more experienced to show you the way - you might be training something you think looks right, but doesn't get the power or the force you need.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fighting&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether you're talking sport fighting or self defense fighting, there's going to have to be actual drills and sparring with a live person.  You have to know how to hit a person, how to take a hit, how to read the body language, feel positioning, timing and adapt.  You can't do that by yourself.  If you're looking to train self defense, you're also going to have to train to deal with weapons, multiple attackers, and extreme stress situations - things which you can't really do alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The bits that you can train alone&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After you know how a move should feel, you certainly can practice it over and over on your own time and make sure your delivery is good.  You can practice conditioning: strength, endurance, flexibility.  All of this is stuff you can do on your own time, but part of it is that it alone, won't make you a good fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can't train with anyone else at this time, you can always focus on doing lots of strength and cardio conditioning.  It will put you in a good position for when you do finally get to work with someone who can show you in person stuff to work with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-07T08:23:46.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2592" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2362" CreationDate="2014-01-07T08:52:06.113" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sure, you can be big and fast.  That said, there's some important ideas to keep in mind about what your training is going to look like.  There's basically going to be 4 factors you are training (as far as conditioning) - power, speed, endurance, and, size.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To quote &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_building#Muscle_growth&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Wikipedia on Bodybuilding&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Weight training aims to build muscle by prompting two different types of hypertrophy: sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and myofibrillar hypertrophy. &lt;strong&gt;Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy leads to larger muscles and so is favored by bodybuilders more than myofibrillar hypertrophy which builds athletic strength.&lt;/strong&gt; Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is triggered by increasing repetitions, whereas myofibrillar hypertrophy is triggered by lifting heavier weight.[16] In either case, there is an increase in size and strength of the muscles (compared to if that same individual does not lift weights at all). However, the emphasis is different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Right here you can see power and size are trained for differently.   Then there's the issue of endurance (which varies on how you expect to use your martial arts and in what conditions).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, speed.   The usual adage of the slow bulky guy isn't a matter of too much muscle as much as result of bad training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's where we go into neuromuscular science... your body has a natural reflex reaction when a part of your body is moved too fast - it tightens the muscles around the joint to serve as a braking action to stop the joint from getting injured.   The extreme result of this is a muscle pull or muscle tear - the body decides to let a muscle take damage rather than a joint because muscle heals easier.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When it comes to resistance training, the advice to stretch after a workout is so that you can reset your muscle spindles back to normal full ranges - otherwise they will set their &quot;default&quot; at a shorter range - and when you try to move fast, your own muscles serve as a braking factor to your speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So it's not that more muscle slows you down, it's that muscle training that ALSO sets the muscle spindles to a smaller range of motion, done over long periods of time, slows you down.  Stretching after resistance training isn't about getting more range of motion, it's about keeping what you have and making sure it's available when you move at speed.  Reset the muscle spindles and you can keep your fast movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond that, then it's really about developing your flow and ability to read the movements of an opponent in martial arts.  There's plenty of folks who aren't fast, if you watch them, but when you're facing them they're a step ahead and sometimes you can't track their movements well - because they've figured out how to read you and not telegraph their own movements in return.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-07T08:52:06.113" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2593" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2362" CreationDate="2014-01-07T09:07:15.630" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes you can. But in general you need to train your muscles in a balanced way so that you don't overdo one and thus de-emphasize the others. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are different types of muscles in the body. There are muscles for strength, power and speed, the latter is generally known as fast twitch muscles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those that are bulky in a muscular way, such as a very large body builder, tend to be slower because they've over emphasized one type of muscle over another. But of course it all depends on how bulky you are talking about. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Van Damme is a pretty muscular guy and also quite fast. My second Master was a very big guy and was faster even than Bruce Lee while his arms and muscles were over twice the size of Bruce and he was over six feet tall and come in at 280-300lbs. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you can do it but you have to do some research and become educated on different types of working out and exercises for different effects and maintain a balance otherwise one type of muscle fiber will suffer over the others. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastActivityDate="2014-01-07T09:07:15.630" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2594" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2135" CreationDate="2014-01-07T09:33:35.103" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;So, there's two useful habits I've developed towards dealing with those situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shifty Eyes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your peripheral vision is actually really good at detecting motion.  The useful factor in this is that when you are walking in a sketchy area, you can simply practice scanning back and forth in a way as if you had just noticed something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When someone is looking to target someone, it first makes you a bad mark.  You're aware, you're looking, and not staring at the ground, or at your cell phone.  Awareness already shakes off some predators.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If someone is close up on you, the fact that you're constantly shifting your eyes around means it's neither a sign of fearful submission nor a sign of challenge, and, done correctly, also makes them afraid you're seeing something (or someone) they can't see.  I like to shift regularly over their shoulder - it makes them nervous because if they are intending bad actions, they expect to be the full attention and here you are looking at something BEHIND them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Causal defensive movements&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reach up and tug your ear lobe.  Rub your nose. Scratch your chin.   All of these look like natural actions - and all of them bring a hand up towards your head for blocking/attacking.   Practice taking a halfstep forward to close off the attack line to your groin.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If someone is up close, you can really put yourself in a defensive position without telegraphing fear or aggression.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-07T09:33:35.103" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2595" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1805" CreationDate="2014-01-07T09:49:28.993" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer to your question is... it depends!  What are you training in, and in what way are you training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're training primarily in something that has you doing forms, or very light push hands, or low force and simple touches?  Your odds of injury are really low.  If you're doing something that involves heavy force strikes, throws, etc. odds of injury become higher.  If the teacher has you training in a way that puts your body in bad positions, doesn't have you build up necessary stabilizer muscles, or you're training with people who lack control and want to go hard?  The odds become much higher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Right now I'm recovering from chemotherapy and cancer treatment - I'm doing low intensity drills and standing grappling moves - worst I've got is a small bruise on my arm.  On the other end of the scale, you can see folks who jumped into an MMA school, had folks doing heel hooks without control and permanently destroying people's knee ligaments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The nice thing is that you can choose to what level you want to get involved in, as far as martial arts and scale it to what you feel safe at.  Concussions are definitely not good for anyone, including non-academics, so that's a fair worry.  Practicing with forms, or drills tends to lower the injury rate.  Funny enough, weapon focused arts also tend to have lower injury rates in general.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-07T09:49:28.993" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2596" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1827" CreationDate="2014-01-07T09:52:44.223" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A good trick to reduce soreness is to soak in cold water for 10 minutes after training, then soak hot.  The cold constricts the blood vessels, flushing out the lactic acid, and the heat afterwards brings in blood to assist muscle repairs.   I've generally found in my experience I feel 2/3rds less sore than when I don't do this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as overall energy, get:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Protein (for muscle repair)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Carbohydrates (for energy that you just burned)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Electrolytes - potassium, salt, B vitamins - these you lose quick when you sweat a lot.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastEditorUserId="1598" LastEditDate="2014-10-05T17:50:31.550" LastActivityDate="2014-10-05T17:50:31.550" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2597" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1751" CreationDate="2014-01-07T10:29:52.303" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, you get what you train for.  Some martial arts training is not appropriate for a violent encounter, some is.  It really depends on the training you do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Applicability&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is your martial art teaching you archery?   Are you likely to use a bow and arrow in a street encounter?  Probably not.  Is your martial art focused on guns, knives, clubs and multiple attackers rushing you from behind?  On dealing with both strikes and grappling?  Probably more useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's important to realize that a lot of martial arts are taught these days for very different goals than self defense:  health and fitness, cultural preservation, a fun activity for kids, etc.  Training that isn't aimed at combat, is probably not going to give you combat skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conditioning&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It helps to be fit.  Now, this isn't the end-all-be-all, but it never hurts to go faster, harder, stronger than the person trying to hurt you.  There's a lot of schools with effective methods...but if the practitioner isn't fit enough to use them, it doesn't matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mentality&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The last part, and what really determines whether a training methodology is going to be &quot;real world&quot; or not, is how well it brings up stress and less controlled training.  You need to be able to act when the adrenaline is flowing, you're scared and angry and freaking out.   This kind of training is not fun.   It's also the training that get you better able to deal when the stuff hits the fan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact is that we can see folks like the US military forces regularly pulling in martial artists as consultants - and they've been doing so since WW2 - so we know at least some of these methods have applicability to the real world use.  You can't really throw a blanket statement that martial arts are useful, or useless in combat - it's all over the board and really depends on what teacher and style you're looking at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-07T10:29:52.303" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2598" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1905" CreationDate="2014-01-07T10:37:30.427" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For penjak silat, we assume multiple attackers, usually with knives. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With the style I study, the general strategy is to try to take one of the enemies on the edge - A1 or A4 because then you can use them as a shield against the others and shove them into another to delay them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, if one person rushes you first, deal with them first.  Otherwise, try to rush one of the edge folks first.  This rush doesn't need to be a direct attack - in fact if your body language is &quot;I'm going past you&quot; some people's brains can't catch up in time before you're already on top of them.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from the physical advantage of using someone as a shield against their friends, there's a psychological one as well - the friends pause while they try to figure out how to get around them... which buys you time to either rush another or get the hell out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If forced to go between two enemies try to snatch one around to be in the way of another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-07T10:37:30.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2600" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2014-01-07T17:46:57.580" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It varies art to art, school to school, but generally, you want training that is going to focus on getting you trained in fighting with and against common weapons (guns, knives, clubs) and against multiple attackers.  As far as civilian self defense, you should be capable within 1-3 months of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The styles which I've seen do better at this include: Systema, Escrima/Kali, some Penjak Silat, and Krav Maga.  That said, there's a ton of instructors or systems which are not tied to a traditional style or school which simply teach &quot;self defense&quot; or &quot;combatives&quot; in some fashion and these vary from good to bad, but generally will do you better than a random school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One last thing, which is what I consider a requirement for training - &quot;high intensity stress&quot;.    At some point in your training, you will want to do drills/sparring in which you are dealing with intense, fear/anger inducing situations.   This isn't for macho reasons, this is because you need to learn how to operate during an adrenaline dump.  You need to learn how well anything you learned will hold up when you're emotionally going off.  You need to find a way to keep the body operating in one sector even as your mind is totally freaking out in the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stats indicate most situations are an assault - it's not a stand up street fight, it's an attacker (or group of attackers) deciding when they're going to rush someone and the victims were not ready.  Aside from initial awareness, there's the point that when your brain realizes things are outside the normal boundaries, the adrenaline dump leaves some people frozen or flailing around because they can't operate with it.   So you have to learn to work with it before you end up in that situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-07T17:46:57.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2601" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="160" CreationDate="2014-01-07T18:11:12.283" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Non-toxicity&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No one thinks of this, until they've been burned by it.  A lot of people come to martial arts out of an emotional insecurity - fear, the need to feel control in something.  You'd think once they become adept in their art, they'd get over it, but a lot of instructors will simply inflict those same old problems onto their students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen instructors who emotionally abuse students, sexually exploit students, set up interpersonal drama between students to keep them from &quot;outshining&quot; the instructor, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I look for three things to avoid this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do they have a mean streak?  Do they have nasty insults about people?  About the students in front of them?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do they listen?  Do they actually respect requests from students?  Or do they simply say &quot;try harder!&quot; regardless of the situation?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Are they relatively straightforward about how they learned what they learned?  Is there at least enough humility to admit they've received training from others?  They don't have to worship a particular system or teacher, it's just that the instructors who seem to erase the fact that they, too, had to learn from others, tend to like to set themselves up on pedestals.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Basic presentation to specific advice&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best way to see how well you'll learn is to train with someone in a tester class or workshop.  You can see how they present the basic material in demonstration, and how well they give specific advice to each student.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not everyone is good at both!  Which means some instructors might be able to give you the general gist well, but you'll have to figure out the smaller details as specific to you, through investigation and hard work.  Other instructors might be terrible at explaining the general thing, but if you get one on one time, you can really learn a lot quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having a question or two between learning things is a good way to see how well they do the specifics - &quot;I'm having a hard time doing X...&quot;  &quot;I can't seem to get the power into this technique...&quot;  &quot;This feels weird, is it because my arms are too long/short compared to my partner?&quot; etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Adaptation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any teacher can show you exactly what they learned.  A good teacher can show you what they learned in a way that is better for you, specifically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means adapting techniques based on your body type (tall, short, heavy, light), injuries (knee, hip, back issues) and most importantly, being aware of what you need to prevent injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of my best kinesiology instructors also teaches acrobatics work and he points out that a lot of martial arts will demand people increase flexibility without looking at the person's body.  Not everyone's bones grow exactly the same - some people literally cannot get greater range of motion in some joints without sawing part some of their bone structure.  Other people may have joints prone to injury and what they need is stabilization and strengthening, not loosening of those joints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instructors who know their art well enough to help you train safely based on your needs, including the needs you may not have known but they can see?  Those instructors are well worth their weight in gold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-07T18:11:12.283" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2602" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="998" CreationDate="2014-01-07T18:46:44.920" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What is a concussion?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the last few years we've gotten a lot more info on them, and literally, they are brain damage.  What makes them especially dangerous is that concussions can be extremely unpredictable in terms of cause to effect - sure, getting hit harder in the head is worse, but sometimes lighter hits can cause severe concussions or heavier hits not one at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Concussions build up over your lifetime.  Earlier concussions make later ones worse and more damaging.  Receiving a second concussion while still under the effects of a first one can literally kill you.  (High school football deaths are mostly from this.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only way to avoid concussions is don't hit your head at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, you can do a few things if you're going to be in an activity where these happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wear headgear, use gloves.  Preferably, go light.  Really preferably, don't hit each other in the head and train well to take falls.  Obviously, this runs counter to a lot of self defense training and sports, so you have to figure out where on the scale you want to be and how many head shots and how hard is going to be necessary for you to develop and keep your skills and conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Strengthen your neck muscles.  The stronger your neck, the better you can take those shots because you'll have better stabilizer muscles.  You can still roll with punches, you just don't want the whiplash effect happening.  Stats show sports you wouldn't necessarily think of as being that brutal to the head having high rates of concussions (soccer, volleyball), primarily because they don't do a lot of strength training for the neck and supporting muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learn what the signs of a concussion are.  Don't ignore them.  Don't try to tough it out.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When do you have a concussion?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The old way of recognizing a concussion was to ask people things like - &quot;How many fingers am I holding up?&quot;  &quot;Who is the President?&quot;  &quot;What is your name?&quot;  These are valid in the loosest sense - if you lose the ability to visually focus, if you cannot remember things (including short term memory loss - &quot;What were you doing 2 minutes ago?&quot;), you have a concussion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you have a headache?  Do you feel nauseous?  Do you feel dizzy?  Does light seem too bright?  Do you slur your speech or mix up your words? You also have a concussion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If someone's eyes look in different directions, or the pupils do not match in size, there is a concussion.  If you shine a light in their eyes and they don't react, there's a concussion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sports teams now have a computerized word test they run people through while they're healthy and after they take a hit, run them through again - if they drop below a certain performance level, this indicates a concussion as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What do you do if you have a concussion?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have a headache that seems to be getting worse?  Go to the hospital RIGHT AWAY.   The worst case scenario is internal brain swelling/bleeding.  People who die from concussions typically die 30 minutes to a few hours after taking the hit, as their brain slowly swells and crushes itself inside their skull.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If not, the answer is it's time for you to stop training.  Take a rest.  Go home.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now comes the other unfun part of recovering from a concussion.  You're looking at 3-10 days of recovery IF you rest.  Rest means:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't take any other head hits&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Try to engage your brain as little as possible - no reading, no studying, no figuring out the tough problem at work...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Non-rest can increase your concussion recovery time to months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The concussion has damaged the neural connections in your brain, and you basically are stuck letting your brain connect things around again, starting from the most basic autonomic processes.  Things like &quot;pupils focus like this&quot;,  &quot;We control our tongue and mouth using these neural connections&quot;, etc.   Trying to read or intake heavy information ends up causing the brain to prioritize high level processes and leaves the low level ones unrepaired.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wow that sounds totally unreasonable!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yep! The brain is not well designed to take hits.  It helps if you remember that for most of human evolution we weren't designed to last quite as long as we do these days, nor did we need to do much more than organize hunting food or gathering it as a social group.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's up to you to decide for your own health how much risks you want to take with head shots and how you want to train around that.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can see a lot of traditional martial arts where sparring only involves body and leg shots.  That's an adaptation, but not necessarily as good for self defense.  You can also see arts where people do controlled drills most of the time, and only once in a while break out the head gear and go with any force.   That's more useful.   It really depends on what risks you plan on taking for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just be aware - muscle heals easiest, bone heals ok, joints heal hard, the brain barely heals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-07T18:46:44.920" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2603" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-01-07T18:51:22.897" Score="4" ViewCount="612" Body="&lt;p&gt;... since any technique is free to be used ?&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Logically each teacher could teach any martial art he wants ! but there couldn't be a federation, instructors and diplomas this way.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;There are very few martial arts that are complete, in the sense that they are suited for all situations.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;So which is it going to be ? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1463" LastActivityDate="2014-06-27T16:23:37.550" Title="What does a free fighting teacher teach" Tags="|teaching|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2605" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="644" CreationDate="2014-01-07T19:01:13.633" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Flip the question and you'll have a good idea: &lt;em&gt;When should I NOT run away?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your default norm should be to avoid/escape danger and then you only engage it if you HAVE to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a pretty easy pro/con way of looking at this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you avoid/run away, the best outcome is that you keep your health and safety and unless they decide to chase you down, that's pretty good odds.   &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you engage, the best outcome is still that you only keep your health and safety, but the odds are lower of success AND you may end up having to deal with legal repercussions, or having these people come after you again in the future.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Street violence boils down to people who want money/belongings, and people who want to hurt you.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The former are easy - they want to get your belongings and get out.  They don't want to hang around, don't want to risk you ID'ing them, don't want to take the chance of getting caught.  Worst case is maybe they punch or push you then demand your goods.  It's a few bruises, you're fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The latter are hard - because their primary goal is hurting you.  They may also have enough sense to want to avoid getting caught, so if you can get to a safe location you can hide in, or a public location, that may deter them.  If not, then you'll have to engage them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing is you don't &quot;win&quot; an assault, you survive it.  When you take away bullshit machismo from the equation, you realize there's really nothing to gain here - you are simply hoping not to &lt;em&gt;lose anything&lt;/em&gt; in the process.  There's no manhood expectations about punching out a shark or a bear - people just expect you to run and survive and that's courageous enough.   When you look at assaults the same way, you've got the right mentality.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everything else is just deliberately putting yourself in danger for an idea that doesn't protect you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-07T19:01:13.633" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2606" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1250" CreationDate="2014-01-07T19:31:16.970" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's this funny modern thing - the division between grappling or not grappling.  For combative situations, you hit, you grab, you twist, you throw - you do anything that works.   Historically, fighting arts had both (and weapons).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, ok, here you are, you've gotten mostly training in striking.  You want to learn some grappling.  You don't need to do a lot of grappling, but you need to have some basics.  Basics can at least let you get someone off of you, or enough space to get some knees, elbows, etc. in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Important things for striking focused arts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Practice close range strikes.  Practice them on your back.  Practice them when one of your arms or legs is grappled and you're off balance.  Practice them when you're in a headlock. etc.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Practice enough grappling to deal with clinches, shoots for your body/legs, headlocks and chokes.   &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Practice using strikes WITH grappling.  It's a lot easier to hit someone and get force in when you can control how they can or can't move around.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Practice going from striking to grappling - entries, defenses, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-07T19:31:16.970" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2607" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="293" CreationDate="2014-01-08T18:57:13.003" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some techniques and training do not stress the joints, others do.  It depends on the martial art, the teacher and the kind of training.  For example, a lot of judoka end up with bad knees.  Likewise a lot of capoeira folks end up with back injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Joint damage can be understood in 3 factors:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Too much stress, bad applied&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you try to do too much force or weight and at a bad angle, the joint can be destroyed.  Anything that involves a lot of bodyweight moving fast - your own or someone else's is typically what produces it.  Martial arts that use acrobatics, throws, or pivots on one foot tend to get these problems more.  Obviously, training/sparring with joint locks with someone who lacks control and goes too hard also produces this, since locks are designed to overpressure joints when used combatively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Slow grind&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long term damage happens when the joint is used improperly over years.  This is usually where we see stuff like meniscus disc damage on one side of the knee vs. the other, calcium deposits in knuckles or wrists, or spinal disc bulges/slips.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is particularly hard to screen for, as it requires a lot of knowledge of anatomy and kinesiology - it's not as simple as &quot;some positions are bad for everyone&quot; as much as &quot;Oh, your knee happens to have grown in this particular angle so this stance needs to be modified by this much to be the kindest to your knee cartilage&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because nearly every martial art trains repetitive movements to make certain actions automatic, this becomes a problem over time as you slowly grind away cartilage or over stretch certain stabilizing tendons.  Very few teachers have this level of anatomical understanding - a standard movement that is correct for 70% or 80% of the population is usually what folks know and they will simply repeat it as &quot;the correct way&quot; for everyone...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muscle stabilization and tendon strengthening&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the positive side, some training can improve your muscle stabilization and tendon strength to help protect tendons.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming you have a technique that protects your joints, the next factors are things that involve strengthening stabilizers and having you use them in reaction to constantly changing erratic movements (balance exercises, sticky hands work) are useful.  That is to say - the strength to absorb the stress has to be there, but also you have to train the body to be able to turn on the muscles in time to do so as well - otherwise the strength is useless if it's not there when you need it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tendon strengthening is done through light weight/resistance, repeated hundreds of times.   Low stance work can help a lot in this regard for protecting the knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-08T18:57:13.003" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2608" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1649" CreationDate="2014-01-08T19:13:31.833" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vertical Punch Action&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Vertical punch is typically used in arts that tend to use a guard that uses a lot of cross parries with the palms - escrima, wing chun, etc.  The movement efficiency is that all you need to do is close your hand and punch straight as less action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more valuable aspect is about line of force with punches.  The line of force for your arm is along your ulna - the bone in your forearm along the 'knife edge&quot; of your hand.  Punching with the ring and pinky finger knuckles, although smaller knuckles, simply lines up better with the direct force and a vertical punch does this well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Corkscrew Punches&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The corkscrew action is supposed to add some extra force to the punch as you now add the strength of the forearm muscles (which rotate the the ulnar and radius).  It definitely works better for altering the striking surface on downward, or hooking punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Modern boxers use this, so it clearly has some value regardless of whether the corkscrew actually adds more force or simply alters the striking angle.  Even with these I personally prefer to keep my striking surface to be the last two knuckles, rather than the two large ones, but that's me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My simple view of it is use either type as feels best to you given the art and movements you use.  The more complex part is if you use both, consider what your defensive movements are, what your usual lines of attack are, and which works best in a given case.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I study a style of silat where we use a lot of different angles of attack so we have a lot of different punch options, but usually you find yourself personally picking 3-4 that you default to all the time based on how you move and what's natural for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-08T19:13:31.833" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2609" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="271" CreationDate="2014-01-08T19:23:25.840" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends on the injury!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muscle injuries&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's primarily a muscle injury, you can do well with squats, leg strengthening, 1 legged balancing, and of course, the stance itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tendon injuries&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you've had a tendon damaged (replaced, torn, restapled to bone), then the issue is that the joint itself is unstable.  Again, you'll want to do strengthening leg exercises but at lighter weights and slower.  If you can do single legged balancing, this can help (hold on to a wall if you need to initially).   Slow leg kicks and similar control focused exercises will also help build the muscles up and the muscle intelligence to keep the stabilization of the leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When that's strong, try using a balance board as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cartilage damage&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you've had cartilage damage - meniscus discs, etc. I'd be very careful and honestly, you may not be able to do some stances or deep stances.  Cartilage barely repairs if at all, and isn't really replaceable.  You may end up having to simply forego some stances and adapt your movement/fighting style.   More pressure on damaged cartilage doesn't heal or toughen it - it continues to wear it away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The general rule is that muscle strengthens with use, tendon can be toughened over long periods of time, joints can be protected with strong, reactive muscles, but cartilage has to be preserved.  A lot of schools/teachers/training often will treat all types of injuries as something to &quot;tough out and work through&quot; which can make things worse!  Be careful with your body, train right so you can get the most out of it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your injury is a combination of the above 3 (common for sudden injury, falls, car accidents, etc.) then use the worst case scenario as the protocol, and be kind to yourself.  Whatever exercises the PT has given you, KEEP DOING THEM.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-08T19:23:25.840" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2610" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2603" CreationDate="2014-01-08T22:45:53.017" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As far as I can tell, there is no generally accepted definition of what &quot;free fighting&quot; means. It's definitely not a style in and of itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some cases, the &quot;free&quot; in &quot;free fighting&quot; can refer to the part of the fight where you and your opponent are free to move around each other and are not holding onto one another at all. So you're free. That would imply that whatever is taught there is everything excluding grappling of any kind. Lots of kicking, punching, knees, elbows, foot movement, head movement, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other cases, &quot;free fighting&quot; means &quot;free style&quot;. This means it's kind of like MMA, where you can pick and choose what you want to use from any style or no style. There's no guarantee what you'll get from this. Someone may be combining Taekwondo with Sumo wrestling! Who knows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In still other cases, &quot;free fighting&quot; refers to the real world, as opposed to sport fighting. They may still be seen as doing &quot;MMA&quot;, but they just want to make people know that their form of MMA is not optimized for sport rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And actually, there can be federations which accredit teachers of free fighting. That just means this is an organization of people who teach free fighting tactics and authorize teachers to teach it. Whether that means each instructor is obligated to teach the same stuff the same way, it depends on the heads of those federations. But even that is acceptable, and they still get to call what they do &quot;free fighting&quot; or &quot;freestyle&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for completeness in martial arts, you're not going to find any school that prepares you for every possible scenario on earth. But there are systems that focus on the things they believe will give you the biggest chance of success in most real world situations. And it's up to you whether you agree with them or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind, however, that each school generally believes they're the best. So it's very confusing. It's hard to know who to go with. I would just say go out and look at lots of different schools. See what they do. Ask questions. Talk with students and teachers. Go onto the internet and see what pops up when you look for their school or style. Ask questions on internet forums, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Especially check out BJJ and MMA schools, so you have something to compare against.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-01-08T22:45:53.017" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2611" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1" CreationDate="2014-01-09T04:35:17.423" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Muscle strength improves by resistance to an intended movement.  For punches, there's a few tricks that work well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Light Weights&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I say light, I mean ounces.  You might want to take a fishing weight or stones to use.  Lay on your back, do your chain punches with the weights in your hands.  Laying on your back means gravity is pulling the weight in the opposite direction of your intended movement - so you get the maximum resistance to your action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you try doing the punches standing up, the weights will be pulling your arms towards the ground, which will work the muscles keeping your arms upright, but not the muscles that deliver the power to your punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be sure to stretch AFTER doing these exercises.  Stretching resets the muscle spindles so they don't take the short contracted position as &quot;normal&quot; which is what ends up slowing down people who do a lot of weight conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Resistance bands/ropes w/weights&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Attach a resistance band to a wall or a rope over a pulley with weight so that you feel resistance when you punch forward.  Do your chain punches.  This is, basically identical to using weights, just a bit different in logistics and you can play with taking a half step either way and adjusting angles while you go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, stretch afterwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Training in water&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go to a pool.  Stand in water up to your shoulders.  Do your chain punches.  The water produces resistance which makes it more work for your muscles.  The draw back to this is that you can only move so fast in water and the nature of water resistance will make it tempting to lose your form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-09T04:35:17.423" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2612" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="421" CreationDate="2014-01-09T09:41:16.550" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;From the bits of Escrima I've done, there's usually a set of drills - &quot;Heaven 6&quot; and &quot;Earth 6&quot;, you can do them with a partner or do the forms by yourself.  Doing those will get your comfortable with moving both hands at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mostly the trick is that you have to learn the movements to maneuver the weapons around your arms without hitting yourself or locking up your own flow.   Doing those over and over will give you some basic movements that work well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have those in mind, the rest of it becomes variations or sections of it and it becomes a lot easier to do new movements or variations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-09T09:41:16.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2613" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1" CreationDate="2014-01-09T10:12:58.113" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Isolating the triceps will not be very effective. The most effective way to train is through functional exercises, in which more than one muscle must work together against resistance in a way that is similar to how the technique will actually be used. Let me list a few exercises we use (some mentioned already).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To increase power:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Resistance bands: we hold both ends, then put the band behind the upper back.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Long stick: there are many ways to use the long stick to work on the push-pull movement. The stick can be held horizontally (with two hands) or vertically (with one hand).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Medicine ball work: horizontal passing-catching with elbows down. Can also be done vertically, ie. lying down with someone standing over you and dropping the ball that you have to catch-rethrow.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lots of heavy bag and wall bag work.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Partner work: a partner can hold onto your fist and give some resistance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Push-up work: done on the fists, with elbows in, down is slow, up is explosive (jumping off the ground).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To develop technique:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;We emphasize the movement of the pulling hand equally (I think the &quot;chain punch&quot; was originally called push-and-pull-chasing punch). That is, one shoulder pulls slightly backward as the other shoulder pushes slightly forward. This pull-push movement can be practiced with a stick held in front, with the elbows strictly straight, then quickly pull one shoulder back-push the other. This helps in the timing and explosiveness.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1302" LastEditorUserId="1302" LastEditDate="2014-01-09T12:05:08.377" LastActivityDate="2014-01-09T12:05:08.377" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2614" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="271" CreationDate="2014-01-09T12:43:55.173" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Cycling is by far the best rehabilitative exercise for any part of the leg. It's low-impact ( or rather, non-impact) and doesn't put any limbs at odd angles. A pedal you can clip into will ensure that you work your ligaments on both the up- &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; down stroke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-01-09T12:43:55.173" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2615" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1250" CreationDate="2014-01-09T14:27:26.420" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would recommend training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, it's as simple as that. By training in BJJ up to blue belt level you will know how to keep safe and survive in locks and submissions, keep the fight off the ground and learn how to get off the ground if you are taken down or thrown. Although most people haven't trained in grappling they still know how to perform a head lock or strangle etc. By training BJJ you will know how to defend these types of attacks along with many more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1475" LastActivityDate="2014-01-09T14:27:26.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2616" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2014-01-09T15:05:25.790" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;wtf is in the olympics and is much faster paced and looking for point scoring, while itf is traditional and follow slower paced rules. itf might practice forms everyday while wtf fights everyday and practices forms only for test. if the school is high on fighting it could be uncomfortable to change&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1604" LastActivityDate="2014-01-09T15:05:25.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2617" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-01-09T18:45:49.493" Score="20" ViewCount="31068" Body="&lt;p&gt;What options do you have against a bigger opponent charging like a lineman? (not just punching or kicking, but using his body-weight to overthrow you).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1605" LastActivityDate="2020-12-01T23:18:26.673" Title="Self-defense against a bigger charging opponent" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="14" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2618" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2617" CreationDate="2014-01-09T20:48:51.740" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Loaded question.  Depends on many factors.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A) Do you have the option of running (and do you think you could outrun him)?  If so, do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;B) Is he within kicking range (and are you a strong and accurate kicker?)  A kick to a vital area (groin, ribs, solar plexus if you can reach) would be well worth your trouble.  This has the added advantage of stopping him before he gets too close.  Also, don't underestimate the value of a good stop kick to the shin.  A stop kick is a kick used to prevent kicking or halt forward momentum (such as a heel kick to the shin).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;C) If this person is barreling toward you like a lineman (a stupid way to fight), he probably intends to grab you and control you through grappling. You need to be effective at counter-grappling, that is, be able to grapple enough to escape.  Biting, eye gouges, testicle-grabs, are all fair game (if this is a self-defense and not a sparring situation).  If this person is a &lt;em&gt;trained&lt;/em&gt; grappler, tap.  No joke, tapping &lt;em&gt;may&lt;/em&gt; trigger his unconscious response to let go, at least enough for you to get some breathing room and/or leverage, but don't count on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;D) If you can, sidestep.  He's barreling toward you like a bull, so be a matador.  While you're sidestepping, make sure to hit him hard, fast, and multiple times, then run away as fast and as soon as you can. Be ready for him to put you back in his cross-hairs fairly soon though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think this question requires clarification.  What is the specific situation in which someone is just charging at you like a linebacker?  Who fights like this?  I can clarify my answer if you can clarify the question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-01-09T20:48:51.740" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2619" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2617" CreationDate="2014-01-09T21:00:40.527" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;I note your question is tagged with just &lt;code&gt;self-defence&lt;/code&gt; - what I explain here can be applied whether you are practicing an established martial art or just a bunch of self defence type moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is an exercise in a number of Japanese arts (karate, ninjutsu, aikido and more) called &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_sabaki&quot;&gt;Tai Sabaki&lt;/a&gt;. It involves doing the same repeated sequence of moves (whatever is chosen at the time, not like kata) while pivoting at the start of the sequence. Here is an &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tai%20sabaki&amp;amp;sm=3&quot;&gt;introductory Yotube link&lt;/a&gt;, you can explore from there. The purpose of the exercise is to turn and face - or in your case &lt;em&gt;deflect&lt;/em&gt; and face - so you are off the original line of attack, giving you a better angle to defend from.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general though you want to avoid meeting the opponent head on. You can meet them head on if your technique is good, but this can take some training to master. For example, rather than delivering a &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mae_geri&quot;&gt;mae geri&lt;/a&gt; (front kick) to the thigh from directly in front of them as they charge, you will have far more success if you step on a 45 degree angle and deliver the kick from there - this is what &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_sabaki&quot;&gt;tai sabaki&lt;/a&gt; teaches you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will also find that Aikido specifically has ways of dealing with this, many of its throws are based on using the opponents momentum as part of a throw (once again this involves turning as you execute a movement, just like tai sabaki). If you are a practitioner of a striking oriented system you can still practice aikido - you will find it complements whatever you are currently training in and expands your arsenal of moves while teaching you better positioning and movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2014-01-09T21:10:40.490" LastActivityDate="2014-01-09T21:10:40.490" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2620" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2617" CreationDate="2014-01-09T22:36:33.550" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Chances are, this isn't just someone charging towards you. This is what I characterize as &quot;The Berserker&quot;. The Berserker is a guy who goes crazy on you. He's going to charge at you, probably screaming, flailing his arms around, and doing all kinds of kicks mostly at thin air as he's coming towards you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Berserker is one of the hardest, scariest types of attacks to defend against. Most martial arts have a pitiful, unintelligent answer to this. You're typically going to hear something like this: 1) Evade, don't be there, make him chase you. Or 2) come straight at him (maybe even with the same ferocity and energy). Both these strategies don't work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you try to evade a Berserker, he will merely turn and follow you. If you can run and get out of there completely, great. That's common sense. But most of the time, a Berserker doesn't give you much room and time to evade.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One Berserker I had to deal with once (unsuccessfully!) in my early college days was when I was in a narrow hallway. There was no room to evade left or right. And turning around and running wouldn't have worked, since he already had a head start on me going towards me. He would have easily caught up with me, and my back would have been turned to him. I opted to kick at him, but he easily blocked it, got in some punches to my head and body, and took me down. I was helpless. That made me think A LOT about this scenario.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That leads me to the second strategy I listed above: Confront him head-on with kicks, punches, knees, etc. Basically, you're taking an offensive strategy here. As I found out, it just doesn't work!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A Berserker will merely put all his weight into you. And you might land one or two strikes, but a Berserker is someone who's flailing around rapidly. He's going to nail you five times for every one you land. Don't fool yourself into thinking your martial arts expertise will allow you to make one good punch or kick that will just put him down immediately. It won't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if you yourself actually go into Berserker mode to counter his Berserker mode, then both of you are getting seriously hurt. There's no telling who will win. This is just a stupid defense. It could work, but it's not intelligent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you insist on becoming a Berserker to defend against a Berserker, make sure you are constantly moving around, mostly sideways, not back-to-front. If you stand still, you're giving him a target he can lock onto. By not standing still, by bobbing your head around, you're making it real hard for him to target you. While you're doing this, you need to be throwing punches like mad. Don't focus too hard. Just flail your arms like he's doing. Because statistically, one will land, and that's all you need. Your body movement is just buying time for one of your strikes to land.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But as I said, that's not intelligent. And it's maybe just as likely he'll hit you before you hit him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, the way you deal with this situation is by practicing this scenario over and over again. This is worthy of practicing a lot, because it comes up a lot in real life. And if you can get comfortable dealing with this kind of an attack, it will spill over into just about every other scenario you may encounter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the Berserker is coming at you flailing his arms and legs, but he's doing so slowly enough that you don't need to sprawl, then you can duck in under a punch (accepting that you might have to eat some hits to your face), and go for a take-down. You need to get up close with him, pressing your shoulder into his chest. Hold on to his torso with both hands. Tuck your head down. Stick to him. This will prevent his strikes from doing any real damage to you. Next, take your leg and hook it behind his leg. Then take him down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the Berserker is coming at you too fast for a take-down, you'll need to stop his advance by sprawling, followed immediately by anything that will take him down. Think about doing a single leg take-down, a trip take-down, a whizzer, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sprawling and duck-and-shoot style take-downs are your bread and butter. Practice these often.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in summary, the basic strategy here is to control his forward advancement first, and then take him down. Once you have him down, he has lost his mobility. He's not as much of a threat to you and others at this point. You can then use that as an opportunity to exit, or you can go on to submissions and pounding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a high risk, high stress, no time situation. It's scary. Your adrenaline will be surging. Your accuracy will be greatly reduced. Your ability to think will be mostly gone. Many things can go wrong. Even when things are going right for you, you'll probably still take some strong hits. That's why this is something you need to practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-01-09T22:36:33.550" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2621" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2617" CreationDate="2014-01-10T11:06:33.910" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A strong jab (aka a &quot;straight punch&quot;) or headbutt to the nose or the tip of the chin will momentarily stun your opponent, giving you time to decide to fight or flee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You won't be thinking clearly enough to perform the five-point-palm-exploding-heart technique from Kill Bill or something you saw on a 70's kung-fu movie. The simplest, most effective way of dealing with an overpowering opponent charging at you is to stun him and make him think twice about what he's doing. Unless he's a professional boxer, he won't know how to deal with hard contact to the nose and will likely be shocked into incapacity. It also doesn't hurt that his eyes will be watering and there will be lots of blood. Ironically, a good boxer won't be charging you head-on anyway, so it's a pretty safe fall-back technique for this type of situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source: personal experience. LOTS of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-01-10T11:06:33.910" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2622" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2617" CreationDate="2014-01-10T16:20:27.743" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You need to do something like Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or Judo. These arts are great for  taking a persons force and using against them. Ignore all these stupid wing-chun kung fu type of martial arts. I've trained in wrestling, BJJ and Judo against guys who are smaller than me (I'm 6ft2 92KG) and had my ass kicked by guys who have great technique alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1475" LastActivityDate="2014-01-10T16:20:27.743" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2623" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2577" CreationDate="2014-01-10T20:19:18.860" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, it's possible, but if you focus on that you're likely to be disappointed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people who start (any martial art, or anything else difficult for that matter) tend to drop out after a short time, or simply not have the time or natural talent to rise to elite competitive levels. And that's ok. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems a little early to be caring about national level competition before you have your first class. You literally don't even know if you're going to like doing it at all, let alone whether a year from now, when you've learned all the basics and it's all about endlessly practicing the old stuff you already know, or if it's the competition (versus all the other worthwhile aspects of martial arts study) that will be what ends up being your main interest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I happen to think 16 is a great age to start, and have seen many people at that age or later become really good elite competitors when they are around university age.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, 20 years later, many of those elite competitors haven't done martial arts for years and often have injuries that would prevent it even if they still had the interest, whereas many of the less flashy &quot;slow and steady competent progress&quot; crowd still has it as part of their lives. Being the best when you're 18 does not necessarily correspond with still being decent at it and enjoying it when you're 30 or 40. Figure out what your real goals are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="698" LastActivityDate="2014-01-10T20:19:18.860" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2624" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2564" CreationDate="2014-01-11T00:43:06.370" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe I have might be able to help. My chiropodist and I have been working on a martial arts orthotic device for several years now.  We have created a barefoot sports (martial arts etc.) arch support based on a ankle sleeve support concept, so it's not a shoe and the orthotic arch support is a medium density EVA foam shaped specifically to offer support in either hardwood or foam tatami dojos.  I will be testing this product this february and I hope to start production this spring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Update:&lt;/strong&gt; It's been quite an adventure putting a product to market but finally... The MAO Martial Arts Orthotics are available from www.martialartsorthotics.com&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep Training !&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1607" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-12-07T04:29:51.000" LastActivityDate="2016-12-07T04:29:51.000" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2626" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2631" CreationDate="2014-01-11T23:53:16.013" Score="5" ViewCount="1167" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had conversation with one of the advanced students in our dojo and he strongly suggested when I'm blocking (being uke) I should take one deep breath before I attack the nage and as soon as I have contact, I should be slowly and continuously exhaling. Then our sensei pitched in and said that I should leave little bit of breath in, but I was not sure what a little bit was. This is suppose to apply in reverse as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please let me know if you have any other suggestions on how to handle breath while training, especially when falling hard to the ground and rolling (and if there is something you can do by yourself to develop better breathing habits). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user72" LastEditorUserId="1224" LastEditDate="2014-01-25T00:55:17.627" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T08:53:15.283" Title="Continuously exhaling while attacking or blocking" Tags="|training|self-training|breathing|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2627" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="995" CreationDate="2014-01-12T05:16:26.143" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Pre-communist legit taijiquan can bring a buttload of health benefits but in reality, it was designed really for combat. Seriously. Look up about the original &quot;taijiquan&quot; which came from the Chen family. And the mentioned founder of the family combat system: Chen Wangting. He was a general of the late ming dynasty. If you saw the fact of how he was able to pass the military imperial examinations and etc, you'd see that originally &quot;taijiquan&quot; was based on certain methods of conditioning and training for combat. Yes, even weighted training was involved (not talking isolated type of weight training where you divide muscle workout groups) and it had relevance to functional strength. For example, the 10-12 ft long big spear had a certain body method that requires you to use your body in a unified compounded way. It requires you to use your structural muscles/muscles closer and bigger to your core body as main power initiators as opposed to using segmented strength. Basically the ancient warriors had a pretty good idea on how to use our bodies as it was designed to according  by human physiology and anatomy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now in this context, the health benefits come naturally as you learn how to use your body as it was designed to. The combative art was created to help a person achieve optimal usage of their body in combat or similar situations. Yes, &quot;taijiquan&quot; has health benefits but really, it was not the point of practicing. The original point was about combat and improving oneself constantly as a whole person. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just my two cents. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1608" LastActivityDate="2014-01-12T05:16:26.143" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2628" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="648" CreationDate="2014-01-12T08:04:05.077" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muscle, Tendon, reflex responses&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The body has a natural reflex response when a part of the body is moved too fast - it tightens muscles to reflexively serve as &quot;brakes&quot;, to slow down the movement.   This is specifically a response to try to prevent joint damage.  This is a spinal reflex - the nerves send a response to the spine and the reflex is sent back without ever actually getting up to the brain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The body makes this &quot;judgment call&quot; based on what the muscle spindles have set as their expected, normal length.   If they're normally too short, you get muscle pulls/strains trying to do normal range-of-motion movements too fast.  If they're normally set at too much length, you have a destabilized joint and are open for injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stretching&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stretching is a way of resetting the muscle spindles to a new &quot;normal expected length&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you have shortened muscles, stretching can lengthen their expected range, and prevent injury.  If you have lengthened muscles, stretching only further lengthens them and opens you up to damaging your joints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So stretching might be good, might be bad, based on your body, and the exercises you're planning on doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The basic rule is to do dynamic stretching only up to the range of motion you plan on doing for the activity you're going to do.  Start slow, and increase speed and force as you go.  You'll notice this IS warm up movements.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Static stretching won't help the muscle spindles accept faster motion, dynamic stretching will.  Going further than your expected ROM will turn off important stabilizers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Static Stretching&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Static Stretching can be a good tool after resistance training - it resets the muscles longer (after they've been worked for shortening themselves).   For nearly most people, this is the only use for static stretching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other more specialized use is contortion.  After you've stretched the muscles to a certain length, you're now stretching tendon.  Tendon, unlike muscle, doesn't regain it's previous length after it's been pulled too far - it's like an over stretched rubber band.  which also means you've now got much more destabilized joints and will have to do more work to protect them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-12T08:04:05.077" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2629" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="794" CreationDate="2014-01-12T08:21:09.190" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muscles, Tendons, Reflex Reactions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, here's the important thing to know about stretching.  &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stretch_reflex&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Your body has natural reflexes in the muscle spindles which causes them to act as &quot;brakes&quot; to slow down a movement if it's being moved too fast for what the muscle expects.&lt;/a&gt;  It's a way to prevent damage to the joints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the point of stretching is that it resets the muscle spindles to accept a new length as normal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The benefits and problems of partnered stretching&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A partner can help you isolate your stretching to just the muscles or joints you're looking for, and help you reset muscle length that you may habitually have over tight due to stress or posture.  On the other hand, this requires a lot of anatomical knowledge and skillfulness on the part of your partner for safety - this IS physical therapy/kinesiology.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without this knowledge, a partner can:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stretch you too fast, causing the reflex action to cause a pulled or torn muscle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Go beyond muscle lengthening, causing torn or overstretched tendons (which destabilizes joints)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Have you set your muscles at a length too long to stabilize your joints safely&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(You can also do this to yourself... but the benefit to solo stretching is that you at least have a little more direct body awareness to try to stop if something feels wrong, at least...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Legs specifically&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, normally folks are stretching to get high kicks are doing stuff with hamstrings and hip muscles.  (Back and abdominal muscles would not be bad choices to stretch as well, just from kinetic chain factor...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only dangerous part is if you are doing the stretching (partnered or not) and not getting strength training at those end ranges as well.  With strength training, you can stabilize your hips and prevent injury, without it, you're opening up the joint play, but not in a controlled fashion - which makes you more likely for a pull, tear or strain at those end ranges... or in a fall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also the fact that &lt;a href=&quot;http://themovementfix.com/the-best-kept-secret-why-people-have-to-squat-differently/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;not everyone's hip bones are set up identically&lt;/a&gt;, and there will be natural limits to range of motion for some people - trying to stretch beyond a certain point for some is really just grinding the bone against bone (with your cartilage in between taking all that grinding...).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-12T08:21:09.190" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2630" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2014-01-12T08:54:57.053" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Lots of good answers!  I'm only adding a bit of context to some of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Teaching&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of history, people are illiterate.  You don't have a lot of options to transmit information.  A form is a simple thing you can memorize and keep practicing and pass down and keep the basic movements even if you're just a farmer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some styles would teach short 2-3 movement &quot;forms&quot;.  Other styles would teach 23 step, 108 step movement forms.  Usually when you actually break these down, it's just a long list of 2-3 step techniques.  Again, if you need to give someone a book who can't read, maybe it's just easier to chain together your 38 movement combos into 2 long forms so they can have something they can remember.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Warm up and practice without full equipment&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Forms are a part of a full training regiment, not a full regiment in and of themselves.  It gives you a basic warm up by dynamically putting your body through the range of motion in practice, and allows you to get the gist of the movement.  You do this, then you train with a partner in drills/sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some forms utilized either weapons, weight, or otherwise formed resistance training (&quot;Here, do this movement you would normally do on a horse.  Except real low stance like this.  This will strengthen your legs until we can get a horse, ok?&quot;  &quot;Here, do this movement, it looks like a flow-y dance except when I put this halberd in your hands now all the hand movements make sense, right? Ok, here you go.&quot;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Generalized movements to specified movements&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You find in a lot of weapon arts like escrima, kali or silat that you'll have similar movements with several different types of weapons, but they'll be modified based on the specific weapon you're using.  In these cases, a form will often be the general movement that works across the board and when you use a specific weapon you modify or adjust it by reach/speed to get the full value of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The form teaches your body generalized useful movements, which, then, you can apply specifically with practice to those weapons.   For example, escrima's &quot;Heaven 6&quot; is basically a barrage of parries/chops/hammer fists with empty hands, but when you put the sticks or blades in there, it's a barrage of parries/attacks &lt;em&gt;where you manage to not cut or hit yourself while using two weapons quickly&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hidden movements/forgotten movements&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As other folks have mentioned, forms serve as a way to either hide a technique or simply have been passed down without people knowing what it was used for.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also stuff like basic formal greetings, stretching or otherwise non-combative aspects being brought into forms and mistaken for combative movements.  (It would be like if someone imagined doing pushups was a secret boxing movement...).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a lot of historical reasons for all of this, ranging from massive societal disruptions, to the fact that guns superceded a lot of traditional weapons, to the very basic fact that historically we're talking about arts passed down by people taking lots of concussions as a regular part of practice...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Over and under valued&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Forms without live partner training are overvalued by many schools/lineages.  Forms without live partner training are also the reason forms as a whole are undervalued in other schools and lineages.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Forms are a great supplement for memory and basic movement patterns.  In some cases they can be good conditioning for dynamic stretching or strength.  Forms are particularly useful for weapon training.  In no case are forms adequate substitutes for live partner practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-01-12T08:54:57.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2631" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2626" CreationDate="2014-01-13T06:53:46.627" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well you're talking about the specifics of when and how to breathe, but maybe you really should be asking about why one breathes and what are you trying to do with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally speaking, when one exhales, this creates tension in the abdominal area. At the same time that your abdomen is tensing, you will also create tension in the entire core (the abdomen, the obliques, the lower back, the lats, etc.). A tense, strong core holds the back in place, which in turn connects the upper body with the lower body and allows them work together so that you can put your entire body into your punch, block, or whatever other technique you're doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This doesn't come naturally. This is something you're training to do. Over time, it will feel like it's natural.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Breathing out serves another purpose as well. It allows you to take hits to your solar plexus. If you've ever been hit there, you know that it's serious stuff. If you get hit there right as you're inhaling, it can cause you to stop breathing altogether, fall down, and go into the fetal position, helpless and in pain. It's what we know as &quot;getting the wind knocked out of you&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you learn to exhale whenever you're in a particularly risky situation. Anytime you're performing a strike or a block, you're generally more vulnerable to strikes to your abdomen. Why? Because 1) you're closer to your opponent now (he can reach you), and 2) because your hand is now occupied instead of being free to protect your abdomen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another time you exhale is when you're performing a breakfall. There are rolling breakfalls and there are slapping breakfalls. When you hit the ground, even if you're attempting a rolling breakfall, you risk hitting so hard that it feels like a hit to the abdomen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having some tension in the core along with breathing out just as you're impacting will prevent getting your wind knocked out during a breakfall. You can have your wind knocked out even if you land on your back, by the way, because the impact sends a shock wave through your entire body. Tightening your core muscles can also prevent damage to your bones and especially your neck and spine in most breakfalls. In some breakfalls, however, you'll need to loosen parts of your core, but that's a different subject.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as &quot;holding back&quot; some air while you exhale rather than exhaling all the way, that's generally a good idea. You often don't need to exhale completely to gain all or most of the protective effect. And your body needs that precious oxygen during a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you can experiment a bit to see what happens when you exhale all the way vs. exhaling part of the way. Find the point at which you're most comfortable. You just need someone to slap or punch your solar plexus for you (you tell him how hard to hit of course). It's unpleasant, but enlightening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to factor into your overall fighting game plan is that you can't just take quick inhales and long exhales. Doing that will drain your oxygen levels, and that will cause you to get tired quickly. So you try to breathe in and out slowly and continuously, and only exhale in short, strong bursts when you need to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is harder than it sounds, because fighting causes you to panic a little, and your adrenaline will surge, causing your heart rate to increase and your breathing to get choppy. You need to get control over your emotions and calm down a bit first. Then you'll have more success.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-01-13T06:53:46.627" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2632" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2626" CreationDate="2014-01-13T08:18:25.560" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In short, exhaling relaxes your muscles, giving you more of a &quot;snap&quot; to your techniques. But the main reason you exhale during defensive techniques is that your lungs act as shock absorbers in much the same way as a car's airbags release air in a controlled way to minimize the impact of a crash. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, if you are inhaling or are out of breath at the moment your opponent hits you, you will have the wind knocked out of you, leaving you gasping for breath and open to a powerful follow-up attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2014-01-23T08:39:15.397" LastActivityDate="2014-01-23T08:39:15.397" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2633" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2635" CreationDate="2014-01-13T08:19:06.140" Score="2" ViewCount="4719" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are many fighters like BJ PENN and Demian Maia that got their BJJ black belt in short period. Many say BJ Penn received it after 3 years of training - on Wikipedia they mention Demian Maia got his black belt after training 4 years and 7 months. What are their training schedule and how did they manage to receive their black belts in such a short period?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="500" LastEditorUserId="500" LastEditDate="2014-01-13T13:32:24.710" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T03:11:24.440" Title="What is the best way to improve your skills in BJJ (gi and no-gi) and become a black belt in short period?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|gi|no-gi|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2634" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="794" CreationDate="2014-01-13T08:30:25.460" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The one stretching exercise you should never do with a partner is where you sit facing each other and he pushes your legs into a split by pushing against your ankles with his feet while pulling on your belt. AL this does is put strain on the cross ligaments of your knees, which are a weak point in your body even at the best of times. In most cases where a martial artist has knee problems. you will find that he has done this exercise or something similar on a regular basis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Never use a joint as part of a lever when assisting someone in stretching. Push on the knees or elbows (depending on the requirement) rather than feet or hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-01-13T08:30:25.460" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2635" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2633" CreationDate="2014-01-13T12:45:39.513" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;BJ Penn and Demian Maia&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The training results of BJ Penn and Demian Maia &lt;strong&gt;cannot be replicated at will&lt;/strong&gt;. Some people just have natural gifts. Luck also plays a factor, as does physicality, especially as relates to avoiding injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without discounting the tremendous amount of hard work that he put into training, BJ Penn was bestowed with natural physical talent. Combining that with &lt;em&gt;full time&lt;/em&gt; training, as in multiple times a day for at least five days a week, he was able to advance quickly. Note that &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.sherdog.com/forums/f12/a-1555465/&quot;&gt;BJ also had a little haphazard BJJ training from a TKD instructor who was also a BJJ blue belt&lt;/a&gt;. I believe that TKD instructor is current BJJ black belt competitive monster Keenan Cornelius' father, Tom Callos, who has talked in interviews about training with BJ in the early days.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Demian Maia had some early exposure to judo, but it's unclear what exactly made him able to advance so quickly. Some people just do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Advancing Quickly&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best way to advance quickly in BJJ, as with any skill, is to train frequently. The top players in the art today train full time: multiple times a day, at least five days a week. They train at schools with world champions and copious sparring partners. They sacrifice many other elements of their life. They train hard, they spar with everybody, they think about the sport constantly, they analyze top-level matches, and many of them do strength and conditioning to keep themselves injury-free and in top condition. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-01-13T12:52:30.197" LastActivityDate="2014-01-13T12:52:30.197" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2636" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2257" CreationDate="2014-01-13T14:48:10.717" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would suggest playing the games of a 4 to 10 yr olds.  They often run jump and roll for hours. I watch my kids play, and play with them all thetime. they are more powerful in play than when they train because they are truly having fun, and so they end up training harderand they don't even kow they are doing it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I of course skip faster and farther than they do but when they start to hop from crack to crack on the side walk so do I. Of course I go two or three cracks to their one. Use their imagination you can make it as hard or as easy as you want to playing duck duck goose for example.  I am doing duck walks and hundreds of squats before we even get to the monkey bars for the obstical course. Just do what they do but modify it for your frame. Some times those tight tubes take a lot of work to get thru &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know this seems kind of silly. When you reach the zen of a kid the sky is the limit. Don't worry about looking foolish. You are forming great relationships with your kids, grand kids, nieces nephews etc, and can get an amazing work out at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1609" LastActivityDate="2014-01-13T14:48:10.717" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2637" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2101" CreationDate="2014-01-13T15:27:45.337" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience a twist when done correctly can generate more power. The thumbs up is faster, and easier to throw correctly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When in doubt ask the instructor.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1609" LastActivityDate="2014-01-13T15:27:45.337" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2638" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2553" CreationDate="2014-01-13T15:43:18.317" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just as you have mentioned in your question&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have noticed when I check a kick that the point of impact and the actual stopping point of the kick are far enough apart to allow a bit of dissipation of power from the kick  You are also stopping the kick before full power can be reached.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is like the monk who throws his stomach into the punch then allows himself to be moved back by the force slightly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1609" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-09-27T14:20:57.133" LastActivityDate="2020-09-27T14:20:57.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2639" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2617" CreationDate="2014-01-13T15:54:24.563" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This actually happened to me. I ducked and threw my side into him very low causing him to flip over me.  The end result was a concussion from his head meeting the floor, and 2 broken ribs for me, from his knee.&#xA;Do not do what I did!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can just avoid the charges.  It uses a lot of energy to charge like that. Tire him out by letting him do his thing. At this point I would just leave the situation I I could. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1609" LastActivityDate="2014-01-13T15:54:24.563" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2640" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="72" CreationDate="2014-01-14T17:29:04.763" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In michigan, as an martial artist  You are required to warn your assailant.  Only after several attempt to deescalate the situation are you allowed to defend yourself. Then you can still be charged with battery if it is determined  you used unnecessary force.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was sued for medical cost, after breaking a mans nose after he swung a bat at me.  I ultimately won the lawsuit but lost 2 days of pay being in court. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A state trooper once told me that if 2 people are in a fight, and there are no witness.  The one with the fewest bruises goes to jail on suspicion of assault.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1609" LastActivityDate="2014-01-14T17:29:04.763" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2641" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2617" CreationDate="2014-01-14T20:23:31.550" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;While I appreciate the fancy, exhaustive answers here, there is really a common theme that rises to the top: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you aren't there, you can't get hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Move. Don't stand their waiting to do something cool. Even if you can't move completely, try to move so you can trip him. There's no need to do anything other than that here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chances are, if he's charging, you have some time to get out. Note the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tueller_Drill&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Tueller rule&lt;/a&gt;: An armed attacker can cover 21 feet in just 1.5 seconds. That should be enough time for you to decide whether to meet and potentially get bowled over by the freight train, or scram. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1502" LastActivityDate="2014-01-14T20:23:31.550" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2642" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="72" CreationDate="2014-01-15T08:36:55.350" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is not an urban legend at all. UN resolution 502 (concerning the Falkland Islands invasion) has a clause stipulating that any soldier having earned a 2nd degree black belt in any form of martial arts can be considered an unlawful weapon. This stems from the fact that Taekwondo is very popular in Argentina and soldiers were regularly seen jump-kicking livestock.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ever since the resolution was passed, it has been a requirement that all martial artists residing within a country that has a seat on the UN council that are above the rank of 1st Dan (or its equivalent) go to their nearest police station and inform them of the fact that they are classified as a deadly weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be advised that many ordinary police personnel aren't aware of resolution 502's stipulation regarding 2nd degree black belts, so you may wish to speak to a commanding officer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It would also help if you demonstrated some of the more lethal techniques you have learned, like the somersaulting knifehand block and the spinning jab. But never under any circumstances demonstrate getsugatensho (if you don't know what this is, don't ask), unless you are prepared to spend a night behind bars.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reference: &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_502&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_502&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2014-01-15T11:32:24.117" LastActivityDate="2014-01-15T11:32:24.117" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2643" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2545" CreationDate="2014-01-15T17:31:00.620" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've actually learned more (in longsword) from a heavier weapon than I have from a lighter weapon.  The key with longsword is to learn how to use the handle as a lever, and nothing teaches that like weight.  It's very easy to tell when you're brute forcing a cut, as opposed to levering it with weight.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using a light sword, it's possible to do things that just aren't possible in a real fight.  In particular, combinations are possible with lighter steel, than can be done with proper weight swords.  Light swords lead to a tippy-tap kind of sparring that would never work in a real fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I start my students, and started myself, with steel and not wood.    The physics between wood and steel are so different, that there is no way to translate what happens with wood to what happens with steel.  Initially I started them off with wood, but when it came time to transition to steel, their reflexes were all wrong, they had to learn a whole new set of reflexes.  The key difference is that wood &quot;bounces&quot;, steel doesn't.  Students learn to use the bounciness in sparring to speed the next attack, and this creates combinations that don't work in steel.  The springiness of wood also makes coming to the cross at the tips or middle, common occurrences in longsword, almost impossible with wood.  This leads to students not understanding how to work at the cross, and hinders their development severely when moving to steel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="508" LastActivityDate="2014-01-15T17:31:00.620" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2644" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2545" CreationDate="2014-01-16T00:03:22.003" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is definitely best to start with a &lt;strong&gt;light weapon at slow speed.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You must give your body time to adjust to different movements and you must give your brain time to adjust to different techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When using a light weapon you are able to cheat (using improper techniques) so by going slow you provide yourself with the time to make conscious choices about your movement, maintaing correct form. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once your are comfortable (joints, muscle, mind) you can gradually increase the weight of your weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is always the temptation to progress but doing too much too soon can lead to serious injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1615" LastActivityDate="2014-01-16T00:03:22.003" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2645" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2555" CreationDate="2014-01-16T00:22:17.770" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Practising sword play will improve your strength. Other exercises will help too. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the past I have found the most beneficial for hand strength to be finger tip press ups, pull ups and kettle bell use. All of these rely on hand strength. It is important to remember your body as a whole, bearing in mind that for for every contraction there is an expansion and that every thing is connected. A full body exercise will do you no harm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As very few people ever perform at full strength full speed the relevance of strength is sorely underrated. Strength will enable you to react more quickly and more precisely, and obviously with a lot more power. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1615" LastActivityDate="2014-01-16T00:22:17.770" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2646" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2653" CreationDate="2014-01-16T16:43:06.143" Score="10" ViewCount="33538" Body="&lt;p&gt;I basically always cut my hair right at the moment when they start getting into my eyes when training. Now I want to try and grow my hair to a half long - long hairstyle. There are some solutions I know I can use to prevent my hair from getting into my eyes but none have really satisfied me yet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The solutions I have found so far are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Strong wax (like Murray's). I find this wax annoying because you can't rinse it out easily and your pillow gets all waxed when you go to bed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Knot. My hair is too short for this at the moment. I also think the knot will easily come loose&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Headband. I haven't got any experience with this. I can imagine it's not very handy with grappling,&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Braiding. The solution for matches of course, but too much work for training.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there better solutions?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="422" LastEditorUserId="422" LastEditDate="2015-11-24T08:25:35.787" LastActivityDate="2017-05-08T14:23:48.650" Title="What are good solutions for MMA training with half long hair?" Tags="|training|grappling|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="17" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2647" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2014-01-16T17:36:58.737" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can work on isolation drills where hair-pulling isn't allowed.  This will allow you to train without the hassle of putting your hair up.  For example, you could work on your standup skills, stopping and resetting the drill when someone hits the mat.  It might even be fun and beneficial for you to work only boxing or only kickboxing from time to time.  You'll still want to braid it for competition, however.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have long hair, but I train in mostly standup arts.  A pony tail holder works for me.  Most of my grappling experience is in counter-grappling, though I have spent some time rolling around on the mat.  One of the things I had to work on early on was various defenses against hair-pulling, since I knew this would be tempting for anyone I grappled with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While your hair is in that in-between stage where it isn't long enough to pull back into a pony-tail holder, a baseball cap turned backwards or bandana will at least keep it out of your face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-01-16T17:58:35.953" LastActivityDate="2014-01-16T17:58:35.953" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2648" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2282" CreationDate="2014-01-16T22:20:52.743" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is kinda an old post but I couldn't help but comment. What techniques should a white belt master to progress to blue belt? Well, I'm not sure that at the blue belt level you have &quot;mastered&quot; anything yet. However, at white belt you should focus on certain things to help your overall skill level progress efficiently. &#xA;I fall into the Saulo camp for the most part. While a white belt should be exposed to submissions, sweeps, etc. that should not be their focus. Submissions are the last piece of the puzzle and focusing on them early on will only hurt your game. &#xA;I think it comes down to survival. You should focus on surviving. So what does that mean? It means a few things, the first of which is relaxing, breathing and focusing on technique. Stop trying to win. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, good posture. I mean have good posture in every position and focus on learning what it means to have good posture from every position. Most schools drill what it means to have good posture when you are in someone's guard. But what does it mean to have good posture when say you are stuck in side control. Most white belts try to escape from side control before establishing good posture from side control. Understand what your opponents objectives are to control you in side control and then nullify those measures of control. Example: Keep arms in tight to avoid submission, block or remove cross-face, create frames with your arms for bridging by bracing them to the ground or your own body, turn into your opponent, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the flipside learn what good posture means for you in dominant positions and work to create pressure and break down your opponents posture. Submissions are a result of good posture and pressure. You can't pull off a submission against a skilled opponent without good posture and unrelenting pressure. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, focus on what you need to do from inferior positions. You are outskilled by your opponents as a white belt. You will primarily be in inferior positions. Therefore your research should be focused on learning and honing your skill from inferior positions. The more you focus on that the quicker you will go from being dominated to being able to dominate. Also, once you start to achieve dominant positions more often you will be able to better capitalize because you have a better idea of your opponents escape routes and can shut them down early.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, there is one added benefit to this approach. It removes the element of fear which allows you to learn more quickly. Think about it, you are calm, breathing, relaxing, focusing on technique and not focused on winning. Take that and combine it with focusing on good posture and survival techniques. Put it all together and you have no fear. You are thinking rationally. That helps you to progress more quickly. And in the end, I think that is the whole point of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1616" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-01-17T08:19:53.733" LastActivityDate="2014-01-17T08:19:53.733" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2649" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2014-01-17T03:41:29.303" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hair nets might be an option for you. But I think those are going to be too loose and would come off too easily during grappling. Same with headbands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How about a swimming cap like one of these?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B000F6E2JE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.amazon.com/Speedo-Silicone-Long-Hair-Black/dp/B000F6E2JE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They make them out of stretchable silicone, spandex, and so forth. It might look a little out of place in an MMA setting, but it shouldn't be too upsetting to anyone. You figure you're wearing skin tight rash guards also, so it kind of goes with the style. They can be put on and taken off real easily, also.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only problem I see is that it might hold in heat and sweat too much. There are some that appear to be more like a mesh, like a cross between a hair net and a swim cap. Those might work. If you can't find those, you could always get the swim cap and cut out whatever material you don't need to make it work better for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Headbands are problematic. The knot will come undone, if you use one with a knot. If you use the elastic band style headbands, on the other hand, they end up not staying in place and have to be readjusted all the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But you could use a cloth style headband (one without elastic) or a bandana, and then put the swim cap over it. The cloth would help absorb sweat, while the swim cap keeps it in place. You would just cut out a hole in the middle of the swim cap if you wanted it to breathe more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-01-17T03:41:29.303" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2650" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2014-01-17T08:03:40.030" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would say that if having long hair is so important to you then you should practice with it being in your face. The point of drills is not only to teach you what to do when things go right, but how to react when things go wrong, e.g. you get slapped in the eye by a lock of sweaty hair and now you can't see. Or do you want to wait until your hair comes undone in a competition before you gain the experience?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-01-17T08:03:40.030" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2651" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2014-01-17T09:33:26.013" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;All people (myself, other men and women) I train with use the same thing: knots. Either the &quot;samurai&quot; knot or a hair plait that is then secured with elastic bands. Have a look at this &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgaBq4RQtu8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Hair Tutorial : How to do a Bun&lt;/a&gt; for a starter. This is the best way I found not to have &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt; step on &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;'s hair after a break fall. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I experimented with a &lt;em&gt;tenugui&lt;/em&gt; (tied a la &lt;em&gt;kendo&lt;/em&gt;) but after the first &lt;em&gt;tobu&lt;/em&gt; (flip) &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; the &lt;em&gt;tengui&lt;/em&gt; went left, my hair went right, and everyone (me included) burst out laughing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-01-17T09:33:26.013" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2653" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2014-01-17T09:45:15.093" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are no good solutions. Long hair gets in the way of training unless knotted or braided, and even then it is liable to wiggle free and get in the way during hard training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All external tools--nets, headbands, bandanas, caps--are liable to come off. Well-executed braids and buns are slightly more reliable, but frequently come out anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You must choose between uninterfered training and long hair that flows freely. Sorry. That is how training goes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-01-17T09:45:15.093" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2654" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="417" CreationDate="2014-01-17T14:03:35.590" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bowing has been used thru the ages, throughout the world mostly to show subservience to your betters, to be lower than them, that you acknowledge them as your superiors. It has been adapted to show greeting salute, humility, apology and other salutations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many Kung fu and martial arts adapted the traditional bow to a new form to never take your eyes of your opponent. The open hand wrapped over closed fist bow was originated by a group of Quen Daoist monks from wu dang mountains. The two fists together meant battle salute while the hand covering fist meant 'I do not wish to fight but stand ready'. The monks migrated to the Shaolin temple. The Shaolin monks then edited this bow and gave new meaning to it with the left open hand. The closed fist represents the sun while the left open hand signifies the moon. The sun and the moon are the two great sources of light and when placed together they signify “Ming” which means bright in Chinese. The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) was an amazing era in Chinese history which saw an explosion in culture and prosperity. Many different martial disciplines adapted this bow and gave their own spin to it but it originated with the fathers of Gongfu not to be mistaken with the originators of martial arts which is ancient Thera 1650 bc with Minoan boxing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for Asian disciplines, Boddhidarma an Indian monk brought weapon styles to China and they adapted the styles to unarmed combat styles praise be Kung Fu and Karate were born but that's another topic. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Off topic: Martial discipline history is fascinating. Many styles predate any we currently practice. Japanese Koryu, German Ringen, the Togakure-Ryu manuals from India is exquisitely rich in disciplines also. I teach at Michigan state devoted my life to martial study and after 20 years barely scratched the surface&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1617" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-01-20T12:34:35.467" LastActivityDate="2014-01-20T12:34:35.467" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2655" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="417" CreationDate="2014-01-18T03:00:20.477" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The fist is symbolic of fighting or war, the open hand is covering it showing that we come in peace, but are ready for war if that is what the other person wants or brings. The open hand with the fingers straight is also similar to an extended open hand ready to be shaken. With the fingers outstretched towards the other person it's basically showing that we prefer to be at peace over war. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are of course many other meanings attached to it as well, but that is basically what is taught in the gung-fu system that I learned. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastEditorUserId="1486" LastEditDate="2014-01-19T00:08:01.247" LastActivityDate="2014-01-19T00:08:01.247" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2656" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2617" CreationDate="2014-01-18T05:32:46.960" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's obviously some doubt as to whether the question is what can an untrained defender do or what should a reasonably competent martial artist do.  For the former, assuming the fight's unavoidable I'd recommend stepping in suddenly and deep to catch the attacker before they're expecting engagement, using a palm strike, elbow, front thrusting kick or knee - whatever you think you can make work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a trained kicker - I recommend the side thrusting kick...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like several other respondents, I've also been attacked in this style... someone charging from 15 or 20 metres away.  I stepped in with a gliding side thrusting kick - the footwork moves you in a couple metres and the kick reaches out considerably, so you're meeting the opponent four or five metres in front of the point they expect to be hitting you (possibly more - they probably expect you to back away), when they're basically in the middle of a running motion or just starting to tuck down for a dive/tackle.  Their own momentum makes them defenceless.  I kicked through his chest lifting him off his feet and throwing him backwards to land on his back.  He was about 10cm taller than me and of a solid &quot;footballer&quot; build.  I had practiced this kick extensively against heavy swinging bags and other targets.  You might doubt the kick could have enough power, but there was little feeling of impact - the kick can very easily do this.  I deliberately held back from full &quot;snap&quot; power in my kick (i.e. reducing the peak power at impact and pushing him more / I tend to have to be angry to lash out with real intent to maximise damage, which is a rare thing for me), and I was wearing soft sneakers, but it took him a good two minutes to stand up, and he made no attempt to continue the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I used a &quot;checking&quot; kick variation of this technique against another charging attacker - albeit smaller than me this time - he'd just robbed a shop and was trying to get to his car: he was pretty determined to land a &quot;good one&quot; quickly or scare me off - telling me he had a knife while searching his pockets - and after a couple ineffective swipes at me he charged and I checked his forward progress with a side kick to the hip - not trying to knock him down - again he turned and sprinted for his car.  I was trying not to hurt him as I had been walking past the outside of the store and it was my girlfriend who said &quot;go stop him, Tony&quot; - I wasn't sure what he'd done and was initially planning just to talk to him.  One of the times I had an endorphin reaction in a fight - you're so mellow it's hard to be aggressive, which isn't necessarily a good thing, but everything slows down nicely and it's so easy to control the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So - side thrusting kicks are recommended.  You can cover ground quickly to hit them at an unexpected point in their approach, the leg reaches out much farther than their fist could and your head's way out of their reach when you make contact.  But, not many arts do them particularly well.  See 2:50 onwards in this tutorial if interested - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTtyTOLqnoc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTtyTOLqnoc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-01-18T05:32:46.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2657" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2577" CreationDate="2014-01-18T05:55:18.280" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience training in and teaching TKD, I've found it can be an advantage starting around 16 rather than at say 12 or younger... younger students struggle to understand or find interest in the subtle body mechanics needed to do the techniques with optimal power, balance, efficiency etc..  They can form bad habits that rely too much on flexibility, brute effort and stamina, or get caught up in being &quot;flashy&quot;, and can be shielded from the limited utility of such technique by older seniors' kindness towards kids their age.  Bad habits can easily last a lifetime if someone feels &quot;hey, I've been doing this since I was 6 and I've heard a hundred instructors talk about the technique so I don't even have to listen - just waiting here for the go on the next pattern or drill&quot;. Careful listening, deep thought, comparisons and contrasts, experimentation and observation on targets and in sparring etc. is a constant need for reaching the elite, and a curious 16 year old is well placed to form that mental attitude as an enduring habit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-01-18T05:55:18.280" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2658" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2538" CreationDate="2014-01-19T06:05:15.690" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;THelper has some great links and information, to which I will add a couple other factors:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;when someone prepares to lift something they suspect they may not be able to lift, they tend to position themselves so their arms are tucked in tightly against the body, hoping to have more of the leg and core strength transfer through to the hand doing the lifting.  When primed to lift like this, there's normally a short range of motion that's very strong, so you can lift by perhaps 5cm from the starting position before you'd need to reposition yourself.  If the person they're trying to lift ensures that from the starting position they have room to just relax and let the exact body parts being pushed move the 5 cms without stiffening and letting the lifting power transfer through that limb to the body itself - for example by letting an elbow that was initially downwards rotate towards their back - then there's no net lifting effect on their centre of mass.  After someone's made their attempt, there's the psychological question of whether they'll say &quot;yeah well, that didn't mean anything - let me reposition myself and try again&quot; - but the &quot;performer&quot; will already be indicating the demonstration is over....  Another perspective on the same thing: if you really wanted to lift an unconscious person you'd sling them over your back or something and get your centre of mass in close and expect to have to lift up until you feel them dragging downwards and they're all stretched out and start to lift off the ground, but with someone you know is conscious, and who's giving you instructions about how and where to lift, you'll likely be expecting more resistance / cooperation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;if your hands are touch someone and you start to tense in preparation to push/lift, and see the other person is also tensing, you'll get a feeling of muscular effort before you've actually even tried to move, just from having your antagonist muscles engaged.  If the other person then relaxes, there's a split second where you have to either relax the antagonists and start actually pushing, or you keep the tension there without moving.  Your nervous system is actually surprisingly comfortable just doing that latter, and psychologically it can seem like the &quot;right&quot; thing to do in that situation, then you're tensing against a relaxed limb for no particular reason and they're feeling clever....&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-01-19T06:05:15.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2659" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2014-01-19T12:53:40.687" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I tried this solution out and it works.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tie you hair in a pony tail&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;put a bandana or &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Buff-Original-Function-Headwear-Graphite/dp/B004GUSWXM&quot;&gt;buff&lt;/a&gt; over your head with the hair inside so that it is not hanging out.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Put a mma/wrestling &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Authentic-RDX-Grappling-Wrestling-Halmet/dp/B00GEYK1K0/ref=sr_1_5?s=sports&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1390135855&amp;amp;sr=1-5&amp;amp;keywords=mma%20ear%20guards&quot;&gt;ear guard&lt;/a&gt; over your head covering the front part of the buff/bandana, and the rear part holding it firmly on your head&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This holds the hair under the cloth so that it doesn't rub directly on an arm or hand to come loose and tug. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastActivityDate="2014-01-19T12:53:40.687" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2660" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2014-01-19T16:23:27.063" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is definitely a controversial topic.  My thoughts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;kata practice often involves sequences of movements and stances that we'd be unlikely to practice and drill repetitively otherwise - being &quot;forced&quot; to proficiency in these movements is a large part of what gives a martial art a consistent technical foundation spanning generations - and divided groups - of practitioners, motivating the practitioners to work not only on their strength but their weaknesses as well, even if they (or their instructor for that matter) doubt the importance or benefits&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kata tend to encourage a range of movements that develop skills with both left and right sides of the body, and have a mix of techniques ensuring reasonably balanced muscular development: doing only bag or partner work can easily become over-focused on too few techniques&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;kata practice involves more footwork and changes in direction that hitting a static target like a makiwara or punching bag, but doesn't require the constant small adjustments and compromises involved when working with a training partner - which can make it hard to really &quot;groove&quot; the movement; three cheers for all that Bruce Lee stuff about having no form and adapting to the moment, but all that works best if you've learned the form deeply first then transcend it&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;while practicing a single movement gives a good opportunity to really focus on and perfect it, there's a danger of not practicing moving into that movement from a variety of stances or prior movements, nor learning to recover quickly for a mix of subsequent footwork and/or technique - kata combine a deep focus on individual movements with focus on the transitions&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;this is really the key benefit of kata&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;: the challenge of &lt;em&gt;perfecting&lt;/em&gt; the speed, power mechanics, balance, recovery etc. for each movement given a variety of prior and subsequent positions - in a totally controlled and reproducible situation (i.e. sans partner) - observing their range, considering the vulnerabilities during their execution etc..&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;kata obviously have the benefit of being able to be practiced alone&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;AND &lt;strong&gt;THAT'S ENOUGH&lt;/strong&gt; - THAT'S AWESOME - ENOUGH FOR SEVERAL LIFE TIMES&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;THIS NEXT POINT IS A DISTRACTION THAT DETRACTS FROM THE BENEFITS AVAILABLE FROM FOCUSED STUDY OF THE ABOVE...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, many won't like this, but what I believe is overwhelmingly BS is the notion that there are myraid deeper &quot;applications&quot; hidden in kata - where seemingly simple techniques like punches or low blocks are either &quot;actually&quot; or &quot;alternatively&quot; elbow breaks or throws etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;often these alternatives can be demonstrated with some success - enough to impress juniors who are used to the day to day block and strike techniques but have no real expertise in breaks or throws - but as someone with several years of hapkido as well, I can say with confidence that most of these alternatives proposed for karate and taekwondo kata are poorly conceived, and any &quot;master&quot; at the supposed application would not have used any movement that could be misinterpreted as the outward technique for which the application is the hidden secret: learning the &quot;secret&quot; applications this way would be setting the practitioners up to be very mediocre at those breaks or throws, or leave themselves unacceptably vulnerable during their execution or follow up given a defender versed in such techniques&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;very often, some mediocre martial arts &quot;master&quot; who doesn't have the aptitude or patience to achieve an exemplary standard, or obsesses on whatever fame / followers / fortune motivates them, finds it easier to dream up or buy into some elaborate stories about hidden meanings in kata, then they've got a whole plethora of extra &quot;secret knowledge&quot; to impress with; the same thing happens with &quot;masters&quot; suddenly teaching senior students meditation or chi gung or reiki or some other peripheral activity that they're probably not even &quot;black belt&quot; level at, but given the students are likely complete beginners it's another distraction and claim to expertise supporting their authority&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I fully accept a few movements in katas may have been misinterpreted and simplified to some more common technique they outwardly resemble, so corrections along the lines of &quot;that's actually xyz&quot; will occasionally happen over the years as faults in the transmission of kata are corrected (or begun/propagated), but that's another matter: once the purpose is clarified the technique should be being done in a way intended to be optimal for that application, rather than with any intent to remain outwardly similar to the earlier mistaken technique&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the purpose of some techniques isn't obvious to an unfamiliar observer - again, I'm not saying it should be, I'm just saying when the kata movement is a &quot;punch&quot; it's a punch and only a punch, if it's a &quot;pressing block with fist&quot; or something then it may look pretty similar, but it will be the same application every time the kata is practiced and you as practitioner should be focused on mastering that specific application  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;As sanity checks:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you're being told some movement is to throw an opponent standing in such-and-such a position, imagine a jujitsu master moving in to affect the same throw - would it conceivably look anything like what you're being told to do? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Would it work on someone who wasn't from your own style?  For example - I visited a high-ranking karate master here in Tokyo who had taught his students flawed stances - a &quot;forward&quot; stance where the front knee extended past the toes - and flawed habits - like remaining tense after completion of a punch - then felt clever wandering around grabbing their front arm and pulling them forwards off balance... it only worked on his own students!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2014-01-21T16:36:57.097" LastActivityDate="2014-01-21T16:36:57.097" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2662" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2633" CreationDate="2014-01-21T05:13:49.763" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Train More.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only real way to get better at anything, and especially Brazillian Jiujitsu, is to train more. That's the only answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason Demian Maia, BJ Penn, Kid Dale etc got their black belts in a few years, is because they trained 2 or 3 sessions a day, 6 days a week at their prime for competitions etc. You can not only pack a lot of years of training into your time that way, but this constant, intense focus, can really help you see. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other reason they advanced quickly is the quality of instruction and training partners they had. It is much easier to get better quickly at Brazillian Jiujitsu when all your training partners are really good black belts. White belts spazz, they're not very good to train with because they don't know what they're doing; that's okay, they're whitebelts, they're in survival-mode, but when you constantly have to worry about not getting accidentally elbowed, or somebody cranking an arm because they have no clue, you cannot train properly. Black belts who can tell you exactly when to move where at every position are much more useful training partners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They also likely made sacrifices in their daily life to train so much; after 3 trainings a day, you don't want to do social things with all your non training friends. Sometimes they won't understand and you'll drift apart. Those are sacrifices you might have to make.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And no doubt they were a little talented to boot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the key here is, it doesn't matter how long it takes to get a black belt; if you do it right you're going to be grappling for the rest of your life; what does the color of the belt you wear &lt;em&gt;right now&lt;/em&gt; matter? It doesn't, just focus on being a better training partner, competitor, student and person, be diligent and study at home.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2014-01-21T05:13:49.763" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2663" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2603" CreationDate="2014-01-21T05:23:13.207" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;'Free Fighting' is an old term meaning MMA basically. Before the UFC had come to dominate all that was mixed martial arts, people called it by all kinds of names. Shootfighting, Mixfighting, Free fighting, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would expect MMA techniques, and other self-defense techniques. e.g. you will likely (hopefully) get a mixture of boxing, wrestling, submissions and conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2014-01-21T05:23:13.207" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2664" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2014-01-21T05:28:57.727" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Have you tried cutting it? There is a reason most people who are serious about the martial arts shave their heads (Krillin, Shaolin monks, bald dudes with beards and tattoos)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Serious answer: I have not seen anyone do anything successful about long hair. It sucks for your training partner too when they gi grip and they realize they've got a chunk of your hair. When they're friendly they'll regrip for your benefit, if they're not, well, prepare to have some weird bald spots&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2014-01-21T05:28:57.727" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2665" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2617" CreationDate="2014-01-21T05:35:41.927" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Learn to sprawl.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;High school wrestling 097; go learn to sprawl. A good sprawl will move you out of the line of attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The real thing you need to though, is have guys charge at you with the intention of taking you down/whatever, and you doing a defense on a regular basis, say every day at 6pm at your local wrestling/grappling/Bjj school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2014-01-21T05:35:41.927" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2666" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2667" CreationDate="2014-01-21T09:30:33.717" Score="2" ViewCount="378" Body="&lt;p&gt;Will Power Training affect your grapple skills if you combine it with BJJ or another grapple art? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many say it's better to focus on BJJ, instead of combining it with Power Training. They say you will use power instead of technique when rolling or at competition. Is this true?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="500" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T08:31:44.747" Title="Will Power Training affect your grappling skills?" Tags="|technique|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|recommendation|power|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2667" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2666" CreationDate="2014-01-21T11:53:11.507" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, power training will positively affect your grappling. It's important to understand how.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All techniques require a degree of physicality. (Muscle is, after all, what moves your body in the first place.) Physicality includes strength (the ability to produce force), power (strength applied quickly), conditioning, and other attributes like balance, agility, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The goal of martial arts skill is to act as a force multiplier, allowing you to maximize the utility of your physicality. Skill can overcome a strength disparity, but strength and physicality will always be a factor. It is best to have both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If training for power or any other element of physicality interferes with your BJJ skill training, that's a problem. But &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=122486&quot;&gt;you want to be as strong as possible, as fast as possible, as explosive as possible, and as conditioned as possible while also maximizing your grappling skill&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-01-21T11:53:11.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2668" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2084" CreationDate="2014-01-21T16:07:18.950" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I like Juann's advice to circle towards their weaker hand, and it sounds like you're already closing then disengaging.  I'd add: don't get fixated on the punches.  I often have to remind myself of this as I'm a heavy hitter and a perfectionist and don't like to concede anything, and I train mainly kyokushin these days which easily degenerates into a slug fest as we're not punching to the head, but often the smart move is not to match punch for punch. Even when you are stronger, faster, tougher and overall capable of dominating, once you're overly focused on proving that and making it work for you, you may get taken by surprise by a sudden change up from your opponent.  Instead, be the one doing the change up - after you hit them as you close distance, if you find they're looking to assert themselves and power through punching at you, just pick up your front leg for a front kick and work their front-side floating rib under the arm they're looking to attack with.  Instead of taking it for granted that they can plow forwards to get a &quot;revenge&quot; strike in, claim &quot;territory&quot; so to speak and generally  assert their authority, they'll realise they have to prioritorise their defence and earn their opportunities; as your leg has more reach and strength and needs minimal telegraphing this can be very effective. If you find they're anticipating your front kick and looking to keep their front elbow down until they're at close quarters then switch to punching, try mixing in low mawashi-geri/turning/roundhouse to the thigh or as a sweep, picking at the thigh with your heel, a quick switching for back-leg knee or front-kick from a slightly different angle, a front soto-geri/slapping kick, a twisting kick, an axe kick, a jumping back leg spinning back kick etc..  Keep varying the threat, distancing and timing and make them work to close on you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also - learn to &quot;trap&quot; with your arms.  When you're circling, or block moving for a blind side advantage, learn to keep your arms across the back of their upper arms so they can't orient their arms towards you to attack. If your back hand is free you can swing in hooks to their front with your free hand; whichever hand's free there's plenty of opportunity for punches under their front arm and into their back (dojo etiquette allowing). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-01-21T16:07:18.950" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2669" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2666" CreationDate="2014-01-21T16:11:23.807" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Power will always help but when you're up against someone who has a decent amount of skill such as a Purple Belt your strength will be close to useless. I've experienced this myself as I'm 6ft 2 about 92 kgs and used to do plenty of weight training, when I first got on the mat I would be dominated by smaller weaker guys who were using technique alone against my brute force and anger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using power will affect your performance as you will not be using the correct techniques which means you will burn out quickly and have no energy or strength left.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you use technique with power then you will be a tough guy to roll with!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1475" LastActivityDate="2014-01-21T16:11:23.807" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2670" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2577" CreationDate="2014-01-21T16:51:02.307" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;16 is good to start. It's more about how much you practice. Don't ask what age you should start at, because there isn't much you can do about that. Ask what age you can get black belt in by practicing a ton based on your current age. Set a realistic goal. Keep setting realistic goals every few years. It's good motivation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1625" LastActivityDate="2014-01-21T16:51:02.307" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2671" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2014-01-21T17:46:22.923" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do BJJ/grappling and stand up jujitsu, and I've discovered the following works best for long hair:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pull your hair into a tight, low ponytail on the side of your head, not straight back, else when you grapple it will get trapped under your head on the ground. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Quickly braid the hair and secure with a second band! &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's nowhere near the work of the full double-french braid that everyone uses for competetion, and it holds just as well.  Happy grappling!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1626" LastActivityDate="2014-01-21T17:46:22.923" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2672" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2666" CreationDate="2014-01-22T07:12:13.553" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I like Dave Leipmann's response where he makes it clear that you improve with both skill and power / strength training. You combine both for the best overall effect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the comments I often hear in BJJ circles is that women often learn better / faster than men, because they don't have the muscle strength that men do. And so they will stop and try to figure out what they're doing wrong rather than trying to power out of something like guys do more often.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that doesn't mean that men (or women for that matter) should avoid power lifting and other supplemental exercises outside of class. It just means you have to watch yourself. If you find that the only way you were able to get out of a hold, for example, was to power through it, then make a mental note of that. Later on, ask others how it could be handled better using less force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make a habit of that. Always ask questions. Never be satisfied with your result. Always look for a better, smarter way. Ask yourself why it took so long to do something. Could you have reduced it to 4 steps instead of 5? Was your opponent off balance or unstable in some way that you could have used to your advantage? Etc. And at the same time, outside of class, work on your physical attributes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a time to go all out and use all the force you can muster, and generally class time isn't it. Class time is where you learn how to do something better. It shouldn't be about who's stronger, who's been lifting like crazy in their spare time. Leave your pride and ego at the door. You're there to learn. Don't try to make up for a lack of skill by using power. A much weaker student might actually be able to show you something you can use if you let him/her.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At a competition, yeah you should go as hard as you want. That's an appropriate time. Rolling after class with someone who also wants to use more power, yes that's fine, but maybe it's best to make that sort of thing infrequent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-01-22T07:12:13.553" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2674" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2545" CreationDate="2014-01-22T12:07:03.457" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;First off I think it our choice of trainingweapon depends on whether you want to start practicing on your own, or join a club. If you are planning to join a club, I'd say wait and see what they are using. Some clubs prefer steel other nylon wasters. This might save you the costs of new/additional gear ;). Also, and this might be different from club to club, my trainer always has tons of extra gear with him you can use during training. That way you don't have to invest a ton of money into it in the beginning. For all you know it might turn out it isn't what you expected it to be after a few lessons:). You can use the HEMA alliance club finder to find a club near you &lt;a href=&quot;http://hemaalliance.com/?page_id=686&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://hemaalliance.com/?page_id=686&lt;/a&gt; .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said. I'd advice to start with a lighter weapon more specifically a wooden or nylon waster. The choice depends on what you are trying to do. For instance, binding is better practiced with wood since the nylon version is a bit floppy when it comes to this. The nylon version is great for doing flowdrills. It's about 1/2 or 1/3 of the weight of a normal longsword. It is a bit harder to get the feeling and 'flow'right, but since chances are you don't execute the motion the right way the first time it's better for your joints. The first time I did a flowdrill the wrong way using a steel longsword my wrists hurt for about a week ;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the schools I know (over here in the Netherlands) use a nylon waster as their first training weapon. We use the Rawlings nylon longsword (I'm kinda guessing you want to start practicing longsword). It costs around 70 euros (bit of a guess here) and the site where we buy them from is the knightshop. I bet there are US sites that sell them too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These can be used for sparring too. However as Jim Barrows said about wood, since it isn't steel it reacts in a different way making you able to do things you wouldn't be able to do things with  a steel sword. Also, even though it isn't steel nor sharp still use the proper protection. From what I heard from my trainer steel breaks a bone more or less straight, nylon tends to leave a mess (also you can still poke someones eye out ;)).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now for the steel weapons you have two choices. A blunt steel sword, or a federsword.&#xA;I haven't used a feder yet but apparently it handles like a normal sword but is a bit safer. From what I know they used these at the Swordfish and HEFFAC tournaments, so I think they are the new tournament standard now (at least in Europe). The feders used at my club and at Swordfish are made by Peter Regenyei which is apparently on of the best in the business at the moment, or at least so I've been told. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aah yeah, and please don't use the CAS hanwei ones. Those are banned from our club after breaking during fights and in particular after breaking during a stab resulting in the defender being pierced by it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another lesser know option (especially if you don't have a lot of room to practice) for flowdrills is the Swing &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mblades.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.mblades.com/&lt;/a&gt; . I haven't used it yet, but apparently it is well received by the community.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope my reaction with what we use/ I've seen being used helps you out a bit with your choice.:)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1630" LastActivityDate="2014-01-22T12:07:03.457" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2675" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2617" CreationDate="2014-01-23T06:49:20.447" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aikido might come in handy. Since your opponent is strong and charging towards you, you can't use a stop kick or any other kick above the waist since it makes you unbalanced and you will be overthrown even if you landed a perfect kick. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the best option would be to move away at the very end or use your opponent's speed and make him fall. One thing you can do is you can go down and kick him below knees to make him fall but this should be done at the very last moment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In aikido there are moves which will use the opponent's force to make them. So you can try it&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1170" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-01-23T09:48:08.387" LastActivityDate="2014-01-23T09:48:08.387" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2676" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="465" CreationDate="2014-01-24T11:38:26.947" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just as there are many ways to skin a cat, it is important to realize that there is not just One True Mount. There are many different types of mount, and different concepts apply for maintaining them. Here are some keys I use for some of them:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Low mount&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ankles crossed under opponent's thighs or grapevined at his ankles.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hips pushing into opponent&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knees flared out (See Roger Gracie)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Awareness of opponent trying to trap an arm for the trap-and-bridge escape&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mid mount&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Squeeze opponent's trunk with your knees&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Heels hooked under opponent's thighs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Awareness of opponent's hands and elbows as he might try to push one of your knees down for an elbow escape into half guard or butterfly/half butterfly.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;High mount (knees in opponent's armpits)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Squeeze with the knees&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Absolutely no space between your legs and the opponent. It is more important to be close with your legs and &quot;fit&quot; around your opponent than it is to put hard pressure at a certain point.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Stay aware of your opponent swinging his legs up and over to try for the monkey escape. Be prepared to lean forward over your opponents head and quickly shrug off his feet if this happens.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you decide to put your left hand in your opponent's collar to start going for a cross choke, it is a good idea to compensate for this loss of base on the left side by moving your head and upper body to the right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Experiment with shifting your balance to put more pressure on one side. Symmetry is not important in maintaining mount, as long as you get the job done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1637" LastEditorUserId="1637" LastEditDate="2014-01-24T13:25:25.527" LastActivityDate="2014-01-24T13:25:25.527" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2677" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2679" CreationDate="2014-01-25T23:02:02.297" Score="5" ViewCount="1870" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Muay Thai sparring, most of the times when I go to throw a body punch it is because I see the defences of the head being too tight for a throw towards the head. The result of those attempts is commonly me bending down to reach the abdomen, and getting a direct hit in the face from a jab or even a cross. I have seen this happen to other people as well, especially novices with less than a year or two of experience. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is; when are you in a good position to throw a punch to the body/abdomen and when are you not in a good position. Accounting of course for the situation/position your opponent is in. Eg. After you have just thrown a jab? After you have made a quick side step and you are not in the direct line of a counter punch? After a failed combo of the opponent?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-01-26T14:46:05.927" LastActivityDate="2014-02-02T12:49:29.870" Title="When is a good time to throw a body punch in Muay Thai?" Tags="|technique|sparring|punching|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2678" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2204" CreationDate="2014-01-25T23:54:30.727" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd use speed- as it has been previously stated, chainsaws can be very heavy and clumsy. I would either run, or, if trapped, for example, inside my own house, I would try to move behind the attacker, and incapacitate them before they could bring the weapon around- although, this would be extremely difficult and would have a high chance of failing. Another thing I might do is get some form of metal stick (maybe a long aluminium baseball bat?) and use it to block the attacks, as this could likely damage the chainsaw (or the bat, depending on how high quality and hard boths weapons are). In conclusion, it's probably best not to find yourself in a situation like this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1640" LastActivityDate="2014-01-25T23:54:30.727" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2679" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2677" CreationDate="2014-01-26T01:18:31.930" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;When you punch to the body don't keep standing up; you need to change your level. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dip through your legs, like a small squat and duck down, like you would if you duck a punch. You don't just bend at the waist and lean over, you squat down. From there you can punch your regular punch. (i.e. a straight/hook)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your ideas for when to throw the bodyshots are good; when he's defending upstairs from your jabs/combinations, then you go low. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jab - &gt; right straight to body can work, but probably not as the first combination in a match; you've got to get into your opponents head; some regular combo's upstairs and then boom, a combination that includes a body shot. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is always wise to jab out; you've thrown you're combination and you're resetting/making some distance/getting your angle. Jab to keep him from retaliating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, TL;DR:  make your bodyshot part of your combination, and change your level. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watch some Bas Rutten clips on youtube to watch how he throws livershots. They can be a little different. Ask your instructor as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2014-01-26T01:18:31.930" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2680" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2626" CreationDate="2014-01-26T01:42:57.920" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;When you are breathing on strikes or blocks, you should never full commit your entire breath or energy until you are ready to deliver a debilitating or killing strike. To fully commit all of your breath or energy is a full yang technique, but some should always be held back in cause you need a follow up strike or for defense. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus make your breaths quick and short and save some air and chi for defense and so that you don't lose your endurance either. Learning to breath with each strike can increase your endurance and power, sometimes significantly so when the right techniques are done, most of which are little known today.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why in advanced chi-gung, breathing, meditation and learning to control the chi with the mind alone is critical to getting to the higher levels of cultivation, strength, endurance and power. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastActivityDate="2014-01-26T01:42:57.920" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2681" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="685" CreationDate="2014-01-26T09:39:52.190" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Have you done Kendo before? It's not immediately clear from the way your question is phrased. At any rate, I would practice the various cuts, thrusts, etc over and over until my muscles burn. That's how you learn Kendo: repetition. If you've never done it before, just go for a couple of interval runs a week. By &quot;interval&quot; I mean that you should jog for a minute, then sprint for 20 seconds, then jog for a minute again and repeat. That should get your stamina up. Apart from that, play some tennis or squash. Even if you just hit a few balls against a wall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-01-26T09:39:52.190" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2682" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2677" CreationDate="2014-01-26T09:47:14.020" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Body shots are usually taken from the side and aimed at the floating ribs. Otherwise they are only employed when in a clinch. NEVER lunge your head forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd2DtRCA3XA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Here's a nice video&lt;/a&gt; showing the proper technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-01-26T09:47:14.020" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2683" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2677" CreationDate="2014-01-26T12:17:05.503" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;As &lt;a href=&quot;http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1788188-body-punching-the-future-of-mma&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jack Slack notes in his discussion of body punching in MMA&lt;/a&gt;, one of the most successful methods for setting up a punch to the body is forcing the opponent to shell up first:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;0:04&lt;/strong&gt; Max Holloway uses a double left hook (or a lever punch) to keep his opponent's hands high before sneaking a palm down right hook in to the body (George Foreman style) and a left hook to follow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;0:28&lt;/strong&gt; Cub Swanson punishes his opponent for lifting his leg to check a kick by leaping in with a left hook to the body. This kind of feinting an opponent into checking and shelling up, before sneaking a left hook through to their liver was a favourite of Ernesto Hoost.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3:30&lt;/strong&gt; Alistair Overeem demonstrates how punching always exposes the rib cage as he knees underneath his opponent's right straight. In Muay Thai this is usually accompanied with a parry, but Overeem eats the punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;February 2014's UFC 169 also showed several key times to use body punches. In particular, it showed several situations where a body &lt;em&gt;punch&lt;/em&gt; is a better choice than a body kick or knee. Lineker used body punches to cut off the cage, damage Bagautinov's body and cardio, and distract from head defense. Later, Jose Aldo used a left hook to the body to load up right kicks to Lamas' leg. Aldo frequently fired a straight right to cause his opponent to shell up or circle into the left body strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally have little boxing/kickboxing experience, but I most prefer throwing body shots after I make the opponent worry about a head shot. This might involve a jab high and then a low straight to the solar plexus or belly, or a combination that starts up top and ends with hooks to the ribs or liver. Against Jon Jones, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2013/9/21/4755202/ufc-165-jones-vs-gustafsson-live-ppv-broadcast-results&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Alexander Gustafsson had success throwing jabs to the body&lt;/a&gt; as an opening shot, perhaps due to a speed advantage. He also followed head shots with a same-side strike low.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2014-02-02T12:49:29.870" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2685" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2017" CreationDate="2014-01-28T19:37:59.513" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A diagram and written description is in Robert Trias' &quot;Pinnacle of Karate&quot; book, but you'll need to drop some coin on that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1502" LastActivityDate="2014-01-28T19:37:59.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2686" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2545" CreationDate="2014-01-29T09:33:04.220" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Helps you focus on correct form&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Prepares your body / Conditions your body&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning the correct form is important when starting out, as having bad forms or bad habits will be harder to correct the further you progressed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lighter weapons are also easier to handle, giving you ample space to focus on techniques rather than strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you progress you might want to get another sword with more weight but without changing its shape or size. This can be done by getting a sword with heavier materials.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am trained in many type of weapons, but in the end I still enjoy the simple and enjoyable staff. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So remember.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-01-29T09:33:04.220" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2687" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="685" CreationDate="2014-01-29T09:36:52.670" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are already an experienced Kendoka, getting in shape would basically be &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jogging / Circuit Training&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Weight training&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Suburi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do participate in tournaments and often during busier months, I stop training (max 3 months).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Getting stamina back is usually the main focus for me when coming back. I would get the scolding of the century if I were not keeping up with junior members.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-01-29T09:36:52.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2688" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2677" CreationDate="2014-01-29T09:41:05.373" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why punch when you can kick/knee?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Body punch is basically used in MT to hit areas like the solar plexus or rib cage. These areas are very very painful when hit, but are a bit hard to hit with knee or kicks in short range. Elbows won't reach as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing is it is crucial to keep one hand up to protect while hitting with the other. Sneaking in a shot while in a clinch will also do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But against an expert, body punches will never work as it leaves many openings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-01-29T17:00:28.823" LastActivityDate="2014-01-29T17:00:28.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2689" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2617" CreationDate="2014-01-29T09:46:39.453" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Aikido, i learn that i could overcome bigger opponents/partners with huge charging forces by &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Grabbing their shoulders on both side and moving downwards and backwards while twisting your body a little.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Moving sideways or offline at the last minute as they charge in.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A knee to the head as they bend down.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Push their heads down as they charge in.&#xA;In all honesty, timing is very important as moving too soon would allow them to change their direction and moving too late would result in you ending up on the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We do drills in the dojo on these situation and i find the most effective one for me is either pushing or chopping their heads(back side) as they charge in, or basically just knee-ing them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-01-29T09:46:39.453" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2690" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2014-01-29T09:49:35.073" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Long hair basically impair you ability to fight and exposes weaknesses to your opponents. I believe that having a hair length which is hard to grip (short) is the best. However, tying it up or braiding it up would work. I have seen people doing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-05-08T14:23:48.650" LastActivityDate="2017-05-08T14:23:48.650" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2691" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2014-01-29T09:51:43.113" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A short answer is that kata is the root of all martial arts.&#xA;Perfecting your kata it perfecting your art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a nutshell, katas are mainly for defense. It always begins with someone initiating the attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most Japanese Sensei I meet often say that we train our bodies, mind, and techniques to the highest level possible, so that we will never need to use our arts in a confrontation or situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What it means is that when faced with an opponent or assailant, harming them should never be the first option. It is said that 'Only at the brink of death, should you resort to it'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There was once a karate master who was highly renowned for his skills in competition, and anyone would could defeat him in a match would gain fame. 3 assailants decided to ambush the master on his way home. Long story short, he let three of the assailants beat him up because he knew that his strong and conditioned body could withstand the injuries, while if he chose to attack them, it could possibly kill them. After a couple of days, the 3 assailants came back and apologised to the master.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what does this story mean? How is it related?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By training in competitions, we learn to defeat opponents, we learn to harm them. No doubt competitions makes us stronger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However kata is the opposite, it forces us to concentrate on the techniques, correcting your form, fixing bad habits, and most importantly, understand why it is so deathly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It helps to develop your tolerance so that you are not rash in making decisions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most sensei I met told me that during their younger years, they always got in fights, always eager to prove, always hot blooded but as they aged and gained more experience, they confessed that by focusing on katas mainly, they are sort of enlightened and begin to regret their old ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me being young, I have not reached that stage yet, and I practice katas mainly for belt progression and correcting my forms and bad habits. It really helps one's concentration and it takes up a lot of your energy when done right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastEditorUserId="9304" LastEditDate="2022-11-08T23:03:58.777" LastActivityDate="2022-11-08T23:03:58.777" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2692" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2084" CreationDate="2014-01-29T09:57:33.980" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It all depends on your meaning of offensive fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;He is offensive and physically much stronger / much more experienced than you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Same level physically / experience wise but offensive&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's the first one, then you are out of luck. You have got to train more as there is nothing much you can do. You can land a lucky shot occasionally but that would only make them mad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's the 2nd one, then you are in luck. Fighters who are aggressive tend to tire out much faster. Keep your posture and cool, everytime he tries to land a furry of blows, move back or side. When he gets tired and when he slacks in his defence, strike. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I noticed that the offensive fighters that I faced tend to lean forward when striking and when they are tired. A hit on the jaw would do nicely when they do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-01-29T17:00:21.823" LastActivityDate="2014-01-29T17:00:21.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2693" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1805" CreationDate="2014-01-29T10:01:44.213" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just as much as tripping while running, or cutting yourself while cooking.&#xA;As you progress you get stronger and wiser.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most important thing in training is to look after your body and your partner's body. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Never be too confident, as it would leave to higher possibilities of injuring yourself. If you cant do it, just tell your instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you train longer, your body gets tougher and less likely to get injured.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-01-29T10:01:44.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2694" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-01-29T10:56:37.020" Score="3" ViewCount="344" Body="&lt;p&gt;I used to practice Taekwondo before, my hips would pop when I externally rotate my  hips after sitting for long and I assumed it was normal. No pain or snapping, just a pop like you might hear when you stretch yourself out after being a position for long. Now, I have starting working on my flexibility again. I have found the same popping has resumed after I started stretching hip flexors. Is this normal?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1433" LastActivityDate="2014-01-29T12:05:31.117" Title="hip flexor stretch and popping sound" Tags="|flexibility|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2695" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2694" CreationDate="2014-01-29T11:16:16.977" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Do not take medical advice from strangers on the Internet.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please see a medical doctor or/and a physiotherapist.  If you have access to a physiotherapist that specialises in sport injuries, that would be good choice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-01-29T11:16:16.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2696" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2694" CreationDate="2014-01-29T12:05:31.117" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Go see a physiotherapist. Right away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My wife, a dance teacher, showed the same symptoms and it turned out to be torn tendons. It needed to be corrected with minor surgery. Hopefully this is not your problem, but definitely get it looked at before it turns into something serious. If you're lucky, you just need a cortisone injection.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-01-29T12:05:31.117" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2697" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="907" CreationDate="2014-01-29T15:17:58.943" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My understanding is that this was a technique used in Hwa Rang Do.  Since the founder of the modern system also was part of the organizing group in Korean Hapkido, it's easy to see how it could have been shared there and spread outward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1652" LastActivityDate="2014-01-29T15:17:58.943" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2698" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1805" CreationDate="2014-01-29T18:32:38.537" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've trained in 5 or 6 martial arts over the course of 30+ years, mostly physically vigorous ones with a moderate to high level of contact. I've taught and trained with hundreds of people, and probably seen thousands compete in tournaments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've &lt;em&gt;never&lt;/em&gt; heard of anybody with &quot;swollen/damaged organs&quot; from MA training and don't even know if that's physically possible (except for some kind of freak accident).  I don't know anybody who has &quot;brain damage&quot; -- though that's certainly a plausible risk if you're a professional-level full-contact fighter in an art that emphasizes blows to the head (e.g., boxing and MMA).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure I've ever seen anybody suffer a &quot;career-ending&quot; injury (one that would preclude any future martial arts training).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen and experienced injuries that keep people out of training for a few months. I've had two acute injuries: I tore an ACL in my knee once, and I dislocated a shoulder last year. Both are fine now, though I am a bit more careful with them (and in general). When I was younger and stupider, I overtrained to the point of having some chronic knee and hip problems, but those also got better when I cut back to a more moderate/sane level of training. I've had scores of minor scrapes, bruises, joint sprains, an occasional badly smashed hand or foot, but those are all things that are fine again in several days.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen other injuries happen to people -- a handful of broken bones (more often from falling freakishly wrong, rather than from being hit), a few people knocked out cold or having a minor concussion (but always walking away under their own power, after an x-ray showed no serious injury that needed more than rest), a couple cuts that needed stitches. But remember, this is over decades and watching thousands of matches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;OK, so here's the bottom line to take away:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Minor injuries are common in martial arts, but are not any more serious or likely than in any other contact sport. Your risk of injury is probably no worse than if you play soccer, football, hockey, basketball, or any other contact sport. You are VERY VERY unlikely to do anything that results in permanent brain or organ damage like you are worried about.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of martial arts to choose from offering a wide range of techniques and contact levels; you have a lot of latitude to choose one that's right for you. It doesn't have to be one that features a lot of full-contact blows to the head.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="698" LastActivityDate="2014-01-29T18:32:38.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2700" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2677" CreationDate="2014-01-31T19:19:41.060" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A good time is when you are circling away from their power hand. Throw some jabs or combos at their head and move away from their power. Then once in a while circle in closer to them and throw a punch at their kidneys. If they are right handed, circle to their left, punch with your right keeping your left guard up. They might get a bad angle punch with their weak hand but they will hit your guard. To use your left hand bring your right guard across your face.&#xA;Try to stay close to them and use a hooking punch. You avoid a side kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1665" LastActivityDate="2014-01-31T19:19:41.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2701" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2553" CreationDate="2014-01-31T19:32:06.490" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most of what has been said so far is correct and in your question you asked about reducing the impact. This is also a big factor. If your leg can move when hit, the impact is greatly reduced. If your foot is planted then you absorb the full force. This also places a large side load on your knee.&#xA;Our legs are designed to take hits from the front, that is why you should turn your shin into the kick and strike with the front. That is also why you should attempt to turn your shin towards the kick when checking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1665" LastActivityDate="2014-01-31T19:32:06.490" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2702" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2703" CreationDate="2014-02-01T19:44:28.833" Score="4" ViewCount="5635" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice sparring in Muay Thai and occasionally I get a strong punch to the nose. It has never bled but for some reason it hurts for days. I am worried about an even stronger punch breaking my nose. Is this likely to occur with strong aggressive opponents in sparring? How much impact is required to incur &lt;strong&gt;damage&lt;/strong&gt; to the nose? Is this something that should worry me?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-03-27T10:56:18.133" LastActivityDate="2019-03-27T10:59:03.663" Title="How much risk of a broken nose is there when sparring in muay thai?" Tags="|injury|sparring|punching|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2703" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2702" CreationDate="2014-02-02T01:28:13.070" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, you have a high risk of getting your nose broken at some stage if you continue with Muay Thai. &lt;a href=&quot;http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4749122/tom-brady-this-is-not-tiddlywinks&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;It isn't Tiddly Winks&lt;/a&gt;* - you will eventually get an injury, not just from landed punches but also from kicks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are at all attached to your nose (pun intended) then reconsider Muay Thai. Personally I've had my nose broken half a dozen times or more - the last time it took me several days to straighten it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is this something that should worry me?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would say &lt;strong&gt;no&lt;/strong&gt;, you should be concerned. Will it hurt at the time? Yes, sure it will. It will also help teach you what &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; to do, and help break down any mental barriers you have about getting hurt. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Will any damage be lasting?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes it can be lasting, but that depends on how hard you get hit and what your medical resources are. If your nose gets repeatedly pummeled or hit badly then you could end up with - to keep it simple - crooked airways which will interfere with regular nasal breathing (i.e. could cause you to snuffle or snore). These injuries are usually fairly easy to fix with surgery, but then that may also curtail your Muay Thai practice if you don't want to repeat the problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;So, should you be concerned for your nose?&lt;/strong&gt; No you shouldn't. Instead you should be concerned for more serious injuries such as concussion and various knee/leg ailments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I should also take the time to debunk the myth about &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=511&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;driving the nose&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/a/18166&quot;&gt;cartilage into the brain&lt;/a&gt; - it's a fabrication of Hollywood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*Note that Tom Brady is not the sports person who coined this phrase...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2019-03-24T19:56:17.643" LastActivityDate="2019-03-24T19:56:17.643" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2705" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2677" CreationDate="2014-02-02T06:49:03.523" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since you know Muay Thai, you know you have a lot of close range weapons. There isn't a need for a close range body punch most of the time. Punches are more for medium-short to medium-long distance. Using your elbows and knees are for totally short distance right? And I'm sure you've heard that from your Muay Thai class or whoever you train with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not an expert, but I know a little. I would believe if someone told me body punches were more for combos, but I would agree with it for when you keep missing the head or when your opponent keeps blocking face punches. Then duck and hit to the body until the opponent lowers his/her guard. It might even give you a more surprising head punch if you hit the body and then suddenly throw a punch to the jaw. I mean, if you do it right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would say that you need to do SOME damage to the body, but consider some other options. Yes, I admit you can also pound the person's stomach, boxing style, which would also be pretty effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1667" LastActivityDate="2014-02-02T06:49:03.523" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2706" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2702" CreationDate="2014-02-03T15:11:03.890" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;depends on how hard you spar and how well you protect your dome. You shouldn't get a broken nose in sparring unless you're not wearing headgear and/or getting ready for a fight. Otherwise you should have headgear on and not going full force anyway. But different gyms, different flavors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2014-02-03T15:11:03.890" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2707" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2465" CreationDate="2014-02-03T16:25:55.473" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;TKD isn't the best way to learn weapons. If you want a weapons art that goes well with TKD, learn escrima. It goes well together. Don't try to learn just from TKD, like the Wudang Kid said.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1667" LastActivityDate="2014-02-03T16:25:55.473" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2708" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2633" CreationDate="2014-02-03T18:03:58.580" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you want to advance quickly, train six days per week. That's all I have to say. And practice at home whenever you can't train. Find ways of training in impossible places, even on vacation in hotels, just for an hour a day. Constantly training will ENSURE you advance at MAXIMUM speed. That doesn't mean however, that you need to be a world champion. Plus, if you advance too quickly, you might not master the moves you are currently learning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's better to master your current moves first. THEN move on to the next thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you train six days a week though, you may not have the body type or build to train that much. Some people don't. Train as much as you can, given whatever your medical condition is. If you can train six days a week, train six days a week. If you have slightly lower muscle tone, that's fine. You don't have to be a world champion to do well with martial arts. Then just train four days a week instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just DON'T try to find an excuse to train ONE day a week and never practice. Then you'll NEVER get good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1667" LastActivityDate="2014-02-03T18:03:58.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2709" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2711" CreationDate="2014-02-04T01:30:54.923" Score="4" ViewCount="2704" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I spar, I see/notice/become aware of the kick slightly after the foot has left the floor on a path towards my shin or my thigh. According to what I know (which is may be limited, so please correct me if I am wrong) these kind of kicks should be blocked by raising a knee so that the shin encounters the kicking leg and safe guards your thigh and calf muscles. But knee doesn't get up fast enough. Is it that I need more foresight and to anticipate the kick further ahead, should I train the muscles of knee lift to be more responsive, or should I be positioning my body in a way to give more freedom of movement to my knee in moving up and down (eg. have my back slightly bent backwards)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastActivityDate="2014-07-02T13:07:23.160" Title="Why can't I bring my knees up fast enough to block low kicks in Muay Thai?" Tags="|technique|muay-thai|kicking|defense|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2710" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2709" CreationDate="2014-02-04T04:05:15.457" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on the information provided, it sounds like you might benefit from placing more weight on the back leg. When I practice blocking with my lead leg, I find that it works much quicker if the weight distribution is more towards the back leg. It's hard to say without actually watching what you're doing, but it might be helpful to also bend the back leg somewhat. I wouldn't recommend bending your back backwards, since that is only going to throw your balance off and possibly injure you. Also, if someone were to kick you hard and you're leaning back, you're more likely to fall in the same direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Repetition is always good because you want to get that body memory going. Try standing in front of a mirror and analyzing your technique. Once you're comfortable with that, try shadow boxing. I always found that visualizing my opponent helped and the techniques would manifest themselves naturally after enough practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can get a partner, work with him/her. Explain to him/her what you're trying to perfect and have the person work with you. Sometimes I would train after class with a fellow student and work on different techniques. It pays off and is usually the best time since the techniques are still fresh in your mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One question: where do you look when you spar? You want to get a full view of the person you are sparring. If you're, say, looking your opponent directly in the eyes, you might lose perception. Stay relaxed, breathe, and keep moving. I've always felt that it is better to avoid a hit rather than take it, but I understand that you probably just want to improve this technique if you just happen to be in the situation in which you are unable to avoid a hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, some may argue with me, but I always found meditative arts like Tai Chi Chuan to assist my training quite a bit. I found that I was far more sharper once I started doing it once a week. Anyone can do something fast, but doing it slowly is more challenging than you think. Also, practicing slowly is a good way to pinpoint mistakes of yours that get overlooked when you're going fast. It's far easier to catch things when you're analyzing yourself slowly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, I hope that helped a bit. Don't be afraid to ask your instructor for feedback. He/she is there to help you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1660" LastActivityDate="2014-02-04T04:05:15.457" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2711" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2709" CreationDate="2014-02-04T06:32:06.370" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Time it better through endless repetitions. Be lighter on your feet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, you could instead step in and deliver a straight right to the face. I prefer that to checking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Train it more. You're aware of it now, you'll improve now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2014-02-04T06:32:06.370" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2712" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2724" CreationDate="2014-02-04T07:48:19.927" Score="4" ViewCount="468" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am worried about getting disqualified for applying an anaconda choke to an opponent in the turtle position (on all fours). I know this choke is allowed in no-gi, but will referees think I'm doing a neck-crank if I try it in gi?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="500" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-03-28T13:26:44.197" LastActivityDate="2023-03-28T13:26:44.197" Title="Could applying an anaconda choke to a turtled opponent be mistaken for a neck crank in gi BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|sport|chokes|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2714" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2709" CreationDate="2014-02-04T13:07:19.967" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd look at your stance. Are you too forward? Too low and heavy? Is your footwork plodding forward instead of light? Are you frequently raising your legs (&quot;marching&quot; in my old teacher's parlance) in anticipation of a possible need to check?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd bet also that your reaction time is not what it will be after more months sparring. Knowing how to read an opponent and when to expect a certain attack based on subconscious cues is a skill that accumulates slowly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-02-04T13:07:19.967" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2715" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2633" CreationDate="2014-02-04T13:11:29.123" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't compare yourself with BJ Penn unless you're a kid who can train several hours every day without fail. I think you need to evaluate why you are training in BJJ. If you are training to get your belts as quick as possible then I suggest you stop training as this is not the best mentality to have. BJJ is not something you will get instant gratification from, you will not learn everything in 3 years, you will not get your black belt in that time either. &#xA;The average time scale for someone to attain the black belt level is 7/8 years of consistent training. However, even at that level I know guys who feel they have just started learning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I should point out here there are no quick fixes for BJJ, you can't download a video or buy a box set that will tell you the secrets to getting a black belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The formula for getting a black belt is to train consistently every week and have fun. Those guys who train just to get belts and win medals are the ones who drop off very quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If all you care about is belts then I would give up now. It's the man not the belt that matters. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1475" LastActivityDate="2014-02-04T13:11:29.123" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2716" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2719" CreationDate="2014-02-04T13:25:52.713" Score="11" ViewCount="2047" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Osoto gari&lt;/em&gt; translates to &amp;quot;large outer reap&amp;quot;. That makes perfect sense as it is a large reap on the outer leg. &lt;em&gt;Osoto guruma&lt;/em&gt; translates to &amp;quot;large outer wheel&amp;quot; and the &amp;quot;wheel&amp;quot; part eludes me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What exactly is a &amp;quot;wheel&amp;quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1437" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-12-29T00:42:51.727" LastActivityDate="2023-05-12T21:35:11.000" Title="Why is osoto guruma named osoto &quot;guruma&quot;?" Tags="|judo|terminology|japanese|throwing|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2717" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2720" CreationDate="2014-02-04T13:38:15.037" Score="6" ViewCount="119" Body="&lt;p&gt;My understanding is that nage-waza is grouped by factors such as difficulty of break-falling and throwing difficulty. Is there a reason &lt;code&gt;osoto guruma&lt;/code&gt; is in dai gokyo while &lt;code&gt;osoto gari&lt;/code&gt; is in dai ikkyo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1437" LastActivityDate="2014-02-04T14:35:03.700" Title="Why is osoto guruma in dai gokyo?" Tags="|judo|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2718" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2716" CreationDate="2014-02-04T13:39:49.170" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;If the image below describes the technique accurately, I would say it is because uke's legs form a wheel (or a circle) in the air. However, I have no official source for this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/A0ddU.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-02-04T14:12:27.570" LastActivityDate="2014-02-04T14:12:27.570" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2719" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2716" CreationDate="2014-02-04T14:20:47.300" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;Disclaimer: I am a judo ikkyu who prefers &lt;code&gt;osotogari&lt;/code&gt; but doesn't have an &lt;code&gt;osotoguruma&lt;/code&gt; to speak of. I will be using the opinions of more knowledgable judoka to inform this answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo throws are named and grouped by their telltale action. That is, the names are a pedagogical tool to delineate the various body mechanics one can use to throw an opponent. That's why such fine distinctions are made between, say, &lt;code&gt;uchimata&lt;/code&gt;, &lt;code&gt;hanegoshi&lt;/code&gt;, and &lt;code&gt;haraigoshi&lt;/code&gt;. The end result is almost identical. The leg positions could be the same, the fitting-in could be the same, and so on. But the way you endeavor to apply your body is entirely different. These distinctions are not very important when analyzing chaotic applications, but are quite helpful when drilling and developing motor patterns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keeping that in mind, it is important to distinguish &lt;code&gt;osotoguruma&lt;/code&gt; from a mere &lt;code&gt;osotogari&lt;/code&gt; that happens to attack both legs. The latter would be called a &lt;code&gt;nidan osotogari&lt;/code&gt;. That throw retains the off-balancing and telltale reaping action of regular &lt;code&gt;osoto&lt;/code&gt;. In contrast, a &lt;code&gt;guruma&lt;/code&gt; throw establishes a block for the opponent's movement and then pivots the opponent around that blocked point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This distinction is apparent when one compares &lt;code&gt;ashiguruma&lt;/code&gt; with &lt;code&gt;o guruma&lt;/code&gt; and &lt;code&gt;haraigoshi&lt;/code&gt;. In all three, the opponent is thrown by placing the leg across their body. But the first blocks their legs and wheels them over, whereas the second blocks their hip and wheels them over and the third lifts them up and dumps them in place using a sweeping hip lift.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ben Reinhardt, esteemed judoka, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=94573&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;describes the &lt;code&gt;osotogari&lt;/code&gt;/&lt;code&gt;osotoguruma&lt;/code&gt; distinction&lt;/a&gt; on Bullshido:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, it is not Osoto Guruma simply by REAPING both legs. Osoto Guruma is a different throw that uses the GURUMA principle/action, which does not involve reaping or sweeping, themselves two separate throwing principles/actions (kari and barai respectively).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you REAP both legs, it is a henka of Osoto Gari, sometimes called Nidan Osoto Gari. But it's still Osoto Gari. If you block both legs and rotate uke over your outstretched leg (guruma action), it's Osoto Guruma.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(A &lt;em&gt;henka&lt;/em&gt; is a variation.) The interplay between &lt;code&gt;nidan osotogari&lt;/code&gt; and &lt;code&gt;osotoguruma&lt;/code&gt; is also discussed in &lt;a href=&quot;http://judo.forumsmotion.com/t267-i-want-you-to-make-fun-of-my-osoto-guruma&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this judo forum thread&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2014-02-04T14:20:47.300" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2720" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2717" CreationDate="2014-02-04T14:35:03.700" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;em&gt;gokyo&lt;/em&gt; is organized around a number of pedagogical factors, including the difficulty of &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt;, the difficulty of the throw, the relevance of the throw, and so on. In my experience, few clubs teach according to the &lt;em&gt;gokyo&lt;/em&gt;, and there are no clear answers on why a given throw is in its particular place. &lt;a href=&quot;http://blog.akarijudo.com/2014/01/the-gokyo-kodokan-vs-mifune.html&quot;&gt;Mifune even had his own &lt;em&gt;gokyo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, with many throws moved to earlier or later in the sequence. Why? We don't know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, &lt;code&gt;osotogari&lt;/code&gt; is an easy throw to learn, or at least an easy throw to learn some version of. It's also easy to make the landing for &lt;code&gt;osotogari&lt;/code&gt; to be quite pleasant. (It can also be made quite unpleasant.) &lt;code&gt;Osotogari&lt;/code&gt; is also one of the most fundamental, common, high-percentage, applicable throws in judo. It is a common &lt;em&gt;tokuiwaza&lt;/em&gt; among non-competitors, local competitors, and elite judoka, and one of the few common powerful &lt;em&gt;tokuiwaza&lt;/em&gt; that does not require turning around like its competitors &lt;em&gt;seoinage&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;uchimata&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;taiotoshi&lt;/em&gt;, or &lt;em&gt;haraigoshi&lt;/em&gt;. (That list was taken from two spots in Ishikawa &amp;amp; Draeger's book, Judo Training Methods.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In contrast, &lt;code&gt;osotoguruma&lt;/code&gt; is an odd throw. It's not that well-suited to combination, nor is it common or applicable to a wide array of situations. It is virtually unheard of as a &lt;em&gt;tokuiwaza&lt;/em&gt;. Taking the fall for it takes a bit of &quot;judo sense&quot;, that is, understanding of how and when to take &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt;. It's easy to mistake for &lt;code&gt;nidan osotogari&lt;/code&gt;, and the body mechanics necessary to differentiate it from that throw are fairly advanced. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All told, everything about both throws points towards putting &lt;code&gt;osotogari&lt;/code&gt; at the start of any curriculum, and &lt;code&gt;osotoguruma&lt;/code&gt; near the end.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-02-04T14:35:03.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2721" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2702" CreationDate="2014-02-04T20:00:38.473" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you want to prevent a nose injury use headgear that protects your face . Here is an example &lt;a href=&quot;http://store.titleboxing.com/facprottrain.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://store.titleboxing.com/facprottrain.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise, broken noses are common injuries to unprotected faces. Broken noses can affect your quality of life by affecting your appearance and breathing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1675" LastActivityDate="2014-02-04T20:00:38.473" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2722" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2738" CreationDate="2014-02-04T20:07:08.643" Score="1" ViewCount="1284" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm new to Wushu, and I've read some stuff on the web about it, but I still don't understand a lot of things, for example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is Tao lu the name of the northern Kung Fu style? Or is it a general name for a series of movements (routine), like those from the Wushu championships?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is Chang Quan the same thing as Tao lu?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks in advance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1674" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T18:12:01.877" Title="What are Kung Fu's Tao Lu and Chang quan?" Tags="|kung-fu|forms|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2723" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2712" CreationDate="2014-02-04T20:34:09.907" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Anaconda, Brabo, D'Arce style chokes are harder to pull off in gi because friction acts against getting the crucial deep arm position. But there's no reason for them to be illegal. It isn't a neck crank. That doesn't stop a referee from thinking, wrongly, that it is a neck crank, but I haven't heard of that being common.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-02-05T11:50:59.343" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T11:50:59.343" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2724" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2712" CreationDate="2014-02-04T22:57:27.730" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Completely legal in all GI based competitions that I've seen.  As long as it's not mistaken for a neck crank (doubt it - but you never know how terrible the ref is) it should be fine.  I've seen people DQ'd for baratoplata's which were mistaken for a bicep slicer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1528" LastActivityDate="2014-02-04T22:57:27.730" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2725" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2712" CreationDate="2014-02-05T02:16:41.480" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes it is legal in GI based competition. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like Mike66350216 said, it &quot;could&quot; be mistaken for a neck crank, but most referees are aware of this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T02:16:41.480" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2726" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2709" CreationDate="2014-02-05T02:22:24.767" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was having the same issues with this previously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Keep you front foot light, not letting the back part of the foot touch the floor.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Transfer more weight to the back leg.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do drills / repetitions.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This basically help me improve alot. You also will need to anticipate the opponent's move, which will come with experience. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cheers and train safe~&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T02:22:24.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2727" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2702" CreationDate="2014-02-05T03:00:59.307" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;5 years of sparring / competitions, I would say that the likelihood of getting an injured nose is low, but it is still there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most injuries I have suffered on the head are basically on the jaw and side of the head. *Ouch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main thing to remember if you get injured in your nose is that if it bleeds for more than a day, please get an x-ray as it might be broken.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've suffered nose bleed in the past, which mostly comes from jabs to the face. There were no serious injuries however. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-03-27T10:59:03.663" LastActivityDate="2019-03-27T10:59:03.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2728" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2633" CreationDate="2014-02-05T03:11:24.440" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A quick way to gain a blackbelt in BJJ is &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;basically to train in you Dojo at least 4 times a week with your sensei(the one awarding the belt) present.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Compete in events representing your school/dojo and win&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Pay for it&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ok now i will explain why. &#xA;1 and 2 is self explanatory. It is important the you train hard and be seen training hard. In the end when you are up for evaluation, it will all come down to how often you are seen participating. Bringing pride to the school will further increase your chances. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as for 3,rare cases, where progression can be achieved with donation. If this is the case, I would advise you not to continue there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So yeah, in a nutshell, train hard / compete hard and be seen doing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Getting a black belt in BJJ within 4 -5 years is basically a rare thing. Most ppl get it around 10 yrs if they are consistent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T03:11:24.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2729" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-02-05T03:29:42.713" Score="2" ViewCount="342" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been doing some serious thinking on WHY I am doing martial arts. I can't get it out of my mind and that's all I've been thinking about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This all happened after a trip to Japan and Australia with my Sensei. He introduced me to a huge number of Senseis from different arts like Aikido, Karate, Jiu-Jitsu, Iado, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After having long, serious, and enlightening chats with them, I found that in the end, they would always ask me WHY I am practicing it. All my answers basically have a hole in them, and now there is a hole in my heart.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Below are my answers and the senseis' replies:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Me:&lt;/strong&gt; Because it is exciting and I love to spar and meet new people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Them:&lt;/strong&gt; What happens when you get old or when you are unable to spar. You would not get the excitement that you used to have. Would you abandon your art after that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Me:&lt;/strong&gt; Condition my body, make me strong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Them:&lt;/strong&gt; What happens when you get to your highest level of strength and fitness? Do you then stop progressing? Do you stop practicing since you have achieved your goal?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many more answers which I have given, but could not recall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been practicing it for all these years, basically for self defense and general fitness. The competition parts also make it exciting for me. Philological-wise, I've been trying to understand and live by their way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How can I overcome this dilemma?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2017-10-30T14:21:41.067" Title="Why do we train martial arts?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|aikido|judo|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="14" ClosedDate="2014-02-05T15:19:26.237" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2730" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-02-05T03:58:39.690" Score="5" ViewCount="5144" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://youtube.com/watch?v=cgl2cYU47dg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This guy in a video&lt;/a&gt; seemed to be unaffected by his partner's chokehold. Is it possible to be immune to chokeholds?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1453" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-25T08:27:43.870" LastActivityDate="2019-09-25T10:15:12.953" Title="Can you be immune to chokeholds?" Tags="|defense|chokes|anatomy|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2731" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2730" CreationDate="2014-02-05T06:11:13.383" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A choke hold basically is used to &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cut bloodsupply to the brain and causes one to blackout&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Subdue a person by making it painful or hard to breath, thus refrain from struggling.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as I know, there should not be anyway to be immune to the effects of a chokehold, but there are ways to increase your tolerance level to the attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have a training partner, it would be good to practise your resistance to chokeholds everyday and time yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Certain Shaolin schools teach &quot;Iron neck&quot; as one of the 72 methods of conditioning in Qi Gong, where one appears to effectively hang oneself by the neck for several minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is purported to strengthen the neck as well as increasing tolerance level towards choking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;-WARNING -&lt;/strong&gt; In no way whatsoever should you imitate this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-24T13:54:34.267" LastActivityDate="2019-09-24T13:54:34.267" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2732" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="120" CreationDate="2014-02-05T08:19:45.563" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;My sensei has a unconventional tactic that basically helps in overcomming our fear of ukemi and doing correct ukemis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TAKE AWAY THE MATTS&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the beginning of the semester, we begin to learn the basics, as new students would enrol. Basics are breakfall, proper stance, conditioning, 5kyu techs and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As we progress to the middle of the seminar, our sensei would stop using matts entirely for a couple of months. Thus students would have to do ukemis on the hard floor. Mind you these ukemi do not consist of high flips. We were ask to do it super slow, and avoid injuring our joints like knees and elbows. We were also taught alternative breakfalls, which are more suitable for the hard floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After that, our sensei will reintroduce the matts back and alternate the days with and without matts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is the awesome part, during the 'matts' session, most of the students are doing the ukemi more confidently and enjoying it too. From my point of view, i am more scared of the hard floor than the soft and fluffy matts. I was already doing high flips at 4th Kyu. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me, doing ukemi specially high flips are more of a confident thing. Hesitate and you most probably fall incorrectly and might injure yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T08:19:45.563" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2733" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1564" CreationDate="2014-02-05T08:30:26.557" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I understand exactly how you mean. For me there are on and off days where i could execute advance techniques on the first try, and then those days where i couldnt complete basic ones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Times when i get lost, i would just step back and take big and deep breathes and after that slapping both my cheeks lightly but strong enough to feel a short sharp pain and then do a deep 'kiak'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This basically wakes me up and help me concentrate. After a while, i've seen many students at my dojo imitating these. They confessed that at first they find it very weird when i do this, but after trying if they find that it helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The breathing part helps be relax, slapping cheeks wakes me up, and the kiai vents my frustration out. I hope its helps you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T08:30:26.557" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2734" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2666" CreationDate="2014-02-05T08:31:44.747" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here's another angle to look at (speaking from personal experience).  As you go up in belt levels - chances are you'll be using much less strength as the 'crowd thins' in the upper belt ranks eventually.  A bunch of our upper belts left so we don't have many browns/black belts as we used to.  Being a purple - I'm often one of the highest belt ranks at my academy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My point is this... as you progress you need less strength.  Your technique gets better but your strength and cardio get worse.  I started doing crossfit 2 months ago and can personally confirm that it's made BIG improvements in my game.  Instead of pacing myself during sparring, I'll now have the gas to go at least 80% on every single roll now where before I would be 80% against equal to upper belts and maybe 30% on lower belts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strength and cardio training will absolutely help.  Just finding the time and/or $$$ to do it is the hard part.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1528" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T08:31:44.747" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2735" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2626" CreationDate="2014-02-05T08:53:15.283" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The simplest way of explaining how to do this is by emulating a cough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During a cough, you tend to exhale abit of air, then hardening or tensing the abdominal mucles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a good way to explain to junior members.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for developing it, i could suggest a few particular way that helped be in the pass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jogging.&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;1 inhale for 1 step 1 exhale for 1 step. These inhale and exhale should be short and fast. Like when you are spitting.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;2 inhales for 1 step and 2 exhale for 1 step.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Increase the number of exhale and inhale of each step until your maximum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After awhile you will get used to it and when a move ends, like when you fall or roll, you will automatically exhale.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When i am the uke, upon striking, i would let our a short and silent kiai, something like a &quot;yoshhh&quot; or &quot;haitt&quot;. it helps alot in strengthening and straightening my final form. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most important thing is to &lt;strong&gt;NEVER&lt;/strong&gt; exhale completely. This causes the muscles around your body to relax and loosen. In this state, strikes or impact would not be absorbed or cushion properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T08:53:15.283" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2736" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2730" CreationDate="2014-02-05T11:57:17.290" Score="13" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Pretend chokes&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The video is of a lame, contrived demo. The &amp;quot;choke&amp;quot; in it is not performed effectively. It's a farce of a choke. The reason this strutting bodybuilder is &amp;quot;immune&amp;quot; to the choke is that it's not a legitimate choke in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you know someone who thinks they can't be choked, I think &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/NV692quvkYc?t=8m10s&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Marcelo Garcia would be interested in testing that hypothesis&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stephan Kesting&lt;/strong&gt;: Have you ever come across someone whose neck is too big?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note, by the context of the conversation, Stephan means &amp;quot;big or strong&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Marcelo&lt;/strong&gt;: No.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SK&lt;/strong&gt;: Not so far?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MG&lt;/strong&gt;: Until someone proves, like, oh, you can squeeze my neck and I won't tap, this is working for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Everyone can be choked.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So far, everyone who competes has shown themselves to be chokeable. Jon Fitch was notoriously resistant to being choked out...until he was &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXl_YEsxR-I&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;guillotined into unconsciousness by Josh Burkman&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strong necks can resist poorly-applied chokeholds and can, to a minor degree, prevent the attacker from getting into position for a good choke. But so far, everyone has proved to be chokeable. People can have good choke defense just like they can have a good guard, but so far no one has shown themselves to be &amp;quot;immune&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2014-02-07T14:34:00.793" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2737" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2729" CreationDate="2014-02-05T13:09:40.290" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;These Japanese &quot;masters&quot; sound like losers. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you're too old to compete, you can still spar and  give back to the art by coaching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you're too old to spar, you can still hang around the gym to give pointers and be friendly. You can still train to be fit and in condition. The idea that you'll reach your pinnacle of fitness and then need to quit is not just wrong, it's nihilist nonsense. Physical culture is not about reaching a goal and then going back to the couch. It's a lifestyle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, I doubt these pseudo-martial-artists have come within a dozen miles of reaching the peak of their physical or martial abilities. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have they squatted and done gymnastics, achieved a split, written a book on the nuances of &lt;em&gt;nage-no-kata&lt;/em&gt;? Do they know nothing of &lt;em&gt;shugyo&lt;/em&gt;? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds like these guys are soft, and they want you to train soft too. Reject that. One can train hard well in the martial arts into one's forties and fifties, and can continue to achieve new physical feats into one's sixties and seventies. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These guys want you to give up on that and train like you're already ninety, eschewing hard sparring and rigorous training not because it's impossible but because they don't like the feeling of hard work. I bet they want to play with kata and wrist locks and other non-competitive, physically undemanding soft training, and they want to brainwash you into doing the same. Don't listen to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2017-10-30T14:21:41.067" LastActivityDate="2017-10-30T14:21:41.067" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2738" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2722" CreationDate="2014-02-05T18:12:01.877" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Taolu means &quot;form&quot; or &quot;routine&quot; in Mandarin in the same way that kata means &quot;form&quot; or &quot;routine&quot; in Japanese.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chang Quan means &quot;long fist&quot;.  Originally, this was probably a distinct style, but came to mean a general category of Northern Chinese martial arts that includes styles like Cha Quan, Mizong Quan, and Shaolin Quan.  In general, you can tell that a phrase refers to a Chinese martial arts style by the designation Quan, which translates to &quot;Fist&quot;.  Quan in this context is a shortening of Quan Fa which translates &quot;Fist Method&quot;, and therefore refers to a style of martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chang Quan contains many Taolu (&quot;forms&quot;), but also many things besides forms.  I risk digression, so I will stop while I'm ahead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T18:12:01.877" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2739" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2075" CreationDate="2014-02-05T22:25:00.080" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;To supplement the above info, a few styles (of Southern Shaolin arts) that may have been left out:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TaiZu Quan&lt;/strong&gt; (grand Ancestor Fists)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LuoHan Quan&lt;/strong&gt; (Bhoddidarma)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WuMei Quan&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Southern Mantis&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;TaiZu&lt;/em&gt; is supposedly founded by the Southern Sung emperor. t was 'designed' for military use, i.e.: smile and effective. It is based on the principle of using the arms as 'blades' with thrusts, slices, chops. The movements tend to be more short &amp;amp; linear than circular, suitable for use with armour.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;LuaHan&lt;/em&gt; is attributed to Bhoddidharma, the Indian monk who brought Buddhism to China, Also the founder of Zen Buddhism and of Shaolin. It is more well known for developing internal energy than as a combative martial art, although it is highly effective in the hands of an expert.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;WuMei&lt;/em&gt; (or NgMui) was a legendary nun at S. Shaolin, reputedly also the ancestral founder of WhiteCrane and WingChun. It is a rare art, with emphasis on development of internal energy, but with combative applications. Unlike the northern internal arts, its forms are done fast, not slow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also less well known are the Hakka styles, Ngok Gar. etc...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a distinct difference between the Northern and Southern arts as mentioned above. The reason for this is environment and physique. Northerners tend to be physically larger compared to southerners. Also Northern China is grasslands and semi-arid plains, whereas Southern China is hilly, forested or wetlands. Hence Northern cities and countryside have open spaces; favouring long movements and weapons. Southern environments include narrow city streets, mountain paths, boats; lending itself to short, close quarter techniques and firm (but mobile) stances. Hence even within Shaolin, they are different; e.g there are northern and southern versions of LuoHan and TaiZu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;WuZu Quan or 5-Ancestors Boxing is allegedly created by the 5 monks that escaped the destruction of the Northern Shaolin temple and fled south. Each was a specialists in one of the 5 styles; Monkey, White Crane, TaiZu, LuoHan, Da'mo(Bhodidarma) and they combined the best features to create WuzuQuan. Because of the combination it has a wide variety of techniques, which makes it harder to learn. It has both internal and external aspects. The QiGong part is important, so is conditioning of fists, fingers, forearms and legs. (disclaimer: this is the art I'm involved in for the last few decades). You can find out more on Wikipedia, although that's not exactly our lineage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TaiZu, WhiteCrane, Wuzu are considered Fujian arts (originating form Fujian province/state) and are still widely practiced in Fujian. OTH WingChun, HungGar, ChoyLiFut are considered Cantonese arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BTW the Northern Arts of TaiJi, BaGua, XingYi are WuDang/Taoists arts, not Shaolin. Shaolin is considered Buddhist, and there were rivalries between the two.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1677" LastEditorUserId="1677" LastEditDate="2014-02-05T22:32:31.263" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T22:32:31.263" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2740" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2076" CreationDate="2014-02-05T23:07:02.153" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;To answer some of the points raised in the original post: &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2073/was-the-southern-shaolin-temple-real-and-if-so-which-location-is-valid&quot;&gt;Was the Southern Shaolin Temple real and if so which location is valid?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not have an exact date, but from our oral history, it was destroyed by the Ching army, so that puts it in the range of about 400yrs! There's also a theory that there was a bunch of smaller, scattered temples instead of one large complex.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the location of Southern Shaolin, the Chinese government officially decided on QuanZhou in Fujian, and as of Jun 2013 (when I last visited) the reconstruction is almost complete. It covers quite an extensive area (don't know the numbers..) and since 2010, has an abbot and full-time monks stationed there. It is a historical city going back about 2,000yrs, it used to be a major port city since before the 1500s, with trade links all the way to Middle East, but the river its located on, is no longer navigable. The main port now is XiaMen, also nearest international airport, about 100km away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The S.Shaolin Temple receives strong support from the Fujian (state) government.  The previous mayor of QuanZhou was instrumental for this, he was also a historian before he became a politician and did much research on the matter. He is also a KungFu(TaiZu) master in his own right. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1677" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T23:07:02.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2741" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="407" CreationDate="2014-02-05T23:20:55.093" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;FYI Southeast Asia, i.e.: Singapore, Indonesia, Philipines, Malaysia contain a large Chineses diaspora, and many of the Southern Shaolin styles are found there. Some of the styles from the smaller schools there may not even exists in China anymore. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, these arts are under threat of extinction as the younger generation of Asian youths are more enamoured by MuayThai and MMA than these arts.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1677" LastActivityDate="2014-02-05T23:20:55.093" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2742" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2603" CreationDate="2014-02-06T03:23:16.733" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;At my gym, we have multiple specialist take coaches in specific areas that they excel at such as striking, kicking, wrestling , ground submission and etc etc. We usually focus on specific each day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We have 2 scheduled free fights, one halfway through the training and one at the end. During this, our free fight couch will usually be an experience / veteran maa/freefight fighter. He basically does not teach us how to strike or kick but instead coaches us what to do in the ring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll hear things like 'hands up', 'move move move', or 'don't stop don't stop'. At the end of the session he would give a summary of my performance and what area to focus on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me my freefight coach is basically the person who teaches me how to put everything together and make use of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-02-06T03:23:16.733" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2744" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6" CreationDate="2014-02-06T05:30:34.437" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll list a couple of methods which i have tested and works for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gloves&#xA;1. Wrap you gloves in a plastic bag and freeze them. By freezing it you kill most of the bacteria / fungus in it. I use this method when i am away from home.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Put baking soda after use to kill fungus. This will eliminate bad odor from cropping out.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ur a dryer to gently dry gloves using an indoor dryer or hair dryer. I've sun dried my gloves before and the outer layer started to peel soon after.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wraps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I usually toss the wraps in the washing machine and fan dry them. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope it helps..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-02-06T05:30:34.437" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2745" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2768" CreationDate="2014-02-06T10:26:12.330" Score="6" ViewCount="1221" Body="&lt;p&gt;Mostly when I get stuck into the Spider Guard - me in standing position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Actions:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I &lt;strong&gt;grab the legs&lt;/strong&gt;;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Move my &lt;strong&gt;creases of elbows/biceps inward&lt;/strong&gt;;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I take a &lt;strong&gt;step back&lt;/strong&gt; [along with &lt;strong&gt;step 1&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;2&lt;/strong&gt;];&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Move &lt;strong&gt;his legs away&lt;/strong&gt; or push them to the ground;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Finally &lt;strong&gt;go to his side&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After step 3 the opponent's legs lose contact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Drill:&lt;/strong&gt; I also drill them as described with a fast pace.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Problem:&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;I fail when the opponent is really good at Spider Guard, especially when the opponent doesn't stretch out his legs too much. Opponents do this to bring me closer to them. So the actions described above are difficult to perform.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="500" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T11:19:27.793" Title="What drills are good to escape/break Spider Guard?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|escapes|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2746" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2745" CreationDate="2014-02-06T11:11:55.520" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am no expert at passing spider guard, but I have some limited success with these two tricks:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Get into combat base (kneeling on one knee) and strip his foot off my arm using the knee that is up. In general, the knee is a solid tool for blocking the movement of his leg in order to strip the spider hook on that side.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Getting two inside-pant grips on the opponent, then at the right time, abandon one of those grips in order to grip the end of the opponent's trousers on the side opposite of my gripping hand (e.g. my right hand goes from gripping the inside of his left pant leg at the thigh to gripping the end of his right pant leg). I use this two-on-one grip to shove his leg to that side of my body. Often my other grip transitions to the outside of their pant leg, or just pushes on their thigh. I believe this kind of leg drag is fairly common.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could also consider moving straight to mount from the leg drag position you describe. If you are able to grip and control his knees, then establishing a low mount by encircling his legs with yours can work. Then you climb upwards to standard mount.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-02-06T12:46:53.253" LastActivityDate="2014-02-06T12:46:53.253" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2747" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2745" CreationDate="2014-02-06T12:41:08.080" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The main thing to do is to keep good posture and not do anything silly (pretty much applies for all of BJJ). Sometimes it feels impossible to eascape from Spider guard as the guy can be that good, so don't feel too bad&#xA;What I normally do is walk backwards which will move the guy forward taking his head off the floor, at this point he is only relying on his abs to  hold him there. Once you get here just turn your arm in then the other to break the grips then bingo you're out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or, if the guy is really good then you need to change your grip to go to the inside of his thigh, both hands help. If you can achieve this then you've broken down some of his grip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also grab his cloth on his legs as this will neutralise his grip a little.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, this is a little risky but you can put your feet either side of him (at risk or being swept) but make sure your hips are ready and you have a good grip on him as he will sweep you by grabbing your ankles. If you can get to this position and get the grips just put your hips in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no straight answer as it depends on the guy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1475" LastActivityDate="2014-02-06T12:41:08.080" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2748" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2129" CreationDate="2014-02-06T18:09:07.377" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's very difficult for many of us to concentrate on distinctly different aspects of a movement or stance at the same time, so first of all don't get frustrated!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds like to me at the core of your question is how to &quot;find your center&quot;, or how to achieve good balance across stances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a natural tendency in many students to lean forward, particularly when executing a hand technique such as a straight punch or jab.  I'm not sure if this is just human instinct or the conditioning of the media we consume.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Simply being aware of it will help you correct your stances over time.  The more you achieve balanced stances the more natural will be your inclination to achieve a balanced stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing that may help you is to strengthen your legs by doing plenty of squats and holding squats while concentrating on keeping your back straight and sitting back on your heels.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Almost all stances require a bent leg supporting body weight to achieve balance.  Leaning forward relieves some of the tension on the quads, so you need to train your muscles and your mind to embrace the physical effort of holding a balanced stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1681" LastActivityDate="2014-02-06T18:09:07.377" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2749" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2769" CreationDate="2014-02-06T18:31:56.153" Score="3" ViewCount="2309" Body="&lt;p&gt;My Tang Soo Do instructor has us execute high blocks by continuing the forearm motion at the elbow past the ending position that I believe is traditionally accepted.  We end the block with the arm outstretched, much as one might find their position at the end of a high straight punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My instructor prefers this execution as in his eyes it will push the attack out to the side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can you please share specific applications for this technique so I can evaluate what execution is most effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1681" LastEditorUserId="1681" LastEditDate="2014-02-06T22:57:14.277" LastActivityDate="2014-02-11T05:53:26.977" Title="Rising Block or High Block stylistic question" Tags="|technique|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2750" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2749" CreationDate="2014-02-06T20:55:07.493" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;What you are witnessing here is classic evolution of the art you train in - your instructor has learned something a certain way, then when he teaches that same move he adapts it in a way that he prefers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said that, an instructor's adaptation doesn't always make sense. In his head it does, but in terms of practicality in the real world it might make no sense at all. I think the meaning and purpose of this block in particular has been well bastardized over the years. Originally I was taught that it was for blocking a downward strike from an opponent who was wielding a bottle or baseball bat. I was taught that the forearm should end up on a 45 degree angle above the head as that was the most efficient angle to deflect the downward trending object while achieving the greatest coverage (note that this is a Japanese/Okinawan oriented application of it rather than Korean).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now don't get me wrong - you absolutely &lt;strong&gt;can&lt;/strong&gt; use this block in this way, and I would if I really &lt;strong&gt;had&lt;/strong&gt; to, but it would be my last resort because even at that &quot;optimum&quot; angle I would run a very high risk of breaking the radius bone. It's many years later now and I know many far better applications for it and I wouldn't hesitate to use those applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I guess what I'm saying here is that learning martial arts is a journey, and what you are taught won't always make sense and will sometimes be quite wrong (maybe &quot;wrong&quot; is too absolute, maybe &quot;not right&quot; is a better description). Part of that journey is learning to recognize these situations. If you are ever in doubt with something you've been taught, &lt;strong&gt;go back to the original teachings of the art and determine &lt;em&gt;what&lt;/em&gt; was taught and &lt;em&gt;why&lt;/em&gt; it was taught that way&lt;/strong&gt;. This is not to say that you should leave that school or outright challenge the teaching - you can continue to train using that methodology, but you could also start to explore and train at other schools - this will increase your experience and give you other insights into other applications for these particular blocks. Given enough time and experience you will formulate your own ideas and nuances for the block which you will then start to teach to people - at which point your students will start to ask &quot;Why is it done this way?&quot; and you'll be in the same position as what your instructor currently is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2014-02-06T20:55:07.493" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2751" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="287" CreationDate="2014-02-06T21:55:40.543" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll share something with you I'm not proud of but nonetheless it has to do with stretching. A few years ago I was locked up for 3 months for hitting my wife. I 'd never been locked up before. What kept my mental state strong was my martial arts training. Every morning I warmed up with a hundred squats and couple hundred crunches. Then stretching very slow I started with holding onto a chair in split position, then left, right and middle. I would do this 3 times a day. I wasn't that flexible when I went in but when my time was up I almost had a split. Japanse push ups helped a lot. Sit back and expect it's going to hurt. Within a month, when I went from left side to right side my body dropped down fast. Persistence pays off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1682" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-02-10T12:19:30.660" LastActivityDate="2014-02-10T12:19:30.660" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2752" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2749" CreationDate="2014-02-06T23:54:01.493" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Different instructors teach different ways. They all work in different situations. It depends on how the fight happens and what the OTHER PERSON does.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1667" LastActivityDate="2014-02-06T23:54:01.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2754" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="241" CreationDate="2014-02-07T09:24:12.603" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Repetition will help reduce the reflex of flinching. Another tip is that I used to train with a bunch of Indonesians in 'Silat' and their advise was a drill they usually do to avoid flinching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically they would stand waist deep in water, whether a pool or the sea, and started to punch or hammer fist the surface of the water. They try their best to keep their eyes open when the water splashes on their face. My eyes were sore due to the salt water but i swear these guys doenst even flinch when getting punch in the face. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I practice this whenever i can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-02-07T09:24:12.603" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2755" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="198" CreationDate="2014-02-07T09:27:26.227" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;For me, inhaling as much as you can, and slowly exhaling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I press my lips, much like when you try to whistle, and push air through. You may hear a quiet 'wooosh' sound.. It helps to reduce my heartrate so that i could pace myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-02-07T09:27:26.227" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2756" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2749" CreationDate="2014-02-07T12:43:47.973" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The block you're describing sounds a little like a wing chun Fak Sao.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An example of a Fak Sao &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zphz3L5pnHc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zphz3L5pnHc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A Fak Sao is an outward, horizontal chop that can be applied low, middle, or high, as the case may be.  There isn't really a classic, karate-style &quot;high block&quot; in wing chun, so Fak Sao is what we use to intercept high or downward-angled attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think this is a better option for intercepting high, downward angled attacks than the classic high block because instead of allowing the attack to come into my space, as with a traditional high block, I am entering into the opponent's space with a fak sao.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, obviously you don't do Wing Chun, but it sounds like the block your teacher is suggesting might be similar.  If you see the video I posted, you can evaluate better if a Fak Sao type motion would be more or less applicable to a downward high-to-low attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If, however, I got it wrong and the block you're describing isn't at all like a Fak Sao, let me know in the comments and I'll see about editing my answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-02-07T12:43:47.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2757" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2730" CreationDate="2014-02-07T13:28:11.737" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;No! This is a ridiculous question. No one is immune to being choked in the same way no is immune to having their arm broke. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1475" LastActivityDate="2014-02-07T13:28:11.737" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2758" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2749" CreationDate="2014-02-07T14:52:03.637" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;What you are describing is common, there are variations in how every instructor teaches, and why they prefer it that way. There often isn't one &quot;right&quot; answer, which can be confusing for people that switch styles and/or instructors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, look at the basic application of a high block. The basic purpose of the block is to deflect a punch or other object coming in a fairly straight line at the face. The block intercepts the punch and redirects it above the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the time that you get to the point of extending your forearm, the major part of the block has already occurred, so the continuing redirection is an addition after the basic purpose of the movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you look at why your instructor might prefer this, look at the position it puts you in. The hand/fist that you redirected is no longer able to possibly grab your forearm and/or hair, your opponents arm is no longer blocking your vision, and if you complete a circular motion with your blocking arm you are in a position to trap/control your opponents arm. Is it absolutely necessary to do this? No, not really, but does lead to counterattack and control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bottom line, the purpose of the technique is to block/redirect a punch. If the move accomplishes the intended purpose, it is effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2014-02-07T14:52:03.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2759" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2730" CreationDate="2014-02-07T15:25:47.310" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;No, you cannot be immune. IMHO even training to &quot;resist&quot; it is stupid,  completely stupid. If someone is choking you out, he WILL succeed, even if you resist for 5 seconds longer.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Air choking is easier to notice ( ... you can't breathe) and fighting against your opponent's hold is a lot easier. It will help endure it, allow you to take little bit of air in, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A choke that prevents blood to get to your brain is seriously hard to even notice. My coach did it to me as a &quot;welcome&quot; to the elite class ... I thought I was resisting, and didn't even realise I fell unconscious. I stayed down only half a second. I &quot;woke&quot; up, not knowing where I was or what had happened. I didn't even realise he choked me out until someone else told me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1526" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-02-23T19:09:47.917" LastActivityDate="2017-02-23T19:09:47.917" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2760" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2204" CreationDate="2014-02-08T00:57:22.960" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most of the answers I have seen involve getting out of range, but a chainsaw (or almost any two-handed weapon) would be most effective at a distance. I suggest closing while avoiding the blade (not an easy task, I know) and grabbing the engine area. Using a diving roll to get behind the attacker would also position you in such a way that the weapon would be ineffective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It might also be effective to block the chainsaw with something that could damage or break the chain, such as a metal object.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1568" LastActivityDate="2014-02-08T00:57:22.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2761" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-02-08T23:07:49.973" Score="5" ViewCount="272" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am an orange belt. I've been training BJJ for 7 months, and was wondering if I should start to compete or wait until I get my green belt? I've gone to four tournaments to watch and I would like to compete but I am very nervous about doing so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1688" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-02-11T08:52:40.220" LastActivityDate="2014-02-11T08:52:40.220" Title="Should I start competition or wait for green belt" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2762" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2761" CreationDate="2014-02-09T02:14:10.250" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Compete now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I generally like my guys to compete at around the 4-6 month worth of training mark. Enough so that you have learned some moves and know how to roll, enough so that you might've beaten some newer guys. At this point you need to feel how a real roll against someone feels like; it's different than in the gym and you need to understand that. Even a 'competition roll' against someone in your gym. After your first tournament match you'll understand a whole lot better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know anything about orange and green belts, are they kid belts? They're not white so your instructor has enough faith in your abilities to promote you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2014-02-09T02:14:10.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2763" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2761" CreationDate="2014-02-09T13:55:20.457" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Compete as soon as you're familiar enough with the rules to safely compete. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you know how to tap, can breakfall, and are generally familiar with the practice of Brazilian jiujitsu, there's no reason to wait. Compete at the first low-level tournament that comes up. It will give you an experience many times that of a day training in the academy. Competition breeds perspective, goals, and priorities. Compete as soon as your instructor will endorse you to do so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-02-09T13:55:20.457" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2764" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="154" CreationDate="2014-02-09T17:42:16.033" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Good self defense training (no matter the style) eventually has to hit these four things to be more applicable in real situations:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Unknowability&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're not sure exactly what's going to happen and you have to analyze and react.  For example, you're dealing with one attacker and a second one jumps in suddenly.   It helps to put people in a training space they're not familiar with as well, to heighten the feeling.  To take it even further, maybe even folks trained in completely different fighting styles. A lot of freezing up is the brain trying to make sense of a lot of new info thrown at it in one point - &quot;Wait, what's going on?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Emotional Assault&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Racial, gender slurs, rage.  In your face aggression and anger that gets you really triggered.  This also gets the adrenaline running.  The real difficulty in making this part of a drill or training is that few people are able to bring up the aggression in a real way, and also that it can fuck up how people view each other.  And that's not a thing to just say &quot;tough it through&quot; - words people may have been abused to as a child or that they may have had family members murdered to isn't going to be something you &quot;rationalize away&quot; the pain.  You probably want people who someone isn't familiar with (doesn't train with all the time) to enact this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Force&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There has to be room to give and take hard hits.  Safety gear for the &quot;assailants&quot; is a good plan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Environment&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A real situation will not happen in an empty room with a nice flat ground.  (Closest probable place? Empty parking lot...but then trash, rocks, etc. on ground).   Train to deal with furniture, chairs, tables, doors, light poles, crap on the ground, traffic cones, just... stuff.   Train to use whatever is in your pockets/purse.  How quick can you grab a weapon or a thing that can be used as a weapon?  How well can you use it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of the above increase the stress and difficulty of the situation, and also make things less safe for training overall - the more hyped up someone is, the less control they'll have, the more physical hazards there are, the more likely someone is going to trip over them, fall into them, etc.  This is why training usually starts with the minimum amount of complications and as you gain skill, they add more and more difficulty.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stress is more than the moment&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An under addressed issue is how do you deal with the stress AFTER the encounter?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where is the closest safe space you can get to?  How do you check yourself for injuries (people have been stabbed and didn't even realize it...)?  Who would you call, who would you get to talk to or help you if you have to go to the hospital?  Do you have a lawyer you'd speak to? etc.  Getting emotionally ok may take a little time, might take months - I had a friend who was jumped by a group of folks and he took months to stop feeling scared going out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately there's always a limit to how much you can reasonably train for - you always might just end up overpowered, surprised, or literally out-gunned. Then there's the part of what do you do to put life back together after you survive? At that point you're looking at everything from EMT training to emotional therapy.  Unless you're in a situation where altercations are frequent (which then adds some predictability to the KIND of trouble you'll face), there's really only a limit to how far you can prepare.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ramp up your training, do some high stress, unpredictable stuff now and then, but plan for it to potentially wipe you out for a week.  Otherwise, just remember that the nothing is 100% effective - you train as much as is reasonable for you and have the courage to face the fact you've got whatever you got and are doing what you can. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-02-09T17:42:16.033" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2765" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2761" CreationDate="2014-02-10T09:10:58.270" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Start competing after about 6 months. I treat a competition like a seminar, no matter what the out come is I will learn a lot. Each fight I've had I've learnt something that has improved my game. Usually a loss is more helpful to your game than a win. I remember this one guy caught mew with a bow and arrow choke, I was very down after the fight. However, ever since then I started doing that choke and has now become my signature submission. I have even won two gold medals using that same submission.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1475" LastActivityDate="2014-02-10T09:10:58.270" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2766" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6" CreationDate="2014-02-10T20:12:34.770" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Put some an open container of baking soda in your gloves. Don't spill it everywhere. The baking soda will absorb the funky smell of work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2014-02-10T20:12:34.770" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2768" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2745" CreationDate="2014-02-11T03:56:33.333" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been working this recently as I've had a number of issues getting past spider.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These two I've had some success with, but still feeling a bit clumsy with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;opponent takes spider&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;crouch a bit, move side to side&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you look for an opening where you can put your knee on the inside of the leg closest to the mat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;pin it with the knee, strip the grip&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;swap to inside grip on other leg ( actually as soon as you can anywhere in the process)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;pass with knee over or knee through&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;opponent takes spider&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;with their most extended leg, pull up on leg and put your knee into back of their thigh on the inside, keep pulling up on their leg, getting really close with your hip.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;now bring your, leg / other side of your hip around their other leg&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;and then push their leg to the side&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;NOTE: it sucks trying to write techniques down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2014-02-11T03:56:33.333" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2769" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2749" CreationDate="2014-02-11T05:53:26.977" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Oh gosh, the answer is so complicated that I literally ended up writing far too much and then deleting it and started over again, because I know nobody will care to read that much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'm going to cut to the chase and hope that it will suffice. This will probably still end up being long. But so be it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, the rising block that you see in tangsoodo, karate, and taekwondo is not a block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Form dictates function. And I think the reason why your instructor has modified the rising block is because he figured out that the regular rising block doesn't work as a block. He believes the function is either to block a straight punch to the face or an overhead strike downwards with a knife. He quite correctly and reasonably deduces that the form is totally wrong for that function, so he modified the form to fit the function. Very smart guy, your instructor. Kudos!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there's only one problem. The function your instructor has in mind is wrong. It's not a block to a straight punch to the face. It's not a block to an overhead, downward strike with a knife. Sorry, those are not what it's for, no matter how many times he's heard it from his master, and from his master's master, and so on. Yes, they're all wrong. Isn't that a hoot?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do you know that's not its function? And if it's not a block to a straight punch to the face, what is it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First off, have you ever once used a rising block in sparring? If you did, how did it work out? And why haven't you used it since then?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is, nobody uses the rising block to block a punch to the face. It won't work in sparring, and it won't work in a self-defense scenario in real life either. At least, not as it is taught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;About the only time I see the &quot;rising block&quot; used in sparring is when someone wants to lift up and duck under someone else's arm, and then do a quick reverse punch to the abdomen for a point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yeah, that kind of works. But note that whenever you see that, the rising block isn't done the way it was taught. First, instead of doing a rising block to an opponent face-on, you actually have to step in from a diagonal angle so that you avoid getting punched straight on in the first place. Second, instead of the rising block being done to a straight punch, you're actually doing the rising block to a dead arm instead. In other words, you're just lifting up the other guy's arm and ducking in underneath it so that you open up a nice hole in his defense for you to sneak in a punch to the abdomen. Then you keep your arm up in that rising block position as a kind of shield. Nice going! But also totally not a rising block!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And what about the rising block against someone who comes swinging straight-armed with a knife downwards to your head? The answer is: That is never anything anyone armed with a knife ever did. Nor anyone who just wants to hammer-fist strike you. The idea that someone will attack you in that way is just laughable. It never happens. That's not what the rising block is for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So okay, what is the real purpose of the rising block?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer to that question is somewhat deep. The rising block comes from forms, not from sparring. That is its origin. So the answer involves understanding that forms actually contain self-defense techniques, not blocks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These self-defense techniques come from Okinawan shorin-ryu karate, because that's where Tangsoodo's forms came from. And Okinawan karate encodes self-defense techniques in a series of 1 to 3 movements in each form, in general.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To understand what the rising block is doing, you have to realize that it can be used in many different ways, depending on where it is being used in each form that uses it. So it requires a good understanding of something called &quot;kata bunkai&quot; (in Okinawan karate terminology). Kata bunkai just means &quot;form analysis&quot;. It's a way of breaking down the movements of your form, analyzing them, trying to determine what they are actually doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not actually going to give you the entire lecture on how to interpret forms for self-defense, and how to do kata bunkai. If you google &quot;kata bunkai&quot;, you'll probably pick up a ton of information. That's fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just know that what the forms have in them are encoded. They're hard to figure out. But once you know what to look for, it's like everything makes sense. You'll see it. And you won't have to modify anything about the way you're doing things in the form in order to make it work. The rising block's form will not need to be changed at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like I said, there are no blocks in the forms. You learn blocking by practicing sparring with a live opponent. You don't learn blocks by doing forms. Instead, the forms are about self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self-defense is a vague phrase, though. What do I mean by self-defense? I mean that these are situations that you will find in every culture and every time period, common scenarios that everyone finds themselves in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Examples: 1) Someone comes up to you and starts screaming in your face. He then grabs your lapel with his left hand and cocks his right fist back ready to punch you. 2) Someone puts you in a bear hug from behind. 3) Someone grabs you on your shoulder from behind, tugs at you, and starts to punch you. 4) Facing you, someone grabs your wrist with one hand and your throat with his other hand. 5) Someone puts you in a side choke. 6) Someone comes up behind you and grabs your left wrist while either choking you or sticking a knife against the front of your throat with his other hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are typical self-defense scenarios. They are universal and common. And the forms are designed with them in mind. When you see a rising block in the form, it's not blocking a punch to the face. It's doing something else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Tang Soo Do's first Pyong Ahn form, you'll see rising blocks. Notice how they are being set up. What are the movements immediately before the rising block? There's a down block. Then a knife-hand block. Then you do the rising block. What does it mean?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's one possible interpretation for those movements in the form. After the down block is when the self-defense application begins. In that position, you are being grabbed on the wrist. Imagine someone grabs your left wrist with their right hand. You do an inside to outside knife-hand block with your left hand (just like in the form). What does that do? It is telling you to circle your hand up and outwards so that you break his hold on your wrist. This is called a &quot;dissolve&quot;. Look it up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But you don't stop there. With that same left hand of yours, you grab his right wrist. The palm of your left hand is now against the underside of his right wrist. Now you do the &quot;rising block&quot;. Here you maintain your hold on his right wrist with your left hand. The form tells you to cross your right arm in front of your left arm from underneath, and then you rise up to do the rising block. At the same time in the form, you are pulling your left fist back, chambering it at your left hip. What you're doing is pulling his arm towards you, twisting it and extending it so that his right elbow is pointing downwards. Meanwhile, your &quot;rising block&quot; is putting pressure against that elbow of his. As you step forward, you make a sudden jerk with both arms, and it breaks his elbow! You can simply let go of his arm if you want, and instead of breaking his elbow, you will merely get his arm out of your way. Or you can just stop at the dissolve if you want. It's your choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is the &quot;rising block&quot;. Notice, no blocking. Just bone breaking, grappling, and positioning. Good stuff!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, hope that has given you something to think about. When I first figured this out, it was like stepping into a whole new world. Keep in mind that you will either need someone to show you everything and trust them, or you need to find a good classical jujitsu instructor to teach you this stuff so that you can see it in your forms. Because, that's what it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-02-11T05:53:26.977" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2770" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="154" CreationDate="2014-02-11T08:34:36.023" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The army does this by &lt;em&gt;actually&lt;/em&gt; shooting at you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My opinion on this matter isn't very popular around these parts, but I'll share it gladly: If you want to prepare for a real life situation, you need to experience a real life situation. If someone starts something with you, end it. If you don't want to do that because your kung-jitsu instructor is a man of peace or whatever, then the best thing you can do is to prevent a situation from escalating. The moment someone is up in your face and you know talking won't help (only experience can teach this, unfortunately), then you take immediate and decisive action. A straight or cross to the chin will knock out just about anyone who isn't much bigger than you are. My dad weighed 75kg and he knocked a guy out who weighed at least 100kg with a single well-placed kick. So there is quite a large bit of leeway when making the calculation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Seriously: take the shot the first chance you get. The more talking and shoving going on, the more people in the crowd forming around you will get worked up, ergo more &quot;escalation&quot; and the bigger the chance that the situation will get out of control. Drop the other guy as soon as possible. This is the same strategy employed by nations on the brink of war: take out the other guy at the first sign that war is imminent. What happened when the USA attacked Iraq? Did they wait for Saddam Hussein to get his tanks into position, or did they tank-rush him and destroy his palace before he even finished his breakfast?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other upside to this is that you can take him out before his buddies even know he's looking for trouble, saving you risk of getting a beat down. Fights always start out with two guys stepping outside and it's only when a few minutes have passed that someone announces it and attracts a crowd. Your goal is to knock him out and get out of there before the crowd shows up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;UPDATE: as I was saying, my opinion isn't very popular. See, this is where experience gainsays theory: cops will NOT arrest you if you didn't use a weapon. But if they &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; arrest you, you will be let go with a warning. And if you are charged, simply knocking someone out without causing major damage will net you a suspended sentence at worst, but usually nothing more than a &quot;don't do it again&quot;. Taking the initiative allows you to minimise the damage dealt. If you pre-emptively take out your opponent, you might just need to land one punch. Conversely, in a full-on fight, you're going to have to strike targets as they become available, e.g. eyes, nose, mouth etc. Those bleed a lot. Clipping someone on the jaw leaves very little damage in comparison.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thugs or not, my students performed exceptionally well not only in competition, but also in the real world. Only one of them ever had to &quot;neutralise&quot; an opponent before word got around that we actually know what we're doing and that we're not a turn-the-other-cheek school. After that, no one ever tried to goad us into a confrontation again. Thus preventing further bloodshed (or bruised ego's at any rate). If you're not prepared to back up the claim on your Tap Out shirt, you're just inviting more drama from drunk douchebags. It's called MARTIAL arts for a reason. Otherwise you could just as well take a course in diplomacy and proper tea ceremony etiquet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2014-02-11T11:22:00.853" LastActivityDate="2014-02-11T11:22:00.853" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2771" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-02-11T19:58:07.193" Score="7" ViewCount="1595" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've frequently seen that the difference between exacerbating and at least not-further-harming knees can come down to proper stances and footwork.  For example, I emphasize not pushing the knee past the ankle during a lunge as a way to help protect the knee. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are good drills or good things to emphasize during stances and footwork to help avoid exacerbating non-specific knee problems? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastActivityDate="2014-02-14T08:17:28.283" Title="Training Footwork for people with knee issues" Tags="|health|drills|knees|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2772" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2771" CreationDate="2014-02-11T21:19:21.473" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Knee instability is usually as a result of one of two things - You either have a pre-existing injury that is contributing to the instability, or you have muscle weakness that is contributing. (This is assuming no congenital defects).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the first, you may have to supplement with braces and/or corrective surgery. While you can protect the area with proper form, even a correct stance may make a pre-existing condition worse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the second (And to some extent the first), the stronger you can make the muscles/tendons that pass through/around the knee, the more external stabilization you will have. This may require supplemental weight training, which I suggest you do under the guidance of a certified (NSCA, CSCS, etc) trainer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as the training, you can do pretty much any of the various agility drills with ladders, cones, etc. with the caveat that they will increase the chance of injury. Proceed slowly with great emphasis on correct form, so that as you eventually get faster your form stays correct. The pivot drills will be the most risky, as you are rotating around a fixed point, lateral movements would be the next step down on the risk factor scale, while forward/back linear movements are likely to be the least threatening to stability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, ANY training that is done at high or competition speeds carries its own risks, as even a slight misstep may cause a pre-existing condition to flare up or get worse. In the end, you need to really be aware of your own body and judge what might or might not help/hinder your progress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2014-02-11T21:19:21.473" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2773" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2771" CreationDate="2014-02-11T22:04:07.290" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo, especially, seems to be a great destroyer of knees.  Pretty much everyone I know at high levels in the art has experienced knee injury at some point.&#xA;I think this is because of the right angles the stances and footwork place your feet at.&#xA;Because of the way that TKD movements are structured, placing weight on the heel of the foot during a pivot will put &quot;drag&quot; on the knee, causing it to twist painfully.&#xA;It is absolutely essential to pivot only on the ball of your foot when doing pivots for kicks.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing that can help with this is to do lots of heel raises, focusing on balancing on the ball of the foot.  Also, doing the footwork without setting the heel down will contribute to emphasizing the ball as the pivot point for stepping and kicking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know if this answers your question generally, since I don't know what the requirements for weight placement (i.e. heel/ball) are for the art that you do.  It's just been something that I've had to deal with in training TKD.  Hope it helps.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-02-11T22:04:07.290" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2774" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1926" CreationDate="2014-02-11T22:18:12.143" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Handedness in all cultures is related to codes of chivalry, and western and eastern clothes (flys for pants, buttoning on shirts, flaps on Keikogi or kimono, robes or kilts) are generally right-handed for cross-body weapon wielding in men's clothing.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Women do not typically wield weapons cross-body and so do not need to worry about their lapels, flaps or flys catching on their weapon guards.  It is also a sign of their &quot;weaker sex&quot; and need of protection that their clothing is &quot;left-handed.&quot;  Thanks, Tailors!!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mores about right-hand dominance vs left-handedness can influence dress codes in specific cultures, especially in Middle Eastern and Indonesian dress codes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Modern tailoring and dressing is individualized and can deviate from traditional and cultural dress codes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1702" LastActivityDate="2014-02-11T22:18:12.143" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2775" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="154" CreationDate="2014-02-12T06:33:57.703" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Having been in several real world fights where, unfortunately, a big, psychotic drunk relative that literally has red eyes and becomes virtually possessed with rage and fury, I know WELL how it is to be a real fight for my life, for he was literally trying to put his fists through the back of my head with each haymaker strike. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think of BIF from Back to the future, now add about 100lbs, get him drunk with rage and fury and multiply his aggression from the movies about 10x and you have an idea what it's like to fight this guy. Were I not into serious old world gung-fu where we specifically train to fight all out, fight drunk guys, guys on drugs or the like.. I would have needed reconstructive surgery at the very least after each confrontation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The ONLY way to train in ANY form of fighting is to train ALL OUT. You have to make sure that you have solid strength, speed, timing, reaction.. which means to specifically train your blocking, grappling, locking AND KNOW how to counter attack all in one flowing movement. These types of skills and knowledge are a MAJOR part of what is missing from most martial arts today. This is why most MA's lose when it comes to real fights. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've visited many martial arts schools over the years and in every one of them I've seen people throwing punches, blocking and doing other techniques with NO power, NO intent, NO strength, NO focus.. they were doing movements as if they were literally drunk. I was with a few of my students at the time and they also could not believe it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where I trained, we were specifically taught that most of the people that you're actually going to encounter in a real fight, ARE going to be people on drugs, drunk or very aggressive in nature. This is why we practice doing hundreds of push up, blocking with 15-20lb weights, movement, stepping, grappling, internal power and something called discipline technique, which is what REALLY brings your fighting, skills and abilities to a whole new level you usually only see in the movies. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Discipline technique is when you practice one technique, be it a punch, kick or other strike hundreds to thousands of times per day with the correct technique over a period of years until you can literally kill with one strike. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee did this by punching 2000 times per day with varying weights and 1000 kicks per day for years and he did achieve this kind of killing power. This is also why his fighting skill was at a whole other level from anyone else he met or fought. This is one of the MAJOR missing pieces of knowledge, skill and practice in martial arts today. These are trade secrets that most people don't know or understand.. but in a real fight, especially with those that are on drugs or extremely aggressive and large, that is what you MUST have to be able to prevail. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you are able to strike with that kind of power, your overall energy, strength, skill, speed, timing and reaction are ALL enhanced significantly and your abilities and skill go up accordingly. That is why almost no one today attains the levels of the old Masters that you see in kung-fu movies, because most don't have the time, patience or discipline to train that way anymore. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you are at that level, you're courage also increases along with your skills. While you will still feel fear in any fight, once the punches start going or the attack comes, you're training WILL automatically kick in and the fear will disappear in a second and you will just begin to move as you have trained over the many years. That is why happened to me when I was attacked each time, I instantly just thought &quot;This is just like fighting the advanced students down at the advanced school&quot;.. because that is how they would come after you for real world practice and training. Once it started the fear vanished and I simply moved as I was taught, blocked, grappled, locked him up and counter struck a dozen times or more, but because of the heavy alcohol and decades of nerve damage, he hardly even felt the blows, even though I used to strike my trees in the backyard 300 times per day for over a year. He was all screwed up the next day, but that doesn't help when you're in a literal fight for your life, which I was because he was screaming &quot;I'll KILL YOU, I HATE YOU, DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE&quot;.. with each strike. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I circled around and countered his next few crazy strikes, push locked his arm against him as I got into a deep bow and arrow stance and pushed him against the wall, then took a deep breath, guided some chi to my arm and hit him with that discipline strike to the solar plexus, knocking the wind and breath completely out of him, dropping him to the floor and eventually going unconscious. This is a technique called &quot;sealing the breath&quot; in gung-fu. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So when it comes to real fighting, you have to not only know the right ways to train, which is to DRILL for such situations over and over and over again, which almost no martial arts know or practice anymore today, but you have to have people that are at a level to be able to spar with in such situations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why in gung-fu, we keep our shoes on, use no equipment, hit hard to the body and train to both attack and defend with real aggression because that IS how it's going to be in a real fight. It's not going to be a boxing match with rules, gloves on, head gear or anything else. It's going to be wild punches, tackles, possible ground fighting, grappling, some kicks.. it's going to require a strong root, which means strong stances, speed, hard hands so that when you strike the other persons body, head, faces or bones you don't break your hands, as well as having at least some basic iron body training so that any hits will not stop you. But again, SO few train this way or even KNOW that they should be training this way which is why most people fail when it comes to real world confrontations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Iron Hand Conditioning - 1 How to Properly Condition Your Hands 1/2&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZrfuknGr44&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZrfuknGr44&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1486" LastActivityDate="2014-02-12T06:33:57.703" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2776" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2779" CreationDate="2014-02-13T00:07:15.827" Score="12" ViewCount="920" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm in below-average shape and thinking about taking up the study of a martial art for a handful of reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I want to get in shape but need external &quot;guilt factors&quot; to motivate me not to skip sessions (other people expecting me to show, money spent, etc.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I want more to show for time spent getting in shape than just a flat stomach or other vanities.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Most importantly I'm drawn to the sense of self-awareness and focus that martial arts seems to impart.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically I'm looking for a work out regimen that is interesting, challenging, and teaches me about my mind as much as about my body. I have very little interest in competitive sparring or progressing quickly through the levels just to be able to say &quot;I'm a black belt&quot;. Learning how to defend myself is an added bonus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based on these factors what should I focus on while researching the various schools of training to find the one that might be the right fit for me? I know that individual instructors will all have their own teaching styles and specific dojos (pardon my generic use of the term) will have their own cultures, but right now I'm more concerned with the martial art itself as it relates to my goals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Suggestions are more than welcome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit:&lt;/strong&gt; I am overwhelmed at the response I've gotten here from you all, both in terms of quantity and thoughtfulness. But despite the wealth of advice in your answers and comments (which I will &lt;em&gt;absolutely&lt;/em&gt; put to good use while I'm auditing schools) I still don't really have an answer that addressees why I originally posted this question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I was trying to get at was this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How do I determine which kind of martial art will suit me best?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It isn't practical for me to check out every single school in town to see who has the best teachers so I want to narrow my search by deciding on a few styles that I'm interested in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, based on JohnP's comment I know I'm probably not interested in TKD because of the general focus on competitive sparring which holds almost no interest for me. I've done some reading on a few different styles and I think Tai Chi and Jeet Kune Do seem conducive to my personality and my goals, but I'd obviously need to audit classes to really get a proper feel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess another way to ask what I really want to know is: is there a common pattern to the kinds of people who practice certain kinds of martial arts, and how do I determine what kind of person I am to find the right match?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1705" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-06-20T11:43:39.683" LastActivityDate="2014-06-20T11:43:39.683" Title="What information should I consider when choosing a martial art to study?" Tags="|schools|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2777" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2776" CreationDate="2014-02-13T03:14:57.743" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think rather than going into it with all these ideas about what you want to get out of it, just go and try some martial arts.  Try multiple before you choose one, most allow a week or two of free training.  I'll re-emphasize that, try multiple before choosing one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suggest trying ( if available )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kicky punchy ones,  karate, tkd, kickboxing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a grapply one,  Brazilian Jujitsu, Judo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a soft / artistic one, Aikido, kung fu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;then maybe some other things that are a bit specialist like Kali Escrima, Krav Maga, Bujinkan, Kendo, MMA&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then I think you'll have a really good idea what works for you. It will help with any preconceptions you have with what martial arts will give you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2014-02-13T03:14:57.743" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2778" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2776" CreationDate="2014-02-13T03:43:12.850" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If anyone was to ask me that question without supplying any context, my answer would be:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What do you expect to get out of it?  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To answer that, you need to consider things like: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;do you want to train long term, or are you looking for quick results?  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;do you want to learn skills that will see you through lots of different scenarios, or do you just want to learn to fight all gangsta ninja like?  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;are you looking for a self defense system?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;are you looking to compete? If so,&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;are you looking for something a bit more full contact, like the MMA you've seen on TV?  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;are you looking for something exhibitiony and showy, like the US Karate tournaments you'll see on some sport channels?  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;or something inbetween?  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;are you looking for a fitness regime?  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;are you wanting to train your mind in some currently unquantifiable way?  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fortunately you seem to have already established the answers to some of these - many people don't, and just launch into martial arts with no real idea of what they ultimately want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Based on these factors what should I focus on while researching the various schools of training to find the one that might be the right fit for me?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would suggest that you find a bunch of options in your area, and visit them all not once, but twice, preferably on different nights each time. You are looking for intangible things like the instructor's capability and communication skills, the atmosphere at the training hall, the attitude of the students and the attitude of the senior students. Whittle that list down to one or two options that you are happy to try immediately. And be prepared to &quot;shop around&quot; for a bit. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should re-evaluate your expectations after a while at a school:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;has your time there delivered what you expected?  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;do you think the school will continue to deliver to your expectation? &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;did you choose the right art, or do you want to try something different?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nobody should ever make you feel guilty for trying different schools or for training in multiple schools at the same time. It's your choice, you need to find what suits you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2014-02-13T03:43:12.850" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2779" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2776" CreationDate="2014-02-13T09:55:02.210" Score="11" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How do I determine which kind of martial art will suit me best?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unless you are willing to relocate to be nearer to the right teacher teaching the right martial art for you, you &lt;em&gt;must&lt;/em&gt; look at schools which are within an hour or so commute from where you live/work.  Because otherwise, you will not make it to the training session(s).  All the martial arts that I know of should satisfy your goals provided you get the right teacher. You say you dislike competition but competition can be one of the most effective tool in learning a martial art. Just because Judo and TKD are Olympic sports does not make them bad martial arts.  A good teacher should be able to teach you to do competitions to enhance yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that in mind, my answers, and those of others, on the questions &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/80/how-to-select-the-right-aikido-dojo/97#97&quot;&gt;How to select the right Aikido dojo?&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1504/what-are-the-signs-not-to-train-at-a-specific-school/1505#1505&quot;&gt;What are the signs not to train at a specific school?&lt;/a&gt; are well worth reading.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But to re-iterate: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Find out all the clubs around where you live and work.  Travelling more than an hour to train is a sure way to find an excuse not to train.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Watch a class and talk to the students and teacher. This should tell you if you will enjoy being there for five to ten hours a week.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Beware of McDojo.  There is nothing worst than being conned... This means that you should look at the costs of training there as well.  If the costs are muddy, that is a bad sign.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pick the right teacher for you&lt;/em&gt; and ignore the style.  This is the most important point.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The latter is really important: a good teacher in any art is better than an average teacher in your favourite art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that &quot;style&quot; refers more to the style of a martial art than the art in general. You will find that any martial art splits into hundreds of styles.  For example, Aikido has Yoshinkan, Shodokan, Aikikai, Ki, Iwama, and countless others. Added to that, some specific teachers will emphasis different aspects of the style they study. What makes one style/school better than the others in your area if not the quality of the teacher?  Thus, the teacher is more important than the art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, if medieval two handed sword really do not appeal, there is little point in seeking out the local medieval guild. But even so, watch a session.  It takes a few hours at most and you might learn something new &lt;em&gt;even if that is to confirm that you dislike the art as taught by said school&lt;/em&gt;. Besides, you might suddenly discover that whacking people with a two handed sword really &lt;strong&gt;is&lt;/strong&gt; fun!!!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-02-17T08:54:08.430" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2780" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1983" CreationDate="2014-02-13T09:59:45.510" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is indeed real , if you had watched the Heegu Unte program in Tv9 ( kannada channel) there is no need of any other proof to say this is real . In this program the master does this technique to the TV anchor itself .  Please watch this in youtube before you comment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The video is TV9 Heegu Unte: [2] Spiritual Martial Art , start time is 20m 57s please click the below link&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMygI-bWCMM&amp;amp;t=20m57s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMygI-bWCMM&amp;amp;t=20m57s&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1706" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2014-02-15T12:34:42.140" LastActivityDate="2014-02-15T12:34:42.140" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2781" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2776" CreationDate="2014-02-13T15:00:34.613" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was going to enter this as a comment, but I think it will be too long for that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, the other answers as a collective are all excellent, and taken as a unit could almost be a FAQ on how to select a school/art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, the one statement that you put in your question that concerns me is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I want to get in shape but need external &quot;guilt factors&quot; to motivate me not to skip sessions (other people expecting me to show, money spent, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is &lt;strong&gt;NO&lt;/strong&gt; external guilt factor that will get you into class on a consistent basis in the long term. Short term, yes. But over the long term, if you aren't in something just because you WANT to be there, then you won't show up, won't practice, etc. Martial arts is definitely something where you get out of it what you put into it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I strongly encourage you to try multiple arts, and multiple schools within the same art. If you don't find an attraction, then I would urge you to try multiple different sports/activities. Yoga is a good exercise that also teaches meditation, etc. Bottom line is that if you don't enjoy it, you won't keep going over the long term.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not trying to discourage you in any way, but I've been in martial arts since 1988, and sports in general since 1971, and one thing I've seen over and over is people or kids that are there because their parents brought them, or it's something they feel they &quot;need&quot; to do rather than want to do, and they never last. It's kind of like the definition of hardcore porn from the Supreme Court ruling &quot;I can't describe it, but I know it when I see it&quot;. When you find &quot;it&quot;, you will know it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2014-02-13T15:00:34.613" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2782" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2771" CreationDate="2014-02-13T17:46:03.847" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This answer is mostly just in support of the others...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muscle strength is the best way to overcome a relatively minor knee problem and avoid future injuries.  I partially tore my ACL about 10 years ago and had constant knee pain until I started spending 3 to 4 hours a week practicing Tang Soo Do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Four specific exercises that greatly strengthen legs and thereby stabilize knees:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Sissy squats&quot;- quick repetitions of squatting and rising (one of my instructors is a former strongman competitor, I imagine any exercise not involving 400 lb weights has &quot;sissy&quot; in the name somewhere)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Sissy kicks&quot;- rapidly squat and rise, keeping 1 knee bent as you rise and execute front snap kick, alternate legs&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Squat and hold- try to work up to 5 minute holds, there are several subtle ways to vary position to alter muscle group effects&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last one is harder to describe:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Spread your feet shoulder width and hold out your arms to the sides with forearms pointed upward.  On the balls of your feet pivot 90 deg left or right and lower the back knee until it almost touches the floor. Rise up and pivot on the balls of your feet 180 degrees and repeat.  30 seconds of these can be grueling depending on fitness level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take this one nice and slow until your knee stability improves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1681" LastActivityDate="2014-02-13T17:46:03.847" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2783" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2776" CreationDate="2014-02-13T21:19:17.120" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Learn to love Grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You want to get in shape. You think you have low motivation, but once you start to love grappling you'll want to pick up a better diet and life regime because you know that's going to help you grapple better. Once you start to love grappling, you'll want to get into a better shape, and you'll have people who can help you, and you'll stop making excuses because you know you're getting better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why do I say grappling? (I mean any full spar grappling art; Wrestling, BJJ, Judo, Sambo, etc)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because it is a great way to build real confidence, not get the brain damage from striking arts (and if you don't strike to the face, you're cheating yourself in the real confidence part as well as in the real skills part.). When you grapple another you can go pretty much 100% live, unlike in striking arts. There's never that mystery of I could've but I held back my power... This lets you not only learn how things can feel for real, and will let you go all at it as a workout. You'll rarely do something harder than wrestle another grown man.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When it comes to selecting a place to train, make sure they train live, as in, everyone pairs up to try and submit each other and tries not to get submitted in return. There are other posts here that explain How to spot Bullshido or McDojo's; search for those terms and read up on that when it comes time to pick a place. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2014-02-13T21:19:17.120" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2784" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2771" CreationDate="2014-02-14T08:17:28.283" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Others have given good advice on preventing injury whilst practicing, so I'll tell you what to do when you're not: get yourself a stationary bike and use it for at least half an hour per day on medium intensity to rehabilitate and strengthen the knee ligaments. Or if you're like me, get a real bike with clip-in pedals and go for a nice ride with gentle inclines. It's also great rehab for bad ankles and leg muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-02-14T08:17:28.283" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2785" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2014-02-14T14:24:36.613" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2014-02-14T14:24:36.613" LastActivityDate="2014-02-14T14:24:36.613" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2786" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2014-02-14T14:24:36.613" Score="0" Body="Kung Fu (功夫: intense work/hard work), Kuoshu (national art) or Wushu (武术: art of war), is a group of fighting styles developed in China over centuries, inspired by chinese philosophies, religions, legends and nature." OwnerUserId="1674" LastEditorUserId="1674" LastEditDate="2014-02-14T17:03:53.427" LastActivityDate="2014-02-14T17:03:53.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2787" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2776" CreationDate="2014-02-14T15:46:21.677" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm going to be repetitive, because some things are worth repeating. @Sardathrion pointed you at two answers to prior questions that you'll cheat yourself if you don't go back and read.  I might also recommend Eric Raymond's &lt;a href=&quot;http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=4494&quot;&gt;shopping series&lt;/a&gt;  (even if you don't share Eric's politics or limitations, the series is a good one; he talks about how to evaluate a school.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember the old saw about the three most important things in real estate are &quot;location, Location and  Location&quot;?  The three most important things in choosing a martial arts school are &quot;Teacher, Teacher and Teacher&quot;.   But perhaps I'll unpack that a bit. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're not comfortable with the teacher, if you don't respect the teacher as a person, as a teacher/instructor and as a martial artist you won't go back.  Might not be the first week, or the second but eventually you'll quit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The teacher is more than the highest ranking person in the room. Every person senior to you is your teacher. (and eventually you'll learn that every persion junior to you is also your teacher, but that's a different question). Are you comfortable with learning from these people. (My daughter evaluated a school where the teacher had a good reputation, but delegated day to day duties to a mid ranking belt (Green if I recall), who knew less than my daughter did. I understand why the situation exists, but it was a deal-breaker for us).  Do you feel safe with these people? Do you feel comfortable? Are they the kind of people who will incentivize you to come back?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other comment that I can't really articulate well, but after years of doing demonstrations to attact new students and designing those demonstrations to illustrate that the art is easy to learn and very achievable, I sat down with some of my training partners and discovered that most of us were drawn to our art because of the stuff that is fiendishly difficult to do.  The high flying breakfalls, the effortless throws, the full speed, full contact weapons work. When you go out shopping for a martial art, evaluate &lt;strong&gt;BOTH&lt;/strong&gt; whether you'll feel comfortable with the stuff you'll be doing first, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; the ultimate goal.  That huge flying breakfall will draw you back on the day when it is cold and wet and you'd rather stay in bed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Others have commented on injuries; it is a good criteria to evaluate, but be careful. My primary dojo is a filled with over 40 students; most of us are at least a little bit injured.  If you practice your martial arts sincerely and you age, you will be injured. (We've got one student who is so old that you can rip his skin just by gripping him too tightly).  One of my other pratice halls is a mix with most students under 30.  None of them are injured.  The young don't just think they're immortal, they are (at least from my perspective).  In my opinion, the important question is not &quot;are there injuries here&quot;, but &quot;are injuries respected?&quot;  If you are ever pushed to do anything that your body doesn't feel comfortable with, walk briskly to the door and leave.  I may ask you to push the edge of your comfort zone as a learning technique, but I will do my best to prepare you and I will completely respect your decision if you feel you're not ready.   We've got students who are too obese to do breakfalls, and students who have no cartilege in their knees. Students with pulled muscles and strained tendons and other problems.  Each of them makes the decision whether they will participate in each technique.  I'm not sure I'm saying this well, but the key is whether you feel that the teacher and students respect your perception of your limitations.  If they don't, you shouldn't go back. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2014-02-14T15:46:21.677" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2790" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2334" CreationDate="2014-02-15T00:33:56.987" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Advocating getting injured&quot; is NOT crazy; sometimes you must take a smaller injury in order to prevent a larger one. This is a fundamental of martial arts. It's better to lose an eye than your life. Unfortunately, the advice to get bitten and then to step on the dog's paw is idiotic and childish.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Apparently Specnaz training against guard dogs involved switching to south paw and indeed using a jacket or whatever in your secondary (i.e. right hand). The point of switching was in order to confuse guard dog's which are trained to go for the right hand, which is most people's primary attacking hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1718" LastActivityDate="2014-02-15T00:33:56.987" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2791" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2334" CreationDate="2014-02-15T05:37:18.230" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some of the above comments are good; some are not so good. I've had police officers tell me what to do, and I saw one of my MMA friends restrain a dog with a Rear Naked Choke, so here is my experience and knowledge:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wrap a shirt or jacket (Preferably a durable, leather jacket) around one arm. If he bites that arm, shove it all the way down his throat, behind his teeth. The dog won't be able to close his jaw, but he won't want to release — dogs are generally too stubborn for that. You'll have a free hand. The other hand will need medical attention afterwards. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The best position to be is behind the dog. From there you can apply a Rear Naked Choke. You can choke a dog with it too. I've seen this successfully done in a street fight situation, but I wouldn't recommend it too much, unless you're good at getting position.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The best tip is to avoid fighting with any animals whatsoever. They're ultimately better equipped to deal with violence than you are. Generally, animals are armed. Their claws and teeth are good weapons for them. We have our brains instead. Please use that and avoid any harm to animals.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-11T08:04:42.287" LastActivityDate="2017-07-11T08:04:42.287" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2793" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2776" CreationDate="2014-02-15T12:51:04.040" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm going to offer a second answer because last night my girlfriend made another point that is very relevant to your question. Pick a school filled with welcoming people who you can imagine hanging out with.  I train at three different schools. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;At my primary school, we wind up going out for lunch most days after class, and we get together for dinner once or twice a year. That school is nearly an hour away. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;At the second school I wind up hanging out and chatting with the teacher and his wife before or after class, and he comes to watch when I test in the first school. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The third school hasn't made that effort - they are all nice people, but they don't have the same social glue.  The teachers are nationally known, their technique is fantastic, they are very charismatic and nice guys.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hit the first and second school about 90% of the time.  The third school is over 50%, but it is tough on nights when it is cold, or I am tired.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pick a school where you feel like the people will be your friends. Where you feel welcome. Where the connection goes beyond martial arts.  That is part of the motivation for going back; I don't want Eric or Greg to think I'm a slacker.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2014-02-15T12:51:04.040" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2794" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2745" CreationDate="2014-02-17T09:11:06.907" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Look at what your opponent is trying to do with spider guard: Controlling the distance. He wants you in his sweet spot, which is somewhere between his legs extended and his legs bunched up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, you now have one of two goals, depending on what kind of passes you like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;either  stretch him out (Get stronger grips on his gi-pants, get your elbows together by your stomach as you crouch and back off, then you can pummel his feet out and do an X-pass or bullfighter type pass -very high success passes. As you back off from his spiderguard, it will be harder for him to maintain grips on your sleeves, so you can get superior grips on his pants.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;or squash his legs up. (Again get stronger grips on his gi pants. push his legs in from the squat position. Drive his knees into his nose, or pass depending on how the situation develops)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know your frustration, one of my main grappling partners plays spider like a beast and transitions so easily from spider to de la riva and back again. It can get very annoying. I prefer method 1.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2014-02-17T09:11:06.907" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2795" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="72" CreationDate="2014-02-17T20:16:57.500" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been employed as a doorman at various clubs throughout New Zealand and find the subject of reasonable force interesting, as a fellow MMA practitioner I have much pride in my calm zen like being but I thought id share an interesting conversation I had with a New Zealand senior sergeant who was on duty one night, the subject was training, my sensei had been involved in teaching the police some nin-jutsu techniques and me and this officer were discussing application and life and death situations, he told me in his own words &quot;by law if I feel threatened or in danger from any person/s I have the moral obligation to strike first&quot; he called this &quot;Pre-emptive strike&quot; ,basically he said why wait to see if this clowns going to try swing a punch or pull a knife, if you have the ability to de-fuse the situation as quickly and safely as possible DO It, he said I might have a guy yelling at me calling me any name under the sun, but the moment I sense the situation is dangerous to myself or anyone within a close proximity to me then shut it down, this is the same protocol the police use, better safe then sorry, obviously this does not justify knocking the person out or breaking a bone but a simple shoulder lock or choke (applied with care) will act as enough to defuse the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1726" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2014-02-18T00:20:43.500" LastActivityDate="2014-02-18T00:20:43.500" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2796" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="102" CreationDate="2014-02-17T21:54:37.583" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would suggest doing kicks or your kata with a blindfold.  This is usually much more difficult for older people as well, so if you are taking up the sport as an adult it can be very challenging and you'll get a few laughs out of it too!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1729" LastActivityDate="2014-02-17T21:54:37.583" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2797" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="102" CreationDate="2014-02-17T22:04:12.393" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In general, you need to be flexible and strong in the hips throughout a full range of motion. Are you squatting with a barbell outside of class? All the way down? What about lunges? Can you do a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.maxwellsc.com/maxwellsc2/images/dd_cstretch_002.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Cossack&lt;/a&gt; with both heels on the ground? Can you touch your toes? If not, you need to work on your flexibility outside of class:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Warm up&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do some dynamic stretches, like leg raises: forward, backward, to the side, about 3 sets of 10-12 each&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://people.bath.ac.uk/masrjb/Stretch/stretching_4.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Isometric stretches&lt;/a&gt; for your hips, pushing against an unmoving resistance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Static stretching&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For specific kicking-balance training, I got a lot of mileage out of drilling throwing multiple kicks without putting my foot down. Doing the same kick is easier; switching kicks and directions is harder. When you mess up and have to put the foot down, switch to the other side. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-02-17T22:04:12.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2798" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="72" CreationDate="2014-02-18T01:38:38.083" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The opposing attorney will bring up any and all issues they can to win their case. If you having studied martial arts to any degree and the attorney can exploit it they will&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="435" LastActivityDate="2014-02-18T01:38:38.083" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2799" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2800" CreationDate="2014-02-18T07:52:46.970" Score="1" ViewCount="156" Body="&lt;p&gt;okay so here how it goes: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did some punching and kicking practice. after that I took a shower and after that I suddenly felt a little different I was very clam and relaxed full of awareness. I felt like I was in a different state. The feeling lasted I think for 20 minutes at least and then after some time I was back to normal again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have this kind of experience before but it happens with me when I meditate but today I did nothing like this. Just wanted to ask if this is normal and if anyone else has also experienced same thing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have heard some stuff where martial arts is related with energy like yin and yang but I never really paid attention to it neither I understood it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can someone can explain what really happened with me?&#xA;I have been practising for more than 4 months but never experienced anything like this usually I feel tired after practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can this experience happen again?&#xA;I mean I really liked whatever it was and if yes then how can i achieve it every time?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1731" LastEditorUserId="1731" LastEditDate="2014-02-18T08:12:56.103" LastActivityDate="2014-02-18T08:44:20.023" Title="a relaxed and calm feeling after an intense practice?" Tags="|training|forms|muay-thai|relaxation|awareness|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2800" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2799" CreationDate="2014-02-18T08:44:20.023" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Magic is not real, so I am afraid that ying/yang energy is out.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is most likely that &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endorphins&quot;&gt;endorphins&lt;/a&gt; are being released after exercise.  They can also be released during meditation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-02-18T08:44:20.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2801" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2204" CreationDate="2014-02-18T09:18:34.600" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm speculating, but perhaps you through a piece of clothing in the way of the blade, with the intention of snagging the mechanism? I don't know whether this work or how strong the material would have to be, but it strikes me as similar to defending against a rapier using a cloak.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1733" LastActivityDate="2014-02-18T09:18:34.600" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2802" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-02-18T10:20:55.673" Score="13" ViewCount="8900" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the most effective defence against a Wing Chun practitioner?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know Wing Chun features punching quite heavily and has a very efficient defence itself but I am interested to know how to counter a Wing Chun attack effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My initial thoughts are to try and ground the attacker as I do not believe Wing Chun features much (if any) ground-work or defence against takedowns or to try and catch them with a counter-attack as they are advancing. I predict there could be trouble with the counter-attack method though due to the tight Wing Chun defence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My style is a combination of Tae Kwon-Do, Taijutsu/Jujutsu and Capoeira.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any advice appreciated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1734" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-02-20T09:00:45.823" LastActivityDate="2016-04-05T09:19:15.687" Title="Defence against Wing Chun" Tags="|wing-chun|defense|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2803" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2802" CreationDate="2014-02-18T11:44:19.783" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are four distances at which we fight: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Long range. You'll need to perform a jumping attack to close the distance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;punching range. I'll lump kicking in here for simplicity.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;close quarters. This is where Wing Chun is very effective.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;grappling. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically anything that is NOT close quarters fighting would be logically effective, but I wouldn't face a skilled Wing Chun practitioner at punching range either because it's ridiculously easy to close the gap on a punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you would want to do first is limit yourself to snap techniques which retract the attacking hand/foot. i.e. No spinning kicks, hooks, axe kicks and the like. Wing Chun is great at riding the attacking arm or leg, so don't allow your opponent to do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, you'll need to decide on either sticking to hit and run tactics, or going for the grapple. I would prefer hit and run because if you can't get on the opponent's back, he can still close-quarter your face into a bloody mess.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So do what Taekwondo does best: Keep your distance, strike hard and fast and get out of reach. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSsEniLha5M&quot;&gt;2004 olympic gold medal fight&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-02-18T11:44:19.783" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2804" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2802" CreationDate="2014-02-18T12:27:35.800" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Orthodox wing chun focuses on &quot;trapping&quot; range, between striking range and the clinch. Within many schools' live training (sparring) there is often virtually no throwing, no shots, very little clinch work or kicking, and punching or other hand strikes are often only trained once contact has been made, leaving long-range boxing untrained.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The style has therefore unsurprisingly shown itself to often be vulnerable to wrestling shots (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nzHykS-r2M&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;for example&lt;/a&gt;). Practitioners of wing chun that &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGSw208nSuI&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;do not spar&lt;/a&gt; are also generally not able to defend themselves against sparring-trained opponents in the striking range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since a non-sparring chunner will generally want to stay in trapping range (between the separated-striking range and clinch range), practice forcing an opponent into a clinch from trapping range. Practice establishing dominant positions in the clinch against an opponent who wants to back up and strike. Develop throws that you can execute against such an opponent without spending much time at that middle range between long-distance striking and clinching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of this must of course be taken with a grain of salt when discussing wing chun schools that glove up and spar under broader rulesets like kickboxing or MMA, where non-cooperative grappling and long-distance striking are encouraged. (This is not to say they must &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; kickboxing or MMA instead of wing chun, but merely that they must spar with a broad ruleset.) Wing chun that involves training or cross-training in such sparring rulesets cannot be assumed to be vulnerable as noted above. This, in fact, applies generally: expect people to be good at what they do in sparring. If they don't wrestle, or don't box, or don't combine wrestling and boxing, then expect them to be bad at those things. Style often becomes immaterial.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-01-13T09:30:31.677" LastActivityDate="2015-01-13T09:30:31.677" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2805" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2802" CreationDate="2014-02-19T08:41:06.040" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Punch them in the face! Its as simple as that! Wing chun is just a load of forms. If you do something like Thai Boxing you will have no problems against someone who does wing chun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing chun is a set of forms that are not practised against a LIVE opponent wher as Thai boxing/boxing/BJJ/wrestling/Judo are real martial arts that are practised against live resisting opponents. That is why they are more effective and used all over the world by police and armed forces along with MMA fighters. Ask yourself this question: would a guy who practices against air (wing chun) as opposed to a boxer who practices against pads and opponents be more effective in a fight? I don't think so. Imagine trying to learn guitar by book and without ever picking the guitar up!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A quick description on Bruce Lee and JKD (a guy who did Wing chun): &quot;He often compared doing forms without an opponent, to attempting to learn to swim on dry land. Lee believed that real combat was alive and dynamic.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1475" LastEditorUserId="1475" LastEditDate="2014-02-19T14:14:00.563" LastActivityDate="2014-02-19T14:14:00.563" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2806" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2802" CreationDate="2014-02-19T12:09:38.827" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As someone practicing Wing Tsung i have to say, stay out of punching range. Boxing techniques are good, single powerful attacks that are hard to predict. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We are sparring with street clothes and no rules and the only thing really getting me are long range torso kicks or boxing punches. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thats my two cents, but perhaps my school is not very traditional... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit:&#xA;If you have any contact you will probably loose against a skilled WT user, as his reflexes are extremely fast, but when relying on his eyes, he can be fooled. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="633" LastActivityDate="2014-02-19T12:09:38.827" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2807" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2338" CreationDate="2014-02-19T15:46:33.167" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Question is a bit old, but this is my input as a fighter who never did any ground work in competition.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I Never liked it and never used it. I've always fight standing, and if my oponent went on the ground, I didn't even bother going on him for 10-15 seconds, I just stand up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Things you need to learn though if you fight like this  :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A- get up FAST. If you have time to turn around and sit flat on your stomach, you had time to get up too. If you let me half a second on the ground without controlling me, I was up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;B- You dont need to &quot;defend&quot; or apply chokes or w/e. Referee are normally pretty quick to stop ground work if they dont see a clear evolution. Whatever your oponent does, he will only get 1 chance to try it, and only a few seconds. Its pretty rare he will have good control of you, so use this to your advantage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1526" LastActivityDate="2014-02-19T15:46:33.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2808" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2716" CreationDate="2014-02-19T15:56:43.180" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my point of view, o-soto-gari is throwing uke toward his back. You bend Uke's so his weight is on a leg, and you reap that leg.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;in osotoguruma, your leg act as a pivot, and you rotate him over it. You'll see it done in competition very differently than in practice : you take Uke, and pulls him toward you, and you rotate at the same time. While he follow your rotation, you turn and set your leg high on his side, almost to his hip, and you flip him over it. The leg isnt reaping, its only a pivot. Kinda hard to describe, but pretty obvious when you see it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1526" LastActivityDate="2014-02-19T15:56:43.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2809" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2802" CreationDate="2014-02-19T23:00:09.540" Score="19" Body="&lt;p&gt;I like the other answers here. Let me just add my take on this subject. I hope I don't offend anyone here. Talking about a style's weaknesses is often a hot button subject.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun was developed with a particular purpose in mind. And that was to train someone as quickly as possible to be able to fight people who were trained in traditional kung-fu arts that were commonly found at the time and in the region of China where Wing Chun was developed. It accomplishes this goal exceptionally well. However, when Wing Chun fighters engage with fighters of styles that are very different from those traditional kung-fu styles it was designed to go against, it reveals Wing Chun's weaknesses and holes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The goal of Wing Chun was not to develop a fighting system that was equal to those traditional styles. Its goal was not to make people well rounded fighters or good at &quot;street fighting&quot;. It was just supposed to get people skilled enough to be able to take on traditionally trained kung-fu fighters, and do it in a fraction of the time it normally takes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So how did it accomplish this? How can you train someone in one year to be able to fight (and win) against traditionally trained kung-fu fighters that have been doing it for 10 years?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is that Wing Chun was designed to take advantage of various weaknesses in most kung-fu styles at the time. Most of these styles did not train the close range that Wing Chun trains. Most of them teach a defensive style, whereas Wing Chun takes the fight to them and quickly tries to close the gap and get right up in their face in the close range. Most of them teach circular, long, over-arching strikes and blocks. Wing Chun does away with the long arching motions and does simple, short, direct, linear ones instead. Most of them teach dozens of forms with a half dozen weapons, taking years of extra time to master. Wing Chun only has 3 forms that can be learned quickly. Most of them trained single action striking and blocking. Wing Chun trains simultaneous striking and blocking. Most of them puts one arm forward and one arm back, but Wing Chun puts both arms forward and uses them both at the same time. Most of them are &quot;hard&quot; styles that lacked sophisticated feeling and sensing skills like Wing Chun's chi-sao techniques. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given all of that, you can see now that Wing Chun was developed with the sole purpose of exploiting the weaknesses and holes present in traditional kung-fu styles around at the time. It gave Wing Chun a big advantage. Wing Chun fighters didn't have to be particularly well rounded fighters. They didn't have to spend decades learning to master anything. They could, in short time, get good enough to exploit the weaknesses inherent in traditional kung-fu styles. It's very smart.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But take Wing Chun out of that environment and put it up against fighting arts that were uncommon or completely unknown to the founders of Wing Chun at the time, and you will find that Wing Chun is often at a big disadvantage. This is especially true against western style boxing (particularly the hook punch to the head). And it's also true for arts like wrestling, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiujitsu, and MMA. If you pull up Youtube, you can see many examples of Wing Chun fighters not doing at all well against those styles. And you'll see why almost immediately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion, Wing Chun was designed for a specific purpose and was excellent for that purpose. It still is. But when you use it outside of its expertise area, it is often quite inadequate. Many Wing Chun fighters realize this and augment their training with supplementary fighting styles such as filipino martial arts (knife and stick), Brazilian Jiujitsu, Muay Thai, western boxing, and so on. Some styles of Wing Chun, such as Wing Tsun, attempt to address these holes and weaknesses within its own system, with varying success.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-02-19T23:00:09.540" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2810" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2424" CreationDate="2014-02-21T18:25:19.190" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kyokushin has a lot more focus on hard sparring. As Dave writes in his answer, for tournaments, Shotokan fights are usually stopped after a successful technique lands (much like fencing), while Kyokushin fights are only stopped when the technique is effective (i.e. the opponent is either knocked out or knocked down). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knockouts are common in Kyokushin, while excessive contact is penalized in point karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the kata, I believe Kyokushin and Shotokan share many kata, although their interpretation may be slightly different. However, depending on the school, it might be possible to focus almost entirely on fighting and less on kata (or vice versa) once you reach a certain level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you enjoy hard sparring but not the kata, you might consider one of the Kyokushin offshoots.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ashihara Karate&lt;/strong&gt; is a direct offshoot of Kyokushin, and shares the same view on hard sparring (knockdown karate). However, their view on kata is different. While traditional kata are very stylistic, the Ashihara kata are more practical. The intention is, that the individual combinations can be transferred directly into fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8dKb3BqrtU&quot;&gt;Example of Ashihara kata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Enshin Karate&lt;/strong&gt; is in turn an offshoot of Ashihara, and is very, very similar. The only difference is that they have fewer kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are other styles as well: Daido Juku/Kudo, Seidokaikan (parent organization of K1) and several more. Most of them are descendants of Kyokushin or Ashihara, and are grouped together as &quot;&lt;strong&gt;Knockdown Karate&lt;/strong&gt;&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="30" LastActivityDate="2014-02-21T18:25:19.190" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2811" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="711" CreationDate="2014-02-23T09:33:47.360" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I like the answers from all of the posters here. As a side note, I find it pretty interesting that the kubotan is not considered to be a weapon in Germany because I live in Canada and when I was visiting an amusement park, I had to remove my keys because the kubotan was not allowed in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The kubotan is certainly a weapon; however, anything can be used as a weapon. The kubotan was invented by Takayuki Kubota who saw that many attacks tend to occur when a victim is fumbling for his/her keys. As it was mentioned by other posters, strikes, chokes, and joint locks are all excellent uses of the kubotan. Many see it as an amplifier, which is true; however, I would say that it can be far more than that. One poster mentioned that it can be used as a mini-flail, which is also true. Nunchaku techniques can easily be applied (figure eights are great, especially if you combine them with other techniques). Keys can be quite sharp, so you can easily slash the hands or eyes (remember, most opponents will have difficulty if they cannot see).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on your location (mine is rather strict about it), a kobutan can be used to conceal knives and/or other devices. It's small and compact, which makes it very useful for traveling. There are also certain designs that can sharpen and/or blunt the kubotan. I would also imagine that the materials also do make a difference. Either way, like most other weapons, a kubotan is simply an extension of your hand, so if you know some basic (but good) self-defense techniques, you can certainly deal some decent damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1660" LastActivityDate="2014-02-23T09:33:47.360" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2812" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2014-02-23T09:55:23.843" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;For many years, I trained with long hair, and I have to say, it was quite a hassle to deal with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I oftentimes tied my hair back in a ponytail. However, I have fine hair, so strands had a tendency to get loose and get in my eyes. I found that hairspray helped quite a bit (though I occasionally had problems with it hardening and still coming loose).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are working on grappling, it can be an issue. My hair got ripped out from underneath me numerous times (which toughened me up, but it was still unpleasant). I did, on occasion, shove the ponytail inside of my gi (I don't know how great of an idea that is to you, but it helped somewhat). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Braids can work, but they may still whip you in the face if you are performing standing techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like the idea about the bandana, but I never tried it. Regardless, I would imagine that it would hold your hair together better than a hairnet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think a swim cap would also be an excellent choice; however, like one poster mentioned, heat and sweat may be a bit of an issue. See what works for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, I hope that helped.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1660" LastActivityDate="2014-02-23T09:55:23.843" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2813" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2360" CreationDate="2014-02-23T10:17:37.173" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I first started training, I was expected to learn about the history of Karate and answer questions regarding the colours and symbols of our uniforms. One such question was: &quot;Why is our gi white?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe that what I was taught goes well with what a previous poster stated: &quot;The white uniform represented the values of purity, avoidance of ego, and simplicity. It gave no outward indication of social class so that all students began as equals.&quot; To put it simply, the white was to represent the beginner because each of us started as one. Even when you reach Shodan (first degree black belt), you're still considered a beginner in so many ways. Refraining from ego and social class reminds us that we had others to help us when we were beginners, so we must not forget our roots. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I remember reading a book many years ago. It was either &quot;The Karate Dojo&quot; by Peter Urban or &quot;The Classical Man&quot; by Richard Kim (I apologize as it has been a long time since I have read them and I do not have either on hand at the moment). In the the book, there was a story that explained how many schools had their students wear fancy clothing that did nothing to excel their training. It was all flash and dance and nothing more. The writer criticizes this practice because (from what I recall), it is an emphasis of ego, which does not belong in martial arts. So many students fall for the fancy uniforms and what not, forgetting about their roots as beginners. It has become all about &quot;me&quot; and less about &quot;the other.&quot; I even saw it happen to my former school (which ironically advocated the white colour as the representation of the beginner). Eventually, money took control of the instructor and if parents were willing to pay more, their children would don black uniforms, be given special attention and instruction, and would be part of the so-called &quot;Black Belt Club.&quot; I had one parent complain about it to me, and I agreed that it was wrong. It was a very sad day for my former club.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, I apologize if my extended answer was too much. I hoped I helped.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1660" LastActivityDate="2014-02-23T10:17:37.173" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2814" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2153" CreationDate="2014-02-23T10:37:36.757" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As one poster mentioned, rotating your waist will certainly help with power. What I would also add is that you should perhaps focus on your other arm is doing. For instance, &quot;chambering&quot; your other arm might also increase power (through what they call expansion/contraction). Try rifling your other arm back as you're throwing the elbow and rotating your hips somewhat. Be sure to exhale as your strike as well, as this will also increase your power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is also a term called &quot;kime,&quot; which means &quot;the summation of joint forces.&quot; If all of your joints are working well together in unison, your technique should be sharp. You want to focus all of that energy together towards one point (in this case, the energy should be transferred from your elbow to the pad). Try not to &quot;push&quot; so much; rather, suddenly stop the technique at the center of focus and do not extend past it. A good example is a punch: it is never good to hyperextend your arm; you want a little bit of a bend. It's hard to say whether or not that is what you are doing because I am not watching what you are doing. However, once I focused on the kime and realized what I was doing wrong, my power increased a whole lot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, those are just some tips. I hope they help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1660" LastActivityDate="2014-02-23T10:37:36.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2815" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2135" CreationDate="2014-02-23T11:12:41.603" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I understand your feelings on this matter. As a female martial artist, I have learned that even though I am well-adept, I am still small, and many will inevitably view me as a target. I had a friend who jokingly called me a Poodle; even though a Poodle may bite just as nastily as a German Shepherd, most people don't take them seriously because they don't look threatening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a result, I needed to ensure that I eliminated any &quot;misunderstandings&quot; as much as possible. This did not mean going around and acting aggressively, as one poster also stated; rather, it meant eliminating any body language that would suggest that I am an easy target. For instance, don't look down as you are walking, and make sure that you are constantly aware of your surroundings. Not only does this mean looking around and turning your head, but paying attention to your peripheral vision and listening to voices and other noises around you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pay attention to vehicles on the street and anyone who looks sketchy. If it comes down to it, take a detour if the person in question is close to you or heading in your direction. You can easily talk to yourself and say, &quot;Oops, wrong way&quot; to imply that there is no fear (this also allows you to see if you are being followed). Noticing a sketchy person from a distance will help a lot. Pay attention to his/her body language and take caution when you see groups of people walking (especially at night). Walk with other people if you can because that easily cuts the risk in half.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are confronted, be firm, look the person in the eye and politely ask him/her/them to leave you alone (being louder can attract attention, which attackers hate). Show that you are not afraid and (regardless of whether or not you can get hurt) are not a victim. The way you walk and hold your body up says a lot. Most people gain their first impression of you based on your body language (which is especially helpful in interviews, heh). If you look like someone who won't be easy to take down, an attacker will be more hesitant to attack you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another option is to increase your martial arts skill set (it never hurts to learn more; we all do) and/or carry a weapon on you. Look at your country's restrictions and find an appropriate weapon to carry on hand. Whether it be pepper spray, a knife, a gun, a kubotan, etc., if you are walking by yourself (or even in a group), it can certainly work in your favour and give you more confidence (which will make you appear less like a victim). My boyfriend is a fencer and always carries a knife on him. Even though he doesn't know many empty-hand techniques, he certainly knows what he is doing (I am the black belt and I feel safer with him). I have also carried a kubotan or knife in my hand when in a deserted area (usually on campus) and/or when I see people ahead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mostly, I try to avoid questionable places and questionable people. There was a saying at my old school: &quot;The best self-defense is not to be there.&quot; I feel that I have avoided many potential situations. However, regretfully, there have been times where I was in areas that I probably shouldn't have been. When that happens, you need to go with your instincts and try to get out of the area and/or situation as quickly as possible. Ultimately, keep your wits about you and pay attention to your environment. That is your best friend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope that helped.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1660" LastEditorUserId="1660" LastEditDate="2014-02-23T11:27:47.540" LastActivityDate="2014-02-23T11:27:47.540" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2816" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="241" CreationDate="2014-02-23T21:26:43.703" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no way that you can override the Flinch or Spinal Reflex, it is activated by the fact that your System is surprised, training the same situation until you are no longer surprised by it is not the same as controlling your Spinal Reflex action, you quite simply knew what was coming so it did not surprise you.&#xA; All these threads that talk of controlling the spinal Reflex Arc make the same mistake, and this could lead to a dreadful beating if you think it will work in a situation that once again surprises you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been in the M.A. for over 50 years and have heard all this before, trust me your training will have no effect on something your Conscious Brain does not register. And before any one goes off at me about using your Sub - Conscious Brain if you do activate an action Sub-Consciously it is no longer you in Control, still not your training method just a Spinal Reflex in itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1744" LastActivityDate="2014-02-23T21:26:43.703" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2818" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2370" CreationDate="2014-02-23T22:35:39.410" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience with qigong, the inhalation is done on the gathering (yin) phase of the movement, and the exhalation is done on the expressing (yang) phase of the movement. I understand that Cheng Man Ching taught the opposite of this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1747" LastActivityDate="2014-02-23T22:35:39.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2819" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2014-02-24T03:05:47.397" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm pretty sure long hair stops you from fighting. I think I remember two years ago, when I was on my school wrestling team, that they told me to shave my head when my hair got too long. I don't wrestle anymore BUT, it DOES get in the way. Someone will be able to pull on your hair, despite how illegal that might be (I don't know if it is or not). It will also impair your vision. Trust me, it's a bad idea. It happened to me as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;YOU DON'T want to wrestle someone with long hair, in any grappling martial art. It's just a fact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1667" LastActivityDate="2014-02-24T03:05:47.397" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2820" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2821" CreationDate="2014-02-25T04:36:58.873" Score="9" ViewCount="6052" Body="&lt;p&gt;To provide some background: I have been attending training sessions for Muay Thai Fundamentals (Beginners) sporadically for the past 5-10 weeks now. Whilst there has been some observable improvements in my overall fitness levels, I am unsure about the most optimal method in increasing my endurance levels specifically for beginner Muay Thai drills and its respective demands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I completely understand that this will be dependent on an thorough assessment of my current physical state but generally speaking, I'm of a normal fitness level. I jog and work out as many times as I can during the week (2-4 times, varied workouts) but the workouts that I'm undertaking may not be conducive for coping with the Muay Thai demands in class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Below, I've detailed specifically some of the immediate endurance concerns relating to the Muay Thai drills in class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;10, 20, 30 kicks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reaching probably around the middle of this drill, I will become exhausted and my kicks will invariably slow down. I find it difficult to continue to successively kick and I feel as if I've drained myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4-count Thai pad drills&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Same issue as above - it is consistently the kicks that tired me out rather than the punches. After completing a few 4-counts on the Thai pads, I'm exhausted usually after the last kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Questions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What exercise routine(s) could you recommend that might help me with improving my endurance for executing Muay Thai kicks for a longer amount of time?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If I wanted to increase my endurance through executing series of kicks, would purchasing one of those long boxing bags help?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Appreciate any help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1751" LastActivityDate="2018-11-12T01:12:00.903" Title="How do I increase endurance levels to cope with Muay Thai demands?" Tags="|kicking|exercise|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2821" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2820" CreationDate="2014-02-25T07:35:27.637" Score="9" Body="&lt;h2&gt;It's supposed to be hard&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All serious training is supposed to remain difficult and challenging. If, as you say, you have improved your ability to get through warm-ups and training in general, then you're improving. You will keep improving the more you train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Key word: sporadically&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regular training gets you more fit more quickly than irregular training. The closer you get to 4 or more specifically Muay Thai workouts (not jogging or HIIT), the better you will adapt to the demands of class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Conditioning is largely activity-specific, so don't expect jogging to be that productive for staying fresh through a hard kickboxing class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Other possible issues&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lots of people who are weak and inflexible have trouble with kicks because the techniques require maximal levels of exertion. If you can't deadlift 1.5x your bodyweight then strength training is called for. If, after a brief warm-up, you can't touch your toes with knees straight then flexibility training is urgently needed. Being strong, flexible, and generally athletic helps with training. Specifically, it makes kicking easier and more fluid instead of awkward and tiring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This does not mean you should do three or four &quot;varied&quot; non-muay Thai workouts a week and expect to see improvement. Rather, the most productive path is systematic, progressively challenging strength training once or twice a week and regular (daily if possible) stretching. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-02-25T11:43:38.880" LastActivityDate="2014-02-25T11:43:38.880" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2822" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2820" CreationDate="2014-02-25T09:37:49.193" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Cycling is my favourite leg conditioning exercise. Get a bike with clip-in pedals and do incline rides. Get your legs used to doing strenuous exercise for prolonged periods. I would argue that cycling is better exercise than running for martial arts because you're using all of the major leg muscles, not just the shins and calves. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And something that a lot of people miss when thinking about kicking endurance is the set of abdominal muscles. You'll want to get them working too. If I understand correctly, Muay Thai generates kicking power from the abs, so you'll want to work on those too. Regular crunches and sit-ups won't be enough. You'll need to do resistance training. A very simple exercise I've used to great effect on my students was the leg push down. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQom97-3Ks4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;As seen in this video.&lt;/a&gt; You may want to vary the exercise by throwing the legs off to one side to target the obliques. And you may also want to grab hold of your partner's legs so that you isolate the abdominal region and relieve the strain on your neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point here is that you want to get your &lt;strong&gt;muscles&lt;/strong&gt; burning, not your &lt;em&gt;lungs&lt;/em&gt;. This increases the fast-twitch muscle fiber, giving you more endurance &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; more speed to boot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-02-25T09:37:49.193" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2823" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2370" CreationDate="2014-02-25T09:45:50.423" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you're ever unsure, a rule of thumb is to inhale at the start of a complex movement and exhale at the end. Think of breathing in as pulling back on a bow and breathing out as releasing. Which is, coincidentally, how you shoot a bow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-02-25T09:45:50.423" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2824" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2825" CreationDate="2014-02-25T23:03:30.553" Score="10" ViewCount="707" Body="&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Focus concerns during Muay Thai drills&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm quite fixated on the cognitive level of martial arts and as I'm doing beginner Muay Thai at present - I'll narrow the scope only to mindfulness practice on drills/demands of Muay Thai. I'm finding that when I'm completing the drills, I'm almost on autopilot. Not really there while plowing through the drills as my partner moves in tandem. I believe this is becoming a big hinderance on the learning processes for understanding and absorbing Muay Thai. In addition, as I feel fatigued - I become less focused at which I begin to overcompensate by exerting more power in my drills rather than focusing on my form and accuracy. Therefore, I am curious to see whether users have had any benefits from any mindfulness practices to help their level of focus in their chosen martial art(s) training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Some (slightly) supportive research&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aikido and mindfulness&lt;/strong&gt;. Loathes, Hakan and Kassab (2013) studied the relationship between Aikido training and mindfulness scores and highlighted that practising Aikido is correlated to higher mindfulness scores (and implicitly focus levels?).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mindfulness on a postural balance task&lt;/strong&gt;. A study by Hwa Kee et al (2012) showed that momentary mindful attention could benefit balance performance during movement control.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Questions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What might be the most optimal martial arts to improve level of focus? (I'm aware that all martial arts will involve focus/attentional exercises but there must be differences in the philosophy of each martial arts that could potentially render it more focus-oriented than another)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How could one use informal mindfulness practice to support present-moment Muay Thai drills when one loses focus?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What pre-training mindfulness practices have other users found to be useful in preparing for a class? (My Muay Thai training seems to be quite mechanistic in the sense that there is no education on focus skills)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll allow for users to refer to their own general meditative practices if they don't categorically adopt mindfulness practices.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1751" LastActivityDate="2015-02-13T21:13:30.810" Title="How can I use mindfulness to regain focus during Muay Thai?" Tags="|muay-thai|meditation|philosophy|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2825" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2824" CreationDate="2014-02-26T08:52:04.680" Score="9" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;plowing through the drills as my partner moves in tandem&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a good version of this and a poisonous version of this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The good version is that your padholder is calling for combinations on the fly and you are responding mindlessly. That's super. That's &lt;em&gt;mushin-no-shin&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The bad version is that you are a rock-'em-sock-'em robot. If both of you are stepping in exactly the same ways for each rep, if the combinations are so regular they could set a metronome, then you're doing robotic reps that will do nothing but ingrain a beginner's bad habits. You've lost &lt;strong&gt;timing and footwork&lt;/strong&gt;, two of the most critical lessons to be learning during padwork. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The solution is to always, always, always walk around during padwork, and to constantly mess with any rhythms that form. Throw feints and inject defensive head movement, just like when shadowboxing, to keep the drill from becoming repetitive. Constantly evaluate your output and try to improve on each rep: &quot;I need to get my elbow up on that left hook.&quot; or &quot;Hip wasn't quite turned over on that round kick...this next rep I'll go slowly on the other strikes and really pour it onto that kick to get it right.&quot; All of that makes the padwork real. Real padwork means real focus and real results.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Mindfulness&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The meditative aspect of martial arts doesn't need to be wrapped in mysticism to be quite real. You say:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;My Muay Thai training seems to be quite mechanistic in the sense that there is no education on focus skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...but the mechanistic aspects are plenty to develop mindfulness and focus. Matt Thornton of SBGi says of the &quot;yoga&quot; aspect of martial arts that &quot;what we do is enough&quot;, meaning that it's the physical practice that makes one mindful: learning, drilling with intent, sparring with vigor and challenge, facing one's fears through competition. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally it's all quite straightforward for me. The pre-class practice is just getting ready for class: &quot;chop wood, carry water&quot;. Make sure my gym bag isn't missing anything, my water bottle is filled, I leave on time, and I'm not hungry but not too full either. During class ensuring focus just means focusing. If I lose it, I just let the distracting thoughts arise and pass, and I get back to training. If there's any specific practice I use, it's self-talk to get back in the game and hit harder, work harder, push through the fatigue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&quot;Best martial art for focus&quot;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best martial art to improve levels of focus is either whatever art you like best, or, in my opinion, any hard-sparring art where you compete. Being smashed produces maximal mindfulness. Preparing for a match where the other guy is going to try to break your arm and choke you unconscious is tremendously focusing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-02-26T08:52:04.680" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2828" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2829" CreationDate="2014-02-28T11:50:20.400" Score="3" ViewCount="824" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been practicing shedokan for last two years. But unfortunately I stated my training at an age of 21 years (Now I'm 23). Consequences I am facing of starting this much late is that my legs do not stretch enough to throw a proper round house kick. When I started my training 2 years back. I could stretch my legs almost 110 degrees apart. Now can stretch them almost 120 degrees apart.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I perform stretching drills, I feel severe pain near ball joints between my legs and pelvic bone toward outside of my leg. It feels that there is some lock that prevents my legs from being stretched. Whereas I do not feel any stretching effect on the inner muscles of my leg. My instructor does not understand my condition and keeps saying, &quot;You should keep on trying and one day you will be able to have a full stretch.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my question here is simple. Is there any drill which I can perform to increase my stretching? Or I will never be able to gain any further stretches?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1606" LastEditorDisplayName="user15" LastEditDate="2014-02-28T12:46:22.253" LastActivityDate="2014-03-01T06:38:18.847" Title="What can I do to stretch my legs out further?" Tags="|karate|stretching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2014-03-03T01:07:49.730" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2829" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2828" CreationDate="2014-03-01T06:38:18.847" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are many possible causes for this roadblock to your stretching improvement. Firstly, I would recommend a stretching &lt;em&gt;program&lt;/em&gt;, not just a drill, that you do regularly outside of class several times a week. Tom Kurz book Stretching Scientifically can help with that. The key is to use effective stretching tools beyond static, passive stretches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, I would recommend searching &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mobilitywod.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Kelly Starrett's MobilityWOD&lt;/a&gt; for exercises related to the hip. He talks fast about technical topics but you can learn from him. What you're describing might be hip impingement that you could solve with some &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/sanfranciscocrossfit/videos?sort=da&amp;amp;flow=grid&amp;amp;view=0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;specific exercises&lt;/a&gt; targeting the joint instead of just stretching the way you've been doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-03-01T06:38:18.847" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2830" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-03-02T19:53:29.390" Score="6" ViewCount="1918" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have met many practitioners of Bushin Ryu over the years and all seemed very skillful. It seems an admirable martial art and something I aspire to. However, I am unsure what exactly the focus is of this style. And specifically - &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What is the main technical focus of Bushin Ryu?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1761" LastEditorUserId="6264" LastEditDate="2017-02-03T09:26:03.737" LastActivityDate="2023-09-25T02:32:38.310" Title="What is the main technical focus of Bushin Ryu?" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2831" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-03-03T10:52:20.747" Score="5" ViewCount="1448" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have the onset of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Rheumatoid-arthritis/Pages/Introduction.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;rheumatoid arthritis&lt;/a&gt; in one of my elbows. My other arm is fine and everything else is fine. What martial arts could I practise without excessive strain on the elbows?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: The specialist has told me to do whatever I want. But if (be it any type of activity) causes me pain of inflammation, stop immediately)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The one that interests me most is Ju-Jitsu but I know there are quite a few twists. I was also considering Judo. I wonder what people's thoughts were on these two?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My aims, is to build my self confidence mainly and have fun. I don't have ambitions to be a professional or compete in top competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The ones I'm ruling out immediately are Karate, kick boxing, because of the velocity of the punch that would be needed and also the training I believe involves a lot of push up s which I can't really do.= without strain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1764" LastEditorUserId="1764" LastEditDate="2014-03-03T11:33:25.293" LastActivityDate="2016-07-31T12:48:26.313" Title="Best martial art for someone with bad elbow?" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2832" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2831" CreationDate="2014-03-03T11:24:06.770" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Any martial art should be fine as long as you (and whoever is training with you) are careful with your elbow. Any good teacher should (read: &lt;em&gt;will&lt;/em&gt;) accommodate you and not put excessive pressure on your bad elbow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you were planning to compete in either amateur or professional circles, I would ask for medical advice as you are likely to get your elbow strained. However, this should not bare you for any style that hold competitions with the above caveat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example: Aikido has a lot of elbow techniques but those can be done safely or missed. Muay Thai has a lot of elbow strikes but those can be done safely or at very low power so not to acerbate your injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Clearly, monitoring the state of your elbow will be critical whatever art you chose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-03-03T11:24:06.770" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2833" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2831" CreationDate="2014-03-03T13:25:16.120" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Depending on how old you are*, you may also want to consider Taekwondo, especially WTF (Olympic) Taekwondo. While it does teach arm and hand techniques, the art focuses mainly on kicks. You could arguably become world champion even if you don't have arms (a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much). punches are few and far between. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLz-sl1ZfBs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;See for yourself&lt;/a&gt;. Judo and Jiu Jitsu is going to put strain on your elbow. There's no way around it. It would arguably be better to take up Karate before one of the grappling arts. At least in Karate you can adapt your fighting style to compensate for a bad elbow (or knee or whatever), but in grappling it's much more difficult. Grappling arts will also have you do lots of drills where you are grabbing and pulling on clothing and arms/legs and you'll start feeling that elbow very quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*Nothing stops you from taking up TKD when you're 30 or even 40, but you'll need to be flexible from the start at that age. You're going to be kicking at the other guy's head a lot and flexibility training is tough at that age if you don't have a good foundation to begin with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-03-03T13:25:16.120" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2834" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1838" CreationDate="2014-03-03T14:42:06.993" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The point is to teach you how to function properly when you're exhausted. During army basic training recruits will be required to run a good few miles before they're taken to the shooting range for target practice. The point behind the exercise is that in a live-fire scenario, you would have been marching for half a day, or you'd have been digging foxholes and you'd be out of breath and stiff when the enemy attacks. If you haven't learned how to shoot straight with aching and protesting muscles during basic training, an actual fire fight is the most horrible place to learn this lesson.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the flipside, my father-in-law was a sniper in the South African Defense Force (not to be confused with the South African NATIONAL Defence Force) and said that being drilled in shooting while exhausted made their unit the best at competitions. If you can control your aim when tired, you'll be able to do it so much better when you're not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not a giant leap to apply this principle to unarmed martial arts: if your muscles can do it properly while tired, so much the better when they are fresh. Also keep in mind that in a tournament, especially a tough one, by the time you get to the final match, you'll have acquired many knots and bruises and your muscles will be complaining. The guy who's better able to deal with this will be the champion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-03-03T14:42:06.993" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2835" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2831" CreationDate="2014-03-03T16:15:14.490" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do Brazillian Jiujitsu over Judo. In Judo you will fall a lot from being thrown and you will hit your elbow repeatedly by accident. In BJJ, you will be able to just sit down and not fall on your elbow all day. Just tap really early on anything that attacks that arm, especially at first. Don't worry about tapping to the guys who will see/you tell them your 'weakness' and immediately go 100% focused on it, those guys are jerks anyway. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember that you don't have to compete if you don't want to, (which could be bad for your elbow) and in BJJ you don't need a lot of explosiveness or power or pushups etc. Just avoid sprawling too energetic, but I believe you can use your own judgment to see which exercises you could do or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2014-03-03T16:15:14.490" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2836" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2831" CreationDate="2014-03-03T19:08:31.157" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a great many martial arts that would be good for someone with rheumatoid arthritis.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would recommend Tai Chi or some other internal martial art like BaGua specifically for rheumatoid arthritis.  I am not sure it would make the arthritis any better (it might), but there is very little emphasis on concussive force in the internal arts, at least not of the high impact variety seen in hard striking arts like Karate and TKD.  More specifically, strikes are not &quot;thrown&quot; in the internal arts so much as &quot;placed&quot;, if that makes sense.  A Tai Chi punch will not wrench your elbow like a Karate or Boxing style punch might.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I take it that since you mention Judo and Juijitsu, you are interested in grappling and throwing.  Tai Chi is mainly a grappling style, even if the way it approaches grappling is more subtle than you may prefer.  Now, the question is if you can get behind the idea of using internal structure rather than external force.  Some people like external styles better, and I can certainly see why.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't necessarily rule out Karate, TKD, etc...  While these are hard striking arts, some schools teach them in less concussive ways that would be amenable to your requirements.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-03-03T19:08:31.157" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2837" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2334" CreationDate="2014-03-03T19:26:40.880" Score="9" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Face the dog and stand your ground. The worst thing you can do is to run. The exception is if the dog is far away and you can get somewhere a close a door before he can reach you. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Speak or yell at the dog in an authoritative tone.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It is usually effective to pick up a stone to throw. Dogs instinctively understand the gesture and when they see you bend over, they will run.  If there is no stone available it doesn't matter ... the dog doesn't know that; bend over and pretend.  Raise your arm and pretend to throw the stone.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dogs are impressed by size. If you have a briefcase, lunge forward and swing it at the dog. If you have a jacket, pull it off and swing it at the dog.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dogs are territorial. Keep moving ... without running. As soon as you are out of their territory they will probably leave you alone.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I have heard, don't stare at the dog's eyes because it makes him feel threatened. Don't know if that is true.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you have a good-sized stick I would strike the dog as hard as possible on the top of its skull.  I have no experience with this, but that would certainly be better than hitting his body or elsewhere. This would apply if the dog is very close and attacking or about to attack. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;None of this will work with every situation.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1768" LastEditorUserId="1768" LastEditDate="2014-03-03T19:31:49.650" LastActivityDate="2014-03-03T19:31:49.650" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2838" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="529" CreationDate="2014-03-04T19:47:19.657" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Isshin Ryu Sesan. The opening move bunkai is generally accepted as a heavy double forearm drop onto the forearms of the attacker who is holding the shirt front/lapels.This,with a forward step should cause a slight dip in the attackers posture - at which point you strike them.The heaviness of the impact on the arms is referred to as muchimi and is a feeling of sticking with weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1761" LastActivityDate="2014-03-04T19:47:19.657" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2839" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2824" CreationDate="2014-03-04T19:54:28.683" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Absolutely the thing to focus you is impact! Get real with your training partners and simultaneously focus on your breath.Remember Mike Tyson's saying - everyone has a plan until they get hit in the head.Breathe,focus on each moment,self evaluate,keep moving.This then can be applied to any art you choose to practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1761" LastActivityDate="2014-03-04T19:54:28.683" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2840" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2831" CreationDate="2014-03-04T22:05:34.203" Score="9" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Don't choose an art, choose a school.&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm suffering from arthritis in my knees and medial epicondlyitis (a temporary condition in my elbow which gives me some understanding of your plight).   I practice Tai chi and Aikido; the style of aikido I practice (Tomiki) borrows heavily from Judo.  My sister was an Olympic level Kareteka until she injured her elbow; she switched schools because her senior teacher wouldn't permit her to adapt her training to the injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Make sure the school respects injuries.  My primary school is probably all over 30, and most of us are over 50.  Injuries happen, and if we want to keep training with one another we have to learn to respect those injuries. We've dismissed students for failing to respect injuries.  Look for a school with older students, and teachers who are used to teaching older students.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Many schools will use tape (duct tape or red tape) to indicate an injury; training partners should ask about the tape if the joint is involved in the technique you're practicing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Adapt your training.  Because my elbow is munged up, I've been practicing all the techniques on the reverse side - Some of the techniques get more complicated in reverse, but my training partners have been enthusiastic about using the complexity as a way to test our understanding. &lt;em&gt;(all techniques should be practiced on both sides as a normal event, but we happen to be working on a kata which is asymmetrical for reasons that are not really relevant to your question).&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Tap out.  Protect that joint. When the technique puts any pressure on my joint I tap out &lt;strong&gt;before&lt;/strong&gt; there is a problem.  At the moment I have a glass elbow.  If there is any doubt as to whether the technique is effective, we switch sides and do it on my stronger elbow.  My job as Uke is not to test my partner's effectiveness, it is to react correctly, and tapping out fast is reacting correctly. &lt;em&gt;That is a general rule; there are exceptions, but they can be accomodated&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Don't do the dangerous stuff.  There are techniques I can no longer do because the arthritis in my knees make me weaker in certain postures.  When we do kneeling work, I either bow out, or do the technique standing up.  My temporary injury to my elbow makes push hands dangerous, so I've had to take six weeks off.  I still perform and practice Tai Chi, but push hands is the wrong thing for me right now.  Might not be a problem for you under the conditions you describe.   There are other techniques that I refuse to do because &lt;em&gt;if&lt;/em&gt; my knee were to give out, there are situations where it might injure my partner. (my knee folded during shihonage once and nearly separated my partner's shoulder.  I do shihonage differently now).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Get a second medical opinion.  I say this for two reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Most of the aikdoka I work with share an orthopod - because he used to be one of us, and he knows exactly what locks are dangerous.  Different doctors have different levels of familiarity with martial arts. An adequate answer from a GP is adequate, but a second opinion from a doctor/martial artist might open whole new worlds of possibility&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Most chronic injuries can be partially compensated through some form of physical therapy.  I can compensate for my elbow by strengthening the muscles and relying less on the damaged tendons.  I can compensate for the knee by making sure that the muscles are strong enough to bear additional strain.  Check with the doctor to see if you can design a program of stretches and exercises that will maximize your participation and minimize the chance that you'll exacerbate an injury.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;The most important tip I'll give you&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For Tomiki Aikido, the promotion to second degree black belt involves a set of kneeling techniques.  I can't do kneeling techniques, and when I try, the effort is embarassing to all concerned.  Sensei allowed me to test standing up.  The standing techniques teach an entirely different set of lessons, and if I ever reach a teaching rank, I'm going to have to confront that gap in my trainng.  But Sensei was willing to work with me to create a demonstration that allowed me to show my mastery of the portion of the art I can show.  &lt;strong&gt;If the teacher you're working with won't adapt the technique to your limitations, leave.&lt;/strong&gt; There is no excuse for that.  Working through a chronic injury with the risk of doing further harm to your body is bad art, bad martial, bad personal development, bad budo, bad human relations.  Failing to adapt to the student is contemptible.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the flip side, I need to accept that I'll never be the lineage master, and that if/when I teach, I need to address that so that I don't shortchange my students. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people will challenge me because they believe that the art isn't pure if it is adapted. With all due respect, that's crap. My teacher's teacher believes that, and although he is a brilliant man, on this count he is wrong. The art is going to be different for a 5' 100lb girl than it is for a 6'1 300 pound man.  Different for people with long arms than short arms.  Shuhari.  But that whole rant is the answer to a different question so I'll shut up now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;** Ask** the teacher how the two of you could work together to achieve your goals. You have realistic goals specified in your question, and any decent teacher should be able to accomodate your limitations.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;tl;dr&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should be able to do what you want to do. I do joint locks, I do throws, I do the occasional high flying breakfall (flying breakfalls are actually easier on my knees than low soft breakfalls; but Sensei doesn't like me to do them because he wants me to come back.)  Find a school where you can achieve your goals. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2014-03-04T22:16:28.153" LastActivityDate="2014-03-04T22:16:28.153" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2841" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2014-03-05T02:37:43.550" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2014-03-05T02:37:43.550" LastActivityDate="2014-03-05T02:37:43.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2842" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2014-03-05T02:37:43.550" Score="0" Body="Japanese modern martial art and combat sport of swordsmanship, derived from traditional kenjutsu. Practitioners use bamboo or composite swords (shinai) and wear protective gear (bogu) in competition and sparring, and use wooden swords (bokken) for paired forms practice (kata)." OwnerUserId="790" LastEditorUserId="790" LastEditDate="2014-03-05T03:47:13.120" LastActivityDate="2014-03-05T03:47:13.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2844" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2084" CreationDate="2014-03-05T18:12:32.743" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;sounds like you need to throw more jabs, I know when I have an overly aggressive opponent my jab shuts down his combo everytime. when he throws a combo , throw one back and make him pay for it&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1775" LastActivityDate="2014-03-05T18:12:32.743" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2845" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-03-05T21:41:37.730" Score="6" ViewCount="18375" Body="&lt;p&gt;What parts of the body should be trained? How to be ready for a hard push?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1776" LastActivityDate="2015-09-02T14:12:50.133" Title="How to avoid recoiling when someone pushes you?" Tags="|technique|" AnswerCount="10" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2846" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2845" CreationDate="2014-03-06T00:03:36.947" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's all about your core strength.use your core,then decide whether it's better to deflect with a twist of the torso or absorb ,with one step back. But the point is,&#xA;no strategy will be effective without core strength.&#xA;There is a huge amount of information on the inter web on core training. You just have to do it …On a daily basis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1761" LastActivityDate="2014-03-06T00:03:36.947" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2847" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2845" CreationDate="2014-03-06T07:27:27.670" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vvIPl.png&quot; alt=&quot;xkcd&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.physicsclassroom.com/calcpad/momentum&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Momentum and collisions&lt;/a&gt; are what you are looking at.  Collisions can be either &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elastic_collision&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;elastic&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inelastic_collision&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;inelastic&lt;/a&gt;. The former is when you recoil if pushes, the latter is when your body absorbs most the energy of the push.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, what you are asking is how to effectively absorb the energy.  Well, momentum is conserved in a collision, so you have to provide equal momentum in the opposite direction to the push.  Alternatively, you can absorb the energy which will likely translate as damage to your body. You can do that by standing your ground.  Clearly, the former should be preferred.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do you achieve equal momentum in the opposite direction to the push?  Well, you have mass and you have velocity. The latter is the one you want to improve on due to kinetic energy. Which means you have to move towards the push. By doing so you are increasing the total energy of the system.  This is bad because some of that energy will translate into damage to both bodies: bruises, bones fractures, concussion, etcetera.  After all, our bodies are not rigid ones. Note that damage can be due to the initial collision or the collision with whatever you collide with behind you: wall, floor, etcetera.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, neither options is really avoiding damage to yourself. Maybe either avoiding or blending with the push are better ways to deal with a push than trying to resist it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, offensive means imparting energy (kick, punch, throw, ...) into the target and defensive means minimising the energy (absorb, block, deflect, avoidance, ...) you receive as part of the attack.  It is all about physics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-03-11T10:10:24.017" LastActivityDate="2014-03-11T10:10:24.017" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2848" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2845" CreationDate="2014-03-06T08:01:16.017" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you're asking about strength work then the answer is, as always, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/733/347&quot;&gt;get strong first&lt;/a&gt;. Don't try to tailor your strength training to a specific task if you're weak, because that approach will keep you weak. Do whole-body general strength training, like pull-ups and heavy deadlifts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The rest of resisting or avoiding a bad response to a push is technique training, or more generally getting used to someone disrupting your balance. For that, you should be sparring hard in some sort of grappling ruleset where people are going to push you. Wrestling, judo, san da, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWXufM4CkdU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;sumo&lt;/a&gt;, and SAMBO stand out as excellent options, as they involve hard sparring with throws and shoves. BJJ would be an OK but lesser option due to its lack of focus on the stand-up portion of the fight. If you're really keen on training &lt;em&gt;specifically for being pushed in a self-defense scenario&lt;/em&gt; (which is a bit silly, as it's overspecialization), then judo or sumo might be best since the posture used in those arts are the most upright and therefore the most similar to how one would be standing when pushed during an ape dominance interaction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People who spar hard in grappling arts don't usually need to ask these kinds of questions, because dealing with being pushed is second nature after weekly rough-and-tumble stand-up grappling. (This occurs also with techniques for dealing with wrist grabs. Wrestlers just deal with it.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-03-14T09:47:57.480" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2849" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2851" CreationDate="2014-03-06T13:02:59.453" Score="4" ViewCount="230" Body="&lt;p&gt;I enjoy doing capoeira, but one of the escape movements is giving me a lot of trouble. In the &lt;em&gt;Queda de Quatro&lt;/em&gt;, where one leans backwards into a crab walk position to avoid a blow, I can't seem to do it in a way where my shoulders don't ache with the impact, at least with proper technique and hand positioning. Hands pointed forward, I just can't get my shoulders to countenance the movement. I have a similar problem doing the calisthenics exercise where you put your hands behind you while in a seated position and lift your buttocks in the air and flatten your body horizontally. Based on the feeling of the motion, I almost feel like my arms are too short in proportion to my body, but the strain is in the shoulders, in particular around the front of the joint.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can do it successfully if I turn my hands so that they face backwards, but my &lt;em&gt;mestre&lt;/em&gt; has told me that doing that makes it much more likely that I'll get my elbows broken by either the  impact or a strike I don't dodge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there's any additional info I can give to help others help me with this, please tell me and I will elaborate on my question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-03-18T19:37:05.283" LastActivityDate="2015-03-18T19:37:05.283" Title="Building shoulder flexibility for Queda de Quatro" Tags="|flexibility|capoeira|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2850" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="825" CreationDate="2014-03-06T13:08:54.800" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In addition to the above points on developing core strength and determining your point of balance, I'll also add a tip I ran into in a parkour video. A lot of fine control of your forward and backward balance is done with the palm of your hands.  Go up into a handstand against a wall (I've had a few people suggest walking up the wall backwards instead of flipping yourself forward because it gives you a more gradual entrance into it and avoids the risk of you either missing a narrower target (I often practice with the door-jambs at home to avoid marking up the interior walls) or banging parts of your body into the unyielding surface). Try pushing with the top and bottom of your palm, and moving your wrists. Notice how pushing down on the top of your palm will balance you backwards and the bottom of your palm balances you forwards. Get a feeling for how much influence your hands will have for those fine adjustments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2014-03-06T13:08:54.800" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2851" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2849" CreationDate="2014-03-06T13:27:09.237" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not sure what you mean by crab walk, but I guess I could kinda see why you would call it that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a shoulder flexibility exercise for the range of motion the two movements you mention involve:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;stand straight, feet together&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;prepatory stretching: interlock your fingers, arms straight above head, palm out facing sky&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;lean back as far as you can go, breathing out, keeping arms straight above head&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;breathe in, stand back straight, keeping your fingers interlocked&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;breathe out, fold foward, back straight, put palms on floor&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;stand back up, fingers still interlocked&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;this time unclasp your hands above your head, breath out, place palms in prayer position &lt;strong&gt;behind your back&lt;/strong&gt; and lean back as you did before. &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pashchima_Namaskarasana&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Illustration&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;stand straight, prayer hands still behind your back, interlock fingers, straighten arms. &lt;a href=&quot;http://stayingfitandhealthy.areavoices.com/files/2011/01/Chest-Expansion-small.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Illustration&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;push hands as far away from your back as possible&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;now, fold forward at the waist&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;this is the best part: have a buddy &lt;strong&gt;slowly&lt;/strong&gt; pull your hands forward of your head and hold them at the position where you tell him &quot;stop&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;breathe deep and keep holding for like 20 breaths &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tell your buddy to &lt;strong&gt;slowly&lt;/strong&gt; release when you're ready.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't have a buddy, you can still do everything else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-03-06T14:14:10.653" LastActivityDate="2014-03-06T14:14:10.653" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2852" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2845" CreationDate="2014-03-06T14:58:34.080" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming that you're talking about being pushed in the manner of posturing males (&quot;OH YEAH, BRING IT?!?!&quot;, etc), then you have a couple options:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;To strictly answer your question: to avoid recoiling you will need to study and practice, to the point of instinct, body mechanics.  Avoiding recoiling or avoiding being moved requires some measure of energy dissipation or reflection.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;You ask which body parts to train, but sadly the answer is 'all of them'.  You will need to build your posterior chain especially, but most of all you need to alter the fundamental ways in which you move your body (unless, by sheer luck or prior training, you're already there - but don't assume you are! This is something that usually requires one to maintain their practice).&lt;br&gt;&#xA;A few, brief, ideas:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Work on squats, and negative leg raises (anchor ankles and lower yourself down/pull yourself up).  Do squat jumps, but work on doing them as silently as possible.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Work on moving your legs while having your feet totally limp (or as close as possible).  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Enroll in a Wing Chun, Aikido, or any other martial art that focuses on rooting and sensitivity.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Reflection, rather than dissipation, seems to be the focus of some Shaolin &quot;iron-&quot; training methods.  Think having boards broken over your arms, legs, back, etc.  They aren't dissipating, they're reflecting.  This is, IMO, more difficult to learn/master.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If your question is more general, you can think about ways to respond to a push instead of simply managing the energy from said push.  Here we'd get into techniques, different arts, etc.  You can find out all of that for yourself (Dave Liepmann's answer has good info), but I've got a couple notes:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;First, moving straight backwards is usually a bad plan.  In fact, even energy absorption or reflection can be a bad plan, depending on the situation.  Best plan, without context, is usually &quot;Avoid and move in&quot;.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;That said, &lt;em&gt;everything depends on the situation&lt;/em&gt;. Regardless of what art you may choose, you will always have to prepare multiple levels of response.  Some situations may call simply for you to negate the push, and show the 'attacker' that you don't care and aren't worried.  A lot of people will give up after this, especially if they are in any way uncertain (and to be clear, pushing is NOT at attack - it is a test; you are being tested).     &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;However, some situations, especially if involving drugs/alcohol (NOT HAPPY TIMES) may require a more...aggressive response.  Think about this but train for it as well. And remember: &lt;em&gt;you are responsible for all damage, even if threatened&lt;/em&gt;.  Maybe it's legally justified self-defense, but you have to live with yourself too.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, with all that said:&#xA;I understand that you, or anyone else, may disagree with some of these statements.  I'd be happy to hash them out (probably in the chat) with anyone who has questions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, find a patient friend (or a patient enemy, I suppose) and have them push you, over and over and over, until you've figured out for yourself what your response should be.  How do you think martial arts started in the first place?  :D&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="33" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-03-21T09:29:30.243" LastActivityDate="2014-03-21T09:29:30.243" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2855" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2845" CreationDate="2014-03-06T18:15:41.247" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's kind of hard to tell what you're asking for here. Are you asking for advice on what ways you can deal with a push after you've been pushed and you're just sort of ejected away from someone while trying to regain your balance and stop? Or are you asking for advice on what to do at the moment someone begins to push? Or are you asking for advice on what to do once you realize a push is or might be coming?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of those are legitimate questions. Pushing is one of the most common things you'll encounter if you're in a bad situation. It's often the prelude to more violent actions. How you respond during this phase of the fight is critical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Prior to being pushed, you should realize the situation is getting tense, and your body language and words should communicate that you don't want to fight. That can stop the fight from happening right there. As you're doing this, you're keeping some distance between you and whoever is threatening you. So back away. Keep your hands up with your palms open towards the guy, just like you see in cop shows where the cops ask people to raise their arms. This is calming and is also the universal sign that you don't want to fight. But it's also great for you, because if the guy comes at you, you've got your arms in a good position to quickly defend. Also, turn your body sideways slightly, so you're not facing the guy squarely. This is so that if he lunges directly into you, you can pivot quickly and take yourself out of his path. It also presents less targets for him to hit or grab onto.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So there's plenty of things you can do before even knowing what's going to happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, if the guy attacks you with a sudden rush forward, you have some time to get off the line and dodge like I said above. Your arms should quickly move downwards to protect your body and meet his force while not over-extending. At the same time, you're hunching your body forward, getting the legs spread out into a forward wrestling stance, and preparing to sprawl and/or shoot in for a take-down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If he manages to get both hands on your chest and begins to push while you're not prepared for it (just standing up straight), you are in trouble. In this stance, you are very easy to push. You'll go flying backwards. Recovery is critical, because you're either going to trip and fall on your back, or you're going to spend a lot of time flailing around trying to get your balance. Either way, this means you're vulnerable to anything your attacker wants to do to you for a short period of time while you're trying to recover. So this situation is very hard to turn around to your advantage. Your strategy here should be to recover as soon as possible and get back to a strong position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some martial arts I've found fairly good at helping people deal with pushing are: Tai Chi, Brazilian Jiujitsu, Judo, and Wrestling. I would think Sambo and other grappling styles would also be very good, but I have no direct experience with them. Of those, I'm giving the edge to Brazilian Jiujitsu, because it has a full game plan from the very beginning. But Tai Chi also has some good material for dealing with pushes and could very easily complement any other of the styles I mentioned. I wouldn't take Tai Chi alone, however, because I just don't see it as having a complete overall strategy, especially if things go wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As Dave suggests, get stronger by doing whole body weight lifting. Strength training will be helpful. Especially look into the &quot;weight sled&quot; apparatus. And maybe bungee cord harnesses. Those train your forward &quot;push&quot; strength, especially in the legs, but also in the back, abdomen, and trapezius. You'll also need to work on your &quot;pull&quot; exercise to balance yourself out so you avoid muscle imbalances later on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-03-06T18:15:41.247" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2856" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-03-07T19:32:58.263" Score="9" ViewCount="948" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are some major (widespread) styles of western boxing and what are the features of these styles?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; talking about styles in the sense of &quot;in-fighter&quot;, &quot;out-fighter&quot;, &quot;brawler&quot;, etc... which describe a given fighter's tendencies during a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am talking about regional styles, country styles, and styles originating from a given stable or chain of boxing gyms (a lineage, in the gung fu sense, if you will).  For instance, someone once tried to explain to me what &quot;Philly style&quot; boxing was.  I have very good reason to doubt that this person knew what they were talking about, but I've heard enough people say &quot;Philly style&quot; that it leads me to believe there is such a thing (and it's not a sandwich).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All the boxing I've ever done has been what I've thought of as &quot;vanilla&quot; boxing.  Maybe everyone thinks of their style this way, despite the unique features that they've unwittingly inherited from their teacher.  Basically, I'm looking for the &quot;chocolate&quot; and &quot;strawberry&quot; of the boxing world, to extend the metaphor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;UPDATE:&lt;/strong&gt; To better explain the information I'm trying to gather, I would consider the &quot;Peek-a-boo&quot; boxing style (popularized by Mike Tyson) to be a distinct boxing style, insofar as it is not unique to one boxer, in that it has unique features that set it apart from other styles of boxing, and in that it was inherited from a certain, individual trainer or group of trainers (in this case, Cus D'Amato).  That is to say, that it is passed on, or inherited by a group of people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-03-10T14:21:52.760" LastActivityDate="2014-03-10T14:21:52.760" Title="Western Boxing Styles and their Features" Tags="|boxing|style|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2857" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2940" CreationDate="2014-03-09T16:57:27.873" Score="7" ViewCount="1450" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can anybody give me some hints on learning Wing Chun? Some tutorials, Youtube channels, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1788" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-07T10:03:47.003" LastActivityDate="2016-07-20T16:47:42.610" Title="What is the best way to learn Wing Chun?" Tags="|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2858" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2857" CreationDate="2014-03-09T18:50:48.530" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Find and enroll in a wing chun school, then in a year test your skills in a full-contact competition. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tutorials are for learning how to set up your programming development environment. YouTube channels are for entertainment. Neither are training. Training is becoming an athlete by working out, learning skills, and entering competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-03-09T18:50:48.530" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2859" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2857" CreationDate="2014-03-09T20:24:08.350" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with Dave Liepmann, that the only real way to learn a martial art is to have a teacher who can guide you. And you need to do it two or three times a week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, let me offer a small amount of hope for you to learn wing-chun if you have no teacher present and no school around. If I was in your situation, and I knew that wing-chun was the only martial art I wanted to learn, no exceptions, then I would contact others near me that also wanted to learn, and we would form a group.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Our group would contact a well respected wing-chun school (for example Leung Ting's school), and would email the instructor or their representatives. We would ask if one or more of us could come and train for, maybe, 2 weeks at a time from 9AM to 5PM doing private lessons. It would be a kind of &quot;accelerated learning&quot; program / &quot;crash course&quot;. If they accepted, we would fly there and train for those 2 weeks and then fly back home. Then at home, we would continue to train with each other, doing as best we could, correcting each other and continuing to practice 2 to 3 times per week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At some point, say, 6 months or a year later (the sooner the better), we could fly there again and train for another 2 weeks. Repeat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It all depends on how willing you are to travel, how much time you have, and how much you're willing to pay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't recommend doing this alone, by the way. Without a group to train with, you are stuck doing solo forms and wooden dummy stuff. That stuff is okay, but it's not very useful. And you would be missing out on a lot of other things. If that's all you want, then do it. Otherwise, form a group first. Then each of you can use each other to practice with and help each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not all of you in your group needs to travel, by the way. The more the better. But those that do not travel will just need to be trained by those that did travel. That can work out pretty well. You could even take turns traveling, to keep costs low and to learn more quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you have 4 members in your group, 2 of you could go now, and the other 2 could go 6 months from now. That way, you learn twice as much as you would if all 4 of you would go only once per year. This is something you can work out amongst yourselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for online courses and DVD, yes that is possible. You can learn all of the forms and wooden dummy stuff that way. But the chi-sao (partnered exercises) are not something that you can learn that way. You need an instructor to teach it to you in person and correct you. And you need a partner. And you need to do it frequently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, those are my thoughts on the subject. You mentioned having boxing gyms near you. I would try that first, if I were you. You might discover that you enjoy it a lot. Boxing is also something that seems to work in MMA competition and street fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, and by the way, you might also want to look for either Judo or Brazilian Jiujitsu schools near you. Judo is pretty popular. And BJJ is getting to be popular now (in some parts of the world, it's much more popular than Judo is). Combine that with boxing, and you have a pretty good combination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2016-07-20T16:47:42.610" LastActivityDate="2016-07-20T16:47:42.610" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2860" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2014-03-09T20:24:47.300" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The International Taekwondo Federation is the traditional style of taekwondo as founded by Gen.Choi Hong Hi April 11 , 1955 he based the art on a combination of karate (in which he held a black belt which specific style im unsure) and had extensive training in a traditional korean art known as teakkyeon which dates back 2000 year which is why some people confuse it with teakwondo incorrectly thinking taekwondo is just as old with the combonation of Gen.Choi's karate and teakkyeon training along with his own personal tastes and out look as a martial artist as well as a long time soldier in the korean army lead to the creation of traditional taekwondo while spreading the art world wide he travled to many other martial artist karate in particular teaching his taekwondo techniques which is why they are so many taekwondo schools itf is still the tradtional art and is now under the leadership of Gen.Choi's son Grand Master Choi Jung Hwa&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1789" LastActivityDate="2014-03-09T20:24:47.300" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2861" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-03-09T20:30:26.923" Score="13" ViewCount="395" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure that the terms I'm using are standard, or that I'm explaining them well. Comments and feedback are welcome.  Let me try to explain my terms, explain my assumption and then ask a question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Attack Modality&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My training has emphasized responses to attacks that intend to harm. When I'm the uke (recipient of technique), I try to attack with intent; when I'm the tori (recipient of attack), I ask my partner to attack with intent. There is nothing more frustrating than what I call &quot;static grab&quot; - where uke walks calmy up, and deliberately grabs my wrist and stands flat-footed and balanced, and waits.  If Uke shows no intention to attack or to do harm, then many of my techniques fall flat. (I'm using wrist as an example - the same is true if my partner throws a flat-footed punch, or any other &quot;mock attack&quot;).  It bugs me slightly, but we have to teach our ukes to attack authentically in order to defend authentically. Or so I have always thought.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Today, one of my female training partners commented that a &quot;static grab&quot; is a common attack modality against women.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Speculation on gender difference in attack modality.&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What follows is explicitly speculation - I'm just trying to explore my assumptions and blind spots and to understand her comment (yes, I will discuss it with her further.)  It may be that &quot;static grab&quot; is a way of expressing dominance over women (and, I suspect children). Talking this over with my significant other, we suspect that there may be two situations where men use static grab against women:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Completely static dominance display - female acquaintances have told me of men grabbing them by wrist or shoulder. The stories I've heard of this suggest that this isn't an aggressive attack; there is no intent to do harm.  The man just wants to impose physical contact on a woman as a way of establishing dominance (this seems to be correlated with bar/party/ environments). I've got a couple of &quot;friend of a friend&quot; examples of this; one or more women of my acquaintance have related tales of men who, without invitation, discussion or transition, simply reached out and began fondling a breast. That may cross the line into aggression, but I'm going to draw an arbitrary line and include it here because there was no evidence of intent to cause pain or injury.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Imposing truth through dominance - Female acquaintances have also mentioned more aggressive grabs or restraints in the context of an argument  &quot;Listen to me&quot;, or &quot;Don't turn your back on me&quot;.  The intent still does not seem to be an explicit escalation to physical harm, but the level of effect is significantly higher, and I think both the woman and any observer would perceive this as a far more explicit threat.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Aside&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is an incomplete hypothesis - I haven't finished thinking about it. I'm excluding examples where the attack is obviously and explicitly intended to do harm, or to lead to a situation where the attacker can do harm. These cases fall into the &quot;authentic attack&quot; modality and the gender of the individuals is irrelevant&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I may eventually include man-on-man aggressive dominance - my hypothesis is that when men express a dominance challenge against other men, they do it differently than they do towards women.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This hypothesis would explain some comments that I've heard from female training partners.  But it is a hypothesis, and I'd be more comfortable if I could find some evidence that would confirm or refute the hypothesis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this hypothesis is valid, then I need to change my training slightly. I need to incorporate training against static grab and be aware of how the response escalates or de-escalates the conflict.  I think that is much more difficult than the kind of training I do now which emphasizes attack with the intent to harm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;The question&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where could I find statistics on attack types by gender? Where could I find raw data that I could categorize by attack modality?  Has anyone done this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-03-09T15:08:50.237" LastActivityDate="2016-03-09T15:08:50.237" Title="Where can I find statistics on attack modalities?" Tags="|training|technique|self-defense|teaching|attack|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2862" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2861" CreationDate="2014-03-09T22:15:05.610" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The FBI compiles some data but not as fine-grained as you want. Beyond that I think you're SOL other than looking at guesses. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My favorite such nonscientific approach is the &quot;HAPV&quot; (Habitual Acts of Physical Violence) idea formulated by Patrick McCarthy. He seems to describe things accurately in my judgment. That is to say, he alleges that the most common attacks in the USA are a haymaker to the head, a grab and punch to the head, and a few others (tackles, shoves, etc) and martial arts should tailor their training at least to some degree around those. (NB: different regions have different HAPV distributions.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other area of inquiry to look into is ape dominance patterns. Humans, like all apes, have rather ritualized forms of displaying aggression before engaging in socially-motivated intraspecies violence. These forms vary depending on culture and can come in several forms, but they have been studied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, with regards to static grab training, I think two things should be kept in mind:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Static grabs aren't static. Don't train them as &quot;he grabs your lapel and waits&quot;, but rather &quot;he grabs your lapel to hold you in place for a big honking punch coming down the pipe&quot; or &quot;he grabs your lapel and violently shakes you&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In my opinion, training focused around static grabs is less effective and interesting compared to addressing static grabs in the context of full-contact grappling (as in wrestling, judo, SAMBO, BJJ and so on). In the former, grabs are the starting point. This often leads to blowing the problem out of proportion, or making overly complex solutions to the problem. In the latter, grabs are dealt with simply and briefly as they come up in the broadly applicable scope of grappling.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-03-10T12:29:42.573" LastActivityDate="2014-03-10T12:29:42.573" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2863" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2856" CreationDate="2014-03-10T10:04:05.313" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;You're looking for something that isn't there. At most there is amateur and professional boxing with slightly different focuses, but boxing is made up of the four types of fighting you have dismissed as &quot;tendencies during a fight&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The tactics of a Swarmer, Out-boxer and Counter-puncher are so different that they may be called different styles, but they're all taught as part of a good boxing regimen. From a glance at wikipedia, it seems that a boxer who is proficient in all these tactics could be described as a Boxer-puncher, but it's not so much a style as a proficiency in the others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've only been to one boxing club (or gym) and they taught everyone that you vary your tactics based on you opponent. If he's short, you Out-box. If he's taller, you get up in his face and smack him good (see Baby Jake Matlala). If he's faster, drive him into a corner. If he's stronger, dance around him, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A &quot;style&quot; of boxing is simply trying to make one strategy work in all situations and is generally inferior to learning &quot;vanilla&quot; boxing, which teaches adaptability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-03-10T10:04:05.313" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2864" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2073" CreationDate="2014-03-10T18:45:41.513" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;My Kung Fu teacher sent us a video of a Chinese TV show making an article on Shaolin Kung Fu, and if I got it right, they actually go to the Shaolin Temple to see how the monks live and train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't tell you for sure that this is the same Shaolin Temple that generated Kung Fu as we know it, but here's the video: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhH1hMX55Iw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhH1hMX55Iw&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1674" LastActivityDate="2014-03-10T18:45:41.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2865" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2861" CreationDate="2014-03-11T09:59:41.667" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think a statistic will solve your problem. What would be the consequence for the training if you find such a statistic?  Someone in your training group has experienced a static grab as an attack. Do you want to tell him/her &quot;Sorry, your case is a statistical outlier...&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what you've told dominance display by grappling seem to be a bigger issue for persons with a weak appearance than a &quot;harming&quot; attack. Take it seriously, your trainees do it, and will appreciate it if you will.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user1778" LastActivityDate="2014-03-11T09:59:41.667" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2866" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="888" CreationDate="2014-03-11T14:46:27.917" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sticky Hands&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I knew a guy in martial arts who lost his arm in an accident.&#xA;As a result, we adapted the forms so that he could use only one arm to effect the techniques.&#xA;This ended up being quite a learning experience for me.&#xA;The way we did it involved a lot of sticky hands type maneuvers.&#xA;I dunno if you've ever seen chi sao, push hands, or hubud-lubud, but doing a search on youtube for those terms should be quite instructive.&#xA;They are sensitivity drills designed to develop reflexes and trapping skills.  Push hands develops sensitivity but is less about trapping, and more about unbalancing the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an example of how to use one hand in a sensitivity drill, imagine that your partner is throwing a jab-cross combination at you repeatedly.  Ordinarily, you would block each hand with a pak sao (&quot;slap block&quot;).  This is a &quot;sticky&quot; palm parry that remains connected to the opponent after contact.  If you have one arm, instead of doing a pak sao with the other hand, you block the cross with a tan sao (&quot;palm up block&quot;) from the same hand you just did a pak sao with, which also remains connected to the opponent.  When the next jab comes, you pak sao again with the same hand and repeat the drill until one of you gets tired. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.xuangui.com/files/styles/tan_sao.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Link to Tan Sao image&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rpsbQM_Dd08/TStWB2FijuI/AAAAAAAAAhI/xai79HOuk1U/s320/pak.JPG&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Link to Pak Sao image&lt;/a&gt;     &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minimal Protection&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have &lt;strong&gt;some&lt;/strong&gt; of your arm left, don't forget that the nub can offer you at least some protection for your ribs or head, but use footwork and positioning in combination with this minimal protection rather than relying solely on your nub.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rolling Strikes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some martial arts, like Northern Mantis, Kempo, Kajukenbo, and Boxing, use follow-up strikes with the same hand.  For example, you can throw a jab and roll back out with a back-fist.  Also you can try combinations like low right hook, high right hook.  The low right hook will bring his guard low on the right side so you can gain access to his temple for the high right hook.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a Kempo pattern that develops &quot;rolling&quot; strikes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Horse Stance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Chamber both fists at the hip.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Double straight punch out.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Roll both fists in and then out to high backfists.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Roll both fists in and then out to low underhanded hammer strikes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Roll both fists out to double hooking temple strikes with the back of the back of the hand facing inward.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Roll both fists out to strike low to the ribs with hammer strikes with palm facing up&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Return both fists to chamber at the hip.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice the same pattern facing left and right with only one hand and without changing your stance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In case it's not obvious, if you only have one hand, you can only do that side of the pattern.  I present the &quot;double fists&quot; form of the pattern to preserve the way that it was taught to me.  For those with one arm, do only the forward facing portion of the drill, and the side of the drill that is facing the arm you still have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-03-11T19:34:24.290" LastActivityDate="2014-03-11T19:34:24.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2868" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2014-03-13T06:49:48.337" Score="6" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;My kids currently train under UKTF, which follows ITF guidelines and techniques. Will this cause problems if they move to a WTF trainer? They aren't quite at black belt yet, so I'm hoping that if they do transfer it won't be too much of a problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It depends on your kids, really. It will take them time to get familiar with the WTF style of Taekwon-do. I was a WTF kid before joining the ITF as an adult. I was a red belt then, now a 2nd Dan in ITF. I did not transfer my rank and worked my way from white belt in ITF. The transition was OK for me, because I went in with an open mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Are there differences in technique or style that would make this a difficult transition?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes there are differences in technique. For instance in ITF style Taekwon-do there is the sine wave technique to utilize body potential in strikes and blocks. In WTF Taekwon-do there is no sine wave, which you may say is more similar (than ITF) to traditional karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This may not be a technique but the spelling of Taekwon-do reflects your side of the coin. ITF spells it Taekwon-do and WTF spells it Taekwondo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1797" LastActivityDate="2014-03-13T06:49:48.337" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2869" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2577" CreationDate="2014-03-13T06:58:55.640" Score="0" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I'm planning to start Taekwondo classes in a month but I just wanted to know if I have any chance being good at it to compete. Or am I a lost cause because I am 16 and people who go to national competitions or any important championships start training at like 3 years old. I'm very flexible, because I did rhythmic gymnastics and I'm quitting ballet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, you can do it. Taekwon-do is a good exercise and along with it you learn a few techniques to keep you safe on the road. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being flexible helps so you have a bit of a headstart in being good at Taekwon-do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of competition, you have to put in practice real often to achieve the results you want. Be it sparring or patterns, you have to make sure you do it right (techniques) and after some time you will be good in it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Believe in yourself. I'm 30 now and I've just gotten my 1st Dan a couple of years ago. If I can do it, so can you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1797" LastActivityDate="2014-03-13T06:58:55.640" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2871" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2872" CreationDate="2014-03-13T15:52:51.930" Score="5" ViewCount="1198" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know that there are many trainers who use focus mitts as a method for developing cardio, but many of the coaches/trainers who I respect seem to reject this notion and feel that the purpose of focus mitts is to develop technique.  Assuming that this is valid for the moment, how does one effectively use focus mitts to help students develop technique? What should be focused on (combinations, targeting, speed, etc) and how is this generally done? How should the trainer hold/use the mitts to maximize safety and efficacy for the student?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="338" LastActivityDate="2014-03-13T20:13:54.233" Title="How does one effectively use focus mitts in training?" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2872" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2871" CreationDate="2014-03-13T16:18:05.380" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's nothing wrong with using focus mitts for technique or cardio.  Although, you'll have to get the technique right first before you use the mitts for a high intensity workout.  Probably what these trainers are trying to say is that it's easier to have a fighter wail on a heavy bag for cardio than to punch themselves out on focus mitts.  They're likelier to miss with focus mitts, and therefore will be more focused on accuracy and not as focused on putting oomph into their strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To develop technique: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Have the fighter focus his eyes on the trainer, usually about chest area&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Have a signal for each kind of punch you're working.  Generally, these are:&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Straight punch: pad held flat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hook: pad held facing inward&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Uppercut: pad held facing downward&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fighter must always throw with the same hand the trainer is holding up.  For example, if the trainer is holding the pad up with the right hand, the fighter must throw a right punch.  This ensures the fighter will rotate his torso to effect the punch, which is a major component in generating power.  It also gives the trainer a better view of his punch.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The trainer holds the pads up with the aforementioned positions at random, in desired combinations (ex: low right hook, high right hook, left cross)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Increase speed and move around once the fighter has the drill down. Call out &quot;switch&quot; when you want the fighter to change his stance.  This is where you'll get whatever cardio you're gonna get.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If desired, have the trainer throw in shots for the fighter to slip.  Start out with a lazy &quot;swing&quot; at the temple with the pad. Fighter ducks or slips, and the trainer is ready with the pad for the fighter to hit right after slipping.  Build intensity with more focused strikes at the fighter.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Make sure the fighter doesn't chase the pads with his eyes.  Eyes should focus on the bad guy, not the pads.  He'll get clocked if he's looking at hands in a fight.  Use peripheral vision to track the pads.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-03-13T20:13:54.233" LastActivityDate="2014-03-13T20:13:54.233" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2873" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12" CreationDate="2014-03-14T14:13:56.087" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not enough rep. to comment on other answers, so I have to make another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I agree with the answers of @JackBNimble and @Tomas when they make this distinction. One can add that the numbering of the techniques was invented by the studens of O'sensei, AFAIK he himself never used this naming system. Having said that, I teach that nikyo omote should still feel like a nikyo (what many people think of only as nikyo ura). It can look &quot;empty&quot;, i.e., like an ikkyo, but there should be a nikyo contact there! The principle, as mentioned in another answer, is control through the wrist, not the elbow (as usual in ikkyo). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the scenario that I had only one arm and was to go (from my perspective) forwards and to the left to end up in front of uke, if I only had my left arm, I would attempt control through nikyo. If I only had my right arm, I would attempt control through ikkyo. An excercise in visualization =)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And with respect to @tacone's comment above, the answer applies to all forms of nikyo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1798" LastActivityDate="2014-03-14T14:13:56.087" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2874" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-03-15T11:04:50.133" Score="6" ViewCount="1069" Body="&lt;p&gt;Often I'm out of training because of a lack of schools around where I'm living. But when I can, I train Brazilian jiujitsu. During those times of no combat sports training, what kind of strength, conditioning, mobility, and prehabilitation work should I do to stay ready for BJJ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2017-03-19T07:44:05.227" Title="How should one physically prepare for BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|strength|mobility|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2875" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2874" CreationDate="2014-03-15T11:18:35.803" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;If BJJ is around, you should do BJJ. If grappling of another kind is around--wrestling, judo, SAMBO, &lt;em&gt;et cetera&lt;/em&gt;--you should train that. But if nothing's available, you should do &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1756/347&quot;&gt;general physical preparation&lt;/a&gt; with a &lt;em&gt;slight&lt;/em&gt; emphasis on BJJ's specific requirements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;General Strength&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, you'd want to do some kind of general strength (not bodybuilding!) training. This keeps you able to do the basic techniques of the art, and helps injury-proof you. A balanced program generally includes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Some sort of loaded squat or lunge&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Some sort of deadlift, or Olympic lift power variant&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Some sort of upper-body push, like bench press or push-ups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Some sort of upper-body pull, like pull-ups or barbell rows&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The pulling would be of slightly higher priority than the pushing, just because A) nearly all of us tend to hunch forward because of desk jobs and B) BJJ needs more pulling strength than pushing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Specific Strength&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That general strength work should probably include at least some neck strengthening, and a minor emphasis on grip strength. Bridging or a neck harness would be good for the former. Farmer's walks (as conditioning or a finisher), deadlift or pull-up holds, and towel pull-ups would be good for the latter. Like most athletics, one might want to do some power work, such as Olympic lifts or explosive jumps, as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These should not take precedence over whole-body strength. A workout might look something like this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Power cleans on one day, deadlifts on the other&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dumbbell lunges&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Towel pull-ups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dips&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Neck bridges (front and back) as a cool-down&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice that the sport-specific changes to a general training prescription are quite small: doing pull-ups but doing them with a focus on grip, doing power cleans sometimes, and adding a single accessory exercise. This still looks like a general program, and that's good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Keeping flexible&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll want to do some sort of mobility work, like yoga or stretching. Hip mobility is particularly important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Staying in shape&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll want to do some sort of conditioning. Being in shape for BJJ, like almost all sports, requires doing the sport itself. But the next best thing is to generally be in shape for efforts short and long. Distance running as well as HIIT are a good idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2017-03-19T07:44:05.227" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2876" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2101" CreationDate="2014-03-16T17:39:39.237" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;As an instructor of Krav maga and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.masadaics.com/ics-and-krav-maga&quot;&gt;Israeli Combat Systems (ICS)&lt;/a&gt;, I can tell you there are very specific reasons for not turning at the end of a punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga and ICS are meant to teach people quickly and effectively defend themselves in a street fight. Unlike a tournament or cage fight, anytime you get into a street fight, your skills will deteriorate slightly from the way you trained them due to the stress of a real fight. Because of this, we teach people to punch with a vertical fist to insure that even under high stress situations, several things will occur.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You always hit with the top two knuckles:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;in just about any martial art, when punching, contact should be made only by the top two knuckles of the hand. The reason for this is they have much more structural support when it comes to taking impact. If you punch something hard with the bottom two, you will likely end up with a boxers fracture. When your fist is positioned horizontally, it becomes much more difficult to protrude the top two knuckles, and you may end up hitting the person with the whole hand. In the stress of a real fight, the fine-motor skills required to punch correctly while turning your wrist often fail. If you break your hand mid-fight, it will likely put you out of the fight, the consequences of which are much worse than in any cage mach. &lt;strong&gt;Putting your hand vertically allows you to more easily protrude the top two knuckles making for a safe, effective punch, even under stress.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You don't telegraph the punch:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Punching with your fist vertical makes it easier to keep your elbow down, thus avoiding telegraphing the punch. The number one thing I see among new students learning straight punches is this exact mistake, The will bring their elbow up for what almost looks like a sort of convoluted version of a superman punch. I can see the punch coming a mile away, and so can any trained attacker on the street. If you were to do a punch with the fist horizontal, the correct way to do it would be to start out vertical until you're fist is about 2 millimeters away from the target, then you can twist. For higher levels, a horizontal punch is actually valid, however, it is not taught to beginners because for them, the difference in timing is too difficult to distinguish, and hard to properly execute without telegraphing under the stress and fatigue of a real fight. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because Krav Maga and ICS are intended to be effective in real life scenarios, and not everyone has the ability to train in a more traditional martial art for decades, punches are taught with the fist positioned vertically, to minimize the risks of telegraphing and injuring the weaker knuckles under the high stresses and fatigue that will occur in a street fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12" LastActivityDate="2014-03-16T17:39:39.237" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2877" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1649" CreationDate="2014-03-16T17:50:48.613" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;As an instructor of Krav maga and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.masadaics.com/ics-and-krav-maga&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Israeli Combat Systems (ICS)&lt;/a&gt;, I can tell you there are very specific reasons for not turning at the end of a punch (at least for Krav Maga and ICS).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga and ICS are meant to teach people quickly and effectively defend themselves in a street fight. Unlike a tournament or cage fight, anytime you get into a street fight, your skills will deteriorate slightly from the way you trained them due to the stress of a real fight. Because of this, we teach people to punch with a vertical fist to insure that even under high stress situations, several things will occur.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You always hit with the top two knuckles:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;in just about any martial art, when punching, contact should be made only by the top two knuckles of the hand. The reason for this is they have much more structural support when it comes to taking impact. If you punch something hard with the bottom two, you will likely end up with a boxers fracture. When your fist is positioned horizontally, it becomes much more difficult to protrude the top two knuckles, and you may end up hitting the person with the whole hand. In the stress of a real fight, the fine-motor skills required to punch correctly while turning your wrist often fail. If you break your hand mid-fight, it will likely put you out of the fight, the consequences of which are much worse than in any cage mach. &lt;strong&gt;Putting your hand vertically allows you to more easily protrude the top two knuckles making for a safe, effective punch, even under stress.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You don't telegraph the punch:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Punching with your fist vertical makes it easier to keep your elbow down, thus avoiding telegraphing the punch. The number one thing I see among new students learning straight punches is this exact mistake, The will bring their elbow up for what almost looks like a sort of convoluted version of a superman punch. I can see the punch coming a mile away, and so can any trained attacker on the street. If you were to do a punch with the fist horizontal, the correct way to do it would be to start out vertical until you're fist is about 2 millimeters away from the target, then you can twist. For higher levels, a horizontal punch is actually valid, however, it is not taught to beginners because for them, the difference in timing is too difficult to distinguish, and hard to properly execute without telegraphing under the stress and fatigue of a real fight. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because Krav Maga and ICS are intended to be effective in real life scenarios, and not everyone has the ability to train in a more traditional martial art for decades, punches are taught with the fist positioned vertically, to minimize the risks of telegraphing and injuring the weaker knuckles under the high stresses and fatigue that will occur in a street fight. In terms of other martial arts, the ideas are still the same, the only difference may come in that many train for years to become effective, at which point they may be able to more easily control their fine motor skills. However, under any high stress situation, such as a street fight, it is generally a much safer option to keep your fist vertically&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12" LastActivityDate="2014-03-16T17:50:48.613" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2878" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2845" CreationDate="2014-03-17T04:01:32.627" Score="0" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How to avoid recoiling when someone pushes you?  How to be ready for a hard push?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being pushed is typically a kind of posturing - an assertion of strength and dominance, rather than an actual attack.  So, learning to deal with it well can be useful at preventing further escalation in a bullying situation - undermining the dominance the other person expects to feel - but isn't very useful in an actual fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whatever you want to do, you need to practice at least a few dozen times with a friend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I assume you're thinking of a double handed chest to the chest, or a single handed push to the shoulder, chest or even face.  A push is a directional delivery of power over time, with a range of 30-50cm or so, and the aggressor needing to be reasonably close to begin the movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two aspects to this, assuming that by &quot;avoiding recoil&quot; you mean you don't want to move backwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;reducing the extent to which their pushing force affects you&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;actively meeting it with an equal and opposite force&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To reducing their effectiveness, you need to rotate away from the place they apply force without a stiffness in your posture that communicates their force back to your centre of mass.  So, if they go to push you on one shoulder and you stiffen up and seek to stay front facing, you'll tend to be pushed back.  If you relax the shoulder they shove and let the other shoulder swing forwards, then they'll have little 'net effect on your centre of mass.  If they target your centre better, then you should look to turn either shoulder forwards, letting their hand(s) slip across your chest rather than through it.  If they're shoving with their right hand, you want your left shoulder coming forwards / right shoulder backwards.  You can use your hands on the outsides of their forearms to help divert their push past you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also effectively reduce the range over which they can develop power by leaning in slightly while keeping your hips back... that way they have to push your upper body back further before it becomes difficult to keep your hips/centre of mass stationary.  So, it may look like the shove moves you back effectively, but you are less likely to lose your balance afterwards or keep stumbling backwards.  Be careful of being pulled forwards though, or put into a headlock.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Further, if you stay in close to your opponent, they'll have trouble generating as hard an initial impact... they may manage a strong push, but will have a little more trouble having as much of a bruising &quot;hit&quot; aspect to it.  They'll have to make contact earlier - before they've generated as much forward momentum - and you have a chance to be &quot;sensitive&quot; to their direction and timing of force, making it easier to twist away from the thrust, or even suddenly jerk back into them at an unexpectedly close distance before they've got their push focused.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another option is to rest your arms atop of their elbows, so it's harder for them to extend through the push.  That's most practical if they keep their elbows low, while a defection works well even with elbows high.  You can do either of these things without seeming overly aggressive or necessarily escalating the violence... they show a degree of control which psychologically may persuade the attacker that escalation might be riskier than they thought.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of actively meeting force with resistance, you want to either start of come to rest with one foot forward of the other - preferably so their stronger/dominant hand will slide across your chest rather than push through it.  Keep the front foot facing forwards, and the back leg's knee turned more forwards too, and bent.  Imagine you were about to push a truck with a flat battery along the road... you'd probably use a similar stance.  It's nice not to necessary start with too strong a stance though... you want to avoid some of the force, allow other force to rotate your body so one shoulder goes back and the other forward, and only directly oppose whatever's left or find a strong stance to settle back in to to stop any momentum they've impacted - ideally when you're already at the edge of or out of their range of movement for the push.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If things do get - or are obviously about to get - seriously nasty, just abandon all this... it's just delaying the inevitable.  If they're about to shove you hard, step back and pull them forwards, use a joint lock if you know how, jab them in the throat before they shove, palm to nose, elbow up under the chin, knee or front kick to the groin, kick hard to the kneecap etc..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So ultimately, there's a lot you can do with timing and technique - I'd worry less about building specific muscles for this than just getting used to moving well in the situation, again practicing with a partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-03-17T04:01:32.627" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2879" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2857" CreationDate="2014-03-17T10:08:27.680" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;you will find 100's of video tutorial of wing chun in this link&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/user/138mws/playlists&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/user/138mws/playlists&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1273" LastActivityDate="2014-03-17T10:08:27.680" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2881" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2014-03-18T11:17:12.677" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;ITF is the original style of taekwondo. ITF teaches use of hands AND leg/feet techniques in self defence, while the WTF style is less geared towards realistic situations, and teaches just the use of the legs.&#xA;I would suggest watching a few videos on youtube of both styles, and talking to the trainers- go with whom you like the best. There is no replacement for gut feeling!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1805" LastActivityDate="2014-03-18T11:17:12.677" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2882" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2884" CreationDate="2014-03-18T14:26:06.863" Score="14" ViewCount="5472" Body="&lt;p&gt;My son started training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at the age of 5. Assuming he continues this, what belt should he receive once he is in the adult class?  According to the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.intermartialarts.com/grading/brazilian-jiu-jitsu&quot;&gt;belt chart&lt;/a&gt;, it would be blue or purple depending on the instructor? We are talking 11 years of experience at that time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like to point out that we are in no hurry for him to get ranked or given any handouts.  I am only curious to see what 11 years of experience would make on receiving the adult belt.  I ask this because if 11 years of experience gives him a blue belt, then why does 2 years give an adult white belt a blue belt?  11 years of experience would give an adult at least a brown and maybe even a black belt (if deserved obviously).  I know I am getting ahead of myself but I am just trying to make sense of this.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1806" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-28T15:38:14.517" LastActivityDate="2019-06-28T15:38:14.517" Title="What adult BJJ belt would a junior blue belt receive upon turning 16?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|belt|grading|children|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2019-07-01T16:52:40.537" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2883" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2882" CreationDate="2014-03-19T06:41:53.353" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The training with children is (or at least should (in my opinion)) more playfull, you can take your time with techniques, make sure it's a bunch of fun. Sitting still, discipline etc are still to be learnt, this also is part of what is to be teached.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The training with adults is (at least should be) more focused, a certain degree of self discipline can (should) be assumed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Different prerequisites ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user1778" LastActivityDate="2014-03-19T06:41:53.353" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2884" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2882" CreationDate="2014-03-19T18:53:49.237" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most Brazilian Jiujitsu schools do have children's ranks which automatically get turned into adult ranks when they turn 16. So a children's orange belt will become an adult's blue belt automatically at age 16. A children's green belt will automatically become an adult's purple belt at age 16. This is usually how it's done, but a teacher might decide to award higher or, very rarely, lower adult rank depending on the student's ability, experience, and attitude.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With over 11 years of experience, your son should probably get ranked at least purple belt, maybe higher. I would think so, anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing you might want to keep in mind about Brazilian Jiujitsu is that there's fairly good agreement between different schools about what a blue belt should be able to do, what a purple belt should be able to do, and so on. And yet, it's completely normal to find blue belts that are able to win against purple belts, and purple belts that can often win against brown belts and some black belts even. That's normal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each school's instructor has a set of criteria they use to judge whether someone should be advanced in rank. A blue belt may be able to tap some brown belts, for example, but maybe that's only because they've become really good at a particular technique they rely on a lot while not developing the other techniques they need to develop in order to get promoted to the next rank. The teacher in that case, might be holding the blue belt back until he can get better at the techniques he's supposed to know before being promoted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not all about winning, in other words.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you ever wonder if/why your son is being &quot;held back&quot; in rank, go ask the teacher what your son has to learn in order to be at the rank you think he deserves. Ask respectfully. Don't accuse. Most teachers will not hesitate to tell you what your son still has to do. Your son should know it as well, so he knows what to work on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-03-19T18:53:49.237" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2885" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2146" CreationDate="2014-03-19T20:37:00.803" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm sorry I don't have any sources for this, but I have always heard it that O-sensei really liked the movements of the bo, however, the ceiling of the dojo was (usually?) too low, so he adapted the bo movements into use of the jo (with which you can do hassō indoors). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Except in France, there it is a spear, sometimes with a straight blade at one end and a curved blade at the other. I personally find this explanation much less likely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1798" LastActivityDate="2014-03-19T20:37:00.803" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2886" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2888" CreationDate="2014-03-19T22:57:08.660" Score="8" ViewCount="607" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for a reliable book, website or document that I can use for reference to study each technique specification, and memorize each compulsory Wushu form defined by IWUF. For Changquan and/or Sanshou.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My Wushu teacher recommended the Wushu Dictionary from the website thewushucentre.ca (which is currently down), but it's just a dictionary with images and explanations in french.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any recommendations?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1674" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-12-09T03:30:22.137" LastActivityDate="2019-12-09T03:30:22.137" Title="Is there any IWUF-compliant material of Wushu techniques and forms for reference?" Tags="|technique|kung-fu|forms|wushu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2888" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2886" CreationDate="2014-03-20T03:51:19.477" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;My wife got pretty far into contemporary wushu. She had good teachers, but one book she frequently turned to was &lt;em&gt;Fundamentals of High Performance Wushu: Taolu Jumps and Spins&lt;/em&gt; by Raymond Wu. You can find it on Amazon:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1430318201&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-High-Performance-Wushu-Taolu/dp/1430318201&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It goes over a lot of the jumping and spinning techniques. The text and drawings should help a lot, especially when you just can't quite get something. I found it very helpful for trying to understand the butterfly. Even though I knew how to do the butterfly, the book showed me how to make it better. And it allowed me to see how to do b-twist, something I had never been taught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My wife also does adult gymnastics to learn the aerial, back-flip, somersault, front hand-spring, and back hand-spring, amongst other techniques. She attends a class once a week and she goes to &quot;open gym&quot; once a week (&quot;open gym&quot; means you pay a small fee, usually just $5, to use the gym for whatever you want to work on for an hour). While she's at open gym, she uses the foam pit to work on all of her gymnastics techniques plus the butterfly-twist and other wushu techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So she recommends finding a gymnastics gym near you and at least use their open gym to practice dangerous stuff with the foam pit. But you also should think about attending a gymnastics class or taking private lessons once a week. You at least need someone qualified to spot you when you're working on the floor and even on the trampoline (where you can actually break your neck if you do stuff wrong).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Later on, you can work on wushu-izing your gymnastics stuff, once you have the fundamentals understood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from that, you might want to familiarize yourself with the scoring system, technicals, and compulsory forms. There are many videos on Youtube that do go over them. For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSyamyooEvE&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSyamyooEvE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Type in &quot;IWUF taolu&quot;, and you will find a treasure trove of videos covering IWUF techniques. Some are old, but even those can be useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, the iwuf.org web site has various documents going over tournament rules and so forth. They also have videos going over the rules and showing you the compulsory forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have to say, I'm impressed with IWUF's openness. They put a lot of this material up on the web. With many other wushu and kung-fu organizations, you almost never see this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;UPDATE:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You asked for IWUF links, because they weren't working for you? Did you try disabling your script blocker? Sometimes that helps. Otherwise try a different browser. I use Firefox.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the top of the iwuf.org web site, you should see selections appear as you move your mouse (hover over) the top menu. For example, if you hover over the &quot;News Center&quot;, one of the selections will be &quot;Videos&quot;. Click that, and you will see this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iwuf.org/news_video.asp&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.iwuf.org/news_video.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They have a number of rules videos there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They list their Competition Regulations here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iwuf.org/regu.asp&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.iwuf.org/regu.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Taolu Rules are here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iwuf.org/rule.asp&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.iwuf.org/rule.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That links to &quot;.doc&quot; document format stuff. You need either Microsoft Word or Libre Office to view them. For example:&#xA;  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iwuf.org/upfile/Rules_of_Taolu(English).doc&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.iwuf.org/upfile/Rules_of_Taolu(English).doc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, hope that helps. If you can't figure out why the iwuf.org web site isn't working for you, try a different browser or have a nerdy friend figure out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2014-03-21T02:40:17.853" LastActivityDate="2014-03-21T02:40:17.853" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2889" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2891" CreationDate="2014-03-20T20:19:37.763" Score="3" ViewCount="4808" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wonder whether we should always avoid using a headlock (even if we have a chance to use) in a real attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The hands of the 'headlocked' person would be free to pull a knife, or any other weapon. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1811" LastActivityDate="2014-03-21T04:40:47.173" Title="Risk of using headlocks in a real-life situation" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2014-03-25T04:00:47.723" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2891" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2889" CreationDate="2014-03-21T04:40:47.173" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two things to keep in mind regarding headlocks. First, most &quot;headlocks&quot; aren't actually controlling the head, or don't &lt;em&gt;just&lt;/em&gt; control the head. They're usually controlling one or more shoulders and other limbs at the same time. Second, they're almost always not the end, but are instead used as a transition to a more dominant position (except maybe choke submissions which I'll mention at the end).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take the standing Side Headlock, for example. I assume that's what you're thinking of. This is where you come around to the side of and slightly behind your opponent, both of you are then facing forward, you then reach around from the back to the side of his neck, with your free hand you reach in front of his neck to grab onto your other hand and form a lock around his neck, and then you pull his head down to your side with him bent over. The ending position has you both facing the same direction, but he's standing bent over to the side of you with most of his body behind you, and his head is tucked in between your elbow joint and the side of your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a type of thing you see from schoolyard bullies a lot. He's bigger than you, and he has a tight hold on your neck. You can't slip your head out easily. And if you wriggle around, he'll just squeeze tighter. The bully is able to just drag you around with him anywhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But while most martial arts have defenses for this technique, almost none of them will actually encourage anyone to use this technique on someone. Why? Because while it might control the head, it does nothing to control the shoulders, arms, and legs. With those free, it allows many good defenses. And yes, on the street, if you do this to someone who has a knife in his pocket, they are free to grab that knife and use it on you. It's a lousy technique to use. So don't do it!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, consider the same bent-over position where you have him in a side headlock, but this time you slip your second arm (the one further away from your opponent) under his closest arm when you form the lock. You now have control over his shoulder and therefore the arm that's closest to you. You then transition immediately as you form that lock, corkscrewing his shoulders counter-clockwise until you've taken him down to the ground with the side of his face and opposite shoulder pressing against the ground. Then you transition to a knee-on-back position while maintaining control over his arm (you will probably let go of his head at this point). From here, if he's still not under control, you can go into a rear-naked choke while maintaining control of his shoulder, and you make sure his opposite arm is pinned against the floor by leaning towards it. Or you go into an armbar on the ground. If he squirmed out of it mid-way while you're taking things down in the first place, you can allow it to happen and just go to the top mount position as he's turning to face you on the way down. From top mount position, you have control over his arms and are blocking them from grabbing anything in his pockets. At no point throughout this exchange has he been able to reach into his pocket to grab that knife.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's a much more realistic and practical way of looking at headlocks. Notice what I originally said applies here. First, you're not just controlling the head. You're also controlling the shoulders and actually all 4 limbs from the very beginning. Second, you're not just standing there with a headlock. You're transitioning immediately to something else. The headlock in this case is just a way of getting leverage so that you can take him down. It's not held very long.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also submission chokes. I'm not lumping those into the same category as headlocks, though. Some submission chokes such as the guillotine do end the fight and aren't just used as a transition to a better position. And if you think you can reach into your pocket while someone has a proper guillotine choke on you, you're in for a surprise. Give it a try. Many BJJ schools will let you do this as an experiment. It's very enlightening when you feel it for yourself. Know this about the standing guillotine: 1) It is easy to pull guard and turn it into a more controlled ground-based guillotine where his legs and feet can block your arms from reaching into your pockets. 2) He won't just pull straight up on your neck, he will also turn his arm diagonally outwards, along with his entire body moving to that same side. This has the effect of taking his body out of range of your opposite arm. 3) You won't be able to see your pockets from this position. 4) You almost certainly won't be able to open up a knife with both hands (it has to be single-handed operation, like a switch blade or a butterfly knife, which again you can't see). 5) You have about one or two seconds of time before your trachea pops, you start to pass out, or your vertebrae crack. 6) If you somehow manage to actually get that knife out, he can just transition to a rear-naked choke while pinning the shoulder of the arm that has the knife.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously every situation is going to be unique. If you have a situation in mind, you should post that to another question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-03-21T04:40:47.173" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2892" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2894" CreationDate="2014-03-22T00:44:43.857" Score="3" ViewCount="189" Body="&lt;p&gt;What makes &lt;code&gt;seoi-nage&lt;/code&gt; a hand technique instead of a hip technique? Is there something fundamentally different about it that separates it from hip techniques like &lt;code&gt;o-goshi&lt;/code&gt; and &lt;code&gt;koshi guruma&lt;/code&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1437" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-20T16:05:10.663" LastActivityDate="2019-06-20T16:05:10.663" Title="Why is seoi-nage a hand technique?" Tags="|judo|technique|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2893" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2895" CreationDate="2014-03-22T01:09:53.767" Score="5" ViewCount="568" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hip techniques are performed by lowering your center of gravity below your opponent's. Throws require less effort the lower you are; is there a point where it'd take &lt;em&gt;more&lt;/em&gt; effort if you went lower?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1437" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-06-18T16:12:12.160" LastActivityDate="2016-06-18T16:12:12.160" Title="When doing a hip throw, is there a such thing as too low?" Tags="|judo|throwing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2894" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2892" CreationDate="2014-03-22T01:21:37.960" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;After thinking about it, the answer might be really obvious. &lt;code&gt;Seoi-nage&lt;/code&gt; can be translated as &lt;code&gt;shoulder throw&lt;/code&gt; or &lt;code&gt;back carry&lt;/code&gt;. Instead of loading uke on the hips, tori loads uke onto his back. Since the hip isn't used in this action, it is not a hip technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1437" LastActivityDate="2014-03-22T01:21:37.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2895" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2893" CreationDate="2014-03-22T06:56:26.853" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you do an ass-to-ankles air squat, you'll be unable to execute a number of hip throws (&lt;em&gt;koshiguruma, ukigoshi, ogoshi...&lt;/em&gt;) on any but the shortest opponents. &lt;em&gt;Tsurikomigoshi&lt;/em&gt; might still work but it's hard. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to being out of position for grips, most athletes struggle to apply significant force from the absolute bottom position of a really, really deep squat. I've seen this work fine with &lt;em&gt;morote seoinage&lt;/em&gt;, since if one sets up the throw excellently then the squat is merely there to get out of the way and not to lift on the way up, but for hip throws generally it helps to lift strongly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-03-22T06:56:26.853" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2896" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2191" CreationDate="2014-03-22T17:06:50.463" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe the story you are referring to in Zen In The Martial Arts is the chapter, &quot;Confident Seeing&quot; on page 109. The instructor was Sam Brodsky and he was doing a demonstration for his students in which he intended to break 9 one inch slabs of concrete with one punch of his fist. While only breaking 7 slabs  he had pulverized many of the small bones in his right hand. After surgery, the doctors estimated a healing time of 15 to 18 weeks. Using his mind he not only healed his hand in one third the time, he was able to restore much of the flexibility he was told he would never regain. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1814" LastActivityDate="2014-03-22T17:06:50.463" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2899" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2900" CreationDate="2014-03-24T01:34:45.537" Score="6" ViewCount="459" Body="&lt;p&gt;It seems like Kano could've easily gone a different direction and focused on striking, weapons, or even a general sport. Why did he have such a keen focus on grappling in particular?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1437" LastActivityDate="2014-03-24T19:27:33.453" Title="Why did Kano focus on grappling?" Tags="|judo|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2900" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2899" CreationDate="2014-03-24T09:37:18.823" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/tomiki2.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;On Modern jujitsu by Tomiki, Kenji&lt;/a&gt; there is a nice diagram (see below) that explains the evolution of old style jujitsu, striking arts, and weapon arts into modern budo practices. In this paper, we have a quote from Kano-sensei from 1926 about past and future judo:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I think that there must be a method of randori and shiai that includes&#xA;  the atemi-waza, provided that we devise it gradually and only after&#xA;  thorough investigation. That system, however, is not as easy as the&#xA;  ones in which the relative merits are decided by throwing (nage) or&#xA;  restraining (osae) an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This, along hints within the rest of the article, seems to point that safe competition was a (the?) factor that pushed Kano-sensei to move into the close grappling range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0b3Bx.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-03-24T10:31:21.317" LastActivityDate="2014-03-24T10:31:21.317" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2901" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2906" CreationDate="2014-03-24T10:04:24.383" Score="6" ViewCount="334" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm in Japan teaching English (as part of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JET_Programme&quot;&gt;JET Programme&lt;/a&gt;) at a middle school, and I joined their Judo club.  At 183+ cm (6 ft+ - I actually have to be careful of some doorways) and ~76 kg (~167 lbs) I enjoy a significant physical advantage over (most of) the students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I'd like to avoid hurting any of them (or being hurt by them); what do I need to be careful of?  Thankfully this isn't something like Karate (which I did some of in elementary school), so no punches or kicks.  Also, I fully tore my right ACL and had it replaced several years ago (this seems to be a family problem).  Are there any specific things I should watch out for?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1819" LastActivityDate="2019-01-20T20:31:11.140" Title="What do I need to watch out for when dealing with shorter opponents?" Tags="|judo|safety|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2902" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2901" CreationDate="2014-03-24T14:21:55.210" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not incredibly tall, but I've dealt with shorter opponents before. Mostly, you're just going to have to rein yourself in for being a bit stronger presumably. Aside from that, you're going to weigh more, so you may want to remind them to use proper technique to avoid a situation where they overstrain a joint or have you fall on top of them. From a center of balance standpoint, you have the disadvantage in many ways, but they will have to adjust their technique wherever they've been relying on having leverage due to being about the same height as their opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overall, I think it's going to be good for them to learn working with you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2014-03-24T14:21:55.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2903" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2905" CreationDate="2014-03-24T18:55:59.283" Score="7" ViewCount="1378" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was thinking about joining a judo club near my house, but I was wondering what kind of injuries I have to expect by practising this martial art (I'm especially worried about my nose, my nasal septum is already deviated because when I was a kid I fell off a bike, and I don't want to make it worse).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1821" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-20T16:01:52.293" LastActivityDate="2023-06-01T04:38:27.767" Title="What are the chances of breaking my nose if I take up a Judo class?" Tags="|judo|injury|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2904" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2899" CreationDate="2014-03-24T19:27:33.453" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kano wanted to make his Judo system something that could be done at full speed and force yet which did not seriously injure anyone. He realized that only this way could people continue to make progress over time, and it was this personal progress - building character along with skill as a result of continuous effort over time - that became Judo's focus. That was Kano's number one guiding principle when founding Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And it's obviously true. You can't come back tomorrow if in training today you get broken bones, sprained limbs, and popped joints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the time, this was counter to the prevailing attitudes and philosophies of his contemporaries teaching jujitsu. They all had the idea that you couldn't even do randori (sparring), because the techniques were too deadly. People would get seriously hurt. So they didn't even try. Instead, they limited their focus of practice to solo and partnered kata and drills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What we call &quot;jujitsu&quot; today was, back then, various Samurai &quot;ryu&quot; (clans). Each ryu had collections of techniques involving throws, joint locks, submissions, striking with the hands, striking with the feet, and weapons such as sword, staff, bladed chain, rope binding, knife, spear, bow-and-arrow, etc. Some ryu specialized in grappling, others specialized in sword and other things, but they all had broad knowledge of the other aspects of self-defense and warfare. (And actually, the focus of most of the older ryu was warfare, not self-defense, and so sword, spear, bow-and-arrow, etc. were often much more developed than their grappling was.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kano took the grappling techniques and some striking kata of different Japanese ryu which specialized in grappling to make Judo. But he never was able to incorporate striking into randori, because there was simply no way to practice it at full speed and power without people getting hurt. That would be a necessary requirement before being incorporated into his randori.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And what role striking would play in Judo randori was also uncertain. Was striking merely supposed to be used to help unbalance or distract opponents? Or would points be awarded for strikes along the same lines that they are awarded for throws?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So striking didn't fit in nicely into Judo randori. I imagine Kano contemplated limiting striking to certain techniques that would not cause as much damage, such as an open palm strike to the chest or a slap to the face, similar to Sumo wrestling. He might have even played with this with his senior students. But for whatever reason, he wasn't able to merge the striking into his grappling randori.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course now we have Brazilian Jiujitsu, which incorporates strikes into a system of techniques that derives primarily from Judo. But even BJJ does not permit strikes during competition. For that, you go to the next evolution, which is MMA. But while it's possible to &quot;spar&quot; in MMA and not get hurt, you won't be as lucky when you go all-out in actual MMA competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So as far as I'm concerned, nobody including Kano has been able to incorporate striking, at full speed and force, with grappling safely. If it's just sparring (light to medium force)? Yes, that can be done successfully. With full speed and force? No. The same level of control as grappling just isn't there with striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-03-24T19:27:33.453" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2905" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2903" CreationDate="2014-03-24T20:01:05.600" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;This article summarizes it quite nicely with statistics for all injuries in Judo:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/research11.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://judoinfo.com/research11.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to that research, there is a 7 in 1000 chance for boys and a 3 in 1000 chance for girls, based on historical statistics, of having a serious injury to the nose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Caveat being that this is for young Judo competitors 17 years old or younger while they are actually competing at the national level. I would expect injury rates here to be much greater than that of a typical Judo school's injury rate. As such, consider this to be a maximum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One interesting thing that pops out in that research and in others like it is that the injury rate in grappling arts like Judo is often much less than that of percussion arts like Taekwondo or Karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My own experience with Judo was quite positive. In the 2 years I trained in it, I didn't see a lot of injuries. I personally had nothing major during that time. Maybe the occasional headache from not being ready for a breakfall. Oh, and I recall stubbing my toe on the mats many times. It's not uncommon to hurt your toes that way. Fingers also can take some damage, because you're putting all your force into your grip. And backs can get messed up, usually because you're lifting wrong. That's why Judo has you repeat your throws thousands of times in practice before you start using them in randori (sparring).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Noses? Generally you're going to be thrown onto your back, not your front. Almost no throws land you on your face, but it is possible if it happens by accident. And it's possible your opponent's knee, elbow, shoulder, or head butts into your nose at various times during your training. That should be rare, and only by accident. And there are no strikes to worry about, so that's good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some head protectors that have built-in nose protection. But I've never seen anyone in Judo wearing them. Still, I doubt any Judo teacher would tell you not to wear one if you wanted. If you do get one, try the ones that have a cage enclosure around the front of the face instead of the ones that have padding. Something like this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.martialartshop.co.uk/full-face-head-guard/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.martialartshop.co.uk/full-face-head-guard/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2023-05-12T11:41:44.907" LastActivityDate="2023-05-12T11:41:44.907" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2906" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2901" CreationDate="2014-03-25T20:45:21.220" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I trained Judo in my high school's Judo club. Our high school was physically joined right next to a middle school. And so the middle schoolers would attend our Judo class also. While I was 5 foot 10 inches tall and about 140 pounds, the middle schoolers were probably barely even 5 feet tall and about 90-100 pounds. Huge difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Our instructor paired us up with kids our own ages and sizes usually, but occasionally I would have no choice but to partner with the younger kids.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, try to partner with the instructor whenever you can. If your instructor doesn't do that in class, then you have no choice but to find the strongest, tallest, heaviest children if you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you do partner with children, keep in mind that they are children. That means do not lift them very far off the ground, despite being fully able to do that. Don't throw them long distances. Don't go really fast. Don't fall hard on top of them into your ground holds. If you do those things, they will be afraid of you and won't want to partner with you. So be gentle and work on NOT using your muscle power but instead using graceful technique, fluidity, and leverage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Above all else, relax! Keep good posture, etc., but work on keeping yourself from tightening your muscles and powering through stuff. Especially when you're on the ground rolling. When you have such a huge advantage over them physically, you need to just let go of your athleticism and instead learn to flow, gently. Give to any resistance you feel, and instead look for the smart way around obstacles. This will also help you when you do eventually encounter an opponent your own size, by the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you are receiving their throw, be ready to protect your face, head and neck, because their throws might end up going short due to the fact that they're not used to the extra weight, and you can fall in an uncontrolled manner. You should practice the one-armed cartwheel and dive-shoulder-roll breakfalls. Those will help you recover from a bad throw done to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might need to squat down a bit by lowering yourself at your knees in order for them to actually be able to throw you. But try not to do that habitually. Let them try to throw you normally. Only offer to lower yourself if they seem frustrated. Of course, do whatever the instructor tells you to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Definitely do not jump into their throws, trying to be helpful or trying to make them look better. Jumping into a throw does them no good, and it's frowned upon by them and your instructor. They are learning a lot when they get to partner with someone much larger than they are. Don't take that learning experience away from them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for your ACL tear, make sure your knees are ready for practice ahead of time. That means doing about 10 minutes of &quot;functional stretching&quot; and warm-ups before class. You'll practice squats in place, lunges while walking across the room (do whatever height you feel comfortable with), running in place or around the gym, jumping in place, jumping side-to-side on one leg and jumping jacks, seiza posture to standing posture and back, shoulder roll then stand, and anything else you might want to throw in there. You're just trying to put your knees through the motions and stresses that you might encounter in a typical Judo session. Obviously, if anything causes you pain, stop right away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-03-25T20:45:21.220" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2908" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2893" CreationDate="2014-03-27T18:13:26.437" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It isn't simply a matter of getting lower, and it a matter of creating a pivot point, and applying leverage.  If your center is too distant from theirs it will become harder to execute a throw.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Imagine a seesaw with two points set out from the center instead of a single one.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;========= vs ==========&#xA;   ^ ^           ^  &#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The distance from you to the pivot is shorter, making it harder to move. And the amount of weight you have to life would be larger.  You want one center that gives you the advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;=========&#xA;      ^&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1825" LastActivityDate="2014-03-27T18:13:26.437" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2909" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2204" CreationDate="2014-03-28T22:56:35.140" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I remember someone asked Chuck Norris how to fight a person who has a knife, he said if you get into a knife fight you are going to get stabbed. I'd say the same applies with just about anything; if you get into a fist fight with someone who is a really bad fighter, chances are they will still land a few. So if running is not an option, you need to do your best just to survive. Chainsaws tend to have some weight about them, so that is a slight advantage you have as they will swing it around a bit slow and cumbersome, the inertia of the follow through may give you a window, if you are lucky enough for that initial swipe to miss, but it all depends on how strong and agile they are, you will want to quickly get in as close to the attacker as possible and grab their arms or the chainsaw handles and go for the &quot;struggle for dear life&quot; method.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I would keep in mind that it isn't as easy to kill a person as you would think, even with something like a chainsaw, you could take a fair bit of damage from it and still be so fired up on adrenalin to significantly make the attacker regret instigating the incident.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1827" LastActivityDate="2014-03-28T22:56:35.140" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2910" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2911" CreationDate="2014-04-01T14:01:27.673" Score="2" ViewCount="132" Body="&lt;p&gt;So I was practicing with my bankai  today and I just feel like I could be generating much more force. Does anyone know of a couple of exercises I could do to increase my reiatsu?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-04-01T14:16:42.937" Title="Tips for increasing power of bankai" Tags="|kendo|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2014-10-01T16:13:15.677" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2911" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2910" CreationDate="2014-04-01T14:16:42.937" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe that the Trials of the Shattered Shaft is what you are looking for.  However, there's some risks in attempting it.  Maybe you should talk to Urahara?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-04-01T14:16:42.937" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2912" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="417" CreationDate="2014-04-02T01:15:09.007" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This hand posture is also found associated with the sho chiku bai (pine, bamboo, plum) formations as seen at this link: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skski.net/sho-chiku-bai-mon.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.skski.net/sho-chiku-bai-mon.html&lt;/a&gt;. More details about that can be found there, as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Morihei Ueshiba's book on aikido talks about the sho chiku bai throughout its pages, but doesn't discuss the hand postures: &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1568364466&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Teachings-Aikido-Morihei-Ueshiba/dp/1568364466/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Robert Trias of Shuri-ryu karate mentions Sho Chiku Bai. He doesn't necessarily stress it, at least not within his Pinnacle of Okinawan Karate book. However, all of the Shuri-ryu katas (and perhaps others) end with each of these hand positions. The connection between them is not well explained, though (in my experience).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1502" LastActivityDate="2014-04-02T01:15:09.007" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2913" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-04-02T13:33:57.640" Score="10" ViewCount="23077" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm starting to think getting smashed into the ground on a regular basis might not be too good for the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1437" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-05-23T14:15:18.740" LastActivityDate="2019-06-04T03:27:59.507" Title="What are the long term health consequences of practising judo?" Tags="|judo|health|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2914" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2913" CreationDate="2014-04-02T18:54:12.910" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is actually a very valid question. Consider that the NFL (U.S. football) is now going through a kind of falling out period whereby the athletes are becoming more and more aware of the growing risk of chronic brain injury over time. In the UFC, we're starting to see some questions regarding brain injury rates as well. And for a long time, we've known that boxing can really damage the brain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Judo, practitioners will constantly throw each other to the ground where they make a sudden slap and a thud. Whenever I entered judo training after a long hiatus, I would notice myself getting headaches. It only lasted the first day or two back, though. The sudden jostling around of the brain could cause injury over time, but I'm not sure that there is any data to support that hypothesis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My gut feeling is that the forces on the brain during a judo breakfall are minor compared to that of getting punched in the head (something judo doesn't do). Judo breakfalls do slow the head motion while falling down so as to cushion the landing. It does so by using the neck muscles to gradually absorb the momentum of falling, so that the head doesn't just suddenly hit the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I have no idea what the forces are and whether they would affect brain physiology in the long-term.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to breakfalls, there are chokes in Judo. Chokes work by applying a force against the arteries in the neck. This can be slow or sudden and sharp. The effect is to cut off the blood supply to the brain. It can also trigger a nervous system reflex to suddenly drop blood pressure, thereby instantly causing someone to pass out. Both will restrict blood flow to the brain. In addition, they can have an effect on the heart. And, in rare cases, they could dislodge arterial plaque into the bloodstream, causing a stroke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, chokes could have some effect on long-term health.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then there are back injuries, neck injuries, shoulder injuries, knee problems, hip problems, sprains and strains, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One interesting thing to point out is that there is very active self-policing going on in judo itself. The International Judo Federation (IJF) has banned many popular judo throws due to safety concerns. They get together once a year to look over injury rates during competition for all of the throws, and when they notice a particular throw causing more serious injuries than other ones, they might ban it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strike&gt;For example, the two handed leg sweep (morote-gari) was banned, because it often lands people on the back of the head and neck and can cause neck break and concussion. Up until 2010, morote-gari was a very popular technique, because there are many situations where it can be used.&lt;/strike&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: Dave Liepmann pointed out that morote-gari is not a good example of this. It was not actually banned for safety reasons. However, Kani Basami was banned due to the higher risk of knee injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can actually see a video showing the entire list of IJF banned throws (from 2010) here:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhOmAyjTimc&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhOmAyjTimc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, bottom line is that Judo as a whole is very concerned about injuries. When I trained in Judo, our school didn't have a &quot;macho&quot; attitude about things (and I've never seen a macho attitude at any judo school I've visited). Safety was always the top concern.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, I post this to clarify the main question, rather than answering it directly. I don't know of any long-term health studies. Those are what you really want. If anyone has them, post them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2014-04-02T23:48:38.903" LastActivityDate="2014-04-02T23:48:38.903" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2915" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2913" CreationDate="2014-04-02T23:53:33.873" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Consequences of doing judo long-term:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You probably get better at judo. So, greater ability to throw, choke, pin, and armlock people and to avoid same being done to oneself.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Increase in physical capabilities, such as greater strength, agility, cardio, toughness, and so on. (Note: this is improved, not harmed, by being thrown to the ground repeatedly. Taking a submaximal beating makes you tougher.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Risk of possible injury.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Risk of muscle imbalances, such as between left and right due to performing techniques on one side more than the other.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And hopefully, maybe, if you work at it, one might be able to cultivate some &lt;em&gt;jita kyoei (自他共栄)&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;seiryoku zenyo (精力善用)&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="8497" LastEditDate="2019-06-04T03:27:59.507" LastActivityDate="2019-06-04T03:27:59.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2916" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1610" CreationDate="2014-04-04T03:54:12.660" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;FWIW, I've read Bruce Lee had a significant difference in leg length too:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;“You probably are not aware of it,” he said, “but my left leg is almost one inch shorter than the right.  That fact dictated the best stance for me – my right foot leading.  Then I found because the right leg was longer, I had an advantage with certain types of kicks, since the uneven stomp gave me greater impetus.”&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may want to experiment with which leg you put in front during sparring - longer leg forward.  Experiment with your stance until you find a posture where everything's comfortable and level and able to rotate and twist in the directions you need for techniques including footwork.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, for patterns and a lot of set exercises you'll be expected to practice more or less evenly on each side, but you can get to know the implications - for example, you might find you are better at a more upright, quick kick with the shorter leg, and want to reach deeper with the longer leg - &quot;listen&quot; to your body to find what's natural.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of flexibility issues with small stabilising muscles that could affect your overall comfort.  I'm getting on - 42 now - and need to spend more time on stretches that I didn't even know about 5 years ago, like lying on my back with my feet still on the ground and maybe 60 cms apart, knees bent, then dipping my knees inwards towards the ground one at a time.  I went to see a physio who's also a top Kyokushin fighter.  I'd recommend a professional assessment of where you're stiff or weak and what to do about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2017-03-28T01:45:33.137" LastActivityDate="2017-03-28T01:45:33.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2917" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2204" CreationDate="2014-04-04T05:06:03.237" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A few thoughts....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Dominant hand and range of wrist motion&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Let's say the attacker's right handed - they're going to find it natural to slash diagonally from their upper right towards their lower left.  It'll be hard/unnatural for them to start any kind of slash from their left.  Once their right arm's straight and left elbow bent in against their ribs, they can't turn the blade any more.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;to exploit this fully, you want to attack them while their left foot is landing forwards - back away while observing the timing of their steps, then step in as their left foot comes forwards.  The longer their stride the more they'll be twisted away from you, and the harder it will be for them to reach the chainsaw across to their non-dominant side.  If you feint as though moving to their open side they're likely to adjust to step their left foot further to their right too.  Good options then include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;sliding to the outside of their left/front foot (typical aikido move) so they have to twist the chainsaw across their own body to reach it towards you, and their left arm will get in the way of rotating the blade into you.  As you slide past, use a ridge hand / reverse knife hand / arm bar / palm etc across their throat/face, or a left low kick to their front knee&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;hard low kick to their front knee then retreat quickly&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Short backswing/follow-through slash vs. big thrust motion&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;a chainsaw is not like a two-handed sword in that it doesn't require overall momentum to &lt;strong&gt;slash&lt;/strong&gt;... for a slashing movement with a sword, even when the opponent stays in front of you some backswing is required, but with a chainsaw the blade can be thrust/twisted more directly at the target, so as defender you can't wait for an overt backswing to slip in on the attacker, nor expect much of a follow through after some kind of slash in which to close; it's following the defender's side-to-side movement that can force a difficult/slow/clumsy swinging action, rather than any need to generate speed with the chain &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;it does still take a major effort to &lt;strong&gt;thrust&lt;/strong&gt; the weapon forwards, so you can expect more telegraphing of and recovery time from such a movement, which means it's a better opportunity to counter attack&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;In desperation&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;be creative with other objects you might use to your advantage - e.g. flicking a belt at their hands or face while keeping out of reach of the chainsaw; don't rely on this for long - it's a high-stakes game - once you see they're distracted by it seek an opportunity to do something more decisive&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;the chain rotates around the edge of the saw, so there's some small potential to deflect the blade through contact inside the chain - if you somehow get stuck with the thing being thrust at your head or chest and have no ability to dodge, a absolute last-ditch do-or-die option is deflecting it with a fingertip or flatfist strike to the area inside the chain, but if you can reach further to get past the chain deflect it there of course&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It'd be really interesting to have someone hold a chainsaw while someone else struck across the blade with an old leather belt, coat etc to see how strong a sideways tug the holder experienced before the belt/coat disintegrated - they might affect a useful momentary deflection.  Sadly, I don't currently own a chainsaw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2014-04-06T14:38:53.137" LastActivityDate="2014-04-06T14:38:53.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2918" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2919" CreationDate="2014-04-06T10:53:07.407" Score="3" ViewCount="369" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was practicing Hangestu this morning with a lot of focus and tension. Throughout the final move I kept the tension, with my muscles working against each other, and felt a definite pain within my biceps. I was wondering if anybody else had encountered this, and if it is possible to injure yourself by doing this. Is it beneficial to do Hangetsu with a lot of tension?&#xA;It's not a kata I have trained much in the past.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1413" LastActivityDate="2014-04-06T12:05:47.750" Title="Karate - Hangetsu (Seisan) - can one damage one's muscles through slow movements?" Tags="|karate|forms|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2919" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2918" CreationDate="2014-04-06T12:05:47.750" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If Hangetsu is really similar to the Seisan I know, it is indeed a kata traditionally performed with a lot of tension. Most of the tension should be in your core however, as if you were preparing to get punched and wanted to reduce the damage. While your arms should be tensed, they shouldn't be as tense as your abdominal muscles. One of the goal of seisan is to teach you to put your core into your blocks and punches. Combined with a good leg stance and proper weight shifting, you'll be able to generate a lot more power compared to simply using your arms to perform these movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you describe in your question looks a lot like improper stretching to me, though. If you are performing the kata with heavy tension in your arms and legs, you're putting your muscles under constant strain. That kata is also done pretty slowly, too, with short bursts of speed and power where it's easy to put even more strain on your already tense muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You seem to imply doing katas as part of your morning workout. Do you stretch beforehand? If so, do you give enough attention to your biceps? If they aren't warmed up properly, it's entirely possible that the pain you're feeling is due to the constant strain you're putting your unprepared muscles under. Ask your sensei (and maybe a certified trainer if you have a gym membership somewhere) for proper bicep stretching techniques and try to perform this kata while properly warmed up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the pain persists, try to talk your sensei into looking at your stance, posture, movements and technique carefully. You mention not having much experience with this kata, and this could be why you're feeling some pain, as it's not impossible that you're simply doing the movements slightly off. Correcting your technique might alleviate the strain on your muscles. I'd still suggest investigating proper stretching techniques, though. Usually can't go wrong with that anyways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2014-04-06T12:05:47.750" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2920" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-04-07T15:49:47.990" Score="5" ViewCount="433" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was at a seminar this weekend and saw a bit of Kukishin Ryu Bojutsu. The teacher used a special type of bo that I had not seen before and am having trouble finding information about. It had 9 metal bands on it: 1 in the center and 4 at each end. The end bands were space approx. 4-6&quot; apart with the last bands being metal caps on the end of the staff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would attach a picture, but I can't find one! Any information about this type of staff (name, picture, etc.) would be greatly appreciated!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1845" LastActivityDate="2014-04-08T06:25:16.480" Title="What is the name of this bo?" Tags="|bo-staff|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2921" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2920" CreationDate="2014-04-07T19:17:01.807" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Honestly, this more or less comes down to an iron-shod staff. In most cultures with staff weapons, someone has had the bright idea to add metal to the ends to increase the inertia with which one strikes, and to reduce the damage to the wood on impact. There are a few specialized ones such as the &lt;em&gt;arribo&lt;/em&gt;, an octagonal cane weapon made wholly out of metal, or the &lt;em&gt;tetsubo&lt;/em&gt; which is essentially an iron club, but in this case, I'd just call it an iron-shod staff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2014-04-07T19:17:01.807" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2922" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2334" CreationDate="2014-04-08T03:00:34.313" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The method I used against a German Shepherd when I was younger was to raise my hands as if to cover my face and bring my elbows in nearly touching. The dog jumped up with his paws to my shoulders and I then opened my arms out quickly popping one of his shoulder joint. It couldn't walk properly after that and limped off yelping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know if it was being friendly or attacking, but I didn't want to find out. I was about 14, and I'd use the same method again if it ever came up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1846" LastActivityDate="2014-04-08T03:00:34.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2923" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2920" CreationDate="2014-04-08T04:07:51.783" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C5%8D&quot;&gt;wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Some were inlaid or banded with strips of iron or other metals for&#xA;  extra strength.[11]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And the link they give for reference #11 is from &lt;em&gt;Jo: Art of the Japanese Short Staff&lt;/em&gt;, Dave Lowry, Black Belt Communications, 1987 p.22.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jo-Japanese-Short-Weapons-Series/dp/0897501160&quot;&gt;link&lt;/a&gt; to an Amazon preview which says:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Occasionally too, the length of the bo was inlaid or banded with&#xA;  strips of iron or other metal. This increased the strength of the bo&#xA;  considerably. Most techniques for countering the bo by well-trained&#xA;  swordsman involved his using the katana to slash at the wooden bo at&#xA;  an angle that would hack through it, cutting the bo down and&#xA;  significantly reducing its effectiveness. With the protecting bands or&#xA;  strips of metal, the weapon was much more difficult to chop or cut and&#xA;  the bojutsu exponent was at a better advantage in the encounter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So there's your answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for getting your hands on a bo staff like this, they're pretty rare. I wasn't even aware they existed until you mentioned it. And I was unable to find a picture of one online.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The 9 bands you mentioned make sense for Kukishin Ryu. It is called the &quot;9 Demon Gods&quot; school. The number 9 has some mystical significance in many Japanese martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-04-08T06:25:16.480" LastActivityDate="2014-04-08T06:25:16.480" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2924" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="417" CreationDate="2014-04-08T13:08:58.183" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I always get them mixed up, but I used to know a Northern Shaolin form that started with the right fist in the left palm and then you 'shot' out your right fist to the side, pushing with the left palm. From that I always remind myself that right fist covered with left palm is 'begin fight' and left fist covered with right palm is 'peace' or stop fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1847" LastActivityDate="2014-04-08T13:08:58.183" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2925" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2913" CreationDate="2014-04-10T12:52:22.957" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think you can answer two-way to your questions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1st, long term risk to your body depends on how you train. If you have bad habits, and you apply useless strain on your body, it WILL catch up to you (at 40 some morning I feel like I have the knees and the back of a 60's). But it's also part my fault. My mom (who was also my 1st coach) always told me to take care and not land on my knees after finishing some throws... but well I was young and enthusiasm led to excess. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2nd  would be injuries. Those will happens in any sports where you train extensively and can't be prevented, accidents do happen. Those are more specifics to each person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for judo specifics injuries, I'd say back problem, most major articulation (ankle, knees, elbows) problem and fingers (huge strain is placed on fingers, and people often forget to exercise them correctly) are the most common. I've never seen/heard a judoka with chronic headache or concussion related problem yet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1526" LastEditorDisplayName="user5562" LastEditDate="2019-01-20T20:31:39.267" LastActivityDate="2019-01-20T20:31:39.267" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2926" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2930" CreationDate="2014-04-10T13:20:20.890" Score="7" ViewCount="405" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe you have to focus your mind before starting to train. I would like to know how teachers help their students gain and retain their discipline for the duration of the class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am interested specifically in Kung Fu, but would welcome insights from other martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1852" LastEditorUserId="7900" LastEditDate="2017-11-29T09:00:08.580" LastActivityDate="2017-11-29T09:00:08.580" Title="How to prepare your mind before practicing martial arts" Tags="|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2927" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2901" CreationDate="2014-04-10T13:34:52.270" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Speaking from past experiences: To avoid injuries when fighting poeple with vast strength, or height difference there is only 1 rule: Don't force it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just like when you practice with students: If one smaller guy / kid manage to put you off balance, don't use raw strength to stay up. You &lt;strong&gt;will&lt;/strong&gt; overpower him, and you might hurt him the process. Roll along, fall correctly and no one will be hurt. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Same for you; if you make someone fall, make sure to hold them correctly and don't use powerthrow on them (stuff like holding their head and jumping on the ground and rolling even if you don't have them off balance). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's in a more &quot;competitive&quot; setting, you have to tell your partner the same thing though, if you make a move and they feel you &quot;have it&quot;, they can't try to powerthrough and avoid it, they'll get hurt in the process. But, restraining your movement choices to avoid dangerous one, and doing throws only when you have perfect timing instead of using brute strength is an awesome way to improve too!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember, it's all practice, no one will die by taking the fall instead of trying to stay up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1526" LastEditorDisplayName="user5562" LastEditDate="2019-01-20T20:31:11.140" LastActivityDate="2019-01-20T20:31:11.140" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2928" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2926" CreationDate="2014-04-10T14:09:46.383" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Frankly, the difference between mentally preparing for a martial art, or for any physically intensive activity is minor at best. You need to motivate yourself to do a lot of hard work, possibly painful work. Most people motivate themselves by visualizing their goals, but that may work against you, particularly since many people have unrealistic ideas of how rapidly their skill will advance. Make small goals, and if you fail, try to figure out why. Sometimes, you just need to approach your goal from a different angle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On that topic, a certain mental flexibility helps too. There is a famous parable of a highly trained martial artist going to a new master, and refusing to stop using his old techniques. The master invited him to tea and poured him half a cup. He then proceeded to upend the pot and pour more and more until the cup was overflowing. The student leapt up and informed the master that the cup was full and that nothing more could be added. The master explained that indeed it was, and that was why the student could not be trained until he was willing to empty his cup and the student was enlightened.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2014-04-10T14:09:46.383" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2930" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2926" CreationDate="2014-04-10T16:46:30.503" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are many aspects to this.  The most important things during training are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;to pay extremely close attention to yourself and others, especially the instructor and senior students&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;to contrast, analyse, reason about and research what you observe, then practice and target experimentation accordingly both for the results that brings and to identify further challenges and insights and test your understandings&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;this applies to stances, footwork, techniques, timing, distancing, strategy, stamina/efficiency, explosiveness, conditioning, pain tolerance, body mechanics, awareness (where you look, what you pay attention to, your posture/balance/relaxation etc.) / even your mental attitude, focus of attention, thoughts, and psychology&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;specifically for mental attitude, sometimes it's good to be passive, other times aggressive (but mindful of other participants' safety), reactive vs. proactive, defensive vs. offensive, sometimes humble, other times let yourself try to fill shoes that may be too big for you and see how it pans out etc..&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;to identify both what you want to achieve, and experiment to find out what you can achieve, and work efficiently to combine them optimally&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;to push yourself to/beyond your limits sometimes and learn from the experience&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overall, the more actively you seek and make useful and varied learning opportunities, the faster and further you improve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're ever in a real fight, you may not have time to get into some special/particular frame of mind that you've learnt to be comfortable in at the dojo - rather, you need to be able to use your technique effectively spontaneously from whatever state of mind you happen to be in at the time.  If your martial arts / life experience is too limited you may even find yourself thrown into an unfamiliar frame of mind &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;by&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; the fight, whether it's an endorphine or adrenaline reaction - whether it's fear or immense calm - either can be debilitating and dangerous.  For the first couple years just getting used to whatever your school offers is probably good... then it's probably good to at least try 10 minutes in a ring with a full contact striker, another 10 with a wrestler, some &quot;self defense&quot; school or exercises where they come at you yelling etc..  Variety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-04-10T16:46:30.503" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2931" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2926" CreationDate="2014-04-10T16:59:47.427" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Depends greatly on the teacher's teaching style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Style #1: I've been in classes that were very structured and where we were constantly moving from one thing to the next.  In those classes, we didn't have much time to worry about being disciplined.  We simply did as instructed and we weren't left a lot of time to structure our class time for ourselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Style #2: Other classes I've been in were very laid back.  We were left to our own devices much of the time.  From time to time the instructor would come over and correct our posture or add some other detail.  When he saw we had what he had shown us down, he would show us the next portion.  This is where discipline actually kicks in.  When you're left by yourself, what do you do with that time?  A lot of kung fu instructors will not push you like taekwondo or karate instructors will.  They will let you do what you want to do.  It's not that they won't help you, but they won't help you if you won't help yourself.  The reasoning actually makes a lot of sense.  Those who lack the discipline to do it on their own are not going to excel in the art, so there's no need to bother with those people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So there's your answer.  They're either going to keep pushing you as in Style #1, or they're going to let you do whatever you want to do as in Style #2.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-04-10T16:59:47.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2932" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2913" CreationDate="2014-04-10T17:16:07.980" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Anecdotally&lt;/strong&gt;, Judo can be absolutely &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.sherdog.com/forums/f12/judo-will-cripple-you-389689/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;brutal&lt;/a&gt; on your body:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;After years of dedication to judo it gave me a black belt (first dan) and unparalleled skills at taking anyone down. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It also gave me:&#xA;  1)  Osteoartheritis on all my fingers from GI gripping&#xA;  2)  Pinched nerve in my neck&#xA;  3)  Bad lower back from not wanting to fall on my back and lose by Ippon.&#xA;  4)  Destroyed cartilage in my knees because of some throwing techniques like uchimata&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;That sport is probably the most tough on the joints ever, and to be competing in it will add 60 years to your body. My brother retired from judo at 29. TWENTY NINE! He walks like yoda because of hip surgery. The nature of the sport is geared to demolish you like no other if you want to stay serious in Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Going beyond mere anecdotes&lt;/strong&gt; gives us better quality information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A few key points from &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9487650&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9487650&lt;/a&gt; where 8 Judo practitioners were followed for 16 years, and their fingers were examined:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;All&lt;/strong&gt; of them had signs of osteoarthritis&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The participants reported the symptoms to be &lt;strong&gt;mild&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Symptoms were worse for active players.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The conclusion was that Judo is a risk factor for finger osteoarthritis.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/research11.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://judoinfo.com/research11.htm&lt;/a&gt; has a study on competition injuries for the young.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;this study seems to suggest that the injury rates in young judoka are among the lowest compared to those reported for counterparts in other combative sports. However, sport-specific characteristics and the level of competition need to be taken into account as well before more definitive conclusions may be drawn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Know Yourself&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A wise quote from an anime...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;A good fighter knows his mental and physical limitations. But a great fighter will figure a way around them.&quot;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can &lt;strong&gt;mitigate risk&lt;/strong&gt;. Here are some tips, I hope they help, and I hope you don't have to learn things the hard way:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The correct strength exercises for your body will improve the stability of your joints, and improve your durability (ligaments strengthen with strength training).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A good level of flexibility&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Training partners you can trust&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A sensible ego. Tap early. If your body is telling you something is wrong, give it time to heal or pay the price with an extended healing process or a join that never is the same.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A healthy training environment with a good instructor.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Good technique. Ukemi, the techniques of falling in a safe manner.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Be Sensible and Self Select,&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everybody is different. Some people are flexible, some people are born with the genes for good cardio. Everybody has different motivations. Judo is a choice. Does it make sense for you? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When looking at the statistics for injuries, remember that some people will drop out of Judo because they &lt;strong&gt;should&lt;/strong&gt;. If you discover your body is the type to be extremely likely to be badly injured from an activity like Judo, then it wouldn't make sense to do it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="373" LastEditorUserId="373" LastEditDate="2014-04-11T07:22:19.733" LastActivityDate="2014-04-11T07:22:19.733" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2933" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2938" CreationDate="2014-04-13T16:12:19.880" Score="8" ViewCount="1613" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the Japanese terminology for a falling leaf break fall?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For those who do not know what it looks like. From standing, you would train it by putting both hands on the floor, kicking your legs upwards (almost to an hand stand), and lowering your arms as your legs go down in a see saw motion -- looking like a falling leaf. It is the ukemi that you would do when (for example) tori does oahitaoshi from kneeling. Or the ukemi from Hiki taoshi. In the drawing of hiki taoshi below, the falling leaf breakfall is what uke does in steps 7 to 10.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/d3xDS.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-04-16T08:52:01.280" LastActivityDate="2016-07-15T19:27:55.267" Title="Falling leaf ukemi" Tags="|aikido|falling|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2934" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2951" CreationDate="2014-04-13T16:16:59.383" Score="6" ViewCount="649" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am looking for the Japanese (or western) name of the breakfall uke does to escape from oshitaoshi. Basically, this is a half cart wheel that uke does when tori applies oshitaoshi. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the drawing below, steps 7-9 are the break fall although in this illustration, uke's feet do not rise as much as we do -- probably because the drawing are done from a more static/slow technique instead of the explosive power we tend to use...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/C3o39.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Oshitaoshi&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-04-16T08:52:14.180" LastActivityDate="2014-04-16T23:19:11.970" Title="Oshitaoshi ukemi name" Tags="|aikido|falling|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2935" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2937" CreationDate="2014-04-14T13:31:04.907" Score="9" ViewCount="9177" Body="&lt;p&gt;I saw a very well executed spinning reverse kick in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgYlXupgl4A&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; of the Athens Olympics. I can do a reverse kick and a jumping turning kick. How can move on to acquire the necessary skills to perform this spinning kick? Does it help practising the motion in a swimming pool?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1268" LastActivityDate="2016-02-18T13:59:02.797" Title="How does one train for a spinning reverse kick?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|spinning-kicks|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2936" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2477" CreationDate="2014-04-14T15:23:20.357" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;While individual cases are, of course, individual cases, I would actually argue that there may be physical obstacles that reduce the incidence. Women have a different center of gravity, enough that &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvlAl0TVrsE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;a different roll is suggested for parkour&lt;/a&gt;, and, not to be indelicate, but many women have an additional mass on their chest which makes rapid rotation around their vertical axis more awkward. Neither is insurmountable, but it means that there are additional modifications needed to adapt the current techniques, which means that you have to be even more dedicated to get into it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2014-04-14T15:23:20.357" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2937" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2935" CreationDate="2014-04-14T21:17:05.877" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Former black belt in Taekwondo here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This turned out to be a pretty long explanation. Sorry about that. But in this case, I wanted to educate rather than just inform. Judging by the question, this sounds like a young student and someone just beginning Taekwondo or karate. Back when I was 13 years old just beginning Taekwondo, I would have loved for someone to just lay it all out for me. So that's what I'm doing here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, first of all, the video you linked to shows a &quot;jump, spinning hook kick&quot;. And it's actually a poor example, since the one who threw it lost his balance and fell over. That's bad form that is to be avoided, although it did work for him in this case.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a side-note: Many Taekwondo schools only train for sport competition rules. If the rules allow for points to be awarded even though the fighter lost his balance and fell over in the process, then students of these schools might develop this bad habit during training. I'm not saying this particular fighter in the example is guilty of this, but it's possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, there are many Taekwondo schools that still teach the traditional way and don't let the sport aspects corrupt the basic principles of their style. In these schools, it is judged as an &quot;unclean technique&quot; if someone loses his balance and falls, even if the kick lands on target. No point will be awarded in that case. In my opinion, this is the right way to train. But I guess that depends on your own personal goals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll return to this particular technique later on in my explanation. But first, I want to give you an overview of how Taekwondo treats kicking in general, to put things into perspective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Taekwondo, the basic kicks are: front, round, side, inside-to-outside crescent, outside-to-inside crescent, hook, heel, and axe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those are executed typically in a front, back, or horse stance. And the kick can be done with the front leg or the back leg. And it can be done to the mid-section or the face (and sometimes low to the legs, but this is not allowed during sparring).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So from those, you have a lot of different combinations. For example: From a back stance, execute a front leg round kick to the face. Another example: From a front stance, execute a back leg front kick to the mid-section. And so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After the basic kicks are learned, you are then taught the &quot;reverse&quot; and &quot;spinning&quot; kicks. There's not a lot of distinction between what a reverse kick is and what a spinning kick is. And at some schools, they are interchangeable. So a spinning side kick is often the same as a reverse side kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there is a subtle distinction that I like to make: Spinning kicks use the power of the circular momentum in the kick itself (like the spinning crescent kick), while reverse kicks stop the circular motion before or as the kick happens (and often translate the circular motion into linear motion at the end, like the reverse side kick).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The spinning and reverse kicks are just another dimension to add onto the previous combinations. For example: From a left leg forward back stance, execute a right leg reverse side kick. In this case, you pivot your weight on your left foot while turning your torso clock-wise. Your right leg lifts up and kicks out with the side kick as you spin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can pretty much do any of the kicks this way, spinning. Even front kicks, round kicks, hook kicks, axe kicks, crescent kicks, etc. Some of these make more practical sense than others, but it's up to you as a student of Taekwondo to figure that out. Some people become great at using the odd-ball kicks like the reverse round kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's a lot of different kicks! And we haven't stopped yet...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, you can add hopping to the kicks. Your goal during the hop is not to get air, but to cover distance and bridge the gap between you and your opponent quickly. And the key is that when you kick, one foot is always on the ground during a hop kick. This hopping motion will also let you gain momentum which is then used to add power to the kicks. One of the most powerful kicks in Taekwondo's arsenal is the hop, reverse side kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And you can add jumping to the kicks. Your goal is the opposite of hopping here. You're jumping upwards, not hopping outwards. And a key distinction is that jumping kicks have both feet off the ground when the kick happens, unlike hopping kicks which have one foot on the ground during the kick. For example, a jump front kick. Or how about a jump, reverse inside-to-outside crescent kick?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind jumping kicks can be done using either the front leg or the back leg. So you can have a jump front-leg front kick or a jump back-leg front kick. Same with round kicks, crescent kicks, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Simultaneously hopping and jumping is usually called a &quot;flying&quot; kick. The flying side kick is a pretty famous example. Running can be done instead of just hopping. But in sparring and in real life self-defense, there aren't many occasions that allow you to run first before doing the kick. There just isn't that much room usually. So you should practice hopping and jumping most of the time, and practice running and jumping less often.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, you can combine hopping with jumping and spinning. For example: A hopping, jumping reverse side kick. Or a hopping, jumping, spinning inside-to-outside crescent kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And there are some exotic kicks which typically come in advanced levels. Such as the butterfly kick and the butterfly-360-twist kick. The somersault kicks. The aerial and aerial-360-twist kicks. The Axis kick, though the Axis kick isn't necessarily advanced. A lot of these kicks aren't taught in Taekwondo, but you'll see them on occasion. You can often find them in &quot;tricking&quot; videos on Youtube. And you can see a bunch more kicks if you look into Capoeira or Wushu Kung-fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also multi-kick kicks. These are where you're typically doing two or more kicks in the air at the same time before your feet come back to the ground. One of the most famous ones is the whirlwind kick. It's a combination of a back-leg spinning inside-to-outside crescent kick followed by a jumping, spinning outside-to-inside crescent kick done before the first kick hits the ground - so both feet are off the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another common multi-kick kick is when you do a flying side kick to a target, and before your forward momentum is stopped, you turn around (in mid air) to do a reverse side kick with the other leg. Both kicks hit the target before you return to the ground. This is often done when performing board breaking, where you break boards at different positions before hitting the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, so based on all of the above, you can see we're up to hundreds if not thousands of different kick combinations. I explained this to you, because I wanted to put it into proper perspective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a hierarchy of kicking from simple form to advanced. Each new level in the hierarchy adds an extra dimension and multiplies the number of different kicks that are possible. By the time you reach black belt, you will have learned most of them. And more importantly, you can start to see how all the kicks fit in to a bigger picture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boiling it down to a simple set of rules:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pick a kick: front, round, side, inside-to-outside crescent, outside-to-inside crescent, hook, heel, or axe.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pick a stance: front, back, or horse.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pick which side to use: Left leg forward or right leg forward.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pick which leg to use for the kick: Left leg or right leg.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Optionally add hopping or running.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Optionally add reverse or spinning.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Optionally add jumping.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based on the rules above, I calculate there are theoretically as many as 1344 possible different kicks you can do. Of course, some of those won't make much practical sense. So the actual number might be a little lower. On the other hand, this doesn't even include the lesser known kicks and the multi-kick combinations I previously mentioned, which could easily multiply the number of kicks many times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Taekwondo, more or less each of these kicks are drilled. Some are given more time than others, because some of the kick combinations are more practical than others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The jump, spinning hook kick that you linked to on the video is an example of one such kick that is drilled quite a lot in Taekwondo. It's because this kick is very hard to defend against and can be changed into an axe, side, or crescent kick very easily if the opponent moves out of the range of the hook kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This ability to instantly switch kicks is one of Taekwondo's defenses against the fact that spinning kicks are more telegraphed than non-spinning kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, you asked how to train for the jump, spinning hook kick. First, you have to learn the basics before you can move on to such an advanced technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The hook kick is learned after the side kick. You first need to understand the basic side kick before you can move on to the hook kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The hook kick begins just like a side kick, but targets slightly to the side of the target and hooks the foot around to hit the target. And when you do a hook kick, you're not striking with the side kick part of the motion. You just place your leg out there, not strike. And then you hook after that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because this actually looks like a side kick to begin with, it is deceptive. Your opponent doesn't expect you to hook at the end. That's why this is such a nice kick to have in your arsenal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First learn the stationary side kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then learn the stationary hook kick. In other words, just standing in place, no spinning. The goal of the hook kick is to hook around your opponent's arms and strike the head with either your heel or the bottom of your feet (either one will work).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So to practice this, you'll have a partner hold up a focus mitt facing to your left side at head or shoulder height. Hit the mitt with the hook, not the side-kick part of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since this is a high kick, if you don't have the flexibility to kick this high, you'll need to develop it at this point. If you lack flexibility, your form will be off, and you'll be off-balance. It won't work at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hook kicks don't have to be done to the head. They can be done to the mid-section. It's just that they're particularly good for hitting to the head and not so good for hitting the mid-section. So you'll need to be able to reach head height with this kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't have a partner, try it against a punching bag or some other soft object.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can do it to the air if you want, also. You just have to pick an imaginary target out in the distance and target it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, switch legs. Do it on the other side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is another hallmark of Taekwondo. You will train both sides more or less equally so you can switch back and forth between legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For all kicks, the goals are: accuracy (targeting), speed, power, and timing. All four are needed with each kick before moving on to more advanced versions of the kick. If you don't have those yet with your basic, stationary hook kick, then you should not move on to the spinning hook kick and the jump, spinning hook kick after that. They must be done in that progression. Crawl before you can walk, walk before you can run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It really is just repetition. Keep practicing. And of course, you must have an instructor who can offer corrections to you so that you're not drilling a bad form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Especially make sure you are not off-balance. Make sure that if your hook kick lands hard, you don't lose your balance and fall away. Kicking a solid brick wall or a punching bag can help with this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You also have to be prepared for your kick not landing at all. So you need to make sure you don't over-extend yourself. Doing that when you miss your target will cause you to lose your balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One drill to train this is to just get a partner with a focus mitt and have him move around, circling you, changing directions at random. You adjust your stance and do the hook kick right after he stops moving. Have your partner vary the height and the distance from you. This will cause you to move towards or away from your partner before performing the kick. You're working on targeting and focus here. Always adjust your position before kicking, so that you are right on target with the proper form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For speed, you'll have your partner grab a blocking shield (a big foam shield). Your goal is to kick as many kicks per minute as you can with the same leg. He'll hold the shield in place while you do this. Do it for one minute. Then switch legs and do it on the other side as fast as possible without breaking proper form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Later on, when this becomes easy, you'll have your partner move around with the foam blocking shield, and you have to follow him kicking all the way. Then after that, switch from the blocking shield to a focus mitt. The focus mitt is much smaller, so it will train your speed and targeting at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For power, you'll have your partner use the foam blocking shield again, but this time you're going to hit as hard as you can. Go as fast and as hard as you can. Your goal is not to hit as many as you can in a minute, like you did training for speed. The goal here is to hit hard. So kick as hard as you can three to ten times in fast succession. Then switch legs and do the same thing on the other side. Then rest for a minute or two (usually you take turns with your partner, where you hold the shield for him, and you trade back again and again).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's better to put power drills at the end of the workout, not at the beginning. Put speed and targeting drills first. Power drills will cause muscle fatigue, and that will mess up your form. Drilling when you are fatigued will actually drill bad form. That's a no-no.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now that your targeting, speed, and power are good, it's time to work on timing. For this, you'll take what you've learned into sparring practice. Your goal during sparring is to try this new kick on a moving opponent. It's different from trying it on a stationary focus mitt. Sparring will be key for figuring out how to time the kick correctly, simultaneously with good accuracy, speed, and power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, at this point you can add the stationary front-leg hook kick to your arsenal. It's the same as the stationary back-leg hook kick, except done with the front leg. Now go through all of the training again with this new kick. And finally, combine the two (both the front-leg hook kick and the back-leg hook kick). You'll do whichever kick is closest to the target while your partner or opponent is moving around, switching between front leg and back leg and from left side to right side at will.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After you've gained a good amount of success with all four attributes (targeting, speed, power, and timing), it's time to move on to a more advanced version of the hook kick: The spinning hook kick and the reverse hook kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember with the stationary hook kick, we first had to know the side kick. That's because the side kick is part of the hook kick. And so it is with the spinning hook kick: you first need to be able to do the reverse side kick. If you don't have the reverse side kick well understood, do not attempt to learn the spinning hook kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are actually two kicks to learn here: the spinning hook kick and the reverse hook kick. The spinning hook kick uses the circular momentum of the spinning motion, using that force in the kick itself. But the reverse hook kick just spins to face the opponent, stops the circular momentum, and then does the hook kick (more or less like a stationary kick).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, the spinning hook kick is more forceful than the reverse hook kick, because it uses that circular momentum. So why do a reverse hook kick at all? Well, the answer is that the reverse hook kick actually looks like a reverse side kick to your opponent. He might take the bait, and then you surprise hook to his head. Whereas, he might see your spinning hook kick coming and be able to dodge it more effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, so how do you drill the spinning and reverse hook kicks? The same way as you did with the stationary hook kick. Go through all the steps again until you can nail it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, once you've attained a good amount of skill at performing the spinning and reverse hook kicks, you can go on to practice the jump spinning hook kick and jump reverse hook kick. Those first require that you learn the jump reverse side kick. And you go through the drills and sparring practice just like before for these new kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With all kicks, you can practice them on your own to the air or so some target. Work on targeting and speed when you're working out in solo at home or something. You're going to have to perform each kick at least 1000 times using perfect form before you can safely say you've learned the kick. A typical Taekwondo student does at &lt;b&gt;least&lt;/b&gt; 10,000 reps of each kick before attaining black belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every single time you practice, you are trying for perfection. Don't get sloppy. If you find yourself getting too tired, stop practicing for the day. Come back to it the next day or two days from then. If you drill these kicks with bad form, then your kicks will not get better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;CONCLUSION:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That should give you an idea of what you're up against. This kick - the jump spinning hook kick - is just one of many kicks in Taekwondo. It's an advanced kick. And to perform it, you first need to start with the basic kicks I mentioned and move up to it. Otherwise, if you skip over all of the prerequisite techniques, you may be able to learn it, but it will be sloppy, unfocused, slow, off-balance, and/or weak.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, and as for practicing in a swimming pool? No, swimming pools are not going to help you learn the jump, spinning hook kick. They might make some of your stationary kicks stronger, but not the jump, spinning kicks. Still, if you want to really get stronger at kicking, you should just use the methods I mentioned above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2014-04-15T22:53:13.797" LastActivityDate="2014-04-15T22:53:13.797" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2938" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2933" CreationDate="2014-04-15T04:53:14.487" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, I believe this is called, &quot;zempo ukemi&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that this is not &quot;zempo kaiten ukemi&quot;. The &quot;kaiten&quot; part means rolling, and without rolling, you simply have &quot;zempo ukemi&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I didn't find much on the subject on the web. There is this page which you can send to Google Translate:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://escuelakuroobi.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/155/&quot;&gt;http://escuelakuroobi.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/155/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It describes the Zempo Ukemi as a &quot;forward fall using forearms and thighs or toes to cushion the fall. It is also recommended turning the head to one side to avoid a blow in the face.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also found this article:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://kitakazebudo.blogspot.com/2010/04/forward-splat-fall.html&quot;&gt;http://kitakazebudo.blogspot.com/2010/04/forward-splat-fall.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems the author of that article also sees this as a &quot;zempo ukemi&quot;, but isn't completely sure about the name.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Aikido circles, I see this often referred to in English as the &quot;soft&quot; version of the front breakfall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And in English, I see it often referred to as &quot;The Worm&quot; breakfall (probably named after the dance move by the same name). Oh, and I've also seen it referred to as &quot;The Wave&quot; breakfall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the reason for the naming confusion might be that this actually has no specific name in Japanese. There are many versions of &quot;mae ukemi&quot; (front breakfalls), each with a particular variation. Like you might see a traditional front breakfall, the kind without the rolling, but instead of falling down straight, you do a kind of split outwards with your legs and fall from the center of mass instead. We used to call that a &quot;parachute&quot; front breakfall, because you're straddling your legs out like a parachute. But in Japanese, this is still just called mae ukemi. They don't usually distinguish it from the regular version.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And there are other types of mae ukemi as well. They're all named &quot;mae ukemi&quot;. Like the Bujinkan ninjutsu guys have a variation of mae ukemi where you go down on one knee while pressing back up into the air with the other leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's about all I can offer on this subject.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-04-15T04:53:14.487" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2939" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2935" CreationDate="2014-04-15T09:45:17.807" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a TKD instructor. That, and I used to do Latin. Ballroom, HipHop and Freestyle dancing. The combination of these things helped me pick up the techniques fairly intuitively, but the point is that you need to practice advanced kicks in stages: first learn to spot when you do a turn, in other words: don't swing your head, Keep your head on the target like you have a built-in gyroscope. When you've got the balance/spot thing sorted, practice a regular spinning back kick on the ground, first just by raising your knee, then with your leg fully extended. When you've got THAT down, practice jumping, spinning your knee and landing in a controlled manner. Finally, practice the actual jumping spinning back kick, taking care to land in a controlled manner. When THAT's taken care off, try hitting a small-ish target like a tennis ball on a piece of string.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing that puts you off-balance is your head being out of alignment. You need to keep your eyes focused on the target. Otherwise you lose your balance and either the kick doesn't count, or you get disoriented and get a mouth full of your opponent's foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practicing in a swimming pool will probably help a bit, but it's more important to learn the various parts and piece them together properly. After that, getting to perform the technique in extreme slow-motion is not a bad idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-04-15T09:45:17.807" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2940" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2857" CreationDate="2014-04-16T08:09:49.307" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can learn some forms and some strikes from watching video... but you won't learn the stuff that makes Wing Chun effective from video.  A lot of Wing Chun's strength is sensitivity to the opponent, adapting to trap their arms, and force generation at short range.  The problem, too, is that you might see &quot;I put my arm here&quot; when you copy the form, but you won't know &quot;I focus the pressure of my arm HERE&quot; which is the trickiness to Wing Chun.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What a class or instruction gives you, that a video doesn't, is being able to feel movement, angles, and feeling someone skilled cut through your defense and pick up those tricks yourself.  Likewise, very few videos go into the conditioning that the art does as well, which is the other half of what you need to generate power in your strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can get someone who can at least teach you and a couple of folks the basic sticky-hands drills (for a few days or weeks), you can get something from your effort, because you'll have a live drill you can do on your own to get sensitivity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-04-16T08:09:49.307" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2941" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2845" CreationDate="2014-04-16T08:30:16.230" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;So, there's a few answers, the correct part depends on what you're really asking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I don't want to be knocked back&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, there's a few arts that end up practicing &quot;rooting&quot; and folks can bounce you off if you try to push them.  That's going to be about 10-15 years of training your legs, spine and mostly how to efficiently use it against someone else's center of balance on near instant contact.  This is going to be stuff like a really good Tai Chi or Bagua person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a neat skill, though I'm not sure it's be something worth the time/effort for what you're asking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can of course, try doing stuff like Sumo, or American Football training which focuses a lot on forward push/resist stuff, but in both of those cases the pushing is much more formalized and clear when/where it will happen, which isn't like how it happens in a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I don't want to be knocked down&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best way to not be knocked down is to avoid the push, or, if it makes contact, do a small hop backwards to keep your feet under you while you're being pushed.  Naturally, this means you &quot;recoil&quot; or are pushed back.   You can also rotate and take off the force if it's not direct to your center.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I don't want to be hurt when pushed&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All the stuff for not being knocked down, as above, plus falling training.  Best thing for me was Judo training.  I spent about 2 weeks learning nothing but falling techniques, and every class began with falling training for everyone as a warm up.  I haven't taken Systema, but they look like they also have some pretty good falling skills as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-04-16T08:30:16.230" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2942" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4250" CreationDate="2014-04-16T08:51:25.503" Score="7" ViewCount="401" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe that ukemi can be translated as receiving body (受け身). It is what uke (受け, whoever receives the technique) does when nage (投げ thrower) or tori (取り, grabber) applies a technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Am I correct in my assumptions?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are my kanji correct?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Japanese SE: &lt;a href=&quot;https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/18025/6910&quot;&gt;Etymology and meaning of ukemi (受け身?) as part of 合気道&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-17T17:34:18.693" LastActivityDate="2020-02-17T17:44:31.947" Title="Etymology and meaning of ukemi" Tags="|judo|aikido|terminology|japanese|falling|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="2943" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2952" CreationDate="2014-04-16T09:34:08.830" Score="10" ViewCount="1939" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Aikido (and Judo, Jujitsu, etc...) we do a lot of break falling or ukemi. It is one of the first thing to is taught to beginners. It is the first thing that they are graded on and one of the hardest thing to teach and do right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, what are the purposes of ukemi/break falls?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-06-30T16:14:26.677" Title="Why do we do ukemi aka break falls?" Tags="|aikido|judo|jujutsu|falling|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2944" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2943" CreationDate="2014-04-16T09:36:04.510" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Break falling is a way to safely escape a technique that could impart serious harm to the receiver.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is self defence at its most basic form.  For obvious reasons, without it, one cannot practice Aikido safely. Thus, it is one of the first thing student should learn to do well. In no order, the purposes of ukemi are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Safely escape technique.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Help the thrower know that their technique is working.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Look impressive and pretty.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-04-16T09:36:04.510" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2945" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2014-04-16T09:49:55.817" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are many forms of ukemi: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;forward roll (zempo kaiten 前方回転受身)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;falling leaf (zempo 前受け身 or mae 前方受身)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;back (yoko 横受け身)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;side (koho 後方受け身)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;flips (tobu 飛び受け身)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All server one purpose: to escape a technique that could impart serious harm to the receiver.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-04-16T09:49:55.817" LastActivityDate="2014-04-16T09:49:55.817" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2946" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2014-04-16T09:49:55.817" Score="0" Body="Ukemi (receiving body 受け身) also known as break falls are what uke (whoever receives the technique) does when nage (投げ thrower) or tori (取り, grabber) applies a technique." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-04-16T09:49:55.817" LastActivityDate="2014-04-16T09:49:55.817" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2947" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-04-16T13:36:55.523" Score="1" ViewCount="159" Body="&lt;p&gt;would you suggest some good expert based youtube channel or websites focused on basic self defense techniques?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1754" LastActivityDate="2014-04-16T14:34:15.193" Title="Is there some experts based resources on self defense techniques?" Tags="|self-defense|self-training|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2014-04-17T02:07:20.590" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2948" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2947" CreationDate="2014-04-16T14:34:15.193" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are looking for tips on how to be safe, then I am a big fan of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/marcmacyoung.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Mark &quot;Animal&quot; MacYoung&lt;/a&gt;'s &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;No Nonsense Self Defence&lt;/a&gt;. It has a lot of good advice on self defence form prevention to running to safety to decreasing the risk of getting attacked. Also, the site highlights a lot of myths and rubbish which is branded as self defence. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If on the other hand, you are looking for the mythical fighting technique that will work all the time, be effective, and that you can learn from youtube... I have some bad news for you: it does not exist. The best you can expect is scammers and/or idiots.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-04-16T14:34:15.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2949" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2943" CreationDate="2014-04-16T14:45:03.290" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Apart from your own answer of safety, another practical effect is that a lot of damage in a fight isn't so much from the opponent as from the environment. Whether it's being thrown to the ground, being tripped, getting knocked back by a blow into a wall, or misstepping and running into an obstacle, that's all damage being done to you which is relatively risk-free for the attacker. To borrow a quote from &lt;em&gt;Burn Notice&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In a fight, you have to be careful not to break the little bones in your hand on someone's face. That's why I like bathrooms... lots of hard surfaces. - Michael Westen&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basic ukemi teach you how to react specifically to throws, but it also teaches you the basic techniques of avoiding hurting yourself when impacting a surface, namely to spread the impact over as broad an area and distance as possible and to protect your vital spots. Tucking your head protects your head whether you're being tripped backwards onto the floor or jumping back from an attack and hitting a wall you forgot about. Training these movements over and over again make them instinctive such that you don't even have to think, but react appropriately to impact. Learning a wide variety of them makes you more likely to be able to conjure up the right reaction. Sometimes you want to roll clear of the danger. Sometimes staying more in the same place is safer (e.g., you tripped while carrying a glass and you want to avoid rolling over the broken glass in front of you or you're in a confined space where rolling will take you into a wall).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2014-04-16T14:45:03.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2950" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2943" CreationDate="2014-04-16T14:53:36.067" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Break falls are a good way for the students to learn to practice cooperatively and safely.  They let the person executing the offensive technique push through it in a way that should work against an untrained opponent unfamiliar with using the fall as an escape, so it's a useful basic fighting skill for both people.  Break falls are also a form of sensitivity training: as defender, you need to learn to move in sync with the opponent - if you move too slowly you may get hurt, if you move too fast and misjudge their technique, or leave them time to change the technique on you, your attempted breakfall may go awry.  The mental attitude of sensitivity is invaluable for martial arts in general - striking technique included.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Separately, breakfalls are a good way to condition the body... the impact of landing and shock through the body tones muscles big and small very effectively, as well as getting ligaments, tendons, bones etc. used to stresses.  Dropping down and getting up again is useful strengthening, and it's moderately aerobic if done quickly and with intensity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-04-16T14:53:36.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2951" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2934" CreationDate="2014-04-16T23:19:11.970" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In aikido, this is apparently called a &quot;katate (single-handed) sokuten (cartwheel)&quot; ukemi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reference: &lt;a href=&quot;http://suigetsukan.org/aikido/aikido-techniques-list/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://suigetsukan.org/aikido/aikido-techniques-list/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, in Bujinkan ninjutsu, they refer to this as a &quot;katate oten&quot; ukemi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reference: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.taijutsu.org.vt.edu/kihon.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.taijutsu.org.vt.edu/kihon.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There may be other names for it as well, depending on the martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-04-16T23:19:11.970" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2952" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2943" CreationDate="2014-04-17T04:12:12.387" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;You might never get into a fight, but you &lt;strong&gt;will&lt;/strong&gt; fall down several times in your life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from that, if you're working in an art or practice that's going to have a lot of throwing, you need to learn breakfalls early just so you can get to the meat of your training.  Avoiding breaking your wrist or collarbone is something you don't want to have to learn the hard way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond that, it's also a good cardio exercise if you're doing lots of rolls/tumbles and it's a useful warm up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-04-17T04:12:12.387" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2953" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-04-17T16:34:52.987" Score="2" ViewCount="398" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know of an Indian martial art that is all kicking and another called Kalaripayyatu, or something like that (not perfectly spelled.) I also know of copeira, although I've never studied any of these. Does anyone know of any other weird looking martial arts? Or even ones with distinct types of movements, sort of like how kung fu does?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm wondering because I want to read about some of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, does anyone know a place to read about all of the different types of street fighting? What are the different kickboxing, streetfighting, fistfighting, sort of martial arts. I mean besides boxing, sanchou, muay thai, maybe besides russian fistfighting, savate, and burmese kickboxing, and regular kickboxing. I say that since I've read about those already.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any links to matches of the street fighting arts, including what I've just listed though?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1874" LastActivityDate="2014-04-17T19:20:54.823" Title="could someone name some weird looking martial arts" Tags="|kicking|kung-fu|kickboxing|punching|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2014-04-19T02:29:50.653" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2954" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2953" CreationDate="2014-04-17T19:20:54.823" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are no such things as &quot;street fighting&quot; martial arts. Each martial art has its own story for how it came to exist and how it has evolved over the years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun kung-fu, for example, is often called a &quot;street fighting&quot; art, but it is nothing of the sort. The founder of that art had a specific purpose in mind for it, and that purpose was to allow someone to quickly learn a style of kung-fu that exploited the weaknesses inherent in traditional kung-fu arts that existed at the time and place where Wing Chun came about. It wasn't for &quot;street fighting&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I explained Wing Chun in more detail in my answer here:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2802/defence-against-wing-chun/2809#2809&quot;&gt;Defence against Wing Chun&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead of &quot;street fighting&quot;, you might have better luck looking for martial arts that are for &quot;self-defense&quot; vs. those that are for the &quot;battlefield&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Battlefield arts are those that rely on sword, spear, shield, armor, and the bow and arrow. They involve strategy that often relies on the fact that you're going into battle with lots of others, in a troop formation. The range is longer distance, and hand-to-hand combat is less emphasized. Some of the weaponry and tactics even deal with people who are riding on horses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas, self-defense styles have an emphasis on solo hand-to-hand combat either empty handed or using common weaponry (knives and sticks). It's not for the battlefield. It's just for everyday, common situations that require self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some kung-fu arts and probably most classical Japanese ryu mix both of these into a single martial art. In some kung-fu arts, they have &quot;village defense&quot; styles, which is kind of like fighting in a militia. But these arts are quietly disappearing in modern times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Street fighting&quot; is a phrase the conjures up images of rival gangs fighting each other on city streets. The fighting style these gangs use is not formalized. It's just a collection of skills each gang member learned on his/her own. That's not to say these gang members are bad at fighting. Some are very good at fighting, just because they themselves get into fights a lot. To stay alive, they have had to learn to be brutal and aggressive. Trained martial arts experts often don't have any experience with this kind of environment and the intensely violent and aggressive nature of street fighting, so they often lose in this situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, &quot;self-defense&quot; based martial arts styles are everywhere. They all attempt to address the same issue: common, everyday situations that require self-defense. These are universal situations. You'll encounter them in every culture and in every time period. And they're not the same as street fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example: Someone angrily walks right up to you, gets in your face shouting at you, waving his right finger at you, and grabs your shirt at the lapel. This is an intense situation, because he has already crossed the line by grabbing you and getting right up in your face. At any moment he'll probably make a fist with his right hand, wind up, and try to punch you in the face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another example: Someone comes up behind you without you seeing him and puts his arms around you, squeezing you as tight as he can while trying to lift you off the ground. He wants to crush your ribs, and he wants to throw you onto your face, head or neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another example: Someone grabs your wrist, twists your arm behind you, and then shoves a knife to your throat. He's behind you. Your arm is twisted behind you also. And he has the knife blade against your throat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are all common situations that occur in every culture and every time period. They come about naturally wherever people meet. And self-defense based martial arts all have their own answers to each of these situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, there certainly are some &quot;unusual&quot; styles of martial arts out there. Taekwondo and Tangsoodo, for example, were first seen as pretty unusual, because those styles prefer kicking to punching. Ninjutsu is somewhat unusual, because it involves a lot of subtle trickery, mind games, and evasion skills. Aikido is also unusual in many ways, not just because it moves so fluidly and circularly, but also because its main goal is not to seriously hurt ones opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are all kinds of martial arts out there. I'm glad you had a chance to look into Indian martial arts. It is thought that Chinese kung-fu stems from or was influenced by Indian martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should also check into Indonesian martial arts (Silat). And Filipino styles (Kali). There are also Vietnamese styles (Vovinam). Native American Indian martial arts are also pretty interesting, and rare. Taoist based martial arts (such as Bagua, Hsing-Yi, and Taiji) are quite deep in their theory. There are African fighting arts as well. In Turkey, there is Turkish oil wrestling. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also &quot;modern&quot; martial arts styles like MMA, the U.S. Marine Corps combatives training course, and Krav Maga.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This looks like an interesting book on the subject, although I haven't read it:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1598842439&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.amazon.com/Martial-Arts-World-volumes-Encyclopedia/dp/1598842439&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There have been many books like that which list and discuss many different martial arts. I think they're useful for anyone who's just starting out. It will give you an idea about the philosophical basis of each art and some of their tactics and skills. Some of them might appeal to you. And then you can go out on Youtube to see them in action. From there, you might find someone near you who will teach you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-04-17T19:20:54.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2955" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2849" CreationDate="2014-04-19T14:57:37.833" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I advocate balance to strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a matter of fact, strength in the shoulders tend to make them rigid. Strong rigid shoulders may cause stress on the deltoids when in such a position (which I know as the &quot;Ponte&quot;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In executing the &lt;em&gt;Queda de Quatro&lt;/em&gt; as an &quot;esquiva&quot; you need not stop at the &quot;crab walk&quot; stance (&quot;Ponte&quot;); since capoeira is free-flowing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Balance, agility and flexibility are the necessary tools to drop down, escape and continue the game. And pertaining to the hands, I find it easier when my fingers are pointing inwards (facing each other); this way, the elbows are pointing outwards making it look like a reverse knee. This helps hold my body weight longer than the reverse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion, forget the intricacies of how your hand is meant to be, what to do when, how to do what. Focus on the game and allow the music carry you. Your body will slowly show you what's best; and with that, you'd have a good game and may even end up wowing the crowd&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1333" LastActivityDate="2014-04-19T14:57:37.833" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2956" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2988" CreationDate="2014-04-19T15:17:31.730" Score="4" ViewCount="4246" Body="&lt;p&gt;During sparring in Muay Thai, I occasionally receive hook-punches (even straight punches) where the corner/edge of the glove makes solid contact with an eye of mine. I can feel that my eye is sore for quite a long time after these hits. I am wondering whether these impacts are dangerous for my eyes. Do they pose a risk of gradual build up of damage that accumulates or risk of an instantaneous problem? I am concerned about non-cosmetic damages.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastActivityDate="2014-05-04T08:46:26.083" Title="Are punches that impact an eye dangerous? (Muay Thai)" Tags="|injury|sparring|punching|muay-thai|safety|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2957" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-04-20T09:23:10.923" Score="7" ViewCount="3519" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is this system really an original system thought by Native Ametrican Indians from generation to generation or it's just a system artificially developed by Robert Redfeather &lt;a href=&quot;http://apache-knife.com/redfeather.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://apache-knife.com/redfeather.htm&lt;/a&gt; ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems to me like a copy of other knife defense systems,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1243" LastActivityDate="2017-10-05T02:22:24.800" Title="Apache Knife Fighting System" Tags="|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2958" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2857" CreationDate="2014-04-21T20:30:54.740" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Even if you are unable to actually attend a Wing Chun school I would recommend getting a Muk Yan Jong to practice on. It helps with technique application and forearm strengthening. If you build your own they're not too expensive (50 US dollars) and take about a weekend to build.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1880" LastActivityDate="2014-04-21T20:30:54.740" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2960" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1284" CreationDate="2014-04-22T08:54:27.933" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;When performing the flexibility exercise you want to be best at (split), keep in mind the following tips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is part of a full article I've written that can be found in my website: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.telmoamaro.com/martialarts/?p=28&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;FLEXIBILITY IMPROVEMENT – KEY PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE (martial arts)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;&#xA;(...)&#xA;HEALTH HABITS&#xA;The following three health habits are truly essential for the development of flexibility:&#xA;a) Drink plenty of water (2 L per day, for example).&#xA;b) Don’t smoke.&#xA;c) Don’t drink alcohol.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(...)&#xA;STATIC DRILLS REPETITIONS&#xA;Major mistake I generally see is repetitions that don’t last longer than 10 seconds! You won’t get improvements from those exercises in the same way you shouldn’t expect cardiovascular improvements from a light 1 minute jog!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another common mistake is for people to bounce when they’re close to stretch limit, in order to surpass their limit with each impulse… This increases the probability of injury significantly and is therefore not recommended! Instead, do a single continuous push until you reach your limit and hold there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For each type of exercise, just do 2-3 repetitions, each lasting at least 30 seconds, in only one continuous stretch motion that will reach the limits of what you can do.&#xA;Discomfort is expected, but don’t take the exercise to where you feel unbearable pain, as that would lead to almost certain injury!&#xA;Between each repetition, relax for a few seconds in a comfortable position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(...)&#xA;HOW OFTEN ARE FLEXIBILITY DRILLS REQUIRED&#xA;In martial arts -&gt; Every single training session should have a flexibility drills included.&#xA;(...)&#xA;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1885" LastActivityDate="2014-04-22T08:54:27.933" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2961" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2943" CreationDate="2014-04-22T12:38:45.800" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;if you ever forget to hold your chin on your chest when you fall, you'll smash your head on the ground after a fall, and you'll know why you learn ukemi. It HURTS. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen an olympians judoka (who have beeing intensively trained for most of his live) got to tears after failing an ukemi and hitting his head ... and when it happened, he stopped training for a while to give him time to get back together ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you ever fight with &quot;normal&quot; poeple ( as a game between friends, or in a RL situation ) you'll throw them down once ... and they'll have trouble getting up.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1526" LastActivityDate="2014-04-22T12:38:45.800" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2962" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2967" CreationDate="2014-04-23T06:26:57.417" Score="4" ViewCount="1989" Body="&lt;p&gt;How does someone prepare for a BJJ tournament, especially when the person is gassing out after the first minute of the first fight? What could be the reason of gassing out? Is the overtraining him-/herself or does he/she needs physical training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="500" LastActivityDate="2023-10-27T17:25:14.693" Title="How to avoid gassing out during a BJJ or Grappling tournament?" Tags="|training|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2963" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2964" CreationDate="2014-04-23T06:46:45.730" Score="9" ViewCount="3148" Body="&lt;p&gt;I asked a BJJ coach about running. He told me that running a long distance with the same pace affects the muscles negatively. It makes you react slower during a BJJ fight. Is this true? If yes, how should a BJJ practitioner run?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="500" LastActivityDate="2015-04-08T09:18:52.287" Title="How should a BJJ practitioner run?" Tags="|training|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2964" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2963" CreationDate="2014-04-23T18:40:36.380" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Living the Martial Way, Forrest Marshall makes the insight that you should run like you want to fight: if you want to fight at a slow, plodding, constant pace, then run long distances at a slow, plodding, constant pace. This advice is a gross simplification of exercise science but it is basically true in this context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your coach is right. Long-distance running is close to useless for BJJ. It isn't very good at improving cardio for BJJ and it interferes with other better forms of training for the sport (like strength, power, mobility, or technique work). If you run at all, it should be short sprints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your cardio for BJJ should consist of huge amounts of BJJ. Specifically, lots and lots of long, high-intensity rolls. Shark tanks, where you stay in the middle sparring while fresh opponents come in every few minutes, are a great method of doing this, but good old long-rounded sparring classes are solid too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than sport-specific cardio, you should be thinking about strength, explosiveness, and mobility. Those are developed through strength training programs (probably with barbells or other heavy resistance implements), power training programs (probably with extensive use of sprints, jumps, and Olympic lifts), and yoga or stretching. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-04-07T15:55:14.527" LastActivityDate="2015-04-07T15:55:14.527" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2965" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2962" CreationDate="2014-04-23T18:44:18.227" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;You probably gassed because you experienced an adrenaline dump. Solution: compete more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're training a lot then overtraining might be a culprit, but that's more easily evaluated by looking at the person's training schedule than the single data point of &quot;gassed out in their first match&quot;. If you're not doing any out-of-class strength and conditioning and you're training less than five times a week the issue is probably not training enough, not training too much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-04-23T18:44:18.227" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2966" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3070" CreationDate="2014-04-23T20:47:02.017" Score="6" ViewCount="1563" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have just reached green-yellow belt in tae kwon do, and my instructors say that I need to work on my spinning side kicks. Unfortunately I have trouble getting the form right, so I usually end up off-balance or off-center. The jumping spinning kicks are even worse. How can I improve my form, and how do I know when I'm doing it correctly?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1887" LastActivityDate="2014-05-30T23:24:44.947" Title="Proper form for tae kwon do spinning side kicks" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|technique|spinning-kicks|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2967" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2962" CreationDate="2014-04-23T21:02:51.487" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I second Dave Liepmann's opinion about adrenaline. It likely is an adrenaline dump. And yes, competing more will help. It will lessen the nerves over time. Learning to calm yourself down before the match will also help. So, deep breathing exercises and doing something to take your mind off of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from that, if it is physical rather than mental, then there are multiple issues that can be looked at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, ask your doctor. This could be an indication of a heart problem. Maybe a leaky valve or a misfiring of nerves that control the heart. It could also indicate high or low blood pressure. Or maybe a problem with electrolytes in the blood. You won't know until you've gotten yourself thoroughly checked out. And there are such things as sports medicine doctors. They have tests that can see how your cardiovascular and respiratory system are responding under stress. That can reveal problems that wouldn't be seen if you're in a resting state.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, conditioning. Obviously, if someone isn't used to going all out for several minutes without end, then that's something to work on. Weightlifting can be helpful, but switch to fast power lifts and high rep work. As opposed to low rep, slow lifts. And employ supersets with no rest between supersets. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Adding a running regimen to your conditioning is one of the best things you can do for cardiovascular stamina. You should add sprints once or twice a month (more than that won't be very useful). Go all-out with the sprints: 20 seconds all-out, 10-20 seconds rest, then repeat. Do that for 6-8 reps. It is exhausting, and many people quit after just the first 3 reps. That's to improve cardiovascular endurance, rather than just stamina.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider uphill running. And consider buying a weighted sled and/or parachute for getting some resistance while running.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And yes, over-training is a problem. No more than two days of training in a row. Take a rest day after that. Better yet, one day on, one day rest, and repeat. One week out of 4 weeks should be a low intensity week. Also, take several days to one week off right before the competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, nutrition. Not eating before the competition is a problem. You need energy. So eat. Drink water, too. You don't want to be dehydrated. And don't down a bunch of caffeine or anything else that might pump you up and then dump you. I'm not a fan of energy drinks. I think there's too much potential to screw people up (adrenaline, heart racing, etc.). And they can become habit forming, thereby losing any benefit they might give you anyway. But something like regular Gatorade would be fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, those are my thoughts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-04-23T21:02:51.487" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2968" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2976" CreationDate="2014-04-24T07:16:27.653" Score="8" ViewCount="709" Body="&lt;p&gt;I play waterpolo and while it is not often that I am blatantly choked out it has happened enough that I was wondering if you guys had any ideas for escaping a rear naked choke while underwater. The issue is that the water slows down any strikes, like elbows, so that they are ineffective and any sort of rolling or flipping motion is useless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1880" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-04-24T08:19:59.443" LastActivityDate="2014-04-25T22:23:52.313" Title="Underwater Rear Naked Choke" Tags="|judo|mixed-martial-arts|escapes|chokes|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2969" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2970" CreationDate="2014-04-24T07:27:48.343" Score="4" ViewCount="225" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it good for my learning process to compete in higher weight class?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My weight is 63&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In many BJJ events you have -64, -70, -76, ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Normally I should compete in -64 but I prefer competing in -70. Am I doing it right? I would say it's ok, because BJJ teaches you to defend yourself against all types of opponents (including big people). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="500" LastActivityDate="2014-04-24T12:11:35.213" Title="Is it good or bad to compete in a higher weight class?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|competition|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2970" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2969" CreationDate="2014-04-24T12:11:35.213" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think you'll be fine in the -64 bracket. Give it a try.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you really miss the heavier folks, compete in open-weight as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-04-24T12:11:35.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2971" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1284" CreationDate="2014-04-24T14:48:42.717" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;You increase flexibility by stretching. You prevent injury through strength training. The great danger in splits, especially the middle split you need to work on for sidekicks is that if your cross-ligaments in your knee are week, all the strain will go there and you'll hyper-extend or tear them and have knee problems for the rest of your life. You need to warm up sufficiently before you even THINK of doing stretches to improve your flexibility. You can either achieve this by going for a short run and a couple of light stretches, OR you can cheat like I did and take a nice, long, hot bath (30min +-).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you're good and ready, get into a middle split. Go as far as you can without pain. No one cares about how much pain you can take. This is about improving flexibility. When you start feeling pain, tense your leg muscles, squeeze for 5 seconds, then release and split a little further. Keep doing this until clenching and releasing doesn't make the pain go away anymore. It's also beneficial to LIGHTLY pound your inner thighs and hamstrings with your fists. I don't know why this works, but it does and there is science behind it which you can read on your own time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that out of the way, I want to point out two things:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You don't need to perform a full split. You also don't need to perform a side kick straight up in the air. It has no practical purpose whatsoever. If you can easily kick 10 to 20cm above your head, you will be fine.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The split you want to work on is the front split. This is very important because you're going to be learning the Axe kick and you need to be super-flexible in the forward direction for this. I accidentally stepped on a skateboard when I was about 9 years old and it stretched out my right hamstring to the point where I could perform a full front split. This is not a good idea though;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-04-24T14:48:42.717" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2972" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2973" CreationDate="2014-04-24T15:40:42.727" Score="7" ViewCount="3992" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently started training BJJ and was wondering if training monday through friday with the weekend off is overkill?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been feeling sore after every class and in the morning I feel like someone just beat the crap out of me. I guess it just takes time to get used to the pace.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1889" LastActivityDate="2014-04-30T13:53:57.400" Title="How many days per week shoud I train BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2973" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2972" CreationDate="2014-04-24T16:44:36.630" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Five days a week is a perfectly reasonable workout schedule for BJJ. Take care to keep your body running well: eat right, sleep plenty, and stay hydrated. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It will take a while to get used to 5 days a week, and some people--due to being out of shape or by not recovering properly--may need to ramp up from only 3 or 4 classes per week for a few months. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-04-24T16:44:36.630" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2976" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2968" CreationDate="2014-04-25T22:23:52.313" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I used to play water polo in high school, and some of the lifeguarding maneuvers (such as taking the person under the water with you) can lessen these things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other thing that worked well for me (especially once I established a reputation for it) is if they are willing to choke you, then they should be willing to suffer the consequences. I would grab fingers and bend them back, pull arm/leg hairs, grab and pinch the skin at the triceps area, and for one particularly determined guy, I grabbed and yanked on his scrotum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was nearly choked out in one game, and it convinced me that if they grabbed me like that, they were going to pay a price for it. After a couple incidents, the word got out and I got much less overt grabbing. I still had the normal waterpolo contact, but nothing more than that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2014-04-25T22:23:52.313" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2978" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-04-28T20:23:05.460" Score="4" ViewCount="2242" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have always wanted to learn Kali, but I never had any schools in my area teaching any martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now that I have moved (I'm mostly staying for 2 years before moving again), I found a school near me that teaches Muay Thai and Krav Maga. I thought it would be good to learn one of them for the next two years, and then later on I would learn Kali.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now my question is pretty simple, which should I pick? which is better for a first timer? which is more similar to Kali? which is more effective for self defense? and what are the differences between them?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1892" LastActivityDate="2014-05-04T09:00:12.263" Title="Muay Thai or Krav Maga?" Tags="|muay-thai|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2979" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2978" CreationDate="2014-04-29T12:21:08.310" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This will depend in large part on what you hope to achieve.  Both Krav Maga and Muay Thai have a particular focus.  &quot;Which is best&quot; type questions do not work on Stack Exchange.  &quot;Which is best for this thing I'm trying to achieve&quot; do work.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I won't discuss the relative merits of Krav Maga vs Muay Thai, since each has a particular focus that it is best at.  However, if your ultimate aim is Kali, on the surface I would say that Krav Maga would suit you better since it at least includes anti-weapon defenses.  The caveat to this is that you may learn techniques that fit in with a Krav Maga mentality and methodology, but which do not work for Kali.  You will then find yourself in a position of having to re-learn what you &lt;strong&gt;thought&lt;/strong&gt; you knew.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although there may not be a Kali school near you, you may find Kali or Escrima seminars being given in your area.  Ask around at local dojos.  A lot of the taekwondo, karate, kung fu, etc... schools in my area also host Kali seminars.  It is relatively rare to find a specifically Kali school.  You may, therefore, desire to practice a supplemental art that will keep you in shape between seminars.  Which one you choose will depend on your fitness level, fitness goals, and individual preferences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-04-29T12:38:19.800" LastActivityDate="2014-04-29T12:38:19.800" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2980" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2972" CreationDate="2014-04-30T06:53:44.687" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;BJJ 5 times a week is ok as long as you follow some golden rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Always stretch dynamically every single part of your body for at least 30 minutes. This will help to rid you of the cramps during rolls as well as muscle pain the next day.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Eat correctly and get enough sleep. You definitely need to consume even more calories and get some additional protein else you will drastically lose weight and feel fatigue all the time. I lost 10 kg in the first month of BJJ training. Proper diet &amp;amp; rest will also help decrease your recovery time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Alternate between gi and no gi. Maybe 2 days gi, 1 day no gi. This will give you fingers time to recover from the strain. The worst strain i felt on my hands were them going numb for about a week.. I couldn't feel my ring finger and pinky fingers the the sides of the pinky all the way down to the wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Remember to RICE (Rest, Ice, Compress &amp;amp; Elevate) any injuries like bruises and sprains. Do not use warm rubs or warm water during the first day of the injury, always use ice. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than that take it easy and don't too rash or impatient. Take your time to learn what your body can do and how much hammering it could take. After awhile you can easily go twice a day and 5 times a week. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cheers and Keep it Up :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-04-30T08:04:04.197" LastActivityDate="2014-04-30T08:04:04.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2981" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2972" CreationDate="2014-04-30T13:53:57.400" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A better question would be &quot;how many days per week is too much?&quot;. If you're out of shape, 5 days per week isn't going to do you any good and may even be counter-productive. If you still feel tired after a good night's sleep, you are training too much and need to cut back until you're in better shape. This goes for every sport ever. If you over train, your body shuts down in an attempt to keep you from hurting yourself. You need to give your muscles time to recuperate and heal. If you insist on training 5 days a week, I would say it's better to train monday, tuesday, wednesday, skip thursday, friday, saturday, skip sunday.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-04-30T13:53:57.400" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2983" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="515" CreationDate="2014-05-01T02:57:11.393" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind Pankration maybe used in competition but the competitions are still fought on Marbel floors in Ancient Greece! Pankration is still commonly labelled as the deadliest form of martial arts in the world the kicks are meant to break ribs, the grappling moves are meant to break bones or at least dislocate and break tendons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pankration is not a competition sport similar to MMA.&lt;/strong&gt; The form taught for competition is the same one as used by both Greek special forces as well as an optional advanced forms in US branches of the military. Look up the Marines vs the Army Pankration matches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1904" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-05-01T10:51:53.017" LastActivityDate="2014-05-01T10:51:53.017" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2985" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2334" CreationDate="2014-05-01T20:39:53.083" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Punch, grab ears and pull them as hard as you can. Gouge eyes, groin and stomach kicks to the rib area. Use your body weight to take down, knee to neck, rear chokes work well also.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To separate two fighting dogs a stick is a nice tool to have but if you only have your hands never get close to the dogs mouths NEVER! But you can grab both rear legs from behind and pull them apart. I have thrown big dogs 10-15 ft using a swinging motion. It stuns them and they forget all about what they where doing. Very effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1906" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-05-02T06:05:34.580" LastActivityDate="2014-05-02T06:05:34.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2987" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3" CreationDate="2014-05-03T00:55:10.463" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have had a lot of knee problems with aikido. &#xA;My physio has told me to do squats 100 each set.....  1 leg squats 30 each leg 3 sets........ And a patella conditioning exersise hard to explain how to do it but it's great. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's important to avoid excessive stretching of your quads when you have a persisting knee problem and go easy on your knees. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try to find what you are doing that is causing your knee problems. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me I found myself pidgin toed (with my lead foot slightly in) during techniques weapons helped me align my feet better with effort. &#xA;The way I sat in seiza also affected my knees alot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1914" LastActivityDate="2014-05-03T00:55:10.463" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2988" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2956" CreationDate="2014-05-03T03:39:30.690" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Fighting disciplines (such as Muay Thai, boxing etc.) Can cause multiple eye traumas. If your vision becomes blurry or if the pain doesn't go away you might want to consider consulting a physician.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can learn more on potential eye injury from blow to the head by reading these articles: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Giovinazzo VJ, Yannuzzi LA, Sorenson JA, Delrowe DJ, Cambell EA. &quot;The ocular complications of boxing&quot; Ophthalmology Journal . 1987 Jun;94(6):587-96.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/3627707/&quot;&gt;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/3627707/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Corrales G, Curreri A. &quot;Eye trauma in boxing.&quot; Clin Sports Med. Journal. 2009 Oct;28(4):591-607, vi. doi: 10.1016/j.csm.2009.07.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19819404/?i=23&amp;amp;from=/15665199/related&quot;&gt;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19819404/?i=23&amp;amp;from=/15665199/related&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1915" LastActivityDate="2014-05-03T03:39:30.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2989" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="2997" CreationDate="2014-05-04T07:16:46.807" Score="4" ViewCount="595" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sensei Morio Higaonna and Sensei Gichin Funakoshi said in somewhat terse terms &quot;Karate is my life&quot; or, Karate is a way of life.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0sW1D.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;What did they mean by this?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Did they mean it in a Zen of philosophical sense? Or is it just like any other art form: put in the effort, interest into it, and you will grok it?  Or did they refer to something occult or mystical?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am a programmer and I started Kyokushin Karate about 3 months ago. From my personal experience, not much has changed apart from gaining a more positive outlook, one which I think I could gain from daily general meditation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1641" LastEditorUserId="1641" LastEditDate="2014-05-07T09:25:42.570" LastActivityDate="2014-05-08T03:35:40.840" Title="The (hidden?) meaning of &quot;Karate is life&quot;" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2990" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2956" CreationDate="2014-05-04T08:46:26.083" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Detached retina is a common boxing problem.  It involves the retinal tissue at the back of the eye detaching - it can lead to permanent blindness.  If you start to see flashes of light, or fuzzy eyesight, or &quot;greyness&quot; at the edges of your vision, you should see a doctor right away (within 24 hours).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is more prevalent if you are already short sighted (due to the eye shape being stretched long).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your eye doctor will also often be checking your retinas at check ups, so you can ask if you're particularly at risk based on what they see going on with your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-05-04T08:46:26.083" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2991" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3" CreationDate="2014-05-04T08:56:03.180" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The big problem with knees, is usually people either wear out the cartilage on part of the discs, or they over stretch/pop a tendon.  The latter is mostly an issue with shoulder/hip throws, sports with cleated shoes, tackles, or locks on the ankles/knees for grappling.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The former, though, comes from bad posture and... sitting with pressure on the knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of physical practices advise to not put your knees further forward than your toes - this isn't just a balance thing, it's also the point at which you're hyper-compressing sections of your meniscus discs.  Do it long enough, over time, and the meniscus develops cracks.  Then tears.  Longer still, you can wear away a whole section and have bone-on-bone grinding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, this isn't something the body can repair, really.  The same thing happens with spinal discs, given enough time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is where you end up having to decide what parts you want to practice, and how much. Just as much as full contact sparring is a thing you CAN do, you have to decide at what point you've now just accruing more damage than learning. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given the formal kneeling stances, there's not a lot of mitigation - it's a knee at the maximum flexion position, there are no muscles to take the weight off of it.  Some people use cushions or wedges between their calves and butt to raise their body and reduce some of the direct pressure, but obviously, traditions usually do not look well upon that choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-05-04T08:56:03.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2992" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2978" CreationDate="2014-05-04T09:00:12.263" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends on how/what you want to learn.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found Muay Thai is quick to learn and have an effective toolset in a short amount of time... if you're relatively fit.   The punches, knees, and elbows are brutal and useful and not that technically difficult, in an encounter.  You can pick up the basics quickly, will get good conditioning, and hit hard.   BUT.  Muay Thai usually will not give you weapons training, or how to do deal with multiple opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I haven't studied Krav, but have seen quite a bit of footage of training.  It would probably have the most direct crossover to Kali/Escrima, as it also deals with weapons and less competition focused activity.  That said, you will want to make sure you get some good sparring/live drills going, and a good amount of conditioning to back it up.  There's going to be a longer turn around to feeling &quot;adept&quot; with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-05-04T09:00:12.263" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2994" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2989" CreationDate="2014-05-06T05:29:29.937" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Karate may &lt;em&gt;differ&lt;/em&gt; from most forms of meditation in several ways:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Many of the earliest masters to teach outside their own families expected karate to be practiced by (and only taught to) a kind of social elite - people from &quot;respectable&quot; families.  Those masters would teach karate with a set of expectations about the behaviour of the students - e.g. good manners in public, standing up for justice etc..  Kyokushin also has a set of tenets through which students commit to a certain way of life (e.g. sustained effort, de-emphasis on material goods, respecting seniors in the school), although it's hard to know whether the founder Sensei Mas Oyama himself - and many of his students/instructors - actually cared about such things for more than marketing purposes - there seem to have been considerable ties to yakuza gangs O_o.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In this sense, karate is a choice to adopt a way of life, rather than a training that inherently grants a way of life.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Karate training gives direct experience of physically punishing and somewhat dangerous encounters, the &quot;survival&quot; of which can harden practitioners to necessary suffering and conflict while making lesser trials seem relatively unimportant.  You gain a preparedness to step up to a situation where you may be the underdog or certain to get battered, but make the most of it and consider it useful experience in the longer term.  That perspective transforms your attitude to life somewhat.  Yes you can think about and imagine such things with meditation, but there's a lot less guaranteed-meaningful stimulus and feedback to ensure progress.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Development of a mastery of movement and a distorted sense of time, which is a &quot;way of life&quot; in the sense that it modifies our fundamental relationship with our bodies and surroundings.  Karate trains the kind of fast-twitch movement the body normally uses to remove a hand from unexpected heat or pricks, or when you start to slip over on say ice but instinctively throw your arms out for balance and shuffle your feet to get your centre back over them, but with a much broader and more coordinated set of movements covering a wide span of self defence situations.  Karate training should enable us to transcend the normal plodding progress of time to deal with fraction-of-a-second events like lightning-fast untelegraphed jabs, or to step and attack in what feels like the blink of an eye, and isn't much longer.  &lt;em&gt;Very&lt;/em&gt; few activities cultivate this type of speed in reaction and motion - in all of sports I can only think of close-in defence against smashes in badminton and perhaps table tennis, though some hand slapping games are similar - karate still differs in requiring immense power as well as fast reactions.  (In kyokushin - my current art - this aspect may be a little more buried than in say shotokan, as the de-emphasis on hand techniques to the head reduces the need for and benefit from that really extreme speed, and can even make it a liability as each movement can be more exhausting).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The above is on top of the obvious benefits shared with meditation, e.g. an advanced practitioner of karate may spend most of their time in a state of &quot;flow&quot; where they're constantly aware of their surroundings and potential movements of their body, their mind and body reacting comfortably and near-instantly to unexpected events of many kinds (e.g. so if a friend who saw you facing the other way came up and gave you a surprise hug from behind, in the first moments of contact you'd assess it as non-threatening and not be spooked by it, but for an actual attack you'd quickly move into a counter).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also myriad less obvious benefits that are shared with many other activities, though not especially meditation.  That's a whole other question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2014-05-06T15:54:24.997" LastActivityDate="2014-05-06T15:54:24.997" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2995" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2989" CreationDate="2014-05-06T15:34:50.893" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kyukushin is fantastic. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's useful to remember that Karate becomes your life when your life revolves around karate. It's no more zen than that. I know things sound pretty profound and mystical when it's translated from Chinese or Japanese, but it's pretty mundane actually. Karate is life just as drag racing or trainspotting is life if you devote all your time and effort to it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal advice is to find your spiritual answers in religion and get a workout at the dojo. The apostle Paul has much more life wisdom to offer than Masutatsu Oyama, but Masutatsu Oyama has more wisdom to offer when it comes to punching people in the face really hard. Both these things are valid and necessary pursuits. But you need to look for them in the right places.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-05-06T15:34:50.893" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2996" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-05-08T01:19:17.207" Score="4" ViewCount="922" Body="&lt;p&gt;a friend of mine named his BJJ club &quot;Zero Gravity&quot;.  It got me thinking, what would be effective techniques if you actually were in zero gravity?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me, things like striking and kicking don't seem like they'd work too well.  Some chokes would be ok, some joint locks would work ok.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But what else would be effective if you had to fight in Zero Gravity?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastEditorUserId="5746" LastEditDate="2015-10-21T03:05:52.617" LastActivityDate="2015-10-21T03:05:52.617" Title="What techniques would be effective in Zero Gravity?" Tags="|technique|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="9" ClosedDate="2014-05-10T02:29:53.067" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2997" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2989" CreationDate="2014-05-08T03:35:40.840" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with Juann Strauss's reply. But just to add my 2 cents...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When martial arts is the center focus of your life, you'll find yourself constantly thinking about it. You'll be walking down the street, but doing it while being &quot;ready&quot; for any attack at any time. You'll be opening doors by using your whole body instead of just your arm. When nobody's looking, you'll be practicing high kicks in your jeans, jeans which you've purposefully selected to be better able to kick with. When you're nervous, you'll deep breathe just like in your martial arts class. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But do you get anything deeper out of it? Is there a &quot;way&quot; that it's giving you that will lead you to some profound understanding of the universe?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is no. Not really. If you want something that will really make you think and give you a sense of awe, you should look into philosophy, critical thinking, logical fallacies, epistemology, the scientific method, comparative religions, history, politics and current events, etc. And read books. A lot! Learn about the world. Understand stuff. But don't take yourself too seriously. Challenge your preconceptions. Admit when you don't know something. And be ready to change your mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That path will lead you towards wisdom. Martial arts? It might actually kindle this flame, but you need more to sustain the fire.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-05-08T03:35:40.840" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2998" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2996" CreationDate="2014-05-08T05:15:39.817" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Strikes and kicks should work as long as you're holding on to the person, that way you wouldn't fly away on impact. Alternatively you could launch off other objects so that you have enough momentum to effectively strike. I think that throws would be pretty ineffective, unless you were somehow anchored to another surface. Your opponent would likely be able to role out of most joint locks in zero gravity, so it seems to me that choking would be the simplest and most effective method.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1880" LastActivityDate="2014-05-08T05:15:39.817" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="2999" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2996" CreationDate="2014-05-08T11:31:22.873" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Anything that doesn't rely on momentum. So mostly chokes. Arm bars won't work for the most part because there's no gravity to keep your opponent from spinning in the opposite direction. Unless you can arrest his movement by wrapping your legs around him first. In the absence of gravity, you'll need to compensate by locking on to your opponent and turning your body into a fulcrum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-05-08T11:31:22.873" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3000" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3002" CreationDate="2014-05-08T18:50:08.157" Score="3" ViewCount="583" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the 1920 text, &lt;em&gt;Secrets of Jujitsu&lt;/em&gt; by Captain Allan Smith (the pdf is readily available by googling), Smith refers to the abdominal region as the &quot;Stahara&quot;.  I've done some Japanese arts before, but have always heard this region referred to simply as the &quot;hara&quot;.  After doing a search, the only usage of this word I've been able to find online is in reference to Captain Smith's text.  Is there some further connotation to using the prefix &quot;Sta&quot;?  Is this legitimate Japanese word usage according to the principles of Judo or Jujitsu?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-30T11:00:11.183" LastActivityDate="2019-07-30T11:00:11.183" Title="Stahara word usage" Tags="|judo|jujutsu|terminology|japanese|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3001" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2996" CreationDate="2014-05-08T21:02:04.620" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Soft targets would still be vulnerable in zero gravity. A half-fist to the throat, even at a slow speed, could be effective. If you really need to disable the opponent, you could go to the eyes. To just control their trajectory you could grab an ear and wrench it around. A good knowledge of pressure points would be useful - for example you could squeeze around a bicep in an attempt to deaden the arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1894" LastActivityDate="2014-05-08T21:02:04.620" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3002" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3000" CreationDate="2014-05-08T21:25:19.820" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ejmas.com/jnc/jncart_cptsmith_0700.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;text&lt;/a&gt;, he explains the origin of this term. And he points out that it's his word, not something the Japanese would say:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;When I commenced to teach jujitsu in Yokohama, Japan, in every trick I&#xA;  showed how to use the lower abdomen, and how to maneuver opponent's&#xA;  balance. My first pupils were Japanese friends, and lower abdomen to&#xA;  them was shita hara.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Shita (pronounced sh'ta) and hara are two Japanese words meaning under&#xA;  or lower abdomen. The words shita hara mean to a Japanese what the&#xA;  words lower abdomen mean to us -- and nothing more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;This word hara is the same word we meet in hara kiri -- abdomen&#xA;  cutting -- the Japanese method of suicide.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Gradually as I evolved the idea of balance-control and abdominal power,&#xA;  I adopted the word shita-hara as a technical term for a new principle&#xA;  for which there was no name. When teaching the Doughboys, they called&#xA;  it &quot;Stahara&quot; and that is how it was finally written. It is an American&#xA;  word for an American idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;STA-HA-RA Sta -- pronounced as in star.&#xA;  ha -- pronounced as in harp.&#xA;  ra -- a has the same sound as in the first two syllables.&#xA;  Japanese teachers of jujitsu do not mention the Stahara when explaining&#xA;  a throw or trick to their disciples. They teach the use of the arms and&#xA;  legs, of the hips and shoulders, but do not show the principle of&#xA;  balance, which is the basis of the whole system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It is therefore an average of ten years before a student of jujitsu in&#xA;  Japan masters these throws. It takes that length of time to acquire&#xA;  the scientific way, in common parlance, to &quot;get the knack&quot; of doing&#xA;  the trick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Jujitsu is not done with strength of arm or leg and this inability to&#xA;  grasp the underlying principle is why it takes so long to master it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This seems like a reoccurring theme in West meets East. Some Western guy (this guy happens to be from the U.S.) goes to Japan and is taught whatever the Japanese feel comfortable teaching him, and do so while having communication problems. He tries it and finds out it's really hard. After being thrown around and joint locked a lot, he learns some things, but he's still frustrated by how bad he is and how good everyone else is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then one day he's sitting around sipping on some rice wine while eating his sushi when it comes to him. It's some brilliant, much better way to think of jujitsu than what he was taught. So now he thinks he's just figured out the secret to jujitsu that the silly Japanese haven't figured out yet in the several hundred years they've been at it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He goes to the Japanese guys, explains his big idea, and asks to try it out on them. They humor him. They're polite and diplomatic about it, making him look good. So he takes that as a sign of success and goes back West to teach it as a way of learning jujitsu much faster than the normal way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like I said, this a reoccurring theme.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I don't see anything new in the document. And I am 100% certain the Japanese didn't learn &quot;hara&quot; (or shitahara or stahara) from him. They already understood it quite well, but probably didn't emphasize it when teaching foreigners for a number of reasons - mostly having to do with communication issues, but also the reluctance of the Japanese to teach foreigners the complete art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My thoughts anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-05-08T21:25:19.820" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3003" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2996" CreationDate="2014-05-09T21:05:39.813" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a very interesting question. Martial art, if done properly, is very effective in a zero-gravity field. All techniques applicable in a combat in a gravity field is equally available in a zero-gravity situation. However, these techniques need an impulsive change in trajectory right before impact. I will go through the three basics: strikes, holds and throws. If you think of any other, please comment of go ahead to create your own answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Strikes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;The physics is thus: When you throw weight in a straight line towards an obstacle, the &lt;em&gt;equal and opposite&lt;/em&gt; reaction occurs along that same line. So conventional straight punches and straight kicks are almost useless for two reasons&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Most conventional strikes are done with the ground as a root. Unconsciously, martial artists use this third law of motion in their strikes by &lt;em&gt;pushing up&lt;/em&gt; from the ground (which is sturdy) and translating or &quot;channeling&quot; that &lt;em&gt;reaction&lt;/em&gt; energy through their extensions [; I will use &quot;extensions&quot; to mean anything you can strike with: fists, feet, shoulders, hips, head, and so on]. Since there is no sturdy ground in zero-gravity (I assume the two combatants are floating) there is nowhere to get this reaction energy from.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When the strike makes impact -- and the force on impact is equal to the force it meets -- it can displace the striker into uncomfortable positions. This could either be spinning or directional displacement.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The momentum for a proper strike in a zero-gravity field should originate from one's core (right about where your navel is). This momentum is then translated to your extensions while they are lose. Immediately before impact, the martial artist should look to tense up the extension, and change the trajectory of the hit. This, if done correctly reduces the distance the momentum has to travel; thereby...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;creating an explosive effect on impact&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;changing the trajectory of a the reactive force&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The example hit is Bruce Lee's &quot;One Inch Punch&quot;. The performer stands facing his target, with his body extension (fist) already stretched out and loosely clenched. When the momentum from the core reaches the fist, the fist is tensed and directed upwards. It is difficult to generate power from this technique but with practice, you get better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Holds&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;This is the easiest way to win (and lose!) a fight in zero-gravity. If you are grabbed and the grab is a proper hold to choke, I do not think there is much to do in this situation. You can try to tuck or roll, to escape from this would require strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, choking is not easier wither in zero-gravity. We must be aware of the function gravity plays in a choke -- especially when it is on the ground. Most submission holds has the performer exerting some downward force during his hold. The weight on his hold is greatly helped by gravity. In a zero-gravity space, the martial artist does not have this luxury and is therefore left to his strength alone to perform the hold. As the fight drags on, strength will wane.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Throws&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;This is the weakest form attack in zero-gravity. Recall the little splurge of physics I wrote about when explaining strikes. If one studies throws, one will readily notice that the thrower needs to be a rigid body OR backed by (or grounded on) a rigid body. This rigidity must have enough resistance to withstand the thrower's momentum and the weight of the &quot;throwee&quot;. Such grounds do not exist in a zero-gravity field. Also, any momentum generated by the thrower will be easily rebounded based on Newton's Third Law. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming a throw is properly executed... where to? Assuming a boundless zero-gravity field, a throw does not only provide the target with a means of escape, but it does not deliver any damage whatsoever.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, if a martial artist goes in for a throw (with enough momentum to do some damage) and he is held before he can execute the throw. Both practitioners will begin spinning; at which point the spar becomes a game of dance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Concluding, I would say a spar session in zero-gravity will be a true test of martial arts. It allows the artist recede into himself, diminish his reliance on external factors and provides an environment for the artist to be the art which he practices: fine-tuning strikes and escape from holds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1333" LastActivityDate="2014-05-09T21:05:39.813" CommentCount="0" CommunityOwnedDate="2014-05-09T21:05:39.813" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3004" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3005" CreationDate="2014-05-10T19:34:31.580" Score="11" ViewCount="1019" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just got my first stripe on my white belt today! I am looking to supplement my bjj training with weights approx 2x a week. I am already quite experienced in the gym as I have weight trained consistently for 3 years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that the best way to improve bjj is to do it. However I would to know what exercises I could do in the gym to improve my game and examples of sets, reps, intensity etc?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1923" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-02-18T22:57:51.247" LastActivityDate="2021-02-18T22:57:51.247" Title="BJJ- Gym training that is beneficial (specific to BJJ)?" Tags="|training|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|strength|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3005" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3004" CreationDate="2014-05-10T20:21:00.840" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Take a regular &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1960/347&quot;&gt;beginner strength program&lt;/a&gt;, reduce the volume, and do that alongside BJJ. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, just to spitball a program for two days a week on top of BJJ that you're doing, say, 3 times a week:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A day: squat 2 sets of 5, adding weight every 3 sessions. As many sets of towel-grip pull-ups necessary to get to 25 or 30. Add weight if it only takes 2 sets.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;B day: power clean 3 sets of 3 (again, adding weight every 3 sessions), then deadlift one set of 5 (yet again, adding weight every 3 sessions), then as many sets of dips necessary to get 40 reps. Add weight if you only need 2 sets.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stretch frequently, both after workouts and on non-workout days. The squats need to be real, deep squats, not half squats. Front squats might be easier to accomplish for this purpose. Deadlifts should be heavy fairly quickly, and done with a strictly straight back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's it. Strength training for a BJJ noob is basically regular strength training with less volume. Since you're an athlete you need to do at least some power work (e.g. power cleans, sprints, box jumps). Everyone should do some mobility work. Conditioning for a BJJ noob means going to class and rolling a lot. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-05-10T20:21:00.840" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3010" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3004" CreationDate="2014-05-13T13:33:28.780" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think your strength/endurance inevitably grows while constantly training bjj, doing weight training just takes more of your bjj training time away;&#xA;1 - you could be training and getting better at bjj&#xA;2 - you're taking time off bjj to recover your muscles&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did the same thing for a while and then learnt that my muscles get tired quicker while rolling. I recommend doing cardio and focus on exercises where (if you insist on doing weight training) you do enough sets to get your muscles tense, but do not tear them [as you would when your aim is to grow muscle].&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;bjj is mostly a thinking art, rather than strength; therefore you rarely find the heavyweights winning absolute on all levels (with the exception of buchecha of course)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1685" LastActivityDate="2014-05-13T13:33:28.780" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3011" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3107" CreationDate="2014-05-13T14:28:10.693" Score="3" ViewCount="291" Body="&lt;p&gt;During sparring in Muay Thai, as two people go in for the clinch and are throwing knees etc., and one opponent tries to regulate the distance by keeping a glove on the other's chest; is it allowed in the rules to use your glove on top of it to hold it down on your chest?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastActivityDate="2014-06-09T06:20:53.590" Title="In Muay Thai during clinching, can you hold an opponents glove to your chest by pressing on it?" Tags="|sparring|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3012" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-05-13T21:15:51.153" Score="7" ViewCount="2123" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am 5 foot 10 and 190lbs. I am roughly 17% bf and consider myself quite strong. However my problem is that I am pretty short legs which makes closed guard quite difficult for myself to maintain. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone have any advice for guards/strategys etc that work well for my type of build. I am aware that BJJ does not have set strategys etc but I want to play to my strengths.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1923" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-04-29T02:17:25.890" LastActivityDate="2021-04-29T02:17:25.890" Title="BJJ: Best guard/strategy for stocky guys?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|closed-guard|strategy|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3013" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="693" CreationDate="2014-05-14T00:44:37.333" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As everyone else is saying: don't train on it.  Do other things - do crunches, do upper body exercises... don't train the hurt muscle.   Rest, Ice, reduce swelling/inflammation if you have any.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After it's better (days, weeks, even...), slow stretches, strengthening to get it back up to full.  If you can, consider some massage/bodywork to help it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, here's the other part.  &quot;It's just a pulled muscle.&quot;  Unless you have a medical professional confirm that, it might also be partial or micro tears of your tendons.  And the problem is, tendons don't heal as well as muscle.  So when you train on that, you risk a complete separation, which then means surgery and permanent danger of reinjury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you &quot;pull a muscle&quot;, be kind to it.  Unlike the movies, fighting through injuries doesn't make you tougher and better, what doesn't kill you doesn't make you stronger, just makes you more likely to get injured again, worse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-05-14T00:44:37.333" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3014" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3012" CreationDate="2014-05-14T05:13:08.167" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm similar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I do is try to  break down their posture as quick as possible, this means holding with your feet is less of a problem.  Once broken down I try working off to a side with a arm, and am playing with a Sean Williams guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they posture up while I'm trying to break them down.  I get aggressive about hunting for a hip bump, if they defend, find head arm grips and break them back down again, and if they posture to the side then go straight for basic sweeps.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are having problems with all that and they are keeping you down and you can't find anything, change grips, and get ready to go to open guard.  Being stocky, you can go for a lasso and start working sweeps from there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;ie, whatever you do, don't just stay still, always be going for something, you can't be like those long legged guys who can seem to just hold position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2014-05-14T05:13:08.167" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3017" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3019" CreationDate="2014-05-14T10:51:42.163" Score="0" ViewCount="1290" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am new to martial arts. I am very interested to know about some self defence aspect. If I were blocked with 2 or 3 enemies where I can attack on their bodies? And how to make the punch strong? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am doing gym workouts to strengthen my body. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please give me some suggestion for making my wrist hard and strong to give effective punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1926" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-05-14T11:05:20.030" LastActivityDate="2014-05-17T02:36:15.977" Title="where i can attack on enemy's body" Tags="|punching|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2014-10-01T13:16:21.940" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3018" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1011" CreationDate="2014-05-14T23:40:14.127" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Slightly behind either ear is the place to hit if you want a knockout.&#xA;43 years experience in martial arts, military and personal body guarding has proven this to me. As a former corrections officer, it is a statistical fact that knocking a person out rather than continuing to fight with them is a more humane way to end an altercation. The longer an altercation continues, the more likely you are to get hurt and/or inflict more damage on the other person. Most knockouts tend to cause less damage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal philosophy is simple: I don't start fights, so if a person starts a fight with me, I plan to knock them out as quickly as possible to minimize damage to them and to me. If you don't want the horns don't mess with the bull.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1930" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-05-15T06:38:23.083" LastActivityDate="2014-05-15T06:38:23.083" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3019" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3017" CreationDate="2014-05-15T02:54:19.517" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your question is actually three parts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) How do I make a strong punch?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) Where can I hit someone to have the best result?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) How do I deal with multiple attackers?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My answer to the first question is: Find a boxing gym and have them teach you how to punch hard without breaking your hand. Wrist strength is what you seem to think is the most important thing, but it's just one link in a long chain of things you need to learn in order to make a strong punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For starters, you need to know how to make a proper fist. An improperly formed fist will result in broken fingers if you punch something hard. Second, you must learn how to stand properly. If you throw the punch with a stance that's not balanced, you can lose your balance and fall. Third, you have to learn how to shift your body weight so that you can utilize your whole body in the punch. Punches that come from the whole body are much more powerful than those that use only the arm muscles. Fourth, you need to practice punching on a punching bag. Punching to the air won't prepare you for actually hitting something hard. The punching bag will give you feedback on everything. You will find out the limits of how hard you can punch while not damaging your hand. And it well test your balance and how good your stance is (many people actually wobble around the first time they punch a punching bag). Fifth, it doesn't matter how strong your punch is if you can't hit the target. So you must learn how to target a moving opponent that doesn't want to be hit. Sixth, there are many ways to punch (jab, hook, straight, cross, upper cut, corkscrew, hammer, back-fist, etc.). Each punch can hit hard. And each punch is for a particular situation. Learning just one of those punches isn't typically enough, because your opponent will move around, making your window of opportunity to use that particular punch small. Seventh, you'll need to learn how to defend against punches and take-downs. Nobody will stand there and let you hit them. They'll fight back. The best punch in the world does you no good if you get knocked down before you can land it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I could go on. But the point is that you need to get to a boxing gym to learn what they have to teach you. Just learning one type of punch and learning it without an instructor and without partners, you will have learned almost nothing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My answer to the second question is: Anywhere you can land a punch is a good place to hit. That's it. Very simple.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The trouble is, people move around. They flinch when they see something coming close to their heads. They cover up and block. So if you see a clear opening, you take it. It doesn't matter if it's not the best place on the body to hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, there are some weak spots on the body: jaw, temple, nose, back of the head at the base of the skull, solar plexus, floating ribs, kidneys, and groin. You can find these &quot;vital points&quot; listed in just about all martial arts books. There's nothing mystical about them. They represent places on the body which aren't protected by solid bone. They're weak areas. Hit them, and you'll hurt your opponent more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For punches, your best bet is the nose or jaw line. Following that, the solar plexus. Those end fights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But once again, just knowing this does you very little good. You first need to know how to target a moving opponent. They're not going to stand there letting you hit them. And they will hit back. So get to a boxing gym to learn how it's done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My answer to your third question is: Multiple attackers? Most likely you're asking because you want to defend yourself from someone else who is bullying you and has friends who come with him? If that is the case, you need to realize that this situation is nearly impossible to win. If you start fighting with one of them, the other two can easily sucker punch you when your back is turned to them. It's inviting disaster. This is not going to work out well for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So don't allow that situation to happen. Multiple attackers isn't something even advanced level martial artists are very likely to win against. Some martial arts have strategies for dealing with multiple attackers. I trained in them myself, and I now see them as mostly wishful thinking. They might improve your odds by some small amount. Better than nothing I guess.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, the primary strategy for dealing with multiple attackers is to run away the first chance you can get. If you can't run, move to a position where one person is closer than the other two, while still being able to move around. That's the guy you fight. You turn it into a one-on-one fight instead of having to deal with 3 people at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But it won't take long before the other two move around and get to you. So you have to do this continuously. You need to see everyone and be aware of when you're about to be in danger. Anticipate it and move so that you can continue to engage with only one person. If that means you have to change to fighting another guy instead of the first guy, then that's what you do. While you're doing this, move towards a more open area and with more ways to escape. And the moment you see a way out, run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like I said, it's mostly wishful thinking. No martial art deals well with the multiple attacker scenario. None of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds like you think you can just quickly punch at their weak points in a preemptive attack to knock them all down before they realize what's going on. That won't work. You're lucky if you can stun the first guy. He'll recover in a second or two and will be very angry. Meanwhile, the other two guys will now be ready for you, and they might hold you until the first guy recovers. It's just not realistic to believe you can perfectly target and knock out all three guys in less than a second. You would have to be Superman or Flash.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, I'd just like to say that if you're being bullied, you should seriously look into the Gracie Jiujitsu &quot;Bullyproof Program&quot;. It's for kids ages 5 through 13. But adults who are being bullied should also check out the web site:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.gracieacademy.com/bully_proof.asp&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.gracieacademy.com/bully_proof.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can find Gracie Jiujitsu schools in your area, you might want to visit them also. In addition to looking into boxing classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2014-05-15T03:00:01.050" LastActivityDate="2014-05-15T03:00:01.050" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3021" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3022" CreationDate="2014-05-15T08:26:04.007" Score="6" ViewCount="238" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a judoka, I always wonder about this issue. As far as I know, someone that has lost consciousness has a risk of swallowing his own tongue and dying after few minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In which position should I leave an attacker after I put him unconscious in order to avoid possibly killing him?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1932" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-20T15:58:32.693" LastActivityDate="2019-06-20T16:00:06.917" Title="Correct position to leave an attacker after choking them unconscious?" Tags="|judo|safety|chokes|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="3022" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3021" CreationDate="2014-05-15T08:48:26.413" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are not a trained first aider, then I strongly suggest you did a &lt;a href=&quot;https://search.disconnect.me/searchTerms/serp?search=4daf542e-f482-417a-ae3a-b939d3c1c431&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;course&lt;/a&gt; as soon as possible. As &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/347/dave-liepmann&quot;&gt;David Liepmann&lt;/a&gt; said, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recovery_position&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;recovery position&lt;/a&gt; is generally safe. However, if you are not a trained first aider, you might miss either something or do the wrong thing or exacerbate things that will lead to the victim dying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV&lt;/em&gt;.  That said, if you have rendered someone unconscious in a fight, it is &lt;em&gt;your&lt;/em&gt; responsibility that they do not die. That is true even if they attacked you first. It means that you must contact the emergency services (&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/112_%28emergency_telephone_number%29&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;112&lt;/a&gt; should work in most countries) and ensure that the victim stays alive.  For that, I strongly suggest being trained in first aid. Otherwise, you risk being arrested and charged with murder. Whatever, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;never talk to the police&lt;/a&gt; but talk to your lawyer as soon as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you wanted an authoritative answer, I would talk to some paramedics and lawyers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-05-15T08:48:26.413" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3023" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3025" CreationDate="2014-05-17T01:10:25.997" Score="5" ViewCount="841" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am constantly getting stuck in the half-guard:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;on bottom - I cannot sweep/always get passed&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;on top - I cannot escape the persons half guard to progress and pass&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any tips/tutorials would be great in order to help me progress. Thanks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1923" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-09T13:25:28.417" LastActivityDate="2019-07-09T13:28:17.963" Title="Half guard bottom/top tips?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|positions|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="3024" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3017" CreationDate="2014-05-17T02:36:15.977" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;First off, as someone new to martial arts, recognize you're asking for a shortcut to the advanced answers.  Anything anyone says to you online, here, is going to just be cliffnotes that isn't the same as actually being able to do it.  Otherwise, anyone in the world would become a boxing champion when given the advice, &quot;Punch them, hard.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dealing with Multiple Opponents, effectively&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First off, running.  Multiple opponents is a bad situation, especially if they may have weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, if you can't run, you need to position yourself such that you can use one of them to be in between you and the others.   &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/ft9rHg43rhY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Here's a video demonstrating the tactical concept of it.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, you will want to use every tool at your disposal - a strong punch is good, but you'll want more than that.  Being able to grab and push is a huge thing - grab a guy, push him into his friends.  Grab someone's head, slam it against the wall (since you're describing a situation where it's not easy to run away - there's probably walls nearby...).  Pick up things to use as weapons, carry a flashlight, etc.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you have more techniques/tools at your disposal, you quickly find out that ANYTHING can be a target.  You also find out it may not be hitting harder.  Push one guy into the other, run, run, run and you're safe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In self defense, it's not about winning, it's about surviving.  You have to think about it like risk management - how do I get out safely as possible?  How do I avoid getting hurt? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-05-17T02:36:15.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3025" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3023" CreationDate="2014-05-17T06:04:21.493" Score="5" Body="&lt;h3&gt;On Bottom&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're probably in the danger zone. You need to either be all the way out, or all the way in. Hanging out in-between is going to get you d'Arce'd or passed. And you should never be flat on your back whether you are all out or all in. If you are all the way out, you should be working  on obtaining the under-hook which will work to allow you to take the back. If you move to take the back, don't do a sit-up, instead, take the free leg and kick it / stomp it which will give you momentum when rising up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now if you are playing a deep-half, you want to be on your side, as tight to them as possible, and as much under their hips as possible. Again, look for the under-hook either on their back or around their legs if attempting the deep-half sweep. If you go for the sweep, you would work to clasp your hands together, one around the trapped leg, and the other around the leg closest to your head, and then drive into them while coming up to your knee's keeping your opponents leg trapped with your legs. This is very nice sweep that will allow you to transition to a knee-bar or move right into passing once you are on top.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are playing deep-half and don't feel comfortable getting the sweep, you can attempt the sweep and as they move to crush you back down you then roll HARD away from your opponent (you must have the underhook at their mid-back level), and complete the sweep.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't want to sweep or don't feel comfortable making that move; then when in the deep-half, you can transition to x-guard, or work your way out the back-door (through their legs) completely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your opponent attempts a standing half-guard pass or the back-step pass you can move to de la Riva guard or even a spider-guard if you can hip and catch the transition fast enough. Also, if they attempt a back-step pass, you can shift away from them as they back-step and then post with your bottom arm, and come up into them, and get on top. This will put you in a good position to pass as-well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;On Top&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flatten them out. That eliminates most of their options. If they are stubborn and won't flatten, threaten the d'Arce choke if they give it to you. Or a half-guard ezekiel choke. Or a keylock. Or you can at higher belt levels, threaten a slew of leg-lock techniques. If I have someone being lazy in half-guard I will usually pull them in a bit closer and take my non-trapped leg, and wrap it around their head. Then I'll drop my weight on their head with a nice squeeze of my leg. I tend to land a keylock from there as a nice bonus. Or you can look for bow and arrow chokes from the top half-guard position, they are everywhere and you don't even need to have that trapped leg untrapped.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now in terms of passing, you want to keep them flattened, and work to get your far-side under-hook and then work the knee-slicer pass. If you feel unable to get the under-hook then you can wrap the head but be advised, most legit jiu-jitsu fighters will take your back if you attempt to wrap only the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can perform a back-step pass, where you do a back-step across their body, and while balancing your weight on them and yet also being extremely stable, you can then use your left hand to secure their knee and work your trapped leg free and then complete the pass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also always place your opponent in a flattened-out position, and attempt a ninja-roll.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can flatten out your opponent, and achieve an underhook on the far side. Reach up and grab their shoulder and clamp down on it. You want their back to stiff and rigid you are clamping down so hard. Then place your head on the mat above their shoulder that is nearest to you, right next to your opponents ear. Then step out a bit to your trapped side, and drop your hips a small bit while turning a tiny bit away from your opponent. Then take your non-trapped leg, and use your hook to push against their deep-half outer-most hook, and then you can slowly slide your knee out. Your leg will be straight all the way while it slides out. This is a great pressure pass once you get very good at it, but depending on your length, this can feel pretty twingey on that trapped knee. I like it though but again, it's one that leaves you wondering if it'd be possible to hurt yourself while attempting this pass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just look into some of the key terms I've tried to use and then practise, practise, practise. I don't have names for all my passes either, sorry. There are so many moves from here, just pick 3-4 that you really like, and then work those.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1935" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-07-09T13:28:17.963" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="3026" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2963" CreationDate="2014-05-17T06:13:02.857" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stop thinking so much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rolls for building rolling cardio.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestling for building agility during scrambles and standing explosiveness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sprints and hills to help with explosiveness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long-runs for general aerobic fitness. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do them all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1935" LastActivityDate="2014-05-17T06:13:02.857" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3027" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2893" CreationDate="2014-05-17T06:18:45.683" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you attempt to go too low your opponent will step back, increasing the space between you two, and then simply pull you backwards sitting you down on your butt. You will feel quite dumb when this happens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1935" LastActivityDate="2014-05-17T06:18:45.683" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3029" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3053" CreationDate="2014-05-18T01:51:15.127" Score="7" ViewCount="1402" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wanted to sign up for TKD, and I really like Jun Chong TKD. However, I heard by some that TKD isn't a realistic means of self defense because a lot of the places teaching are &quot;mcdojos.&quot; I've heard that ITF and WTF are slightly better, especially ITF. But I want to know about the dojo I'm thinking of signing up for or if I should do boxing. I am thinking if someone can specifically verify that Jun Chong, who is supposed to be legendary, is as good as he says he is, then I'll sign up for it. I mean for self-defense purposes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyone who has trained there have an opinion?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1924" LastActivityDate="2015-07-02T07:57:01.613" Title="is Jun Chong TKD a legitimate TKD dojo for self defense?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|self-defense|boxing|competition|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3030" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3029" CreationDate="2014-05-18T07:48:40.993" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;First some background on Taekwondo. There are several organizations that certify ranking in Taekwondo. They all kind of look like each other, because they share the same exact roots. They branched off for different reasons, sometimes political, sometimes having to do with the emphasis of various techniques over other techniques, and other reasons. But they all teach the same basic techniques. Only rarely do you find a Taekwondo organization doing something truly different in a fundamental way than other organizations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The two big, main TKD organizations are &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Taekwon-Do_Federation&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;ITF&lt;/a&gt; (International TKD Federation) and &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Taekwondo_Federation&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;WTF&lt;/a&gt; (World TKD Federation). These are just different organizations for the same art. They do have different forms (the choreographed routines), and their sparring rules are similar but differ in various ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should read up on the differences between ITF and WTF first just to see what some of the differences are in those two main branches of TKD.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for Jun Chong Taekwondo in particular, I can't really comment on it since I've not looked into the instructor's history. But I had a chance to look at their web site, and they look very credible. He's a 9th dan in Taekwondo and Hapkido. You should know that 9th dan is about as high as you can get, officially. Occasionally the 10th dan is officially awarded to people of distinction, usually those who have branched off and formed their own separate style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, Jun Chong does not list his affiliation (ITF, WTF, or other) on his web site, I do not see. And he does not indicate which certifying organization his 9th dan is under. So those are two questions you'll need to ask if you're joining any Taekwondo school. Ask: What is your school's affiliation? What organization granted your head instructor his/her current rank?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you know that, you'll be in a better position to determine if the school and instructor is legitimate. Because, there are many Taekwondo schools that have 9th and 10th degree black belt &quot;grandmasters&quot;. They often aren't affiliated with any Taekwondo organization and have simply awarded themselves that rank by virtue of the fact that they are now head of their own organization. So that is a big problem with Taekwondo, and it's why your friend warned you about &quot;McDojos&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Moving right along...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You mentioned that &quot;realistic self-defense&quot; was a concern for you. And you suggested that you're open to considering alternatives to Taekwondo such as boxing. I commend you on knowing what you want out of it and being open-minded about it. I say this, because, when I was starting out in martial arts, I just assumed that every martial art was realistic and just taught it differently. I have studied about a dozen martial arts before realizing what's what. And now I'll share that with you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before I do, however, just be aware that the following is my opinion based on my experience. I'm sure many others here will take issue with it. Others have their own opinions, and you should get as many opinions as you can and think about what you've heard. Whatever sounds the most reasonable to you should be what you go with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First question: What does realistic self-defense look like to you?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me, realistic self-defense means you know how to handle yourself confidently in 3 ranges of unarmed combat as well as having some knowledge of knife, stick, and maybe firearms. And your training involves partners actively trying to resist everything you're doing (as opposed to just letting you do things).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The 3 ranges of unarmed combat are: free-fighting, the clinch, and the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the free-fighting range, you and your opponent(s) are standing and not holding onto each other. You're just free to move around. This is where you punch, kick, knee, elbow, and head butt. There's also blocking and defensive strategy. It involves combos, decoying, and a lot of fancy footwork.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the clinch range, you're still standing, but you and/or your opponent have gotten a hold of some sort. It restricts your ability to freely move. You can still punch, kick, and do many of the free-fighting range's techniques. But you just can't move completely freely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And in the ground range, you and/or your opponent are on the ground (usually by way of a trip, a take-down, or a throw, in that order of likelihood). You'll learn how to choke and how not to be choked. You'll learn other submissions, elbow breaks, knee breaks. But it's mostly a game of position, some being more desirable than others. So you'll first practice getting in and out of positions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And you'll learn how to avoid getting put into each of those ranges of fighting. So you'll know how to sprawl against someone shooting in to tackle you. You'll know how to get back to a standing position when on the ground. Etc. If you don't know all 3 ranges of fighting, you won't be very good at preventing someone from taking you somewhere you don't really know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Realistic self-defense means you don't fear any of those 3 ranges of combat. You're okay if someone starts boxing with you, then grabs you. You're okay if someone dive-tackles you to try to take you to the ground. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You've trained for all of those possibilities. You're familiar with it. It doesn't take you completely by surprise or out of your element. You have a strategy that has been programmed into you so that it's mostly just auto-pilot for you. That is when you can say you are training realistically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's something else to consider, and that's resistance. In many martial arts, your partners mostly let you do stuff to them. They stand there and go with what you're doing. They sometimes even throw themselves into your throw, for example. They're usually told to act like what you're doing causes them to stop dead in their tracks, and then you perform a series of intricate motions in rapid sequence without ever once having to worry about your partner resisting you at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is what you get in just about every martial art out there that doesn't do some kind of &quot;live&quot; sparring of some sort. That includes classical jujitsu, Aikido, the &quot;self-defense&quot; portion of most forms of karate (one-step sparring and &quot;self-defense&quot;, although they do have punch/kick sparring), most forms of kung-fu, Hapkido, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Styles whereby you get with a partner who is then told to resist you as much as they can will prepare you for reality. Styles that have you partner with someone who will just act like what you're doing is working are not preparing you for reality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training with resisting partners is the primary way you get better at and more confident at fighting. If you can win against training partners who are actively trying to stop you from doing stuff while simultaneously trying to win against you, that predicts how you will do in a real fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Styles that train with resistance are: Brazilian Jiujitsu, MMA, Judo, wrestling, boxing, Muay Thai, kick-boxing, Sambo, and Shuai-Jiao. There are others. This isn't an exhaustive list.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Styles that do not train with resistance are: Taekwondo, most forms of Karate, most forms of Kung-Fu, Hapkido, Aikido, classical Jujitsu, Bujinkan Ninjutsu, Krav Maga, and many others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to see it through my eyes, go onto youtube right now and look at some of those arts. For example, Bujinkan Ninjutsu or Ed Parker Kenpo Karate. Sometimes you'll see someone attack someone else in the video. They might do a punch. Then the other guy does something really cool in retaliation. But don't look at that guy. Instead, look at the guy who punched to begin with. What happened to him? The answer is: He just stood there. As soon as he was done with that punch, he didn't do anything after that. That's not realistic. That's acting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One more thing... &quot;Force&quot; and &quot;resistance&quot; are two different things. So when I say you need to train with fully resisting partners, I'm not saying your training must involve getting beat up every day. In fact, the opposite is needed. You need a safe way to practice with full resistance so that you can keep coming back day after day and make progress, hopefully while having a lot of fun as well! You increase force as you are capable of doing so safely. That comes gradually.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Arts like Brazilian Jiujitsu and Judo were developed with this concept in mind. They limit the techniques they use in various ways so that they can SAFELY practice at full speed, with full resistance, and even full force (when you get advanced enough). That allows them to keep getting better and better while at the same time minimizing injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, and the weapons? It comes up in reality. You should know your way around knives, sticks, and maybe firearms. That will round your training out. I'll get back to those in a little bit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, what about Taekwondo? Does it teach all of that? The answer is: No.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Taekwondo, you will learn the free-fighting range only. You will not learn the clinch, nor take-downs, nor the ground fighting. And, you will learn a subset of free-fighting that restricts you to something known as the &quot;long and medium distance&quot; range of free-fighting. That is to say, your goal in Taekwondo is to keep your distance and keep mobile so that your opponent never is able to clinch with you and take you down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you ever get clinched and/or taken down to the ground, having only trained in Taekwondo, you will be a fish out of water. You will not know what to do. You will have had no training for those situations. And you will likely lose that fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many Taekwondo proponents, however, would suggest that Taekwondo is all you need for self-defense. They would say you just need to keep your opponents away from you and hit them fast and hard. Do you buy that? If you do, then Taekwondo is fine. If not, then you might want to look elsewhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Me personally, I don't buy it. I have a black belt in ITF Taekwondo. It did me very little good when I had to fight for real. I found myself in unfamiliar territory and just froze. This was when I was a brown belt (one before black belt), in my high school years. That encounter was very enlightening, because it told me very quickly that my training wasn't preparing me for realistic self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My recommendation is to seek out a qualified Gracie Jiujitsu school. Learn their method of fighting. They start out teaching mostly take-downs, ground-fighting, and grappling defenses against punches and kicking. Later on they'll teach more about boxing, kicking, and the clinch. And at some point you might then start taking MMA (mixed martial arts) training, which utilizes everything you learned in Gracie Jiujitsu, but adds more attention to the free-fighting and clinch ranges.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing is good also. Nothing wrong with boxing. But like I said, it's just one range, the free-fighting range. It doesn't go over the other two ranges. But, boxing does train much more realistically in the free-fighting range than Taekwondo does. They don't teach kicks, but they do teach how to punch faster and harder than TKD does, as well as tactics, combos, and defense work that TKD misses. Boxing also covers the scary close distance range of free-fighting, something that TKD doesn't. And if you go on to train in MMA or Gracie Jiujitsu, your boxing skills will fit in perfectly. It's not going to be time wasted, in other words.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another good one to look at is Muay Thai. Thai boxing is powerful and effective. Taekwondo emphasizes &quot;points&quot;, but Muay Thai emphasizes damage, defense, and knock-outs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Point fighting means that you can kick or punch an opponent somewhere, and it counts as a point even if you just lightly tap it. In Taekwondo, they can hit hard, but they often &quot;slap&quot; or &quot;tap&quot; to make a point, because it means less &quot;winding up&quot; and telegraphing. That translates into faster strikes, but at the expense of power and the ability to hurt your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Taekwondo, they even have rules against causing your opponent to bleed or hitting with &quot;excessive&quot; force. So when you train like that all the time, you will tend to optimize for those sports rules. In TKD, that means your punches and kicks will usually connect and with far less force than would occur with Muay Thai or boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as a side-effect of point sparring, if you only get hit with light force blows, then you're not going to defend quite as strongly. So when you find yourself getting hit &quot;for real&quot;, with enough power to knock you out in a single blow, you will probably attempt to block it, and it will partially work, but it will still hit you very hard. You might even lose your balance and fall from the blow. At which point, you're on the ground with no knowledge of ground fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So again, my vote is in favor of Muay Thai and boxing, but more or less against Taekwondo if your goal is realistic self-defense. The Muay Thai and boxing are limited in many ways, but they at least are realistic at what they do and can be combined with Brazilian Jiujitsu, Wrestling, kick-boxing, and MMA. Taekwondo is okay only if you intend to go on to train in Thai boxing, kick-boxing, boxing and/or MMA. That is, again, if your goal is realistic self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But again, I strongly recommend looking at qualified Gracie Jiujitsu schools first. That will give you the biggest bang for your buck. The time you put in there will be worth it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, so what about weapons? The knife and stick are two common weapons you might encounter. Firearms, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What about Japanese samurai swords? No. How about the 6 foot long staff? No. Nunchuck? No. Kama? No. Sai? No. Etc. All of those ancient weapons that you see in movies? They almost never show up in realistic self-defense situations. You will often see knives. And sticks to a lesser degree, although more often you'll see weapons that take the form of a stick, such as a crowbar, a handbag, a shoe, a baseball bat, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what martial arts teach knife and stick? And how realistic are they?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is: Lots of martial arts teach these weapons. And while it may look realistic, it's often not. Even Filipino Martial Arts, which excel at the knife and stick, often spend their time learning intricate patterns that do you very little good. Their basics are probably the best of any style out there, but beyond that, it's probably not useful. After the basics, you're better off moving on to something like what the &lt;a href=&quot;http://dogbrothers.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Dog Brothers&lt;/a&gt; do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or just stick with the basics and realize that even the best at knife fighting often say that they're only slightly better off knowing what they know. In reality, no martial art deals with knives very well. Slashing knives around is often too fast for the human eye to track, and so it's prone to a large degree of error.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can do better against stick than a knife. But again, most people don't use sticks. And the basic training of Filipino Martial Arts (escrima / kali) should be fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That leaves firearms training. Most martial arts don't have anything to say on the subject. You'll occasionally find it discussed in Aikido, Hapkido, classical Jujitsu, and Ninjutsu. But it won't often be realistic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the martial arts with the most realistic firearms defense would be Krav Maga. But my opinion of Krav Maga is that it's not optimal at just about anything else. There are a lot of Krav Maga proponents that spend years training it and really think it's the best. But they're easily tapped (submitted) by Brazilian Jiujitsu white belts. So you can do one of their 3-6 month courses, and I think that would be useful. But my opinion and advice is to don't keep going much longer than that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And of course, for actually learning to use firearms, you have to attend gun safety courses and get yourself to a firing range. And keep on doing it from time to time. It won't tell you how to defend yourself against guns, however, but it will educate you in the anatomy of guns so that you can recognize how not to handle it when dealing with someone who has a gun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, that's my personal opinion and advice. Sorry it was so long, but I wanted to give you a complete understanding as I see it. Hope it was useful to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2014-05-22T03:02:21.623" LastActivityDate="2014-05-22T03:02:21.623" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3031" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3029" CreationDate="2014-05-19T11:24:33.717" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a Taekwondo instructor, I wouldn't recommend TKD if you're purely looking for self-defense. The reason is that you're not going to be able to defend yourself with TKD until you've at least achieved 2nd Kyu (Red belt). This is because for the first two or three years, you're going to be learning how to win competitions, so everything is going to be geared towards you scoring points to the head and body. It's only from the third or fourth years, when you could achieve your first Dan that you are actually given proper instruction in full-contact and real-world applications. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not saying we don't teach real-world scenarios and self-defense techniques during colour-belt stages, but the nature of TKD is such that it isn't effective until you've both learned how to perform jumping kicks effectively AND why you should NOT do them outside of competitions. And that takes time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's worth it if you stick it out, but if you want immediate results, also take up wrestling, which will teach you how to take someone down BEFORE they can punch your face off. Once you've gotten the hang of fighting at a distance, as is the habit in TKD, you can devastate your opponent from afar and move in for the clinch as soon as he thinks he's got you figured out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-05-19T11:24:33.717" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3032" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3112" CreationDate="2014-05-19T14:03:25.343" Score="5" ViewCount="222" Body="&lt;p&gt;On the internet I read a lot of stories that encourage to prepare for a no gi contest by training with the gi/kimono. Isn't it a little bit of nonsense, because during no gi grip (holding the pants or shirt) isn't allowed. Can someone explain in details. I think I once read an article of GSP about this subject, but can't find it anymore.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="500" LastActivityDate="2014-06-13T02:52:13.877" Title="Does training in gi help to prepare for a no gi competition?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|gi|no-gi|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3033" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-05-19T20:33:47.237" Score="11" ViewCount="25726" Body="&lt;p&gt;I found a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.findhold.dk/kampsport-baelter/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;graphic detailing belt colours according to ranks&lt;/a&gt;.  In there, the last two judo ranks are red and white for 6-8th dan ranks and full red belts for 9 and 10th dan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is the highest judo belt really red? I thought it was black...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1938" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2014-06-05T05:51:53.897" LastActivityDate="2022-04-23T06:06:32.807" Title="Is the highest judo belt really red?" Tags="|judo|belt|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3034" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3033" CreationDate="2014-05-19T21:36:00.910" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It actually goes Black -&gt; Red White -&gt; Red&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those Upper ranks tend to be more about service to the art.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2014-05-19T21:36:00.910" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3035" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2802" CreationDate="2014-05-20T19:32:54.997" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I like the answers from both &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/2809/70&quot;&gt;Steve Weigand&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/2804/70&quot;&gt;Dave Liepmann&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But honestly the only way to find the best defense of Wing Chun is to train in that style. Get an understanding of it's principles and how they work, then you can understand how to break it down and defend against it. Bruce Lee is a bad example... His training in Wing Chun is too short to get a complete understand of Wing Chun. Yes he got some of the basic principles but was missing a whole more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1940" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-05-21T11:57:38.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3036" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2241" CreationDate="2014-05-20T19:34:57.057" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If your wrist hurts your punching wrong. And if your bleeding from it then you need to move to punching softer material.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1940" LastActivityDate="2014-05-20T19:34:57.057" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3037" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1874" CreationDate="2014-05-20T19:42:31.260" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your Sifu is correct. Learn what he is telling you. I'm not sure how far along you are, but foot work is going to be most important to use, by changing the angle of the fight and controlling their elbows since your so close gives you a huge advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1940" LastActivityDate="2014-05-20T19:42:31.260" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3038" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1835" CreationDate="2014-05-20T19:50:51.520" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do you understand why your Sihing tells you to relax and release the tension? and why you need to be relaxed?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do a test with your hand turn it into a fist and squeeze as hard as possible... What do you feel? You feel your bicep and your tricep working very hard. Do you know they are working against each other? Well they are, causing you to be slower and not as powerful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practice Siu Nim Tao, as slow as possible, with your eyes closed and concentrate on your breathing letting every muscle in your body relax, and just move through the positions with as little muscle work as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1940" LastActivityDate="2014-05-20T19:50:51.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3039" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3042" CreationDate="2014-05-20T20:25:26.277" Score="4" ViewCount="160" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the Kali I've done, we do a 12 angle pattern for stick and knife.&#xA;The knife pattern has some analogs to the stick pattern, but is not exactly the same due to the different capabilities of the weapon.&#xA;I've also done some Panantukan patterns as a part of Kali, but I haven't seen a 12 angle pattern for this &quot;weapon&quot;.  Does such a thing exist?  What are the hand-strikes and numbers?  I'm open to Arnis and Escrima answers as well, but answerers please note what system you're coming from.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-05-21T14:01:23.813" Title="Panantukan numbered template?" Tags="|escrima|kali|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3040" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2014-05-20T20:41:47.587" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2014-05-20T20:41:47.587" LastActivityDate="2014-05-20T20:41:47.587" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3041" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2014-05-20T20:41:47.587" Score="0" Body="A Filipino martial art centered around weapons.  Weapons include stick, knife, and sword.  Empty-handed techniques are considered an extension of armed techniques." OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-05-21T11:55:12.763" LastActivityDate="2014-05-21T11:55:12.763" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3042" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3039" CreationDate="2014-05-21T13:27:38.983" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I was doing &lt;em&gt;Doce Pares&lt;/em&gt; escrima in California about 10 years ago, my instructor taught it to us as knife-hand strikes for 1-4, straight fist punches for 5-10, a hammer-fist blow for 11, and either a punch or a two-finger poke for 12. 7 and 8 were outliers in that the movement was different with it being a straight strike rather than a looping one. He also taught, as an alternative, doing this as a hammerfist blow to the side of the knee or an inside ridge-hand to the back of the knee. All of the blows were done with the same hand for the set of 12, then switched to practice the other hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;1,2 - Knife-hand strike to the temple (forehand and backhand)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;3,4 - Knife-hand strike to the side of the neck (forehand and backhand)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;5,6 - Closed-fist punch to the solar plexus (the only difference was which foot you advance on)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;7,8 - Closed-fist punch to the side of the knee (alternately, he suggested a hammerfist to the same target or a ridgehand to the back of the knee)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;9,10 - Closed-fist punch to the sternum (as with 5-6).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;11 - Hammerfist to the bridge of the nose (I believe he told us that the traditional target was the top of the head or the forehead, as with the stick or blade strike, but that it was a bad idea due to how tough the skull is versus the hand)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;12 - Punch to the orbital socket of the eye (alternately, a poke with the first two fingers,  but he advised against that one due to the risk of missing the eye and breaking one's fingers)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Heh, funny how many memories came back trying to remember the sequence there. It's been a while.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2014-05-21T14:01:23.813" LastActivityDate="2014-05-21T14:01:23.813" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3044" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3021" CreationDate="2014-05-21T19:05:36.290" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you choke out someone, even in a real fight, normally just stopping choking him will be enough for him to wake up. If he isn't waking up alone after 10-20 seconds, you can assume something bad happened.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is, unless you went REALLY intense on him (that means more than 30 seconds choking him). You need about 3 seconds to choke out someone ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And when he wakes up, he wont have much fighting in him left, so you don't need to choke him for the full 30 seconds, you'll end up hurting him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1526" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-20T16:00:06.917" LastActivityDate="2019-06-20T16:00:06.917" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="3045" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3033" CreationDate="2014-05-21T19:19:55.073" Score="17" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is, and it takes a LONG time to reach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you ever reach your 9th Dan, you are awarded a red belt to wear. The white-red belt is awarded at 6th Dan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this stage, you need to wait for 8 to 10 years between each test, and it's not automatically given to you; the federation will only give the highest Dan to people who actually have an impact on judo as a whole. In the history of judo, there have only been &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo_in_Canada#High-ranking_Canadians&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;15 people&lt;/a&gt; who were awarded a 10th Dan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Canada, there have been only &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo_in_Canada#High-ranking_Canadians&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;4 people&lt;/a&gt; with a 9th Dan: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Raymond Damblant&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hiroshi Nakamura &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Yeiji Inouye&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Yoshio Senda. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dr. Senda was the first ever, and died in 2009.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1526" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-02-28T15:49:18.310" LastActivityDate="2018-02-28T15:49:18.310" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3046" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3054" CreationDate="2014-05-22T00:19:39.133" Score="3" ViewCount="4659" Body="&lt;p&gt;During the clinch or just prior to the clinch the opponent very often throws knees to the torso area. I am not considering whether the opponent has managed to pull the head down for knees to head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Putting an arm down to block is a bad idea for various reasons eg. lose balance and get thrown down. not having a guard against elbows etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What techniques/defense measures exist to block those knees from impacting on the torso (stomach/rib cage/ thighs/ hips)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2014-05-23T05:33:52.543" LastActivityDate="2016-02-03T04:35:54.590" Title="What techniques exist for blocking knees in a clinch?" Tags="|technique|muay-thai|defense|knees|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3047" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3046" CreationDate="2014-05-22T10:13:34.080" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am not overly familiar with the rules, but I found the elbow to be very effective against knees. The elbow should make impact with the muscle of the upper leg, as connecting with the knee will be too dangerous for the defender.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Elbows are also great for &quot;discouraging&quot; kicks to the ribs and it has the added benefit of keeping your hands in a position to guard your face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-05-22T10:13:34.080" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3048" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2204" CreationDate="2014-05-22T11:56:41.403" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Can you run?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A chainsaw is a deadly weapon that can severely injure, mutilate or kill you with a single touch. So if you are not 100% confident that you can beat the attacker easily, you should run. The weight of the chainsaw alone will ensure that the attacker will be slower than you. In addition the chainsaw is difficult to hold and will force the attacker in a certain body position that makes it difficult for him/her to pass through tight space (doors, windows, gates) or over obstacles. You can use that to your advantage when plotting your escape route.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Understand the attacker&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also most answer compare the chainsaw to a sword, it is a very different weapon and should not be treated like someone wielding a sword. The main difference is that the damage is done by the rotating chain and not by the impact of hitting you. Therefore the attacker just needs to simply point the weapon at you and come in contact with your skin to kill you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Hollywood movies chainsaw-killers tend to wield it around like a sword, but that is just for the show, a smart killer would just point it into your general direction, leaving you no moment where his 'guard' is down. This can tell you a few things about the intend of the attacker: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If the attacker does wield it like a sword, there is a good chance that he has no clue what he is doing, you might be able to use that for your advantage. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If he is making a show, he is not 100% ready to kill you. He is buying time to make sure he really wants this. You can use this to your advantage to negotiate or trick him to drop his guard. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If he does simply point it at you, he has a real intend to kill you and probably knows what he is doing and will take the first advantage to slice you in half.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;How to defend&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Suppose you cannot run and are facing someone with a real intend to kill you, the first priority should be to stay alive. You cannot block the chainsaw as it will simply cut through your flesh and bones, so you must not let it touch you. Evading must be the highest priority.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A chainsaw usually has an emergency off system if the chains get stuck in something. So if you manage to trick the attacker to for example push the weapon in dense material that the chainsaw is unable to cut, it will turn off and probably will even be stuck. This would obviously be a good point to fight back. Once you hit him, he will probably not be able to pick up and activate the (for a fight) complicated mechanism to use it against you again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A chainsaw as well has a system to prevent accidental activation, by forcing the user to push two buttons or grab it in a certain way to operate it properly. This forces the attacker in a certain position that makes it more difficult for him to move freely. In addition a chainsaw is very heavy. Unless you face Mr. Universum, there is a good chance that the attacker will loose balance and eventually loose grip on the handles if you can get him to swing it around, by moving left and right for example, or at least can cause him to hit obstacles with it, which might cause him to loose control over the weapon. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The inertia of the swing can give you a momentary chance for attack, but do not charge in unless you are 100% certain the attacker cannot use his weapon for the moment, as a simple tilt (which requires little strength) can bring back the blades in a position where they will kill you. If such a moment does not present, your best option is to tire the attacker until he gives up or makes a major mistake.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Summary&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your best chance to defend is to run. You second best chance is to force the attacker to swing the weapon around, in hope that he either gets stuck somewhere, looses grip, gets tired of wielding a very heavy weapon, or someone calls the police and you receive outside help. Basically the second options means: buying time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1946" LastActivityDate="2014-05-22T11:56:41.403" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3049" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3046" CreationDate="2014-05-23T00:30:31.797" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although I've never had to experience, but somewhat familiar seeing it on MMA fights. I think the route I would go is to move into it. As they are pulling you in move it so close that they have to continue to step back to use their knees. As your stepping forward make sure to stomp their feet. At any point they loose balance take advantage or push out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thought as when they clinch with their arms around your neck, pop their elbows up and hard, then collapse their arms exposing their face.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1940" LastActivityDate="2014-05-23T00:30:31.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3050" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2334" CreationDate="2014-05-23T00:46:00.927" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boxing their ears will work on some.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is a quit tip on dog mouth anatomy. Their jaw muscles are on the bottom closing up to the top. If you find your hand in it's mouth. move it back as far as you can and grab the bottom jaw. They won't be able to closer their jaw enough to draw blood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1940" LastActivityDate="2014-05-23T00:46:00.927" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3051" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3046" CreationDate="2014-05-23T01:40:03.977" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, you need to keep your own posture strong. Then you need to force them to stand up straight, usually by placing your own forearm across their face. They can't throw knees if they are standing up straight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, you can force an arm between theirs, and then use it to lever yourself out of the clinch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or you can stand them up straight, grab the side of their arms, roll down like revving a motorcycle so that your hands are under their triceps, and then lift and if you are Matt Hughes strong, carry them and slam/throw them, or for the rest of us, do a de ashi barai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also work on ways to trick their energy and as they go to come in on you, step in on them, and pop the elbow up and off, and then duck under to a side body-lock. This last one is difficult against a skilled clinch artist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1935" LastActivityDate="2014-05-23T01:40:03.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3052" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2014-05-23T21:00:00.973" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ving tsun, wing chun, are easy one the legs, it's mostly close range hand techniques. Not as much pushing and pulling and jumping as other arts. The idea is to immobilize fast. Simultaneously as you defend you attack with speed. The first form builds strong tendons and joint in the arms. Speed comes with practice. The leg techniques are effective and relatively simple but the art is good with little kicking. The basic stance helped strengthen my legs and knees. It's always good to talk to your doctor before starting MA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1951" LastActivityDate="2014-05-23T21:00:00.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3053" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3029" CreationDate="2014-05-23T23:49:31.813" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've looked at a few of his videos on youtube... my impression (as an ex-taekwondo instructor who also studied hapkido for a few years, now doing kyokushin) is that his taekwondo technique isn't stellar but is certainly good enough to give a beginner plenty of useful direction for a couple years, after which they should be able to objectively assess what they want to learn and what different teachers are offering.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sadly, that doesn't mean he does teach what he's capable of.  His supposedly taekwondo demo team was a horrible mess - blue uniforms (sorry, but why?), kata to music, almost all emphasis on weapons, shabby kicking that looked self taught, no hand technique evident, and then ad-hoc bits of gymnastics with kicks tacked on the end....  I know a lot of this is part of the American martial arts scene these days, but I wouldn't trust a school that allows - let alone encourages - students to divert their attention from practical skills and core technique and aptitudes with all that nonsense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-05-23T23:49:31.813" CommentCount="25" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3054" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3046" CreationDate="2014-05-25T15:25:29.130" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;If your opponent throws a knee while not in clinch a good way to stop it is to extend your arm (jab) to their chest. If you lean slightly into it your arm should reach longer than their knee. You may as well hit the chin instead of the chest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are locked in the clinch you can try to throw your opponent off balance as soon as they lift their leg to throw the knee. You do this by rotating them in the direction of their standing leg. (If they throw right knee, you rotate to your right.) Moving their weight beyond their standing leg you may get the possibility of throwing them or to counter with a knee yourself (Right knee). &#xA;This technique needs some practice because it's usually hard to see you opponents leg when locked in the clinch. You'll have to learn to sense it mostly from how their weight shifts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: Finally found a Video that shows the throw as a defense against a knee in the clinch: &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/Co-rINOoMn8?t=5m15s&quot;&gt;http://youtu.be/Co-rINOoMn8?t=5m15s&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/Co-rINOoMn8?t=18m55s&quot;&gt;http://youtu.be/Co-rINOoMn8?t=18m55s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastEditorUserId="718" LastEditDate="2014-06-02T07:25:06.943" LastActivityDate="2014-06-02T07:25:06.943" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3055" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="222" CreationDate="2014-05-28T14:06:02.193" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;@Ninja Shadow answer was right but bushido and honor are 2 different concepts. People think ninjas had no honor because of their unfair tactics (hitting soft zones like eyes, testicles, kyusho, etcetera) but they also had to follow the honor code to their master and familiars. When you are a warrior your goal is to accomplish your mission regardless on how you have to do it. I don't know if any of the repliers here has practiced ninjutsu because if you had you would know that ninjas only have 1 principle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SURVIVE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1958" LastActivityDate="2014-05-28T14:06:02.193" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3056" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3057" CreationDate="2014-05-28T16:34:00.153" Score="7" ViewCount="6057" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are arm-toughening drills in many martial arts.&#xA;Usually, this consists of banging various parts of your arm against a partner's arm or a tree or other immovable object.  I've been concerned about the wisdom of this particular practice and whether or not it should have a place in kung fu practice.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many martial arts also have sensitivity drills such as chi-sao or hubud-lubud.  Some martial arts, for example Northern Mantis, Wing Chun, and Hung Gar, have both arm-toughening and sensitivity drills.  These ideas seem at odds with each other.  The stated purpose of banging arms in arts like Karate and Kung-Fu, is to either:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Decrease the intensity of the shock when someone blocks your strike or you block someone else's strike&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Deaden the nerves in the arm for delivering blows&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not much of a one for anatomy, but for simplicity's sake, I'm going to refer to three striking surfaces of the arm: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The radial bone and accompanying nerve&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The ulna bone and nerve&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The muscle between the radial and ulna bone&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some arts, like Isshin-ryu, will only block with the last striking surface (muscle blocking).  I think that's a pretty good idea.  This is because that surface has very little nerve to damage.  The nerves needed for sensitivity drills like chi-sao are the radial, ulna, and the under-side of the wrist. Only blocking with the muscle part of the arm seems ideal.  Still, it seems like the other surfaces would need to be toughened in case they are banged by a block or strike.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have heard it said, in Karate circles especially, that the purpose of toughening hands and arms is to break through armor.  This is obviously horse manure.  If it ever &lt;em&gt;was&lt;/em&gt;  possible to break through armor, that is no longer necessary in this day and age.  I'd rather be able to practice martial arts and still type than to have deformed claws for hands.  More moderate Karate practicioners say the idea is to toughen your bones so that you can break other people's bones.  Okay, I dunno if that's the best way to go about it, but I can get behind that.  But sensitivity is more valuable to me than toughness in the arts that I practice.  Still, I can see value in toughening the arms so that they are more resistant to hard impacts.  Is there a balance here?  How does one toughen the arms without killing the nerves?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2016-03-14T16:57:08.847" Title="Arm Toughening Without Losing Sensitivity" Tags="|kung-fu|safety|drills|blocking|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3057" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3056" CreationDate="2014-05-28T19:29:16.133" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The primary reason why people bang up their limbs (arms, legs, elbows, knees, and head) is to be able to lessen the pain of the impact. Secondarily, by lessening the pain, the body is able to make mechanical adaptations to improve the power of the strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First with regards to the pain lessening...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I do believe this does deaden the nervous system's response, I do not think it's generally permanent. It's short-term, probably on the order of a day before the effect starts to wear off. And it lasts maybe a week or two before it goes away completely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, I don't think it's actually damaging the nerves themselves. Probably it's simply causing the brain to reduce its perception of the pain, basically dialing down the &quot;volume&quot; of the pain that the brain hears.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When a nerve in your limbs feels pain, it sends a pain signal to the brain. In the brain, neurotransmitters are responsible for communicating the pain signal to the brain's neurons. You only &quot;experience&quot; the pain at this point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What happens next is the brain responds by secreting neurotransmitter blockers that prevent the pain chemicals from causing further pain. (The same thing happens when you take an aspirin, by the way.) Repeated doses of pain, will raise the base level of these neurotransmitter blockers so that it takes stronger and stronger amounts of pain for it to be felt by the brain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so what you're actually doing when you hit your limbs hard against stuff is increasing the base level of pain blocking chemicals in your brain. That lets you experience less pain. And it wears off over time, if you stop doing the exercises that cause pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unlike taking an aspirin and having it lessen all of the pain you feel in your entire body, this effect is localized to the neurons that are associated with the particular limbs that were hit. And there might be some pain blocking going on right at the source (the limb's nerves) instead of just inside of the brain itself... But at this point, I'm in over my head, since I'm not a neuroscientist. Hehe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, when nerves are seriously damaged (for real), they won't respond to sensation at all. Not just pain, but all sensation including touch and temperature. Your arm, for example, will be numb for weeks after that, unable to even feel normal touches. Or you might feel something, but it won't feel normal. Usually the body can heal minor nerve damage and even reroute signals to the brain to bypass damaged or dead nerves. In worse cases, this damage is more or less permanent, though there might be some sensation on occasion. The body is basically unable to repair it. In the worst cases, the nerve is completely severed, and you feel absolutely nothing ever again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The moment you damage your nerve, it will sometimes feel like a sharp, shooting electric pain going up the limb, followed by pins and needles and then numbness. Also, when this happens, it's not just pain that will be numbed. It will be all sensation, including touch and temperature.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is generally NOT what people feel when they perform the &quot;iron body&quot; stuff that martial arts practice. They are still able to feel touch and temperature just fine. It's just that the pain they feel will be lessened. So this is why I say it's probably mostly happening in the brain by increasing levels of neurotransmitter blockers, rather than actually damaging the nerves themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second part of what's going on is mechanical adaptation. That's where you learn to adjust your body's mechanics to allow you to use the limb to hit harder. If you anticipate that it will be too painful to hit in such a way, you will not really &quot;lean into&quot; your technique. You'll be too timid. And so your mechanics will not be as strong. But when you are sure it's not going to hurt, you start to make those mechanical adaptations to increase the effect and power of your strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, what I left out was bone strengthening. The theory goes like this: Micro-fractures in bone cause rapid mineralization of the fracture site, filling it up with calcium to reform the bone. So by repeatedly causing these micro-fractures, over time it can lead to a much stronger bone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But it turns out that might not actually be true. According to some medical doctors, the fractures do increase strength temporarily, but eventually the bone becomes as weak as any other part of the bone, meaning that it's just as likely to break there as any other part of the same bone over the long term: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/health/19really.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/health/19really.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, that article refers to medical bone breaks and fractures. But what about martial arts micro-fracturing? All bets are off. I don't think it has been sufficiently studied to say either way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My feeling is that there probably will be some increase in bone strength, but it will only last until you stop the iron body training. At which point, it will probably return to normal strength. Most likely, then, what people perceive as their bones getting stronger is actually just a lessening of pain and an increase in power due to mechanical adaptations as a result (mentioned above).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the things you can definitely do to increase bone density and bone volume is to start doing weight lifting exercises. Increasing the load (weight) your bones have to endure will cause your bones to grow. This is described in &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolff%27s_law&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Wolfe's Law&lt;/a&gt;. But once again, this is temporary. Your bone's strength will decrease again after you stop loading it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, how important is this &quot;iron body&quot; practice in martial arts? Well, that depends on the style. Styles that do a lot of iron body training probably need it more than styles that practice it less or not at all. Without it, hitting your bones against something will cause a lot of pain, and that will cause you to be timid about using your bones in the way in which your style requires. Some say that's probably a good thing, some obviously would disagree.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muay Thai, for example, uses the shin in its version of the round kick. They practice by hitting stiff punching bags at first. And then later on they'll work on hitting their shins against harder objects. The object is to lessen pain and make the shin bone stronger. This in turn gives them confidence enough to swing their legs really powerfully without worrying about breaking their shin bones. And in general, it works in their favor. But that's because they typically land their round kicks on their opponent's softer areas, like the thigh muscles and the abdomen. But they often do break their shins when they try the same kind of kick on an opponent who turns his knee into the shin. That happens because the lower part of the tibia (shin bone) is inherently weaker than the top part of it (just below the knee). Probably no amount of toughening exercises can make up for this difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in the end, maybe it's just the pain lessening and mechanical adaptation that's important. The bone strengthening is probably a red herring. Or at the very least, it's overemphasized. In my opinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Final word about safety: Obviously, iron body training can cause permanent nerve damage. So work up to it gradually. If you feel shooting pain, pins and needles, or numbness, stop immediately and don't return to it until you know you can handle it and have corrected whatever you were doing wrong. Because, like I said, normally this shouldn't happen. Start slowly and gradually increase force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2014-05-28T20:08:15.780" LastActivityDate="2014-05-28T20:08:15.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3058" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3056" CreationDate="2014-05-28T20:25:04.340" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Funnily enough, I was just reading about this on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.badmartialarts.com/myths/withstanding_blows.php&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;BadMartialArts.com&lt;/a&gt; due to a different page's crosslink. They give a fairly comprehensive explanation of what's involved on a physiological level in conditioning. One of the major takeaways is that part of the conditioning is building up the muscles and learning to tense them properly against a blow to absorb the impact. And part of it is just a matter of getting used to the pain rather than actually damaging nerve endings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, as stated at the end of Steve's answer, if you're trying to avoid long-term damage, it's like anything else in exercise. Start gradually and back off if you start getting negative effects.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2014-05-28T20:25:04.340" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3059" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3033" CreationDate="2014-05-29T10:40:39.670" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You are correct. Red belts are the highest level that one could obtain, 9th Dan being the highest level a normal person could become and 10th Dan which is reserved for the Head of the foundation or Ex Heads.. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Usually for 3rd DAN and above, any promotion would no longer be based solely on your technical skills, but by your contribution to the JUDO society. Contributions such as organizing international Judo events in your country, participating in international seminar or competitions, and other activity that would uplift the image of JUDO. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mind you these were verbal explanation of my sensei who's a 5th Dan belt holder. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from that, Judo and BJJ also share similar belt grading system and according to the official belt ranking system, if you obtained your black belt at the age of 19, you would only be getting your 9th dan belt (Red) at the age of 67yrs old.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Quoting the &lt;a href=&quot;http://tournaments.strongvon.com/sample1/bjj-belt-ranks/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Super Awesome BJJ Foundation&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Current IBJJF regulations places the time it takes to progress from a&#xA;  8th degree red-and-black belt to 9th degree red belt at 10 years. In&#xA;  Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the red belt is reserved “for those whose&#xA;  influence and fame takes them to the pinnacle of the art”. It is&#xA;  awarded in lieu of a 9th and 10th degree black belt (identical to the&#xA;  art of Judo). Assuming that someone received his or her black belt at&#xA;  19 years old (the minimum age to receive a black belt under the&#xA;  IBJJF’s graduation system) the earliest they could expect to receive a&#xA;  9th degree red belt would be at the age of 67. Examples of 9th Degree&#xA;  Red Belt holders include the late Carlson Gracie, Oswaldo Fadda and&#xA;  Geny Rebello. The 10th degree red belt is permanently reserved to the&#xA;  pioneers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Carlos, Oswaldo, Jorge, Gastão and&#xA;  Hélio Gracie.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-05-29T11:23:00.060" LastActivityDate="2014-05-29T11:23:00.060" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3060" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3033" CreationDate="2014-05-29T12:25:38.543" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Red colour is used to show the intense desire to train and the sacrifices made in achieving it. Since getting a white/red or pure red belt meant you invested a large portion of your life to your chosen art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also a lot of (Japanese Martial Art) systems theoretically have unlimited rankings so there could be 11th or even higher DAN ratings. It is just that no one has ever achieved it. :-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But different organisations have different rules about what ranks you could achieve and what the requirements are.  But all martial arts using this system got it from JUDO.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1135" LastEditorUserId="1135" LastEditDate="2014-06-03T14:28:03.197" LastActivityDate="2014-06-03T14:28:03.197" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3062" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3056" CreationDate="2014-05-29T17:04:18.633" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Not all nerves do the same thing!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, here's a thing: not all nerves do the same thing, and you can deaden the pain nerves without losing movement sensitivity.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Movement sensitivity is primarily from proprioception, much of which the nerves that you'd be using measure the length of your muscle spindles and how fast they're being contracted/lengthened.  Likewise pressure sensitivity isn't the same as pain sensitivity, which is why novocaine at the dentist's office stops pain, but you can generally feel them pressing and rooting around in your mouth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It's really about bone&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, deadening the nerves may reduce the amount of pain you feel in blocks/strikes, but it's not really the reason for arm conditioning.  The reason is for bone strengthening - you have to apply stress along the directions you want bones to grow strong in - in most cases, your radial/ulnar bones are designed to take pressure length-wise, not cross-wise.  So, the constant banging is to create microfractures to harden the bones to reduce the odds of a break.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;But is it practical?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, it's pretty iffy to me.  It makes sense of you're doing Muay Thai or a sport where everyone else is ALSO doing bone conditioning and you expect to take a lot of hits to your shins, forearms, using people's full body weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everything else, odds are someone who can hit you with enough force for it to matter is probably using a club or some kind of weapon, in which case, you don't want to take that hit, you want to avoid it or jam it early.  You want to do a little bit more for feeling how to take strong hits and keep your structure, or to push through pain, but constant banging doesn't make a lot of sense to me for modern combative needs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What's it mean for you?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Arm toughening will not lose your movement sensitivity - so if you want to do that, it's fine.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Arm toughening can reduce your pain sensitivity (and some other, non-combative sensitivities too).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Arm toughening can improve your bone strength against cross-ways force, though the amount of work for what you get from it makes it questionable as a useful practice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do a lot of hard blocks against things like roundhouses, it might make a lot of sense to go with.  Otherwise... it really comes down to your preference and making sure you can keep your structure against force and also your ability to deal with pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-05-29T17:04:18.633" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3063" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2966" CreationDate="2014-05-29T21:16:17.167" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll take a stab at this for you since there isn't an answer yet....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first thing I'll say is that in the case of a side kick, moreso than any other type of spinning kick, the spin isn't about generating extra power in the kick, it's simply about opportunity and changing the direction of chambering the kick. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For all of the following discussion assume you are in a left cat stance(Hu Gul Jaseh) with your left foot forward and pointed at your opponent.  Your right foot, bearing most of your weight is back and pointed 90deg right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you'll be performing the side kick with your right foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first thing to realize is that the chambered position will be exactly the same as in a side kick.  So if you feel comfortable with a side kick, perform the motions stopping just before you begin the leg extension and realize this is the same chambered position you should be in at the end of the spin:  left foot pointed back close to 180 degree from it's starting position, left leg slightly bent at knee, right leg bent and pulled up so the knee is at least as high as your belt and knee pointed to your left.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, how to get there.....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm going to break this down into steps which some may argue with.  In the future you will combine the first few steps into one motion, but the transition is instinctive once you get the feel of the mechanics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;From the cat stance: rotate both feet on the balls of your feet so your heels are pointed at your target.  Take note that you also need to drop the heel of the left foot as when this kick is executed the base foot must be flat on the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Turn your torso to the right and your head so you are now looking at the target over your right shoulder.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lift  and bend your right knee so that your knee is at least belt height and pointed ~90 degree left of your target, also this is a good time to bend your ankle up so your heel is ready to strike first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;* Once you have &quot;mastered&quot; the mechanics of this kick you will combine steps 1-3 into a smooth motion where you're turning only on the left foot.*&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Now shoot the kick straight out keeping the following things in mind:  you need to lean your torso back a corresponding amount to how high you're kicking.  You straighten the base leg before contact.  The toes of the kicking foot should be as low or lower than the heel (ideally a 30degree down angle of the foot), if they aren't you probably have your pelvis oriented to far to the right.  Your torso should be sideways to the target and you should be looking over your right shoulder or (behind your right shoulder if need be). The point of contact is the heel toward the outside edge of the foot.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1681" LastActivityDate="2014-05-29T21:16:17.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3064" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-05-29T21:32:52.063" Score="3" ViewCount="1332" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm sure you've all heard of Silat, an Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, Cambodian sort of martial art. I hear it is very effective, almost like krav maga. It's supposed to be intense and when I look online I find weird videos of martial arts teachers hitting their students with a stick really hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to what I hear, it was made to fight the Dutch. Could someone elaborate on the history a little bit please? I want to know how it was invented and why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1924" LastEditorUserId="1924" LastEditDate="2014-05-31T05:07:37.367" LastActivityDate="2014-05-31T05:07:37.367" Title="what is the real history and purpose of silat in a fight?" Tags="|history|self-defense|krav-maga|jeet-kune-do|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3065" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1761" CreationDate="2014-05-29T21:47:18.680" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;user1592 is right. Imagine someone who knew KM just walked into an MMA cage and started fighting. KM practitioners are trained to kill right? They probably would most commonly seriously injure someone every time they entered the ring. If you ask someone who is an expert on KM, they'll say they know a gazillion ways to kill someone. That's not okay to put in a competition, even MMA. I've even talked to someone who has just a few years to get to intermediate KM. Guess what? He knows a couple hundred ways to kill that are ONLY to be used IN SELF DEFENSE.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll cite some sources of the most lethal martial arts and you can read about the top few. You'll notice KM is usually 1st place, at the end, on the list. These lists tend to count down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://list25.com/the-25-most-lethal-martial-arts-ever-created/?view=all&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://list25.com/the-25-most-lethal-martial-arts-ever-created/?view=all&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cracked.com/article_16595_6-great-martial-arts-killing-man-with-your-bare-hands.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.cracked.com/article_16595_6-great-martial-arts-killing-man-with-your-bare-hands.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mma.top5.com/list-of-top-5-deadliest-martial-arts/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://mma.top5.com/list-of-top-5-deadliest-martial-arts/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know your probably thinking &quot;duh&quot; after reading some of those links. Maybe everything said on some of those isn't the most reliable, but reliable or no they all say KM is the most deadly. The reason is because its simply for serious self defense and involves some serious techniques that probably will kill the person they are performed on. The real purpose of KM is probably more likely to be used if someone has a knife or a gun and threatens you, not for MA competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1924" LastActivityDate="2014-05-29T21:47:18.680" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3066" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2966" CreationDate="2014-05-30T09:58:45.470" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll just modify my answer from the linked question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am a TKD instructor. That, and I used to do Latin. Ballroom, HipHop and Freestyle dancing. The combination of these things helped me pick up the techniques fairly intuitively, but the point is that you need to practice kicks in stages: first learn to spot when you do a turn, in other words: don't swing your head, Keep your head on the target like you have a built-in gyroscope. I.e. lead with your head. When you've got the balance/spot thing sorted, practice a regular side kick. When you've got THAT down, practice spinning your knee and stopping in a controlled manner. Finally, practice the actual spinning back kick, taking care to end in a controlled manner. When THAT's taken care off, try hitting a small-ish target like a tennis ball on a piece of string.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing that puts you off-balance is your head being out of alignment. You need to keep your eyes focused on the target. Otherwise you lose your balance and either the kick doesn't count, or you get disoriented and get a mouth full of your opponent's foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practicing in a swimming pool will probably help a bit, but it's more important to learn the various parts and piece them together properly. After that, getting to perform the technique in extreme slow-motion is not a bad idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-05-30T09:58:45.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3067" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3064" CreationDate="2014-05-30T11:47:49.137" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am not someone who has studied the style, so I cannot give insider information, but my understanding is that &lt;em&gt;Silat&lt;/em&gt; as a single martial arts style is about as informative as referring to &lt;em&gt;Kung Fu&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;Swordfighting&lt;/em&gt; as a style. The name actually incorporates a wide variety of styles that only share a few common aspects and otherwise differ greatly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, Silat is fairly heavily weapons-based. It emphasizes footwork to a greater degree than many styles. Visually, their practice drills are distinguished by the practitioner slapping parts of their body, ostensibly to remind themselves at all times that there are open spots on their body that could be attacked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't really comment too much on &quot;deadliness&quot;, but it is one of those styles which is heavily tied to a culture, which means that it's generally taken seriously. Not every Indonesian person is going to be a &lt;em&gt;silat&lt;/em&gt; practitioner, but those who are are respected in much the same way that a football player (respective sort of football) might be in the United States or in Europe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2014-05-30T11:47:49.137" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3068" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3064" CreationDate="2014-05-30T14:38:52.877" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &quot;purpose&quot;? To hurt people, relatively quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not terribly close to anything you list in terms of stylistic similarities, but it depends a lot on which version of Silat you're discussing. E.g., Maphalindo silat (Guro Dan) is different from a &quot;purer&quot; strain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My silat training has been mostly empty-hands, but as with kali, most techniques work equally well with weapons. Some moves assume you're wearing finger knives or holding a karambit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As Sean says, footwork plays a large part in silat, although I'd argue that footwork plays a role in any art that does horrible things to opponents at close range. Unbalancing an opponent can only happen in so many ways--but IMO silat focuses on it in a different way than, say, Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Interestingly, for me, the closest thing to it that I have practiced was actually taiji, which surprised me quite a bit, but again, it depends on how one has studied taiji, which style, and with who.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note also that the term &quot;silat&quot; may also encompass a bunch of non-martial arts cultural stuff, from dance to mysticism. The former is relevant to the martial art, the latter... is not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2014-05-30T14:38:52.877" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3069" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3064" CreationDate="2014-05-30T17:15:00.493" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are hundreds of styles of silat.  Take the entire area, assume most folks were living in villages and had fighting between other villages, pirates, raiders, and invaders for their entire existence, long before the Dutch.  Then add in the influence from the Chinese, the Indians (both Hindu and Muslim) and you get a variety of styles based on what they had to deal with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;General commonalities among silat styles are weapon based (combative - you need to protect your village or king with the best you can, as fast as you can), often including limb breaks and take downs.  Like any martial art group, the deadliness depends on how the people train and what they're training to do - you can find lots of videos of sports silat and you can find videos of knife training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Right now silat is getting a small &quot;fad&quot; push from the combatives crowd, mostly because many silat styles have the karambit as a core weapon, and it's becoming popular as a knife with the knife/tactical crowd.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What does silat do in a fight? Hurt the person bad enough they can't hurt you back.  That may include killing them, but when you realize the core assumption is people coming after you with knifes, machetes, or swords, it's a sensible adaptation for the environment as a response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-05-30T17:15:00.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3070" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2966" CreationDate="2014-05-30T23:24:44.947" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Different people will do this kick differently - when not simple incompetence it can be because - as with most martial arts techniques - there are alternatives giving a different combination of speed, lack of telegraphing, power, control, delayed commitment, recovery time, ability to defend yourself during and after the kick, reach, ease of blocking etc..  There's often no clear right and wrong way.  I say this partly so that if you try what I suggest below and your instructor disagrees - understand we both may be &quot;right&quot; for different scenarios of use, where there are different priorities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There can also be differences in terminology and classification.  I don't consider there to be a useful &quot;side spinning kick&quot; distinct from a &quot;spinning back kick&quot; - I only use one kick in that &quot;space&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend trying to get a linear front-to-back feel to the kick, with the spin done early and minimally.  For practice, if you start with say your left leg forwards in a back or &quot;L&quot; stance, pivot on the balls of both feet such that your front heel turns towards the target, and your back foot turns so the heel is well past forwards, giving some side-to-side stability.  Keep the body weight back and the back leg bent.  Do not arch your back - rather, keep a straight back and incline it away from the target, then look past your chest at the target.  As you push off the back foot, pick it up with the kicking knee out to the side - not tucked under your hips close to the other knee - and keep the shin more or less on line to the target through the entire kick.   The kicking hip should be held away from the target early on in the kick, then rotated powerfully towards the target.  Roll over the ball of the non-kicking foot so that leg is bent but straightening towards the target during contact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While only mentioned as an exercise for developing good hip movement in a non-spinning side kick, one of my videos on youtube does illustrate the above, starting at 1:50 but especially at 3:08 onwards in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTtyTOLqnoc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTtyTOLqnoc&lt;/a&gt; (no point asking me questions on there - I don't remember my login).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-05-30T23:24:44.947" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3071" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-05-31T05:12:25.060" Score="3" ViewCount="395" Body="&lt;p&gt;I heard that the WTF TKD competition rules were changing. Apparently, they want to make it more like MMA. Now, while it's subjective whether or not that's a good or bad thing, that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking if anyone knows when these rule changes are going to occur.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think they might make it so you can punch to the head, as well as do a number of other changes like an octagon ring like MMA. They also want to use pressure sensors or something to measure the force of different strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some sources:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=121418&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=121418&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This second article is what the guy on bullshido is quoting:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/sports/2013/06/136_137979.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/sports/2013/06/136_137979.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone know if there is a specified area of time when these rule changes are to occur? I couldn't find one online.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1924" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2014-06-04T01:00:30.653" LastActivityDate="2014-12-01T09:16:53.063" Title="When are the new WTF competition rules going to happen?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|competition|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3072" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-05-31T22:21:16.747" Score="9" ViewCount="2101" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kit Dale wrote an &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.jiujitsubrotherhood.com/2014/04/why-concepts-are-better-than-techniques-in-bjj/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; about BJJ concepts. He states that he prefers to learn general principles/concepts over specific techniques:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Instead of cluttering up the hard drive of your ‘jiu-jitsu computer’ by trying to memorise thousands of techniques, instead consider installing a ‘faster processor’ by understanding and internalising 50 or so principles or concepts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this a useful approach? Are there any drawbacks?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also see this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zas8pgG_2F4&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1923" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-09T13:54:37.527" LastActivityDate="2019-07-09T13:54:37.527" Title="Preferring BJJ concepts over Technique?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|technique|teaching|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3074" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2802" CreationDate="2014-06-01T03:14:53.487" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;A few things I've noticed from a little striking sparring against wing chun guys...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;a fast jab around their guard, slightly from the side and arcing as is natural for a side-on fighter, surprisingly worked really well as long as I didn't do it so much that it became predictable&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;their stance is frontal and shallow (from front toe to back heel), so they have little angle from either to the centre of mass - that's why they can't advance or retreat as fast as a side-on fighter in a karate-like fighting stance: you can exploit this...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;deep kicks like a stepping side thrusting kick worked very well (but take a lot of effort)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;hit and run tactics as Juann advocates&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;the limited mobility means it's actually pretty safe being on the edge of their reach... they jab fast, but if they have to move first to cover even an extra 10 or 20cm you'll have a significant amount of warning&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;if they get into reach they'll deliver crazy numbers of rapid punches... you want to make sure that if you commit to moving into their range you'll be hitting hard or knocking through their position to force them backwards - a little exploratory punch or feeling that they can easily deflect or wear with vague notions of following it up when you're in closer isn't a great idea&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-06-01T03:14:53.487" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3075" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3072" CreationDate="2014-06-01T08:31:04.413" Score="9" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Concepts are great&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, I agree: concepts are the underlying part of all jiu-jitsu that works. Posture, base, leverage--these will be constants across all techniques that work. I think Kit goes off the rails by extrapolating from his experience to advice for the general populace, however. For instance:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;One of the things I noticed early early on was that you didn’t have to drill something 100 times to be able to apply it during training. If I understood the basic principles of a movement and winged it, it would usually work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've experienced this too, with a certain small set of techniques. But I'd argue that a lot of students can't do this with most techniques. It relies on a lot of rolling time and a large helping of natural athleticism. I have sweeps that came &quot;naturally&quot; to me after merely seeing someone demonstrate it on video, but I also have sweeps that were total garbage until I drilled the hell out of them under constant supervision from a coach. The proportion of techniques that fall into one category or the other will vary according to each student's athleticism, intelligence, and learning style. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Techniques that &quot;work&quot;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd also like to hear some examples of what Kit speaks about here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I remember using moves in sparring that I had never practised before and getting them to work. Even ones I had been told were “bad” by the instructor. My reply to him was always the same: “But it works”.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Were these strength moves, or techniques his instructor just hadn't seen yet? Marcelo talks a lot about moves that work against opponents smaller than you, or even your size, but that fail against someone bigger or stronger. Why practice those techniques? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some techniques work, but are lower-percentage than other techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Techniques AND Concepts&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rolling is always going to be the ultimate laboratory for finding truth in technique. But to advocate for no drilling is to throw legions of athletically cursed individuals into a pit of despair. I prefer instructors who teach specific high-percentage techniques as instances of general concepts. For example: &quot;Here's how we're going to learn to pass the guard today. Notice my posture, here and here. Posture is always important and this position is a fundamentally strong posture. Notice how the important part of this technique is a particular kind of timing. This timing will work for lots of techniques. Notice how this is one of five maximally efficient ways to pass.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-05-31T16:06:06.727" LastActivityDate="2015-05-31T16:06:06.727" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3076" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3078" CreationDate="2014-06-01T11:55:56.747" Score="2" ViewCount="822" Body="&lt;p&gt;Over the past few weeks I have had a pain in a muscle region to the right of my left shoulder blade. It had been building up gradually till in practice I could hardly throw a punch. My trainer recommended me to see a masseuse he sees once a week for a traditional Thai massage. It was not that cheap so that I would imagine doing it once a week. It was an intense massage with lots of deep tissue techniques, and I did feel a lot better but still some pain/discomfort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the question is, did this pain arise from lack of appropriate stretching? Would regular yoga sessions at home have avoided this? Could training with a soaking with sweat shirt have been the primary reason? How often is massage essential for Muay Thai training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastEditorUserId="9304" LastEditDate="2023-05-14T21:56:51.410" LastActivityDate="2023-05-14T21:56:51.410" Title="How useful is it to have regular Thai massages parallel to Muay Thai training and is yoga a substitute?" Tags="|training|injury|muay-thai|stretching|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="3078" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3076" CreationDate="2014-06-02T03:29:21.750" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here's the thing about shoulder pain: it might be a muscle strain, it might be partial tendon tear, it might be a pinched nerve, it might be bursitis, it might be a lot of things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, depending what the problem is, massage might help, rest might help, strengthening might help, stretching might help, ergonomics might help... hell, surgery might help.  On the other hand, the wrong solution might make things worse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So with that said, until you get a good bead on what's happening, no one can say whether massage would be a good solution for you or not.  A sports medicine specialist, a physical therapist, or a very educated massage therapist, would be able to pinpoint the real problem and give you advice on the correct solution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a general sense, massage can be helpful for athletes, as much as strengthening, as much as some stretching (enough for the range of motion you plan on using, not more than that).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-06-02T03:29:21.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3079" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-06-02T03:57:02.213" Score="18" ViewCount="56098" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are the general tactics of Krav Maga as opposed to Systema? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, the tactics of Silat are to hurt the other person so badly they can't hurt back. Another example would be that the tactics of boxing would be to knock out the other person first using only punches. So, as far as I know, the goal of Systema and Krav Maga are both to do anything you can to defeat your attacker because they are serious about self defense. Does that mean that Krav Maga and Systema are strategical identical? Does Krav use strategies that Systema doesn't? Does Systema use any strategies that Krav doesn't? Is there a difference or do they generally work the same way?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1924" LastEditorUserId="1551" LastEditDate="2014-07-18T14:00:30.183" LastActivityDate="2022-10-26T21:02:55.657" Title="What is the strategic difference between Krav Maga and Systema?" Tags="|technique|self-defense|krav-maga|protective-equipment|systema|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3080" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3076" CreationDate="2014-06-02T06:49:48.497" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;If you have pains, go and see a professional medical practitioner&lt;/em&gt;: your GP (Doctor) or a physiotherapist that specialises in sports injuries. They should be able to tell you what you did and how to fix it. You can ask them if alternative treatment is not dangerous  but we all know that &quot;alternative medicine&quot; that's been proved to work is called &lt;strong&gt;medicine&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would strongly suggest finding a different trainer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a side note, do not take medical advice from clueless strangers on the Internet: go and seek professional medical help!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-06-02T06:49:48.497" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3082" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-06-02T16:55:00.153" Score="6" ViewCount="11018" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know that some people hold house keys in their fist while walking through the dark streets. It is meant to increase damage inflicted on an attacker's face, like an improvised knuckle-duster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can it really improve one's defence capability? I think it gives you just a little bit of momentum. Moreover it hurts your palm during impact. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To sum up: Is it better to punch someone with keys placed inside your fist or without them?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user46147" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-05-31T13:26:41.570" LastActivityDate="2017-06-02T12:59:28.827" Title="To punch with keys or without?" Tags="|self-defense|punching|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3083" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3082" CreationDate="2014-06-02T19:13:33.930" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As it mentions in the comments, the idea is to have the keys protrude from within your fingers so that you can scratch someone.  I personally would not do this.  There are reasons for this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It takes a bit of time to setup. If I am attacked, it will probably be without warning, therefore I will not be able to get my keys between my fingers in time.  If I knew I might be attacked, for example, walking in a part of town I shouldn't, I would be able to set up a much better defense, for example, a knife.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It will only tick the bad guy off, even if you do manage a good shot.  Unless you get a key directly in someone's eye, it's not going to do much (in which case you could have used your fingers).  Keys may cut if you apply enough force, but they are not sharp like a knife.  They will not make you into an impromptu Wolverine.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I don't like to load my fist with anything.  I know there are martial artists who advocate this, but in the styles I practice, a well-formed (tight) fist is preferred.  I haven't noticed an increase in force from experimenting with a loaded fist.  If I &lt;strong&gt;was&lt;/strong&gt; going to load my fist, I would do so with something solid like a &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubotan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Kubotan&lt;/a&gt; rather than something that will shift and hurt my hand like a handful of keys.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sorry you didn't get the physics answer you were looking for, but hopefully this practical answer helps you out.  I would recommend a Kubotan (and learning how to use it) over a handful of keys any day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-06-02T19:30:17.080" LastActivityDate="2014-06-02T19:30:17.080" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3084" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3082" CreationDate="2014-06-02T20:44:39.443" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's basically two ways to use a normal set of keys for self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. Between the knuckles&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Held protruding between the knuckles you might be able to get a gouge on someone, particularly in the eyes, neck or cheek.  The problem is that you have to hold it in such a way that the keys do not slide back into your hand while you're doing it, and it often depends on how you have your keys set up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My suggestion for anyone doing this would be to actually play with it and try stabbing cardboard to see if you can hold up under resistance to your force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. Between forefinger and thumb... as a key&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is more done as a classic knife/shiv/shank move, and again, the targets are going to be the same.  You've got a slightly better grip in this case, and a lot more target control.  The method would be stab then twist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, if you've got something sharper, like mini-scissors, screwdriver, or wine bottle corkscrew, that works better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is it effective?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, obviously if you can have a better weapon, you should probably use that instead.  Gouging with a not-entirely-sharp object might cause enough pain to dissuade them, but if they're ramped up enough on adrenaline, if they're not feeling pain, if they've got on heavy clothing protecting a lot of targets... it's not exactly the best choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend small 5-7 inch maglites or the bar section of a U-lock as better choices for non-weapon weapons.  Sharp objects are theoretically more deadly, but the problem is how well trained are you in using them, and, of course, does that really make sense given your self defense laws and needs?  Mostly, clubbing someone in the head/face with an object and stunning them enough for you to run away is what most folks need in civilian situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Punching with vs. without&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do a knife art, so I'd be comfortable using it if I had to, but... I also have stuff better than keys on my keychain to use instead.   For most folks, I'd say practice with stabbing cardboard and see how well it holds in your hand, how well you can maintain your grip and how well you can target.   If you can't, stick to what you can use effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-06-02T20:44:39.443" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3085" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3082" CreationDate="2014-06-03T01:41:47.423" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen some horrific photos of injuries sustained from trying to put the keys between the knuckles where they slipped from impact. Try putting keys in your fist and push them up against a hard surface. Notice that it doesn't take much pressure before they twist and start pushing into your flesh. Holding a key between thumb and forefinger is a bit better, but it's really only good for raking at the eyes and forehead (a cut to the forehead can blind them with the copious blood flow, plus it really hurts). Ideally, you're better off running, but if someone runs up and scoops you up, a quick rake to the face can convince them to drop you so that you can run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, if you can form a proper fist, you're better off just punching with that. Better, you can get a &lt;em&gt;kubotan&lt;/em&gt; to attach with your keys, which gives you a punching weight, a flail, and a joint manipulation stick all in one. That said, be warned that it may be considered a weapon and confiscated wherever weapons are not allowed (airports, federal buildings, etc). They're also a bit awkward to stuff in your pocket at first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-04-27T11:34:05.830" LastActivityDate="2017-04-27T11:34:05.830" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3086" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2129" CreationDate="2014-06-03T01:44:35.190" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A digital camera can be good for this. Film yourself doing the movement, then watch the footage while the feel of it is still fresh in your mind. Even better, if you have a large TV near where you train, watch yourself doing the movement. That's probably the best way to be able to see, say, a side view, as you're moving.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2014-06-03T01:44:35.190" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3087" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3090" CreationDate="2014-06-03T05:17:51.190" Score="6" ViewCount="419" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most martial arts seem to have staged pre defined series of moves as part of their practice routines. Karate with its Katas, Taekwondo with the Poomsaes etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When push comes to shove and the fight is real, details like which part of the leg to kick with etc. change and it becomes different. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to understand what exactly traditional teachers say about the usefulness of these exercises. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1965" LastActivityDate="2014-06-03T12:23:10.050" Title="Utility of pre planned moves" Tags="|forms|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2014-06-04T01:00:46.780" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3088" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3087" CreationDate="2014-06-03T05:44:35.890" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kata &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; sparring.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Due to the facts that:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kata are a static sequence of moves  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;for most junior members (and even some senior members) sparring is a free form unplanned sequence of moves (for new people it tends to be totally random)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;it can take many years to get your head around this concept. Gradually the two start to merge, so that when you are sparring you are executing a constant sequence of kata moves (in a sequence that fits what's happening), and your kata practice becomes a mental sparring session as you perform the moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;How&lt;/em&gt; can kata be sparring?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Many instructors teach kata as just a memory aide or a conditioning exercise, and indeed they are both of those, but they're also more.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Take one of the most basic moves - a stomach level reverse punch  (gyaka zuki chudan): &lt;em&gt;why&lt;/em&gt; is it in any particular kata multiple times? It's because along with the moves adjacent to it it becomes part of an attack. Mastery of a kata means being familiar with the multitude of different attacks and permutations buried in the kata.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Exactly what the attacks are hitting will depend on what position your opponent is in when you start. To borrow a programming term, attacks from kata are mostly &lt;em&gt;deterministic&lt;/em&gt; - if all the inputs are the same then the output is 100% predictable and the same every time. As I mentioned in a &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/262/70&quot;&gt;previous answer on the subject&lt;/a&gt;, if the opponent starts in a certain position and I execute a specific sequence of movements then I will know exactly where his head and body are at the end, this allows me to progress on to the next sequence of moves should I need it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-06-03T05:44:35.890" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3089" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3082" CreationDate="2014-06-03T07:15:10.180" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just love those self defence myths.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, unless you have trained punching people with keys in between your fingers, the result will be as much (if not more) damage to yourself as with the target.  You may drop your keys as a result of the impact and pain which means that you lost your keys. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3088367/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Punch Injuries: Insights into Intentional Closed Fist Injuries&lt;/a&gt; provides some interesting reading on people getting injured while punching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, &lt;em&gt;I am not a lawyer nor do I play one on TV&lt;/em&gt;, however if you go into a situation with intent to inflict harm with an object, that object might be viewed as a weapon. Thus, you might be arrested and charged under assault (or similar offence).  If you are concerned about this, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;speak with your criminal attorney&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;However, be aware that even a seemingly safe product, deliberately aimed and sprayed in someone's eyes, would become an offensive weapon because it would be used in a way that was intended to cause injury. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q589.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Source&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So spices, as advocated in the comments, &lt;em&gt;might be&lt;/em&gt; considered an offensive weapon, if used with premeditation (or the intention to harm). &lt;a href=&quot;https://law.stackexchange.com/q/19282/12160&quot;&gt;I am not aware of any such prosecutions. However, some strangers on the Internet who claim to know about law seem to agree with me that such a prosecution is possible.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, in almost all civilian self defence situations, it is better not to be there, instead of fighting.  Make sure you are not in a position to be assaulted.  If you are, run to safety as soon as you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-06-02T12:59:28.827" LastActivityDate="2017-06-02T12:59:28.827" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3090" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3087" CreationDate="2014-06-03T08:31:51.907" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Traditional teachers of different style say many different things, of which, some have more, or less validity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's some things I've heard said about forms in general:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It teaches you how to relax into all of the positions/movements for most efficient energy use&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The movements specifically work to stretch/strengthen various muscles in a given order&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The movements build chi/ki/magical power&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Forms build muscle memory for you&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Forms are long chain movements that were put together to make it easy for non-literate people to remember and transmit the movements.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Forms are several small combos put together - you may not use the 20 moves in a form, but you'll probably use 2-3 in sequence, and probably a few different sequences within the form as a whole.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The last two seem very relevant and true in my experience, and I think of forms less as an immediate tool for combat and more as a development exercise - just as much as you don't do pushups or punch like drills on a speed bag in a fight, those are still useful practices to do. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do know that many of the folks reputed as masters, and two of the skillful teachers I've managed to work with, swear by forms.  My personal guess is, though, that need a good amount of hands on time with live partners to ingrain the understanding of reach, timing, force, and balance against another person before doing the form can really give you much of whatever they're getting from it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-06-03T08:31:51.907" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3091" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3087" CreationDate="2014-06-03T09:29:50.283" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many people/masters/schools have different views on what Katas is and is for. Below would be my views on Kata&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What KATA is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is basically a set of moves a practitioners could do on their own, as well as with another partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What KATA is for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This question is very subjective depending on the school / master. From my point of view, KATA in its essence teaches proper structure,form, footwork, proper utilization of power and leverage and etc. By perfecting your KATA, you could generate the maximum effectiveness of your art. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, i feel that my punches tend to be weak and tend to leave me unstable after delivering a solid blow. By perfecting the KATA, i am able to understand the principles and reason why it is weak, thus allowing me to make corrections, and after many many times of repetition, it overwrites my previous form or bad habits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also many hidden moves &amp;amp; principles in a KATA and it is usually difficult to identify unless pointed out by someone else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Misconceptions&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many practitioners find that by perfecting KATAs alone would make them a complete fighter. They often neglect the physical conditioning part of training. By lifting weights to make you stronger &amp;amp; faster, sprinting to increase speed &amp;amp; stamina, meditation to increase focus and etc. These are all as important as KATAs and should be trained equally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the beginning , you might be able to get away with sloppy stance, sloppy punches or kicks just by being strong or fast, but as you progress and meet more experienced practitioners who are as strong and as fast as you are, you wouldn't be able to rely on physicality alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-06-03T09:29:50.283" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3092" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3087" CreationDate="2014-06-03T12:23:10.050" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think that, as a concept, &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; are highly useful. It teaches students to chain moves, to not hit once and then pause to figure out what to do next. It gets you thinking about how your body shifts weight from block to punch and teaches combinations that are synergistic, such as using an inside block and capitalizing on the opened defense with a reverse punch, or chaining a roundhouse kick with a spinning heel kick. The odds of doing the movement during sparring in exactly the same way you do it in &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; is small, but your muscle memory has you headed in the right direction and more likely to have an alternate plan if you see your opponent is prepared for what you started doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, you should always know &lt;em&gt;why&lt;/em&gt; you are doing the movements. The term in Karate is &lt;em&gt;bunkai&lt;/em&gt; and it's the difference between thinking &quot;OK, for the next move, I put my hands on my hips and waggle them&quot; and &quot;I am being pulled into a bearhug. I am striking their forearms and shifting my center of balance down and to the side to break their hold&quot;. And, of course, you never want to become predictable in your movements, but that's where training multiple &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; is necessary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2014-06-03T12:23:10.050" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3093" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="369" CreationDate="2014-06-03T16:05:07.237" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ankles are your lowest pivot to move your body (while standing up, at least).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means the ankles are key in any movement you do.  Boxers pivot on the ball of their foot, through the ankles to get extra power.  Many styles go up onto the ball of the foot to get a little extra reach, or drop back down to the heel to throw in bodyweight into downward strikes.  Shifting foot direction (and therefore, knee alignment) alternatively through the ball of the foot or the heel is a common way to shift the centerline and your field of strength without taking full steps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, if you have to move your center of gravity in ANY fashion while standing, you're going to bring your ankles into it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Probably most importantly, if the ankle goes, the person can't stand.  Just like pulling the bottom blocks out of a Jenga Tower.  Ankles are pretty strong as far as joints go, so the usual two methods of attacking them are either a full body weight attack upon the joint (very low sliding kicks, scissor kicks, staff/weapon strikes) or a hard twist via a grapple (which, actually destroys the knee ligaments rather than the ankle itself, but the inability to stand is still the same...).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-06-03T16:05:07.237" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3094" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2341" CreationDate="2014-06-03T16:13:00.013" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question I always ask someone before sharing something, is, &quot;How much training do you want to do, and how much will you train to keep it up?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And this isn't a judgment or demand they HAVE to do training - it's an assessment of what makes the most sense to teach them.  If they're elderly, if they're disabled, it's unrealistic to demand they train in serious, regular ways.  If they've got kids, if they're just trying to survive or very busy, it may also not make sense to make high demands either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, the useful things to teach even if someone can't do regular training:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Elbows&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knees&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Turning the opponent's head (palm strikes, forearms, face claws)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shoves&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hammer fists (especially w/objects like flashlights, etc.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Disarms are tough!  They're really hard, and that's the reality of it.  You can try to teach them, but they require a lot of training to successfully use.  Folks who are not going to practice enough to ingrain it?  The above is usually simple gross motor skills that can be effective against a lot of targets with little training and people can call upon enough to stun the person enough to run and hopefully get to safety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-06-03T16:13:00.013" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3095" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3097" CreationDate="2014-06-04T14:18:30.983" Score="6" ViewCount="2533" Body="&lt;p&gt;I happened to come across a Krav Maga youtube video that teaches a knife-fighting stance that seeks to guard the major arteries. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRzcZgoti80&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Here is a link to the video&lt;/a&gt;. I would describe the stance more, but the video demonstrates it well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On face value, it seems like an extraordinarily practical stance for a knife fight. Is it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1235" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-12-14T14:19:04.070" LastActivityDate="2022-09-17T15:59:19.470" Title="Practical knife defense stance" Tags="|krav-maga|stance|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3096" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3095" CreationDate="2014-06-04T14:41:08.827" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Be Proactive&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any &quot;stance&quot; against a knife gives the wrong idea about what you should be doing.  Now, I'm sure the instructor here is not advocating standing there and shelling up.  But he is not engaging the knife-wielding attacker.  It is important to be pro-active versus a knife, not reactive, and the idea of this &quot;stance&quot; is fundamentally reactive.  If you are against a knife, you must be either&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A) (best option) retreating, running away, not engaging at all.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;B) controlling the knife-wielding hand in a direction that it cannot cut you, or, if that is not possible, controlling it so that it will cut you where it will do the least damage&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a gap between options A, where you're totally dis-engaged and B, where you're completely in control.  The idea is to minimize the gap.  There's very little time here, certainly not enough to be worrying about a guard of any kind like the one the instructor in the video shows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Targets&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't make assumptions here about what this instructor teaches and what he doesn't from a short clip on Youtube.  But I can tell you the stance he is showing leaves several options available to a knife-wielding attacker.  He has covered his neck and his armpit.  Great.&#xA;Now he's got a knife underneath his sternum or he's disemboweled.  Other targets are the achilles tendon and the back of the knee.  Kali fighters are not afraid to go low. That's where you're least expecting to get cut.  Bottom line: You cannot protect all viable targets.  The only way to do that is to control the knife itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Summary&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In empty-hand versus knife, use defense by position and don't worry about a guard.  Get to where the knife is going in a direction where you're not ASAP, either by completely disengaging, or by engaging 100% and controlling the knife-arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-06-04T14:55:12.430" LastActivityDate="2014-06-04T14:55:12.430" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3097" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3095" CreationDate="2014-06-04T15:51:18.577" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;Against knives, that's a terrible position.  In bladed arts like kali, escrima, and penjak silat, you see it appear as the briefest of transition phases, usually if you have a blade yourself but it's not a position to hold.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With your arms crossed over like that, it's easy to control and trap both arms with one hand, allowing your attacker's free hand (the knife) to repeatedly stab you in the abdomen.  It's especially vulnerable to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37XiSn81oFw&quot;&gt;classic prison shank maneuver&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more practical stance I've seen is somewhat like a tight boxer's guard (&quot;Peek-a-boo&quot; style).  Trying to google it, this &lt;a href=&quot;http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx2b6xE6oo1qes23l.jpg&quot;&gt;manga boxer pic is pretty close&lt;/a&gt; - imagine this except hands open palm with the fingertips coming just below your eyes and your legs brought close together (to protect the arteries on inner legs).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just like peek-a-boo boxing, you'll be using a bit of bob and weave, a lot of body movement to angle, and you may transition into covering your neck with your hands or bringing one arm to cover the sides quickly.  The other half is offensive - you want the knife gone ASAP and that means either attacking the weapon arm, getting control, or grabbing a nearby object as a weapon or shield.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unlike taking blunt strikes from an unarmed person, nearly everything is a target to a knife, and you can't afford to keep taking hits.  You will not be in any particular stance for very long, as you either have to get rid of the knife, run, or you'll be in a bad position while they're stabbing you and trying to figure out what you're going to do next.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideally you move yourself to a flanking position outside of the weapon arm with some control and then break that arm/stun it and get the knife out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-06-04T15:51:18.577" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3098" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3095" CreationDate="2014-06-04T15:52:39.573" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The position in the video seems to presuppose that you can't avoid getting slashed but do have time to cross your arms into place and tuck your head down... that's a very bizarre supposition.  If you've time to get into that position, you may have had time to move to dodge or block the knife, restrict the targets, angles and/or power, or preempt the attack with your own attack.  I'd generally rather be in a race to do any of those rather than cover up and hope for the best, particularly as that position will leave you in a difficult/slow position to unravel from to watch them properly, let alone prepare to defend or counter - i.e. they can probably slash again, and again, and again....  Further, the original attack might not end up being a slash - they could easily &lt;em&gt;stab&lt;/em&gt; into your front ribs or temple.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even in a worst case scenario - they've just knocked your glasses off and it's dark and you've no chance of knowing where they're attacking from and one foot's glued to the pavement ;-P... I'd rather lean away and swing my front arm across the path they're likely to take for a slash or thrust and hope to go from there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2014-06-04T16:00:48.793" LastActivityDate="2014-06-04T16:00:48.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3099" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2341" CreationDate="2014-06-04T17:30:03.380" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Having ladies of average size defend against an average man is a big ask... a lot of striking, grappling, throwing and joint locking techniques just won't work if the power ratio is something like 1:5.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A major decision for them is whether to learn an entire system of fighting &lt;em&gt;as an art/style&lt;/em&gt;, or to learn a smallish set of specific moves as a compact self defence arsenal.  If they do choose an art/style, I believe they should aim to find one that squarely addresses the self defence movements I list below, hopefully adding depth to the understanding of mechanics and application thereof, without too many other distractions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another factor is whether they aspire to learn to hold off an opponent who has time to pursue them, so they can't just get the upper hand briefly and escape to safety.  That's hard - so much so that it's probably not worth the extra effort to learn unless they love the training for its own sake or you live in some particularly horrible place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for as you seem pretty confident of your own understanding of combat techniques, but it's worth asking yourself whether your perspectives and training translate to smaller/weaker women vs. larger/stronger men scenarios, and to the need to get in one decisive hit without trading blows or being over powered.  I'll make a list of techniques you might at least want to read over and cross-reference with your own impressions - feel free to ask me why I include specific techniques in the &quot;recommended&quot; or &quot;not recommended list&quot;, or what I think about some other techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A few suggestions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; focus on doing a few things well - 95% of common techniques won't be effective against an average male assailant even if they're delivered well, so focus on the ones that can be.  For example, these are worthwhile:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;palm strike to the nose or chin&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;punch to the throat, chin, nose&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;slap across the jaw&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;forearm (thumb side) arm bar across the front of the face or side of jaw &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;forward horizontal elbow to the throat, chin, nose&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;poking the eyes if attacked with frontal strangulation&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;kneeing or front kicking the groin&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;there are others...&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are likely not worthwhile:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;punching, chopping or kicking to the body (often ineffectual against stronger person)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;kicking to the head (too hard to hit effectively - too easy to be taken down, and I say this as a taekwondo instructor now practicing kyokushin)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;kicking to the thigh (ineffectual)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;escapes from grabs/holds (the emphasis should be on striking well enough with the still-free limbs - while they're distracted with the attempt to grab - to get them to release and hopefully create sufficient time to follow up or escape, rather than narrowing the focus to match theirs; there are simply too many possible grabs to learn effective escapes for them all)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;joint locking (very hard to use effectively against stronger non-cooperative opponents)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;many others...&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Something that looms huge in my consciousness for self defence and effectiveness of martial arts in general is sound body mechanics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd particularly like to draw attention to the palm strike to the chin/nose:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;fast and direct&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;linear strikes take more active timing to block than hooking swings where a blocking arm can just passively absorb the attack&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;most people's palms are pretty strong - there's a lot less chance of injuring yourself than with a punch where the wrist may buckle (or the subconscious may reduce power to avoid the wrist buckling) and unconditioned knuckled may be injured, though a palm can also be bent backwards too far is you hit closer to the fingers - there's still risk but less&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;palm strike can work very naturally to convey the power from the legs and hips to the target... it can be surprisingly strong &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some suggestions for developing a palm strike (for simplicity, assuming the right hand will strike):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;practice &quot;pushing&quot; strongly against a heavy - even immovable - object, building that up to be a strong shove... once comfortable they can practice against your chest or shoulder and try to efficiently transfer their strength up through their legs and torso to move you backwards - the arm should be the last thing to add power - pretty much only after their leg has broken your balance and started you backwards&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;they adopt a stance alongside the &quot;target&quot; with the right palm near the right hip/ribs, just resting in a relaxed position touching the target, elbow backwards - the striking arm is kept tight in close to the body throughout - do not lift the arm like a swinging hook!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;right leg back about one shoulder width and bent at the knee, rear foot fully grounded and turned outwards only a little (around 30 degrees - most people will want to turn it outwards further, and may need to stretch their calf to adopt this angle),&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;body rotated 45 degrees towards the target, and during the strike it rotates around the vertical central axis that runs down through the head and groin,&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;push with the back leg first, rotating the hips smoothly in a single horizontal plane without them lifting or falling, then as the right hip is forwards it should start dragging the right shoulder forwards, then the arm - still relaxed - gets dragged forwards too as the hip approaches the end of it's range of motion - a bit past frontal.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;throughout, feel the torso twisting, and let those movements bring the hand forwards - the arm muscles can stay relatively relaxed and just twitch forwards during the conclusion of the movement.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The power in a good palm thrust comes up from the legs - the legs are doing something quite similar to a sprinter moving off the starting block - the bag leg is bent and ready to flick the right hip forwards - the shoulders and eventually arm are part of a whipping/chain movement, with the arm extension and strike itself almost an afterthought.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've felt women around your wife's size deliver very surprisingly powerful strikes in this fashion (most notably a middle-aged frail lady who studied under the late taichi master Erle Montaigue).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Something else - some people have movements they're familiar with from sports - for example, one of my friends used to play volleyball and has a very natural, powerful movement for &quot;spiking&quot; a ball... while not ideal, using that to spike someone's nose is reasonable advice given that person's disinterest in spending time and effort to study proper martial arts technique.  Similarly, look to use the physical abilities your family have... see if the movements they're already very comfortable and proficient with suggest any techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-06-04T17:30:03.380" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3101" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3033" CreationDate="2014-06-05T05:49:35.923" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;To add to the (excellent) answers already provided:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Black is an &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2470/what-does-it-take-to-get-a-black-belt-in-taekwondo/2476#2476&quot;&gt;arbitrary color for an arbitrary level&lt;/a&gt;. This is why I've told people to be &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1764/avoiding-belt-factories/1767#1767&quot;&gt;very, very dubious of special &quot;black belt tracks.&quot;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two reasons for this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, &quot;1 dan&quot; (or its equivalent) is an arbitrary designation within the art. It indicates that you have learned whatever set of principles they think you should know to be whatever they consider a 1 dan. This isn't flippant: It is part of why some arts get you to &quot;1 dan&quot; relatively quickly where others it can take years and years to get there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means that while comparing 1 dans within a single art is fairly effectively, it breaks down somewhat even between schools in the same art and almost entirely when you transition between arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second reason is that, even within different schools within the same art, they will use different belts. I've seen a &quot;brown belt&quot; and a &quot;red belt&quot; mean the same kup rank simply because the organization as a whole had no prescription and the individual schools used different belt color ordering. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically what it boils down to is that if an individual is a &quot;black belt&quot; or a &quot;red belt&quot; it doesn't mean a whole lot without knowing how long it takes/what it takes to get there and where that particular school/tradition considers that belt color in whatever ranking system they use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;…which of course all assumes they even use a graded ranking system and that it is represented by belts, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/512/how-did-the-colour-belt-ranking-system-originate?rq=1&quot;&gt;neither of which are even entirely universal&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-06-05T05:49:35.923" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3103" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3095" CreationDate="2014-06-05T15:22:12.520" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The only effective stance against a knife attack is the Usain Bolt stance, i.e. run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-06-05T15:22:12.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3105" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3046" CreationDate="2014-06-09T06:13:33.497" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From the clinch:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Close the distance: keep your posture and get your hips close to their hips so there is no way for them to generate the power to throw a knee. Be wary of trips or takedowns, or do them yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Trip them to the opposite side: when they do a knee, especially one from the side, rotate them rotating them in the direction of their standing leg. This works better when your hips are close to theirs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Block their hip with your elbow. If you're losing the clinch and they're breaking your posture down, use one hand on their hip to block the hip from generating any power. Be prepared to perform a sit out or a shot or to walk your hips below yourself and squat up again.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Don't let your posture be broken.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastEditorUserId="3234" LastEditDate="2014-10-22T03:04:19.973" LastActivityDate="2014-10-22T03:04:19.973" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3106" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3072" CreationDate="2014-06-09T06:17:53.423" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Through learning moves; getting taught sequences you should be learning and incorporating these concepts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I.e. when I teach a half guard pass, I teach what is necessary for you to complete the pass. You can grab those tools and apply them in a different way to get a different pass, as long as you know how to use each of those tools properly and in conjunction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I teach the armbar from the guard; I'm teaching much more than just the armbar from guard; I'm teaching how to do an armbar; to isolate an arm, lock down on it, to hyperextend it, to control the head and posture of your opponent etc. These concepts will allow you to do an armbar from anywhere, but it requires some of your own inventiveness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To stimulate that inventiveness, you get taught // you learn more moves, so you see; hey the armbar from mount is the same as the armbar from guard; maybe I can apply more of what I know from guard to the mount position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think he just tells more directly what people have been teaching for forever. He sort of lifts the covers on how teaching is done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2014-06-09T06:17:53.423" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3107" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3011" CreationDate="2014-06-09T06:20:53.590" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;erm I think you can't grab the other guys glove in the rules;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;but regardless think of this;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;you're in punching distance. You just used your two hands to detain one of his. He's got a free hand and you don't. You're going to eat a knuckle (or elbow since this is thai)-sandwich. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Better things to do; you could slap his hand away and close the distance, or squash his hand between your two bodies with your body. (e.g. go chest to chest with his glove in between, stuck from the pressure).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1207" LastActivityDate="2014-06-09T06:20:53.590" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3108" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1769" CreationDate="2014-06-10T18:47:41.707" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes kicking frequently on a target like a bag or a mitts will harden and make your shins harder. Just keep doing it frequent (at least 2 times a week, more would be better). A more extreme training method is to kick on car tires (some muay thai fighters are actually doing it). Yes, and good leg conditioning (running, jumping, weights, etc) in general will make your legs more resistable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When sparring and even when wearing shin pads on you can get some big bruises. Sometimes they are so big that you cannot properly train the next day because it hurts so much at the point you're making contact. Then the proper thing is to squeeze out the bruises with your thumbs or fingers or with a bottle so that your shin becomes all smooth again without any bumps. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1978" LastActivityDate="2014-06-10T18:47:41.707" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3109" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-06-11T19:49:09.320" Score="7" ViewCount="351" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most of my training has been for blade work, and now I'm working with sticks with a friend to get some of the differences down.  The basic stuff (more force, direct strikes, any point can become a handle, etc.) I can work through pretty easily, but the stuff that's more intriguing is I'm looking at ways sticks can be used as levers for grapples, locks, breaks and takedowns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We're working with mostly escrima sized sticks, but I'd also be interested in smaller flashlight/kubotan sized weapons as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for good video or step-by-step photo resources.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-06-19T13:14:03.147" Title="Good sources on using sticks for grappling/locks?" Tags="|grappling|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3111" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3109" CreationDate="2014-06-12T01:13:21.910" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Book &quot;Stick Fighting&quot; by Masaaki Hatsumi has some good stuff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1984" LastActivityDate="2014-06-12T01:13:21.910" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3112" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3032" CreationDate="2014-06-13T02:52:13.877" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I find that my no-gi fighting has become an order of magnitude better due to wearing a gi. You will find a few benefits:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It slows down your game considerably, which means that you can't just&#xA;rely on raw speed and athleticism to get your moves off.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your grip  strength will increase dramatically which will make your arm drags&#xA;more effective as well as let you keep your grips when you do spider&#xA;guard, De La Riva, etc., especially when you are sweating.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A gi lets your opponent take advantage of  mistakes better and will make such mistake obvious. This will improve your no-gi game as you will need to react faster and plan better.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You need to think more about what is being thrown at you in gi. While&#xA;you may have 10 moves in no-gi, you may have 30, 50 or more to think&#xA;about in gi (just an example). It really makes it physical chess at that point, which&#xA;simplifies no-gi fighting for you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;seeing all the gi techniques in action let you figure out the underlying principles better. You are no longer doing rote techniques, but learning the underlying concepts. This makes you an much more adaptable fight.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1987" LastActivityDate="2014-06-13T02:52:13.877" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3113" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3123" CreationDate="2014-06-13T14:36:38.510" Score="7" ViewCount="964" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman_punch&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;superman punch&lt;/a&gt; seems to be a powerful technique in &lt;strong&gt;Muay Thai&lt;/strong&gt;. I have had it used on me many times by a guy who likes it. It breaks through my guard frequently from the sheer force and momentum behind it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are the features that give its value? Is it the fact that the body moves more with it to add extra momentum? Is it that the body is higher up to make counter strikes more difficult? The range from where it begins? Or that the start of the move looks like feigned kick?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In which situations do you use it? When the opponent is far away? When there guard is strong? When they are in a defensive mode? When you want to get close quickly? When they look like they want to kick? etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Given the choice of various punches to throw, eg. cross/jab etc., why choose the superman punch?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-04-27T12:54:04.603" LastActivityDate="2021-04-27T12:54:04.603" Title="In which situations in Muay Thai is the 'super man' punch used and why is it more effective than the normal 'cross punch'?" Tags="|technique|muay-thai|punching|sparring|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="3114" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-06-13T18:16:07.650" Score="5" ViewCount="669" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am wondering what are the main techniques/principles to use in order to keep someone from passing your guard. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I.e. How to effectively control posture in closed guard to allow sweeps and subs?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But also, if you feel your closed guard is opening, how to switch effectively to another guard before your opponent has the chance to pass?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: I am currently working on butterfly and worm guard as my closed guard gets opened and passed very easily!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1923" LastActivityDate="2023-01-02T04:48:46.757" Title="Maintaining Guard- Breaking Posture and switching from closed to butterly/open guard effectively?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|closed-guard|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3115" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2470" CreationDate="2014-06-13T19:50:25.030" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your club/school will probably have a promotional exam every few months, or every semester if it's a university program. That's a good time to watch (even if you are not ready to test) and get a good feel for what people have to learn and how good they have to be all the way up through the ranks, including dan ranks. (For a small school, you may have dan tests only yearly or intermittently, but a big school may have people testing for black belt ranks quite frequently.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Seeing with your own eyes how it's done in your school, and the standards they expect, will be much more valuable than any advice you'll get here, which could easily differ from practices where you are specifically training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, you could, you know, just ask the black belts in your dojang how long they've been training and what it takes to get to where they are. They'll probably be happy to talk to you, and their answers will be more accurate and relevant than any you get from the internet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="698" LastActivityDate="2014-06-13T19:50:25.030" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3116" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3109" CreationDate="2014-06-13T22:21:12.207" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You really should check out some of the &quot;Stick Grappling&quot; videos on Youtube. There are plenty. Also, look specifically for anything you can get by the &quot;Dog Brothers&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the stick grappling videos you'll see are going to be by people who have combined Filipino escrima / kali with Brazilian Jiujitsu. This is okay, but keep in mind that most of what you'll see is a lot of theory, because these people often don't do more than drills with it. Ie, they're not trying to see how it works at full speed in sparring. So you'll get a lot of theory, some of which looks good, some looks questionable, but mostly it's untested.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas, the Dog Brothers have been doing stick grappling for decades now, but they do it much more realistically. They are a bit extreme, though. Their motto is &quot;Higher consciousness through harder contact.&quot; When they do their version of sparring, they tend to wear Lacrosse style mitts, arm pads, leg pads, fencing / kendo helmets, etc. They go as hard and as fast as they can, swinging sticks at each other, doing kicks, punches, clinches, take-downs, and ground fighting. All of which is with and without sticks. They have no rules except that at the end of the day, they are all friends and hopefully won't have any injuries (but they often do get injured, sometimes badly). Yes, this type of training is not for most sane people!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that doesn't mean you can't look at Dog Brothers' results and derive useful information about what works and what doesn't. You can! And you should. See what they say works. Learn their drills. Get partners that want to combine stick fighting with grappling, and do it on your own at a local park or something. Just be careful. You don't have to go to quite the same extreme they go to. And make sure you each know where your limits are and what you're comfortable doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Dog Brothers do sell videos. But you can get a lot for free just looking at Youtube. Then buy the videos if you're still interested. Their web page is at:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://dogbrothers.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://dogbrothers.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-06-13T22:21:12.207" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3117" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3118" CreationDate="2014-06-13T22:43:47.680" Score="4" ViewCount="146927" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are the belt colors of Tae Kwon Do in order? Also could you add the degrees, I have had a hard time finding a reliable site?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1989" LastActivityDate="2017-03-31T13:32:41.073" Title="What are the belt colors of Tae Kwon Do in order?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|belt|" AnswerCount="13" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3118" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3117" CreationDate="2014-06-14T02:06:25.327" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Smartass Answer&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lmgtfy.com/?q=taekwondo%20belts/%22TKD%20Belts%22&quot;&gt;TKD Belts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Serious Answer&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depends on the school/association.  Some have over 10 colored belts before you even get to first degree black.  Some have much fewer.&#xA;An example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;White&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Yellow 1st and 2nd Degree&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Green 1st and 2nd Degree&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Blue 1st and 2nd Degree&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Brown &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Black 1st Degree through 9th or 10th&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fewer belts the school has, the more time you can expect to spend on each one.  For example, if one school has 10 colored belts, you will probably move through two belts in the same time that it would take you to move through one belt in a school that only has 6 or 7 colored belts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could conceivably narrow down the answer to your question if you would specify which association you're talking about. ITF, ATA, WTF, will each have their own list of belts. Then again, if you knew that, you could just look it up on each respective organization's official website... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, some individual instructors, whether they are affiliated with an association or not, may have their own belt list. So there's really no way of answering your question definitively. Best thing to do is to find a school you're thinking of joining and ask them what their belts are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most important thing I can tell you is this: &lt;strong&gt;if you see a camouflage belt anywhere in the school, you are in a McDojang.  WALK AWAY!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-06-14T02:28:07.593" LastActivityDate="2014-06-14T02:28:07.593" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3119" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3113" CreationDate="2014-06-14T13:40:54.340" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The feint is the major benefit behind it. The intent is to get your opponent to drop their guard from their head to defend against your kick so that you can land the punch. There's some benefit in the momentum involved in throwing your leg back while leaping forward, and when done right, you're reducing your target profile by coming in upper-body first, and it can close distance, but the feint is the most important aspect, especially since, as with most flying techniques, you're sacrificing control (it's basically impossible to stop yourself in mid-air) to add some power and unpredictability to your attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2014-11-10T15:38:39.400" LastActivityDate="2014-11-10T15:38:39.400" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3120" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3117" CreationDate="2014-06-15T07:07:02.257" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Simple answer: the gup.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what the h&amp;amp;$@ is a gup?  It's a taekwondo rank.  There's gups and dans.  My school has 8 gups.  That is, eight official color belt ranks registered by the kukiwon and the wtf ( world taekwondo federation). We have other ranks, but only 8 are certified and recognized by 164 countries worldwide.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gups go in opposite order.  For example, an eighth gup is a hin tdi, or white belt.  A 7th gup is a norang tdi, or yellow  belt.  This goes up to red belt, aka bbalgong tdi, or first gup.   Once you hit black belt, it goes up.  For example, a 1st Dan is the lowest rank of black belt, where 10th Dan is the highest.  A fourth degree black belt aka fourth Dan is called a master.  A sixth degree is a grandmaster, and an ninth degree is a great-grandmaster.  Hope this helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source- myself, a taekwondo 1st dan, trained for four years.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1655" LastEditorUserId="1655" LastEditDate="2014-06-18T19:03:09.140" LastActivityDate="2014-06-18T19:03:09.140" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3121" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3095" CreationDate="2014-06-15T07:15:33.580" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Edit:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found a better stance:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Left leg back.  Keep your left arm bent at a 90 degree angle, your elbow at shoulder height, fingers pointed up.  Take your right arm, and slowly reach that behind your body.  Go into your back pocket, and remove all valuables.  Drop wallet on floor in front of you.  Put right hand in same position as left.  Smile.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Original post:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Right leg back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Follow the knife with your right hand, just follow its movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep your left hand palm up, protecting the veins in your legs.  I forgot there names.  They are right below your crotch.  So basically keep the back of your hand planted against your leg in that spot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any knife combat skilled personnel know about this weak point.  It just takes one slash, and you will 100% guaranteed bleed out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If someone could add in the name of the vein, it would help me sleep better remembering it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source- hapkido (Korean martial art) training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1655" LastEditorUserId="1655" LastEditDate="2014-06-15T15:17:59.273" LastActivityDate="2014-06-15T15:17:59.273" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3122" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3117" CreationDate="2014-06-16T16:15:42.233" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;In ITF Taekwon-do, the coloured belts are numbered from 10th kup (also gup) to 1st kup. Black belt grades are numbered from 1st degree (also dan) to 9th degree.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the organisation I'm a member of (P.U.M.A, in the UK), the colours used are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;10th: White&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;9th: Yellow stripe&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;8th: Yellow&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;7th: Green stripe&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;6th: Green&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;5th: Blue stripe&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;4th: Blue&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;3rd: Red stripe&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;2nd: Red&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;1st: Black stripe&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The stripes are also called tags in some schools or organisations; historically, our stripes were insulating tape wrapped round the end of the belt! Now, though, striped belts have the lower colour as the background with the higher colour forming a band along the length of the belt (that is, a 9th kup belt round the waist of a student would have 3 parallel lines of white - yellow - white from top to bottom).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Our degree/dan grades use roman numerals to identify a black belt's grade (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VII, IX). Grades above 4th degree have vertical black stripes on the arms and legs of their dobok and masters (above 7th degree) have badges on their shoulders.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Taekwon-Do_Federation#Ranks&quot;&gt;This page&lt;/a&gt; on Wikipedia has a good explanation of the ranks I'm used to!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2014-06-16T16:15:42.233" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3123" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3113" CreationDate="2014-06-18T04:15:27.490" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Another variation of this technique involves using a kick. From a southpaw stance, several low back leg kicks (left) can be thrown. Once opponent learns and moves their arms to block this kick, feint it but in the same move spring up and deliver a right right-hook kick, from the other leg/side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The plus of this one is that you can keep your arms free for defense/offense while doing this, But it does take some practice to get right effectively (feint&gt;deliver)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastActivityDate="2014-06-18T04:15:27.490" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3124" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3125" CreationDate="2014-06-18T08:05:43.780" Score="5" ViewCount="1278" Body="&lt;p&gt;I did KM for a year. Kicks to the crotch are certainly normal here. I never had any problems, because those guys were careful even if everybody had a jock strap on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I moved to another place and found another KM club there. Here they are somehow more harsh. They do not hesitate to kick your private parts a little harder. This hurts even with a jock strap on. The pain is not unbearable but still every kick hurts. They even somehow find it to be amusing and are making jokes about that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would not consider myself a wimp, I already did some other things (kickboxing, taekwondo..). But still I wonder, does this somehow affect your potency? I mean those guys seem to be professionals and do not seem to care. So they either must be pretty confident that this does not have any longterm side effects on their sexual life or they simply do not bother.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any experience? Btw, by habit I somehow tend to block kicks like this with my knee so they get hurt on their feet every time. They must be hating me for that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="299" LastActivityDate="2014-06-20T14:28:12.277" Title="How harmful are kicks to the private parts in krav maga?" Tags="|safety|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3125" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3124" CreationDate="2014-06-18T08:54:54.173" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;First and foremost: &lt;strong&gt;do not take medical advice from strangers on the Internet!&lt;/strong&gt; Go and seek professional medical help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, from your (very limited) exposition, this clubs seems to encourage bullying and has a clear disregard for basic safety. I would strongly suggest you do not train with them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, you can condition your body to disregard pain. Generally, this involves repeated trauma till your body grow defences to prevent further damage. Note that there is trauma/damage in the first place. So, you &lt;em&gt;could&lt;/em&gt; train yourself to take kicks to the privates but you probably will damage them in the process.  However, I am unaware of any medical research on the subject.  A quick Google search lead me to &lt;a href=&quot;http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=KoeRrA_-td0C&amp;amp;pg=PA235&amp;amp;lpg=PA235&amp;amp;dq=trauma+to+genitals+in+martial+arts&amp;amp;source=bl&amp;amp;ots=3g4lmjt54C&amp;amp;sig=ZiT8fWR01W-he7BlOhbA0sIfjfU&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;ei=ZFOhU-fXMI6b0wWtj4CgAg&amp;amp;ved=0CEUQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=trauma%20to%20genitals%20in%20martial%20arts&amp;amp;f=false&quot;&gt;ACSM's Primary Care Sports Medicine&#xA; edited by Douglas McKeag, James L. Moeller&lt;/a&gt; which to my layman eyes seems to be good start and contains a long list of references for you to check.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-06-18T08:54:54.173" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3126" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-06-18T10:01:40.893" Score="7" ViewCount="460" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently got in a debate with a friend; both of us do boxing, although he's been doing it for longer apparently. He seems to think endurance is far more important than technique, whereas I argue that while both are important, technique is a greater deciding factor - for instance, I would expect a boxer with decent technique and high endurance to lose against a boxer with great technique and decent endurance, since the latter would be more efficient at using his energy and would be able to dominate the fight more, eliminating his opponent's physical advantage. I also argued that boxing is very much a mental sport and requires a lot of fast thinking and neural training, which endurance on its own neglects. He doesn't seem to be convinced though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While he has been boxing longer, my opinions are those of people who are better and more experienced than both of us (for instance, Johnny at expertboxing.com). Are my ideas unfounded? Are we both in the wrong?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1991" LastActivityDate="2014-07-18T23:38:48.183" Title="Endurance vs. Technique in Boxing" Tags="|training|technique|boxing|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3127" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3126" CreationDate="2014-06-18T10:58:02.590" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;When Mike Tyson knocks you out in the first round, is it because you don't have enough endurance or because your technique failed you?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would argue that endurance is more important than technique when the fight goes the full distance. Having good technique is one thing, but it's your endurance that keeps you from making mistakes when you get tired. And making mistakes is what gets you knocked out. Conversely, if you want to end a fight quickly, your technique is more important, though it is obvious that both have their role.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, don't make the same mistake that every mediocre fighter makes: Don't focus on style and technique uber alles and in the process forget that boxing (or any martial art really) is about knocking the other guy out. Which is why Mike Tyson is world champion even though his technique looks boring. It's also why Joe Fraser managed to knock out Muhammad Ali.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2014-06-18T11:03:49.590" LastActivityDate="2014-06-18T11:03:49.590" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3128" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3126" CreationDate="2014-06-18T21:07:48.760" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Conditioning and muscle endurance are the attributes which allow you to continue executing proper technique after the first few moments of a fight or bout. All the slick technique in the world is useless if you're too tired to execute that technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technique is important, but it tends to degrades rapidly as one tires. Being in condition for boxing allows you to continue applying your technique after being gently concussed, after being punched in the gut, after throwing the same technique fifty times, after several minutes of high-intensity movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-06-18T21:07:48.760" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3129" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-06-19T09:35:57.357" Score="16" ViewCount="4293" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would really like to practice a martial art. However, because of financial problems, where I live (far from anywhere big), and work commitments, I cannot afford the time and expense of going to a city to train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are some exercises (with pictures, or video guides, etc..) I can do by myself?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am currently doing some parkour. I've done some months of Judo, because a friend of mine offered me this occasion. I am particularly interested in Ninjutsu and Kung-fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1997" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-08-04T10:55:57.510" LastActivityDate="2016-05-06T09:25:46.547" Title="Solo martial art learning" Tags="|kung-fu|self-training|ninjutsu|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3130" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3129" CreationDate="2014-06-19T13:09:26.073" Score="16" Body="&lt;p&gt;It will be pretty difficult to do Judo alone.  You can practice kung fu or any other martial art with forms (pre-arranged patterns) by yourself though.  If you don't already know the martial art, though, you're setting yourself up for failure.  Save yourself and any future teacher a few headaches and don't try to learn from DVDs or Youtube.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't get me wrong, DVDs and Youtube are great, IF you already have a firm foundation in the martial art they represent.  But without an instructor to guide you, you'll be unknowingly incorporating thousands of little mistakes into your movements that will be a pain in the @$$ to correct later.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember: Practice doesn't make perfect.  &lt;strong&gt;Practice makes permanent&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what can you do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;As much as you are able, cross-train with qualified teachers who don't charge much or who teach for free.  This isn't a financial site, but &lt;em&gt;most&lt;/em&gt; (not all) people who think they can't afford martial arts instruction actually could if they would give up Starbucks, cigarettes, or eating out.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Focus on fitness.  You might not know how to ninja chop, but you probably know how to do a push-up.  Fitness is valuable in any martial art, so you can't go wrong here.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do your homework.  Read up on the inter-webs about the various martial arts or go to your local library.  Martial arts history is fascinating, and reading about it will give you an idea what martial arts you'd like to study in future.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Find out what schools are in your area.  Talk to the instructors.  You can explain that you're having hard times, but might be interested in their programs when you're back on your feet.  Some of them might be willing to work with you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-06-19T13:09:26.073" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3131" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3109" CreationDate="2014-06-19T13:14:03.147" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The work of Chris Petrilli are my go-to resource for stick grappling, particularly locking and throwing. I have not run across many people with his depth of knowledge in this specific area, and he fuses several arts together to make a devastating and beautiful art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.paladin-press.com/category/s?keyword=petrilli&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.paladin-press.com/category/s?keyword=petrilli&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I could not be more pleased with the time I've spent with him and Sherril; I don't gush enthusiastically very often, but this is awesome stuff. Functional, effective, painful, and downright terrific.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2014-06-19T13:14:03.147" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3132" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3124" CreationDate="2014-06-20T14:28:12.277" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Irrespective of creed or style, kicks to the crotch are dangerous. See a professional doctor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1333" LastActivityDate="2014-06-20T14:28:12.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3133" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3134" CreationDate="2014-06-20T18:30:52.103" Score="2" ViewCount="323" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Muay Thai, when an opponent delivers a roundhouse kick to your head, what options are available as a defense or counter measure?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have seen blocking it with the arm on the side of the head in the path of the kick, blocking with the kick facing arm and a reinforcement from the arm on the opposite side as well, and I have seen the technique of leaning back. Are there any other techniques? Can the leg be grabbed for a possible sweep? Is it advisable to move into the kick instead?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastActivityDate="2014-06-20T21:37:34.147" Title="Which techniques are available in Muay Thai for blocking/avoiding a high roundhouse kick to the head?" Tags="|technique|kicking|muay-thai|sparring|defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3134" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3133" CreationDate="2014-06-20T21:37:34.147" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure how &quot;in Muay Thai&quot; fits in; what differentiates a Muay Thai response from any other?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether or not it's &lt;em&gt;advisable&lt;/em&gt; to move in to the kick depends on many factors; obviously if you're not where the kick was targeted, the impact will be reduced, because physics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Legs can be grabbed for sweeps, but capturing a leg that's at head height isn't intuitive, since you need to move the leg down before there's any way to capture it, unless you have giant Hulk hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not just &lt;em&gt;leaning&lt;/em&gt; back, but &lt;em&gt;moving&lt;/em&gt; back is another no-brainer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's a full-force kick you could duck since it'd be tough to chamber anything else to go after your lowered head quickly enough, but obviously that's very timing- and situation-dependent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2014-06-20T21:37:34.147" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3135" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3136" CreationDate="2014-06-23T04:25:08.853" Score="7" ViewCount="20546" Body="&lt;p&gt;I did a season of folk wrestling in high school.  This was about 5-6 years ago.  I'm trying to diet and exercise properly to reach my low body fat goal.  Also, I want to learn some basic self defense. I am a short male (5'4&quot;) and weight about 170 lbs.  I want to be able to be prepared against any kind of oppenent.  My biggest worry is the taller opponents with long arm reach.  What would be the best martial art to go into between wrestling (further into), boxing, and jiu jitsu?  I have a slight preference in learning boxing of the three.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;UPDATE:&lt;/strong&gt; I've been doing martial arts for a bit over a year now (not including my high school wrestling experience). It's consisted of boxing, no-gi jiujitsu, wrestling, and MMA. On top of that, I do yoga and weight lifting. I've lost a lot of body fat (still got to lose more), and I'm much more confident at where my fighting skills lie. In my opinion, sparring is one of the best forms of learning self defense. Thank you for the help everyone. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2003" LastEditorUserId="2003" LastEditDate="2015-07-16T21:11:42.300" LastActivityDate="2015-07-16T21:11:42.300" Title="Best to learn for self defense: Wrestling, Boxing, or Jiu Jitsu" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|self-defense|boxing|wrestling|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3136" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3135" CreationDate="2014-06-23T06:49:05.600" Score="14" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I want to be able to be prepared against any kind of opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are looking for a unicorn there.  No martial art whatsoever is able to do that. There is no ultimate fighting art. That said, most martial arts (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mcdojo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;McDojo&lt;/a&gt; excluded) can give you an edge in self defence. It will shift the odds in your favour which is a good thing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, self defence is not just about fighting.  It is about observation, preparation, awareness, and many other things. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;No Nonsense Self Defense&lt;/a&gt; is a good place to start if you want to learn more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to which martial art is best between wrestling, boxing, and jujitsu.  It is like comparing apples, oranges, and mangos.  None of them is better than any other.  It depends on your personal tastes, who is teaching, where the classes are, and where do you have the more fun! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, both wrestling and boxing have a fairly narrow focus: one opponent, heavily sport based, and well structured fights. Jujitsu tends to have a wider focus. Then again, Jujitsu is a catch all term for most (if not all) Japanese martial arts before the Meiji restoration. So, &quot;learning jujitsu&quot; sounds odd to me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The following questions might be useful as well: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/80/82&quot;&gt;How to select the right Aikido dojo&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/466/82&quot;&gt;What martial art should I start with?&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-09-24T10:06:40.030" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3137" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3139" CreationDate="2014-06-23T11:19:04.313" Score="7" ViewCount="914" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it dangerous to perform a forward roll when you have something on your back, assuming that one performs it correctly?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, if you have a backpack with various hard things, like books or boxes inside, and you trip or get pushed, is it better not to roll or does it even matter?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2006" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-05T13:09:56.027" LastActivityDate="2016-04-05T13:09:56.027" Title="Aikido forward roll with backpack" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3138" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3137" CreationDate="2014-06-23T11:59:47.837" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Dangerous&quot; is relative. In most cases, you won't sustain much harm by doing so, although the items in your backpack might get crushed. I have had it explained to me before by my former teachers (jujitsu and Bujinkan) that this is one of the reasons some of the defenses involve turning a flip to escape from a hold rather than a roll, because it prevents you from rolling over your sword. At that, a breakfall may also be a better choice in some situations. Learning multiple options lets you react appropriately for the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suppose it might depend on the content of your backpack too. Breakables, sharps, and objects with lumpy corners could dig into your spine or organs close to the surface. It's probably about the same risk that you'd face if the contents of your backpack were on the ground and you rolled over them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-04-02T22:02:47.400" LastActivityDate="2016-04-02T22:02:47.400" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3139" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3137" CreationDate="2014-06-24T01:54:05.677" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;My advice is to just try it. You probably have a backpack. And you probably know how to do a front shoulder roll. Give it a try. See how it changes the way things work. Ask yourself whether or not you can modify it to roll better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Safety is a concern always, no matter what type of breakfall you're performing. So approach things slowly, with little extra weight at first. Then increase the intensity when you can do so safely. If you ever feel like your back, shoulder, or neck are getting torqued or flexed in a direction they shouldn't be flexed, stop and don't try it again until you've worked out what went wrong. The backpack might change your center of gravity, which affects how you perform the breakfall. And the straps might end up riding up and strangling you or preventing your shoulder from flexing the way it needs to. You won't know until you try, which is why you need to go slow and with little weight at first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-06-24T01:54:05.677" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3140" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2108" CreationDate="2014-06-24T03:47:43.253" Score="1" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I would recommend getting something physical to punch like a punching bag if you have one. Imaginary targets are good but a bag will help you to practice at the correct distance for your art, like extending your arm the right length for a more powerful punch and parrying and all that.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Watching videos on your form of martial art might help you remember them really well. They are not good for learning though. I do krav maga and had to stop my class. I watch videos so I remember to do my techniques correctly. Focus on your stance and make sure you stay in it when shadow boxing. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Theres only so much you can do without a partner unfortunately, With a partner you can practice counters, blocks, and grappling to get an effective training session in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2007" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-06-30T07:46:30.797" LastActivityDate="2014-06-30T07:46:30.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3141" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1983" CreationDate="2014-06-24T05:29:25.537" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Choondu Marma works on the basic principal of mantra ,upasana,and some medical herbs,in kalari choondu Marma is also known as mantara ousathi prayogam. this practice or mora belongs to ashan kai prayogam .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2008" LastActivityDate="2014-06-24T05:29:25.537" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3142" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3129" CreationDate="2014-06-24T16:51:56.433" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your option to learn new things is pretty limited.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Forms have some, limited value&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since you've mentioned kung fu as one of the directions you might go, there's plenty of video online of various forms and lots of books to back it up that you can do.  This might help you develop leg strength and coordination, but your options for learning how it flows/feels in action is going to be limited.  If you can find a few friends, there are often two-person drills you can do together which will be helpful as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conditioning Exercises&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's tons of books and advice on conditioning exercises, which are things you can do all the time solo - low stances, line-drills, squats, varieties of push ups, exercises with &quot;Stone locks&quot; (AKA the original Kettlebells), a variety of weights (or bricks, even) and such.   The physical conditioning is definitely something you can get into earlier and easier.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Expanding on what you already have&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on how good of a feel you got from Judo, you may be able to transfer some of that knowledge into what you study next - for example some Chin Na grappling training might feel a little similar and you can play with those drills to learn new movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Weapons Training&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the benefits to weapons is that you do get some good feel for momentum and movement work even training alone.  &quot;The weapon teaches you how to use it&quot; is a pretty common experience.  What you usually don't get as part of solo training is issues of shifting range, reading the opponent, defensive needs, etc. which are big deals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;Distance Training&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There has sprung up a LOT of online sites from various teachers, lineages, or combative styles claiming to be able to give you tools and training from a distance.  For me, I was fortunate enough to have several years of training in foundation in my style, so if I see video, I can figure out how to use new techniques or drills because I already have the core idea of how things should feel or move - I cannot say how well you'll be able to develop based on DVDs or online courses set up this way if you don't already have some good base.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, all of those cost money and often a sizable sum at that.  Certainly cheaper than actual classes, but still decently expensive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-06-24T16:51:56.433" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3144" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3137" CreationDate="2014-06-25T20:43:26.797" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;They make parkour backpacks that are designed to be able to be rolled over.  Unfortunately the pockets are tiny.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you've got things like say, clothes in your backpack, it would make your roll softer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit:&#xA;Check out this link:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://ultimateparkourgear.com/parkour-backpacks/&quot;&gt;http://ultimateparkourgear.com/parkour-backpacks/&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;You can also try wearing your backpack backwards XD&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1655" LastEditorUserId="1655" LastEditDate="2014-06-26T00:07:32.387" LastActivityDate="2014-06-26T00:07:32.387" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3148" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2943" CreationDate="2014-06-27T23:52:25.570" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Aikido, the practice of ukemi, beyond the obvious fitness' reasons, has 2 reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;allow the tori to perform techniques without restraint. Technically, the technique is as good as it unbalances uke. A good uke allows tori/shite to focus a bit more on the technique rather than the safety of his partner.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second reason is less obvious and more interesting:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;uke learns to keep control when unbalanced. Overcoming instincts of keeping balance at all costs, he will be more and more able to keep calm when in compelling situations.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...the second reason is the big deal, even in dojo practice. Aikido is frustrating, and spending half of the time as uke means having to deal with the fear of falling for a lot time. Overcoming the fear, leads you to overcome the frustration and to the fullness of your practice. This is not just theory, it's an empiric concept: just look at the practice of good ukes versus bad ones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All in all, that is the essence of budo: stepping out of the mat better than you were before stepping in: with no harms, without frustration, stronger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't let anybody convince you that ukemi is just a show off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10" LastActivityDate="2014-06-27T23:52:25.570" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3149" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3151" CreationDate="2014-06-29T13:16:48.293" Score="3" ViewCount="1678" Body="&lt;p&gt;When throwing a cross to the opponent to strike with maximum power I understand that the whole body must work in supporting the hand/elbow/shoulder and torso to move behind the punch as much as possible. When I have my shoulders brought forward to what I perceive to be extra barriers to oncoming punches, the cross punches are not that strong when the throwing hand shoulder is already brought in front. So, I pull the shoulder and torso in the opposite direction before the punch to then thrust them forward behind the punch making it much more powerful. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I am worried that doing this to an extreme will take too much time to execute the punch and give the opponent time to move/counter. Is the pulling back or rotation extent dependent of the situation or are there common sense or advised limitations on the amount of reverse rotation prior to the punch? Or is it advisable to not have the shoulders brought too much forward in the first place and only use the available rotation from a neutral stance?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastActivityDate="2014-06-30T17:06:24.273" Title="How much should the torso and shoulders rotate when throwing a powerful cross in Muay Thai?" Tags="|technique|muay-thai|punching|power|stance|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3150" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2943" CreationDate="2014-06-29T23:45:50.433" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; is a baseline necessity for practicing techniques, and obviously necessary to practice throwing techniques, but there are many applications past this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Aikido &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; practice is a crucial aspect in developing the 'soft/supple body' necessary for high-level practice/utilization.  Not just how to fall safely, but how to conserve and efficiently utilize our energy.  Practicing &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; helps us learn where we carry tension in our bodies (and, to some extent, our minds), and helps us release that tension and learn new movement patterns.  This knowledge of energy conservation can then bleed across into our practice and understanding of how to execute techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ukemi&lt;/em&gt; teaches us Aikidoka how to detect and respond to incoming threats to our physical bodies; practicing &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; with a partner, through techniques, gives us background context to understand when a particular throw or join-lock may be imminent.  This itself is a necessity for proper application of &lt;em&gt;henka-waza&lt;/em&gt; techniques, but is also useful in practical application - physical awareness is an under-appreciated skill/sense.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Practicing &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; teaches us how &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; works - not only can we use our &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; knowledge to turn a technique around into &lt;em&gt;henka-waza&lt;/em&gt;, we can use it to understand how a person may respond to a technique and what is - or is not - too much.  This in turn improves our personal practice of Aikido, our practical application of Aikido, and our teaching of Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sure there are more reasons, but these are the ones I can think of that haven't been covered by other answers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="33" LastActivityDate="2014-06-29T23:45:50.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3151" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3149" CreationDate="2014-06-30T11:15:20.377" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer is probably &quot;it depends&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some examples: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're employing the cross without preparation as the first technique in a combination it is most likely better not to telegraph your attack by &quot;winding-up&quot; a lot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your cross is a follow-up on a technique on a jab/kick from the other side it is easier to conceal the wind-up in the previous movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you got an exhausted, cornered opponent it may just be OK to go all out with heavy punches. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your opponent is quick counter-boxer and does a lot of dodging you may want to refrain from throwing too heavy crosses, lest you may be countered out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastActivityDate="2014-06-30T11:15:20.377" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3152" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3149" CreationDate="2014-06-30T12:24:03.803" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my meager boxing experience, I've been taught to assiduously avoid cocking back before a strike. It telegraphs your intentions. The power that it provides would be better developed through better body mechanics in the hips and legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if you throw a technique that loads you up towards the right rear, such as a right round kick or a left straight or left hook, then you get the pull-back on your right cross almost for free. &lt;a href=&quot;http://fightland.vice.com/blog/jack-slack-reflections-on-silva-weidman-i&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;It's a bad idea to be predictable with your combinations&lt;/a&gt;, but using a set-up technique is a great way to get your weight behind a strike without telegraphing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-06-30T12:24:03.803" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3153" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2943" CreationDate="2014-06-30T16:14:26.677" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A number of techniques have the explicit purpose of crashing the attacker's head into the ground. Done well, that is the only path available for attacker. This is not the kind of technique that I would ever want to receive twice without some kind of safety built-in. A number of things get done to make sure you can practice:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Receiver lets go early so the attacker has a chance to get out safely&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Attacker rolls so she gets out safely&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;As skill for attacker and receiver both increase, you tighten the response, which leads to much more difficult breakfalls (as in, they are harder to execute safely, but if you DON'T execute them at all, then something will break).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2014-06-30T16:14:26.677" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3154" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3149" CreationDate="2014-06-30T17:06:24.273" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I see Dave Liepmann's already touched on what I want to say, which is that thinking about shoulders is a cart-before-the-horse mentality, and instead you should focus on your use of legs and how they're accelerating your hips, then how the torso drags the shoulders after the hips.  Once you've mastered that to the point where you can pass a sizable shock/snap of power up through your torso you'll see from a little experimentation on a heavy bag how much shoulder movement you need to communicate the power into a target -  it's not that much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the most important things for getting great reverse punching power is the use of the back leg and foot... I like to keep the foot and knee facing only slightly outside of forwards, so as the thigh tenses it's very directly pushing the hip forwards.  Start with the punching side's knee and chain things up through your body.  From the knee, the hips, shoulders and arm all engage but only once the level below has dragged them into it.  Practice by moving them as late as possible - the hip should be dragged forwards by the knee then thrust by the thigh, the shoulders should lag behind the hips in angle of rotation then be pulled into line by a sudden tensing of the core/abs, the line from elbow to fist should be kept close to pointing at the target, with the fist just forwards of the shoulder until quite late in the punch - don't lead with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing I like to do is practice &quot;hitting&quot; the bag with my hip, then with my shoulder, then my palm without even straightening the arm to press the hand forwards from the shoulder, then with my elbow, arm-extended palm and fist.  This helps you get a &quot;punch&quot; like intensity to the contribution of each layer in your body - then the accumulated power from the entire power chain comes in to play habitually.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While it's not your style, I think there's a lot for most-anyone to learn about the mechanics of good punching from watching Kagawa-sensei explaining (albeit in Japanese) the mechanics of Shotokan - see &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdIJVDKJ_Os&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdIJVDKJ_Os&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you've got a great punching action you won't need too much rotation, but you'll naturally find that if you're covering ground to reach the opponent then that's an opportunity to step in a way that helps engage your hips behind your technique.  If the opponent sees the preparation and anticipates your punch, vary the height, use an arm bar (if in a real fight or sports rules allowing) or inward knife-hand or reverse-knife-hand / ridge-hand, elbow, kick etc to keep them guessing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-06-30T17:06:24.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3155" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3135" CreationDate="2014-07-01T15:29:51.073" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been studying martial arts going on 2+ years and I have to say that a Good teacher is one of the most important thing you can find. Some things I would look for are these.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is the instructor Sports focused or Combat defenses focused&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;this can effect how they train their art. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How do you want to fight&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do you want to be a controller, a striker , or breaker( bones) all style can fit this needs but some fit better then others.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A book i would suggested would be &lt;code&gt;Living The Martial Way By Forrest E. Morgan, Maj USAF&lt;/code&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;this was really good book my Sensei give me that help give me and insight into how I should view Martial Arts and the mindset I should have with it. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="882" LastActivityDate="2014-07-01T15:29:51.073" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3156" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3046" CreationDate="2014-07-01T21:46:32.380" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;block incomming knees with your own knee.&#xA;must beat the timing and impose your. knee onto the opponets inner thigh area.&#xA;generally this is a diagonal outward knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;utub  has too many video on thai clinch , everyone needs to use there utube resources.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2017" LastActivityDate="2014-07-01T21:46:32.380" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3157" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2709" CreationDate="2014-07-01T21:54:38.423" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;jump rope .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;practice lunge steps with weight in hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;jump on a tire layed down on the ground, like them thai`s do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;re-learn your foot work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;try boxing foot work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;move your feet to a beat or metronome and learn -practice to sync steps to the beat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;push a bag-punching and practice chasing and escaping via stepping front-back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;now give me 100 dollars for this consultation , &#xA;every thing costs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2017" LastActivityDate="2014-07-01T21:54:38.423" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3158" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2709" CreationDate="2014-07-02T13:07:23.160" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;One thing that slows people down is putting tension on their blocking leg too early. The leg should stay very relaxed while moving up. Apply tension only in the moment before checking the incoming leg. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One drill you can do for that is to do a couple of minutes of quickly lifting your knees as if to block after a long training. Because you are already exhausted you will to this with few tension just to be able to finish the drill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastActivityDate="2014-07-02T13:07:23.160" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3159" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3135" CreationDate="2014-07-02T20:45:19.663" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no magic against &quot;any kind of opponent,&quot; because your opponents are so potentially varied. Some are armed; others not. Some are individuals; others are groups or gangs. Some are simply angry; others are (pardon the now-obsolete psychological phrasing) psychopaths. Some are your drunk uncle Eddie, who you don't want to hurt, but you can't have him putting his hands on everyone at the family BBQ. Different weight classes, different weapons, different intentions--the variations are endless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pretty much any martial art will help train you in cardio fitness, in balance, in using your weight and strength more efficiently. But some--Western fencing, Kyūdō (Japanese archery), Iaido (the drawing and use of Japanese swords), or Kendo (Japanese swordsmanship with bamboo swords and armor) just to name names--however lovely and historical as arts, are simply not practical fight training for modern people. Similarly, in most Western countries, any art that assumes you will be always armed (e.g. Eskrima, Arnis and Kali) are just not practical. In most places you cannot carry bladed weapons. Even if you could/did, and then used them, you'd probably go to jail for slicing your opponent up in the ways they train/suggest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For self-defense, I personally prefer training in arts that emphasize the the punching, trapping, and controlling range (arms-length or closer to your opponent) rather than kicking or grappling range. So, Japanese Jujutsu or its American Small-Circle derivative, say, rather than Taekwondo, wrestling, or BJJ. Some karate schools incorporate controls and throws in with striking moves, which is a nice mix. Some kickboxing or sport combat instructors who are savvy to MMA and BJJ teach similarly fluid styles that combine striking, control, and joint-locks. Any of these are preferable to the highly-refined, stylized arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also some martial arts that are specifically &quot;combat engineered&quot;: simplified and refined, removing traditional flourishes and sport-fighting rules to focus only on defensive fighting. They're more &quot;martial skills&quot; than &quot;martial arts.&quot; Systema and Krav Maga are often cited, though American Small-Circle Jujitsu, Combat Hapkido, and other variants are out there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You've had wrestling experience, so why not focus on boxing, kickboxing, or jujutsu to extend your range/set of techniques? I know when I added kickboxing and Small Circle Jujitsu techniques to my bag of tricks (previously kung fu, Judo, and Eskrima), I felt enormously more capable in defensive situations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sardathrion&lt;/strong&gt; makes an excellent suggestion about techniques like &quot;No Defense Self Defense.&quot; They extend your awareness, posture, voice, and presentation, and are really the most effective defense you have. If you're looking for true self-defense training, it's not a matter of just &quot;choosing a martial art.&quot; The &quot;real world self defense&quot; systems that incorporate awareness, the use of your voice (e.g. Verbal Judo), under-high-stress adrenaline dumps, and truly defense-focused techniques are worth seeking out. Rory Miller's &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1594392137&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected&lt;/a&gt; is a good place to start to bridge the gap between &quot;martial arts,&quot; sport fighting, and real-world violence dynamics and responses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is a recent podcast on this topic: &lt;a href=&quot;http://prevail.podbean.com/e/prevail-podcast-3-self-defense-and-the-martial-arts/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;PREVAIL Podcast #3: Self Defense and the Martial Arts&lt;/a&gt;. (Full disclosure: I am one of the participants.) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastEditorUserId="562" LastEditDate="2014-07-08T22:00:27.873" LastActivityDate="2014-07-08T22:00:27.873" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3160" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3162" CreationDate="2014-07-03T14:30:33.063" Score="6" ViewCount="2393" Body="&lt;p&gt;My senseis have told me that I lack balance while demonstrating kicking techniques and Katas. I'm looking for advice on how to train to improve my balance, for example are there any good drills I can do? Should I simply practice kicking more?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2025" LastActivityDate="2017-03-29T19:34:17.860" Title="How to train for improved balance?" Tags="|kicking|forms|balance|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3161" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3164" CreationDate="2014-07-03T17:49:45.567" Score="4" ViewCount="2351" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to get my kids started on the basics of Tae Kwon Do. 20+ years ago I was a blue belt with a stripe or two in a private dojo in California. I remember the punches, the blocks, the stances and I've found the yellow stripe kata (first kata I believe) in a &lt;a href=&quot;http://smile.amazon.com/Palgue-1-2-3-Tae-Kwon-Hyung/dp/0897500083/ref=smi_www_rcolv2_go_smi?_encoding=UTF8&amp;amp;%2aVersion%2a=1&amp;amp;%2aentries%2a=0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;book I had from years ago&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I am looking for is the 'starter moves' you would teach to beginner students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learn this punch/kick/block/stance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Now Learn this punch/kick/block/stance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a simple break down of, say, the first 5 classes a white belt student would learn?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;p.s. my problem isn't in teaching them the various moves but rather what moves get taught in what order. Having practiced martial arts for 10+ years in my past I am more than capable of passing on enough of a good grasp of the basics to suit their (and my) needs. However, I remember that certain moves were taught first so as to provide a foundation for learning. That is what I am looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1189" LastEditorUserId="1189" LastEditDate="2014-07-03T18:51:07.783" LastActivityDate="2014-12-01T09:03:59.247" Title="What are the starting points for learning Tae Kwon Do?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3162" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3160" CreationDate="2014-07-03T17:50:00.083" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Improve your leg Strength.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do this first because it feeds into any activity requiring balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.gx94radio.com/blogs/drive/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/hindu-squat.jpeg&quot;&gt;Hindu squats&lt;/a&gt;.  These are great because they have you coming up on the ball of your foot while squatting low.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dynamic/Plyometric squats.  For example, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/search?q=box+jumps&amp;amp;client=firefox-a&amp;amp;hs=GQ7&amp;amp;rls=org.mozilla%3aen-US%3aofficial&amp;amp;channel=sb&amp;amp;source=lnms&amp;amp;tbm=isch&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;ei=j5W1U9bgE-zmsASgoYDwAg&amp;amp;ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&amp;amp;biw=1508&amp;amp;bih=474#facrc=_&amp;amp;imgdii=_&amp;amp;imgrc=kWlzQEiFeF7T8M%253A%3BUSYYgJh3_MosGM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fbetterchoices.co%252Fwp%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2012%252F09%252Fbox-jump.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fbetterchoices.co%252Fwp%252Fplyometrics-tuck-or-box-jumps%252F%3B400%3B400&quot;&gt;box-jumping&lt;/a&gt;.  It's simple, just get a crate or some of those stackable aerobics platforms.  Squat and jump onto the box and back down.  Increase speed, height, and intensity over time.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/search?q=crane+stance&amp;amp;client=firefox-a&amp;amp;hs=Gjm&amp;amp;rls=org.mozilla%3aen-US%3aofficial&amp;amp;channel=sb&amp;amp;source=lnms&amp;amp;tbm=isch&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;ei=JpW1U6ekF4vRsASVoIGIDw&amp;amp;ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&amp;amp;biw=1508&amp;amp;bih=474#channel=sb&amp;amp;q=horse+stance&amp;amp;rls=org.mozilla%3aen-US%3aofficial&amp;amp;tbm=isch&amp;amp;facrc=_&amp;amp;imgdii=_&amp;amp;imgrc=Fy-_xR3o0vpm-M%253A%3BF1vvnxpJq4VICM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.returnofkings.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2014%252F06%252Fhorse-stance-not-squat.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.returnofkings.com%252F36872%252Fthe-physical-exercise-that-strengthens-the-mind%3B600%3B450&quot;&gt;Static stance training&lt;/a&gt;.  There's a reason old school kung fu sifus had their students sit in horse stance for hours.  It builds leg strength and rooting, necessary components for all martial arts. Sitting for hours isn't necessary for a modern student.  Time yourself with an alarm.  Start with one minute in horse stance and build up to 15.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/search?q=crane+stance&amp;amp;client=firefox-a&amp;amp;hs=Gjm&amp;amp;rls=org.mozilla%3aen-US%3aofficial&amp;amp;channel=sb&amp;amp;source=lnms&amp;amp;tbm=isch&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;ei=JpW1U6ekF4vRsASVoIGIDw&amp;amp;ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&amp;amp;biw=1508&amp;amp;bih=474#channel=sb&amp;amp;q=crane+stance+karat&amp;amp;rls=org.mozilla%3aen-US%3aofficial&amp;amp;tbm=isch&amp;amp;facrc=_&amp;amp;imgdii=_&amp;amp;imgrc=XDQ18RJP4R2blM%253A%3Bq2s1Mcc_YkQ6IM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.ikigaiway.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2013%252F04%252Fcranestance_lindsey.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.ikigaiway.com%252F2013%252Finterview-ronald-lindsey-matsumura-seito-9th-dan-part-1%252F%3B278%3B521&quot;&gt;Singe leg standing&lt;/a&gt;.  This kind of static stance training is more about balance than endurance, though to be sure, endurance still plays a huge role.  Your karate style probably has a single leg stance in it.  Find out what it is and stand in it the same way you would horse stance. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Important:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make sure you don't stand up all at once from stance training and don't overdo it.  Your legs will shake.  This is normal.  If you start to go all wobbly, though, time to give it up for the time being.  Come to a neutral, bent-kneed posture and stand up from there whenever you are coming up from your stance training&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Improve Core Strength&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your core goes into stabilizing your body during single-leg techniques such as kicks.  Tons of sit-ups are not necessary and may even be detrimental if you train them wrong and strain your back.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try these:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Same as with static stance training, try holding a plank position on your elbows.   Start with 30 seconds.  &lt;em&gt;Breathe while you do it!&lt;/em&gt;  &lt;a href=&quot;http://thechalkboardmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/forearm_plank-718x520c.jpg&quot;&gt;Plank&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/search?q=side+plank&amp;amp;client=firefox-a&amp;amp;hs=U3R&amp;amp;rls=org.mozilla%3aen-US%3aofficial&amp;amp;channel=sb&amp;amp;tbm=isch&amp;amp;imgil=1bgGD7gmpNXORM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcTm7E_OhvS9P4zPZJ31-_u29kRHpuVNZtAtI6ePiF7G42DJsi0x%253B600%253B401%253BgC79-2tkWKxPHM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.menshealth.com%25252Fcelebrity-fitness%25252Fexercise-detail.php%25253F87&amp;amp;source=iu&amp;amp;usg=__Vy6b0AsYo-7sdJZfkKw0CczjnxY%3D&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;ei=CZW1U4SQJ8q-sQSi7YDICA&amp;amp;ved=0CCkQ9QEwBA&amp;amp;biw=1508&amp;amp;bih=474#facrc=_&amp;amp;imgdii=_&amp;amp;imgrc=1bgGD7gmpNXORM%253A%3BgC79-2tkWKxPHM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.menshealth.com%252Fcelebrity-fitness%252Fuploads%252Fside_plank_008.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.menshealth.com%252Fcelebrity-fitness%252Fexercise-detail.php%253F87%3B600%3B401&quot;&gt;Side Plank&lt;/a&gt;.  Same as above&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Just do it!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Supplemental strength training as outlined above is important and will help you stabilize your body, which is really what balance is.  But a lot of your improvement is going to come from repetition of the activity that you require balance &lt;em&gt;for&lt;/em&gt;.  After all, what better way to train balance for kicking than to kick?  An individual kick technique requires certain muscles to activate and the body to stabilize itself in a certain way that only that particular kick can truly replicate.  So, if you're falling over when kicking, what you need to do is &lt;em&gt;kick more&lt;/em&gt;!  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kicking Isolation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try kicking as slow as you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, a front kick:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Assume a proper stance for whatever kick you're trying to do: for example, a back stance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Chamber the kick.  Hold for at least one deep breath.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Slowly, slowly, slowly, oh my god, is this kick ever going to end, kick your foot out.  Hold for as long as you can.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Slowly bring it back.  Don't forget to hold the chambered position.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Set it down.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Repeat.  Make sure to train both sides equally!&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good Luck in your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-07-03T17:50:00.083" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3163" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-07-03T22:17:34.200" Score="7" ViewCount="1222" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to know what steps I have to follow to restore my Kendo equipment. I already bought a second-hand armor but after all classes I checked my &quot;DO&quot; and with the shinae it keeps some kind of marks from the hits that receives and it doesn't disappear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I already tried cleaning with car wax and other things, but the brightness of the &quot;DO&quot; doesn't change, and the opacity of the do remains.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2026" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-07-07T08:35:03.810" LastActivityDate="2022-05-09T06:29:23.350" Title="How to restore my bogu equipment" Tags="|equipment|kendo|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3164" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3161" CreationDate="2014-07-04T06:34:11.573" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;(from an ex taekwondo instructor... now practicing karate only)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo was spread very fast and wide with little &quot;quality control&quot;, so what gets taught in different dojos can be very varied.  I'm sure the first thing some WTF dojos would do is get them turning/roundhouse kicks on those little flappy pad things, but I'll just offer what we used to teach at my old school, which was more in keeping with the karate origins of taekwondo....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We started teaching students a &quot;walking&quot; stance - getting comfortable stepping forwards, turning.  Then we'd add a simple punch as they step, a low block with outer forearm, an inward block with outer forearm, a rising block (coming up to protect the head from a downward hammerfist or similar), an outer-forearm outward block, and an inner forearm outward block (which will feel pretty weird to new students).  By adding a front kick, they can start simple three step sparring - one moving forward repeating either the punch or the kick three times while the other retreats and blocks, then reverse.  You can introduce the concept of closing the opponent by blocking their attacking limb across their body, making it harder for the attack to be continued with a reverse punch.  The next thing to introduce would be a back aka L stance - still running through the same set of techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We normally wouldn't explicitly introduce the concepts of hip rotation and power generation for the first six months to a year - they'll pick some of that up by watching seniors and their instructor, but it will confuse (and possibly discourage) the ones who aren't comfortable with the basic gross movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another technique they'll probably enjoy is the good old chop - outward knifehand strike.  Inward palm block is another technique introduced early - can be good to keep things civilised if the forearms are being used to inflict pain ;-~.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;IMHO - too early for side kick, back kick, turning/roundhouse kick.  Crescent/slapping kicks can be introduced if they're doing well - for a beginner, just lifting a straight leg up and across the body from outside to in or vice versa respectively - they're good for learning balance, improving flexibility and a little variety more than practical fighting, but get students visualising openings from the sides and hopefully thinking about exploiting them. (Later on with good technique and knee flex they become viable offensive weapons too).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you throw in the first kata - that should be enough for a couple months, mixed in with some stretching, strengthening and general fitness exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-07-04T06:34:11.573" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3165" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3160" CreationDate="2014-07-04T06:51:44.157" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Mentally, take a step back and think about what your performance of these techniques is like.  If &quot;poor balance&quot; were specific to a kick or two I'd be worried about flexibility, but if it's pervasive through kata then it sounds like your mental focus and attitude to the technique is wrong.  Think more about clean, minimal, precise movement, with the body rotating cleanly and crisply around your centre, and less about eeking out the last 1% of reach or power that you might think's available from a larger, less controlled motion (which may well be reducing your power anyway ;-P), or visualising opponents, or speed, or whatever else is driving your current performance.  Visualise each movement being done cleanly and with good balance - watch someone whose performance you aspire to and pay attention to their overall bearing - and then hold yourself to that as you move.  Be aware of the position of your head and arms, the angles of feet and hips at which the movement should stop to retain balance, and the speed of your recovery from techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When practicing kicks, it's good to drill kicking in the air at full speed and stopping with the leg extended, as well as kicking and returning the kick to the starting position on the floor with no net change to your stance.  If you find that difficult, reduce speed and pay very close attention to what part of the kick you're losing control in - experiment and reason about your technique, and watch how others do it - until it improves.  Ask for help with specifics if you're stuck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-07-04T06:51:44.157" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3166" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3160" CreationDate="2014-07-04T18:26:45.997" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhan_zhuang&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;zhan zhuang&lt;/a&gt; or stand like a post.  (the article is rather terse, but the references at the bottom will probably be helpful.  I'm not sure this is a skill I'd want to learn from the internet, but any practitioner of Chinese martial arts should be able to help you with the basics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to improve your stabilizers - the muscles that surround your ankles and enable you to balance.  standing on one leg for extended periods of time will improve these muscles.  Start by standing on one leg for one breath, then switch to the other leg. Then shoot for two breaths. I'm not saying that &quot;breath&quot; is a magical period of time, I just find it convenient.  I can practice while waiting at the bus stop without any equipment at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2014-07-04T18:26:45.997" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3167" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-07-07T03:54:25.243" Score="5" ViewCount="160" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know I'm a beginner at martial arts. I heard someone say on another site that they wished that they had heard of Peyton Quinn when they were 20. I think his &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/Peyton-Quinn/e/B001KISQ8E&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;books&lt;/a&gt; sound very sophisticated. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would someone doing WTF TKD still benefit from his novels at my age?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I won't be WTF in college because the teacher at my school will be ITF. Will it make a difference or could I read one of his books now and benefit?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1924" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-07-08T07:52:49.327" LastActivityDate="2014-07-08T07:52:49.327" Title="Are Peyton Quinn's books appropriate for a 19 year old or are they beyond my level?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|self-defense|mixed-martial-arts|self-training|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3168" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3167" CreationDate="2014-07-07T07:58:54.830" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Yes, no, maybe...&lt;/strong&gt; It all depends on what you mean by &quot;appropriate&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, the themes and matters discussed in the book are suitable for an adult.  If you were a teenager or child, things might be different but at 19 you should have the matturity to read whatever you chose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, should you follow the advice given (if any) in the books is up to you.  I would take it with a large grain of salt. Some of it might be good, some might be misguided, and some might be just plain stupid. If you do not possess critical thinking as a skill, it is high time you did!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thirdly, if there are any training regimes within the book, I would urge caution in following them. They might be very suitable for him but not for you.  Again, refer to critical thinking and your best judgement. The latter should include talking to medical and sport professionals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, more often than not, &lt;em&gt;reading expands your knowledge which is always a good thing&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-07-07T08:28:20.083" LastActivityDate="2014-07-07T08:28:20.083" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3169" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3161" CreationDate="2014-07-07T15:40:26.643" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is a start:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How to make a proper fist&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Front kick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Straight punch&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Back stance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Front stance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From there you could build with back fist, hammer strike, round kick. There is a lifetime of learning right there. Keep working on balance, target/aim, power, speed, focus, kihap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe don't teach side kick, as it is hard enough to learn how to do it right, without having to &quot;unlearn&quot; if you learned it wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2022" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-07-08T06:29:22.200" LastActivityDate="2014-07-08T06:29:22.200" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3170" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="3171" CreationDate="2014-07-08T19:53:34.300" Score="5" ViewCount="7703" Body="&lt;p&gt;I always see on movies people using Hand Chops. I know that this can be lethal to the neck, but does it serve any other purposes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2034" LastActivityDate="2021-12-30T17:38:07.023" Title="Can Karate/Hand Chops be lethal?" Tags="|technique|karate|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3171" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3170" CreationDate="2014-07-08T20:54:00.157" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've read that a chop to the throat can break the clavicle. If you break the clavicle, then if your attacker tries to swing a punch at you he won't be able to because the bone structure allowing him to will be broken. He'll also be in extreme pain as soon as he does.  A chop to the throat, if done correctly, can also damage the throat but more importantly his ability to punch if done correctly. Though none of this is guaranteed so you should not rely on one strike to defeat your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also chop his temple. You have a lot of muscle on the side of your hand compared to your palm and the part that isn't muscle on that side is bone. I'm talking about the part of the side you chop with. So, if the first paragraph doesn't answer your question, maybe the second one does. It's most likely not as convenient to chop the temple as punching the temple, i.e. in boxing, but it will sometimes work. It's a lot more convenient to use the neck as your target in my view because you are more likely to hit the clavicle and you possibly could also knock them out there as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope it helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1924" LastEditorUserId="1924" LastEditDate="2014-07-08T21:00:02.263" LastActivityDate="2014-07-08T21:00:02.263" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3172" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3170" CreationDate="2014-07-08T22:41:15.360" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A chop to the neck can damage the blood vessels (e.g. carotid artery or jugular vein), the airway (e.g. trachea), or the cervical spine. A hit to the neck can also transmit kinetic energy into the spinal column. All of these are potentially lethal. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strikes to the back of the neck, or at the base of the skull, are especially dangerous. The nearby tissue is responsible for many autonomic functions, including breathing. Damage there can be maiming or lethal. That's why there are &lt;em&gt;no&lt;/em&gt; modern forms of sport combat that allow strikes to the back of the head (see e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ufc.com/discover/sport/rules-and-regulations#15&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Rule 15.A.xi. in the Unified Rules governing UFC and MMA&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As &lt;strong&gt;user2932&lt;/strong&gt; says, you can also break the clavicle (i.e. collarbone) at the top of the neck. As that's a structural support for the arms, that's a debilitating injury. It's also  possibly fatal, e.g. in case of compound fracture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The primary &quot;non harmful&quot; use that I know of for neck chops is the brachial stun: a chop to the side of the neck below the ear provides a several-second stunning effect, including pain and disorientation. A loss of sensation and control in the corresponding arm is also common. The attack is named for the brachial plexus, a network of nerve fibers that runs through the neck down to each arm. The vagus nerve also runs through that area; some sources cite it rather than the brachial plexus as the source of systemic disorientation. A number of &quot;real world self defense&quot; moves (e.g. &quot;elbow entrance&quot;) and police and military fight training systems emphasize this kind of neck hit as a disorienting / stunning move. Given the proximity of the blood vessels, windpipe, and cervical structure, the brachial stun is still dangerous. There's no place you can hit on the neck that doesn't carry some risk of non-temporary damage and lethality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastActivityDate="2014-07-08T22:41:15.360" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3173" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3135" CreationDate="2014-07-09T01:53:46.180" Score="7" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;I'm trying to diet and exercise properly to reach my low body fat goal. (..)&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, boxing is the way to go. The workout is quite intense, because you need to build stamina in order to box properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;Also, I want to learn some basic self defense&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For self defense, i would include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well, since it has proven its effectiveness (see MMA). But let's talk about boxing:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It teaches you how to take a hit and not become desperate. &lt;strong&gt;No martial art makes you untouchable&lt;/strong&gt;, and even when you have better technique you can still be hit. When i spar with guys way above my level, i can still land a few punches. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since you do a lot of sparring, you have something like a combat simulation. Of course, under rules and in a controlled environment, but one thing is to train with your partner &quot;helping&quot; you to execute the move, another is when he &lt;em&gt;really&lt;/em&gt; wants to hit you. =)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can talk about a lot more, but this text summarizes better: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rossboxing.com/thegym/thegym3.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The martial art of boxing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1591" LastEditorUserId="424" LastEditDate="2014-09-24T13:53:57.497" LastActivityDate="2014-09-24T13:53:57.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3174" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4175" CreationDate="2014-07-09T21:12:01.533" Score="9" ViewCount="4432" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently read about Sockgate and was curious how the vests/socks that taekwondo sport competitors work. I understand that there are purely electronic systems and pressure based ones. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I assume that other martial artists may use similar equipment to judge hits. (I could be wrong)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I searched around and got brief information about how new ones were introduced, that addition additional sensors may be used to cheat (contested), etc. I even saw a partially deconstructed vest which contained electronic sensing bars running in parallel up and down the chest protector.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But no where was there an in depth explanation from what I could find of what is in the sensor socks / how they are made / what prevents people from modifying them to increase signal range etc. How do pressure vests avoid issues of movement causing pressure shifts etc. Essentially I'm interested in learning more about how the system works in the nitty gritty details. I'm not planning on making one but I would like to understand exactly how they are made how the system works etc. In martial arts the amount of force is also relevant which I think is interesting whereas most electronic systems rarely take that into account. Also why have they not be added to the head protector? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that some of this information may be proprietary and that may be part of my difficulty in learning more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way I am not looking to cheat etc, I do not practice taekwondo I was talking to a friend about it and became interested in the sensing systems. Which also is why I may be using the wrong vernacular. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks in advance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2039" LastEditorUserId="2039" LastEditDate="2014-07-09T23:02:51.440" LastActivityDate="2014-08-04T18:38:24.413" Title="How do electronic sensing socks / chest protection sensors work in sport competition?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|competition|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="3175" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3170" CreationDate="2014-07-10T03:56:59.377" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;They've actually &lt;a href=&quot;https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/3534/can-a-blow-to-the-base-of-the-neck-cause-unconsciousness-i-e-karate-chop&quot;&gt;covered parts of this on the Skeptics SE&lt;/a&gt;. Short version, the reduced surface area of the chop lends itself to severely damaging the vertebrae and/or severing the spinal cord through impact. Within the movies, chops were used primarily because it was exotic-looking and it indicated a clear use of eastern martial arts compared to striking the person with a closed fist. In real life, it can be a dangerous move to do because, as mentioned in the other answers, it pits the relatively fragile bones of the phalanges against your target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:46:43.883" LastActivityDate="2016-08-28T13:10:51.147" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4175" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3174" CreationDate="2014-07-10T19:16:53.777" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm guess that &quot;Sockgate&quot; is referring to &lt;a href=&quot;http://phys.org/news/2010-11-taiwan-taekwondo-fighter-disqualified-sensor.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this incident&lt;/a&gt;? There's a good description of the &quot;SensorHogu&quot; technology in &lt;a href=&quot;http://cowbell-4.cc.gatech.edu/hci-seminar/uploads/1/WearableForceSensors_MartialArts_PervasiveComp05.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this article&lt;/a&gt;. They use piezoelectric sensors, which is the use of crystalline materials that react to impact with releasing a small burst of electricity. They require a sharp impact, which matches with what one wants for a tournament setup. Regular movements should not trigger it. They also have a brief discussion of how they feel that head sensors are not necessary because strikes in that area are more readily scored (they don't elaborate, but I believe it's a matter of fewer things getting in the way of the judges seeing the hit due to the mechanics of getting your foot that high plus the rules requiring less forceful contact for head blows due to concussion fears).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have yet to find a discussion of the technology for restricting striking areas (that's what the sensors on the feet and gloves do), but my suspicion is that they probably use RFID. That would make it a passive technology, and one which really cannot be changed dynamically in the field. There's no way to &quot;boost the signal&quot; because the vest is the part that actually sends and receives the signal. It's robust against impact if done properly. And it requires no power source on the striking implements, which means people aren't throwing battery-weighted punches or kicks. A quick swipe of an RFID wand should be enough to detect any additional illicit sensors (I don't know if that's how the &quot;Sockgate&quot; competitor got caught or if someone noticed a dodgy hit and requested that the equipment be examined). And it's very short range, which, combined with the impact sensors, avoids the point being suggested when a foot just passes by the target area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2014-08-04T18:38:24.413" LastActivityDate="2014-08-04T18:38:24.413" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4176" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3163" CreationDate="2014-07-10T19:52:46.797" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Care and cleaning of your &lt;em&gt;bogu&lt;/em&gt; varies depending on what the actual damage is. Given the surface of the &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; is generally bamboo with lacquer over it, you essentially wind up with three sorts of stains. First, and the usual item with white marks, is salt from sweat. But that usually gets cleaned off readily with a wet towel, so the odds are good that that's not your problem. Secondly, there's darker stains from the shinai oil. That's usually cleanable afterwards with the wet cloth, but can sink in if you don't regularly clean your equipment afterwards. I don't have a good solution for that one, but it's darker stains, so that's probably not your problem. Lastly, and most likely, there is scuffs and residue from strikes. The &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt;, as you know, is covered by layers of lacquer, typically opaque colors covered with clear lacquer. Your first step is a scratch test. A fingernail will work fine if you have longer ones. A scrub brush is a reasonable alternative. Can you scratch the mark off in the same way you'd clean off a shoe-sole scuff on a hardwood floor? If so, you're looking at more scrubbing and picking to get the material off. For a white mark, you're more likely looking at the lacquer itself having gotten scuffed. The clear bit is made cloudy by the irregular surface. Unfortunately, just like when you scratch up a hardwood floor or the pain on a car, this may mean that you need to remove the lacquer down to where the scuff starts and reapply it, particularly if the waxing you did has put another layer on over the scuff. My advice is to talk to your teacher. He probably has firsthand knowledge of good lacquers and where to find them in your area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mold can also develop on the equipment, but generally on the inside and after storage. For that, scrubbing with rubbing alcohol is fairly effective and there are fungicides sold for general athletic equipment that can eradicate the usual offenders.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2014-07-10T20:28:06.650" LastActivityDate="2014-07-10T20:28:06.650" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4177" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-07-11T18:25:26.200" Score="7" ViewCount="468" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been interested in joining a boxing gym for quite some time now. I have narrowed it down to a few gyms, and before I go choose which gym I would like to join I would first like to increase my fitness as to maximize the benefit I get from joining the gym. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With regards to my strength I consider myself slightly above average. I can do 10 proper pullups, 15 chinups, 60+ pushups, ~20 dips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I acknowledge that my greatest weakness is lack of stamina. I can barely run 2km. This lack plus weak asthma(I breathe really heavily after just warming up, but I'm not tired?).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At what point am I fit enough to pursue boxing. What fitness programs out there cater to my weakness to help me improve to that level of fitness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3042" LastActivityDate="2015-05-09T07:50:46.827" Title="How fit should I become to pursue boxing?" Tags="|exercise|boxing|training|self-training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4178" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3160" CreationDate="2014-07-11T19:48:20.760" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;A simple practical exercise that will improve your kicking balance: Do straight leg kicks without ever setting the kicking leg down. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't have to do them aggressively or high at first. Even a 30 or 45 degree kick is sufficient to start you off. But when the leg returns, either don't set it down, or do the lightest toe-touch possible. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gentle, controlled straight leg kicks that do not end with your weight rebalancing over two legs train you to keep your mass over your supporting leg as you kick, and help you gain the proprioception (sense of body position) necessary to remain balanced. This practice may be frustrating at first, but it will greatly improve your kicking balance. Because it avoids shifting your mass as you settle after the kick, it will also improve your kicking speed and rate (how many kicks you can do per minute).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you've got straight leg kick working, you can move the same skill into more difficult motions such as snap kicks, side kicks, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastActivityDate="2014-07-11T19:48:20.760" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4179" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4177" CreationDate="2014-07-11T20:10:34.260" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You seem already more than fit enough. Everyone will have their own weaknesses, be it strength, stamina, balance, flexibility, or whathaveyou. All the boxing or kickboxing programs I've seen have warmup and conditioning parts to their classes/sessions. They involve rope jumping, calisthenics, shadow boxing, bag hitting, stretching, etc. Doing those, over time, will improve your stamina. So will doing the boxing rounds themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'd say &quot;go for it!&quot; I can do a lot less pure strength exercises than you, and have no especial stamina, yet I kickbox without any problems. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just pace yourself and stay safe. Don't let ego or beginner's exuberance push you to go beyond what you can safely do. Take breaks and stand to the side as you feel you need to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastActivityDate="2014-07-11T20:10:34.260" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4180" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4183" CreationDate="2014-07-11T20:27:23.333" Score="6" ViewCount="1181" Body="&lt;p&gt;Looking for something to spice up my training/fuel creativity.  I need a resource with various reality based self defense scenarios.&#xA;I'm willing to buy a DVD or two, even attend a seminar, but not sign on to any kind of program.  Ideally, I'd like video, or a book with complete instructions on how to run the drills. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Criteria are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Should be suitable for &lt;em&gt;civilians&lt;/em&gt; and take into account the limitations of legally acceptable use of force for civilian practitioners&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Should not require excessive equipment purchase (e.g. fully body armor) beyond simple things like kick-pads, head protection, mouth guard, focus mitts, etc...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Should allow medium to semi-full contact between practitioners with reasonable amounts of body control.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Should take into account disparities between armed and unarmed opponents.  Preferably, should include both unarmed defender vs. armed attacker and armed defender vs. armed attacker.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Should be adaptable to multiple martial arts styles, not predicated on knowing a certain martial art.  I am most definitely not looking for &quot;if he does x then you do y&quot; kind of stuff.  Primarily, I want the setup to the confrontation.  I can take it from there.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Should take into account the existence of, or possibility of the existence of, multiple attackers, with an eye toward escape rather than disabling the assailants.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll be applying judgment to whatever products are recommended, so if a recommendation does not meet all the above criteria, that's OK.  But the more criteria it meets, the better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I most emphatically do &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; want to learn some secret, pressure-point reliant, ancient wisdom cobbled together from the five orange-belts some strip-mall master earned before declaring himself grand-master of his own style.  I also am not interested in uber-masculine &quot;every style but mine is BS&quot;.  Preferably, I'd like info from police/military sources, but, again, suitable to civilian self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've already considered Blauer Tactical Systems.  I like their stuff, but I'm not shelling out the dough for a full body suit, nor am I willing to train (regularly) wearing one.  I would attend a seminar where such things are done, and probably get a kick out of it, but I want something I can practice semi-regularly.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-07-20T20:09:02.340" Title="Reality Based Self Defense Scenarios" Tags="|recommendation|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4181" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4177" CreationDate="2014-07-12T08:30:27.990" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is also a question people struggle with when wanting to return to training after a break, where it can be a bigger problem because going back in at their old level means a certain intensity from their peers.  Regardless of whether taking up something new or returning to an old activity, the bottom line is participation and determination.  However tough it is initially, and wherever you are relative to those around you, if you keep going a few times a week and trying hard and with directed purpose you'll quickly get the strength and stamina required.  Flexibility is not guaranteed just by attendance and effort - you really have to direct time at it, but that's less of a concern for boxing than for many other fighting sports and arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't waste time worrying and waiting... just train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-07-12T08:30:27.990" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4182" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3160" CreationDate="2014-07-12T17:32:07.347" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Slow kicks and slow leg raises.  Balance is a feedback game - your proprioception and your muscle response.  How fast you can sense your own balance, and how fast you can get your stabilizers to do the necessary micro adjustments in firing the correct muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you balance or stabilize, it's not like your body turns on ALL of the stabilizers at once - it turns on just enough to keep you upright.  So slow movements wear out the set that your body first goes to, then forces you to use different ones, training those, as well.   This is why dancers, acrobats, and experienced yoga practitioners have very good balance- they're doing extended holds and slow movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you feel good with that, you can move up to giving yourself smaller or less stable platforms on which to stand.  I've seen folks use a brick as a smaller thing upon which to stand, standing on the edge of a phonebook, or something slightly wobbly, like a cushion.  If you're feeling really advanced you can go up to a wobbleboard, but you need to be careful so you don't give yourself an ankle sprain or knee injury when you take a fall from it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-07-12T17:32:07.347" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4183" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4180" CreationDate="2014-07-12T17:40:30.793" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I found &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B004RVZ6WA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Rory Miller's book on drills to be an excellent resource&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of realistic self defense exercises depend on a combination of figuring out safe practices vs. realistic stress testing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regardless of the exercise, I find what is useful is setting up clear communication at the beginning of training - how hard are you supposed to go, what's off limits for the sake of -this- particular exercise.  As you work with more skillful folks, who can act appropriately, you turn up the stress and turn down the restrictions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-07-12T17:40:30.793" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4185" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-07-13T23:53:52.580" Score="9" ViewCount="3690" Body="&lt;p&gt;I always hear people say &quot;Use technique not strength&quot;. I understand this principle and want to use it, but don't know how it works against someone who is going 100%? I.e how can u just focus on technique when rolling if the other person is going as hard as possible&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't mind &quot;losing&quot; a roll as long as I am learning which is why I want to stop using strength/speed and focus solely on technique in order to actually improve! Thanks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1923" LastActivityDate="2020-08-26T00:56:24.837" Title="BJJ: HOW to use technique over strength when rolling?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4186" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4189" CreationDate="2014-07-14T02:29:12.783" Score="1" ViewCount="196" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was wondering if an explosive forward movement can help in self defense to counter-attack an opponent, or to simply get to him before he surprises you with a weapon, or before he can even use the weapon he may have at hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that some people are faster at reactions than others, and it's not something easily done at the spur of the moment in general. However, there has to be something to do to be able to train quick, explosive closure type of movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What kind of training can help to develop this type of quick, explosive forward movement?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1932" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2015-04-23T03:11:20.260" LastActivityDate="2015-04-23T03:11:20.260" Title="It makes sense to develop explosive forward movement?" Tags="|training|self-defense|defense|mobility|attack|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2014-07-17T19:25:18.950" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4187" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4185" CreationDate="2014-07-14T03:35:53.940" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;If the other person is going as hard as possible neither of you are training properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just slow yourself down, focus on your movements, then explode when moving. Think about doing the move correctly, not just 'enough'. Thinking about the kimura, you CAN explode and finish it with just strength, or you can, in a much more controlled and deliberate manner, add pressure in each direction to defeat their grip defense, and the slowly and steadily, focusing on the crank, crank it to a finish.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Same with the trap and roll mount escape. I especially in my own (135lb) weight class, can trap the arm, and explode and roll my opponent over 9/10. But in the absolute division I can't just do that, I need to have almost perfect timing between trapping the arm in a transition, and bridging, and turning over, in order to complete that escape. The same with many side-control reversals. The biggest thing I've noticed is that perfect timing and technique give you a sense of 'lightness' while completing a technique. The Tornado sweep is also one of my favorite sweeps, I have strong legs and can get it fairly well, but when I hit it on a 210lb guy, I KNEW it was perfect. He was too light, it was too easy. That's what technique and timing is, it's synergy and everything is just, easier. Focus on rolling, and finding that synergy. Flow-roll. Then do a competition roll. Focus on escapes and reversals and guard passing with good technique, not power by going slow. Have your partner point out any flaws or descrepencies that they in particular feel in your techniques. Sometimes it helps to stop mid-technique and feel it out. The scissor sweep is a great one, when I teach that, I LOVE to have my students stop and just float the person on their knee for a minute. Feeling the motion of the technique, the intended force of the technique. Where possible counter-pressure and resistance to their sweep attempt may come from. It doesn't have to be active resistance, just take the time to feel and think about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And remember, Jiu-Jitsu is a life-long journey. Enjoy it. Don't get frustrated. And sometimes, it's ok to use a little muscle or a little speed to get that W. It's all about putting it all together, THAT's jiu-jitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1935" LastActivityDate="2014-07-14T03:35:53.940" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4188" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4180" CreationDate="2014-07-14T06:48:41.593" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Marc MacYoung's &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;No Nonsense Self Defense&lt;/a&gt; is a good place to start. His advise is reasonable, easy to follow, and does work. It won't teach you how to fight but it will teach you how to stack the odds in your favour when avoiding danger.  He has a whole &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/NNSD%20Bookshelf.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;section&lt;/a&gt; with books and DVDs that should be good but I cannot recommend anything from there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, from your question, it looks like you are more interested in fighting than self defence. Which, BTW, is just fine depending on what you do. Clearly, &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/a&gt; comes to mind. You could look to your local LEO or better yet a defence attorney and ask them about the legality of whatever self defence method you choose -- but &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;never talk to the police&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, something out of the blue: stage fighting! You say you want something to &#xA;fuel creativity. Start making up scenarios in your local dojo, play act things, and see how well you can choreograph a fight.  It's actually good fun!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-07-14T06:48:41.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4189" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4186" CreationDate="2014-07-14T12:19:14.387" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Closing the gap&quot; unexpectedly is one of the major tactics in fighting, and with good timing can allow you to land a devastating attack even as the opponent attempts to hit you.  You can potentially stayed clear of the business end of a weapon attack.  There are several footwork patterns I feel are particularly important for this, each with different uses:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtnSwm6ajsk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;youtube&lt;/a&gt; a stepping, skipping or gliding motion as used for a long range front leg side kick, where the non-kicking foot steps to/behind the kicking foot - moving towards the target - then the kicking foot pushes off into the kick&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;this is a great technique for covering large distances quickly - it's a bit predictable, but if your opponent is charging too fast to dodge themselves, or doesn't have the skill to see what you're up to, it can well clean them up; a skillful and prepared opponent may jam your legs as the kicking leg tries to pass the support leg, tripping you over, or themselves close the gap to strike your exposed front side&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZBFvzgG8m0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;youtube - very last move&lt;/a&gt; a sliding motion where both feet move forwards, and quite often angle or curve slightly away from the opponent so you pass to their side&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;this is the best movement for dodging an attack while advancing, and is a staple technique of aikido; with an initial movement straight towards the opponent you can draw their attack, then curve out away from their attacking weapon or towards their blind side to change the angles on them; this won't cover quite so much ground so tends to be used last minute, but has the least telegraphing of the steps I've mentioned&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;(looking for a video) the back leg stepping forwards explosively&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;this is a large commitment on your part, and if the opponent anticipates your movement and hits as you step they can get a very good hit in on you; it's hard than you'd think to step explosively and generate good power for the strike as you step like this... takes a lot of practice&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the second and third movement, a key factor in developing explosive speed is having the back foot angled and knee bent so the thigh extension drives the hips forward - if your foot is facing side on to the opponent you'll get less speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2014-07-14T12:54:58.233" LastActivityDate="2014-07-14T12:54:58.233" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4190" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4180" CreationDate="2014-07-14T15:55:46.950" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you want to learn how to handle real-life scenarios, best thing to do is the experience real-life scenarios. The SECOND best thing (and the one which won't land you in hospital or jail) is to get your hands on videos of real-life scenarios. Youtube is actually a pretty good source for school fights, drunks getting KTFO'ed, backyard brawls, etc. Watch a few of them and try to figure out what they all have in common. HINT: drunks can't punch and everyone wants to put you in a headlock.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOvtCSPV8VY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Here's a random video&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-07-14T15:55:46.950" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4191" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4185" CreationDate="2014-07-14T19:57:10.107" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, I am still very much a begginner, so take everything with a grain of salt.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I develop when my opponent is going 100%, because I must use technique.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me, I think I develop my technique most when going against someone who is substantially stronger than me and not afraid to use it.  When I am going against someone smaller, I can muscle through some techniques.  When I am going with someone noticeably larger and stronger, evening surviving, much less getting a submission, is all about technique.  Going against someone smaller, or someone who is not using their full strength, I might pull something off like an armbar because of raw weight overcoming their resistance.  If I do it against someone larger and succeed, it is because of tight technique overcoming their strength. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also frequently ask for feedback, especially when rolling with someone much more experienced (but even people less experienced can sometimes give good feedback).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Just to be clear, when I say going 100%, I mean they aren't holding back, deliberately going light, or trying to be easy on me.  If someone is actually putting in 100% muscle effort every single second and never relaxes, they may not be taking the best approach.  The only time I've faced that is with people in their first week or two and they tend to tire themselves out very fast if they aren't amazingly athletic.  In that case, you may be able to play defense until they wear themselves out, then focus on the technique you want.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Consider flow rolling&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flow rolling is the idea of deliberately changing position often and both partners focusing on technique.  It is discussed here:  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.grapplearts.com/Blog/2012/07/5-ways-you-can-best-use-open-mat-in-bjj/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.grapplearts.com/Blog/2012/07/5-ways-you-can-best-use-open-mat-in-bjj/&lt;/a&gt;  This is in a sense reframing your question since flow rolling relies on both partners agreeing not to 1go 100%.  But when they agree it gives you a chance to practice techniques without worrying about strenght - yours or your partners.  It also gives you both a chance to experience more positions in one bout since neither of you will try too hard to hold the top position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Drill, with feedback&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, it may be something of a dodge if you want to know how to practice technique while they are going 100%, but in the spirit of the question, if you want to improve a specific technique, drill it over and over with a partner who provides light resistance.  Preferrably a partner who is experienced enough to give you specific feedback and tweaks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Self impose limitations&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have never tried this, being a beginner.  But some of my more advanced friends and some articles talk about imposing limits that make you rely not just on technique but on specific techniques.  This doesn't require your partner to accept, or even know about, the limits.  If you want to get better at armbars, call your shots before the opening bell.  The only submission you will try is armbars.  This helps you focus on the technique and the setup.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1253" LastEditorUserId="1253" LastEditDate="2014-07-14T20:07:22.107" LastActivityDate="2014-07-14T20:07:22.107" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4192" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4193" CreationDate="2014-07-14T23:15:58.817" Score="-5" ViewCount="718" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can have a really long whip/sword that can dynamically change sizes. Would this be effective?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll give a scenario as an example. You're walking down a street, and a mad man comes running at you to beat you up. Luckily, you have a measuring tape to beat him up. Would this be effective?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/N3BQg.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;is equivalent to&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NteH5.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2034" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-07-15T06:39:46.373" LastActivityDate="2014-07-15T06:39:46.373" Title="Is measuring tape an effective weapon?" Tags="|weapons|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2014-07-17T17:45:43.957" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4193" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4192" CreationDate="2014-07-15T05:06:33.340" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can the tape measure be used as a weapon? Sure it can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Will it be effective? Most likely not, and you shouldn't count on it. Especially against a pistol.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I base this on the fact that the manufacturing quality of tape measures isn't fantastic, depending on the length you have every chance that the tape will become completely detached from the housing and you will be left just the tape itself in your hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you have a weapon you should never rely on it totally, it should simply be one of the items in your arsenal. This situation is no different to having a can of pepper spray in your hand - what happens when the spray runs out? The tape measure should be used as a distraction to try and buy you a second or two to either attain a better position in the confrontation, or to get out of there. But using a weapon like that against a pistol is likely to get you shot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2014-07-15T05:06:33.340" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4194" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4195" CreationDate="2014-07-15T17:41:28.423" Score="5" ViewCount="432" Body="&lt;p&gt;I searched up different styles, and I say this style called Gosoku-ryū that has 46 katas including weapon katas. Why would there be katas involving weapons for a style of karate which is an art of the empty-handed?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2034" LastActivityDate="2016-09-24T19:47:13.527" Title="If Karate is supposed to be way of the empty-handed, then why does Gosoku-ryū use weapon katas?" Tags="|karate|weapons|forms|style|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4195" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4194" CreationDate="2014-07-15T17:48:53.140" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just because a karate style may include weapon katas does not mean that the name &quot;karate&quot; is invalidated.  You can think of &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawan_kobud%C5%8D&quot;&gt;Kobudo&lt;/a&gt; as an extension, or sister art(s) to Karate.  Okinawan weapon arts are supposed to have been based on farming tools that the practitioners would have had readily available.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, as has been noted elsewhere, Kara in the original characters for Kara-Te, may not have meant &quot;empty&quot;, but rather &quot;China&quot; or &quot;Chinese&quot;, referring to the Chinese origin of Karate styles.  Take a look at Southern White Crane and compare to Goju-ryu, for example.  Probably, the character was changed from Kara (&quot;China&quot;) to Kara (&quot;Empty&quot;) to remove the art from its Chinese predecessors.  Therefore, in its original context, Kara-Te would have no seeming contradiction with weapon arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-07-15T17:54:59.543" LastActivityDate="2014-07-15T17:54:59.543" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4196" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2073" CreationDate="2014-07-16T17:02:23.447" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Shaolin_Monastery&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Wikipedia page on the Southern Shaolin Monastery&lt;/a&gt; puts it beautifully: &quot;The Southern Shaolin Monastery is the name of a Buddhist monastery whose existence and location are both disputed. By tradition it is considered the source of all southern Chinese martial arts. ...&#xA;The following account is based on legend or folklore, with little, if any, documentary evidence to support it.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By definition, we're talking about a folklore or oral history, about which genuine on-the-ground facts are scant, and the &quot;things we know about it&quot; inherently suspect. If there's anything I've learned studying Chinese martial arts, it's that derivations and origin stories are always thus. They are always filtered through layers of myth, imagination, &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youxia&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;yóuxiá&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuxia&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;wǔxiá&lt;/a&gt; stories, kung fu cinema, and latter-day appropriations of all of the above. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shàolín isn't a brand of martial gōngfu, it's a forest. Specifically, the one on Shǎoshì Mountain, where the (northern) Shaolin Monastery is located. By legend all kung fu emanates from that one source, spreading to the south and seeding Southern kung fu styles. Is that how it really happened? I don't know. I don't think anyone really does. Is it possible there was some transmission of styles, moves, and teachings, just as the &quot;monks sent to combat pirates, and then stayed on&quot; legend suggests? Sure. Maybe even likely. People travel, and they transmit their skills and learnings as they go. But is it likely that, as the legend says, all southern fighting styles originate there? Not really.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Humanity existed all over China both before and after the supposed monk's journey. And if we know anything about humans, it's that they like to fight. They fight for sport, for dominance, for riches, and everything else. They get good at fighting, forming gangs, tribes, and armies all over. They develop techniques, styles, and related sporting events. Just in the realm of &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_wrestling&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;folk wrestling&lt;/a&gt;, for example, there are dozens of styles from every conceivable place. Many of their moves have great commonalities--primarily because people have the same human bodies and must obey the laws of physics, regardless of where they're from. So it seems much more believable that most Southern kung fu styles emerged from &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_evolution&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;parallel development&lt;/a&gt;, perhaps accelerated by some idea diffusion and technique sharing by travelers, than that there was just one source, which fanned out hierarchically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &quot;it all came from Shaolin Monastery&quot; idea is also hard to credit given the styles that resulted. I've studied both northern styles (běiquán) such as Chángquán/Longfist and southern styles (nánquán) such as Five Animals. There are definitely some similarities. The &quot;Pull Sweep Push Sweep&quot; of Dragon, for instance, can also be seen in Longfist's &quot;13 Tripping Methods.&quot; There are probably a dozen other places you could say &quot;they have the same move.&quot; But overall, the styles are very different. They focus on different ideas. They move differently. They have different explanations of why you'd move in a given way, and what you're trying to accomplish. Maybe there are other southern styles with closer linkages. Wing Chun has a lot of the same linearity, for example, but it too moves very differently, using different controls. No southern form I know of, at least, appears directly linked to, or imitative of, the northern styles I know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These points are suggestive, not probative. But before diving too far into the mythical trek of kung fu from its unique birthplace, it makes sense to ask &quot;Is that even possible? If so, how likely? And do the styles that resulted show any evidence?&quot; From this vantage, it's looking like at least 90% myth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastActivityDate="2014-07-16T17:02:23.447" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4197" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4281" CreationDate="2014-07-16T19:17:44.003" Score="-5" ViewCount="2642" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was wondering if using three swords with the third in your mouth would be effective against anyone else with a sword. I'd think so, because you could parry their attacks, and then slice them with the third blade by moving your neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's an example of triple sword wielding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NdSTD.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2034" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2014-08-14T17:37:47.847" LastActivityDate="2020-11-07T19:28:59.273" Title="Is a triple-sworded style viable against one or dual wielding sword oppenents?" Tags="|weapons|style|sword|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4198" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3170" CreationDate="2014-07-17T00:54:54.747" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;(This answer portrays only to the majority of american karate businesses known as the infamous &lt;code&gt;mcdojo&lt;/code&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is my (bad) experience with karate where they teach alot of &quot;theory&quot; moves.  That being, ones that sound good in theory, but would the actually work?  &lt;em&gt;most&lt;/em&gt; of these tend to be fake.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, this doesn't apply to the (rare) good karate schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Anyway&lt;/strong&gt;, a knife hand strike can be quite deadly.  It depends on how you use it though.  Of course, you wouldn't hit somebody on the top of the head like that, but a neck shot seems to be the best (and basically only).  There is also another move where your standing to their side, and you do a low knife hand to the &quot;&lt;em&gt;peaches&lt;/em&gt;&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like I said, a knife hand strike can be very powerful.  My Sabomnim broke six large bricks with one these strikes, while I have broken 6 boards.  Of course, this is on blocks.  usually* an attacker will not be on blocks.  There are exceptions, but I am yet to come across one yet...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1655" LastActivityDate="2014-07-17T00:54:54.747" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4199" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2465" CreationDate="2014-07-17T01:03:02.637" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Of course, we all know the meaning of taekwondo...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My school seems to be a bit different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We do alot of weapons.  Because they're fun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We officially have nunchaku forums on our tests, and that's it.  We also do bo staff, although there is only one official pattern, and it is about as exciting as watching the grass grow.  We have fierce tournaments.  Us black belts create our own weapons patterns, and compete with them in tournaments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;kumdo&lt;/strong&gt;.  My school studies &quot;chang moo kwan&quot; (one of the eight original kwans, or gyms in korea before the kukkiwon), and that has kinda blended into our taekwondo studdies a little.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from the required weapons, we also do &quot;demo&quot; weapons.  That is, other weapons patterns that we present at demos.  We do nunchaku, sai, bo, sword, escrima, ropedart, tonfa, and others...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have never heard of a different TKD gym doing that, so I guess I can't really speak for TKD as a whole.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1655" LastActivityDate="2014-07-17T01:03:02.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4201" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2477" CreationDate="2014-07-17T01:21:00.203" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's not because its easier for us, more just because, well, I don't know how to say it, other than that we love it.  Martial arts.  Knowing all of these really awesome and fancy ways to beat the crap out of someone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for tricking, Your right.  I haven't seen all that many girls in the sport.  But that in no way shape or form means its not a womens sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I Sparred with this two girls at my last tournament.  One of them was the stereotype.  Didn't practice.  Didn't train.  Didn't condition myself.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So after winning without breaking a sweat, I was about to face the other girl.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2 seconds into the match she did a jumping 360 roundhouse to my head.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hate it when women think that just because they are women, mean they have to be lesser than men.  Its not at all true.  Do what you love, and don't let anybody stand in your way.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1655" LastActivityDate="2014-07-17T01:21:00.203" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4202" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3126" CreationDate="2014-07-17T12:23:46.343" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Technique&lt;/em&gt; taps into reserves of energy (&lt;em&gt;endurance&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Endurance&lt;/em&gt; is conserved with efficient execution and strong guard (&lt;em&gt;technique&lt;/em&gt;).  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Without &lt;em&gt;endurance&lt;/em&gt;, your &lt;em&gt;technique&lt;/em&gt; falls to bits fast. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Without &lt;em&gt;technique&lt;/em&gt; your &lt;em&gt;endurance&lt;/em&gt; falls to bits fast.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It isn't one or the other, it's both, in equal measure - that's why it's so tough.  If you aim for good technique and neglect endurance then you'll win by early knockout unless you find someone that can go the distance. If you aim to go the distance and neglect technique you'll outlast your opponents unless you find someone who can route out weaknesses in your technique to bring you down early.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1551" LastActivityDate="2014-07-17T12:23:46.343" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4203" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3079" CreationDate="2014-07-17T12:49:11.813" Score="21" Body="&lt;p&gt;At first glance Krav Maga and Systema seem to be very similar in that they are both very unconventional, no-rules, practical self-defence, martial arts (although Krav isn't technically a martial art) which are no holds barred and generally formless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga is basically a very raw, dangerous situation survival system (including avoidance and escape) which builds upon your &lt;strong&gt;natural instincts&lt;/strong&gt; and taught in a &lt;strong&gt;very short space of time&lt;/strong&gt;.  Therefore it is highly &lt;strong&gt;stress tested&lt;/strong&gt;.  It &lt;strong&gt;relies on the fact that fear will set in&lt;/strong&gt; in order to use your natural responses and turn them into functional movements to your advantage. It relies heavily on &lt;strong&gt;shock and awe&lt;/strong&gt; in that defence and attack should be simultaneous where possible to capitalise on the opponent's shock value.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Systema is - in many ways - the exact opposite, it is a system which teaches over a much &lt;strong&gt;longer period of time&lt;/strong&gt; how to &lt;strong&gt;control your fear/anger/pity&lt;/strong&gt; and teaches &lt;strong&gt;relaxation&lt;/strong&gt; (through breathing/stretching) in stressful situations so that &lt;strong&gt;attacks on your person are less effective, better recovered from&lt;/strong&gt; and the &lt;strong&gt;pressure points, levers and momentum of attackers can be manipulated&lt;/strong&gt; to your advantage using the clarity of mind gained from your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In Summary&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in effect Krav Maga is taught fast and turns your weaknesses into strengths so your defence/attack becomes like a reflex just when you need it, while Systema is a methodology that needs to be learned and seeks to remove those weaknesses so that your defense/attacks can be more effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Also&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another martial art, similar and somewhere between these is the Keysi Fighting Method (KFM) - developed for street fighting - but that has some actual forms that have to be learned such as the very distinctive 'Pensador' that the Christian Bale Batman uses ;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;KFM is a lot more like Krav Maga but it makes heavy use of the 'Pensador' guard (much like the 'Rhino' Krav pose) and concentrates a much larger chunk of its time to dealing with multiple opponents and ground based fighting, as it was developed for street fighting and this is where they tend to end up. It doesn't deal with survival (avoidance and get away) as much as Krav however. There are also no weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1551" LastEditorUserId="9304" LastEditDate="2022-10-26T21:02:55.657" LastActivityDate="2022-10-26T21:02:55.657" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4204" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2014-07-18T14:14:12.610" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Systema is a martial art of Russian origin in which much time is spent learning how to control your breathing and emotions in order to allow you better control over defence, attack and even recovery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Offensively, much of the art is focused upon pressure points, body levers, and using the attackers momentum like &lt;a href=&quot;/questions/tagged/aikido&quot; class=&quot;post-tag&quot; title=&quot;show questions tagged &amp;#39;aikido&amp;#39;&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;aikido&lt;/a&gt;.  It also focused on grappling, knives and firearms as well as hand-to-hand fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It, like &lt;a href=&quot;/questions/tagged/kravmaga&quot; class=&quot;post-tag&quot; title=&quot;show questions tagged &amp;#39;kravmaga&amp;#39;&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;kravmaga&lt;/a&gt; is popular among police and security forces for it's efficiency and rapid teaching method.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1551" LastEditorUserId="1551" LastEditDate="2014-07-18T21:43:53.500" LastActivityDate="2014-07-18T21:43:53.500" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4205" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2014-07-18T14:14:12.610" Score="0" Body="Russian martial art based around relaxation and control without strict kata or form" OwnerUserId="1551" LastEditorUserId="1551" LastEditDate="2014-07-18T21:44:58.630" LastActivityDate="2014-07-18T21:44:58.630" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4206" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3126" CreationDate="2014-07-18T23:38:48.183" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do TKD sparring (and usually win), and sparring is very tiring and taxing as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I go for more of a technique side.  I try to conserve my energy as much as possible, not throwing a shot unless I know there is a very good chance of it scoring. I am always shifting in and out of target range, so I'm not taking a beating 24/7.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, endurance is also extremely important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Two words:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;jump rope.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1655" LastActivityDate="2014-07-18T23:38:48.183" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4207" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4216" CreationDate="2014-07-19T10:21:38.337" Score="5" ViewCount="1198" Body="&lt;p&gt;I see some guys in the gym bring two pairs of gloves to training. If there is a session on the pads, they wear &lt;em&gt;bag gloves&lt;/em&gt; which are thin and light. During sparring sessions they switch to wearing a larger glove, eg. 14oz. I understand why the larger heavier glove is required for the sparring activity, but why is the larger glove not used for the bag/pad training as well? What benefits are brought from the bag/pad work by using the thin light glove?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastActivityDate="2016-08-12T16:19:48.733" Title="What value is there in using a 'bag glove' during pad work in Muay Thai training?" Tags="|equipment|muay-thai|sparring|punching|boxing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4208" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-07-20T11:16:09.287" Score="3" ViewCount="8784" Body="&lt;p&gt;It seems slashing is much more powerful than thrusting, and thus, much more useful. Is there any technique to enhance power of a thrusting attack to the level of a powerful blow?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If not, what is the point of pointed weapon? E.g using a long stick vs light armored target, a thrusting attack will hardly do any damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3057" LastActivityDate="2015-06-15T07:24:50.143" Title="Slashing vs thrusting (bladed weapon vs pointed weapon)" Tags="|technique|weapons|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4209" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4217" CreationDate="2014-07-20T15:56:50.200" Score="1" ViewCount="21437" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the difference between Judo, karate and martial arts?&#xA;Is there any age limit to learn judo or martial arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3058" LastActivityDate="2014-07-26T14:34:28.317" Title="Difference between Judo, Karate and Martial Arts?" Tags="|judo|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2015-05-26T18:34:08.357" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4210" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4209" CreationDate="2014-07-20T19:27:17.720" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You have a reputation of 1. This seams like a very noobie question. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts is the category of all, um, martial arts.  There are more martial arts than I could ever know.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate and judo are both martial arts. I'll name a few as well:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate, taekwondo, ju jujitsu, BJJ, Kung fu, aikido...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, there are many different types of specific martial arts. For example, there are 8+ different types of taekwondo.  Kung fu is even more (examples: wing chun, Jeet kun do (JKD))&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Excuse my spelling, apple's autocorrect is only so good.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's lots of different martial arts from each country as well.  For example: Korea. Here's some Korean martial arts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hapkido&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kum do&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tang soo do&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;lots more.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are even martial arts that aren't very normal.  Take caprera (?).  It's disguised as dancing, but is actually a dangerous martial art.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not all martial arts are Asian.  There even Israeli martial arts, as well as the Brazilian version of JJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no age limit for martial arts.  If you are *older, I recommend taking aikido. It's extremely fun and effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate is considered by many martial artist to be an American martial art. It is more popular here than in in Japan. Most American karate schools have little to no ties with Japan, and little respect for the ancient art.  American karate has become (generalization) a scam.  A ripoff.  A money making &lt;strong&gt;BUSINESS&lt;/strong&gt;.   The McDojo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1655" LastActivityDate="2014-07-20T19:27:17.720" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4211" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4208" CreationDate="2014-07-20T19:35:44.337" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;With a thrust, I have all of the weight and power of the weapon behind the striking point.  It's going to archive MUCH more power, and pressure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also it takes up less space than a slash.  To slash, you have to create a large amount if movement,  not to mention getting the angle perfectly correct (which takes years of practice)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1655" LastActivityDate="2014-07-20T19:35:44.337" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4212" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4207" CreationDate="2014-07-20T19:54:39.257" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Lighter gloves are nicer.  They're quicker, lighter, and easier to put on/off. Unfortunately, they're not that great prolonged striking, and not all that thickly padded.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1655" LastActivityDate="2014-07-20T19:54:39.257" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4214" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4219" CreationDate="2014-07-20T22:04:02.880" Score="4" ViewCount="620" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am having trouble exercising a good roll when I start from a dive.  I tend to roll towards my spine more than from shoulder to hip. It just seems impossible to roll more sideways while diving straight forwards. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can do it, but it hurts more than jumping and rolling off a ten-foot wall. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1655" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T17:34:50.267" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T17:34:50.267" Title="Good shoulder roll from a dive" Tags="|falling|tricking|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4215" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4214" CreationDate="2014-07-21T05:04:55.037" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You need to go to the opposite hip from the shoulder you land on. This roll or break fall (ukemi) is known as Mae Chugeri.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A very simple way to practice this is to take your lead arm, and make a 45 degree cutting movement down and across the front of your body; so if your left arm is forward then cut towards your right hip. Then allow your shoulder to follow the arm so that you end up in the roll. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If executed properly you should end up in the same stance as what you started in. This may be easier to start practicing from a kneeling stance (i.e. left leg bent, right knee on the floor).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This does mean that you will roll on a diagonal &lt;em&gt;across&lt;/em&gt; your spine, but not &lt;em&gt;down&lt;/em&gt; it. This roll is also ideal when executed while jumping or flying forwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a good example of how to execute this, check &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM1Ps9I_ba8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this Youtube video&lt;/a&gt;, starting at 1:05. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2014-07-21T12:41:43.577" LastActivityDate="2014-07-21T12:41:43.577" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4216" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4207" CreationDate="2014-07-21T08:41:47.507" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Regularly hammering the heavy bag with heavy gloves will compress and deform their padding, so they won't provide the expected protection (to your opponent), rendering them illegal to use in competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Light gloves still give your skin some protection compared to being bare-knuckled - you can train a bit harder and longer.  Can also help avoid repeatedly slipping off a sweaty bag.  Each to their own though - I prefer bare-knuckle, but do often have to stop before I'm exhausted due to torn or abraded skin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-07-21T08:41:47.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4217" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4209" CreationDate="2014-07-21T09:00:41.110" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What is the difference between Judo, karate and martial arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Martial arts&quot; is a name for practices that aim at perfecting fighting skills.  Some people include things like boxing and judo, while others would say they are &quot;martial sports&quot; as their practice focuses almost exclusively on techniques allowed by their competition rules, clearly ignoring considerable dangers from other techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo is an art of throwing, tripping and wrestling.  You should search youtube for some judo videos.  For a martial art, judo is fairly uniform in the way it is practiced internationally, as the Olympic sports rules provide a shared focus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate is very different from judo, as it emphasises striking techniques such as punches and kicks, elbows and knees, and corresponding blocks with relatively few throws or wrestling moves.  Again youtube can give you a taste for this.  There are many, many forms of karate that are very different in emphasis and quality, as there is no international body coordinating standards.  Some styles have competitions - sometimes open to other styles and sometimes not, other schools are only interested in (relatively) cooperative free or set sparring.  There are no unifying rules across all karate styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is there any age limit to learn judo or martial arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each school has to decide for themselves whom they will teach.  You do read about people who apparently &quot;started training&quot; at age four or five under their parents, uncles etc..  In my first school we wouldn't accept students under around 10.  My current school has students who are very young - 5 or 6 perhaps.  It's quite shocking to watch them doing full contact fighting, albeit with &lt;em&gt;lots&lt;/em&gt; of padding.  I think somewhere around 12 to 16 is a good age to start training... starting earlier doesn't necessarily lead to better skills later, and being of an age where you can make more progress without being so limited by your body, attention span, knowledge of logic, science/mechanics etc. can avoid boredom and stagnation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2014-07-26T14:34:28.317" LastActivityDate="2014-07-26T14:34:28.317" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4218" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2014-07-21T13:46:52.727" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm struggling with the same problem given with my height, weight and my medical status:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;right knee injury 2 years ago&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;gout &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;knee displasion&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;and I've been pondering the same question about which martial art I can practice to the fullest of my capabilities long term (note I'm 33 years old) given my medical conditions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've found that it's just not the art but also how you approach it. Longer stretching and warm up times prior to practice and after practice really help me with the prevention of pain and injury. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based on my experience the following arts are good :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;JKD (love line hitting, wing chun elements and flow drills) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;BJJ&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Esckrima (stick based) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tai chi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've practiced Escrima and JKD with my son and my less than developed girlfriend and they could adapt to the techniques since they are not strength-based and can be tailored to various body types.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3064" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-07-21T14:26:07.577" LastActivityDate="2014-07-21T14:26:07.577" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4219" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4214" CreationDate="2014-07-21T13:54:27.793" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suspect that you're facing one of two problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Going into the roll straight&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When thinking of diving, the natural impulse is to dive straight forward, both arms outstretched, and execute a forward roll. This, naturally, draws you to roll across your spine, as it's the (literally) straightforward movement. To ensure rolling diagonally, you need to either dive at an angle (either from where you're facing or by twisting your torso while diving) or use your arms to guide your body into a diagonal movement. The latter is the more versatile option, but it puts more stress on your arms because they have to redirect your body weight. I advise setting up a video camera and taping yourself rolling (on a soft surface preferably). Look at how your torso is aligned as you're rolling. Also, Amos Rendao gives some good exercises to diagnose your rolling technique in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AECpmQKXrdk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;part 1 of his intermediate parkour roll series&lt;/a&gt; (I highly recommend watching all four videos).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Trying to dive right into dive rolls&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are you trying to start your dive rolls from a standing position and launching yourself forward into a roll? Don't. Just like when you learned to roll initially, you need to employ &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW04kMTL2FM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;progressions&lt;/a&gt;, starting from an all-fours position, moving up to leaning into it from standing and so on. This lets you ease into the movement rather than having to get it all right from full speed. Again, videotaping yourself is very handy to catch errors in technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-10-08T14:47:12.153" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4220" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4208" CreationDate="2014-07-21T19:25:37.000" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to emphasize I am not an expert, but it is worth looking at history.  Most of the real slashing weapons (scimitars, sabers) were designed to be used from horseback.  Slashing was less likely to get the weapon stuck, which was an even bigger problem when on horseback then when fighting on foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(The famous curve of the Katana which was largely used in a slashing was apparantly mostly about being able to draw quickly.  It is also worth noting that Katanas were used more often in duels than in warfare where samurai more often used Yari, a thrusting spear.) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, a thrust puts more of the force behind a single point, greatly increasing the pressure (pressure is force divided by area, and is particularly important if trying to pierce armor).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1253" LastActivityDate="2014-07-21T19:25:37.000" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4221" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4223" CreationDate="2014-07-22T07:22:56.360" Score="4" ViewCount="352" Body="&lt;p&gt;During my career (I've trained at a couple of places), I've participated in several drills where a group of people surrounded a single guy and at a call of a number would attack the guy in the middle for a short amount of time and then retreat with the next guy taking his place in a short amount of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've done this drill in a striking oriented BJJ club (so we were looking for take downs) but I think it can be tailored to different disciplines. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I'm looking for is a format to conduct this drill:&#xA; - duration of a round&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;duration of attack&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;duration of rest between attacks&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;attach rules for striking sports (i.e. use palms only from the outside, etc)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;general name of the drill used&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3064" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-03-26T10:46:56.367" LastActivityDate="2020-03-26T10:46:56.367" Title="Combat drill with multiple oponents" Tags="|training|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|krav-maga|jeet-kune-do|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4222" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4221" CreationDate="2014-07-22T11:37:27.550" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;That drill exists in a lot of different martial arts, each of which have tailored it to their unique style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think each style calls it something different, and some don't call it anything at all, so you might be out of luck there.  Schools with a penchant for the dramatic will probably call it &quot;circle of death&quot; or something like that (I'm looking at you, Kenpo).  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g1qFAuBCP4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Hey, guess what, I totally made up that circle of death thing, and here it is on youtube, and yeah, its the same drill, and it's Kenpo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's something we do in Kali:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Start with two, or three attackers and one defender&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Give each attacker one or two potential moves.  Also limit number of attacks to one, two, or three.  This isn't a free fighting drill, and letting attackers do whatever they want is going to get sloppy and get folks hurt.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Objective is for defender is to disarm or otherwise deal with each attacker.  Attackers go about half speed.  Defender is advised to maneuver attackers so that he has bodies between himself and the attackers who are still active.  Defender can accomplish this with footwork, and/or joint-locks.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Whole thing lasts only a few seconds, even if it sounds a little complicated.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-07-22T11:43:23.323" LastActivityDate="2014-07-22T11:43:23.323" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4223" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4221" CreationDate="2014-07-22T11:59:30.180" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a standard exercise in Shodokan Aikido (required for every test).  We call it either &quot;Randori&quot; or &quot;Jiyu Waza&quot;.  We don't standardize it the way you're asking.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(In Chinese martial arts, the term may be Sanshou, but I'm not sure that is standardized. Closer to Kumite)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My school used to do 4 attackers, 90 seconds, with each attacker starting their attack run at the moment the preceding attacker made contact.  The defender is expected to evade and execute techniques.    Attackers attack in order.  &lt;em&gt;someone is the referee and will call &quot;STOP&quot; if there is anything dangerous&lt;/em&gt; (people get too enthusiastic, someone gets injured, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We don't rest between attackers. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is probably still the archetype, but:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Timekeeping is a pain - we generally now do a set number of attacks.  Each attacker attacks four or five or X times.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;For lower belts the attack is restricted to a &quot;loping stiffarm&quot; - slightly faster than a walk, slower than a run, hand held out in front to simulate a wide variety of attacks.  Lower belts are expected to learn to evade, do hand passes, and control the floor (don't get trapped against walls, be aware of where the next attacker is, etc.)  The worst that happens is that you get a palmtouch where you weren't expecting it. This lowers the threat threshold for juniors, and helps them feel comfortable.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;We go back and forth on blocks.  One of the defender's best strategies is to move so that the next attacker blocks the following attacker. (if attackers are A, B, C, move so that A is between the defender and B).  Defender also wants to alter the technique so that A is thrown into the path of B.  For lower and mid-belts, B will call &quot;block&quot; and the attack proceeds to C.  Blocking is a very realistic strategy, and there are times when this is the focus of the exercise. On the other hand at some point we become so good at blocking that we cease to do techniques, so some days we don't permit blocking.  You'll want to play with both.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes we have too few healthy attackers (I work with a bunch of seniors, who have correspondingly high injury rates).  In which case we use 3 attackers (and up the number of attacks).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;for higher belts, attackers are authorized to use a variety of attacks (shomen uchi, yokomen uchi, reverse punch, reverse yokomen uchi, haymaker, jab, etc.)  (Uppercut and kicks have a tendency to develop into dangerous and artificial patterns, so we avoid those). Basically any attack which is interesting and which doesn't tend towards dangerous.  We slow the pace so that the next attacker begins the run only after the defender has finished a technique.  Yes, this is artificial, but (a) we've mastered the earlier drills and (b) we want to focus on finishing techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some groups (I've only seen this in Chinese martial arts) use a circle, and if if the attacker is forced out of the circle, the attack is deemed to have been countered.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Every belt test also includes knife randori - we generally limit this to one attacker. We also do tournaments with knife randori&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In my Taji Chuan (Chinese Martial arts) school, we do a variation of this. One student performs the Taiji form; other students are free to attack whenever they feel like it.  The student performing the form must adapt the form to counter the attack. (and return to the form, but we're not strict about that).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Because my Taiji school has more junior than senior students, we tend to restrict the attacks to slow, abstracted thrusts and grabs.  This reduces the threat level and allows the student to concentrate on the purpose of the exercise.  As the students become more comfortable, shift upwards.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Potentially helpful links&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.jitsufoundation.org/martialarts.asp?Page=The_Jitsu_Foundation_-_randori_nationals&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Randori Nationals&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19131&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Aikiweb on randori&lt;/a&gt; - &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2020-03-25T17:41:26.390" LastActivityDate="2020-03-25T17:41:26.390" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4225" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="25" CreationDate="2014-07-23T08:35:09.460" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In JKD we call those flow drills and the speed is increased gradually when both partners aquire greater skill at doing the drill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The basic focus of the drill is to teach a specific neural muscular response to a specific situation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In order to do that it is important to first have the proper form which can be taught by doing first the drill at slow speed as both or one partner is thinking of her actions. And of course by preventing injury. Later when a greater skill is achieved the drill is done at a greater speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Followups from that situation are done when doing ABC (attacks by combination). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example (from JKD):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basic drill : Jab(A) - Parry(B) - Jab(B) - Parry(A) - Jab(A) ..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Advanced (not longer a flow drill but takes a basic from that):&#xA;Jab(A), Parry(B), Jab(B), Cross Finger Jab from the outside(B), Right backfist(B).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or basic drill from trapping&#xA;Jab(A) - Jab(B) (at the same time) - Pak Sao(B) - Jab (B) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which can lead to a other trapping or attacking drills in the entry phase of the combat or can lead to a take down with ground fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I generelly prefer to do flow drills (with mind that they are just a beginning for something else which is also drilled) since they are simple to teach (from my JKD experience) and teach really good and basic concepts and reactions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3064" LastActivityDate="2014-07-23T08:35:09.460" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4226" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4221" CreationDate="2014-07-23T11:17:57.673" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Good answers already, but I'll dump some thoughts here too...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;if you allow any rest between the attacks - or even enough time for the (nominal) defender to return to a guarding position, then in one sense they're facing a series of one-on-one challenges rather than facing concurrent opponents, but there are still many benefits that make it a worthwhile stepping-stone exercise:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;cultivating awareness of the people waiting to attack&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;starting to keep pending attackers in sight, moving out of their reach until they finish dealing with the current aggressor etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;motivation to finish each opponent quickly as it's increasing the perception of pending threat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;quick assessment of a new threat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;stamina as the defender gets less rest&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;some variations for sequential attackers&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;next attackers in known sequence or self selecting &quot;at random&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;pending attackers stationary or moving around to line up their attacks&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;fixed attacking technique, set options, or anything goes; single attack, fixed- or maxed-sized combo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;defender selects next opponent by attacking them pre-emptively&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;defender can but doesn't have to attack pre-emptively or counter-attack concurrently with attack (stretching the gap to some opponents and closing on others is enormously important when fighting multiple opponents)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;next attacker shouts loudly before attacking - giving a little telegraphing to reduce risk of injury&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;each attacker has disproportionate responsibility for their own safety, and the defender can lash out a bit more than for one-on-one sparring&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;defender encouraged to use current opponent as shield from next attacker, push them into each other etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For genuinely concurrent fighting, there's less rules to worry about - the outcomes teach the defender and attackers what to do ;-).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-07-23T11:17:57.673" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4227" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1741" CreationDate="2014-07-23T15:33:26.520" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kendo the &quot;way of the Sword&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Iaido the &quot;art of Drawing Swords&quot; or &quot; being Consonantly prepared&quot; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both teach you the ways of using a Katana but don't necessary require the use of the actually blade to learn. They also focus on the mind set that some with practice the blade and learn how to cut with one. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="882" LastActivityDate="2014-07-23T15:33:26.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4228" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4208" CreationDate="2014-07-23T18:11:59.767" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Thrusting AND Slashing are both useful&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It might &quot;seem&quot; slashing is more powerful because it involves bigger movements, and depending on the weapon, you feel, in your arm, that you're getting more force... but... it's not.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thrusting concentrates more force onto a smaller point, allowing better penetration.  Stabbing weapons tend to cause more lethal wounds (getting deeper to organs or major arteries).   Thrusting tends to give less telegraphing and usually has better range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, stabbing attacks tend to have less short-terms stopping power - people often don't realize they've been stabbed, and can continue fighting back.  For longer weapons, if your weapon is stuck in the opponent and they're fighting back, you can be in a bad situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Slashing tends to do more shallow wounds, BUT it's better at muscle damage which reduces your opponent's ability to fight back, and the force can move/maneuver the opponent's limbs or body into a position that allows you to follow up better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the reason, around the world, throughout history, you can find a combination of thrusting and slashing weapons everywhere.  There's usually only some periods where it goes particularly one way or another based on armor needs or conditions in which folks are fighting.  (Heavy armor leads to a lot of thrusting weapons, folks having to convert farm implements, grain cutters or machetes get a lot of slashing implements).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Improving Thrusting Power&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this case, &quot;power&quot; means harm in such a way to debilitate quicker. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's the classic piston-stabbing action, used with short knives and makeshift shivs - you keep stabbing the same area to try to turn it into hamburger.  This is a common method in prison fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Twist the blade&quot; is a term people use a lot, but depending on the blade's strength, the handle you have, and where/what you've stabbed, it may not really be feasible.  &quot;Jerk it around&quot; seems to make more sense in actual situations - stick it in, jerk it around, to forcibly move the opponent and widen the wound channel.  Again, this is going to be shorter blades, though the spear example would be to stick them then walk around or shove to pin them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are several locations which do much greater damage by targeting.  Eyes and neck are pretty obvious examples for all weapons.  Other organs also make a lot of sense, though the ribcage protects a lot of them requiring either good angling or heavier weapons to get past the bone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-07-23T18:11:59.767" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4229" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4208" CreationDate="2014-07-24T09:30:57.930" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;To help understand the difference between a thrust and a slash, consider some hopefully familiar movements:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;a cricket bat... if you &quot;slash&quot; with the bat you can hit a cricket ball 100 metres or more in the air, while if you prod at the ball with the end of the bat it might only go a few metres.  On the other hand, if you had an everyday door to get through and swung the bat at it, it might create a dent but not open the door, while a firm shove with the end of the bat would open it more or less as easily as pushing directly with your hands (depending on distancing and how much speed you build up before/during contact).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;a front kick on a heavy punching bag - a stabbing/trusting action - can easily get the bag to swing past 45 degrees, while a turning/roundhouse kick might struggle to get 15 degrees.  The same front kick might struggle to break a loosely supported baseball bat handle though, while the turning kick was just fine.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, they're both strong in different ways:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The slashing actions have more speed at impact but far less mass directly behind the strike, so their power transfers well to light, unsupported objects, but a heavy or braced object will absorb it all quickly and have relatively little overall momentum imparted (with a larger proportion of the energy quickly dissipated in other ways such as sound / air pressure and localised deformation and stresses on the struck material).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The thrust impart far more overall energy but more slowly, which can result in a more efficient transfer of momentum.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(There are a very few actions which achieve a &quot;best of both worlds&quot; power, with more coupling of the &quot;slashing&quot; action to the core body rotation, perhaps most obviously the &quot;ridge hand&quot; aka &quot;reverse knife hand&quot; strike).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Depending on what you hit&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, there might be time for the greater power of a thrust to accumulate and cause more localised damage than the speed of the slash allows, or the target might yield steadily over the time of impact and reduce the peak impact and meaningful damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The size of the striking surface is also relevant to peak power, and whether there's localised damage or more large-body momentum transfer, but it's not quite so simple as saying thrusting always involves smaller surface area than slashing motions... pick-like weapons even the score in that regard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, whether one or the other is more effective depends a lot on the striker's strength and speed compared to the target's rigidity and the amount of inertia it's got to overcome to get out of the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is there any technique to enhance power of a thrusting attack to the level of a powerful blow?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As usual, good body mechanics are the key.  I wrote &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/3149/how-much-should-the-torso-and-shoulders-rotate-when-throwing-a-powerful-cross-in/3154#3154&quot;&gt;this answer&lt;/a&gt; before about what it takes to deliver a good reverse punch, and the same principles apply here: start with bent knees, develop a connected power chain through the knees, hips, shoulder, elbow, hands, weapon - all strongly snapping and focused in the direction of the target.  Using a weapon well doesn't mean moving the mental focus out to the weapon and moving it first - ground everything in your body and have it initiate the movements.  Practice the same movement you'll do with the weapon while not holding the weapon, considering the mechanics, power and speed - even striking targets/bags with your hands to help give you focus and feedback.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-07-25T02:31:46.880" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4230" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4233" CreationDate="2014-07-24T11:49:11.247" Score="11" ViewCount="2063" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/2943/82&quot;&gt;Ukemi (break falling)&lt;/a&gt; is a vital skill when doing Aikido. Soon, my club is starting a children class (anyone between 8 to 17) and as instructors, we must teach the children how to break fall. Ideally, we would like to make a game of this as Aikido at that age should be fun.  Well, it should always be fun but kids learn best when playing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How can we amend teaching ukemi drills so children learn them safely and fast?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that while focused on Aikido, this is equally applicable to Judo or any other arts that do ukemi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-07-15T19:32:50.687" Title="Teaching ukemi to children" Tags="|aikido|judo|falling|children|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4231" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2014-07-24T11:54:14.887" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Anything relating to children (17 years old or younger) training in martial arts. This include safety, psychology, and anything related to kids/children/teenagers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-07-24T11:54:14.887" LastActivityDate="2014-07-24T11:54:14.887" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4232" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2014-07-24T11:54:14.887" Score="0" Body="Anything relating to children (17 years old or younger) training in martial arts." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-07-24T11:54:14.887" LastActivityDate="2014-07-24T11:54:14.887" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4233" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4230" CreationDate="2014-07-24T13:57:57.807" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Oh man...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I help teach (and teach if the head instructor is gone) a small group of kids every week and this has always been major question for me.  Not specifically this, but just how to get the kids to &lt;em&gt;want&lt;/em&gt; to learn Aikido at all!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Also, I just want to mention that to me (I could absolutely be wrong, but it's the way I learned it), 'ukemi' means all rolling, breakfalling, body-manouvering, etc.  That is, 'ukemi' is the 'art of blending...with the mat'; haha.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best way I've found for teaching kids &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; (or techniques in general) is by getting the kids to &lt;em&gt;want&lt;/em&gt; to learn.  If they don't want to learn, nothing you do, games or otherwise, will force them to learn (sad but true).  The best way - I've found - to do this is to have the instructors or other class members doing the same &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; &lt;strong&gt;enthusiastically&lt;/strong&gt;.  Kids love a challenge (or rather, kids love completing a challenge; I suppose this goes for most people, but kids more easily accept meaningless challenges), and often it's as simple as saying, &quot;Look!  I'm having fun doing this - and you can too!  Want to learn to do this with me?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, if you're having fun, the kids will want to have fun too.  Show them how to have fun with ukemi, and most will follow suit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="33" LastActivityDate="2014-07-24T13:57:57.807" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4234" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4230" CreationDate="2014-07-24T14:34:30.610" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Suggest you review &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mokurendojo.com/2009/07/how-to-teach-childrens-judo-classes.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Patrick Parker's blog&lt;/a&gt; (I've linked to a post that is specific to teaching children; it references exercises &amp;amp; games to teach kids).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Specifically he mentions&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mokurendojo.com/2010/02/how-to-get-kids-to-slap-when-they-fall.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;How to get kids to slap when they fall&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mokurendojo.com/2009/08/kids-falling-exercise.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Children's falling exercises&lt;/a&gt;, but there is a lot there, and Parker-Shihan is probably the best aikido blogger out there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2014-07-24T14:34:30.610" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4235" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4230" CreationDate="2014-07-24T15:05:07.460" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Limbo&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Haven't gotten really deep into ukemi, but it seems like if you made it a game like limbo, that would be pretty fun for kids. Hold a broom-stick pretty high at first, have them forward roll underneath it. Then lower it as they progress. Then start with it low and have them roll over it.  Raise the bar as they progress.  This could probably be done with other falls, but would work best with forward roll because you need a bit of momentum to clear the bar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Leap Frog&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing you could do is leap-frog, but that requires a certain amount of skill with a forward roll. In case you don't know, leap frog is where kids take turns getting on all fours and jumping over each other's backs. Just have the kids on all fours line up laterally relative to the kid behind them and change the jump to a forward roll. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj0JBiknaPg&quot;&gt;How To Play Leap Frog&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pick Up Sticks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is for kids who are quite comfortable with forward roll.  Place an escrima stick or bokken or whatever on the ground.  Kids have to roll, pick it up while rolling, and come out of the roll to a standing position.  Once they're comfortable with this, divide into teams and do a relay race.  Kids have to roll, grab stick, hand it off.  Kid who gets it has to toss it (gently) on the ground, roll and get it.  I'm actually not familiar with how well kids can grasp the body mechanics of ukemi, so this may not be for your younger kids, but for teens who have been doing it for a while.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Learning to Fall&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For kids to learn to fall in the first place, you might start with using an exercise ball.  You guys might already be doing this.  The idea is to roll &lt;em&gt;over&lt;/em&gt; the ball.  It might help with kids who are afraid of losing control when going to the ground (ease the transition from standing to rolling).  I couldn't find video of a forward roll with an ukemi ball, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7GvDzpzELM&quot;&gt;but here's one showing how to sprawl on one&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-07-24T15:05:07.460" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4238" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4208" CreationDate="2014-07-25T11:43:34.333" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Pro tip: a slash is considerably less useful than a proper cut. Also, a thrust doesn't require nearly as much power as a slash/cut because you're using a much smaller contact area, hence the pressure is much higher (it is science). Which is why the side of a needle doesn't hurt nearly as much as the point end, even if you push &lt;em&gt;really&lt;/em&gt; hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-07-25T11:43:34.333" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4239" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1560" CreationDate="2014-07-25T13:59:40.243" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;'Step up to seven star' in Qigong sense refers to seven Qi-input points in the body. The locations are: one on top of head, two on each shoulders, two near the waist lines and two back of the hips. Please be aware to do that it must be done without any tension.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In fighting aspects there are many applications: these could be devastating strikes to the ST9 points. ST9 points is 'dimmak' points; slap bang in front of the neck, parallel to one's adam's apple (it's there even if you are a woman). Literally translated it is STOMACH 9, and no it has got nothing to do with stomach.There are also elbows strikes in there etc, your choice based on demand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3075" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-07-28T08:03:37.383" LastActivityDate="2014-07-28T08:03:37.383" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4240" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4245" CreationDate="2014-07-25T21:12:42.470" Score="3" ViewCount="2877" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am specifically asking this in the sense of how Katas are executed. I heard somewhere that Shotokan is more stiff, and strong, but I'm not really sure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I'd also like to know if there are completely different katas in Gōjū-ryū that are not existent in Shotokan and visa-verse.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Does Gōjū-ryū  have a limited amount of sparring like Shotokan?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2034" LastEditorUserId="2034" LastEditDate="2014-07-28T00:43:18.630" LastActivityDate="2016-04-01T15:32:13.303" Title="How does the Karate Styles Shotokan and Gōjū-ryū compare to each other?" Tags="|technique|karate|forms|style|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4241" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4230" CreationDate="2014-07-26T09:27:10.533" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;At my taijutsu dojo, the instructors teach basic ukemi to kids as young as seven. The way they approach it is to start by showing it in action with an advanced technique -- like, they'll do a rear sweep on a guy, then point out how that would have hurt if he didn't fall on his back properly, then teach the rear hard fall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, just like teaching anything: start with an attention-getter, show how it's relevant to the class, then dive on in. Our kids enjoy the flips and rolls probably more than anything else we do in class except maybe breaking boards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3077" LastActivityDate="2014-07-26T09:27:10.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4243" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-07-26T12:48:48.357" Score="5" ViewCount="5381" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have both of the following books and I want to know which one is better to start with. I am absolutely beginner and unfortunately there is no class for Jeet Kune Do in my area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tao of Jeet Kune Do : New Expanded Edition&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bruce Lee's Fighting Method : The Complete Edition&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the introduction section of the second one by M.Uyehara, he expresses that Tao of Jeet Kune Do is meant to complement this book. However, I'm still not sure which one is a better starting point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2027" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-03-11T22:15:42.803" LastActivityDate="2019-03-11T22:15:42.803" Title="Which book to start learning Jeet Kune Do" Tags="|self-training|recommendation|jeet-kune-do|books|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4245" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4240" CreationDate="2014-07-28T11:40:49.480" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In general, Shotokan will have longer, lower stances, while Goju will have higher, more upright stances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shotokan stylists have a reputation for focusing on Kihon (the basics).  Expect to do the same kick or punch over and over, working on the details.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The amount of sparring done in a school is pretty much up to the teacher, based on the way he was taught, and his particular inclinations.  Some Shotokan schools may spar more than others.  Likewise with Goju.  Karate stylists, in general, do not emphasize tournament competition to the same degree that Tae Kwon Do does.  There are pros and cons to competing and not competing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no overlap between the katas of the two styles, according to their kata lists on black belt wiki:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blackbeltwiki.com/shotokan-karate-katas&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Shotokan Kata List /w Video&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blackbeltwiki.com/goju-ryu-katas&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Goju-Ryu Kata List /w Video&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-07-28T11:40:49.480" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4246" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4243" CreationDate="2014-07-28T11:59:37.327" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Buy the Tao of Jeet Kune Do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because Reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The Tao of Jeet Kune Do is Bruce's treatise on his philosophy - the philosophy which underpins his later teachings.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Absolute beginners should find teachers, not books, to learn technique from.  You can try copying the stuff in &quot;Bruce Lee's Fighting Method&quot;, but until you already have a basis in martial arts, the best you can do is mimicry.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find a qualified martial arts instructor.  It is especially auspicious if you find a Wing Chun, or Kali instructor, as these arts will fit in best with JKD.  If you can't find those, just find a good instructor, whether that's in Kenpo or Kickboxing.  You can always do JKD later, when it becomes available.  And, because of the JKD philosophy, none of your training in other arts will have been wasted.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Later, once you have a basis in martial arts, there's no harm in looking over the drills in Bruce Lee's Fighting Method.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-07-28T11:59:37.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4247" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4243" CreationDate="2014-07-28T12:50:12.530" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you can't find a Jeet Kune Do school but you want to learn something similar, look for an MMA gym. Mixed Martial Arts is an outflow of Jeet Kune Do. To such an extent that Bruce Lee is referred to as &quot;The Father of MMA&quot;. Wing Chun comprises a large portion of Jeet Kune Do, but your chances of finding a Wing Chun school that teaches proper Wing Chun are pretty low. You are more likely to find yourself at a Master Joe's Wing Chun and hot babes Yoga school, which is a waste of time unless you happen to be Master Joe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-07-28T12:50:12.530" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4248" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4249" CreationDate="2014-07-28T13:22:01.863" Score="3" ViewCount="220" Body="&lt;p&gt;When punching or throwing a strike in Muay Thai, I have heard that the punch should not be 'telegraphed'; meaning that the opponent should not be able to understand what you are going to do. When throwing an uppercut the fist must be brought downwards from the guard position to make a significant motion upwards that gains speed/momentum before impact. My question is how far downwards/backwards should it go? Down to the belt level? The height of the solar plexus? Or as far back as behind the hip? And does the chest move with the fist in the direction of the setup?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastActivityDate="2014-07-28T15:22:26.757" Title="From how low should the fist in an uppercut start from in Muay Thai?" Tags="|technique|muay-thai|punching|kickboxing|boxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4249" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4248" CreationDate="2014-07-28T15:22:26.757" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The fist should move as little as possible. The power of the uppercut comes from slightly dipping in the knees while turning the hip and then pushing from the hip. The elbow shouldn't move behind the body at all. The movement should look a little like the elbow is fixed at the hip and being pushed by the hip rotation/thrust. Only at the very end the arm moves forward by itself. This way you keep your guard up for most of the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastActivityDate="2014-07-28T15:22:26.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4250" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2942" CreationDate="2014-07-30T07:12:03.027" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://japanese.stackexchange.com/users/4091/virmaior&quot;&gt;Virmaior&lt;/a&gt; at &lt;a href=&quot;http://japanese.stackexchange.com&quot;&gt;japanese.se&lt;/a&gt; answered my question.  Here is what he said:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Your kanji are correct. 受け身. You can also write it 受身.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The general meaning of 受け身, however, is not &quot;receiving body&quot; but&#xA;  &quot;passive.&quot; Thus, the passive voice &quot;it is written by him&quot; (vs. active&#xA;  &quot;he writes&quot;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I am not familiar with your martial art, but I would guess that it&#xA;  means you take a passive rather than active role in the combat --&#xA;  receiving the action of others and responding to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have added it here for completeness sake. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/18026/6910&quot;&gt;full answer&lt;/a&gt; can be seen &lt;a href=&quot;https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/18026/6910&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:43:48.857" LastActivityDate="2014-07-30T10:17:20.207" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4251" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3114" CreationDate="2014-07-30T15:47:31.640" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The most basic principle of keeping someone within your closed guard is to always keep your hips up. If your hips are on the ground, it is far easier for you opponent to open your guard. Having your hips up also allows you to drop your hips down and pull your knees toward your chest to break your opponent's posture (often combined with opening your opponent's elbows or breaking your opponent's grips).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pnq9mN2odAg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This video&lt;/a&gt; contains one of the best explanations of how to prevent getting your guard passed. The video covers principles that can be applied to any open-guard situation. These are the main points:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You are at an advantage if you open your guard, and your opponent is at an advantage if he opens your guard.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Maintain four points of contact when playing open guard (explained in detail in the video)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use your feet, knees, hands, and body positioning to prevent passes and recover&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3086" LastActivityDate="2014-07-30T15:47:31.640" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4252" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="589" CreationDate="2014-07-31T10:34:47.220" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kalari is an ancient martial art.  Kalari has two types: northern and southern.  Kalari gives concentration, ability, fighting skills, dicipline and peace.&#xA;Kung fu comes in the Kalari.  Bodhidharma gave Kalari to the Chinese.  He developed kung fu. kung fu  is fighting, but Kalari  is a peaceful art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3089" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-07-31T11:28:51.143" LastActivityDate="2014-07-31T11:28:51.143" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4253" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="589" CreationDate="2014-08-01T13:25:46.493" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a Kalari student from Kerala and have practiced Kalaripayattu for 3 years. &#xA;Kalaripayattu in Kerala is divided into two style; southern and northern. The northern style mainly concentrates on flexibility and slowly developing speed and power. The southern style concentrates on balance and power. Another technique in Kalari is Marma Kala, which teaches about pressure points in body. There are 108 Marmas. Kalari is more of a healthy lifestyle, and self defence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3095" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-08-04T08:13:54.380" LastActivityDate="2014-08-04T08:13:54.380" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4254" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="771" CreationDate="2014-08-02T12:06:23.037" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Grappling dummies are most useful for a ground work not for take down training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what is available on the market submission master is most realistic grappling dummies available Part of what makes it so good is the fact that its arms and legs are stiff enough to be realistic and also to return back to their original position, but also elastic enough to easily bend into the various submissions. I found &lt;a href=&quot;http://bjjmonsters.com/best-grappling-dummy/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this site&lt;/a&gt; useful for grappling dummy info.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3097" LastActivityDate="2014-08-02T12:06:23.037" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4255" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4257" CreationDate="2014-08-02T17:11:18.280" Score="12" ViewCount="20348" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boxers can deliver punches with force ranging from 450 pounds to more than 1000 pounds. On a majority of occasions, these punches are delivered to the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do boxers train their heads so that they can withstand such tremendous punch force? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3090" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2014-08-03T03:00:09.287" LastActivityDate="2014-08-03T03:00:09.287" Title="How do boxers survive punches to the head?" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4256" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4255" CreationDate="2014-08-02T20:13:23.950" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;They don't train their head. They train their ability to dodge out of the way of the punch, block it, or take enough of its force out of the equation as to impact with a lot less force or impact on part of the head or body that is more protected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's true that boxers can generate huge amounts of force with their punches. But that force is measured using a target pad that's solid and doesn't move. So it will register the full amount of force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When a boxer punches a human &quot;target&quot;, however, the human target is not solid and not held in place. Even if the punch hits the head without any deflection or blocking, the head is not firmly in place and will bob and twist, dissipating much of the force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's like hitting a speed bag. The speed bag will just bounce off your fist. It won't feel the same as punching a heavy bag. You won't feel the force going back into your arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, people flinch automatically at the sight of anything coming close to their face, and so that will move the target off-line or behind the focus point, causing the punch to impact with less force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-08-02T20:13:23.950" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4257" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4255" CreationDate="2014-08-02T20:13:46.260" Score="16" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's basically a few things going on, for boxers, or any heavy contact sport that involves potential head hits:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Neck muscles are stabilizers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, better stabilizer muscles for the head helps reduce concussion rates. Less whiplash effect means less brain damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means neck, shoulder, and spinal strength training helps.  The rates for high school sports shows that some sports, like soccer or volleyball, end up with worse concussion rates than you'd expect, mostly because few teams include that kind of strength conditioning for those muscles - they've got nothing to help reduce the effect when they DO take a head hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Take the hit on the strongest part of the head&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The skull is stronger than the jaw or the nose.  Tucking your chin into your shoulder gives your chin some cover, and makes the tougher part of the head the bigger target.  Face hits, jaw hits and neck hits take people down a lot more than any shot straight to the skull will.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of this is trained by stance, some is trained by drills and sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rolling with Punches&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taking some of the force off a hit by giving in, &quot;fading&quot; or bob and weaving to reduce the force.  This takes a lot of drills and sparring for folks get skilled in.  Really good boxers can pull this off enough that someone keeps thinking they're -just- about to connect and all they get is a glancing shot at best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Concussions are always bad&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All the above said, it's really important to know that boxers aren't trying to &quot;take&quot; these hits.  They're not out-toughing these shots.  You keep your guard up, you bob and weave.  You don't train to take them, you train to NOT take them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Medical science is showing that concussion injuries stack up over a lifetime and problems you get from them may not manifest until years later.  Or, you might just die from a concussion stacking with the effects of previous concussions.  Don't think of it as special training to take hits, it's training to avoid them or take them with the least amount of force when it happens.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-08-02T20:13:46.260" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4258" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4259" CreationDate="2014-08-02T23:28:10.033" Score="7" ViewCount="774" Body="&lt;p&gt;A little over a month and a half ago I fractured a bone (Fifth metacarpal, AKA behind the pinky knuckle) in my right hand- an apparently fairly common injury known as a boxer's fracture. (Note: The cause of injury was nothing to do with martial arts and/or boxing.) The cast has come off, and I've been doing physical therapy for about two weeks. Range of motion is back up to where I can do day to day activities alright, and getting better. However, I've been very strongly advised not to put any sudden pressure on it for at least the next two to three months, and that any strong impacts to that area have a good chance of messing it up again. Range of motion is also unlikely to get all the way back to where it was before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TLDR? I can't make a fist with my right hand, and probably shouldn't hit anybody with it even if I could. This is true for the near to medium future. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Up till now, I've practiced Aikido, Capoira Angola, and Tai Chi. (Tai Chi when I was in high school, Aikido and Capoira in college, Aikido since I've been out of college.) Most Tai Chi movements seem salvageable by using my forearm instead of the hand, but I suspect most Capoira techniques are a bad idea onehanded.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for recommendations on modifying the martial arts I do know to work without use of the last two fingers on one hand, preferably without using that hand at all. I prefer striking and/or throwing techniques. Current guess at how long the hand is going to be out of commission is two months at the earliest, a year at the longest. If you know of another martial art that operates just fine under this restriction, a recommendation is appreciated in case it turns out to take longer than I hope to fully heal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3100" LastEditorUserId="3100" LastEditDate="2014-08-03T05:38:17.197" LastActivityDate="2014-08-21T08:56:18.087" Title="Down a hand, looking for new martial art" Tags="|aikido|injury|tai-chi|recommendation|capoeira|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4259" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4258" CreationDate="2014-08-03T16:04:21.260" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Virtually all of the martial arts use the hands in some way. Even Taekwondo, which uses mostly kicks during sparring, will use the hands to block and punch. Whereas, grappling arts use the hands to grab onto the gi or wrists or whatever. It's not uncommon in Brazilian Jiujitsu or Judo to sprain your pinky and ring fingers due to the fact that your grip entangles the fingers in the gi, and people are using a lot of force to escape that. Weapons based martial arts like escrima and silat use sticks and knives during training, and often there are impacts on the hand and fingers, causing sometimes significant injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might be thinking about martial arts that don't do much impact at all or even physical contact in general. Something like Tai Chi or Capoeira comes to mind. But in Tai Chi, it's not just solo forms practice you're doing. A &quot;good&quot; Tai Chi program will have push-hands practice, punching bag exercises, chin-na (grappling), throws, and even free sparring later on. Whereas, Capoeira doesn't make hard contact (usually) during practice, but you're often using your hands to push off of the ground, which puts significant load on the bones and tendons in your hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So one recommendation is to just stick with solo, forms-based martial arts for a while, and excuse yourself from any contact-based exercises within those martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tai Chi is a good candidate, but really any martial art that uses forms is good. You just have to explain to your instructor that your hand is damaged, so you can't do any contact based exercises with it. Tai Chi is perfect, because it's very common to see classes structured whereby you have a forms class that's separate from push-hands and chin-na classes. At least in many Tai Chi schools. And Tai Chi is one of those arts that requires long term, almost obsessive focus on your form, so it's not wasted time in other words.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's something else to consider also. That is, you can get a simple arm sling and make sure your arm is strapped to your chest the entire time. With your arm in the sling, it's immobile. You can't use it at all during class. So you'll be forced to work one-armed the entire time. And that may be useful in different ways. It would allow you to continue doing whatever martial art you want, so long as it can be done with one arm, and so long as you're careful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's an example arm sling product, although I don't really know anything about its quality (Amazon reviews rate it highly, and it's cheap)...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B004FIA904&quot;&gt;http://www.amazon.com/Fitright-Airflo-Medical-support-breathability/dp/B004FIA904&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your hand may still be impacted, though. Like someone can punch or kick it, or you can fall on it. So it may not be ideal. You can wrap your hand in tape or wear a punching pad in addition to the sling, though. That would increase your protection. But it's not fool proof. There is still risk, and that's something you have to weigh.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, another way to make your arm immobile would be to tuck it inside of your gi belt worn around your waist. So instead of being strapped against your chest, it's strapped at your side. That may be safer for you, or not. It depends on what martial art you're doing. You also want to make sure you have a wrist strap (with tape or velcro or something) that wraps around the gi belt to prevent you from withdrawing your arm from your belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My thoughts anyway, for what it's worth. If it were me, I'd lay off of it completely for 3 months like the doctor says, and then reevaluate then. I would definitely get the arm sling in the meanwhile, to prevent any accidental use. I'd do basic exercises like walking and running, crunches, one-armed push-ups (using knees or something), one-armed pull-ups (actually, pull-downs), and so on. That way, my strength and cardio wouldn't deteriorate too much. The doctor may recommend rehab, and I'd do that afterward. For martial arts practice, I'd stick with forms and solo drills. I'd probably take a hiatus from formal training in a school for those 3-6 months. Long-term, I'm pretty sure rehab and strengthening would allow me to return to full martial arts practice, but with some extra safety precautions, being mindful not to re-damage the hand. That's just me, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-08-03T16:04:21.260" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4261" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="294" CreationDate="2014-08-04T21:45:32.630" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have used a &lt;a href=&quot;http://suples.com/bulgarian-bag/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Bulgarian Bag&lt;/a&gt; for grip strength, and I recommend it. The different handles allow you to perform a variety of exercises, and there are many, many instructional videos on how to use the bags (for grips as well as other exercises). We keep a few at our academy for conditioning/competition training circuits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3086" LastActivityDate="2014-08-04T21:45:32.630" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4262" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2014-08-04T22:41:54.483" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although there are many answers, it doesn't seem like your question has been adequately addressed.  You list two requirements:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kind to my joints (etc.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;practical outside the ring (by this I assume you mean you need to defend yourself)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm going to advocate a two part strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tai Chi training.&#xA;Gun training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think there is any doubt that Tai Chi is gentle or your joints.  Whether it's actually good for self defense is debatable (and the subject of other discussion which you can look at).  In any case, it's good exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A gun is very effective as self-defense.  Get yourself a concealed weapon permit* and practice, practice, practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think I've answered your question!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dave&#xA;*If you live somewhere where you can't get a concealed weapon permit or for some other reason can't operate a firearm safely my backup answer is well trained dog.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1973" LastActivityDate="2014-08-04T22:41:54.483" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4263" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="949" CreationDate="2014-08-05T15:08:49.140" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This question definitely comes mc-dojo side of taichi. Look at Yang Family description of Yang Shou Hao:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;He developed a form that was high with small movements done in a sometimes slow and sometimes sudden manner. His releasing of energy (fajin) was hard and crisp, accompanied with sudden sounds. The spirit from his eyes would shoot out in all directions, flashing like lightning. Combined with a sneer, a sinister laugh, and the sounds of &quot;Heng!&quot; and &quot;Ha!&quot;, his imposing manner was quite threatening. Shao Hou taught students to strike quickly after coming into contact with the opponent, wearing expressions from the full spectrum of emotions when he taught them.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to ask your instructor or one you are learning from, where are these methods, and application. Why is he teaching pushing, and competition push-hands. Remember, taiji is battlefield art, but as large number of people learn it would not even hurt a fly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ref: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.yangfamilytaichi.com/yang/history/#yang-shao-hou&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.yangfamilytaichi.com/yang/history/#yang-shao-hou&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;answer: There are no high-percentage techniques, classical push-hands are way to achieve &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJpYt0a5D3Q&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;self-defence&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Suggestion: look for teacher who is not mc-dojo trained. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How to look for that, rough guide:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pad work. (Hitting and striking pads.) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Load of training methods to teach about real violence.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fighting at a range of heights, from ground to standing. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Defence against a variety of attacks, delivered with intent to kill on first strike. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use of weapons, best one is knives.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Training in 'normal' clothing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, taiji has it all. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nasser Butt according to his research based on evidence available, that 'according to Wu T'u-nan, who in 1984 claimed to be only living disciple of Yang Shao-hou, the family also had: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;...a secret Yang Form for advanced application comprising more than two hundred movements performed in only three minutes&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yang Shao-hou, like his brother, taught the &quot;large&quot; frame of the form when teaching in public, however he also taught an advanced &quot;small&quot; frame based upon 73 postures.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wu T'u-nan further tells us that:&#xA;&quot;...this set was created by Yang Lu'Ch'an as a distillation of the essence of Taijiquan&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So where this forms and training methods? gone? forgotten? Nope, very much preserved outside of mc-dojos. See if you can spot advanced application of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdQudxwlbA8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;fishes in eight&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The article starts from pg-29 of the following gives you total insight how taichi was defiled of its &lt;a href=&quot;http://issuu.com/nasserbutt/docs/c_h_january_2014&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;full glory&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3075" LastEditorUserId="3075" LastEditDate="2014-08-06T17:45:03.350" LastActivityDate="2014-08-06T17:45:03.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4264" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2014-08-05T17:16:31.843" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a great martial art to practice in terms of longevity. Possibly the best evidence of this is the fact that the largest BJJ organization, the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), has a wide variety of age divisions for competitors. There is even an annual &lt;a href=&quot;http://ibjjf.org/championship/world-master-ibjjf-jiu-jitsu-championship/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;World Master Championship&lt;/a&gt; (age divisions starting at 30 years of age with no cap).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since the OP was looking for something that doesn't heavily involve flying techniques, has practical &quot;street&quot; applications, and includes grappling and striking, BJJ is a good fit as it meets all of these requirements. Flying techniques are limited and not required, and the original Gracie Jiu-Jitsu/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu art was solely for self defense so it incorporates both grappling and striking. It is worth mentioning, though, that some schools don't cover striking, as some schools employ a purely competition-based curriculum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3086" LastEditorUserId="3086" LastEditDate="2014-08-06T16:10:59.837" LastActivityDate="2014-08-06T16:10:59.837" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4266" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2014-08-06T18:39:04.810" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am not a martial artist, but I learned some basic kempo forms as a kid. I did not do too much sparing nor did I practice the forms for more than a year. Years later though, I found myself in a fight. It was my brother (who also practiced forms for the same duration) and I against 12 other guys. During the fight I found myself using those form techniques instinctively. One guy who tried to sucker punch me from behind was hit by my counter back fist and was sent flying. The fight ended when the police showed up. I ended up with only a torn shirt, but I remember my brother was knocked off balance and was kicked on the way down resulting in him losing his front teeth, but otherwise was okay. Thinking back on this over many years I can say that during the fight I was aware of everything going on at once and never has my awareness been so keen even though like everyone there I was a bit drunk at the time. My forms technique was average at best, but I used to make up an imaginary opponent while doing them. So the purpose of forms to me is to condition the mind and body to move as an unit, so that when one is in danger and the mind goes on high alert the body follows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3108" LastActivityDate="2014-08-06T18:39:04.810" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4267" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4268" CreationDate="2014-08-07T08:55:20.563" Score="17" ViewCount="2114" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note that this question is a mirror of &lt;a href=&quot;https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/q/22696/11507&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href=&quot;https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/&quot;&gt;skeptics.se&lt;/a&gt;. Due to the lack of answers at the time of writing, I thought here might be a good place to seek more. Feel free to answer in either.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a fairly wide spread belief within the Aikido community that all joint locks and some throws (or rather their break falls) are harmful to children. I am looking for &lt;strong&gt;actual evidence-based medicine research&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;) on the medium to long term harm to the development of children's body. Adults can practice these locks for decades without any adverse effects as their bones, tendons, and so on are all finalised. On the other hand, kids bodies are still growing and might be much weaker to resist strain. That is the common view within the Aikido teaching world. I am looking for actual medical evidence of such. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, here are two common locks used in Aikido: kote gaeshi (supinating wrist lock) and kote hineri (rotational wrist lock). The former twists the wrist anti-clockwise, the latter clockwise if applied to the left hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/FCrUB.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/FCrUBm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;kote gaeshi&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Fzqe7.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Fzqe7m.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;kote hineri&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both can be very painful in the short term but once the lock is released the pain disappears. The goal of locks is to either cause the body to move in a predefined way (to set up for a throw) or to pin the target so they are disinclined to resist the pin. The locks are safe to practice on adults: they do not cause any short, medium, or long term damage if applied correctly. Of course, they could do grievous damage if applied in haste on unsuspecting targets. But &lt;em&gt;damage is not the goal&lt;/em&gt;. Otherwise, we could not train! To be fair, pain is not the goal either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: Answers based on either anecdotes or hearsay will attract down votes.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-11-01T08:51:52.567" LastActivityDate="2017-11-01T08:51:52.567" Title="Are Aikido joint locks harmful to children?" Tags="|aikido|teaching|children|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4268" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4267" CreationDate="2014-08-07T21:14:09.033" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have medical studies, but I can at least point you in the right direction of what to look up, based on kinesiology and adult biology.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tendon Plasticity&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Tendon Plasticity&quot; (Viscoelastic tissue) - Tendons work somewhat like rubber bands - they have some stretch to them, but if you over-stretch them, just like a rubber band, it ends up &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ilo.org/safework_bookshelf/english?content&amp;amp;nd=857170057&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;loose and destabilized and doesn't ever come back to normal&lt;/a&gt;: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;If the recovery time between successive exertions is not long enough for a given force and duration, the recovery will not be complete and the tendon will be stretched further with each successive exertion. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(If you want to go further in-depth, check out &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.slideshare.net/ximeleiva/tendon-injuries-basic-science-and-clinical-medicinemaffulli-nicola-renstrom-per-leadbetter-wayne#&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chapter 2 of Tendon Injuries Basic Science &amp;amp; Clinical Medicine&lt;/a&gt;, which goes into the issues of mechanical loading and stress failure points for tendon tissue)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Joint locks often use the limits of a person's muscle/tendon length to get the &quot;lock&quot; - the wrist lock being a prime example - and you'll notice from doing wrist locks, some people have a lot more range of motion before they have to go with it - that's a matter of having more muscle/tendon length.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regularly stretching (or having it stretched for you, via joint lock) can result in that permanent tendon deformation and joint destabilization.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tendon Strengthening&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Too much load, or too much stretching, is bad.  Too little load, is also bad.  The key to strengthening tendons is months of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.jeffcubos.com/2011/01/30/diagnosis-and-management-of-tendinopathies/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;regular resistance/load, high rep or long holds, to increase tendon thickness&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8DB37.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Chart of Tendon Therapy vs Injury based on load/stress levels&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What this means about adults vs. children&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not a pediatrician, but based on what I know above, the argument for kids to not do joint locks has some solid basis:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Adults have had more tendon strength from natural thickening of tendons based on long term loading, whereas children it is easier to overpower their tissue strength.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tendon overstretching is effectively permanent damage (short of surgery and stapling), and opens you up for other injuries for the rest of your life&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also a 3rd factor which is that joint locks rely either on end length of tendons, or compressing joint capsules, which, if done with too much force or repetition, permanently damages cartilage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want more science or specific studies, I suggest looking for people who are versed in pediatric sports injuries, as you're likely to find more relevant information there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-08-07T21:14:09.033" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4269" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4271" CreationDate="2014-08-08T09:55:38.190" Score="9" ViewCount="2479" Body="&lt;p&gt;This question stemmed from a conversation I had the other day, and I thought I'd pose it on stack exchange to see what others thought. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nowadays, in most competition formats, if not all, the fight is always one vs. one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A handful of schools still incorporate training to fight against multiple attackers, usually in a structured format such that it is still generally a one v. one match at any given time (for safety?).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there anything in particular that can be gained from these type of drills that &lt;strong&gt;can't&lt;/strong&gt; be gained from fighting against a single opponent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are those benefits, and what makes it difficult to train without using multiple attackers? Is this benefit specific to a particular style of martial arts, or is it universal? What elements are universal that lead to successfully defending against multiple attackers?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would be interested in any research that may also look into this type of training and any conclusions it draws, if anyone is aware of any such studies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="271" LastEditorUserId="271" LastEditDate="2014-08-08T12:17:17.797" LastActivityDate="2015-07-18T14:56:47.100" Title="Benefits of training to fight multiple attackers" Tags="|training|multiple-attackers|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4270" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4269" CreationDate="2014-08-08T11:34:37.850" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Is there anything in particular that can be gained from these type of drills that can't be gained from fighting against a single opponent?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two ways I could take your question, so I will address them both:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Drill A&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're talking about a drill where one person stands in the middle of the circle, and attackers come one at a time, the purpose of that drill is to train reaction time.  In the beginning, the attacks are highly structured, and so are the defenses (one step sparring).  As students gain competency, more variables are added and restrictions are removed.  I can see why you'd question the validity of doing this versus single person sparring.  By forcing you to turn and face the threat, then deal with it, the drill teaches you to react quickly to a suddenly appearing attacker.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Drill B&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're talking about a drill where one person sets up in the middle of attackers, and each of them come at him at once, the purpose of the drill is to teach you, at escalating levels of intensity, to deal with two or more aggressors.  You will have to use footwork, body positioning, and awareness that you would not have to use in single opponent sparring.  This is training you to track multiple bodies moving around you, and to know when to react and whom to react to.  There is a vast difference in blocking an attack from an aggressor when you know he is alone, versus blocking an attack when there might be a simultaneous attack coming at your head from behind.  You will learn to try to keep bodies between you and the remaining attackers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4221/combat-drill-with-multiple-oponents/4222#4222&quot;&gt;See this related answer&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the above answer, I point out that a lot of martial arts possess this kind of drill, and there is a link to a Kenpo example.  The Kenpo example is closer to the first response I gave, but the Kali example I give is closer to my second response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-08-08T12:45:28.173" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4271" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4269" CreationDate="2014-08-08T19:59:12.330" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sequential Partnered Drills&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you mention, drills where you're not actually facing multiple opponents simultaneously, but rather sequentially.  The value in this is both endurance training and the issues of having to adjust to different, fresh opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, this is not the same as dealing with multiple opponents simultaneously, and so, the value you get is not the same as multiple opponents.  Most of the time, I've seen schools do this either out of an issue of size and space, or because there's too much variety in skill levels for safe control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;True Multiple Opponents&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many schools focused on combative aspects do this training and it's a world of difference between single partner and multiple opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Time - you don't have time to &quot;pick apart&quot; opponents when it's a group&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Movement - you have to constantly find a way to not be rushed at the same time&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Grappling - you want things you can do that keep you mobile, not tied up on the ground&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Awareness - you have to pay a lot of attention to your terrain and where everyone is&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if you find yourself in a situation where it's 4 vs. 4 or something, nothing guarantees everyone is going to pair up 1:1 in a fight.  So these skills become critical.  Here's &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/VyllQuQuHZE?t=3m50s&quot;&gt;a video where they took some MMA fighters through Marine hand to hand training&lt;/a&gt; - starting at 3:50 is where you can see an exercise where they end up doing not so great because the Marines double team, take down one, then go to the next.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the people who are being the &quot;multiple opponents&quot; they end up learning some useful skills as well:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How to find an opening when an opponent is distracted&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How to maneuver around bodies to get to a target&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Attack options when you literally have extra sets of hands&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The difficulty in training these things comes from a few factors:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Agreed Intensity&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on the skill level and what you're aiming to do, you want to set an agreement of intensity for this particular exercise.  For example, it may make sense to stick to dealing with multiple opponents only doing 1 or 2 types of striking attacks.  It might make sense to train for takedowns, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason this is important is that if there's no boundaries set initially, maybe one person goes for a hard takedown/throw, the other person wasn't expecting it to get that serious, and they start going aggressive out of ego/stress response and it gets everyone going harder than they should until someone gets hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the skill levels go up, you can increase intensity, with communication being #1.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Skilled Restraint&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other part is that because multiple opponent training is more unpredictable - for everyone involved, the single person or the group, it becomes very weird in terms of finding yourself in angles of attack or defense you didn't expect - which means your techniques are going to be stressed in weird ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which also means if you're doing something that is more likely to cause accidental injury (takedowns, grapples, locks, some weapons, etc.) you want more control in this exercise on a technical stand point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Training for a world where hurts count&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is true of a lot of training, but especially multiple opponents.  Part of setting intensity is figuring out &quot;when do we accept an attack/technique counts, even if it's being held back on for the sake of safety?&quot; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I'm hitting an opponent multiple times in the neck with a rubber knife, and he's pretending it has no effect, and continues to grapple me, while other opponents run up on me at the same time, what have we trained for?  He's trained for a world where he's magically invincible, and I've trained for a world where knives to the neck don't work. And the problem is, these may be options that are exactly what you'd be doing in a multiple opponent situation.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So it's useful to say &quot;These techniques can be used this far, and if this happens to you, you should give and consider it successful.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is not to be mistaken with the schools that drill and assume all techniques instantly work (&quot;Then you punch him, and then he falls down. GUARANTEED.&quot;), but it's critical because what happens when you DON'T have this is that your training falls into near full contact or grappling, because everything else &quot;doesn't count&quot; and you find yourself reducing safety AND not training some of the more useful options at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-08-08T19:59:12.330" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4272" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4269" CreationDate="2014-08-10T06:36:45.483" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is there anything in particular that can be gained from these type of drills that can't be gained from fighting against a single opponent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The drills are just stepping stones to many-on-one free-sparring, so the important thing is what skills are needed against many opponents that won't necessarily be cultivated efficiently in one-on-one sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What are those benefits, and what makes it difficult to train without using multiple attackers? Is this benefit specific to a particular style of martial arts, or is it universal? What elements are universal that lead to successfully defending against multiple attackers?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The crucial elements are awareness/peripheral-vision, distancing/closing, footwork/movement, utilisation of opponent position, defensive positioning and technique, and decisive offensive abilities.  The requirements for all of these are much stricter in a multiple-opponent situation than for one-on-one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, a common tactic is to feint towards opponents on one side - hopefully causing them to dig in with a strongly defensive focus, and causing the opponents on the opposite side of you to start thinking about chasing after you and to rush forwards without their minds on defence, then actually move into these latter approaching opponents so you engage them before they're expecting it and hopefully can time your strikes to land before they can prepare their own or adjust their defence.  The opponents you engage were more likely to rush forwards with a greater focus on offence than a single opponent would be, because they'll be keen to take advantage of any blind-side advantage or chance to attack your back, and they want to reach you before you press an attack against the other side and potentially reduce their numbers and advantage.  So, the balance of priorities is different - the thresholds shifted.  You will often want to attack very decisively and often while continuing to move through or minimally around the opponent(s) you directly engage, getting to the &quot;outside&quot; of any arc or circle of opponents, then if you retreat and circle you may be able to draw them into a line momentarily so you can attack the closest opponent without any danger from the others, and indeed if you drive that closest opponent backwards it may frustrate the others attempts to get to you.  Whether the attack is a punch to the face, a twist of the neck, a joint lock or throw, a stomp on the side of the knee, a headbutt etc. - doesn't matter as much as being able to deliver it while maintaining a favourable overall movement and defensive/offensive capability relative to the nearby opponents.  If you have more time holding an opponent in a technique, you need to be able to watch and manoeuvre while doing so.  Being able to counter-attack decisively - ideally as an opponent is attempting to hit you, is more important than in one-on-one fighting where a solid counterattack just after defending is often good enough.  Techniques that wear the opponent down gradually - like a thigh kick to a well conditioned opponent - are at best buying a moment's time in many-on-one situations, so the emphasis needs to be on attacks that can drop or incapacitate an opponent.  It's very important to be able to close the gap while covering the opponents angle of attack and trapping their limbs while leaving yourself an opening for that decisive attack.  With one-on-one, it's often practical to sit back and fight defensively, waiting for an opponent to attack or make a mistake, but you have to learn to make things happen for many-on-one fighting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As with most things, it's hard to develop a realistic practical ability to do this for real if you don't practice something similar regularly... as with all martial arts practice you have to make some compromises to ensure safety, but it'll get you closer than ignoring many-on-one practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why do some styles not practice this, and what aren't there competitions?  Well, it's hard to fit into a sports context.  Some styles accept they have practical limits to what they're doing, and aren't pursuing total realism, and are comfortable with that (e.g. kyokushin doesn't allow punches to the head, or joint locks, throws or chokes - it's not trying to be totally realistic - just to develop a framework for developing fighting spirit and a few sound techniques that will often be enough in less-demanding real-life scenarios).  For competition, you'd need to have a far better fighter against two or more relatively weak or inexperienced opponents to make it close - it's hard to do so without the latter risking getting hurt, even if they overcome the former, and nobody feels like they're getting a great measure of their own level or improvement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-08-10T06:36:45.483" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4273" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4269" CreationDate="2014-08-11T13:22:00.843" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;An unexpected benefit of many-on-one fighting exercises is that it teaches you to remain alert to your surroundings and teaches you to recognise where the openings in your defense are. You may never realise that your back is a giant juicy target if you only ever spar against one other opponent. But when facing more than one opponent, you learn to guard yourself better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another benefit from learning to be aware of your surroundings is that it also flows into competition sparring where you are more used to keeping an eye on the out-of-bounds line. There's no point in scoring 10 points with the most amazing combos ever if you're outside the &quot;ring&quot; at the time and none of them count.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, many-on-one sparring teaches you to protect things that you normally wouldn't even be conscious of and forces you to look at the big(ger) picture. It's not the only thing it teaches you, but those are probably the most practically useful benefits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-08-11T13:22:00.843" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4275" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-08-13T03:18:12.150" Score="-3" ViewCount="4082" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the biggest force (Newtons) ever recorded for an impact from the human body from a reliable source?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there an upper limit to the power of any human impact whether it'd be a kick, punch, elbow strike, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2034" LastEditorUserId="2034" LastEditDate="2014-08-18T19:07:09.117" LastActivityDate="2015-05-09T07:42:28.340" Title="What is the biggest force ever produced by an impact from the human body?" Tags="|punching|kicking|strength|power|striking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="8" ClosedDate="2015-05-14T05:05:49.017" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4276" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4275" CreationDate="2014-08-13T13:07:58.317" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The strongest punch on tape was probably Ivan Drago as you can see in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=940_EOYRyqU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-08-13T13:07:58.317" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4277" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4279" CreationDate="2014-08-14T00:17:25.223" Score="9" ViewCount="1174" Body="&lt;p&gt;What I mean by the &quot;oldest martial art&quot; is an organized martial art or lineage of martial arts that we have history about from a reliable source including its origins and date that it was designed. I'd like to know how far back can we rewind in the history of martial arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please note that that I am looking for a lineage of martial arts if possible; I'm looking for the oldest art with proof. This art may not be practiced today or greatly altered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I may know that there is not a 100% definite answer to this question, but what is the best answer possible that we can be sure about?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2034" LastEditorUserId="2034" LastEditDate="2014-08-14T02:42:21.693" LastActivityDate="2022-09-21T00:04:33.707" Title="What is the oldest martial art?" Tags="|history|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4278" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4277" CreationDate="2014-08-14T06:36:23.280" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heracles&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Heracles&lt;/a&gt; is a good start.  He was the patron of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iep.utm.edu/palaestr/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Palaestra (παλαίστρα)&lt;/a&gt; which had rules, competitions, and training schools. I guess we are talking about a few hundred years BC -- I could not find an example of earliest primary sources. If you are going with the legends, 776BC were the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Olympic_Games&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;first Olympic games&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iep.utm.edu/palaestr/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;IEP&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The very name palaestra derives from the verb palaiein, meaning “to&#xA;  wrestle.” Palaestrae had three basic functions: (1) as training areas&#xA;  for combat sports such as wrestling and boxing, (2) as areas for cult&#xA;  activity, and (3) as meeting places for discussion, philosophical and&#xA;  otherwise. Plato’s depiction of Socrates engaging in philosophical&#xA;  discourse provides a most vivid picture of life in the Classical&#xA;  Athenian palaestrae.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-08-14T06:36:23.280" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4279" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4277" CreationDate="2014-08-14T11:24:36.797" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to Wikipedia's &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_arts_timeline#Bronze_Age_.282000_to_1000_BCE.29&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Martial Arts Timeline&lt;/a&gt; the oldest martial art identified is Ancient Egyptian.  There are murals in the Beni Hasan tomb depicting wrestling that date back to 20th Century BCE.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want the very &lt;em&gt;first&lt;/em&gt; martial art, that's probably going to be &amp;quot;pointy stick&amp;quot;.  That Wikipedia link is pretty good.  It shows approximate dates of important events for many of the martial arts.  Like anything with Wikipedia, it is subject to being wrong, due to humans being involved, so check your sources.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2022-09-21T00:04:33.707" LastActivityDate="2022-09-21T00:04:33.707" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4280" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4275" CreationDate="2014-08-14T14:47:26.737" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;National Geographic did a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcAfClb-f4g&quot;&gt;fight science segment&lt;/a&gt; on martial arts kicks, featuring karate, tae kwon do and muay thai against capoeira.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was a little disappointed, in that they had Simon Rhee (karate) doing a front kick. Just because of the angles, motion and muscle involvement you will never get a front kick that outperforms a round or side kick. (Especially with the push style that he used, I don't know if that was his choice or not. If I were recording a front kick for force, I'd use a horizontal target and select a rising instep {think groin shot} type of kick instead).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, the capoeira kick produced 1800 lbs of force, and the karate round house produced 2300 lbs of force. However, the capoeira kick produced more force in relation to speed of the kick. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I cannot definitively say that is the highest ever recorded, it's probably up there because the impact sensors and dynamometers are recent inventions available to general public.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would venture, though, that there have been kicks that surpassed that that are on video in some of the full contact fights, etc., but don't &quot;count&quot; because we don't know the exact force produced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2014-08-14T14:47:26.737" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4281" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4197" CreationDate="2014-08-14T17:27:55.167" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, please no. Just don't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And no, it will not be effective. Even given that there are some people that can tow trains by ropes in their teeth, you cannot clench your jaw enough to be able to hold on to it if someone hits the blade. It will spin out, and if you are lucky, leave your teeth behind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, despite what they show in cartoons, you are much more likely to hit the sword yourself, either on the way through for a strike or when drawing back. Add to that, you can't really generate enough force to cut deep enough to do the damage you want merely by twisting your neck around, unless you get lucky.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in effect, you are risking a lot of damage and limiting your effective attack. Even your right hand sword (as shown in the picture) will be of limited effectiveness since you are only using one hand and missing the &quot;push pull&quot; action that gives your strikes the most force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2014-08-14T17:27:55.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4282" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4283" CreationDate="2014-08-14T17:43:20.550" Score="5" ViewCount="864" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my dojo for karate I can separate the black belts into two individual groups. One group knows what they're doing, and one other group doesn't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was able to tell this from various occasions. One of them being a 10 year old black belt leading the class in warm ups, but she didn't really know how to practice her forms properly. &lt;strong&gt;Lower&lt;/strong&gt; belts were doing way better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To top it all off some students don't even know the style they practice when I asked them. I'm talking &lt;strong&gt;yellow&lt;/strong&gt; belts here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are these indications that I shouldn't sign up for this school?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2034" LastEditorUserId="9304" LastEditDate="2023-05-15T10:56:52.923" LastActivityDate="2023-05-15T10:56:52.923" Title="Should I sign up for my school if I notice inexperienced black belts?" Tags="|karate|dojo|schools|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4283" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4282" CreationDate="2014-08-14T23:01:06.523" Score="17" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, about children's ranks vs. adult's ranks...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Child black-belts are not uncommon in the world of Karate and Taekwondo. But when there are child black-belts, they are generally awarded that rank in the &quot;children's&quot; rankings. This rank is not generally the same as an adult black-belt. At least in most schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some schools, there's no distinction between a child's black-belt and an adult's black-belt. They're the same rank. Though, this is not usual.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Japanese karate, they will often use &quot;mon&quot; for child and &quot;kyu&quot; for adult colored belt ranks. For black-belt ranks, they award &quot;dan-ho&quot; for children and &quot;dan&quot; for adults. And usually children are only allowed to test for 1st dan-ho but not allowed to test for 2nd dan-ho, so they can't go any further than that until they reach a certain age.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Korean karate (Taekwondo), they will use &quot;gup&quot; for colored belt ranks. Usually that rank is given for both children and adults. For black-belt, they'll use &quot;pum&quot; for child ranks and &quot;dan&quot; for adult ranks (typically aged 16 or older). In addition, child black belts will be half red and half black in color. Children are usually kept at 1st pum until they reach 16, when they can test for 2nd dan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, this raises the question: Can children really be black-belts? What does &quot;black belt&quot; even mean?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Karate and Taekwondo, usually rank is awarded based on: 1) Amount of time spent in the current rank, 2) forms which have to be learned for each rank, 3) self-defense techniques and &quot;single-step&quot; drills, 4) sparring, and 5) board breaking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There may also be physical requirements, like being able to perform a certain number of push-ups, being able to run a certain distance in a certain time, etc. And students often have to memorize terminology and history and sometimes write essays. Most schools introduce sparring after white or yellow belt and board breaking only in the intermediate and advanced color belt ranks, but this is not universal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, if a child has indeed met all of the requirements for black-belt, there's no reason not to award that child a black-belt. That is what most schools do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's no requirement, for example, that a child be able to win in fights with adults. They just have to know their forms, remember their one-steps, know terminology, etc. Children can certainly do that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, so child black-belts are different from adult black-belts. We get it now. But does that mean that child black-belts can forget their forms, look sloppy, goof off during class, and generally look like they're no better than yellow belts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hell no! If you see that, it's time to look elsewhere. That student should never have been promoted to black-belt, even if it's just a &quot;children's&quot; black-belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sadly, why you see this in many schools today has more to do with money than anything. Kids aren't going to want to stay in a school that's too hard or too serious. It's not fun, except for maybe a small percentage of kids that can handle it and enjoy the challenge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And the parents aren't going to like it if the instructor isn't continuously promoting their kids. Parents want their kids to succeed. They'll pull the kids out of there and put them in a &quot;better&quot; school if their kids aren't advancing fast enough. It's actually pretty common for parents to get angry and confront instructors, demanding to know why they haven't allowed their kids to test for the next rank when all of the other kids have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of this translates to less students and therefore less income for the karate school. So instructors will lower their bar. That's why you see child black-belts in general. And it's especially why those child black-belts will look terrible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, I've seen some pretty awesome kids who can perform karate forms and sparring much better than most adults. Those kids deserve their black belts. But the vast majority of children don't. And it's because their instructors lower the bar for them, usually to keep them as paying customers. They rely on children to make their money, because they usually outnumber the adults 5 to 1.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, here's the thing. If you're a kid, you should look at the other kids and see how they are before joining a school. If you're an adult, however, you should ignore the kids classes and just focus on the adult classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Often times, you'll see a different standard of skill levels and much higher levels of seriousness in the adult classes compared with the kids classes. It's so different that you might wonder how the kids could be trained by the same instructor as the adults are. And in fact, the kids classes are often taught by assistant instructors or advanced ranked adult students instead of the head instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And definitely compare with other schools nearby. The instructor makes a world of difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So that's my advice. Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2014-08-15T03:21:02.733" LastActivityDate="2014-08-15T03:21:02.733" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4284" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4285" CreationDate="2014-08-14T14:17:57.187" Score="14" ViewCount="2953" Body="&lt;p&gt;As someone who is looking to start practicing T'ai Chi for health and meditative benefits rather than any deeper philosophical reasons, I find quickly that there are 5 'main' styles listed, which each have different forms.  These styles are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Chen Style&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Yang Style&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hao Style&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wu Style&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sun Style&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that these styles are variants that have arisen historically.  Is any one style recommended over the other for health reasons?  Are some styles more physically intense than others?  Can anyone provide a breakdown of what the general differences between the styles are, or are they largely cosmetic?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2000" OwnerDisplayName="GWLlosa" LastActivityDate="2019-07-10T15:36:39.067" Title="What are the functional differences between the five main T'ai Chi styles?" Tags="|exercise|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4285" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4284" CreationDate="2014-08-15T04:16:03.173" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;Chen style Taiji comes first, historically speaking. From that came at least two variations of Yang style. Wu style derived from Yang style. Wu (Hao) derived from Yang and Chen style. You can find more details of the actual lineages on the web.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, if you're just interested in the &quot;health&quot; aspects of Taiji, then any of them will do just fine. All are relatively easy on the body, with slow, relaxed movements. Each will improve flexibility, balance, blood circulation, coordination, and functional strength. Chen style will also incorporate fast movement in the second long form you learn (Pao Chui), which makes it more athletic than the others, and generally more martial in my opinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yang is rather elongated, has deep stances, and makes large, overarching circles with the arms with smooth motions that appear to have no beginning or ending. Wu style, on the other hand, is abbreviated, and movements are small and more linear. Chen style is also large, like Yang style, with much more storing and releasing of power (the result of coiling into / around joints), and variations of tempo rather than having smooth, continuous movement throughout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Usually the question asked the most is which one is the most martial. That would generally be answered with most people saying Chen style. Chen style doesn't hide its martial qualities, and in fact everything in Chen style is for martial arts, not health, though you certainly will improve health doing Chen style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yang and Wu style don't exactly &quot;hide&quot; their martial qualities. It's just that it's harder to see. As a result, most of the people teaching those styles don't really know how to use it martially. (Or they think they do, but actually have ideas that are often quite wrong.) So they concentrate on the health and meditation aspects.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you're just interested in the health and meditative aspects, you should probably stick with Yang style. It has the most crowd momentum behind it for that purpose. It's also the most popular of all the Taiji styles. Following that is Wu style close behind. I often see Wu style being taught to the elderly, because of its shorter stances and motions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if you have any interest in the martial side of things, or if you want a more physically challenging experience, take Chen style. It will have all of the health and meditative aspects that the other styles have, but you will also spend time working on the martial qualities, which can be very interesting. It will also be more physically demanding, in my opinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, just to note. What I said above is mostly just generality. Not all Yang style people have no clue about the martial side of Taiji. And just because someone is teaching Chen style doesn't mean they're superior to everyone who teaches Wu style. You have to do some research, ask around in your town who knows what. And go see all of the classes. My personal preference would to find a &lt;em&gt;teacher&lt;/em&gt; who knows what they're doing, regardless of style, instead of looking for a particular &lt;em&gt;style&lt;/em&gt; of Taiji.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Look at some Youtube videos, also. You can get the gist of all the different types of Taiji from watching the way they do their forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-08-15T04:16:03.173" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4286" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="787" CreationDate="2014-08-15T23:20:09.947" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Which kind of breath provides the most striking power?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Peppermint.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The crucial thing for striking is coordinating a transfer of energy between the legs/hips and shoulders/arms (even when kicking, as you're trying to use the inertia/momentum of the upper body to help the hips/legs accelerate).  That transfer always involves the &quot;gut&quot; muscles.  Whether they're twisting or crunching or just adding rigidity, they must be tensed explosively to transfer maximum power... doing so will inevitably force the diaphragm up and thereby deflate the lungs - in other words, force you to exhale.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might reasonably ask &quot;what if you strike immediately after exhaling - you can tense the gut without the diaphragm position rising even higher - would it be as strong?  Is exhaling really part of the power equation?&quot;  No it wouldn't be as strong, not so much because exhaling is itself producing power, but because relaxing muscles and letting them stretch allows a distance over which they contract - a contraction adds power most effectively if it's pulling the surrounding body parts further - there's more motion in which any slack in the system is taken up and an efficient transfer of force made, and a longer period of acceleration leading to greater eventual speed, so the contrast in body-part positions between post-inhale and tensed post-exhale is relevant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So - to address the &quot;which kind of breathing&quot; part of your question... that's a bit cart-before-horse, as the important thing is the tension and power generation, and as you refine that it'll squeeze the breath out of you however it needs to, but it'll definitely involve a relaxation/tensing expanding/contracting of your core muscles around the stomach area. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Something vaguely related - I recall TKD/HP Grandmaster Sung Soo Lee, in Sydney, mentioning research that had quantified the increase in power from actually &quot;kihapping&quot; (yelling) at 30%.  Don't take that number too literally as measuring striking power is notoriously difficult to do meaningfully, but it's presumably vaguely indicative.  I personally can't explain the physiological distinctions that make yelling relevant to power... couldn't even guess where to start... but do find a yell now and then helps me move more explosively and strike harder or even tense up to withstand a strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or garlic...?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-08-15T23:20:09.947" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4287" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="787" CreationDate="2014-08-18T07:19:31.060" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Getsugatensho&lt;/strong&gt;? But in all seriousness, a long, controlled expelling of air from the lungs is better than a sudden puff. The reason is that you need relaxed muscles that snap like a whip on impact, rather than tensed muscles, and a sound that constricts your air passage and makes the air move faster promotes that. Which is why a &quot;Kiai&quot; or &quot;Hei&quot; is better than &quot;Ha&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Coincidentally, it's the same rule that applies to vehicles' intake and exhaust manifolds: short and fat breaths for torque(strength) and long and thin for power(torque X RPM). I don't think the science is necessarily the same, but it's always cool to learn new things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-08-18T07:19:31.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4288" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3129" CreationDate="2014-08-18T07:19:44.200" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've faced a similar problem. It is similar in the fact that I've spent some time during the years doing solo training. The difference being is that I've spent a couple of years drilling the basics of my art in a club before live took me to an extended cross country trip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I train every day every day at least once. I've learned a couple of things regarding to solo training:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Training sessions have to be planned (time and place, lenght, exercises, structure)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Training sessions have to have a goal (I divide them into hard and soft, e.g. strength or skill sessions)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Training sessions should have a length of at least 30 - 45 minuts and no more than 2 hours (that is what works for me, averaging on 1:20 per session)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Each training session must start with a 10 - 20 minutes warmup ( &lt;a href=&quot;http://neilarey.com/workouts/warm-up.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://neilarey.com/workouts/warm-up.html&lt;/a&gt; for example, or light running and active stretching)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Each training session must end with 10 mins of stretching&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Exercises/drills are best planned for a better workload. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Skill/Easy days (cardio or skill drills) have the following structure : Warmup 20min, Drill #1 3 min (45 sec rest), Drill #2 4x3min (45s rest), Drill #3 4x3min (45s rest), Drill #4 3min (45s rest), Shadows boxing/Heavy bag 3x5min (1min rest), 10 min stretching ; Note: If I'm with a partner Drills #1 and #3 are flow drills&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Strength/Hard days have the following structure : Warmup 20min, Bodyweight (Level 2 Neila Ray) or Weight gym 45 min, Shadow boxing 3x5 min (1min rest), 10 min stretching&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I have 3 hard days in a week (Mon, Wed, Friday) and 4 easy days (Tue,Thu, Sat and Sun)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Alternative easy days : 25 min HIIT (1min shadow boxing at full speed without break in hitting, 30s of rockshuffles or other exercie 10 - 15 rounds, no break in round); 4 - 8 shadow boxing rounds of 5min&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Alternative hard days : 4-8 heavy bag rounds of 5min&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A great solo art to learn is Boxing or Kick boxing: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4PwJo76WpTOk-3N8dazt1A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4PwJo76WpTOk-3N8dazt1A&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.myboxingcoach.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.myboxingcoach.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBhM2EvwjOw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBhM2EvwjOw&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3064" LastActivityDate="2014-08-18T07:19:44.200" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4289" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1445" CreationDate="2014-08-18T07:25:00.810" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Lose weight and pack on fast twitch muscles in your feet, calves and thighs. An area of muscles that are overlooked often when thinking of jumping is the hamstrings. Your hamstrings pull your knees back like a spring, straightening your leg and launching you into the air. Uphill sprints are great for this. But don't forget about actually practicing the jumping technique itself. You'll be amazed how much height you gain simply by applying proper form. I remember gaining a good 10 centimeters from one session in dance class (of all places) because our instructor pointed out the things I did wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-08-18T07:25:00.810" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4290" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-08-19T03:32:04.073" Score="5" ViewCount="3439" Body="&lt;p&gt;So the Ferguson situation has made me think a bit about how I might defend my home in the case of a home invasion. My wife isn't crazy about guns, and I don't have much experience with them, so I'm considering investing in a more traditional weapon for my home. In my Kung Fu school we train with:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Spear&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Staff&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kali Sticks&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kamas&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Swords (Straight, Broad, Butterfly)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kwandao/Pudao&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Machete/Hatchet&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sort of leaning toward spear since it seems to provide the distance advantages of a staff with the damage advantages of a sword and without the weight disadvantages of a Kwandao. Plus I have much more practical experience with staff techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Am I delusional for considering this? Should I just suck it up and invest the time in firearms instead? And (if appropriate for this site) any suggestions on where I might find combat-ready weapons (as opposed to practice weapons)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3105" LastActivityDate="2017-11-08T03:22:59.623" Title="Martial Arts Weapons for Home Defense?" Tags="|self-defense|weapons|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4291" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4290" CreationDate="2014-08-19T03:57:46.653" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a martial artist I have a bunch of weapons, but the two I use to protect my home are:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;myself  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kali stick(s)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first speaks for itself - you should be able to defend yourself and your property even without a weapon. In other words, you might not have a weapon available or you may have been disarmed - you should still be capable of defending yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The kali sticks are what I take with me if I have to go outside to investigate something. They are great for this because:    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;they are easily concealed behind one's back or held alongside your forearm &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;they can be easily used for taking force (i.e. blocking)  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;they are excellent for grappling  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;they don't need a lot of space for swinging, and can inflict a lot of damage  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you can hit with them in several ways  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;they are easy to store in convenient easy-to-reach places, like behind doors  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;they are not a blade so you don't have issues with blood (i.e. you won't accidentally slice someone's artery, or potentially have infected blood on you)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many of the other weapons are only suitable for very limited situations, like a bo (staff) is not much good in a small space, swords are both risky and need a large swing area, knives and machetes are just risky, guns/pistols are more of a distance weapon and the potential for them to be lethal is very high.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2014-08-30T04:46:58.590" LastActivityDate="2014-08-30T04:46:58.590" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4292" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4290" CreationDate="2014-08-19T06:54:47.020" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Disclaimer: &lt;strong&gt;I am not a lawyer nor do I play one on TV.&lt;/strong&gt; So, whatever I say has no legal value whatsoever. That said...&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The law is a complex beast and unless you are a good criminal defence lawyer whatever you think you know about self defence is probably wrong, or at best incomplete. Laws change country to country, state to state, and even county to county.  Something that is acceptable here might be utterly illegal there. So, before you go and buy $weapon, &lt;em&gt;check with your local criminal defence lawyer(s).&lt;/em&gt;. They will be able to advise (maybe even for free) on what is reasonable to have and what is not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that in a most of Europe, having anything that you intend to use as a weapon makes it more difficult for you to claim reasonable force. Even a can of hair spray can be considered a weapon if you keep it by your front door to use for self defence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even in a self defence (they attack you first), it is easy to become the attacker. You can (read: will) be arrested and will have to defend yourself in a court of law.  Some deluded idiots might tell you that &quot;being judged by twelve is better than being carried by six&quot;.  They have no idea how the law works. A vast majority attacks do not end up with murder but if you either kill or injure someone, even in self defence, you will get into a world of trouble with the law.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do not be daft, talk to a lawyer before you set yourself on a path that will lead LEO to arrest you. And &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc&quot;&gt;don't talk to the Police&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, to address your question: There are &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/homesecurity.html&quot;&gt;tips for home security&lt;/a&gt; that you can use to make your home less attractive to criminals. Mostly, it makes it harder to get into your house. Clearly, an alarm system (maybe even one that summons either the police or a mercenary crew aka PMC or rent-a-cop) is worth investing in.  Most of those come with panic buttons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the rest, your kung-fu training should be enough. Weapons are hard to keep, hard to use, and no school (some will most of the time they are military based and utterly unsuitable for civilian use) now a days will teach you how to use them in combat. Besides, in all cases your body should be with you so you are already &quot;armed&quot;.  Ditto for your family, get them to do a martial art (maybe something different from what you do): not only will it increase their self confidence but it will keep them fit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for specific weapons, I would strongly recommend against having weapons in your house. After all, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9715182&quot;&gt;guns kept in homes are more likely to be involved in a fatal or nonfatal accidental shooting, criminal assault, or suicide attempt than to be used to injure or kill in self-defense&lt;/a&gt;. I fail to see how any other form of weapons would fare better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-08-19T06:54:47.020" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4293" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2108" CreationDate="2014-08-19T06:56:42.900" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've given an anwser to a similar question detailing the structure of my solo training routine. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/4288/3064&quot;&gt;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/4288/3064&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To answer your question if solo training is useful in my opinion, and I think this question is one of those that generates a lot of opinions and point of views which may all be different but none the less valid up to a point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal take on the issue, which stems from my other activities in life where during various circumstances I was self learned in a lot of areas and advanced to a quite good level in some (e.g. my primary career for example). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would say that any learning is better than none. At least you get a good physical activity and just for that it is valid to practice alone. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some benefits with solo practice which should not be easily dismissed in my opinion: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Easier time management and place of training management (since you are solo no other person needs to be there with you, you can do it in a dump 2x2 room if you so choose)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ability to practice a drill or movement to your heart content (no partner to switch or complain about doing the same thing for 1000 times)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ability to practice the perfect body movement, balance precision&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me practice with a partner is the adaptability of a general style to a specific opponents body type, so a trapping technique is a specific trapping technique for each opponent body type regardless of the same set of movements being used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3064" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-08-19T06:56:42.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4294" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2097" CreationDate="2014-08-19T07:01:32.977" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;MCMAP is a good martial arts program and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://publicintelligence.net/ufouo-u-s-marine-corps-martial-arts-program-mcmap-manual/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;online resources&lt;/a&gt; (the guide book which can be download from the US military site is really quite good with really detailed body movements). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would suggest to start practicing the core curriculum for each belt level the double prescribed amount of hours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As above I would suggest free sparring with rules and protective equipment up to 25% of strength every session. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each session should have the following structure:&#xA;- Warmup (10 - 20 min)&#xA;- Basic drills (Stance, strikes and footwork) (20 mins)&#xA;- Drills of the day (20 mins, 1 or 2 drills per class)&#xA;- Bag work/shadow boxing/pair shadow boxing/spparing/circle of death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3064" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-08-21T13:18:11.787" LastActivityDate="2014-08-21T13:18:11.787" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4295" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-08-19T15:40:31.307" Score="11" ViewCount="12328" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is kinda a tangent of my benefits of training to fight multiple attackers question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although I have some opinions of my own, my experience with weapons training is currently very limited, so I wanted to get a wider set of opinions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of traditional martial art weapons are rather dated since the invention of the rifle/gunpowder-based weapons/warfare.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What benefits exist from learning to use (or what does one learn from training with) weapons that generally have no practical/realistic use in modern times - such as staff, spear, longsword, chain whip, etc. I recognize 'practical' is perhaps debatable, but for the purpose of this question, I assume most people don't regularly carry a staff/sword/spear along with them for self defense (or attack, I suppose...), and that these weapons are generally not used on a regular basis for anything other than training. I am trying to distinguish these weapons from other weapons such as knives that might actually be used in modern times, but this notion is certainly debatable, and I would be interested in hearing opinions on this. I ask this question primarily with respect to martial arts that cover open hand techniques, as well as weapons techniques/forms, and not just one or the other.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What does weapons training contribute to one's overall martial arts growth? Is there any carryover to sparring (no weapons), striking/blocking techniques (no weapons), etc? Should it be part of a martial arts curriculum (high level, school styles and individual goals/preferences aside) - why or why not? &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="271" LastEditorUserId="271" LastEditDate="2014-08-19T18:52:29.660" LastActivityDate="2022-09-07T21:23:20.947" Title="What are the benefits of learning weapons?" Tags="|training|weapons|" AnswerCount="14" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4296" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4295" CreationDate="2014-08-19T17:00:12.240" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What do you want out of your training?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should it be part of a martial arts curriculum is almost impossible to answer, especially without knowing what exactly you want out of your training.  As Marc MacYoung explains, there are 5 &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/four_focuses.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;broad categories&lt;/a&gt; you can break out the goals of martial arts into.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self-defense is one of them, but as he also explains martial arts are probably not the best source of self defense in the modern era (what is the best way to defend yourself is a very complicated question depending on your circumstances that he and other experts address in numerous books and throughout his blog).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, it is probably not a great idea to study weapons you are not likely have access to if your goals is to prepare for self defense.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, if you want to be part of a long tradition, improve your health, enjoy tournaments, or demonstrations then training with weapons is every bit as good as any of the other martial arts.  That one comes down to a question of personal taste and what is available in your area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Will it improve your abilities in other martial arts?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The short answer is yes, but then so will any other cross training you do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some martial arts, Eskrima for instance, consciously tie the armed and unarmed versions &#xA;together so those will clearly carry over.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Outside of those, I do not have any expertise and cannot find any solid reference offhand.  My strong suspicion is that they will help you in the sense that any cross training in any other art or sport will help.  They will help develop your body in different ways than an unarmed martial art would.  But I strongly suspect the direct carry over beyond cross training will be small, and it will certainly be less effective than simply training more in your chosen unarmed art would be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1253" LastEditorUserId="1253" LastEditDate="2020-04-24T13:44:29.390" LastActivityDate="2020-04-24T13:44:29.390" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4297" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4295" CreationDate="2014-08-19T18:54:28.910" Score="18" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Reasons to Study Weapons&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I - improved coordination&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training with weapons improves your coordination in ways that only controlling something that you don't have nerve endings in can. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;II - weapons of opportunity&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not just a stick.  It's also, potentially, a sword, or a baseball bat, or a lead pipe.  By training with a stick, you're also training with anything cylindrical of roughly the same length.  You'll have to make adjustments for weight/length/feel, but you'll be better equipped to fight with a pool cue if you've trained with a bokken than if you haven't.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  The same principle applies, to some degree, to other weapons, though I can't think of any readily available analogs for soft weapons like a chain whip or nunchaku.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;III - historical preservation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether or not this is important to you is another matter, but many people choose to practice with historical weapons, a category which many martial arts weapons fall into, because they want to preserve, or in some cases, reconstruct, historical weapons practices.&#xA;This can be because the weapon belongs to a martial art they've already invested time into.  It can also be because of cultural heritage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;IV - &quot;My hand is my sword&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's a karate saying, based on the idea that, since they didn't have weapons, they would use their hands as their weapons.  This reason actually relates, in a way, to reason II, in that a weapon can serve as an analog for an empty-handed technique.  For example, in Kali, we structure our strikes by angles.  Angle 1, for instance, is an inward-moving strike to the side of the head/neck.  This can be expressed either with a stick, or with the hand as an inward chop to the neck.  Whether or not you do Kali/Escrima/FMA, you will learn angles by learning weapons.  It can be easier to learn angles with weapons, because the angles will necessarily be larger, and therefore easier to see.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;V - defense against weapons&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if you have no desire to learn weapons, because you believe you won't use them, there still exists a possibility that someone will try to use a weapon against you.  Learning how to use a weapon will give you a better understanding of the way that weapon moves, and therefore the best way to evade that weapon or disarm it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-08-19T19:17:51.787" LastActivityDate="2014-08-19T19:17:51.787" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4298" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4295" CreationDate="2014-08-19T19:17:13.277" Score="14" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Application of force&lt;/strong&gt;. A weapon is a force multiplier. It lets you do&#xA;more damage to your opponent, with less effort and exertion, in a shorter&#xA;period of time, while exposing you to less danger of damage yourself. Having&#xA;trained with weapons can help you in a self defense situation. This is&#xA;particularly true if you have trained in weapons that can be simulated by&#xA;everyday objects, and thus close at hand. Don't have a staff? A broom will&#xA;do. No sword? An umbrella. No Eskrima sticks? Your mini-umbrella.&#xA;No rope-dart&#xA;handy? Use your belt. &lt;em&gt;Et cetera.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Defense.&lt;/strong&gt; Some weapons (e.g. staff, Eskrima sticks, tonfa, sai)&#xA;also have a large defensive component; they can be as much used to defend&#xA;you from harm as to inflict it. And some weapons systems include&#xA;directly defensive elements such as helmets, shields, and armor. In&#xA;self-defense situations, the ability to use weapons defensively can help&#xA;protect you from harm while you to get to safety and/or call for help. As&#xA;with the offensive use of weapons, the ability to use everyday items is very&#xA;helpful. No shield? Use a trashcan lid, cooking pot lid, cooking pot, or&#xA;sofa cushion. No staff? Use a mop or umbrella. Et cetera.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(You could argue that all weapons--specifically, the threat of their&#xA;use--can have a defensive role. But if the threat of a gun or knife say is&#xA;ignored, they have modest or little defensive value. You can use them to&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defanging_the_snake&quot;&gt;&quot;defang the snake&quot;&lt;/a&gt;, but&#xA;that is primarily offensive, in the sense of &quot;a strong offense is the best&#xA;defense.&quot; See point 1, &quot;Application of force.&quot;)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Self Development.&lt;/strong&gt; Being mentally and physically centered is one of&#xA;the great benfits of any martial arts training. Weapons further this, making&#xA;you concerned not only with the balance and positioning of yourself, but also&#xA;an extension of yourself. This is one reason weapons are often taught as a&#xA;&quot;plus one&quot;--only after you have acheived some competence with open-handed,&#xA;unarmed technique. Some of the weapons forms in kung fu and tai chi, for&#xA;instance, are quite difficult. &quot;Eight Drunken Immortals,&quot; a Daoist&#xA;jian (straight sword) form, requries signficant balanced extensions,&#xA;spins, back bends, low postures, hand-to-hand passing of the weapon, and&#xA;other challenging moves. &quot;Tiger Tornado Broadsword&quot; requires simultanous&#xA;jumping and spinning with the sword. Working to be balanced and graceful,&#xA;even in&#xA;challenging postures or while in swift motion--it's great&#xA;self-developmental training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other arts such as Eskirma, Kali, and Arnis are fundamentally&#xA;weapons-centered, and start with them Day One. Weapons are also used by many&#xA;schools to lure in eager students, even young kids, who just can't wait to&#xA;play with the foam swords and Nerf nunchaku. They too teach coordination&#xA;and focus.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastActivityDate="2014-08-19T19:17:13.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4299" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4290" CreationDate="2014-08-19T22:16:32.053" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;For home defense, you are contemplating weapon use within a constrained space. Long weapons do not make a lot of sense; you will not be able to use them well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would also advise against bladed or piercing weapons of any kind. They are by definition lethal weapons, with a clear intent to maim or kill. While the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_doctrine&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Castle Doctrine&lt;/a&gt; and, in some places, &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-your-ground_law&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;stand your ground laws&lt;/a&gt; may protect you legally if you are required to use those, you will still have to defend yourself to legal officials. The samurai of feudal Japan may have thought their wakizashi appropriate &quot;indoor weapons,&quot; but these days &quot;He attacked me, so I sliced off his arm, and unfortunately he died of blood loss&quot; may not put you in the best light to the police officers and district attorney who will be deciding whether to charge you with a crime, or write off the incident as legitimate self defense. Starting with a Medieval maiming weapon is probably not your best option. And if a cop responds to the scene and finds you holding a bloody kama, well... Things could end badly for you, even if you were truly the defending / not-at-fault party.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Better options include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;short sticks (aka Eskrima / Kali sticks)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a collapsible &#xA;baton (&lt;em&gt;essential&lt;/em&gt; that you get a top-notch brand, like ASP; the cheap ones will &#xA;break in action)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;baton with handle (aka tonfa)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sturdy flashlight (like the Mag-lites all cops used to carry, or a small &#xA;but hard tactical flashlight)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These keep you on the &quot;intermediate weapon&quot; portion of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Use_of_force_continuum&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;&quot;use of force continuum&quot;&lt;/a&gt;. They are all useful in dissuading, delaying, and/or disabling your opponents, and they won't overtly suggest that you are the one from whom people might need defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastActivityDate="2014-08-19T22:16:32.053" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4300" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4290" CreationDate="2014-08-20T00:49:51.537" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Home Invasion vs. Burglary&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So first off, most of the people afraid of home invasion are rarely the ones targeted by it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are you involved in criminal activity where you'd have large amounts of cash lying around?  Are you from an immigrant culture that would normally hide money stashes in the house?  If you answered no to both of those, you are extremely unlikely to be the target of home invasion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Home invasions are when folks are specifically looking to target you, and they're coming ready with weapons and usually several people.  This is very different than house burglary - one or two people break in, preferably when no one is home, and try to get valuables and leave without a confrontation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can look up the stats for your neighborhood and see what the crime looks like.  Also be mindful of who gets targeted - for instance, if there's a drug house on one block, that one block is going to look terrible as far as crime rates, but 4 blocks away nothing happens.  You might even live in a terrible place and never be targeted for more than car break ins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;General Home Defense&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, generally if you're not expecting to be targeted with an organized violent raid, martial art weapons become a lot more viable - it's less likely for a burglar to bring a gun, and it's also likely you're only dealing with 1 or 2 people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At that point, the questions become - how easy is it to use the weapon given your space?  Would you be able to get to it easily?  Would you be able to carry it from room to room running?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A spear sounds... unlikely to be that handy.  Knives, sticks, machetes, all of that seems pretty do-able.  The other issue is how far away are your tools of self defense in any given space?   If you have to run to one room to get the weapon, then run back to the other to deal with the threat, it's not as useful as having a few different things around the area that you can go for quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That all said, if you think someone has broken into your house, yelling, &quot;Ok honey! Stay on the phone with 911! I've got the gun!&quot; really loudly even as a bluff will send most burglars away quickly if they've got any judgment working.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other consideration is whether your weapons are going to be safe depending on who you live with - children, impulsive teens, folks suffering depression, friends or family who like to drink a lot or get high, people who have impaired cognitive functions... Given the rates of injuries or death from weapons in NON-combative situations, you don't want to make your home less safe in your attempt to protect it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vs. Actual Home Invasion&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Move.  Leave town.  If you are living a lifestyle where you are afraid people are likely to target your home with a group of folks, looking to harm you and your family, you should move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of my friends growing up were ex-Crips and folks from communities that did stash money and frankly, there's no safe, sane way to really prepare for home invasion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the people who worry about home invasion are not in danger of it, but rather hyped up on self defense machoism and privileged paranoia.  Folks who are at risk either don't realize it or are living very un-civilian lifestyles that are not reasonable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-08-20T00:49:51.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4301" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4302" CreationDate="2014-08-20T07:27:37.493" Score="4" ViewCount="11948" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm staying alone at home. Can I learn martial arts on my own? It's dangerous in the place where I'm staying.  There are many thefts. I want to learn Martial Arts on my own because I'm poor.  I can't pay a fee. Also there are fewer teachers in my area. Any suggestions?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3135" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-08-21T07:52:09.233" LastActivityDate="2014-08-21T07:52:09.233" Title="How can I learn martial at home when I'm alone in home?" Tags="|training|self-training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" FavoriteCount="0" ClosedDate="2014-08-23T03:15:35.373" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4302" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4301" CreationDate="2014-08-20T09:45:02.930" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Can I learn martial arts by own?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes you can - but all you will have is an academic knowledge of the art, you won't be able to rely on it to defend yourself. To be honest you will probably hurt yourself more than your opponent if you relied upon it without some expert instruction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can read all the books and watch all the youtube clips you want, but it's going to take time to get good enough to be able to actually use the martial art you learn. Learning a martial art in this way could be outright dangerous - it may give you a false sense of security and get you into a situation you would normally have avoided.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If moving to a different area as Keith suggested is not an option, then you should look to the community - there will be someone who will have &lt;em&gt;some&lt;/em&gt; knowledge. Look to high schools/colleges/universities, they may have clubs. Somewhere there will be at least a boxing club. Even a weightlifting club would be an option if there were no fighting oriented clubs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I'm financially ill, I can't pay fee &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instructors need to eat and possibly feed their family. But even so there will be something you can work out with the instructor if you needed to; for example you could barter some work for lessons. If you are genuine with your need and intentions I think most instructors would find a way to fit you in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2014-08-20T09:45:02.930" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4303" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4290" CreationDate="2014-08-20T13:43:44.483" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;When deciding on a self-defense weapon, the following checklist is useful:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Easy to use&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Easy to swing around&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Easy to use in close-quarters, e.g. on the ground or with your back against a wall&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Able to neutralise an opponent with one or at most two hits&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Won't inflict deep wounds. Because you will get arrested if you stab someone.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With this in mind, the best weapon, in my vastly experienced though humble opinion, is a police Sap. It's fairly easy to make your own using lead fishing sinkers and scrap leather or some other sturdy material like the stuff military belts are made from. For extra points, melt down the sinkers into your preferred shape and sew them shut.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This weapon will knock out an assailant, is easy to wield and won't draw potentially lethal amounts of blood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QlbPr.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-08-20T13:43:44.483" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4304" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4258" CreationDate="2014-08-20T19:39:02.507" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice traditional japanese karate. I broke my middle finger and had to have surgery. I still practice. I practice with another karateka who is missing his entire left arm and another karateka who is missing a hand. In traditional Okinawa karate-do, having a missing or non working limb makes no difference to the practitioner. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS. My friend who is missing his entire arm (up to his shoulder) also practices Okinawa Kobudo bojitsu.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3124" LastActivityDate="2014-08-20T19:39:02.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4305" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4301" CreationDate="2014-08-20T23:05:33.777" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can learn some things alone.  But there's a lot of caveats worth noting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Self defense is risk reduction&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts can give you some tools, but it's worth noting that the best safety is avoiding danger where you can.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So - the best training you can do alone right now is finding away to get yourself up on some short distance sprint training.  Obviously, if your neighborhood isn't safe, it may make that difficult - but running IS a great skill to have trained.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also realize that getting robbed is unpleasant, but not the real problem - it's people trying to hurt you that you really have to worry about.  It's not worth getting into fights if someone is going to take your money.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Things you can learn without a teacher&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you have a friend or a family member who would be willing to practice with you?  That helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing you can generally train is how to push people.  Push them with your hands, push them with your forearms, push with a shoulder check, push with your hips.  If you can shove someone and run, you have a simple skill you can use.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can look up stuff online like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6CdH6xHcgo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Tony Blauer's S.P.E.A.R. defense videos&lt;/a&gt; - he uses a simple move that works well for that kind of thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't have a friend to work with... well, you can try practicing your shoves against things like poles or indoor building supports or the frame of a doorway.  That said, all of this basically boils down to shove and run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A simple tool&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The last thing, is you can get yourself a small, heavy flashlight.  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.maglite.com/productline.asp&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;A 5-7 inch Maglite&lt;/a&gt; usually is small enough to go in a pocket, heavy enough you can get an effect from it using a hammer fist (grip the flashlight, hammer it down on someone) and they're usually not more than $20 tops, making it more affordable. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, the goal of using this would be a stun and run - hit them, push them, run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;There might be more people in your area who want to train&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What a lot of folks don't realize is that there usually is a fair number of folks who want to learn self defense, especially if the area is not great.  I would definitely do some searching online - craigslist, meetup.com, etc. (or the equivalents if you're not in the US) to see if you can find a study group in your area.  You might want to ask around at places like a YMCA, any churches/temples/mosques and if there's any local community colleges to see if anyone has leads as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many of these groups charge nothing, or a very minimal fee compared to martial arts instructors or schools.  I know my first serious teacher would teach women and youth for free and we trained in a church basement for many years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-08-20T23:05:33.777" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4306" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4258" CreationDate="2014-08-21T08:56:18.087" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I felt kind of down when I first fractured a metacarpal - was worried how well it would heal, but several guys at the dojo reacted along the lines of &quot;oh yeah you too&quot;, and in the end it &lt;em&gt;was&lt;/em&gt; a bit of a non-event - few weeks' rest and eased back into it.  Six months later it was an irrelevancy.  Of course, some injuries are worse than others, but my real point is that a break here and there's not unusual and there's no point &lt;em&gt;anticipating&lt;/em&gt; the worst - deal with what comes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For aikido it's tricky as all the wrist grabs and locks put pressure on that part of your hand, and the breakfalls put significant shock through the limb even if you avoid the hand... if based on your knowledge of the training and instructors you feel you can actually partake in an appropriately limited fashion, then do so, but if you think you'd be kind of expected to have a go at things you really shouldn't be doing, then best stay away, or turn up after formal class and see if you can get in half an hour here and there with a partner on known-safe or one-sided practice - timing and footwork would be good things to work on.  Solo taichi practice is never wasted time (as long as you're sufficiently introspective and analytical), so stick to that if you're at a loss for what to do.  Learning something entirely new isn't worth it for a three-six month period... nothing is likely to be better suited than solo taichi practice anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-08-21T08:56:18.087" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4307" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4316" CreationDate="2014-08-21T12:11:47.103" Score="5" ViewCount="222" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've got a mild pain and swelling in my right hand's palm that I believe is a sprain. How to avoid aggravating my injury while continuing the training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3138" LastEditorUserId="3138" LastEditDate="2014-08-21T15:33:21.247" LastActivityDate="2014-08-23T12:57:45.560" Title="How to avoid aggravating a sprain while training in MMA?" Tags="|injury|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4308" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2097" CreationDate="2014-08-21T23:32:03.953" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sounds like you have lots of wants and wishes.  But the best thing is to simplify, don't try and do everything, &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;sounds to me you want to focus on :-&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;striking, clinching, takedowns, ground fight (no gi, with strikes).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you lay this out to all the people with different skills, you can all contribute how you want to do each part,  look at what each style has to offer, work out want you to drill.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then make sure you have good sparring scenarios (just standing, just takedowns, just ground, striking-&gt;clinch-takedown  takedown-&gt;ground, everything) all the while taking reasonable safety precautions.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then look at how sparring went, and then feed that back into learning.  Very important to have that feedback loop.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you are established and people actually have some skills, add in knife/stick/multiple attackers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastActivityDate="2014-08-21T23:32:03.953" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4309" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2014-08-22T11:00:00.153" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;There is no standard way to address this tag yet:&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://meta.martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/354/82&quot;&gt;There is a question on meta to help define this tag within the scopes of the site.&lt;/a&gt; Go there and discus issues with this tag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic&quot;&gt;general injury treatment or medical advice are off-topic&lt;/a&gt; thus you should make sure your question does not ask for medical advise from strangers on the Internet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-05-09T07:10:01.500" LastActivityDate="2017-05-09T07:10:01.500" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4310" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2014-08-22T11:00:00.153" Score="0" Body="About specific injury while training in your specific art. Treatment and what-might-happen are both off topic." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-08-27T09:03:52.860" LastActivityDate="2014-08-27T09:03:52.860" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4311" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4307" CreationDate="2014-08-22T16:49:41.140" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First - the obvious stuff for sprains:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;regularly ice it&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;do not use the joints you believe you have injured&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second part gets a little tricky, because it means you have to adapt a lot of what you're training.  It will, however, improve the speed of recovery and the final results.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, the more involved aspect for sprains:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After 3-4 days of initial healing, your body begins growing new tissue to repair the damage as best it can.  You can help that tissue remodel better by doing gentle, isometric movement with the joint in question after those initial days.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You hold the joint in place, using your hand, part of your body, furniture, or a wall and press against it - for the smallest joints - about the force of lifting a coin, for the largest joints, at most the force of scooting a kitten.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As pain decreases and your range of motion returns you can increase the force until you're up to full again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edited to add: of course, if you have long standing joint, ligament, or bone conditions, go see your doctor!  Sprains are much more complicated when stuff like that comes up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-08-22T16:49:41.140" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4313" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2545" CreationDate="2014-08-23T03:50:11.970" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ill share my bo staff experience.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My first bo was a relatively light one.  Its 5' 6&quot;, perfect height.   I use this bo for all of my forms.  Then, later on, after I developed all the fundamental skills, I switched to a heavier staff, 6'.  I typically use the heavy staff to learn and practice most of my moves.  Also, the heavier weight (especially with nunchaku) creates more momentum.  This means if I'm doing nunchaku wrist rolls, the heavier, the easier it is to control the rotation.  This isn't necessarily true with all moves, but you know how it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I then switch back to my lighter bo, to do all of the moves in full speed.  Also, because my main bo is shorter than my practice one, it means I won't clip the ground or myself with my main bo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1655" LastActivityDate="2014-08-23T03:50:11.970" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4314" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="154" CreationDate="2014-08-23T04:09:40.497" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well, i'm going to reference a movie.  Pulp Fiction.  If you recall the part where Ringo and &quot;hunny-bun&quot; are robbing the restaurant?  Joules reacted REALLY calmly.  That is what I recommend.  Stay cool.  You know your training.  You've done it a million times (hopefully).  Just do what you know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't recommend doing anything if you're not 100% confident in your abilities.  Also, check to make sure your not overconfident, and end up getting yourself injured.  Just do what they say...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chances are, if they are holding you up, they are giving you a chance.  They aren't hurting you for a reason.  Perhaps they don't have the guts to kill you.  Maybe they don't want a gun to go off in the middle of a city.  If they really just wanted your wallet, why wouldn't they just stab you and take it from you?  So you should really only try to act if you absolutely must. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they have a gun, and are more than three feet away, there isn't anything you can do. unless you have throwing spikes up your sleeve, or some magic pixie dust, just do what they say, and you probably won't get hurt.  Don't play around when they have a gun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's it for the boring stuff.  But what if they have all intentions of hurting you?  It really depends on what weapon they have.  If its a firearm, and they are three feet away from you, you are too far away to do anything. (unless you have a ballistic weapon handy).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just about every other weapon, in order for you to get hurt, there has to be movement.  I have to slash at you with a sword to cut you, thrust at you with a knife, whatever.  There is a much better chance of making it in this case.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the specific techniques, You'll have to learn those from a good instructor, who knows the difference between theory techniques and the real/legit/practical ones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1655" LastActivityDate="2014-08-23T04:09:40.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4315" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-08-23T04:18:47.470" Score="6" ViewCount="627" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have access to any sort of grappling art in my area.  There just aren't any.  There is a gym that I go to in the local area, and I and some friends are interested in learning grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that there are TONS of grappling move tutorials on youtube.  I am proficient at arm bars, omoplatas, triangle chokes, komoras, wrist locks, leg locks, and some more chokes.  I am also good with escaping mount, and prefer moves from full guard.  I'm not that good at passing the guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I just want a list of moves that I should look up/learn.  Just the basics and some intermediate moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1655" LastActivityDate="2014-08-24T05:44:41.260" Title="Learning grappling without an instructor" Tags="|grappling|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4316" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4307" CreationDate="2014-08-23T12:57:45.560" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't continue the training. Stop.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think about it: your body is injured and needs time to heal. If you don't give it time, it won't heal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is MUCH better to not train for a week than to have unhealed damage which, after a few years, becomes much worse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2014-08-23T12:57:45.560" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4317" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4315" CreationDate="2014-08-24T05:44:41.260" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;My general advice for those wanting to learn on their own when there are no local schools available to train at is this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Find two or three friends who also have an interest in learning and training together.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You each decide on a remote school to train at. This should be a well recognized school and instructor.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Once you have a remote school in mind, write the instructor of the school and convince him/her to give you a concentrated course for one or two weeks, or for however long you can afford. This means private lessons for the entire day, every day you're there.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Then each of you goes (by car or by plane) to train there. You can&#xA;all go together at first, or you can send one or two of you there to&#xA;train first.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Those that trained there will come back to the local group and teach the rest what they learned. Then you practice it locally with each other.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In another 2-6 months, one or more of you will go off to train there again for another one to two weeks. By having only one or two go at a time, it means you can rotate and not have to pay as much individually. But each of you has to agree to go in rotation and to come back and teach what you've learned.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This plan is probably more costly than if you had a local school to train at. But it all depends on how often you go, and that's dictated by how much you can afford. So it can be affordable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also requires you have a place to train at, with mats, and the proper equipment, gis, and rash guards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should also try to get in shape. Going off to train for an entire day requires a lot of physical endurance. It's going to be hard doing that day after day for a whole week or two. Make sure you and your friends are ready for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for wanting to train on your own completely (without an instructor at all), or wanting to add your own stuff that you found on youtube or something to your training... I would advise against it, at least at first. The primary reason I say that is because you will likely drill the wrong technique and develop bad habits. You'll find later on that you'll have difficulty erasing those bad habits and re-training yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At least by getting with an instructor every now and then, you can run stuff by him/her before you go off and drill it. After you drill it, it's very hard to correct it later on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another route you might consider is Gracie University:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.gracieuniversity.com&quot;&gt;https://www.gracieuniversity.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's basically an entire course of Gracie Jiujitsu online. They have videos, chat sessions, blogs, etc. Supposedly the quality of the video and instruction they offer is good enough that they feel that people can learn entirely on their own without getting the bad habits that I mentioned above. You gain rank by testing over video. They tell you what you have to demonstrate, you record it on video and send it to them, and then they grade it and decide if you've passed. This happens all the way up until blue belt, I believe. For blue or purple belt (I forget which), you need to test in person at an affiliated school. And at any point in your training, you can test in person as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a video that explains the philosophy behind the program and answers the critics:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV5eYLo3nCU&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV5eYLo3nCU&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I have no opinion about Gracie University, but in theory it looks good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, if you just want a list of stuff to train and the order in which to train them, you can look at the Gracie Barra Fundamentals program for starters. Here's a web site that details the curriculum:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://graciebarraalabama.com/fundamentals.php&quot;&gt;http://graciebarraalabama.com/fundamentals.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also DVD sets that you can watch which show all of the moves in the curriculum. They apparently also have an app that lets you stream all the videos (for a price).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a sketch I found showing the Gracie Barra Fundamentals program and how the DVD program links the techniques together:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mattsdailyjournal.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/gracie-barra-fundamentals-dvd-set/&quot;&gt;http://mattsdailyjournal.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/gracie-barra-fundamentals-dvd-set/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, and finally, I just wanted to offer yet another alternative: You could look for a judo school instead of a Brazilian Jiujitsu school. Judo is very different in many ways, but the two styles complement each other, and I don't think spending time in judo would be at all wasted time. But it depends on your focus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also wrestling, MMA, Sambo, Shuai-Jiao, and other arts that might be more within reach near you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-08-24T05:44:41.260" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4318" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4323" CreationDate="2014-08-26T09:09:53.133" Score="21" ViewCount="1166" Body="&lt;p&gt;So after an enforced retirement from football (the Australian kind) due to being knocked unconscious in two consecutive games I demanded my parents let me take up martial arts instead. Several arguments later I got to try out a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class and promptly fell in love with it!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think I present some challenges though. I'm 13, I'm a girl and I weigh about 42kgs (92-ish pounds) in my gi. Probably wouldn't be a problem, but my gym (the only one I can get to) doesn't have a kids / teens program, so I'm in with the adults and on an average night I'm also the only girl. And the only person under around 65kgs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I can't complain because the instructor and the senior students have been very helpful, but I also can't help but feel like everybody runs away from me when it's time to pick a partner. I've ended up drilling with the same partner every time and I've only rolled with four different partners because they're the only ones who seem to want anything to do with me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the most part I think it's more my size and probably the fact that I'm an absolute beginner that makes people run away, although there's also one guy who very politely mentioned that he won't ever roll with me because I'm a girl (religion is involved I think?) and a couple of younger guys who seem incapable of actually making eye contact or saying hello (probably also because I'm a girl, which may be extremely scary). Those two I'm not particularly keen to roll with yet anyway, because they seem very .. enthusiastic .. and I'd like to keep my arms attached for now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm rambling a bit I think. I'll get to the point!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Firstly, I feel a bit like a liability to the guy who keeps getting stuck with me for drilling. He's been very helpful, but drilling on a partner my size consistently can't be good for him (I think?) and I worry that I'm getting in the way of him getting good training time in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So question 1, how should I go about getting moved around to some other partners for drilling and what things can I do to make my size less of an issue with drilling in general?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, what steps can I take to make myself a useful rolling partner? The guys I've rolled with have been helpful and pretty good at not giving me more pressure than I can handle for the most part, but I still feel like time spent with me is wasted time for them, because not only do they have to spend the whole time being careful not to squish me too badly they also seem super reluctant to actually submit me. I've tried pointing out that I'm not going to run away crying if they choke me properly but that didn't seem to make any difference so far.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Still rambling? I'm just looking for advice so that rolls with me are actually useful for my training partners. I don't want to waste people's time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3147" LastActivityDate="2015-05-26T19:52:52.130" Title="How can I become a good training partner" Tags="|training|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4319" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4318" CreationDate="2014-08-26T09:40:18.067" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do you have a friend and/or sibling (gender is utterly irrelevant here) that you can bring to the class to train with?  Probably they would be of a similar age and thus might be of a similar size. This would be your best option to be honest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question 1&lt;/strong&gt;: Some people might be uncomfortable training with a young girl for whatever reasons. So, don't force them to train with you.  Take to however is teaching and pass your concern to them. They should do something about that. If they do not, ask other people after/before the class if they would mind training with you. Show that you are keen to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question 2&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;em&gt;Enthusiasm&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;more enthusiasm&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;even more enthusiasm&lt;/em&gt;! Learn as much as you can. Try to mimic what is being taught as best you can. Your strength will be in technique and not your physical power.  If you can get something working on a full adult (even if they are more compliant than normal), that's an amazing achievement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to the above, if your teacher asks for volunteers either when she shows a new technique or as a demonstration of what you learned, you should be one of the first ones to get up!  Again, this is just showing enthusiasm but will let you feel the technique as your instructor does it. This is a good way to get better!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-08-27T06:58:00.423" LastActivityDate="2014-08-27T06:58:00.423" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4320" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4318" CreationDate="2014-08-26T16:56:07.253" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was the only 12 year old in a judo club full of brown/black belt adults, so I can identify with your experience on some levels!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, as the beginner and the youth in this situation, the only things you can do are this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;1) Ask questions, ask for help, ask for advice.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Given my size, can you show me how I could make that technique work?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Can you show me what options might work for me to get out of this technique?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;I'm having trouble (getting their arm around, getting the leverage, etc.) can you help me figure out how to make it work for me?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;2) Train hard.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Social Issues&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that said, the reality of it sounds more like a lot of the people there have issues with gender rather than your skill or the practicality of training with you.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just because you may not get as much skill training from rolling with someone half your weight doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to make eye contact or talk to someone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is unfortunately a real common issue in a lot of martial arts circles - women are often ignored or guys start acting weird when they have to move around with them.  I have several friends who have told me stories about this, some of which include some guys who deliberately try to injure women during training to force them to quit martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find the people who treat you normally, train with them, learn what you can learn and consider if there's any other clubs that do grappling you can supplement with as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-08-26T16:56:07.253" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4321" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4318" CreationDate="2014-08-26T17:45:50.273" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with very much of what Sadathrion writes in his answer, so I'd just like to add to it ... and, uh, it didn't fit in the comment box.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mind, that I am from a standup art and don't know a whole lot about grappling, but the same principles should apply.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Take it up with your instructor&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Suggest you change partners from time to time. In our school, we often change partners several times during class. Everybody is different, so the idea is to try the techniques on different people. What works on someone, might be useless on someone else – or need some tweaks in order to be effective. Some times the instructor will purposely mismatch us.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When we do sparring, we change every two or three minutes. Everybody lines up in two rows, and then rotates to face a different partner every time. At the end of the class, you have usually partnered up with nearly everyone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideally, you will always be paired with someone slightly better than you, as that is when you learn the most. (Beginners never appreaciate the luxury they have! :) ) In free sparring, the more experienced fighter can choose to focus on some of the things they are not so good at. Or purposely let the junior student have some leverage, and work on defense rather than offense. That way, it will be a learning experience for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case, it is the duty of the senior student to give the junior student a fair challenge (it sounds like some of your classmates are rather intense) and help them become better, as their own senior students helped them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, you can't always just pair up with some random person. If for example we are dealing with a strength excercise involving lifting or carrying the other partner, then naturally it will make sense to find with someone of similar size. Likewise, if some of the senior students would like to practice intensly due to tournament preparations or the like, then you might not pair them up with beginners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Find out what your strengths are, and utilize them&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not every student is the same, and we all have our strengths and weaknesses. The biggest person is not always the &amp;quot;strongest&amp;quot; fighter. A smaller fighter is usually faster, more explosive and more flexible. Generally speaking, they can learn to do more advanced techniques with greater speed, precision and still avoid being caught themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find out what you are good at, and then use that against them, so they will be more challenged.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Don't be afraid to ask questions&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your situation is unique, in the sense that you only have training partners that have much greater physical strength – and for now at least, probably also superiour technique. It is possible that many of the things that are shown to the class, needs to be tweaked in order to work in your situation. Ask your instructor and  partner for help if you &amp;quot;get stuck&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Recruit friends!&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You mention that your friends think it's weird to roll around on the floor with sweaty men – which is understandable, it doesn't sound like a very attractive sell. Perhaps you could persuade some of them to watch, maybe that will open their eyes. Or you can beat up the school bully, that will get you some attention. **&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have you tried asking a male friend? They might be more open to the idea. However, given your age, I understand it might be awkward to ask boys on after-school activities. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But definitely get your brother involved. If for nothing else, maybe he in turn can recruit some of his smaller friends. I mean, if he doesn't join now, in a year or two he will be beaten up by his little sister! Embarrassing!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Get out some&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you start to see some progress, have a chat with your instructor again. Hopefully there is a seminar or even tournament you can attend, where you will be able to test your skills against a more equal opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This first challenge might go both ways. Perhaps it will be super awkward and difficult to roll with someone on your own size – their speed might be very different from what you are used to. Or you might completelly crush them, since you are used to heavier guys. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Either way, keep at it!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;** Attenttion! Actually beating up the school bully is not advised. Society is not yet ready to handle random acts of violence, even from small girls.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="30" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2014-08-26T17:45:50.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4322" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4318" CreationDate="2014-08-26T20:43:38.773" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;My experience here is from the other side.  I am still a white belt, but I started about a year ago as an adult man.  The first time I was paired up with a woman, it was slightly strange.  Also, the first time I was paired up with a kid, it was slightly strange.  But the opposite perspective may be very helpful in overcoming the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How to get moved around to other partners&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How you go about making sure you get a variety of training partners depends on the culture of your school.  At the school I go to, the instructor assigns partners for most rolling rounds (we pick our partners for drilling, but for a lot of people that is just turn to your left and keep asking till you find someone without a partner yet).  Doing that would largely remove your issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have never yet see anyone refuse to go up against an assigned partner for any reason, but I can understand some reluctance for a man to go against a woman, especially one that is substantially smaller.  Against a man, I don't hesitate to press down on their chest to make space when I am on top in guard.  I don't hesitate to put my hands on their chest in mount to go for a fast armbar if their arms are straight up.  I don't do those things when I am rolling against a woman.  I can understand why a man who has never rolled with a woman might worry about doing those things by reflex without thinking about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that is their concern, then there is no complete solution, but a partial solution is to talk to some of the people you think are uncomfortable with you (but that you would feel comfortable rolling with) and explain exactly what you are or are not comfortable with.  If you don't want them to go to knee mount because of how much bigger they are, tell them.  There will be no graceful way to say it, but I think many men will be more comfortable if you assure them you will just remind them to stop if they touch your chest (for a tactically reasonable reason) rather than making a federal case out of it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also think simple time and exposure to you (and hopefully eventually other women) on the mats will make them more comfortable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another, smaller issue is the hair.  I have gotten my hand tangled in someone else's hair when I went for an Ezekiel choke more than once.  I have also had the other person's hair get in my face when they were in low mount, and it can be annoying.  This obviously is not strictly an issue with women.  Some women have quite short hair and some men have rather long hair (in fact, one of those Ezekiel issues was with a man).  But if you happen to have longer hair, please put it up in a way that it will not get in the way while rolling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How to be a good partner&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There will be times when you cannot reasonably expect the other person to learn from the roll.  I'm a white belt, and even when I'm heavier the brown belts probably aren't getting anything at all from it when they roll with me.  I just make sure I ask them for advice and thank them for their time at the end.  And remember that if you continue on this journey there will eventually be times that you will be on the other side, rolling with someone purely for their benefit without expecting to get much out of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But when its a bit of a closer call there are things they can do to make you a useful partner, and you could suggest them.  They could give you something of a handicap by letting you start in an advantageous position like side control or mount.  This gives them practice escaping, and let's you practice being in a top position.  They can also limit themselves to some forms of submissions that they particularly need more practice on.  They probably don't want to limit themselves to exactly one submission (unless they are much better and just showing off), but if they limit themselves to just a couple and tell you ahead of time then they get practice with those submissions they are presumably worse at while you get to focus on defending those submissions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, this seems relevant:  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.grapplearts.com/Blog/2011/02/why-men-should-grapple-women-and-smaller-men/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.grapplearts.com/Blog/2011/02/why-men-should-grapple-women-and-smaller-men/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1253" LastEditorUserId="1253" LastEditDate="2014-08-26T21:17:18.320" LastActivityDate="2014-08-26T21:17:18.320" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4323" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4318" CreationDate="2014-08-26T21:31:19.250" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;It seems a number of females share your problems.   I read a number of female BJJ bloggers, and they have expressed similar feelings.  My suggestion is to read what they have to say and maybe reach out to them:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://gingersnaps.me/&quot;&gt;A tiny, shy woman who is mad keen on jiujitsu and gives a brutally&#xA;honest account of her journey&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://gingersnaps.me/2014/07/21/women-in-bjj-are-not-delicate-flowers/&quot;&gt;A post a little while ago where she talks about how she struggles a&#xA;bit with guys either being too rough, or too&#xA;gentle&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://skirtonthemat.wordpress.com/&quot;&gt;A woman who is very confident and addresses a lot of issues girls&#xA;have on the mats in bjj&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://clearbelt.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;Another woman who has all around good advice but also does a lot to&#xA;promote women in bjj&lt;/a&gt;   &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://jiujiubjj.com/&quot;&gt;Another great bjj woman blogger who has come across a number of&#xA;negative scenarios as a female grappler and has a bunch of advice on&#xA;how to deal with it&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw-KF6Ub8-4&quot;&gt;Oh, and a video just for fun, tells you how to roll with&#xA;women!&lt;/a&gt; :)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Virtually all of them have posts about rolling with men. From what I can tell, all of them simply persisted and things got better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in summary :-&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rolling is never a waste no matter who you are rolling with, there's always something you can work on.  I know when I started, one of my instructors said to be aggressive to try and partner with a higher grade even if perhaps they wouldn't of chosen to partner with you.  You'll get better faster.  Same thing for you, you are there to learn bjj, doesn't how new / little / young you are, be aggressive and go get the training / rolling partners you want as quick as you can.  Don't wait for them to choose you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-08-27T12:22:35.753" LastActivityDate="2014-08-27T12:22:35.753" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4324" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4318" CreationDate="2014-08-26T22:24:34.103" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I feel a bit like a liability to the guy who keeps getting stuck with me for drilling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't worry about it. Training with smaller partners is a necessary skill. He can work on his fluid C-game instead of his smashy A-game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How should I go about getting moved around to some other partners for drilling?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't worry about it. Your instructor will pair you with other partners when you and they are ready. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What things can I do to make my size less of an issue with drilling in general?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nothing except getting really good at jiujitsu. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What steps can I take to make myself a useful rolling partner? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Get better at jiujitsu, particularly breakfalling. Don't insist that your partners smash you, but let them know you're not a flower. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I still feel like time spent with me is wasted time for them&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not your problem. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-08-26T22:24:34.103" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4325" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4327" CreationDate="2014-08-28T08:18:03.103" Score="-1" ViewCount="430" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there any book advices for learning karate. Previously I have trained in kickbox , muay-tai.I want to start learning karate.What are the best books for learning karate ? Thanks in advance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3156" LastActivityDate="2014-08-28T14:10:20.020" Title="Best karate book" Tags="|karate|books|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2014-08-28T22:03:14.087" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4326" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4325" CreationDate="2014-08-28T08:46:11.960" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although not a &quot;technique and kata&quot; writer, I would recommend anything by &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Lowry_(martial_arts)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Dave Lowry&lt;/a&gt;.  He is an excellent writer and will explain so much more about the etiquette of a Japanese martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="142" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2014-08-28T11:26:58.757" LastActivityDate="2014-08-28T11:26:58.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4327" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4325" CreationDate="2014-08-28T14:05:15.560" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are you interested in the technical aspects of karate, or in the philosophical aspects?  I've found that seldom are both well represented.  I would say a good mix of both can be found in &lt;a href=&quot;http://books.google.ca/books?id=4PTFdFRl9MQC&amp;amp;dq=karate%20technique%20and%20spirit%20by%20tadashi%20nakamura&amp;amp;source=gbs_navlinks_s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Karate: Technique and Spirit by Tadashi Nakamura&lt;/a&gt;.  Nakamura is the founder of Seido, an offshoot of Kyokushin-Kai, but his technical demonstration in the book is well matched by his discussion on the role that martial arts can play in life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="905" LastEditorUserId="905" LastEditDate="2014-08-28T14:10:20.020" LastActivityDate="2014-08-28T14:10:20.020" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4328" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4290" CreationDate="2014-08-29T01:00:18.193" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to add that an everyday household item called the plunger makes a great weapon, once you unscrew the rubber part off. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1940" LastActivityDate="2014-08-29T01:00:18.193" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4329" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-08-31T15:41:04.017" Score="4" ViewCount="297" Body="&lt;p&gt;Im planning to execute the following trapping range drill :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The goal of the drill is to place on an retreating opponent continous pressure by applying elbow strikes, locking him into a clinch and issueing a series of knee strikes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The attacker advances with small steps issuing 6 elbow strikes (3 with each elbow)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The attacker then cliches the opponent on his neck pulls him down and to the sides (continously unbalancing him) and issues 4 knee strikes (2 per leg)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The attacker pushes the opponent away from him and recommences the drill&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The oponent holds two muay thai pads and retreats gradually setting each pad for an elbow hit&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When grabbed he sets the pads for knee hits.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I'm not sure is the best footwork and stance for progressing elbow strikes :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;basic guard with step&amp;amp;slide&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;basic guard with slide&amp;amp;step&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;normal body posture with small steps&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit 2014-09-03 (yyyy-mm-dd):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I've tried the drill with a student of mine and the natural way for her to execute it was to do a step and slide during the elbow striking execution.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Also a variant of the drill is for the opponent to hold the pads on the outside really close to his head like shield (with the goal of mimicking a person using a peekaboo guard to protect his face thus teaching the student to freely attack his forearms with his hands).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3064" LastEditorUserId="3064" LastEditDate="2014-09-03T11:43:00.233" LastActivityDate="2014-09-05T18:55:48.970" Title="Footwork in JKD for advancing elbow strikes" Tags="|jeet-kune-do|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4331" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7805" CreationDate="2014-09-02T01:40:33.500" Score="8" ViewCount="379" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In 1951, Rocky Marciano's knockout punch sheared off four of Rex Layne's upper, front teeth at the gumline and sent his mouthpiece bouncing with teeth included out of the ring.&#xA;  [1]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The acrylic mouthguard would have been a prevalent model in early 1950s. In the 1960s, the American Dental Association started recommending the use of latex mouthguards.&#xA;  [2]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The boil-and-bite mouthguards which are the most used forms today are fundamentally the same design as the model popularized in the 1960s.&#xA;  [2]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why would modern technology and understanding (gloves, punching, and mouthguards) make injuries like this more or less likely?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;REF:&lt;br&gt;&#xA;[1]&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Layne#Professional_career&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Layne#Professional_career&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;[2]&lt;a href=&quot;http://keystoneind.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/the-history-of-athletic-mouthguards/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://keystoneind.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/the-history-of-athletic-mouthguards/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3165" LastEditorUserId="3165" LastEditDate="2015-12-02T16:04:11.053" LastActivityDate="2017-09-05T22:08:28.660" Title="Would it be possible to mimic the knockout punch that Rex Layne received in 1951?" Tags="|safety|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4333" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2068" CreationDate="2014-09-04T07:54:38.470" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There were three techniques which helped me a lot (and still do) when I started sparring in JKD:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;progressive indirect attack&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;jamming their attack (e.g. striking their hand is it goes towards me, the essence of jeet kune do is to intercept, destroy or prevent an attack from an opponent).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;attack by combination (for example a simple 1-2-3 or jab, cross, lead long hook) a couple of times followed by a straight blast (remember the JKD straight blast is the most effective entry or finish weapon once the opponent gives us an opening, its also the fastest way to punch)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Relating to footwork the fastest way to advance longer distances (e.g. when pursuing an opponent or recovering form a retreat is to use a slide and step or forward shuffle) to gain shorter distances is the half step/jump with the lead leg e.g. lunging jab.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In essence for all fighting speed and mobility is the key. Cover your self, move constantly both your body around the opponent and your tools (hand and head movement) and attack. The effectiveness of an compound attack is that it will show an opening which can be exploited by the attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stopping on a failed attack or stopping to think of what next is allowing time for the opponent to react, it also opens the possibility in your mind that the opponent is going to win. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One failed attack should be immediately be succeed by another attack on another angle, then another. Like water flowing to a wall flow around it till you find a hole you can pass trough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And remember the entire human body is a target. There are no safe zone. We are no scoring points here. A hit on the arm can be effective and more achievable then a hit on the head since the arm is more exposed, especially if you can hit it with an elbow or leg. Hips, shoulders, joints, and lower body are all excellent areas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But generally there is one principle to have in mind, to miss-quote Sifu Lee :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Be like water, flexible and adaptable yet strong and violent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3064" LastActivityDate="2014-09-04T07:54:38.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4334" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-09-04T11:02:26.420" Score="6" ViewCount="1832" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a 58 yo male, 4th Dan taekwondo, training for about 17 years, flexibility not the best, but for the last 18 months, I've been really putting in the training, weights, core work, stretching etc, I use a rope and and old white belt, slung over a rafter to try to improve my front stretch and side kick stretch, is this method ok to use? Using the pulley system, I can get my leg up over head high, but when doing it at a standing start, have trouble holding it there. I also do side leg raises and core work to try to strength my side kicks. Love to hear your advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3173" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-09-04T11:57:03.607" LastActivityDate="2016-11-08T15:57:46.120" Title="Is it okay to use a pulley to stretch?" Tags="|stretching|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4335" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2370" CreationDate="2014-09-05T03:42:08.230" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Try doing this:&#xA;Every time your arms/body extend/expand, exhale. and every time your arms/body contracts, inhale.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then try this:&#xA;Every time your arms/body extend/expand, inhale.  and Every time your arms/body contracts, exhale.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both work but for different reasons.  Think about your intention.  Hope this helps.&#xA;Now go train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3174" LastActivityDate="2014-09-05T03:42:08.230" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4336" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4334" CreationDate="2014-09-05T18:02:30.827" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm no doctor and if you want medical advice on the safety of stretching with a pulley you're asking in the wrong place, but it seems to me that as long as you're not feeling burning pain from excessive stretching, and in your stretching position you have enough control to ease back on the stretch if that were to start, all's good.  Because when using a pulley you're standing in pretty much the extended kicking position, you're likely to be stretching pretty much all the muscles you really need stretched.  Still, compared to stretching on the floor, it may be harder to introduce controlled PNF-style contractions and relax in a controlled fashion into a deeper stretch, so I'd suggest some combination.  You might want to supplement the pulley stretches with other suggestions from this thread: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/93/good-exercises-for-higher-side-kicks&quot;&gt;Good exercises for higher side kicks?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for &quot;have trouble holding it there&quot; - I know that's popular with tkd stylists but personally think it's over-rated from a fighting skills perspective, though some of the ITF hyungs require it (I didn't study WTF patterns much).  A relaxed ability to reach those heights comfortably dynamically is important though, and the former only helps the latter.  Anyway,  you'll need to spend enough time in the stretched position to inhibit almost all the contraction, and also work on leg raises at increasing heights - you might want to do that with ankle weights, lifting the pulley to say 5-10 cm less than you can lift to, then lifting that extra distance for a few seconds, gradually increasing the time then eventually upping the height and repeating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for &quot;strength side kicks&quot; - if you mean kicking harder - IMHO hip rotation, technique and timing are significantly more important than muscle strength or flexibility.  A lot of getting your leg up in the air comes from the rocking motion of the hips, good knee motion, good footwork.  I made an instructional video on what I consider key fundamentals and concepts many years ago - but crappy spur of the moment thing, and depending on your TKD style (the post-WWII karate-derived style, modern WTF and ITF are all vastly different) you might well hate it, or know it all already, or even know better in general, or have something that just suits you or your sparring/fighting tactics better for whatever reasons, but for whatever it's worth: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTtyTOLqnoc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTtyTOLqnoc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Separately - for front kicks, I always found it great to sit on the kind of bench used for bench presses at the gym - just something maybe 1m+ long and 30/40cm wide, with your heel just over one end and the ball dangling relaxed rather than pulled back towards your hips (i.e. isolating the hamstring without simultaneously stretching the calf), the other leg out at 90 degrees, knee bent 90 degrees and  foot on the ground, and to reach under the bench to pull your chest down over the leg, keeping the back straight.  You get a lot of good leverage that way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-09-05T18:02:30.827" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4337" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2068" CreationDate="2014-09-05T18:25:53.527" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;during the sparring parts I find it very hard to close the gap against people who have been doing this for much longer&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Great!  That suggests your school is teaching good technique such that more training will make you hard for people outside to hit.  Don't be discouraged by that, but by all means take it as a challenge to make up the ground as quickly as you can, as well as an indication that careful observation and contemplation of what those more experienced people are doing really - combined with similar attention to the instructor and diligent practice - will help you get there too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for techniques - closing the gap is largely about recognising how your opponent might attack you, and sliding forwards in a way that cuts off all the opponent's direct lines of attack, leaving them to make slower round-about attacking movements that you'll have time to see and react to.  A good way to start perceiving and relating to this &quot;problem space&quot; is to consciously study the lines from people's elbows through their fist to the place they might want to punch.  If their fist isn't directly pointing at you with their elbow behind, they'll have to swing their forearm towards you in an arc instead of being able to drive it in a straight-line jab/cross, if they try to move from such a position into a straight-ish punch and you put your arms or hands anywhere inside that arc as you move forwards they won't be able to complete their motion and actually get their fist moving towards their intended target (e.g. your face).  Once you're comfortably able to perceive and intercept the lines they must attack along, you can apply &quot;intercepting fist&quot; concepts to deflect them &lt;em&gt;while&lt;/em&gt; punching/chopping/elbowing etc. in counterattack, as well as trap their limbs effectively.  You can accelerate your learning of these concepts by reading some JKD books and other sources, but be careful not to cement bad habits before your instructor can set you on the right path.  Some patience is required - just like nobody can age whiskey 20 years in a month.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A similar thing goes for kicks... see if you can be just &quot;outside&quot; the line they can comfortably front kick forwards to, such that they'll need to rock back a little while rotating towards you before delivering a kick - that way you're safer closing the gap, have some time to see their attack, and can either attack first or counter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And given they're more experienced, watch how you get stuck... try to do what they do to you to them and see how they stop you, then try to stop them the same way.  Experiment and don't be afraid of getting an extra knock or two along the way... it's the only way to really learn what works, build your reflexes and expand your comfort zone and competencies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, study your timing, and look to close just after they've decided to do something.  Feint a little and if they tense up do it again and slide in behind it.  Don't be afraid to throw a few techniques to keep them busy even if you don't seriously expect them to be terribly effective... experience will distill what works eventually, and having them easily block is better than them being 100% focused on hitting you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-09-05T18:25:53.527" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4338" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4329" CreationDate="2014-09-05T18:55:48.970" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a tricky one because basically 6 elbow strikes is a very strange thing to want to do anyway.  Unless you're attacking with the triceps side of the elbow - say to the temple after a grasping block with your other hand has pulled them open and towards you, or down on the collar bone - an elbow making solid contact should be driving them backwards into a punching or close kicking distance, but you say at the end of the 6 elbows you expect the defender to still be close enough to grab by the neck then knee?  Also, if they block one elbow they're very unlikely to be vulnerable to 5 more the same - far more practice to mix it up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd suggest at the very least have the attacker vary the types of elbow - some coming upwards from next to the hip towards the solar plexus or jaw - which can sometimes reach between a defenders arms, some with your arm travelling horizontally towards their chest or face - often ends up clashing directly into their raised forearms, others &quot;hooking&quot; towards the temple with the forearm side of the elbow.  They're less effective in general, but for completeness other options include a backward elbow after sliding the shoulder towards the defender and turning your back on them ever so slightly, which can itself lead into a spinning elbow if you don't think it's too slow and ineffectual to bother with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may be best to let the attacker try to create and then penetrate gaps in the defence dynamically (but not so viciously that the defender lacks time to get their pads in place before being hit), instead of picking the exact sequence of elbows to use beforehand.  Footwork should follow the needs to the hip movement needed to deliver each elbow powerfully &quot;through&quot; the target... it's a function of the distance and relative position of attacker and defender.  Remember too that an elbow can be very strong but has a very short range/depth of motion through which it's strong... if it's done ever-so-slightly too close or far away or at the wrong angle it just won't generate a usefully strong impact, so the attacker's distancing and footwork must match the defender's very carefully.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You say you're using muay thai pads and in my limited exposure their practice often ignores a lot of this... just elbow one side, elbow the other, one step forwards each time, but that's learning to strike a pad not learning to penetrate a guard position.  If you're concerned about grabbing necks, &quot;applying pressure&quot; and leading into knees then it sounds like you want something integrated more of defender-aware focus - something building sparring/fighting tactical ability, and not just a moving punching bag - hence the details in my answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-09-05T18:55:48.970" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4339" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3056" CreationDate="2014-09-06T04:48:57.177" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Something that saves me a lot of pain is to soak my hands, elbows, and balls of my feet in &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dit_da_jow&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Dit Da Jow&lt;/a&gt; for 10-15 mins after I'm done practicing my strikes against hard objects.  Dit Da Jow is also great for sparring injuries: apply generously to those as well. Hope this helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3174" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-09-07T07:19:40.413" LastActivityDate="2014-09-07T07:19:40.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4343" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3135" CreationDate="2014-09-07T21:06:29.550" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Anything you take to better yourself will help with self defense.  I train BJJ, Muay Thai, and a little wrestling and in my opinion one of the best martial arts for self defense is Krav Maga.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My reason behind this is with BJJ, Boxing, and Wrestling - these are also considered sports.  When you train, the focus is not to end the fight as quickly as possible which is what you want.  BJJ won't help (as much) if your assailant is in a bar with 5 of his buddies.  Boxing will be limited if you are short and your assailant is much taller with a longer reach.  Same goes for wrestling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't get me wrong.... ANYTHING you take will better prepare youself than doing nothing but if your main focus is SELF DEFENSE, my suggestion is Krav Maga.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wikipedia says it best:&#xA;&lt;em&gt;Krav Maga encourages students to avoid confrontation. If this is impossible or unsafe, it promotes &lt;strong&gt;finishing a fight as quickly as possible&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;strong&gt;Attacks are aimed at the most vulnerable parts of the body, and training is not limited to techniques that avoid severe injury&lt;/strong&gt;; some even permanently injure or cause death to the opponent. Drills provide maximum safety to students by the use of protective equipment and the use of reasonable force.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The focus in self defense is protect yourself and get yourself out of harms way as soon as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1528" LastActivityDate="2014-09-07T21:06:29.550" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4346" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="346" CreationDate="2014-09-09T15:29:11.550" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't use the double mouth guard unless you absolutely have to. It's slightly harder to breath with it. While you won't notice the difference in a 1 or 2 round fight, you'll definitely feel the prolonged effect of oxygen deprivation if you have to fight more than two fights on the same day. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for how often you need to remould it: anytime it feels uncomfortable. It works best when it fits properly. If you have to boil and mould it after every fight, then do it. If you only have to boil and mould once a month, then do that. I had one of those EXTRA cheap ones that tasted vaguely of mint (quite nice actually) which I had to mould on a weekly basis. It was a bit of a chore, but it did its job very well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-09-09T15:29:11.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4347" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4348" CreationDate="2014-09-09T17:54:26.543" Score="4" ViewCount="2258" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was reading through &lt;a href=&quot;http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NoseNabbing&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;the TV Tropes entry on Nose Nabbing&lt;/a&gt;. They have a few entries on grabbing the nose as an offensive maneuver. Of course, noses are good areas to provoke pain and tearing as anyone bopped in the nose knows, but it seems like it would be a slippery surface to try to grab. Striking would probably be easier, but grabbing might give one more of a chance to neutralize an attacker without permanently damaging them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Under possible practical variations, I have seen self defense drills include the idea of ramming one's fingers up into the nostrils for the combination of immediate pain and control (and probably the amusing mental image of using your opponent's head as a bowling ball), something which again seems to require more precision than one is going to get during a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2014-09-11T11:54:50.457" Title="Is grabbing or manipulating the nose potentially an effective attack?" Tags="|technique|self-defense|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4348" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4347" CreationDate="2014-09-09T19:07:04.240" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The only nose attack I would trust, assuming the opponent isn't already immobilized, is to push or pull the nose upwards (that is, towards the eyebrows). This can facilitate a throw (e.g. osotogari with a palm push under the nose, similar to how it can be done under the chin), expose the neck to a choke (e.g. driving the ridge of the hand upward from between the lip and nostrils to expose the chin for the rear naked choke), or hold someone upright (e.g. grabbing the nostrils to prevent someone from tucking into a forward roll to escape a hammerlock).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-09-09T19:07:04.240" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4349" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4347" CreationDate="2014-09-10T16:33:47.167" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The nose is basically soft tissue over cartilage. About the only effective method from the front is as Dave says, some kind of impact pushing the nose in or upwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anything else, the nose doesn't really afford a good way to grab from the front. Even shoving your fingers into the nostrils, there is no purchase point for the grab, and the instinct is to pull up and away which will cause the fingers to slide back out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are coming over the top of the head or from the rear, then you can get a different leverage and possibly control the head, but I still wouldn't rely on a &quot;nose grip&quot; for any kind of real control of an attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2014-09-10T16:33:47.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4350" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4347" CreationDate="2014-09-11T11:13:33.580" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As an offensive maneuver, it has merit. Just make sure your hands are dry and the opponent doesn't have problem skin. You'll need to exert a lot of pressure to prevent him breaking free. If you can manage to hold the grip, you can make him do just about anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mind you, while it is an effective tactic, it is also one that will infuriate your opponent to the point where he may seriously consider killing you in retaliation. So, tactically good, strategically stupid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-09-11T11:13:33.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4351" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4347" CreationDate="2014-09-11T11:54:50.457" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My Taiji teacher points out that pressing the nose downwards from above will cause the opponent to retract the chin. This can be useful in some low-violence situations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2014-09-11T11:54:50.457" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4353" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3135" CreationDate="2014-09-11T21:49:46.083" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Go to each school in your area and take a few lessons in each to find the one that you will stick with and agrees with you mentally and physically. Once you start back on that road you will mature and your goals will change.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1846" LastActivityDate="2014-09-11T21:49:46.083" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4354" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4355" CreationDate="2014-09-11T22:55:14.700" Score="16" ViewCount="66285" Body="&lt;p&gt;Where I am (Southern California), I see many gyms list Muay Thai and Kickboxing in the same line as if they are closely related or the same thing.  I even had one guy I called at a gym say, &quot;they're basically the same thing&quot;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So can some explain to a layman (me!), what is Kickboxing and what is Muay Thai and what is the difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks, &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dave&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S. Bonus question, assuming there is a difference and you have the time, I have other questions, (1) which is better workout, (2) which is harder/easier for a beginner, (3) which is more practical for self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1973" LastActivityDate="2015-06-16T01:43:57.063" Title="What is the difference between Muay Thai and Kickboxing?" Tags="|muay-thai|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4355" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4354" CreationDate="2014-09-12T00:46:57.183" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kickboxing is a generic term for fighting sports/systems that use kicking and boxing techniques, though the rules of some but not all kickboxing groups do allow additional techniques such as elbows and knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muay Thai is a sports form distilled from the traditional Thai martial arts (Muay boran).  Muay thai uses kicking, punching, elbows and knees, clinches and has some ceremonial aspects.  Techniques like hammerfists and backfists, and palm strikes, have been incorporated - not many kickboxing organisations will allow all those.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, you might say Muay Thai is one specific type of kickboxing, albeit supplemented with additional techniques.  And indeed, kickboxing has historically emerged predominantly from a mixture of Muay Thai, karate and western boxing, though later on fighters with all manner of martial arts backgrounds have competed in kickboxing and any style is inevitably influenced a bit by whatever has been proven to work well within the rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It'd be time well spent if you read through the wikipedia articles on each....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;(1) which is better workout, (2) which is harder/easier for a beginner, (3) which is more practical for self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There nothing inherent in either system that makes it a better workout, or particularly harder or easier (though learning to use and defend against elbows and knees is obviously an additional challenge).  If the specific kickboxing system being offered doesn't happen to incorporate knees and elbows, it may be less effective for self defence, but not hugely so - you'll still learn close-range body punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-09-12T00:46:57.183" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4356" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4354" CreationDate="2014-09-12T08:27:00.867" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;The main difference between Muay Thai and kickboxing is that Muay Thai allows additional techniques, e.g. elbow strikes, knee strikes and clinches. A kickboxing referee will usually break up a clinch, but in Muay Thai, he will not. Kickboxing has a minimum and maximum number of kicks you must land during a round (I think it's 8 and 15 respectively but I'm not sure), Muay Thai doesn't care.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for effectiveness, I'd say Muay Thai is slightly more effective because of the Clinch and additional strikes taught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Better workout? If you want a good workout, join a Crossfit programme or whatever else is in vogue at your closest gym. I personally feel that sport and exercise has evolved to such an extent that a martial arts instructor doesn't need to spend his time getting his students fit. They can take aerobics and conditioning classes for that. I prefer(ed) teaching technique and sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My reasoning being that if I spend 45 minutest teaching you how to fight instead of 15, I would have given you 3 times the amount of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2014-10-09T13:07:02.060" LastActivityDate="2014-10-09T13:07:02.060" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4357" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2370" CreationDate="2014-09-13T06:51:56.840" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It all depends in what your intention is. Like the classic text says inhaling gathers chi and exhaling projects chi. &#xA;Now if you' re practising you want to gather chi to yourself, so you breathe out when pushing down. In healing or in combat however you want to project your chi into something or someone else outside of your body. That's when your breathing has to change. Generating force (like in a punch) usually goes with expelling breath. Grappling is most often used to uproot your opponent but stabilizing yourself. There your breathing turns around. &#xA;But the most useful because more often used way of breathing is: in - movement to yourself and out - movement away. This is what you should be practising as you begin. (The first 50 years vor so ;-) )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3182" LastActivityDate="2014-09-13T06:51:56.840" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4358" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4295" CreationDate="2014-09-13T16:25:59.787" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Context and understanding&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're working from an art that dates back to melee weaponry, then what that weapon training does for you is open up context to a lot of the movements you've been doing empty handed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Things like footwork, angles, range, the way in which you generate force, often were built entirely around a few primary weapons, the environment in which people fought, and the kinds of battles they got into.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, I study a style of silat that's nearly all short blades - we have a lot of flanking footwork and good amount of wrist play in our movements - short blades work well for fast attacks and changing angles.   There's styles of eskrima where you keep the wrist locked - and that's because they're intending to fight with the sticks as sticks (and not stand-ins for other weapons) or machetes - and the heavier weight means you need to keep the grip more solid or lose your weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll find yourself looking at some forms you do and things will make more sense - &quot;Oh, horse stance with this form actually makes sense, if you have a spear AND you are on a horse...&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This also lets you figure out which things you're going to keep, to change, or let go, or simply adapt to your immediate needs.  It also lets you better understand movements when you see other arts - a lot of &quot;useless&quot; movements are just carry-overs from weapons and situations that no longer apply. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Learning to use weapons in general&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using unusual weapons gives you a feel for weapons in general - ranging, weight, balance, how to generate force, how to hold your grip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This becomes very useful for improvised weapons you may find or need to use in the moment - weapons 'teach' you how to use them, and in the same sense, you can get better at feeling for optimal grip points on objects, which things make better weapons, angles that will work for it, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Strength Training&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be sure, we're talking more light weight/high rep endurance training for your muscles, but it's still weight, usually applied with your arms extended, giving your shoulders and back muscles some extra training.  Done over an extended session, you get long term tendon loading which thickens tendons and helps stabilize joints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-09-13T16:25:59.787" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4359" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4368" CreationDate="2014-09-14T19:02:34.443" Score="5" ViewCount="17171" Body="&lt;p&gt;I often witness fighters in UFC survive direct blows to their nose. Punches with such extreme force can knock a person unconscious. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even soccer players are knocked unconscious if the Ball hits them on their face with force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, how do fighters (MMA, Boxers etc) survive such punches to their nose? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3090" LastActivityDate="2017-04-25T13:00:59.477" Title="A straight Punch on the nose can knock a person unconscious.How do fighters (MMA, Boxers etc) survive such repeated direct blows to their nose?" Tags="|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4360" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4359" CreationDate="2014-09-15T07:53:03.263" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is really simple. Not every impact to the head (whether jaw or nose) knocks someone unconscious. Plenty of soccer players get hit hard by the ball in the face and don't get knocked out. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're more likely to be knocked out if you're weak, if you don't see the impact coming, or if you have a history of being knocked out (that is, people can develop glass chins). Being strong and practicing good defense like head movement and punch awareness helps fighters avoid the knockout even when they're hit hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-09-15T07:53:03.263" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4361" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4359" CreationDate="2014-09-15T15:02:06.830" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;A blow to the nose is no more likely to knock you out than one to anywhere else on the face and head so I'm not sure why you've chosen the nose.&#xA;There is a much higher chance of knock out by a sideways blow to the chin or straight to base of the skull or temple.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A knock out is basically sudden trauma your brain can't deal with. A sideways blow to the chin causes a rapid and powerful shake of the head which is very likely to cause a knock out and it's why boxers are encouraged to hold their gloves to their chin.&#xA;The two other methods are soft spots in your skull and there is less bone mass ergo less power is needed to cause trauma.  It's against the rules in boxing to punch the base of the skull and the temple is generally protected by the gloves as it's a small area and force is spread over the area of the glove.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Granted enough power can cause trauma anywhere on your skull but a blow to the nose -like I said- is no more likely than anywhere else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1551" LastEditorUserId="1551" LastEditDate="2014-09-17T11:37:36.643" LastActivityDate="2014-09-17T11:37:36.643" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4362" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1250" CreationDate="2014-09-16T00:53:21.230" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Oh, MMA... grappling is the last place you want to be. Grappling is commitment to a singular engagement. In other words, grappling is a commitment to a singular opponent, when in real life, there will likely, or at least possibly, be multiple opponents. 'Mobility is effective','Commitment is failure'. Cadence is the method that will stop a grappler. They 'shoot' and you step back. In the end, everything comes down to distance. If you deny your opponent the ability of closing the 'gap', you control the engagement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3188" LastActivityDate="2014-09-16T00:53:21.230" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4364" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3079" CreationDate="2014-09-17T09:18:59.857" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Excellent answer was given above. I also would like to add that Systema is more circular and more 'compassionate'. With that I mean its more about controlling the opponent/making him think twice to attack you, and not permanently damaging him by vicious attacks. But using deep, heavy punches that will knock the wind out of someone. Also lots of joint locks, tripping etc. Systema training is also a more a sort of discovery of (personal) movements and limitations/possibilities. Krav Maga does not have that as much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3195" LastActivityDate="2014-09-17T09:18:59.857" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4365" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4295" CreationDate="2014-09-17T17:03:57.803" Score="5" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A lot of traditional martial art weapons are rather dated since the invention of the rifle/gunpowder-based weapons/warfare.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Most people don't fight on the battlefield&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Most people don't fight people armed with a gun&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;[...] weapons that generally have no practical/realistic use in modern times [...]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Many people carry umbrellas (or can carry a cane and get away with it)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There are weapons &lt;em&gt;all&lt;/em&gt; around you, from a pen to a rolled-up magazine to a belt to...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Should it be part of a martial arts curriculum?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's an opinion question, and depends entirely on the school, its goals, and its students' goals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, it should. If you don't train with weapons you probably won't see them even if they're right in front of you. I'd rather fight a person with a banana in my hand than nothing at all; if nothing else it's going towards his/her eyes as preparation for something horrible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more you know the more options you have, across the board.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Addendum&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on the system, many weapons techniques have a direct correlation to empty-hand techniques, building further muscle memory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastEditorUserId="13" LastEditDate="2016-06-07T14:23:22.503" LastActivityDate="2016-06-07T14:23:22.503" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4366" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4295" CreationDate="2014-09-18T02:43:44.897" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm mainly interested in unarmed combat, but still highly value practice with weapons.  Firstly, defending unarmed against a weapon forces you to do things you might not bother trying if the opponent wasn't armed that will never-the-less engender heightened reactions and awareness; honed reading of your opponent's posture, inertia/momentum, awareness and potential movements; improved mobility, distancing and trapping skills, speed, footwork... so many things that help you in actual fights &lt;em&gt;with or without&lt;/em&gt; weapons.  Secondly, only by studying the weapon can you know if your opponent's using it skillfully and what other vulnerabilities you might have that they're not exploiting, and of course if you want to give them a chance to defend you need to know how to attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you defend unarmed against a weapon, it can necessitate different defensive actions.  For example, you might be used to defending against any sideways low attacks by raising a shin, but if there's an incoming blade you've &lt;em&gt;got&lt;/em&gt; to move.  Against a sword you'll want to focus on moving in the instant that the attacker commits to their attack, sliding out of the arc of the blade,  closing quickly enough to &quot;trap&quot; preventing the strike reaching you, or retreating just beyond range for a moment then closing the gap to strike.  Your awareness, anticipation and reactions, timing, lack of telegraphing, footwork, balance etc. must all be superb to pull it off consistently.  Having such a high bar and focused exercise as defence against a sword provides excellent feedback for improving your skills in those areas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly, defending against a knife introduces new challenges - for example, you might not be able to outer-forearm block the hand holding the knife in your habitual manner as the attacker can pull back and cut across your blocking arm.  You might not have realised that you tend to ignore hand attacks to the stomach as an anticipated punch there doesn't hurt you anyway, but with the knife you have to block and/or move.  Defending against the knife encourages you to learn skills like blending/harmonising your blocks to the movement the attacker's arm, &quot;sensitivity&quot; in the wing-chun / tai-chi sense, then that ability leads into practical joint locking and destabilising techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-09-18T02:43:44.897" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4367" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4369" CreationDate="2014-09-18T03:42:33.820" Score="7" ViewCount="390" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just spent about 45 minutes sweeping up accumulated leaves and debris from the sidewalks and gutters around my house. This gives me plenty of time to think, and so I often wonder: Is there a martial arts drill or routine I could be practicing right now, and sweeping my sidewalk at the same time?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sweeping with a &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YK5Iw.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;push broom&lt;/a&gt; involves a fair amount of motion, including but not limited to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Full extension of the arms, closed stance (liquids, large debris)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Short extension of the arms, closed or open stance (dust, small debris)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bending/stooping&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Footwork&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd be particularly interested in learning about a traditional or contemporary form or drill specifically designed for practice with push brooms. There's an awful lot of inventive choreography in the entertainment industry using household items (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3NVenA2E1o&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;umbrellas&lt;/a&gt; are &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4oul88JUx4&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;popular&lt;/a&gt;), but &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ7aYQtIldg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this classic Stomp routine&lt;/a&gt; is the only bit I know of that specifically uses push brooms (and it's a musical ensemble number, not a martial arts routine).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, any routine that focuses on the types of motions outlined above that could be adapted for practical use with the broom would be acceptable. It does &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; have to specifically be a weapon drill. It could be a long form, a single technique or anything in between. The only specifications are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I should be able to &lt;strong&gt;actually sweep the sidewalk&lt;/strong&gt;. (Certain types of movement simply aren't practical for this purpose; e.g., slashes, blocks and parries, strikes at or above the knee.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The goal here is recreation/fitness, not self-defense. I'm looking for something low-impact that supports good posture. Vertical movement is fine but because this is going to be an extended, repetitive activity, bending from the waist might be something to avoid.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Off-balance stances will probably be less effective for sweeping (but if they're really fun, it might be worth taking a bit longer to do the job!).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3196" LastActivityDate="2014-09-18T13:24:01.193" Title="What drill or form can I practice with a push broom while sweeping the sidewalk?" Tags="|exercise|forms|training|drills|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4368" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4359" CreationDate="2014-09-18T09:30:04.887" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;As others have said, a knockout is typically not the result of a blow to the nose, but to the chin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The brain is basically a loose spongy thing trapped inside your skull. When you receive a hard blow to the head, the brain will hit the inside of your skull – much like when you shake a nut, and you can hear it rattles against the shell. This will temporarilly shut down the brain, causing a trauma otherwise known as a &quot;knockout&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you hit the front of the face, the head is moving rapidly in one direction. When you hit the jaw from an angle, the head is not only moving backwards, but it also rotates, thus making the brain more likely to bounce against the inside of your skull harder or more times – thus making the trauma more likely or severe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To answer your question, there are several ways a fighter can prevent this. The most predominant precaution, is to &lt;strong&gt;train the neck muscles&lt;/strong&gt;. The stronger the neck, the harder blows you can sustain. Fighters will also warm up the neck muscles before a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, it is all about &lt;strong&gt;practicing for head blows&lt;/strong&gt;, getting hit a few times in a controlled environment, and know how to handle it. If you are constantly sparring or doing drills with head blows, you are more likely to react. Ideally you would block, parry or evade, but the last method of defense is to &quot;brace for impact&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tuck your chin down&lt;/strong&gt;. Assuming you keep your guard up and close, this makes it easier to protect the vulnerable chin and nose. A strike to the top of your skull will probably not harm you (much). It also means that the top of the spine (neck bones?) will absorb the blow better, since it will be hit at an angle, and your head is less likely to move back (I hope this makes sense).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tense your jaw&lt;/strong&gt;. Your jaw is vulnerable – lots of small bones, and not very strong muscles to support a blow. By biting down, your jaw will not be able to move independently of the rest of your head, so will hopefully not be dislocated or broken.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tense your neck&lt;/strong&gt;. This is a crucial step. It makes sure your head is not moving too rapidly, thus rattling your sponge.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, a well placed kick or strike to the tip of the jaw is baically like hitting an off-switch. It doesn't even have to be very powerful, it just requires a light tap. I've been on the delivering end of it a few times, and I am always surprised as to how little is actually nescesarry for a knockout. Ironically, it has never been my intention to knock people out with the technique, it has always been intended as a setup for the &lt;strong&gt;REAL&lt;/strong&gt; knockout technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Likely effects of a hit to the nose&lt;/strong&gt;, is a broken nose. the nose is basically cartilage (not bones), so it's fairly easy to crush. It will bleed profusely, and in some cases you will not be able to continue the fight, if they cannot stop or control the bleeding. You might suffer cosmetic injuries, but for the most part a broken nose is an easy fix.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Likely effect of a good hit on the chin&lt;/strong&gt;, is immediate knockout. If the brain trauma is severe, you might suffer from light or severe memory loss. The jaw might dislocate or break, and you might loose some teeth in the process (even if using a mouth guard). Cosmetic injuries might happen, and you might need surgery which may or may not be invasive, and may or may not have a long term effect. Some organizations may bar you from sparring or fighting for a temporary period.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fortunatelly, at most tournaments where full contact techniques to the face is allowed, the fighters are also well prepared with years of practice. They know how to prevent getting hit, and they probably already have several fights under their belt under a bit softer ruleset. They know the risk – and often have to sign documents that states exactly this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="30" LastActivityDate="2014-09-18T09:30:04.887" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4369" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4367" CreationDate="2014-09-18T13:24:01.193" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Try these footwork patterns:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stepping forward in a low bow/front stance as you push the broom, alternating legs.  It will be a challenge to actually effect the sweeping while doing this.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fighting stance: step back foot together with front foot, step front foot out to fighting stance. Do right foot forward going one way, left foot forward coming back.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fighting stance: step lead foot forward, drag back foot into fighting stance.  Do right foot forward going one way, left foot forward coming back.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fighting stance: imagine a diagonal zig-zag pattern. Step left foot out 45 degrees to the left, bring feet together, step out 45 degrees to the right.  Repeat on the opposite side.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm assuming you have some MA experience and so my descriptions are brief.  If you need any clarification, say so in the comments and I'll change my answer. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-09-18T13:24:01.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4370" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4269" CreationDate="2014-09-19T14:35:00.450" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Fighting multiple attackers is always bad, so I need to point a few things out. First of all, in a real world fight, u are going to have a lot of people coming at you at once, so u need to train in how to throw strikes so that the strikes (punches, kicks etc) have the maximum effect on the maximum amount of people. Otherwise, you will get your butt kicked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3198" LastActivityDate="2014-09-19T14:35:00.450" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4371" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4214" CreationDate="2014-09-20T19:45:28.000" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my old Aikido club we used to have people make a circle with their arms as if they were wrapping them around an exercise ball with the palms facing away. If you want to roll over right shoulder, you'd make the circle with your right elbow pointing up and right-hand fingers pointing down. If you want to roll over your left should, you'd make a circle with your left elbow pointing up and left-hand fingers pointing down. Remember that the palms should be turned away from you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Begin training slowly by adopting the arm circle position and bending forward until your palms touch the ground. Once on the ground, the hand of the shoulder you want to roll over should have fingers pointing behind you. Tuck your head to the opposite side, away from the leading shoulder, as you roll. Contact with the ground should travel diagonally across your back as you roll, beginning with your leading shoulder. As you come out of the roll your feet should be turned sideways a bit so that you don't slam down on your heels.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After practicing this two-arm roll for a while you can begin rolling using just one arm, the arm of the leading shoulder, which as you initiate the roll should have elbow up, palm pointing away and fingers pointing down. But using two arms allows you to come in a steeper angle without collapsing the arms, and is a bit safer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3199" LastActivityDate="2014-09-20T19:45:28.000" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4372" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3135" CreationDate="2014-09-21T20:16:57.523" Score="-6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was taught Kung-Fu by my brother at the age of 10-16, he had no one else to practice with, needless to say I did not have a choice but to, in doing so, it totally changed my life. He was taught by Master Lu of Salt Lake City, Utah, he by the way still practices today, he's approximately 88 plus yrs. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I found in Kung-Fu was a whole new way of life, it led me to become a Buddhist, on which most of the the fundamentals of Kung-Fu are based upon. There are many different styles of Kung-Fu, I practice Wing Chun; you may know this style from Bruce Lee, Jet Li and Jackie Chan. It's a offensive style of fighting. In Layman's terms, you allow your opponent to use his force against him, which brings me to Tai Chi. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kung-Fu and Tai-Chi go hand and hand, the only way to become a well taught student in the art you must be able to control your mind, Tai Chi and Buddhism are the corner stone for learning Kung-Fu, A Buddhist monk uses only a staff for a weapon, why? It is the least threatening weapon. It teaches you that we fight with our minds not weapons, and by using your mind you open up endless possibilities. Tai Chi teaches you how to become one with your mind and body--Yin-Yang a perfect balance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can tell you from my experience from learning the art, you never forget the steps you are taught, even if you don't practice it for some time.  I was nearly raped when the skills I had been taught many years earlier saved my life.  I had the man down by his pinky finger in less than a heart beat.  He was begging me to let go!  Explore your options, but know such styles of fighting like Jiu-jitsu, Karate or even wrestling, teach violence, remember cooler heads prevail! &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;amp;rct=j&amp;amp;q=&amp;amp;esrc=s&amp;amp;source=web&amp;amp;cd=10&amp;amp;cad=rja&amp;amp;uact=8&amp;amp;ved=0CIMBELcCMAk&amp;amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DwC1PqDb32AU&amp;amp;ei=xC8fVNC6E4icygSYh4GICQ&amp;amp;usg=AFQjCNEcqRMTX039scizmBwdi8d8UQHVSA&amp;amp;sig2=6H9fPZJOur2cdMFn4vS8aw&amp;amp;bvm=bv.75775273,d.aWw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Wing Chun&lt;/a&gt;           &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3201" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-09-26T12:27:06.473" LastActivityDate="2014-09-26T12:27:06.473" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4375" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1676" CreationDate="2014-09-28T00:30:05.147" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, it is possible to become an expert in different martial arts.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first thing to realize is that all martial arts are, are different ways of moving your body.  Some martial arts have overlap in their methodologies - and where that happens, it's easy to learn these arts and become good at them without too much extra effort - the baseline skills and ability for one, is also very solid for the other. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second thing is that not all skills require the same amount of maintenance.  You can get on a bike after not biking for years, and you can ride fairly competently, and the only thing you may have lost is your endurance.   In that regard, you may have skills for some arts that aren't hard to keep up, even though you haven't used them much.  (I just spent last year bedridden receiving chemotherapy, this year, once I got my general sense of balance back, my coordination to my silat style came back almost instantly.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, all that said, some things are just going to be easier for you to learn and hold onto - that may have to do with what &quot;clicks&quot; for you, and some of that may have to do with your body mechanics and proportions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oftentimes I find people who are good at multiple martial arts are good at specific ones because it clicks just so, and you put them into an art that is very different in methodology and they might have a hard time getting it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So - yes you can learn many arts, some you will be quite proficient in without too much difference in them, and some you will find hard to learn or maintain.  It really depends on luck of the draw and your own training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-09-28T00:30:05.147" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4376" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1277" CreationDate="2014-09-29T12:56:13.140" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have studied Krav Maga for a few years and yes, there are &quot;differences&quot; between civilian and military Krav Maga. The civilian techniques focus on self defense while the military techniques focus more on killing other people. The techniques are not more advanced or more &quot;higher-end&quot; or anything like that. There are only more of them with a different focus. Military Krav Maga also has techniques meant to be used with an automatic rifle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should you train military Krav Maga? If you're a soldier who need to kill fellow humans, yes. Otherwise, the civilian techniques are more than sufficient to protect yourself and others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3214" LastActivityDate="2014-09-29T12:56:13.140" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4377" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="625" CreationDate="2014-09-29T17:41:49.107" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Welcome to the scary world of real human anatomy.  What you read in an anatomy book is the average location of things - but actual people can have significant variation in specific location.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, the sciatic nerve can run over, under, or through the piriformis muscle - it all depends on how your body randomly grows.  Likewise, you can have variations in your hip socket angle, which means some people will only be able to have a certain range of motion, regardless of how much they stretch - stretching muscle doesn't matter when your own bone is the barrier.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, nerves might be deeper, off to the side a bit, if there's been an injury or surgery, these might have been pushed aside and healed to that new location, etc.  A person might have more muscle, fat, or scar tissue blocking the usual path to pressure on the nerve.  A few people have a couple of small extra muscles in a variety of places.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that's before we get to the point of &quot;pain is a brain response&quot; and brains are all wired differently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, pain based pressure points are a gamble in terms of effect. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-09-29T17:41:49.107" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4378" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1573" CreationDate="2014-09-29T17:53:24.683" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's one series I've been following - it's a Chinese series called Kung Fu Quest.  You can find a few seasons on Youtube with English subtitles.  Season 1 is more cheesy, after that it becomes quite good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The show has a rotating group of hosts - they usually pick 2-3 guys to study a particular art for few weeks or months - a decent amount of time to get something out of it.  The hosts are knowledgeable - they'll usually pick one person who is more familiar, and one person who is less.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each episode covers usually 3-4 schools/instructors, goes over in detail a bit of the history and the camera tends to stay more on the instructor or their head students - a lot of the US based shows tend to stick to the hosts who... don't move as well since they don't know the style really.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The focus tends to be on learning more than some hyped up &quot;match to win&quot; at the end, like Fight Quest does.  This also means after they spar or move around, the hosts actually spend some time analyzing what the person did that was particularly good and how it worked with a particular style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, this is not going to &quot;teach&quot; you the style, but it's way more informative than most of these shows out there.  You get to hear from several teachers/high level students, you get some nice cross comparison of the styles, and history of them, along with footage mostly of the people who know it well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-09-29T17:53:24.683" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4379" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4380" CreationDate="2014-09-29T20:41:30.137" Score="7" ViewCount="2399" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have never practiced any form of martial arts nor do I have any knowledge of the different forms of martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm considering joining a mixed martial arts gym, however I wonder about what are the pros and cons of practicing mixed martial arts versus practicing one specific form of martial arts? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;What I want to achieve&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Improve general fitness.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Attain skills for self defense.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;At the very least be in shape to be competitive at an entry-level type competition.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3215" LastEditorUserId="3215" LastEditDate="2014-09-30T21:25:52.370" LastActivityDate="2017-11-07T21:24:01.233" Title="Practicing Mixed Martial Arts Versus Practicing One Specific Form of Martial Arts" Tags="|training|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4380" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4379" CreationDate="2014-09-29T21:17:24.213" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;When you train MMA you train each specific art that the gym offers: Brazilian jiujitsu (or, rarely, other forms of grappling), wrestling, some form of striking (usually muay Thai or MMA striking). You generally still train each constituent art separately at least some of the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The concern is that training several arts at once will slow your advancement with each one. The benefit to balance that out is that your training in each will be focused on actual fighting, rather than the specific aims of each art. That means less fooling around with gi-specific work, low-percentage techniques, and avoidant tactics like dirty fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-09-29T21:17:24.213" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4381" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4379" CreationDate="2014-09-29T21:50:36.660" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The one thing I would add to Dave's answer is that a MMA gym will tend to focus on practical a lot - and they will tend to emphasize the &lt;em&gt;bigger stronger faster&lt;/em&gt; mantra. This is great if you are big or strong to begin with, but not so good if you don't fit those categories - in fact for a newbie it can be downright dangerous (you'll get hurt a few times), and it's certainly off putting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't get me wrong - you need to experience some pain at some stage, and you run the risk of injury in any art. But you should avoid this right at the start if you can - you should aim to have a lifelong association with the arts (you could end up practicing several), but the chances of this happening are slim if you encounter aggression from the get-go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2014-09-29T21:50:36.660" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4382" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1560" CreationDate="2014-09-29T22:33:32.310" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;7 stars step is a partner work method used to train distance, timing, and evasion within the Wu/Yang lineage of Cheng Tin Hung (Hong Kong Tai chi Master who taught Dan Docherty). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;7 Stars also refers to a guard posture within the style and to a number of martial methods used by the style.  On top of Wudang mountain there is a 7 stars bell.  There is more to it, but that's a little to be going on with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3216" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-09-30T11:33:18.550" LastActivityDate="2014-09-30T11:33:18.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4383" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4379" CreationDate="2014-09-30T00:25:01.073" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;MMA training will give you a solid set of conditioning, live drills/sparring, both with striking and grappling.  There's a wealth of video and book references you can draw upon and you'll likely have lots of people to train with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Singular martial arts really depends on the art and the school.  Any of the above that applies to an MMA school may, or may not apply to a given martial art, depending on the style and school, though typically you're going to have less people to train with, and if the art is rare, less people and resources to work with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, one concern I've seen with a lot of MMA schools is you have to be careful about their injury rates.  Some schools like to get people into doing certain techniques before they've gotten sufficient control, and the last thing you really want is to have someone destroy your knee ligaments because they were playing around.   Definitely check in with the school, talk to students and ask about what injuries they're facing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(This is not to say there isn't bad traditional martial art schools with high injury rates either, just that MMA's popularity as a competitive sport often brings in people more enthusiastic than patient... and it leads to a common thing I've seen.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-09-30T00:25:01.073" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4384" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4379" CreationDate="2014-09-30T06:30:11.443" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The other answers are all good, but there is one thing missing from the equation here; what is the goal with your training? Do you want to become more fit? Do you want to compete? Do you want to learn how to handle yourself in a dangerous situation?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;I want to become more fit&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's only the physical training you want it doesn't really matter if you're training mixed or focused. Find a dojo/gym that does a lot of physical stuff and that you enjoy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;I want to compete in the ring&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally speaking, a mixed style will benefit you more than a focused. It gives you a wider range of options and makes you more versatile. On the other hand, a focused style can be just as fun to compete in if you like that particular style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;I want to be able to defend myself&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some good complete self defense systems out there and I would say to go for one of them. Is a martial artist or MMA-fighter able to defend hirself? Yes, but there are drawbacks. Self defense systems focus on what is efficient while martial arts and MMA forbid much of the really useful stuff due to safety reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion, for self defense I would really recommend a non-competitional self defense style, but for fitness or competition it's mostly a matter of preference. Trying out different styles is always helpful though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3214" LastActivityDate="2014-09-30T06:30:11.443" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4385" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4386" CreationDate="2014-09-30T18:49:27.850" Score="3" ViewCount="855" Body="&lt;p&gt;That's the thing, I was wondering if reading a book from Masaaki Hatsumi called &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1568364997&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Stick Fighting: Techniques of Self-Defense&lt;/a&gt; could help me learn at least the basics and perfect that knowledge as far as I can with a book. I have a Judo and Jujitsu background (I'm 5th kyu in both since 3 years).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It would be possible?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1932" LastActivityDate="2015-05-09T07:26:11.507" Title="I want to learn bo jutsu, there is no bo jutsu dojo within 300KM where I can get in" Tags="|books|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4386" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4385" CreationDate="2014-09-30T20:08:15.060" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you had some training in classical jujitsu, then Hatsumi's book will work out just fine for you. He takes the hanbo / jo staff (3 or 4 foot staff) techniques entirely from the classical jujitsu arts that are contained under the umbrella of Bujinkan. You'll find a lot of overlap and similarity with what you already know from jujitsu regarding the footwork, the leverage, the principles, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even the judo you learned will work well with the techniques shown in the book. He'll often take a familiar throw, for example &quot;o-goshi nage&quot;, and then combines it with the use of the stick to apply leverage during the throw. Instead of grabbing onto the opponent's gi or belt, you wrap your arms around his body and grab a hold of your stick, pulling the stick inwards to cause pain and to gain leverage at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are enough examples in the book for you to begin to think about how you could use the principles in other techniques you've learned. It adds a whole new dimension to everything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll need a partner, and you'll need to play around a lot. When you get more serious about it, consider going to a Bujinkan workshop.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I just caution you that this form of &quot;stick&quot; fighting is completely different from escrima / arnis / kali. The stick used in escrima will be much smaller and lighter than the kind used in Hatsumi's book. And most of the applications shown in the book will not be stick vs. stick like you get with escrima training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, this is not bo-jutsu. A &quot;bo&quot; is a much longer, 5 to 6 foot staff. Hatsumi's &quot;stick&quot; is a 3 foot staff (hanbo) primarily. Although, you could take it and use it with small sticks such as a kubotan keychain, escrima sized sticks, and up to jo (4 foot) staff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-09-30T20:08:15.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4387" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="625" CreationDate="2014-10-01T07:05:18.910" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Because pressure points are BS. Which is why &quot;pressure point techniques&quot; only seem to work in the Dojo or at demonstrations. In the real world, adrenalin will cancel out any effect you may expect from striking a pressure point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For your own safety, aim for things like the floating ribs, the solar plexus, the nose and the chin. If you try performing a five-point-palm-exploding-heart technique on someone in a real fight, you'll get laughed at before your opponent hands you your butt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2017-05-09T15:21:37.890" LastActivityDate="2017-05-09T15:21:37.890" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4388" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1560" CreationDate="2014-10-01T16:10:34.157" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Chinese martial arts are generally known for assigning &lt;em&gt;flowery names&lt;/em&gt; to it's various postures, techniques and excercises. While quite often the names are similar across styles and lineages, their actual meaning is subject to the particular style, lineage or school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/Chinese_Customs/taoism.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this web site&lt;/a&gt; (I could not find more authoritative web reference at the moment):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The seven brightest stars of the constellation are Ursa Major, the Great Bear, also called the Big Dipper.&#xA;  In Eastern Asia, these stars compose the Northern Dipper. They are colloquially named &quot;The Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper&quot; (Chinese: 北斗七星; pinyin: běidǒu qīxīng). &#xA;  Taoist believe that this star constellation is the seat of the celestial bureaucracy of the gods.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially, &lt;em&gt;Seven Stars&lt;/em&gt; is a term that has it's root in Chinese Taoist symbolism. In martial arts context, this can mean almost anything and it usually varies from lineage to lineage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is very well illustrated by the variety of interpretations of the term &lt;em&gt;Seven stars&lt;/em&gt; in the answers given to this question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion. If you want to know, what &lt;em&gt;Seven stars&lt;/em&gt; refers to in a particular martial art, you must ask the practitioner of that art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastActivityDate="2014-10-01T16:10:34.157" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4389" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1575" CreationDate="2014-10-01T19:38:32.963" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best thing to do is relax and enjoy your journey, don't time yourself, trust your instructor be a good student and learn your stuff and the rest will follow&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3221" LastActivityDate="2014-10-01T19:38:32.963" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4390" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1404" CreationDate="2014-10-02T04:56:55.873" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Touching the spine when the sword is raised is basic kihon waza. It insures alignment and helps practice the full arc and art of kokyu. We were always encouraged to do so to feel the effortless swing and affects of gravity that is halted by the lower body, not entirely by the arms. It is basic form. For true swordsmanship one would not strike this way as one would lose too much time and require more effort  than necessary to deliver the strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3222" LastActivityDate="2014-10-02T04:56:55.873" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4393" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-10-03T03:33:07.723" Score="9" ViewCount="1798" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a beginner to Muay Thai who was previously doing boxing (no kicks). I love it except one thing. I am having a terrible time learning to hold Thai pads. I get a sharp jarring pain in my wrists with every kick (even light ones) and sometimes even with a strong hook. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, I can hold focus mitts no problem, including for pretty powerful hitters. But somehow the Thai pads feel laterally unstable on impact in a way that focus mitts don't. The first few times I held Thai pads, I toughed it out thinking I'd learn, but I haven't, and my wrists are starting to get chronically sore in a &quot;Danger! Injury ahead!&quot; kind of way. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do wrap my hands, and I know to rebound the kicking impact downward. My instructor says my form looks OK. What else might I be doing wrong? Is this a common beginner problem?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Edit: More Info&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hold the pads parallel to each other, almost touching, with a thumbless grip. My elbows are against my obliques. My knees are slightly bent. The pads are a little above horizontal to the ground. The kicks are roundhouses, and the pads and positioning are much like in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vICrwtnmM6w#t=36&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For hooks (also sometimes a problem), I hold the pad parallel to the ground with my elbow away from my body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3227" LastEditorUserId="3227" LastEditDate="2014-10-06T03:23:13.263" LastActivityDate="2014-10-06T03:23:13.263" Title="Holding Thai pads safely" Tags="|muay-thai|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4394" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4393" CreationDate="2014-10-04T17:24:17.690" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is a Video about holding Thai Pads:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53FIPt6z9CQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53FIPt6z9CQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe you can find something useful there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastActivityDate="2014-10-04T17:24:17.690" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4395" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4396" CreationDate="2014-10-05T17:20:55.180" Score="6" ViewCount="1770" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been thinking about learning some martial arts for self defense. I'm a thin guy, which worries me a little bit whenever I'm alone late in the night - I'm an easy target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that there's always a risk of injury. However I am a pianist and also a software developer - thus I want to minimize the potential of finger injuries (or the hands).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What kind of martial arts should I learn? Are there any specific moves, or weapons, that I should avoid, without invalidating the purpose of learning? I'm not interested in competing, but only to defense myself in an average fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3233" LastActivityDate="2019-08-30T14:05:14.377" Title="Which martial art would minimize hand injury?" Tags="|self-defense|injury|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4396" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4395" CreationDate="2014-10-05T17:49:13.083" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, context.  Unless you live in a place where a lot of random fistfights/assaults happen, you're mostly only going to be targeted for a mugging - which is primarily someone wanting to get your belongings - not someone trying to waste time beating or hurting you out the blue.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, if they are trying to hurt you, while your &quot;hands are your livelihood&quot; the fact is someone trying to hurt you bad enough you need to fight back means you've got things like your life, or perhaps brain damage or hospitalization on the line, all things which will affect your livelihood just as much as a broken bone in the hand would.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that said, there's many martial arts and self defense courses that focus on palm strikes and forearm blows instead of fists - and that is because even well trained boxers fracture their hands often enough in street fights - so already a lot of people are concerned with protecting their hands in a situation.  Based on your question, I'd probably check out one of the many self defense/combative courses in your area and ask the instructors what they feel about fists vs. palm strikes and let them tell you and you can pick from there.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course there are many arts with strong kicks and grappling, or even using weapons, but there's nothing that guarantees absolute hand protection - the main thing you're going to want to avoid is the styles with &quot;hand toughening&quot; which often involves striking hard surfaces repeatedly.  While this is great for strengthening the bones over long periods of time, it also tends to create calcium deposits in joints years later, which, is not what you want as a career pianist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-10-05T17:49:13.083" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4397" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-10-05T21:53:03.470" Score="5" ViewCount="1404" Body="&lt;p&gt;In fight scenes, the fighter usually defeats a swarm of opponents without getting hit or tired. The movie Old Boy didn't have that and in my opinion, was the most realistic fight scene ever. My question is how realistic was it to defeat multiple opponents in the movie.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1453" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-12-15T01:51:01.910" LastActivityDate="2018-12-15T01:51:01.910" Title="how realistic is the martial arts portrayed in the movie Old Boy?" Tags="|multiple-attackers|entertainment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4398" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1575" CreationDate="2014-10-06T13:36:50.247" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;3 months for every belt below Blue/Red and 6 months per Gup from Blue/Red tip on up to Red/Black tip. I can't recall if I waited 6 months or 1 year for 1st dan grading, but at any rate, in the organisation I was affiliated to, i.e. the TAGB, you'll wait two years for 2nd Dan, 3 for 3rd, 4 for 4th and 5 for 5th. After that, it becomes more discretionary and 9th and 10th Dans are more Honorary in nature, or to put it differently: a 9th or 10th Dan is like an Honorary doctorate for your contribution to the art and doesn't require you to sweat in front of a panel of graders.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And now you know more than you asked for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-10-06T13:36:50.247" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4399" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1575" CreationDate="2014-10-07T00:10:23.150" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It took me four years to get my black belt. But that was with summer camps (9 hours a day, four days a week, four weeks). At a normal pace, with 2-3 months between each test, you can expect anywhere from four to five years. I think that's not enough. My school grants people their black belt too early. Granted I was at a very accelerated rate, but I prefer 6 years for black belt. That's just my opinion though. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for your yellow belt, the ranking system isn't very universal, so its kinda just going to be up to you to do that math. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Black belt shouldn't be a finish line, but the beginning of your taekwondo career. I've seen too many people drop out once they hit black belt. For me, it was that I have a new responsibility. I teach 8 hours a week at my gym, and I don't get paid a dime.  I'm just fine with that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Black belt is also the beginning of something new. Its like your in a club, a group of elite.  It means tournaments are going to get a lot harder. It means your going to get your butt kicked training. My favorite part, is that it means I get to train with the best of the best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1655" LastActivityDate="2014-10-07T00:10:23.150" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4400" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-10-07T16:23:35.457" Score="1" ViewCount="37024" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boxing vs karate for self-defense , Which suits well for self defence in real life situation ( such as blocked by a robber in night at empty street).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3238" LastActivityDate="2014-11-17T02:40:16.710" Title="Boxing vs karate for self-defense?" Tags="|karate|boxing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="5" ClosedDate="2015-01-23T06:57:03.553" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4401" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4397" CreationDate="2014-10-07T17:48:08.207" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;That it could happen &lt;a href=&quot;http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/OneManArmy/RealLife&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;is plausible&lt;/a&gt; as seen by the existence of real-life examples of one person defeating a mob. In general, this becomes less common without armor or weapons because all it takes is one lucky hit to create enough of an opening for others to swarm and pigpile you. Oh Dae-su has the benefit of a weapon. Weapons draw attention and make each individual a little more afraid to attack. He's also more than a little bit crazy, and each individual is likely to take that into account when they consider whether they, individually, will escape confronting him with life and limb intact, plus he's likely not feeling any pain until later. Add to that that the thugs probably are not trained fighters and are used to beating people up who don't fight back. Take all of this together, and you get a plausible situation for one man to survive the fight, albeit far from unscathed. If a handful of them had rushed him and pinned him down where he couldn't get leverage, they would have defeated him, but they were all seeking to minimize their individual risk and therefore they were defeated as a whole.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2014-10-07T17:48:08.207" CommentCount="14" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4402" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4400" CreationDate="2014-10-07T19:01:34.427" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Karate&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pros&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;More techniques = more options&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Actually addresses self-defense as a concern.  May contain scenarios specifically geared toward self defense situations.  Depends on school.  Ask.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cons&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;More techniques = less time spent training each technique.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tends to emphasize fitness less than boxing.  This varies from school to school.  Ask/Observe a class.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Boxing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pros&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;More time spent developing the few techniques you will use (basic punches: jab, cross, hook, uppercut).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Emphasizes fitness.  Fitness is important in many situations, including self-defense.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Trains more often than karate in a semi-live situation.  In this context, semi-live means that two contestants are actively trying to hurt one another.  This does not approximate a self-defense situation, but does teach combat awareness.  You will learn to take and give hits, and not freeze when confronted with physical violence.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cons&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fewer techniques than Karate.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Analysis&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Need more data.  Does the Karate dojo emphasize fitness? They tend not to, but there are exceptions.  Fitness is usually far more emphasized in boxing, and is an important part of self defense.  Does the Karate dojo emphasize semi- to full-contact sparring?  If so, another check in its favor, since this is something boxing does early and often.  If it both emphasizes fitness and sparring, choose the Karate dojo for its more varied techniques.  Understand that one technique practiced to the point of failure is more valuable than many techniques that are practiced half-heartedly.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A word on sparring.  I have included it as a criteria for the combat awareness that it trains, but understand that sparring, whether boxing or in karate, &lt;em&gt;is not fighting&lt;/em&gt;.  It is impossible for a boxing school or a karate dojo to practice fighting, since fighting means actively trying to injure (not just cause pain) each other.  In sparring, for example, you will feint, throw combinations, back off.  That is not the way self-defense scenarios are fought.  In self-defense scenarios, you may face multiple, possibly armed attackers, and the arena will not be cushioned or padded for your safety.  It will be best if high-stress self-defense scenarios are engaged in.  You &lt;em&gt;may&lt;/em&gt; find these in a karate dojo.  You won't find them in a boxing school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, you &lt;em&gt;could&lt;/em&gt; do both.  They cross-train very well with one another.  At the very least, &lt;em&gt;try&lt;/em&gt; both.  One thing I find is that martial artists are often trounced by well-trained boxers because martial artists do not tend to train as hard as boxers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-10-07T19:01:34.427" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4403" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4430" CreationDate="2014-10-08T09:50:54.030" Score="10" ViewCount="9220" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am looking to purchase some mats so that we can do some casual rolling but I'm not really sure what to look for, any advice would be greatly appreciated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;What size mats (as in area) would we need to do some rolling starting from our knees? And what size would we need if we were wanting to practice takedowns/throws?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;What material is viable?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;How thick should the mat be?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3239" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-07-08T03:08:08.510" LastActivityDate="2016-07-08T03:08:08.510" Title="Brazilian Jiu Jitsu mat size and material for casual 1v1?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|equipment|safety|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4404" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4405" CreationDate="2014-10-08T15:38:20.187" Score="4" ViewCount="37370" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just started boxing.  I've been 3 times so far.  Great workout!  The last time I went was Monday and there is a practice today (Wednesday).  So 2 days.  I find today that I'm sore.  Specifically sore in the rib area (sides and front).  Or above the stomach if you prefer.  Not sure of the name but looks like internal and external obliques from a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Detailed+Labeled+Muscles+Human+Body&amp;amp;Form=IQFRDR#view=detail&amp;amp;id=6C09E2BE697719FF8256DD2BE64AA760E32F99C1&amp;amp;selectedIndex=2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;diagram I saw&lt;/a&gt; and perhaps latimus dorsi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My specific questions are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Is it normal to get sore here given that I was not hit here?  The practice consisted of lots of punching (air, bags, training mitts), sit-ups, but no sparing.  Also, curiously (to me), I did not feel particularly sore Monday night after practice, but rather Tuesday night and now (Wednesday morning).  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Should I go to boxing practice today even though I'm sore?  The fun part of my brain says &quot;go for it&quot;, the intelligent part (what little there is) says &quot;better hold off for a few days&quot;. Practice is tonight at 6 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;(Bonus question) Anything to do to prevent and/or help with soreness in these areas?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks,&#xA;Dave&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1973" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-04-12T01:41:38.307" LastActivityDate="2017-12-14T14:20:07.147" Title="Should I go to boxing practice while still sore? Is it normal soreness?" Tags="|training|boxing|soreness|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4405" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4404" CreationDate="2014-10-08T15:50:59.900" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's normal to be sore after a workout--even two or three days later, even in places you &lt;em&gt;think&lt;/em&gt; you didn't workout--especially if you have been sedentary.  The body is a unit, all the muscles are inter-related, so believe it or not you may be sore from punching, even if you did not get hit in the abdomen, and even if you did no exercises that target the abdomen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Working out every other day is healthy.  You are fine to go to class today.  You mention that you just started.  Yeah, you're going to be more sore in the beginning than later down the road.  You need to respect your body's limitations, but don't coddle yourself.  Do not push yourself beyond your limits.  If you feel the onset of injury, stop and address the pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Preventing soreness&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You can't.  Nor should you.  You will always get sore when you're pushing your limits (but not to the point of breaking!) which is the only way to improve performance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Soreness will be less over time.  In other words, it will take more to make you sore, if you are consistent with your workout routine.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Drinking lots of water will help with soreness.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Increasing potassium (bananas) may help with lactic acid.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of my favorite related quotes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;Go hard or go home... just don't go so hard you have to go home.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-10-08T15:50:59.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4406" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4404" CreationDate="2014-10-08T15:51:37.393" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, it is normal to be sore after doing hard exercise. Note that sore should not be painful. If there is pain, that's not so good and could be a symptom of something serious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The soreness is due to muscles re-building after being damaged by exercise. This is a normal process of healing and building more muscle. This is why you should rest and not do the same exercise day in, day out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since you just started, I suggest you trained twice a week. You can then increase that to three times when you are feeling less sore after each session.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best way to avoid feeling sore is to get fitter. A close second is to cool down after doing exercise, making sure you stretch all the major groups.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-10-08T15:51:37.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4407" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3072" CreationDate="2014-10-08T16:02:56.783" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Concepts are both broad and specific. Thomas made a good point by bringing up the armbar. Fundamentally there is a concept that applies to every armbar you do from every position. You have to control at the wrist and at the shoulder and then pressure right above the elbow, just to make it really simple.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From there, you can go more conceptual or more technical by either focusing on the concept that applies to all joint locks or delving into how to perform a specific armbar. I don't think that you have to choice. There are benefits to both approaches and you can merge them by focusing on the concepts but teaching techniques that use the same concepts as a group.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also you can check out these relevant posts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://ricardopezaobjj.com/2014/10/04/teaching-concept-vs-teaching-technique/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://ricardopezaobjj.com/2014/10/04/teaching-concept-vs-teaching-technique/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bjjcanvas.com/dont-consider-radical-change-focus/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.bjjcanvas.com/dont-consider-radical-change-focus/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3240" LastActivityDate="2014-10-08T16:02:56.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4408" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3072" CreationDate="2014-10-08T19:45:31.393" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Having started in kung fu, where it's said every long form has 108 steps, I am awash in techniques. The problem is &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hick&amp;#39;s_law&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Hick's Law&lt;/a&gt;. Netting it out: the more techniques you have to choose from, the longer it's going to take you to choose, and therefore the longer it will take you to react. There's a counter-force, the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_law_of_practice&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;power law of practice&lt;/a&gt; that reduces the selection/reaction time, but when you have hundreds of techniques to choose from--a number that sounds like a lot, but really is not--it takes &lt;strong&gt;a lot&lt;/strong&gt; of practice to pull your reaction times down to acceptable or good levels. I drilled for years on technique, and I can still be too slow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training styles that focus on a few common movements, on the other hand, can be very fast to execute, because there are just a few simple things you can do. It's a lot faster to decide &quot;advance-left!&quot; than it is to compute &quot;What was that cool Dragon technique again? Butterflies Scatter? No... Oh yeah, it was Sweep the Sea, Push the Montain!&quot; Having just a few options (e.g. move forward, move back, move inside, move outside) is very quick. I hate to call these &quot;concepts&quot; because that sounds like it's back in the mental / intellectual plane, whereas you really want it to be more of an instinctual or reflex move. Something triggered by muscle memory and trained instincts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I use the techniques as details of what I might do, or as alternatives if the first, second, etc. action was countered. But I find it much more important to focus on the pattern of movement--the concept, if you will--and let detailed technique knowledge follow. The flow drill popular in Small Circle Jujitsu is very useful in teaching this ordering of concerns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastActivityDate="2014-10-08T19:45:31.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4410" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3137" CreationDate="2014-10-09T12:35:24.913" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;My advice would be like Steve Weigand's: give it a try. But start by putting something soft into your backback, like a pillow or some folded towels, and also be conscious of the possibility that clips or zip-pulls on your pack could damage the surface of tatami.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, try and get a sense for the direction in which you are rolling. For instance, in practice, mae ukemi is normally from one shoulder to the opposite hip. In that case, all your weight would roll across the backpack. However, you may sometimes have done a rather more &quot;sideways&quot; ukemi where you roll &quot;up one arm, across your shoulders, and down the other arm&quot;; in that case, less of your weight would roll across the backpack. Also, Donovan Waite Shihan has a number of excellent Youtube videos demonstrating ukemi - though he sets a higher standard than I can aspire to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I once got caught out by the sudden braking of a bus, and momentarily considered mae ukemi down the aisle of the vehicle... but since I was wearing a backback and it had my laptop in it, I just dropped to all fours. It wasn't elegant, but I'm sure ukemi practice meant that I had time to adjust my reaction appropriately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3245" LastActivityDate="2014-10-09T12:35:24.913" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4411" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="319" CreationDate="2014-10-09T12:39:20.413" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;For hombu aikido technique, I'd say the canonical textbooks are the two &quot;Best Aikido&quot; volumes produced by Moriteru Ueshiba Doshu and his late father.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3245" LastActivityDate="2014-10-09T12:39:20.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4412" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4417" CreationDate="2014-10-09T12:53:30.023" Score="4" ViewCount="1144" Body="&lt;p&gt;(in Muay Thai)In the situation where your leg is held by the opponent, is it allowed, legal, or reasonable to throw a kick with the standing leg and land in a similar fashion as you would with a cartwheel kick? Eg. kick with the standing leg, fall with the hands to the floor and bring your feet to the ground afterwards and then stand up from that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-10-12T00:56:26.293" LastActivityDate="2014-10-13T13:24:14.380" Title="Is it allowed in Muay Thai to throw a cartwheel kick with your standing leg when the other is held?" Tags="|technique|muay-thai|kicking|sparring|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4413" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="577" CreationDate="2014-10-09T12:54:44.553" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the aikido context, misogi is usually used to refer to activities aimed at spiritual purification. For instance, if you end your training session with a breathing exercise in seiza, that is probably misogi... you're settling your mind, body and spirit, drawing in fresh air and exhaling impurity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, like a lot of aikido practice, misogi exercises are used in order to show you a more general principle, and give you the opportunity to embody it: misogi is a state of mind, not a set of breathing exercises (or taki gyo, or whatever). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sugano Shihan described misogi as &quot;a constant process of removing the obstacles to sincere practice&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And O Sensei is quoted as saying: &quot;All aikido movement is misogi&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3245" LastActivityDate="2014-10-09T12:54:44.553" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4414" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4412" CreationDate="2014-10-10T14:24:57.510" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;nothing but your feet may ever touch the mat. With that in mind, there is no kick you can perform that will have enough leverage to do any damage or even cause slight discomfort to your opponent. The only reasonable course of action here would be to punch him in the face until he lets go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-10-10T14:24:57.510" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4415" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4418" CreationDate="2014-10-10T23:31:01.630" Score="8" ViewCount="706" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have no martial arts training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I am facing someone who is 1 inch taller and 50 pounds heaver than me and has been doing martial arts for over 12 years how should I react.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I cannot run away and the situation usually involved grappling.&#xA;I am reasonably fit.&#xA;I do not want to escalate the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there some basic techniques I can practice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3246" LastEditorUserId="3249" LastEditDate="2014-10-13T08:48:03.647" LastActivityDate="2016-01-07T09:22:52.953" Title="How to defend yourself when you are outclassed?" Tags="|self-defense|defense|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4417" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4412" CreationDate="2014-10-11T02:14:21.397" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The legality of the move has already been answered by Juann and others in the comments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if it was legal, this would be a poor option. If a Muay Thai opponent grabs your leg (catches your kick), the next thing they are going to do is smash the thigh of your supporting leg. They are not going to give you a moment to start launching your own convoluted cartwheel kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your best option in this scenario is to:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;lean forward keeping your guard up. This closes the gap a little and sets your body position up &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;activate the hamstring and gluteous muscles in the held leg. These are enormously strong muscles, the opponent will either have to let go or they will also start to lean if they persist in holding on. This will also upset their rotational/twisting movement and balance if they have already launched a counter kick at you. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I broke this down into two steps, this needs to be done smoothly in a single motion, you don't have time to stop and think. At this point you should be close enough to engage in a clinch. If your leg is still held then you can clinch and use the leverage from that and the held leg to launch the knee from your support leg. If your leg isn't held then you can still carry on attacking from this position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2014-10-11T02:14:21.397" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4418" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4415" CreationDate="2014-10-11T02:31:51.897" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a tricky one to answer without knowing more about your specific situation. If I have misconstrued your question then please add more detail so others don't also get the same impression.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are you a willing participant, or an unwilling one?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are unwilling, to what degree? Is it just a casual nuisance (someone comes home from training and wants to use you as a reluctant training partner), or this is a domestic abuse situation?.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this is domestic abuse, get the authorities involved &lt;strong&gt;now&lt;/strong&gt; - there is no such thing as &quot;too soon&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are simply a reluctant participant in someone else's games, then learning to hit back is not necessarily the right answer either. There is no magic switch you can hit to just stop someone - not without a lot of practice and training. You &lt;em&gt;&quot;don't want to escalate&quot;&lt;/em&gt;, so this leaves one option - use your words. If you can't have a serious conversation with this person to stop this behaviour, then refer back to my previous answer - get outside help now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;But just to be really clear&lt;/strong&gt; (in case I wasn't): we cannot and will not teach you or coach you out of a personal situation that involves violence. In situations like this you need to reach out and get assistance from those around you, including friends, family, law enforcement and social agencies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2014-10-11T02:39:32.817" LastActivityDate="2014-10-11T02:39:32.817" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4419" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4415" CreationDate="2014-10-11T22:31:30.233" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;If someone is more willing to fight than you, more athletic than you, and better at fighting than you, you will usually lose. Try not to be in that situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="539" LastEditDate="2016-01-07T09:22:52.953" LastActivityDate="2016-01-07T09:22:52.953" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4420" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1827" CreationDate="2014-10-13T12:29:48.567" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a lot of success with recovery drink. Mine consists of protein powder, dextrose (sugar), BCAA's and L-Glutamine. The idea is to replace your glycogen stores after an intense exercise. You can probably skip bcaas and glutamine if you don't like too much powder in your life, the main thing is to get fast carbs and protein in 4:1 ratio.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also try chocolate milk if you don't want to drink powders, it has almost perfect protein/carb ratio (1:4), but is a little more expensive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4252" LastActivityDate="2014-10-13T12:29:48.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4421" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4412" CreationDate="2014-10-13T13:24:14.380" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Attempting such a kick is one thing, but given how easily the opponent can pull push or twist you with the leg they're holding, and all the ways in which your attempted kick might miss or make more or less contact than hoped, it's very presumptuous to assume anything about how you'll land afterwards let alone &quot;fall with the hands to the floor and bring your feet to the ground afterwards and then stand up&quot;. You're much, much more likely to end up on your face or back, possibly with a kick or knee to add value, and I'd say it's 50/50 whether they're still holding your leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for rules: &quot;Muay Thai Rules 19: Knock Down - Definition - Any part of the body touching the floor except the feet.&quot; - so if you manage to land on one or both hands, you're the one who's technically been knocked down. The scoring rules require &quot;correct Thai Boxing style... strike&quot;, where-as the proposed strike - landing on your hands - clearly isn't Thai Boxing style. If you were to jump up into a knee, front kick or roundhouse and land on one or both feet (and nothing but feet), that would be ok.  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.muaythai-fighting.com/muay-thai-rules.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Rules here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-10-13T13:24:14.380" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4422" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4415" CreationDate="2014-10-13T13:34:35.783" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let me add some &quot;psychological&quot; aspect to the great answers above. This is of course by no means based on any scientific study, just my own experience and reasoning. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you've never been in a fight, in a tense situation you're usually and obviously stressed, afraid and diffident. This is perfectly natural and obvious - usually people feel this way when they face an unknown situation, especially when it's potentially dangerous. This intimidation is perceived by the aggressor and usually it makes them more confident and eager to maintain the pressure and engage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If on the other hand you had some sparring and a fight is not a completely new situation for you, it makes you calmer. Of course, you still think &quot;ok, this guy is twice as big as me, and probably is more experienced in a fight&quot;, but &lt;em&gt;at least&lt;/em&gt; what is potentially going to happen won't be something &lt;em&gt;completely new&lt;/em&gt; to you. This doesn't seem much, but the sole fact that you're not as intimidated as in the first case makes also the aggressor less encouraged. Which helps avoiding the fight you probably were going to loose. And let me stress this: you don't have to be a macho, look the other guy in the eye and say &quot;c'mon, show me what you've got&quot;. Just the fact that you're not &lt;em&gt;completely unfamiliar&lt;/em&gt; with fighting and are more capable of remaining calm does help much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3249" LastEditorUserId="3249" LastEditDate="2014-10-13T18:09:49.927" LastActivityDate="2014-10-13T18:09:49.927" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4424" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4425" CreationDate="2014-10-14T18:38:38.020" Score="4" ViewCount="14185" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just took up boxing and I find that my arms are weak compared to my legs.  I run a lot.  A coach suggested shadow boxing with weights instead of weight lifting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We do in fact use dumbbells (2.5 lbs each) in class.  I was considering though, wrist/ankle weights (the ones that are material and you strap around your wrist) as I could also go running with them too, which might be beneficial.  Is there any downside/upside to wrist weights vs. dumbbells? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My goal is to be able to punch harder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1973" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-10-15T09:18:17.653" LastActivityDate="2017-01-03T19:25:49.080" Title="Developing arm strength and stamina for boxing. Dumbbells or wrist weights?" Tags="|boxing|strength|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4425" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4424" CreationDate="2014-10-14T19:03:22.563" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, I think your coach is wrong: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/855/347&quot;&gt;weightlifting, properly done, is excellent for boxing&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, I think your assumption that your legs are strong is wrong: running is not a particularly good way to develop leg strength compared to methods like barbell squats and deadlifts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, I think punching with weights in the hands or on the wrists is a bad idea for several reasons. First, the resistance is in the wrong direction (mostly downward, in addition to against the direction of the punch). Second, it raises the risk of elbow injury if you extend the punch fully. Third, because the activity of punching with resistance is very similar to punching normally, it can interfere with developing speed, speed-strength, and technique efficiency in general. Fourth, why are you punching with dumbbells when there are other ways to get stronger and more powerful in that movement?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to punch harder then you need to develop basic general strength first. This means you should start &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/12405/adding-strength-training-to-yoga/12406#12406&quot;&gt;a basic strength program&lt;/a&gt;, probably with a barbell and weights, using &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.t-nation.com/training/11-myths-of-warrior-training&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;fundamental exercises&lt;/a&gt; like deep squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, and dips or presses (bench and overhead). Once you reach some basic strength benchmarks (deadlifting 1.5x bodyweight, easily squatting many times with a barbell weighing as much as you do), incorporate power versions of the Olympic lifts like the push press and power clean. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A general strength program will be enormously more productive for you than punching with dumbbells or wrist weights. Try it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-10-14T19:03:22.563" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4426" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4424" CreationDate="2014-10-14T21:59:24.137" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you're not worried about throwing out your elbows (which is an undeniable risk here), you need to identify what weight range you think your classified under. Wrist weights generally don't come above fifteen pounds, though I'm sure there are exceptions. Dumbbells as I'm sure you know, come in a very wide range of weights, and therefor, if you need thirty to forty on your arm (Lord forbid) would be a better choice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also with the increase in weight is the increasing danger to the tissues that support your limbs: keep that in mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another option is a weighted punching bag, whose force goes against the direction of your arm, making it safer, and if done right, more effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Option number four, especially if you really can't lift much, is to strap wrist weights to your upper arm, reducing the risk of injury, though working on a completely different muscle set.: Don't rule this one out, even if you can take a lot of weight, as any motion done in repetition can build strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For boxing, if your legs are really your best pieces, try kind of 'springing' up from the ground, and making sure you let your motion flow out of your legs, having your arm only channel it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Building strength is usually about just pushing yourself until you can't anymore, no matter what method you use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4254" LastActivityDate="2014-10-14T21:59:24.137" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4427" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4424" CreationDate="2014-10-16T15:03:42.780" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you don't have much equipment and are starting out a full body-weight workout is beneficial also. Do push-ups, handstands, body-weight squats, jumping, sit-ups, etc. &#xA;A basic approach which you should do (or else you're not strong at all): &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;3*20 push-ups &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;3*20 sit-ups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;3*20 squats&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can't do that, train to at least able to do that. &#xA;And traditional boxing training is very good also: heavy bag, shadow boxing and skipping rope.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Something like this circuit can be really good: &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CufFNQl9jb4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CufFNQl9jb4&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Actually you can vary you're routines as much as you like. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good exercises also: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Burpees &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lunges  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pull-ups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1978" LastEditorUserId="1978" LastEditDate="2014-10-16T17:57:15.847" LastActivityDate="2014-10-16T17:57:15.847" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4429" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4354" CreationDate="2014-10-16T18:21:48.867" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In traditional american kickboxing it was only allowed to punch and kick abowe the waist. Almost the same as karate but with boxing gloves. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in muay thai it is allowed with lowkicks to the legs, knees and elbows, plus clinching and grabbing the opponents kicking leg. Muay thai is somewhat slower and puts a lot more power in each strike than in kickboxing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But those lines between the sports are blurred and kickboxing as we see today borrow heavily from muay thai because they are the most effective techniques you can do with you're bare hands. So todays kickboxing is often the same as muay thai, with the additional of maybe more boxing and the occasional karate kick as spinning kicks, axe kicks, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1978" LastActivityDate="2014-10-16T18:21:48.867" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4430" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4403" CreationDate="2014-10-17T16:36:38.027" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;For mat size, I am listing the official competition mat sizes as a reference to help you assess the difference between practicing throws and takedowns and practicing ground techniques: keep in mind that these are large competition areas meant to minimize out-of-bound stoppages and injury risks, and they are a reasonable upper bound for a mat used by two people. For a lower bound I would advise not to go below 3mx3m for ground work though, 4mx4m for throws. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are the official sizes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.intjudo.eu/editor_up/up/IJF%20REF%20RULES_Final%20print%20vers_2011-12_ENG_Final_amended.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Competition Judo mat&lt;/a&gt; is squared: outer square side 14m-16m, inner square side 8m-10m.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://ibjjf.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/IBJJF-Rule-Book-v2.0.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Competition BJJ mat&lt;/a&gt; is squared: outer square side 8m-10m, inner square side 6m-8m.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fila-official.com/images/FILA/reglements/olympique/Wrestling_Rules_June_2013_Eng_final.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Competition Wrestling mat&lt;/a&gt; has an inner circle, an outer circle and outer big square: outer square side 12m, outer circle diameter 9m, inner circle diameter 7m.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For mat construction of both the floor and side panels, you might want to consider these three layers, starting from lowest:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;an optional shock absorbtion layer, in order to minimize training injuries from throws. &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoamerica.com/coachingcorner/springmat/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This one&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;http://kattaekwondo.com/floor.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;another example&lt;/a&gt;) is a cheap and effective solution: it is made of tires and plywood. There is &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/tatami.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;another way&lt;/a&gt; that uses foam blocks instead of tires (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mygaragedojo.blogspot.it/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;source&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzLnsk_HIQY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;a mandatory soft layer, which is the essential layer of your mat. They are usually made of some kind of foam 40mm-50mm thick, there is a wide variety of types; you can find a good discussion &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1082/judo-mats-any-certification-what-characteristics-should-one-look-for&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;an optional cover for marking areas, good grip, soft layer protection, continuity between soft layer blocks, easy cleaning. They are usually made of vinyl.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make sure to check out this &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehb7tfvrXe8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;, it shows pretty much everything said.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3234" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-07-07T10:38:56.350" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4431" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-10-12T14:59:11.080" Score="1" ViewCount="205" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just watched this video: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kjFrcoGC6w&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kjFrcoGC6w&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;and I really want to learn how to do that. What's the name of these stuff? I'm 26 years old, is it possible to learn this? How to start? if only you can give me the names of this so I can google and look for videos and books on amazon. If you know any, please tell me!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4259" OwnerDisplayName="Alex Twain" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-12-09T11:43:57.503" LastActivityDate="2015-12-09T11:43:57.503" Title="How to learn these movements?" Tags="|tricking|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4432" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4431" CreationDate="2014-10-12T16:42:26.787" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It looks like a blend of &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_cartwheel&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;aerial cartwheels&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf4HZmfxL04&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;wushu&lt;/a&gt;. He's also doing a number of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHs3DXssjPM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;butterfly twists&lt;/a&gt;, which are common to wushu and &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;taekwondo&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For strength training I'd &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/1789/how-to-establish-a-beginning-weight-program&quot;&gt;focus on a well rounded program&lt;/a&gt;, making sure to include explosive movements such as the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/Clean.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;barbell clean&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, you're talking about learning a martial art (or gymnastics), which requires specific training. I'd recommend talking to a taekwondo instructor in your area and letting him or her know you want to progress towards aerials. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5661" OwnerDisplayName="Eric Kaufman" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:46:50.943" LastActivityDate="2014-10-12T16:42:26.787" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4433" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-10-18T05:49:00.003" Score="6" ViewCount="643" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm just wondering weather it would be appropriate for me to date one of the coloured belts at my dojo. I don't instruct her personally, and I know her outside the club through school. I would like to get anyone's thoughts on this, is it disrespectful to her or our master or the art if we date, if not is there anything I should consider before I ask her out. I haven't asked anyone one at the club, but everyone outside who I've asked thinks it's okay, but I'd prefer someone who trains in martial arts and understands the need for respect at all times&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4262" LastActivityDate="2015-05-09T07:17:28.090" Title="Is it respectful for someone of a coloured rank to date a black belt?" Tags="|belt|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4434" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4433" CreationDate="2014-10-18T07:37:20.170" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's no way for us to know the relevant factors here: your dojo's rules and culture, your instructor's opinion, whether she considers you to have some sort of power position over her. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if you're both in school, know each other outside of the dojo, and you don't teach her, it sounds fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-10-18T07:37:20.170" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4435" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4433" CreationDate="2014-10-18T18:25:53.167" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;FWIW - my original school would definitely have expected you not to date her, even if you hadn't been training at the same dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given you've thought to ask on here, your instinct is obviously that it &lt;em&gt;could&lt;/em&gt; be an issue.  Asking your master directly - before talking to the student - is obviously the most honourable option.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your master objects don't take it personally, there are many legitimate reasons he or she might discourage this.  How fully and eloquently they're put into words, and whether you personally find the presentation convincing, isn't really important - IMHO you should still respect the school's right to have expectations in this area.  Rather than fixate on specific arguments or getting angry about, just focus on deciding whether asking her out is more important to you than training with that school.  If you quit the school, I'd say you've no ongoing obligation to the school or master not to ask her at school (but if you do end up together don't train with her while she's still training at the school).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may find it easier to understand if your master asks you not to date if you've already considered the legitimacy of the potential reasons, so I'll mention a couple here.  Once a student has been asked for a date or felt some romantic/sexual overtones from a senior student or instructor:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;They'll inevitably wonder whether their training (learning opportunities, fair consideration in gradings, interactions in kumite / self-defence exercises, feedback and encouragement, social status within the community, relaxation or stiffening of behavioural expectations around training) etc has been influenced by their acceptance or rejection.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some (students) will - even if unconsciously - have different expectations of you afterwards, e.g. feeling they can attack you more carelessly, or that you shouldn't make normal amounts and types of contact thereafter, or that if you're gazing past their guard it's suddenly creepy....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's not about whether such discrimination actually occurs - just the unprovable absence of it can ruin a student's trust and/or comfort in the training environment, change their perspective and experience, and compromise their focus on training.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After a break-up, what happens if she starts saying things about you to the people at training?  Do you want to have to either have them think less of you or have to argue your side and bring a lot of personal baggage into the dojo?  Are personal discussions acceptable at the dojo?  Even the people who hear anything personal from her will inevitably undergo some of the changes of perspective and expectation towards you listed above... it quickly spirals outwards.  Even if nobody says anything to others at training, it may be simply too unpleasant to be around each other such that one of you feels compelled to quit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That some students are training precisely because they've felt vulnerable makes it especially unfortunate if someone in a position of power at the dojo risks conflating in their mind their training experience with their acceptance of romantic advances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's just a taste of some of the reasons a school might sincerely believe it's appropriate to ban or discourage some or all romantic relationships between people at the dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not actually trying to argue that on balance and for every dojo the &quot;no relationships&quot; position is the correct one - just saying don't get frustrated or angry with your master/school if that's their position - it's probably well meant and based on a lot of experience or thought.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For you - the important decisions are whether you're going to ask your master first or risk getting &quot;caught&quot; later, whether you believe it's fair to her to ask her (given the kinds of concerns above), whether you'd be prepared to quit the school to be together if necessary etc..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2014-10-19T15:19:28.627" LastActivityDate="2014-10-19T15:19:28.627" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4436" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4431" CreationDate="2014-10-18T18:45:15.307" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What's the name of these stuff?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's called &quot;tricking&quot;... &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricking_%28martial_arts%29&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;wikipedia entry here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think it really belongs on this website as IMHO it's not martial arts but acrobatics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I'm 26 years old, is it possible to learn this? How to start? if only you can give me the names of this so I can google and look for videos&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll find &lt;em&gt;lots&lt;/em&gt; of youtube tutorial videos on tricking: search for &quot;tricking tutorial martial arts&quot;.  Still, to get very far I imagine you'd need to find a local group who're into it and join them.  I've no idea how best to approach that beyond the obvious Google searches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-10-18T18:45:15.307" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4437" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-10-19T05:32:51.767" Score="4" ViewCount="700" Body="&lt;p&gt;At the last grading, I was promoted, and given the title Dai Sempai by the Shihan. He told all of us who had been promoted to make sure all of the students refered to each other using the correct title to show respect. Both before and since the grading I had heard the similar advice given by other Sensei. However, thus far I have had difficulty in getting students to address me as such. Does anyone have any advice on this or had similar difficulties in the past? Most sensei's have managed to resolve this. &#xA;I have also noticed some of the of Dai Sempai's who instruct the classes of students older then them not be shown proper etiquette. Is there anything I should say in these situations, when a Sensei is not present. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4262" LastActivityDate="2015-05-09T07:14:07.880" Title="How do I make sure students refer to me by my title during class" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4438" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4444" CreationDate="2014-10-19T09:35:40.607" Score="6" ViewCount="1329" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have done &quot;intro's&quot; to a few martial arts when I was younger, now in mid 40's and reasonably good health. I am trying to find a martial art that would be easier for me to learn at this age (easier on the joints due to stiffness not injury, etc).  I tend towards a well developed spatial intelligence due to break dancing most of my life, and was better at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu  naturally than other martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am seeking a martial art that will take advantage of my background in dancing  be easier on joints (stretching), but effective. I was looking toward BJJ again, Thai boxing, Wing Chun, possibly even soft styles including Tai Chi. I appreciate your help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3236" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-10-20T17:29:15.913" LastActivityDate="2014-10-21T13:58:35.213" Title="Best martial art for a late bloomer" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|muay-thai|tai-chi|mixed-martial-arts|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4439" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4437" CreationDate="2014-10-19T14:57:10.900" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;He told all of us who had been promoted to make sure all of the students referred to each other using the correct title...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then you probably feel obliged to make some actual effort to encourage this, and not just ignore it as Steve's suggesting... ;-o.  So, my advice focuses on how to do this in the best way possible....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suppose the students in question were not listening when the Shihan was telling you to make sure they used the title?  If not, then I think your local sensei should have made an announcement to the class, taken the chance to correct the first student who didn't use the title in his/her presence, or even started referring to you by the title so the rest might catch on....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;IMHO, it will sit better coming from someone else, rather than you asking the whole class to call you by that title.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the sensei's not doing anything, and if you're close to a couple practitioners immediately below you in rank, you could ask them in a friendly way to help set an example or correct the more junior students... explaining the pressure from the Shihan... at their rank and knowing you longer, they would hopefully be mature and understanding enough not to misjudge you - thinking you're posturing or big-noting yourself - the way unfortunately some juniors might if they don't know you and apply their expectations and attitudes from outside training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise, perhaps make it less personal by teaching the beginners the titles others in the dojo might expect, and just list your title along the way without emphasising it overly.  Make it seem like you're more interested in ensuring they address your seniors properly, but get them to practice at the various levels....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2014-10-21T13:15:58.473" LastActivityDate="2014-10-21T13:15:58.473" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4440" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4438" CreationDate="2014-10-19T15:38:47.893" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;We don't have a huge amount to go on here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Easier on the [stiff] joints: suggests you might want to avoid an art with a lot of vigorous joint locking, such as ju jitsu or hapkido; on the other hand something that does twist the joints but less aggressively might actually help you in feeling less stiff - e.g. aikido, taichi.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;spatial intelligence / break-dancing: that should benefit almost any art - in some it's absolutely necessary (e.g. hapkido or bagua/pakua - you simply can't apply many techniques effectively without excellent timing, positioning, posture, footwork), and with others it'll give you an edge over those who stand still and want to slug it out (e.g. some folks in muay thai, kickboxing, contact karate etc.).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&quot;but effective&quot; - that rules out a casual interest in all but the most combat oriented schools of tai chi or aikido, and probably best to avoid hapkido (without a big effort you'll inevitably be a jack of all trades and master of none); better options include muay thai, kick boxing, karate, boxing, BJJ, MMA, savate, krav maga, wing chun....&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, basically all I've been able to do is recommend against hard joint locking styles (mainly ju jitsu), styles that take too long to use effectively (tai chi, aikido for staying &quot;soft&quot; too long, hapkido for trying to teach everything at once).  Remaining options are pretty much any form of striking... maybe pick something based on just how much contact you're comfortable with.  Thai boxing / kick boxing will be at one extreme, kyokushin about there too, most shotokan karate systems will have less contact, as will wing chun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that said, many people find themselves limited by the nearby schools - if there's a couple strong candidates and you visit them and can't decide, ask again with the specifics of what you've seen and wondered about....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-10-19T15:38:47.893" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4441" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4437" CreationDate="2014-10-19T17:50:29.923" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;So for those that don't know, &quot;Dai Sempai&quot; is a kind of rank or recognition that is given to the head student in the class. This is typically the student with the highest rank who has spent the most amount of time at that school than any other student who might have the same rank. They often lead classes through basic exercises and drills and act as an assistant instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some cases, Dai Sempai is a title formally given by the main instructor to the student. In other cases, it is simply understood by the other students. Classes usually line up in rank order, and the senior student in the class will have the first position in the line-up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice to you is don't worry about it and don't take it personally if your fellow classmates don't recognize you as Dai Sempai. As time goes on, they will recognize that you're the head student and will begin referring to you as such all on their own. For you to insist they call you it might make you appear to be vain, and that might create resentment amongst the other students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the meanwhile, just keep it to yourself. If someone asks you what they should refer to you as, go ahead and tell them. But if someone doesn't remember or doesn't think it's important to call you Dai Sempai, just let it go and continue on being a good student and model for others to follow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If someone is deliberately disrespectful to you in an active way (not just simply forgetting to refer to you as Dai Sempai), bring it up with your instructor in private. Let him/her straighten it out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me tell you a short story about my high school's Judo club. In my 2nd year of high school, I joined the Judo club. The instructor was a woman who wore a black belt. I trained in that club for 2 years. All during this time, our classes were very informal, not a lot of bowing or saying &quot;Yes sir! Yes ma'am!&quot;. They were just a lot of fun and very casual feeling. In my last few weeks of training at the club before graduating, I looked at my instructor's belt and noticed something different for the first time. It had stripes. And I counted the stripes and saw she was a 5th dan. All that time, I just assumed she was a 1st dan, because she had no stripes on her regular black belt. And at that moment, my jaw just dropped, and I exclaimed, &quot;You're a 5th dan?!&quot; She laughed and said she didn't care about rank. It wasn't important to her. She was there to enjoy her class. It didn't matter that her students treated her mostly as a &quot;coach&quot; rather than some big, super high ranked important person that she actually was, in my opinion. I just stood there in awe, realizing that I had such a highly ranked teacher and didn't even know it. But here's the thing. I trained in probably a dozen martial arts, and I still remember that Judo club as being one of the best experiences I had. If she had &lt;em&gt;demanded&lt;/em&gt; strictness and formality, I'm not sure I or any of the other kids would have enjoyed it as much. Now, that being said, had I known she was a 5th dan all along, I would have given her a lot more, &quot;Yes ma'am!&quot;'s, and would have bowed a lot more. But I would be doing that myself, voluntarily. And that's the difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2014-10-21T01:34:17.240" LastActivityDate="2014-10-21T01:34:17.240" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4442" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4438" CreationDate="2014-10-19T18:40:05.800" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;From your background, BJJ could be the &lt;strong&gt;easiest&lt;/strong&gt; choice: you've already practiced it, it does benefit from breakdancing (read the story of the Martinez brothers at 10th Planet Vista), you were good at it. It does require flexibility though, but you can always work on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, I think the main point is not what is the easiest choice, but rather the &lt;strong&gt;most rewarding&lt;/strong&gt; one long-term; in other words, think about what you can get from a martial art, not what you can give to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might need a sound combat system, you might want to place more emphasis on body development, or maybe on introspection and body-mind connection, or maybe you just want to have a good time doing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Figure out what you're looking for&lt;/strong&gt;, ask experts of different martial arts if you want to, eventually go out and try and &lt;strong&gt;see what works for you&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind that your experience in an actual class &lt;strong&gt;depends on many factors&lt;/strong&gt;, such as the teacher, the martial style, the place, the fellows. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3234" LastEditorUserId="3234" LastEditDate="2014-10-21T13:58:35.213" LastActivityDate="2014-10-21T13:58:35.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4444" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4438" CreationDate="2014-10-20T06:59:19.990" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The style matters less than who is teaching it.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same style can be taught very differently by different people. I would look for location first: your dojo/gym/training place should be within easy travel distance of where you are. I would say less than an hour's drive (both ways) but that might vary depending on how much you generally travel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, which place did you have the most fun and interesting when you tried it?  Which of those places had the most helpful students?  Which had students with fewer injuries?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thirdly, if you start one martial art, you are not married to it! You can stop and start another without seeing a lawyer. If you have two (or even three) different places you like, train at each for a few weeks and see if it's for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, since you have a background in dance, did you ever try &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capoeira&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Capoeira&lt;/a&gt;?...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: You might find these answers useful as well: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/466/what-martial-art-should-i-start-with/469#469&quot;&gt;What martial art should I start with?&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/80/how-to-select-the-right-aikido-dojo/97#97&quot;&gt;How to select the right Aikido dojo?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-10-20T06:59:19.990" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4445" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4433" CreationDate="2014-10-20T08:20:05.410" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't care if it were &lt;em&gt;my&lt;/em&gt; school. I can't speak for anyone else though. But I've never had a problem when two students or a Sabumnim/Senpai and a student were obviously in a relationship. As long as you keep your fighting/flirting out of the dojang and others' faces, it simply isn't something I care about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In fact, it's a great way of making your school feel like a family when people are connecting on a personal level. There is a bit more effort you need to put into maintaining discipline, but it's well worth it when you know your students are getting along outside of class too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The nugget of wisdom here is that your instructor may feel legitimately concerned about discipline in his school, but if you two show yourself to be aware of his concerns, he shouldn't give you too much of a hard time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-10-20T08:20:05.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4446" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4438" CreationDate="2014-10-20T19:39:28.937" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For what it's worth I was in pretty much the same place as you - in my 40s and in need of some kind of activity to stay fit while being nice to my knees. Boxing did the trick for me. It is relatively easy to learn in the sense that it is conecptually simple (you are only having to deal with striking) but is incredibly challenging to master... especially the footwork which your background with breakdancing should help with. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of effectiveness, well that depends on what you mean. If you mean &quot;effective at getting me fit&quot; absolutely boxing is a great place to go. If you mean &quot;effective at self defence&quot; I suspect that the answer is not going to be so much the style of martial art but how much sparring practice you get....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4267" LastActivityDate="2014-10-20T19:39:28.937" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4448" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4438" CreationDate="2014-10-21T01:01:58.177" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;May I also recommend doing Taichi along with whatever other martial art you decide to learn. You may have to search for a teacher who knows the martial arts side of Taichi, but generally when you do they are overjoyed to find a student interested in that aspect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning Taichi along with your martial art will work to fix up posture mis-alignments, free up your hip movement (which for us 40+'s-ers is pretty essential), get your body working as a single unit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One lesson a week should do it; you'll see the results feed back into your martial art within a year, especially if you also practice at home a few minutes a day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't be put off by the stereotype of the Taichi class full of old ladies - look for a class with a larger age spread.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4269" LastActivityDate="2014-10-21T01:01:58.177" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4449" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3072" CreationDate="2014-10-21T17:20:32.900" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Concepts&lt;/em&gt; offer mutiple opportunities:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;they are general and widely applicable, and as such they allow to &lt;strong&gt;compress information&lt;/strong&gt; in order for you to learn and rememeber more stuff.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;they are a useful tool to &lt;strong&gt;discover, analyze and refine techniques&lt;/strong&gt;; this ranges from pioneering a new technique to adapting certain techniques to your own body and fighting style.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;they help you &lt;strong&gt;connect parts of your game&lt;/strong&gt;, thus enabling you to spot and strengthen the transitions you need between your techniques, which in turn empowers every single technique in your game. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;they can guide you through a fight; with experience and maybe external help you might &lt;strong&gt;find the path of least resistance&lt;/strong&gt; through your opponent's defenses. In the &quot;Art of War&quot;, Sun Tzu advocates for both techniques and concepts: &quot;Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.&quot;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Concepts&lt;/em&gt; also have some downsides:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;as techniques are refined peaks of movement efficiency and effectiveness, it is &lt;strong&gt;hard to use concepts on the spot&lt;/strong&gt; to create the technique you need: even if it works, it will slow you down. Best done in creative sparring/drilling sessions.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;it is &lt;strong&gt;hard to find quality concepts&lt;/strong&gt;. Mediocre concepts unfortunately abound; even though they still offer something, they usually end up being true but not-so-widely-applicable, or widely applicable but not-really-true. Mediocre concepts may also limit your creativity and conceal potential new ways; in short, they might make you narrow-minded.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Techniques&lt;/em&gt; are movement patterns, but when performed they are made of real movements. People have written about how your &lt;strong&gt;brain benefits from performing and &lt;a href=&quot;http://betterjudo.com/book-reviews-3/anatomy-of-judo/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;completing&lt;/a&gt; a movement &lt;a href=&quot;http://betterjudo.com/book-reviews-3/the-talent-code/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;many times&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;: this is why drilling is nice. Since it is hard to complete techniques in sparring, it is unadvisable to do sparring only. Moreover, another good reason for drilling is &lt;strong&gt;development of &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_drill&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;discipline&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Techniques&lt;/em&gt; can also be viewed as the chaining link between concepts and actual movements; in this regard, you might want to note that every time a technique is executed the actual movements end up being different, by smaller or larger margins. This is an area where &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://books.google.it/books/about/Mind_Over_Muscle.html?id=sFd0mQEACAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;sparring shines&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;: it is a great testing tool to &lt;strong&gt;get feedback&lt;/strong&gt; and make your technique more effective, efficient and applicable through a back and forth connection with your concepts and movement experience in an effort to adapt the technique to the ongoing situation.&#xA;Skipping sparring is also unadvisable, see history of Judo and BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, I think it is best to &lt;strong&gt;teach techniques and explain the relevant concepts&lt;/strong&gt; that are related. I feel deriving techniques from concepts is too slow, and guessing concepts from techniques is too hard. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3234" LastEditorUserId="3234" LastEditDate="2014-10-21T18:12:54.723" LastActivityDate="2014-10-21T18:12:54.723" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4450" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4883" CreationDate="2014-10-22T11:20:21.003" Score="8" ViewCount="10798" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm practicing Kyokushin karate, however I want to develop some muscle (weight training), speed and conditioning (punching tree, training shins too). And then there are the katas, very important. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How should I go about all of this? Is there a sequence like training your speed or condition after you gain muscle from weight training? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4270" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-10-24T07:55:05.840" LastActivityDate="2016-03-25T15:01:54.290" Title="How to improve speed, strength and condition for Kyokushin karate?" Tags="|training|karate|weight-lifting|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4451" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4450" CreationDate="2014-10-22T12:12:05.793" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should do basic strength training using progressive overload, at a slower rate than someone who is not simultaneously working hard at karate. After you've built a base of strength through weight training, you should add some explosive movements so you can utilize your newfound strength to produce speed and power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, this means you should do basic whole-body barbell exercises like the squat and deadlift alongside some combination of fundamental upper-body exercises like bench press, overhead press, Turkish get-ups, chin-ups, pull-ups, and dips. (Don't do &lt;em&gt;all&lt;/em&gt; of those; just pick a few.) Start light, practice good form, and add weight regularly. A basic program might be:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Warm up&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;20 barbell squats&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Alternating maximum sets of pull-ups and dips, 5 times through with little rest&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;or, try &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.jimwendler.com/2012/02/531-and-mma/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jim Wendler's advice for combat sports athletes&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Day 1: squat, bench, any other minor exercises you feel like doing&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Day 2: deadlift, overhead press, any other minor exercises you feel like doing&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;or, if you refuse to get a barbell and squat rack:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Warm up&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;10 reps (each side) of Turkish get-ups with a dumbbell&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Two sets of 20 dumbbell squats&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pull-ups, three maximal sets&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;or use a vetted strength (not bodybuilding) program like Starting Strength (progressing slower than usual, and maybe only lifting twice a week), or 5/3/1, or GreySkull Linear Progression.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After you achieve a 1.5x bodyweight squat or 2x bodyweight deadlift, look into power variations of the Olympic lifts (power clean, push press, and so on) to develop explosiveness and speed. You'll get your conditioning from karate class; don't worry about cardio.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't use lifting as an excuse to skip class or to perform poorly in class. Lift after class, or on the day after class, so that you have plenty of time to recover before your next karate class. Practice kata and hitting things (heavy bags, trees) whenever you like, but don't let it interfere with class or lifting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2015-04-02T23:57:18.903" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4452" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4437" CreationDate="2014-10-22T14:06:34.440" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;At my dojo we do not use first names. I would be called Mr. Lee by other adults, and Senpai Lee by all the youth. Perhaps your dojo does the same thing. In my opinion having a more professional naming system used by everyone all the time would help make title changes easier. Another thing that we do is bow to each other when we say each other's name. As a Zen Buddhist practitioner, this is a moment to be mindful of the other person and to prepare oneself for deep listening and right speech. I only mention buddhism, because I find it to be inseparable with my karate-do. If one takes a few seconds to compose themselves before addressing another person they might become better at remembering people's names and titles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3124" LastActivityDate="2014-10-22T14:06:34.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4455" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4456" CreationDate="2014-10-23T17:59:44.373" Score="7" ViewCount="8735" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a thought provoking question (I think!) that I'll pose.  I'm not sure if there is a definitive answer.  As you know, boxers can suffer long term brain injury from repeated concussions.  Is there any evidence that the problem is worse for heavier weight or lighter weight boxers?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I could argue it both ways.  I could argue that bigger guys hit harder and that creates more problems.  I could also argue that it's harder for a lighter weight guy to knock out his opponent (true or not?) and therefore the fight goes on longer, resulting in more hits to the head.  Of course, perhaps some of my assumptions are wrong.  Heavier guys might have thicker gloves for instance, or perhaps knockout frequency is not correlated with weight class.  The specific questions are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are heavier weight class boxers at more risk of brain damage from boxing?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are there more knockouts at the high weight class matches?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rest assured, this is just a curiosity question.  I have no illusions of becoming a pro boxer :)  I suppose though I would be interested in what the risk is to amateurs who occasionally put on head gear and box.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1973" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T20:26:49.927" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T20:26:49.927" Title="Which will result in more brain damage, being a heavy weight or lightweight boxer?" Tags="|boxing|punching|brain-injury|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4456" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4455" CreationDate="2014-10-23T21:30:11.337" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Heavyweight fighters are more susceptible to knock-outs. It's why heavyweight fights sell better than lightweight fights. Fans want to see a knock-out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Heavyweights generally hit harder than lightweights, because they have more muscle and more mass behind their punches than lightweight fighters do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When they're being punched at, heavyweights are slower to move out of the way and therefore get hit more often. Heavyweights tend to be slower, because they have more mass to move around, which requires more energy. And they have more muscle to keep oxygenated, which causes them to run out of breath. This means they tire a lot faster than lightweights in general, and that means they move slower.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When heavyweights are punched in the head, their head is generally more &quot;attached&quot; to and weighted down by their body. So their head stays more solidly in place and therefore absorbs more of the energy of the punch. Whereas, a lightweight fighter's head bounces off of the punch more easily. Both heavyweight and lightweight fighters' heads do this, but to a different degree.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not to mention heavyweights are bigger and present bigger targets that are more likely, therefore, to be hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found this interesting link which discusses some statistics from the UFC:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://bleacherreport.com/articles/109873-ultimate-fighting-championship-crunching-the-numbers-updated&quot;&gt;http://bleacherreport.com/articles/109873-ultimate-fighting-championship-crunching-the-numbers-updated&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It reports that of the lightweight division fights, 25% ended by knock-out. Whereas of the heavyweight division, 61% ended by knock-out. And this trend can be drawn through each division. As the weight increases, so does the likelihood of a knock-out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So this is all shaping up to be a real concern for heavyweights, isn't it? Not necessarily! It turns out that lightweight fights tend to &quot;go the distance&quot; more than heavyweight fights do. That means lightweights fight more rounds than heavyweights do. More rounds means they have a greater opportunity to get hit in the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In that same link, we see that lightweight fights went the distance 47% of the time. Whereas, heavyweight fights went the distance only 20% of the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So unfortunately, we can't conclude anything from these statistics regarding which division gets more concussions and/or brain damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider also that these are just professional fight statistics. That doesn't tell us anything about what happens during training. Fighters put far more time into training than into their fights. And one of the things that we're starting to hear more of from professional MMA fighters is that they're getting hurt from training more than their actual fights. They're starting to spread the word that sparring during training should be light. Too many MMA fighters go heavy during training, and they just end up hurting themselves (and their partners).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I believe even &quot;going light&quot; is enough to damage your brain, if it is repeated often enough. But I have no data to support that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Children are especially at risk, by the way. Their skulls and brains haven't fully developed. They should not be hitting each other in the head at all. There are even studies showing that &quot;heading&quot; in soccer (football) causes problems for children:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/does-heading-a-soccer-ball-cause-brain-damage/&quot;&gt;http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/does-heading-a-soccer-ball-cause-brain-damage/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-10-23T21:30:11.337" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4457" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4458" CreationDate="2014-10-24T00:00:03.883" Score="14" ViewCount="33364" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was thinking of taking up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and my local gym offers the Gi in white, blue, or black. What are the advantages of each?  Does black/blue stay looking cleaner with use? Or perhaps white is better because you can bleach it?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do the colors have some traditional/cultural significance?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1973" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-13T01:10:18.373" LastActivityDate="2022-09-02T05:41:43.453" Title="What do the colors of Gi in Jiu-Jitsu mean? Which should I get?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|history|gi|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4458" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4457" CreationDate="2014-10-24T04:37:18.457" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;White shows blood best, which is practical on the mat. You want to know if you or your partner has a cut or scrape. However, women recommend keeping a black gi to train in during your period (&lt;a href=&quot;http://jiujiubjj.com/women/women-and-bjj-periods/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://sharkgirlbjj.blogspot.com.tr/2013/02/rolling-with-dot.html?showComment=1359944328003#c622621204888437988&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;2&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bleach is a non-factor because it weakens the fabric and will cause premature gi death by ripping. Blue and black look slightly more clean and sharp in more situations and for a little longer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;White is most traditional and connotes plainness or simplicity, whereas blue and black are &amp;quot;modern&amp;quot;, if any of that matters to you. For instance, Roger Gracie won the BJJ Worlds a few years back in an unadorned white gi. The lack of patches, plus the fact that he submitted all of his opponents from mount, was taken as a message to the jiujitsu community. Some BJJ practitioners prefer the white gi for this reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;IBJJF tournaments don't allow gi colors other than white, blue, and black:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Gi should be completely white, royal blue or black. No Gi’s will be accepted with different colored jackets or pants nor will we allow the use of Gis with different colored collars.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://ibjjf.com/rules/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://ibjjf.com/rules/&lt;/a&gt; (v.5.1)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-07-27T18:50:54.170" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4459" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4433" CreationDate="2014-10-24T19:13:57.740" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends on the rules of the school, of course, but in general:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It happens all the time, and sometimes works out great. (Full disclosure: I am married to somebody who I met when I was an instructor and she was a student, 20 years ago.)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It can be fine if it's a mutual thing and you are extremely careful that it doesn't interfere with any instruction or the group dynamics of the school.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It's VERY easy, if you are in a position of power, for it to seem like undue pressure or even harassment to be asking out lower-ranking students. Think about it from her point of view: if she loves this martial art and school but doesn't want to get involved with you romantically, she may feel that at best it is awkward to refuse somebody who could potentially make her training less rewarding for her in the future, and at worst might seem like she's not able/allowed to refuse (in general, martial arts students are expected to do what instructors ask of them without a whole lot of room to refuse).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also consider that if it doesn't work out (and most relationships do not), it could be very uncomfortable for one or both of you to continue doing this martial art that you like. You seem like you're young and may not have a lot of experience with ending relationships and doing so in an amicable way. You may wish to approach this by thinking about whether you'd be willing to give up the martial arts school if the relationship didn't work out and you couldn't stand being around her afterwards. It's not dissimilar to why it's not usually a very good idea to date a coworker or a neighbor -- when it's over and you need to get away from them, you can't without serious inconvenience or pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="698" LastActivityDate="2014-10-24T19:13:57.740" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4460" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3046" CreationDate="2014-10-26T04:49:11.160" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;can everyone pummel and hand fight greco roman style or muay thai style pummel??&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;can most transition between belly to belly under hooks to  mixed over /under .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;can any pummel open / slow hand fight and apply elbows like anderson silva`s video escape clinch says ??&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;do most of the clinch fighters know of and study greg nelson and eric paulson greco roman clinch - this converts into thai clinch  almost like magic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;after doing -using the above mentioned&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;who will make good use of milieapet`s muay thai clinch video lessons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;all the listed material is so eazy to find .&#xA;if on was to actually learn and apply the techniques from thos mentioned lessons they will be on a  solid path to knowing  clinch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;there are even more clinch tehcniques but you must first conquer the above.&#xA;there are many, many ,additional - single utube clinch lessons scattered about on the tube that eager students will have to track down and study ..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;suprizingly the mma fighters are so desperatly deficient in clinch , and clinch is a big part of greco roman wrestling ..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;remember greco can convert into thai clinch , DONT GET ANY JUDO IDEA`S mixed  into this ..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4278" LastActivityDate="2014-10-26T04:49:11.160" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4462" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-10-27T01:30:04.923" Score="2" ViewCount="3432" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you attach ankle weighs to your both legs, the weight attached to the one standing on the ground actually helping it stay firm in the ground, and when you remove both weights your kick will become faster. But the leg in the ground will lose balance because it's used to have a weight keeping it in the same place. Is the best option to use ankle weight only in the leg that's actually kicking so you train your speed and balance? Unless you want to train combinations, obviously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Am I missing something?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4281" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-10-27T07:49:01.160" LastActivityDate="2014-10-27T15:13:08.027" Title="Only one ankle weight when kicking" Tags="|kicking|weight-lifting|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4467" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4462" CreationDate="2014-10-27T09:25:14.820" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;The speed increase from kicking with ankle weights and then removing them doesn't demonstrate any improvement. It demonstrates that it's easier to kick correctly and quickly without adding resistance. The fact that the kicks &lt;em&gt;feel&lt;/em&gt; faster than before using the weights doesn't prove anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't kick with ankle weights. If you want stronger legs, then use an actual strength program that involves squatting, deadlifting, and lunging with a barbell. If you want stronger, faster kicks, then...use an actual strength program that involves squatting, deadlifting, lunging, and Olympic lifting (e.g. power cleaning) with a barbell, and kick a heavy bag a lot. Ankle weights are not the answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, ankle weights don't provide resistance in the correct direction. The ankle weight is acting against gravity, not just the line of force of a kick. If that's what you want, why not hit a heavy bag? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, they raise the risk of injury by making the fast movement harder to control and more likely to stress the joints. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, because the activity of kicking with resistance is very similar to kicking normally, it can interfere with developing speed, speed-strength, and technique efficiency in general. Fourth, why are you kicking with ankle weights when there are other, better ways to get stronger and more powerful in that movement?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to kick harder then you need to develop basic general strength first. This means you should start &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/12405/adding-strength-training-to-yoga/12406#12406&quot;&gt;a basic strength program&lt;/a&gt;, probably with a barbell and weights, using &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.t-nation.com/training/11-myths-of-warrior-training&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;fundamental exercises&lt;/a&gt; like deep squats, deadlifts, and lunges with a barbell. Once you reach some basic strength benchmarks (deadlifting 1.5x bodyweight, easily squatting many times with a barbell weighing as much as you do), incorporate power versions of the Olympic lifts like the power clean. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find that things like ankle weights are like &quot;lose your belly in 30 days&quot; weight-loss products: they're seen as an easy alternative to learning how to lift weights properly. A general strength program will be enormously more productive for you than kicking with ankle weights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:46:50.943" LastActivityDate="2014-10-27T10:06:57.817" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4469" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4462" CreationDate="2014-10-27T15:13:08.027" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, you are correct in assuming that you will lose your balance if you get used to the heavy ankle weight on your supporting leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that being said, the best way of increasing strength and speed is to do resistance and interval training in a gym. Ankle weights put lots of unnecessary strain on your knees. And your knees are already a weak spot as it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can't afford to join a gym and really want to practice with ankle weights, the only non-harmful exercise you can do with them is to kick a heavy bag or other heavy target. And only mid-section roundhouse kicks. They exercise the same leg muscles you would use for front kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to work on your form, the best way, in my experienced opinion, is to perform a kick slowly and in a controlled manner for at least 100 repetitions. Your aim is muscle memory, but if you do too many, you'll just get fatigued and won't benefit from the objective of the exercise which is NOT getting your muscles tired, but used to the motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-10-27T15:13:08.027" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4470" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-10-27T15:56:18.623" Score="10" ViewCount="275" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the function of exchange block, taught in Toigye form in taekwon do?  Also called outward backfist strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4285" LastActivityDate="2020-09-23T05:47:17.537" Title="Purpose of exchange block in toigye form" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4471" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4470" CreationDate="2014-10-28T13:16:42.010" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The official explanation is that you are backfisting someone in the face for great justice while simultaneously blocking a mid-section kick. Another explanation is that you're tearing someone's junk off. This is supported by the idea that the movement preceding it is a spearthrust to the genitals (it's &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; an inward knifehand block like many think). The latter explanation comes from 9th Dan grandmaster Goy Janzen of the TAGB and TKD South Africa. Whether that makes it true or not is up for debate, but he holds a bit of authority.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me it seems more likely that you are simply performing a stylised pose to help you get into position for the next technique. The reason I say this is because you are creating the pattern of the scholar/student idiogram with your footwork and without a technique that brings your feet together with you facing forward, the pattern will be broken and/or sloppy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-10-28T13:16:42.010" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4473" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4478" CreationDate="2014-10-29T00:56:03.017" Score="0" ViewCount="550" Body="&lt;p&gt;What's the result of the fight when there's a double knockout (e.g. both fighters hit each other at the same time or sth)? A draw? Both lose? Both win? :P&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I intentionally don't specify the concrete discipline - if the outcomes are different in different disciplines - please mention all of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4290" LastActivityDate="2014-10-29T13:21:12.353" Title="What's the outcome when there's a double knockout?" Tags="|competition|terminology|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="7" ClosedDate="2014-12-02T21:59:17.573" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4474" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4479" CreationDate="2014-10-29T03:27:57.123" Score="7" ViewCount="253" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a saying here that goes like this: never pick a school for the style, but for the instructor.  I've been doing taekwondo for 4 years.  My instructor, was awesome.  He won a statewide sparring championship for 4(?) Years in a row.  He was full of energy, lightning fast, young (22ish), and loved weapons and the art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately he quit instructing this past year.  He wasn't doing enough advertising, and he just couldn't pay the bills.  So he got a better paying job, but unfortunately that meant he couldn't come to my gym anymore, due to conflicting hours.  So now our parent gym, brought in a fourth degree girl to run the gym.  She knows her stuff, but isn't that good.  She is new to instructing, so I am kinda easing her into the groove.  For black belts like me (who love demo type stuff), she's not interesting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With me being a black belt, I am there 6 hours a week, training a bunch of kids and adults.  At this point, it feels like a responsibility more than a sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't like it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I love martial arts too much to drop out completely, but there aren't any good gyms around.  There is a gym in a town close to mine, that used to be part of our gym.  I've been thinking about transferring there.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is whether or not is is my responsibility to teach here, or if I should leave.  I don't enjoy it as much where I am.  I guess what I'm asking more is should I stay loyal to a school because I'm needed here more, or does the instructor truly come before the school?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that this can be perceived more as opinion based, but I'm really just asking if &quot;the instructor matters more than the school&quot;, and adding my personal details to it, just for information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1655" LastActivityDate="2015-10-20T19:42:12.907" Title="Style vs instructor" Tags="|schools|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4475" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4474" CreationDate="2014-10-29T07:46:25.553" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had a similar situation couple of years back. Long story short, I am glad that I decided to stay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would say its not really about the Style or instructor, but definitely about the art and how passionate you are for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would encourage you to continue to participate and train with the people there, getting to know each and everyone, both new and veteran members.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Talk to the replacement instructor and ask if she would be ok with you offering your assistant in teaching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Never forget to keep in touch with you old instructor and try to arrange a private lesson with him at least once a month. This will keep you spirit &amp;amp; style fresh and alive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eventually try and approach you parent gym and offer your service as an instructor. This way you also get paid doing what you love.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did all of this, and even though the fees I get is just to cover my fuel, I feel very passionate about my art, specially when my students get promoted , or new member joins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-10-29T07:46:25.553" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4476" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4474" CreationDate="2014-10-29T11:26:35.510" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;First and foremost, I would bring it up with your new instructor. Do it in an &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Assertiveness-Work-Practical-Handling-Situations/dp/0077114280&quot;&gt;assertive&lt;/a&gt; way, making sure she understands that you are not criticising her but looking for a way to help her teach you. Do not talk during a session but afterwards in the pub/bar/coffee shop. She might be scared of teaching (since you say that she has not done it before) so a lot of it might be self doubt. If you helped her, you might teach her a lot. She should be open with that. Maybe you can split the teaching: you doing more things like you like and her teaching what she is wrong with. Remember: we do not have to submit to the one master, lots of followers paradigm. We can, and should, learn from each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can find a common ground: super. Keep training, learning, and teaching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If not, then you should not stay there.  Life is way too short for us to do stuff we do not enjoy. Whether you start your own gym or chose to look elsewhere is up to you really. Why not do both?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-10-29T11:26:35.510" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4477" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4474" CreationDate="2014-10-29T13:16:44.430" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I ended up taking over the Taekwondo club I was training at after our instructor wanted to dissolve it so he can go join an MMA club. I told him he didn't need to do it because I'd like to step up. I was a red/black tip at that point, but until the previous year I had been training at the headquarters of TKD South Africa, so I basically knew the entire syllabus up to 3rd Dan level and my instructor was the national head instructor, so I had the inside scoop on everything. Also long story short, I had the knowledge and experience, though not the belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I could have also made the 20 mile trek 3 or 4 times per week to my old dojang, but I'm glad I stuck around. In my case, I actually ended up making quite a bit of pocket money in the process. Being a high school senior at the time, that was very welcome. I did lose a couple of students who thought I was boring or who seemed to just stick around because they had a crush on the previous instructor, but in the end I had three national champions that same year. I even had a world champion the following year. So it really did pay off for me to stick around. It also benefited quite a number of students who would have had no other place to train and would not have developed into the champions they were.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My situation was slightly different than yours, but I think there's enough overlap to justify sharing it. If you think you can effect positive change, then stick around. If you don't think you'll get anywhere, then join another school. I was lucky, you may not be. I don't know you or your dojang well enough to make the decision for you. Just weigh the possibilities and probabilities for yourself. And keep in mind that you can't help others until you've helped yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-10-29T13:16:44.430" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4478" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4473" CreationDate="2014-10-29T13:21:12.353" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If there's no winner, it's a tie. Depending on the style, there might be an extra round or sudden death, or the officials may get technical and look at points from the current and previous matches to determine the winner. In some instances, like when the match was the final round of the competition, the officials &lt;em&gt;may&lt;/em&gt; decide to award both fighters 1st place, but name neither of them the champion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I were the head judge on that day, I'd let both fighters rest for an hour or two and have a rematch. Unless either one sustained a concussion, in which case see above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-10-29T13:21:12.353" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4479" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4474" CreationDate="2014-10-29T19:14:46.027" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Nope, you have no obligation, legal or otherwise, to stay where you are. Go and do whatever you want. Go join another school. Be happy. Explore. Life is too short. I don't even know how old you are, but I can tell you that when you get to be a certain age, attending college, having relationships, starting a family, starting a career, etc. takes over your life, and martial arts often gets put on the back-burner. So do what you need to do, and do it quick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My wife did a lot of hopping around to different martial arts schools. When I first met her, she was doing Shaolin-Do. After a while sharing with her my observations about her school's style and after asking her what she was really interested in, it occurred to both of us that she was in the wrong school and the wrong style. That's when she got out of there and went to another school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Her new school was much more in line with what she wanted out of martial arts. And she was happy. But after a while, she realized that this new instructor could only take her so far in the types of things she really wanted. The school did a mix of mostly traditional Shaolin kung-fu with some contemporary Wushu, and she wanted to only do contemporary wushu. So after a good amount of searching, she eventually left that school and went to another one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;She also went through some of the guilt that you're experiencing. But she overcame it by realizing that she was in it for herself, her time was limited, and eventually she was going to be too old or have too little time to devote to it. So she needed to put her guilt aside and move on for her own good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so it went. She went to another school, and once again she maxed out what she could learn with this new instructor. Eventually she started taking lessons from very high level instructors, but she needed to travel for that. After a while, the time came that she realized she couldn't devote the time needed to get any better, so she stopped training altogether. She was happy with what she had achieved, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point of my story is this: Know what you want out of martial arts and take active steps to achieve it. If your current path doesn't allow you to do what you want, change. Because, life is short.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You feel guilty and disloyal. You feel like you have an obligation to stay. That's all normal, but don't let yourself be trapped by those emotions. Your instructor is going to be just fine without you. The school will go on. Someone else will take your place. Your instructor won't be upset that you're leaving. She'll almost certainly even let you come back if you ever wanted to in the future. It's no big deal. You can even talk with her about it ahead of time. Tell her what you're interested in, and she might even encourage you to go to that other school. Heck, she might even know of a better option for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2015-10-20T19:42:12.907" LastActivityDate="2015-10-20T19:42:12.907" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4480" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4474" CreationDate="2014-10-30T01:39:01.157" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First and foremost, you should look after #1 - which is you. You are only bound to a particular school/gym for as long as the relationship is mutually beneficial.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a black belt you need to consider whether:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;your new immediate senior has anything to teach you  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;why&lt;/em&gt; you're at that particular gym &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;do you want to spend the time and effort to &quot;get the groove&quot; of the new instructor  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;how likely is it this new instructor will be replaced in the near future?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When your instructor is only a low to mid rank black belt you run the chance that you will outgrow them and need to find other instruction in order to progress further. Even when your instructor is a high level black belt you can still benefit from training in other arts or under other instructors. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But do remember to consider the members you are currently teaching, evaluate carefully before you leave - otherwise you could leave them in the very predicament you currently find yourself in. You're not &lt;em&gt;obligated&lt;/em&gt; to them, but you don't want to leave them hanging.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2014-10-30T01:39:01.157" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4481" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4482" CreationDate="2014-10-30T19:23:29.487" Score="9" ViewCount="555" Body="&lt;p&gt;Keenan Cornelius is &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/Nmal55rpWIg?t=54m&quot;&gt;particularly confident&lt;/a&gt; in one back escape he has learnt.&#xA;You can watch him perform it both in &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/oo2OmxT5atk?t=1m43s&quot;&gt;Gi&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/NZ-NbFogC2Q?t=26s&quot;&gt;different angle&lt;/a&gt;) and in &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/ejrO4ZmfvaY?t=7m32s&quot;&gt;No Gi&lt;/a&gt; tournaments at the highest level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How does this back escape work and what are its key points?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How to break it down step-by-step to learn it?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In lack of a full answer, additional matches where it is performed or even different angles are welcome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3234" LastActivityDate="2014-10-31T15:21:22.240" Title="The &quot;secret&quot; back escape of Keenan Cornelius" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|technique|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4482" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4481" CreationDate="2014-10-31T15:14:24.243" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It starts from back control: seatbelt control, two hooks in, rider's back on the ground. As a reference for right/left side, I'll follow the Gi match; I'll give instructions as if I were Keenan's coach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Directions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lay on your left side&lt;/strong&gt;, so you can trap the holding arm and turn away from the choking arm. In the meantime, grab the choking wrist or arm with your left hand to keep the seatbelt under control. Keep your left leg bent and straighten your right leg, in order to expose his right hook.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Post your left elbow on the mat, &lt;strong&gt;grab his right hook with your right hand and remove it&lt;/strong&gt;; at the same time use your left foot to push you up, forward and into him with in order to &lt;strong&gt;come to your knees&lt;/strong&gt; while keeping him onto his left side. He shouldn't be able to follow you because his right hook is missing and you are pinning his left arm on the mat with your armpit and weight.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your opponent will try to restore his right hook, don't let him do it: quickly &lt;strong&gt;take a backstep with your right leg and push into him&lt;/strong&gt;. At the same time turn your head and body to the left. You should end up being on all-fours while he is on a side back ride: his left hook deep, his right hook shallow or off, holding arm deep and pinned, choking arm shallow with flared elbow pointing upwards. If necessary, remove again his right hook with your right arm.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;While your left arm is still controlling the seatbelt, &lt;strong&gt;grab his choking arm with your right arm and push it over your head&lt;/strong&gt; while shrugging. Once free, pin him down with your left shoulder and move to your left; finish the escape by sliding your left elbow all the way to his right side. You should end up in his guard.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Key Points&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Basically, your &lt;strong&gt;left side is holding&lt;/strong&gt; an pinning him while your &lt;strong&gt;right side is freeing&lt;/strong&gt; you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your left armpit is taking care of the holding arm, so you just have to make sure the choking arm doesn't cause trouble: that is your left arm's job. You can use your left elbow for posting, if needed: even if the choking arm slips under your chin, it is going to take a while for the holding arm to slip and secure the choke because your left shoulder is pinning him down.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your left arm will be exposed until the end of the escape. Keep an eye on it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your left leg is for getting on all-fours and keep you stable. It is important to stay on all-fours throughout the escape, as gravity is helping you by making him slide off your back and at the same time denying the choking arm a nice angle to attack. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your right arm and leg are working together to remove his right hook and keep it off: this is your first checkpoint. When your base is stable and the hook is off, both arms will take care of the seatbelt; if you need extra force, stand on both feet and use gravity.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your &lt;strong&gt;whole body movement&lt;/strong&gt; along the 3D-axes should be to the &lt;strong&gt;left, back and down&lt;/strong&gt;. Down is to pin him, left is to rotate and back is to weaken the control of his hooks and seatbelt.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3234" LastEditorUserId="3234" LastEditDate="2014-10-31T15:21:22.240" LastActivityDate="2014-10-31T15:21:22.240" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4485" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-11-05T08:46:02.580" Score="4" ViewCount="418" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answers to the question &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2057/what-is-qi-power-and-has-it-been-proven-to-exist-scientifically/2074#2074&quot;&gt;What is Qi power and has it been proven to exist scientifically?&lt;/a&gt; mostly address the superstitious, popular notion of qi you might find in a Tarantino movie.  But the word qi (or, in Wade-Giles, chi) has been used by application-oriented martial arts classics, and in particular is used in two of the criteria of Dai Longbang's defintion of the internal harmonies (Longbang 1750):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The intention harmonizes with the chi.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The chi harmonizes with the movement.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People who agree with Mike Sigman that this characterises the relationship between the intent and movement that is the hallmark of internal martial arts understand these verses as asserting a concrete, operational criteria that a martial art can satisfy or fail to satisfy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sigman has tried to give biomechanical explanations, e.g., he tries to explain qi (Sigman 2013) as our sense of something a bit akin to the potential energy you might find in a spring that can be used to draw in and push out from the ground. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But what reason do we have for supposing that this is (exactly) what Longbang meant? An oral/training tradition, or are there more explicit sources? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Longbang 1750) - Source with citation in my answer at &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/2178/1326&quot;&gt;What's the difference between Internal and External martial arts?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Sigman 2013) - &lt;a href=&quot;http://mikesigman.blogspot.de/2013/02/qi-structureconnection-gravity-qi-is.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://mikesigman.blogspot.de/2013/02/qi-structureconnection-gravity-qi-is.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Postscript&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To try to get a sense of what I mean by operational meaning of qi,  and pushing my grasp of the Chinese terminology to the limit: in taijiquan, we talk of applications are driven by jin skills, which use body strength and create qi.  In Yang-style taiji, push hands train the 4 basic jins (peng/lu/ji/an) and the forms train 4 further jins.  All applications use these jin skills in application and Yang-style taiji is internal because all of its techniques use these jins which are all internal jins.  Chen-style taiji is close to Yang style, but Chen people tend to talk about training jin in relation to silk reeling, which is about training peng jin: Sigman talks here of peng jin being the core jin: when you've trained this jin, the other jins are much easier to train.  And part of training these jins, involves 'listening' to the chi we get from using this jin strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To see in one dialog both this applied use of qi together with the more metaphysical use and traditional medical uses of the term (TCM), look at &lt;a href=&quot;http://chentaiji.com/articles/integrating.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this interview with Feng Zhiquang from 2000&lt;/a&gt;, who is a high-standing Chen-style practitioner: when he says &quot;So practice qi instead of li [muscular force], and practice yi instead of qi. If you practice li, it will break. If you practice only qi, you will be stiff. It will flow if you practice intention [yi]&quot; he is talking taiji training in the terms from Longbang's verses.  When he says &quot;Human beings need the balance of yin and yang to keep healthy. If yin and yang are not balanced in the human body, there will be a disorder of qi and xue(3) [blood], manifested by the disease of limbs and organs&quot; he's not talking about six harmonies, he's talking TCM.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1326" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-01-02T14:06:20.430" Title="What did Dai Longbang mean by Qi?" Tags="|history|terminology|internal|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4486" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2057" CreationDate="2014-11-05T17:27:15.320" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Qi is a term that gets used to mean a lot of things, and the most common usage as an independent energy force, is regularly shown to have no evidence supporting it.  That said, here's some ideas of the different things people mean when they talk about qi:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muscle &amp;amp; Joint Activation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Try to move my arm! You can't! My qi is what keeps it up!&quot;  A lot of these are good uses of body mechanics - often positions that allow you to use both agonist and antagonist muscles together for structural efficiency in holding static positions, or intelligent use of positioning and muscle chains for dynamic movements.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Activating some of these muscles often works best with a bit of visualization or movement that seems completely mental - &quot;Hold your arm out, point at something in distance, try to reach it with your fingers, as if you were extending your energy beyond your fingers - seen how strong your arm is now?  See how hard it is to pull it down?  This is Qi.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although thinking of energy flowing to different parts of your body, or beyond your body can help you do stuff like this, you can replicate the same results with good body coaching in other terms, so it's not any kind of energetic force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The flipside, especially used in martial arts, is that you can &quot;feel their qi by touch&quot; which mostly is reading the intent of the person's movements because you can feel subtle changes in their balance and muscle tension - basketball players do this all the time when they stick someone.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Assessment of several body functions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you end up studying acupuncture or tradition chinese medicine, they may use the word qi, but you find out there's over a dozen qi types referred to in the body: &quot;circulatory qi&quot;, &quot;Heart qi&quot;, &quot;digestion qi&quot; etc.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this case, when you assess someone and try to figure out how to help them, the quality of the individual qi is looking at the combined results of several body functions working together - your digestion for example involves your stomach, gallbladder, liver, small and large intestine, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this sense, it's basically clumping a lot of organs together into a larger system, and it's not something to prove or disprove anymore than it's a convenient way to assess overall health, much in the same way doctors say &quot;Circulatory system&quot; without necessarily talking about each part.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Breath&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many translate qi as &quot;wind&quot; or &quot;breath&quot; so it's not a hard guess as to why this is the way it gets used sometimes.  No breathing = dead, breathing = alive, so it's not hard to see how a lot of folks would see this as the sign or source of life energy.  An old Chinese folk idea is that everyone has a limited number of breaths they get before they die in life, so slowing the breathing extends your lifespan.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Life Energy&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the usual method talked about, which involves the usual point of qi pathways, acupuncture, acupressure, and even action at a distance.  So far, no scientific study has proven or matched 1:1 to traditional Chinese medicine theory, martial arts theories, or meditation/yoga type work in this manner.  Several studies have reported minor but notable benefits for several things (pain relief, increased mobility of limbs, lowered blood pressure), but nothing has matched completely. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How can we scientifically study this?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, lots of studies are being made all the time.  Including in China, Taiwan, Singapore and many places where TCM is already a major part of the society.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to study outside the medicine side, I would be looking first to understand explicitly what you're trying to get from it, since, with so many definitions, and people often using qi for any/all of them, you would want to structure your experiments to test for just one of them.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A secondary and useful context is to also understand that anyone advocating a skill or ability with qi is probably extremely varied in terms of skillfulness and training.  Outside of China's TCM system, which is a fairly modern construction, everyone got individualized training of different theories, quality and ability even within the same &quot;school&quot; or lineage.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And a lot of these things also underwent a lot of destabilizing factors that made it difficult to assure transmission - look up the history of civil war and famine in 20th century China where 40 million people dying in a short period is kind of a regular occurrence. Stack on top the Cultural Revolution driving a lot of people out who have these skills or schools and you can see even people who claim the same lineage may have very different theoretical understandings and practices of qi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I would probably add a third layer, which is even after you narrow down what you're testing for, I'd probably also sort out the people you'd be testing based on what they claim their theory base is of qi - since it may drastically affect what they're really doing and what outcomes are the result.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-11-05T17:27:15.320" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4489" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2057" CreationDate="2014-11-06T01:15:07.460" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many of the other answers discuss the rational Western view of &lt;em&gt;qi&lt;/em&gt; (or &lt;em&gt;chi&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;ki&lt;/em&gt;)--that it is a mythical &quot;wind,&quot; &quot;power,&quot; &quot;spirit,&quot; or &quot;energy&quot; claimed by &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_medicine&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;traditional Chinese medicine&lt;/a&gt;, Daoist cosmology, and traditional martial arts heritage to be the primary invigorating force in human beings. It's a popular idea, with &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qi&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;analogs across many cultures&lt;/a&gt;. It's the &quot;ki&quot; in Korean or Japanese arts. It's echoed in yoga and elsewhere. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The rational, Western, scientific view is that it doesn't exist. It's a concept inherited from an ancient world that did not understand how physics, biology, and medicine really work, and so invented a poetic, shamanistic, religious story as though they did.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a rational Western scientist, I don't disagree with this skepticism.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;But...&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Whether you believe &lt;em&gt;qi&lt;/em&gt; is a &quot;real,&quot; tangible thing/force may not be the most important issue.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My experience is that training as though &lt;em&gt;qi&lt;/em&gt; is a thing is genuinely helpful even if you don't believe it's real. How can that be? Because considering, talking about, and training &lt;em&gt;qi&lt;/em&gt; focuses attention on useful aspects of what we feel, how we physically act, and what we intend to do that we would not otherwise be focusing on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In training marital arts, acrobatics, dance, and other motion-involved activities, many of the elements of kinesthetics, balance, and &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprioception&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;proprioception&lt;/a&gt; are subtle learned capabilities--things we must learn to do, feel, or feel comfortable with that are not necessarily &quot;built in&quot; or entirely natural. Considering &lt;em&gt;qi&lt;/em&gt; can focus our attention on gathering and emitting energy--a focus that is functionally useful, even if it's only a metaphor. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is actually a lot more precedent for this type of model in Western thought than you might think. &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_fiction&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Legal fictions&lt;/a&gt;, for example, are places courts and legislatures assume a set of facts or circumstances that are not strictly true--because it's useful to do so. Philosophy--whether &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_of_the_Cave&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;ancient&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanuel_Kant&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;modern&lt;/a&gt;--is replete with such assumptions. And the clincher: So is modern science and mathematics. See e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.regentsprep.org/regents/math/algtrig/ato6/electricalresouce.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;electrical engineering&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mechanics&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;quantum mechanics&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_theory&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;string theory&lt;/a&gt;, which eagerly use models of virtual and imaginary constructs when &quot;the math works out better that way.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So be a skeptic about &lt;em&gt;qi&lt;/em&gt; if you like, or outright disbeliever. I am! But that doesn't mean you shouldn't consider or use the metaphor as a martial arts (and motion arts) training tool. I do, with good success. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastActivityDate="2014-11-06T01:15:07.460" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4490" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4485" CreationDate="2014-11-06T10:06:18.280" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The confusion here stems from the fact that the traditional Chinese way of thinking does not make as clear a distinction between the spirit and the physical body. &quot;Chi&quot; is a combination of concentration and body mechanics. In Western terms, it can be described as performing a movement in the correct way, without unnecessary movements, and applying proper posture and technique. E.g. Proper stance, weight distribution, snap, breathing and power are all aspects of what constitutes a good technique. Add all these together, and suddenly people start calling it Chi (or Qi if you're a giant martial arts nerd like some of us).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It could also be said that &quot;having your head in the game&quot; or &quot;being in the groove&quot; are different (western) ways of saying you're mastering Chi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I happen to be a devout Christian, so I do believe in a spiritual realm, etc. But I don't believe that the spirit can influence the body in such concrete terms as being able to shoot invisible death rays from your hands or allowing you to break something that is scientifically impossible to break.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-11-06T10:06:18.280" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4491" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4450" CreationDate="2014-11-07T21:55:21.050" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Dave gave a great answer.  I would add for speed training : you can practice your techniques (punching and kicking) shadow boxing with light weights in you hands. Say 3-5 pounds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don't forget to never fully extend your arms and legs when trainign with weights&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you can do a couple of rounds of : one round shadow boxing with weights and then one round hitting the bag as fast as you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would not recommend hitting a heavy bag (ex : 200+ pounds) because you will naturally tend to try to push it with strengh instead of hitting it with speed. o a  +- 60 pounds bag will do the trick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Speed training and strengh training are really different because you use a different fiber in you muscles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also do speed jabbing on a bag : throw 2-3 jabs as fast a you can.  Move around a bit, work on your foot step for 10 seconds and throw anoter 2-3 jabs.   Switch side after 1 minute.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's basically what I did and worked pretty well.  Keep in mind tough, we're all different so some methods won't work as well for you and some won't work for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep training ! OSU ! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4305" LastActivityDate="2014-11-07T21:55:21.050" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4492" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4400" CreationDate="2014-11-07T22:03:43.660" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been trainging in Kyokushin Karate for 15 years now and what I've learned the most, is that even if you master your art, self awareness is always the first thing that will get you out of a situation that can turn bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's always better to avoid the situation than to be forced to deal with it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't forget : adrenaline rush, stress and other factors can and will affect your capability of defending yourself once you are put in dangerous situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think any art is better than the other, it just depend on how you put yourself into it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stay Safe ! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4305" LastActivityDate="2014-11-07T22:03:43.660" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4493" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3135" CreationDate="2014-11-07T22:18:04.030" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my experience, it is not possible to be able to defend against all type of attackers.  They are all different. One thing is for sure : you don &lt;strong&gt;NOT&lt;/strong&gt; want to go to the ground. Here's why&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reality of the streets is that you never know if the &quot;badguy&quot; in front of you is alone, has friends hidden somewhere or has a conceled weapon.  So if you go on the ground, maybe his friends are going to come, maybe he'll grab a knife in his back pocket and stab you with it. You don't want to take that chance...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any martial art will give you a better chance of defending yourself if you get attacked.   But the key here is to have enough self awareness to be able to know when you need to get out of there.  Keep your distance and when you have the chance, run away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do not want to take part in a traditionnal martial art, maybe you can look at Commando Krav Maga.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just stay away of those empty force stuff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4305" LastActivityDate="2014-11-07T22:18:04.030" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4494" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2424" CreationDate="2014-11-07T22:25:24.310" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been training in Kyokushin for 15 years and yeah, if you like hard sparing you'll get you hands full.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We still do some kata too as Kyokushin karate is based on Shotokan Karate, but they are waaayyy les pretty that the Shotokan one's. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Still, don't forget that Kata training is an important part in the pratice of Kyokushin, even if Kyokushin focuses more on full contact kumite.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the joint locks and stuff, it really depends on the Sensei that is teaching the class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Osu !&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4305" LastActivityDate="2014-11-07T22:25:24.310" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4496" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4474" CreationDate="2014-11-08T05:14:09.917" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;One option that you might consider is to approach your former instructor and ask him whether he would train you one on one, or in a group, at his home, backyard, basement, garage, or even a park. There is a lot of extremely high quality instruction happening in places that are not pristine, sparkling dojos and gyms. Years ago, I trained a little with some Bakbakan guys in Los Angeles. They had trained with the late Tatang Ilustrisimo and Edgar Sulite, often in backyards and parks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The experience you are having, training the lower belts rather than getting the chance to advance and train yourself, is a common complaint I've heard over the years from a number of martial artists. They love the art, they excel, but then the economics of martial arts kicks in they're teaching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are great teachers, great warriors, and only sometimes is a person both. If the new instructor is new to instructing, she may not be very good at it. It may take her time to grow into it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a responsibility that comes with martial arts, and it does rise as one rises in the ranks. However, you ultimately have to do what is best for you. You owe that to yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4306" LastActivityDate="2014-11-08T05:14:09.917" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4498" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4433" CreationDate="2014-11-10T01:57:49.640" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It happens, and I don't have a problem with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every school is different, and you should adhere to the norms and expectations there at the school. If I was not absolutely certain of my teacher's answer, and perhaps even if I was, I would ask my teacher if it were acceptable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a saying that one should never eat where they poop. It is normally intended to discourage dating in the workplace, since most relationships don't work out. However, it could also apply to the martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4306" LastActivityDate="2014-11-10T01:57:49.640" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4499" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3135" CreationDate="2014-11-10T02:15:09.703" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Good advice from the different posts. The OP is a software engineer, he mastered skills more difficult than all martial arts in my opinions. What I am going to say is to be smart and avoid getting into dangerous situations. A computer software engineer is one of the brightest of all breeds, if he trains with the right philosophy, he'll go very far. All in all,know your enemy and know yourself--use whatever moves applicable to the particular situations--and in 100 battles you will not be in peril. Martial art has no boundary: It is fluid, and rather a way of life. If the OP help me program stuff, I'll share with him stuff that will be worthwhile. Enough said!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4312" LastEditorUserId="4312" LastEditDate="2014-11-10T02:58:43.883" LastActivityDate="2014-11-10T02:58:43.883" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4500" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4503" CreationDate="2014-11-10T12:32:00.130" Score="13" ViewCount="4571" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have moved cities and have found a new Muay Thai gym. The training in this gym is very different. When they train they use thai pads less often and do drills. When doing the drills they hit quite hard, especially on the low kicks which I find to be pointless. In sparring they can't go light and hit with momentum and throw dangerous moves. I have had a flying knee hit me in the face (not too hard), I have seen another guy get an elbow to on the back of his neck and haven't seen him in weeks, while boxing I got a very strong hook that gave me a huge black eye (after asking for them to go lighter). I am not afraid of getting hit, but it feels like there is a difference when people are looking out to not cause damage and put some fail safes on. The couches seem to be ok with this. I complained and they justified it. Last week during a seminar in knee drills a guy thought he had his rib broken.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are signs that a gym is dangerous and should be avoided?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What types of injuries can be expected from sparring in practice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastEditorUserId="1111" LastEditDate="2014-11-10T22:53:21.583" LastActivityDate="2015-05-29T03:28:44.613" Title="Should I stay in a Muay Thai gym where the fighters hit without much restraint or consideration?" Tags="|training|muay-thai|sparring|injury|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4501" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4500" CreationDate="2014-11-10T13:33:14.360" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;You're answering your own question here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In sparring they can't go light and hit with momentum and throw dangerous moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have seen another guy get an elbow to on the back of his neck and haven't seen him in weeks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I got a very strong hook that gave me a huge black eye (after asking for them to go lighter).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last week during a seminar in knee drills a guy thought he had his rib broken.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;None of that sounds good. Training that produces &lt;strong&gt;unnecessary&lt;/strong&gt; injury isn't cool. (Injuries do happen in any contact sport, despite our best efforts.) Maybe you're overstating the case–it's impossible for us to know over the internet–but this doesn't sound ideal. It doesn't sound like I'd train at this gym unless I was confident that trainees were reliably getting very good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2014-11-10T13:33:14.360" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4502" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4500" CreationDate="2014-11-10T14:55:24.400" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Drills are meant to teach your muscles to perform a technique properly. I would pad the hell out of the recipient before I let another student hit him/her full-force. It's not about inflicting damage, it's about learning how to do something properly and with force. That's how I do it anyway. There's no sense in punching the hell out of each other each time. Not even professional boxers treat their sparring partners like this in the gym.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring should be very similar to what competition or real life situations are like, but as you quite rightly suggest, some fail safes, aka restraint, should be applied. Doubly so if there is a new student who may not be as good, or at least not familiar with the level of intensity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts IS about learning how to fight and win, but it is a journey, not a Darwinian survival-of-the-fittest Cobra-Kai (Karate Kid reference FTW) kind of arrangement where your only choices are to become a jackass or pay for the privilege to get beaten up by a jackass twice a week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any sort of spirit of cameraderie, or is the school full of big egos?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-11-10T14:55:24.400" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4503" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4500" CreationDate="2014-11-10T15:13:18.477" Score="32" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NO!!!!!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Get out. Get out &lt;strong&gt;now&lt;/strong&gt;. As in, do not train there even one more time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is always the chance of being injured in any martial art. That's true of any active sport, of course--but &quot;combat sports&quot; have an intention of everyone getting hit, kicked, etc. The requirement for safety is therefore paramount. You need to train safely if you are going to be able to last any length of time in this environment. Training is a marathon, not a sprint. You should do it in ways that let you keep doing it for years to come.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even beyond &quot;have people been injured in this gym?&quot; is your report of their incredibly bad attitude toward, and lack of respect for, your request for them to go lighter. They either do not care to, do not respect your desire to, or cannot train at an appropriate, safe level for you. (And based on the injuries others are incurring, for others as well.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether it's a lack of concern, a lack of respect, or a lack of capability does not much matter. They are all &lt;em&gt;tremendously&lt;/em&gt; bad signs. If run-of-the-mill prudence is not sufficient to get you running from this place, consider: Hard strikes to the back of the neck and head are illegal in &lt;em&gt;all&lt;/em&gt; combat sports (see e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ufc.com/discover/sport/rules-and-regulations#15&quot;&gt;rule 15.A.xi of the &quot;Unified Rules&quot; of MMA&lt;/a&gt;) specifically because they are potentially crippling or fatal. Walk away while you still can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastActivityDate="2014-11-10T15:13:18.477" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4504" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4500" CreationDate="2014-11-10T17:31:29.803" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should get out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While it's true that any training there is a spectrum of how hard you may want to go - from the no-contact doing only forms kind of training up to folks like the Dog Brothers using full force stick fighting... the fact is that there's a point after which you are taking injuries and gaining nothing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if the school is going harder than what you want to do - leave.  (If the school is going lighter than what you want, I'd also say leave, but in that case the issue is less pressing.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general - bruises heal relatively easily.  Broken bones, ligament damage, joint damage, and concussions are major injuries and should be exceedingly rare in training.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A part of what is telling you the attitude about this school is how people are responding to these injuries - &quot;Oh man, did you see John got that elbow in the back of the head?  Has anyone checked on him? Let's figure out how to train so that doesn't happen again.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's like workplace accidents - either you recognize this is not how things should be and it's a big deal and you change how things work to stop it from happening again, OR you accept that as normal... and guess what happens? Another accident, eventually.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also worth noting that if the injury rate at a school exceeds the rates professional fighters are injured... that says something about the training there.  And it's not a good thing.  Professionals know that you need to stay intact and fit to do the work you're going to do - getting injured in training (or at all) is the opposite of useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-11-10T17:31:29.803" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4505" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3046" CreationDate="2014-11-11T01:55:09.790" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;watch and study the utube video lessons. make note this can be used as a knee defence during clinching.&#xA;watch  dylon and listen to his clear cut explanation of the move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/4ZtdriGtg00&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://youtu.be/4ZtdriGtg00&lt;/a&gt;   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/ZyBAaLMKfBA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://youtu.be/ZyBAaLMKfBA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;now we get world famos bauakaw giving a clinch lesson .&#xA;figure out the missing picese , some thing major is wrong with the level of instructions.&#xA;however if you studied the first group of vid lessons you can make up the losses&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Buakaw MT Clinch Throws --utube watch it please &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;now this  is a repeate of what bauakaw should have done and said , &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Buakaw MT Clinch Throws-mt33   watch this vid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;for total explaination that should have been given during baakaw `s lesson over seas ..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;now here`s a different view and trainer doing  the same throw , very nice .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muay Thai Technique #03 Clinch technique, muay thai throw 'Push &amp;amp; Pull sweep' at Phuket Top Team   -look onutube..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;this is all good now  look at this guy teaching knee defence to reattack , there are 4 vids and they are all very good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sweep from Muay Thai Clinch - Part 1  -kings thai boxing -utube &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;watch this lesson and see the style . clinch throw from the so called inferior grip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Torrance Muay Thai | Clinch Technique | boxing works -utube find it and study&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;can any one see whats going on. i know but my question  is to everyone watching .&#xA;do you understand , can anyone make this clinch theres  ??&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;this is also a counter  to  knee belly 2 belly postion..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I must admit the video`s are all intermediate to advanced clinch skills, now is the time to start learning those type of moves.&#xA;at least reconise the moves in action ..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4317" LastActivityDate="2014-11-11T01:55:09.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4506" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-11-11T07:36:41.583" Score="5" ViewCount="1254" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been training Krav maga for about 4 months now, no previous martial arts experience and very little sport/fitness experience. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In that time, I got prolonged rib pain (3-4 weeks) on three occasions. The first time I went to a physician, who told me it's bruised but not broken, and just to wait, afterwards I didn't go to a physician. The second and third time, it hurt not only at the place where I got injured, but also at another, roughly symmetrical place in the right half of the ribcage (all three injuries were at the left half, but different heights). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We are a considerate group, and attack with rather too little aggression than too much. None of the injuries resulted from a sudden strong blow, which I would have assumed is a usual risk in martial arts. The first time I held a punching shield wrong (didn't brace it) while a partner punched, the second time it was a bear hug, the third time I supported a partner while rolling on the floor because she was about to hit her head, and happened to support her knee with my ribs (it was a slow movement, not a blow). Others in the group did the same exercises, including receiving many more bear hugs (I stopped after the painful one, which was at the beginning), and nobody seemed to have any problems. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It doesn't seem to me that the force in the injuries is too strong. I have the feeling (maybe I'm wrong?) that a similar force to, say, the thigh, would only leave a blue spot, if anything at all. Certainly not prolonged pain. And on the ribs, there is no visible injury afterwards, no blue spots. Just the pain. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Am I doing something wrong, because I don't know correct safety practices? Or is my ribcage unusually prone to injury, should I try to get a medical examination? Or is this normal when starting with such an aggressive sport? Or just bad luck? Should I be worried, and how can I reduce these injuries? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4320" LastActivityDate="2019-09-17T20:08:02.393" Title="Frequent ribcage injuries, is this normal?" Tags="|injury|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4507" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4506" CreationDate="2014-11-11T08:55:51.590" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bruises and light muscle strains resolve after about a week.  This is far too long for a mild injury.  If it's &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.md-health.com/Bone-Bruise.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;a bone bruise&lt;/a&gt;, the expected healing time is about 2-3 months, provided you're taking it easy and not continuing to subject it to additional trauma.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Feeling the pain on the opposite side means it could be  a skeletal issue - &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rib_cage&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;your ribs connect at the spine&lt;/a&gt;, so if it's pushed hard enough on the left, it could, potentially also throw off the corresponding ribs on the right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You want to find someone who is skilled in skeletal-muscular problems, which general practitioner doctors often have little specific training in.   You can reliably find physical therapists, sports medicine therapists who are well versed in this.  You can find, with some research, massage therapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, and folks who do cranial-sacral therapy work who have sufficient education to assist in the same way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do have a joint/bone issue, you'll want someone who can assess and identify things like rib dislocation, minor facet slippage, tendon damage and potential disc damage in the spine.  They should be versed in performing joint manipulations of Grade I-IV on the Maitland scale of Joint Mobilization.  You will want to avoid people who regularly use the Grade V manipulations, which are the fast, jerking mobilizations practiced by some chiropractors, as these tend to destabilize tendons.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Along with all that, they should be providing you with some form of strengthening exercises targeted to the areas affected to prevent re-injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastEditorUserId="1598" LastEditDate="2014-11-12T23:04:38.723" LastActivityDate="2014-11-12T23:04:38.723" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4508" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2014-11-11T09:04:33.403" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Cross training helps by taking advantages of specific techniques and training methods from other martial arts or fighting sports.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4322" LastEditorUserId="4322" LastEditDate="2014-11-18T01:07:03.580" LastActivityDate="2014-11-18T01:07:03.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4509" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2014-11-11T09:04:33.403" Score="0" Body="Cross-training helps a martial artist to improve overall by training to an art or sport other than the one that practices." OwnerUserId="4322" LastEditorUserId="4322" LastEditDate="2014-11-18T01:07:06.160" LastActivityDate="2014-11-18T01:07:06.160" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4510" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4506" CreationDate="2014-11-11T09:23:29.373" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It sounds like you're overreacting to bruises. If the doctor says it's just bruising, and there's no other sign of injury, then what's the problem? Get a second medical opinion if you like, but you're not describing anything out of the ordinary for contact sports. You're going to get bruised.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-11-11T09:23:29.373" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4511" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4506" CreationDate="2014-11-11T19:11:01.977" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It sounds to me like you're describing a phenomenon whereby you experience a larger than expected amount of bruising and pain given the light contact you're being exposed to. This surprised you enough to see a medical doctor, which tells me you're probably experiencing something real, as opposed to just being a hypercondriac. Of course, it could still be that or something in your head (related to neurotransmitters and feeling pain), but let's first rule out the obvious things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's my advice. Have your doctor (MD) perform some blood tests. Ask for tests for deficiencies in any vitamin or mineral that might lead to increased amounts of bruising. Inquire also about diseases whereby the body might bruise more easily and whether or not those can be tested.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to this article, you especially should check for blood levels of Vitamin B12, Vitamin B9, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, and Iron:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.livestrong.com/article/420033-vitamin-deficiencies-causing-bruises/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.livestrong.com/article/420033-vitamin-deficiencies-causing-bruises/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also seen articles suggesting a deficiency in Vitamin D, Zinc, and protein might cause increased levels of bruising.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Simply taking a multivitamin (one with iron) might help or even completely prevent the problem. However, digestion of multivitamins varies from person to person. Some people don't absorb much that way. You'll get better results from using sublingual vitamins (under the tongue lozenges, liquids, or sprays). But some of those vitamins and minerals don't come in that form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And be careful not to overdo things. Stick with the RDA dosage if you can. Especially for fat soluble vitamins and minerals. For water soluble vitamins, overdosing is much more difficult.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also simply eat more foods that are higher in those vitamins and minerals. In particular, you should look into leafy greens. And take lots of them. And get more protein.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I were you, I'd have my blood tested first without doing any extra supplementation. I'm thinking you want a complete blood nutrient profile, CBC (complete blood count), creatine, and maybe a liver profile. If something pops up in that test, your doctor will suggest ways you can improve it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's my advice. Rule those out first, and then go from there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, bruising increases with age, supposedly. I don't know why that is. Perhaps it's just a myth. You're 30 years old according to your profile. That's still young, but it's about the time when most people report that they're beginning to notice changes in their body due to aging. It's just a fact of life. Your body will change over time. Still, the changes aren't generally bad enough to cause people to see a doctor like you did. So I wouldn't be too quick to attribute your case to simple aging.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, one other thing. Some foods and herbal supplements have anti-coagulant properties. That means they reduce blood clotting and make blood thinner. This can cause bruising to become larger, more painful, and longer lasting. So you might want to look into all of the supplements you're already taking as well as the various ingredients in your diet to see if there's anything you're ingesting that might be significant enough to cause your blood to thin. My advice is to just have your doctor test for &quot;blood clotting factors&quot; in addition to all the other tests I mentioned (actually the CBC test should also check for platelet count, which is a determination of how well your blood will clot). It may even turn out that you have a mild case of hemophilia, which is generally due to genetics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-11-11T19:11:01.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4512" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4506" CreationDate="2014-11-12T00:16:06.593" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Dont worry too much about it, it happens with contact training. Just remember to ICE it down when you get back, then if it is painful enough to disrupt your concentration, take a day of or do no-contact activities during the training. This is important as you might accidentally injure yourself more or even your partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the bruises do not subside after 2 days or so, please consult with your doctor. But most of the time it will basically heal itself with ice and lots of rest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2014-11-12T00:16:06.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4513" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4437" CreationDate="2014-11-12T05:33:13.170" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Over the years, I've met a number of very skilled and very unassuming martial artists. We could share a meal, a beer, and some laughs, but I could also maintain proper respect in addressing them by their title. For me, it was a non-issue. You just do it. They've earned it, so I respect it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When someone was promoted to a level that now warranted a new title, or a different title, there could always be an adjustment period in which one did not address them by their correct title. Some adjust and adapt more quickly and easily than others. Still others may have known George as George for more years than me, so it may take them longer to begin addressing George as Sir.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would say don't take it personally, and lead by example in trying to address others by their correct title. While I would not single out every single instance, you will need to correct the behavior. If you politely point out an instance of a student not addressing another by their correct title, it will take the focus off of you, but leave in the minds of others, &quot;Oh, I need to properly address Dai Sempai as such.&quot; If they were to respond, &quot;Yes, Dai Sempai&quot;, that would be a good indication that they took the hint.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bring it up with your instructor, but don't turn it from a molehill to a mountain. Perhaps put it in the form of a question to your instructor as to whether they had challenges being properly addressed when they became Dai Sempai and how they addressed it. They should then be able to guide you as to how they want you to handle it. If you raise the issue excessively, it may seem like chest thumping. However, if a Sensei or Shihan says it, it will resonate deeper.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4306" LastActivityDate="2014-11-12T05:33:13.170" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4514" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4523" CreationDate="2014-11-13T09:32:59.217" Score="11" ViewCount="1458" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm having a bit of trouble trying to find the pressure point on the forearm with which to do yonkyo.  Does anyone have any tips on how to find the right spot?  I understand yonkyo doesn't necessarily affect everyone, but any insight would be appreciated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4325" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-10T18:14:27.673" LastActivityDate="2019-08-10T18:14:27.673" Title="Finding the forearm pressure point in Aikido's yonkyo grip?" Tags="|aikido|pressure-points|grips|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4515" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4522" CreationDate="2014-11-13T17:40:44.343" Score="11" ViewCount="59493" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm very much enjoying my boxing lessons and have been going for about 1 month, 2-3 times a week.  Recently though, I took about a week off, as I found my wrists and elbows very sore.  My wrists were (and are still) sore on the inside part and my elbows are sore on the outside part.  I'm not quite sure what is causing it.  For elbows, people have suggested I'm overextending during shadow boxing.  It's also been suggested (see my other posts) that shadow boxing with light weights can be bad for elbows.  Unfortunately, I can't really do much about how the class is taught (not using or using weights for instance).  For the wrists, I've had two suggestions: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hitting the heavy bag wrong.  Not hitting with knuckles but rather with another part of fist that results in bending of wrist&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;bad hand wrapping (I think I'll post a separate question about this!).  Of course, advice you get on the internet is always better than advice you get in person, so I want to hear from this group too :)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's sort of an annoying problem because I'm really enjoying myself and I don't want to be sidelined by a nagging, but very annoying, problem.  So my questions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How to prevent wrist and elbow soreness?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Once you have sore elbow and/or wrist and advice to take care of them?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Exercises/drills to strengthen wrists and elbows if that is what is needed?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks,&#xA;Dave&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additional info that I should have included.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I'm 47 so (unfortunately) the answer &quot;you're just old man. Your joints are going to hurt&quot;, can't be completely brushed aside.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I'm a software engineer, so I do need to be able to type.  As I write this, I'm noticing pain in my wrist.  And no, I have never had carpal tunnel syndrome in 15+ years of programming.  So I'm pretty sure the pain is due to boxing.  The typing is probably making me more aware of it!  I must continue to program to make money until I can turn pro and make millions of dollars with title bouts :)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1973" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-06T20:16:56.810" LastActivityDate="2021-09-23T08:01:29.783" Title="Preventing and/or healing sore wrists and elbows in boxing" Tags="|boxing|soreness|wrists|" AnswerCount="12" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4516" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4704" CreationDate="2014-11-13T17:45:05.863" Score="5" ViewCount="104" Body="&lt;p&gt;Either my instructors explain the hand wrapping too quickly or I'm just too dense to understand the explanations, but I'm still (after a month!) having a hard time wrapping my hands/wrists.  I feel like I'm not doing a great job.  Part of the problem is that everyone has a different way of doing it.  Can someone point me to resources (YouTube, written explanations, etc.) of how to wrap hands for boxing?  I'd be especially interested in deviations that are designed to give extra padding to certain areas such as wrists or thumbs.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dave&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1973" LastActivityDate="2015-01-14T16:04:35.003" Title="Videos and/or explicit instruction on hand wrapping for boxing" Tags="|boxing|wrists|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4517" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4515" CreationDate="2014-11-14T00:46:03.273" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would suggest you take a week or so off from training just to let your niggles calm down, then try again. You've been doing it for a month - it is perfectly normal to feel soreness in strange places any time you start something new. You are not used to feeling pain in those area which is why you notice it more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The elbow pain is quite possible hyper extension  of the elbow joint while punching. Check &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/2235/70&quot;&gt;this previous reply&lt;/a&gt; for a bit more detail.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for your wrists, it could be just very mild tendon or muscle strain or fatigue. I'm also a software engineer so I'm well accustomed to the niggles with that profession - mostly they manifest as persistent ache in the anterior deltoid (front of the shoulder), knots in the trapezius or rhomboideus (upper back, back of shoulder into neck), or as sharper pain in the wrist/palm area. You've changed what your body is used to, and now ou're forcing your wrists and shoulders to do work - so of course you are going to notice some discomfort in these areas, especially if you're not allowing enough time between sessions for the muscles to repair themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Binding your wrists better may help, although I'm a fan of learning to punch without wraps (I think it leads to better strength and technique).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-11-14T00:46:03.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4518" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4437" CreationDate="2014-11-14T08:58:52.720" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was way more relaxed when it came to using titles. My students called me by my first name ( wasn't much older than most of them). I felt that they needed to learn to respect me for what I could do and teach &lt;em&gt;them&lt;/em&gt; to do, rather than my title. HOWEVER, I have absolutely no problem with schools that are more formal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To answer the question: The first thing to be done is for the Sensei (or whatever your instructor is called) to announce your new title and that he expects you to be referred to as such. The second thing to do is to make a point of referring to your fellow students by THEIR titles, &lt;em&gt;if&lt;/em&gt; there is such a practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It will backfire on you if you start being pushy about your fancy new title. The key here is to remain humble (and not phony-humble like a pharisee) and act like the title is no big deal. And try to earn respect, rather than demand it. It's a much more pleasant and rewarding experience. If your fellow students respect you for your skill and dedication they will be much more readily inclined to use your honorific than if you acted like a whiny jackass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-11-14T08:58:52.720" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4520" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4516" CreationDate="2014-11-14T13:07:42.190" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The club I go to has a video on YouTube and their website (&lt;a href=&quot;http://inthiscorner.ca/2012/05/05/how-to-wrap/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://inthiscorner.ca/2012/05/05/how-to-wrap/&lt;/a&gt;). It takes a bit of practice to remember, if you aren't training frequently you may want to practice wrapping for a few days in a row to fix the process in your memory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are looking for extra padding you can always modify the method to suit your needs. If you have good, long wraps you should have enough material available to give you some flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4267" LastActivityDate="2014-11-14T13:07:42.190" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4521" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4295" CreationDate="2014-11-15T07:50:21.900" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suppose I hold a different view of what is a weapon. The real weapon is the gray matter between the ears of the opponent before one. That is what can harm or kill one. Guns, blades, and sticks are merely tools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Switching back to referring to tools as weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training with weapons has several advantages.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Assuming the art transitions the techniques to empty hands, it teaches one to be able to fight whether there is something in one's hands or not.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Weapons can be very unintuitive. If the average person unfamiliar with weapons is told to pick up a stick and hit an opponent, chances are good they will attempt to strike the opponent in the head, they will telegraph their intent, and they will attempt to strike with the middle part of the stick so as to maximize their chances of connecting. I once saw a master from a different art, who is an absolutely ferocious warrior and great teacher, pick up a stick for the first time in a sparring match. No one could touch him, but the stick actually appeared to be a hindrance for him.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learn the offensive value of ordinary items. Weapons can be divided up into several broad categories: stabbing, slashing, impact, projectile, etc. Even items with no offensive value, like an empty ketchup bottle, can serve as a distraction.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4306" LastActivityDate="2014-11-15T07:50:21.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4522" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4515" CreationDate="2014-11-15T15:32:40.837" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;(FYI /- I'm not a boxer... I train in full contact karate and do a lot of target and bag work, normally without gloves or wraps - just saying because gloves bring their own safety risks when it comes to your hands as you can't form as tight a fist, so actual boxers may have some further insights there.  I've been teaching martial arts since the 80s on and off.  Day job C++, 40s...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Firstly, stress itself can cause fractures even if your technique's ok - it's a huge shock to the body to go from nothing to punching as hard as you can in a month or three.  So, ease into it... back off now while you're sore, then try to find a gradual increase of intensity that doesn't crosses the line to regular discomfort or injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For wrists, I recommend trying to improve the stabilising muscles in the wrist that prevent the wrist bending when you hit something... one good way to do so is to get in a pushup position (doesn't matter if the body's just off the floor or all the way up) while only the last centimetre or so of your index and middle finger knuckles are supporting your weight - do not let the joins near the middle of your fingers touch the floor... the idea's to get to the stage where that's no effort and you can do it for as long as you like - until then, just do what's comfortable without getting to the point where you just can't keep the wrists straight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have some weights, rest your elbow and forearm on any surface - wrist just over the edge, hand facing first up then down, and do some sets of dipping and lifting the wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pushups on your finger tips will help too - in fact pretty much any pushup position.  Slightly more intense - you can find a wall or other surface about waist high and push down with your knuckles to lift you off the ground - again trying to make sure only the last centimetre of your knuckles touches the surface.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As well as strengthening, consider how you're hitting - experiment a bit on the bag to find out which angles are comfortable and solid - where you can feel the same part of the fist you were touching the ground with during the pushup position above biting in to the bag while the wrists aren't strained.  For example, relative to a line between your head and the bag, you might find you can hit with a bit of a hook coming in to the bag about 45 degrees much more comfortably than at ~55 degrees... get used to the comfortable angle and try to keep to it during classes.  If you have to hit at a less comfortable angle for some reason, hold back a bit on the power.  You may well find the hook angle that's comfortable's different for a vertical fist position (i.e. palm facing sideways) vs. horizontal (palm down).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For any punch on a target, you can squeeze the forearm a little as you hit to stabilise the wrist, and start slowly - gradually increasing power as long as you're feeling stable... (once those muscles develop you can stop the conscious extra squeeze thing as it'll be reducing your speed and power).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For elbows - well - you might decide to compromise on the following suggestion later in order to your elbow tucked in protecting your ribs / liver longer, but until you've got a really good punch, and when you want maximum power, just avoid letting the forearm swing outwards to straighten or lock the arm.  Not only does doing so cause injury, it degrades power.  Most of the time, consciously move your elbow and hand along the same line or curve towards your target.  Put another way - after your backswing, if you were punching towards your opponent's head, they'd just see your fist with the elbow hidden behind it.  If you get used to this, the elbow won't be wanting to straighten 100% anyway... punching full power, I lock not into a straightened elbow position but into a naturally &quot;tensed-muscle&quot; position a few degrees short of the elbow being fully locked... it's not &quot;holding back&quot; - just a consequence of technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-11-15T15:32:40.837" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4523" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4514" CreationDate="2014-11-16T09:33:54.653" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Doesn't everyone have problems with this technique.  It takes some persistence but given the nature of effective application, not something one wishes to train often.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some words from me to help.  Although words have different kinaesthetic interpretations for different people, but I will try.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Firstly, in order to achieve Yonkyo (a pressure point), one must essentially squeeze the nerve ending against the bone in order to achieve that pain response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, digging around in within the muscle and sinew is different for each opponent.  Damn those thick wrist-ed people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Firstly, I was taught to extend the index finger when applying the technique, this has the effect of pushing the knuckle forwards in the palm.  Essentially your pushing the index finger joint into their wrist.  So hand grasped but with the index finger bent backwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Two, when you are trying to break through the muscle you can try a type of wringing (forgive me - Chinese burn) type of movement.  This one concept helped me a lot. So you are trying to get that knuckle from the middle of the wrist and turn it toward the outside of the wrist.  You can move the nerve a bit to get it in the edge of the bone in the forearm (wrist) where there is less meat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally there are a number of spots on the forearm where this works but easiest near the wrist due to the lack of flesh.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS: Forget Yonkyo for real application as adrenalin will nullify this.  Hope this Helped&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4342" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-11-17T08:18:15.417" LastActivityDate="2014-11-17T08:18:15.417" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4524" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4400" CreationDate="2014-11-17T02:40:16.710" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;With The Wudang King's excellent answer I can determine that Karate is more suited for self-defense because the techniques that are taught in karate are generally mixed so their is an emphasis on boxing, kick-boxing, ground grappling, open hand sparring and many self-defense drill simulations that the instructors provide to mimic situations such as: a man wields a knife in front of your throat, a man attempts to choke you out by surprise using a rear naked choke or even a man wielding a loaded gun is pointing a gun in front of you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In karate you are able to learn more self-defense situations that boxing doesn't provide. The good thing about learning about karate is that each instructor has a different style of fighting, so it increases the spectrum for self-defense. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing on the other hand does emphasize on a few techniques and a copious amount of power that is not viable for all to learn due to physical age and disabilities; with karate contending to the mixed martial arts aspect, your able to practice many self defense scenarios and learn many techniques while using little power to increase damage to your assailant. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My daughter has been learning karate when she was in 3rd grade and she enjoys the fitness, techniques and the training simulations. I recommend committing to karate for self defense, but similar to The Wung Dang Kid's answer your must ask the studio instructors on what aspect that they emphasize greatly. It can either be practical, situation, or sport based training. Look for situation based training to learn self-defense on the streets. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps!    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4343" LastActivityDate="2014-11-17T02:40:16.710" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4525" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4515" CreationDate="2014-11-17T02:51:16.193" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming that you have a nutritious diet and go to your boxing classes regularly, it is recommended that you take at least three days off for the pain in your wrists and elbows to go away because during training you may have hyper extended your elbow by accidentally missing the sand bag where the full power of the jab or cross could have hyper extended the elbow; or the training and stress of lifting weights concurrently may have weakened the cartilage between your elbow, resulting in that terrible pain. (Trust me i had this annoying pain before)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your wrists may be hurting due to excessive drill excersises or your wrsit may have turned at an angle once you hit the sand bag in a strange way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To get rid of the pain in your Elbows and Wrists you should not use a muscle relaxant, because it masks the pain. Instead use volatren gel on your wrist and your elbows to get rid of the pain.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Volatren Gel is amaizing and is three times better than any muscle relaxant creme, because Volatren gel is an anti-inflammatory gel that relieves joint pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I use Volatren Gel to get rid of the muscular pain in my knees and elbows, but there will still be pain at the bone of the join, so i then immerse my joints in a hot water bath and take atleast two days off from training as soon as the pain subsides. I know that you may want to keep going with your training because, of the no pain no game motto that i lived by when i was 15, but it's better to avoid permanent damage and take only two days off, while remedying and conditioning your body to a whole new level of pain and experience. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I took MMA and I suggest you consider my advice&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4343" LastActivityDate="2014-11-17T02:51:16.193" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4526" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4295" CreationDate="2014-11-17T15:08:03.547" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The benefit of weapon training is that they develop fine motor skills and coordination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The Nunchaku's are great for learning coordination between your hands.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The staff (bo) is great for teaching you hand-eye coordination as well as getting all your major muscle groups to work in harmony.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The Bolo or Bokken teaches you to move with grace and speed&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;That funny rope and knife thingy teaches you agility and presence of mind because it will injure you just as quickly as it will your opponent if you don't concentrate.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-11-17T15:08:03.547" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4527" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4506" CreationDate="2014-11-17T20:27:56.467" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you have no visible bruising, you might want to consider if it's something else. There are muscles all along the side, and it's not horribly difficult to pull them. Several of your examples above seem to involve you having to change a movement into a direction you weren't expecting whether it was holding the shield wrong or trying to arrest the movement of your partner. I can tell you from experience that it can feel like the pain of an impact, including the soreness happening in a localized area. Unfortunately, I can't really give very good advice other than that the pain eventually passes and that, outside of uncontrolled movements like catching someone, you'll run into this when you attempt to check your own motions where you're moving faster than you can stop yourself. Coming back to training after a period of inactivity is usually when that happens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2014-11-17T20:27:56.467" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4528" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-11-18T07:05:48.463" Score="11" ViewCount="6253" Body="&lt;p&gt;Has anyone got experience with any martial arts (Kung Fu, Tai Chi, etc.)  camps in China? I would like to visit one to fulfil a childhood dream. It is not so easy to find information about which camp (there are thousands of them!) is &quot;good&quot; for an inexperienced newbie in martial arts.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I’m looking for information to help me make the right choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a fantastic community! Thanks for all your replies! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My time range would be 1-2 months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like to answer the &quot;Why&quot; question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I’m currently in something like a &quot;mid-life crisis&quot;. I’m looking for something completely different to everything I have done up to now, to find my limit and clear my mind&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In my country there are no famous martial arts academies; if you do find one, they are very expensive (Switzerland) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I like China&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4346" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-06-04T18:41:29.587" LastActivityDate="2019-04-09T06:19:02.167" Title="Training martial arts in china" Tags="|training|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4529" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4528" CreationDate="2014-11-18T08:45:30.383" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have not been impressed with the stories I hear from people who have gone to these Asian martial arts retreats. These camps seem like a way to separate Westerners from their money while providing a bare minimum of services. Much like the explosion of &quot;teacher training&quot; yoga retreats, they provide an experience, not an education.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;First-Person Accounts&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/comments/1zdzwf/i_just_returned_from_a_1_year_stay_at_a_shaolin/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;This guy in a reddit AMA thread&lt;/a&gt; stayed a year, &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/q3s8T.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;gained close to no strength&lt;/a&gt;, and improved a bit of his physicality:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The only thing I can show off with is my flexibility, doing high kicks, splits, and the like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He probably learned close to zero fighting skills:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;My biggest complaint with the training [is that there was] very little sparring. We did it maybe once a month for Sanda or Wing Chun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That doesn't sound like very rigorous or effective training. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/comments/1zdzwf/i_just_returned_from_a_1_year_stay_at_a_shaolin/cfsxbiu&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nor did the school offer classes in Buddhist philosophy, as it advertised.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=123730&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;This school review on Bullshido&lt;/a&gt; paints a similarly grim picture: false promises, false advertising, no real philosophy, problems with instruction and equipment, inadequate food.... The martial instruction sounds cursory, like a survey course.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Why?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd ask you to examine your own desire to train in China specifically. Do you think there is something special about a particular country that makes the training better? Remember, good training is found in a particular &lt;em&gt;school&lt;/em&gt;, and you can get cultural experiences by traveling or living in a country regardless of whether you sign up ahead of time to live at a fake martial arts monastery. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People envision &quot;training muay Thai in Thailand&quot; or &quot;learning kung fu in China&quot; or &quot;doing a yoga retreat in India&quot; as an incredibly true experience, an authentically different way of living. The truth is that businesses have grown to exploit this feeling. There are legitimate schools, of course, but there are a lot of imitators. Do you know how to tell the difference?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why not research &lt;strong&gt;specific&lt;/strong&gt; high-quality martial arts schools regardless of location? Particularly if you're new to training, why not try martial arts locally for a few months, at least? Putting 'training in China' on a pedestal seems to me to be a good way to have a mediocre experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-11-18T13:27:44.273" LastActivityDate="2014-11-18T13:27:44.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4530" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4528" CreationDate="2014-11-18T18:28:34.513" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know one person who went to train in bagua and tai chi.  He went to a relatively small training camp, got some good basic skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But.  That was 6 months of his life spent doing nothing but martial arts training.  A lot of that was conditioning.  Although he got a good set of basic skills, I can't say it'd be much different than if he spent the time here, and did a lot of conditioning under an average teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A few acquaintances I know have trained a long time under traditional martial arts teachers here in the US, and their teachers introduced them to people in China.  As advanced students up to full time sifus they've gone over to China, spent anywhere from a few weeks to a month or two with those folks and gotten a lot more from their time.  They're able to absorb exercises and drills to apply quickly, and can take it home and work on it themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I'd say you're better off finding a good teacher locally, putting in a lot of time in conditioning and core skills, and then you'll have the ability to better see who moves well for what you want to study if you decide to travel later on and you'll get more from your trip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-11-18T18:28:34.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4531" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4534" CreationDate="2014-11-18T22:16:39.267" Score="9" ViewCount="2393" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been doing martial arts (kickboxing/BJJ) for 3 months now. In that time frame, I have worked up my body from going from 2 days to 3 days a week. I want to work up to 4/5 days a week, with a rest day in the middle. However what is preventing me from achieving this is my muscle soreness... I have recently added stretching (I know! I am new to all this). And do so mainly before and sometimes after (even-though from this week I am being consistent about doing it right after). I am still struggling to get to that 4-5 days a week. Let alone my ultimate goal which is to do weight lifting, yoga &amp;amp; MMA. I come from a lazy background of mostly sitting and not to mention a life of drinking/partying (have done many drugs too). I am trying to clean up my act and get my shit together. And MMA is defiantly what is driving me towards a healthier me. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Right now I am taking fish oil, vitamin D, protein and from this week glutamine as supplementation. My diet is pretty healthy, mostly a mix of green leaves &amp;amp; meat. I drink about 3 liters of water a day. I quit buying cigerattes (will have one or two on social occasions, but want to stop it as well). I drink about once a week(still in college right :P). I have recently learnt about static and dynamic stretches and will implement them accordingly (any feedback on it will be grateful as well). At the gym I treat it like it is time for war, I punch the heavy bag as hard/fast as I can(of course with good form). I try to hit the point where I am exhausted and this is just the first 30 minutes. After which our classes consist of learning techniques/sparring, where I am more relaxed and easy going, mostly because of exhaustion. Our sparring classes are not rough and relaxed as well (Atleast for low levels). With jujitsu I am much more relaxed from the get go as my instructor demands of his students, to apply technique not strength in jujitsu, so its not as taxing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel like I am mentally here but physically I feel limited and want to break through it as soon as possible. The soreness that got me to come here and ask is my bicep which always get it after kickboxing and I hate it the most. Any Tips to speed up my process? They can range from supplements, specific stretching routines to even suggestions at my approach to mma, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4349" LastActivityDate="2014-11-19T08:32:39.473" Title="Reducing Soreness?" Tags="|training|kickboxing|health|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4532" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-11-18T22:57:28.277" Score="8" ViewCount="473" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a 61 year old black belt and have been in and out of the martial arts.  I have searched many styles looking for a style geared to Karate for people like me. Over the years I became disgusted with the way the martial arts have changed and become so very violent.  That is not karate or what I call the true way.  Every school I and my wife visited was different and we were told always &quot;Try Tai chi&quot;.  Tai Chi is good, but we wanted Karate.  Other styles were all about how violent you could be, brother what a joke.  Then we began to create a style just for us and borrowed Taikyoku, Tensho, Gekisai, Chinte, Jitte, and even created our own kata and combined them with TKD forms and Bassai Dai that we already know.  Suddenly we are told we can't do that.  Isn't there any karate style that is about health and not trying to be Bruce Lee.&#xA;Thank you &#xA;C. Schmid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4350" LastActivityDate="2020-11-03T04:33:57.297" Title="Are there any styles that are geared to people over 61?" Tags="|karate|health|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4533" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4532" CreationDate="2014-11-19T00:33:27.487" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, I think you can shop around in your local area and try to find schools that share your mindset. Chances are there are some. You just have to talk with the instructors and see what the classes are like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not exactly sure how karate has changed over the years to become more violent, as you noticed. To me, it looks like it hasn't changed at all. Perhaps it's not karate that has changed, but maybe you've grown more sensitive to it over the years? Or maybe your particular school has become more oriented towards self-defense or heavy-contact sparring over time? Those are qualities that vary from school to school, so you should do some shopping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo to me always seemed to be more about physical and spiritual growth than being good at fighting. But Taekwondo may not be the best martial art for older people, in my opinion, as it may be hard on the joints. Same with something like Shotokan karate, which is actually the parent style of Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But on this subject, I remember seeing a TV interview of a Korean karate master who is located in Houston, and he said he redesigned his martial art so that older people could do it. His primary focus was on reducing joint damage. The goal was to be able to practice his style for the rest of ones life. He says his martial art follows the &quot;natural way&quot; of the body, never doing any &quot;artificial&quot; movement. Doing that, he says, reduces the risk of injuring oneself, especially as you progress. And he writes quite a bit about how his style is not for violence. To me, it sounds like a pretty good match for what you want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you're interested, you might check into this style. They have groups all across the U.S. and some in other countries:&#xA;  &lt;UL&gt;&#xA;  Kim Soo Karate - Chayon Ryu&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kimsookarate.com/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.kimsookarate.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have no experience with this style or anyone from it, myself. It's just something I recalled when I read your question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They are a Korean group, but their lineage seems to indicate that it actually comes mostly from Okinawan and Japanese karate, in addition to Chinese kung-fu and Korean arts. It looks like it's mostly karate to me. So in other words, I wouldn't let the fact that it's a Korean version of karate worry you. They may even do the forms you already know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Speaking of forms, nobody can tell you not to make your own forms. What you described is perfectly fine - taking from Shotokan karate forms and Taekwondo forms, combining them. It's just that those are &lt;i&gt;your own&lt;/i&gt; forms. You can do them on your own, just don't try to teach or practice them at your instructor's school without your instructor's okay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Heck, I saw a video whereby an older, grey haired, church-going guy decided to make his own karate forms. His forms are meant to be done while reciting a particular prayer, believe it or not. None of it looked very practical at all, like he had any idea of how to use forms for self-defense. And I thought it was hilarious and cheesy, but it's fine. It's probably very good physical and mental exercise for the elderly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, I found the video:&#xA;  &lt;UL&gt;&#xA;   &quot;Lord's Prayer Karate Kata&quot;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;   &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4pMONKVSe8&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4pMONKVSe8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, in some martial arts, it's expected that you will make your own form as part of your belt testing requirements or for a tournament. There are, for example, &quot;musical&quot; forms whereby you make a form to match some music which plays in the background. Many Jhoon Rhee Taekwondo groups do that. By a certain level of training, you've seen enough forms that you can make your own up on the spot. Adding the music to it is just another thing you can do to make it more enjoyable or memorable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-11-19T00:33:27.487" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4534" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4531" CreationDate="2014-11-19T01:49:30.903" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cold/hot flush&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a trick I learned from a coach &amp;amp; sports medicine expert - after a workout, soak cold for 10 minutes then soak hot/warm after.  I started doing that and found my own soreness reduced by 2/3rds (of course, pain is subjective so...)  He typically dumped his players into a tub with ice, I'm not as hardcore so I just use a cold bath instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The science behind it is that the cold causes constrictions of the blood vessels, helping flush out lactic acid that's built up.  The hot brings blood back in for repairs of the tissue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muscle soreness vs. muscle damage&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Normal muscle soreness disappears in about 1-3 days if you're not continuing to work the area.  If the soreness/pain persists after that, you've done more than built up acid and normal stress you've given yourself minor muscle tears.  These aren't horrifically bad, since most people just keep doing it with the logic &quot;no pain no gain&quot; and you can find a bunch of bad sports books in the 80s and early 90s even claiming this is beneficial...but the fact is that it slows/halts your improvement rather than helping it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you go past a certain point, your body is spending more time playing &quot;catch up&quot; with the damage it's received than actually laying down new tissue to get ahead of it and improve your strength or muscle endurance.  (One of my friends was on a roller derby team - they did 3-4 hour training sessions which was hampering their performance.  Once they got a coach with a better sports background who reduced the amount of raw muscle fatigue they were building up all the time, their performance improved drastically).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this is the case for your body, the solution is to tone back the amount of stress the muscles are facing - if it was raw resistance training, the solution would be to notch back the weight a bit and slowly come back up and then beyond.  You'll also find older strength training books that talk about this method, but they usually don't have the physiology knowledge of why this works.  In the case of martial arts, whatever you're doing that's the heavy force for those muscles -tone it back, do it a bit less and see if you start gaining more strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also generally hard to tell if it's the martial arts or your other strength training that could be doing it.  This is where it's really good to get a physical trainer who has really good knowledge of body mechanics and can help you figure out what the heck is doing it for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stretching does this, doesn't do that&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stretching does two useful things.  First, it helps you reset your muscle spindles to being comfortable at longer lengths - this not only helps you get a bit more range of motion, and potentially move a bit quicker, the biggest thing is that it helps your body not trigger a pulled muscle.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your muscle spindles (&amp;amp; Golgi Tendon reflex nerves) are sensors that tell your body how fast a muscle is being lengthened, it uses this info to gauge whether you might incur joint damage from a part moving too fast - and it causes the muscles to lock up - act as &quot;brakes&quot; to prevent the joint from getting injured.  Since muscle heals faster and better than joints, this is a natural body process we've gotten from evolution.  It's how we get most muscle pulls/tears. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you're used to the body being in a shortened muscle position, moving out of that, sometimes the spindles get stuck into the short position and force cramps, tears, etc. based on that.  This is why stretching after training is particularly useful.  Before training, usually it makes sense to simply put yourself through the range of motion you plan on doing, slowly, then faster/with more force until you can do a full movement.  Doing stretches beyond the expected range of motion only destabilizes your joints for the sake of that movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, stretching can offer minor benefits for reducing soreness in that you're typically getting a bit more fluid moved around which helps for reducing lactic acid build up, etc. but it's not a primary way of solving the problem, nor does it necessarily produce more strength by itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastEditorUserId="1598" LastEditDate="2014-11-19T08:32:39.473" LastActivityDate="2014-11-19T08:32:39.473" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4535" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4528" CreationDate="2014-11-19T05:05:37.740" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, I've been to China to train at the Shaolin temple at Songshan mountain in Dengfeng, Henan, China.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did this only for a couple of weeks, mostly just for fun. My wife (then girlfriend) was training at a school in Houston where the head instructor was an actual Shaolin monk who had moved to the U.S. to start up a school. So the monk offered to arrange everything and take us there with him when he returned. A group of about 8 of us went. We stayed at a house that was right outside the temple grounds, and every day we would get up at the crack of dawn, head down to the temple, train, go have breakfast, train, go have lunch, train, go have dinner, and then head back to our house to go to sleep. And repeat that for 2 weeks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first couple days of our trip was actually a small tour of Beijing. That was very cool. We got to see the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Tienanmen Square, and a bunch of other places. Then we headed by plane to Zhengzhou, Henan. Once there, we got into a private bus arranged for us ahead of time and headed to Dengfeng, Henan. We picked up supplies there, including our monk uniforms, leggings, shoes, toilet paper, water, etc. And then we headed by van to the temple, which is about 15 minutes away, if I recall correctly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Along the way from Dengfeng to Shaolin Temple, you'll see tons of martial arts schools. One in particular (Shaolin Tagou school) has something like 50,000 students. And you'll see them all practicing along side of the road as you travel on the road to Shaolin. The whole town of Dengfeng is setup to cater to martial artists, by the way. There are martial arts supply stores everywhere. Kung Fu is huge in this town.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, my advice if you're interested in an authentic Shaolin temple training experience, set it up with a monk or one of his students. There are many monks that offer this to westerners. They will arrange everything: Travel (including planes, buses, vans, private cars, etc.), interpreters, hotel room, meals, travel around the city, your personalized training regimen including your instructors (typically by monks at the temple), equipment and uniform purchases, tuition, tours of Shaolin, etc. They can even have tourist guides sent to meet with you in Beijing, Shanghai, etc. if you want to do some looking around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think our particular monk would offer to take just anyone. So I won't give you his reference. But while I was at the temple, I ran into a group being lead by Shi De Yang, one of the more well known senior monks there. That group's translator gave me his business card and said that if I knew of anyone looking to train, they should contact him to set it up. So here's his contact. I'm not sure if it's still good: &#xA;  &lt;UL&gt;&#xA;    Robert Huang, Translator&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;    International Training Department&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;    Shaolin temple kungfu Training Center&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;    M.P.:13598021040 Tel: 0086-0371-62748050&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;    E-mail: robert0213@sohu.com , rob0213@yahoo.cn&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;    Training items: Shaolin Sanda, Secret Skills, Shaolin Weapons, Traditional boxing, Taichi and Qigong&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;    Service items: Hotel Reservation and Tour Guide&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;    &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shideyang.com/&quot;&gt;http://www.shideyang.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;    &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shi_De_Yang&quot;&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shi_De_Yang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;    &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shaolinsi.gov.cn&quot;&gt;http://www.shaolinsi.gov.cn&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that contact is no longer valid, you can probably find out online who's setting these training tours up and arrange things through them. There are actually many monks and many schools doing it. My advice, though, is to make sure that you're training at the Shaolin temple itself, not at one of the neighboring private schools down the road. There's also the International Shaolin Center that's not actually part of the temple but is right next to the temple, and that one seems to be run by the monks with the intention of teaching foreigners. So either the temple itself or the International Shaolin Center next door would be fine. But anything else, you might want to really do your homework before you go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's for Shaolin kung-fu training. For Taiji training, you'll probably want to arrange a similar training visit at Chenjiaguo (Chen village). I'm not sure how &quot;full service&quot; those groups are, though. You might have to arrange your own transportation and hotel accommodations. But I bet you can find a group that does all that and gets you in to train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of this is possible. It just depends on how long you're willing to stay, and how much you want to pay. But I can tell you, everything in China is much cheaper than most other countries, especially U.S. or Europe. Food, clothing, shoes, etc. are super cheap. You can buy meals for a group of 10 people in China for about the same cost as what you'd pay for one meal in the U.S. Shoes like Feiyue sell for around US $5 there. T-shirts will sell for around US $1. A full monk uniform can be bought for around US $5. You can buy weapons real cheap, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So mostly it comes down to how long you're willing to spend there. We met a Russian guy there who spoke English, and he said he was going to stay for as long as it took to lose weight. And he was large. It's not uncommon for westerners to just take a year off and go train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just one more thing to note. When you get there, you will get traveler's diarrhea. Almost everyone gets it in China on their first trip. It's just different bacteria than what you're used to. It will last between 2 and 7 days. After that, you're fine. The first 7 days is also what you'll need to get used to the altitude. You'll feel terrible that first week, basically. You'll be tired, nauseated, and anything you eat will give you violent diarrhea. Make sure you have toilet paper and carry it with you everywhere, because they don't provide it in their bathrooms anywhere in China.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bottom line: Plan for at least a two week trip. The first week you might be unable to train due to these problems. The second week will be much better. Return trips might go better, because your body may be immune to it after that (but don't bet on it).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-11-19T05:05:37.740" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4536" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4613" CreationDate="2014-11-19T06:27:22.823" Score="10" ViewCount="23461" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been training Muay Thai for about a year now, and am concerned about the risks I'm taking with regards to brain damage. I spar about once a week, and I really don't get hit that often or hard as I have a style that incorporates a lot of movement and have good training partners. However, there are some individuals in my gym who have a large size advantage on me and are more skilled, and many times they clip me on the chin with punches. From time to time (I can count on one hand how many times it's happened in the past year), these punches &quot;rock&quot; me in the lightest sense of the word (I've never &quot;seen stars&quot; or been unable to hold my balance, only a bit rattled and stunned). We don't really wear head gear at my gym when we are doing Muay Thai sparring (the boxers always do), and I've noticed that when people wear headgear they think they can punch harder thus nullifying the benefit to a great degree. That being said, I own some head gear, and it is in my best interest to wear it so I am going to start. I plan on doing 1 amateur fight at some point in my life for the experience, but that's it. With all this taken to account, am I really posing a threat to my long term mental health and cognitive functioning? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4352" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T20:28:19.837" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T20:28:19.837" Title="Risk of brain damage in casual/moderate Muay Thai sparring" Tags="|sparring|muay-thai|safety|brain-injury|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4538" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4532" CreationDate="2014-11-19T12:44:48.117" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As far as styles &quot;geared for&quot; older people, I don't know any.  I do not believe Tai Chi was created for old people specifically.  But there are styles that older people can do, which is not to say they will do them better than a younger, more athletic person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;AIKIDO&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sounds like you want an internal martial art but dislike the flavor of Chinese martial arts.  That's fine, not everyone does.  I suggest Aikido for those with a background in Judo or Karate who want something &quot;softer&quot; (which here means it still hurts... a lot... but you don't get injured... as much).  The breakfalls will be the hardest hill for you to climb, and seiza position will hurt, especially if you have knee issues.  But you won't be doing the flying spinning triple 180 axe kicks that kill TKDers knees in the long run.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And, most importantly, it &lt;strong&gt;emphasizes non-violent resolution to conflict&lt;/strong&gt;.   Injuring the opponent, even if he has a knife or gun and is trying to kill you, is considered an improperly done technique in Aikido.  I disagree with this wholeheartedly, but if that's the ethos you're going for, sounds like Aikido might be the one for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, what was wrong with creating your own Karate?  As long as you don't try to brand it as classical Karate, why is there a problem? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2014-11-19T12:44:48.117" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4539" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4532" CreationDate="2014-11-19T15:20:30.663" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It would really depend on what you look like at 61. If you're in really great shape, you have a much larger pool of martial arts to pick from. If you're not in particularly great shape (but still able to punch someone's lights out), your options are much more limited.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ironically, given your last sentence, Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do might actually be a good option. Sure, it helps a lot if you're really quick but unless you plan on competing at a national level, I don't foresee you having much difficulty with your 61 year old frame.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're just in it for the health benefits, there are few styles that come close to Taekwondo, though. Muay Thai might have harder training and conditioning, but Taekwondo can't be beat for keeping your body supple and your mind sharp.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-11-19T15:20:30.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4540" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4532" CreationDate="2014-11-20T00:30:10.153" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Suddenly we are told we can't do that &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4532/are-there-any-styles-that-are-geared-to-people-over-61#comment8118_4532&quot;&gt;mentioned by Wudang Kid&lt;/a&gt;, whaaaatt??!!! Nobody - &lt;strong&gt;absolutely nobody&lt;/strong&gt; - can tell you to not practice any specific kata etc. Even if you are practicing a specialised form that someone has protected as their intellectual property, the most they can do is stop you from teaching it to others (i.e. they can stop you from profiting from it).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Then we began to create a style just for us and borrowed... [snip]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You've done the right thing. This is exactly how karate has always evolved - a student spends time learning, then ultimately they take what suits them and their circumstances and discard the rest. Even if that student stays strictly within a style they always end up putting their own spin on techniques, or they (de)emphasize what they prefer. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately you shouldn't need to try and source a new school or instructor, unless you feel that you still need regular instruction. Instead you should be able to get by with an occasional session and continue practicing and evolving what you know. While your style is predominantly based on karate there is no reason why you cannot build in elements of other styles as you see fit - it's your style.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do become a regular student at another school, you have to be prepared to be immersed in their way of doing things. If you instead arrange to attend occasionally as a guest then you can largely avoid that immersion. Of course that arrangement is up to the particular school or instructor, some schools may not entertain that. If that is the case then build personal relationships with specific instructors, I think you'll find that most are quite open to training outside the school especially if there is something for them to gain from it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best thing you can do to progress yourself is to continue to study the specifics of the kata you've chosen. Remember that you've &quot;borrowed&quot; nothing - those kata were yours to take.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-11-20T00:30:10.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4541" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4532" CreationDate="2014-11-20T01:57:39.967" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with most of the others, in that if someone said, &quot;You can't do that&quot; I would look at them with a quizzical expression and be on my merry way. People have started their own martial arts because they were told &quot;you can't do that&quot; in what ever style they were practicing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In something like MMA you borrow from all schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not really belted but I've received some training in a few of the arts, Karate, Taekwondo and Judo mainly and each has it's purpose. My legs aren't quite flexible enough for me to be especially good at Taekwondo although at one time I could kick quite well, as I've aged they've gotten lower, but with Karate's punches and Judo's moves I have quite a bit of control. There was also training I received in the Marine Corps and other practices I've picked up here and there (meditation, starting tai chi, etc..) that I've included in my routine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm generally not a fighter and try not to, but when I do have to fight I don't lose, but I also usually don't hurt the other person either, I use martial arts for self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I've aged (I'm 50 now) I've adjusted my techniques to fit my body, and everyone who's said &quot;you can't do that&quot; I'd simply smile, nod my head and walk away and do what I wanted anyway. They may feel that &lt;em&gt;they&lt;/em&gt; can't do that, but that doesn't stop &lt;em&gt;me&lt;/em&gt; from doing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4353" LastActivityDate="2014-11-20T01:57:39.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4543" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-11-20T10:19:20.203" Score="4" ViewCount="974" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know whether to get a filled/unfilled dummy/hangman. I've done a bit of limited research so I'm going to list the pros and cons I've heard about each. BTW This isn't a &quot;Shopping Recommendation&quot; request - I just want to know what will be better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Unfilled Dummy:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pros:&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Most look cooler&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Adjustable weight&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cheaper (not including stuffing) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cons:&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Might break easily&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;May take along time to assemble &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Filled Dummy:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pros:&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stronger&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Can use it straight away &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Better for strikes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cons:&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Limbs not as flexible for submissions&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;More expensive &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what should I get? I don't want to spend more than £100 and a lot of filled ones don't ship to the UK.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4308" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-03-30T19:52:01.090" LastActivityDate="2017-12-02T19:16:13.160" Title="Get A wrestling dummy filled or unfilled" Tags="|sparring|equipment|grappling|wrestling|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4544" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1433" CreationDate="2014-11-20T12:48:11.173" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tenshin is doing an ayumi ashi step forwards followed by a small tenkan, moving offline and adjusting to face uke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is the beginning footwork that is done in the aikikai version of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EENeVTWpe_o&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;yokomen uchi shihonage omote&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4356" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-11-20T14:52:25.687" LastActivityDate="2014-11-20T14:52:25.687" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4545" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4546" CreationDate="2014-11-21T21:26:52.297" Score="5" ViewCount="3561" Body="&lt;p&gt;I did Tae Kwan Do for many years, but I took a hiatus for a couple of years and now that I've started up again, I find myself ending nearly every class with a minor strain in my right hip. I started coming to classes early to do extra stretching, which has helped some, but I still seem to strain it on a fairly regular basis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there some stretches, strength-building exercises, or other habits that will help me prevent this from happening/recover more quickly? Or modifications to common techniques that will make things easier on my hips until I'm back to baseline strength and flexibility? Related to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7/how-to-return-to-tae-kwon-do&quot;&gt;this question&lt;/a&gt;, but I think more specific and I have been keeping that advice in mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="45" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2014-11-24T13:41:01.493" Title="How can I avoid hip injury while practicing Tae Kwon Do?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|injury|strength|stretching|flexibility|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4546" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4545" CreationDate="2014-11-22T02:41:55.380" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, it's normal to have hip soreness when beginning or restarting TKD.  It's hard to say if you're causing yourself real injury, and as always I suggest you consult a physician if this is a real concern for you.  Only you can really tell if the soreness/strain you're feeling is the normal soreness of training, or a sign of something serious.  Monitor it closely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A few exercises that will help, some of these you may already do:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HplKYfiYVcc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This video at 8:52&lt;/a&gt; Feet together.  Face down.  Knees spread.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-lmBAPggQU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This video at 2:44&lt;/a&gt; Classic hip flexor stretch.  Kneeling, pressing hip forward.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Could not find video or image for these next two so bear with me:&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;On your hands and knees, lift bent leg to the side like a dog peeing.  Do about 20 reps each leg.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;On your hands and knees, tuck bent knee into chest, then slowly lift until the thigh is parallel with the floor behind you.  Keep the leg bent as before  20 reps each leg.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dynamic stretch kicks.  Straight leg. With ankle flexed (contrast with toe pointed) puts more emphasis on the hip.  Try to kick yourself in the forehead.  If you succeed, it will be super funny (kidding).  Exercise caution with dynamic stretching, as it may aggravate injured muscles.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Same dynamic kicking as above, but do outside and inside crescents.  I usually do these after the straight stretching kicks mentioned above.  The circular crescent kicks put more emphasis on the hip than the straight stretch kicks.  Try to get full range of motion.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Slow kicks with one hand on the wall.  Practice full range of motion with your chambers.  This will strengthen your hips as well as increase range of motion.  Your instructor will be able to direct you through these.  Remember, you have your hand on the wall so you don't have to worry about balance, and you're going slow so you don't have to worry about speed, so no excuse not to get the kick technically perfect.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://codyapp.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/air_squat.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Squats&lt;/a&gt;.  This is for strength and range of motion in the hips.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-11-22T03:09:21.253" LastActivityDate="2014-11-22T03:09:21.253" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4547" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4545" CreationDate="2014-11-24T13:41:01.493" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would need to see you in action to really give you a proper answer. Stretching helps, but if you're performing one or more techniques wrong, you may hurt your hips too. You may also have inflammation of the hips which is exacerbated by the exercises. My wife incidentally has this problem which is why I mention it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While you have the above things looked at by someone who can see and touch you, I suggest focusing on not exaggerating any movements. Most injuries come from doing things with your joints that they were not designed for and/or are not used to doing. For instance, if you are leading your turning (roundhouse) kick with your hip to such an extent that it feels like you're swinging your foot on a piece of rope, you're doing it wrong. Ditto for exaggerating the side kick's hip movement or pushing your center-split too far too soon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-11-24T13:41:01.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4548" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1757" CreationDate="2014-11-24T13:48:12.883" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A good rape defense course will first and foremost teach women to avoid a situation where they are at risk in the first place. Bonus points if they drill it into women's heads that they can't knock a guy out like in the movies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once that has been driven into their heads, another feature of a good rape defense course is that women will be taught to poke eyes, kick crotches and scream and run like hell.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, features of a bad rape defense course is when where women are taught all sorts of fancy bullshido techniques like &quot;driving the nose bone into the brain&quot; or double-slapping the eardrums. I've also seen them teach arm bars and joint locks to women, as if a pretty little thing is going to be able to perform one on a guy twice her size and amped up on adrenalin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary, &#xA;Good: avoid or escape. Common sense.&#xA;Bad: Grrl Power! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-11-24T13:48:12.883" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4549" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2297" CreationDate="2014-11-25T04:19:17.173" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I train with 100 lbs distributed over my body once or twice a week, depending on if I have the guts to put it on a second (or first) time. I assure you that if done properly wearing weighted clothes will increase the speed and cleanness of your techniques as well as boost your endurance for the next two or three days. The long term benefits are increased tendon strength, tougher skin from friction, increased pain tolerance and even resistance to the effects of blows to the head. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the training is done improperly you will shred yourself and possibly carry these injuries with you the rest of your life. This training is not meant for martial arts hobbyists or anime fans. If you are not highly skilled you most likely will not receive any of the benefits I listed and will likely only hinder your progress and even slow down your techniques, assuming you don't disfigure yourself falling down or rip a limb from socket by means of poor technique. Even 50 lbs can break you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to be good at martial arts there are no short cuts. Train technique and you will know when it's time to wear the weight. If you want to be fit, there are safer ways to get in shape. Hope this helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4369" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-11-25T10:18:55.450" LastActivityDate="2014-11-25T10:18:55.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4550" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4552" CreationDate="2014-11-25T12:30:14.297" Score="7" ViewCount="1360" Body="&lt;p&gt;I saw a picture of a fighter in the UK in a Muay Thai match reach down to catch the leg of the opponent throwing a kick to his thigh. I was once told that this is not advisable. In the move as he reached down grabbing the leg, he threw a punch from the other side. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is grabbing kicks lower than the waist advisable? Are there particular situations where it is or isn't?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastActivityDate="2014-11-26T08:42:58.380" Title="Is it advisable to try to catch a low kick to the thigh in Muay Thai?" Tags="|technique|muay-thai|sparring|kicking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4551" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4550" CreationDate="2014-11-25T13:28:23.230" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If the kick is slow enough or sloppy enough to be caught, then yes you should catch it. Why not - it's there for the taking. In a non-tournament situation (i.e. real life) catching a kick should mean fight over. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When shouldn't you catch a kick? When you run the risk of breaking your arm by getting it in the way, or you become vulnerable to further techniques (punches, a clinch) because you've dropped your guard. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Catching a kick below waist level is not easy and would normally be the result of the opponent making a mistake rather than a deliberate strategy. It's not commonly seen in Muay Thai because most practitioners are actively taught how &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; to kick, which minimises the chances of the kick being caught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the specific picture you saw - I'm surprised that the fighter threw a punch. Catching the kick is a great setup for a sweep or countering thigh kick, or even a knee to the rib or inside thigh of the held leg - all of which are &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wmcmuaythai.org/about-muaythai/muaythai-rules/14-scoring-system&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;point scoring opportunities&lt;/a&gt; in traditional Muay Thai. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2014-11-25T21:05:30.987" LastActivityDate="2014-11-25T21:05:30.987" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4552" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4550" CreationDate="2014-11-25T13:40:50.330" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Anderson Silva, an MMA fighter with a muay Thai background, has executed low-kick catches in the UFC against Chael Sonnen (to an inside leg kick, no less) and James Irvin, as described in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/10/10/3482820/ufc-153-judo-chop-anderson-silva-5-signature-moves&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this Judo Chop article&lt;/a&gt;. The &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XEUd733RAQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;James Irvin kick catch&lt;/a&gt; was simply spectacular, and seems like it would apply well to strict MT competition as well. (Note that the Irvin kick looks like it's to the hip, but that's because Silva changed levels in order to better catch the kick.) So it seems that there are definitely situations where catching the kick is a reasonable choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether attempting a low-kick catch is advisable generally is an open question. Since it requires changing levels and has less chance of working than a middle or high kick catch, it might reasonably be considered a less viable technique or appropriate in fewer situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-11-26T08:42:58.380" LastActivityDate="2014-11-26T08:42:58.380" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4553" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-11-25T15:36:24.870" Score="6" ViewCount="1059" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Main Question: Is there a difference between Shotokan Bunkai for blocks and Taekwondo &quot;Bunkai&quot; for blocks?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sub Question A: Does the wrapping motion of Taekwondo Blocks interfere with the Bunkai? &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sub Question B: What is the purpose of the wrapping motion in TKD blocking (from an application perspective)?  The generation of twisting power and range of motion is understood and need not be discussed.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The above questions are inter-related and sub-sets of the main question.  In other words, they don't deserve their own question (as far as I can see), but they did need to be separated out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TKD is a direct descendant of Shotokan Karate and could be considered a Korean form of Karate.  The main difference besides technical emphases between the two arts is how they chamber for their blocks.  Shotokan will tend to chamber the block further out from the body, while TKD does this &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.taekwondo-information.org/taekwondo-blocks.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;tight wrapping against the body at neck level&lt;/a&gt;.  The link shows a woman chambering for a block, but the chambers I've seen are much tighter than the one she shows.  It's really almost as if you're trying to apply a rear naked choke to yourself (if that makes sense).  There are variations, but most block chambers in TKD are like this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83Oy4S0pUNg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This link shows a Shotokan block (Chudan Uke) along with a few variants of applications for this technique&lt;/a&gt;.  Most analyses of bunkai show the preparatory chambering of the block as a counter-grappling maneuver as shown in the video.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;As this question is not about any specific block, but Shotokan and TKD blocks generally, how can we explain the applications of the wrapping chamber of TKD?&lt;/strong&gt; Wrapping the arms across the throat does not offer the same counter-grappling opportunities as Shotokan bunkai (or does not seem to).  The one &quot;application&quot; that I've read about the TKD's wrapping chamber is protection of the neck.  Sorry, that's not enough bang for my buck (i.e. there are much simpler ways to protect the neck than by wrapping both arms around it and exposing the rest of the torso).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-12-02T14:25:15.797" LastActivityDate="2020-09-26T19:03:15.450" Title="Taekwondo Block Bunkai Vs. Shotokan Block Bunkai" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|application|blocking|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4555" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4556" CreationDate="2014-11-26T16:05:32.647" Score="9" ViewCount="1616" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been practicing Wing Chun (Wang Kiu lineage) for over a year now. Now problem that I find myself running into is my ingrained reactions to incoming kicks or hits. I find that I am afraid of pain and reflexively move back or out of the way, which is actually likely to cause me more pain. Similarly, having just been introduced a little to sparring with kicks allowed, I tend to try to automatically block kicks with my arms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would appreciate any insight into overcoming the fear of pain so I can receive kicks and hits in a more appropriate manner instead of cringing or hiding. Secondarily, it would be helpful to change the automatic reflex reactions that are not helping me at all and actually put me in danger rather than using proper technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it possible to lessen the experience of pain so that I can concentrate on Wing Chun instead of avoiding hurt?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4379" LastActivityDate="2015-01-12T16:29:06.237" Title="Overcoming fear/anxiousness and dealing with pain" Tags="|sparring|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4556" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4555" CreationDate="2014-11-26T16:58:51.353" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This answer makes the assumption that you're talking about reaching down to block low kicks with your arms, which your question seems to indicate.  In Wing Chun, the rule of thumb is that the hands address anything above the waist, and kicks anything below the waist, with some overlap in the groin region.  If the kick is coming at your head &lt;em&gt;you should be blocking with your hands&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Main way to get over the flinch response is by desensitization with two components: physical and psychological.  Desensitizing physically involves banging shins against inanimate objects or training partners.  &lt;em&gt;Be careful&lt;/em&gt; when attempting any kind of desensitization.  In other words, do it a little at a time and don't overdo it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conditioning Shin&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take an old-fashioned rolling pin of the kind used to roll out dough, and roll it up and down your shins increasing pressure gradually.  You can achieve a similar effect with any kind of stick or cylindrical object, though of course these don't roll as well.  You may also directly strike your shins with a stick.  Make sure you do this with very light strikes, gradually building up intensity over time, and spread the strikes as evenly as possible along the length of the shin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kicking Trees&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you're comfortable with that, you can move on to hitting your shins against inanimate objects like trees.  I don't know if your lineage has a &lt;a href=&quot;http://breakingmuscle.com/martial-arts/swinging-the-bat-how-to-do-the-muay-thai-roundhouse-kick&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;round kick&lt;/a&gt;, but you can steal one from Muay Thai or Karate.  This is the kick you'll be doing against the inanimate object.  Make sure the inanimate objects are not exceptionally narrow like a beam or post as this may concentrate the impact on a small portion of your shin, making it more prone to injury.  I emphasize this again, go lightly and make very little penetration of the target.  You do not want to wind up unable to walk from over-training this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Partner Exercises&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Find an interested training partner, and deliver simultaneous &lt;em&gt;low-power&lt;/em&gt; round kicks to each other's shins.  This will probably do the most to desensitize you psychologically from receiving kicks on your legs since now a kick is actually coming at you.  Both of you will be training to receive and accept pain on that part of the body.  And you'll be training yourself not to reach down and try to block it with your hands.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Now that you've conditioned yourself to take the pain, try training yourself to do the smart thing and let the kick miss.  Have your buddy throw those same round kicks at your shin, but this time pick your leg up and let his kick miss.  Your sifu will be able to show you how to counter a kick with a kick.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfWb3_HzjNY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this video has a decent demo of this technique&lt;/a&gt;.  Once you see that in Wing Chun hands address hands and feet address feet, maybe you'll stop trying to karate low block a kick to the legs. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-11-26T18:11:22.567" LastActivityDate="2014-11-26T18:11:22.567" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4557" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4555" CreationDate="2014-11-26T22:53:22.577" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I've been practicing Wing Chun (Wang Kiu lineage) for over a year now...having just been introduced &lt;strong&gt;a little&lt;/strong&gt; to sparring with kicks allowed, I tend to try to automatically block kicks with my arms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Emphasis mine. This is your problem. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flinchy reactions to normal attacks is caused by either A) not knowing what to do or B) not sparring enough under realistic conditions. You have not been sparring enough under realistic conditions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having trained for a year and only now getting into sparring with kicks is a bit of a red flag. It's not unheard of to not spar as a beginner in boxing, if someone is only hitting the bags and doing conditioning, but if you're training to fight then sparring should be a matter of course. Have you been sparring hard without kicks, or just doing &lt;em&gt;chi sau&lt;/em&gt;? The latter would be another red flag that you have not been given serious productive training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wear gloves, a mouthguard, and shinguards and spar several times a week--not full contact, but hard--and you will overcome your flinches. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-11-26T22:53:22.577" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4558" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4559" CreationDate="2014-11-27T11:13:00.163" Score="9" ViewCount="821" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a short guy been doing aikikai aikido for a few years now and still have a few problems when practicing on bigger folk.  For example, when practicing sankyo from a shomenuchi attack, there's a position to take the attacker off balance after beginning the omote attack as shown in the left hand diagram below.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/VKsvJ.png&quot; alt=&quot;sankyo&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Following this, the idea is to right drive the hand towards the armpit in preparation for sankyo.  What's the best way of doing this to a resistant partner?  It just doesn't feel right if I'm doing this move to someone with big arms as I've got small hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I guess I'm saying is, what approaches to people take in aikido to training with bigger, stronger partners who sometimes don't want to cooperate?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4325" LastActivityDate="2017-11-22T06:54:56.723" Title="Aikido - working with difficult uke" Tags="|training|aikido|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4559" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4558" CreationDate="2014-11-27T11:48:59.927" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;tl;dr&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;Balance breaking, timing, and power/speed is what you are looking for.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer depends what type of training you: &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt;, or &lt;em&gt;shihai&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt;, you are supposed to learn basic movement. As such your uke should help you and not hinder you. A quick word with them to ask &quot;why is this not working?&quot; should fix it.  Although I suspect that you are missing something in the technique: balance breaking and speed of movement is all important there but when you start learning you have neither. Do it slow, making sure you get the movements right. Your uke should be giving you feedback, if not ask for it! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is your opportunity to understand how the balance is broken for this technique. As you get more and more familiar with that, the speed of entry and timing come into play.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt;, depending on the intensity, is where you get to make that kata your own: You have to get a good balance breaker. You have to get good speed. You have to get good timing. All the things you learned in the kata phase. And sometimes, none of those things will help! Some techniques are not suitable for you to use depending on your and uke's body types. Needless to say, your uke should be helping you there as well. After all, these are still learning/teaching exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, you get feed back from randori into kata!  Randori does teach you when the timing worked, and how to apply that balance breaker. Thus, &lt;code&gt;&amp;lt;recursion&amp;gt;&lt;/code&gt; kata makes your randori better which makes your kata better which makes your randori better which ... &lt;code&gt;&amp;lt;/recursion&amp;gt;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;em&gt;shihai&lt;/em&gt;, you are on your own! Uke's job is to fully resist and potentially counter your technique. This is hard. You cannot get there unless you have a very good understanding of all the above steps. Do not try to run before you can crawl. ^_~ &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the example you give of a shomenuchi attack, you need to get in as  the shomenuchi is coming up. Once it is going down (the attack proper), you're too late. A very fast and speedy entry will give you a good balance breaker. When (if) uke is off balance, it does not matter how strong they are: they go where you place them! Of course, that requires some power on your part.  Again, we are coming back to movement. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The sankyo pin... If you have small hands, chances are that this is not a pin for you.  You should be able to do it in kata but do not bother is randori/shiai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, if you really want to get this to work: grow stronger...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-11-27T11:48:59.927" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4560" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4555" CreationDate="2014-11-27T13:18:00.220" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fear&lt;/strong&gt; is the point here. On the same line of pain and fear which you've already experienced, if you go on you will need to cope with rage, adrenaline dumps, loss of confidence or willingness to surrender, bleeding, inability ot breathe normally, extreme fatigue and not being able to fight back properly.&#xA;Even losing consciousness or having some bone broken are possibilities, but they almost inevitably end the fight so they are outside the scope of this answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One side of the matter is addressing fear, the other side is dealing with all the nasty bodily side effects of the above conditions. Understand also that body and mind talk to each other and the effect is tangible, and it can happen that there is a nice way to fix a mind problem with body practice (or vice versa).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fear&lt;/strong&gt; is a real threat as it makes you slow, weak, sloppy, dim-witted. Surprise, shock and panic in real life situations can be a death sentence as affected people often fail to accomplish tasks that could save their lives - even the most basic ones. On a couple of occasions in my life I have been frozen still by fear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Will to fight&lt;/strong&gt; (or to live) is also crucial, as many people caught in disasters just let themselves die (see Survival Psychology by John Leach); if you let that happen in a fight you're in real trouble. It does not take a disaster to experience it, I know it first hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As it has already being pointed out, a good way is to &lt;strong&gt;experience these states of mind&lt;/strong&gt;, get familiar with them and their effect slowly will start to weaken.&#xA;How to trigger them is a matter of choice: &lt;strong&gt;hard sparring&lt;/strong&gt; is a way, bungee jumping also is. Afraid of water, spiders or blood? You might have an opportunity right there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've found &lt;strong&gt;Yoga&lt;/strong&gt; to be beneficial in this regard, as you try to be comfortable and relaxed in an uncomfortable situation. Yoga also provides you a deeper knowledge of your body and a more intimate body-mind connection, which provides confidence and control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Controlled Breathing&lt;/strong&gt; is very important: it is both beneficial as it empowers athletic tasks, as the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Valsalva maneuver&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/359/why-do-martial-artists-shout-in-the-execution-of-a-technique/364#364&quot;&gt;Kiai&lt;/a&gt;, but it also can be used to affect your parasympathetic nervous system (see &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15347862&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;). It also helps to manage fatigue and pace during a fight.&#xA;Many discplines practice controlled breathing exercises, Yoga and Qi Gong surely do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Toughen up your mind&lt;/strong&gt; by realizing that all the following troubles are just inconveniences, they do not have to affect your performance: blood just stains and it doesn't kill, pain is a trick to make you rush and make mistakes and at most will weaken your muscle contractions, surrendering is never an option, raging gets in the way of proper form, getting choked means you still have time to react, if your nose gets broken that's why you also have a mouth. Busted lips? You're handsome anyway!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stay positive and sharp&lt;/strong&gt;: keep your form good, work your techniques, keep on trying. Just be mindful and wise; to make it easier, &lt;strong&gt;set a clear limit&lt;/strong&gt;: when sparring for example if you need to tap out, tap out; in case of injury, stop immediately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the body-mind connection is important to you right now, just the keep in mind that other approaches exist: the conditioning aspect has already been addressed in another answer. As an added bonus, just practicing conditioning also helps your confidence in your capability to withstand painful blows (via &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;placebo effect&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3234" LastActivityDate="2014-11-27T13:18:00.220" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4561" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4567" CreationDate="2014-11-28T02:16:56.137" Score="10" ViewCount="4585" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am planning on doing MMA. Previously I have done taekwondo for 2 years. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I choose MMA because I felt that taekwondo is less powerful with punches and grappling techniques, but when you do a sport like taekwondo or boxing you will be an expert in kicking or punching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand when you learn MMA you will learn muay thai, boxing, BJJ, wrestling, so we have to focus on more techniques.  I feel that by doing MMA we can grasp only little parts of other sports, so I fear that I cannot be an expert. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should I go to a MMA class or should I go to different classes for different sports like one class for boxing, one class for muay thai, one class for BJJ? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the most efficient way? I am totaly confused.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="899" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-11-28T14:42:44.397" LastActivityDate="2014-12-01T03:35:52.450" Title="Doing MMA or a doing multiple individual martial arts, which is more effective?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|tae-kwon-do|muay-thai|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4562" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4561" CreationDate="2014-11-28T13:17:22.417" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;It all depends on what you want to achieve. Want to become a boxing champion? Go do boxing. Want to be TKD pro? Go practice TKD.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you just want to be able to fight off some bullies practice (almost) any martial art, most of them are good and bullies/hooligans normally do not have a rich background of martial arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, it heavily depends on the teacher. You can spend years learning boxing and still have worse punching technique than a person who does karate(for example) for a couple of years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1115" LastActivityDate="2014-11-28T13:17:22.417" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4565" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2014-11-29T07:31:52.990" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-11-29T07:31:52.990" LastActivityDate="2014-11-29T07:31:52.990" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4566" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2014-11-29T07:31:52.990" Score="0" Body="MMA stands for Mixed Martial Arts, a form of competition where practitioners of any style of martial arts can test themselves with minimal restrictions against practitioners of any other art. People study MMA as its own martial art or combat sport, but also frequently transition to MMA after becoming proficient in another art like wrestling, BJJ, or karate." OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-11-29T07:31:52.990" LastActivityDate="2014-11-29T07:31:52.990" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4567" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4561" CreationDate="2014-11-30T00:03:04.497" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question asks which is more effective: Doing MMA or doing multiple different martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a couple of different interpretations about what is meant by &quot;effective&quot; in this context, however. First, it can refer to how well all the different styles of martial arts are integrated into a cohesive system whereby all the techniques work together and can easily and quickly be switched from one to the other. Alternatively, it can refer to how good it is for either sport or self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for going out and learning multiple styles and integrating them into a cohesive whole, the problem you're going to encounter with that approach is that all the individual, &quot;pure&quot; martial arts don't combine and work together very well without doing a lot of adaptation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, if you want to combine western boxing with judo, you're going to find out through trial and error that the boxing stance is all wrong for an MMA or street scenario. You're too upright in a pure boxing stance, and that means you're more easily taken down by someone who shoots in on you. It also means you'll have to take more time if you want to shoot in on your opponent, telegraphing your moves as you crouch down and lean forward to shoot. So you'll want to modify your boxing stance by sinking down a bit in your legs, spreading your feet out some more, and leaning forward slightly so that you can quickly sprawl against your opponent if they decide to shoot in on you. In boxing, shooting in on someone is against the rules. They don't have to worry about that happening. And so they have optimized their stance so that they can have an advantage in a pure boxing match. For real-life or MMA, it doesn't work well. You'll have to modify it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Form dictates function, and vice versa. The rules of each martial art, and the assumptions about what those arts are going to be used for, cause those martial arts to look the way they do. If you alter the rules to allow for a wider range of techniques, those martial arts may have to change more or less everything about what they do and how they do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This approach is very interesting and cerebral. It will take a very long time, lots of trial and effort, and lots of analysis and research. But ultimately, you'll probably end up with something that looks basically the same as MMA. So, why not just do MMA instead? The people who teach MMA have already done all of this analysis for you. And they didn't do it alone. There are thousands of others that came before them. The most time efficient and practical thing is to just go directly into MMA instead of trying to reinvent it yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there is a little twist here. Self-defense and MMA do not have the same rules, goals, and strategies. Training only in MMA (from sport-based MMA schools) will probably give you bad habits that will be dangerous in self-defense situations. If self-defense is your primary goal, I recommend learning Gracie Jiujitsu first and/or seeking out an MMA school whose primary interest is in self-defense. They're much more rare, but they are out there. You just have to ask around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gracie Jiujitsu is primarily focused on self-defense. They don't optimize for sport until much later on, after blue belt. Their foundational skills that they build at the white belt level allow them to recognize later on when a technique is dangerous for street fighting. And Gracie Jiujitsu is a kind of MMA. They begin at white belt with defense against punches, kicks, and so on. But later on, they actually teach you how to punch and kick. They've integrated it into their style nicely, and it continues to evolve today. They even have small circle joint manipulation and self-defense drills like you see in classical Japanese jujitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then later on, you can decide to add MMA to your Gracie Jiujitsu training. Or you can go and do MMA entirely. It's up to you. The stuff you learn in Gracie Jiujitsu will make you better in MMA, even if you only care about sport and not self-defense. And that's how most people approach it nowadays.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many people take Muay Thai classes, also. But in my opinion, you'll get most of what you need of Muay Thai by taking MMA classes instead. Same with western boxing. But Jiujitsu is a different thing. Jiujitsu is much more technical and intricate, which is why I recommend taking it all by itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2014-12-01T03:35:52.450" LastActivityDate="2014-12-01T03:35:52.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4568" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1575" CreationDate="2014-11-30T11:10:07.493" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the TAGB (Taekwondo Association of Great Britain) there is a certain timing that needs to be between gradings, 3 months minimum from white up to blue belt, 6 months from blue to black tag then a year between black tag and black belt. After that it goes 2 years between 1st and 2nd dan, 3 between 2nd and 3rd, 4 between 3rd and 4th and 5 between 4th and 5th. After that it's at discretion of the Chairman of the TAGB (Grand Master David Oliver) to give you your next grade after an application has been sent to them. Hope this helped :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4264" LastActivityDate="2014-11-30T11:10:07.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4569" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1575" CreationDate="2014-12-01T08:49:09.987" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Kukkiwon has no specified delay between coloured belt (kup) gradings.  That said, I would say that a minimum of 20 sessions and being of the required standard (so not just attendance) is fairly normal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Indeed it's normal in Korea for children to get their 1st Poom (junior black belt) in a year, when they train 5 times per week.  So if you are training 2 times per week, then that's grading every 3 months.  For 10 kup ranks, allowing for occasionally not being ready or a longer gap from 1st Kup to 1st Dan, that means 1st Dan/Poom in about 2.5-3 years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2014-12-01T08:49:09.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4570" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3161" CreationDate="2014-12-01T09:03:59.247" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;(Taekwondo practitioner for nearly 30 years, running a Taekwondo club)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would go with the others general advice on getting them started in a club under a qualified instructor.  However, I understand there are places where either people are too far from a club or it's financially not feasible, so teaching them the very basics gives them something to work on in the meantime.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, we normally start like this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) Teach them how to clench a fist properly.  Then go in to Charyeot (attention stance, fist at the sides, don't flap them/slap them against the legs, feet together, all toes forward), Kyungye (bow, waist to 30 degrees head to 45 degrees, look down NOT at your opponent) and Joonbi (ready, feet one foot length apart, all toes forward, hands come slowly up to solar plexus open and down slowly clenching until they reach the belt not where they stop one fist apart and one fist away from the belt not).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) We do sitting stance punching - keep the feet two foot lengths apart, all toes facing forward, knees bent but naturally not forced outward.  When punching initially focus on getting the hands right, ensuring the twist is in the last 20% of the movement, then add in waist/body twisting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) We teach them three basic blocks - low block, rising block and inward block.  We do this in steps - prepare, step, block - for each, then move them on to doing all three steps together (so as you're starting to step prepare the hands to the right place, then as you finish and your foot stops, your block stops).  All are done in short/walking stance (we don't teach long stace - Apkubi - until after the first belt test).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4) We teach them four basic kicks.  The principle is that each kick is attacking an opponent in front from a different attack direction.  So a front kick - Ap Chagi (ensuring proper knee bending before AND after kicking) comes in a slightly upward direction, a push kick - Mirroh Chagi (knee to the chest before pushing away with the sole of the foot) comes from a straight forward direction, axe kick - Naeryo Chagi (swings straight up, knee straight at this grade, then point the foot and pull down) comes downward, then turning/roundhouse kick - Dollyo Chagi (knee forward as per front kick, foot and toes pulled back, then turn the standing foot and rotate the leg so the shin is parallel to the floor, kick out then retract the same way) comes from the side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After that we often go in to footwork, but this is a bit more difficult to describe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would advise not making him wear a dobok and certainly don't think about if lessons go on, giving him any belts.  If you can purchase a Taekwondo paddle, you can use it to have him kick something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2014-12-01T09:03:59.247" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4571" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3117" CreationDate="2014-12-01T09:12:12.877" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can't comment as I don't have 50 reputation yet, but unfortunately coltonon is incorrect.  He says &quot;eight official color belt ranks registered by the kukkiwon and the wtf&quot; and that those ranks are certified and recognised worldwide.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Kukkiwon doesn't care about colour belt ranks and doesn't certify them.  There is no system in place to get the certificates from them or register promotions with them for coloured belts.  There is no Kukkiwon defined syllabus in place for coloured belt tests, nor any rules/regulations relating to them (except for the requirement that they are given by a Kukkiwon 4th dan or above)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The WTF doesn't care about ANY ranks, it is purely a sport organisation.  For all matters relating to rank it delegates these to the Kukkiwon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So any kup ranks may or may not be accepted in 164 countries, but it's at the instructor's discretion and not Kukkiwon or WTF certified/registered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source: Taekwondo 5th Dan Kukkiwon, my school is a Kukkiwon Member, I'm a regular member of the 2012 and 2013 World Taekwondo Leaders Forum and I'm a Kukkiwon-certified Master Instructor with Citation.  All certificates are on my &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.stevenagetaekwondo.co.uk/assets/certificates/Andy-Jeffries-2013-Kukkiwon-Citation-e0a7f98024b0f09cdcff3a4b37f26c3b.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2014-12-01T09:12:12.877" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4572" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3071" CreationDate="2014-12-01T09:16:53.063" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The rule changes have already occurred.  If you look at the last Grand Prix events put on by the WTF you will have seen octogonal rings instead of square.   And a lot more punches were scored by the judges (as President Choue said, we'd have to award points for weaker punches to allow more to score as they obviously don't have the same impact force as kicks).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the changes have already taken place, it's just that the interwebs got all carried away thinking Taekwondo was going to become much more like MMA than President Choue was specifically talking about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I was in Korea in 2012 at the World Taekwondo Leaders Forum there was a lot of talk about the success of MMA and how as Taekwondoin we should try to (basically) &quot;get some of dat!&quot; :-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I don't think there's any more drastic changes coming (punches to the head, takedowns, etc).  Taekwondo is its own art with its own identity, they don't want to lose that and have it become just like the rest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2014-12-01T09:16:53.063" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4573" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1853" CreationDate="2014-12-01T09:30:05.810" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a Taekwondo instructor and I would disagree with your premise that &quot;Karate style uses the balls of the feet to hit, by pulling the toes back, whereas the Tae-kwon-do’s style is by using the instep of the foot&quot;.  We often use the ball of the foot, particularly when hitting something hard like bricks or boards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, against soft targets such as the head (although the skull is hard, because of the mobility of the neck hitting the head allows for free movement so I'd consider it a soft target) there's no need for the ball of the foot and using the instep is better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason that kicking with the instep is better is that when the foot is pulled back it adds stretching pressure to the whole back of the leg.  This is why gymnasts and dancers stretch with their feet pointed, they want to allow the maximum flexibility they can without nerve tension (nerves don't generally stretch very far if at all) be a part of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, that discusses the foot position, now another key difference for me between the two is the hip movement and therefore range.  In Karate they often keep their hips completely square and thus the kick doesn't come as far forward.  It also therefore reduces the rotational force generated by the body.  In Taekwondo we bring the knee through forward and then rapidly turn it over to convert that forward momentum and trunk twisting force in to power in the kick.  Aside from power - allowing the hips to turn further through and pointing the foot all add to extra range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, just my opinion - I have never studied Karate (although I have a lot of friends in that world).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2014-12-01T09:30:05.810" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4574" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4553" CreationDate="2014-12-01T09:38:39.297" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kukkiwon has no official Bunkai (Boonhae in Korean).  So I would say that this is a dangerous road to go down, trying to assign Boonhae to a system that specifically wasn't mean to have it.  People doing this are guessing after the fact (and a lot of the founders have said there is no hidden meaning to the moves intended). Now, the previous martial arts that the founders studied (mostly Karate, with some Kung-fu) may have had them, so the movements are similar but the Taekwondo motions weren't designed with Boonhae in mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for why the Taekwondo low block preparation position is so high/tight to the head, it's simply a matter of how far can you take your hand away from the blocking position without compromising either your joints or your body position/stability.  Given that force equals mass times acceleration, you want as long a distance as possible to keep accelerating the blocking body part.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's nothing more complex than that, it's no secret defence for protecting the neck (at least not in the way that my instructors or the Kukkiwon instructors on the Master Instructor Course in Korea explained it), it's purely physics principles applied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You do say that &quot;most Taekwondo block chambers are like this&quot;, it's only low blocks (and varients) that start from above the shoulder, middle blocks start from the shoulder line and high blocks start from the waist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2014-12-01T09:38:39.297" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4575" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="628" CreationDate="2014-12-01T10:10:06.847" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The modern differences are simply that there are none.  All of the kwans now exist to support Kukkiwon.  They issue rank to their members, but most of them will only allow a maximum of one rank above your current Kukkiwon rank.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the past there were differences in technique and strategy, but those days are gone now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In 2012 I was at the Kukkiwon World Taekwondo Leaders Forum and I was talking with one of the Kukkiwon staff (a Section Leader) about how my instructors were from Changmookwan and I wish I had had a chance to be part of a kwan. The answer I was expecting was &quot;the kwans all unified to form Kukkiwon, those days are past&quot; but instead he introduced me to the Kwanjangnim (head/president) of Changmookwan and the Kwanjangnim accepted me as a member and promoted me to Changmookwan dan rank after seeing me train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've since spoken lots of times with the Kwanjangnim's son, and all the discussions have been as above - kwans still exist, they still issue rank, but they all 100% support Kukkiwon techniques and syllabus and there are no longer technical differences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2014-12-01T10:10:06.847" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4576" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1853" CreationDate="2014-12-01T12:03:38.060" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am going to attract flak for this statement, but I stand behind it nonetheless: Taekwondo's kicks are not only different from their Karate counterparts, they are also superior in every sense: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;they are faster&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;they strike harder/are more devastating&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;they have more reach&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;their initial movements are harder for your opponent to tell apart&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only critique I have of TKD kicks vis. other martial arts is that they expend more energy (Muay Thai possibly excepted) and thus you have to be in better shape, or refrain from throwing unnecessary kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;WRT the specific turning kick discussed, TKD's is superior because kicking with your foot pointed relaxes your hamstring and calf muscles, allowing you to perform the kick with more snap. The TKD way of leading all kicks with the hip means that your reach is increased significantly and the fact that you are generating the bulk of the kick's power from the muscles surrounding your hips and below your bellybutton means you have more raw power than if you generated the bulk of it using your leg muscles. NOTE: I said the bulk of the kick's force is generated via one or other method. This does not mean that I think all of the force is generated in either way. I am saying MOST of the force comes from the hips or the legs, respectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kicking with the ball of the foot versus the instep has pros and cons. I wouldn't tell a student to use just one technique. The instep makes for a harder contact, but the force is spread out over a larger area. It would be better to employ it if your target is something soft like the neck or cheek. The ball of the foot can be used when aiming for something hard like the jaw or the side of the head. The rule of thumb is &lt;strong&gt;Hard against soft and soft against hard&lt;/strong&gt;. Though I also like to teach kicking with the bottom of the shin. I found it to be a more effective kick, even though it has slightly less range. It's much more versatile because you can condition the shin to take lots of abuse, plus it's a nice and &quot;sharp&quot; contact area. This means you can use the exact same kick to bruise muscles &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; inflict a potential knockout (i.e. you can use the same kick against the neck or the side of the head). It also requires much less pinpoint accuracy because you don't have to worry about contacting the chin with your instep, which will cause you to limp if it was a particularly hard impact. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2014-12-02T12:53:30.717" LastActivityDate="2014-12-02T12:53:30.717" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4577" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4578" CreationDate="2014-12-02T11:26:49.940" Score="6" ViewCount="2554" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am coming from a Muay Thai style and trying out MMA. When sparring in Muay Thai I would frequently hold my glove to my face and successfully block punches. When doing this in MMA, most punches were passing my much smaller glove. I wonder if this is due to a lack of precision in where I place my hand or whether or not I should not attempt at passively blocking and instead focus on moving my head (bobbing) to avoid punches to my head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="259" LastActivityDate="2014-12-04T12:54:52.010" Title="In MMA, should you try to block punches with your glove in the same way you could in Muay Thai?" Tags="|muay-thai|sparring|punching|mixed-martial-arts|blocking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4578" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4577" CreationDate="2014-12-02T13:16:33.047" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Defending punches by putting a glove against your face is not a successful strategy without big gloves. With MMA's small gloves or without gloves at all, it is a Bad Idea. To be truthful, it's not an optimal strategy in boxing or kickboxing, either: you still take a substantial impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, work your rolling, bobbing and weaving, slipping, and parrying, or shell up with your elbows pointed towards the opponent and your hands behind your head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-12-04T12:54:52.010" LastActivityDate="2014-12-04T12:54:52.010" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4579" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4577" CreationDate="2014-12-03T08:32:25.507" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As you guessed, small gloves aren't ideal for passive blocking (keeping your hands in one position to block more than one punch). The closest thing to passive blocking you could get away with in MMA is to whip your forearm at your opponent's wrist in such a manner that your wrist impacts his. This isn't a strike though, the idea is the get your wrist to stick to his. WIth that in mind, you'll know you're doing it right when you are &quot;catching&quot; his punch with the outside of your wrist and have your arm act as a shock absorber, guiding the punch close to your face, but destroying all its momentum. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That might sound like a long slow movement, but in practice it looks like your swatting away the punch. The secret is to contact and redirect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, Dave Liepmann's suggestion to turtle up is how everyone else does it, and probably for good reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-12-03T08:32:25.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4580" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4581" CreationDate="2014-12-03T21:37:44.070" Score="9" ViewCount="992" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm in Chung-do-kwan; we practice speed, precision, strength, focus, and balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In last years tournament, I faced up against an opponent who probably shouldn't have even been in my group due to size and skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All four of the ring judges voted that I won, but the head judge, who has the final call, said my opponent won. Everyone there knew I won and the other dude had just gotten a break because he was the 'underdog'. Unfortunately this was a 'No contact' tournament so I couldn't beat the bejeezus out of my opponent to prove myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This years tournament is coming up and i would like to know how to respectfully ask my judge &quot;&lt;em&gt;Why did&lt;/em&gt; HE &lt;em&gt;win?&lt;/em&gt;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4254" LastActivityDate="2018-06-04T17:44:52.413" Title="How to deal with unfair judges" Tags="|sparring|competition|recommendation|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4581" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4580" CreationDate="2014-12-03T23:45:41.637" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've always considered non contact tournaments to be a lottery, but even in full contact matches you will get calls that go against you that you don't agree with - that is the nature of the sport. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would (politely!!) question the organisers and determine whether they have a review process for decisions. If they do then the referees/judges will have to justify their decision. While you may have a valid complaint, I would not create a huge scene over it - that would show a lack of respect and humility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, you could look at this another way: if a head judge is going to award the win to your opponent because he was an underdog but he still participated, then maybe this is a tournament (or a class/division) that you are over qualified for?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2014-12-03T23:45:41.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4582" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4580" CreationDate="2014-12-04T07:04:37.090" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are not happy with a judge's decision, you should take it up with the head official. The head official is usually not the senior judge. In my own organization, the head official was our Grand Master, while the head judges were instructors from various dojangs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just take note of the fact that the head official is there to make sure the sport's image isn't tarnished, so you'd better be 100% sure you were treated unfairly before you appeal to him. Because he will make a decision that's best for the organization, which may or may not be in your best interest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also remember that you will (unfairly) be labeled a troublemaker, which will disadvantage you in future. Especially in a close fight where the winner isn't obvious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As always, a personal anecdote: in my very first Taekwondo tournament I faced a guy two years older than me who also happened to belong to the most popular dojang. I managed to beat him in a very hard fight, but the judges decided to award him the win. My instructor appealed the decision to his father (the grandmaster) and I had a rematch. I &quot;won&quot; the rematch too, but for a second time the win was awarded to the other fighter. We appealed a second time. Again I clearly beat him, but the win was again awarded to the other fighter. We decided to leave it as is. Later that day I gave what I felt was a pretty decent performance of Chon Ji (the very first pattern learned in TKD). I somehow managed to score a 5.0 out of 10, even though the lowest anyone had ever scored was 6.5. In fact, the scoring cards only went from 5.0 to 10, which means I only scored a 5.0 because it was literally impossible to score any lower. Clearly I was blackballed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only thing that saved me was that my instructor was the head of training for the entire country, so he sorted the guilty parties out afterward. I came back the next year and took 1st place in sparring as well as patterns. I also earned national colours for the first time. The lesson? You run a serious risk of being black balled if you challenge the wrong type of person. Also sometimes life is unfair and the bad guys win.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2014-12-04T15:10:01.277" LastActivityDate="2014-12-04T15:10:01.277" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4583" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4580" CreationDate="2014-12-04T09:39:06.410" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a competitor, it is &lt;em&gt;not your place to criticise the judges' decisions&lt;/em&gt;. You should show proper decorum and fair play even if you know the decision is the wrong one. You can (and clearly in your case, should) bring it up with yours manager/team captain and ask why you did not win.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there is something not right, your manager or team captain or whoever is in charge of your team should bring it up via the proper channels for your organisation. This is why you have them! They are the ones that argue for you so they get the bad press and not you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This, of course, assumes that you are part of a team.  If not, you can easily have a friend act as your manager/captain. That way, they can concentrate on all the administration and logistic while leaving you to train and prepare fully focused.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-12-04T13:02:40.193" LastActivityDate="2014-12-04T13:02:40.193" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4586" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-12-04T18:27:05.380" Score="3" ViewCount="3157" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is Seiza sitting cross-legged or is it sitting above your bent upper and lower legs which aren't crossed?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4393" LastEditorUserId="4254" LastEditDate="2014-12-11T11:55:34.720" LastActivityDate="2014-12-11T11:55:34.720" Title="Please tell me the correct way to sit seiza" Tags="|technique|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4587" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4586" CreationDate="2014-12-04T19:01:27.500" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Essentially kneeling all the way down so thighs touch calves. Some schools cross the big toes, some don't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the second description in your question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="513" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2014-12-06T06:52:33.130" LastActivityDate="2014-12-06T06:52:33.130" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4588" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2057" CreationDate="2014-12-04T22:30:35.567" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's not so complicated. Chi is nothing but a precise experience that, when recognized, leads you on. We can not arrive at near-perfection in our movements and body dynamics and breathing and application of force by reasoning or by drawing diagrams on a blackboard, we only arrive there through our experience. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chi means cultivating a feeling; it is the cultivation of that special feeling we have when we move or stand and breathe, walk and apply force in a perfect way. By cultivating that feeling, we develop our capacity in a very concrete way (of course a good method is needed!). It's not supernatural, on the contrary it is the way of nature; it can look supernatural to observers just as gymnasts or acrobats or skaters or riders can look supernatural to untrained spectators. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everybody uses &quot;chi&quot;; doing it consciously and with good method helps a lot. That's all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4392" LastActivityDate="2014-12-04T22:30:35.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4590" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4586" CreationDate="2014-12-05T15:47:56.447" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here are some common sitting positions. At my zendo, we sit in Seiza, Lotus, or Half-lotus.&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jyztK.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Here are some common sitting positions. At my zendo, we sit in Seiza, Lotus, or Half-lotus.&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3124" LastActivityDate="2014-12-05T15:47:56.447" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4591" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2014-12-06T00:36:53.653" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Difference between the 2 in everyday terms is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;ITF is traditional, face contact with hands, less gear (adults), different forms, more real situation-based, form on all strikes are more important than speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;WTF is NOW mainly a sport, different terminology, speed- based, fully geared, form of strikes aren't as important because of the emphasis on speed so shortcuts are made.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-cho dan in ITF&#xA;-currently training WTF trying to attain cho dan&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4396" LastActivityDate="2014-12-06T00:36:53.653" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4594" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4580" CreationDate="2014-12-08T20:41:40.100" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You mention in the comments that you are trying to avoid a repeat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may or may not be able to do that. Excepting the appeals process, all you can do is show up and compete to the best of your ability. One thing I have learned over 40+ years competing in various things (Including close to 30 in martial arts now) is that sometimes you will have your absolute best day and get beat, and other times you think you performed horribly and will win.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can't predict it, and it will go for you sometimes, and against you sometimes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Clearly, this instance went against you. However, you appear to have handled it with grace and dignity (Unless there is a secret rant you aren't telling us about :p), and that will impress people more than a temper tantrum. If you go back to the judge, he may not even remember, and then it will give the impression that you are not someone who can accept things and let them go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Show up, compete to the best of your ability, and you can take some comfort in the fact that apparently the chief judge felt your opponent &quot;needed&quot; the encouragement of an undeserved win more than you did.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2014-12-08T20:41:40.100" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4595" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4431" CreationDate="2014-12-09T21:32:39.323" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Age 26 is pretty advanced to begin anything that intensive, unless you are already proficient in some relevant disciplines. Coming from Gymnastics, Taekwondo, Capoeira or Parcours could help with this &quot;tricking&quot;, as it apparently borrows freely from all of these. &#xA;If you are not at that level of fitness, consider beginning patiently from any of the above mentioned disciplines. You'll have benefits and fun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4392" LastActivityDate="2014-12-09T21:32:39.323" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4596" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4597" CreationDate="2014-12-10T20:29:49.883" Score="7" ViewCount="1296" Body="&lt;p&gt;I asked at the school and no one knows the name. We call it the &lt;strong&gt;Advanced Bo Form&lt;/strong&gt;. This form was brought over from the previous school before our current Grand Master took over. Only a hand full of us know this form. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Does anyone know the name of this form?&lt;/strong&gt; and if so, is this the traditional version?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;UPDATE:&lt;/strong&gt; Video of the form &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-Xv66pP_kw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Advanced Bo Form - Kangs MMA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;UPDATE 2:&lt;/strong&gt; I named this form Bo Bonneung 본능 meaning Instinct. A video with the proper pace for the form: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/kangsmma/videos/t.38008428/190620764706438/?type=3&amp;amp;theater&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bo Bonneung 본능 &quot;Instinct&quot; - Kang MMA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4410" LastEditorUserId="4410" LastEditDate="2017-04-02T19:34:18.837" LastActivityDate="2017-04-02T19:34:18.837" Title="What is the name of this Taekwondo black belt bo form?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|weapons|forms|bo-staff|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4597" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4596" CreationDate="2014-12-11T08:43:15.117" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't believe there is a &quot;traditional taekwondo black belt bo form&quot;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Kukkiwon (at the Foreign Taekwondo Master Training Course in 2013) says there are no weapons in Taekwondo, but some schools add them to boost their curriculum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had a quick look in General Choi's encyclopaedias (the 1965 one and the multi-volume set) and can't find any references to weapon training except for defending against attackers that have weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may be best asking your instructor or another student for the name of this, as it may be specific to your school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2014-12-11T08:43:15.117" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4599" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-12-12T01:06:59.070" Score="8" ViewCount="921" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am very interested in the Chinese Dadao and how they were used in combat.  Is there any good resources out there on the use of and training with the Dadao specifically?  I've seen a lot on the use of other Chinese swords but none on this one.  Thank you for any help you can provide.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4411" LastActivityDate="2018-07-15T19:20:17.503" Title="Chinese Dadao info?" Tags="|technique|weapons|kung-fu|self-training|sword|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4600" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4606" CreationDate="2014-12-12T02:21:14.390" Score="8" ViewCount="951" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've seen this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZhpiAIfhts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; around a fair bit, &#xA;but I can't find much background about who / what organization / style it is?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-02-14T21:24:46.727" LastActivityDate="2018-02-14T21:24:46.727" Title="What is the name of this style? (Karate maybe?)" Tags="|technique|sparring|grading|identification|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4601" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4599" CreationDate="2014-12-12T02:35:36.097" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's been some pretty good scholarship and interest in the Dadao recently.  There's a few forms or methods which have managed to be incorporated/carried along with various forms of kung fu - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blVfwN9yXOQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;here's some demonstrations from a Mantis kung fu school&lt;/a&gt;.  Others are attempting to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lO-pYgvjQQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;reconstruct Dadao movements from old military manuals&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a bit difficult to say how useful those are, given that &lt;a href=&quot;http://chinesemartialstudies.com/2012/11/26/693/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;the Dadao became the most widespread at a time when rifles were the standard weapon&lt;/a&gt; and the fact that many of the &quot;Dadao militias&quot; or &quot;armies&quot; were extremely variable in training - sets and manuals might be anywhere from very practical to utterly useless, and it's hard to say.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-12-12T02:35:36.097" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4604" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="417" CreationDate="2014-12-12T08:30:39.753" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's called Bojumeok (보주먹) in Kukkiwon Taekwondo (&lt;a href=&quot;http://taekwon.net/mks/files/attach/images/130/859/002/d9a9a87f6fc340c73053285d96bba4f7.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://taekwon.net/mks/files/attach/images/130/859/002/d9a9a87f6fc340c73053285d96bba4f7.jpg&lt;/a&gt;). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as I understand it (and it wasn't touched on much in our Kukkiwon Master Instructor Course in Korea) it's a mainly symbolic movement, simply representing umyang (the Korean version of yin-yang, used on the Korean flag) - one hand tightly clenched representing strength and rigidity and one hand softly wrapping it representing gentleness and fluidity, both are useful in martial arts and it's knowing when to use each that is important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2014-12-12T08:30:39.753" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4605" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4607" CreationDate="2014-12-12T13:45:17.123" Score="21" ViewCount="6911" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to enroll in a martial arts school in my neighbourhood. The lessons are given by a shaolin monk and the few lessons I followed were really intense and interesting. When I asked if we were going to do sparring exercises, I was told that we were only going to practice on punching bags.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reasons for this are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sparring is considered 'playing'&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kung fu doesn't focus on fighting, but tries to avoid a fight. Only when no other option is available a 'fighter' finishes it with one blow.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are reasons that I think are valid, but still it seems strange to me, because if you never 'practice a fight', how can you be prepared?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my question is, can you effectively learn Kung Fu without sparring?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to stress that I don't want to learn it to 'kick ass', but that I do want to be able to defend myself when (if ever) needed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4395" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2015-11-16T18:41:36.090" LastActivityDate="2018-04-06T19:31:52.423" Title="Is it possible to learn Martial Arts (Kung Fu in my case) effectively without sparring?" Tags="|sparring|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="23" CommentCount="1" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4606" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4600" CreationDate="2014-12-12T14:24:19.070" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The video is from the &lt;a href=&quot;http://wmaa.com&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Martial Arts Association&lt;/a&gt; which was setup by Michael T. Dealy in the early 1990s, Mike Dealy &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duk_Sung_Son&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;trained under Grandmaster Duk Sung Son&lt;/a&gt;. The style is &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chung_Do_Kwan&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chung Do Kwan&lt;/a&gt;, a form of Tae Kwon Do with light or no-contact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The WMAA has &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/THEWMAAChannel&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;a video channel on Youtube&lt;/a&gt;, but about a year ago all video's were removed, probably because of the criticism they received. The WMAA is often ridiculed on the Internet as being a McDojo/McDojang&#xA;(for example see &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cagepotato.com/awful-video-of-the-day-the-mcdojo-5th-degree-black-belt-test/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-95703.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116571&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More information:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://wmaa.com/about/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://wmaa.com/about/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.oneworldtaekwondo.com/html/history.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.oneworldtaekwondo.com/html/history.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastActivityDate="2014-12-12T14:24:19.070" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4607" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2014-12-12T15:56:41.073" Score="27" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your question isn't what you are really asking. Your question is &quot;Can I learn Kung Fu without sparring&quot;, and that answer is yes. Sparring is not 100% necessary to learn any art. You can learn all the kicks, punches, blocks, stances and so forth without ever facing anything more than a heavy bag or possibly a human holding a pad/shield.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you really want to know is &quot;If I learn without sparring, can I defend myself?&quot;, and that answer is maybe. You can be proficient in every technique, have lightning reflexes, and fall apart the first time someone punches/kicks you and you feel the pain of it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, you may be a natural fighter, and that doesn't phase you. You can then apply what you have learned, and come out ahead in the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is also (very) possible that no, you don't spar at this point. Many styles reserve sparring for higher colored belts, as you develop better control and are less likely to accidentally injure someone. Even so, those same styles often have 1 to 5 step &quot;sparring segments&quot; that you practice with a partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring is an effective learning technique, and I think makes you better able to defend yourself. However, you may be able to defend yourself quite capably without ever sparring someone in class. I would much prefer to teach my students sparring than not, but if you really like Kung Fu, then I would talk with your instructor about your concerns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2014-12-12T15:56:41.073" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4608" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2014-12-12T17:07:12.167" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think a good analogy is that sparring is to martial arts training as internships/work placement is to job-focused education, in that it gives you a taste of what the &quot;real world&quot; is like. You can learn a lot hitting a bag (just like you can learn a lot in school), but ultimately there is only so much that you can learn there compared to sparring with a thinking opponent (or compared to dealing with office politics or problems with no clear answer). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4267" LastActivityDate="2014-12-12T17:07:12.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4609" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2014-12-12T20:28:27.027" Score="28" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Can anyone learn martial arts techniques without sparring?&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sure! I mean, you can learn that they &lt;em&gt;exist&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Can you learn &lt;em&gt;how to effectively apply&lt;/em&gt; martial arts techniques without sparring?&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, no. Gosh no. No, no, no. Nope.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring is how we turn things we &lt;strong&gt;know of&lt;/strong&gt; into things we &lt;strong&gt;know how&lt;/strong&gt;. Until you can do it in sparring it's all a bunch of theory. &lt;em&gt;Not&lt;/em&gt; sparring is the real playing: playing pretend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I mean, I wouldn't teach someone to swim without getting them in the water. I certainly wouldn't trust them in the ocean until they've swam for real. Or try this: tell a pro boxer that sparring is &quot;playing&quot; and then ask to spar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-12-12T20:28:27.027" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4610" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2014-12-12T20:52:56.227" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;No.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are you learning to throw punches and kicks, or are you learning to fight? You always need to spare with someone to learn how to fight. How could a boxer be a champion if he never boxed with anyone?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts is not just about throwing punches and kicks, it's also about quickly adapting to your opponents move and style. If you never sparred with anyone, you will never know how people fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4416" LastActivityDate="2014-12-12T20:52:56.227" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4611" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2014-12-12T21:52:05.563" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think the previous answers are correct and well thought out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I think the answer is really No on all counts a Martial art is just that if you don't use it as intended you don't really know it. You have to use it in a real world way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many levels of knowledge really, yes you can learn the mechanics of a technique but to break through to real understanding you have to have experience it as it was intended to be used.  sparring itself is a basic tool compared to contest, for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also some martial arts require that your technique is sensitive to the situation.  i.e the distance you move the amount of force you use the physical space you may find yourself in to execute technique.  without real world experience you cannot really know the technique nor explore beyond technique and understand it in context of a martial way for self development and purification.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;unfortunately the world is not the matrix...cause I'd love to learn kung fu if i could down load it...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4417" LastActivityDate="2014-12-12T21:52:05.563" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4612" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2014-12-12T23:37:24.003" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think that the key to finding an answer (as is often the case) lies within formulating properly the question.&#xA;Learning &quot;kung fu&quot; by itself is difficult to define, since basically kung fu means simply being highly skilled in something (as compared to wushu which is the actual fighting training).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, to get closer to your question, how do you actually define &quot;sparring&quot;? This is not a so easy tasks as it would seem at first glance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are just a few example of &quot;sparring&quot; that are used in certain contexts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;a) Simply a pre-arrange practice of certain patterns with a partner (no &quot;free sparring&quot;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;b) Free (within rules) full-contact fight&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;c) Free (within rules) fight with only light contact&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;d) Free (with no rules) fight with only light contact (hopefully!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;e) Role-play sparring (i.e. one plays the role of the attacker, while the other is only practising how to dodge or block)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, to answer it is important to define what you exactly mean with sparring, and how your teacher is exactly going to train you and how not.&#xA;All the different example I made may provide different outcomes, even the most &quot;similar&quot;. &#xA;For instance, b) and c) would seem similar - and probably are what most people define as sparring - but, in my opinion, are very different kind of training.&#xA;Practising full-contact (or anyway using a lot of power) will probably allow you for much less technical and strategical development, but might &quot;toughen&quot; you by making you accustomed with being hit. You might also consider that your self-confidence (which is an important predictor of the outcomes of a possible fight) might be better developed by using other forms of &quot;sparring&quot; (or even other forms of training altogether) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other considerations are needed as well. If you want to &quot;protect&quot; yourself and others there are other factors beyond the mere &quot;fighting skill&quot;. It has been shown that, regardless of sparring, martial arts training can make you a less likely victim by making you more confident (implying an aggression is probably an act of cowardice), or by being able to deal better with a potentially aggressive situation (without an actual fight happening). This is best learned through &quot;traditional&quot; martial arts styles of training as compared to &quot;modern&quot; competition and sparring focused training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, what are the techniques you are actually using? If you are going to rely on strong punching and kicking, you can learn that quite effectively without most of &quot;sparring&quot;. If your preferred style is going to rely on skills like dodging and evasive moves, timing and distancing will play a crucial role, and it will be complicated to learn those without an actual practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You must also consider what are you training for and what kind of skills you will learn by sparring. I mean that difficulty you will spar in a way that actually resembles a real street fight. But, again, maybe that would be exactly how you plan your &quot;sparring&quot; session (do you &quot;point fight&quot;, or put on all the protections and mimic a full-blown aggression to vital points as well?), so we are back to the definition of what you actually mean by sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a conclusion, in my opinion some sparring is beneficial (and I generally have my students practice some form of sparring in any martial arts class, compatibly with their goals and skills). I usually try to mix in different form of &quot;sparring&quot; (I personally find role-playing highly useful). That said, many effective alternatives can be found to probably most of &quot;sparring&quot; (visualization, conditioning, psychological change). In the end, it depends on what you actually want to do (what is your final goal), and what you are actually doing (what kind of training are you doing, and what kind of techniques, and so on).&#xA;I am aware that this answer is not really... an answer! But I hope it will be useful to you by giving you some deeper insight in the concepts you are thinking about!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4420" LastEditorUserId="4420" LastEditDate="2014-12-13T15:49:56.493" LastActivityDate="2014-12-13T15:49:56.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4613" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4536" CreationDate="2014-12-13T00:22:35.810" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Several sports aside boxing and martial arts (such as soccer, rugby, ice hockey) have the potential to cause damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, the risks are real and clear (for example: &lt;a href=&quot;http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2265.2006.02737.x/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&amp;amp;userIsAuthenticated=false&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kickboxing sport as a new cause of traumatic brain injury-mediated hypopituitarism&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;), as they are for any sports that allows contact. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, how severe the risk is? This is a difficult question to answer without specific details about how often and how hard do you get hit (and even if we did know, I think). From what you say, it seems that you are training reasonably and that your gym is mostly fine in regards to sparring, not a constant competition to see who is the biggest bad-ass, which is a good thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case, prevention is by far the most important factor: &lt;a href=&quot;http://journals.lww.com/cjsportsmed/Abstract/2001/07000/The_Cumulative_Effect_of_Repetitive_Concussion_in.11.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Cumulative Effect of Repetitive Concussion in Sports&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can be done in several ways, some of which are pretty effective. Head wear is good, although control in sparring is of paramount importance. How hardly you guys hit each other during sparring is crucial, period. It is also very important to develop reasonable defensive skills, which is often pretty much forgotten.&#xA;A lot of muay thai / kickboxing sparring seems to me like a simultaneous punch-bag practice using the opponent (even when done without power). What I mean that emphasys is often too much on attacks that on any defence beyond basic guard. It's easy to find skilled practitioners or fighters that have poor footwork and basically just stand there and hit. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not a critic to the style (which is my main one too). &#xA;But I personally have began to change my training practice a lot since last year to develop this skills, after noticing how underemphazysed they have been during all my years of training, and how I just kept to be teaching them to my students just as I was trained. It's not like I wasn't able to overpower my students or some sparring partners before, for instance, but I now see how being sometimes hit back was seen as simply an ordinary part of the practice, and it does not have to be. Just think of this: how much of your training is dedicated to practising attacks (either on opponents, punching bag, shadow boxing or pads), as compared to defensive moves? As a teacher or Muay Thai / kickboxing classes myself, I can also tell I understand it. In most basic classes (I live in a small place and do not have too experienced students) that is what people simply expect to find, and they often do not like/care about doing some seemingly boring practice of footwork and elusive movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, I definitely recommend this different approach: I barely get myself hit in the head any more, and when I do it's a much more moderate entity. Which is not only much safer, but provides a different feeling altogether to the practice! &#xA;And the best thing about this is that it isn't all that difficult either. Simply put more attention to basic evasive movements (slips, footwork, bob and weave, timing and distancing) than to striking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The training style and practice I have been developing in the last year focuses also on strategical thinking, which is the crucial component in my opinion, and it goes by preparing moves that just are good in most situation. I do not recommend too much &quot;traditional&quot; training of defensive moves that is technique based (for instance, if the opponent attacks with A you do this, if he attacks with B you do that), but rather on an informed guessing. Certain moves can be applied to almost any attack coming regardless on what that attack is, thus reducing the specificity of the response. For instance, slipping your head to the right when an arm movements happens is going to make your opponent miss as long as what he is throwing anything but a left hook. If you keep moving your head during the fight, even by simply repeating a certain set of positions, you can not only confuse your opponent, but reduce how likely a certain punch is to reach you, even before considering your guard or blocks. It's as simple as that. If you stay, as most do, in a fixed standard position, there is a 100% chance your opponent will punch toward your head, and you must rely on active blocking and a solid guard to deal with it at all the time. If your head is moving around all the time, your opponent must either guess when you are going to move in order to reach you. Sure, sometimes you will still have to deal with an incoming punch by using block or neutralizing it through your guard, but that will happen only if the opponent did indeed guessed correctly or simply, by chance, thrown exactly that one punch that is not too suitable for your technique (in the example above, the left hook). In any case, this is reducing the chance of any attack coming toward your head from 100% to a much much lower number (even as low as 10% or less, I would estimate). Not only it looks good and feels great, but guess is that better for your brain?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS: When I say that the head is moving, the movement should come from slight adjustments of your legs and hip, NOT your neck or torso, as many do when slipping. That way you can move much faster and be energy efficient, which is the key to any elusive play.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4420" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2014-12-15T07:52:45.537" LastActivityDate="2014-12-15T07:52:45.537" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4614" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-12-13T22:14:58.427" Score="1" ViewCount="461" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been looking for some trusted Masters of Kyokushin in India, but so far I have found only a few dojos in India with different versions of Kyokushin. Recently I learned about the splitting of Kyokushin organization into 3 parts led by Kancho Shokei Matsui ( IKO 1 ), Kancho Kenji Midori ( IKO 2).&#xA;Are there any trusted organizations of IKO 1 or IKO 2 in India ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user4430" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditorDisplayName="user4430" LastEditDate="2020-04-26T07:53:24.913" LastActivityDate="2020-04-26T07:53:24.913" Title="Kyokushin in India?" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4615" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2014-12-13T23:59:31.987" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Depending on what style of &quot;kung fu&quot; you want to learn, this &lt;em&gt;may be&lt;/em&gt; possible to some extent (at least you might be able to land a surprise punch and run, which isn't the worst survival strategy to be honest), but in some styles it will be outright impossible. For example, in Wing Tsun, being able to apply the Chi Sao (&quot;sticky hands&quot;) is one of the most important things, if not &lt;strong&gt;the&lt;/strong&gt; one important thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can &lt;em&gt;kind of&lt;/em&gt; train that on the wooden man... somehow, but not really. You do really need another person to get the &quot;correct wiring&quot; for that into your cerebellum. Properly applied Chi Sao defeats the strongest opponent, regardless of what technique he may use. Without proper Chi Sao, the physically stronger person wins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Someone who isn't physically stronger is unlikely to attack you (unless they're on dope), so if the goal is being able to defend yourself, you must be able to defend against a stronger opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="559" LastActivityDate="2014-12-13T23:59:31.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4616" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2014-12-14T02:52:52.993" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you want to learn Kung Fu, you probably want listen to the Shaolin Monk. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to learn how to defend yourself, you'll need to know how to fight, and you need sparring to do so. Sparring practices staying calm and collected in a intense situation. Plus it's fun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to whether or not Kung Fu is an effective form of defence, that's another topic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;These are reasons that I think are valid, but still it seems strange&#xA;  to me, because if you never 'practice a fight', how can you be&#xA;  prepared?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can't. Just like with any other skill, if you want to get good at something you've got to practice it. This is from &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shaolin.org/answers/sp-issues/kungfu-wushu.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;shaolin.org&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;Anyone, master or novice, who has never learnt to spar, will be unable to spar or fight effectively&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take care and have fun!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4432" LastActivityDate="2014-12-14T02:52:52.993" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4618" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2014-12-14T17:20:06.123" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, what do you mean by &quot;learning martial arts&quot;? What level of mastery are you hoping to achieve?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me put it this way, if you train with a punching bag for 10 years and learn all the techniques, then can you defend yourself against someone your size on the street? YES, of course? Mathematically speaking, someone will practiced on a punching bag for 3 days &gt; someone who didn't practice at all (all other attribute being equal, of course).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, the real answer, and the only correct answer is YES. You will &quot;eventually&quot; learn sufficient Martial Arts to defend yourself against the average attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning Martial Arts is similar to learning anything in school. What kind of student were you in school? There are exceptional bright people who can read the text book 2 hours before the exam without doing any lab or practice any math problems or even went to class and they can get more than 90% with minimum effort; on the other hand, you have your studied all year around, barely maintain B average students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is practice? Think about it for a second... Is it magic to make you stronger? No. What practice is simply encountering situations you do not commonly encounter in the Dojo. What if someone does THIS in a real fight instead of what you expect? Theoretically speaking with enough foresight and intelligence, you can simply know what to do without have to try it and fail a few times. Practice is great because the average human has 100 IQ are generally can't learn fast enough or understand theory thoroughly enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4435" LastActivityDate="2014-12-14T17:20:06.123" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4619" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4638" CreationDate="2014-12-14T20:02:26.223" Score="-3" ViewCount="540" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there any martial arts, where one can learn and evolve &lt;strong&gt;without&lt;/strong&gt; proving herself/himself on various &lt;strong&gt;exams&lt;/strong&gt;?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, it would be nice, if you could learn all the techniques.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I mean, is that you don't have to take an exam (see above), and that specific martial art is &lt;strong&gt;not a sport&lt;/strong&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think that when something is a sport, you obviously can't learn all the things, as someone who is better at something and is competitive, she/he won't teach you the best techniques as you could use that against her/him at some competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can someone point me to something like I'm searching for?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1246" LastActivityDate="2019-04-11T09:51:24.870" Title="Martial art without exam and secrets" Tags="|training|teaching|competition|recommendation|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4620" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4599" CreationDate="2014-12-14T20:35:02.657" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two kind of weapons that are sometimes referred to as the Dadao...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's the short Dao (can still be wielded with one hand) and then there's the Dao attached to a long pole.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In combat, the first version of shorter Dadao is used mainly in melee against other armed/armored fighters. The Dadao let's your cut Spears and Staff and its weight give you an advantage over the lighter Jian against armored opponents. Dadao is devastating in close combat against most weapon simply because its curved blade is ideal for slicing in close quarter situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second version of Dadao, which is used by the famous Guan Yu in Romance of 3 Kingdoms novel (and the historic figure as well). This Dadao has great range and power. You can literally chop the legs of a warhorse with it. Hence its use as counter against a cavalry charge. It has advantages over a similar weapon, the traditional Chinese spear in that it is much heavier and capable of cutting as opposed to just piercing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Various traditional Chinese Wushu includes Dadao training (but mostly the first shorter type). The longer Dadao is more of a military weapon than a civilian one, but there are still Wushu schools that will teach it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4435" LastEditorUserId="4435" LastEditDate="2018-07-15T19:20:17.503" LastActivityDate="2018-07-15T19:20:17.503" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4621" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4619" CreationDate="2014-12-14T20:40:12.077" Score="8" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I think that when something is a sport, you obviously can't learn all the things, as someone who is better at something and is competitive, she/he won't teach you the best techniques as you could use that against her/him at some competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your assumption is wrong. Plenty of coaches teach all the techniques of their style, either because they're trying to help their students, or just because they hubristically believe no one can catch up to them fast enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, Brazilian jiujitsu is a martial art with a sport component. It has been argued that some families in the art would hold back techniques from students outside the family. It's widely known that it used to be considered a betrayal of trust to train outside one's gym in old-school Brazilian BJJ culture. That is changing with modern BJJ culture, for instance, in the case of Marcelo Garcia. He released instructional videos detailing his game, and yet he &lt;em&gt;still&lt;/em&gt; won world championships using those techniques. Now he's retired from competition, but still teaches--even if you're a conspiracy nut who thinks he was holding something back, why would he keep secrets now?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know what you're looking for, but you're using the wrong criteria to look for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2014-12-14T20:40:12.077" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4622" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4619" CreationDate="2014-12-14T21:57:01.757" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;So you're looking for a martial art that 1) has no exams, 2) is taught completely without holding anything back from the student, and 3) is not a sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are actually many martial arts teachers that teach this way, sure. My recommendation is to look around and meet with all the different instructors in your area. Ask them if they have tests, if they teach the complete art (including the &quot;secret&quot; stuff, if any). Chances are, you'll get a direct answer to these questions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my experience, most &quot;styles&quot; actually do test their students in various ways and even assign rank. It didn't used to be that way, traditionally, but the idea has caught on. Within each style, however, there are usually some instructors that don't have formalized exams and teach it differently. This is what makes any sort of recommendation hard, because you're looking for a specific teacher rather than a particular style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of kung-fu schools that teach this way. While many of them have moved to a belt color system with formalized gradings, probably over half are still taught the old way: The teacher begins with showing you stances and forms, and then when he/she sees that you're ready for more, you'll learn more. This goes on until you've learned pretty much everything they have to offer. There are sometimes formalized tests you need to take if you want to become an instructor, but it's usually just the head teacher who looks at you and says, &quot;Okay, you're ready to teach now.&quot; Within this kind of learning process, there are a lot of little tests, though. The teacher will test you in various ways before letting you learn more. But these aren't big, formal tests. Taiji is often taught this way, for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some traditional Japanese ryu that are taught with a minimal number of formal testings also. It often depends on class sizes. The bigger the school, the more likely they are to go with a formalized grading system. The smaller schools allow the instructors to be more one-on-one with the student, and so they already know how good the students are and have no need for regular tests.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for secret knowledge that is only passed to a chosen few, get used to it. This is common in traditional Japanese and Chinese martial arts. Often these secret skills are taught only to the one student hand chosen to take over teaching the art next. The folklore you hear about this says that the secret skills often give the practitioner a huge advantage over the other students, and it's done in order to keep the teacher from going out of business. Is it true? There's probably some truth to it, but it's probably greatly exaggerated. And in today's world where videos of martial arts are easy to come by, what is one person's &quot;secret&quot; technique is just someone else's basics. There aren't many real secrets today, and their value is questionable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a pity you also have discarded sports-based martial arts. There are many that don't have formalized tests and merely rank you according to the levels of the competitors you defeated in competition. For example, in contemporary Wushu, you're ranked beginner, intermediate, or advanced based on how long you've been training, not on the color of your sash. That just determines which division you'll be competing in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in conclusion my recommendation is to just go to the teachers in your area and ask them those questions. Maybe you'll find someone who teaches the way you would prefer. If not, consider being more flexible with what you want and compromise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-12-14T21:57:01.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4623" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2014-12-15T05:34:44.027" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had a Trig professor in college who asked us on day one, &quot;What do math and sex have in common?&quot; The answer was, &quot;You cannot learn them through reading about them in books, and you cannot learn them through watching other people do it. You can only learn them through participation.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts is so varied that one has to first ask, &quot;What do you want to learn or do with martial arts?&quot; Collect trophies, become fit or flexible, discipline, confidence, learn to fight, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring might be essential if one wants to compete, but sparring in a tournament can be very different from the sparring one does when training to fight. I daresay that MMA fighters spar quite differently than most. Sparring can also boost one's discipline and confidence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4306" LastActivityDate="2014-12-15T05:34:44.027" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4624" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5173" CreationDate="2014-12-15T14:18:27.847" Score="7" ViewCount="1439" Body="&lt;p&gt;I remember reading a long while ago (when BJJ was first hitting popularity) about how they had different colour tips (or sheaths as they seem to be known) for their black belts (white and red from memory) where the stripes go.  One colour was for fighters and one was for instructors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this still the case or is it not just a black belt is a black belt?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it is still the case, what is the process for crossing over from one to the other?  So if someone got to be a 3rd Dan fighter rank but then wanted to go more in to teaching, do they just get a 4th Dan instructor rank on their next test or do they have to start again from 1st Dan instructor rank?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2015-06-17T11:11:44.967" Title="BJJ Instructor and Fighter Ranks" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|belt|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4625" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-12-15T14:26:34.567" Score="8" ViewCount="7842" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are the rules set by the Kukkiwon on who can promote others to black belt ranks (Dan for 15 years old and over, Poom for under 15 years old)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can individual instructors do it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-04-01T11:56:30.770" LastActivityDate="2020-04-01T11:56:30.770" Title="What do I need to promote someone to Taekwondo dan rank under the Kukkiwon?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|grading|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4626" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4625" CreationDate="2014-12-15T14:26:34.567" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Kukkiwon splits all the countries in the world into two categories, depending on whether that Member National Association (MNA) for the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) in that country controls over 70% of Taekwondo groups and instructors.  Those that do are considered to be in the &quot;1st Category&quot; and recommendations can only be made by the President of the MNA in that country.  South Korea is a good example of a 1st Category country.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In countries outside of that category, the Kukkiwon requires instructors to be a 4th Dan or above.  They encourage all instructors to register with their &lt;a href=&quot;http://kms.kukkiwon.or.kr/usr/main.do&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kukkiwon Membership System&lt;/a&gt; and process the dan applications online.  Dan applications can be done up to one grade below the instructor's rank, except for 8th/9th Dan which must be taken at the Kukkiwon in South Korea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instructors meeting this criteria can also test students for coloured belt ranks (Kup) and can process Dan Assimilation requests (crossing over Taekwondo Dan from another organisation) and Single Jump Dan requests (where a person has had sufficient time in grade to have achieved two dan grades higher than they are now, they can be tested for the higher rank and pay for both).  Multiple Jump dan (where they have time in grade to be three or more ranks higher) can only be tested for at the Kukkiwon or at a Kukkiwon Special Dan test.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Kukkiwon doesn't allow instructors below 4th Dan to test anyone for rank.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kukkiwon.or.kr/english/examination/examination08.jsp&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kukkiwon regulations&lt;/a&gt;, Kukkiwon Master Training Course (2013), Kukkiwon Poom/Dan Examiner Course (2015), Kukkiwon Master Training Course (2016)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastEditorUserId="4385" LastEditDate="2017-09-22T07:02:34.387" LastActivityDate="2017-09-22T07:02:34.387" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4627" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-12-15T19:24:18.713" Score="6" ViewCount="180" Body="&lt;p&gt;So I broke the handle of the Kwan Dao in our studio and I'm feeling a little guilty about it and I'd like to replace it. It's basically this guy here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B0000C87V8&quot;&gt;http://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Claw-Long-Weapon-Wushu/dp/B0000C87V8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm just wondering if anyone had any good ideas for replacing the handle. Doesn't seem to be a thing I can just buy, but I also don't know if a wooden dowel from the local hardware store is the right type of wood either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, since it's just for demos and tournaments anyway, I'd like to replace the barb on the end with something that won't damage a wooden floor when I stand it up. But I also need something that won't throw off the balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any creative ideas?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3105" LastActivityDate="2015-06-04T17:59:58.360" Title="Replace Broken Kwan Dao Handle?" Tags="|weapons|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4628" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-12-16T03:43:55.670" Score="8" ViewCount="2127" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been training in GoJu Karate for about seven years now. Recently the school hosted a seminar by Guru Master Julius Megrito. The heads of about five other clubs came together for classes with him, along with some of their most senior students. All of them came from their own schools and had their own titles. As we know titles differ from style to style. In a conversation with one instructor, I mistakenly addressed him as Sensei. As it turns out he was a fifth dan black belt in a different style of karate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is &lt;em&gt;how to respectfully address masters of other styles&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4262" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2014-12-16T11:35:40.443" LastActivityDate="2014-12-17T08:21:29.530" Title="Addressing martial artists of another style" Tags="|etiquette|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4629" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4628" CreationDate="2014-12-16T06:14:21.067" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Japanese term &quot;sensei&quot; isn't so much a title as it is a form of respect for those who have paved the way for you in some way or another. It is often given to teachers, but also to doctors, lawyers, politicians and even members of the church. It can even be used when referring to artists, or basically anyone that has mastered an art form or a specific skill. While its usage tend to be more formal in western dojos, referring only to the head of the school, this is mostly due to the fact it is not a term that is part of our everyday vocabulary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Usually, addressing a master of another style as &quot;sensei&quot; shouldn't be considered bad manners, since you are showing respect to his accomplishments and the role he is currently playing in your own martial development. However, it is not impossible that some martial artists might take offense at being referred to as what they perceive to be a purely karate title. If this happens, apologize, and mention that, in Japanese, the term is not restricted to karate, but rather used to show respect to teachers, figures of authority and masters of a wide variety of skills, such as medicine or art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in the end, if you are going to be working with masters of different styles on a regular basis, you should probably ask them how their regular students refer to them. This will show your willingness to learn from them despite your own different style, as well as your desire to learn part of their martial culture and heritage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2014-12-16T06:14:21.067" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4630" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4628" CreationDate="2014-12-16T07:48:56.637" Score="5" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;[...] how to respectfully address masters of other styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In exactly the same way as you would do in any other setting: &lt;em&gt;politely ask them&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do not know something, you seek knowledge. You read books, ask those more knowledgeable as yourself (like on this site ^_~), and if all else fails use the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method&quot;&gt;scientific method&lt;/a&gt;. The latter is deviating from the topic. No one should mind you asking them how to call them. However remaining ignorant is abhorrent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reminds me of when I started Aikido. I said &quot;thank you sensei&quot; after I was shown something and her answer was &quot;My name is Tish. That's what people call me.&quot; And from there onward, that's what I called her. I continue that tradition when I teach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2014-12-16T07:48:56.637" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4632" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2014-12-16T11:37:17.887" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is about the code of conduct that a martial artist is expected to follow both inside and outside their gym in everyday life. Use this tag for the norms, practices, and expected behavior for various styles of martial arts and how they should interact under specific circumstances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Use this tag when you want to know&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;how to effectively solve certain conflicts (e.g., what to do if your coach is ignoring you, or &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8698/how-to-deal-with-talkative-training-partner&quot;&gt;how you should deal with a talkative training partner&lt;/a&gt;),&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;how to talk to your mentor about a specific issue (e.g., I am not comfortable doing this move - it hurts my ... ),&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;how to act or behave under specific circumstances (e.g., &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7542/how-to-spar-against-a-weaker-opponent&quot;&gt;how to spar with your weaker/beginner classmate&lt;/a&gt;, or &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9220/what-etiquette-should-be-followed-when-sparring-at-another-school&quot;&gt;what are the rules and expectations when sparring in a different gym/school&lt;/a&gt;), etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-06-23T13:25:53.393" LastActivityDate="2020-06-23T13:25:53.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4633" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2014-12-16T11:37:17.887" Score="0" Body="Use this tag for questions about expected behavior, the code of conduct for different styles of martial arts, and communication among martial artists and with others. " OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-06-23T12:05:51.237" LastActivityDate="2020-06-23T12:05:51.237" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4634" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4628" CreationDate="2014-12-16T12:12:11.973" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You could try &quot;Sir&quot;, or &quot;Ma'am&quot;/&quot;Miss&quot; (or local equivalents thereof).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Taekwondo, there are Korean terms for instructor, assistant instructor, etc., but in my organisation we address each other (both senior and junior) as &quot;Sir&quot; or &quot;Ma'am&quot;/&quot;Miss&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both other answers and your own question highlight the most important part of addressing other students and instructors: &lt;strong&gt;respect&lt;/strong&gt;. As long as you are respectful in your form of address, no-one should hold it against you!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2014-12-16T12:12:11.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4635" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4628" CreationDate="2014-12-16T13:01:48.840" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a Taekwondo Master, but having met plenty of martial artists over the years I've been referred to as Sensei by Karateka (along with their traditional &quot;oss&quot; shout) and Sifu by Wing Chun practitioners (with a wrapped fist gesture).  In all case I normally bow in the way I have been taught and (if meeting them for the first time) say &quot;just Andy is fine&quot;.  If I've met them before and already asked them to use my first name and they still use a title, then I assume they prefer using a title and just continue with the conversation/greeting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Never does their calling me by their choice of title cause offence and I don't think it should.  I don't correct their title usage, I accept that they are using a respectful title in their system and appreciate the respect shown.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I would say either go with what you know (whatever the titles are in your system) or use the English of &quot;Master Surname&quot;.  If you are greeting someone of a high enough dan to warrant a title usage, they will understand you are trying to be respectful and I'm sure will not be offended by an incorrect one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a similar way, when I speak to my Taekwondo seniors in Korea, I have to use the informal levels of Korean speech and non-honorific terms - because that's what I know at this point - they understand that I'm trying to communicate with them as best I can, don't judge me for the incorrect language and accept me for trying to use their terms.  It's the same in your question, you are trying to be respectful and all martial artists worthy of the title will appreciate that and not be offended.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2014-12-16T13:01:48.840" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4636" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4619" CreationDate="2014-12-16T14:56:51.857" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are no &quot;secrets&quot; in martial arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you really think that when you reach black belt, some weird man will come at you, hidden in shadows, and teach you a more powerful secret technique that will allow you to beat the best of the world? We aren't in a bad 60s kung-fu movie ... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are techniques that aren't shown to a white belt because they are DANGEROUS to use in sparring; a white belt doesn't have the required control and it could result in serious injuries (including choke, arm/leg locks, but also dangerous throws). If I take someone who hasn't yet learnt the basics on how to fall, and I let him spar with someone who then throws him, he'll fall, hit his head, give himself a concussion or other dangerous injuries. Is this the kind of dojo you are looking for?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All coaches will look at a way to evaluate the control of their students, even if it's not through traditional exams. Most of the time exams are mere formalities, the coach already knows who is showing enough control and progress to get to the next step. The test normally serves to show if you can progress FASTER than the coach first thought. Trust is a huge factor in martial arts; if a coach allow his students to badly injure each other because he misjudges their abilities, he's doing a very bad job and will lose his students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everything in life has a learning curve. Everything. Techniques are held back to EASE the learning curve, and make it more enjoyable, because you can actually perform what you are shown.  For the same reason we don't give books of 1200 pages to children. Techniques are shown in different orders, because some are easier to learn, and some are dangerous, even to yourself. If I start by showing you techniques that require very powerful back muscles, you'll hurt yourself if you haven't prepared yourself adequately and if somehow you have really strong back muscle, you still won't be able to do the move correctly; you'll do it wrong to compensate, and you will never learn to do it correctly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1526" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-04-11T09:51:24.870" LastActivityDate="2019-04-11T09:51:24.870" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4637" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4580" CreationDate="2014-12-16T15:27:32.717" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not to annoy you, but EACH and every sports have problems with referee on different level ... the more the final victory is held on the judges decision, the more you'll see this. ( look at any professional sports, you ALWAYS see judgements call and athlete/coaches complaining about ref )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ref are part of the game, you have to adapt and play with it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you thinks its getting too far and you are being deliberately wronged, ask a coach to bring it with your federation. (be mindful, referees is a small world, there wont be more than 100's ref that you'll meet, and your coach will probably personally knows most of 'em . Also, be carefully not to have an habits of doing this, or you'll get flagged as a problematic athlete.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could also be a ref yourself. start by asking to ref child competitions. soon enough they'll see your implications, and it'll be beneficial for you to understand how the technicality works, and to approach ref after the competitions or during breaks, and ask 'em for advice on different referee situtation. ( &quot;If I am in a competition, and I do this move, and he react this way, according to you should he get the points, or would you give it to me ? )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1526" LastActivityDate="2014-12-16T15:27:32.717" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4638" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4619" CreationDate="2014-12-16T19:32:37.730" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a few things to navigate and untangle in your question, but the short answer is YES, there are martial arts out there that do this.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mostly it comes down to instructor rather than specific style, although obviously certain styles tend to be grouped around testing, you can find instructors who do not participate in that manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Holding Back Information&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Competition styles tend not to hold back information that much.  People exit out of competing age and then go on to train other people.  These teachers have a vested interest in seeing their students win and earn titles and trophies as a testament to their own teaching skill.  So you tend not to have a lot of holding back there.  So it's actually the opposite of what you're suggesting in your question. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only restriction is that some styles are primarily sport over combative, in which case you may miss out on some combative elements solely due to the focus of competitive training.   Whether you consider tournaments to be an &quot;exam&quot; or not, that's definitely one arena where you don't have a lot of that kind of problem of withheld secret information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditional martial arts built on the instructor-disciple foundation tend to suffer the most from withheld information.  There's a variety of possible reasons - favoritism towards blood relatives/descendents, religious requirements, not being given permission to teach by someone higher in authority than the teacher, fear of being &quot;out done&quot; by the studnets, etc.  This has hurt a lot of martial arts over time, and many people in these lineages are often at odds with the problems of fragmented and partial information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Exams&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now this is a different issue.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If, by exams, you mean, &quot;repeat these factoids about this art&quot;, &quot;perform these 3 movement sets&quot;, etc. there's many martial arts that do not do this type of exam.  These exams and levels of measurement are relatively recent in the last few generations and serve as a method of standardization, which has both strengths and weaknesses for promoting an art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If, by exams, you mean, &quot;Does anyone judge or require to see how well I'm progressing?&quot; that's a key part of pretty much learning ANYTHING.  Your instructor should be watching what you are doing and giving you feedback so you can fix errors and improve strengths.  Your fellow students should be giving you advice and helping you grow as well.  You should be engaging in self observation during your training and seeing what you can work on and giving yourself credit for where you improve (sometimes, it feels invisible).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring, high intensity drills, or other key parts of your training can serve as informal &quot;exams&quot;.   Many schools may have no exam or test unless you decide to become an instructor, in which case, that's the only test you need to worry about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;What Style Should I Take?&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I said, it depends on the instructor and school you find.  Let them know what you're looking for (self defense, fitness, etc.) and the fact that you are not interested in doing testing, or having to unlock &quot;secrets&quot;.  Just as much as you're looking for a good fit, many teachers and schools are doing the same and it's a great way to sort things out from there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-12-16T19:32:37.730" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4639" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4627" CreationDate="2014-12-17T00:07:52.067" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm pretty sure my Sifu broke his Kwan Dao the first time he went to use it! It was made so that it could be easily taken apart for travel and it's believed that this probably weakened the wood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So he is also looking at options for possible replacements.  One of the ideas he mentioned was possibly cutting down an extra thick staff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="369" LastActivityDate="2014-12-17T00:07:52.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4640" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4619" CreationDate="2014-12-17T08:14:42.003" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boxing, Jeet Kune Do, Krav Maga (I think) or Greco-Roman wrestling come to mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-12-17T08:14:42.003" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4641" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4628" CreationDate="2014-12-17T08:21:29.530" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;My own rule of thumb is: if all else fails, use English. Every style's instructor is a master, regardless of whether you're using the Chinese, Korean or Japanese term. Unless the guy is a grandmaster, in which case you'll refer to him as such. You will find that while a senior rank will appreciate you calling him by his title, he won't be as anal about it as someone whose black belt certificate's ink is still wet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2014-12-17T08:21:29.530" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4642" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="11" CreationDate="2014-12-17T13:39:41.020" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In ITF Taekwon-do, in pattern Yul Gok, there is an x-stance with a high left back-fist side strike; the student gets into the stance by jumping from the previous move. When I learned the pattern, the jump was explained as either jumping over a fallen attacker to strike the next attacker, or jumping a small stream or low wall to close with an attacker. The x-stance helps you stop the motion of the jump in a narrower stance than (for instance) walking stance. It also gives you the flexibility to turn out of the x-stance to perform another technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2014-12-17T13:39:41.020" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4643" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="11" CreationDate="2014-12-17T15:30:35.010" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.taekwondo.uwcs.co.uk/patterns/yul-gok.php&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Yul-Gok Pattern&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The X-stance being described is move #36 on this page.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of times in application analysis, we need to look at the previous move and the next move to grasp the context of the application.  The X stance/backfist could be read as a setup for a hip throw (yes, TKD has throws), while the turn to the supported block (move #37) could be read as the throw itself.  For those unfamiliar with the form, this is a turn from the X-stance at 12 o'clock to a front stance at 9 o'clock.  Essentially, you are grabbing the opponent's gi (or dobak), and turning your body 270 degrees to throw him on the ground behind you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any kind of application analysis, there are multiple analyses to any one movement, and many of them are correct.  One movement can have several meanings.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2014-12-18T19:05:10.993" LastActivityDate="2014-12-18T19:05:10.993" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4645" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1250" CreationDate="2014-12-18T13:45:15.160" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know any human that gets a mighty chop to the side of the throat and doesn't come crashing down. Or a smashing elbow to the chest, lights out, good night grappling. This is real life street fighting style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grappling is a very nice art but for street fighting i dont think so its only made for the ring and for the soft mats because it has rules the street doesnt period ........&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4448" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2014-12-18T22:25:28.980" LastActivityDate="2014-12-18T22:25:28.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4647" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="762" CreationDate="2014-12-18T19:37:07.767" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I went with a standard free standing frame. I am on a 3rd floor apartment of an old colonial. The guy below me freaked out. I did a little research and started with a piece of 1/2 4 x 8 Homasote 440 soundboard. I cut it into 3 pieces. 2 of them are 66 in by about 24 inch the covered underneath the framework of the dummy and the front leg. I then went a piece of carpeting over the top of the board. I cut a piece of that interlocking gym foam mat material. Enough to go under the legs of the frame. I also cut left over pieces of the carpet to go over those. I put the frame down on that and there you go. What I also did because its close to an outside wall used pieces of the foam and run it the length of the homasote as high as the sill of the windows I have there (about 9 inches from floor to sill) then taking what I had left of the Homasote cut a 9 high by 66 in piece and put that on top of the foam, and ran the carpet i had up to the sill. The whole thing has a very clean look and the change in sound is amazing. I haven't a word from the neighbor and that's saying something. He once complained about my cat running across the kitchen tile floor. :) I'll insert a picture I took before all the clean so you can get an idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/B1jsY.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5K6F8.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;image of the standing dummy&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user4449" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-10-01T17:18:08.503" LastActivityDate="2020-10-01T17:18:08.503" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4649" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2013" CreationDate="2014-12-19T14:03:59.450" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;From an MMA prospective... &#xA;I am a jiu jitsu guy more than a Judoka but I will never discard anything that isn't useful. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do prefer to be on the ground, as I am a Jiu Jitsu guy (I can stand as well, but I'm more leaning towards a specialist) but I have learned a lot of Judo techniques. Because in reality, the fight starts standing and you don't win any points from your back unless you sweep or submit. Having learned Judo my top control and my strength and my clinch takedowns have all been strengthened. Judo allows me to get close and take them down without getting sprawled on or eating a knee or an uppercut. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unless you did freestyle wresting or Sambo, shooting for the legs in BJJ isn't a powerful thing. BJJ is more gentle than Sambo or Wrestling. In MMA the risk of eating a big knee is higher for when you shoot for a takedown. I prefer Judo so I can stay upright and control the clinch and not risk getting KO'd. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BJJ and Judo are very very similar in their ideology, about taking the other people down. Judo is the takedown aspect and stop. Then Jiu Jitsu is the rolling part. &lt;strong&gt;Both are very important and you can benefit from both&lt;/strong&gt;. Never discard anything that isn't useful. Always adapt and test new things. Whatever works for you is good! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4453" LastEditorDisplayName="user5562" LastEditDate="2018-11-22T01:31:08.560" LastActivityDate="2018-11-22T01:31:08.560" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4650" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2144" CreationDate="2014-12-21T10:37:52.093" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you have trouble with your immune system, Tai Chi is very good for balancing it out, according to some folk. I can personally vouch that it will make you feel centered too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe its often referred to as an &quot;Internal&quot; martial art. If you can forgive the use of metaphor, its slow and soft on the outside, but strong on the inside, which I think is what you are looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A while back, me and my friend were getting off the bus at the station after attending our fourth or fifth lesson, and I just remember turning to him and saying &quot;Hey, do you feel like, really relaxed and just...grounded and set?&quot; and he completely agreed, and acknowledged that it was pretty profound. It was subtle, but noticeable enough for us to both be feeling it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4456" LastActivityDate="2014-12-21T10:37:52.093" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4652" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2424" CreationDate="2014-12-22T08:32:51.363" Score="-5" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you like real karate then train Kyokushin karate. Shotokan is karate without spirit last 15 years im train Kyokushinkai karate. 20 years before Shotokan. Shotokan is beter only for kata.For real fighting spirit beter choice is Kyokushinkai karate. Karate is kumite.Best reguards. OSU!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4459" LastActivityDate="2014-12-22T08:32:51.363" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4653" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4670" CreationDate="2014-12-22T12:30:35.340" Score="17" ViewCount="5264" Body="&lt;p&gt;How would you evaluate a usefulness of judo on the street where the opponent is missing the judogi or any other kind of the outfit which could play that role. Basically I mean that t-shirt would be tear up rather used to pull and throw the opponent. Of course almost (if not) every throw can be performed with catching the body not the material but in my opinion it disturbs a bit or at least decrease the power of the technique. I have made a few randoris without judogis and that was totally a different (much harder!) story.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4438" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-07-02T11:35:32.143" LastActivityDate="2018-07-27T08:38:50.383" Title="Does judo work against someone not wearing a judogi?" Tags="|judo|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4654" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4659" CreationDate="2014-12-22T16:35:02.847" Score="10" ViewCount="7896" Body="&lt;p&gt;Rashguard are forbidden in IBJJF Gi competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the drawback and advantage of wearing a rashguard under the Gi?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="412" LastActivityDate="2018-01-31T21:21:09.423" Title="What are the advantage of wearing a rashguard under the Gi in BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4656" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4653" CreationDate="2014-12-22T17:22:53.193" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;That's the difference between learning and absorbing...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You know how sometimes some martial arts sensais teach very weird and specific situations? What do you do if someone grabs your left wrist from behind? You were never expected to use that technique in that exact situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's about UNDERSTANDING the technique and to a lesser extend, muscle memory. Judo is about unbalancing the opponent and learning where you can exercise more force than your opponent. You are not expected to do exactly as it is presented. If you can't grab the gi, grab the neck or the underarm. The idea is to get leverage and understand how to unbalance your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't focus on the execution of the technique, rather focus on what it's doing and why it's doing it that way. For example, you can apply an kimura in nonstandard position but it's still just as effective; sometimes, you don't even need to complete the figure 4 lock to generate the same torque on the opponent's elbow. Just UNDERSTAND the technique, think of it as learning math or physics, understand it, don't regurgitate it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;SUMMARY: If you are good, it doesn't matter too much whether or not the opponent has a GI.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;===---===&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A little relevant folklure (this is from a well known Chinese novel on Martial Arts): I am writing only the important parts I remember:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A sensai is showing his two favorite pupils sword techniques. The sensai's techniques are fluid and difficult to perform. As the teacher executes a move he also shouts out the key to executing that move such as &quot;make sure you draw your arm back as far as you can for maximum thrust&quot; or &quot;The feint should be as quick as possible then circle the blade from the outside of the opponent's sword inwards to strike the target&quot;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After the sensai finished all 36 movements of his swordplay, he asks the pupils, &quot;How much of the techniques do you remember?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The older pupil, a well known martial arts genius said that &quot;I think I got about 90% of the moves down.&quot; The younger pupil was amazed and said, &quot;I only got about 10% of the moves down.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The teacher sighs and replays all 36 movements, dictating the keypoints as he performs them. Afterwards he asked them again... &quot;How much of that did you retain?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The older pupil scratches his head and said, &quot;It seems like I remember about 50% of it now, I have forgotten some.&quot; The young pupil paid extra attention to all the strokes and movements and proudly said, &quot;I think I remember about 50% of it too.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The teacher nods at them and again perform the entire series of technique and pose the same question to his pupils.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The older one said, &quot;I think I forgot just about all of them, only 10% technique remains clear to me.&quot; The younger one exclaims, &quot;I think I got most of it down, I can perform about 90% of them now.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this time, the young pupil thinks to himself, &quot;My elder clanmate must be tired, how could he forget all the techniques that he had just learnt?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The sensai then perform one last time and before he could pose the question, the elder pupil exclaim, &quot;I think I got it, I forgot just about everything!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The teacher smiles happily and patted on the elder pupil's should, &quot;Well done... Well done...&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The younger pupil was very confused and asked the teacher, &quot;I don't understand why you complimented him when he actually learned nothing from you.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The teacher then said, &quot;He didn't remember anything, but he learned everything. Martial Arts is fluid and ever-changing, a technique is dead and rigid. You cannot simply learn the movement of a technique but you need to learn the idea of the technique.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;===---===&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The idea was that we don't learn boxing to learn exactly how to throw a punch, but to learn how to generate power properly and how to generate that power quickly and land a punch accurately. You don't learn Judo to learn exactly where to place your foot to trip someone, but rather you learn how to unbalance an opponent by understand his center of gravity and his weight distribution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4435" LastEditorUserId="4435" LastEditDate="2014-12-22T23:47:16.107" LastActivityDate="2014-12-22T23:47:16.107" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4657" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-12-22T19:24:13.967" Score="10" ViewCount="1301" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Taekwon-Do_Federation#History_and_Schism&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;, there are currently 3 ITF Taekwon-do organisations:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;ITF - President Chang Ung &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;ITF - President Pablo Trajtenberg&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;ITF - President Choi Jung Hwa&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone know how many members each organisation has?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4463" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-04-09T11:21:54.450" LastActivityDate="2015-05-15T12:28:51.837" Title="Which ITF Taekwon-do organisation has most members" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|itf|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4658" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4654" CreationDate="2014-12-22T19:53:06.677" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I and some of my friends wear rashguards or even just T-shirts under our Gi's during class simply to lessen the amount of exposed skin and the amount of skin-to-skin contact.  So far as I know, there are no other advantages.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the drawback, I am not aware of any other than having a rashguard that will need to be washed along with the GI after class.  If it is a looser T-shirt, I have seen hands caught in its collar when going for a gi collar grab, but I have yet to see that provide either a meaningful advantage or a disadvantage in the actual round and a tight-fitting rashguard should not have that issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe that the reason they are banned in gi-competitions is simply tradition and it has not been strictly enforced in the competitions I have attended.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1253" LastActivityDate="2014-12-22T19:53:06.677" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4659" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4654" CreationDate="2014-12-22T20:55:31.300" Score="6" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Pros&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Prevents chest hair falling off into partner's mouths.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lessens the chance of skin infections. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reduces incidence of gi burn and mat burn. (These are wimpy reasons.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Increases modesty, for instance, hiding fat and reducing skin-to-skin contact that makes some people feel weird.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Warmer for winter months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Increases friction when the gi is not between you and your partner, for instance, increasing control when chest-to-chest in side control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Cons&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More laundry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Prevents display of muscular physique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notifies people that you're a big wimp about pinches and scrapes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hotter in summer months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Increases friction, making some escapes more difficult. This can also give your opponent control over you, for instance, giving them a tackier surface to play guard against.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-12-23T13:42:55.943" LastActivityDate="2014-12-23T13:42:55.943" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4660" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4653" CreationDate="2014-12-22T20:59:39.393" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;We are what we do repeatedly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judoka practice with the gi. Many throws can be done without it, but most judoka haven't ever practiced without the gi. Without it, many of their techniques will be slower and harder to execute. They will need to think more, and find alternatives. Because they don't train without the gi, their performance will necessarily be less. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it must be realized that even a t-shirt provides enough of a grip to perform many collar chokes and throws. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In BJJ, this is solved by training both gi and no-gi, so that one learns how to adapt techniques and which techniques to avoid or gravitate towards when training with or without. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-07-02T11:36:32.550" LastActivityDate="2015-07-02T11:36:32.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4661" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4654" CreationDate="2014-12-22T21:39:47.613" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just wanted to chime in with one answer which the others here have already stated but without specifically mentioning this particular aspect...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nipples.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't giggle. I know you're giggling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Actually, nipple burn is a serious annoyance for anyone doing gi work. And I'm talking about guys. I assume women have some kind of athletic bra and t-shirt underneath, so they're protected, more or less.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you've ever worn a grappling gi (Judo / BJJ), then you know those things are like cardboard. They're thick and heavy. And when you have an opponent who constantly grabs your gi, that thing will slide up and down, side to side. The effect is that your nipples will feel like someone took a cheese grater to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I used to train in judo in high school, and we didn't use rash guards under our gi tops. I wouldn't even realize that my nipples were getting scraped by my gi until I went home and hit the shower. Once the water hits, it's like some kind of bizarre form of torture. Either that or you can think of it as a kind of masochistic badge of honor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they don't permit rash guards, I wonder if they allow you to tape your nipples in IBJFF competition? Or maybe you could claim to be transgendered, and they'll allow you to wear an athletic bra underneath. Hehe. Just kidding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2014-12-22T21:39:47.613" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4662" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2014-12-23T05:43:19.197" Score="3" ViewCount="2414" Body="&lt;p&gt;In martial arts there are different ways to execute the roundhouse kick. Some kicks are felt like a whip and some are like a huge blow. For example, in karate a roundhouse kick uses the ball of the foot but in taekwondo the instep is used. Some use the knee and the elasticity of the leg and some use the whole body power by shifting the body weight on the side where kick is thrown. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the most effective method for the roundhouse kick?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4465" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-12-23T12:17:20.877" LastActivityDate="2015-04-27T16:50:08.683" Title="What is the most effective method for the roundhouse kick?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|self-defense|kung-fu|jeet-kune-do|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4663" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4665" CreationDate="2014-12-23T11:35:12.200" Score="0" ViewCount="1056" Body="&lt;p&gt;In martial arts all looks fine when the opponent is similar size and fighting &quot;normal&quot; way. I just wonder how to effectively fight against someone without much technique but much stronger (difference +20 kg) furiously attacking. Would you rather try to keep the distance and wait until he reaches the moment when the muscle s will need the oxygen or try to go for legs and beat him to the ground or kick low/middle kicks or teep kick or yet another option with hands like flying elbow? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4438" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-12-23T12:19:55.633" LastActivityDate="2014-12-26T20:38:34.263" Title="Defending against an aggressive and heavier opponent" Tags="|grappling|striking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="8" ClosedDate="2015-01-23T06:56:38.847" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4664" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4663" CreationDate="2014-12-23T12:24:23.623" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;My Answer Today&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given my judo and lifting training right now, I feel comfortable defending against throws by an untrained opponent. I feel less confident trading strikes. Therefore, I would stay outside striking range, maintaining distance using footwork plus an occasional leg kick, front kick, jab, or push kick as appropriate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the attacker persists I would find the right time to cover up, close the distance, and clinch. The goal is to transition from too-far-away-to-hit to too-close-to-hit-effectively. The power-striking range is to be avoided, since even an untrained opponent can land a lucky knockout blow. From the clinch, I would control strikes and posture, then go for one of the high-percentage takedowns or throws in my repertoire, such as kouchigari, osotogari, or another footsweep, or potentially a takedown from the back like tani otoshi. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once I've taken the opponent down, I would maintain distance from a dominant position on top such as knee-on-belly, scarf hold, or mount. Again, this puts me in a position where strikes are just not effective for the person on the bottom. From there, I would finish the fight with words, a choke, a joint lock, or strikes (in descending order of preference).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;How?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What kind of training enables a gameplan such as above? Simply a few years of a throwing art like judo, sambo, or wrestling, plus a passing familiarity with sparring with strikes. Groundwork-specific training like BJJ helps with confidence once the fight has hit the ground. Basic strength training (barbell squats and deadlifts, pull-ups) means that I don't necessarily feel much weaker (or weaker at all) than an untrained person bigger than me by 20 kilograms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;My Answer Supposing Optimal Training&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What if I had all the training I wanted? What would I do then?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, I would have better boxing, so I would feel more comfortable staying at range and throwing (probably open-palm) jabs and leg kicks to make this person reconsider their aggression in the light of getting bloody and bruised. Only if something went wrong would I clinch. Once clinched, I would rely on having better judo and wrestling than I actually do, enabling me to either disengage or take them down with a more devastating and decisive throw, like a hip toss or suplex. Other than that, the gameplan would look the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-12-26T20:38:34.263" LastActivityDate="2014-12-26T20:38:34.263" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4665" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4663" CreationDate="2014-12-23T18:43:29.787" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer to this question really depends on:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;What training you have&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Where you are fighting (what terrain, obstacles, etc. is around you)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every form of self defense has different options they specialize in.  Jujitsu and Judo folks will get around the person's back and lock them up.  Some folks will catch a thumb or get a wrist lock.  Boxers will play with distance, jabs until the person opens up and then dig in.  Untrained folks inevitably open themselves up a lot... and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only common factor in your question is untrained folks - untrained folks tend to throw telegraphed haymakers, tackle/knock down folks (followed by either a kick/stomp or mount and punch), and often don't have great balance themselves.  That's about it.  So it's absolutely style and practitioner dependent about how you respond to that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Usually the biggest threat is the knockdown, because that's where untrained folks do the most damage.  So that's either people playing good with evasive footwork to avoid that or good grappling to make sure they either stay on top (sprawl out) or take the person down hard (twist downs, etc.) and get good position from there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2014-12-23T18:43:29.787" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4667" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4786" CreationDate="2014-12-25T20:50:02.997" Score="4" ViewCount="1451" Body="&lt;p&gt;A Gi checker is an object used for check that the Gi meet IBJJF kimono requirement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How to do your own Gi checker?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/53jyi.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Gi Checker dimensions&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="412" LastEditorUserId="412" LastEditDate="2015-02-16T08:20:41.307" LastActivityDate="2015-02-16T08:20:41.307" Title="How to build a Gi checker?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4669" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4596" CreationDate="2014-12-26T16:36:19.327" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Traditional TKD had no &quot;Bo&quot; form. &#xA;The traditional Korean systems had very few weapons in them at all. They later began to adopt the weapons systems of surrounding nations like Japan and China. They did adopt the 6' staff, but it is called a &quot;joong bong&quot;. In fact the Japanese Kata that were adopted and transformed into &quot;TKD&quot; forms were generally never given their own names but called &quot;Joong Bong Hyung I&quot; or &quot;Joong Bong Hyung 2&quot;. Which is like saying &quot;staff form 1&quot;....etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;NOTE: These adaptations from other systems are fairly modern and aren't a part of &quot;Traditional&quot; TKD. The arts that first began to incorporate them were Kook Sul Won, Hwarang Do, Mu Sul and Hapkido..........all of which are reinterpretations of traditions and arts from other nations, not Korea. They are adopted cousins to TKD. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4470" LastActivityDate="2014-12-26T16:36:19.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4670" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4653" CreationDate="2014-12-26T20:45:10.110" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;Great question and likely one which needs to be asked again and again. One short answer might be:&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Judoka may execute throws in tactical (street) situations against assailants with clothing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A longer answer might be:&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Clothing is a tool in the hands of a martial artist; as my students have practiced with judogi, street clothes and various levels of attire. The rich reward to a persistent student is understanding the principles behind the movements where spontaneous finesse and adaptation 'mold the model' of a technique into application in live-time exercise. To the original question: are Jukdoka capable of using dojo-trained throws against street assailants? &lt;strong&gt;Absolutely&lt;/strong&gt;! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4471" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-01-13T19:45:58.947" LastActivityDate="2016-01-13T19:45:58.947" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4672" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4673" CreationDate="2014-12-28T03:32:24.830" Score="4" ViewCount="2124" Body="&lt;p&gt;The title pretty much says it all. I am a little flexible like, I can get to touch my knees with my head. When I was young, I could try side (right splits) but never comfortably. Now I won't even dare based on my condition but:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Based on my age/bone maturity is it healthy and possible to pursue this new goal&#xA;of mine which is; to be able to do but front and side splits ?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If possible, what are some good daily starting exercises?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4473" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2014-12-28T20:44:53.317" LastActivityDate="2015-05-01T09:17:38.547" Title="Can my body learn to split at 25?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|safety|flexibility|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4673" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4672" CreationDate="2014-12-28T13:17:54.913" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on your age, there is no reason why you cannot. It won't happen for everyone, but if you did them at an earlier age then you should be able to do them again. But make no mistake, it is going to take some sustained and regular training to achieve it, and if you stop stretching once you've achieved the splits then you will gradually lose your flexibility again. I would recommend &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PNF_stretching&quot;&gt;PNF stretching&lt;/a&gt; as a very efficient way to stretch, although it takes some practice to be able to execute it correctly and is more difficult to do without a partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Why are front splits much more challenging than right splits ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because you are a male. I have been told that due to anatomical reasons most males find it far more difficult to achieve a front split than a side split, and it's the opposite for females. I don't know the exact reason, but it's to do with the structure and shape of the pelvis and the attachment points for muscles and &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliofemoral_ligament&quot;&gt;ligaments&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2014-12-28T13:23:30.060" LastActivityDate="2014-12-28T13:23:30.060" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4674" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4662" CreationDate="2014-12-30T01:55:24.763" Score="8" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What is the most effective method for the roundhouse kick?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You've got a one-adjective criteria there, and a vague one: &lt;em&gt;effective&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overall effectiveness might reasonably be defined as what helps you win reliably, or perhaps you'd prefer something less reliable if it meant the average or median injury you sustain is less even though the worst case outcome's less favourable.  That kind of analysis depends on your opponent(s) as much as you, because the quality of their defense, conditioning, and counter-attacks determine whether you'll be able to use your roundhouse effectively.  An incredibly powerful but overly telegraphed roundhouse might be useless against a very agile opponent, while a fast flicky kick might do insufficient damage against most targets on a larger, stronger opponent.  It does depends on the target though - a flicky but &quot;clean&quot; kick to the jaw should still be a knockout.  Trying to take someone out through thigh kicks, or breaking down a guard, needs more power than a kick to the floating rib or liver but will likely be less effective anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Effectiveness of a kick is also a result of the unpredictability of the timing, catching the opponent moving the wrong way, coming in at an unexpected angle e.g. a very few people have the flexibility to lift the knee higher mid-kick and kick downwards into the neck, another variation needing less flexibility is to drop the knee while turning the torso away from the opponent and swinging the lower leg down into the opponent's face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So - lots of considerations for any meaningful measure of effectiveness....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2014-12-30T01:55:24.763" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4677" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1009" CreationDate="2014-12-31T15:22:38.560" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This question contains four questions. I think the first two are roughly the same and will address them as I am not qualified to address the last two. Also, I think the link is dead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What do tai chi practitioners mean when they use this word?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two kinds of tai chi practitioners: those who practice tai chi as an internal martial art (one that uses qi instead of muscular strength in order to generate force) and those who don't. Those who don't use the word uprooting to mean unbalancing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those who do have, at some point in their training, cleared blockages from their energy system as well as accumulated extra energy. This facilitates the smooth flow of energy from the sky into the ground through the human creating an actual connection between the martial artist and the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What does it mean to &quot;uproot&quot; someone in tai chi?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The meaning you are probably looking for is 'to break someone's connection to the ground'. If you have no experience of qi, it makes sense that you are unable to identify the specific meaning of this jargon. I would highly advise learning from a genuine master of internal martial arts. Many people are turned off from it because it requires some sacrifice but it will be one of the best decisions you've ever made. Regards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4479" LastEditorUserId="4479" LastEditDate="2015-07-17T19:22:46.517" LastActivityDate="2015-07-17T19:22:46.517" CommentCount="19" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4678" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2057" CreationDate="2014-12-31T17:53:10.120" Score="-3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;What is &quot;Qi power&quot;?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Master Waysun Liao describes it as &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;a high-frequency vibration controlled by the mind and integrated by&#xA;  mind/body coordination into an ultra-fast wave-like unit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Master BK Frantzis says it is&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;a specific form of chi that integrates all the various energies of the&#xA;  body into one unified chi that can manifest physical power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I got both of these quotes from my teacher's article &lt;a href=&quot;http://flowingzen.com/8599/internal-strength-what-it-is-and-isnt/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Internal Strength: What It Is (And Isn't)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Has it been scientifically investigated?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We are all roughly familiar with the scientific method. If you are not, information is freely available on google. That said, there are many approaches to the scientific method. If you mean have any randomized, double-blind studies been performed on internal masters performing superhuman feats, then I don't know of any.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if you are asking whether less rigorous testing been performed then the answer is yes! &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shaolin.org/video-clips-3/special-test2008/cane-on-eggs.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This page&lt;/a&gt; contains videos of people breaking sugar canes balanced on eggs without damaging the eggs. The rigidity of the sugar canes would have crushed the eggs had they been broken by external strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQVlNqMVbkc&amp;amp;t=57&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This&lt;/a&gt; is a video of my teacher breaking the bottom of two bricks without breaking the top one. Some people persist in disbelief by breaking only the bottom of two bricks using a sledgehammer. It is important to note that, even if my sifu did external conditioning of his hands (which he doesn't), human hands are not sledgehammers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The distinction becomes more obvious if we imagine he'd posted a video of himself shooting flames from his hands or harming someone from a distance. Although an untrained individual can shoot flames using a flamethrower or harm someone from a distance using a gun, that does not mean shooting flames from your hands is unremarkable. Please do not become insulted by my comparison, I only want to point out that replicating results using tools does not invalidate the original results.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many people seem to believe that, because they are not familiar with any randomized, double-blind studies, there must be no such thing and internal martial artists are either lying or incompetent. However, this is not the case.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ol start=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;How can we achieve this?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sifu Wong Kiew Kit says there are &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shaolin.org/answers/ans09b/jul09-2.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;three requirements&lt;/a&gt; for attainment in any art: the method, the teacher, and the student. You must have a good method for attaining the desired result, a teacher possessing the result you desire who is able to pass it on to you, and then you have to be a good student and practice diligently what your teacher tells you to. Regards!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4479" LastEditorUserId="4479" LastEditDate="2015-07-20T14:20:19.580" LastActivityDate="2015-07-20T14:20:19.580" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4679" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="104" CreationDate="2014-12-31T19:14:26.317" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Internal martial arts use lots of chi to generate internal power (neijin). This force is not related to body mechanics, leverage, or muscular strength. At an advanced level, it can be exploded from any part of the body. Qigong is used to generate this power. Internal arts are known for producing extremely healthy practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;External martial arts use bones, muscles, and body mechanics to generate power. It is dependent on muscular conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There really aren't clear cut lines though. There are plenty of taijiquan teachers who don't have neijin and use boxing-type moves in sparring. There are also shaolinquan exponents who have great internal power. Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit says this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It is important to bear in mind that this division into internal and&#xA;  external kungfu is arbitrary and provisional. Actually there are more&#xA;  internal aspects in Shaolin Kungfu than in all the three famous&#xA;  internal styles put together!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shaolin.org/general/various.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.shaolin.org/general/various.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the very front page of his website,  Master Waysun Liao says &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;you can cultivate and use your life energy for healing, martial arts&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.taichitaocenter.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.taichitaocenter.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shaolin.org/general-2/wong-fei-hoong/wong-fei-hoong09.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt; is a Q&amp;amp;A style answer to almost this exact question by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://flowingzen.com/8599/internal-strength-what-it-is-and-isnt/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This&lt;/a&gt; is a blog post by my Sifu regarding internal strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think I need any sources to verify that external martial arts use bones, muscles, and body mechanics to generate power. That is easily verifiable as well as common knowledge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4479" LastEditorUserId="4479" LastEditDate="2015-01-23T14:28:15.873" LastActivityDate="2015-01-23T14:28:15.873" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4681" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4485" CreationDate="2015-01-02T14:06:20.430" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;When he says qi, he means qi. Lately, I am quite confused by the number of people who assume past masters have written great and useful texts about martial arts but simultaneously been so foolish as to be unable to tell the difference between using cosmic energy to move and produce force and using their muscles. It seems to me that, in order to be consistent, one must admit that they are obviously confused and their writings can't be trusted or they knew what they were talking about and used words like qi, jin, and li for a reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Intention harmonizes with the qi means one should synchronize his qi with his intention so that his qi responds immediately to changes in his intention.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Qi harmonizes with the movement means that you use the qi to move your physical body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conjunction with the previous statement, it means using your mind to move your qi to move your body. This is a tremendously beneficial skill which some have described as the greatest achievement in taijiquan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4479" LastActivityDate="2015-01-02T14:06:20.430" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4682" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="995" CreationDate="2015-01-02T14:52:53.547" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The traditional answer (and my experience) is all aspects. In chinese medicine, there is only one disease: a disharmony of yin and yang. This is actually obvious if you know what yin and yang symbolize here. Yin is your body's ability to adapt to external stresses and yang are the external stresses. If those two things are out of balance, sickness will manifest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is where chinese medicine loses people: the way to restore yin-yang harmony is to generate an internal energy flow (qi flow). There are many branches of chinese medicine but they all seek to do this in their own way. Taijiquan is an excellent way to generate a qi flow (in fact, it is predicated on qi flow) and, according to chinese medical theory, therefore an excellent way to prevent as well as overcome all diseases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4479" LastActivityDate="2015-01-02T14:52:53.547" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4683" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="965" CreationDate="2015-01-02T14:59:55.517" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Single whip is an excellent pattern for learning to fa jin. I am guessing you're asking about the crazy hook hand. According to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shaolin.org/taijiquan/whip/whip.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The hook hand at one end locks the force so that it can shoot&#xA;  out more powerfully at the palm on the other side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4479" LastActivityDate="2015-01-02T14:59:55.517" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4684" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1983" CreationDate="2015-01-02T15:57:28.257" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know about choondu marman in particular but it sounds vaguely similar to the one finger zen technique of shaolinquan. A one finger zen master stores lots of internal force using qi (prana) and then uses it to disrupt energy channels and, at a highly advanced level, can do so from a distance. I suspect that is what choondu marman exponents are doing as well. Neither of these are magical (meaning not understood), they make perfect sense once you examine them from the perspective of the scientific paradigm in which they were developed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For interest, here is the scientific explanation of one finger zen (and presumably choondu marmam). Everyone possesses a network of energy (prana) channels that run throughout their body. Smooth flow of energy through these channels is necessary for normal human operation. Once they become significantly blocked, normal functioning ceases. When a kung fu master develops so much jin that they can project beyond their body enough jin to produce blockages in an opponent's channels, they can cause harm without touching them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion, I believe choondu marmam is real. I am not supporting anyone on youtube who says they have it as it is highly improbably that they do. If they did, they would probably be making millions of dollars training people to have choondu marmam rather than producing unconvincing youtube videos and drawing ridicule.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4479" LastActivityDate="2015-01-02T15:57:28.257" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4685" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-01-03T01:05:37.950" Score="3" ViewCount="4150" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm just wondering if is it okay to be training mix martial arts even if I have braces. Because of the various throws and submission techniques, I'm just wondering if it would be bad for my braces or not. Thanks for whoever can answer my question. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4485" LastActivityDate="2015-01-20T13:53:22.397" Title="Can i do judo or jiu-jitsu even if I have braces?" Tags="|judo|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2015-01-23T06:57:38.210" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4686" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-01-03T08:39:18.863" Score="4" ViewCount="2212" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Bruce Lee's Fighting Method I read that spin kick in JKD is hit directly to the opponent. However, I noticed a Taekwondo friend hitting his kick in a cyclic manner. Which one are most effective and why?&lt;br&gt;&#xA;To further clarify what I am talking about, I cite Bruce Lee's &quot;Fighting Methods: Skill in Techniques (1977) by Bruce Lee, Mitoshi Uyehara, and Mike Plane. The following screenshots are from the book, describing spin kick.&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fz6Iz.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5kf4Z.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4367" LastEditorUserId="4367" LastEditDate="2015-01-06T17:17:15.800" LastActivityDate="2015-07-05T17:53:08.867" Title="JKD spin kick vs. Taekwondo spin kick" Tags="|spinning-kicks|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="17" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4687" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4685" CreationDate="2015-01-04T00:35:09.173" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to this dentist, the recommendation by the American Association of Orthodontists is that anyone with braces should wear a mouth guard whenever doing a sport, including boxing, wrestling, and martial arts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.gechofforthodontics.com/mouthguards&quot;&gt;http://www.gechofforthodontics.com/mouthguards&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would assume this recommendation is for &quot;all the time&quot; during practice, not just for sparring. So when you walk into that MMA class, put in the mouth guard. Only take it out when you're done with class. That way, no surprise trips to the dentist!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can get mouth guards that mold to a custom fit. You heat them up in hot water, then stick them in your mouth, bite down, take them out, and let it cool. It will mold to your teeth, braces and all. That's what you want for the best fit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do some research on the web to find out what's the best type of mouth guard for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think so long as you're diligent about wearing your mouth guard in class, you probably won't have any damage to your braces. For extra precaution, you can think about concentrating in grappling classes instead of MMA or anything with striking until you get your braces off. (You still need to wear the mouth guard, though.) Either that or tell your MMA partners that you want very light contact to your face or no contact at all. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, throws aren't a problem for braces. None of the throws you'll practice will land you on your face or jaw. If that happens, it would be a rare accident. It can still happen, but it's very unlikely. More likely (but still not very likely), you'll get taken down, and on the way down, you can slam your face or jaw against someone's knee, shoulder, or head. That happens. Just be careful. And always wear that mouth guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as always, run it by your dentist / orthodontist before you do anything. Who knows, maybe you have special braces that require a gentler touch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2015-01-04T00:35:09.173" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4688" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4686" CreationDate="2015-01-04T16:46:16.373" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll admit that I don't follow Steve's explanation of the difference on the spinning kicks, so I won't address that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvXv633iARM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; where they discuss another perceived difference between the two. Namely, the teacher is suggesting that all TKD (or, as he says it, Karate) back kicks require a full 360 degree spin, and are therefore slower, albeit potentially carrying more power. As best I can tell from the video, the JKD spin kick is closer to an abbreviated back kick than a TKD spinning back kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-01-04T16:46:16.373" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4689" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4686" CreationDate="2015-01-05T07:12:49.457" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;They're both effective at their intended purpose. Just to be fair though, TKD also has a spinning back-kick, which is much closer to the JKD spinning kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-01-05T07:12:49.457" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4693" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4654" CreationDate="2015-01-07T09:56:23.000" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wore a heavy gi doing Hapkido 3 years and judo another 2, I never noticed any nipple problem.  That is until I started distance running last year, my sweaty shirt rubbed them raw, so I taped them - doing that for judo practice could be dangerous to chest hair during randori. one difference between then and now (20 year gap) is, where I was about 160 lbs, now I am 180 and have developed some man boobs :(  maybe that's a factor with regards to the gi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5498" LastActivityDate="2015-01-07T09:56:23.000" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4694" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4654" CreationDate="2015-01-07T12:33:24.707" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Other people have told you the pros and cons. All I can add is that they are banned for the same reason other martial arts (or even schools) ban items of clothing: they're not part of the prescribed uniform. e.g. I almost got disqualified from the 1997 South African Taekwondo championships because I wore sneakers during the breaking event. Luckily I was in the grandmaster's good books back then, so he just gave me a warning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-01-07T12:33:24.707" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4695" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="417" CreationDate="2015-01-09T11:16:57.383" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;there is a simple poem to remember this learned when I was very young,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;left over right , a fighter's delight&quot;&#xA;&quot;right over left , a fight to the death&quot;&#xA;when you bow your hand placement means everything , &#xA;fighters would bow showing weather is was a spar or a death match. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;there are lots of meanings, but this one is being forgotten because death matches are now forbidden in most places&#xA;&quot;right over left&quot; means only one of the fighter leaves the match alive while,&#xA;&quot;left over right&quot; means its a practice fight, or sparing match as people call them now&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5504" LastActivityDate="2015-01-09T11:16:57.383" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4696" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="417" CreationDate="2015-01-09T21:33:26.870" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The open and closed fist means-Peace, I do not wish to harm you. It's in place of shaking hands. If you shake hands that's bad because you can get pulled in and killed. By not shaking hands things are nuetral.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4461" LastActivityDate="2015-01-09T21:33:26.870" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4697" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4686" CreationDate="2015-01-09T23:09:05.430" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are fighting for real then you skould not kick higher than your opponent's balls.&#xA;Reason is you're legs are to easy to get a hold of. Bruce Lee's high kicks and spin kicks&#xA;are just for show. They look cool but if he used them in a real fight he would get his ass kicked. There are plenty of targets to hit below the balls, especially the knees. i would practice all areas below the balls and focus hitting exactly what you're aiming at.&#xA;Hand techniques are very effective without risking you're legs getting caught and throwing you to the ground. Bruce Lee made the sport popular with his kicks but in reality it is wise to keep you're legs on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4461" LastActivityDate="2015-01-09T23:09:05.430" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4698" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4555" CreationDate="2015-01-09T23:27:09.783" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of guys that don't like to fight. They don't like pain either. I am one of them also and the smart man learns the internal Martial Arts. The internal is all about healthy inside your body. There are forms that concentrate on you're organs and developing you're QI. The best self defense is not to fight. That's the ultimate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4461" LastActivityDate="2015-01-09T23:27:09.783" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4699" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4555" CreationDate="2015-01-12T13:50:20.127" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The same way you overcome your fear of getting into a cold swimming pool: let it happen. Allow yourself to get kicked. It will get better and better until soon getting kicked or punched doesn't trigger your automatic panic reflex.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Experience is the best teacher. There is no meditation, focusing technique or kamehameha wave that you need to study. Just experience it until it becomes boring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-01-12T13:50:20.127" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4700" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4555" CreationDate="2015-01-12T16:29:06.237" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I once was a Muay Thai practitioner for seven years.&#xA;My humble opinion is that fear should not be eliminated.&#xA;Fear should be conditioned as you condition your shins, your elbows, your knuckles.&#xA;I stepped against opponents more expert and more strong than me.&#xA;I went against those fanatic kind of practitioners taking the full contact nature of my martial art as an excuse to always hit full strength.&#xA;There was no single time where I was not afraid...still I stepped against them.&#xA;Initially I did not even manage to hit back, I just avoided and -rarely because the pain scared me- blocked.&#xA;At one point, I'm sure it was my perseverance that had made, without me knowing it, my spirit and inner strength more conditioned. &#xA;It changed over an afternoon. During the usual sparring where I was backing off circular shin kicks, full of bruises, that suddenly I felt a surge inside.&#xA;It did not eliminate the fear, it embraced it.&#xA;And suddenly I was (and my companions looking the sparring noted it and started to encourage me, making me feel proud) not going back, but forward against the opponent! I don't know how! I was very aware and accurate but at the same time absent, my mind following and &quot;dancing&quot; with my body at the timing of the music we traditionally play in fights. I started to push forward with my previously insecure shin blocks in a hard way. I was kicking my opponent's &quot;weapons&quot; with mine.&#xA;And I was countering hard. It was not a beating anymore. It was an exchange.&#xA;Since that session, I go AGAINST the blows when I must block. My fighting style is quite passive, avoidant, but when I block, then I see the block as an attack against the incoming attack. &#xA;And it's not pain anymore. It's just impact. The fear never went away and I never would want it to go, because it became the emotion that turned into my internal source of KI (note: before the above mentioned change I did not use to vocally, or with the breath, exteriorize the KI. I began to firmly scream whenever I kicked, while pressing my diaphragm hard while loosely turning my hips and by the way gained an impressive increase in kick power).&#xA;To conclude, the important is to have an opponent who, whatever his character is, is willing to SAFELY make an exchange of &quot;KI&quot; with you. It's pure, beautiful energy work performed through the ascent towards perfect battle!&#xA;In Italian, fights are literally called &quot;encounters&quot; (incontro); I think it's a beautiful subtlety, because someway this brings you to a state of mind where your opponent/sparring partner is cooperating and thus teaching you, together with your higher self, to not give into this initially difficult, yed imho fundamental fear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5510" LastActivityDate="2015-01-12T16:29:06.237" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4702" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4516" CreationDate="2015-01-13T16:16:54.967" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrap your wrists first, then pass it over your palm, between the index finger and thumb and then go around the thumb and between each of your fingers, like in the following video:&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kgVnNAHLLM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;enter link description here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll know you've done it right when your wrists feel solid and your hand closes into a semi-fist on its own when relaxed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-01-13T16:16:54.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4703" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="968" CreationDate="2015-01-13T20:15:47.200" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Holding stances and then applying isometrics while in the various stances seems to serve some strength conditioning purpose and also tai chi practiced in deep water with a belt that floates you in an upright position / water offers some resistance however allows the fluid motion of tai chi and chi gong to be maintained/ also it is fun in the deep water. I have been practicing for 5 years and realize daily how little I know and how much there is to this wonderful art/ forever learning and trying &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5514" LastActivityDate="2015-01-13T20:15:47.200" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4704" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4516" CreationDate="2015-01-14T16:04:35.003" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is a good description of how to wrap your hands:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-basics/how-to-box/how-to-wrap-your-hands&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-basics/how-to-box/how-to-wrap-your-hands&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastActivityDate="2015-01-14T16:04:35.003" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4705" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4197" CreationDate="2015-01-16T05:26:32.943" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have at least three things to say.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I HIGHLY doubt the triple sword style would be effective in real life. And even if that wasn't the case, Zoro is darn near superhuman, which is probably why he is the ONLY one who mastered this style.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Is that YOU in the picture?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If this is you in the picture, I have to say you are both bold AND reckless. If this is what it looks like, you are not only risking your modesty by posting yourself butt naked, you are also risking your the health of your teeth and &quot;other parts&quot; by carrying THREE sharp, presumably heavy swords, knowing one wrong move could do a LOT of damage. The three sword style is impossible, but for this bravery, I commend you dude.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5521" LastEditorUserId="562" LastEditDate="2015-01-22T14:55:13.700" LastActivityDate="2015-01-22T14:55:13.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4706" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="589" CreationDate="2015-01-16T05:39:52.127" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Comparing Kalari Payatt and Kung fu&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(I've been practicing few styles of both Indian and Chinese martial arts and I would like to share some of the technical similarities I found (or felt) in both styles. This is not about the mother of all bullshit details :-))&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Starting by considering &quot;Kung fu&quot; or &quot;Wushu&quot; as an umbrella term for all Chinese martial arts in which there are hundreds of different systems and various styles and sub styles/lineages. Some share similar concepts and methodologies, but in most cases the differences will make it impossible even to compare at all. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly Kalari Payatt is now used as an umbrella term for all the systems and styles of martial arts practiced in the south Indian state of Kerala. Based on their characteristics these arts are classified mainly into northern systems and southern systems (But there are still some styles which cannot be put into either of these groups). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Considering the above mentioned, I believe it will be better to compare styles with similar characteristics. Actually I don’t want to call it comparing as it is a senseless and stupid idea as every art has its own place and uniqueness.  But still for all those fools like me out there..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The southern schools  of kalari (Thekkan Kalari)&lt;/strong&gt; which traditionally have been known by various names like  Adi Thada, Adi Mura, Nadan, Chuvadu Mura, Thekkan Mura, Para thallu, Muchuvadu etc focuses on empty hand fighting and the footwork patterns (Chuvadu) found in these systems uses various geometric shapes like square, triangle, +, circle etc. These pattern based structures are more similar to SE Asian martial arts than CMA. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Within these groups there are styles which are close, mid and long range systems. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For e.g.,  &lt;strong&gt;the close range system called 'Para thallu'&lt;/strong&gt; (Para slaps) secretly practiced among Paraya community in Kerala (who were once enslaved by the upper castes and prohibited from practicing martial arts) is an offensive system which aims at ending the fight quickly as possible. This style (in applied form) is similar to Wingchun (Yongchun),  Southern mantis (or other Hakka styles) and  some forms of Silat. But there aren’t any centreline principles like in WC or hunched shoulders as in Hakka styles or any kind of internal aspects of CMA. The similarities may be due the fact that all these systems are based on common principles like close range fighting, economy of moves, practicality etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Adi Murai (law of striking)&lt;/strong&gt; or Adi thada (strike-defense) styles practiced in the southern most districts of Kerala and a district of the neighbouring state (Tamil Nadu) uses long range strikes and swinging arms movements.  These swinging arm movements looks similar to the swinging movements found in Lama Pai, Choy Li Fut (Cai Li Fa), Pigua (PeKwar) etc.. of CMA.  But it doesn’t use any particular concepts  in the swings like in Pigua style or Tongbei styles. The characteristic swinging arms strikes of Lama Pai and Choy li fut (which can also be seen in some other Cantonese styles) is in certain ways similar.  The weapons training in Adi Mura is closer to SE martial arts than CMA&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The northern Payatt style which is popularly known today as Kalari Payatt (Kalarippayattu)&lt;/strong&gt; is completely different style when compared to the southern styles. When we look into the actual training concepts, it has a way of conditioning the body through forms which uses core body movements that becomes foundation for actual fighting (forms may not directly imply martial application). These moves are based on movements of animals as in Yoga (but not as the animal imitations in CMA). The style primarily focuses on weapons training and uses many 2 person sparring forms. Empty hand fighting is mainly practiced in various combinations of strikes and grappling moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Similarities with CMA&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basic leg raise line drills in Payatt are similar to the leg stretching kicks found in the northern style CMA.  When looking at the individual moves and how it is manifested into applications, I have felt many similar conceptualisation in both arts in general. Unlike modern karate which explains its katas in more obvious meanings, in most CMAs the application of Taolu (or Quan/Kuen) is mostly about the core movements which manifest into number of applications based on the skill of the master rather than obvious meanings of forms. This way of understanding the moves are similar in the Payattu style.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Weapons sparring forms are similar to the sparring forms found in traditional CMA and some SE Asian styles (Silat, Krabi Krabong etc)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The art of pressure points or Marma Kala (Varma kalari) in Kalari systems and the Dian Xue/ Dian mai (Dimmak) of CMA share a lot of common ideas in the  identification of points, striking methods and also in those myths of super human skills surrounding this art (e.g. Striking pressure points without physical touch or even by just looking :-)). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5520" LastEditorUserId="5520" LastEditDate="2015-03-13T04:20:46.543" LastActivityDate="2015-03-13T04:20:46.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4707" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4711" CreationDate="2015-01-17T13:44:23.387" Score="6" ViewCount="331" Body="&lt;p&gt;Title is self-explanatory: what would be the best tactic to effectively punish an otherwise notably inferior opponent with, say 20% more strength and volume, who tries to make his way into close-range with his sheer power to start exchanging blows, other than playing the game he tries to establish or mere retreating, but by holding my ground at least up to a certain extent?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assume a roughly equal hand reach, and 20% greater speed on my side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5523" LastActivityDate="2015-01-19T18:11:15.300" Title="Boxing - how to make a blunt &quot;charging&quot; of a heavier opponent, unaffordable for him?" Tags="|boxing|weight|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4708" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4707" CreationDate="2015-01-17T18:16:35.497" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ideally I'd want to stay on the outside using footwork while peppering with jabs and the occasional straight left. I might use the uppercut to punish them moving into the clinch, but primarily I'd want to rely on angling out rather than winning the dirty boxing fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To speak to the mindset behind this kind of question: this theoretical approach is rather useless. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/OneonOne-with-Firas-Zahabi-Part-1-77855&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Firas Zahabbi said&lt;/a&gt;, &quot;I can’t tell you the game plan. I have to spend months training you in the game plan.&quot; To take his point generally, a properly trained fighter doesn't sit and think about their strategy. They practice the strategy in the gym against trained, resisting opponents over and over. They don't &lt;em&gt;think&lt;/em&gt;, they &lt;em&gt;know&lt;/em&gt; exactly what they'd do against a bigger, stronger opponent taking strategy X because they've already done it in the gym.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you box with these tactics regularly then you'll know exactly what approach you'd like to take. If you don't train, then being told won't help, because you won't be able to execute it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-01-19T18:11:15.300" LastActivityDate="2015-01-19T18:11:15.300" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4709" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2370" CreationDate="2015-01-17T22:58:19.060" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't try to over think Tai Chi Breathing; 99% of the movements are in a pair. The pair is Inhale and Exhale. You want to do it slowly and, if you can, control your breath. You control your life. Inhale at the beginning, drawing an arrow in the bow; this stores your Chi. Exhale to deliver, and release the arrow to deliver the Chi. The breath connects your mind to your body. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ever noticed you're uptight and your breath gets short? This is because your breath is a direct result of your emotions. The beginning of movement is inhale and the second part is exhale. Simple, and do your Tai Chi as slow as you can. It will engage more of your muscles. I believe the real benefit is that our lives are moving too fast and we need to slow things down. Doing Tai Chi slow will make you slow down in real life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4461" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-10-01T08:44:29.990" LastActivityDate="2015-10-01T08:44:29.990" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4711" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4707" CreationDate="2015-01-19T16:08:15.283" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can't hold your ground against someone who has the physical advantage. The only thing you can do if you really &lt;em&gt;don't&lt;/em&gt; want to get out of the way, is to remain on the offensive and catch him with straight punches to the nose. An inexperienced fighter (as you described your opponent) will instinctively go on the defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BUUUT, the &lt;em&gt;right&lt;/em&gt; tactic is to move around him, out of striking distance and away from his dominant hand. Or try to get him into a corner, strike two or three times, then move away. The idea is to &quot;teach&quot; him that steamroller tactics won't work. Sooner or later he'll get the message and start trying to take you on at the speed game, which you are better at (according to yourself, anyway).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Much easier said than done, of course, but it's possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-01-19T16:08:15.283" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4714" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4685" CreationDate="2015-01-20T13:53:22.397" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Like any sport, wear the correct protective gear especially a mouth guard, train with a qualified instructor and exercise a bit of common sense between yourself and your training partner. If you are experiencing any discomfort,pain or are not confident in the situation, stop immediately.&#xA;I train with several guys that are in the same boat and have had no problems following these basic principles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5528" LastActivityDate="2015-01-20T13:53:22.397" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4715" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-01-20T16:42:10.973" Score="10" ViewCount="471" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm searching for a combat-technique that can be executed with only one arm and only one quick leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since I've become &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemiparesis&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;hemiphlegic&lt;/a&gt; two things changed: everything I knew about or/and had the skills concerning self-defense became useless. In my case my left arm moves very slow &quot;somehow&quot; and my left leg can't jump. I've seen a lot of books for people in a wheelchair, but never for left side impaired. But there must be more than Eastern-movies where the master defends himself bored (because soo cool...) without wheelchair but disability, especially for realistic situations. Because guess what, weak persons (or seemingly weak persons) are more mugged than healthy-strong MMA-fighters walking along the street.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5529" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-06T17:45:59.437" LastActivityDate="2019-09-11T11:34:50.687" Title="Self-defense with hemiphlegia" Tags="|self-defense|self-training|disability|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4716" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4715" CreationDate="2015-01-21T09:00:46.130" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You may be able to learn a lot of useful things from watching &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bill%20wallace%20superfoot&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Bill &quot;superfoot&quot; Wallace&lt;/a&gt; fight. He also has some sort of problem with one of his legs, forcing him to develop his left leg and left arm to compensate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-01-21T09:00:46.130" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4717" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4715" CreationDate="2015-01-21T16:01:12.853" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Possibly this stack exchange post would be more appropriate as an answer. Not a specific martial art but possibly a &quot;lead-in&quot; to forms more appropriate to your needs. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/888/self-defense-with-one-hand-tied-behind-back&quot;&gt;Martial-Arts-One-Hand&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edited {Chin na is also an excellent defence against attackers. It involves wrist locks, strike grabs, etc. It is a chinese martial art (shaolin origin, but arent most of them ) .}&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3236" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-03-18T20:40:32.860" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4718" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4715" CreationDate="2015-01-21T20:20:43.123" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's some options, though it becomes really specific to your ability.  I made a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNVMcI7NTqc&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;youtube vid talking about the general issues of self defense with mobility issues&lt;/a&gt; last year. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's some things to look at more specific to  your question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Can you pivot on your weak leg?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some cases of leg weakness, people end up &quot;locking&quot; the leg.  While this ends up restricting your overall mobility to step with it or spring off of it, you can certainly get some rotational pivot from either the ball (if your stronger) or heel (if your leg is weaker).  If this is the case, look at techniques that might do ok pivoting off the left leg (kicks with right leg, elbows from the right, some strikes).  You may end up having to develop a specific delivery variation for your body for some other techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elbow and shoulder checks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your left arm may not be fast but you can probably get in some solid shoulder or elbows from that side if you can twist from the torso or get a good angle from stepping with your right leg.  In my younger years I did judo at a dojo with a severely disabled man whose arm was locked into a position in front of his chest - he'd grab you with his good arm and shoulder twist down for take downs all the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Head butting&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A pretty great close range tool and not a bad option if you have to shoulder check someone and be up close anyway.  There's some wrestling and close grappling styles that also use the chin to grinding to the side of someone's temple or jaw hinge to cause immense pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Grappling and ground work&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although ideally in self defense scenarios, your goal is to get away, the fact is you're more likely to end on the ground than fully able bodied folks, so it's good to have your tools together.  Part of this should include falling training, simply because that can hurt you more than the hit that knocked you down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grappling may also give you ways to use your left arm or leg as a support to another technique, even if they themselves are not fast or strong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Consider Self defense tools&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your primary concern is self defense, look into what you can legally carry in your area and what tools you'd feel comfortable using - pepper spray, stun gun, flashlight, etc.  Practice being able to access it with your good hand and aiming/using the tools as needed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have a brace for your leg or arm, a crutch or cane, or other mobility tools, consider practicing moving around with them, both for your own mobility and for the sake of what kinds of attacks you might be able to make with them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-01-21T20:20:43.123" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4719" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="417" CreationDate="2015-01-22T13:31:14.490" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hate to burst everybody's bubble about peace and war, and all the elements and that.. but it literally means thank you. It is not limited to martial arts.. purely a common way to express gratitude. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am an academic, so here is my evidence (in non reference format): &#xA;&quot;The gesture for thank you in Chinese is to cover one's right hand with the left, and raise them&#xA;chest or head high while bowing one's head.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Link : &lt;a href=&quot;http://survivalphrases.com/pdfs/SurvivalPhrases_Chinese_S1L01.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://survivalphrases.com/pdfs/SurvivalPhrases_Chinese_S1L01.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;google search &quot;Chinese thank you hand gesture&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5532" LastActivityDate="2015-01-22T13:31:14.490" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4720" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4725" CreationDate="2015-01-24T16:17:40.927" Score="10" ViewCount="3590" Body="&lt;p&gt;What can we do against a harasser who comes at a distance of two inches of you with a clearly menacing attitude. What strike could be applied at the distance of two inches standing face to face (I suppose the one-inch punch would be the ideal solution, but it's not feasible for me). If you assess the situation and consider a violent confrontation inevitable (but prefer to strike first), and there is no distance for kicking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1811" LastEditorUserId="1811" LastEditDate="2015-01-24T21:16:00.030" LastActivityDate="2015-08-02T21:13:21.913" Title="Close quarter's defense: when you stand face to face with an attacker" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4722" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4662" CreationDate="2015-01-25T08:11:08.947" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The most effective way to do it is shown below:&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pjuvo.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Swing Kick&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;strong&gt;Butthan&lt;/strong&gt; martial art, it is called Swing Kick. And the motion shown in the image produces the most power. Striking with lower part of Shin bone causes most damage (Shin bone has to be conditioned well enough).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/oBJjK.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5535" LastActivityDate="2015-01-25T08:11:08.947" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4723" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4720" CreationDate="2015-01-25T08:42:49.583" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The more important question you should be asking is what's actually going on here? What is the psychology of this situation? Knowing that is the only way of figuring out how you should react. The actual fighting techniques you might use are of secondary importance, and I kind of think any martial art will have a number of techniques and strategies that you can use effectively in this situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And by the way, no technique is guaranteed to finish the fight in one blow. That happens only in movies and martial arts folklore. In reality, knowing what to do after that first blow is just as important. Things will go wrong. You need a system. You need training. There are no &quot;trick&quot; techniques that work all the time in this situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My observation of the stare-down scenario is this: &lt;b&gt;If the aggressor in this situation has not initiated any physical contact (no pushes, no punches, etc.), then it is an indication that he is unwilling to fight.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If he wanted to fight you, he would not hesitate to shove you hard or punch you. Instead, he is waiting to see what happens. That is a dead giveaway that he doesn't want to actually fight you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the defender, you have three choices:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Deescalate by backing away, gesturing, and using your voice.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Preemptively attack by punching, tackling, etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stand your ground (do nothing except stare back confidently).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fights that I have personally witnessed as well as those I've watched on youtube which started with a stare-down initiated by an aggressor tend to show that the best two choices are #2 and #3. But even #1 will work, though you have to be careful with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the first choice, you deescalate. That means you try to put some distance between you both and turn your body to the side to protect yourself. You put your hands up, palm facing outward to gesture that you don't want to fight. And you ask the guy what's the matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Deescalating doesn't always work, of course. The guy could take it as a sign of weakness from you and will try to lunge forward to punch you. Be ready for it. Once he attacks physically, your best option is to fight back, rather than continue to back away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to be able to instantly &lt;b&gt;flip the switch&lt;/b&gt; in your mind from deescalation to full-on fight mode. That's something most people just aren't trained to do, even most martial artists. It happens so fast. In most fights whereby someone attacks while the other guy is deescalating, the one who attacks generally wins. And it's because the defender in this case hasn't flipped that switch, and he's probably also very psychologically intimidated and afraid. He's not confident and not ready to engage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second choice is to preemptively attack the aggressor. Since he's unwilling to initiate the fight physically, he probably won't be psychologically prepared for your attack. And at this close range, it's quicker to act than to react. You can punch or take him down to the ground before he has a chance to react to it. And chances are, the person who initiates contact first will win in this situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But preemptive strikes aren't guaranteed to work. That first strike is just the beginning. You can make it the best punch you've ever made, and it lands square on the jaw, but that guy might not be phased. You need more than just a single strike plan. You need a full fighting system to use after that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, you don't know if this guy has a gun or a knife, or if one of his friends is standing behind you ready to jump on you. There are a lot of ways a preemptive strike could go wrong. The main thing to keep in mind is that you could be hurt, so it is risky.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The last of the 3 choices, in no particular order, is to stand your ground. This is actually not a bad choice. Once again, I observe that the aggressor seems unwilling to fight you if he hasn't initiated physical contact. You might reject choice #1 (deescalation), because you think he will see you backing off and will interpret it as a sign of weakness, so you figure he'll try to punch you or something if he sees that. And choice #2 (a preemptive strike) seems unnecessary or too risky (physically, legally, etc.) to you. So you choose to stand your ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Standing your ground here means you're not going to back down, nor are you going to initiate any physical contact here (like by pushing him). You'll stare him in the eyes and not look away. Your posture should be strong and confident, ready to fight. You won't verbally or through gestures try to deescalate (which would signal to him that you're weak). You can verbally indicate a willingness to fight him should he touch you. It's a warning. That's perfectly fine and works well in cases when the aggressor is not confident enough to initiate physical contact like this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During the stare-down, some aggressors decide to try to escalate the fight by pushing you. If you are ever pushed, you have only one option in my opinion: strike him back and keep striking him (or grapple with him) until he backs off. Why? Because standing your ground no longer makes sense, and deescalation won't work in this case. Once someone has initiated physical contact, they have signaled that they believe the other guy is weak and will continue to attack him, because they believe they will win. If you attempt to deescalate, it will merely confirm his view that you're weak, and he'll use that as an opportunity to hurt you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there's also a pretty good chance that the stare-down scenario will result in nothing happening. Simply standing up confidently, not showing fear, and not backing down is usually enough to intimidate someone into backing down. The more time that goes by, also, the cooler the aggressor will become. It gives the guy a chance to vent, say a lot of cuss words, pound his chest, etc. Eventually the guy gets bored and leaves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My homework assignment to you is to watch candid youtube videos of street fights of all kinds, not just this stare-down scenario. Pay close attention to how the fight starts and who wins. Sometimes it helps watching the fight with the sound turned off, so you can pick up on all of the physical cues. Notice this trend: The one that appears unwilling (who is reluctant) to fight is indicating weakness. The other guy will generally win if he attacks (even if he's not the aggressor).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Legal disclaimer: Of course there's doing what's right, and then there's doing what is legal. I don't give legal advice. You need to look into how the laws in your country, state, town, etc. are setup for self-defense situations. Preemptive strikes are the hardest to sell to a jury. The easiest is to convince the jury you attempted to deescalate the situation and only responded with enough force to stop the attacker from hurting you and then got away (never more than that). Standing your ground could go either way, but it might work in your favor if someone sees that you didn't initiate it. This is critical in situations where either of you are seriously injured or killed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2015-01-25T08:49:48.820" LastActivityDate="2015-01-25T08:49:48.820" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4724" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4720" CreationDate="2015-01-25T08:50:05.117" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In that situation, you can strike to the groin with your knee. Also, if it's not so life risking then you can step aside and push him in the direction he is applying his body weight. Palm Strike/Straight Punch on his solar plexus or nose can be done. You can deliver an Elbow Strike on his jaw as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5535" LastActivityDate="2015-01-25T08:50:05.117" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4725" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4720" CreationDate="2015-01-25T11:41:52.000" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;At that distance you are most in danger of a headbutt. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Firstly, don't find yourself in that situation. When things start to get hairy, lift up your arms to about chest height, with &lt;strong&gt;PALMS FACING OUTWARD IN A NON-MENACING WAY&lt;/strong&gt; so as to show you want to avoid confrontation. Any cameras (security or people with camera-phones) will show you to be the non-aggressor if you end up in court. This will also serve to keep your personal-space well defined, any breach of that space and you can act quicker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, if you do find yourself 2 inches away from an aggressor, just push him away with a double palm push (or strike depending on your point of view) to the chest. Best way is the Wing Chun straight down the centre-line as that will be the quickest, even if your hands are low.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5536" LastActivityDate="2015-01-25T11:41:52.000" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4727" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="104" CreationDate="2015-01-25T18:48:41.913" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are no internal and external martial arts. Martial arts are of two kinds; Combat type ans Competive type.&#xA;Combat type martial arts focuses mainly on real life situations, well-being, self-defense, etc. (Varma Kalai, Butthan, Bando, Kalaripayattu, Wing Chun, etc.)&#xA;Competive type martial arts focuses mainly on tournaments, mat fights. (Taekwondo, Judo, Karate, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5535" LastActivityDate="2015-01-25T18:48:41.913" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4728" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4729" CreationDate="2015-01-25T20:25:02.897" Score="4" ViewCount="677" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am trying to implement spin hook kick in my sparring to improve my kicking variety and the chance of kicking my opponent's head. But I don't quite know when to use it. Sometimes I use it to kick someone's head when they use a roundhouse kick or when I am chasing my opponent. I can't get around of this matter and need help. So when should you use a spin hook kick, as a defensive kick or an offensive kick?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5538" LastActivityDate="2015-01-28T09:12:09.223" Title="Is Spin Hook Kick A Defensive or Offensive Kick?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|kicking|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4729" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4728" CreationDate="2015-01-26T09:48:48.290" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm pretty sure you can use it in both situations given that you are flexible enough(otherwise you can't use it at all)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an offensive kick it can be devastating and greatly increase your range. Not only you can develop enough force to knockout your opponent, but you can also surprise your opponent by landing this kick while standing more than 2m away from him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a defensive kick it gives you a surprise effect. When an opponent approaches and stays close, try to make some distance and surprise your opponent with a &quot;where did that come from?&quot; kick. In this case you won't develop as much force as in the first scenario(offence), but you can certainly surprise your opponent and maybe even get a second or two to continue your combo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1115" LastActivityDate="2015-01-26T09:48:48.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4730" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4728" CreationDate="2015-01-26T21:08:43.850" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would debate your use of the words &lt;em&gt;offensive&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;defensive&lt;/em&gt;. Arguably there are no defensive moves in martial arts - they are all offensive (even when using them to defend yourself). Even a &quot;block&quot; should be offensive - it's a mindset, you are using these moves to defeat your opponent, you're not just doing fairy dances with them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In answer to your question, it's a &lt;em&gt;sometimes&lt;/em&gt; kick. It's an enormously effective kick when used at the right time, but I've seen too many people use it wrongly. It's a comparatively slow kick due to the distance it has to travel - it is considerably slower than other kicks such as a front kick (mae geri) or even a regular roundhouse kick. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way I was taught (and I continue to teach it) is that this kick should be used once your opponent is set up in a suitable position, effectively it is a finishing kick. If you use it as an opening kick then you run the (high) risk of leaving yourself wide open. I wouldn't expect to see someone chasing their opponent with it, except in the movies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2015-01-26T21:08:43.850" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4731" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4728" CreationDate="2015-01-27T13:43:40.103" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Depend on how you'll use it.&#xA;It can be both defensive and offensive.&#xA;Check out Ehsan Shafiq's fight videos and you'll see him doing spinning kicks in every fight but not directly, it's tricky! If you have good speed and accuracy then you can do it both ways. If you don't, then don't waste your energy throwing a spinning kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5535" LastActivityDate="2015-01-27T13:43:40.103" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4732" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-01-27T21:45:53.173" Score="14" ViewCount="16900" Body="&lt;p&gt;So what are the main, real life purposes of aikido that work? Anything specific? Short range? Long range? blocking? striking? etc? What are the most likely times one would probably use it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5544" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2015-01-30T07:45:19.000" LastActivityDate="2018-08-31T00:58:14.340" Title="What are the main uses of aikido in self-defense?" Tags="|aikido|self-defense|training|protective-equipment|prevention|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4733" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4732" CreationDate="2015-01-28T06:20:34.900" Score="35" Body="&lt;p&gt;What you're really asking for is insight into the strengths and weaknesses of Aikido pertaining to self-defense scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido uses a small number of throws, joint locks, submissions, and strikes. There are some holds and submissions done from the ground. A number of breakfalls are trained. There is some weapons training as well, notably the 4-foot Jo staff. Core to all of its training is its footwork and general theory which derives from the idea of &quot;merging&quot; or &quot;blending&quot; with an opponent. And on top of that is the idea of doing the least harm in order to stop your opponent, and no more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It bases its self-defense on a small set of attacks which they practice defenses against: grab to the wrist, grab to the shoulder, punch to the face, punch to the stomach, downwards knife attack to the head, back-fist to the side of the head, etc. These are intended to mimic real-world attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Drills in class almost always involve partners, except for breakfall practice and solo sword or staff training. Attackers will perform the attack technique, and defenders will practice one of the counters to the attack. This is repeated many times until the students gain proficiency in the defensive technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Offensive techniques (strikes and weapons slashes / thrusts) are not trained nearly as much as defensive ones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A very small fraction of Aikido schools, such as Shodokan Aikido (sometimes referred to as &quot;Tomiki Aikido&quot;), involve competition similar to what you see in Judo. The goals, rules, and techniques are different from Judo, but the intent is to give some practice with &quot;live&quot; partners doing things in a spontaneous way while actively resisting one another, rather than practicing rote technique in drills with a partner who just does the same thing over and over again in a compliant way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strengths:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When developed to a high level, a practitioner can utilize his footwork to effectively neutralize many real-life situations. Aikido students train to be sensitive to slight shifts in their opponent's body weight, foot positions / stances, and movement in general. Being able to pick up on this subconsciously allows them to move seemingly automatically in such a way that not only neutralizes their opponent's threat, but can also turn their opponent's attack against themselves, usually resulting in their opponent's balance being taken which causes their opponent to fall... This to me is the essence of Aikido and why it has value.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Weaknesses:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;(Unrealistic attacks.) Attacks are done in a &quot;fully committed&quot; way so that defenders in Aikido classes can &quot;blend&quot; with their opponents properly, using their momentum and body extension against them. In real life, that doesn't tend to happen. Most people don't throw punches fully committed. For example, instead of starting from 5 or 6 feet away and doing a lunge punch with full arm extension to you, people in real life would start much closer and would throw not one but a flurry of quick, uncommitted strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;(Unrealistic attacks, part 2.) Attacks done in Aikido don't resemble attacks you'd actually see in real life. One of the most common attack scenarios in Aikido training is the sustained wrist grab, usually done with one hand but sometimes practiced with two hands. Most real-life attacks do not involve any wrist grabs, and if someone does grab your wrist, they're not going to continue holding on like they practice in Aikido classes. Expecting an attacker to not let go throughout the entire defense is unrealistic. Two-handed wrist grabs are also more or less non-existent in real-life. Another unrealistic attack is the overhead downward knife stab to the forehead with a fully extended and locked arm. Or a karate-like straight thrust to the abdomen starting from 5 or 6 feet away. Or the knife-hand chop to the side of the head. Nobody does these in real life, at least not very often. More realistic scenarios such as someone getting up close to you, grabbing your shirt, back of the neck, or hair with one hand and repeatedly punching you to your face and body with quick, non-committed strikes in the other hand are not usually trained in Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Partners are too compliant. Training with fully compliant partners makes you thoroughly unprepared for the real world, where you will have to deal with an opponent who resists everything you do, doesn't throw himself into your throws, and who is trying to beat you up at the same time. Aikido has a basic etiquette rule for all new white belts that they must not resist anything. Some Aikido schools increase the level of resistance as they gain rank, but this is still almost always too compliant.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Partners aren't &quot;live&quot;. By that, I mean that it's like you have a partner who's a robot, trained to do the technique and stop. It's predictable. You always know what's coming. And because he stops what he's doing and lets you do your defense technique to him, you won't be aware that you're vulnerable to a number of obvious follow-up attacks. Yes, Aikido training does involve some live training with partners who throw random things at you, but this tends to be a small part of the training. And these random attack training sessions don't resemble real life fighting at all. In class, the random attacks come one at a time, from a long distance away, and with long delays from one attack to the next. In real life, most attacks are started much closer in and happen in rapid succession without much delay between them. Also, Aikido only has a small number of attacks, so this makes it much easier to predict and to select a defense ahead of time, especially given the distance and lead time typically given in class. This isn't sparring, either, so after an attack is complete, the one who attacked will let the defender do the technique without resisting any further.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;As a result of #1-4, you get a false sense of self-confidence, which can be very dangerous. The first time you get into a real fight, you will quickly find yourself in unfamiliar territory. In general, you perform the way you're trained. But if you trained unrealistically, you won't know what to do in real life. It won't resemble anything you did in training. Your reactions won't be quick, because your subconscious mind doesn't recognize what's going on. Fear takes over your mind. You might even freeze up. Or you might try something, only for it to fail, sometimes spectacularly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;No practical ground-fighting. It's not Brazilian Jiujitsu, nor Judo. Its ground techniques are very limited and non-systematic. They might know how to pin someone to the ground, but they don't tend to train in what happens when they get pinned to the ground and need to escape it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;No practical free striking. Its atemi (strikes) are very limited. It's not boxing, or even karate. What it does have is usually just used to take your opponent's attention away from what you're doing. And related to point #2, the strikes people do during the drills aren't really developed into proper strikes and are typically a pale imitation of striking done in arts like karate.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;There is some hypnotic stuff going on in many Aikido schools I've seen. The problem is that Aikido trains its students to be non-resistive and fully compliant partners. Some (not all) Aikido schools will put enough safe-guards in place to make sure that students are not going further than that. And by further, I mean anticipating what your partner is going to do and beginning to move in some accommodating, compliant way even before your partner touches you. It can result in students being &quot;thrown&quot; by others who don't even touch them. The students say they actually &quot;feel&quot; like they're being thrown for real, like a mysterious force is controlling them. This is a kind of hypnosis, also known as auto-suggestion. In extreme cases, students start to fall down, as if being pinned underneath a car, or they actually get knocked out due to their partner projecting invisible &quot;Ki&quot; energy at them from 6 feet away. And no, Ki is not a real force - it's only in their heads. Furthermore, when students and instructors repeatedly perform these magic no-touch techniques on other students, they start to convince themselves that they actually do have a real, supernatural power. The problem is that it only works on other students from the same school. When they attempt to project their Ki at people in real life, it won't work. They end up looking very foolish. It's not usually this bad, but in pretty much every Aikido school (Aikikai, Ki Society, etc.) I've ever been to, I've seen people who, in my opinion, have crossed the line from compliance into hypnosis / suggestion. It's something to watch out for. Here's an excellent video explaining why it happens in Aikido, including examples: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qWJQldKa8U&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qWJQldKa8U&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said all of that about the weaknesses, I still think Aikido training has merit, especially if you deal with all of the itemized points I laid out above. My recommendation would be to go train in Gracie Jiujitsu, Judo, or MMA for a while. Or go train in a competitive version of Aikido like Shodokan (Tomiki) style. Only then will you gain an appreciation for partners who are truly alive and who resist everything you do with all they have. Take that awareness back into your Aikido training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without specifically working on any of the negative points I mentioned above, my only suggestion for &quot;making it work&quot; in real life as-is would be to &lt;b&gt;make sure you take your opponent by surprise&lt;/b&gt;. That means you have to do something to make your opponent lose sight of what you're really doing. Atemi (strikes) are one way, and even Ueshiba (founder of Aikido) was noted for saying that atemi are required by Aikido to make it work in real life. But atemi aren't the only ways. Whatever you do, it must be done fast, before your opponent has time to square up and throw punches at you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why? Because if all of your training (more or less) is with compliant partners who don't resist in any realistic way, then you need to make sure your opponent (in real life) is completely oblivious to what you're really doing. &lt;b&gt;That way, he doesn't resist.&lt;/b&gt; Then maybe you have a chance. This, I believe, is a big part of the core essence of Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps. And sorry if I ruffled any feathers out there from my Aikido friends. Talking about a martial art's weaknesses can often stir things up. That's not my intent. I'm not trolling. I'm just trying to answer the question as seriously as I can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2018-08-31T00:58:14.340" LastActivityDate="2018-08-31T00:58:14.340" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4734" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4728" CreationDate="2015-01-28T09:12:09.223" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am answering based on the assumption that you mean &quot;is a spinning hook kick used to attack, or &lt;em&gt;counter&lt;/em&gt;-attack?&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, here goes: a spinning hook kick is most effective when used as a counter attack. It is too slow (relatively speaking) to lead with. You will need to use it when your opponent is busy using a technique of his own, rendering him unable to defend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you look at olympic level Taekwondo matches, you'll see that most often the spinning hook is performed just as the opponent is about to attack. To the untrained eye it looks like it is thrown as an attacking move, but if you look closely you'll see that the kicker reacted to an attempted attack and &quot;intercepted&quot; it with the hook.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pro tip: If you want to go on the offense, an axe kick is much better because there's not much you can do against it except get out of the way. There is no man on earth strong enough to block an axe kick from someone in his weight division.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bonus tip: NEVER turn your back on your opponent while on the offensive. That means DON'T use back kicks and spinning kicks when attacking. They are better suited for counter-attacks where you are not at risk of getting punched or kicked in the back of the head. The only possible exception is if you are using a 3 or 4 kick combination and round it off with a back or spinning kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-01-28T09:12:09.223" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4735" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-01-28T09:31:01.563" Score="3" ViewCount="520" Body="&lt;p&gt;So pretty much I want to know how to make my low kicks most devastating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did Kyokushin karate for a few years(until our dojo closed) and it helped a lot. Back then my low kicks were pretty alright, and a good one was often enough to disable my opponents leg until the end of the fight(in my belt category at least).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I'm doing traditional jiu jitsu now and every time we are sparring I find it more and more difficult to land a decent low kick(not going full power, just enough to stop/hurt my partner and not break his leg).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the question is: when is the best moment to land it in order to make it most devastating? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1115" LastEditorUserId="1115" LastEditDate="2015-01-28T10:21:28.020" LastActivityDate="2015-03-12T18:10:37.607" Title="Best moment to land a low kick?" Tags="|kicking|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4736" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4735" CreationDate="2015-01-28T11:31:36.267" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The short answer is that you should land it when all your opponent's weight is on that leg. Either while kicking, or leaning forward. Just know that kicking close to the knee while your opponent is performing a kick has a big chance of dislocation his knee and screwing it up for the rest of his life. Which is one of the reasons I had to retire from serious competition. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-01-28T11:31:36.267" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4737" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-01-28T15:58:11.253" Score="6" ViewCount="3736" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for a martial art primarily focused on hand and elbow strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I tried Tae Kwon Do for a little while when I was younger, but the focus on kicks was never really my thing. Later, I got involved a little bit with american boxing and fell in love. Now I know boxing is a sport and I'm not certain how well it would hold up in real world self defense, but because of my build and comfort with boxing, I'd like to learn something with less emphasis on kicks. I'm OK with some grappling, but I definitely prefer upper body striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5549" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-01-28T17:00:43.963" LastActivityDate="2015-02-02T13:39:47.340" Title="Martial Art focused on upper body strikes" Tags="|self-defense|boxing|self-training|striking|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4738" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4737" CreationDate="2015-01-28T16:34:12.957" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boxing is probably the most effective &quot;real world&quot; martial art you could do. Especially if you cross-train in greco-roman wrestling. Bruce Lee said something to the effect that you learn more in one year of boxing and wrestling than 10 years of eastern martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-01-28T16:34:12.957" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4739" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2544" CreationDate="2015-01-28T18:34:48.427" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sounds to me like a stylized version of American Kenpo (Ed Parker, Tracey, etc.).  I practice Tracey Kenpo and we've got a technique we learn as yellow belts called &quot;Attacking Circle&quot; which is used to teach clock-based directions (e.g. Move to 3 o'clock, step to 4:30, etc.) which could easily be called &quot;Tiger vs The Clock&quot; if you were feeling artistic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is also consistent with the salutation you describe. you can see the american kenpo salutation here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlEzft4ztiw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlEzft4ztiw&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My school also associates orange belt with Tiger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As with many martial arts systems, there is a lot of variety in how the art is taught, practiced, the nomenclature, etc. from dojo to dojo.  you can often use the differences to track back and see who taught whom (ie your sensei's unique features probably track back to his sensei). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5551" LastActivityDate="2015-01-28T18:34:48.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4740" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1317" CreationDate="2015-01-28T21:09:58.227" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;True Taekwondo is nothing like Olympic Taekwondo.  There is a lot of things that appear to be the same and can do the same damage. Yet how the fighter is taught the Art will differ based on the Master and the style.  Based on the Olympic style fighting I see no reason why any martial art with a great foundation  would be at a disadvantage.  Another fighter from a totally different martial art could take the gold from Taekwondo easy.  A perfect example is ....There is a new Ad seeking heavy weight female fighters in Great Britain for the 2016 Olympics.  The Ad states any style of fighter meaning karate or judo or any sport.  This tells me that they can take any gifted athlete and train them to win no matter how many years they invested in Taekwondo.  Out of all the sports that non Taekwondo olympic winner does not prove they are the top fighter in this sport, like other sports where it is clear whom is the best.  Sad day for taekwondo.  Your true warriors are yet to be discovered if ever.  Taekwondo to keep it pure they will have to divide the sport.  Now 2015 in Taekwondo punches to the body are not being scored as a referee ruling it is being fased out in some events.  So what you got is a chicken fight going on that only takes a very lite touch to score.  Sign 18 years in Taekwondo&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5552" LastActivityDate="2015-01-28T21:09:58.227" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4741" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4737" CreationDate="2015-01-28T21:22:53.840" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You may want to look into some styles of escrima, kali, or penjak silat.  These tend to have a lot of striking with some use of grappling and locks.  These also tend to deal with weapons (knives, sticks) as well as multiple opponents, which are extra bits that are critical to self defense that often get missed in sports-focused training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing gives you an amazing set of skills of delivering strong hits, taking them, reading opponents and dealing with range, so you'll already have a good set of fighting skills to whatever you go to next. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-01-28T21:22:53.840" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4742" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4737" CreationDate="2015-01-30T09:18:58.550" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boxing is pretty effective in real life and has that 1 hit knock-out power. That being said, you should also look into Wing Chun's or Tai Chi's techniques of 'push hands'. Basically they are 'arm trapping' techniques that can be used to lock opponents arm, preventing them from hitting &amp;amp; blocking your strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from that, they also integrate throws into the system that consists mainly of tripping your opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2015-01-30T09:18:58.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4743" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4762" CreationDate="2015-01-30T17:38:26.190" Score="7" ViewCount="5995" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a beginner to kung fu. However, I am an academic student as well. Apart from the economic reasons in training under a master, I also am not able to find time to go to a far off place to train myself . Is a master always required to gain mastery over this martial art? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which are the best books, reading from which, I can practise at home itself? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thank you very much for your advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3059" LastActivityDate="2020-10-28T02:06:38.947" Title="Is a Master always required to learn kung fu?" Tags="|kung-fu|self-training|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4744" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4743" CreationDate="2015-01-31T07:25:22.883" Score="6" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is a master always required to gain mastery over this martial art? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes.  If you try really hard you could get some &lt;em&gt;basic&lt;/em&gt; ability yourself (from books, videos etc.), but to gain anything approaching &lt;em&gt;mastery&lt;/em&gt; you need good instruction (and other skilled people to practice with).  The simpler the style is technically the more you can teach yourself, so something like boxing would be a better bet for self-practice than say wing chun or bagua, but still very difficult, and ultimately you'll need an instructor.  Instruction isn't necessarily expensive though - sometimes you'll find groups of experienced people who get together in a park or local sports centre once or twice a week, with no extra cost beyond whatever the sports centre charges for entrance, though obviously the chances of that are better in a good-sized city.  You might be able to exchange lessons in something else (e.g. help another student practice their English), it can be hard to assess their knowledge if you've no background yourself, but that applies to some extent when picking your first school too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2015-01-31T07:25:22.883" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4745" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-02-01T01:15:18.500" Score="0" ViewCount="618" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why do lighter fighters have better cardio than heavier ones?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, this isn't a rule. There's the case of monsters like Cain Velasquez. But in general, it seems light fighters get tired more slowly than heavy fighters. Why is this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5561" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-02-16T14:52:13.407" LastActivityDate="2015-02-16T14:52:13.407" Title="Why do lighter fighters have better cardio than heavier ones?" Tags="|exercise|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2015-02-26T05:36:55.327" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4746" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-02-01T04:24:07.760" Score="8" ViewCount="2703" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have recently started instructing an older age group than the previous one:  the class is composed of more advanced students of age 8-13.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Over the past few weeks I've noticed that when the students walk in they are less respectful with me as they were with the former instructor. When I told him about this, he replied that I had to discipline them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is: how to do it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5563" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-03-06T16:42:44.410" LastActivityDate="2016-03-13T00:29:32.340" Title="Punishment in the Martial arts" Tags="|teaching|children|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4747" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4746" CreationDate="2015-02-01T05:25:19.023" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Good question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Children are harder to discipline than adults, because they are more likely to push the boundaries, they are less likely to take responsibility for their actions, and they'll frequently have a parent who thinks the sun shines from their wazoo and their little angel could do no wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As their new instructor you have to let them know in no uncertain terms exactly where the boundaries are and what is acceptable to you. They need to know that there are differences between you and the previous instructor. Do it verbally to the whole class (several times if needed to make sure you inform everyone, repetition is good), then follow it up with an informative news letter which you also expect the parents to read.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My sensei runs a dedicated kids class, and he introduced a home/school progress component into the gradings. In other words, the kids couldn't progress to the next belt unless they had reports from the school and from home that they had been good - this meant that homework was done, bedrooms were consistently kept tidy, allocated tasks at home were done, and general behavior was good. This approach to teaching and grading has seen some excellent results - and the parents love it and support it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While you do want the kids to behave and show respect in class, you also have to remember that they are kids - so you'll need to be a bit less traditional and a bit more fun. Kids respond to happiness and fun. But if punishment is required, don't punish the individual - use the power of the group and punish the whole group, make the whole class do 10 or 20 press ups. If you've built a good rapport within the group this approach should work well, the peer pressure within the group should help stamp out problems. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If individuals are not bonding well within the group or are consistently badly behaved, then have a talk with the parent/caregiver - you can't have one person spoiling the progress of the class. It's better to pre-emptively drop one student than to eventually have several others drop out due to that one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2015-12-01T21:42:40.560" LastActivityDate="2015-12-01T21:42:40.560" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4748" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4745" CreationDate="2015-02-01T06:11:24.193" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note that this answer is going to ignore elite athletes. Frequently these elite athletes are not normal people who have taken training to the ultimate limit, rather they are people with various genetic or physical traits that are suited to the specific activities they excel in. These traits might be something as simple as longer limbs, a larger than normal heart, a slower than normal accumulation rate of lactic acid, unusually strong connection points for muscles, denser layers of fat or muscle over vital points, etc. Note that while I've linked to Wikipedia articles, it was for simplicity - there are many references I could have cherry picked, and for good basic stuff like this Wikipedia isn't too bad.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cardiovascular fitness is a measure  of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiovascular_fitness&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;efficiency of use of oxygen&lt;/a&gt;. A higher rate of oxygen intake and conversion (to energy along with glucose) is equated to a better cardiovascular fitness. Cardio fitness and aerobic fitness &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerobic_exercise&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;are synonymous&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to simple laws of physics, the smaller an organism (animal) is, the less energy it takes to move, and the better its strength to weight ratio. Conversely the larger an organism is (the greater its surface area), &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tiem.utk.edu/~gross/bioed/bealsmodules/area_volume.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;its volume increases at a cubed rate&lt;/a&gt;  (so the increase is exponential&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;, not linear). This means that the larger you are, you need to use significantly more energy to do the same action. You can best observe this over a period of time - like a fight or a race - you can clearly see the difference between two competitors; i.e. you can see the difference between a competitor who is 50kg (110lb), and one who is 100kg (220lb). The heavier competitor could have outstanding cardiovascular fitness, but it is still relative - he has to expend a lot more energy and use a lot more oxygen than the lighter competitor. This is one reason why you don't see 100kg competitors doing Olympic marathons - those little 45kg Ugandans and Kenyans will run circles round them. When it comes to shorter high intensity sports like you get in the ring, you'll find that the heavier competitors tend to rely on &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaerobic_exercise&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;anaerobic fitness&lt;/a&gt; as much as their aerobic fitness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/life-sciences/zoology/scaling-why-animal-size-so-important&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Scaling: Why is Animal Size so Important?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2015-02-01T06:11:24.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4749" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-02-01T10:36:57.340" Score="-1" ViewCount="146" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am between 15 and 16 years of age, currently training in Shūkōkai karate, and am close to achieving my 1st Dan black belt. I was debating whether to try another style alongside my current training. What would you recommend?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5564" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-02-16T14:52:25.097" LastActivityDate="2015-02-16T14:52:25.097" Title="What style to do?" Tags="|training|karate|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2015-02-26T05:38:37.767" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4750" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4749" CreationDate="2015-02-02T08:17:26.370" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Set your priority with mission in your mind and then you would be able to solve your problem. But if you are trying to prepare yourself for special event Or Fight then be specific about that, Must ask from your trainer cause he knows well about you - mean the strength and weaknesses.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5566" LastActivityDate="2015-02-02T08:17:26.370" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4751" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4737" CreationDate="2015-02-02T08:55:07.877" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boxing is fit for self defense and upper body strikes but adding martial art for striking is definitely the better idea for improving the skills. The below upper body exercises will help you to generate stronger punches and grappling techniques, &#xA;Back Extensions, Barbell Row, Bench Press, Bicep Curls, Chair Dips, French Press, Hand Gripper Exercises, Preacher Curls, Pull-Ups, Push Ups, Reverse Fly etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But most of the professional will advise you to go for the Marine Corps Martial Arts&#xA;Program (MCMAP) that can fulfill your requirements for upper body strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5566" LastActivityDate="2015-02-02T08:55:07.877" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4752" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4745" CreationDate="2015-02-02T09:15:35.363" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Lighter fighters have less weight to carry around so it takes longer for their muscles to tire.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-02-02T09:15:35.363" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4753" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="104" CreationDate="2015-02-02T12:33:59.067" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to the history of Kung Fu, &quot;internal&quot; arts have their roots inside China while &quot;external&quot; arts have their roots elsewhere, e.g. India. In the context of America, MMA is an internal martial art, whereas greco-roman wrestling is external.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-02-02T12:33:59.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4754" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4737" CreationDate="2015-02-02T13:39:47.340" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are various options that you can take, each with its own merit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;code&gt;Wing Chun&lt;/code&gt; and/or &lt;code&gt;Tai Chi&lt;/code&gt; is a good option but it may take some time to properly learn the techniques. If you have a long term plan this is a good option though.&#xA;Wing Chun does include kicks, but it is mostly low kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;code&gt;Aikido&lt;/code&gt; or &lt;code&gt;Judo&lt;/code&gt; are also good options. These though focus less on striking and more on 'manipulation' of your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then you can also try something like &lt;code&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/code&gt; or a similar system. Many of the military developed systems are available for civilians.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly (on my limited list) is joining a &lt;code&gt;MMA&lt;/code&gt; gym. There you are likely to get a good mix of some striking style, most likely &lt;code&gt;boxing&lt;/code&gt; or &lt;code&gt;kickboxking&lt;/code&gt;, along with some grappling style like &lt;code&gt;Jiu-Jitsu&lt;/code&gt;. This will however vary from gym to gym.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try out a couple of these in your area and see what works for you. In the end, whatever you do will only be as effective as the amount of work you put into it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5568" LastActivityDate="2015-02-02T13:39:47.340" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4755" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4746" CreationDate="2015-02-03T12:00:32.397" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;From personal very rough but effective experience.&#xA;I started Kyokushin when I was 7, in post USSR era.&#xA;Our Sensei had many medals from competitions around the former USSR as well as some hardcore training in the army.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;His goal was to make champions and not run a &quot;fitness club&quot; as he called it.&#xA;He made people who are falling behind do extra things like push-ups etc, fight with higher belts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All push-ups had to be done on your knuckles, sit-ups with weights or while holding a lighter partner on your shoulders.&#xA;He wasn't afraid to whip your foot with his belt if your kicks weren't improving after being told what to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People were openly told where they were falling behind and asked to improve or leave.&#xA;If it was a kid 7-10, then their parents were advised that their child was not fit for this sport, and shouldn't waste their own time and find something more suitable. &#xA;What ended up happening was people that came in and tried to mess around only lasted a week or less. Usually left full of tears from pain or disappointed mentally. &#xA;But people that stayed all had some kind of achievements in competitions. Some more,some less.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the question you have to ask yourself and your students is &quot;what do you want your students to achieve?&quot;.&#xA;If they're there to loose weight or let out steam, tell them that there are far more effective places like gym to do these things.&#xA;If they're there to become a well rounded disciplined fighter and a person, then they came to the right place and they must abide by the rules, and show respect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing to note is that he never shouted or argued. He explained everything in a calm and straightforward matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5571" LastActivityDate="2015-02-03T12:00:32.397" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4756" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4277" CreationDate="2015-02-03T12:08:01.043" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kalaripayattu always came up as the oldest martial arts, anytime I looked into that topic.&#xA;I've even seen it being mentioned as the oldest MA in many other documentaries as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;here's the snippet from &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalaripayattu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;wiki&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Kalaripayattu (pronunciation: [kɐɭɐripɐjɐtːɨ̆]) is an Indian martial art which originated in the state of Kerala. It is considered to be the oldest fighting system in existence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5571" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-02-05T07:00:19.907" LastActivityDate="2015-02-05T07:00:19.907" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4757" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1853" CreationDate="2015-02-03T17:04:03.720" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;TKD and karate stylists both form very large and diverse communities making it hard to meaningfully generalise about their technique, so I'll initially focus very specifically on the WTF-style dollyo chagi and the Shotokan mawashi-geri as demonstrated by Kagawa-sensei as in the videos the question links to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The WTF kick in the video brings the kicking knee directly forwards past the supporting knee with the lower leg hanging down, then roughly keeps a line from kicking hip through the upper leg and knee towards the target while pivoting, then swinging the lower leg around to make contact.  If you watch carefully the transition from 0:09 to 0:10, you can see the knee moves very little, and the rotation of the body is predominantly involved in reaching the knee forwards an extra foot or so rather than driving the knee strongly sideways and promoting power into the target.  Consequences of this technique are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;power generation is pretty pathetic - most of the power comes from the thigh muscle; there's a degree of &quot;slap&quot; with relatively little follow through, but - unlike most of my comments here, that's in absolute terms and not relative to Kagawa-sensei's mawashi geri, which doesn't have a lot of follow through either&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;time between the preparatory position at 0:09 - where the defender still needs to be ready to defend against a front kick or side kick or even hooking kick, axe kick, or slapping/vertical kick, and it's still easy to step down and use a hand technique instead - is minimised, but&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;the shared forwards knee-raise movement itself is relatively easily jammed with feet or hands - especially if it becomes predictable&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;a back leg kick also needs more overall rotation of the hips than Kagawa-sensei's mawashi-geri, with much earlier and more obvious telegraphing of the intent to kick&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;it's impractical to deliver a really strong low-section kick or sweep using this preparation&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;recovery time is a mixed bag - because the leg isn't swung sideways strongly into the target, there's less to stop - especially if it doesn't meet expected resistance - and it can be drawn straight back towards the hip relatively quickly and easily, but the forward movement and leaning back make it harder to mix in punches, hand strikes, elbows etc, blocks, grabbing/trapping moves etc. while doing so&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The mawashi-geri video is unusual in that Kagawa-sensei's approach to the technique is not practical for the average martial artist, requiring way too much flexibility, so in a sense you're comparing recommended-for-average-TKD-practitioner technique to barely-attainable-for-advanced-fulltime-Shotokan-practitioner technique.  The mawashi-geri illustrated is distinctive for raising the knee sideways towards the shoulder without rotating the shoulders much.  It's specialised for use at close quarters where it can come up and knock someone out without them even noticing a shift in balance or upper-body position that signals a kick coming.  That technique is not intended to generate that much power - the idea is to strike the head and get a clean unexpected strike in past the guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This contrasts markedly with the much stronger kyokushin karate mawashi geri, or the Muay Thai kick, where the knee describes an arcs with more sideways movement during the kick.  Indeed, their movement for a mawashi geri with the knee itself is more consistent with that used when striking with the foot, and their kicks can be targetted at any height low in the kick - they're very powerful at low section, unlike the WTF dollyo chagi.  Clearly the WTF kick can't be changed into a sideways-striking knee kick if the opponent gets too close - it only moves forwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2015-02-03T17:04:03.720" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4758" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4746" CreationDate="2015-02-03T20:47:30.887" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all the trainer has to have a respect. How the trainer can get the respect? I think that the best way to achieve this is by: your personal achievements (medals etc), great shape and attitude, great technique and eventually in randoris/sparings with attendees (if they can participate in this). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That way of getting respect (and what follow this is a good behaviour of attendees) is what I have experienced on my judo lessons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other way I experienced while training muay thai. The trainer disciplined us by giving us extra push ups or any other (sometimes quite painful) exercises. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41N6bKO-NVI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This is quite hard to finish&lt;/a&gt; but be able do it first on your own :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I would go for the first option, second works imvho but is not good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4438" LastEditorUserId="4438" LastEditDate="2015-02-03T20:54:19.273" LastActivityDate="2015-02-03T20:54:19.273" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4759" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4743" CreationDate="2015-02-04T07:47:40.580" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would say Yes to the 'master' question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for self training, I would say proceed with caution. There are many videos on youtube that you could learn from, however without a proper master, you might develop bad forms or bad habits that would be very hard to fix later on. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I myself encountered this when I self-trained advanced karate forms, only to be corrected(painfully) by a master when I started training formally. It took me very long to finally get rid of those bad habit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice for you would be to search a little harder more for a master, or at least someone who have trained under one(a senior student). Having a partner to train with help considerately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can't find any, you could start doing some body conditioning such as body weight exercises like push ups, squats, pull ups and etc, which would prepare you for when you find your master.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2015-02-04T07:47:40.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4760" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4749" CreationDate="2015-02-04T08:46:43.197" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My opinion would be for you to attend some trial classes and have a feel of what suits you. Some people would like to try something that has a familiar feel them, in your case, it would be something like kick boxing or etc. Others would like to try something that is totally foreign to them, such as Wrestling or BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whatever you choose, do try to 'unlearn' whatever you know from you previous art. Try to be like a newborn, absorbing whatever things they teach, even if it contradicts to what you know. As you get better and more experience, slowly integrate what you have learned in Karate and see what works and what don't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Coming from a mainly 'stand-up' background, I was like a fish out of water doing BJJ. Things like 'center of gravity' or 'stances' doesn't have much role in it. Instead things like 'leverage' have a more significant impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2015-02-04T08:46:43.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4761" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4720" CreationDate="2015-02-04T08:59:08.770" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;For me, it depends what you feel comfortable with. Bruce lee did say 'box a fighter, fight a boxer'.. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My first option is basically always to 'shove' them away to create a safe distance from you. This will buy you sometime to asses the situation. If you are a wrestler, shoot and take him down. If you are a boxer, punch him as he comes forward and etc etc. There is also a possibility that there would be more than one attacker, so shoving gives you the opportunity to run away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Always remember that striking the first blow is always frowned upon and might get you into trouble, no matter what the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you really really need to strike the first blow, surprise him with a forward simple leg trip, where you shoves him forward as you hook the back of his legs with yours, causing him to fall backwards, and hopefully with you still standing, else you would at least be on top of him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or a knee it the nutsack(if close enough &amp;amp; the height is just right), &#xA;Or a strike to the throat (which is very dangerous as it would cause the throat to collapse) if you life is in danger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2015-02-04T08:59:08.770" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4762" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4743" CreationDate="2015-02-04T09:03:22.350" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Mastery, you want a qualified instructor.   But, that's not to say there isn't anything you can learn on your own.  Let's consider these factors:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conditioning&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can do a lot of conditioning exercises on your own.  A lot of the strength, balance and flexibility training can be done solo, and in many cases are not very different than calisthetics outside of kung-fu.  Honestly, a lot of traditional kung fu training has you doing a lot of this for the first few years anyway, so you'll be on track here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For anything involving weights, spinal twists, low stances, or holding stance for a long period of time, make sure whatever references you have are going in-depth into form.  You don't want to find out you've ground away the cartilage in your knee from bad form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Internal arts that work on coordinating core muscles or specific subtle muscle groups (&quot;practice getting movement out of your intercostal muscles...&quot;) are things that are not well suited to practicing without an instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Forms and Drills&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can learn a lot of forms and drills with striking bags and training partners.  This you have to be a bit careful with and make sure the instruction materials are clear and precise about what you're supposed to be doing here to generate power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a lot of folks who learn these and can't throw a strike, or have no idea how a movement is supposed to work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, some forms are simple and straightforward on this, and very subtle ones will not be good for self-study.  The subtle movements don't show up well on video and many schools of traditional Kung Fu simply do not tell you what they're doing that actually generates the real power unless you're an advanced student.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Instruction&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Classes cost money! And they may not be near you.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Seriously consider if you can go to a workshop or seminar to get some basic skills.  You can let the instructor know your situation and have them focus on giving you a few things that you can drill on your own very well, and next time you can train with them, they can correct things.  You may find other students in the same situation as you, and you can form training groups between the times you get instruction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a place you reach in proficiency where you don't need an instructor for most of the training you have - you'll know what it's supposed to feel like, and have goals for what your movement should be like.  Obviously, having a teacher is better, but you can at least maintain and excel in some areas on your own, between the time you can get training.  That said, you get here only after you've gotten some good training and core aspects in you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-02-04T09:03:22.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4763" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-02-04T16:49:35.433" Score="10" ViewCount="3093" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm going to be undertaking a karate competition and one of my fellow club members is also attending. They are much larger, stronger and powerful. Is there any way I have the slightest chance in defeating him? Either by technique or by A certain strategy throughout the fight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5564" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-04-29T02:17:51.670" LastActivityDate="2021-04-29T02:17:51.670" Title="How to defeat a much stronger and bigger opponent?" Tags="|technique|karate|sparring|competition|strategy|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4764" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-02-04T17:06:52.363" Score="2" ViewCount="4480" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the best technique or strategy for wining a point scoring fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5564" LastActivityDate="2015-02-06T07:58:48.677" Title="What is the best point-scoring technique?" Tags="|technique|karate|competition|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2015-02-26T05:39:38.813" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4765" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4764" CreationDate="2015-02-04T18:02:22.037" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The technique that hits the opponent in a valid area of his or her body. Or, the strategy that lets you use those techniques, while keeping you from getting hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You know, if we &lt;em&gt;could&lt;/em&gt; answer that question, we'd be putting a lot of coaches out of a job.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Train hard. Practice sparring, specifically the games of distance and rhythm. Lose a lot. Learn from your mistakes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastActivityDate="2015-02-04T18:02:22.037" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4767" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4763" CreationDate="2015-02-04T20:44:44.053" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Asking for a strategy upfront is not going to be beneficial, especially on the internet - we have never met this opponent so all we know is he's bigger and stronger than you (and we have no idea how big you are).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Train hard. Be confident in your knowledge and capabilities. You should start learning to read your opponents - it's an important skill to have, you won't be able to analyze them all ahead of time. Even if you do know them there is no guarantee they will behave the way you expect on competition day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learn to spot and react to telegraphing. Learn to move, you should have practiced it enough that it is instinctive. Visualize what you're doing as you train, so your mind and body both know what the move is for. Most of all, ensure your mind is calm when you enter the match - it might sound cliche but it's best if you're not thinking rather than thinking too much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2015-02-04T20:44:44.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4768" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4764" CreationDate="2015-02-04T23:16:54.993" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The funny thing is, this is a great question!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a great question, because most people wouldn't ask it. Instead, they'd presume that all this point sparring business is so complex and filled with an infinite number of possible techniques and strategies, so why should there be any particular &quot;best&quot; strategy or technique? And how could anyone possibly determine it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, yes. It's maybe a little silly to talk about &quot;the&quot; best strategy and technique. If there was one, everyone would be doing that. And if everyone was doing that, it wouldn't be long before someone realized they could just do something else to win, because it would have become predictable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So let's not talk about &quot;the&quot; best strategy and technique. Let's talk about the more general class of &lt;b&gt;&quot;high percentage&quot;&lt;/b&gt; strategies and techniques. And by &quot;high percentage&quot;, I mean &lt;b&gt;things that have a high ratio of scores over attempts&lt;/b&gt; in actual competition sparring. As opposed to &quot;low percentage&quot; techniques and strategies which have a low ratio of scores over attempts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The question referred to point sparring, but actually this comes up in all kinds of competitive martial arts: Judo, Wrestling, Brazilian Jiujtsu, Karate, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, American Kickboxing, Boxing, Fencing, Escrima, etc. All of these martial arts usually have statistics regarding which techniques were attempted, how many times, and how often it scored.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Judo, for example, there's this popular 1971 document which attempts to quantify which throws scored the most:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bestjudo.com/article/0924/frequency-judo-techniques&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.bestjudo.com/article/0924/frequency-judo-techniques&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so, as you can see from the article, the top 3 throws of 1971 were: Uchimata, Seoinage, and Osotogari. These three throws and a handful of others are used the most. Why? &lt;b&gt;Because they apply in the greatest number of situations, and they seem to be the quickest, easiest, and safest to do.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, time marches on. Rules change. New ideas and discoveries happen and spread like wildfire. The London Olympics of 2014 shows these throws winning the most: Uchimata, Seoinage, Kouchigari, Haraigoshi, Taiotoshi, and Ouchigari. Where did Osotogari go? Hmmm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kokakids.co.uk/the-top-scoring-judo-techniques-for-olympic-judo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.kokakids.co.uk/the-top-scoring-judo-techniques-for-olympic-judo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a side note, Judo also arranges its throws in a taxonomy known as the &quot;Go Kyo No Waza&quot; (the &quot;5 Levels of Technique&quot;). The first level contains the most widely useful throws in Judo, the ones that can be used in the most number of situations. Level 1 and level 2 includes all of the &quot;most winning&quot; throws mentioned above. The rest of the levels (3 through 5) contain throws that are for very specific situations and don't come up as often. Very logically then, Judo students learn starting with the first level and work their way up to the higher levels. This way, they become proficient in the most useful throws as quickly as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now as for point sparring, this is going to depend highly on which martial art and which scoring system we're talking about. There are many styles which forbid punches to the face, for example. So of course in those styles, you won't see punches to the face at all. But in boxing, the jab punch is probably the highest percentage technique. It's done the most, and it scores the most.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a general rule, striking techniques which can be used in the most situations and are fast, direct, and simple to perform will be the highest percentage ones. For hand techniques: jab punch for boxing or reverse punch for karate and Taekwondo. For foot techniques: low/mid-section round kick and front kick. I would also add side kick if you're talking about Taekwondo in particular, but not for most other kicking arts (Taekwondo really likes to use that kick).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These techniques are done the most, because they can be used safely, effectively, quickly, and in the most number of situations. Not coincidentally, that's exactly the same rationale behind why Judo practitioners use the throws that they do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice is to use Google and search for &quot;high percentage Taekwondo techniques&quot; for example. Replace &quot;Taekwondo&quot; with whatever martial art you're interested in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For Taekwondo, this nice article popped up for me:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.taekwondoscience.com/2014/04/15/discrepancies-in-fighting-strategies-between-taekwondo-medalists-and-non-medalists/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.taekwondoscience.com/2014/04/15/discrepancies-in-fighting-strategies-between-taekwondo-medalists-and-non-medalists/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It shows the round kick is by far the leader in terms of wins. Following far behind are: cut kick (like a side kick), push kick (like a front kick), spinning side kick, and side kick. The lowest percentages are for &quot;tricky&quot; techniques such as the 360 degree twisting round kick. And reflecting Taekwondo's preference for foot techniques (because kicks are worth more points than punches are), hand techniques are also low percentage.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also in that article, you'll read that the best overall winning strategy in Olympic Taekwondo is to be very aggressive. Note that in Olympic Taekwondo, sparring is continuous and just depends on how many points you can get within the time limit. It doesn't stop when you get 3 points as in the &quot;3-point-win&quot; style of sparring. That tends to cause players to forgo defense and become more aggressive to try to get as many points as they can. The more aggressive you are, the more likely you are to score a point, which makes sense for continuous sparring. But in 3-point-win sparring, you'll see a lot more attention devoted to defensive strategy, footwork, decoying, timing, and combos. Getting hit counts a lot more to you in 3-point-win sparring, so you tend to be more defensive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each martial art generally has some statistics available about which techniques and strategies are most winning (the &quot;high percentage&quot; ones). In general the highest percentage techniques and strategies are the ones that can be done safely, effectively, quickly, and in the most number of situations. Differences in rules and scoring will create a bias which can be seen in these statistics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2015-02-05T03:08:28.470" LastActivityDate="2015-02-05T03:08:28.470" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4769" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4763" CreationDate="2015-02-05T03:57:30.007" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;My advice whenever you're facing either someone who's more advanced or bigger is to concentrate on your basic, &lt;b&gt;&quot;high percentage&quot;&lt;/b&gt; techniques and be as precise and as quick as you can. Stick to things you know well, and avoid any temptation to do something &quot;cool&quot; or something you've just recently learned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In another &lt;A HREF=&quot;http://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4764/what-is-the-best-point-scoring-technique/4768#4768&quot;&gt;answer&lt;/A&gt;, I discussed what &quot;high percentage&quot; techniques are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;UL&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;By &quot;high percentage&quot;, I mean things that have a high ratio of scores over attempts in actual competition sparring. As opposed to &quot;low percentage&quot; techniques and strategies which have a low ratio of scores over attempts.&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Specifically, I said this of point sparring:&#xA;&lt;UL&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;As a general rule, striking techniques which can be used in the most situations and are fast, direct, and simple to perform will be the highest percentage ones. For hand techniques: jab punch for boxing or reverse punch for karate and Taekwondo. For foot techniques: low/mid-section round kick and front kick. I would also add side kick if you're talking about Taekwondo in particular, but not for most other kicking arts (Taekwondo really likes to use that kick).&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So your main focus for preparing for this tournament should be on basic techniques - the ones you learned in white belt. That would be the basic jab punch, the reverse punch, the round kick, the front kick, and the side kick. Keep your kicks to the mid-section, rather than aiming high. Work on your blocks and keeping your guard up. And stay active, always moving sideways (not backwards), to the less dominant side of your opponent (if he's right-handed, that means moving to his left side, which is your right side). Staying active keeps him from getting a lock on you as a target. And moving to his less dominant side means he'll be less precise, slower, and not as strong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This sounds boring, but boring wins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to do to help prepare you is to try sparring bigger opponents. You may find that the distance you need to maintain (due to his longer reach) makes it hard for you to get in and land a kick or a punch. You're going to have to find the right timing that will allow you to enter, kick or punch, and get out without being hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Usually the best timing in general is &quot;half-beat&quot; timing, as opposed to &quot;full-beat&quot; timing. Full-beat timing is where your opponent does something, you block, then you do something, he blocks, and it repeats. In &quot;half-beat&quot; timing, you begin your technique when your opponent has just started doing his. It causes him to have to stop what he's doing, figure out what you're doing, recalculate an appropriate response, and then execute it. As you might realize, that takes extra time. And it's that extra time that you'll need to be able to get in and out without getting hit. Find that timing, and you may have a chance against someone who's bigger and has a longer reach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a wonderful example of half-beat timing:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://38.media.tumblr.com/c5ca32a8015170e8239c0e0deb705d55/tumblr_n053fohPnf1r3gb3zo1_400.gif&quot;&gt;http://38.media.tumblr.com/c5ca32a8015170e8239c0e0deb705d55/tumblr_n053fohPnf1r3gb3zo1_400.gif&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps, and good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2015-02-05T03:57:30.007" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4770" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4745" CreationDate="2015-02-05T12:36:33.527" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As slugster has noted, muscles require oxygen for aerobic metabolism. Consider this: if you were to gain 50% in weight in muscle do you suppose your lung surface area would increase in proportion? Also consider whether you'd be able to breathe in 50% more oxygen. Now if the lungs do not increase in capacity or efficiency you're now powering a larger amount of muscle using the same amount of fuel. Not only that, the amount of mass that must be moved has increased meaning it also takes more energy to move that mass. Now I'm no biologist, but it seems reasonable to believe this setup can only result in decreased aerobic efficiency.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of my favorite essays on the topic of size: &lt;a href=&quot;http://irl.cs.ucla.edu/papers/right-size.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;On Being the Right Size&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1437" LastActivityDate="2015-02-05T12:36:33.527" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4771" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4764" CreationDate="2015-02-06T06:36:40.320" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my exp in karate tournaments, the best point scoring techniques would be the basic 'lunge-punch' or Oizuki. This is very idea for smaller and lighter competitors. I have had successes in scoring points with this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Be light on your feet, bouncing off your toes, keeping your heel of the ground.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When the opponent moves forward or back, immediately lunge and strike.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;after strike quickly lunge backwards to avoid any counters.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key is to wait for the opponent to move, then enter in as quick as you can and strike the torso.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2015-02-06T06:36:40.320" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4772" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4764" CreationDate="2015-02-06T07:53:30.293" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best strategy for winning a points-based fight is to stay far away from your opponent until he makes a mistake, then swoop in, make contact and retreat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the techniques to use, well, whichever one is the shortest, most direct route to your target. In Karate, this is usually a straight punch to the chest (or face if the rules allow). In Taekwondo, it's usually an axe kick, jumping back kick or spinning back kick. In boxing it's a hook or straight punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just be aware that most of the fight is actually maneuvering yourself in such a way that you can create/exploit openings in your opponent's defenses. Taekwondo fights are great examples of this. The two fighters bounce around for excruciating amounts of time, and then just as one of them drops his guard, even if only for an instant, the other lands a devastating kick to the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2015-02-06T07:58:48.677" LastActivityDate="2015-02-06T07:58:48.677" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4773" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7088" CreationDate="2015-02-06T09:34:42.637" Score="3" ViewCount="2970" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a question concerning the way we greet our shifu in the beginning and end of our lessons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was wondering what the explanation is and if I'm saying the right things to our Shifu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are the following greetings correct, and what do they mean?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;beginning of class:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Shifu how&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;End of class:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Shifu shinkula (?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My trainer says that the last greet means something like &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;'Phew' training is done, now we can relax...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4395" LastEditorUserId="4395" LastEditDate="2015-02-11T14:56:49.413" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T23:26:39.063" Title="What are the corrects words to greet our shifu?" Tags="|kung-fu|etiquette|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4774" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4773" CreationDate="2015-02-06T22:51:31.857" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This sounds like it's probably Cantonese or a related dialect.  You're going to be best off finding someone who speaks the language to tell you the exact meaning, though whether it is &quot;correct&quot; is often tradition based and may be specific to the region your style comes from or the actual lineage itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The bit I can tell you:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Shifu Hao&quot; is a basic greeting.  &quot;Hao&quot; = good.   &quot;Ni Hao&quot; = &quot;You good?&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know the second phrase but ending on &quot;la&quot; is common in Cantonese or Toisanese.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-02-06T22:51:31.857" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4776" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-02-09T14:28:05.207" Score="1" ViewCount="15384" Body="&lt;p&gt;I always thought of Aikido as a beautifully choreographed yoga/meditation rather than MA.&#xA;Is it wrong to think that all this choreography fails in street fights or in MA?&#xA;All the wrist manipulation which plays a dramatic role will only work on relaxed or unsuspecting target imo.&#xA;This makes it obsolete versus a &quot;ready to go&quot; boxer or kick-boxer etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have seen a video where an aikido practitioner tries to lock a student of MA with no luck, since the opponent was tense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have watched a 3 round fight with aikido practitioner vs a thai boxer, and after 2 rounds the aikido practitioner just resorted to open palm type strikes and &quot;flailing jeet kune do type kicks&quot; with no avail, instead of trying to catch/lock/throw his opponent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been searching to no end for material or video where true aikido techniques are used in a full on sparring contest, to how it's shown to us during presentations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the question is : Is Aikido effective outside of the &quot;Aikido realm&quot;? &#xA;(no hate, just my personal opinion and views)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5571" LastActivityDate="2015-02-15T20:46:06.390" Title="Aikido in a street fight?" Tags="|aikido|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="10" ClosedDate="2015-02-13T13:46:38.423" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4777" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4763" CreationDate="2015-02-09T14:51:02.733" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can't add comments yet, but just wanted to say that Steve Weigand has the best answer here.&#xA;just wanted to add that with time you should incorporate some &quot;dirty boxing&quot; into your arsenal when fighting bigger opponents (5ft5 person here). There's no other way of beating somebody who has been training as long and as good as you, and weighs 10kg+ more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Block with your elbow strikes instead of normal karate blocks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Block their kicks with your knees, or with knee strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When coming out of the close quarter engagement/clinch, don't just move out. You have to &quot;hook&quot; your opponents ribs with your knuckle strike or better with a thumb strike to maximize damage to a single point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All this is meant to do is to deter your opponent from strike you.&#xA;You will start to notice some hesitation.&#xA;So if you mix what Steve Weigand advised and what i explained here. You should be scoring 1st and 2nd places in no time ;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5571" LastActivityDate="2015-02-09T14:51:02.733" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4778" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4776" CreationDate="2015-02-10T11:42:46.153" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;No, it isn't. But then neither are many other martial arts, especially the &quot;defensive&quot; or &quot;soft&quot; ones. As others have rightly said, it's probably because it's taught wrong. But I've never seen it taught right either. Watch that reality show with Steven Segal, arguably the most famous Aikido practitioner on earth: he hardly ever applies Aikido outside of the dojo. You never see him apprehend a suspect the way he does in his movies. He usually just jogs behind everyone else and provides live updates. And the cops he &quot;trains&quot; usually fall back to the stuff they learned at the academy because they know that an aggravated suspect is too tense to allow you to do fancy joint locks on him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido is great for when you're play-fighting with your girlfriend or picking on your younger brother. But if you're looking for an effective &quot;soft&quot; martial art, you should probably check out judo or jiujitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pro tip&lt;/strong&gt;: If you want to learn how to survive a real fight, try one or more of the following martial arts&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kyukushin&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Greco-roman wrestling&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Boxing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jiujitsu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Muai Thai&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Judo*&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Taekwondo**&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You'll want to stay away from:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Any karate that focuses on points-based stop-start fighting&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Aikido&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Olympic or semi-contact Taekwondo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Any Kung Fu taught by a suspiciously young white man with glasses&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ninjitsu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wing Chun&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Anything that teaches you how to throw fireballs from your hands and/or utilise Qi/Reishi/Spirit Energy (that counts as excessive force and will get you arrested)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stuff you learn on youtube from a guy who claims to be a navy SEAL/Green Beret/SAS/etc&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*Judo &lt;em&gt;You'll want to be a black belt before you're ready to apply judo to a crazy drunk guy with an attitude.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;**Taekwondo &lt;em&gt;You'll want to be training in full-contact Taekwondo, not the olympic or american variants. It looks and is scored a lot like Kyukushin.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-02-10T11:42:46.153" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4779" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4776" CreationDate="2015-02-10T14:59:11.587" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe your question can be answered by considering the following variables: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your level of skill&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The number and skill of your opponents&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The circumstances in which the fight takes place&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, if you pit two martial artists with the same amount of experience against each other, the one with most &lt;em&gt;practical experience&lt;/em&gt; will most probably win. Notice the emphasized &lt;em&gt;practical&lt;/em&gt; experience: competition fights against martial artists of different martial arts, street fights, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want something that will give you practical knowledge quickly, I suggest you try one of the styles that Juann Strauss submitted. If you want a more developed martial art that will also work your mind, or wish to learn fighting tactics and strategies, you can choose any martial art, including the violent ones, but give it time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5582" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-02-15T20:46:06.390" LastActivityDate="2015-02-15T20:46:06.390" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4780" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2824" CreationDate="2015-02-10T15:28:42.667" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are a beginner in Muay Thai, the pad drills are key and should typically make up a good percentage of your gym time, along with western boxing exercises, footwork, skipping, etc.  A gym should also include sparring drills and some light sparring, although most USA gyms will not include anything that increases liability risk with non-fighters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not 100% sure what you mean by &quot;mindfullness&quot; and &quot;focus&quot; but sounds like a high expectation for a beginner in any martial art or sport. The mechanical repetition is building muscle memory which is something that all martial arts try to do to a greater or lesser extent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5583" LastActivityDate="2015-02-10T15:28:42.667" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4781" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4749" CreationDate="2015-02-10T19:18:01.880" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;How far from the tree do you want to fall off?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are you looking to go way deeper into the way you already took? Then I would suggest you to try a different Karate style that feeds or is feeded by Shukokai. &lt;strong&gt;Goju-Ryu&lt;/strong&gt; for example, or a different approach like &lt;strong&gt;Shotokan&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are looking to be a more complete martial artists, I guess the sensitive way would be to go either towards &lt;strong&gt;aikido&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;strong&gt;jiu-jitsu&lt;/strong&gt; for throws and floor fighting techniques, towards &lt;strong&gt;Kyokushin&lt;/strong&gt; karate for hardening and full contact training, or towards some styles of wushu (kung fu) like &lt;strong&gt;Wing Chun&lt;/strong&gt; for speed and short-range swift attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last but not least, another suggestion might be to take an advanced technique or group of techniques of your style, or from a relative style of your own, and specialize yourself in such techniques towards perfection. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just remember, sometimes the fruit must fall off the tree before it can serve its own purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4304" LastEditorUserId="4304" LastEditDate="2015-02-10T19:23:47.443" LastActivityDate="2015-02-10T19:23:47.443" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4782" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4773" CreationDate="2015-02-10T19:32:31.070" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why don't you just ask him (or her)? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll have your question answered, and you're likely to be seen in a more positive light by your instructor for having asked. Plus, your instructor will be able to share some key information with you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1502" LastActivityDate="2015-02-10T19:32:31.070" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4783" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4776" CreationDate="2015-02-10T23:43:55.973" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;My Sensei once told me that aikido looks different that it feels.  In other words you see a choreographed routine, I see someone practicing a potentially nasty joint lock that would make it difficult and painful for resisting opponent to continue.  Now aikido is not without weakness, but to assume it an obsolete because it doesn't do as well as you would like in a cage match is a mistake.  I find plenty of videos of aikido holding its own (personal bias admitted) but I get the impression that 90% of martial arts videos on Youtube have a predetermined outcome, so basing judgment on that is about as wise as thinking everything on the internet is true.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5573" LastActivityDate="2015-02-10T23:43:55.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4784" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4686" CreationDate="2015-02-11T05:20:28.403" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I dont know about JKD but in &lt;strong&gt;Taekwondo&lt;/strong&gt;, there are many effective round kicks like one of them is called &quot;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Touch Back&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&quot; which directly hits the face of opponent by &lt;strong&gt;sole of foot&lt;/strong&gt; and the other kick is known simply as &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;round kick&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; in which opponent is hit by the &lt;strong&gt;heel of foot&lt;/strong&gt;. Also there is a kick called &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Hook&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; which hits &lt;strong&gt;chin&lt;/strong&gt; of the  oppenent. Moreover there is &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;backthrust&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;butterfly&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; which are used as &lt;strong&gt;counter attacks&lt;/strong&gt; and probability of hit is upto 90%.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5585" LastActivityDate="2015-02-11T05:20:28.403" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4785" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2824" CreationDate="2015-02-13T21:13:30.810" Score="1" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What might be the most optimal martial arts to improve level of focus? &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any technical martial art (TKD, muay thai, judo, etc) in which the details of how a movement is performed are important. When working up a skill you would focus on improving a particular aspect of performing the movement, reflect on how well you are progressing, and consider new approaches for further improvement. It helps if there is an instructor or senior student that can not only perform the movements well but can also describe the details of a technique (at an appropriate level for the student), describe how it should feel, and why a particular detail is important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How could one use informal mindfulness practice to support present-moment Muay Thai drills when one loses focus?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps you could pick a single thing to focus on during the drill such as maintaining an optimal distance, improving balance after striking, or proper breathing. Keep in mind that at some levels of intensity/drills what you should be focusing on &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; reacting as quickly as possible to a target pad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What pre-training mindfulness practices have other users found to be useful in preparing for a class? &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like to take notes after class about what I did well and what I want to improve. I then review those notes just before the next class or talk to senior students/instructors about how to specifically improve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5591" LastActivityDate="2015-02-13T21:13:30.810" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4786" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4667" CreationDate="2015-02-15T17:28:39.053" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I make them here in the US.  They need to be made from a stable wood, like 1/4 sawn white oak.  You will need several woodworking machine tools if you want to make them accurately.  They are a gauge after all.  You will need a good band saw, table saw, surface planer, digital caliper for accurate measuring your machine set-up, sand paper and oil base finish.&#xA;Start by truing up your piece of wood to the exact outside dimensions.&#xA;Mark up several scrap pieces for each of the dimensions and then sneak up on the exact number little by lite until the machine tool you are using has been &quot;dialed in&quot;.  Then carefully cut out the areas that do the checking.&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/TTV2z.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/E7u9J.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have more questions you can get a hold of me at&#xA;ernstpeischl@gmail.com&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just be very careful when you are working with woodworking power tools.  Always wear safety glasses and use appropriate push sticks.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/oQDSq.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ernst&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5594" LastActivityDate="2015-02-15T17:28:39.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4787" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-02-15T19:18:53.163" Score="3" ViewCount="60" Body="&lt;p&gt;My hair's longish and I'm looking to start MMA, though I'm loath to chop it off (rather attached, aheh heh) so I'm looking for a solution. I was thinking about tying it up and using something like this&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cycling-Skull-Cap-Motorbike-Cycle-Under-Helmet-Caps-Windstopper-Thermal-NEW-/151131125013?pt=UK_Cycling_Clothing&amp;amp;var=&amp;amp;hash=item23301df515&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cycling-Skull-Cap-Motorbike-Cycle-Under-Helmet-Caps-Windstopper-Thermal-NEW-/151131125013?pt=UK_Cycling_Clothing&amp;amp;var=&amp;amp;hash=item23301df515&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;together with something like this&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DX-Ear-Guard-MMA-Grappling-Wrestling-Helmet-Head-Gear-BJJ-Boxing-UFC-Rugby-Gear-/261532897474?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&amp;amp;hash=item3ce49350c2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DX-Ear-Guard-MMA-Grappling-Wrestling-Helmet-Head-Gear-BJJ-Boxing-UFC-Rugby-Gear-/261532897474?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&amp;amp;hash=item3ce49350c2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It'd also have the added bonus of giving my head some mild protection. Opinions? Any better suggestions? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanking any answers in advance :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5596" LastActivityDate="2015-02-15T19:18:53.163" Title="MMA - Long Hair" Tags="|protective-equipment|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2015-02-19T15:25:06.277" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4788" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-02-16T04:51:43.497" Score="9" ViewCount="1425" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have read that according to Japanese thinking, once the fighters reach a certain level of skill, it is impossible to absolutely defeat them, therefore mutual death (ai uchi) is the certain outcome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because of this, the samurai were taught to fight without reserve, knowing that they would die, the only consolation being that they would take their opponent with them. If you fought defensively, you will die and your opponent might live, so you may as well go all out and accept death as inevitable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do modern saber fencers have this same understanding? I notice that in saber fighting a mutual light is a common outcome, such that a referee must decide who was &quot;attacking&quot; and therefore gets the point. This would seem to be bear out the essential truth that the &quot;loser&quot; can always strike a mortal blow as long as he is willing to give up his life. True or no?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5598" LastActivityDate="2020-10-10T07:32:11.713" Title="Is mutual death (ai uchi) the outcome of any duel between champions in saber?" Tags="|fencing|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4789" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4788" CreationDate="2015-02-16T07:19:21.513" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Myth&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, the easy bit: the &quot;mutual death&quot; in modern fencing happens because the fencers have no fear of getting hurt much less killed. It is an example of using the rules of the game to one's advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, the whole bushido warrior thing... The Bushido was formalised during the Tokugawa period where there was no fighting. The country was at peace, there were no war, no (major) rebellions, and quiet frankly all those samurai were bored. So, they came up with some code to follow to make themselves feel better. A lot like the western code of chivalry. The two share a lot in common. This is where the myth of &quot;always be prepared for death&quot; comes from. A fantasy of warriors that have never seen war.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thirdly, you are right in thinking that cornered men fight harder! Sun Tsu in the Art Of War, describe it as always leaving the enemy a way out of battle or better surrender. If you know you will die, taking as many of the enemy with you is common thinking. However, if you can surrender and live... Well, now you have a choice to not die: most people will take that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2015-02-16T07:19:21.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4790" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4812" CreationDate="2015-02-16T14:03:05.740" Score="17" ViewCount="29548" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have always wondered how to measure the calories expended during a training session (I practice Aikido, but this is a general question regardless of art or style) and I have found little advice on that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question: has anyone tried wearing one of the various fitness tracker armbands/bracelets/gizmos (like fitbit or any of the other models out there) for the whole duration of a lesson? I.E. warm-up, kata, kumite, randori, whatever your style does?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any results? Do these things &amp;quot;recognize&amp;quot; movements outside of running/jogging/walking? I.e. assuming I tried one while doing Iaido, would the sword swings register at all, even if I am standing more or less in place?&#xA;What about falls/throws? Has anyone tried this already? Results?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not so obsessed by the idea in itself to go out and buy one for myself, because even if I had one, I'd use it a few times during my Aikido practice to get a general idea, and for the rest of the time it would probably stay in a drawer... this is why I ask instead of actually trying myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;UPDATE: a couple weeks ago (Jun 2022) I informed the other participants that I would wear an Apple Watch (Series 3) for the duration of the training.&#xA;The results were ~300 Calories/Hour.&#xA;The practice was not particularly strenuous but I think it is a bit on the low side. Maybe wearing it on the wrist does not provide the best results.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="831" LastEditorUserId="831" LastEditDate="2022-06-30T09:55:55.803" LastActivityDate="2022-06-30T09:55:55.803" Title="Wearing a fitness tracker during a martial arts session" Tags="|training|fitness|" AnswerCount="12" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4791" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4788" CreationDate="2015-02-16T18:12:53.793" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Blades can kill.   But the problem is that there's numerous historical accounts of people being cut, stabbed all the way through the body, and still fighting.  It's not 100% predictable how things will go.  You try to hit people in ways and places where it's most likely to incapacitate them, but it's playing the odds just the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is not true that the Japanese thought that mutual death was the highest likely outcome - it was recognized as one &lt;em&gt;possible&lt;/em&gt; outcome.  Western weapons experts recreating their fighting methods from historical manuals also note the same problem was known in European fighting styles.  They will often train competitions with a rule of &quot;afterblow&quot; which is that if someone is hit, if they hit back at the same time or immediately after, the point is void.  This of course, is different than modern sports fencing, which has moved further from combative roots, so naturally it's point system is different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally combative styles have a lot to deal with in terms of training.  You want to train for the worst case scenario, so you often train with the idea a single blow might take you out, while several hits to the opponent might not be enough.  In terms of competition, part of it is that you're hitting someone and not trying to really hurt them but you want to develop the skills necessary to really hurt them.  All of this creates a lot of tension between finding &quot;scoring systems&quot; or directions of training that will allow you to make sure everyone is developing real skills, safely,  and not optimizing for points in ways that doesn't help fighting.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first person to take a hit might not be too troubled, they might pass out instantly, or they might fold up in pain, or they might have the muscles/tendons/nerves necessary to fight back, get cut and be unable to use their weapon or stand.  Likewise, if they CAN fight back, the return blow they give might also have any range of effects.  So, no, the loser can't always take the hit and return reliably for a response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The mentality of &quot;accepting you are already dead&quot; is one of mental training.  If you accept the worst has/will already happen, you have nothing to lose, nothing to defend.  And that means you can move through fear and hesitation, which is a big problem in combat.  This is a very different issue and not actually related to the fact of how often mutual hits happen or can happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-02-16T18:12:53.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4792" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-02-16T20:42:54.870" Score="0" ViewCount="147" Body="&lt;p&gt;I heard that there are kung fu styles like panther style and eagle style, but do you have to go to a certain school, temple or monastery to learn each of them? Or can you go to only one school and train all of them? I will attend Kun Yu Mountains Martial Arts Academy. How many styles will I possibly learn here?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5602" LastActivityDate="2015-02-16T22:02:17.623" Title="Do some kung fu schools teach certain kung fu styles for example tiger style and panther style or all of them in one school?" Tags="|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2018-10-15T19:50:58.753" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4793" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4792" CreationDate="2015-02-16T22:02:17.623" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to their website:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In addition to teaching traditional Shaolin kung fu,we also teach other ancient arts of Chinese martial arts like Wing Chun (Professional Masters in Wingtsun lineage), Chi Kung  (Qigong), Tai Chi, Wudang, Xingyi, Bagua, Baji, Mantis boxing and Sanda (Chinese kick boxing). - See more at: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.chineseshaolins.com/#sthash.RqNAjwC6.dpuf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.chineseshaolins.com/#sthash.RqNAjwC6.dpuf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, most schools will teach a few different approaches, but most will focus on only a few styles unless they have a lot of good teachers who have specialized or they're more interested in keeping people interested (and paying dues) than having them learn well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-02-16T22:02:17.623" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4794" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-02-16T22:18:26.580" Score="-1" ViewCount="664" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to learn Jiu Jitsu (not BJJ). I know that BJJ can be better, but i'm not interested in that. I'd like to know which school in Japan is to learn original Jiu Jitsu. The place can be anywhere, but in Japan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5602" LastActivityDate="2015-02-17T18:18:02.727" Title="Where can you learn Jiu Jitsu (not BJJ) anywhere in Japan?" Tags="|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2015-02-26T05:38:51.253" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4796" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4654" CreationDate="2015-02-17T01:26:13.243" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wear a rash guard basically to avoid&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Skin to Skin contact. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Skin to mat contact.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sweat contact.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Unintentional body hair ripping.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since my dojo also have different MA sessions sharing the mat at different times, I am abit cautious about the mat. I have heard tons of stories from the web about viruses contracted from dirty mats.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2015-02-17T01:26:13.243" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4799" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2886" CreationDate="2015-02-17T14:13:51.917" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are current IWUF text books/dvd available from Kungfudirect.com, the material is written in Chinese however it should cover what you are looking for. Peace, Love, Wushu!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5603" LastActivityDate="2015-02-17T14:13:51.917" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4800" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4794" CreationDate="2015-02-17T18:18:02.727" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Traditional Japanese style is referred to as &quot;classical jujitsu&quot;. It's also known as &quot;Samurai ryu&quot; (Samurai schools).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And note that the spelling tends to be &quot;jujitsu&quot;, not &quot;jiujitsu&quot;. The latter spelling is mostly now used to refer to Brazilian Jiujitsu. But it still can be used for classical jujitsu, depending on the country where it's used. Just not as often as &quot;jujitsu&quot;. And there are some purists that spell it &quot;jujutsu&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, there are many kinds of classical jujitsu. Some are more modern, some are very old. The styles vary quite a bit, in terms of postures, philosophy, fighting range, ground technique vs. uprightness, whether or not it was developed for battle vs. developed for self-defense, etc. Literally, each one of these jujitsu schools are an entirely different martial art in themselves. Many even resemble kung-fu styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So it's actually pretty hard to answer your question. I think you just need to do some research. Look into lists of classical jujitsu schools, and then read up about their particular philosophy. With any luck, you'll be able to see their techniques on youtube. And from this, you can get an idea of what might interest you. After that, you should go and check them out in person. Show up at their dojo and ask to view a class or maybe have an introductory lesson, if possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2015-02-17T18:18:02.727" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4801" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4804" CreationDate="2015-02-17T21:35:38.053" Score="2" ViewCount="430" Body="&lt;p&gt;My personal defense teacher said that there were a total of three other personal defense classes for different types of people. Yet each person is only allowed to take ONE?! He said this means we won't become advanced enough to do more than leave a situation. Is there a serious danger in teaching students more than one of these classes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I ask this because I don't think taking four semesters of personal defense is going to turn a college kid into a Liam Neeson character. At the same time, what would he be hiding since he wouldn't tell me?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems like there's some obscene result the school didn't want. He directly implied that he'd be in trouble for doing so due to a &quot;liability issue&quot; and said to us that if he did so then &lt;em&gt;classic finger throat motion&lt;/em&gt;, as if he'd have some serious legal trouble for doing so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What would a personal defense teacher be hiding?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1924" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-02-18T09:11:24.010" LastActivityDate="2015-02-18T09:11:24.010" Title="What is the liability issuewith personal defense classes?" Tags="|training|self-defense|defense|attack|multiple-attackers|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2015-02-26T05:37:49.870" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4802" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4801" CreationDate="2015-02-18T02:53:38.967" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think either you or your self-defense instructor are misunderstanding something. If your instructor thinks it's too dangerous to take more than one class with him because of the possibility that you might learn something and try to use it for real, then it's the same as him saying that you should not learn anything from his classes. What kind of a teacher says that? Haha. That's ridiculous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I think you just misinterpreted him. I'm not sure what his reasoning would be, otherwise. He's probably kidding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are no such laws in the U.S. that I know of, requiring that students only get exposed to one self-defense class and nothing more. That would be crazy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I thought you were going to ask what sort of legal issues there are with self-defense and martial arts training. That's a rather long and interesting subject.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2015-02-18T02:53:38.967" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4803" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4801" CreationDate="2015-02-18T04:47:17.773" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should get some clarification from your instructor, but my guess would be that this is a policy of the school and not necessarily anything about a legal reason.  If this is a college or university, they may have weird arcane policies built up based on their own liability and insurance needs.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This may also have to do with avoiding getting sued if a student uses what they've learned and a civil suit is filed. This might equally be if they hurt someone with what they've learned, or they tried to get into a fight and lost and then sue the school for &quot;misleading&quot; them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know of any laws making teaching empty hands techniques illegal (at least in the US) though there's plenty of laws about what counts as self defense tools or weapons you can carry or use under given sets of conditions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, many teachers or lineages choose to hold back on teaching certain techniques until someone has gained a level of control, or a level of trust and seniority in a given style.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Done poorly, you end up with an attenuated style with missing parts because people never got the full picture, or only people who can navigate the politics of favoritism know the techniques.   Done correctly, you avoid things like people having their knee ligaments destroyed because students without proper control decided to &quot;play around&quot; with heel hook locks and now get to spend the rest of their lives with knee damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-02-18T04:47:17.773" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4804" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4801" CreationDate="2015-02-18T07:13:14.480" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I assume, though it's not clear from your question, that some of the other classes are for law enforcement and/or security officials. It would explain why he's not allowed to teach it to you. It's essentially for the same reason that citizens aren't allowed to own fully automatic firearms or certain types of ammunition: The government decided it's off-limits to peasants. Not necessarily because it's dangerous, but probably just because the government or whoever makes the rules at your school likes to play the I'm-better-than-you-because-I-get-the-cool-toys game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-02-18T07:13:14.480" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4805" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4790" CreationDate="2015-02-18T15:26:39.920" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would surmise that most of the fitbit type trackers will not work accurately enough for your purposes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of these models rely either on accelerometers (devices that register the change in motion), or on GPS tracking/movement. I know from personal experience that even GPS watches that purport to sense treadmills based on hand movement are spotty at best, and I don't think the accelerometer would be much better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to have a better estimate, look at some of the calorie charts that are around that include various types of martial arts (Such as the one below).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mhF0O.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2015-02-18T15:26:39.920" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4806" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4807" CreationDate="2015-02-18T20:14:16.970" Score="26" ViewCount="86042" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my opinion, Kung Fu fighters seem to be stuck into their own environment/technique. I say this because I've never seen any Kung Fu guys fighting (for real/professionally) in a fight with MMA rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, are there any Kung Fu fighters (of any style) who are really effective fighting MMA? And if there is no one, what would be the reason?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5606" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-02-19T22:25:00.493" LastActivityDate="2022-02-07T19:34:18.097" Title="Are there any effective Kung Fu fighters in MMA?" Tags="|kung-fu|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4807" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4806" CreationDate="2015-02-19T00:28:26.323" Score="40" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kung-Fu fighters pop up from time to time in MMA style fights. Early on in the UFC, there were a small number of kung-fu fighters. But by the end of its first year, you didn't see any. Why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well there's a reason for that. The first UFC's were open to all. They were very much about putting style vs. style. So they had karate, Taekwondo, kung-fu, wing-chun, judo, wrestling, etc. It was pretty cool.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But after a brief number of UFC's, a pattern emerged: Grapplers generally &quot;owned&quot; the strikers, who were mostly traditionalists and &quot;purists&quot; with no knowledge of grappling whatsoever. It was embarrassing for the traditionalists. Brazilian Jiujitsu emerged from obscurity to become the most well known and well respected styles that prepared people for MMA fights. Karate, kung-fu, and other traditional arts were starting to be seen as inferior.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because of the influence the early UFC had, a lot of new students rushed to learn Brazilian Jiujitsu, Judo, Sambo, Wrestling, Submission Grappling, and Shoot-fighting. From this pool of talent came the next generation of UFC fighters. This new generation of fighters understood the value of grappling, and especially ground fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the same time, right after UFC 1, there were many local MMA venues opening up all over the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. It was in these local competitions where the new generation of fighters got their first fights. Every now and then, traditional stylists such as kung-fu fighters would enter these local MMA competitions, but they generally didn't win without grappling skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then the UFC changed a bit. It became more selective. Instead of allowing anyone to enter the UFC, they would only look at fighters who had fought and won in local MMA competitions. They were looking for the best fighters, not the best stylists. Kung-fu stylists generally would not be able to win those fights enough to be recognized by and brought into the UFC to fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And now forward to today. There are local, regional, national, and international MMA competitions everywhere. There are now enough fighters to have organizations other than just the UFC. But the UFC is seen as the organization with the most elite competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So your best bet for seeing how kung-fu stylists do in MMA is to actually look for stuff outside of the UFC or any other national or regional MMA organization. These would be local MMA competitions. Cage matches, tough man competitions, etc. Only there will you see newcomers with no fight history being allowed to fight, and so you sometimes can see kung-fu fighters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why, though, would kung-fu stylists not do well in MMA fights?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is: &lt;b&gt;You perform the way you are trained.&lt;/b&gt; It's not about the &quot;style&quot;. It's not about the techniques. It's how you train that matters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kung-fu training rarely involves non-compliant, live partners who are trying their best to win against you, in matches that allow all 3 ranges of combat: free fighting, clinch, and ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't train with people who are trying their best to take you down to the ground and submit you, you won't know how to handle that when the time comes to defend yourself from it. If you've never trained with partners who are allowed to grab you, throw you, kick you in the legs, punch you in the face, etc., then you'll be lost in a competition that allows those techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's even worse if you train in a style that doesn't even do competition at all. This happens in many kung-fu schools. In those styles, you're either just doing forms and punching to the air, or maybe you are lucky enough to have some partnered activities, but the partnered stuff is compliant and not &quot;live&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By compliant, I mean that your partner is not resisting you. He's just letting you do stuff. He might throw a punch, for example, and then he stops and lets you do any number of crazy things to him. You might grab his wrist and yank at it until it locks his arm. And then you perform a standing arm bar. But he lets you do that. He doesn't try to pull his wrist away when he sees you reaching for it. He doesn't try to keep his elbow from being locked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And by &quot;live&quot;, I mean that your partner is thinking and able to change what he's doing on the fly, to make you aware of your problems. He's not just a robot, programmed to do one thing and stop. A &quot;live&quot; partner will not stop after he throws that first punch. He'll do another punch when he sees that you're too open on one side. He'll try to trip you when he sees that your stance is too wide. Etc. The most &quot;live&quot; a partner can be is during a sparring session, where things are done completely at random, and you have no idea what your partner will do next.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another aspect to this training is speed and power. It's easy to practice trapping a punch and counter-striking to the face when things are slowed down. But speeding it up and adding power might show you that your elegant drill simply doesn't work at that point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People who train in kung-fu styles have a lot of excuses and reasons why they don't train the way MMA trains. The most common reason they claim is that their techniques are &quot;too deadly&quot; for competition. They also disagree that ground fighting should be developed at all, because it would give students bad habits. They basically claim that being on the ground is dangerous in real life, for a variety of reasons (mobility, multiple-attacker scenarios, broken glass and used hypodermic needles, etc.). They would rather put all of their training into learning how to fight on their feet, instead. And they even dislike the notion of sport fighting, claiming that violates the principle of Wu De (martial ethics and code of conduct). For these and other reasons, they seldom even consider fighting in MMA competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, there are good rebuttals to all of those claims. But we can save that discussion for another question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to realize about kung-fu is that the styles are highly revered by their students and teachers, almost taking on religious significance. Criticizing any aspect of your kung-fu style is just not done. Kung-fu practitioners have faith that the traditional, old ways of training are the best, that their instructors are always right, and that their particular branch of kung-fu is the best. Each style passes down oral histories of their founders that make them sound near god-like. They talk about proponents of their style that once fought 30 people at a time and won, for example. And since their styles are generally thought to be &quot;perfect&quot;, it means that if anyone does poorly using it in a fight, it's because that person just didn't train hard enough, wasn't very good at it, or may have had some sort of character flaw - laziness, egotistical, selfishness, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So convincing kung-fu stylists that they need to train a different way or to start entering MMA competitions to test their skill is an uphill battle. It's just not very likely to happen on a large scale.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Incidentally, MMA is just starting to take root in China. It's unknown at this time how successful it will be at attracting students in a culture that's so deeply embedded in kung-fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We all would love to see a &quot;pure&quot; kung-fu stylist come into the MMA world and succeed. That would be amazing. There's no technique that you can see in MMA fights that isn't already in kung-fu. But like I said, it's not the technique that matters, it's the way you train. For that reason and the reasons discussed above, I doubt you're going to see any pure kung-fu fighters go very far in MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-11-13T04:24:18.067" LastActivityDate="2019-11-13T04:24:18.067" CommentCount="13" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4808" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2015-02-19T05:34:34.323" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Use an &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrestling_headgear&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;ear guard&lt;/a&gt;. That will hold your hair back&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5607" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-02-19T23:33:55.400" LastActivityDate="2015-02-19T23:33:55.400" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4809" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4806" CreationDate="2015-02-19T22:23:55.783" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sanshou (similar to sanda) is a major competitive outlet for kung fu styles, allowing kicks, punches, kick catches, and throws. Several fighters with sanshou experience have fought in the UFC, most notably &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fightmagazine.com/mma/cung-le-talks-san-shou-in-mma-108/&quot;&gt;Cung Le&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Tiequan&quot;&gt;Zhang Tiequan&lt;/a&gt; appears to also have &lt;a href=&quot;http://kungfukulture.blogspot.com.tr/2011/02/tie-quan-zhang-sanda-fighter-now-in-ufc.html&quot;&gt;some sanshou experience&lt;/a&gt;, but today &lt;a href=&quot;http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1080680-ufc-144-brutal-ko-proves-zhang-tiequan-isnt-up-to-ufc-standards&quot;&gt;seems to fight primarily as a grappler&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a small number of kung fu fighters on the amateur MMA circuit who have stepped up and fought MMA, for instance &lt;a href=&quot;http://bullshido.net/forums/&quot;&gt;Bullshido's&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBoxX48_tAo&quot;&gt;Omega&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, large swaths of the kung fu community in the Western world are not tailored to proving they know how to fight. Similar to the aikido or light-contact karate/taekwondo communities, many kung fu schools are not geared towards teaching people to fight, and they're certainly not prepared to prepare someone for a proper ring fight. This makes the available pool of kung fu fighters willing to prove their art in MMA rather small.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-02-19T22:23:55.783" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4810" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4515" CreationDate="2015-02-22T16:05:07.473" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started boxing when I was younger but stopped because of concussions. In that time I progressively learned how to punch, move, pivot and use proper footwork in order to throw a powerful punch, so my wrists gradually built up strength. I missed boxing and joined my gym and started using the heavy bags. I wrapped my hands well (although I only had 108&quot; wraps and got 180&quot; Mexican style wraps after 2 weeks) I wore a 10oz boxing glove and I proceeded to hit the bag. I am left handed, and I threw a lot of hooks at the bag which were very powerful. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first day I went home and my wrists were slightly tender the next morning and I returned the next day and did the same thing. My wrist sprained just a little bit but not bad enough to the point where I would stop so I went on punching it. The next morning I could not move my left hand at all without sharp pain! I couldn't even write or text with my left hand. So I waited two days, the pain subsided mostly but some was still there, and I hit the heavy bags again. Next morning same thing, but I had more range of motion in the wrists and less pain. I took a day off and went back. Next day same story but less pain and more range of motion. And I continued the same pattern and slowly but surely it got better. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What helps a lot also is stretching your wrist and thumb in every way possible after boxing. Also use Mexican style 180&quot; wraps to cover you wrist slightly and make a heavy padding on your knuckles, and then wrapping over your wrist extensively and your palm slightly with a 108&quot; cloth wrap for stability in your wrist. The extra knuckle padding from the 180&quot; wraps will absorb a lot of force for you hand. After a couple of weeks, take off the extra 108&quot; and you should be fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5614" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-02-26T12:56:41.023" LastActivityDate="2015-02-26T12:56:41.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4811" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2015-02-23T15:17:30.250" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As for training, every solution you want to try should also take into consideration protective equipment. Specifically:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;For grappling, Cliff Keen makes an &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cliffkeen.com/wrestling/headgear/hsl96-the-slicker-for-long-hair&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;accessory&lt;/a&gt; to its headgear. I have tried it personally and it works fine, but it's quite hot.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;For striking, use a headband for bag/mitt work and shadow boxing, &#xA;use your boxing headgear when sparring. If your hair is very long go for a braid.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I ended up cutting my hair after about 6 months because summer is hot here and didn't want to stop training, long hair takes too much time to wash and dry after every session, untangling and removing knots was quite annoying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are really determined you can make it, it's up to you to determine whether it's worth the trouble or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3234" LastEditorUserId="3234" LastEditDate="2015-11-24T15:07:21.160" LastActivityDate="2015-11-24T15:07:21.160" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4812" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4790" CreationDate="2015-02-24T00:27:42.037" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have worn my fitbit flex during warmup (purely accidental as I forgot to take it off when arriving at class).  It doesn't give any sort of accurate reading of calories because it's only a pedometer and measures steps via arm swinging.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also worn a Garmin Edge 500 with heart rate monitor and tucked the Edge into my underpants (just don't fall on it).  Tracking elevated HRM is probably more accurate for calculating calorific expenditure than a pedometer.   From memory I burned about 350 cals in my 60 min Tae Kwon do class.  I'm a 97kg male.  To be honest I struggle to believe that I would burn 1000 calories in an hour of TKD.  That's an hour worth of running at 10 km/hr, which is much more difficult for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5617" LastActivityDate="2015-02-24T00:27:42.037" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4813" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4814" CreationDate="2015-02-25T04:09:25.880" Score="9" ViewCount="747" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm just curious to know the exact difference/s between the Jiu Jitsu moves '&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZLh7ETdDAU&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Calf Slicer&lt;/a&gt;' and '&lt;a href=&quot;http://thedragonzone.com/2013/mma-video-training-tips/jiu-jitsu-training-tips/vaporizer-leg-lock-eddie-bravo/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Vaporizer&lt;/a&gt;'. Do both submissions affect to the calf or they work differently? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5496" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-02-26T08:52:58.093" LastActivityDate="2015-02-26T17:20:58.523" Title="Calf Slicer vs Vaporizer" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4814" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4813" CreationDate="2015-02-25T12:08:49.237" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;A calf slicer is a compression lock that crushes the calf muscle, and I've heard the terms &quot;calf crush&quot;, &quot;calf slicer&quot;, and &quot;calf crank&quot; all used interchangeably. At &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/G1tIzC2FIfg?t=1m59s&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;2:00 of this video&lt;/a&gt;, Eddie Bravo describes the Vaporizer as a &quot;toe hold slash &lt;strong&gt;calf crank&lt;/strong&gt;, slash devastation...this one is very hard to resist.&quot; (Emphasis mine.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So there's an element of calf slicer in the Vaporizer, but it's also got elements of a toe hold, which is a separate knee-torquing attack. There is overlap between a plain calf slicer and the Vaporizer but they're not the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-02-25T12:08:49.237" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4815" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2498" CreationDate="2015-02-26T08:09:59.357" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree that Taekwondo appears to have its roots in Shotokan Karate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having trained in Shotokan Karate, and Chung-do-Kwon Taekwondo I believe there are reveling similarities in techniques and Forms. While both styles have seemingly purposeful designed opposites in forms, and in philosophy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have found few seniors (Masters or Grand Masters) in martial arts that will agree with my hypothesis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the long run instructors just teach your students traditional basic self defense for basics then add what you do best after. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;SaBum / Sensei Barnes&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5624" LastActivityDate="2015-02-26T08:09:59.357" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4816" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4813" CreationDate="2015-02-26T17:20:58.523" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In a calf crank the movement is in line with the foot-ankle-shin structure, while in the vaporizer it's not: this creates &lt;strong&gt;torque&lt;/strong&gt; on the hip/knee/ankle joints, which is a movement pattern not found in a calf crank.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This twisting motion is found instead in many other submissions such as the toe hold, heel hook, kimura and omoplata. You might think of the vaporizer as an &lt;strong&gt;omoplata&lt;/strong&gt; on his leg combined with a &lt;strong&gt;calf crank&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, if in the calf slicer you are using his lower leg as a &lt;strong&gt;prybar&lt;/strong&gt; and your shin as a &lt;strong&gt;wedge&lt;/strong&gt;, in the vaporizer you are &lt;em&gt;also&lt;/em&gt; using his leg like a &lt;strong&gt;wrench&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3234" LastActivityDate="2015-02-26T17:20:58.523" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4817" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4790" CreationDate="2015-02-26T18:54:18.950" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I teach karate and wear the fitbit HR to measure heart rate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also use the polo loop with the heart rate sensor. I am 55 and my weight is 210 lbs (95 kg), been working out with weights for 30 years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I burn about 750 to 1000 calories depending on sparring or not. Forms done &#xA;with high power level can get my HR close to max.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So most of it depends on your intensity level. I hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5626" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-06-25T07:35:26.153" LastActivityDate="2015-06-25T07:35:26.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4818" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4819" CreationDate="2015-02-27T02:40:25.413" Score="11" ViewCount="2098" Body="&lt;p&gt;If in judo we execute a pin that different from a &quot;standard&quot; Osaekomi-waza, but still pins the opponent on their back or puts enough pressure for them to tap out, does it still fully count for ippon?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Specifically, in this example:&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qWo5Q.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The move pictured is essentially kesa gatame, except the arm is let free and the tori's hands interlock as he leans back and lifts hips to apply pressure to uke's chest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If applied in judo, would this pin still count?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, do modifications such as this to official kodokan grappling techniques work?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5628" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-08T23:57:19.783" LastActivityDate="2019-08-08T23:57:19.783" Title="Do pins in judo have to be standard pins?" Tags="|judo|grappling|sport|pins|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4819" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4818" CreationDate="2015-02-27T08:02:27.323" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;That's barely a modification of kesagatame. There's no gi, so he uses a slightly different grip. It totally counts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just about all techniques, including pins, are modified in actual application. This is so true that the examples of throws that &lt;em&gt;don't&lt;/em&gt; look obviously modified are shared as highlights and widely touted as beautiful paragons of the art. But a lot of &lt;em&gt;uchimata&lt;/em&gt; involve hopping and an extra 90 degrees of turning, a lot of &lt;em&gt;kesagatame&lt;/em&gt; don't fully control the near arm, and plenty of &lt;em&gt;koshijime&lt;/em&gt; are finished with muscle instead of precise hip positioning. It's totally normal. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not about mimicking the textbook example—-though that can be helpful as a learning exercise--but about throwing, choking, armlocking, and pinning your opponent. The throws, chokes, armlocks, and pins that aren't allowed (or that don't score) are generally specifically delineated as dangerous or banned techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-02-27T08:02:27.323" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4820" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4821" CreationDate="2015-02-27T09:05:09.593" Score="9" ViewCount="1614" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a beginner at arnis/kali/eskrima.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;every meeting, I always expect some blisters on my palm and finger, especially after hitting the tires with the stick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I won't quit just because of blisters, but is there a way to escape from them? Aside from wearing gloves because it makes the stick so much slippery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;a video or picture of the proper way of gripping the stick, or just some tips will be greatly appreciated. thanks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks. I am now convinced that I need to train regularly. I only have time during saturday and sundays so i only train during those days. since a week is enough to let my hands heal completely, it never develops calluses. Might as well ask for some advice about the position of my blisters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes, I see myself holding the stick with my four fingers wrapping the grip, and my thumb locking it, as if making a fist. At most times, I hold it with my thumb on top of the other four fingers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;here are the position of my blisters:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Co75b.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5630" LastEditorUserId="5630" LastEditDate="2015-03-01T17:04:27.920" LastActivityDate="2015-03-03T11:10:16.660" Title="Blisters from sticks" Tags="|weapons|injury|short-stick|kali|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4821" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4820" CreationDate="2015-02-27T20:01:06.433" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Blisters can happen initially. I think it happens to everyone new to stick fighting. It's nothing to be too worried about. It probably just means you were over-eager in your training and went too hard or too long. No big deal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It can also happen if you don't train regularly. Like if you just go once a week, your hand never gets used to it, so you get blisters. It's best to practice two or three times a week. You can practice at home by yourself, also.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try letting the blisters heal, and then start again. This time, go a little more easily on yourself. Practice every other day or so, but go easy. Approach it gradually, and over time you'll get calluses. The calluses will protect your hand, and you won't get blisters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think highly of using gloves, either. Things like weightlifting gloves or biker gloves can cause your stick to slip out of your grip too easily. You can try it and see what happens. If it works for you, great. But do watch out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way you hold your stick isn't so important, as far as calluses and blisters are concerned. But since you asked: You should grip your escrima stick in a way you feel comfortable, but which holds the stick firmly in place. But one thing you'll eventually realize is that, as you do different techniques, your grip will change slightly to accommodate those techniques. That's okay, so long as the stick is still being held firmly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The combination of holding your escrima stick firmly and impacting something with it repeatedly is what gives you blisters (or calluses). But not holding it firmly isn't going to be helpful. The only thing you can do is reduce the amount of force you use when you hit something with it, and/or reduce the number of times you hit something in one session. In other words, go easier on yourself, like I said above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When in doubt, ask your instructor to correct your grip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2015-02-27T20:01:06.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4823" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4515" CreationDate="2015-03-01T00:48:21.670" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In addition to the other answers, I'd suggest looking for a pair of gloves that offers better wrist support. I train Muay Thai (and was previously doing boxing) and have flimsy, injury-prone wrists. I'm much more comfortable in some gloves than others. I consider the Hayabusa Tokushu a standout for being much stiffer through the wrist area than most models and for having a elasticized dual closure system that means you can make them as snug around the wrist as you want. I've found a good resource to be &lt;a href=&quot;http://boxingglovesreviews.com/top-ten-boxing-gloves/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Boxing Gloves Review.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the long term, barbell training might help improve your wrists' and shoulders' ability to stabilize under a load. I'm certainly not an expert on that, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3227" LastActivityDate="2015-03-01T00:48:21.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4824" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4735" CreationDate="2015-03-01T13:43:53.270" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well...the one answering your questions are absolutely right. Low kicks are best used when most of your opponent's weight is on one leg, preferably when he/she is kicking at you. Jus' dodge the kick (by ducking if a high-kick or by side-stepping or moving out of range) and give a kick on his/her leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If in a serious fight, hitting the back of the knee will make your opponent fall down bad. The palm of the foot can be used to hit the front of the knee (not barefoot, mind you) as a good choice too (it can backfire too, so be careful).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And...which leg to attack...that depends. If you wanna put your opponent off-balance and need extra chances to hit your opponent, then kicking the leg on which the less of the weight has been put is a good choice. For it, the best moment is to wait for the time when the opponent uses the leg to kick at you. Just quickly move from the attack range and hit the leg in a way that it the leg turns in an another direction. And hit hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you wanna make your opponent fall down, kick the back of the leg on which then most of the weight is put.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yeah, and better practice it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5635" LastActivityDate="2015-03-01T13:43:53.270" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4825" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-03-01T14:19:18.460" Score="2" ViewCount="247" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a girl, age 14, intent on learning Bagua, an ancient internal Taoist martial art which originates from China. Funny that I got inspired to this from a game (cough*tekken 3*cough), but I think that I'm allowed to be a fan girl...he he...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm quite flexible...my fingers unnecessarily more so (my left pinky can touch the back of my left hand with 2 degree angle in between), and I have a fairly good experience in Chinese Boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been trying to learn Bagua by online sources (YouTube videos by &quot;Clear's Internal Arts&quot;) but I doubt that it'll be enough when I don't even have an instructor. My family is about to be transferred to Delhi, so I have been looking for an instructor there online, but haven't been able to come up with anything. I just found this site today, so...can anyone please help me find one? Or more than one?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5635" LastActivityDate="2015-03-02T13:40:04.713" Title="Baguazhang in India?" Tags="|bagua|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="8" ClosedDate="2015-03-11T01:49:24.687" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4829" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4735" CreationDate="2015-03-02T11:35:07.760" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I like to hit low kicks when my opponent is stepping forward, so as to disrupt their footing, or when my opponent is flat-footed and heavy on the lead leg, allowing me a stationary target so I can load up and do some damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another approach is to force the opponent to retreat, then attack the leg they leave behind, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/7/24/3177281/ufc-on-fox-4-judo-chop-the-striking-of-mauricio-shogun-rua&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;as Mauricio &quot;Shogun&quot; Rua did to Lyoto Machida&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Shogun's answer to Machida's elusiveness was to back him up with swinging punches and connect a low kick on whichever leg was leaving his range last. No matter how far Machida backpeddled, one leg would always be in front of him, pushing him backwards - and it was this that Shogun exploited so ruthlessly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To figure out why you're finding it harder to land low kicks now, you might want to look at whether your opponents are using a different stance or footwork in this school versus the last. Are they standing more square? Are they being more mobile? Also, look into whether you're drilling these kicks at all now. If you're not practicing them, it will be hard to hit them in live sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-03-12T18:10:37.607" LastActivityDate="2015-03-12T18:10:37.607" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4830" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4825" CreationDate="2015-03-02T13:40:04.713" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm from Delhi myself. Since you are a 14 year old girl, I don't imagine you'll have a lot of choice of gyms or martial arts, since you'll have to devote time to school etc. and you probably don't have too many options when it comes to transport either. That said Delhi has its share of Taekwondo and Karate academies, how about picking up one of those ? Instead of an obscure martial art..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5638" LastActivityDate="2015-03-02T13:40:04.713" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4831" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4720" CreationDate="2015-03-02T13:53:50.200" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;sorry, I'll skip the obligatory 'don't fight' advice. The most effective strikes you could employe at that distance are : &lt;br&gt;&#xA;(assuming he has already entered your personal space, at 2 inches apart you don't have the time to draw your arms back, you can't really punch at that distance either)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;1. head Butt to the face&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;strike&gt;2. cupped-hands strike to the ears&lt;br&gt;&lt;/strike&gt;&#xA;3. knee to the groin &lt;br&gt;&#xA;4. Upward elbow strike to the chin/face, while stepping back, with leading hand&lt;br&gt;&#xA;5. elbow to the chin,while stepping back, with leading hand (similar to how you throw a boxing hook)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Edit: A lot of what I suggest won't work at 2&quot; per se, you could start from there though&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5638" LastEditorUserId="5638" LastEditDate="2015-03-10T09:21:55.003" LastActivityDate="2015-03-10T09:21:55.003" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4833" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4820" CreationDate="2015-03-02T21:24:00.243" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I was doing Doce Pares Escrima several years ago, I ran into the same problem. I used cloth athletic/medical tape to cover up the blistered areas to give them a chance to heal and at one point, when I found that it was a particular part of the stick rubbing up against my hand (an area where the lacquer had gotten roughed up from impact, actually), I put a strip of tape encircling that area. Between the two of them, that eliminated the blisters for me until my calluses built up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-03-03T11:10:16.660" LastActivityDate="2015-03-03T11:10:16.660" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4834" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4720" CreationDate="2015-03-02T21:26:35.523" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You've created your own problem in letting someone that is obviously showing aggression to get within two inches. In many cases where they move in that close, they don't really want to fight, they want to intimidate. If they were intent on damage, they would start swinging or similar as soon as they were in range. However, in cases such as this where they have gotten that close, you want to do one of two things, either create distance or close it to your advantage (with a couple random things thrown in):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Create distance:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step back. Either one foot drops back in stance or you simply step back.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Push away. As noted in others, double strikes to torso should help create some space, but you are at a disadvantage already because your leverage is reduced.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step sideways. Especially with someone that is relentlessly pressing forward, a quick side step gets you distance and flanks you to the aggressor.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Close distance:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step into attacker. This is somewhat dangerous, but may be mandated by location (Such as you are against table/wall/similar). When you step in, you want to be able to control the body and arms as soon as possible.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Combine #1 with a push and a trip, such as a heel catch. Either they go down, or they stumble back. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The biggest thing with both of those is that you HAVE TO COMMIT, and you NEED to know what you are doing. If you are horrible at in close maneuvering or your grappling skills are bad, you are gambling. If you go at it half strength/uncaring, you are likely going to get overpowered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Distraction:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can't really do a lot of damage with any kind of strike from within 2&quot;. Forget dim mak, 1&quot; punch, all the movie crap. Even the head butt is questionable at that distance, and requires that you are a similar height as the attacker. Unless you hit the nose square, any other head butt technique will place you at just as much risk of damage as them. (For example, if you are a few inches shorter, you may smash their mouth, but it's not a debilitating strike and if their teeth gash your forehead which is likely, you now have your own blood in your eyes). Same with leg strikes, unless you get absolutely lucky, you aren't going to be able to target or get leverage to make an effective groin strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oddities:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Depending on your abilities/confidence, you can try for some of the pressure points in/around the armpit/ribs.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Redirect - If you can combine the step to the side with a wrist grab, you can gain leverage/distance/control all in one shot.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step on his foot. For most untrained, they will either instinctively try to pull their foot away (distance), look down (distraction) or both. However, be aware that if you put too much weight, you may get unbalanced if/when they pull their foot away.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Grab his belt/top of pants. Same reactions as #3, it's unexpected and their first reaction is to pull away.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2015-03-02T21:26:35.523" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4835" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1182" CreationDate="2015-03-02T21:39:41.927" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;As an update for anyone experiencing the same thing:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two types of repair:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Self attachment - The leg is put in a position for the tendon to graft itself, then progressively moved towards a foot neutral position before rehab begins.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Surgical attachment - Tendon is sutured together.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Option #2 is recommended if you want to regain the full function/mobility, as #1 may or may not restore full function. However, the older you are, the more they push towards #1 (I was 45 at the time). I chose #2.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rehab is a minimum of a year. I was able to start running within about 5 months of the surgery. What they are most concerned about is landing toes first with full weight, and using the calf/achilles to land. So, no jumping style kicks for a minimum of a year. Non weight bearing for 8-12 weeks, and then very slow, cautious use of the leg in various rehab exercises. Biggest concern is sudden landing on the foot, so as such, was in a boot for nearly 3 months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Side effects - Foot has to be retrained to walk straight, calf wasting, binding of skin/tissue at scar site.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was fairly lucky, in that I was able to regain 100% mobility and function. I pursued rehab as if I were getting 1 on 1 coaching/training, and did everything I was supposed to (Plus a little more, don't tell my surgeon). Nearly 2 years after completing surgery and rehab, I am back to full competition, although I am still cautious on some drills such as the jump switch/kick combo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2015-03-02T21:39:41.927" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4836" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4735" CreationDate="2015-03-03T06:59:09.063" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;the best moment would be when most of his weight is about to be put on that leg or during that time. The moment right after a step in, or while he is recovering from a missed kick, or when he is standing on one leg. When timed right, a leg kick will make him fall on the floor, even without using so much force to break his leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5630" LastActivityDate="2015-03-03T06:59:09.063" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4837" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2913" CreationDate="2015-03-03T21:29:29.357" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;After years of getting choked, thrown, taken down to the ground, arm barred, knee barred I can say it does take a toll on your body. I'm 53 and can still hold my own against guys half my age but I can say that I do feel it. Knees, elbows, fingers however if I don't train I feel worse. You can't fix time. It's just part of getting older. Accept it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5642" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-03-07T15:01:24.393" LastActivityDate="2015-03-07T15:01:24.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4838" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4843" CreationDate="2015-03-04T15:21:58.663" Score="6" ViewCount="362" Body="&lt;p&gt;Everyone knows that a fighter has to train and practice fighting techniques - kicks, punches, defences, throws, and so on. But, to become a better fighter, it is always good to improve one's musculature.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I started going to the gym last week. As I was suspecting, the instructor makes almost the same training card for everyone. So, I would like to know &lt;em&gt;what muscle work out would be better to work for a Muay Thai&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any best practices for this kind of training such as is it best to do 15 repetitions or 6 repetitions and at what weights?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5606" LastEditorUserId="718" LastEditDate="2015-03-05T12:22:45.523" LastActivityDate="2015-03-09T09:07:09.653" Title="What would be a good gym workout for a Muay Thai fighter?" Tags="|muay-thai|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4839" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4838" CreationDate="2015-03-04T15:57:50.753" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you've just started out there's no sense in worrying about the finer details. You need to get your muscles used to working out first. That means high reps with light weights. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would suggest starting out with a beginner's strength course.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-03-04T15:57:50.753" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4840" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4838" CreationDate="2015-03-05T09:44:37.553" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some pointers:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Train explosive power not just strength.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Avoid getting too big. It will slow you down.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Never forget to stretch the muscles you trained.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During workout you perform contraction after contraction, your muscles are left in a shortened state. Which is bad thing if you train not only for looks but to actualy use it. Stretching helps to reset your body to a natural position and fastens recovery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user5645" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-03-09T09:07:09.653" LastActivityDate="2015-03-09T09:07:09.653" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4842" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4845" CreationDate="2015-03-05T11:38:15.037" Score="5" ViewCount="413" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to practice Kungfu/Shaolin to increase my stamina. I'm a software engineer and spent much time in front of a computer. I feel I'm very weak. I'm easily tired, easily depressed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ9pspd0-9o&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this tutorial on Youtube&lt;/a&gt; and am planning to follow it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please advice me if the quality of the tutorial is good? &#xA;And if it is good, how much time should I spend per week to practice effectively? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the tutorial isn't good, which tutorial is good for me in order to increase my stamina?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5646" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-03-07T15:16:42.320" LastActivityDate="2015-03-07T21:20:10.520" Title="Is this shaolin tutorial any good for self-study?" Tags="|kung-fu|self-training|health|endurance|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4843" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4838" CreationDate="2015-03-05T13:36:05.147" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;If I fought Muay Thai I'd want to work slowly and carefully towards a double bodyweight deadlift using sets of 1 to 5, staying on the higher end of that range whenever possible. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A set of 5 is picking up the weight five times without taking more than a couple seconds between repetitions. Personally I usually program deadlifts as a bunch of warm-up sets, then a single heavy set of 5. That should work fine up to at least 1.5x your bodyweight. Then, instead of 1 set of 5 it's OK do 1 set of 3 or 4, or several sets of 1, 2, or 3. Sometimes that means setting a total number of reps (say, 10), with the goal of doing it in as few sets as possible (say, doing 4 reps, then 3, then 2, then 1).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd also want to do a lot of weighted lunges, from what I've heard from kickboxers. This would be in addition to deep squatting frequently with at least bodyweight on my shoulders.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally I'd want good explosive training through Olympic lifts like the power clean and push press. These are performed for sets of three or less for five or more sets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-03-06T18:50:42.943" LastActivityDate="2015-03-06T18:50:42.943" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4844" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4866" CreationDate="2015-03-05T15:02:52.110" Score="7" ViewCount="952" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are traditional ways to treat wooden weapons (as hanbō, jō,...)? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should we oil the wood? What oil to use? How is it done? Should we use wax? What else? Should we repeat some treatement after certain events or certain amount of time? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any good reference? Like article, YouTube video or book?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And how does companies who sells wooden weapons today treat their products? Is there something to avoid when buying a weapon?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5648" LastActivityDate="2015-03-10T22:43:49.853" Title="Treating wooden weapons" Tags="|weapons|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4845" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4842" CreationDate="2015-03-06T08:48:44.797" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you want to start a martial art for fitness and mental benefits, I can highly recommend Taekwondo. There are other styles you can try too, e.g. Muay Thai, but Taekwondo is probably the most fun you'll ever have in a dojang/dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My problem with kung fu schools OUTSIDE of China is that they're usually not that great. The transfer of knowledge outside of China isn't nearly as good as from Japan or Korea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for how many times to practice, well start off with 3 days per week, for about an hour per day. If you join a school, they will have their own hours anyway. If you feel good the next day, nothing is stopping you from practicing what you've learned in class. I usually demonstrated how a new technique works, made sure my students could do it, then told them to go practice at home. That way we could spend more time actually sparring (fighting), which was the main point for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-03-06T08:48:44.797" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4846" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-03-06T12:38:47.480" Score="4" ViewCount="191" Body="&lt;p&gt;I hear those super bright flashlights can blind the assailant for a few seconds, but how effective is such a flashlight if the assailant were wearing sunglasses?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5649" LastActivityDate="2015-03-06T14:53:52.923" Title="Surefire tactical flashlight effective on sunglasses?" Tags="|self-defense|weapons|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4847" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4846" CreationDate="2015-03-06T14:53:52.923" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.technologyreview.com/news/408360/the-incapacitating-flashlight/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;most recent reference I've found&lt;/a&gt;, from 2007, indicates that tinted sunglasses may indeed block the effect, although it seems like the disorientation effect may still be effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-03-06T14:53:52.923" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4848" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-03-07T00:26:13.587" Score="1" ViewCount="26" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to learn original Japanese Jiu Jitsu here in Japan, but not BJJ. But I do not know to where to learn. Any ideas?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5652" LastActivityDate="2015-03-07T00:26:13.587" Title="I want to learn Jiu Jitsu here in Japan, so do you guys know a school in Japan where they teach Jiu Jitsu, not BJJ?" Tags="|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2015-03-07T00:32:24.147" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4851" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1242" CreationDate="2015-03-07T01:15:43.657" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Hiroshima and northern Japan where Maeda was from there are native Ryu of ground fighting and wrestling. The confusion is that everyone finds it shocking that there are these waza apart from BJJ. Some BJJ people think it is new. in Judo the sport had ability to take a knee and initiate newaza to avoid an opponents throw until the 60s.  Perhaps for a draw in judo competitions or gain submission.  In any event, the throws take a long time to get. It's easier relatively to learn the newaza for example Kosen judo from the school team.  Easier to develop winning team by newaza focus.  And in some ways explains why Maeda taught this.  So people didn't get hurt by throws. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5653" LastActivityDate="2015-03-07T01:15:43.657" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4852" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-03-07T01:22:32.257" Score="6" ViewCount="1442" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been boxing for a while now and been very comfortable 2 years in all. I only have one issue: whenever I get hit and it hurts I keep on thinking about the pain and end up not wanting to throw as much. Bottom line is that I get hit and simply fear pain. What can I do to end up desensatized to the feeling of pain?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5654" LastActivityDate="2015-03-19T13:26:01.883" Title="Pain and if it can be eased in a fight" Tags="|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4853" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4720" CreationDate="2015-03-07T12:36:13.457" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;(I am assuming the confrontation is inevitable; if it isn't - just step back if you can and yell for help). If you mist fight, here are few points to consider:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) just try to do some sparring at this distance (if you have a sparring partner or you are training in a dodjo) - no amount of perfect tips will get you much unless you try them and get comfortable in this situation&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) watch positions - (both your and your opponent) very carefully; few degrees (or inches) could mean a lot at this distance&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) try to fight at several levels at once - low/middle/high. For example, there are combinations like &#xA;&lt;strong&gt;step forward (through your opponent)&lt;/strong&gt; with knee strike to the groin, &lt;strong&gt;at the same time&lt;/strong&gt; right elbow goes to his stomach and left arm is protecting your face&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;these things are hard to explain, you have to see and practice; I recommend trying moves from Naihanchi kata (imho, this kata is very good for in-close fighting, just be careful with all those elbow-to-the-throat/head strikes, it's dangerous)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4) be prepared to mix fighting and grappling -&gt; grapple a fighter and fight a grappler (requires lots of practice too)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;5) someone did mention WingChun here already; it's great for in-close fighting &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="759" LastActivityDate="2015-03-07T12:36:13.457" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4854" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4842" CreationDate="2015-03-07T21:20:10.520" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's two things that increase stamina: cardio (fast, regular movement) and muscle endurance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pretty much any regular movement can do that - Shaolin training or anything else.  You can do a few minutes every day up to the recommended at least 30 minutes of cardio that doctors recommend, and of course, more once you get the endurance going.  Understand that of the kind of stuff you'll get, half will be movement based (punches, kicks, ec.) the other half will be stuff like stance work (Horse, cat, etc.) and that will improve the muscle endurance for your legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That short video you linked doesn't give me much to go on as to how well the guy teaches on the video, but there's a couple of things that are important for your training, even if you're just looking for endurance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) Correct stance - bad low stance work will do bad things to your knee cartilage over the long run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) Correct use of planting feet, especially with stomping or after a high kick.  People can get nasty tendon issues from slamming their feet incorrectly or too much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both of these issues I've seen friends who have done Shaolin style training deal with, and it would be something to make sure you check in on. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are interested in things like correct form for form competition, or combative use of martial arts, you'll have a lot higher requirements to meet.  At that point, I'd really recommend checking for an actual teacher, even if you only get a little bit of training with them so you have some kind of basis to use for any video or book references you take from there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Understand that if you want more than cardio work, face to face instruction will take you far.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-03-07T21:20:10.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4855" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-03-07T00:04:37.707" Score="4" ViewCount="478" Body="&lt;p&gt;As you can see below, the physical training device consists of a thick padded central element, with padded poles sticking out of it, at multiple levels, hip and shoulder height. As for technique, one stands between the poles basically hitting them and the central element with the arms while dodging around them. They don't seem to spin, but I may be mistaken.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the question is, what is it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/h8I0a.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Image 1&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/t97Lm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Image 2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/58meO.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Image 3&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xNl2I.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Image 4&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/D47fQ.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Image 5&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5669" OwnerDisplayName="TheEnvironmentalist" LastActivityDate="2015-03-09T10:41:21.650" Title="Identifying a physical training device (pictures of a vertical padded tube with horizontal pipes coming out)" Tags="|exercise|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4856" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4855" CreationDate="2015-03-07T04:48:32.630" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Looks like a modified blend of a &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu_ren_zhuang&quot;&gt;mu ren zhuang&lt;/a&gt;, also known as a wooden training dummy. Different martial arts styles use them in different ways. The central padding aspect seems like it turns it into a punching bag of sorts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not sure how many people train in tight leather at night with shades on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5661" OwnerDisplayName="Eric Kaufman" LastActivityDate="2015-03-07T04:48:32.630" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4857" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4855" CreationDate="2015-03-09T09:14:22.397" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is variation of Wing Chun wooden dummy &quot;muk yan jong\mu ren zhuang&quot;. Wing Chun uses dummy to train proper positions, control of you attacks as well as to simulate and to get used to involuntary reactions your opponent would have. If you deside to buy one I suggest caution. It is realy easy to hurt yourself if you don't know what you are doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user5645" LastActivityDate="2015-03-09T09:14:22.397" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4858" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4855" CreationDate="2015-03-09T10:41:21.650" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;That's a wing chun dummy, modified with more padding.  Historically, they might have either no padding or a canvas bag of sand or beans attached as the target to practice hitting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://chinesemartialstudies.com/2012/08/24/traditional-training-equipment-in-the-chinese-martial-arts-part-ii-attack-of-the-wooden-dummies/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This article covers the range of history of these devices&lt;/a&gt;, from simple striking poles to the more complex types of wooden dummies.  &lt;a href=&quot;http://chinesemartialstudies.com/2013/06/24/the-story-of-ip-mans-wooden-dummy/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This one covers specifically the evolution of the wing chun style striking dummy&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The typical use of these is that the arms simulate the height and distance of various guard positions or short range punches/strikes - you practice either deflecting or snaking around the positions to either strike or parry off an attack.  You can use it to build strength in applying deflection movements or grabs or build pain resistance to hard strikes by slamming it harder with your forearms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a video of a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqfPps556-A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;slowed down wing chun form&lt;/a&gt; using a dummy.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KJFtLq0VWI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Here's Donnie Yen demonstrating on a dummy&lt;/a&gt; - watch how he angles to one side or the other as part of the practice.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsO_iLALaio&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Here's an example of working with a &quot;compact dummy&quot;&lt;/a&gt; - a board with arms you attach to the wall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-03-09T10:41:21.650" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4859" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4861" CreationDate="2015-03-09T10:42:02.370" Score="6" ViewCount="4413" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm just wondering whether Muay Thai teaching includes defensive tactics / techniques to use against grappling and take-downs. If they do, please share them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, if someone tries to grapple and take down a Muay Thai fighter, what will he do? Will he try to knock the grappler out somehow before being taken down or does he already know the ground game to use against the grappler?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5496" LastEditorUserId="718" LastEditDate="2015-03-10T09:26:45.843" LastActivityDate="2015-03-12T07:08:16.533" Title="Muay Thai defensive techniques against grappling attacks" Tags="|muay-thai|grappling|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4860" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4859" CreationDate="2015-03-09T11:31:59.363" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Define &quot;grapple and take down&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some Muay Thai practitioners do a lot of clinch work, but generally takedowns are highly circumscribed. Techniques like hip throws, shots, suplexes and so on are are forbidden and defenses to such techniques are not generally practiced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-03-09T14:45:28.053" LastActivityDate="2015-03-09T14:45:28.053" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4861" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4859" CreationDate="2015-03-09T14:49:55.150" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since Muay Thai is a &lt;strong&gt;sport&lt;/strong&gt; that doesn't allow takedowns or grappling it doesn't contain countermeasures for theses kind of attacks.&#xA;Neither does for example boxing. If a muay thai fighter tries a take down (repeatedly) they will be disqualified.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said Muay Boran and Krabi Krabong are &lt;strong&gt;martial arts&lt;/strong&gt; that do seem to contain certain aspects of fighting on the ground. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG30G5gEp2g&quot;&gt;Here is a Video&lt;/a&gt; showing some ground techniques and even a match with some of that utilized. I'm not sure what the rules are for this fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastEditorUserId="718" LastEditDate="2015-03-10T08:48:52.070" LastActivityDate="2015-03-10T08:48:52.070" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4862" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4859" CreationDate="2015-03-09T16:20:50.060" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muay Thai&lt;/strong&gt; has a lot of clinch techniques, both offensive and defensive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;K1 Muay Thai&lt;/strong&gt; reduces and sometime forbids them, but there are hip, supplex and other throws while clinching to get free from opponents techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.it/url?sa=t&amp;amp;rct=j&amp;amp;q=&amp;amp;esrc=s&amp;amp;source=web&amp;amp;cd=1&amp;amp;cad=rja&amp;amp;uact=8&amp;amp;ved=0CCEQtwIwAA&amp;amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DN0VrRAD6KJc&amp;amp;ei=58X9VOn0L6r7ywOZgILoCw&amp;amp;usg=AFQjCNEX3azS7yZAc16Hp1AuzyU-VRpSng&amp;amp;sig2=UerKmePDPLAhcqim4EE8Uw&amp;amp;bvm=bv.87611401,d.bGQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Buakaw Benchamek vs Enrico Kehl&lt;/a&gt; match has a lot of examples.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Definitely no ground game, the refree will always stop the match and let both opponents stand up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co-rINOoMn8&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=18m55s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This is one example of clinch defense on opponents knees&lt;/a&gt;,it's a simple hip rotation but generally works.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5663" LastActivityDate="2015-03-09T16:20:50.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4863" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2057" CreationDate="2015-03-09T16:28:20.410" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Qi power has not been proven scientifically, because currently there is no way to measure or observe Chi by using physical scientific instruments. However there were some attempts to investigate it scientifically and below you can find few sources.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is National Geographic video called '&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tb8bWbA678&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Fight Science – Qi Gong Tested&lt;/a&gt;' where scientists trying to reveal the truth about Qi power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The video demonstrates that Chi can protect the body and provides immunity. Shaolin monk with 13-year Qi Gong training and experience (by using the inner Chi) demonstrates power of Chi by withstanding a blow from a baseball bat, and a spear to the neck (and he remains undamaged which in normal condition it would result death). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The conclusion was:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Even having the most advanced (scientific) tools, &lt;strong&gt;there is currently no way to measure Chi&lt;/strong&gt;. But whatever Shaolin warrior gong technique is, there is no denying its results. &lt;strong&gt;For now this hidden secret defence will remain a mistery.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Video: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tb8bWbA678&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Fight Science - Qi Gong Tested&lt;/a&gt; by National Geographic&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is also another &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th9nu3RDwEM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; which shows a Kung Fu Master that proves that you really can break two brick blocks with just your hand and without the use of trickery. He demonstrated also the push technique (&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-inch_punch&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;no inch punch&lt;/a&gt;) by channeling Chi energy from his body to opponent body without using any physically pull-back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is all about ability to channel inner Chi energy and reverting it into Gang (power).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Video: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th9nu3RDwEM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Kung Fu Strength&lt;/a&gt; by National Geographic&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See also &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKZrh7ZIPew&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Bruce Lee's One Inch Punch By Shi Yan Ming monk&lt;/a&gt; video who demonstrates secret of his power - Chi energy. He generated 772 pounds of force on face punch and his &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-inch_punch&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;One Inch Punch&lt;/a&gt; was 1.7 times more injurious than a 30mph car crash with modern safety features. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However studies has found that Chi movements within the body can be tracked by the heat detector (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qHL2PSpecI&amp;amp;t=156&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;source&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="615" LastEditorUserId="615" LastEditDate="2015-03-09T20:00:05.163" LastActivityDate="2015-03-09T20:00:05.163" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4864" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4852" CreationDate="2015-03-10T08:27:46.597" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;A few thoughts/leads:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Reduce the punishment you're taking with selective attacks - time hard hits to interfere with the other guy's own attacks.  For example, if they're punching in at my floating rib, as soon as I see the prep I'll throw a strong straight punch at their punching-arm-side shoulder, which breaks the body motion they need for getting any power in their punch and hopefully keeps them too far away too.  Similarly, if they have a punishing right-leg low kick, I'll attack their left leg strongly to discourage them putting all their weight on it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Don't encourage them - if you show you're hurting or change your tactics in a way that seems desperate or takes pressure off them they'll simply be encouraged to attack even more fiercely with whatever they think's been working....&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find a little grit!  Get in the habit of consciously pushing yourself to go harder whenever feeling you're in a tough spot.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learn to distinguish pain from injury.  If you train hard and take a few blows that are unpleasant at the time, but you can look back a few days later and there's nothing but a few fading bruises to show for it physically, but you've got confirmation that that level of punishment doesn't do any actual harm (except for repeated head blows - that can do real long-term harm).  So for every-day training &quot;hurt&quot; - it's a bit like forcing yourself to eat super-hot chilli or go on a crazy-arse roller-coaster... if you've never done anything like that before instincts scream &quot;stop you idiot&quot;, but as long as you acclimatise to that level gradually - improving your conditioning to let you cope - it should be fine.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Variation and surprise - rather than getting into a rhythm where they get comfortable punishing you in the same way repeatedly, vary up your footwork, timing, attacks etc. - that way you're more likely to get hit in a variety of ways (hurray!) which at least minimises accumulated hits to the same parts of your body.  That helps if there's just one place where you're suffering, but in general you're dealing out as much punishment as you're taking.  It may help if you &quot;win&quot; if your stamina is better.  Of course, it tends to limit your ability to just pound and pound the same place on your opponent too.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mental attitude - there are various types of meditation or mental exercises that can transform your attitude towards your own body / let you separate that somewhat from your sense of self.  I'm no expert on systematic formal training for that - seems to come pretty naturally - but you could dig around some Zen literature, books on mental preparation for boxing, or something like that....&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Tit for tat - distract and refocus yourself by making a mental goal of dishing out more than you're taking.  Even as you're taking a blow lash out with your counter.  Up the anti until you've got some &quot;pay back&quot;.  Sometimes something as simple as this expectation and determination can help, because it gives you a short term goal each time.  If the opponent sees the short term risk in attacking you they might get more wary and defensive too - it can take pressure off.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2015-03-14T05:42:33.087" LastActivityDate="2015-03-14T05:42:33.087" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4865" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4867" CreationDate="2015-03-10T16:11:46.430" Score="8" ViewCount="3790" Body="&lt;p&gt;This question is about asking views on mentioned objective i.e &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pursuing Tae Kwon Do and Kyokushin Karate at same time&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, hence no research is done prior to asking this question.&#xA;I wish to pursue Tae Kwon Do and Kyokushin Karate at same time, I like both Martial Arts. So, here are my queries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) What physical difficulties may arise from learning both arts at same time ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) What are advantages of learning both arts at same time ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) Will I be allowed to enroll in respective organisation for both from tournament perspective ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regards&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user4430" LastActivityDate="2019-03-29T22:36:09.520" Title="Pursuing Tae Kwon Do and Karate at same time" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4866" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4844" CreationDate="2015-03-10T22:43:49.853" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I bought my wooden Jian from &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tigers-den-swords.com/index.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Tigersden&lt;/a&gt;, it came with a very detailed instructions on how to treat them, so that it would increase their lifetime and durability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a nutshell there are two main methods that are slightly different, but both should yield good results. Both rely on applying oil to the wood. Teak or linseed oil was suggested by the Graham Cave, but other natural oils should do the trick as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both methods assume you've already taken care to sand off any roughness or splinters from the wood before you start oiling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Method one &amp;mdash; &lt;strong&gt;Oil coating&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wipe off all the dust and dirt with a piece of clean, dry soft cloth&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Apply thin coat of oil to the weapon and work it into the wood a cloth&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wipe off the excess oil with paper towel and let the oil soak into the wood&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wait for a day for the oil to soak into the wood and dry up&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Repeat steps 1 &amp;ndash; 4 for three to five times (yes, it takes time). The result should be nicely hardened coat of oled wood. This is easy to do and works quite well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Method two: &amp;mdash; &lt;strong&gt;Beating in&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are doing lots of full contact freeplay, you might want to use this method as it will compact the outer layer of the wood, making it thicker and harder forming a tougher shell. This will increase the durability of your wooden weapon quite a bit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wipe off dust and dirt with a clean cloth&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Apply thin layer of oil to the weapon. &#xA;Here you can be a little more generous than with previous method, but see that you will not soak the weapon and make the wood too soft.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;With a wooden mallet, beat the whole surface of the weapon with a light to moderate strength beats. Systematically work the entire surface with the mallet.&#xA;&lt;br&gt;If the wood gets too dry, apply some oil. Keep it light though.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may repeat this procedure few times to make it harder, but let the oil soak in and dry up for a day before doing it again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end you will get nicely hardened weapon that will be able to take full force blows from either other wooden weapons or even a bladed ones without any problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is also a great article on how to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wikihow.com/Oil-and-Break-in-a-New-Cricket-Bat&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;oil and break in a new cricket bat&lt;/a&gt;, that describes the similar process.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastActivityDate="2015-03-10T22:43:49.853" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4867" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4865" CreationDate="2015-03-11T04:45:04.137" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll second some of the responses here and say that unless you're gifted, you probably won't be able to avoid confusing Kyokushin with Taekwondo. The stances, the techniques, the level of force, what counts as &quot;legal&quot; or &quot;illegal&quot; contact, etc. will all be different enough that it will drive your instructors crazy trying to correct you all the time. You're going to find yourself trying some technique or strategy from the other martial art you're training in, and your instructor will tell you to cut it out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some cases, instructors throw students out for training in other martial arts at the same time. I don't agree with that. I think it's silly to essentially ban a student for just trying other martial arts at the same time. The best instructors I've ever encountered have actually encouraged students to go train elsewhere. But that being said, it happens. So you need to ask your prospective instructors how they feel about it before you sign up. Otherwise you might get in trouble later on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I recommend is to try a small number of classes in one martial art, then a small number of classes in another martial art. A lot of places give you the first week of classes for free. Or at least you'll get one free introductory class. Then just pick the martial art that you liked the most, and spend all the time you have available on that one martial art. Get good at it. Maybe stay until black belt, which is typically a 4 year endeavor. After that, try other martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for advantages to doing multiple martial arts at the same time, it really depends on which martial arts we're talking about. Taking martial arts that are very dissimilar has huge advantages. For example, taking Boxing and Gracie Jiujitsu. Then your brain doesn't get confused, since the techniques and scenarios are so different. And so you can certainly benefit from training in both at the same time, since they cover very different topics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, when you get really good at one martial art, you can add a second martial art fairly easily, without the confusion you would get if you started taking them both at the same time. And this applies to even similar martial arts such as Kyokushin and Taekwondo, or Wrestling and Gracie Jiujitsu. It's because you have gotten so advanced that even the small differences between the two styles seem quite large in your mind. You can instantly see it. It's not confusing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for your third question, about tournaments. Yes, let's say you are actively training in both Taekwondo and Kyokushin. You go to a Taekwondo tournament, and you say you're from So-N-So's Taekwondo. No problem. You go to a Kyokushin tournament, and you say you're from Who-Z-Whatsis Kyokushin. No problem. But if you enter an &quot;open&quot; tournament (open to all styles of martial arts), then you have to tell them you're from one, but not both. So register as either Taekwondo or Kyokushin. It doesn't really matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've never seen a tournament that has both a Taekwondo division and a Kyokushin division. But if those exist, then you might be able to register for both divisions at the same time. The only problem you might encounter is if both your Taekwondo and your Kyokushin events are scheduled at the same time. In other words, if there's a time schedule conflict. So you have to pick one or the other at that point. Oh, and you might have to perform a quick change from one gi and belt to another gi and belt. That's because each school has its own uniform, patches, insignias, and belt colors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other thing about having rank in multiple styles while entering a tournament: Let's say you have a black belt in Kyokushin karate, and you just started to take Taekwondo. So you have a white belt in Taekwondo. If you then enter a Taekwondo tournament, you will win at sparring in the white belt division, obviously. It's not fair to others. And their instructors will try to have you disqualified, because you're obviously not a novice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you might compete in the black belt division for sparring in that case, even though you only have a white belt in Taekwondo. The way you do that is by explaining yourself to your instructor. He or she will then get the tournament officials to agree to it. Your instructor will award you a temporary black belt to wear just for that sparring event. And then he or she will remove it after you're done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well it sounds like you're just beginning to figure all of this out. Good for you. I hope you find what you're looking for. Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2015-03-11T04:45:04.137" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4868" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4859" CreationDate="2015-03-12T07:08:16.533" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most martial arts are not balanced... like how BJJ lacks the striking power, yet so strong in ground games, and the other way around for Muay Thai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since there are no take downs in Muay Thai match rules, they don't teach it much. You can either learn techniques to counter takedowns, learn ground arts from BJJ, Judo, etc. after being contented in Muay Thai, or do both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think Muay Thai's defensive techniques are good enough in avoiding take downs. But you cannot execute them all the time. there will always be good grapplers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5630" LastActivityDate="2015-03-12T07:08:16.533" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4869" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4865" CreationDate="2015-03-12T07:30:58.117" Score="7" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;1) What physical difficulties may arise from learning both arts at&#xA;  same time ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The techniques are different, so you'll confuse your &quot;muscle memory&quot;. For instance, TKD's rising block is at a 45 degree angle. Kyukushin has it flat. TKD allows you to punch to the head (not the face though), Kyukushin absolutely does not. You'll be tempted to, which will get you disqualified. Kyukushin teaches a solid, strong stance, TKD teaches fleet-footedness. Learning both at the same time will result in you not being able to do either properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;2) What are advantages of learning both arts at same time ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suggest you start with one (I don't care which) and build a solid foundation first. Then after, say, 2 or 3 years, take up the other one so that you have enough experience to contrast the technical differences in your mind and muscles. The advantage is that you'll learn more techniques and will be able to switch to a totally different fighting style if a fight isn't going your way. WARNING: I once tried to incorporate close-quarters fighting into a TKD fight and got kicked so hard it felt like my face was going to fall off. &quot;different&quot; doesn't always mean &quot;better&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;3) Will I be allowed to enroll in respective organisation for both&#xA;  from tournament perspective ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's up to the tournament organizers. We were pretty accommodating at TKD South Africa. We had kickboxers, Kyukushin and also WTF (we were ITF) fighters take part in our full contact division. As long as you follow the rules, we didn't care. But that's us, it doesn't mean that other tournaments will be the same. But generally speaking, TKD doesn't care if you also do Kyukushin, as long as on the day, you fight according to TKD rules and have the appropriate belt and membership for the division you're entering.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-03-12T07:30:58.117" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4870" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-03-13T09:23:28.347" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;We have a &lt;a href=&quot;http://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/589/82&quot;&gt;question&lt;/a&gt; asking what the art is which would not be a bad first port of call. In addition, there is &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalaripayattu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;a wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; article about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-03-13T09:23:28.347" LastActivityDate="2015-03-13T09:23:28.347" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4871" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-03-13T09:23:28.347" Score="0" Body="Kalaripayattu (pronunciation: [kɐɭɐripɐjɐtːɨ̆]) is an Indian martial art which originated in the state of Kerala." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-03-13T09:23:28.347" LastActivityDate="2015-03-13T09:23:28.347" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4872" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1630" CreationDate="2015-03-13T14:14:02.057" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know this answer comes late, but perhaps it will add additional info for folks coming here for the first time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The weight of the glove is not related to the hand size or amount of protection that it offers. Once you know the weight you want, you'll want to try on a few different brands to see what works for your hands - I, for instance, swear by my Twins because they are a great fit for my small hands and short forearms, while others may find them too snug.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The regulations for competition vary by region so I would suggest googling for your region's boxing association website which is sure to clarify which is the right weight for competing in your area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Ontario the competition weight for amateurs is 10oz, and these gloves must also have a white stripe and the AIBA label of approval.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For professionals, 6, 8, and 10 oz. gloves could be used it, varies by jurisdiction so you'd really need to ask your coach or regional association which is the appropriate weight for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the others have mentioned, 16 oz is generally the recommendation for sparring - though younger youth or very light-weight individuals may prefer 14oz.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I first started out 18 years ago my coach's recommendation was to train with 16 oz gloves, however I disagree with this approach. While it can be great for building muscle endurance, the high weight over a long stretch of time can be a strain on the shoulders and cause muscle fatigue (I personally was never able to adjust to the weight and was in chronic pain until I switched to training in 12 oz gloves.) Consider alternating weights for this reason - do your speed and technical bag training in bag gloves (10 or 12 oz depending on your weight) and add in some shadow boxing with 1 or 2 lb hand weights into your routine to strengthen your shoulders.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another reason you won't want to use your sparring gloves for bag-work - you'll wear them out a lot quicker, so even if you do choose to train at that weight, you'll still want to consider a second pair.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5672" LastActivityDate="2015-03-13T14:14:02.057" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4873" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-03-14T03:13:44.867" Score="4" ViewCount="5245" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 15 and would like to start martial arts when I turn 16. I want a year to get myself in to really good shape before I start. One more question, what were you guys like when you started and what were the results after five years. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5675" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-04-23T02:13:23.810" LastActivityDate="2016-05-23T23:29:08.267" Title="Is 16 too late of an age to start hapkido or judo?" Tags="|judo|hapkido|" AnswerCount="10" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4874" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4873" CreationDate="2015-03-14T05:36:33.603" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is 16 to[o] late of an age to start hapkido or judo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a good age to start training... young enough to pick up flexibility, condition, strength, fitness etc. fairly easily, recover quickly between training sessions, but old enough not to be too frail or struggle to understand the subtleties of body mechanics, tactics, etc..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What were you guys like when you started and what were the results after five years?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was 15 when I started training back in '86 - already quite athletic from tennis, cycling, and other sports.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot can change in five years... if you train hard and often you should obviously be in great shape in terms of strength, conditioning, reflexes, awareness, balance, flexibility, fitness - but maybe you are already so hard to say if that's a change.  If you have a good instructor you should be quite capable at self defence.  I was certainly glad I'd been training, or I wouldn't still be doing it....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2015-03-14T05:36:33.603" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4875" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4876" CreationDate="2015-03-14T05:55:53.113" Score="2" ViewCount="478" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a natural flexible person.&#xA;I can't do a full split, or fit inside a small box but I kinda can lick my elbow and stood up and then put my hands on the floor with my legs extended.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in the past two years I've hurt my &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supraspinous_ligament&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;supraspinous ligament&lt;/a&gt; twice in two different places (TL;DR: the ligament that runs over all your spinal vertebrae). The ligament would get inflamed in a punctual place and won't heal itself fast (months) unless is treated. I got an injection right in the inflamed spot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to the traumatologist, is not a rare injury in martial arts and it will happen if the ligament is compressed against the vertebrae or pinched between two spinous processes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me it wasn't anything special that caused the injury. The first time I think it was while doing abs on the wooden floor; getting the ligament hit with the hard floor and pressed to a lumbar vertebrae (or as pointed due the forward bending). And the second (last December/November I think, that I got treated just today on March) I think it was due a two person bridge; I just backward bend to the point where it seems I pinched the ligament between two spinous processes (middle back).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I know I should take care with hard floors during an abs routine, but the second fail-mode of my supraspinous ligament is avoidable? I just shouldn't bend too much? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How people gain flexibility on their spines without hurting them? I mean I didn't feel that I was straining my back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think that although my body is flexible, is not trained enough to resist the stress of flexibility training, I'm on the right track?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5676" LastEditorUserId="5676" LastEditDate="2015-03-14T17:36:06.840" LastActivityDate="2015-03-14T17:36:06.840" Title="How to avoid injuries in spinal ligaments?" Tags="|training|injury|flexibility|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4876" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4875" CreationDate="2015-03-14T08:09:21.907" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The short answer is - you might NOT be able to get further flexibility in your spine without causing yourself pain or injury.  Flexibility in general doesn't necessarily equate to &lt;em&gt;safe flexibility&lt;/em&gt;.  Ultimately, you're going to want to work close with a physical therapist for your back, but here's some useful information to help you make better choices in your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How Ligaments Work&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ligaments are designed to hold things into place - they do have some minimal elasticity, but like a rubber band, if stretched too far, they don't become taut again.  Under these conditions, you end up with instability of the joints which is very dangerous.  Normally this occurs by bad posture, extreme force/injury, or otherwise long term deformation (such as stretching exercises that no longer are stretching muscle).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Specific to the supraspinatus is &lt;a href=&quot;http://medmantic.com/wiki/Supraspinous_Ligament_Injury&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;the potential of a &quot;shredding&quot; effect&lt;/a&gt; caused by long term flexion (forward bend) of the spine causing the spinuous processes to eventually &quot;poke through&quot; the ligaments.  (this sounds consistent with your description of symptoms - this kind of damage typically results in inflammation).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ligaments and options&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no exercise that repairs a ligament after it's been damaged. If a ligament is torn, this is where you see sports doctors go in and staple it back together, or, in the case of knee ligaments, they may replace it with a cadaver transplant. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What exercise can do, is strengthen the stabilizing muscles to keep the joint safe and take some of the load off the ligament, or, over the course of many years, slowly thicken the ligaments you do have (this is long term loading of the ligament, usually slow weights or stance training).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A useful question to ask yourself is if additional flexibility in your back will do anything useful for you, or if it's simply to chase the truism of &quot;more flexibility is better&quot; without regard for the specifics of your body?  One of my kinesiology instructors works regularly with circus performers, and he pointed out that ALL the contortionists end up with back pain.  Every one of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you decide not to pursue additional flexibility - find out what is a comfortable range you want to keep, and focus a lot of stabilization exercises within that range of motion.  It will be the safest for your back in the long run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you decide you do want to keep trying to get additional flexibility, you want to talk very closely with a qualified physical therapist who will look at your records and make a qualified medical judgment as to what is the best way to proceed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-03-14T08:09:21.907" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4877" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4873" CreationDate="2015-03-14T12:56:01.173" Score="25" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I'm 15 and would like to start martial arts when I turn 16. I want a year to get myself in to really good shape before I start.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a terrible plan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find a gym and start training judo now. Find a proven strength program and start following it at the same time. Putting things off a year, most of the time, just means you're choosing not to do it. In the case of judo, even if you do start a year from now, you'll lose out on all the coordination and sport-specific conditioning that comes from &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; and technique practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-03-14T12:56:01.173" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4878" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5560" CreationDate="2015-03-15T08:47:55.743" Score="3" ViewCount="6035" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a pair of Muay kickboxing gloves and after about 1 year of using them, the velcro wrap doesn't hold anymore. The only solution is can think of is tying them up with sports tape, but I sometimes need to take them off during training and then I have to tie them up again, which is inconvenient.&#xA;Can I just sew an extra laying of velcro on the glove, over the old one? Will that work?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3194" LastActivityDate="2015-10-12T05:55:45.600" Title="How to fix velcro wrist strap on boxing gloves?" Tags="|boxing|equipment|training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4879" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4878" CreationDate="2015-03-16T12:12:25.450" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Suggest that you first check the side of velcro on your gloves that has the little hooks on it. Sometimes you can get a buildup of lint or other material that prevents it from grabbing on to the velvet/felt side. If this is the case you can tease out the lint and it should start grabbing better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the wrap still won't hold then sewing a new layer of velcro on should work, just test to see which side is failing so that you don't double your sewing for no reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4267" LastActivityDate="2015-03-16T12:12:25.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4880" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4873" CreationDate="2015-03-16T13:16:51.583" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Chuck Norris started martial arts at 19. Aside from the hype, he was actually a world champion. He did Judo and Jiu Jitsu too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-03-16T13:16:51.583" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4881" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4852" CreationDate="2015-03-17T00:03:54.367" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Slip the punches coming at you.  By turning your torso away from the shots - deflecting them. The russian ROSS system of self defence is worth a look so you can get the idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5678" LastActivityDate="2015-03-17T00:03:54.367" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4882" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4873" CreationDate="2015-03-17T13:45:37.180" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Start now.  Most places will let you take a class or two free if you are a newcomer.  That being said don't limit yourself to just Judo or Hapkido.  Give your local Brazilian Jujitsu,Karate,TKD,and Aikido schools a try. Work on finding the right &quot;fit&quot; for you and it will be a much more enjoyable experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS Good luck and yes if you do find a good school you will be really, really sore.  Sign of a good session :)    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5573" LastActivityDate="2015-03-17T13:45:37.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4883" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4450" CreationDate="2015-03-17T21:51:45.373" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Forgive me for my input here. 45 years ago when I started my training and was wrestling with the same issues, my Sensei took me aside and taught, Spend 2 hours on speed drills for every hour spent on weights.&#xA;Weight training makes you powerful but slow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;To increase speed&lt;/strong&gt; do the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A. &lt;strong&gt;Candles&lt;/strong&gt; punches, stop 5&quot; or 1 fist width short; kicks for at least 1/2 hour every day, No Gi Top for punches. If you are unable to put a candle out 10 of 10 punches, your speed and penetration are lacking. Start with a standard dinner candle, then when you can do this, add a second behind the first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;B.&lt;/strong&gt;, Practice your techniques in water. If you cannot punch and kick in water as quickly as in air, your techniques lack power or speed. Get into a pool or water, shoulder height, practice all your kicks and punches. Reading Oyama's book Advanced Karate, I picked up a couple tips. Instead of focusing on the fist going out, focus on the arm chambering like you plan on elbowing a guy behind you. You will be amazed how much more POP your punches have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;C&lt;/strong&gt;, work on pure speed drills, Try to throw as many punches as possible for 15 seconds, rest and do it again, do this for at least 15 minutes daily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For power&lt;/strong&gt;, do Isometrics. The speed drills teach your muscles to relax, Isometrics teach them to become strong when impacting the target. &#xA;Begin with 6 seconds as hard as you can push, work up to 1 minute.&#xA;These will do what you want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5680" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2016-03-25T15:01:54.290" LastActivityDate="2016-03-25T15:01:54.290" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4884" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4886" CreationDate="2015-03-18T01:58:16.620" Score="7" ViewCount="148" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Capoeira, I have always been taught to lead with the bottom leg when coming out of Volta Por Cima. Are there any practical reasons why the bottom leg is supposed to come around first, instead of the top leg?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5681" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-07-05T13:31:29.950" LastActivityDate="2018-07-05T13:31:29.950" Title="Bottom leg Volta Por Cima" Tags="|capoeira|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4885" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4884" CreationDate="2015-03-18T15:51:40.253" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think it's just easier to generate hip momentum with the lower leg. If you can do it with the upper leg first, that might be a nice variation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastActivityDate="2015-03-18T15:51:40.253" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4886" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4884" CreationDate="2015-03-18T19:35:28.487" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Possible reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;As mentioned by kioopi, momentum and effort. Moving the upper leg requires displacing it further upwards and increases the shear load on the supporting arm.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Leading with the lower leg predisposes your front torso to be facing your opponent. Leading with the top leg predisposes you to wind up with your back towards the opponent. While it is possible to still get a decent line of sight by craning the head, it can reduce your tactical options.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In terms of options, if the main movement is happening in the lower leg, there are a number of things you can do with the upper leg including sweeping it over for a kick or chambering it for a further movement. Swinging the upper leg out first, you'll notice that it's harder to do something meaningful with the lower leg, probably partially as a result of the shear stresses mentioned above.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just to add one more late insight after a session last night and watching &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-_htdwNSNc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;, which leg one leads with is basically the difference between &lt;em&gt;queda de rins meia lua&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;aú queda de rins&lt;/em&gt;. Leading with the upper leg more or less forces you into a flipping motion and having to thread your head through your arms, landing in a more supine positioning. Leading with the lower leg, even if kicking with your upper leg (the &lt;em&gt;meia lua&lt;/em&gt;) keeps you more in the &lt;em&gt;queda de rins&lt;/em&gt; position until the end. &lt;em&gt;volta por cima&lt;/em&gt;, being a more supported motion, tends to lead with the lower leg. Leading with the upper leg is more likely to put you into a kind of front handspring rather than moving in a circle around your upper body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-07-04T16:12:06.090" LastActivityDate="2018-07-04T16:12:06.090" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4887" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4895" CreationDate="2015-03-19T05:25:56.063" Score="2" ViewCount="295" Body="&lt;p&gt;When you are in full guard, the person on top tries to get up and puts one knee out.  You grab the knee, which lets you control his positioning. Where do you go from there?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5687" LastActivityDate="2015-03-20T14:28:16.930" Title="What to do in full guard when you are able to grab your opponents knee as he stands up?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4888" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1105" CreationDate="2015-03-19T09:20:04.403" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would say try something like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sporteyes.com/bolle-dominance-sports-glasses.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;that&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5688" LastActivityDate="2015-03-19T09:20:04.403" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4889" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1105" CreationDate="2015-03-19T12:17:17.053" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I usually just wear my glasses with an elastic strap to hold them on. That's enough to keep them from flying off when moving quickly. I occasionally take them off, particularly when they get too messed up by sweat, or when I forget to bring a band for them, but I find it difficult to follow the instructor when I can't see clearly. I generally don't worry about them breaking from getting hit because anything that hits me hard enough to break the glasses is likely to hit hard enough to damage my face as it is. I have had one or two people express a worry that the person striking might get hurt, a near miss snagging the corner of the glasses and tearing skin, but I haven't actually had that be a problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In regards to contacts, I have heard about increased risk of retinal detachment when wearing them, but I don't find any current references to that and being nearsighted increases the risk anyhow. Probably best you don't wear them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-03-19T12:17:17.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4890" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4892" CreationDate="2015-03-19T12:57:11.550" Score="15" ViewCount="43657" Body="&lt;p&gt;My work schedule lately has required me to spend a lot more time working out on my own, so I've found myself working with a heavy bag at a nearby rec center. I keep running into a problem where I scrape the skin off of my knuckles and start leaving blood spots on the bag. But before you start typing your answer, here's the twist—it's not the knuckles you would reasonably assume.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/goWPF.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;wrong knucks&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that I could wear boxing gloves to prevent this, but I've found that my technique is poorer when I use them (pushing instead of punching, contact with knuckles 3 and 4 rather than 1 and 2, etc...). Hand wraps, gel gloves and open-handed gloves I've tried give me better technique and protect the upper guys, but don't quite cover these knuckles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The lack of options to some degree implies that perhaps my technique is flawed, but I don't see how. Even if you can form a perfect 90° angle with your fist (I can't personally), if you're punching above shoulder level (i.e. the face) those bottom guys are going to stick out a bit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What do you guys do? Any thoughts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Clarification:&lt;/strong&gt; Here's what the average fist looks like from the side, taken from an article on how to form a proper fist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Hv4bg.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;proper fist&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;His is actually LESS flat than mine and as you can see, his middle knuckles are clearly going to strike the &quot;bag&quot; (the red rectangle I drew to represent it anyway) before the knuckles that connect to the hand. And he's aiming downward. If you strike upward (as you would any time you aim for the face) this is going to get worse rather than better. Is his technique flawed? I've been looking for pictures of proper fist technique from the side and while I've seen some a little flatter, I've not see any actual pictures (as opposed to drawings which can happily ignore anatomy) where this wouldn't be an issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;One Last Clarification:&lt;/strong&gt; It's interesting to see that 1.) no one else seems to have run into this problem before and so 2.) the conclusion is that I &lt;em&gt;must&lt;/em&gt; be making some weird non-standard fist. The more I've thought about and researched this though, the clearer it becomes that it is not possible to punch correctly at face height without the middle knuckles hitting the bag before the knuckles on your hand. Don't believe me? Do this simple exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find a point on a wall at the exact height of your own nose or chin. Make a fist and put the correct knuckles (the ones on your hand) on that target as if you are punching it with a straight jab/flat-fist punch. Now back up until your arm is almost entirely straight. Your wrist will now look like this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/AePff.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;hairy arms&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in order to flatten out my wrist (presumably no one is suggesting this is the correct way to punch to the face) I will inherently now have to rotate my hand up so that those middle knuckles stick out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems clear now that just about everyone that does bag work wears bag gloves that cover the whole hand. I've not tried a bag glove (as opposed to a full on boxing glove) so hopefully the thinness of the bag glove will address my technique concerns with gloves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Genuine appreciation to everyone who took the time to respond.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Yet Another Update Even Though I Said The Last One Was The Last:&lt;/strong&gt; New answers to this question continue to trickle in even after three years. A lot of the new answers seem to assume that the middle picture is me—it isn't, just an image I found. And a lot of people are still claiming that they can make a sub-90 degree fist, but I've still seen no evidence of it (I've asked over a dozen people to show me in person). The thing I've learned more than anything from this thread is how little people critically analyze their own technique and just tend to just repeat what they were taught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For anyone who cares about the actual answer, in the time since I asked most companies are now making hybrid gloves (around 7oz) with an open palm that took care of all my concerns and I can recommend them highly. Here's Hayabusa's for example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hayabusafight.com/collections/open-palm-mma-gloves/products/t3-7oz-hybrid-gloves&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.hayabusafight.com/collections/open-palm-mma-gloves/products/t3-7oz-hybrid-gloves&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3105" LastEditorUserId="3105" LastEditDate="2018-03-06T21:16:39.953" LastActivityDate="2020-01-06T22:43:18.657" Title="Avoiding Knuckle Scrapes with Bag Work" Tags="|boxing|equipment|punching|" AnswerCount="14" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4891" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4890" CreationDate="2015-03-19T13:12:56.400" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you're scraping those particular knuckles, probably a problem with your punch technique.  You should be hitting straight on with your top two knuckles, and punching straight in and straight out.  Scraping indicates dragging your fist on the heavy bag after the punch.  This observation may be subject to stylistic differences, but I don't know any style that advocates punching with the first knuckles (not for a straight punch anyway).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also suggest that, if your first knuckles are sticking out, your fist may be malformed.  The way I make a fist is to touch the fingertips to the heel of my palm, then curl the fingers up.  This forms a flat, even surface for the fist, suitable for two knuckle jab/cross style punching, as well as Wing Chun vertical fist style punching.  The alternative, and from my point of view, incorrect way to form a fist, is to start with a knifehand and curl the knuckles down one at a time into the fist.  This produces a flap of skin underneath your curled fingers which makes the fist loose and makes those first knuckles protrude.  In the first (correct) method I mentioned, that flap of skin is curled into your fingers, sort of like loading your fist with a roll of quarters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing about fist formation, you may find that your thumb position divides your knuckles rather than squeezing them together.  This is hard to diagnose, especially over the internets, but this article may help: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=510&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Fighting Arts: Making A Fist&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQgPcSnSrbs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This Video&lt;/a&gt; demonstrates three methods of forming a fist.  The way that I advocate above (he calls it the &quot;slide&quot; method, starting at minute marker 2:00) is the second method he mentions.  I do not advocate the third (&quot;roll&quot;) method.  The &quot;slide&quot; method forms a (mostly) flat fist, suitable for many different fist striking techniques.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Toward the end of the video, he also mentions thumb position.  The point of thumb position is that you do not extend the thumb too far over on your middle finger knuckle when wrapping your thumb.  As he explains, this leads to a malformation of the fist.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2015-03-19T15:40:13.267" LastActivityDate="2015-03-19T15:40:13.267" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4892" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4890" CreationDate="2015-03-19T13:14:37.163" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure how you're scraping those knuckles; maybe make a tighter fist? Pull back straighter? Are you contacting the bag head-on or is your fist dragging?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The easiest solution is the white tape used for bandages; throw a couple of loops around each knuckle. I did that when climbing (for support) and got it down to a few minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bag gloves are a reasonable solution; their primary purpose is to protect the hands from the abrasiveness of the bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastEditorUserId="13" LastEditDate="2015-03-20T14:27:08.910" LastActivityDate="2015-03-20T14:27:08.910" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4893" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4852" CreationDate="2015-03-19T13:26:01.883" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;To get used to pain: endure pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The issue doesn't sound like pain management, though; it's surprise and/or fear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pain hurts, by definition. It'll always hurt. In a fight you'll get hurt. You'll get hurt even if all you're doing is hurting the other person&amp;ndash;a solid punch hurts the person that throws it too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd probably start by doing some meditation, visualization, and mental rehearsal. Your instincts say &quot;don't get hit&quot; and &quot;pain bad&quot;. This is normal. Rehearse getting hit and modulating your reaction. In your mind attenuate the effects of the hit: the pain really isn't &lt;em&gt;that&lt;/em&gt; bad, the person isn't really &lt;em&gt;trying&lt;/em&gt; to destroy you. Bring your breathing down. Stop the panic, the fight/flight mechanism&amp;ndash;it interferes with fighting calmly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without knowing any details or playing some games it's difficult to provide much in the way of actionable advice; &quot;don't get hit&quot; isn't really helpful. From the sounds of it you've over-emphasized the consequences of being hit, particularly in a sparring/training setting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;There's an off chance you're more sensitive to pain than most people; that can be tested for, but you would have certainly noticed it in daily activity by now if this was the case.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2015-03-19T13:26:01.883" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4894" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4627" CreationDate="2015-03-19T13:32:20.987" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Replacing&quot; the hook would require custom metal work. Take a file and round it over; that should be more than sufficient.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Replacing the handle should be trivial; measure the diameter reasonably closely, sand or lathe it down if it's oversized. Wood choice should be something that matches the flexibility you're looking for, e.g., oak for something stiff and heavy, waxwood for something more flexible, even a composite could be used (I'd probably wear a mask if sanding a composite).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The pins that hold on the head can be tricky, but I've used both wood and metal and generally just wedge them in with small shims, but I've also tried epoxy along with the pin, which works pretty awesomely, because epoxy is awesome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2015-03-19T13:32:20.987" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4895" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4887" CreationDate="2015-03-19T14:17:29.697" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Control the opposite arm and flower sweep.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-03-20T14:28:16.930" LastActivityDate="2015-03-20T14:28:16.930" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4896" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4890" CreationDate="2015-03-20T12:46:33.397" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Frankly, any covering of your hands that doesn't slide around too much will work. Try a pair of light work gloves. If those are too hot, an ACE bandage or even just a bandanna wrapped around your hand will work. The latter two aren't appropriate if you're doing grappling work, but will do fine for punching a bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-03-20T12:46:33.397" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4897" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-03-21T04:15:14.690" Score="1" ViewCount="21354" Body="&lt;p&gt;I received unconventional, unprofessional training in self defense from a friend who was once an Army Ranger, so I am proud to be able to answer at least simple questions about martial arts. But I was recently stumped.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A friend recently asked me what style he should study in besides wrestling, which he already participates in. The problem is he is 6' 7&quot; and 320lb, slow (an idiot could dodge his punch), and he has almost no defense against a blow to the knee ( a dick move but effective against someone so top heavy).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can anyone think of a fighting style that fits his body type?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5691" LastActivityDate="2015-03-26T12:35:04.580" Title="Best martial art for a big guy?" Tags="|technique|teaching|identification|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="5" FavoriteCount="0" ClosedDate="2015-03-30T02:54:42.913" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4898" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4897" CreationDate="2015-03-21T04:54:32.887" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tricky.  I've never said this before in my life, but MMA might suit him - learn just enough of whatever else to defend himself until he can wrestle.  Failing that, perhaps thai boxing - he'd learn to lift his legs to protect his knees, and even if his punches are easy to dodge, he can work on expecting that and bringing his elbows in to catch anyone blocking/dodging/slipping to the outside rather than retreating.  He might not be particularly good at it which means he might not enjoy it, but learning to defend himself and not be a push over in that environment would teach him practical skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2015-03-21T04:54:32.887" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4899" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4890" CreationDate="2015-03-21T05:21:32.540" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have no trouble forming a fist with less than 90 degress between the back of the hand and the upper fingers... it's possible for most people in my experience.  The Wudang Kid's answer has lots of helpful advice that might help if you're just closing your hand wrongly.  You may find doing push-ups on your knuckles helps there - try to lift the part you're scraping completely off the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A useful diagnostic is seeing at what height on a wall you can keep the fingers pointing straight down (not curled into your hand) while the knuckles are pressed into the wall with the wrist inline with the arm: if you can do that at should height then you should be able to form a tight fist if you work through how to wrap your fingers and the fleshy parts of the palm up properly.  For that - as you curl the fingers you'll notice a kind of fleshy crevice about 1cm back in from the fingers - you want to wriggle your finger tips deeply down into there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Separately, an open question is whether the particular bag(s) you're punching are suitable - if they're hung at such a height that there's not firm packing at head height, your punches aren't going to meet much resistance and will inevitably skid off upward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I consider the second of your pictures (&quot;taken from an article on how to form a proper fist&quot;) to show &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; poor form: it encourages a soft whole-fist contact where the compressing hand has the bones in the very furthest part of the fingers squishing up against the muscle padding the palm - that &lt;em&gt;dramatically&lt;/em&gt; disperses the peek concentration of force in space and time.  If anything, I keep the wrist ever-so-slightly bent towards the forearm regardless of the height or angle of the punch: the &quot;top&quot; of the knuckles dig in for reduced surface area and a lot less give - force is directly back in to the main bones through the hand.  This angling also means I can punch higher with less of the lower-knuckles-hitting-first problem you describe - my forearms are used to keeping the wrist firm at that angle too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you punch you can mix up horizontal and vertical fist positions, straight and hook punches etc..  If you find you're still scraping your knuckles at head height with a straight horizontal punch, learn to hit with a vertical fist, or a tight arc/hook.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind too that the main driver in punching technique is utility in fighting - not punching bags.  When you punch upwards in an actual fight you might aim for the jaw knowing the lower knuckles you've been scraping won't hit anything problematic or hard.  There's a reasonable argument for finding other equipment (e.g. speed ball) to practice punches or other technique that you're finding the punching bag poorly suited to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2015-03-21T05:32:16.363" LastActivityDate="2015-03-21T05:32:16.363" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4900" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4897" CreationDate="2015-03-22T05:44:53.957" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tell him to go kyokushin karate..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kyokushin will teach you that it isn't necessarily the biggest who wins. Proof of this can be seen during the all japan karate tournament. &#xA;Apart from that mental training you will have tons of endurance and physical training just like muaythai or kickboxing. &#xA;Since the gentleman already has grappling techniques. A martial art that trains your kicks and punches will make a good combination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4270" LastEditorUserId="4270" LastEditDate="2015-03-23T02:31:37.450" LastActivityDate="2015-03-23T02:31:37.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4901" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-03-23T19:23:29.783" Score="1" ViewCount="30" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wanted to know if someone aged 15-16 is good to start. I want to know what you guys think of ju jitsu. Did any of you start at 15, how are you like now. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5675" LastActivityDate="2015-03-23T19:23:29.783" Title="I would like to start ju jitsu" Tags="|training|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" FavoriteCount="0" ClosedDate="2015-03-24T00:19:56.507" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4902" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4897" CreationDate="2015-03-24T08:51:28.860" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrestling, Judo or BJJ are good options because 1) he's strong and 2) he's big, so it will be difficult to perform locks on him unless you have VERY long arms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He may also benefit from a bit of boxing so that he can learn to punch faster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2015-03-24T15:48:55.587" LastActivityDate="2015-03-24T15:48:55.587" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4903" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4897" CreationDate="2015-03-24T23:00:56.513" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;He already has a great grappling foundation from what you've posted.  I would think about going with a defensive martial art like jujutsu (traditional rather than brazilian).  It will teach him enough defense to protect against low blows that are his weakness as well as how to get in close to the opponent so he can use his size to his best advantage.  Also, unlike wrestling it will emphasize that he stay on his feet during fights, I generally think going to the ground in a non-competition setting is a bad thing.  I know people will disagree with me :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively I assume he has great range too, so a martial art like Tae Kwon Do that helps him use that offensively might also be suitable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5696" LastActivityDate="2015-03-24T23:00:56.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4904" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4897" CreationDate="2015-03-26T12:35:04.580" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Capoeira! Well, just kidding. I think some big guy's grappling would suite him.  Sambo, Greco-Wrestling, Judo... or maybe Keysi. Keysi seems pretty practical, and does not involve much kicks. Fit for brutes. but footwork from boxing might help him be faster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5630" LastActivityDate="2015-03-26T12:35:04.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4909" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2015-03-27T19:11:00.240" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is the same as asking if you can learn a language without having conversations with real people. In a sense, yes, you can learn to read and write that language from books and instruction. But you'll be in for a heck of a big surprise if dropped into a city where people speak that language for real -- everybody will talk so much faster than you imagined when simply reading books, and your accent will be so bad they won't understand you, either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="698" LastActivityDate="2015-03-27T19:11:00.240" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4911" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4873" CreationDate="2015-03-30T06:30:21.250" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Honestly, you should just get out there and start.  The best way to get into the shape you need to be in to be good at a martial art is to practice that martial art.  It doesn't matter if you are a 200 lbs overweight person or a 30 lbs underweight skinny-fat person(me when I started), don't worry about being in shape to start, just start and the changes will happen with time. I've seen 30-year-olds in beginners classes with 14-year-olds and 60-year-olds.  The age you start at doesn't really matter, as long as you START.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the second bit, I started out as a 5'9&quot;, 120 lbs guy trying to just get something cool under my belt, so to say, and five years later I was in love with what I was doing day in and day out.  I sucked hard at first, but with practice, more practice, and even some more practice I got better.  I will always be a student and I will always be practicing to be better.  Don't compare yourself to anyone around you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;tl;dr&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It doesn't matter how old you are or out of shape you are, just start and you will get into the shape you need to be to get better.  As long as you &lt;em&gt;practice&lt;/em&gt; you will improve and get into better shape.  Don't compare yourself to anyone around you and don't try to be better than them but rather look at who you were yesterday and ask yourself &quot;Am I better than that guy?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5713" LastActivityDate="2015-03-30T06:30:21.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4912" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4890" CreationDate="2015-03-30T06:55:39.843" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I occasionally run into this issue myself.  It happens because, even though you feel like you're using proper technique, your front knuckles are sliding(albeit less than millimeters) against the bag when you high punch.  This can happen because your hand gets tired when training and it loosens the fist a little, letting your knuckle drag.  When I find this is starting to happen to me I grab some hockey tape and lightly wrap my individual fingers in it.  I generally take a day off after to let my hand rest so I can go back to making a tight, strong fist without risking injury or overworking it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other options that can work are bag gloves(mechanics gloves work as well, but they are more likely to damage the bag but they are cheaper), working high punches a little less frequently in your training(I hate this as an option personally), or wiping down the bag after you are done with it with some alcohol or disinfectant(kinda that last resort option as most gyms frown upon blood stains on their bags).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5713" LastActivityDate="2015-03-30T06:55:39.843" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4913" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4918" CreationDate="2015-03-30T07:41:28.030" Score="4" ViewCount="964" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is 'Electric Chair' submission in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu some kind of a knee bar or does it affect to any other area of the leg? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5496" LastActivityDate="2015-08-25T00:52:34.527" Title="Electric Chair Submission" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4914" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4916" CreationDate="2015-03-30T13:12:01.020" Score="12" ViewCount="3230" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do martial arts encourage bad posture habits?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After years of practicing and sparring, my wife and I noticed that my posture when walking has changed drastically in a bad way. I constantly slouch when I walk around, especially when I don't pay attention or feel relaxed in my environment. Also I noticed that my left shoulder is a little lower than my right. I am guessing it's because I switched to southpaw because a lot of people are righties and always assume orthodox stance, and I feel comfortable countering them and making them feel uncomfortable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5571" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-03-31T02:51:24.917" LastActivityDate="2017-10-08T17:27:59.697" Title="Do martial arts encourage bad posture habits?" Tags="|karate|kickboxing|health|mixed-martial-arts|stance|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4915" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4926" CreationDate="2015-03-30T14:21:13.270" Score="5" ViewCount="12644" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 16 and I've been doing Tae Kwon Do for about a month and I've just received my yellow belt.&#xA;Recently I've been having some pain in my knees after practise. I do all the stretching but it's not helping a lot.&#xA;How can I avoid injuring my knees while kicking and how can I treat the pain in them? Should I wear any protection?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5712" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2015-04-30T09:40:16.937" LastActivityDate="2016-06-10T09:57:39.767" Title="How to avoid knee injury?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|injury|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4916" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4914" CreationDate="2015-03-30T15:19:13.063" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not convinced it was martial arts that caused your bad posture. There are other potential causes. Beware the &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_hoc_ergo_propter_hoc&quot;&gt;post hoc, ergo propter hoc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; fallacy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But sure, martial arts can cause bad posture. Kelly Starrett and Joe Rogan discuss this at leeeeength on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcVy7EEgqNM&quot;&gt;this podcast&lt;/a&gt;, especially circa 46:30. If you hunch to protect yourself from strikes and you spend a lot of time in that position without doing corrective work in the opposite direction, you will develop a permanent hunch. This happens with martial artists of all kinds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The solution is to use a proper strength and conditioning program outside of martial arts classes to reinforce proper posture and strength. What's worked for me is a lot of upper body pulling exercises (e.g. pull-ups and dumbbell rows), overhead mobility (e.g. Turkish get-ups and overhead presses), and heavy barbell squats and deadlifts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-03-30T15:19:13.063" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4917" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4915" CreationDate="2015-03-30T15:31:43.367" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Firstly, &lt;strong&gt;DO NOT&lt;/strong&gt; push yourself when doing front splits. This is the #1 reason Taekwondo-ka's hurt their knees. You don't need to be super flexible until you reach red belt (or maybe blue/red). When you do front splits, you're putting enormous amounts of strain on your cross-ligaments, which are a weak spot on your body as it is. I ruined my Taekwondo AND dancing careers because I thought I knew better than everyone else and kept doing high risk stretches and techniques when I was clearly told not to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your knees hurt, take it easy. If you injure your cross-ligaments even once, you're going to live with it for the rest of your life. In the meantime, put anti-inflammatory ointment on your knee and wear one of those badass knee supports that all the cool bro's have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-03-30T15:31:43.367" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4918" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4913" CreationDate="2015-03-30T15:44:47.133" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my dim understanding, BJJ's electric chair can include a straight kneebar or twisting leglock element, but the primary aim is to sweep, or to submit with a hamstring or groin stretch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-03-30T15:44:47.133" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4919" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4915" CreationDate="2015-03-30T15:47:32.853" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do not wear knee wraps or other protective devices unless you have to. They are a crutch, to be used when you have an unfixable or acute injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Protect your knees from damage by making them strong with progressively heavier barbell squats and deadlifts in a rational, proven strength program like &lt;a href=&quot;http://aasgaardco.com/store/books/starting-strength-basic-barbell-training-413&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Starting Strength&lt;/a&gt;. As Tom Kurz, martial artist and author of Science of Sports Training and Stretching Scientifically &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stadion.com/injuries-best-advice-on-sports-injuries/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;recommends&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Question: On page 63 of Stretching Scientifically (fourth edition) you state that people who experience knee problems should do strength exercises. What are these strength exercises?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Answer: Squats and deadlifts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Squatting deep (hips below the knees) develops the muscle and soft tissue around the knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2015-04-29T21:19:33.590" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4920" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4915" CreationDate="2015-03-30T16:28:20.930" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Both Dave and Juann have good points.  You should attempt to strengthen your knees with some low squats and deadlifts.  Don't start to heavy or with too much and don't forget to do some proper stretching AFTER you work out as well as on your down time.  With the stretching, make sure you are trying to keep it natural at first, then push into a mildly uncomfortable area while being mindful of any actual pain.  If you feel pain in the stretch then stop.  For the mean time until you are strong and flexible enough, try some anti-inflammatory creams or ointments and some ibuprofen(Advil or other).  Avoid the use of braces or supports unless told otherwise by a doctor as it will hinder your knee's growth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5713" LastActivityDate="2015-03-30T16:28:20.930" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4921" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="153" CreationDate="2015-03-31T05:38:53.797" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My club starts as young as four.  Again, the overriding characteristic is the ability to listen to instructions and then carry them out.  My club has a lot of primary school aged children, from prep (aged 5) and up.  Most all of them do just fine.  There are a few kids that are a little young for the age (if that makes sense) and they struggle and everyone else struggles because of it unfortunately. But hey, we're a family so we help the poor guy out (ADHD).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My daughter started just after she turned 6, mid way through prep, and she performed excellently. She's now nearly 8 and still going strong.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5617" LastActivityDate="2015-03-31T05:38:53.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4922" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4914" CreationDate="2015-03-31T07:12:49.437" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;What Dave said.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just pitching in to say i had the same problem. After years of boxing/thai boxing i developed a bit of a &quot;monkey slouch&quot; as well. Boxing classes usually contain a lot of push-ups and crunches and the stance is a little hunched. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What helped me was a) actively trying not to slouch, b) diversifying my training and c) adding more exercises for the back, like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evXOlgLTPCw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;reverse flies&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastActivityDate="2015-03-31T07:12:49.437" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4923" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4925" CreationDate="2015-03-31T18:25:01.033" Score="-3" ViewCount="2230" Body="&lt;p&gt;For martial artists that focus on chi manipulation, how do you use chi as a weapon? Do you inject your chi to disrupt the opponent's chi flow, do you make it blast to increase the power of your blows?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am sorry. I am practicing a purely physical martial arts and I only know that chi is present in every living things, so I am asking this to know more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, is a chi blast really possible? Can it really be used as a weapon?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5630" LastActivityDate="2015-04-01T01:38:15.337" Title="Chi as a weapon?" Tags="|technique|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2015-04-01T07:04:07.587" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4924" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4923" CreationDate="2015-03-31T18:49:22.437" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;No. There is no evidence that chi does anything, let alone going as far as creating an actual weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-03-31T18:49:22.437" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4925" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4923" CreationDate="2015-04-01T01:38:15.337" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you're being serious than here goes.  Chi is more of a metaphysical thing.  It doesn't exist in the way that you are thinking.  There are definitely basis' for what you're getting at with the flow of energy, but that is more about the movement and structure of the body than any form of energy.  No you can't form a chi blast, you will just end up looking dumb trying.  That said, &quot;chi strikes&quot; are effective for the same reason that acupuncture is effective.  If you hit the right nerve in the right place at the right time it hurts a lot (think hitting your elbow/funny bone).  This is however, not practical in any real situation. That is not to say that tai chi is not an effective art, just that the application you are aiming this question at is unrealistic and you've probably been watching too much anime. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5713" LastActivityDate="2015-04-01T01:38:15.337" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4926" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4915" CreationDate="2015-04-01T14:20:27.983" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I train in Taekwondo and had a similar problem with my knees (though after a few years of training).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the time, my doctor diagnosed &quot;chondromalacia patella&quot;, which he said was caused by an imbalance in strength of tendons/ligaments across the knee. He prescribed a set of exercises to help balance the strength. These exercises were quite simple and didn't involve much weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your knee problem is something similar, squats and deadlifts &lt;strong&gt;should be avoided&lt;/strong&gt;, at least until the imbalance is corrected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would &lt;strong&gt;strongly recommend&lt;/strong&gt; seeing your GP/doctor or a physiotherapist. Also, ease up on your training (shallower lunges and squats, lighter kicks, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At your age, it is very important to manage injuries carefully; your body will still be changing and injuries now can have a lasting impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2015-04-01T14:20:27.983" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4927" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-04-02T11:36:19.287" Score="8" ViewCount="1592" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there any special name for eskrima sticks? Like in aikido there is &lt;em&gt;bokken&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;jo&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;tanto&lt;/em&gt;, is there some original name for the sticks other than just &quot;sticks&quot;? I only know the term &lt;em&gt;sinawali&lt;/em&gt;, but this refers more to the action with double sticks than the sticks themselves (and is only for double, not single stick).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="93" LastActivityDate="2020-03-11T12:53:43.790" Title="Is there any special term for eskrima sticks?" Tags="|terminology|kali|fma|arnis|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4928" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4927" CreationDate="2015-04-02T11:47:55.000" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.budokan.pl/zrzut/fma_slownik.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;FMA terminology&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Baston is one name for stick.  There are others.  &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnis&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This Wikipedia Article&lt;/a&gt; states that Garrote (spanish meaning &quot;club&quot;) is sometimes used. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2015-04-02T11:47:55.000" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4929" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4930" CreationDate="2015-04-02T12:01:26.807" Score="1" ViewCount="144" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do theatre work as a hobby. During a recent rehearsal, I was supposed to be dragging a character across the stage. Of course, one is not trying to hurt the other person, so I maintained a relatively loose grip on her wrist, largely using my thumb and forefinger to guide her and follow her movement. Unfortunately, this time she decided to add some extra mustard to her struggles and something happened to my thumb. I'm not certain if it got twisted off to one side or if I took too much pressure at the web of the juncture, but it hurts when I move it too much, and I've got mild weakness at the extent of movement. Possibly relevant, the tendon that runs along the back base of the thumb is slightly pronounced right now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, my question is, are there any tricks to recovery from an injury like this? I don't think I've broken anything, but it is a nuisance. I've been trying to keep moving it so that I don't have to worry about it stiffening up. On a side note, are there some good tips for preventing this in the future other than asking my fellow thespian to tone down the thrashing? In an actual combat situation, I probably would have applied more pressure, pushing the ulna and radius together, but again, I was trying not to cause pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-04-02T14:24:59.463" Title="Recovery/healing from a strained thumb from a bad wrist hold" Tags="|injury|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2020-04-04T00:29:50.220" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4930" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4929" CreationDate="2015-04-02T14:24:59.463" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you have been injured, the best thing to do is go and &lt;strong&gt;see your doctor&lt;/strong&gt; or a physiotherapist! The Internet is a wonderful source of information, but you definitely shouldn't rely on it for medical advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, using ice will help reduce the swelling (if any). Ibuprofen or a similar anti-inflammatory will help with the swelling and the pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thumbs are very easy to damage and very inconvenient when you do damage them! In some ways, breaking it would have been preferable, because you would have had it seen by a medic (rather than asking the Internet!). Soft tissue injuries can often be harder to deal with, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To prevent future injuries, make sure everyone involved in a scene involving physical activities (like dragging someone) is briefed on how the scene will be performed so that everyone knows what to expect; a briefing should be done every time the scene is performed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To re-iterate, please &lt;strong&gt;see your doctor&lt;/strong&gt; (or physio, or other suitable medical professional) for appropriate advice on your injury. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wishing you a speedy recovery!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2015-04-02T14:24:59.463" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4931" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4927" CreationDate="2015-04-03T06:51:44.300" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is just a stick. A piece of rattan. I heard someone refer to the sticks as arnis but I don't think they have any specific name. And it makes sense from a historical point of view as it was just a stick to train with in times when carrying the sword (or any other sword-like weapon) was prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user5645" LastEditorDisplayName="user5645" LastEditDate="2015-04-08T05:18:45.253" LastActivityDate="2015-04-08T05:18:45.253" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4932" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4927" CreationDate="2015-04-03T08:49:02.917" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;They can be called 'kali sticks', 'arnis sticks', 'baston', etc. Just &lt;em&gt;insert arnis style&lt;/em&gt; sticks is ok. Or even just 'arnis'. There's diff. styles of arnis and the term depends on which style you're referring too. There are also diff. material for the sticks themselves. People usually just get whatever you refer to :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5723" LastActivityDate="2015-04-03T08:49:02.917" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4934" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2015-04-08T05:35:48.047" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll answer indirectly. Currently I'm with &lt;a href=&quot;/questions/tagged/tae-kwon-do&quot; class=&quot;post-tag&quot; title=&quot;show questions tagged 'tae-kwon-do'&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;tae-kwon-do&lt;/a&gt; school. And in WTF &lt;a href=&quot;/questions/tagged/tae-kwon-do&quot; class=&quot;post-tag&quot; title=&quot;show questions tagged 'tae-kwon-do'&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;tae-kwon-do&lt;/a&gt; there are 2 streams - sport and martial art. Sport concentrates on physical application of the knowledge, while art is developing that knowledge through patterns and other exercises. You are free to pursue either stream (or both) but in either case you're &lt;a href=&quot;/questions/tagged/tae-kwon-do&quot; class=&quot;post-tag&quot; title=&quot;show questions tagged 'tae-kwon-do'&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;tae-kwon-do&lt;/a&gt; student. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not believe that pursuing &quot;martial art&quot; stream makes you any less of a practitioner vs &quot;sport&quot; stream. Going through patterns and drills your body still develops agility and other attributes that specific discipline demands, you only lack &quot;fighting experience&quot; in the end which in fact is not a something most martial arts advocate - all of them mainly focus on avoidance of the conflict and are not designed to be an &quot;offence&quot; weapon. Thus &quot;fighting&quot; comes secondary in most cases (I know that for &lt;a href=&quot;/questions/tagged/karate&quot; class=&quot;post-tag&quot; title=&quot;show questions tagged 'karate'&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;karate&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;/questions/tagged/kung-fu&quot; class=&quot;post-tag&quot; title=&quot;show questions tagged 'kung-fu'&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;kung-fu&lt;/a&gt; that is definitely the case.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5731" LastActivityDate="2015-04-08T05:35:48.047" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4936" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2015-04-08T09:15:20.910" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can you learn to play tennis without actually playing tennis?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-04-08T09:15:20.910" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4937" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2963" CreationDate="2015-04-08T09:18:52.287" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think he's right, but he's not 100% wrong either. When you're running, you should be focused on interval training, e.g. jogging for 30 seconds, then sprinting for 20 seconds, then slowing down to a jog, then sprinting. Rinse and repeat until you feel like dying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-04-08T09:18:52.287" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4938" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4927" CreationDate="2015-04-08T19:12:55.430" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have heard the terms &quot;yantok,&quot; &quot;rattan,&quot; and &quot;baston&quot; used in Eskrima. &quot;Yantok&quot; is just the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagalog_language&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Tagalog&lt;/a&gt; word for &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rattan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;rattan&lt;/a&gt; (the most common material for Filipino fighting sticks), while &quot;baston&quot; means &quot;cane.&quot; So the words are simple descriptions; &quot;stick&quot; seems an analogous term in idiomatic English. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_Philippines&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;at least two dozen languages spoken in the Philippines&lt;/a&gt;, many with a million or more speakers. I would be entirely unsurprised to see some of those languages' words for &quot;stick,&quot; &quot;baton,&quot; &quot;cane,&quot; or &quot;rattan&quot; occasionally used as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="562" LastActivityDate="2015-04-08T19:12:55.430" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4939" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4927" CreationDate="2015-04-09T08:05:44.897" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Filipinos without FMA knowledge usually call it &quot;yantok&quot; or &quot;arnis&quot; (with a stress on the &quot;-tok&quot;), but FMA practitioners would just call it arnis, yantok, stick, kali stick, baston, or (insert FMA style here) stick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5630" LastActivityDate="2015-04-09T08:05:44.897" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4940" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5011" CreationDate="2015-04-09T21:18:22.117" Score="6" ViewCount="11314" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started taking kung fu lessons from my shifu around 2 months back. However, I have yet to achieve a full 180 degree leg split. When I attempt this, my inner thighs and outer hips hurt a lot. I am able to stretch only to 130 degree, so my kicks do not reach the required height as desired by my teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overall, my kicks do not feel up to the mark and while holding up my leg, I can feel some stiffness. Also, while attempting a kick, I don't feel the degree of smoothness in the movement that my instructor displays. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do I make this better? I know that, ultimately, training hard and bearing the pain are the only alternatives. But is there something else I can do to make my kicks more graceful and my stretching more pronounced?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thank you very much for your help in this regard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3059" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2015-12-31T16:08:07.253" LastActivityDate="2019-02-16T23:41:26.083" Title="The 180 degree leg split" Tags="|kung-fu|kicking|stretching|flexibility|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4941" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4940" CreationDate="2015-04-10T02:04:32.957" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Trying to achieve a full split in just two months is an optimistic goal; I would expect it to take longer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;my inner thighs and outer hips pain a lot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Immediately I would make a distinction between &lt;em&gt;discomfort&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;pain&lt;/em&gt;. You should feel discomfort, but if you are feeling pain then you need to stop and re-evaluate what you are doing.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Having discomfort in your inner thighs should be expected because you are stretching the &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adductor_muscles_of_the_hip&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;groin adductor muscles&lt;/a&gt;. I would be careful about experiencing discomfort or pain in the hips - you might have a physiological problem that will impinge on your stretching.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What your Sifu probably hasn't told you is that some people will never achieve a full split no matter how hard they train. You can achieve muscle flexibility but you cannot stretch away physiological limitations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Overall, my kicks do not feel up to the mark and while holding up my leg, I can feel some stiffness.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be honest, I would not place much importance on that because holding a kick up or out is an artificial action that you would not do in a real situation. While holding the kick during training can help improve balance and ligament strength, it has very little benefit otherwise. The awkwardness you feel while doing this can also be a result of muscle mass; if your Sifu is only 50kg (110 lb), he will be able to hold his leg out/up a lot easier than someone who is 100kg (220lb).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I know that ultimately training hard... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should warm up thoroughly before stretching and you also need to remember that stretching damages the muscles, so you need to allow recovery time between stretching sessions (just like you do if you are weight training). Once you attain flexibility, you then need to maintain it, otherwise you will gradually lose it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't forget to read the other &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/search?q=[stretching]+is%3Aquestion&quot;&gt;stretching related questions&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-04-10T13:43:14.943" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4943" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4940" CreationDate="2015-04-10T10:26:27.720" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your master has been doing this stuff for several years (hopefully), so obviously he'll look better at it. It took me a good 6 months to be able to kick above my head and 2 years before I could do a full split. That didn't stop me from being successful in Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need more than just flexibility for high kicks though. You also need strong core muscles, especially your abs and obliques. Do some crunches (front and side). And do some rows to strengthen your back muscles too while you're at it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2015-04-10T13:35:34.117" LastActivityDate="2015-04-10T13:35:34.117" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4947" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4940" CreationDate="2015-04-10T18:39:27.083" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Full split in 2 months? Don't be so hard on yourself, it can take years. &#xA;Then consider, is there really ever a need in a combat situation to kick that high? Seems like a flowery waste of energy to me. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5749" LastActivityDate="2015-04-10T18:39:27.083" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4949" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4958" CreationDate="2015-04-10T22:41:01.653" Score="3" ViewCount="2301" Body="&lt;p&gt;Thanks for reading my question. I've just started to take a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) course. I'm 165cm and weigh 67-68.5 kilograms in general, and muscularly built because of weight training, but also carrying around 17%-18% body fat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm trying to buy a uniform/gi for my class and have two questions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) I learnt by doing online research that Judo gis are normally heavier and loosely fit, whereas BJJ gis are lighter and not so loose. It seems to me that if I buy a judo gi, then it'll help me to train better because of the weight of the Judo gi, my movement will slow down than my sparring partner. So eventually, in a no-gi situation, it'll help me better: like boxing with heavier gloves. But, is this true?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) I'm ordering online and I'm a bit confused by the UK sizes A0, A1, A2 etc. I'm pretty sure A1 or A2 are my sizes: see &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.toraki.com/us/en/asp/dept_OLDPRODUCTS.asp?id=850&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But because I'm 165cm, which one should I buy?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5754" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-08T12:47:35.850" LastActivityDate="2019-08-08T12:47:35.850" Title="Should I buy a Judo gi or BJJ gi for BJJ practice?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|gi|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="4950" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4953" CreationDate="2015-04-10T23:01:40.253" Score="8" ViewCount="911" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Karate, when we performed a kick, we were always stressed the important of retracting after performing the kick (also in punches). So pulling back after executing kick/punch was important. But recently I have been training with a traditional Chinese martial arts club, and some belief there that if we retract then we are not transferring the power, so not effective technique. Here, it is stressed that I should not pull back my punches immediately and for kicks actually, they are not a big fan of kicks, however there are some low kicks and it is not supposed to retracted quickly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems to me that retracting gives advantage of more safe technique (opponent cant grab you) while not retracting achieves more transfer of power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Could I have your opinions on retracting after kicks or punches? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="793" LastActivityDate="2015-05-27T23:37:34.773" Title="To retract or not to retract when doing kicks?" Tags="|karate|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="1" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4951" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4950" CreationDate="2015-04-11T03:31:32.143" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Quite simply, you are no longer transferring power once the kick has landed. Therefore it is pointless to leave the leg out there - unless you are either posing or looking to burn a bit more energy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would always advise to retract the leg as soon as practical. If someone left a kick hanging out I would gladly catch it and use it to my advantage. The same goes for a punch - if the hand is not doing anything then get it back (although it should be mentioned you are far more likely to be doing multiple things with your hands - a punch can easily be turned into a grapple).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many people teach many different things for many different reasons. Sometimes those things are fervently believed but are ultimately wrong or misguided. If you are not happy with the explanation you have received from the people you currently train with then question them, get some more details and make sure you have understood what they are telling you (often things can get lost in translation).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2015-04-11T03:31:32.143" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4952" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4950" CreationDate="2015-04-12T13:11:46.093" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's truth to both sides - it's a spectrum.  You want to commit more and hit harder when you believe you're going to make meaningful contact and - with the impact factored in - the opponent won't be able to exploit your slower recovery time.  If you're wrong, and the opponent slips or comfortably weathers the attack and counters, you'll be in a worse position.  If you always retract habitually, or always fail to, then - as with any habit - that itself can be exploited.  So, mix it up during your sparring and try to learn the &quot;sensitivity&quot; to exploit actual opportunities while avoiding over-committing while looking for them.  I guess you're not fighting full contact or this kind of discovery would to a large extent take care of itself, though then there's inevitably the issue of &quot;rules&quot; about where and how you can hit each other that distorts other aspects of the fighting.  Another tip is to consider whether you're hitting as hard as the other kung fu students during pad/bag work and breaking (if you do any)... if you can win respect there, they'll have less grounds - and inclination - to doubt whether your more quickly-withdrawn techniques are effective.  If you find you're not hitting as hard, then push yourself to do so and see if that seems to come at the cost of recovery time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2015-04-12T13:11:46.093" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4953" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4950" CreationDate="2015-04-12T17:53:51.670" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Disclaimer: I've spent too much time over thinking the differences between Japanese and Chinese martial arts&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To quote Bruce Lee's opinion on the styles, getting hit by a Karate punch is like getting hit by a crowbar, while getting hit by a Kung Fu punch is like getting hit by a ball on a chain.  Both hurt.  You don't want to be on the receiving end of either.  But they are different enough that you should not be surprised if a group of Chinese martial artists have a different opinion than you have been brought to by your Karate training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I studied very little Karate, so the rest of my Karate information is &quot;textbook information.&quot;  Use your own judgement about what I have to say.  However, from what I've read, Karate seeks a unification of the entire body when you strike, so that you can hit them with every ounce of Self you have.  Accordingly, at the end of a strike, the striking leg is still a very important part of the body.  It's actually the weakest, because it's in such an awkward position and so close to the opponent.  Thus, you want to get it back reasonably fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Chinese approaches, there is more of a wave of energy striking outward from the tips of your toe on the ground to the striking surface.  However, once you have struck, that limb is not actually all that important to you.  The energy has already gone through it, and you're already starting the next attack (originating elsewhere, such as the toes on the ground, or the lower Dantien).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The idea seems to be that, if you try to grab someone's kick in kung fu, you're already not paying attention to the next attack, and it's going to clobber you.  Thus, the opponent really doesn't have much of an opportunity to grab it, so why waste motion to get it back until doing so is actually useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Realistically, I think any kick is going to fit somewhere between those two extremes, rather than on one end or the other.  You'll just see the Chinese drawing attention to one side, and the Japanese drawing attention to the other.  Understand both ways of thinking, and you'll start to find your personal balance between them to adapt to your individual body structure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4422" LastActivityDate="2015-04-12T17:53:51.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4954" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2057" CreationDate="2015-04-12T18:10:31.607" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whether Qi can be measured by science is still difficult question.  Accordingly there is much room for individual interpretation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have found the Chinese are more drawn to studying relationships between things than Westerners.  We tend to like to understand the thing, on its own, then study how it relates to others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Accordingly, when we set up a &quot;scientific test,&quot; the first thing we do is hold all of the details fixed, then perform the test over and over to build up statistical significance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, a key feature of this test is the assumption that the observer does not affect the test.  This becomes an issue with placebo effects, and becomes a frustrating issue with quantum mechanics, where observing a particle actually changes it's state unpredictably.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It appears to me that Qi is found in the interaction between the martial artist and his foe (or friend).  Qi seems to capture the power of adapting to your opponent quickly and fluidly.  If you succeed at a strike, you never simply assume that strike beats that opponent.  You assume it beat that opponent that time.  The opponent will not give you the same opening again, so you use Qi to find the next opening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, Qi arts seem to show up statistically in that they are repeatable skills.  However, they prove remarkably frustrating to quantify as they &lt;em&gt;rely&lt;/em&gt; on the interaction between the two individuals, so you cannot measure it if you remove the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And, if you want, you are free to treat that as &quot;metaphysical.&quot;  Such interactions are frustratingly difficult to capture with Western science.  If you want to declare &quot;the physical world is what Western Science claims it is,&quot; then Qi is metaphysical.  If you don't like the idea of it being metaphysical, then I am yet to come across any reason to assume it could not be physical... just really hard to pin down.  If you prefer a definition along the pines of &quot;the physical world has rules,&quot; then Qi may be physical, because there are well recognized ways to &quot;build Qi&quot; and &quot;issue Qi&quot; according to rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: after a very &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; long conversation with Dave, it appears that there is a fundamental gap between Qi and science in some people's mind.  Qi is most effectively understood as a whole, and you grow towards its finer details.  Science, in many Western people's mind, is only concerned with information that can be gathered from isolating the small individual pieces, breaking their connections, then building them up again according to the smaller behaviors.  If you subscribe to that approach, Qi will be proven or disprove scientifically the day science is advanced enough to completely define and model your &quot;self,&quot; predicting all of your behaviors.  Fortunately for us, it is no where near that point!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4422" LastEditorUserId="4422" LastEditDate="2015-04-14T04:52:13.483" LastActivityDate="2015-04-14T04:52:13.483" CommentCount="21" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4955" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1919" CreationDate="2015-04-12T19:45:56.860" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The short answer is yes, but you should not take legal advice from people on the internet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The long answer is, you should &lt;strong&gt;really&lt;/strong&gt; talk to a lawyer if you have questions about self-defense. Jails are full of people who thought they were acting in self-defense, but crossed the thin line at some point because they didn't know exactly what it means, like you. Consider the following a rough guideline on principles that are usually valid in most countries, but check with a lawyer before doing anything stupid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First of all, you should understand that when you claim self-defense, the burden of proof is now yours. You're no longer innocent until proven guilty. You're admitting that you attacked someone, and now it's up to you to prove that you were justified in doing it because you were just defending yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are five principles that determine what is justified in self-defense. Innocence, imminence, proportionality, avoidance and reasonableness. In very simple terms, what they mean is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Innocence - You cannot initiate a conflict and later claim self-defense. This means that you'll have to prove in court that you didn't started the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Imminence - The danger you are defending yourself from is something happening right NOW, at the moment! You cannot claim self-defense if you are reacting to an hypothetic danger that might happen later, like a verbal threat, or a danger that is already over, like hitting someone after they are incapacitated on the ground. You'll have to prove that you were in immediate danger.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Proportionality - The degree of force must be proportional to the threat. You cannot break the arm of someone who touched you with a finger, or shoot someone who punched you. You'll have to prove that your reaction was proportional to the threat and you weren't overreacting.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Avoidance - There was no other way for you to protect yourself from danger other than reacting with violence. This means that if you have a non-violent option that doesn't increase the danger, you should try it first. You'll have to prove that there was no way to avoid the fight. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Reasonableness - This is a subjective principle that applies to all the others. It means your perception and reaction regarding all the others must be compatible with that of a reasonable person under similar circumstances.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, to your question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Am I allowed to use Krav Maga for any case of self-defense?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are allowed to use anything for any case of self-defense, as long as your claim of self-defense follows these principles, which may vary in many places. For instance, many states in the US have the so-called &quot;Stand-Your-Ground&quot; laws, where you don't have to prove that you were cornered and had no way to retreat. Also, reasonableness is very subjective, and what sounds reasonable for a judge or jury in one place might not be reasonable somewhere else. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Even a threatening or grave suspicion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It depends on what you mean &quot;use Krav Maga&quot;. If you mean engaging in a fight with someone, then absolutely no! Following the principle of imminence, reacting violently to a threat or suspicion is not self-defense. There are a lot of people in jail whining that they were just defending themselves when they attacked someone who they thought was threatening or suspicious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I live in Brooklyn, NY, but it would be nice to know how this works in other places too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only sane answer here is: hire a NY lawyer for one hour of consulting and ask how exactly NY laws work in self-defense claims. If you are going somewhere else and you believe there's a chance you might find yourself in trouble, check the local laws before you leave, specially if you're going to another country. Trust me, you don't want to be in a foreign police precinct after beating a native for what you thought was self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't get professional legal advice and you ever need to use Krav Maga or anything else in self-defense and you end up doing something serious, like gravely injuring or killing someone, call the police, rescue services and a lawyer immediately, and don't say a word to anyone until you do, not even to claim that you were acting in self-defense. To the police that's a confession of assault or murder, and they usually don't care about your self-defense claims other than to put it on record. It's up to the justice system to decide if you'll be prosecuted. If you don't know any lawyer -- and you should, if you are training self-defense techniques and planning to use them -- simply ask the police for a lawyer. I can't emphasize how important this is. A lawyer will know if you have a solid self-defense case or if you have better chances with some other strategy. You don't want to end up in jail for defending yourself, but many people do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;and as a plus, how the heck can you walk in a ready stance down the street without the whole freaken place going 'ooooh, aaahhh'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Seriously? You don't. That's nonsense. That's not something a normal person sitting on the jury hearing your case will find reasonable. The opposing lawyer will have a great time convincing the jury or the judge that you are nothing but a freak who walks the streets trying to pick up a fight for no reason and claims self-defense later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, there are many natural non-threatening stances that are quick to shift into a defensive or aggressive stance that you can use in a potentially threatening situation. For instance, holding your chin with one hand while supporting the elbow with the opposing hand &lt;a href=&quot;http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/casual-man-holds-hand-chin-looks-you-young-looking-camera-holding-his-pensively-gray-background-34596572.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;like this&lt;/a&gt; is a natural, non-threatening position, that allows you to defend your face and your genital area easily, which are common targets for someone starting a fight. Read &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0897501764&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kelly McCann, Combatives for Street Survival&lt;/a&gt;, he gives some advice on that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But please, don't walk around the streets in a ready stance like you're looking for a fight, unless you are trying to get your ass kicked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You say you are training one-on-one with a partner, so it doesn't sound like you have an instructor. Learning the mental and legal aspects of self-defense is as important as the physical and technical aspects. If you have a instructor and he never taught you that or never hired a lawyer to give a lecture on that and answer questions, I would recommend asking him to do it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user1972" LastEditorDisplayName="user1972" LastEditDate="2017-07-12T04:27:15.340" LastActivityDate="2017-07-12T04:27:15.340" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4956" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1761" CreationDate="2015-04-12T20:55:54.783" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga has no competitive aspect, as the rules of competitive fighting would be incompatible with many techniques, but to answer your question, the Krav Maga taught to civilians around the world &lt;strong&gt;is&lt;/strong&gt; the sports-oriented version of Krav Maga.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a lot of marketing rhetoric about how deadly and effective Krav Maga is, and practitioners and instructors will tell you that Krav Maga is not a martial art but a self-defense system, blah, blah, blah, but you should keep in mind that the Krav Maga taught to Israeli Special Forces is not the same thing that instructors around the world teach to civilians.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People are right when they say Krav Maga is deadly and intended to quickly  incapacitate the opponent by causing serious injury or death, but most of the time an instructor teaching Krav Maga to civilians won't teach many details that set up the conditions for causing serious injury or death to an opponent. This is simply because civilians learning Krav Maga for the sake of self-defense won't need to kill an attacker with their bare hands in order to defend themselves, and there's a good chance they will go to jail if they do that. That kind of legal trouble associated with the name  will bring the kind of bad reputation that no contract disclaimer or public relations effort can prevent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user1972" LastEditorDisplayName="user1972" LastEditDate="2017-07-12T04:25:06.973" LastActivityDate="2017-07-12T04:25:06.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4957" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4950" CreationDate="2015-04-13T09:34:40.553" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;My master also emphasizes retracting attacks so that the enemy will not be able to grab your arm. In a strike, the most important part is the impact, I think. After the impact, it is all just simple push, and a push does very minimal damage, if any. The impact is what makes muscles sore, or break bones. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, some attacks are not really intended to be retracted, but instead to be followed through, because retracting them will destroy your balance (mostly, full-body attacks that rely on centrifugal force).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5630" LastActivityDate="2015-04-13T09:34:40.553" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4958" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4949" CreationDate="2015-04-13T09:55:22.277" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In terms of sizing you're probably best off just contacting the company you want to buy from with your measurements. They'll most likely be able to help you get the right size. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of which one to buy, I would take a read of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.punchkickchoke.com/2011/02/bjj-and-judo-gi-uniform-differences.html&quot;&gt;this article&lt;/a&gt;. It even comes with a bonus picture of Kyra Gracie almost wearing a Gi that you boys are bound to like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A summary of important points:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;BJJ Gi tends to be tight, Judo Gi tends to be loose.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Judo Gi sleeves are longer and wider to facilitate gripping.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A Judo Gi will &lt;em&gt;probably&lt;/em&gt; be legal in a BJJ competition setting, while a BJJ Gi will almost certainly not be legal in a Judo competition setting.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A Judo Gi will probably be cheaper, assuming you're comparing similar quality brands&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given those points, you can buy a Judo Gi if you want to, however be aware that you're probably giving away advantages that you haven't considered - the looser fit of the Judo Gi will make it easier for people to get grips on you, and will likely make choking you easier as well. If you're planning on competing this will not be helpful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The disadvantages might make you a better grappler in the long run, but if you're just starting out then your training partners really aren't going to need the advantages you're giving them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of fitness I wouldn't expect the extra weight to make a significant difference. If you haven't done any grappling you're going to find BJJ sparring pretty hard work anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On an &quot;I don't have a reference for this bit&quot; note, a BJJ Gi will also most likely be reinforced in areas that get a lot of wear - the knees and the backside of the pants. Judo doesn't feature scooting around on your butt or on your knees like BJJ does, so if you buy a Judo Gi you might find the pants don't survive as long as the top.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Opinion: I would buy a BJJ Gi. The training is hard enough, you don't need to deliberately handicap yourself to make it harder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_jiu-jitsu_gi&quot;&gt;Bonus Wikipedia link for BJJ Gi that contains competition rules for fit.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3147" LastActivityDate="2015-04-13T09:55:22.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4959" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1761" CreationDate="2015-04-13T10:44:43.980" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;No, it doesn't have a sporitng element, but if you can have shooting sports (IPSC, IDPA, etc), then you can have Krav Maga sports too. Set up a course and let each competitor run it. The guy with the shortest time/ highest kill/death ratio wins. Now give me lots of money for the idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-04-13T10:44:43.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4960" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4949" CreationDate="2015-04-13T15:41:58.823" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Differences between a Judo and a BJJ Gi have already been explained by Tussles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;About the &lt;strong&gt;size&lt;/strong&gt;, here is the most important thing: get a Gi that &lt;strong&gt;fits you well&lt;/strong&gt;. Check the manufacturer's website for a size chart, ask them if you're unsure or between sizes, since you have a very muscular build see if they offer the &lt;strong&gt;wider versions&lt;/strong&gt; of their sizes (eg. A1W). Having a Gi that fits you well and lets you move freely is very important.&#xA;The kind of cut makes some difference, but a Judo cut is not the end of the world; in case you didn't know, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.essimo.co.uk/news/22062009/roger-gracie-wins-the-world-championships-in-essimo/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Roger Gracie won the 2009 Worlds in a Judo Gi&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Comfort, construction and durability&lt;/strong&gt; are second order concerns: you want a Gi that is breathable enough for the temperatures of your gym, while still being reasonably tough. For a quick overview of weaves, have a look &lt;a href=&quot;http://poweredbyshe.com/2014/06/27/gi-weaves-101/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. Don't forget to &lt;strong&gt;check for poor stitchings&lt;/strong&gt;, as they might compromise durability or give you scratches/burns through chafing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would go for a plain, white, tough and reasonably cheap BJJ Gi. If you stick to BJJ you'll have plenty of time to develop your personal tastes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In case you want to know more, you can have a look at &lt;a href=&quot;http://meerkat69.blogspot.it/2010/02/what-bjj-gi-should-i-buy.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Meerkatsu's guidelines&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.slideyfoot.com/2006/10/bjj-beginner-faq.html#gisize&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Slideyfoot's FAQ&lt;/a&gt;, the &lt;a href=&quot;http://aesopian.com/2920/whats-best-worst-brazilian-jiu-jitsu-gi/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;2011 BJJ Gi survey&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://aesopian.com/2836/inverted-gear-a2-tall-slim-review-predictably-irrational-price-anchoring/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this article&lt;/a&gt; on Gi pricing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3234" LastActivityDate="2015-04-13T15:41:58.823" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4961" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4950" CreationDate="2015-04-13T16:22:18.243" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends on what you're trying to do with the technique. A straight punch, hook, cross, uppercut, and any number of spinning and pushing kicks don't retract on impact. Jabs and snapping kicks do too. Karate has a decent mix of all these things. Taekwondo too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can't use only one set of techniques or the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-04-13T16:22:18.243" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4962" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4715" CreationDate="2015-04-13T22:10:13.633" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The challenge you face is that building martial arts takes time (often generations).  It is unlikely that one has built a complete martial art for you.  Accordingly, you will have to adapt a martial art and develop your own way of taking advantage of your body's capabilities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend a two sided approach.  One side is to develop a capability to use your weak side in martial arts.  Schools such as Tai Chi teach you how to find the strength in everything, so they will be helpful for finding ways to use your weak side of your body that other disciplines might simply discard as &quot;useless.&quot; (disclaimer: I am positive other schools would work just as well, Tai Chi just seems to be more obvious about its approach, so it's easier to write an answer using it.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other side, you will probably want to pick up an external martial art.  I'd leave it to you to decide which one you wish to pick up, though one of the Asian martial arts that identify with Qi would blend more easily with Tai Chi, so there's an advantage there.  The external martial arts will teach you how to take advantage of an opponents weaknesses in ways which take longer to acquire with internal arts.  You seem to be interested in a pressing situation, so it makes sense to cover this concern from the onset.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have these two halves, you will have to marry them, yourself, to work with your own body.  This will take time, and dedication.  However, consider taking advantage of your every strength.  If your opponent thinks your left side is weak, they are more likely to try to attack it.  Let them commit to such an idea, and then surprise them with just how strong  your left side actually is with internal martial arts training.  It doesn't have to be strong enough to beat them... just strong enough to get them off guard and give you a chance to sink your right side's strength into them!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I consider the best advantage of this approach is that it doesn't write your weaker half off as &quot;useless.&quot;  It finds ways to use it whenever possible.  When it comes to keeping the body healthy, nothing helps more than continued use!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4422" LastActivityDate="2015-04-13T22:10:13.633" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4965" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-04-14T02:47:00.800" Score="10" ViewCount="614" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have just discovered there is an Aikido dojo in our neighborhood. They do Iaido, but that’s listed under the weapons training. It says on the web site:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;“After training at XXX dojo for a minimum of six months, students may begin weapons training with the permission of the chief instructor.”&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It’s been probably 10 years since I did martial arts and I’d like to get back into it and I was particularly excited to see that they do Iaido. I was pretty let down when I saw that. I studied Karate to brown belt level in HS, we also did Kendo and sword kata. I also did a semester of Ki Aikido in college where we did some Iaido. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would it be appropriate for me to ask if that is a hard rule or just for students new to martial arts? I don’t want to be rude, but the Iaido is the main reason I want to sign up. I also may be moving out of the city in a year so I don’t want to burn six months to only get to train for six months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5758" LastActivityDate="2015-11-06T18:15:12.350" Title="Joining a new dojo, would this be inappropriate?" Tags="|aikido|iaido|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4966" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1774" CreationDate="2015-04-14T05:03:55.097" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Muay Thai moves list with links for pictures and demos. You could even contribute to update.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blackbeltwiki.com/muay-thai-techniques&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.blackbeltwiki.com/muay-thai-techniques&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1846" LastActivityDate="2015-04-14T05:03:55.097" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4967" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4965" CreationDate="2015-04-14T12:40:39.077" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Short answer: just ask.  Explain your previous training to the sensei (without bragging*).  He/she will make the decision.  At the very least I think they would be glad to show off their skills even if they will not teach you right away.  They should be willing to preview the curriculum enough for you to make the decision to join or not based on what you expect to learn.  I find that, if approached with sincere curiosity, most instructors are open to questions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*Remember, as Rob Redmond says, a person's 3rd dan means a lot to him/her but means about as much to anyone else as does their 25th level Paladin. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2015-04-14T12:40:39.077" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4968" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-04-14T14:20:24.587" Score="4" ViewCount="1446" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am working in the merchant navy.  I'll be working (sailing) for 6 months and then have 3 months leave.  I can train for these 3 months and practice myself when I am sailing using books and videos.  I am 27 years old. I am from India.  Would Wing Chun or krav maga be a suitable martial art considering my lifestyle and training goals which are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Short amount of time to learn (can't wait for years!)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ability to practice solo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Functional for self defense (this is a must)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Suitable to practice on-board ship&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5760" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-07-17T20:01:45.680" LastActivityDate="2017-07-17T20:01:45.680" Title="Is Wing Chun or Krav Maga suitable for a sailing lifestyle" Tags="|krav-maga|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4970" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4968" CreationDate="2015-04-14T15:03:48.780" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a general principle, the Asian martial arts approach things holistically, and that includes taking advantage of a teacher/student relationship continuously throughout training.  Most whom I have talked to do not recommend a ON-OFF pattern in training with a teacher until much later because it disrupts this relationship.  The more western arts/sports, like boxing, tend to be more forgiving in this way, because in many cases you are your body's teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is visible in how the different arts approach YouTube.  Generally speaking, you can find lots of videos on how to break down a western technique like a hook in boxing to let you practice on your own.  Finding the same videos for Asian partial arts proves to be trickier because many teachers are not convinced that sort of learning provides sufficiently substantial gains.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4422" LastActivityDate="2015-04-14T15:03:48.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4971" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4968" CreationDate="2015-04-14T16:21:57.467" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can't really practice Wing Chun without a partner (or at least a wooden dummy). You would probably find more use in Tai Chi, which is almost entirely practiced without a partner or target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-04-14T16:21:57.467" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4972" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4968" CreationDate="2015-04-14T20:09:11.750" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Things that recommend Wing Chun to a sailor:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It is sometimes commented that Wing Chun is best suited for fighting in a telephone booth.  This is not so far from the truth.  Wing Chun specializes in close-quarters tactics at bent-arm range/trapping range (though I assure you it does possess long-range techniques and tactics).  This would be well-suited to the cramped passageways of a naval vessel.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you're a student of history, you may be interested to note that one suggested origin story for Wing Chun is the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wingchunpedia.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php?n=WCP.HistoryOfTheRedBoatOpera&quot;&gt;Red Boat Opera&lt;/a&gt;.  The length of the 6 1/2 point long pole points to the origin of pushing river boats through shallow water.  How this helps you in particular is debatable, but there is a history of association between sailors and Wing Chun.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wing Chun possesses both very high (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5MBjRgbWUo&quot;&gt;Yee Gee Kim Yeung Ma&lt;/a&gt;) and very low stances (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wingchun-selfdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/wing-chun-pole.jpg&quot;&gt;Low Horse&lt;/a&gt;).  The low horse stance is associated with the long pole and is theorized to have been developed for stability on rocking boat decks.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you are in any way responsible for shipboard security (as you may be even if that's not your normal job description), Wing Chun does possess Chin Na applications.  However, these are not a main focus, and not always part of the curriculum in every school.  If you will have to apprehend persons with pain compliance, Wing Chun can be adapted to this purpose, but it's a bit like using a hammer on a screw.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wing Chun possesses solo forms, which you will be able to practice on your own, preferably in front of a mirror, to hone your technique.  I wouldn't recommend a martial art without solo forms for someone with most of his/her training being without a partner.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;More than many other martial arts, Wing Chun has a certain feeling to it, which can only be captured by crossing hands with a legitimate instructor.  Without an instructor in the early stages of your Wing Chun development, your movements will be empty, and quite possibly meaningless.  Additionally, Wing Chun movements have to be very precise in order to be effective, and you need a sifu to correct every detail.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My suggestion is to find a legitimate instructor and tell him/her your situation.  You can train with him when you are on leave, then practice on your own when you are underway.  &lt;strong&gt;For best results: get a partner on the ship with you.&lt;/strong&gt; You can take lessons together when on leave and chi sao together while you're underway.   Your development will be much better and quicker this way.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on natural ability and frequency of training (more often is always better), a person should be able to complete the Wing Chun curriculum in approximately four years.  Mastery however, is a lifetime pursuit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an aside, the martial art that is best for you is usually the martial art you practice most consistently.  If there is a martial arts program &lt;em&gt;on the ship&lt;/em&gt; lead by a qualified instructor, take that one, even if it's not one you initially considered studying.  Consistency is way more important than style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2015-04-14T20:31:07.173" LastActivityDate="2015-04-14T20:31:07.173" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4973" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-04-15T07:28:55.273" Score="8" ViewCount="1493" Body="&lt;p&gt;To all the judokas reading this, I was wondering how common are dental traumas in non competitive judo. How many dental injuries have you seen in your practice? Do you use mouthguards or know someone who uses them to train in judo? Thank you for your attention!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1821" LastEditorUserId="1821" LastEditDate="2015-04-28T16:16:37.933" LastActivityDate="2018-10-28T11:04:39.130" Title="Mouthguards and judo" Tags="|judo|injury|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4974" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4915" CreationDate="2015-04-15T07:58:28.173" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suggest you trying not to use 100 % of your force and speed when you practice air kicking ( or empty kicking as some people call it ). If you do a very powerful and fast kick without hitting a target, like a pad or a sparring opponent, your knee joints will absorb all the force of the kick and you may get pain and inflammation. The pain could also be the result of overextending your leg and &quot; locking &quot; your knee when kicking ( this is very common when doing fast side kicks ) and this is also the result of kicking without proper control and technique. My advice is to stretch and warm up properly before your training and to use a moderate pace for your air kicking ( a slower pace will also allow you to focus more on balance and footwork ). For the moment just rest your knees and get back to training only when the pain is gone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1821" LastActivityDate="2015-04-15T07:58:28.173" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4975" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4973" CreationDate="2015-04-15T14:12:54.287" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've had one very minor chip from being &lt;em&gt;seoinage&lt;/em&gt;'d (by a girl half my size). Some guys wear mouthguards, especially in &lt;em&gt;newaza&lt;/em&gt; (ground fighting), and it's not a bad idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-04-16T20:08:56.743" LastActivityDate="2015-04-16T20:08:56.743" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4976" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4968" CreationDate="2015-04-15T16:32:08.750" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Given your specifications, I'd go with Krav Maga.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although Wing Chun has a history of boat fighting and close in fighting, it's also primarily learned by live, hand to hand contact with others, with the (large, expensive) dummies being a secondary practice tool.  (to be sure, you can get cheaper &lt;a href=&quot;http://shaolinhouse.com/product/wing-chun/wing-chun-flat-board-wooden-dummy/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;wall-mount dummies&lt;/a&gt;, but they're still not that cheap).   A lot of wing chun relies on angles for deflection and sensitivity to get it's trapping in - and practicing against air isn't going to give you that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga on the other hand, has your basic set of kicks and punches, similar to the usual mix of boxing/muay thai moves that has become pretty standard in a lot of MMA or self defense sets.  You can get some good combos, find good books or video to continue with while you're practicing alone.  Since it relies less on sensitivity training, you can still get a lot during this time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-04-15T16:32:08.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4977" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4950" CreationDate="2015-04-15T17:21:07.297" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't be dogmatic. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, the aim is to transfer energy of your kick into your target (may it be a person or a punching bag).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once the kick (or a punch as a matter of fact) has been  delivered, there is no reason to keep the foot (or hand) there. In fact, when fighting an opponent bound on kicking your ass, it can be outright dangerous. Given sufficiently skilled opponent you can pretty much count on him (her) take advantage of whatever limb you leave out there after you have delivered your technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mind you that there is a difference between &quot;following through the kick&quot; and leaving your foot out there... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastActivityDate="2015-04-15T17:21:07.297" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4979" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="4989" CreationDate="2015-04-16T06:41:28.667" Score="2" ViewCount="8075" Body="&lt;p&gt;Regardless of the martial art, we always see people in the movies using super bad ass moves and beating multiple opponents often with one hit for each guy...is that even possible? If yes, is a black belt needed ? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And which martial arts is for you a &quot;movie like&quot; art? For the purpose of the question, lets define &quot;movie like martial art&quot; as an art that can effectively stop an aggressor fast and preferably with one hit, can deal with multiple opponents and also deal with knifes/weapons just like we tired of see on the movies... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5769" LastActivityDate="2016-06-28T15:29:02.857" Title="Can anyone ever fight as people do in movies?" Tags="|weapons|multiple-attackers|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4981" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4979" CreationDate="2015-04-16T12:32:49.190" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;No.  Fights do not go down like in the movies, or like in the dojo.  They are chaotic, messy, and brief.  They are usually decided, one way or the other, in the first few seconds of a fight.  Involving a weapon is especially dangerous.  Surviving a knife encounter (notice I didn't say &quot;fight&quot;) usually still results in several cuts to the survivor's arms.  If there are multiple attackers, they are likely to swarm the victim rather than approach him one by one, waiting to be knocked out by a flying kick.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlvQMPtqCnw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Watch this&lt;/a&gt; for an example of a trained person successfully defending someone from an aggressor.  However, also note that the aggressor was not determined to injure or kill the trained person.  Instead, he was mainly putting on a show to save face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9igSoJHEdUo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Watch this&lt;/a&gt; for an example of how a knife attack is likely to occur.  This is the by-now world-famous Tueller drill, illustrating that a police officer with his gun in his holster is not safe from a knife-wielding attacker within a radius of 21'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2015-04-16T12:32:49.190" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4982" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4979" CreationDate="2015-04-16T13:23:51.373" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;which martial arts is for you a &quot;movie like&quot; art?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of them and none of them. Movies are pretend. Fight choreographers will take whatever moves look good and film it from the best angle - regardless of the efficacy of the move or the art it came from.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;beating multiple opponents often with one hit for each guy...is that even possible?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes it is &lt;em&gt;possible&lt;/em&gt; but it's not &lt;em&gt;likely&lt;/em&gt;. Fights are messy and you are likely to get hit, even if you're really good.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;If yes, is a black belt needed ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nope. A black belt is simply an indicator of progress and achievement in a school, and every art and school is different. A black belt doesn't mean you can fight, nor does it mean you know any bad ass moves. It also doesn't make you a chick magnet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;can deal with multiple opponents and also deal with knifes/weapons just like we tired of see on the movies&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyone who trains diligently for a good period of time (at least several years) under a reasonable teacher should be able to achieve this. It's probably easier to list arts that &lt;em&gt;don't&lt;/em&gt; teach these skills rather than trying to list the ones that do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But even with the best teacher in the best art* your fights will still never look like they do in the movies.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember: &lt;strong&gt;movies are pretend.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;* &quot;the best art&quot; doesn't exist - not now, not ever.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2015-04-16T13:29:48.967" LastActivityDate="2015-04-16T13:29:48.967" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4984" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4979" CreationDate="2015-04-16T17:09:30.443" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer to many of your questions is &quot;Yes, with qualifications and probably not the way you're thinking of, if you're using movies as your reference&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Movie Cheats&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Awareness&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In movies, the heroes take on 3 guys coming from different directions without any problem - they turn at just the right time, or maybe they throw a backhand or rear kick, they duck the attack coming from behind... because it's all scripted.  In reality, you have to really struggle not to go into tunnel vision when the adrenaline hits, and it becomes very easy to focus on the person in front of you and not pay attention to the fact other people might run up behind you.  This kind of sucker punch scenario happens A LOT.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Endurance&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the movies, people don't get tired until the very end of the fight, if at all, and then they find a second wind and do the most amazing moves ever.  In reality, unless you spend a lot of time conditioning, you're probably going to get tired quick and get sloppy.  While this also applies to your opponents, if there's more of them than you, they're splitting up the energy cost, while you have to stay &quot;on&quot; the whole time.  This is pretty much the classic hunting strategy from the days when we hunted with spears - wear down the prey, take turns, catch your breath.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Injury&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the movies, heroes come back from injuries a lot.  Or things that should injure them, don't.  You're not going to take hits from a baseball bat and &quot;be ok&quot;, you're not going to take multiple kicks to the ribs and head while you're on the ground then magically come back and win the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not getting injured in the first place is a high priority in reality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Flashy Moves&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best part of movies is stuff like spinning flying jump kicks and all that cool stuff.  It's not that none of these EVER work, it's just that either you have to have surprise, have set up a bunch of things first to get to do the move, and finally, odds are,  you'd be safer doing something simpler.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know one person who successfully did a jump kick in a brawl in high school.  He hit the guy by surprise, hit him in the jaw and clean knocked him out.  That was the one flashy move of that entire fight - he didn't go around jump kicking everyone else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tripping and Falling&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the movies, people only fall down when they get thrown.  In reality, people trip and fall over everything.  The world is a messy place, and unless you're in a nice, flat area that has a lot of space like a competition ring, you might find yourself tripping or backed up against stuff all the time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on how you've trained, you can use the environment to really help deal with multiple opponents- preventing them from all coming at once, tripping or knocking them over in a way that will take more of their time getting up, or hurting them in the process.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Real World Stuff&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Proficiency&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you need a Black Belt?  A black belt is a form of rank, and originally it just meant you got the solid basics down, not &quot;mastery&quot;.  So, in a sense, yes, if you're going to take on multiple opponents or weapons, in whatever style you study you better damn well have gotten your foundation work together.   The belt has jack to do with it as much as the training you put in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Multiple Opponents&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of styles DO train to take on multiple opponents, but as much as anything, some are more realistic and better at real world fighting, others not so much.  That endurance and awareness issues I brought up before play a big part in this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mostly the places where we see people successfully take on multiple opponents?  The singular person is someone with a ton of conditioning and fitness plus a lot of training and the multiple opponents don't have it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Weapons&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Weapons are dangerous and deadly.  And if you don't have a weapon and someone does, you're at a major disadvantage.  People can and have disarmed folks before, but you don't want to stay unarmed in a fight with weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen footage of people fending off knife attacks by taking their shoes off and putting their hands in their shoes as arm guards, just to get something to block with.  Weapons make things desperate and scary and it's not like the movies where a knife cut is a small red line across your arm...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What style will help?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's no one style that will make you a super warrior, otherwise everyone would do it.   There's different styles that focus on different things, and within those styles, different schools and teachers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, you want a style that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;a) gives some form of live partner training (sparring, high end drills, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;b) teaches you to deal with multiple opponents&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;c) teachers you to deal with weapons&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll want to do a ton of conditioning as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-04-16T17:09:30.443" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4985" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4973" CreationDate="2015-04-16T21:43:06.340" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen two judoka w/ mouth guards over the past 10yrs.  I have had a heel to the mouth (split lip, now a scar).  But no issues w/ the teeth.   As stated above, use for newaza could be a good option (back of head meets chin). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5776" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2015-04-17T12:35:33.757" LastActivityDate="2015-04-17T12:35:33.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4986" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4515" CreationDate="2015-04-17T03:53:50.087" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been boxing competitively the past 2 years and I get this issue too, especially when I hold pads or 'catch' (wearing gloves) for others. Over time the repetitive use can affect the tendons in your forearms, causing particular tenderness near the elbow. Stretching the extensors (backs of the forearms) and (the ones on the inner forearm), and strengthening the wrists doing wrist curls with light weights and knuckle push ups is supposed to help. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, when you hit the bag make sure it is with the flat, front part of your fist, and try squeezing your fist at the point of impact. Turning your body into your punches so that you don't rely solely on arm power also helps you distribute the workload throughout your body. Little steps with each punch make it come from the toes all the way up, like a whip, and your hips share the job of pivoting with your shoulders. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also found sleeping with compression bandages over my forearms reduced my discomfort when they were aggravated. It's an awesome sport for learning about body bio-mechanics. (Sometimes the hard way!) Enjoy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5777" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2015-04-17T12:34:25.543" LastActivityDate="2015-04-17T12:34:25.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4989" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4979" CreationDate="2015-04-17T18:22:26.843" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;Honestly, you'll never look like the movies.  Fights suck.  They are sweaty, messy, and bloody things that nobody really wins.  The best way to win a fight is to avoid the confrontation entirely.  Flashy moves don't (often) win you the fight, and people you are trying to defend yourself from tend to be harder to take down than you would like.  A strong kick to the chin in surprise will probably knock someone out, though you expose a lot of your lower body and groin when you attempt this.  If you can run away then you should.  If you can't get into a solid stance and do your best to defend and keep your opponent away from any improvised weapons.  Don't be afraid to use cheap shots and dirty tactics to stay alive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Multiple Opponents&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No matter how good you are, if there are more of them than you, you &lt;strong&gt;WILL&lt;/strong&gt; get hurt even if you 'win'.  Yes, it is possible to take someone out with a single strike, though it is super unlikely and will hurt your hand doing so.  It is hard enough fighting one person, but having to split your focus and energy between more than that requires insane conditioning and training.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Weapons&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they have weapons the best thing to do is to run away.  If you can't run away than you should know how to defend and disarm. Speaking from experience, pool cues don't break like they do in movies and when they hit you with enough force to break they hurt enough to knock your breath out of you for a few seconds (too long to let you recover before the next attack hits you).  In a close fight, knives are the most dangerous weapons you are likely to come across.  Disarming them is dangerous and blocking them is damn near impossible unless you have a weapon of your own or something hard to shield yourself with.  The safest thing to do is disarm them if you can't get away or throw things at them from farther than their knife's reach.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Guns&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The general consensus on guns is that if you are more than six feet away and they have one drawn and want to hurt you that you are f***ed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Styles That Are Effective Like Those In The Movies&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of styles that train you to be able to defend yourself against multiple opponents and weapons.  Qualities that you should look for are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Has a strong emphasis on self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Trains your condidtioning as well as your technique.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Has a strong partner training method and trains with multiple partners.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Trains with dummy weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some examples of styles that are good for these are &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga&quot;&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.commandokravmaga.com/&quot;&gt;CKM&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fullcontactmartialarts.org/keysi-fighting-method.html&quot;&gt;Keysi Fighting Method&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bruceleefoundation.com/index.cfm/pid/10606&quot;&gt;Jeet Kune Do&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;tl;dr&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fights are not like in the movies, they suck, avoid them if possible.  If you can't avoid them than do your best to get a couple of surprise cheap shots in.  If they have a weapon don't try to block, just dodge and disarm.  If they have a gun and you are more than six feet away you are in deep trouble.  Try to find a martial art that emphasizes self defense at any cost.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5713" LastActivityDate="2015-04-17T18:22:26.843" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4990" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4732" CreationDate="2015-04-17T19:15:20.523" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I like most of Steve's answer, it is very thorough. Not enough rep to comment so I have to make my own answer. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wish people would not focus so much on the fighting, this is not the only aspect of self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hear so many talk about &quot;who would win in a fight between xxx and aikido&quot; and variations on this. Steve also brings this up in his comment on little training in ground fights. Aikido is in most cases about &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; fighting. Yes, there is in my aikido experience (mostly aikikai) no training in ground fighting, because if you accomplish what aikido tries to accomplish, you would not get in a grappling fight. You could say it is not part of the system. It is similar to going to driving school and starting practicing swimmimg. Why? If you drive off the road and into water, it is very good to know how to swim. If you keep your car on the road, though, you don't need to swim. Of course, if your focus is to be the best fighter, you should study all parts of fighting. However, Aikido is not about being the best fighter.  And sadly, people are too often interested in &quot;what's the best martial art &lt;em&gt;[for fighting]&lt;/em&gt;&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, read Steve's answer, because it is spot on in many places. A good answer to a poor question. I too know of many who live in their own &quot;aikido bubble&quot; which they have defined by themselves with little attachment to the world around them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: to actually answer the original question:&#xA;I have heard that karate was taught to footmen and aikido was taught to generals. I have no proper source for this, sorry. Edit: and the meaning was probably &quot;what aikido is based on&quot; in the sense of samurai arts, and it could be wrong. But /Edit The point is that one focuses on strategies, options, acting - not reacting. At the core of old shotokan karate was apparently &quot;one strike, one kill&quot;, that was the idea, optimal fighting efficiency. The first time I saw the interconnectedness of aikido techniques, it blew my mind. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My answer: At some level aikido will work at any distance. For fighting, aikido is all about contact. The distance it &quot;works&quot; at is the distance you need to make contact. Fighting, though, is about two or more people being against each other. Aikido teaches you not to be against anyone. If you are, you're doing it wrong, i.e., not according to the central principles. You ask: what works in a fight. I ask: why would you be in a fight? Were there really no options leading up to that point? Aikido or self-defense does not &quot;start&quot; at the beginning of a fight. I encourage you to try a bit for yourself. I believe everyone can learn something from aikido. Don't get me wrong though, I have seen aikido that would have &quot;worked&quot; in &quot;real life&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And to tackle that bull: if I suddenly was in a cage fight with literally no options but to fight, my aikido would not look pretty. With equal training (opponent would probably be better trained ...) I would probably lose the fight. I could win if I got lucky, I guess. I have been in a fight and got my opponent to yield through wrist lock. It was not a pretty move or &quot;correctly&quot; applied, but it worked. So you can get hold of an arm or wrist, personal experience. But what are you training for anyways? Do you really expect to get jumped by a trained fighter?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1798" LastEditorUserId="1798" LastEditDate="2015-04-18T06:25:58.580" LastActivityDate="2015-04-18T06:25:58.580" CommentCount="13" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4992" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4979" CreationDate="2015-04-19T06:16:35.127" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think the short answer is not at the extent of multiple people with guns. Without guns yes if there are my guess is not more than 15 but that probably is still too many. And only if you spend A LOT of time training and conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Simple solution: start with a good stand up art, then learn other arts after you get good, especially other stand ups and preferably no more than one grappling art. Also read a lot of scenario based books like ones written by Peyton Quinn, etc. I think that will help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not the person on this site with #1 expertise but I think that's the simple answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1924" LastActivityDate="2015-04-19T06:16:35.127" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4996" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4979" CreationDate="2015-04-20T12:29:00.393" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, it's possible. But it won't look quite as good. There are two reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You are not Jason Bourne.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your attackers probably won't be trained martial artists.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8_zWBQXZj4&amp;amp;noredirect=1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This fight was recorded in Turkey&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2015-04-20T12:37:16.913" LastActivityDate="2015-04-20T12:37:16.913" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4997" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4950" CreationDate="2015-04-20T14:34:15.547" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Transfer of power&quot; may miss some of what can happen when a kicking leg is not retracted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An extended leg can pin or sweep/hook after an initial impact kick. Similarly, an impact kick can be delivered from an extended leg that was initially used to pin or sweep/hook. In some cases, this may actually be a retraction, but it's not a.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A leg point (toe, ball, instep, heel, shin, knee, thigh) can be used to press further after initial contact/impact (second strike without reset). This is seen in &quot;internal&quot; techniques. The second press may have better opportunity to uproot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An extended leg may be used to draw the opponent to attack the leg. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An extended leg can be used to advance after an impact kick. Consider &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/images/animations/blue/deashibarai.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Deashi Harai&lt;/a&gt; in judo, the sweeping foot can step in immediately after the sweep instead of withdrawing, forcing the opponent down more forcefully, and bringing the torso forward, setting up for a knee drop or similar follow on the prostrate opponent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondary use of an extended leg after a kick or sweep can be seen in advanced applications in Japanese styles as well as Chinese. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During training, one is more likely to practice withdrawal (no advance), because advance is more forceful, and dangerous; it's harder for the partner to roll out when being forced into the ground. Advancing sequences are less frequently shown, because they require greater precision to execute safely. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In combat, a kicking leg would be retracted or left out depending on subsequent opportunities and advantages. One doesn't stop and reset after execution of one move or a sequence, as is commonly done in training or exhibition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5792" LastActivityDate="2015-04-20T14:34:15.547" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4998" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5000" CreationDate="2015-04-21T11:54:32.783" Score="4" ViewCount="5734" Body="&lt;p&gt;First a bit of background: I am a runner and I do a fair amount of weight training, I am thus in good shape but very stiff.My aim is to reach a basic level. I am a serious and methodical practitioner of anything that I get involved in. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am interested in Krav Maga because it is a MA system that seems easy to grasp for a westerner and also quick to learn. Note that I am only secondarily interested in self defence aspects. I have the opportunity to join a local dojo where they are offering the option of one or two classes per week (1 hour each).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is: &lt;em&gt;Is it possible to reach a decent level with an hour a week training with an instructor and doing the rest alone?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5794" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-04-22T07:11:10.687" LastActivityDate="2015-05-01T09:06:31.853" Title="As a beginner, how many classe(s) a week to take?" Tags="|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="4999" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4998" CreationDate="2015-04-21T13:42:59.767" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;One class a week is basically nothing. On that schedule, nearly everybody progresses at a snail's pace and takes years to achieve even basic proficiency in the material. You'll forget more from week to week than you'll remember. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Two classes a week is the minimum to make progress. Three or more is recommended for actually picking up the movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-04-22T15:09:32.453" LastActivityDate="2015-04-22T15:09:32.453" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5000" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4998" CreationDate="2015-04-22T04:50:29.750" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are pros and cons to only going once a week vs. twice a week.  Because of this I am going to set up a list.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Going Once a Week&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;           Pros &#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You won't learn the system very fast, so it gives you more to do in the long run.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You will find every week a challenge!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;      Cons&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You won't learn the system very fast or effectively.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You will find every week challenging because your conditioning won't really improve.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You will fall behind your classmates and partners.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You won't be able to develop a good relationship with the teacher so your progress will be slowed because they won't be as able to assist you in the ways you need.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Going Twice (preferably more) Per Week&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;           Pros &#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You will learn quickly and be able to get a solid base for your style.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your conditioning will improve, as will your strength, quite quickly.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You will advance more quickly due to picking up the system faster.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You'll develop a good raport with the instructors so they will be able to help you in a more personal way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;      Cons&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You will have to take one more hour(plus travel) out of your week.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ummmm....  Nope.  That's it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope this list was informative and helpful.  Honestly, you should definitely go twice or more a week plus practicing on your own is a good idea.  Going once a week and practicing on your own isn't actually that good of an idea because you might inadvertently be practicing with bad form and ingraining that into muscle memory which is much worse for you in the long run.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Also, if you are only secondarily interested in self-defense then Krav Maga is probably not for you.  It is a self defense system, not a martial art per se.  It has no sport applications and the methodology of it is different from most traditional martial arts.  True, you can get the basics down quickly and it is easy to grasp, but if your focus isn't self-defense you may find yourself disappointed with it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;tl;dr&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No matter what art or system you learn, go to more than one class a week.  You will improve faster and better than if you only go once.  Krav Maga isn't a sport and should not be treated as such, though it is a great augment to any human experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5713" LastActivityDate="2015-04-22T04:50:29.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5001" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4998" CreationDate="2015-04-22T16:53:20.760" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In a broad way, you can divide martial arts training into contact-focused or non-contact focused. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga, being primarily designed for defense, is contact-focused, and you're going to learn the most from working with partners.  Unless you plan on training with friends outside of class, learning is going to be slow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People try to come up with substitutes to allow solo training (heavy bag, wrestling dummies) etc. but these are always stand-ins and never as good as having lvie partners to work with - particularly since distance, timing, and feeling an opponent's muscle tension/movement, aren't reflected with objects.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since you mentioned self defense is not a primary goal, you can also look at more traditional weapon arts or form based arts where you can get something to practice solo without a partner, and still &quot;get&quot; something from going once a week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-04-22T16:53:20.760" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5002" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4973" CreationDate="2015-04-24T21:59:14.823" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;I clacked my teeth together during a takedown and ended up with a tiny chip of one of my front teeth. Now I never get on the mats without a mouthguard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have trouble breathing with a normal mouthguard, ask your dentist for the kind of guard meant to prevent damage if you grind your teeth when you sleep. It's a little thinner and harder, and won't be any good for striking disciplines, but they work great if you're worried about a chipped or cracked tooth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5797" LastActivityDate="2015-04-24T21:59:14.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5003" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4662" CreationDate="2015-04-26T18:13:50.283" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I teach Kyokushin karate and I've taught the many different ways a roundhouse kick can be executed. However these can be boiled by 2 different characteristics: the striking area (i.e. Ball of feet, instep and lower shin) and the power mechanics. With power mechanics there are 3 distinct forms: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;1st the TKD style where the leg is brought up vertically like a front kick with knees bent and the hips are turned at the last minute where the feet are flipped out. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;2nd, the traditional karate style where the knee is cocked but the leg is already horizontal to the ground at the sides. Both the these styles use the quads for power. The tkd style is quicker, deceptive but has slightly less power than the traditional karate style which because of the longer distance the foot has to travel is less deceptive, slightly slower in terms of reaction time but gives more control where the foot is expected to be pulled back to prevent it being caught and gives the fighter more balance. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The 3rd style is where want swings the leg like a baseball bat ala Muay Thai style. This is obviously the most powerful but it is not deceptive and will unbalance the fighter if the target is missed, thus exposing him especially his sides and back. Hence one would use any of these style of kicks depending on the situation. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For striking areas, I tend to use my shins when targeting the thighs and ribs, swinging my leg like a bat. I also use the ball of my feet for ribs and neck using a traditional karate style of delivery. In prolonged fights when I tire out (eg 30 man Kumite) I would conserve energy and use the ball of my feet. It requires more skill to use. On insteps, I tend to use it for high kicks to the jaw, temple or back of ear. I would use the tkd style as it is deceptive, forcing my opponent to execute a low block in anticipation of a front kick to the midsection. All in all I would all the different type of roundhouse whenever I fight. It keeps my opponent guessing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5799" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2015-04-27T16:50:08.683" LastActivityDate="2015-04-27T16:50:08.683" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5004" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5005" CreationDate="2015-04-28T19:52:34.580" Score="7" ViewCount="2662" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've just started sparring in muay thai, and yesterday nearly had a lower tooth make a break for it (yay for permanent retainers!). I have a boil-and-bite mouth guard, but I also have the world's most Ridiculous Gag Reflex [patent pending] (I've had specialist dentists with 35+ years under their belts tell me it was the worse they've ever encountered).  I also have a rather small mouth, so the adult ones just don't work for me; I've tried and tried, but cannot get it all the way over my back teeth without gagging within a few seconds.  And the youth ones aren't long enough to make me feel like my teeth would survive an unblocked punch or kick.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, suggestions?  I've read on other threads about having a custom guard made by my dentist, and will be talking with her about that.  But if there's another way to do this, or maybe a type/brand of guard that really works with those of us with Ridiculous Gag Reflexes, please share!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1545" LastActivityDate="2015-04-30T15:18:48.977" Title="Mouthguard for sparring with extra special gag reflex" Tags="|muay-thai|sparring|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5005" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5004" CreationDate="2015-04-29T10:31:45.690" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming that you cannot train yourself out of the Ridiculous Gag Reflex [patent pending]&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;, you could get a dentist to make your a custom made mouth guard. It might well be expensive but probably cheaper than having your teeth replaced. You may as well consider using sparing helmets as they might help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;1. I have no idea how you would even go about doing that...&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2015-04-29T10:31:45.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5006" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5004" CreationDate="2015-04-30T15:18:48.977" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Another thing you can do if you have a small mouth is to go the children/teen area of a large box sporting good store. They will have quite a few different sized mouthguards in various configurations for different aged athletes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a personal recommendation, I really like the Shock Doctor brand mouthguards. They do &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12634056&amp;amp;cp=4406646.4413993.4415818.12137921.4414415&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;have one model&lt;/a&gt; available in both youth and adult sizes that tapers down very low at the back, this might help with the RGR that you have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2015-04-30T15:18:48.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5007" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4915" CreationDate="2015-04-30T20:27:29.203" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Go see a sports trainer or physical therapist who can do a good analysis of what's going on with your knees.  This doesn't have to involve X-rays or anything, a session of checking range of motion, strength testing various muscles, etc. should give them a good idea of what's going on, and what exercises will help.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There could be a whole lot of DIFFERENT issues going on, and the treatments for one issue could exacerbate another, if you don't know what's happening.  Most people it comes down to imbalanced training of their legs and needing to strengthen some things... but it's better to know exactly what it is so you don't hurt yourself trying to make things better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muscle Soreness&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Knees hurting&quot; could be muscle soreness - as muscles both in the thigh and the calf attach all around the knee.  Particular movements might over stress particular muscles, in which case, directed exercises and strength training could make a world of difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This might be resistance training (which is generally good) and/or coordination training, such as balancing so your muscles can activate in time to work as stablizers effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tendon issues&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tendonitis might be a cause, which there is no specific exercise, but rather giving it a rest to reduce swelling.  It tends to be chronic and you will probably be best off finding alternate techniques in your training to prevent triggering it.  (Notice that this is the opposite of the strength training solution...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tendon tears - this is a big problem and if you're suffering it, you're going to have to change your training program immediately.  Microtears usually don't result in immediate performance issues outside of pain, but you can eventually destroy the whole tendon this way, and of course, it indicates you're applying more force than what your body can take, and the odds of a full tear are significant.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cartilage&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cartilage problems usually don't give you pain until things have gotten really terrible.  That said, you don't ever want to get there.  Bad training, unlucky genetics as far as how your body is built, and things like early arthritis can all cause this.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The solutions will definitely involve changing your training and possibly surgery as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-04-30T20:27:29.203" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5008" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1753" CreationDate="2015-05-01T06:02:33.627" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suggest Judo and/or boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both of these are easily transferable around the world, nearly every town in every country has these.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This could actually benefit you, as you will get to see different approaches and styles of the same arts and give you an edge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ronda Rousey is probably one of the best fighters alive, and she is schooled in Judo - all of her training is there for a purpose to help her UFC fighting and nothing else. I can say from experience that no matter how many miles you put in on the road, or hours in the gym, nothing is like being thrown around like a rag doll on a judo mat for the first time by someone half your size!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastActivityDate="2015-05-01T06:02:33.627" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5009" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4998" CreationDate="2015-05-01T06:37:44.047" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I reckon, to set the foundation for anything (Martial Arts or anything really) you need about 100 hours of dedicated training (As suggested by the other answers above).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Divide that over any number of weeks and sessions you want, it doesn't all have to be with an instructor, but the 100 hours should be relatively focussed on the art itself, and not the supporting conditioning that goes with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, doing push ups and squats may be useful in building strength to kick and punch, but in the end if you do lots of push ups, you get better at doing push ups.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, learning Martial Arts on your own is a bit like learning to play basket ball on your own, you can get great at getting the ball in the hoop, but add another person in to play with you and suddenly your abilities aren't as good as you think they are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Probably worth thinking of the 100 hours in context, for example, 100 hours of learning the art will still mean that you need another 100 hours of controlled fighting/sparring, but this still equals zero 'real' fighting, so always best to remember that too. You can replicate reality to a point, but it's never real. I was lucky that I was in my teens and went through that arrogant stage early and didn't get myself into too much trouble. I knew others that did though, and many blackbelts which got completely flattened by people who had never had a days training, but had clocked up many real fights so knew what reality was like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note; The idea of '100 hours' is a personal observation based on Malcolm Gladwell's notion of the fact that it takes '10,000 hours to become an expert' that he made famous. From other personal observations I wondered if the pattern was similar for non-expert. It appears to be e.g. a Shotokan Green belt (a foundation grade) would be around 12 months twice per week (100 hours). The effort (in hours) always seems to be more relevant than the duration. Same for other disciplines including sports, playing instruments, even how well people performed at work in certain tasks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastEditorUserId="5804" LastEditDate="2015-05-01T09:06:31.853" LastActivityDate="2015-05-01T09:06:31.853" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5010" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4672" CreationDate="2015-05-01T09:17:38.547" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your potential for a split will depend on a few things. If you look at Tom Kurz's work on stretching it will go into more detail, but in short, do deep goblet squats (or front squats) and as you build your strength move apart your legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason is the correct positioning for a box or front split is actually a very, very deep squat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although if your aim is to become better at kicking, static stretching is quite pointless and not a good use of your time, other than to cool down at the end of a workout perhaps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to improve your kicking abilities, focus on dynamic stretching and strength training, this is the best DVD I've seen on the subject; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stadion.com/power-high-kicks-with-no-warm-up/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.stadion.com/power-high-kicks-with-no-warm-up/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can, at anytime, even after my current long absence from training still kick to the head with no warm up as a result of this training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastActivityDate="2015-05-01T09:17:38.547" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5011" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4940" CreationDate="2015-05-01T20:36:11.490" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've covered this briefly in another answer, but splits don't help kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should, in around 6 weeks be able to achieve your maximum kicking height doing dynamic stretches (leg swings).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each morning, do between 1 to 3 sets of 10 leg swings to the front, side and back. You don't need to force this or feel pain, just swing until you can't swing any further. If you have correct technique, your ability to kick higher should come very quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You won't however see any improvement in a static split, but you will be able to kick over head height which should please your instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you choose to do splits anyway, goblet squats/front squats as deep as you can will help strengthen your legs in the split position. If done correctly, an increase in the width of these squats will result in a split (a very wide squat is a split after all).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go to www.stadion.com for references, particularly &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stadion.com/flexibility-express/&quot;&gt;http://www.stadion.com/flexibility-express/&lt;/a&gt; for splits and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stadion.com/power-high-kicks-with-no-warm-up/&quot;&gt;http://www.stadion.com/power-high-kicks-with-no-warm-up/&lt;/a&gt; for high kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both advocate deep squats.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an aside, I don't train anymore, but can still, at any time kick above head height as a result of the dynamic stretching I used to do. My ability to do a split has diminished however as my strength has declined, it takes me about 3 to 4 weeks of strength training to get back into a reasonable split. I say this as dynamic stretching will be far more useful to you in training and in future than being able to do a split.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastActivityDate="2015-05-01T20:36:11.490" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5012" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4979" CreationDate="2015-05-03T06:43:58.353" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Key thing to think about is would you want to fight the same way? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I observe multiple attackers in movies and notice that if i were in the same situation there is no way i would position and fight in the same way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;watch carefully, ignore who wins and loses, just think would you do the same thing? Does it make sense?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you see a big spinning kick, im sure a hard kick to the knee would be more effective?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;remember a kick to the head is about the same distance as a punch would be, I love kicking, I really do, but in a real fight my feet will likely stay on the ground with the exception of a leg kick maybe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So when it comes to the movies, good guys fight stupid and are lucky that the bad guys are even more stupid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastActivityDate="2015-05-03T06:43:58.353" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5013" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4515" CreationDate="2015-05-04T06:57:14.313" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I boxed at university, i suggest that it's largely due to you being so new to it, and more so that you've been training a lot for a novice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Press ups can cause wrist and elbow pain, jarring on the heavy bag will cause wrist and elbow pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It makes sense when you think that you are causing pressure to occur over and over between the dozens of bones in your arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First thing is go easy, focus on technique and not power, let your coach know you are having problems, and practice push ups on you knuckles to get the alignment of your punching hand correct (if you struggle with push ups on your knuckles it's no wonder your having problems a hard hit on the heavy bag is more stress than knuckle push ups).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, if you go and train legs in the gym, your legs get sore in the beginning, the same thing is happening to muscles you haven't used before in your arms. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;all the above said, I would caveat that I'm not a doctor and I would suggest getting checked out in case there is an underlying issue, and even if I were I couldn't diagnose you from the above, and the above is based purely on my own experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastActivityDate="2015-05-04T06:57:14.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5014" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5016" CreationDate="2015-05-04T21:42:00.353" Score="8" ViewCount="386" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am considering joining a certain dojo but have some doubts. I practised before shito-ryu for a year, and I am starting again. I am about to join a dojo, and the following are the pros and cons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pros:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Convenient schedule&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The sensei is 5 times national champion, has been trainer of the national karate selection. She is cool and explains very well, she KNOWS her stuff.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fellow karatekas in the dojo are nice and welcoming. Has not been the case in other places I have tried.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Good combination combat, kihon, kata&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, there are some things that have me doubting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The sensei has modified the 'official' katas of the style. She 'mixed' some parts of pinan shodan, with pinan nidan and so. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I have heard the sensei bad mouthing other sensei of the same style. Seems she does not like the local community of the style. I asked her about going to some weekend short courses organized by the community and she said 'I can not forbid you to go if you want', but it is more up to individual initiative and the club does not participate.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is somewhat expensive. Starting September the sensei wants a year paid in advance. Is a lot of money and I told her, 'I can pay half a year' and she said 'I have to consult with my business partner, we can see how to fix it', but still the cost is somewhat over the average.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Should I join or not?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5809" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-05-05T07:18:54.120" LastActivityDate="2019-01-20T20:31:58.183" Title="Should I join the dojo?" Tags="|karate|dojo|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5015" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5014" CreationDate="2015-05-05T00:49:40.117" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It all depends on you honestly, she might have her reasons for asking for advance. Since these days, martial arts training centers are like in every other block (at least where l live). And it's quite natural for somebody who have that much experience to mix different styles. My sensei is a 5 dan aikidoka and also have a black belt in arnis, so often time I train in both. Only thing I don't like is her badmouthing others. But there are dojos out there who don't really know what they are doing, still it's not a good thing to do. For a while, I trained Muay Thai and Tai chi, and when I told my sensei about it, he was quite happy about it and asked about my experience. But as I have said, it all depends on you. If you think she is a good teacher, and you can fund it, go for it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5810" LastEditorDisplayName="user5562" LastEditDate="2019-01-20T20:31:58.183" LastActivityDate="2019-01-20T20:31:58.183" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5016" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5014" CreationDate="2015-05-05T01:33:00.887" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The sensei has modified the 'official' katas of the style. She 'mixed' some parts of pinan shodan, with pinan nidan and so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's pretty worrying.  It's not uncommon for schools to have slightly different &quot;interpretations&quot; of the same gross movement (e.g. one to say something's a block while another says it's a strike - but the limbs are moving in roughly the same way).  It's another thing to arbitrarily change entire sections of kata.  I've more tolerance for instructors supplementing kata with one or two unique to the school, though have never been very comfortable with that either.  Still, in the end this won't have a particularly significant effect on how well you learn the art, so I'd say it's more a troubling sign than a actual problem.  If you get the chance, you might ask her about the reasons for the changes - if she bites your head off, or is vague on justifications - both signs it's better not to train there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I have heard the sensei bad mouthing other senseis of the same style. Seems she does not like the local community of the style. I asked her about going to some weekend short courses organized by the community and she said 'I can not forbid you to go if you want', but it is more up to individual initiative and the club does not participate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are all sorts of possible reasons for that, some justified and some not.  For example, she might have found in the past that these other sensei presumed to &quot;correct&quot; or instruct her students with what she's convinced is poor advice; deeming the changed kata &quot;wrong&quot; would be one likely area of contention.  There could also be tensions left over from previous discussions about merging into some larger organisation, or collaborative events in which there were misunderstandings about financing or roles etc..  If you do train there, perhaps keep an ear out for the exact things she says about other senseis - see what motivates them.  It's a good sign that her students are friendly - suggests she's not just a spiteful person in general, creating a toxic training environment.  It's also a good sign that she's part of the national martial arts association - at least she's prepared and able to interact with some other instructors and schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is somewhat expensive. Starting september the sensei wants a year paid in advance. Is a lot of money and I told her, 'I can pay half a year' and she said 'I have to consult with my business partner, we can see how to fix it', but still the cost is somewhat over the average.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's a bad sign, considerably worse than asking for direct debit payments which would also give her reasonable financial security, but has to be weighed against the skill, experience, knowledge and reputation she's built up.  If her tuition is clearly in demand, and you see the existing students are of a high standard, with a good number at all grades, and they clearly respect her, then it may be worthwhile.  Still, if you can pay the next few months - prior to September - without committing further just yet, it gives you enough time to decide whether to renew for a year.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On balance, I'd say give it a try if you can afford it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2015-05-05T01:33:00.887" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5017" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5014" CreationDate="2015-05-05T07:30:31.320" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just looking at the negatives...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuhari&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;守破離 (Shuhari)&lt;/a&gt; is a common concept in Japanese martial arts: to obey (守/shu) , to digress (破/ha), and to leave (離/ri) any style. It &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; be that said sensei is in the 破 (or digress) stage of her progression. It &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; be hubris but that is hard to gauge on your information alone. This could explain her &quot;bad mouthing&quot; other instructors. Her pedigree (if true) seems to point to the former and not the later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts are always a clash of egos. Bad mouthing others is sadly more common than not.  Some do it more stubbly than others but it happens all the time. It is possible that said sensei is just that much better than everyone else. It is possible that there are unknown personal issues.  Who knows? I would stay the hell away from it all as all it will do is poison your own training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The one year fee is a little more worrying. It is a sign of a McDojo. Note that it is a sign and not necessarily true. I would love to run my dojo with an annual fee as it would make my accounting so much simpler ^_~. That said, it is a good sign that she is willing to accommodate you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, six months is not too bad. I would train with her and see what you learn within those six months. If you are having fun, are learning new and interesting things, and feel that her way is beneficial to your growth, then stay for longer. Otherwise, seek tuition elsewhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2015-05-05T07:30:31.320" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5020" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5014" CreationDate="2015-05-06T04:16:18.623" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you like the Dojo - if the schedule is convenient, teacher is good and people are nice, join the group. It is better to join a Dojo than not. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not worry too much about the &quot;purity&quot; of the style. As long as whatever is being taught in the Dojo makes sense and as long as you learn and progress, practicing always beats not practicing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastActivityDate="2015-05-06T04:16:18.623" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5021" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4359" CreationDate="2015-05-06T15:26:40.647" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Along with the comments above about how knockouts actually happen, it's worth mentioning also that losing consciousness does not necessarily involve fainting. As the name might indicate, it's about conscious movement, and the repeated training means a fighter may continue acting for several seconds, sometimes enough to recover. It's actually a danger in the ring that referees have to look out for, when a fighter is literally going through the motions, because it increases the risk of them harming themselves, and because further head trauma at that point can lead to severe injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-05-06T15:26:40.647" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5022" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4359" CreationDate="2015-05-07T07:50:09.193" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you watch a number of knockouts, you'll see that in each case, the guy's head moves when he gets knocked out. On the other hand, your MMA fighters' heads don't move when they get punched. It's the sudden movement that slams the brain into the skull that causes the knockout. Think of a car running into a wall. If it goes through, the people inside are fine. If the wall stops it, the people inside come flying out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-05-07T07:50:09.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5024" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4865" CreationDate="2015-05-09T06:19:45.223" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind that Tae Kwon Do for all intents and purposes might as well BE Shotokan/JKA.  Your proposed plan sounds like a lot of duplication of effort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S. I have seen people with white belts competing in the black belt division.  You can BUY a belt, if you absolutely need the right color to compete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5822" LastActivityDate="2015-05-09T06:19:45.223" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5025" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2015-05-09T06:57:50.643" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;When you said ''Shaolin Monk'' I knew the answer you really need to hear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;RUN, do not walk, away from that school.  It's as if you said you wanted to go into business with a convicted embezzler... it &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; work out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5822" LastActivityDate="2015-05-09T06:57:50.643" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5029" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4385" CreationDate="2015-05-09T07:26:11.507" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, you can definitely learn from a book.  People in martial arts far too often deny that because they won't admit that that is exactly &lt;em&gt;why&lt;/em&gt; people write books.  As a lad, I learned three entirely different systems from books so I knew the curriculum before I showed up for the first class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, eventually you'll find it valuable to train with other people.  Just don't let ''eventually'' hold you back.  There may be a stick-fighting teacher coming to your town in a month or two. Stranger things have happened.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5822" LastActivityDate="2015-05-09T07:26:11.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5030" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4295" CreationDate="2015-05-09T07:34:40.570" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;One reason is they're fun, and fun is the best thing to have; also, to paraphrase Trotsy I think, ''You might not be interested in weapons, but weapons are interested in you.''&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5822" LastActivityDate="2015-05-09T07:34:40.570" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5034" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5035" CreationDate="2015-05-09T15:27:34.640" Score="13" ViewCount="1124" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been taking up Tae Kwon Do for three years, but stopped since it didn't feel right for me. So I've taken up Arnis or Eskrima instead. Been doing so for three years too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And then I realized that why Tae Kwon Do didn't feel right for me was because I found it somewhat violent. I found Arnis and Karate better for me, since then I can focus on technique and strategies. Though the lol part of this is that those two can be violent too. So I'm not really sure why until now I describe Tae Kwon Do as violent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think I'm a better sparrer with Arnis than with Tae Kwon Do, and I realized that it's because I can somewhat disassociate the violent part in my head with how Arnis spars are done compared with Tae Kwon Dos. And I realize that the spars I'm good at are the ones where one would have to do the first hit and avoid getting hit, and the other hits have the techniques evaluated. I'm not good at the one where one would have to hit your opponent as in continuously and the number of hits for that period of time is evaluated. I just can't muster up the drive to continuously hit my opponent. It's like something can't connect in my mind, and I find it violent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sorry if I can't describe the difference between the two kinds of spars/competition styles effectively since I've taken a hiatus due to studies. This problem has just been a thought that lingered with for so long.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now my problem is I think it's still holding me back from my performance with sparring and competitions (with Arnis in the future), and I actually want to do better. I mean I think I can do better. I don't like this feeling holding me back from anything or from implementing my technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that it's most likely psychological. In a real fight I think I can go full on. And with the other parts of training, where we have to defend ourselves or disarm the opponents I'm actually good at those.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I don't know, it's like something (or a feeling) is holding me back greatly when it's with body part to body part sparring. The feeling's lessened when it's with stick sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I actually tried visualizing that my opponent is some killer or rapist, but it just won't stick since in reality, my opponent is really not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I was wondering if somebody else encountered someone who had this same problem? Or had this problem and how to overcome it? Or suggestions on how to solve this problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5723" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-05-14T12:54:05.523" LastActivityDate="2015-05-20T09:54:15.260" Title="How to deal with an &quot;anti-violence&quot; instinct during sparring?" Tags="|sparring|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5035" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5034" CreationDate="2015-05-09T18:15:43.147" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;What you're describing is a sensitivity to your own violent thoughts and actions. You feel bad even thinking about inflicting pain on a training partner, even if it's just a &quot;tap&quot; which you know causes no real pain. Just the thought of hitting someone over and over again causes you to feel bad. And so after 3 years of being in a style that practices that way, you decided enough was enough and walked away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're fine when you're just going over techniques and strategies, because it's all nicely controlled, and there's no hard impact. It's analytical. There isn't much room for emotion in that context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas, when you spar, you're engaging your emotional mind in addition to your analytical mind. That's when you begin to feel sensitive about violence. That in turn causes a great deal of anxiety and stress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring is a stressful situation, also. If you're not paying attention, or if you make a mistake, then you get hit. And Taekwondo teaches an aggressive form of sparring, whereby an offensive approach is instilled in the student from day one. You're taught to keep moving, keep attacking, keep pressure on your opponent. And if you don't do that, you usually get hit a lot. So it forces you to dial up your aggression. For sensitive people, that can be overwhelming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm actually surprised you stayed for 3 years. I would have told you to leave after the first few times you felt this way. It's clearly not healthy for you to be there. It causes you to feel anxiety and stress, so why keep putting yourself through it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, I know that towards the 3rd year of Taekwondo, that's when things start getting more serious for a lot of people. That's when you enter the advanced colored belt ranks and start preparing for black belt. Things can get more serious and intense. I guess it makes sense that this is when you decided to get out of there. A lot of people leave right about then.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you really do want to return to Taekwondo someday, my advice would be to try to reframe sparring in your mind so that it means something different to you. Then you won't feel the anxiety and stress that you do now. You can do that a number of ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, instead of feeling like you're trying to harm someone during sparring, you might try to think of it as helping them instead. If you're not trying to win, you're doing your opponent a disservice. He/she loses an opportunity at improving. So you're not being helpful unless you try to win. Realizing that might change some things for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing you might try is to think of sparring as a game. Lots of people think of it mostly as a game. It's fun. It merely looks violent. They hit their opponent, but they don't hit hard enough to cause pain. Think of it as a game of Tag. When you're sparring, pay attention to your own thoughts. Are your intentions to cause harm? Are you angry? You mentioned envisioning your opponent as a killer or a rapist. Don't do that. Think of your opponent as being your friend, instead. And you're having fun with him/her. You're playing. It's a game. When you feel bad intentions, acknowledge having those thoughts, and quickly try to think of happier thoughts. Smile. Relax. Breathe deeply. Remain loose, but confident and happy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Doing those kinds of things might help you reframe this in your mind from something that's violent and aggressive to something that's fun and stress relieving, like a game. Or something that's helping you and your classmate improve and succeed, giving it purpose beyond being a mere game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Part of this, I suspect, is also your Taekwondo instructors and the environment and culture at your Taekwondo school. You might try looking at other schools of Taekwondo near you to see if one of them is a little less aggressive and violent, more happy, positive, and playful. They exist. Not all Taekwondo schools are the same. Some Taekwondo schools spend a lot less time sparring than others, and when they do spar, they give people specific techniques, strategies, and goals to try, rather than just having people free spar at random.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the meanwhile, just realize you're doing fine. There's nothing wrong with you. You're just a highly sensitive person. Lots of people are the same as you. And you're now realizing that and taking appropriate actions to find a martial art that's a better fit for you. That's good. It's what you should be doing. That's part of what martial arts is about - becoming aware of who you are and what you want to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other thing. If you want to go a completely different route, try taking Judo or Brazilian Jiujitsu. I highly recommend it. They're based on grappling, not striking. You probably won't experience the same anxiety that you did when sparring in Taekwondo. Everything in Judo and BJJ is under more control than TKD. There are less injuries, also. You'll find that they never try to intentionally harm one another in practice, and they generally do care a lot about safety. When you do look for these schools, inquire about competition and whether or not it's required that you compete in order to gain rank. You might want to avoid those competition-focused schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2015-05-09T19:26:10.070" LastActivityDate="2015-05-09T19:26:10.070" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5036" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5037" CreationDate="2015-05-12T04:56:14.167" Score="-1" ViewCount="270" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am living in Osaka right now and am interested in learning Yoshinkan Aikido. I could not find a dojo so I need your help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5828" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-05-12T07:43:31.920" LastActivityDate="2015-05-12T07:43:31.920" Title="Looking for Yoshinkan Aikido Dojos in Osaka" Tags="|aikido|dojo|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2015-05-13T23:08:11.923" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5037" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5036" CreationDate="2015-05-12T07:42:48.367" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikidoryu.or.jp/eng/dojo/index.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This webpage&lt;/a&gt; lists several Yosinkan dojo's in Japan, but the link to the Osaka dojo leads to a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ryu-osaka.net/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Japanse website with no translation&lt;/a&gt;. However, if Google translate is any good, there are 3 places they train: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Beikomu gymnasium judo field, Amagasaki Nishinagasu cho 1-4-1&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Budokan Hibiki, Toyonaka Hattorinishi cho 4-13-2&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;DaiSusumu building 5F, Chuo-ku, Osaka Kyutaro cho 3-3-5.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastActivityDate="2015-05-12T07:42:48.367" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5038" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5040" CreationDate="2015-05-12T11:03:26.237" Score="-3" ViewCount="570" Body="&lt;p&gt;In this episode of Discovery Channel, Isao Machii, Modern-Day Samurai, Cuts a speeding Pellet in half.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzhs1Z8Rwnk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzhs1Z8Rwnk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now they are in awe, and a professor admits his speed is faster than known reaction speeds, or even cognitive speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there's no explenation as to how this Samurai practitioner got this fast. No inside story.. anyone?&lt;br&gt;&#xA;What's his spiritual explanation?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5829" LastActivityDate="2015-05-12T15:32:48.983" Title="Why is this samurai able to chop pellet gun bullets" Tags="|speed|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5039" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5046" CreationDate="2015-05-12T11:28:32.517" Score="5" ViewCount="3630" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm currently going to a gym where one trainer knows kick boxing. I told him that i want to learn.  He told me that he will teach me without punching bag and that he also learned without them. That sounds bit suspicious to me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it possible to do so? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5830" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-05-12T12:52:43.907" LastActivityDate="2015-05-13T13:51:01.203" Title="Is it possible to learn kick boxing without punching bag?" Tags="|boxing|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5040" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5038" CreationDate="2015-05-12T15:32:48.983" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This man is probably utilising Getsumei No Michi (Moonlit path). It sounds much more mystical than it actually is though. It is simply a mental technique for heightening your senses naturally (as opposed to utilising psychotropic drugs). It's not a spiritual exercise so much as an exercise in &quot;daydreaming&quot; until you reach a state of heightened sensitivity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ever felt like time slowed down during a scary event like a car crash? Getsumei No Michi allows you to enter this state by choice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The technique is roughly speaking the opposite of meditation. Meditation has you focusing on one thing, Getsumei No Michi has you focusing on nothing, and letting your mind wander (kind of like daydreaming).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-05-12T15:32:48.983" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5041" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-05-12T18:52:37.473" Score="6" ViewCount="1440" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I spar, I often jam my toes from throwing push-kicks (teeps). This kick is no problem for me in training, but I think the jamming happens when my partner parries or otherwise blocks my teep, and then my toes get jammed or forcefully bent backward. I've heard that toe fractures are common from this type of incident, so I'm looking for tips to avoid such injury. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sure that improving my technique will help, but I'm also especially interested in gear recommendations. I'm already wearing shin guards with an instep piece, but they obviously don't protect my toes. Would something like a &lt;a href=&quot;http://smile.amazon.com/Ultimate-Training-Shoe-White-Black/dp/B000YC44C4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1431456632&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=ufc%20sparring%20shoe&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;treadless MMA sparring shoe&lt;/a&gt; give good protection and not interfere with Muay Thai sparring?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3227" LastActivityDate="2021-09-08T02:39:42.520" Title="Preventing jammed toes when throwing push kick" Tags="|muay-thai|sparring|injury|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5043" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5041" CreationDate="2015-05-12T20:59:32.300" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Honestly, when you get injured it is usually an oversight of timing and practice. I do not have any gear that I would recommend, but I would rather state this instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;code&gt;Take the time to to land the kick.&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This just means slow down what you can with your mind and envision the kick before actually committing to it. If you do not see it land it very likely will not land. Your partner will always give signs of their movements and the best time to do a &quot;Push Kick&quot;, or what I was trained to be called a Front Kick, is the second that they land on their back foot and are moving to the furthest side of your kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my experience that is going to be your best timing to do such a move. Gear could help you in the future, but you must be in control of your own movements to avoid true injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5832" LastActivityDate="2015-05-12T20:59:32.300" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5044" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3079" CreationDate="2015-05-13T12:35:06.997" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I trained in KFM (Andy Norman's Defense Lab - DNA) for nearly a year and found it to be half Hollywood fluff and half useful defense training. The good is that the technique is designed for close quarter combat and multiple opponents.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps it was just me, or the location where I trained, but I found the training style quite chaotic. When I trained in other martial arts (Judo and Mixed) I was taught basics and then how to turn those basics into advanced technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In DNA everyone trains together by year. As a result, you are not taught to progress from crawling to walking to running. Instead, the beginners (year1-tier-1 for argument sake) are training with the year-1-tier-2 people and new beginners can join as far as two months into the program. This didn't work well for me. I like to be taught fundamentals before trying anything more evolved. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the order is mixed where the first session you may be learning an advanced take-down because it is a year-1-tier-2 move without having previously learned and practiced the basic holds necessary to perform the advanced move properly. Many with whom I trained did fine with it. Even so, a lot of them (while looking good) never got the technique right. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have no experience with Krav Maga, but from what I read, I think I'm going to give it a try.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5833" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2015-05-13T12:49:56.420" LastActivityDate="2015-05-13T12:49:56.420" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5045" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5041" CreationDate="2015-05-13T12:53:15.183" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have any gear recommendations, but FWIW suggest:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;spending more time setting up the opponent before kicking&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;ensuring you're far enough from the opponent to lift the shin towards horizontal - clear of elbows - before extending your foot at the opponent&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;leading the extension with the heal, with the ball of the foot pulled back towards you (and the toes even more so) until shortly before impact when you can push the ball forwards if you see it's safe/useful to do so&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2015-05-13T12:53:15.183" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5046" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5039" CreationDate="2015-05-13T13:51:01.203" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since you're wanting more information I'm going to post an answer to try and help you move forward with your training and your goals. I'm going to have to assume you have no prior training in any martial art and would be considered a novice in your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This answer will 100% reference &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1753/how-should-a-novice-train-if-unable-to-join-a-dojo-yet&quot;&gt;Dave Liepmann's excellent answer&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first and most important part is don't try to do it on your own. There is a reason all martial arts developed in groups. As a developing student you will learn many of the rights and wrongs from a skilled and informed trainer. Without one you will struggle, develop bad habits, and most likely become disheartened. You have an opportunity to learn from someone and I recommend giving it a shot. If the trainer you are working with does not seem to provide any valuable training effort or seems like he/she does not have much confidence I would not move forward with their services.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other part of Liepmann's answer is there are other routes. &lt;strong&gt;Train&lt;/strong&gt;! Train any skill that gets you in shape. Focus not on punching, kicking, or martial arts in general. Just get in shape and be confident in yourself. Continue to look for a trainer until you find your right fit, but until then develop other skills that you will inevitably need in your advancement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, I sadly do not have any online resources. Though they could be there and may work for some I just never thought they were worth it. I had an in house &quot;dojo&quot; experience. I spent most my life being told my mistakes and then passing on my learnings to students. The most important part of that experience is having some one right there constructively telling me to do X when I thought I was doing X, but in fact doing Y. When you get a chance to experience that you will not want to watch a DVD or YouTube video.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will give one thing for a proper punch that I feel is the most important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take your arm and lift in front of you. Point your index finger to the center of the monitor. At this point your arm should be straight and your finger pointed directly to center of monitor. Now close your index finger so that you make a fist. (Touch base... Your fist should be closed with your thumb OVER your index and middle fingers) Continue to imagine you're pointing your finger at the monitor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you notice in doing so your now closed index and middle fingers are the forward most knuckles. A proper punch will directly hit an object with those two knuckles almost exclusively. If you now try to point ANY other direction other than at your target (center of the monitor) you will quickly see what an incorrect punch looks like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason you punch like this is because the way your hand is designed you have the full support by the bones in your arm to structure around protecting those knuckles from impact. Sadly the rest of your hand does not have that structure and will likely crumble even on a minimal hit. Save yourself the pain and time and practice pointing correctly and when you get a trainer have them verify and build on what I have told you. Even if they describe it differently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5832" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-05-13T13:51:01.203" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5047" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4732" CreationDate="2015-05-14T07:00:42.183" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For modern street self defense,  traditional arts are not a particularly efficient way too learn to protect yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido is fun though, elegant art and complements iaido nicely, my local school was full of egos especially When they found out i had a karate black belt, so i left before i got a chance to get advanced. i never got the chance to train elsewhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;edit&lt;/strong&gt; to clarify my answer Aikido is not good for street defence. my opinion is based on research. For reference purposes see Geoff Thomson books, and Angry white pajamas by Robert Twigger. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best defence is a good offense. Peter consterdine, Geoffrey thompson, Dave Turton, Jamie okeefe and many other validated self defence experts agree that preemptive strikes are the most effective way to defend yourself. Aikido has no strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally as a part of my &quot;he's a karate guy&quot; initiation I was always asked to be the that punched to Illustrate techniques. Even slow, basic punches from a standing start connected easily with Aikido black belts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;edit 2&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;Note for clarification; angry white pajamas is about doing the one year intensive course that the Tokyo riot police has to do, Twigger talks about its intensity but was skeptical on application,  apologies for not clarifying (very interesting read all the same). I think it is best for me not to be pulled into this any further as I've been in these types of discussions before and they never get anywhere. but to say that my comments come from assessment of many publications, self defence seminars with top instructors, as well as holding a 1st Dan in shotokan karate, belts in judo and kickboxing, silver medal British and irish universities amateur boxing 2001 as well as training in Aikido, systema, several other styles of karate, TKD and the British combat association. i know what I teach family and friends and I believe that 30 mins with me makes them safer in a confrontation than 6 months training in a traditional art (Good point on preemptive strikes in comments, although uk law is clear - if in fear of your safety, if you smile and say 'hhe got what he deserved' then you are in trouble!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastEditorUserId="5804" LastEditDate="2015-05-15T15:49:30.843" LastActivityDate="2015-05-15T15:49:30.843" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5048" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5034" CreationDate="2015-05-14T12:05:50.830" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Steve Weingard gave an &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/5035/424&quot;&gt;excellent answer&lt;/a&gt;, but I would like to highlight something that Steve also pointed out, but what might have been lost in the longer answer &amp;mdash; &lt;strong&gt;it is all in your head&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any martial art worth it's ropes must at some point introduce sparring or sparring like activities. If you are serious about practicing these arts, it is inevitably going to include sparring at relatively high intensity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning to deal with increasing level of intensity in these situations is something you will just have to learn to do. If done properly and introduced gradually, this is quite easy and natural process. It won't take long to reach intensity to a level that, to an outside observer, will look quite violent and aggressive, without actually having the feelings of violence and aggression yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key is the attitude that you take when entering the proverbial ring. The intensity of the sparring must be just a notch over your comfort level &amp;mdash; enough to keep you on your edge, but not so much as to make you feel totally out of your league...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most likely, when in your TKD class, you were introduced into a live play class that was operated on a way too high intensity level than you felt comfortable with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When done right, playing in a sparring match should feel more like an extremely fast-paced strategy game than a slugfest, while always keeping you at the edge of your capabilities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-05-14T12:05:50.830" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5049" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4657" CreationDate="2015-05-15T12:28:51.837" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think this one is going to be way too hard to answer exactly. I did some digging and all I could find was information on the one that I'm assuming is the most popular located in Korea. If you visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://itfofficial.org/membership/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;ITF Official&lt;/a&gt; you can see that their membership climbs to a claimed 14201 members. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This doesn't seem too far fetched as they are also claiming stake in 17 countries. I would assume there are a similar number for the other levels of what you state are apart of this original set up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is an &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.itf-administration.com/members/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;ITF Administration&lt;/a&gt; that claims 110 organizations. They do not claim a number of members directly on their site that I have found.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And here &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.itftkd.org/?n=information&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;ITF Hong Hi&lt;/a&gt; claims to have caused the spread of Taekwon-Do. This site supports that claim but seems to be separate. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tkd-itf.org/about-us/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;ITF (other?).&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwon-do is ever evolving, ever growing. There really could be a count that is created, but doing it separate doesn't make sense to me. In the end all of the forms follow a general baseline and all of the teachings follow a general model. Even if one is the most popular world wide it might not be popular in the region you're in or another reader is in. But knowing these separations are interesting enough!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5832" LastActivityDate="2015-05-15T12:28:51.837" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5051" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4532" CreationDate="2015-05-15T16:06:58.413" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;it may be worth considering wing chun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;mainly because many other arts mentioned are hard on the body from a physical training point of view to actually execute the moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note this is not based on any personal experience,  only research from books and personal observations that there seem to be more older people seem to continue to practice the art into old age.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastActivityDate="2015-05-15T16:06:58.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5052" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5200" CreationDate="2015-05-15T16:55:10.963" Score="4" ViewCount="1153" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know this has been asked before by the suggested Q&amp;amp;A after I typed in the question, but this is a bit different in that after kickboxing/Muay Thai/boxing/sparring I'm very rarely if ever sore but after BJJ (especially when live rolling after instruction is involved) I can hardly move. More often than not while I don't get very many advantageous positions I also don't get tapped very often either. My cardio honestly isn't that great being a bigger fighter (6 foot tall, 250 pounds, but working on reducing body fat percentage) but this is a kind of sore I only feel after doing high intensity interval training. Could it be something I'm doing wrong not being a very good ground fighter or is it just because I'm utilizing all my muscle groups and strength at once? Is there a way besides cold/hot soak, stretching, and fish oil to reduce soreness? Thanks in advance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5814" LastActivityDate="2015-06-30T07:15:21.177" Title="Tips for alleviating soreness?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|muay-thai|boxing|kickboxing|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5053" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4732" CreationDate="2015-05-16T15:14:40.427" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most of the techniques in aikido are based on creating an opening for you to manipulate/control your opponent through the use of leverage and/or pain.   In order to do that you are going to have to get within arms reach of your opponent or literally toe to toe in some cases :).  Aikido really shines when you can create that opening and use one of techniques i.e. (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBfFsbJ4orc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;ikkyō&lt;/a&gt;) to put your opponent into a pin.  Your opponent maybe be bigger, have more stamina and be angrier yet will have a hard time continuing if you are literally sitting on his or her arm.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may learn some strikes as a way to create some openings for you to do some of the techniques but most of the emphasis is on technique(s) itself.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5573" LastActivityDate="2015-05-16T15:14:40.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5054" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2015-05-16T17:49:31.083" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many people suggest taking up Aikido if one is an older beginner student. Personally I would hesitate to recommend that. Almost all Aikido techniques involve  take downs or throws and if you don't fall or roll correctly (which can take take a long time to learn) you can seriously hurt yourself. It would be very easy to dislocate a shoulder or break a collar bone while practising Aikido. I know from experience. Aikido is a fascinating martial art and beautiful to watch but just be aware that there is potential for a serious injury if not done correctly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5840" LastEditorUserId="5840" LastEditDate="2015-05-16T21:35:27.230" LastActivityDate="2015-05-16T21:35:27.230" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5055" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4914" CreationDate="2015-05-17T07:13:59.740" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;No, well-taught martial arts don't. Injury can. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The following suggestion is made sight unseen, and does not constitute medical advice or diagnosis. I say it because you describe a postural change I have observed many times in the past, with a common cause; other/different causes  are certainly possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The posture you describe corresponds to a postural compensation for an injured rib on your right side, towards the back (I'm guessing 8 or 9, sight unseen). Such injury probably occurred some time ago, ask your wife when she started to notice it. Other past injuries may also be involved; when, instead of resting and recuperating, we continue to train (or otherwise work hard) after an injury, we adjust our posture to favor the injured area(s), and learn to function that way. Unless we make a conscious effort to correct such compensatory postural changes after the injury has healed, we may continue with the distorted posture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunate that contemporary fighters are not taught to read posture, one can tell a lot about an opponent's weaknesses from a brief evaluation of stance and movement. &quot;Know yourself, know your opponent&quot;; one should also be reading one's own posture (and all other indicators) in order to monitor one's own health and capabilities. Such self-reading also gives us insights on the conditions of others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5792" LastActivityDate="2015-05-17T07:13:59.740" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5056" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4914" CreationDate="2015-05-18T13:41:46.060" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As with the above posters, I can see a possibility that sparring in martial arts could lead to bad posture because you're automatically curling to protect your vital organs. On the flip side of things, many martial arts that require back flexibility, such as capoeira, involve a lot of strengthening the muscles of the torso and learned movement in multiple directions and most people I've known in there tend to have good posture without really thinking about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, while there are many reasons to denigrate McDojos, their general emphasis on things like standing to attention before katas and always sitting with the back straight have, in my anecdotal experience, led to good posture in the people who've practiced it. I suspect that you'd probably see similar results in practices such as marching band and the military where a straight back is part of the aesthetics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-05-18T13:41:46.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5057" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2015-05-18T15:38:42.857" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The short answer, is you will learn a martial art, but will be unable to fight effectively. This is based on personal experience and backed up by a few authors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is based on the fact I learned more from boxing and judo (both full contact arts that focused on getting in front of another person) in a few months than I did from 10 years of Karate (and that was with a lot of light contact sparring).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In saying that, there is nothing wrong with continuing with your current practice, but if you do wish to gain experience in what it's like to stand toe to toe with different people, I suggest that boxing and judo are a great place to gain this experience. They are cheap, normally have clubs in every town and are an excellent way to learn timing and what it feels like to get hit. Alternatively, you could pressure test your current skills -  Perhaps read &quot;Animal Day&quot; by Geoff Thompson. This is a book about pressure testing the Martial Arts (this means you can figure out what your current techniques will do in a simulated 'real' fight). This can be dangerous so you need to take care and make sure you follow the instructions in the book carefully to build up to &quot;Animal day&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, and as an aside, I found that boxing (at an amateur level anyway) and judo are actually safer than other Martial Arts I tried because they were full contact. This sounds counter intuitive, but I got knocked out in semi contact a few times because we were using very light pads on hard floors and you were trusting the other person to have &quot;control&quot; - which took me years to figure out that it was complete stupidity! we would constantly be told 'control' 'control' which is great, as for 10 years, I learned how to not really hit someone!!!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did also do some semi contact kickboxing later on, and this was a little better as instead of 'control' it was more about not putting full power in, so you were still expected to hit each other, but as you had better protection it was okay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastActivityDate="2015-05-18T15:38:42.857" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5058" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5034" CreationDate="2015-05-18T18:57:07.820" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have a direct answer for you, but I'd like to address your statement that &quot;In a real fight I think I can go full on.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please note that this is not what usually happens. In an emergency situation, people generally revert to whatever they've practiced most, and if they've been practicing holding back, it doesn't bode well for outcomes.  It's like learning to swim: if you tell yourself that you can do it in an emergency even though you practice with a flotation aid, you are deluding yourself and better hope your life or someone else's never depends on your skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe this knowledge alone will motivate you to push through your aversions. Tell yourself that if you can't squeeze out a bit of violence in controlled, supervised practice, then it could cost you (or someone you need to protect) your safety later when you really need it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Caveats: Of course, you can't 100% replicate street violence in practice for safety reasons (it doesn't help to be prepared for a fight if the preparation itself reliably results in bad injuries). But within reasonable safety limits, you need to practice as accurately as you can. But if you are participating in martial arts without any particular goals of self-defense skills (and that's fine, too, there are many other reasons to want to study martial arts), then my line of reasoning may not help you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="698" LastActivityDate="2015-05-18T18:57:07.820" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5059" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-05-18T22:26:00.667" Score="-1" ViewCount="163" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've seen all sorts of stuff on the more philosophical side of karate, such as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) karate is not about aggression it is about self defense&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) there's no such thing as a first strike in karate &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) karate is about bio energy and studying the mechanics of the human body&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4) karate is about maintaining ones good health &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;5) karate is about being able to physically dominate another and making size of person not matter&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And there are some more. What questions do you think are the most important questions that karate, and martial arts, tries to answer? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5846" LastActivityDate="2015-05-20T01:30:21.460" Title="What sort of questions drive karate forward?" Tags="|karate|philosophy|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2015-05-26T14:26:46.510" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5060" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5059" CreationDate="2015-05-19T07:32:24.993" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Those things are important, but they are secondary to Karate's (and any other martial art's) purpose: learning how to be a good fighter. All these other things are aspects you need to study to be a good fighter. But the goal is and always will be: how to be better at punching and getting punched than the other guy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you lose focus on the primary goal, you miss out on all the secondary aspects too. Focus on the primary goal and the rest will follow. Like Jesus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-05-19T07:32:24.993" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5061" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5059" CreationDate="2015-05-19T12:23:18.617" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's simply wrong to think that different karate-ka have or should have the same motivations, perspectives and goals.  You ask what &quot;drives karate forward&quot; but when there's no consensus on destination there's no absolute forward and backward either.  However you look at it, very sincerely striving to master and be able to apply the fighting skills - without being hampered by concerned about the outcome - is the path to any and all destinations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2015-05-19T12:23:18.617" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5062" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5097" CreationDate="2015-05-19T16:01:36.563" Score="5" ViewCount="1688" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is actually relating to stage combat, but I suspect that traditional martial arts hold an answer to the problem. During a production of To Kill a Mockingbird, I need to fake stomping someone's elbow. I of course don't hit them with the stomp, but I need to strike the floor with some force to create sufficient noise and seeming impact. The problem is that I've been finding that the repeated impacts are causing a pain in my calf, specifically at the back near the knee. Normally, in a fight, some of the impact would no doubt be absorbed by my target, but I can't do that here. I've done the stomp with sandals, barefoot, and in the boots I'm wearing for the show, and it seems the same with all of them. Is there a trick to avoiding injury when the stomp doesn't hit a soft target, but rather the ground?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Solutions which I've tried so far are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Doing the professional wrestling method of adding lateral movement to avoid it all being downward strain — it works to a degree, but it still hurts a bit, and it creates more of a scuff noise than a stomp.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Letting my foot rebound more from the impact — I was told that it looked unrealistic&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hitting with the ball of my foot and letting the impact spread itself down as I move to the heel — creates a double sound due to how my boots are.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suppose that I can continue as I am — we open this upcoming weekend, so I've only got to do it about nine more times — but it bothers me that I apparently seem to be messing something up in the line of martial arts. Stomping a downed opponent was just something I never covered when studying, so I don't know much about technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-05-26T16:10:57.330" Title="How to avoid calf pain with heel stomp" Tags="|injury|kicking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5063" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5064" CreationDate="2015-05-19T19:28:10.070" Score="4" ViewCount="12098" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have place to hanging a punching bag, so I would like to know if it's good to place a punching bag leaning on the wall and punch it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5849" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2015-05-19T22:09:01.043" LastActivityDate="2015-05-20T23:45:40.250" Title="Using a punching bag without stand" Tags="|boxing|punching|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5064" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5063" CreationDate="2015-05-19T19:41:39.120" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It isn't ideal.  I don't think you're going to get much out of it, because part of punching bag training is reacting to the return swing.  Additionally, some of your force will be transferred through the bag into the wall, which could possibly damage the wall if it's dry-wall.  Also, the bag will probably not be the right height to punch without having to compromise your body structure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You also won't be able to deliver round kicks with your shin, because your foot needs to clear the rear of the bag.  I know you're only asking about punching, but just in case you want to kick, I thought I'd mention it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There exist free-standing heavy bag stands, if it's the case that you just don't want to hang the bag from the ceiling.  These are usually held in place with weights of the kind that you bench-press on the rear of the stand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you just want to punch something, and you aren't concerned with having a swinging target, you have two options:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Buy a kick shield.  Have a friend hold it, or find some way to strap it to a tree.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Punch a tree.  Just don't do it hard, and find a tree with smooth bark.  You won't be able to work your techniques as intensely as with a punching bag, but it &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; an option.  You may consider wearing hand-wraps for this purpose.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2015-05-19T19:41:39.120" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5065" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5059" CreationDate="2015-05-20T01:30:21.460" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You are mixing up karate (the art) and karate-do (the &quot;way&quot;, or &quot;the whole&quot;, one's journey with karate).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most schools and/or instructors weave spiritual (philosophical) teachings into their syllabus and training, this comprises the &quot;-do&quot; and is distinct from karate as an art. There can be a lot of commonality of the &quot;-do&quot; across styles but that's due to common sense and human nature (or common lineage). Teaching a particular style of karate does not stop the teacher putting their own personal spin on the &quot;-do&quot;.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;karate is not about aggression it is about self defense&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nope. In that sentence the word &quot;aggression&quot; should probably be replaced with the word &quot;attack&quot; - karate is about controlled aggression, the art teaches you the control. Strictly speaking karate is about beating your opponent and preserving your own safety. How a person becomes your opponent is a moot point, you need to beat him (or not be there Daniel-san).&lt;br&gt;&#xA;The &quot;-do&quot; aspect teaches you to not have bountiful flows of uncontrolled aggression outside of when you need it - IOW we don't want people walking the street being all Kobra-Kai aggressive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;there's no such thing as a first strike in karate &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Read literally that is just totally incorrect. I can defend myself the moment I believe my safety is in danger - that does not mean that I have to wait for someone to hit me first, I can certainly make the first strike if I need to.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;The &quot;-do&quot; aspect actually means one should try to live one's life without causing conflict (the &quot;first strike&quot;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;karate is about bio energy and studying the mechanics of the human body&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;bio energy&quot; sounds like one of those esoteric bunkum terms.  &quot;Mechanics of the body&quot; is a &quot;duh&quot; statement, as in &quot;Duh, well of course!&quot;. Body mechanics are heavily interwoven into the art, because it would be ineffectual without them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;karate is about maintaining ones good health &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another &quot;duh&quot; statement, except it has nothing to do with karate - it applies to life in general. Karate will have a beneficial impact on that goal, but will not be the sole reason for it. IOW, karate will contribute to your good health (ignoring injuries!), but it won't be the sole cause of your good health. Your pursuit of the &quot;-do&quot; aspect should also contribute to your good health.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;karate is about being able to physically dominate another and making size of person not matter&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is not philosophical, it is motivational and/or technical. It means that size determines nothing except the techniques and approach you use. You should be good enough that you can use the art despite the characteristics of your opponent or your own characteristics. Karate is no magical equalizer in itself. A smaller person who knows karate will (should) have a better chance against a bigger person who doesn't know karate, but if that bigger person does know karate then the advantage changes again - it now becomes who knows the art better, who can apply the appropriate techniques better, who can achieve better positioning within the immediate environment, etc. The person who knows karate can still be beaten by one who doesn't - karate doesn't guarantee anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2015-05-20T01:30:21.460" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5066" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5062" CreationDate="2015-05-20T07:59:45.103" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Put one or two inner soles in your shoe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-05-20T07:59:45.103" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5067" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5034" CreationDate="2015-05-20T09:16:37.127" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You may find a grappling art such as Judo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or wrestling easier to get into the mind set for. Once your more used to the &quot;game&quot; of sparing transferring this to striking is simpler.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With grappling the transition from drilling a technique with a partner (especially positional type moves) to using it against them is smoother. Your training partner can slowly increase the level of resistance from talking you through it up to actively attempting to prevent or counter you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5851" LastEditorUserId="5851" LastEditDate="2015-05-20T09:54:15.260" LastActivityDate="2015-05-20T09:54:15.260" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5068" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4913" CreationDate="2015-05-20T09:23:00.883" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a submission it's mainly a groin / hamstring  stretch - effectively forcing your opponent into a &quot;splits&quot; type position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's been a go-to move of mine from under half-guard for a while, be aware that those with good flexibility won't tap so be prepared to switch to the sweep. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5851" LastActivityDate="2015-05-20T09:23:00.883" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5070" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2402" CreationDate="2015-05-20T22:49:55.653" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a trained MMA fighter that has focused in Muay Thai and Boxing and let me tell you while the inside leg kick doesn't &lt;em&gt;look&lt;/em&gt; like much it certainly adds up and hurts like hell after a while. The purpose of them is to take away your opponent's base and while they may still be able to stand on that leg it certainly affects their power significantly. Also, as shown in Dave Leipman's reply/answer it's highly effective at setting up other attacks, whether it be a different kick or a straight punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: in my comment I say I do an inside leg kick with my lead leg. This is possible since I'm a southpaw and usually face orthodox fighters. When facing an opponent with the same stance this will have to be done with the power leg. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5814" LastEditorUserId="5814" LastEditDate="2015-05-23T01:43:42.303" LastActivityDate="2015-05-23T01:43:42.303" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5071" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5063" CreationDate="2015-05-20T23:45:40.250" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to expand on The Wudang Kid's answer in that I found a stand on Amazon for about $100. Alternatively you could also pick up a BOB but those are significantly more expensive, around $270. Should you go the tree route as suggested above I would definitely suggest at minimum hand wraps and nomex gloves and definitely go lighter on the punches. Hope this helps, good luck in your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knowledge source: Muay Thai figher, new jiujitsu practitioner, trained in Taekwondo, Boxing, and Muay Thai for over a decade.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5814" LastActivityDate="2015-05-20T23:45:40.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5072" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2015-05-21T07:58:36.917" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sparring is not required to be good at Martial Arts, but it can be useful. Sparring offers the ability to see patterns in someone's movement, their punches, and their kicks. Doing that you can see how different people move in different ways. With that you can understand how the human body works and know what someone might do right after that hook kick. It is also a good way to test a new kick or punch you learned, and see how well it works.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, you learn martial arts better through sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5854" LastActivityDate="2015-05-21T07:58:36.917" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5073" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-05-21T08:22:16.643" Score="2" ViewCount="89" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am an advanced high purple belt and I was told by my sensei that I should start going to tournaments to improve my experience. I have never been to nor seen a tournament, but I do not know if I should start going across the country. I am completely undecided on this, answering would be a lot of help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5854" LastActivityDate="2015-05-21T08:22:16.643" Title="Should I start going to tournaments?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2015-05-26T14:28:42.027" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5074" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5076" CreationDate="2015-05-21T18:00:43.887" Score="2" ViewCount="339" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have great interest in martial arts, especially in judo technique. I really want to learn it but there is no such training institute . Is it possible to learn it from book and video lectures or some sort of virtual training?  I am really looking forward to it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5859" LastActivityDate="2015-05-24T06:14:48.913" Title="Is it possible to learn martial arts only by myself?" Tags="|judo|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2015-05-26T14:26:18.770" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5075" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5074" CreationDate="2015-05-21T18:38:05.813" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, but in the same way you can learn to play violin by yourself, or learn a language by yourself. If you do not have a teacher who can comment on (aka critique your progress and give specific advice) it will be a challenge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3124" LastActivityDate="2015-05-21T18:38:05.813" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5076" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5074" CreationDate="2015-05-22T14:41:05.213" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If there's no local schools,  your best bet is either finding someone local who has done any decent amount of judo, or, finding a school or instructor in a related grappling art.  Any form of wrestling will give some related tools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Part of this is that grappling is about manuevering other people's bodies and manuevering your own around what they're doing - you can't really learn that alone.  The other part is that a lot of manuevers or actions can be trained safely, or unsafely, and having someone who has already done a grappling art will allow you to learn how to do that, instead of risking yourself or your partners going in blind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have some basis and people to train with, then you can really make use of videos - if you already have a good feel for balance, locks, etc. you can start to practice new ones you don't know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-05-22T14:41:05.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5077" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5086" CreationDate="2015-05-22T19:29:37.547" Score="4" ViewCount="539" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am planning to begin to taekwondo but I have seen &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPVuC6ugmAw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;. Yes, being the person that stands in the video is great but I guess that one cannot be that person without first being the guy that licks the mat real good (please correct me if I am wrong). So coming to point, I would like to start to taekwondo but I am a little bit intimidated by those heavy foots and heels landing right on to the faces of people in the video. So, I would like to ask, would you have any advices for me to overcome this and start to taekwondo with ease? Or is the answer to this question is simply: &quot;If you are a p*ssy, go find yourself another activity boy.&quot;? Thank you in advance, I thought the best place to ask this question would be here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5863" LastActivityDate="2017-07-20T16:28:19.840" Title="How to &quot;man up&quot; to begin a martial art?" Tags="|training|tae-kwon-do|teaching|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5078" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5077" CreationDate="2015-05-22T19:42:50.607" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;A good instructor will start your training with body conditioning and basic techniques.  It is unlikely you will be thrown to the on your first day.  As you become proficient in your skills, you may be invited to begin sparring with a partner (who should be matched to your size and skill level).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have courage, or as they say in Korean, Yong Gi.  You will learn by doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5864" LastActivityDate="2015-05-22T19:42:50.607" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5080" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4940" CreationDate="2015-05-23T05:08:46.517" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know this is an old question but I'm relatively new to this site and thought I could help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; do a 180 degree split if it's front to back but it's still at times difficult to kick an opponent in the head with a roundhouse. What has helped me, believe it or not, is yoga, specifically a pose called pigeon. &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KB8E2.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KB8E2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Pigeon pose&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sub&gt;(source: &lt;a href=&quot;http://massagetherapy-brighton.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/sport-yoga-pigeon-pose1.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;co.uk&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/sub&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What this does is help get a deep stretch into your hip flexors which will help with kicking height. When fighting I now find it easier to get in a head kick and &lt;em&gt;significantly&lt;/em&gt; easier to hit that all important liver kick. You can make the stretch even deeper by leaning down on your forearms on the ground once you feel the pull in your muscle. Hope this helps. Good luck&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5814" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2019-02-16T23:41:26.083" LastActivityDate="2019-02-16T23:41:26.083" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5081" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4873" CreationDate="2015-05-23T05:19:40.070" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started Muay Thai and boxing at 18, moved on to jiujitsu at 22, stopped everything for 8 years, started Taekwondo at 30, stopped everything &lt;em&gt;again&lt;/em&gt; at 32, started MMA at 34. I'm almost 35 and still doing MMA. It's never too early or too late to start anything as long as you go just barely outside your own comfort level (as a motivator to keep improving) and keep at it&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit, answer to the second part of your question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Honestly, I've always been a bigger dude. Still am. I fight at heavyweight without cutting but with the right regimen I could be fighting at light heavy, maybe even middleweight. I was mainly a street brawler, picking fights all the time, before learning martial arts. Oddly enough, the more I learned how to fight the less I did it and now I only fight if it's sanctioned or life and death/self defense. Remember to always keep calm and try to talk/walk out of a situation before deciding to fight. Not only will it prevent a lawsuit for damages but you don't know what your potential opponent knows either&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5814" LastEditorUserId="5814" LastEditDate="2015-05-23T05:25:23.523" LastActivityDate="2015-05-23T05:25:23.523" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5083" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2179" CreationDate="2015-05-23T20:57:33.373" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Shields were used historically in Chinese martial arts, made of woven stems such as rattan, or wood covered in leather, in various sizes and designs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Shaolin Kung-Fu, a round rattan shield (Tengpai) is sometimes used with the single-edged sword (dao).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/PRS3k.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;References: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mastershifusays.wordpress.com/pictures-shifu-yuan-shi-xing-wu/s-15/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Photo above&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;a href=&quot;https://mastershifusays.wordpress.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://mastershifusays.wordpress.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ancient Chinese Weapons: A Martial Artist's Guide, Dr Yang, Jwing-Ming, 1999 - this has an entire chapter on shields and armour&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Introduction to Shaolin Kung Fu, Wong Kiew Kit, 1981 - this contains a picture of the author with the &quot;single knife&quot;/&quot;waist knife&quot; (ox-tail dao) and rattan shield&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shaolin Kung Fu Sword and Shield Group SKFG - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSYQyzGCbk0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;YouTube video&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://chinesemartialstudies.com/2013/01/28/a-social-and-visual-history-of-the-hudiedao-butterfly-sword-in-the-southern-chinese-martial-arts/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;A Social and Visual History of the Hudiedao (Butterfly Sword) in the Southern Chinese Martial Arts&lt;/a&gt; has some photos of shields used by a rural militia in the Second Opium War (1856-1860), for example:&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/FAQsN.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1553" LastEditorUserId="1553" LastEditDate="2015-05-25T20:54:52.300" LastActivityDate="2015-05-25T20:54:52.300" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5084" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1835" CreationDate="2015-05-23T23:08:33.817" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I do bong-sao, I am very tensed as well. Found out that staying &quot;tall&quot; and thinking &quot;tall&quot; + putting the shoulder back into it's socket, relaxes that muscles and delivers more power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My answer is: analyse your posture and find &quot;tension&quot; points/areas&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5870" LastActivityDate="2015-05-23T23:08:33.817" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5086" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5077" CreationDate="2015-05-25T08:26:17.090" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;For the first 3 to 4 years, you'll never fight anyone who is of a higher belt than yourself, so they won't be much better than you. Your opponent will be just as scared of you as you are of him. And after 4 years, you'll be a black belt and you'll be able to do all the same fancy things with your legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-05-25T08:26:17.090" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5087" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5094" CreationDate="2015-05-25T16:52:45.223" Score="8" ViewCount="16529" Body="&lt;p&gt;Last month Sylvester Stallone posted this picture in Twitter with the caption: &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/TheSlyStallone/status/587730375620698112&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Just in case you forgot how tall Ivan Drago is. The man was a walking eclipse&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pKBjc.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Stallone and Lundgren&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I was thinking to what extent does height give an advantage to an individual in Boxing, Kung Fu, Takewondo or any other martial arts? For example if a 6ft 5 inch Ivan Drago would fight against a 5ft 8 inch Rocky Balboa how much advantage does the extra 7 or 8 inch gives to Ivan Drago?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3090" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-06-02T06:36:38.937" LastActivityDate="2020-05-10T04:06:01.087" Title="To what extent does height give an advantage in any type of fight?" Tags="|karate|boxing|kung-fu|kicking|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5090" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5077" CreationDate="2015-05-25T23:25:57.493" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Honestly, I am not that good at sparring. I'm good but I am better at form and kicking. I think depending on the school you go to, you will be able to find very supportive teachers and friends. it is unlikely that you will be the only person who is starting for the first time. From my experience, teachers like to tease and will poke fun but you will find that you will get better. I started tae kwon do as a shy person that could barely defend herself. Realize that the harsh teacher or fellow student who may criticize you had to go through the same thing. We ALL start at a white belt. Sure if you enter at an older age it can be more obvious (I started at 6 years old) but just go for it. And now I am confident; not because of how good I am or how many years I have done tae kwon do but the supportive people around me who encouraged me to not give up and keep on fighting. I used to have issues with embarrassment. But I realized that no one was actually judging me. Sure I messed up, but that happens to the best of us.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5875" LastActivityDate="2015-05-25T23:25:57.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5091" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4354" CreationDate="2015-05-26T00:37:46.073" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From experience in both,  there is of course the addition of knees and elbows in Thai over Kickboxing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding technique, since both of these disciplines train you for ring fighting (rather than say self defense), Kickboxing uses more bob and weave and parry with counter strikes like boxing (you can't do this so much in Thai, since knees and elbows would risk you ducking into an elbow!) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With Kickboxing you also have to kick above the waist a set number of times per round, hence the kicks can be lighter (for points), more bouncy and drawn from less grounded positions (i.e., no need to switch footings) Also, you release kicks with the anticipation that they might not strike, so less weight and arm swing is used since you don't want to fall over if/when you miss. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muay Thai encourages more a hands oriented defense that is further out to afford distance (almost like a pushing stance, than a boxing defense of chin and eyes). Thai kicks are more loaded (from torque/twist) &amp;amp; fired from a sure footing, same side arm swung back with the emphasis they will connect and thus cause more damage. Defense of Muay Thai kicks is to (painfully) clash shins, rather than kickboxing which is to avoid being kicked, or at least only allow connection to the defense stance of forearm and bicep (like boxing). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a nut shell; Kickboxing requires more elegance, Muay Thai more brute power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5876" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2015-05-26T06:30:36.210" LastActivityDate="2015-05-26T06:30:36.210" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5092" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4354" CreationDate="2015-05-26T01:03:40.117" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my opinion, to answer your questions: Both are a high calorie workout, you will be left with a soaked T-shirt at the end of 90 minutes either way. It uses as much energy to kick a high fast moving target (kickboxing) as it does power a low hard kick to the knees (Thai). Which is easier for a starter? depends on your shape and muscle ratio; long fast flexible legs or low powerful structure. For self defence, the most effective thing in this situation is awareness, which both offer you. Knowing your distance from an attacker, your vulnerabilities, the situation (a pub, kebab shop or by a taxi rank - kicks are useless without space btw, and no, despite the Hollywood implications, you can't kick well in a suit either). If you want self defence, then just looking fit is a big discouragement for anyone to attack you (fit is not Mr Protein shake; they have limited loci on movement or cardio). So if you want self defence, then take up self defence (wing chung etc). if you want self defence with a high work out then MMA might work, but go not to just wear the T-shirt from a famous gym. Most provoked fights start with a couple of punches and end in a grapple to the floor, as said awareness is the key to winning a fight, training can only offer preparation. Do what you enjoy most!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5876" LastActivityDate="2015-05-26T01:03:40.117" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5093" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5087" CreationDate="2015-05-26T11:34:20.780" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;At least in boxing, height in and of itself doesn't give you an advantage. What gives the advantage to the taller boxer, assuming roughly equal levels of skill and experience, is greater reach. So the trick for the taller boxer becomes one of staying in the narrow zone where he can hit the other guy without being hit in return.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the specific example of Rocky vs Drago, you also have to consider the additional weight associated with height. Both men have roughly the same physique, so Drago probably weighed substantially more... and given that both &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force&quot;&gt;force&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_energy&quot;&gt;kinetic energy&lt;/a&gt; are directly related to mass, any blow that he could land would have more potential to damage than anything Rocky could land. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4267" LastActivityDate="2015-05-26T11:34:20.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5094" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5087" CreationDate="2015-05-26T12:57:10.460" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;Height gives a considerable advantage to striking martial arts. The first and most obvious advantage is that height means you can reach out further than your opponent, meaning you can hit him before he hits you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there are other advantages that you don't immediately consider:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you have to punch upwards towards a taller opponent's head, you don't punch quite as hard as if you were punching straight. That's because you can't put the full force of your body behind the punch. You can still generate force with your legs though.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A taller opponent can more easily kick you in the face without needing great flexibility.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Longer arms and legs mean that your hooks and hooking kicks have a LOT more impact. It's science.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;being taller means that your opponent will have a hard time getting his leg above yours. You'll see especially in Taekwondo that kicks are blocked simply by lifting up your knee. It's very frustrating trying to kick someone in the face when they can lift their knee up to your chin.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some disadvantages to being taller than your opponent:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;given the same weight class, the shorter fighter will be stronger and therefore his punches will be harder given the same technique.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the shorter the arm or leg, the quicker the strike.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;if you're much taller, it will be difficult to &quot;work the body&quot; of your opponent.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastEditorUserId="1200" LastEditDate="2020-05-08T07:09:41.193" LastActivityDate="2020-05-08T07:09:41.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5097" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5062" CreationDate="2015-05-26T16:10:57.330" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, I went with another professional wrestling standby of hopping a half inch or so in the air and distributing my weight between the two feet. As a bonus, it also makes the stomp look a bit more vicious because I'm theoretically putting my whole body weight into it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find myself wondering whether this problem actually does exist for martial use of the foot stomp. Yes, sometimes your target will move out of the way, but I think that, usually at least, you know far enough in advance to be able to not stomp with full force or to absorb the impact with more of the rest of your leg, say by bending at the knee to change it into a foot-plant from which you can kick on the opposite leg. Things to consider...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-05-26T16:10:57.330" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5098" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4318" CreationDate="2015-05-26T16:41:57.153" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A lot of good suggestions here, I'd just add, if you don't already,to suggest asking the instructor to do the odd slow roll (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shogunhq.com/2011/01/art-of-learning-art-of-slowrolling.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.shogunhq.com/2011/01/art-of-learning-art-of-slowrolling.html&lt;/a&gt;) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The basic idea is that both sides go ~20% speed/power and if someone hits a move with good technique, don't muscle out - let it go but try and go for the technical counter. This doesn't mean just let people catch anything - especially lazy/technically sloppy moves - but focus on where you go next.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This makes things a lot easier with different size/strength partners as they can relax a bit, and while your slow might be nearer 50% but it means you feel your learning &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; they are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5851" LastActivityDate="2015-05-26T16:41:57.153" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5100" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-05-27T08:42:41.173" Score="7" ViewCount="738" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm trying to learn tai chi by watching videos. (Sorry, I know it's probably not the best way!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm a slow breather (about 6 breaths per minute), and the tai chi exercises I'm trying to learn say to breathe out when moving out and breathe in when moving in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should the speed of my movements slow down to match my breathing or should I try to breathe faster to &quot;catch up&quot; to the speed of the exercises in the video?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Whenever you see a big group of people all doing tai chi together, they are all going at the same speed, so I wonder if they're all breathing at the same speed as well)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5880" LastEditorUserId="5880" LastEditDate="2015-05-27T11:37:09.700" LastActivityDate="2019-02-17T19:51:05.553" Title="Should I speed up my breathing or slow down my tai chi?" Tags="|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5101" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5100" CreationDate="2015-05-27T23:05:38.363" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't worry about trying to match the breath to the movement. If you try to control the breath to the movement to soon, it is easy to hyperventilate which could cause dizziness, or other problems. Breathe naturally, and over time the breath will naturally adjust to the movements. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5881" LastActivityDate="2015-05-27T23:05:38.363" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5102" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4973" CreationDate="2015-05-27T23:31:50.037" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't practice Judo but I do MMA training which involves grappling/wrestling/BJJ. I've been clipped unintentionally a few times when my partner/opponent has gone for a kimura, armbar, and americana bringing their arm across my face to grab my targeted arm. Best thing to get is a mouth guard for grappling. I personally like using the shock doctor gel max which you can get from your local MMA or sports store for about $12. I found one online at Champs Sports for $11.99. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.champssports.com/product/model:220591/sku:8006183&amp;amp;SID=7391&amp;amp;inceptor=1&amp;amp;cm_mmc=SEM-_-PLA-_-Google-_-8006183&amp;amp;gclid=Cj0KEQjw1pWrBRDuv-rhstiX6KwBEiQA5V9ZoTCq4G1pA55-A9IDcwIDpZsuiOjr4tbN4RwBzD0r2RkaAnur8P8HAQ#sku-8006103&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Shock Doctor Gel Max Mouthguard&lt;/a&gt; It's rare that it happens in grappling but it can happen, better safe than sorry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5814" LastActivityDate="2015-05-27T23:31:50.037" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5103" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4950" CreationDate="2015-05-27T23:37:34.773" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Every martial art is different and has their own philosophies. That being said, from a practical/MMA standpoint, which is my focus, never leave a limb out where it can be struck or pulled, the only exception being if you kick with your power leg and want to set up a following elbow followed by a cross. That being said, the second the attack is complete get back into your ready stance, chin down, hands up, legs ready to check a kick, and body ready to defend. Hope that helped.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5814" LastActivityDate="2015-05-27T23:37:34.773" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5107" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5100" CreationDate="2015-05-29T07:13:45.327" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You never breathe through out the stroke or movement. There are specific spots you breath in and out. There are different types of movement based on different principle. By principle, open set of movements are of larger frame (more hand movement then hip and waist movement),so you have to breath at appropriate spots. For example, Grasping swallows tail is open type of movement, so breath appropriately. While, 'hitting river left, and right' is explosive movement then breath coming reverse-breath, explosive. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Get a good teacher or video. I recommend Erle Montaigue's videos that is where I started. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5885" LastActivityDate="2015-05-29T07:13:45.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5108" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5109" CreationDate="2015-05-29T08:04:42.380" Score="5" ViewCount="703" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been doing grappling (Sambo/BJJ) and striking sports (Thai boxing, kick boxing and Savate) for 3 years. I am not good at attacking and defending against armlocks when standing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How can I defend myself against a martial artist that uses armlocks, such as a JKD or hapkido martial artist?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that you can twist the wrist in two directions to cause a lock, the elbow in one direction through a kind of a wizard or double arm hold and the shoulder lock is done in one direction like some law enforcers do when they move a handcuffed target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is a possible escape to deliver quick punches to avoid my arm being trapped, while at the same time keeping my arms tucked close to my body in a boxing position when I don't deliver any punches?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5886" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T18:10:19.910" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T18:10:19.910" Title="What is the best way to avoid armlocks?" Tags="|self-defense|defense|joint-lock|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5109" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5108" CreationDate="2015-05-29T17:57:22.637" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would turn this question around and ask: How do people get standing arm-bars and joint locks on the arms of their opponents? Understanding how they do that will give you a good idea about how to defend against it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, in order to perform a standing arm-bar or a grapple of some sort on the arm (like a wrist grab and twist), you can break it down into the following steps:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Capture the arm.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Move to a proper position relative to your opponent.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Move your grip from the capture point to the application position.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Finally, use leverage to apply the technique.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Steps 1 and 2 are interchangeable, actually. You can capture the arm first and then move to a better position. Or you move to a better position and then capture the arm. The order doesn't matter. In practice, though, you'll probably capture first. It will just happen. And then you move into a better position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At any point in that list, your opponent can thwart your attempts to perform the standing arm grapple. For example, in step 1, if you attempt to grab your opponent's arm, he can just flail his arms around, preventing it. Arms and especially the hands are one of the hardest things to get control of in real life. It's because they're moving around. As soon as you reach for your opponent's wrist, for example, he sees that and flinches his arms away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what's the solution for the capture (step 1)? One strategy is to target the body instead. The body moves around much more slowly than the arms do. So move in close to your opponent, grabbing onto his body instead (maybe grab around the back of his shoulder or neck). From there, you can slide your arms down to his upper arm, grab again, and then move into the final arm-bar position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;His counter to that, though, will be to not let you get too close. He can move to keep some distance between you and him. He can punch or kick you to keep you away. And he can counter-grapple you as you attempt to grab him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In step 2, you're moving your body relative to your opponent's body so that in steps 3 and 4, you can move your grip to the right position and can use your body to apply leverage. So in step 2, what can mess you up? If your opponent doesn't let you move around to a better position, that would be your biggest problem. He might see you attempting to move to his side, so he pivots with you, always keeping you right in front of him. This way, you can't get into position on his side, angled away from his center line like you really want. And so you're not going to be able to get the leverage you need, and your standing arm-bar will be neutralized.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing that can be done by your opponent in step 2 is to keep you preoccupied and unable to move. You may have captured his wrist, for example, but he might counter-grapple you by capturing your wrist (of the same hand you used to capture his). Your movement is restricted at this point. He may also simply take you down to the ground into a controlling position, which can reduce your mobility unless you also know ground-fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Punching and kicking are also tactics that your opponent might employ to keep you from moving. They're distractions that you have to deal with. While you're defending against those, your movement is restricted. Some people deal with this by simply taking the punches and kicks, realizing that a little sacrifice is needed in order to get into a better position. And often times, just moving off center will neutralize most of the power in those strikes anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In steps 3 and 4, you're in the right body position to apply leverage, and so now you're just going get into the final grip position if you haven't gotten there already, and then immediately apply the technique with the right leverage. This must happen really quickly in order to work properly. If you take any time to do this, or if your targeting or technique is off, the grapple technique (standing arm-bar for example) won't work or won't work well. Your opponent can very easily mess you up by twisting his elbow out of the plane of movement for your technique, for example. He can also drop down to reduce your leverage. He can counter-grapple you. He can move to face you, thwarting your positional advantage. He can punch your face, head-butt, or kick you in the knee. The quicker you are, the less likely there will be enough time for your opponent to change things up on you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And finally, it doesn't end there. A standing arm-bar, for example, is not generally a technique that will end a fight. You're going to have to keep it on while your opponent is struggling to get out. Most grappling based styles show the standing arm-bar as a &quot;demo technique&quot; (demonstration only). How it is applied on a struggling opponent may look very different. Typically, you would continue pushing, applying leverage at the elbow and shoulder of your opponent, until your opponent falls to the ground stomach-down. At this point, you use your knee and all of your body's weight to pin the shoulder down to the ground, making it hard for your opponent to get out of it and making it easier for you to move to a better position if you see your opponent wriggling out of it. You can twist the wrist while applying pressure on the elbow and the shoulder. The level of force you apply can be adjusted as your opponent either cooperates or struggles against you, giving you a psychological advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My point being, the standing arm-bar isn't the end of what you need to do. If you don't follow through with it, it will allow your opponent the opportunity to escape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, given all of that, look back on what I just wrote from the position of the defender. See all of the ways you can mess up someone who's attempting to perform a standing grapple on you. And practice it. Practice it both from the attacker and the defender's perspective. Both will give you insight into its defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2015-05-29T17:57:22.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5110" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3072" CreationDate="2015-05-30T01:07:18.167" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some people learn from instruction , others discovery , my favourite way is instruction on how to discover &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is often called concepts, it must be said however, that this is my way only and not the only way &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5887" LastActivityDate="2015-05-30T01:07:18.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5112" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5116" CreationDate="2015-05-31T20:42:37.610" Score="1" ViewCount="189" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ive seen television programmes and videos of buddhist shaolin monks who perfom incredible techniques such as breaking iron bars with their heads, impaling themselves with spears, throwing needles through glasses windows etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It was said that these monks create, harness and use Qi Energy which makes it possible for them to perform these techniques. I have two questions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is this Qi Energy?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it a strong and profound level of concentration like the Jhanas in Theravada Buddhism?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thank you for your time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user5682" LastActivityDate="2015-06-01T19:15:45.677" Title="What is Qi Energy?" Tags="|shaolin|qi|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2015-06-01T15:05:51.170" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5113" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5100" CreationDate="2015-05-31T22:28:26.817" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;When we (casual adult beginners) were learning the Tai Chi first form our (expert) teacher told us to begin with learning the gross movements and to not worry about matching the breath.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, we did use the breath when we learned/practised even more basic movements than the form, for example &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cSSWcwXfQY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Peng Lu Ji An&lt;/a&gt; but not while we were trying to learn the form for the first time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After I learned the form (i.e. learned it enough to begin to practice it) then I learned how to breath in and out to match the pushing and pulling movements. I prefer to do the form that way (i.e. with the breath) but you can't necessarily have everyone learning everything all at once (e.g. I was the first student in our group to learn to breathe after memorizing the form). That was after, I don't know (I barely remember now) maybe a year of learning/practising for 90 minutes about once a week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your 6 breaths/minute sounds about right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0tc8IGYpfU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This video of the Chen style first form&lt;/a&gt; includes (if I've counted them correctly) exactly 6 breaths in the first minute.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are several things you can adjust to keep your breath and body in synch. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you want to breathe slowly then move slowly; there's little limit to how slowly you can move. In fact my limit is my breath (if I did the form too slowly I wouldn't be breathing often enough).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you're getting too much or too little oxygen at a given speed perhaps you can breath more shallowly or more deeply.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you're getting too much oxygen (i.e. &quot;hyperventilating&quot; as mentioned in another answer) you might balance that by using more oxygen: if your stance were quite a bit lower (i.e. if your knees were bent and your centre of gravity lower) then supporting that weight (using upper leg muscles instead of using locked-knee leg bones) would use more oxygen ... or much more oxygen if you were much lower.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r59gWTzKSw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; shows an example of what I mean by a low stance ... too low to do easily and IMO a fair bit of effort to practice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You maybe should have a teacher though because you can apparently hurt yourself (hurt your knees for example) if your posture isn't correct.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you still have too much energy (too much spare breath) when you practice the form then perhaps you can practice a more vigorous form, for example the second video above was of the Chen style First Form (&quot;Yi Lu&quot;) and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pKDg6i9rmY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; is the more vigorous (explosive) Second Form (&quot;Er Lu&quot;): &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary, I think:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The form is practiced slowly, so breathing can be slow (relaxed, oceanic) as well&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Some movement of the form take a long time (several seconds) and require a slow breath, other movements maybe less time (fewer seconds) and a shorter breath&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When, at the beginning, you keep needing to stop and think in order to try to remember what the next movement of the form is, then that's possibly not a good time to be trying to synch your breathing as well&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When you know the form well enough that your memory of it (and your posture) comes automatically then you can think about (or relax within) your breathing: e.g. what I'm conscious of is the breath coming in to fill my centre (not just filling my lungs but also relaxing/loosening my joints), while my hands move towards my body almost of their own accord&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you're, later, doing something more rapid than the &quot;first form&quot; then ... well I guess it's better to find a good teacher to even learn to practice the first form properly.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5893" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-06-01T10:44:03.077" LastActivityDate="2015-06-01T10:44:03.077" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5114" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4806" CreationDate="2015-06-01T02:38:28.607" Score="21" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;KUNG FU, MMA, and UFC&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Roy Nelson, a top tier UFC fighter, commented on his kung fu background:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Lohan school of Shaolin, I actually got started in my Sifu’s garage. I think I was 15 1/2, 16. Kung-fu is the root for I would say 95% of all martial arts. I practice it every day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(With Sticky Hands) basically you’re just working with their body movement, where you’re feeling their energy, and just trying to manipulate that to your advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Working on the wooden dummy you can work on some striking, and you can also work grappling, like grabbing the leg, pushing the hips away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meditation can help make you more mentally strong, especially during a fight. It slows everything down so that you can control the chaos.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In 2004 the UFC president, Dana White, called Bruce Lee the “FATHER OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS.” White went on to say,&amp;quot;If you look at the way Bruce Lee trained, the way he fought, and many of the things he wrote, he said the perfect style was no style. You take a little something from everything. You take the good things from every different discipline, use what works, and you throw the rest away.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You do not see any martial arts in MMA in their pure traditional form. That is why it is called MIXED martial arts. It is MIXED in parts. People can't seem to understand this is why pure traditional Kung Fu is not seen in MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Furthermore, &lt;strong&gt;pure traditional Kung Fu could not be used anyway in MMA matches due to rules and restrictions prohibiting various vital strikes and moves&lt;/strong&gt; (which is why, as with other martial arts in MMA, Kung Fu is only seen in parts). Fighters ARE using Kung Fu in MMA and it is suitable. The pure traditional form, which is amazingly effective, is NOT suitable and cannot be used because MMA is a sport with rules and regulations. There are no aspects of MMA that are in accordance with the fighting style inside pure traditional Shaolin Kung Fu. Also Kung Fu has the advantage that it trains for multiple attackers while MMA is one on one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Furthermore, Pure Traditional Kung Fu is not a “fighting sport” but it is a self defense; it is a self discipline; it is beautiful and harmonious; and it is a meditative way of life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However some aspects of Kung Fu have been utilized in the ring. Sascha Matuszak, multimedia journalist in China, stated, “I think what is lacking is the recognition that certain techniques used today in MMA are straight out of Chinese Kung Fu. Headkicks, sidekicks, oblique kicks, elbows, centerline strikes … all of these are very prominent and basic features of Chinese Kung Fu.”&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Here are a few fighters in MMA with  some Kung Fu background (With links below for verification):&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cung Le&lt;/strong&gt; (UFC, former StrikeForce middleweight champ) Wushu Kung Fu, Kuntao &amp;amp; Vietnamese Kung Fu,  Sanshou. Three time Bronze Medalist&#xA;in the Wushu World Championships. The only American Wushu Kung Fu&#xA;Athlete to have three World medals. [1]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Yi Long&lt;/strong&gt;: (WLF) Shaolin Kung Fu Master from the Shaolin Temple.  Shaolin Kung Fu.  Sanshou. [2] [3] [4]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Roy Nelson&lt;/strong&gt; (UFC, tuf 10 winner, former ifl hw champ &amp;amp; ifl 2007 hwgp champ): Shaolin Kung Fu black belt. Bjj. Nelson stated, “Kung-fu&#xA;is the root for I would say 95% of all martial arts. I practice it&#xA;every day.” [5]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dan Hardy&lt;/strong&gt; (UFC) Trained with Shaolin Monks in China. Wushu, tdk, bjj. [6]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pat Barry&lt;/strong&gt; (UFC) Sanshou. Trained with Chinese National Sanshou team at the Shaolin Temple. Won the Sanda Kungfu Federation (SKF)&#xA;United States Heavyweight Championship [7]  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sami Berik:&lt;/strong&gt; Wing Chun and T'ai Chi. Received gold medals at T'ai Chi tournaments in Britain and Europe [8]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Peter Davis&lt;/strong&gt; (one fc 10-3) Kung Fu [9]  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Luke Cummo&lt;/strong&gt; (UFC) Kung Fu, Jeet Kune Do, bjj. Also appeared on The Ultimate Fighter. [10] [11]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jason Delucia&lt;/strong&gt; (UFC) Trained in Five Animals Kung Fu. [12]  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bao Li Gao&lt;/strong&gt; (ruff) Sanshou [13]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Zhang Tie Quan&lt;/strong&gt; (UFC) Black sash in Sanshou (Sanda), brown belt in bjj. [14]  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ian McCall&lt;/strong&gt; (UFC, former tpf flw champ): Black belt in Kung Fu, bjj. [15]&#xA; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;James Wilks&lt;/strong&gt; (UFC, tuf 9 winner): Full instructor in Jeet Kune Do, black belt tdj, brown belt bjj. [16]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Michelle Waterson&lt;/strong&gt; (UFC, invicta aw champ) Wushu, black belt in Karate [17]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Daniel Spohn&lt;/strong&gt;: Iron Body Gong Fu System, black belt in traditional Kachido Aikijitsu. [18]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jumabieke Tuerxun&lt;/strong&gt;: Sanshou. He trains out of China’s elite Xian Physical Education University, where he is a pupil of Zhao Xuejun.&#xA;[19]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chuck Liddell&lt;/strong&gt;:(UFC) Hawaiian Kempo. Kajukenbo. While he did not study literal Kung Fu, Liddells trainer, Hackleman, was schooled in&#xA;Kajukenbo which is a mixture of Kempo Karate, Tang Soo Do, Judo,&#xA;Jujitsu, Chinese Kempo, and Chinese Kung Fu. Hackleman later changed&#xA;the name of this blend to Hawaiian Kempo. But Liddell was trained in&#xA;traditional martial arts.  [20] [21] [22]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nick Osipczak&lt;/strong&gt; (UFC) Tai Chi Chaun Kung Fu, bjj [23]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bazigit Atajev&lt;/strong&gt; (pride) Sanshou. He won a gold medal at the  World Wushu Championships. [24]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wang Guan “The Dongbei Tiger”:&lt;/strong&gt; Sanshou, Kung Fu. [25]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Yao Honggang&lt;/strong&gt;: (LegendFC) Sanshou, Shuaijiao (traditional Chinese Wrestling). [26]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vaughn Anderson&lt;/strong&gt;: (Bellator) Sanshou [27]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ao Hailin:&lt;/strong&gt; (Art of War) Sanshou [28]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Zhang Meixuan&lt;/strong&gt;: (Ruff) Sanshou [29]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ji Xian:&lt;/strong&gt; (Legend FC) Sanshou, bjj [30]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Liu Hailong&lt;/strong&gt;: Sanshou. Called the “Super King of Sanda.” [31]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Xingxi&lt;/strong&gt;: Shaolin Kung Fu Master from Shaolin Temple. Shaolin Kung Fu, training for mma. [32]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Felix Lee Mitchell&lt;/strong&gt;: (UFC) Shaolin Kung Fu. [33]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muslim Salikhov&lt;/strong&gt;:** AKA King of Kung Fu.  Sanshou. BJJ. Champion of European Wushu Championships in 2004, and world champion in 2005.&#xA;Won championship of World Wushu Championships in 2011. [34]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shi Yanzi&lt;/strong&gt;: (Hero Legends, WLF) Shaolin Kung Fu. Shaolin Sanshou. Formerly lived for some time at the Shaolin Temple. He was Chinese&#xA;National Champion for 15 years. He was an eight time champion at the&#xA;Chinese national sanda championships as well as twice crowned World&#xA;Champion. He recently starred in a film. [35]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[1] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Cung-Le&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Cung-Le&lt;/a&gt; (Read the bottom left hand section “Specific Accomplishments.”&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[2] &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yi-Long/194852663998523?sk=info&amp;amp;tab=page_info&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yi-Long/194852663998523?sk=info&amp;amp;tab=page_info&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[3] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wlfmartialarts.com.au/index.php?m=content&amp;amp;c=index&amp;amp;a=lists&amp;amp;catid=89&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.wlfmartialarts.com.au/index.php?m=content&amp;amp;c=index&amp;amp;a=lists&amp;amp;catid=89&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[4] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wlfmartialarts.com.au/index.php?m=content&amp;amp;c=index&amp;amp;a=lists&amp;amp;catid=98&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.wlfmartialarts.com.au/index.php?m=content&amp;amp;c=index&amp;amp;a=lists&amp;amp;catid=98&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[5] &lt;a href=&quot;http://fightland.vice.com/blog/the-golden-bell-the-secret-to-roy-nelsons-iron-chin&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://fightland.vice.com/blog/the-golden-bell-the-secret-to-roy-nelsons-iron-chin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[6] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?55693-UFC-s-Dan-Hardy-Shaolin-Temple-trained&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?55693-UFC-s-Dan-Hardy-Shaolin-Temple-trained&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[7] &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.sherdog.com/forums/f2/pat-barry-real-shaolin-warrior-2475371/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://forums.sherdog.com/forums/f2/pat-barry-real-shaolin-warrior-2475371/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[8] &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhT7C2TlVs8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhT7C2TlVs8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[9] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mmamania.com/2013/1/29/3915702/one-fc-lightweight-peter-davis-wants-to-prove-that-kung-fu-can-work&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.mmamania.com/2013/1/29/3915702/one-fc-lightweight-peter-davis-wants-to-prove-that-kung-fu-can-work&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[10] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mmaweekly.com/tuf-2-welterweight-finalist-luke-cummo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.mmaweekly.com/tuf-2-welterweight-finalist-luke-cummo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[11] &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Cummo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Cummo&lt;/a&gt;  (See Fighting Stle in right cornor box)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[12] &lt;a href=&quot;http://jasondelucia.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://jasondelucia.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[13] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kungfukulture.com/2011/04/kung-fu-fighter-destroys-experienced-k.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.kungfukulture.com/2011/04/kung-fu-fighter-destroys-experienced-k.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[14] &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ufc.com/fighter/Tiequan-Zhang&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.ufc.com/fighter/Tiequan-Zhang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[15] &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ufc.com/fighter/Ian-McCall&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.ufc.com/fighter/Ian-McCall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[16] &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ufc.com/fighter/james-wilks/media&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.ufc.com/fighter/james-wilks/media&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[17] &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.onnit.com/pro-team/michelle-waterson/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.onnit.com/pro-team/michelle-waterson/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[18] &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ufc.com/tuf/fighter/daniel-spohn&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.ufc.com/tuf/fighter/daniel-spohn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[19] &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ufc.com/fighter/Jumabieke-Tuerxun&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.ufc.com/fighter/Jumabieke-Tuerxun&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[20] &lt;a href=&quot;https://orgsync.com/63876/photos/albums/33624/photo/641998&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://orgsync.com/63876/photos/albums/33624/photo/641998&lt;/a&gt; (Chuck Liddell)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[21] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kajukenboinfo.com/sijo.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.kajukenboinfo.com/sijo.html&lt;/a&gt; (History of Kajukenbo&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[22] &lt;a href=&quot;http://thepitmalibu.com/hawaiiankempohistory.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://thepitmalibu.com/hawaiiankempohistory.html&lt;/a&gt; (Ancient history of Kempo)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[23] &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Osipczak&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Osipczak&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[24] &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bazigit_Atajev&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bazigit_Atajev&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[25] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/17397-guan-wang&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/17397-guan-wang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[26] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.legendfc.com/en/fighters/60/Yao-Honggang/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.legendfc.com/en/fighters/60/Yao-Honggang/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[27] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2396/vaughn-anderson&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2396/vaughn-anderson&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[28] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ruffchina.com/us/news/item/team-profile-ao-hai-lin-china-mma-club.html#.VWuysbnD9qw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.ruffchina.com/us/news/item/team-profile-ao-hai-lin-china-mma-club.html#.VWuysbnD9qw&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[29] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ruffchina.com/us/fightersprofiles/item/zhang-meixuan.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.ruffchina.com/us/fightersprofiles/item/zhang-meixuan.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[30] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.legendfc.com/en/fighters/79/Ji-Xian/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.legendfc.com/en/fighters/79/Ji-Xian/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[31] &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/pages/Liu-Hailong/105308006224111&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/pages/Liu-Hailong/105308006224111&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[32] &lt;a href=&quot;http://fightland.vice.com/blog/a-shaolin-monk-tries-mixed-martial-arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://fightland.vice.com/blog/a-shaolin-monk-tries-mixed-martial-arts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[33] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2354/felix-lee-mitchell&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2354/felix-lee-mitchell&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[34] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/44727-muslim-salikhov&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/44727-muslim-salikhov&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[35] &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shaolintempleuk.org/portfolio/iron-monk-trailler/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.shaolintempleuk.org/portfolio/iron-monk-trailler/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5883" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2022-02-07T19:34:18.097" LastActivityDate="2022-02-07T19:34:18.097" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5115" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5112" CreationDate="2015-06-01T06:53:05.570" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Qi is a metaphor&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Qi is cultish social pressure&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Qi is a hand-waving pre-scientific explanation for basic bodily functions&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Qi is the object of irrational fixation for people who cling to magical thinking&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Qi is cover for ludicrous lies about &quot;miracles&quot; like teleportation and flying whose most impressive feature is deft avoidance of proof&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Qi is, sometimes, a vague description of that amalgam of trained athleticism, learned technique, and plain concentration that allows one to accomplish feats of strength&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-06-01T19:15:45.677" LastActivityDate="2015-06-01T19:15:45.677" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5116" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5112" CreationDate="2015-06-01T08:28:48.717" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;When Dave's answer says &quot;It's a metaphor&quot;, then I guess he mean something like this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you're a beginner, learning, a teacher might try to teach you to change your posture slightly, to stand straighter, to better balance your head on your spine, and your spine on your hips, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When they do that they might say to you something like, &quot;Imagine that your head and body are hanging suspended by a rope&quot; (or imagine that energy is projecting from the top of your head to the sky).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you hear that and try to make sense of it and comply, then you might stand straighter like they wanted you to. In future when they want to remind you it might become a verbal short-hand command &amp;ndash; &quot;Remember: a thread, above your head&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now in one sense there is no physically observable thread: it's not a real thread, the thread is a &quot;metaphor&quot;, or an analogy that intended to help you to comply. On the other hand it may actually have an effect: in that it helps you to stand straighter... :-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5893" LastActivityDate="2015-06-01T08:28:48.717" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5117" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5087" CreationDate="2015-06-01T13:48:44.833" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not a MA but size doesn't help (or at least isn't conclusive) in some kinds of football scrum. When we played in school, the smaller (and/or the more skilled) front-line could win by getting underneath the opposing players and lifting them off their feet and pushing them backwards: because it doesn't matter how big and strong you are, you can't push nothing while you're being lifted off the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5893" LastActivityDate="2015-06-01T13:48:44.833" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5118" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5087" CreationDate="2015-06-01T21:01:53.060" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Me being a taller guy gives me a greater advantage with kicks, as seen in other answers it allows more reach and the ability to keep you opponent at bay. Now to gain advantage if you're shorter is to simply move in close and cut off their techniques. It is especially hard for a tall person to get a successful kick in if their  opponent is up in their face. Hope this helps&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5897" LastActivityDate="2015-06-01T21:01:53.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5119" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="922" CreationDate="2015-06-01T23:47:26.380" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is hard to explain what is shown without writing a book on aiki work and anatomy. Like most other things on this site, it must be felt. My words, therefore, will sadly lack a certain precision. If this explanation is interesting to you, but feels incomplete, track down an aikijujutsu school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first thing to realize is that what we are looking at is &lt;code&gt;aiki&lt;/code&gt; work.  In order to aspire to understand this, one must be aware of the interactions between the elements of the body's anatomy, such as tendons and fascia, in addition to the more obvious bones and muscles. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wesnorman.com/lesson1layersofbody.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt; is a diagram showing layers in the human body. This is your new world.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second thing to understand is that all the movements come from the core of the body and are applied in every direction. Most martial artists eventually realize the futility of getting very strong arms if they can just apply the power from the much stronger core muscles, but almost all training remains unidirectional (just apply energy in that direction, then step in that direction). This is different, and is usually referred to as expressing in the six directions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first technique we see is called &lt;code&gt;aiki age&lt;/code&gt; (rising energy). The second technique, the &quot;throw&quot; is mostly inconsequential to this conversation, although it also requires a large amount of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;code&gt;Tori&lt;/code&gt; has to press forward and apply a subtle and definite &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuzushi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;&lt;code&gt;kuzushi&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, which is just a Japanese term to mean unbalance. A direct consequence is that &lt;code&gt;uke&lt;/code&gt; is not grounded and therefore is unable to resist effectively when forces are applied (e.g. try applying a punch to someone when they stand on the tip of their toes).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A requirement of the proper application of &lt;code&gt;aiki&lt;/code&gt; is to seal the opponent's breath by preventing the muscles around the lungs from properly expanding and contracting. The sudden application of this can be heard in the surprised and pained screams. This is different from being hit in the solar plexus because it's not a shock trauma, more like a very sudden squeeze. It's the difference between punching a towel and twisting it. I do not know exactly what causes this to happen inside &lt;code&gt;uke&lt;/code&gt;'s body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The art of &lt;code&gt;aiki&lt;/code&gt; comes into understanding which directions and vectors to use for maximum efficiency. In this video, for instance, after &lt;code&gt;kuzushi&lt;/code&gt; is applied, vectors are applied into &lt;code&gt;uke&lt;/code&gt;'s body, turning and locking the scapulas while arching them backwards, preventing &lt;code&gt;uke&lt;/code&gt; from recovering in any way. &lt;code&gt;Uke&lt;/code&gt; is now locked in a position of unbalance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second technique is the art of directing &lt;code&gt;uke&lt;/code&gt; from their locked position. It is a matter of sending the right combination of vectors in the right chronology through both hands. A similar technique is shown &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/TZW0qtfiz28?t=1021&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; between 17:02 and 17:14, where the technique is demonstrated, then shown without an opponent. The difference is that here it is applied through the shoulders, not the hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The vector must be applied with the entire body acting in concert. If it is not done so, it will not have the desired effect. Pushing or pulling, for instance, will cause a localized change in &lt;code&gt;uke&lt;/code&gt;'s body, and we are looking for a global change. This is why the entire body must act in concert.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is a video showing a simple demonstration / explanation (in Japanese) of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3baiqjqZGAg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;aiki age&lt;/a&gt; which relies on muscle/bone alignment (that is, a lower-level version of what is shown in the original video).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj4SPlQ70-A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;a video&lt;/a&gt; (in English) of an aikidoka showing aiki age + aiki sage (rising + descending energy). The explanation is relatively good, though not necessarily as detailed as one who might wish.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="68" LastEditorUserId="68" LastEditDate="2015-06-05T16:47:28.287" LastActivityDate="2015-06-05T16:47:28.287" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5122" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5126" CreationDate="2015-06-04T06:54:15.683" Score="5" ViewCount="3525" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started boxing few days ago. I watched a lot of tutorials on youtube. &#xA;I learned the technique for &lt;em&gt;jab, straight punch, hook, uppercut&lt;/em&gt;. I practice solo (no teacher) on a heavy bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to know what kind of &lt;strong&gt;stretching&lt;/strong&gt; should I do before and after my boxing practice to prevent injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5903" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-06-04T07:38:29.030" LastActivityDate="2017-07-04T15:09:19.683" Title="What kind of stretching should I do before starting my boxing practice?" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5123" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-06-04T09:53:26.870" Score="7" ViewCount="1775" Body="&lt;p&gt;I train in Muay Thai for six months now including sparing. I have myopia (-5 / -4.75) and I will get a femto LASIK surgery soon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My doctor told me that I could resume sparring after 6 weeks as long as I do not get punched in the eyes but I know that I will and that will put me at risk for flap dislocation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;What should I wear to protect my eyes?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there Special glasses or a type of head gear I can get?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5904" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-06-04T10:04:15.590" LastActivityDate="2015-06-23T12:27:49.277" Title="Eye protection Muay Thai" Tags="|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5124" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5123" CreationDate="2015-06-04T10:19:55.333" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Dr. Cary M. Silverman, MD recommends &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.realself.com/question/long-post-lasik-eye-surgery-goggles-worn-protection&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; a set of &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.adseyewear.com/rec-specs-hs2c/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;rec specs&lt;/a&gt;&quot; the hard-framed sports glasses that you say on, e.g., basketball players. On the same page, Emil Chynn, MD recommends &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.allaboutvision.com/visionsurgery/lasek.htm#lasekvslasik&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;LASEK&lt;/a&gt; surgery instead, which apparently has a lower chance of flap dislocation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-06-04T10:19:55.333" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5125" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5123" CreationDate="2015-06-04T11:25:14.263" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Short answer: don't spar until your doctor says it's okay. Accidents happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-06-04T11:25:14.263" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5126" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5122" CreationDate="2015-06-04T12:53:56.830" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;At our club we typically don't stretch prior to training. Instead we do about 10 minutes of either skipping rope or shadow boxing to warm up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After training we will stretch in the following order:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Back&lt;/strong&gt;. Grab a pole with both hands. Keeping your feet together and against the pole, lean forward so that your hips are forced away from the pole. You should feel the stretch from your shoulders to your hips.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Side&lt;/strong&gt;. With the pole to your right, grab the pole with your right hand at waist level and with your left hand above your head. Lean towards the pole so that your hips are forced to your left. You should feel the stretch along your left side. Reverse directions and repeat for your other side.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chest/Shoulders&lt;/strong&gt;. With the pole to your right, grad the pole with your right hand at shoulder level. Your arm should be straight. Twist your upper body to your left. You should feel the strech across the right side of your chest into your arm. Reverse directions and repeat for your other side.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lower Legs&lt;/strong&gt;. Facing the pole, touch the pole with the balls of your right foot where your toes join the main part of your foot. With your heel on the floor lean into the pole so that your lower leg is straight up and down. Hold this for a few seconds, then straighten out your leg and lean backwards, pushing your chest over top of your knee. Hold this for a few seconds, then move your right foot backwards and lunge forward, keeping the right foot flat on the ground. Repeat these three stretches for your left leg.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Upper Legs&lt;/strong&gt;. While standing, grab your right ankle and pull towards your bum. Hold this for a few seconds, then  cross your right ankle over your left knee and sit down while holding the pole for support. Repeat these two stretches for your left leg.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4267" LastActivityDate="2015-06-04T12:53:56.830" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5127" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5122" CreationDate="2015-06-04T16:48:52.123" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whether I'm doing a Muay Thai, BJJ, or boxing class at my gym (I do MMA) we almost never actually stretch before training. Like Doug said above there is a warmup process, usually involving Frankenstein walks, inch worms, jumping jacks, and then a bit of shadow boxing. Every once in a while we'll get something called a trigger point roller and use that instead of the warmup &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tptherapy.com/product/GRID_FoamRoller&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;(Trigger Point)&lt;/a&gt; to get rid of any knots and tension, then move right into shadow boxing or bag work. Hope this helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5814" LastActivityDate="2015-06-04T16:48:52.123" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5128" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-06-04T17:31:54.670" Score="6" ViewCount="2229" Body="&lt;p&gt;We've been working on spinning back kicks quite a bit lately and noticed some discrepancy in how these are executed. Some are spinning to face backwards and kicking with toes pointed down, hips pointed away from the target. Others are spinning 3/4 of the way around and then essentially doing a side kick, toes and hips pointed to the side. Is one of these more correct? Or are these two distinct kicks—it seems like the terms spinning side kick and spinning back kick are used relatively interchangeably? If so, do you have a strong opinion and rationale for one or the other?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I saw many posts about spin kick technique, I didn't see any addressing this specific issue. Thanks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Update: After a re-read of Steve Weigand's epic overview of spinning kicks, it may be worth noting that Steve would likely refer to the kick in question as a reverse kick in that the foot is extended straight out toward the opponent in either variation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2935/how-does-one-train-for-a-spinning-reverse-kick/2937#2937&quot;&gt;How does one train for a spinning reverse kick?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3105" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2017-10-21T16:14:58.737" Title="Proper Foot Orientation on Spinning Back Kick" Tags="|kicking|spinning-kicks|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5129" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4627" CreationDate="2015-06-04T17:59:58.360" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;After a bit of searching to find the right thickness and weight, I found that a replacement garden tool handle from the hardware store works really well since it has a lot of the same requirements in terms of lightness and strength. It's also looks and feels pretty nice since it's stained and laquered. I'm fairly happy with the result.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I replaced the barb on the end with a decorative garden hose spike. &lt;strike&gt;Not this one exactly, but similar.&lt;/strike&gt; Found the actual one I used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/HYoSQ.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Decorative Garden Hose Spike&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It was weighty enough to balance it out nicely, and all I had to do was unscrew the spike and cuff, and then screw and glue it onto the end of the handle. I'm pretty pleased overall with how it turned out. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3105" LastActivityDate="2015-06-04T17:59:58.360" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5131" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4940" CreationDate="2015-06-04T19:34:18.547" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;FWIW, after struggling similarly (and being given many different stretches and training methods to &quot;fix&quot; it) I had an MRI done and found out that my hips are formed in such a way that it is essentially impossible for me to kick above the mid-section from the side. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;No amount of training could ever overcome this.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; The only way to fix it would be to have my hip surgically reshaped. It was incredibly frustrating at the time, but now that I know I can focus on techniques that are within my abilities instead of just injuring myself over and over. I'm not sure what style you are studying but I've found that southern styles tend to play to my skill set more than the northern styles (obviously a broad generalization with many exceptions).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, a lot of the martial arts movies give the impression that torturing yourself is the only way to learn &quot;true&quot; martial arts, but that's rarely the case in reality. Finding the balance between pushing yourself and unnecessarily hurting yourself is really difficult, but extremely important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3105" LastActivityDate="2015-06-04T19:34:18.547" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5132" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5128" CreationDate="2015-06-04T22:07:35.143" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;While &quot;back kick&quot; is mostly synonymous with &quot;side kick&quot; in most martial arts, there are styles that do have a back kick that is subtly but very significantly different than a side-kick. This is perhaps what you're picking up on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a side kick, you will raise your leg up and inwards, chambering the kicking leg in a position whereby the kicking leg is parallel with the ground, the foot is pointing toes to the side, and the flat of the foot facing your opponent. Your base foot (the one on the ground) will pivot as you're doing this, ending in a position whereby the heel points towards your opponent. At this point, you kick straight out, usually striking with the heel or the outside edge of the foot. That's a side kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a little like putting your kicking leg on the top of a table and sliding it forward across the table the entire time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a back kick, you will first pivot your base foot just like you would do with the side kick. The base foot's heel now faces your opponent. Then you bring your kicking leg upwards in front of you, bending the knee, lifting it just like you would lift to prepare for a front kick. Now look over your shoulder to your opponent who is behind you now. Drop your leg straight back down the same way it came up, but keep your knee bent throughout. And continue moving, using the momentum to swing the leg behind you and upwards towards your opponent. The knee straightens out as the leg extends. At this point, most people bend forward due to the limits of their flexibility. And most people have to take their eyes off of their opponent during the final moment of the kick to avoid being off-balance. The strike is done with the heel and with toes pointing downwards or slightly to the side (on a diagonal). The final position of the knee can be either pointing straight down or slightly to the side (on a diagonal), to match wherever the toes are pointing. That's a back kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Imagine you're doing a back kick in a one foot wide hallway, with walls touching you on both sides. There's no room for you to bring your leg to the side as a side kick would do. The back kick just sweeps backwards, never touching the walls.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And this is why it is named the &quot;back&quot; kick. The kick is done to the back of you. Whereas the &quot;side&quot; kick is done to the side of you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both kicks can either chamber or not. I described both with a chamber. Both kicks can be done while spinning. I described them as stationary kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice the key differences between the two kicks. First, the side kick is to an opponent in front of or to the side of you. The back kick is to an opponent to the side or in back of you. The side kick opens up the hip to expose the groin, whereas the back kick does not. The side kick operates in a plane parallel with the ground, whereas the back kick operates in the plane perpendicular with the ground. The side kick allows you to keep an eye on your opponent at all times, whereas the back kick is momentarily blind at the end of the kick. The back kick also exposes your back to your opponent. The side-kick can be (and usually is taught to be) done with the blade edge of your foot, but the back kick is always done with the heel or with the whole bottom of your foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The back kick can look more like a side kick during the final moment of the kick. This is when most people, in order to get the best mechanical advantage, will open the hips up a little (like a side kick) while turning their knee and toes to point diagonally to the side instead of straight down. But the lead-in to the kick will have a closed hip and will simply arch straight down and then back up. It will not cross the plane of motion (ie, it won't move off-center, to the side) at all, unlike the side kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are pluses an minuses to both kicks. Stylistically, Taekwondo tends to teach the side kick and avoids doing the back kick. This is probably due to the preference of being able to see your opponent always. The back kick isn't as safe in that respect. Also, the Taekwondo side facing stance (also known as a &quot;back stance&quot; or a &quot;fighting stance&quot;) has you in a position to immediately perform a side kick, whereas you need extra movement and setup to be able to perform a back kick. That makes the side kick the favorite for Taekwondo. Taekwondo also likes to kick to the head, and that's more difficult to do with the back kick while not also compromising balance. Balance is another problem with the back kick in general, relative to the side kick, due to the way you bend forward during the kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I see the back kick used most often in karate styles such as Shotokan karate. They will do the back kick with a slight turn of the leg at the very end of the kick so that the knee and toes point diagonal at the end. It also permits them to keep an eye on their opponent more than a &quot;pure&quot; back kick would.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One interesting type of back kick is the &quot;mule kick&quot; from Hapkido. They will tend to bend forward completely during the kick, ending with the head as low as your knee or ankle height. Hands can be placed on the ground to brace the kick and improve balance. This permits them to look behind and upwards. It allows them to kick to the upper chest and head of their opponent. And it allows them to make a very strong kick in a more compressed, short range compared with the side kick. It's often presented as a counter to someone doing a bear-hug from behind. You break free of the bear-hug (maybe by way of a back head butt while pulling his arms apart) and fake falling forward to the ground while kicking backwards at your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rarely do I see a back kick being used offensively. It's almost always a defensive-only kick. You do it while your opponent is moving towards you and take him by surprise. The kick is difficult to see and avoid, because it's coming from down low and comes straight out without telegraphing. Whereas the side kick is usually done while advancing towards your opponent, offensively. And there is more telegraphing when you do a side kick than a back kick, due to the chambering and the motion to the side which can be seen by human eyes better than motion down low and diagonal towards the eye.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The counter to both the side kick and the back kick is to simply step inward and to the side of your opponent. This leaves your opponent in a very vulnerable position. If your opponent does this to you while doing a side kick, you can see it while it is happening and try to modify your kick into something else. If you're doing a back kick, it's harder to see what your opponent is doing, and recovery will be harder also. The dive front roll or a leg sweep are things you can practice as an escape from a back kick gone bad. There are a number of kicks that Capoeira practices from this vulnerable, bent-over position which could be helpful to you in recovery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yeah, I'm surprised this isn't discussed more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2015-06-04T22:52:31.643" LastActivityDate="2015-06-04T22:52:31.643" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5133" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5134" CreationDate="2015-06-05T18:25:14.127" Score="8" ViewCount="116" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've always been taught that when doing &lt;em&gt;resistencia&lt;/em&gt; you should stay flat footed, but with &lt;em&gt;passa a frente&lt;/em&gt; to go onto the balls of your feet and to have your knees closer together. Is there any practical reason why one should stay flat footed (or vice versa)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5681" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-11-15T15:15:32.010" LastActivityDate="2016-11-15T15:30:03.567" Title="Flat footed resistencia" Tags="|capoeira|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5134" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5133" CreationDate="2015-06-05T19:24:46.797" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Heh. Interestingly enough, where I was taught, the primary difference between &lt;em&gt;negativa&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;resistência&lt;/em&gt; was the foot positioning with &lt;em&gt;resistência&lt;/em&gt; being the flatfooted one. Just goes to show that the terminology varies a lot between schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not familiar with &lt;em&gt;passa de frente&lt;/em&gt;, but I assume it is something like a &lt;em&gt;queda de quatro&lt;/em&gt; as seen in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko6IX7nLCFM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;. In that case, you're on the balls of your feet because your weight is over your feet, which can't really be set flat in the movement without breaking your ankles. You could do a similar movement flatfooted, but the weight distribution would be different, more split between your hands and your feet, with your feet further out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From there, I'd probably compare it similarly to how &lt;em&gt;negativa&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;resistência&lt;/em&gt; are used differently. The former is primarily a legs movement, moving down and back into the &lt;em&gt;esquiva&lt;/em&gt;. One hand is often used for balance, but the primary weight is on the supporting foot, which is flat to let you use the large muscles of your leg to absorb the downward force. The latter tends to be more often used while sliding the extended leg out, using your hands for support and weight distribution while moving forward. Thus, you are on the ball of your supporting foot because a) you're supporting less weight and b) your center of gravity (your butt really) is pushing more forward, above your foot instead of behind it, requiring a different foot position to put less strain on your ankle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a side note, I have since learned that &lt;em&gt;resistência&lt;/em&gt; is also used in some schools to describe the basic &lt;em&gt;esquiva&lt;/em&gt; of leaning backwards to avoid a kick while moving the hips forward to counter-balance, staying on the feet, then coming back up, as per the capoeirstra on the left in this image:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xSuFa.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xSuFa.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Resistencia esquiva to benacao pulada&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In that case, one generally goes up on the toes because otherwise your center of balance is behind you, and you're going to continue to fall backwards into a &lt;em&gt;queda&lt;/em&gt; (and indeed, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.start-playing-capoeira.com/capoeira-escapes.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;some groups&lt;/a&gt; do just that).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, your best bet is to talk to your instructor if they're available.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-11-15T15:30:03.567" LastActivityDate="2016-11-15T15:30:03.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5135" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5139" CreationDate="2015-06-06T07:52:12.817" Score="9" ViewCount="6302" Body="&lt;p&gt;My question is an extend to the question,&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/154/how-do-you-prepare-for-the-stress-of-a-real-self-defense-situation&quot;&gt;How do you prepare for the stress of a real self-defense situation?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing is, fighting is not a thing to be taken lightly, even in a perilous situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a boxing ring, if a competitor is being knocked out, people from the medical staff take immediately care of him. In a real fight situation, the guy that gets knocked out:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Could fall on concrete.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If he can't get up by himself, he has to wait for about 10 minutes until an ambulance shows up.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's why I'm asking, in a case where you have to face more than one opponent, in a case where putting someone into submission is not enough to end the fight:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Does knocking someone out by leading a punch to the chin (or somewhere else on the head) is willing to be lethal ?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Could a brutal blow to the solar plexus leads to death ?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I heard that a solid kick to the groin could also lead to death.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is it ok to break someone's arm (it won't kill him) if you are given the opportunity ? (Through a submission or something.).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How to be a fighter without being a murderer ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course if such an opportunity is given to you, the best way not to loose a fight is to run away. I don't encourage people fighting when they can avoid the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5847" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-09-15T23:41:17.917" Title="How to win a street fight without putting anyone's life in danger?" Tags="|self-defense|weapons|injury|" AnswerCount="12" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5136" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5135" CreationDate="2015-06-06T08:17:20.023" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;An interesting question. But all your options are deadly really.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why don't you think of back side kick or major punch in his stomach, and then move to the other one for a head punch and so ..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A hit to the back of the leg, or on the exact nerve of the arm are also good options, all freeze the opponent and doesn't kill him. Yet he would leave you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't go extreme ; as proofing you was in self-defense situation with an opponent who has multi bones crashed isn't always easy ... Beware of that .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope this answers your question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5906" LastActivityDate="2015-06-06T08:17:20.023" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5138" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5135" CreationDate="2015-06-07T15:18:41.740" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ignore all advice, fighting is to unpredictable, particularly so in a street environment.  Just do your best to defend yourself and in doing so, god willing you can walk away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are points on a person that will knock them out with minimal pressure, but this could potentially result in death if their head breaks the fall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5909" LastActivityDate="2015-06-07T15:18:41.740" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5139" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5135" CreationDate="2015-06-07T15:28:20.217" Score="10" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In a case where you have to face more than one opponent, in a case where putting someone into submission is not enough to end the fight:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're more comfortable with the idea of using submissions, then you can train for that: arts/skills such as Chin-Na, some schools of jujitsu, hapkido, aikido... all teach joint locks that let you control one opponent while you're still standing, so you're better able to watch and react to attacks from any other opponents.  If they have &quot;friends&quot;, you could  attempt some negotiation as they hopefully won't want their friend hurt.  At a very high level of skill, you may be able to pin multiple opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, you have to be massively better than your opponents to use these arts effectively against multiple opponents - and if you're asking about options on here you're at &lt;em&gt;best&lt;/em&gt; a decade of hard training away from that.  Striking or wrestling is easier to learn and apply.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Does knocking someone out by leading a punch to the chin (or somewhere else on the head) is willing to be lethal ?&#xA;  Could a brutal blow to the solar plexus leads to death ?&#xA;  I heard that a solid kick to the groin could also lead to death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any strike (and many other forms of attack) &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; be dangerous... especially when the opponent is untrained, and may have a medical condition.  In very general terms, a strike to the head, neck or throat is going to be higher risk to life than a strike to the torso, which is in turn more dangerous than to the legs or arms, but the specifics of the situation tend to be more important than these generalities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a point of departure, I'd prefer to kick someone once or twice in the thigh and see if that debilitated them before escalating to other targets.  As a kyokushin stylist, I have plenty of experience on both ends of such kicks, and know the average person who doesn't train for them should quickly find their thigh corked and be little further threat unless armed.  You can generally do that while defending your head and torso with your arms, and don't have to get as close as you do to punch to the head; there's relatively little risk.  And it's much easier than hoping to target specific nerve groups or &quot;pressure points&quot; with strikes or joint locks, the real-world effects of which are famously variable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I say &quot;point of departure&quot; pointedly - if you bother to form a mental model of how you'd prefer to manage a fight, many fights won't obligingly fit in.  It's good to get used to the unexpected (e.g. by forcing yourself to mix up your strategies/tactics during sparring).  As one example - against one charging opponent I charged back with a deliberately gentle gliding side thrusting kick to the chest, the opponent landed pretty heavily and may have hit his head, but not too hard - he could stand up again a few minutes later and walk off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With the low mawashi geri / roundhouse thigh kick, if you accidentally hit the knee, or if they fall hard or stumble in a dangerous environment - the damage could still be far greater than intended.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that contrasts with breaking the arm... to be in position to do that usually means you've already taken - or had thrust upon you - many other risks and a longer period of close quarters attack and defence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is it ok to break someone's arm (it won't kill him) if you are given the opportunity ? (Through a submission or something.).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether it's &quot;ok&quot; is partly between you and your local laws, partly you and your conscience, partly whether you're prepared to deal with all the other consequences.  It's good that you're researching and thinking about it beforehand so you're not spending crucial time debating such things with yourself during an actual attack, or under- or over-reacting to a situation in a way you'll come to regret.  Once you've got some general ideas about what you think's sensible, talking about it with people whose opinion of you you most value is a good idea too - you want to be comfortable with how they react if you ever have to do something, and it can't hurt for them to know that you are reluctant to injure people and wouldn't do it gratuitously - they'll be more likely to assess any incident from your perspective, then be sympathetic and supportive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I had to summarise my impression of the general consensus in the martial arts community, I'd say it was that doing the &lt;em&gt;minimum&lt;/em&gt; that's necessary to escape significant physical harm - or protect others from it - is normally &quot;acceptable&quot; to the community, your family, friends and the law, but there are certainly exceptions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more skill you have, the lower that minimum usually is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether breaking arms specifically is a better &lt;em&gt;strategy&lt;/em&gt; to aim and manoeuvre for than a striking-jaw KO, solar-plexus strike etc. from the perspective of doing &quot;responsible&quot; damage is a very tricky question - arguably needing a statistical analysis in which the specifics would again outweigh the generalities.  For me personally I'd never &lt;em&gt;aim&lt;/em&gt; for an arm break - though I've train a few years in joint locking arts, I've trained a few decades in striking ones, and it just isn't my go-to skill set or fighting style for serious situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All up, if you're in danger and the opportunity presents itself first, and the fight seems desperate enough that you may not get other opportunities, it may be reasonable strategically to take the opening - if you think they intend similar or greater violence.  That said, in positions from which you can break, you sometimes have the chance - if you have the skill to maintain control, the time and no other opponents pressing - to let the opponent know that and give them the choice to settle down, or wait for other parties to arrive.  That's clearly more responsible than breaking as soon as you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2015-06-07T15:37:10.030" LastActivityDate="2015-06-07T15:37:10.030" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5140" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5128" CreationDate="2015-06-07T16:01:22.437" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Some are spinning to face backwards and kicking with toes pointed down, hips pointed away from the target. Others are spinning 3/4 of the way around and then essentially doing a side kick, toes and hips pointed to the side. Is one of these more correct?  Or are these two distinct kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the perspecitive of any given style or school, whether one is the only &quot;correct&quot; form of that basic gross movement, or they're deemed two distinct kicks each correct for what they are but with different compromises, is only a matter of definition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From my perspective, the former approach - and what Steve Weigand describes as a back kick - have so many compromises they shouldn't be used in practice or fights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One huge compromise is that if you kick such that the extended kicking leg is out in front of you at between waist and head height, and yet your shoulders are still above hip height, the angle from chest to groin to kicking foot is greater than 180 degrees and that forces a dangerous curving of your spine, with a nasty ballistic wrenching at the completion of the kick.  The nasty stretch in the thigh and up through the back encourages a nasty rounding of the back while still removing power from the leg extension.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;it seems like the terms spinning side kick and spinning back kick are used relatively interchangeably?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That varies enormously across styles and schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;If so, do you have a strong opinion and rationale for one or the other?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As above, I strongly recommend the more side-kick like approach, and indeed touch on how to deliver a side thrusting kick, its similarity to back kick and the reasons not to do the curved-back flat-hips style back kick in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTtyTOLqnoc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this youtube video&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2015-06-07T16:01:22.437" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5141" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5135" CreationDate="2015-06-07T16:35:24.540" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Personally I've never been concerned for the opponents live. Remember they are the one attacking you! I say that with tongue in cheek. Because as you know you should be doing everything in your power to defuse or remove yourself from the situation. Now if you are find yourself within a fight use enough force as you feel is needed to protect yourself. I know this isn't black and white, but every situation is different. Trust yourself, if you are a true martial artist will know how much to use when.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1940" LastActivityDate="2015-06-07T16:35:24.540" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5142" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5135" CreationDate="2015-06-08T01:48:25.243" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's two goals here, and they don't necessarily overlap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Less harmful techniques&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The techniques less likely to result in serious injury or death for your opponent(s) are to restrain them.  Unfortunately, restraining them requires tying up part of your body to do so - limiting your mobility and your ability to defend yourself against others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These techniques are also often easier to defend legally, since they usually also result in less harm.  (&quot;often&quot;, and &quot;usually&quot; are key words here.  If you tear out someone's shoulder, even accidentally, the final result weighs in a lot.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reducing the number of attackers quickly&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The techniques which quickly stop people from being threats... are usually pretty harmful - bone breaking, joint damage, or weapons.  When you look at methods for dealing with multiple attackers, the goal is often to hurt them bad, quickly so that you don't have multiple attackers anymore.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In many places, a lot of these techniques are harder to defend in the eyes of the law.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Given that... then what?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) Run&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) If you can't run, push/trip/throw them into each other so they fall down, so you can run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) If you can't push/trip/throw them into each other, you'll have to choose what level of harm you will do, to keep yourself safe, so that you can run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's no magical answer here.  If anyone knew &quot;the one trick/strategy&quot; to beat multiple attackers, everyone would do it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't really &quot;win&quot; assaults from multiple attackers - you survive it.  Not getting hurt is winning.  Getting hurt only a little is winning.  Not getting put in the hospital or dead, is winning.  Self defense is about risk reduction, at the point when you're jumped by multiple people, you are basically making the best of the worst possible situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-06-08T01:48:25.243" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5145" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5135" CreationDate="2015-06-08T13:19:51.620" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;These things are so unlikely to happen that you shouldn't even worry about them. On the extremely rare occasion that someone has died following a street fight, it was usually because he was severely and repeatedly beaten. A single strike won't kill. It's theoretically possible to kill someone with a single punch or kick, but it is extremely unlikely. Maybe in Mike Tyson punched you in the exact right spot, but for the rest of us, it's really not worth worrying about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-06-08T13:19:51.620" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5146" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5135" CreationDate="2015-06-09T16:47:55.427" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The actual way to win a street fight with minimum injuries is to not fight at all. In fact, if you are faced with a choice or situation that would put you on the spot for a brawl, the first thing that you should always do is to flee or negotiate with words. Only on occasion that there is no choice and there is a chance to win, I guess you &lt;strong&gt;should&lt;/strong&gt; do something. I would recommend grappling in such occasions. Most grappling techniques are made to restrict movement and put your enemy into submission and would be perfect for ending fights quickly. Martial arts such as Krav Maga and even Greco-Roman Wrestling deploy grappling, so you should look into those.Grappling is you're best bet if you want to end fights without killing anybody. (Though you can injure people badly with grappling)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But even masters of Krav Maga say that avoiding a fight is the best self defense. Just my two cents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5917" LastActivityDate="2015-06-09T16:47:55.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5147" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4354" CreationDate="2015-06-09T22:46:22.193" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You got five very good answers above my own one. I will not repeat all in my own words, but I add this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muay Thay is a fighting art, not always focused on tournament-sports.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Original US Kickboxing is precisely that, a tournament-sport with rules like no hitting the back, only hit above the belt (waist-level) and so forth. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self-Defense depends a great lot on your teacher (from life itself to dollar-grabbing brutes and poseurs), the specific situation, and the kind of attacker or attackers. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But technically Muay Thai teaches more, and trains tougher pupils. Like already mentioned above the clinching/grappling of Muay Thai is a precious skill. Except, of course, against a skilled knife-fighter, than it turns suicidal, as plenty of paramedics can teach you in gory detail. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I was a bum, when I had my own first street-sparring against MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). I would have lost my arm, shattered break, because I was surprised once. After that only the brutality of my own kicks forced me to hold back, but Muay Thai clinching could suffice to counter, shake-off, and outmatch MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Still such is brawling. Real self-defense is usually against real criminals or real combat doggies or real Islamist or Racist extremist/insurgent types who come to cripple or kill. More than awareness such needs the courage to stay calm and keep thinking, as otherwise only a brute could hope to win by toughness alone. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nowadays documentations like these may inspire you:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlXxVPt7rrQ&amp;amp;index=69&amp;amp;list=WL&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Krav Maga Street unlike Dojo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Threat Level of skilled knife attacks:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKlO3vg08qk&amp;amp;index=47&amp;amp;list=WL&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Knife Attacks, a fiercer realism shown&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user5920" LastActivityDate="2015-06-09T22:46:22.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5149" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="154" CreationDate="2015-06-09T23:21:19.783" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have experienced attempts to brawl with me, stab me, rape me, storm my house with a bunch of armed buddies, and the aftermath each time. Post Traumatic Stress comes in a multitude of forms, and it will cost you years wasted on recovery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One book I consider a helpful reading in addition to the mentioned above my own answer is &quot;Deadly Force Encounters&quot;. That book is written by a former Police Psychologist, and while made for police officers it is far more informative than all the poseurs who thought that a black belt makes them street-fighters, too, or that one survived drunken brawl makes them veterans of sorts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0873649354&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Deadly Force Encounters&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user5920" LastActivityDate="2015-06-09T23:21:19.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5150" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-06-10T06:37:31.213" Score="2" ViewCount="122" Body="&lt;p&gt;What arts are the best complements to KM? Also, how do other combat systems like Systema complement Krav compared to most normal MAs?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1924" LastEditorUserId="1924" LastEditDate="2015-06-14T17:38:35.427" LastActivityDate="2015-06-14T17:38:35.427" Title="would this combo of MAs be well rounded or no?" Tags="|krav-maga|jeet-kune-do|systema|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="7" ClosedDate="2015-06-10T14:28:21.617" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5151" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-06-10T11:10:13.267" Score="7" ViewCount="1665" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a 7 year old who does WTF taekwondo. He's been doing it for over a year now and he has a green tag belt. His club holds gradings every 6 months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He's very good at the work he does in class, pad work, board breaking, and he's brilliant at poomsae. But he's not very good at sparring, he's quite slow and hesitant.&#xA;His club encourages them to enter competitions regularly, on the last one he got knocked over and hurt. He's small for his age and is often fighting children who are bigger than him. I'm worried that if he goes for his next grading and gets a green belt that he will be be put in the next category in competitions and be fighting children who are older and bigger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He really wants to get his green belt, he would be really upset if I didn't let him do the next grading, he loves learning new poomsaes, he wants to learn them all. He wants to go to poomsae competitions. His club seems to focus mainly on sparring competitions and he wants to go to them all with his friends. I'm worried that if he has a few more bad experiences it will ruin his love of taekwondo, but also if I hold him back from grading that might discourage him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would appreciate any advice, thanks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5922" LastActivityDate="2018-03-08T17:10:25.910" Title="Allow child to progress up the belts?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5152" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2179" CreationDate="2015-06-10T14:37:52.317" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Indian MA Kalaripayattu focuses on weapons and includes shield combined with various weapons, to include sword and spear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wrzRY.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2015-06-10T14:37:52.317" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5153" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-06-10T15:03:28.473" Score="11" ViewCount="6168" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo is a sport which involves throws. Most throws in &lt;em&gt;shiai&lt;/em&gt; are not very clean. In Judo, the &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; (throw receiver) may land head first. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am concerned that such &lt;strong&gt;head first landings may potentially cause long term brain injury&lt;/strong&gt;. However, brain injuries are not my expertise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In judo, break falls are very important techniques used to prevent injuries including those to the head. The &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; tucks in their chin to prevent direct impact to the back of their head. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In judo, a clean throw puts the &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; directly onto their back for &lt;em&gt;ippon&lt;/em&gt;. I do not know a single judo throw that lands uke head first on the ground. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are techniques applied during practice. However, in &lt;em&gt;shiai&lt;/em&gt; uke defends forcefully which may make tori unable to execute a clean throw. Uke may lands on his shoulders or even head first. Thus it is obvious that injuries are more likely to happen during &lt;em&gt;shiai&lt;/em&gt; then in training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I haven't really heard any news about brain injuries in Judoka which makes me wonder if this is true.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Question&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming that one trains regularly and is physically fit, does practising judo increase the likelihood of sustaining a brain injury?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5923" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-28T10:10:40.330" LastActivityDate="2020-01-28T14:56:57.297" Title="Does practising judo increase the likelihood of sustaining a brain injury?" Tags="|judo|injury|health|throwing|brain-injury|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5154" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5153" CreationDate="2015-06-10T15:25:07.710" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on this &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/18/sports/japan-confronts-hazards-of-judo.html?_r=0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;NYTimes article&lt;/a&gt;: &lt;a href=&quot;http://judojiko.net/eng/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/en_judo_data110110.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The frequency of judo deaths in Japan &lt;/a&gt; gives 108 deaths since 1983. I will not paraphrase the article but other nationality report no deaths in the last decade or so. I am going to assume that those deaths were directly resulting from judo and not just happened while judo was going on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus your risk of dying are increased if you practice judo. However, those are very rare events and you will most likely find that any sport as similar deaths/injuries.  Some sport, I suspect, will have much higher risk. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The question on &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/2913/82&quot;&gt;long term consequences of practising judo&lt;/a&gt; might be relevant as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-06-10T15:31:54.437" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5155" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5153" CreationDate="2015-06-10T18:12:39.370" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, playing judo introduces the risk of brain injury. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo is a contact sport. Competitive judo is a &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; contact sport. If you play rough and don't take &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; properly, you risk concussion. The risk is not as great as in boxing or striking arts. The risk is manageable for nearly all trainees, especially people who don't compete at the elite levels or who compete recreationally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24388944&quot;&gt;The recommendations for doctors who treat head injuries are to be judicious in restraining athletes who want to return to training (or even competition!) too soon&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Neurosurgeons should take the initiative to prevent severe brain injury of young athletes through collaborations with the athletes themselves, fellow athletes, family members, coaches, teachers, athletic directors, and other physicians. They should pay close attention to headaches and other signs and symptoms of concussion and prohibit the athletes from returning to play until they are confirmed to be symptom free for recommended periods, insisting that safety comes first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-06-10T18:12:39.370" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5156" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5151" CreationDate="2015-06-10T21:47:05.807" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your kid is 7 years old. And he's just a beginner, approaching intermediate level. Of course he's not going to be good at stuff. Whether it's sparring, forms, breaking, recalling terminology, leading the class, etc. It's to be expected. This is absolutely nothing to worry about. Trust me, he will improve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your main concern is about him wanting to quit Taekwondo, since he's losing at sparring a lot. Have you asked him if that was something he wanted to do? If your kid doesn't like Taekwondo, for any reason, it's best to let him quit. You tell your son, &quot;If you ever decide you're not having a good time and want to quit Taekwondo, just tell me. I won't be upset.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's what you may not be aware of, though. What you see when you see your kid sparring is him losing or doing the wrong thing, a lot. You see him getting visibly frustrated and upset. That's what you take notice of. But what you're not seeing is that he's doing things right every now and then. And during those rare times, he's probably secretly jumping up and down inside his head having a blast. You won't necessarily see that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what you should try to do is to look for him doing the right thing, not for him doing the wrong thing. Take notice of those times and praise him for it. Keep track of it in your head, too. You might start seeing that he's been making progress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He's learning what works and what doesn't. Eventually, he's going to get better. At first, there's this big learning curve. He's been told a bunch of things, and they're all going around and around in his head. Of course he's going to be slow reacting to stuff. He's going down lists of things in his head and asking himself, &quot;What did my instructor say to do in this case? Oh yeah, I have to...&quot; And then blam! He gets hit. That's normal and to be expected. The next time he's in that situation, he'll remember what to do slightly faster, and eventually he's going to reach a point where it requires no thought at all. He just reacts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And this is a young boy. At 7 years old, kids are not very well physically coordinated. Their nervous system is still working things out. Even if they decide what to do, they can't quite get their arms and legs to do what they want. There is an awful lot of things taking place that you just can't see from the outside. On the inside, there is nothing but improvement going on. But that's invisible to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;His instructors have undoubtedly been watching him closely, also. They see what he's been doing. They know where he's at and whether or not he's been attempting the things they've been teaching him. They don't usually put a lot of pressure on kids to do stuff, though. They don't take the kids aside and tell them they're not doing the right thing. That would be a terrible thing to do to a kid. No kid wants that. Instead, they let the kids figure it out on their own in their own time. But they'll keep on showing them stuff, and eventually they're going to use some of it, and eventually something will work. When that happens, instructors really notice it. It's what they live for!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So one thing you can do is go to the instructor and ask if he's been watching your kid and what he honestly thinks about his progress in sparring. It's a good idea to just open up and tell the instructor that you're worried that your son might want to quit because of his sparring troubles. But also tell him that this is coming from you, not necessarily your son. It might surprise you what the instructor says. He might tell you that your kid has made a lot of progress and is right where he should be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the instructor says your son isn't getting it, you can ask him if there's any way of improving things. He might suggest private lessons, for example. Think of it like tutoring. Or he might ask for your son to come to more classes per week. Or he might partner your son up with another kid in class who's good at sparring and would be willing to take your son under his wing and show him stuff. Who knows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But remember: You're the parent! Don't just do what the instructor thinks is best. Do what's best for your son. And try not to put any pressure on him. He wants to make you happy. Tell him you're happy with him no matter what he does. It's all about what he wants, not what you want, and not what his instructor wants.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, one other thing. You said your kid's Taekwondo class has a large emphasis on sparring instead of forms, and maybe your kid would like the opposite. Ask him if that is really what he wants. If so, you might be able to find another Taekwondo or Karate school nearby that does put the emphasis on the forms or at least makes it more even. You can take your son to see a class and ask if he'd rather be there. There are many Taekwondo and Karate schools out there. Parents are usually attracted to schools that have big classes with many kids in them, but smaller schools are often better and more tailored to the individual. It's something to consider.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2015-06-11T21:48:47.263" LastActivityDate="2015-06-11T21:48:47.263" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5157" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5158" CreationDate="2015-06-11T13:20:19.473" Score="7" ViewCount="1013" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a friend who last month gave birth, and is keen to do some gentle exercise to begin getting fitness back. She has been thinking about some of the karate kata she used to do, but obviously much slower and gentler. Which kata would put the less stress &amp;amp; strain on her body, without having to adapt it too much?&#xA;I am thinking that Naihanchi / Tekki Shodan would not be a good one due to the stance. Seisan / Hangetsu has the tensing of the stomach, not sure if this is a good or bad thing though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do any practicioners or instructors on here have some experience with this scenario?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1413" LastActivityDate="2015-06-13T19:17:42.013" Title="Karate Kata for those recently given birth" Tags="|karate|medical-advice|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5158" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5157" CreationDate="2015-06-11T18:05:52.597" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;The most sensible advice about exercise after giving birth comes from authoritative medical organizations such as this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/labor-and-delivery/in-depth/exercise-after-pregnancy/art-20044596&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/labor-and-delivery/in-depth/exercise-after-pregnancy/art-20044596&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They state that in the past it was recommended that women wait for at least 6 weeks after vaginal birth to do any exercise. But the latest guidelines suggest that these &lt;b&gt;women can begin exercise as soon as they feel they are ready&lt;/b&gt;. This is for &quot;uncomplicated&quot; vaginal births.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For Cesarian births or more complicated vaginal births (such as with an episiotomy), it requires a doctor's approval first. Run it by your doctor, telling him/her exactly what you want to do and if that would be a good or bad thing. The general recommendation is to &lt;b&gt;avoid exercise for 6 to 8 weeks following a C-section&lt;/b&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.webmd.com/baby/tc/cesarean-section-what-to-expect-after-c-section&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.webmd.com/baby/tc/cesarean-section-what-to-expect-after-c-section&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mostly, you're trying to &lt;b&gt;avoid ripping your stitches&lt;/b&gt; or getting your wound sites infected when you have just had a C-section. Exercise may also have an effect on &lt;b&gt;scarring&lt;/b&gt;, so you have to be careful not to pull at the incision site or else it will worsen your scars. And after C-sections, some women have reported that internally, the wound has caused an attachment of the wound site to internal tissues, which means that they feel pulling and pain internally when they twist themselves in different ways during exercise that they didn't used to prior to the C-section.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mothers worry that exercise might have negative effects on their breast milk. According to the first article above, &lt;b&gt;exercise generally has no effect on the quantity or nutritional quality of breast milk&lt;/b&gt;. But of course, there are outliers where some women report a big reduction in milk supply after a lot of exercise or after a large calorie deficit. So obviously, this is something you can monitor and adjust as you go, but no reason to avoid exercise in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a common myth that exercise sours breast milk due to lactic acid, but there doesn't appear to be any evidence to support this. See article: &lt;a href=&quot;https://hygeiainc.com/common-breastfeeding-myths/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://hygeiainc.com/common-breastfeeding-myths/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Breastfeeding mothers definitely need to make sure they're drinking enough &lt;b&gt;fluids&lt;/b&gt;. This is something that is stressed a lot for all women who breastfeed, but especially those that exercise during this period of time. Otherwise it can leave you dehydrated and can decrease milk production.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other thing that women generally don't realize until they actually start breastfeeding: &lt;b&gt;Breastfeeding burns lots of calories&lt;/b&gt;. The body puts on fat during pregnancy, and it's to prepare the body for breastfeeding. All of that stored fat can easily be burned off during the first year of breastfeeding. So women need to be aware that when they're breastfeeding, they're already running a small calorie deficit on the order of about 500 calories per day, more or less. Adding exercise on top of that may greatly increase their calorie deficit which runs a risk of decreasing breast milk production in extreme cases. So it might require women to eat more than usual.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All women who have given birth (vaginal or C-section) realize that their uterus is still bleeding for several weeks after birth. This is because the placenta detaches from the wall of the uterus, leaving behind open blood vessels which continue to bleed until the body seals them off. During this period of time, women will need to line their underwear with post-pregnancy pads, which might restrict some movement or might make certain exercises awkward. It also means they should think about adding an &lt;b&gt;iron supplement&lt;/b&gt; to their diet. This is usually in addition to continuing to take &lt;b&gt;prenatal vitamins&lt;/b&gt; after giving birth (prenatal vitamins often lack iron and require an additional iron supplement).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for doing karate specifically, I don't think anything is really a problem. Let her decide what she feels comfortable doing. She can very easily run through whatever kata she has, one after the next, trying each one out to determine what she doesn't feel comfortable doing. It's not a problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;She may even find things like &lt;b&gt;low squatting positions and longer stances and lunges will improve the muscles of her torso and pelvic floor&lt;/b&gt;, which are things she'll need to focus on after giving birth. In other words, there's no reason to stick with &quot;safe&quot; kata that have shorter movement and allow for higher stances. The lower stances and the longer movements are very beneficial post-birth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pretty much any karate kata will be useful for recovery after giving birth. As would a number of general core strength conditioning exercises such as crunches, planks, pull-ups, squats, and overhead presses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are a couple of good articles on core strength training for mothers after giving birth:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/post-natal-ab-training-fit-mommy-core-circuit.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/post-natal-ab-training-fit-mommy-core-circuit.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://breakingmuscle.com/womens-fitness/6-exercises-for-rebuilding-your-core-after-pregnancy&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://breakingmuscle.com/womens-fitness/6-exercises-for-rebuilding-your-core-after-pregnancy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2015-06-13T19:17:42.013" LastActivityDate="2015-06-13T19:17:42.013" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5159" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5135" CreationDate="2015-06-12T00:33:57.493" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with Sy_UK fighting is too unpredictable. I do my best to avoid it and have done a great job. If I am in fear of my safety, I will be the one throwing the first punch (this makes the fight a little more predictable as I'm the one starting it).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case, I will do as much as I need to do to escape or protect myself and my family.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastActivityDate="2015-06-12T00:33:57.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5160" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5135" CreationDate="2015-06-12T06:39:00.070" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In response to the question if a punch to the solar plex can kill, the answer is yes...if the conditions are right.  The angle must have be perfect, you have to do it with a knuckle strike, at an upward angle, and know how to do the one inch punch.  Also, it should be said that accidents happen in street fights, there are no rules.  If your apprehended by law enforcement, you're looking at mutual combat or assault and battery.  If you do end up killing, even on accident, you'll be charged with manslaughter.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  All that being said, I know one guy who killed a bigger guy at a bar by striking to the solar plex.  The dude who died had health problems and the strike didn't help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5930" LastEditorUserId="5930" LastEditDate="2015-09-15T23:41:17.917" LastActivityDate="2015-09-15T23:41:17.917" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5163" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5164" CreationDate="2015-06-12T19:09:18.740" Score="8" ViewCount="12786" Body="&lt;p&gt;As I understand it Boxers/Martial Arts practitioners can never become immune to pain. Instead they learn to deal with pain better than the regular Joes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what do they do to deal with pain? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3090" LastActivityDate="2015-06-23T21:31:42.527" Title="How do Boxers and other Martial Arts practitioners deal with pain?" Tags="|boxing|kung-fu|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5164" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5163" CreationDate="2015-06-12T23:27:12.280" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are all kinds of places on the body where fighters can get hit (the nose, the jaw, the solar plexus, the thigh, the liver, the kidneys, etc.), and each one of those triggers not just pain but subconscious, automatic physical reactions and altered psychological states. The pain is really the least of anyone's problems in this situation. It's the other stuff, the subconscious physical reactions and the psychological changes, that really need to be kept under control if a fighter is to survive and overcome his/her adversary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider a punch to the eye. Prior to getting punched there, your eye lids will close automatically, your head will flinch, and your hands will start to raise to cover your eyes or block the punch. These are innate reflexes that pretty much all humans have. Anything that comes close to your eyes will trigger it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, when your eye takes a punch, it's usually protected by the eye socket. So not only did the flinch reduce some of the force of the incoming punch, the eye socket does as well. The result is bruising, but not the loss of the eye. This is the result of evolution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the initial physical reaction will be swift. Your eyes will both begin to water, including the eye that didn't get hit. It's not quite the same as crying, but physically similar. Your nose will start to run. The eye that got hit will see stars for a fraction of a second, followed by blurriness due to the increased tears and due to your inability to focus properly. Your other eye may also become blurry for the same reasons. You'll feel the pressure of the blood and water as it begins to rush into the damaged area, the result of inflammation. You may also become dizzy and lose your balance. And ultimately it will leave you with a bruise that will feel tender for the next week or two.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Psychologically, the result will be fear and panic. Your body's nervous system will cause your heart rate and respiration to go up a lot. Your heart will pound much more strongly. Your adrenal glands will begin to pump adrenaline and cortisone into your blood stream. You'll begin shaking. Your fine motor skills will be disrupted. You could get tunnel vision, if you're able to see at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These physical changes will amplify your mental changes, and those mental changes will in turn amplify the physical changes. All of this is one big feedback loop making things get worse and worse and totally out of control for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The result is temporary disorientation, inability to control your thoughts and emotions, and inability to fight back. Panic can ensue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The actual pain is not all that significant. You feel a sharp pain for a second or two. Following that is just dull pain due to inflammation. The thing to realize is that it's all the other stuff that happens that makes getting punched a dreadful experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, how can you deal with it better? How do fighters deal with it? Fighters have all been hit before. They know that it's not the end of the world. It doesn't shock them. Therefore, they keep their mind from panicking. And that stops the feedback loop I mentioned above. It means they can remain in control mentally, which allows them to make quick, intelligent decisions immediately after getting hit. They can avoid further damage and hold off their opponent long enough for the automatic physical reactions (such as eye watering and the inability to focus) to wear off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stuff like black eyes, bruises, and so on are the only things that will remain after the fight. Bruises aren't very painful. But broken bones? Cuts? Those are painful, especially broken bones, and will require medical attention. They'll give you painkillers, though, while they're patching you up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And on this subject, if you get a broken bone during a fight, sometimes the adrenaline pumping through you can dampen the pain enough to allow you to ignore it and continue fighting. Many fighters report not even being aware of a broken bone or a small fracture until after the fight had ended. But in other cases, the pain of a broken bone is so great that you will simply be unable to continue to fight. No amount of mental preparation will help in those cases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TL/DR: It's mostly mental. Keep control over your mind, and getting punched won't be so bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2015-06-14T04:55:51.973" LastActivityDate="2015-06-14T04:55:51.973" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5165" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5163" CreationDate="2015-06-13T01:51:36.980" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are three major ways in which martial artists learn to deal with pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Toughing through it&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is one of the more commonly cited methods. Basically, by being hurt repeatedly, you start to condition your body to continue on beyond the pain. You hurt, but swelling and stiffness is reduced and toy set aside the psychological reactions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Meditative coping&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a bit more advanced, but it's possible to &quot;put the pain aside&quot; through active meditation. This is also how woo like hypnosis and acupuncture work to eliminate pain and nausea, essentially latching onto the placebo effect. They know it's the same methodology because there's a drug that disables the effect. It is more of an upper level thing, take some concentration, and can be dangerous because pain is how the body tells you to stop before you really get hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Reflex/drills&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is more for midfight reactions, but one of the reasons martial arts rely on so much repeated drilling is that it lets you react even when you're not with it due to pain. When you get popped in the noise, your eyes &lt;em&gt;will&lt;/em&gt; water and you will most likely not be able to consciously react. However, trained reflexes will have you guarding, or even counterattacking, without having to think. You can see this in MMA fights where a fighter will often keep fighting for several seconds after getting knocked out, sometimes enough to recover and keep fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Aftermath&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And, of course, afterwards, there is some benefit to things like massage to relieve cramping muscles and there are many traditional martial arts ointments that aid in healing. It's nothing mystical - you can get the same results with a massage therapist and/or something like Bengay - but it is something most martial artists get taught to use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-06-13T01:51:36.980" CommentCount="0" CommunityOwnedDate="2015-06-13T01:51:36.980" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5166" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4208" CreationDate="2015-06-14T20:37:48.800" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question is not well phrased.  It's like asking &quot;Which is a better tool: hammer or screwdriver?&quot; (Answer: it depends...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The better question is &quot;which is a more effective martial arts technique?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no historical basis to support the claim that slashing weapons were generally cavalry weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some relevant historical examples: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Swords were by far the preferred weapon for cavalry in the 1800's. Much preferred over revolvers even.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The British issued their cavalry a curved saber primarily designed&#xA;   for slashing. This is because of the lessons they had learned in&#xA;   India and Afghanistan where slashing weapons heavily predominate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The French, however,  issued straight cavalry sabers and were heavily&#xA;   trained to use the point. The superior deadliness of the point to the&#xA;   edge was known in Europe since Roman times. Traditional&#xA;   dueling wisdom held that one wound from a sword point equalled three&#xA;   injuries from the edge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In French vs. British cavalry combat, it was discovered that very few French would emphasize thrusts instead of slashes (usually only French officers would rely on thrusting in combat). The French learned that in the heat of combat, slashing is the natural reaction of even very highly trained cavalrymen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Roman times, the gladius was relied upon for six centuries. It was primarily used for hacking down an enemy (often after knocking him over by slamming into him with the shield) The gladius was generally used for stabbing mainly for the coup d'gras.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Metallurgy had progressed far enough by the Sixteenth Century to allow swordsmiths to make sturdy , thin, light, fast thrusting swords. For dueling,  a long, thin, sharp sword (although expensive) was a vastly superior weapon to any slashing weapon of the time (like a cutlass) Additionally, pikes (long spears for stabbing) were very successful battle weapons (even against poleaxes - i.e. hacking arms-although there was no clear dominance. Mainly it was less expensive to equip a body of troops with pikes, and easier to train them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, of course, there is the obvious example of the Japanese katana.  For two thousand years, the Japanese never saw a real need for thrusting weapons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Modern military blade fighting strongly emphasizes thrusting techniques, probably because slashing techniques do not work as well against people wearing modern clothing and carrying kit belted and strapped to their body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nevertheless, Asian bladed martial arts place the emphasis on slashing -primarily out of centuries old traditions that rely on disarming an opponent FIRST (by slashing his hands and arms) then going for the kill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps the most timely and relevant historical example is the example of the World War One trench raids. That was probably the last great era of hand to hand combat in close quarters, almost always at night, and almost always begun as a surprise attack.  It was a time when an individuals' personal choice of weapon and technique was very likely to make the difference between life and death.  Trench maces make good museum pieces, and they were used alot, but their prevalence in war museums doesn't mean they prevailed in the trench raids.  British and French trench raiders tended to rely on thrusting weapons such as poignards, bayonets (often attached to a broomstick to make a pike), the &quot;French Nail&quot; (a bent tent peg)  and Bowie knives. The British Gurkas however, gained fame using kukri (hacking) swords.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5939" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-06-15T07:24:50.143" LastActivityDate="2015-06-15T07:24:50.143" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5167" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="501" CreationDate="2015-06-14T22:14:24.653" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't use the tips of your fingers for practice. Its too dangerous to you and to your sparring partner. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, close the front two finger joints to form a  flat fist (as if you were rapping on a door) .The striking point is the first knuckle of your first two fingers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You give up only two inches. Also fight like that if you want. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practice like that. Its much safer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Throwing an open hand spear hand at an eye or throat is a fine motor skill for an expert. If your opponent sees it coming and ducks, you will jam your fingers on his head or chin. Not good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, the only time i would ever attempt an open hand spear is against a knife attack. In that case, I definitely would.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I safer alternative to a full length open hand spear hand thrust is a spear hand slash - basically same dynamics but with a sideways cut for a few inchrs across the eyes.  Spearhand slash is a very good self defense technique for women with good nails . Do it fast and hard. Try to break off your nails in his eye. Then DUCK and MOVE because he's likely to shoot out a hand up high . The attacker will close both eyes. Dont let him grab your hair. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you practice an eye gouge, everytime you throw it, practice the duck and move too.  Practice not tripping over your own feet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hitting the ground and rolling is a good getaway technique too - like if you have been pushed down or onto furniture . &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good abdominal strength is necessary to get up quickly from the ground. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5939" LastEditorUserId="5939" LastEditDate="2015-06-14T22:28:26.227" LastActivityDate="2015-06-14T22:28:26.227" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5168" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5163" CreationDate="2015-06-15T08:20:09.367" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You get used to it after a while. That's all there is to it. If you get hit enough times, you stop being afraid of it. The fear of getting hit is much worse than getting hit itself. Also, when the adrenalin is flowing you don't really feel pain. I finished (and won) a fight with a broken collarbone which I thought was just a slight sprain. It hurt like a mother the next day, but it was only mildly uncomfortable during the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-06-15T08:20:09.367" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5169" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4354" CreationDate="2015-06-16T00:00:58.847" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;anyon engaging in this should be very physically fit .&#xA;running and weight lifting are assumed and mandatory and plenty of it too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;amature boxing is a waste of time since all those dirty boxing tricks are not allowed at all.&#xA;clinching is a high art form and  is extra hard to find.&#xA; fully qualified trainers- clinch trainers are rare .&#xA;we got too many dirt rolling leg grabbers and they  dont count none for clinch fighters  !&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;kick boxering and full 100 % authentic high style muay thai are totally different .&#xA;swindlers and cheats will try to convince you they are the same dont be fooled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;i will leave the sorting and discovery of the details to the serious reader .&#xA;try watching k1 and glory fights and then look up thailand muay thai fights .&#xA;if any reader doesn`t reconise the differances i cant help them.&#xA;dont  expect large heavy weights fighting in thailand , they dont respect elephants fighting  !!!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;its you choice , you have been  told.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5943" LastActivityDate="2015-06-16T00:00:58.847" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5171" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4890" CreationDate="2015-06-16T05:39:59.880" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had the same problem, which went away the more I punched with bare knuckles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;My knuckles got slightly larger to the point that when I punch the wall like you did in your picture, my knuckles hit first.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The skin on my middle joints became calloused.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It did teach me the hard way what it felt like to punch with the wrong technique. It was a good lesson.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5944" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2015-06-18T19:47:09.830" LastActivityDate="2015-06-18T19:47:09.830" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5172" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-06-17T04:37:59.157" Score="10" ViewCount="1003" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been practising Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for a while. The red tip of the belt is worn on the left side; the only explanation for this is because it is the same side as the heart.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This doesn't sound reasonable to me. Does anyone know of any other explanations?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-24T10:24:03.687" LastActivityDate="2019-09-24T10:24:03.687" Title="Why is the red part of a BJJ belt on the left side?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|belt|etiquette|uniform|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5173" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4624" CreationDate="2015-06-17T04:58:30.587" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;By the rules (&lt;a href=&quot;http://ibjjf.org/rules/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IBJJF - International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation&lt;/a&gt;) the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu belt must have a black tip. In case of the Black belt the tip should be white or red.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Red&lt;/strong&gt; is for who teach Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Some guys ( and this is mistake ) change the black tip in other belts for a red tip. This is not right. Just a black belt should use a red tip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;White&lt;/strong&gt; is for who practices Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Some times called fighter. This is less commun. The most of the black belts who teach or not have a red tip in the belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The black belt receive the degrees by age. As a example the 1st and 2nd after 3 years. It's mean after 6 years in the black belt they are able to give a black belt as well. 3rd, 4th, 5th degrees after 5 years. Doesn't matter how long the guys are black belt if they choose change for white tip, they still have the number of years in the belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/TXl45.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="5818" LastEditDate="2015-06-17T11:11:44.967" LastActivityDate="2015-06-17T11:11:44.967" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5174" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4890" CreationDate="2015-06-17T08:55:22.130" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My Sensi taught me years ago that you will fight the way you train and to build yourself up slowly.  If your knuckles start bleeding, treat it like a hand injury in a fight and switch to throwing palm strikes without losing rhythm.  Also, as others here have alluded to, after you build calluses on your knuckles this won't happen anymore.  The way I did it for myself was to do push ups on my knuckles, elbows in tight to my side, fist up and down (not sideways),and to do them for speed, not slow. Imagine your back is straight as a board throughout the motion and continue to do the push ups on harder and harder surfaces.  That means start on carpet, then hardwood floors, then bricks, then anything you feel comfortable with. Just remember...your training for combat...so imagine your fist stopping the worst enemy you can think of...someone who would hurt the person you love the most...and only you can stop that!..(In the mean time use open finger gloves, at Big 5 Sporting Store for example, or wipe the bag down with rubbing alcohol or vinegar to be considerate).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5930" LastActivityDate="2015-06-17T08:55:22.130" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5175" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5179" CreationDate="2015-06-17T23:38:57.390" Score="5" ViewCount="333" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know there are a lot of questions about this posted, and I've read through four of them here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that more important than any style is that the instructor is &quot;good.&quot; I don't have a rigorous definition for what &quot;good&quot; is, unfortunately, and would like some insight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll preface with my background and goals. I'm 20 now, and live in NYC. I did TKD since I was 5 for 10 years. I got up to second degree black belt and then stopped. After entering college, I did Krav Maga for a year, up to 4x/week. I had to stop because my knee took too much damage: from a young age I've had knee issues, and TKD combined with fencing, track, and dance only hurt the issue. I then took a break and switched to Muay Thai for a very short stint of time (6 months). I have mild wearing down of the cartilage (osteoarthritis) and patellar tracking disorder which has been largely fixed through a year of physical therapy. I can't say my knee is completely better, but so long as I continue my exercises and take care of it doctors say I should be just fine. Just no crazy Krav drills. :P&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to get back into martial arts and especially want to study a Chinese martial art. I am of Chinese heritage and love kung fu films, so part of it is how cool I think kung fu is, and part of it is wanting to explore my heritage. I'm also Buddhist, so Shaolin is pretty awesome in that way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are my specific goals, in order of importance (especially top 3):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Find an art that isn't going to massively destroy my knee.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Improve competitive mindset/avoid anger and mental blocks in competition.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Improve balance and awareness. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Eventually do cool stuff.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Improve self-defense ability in real-life scenarios.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding (2.), I compete at a professional level in a fighting game. My largest problem is my mindset during tournament play, and even anger during practice if I can't beat opponents I feel I should beat, am playing poorly at a given time, play nervous during tournament matches, etc. I'm hoping learning a martial art will help. I've begun Tai Chi classes (and am starting to meditate again as I used to do), but there's always something more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in sum, what should I look for when I go to the class? What do I ask the instructor, or the other students (I'm really shy with strangers and don't think I'd be able to approach other students, actually)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5952" LastEditorUserId="5952" LastEditDate="2015-06-18T12:26:16.640" LastActivityDate="2015-12-27T21:51:03.707" Title="What should I be looking for in my first, trial class? [For Chinese arts specifically]" Tags="|kung-fu|teaching|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5176" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2015-06-18T05:32:01.550" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a martial artist, u should do weight lifting but to a moderate amount. It increases strength, but too much can lead to bulk, meaning your speed will be reduced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5953" LastActivityDate="2015-06-18T05:32:01.550" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5178" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5184" CreationDate="2015-06-18T06:16:09.597" Score="6" ViewCount="1160" Body="&lt;p&gt;I take Tae Kwon Do 2 days a week and I also jog in the morning. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I need a gym work out plan for the rest of the week. I need it to supplement body fitness and do specific strength supportive exercises for better ability in TKD. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Experts! guide me please. PS by profession I am a software engineer so no physical activity at work, 9 hours on screen.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5915" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2015-06-22T19:49:02.553" LastActivityDate="2015-06-22T19:49:02.553" Title="what kind of gym work out is necessary for a Tae kwon do learner?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|mixed-martial-arts|fitness|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="9" ClosedDate="2015-06-19T16:42:03.997" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5179" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5175" CreationDate="2015-06-18T06:25:47.900" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You've got a pretty big list of goals there, and you can probably find a teacher or school that will hit 60% of them.  Getting them all at once might be tough.  That said, NYC has a pretty large martial arts community, so once you get into a decent school, you might find other schools or teachers who better fit your needs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Your Knee&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your knee, actually becomes a pretty good litmus to start with.  When you describe your situation, does the instructor say, &quot;Don't worry, just ignore the pain&quot; or &quot;You'll get strong enough to be good as new!&quot; or do they say, &quot;We'll have to modify some of the movements for what you can do&quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The former responses indicate either someone who doesn't care about your health or doesn't understand how the body works, while the latter shows some understanding that things need to be tailored.  Look for other students who aren't necessarily the top-fit types - and ask about any long term injuries they're dealing with as well.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can, see if any ex-students can be contacted to see what they think about the school as well - some places create injuries and people drop out.  Hearing from them is a key point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Self Defense&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does the training deal with (current, modern) weapons?  Multiple attackers?  Scenario training (&quot;Ok, we're going to practice in this very confined space since you can't always fight out in the open...&quot;) etc.?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cool Stuff&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can't necessarily assume you'll get to do what's in the movies, but if you can see high level teachers or students move, and you want to be able to do that, that's a big thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like to look for people in the 50s, 60s or older and see how they move.  If they move nice, then that tells me I could have some longevity in the art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;McDojos and Cult Teachers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's something a McDojo has: a clean, broad, payment structure.  Uniforms, fees, how fast you get to the next level of training, etc.   Real training is more messy and doesn't have guaranteed timelines.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe you put in hard work and you're on part with some intermediate students really quickly, maybe you get caught on some core technique that is hard for you and it takes a long time to meet the requirement.  Maybe the instructor is disorganized and the testing or awards are irregular.  Maybe there's no real categories outside of student, elder student, instructor, master?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The flipside is the cult teacher.  The unfortunate reality is a lot of the Chinese traditions around martial arts leads to cult teachers.  You start with a basic level of protocol and respect, and then the teacher is asking you to clean their house, take care of their grandkids, and give up hours you need to spend doing college work...  Cult teachers are abusive and manipulative.  Look for ex-students to talk to as well, and often these instructors have nothing but nasty things to say about other styles or teachers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-06-18T06:25:47.900" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5180" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5178" CreationDate="2015-06-18T07:37:50.340" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I preferred cycling to running, but that's not important. What's important is that you do interval training (search on Google for examples). You'll want to do lots of muscle conditioning too. Use lighter weights, and go for more reps and sets. You want to build lean, toned, fast-twitch muscle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't give you a specific workout because I don't know you, but if you go to a bodybuilding website or to your local gym and tell them you want to tone and condition, they'll be able to give you details.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-06-18T07:37:50.340" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5182" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5178" CreationDate="2015-06-18T11:02:11.077" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;At home I do a 20-10 workout, get a partner to hold pads (or wear gloves) on their hips (height can be adjusted as you get used to it - i go a little higher than that to ensure above belt height), kick (45 kicks) as many times as you can in 20 seconds take 10 seconds rest and kick again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your sparring bouts last 90 seconds then 3-4 bouts of kicking is ideal, if you spar for 2 minutes then 4-5.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I then do the same again with punches (partner holding the pad at head level).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This has done wonders for our sparring fitness (I have found that towards the end of a bout I have exhausted my opponent and can score fairly easily)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't forget to do lots of stretching, whilst taekwondo doesnt require flexibility it offers a big advantage. Many Exercises such as running, cycling and swimming will tighten your muscles and reduce flexibility so it is important to counter this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also most of your power (especially for pressing blocks / 2 handed moves) comes from your core muscles, so core exercises such as sit-ups and plank should be staple.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2015-06-18T11:02:11.077" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5183" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5178" CreationDate="2015-06-18T19:38:49.893" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Training for TaeKwonDo involves largely the same strength exercises every athlete should be doing: weighted lunges, squats, and deadlifts for the lower body and core strength. For the upper body, some form of appropriately-loaded upper body pushing and pulling is needed, whether that takes the form of push-ups, overhead press, planks, pull-ups, or rows. After acclimating to those tasks, power training through plyometrics, various jumps, and variations on the Olympic lifts (power clean/snatch/jerk) are introduced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should be looking at a general-purpose novice strength program. Note that terminology: &lt;strong&gt;strength&lt;/strong&gt; program. Not bodybuilding, not running, not weight loss. Your task at the gym for supplementing your TKD should be to grow stronger, more explosive, and more flexible. Starting Strength is a good place to start, as are various Olympic lifting for Sports programs, given that you start at an intensity appropriate to your strength and mobility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-06-18T19:38:49.893" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5184" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5178" CreationDate="2015-06-18T19:39:05.530" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was in your situation - I was a programmer (now a dev manager) and I put on 20 lbs in 2 years sitting around eating badly. However, I did have the advantage of a life of sports (including nearly 30 years in martial arts now) and a college degree in kinesiology to help me turn that around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are already doing TKD twice a week, and jogging in the morning. Assuming that you are jogging at least 3x per week, that should take care of your basic requirements. I would also recommend some explosive type workouts which I will detail. Too much steady state, slower pace cardio can possibly interfere with the explosiveness needed for TKD. While the evidence is not 100%, recent studies in the field have shown that it may be possible to convert from type I (Slow twitch) to type II (fast twitch) fibers in your muscles and vice versa. (There is also some debate about whether it's an actual change or a change in other associated structures, it's all up in the air). But one thing is for certain, past a certain point of basic fitness, you want to train for what you need. If you need quick, explosive movement, train that way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as deficiencies, what I have noted from many years as an instructor and participant, is that the lower back muscles, glutes/hamstrings, rear deltoids and lats are the muscles most likely to suffer. There are very few actual reverse hand techniques (reverse elbow, upset ridge hand, backfist) that use the rear deltoids and lats to any extent, and the front/round kicks get utilized more often than the side/back kicks. Plus, you need basic strength overall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would recommend a program such as Stronglifts 5x5, but twice a week rather than 3x, and make sure to add in calf work and back extensions. When you do your abdominal work, make sure to add rotational versions to get the obliques. That should be sufficient to take care of your basic strength needs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Along with that, you want to train explosiveness and movement, so I would invest in an agility ladder and a set of agility cones. You can find many different drills, but both of these will work your foot movement as well as explosive speed, presuming that you really work it on the cone/running drills. Do this once a week to start, and as you get used to the increased amount of workouts, you can increase it to 2x per week. On your jogs, I would also add in a day where you do strides/fartlek type work, where you put in short segments of uptempo, fast running with short recovery (Something like 10 minutes of 30 seconds accelerate to near sprint, 30 seconds slow jog recovery).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As pointed out, flexibility in any martial art is an enhancement, so I would make sure to do dynamic (sport motion specific) stretching before, and static stretching after. There isn't much evidence that being more flexible helps avoid injury, or that it enhances performance, but a lack of flexibility in martial arts can definitely be a hindrance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You also should make sure (Especially considering the sedentary nature of your job) that your diet and sleep routines are sound. It's all too easy (as I did) to have soda and sugary/fatty snacks sitting around the desk, but all they will do is derail your hard work. Replace soda with water or unsweetened teas, and the sugary snacks with things like nuts, nut butters, veggies with hummus, and pay attention to total calorie intake.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Give yourself some rest days, and some cheat meals, if you feel like hell, go ahead and take a day off. Mix it up, don't always do the same workouts on the same days, keep it all fresh and fun, and always look for new exercises and activities to support your main emphasis, TKD.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2015-06-18T19:39:05.530" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5185" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4890" CreationDate="2015-06-19T02:59:56.017" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your fist is not optimal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are pulling in your whole thumb side inwards when you make a fist and it causes your 1 + 2 fingers to not have enough room to make your fist flat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Relax the muscles and area around your first carpometacarpal joint and your palm will give way for your fingers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With this kind of posture, I also suspect that you are pulling your pinky area downward as well, which will cause you further problems later on (or upon weird angle impact). Are your knuckles slanted diagonal instead of straight horizontal when in a fist?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5958" LastActivityDate="2015-06-19T02:59:56.017" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5187" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5191" CreationDate="2015-06-20T03:22:06.867" Score="8" ViewCount="4043" Body="&lt;p&gt;As I am no longer a young man, I frequently find that my finger joints are swollen for a few days after judo practice. This is more a chronic overuse issue that has developed over years than an acute issue. I generally try to grip loosely and hold with the pinky, ring, and middle fingers, but increasing find my pinky and ring finger joints suffering. I understand this is a common injury in gi-grappling sports, but are there ways you adapt or things you do to lessen the severity?  I am considering trying to switch more to holding the person rather than the gi, but I am looking for any wisdom. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-10T17:50:01.823" LastActivityDate="2019-08-10T17:50:01.823" Title="How do you prevent/mitigate finger injuries in judo/bjj?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|injury|grips|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5188" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1998" CreationDate="2015-06-20T04:43:54.567" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to build on Dave's answer. Let's assume you are sufficiently experienced to have a throw that is currently your favorite. Here is how I suggest organizing competition training (as opposed to training for general development or teaching). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As your opponents get more experienced, you should develop your judo around continuous attack with your tokuiwaza. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You should be able to build combinations into and out of your favorite technique(s). Drop seoi nage, for example, is a poor choice of tokuiwaza because it is very difficult to adapt to another throw after attempting it and ending up on your knees. If you cannot continue attacking after trying your favorite technique, you should really work on making a different one your favorite. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Understand how to throw your favorite technique in different situations. What happens when uke is standing still? Moving forward? Moving backward? To the side? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;How do opponents usually react to your favorite technique(s)? Pay attention to what your different partners do during randori or even uchikomi, where uke usually adjusts (consciously or unconsciously) to try to remain on balance. If your opponent presents you a vulnerability in a particular direction (say to block your favorite technique), you need to develop a throw or adjust your favorite throw to exploit that. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;From #2, you should have an idea of how you want your opponent situated to apply your favorite technique. What other techniques can you use to create this situation? Work on those. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If/when your favorite technique changes, you can repeat the process. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be successful at high levels of competition, you only really need a handful of throws. At a minimum, you need:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;big throw to uke's front&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;throw to uke's rear&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;foot sweep&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;counter to big throws&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously it helps to have more variety, but competition is really about depth of understanding of a few techniques, not knowing all 67 of the Kodokan-recognized techniques. That is something you need to worry about if you are interested in teaching. I would consider training for teaching to require a different technique selection process. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-06-20T04:43:54.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5189" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5187" CreationDate="2015-06-20T14:35:49.640" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recommend: Joint Supplements + Hand exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chronic overuse is chronic overuse. You cannot just solve it magically in days, these things usually take time and effort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could try lessening your usage of your individual fingers by kind of pressing your fingers in towards each other so that each finger supports the fingers adjacent to it (e.g. pinky supports ring finger, ring supports middle, index supports mid, etc.). Pretend all of your fingers and your hand are just one piece, like you are wearing a mitten. This will mitigate more of the side-to-side forces that your joints will not handle as well (and become inflamed).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5958" LastActivityDate="2015-06-20T14:35:49.640" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5190" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5175" CreationDate="2015-06-20T16:30:37.640" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Because you have asked specifically about Chinese martial arts and have mentioned wushu, I think it's important to understand how what you want matches up to what is offered in the modern landscape of Chinese martial arts in the US. I would first distinguish between two categories: modern wushu and traditional martial arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The two questions I would use to categorize whether a teacher's school is modern wushu or traditional are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Is this school primarily performance art?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do the practitioners fight the way they train, if they fight at all? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answers for wushu are yes to performance art, and no to fighting the way they train, and not really to fighting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wushu is martial-arts-inspired gymnastics; athletes go to competitions where they perform solo routines on a floor of fixed size where they are judged by a panel, where the judging criteria are decided by committee. High level wushu training strongly emphasizes more complicated jumps with more spins. Anecdotally, this results in many serious knee injuries. Martial applications are not a priority in wushu. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditional martial arts are more varied because schools are organized on teacher-student relationships, where each teacher (rather than a committee) is responsible for the content passed to the student. You may find flowery &quot;traditional&quot; schools that are very similar to wushu, or you may find schools that discourage any forms training. Because of this variation, it may be easier to think of the two categories as wushu and not-wushu. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On to how these relate to your stated goals and what to look for:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;At an entry level, all Chinese martial arts I have seen have a strong emphasis on stance training and developing strength and flexibility. Assuming you don't find a charlatan, this should satisfy your goals 1 and 3. I would, however, never recommend advanced wushu to someone with knee problems. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Goal 2: What is the mental state of the instructor? Are they mentally balanced and comfortable with themselves? Keep in mind that the desired mental state may intentionally vary based on the school; some schools advocate animal ferocity, others advocate calm stillness. Do you get along with the instructor, or do you find them frustrating? Is there specifically mental training? &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Goal 4: Observe the advanced students to see whether you think the stuff the school teaches is cool. What you think is cool may change over time, but so can where you train. Most people think wushu is cool to watch. Most people also think martial arts movies are cool, but what is cool to watch is often in direct conflict with martial effectiveness. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Goal 5: Is the instructor capable of demonstrating martial applications, and against resisting opponents? Do students ever train against resisting opponents? There is a world of difference between being able to break boards or perform flying kicks and actually fighting someone. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based on your priorities, I think you might be happy with a wushu school. But understand what you are getting into. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-06-20T16:30:37.640" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5191" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5187" CreationDate="2015-06-21T09:35:44.800" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;My first tip for you is about how you can protect your joints. Well, first try to relax your arm. If you have relaxed arms this will make  it much harder for your opponent to break your grip. The grip is much more than the strength of your fingers and to break the grip your opponent must stretch your arm to the end. This technique will avoid it because you can let your arm go without loosing the grip on your hand and fingers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another tip is to tape together your fingers to make them stronger. By tapping your fingers together you have better joints. Just remember you are the only one who knows how much your joints hurt. Be smart and release your grip before your opponent breaks it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been training BJJ for more than 10 year. My hands not luck nicer. Sometimes I still feel my joints. When this happens I try to tape my fingers together and I release my grip easily just so it doesn't hurt any more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/eCWvu.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zit7A.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Solution:&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/3y5qG.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="5818" LastEditDate="2015-06-21T23:05:14.040" LastActivityDate="2015-06-21T23:05:14.040" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5192" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5187" CreationDate="2015-06-21T15:52:58.623" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can try chinese meditation balls.  When you use them, allow yourself to notice that the more you relax the more it comes with ease to facilitate them not touching.  That is, the proper technique is to move then around in a circle without touching.  Going one way, then the other.  You can also try pushups on your fingers or any other exercise that a mountain climber might use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5930" LastActivityDate="2015-06-21T15:52:58.623" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5193" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-06-22T10:36:39.207" Score="13" ViewCount="709" Body="&lt;p&gt;In order to apply kotegaeshi in the right way, do you have to hold uke's wrist? Or do you have to hold uke's hand, placing your thumb on the back of his hand? I have seen it performed in these two different ways and I was wondering if there was a safety reason or a technical reason behind these two different applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1821" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-06-22T12:52:18.273" LastActivityDate="2015-11-05T19:02:31.647" Title="Aikido kotegaeshi" Tags="|technique|aikido|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5194" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5193" CreationDate="2015-06-22T12:51:18.960" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kotegaeshi&lt;/em&gt; (小手返し &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15964&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;etimology&lt;/a&gt;) is a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wristlock#Supinating_wristlock&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;supinating wrist lock&lt;/a&gt; and is generally translated as &quot;wrist throw&quot;. The throw works on the manipulation of the wrist, which turns the fore-arm, then the shoulder, then the whole body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt;'s hand is supporting &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;'s wrist, then the twist will be much lessen. This means that there is less pressure/pain on the wrist itself.  This can make the technique feel less horrible for beginner. However, it makes taking &lt;em&gt;tobu ukemi&lt;/em&gt; (flip escape, 飛び受け身) much harder! Instead of flipping over &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;'s own arm, &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; will tend to spin sideways. This bad habit will make it much harder to escape a more vigorous throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, all &lt;em&gt;kotegaeshi&lt;/em&gt; (this includes &lt;em&gt;tenkai kotegaeshi&lt;/em&gt;/&lt;em&gt;shiho nage&lt;/em&gt; as well) should be done on the hand, not the wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that some junior clubs use to teach &lt;em&gt;kotegaeshi&lt;/em&gt; on the wrist because of kids' weaker joints -- references &lt;a href=&quot;https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/q/22696&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/4267/82&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. This might be where you might have seen it done on the wrist instead of the hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a (tiny!) animated gif that shows that tori grips uke's hand to throw them. This allows uke to do a nice flip over their own hand/arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LsMVT.gif&quot; alt=&quot;a kotegaeshi animated gif&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-06-25T13:19:15.043" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5195" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4790" CreationDate="2015-06-22T15:15:20.727" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a FitBit Flex and wear it during Taekwondo for all activities &lt;em&gt;except&lt;/em&gt; when sparring. No issues when hitting pads, but when I tried keeping it on while sparring it kept flying off. The readings are rough at best, because it only tracks steps via accelerometer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd like to wear something during classes, but there's just too much contact to keep a band on for all activities. I've been eyeing the FitBit Surge for its heartrate and other tracking, but it's rather large and I'm not sure instructors - nor I - would be keen on me wearing it during any part of class. (Technically we're supposed to remove all forms of jewelry for class.) I'd use it for other activities, but I'm not sure that there's any device on the market that's ideal for martial arts given the impact risk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5963" LastActivityDate="2015-06-22T15:15:20.727" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5196" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2882" CreationDate="2015-06-23T00:21:04.720" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The years of experience is not the only consideration for the graduation. Also opposite that Steven said I never so a student get a different belt of the blue when this turn 16 years old.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At IBJJF.org has some rules about the time between the belts. But this rules aren't very strict and very hard to make it happens. The athlete should be in the belt at least 1 and half year.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first belt is the white. Doesn't matter the age. A student who get any color belt (child or not) should not return to a white belt in case of change the age category&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sure your son will receive at least a Blue Belt. If your son shows a very high level for a Blue belt possible the teacher will give to him a new belt soon. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="5818" LastEditDate="2016-05-10T07:13:18.200" LastActivityDate="2016-05-10T07:13:18.200" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5198" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5123" CreationDate="2015-06-23T12:27:49.277" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Get PRK or LASEK instead. They'll be cheaper and safer than LASIK (or SMILE) with the only downside being a slightly longer healing period (and the added benefit of leaving your cornea mostly intact). I had SMILE done a year ago and my eyes are still completely f*cked up and I chose SMILE over LASIK because I did MMA at the time and wanted a flapless procedure. I wish I had had PRK instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While this topic (Flapless vs. Flap vs. No surgery at all) is hotly debated, actual reliable (unbiased) information is somewhat rare to come by. You might wish to do some research over benefits and downsides of PRK/LASEK vs. LASIK/SMILE/RELEX before making your decision. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.expandingknowledge.com/Jerome/HumanBody/Eye/VisionCorrection/LaserSurgery/ProcedureSelection/Main.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.expandingknowledge.com/Jerome/HumanBody/Eye/VisionCorrection/LaserSurgery/ProcedureSelection/Main.htm&lt;/a&gt; here's to get you started.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5966" LastActivityDate="2015-06-23T12:27:49.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5199" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5163" CreationDate="2015-06-23T21:31:42.527" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In general terms these are the ways I've dealt with different kinds of pain:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Soreness:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Warm Baths&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Massaging the sore area&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stretching gently after an easy warmup&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;After small injuries from punches or sprains&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Apply cold (in form of an ice pack) the day of injury, subsequent days apply warm (you can use a zip-lock bag with warm wather inside, covered by a towell; or any other especialized equipment for sport injuries treatment)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Apply topic anti-inflammatory drugs, better if applied just after injury. e.g. Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Ketorolac. As topic drugs have less secondary effects on vital organs as liver and kidneys.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Trainning pain:&lt;/strong&gt; When trainning you can experience different kinds of pain, mainly when doing hard stretching and forcing muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Breath deeply and slowly.&lt;/strong&gt; Is one of the best ways to dampen pain as it helps the brain release endorphine. This is supported by scientific research: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Walter_Magerl/publication/51663018_The_effect_of_deep_and_slow_breathing_on_pain_perception_autonomic_activity_and_mood_processing--an_experimental_study/links/0c96052fd29102dd47000000.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Effect of Deep and Slow Breathing on Pain...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Trainning, by itself, will augment your pain umbral over time, allowing you to overcome more and more pain, but not in a disparate way.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Severe Injuries&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;ALWAYS attend a Sports Medicine physician, they are way better than regular therapists and will give you the best therapy to recover in the fastest way possible, they know and understand that you want to go back trainning ASAP&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Finally a word of advice&lt;/strong&gt;: Pain is a signal that your body is giving to tell you &quot;Something is wrong, DON'T DO THAT!&quot; Of course as a martial arts practitioner you want AND WILL have to overcome different kinds and levels of pain, but remember to never hurt yourself too much or your body will eventually pay for that abuse. Severe injuries may keep you away from trainning, from days or weeks to your whole life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope it helps. Best of lucks in your trainnings D_S&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5914" LastActivityDate="2015-06-23T21:31:42.527" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5200" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5052" CreationDate="2015-06-23T22:21:28.823" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Auto-massage is trending as a main way to reduce soreness generated by hard muscle training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can do it with your own hands and fingers or by the aid of a foam roller or a tennis ball. I'll recommend you to check this videos.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSulYGQXpv4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;How to Get Rid of Muscle Soreness, Aches + Pains&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ4dkJ9afz0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;3 Unique Boxing Drills Using a Tennis Ball&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Enough sleeping (min 7:30 h) and eating should also help. Don't stop trainning hard, just do it smartly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps you Matt! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS: I'm also a tall guy, and as one I can tell you that in general, if muscle force exercises are done properly we'll exert a little more effort in comparisson to shorter individuals because of length and weight of the body, also with increased gains in muscle growth, keeping everything always in proportion. This is a matter of proportions and physics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5914" LastActivityDate="2015-06-23T22:21:28.823" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5201" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5202" CreationDate="2015-06-26T03:33:19.947" Score="6" ViewCount="10700" Body="&lt;p&gt;A katana is traditionally used with both hands. But why is it always on the left side? I have read that in the Samurai schools they don't care much about the student are left handed or right handed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Samurai etiquette, a Samurai sits with a host or a guest, he must put his sword at his right side. This indicates friendly intention. If a Samurai was invited to a suspicious environment, the samurai would put his sword at the left side. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-11-06T14:32:29.907" LastActivityDate="2018-11-06T14:32:29.907" Title="Why did a Samurai always wear their katana on the left side?" Tags="|japanese|etiquette|katana|samurai|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5202" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5201" CreationDate="2015-06-26T08:01:36.060" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;You've answered your own question. It's etiquette. Right-hand means you don't expect to use your sword. Left-hand means you're ready for action. The Samurai had loads of rules and etiquette to abide by. This code of conduct is called Bushido (the way of the warrior). It's a lot like the Western concept of Chivalry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In modern terms, it would be like carrying a gun in a box or bag versus carrying it in a tactical holster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-06-26T08:01:36.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5203" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5208" CreationDate="2015-06-26T10:23:54.703" Score="10" ViewCount="2618" Body="&lt;p&gt;As far as I am aware, there are no left handed sword techniques in Japanese sword arts. At least, I am not aware of there being such.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it is &lt;em&gt;true&lt;/em&gt;, does anyone have a good explanation as to why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it is &lt;em&gt;false&lt;/em&gt;, could someone provide a counter example?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2021-02-09T07:29:15.420" Title="Left handed Japanese sword techniques" Tags="|sword|japanese|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5204" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5201" CreationDate="2015-06-26T13:52:37.567" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's similar to the concept of shaking hands with your right hand. The majority of people are right handed, so when shaking hands you present this hand and clasp to show you do not have weapons. With a sword, a right-handed person draws faster for combat with the sword on the left side of the body. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Lr0tZ.gif&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Lr0tZ.gif&quot; alt=&quot;attack on draw&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; In this example, the draw motion continues directly into a first attack, followed by a second overhead attack. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of this assumes people are right handed. If someone is left handed, they are still dangerous while shaking with the right hand or with their sword sheathed on the right. Look at the biblical story of Ehud. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is not necessary to use a katana with two hands. Miyamoto Musashi, one of the most famous swordsmen of the samurai era, preferred to use two swords, a katana in one hand and a wakizashi in the other. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, ninjutsu has nothing to do with this question. A ninja does not care about ettiquette; they would be perfectly happy to kill you in your sleep or by spearing you from below while you use the toilet. &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uesugi_Kenshin&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;See the story about how Uesugi Kenshin may have died&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-01-29T22:37:49.910" LastActivityDate="2018-01-29T22:37:49.910" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5205" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5203" CreationDate="2015-06-26T13:58:28.207" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyamoto_Musashi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Miyamoto Mushashi&lt;/a&gt; used two swords, one in each hand. I am not sure whether this qualifies as left handed in the sense of your question, but it definitely uses a sword in the left hand. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-06-26T13:58:28.207" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5206" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5052" CreationDate="2015-06-26T15:48:31.980" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Plenty of water - both before and after practice. Its a simple answer, but one that works. &#xA;Water and rolling out the muscles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5975" LastActivityDate="2015-06-26T15:48:31.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5208" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5203" CreationDate="2015-06-27T21:23:24.680" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Upon seeing that all the newbies in the class were right-handed, my Kendo sensei told us the following: &quot;I'm sorry everyone but, in Kendo, everyone is left-handed.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We really thought it was weird, seeing as the way we had to hold the shinai felt really natural, with the right hand near the tsuba and the left hand at the opposite end of the tsuka. We soon realized, however, that no matter how we originally felt about it, she was right. In Kendo, at least the style she practiced, everything started with the left hand, while the right hand, located closer to the center of gravity of the weapon, was placed in an ideal fashion to adjust the direction of the swing. In effect, this means that the right hand mostly comes into play on the second part of the strike, while the left hand is used during 100% of the technique (both readying the strike and the strike itself). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, since you might not agree with &quot;everyone in Kendo is left-handed&quot;, I shall give you some examples of strikes that are definitely left-handed techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the left hand is located at the complete end of the weapon, it is the hand that allows for the most reach. In Kendo, it is not forbidden to remove one hand from the tsuka, so it is not exactly uncommon to see Kendoka, especially those fighting in &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C5%8Ddan-no-kamae&quot;&gt;joudan-no-kamae&lt;/a&gt;, strike with only their left hand to get about an extra 8-12 inches of reach, without sacrificing speed. Indeed, when aiming for the men (the forehead) from that stance, one doesn't need to aim as much, only to strike down very fast, so the right hand isn't always required.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An example of a left one-handed strike from joudan-no-kamae can be found &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSbulAiFKns&quot;&gt;at the beginning of this video&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the standard stance, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%ABdan-no-kamae&quot;&gt;chuudan-no-kamae&lt;/a&gt;, one can also see some strikes performed only with the left-hand. Most of the times, it will be very similar to the previous example, as the shinai is raised prior to the strike. On other occasions, however, you will see a one-handed tsuki (a thrust of the shinai aiming at the armored plate covering the throat). Again, since the left hand offers the most reach, most of these one-handed strikes will be left-handed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An example of a left one-handed tsuki can be found &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xyysr_one-hand-tsuki-by-naoki-eiga_sport&quot;&gt;in this video&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For completeness' sake, I'd add that right one-handed strikes are indeed possible. However, the way the scoring works in Kendo requires the strike to hit the correct spot (which is possible without the right hand) with adequate power (which is harder to do without the left hand, whose primary purpose is to bring power to the strike). Still, even left-handed strikes are deemed less powerful than two-handed strikes, and can thus be judged invalid pretty often. The examples that I listed earlier are the most often accepted forms of left-handed strikes. For the record, the only right one-handed strike I've seen score a hit was a dou (abdomen) strike performed by the only Kendoka I've ever met who fought using &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hass%C5%8D-no-kamae&quot;&gt;hasso-no-kamae&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastEditorUserId="557" LastEditDate="2015-06-27T21:28:55.667" LastActivityDate="2015-06-27T21:28:55.667" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5209" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5211" CreationDate="2015-06-28T23:20:46.347" Score="8" ViewCount="1481" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know where I heard this, and I can rephrase the question to make it more clear: Before a person begins practicing a martial skill, he or she has an instinctual reflex for defense, regardless of how ineffective it might be. Once training has begun, he begins to learn the proper actions, but it requires thinking. And that takes time. Because the response time is slowed by thought replacing reflex, the individual is actually more susceptible to offensive measures. That is, until which time, usually 1-3 years, the right actions become reflex, and there is no more conscious thought about the best reaction; in which case, the person is much more protected. I believe I heard this in relation to Aikido in particular. Is this true?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5967" LastActivityDate="2015-07-16T12:45:46.170" Title="Until one has mastered a martial art, is one actually more vulnerable to attack than before training began?" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5210" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5215" CreationDate="2015-06-29T00:18:40.420" Score="9" ViewCount="2042" Body="&lt;p&gt;So I work ridiculous hours that prevent me from going regularly to take martial arts lessons. That said, I've always been very interested in them, and when I was younger I did take some Judo lessons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I really want to learn some more practical arts, but at the same time I find myself so fascinated with all the various forms of martial arts and I can't seem to pick one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyways, the point of the question is I want to start practicing at home, since I don't have the time (and my work hours are inconsistent, so I can't even commit to a set time every week to take a lesson). I am thinking I should get a heavy punching bag, to practice kicking and punching to at least get started in training. I was wondering what kind of bag I should be buying? There are so many options, and as a beginner I don't know what I need. If it helps, I want to also learn how to use a sword, which might mean I should get some sort of staff to practice hitting the punching bag?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other stuff that might help: I'm 5'11&quot;, more of my height is in my legs, and the ceiling is 105 inches above the floor. I also live in an apartment, so the quieter the better, but that said it's a pretty sound-proof apartment so it's hard to hear (I can play fairly loud music without any complaints) through the walls.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Irrelevant stuff: I realize the benefit of training with an instructor and I intend to look around my area to see the different places I could go take lessons. I will find out which ones have flexible hours, and which martial art styles I actually am interested in learning, and will likely start taking lessons as well. But this type of training at home I can do every day, and start to build the muscles, skills, and toughness I will need to succeed. Also, feel free to point in me the right direction for some online learning or proper at-home training techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5978" LastActivityDate="2015-07-05T15:54:54.993" Title="What kind of punching bag should I get?" Tags="|training|boxing|kicking|punching|sword|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5211" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5209" CreationDate="2015-06-29T02:40:04.020" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Generally, no&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is generally not true - there are many defensive arts where you improve your fighting skills right away and reach a basic proficiency within a matter of a few weeks or months at most (skill wise, at least, fitness can take longer to produce).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many weapon based arts that are close to their original use also have this same thing - if you were going to go to war or be raided, getting you up to basic proficiency quickly was crucial.  Having people get WORSE for 1-3 years was not something people could afford to risk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A key part of combative training is moving past freezing up and overthinking things early in your practice.  You might only learn a small handful of basic moves, but you drill them, you learn to do them faster, against resisting, live opponents, and you are often encouraged to adapt within the safety limits of the training exercises.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may have periods where you &lt;em&gt;feel&lt;/em&gt; worse or losing skill because you're restructuring your movement patterns, but it's not going to be worse than when you never trained at all, especially when you look at how poorly untrained people tend deliver strikes or how open they leave themselves when they go to grapple.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Internal Arts, Sure&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've heard of skilled folks who do arts that play with lots of subtle unbalancing, sensitivity, and sticking arts (like Tai Chi, and I imagine Aikido as well) talk about having a few years of being unable to do much with it until they develop the ability to sense and react in the movement methodology of their arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I haven't personally explored these arts deeply, so but that sounds parallel to the experience I often hear from these folks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;And then the liars&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also the folks who have never really had to combatively use their art, never train to do so, and may have been taught in the same way from their own teachers.  They talk about taking years and years to gain &quot;basic ability&quot; because... well, it's a way to excuse never having any development ever.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-06-29T02:40:04.020" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5212" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5209" CreationDate="2015-06-29T10:09:51.983" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's not a problem unless you're training them wrong. If a school teaches you to FIGHT, you'll get better with each passing day. If the school only teaches you how to pass tests and look good while doing Kata, then you might have a problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-06-29T10:09:51.983" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5213" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5153" CreationDate="2015-06-29T10:29:14.920" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The All Japan Judo Federation basic instructor course is 2 days of lectures followed by essay questions (at least when I took it last year).  There is an extensive section on head injuries, as almost all the deaths mentioned above were as a ressult of head trauma.  Primarily multiple blows to the back of the head by unsupervised children, but also, rarely by abusive adult instructors.  The biggest worry is secondary blows - you get a fairly strong strike without apparent serious injury or concussion, but folllowed by even a fairly light blow can cause a serious concussion. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general judo is a very safe sport.  In Japan you can get annual sports insurance for 14 year olds or under for less than US$10, adults for less than US$20, and those insurance companies have decades of data.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5981" LastActivityDate="2015-06-29T10:29:14.920" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5214" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5209" CreationDate="2015-06-29T14:10:22.107" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;One may in fact become more vulnerable to attacks because he goes to meet attack in situation, where he would have avoided it before. Practicing martial arts make people more confident and eager to show their new skills while frequently overrating it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5983" LastActivityDate="2015-06-29T14:10:22.107" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5215" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5210" CreationDate="2015-06-29T16:57:08.950" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a couple suggestions for you on this issue:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you plan on using this for punches, kicks, knees, elbows, &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; possibly sword work I would suggest getting something like a kendo stick to do the sword work. &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B0001W0EBC&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Kendo Stick on Amazon&lt;/a&gt; This will help minimize any damage to the bag that would be caused by a bo staff or a dull sword but still give you the feel of doing sword work.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You say you live in an apartment so I'm willing to bet they wouldn't be too keen on you hanging something from the rafters. My suggestion would be to get a bag stand, &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B004HFLUK8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Bag Stand on Amazon&lt;/a&gt; and then obviously a bag to go with it &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B0046XGW4U&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Everlast Heavy Bag on Amazon&lt;/a&gt;. The problem with a bag stand is you don't get the full swing like you would with it mounted to a ceiling joist, but it's better than nothing at all.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My final suggestion is if you're not stuck on one particular art I would suggest going to an MMA gym - though obiously they won't have any sword work. They're usually open from 6am until 9 or 10pm and almost always have someone in there with a modicum of experience willing to help even if they aren't a trainer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helped, good luck&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5814" LastActivityDate="2015-06-29T16:57:08.950" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5216" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5300" CreationDate="2015-06-29T17:47:37.077" Score="6" ViewCount="22328" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am considering beginning to learn a martial art - so I am starting the research to determine which one fits me and my goals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overall, should my body type influence my choice of martial art to learn? If the answer is &quot;yes&quot; - how much? and..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Which martial arts have advantages towards a thin/small body (&lt;em&gt;and why&lt;/em&gt;)?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Which martial arts have advantages towards a heavy/large body (&lt;em&gt;and why&lt;/em&gt;)?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5987" LastActivityDate="2015-07-23T13:01:32.067" Title="Should my body type influence my choice of martial art to learn?" Tags="|recommendation|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5218" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5216" CreationDate="2015-06-29T20:54:10.153" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Body type does have big impact on-IMHO-ALL martial arts. Thinking about a 50kg guy learning judo where power and strength are needed or a 100kg guy doing Kendo where agility and flexibility are needed. It's not impossible, but a choice could be made smarter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To answer your questions in my opinion: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which martial arts have advantages towards a thin/small body (and why)?&#xA;Kendo, Aikedo, jeet-kun-do. Need agility/flexibility over power/strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which martial arts have advantages towards a heavy/large body (and why)?&#xA;Other major striking(standing)/grab and throw(on the ground) styles: Karate, taekwondo, boxing,muay-thai, MMA which thin body can do but more powerful with a heavy body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can also name a few other martial art requires different attributes other than body types:&#xA;Kyudo--concentration&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3084" LastActivityDate="2015-06-29T20:54:10.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5219" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5216" CreationDate="2015-06-29T21:06:42.587" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Long answer short, &lt;strong&gt;no it shouldn't influence your choice&lt;/strong&gt;. Your body can be shaped in any form you want, and even if you are heavy, light or middle weighted you have to learn how to use your body anyway to be succesfull in any martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Long answer:&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;If you are looking among all the wide array of martial arts this can be a great question, take for example Sumo, where you necessarily need a great body weight, but if you are beginning, and looking between the most popular martial arts, your body type should be the least of the problems, as you can shape your own body to the needs of the martial art. Even if you really want to be a rikishi (sumo-wrestler) by being a slender individual, it can be accomplished with appropriate  training and food intake.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best approach is to ask yourself what type of martial art do you want to learn and adopt the necessary regimes to achieve your best body, not backwards. Is like choosing Mathematics as career jut because you are good at it, if you really don't love maths you'll end up getting bored, frustrated and drop out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Your martial art choice should be more influenced by your desires and likes.&#xA;And like choosing between flavors you won't know if you like strawberry over chocolate if you have never tasted those flavors before.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps you into experiment as soon as posible your likes and hear your desires.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS: I was an over-weight teenager when starting to train kickboxing, now I've practiced over 6 different martial arts and I'm in great shape. This also comes true to new comers, even at greater ages, the big difference is start training!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5914" LastEditorUserId="5914" LastEditDate="2015-07-03T22:59:01.313" LastActivityDate="2015-07-03T22:59:01.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5220" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="104" CreationDate="2015-06-29T21:52:46.013" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I realize this subject is a minefield, in part because it is difficult to find common points of reference in discussing things like qi. With that in mind, I will try to illustrate concrete differences I have personally experienced in studying martial arts without direct reference to qi, and how it may help you to understand the content of different styles in a way the other answers here may not. The manner in which I differentiate between internal and external is in part an artifact of the schools where I have studied; these may not be totally representative of other internal or external styles/teachers. The points below are not meant in any way to be exhaustive. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Philosophy&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A martial arts system need not have fighting as a primary goal. Internal systems first address the question, &quot;How do we build a healthy human?&quot; The originating question was probably, &quot;How do we live forever?&quot;, but because the answer to that question so far is that we cannot, we have to look for the next best thing(s). Exercise is clearly an important element of building health, and it happens that the process of building a healthy human is also good for fighting applications. This internal process may take a LONG time. The general wisdom is that preparing the body for fighting takes much longer than learning fighting applications. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some external practices may lead to profound fighting ability but also bodily damage, like say continually pounding metal plates may lead to devastating punches but also arthritis in the hands. This would be frowned upon in internal systems because it is damaging to the body. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Breathing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a large emphasis on breathing in internal systems. The basic goal is to create a long, even, and relaxed breathing pattern that becomes the body's default. When I first started internal training, a full breathing cycle (inhale and exhale) was ~4 seconds. Now my resting breathing cycle is &gt;20 seconds, and I have found this has a profound effect on both endurance while sparring and general health. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In external training, the guidance was usually along the lines of when to exhale, or to breathe through the nose rather than the mouth, or to breathe at a normal rather than rapid rate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Relaxation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of internal exercises for training relaxation. One example is standing in a natural posture with arms in the air without moving (zhan zhuang). If you try to do this for 10 minutes, you will probably find this becomes quite uncomfortable; your arms start to burn, or you feel like you need to shift your weight to relieve your legs. This exercise is not difficult in the same way that weight training is difficult; it forces you to understand what your body is doing in a situation where you may start thinking that your body is not doing anything. After regular practice, 10 minutes will not be a challenge. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In external training, there is a lot of guidance to &quot;relax more&quot; or to practice your form more times. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Flexibility&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of joints in the human body. As the human body ages, there are a lot of people who lose mobility in their joints, which leads to all manner of other health problems. Think about hunched posture among the elderly, the loss of mobility in the upper vertebrae is a bad sign of health problems to come. Internal systems basically try to train all joints, first for health reasons and then because it allows you to hit harder and push with more force. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have done external training for leg splits using isometric and dynamic stretching. This kind of training is not easily transferable to other joints like those in your back, nor was it suggested that back flexibility could have a significant fighting utility. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Condensation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When first learning striking, principles like rotation around the centerline and whipping power are easiest to learn with big motions to strike at distance. With proficiency, these same principles can be applied with condensed motions to strikes at very close distances or when already in contact. This is similar to Bruce Lee's one-inch punch (not sure whether to classify this as external or internal, or if it's even worthwhile worry about that). Sure, there is a loss in power versus the big motion where you have space to windup, but the power remaining at the master proficiency level is more than sufficient to drop a human. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-06-29T21:52:46.013" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5221" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5216" CreationDate="2015-06-29T23:23:44.550" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;NO&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your body has no influence in which martial art you like. Martial art is different of other sports. A people who training a Martial art has passion for that. I choose my martial art not for facility but for the challenge. What is your objective in Martial arts? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your body type just will make different for make big featured. It is really hard for a small guy try win a Sumo guy in a Sumo fight. It is like a fly smash a elephant. The same happens for a short guy win a fight against a taller guy in the Taekwondo. It is not impossible, is just harder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are talking about competition. At least the athletes are divided in categories of:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sex&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Age&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Height&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Belt ( not for all martial arts )&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It means, in a competition you will fight against a person of the same size, age and sex. In some cases, like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu they have categories for belts as well. But this not happen in Judo for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many martial arts had origin with the Monks. The Monks were in limited diet of food,and have fought against thieves armed. This small guys, thin and smaller fought to protect families and cities many times just with hands and legs. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="5818" LastEditDate="2015-07-01T01:37:33.740" LastActivityDate="2015-07-01T01:37:33.740" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5222" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5216" CreationDate="2015-06-30T06:57:05.333" Score="6" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Should my body type influence my choice of martial art to learn?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;No.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your choice of martial art should be tailored to your preferences, subject to your physical abilities. Body type is only relevant if you're missing limbs, senses, or other capabilities that require special modification of a style. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for what people tall, short, wide, thin, muscular, or fat should train, the answer doesn't change much: become an athletic version of your current self through strength and conditioning training and learn the way to fight that interests you most.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-06-30T06:57:05.333" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5223" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5052" CreationDate="2015-06-30T07:15:21.177" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I get sore muscles all the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember to get enough rest between training. I usually rest for an entire day, making sure I get enough sleep before my next workout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have heard before about eating egg whites and drinking whey protein shakes help with muscle repair, but I have yet to try it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What really helps is a good massage on the sore area before sleep, and the muscle should heal the next day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1797" LastActivityDate="2015-06-30T07:15:21.177" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5224" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5216" CreationDate="2015-06-30T07:22:36.923" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer is No.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Body type should not be a factor in choose a martial art. In fact, you should do some research on the different types of arts before you get serious. You can speak with the instructors and have a feel or a trial class, if it is offered by the instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many types of martial arts. Some are upright stand-up arts such as Karate or Taekwon-do while some others teach grappling techniques such as BJJ and Hapkido. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are advantages and disadvantages to having a bigger/smaller body in martial arts. I'm a big guy, so my movements are slower and my jumps are not too great. Smaller built guys are mostly more agile but they may lack in strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just be careful not to hurt yourself. Protect your joints at all times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1797" LastActivityDate="2015-06-30T07:22:36.923" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5225" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5216" CreationDate="2015-06-30T10:02:28.560" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Light guys with long limbs will do better at Taekwondo. Short and stocky guys will do better at Karate. Big and strong guys will benefit from grappling arts. Everyone can do anything, but if you want to win competitions at the highest levels, you should probably go for something where the champion's body looks like yours. I had a hell of a time in TKD because I was the shortest in my division. While I was successful, I reckon I'd be even MORE successful if I took up something like Shotokan where long legs aren't that big of an advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-06-30T10:02:28.560" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5226" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5216" CreationDate="2015-06-30T17:08:51.003" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;IMHO, body-type should not be a 'primary factor' determining your choice of martial art. Since martial art is an 'art', most of them (not sure about all) can be adapted to reach a balance point between your body-type and the orthodoxies of the martial form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I would not say it outright that body-type has no effect. If you look at the traditional Chinese martial art, there are different kinds of forms/styles, such as 'monkey', 'crane', 'louhan', etc. I believe that they were created for different purposes and were suitable for different personalities of the (same or different) person and body-types of persons. For example, I would expect a person with small-frame and quick reflexes to be inherently more suitable for monkey forms compared to someone with larger body frame and muscle mass (for whom 'louhan' might be more suitable). However, this is not black and white as a person with good practice might be much better in any form than a person not practising as much. Also, personality is another factor as much important as body-type. So, i think the best chance of finding out the martial art suitable for you is to try some lessons of the ones you can find and then you can feel what feels right to you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, body-type is not a 'primary factor' but a factor which might pop in later as an afterthought. Perhaps, it is kind of similar to painting with 'water color' or 'poster color' or 'acrylic' or 'oil pastels' (ha ha, not sure).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="793" LastActivityDate="2015-06-30T17:08:51.003" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5227" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5209" CreationDate="2015-06-30T18:21:47.000" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you refer only if the reaction time of instinctive reflexes being slowed by starting to train a martial art because you are thinking what to do, the answer is no.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instinctive reflexes like crouching or closing the eyes when going to be hit, are really hard to modify. It doesn't take a few days not even months to modify them, and will be automatically triggered when the brain encounters an impending danger which to it cannot react in a toughtful manner quickly enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reflexes are not a magical sense of danger nor spidey-sense like abilities, they are the lower natural automatic defenses and they are innate, as they are imprinted in neuronal networks from birth, if a person is aware of impending danger, it'll automatically cover, normally crouching or covering its face. But if the person is not aware of the danger it will not automatically cover because of its trainning, there is no such magic. But awareness can be increased by trainnning it as well, and in agree with Bankuei a little training in combat can make a great difference at the time of ACTUAL fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5914" LastActivityDate="2015-06-30T18:21:47.000" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5228" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-07-01T18:34:53.417" Score="4" ViewCount="275" Body="&lt;p&gt;I checked out two Wing Chun places near where I live. Both are good, with good lineages. I like both instructors. One style seems more natural to me, the other is super-traditional. Let's call the modified one &quot;new&quot; and the other one &quot;old-school.&quot; If money weren't an issue, I would go with New School: it's more organized, I got hands-on instruction from the head Sifu, the place is much nicer, and has the wooden dummy and pads. Old school is in a rented room with no dummy or pads. Instructor talked to us for a while during trial but then handed us off to a senior student who led us through basic techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At New School, they charge $100 entry fee and $45 for every level within each of the forms. There are 6 levels in each of the empty-handed forms, but the last level requires me to take an &quot;instructor certificate&quot; exam that costs $300. The wooden dummy has eight forms. I can thus expect to pay, over the course of roughly 5 years I suppose, $2,890 in these fees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Old-school charges $100 for the end of each form, so a total of $400 including wooden dummy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm torn between the two. Overall New is better, but Old seems to be good enough for my criteria (which is quite good) without ridiculous fees that I can't agree with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So... are the heavy fees worth it for better instruction? Note that both schools have the same monthly rate, and no contracts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5952" LastActivityDate="2015-07-02T05:21:53.933" Title="Are McDojo fees worth it for a good school/instructor?" Tags="|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5229" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5228" CreationDate="2015-07-01T19:42:33.923" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is normal for Wing Chun sifus to hand off instruction to senior students.  For example, despite popular conception, very little of Bruce Lee's Wing Chun training was given by Yip Man.  I guess a better question is: do the senior students actually training you give you a lot of good, one-on-one, hands-on training in the &quot;Old&quot; school?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Understand that the ranking system is different in Wing Chun.  Receiving instruction from a senior student could be, depending on the quality of the school, as beneficial as receiving instruction from a junior black belt in a Karate or TKD school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another consideration: it's weird to not have a dummy.  Like, almost as weird as trying to learn Kendo without a shinai.  If the school doesn't have a dummy, how &quot;old-school&quot; could it really be?  Is the sifu planning on getting one (i.e. is this a new location)?  Maybe the dummy is somewhere else, like at the sifu's home?  How are they going to charge you $100 to learn the dummy without a dummy?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll edit this answer when I receive more information based on what I've expressed above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2015-07-01T19:53:59.933" LastActivityDate="2015-07-01T19:53:59.933" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5230" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5235" CreationDate="2015-07-01T23:28:17.403" Score="5" ViewCount="541" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like know if some one know how many takedowns exist in Judo ? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know a few years ago, the International Olympic Committee changed the rules for some takedowns. If I'm right, now is not more allow hold the pants to start a takedown. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before this changes. What is the total number of techniques ?   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-04-10T16:10:07.710" LastActivityDate="2019-06-20T15:54:01.200" Title="How many takedown techniques exist in Judo" Tags="|judo|throwing|takedown|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5231" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-07-01T23:30:24.003" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2015-07-01T23:30:24.003" LastActivityDate="2015-07-01T23:30:24.003" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5232" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-07-01T23:30:24.003" Score="0" Body="About how put your opponent to the ground. Not a specific martial art." OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="5818" LastEditDate="2015-07-15T12:25:57.407" LastActivityDate="2015-07-15T12:25:57.407" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5233" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-07-01T23:34:29.437" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ancient Japanese Warriors, who had their own social class. Famous for using katanas, but also used bows and spears.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-02-06T23:55:48.590" LastActivityDate="2016-02-06T23:55:48.590" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5234" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-07-01T23:34:29.437" Score="0" Body="Ancient Japanese Warriors, who had their own social class. Famous for using katanas, but also used bows and spears." OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-12T05:10:31.160" LastActivityDate="2016-01-12T05:10:31.160" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5235" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5230" CreationDate="2015-07-02T02:08:26.460" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Kodokan still recognizes &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/gokyo.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;67 official throwing techniques&lt;/a&gt;, but not all of them are allowed in competition, and some of them have been banned in competition for some time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The whole classification of throws is a messy business. The differentiating points are sometimes rather arcane: why does it matter if tori is holding the belt or not in performing a hip throw if the positioning and throwing action are otherwise the same? And some throws that really seem quite different are classified as being the same, like kouchi gari and kouchi makikomi. So while the throws in competition usage continue to evolve, the classification bins they fit into change only slowly. Because of this I am not sure whether the answer to your question is useful, but we can go through the exercise anyway. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Banned due to injury risk:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kani basami&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kawazu gake&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Banned due to rule change about touching legs:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;morote gari&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kuchiki taoshi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kibisu gaeshi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kata guruma? I have seen a version of kata guruma that would seem to satisfy both the shoulder wheel and not touching below the belt with the arms or hands. Whether the Kodokan calls it kata guruma is open to question. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So &lt;code&gt;67 - (5 or 6)&lt;/code&gt; gives 62 or 61.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also remember that the International Judo Federation is in the habit of tweaking the rules every year, so in 6 months this may change anyway. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-20T15:54:01.200" LastActivityDate="2019-06-20T15:54:01.200" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5236" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5228" CreationDate="2015-07-02T05:21:53.933" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As you mentioned, by your estimation, both schools are good.  So it's really a question of your comfort level (do you feel you will definitely learn better from the more expensive school?) and your own finances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The right instruction and the right type of instructor for you can have you learn things almost ten times faster than poor instruction or bad fits between instructors/students.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, you usually have to have some significant experience with martial arts in general to pick up how well you're going to learn from someone and whether they're giving you key insights or dragging it along.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's some factors that you should consider to that might help you figure it out:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More students? Better network of training partners?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If one school has a lot more students, you might be able to train more often, and take advantage of more body types and personal styles to train with.  McDojos can draw a LOT of students and give you that opportunity.  However, the other half is you want people who are interested enough to train/practice outside of class, and that could go either way depending on the schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wing Chun Dummy&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If we're just looking at the testing price differences you're listing, you can buy your own wing chun dummy at what you'll be saving at the traditional school.  That said, you learn more live-movement skills against actual partners, and the dummy is better for developing power and conditioning when you don't have partners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What you SHOULD look out for from the Traditional School&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The smallness of the traditional school shouldn't be a concern - Wing Chun is a close range fighting style anyway.  The summer I took Wing Chun there was a tiny room in the back of a store in Chinatown we trained in.  So, that's not really an issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing to watch out for with some traditional schools is that (unfortunately) some will be very abusive and cult-like.  This can happen in McDojos too, but usually the money incentive limits how far the asshole behavior can go, while the traditional schools fall back on the worst parts of Chinese traditions to excuse every bad behavior.  The school you were looking into might be completely like this, or not at all, but that would be the thing I'd be watching out for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What you SHOULD look out for in the &quot;modern&quot; school&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's one thing to have a progression track - that makes sense and is a key part of a lot of athletic training in sports in general - but it also can be a key point of salesmanship.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The question is, how do they test your actual skill at each level?  Is it just &quot;do the form&quot; &quot;break some boards&quot; &quot;punch 1000 times&quot;?  Or, do you have to get into some serious sparring?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The trick to the McDojo is they sell you on the reassurance you will get X skill over Y time and Z dollars spent, and never actually put you in tests that genuinely test your skill, so you never realize your time (and money) has been wasted.  They're very good at appearing organized, having a simple to understand &quot;program&quot; you follow, and it seems like it's going to be very easy to learn, and what you learn, IS easy to learn, it just might not be anything useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may want to check out their sparring or watch some video if they do tournaments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(This is not to say there aren't traditional schools with this same hustle, however, the modern schools are good at the X skill/Y time/Z dollars marketing, whereas the traditional schools sell more on &quot;Just show up and train and be part of this select brotherhood&quot;.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-07-02T05:21:53.933" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5238" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4653" CreationDate="2015-07-02T15:47:54.040" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The shortest answer is: yes. For a somewhat longer answer, a perfect example of judo working without a gi is current UFC Women's Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, who uses judo throws all the time to transition into ground and pound or submissions (usually an arm bar).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBP1uz7cBrk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Ronda Rousey Highlights - for a visual example&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5814" LastActivityDate="2015-07-02T15:47:54.040" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5239" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2354" CreationDate="2015-07-02T21:13:02.583" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a very traditional view on this issue: it's best to take your falls with good ukemi, even in shiai. By all means, try to prevent being thrown, or turn to your stomach and fall with &lt;strong&gt;good&lt;/strong&gt; front ukemi. But using poor falling technique in competition to avoid scores by your opponent is a path to injury, not long-term success. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Competitors are better off focusing their efforts on performing their own techniques or defending so they are not thrown than trying to optimize shiai results by changing ukemi. If you are getting thrown before your opponent, something has already gone poorly for you before you worry about your landing. Spend your training time fixing that. When you get injured, you lose a lot of training time, which obviously inhibits your development. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hidehiko Yoshida, an Olympic and World Judo Champion, tried to use his arm to prevent a throw rather than take a fall at the 2000 Olympics. He still lost but also snapped his arm. The video is not for the squeamish: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE1JIyAcFIo&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE1JIyAcFIo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, consider what happens in a self-defense situation, where there is no scoring. If someone throws you, where is the sense in not using good ukemi? Thank your teachers for making good ukemi a reflex. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-07-02T21:13:02.583" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5240" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5242" CreationDate="2015-07-03T09:33:47.497" Score="4" ViewCount="699" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I was a kid, I did Karate and it was all about stance, punching, kicking, katas, etc.  Now I have started ju jitsu, and it seems it's like almost anything goes. My teacher is teaching us the proper syllabus but also other techniques which are ju jitsu but not quite in the syllabus, such as putting fingers up your opponents nose, and using this to help unbalance them and finally get them on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my question is:- Ju jitsu is a combat system, but does it have more &quot;dirty&quot; moves than other martial arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5993" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-07-05T19:09:36.950" LastActivityDate="2015-07-13T16:19:01.227" Title="More dirty tricks in Ju Jitsu compared to other martial arts?" Tags="|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5241" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5240" CreationDate="2015-07-03T10:34:18.380" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think you meant 'dirty' as moves that are illegal/ against the rules in competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For BJJ and grappling arts alike, there are more opportunities for these 'dirty' moves as compared to TKD, Karate, and etc, just because of the distance between you and your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Things like eye pokes, pinching, pulling hair, groin attacks, biting and etc are easier to execute when you are close to each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1650" LastActivityDate="2015-07-03T10:34:18.380" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5242" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5240" CreationDate="2015-07-03T13:09:04.813" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Rules are part of the sport aspect of martial arts. These are generally safety related for competition, although there may be other origins as well. Many of these rules make no sense in a real fighting situation. For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Judo - you can't hit people&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tae kwon do - you can't throw people&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Boxing - you can't hit people from behind, kick people, or push on the hands&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the point of view of any of these sports, the other sports are dirty. Also in the context of these rules, a real fight will be dirty because there may be punching, kicking, grabbing, and certainly no one is going to stop if they get behind you or the fight goes to the ground. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider, however, that just because a technique is &quot;dirty&quot;, it does not mean the technique is also effective against uncooperative partners, or that you are sufficiently trained for it to be so. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When judo was founded, Jigaro Kano put a lot of thought into what techniques he thought were effective versus what could be trained without injuring people. At the time, many of the jujitsu schools held the opinion that &quot;our techniques are too dangerous to be practiced on people&quot; -- they were dirty. In the 1880's there was a competition between the dominant jujitsu schools of the time and judo. Judo won handily because its students trained randori (free practice, not prearranged). I am not trying to say anything about judo and jujitsu today; the point is that techniques that were well practiced won against techniques that were not as well practiced. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't have the context for trying to put fingers up someone else's nose, but this seems like a gimmick. The nose holes are small and if the other person is moving, this seems like an attack with low success rate. I would think it would be easier to put your fingers in their eyes, bash their nose, or grab their ears. But that is not the important point. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary, yes, jujitsu has historically had more dirty techniques because it is not a sport or designed for free practice. But beware of the effectiveness of dirty techniques that you can't verify against resisting opponents. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-07-03T13:09:04.813" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5243" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5240" CreationDate="2015-07-03T16:12:16.450" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some of what you are looking for is in what you mentioned in your answer: Jujitsu is a combat system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nothing ever survives translation, but one can generally categorize Japanese martial arts by whether they end in -jutsu or -do (Karate being a special case because of its linege.  It is considered more of a -do art, even though it doesn't actually end in that syllable).  The -do suffix is typically translated as &quot;the way of _____.&quot;  The -jutsu suffixed arts are more focused on combat and how to survive in a real fight situation.  The -do's have a tendency to seek inner growth more than the -jutsus, which seek more outer power, though don't pretend for an instant that either group of arts don't have both aspects.  It's more a question of how they are balanced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your art is an interesting one that shows the balance the Japanese look for.  &quot;Ju&quot; is typically translated to &quot;softness.&quot;  Jujitsu is commonly translated as &quot;Soft fighting style,&quot; and you see that in its focus on strikes towards sensitive regions (which means you can use less force and still accomplish your goal).  Jujitsu had a difficult period where people were not learning it, having little value for the strikes in peaceful modern environments.  Kano Jigoro, when he invented Judo, started from this &quot;dying&quot; art, and focused more on the throws avoided strikes.  He invented something that was more sport-like, which had more appeal to the Japanese of the day.  The focus was balanced more toward inward perfection.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your art is an interesting example of how you can learn from this history, but never judge a book from its cover.  Brazilian Jiujitsu is often considered closer to judo (its closer to judo, but it took its name before the Japanese officially renamed &quot;Kano Jujitsu&quot; to &quot;Judo.&quot;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember, only treat these suffixes as hints, not hard and fast rules.  However, being a -juitsu, expect jujitsu to contain moves which are more oriented towards winning an engagement.  You will be expected to find your own &quot;do,&quot; your own way, within the constructs of jujitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4422" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-07-13T16:19:01.227" LastActivityDate="2015-07-13T16:19:01.227" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5244" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5210" CreationDate="2015-07-05T15:54:54.993" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you can find a gym (commercial or otherwise) that opens 24/7 or near to, then that's going to be a better option for using an actual punchbag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise, I would recommend getting a bob; &lt;a href=&quot;http://amzn.com/B003QOHSLQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://amzn.com/B003QOHSLQ&lt;/a&gt; or similar standing thing. it's good for distancing too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would recommend you getting some tuition to teach you how to safely punch. I would recommend boxing for this. Stick to a few basic punches and then just practice over and over on your Bob. When you've put around 20 hours of training in. Go back and get adjusted by an instructor, go away and do another 20 hours and repeat this cycle. It isn't as good as getting in person tuition but I think it will keep a focus there instead of just wacking a punch bag occasionally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;20 hours is based on the idea that you can 'learn' something with focused practice in about 20 hours; &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/5MgBikgcWnY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/5MgBikgcWnY&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, if it hurts. Stop. You are doing it wrong. It's better to get the technique right softly and slowly and build up to powerful punching, than to rip your knuckles apart on day one (learn how to do hand wraps and get some bag gloves too if you are going to do a lot of repetitive punching).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that makes sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastActivityDate="2015-07-05T15:54:54.993" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5248" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2015-07-06T13:38:35.910" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Weight training can be beneficial, and some martial arts have a set of supplementary exercises (in Okinawa Goju Ryu we call it Hojo Undo) where you use tools like Chi'ishi (stone on a stick), Ishi-sashi (stone handles - ancient type of Kettle bell) and Nigiri Gamen (a couple of vases with necks in a size to fit a palm) for weight training. The advantage of using these types of exercises, is that they are suited to the same movements as the regular Kihon / basics. You can vary the training by modifying the weight, as some others have mentioned, because the goal is not bigger muscle mass, but flexibility and maneuverability which fits with your regular training exercises, and thereby boosts your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is not a question of how much muscle you have - it is a question of how you use that muscle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5848" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2015-07-06T16:03:43.030" LastActivityDate="2015-07-06T16:03:43.030" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5249" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1134" CreationDate="2015-07-06T13:47:38.743" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should read &quot;A Tooth from the Tiger's Mouth: How to Treat Your Injuries with Powerful Healing Secrets of the Great Chinese Warrior&quot; by Tom Bisio. This book is about healing from the perspective of the Chinese martial arts and generally covers topics in sports medicine. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The topics discussed in the book include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ice is for dead people. It may reduce pain and inflammation, but it prevents injuries from healing properly. On this issue, apparently the originator of the RICE treatment protocol has changed his mind: &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RICE_(medicine)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RICE_(medicine)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;injury classification covering sprains, fractures, strains&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;acupressure&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;massage&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;stretching and strengthening exercises&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;diet&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;major classes of lotions and liniments, and some recipes if you have access to the herbs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;soaks, poultices, plasters&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;moxibustion&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;treatment for particular injuries&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For general (rather than localized) soreness, I am not sure there is much guidance available other than resting, eating well, and continuing to do exercises. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-07-06T13:47:38.743" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5251" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5122" CreationDate="2015-07-07T05:22:07.100" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;as part of the warm up, joint rotations followed by dynamic stretching is fine Such as leg swings,  arm swings etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Leave any static stretching to the end of your workout. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastActivityDate="2015-07-07T05:22:07.100" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5252" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5209" CreationDate="2015-07-07T06:42:59.187" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think there is a 'superman' complex that many beginners suffer from.  A notion that they are doing well in class maybe won a competition or two. Get to a real fight and the natural instinct to run our be aggressive is lost to trying to figure out whether to throw a punch or a kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This,  along with semi or light contact training can give a false sense of security as well as poor distancing (for semi or light contact you are intentionally an inch or two away from where you would need to be to be effective,  this can't easily be rectified in the moment of a real fight ).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Geoff Thompson talks of this in many of his books. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastActivityDate="2015-07-07T06:42:59.187" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5253" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5259" CreationDate="2015-07-08T02:59:45.087" Score="6" ViewCount="1579" Body="&lt;p&gt;I usually only wear a mouth piece when I'm sparring Muay Thai. Today while I was rolling BJJ (in the gi), I at one point felt like I had a few pieces of very very thin sand between my teeth for a few moments. Almost like I had ground my teeth down an extremely small amount. Right before this, I was defending a very tight collar choke and had a Gi lapel wrapped around my mouth. This puts a large amount of pressure on the jaw, as well as causes you to naturally grit your teeth very hard. These two events could be unrelated and this is a large amount of connecting dots on my part, but this experience got me wondering if BJJ can over time wear your teeth down because of the constant grinding pressure one can experience while defending submissions? I couldn't find anyone who proposed this possibility, and almost nobody I roll with uses a mouth guard. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4352" LastActivityDate="2015-07-09T16:55:22.730" Title="Can jiu jitsu wear down your teeth?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|safety|gi|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5254" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5253" CreationDate="2015-07-08T03:55:29.480" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends of two things:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How strong your teeth are&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;If you have weak teeth it is possible you have a little of friction and waste of some of your tooth. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How clean are your teeth&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;It's possible you just had a little movement in your mouth and a little of bacterial plaque was removed. Or a little of dirt from between your teeth. I think this is the most probably.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4YFAo.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How strong the choke was&lt;/strong&gt; &#xA;Remember Jiu Jitsu uses levers to increase the power of chokes and locks. With the correct technique your opponent can be apply a really strong choke. It isn't commom but I saw few injures at mouth and sometimes at the face of athletes.    &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend use the mount guard all the time. I have been used a this protection for more them 5 years. It have save me a lot of money. My mouth guard is malleable I can use all the time. That never fell of my mouth either if I have to say something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/n8SuJ.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="5818" LastEditDate="2015-07-08T23:30:56.110" LastActivityDate="2015-07-08T23:30:56.110" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5255" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="649" CreationDate="2015-07-08T09:40:53.977" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Knockouts happen because of concussions, not how hard the foot, shin or hand striking the head is. Shin guards will hurt less, but will be just as effective at delivering a knockout. Use this info as you wish. This doesn't really answer your question, but it's useful information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-07-08T09:40:53.977" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5256" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5257" CreationDate="2015-07-09T09:25:05.493" Score="2" ViewCount="5396" Body="&lt;p&gt;All things being equal if two traditional &lt;em&gt;jiu-jitsu&lt;/em&gt; — or other grappling discipline — combatants with similar skills, were involved in a fight, one shorter than the other, would the shorter combatant have an advantage due to having a lower center of gravity, therefore making hip throws, etc easier?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5993" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-09-29T16:00:15.743" LastActivityDate="2015-09-29T16:00:15.743" Title="Lower center of gravity an advantage?" Tags="|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5257" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5256" CreationDate="2015-07-09T11:27:56.517" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes and no. The shorter fighter would find throws easier, but will have trouble with a lack of reach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-07-09T11:27:56.517" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5259" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5253" CreationDate="2015-07-09T16:55:22.730" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In grappling, I think slow wear of teeth is very rare. Problems are much more likely to be sudden impact, when someone hits you in the mouth, either intentionally or unintentionally. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using a mouthguard is common, though not popular. At any given practice, there are usually a handful of people with mouthguards. If you are worried about the wear on your teeth, I would definitely use one for your own peace of mind. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The particular position you are describing is not one that should be common for applying choking techniques because as I mentioned in the comments, choking with the gi over the mouth does not effectively cut off either the blood (best) or even the air. Trying to choke from that position is rather mean, but not effective. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have no problems with being mean, I suggest the following to ensure you (or your partner) get the gi under the chin. Say you start from behind your opponent, either directly on their back or to the side. Instead of directly reaching for the lapel, take the knuckle of your index finger (not the punching surface, but the knuckle in the center of the finger)  and skewer your opponents neck under their jawline on the carotid artery on the near side. This is quite uncomfortable, and has the effect of getting your opponent raise their chin to allow your hand to come underneath their chin to able to grasp the lapel. Now apply your choke with the gi lapel grasped from under the chin. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-07-09T16:55:22.730" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5260" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4973" CreationDate="2015-07-09T17:21:47.493" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Dental traumas are rare, but they can be VERY expensive when they happen. In 15 years of practice, I know of exactly one significant dental injury, to an instructor at another local school. The injury required thousands of USD$ in dental work. This was during standing randori practice to a competitor in his 70's, who was also the type to insist on continuing tournament matches after receiving stitches to close a cut while on the mat. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mouthguards are common, in that there are usually several people with mouthguards at any practice. The majority of people do not use them, but you should not encounter any problems if you choose to use one. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-07-09T17:21:47.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5261" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-07-09T20:56:58.847" Score="5" ViewCount="739" Body="&lt;p&gt;As discussed in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2057/what-is-qi-power-and-has-it-been-proven-to-exist-scientifically&quot;&gt;What is Qi power and has it been proven to exist scientifically?&lt;/a&gt;, when no one can really agree on what qi is, the construction of a scientific experiment to verify it is rather problematic. Part of the problem is that even among qi experts, there is no firm definition, and the word is variously used to describe a myriad of probably distinct concepts. Therefore, I think we are starting from the wrong question to understand qi. Rather than try to define it first, the first step should be to feel some version of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have some personal experience with qi, how should skeptics go about reproducing a qi experience for themselves? What is a fast way for a beginner to experience qi unambiguously in their own body? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, if you do not believe in qi, your answer to this question will be that there is no way. But you should be able to go through a training process and verify for yourself what happens. Maybe afterward you will be able to explain some of what other people describe as qi. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note this proposal would still yield a lousy scientific experiment because all the results are self-reported and therefore cannot be objective. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you need additional motivation for why qi is discussed, here is a blog post from the New York Times on &lt;a href=&quot;http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/13/experts-divided-on-makeup-and-treatment-of-muscle-knots/?_r=0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;muscle knots&lt;/a&gt;. Muscle knots are a concrete, unambiguous feeling that I hope everyone is familiar with. They are also unexplained scientifically because they rarely show up on scans, which leads some scientists to believe they may not, in fact, exist. The sensation may be related instead to nerve issues, but apparently no one knows. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the classical qi language, this would be described as stuck or blocked qi. There's no mythical forces at work, just language to describe a feeling that happens to be scientifically unexplained. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best training I am aware of to reproduce this particular feeling is to take a long flight in economy class, but I warn you that this kind of training is detrimental to your martial development. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-07-24T00:31:48.253" Title="What is a fast way for a beginner to experience qi unambiguously in their own body?" Tags="|internal|qi|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="20" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5262" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5261" CreationDate="2015-07-09T20:56:58.847" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do standing zhan zhuang for 30 minutes every day for 100 days (you can start with less time and work up to 30 minutes). I am not sure this qualifies as fast; if you have a faster way, please provide your own answer. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Two postures should be sufficient to get a taste of the practice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wuji : basic standing stance with feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, back straight, and arms hanging down by sides but separated from body. Center weight over the center of the foot, not the heel. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Holding the tree : stand with legs as in wuji, but with arms forming circle in front of body with elbows down&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Basic guidelines for standing practice&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stand up straight&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Relax&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Breathe deeply from the diaphragm&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Observe what happens&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't move for at least several minutes in either posture. Shifting your weight is moving. When you get uncomfortable, focus on trying to relax the uncomfortable areas. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Between sessions, consider whether you can adjust your alignments while standing. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my experience, there are real (to you, at least), unexpected, and unambiguous feelings that arise over sustained practice. Call these feelings what you will. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The advantages of zhan zhuang&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Zhan zhuang is common to schools of taiji, xingyi, and bagua. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You can start unsupervised and practice alone. Although an instructor would definitely be helpful with alignments, you are basically standing still, so even if you had an instructor, the work is mostly yours and not an instructor showing you movements. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's free, as in beer, because you can start unsupervised, do not need any equipment, and do not need to consume anything. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;This is the same practice that Tim Cartmell recommends for learning the principles of body movement without describing as a qi process. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You can do zhan zhuang while injured. Personally, being unable to do more active exercises was the only way I could focus on zhan zhuang long enough to produce results.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There are no movements to distract you. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;This requires only enough space for you to stand. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You can do this while doing other activities like watching TV, though the best results will probably be from shutting out external stimuli. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Problems&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;This is very boring at first. There will be a significant period of time when you think nothing is happening. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You have to actually do the practice (without moving!), and regularly. You may not need 100 days, but to my knowledge, this isn't a process you can shortcut. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do not expect zhan zhuang training alone to be sufficient for martial applications. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;References&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are much more qualified people than me who have written books on standing practices. I recommend any of the following if you intend to actually invest your time in training:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body: Qigong for Lifelong Health by Bruce Frantzis&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The Way of Energy: Mastering the Chinese Art of Internal Strength with Chi Kung Exercise by Lam Kam-Chuen&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Daoist Nei Gong: The Philosophical Art of Change by Damo Mitchell&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Principles, Analysis, and Application of Effortless Combat Throws by Tim Cartmell&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What you can expect&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Locally there is various tingling, usually starting in the hands, and your skin may start to crawl, but this is more superficial. You will get tired and your muscles will start to burn, and you may start to shake. When you learn how to relax those muscles and support yourself with structure, there is a sense of melting, and which is following by a strong sense of well being. At this point the sensation is more in the nerves, rather than in the skin. Personally, I think there is a sharp transition in feeling between when your are muscles straining to maintain the standing position and the relaxation that follows. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Way of Energy has a chapter on this subject. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2015-07-10T16:39:26.127" LastActivityDate="2015-07-10T16:39:26.127" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5264" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3033" CreationDate="2015-07-11T00:17:10.957" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;To achieve 10 Dan status under traditional Judoka lineage from Japan can only be awarded by Soke Kano's grandson/descendants . Judan is the most difficult level ever, and VERY few from the Kano line have achieved that over the last 120+ years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other  International organizations have acknowledged or promoted a 10th Dan level outside of Kano.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6003" LastActivityDate="2015-07-11T00:17:10.957" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5265" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5261" CreationDate="2015-07-11T03:42:33.457" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Claims to unambiguity are usually bunk&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everyone I have ever heard claim about a method towards &quot;unambiguous&quot; experience of qi, has always pointed to a method that causes known physiological effects, not qi.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These include: pressing/poking nerves that causes the electric/burning sensation along the nerve path, stance work that causes your body to shake as muscle fibers begin to exhaust and your brain has to activate lesser used neural pathways to get different parts of your muscle to work, pressing the palms against the eyes to &quot;see lights&quot;, swinging the arms to push blood into the palms from centrifugal force causing them to &quot;warm up&quot;, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is not to say I personally don't think there is such a thing as Qi, however, I think 98% of the methods and descriptions around it are bunk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ambiguity IS my experience&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, I spent several years getting certified hours in kinesiology, sports medicine and neuromuscular therapy - along with studying chinese acupressure.  Most of everything I deal with, I can work with using the science stuff, but there are some things which I haven't found a scientific explanation for that acupressure can do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In classes of 30-40 people doing acupressure, the thing is you might have a good number of students &quot;feel&quot; the same thing on the same person (&quot;Something's is weird with the client's calf muscle&quot;) but how they felt it could be 101 different ways (&quot;It's cold&quot; &quot;It's hot&quot; &quot;It's tingly&quot; &quot;It's throbbing&quot;).  As much as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_dress_%28viral_phenomenon%29&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Blue/Gold White/Gold dress turned out to be some bizarre effect of subjective brain color processing&lt;/a&gt;, I suspect sensing &quot;Qi&quot; works the same way.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Receiving Massage&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, with that in mind, the path which I have found has the least likelihood of being a complete mistake of normal physiological effects is receiving massage from a skilled tuina or qigong practitioner.  Find someone who doesn't explain what they're doing or how it's supposed to work (so you can avoid your own suspectibility).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Odds are you'll get 80-90% normal massage and 10-20% qigong work.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pay attention if:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;a) They are working on one part of the body and you get heat, releases, or reactions from another part of the body.  Make sure it's not just a response along &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dermatome_%28anatomy%29&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;the dermatome zones&lt;/a&gt;.  Also pay attention if this effect MOVES to other parts of your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;b) They are not doing any pressure or manipulation and you are getting effects in other places.  (Holding a single area can relax that muscle, and there are trigger points you can use to relax a muscle, however, parts which do not share a nerve path until the spine shouldn't affect each other... at least according to science.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;But what can you do with it?&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overall, I don't think most people should waste their time trying to &quot;discover Qi&quot;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have to dodge all the crank stuff to begin with, of which, there's plenty, both from source traditions and new age books.  You can do a lot of exercises on faith it will improve things, when maybe all it does is give you really good muscle endurance for stances, or increase your capacity for holding your breath, or something else of minor benefit.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unless Qigong is a side activity to something you're already doing (&quot;It's part of my martial arts form&quot; &quot;We use it in our tuina massage&quot;), you'll probably be spending a lot of effort for little return.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-07-11T03:42:33.457" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5266" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5261" CreationDate="2015-07-13T06:08:50.753" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Unambiguous is a non-starter unless you consider Qi to be something metaphysical, which is not a universally accepted opinion.  I would liken it to unambiguously proving that you can view things from a perspective centered on you.  We can stand facing each other, 4 feet apart.  I can proclaim &quot;There's something 3 feet in front of me,&quot; just to have you proclaim &quot;but that's not unambiguous, because it's actually 1 foot in front of me.&quot;  Both perspectives describe the same thing, they just approach it from different points&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The next step would be to try to identify something which is so difficult to explain in a non-Qi mindset that others cannot reproduce it without Qi.  However, if Qi produced something rapidly which could not be explained in any other way besides Qi, there's no reason to believe we would have such a question about Qi in modern western mindsets.  The highly down-voted answer of doing zhan zhuang for 100 days is actually not wrong, despite all the downvotes.  If you want something truly unambiguously uniquely Qi, it's going to take time.  This is true for any martial art.  You won't find anything unambiguously uniquely Brazilian Jujitsu in a hold or a joint manipulation until you take some time in that art either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have heard one way to feel Qi quickly, which you may judge for yourself.  Stand in a doorway, and press against the doorframe with the backs of your hand, hard.  Hold that for 30-60 seconds.  Then step out of the doorframe and feel your hands rise.  There are some who argue this is either Qi or some proto-qi.  It is also naturally explained by science, but that is okay.  I did point out that you're not going to find a simple example that is unambiguous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you could conjure the &lt;em&gt;feeling&lt;/em&gt; of your arms rising on their own, and have them rise along with that feeling, without any real conscious effort on your own part, I think you may have felt something that can be described as Qi.  However, to turn that into a full fledged claim of &quot;this is how you can experience Qi,&quot; I would certainly seek the input of masters first.  However, I think, in this very informal setting, some assumptions can be made without seeking their input... as long as you always try to deepen the meaning of whatever interpretation you find.   I will be truly sad if I accidentally create a new Qi art consisting of nothing but people flapping their arms in the air mindlessly claiming they are building Qi, just by answering a question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;EDIT&lt;/strong&gt;: as an addendum for the skeptics, consider pure mathematics: does it exist?  I have spent time tutoring middle schoolers, and their arguments have strong parallels to those made by the skeptics about Qi.  When I tutor a child on algebra, and give them a question like &lt;code&gt;3+x=7&lt;/code&gt;, and ask them to solve for &lt;code&gt;x&lt;/code&gt;, they look at me blankly.  They might even go through some ritualistic process taught to them by their math teacher and eventually end up with the symbols &lt;code&gt;x=4&lt;/code&gt; on their paper.  Then they ask me &quot;this is pointless.  Nobody needs math! When will I ever use math.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I then give them one of the traditional word problems, like &quot;I have 3 apples, I would like to have 7 apples.  How many apples do I need to get?&quot;  They immediately answer &quot;4 apples.&quot;  I tell them, &quot;see, you just did math.&quot;  They retort, &quot;no, that wasn't math.  I just had to think of imaginary apples, and I kept track of how many apples I needed to grab.  &lt;em&gt;No math was required!  Math is useless!&lt;/em&gt;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the same stumping ground.  The simple stuff can be done using math, or it can be done using their intuition.  However, at the middle school level, they cannot appreciate things like why it is better to critically damp a spring-mass system (like the shock absorber on the car).  They could not possibly fathom &lt;code&gt;d^2/dt^2(x)+2*zeta*omega_0*d/dt(x)+omega_0*x = 0&lt;/code&gt;, or why adjusting parameters to lead to &lt;code&gt;zeta = c/2*sqrt(mk) = 1&lt;/code&gt; is ideal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Worse, to them, there's no point in learning these things.  You can tell them that this equation is essential for making your car ride smooth, and they just balk and say &quot;Someone else can do that.  I don't want to do that.&quot;  And that's fine.  They don't have to do the one example you came up with.  But eventually, in this society, many individuals find this phantasmal thing called mathematics to be essential in their daily life.  Alternatively, to the point the skeptics raise, many manage to live their entire life healthy and happy without needing to use mathematics after they leave the schoolroom.  That's okay.  Personally, I'm an Engineer.  In my chosen profession, mathematics is &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; optional.  I must believe in it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So how do you explain to someone, who is just learning math, why it is worth learning it, when they cannot even comprehend its power until much later in their life?  All you can do is give them trivial examples, which can be dealt with by other means, and hope that they connect the dots once they reach a task that is too difficult for their intuition.  A very skilled teacher can find that one example that makes the subject worthwhile to each student.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4422" LastEditorUserId="4422" LastEditDate="2015-07-13T15:38:58.683" LastActivityDate="2015-07-13T15:38:58.683" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5267" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5261" CreationDate="2015-07-13T10:46:01.637" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no such thing as Qi outside of Movies and Mangas. (If we define Qi as some sort of magic spiritual energy a la Reiatsu). The closest thing to it that actually exists is Getsumei no Michi, which is a type of non-meditation that heightens your awareness. But it's a psychological phenomenon, not magic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source: I worked directly with a grandmaster of Taekwondo and Kyukushin. I asked him this very question and he told me everything is physical and mental conditioning. There's no spirit magic BS.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-07-13T10:46:01.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5269" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-07-13T19:41:10.557" Score="5" ViewCount="5381" Body="&lt;p&gt;I watch combat sports that involve striking and the vast majority of the time they get hit they don't show any sign that it hurts.  What kind of pain are they feeling?  I would think that considering how hard pros can punch and kick that getting hit would be extremely painful and cause serious injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6012" LastActivityDate="2023-02-16T02:01:44.710" Title="How painful is it for professional fighters to get hit" Tags="|striking|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5270" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5269" CreationDate="2015-07-14T07:44:15.673" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.udel.edu/chem/C465/senior/fall00/Performance1/epinephrine.htm.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Epinephrine&lt;/a&gt; is known to dull pain for a time thus allowing someone not to feel as much pain as they actually have. However, it is temporary. I suspect, but have no evidence, that this is what allows competitors to take blows and not register the pain till later on. A lot of training require &quot;soaking&quot; of blows thus both reducing the energy dumped into the body by parry/deflection and getting adapted to the pain of being hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, pain is personal but there is a pain scale [&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.webmd.com/pain-scale&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;source&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.webmd.com/pain-scale?page=2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;page 2&lt;/a&gt;, &amp;amp; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.webmd.com/pain-scale?page=3&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;page 3&lt;/a&gt;] which you could use to gauge how much pain someone is in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mlh9Q.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;pain scale face&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/X9vP7.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Pain scale text&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2015-07-14T07:44:15.673" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5271" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5269" CreationDate="2015-07-14T08:44:15.633" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your body turns off you ability to feel pain when you're in a serious fight. I once fought with a broken collar bone. It was a bit tender, but I didn't feel any pain until the following morning. And for me getting hit hard in the face was just a bright explosion of light and a moment of disorientation. If it was a particularly hard strike, you may feel the same type of pain as bumping your head against a door or something but it's not traumatic. You just don't really feel pain. The shock of getting hit is worse than the actual hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-07-14T08:44:15.633" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5274" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5269" CreationDate="2015-07-14T22:03:54.013" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience, there are a few reasons why professional/trained fighters do not feel pain as much as a normal person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Higher pain tolerance&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They are constantly taking hits and their bodies have become accustomed to pain. Fighters know in which situations pain is unavoidable and they may have developed a different response to it. Also, by mentally anticipating pain it becomes easier to deal with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conditioning&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Over time, fighters develop hardened bodies through striking and blocking. Conditioning exercises help to strengthen your body in certain areas. For example, some fighters take blows to their abdominal muscles to develop a higher resistance to pain in that area. Kung fu fighters have been known to thrust their hands in hot sand to toughen them. While these may seem somewhat extreme, through sparring regularly you are effectively conditioning your body and developing a higher resistance to pain. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Adrenaline&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, can enable a fighter to feel less pain when it is pumping through their blood. The &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/body-building/5-symptoms-of-an-adrenaline-rush.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;initial pain is dulled&lt;/a&gt; as the body uses the adrenaline rush to protect itself. But with a severe injury, like a broken bone, the pain will always catch up to you eventually! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user5946" LastEditorDisplayName="user5946" LastEditDate="2015-07-15T19:17:44.927" LastActivityDate="2015-07-15T19:17:44.927" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5275" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4653" CreationDate="2015-07-15T03:17:36.030" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;When we practiced Judo in our Martial Arts we have a mixture of sessions with Gis on and with normal street wear. This allowed us to learn the basic techniques in a dojo situation and in a practical setting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mostly any technique you learn will end up having a practical application outside the dojo and helps me reinforce what the move I have just learnt. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6016" LastActivityDate="2015-07-15T03:17:36.030" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5276" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2057" CreationDate="2015-07-15T05:35:32.737" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Qi is a Chinese word, represented as 氣 in Traditional Chinese and 气 in Simplified Chinese.  It is a very complicated topic to explain, and as you can see by the answers here, is neigh impossible to explain in a pithy Q&amp;amp;A format.  The closest one gets is the literal translation, which is simply &quot;air&quot; or perhaps &quot;breath.&quot;  However, one of the strange parts of learning Chinese is that many of their words capture relations, not things.  The literal translation of &quot;breath&quot; is applicable because the primary relationships with which qi is described are those of the body.  It is my opinion that one can get reasonably close to understanding qi by studying the relationship between the body and the breath.  However, I readily admit that this is not a definition, merely an direction one migh choose to pursue exploration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There has not been much success identifying definition for Chi in a language which permits scientific testing, so that should answer one of your questions.  For many, this is the end of the argument.  However, there are many things which we find useful which do not have scientific definitions.  Consider, as an example, &quot;love.&quot;  There is no scientific definition for &quot;love.&quot;  There have been attempts to define it chemically, such as through oxytocin, but every single one of these scientifically defined wordings falls flat when compared to the feeling that nearly every individual has felt at some point in their life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the case of &quot;love,&quot; there is clearly something there, we simply lack a scientifically testable phrasing to define it.  &quot;Chi&quot; is the same way.  There is clearly something there, because the Chinese were able to build countless martial arts around the concept, we just lack a scientifically testable phrasing to define it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, we can talk about love.  We can talk about the connection.  We can talk about the passion.  We can talk about many facets of love until we consistently agree on what love generally is.  Then we can say &quot;I am in love,&quot; and everyone around you knows what it means, even though that phrase cannot be translated scientifically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a dark side of this: it is easy to try to make our feelings match the descriptions of the facets of love.  Consider high school, where many individuals first start to really experience emotions described as &quot;love.&quot;  In this early phase, we spend a great deal of effort making it look like we are in love, while not actually deepening love.  We make sure our &quot;love&quot; fits all of the descriptions, but often lack the substance beneath.  There was recently a fad where kids were giving their passwords to their significant other because &quot;you're supposed to trust those you love.&quot;  Obviously this misinterpretation had tremendous consequences for these kids.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the Chinese masters usually speak in parable when describing &quot;qi.&quot;  They feel an attempt to define qi to be anything besides itself is folly.  They want you to practice martial arts under them, and they will slowly show you what qi means to you.  That way you never trust qi without truly having it in the first place.  That should answer your last question: the best way to &quot;achieve qi&quot; is to go train under a master that believes qi exists and have them show you.  It is my belief that those who say &quot;qi is bogus&quot; have been exposed to a teacher who learned what qi should look like, and not something that is actually qi, and is selling that experience to others.  (how to identify a snake-oil art vs. a real art is very good question every qi practitioner should ask, but that's a different topic entierly)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first question is the challenge: What is qi.  Hopefully by this point you can tell that I am not going to give an answer.  However, with respect to martial arts, I believe it is valid to point out a few common facets of qi usage, and to provide a few tests that practitioners claim demonstrates qi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The single most common facet of the use of qi in martial arts that I have seen is integration.  Qi is not demonstrated simply by using a single muscle to do a single thing.  Qi is always expressed in tasks which link many muscles together to accomplish a task, often muscles quite far apart on the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a classic &quot;training exercise&quot; for Qi, where you hold out your arm, and the teacher pushes down on it.  For most people, it is very hard to resist this force because the teacher applies it with a great deal of mechanical advantage.  The student is then instructed through several verbal and physical cues to changes the way he carries his body, and change the way he is thinking about the task (both are important).  The teacher then applies force again, often more force, and the student finds it easy to resist.  The teacher will then explain that you are using Qi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this Qi something unique that cannot be explained any other way? I leave that to you and your teacher to decide.  However, it will be very clear that the adjustments you made gave you the opportunity to integrate many muscles beyond your arm.  You will use your pectorals.  You will use the intercostal muscles (which many of us do not have strong conscious control over).  You'll even engage your leg muscles in direct support of an activity that appears to be totally arm based.  The integration of these muscles and the neurons that trigger them certainly plays a part in the Qi (or may even be the Qi, if you and your teacher wish to believe that).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another facet of qi that is very common is &quot;awareness.&quot;  The teachings I am aware of for using qi in martial arts all use the term &quot;awareness.&quot;  Tasks which use qi effectively are rarely one-size-fits-all motions.  Qi is not used in a mere punch.  Qi is used in a punch whose path is changed mid-flight to avoid a block because you were aware the block was coming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my opinion, this is where the uniqueness of qi based martial arts lie.  Many arts will teach you the basic mechanics of many many actions, and then slowly allow a teacher to help you integrate these into one solid framework, and then to become aware of your opponent.  The Chinese martial arts which use qi teach you the techniques for integrating things into a framework, and how to be aware of your opponent, and then teach you how to develop your own mechanics within that framework.  Qi is one of the concepts they use to teach a very difficult concept early rather than teaching it late.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are, of course, many &quot;tests&quot; of qi.  Science has yet to discover any of them which exceeds the physical limits of the materials involved.  However, many of them are extremely difficult to reproduce unless you have trained using qi (which can readily be translated as they reward the behaviors that martial art recognizes... which occurs in every martial art).  Some of the more interesting are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shaolin Needle through glass - The practitioner throws a needle at a pane of glass, breaking clean through to the other side (usually into a balloon to provide quick feedback to the audience that the glass broke).  There's no technical reason why this could not be done by anyone.  However, you have to get the angle of the needle just right, or it glances off.  This is incredibly difficult to do.  Mythbusters tested this as a myth, and ended up &quot;debunking&quot; it because the major league pitcher they brought in could not do it.  However, it is trivial to find kung fu practitioners which can do this act, and they will claim that they are using qi to do it.  Whatever they are using, qi or otherwise, it allows them to maintain more control over a thrown needle than a professional thrower can reproduce.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bouncing - Bouncing is a neat trick done against a partner who does not resist.  That partner holds up their arms to provide some structure, and you touch them.  You then send them flying into a padded mat behind them.  This sounds easy, except that you do so without any noticeable force.  If someone placed their hands between yours and theirs, they should feel nothing.  The partner does not resist, but they shouldn't feel like they are helping either.  As with the needle through glass trick, if you analyze it with a camera, you will see that the partner actually falls off balance and then twitches as they lose balance, providing the energy and momentum.  However, the fact that people can do it, even to a non-resisting opponent, without force, suggests that there is something to their claims that there is a &quot;qi&quot; thing that they are applying which is not simply &quot;nothing.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my personal path through martial arts, I have found nothing in these tests which suggests they do not have scientific explanations.  However, I have found those scientific explanations do a very poor job of assisting you in learning how to do them.  The tests of qi are extremely difficult to do unless you have trained in an art which uses qi.  This should be no surprise to anyone -- the entire point of martial arts tests is to create something which is difficult to do in any way except the correct way!  Breaking bricks is the same way.  It's a demonstration which, if you haven't learned the basics, generally goes very poorly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The question remains, is qi effective for fighting.  This is a difficult question to answer.  It all depends on your outlook.  However, if you narrow your outlook to &quot;what is best in MMA tournaments,&quot; you'll find that the qi based martial arts are very unpopular.  In that environment they do not do well.  However, you get to decide what metrics are meaningful for you in picking a martial art.  Consider Roy Nelson, who is a UFC fighter.  Nobody would call his style &quot;kung fu,&quot; but he openly trains kung fu as part of his regimen.  He says it helps with the subtleties.  If you think of integrated actions combined with an awareness of the subtle movements of your opponents as what qi based martial arts train for, there's something to be said for that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: As a closing, to attempt to address some of Dave's comments (in a highly tangential fashion), I'd like to address the question of &quot;does qi give you supernatural powers,&quot; without actually answering it.  We train for martial arts.  We do so for many years, spending a great deal of effort at it.  Why? Because we learn something.  In any martial art I have been part of, I have been told that the single greatest limitation we have is self-doubt.  Every martial art pushes you to do something you would consider &quot;supernatural&quot; at the time, because you cannot do it.  This does not say the act &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; supernatural, just that it feels that way when you first do it.  Then, afterwards, you restructure your way of thinking to realize &quot;oh, that has been natural the whole time, I just never knew it!&quot;  It is my opinion that one of the great powers all martial arts give us is a set of tools to explore the pliable boundary between what we believe to be natural and what we believe to be supernatural.  Each martial art provides a slightly different approach to this, and the value of those lessons should be included whenever one compares martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4422" LastEditorUserId="4422" LastEditDate="2015-07-15T16:35:48.220" LastActivityDate="2015-07-15T16:35:48.220" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5277" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-07-15T12:11:48.270" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;氣 (qi, ki, chi) as defined in the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/chi?q=qi#chi-2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Oxford Dictionary&lt;/a&gt;, is &lt;em&gt;the circulating life force whose existence and properties are the basis of much Chinese philosophy and medicine&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; has a longer definition, pointing out a couple of dozen potential meanings. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;氣 is a purely hypothetical concept with neither grounding in current scientific theories nor basis in evidence based experimentation.  For example, see the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skepdic.com/chi.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Sceptic's dictionary entry&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-07-15T12:18:06.350" LastActivityDate="2015-07-15T12:18:06.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5278" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-07-15T12:11:48.270" Score="0" Body="氣 (qi, chi, ki) is a polysemous word, generally referring to a circulating life force whose existence and properties are the basis of much Chinese philosophy and medicine." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-07-15T12:11:48.270" LastActivityDate="2015-07-15T12:11:48.270" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5279" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5209" CreationDate="2015-07-15T15:11:15.250" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is not a question of whether or not you have any martial martial arts training. The issue is self perception and subconscious signals. If you are uncertain about yourself and feel insecure,  you may be thinking &quot;oh no I'm going to be mugged&quot; while walking about late at night. This self-hypnosis creates an air of uncertainty and insecurity, which potential attackers or muggers will pick up on,  using subconscious signals,  or &quot;intuition&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have had students telling of situations they've found themselves in,  where they,  in the aftermath wondered why they weren't raped or mugged, and my theory (I have read theories to back this up,  I just cannot recall them off the top of my head) is that the martial arts training has given the practitioner a sense of calm and self confidence,  which again may not be conscious,  but gives off vibes that are in opposition to the previously mentioned. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When that is said,  anybody can have a bad day.  And if you go looking for trouble, you will find it (and street fighting does not follow the rules if the dojo).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just to sum up; emotions can &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thejoyofalignment.com/video-commentary/negative-momentum-and-manifestation&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;manifest&lt;/a&gt; in out body  and vice versa.  And this phenomenon is &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.dk/books?hl=da&amp;amp;lr=&amp;amp;id=nSFvAAAAQBAJ&amp;amp;oi=fnd&amp;amp;pg=PT5&amp;amp;dq=emotions%20manifesting%20physically&amp;amp;ots=FebI2yUxXC&amp;amp;sig=Z9YlT3h_-EPU4NuWtnV4MKfcMvg#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=emotions%20manifesting%20physically&amp;amp;f=false&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;well documented&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5848" LastEditorUserId="5848" LastEditDate="2015-07-16T12:45:46.170" LastActivityDate="2015-07-16T12:45:46.170" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5280" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5281" CreationDate="2015-07-16T04:41:20.813" Score="6" ViewCount="806" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to become a well-rounded martial artist. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I used to train Muay Thai when I was a kid. But 3 years ago I quit and focused on BJJ &amp;amp; grappling. I would really love to combine BJJ with Muay Thai but I fear a negative effect on my grappling skills. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I asked some friends (not really experts) if it's good to add Muay Thai and they replied by saying it'll affect my BJJ in a negative sense. Is this true?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="500" LastActivityDate="2020-01-20T10:09:53.903" Title="Will training Muay Thai affect my BJJ skills?" Tags="|training|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5281" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5280" CreationDate="2015-07-16T06:31:00.520" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;No.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only asset is if you have to train less BJJ to training Muay Thai. If you will train MT and will have the same hours of training of BJJ this is not an issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a martial art, you need spend time training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The longer you practice the luckiest you are. Rickson Gracie&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Updated&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes I training Judo, for who knows Judo has a different approach to some rules. Maybe because I'm a Black Belt in Jiu Jitsu I can avoid what is considered illegal on Judo when I'm training it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In another hand, when I do NoGi ( what I'm not training that offen) a few times I try to hold on the GI.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="5818" LastEditDate="2020-01-20T10:09:53.903" LastActivityDate="2020-01-20T10:09:53.903" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5282" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4269" CreationDate="2015-07-16T13:02:26.130" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As has already been mentioned, fighting in a group is difficult, since the dynamics are different in comparison to a 1:1 fight. &#xA;I'd like to point out that the multiple-opponent fight also has some challenges for the attacker. Faced with a hostile group, trained to fight in a coordinated, coherent manner is very different from fighting a group of people used to/trained to fight 1:1. I'm not saying that the incoherent group won't evolve into tactics that enable them to overpower you, but your chances are somewhat different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also mentioned is situational awareness, which I'd like to pose a theories on;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a one-opponent sparring match/fight, you can (in theory) focus only on your opponent. But in a multiple-opponent match you have to be aware (at least peripherally) of where your opponents are situated. We call it &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanshin&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot; title=&quot;State of awareness/relaxed alertness&quot;&gt;Zanshin&lt;/a&gt;&quot;. i know that this is not a direct answer to your question, but my suggestion is that there is a mindset which you have to adapt, which is easily overlooked if you &quot;blind&quot; yourself to your surroundings when fighting/sparring&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have a look at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyllQuQuHZE&amp;amp;list=WL&amp;amp;index=71&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot; title=&quot;UFC Fighters Experience Marine Corps Martial ArtsW&quot;&gt;this youtube video&lt;/a&gt;, where some MMa fighters are outnumbered by trained marines teaming up on them...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5848" LastEditorUserId="5848" LastEditDate="2015-07-17T19:25:25.693" LastActivityDate="2015-07-17T19:25:25.693" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5284" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5261" CreationDate="2015-07-17T19:40:33.977" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think many things (particularly this) are as 'unambiguous' as you may think. I also suspect the amount of un-ambiguity is inversely proportional to the time spent practicing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For someone who doesn't want to do 30 minutes of stance training a day, I practiced the qigong exercise Lifting the Sky twice a day for a minute or two each time for six months before meeting my teacher. I could easily feel the hand and forearm heat and tingling by the time I actually met him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He has two free videos which teach Lifting the Sky and a guided meditation to help you enter the qigong state of mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://academy.flowingzen.com/fe/59693-lifting-the-sky-part-i&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://academy.flowingzen.com/fe/59693-lifting-the-sky-part-i&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have to sign up for the meditation. It comes with two free ebooks and is under &quot;Get your free stuff&quot; in the side bar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://flowingzen.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://flowingzen.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can certainly practice the exercise without ever doing the meditation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4479" LastActivityDate="2015-07-17T19:40:33.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5285" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5269" CreationDate="2015-07-18T00:37:25.900" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The important thing is that there are two phenomena limiting your performance:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Physical limits -- injury or pain so severe that you CANNOT continue.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Psychological limits -- a combination of fear, surprise, stress, or self-preservation instincts make you REFUSE to continue (including fleeing, surrendering, collapsing, dialing back your own intensity, etc.) long before there are injuries that truly, physically prevent you from performing. I'm not being judgmental here... it is these instincts that help you avoid sustaining severe injuries most of the time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For somebody who is not used to being hit hard, the pain threshold of #2 is MUCH LOWER than the actual physical limits of #1. Through practice -- simple acclimation to being in circumstances where you take hard hits -- you can raise the threshold of pain that you are willing to endure psychologically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, with practice in painful/stressful/adrenalized situations, you can quite often endure hits (that are very painful but short of severe physical injury) that somebody unpracticed would not tolerate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="698" LastActivityDate="2015-07-18T00:37:25.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5286" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-07-18T04:03:13.683" Score="9" ViewCount="1429" Body="&lt;p&gt;Alright, so to start, I'm not highly knowledgeable in martial arts and fighting styles... I practice shotokan karate, and I am at 5th kyu. Not sure how much that detail will matter, but I will put that out there if it is necessary. Anyways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My health has been alright as of late, but I really want to push myself to get into shape. After thinking about it, I realized that boxing training is quite intensive, and might give me what I'm looking for. However, I'm not quite sure if it would have a negative effect on my karate skills; boxing habits leaking over into my karate stances and whatnot. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, all in all... is it a bad idea to add boxing training on top of karate?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6024" LastActivityDate="2015-07-18T19:32:43.687" Title="Will training in boxing affect my karate skills?" Tags="|karate|boxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5287" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5286" CreationDate="2015-07-18T05:48:20.523" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boxing technique is vastly different from karate... it will indeed engender habits that compromise the karate technique.  For example, in karate you don't tilt the torso left and right, or tuck the chin in behind a raised shoulder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd suggest instead finding some more physical karate training.  Hitting a large shield (e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mmagear.dk/mediafiles/images/produkter/Nye%20Blitz%20varer/Giant%20The%20Daddy%20Body%20Shield%20Bag.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;random googled image&lt;/a&gt;) is exhausting - I recommend hitting them two or three times for 2-3 minutes each, with 15 second rests between.  Try to find someone at least your own size and do your best to knock them backwards (or sideways for mawashi geri) with every attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't have such equipment at your dojo, and can't interest your sensei in getting a shield or letting you bring one in, and don't have anyone to train with outside the dojo, perhaps consider supplementing your shotokan with some kyokushin - they will almost certainly have such equipment, though might only use it at training sessions where the karateka are preparing for competitions.  Kyokushin is a derivative of shotokan and goju-ryu, so you're unlikely to have to change your technique to train with them.  (Indeed, we have a 5th dan Shotokan shihan from France drop in to train with us every few months when he's visiting Tokyo).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2015-07-18T05:48:20.523" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5288" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4269" CreationDate="2015-07-18T14:56:47.100" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The first time I did (Aikido) randori and had three people charge me from across the mats was a particularly eye opening experience. Some of the lessons learned fairly quickly during those drills were:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Watch the lines of attack. You have to keep track of where everyone is going and at what angle they can attack you from (hopefully not from behind)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Stay mobile.  The ideal is to be moving in a such a way to have the attackers blocking each other.  However you need to keep moving in order to have that happen. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Favor techniques that allow to engage or disengage quickly.  Any techniques that will put one of the attackers on the ground and/or in the way of the other attackers is to be encouraged.  You may not have time to pin.   &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5573" LastActivityDate="2015-07-18T14:56:47.100" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5289" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5286" CreationDate="2015-07-18T19:32:43.687" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boxing movements, stances, and techniques will overlap with your karate movements, stances, and techniques. Depending on how well you have ingrained those already, you may interfere with them or learn new ways to look at them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If boxing technique interferes with your karate technique, it wouldn't be the worst thing. Boxing has proven itself and has an excellent track record; if you accidentally start turning your hips into your reverse punch or moving your head during sparring it's not a bad thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-07-18T19:32:43.687" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5290" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5291" CreationDate="2015-07-20T03:32:56.690" Score="18" ViewCount="1821" Body="&lt;p&gt;Recently I moved to a new city. I have been training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for more than 14 years. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my old academy, I used to have partners of all ranks and sizes; this is very important in BJJ. It means I was beaten and also I beat some guys as well. At my new home, I'm training just with white belts and I think I have started to lose my technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I train in my normal fashion, I will beat everybody on the mat (I know some guys doesn't like be beaten). Because they are new in BJJ, my partners rely on strength; a fundamental of BJJ is that a weaker fighter can defeat a stronger one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like to know how I can keep improving my techniques with such a large difference in ranks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-04-30T19:35:04.687" LastActivityDate="2022-04-30T19:35:04.687" Title="How to improve my skills when I'm highest ranked" Tags="|training|technique|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5291" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5290" CreationDate="2015-07-20T12:14:23.067" Score="23" Body="&lt;p&gt;Realistically a collection of white belts aren't going to challenge you much if you've been training for 14 years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm reasonably new, tiny and a girl so I'm probably not ever going to find myself in a situation like yours, but some of the ways that my guys train with me might be useful ways that you can challenge &lt;em&gt;yourself&lt;/em&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Teach me! Teach me!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Several of the more experienced guys I get to roll with turn each roll into a coaching session along the way. If I make a mistake they choke me silly, then point out the mistake and help me correct it. If there's a technique I don't understand or don't recognize they'll explain it for me. Obviously this is a huge boon for me but for them it's helpful too, because in order to explain something to someone with less experience you need to really understand it yourself. This isn't going to directly help your technique, but it might help you understand your techniques and concepts better. You have time to really think about why this stuff works. It's worth something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wait, how did I get to mount?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm a hundred pound teenage girl. I don't get to play top game very often against adult guys. Except the clever ones who realize that a training partner who isn't in your league is an extremely useful person to practice defense and escapes against. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Give your white belts opportunities to attack you. Start under mount or side control. Deliberately give up your back and let them start working for that choke. This gives you heaps of chances to practice escapes and defensive techniques, because they probably won't finish you immediately like someone of your own skill level would. More time in bad positions improves your game for sure, even if you have to deliberately engineer those bad positions yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Play your 'C' game&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training partners who can't really challenge you are the best people to polish those techniques which aren't your best 'high percentage' or 'go to' moves against a challenging opponent. I'm forever getting people try new things on me, which can be hilarious and really isn't bad for either of us.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make a game of it&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a couple of purple belt guys in my gym who usually get assigned a 'challenge' for rolls with me. I might not be able to give them much of a contest under normal circumstances, but it's a heck of a lot harder for them to finish me if they're only allowed to submit me with a specific technique and I know what's coming. They still do, but that's okay!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So be creative and challenge yourself. One roll you're only allowed an armbar on the guy's left arm. The next roll you have to 'call' a submission before you try for it. Whatever. Make your own difficulty.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Smash me! Smash me!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people will have tantrums if you destroy them, others will be fine with it so long as you're nice about it and don't do it all the time. I was the happiest camper in the world the first time one of our smaller guys said &quot;I'm competing this weekend, do you mind if I turn up the intensity this roll, I really want to work on getting my submissions nice and crisp&quot;. Maybe I'm just crazy, but it was pretty fun to get tapped fifteen times in ten minutes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So pick the right people and occasionally you should be able to really bring out your 'A game' for at least part of a roll.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Find somewhere you don't have to do any of that stuff...&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Realistically you're probably going to want to find somewhere that has training partners who can challenge you, even if that means travelling a bit further sometimes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that's not an option, hopefully some of those other things might help keep you somewhat sharp anyway. Good luck! :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3147" LastActivityDate="2015-07-20T12:14:23.067" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5292" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5290" CreationDate="2015-07-20T17:39:05.863" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I feel you, bro. Smashing them or putting yourself in bad positions doesn't really help. In my similar situation I see three options:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Train something else&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Make each of them a black belt in something&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Smash smash smash&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Train Something Else&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't have to do BJJ. Maybe in this city the best way for you to get better at fighting is to train boxing instead. Or maybe your best way to get your jollies is lifting. Or maybe your best option for getting better at grappling is the wrestling school down the street. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Make Each of Them Black Belts at Something&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Marcelo Garcia has told the story of how he got better when he didn't have world-class training partners: he gave each opponent a specific skill that he would mentor that person on. Week after week, month after month, he'd show This Dude all the secrets to defending Marcelo's own guillotine, and That Dude (who Marcelo always gave his back to) got a load of instruction on finishing the rear naked choke, while This Gal learned everything Marcelo could teach about stopping Marcelo's X-guard. By keeping the topics small, that person could gain proficiency in that area far beyond their general skill level. As he put it, they'd be a white belt that a purple belt couldn't guillotine, or a white belt with brown-belt-level finishing abilities from the back mount, or a white belt who could stop a black belt's X-guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Smaaaaaaaash&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another approach is just to relax and have fun smashing them, letting them have positions before reversing them, and otherwise just being better than them and not worrying about it. You'll stay in shape and give back to the grappling community.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-07-20T17:39:05.863" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5293" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="126" CreationDate="2015-07-20T18:32:48.013" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Of the methods I've used, by and far the most effective was to have undisciplined students go back to doing basic beginner techniques, while the rest moved on to other things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It might go something like this: The class is getting out of control. No one's listening. Kids are talking over their instructor and making the class look like a joke. Signal firmly 'Everyone line up! You're forgetting what you've learned here; so we're going to have to go back through the basics.' Everyone starts back at the white-belt curriculum; moving together on count. Keep things moving at a relatively slow but deliberate pace. Make corrections every few counts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you see improvement in some students, point out that that's what you want to see; and send them to the next technique. If you have a co-instructor send the students who are getting their act together to do something more rewarding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This didn't turn around the worst problem students, but it made a huge difference in the group mentality. Example: When reminding the class to keep their hands up, one made a joke like 'we have to hold our hands out even though we're not getting snacks?'. Before, everyone would have laughed and started making their own jokes. Now he was met with an embarrassing silence. He didn't put near as much effort in disrupting the class after that. He didn't want to be in martial arts though, and his parents moved him to another sport. The students who stayed learned to be a more positive influence and developed more self-respect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6030" LastActivityDate="2015-07-20T18:32:48.013" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5294" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="222" CreationDate="2015-07-20T21:59:29.247" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Mann's book, NINJA, he mentions discoveries of the training literature of the ninja clans in japan, and the FIRST thing in the training of potential initiates was...... ETHICS.&#xA;they taught that if the ninja didn't use his ninja powers for the greater good that the heavens would not bless their mission.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;So there is historical evidence that the ninjas did view themselves as fighting for the greater good.  It's important to remember that the provinces controlled by ninjas were fighting against a powerful centralized government system.  They were the common man, banding together to use everything in their power to survive in a military dictatorship, under military oppression.  The first documented forms of democracy were between these ninja towns, as they signed confederacy documents which revolved around the idea that if anybody attacked any one of their towns, that they would all join to help repel the invaders, but there was no central government.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6031" LastActivityDate="2015-07-20T21:59:29.247" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5295" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5290" CreationDate="2015-07-21T01:53:45.520" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm sure you've heard the Bruce Lee quote, &quot;A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.&quot; You're the wise man now. Some of my best learning has been when I'm teaching someone else how to do things. Some advice:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Don't&lt;/em&gt; just smash your partners- neither of you learns anything from that.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Go slow enough for them to learn by watching you, or at least to react.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Focus on making your techniques textbook-perfect.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Try the techniques you don't normally use.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Let them ask you questions. Answer them honestly. Don't make stuff up to sound confident- if you're doing that, it's because &lt;strong&gt;you&lt;/strong&gt; don't know the answer and boom, you have something to learn.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6032" LastActivityDate="2015-07-21T01:53:45.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5296" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5290" CreationDate="2015-07-21T14:43:30.313" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;What Dave said.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in particular, you don't normally have to go too far to find great judo players and perhaps judo competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;after all it is often described as 'old juto anyway (in the 90s judo was a popular alternative in the UK to up your MMA game). Also Ronda Rousey is predominantly from a Judo background and she holds her own :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;MMA clubs may be worth looking at but I believe can be hit and miss.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastActivityDate="2015-07-21T14:43:30.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5297" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1035" CreationDate="2015-07-21T21:43:14.900" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Despite ice's enduring popularity and former recommendations for its use in RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) treatment, ice is no longer recommended for reducing inflammation or bruising. Gabe Mirkin, MD, who first coined the RICE mnemonic, explains on his &lt;a href=&quot;http://drmirkin.com/fitness/why-ice-delays-recovery.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;blog dated Sept 2015&lt;/a&gt; that ice delays recovery from injury.&#xA; &lt;a href=&quot;http://physicaltherapyweb.com/paradigm-shifts-use-ice-nsaids-post-acute-soft-tissue-injuries-part-1-2/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;PhysicalTherapyWeb&lt;/a&gt; tells a similar story, with full article titles if you want to track references. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The summary is ice reduces inflammation in the short term, but impairs the healing process. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-11-01T16:07:50.413" LastActivityDate="2017-11-01T16:07:50.413" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5298" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2465" CreationDate="2015-07-22T06:55:02.257" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tae Kwon Do came from the practice of Tae Kyeon which was formalized martial arts practice in the courts. Hwarangdo warriors practiced a similar art, but also incorporated bo-staff, Korean sword, spear, and knife (Dando) in their training. It was until the Japanese Invasion that a lot of Tae Kyeon was formalized with the Japanese method of martial arts training. But weapons was a essential training tool and tools of use in combat for Hwrangdo warriors. A lot of the other Korean martial arts such as Hwarangdo and Kuk Sook Won use traditional Korean weapons as a part of their training. There are Tae Kwon Do self defense techniques that trains students against knife and staff attacks. It would not hurt for the students to learn about how to use the knife or staff to defend yourself if the need is ever there. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6038" LastActivityDate="2015-07-22T06:55:02.257" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5299" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="501" CreationDate="2015-07-23T06:08:06.073" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Better use extended knuckles to hit the eyes, breast bone or sternum. But try finger striking the muscle of your upper legs to train your fingers and to simulate actual finger strike on the meaty parts of the human body. Just a suggestion for practicing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6042" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-07-23T07:09:30.860" LastActivityDate="2015-07-23T07:09:30.860" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5300" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5216" CreationDate="2015-07-23T12:14:45.723" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Quite surprised by all these big NOs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would say: it depends.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If competing and consequently having better chances at winning competitions are your goals, then your body type can definitely give you an edge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As common sense goes, grappling-based disciplines is more suited to stocky, strong people. There are notable exceptions: Paulo Miyao is a 64Kg bjj practioner who regularly wins open weight tournaments at the highest level, but look for example at the height/weight ratio of, say, the first 10 competitors at any Judo Summer Olympics and you'll start to see a pattern.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In striking, on the other hand, agility, and, more importantly, reach are strong indicators of an athlete's potential. Again, Mike Tyson was shorter than most if not all his opponents, but he was an exception. Looking at MMA, in which striking has become more and more important in the latest years, reach advantage is statistically a big factor, as described here: &lt;a href=&quot;http://fightnomics.com/category/blog/ufc-arms-race-incredible-shrinking-middleweight/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://fightnomics.com/category/blog/ufc-arms-race-incredible-shrinking-middleweight/&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From my personal experience, I insisted in practicing judo for years, despite my long and slim body type, and even if not competing, during practice I was hitting the mat a lot. Even with much less experienced, yet 30kgs heavier, guys. In BJJ I also spent most of the time on my back, overwhelmed by huge, jacked-up, guys. Learning was significantly slowed down by this. When I tried boxing for a while, tables were turned, I was enjoying it, and learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, if potential competitive results or training enjoyment are a factor in your choice, then yes, your body type matters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are going for Tai Chi, or other not competitive arts, everything goes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6045" LastEditorUserId="6045" LastEditDate="2015-07-23T13:01:32.067" LastActivityDate="2015-07-23T13:01:32.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5301" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2341" CreationDate="2015-07-23T18:51:04.207" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are good answers here,  my advice; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;800 meter sprint training (to run away quickly)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Threat avoidance tactics &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Basic hammer strike drills to the face focusing on the nose and eyes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can go into a detailed reasoning but it's about self protection more than self defence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastActivityDate="2015-07-23T18:51:04.207" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5303" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5261" CreationDate="2015-07-24T00:31:48.253" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my opinion it is a mental state as opposed to a physical one. This in itself can be powerful, as if it removes a self limiting belief, then great.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;this can be compared to the placebo effect Eg if you believe that you will get better because you are taking a pill then in some cases you can get better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;this doesn't really answer the question, but the first step would be to make sure you fully cement the belief that it is real, can be felt and can be harnessed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then you can get them to feel it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And note, just because it is a mental state doesn't make it less 'real'&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastActivityDate="2015-07-24T00:31:48.253" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5304" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4806" CreationDate="2015-07-24T07:45:03.547" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;i thought kung fu was bs but know i think its the best, and really good for mma, cung lee is a world champ at sanshou kung fu, sanshou is the combat side of kung fu, wushu and all the spirital stuff is the other side of kung fu, sanshou is the closest thing to mma becides maybe sambo, its like a thai kickboxing match but throws and take downs are alowed but its stood up as soon as the throw is compleated and you get points for it, they also have mutch more hi tek kicks than kickboxing, really amazing to watch, cung lee was the first to use it in mma i think he is the most dynamic striker i have seen in mma, im not saying his the best striker ever but the most dynamic, he has more different kicks than anyone, michael page who is undefeted in mma is a kung fu fighter his new but going to be a huge star he might even more dynamic than cung his style is out of this world, pat barry is the only other sanshou fighter i have herd of in mma&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6048" LastActivityDate="2015-07-24T07:45:03.547" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5305" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-07-25T03:51:13.963" Score="8" ViewCount="456" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not a lot of people know the truth about karate but it is actually a grappling martial art. If you study the beginning blocks you will realise this and you can see it on karate by jessies website. They aren't taught so much because some dojo have become mcdojos and watered karate which is bad. Now I'm wondering how you would initiate these grading techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6052" LastActivityDate="2016-03-03T16:24:40.917" Title="How to properly initiate or use karate( any style that uses the beginning blocks since they're actually grappling techniques)grappling techniques" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5306" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5305" CreationDate="2015-07-26T04:03:24.640" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I studied shotokan for 10 years, I got my 1st Dan under Sensei Enoeda. So defo not under a 'mcdojo' And yes, there is a lot of stuff 'hidden' in kata (pressure points, locks Etc.).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It doesn't really matter though, as you don't directly train in grappling in karate, a beginner in judo will easily take apart a 1st Dan under judo rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Saying that, there are plenty of other styles of karate that may focus on grappling. But in reality, you want to learn how to grapple, karate is not the art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastActivityDate="2015-07-26T04:03:24.640" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5307" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5305" CreationDate="2015-07-26T11:02:44.470" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Karate acknowledges and differentiates hard and soft techniques, both requiring slightly different training, kata, style, and mindsets in general. Many grapling techniques in karate initiate from a soft state as a reception (i.e. using the force of the opponent) and then finalize with a hard technique, therefore both states complement each other. You can see the bunkai of many goju-ryu Kata (Seyunchin and Kururunfa are good examples).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4304" LastActivityDate="2015-07-26T11:02:44.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5308" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5305" CreationDate="2015-07-26T12:20:40.260" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The trick is that the initiating move doesn't actually have to be a formal &quot;move&quot; - a simple swipe or parry on an incoming punch is all you need to start execution of the grappling bunkai in a technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Lzn1XgAUBpU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;soto uke&lt;/a&gt; for example (&quot;inside block&quot; &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5305/how-to-properly-initiate-or-use-karate-any-style-that-uses-the-beginning-blocks#comment11434_5305&quot;&gt;mentioned&lt;/a&gt; by Bankuei). The non-blocking arm is extended at the start of the move, &lt;strong&gt;but this is not the catch&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soto_uke&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; tells us:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;This represents grabbing the attacker's arm&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would emphatically state that is so simplistic it is almost wrong - you cannot just grab the opponents arm and pull it into the path of the block in the fashion described, especially without changing the position of your body. If you don't believe me, try it with a non compliant training partner. Then try it on someone swinging punches at your head (rather than your midsection).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, what that part of the move is telling you is what to do once you have got hold of the opponent. IOW, it doesn't teach you how to grab, it teaches you what to do once you've made the grab. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To make the grab, start with the opponent swinging a haymaker/round punch at your head with their right hand. Then:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;parry it with your right palm from the outside and guide the punch across you  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;continue the parry by bring your left palm up and along the inside of your right forearm (which is currently facing outwards), the left palm should continue the parry once the punch crosses your center line and the right palm should then disengage  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;once the left palm has parried the punch sufficiently past your center line you should grasp the opponents lower forearm or their wrist as you continue the movement&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you now have the grab. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;keep the momentum going which will pull the opponent further off balance and further extend their arm&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;while you do this you should then start to pivot and bring the right forearm round as the &lt;em&gt;soto uke&lt;/em&gt; into the back of the opponents punching arm (there are several juicy locations you can strike, don't strike the point of the elbow unless their arm is totally straight).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The double handed parry I detail above is very similar to the &quot;wax on, wax off&quot; move as popularized by the original Karate Kid movie (seriously, no joking), but it is done with soft hands so that you don't stop the opponents momentum. It is very similar to what is described as &lt;em&gt;hiki uke&lt;/em&gt; at the 3:40 mark of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgwsTadKmyY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; (but you want to keep it closer and softer than this guy, don't try and execute the parry several feet from your body).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These blocks are all at their optimum effectiveness when executed as part of a grapple. Please don't practice this particular block in &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/CQX9OJ2NTdk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; fashion - you will get hit. &lt;em&gt;Soto uke&lt;/em&gt; was never developed to be used in this way - you would have to have the front punch of an old man to get caught by that block (the punch is straight, the block is executed in a considerably longer and rounder way, making it a lot slower. Additionally the defender is stepping to the inside - straight into the range and path of the attackers other limbs).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/w8E1r2SQoPk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This video&lt;/a&gt; shows some better applications, these guys are already in a grapple when they use the block. Note the starting point of the blocking hand of the karate demonstrator - it deviates considerably from what would be taught in regular line work or kata. This is because the technical form can describe or suggest many things, but when you go to use it in a real situation you are concentrating on one of the possible options. This means, for example, that the blocking hand doesn't have to start from close to the ear when you use the block on a real attack, but you should still execute it that way when practicing line work, combinations or kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-07-26T12:20:40.260" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5309" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1357" CreationDate="2015-07-26T14:18:30.647" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I record general concepts, specific techniques, and things trainers tell me I specifically need to work on. I also record competition results and string together game plans.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I used Google Docs for a while which is really good, but I needed a bit more structure as the 40 page doc grew, so I created an app which allows me to record all the same info (&lt;a href=&quot;http://openmat.training&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;openmat.training&lt;/a&gt;), including my crude sketches I used to do. There are a couple of other sites like it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1707" LastActivityDate="2015-07-26T14:18:30.647" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5310" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1357" CreationDate="2015-07-26T19:04:59.140" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have found notes are very effective for mechanics, or generally any part of a MA which can be fully isolated and described on its own.  I find it gets more difficult to take notes on subtle things because my word choices are often insufficient to actually capture the nuances I am picking up during training.  It helps to have a lingo custom tailored to capture the particular subtleties your art focuses on (&quot;shift you weight to the yin side of the leg&quot; is an example of a phrasing in such a custom lingo), but in the end, some things are simply hard to capture in words.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find notes are best for things which I believe I need to internalize, but have reason to believe that I will not do so immediately.  For instance, I may learn a very subtle way to manipulate the lower spine, but I know that I'm planning on going to PT soon, and I'll lose all the subtlety I am working on when I overexert those muscles (which I totally do).  In those cases, capturing the idea in intellectual words can serve as a scaffolding for me to try to recreate what I was working on later, and maybe succeed at internalizing it then.  These notes, as mentioned elsewhere, are &lt;strong&gt;always&lt;/strong&gt; taken after class, never during.  During class, it is more valuable to focus on learning from your teacher than trying to capture a scaffolding for posterity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4422" LastActivityDate="2015-07-26T19:04:59.140" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5311" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1357" CreationDate="2015-07-26T19:16:29.867" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I used to take copious notes.  And they are useful, however now I take a lot less notes as I can either remember/internalize movements/techniques better or give myself much easier shorthand (&quot;Like the 2nd form except from the inside&quot;) etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I often will use stick figures to figure out angles for deflection/entry, and grappling movements.  For standing grappling, I found drawing combatants from above - noting head, shoulders and hand locations made it easier for me to track how it was working, supplemented with a note or two if the movement is complicated (&quot;hook your elbow into their elbow crook here, then pull then head as you twist&quot;) and usually between the picture and the stick figures, I had it down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, if you are at a regular school and not doing a one-off seminar, teachers and other students are usually pretty ok with you recording a short clip of something so you can watch and rewatch, and that has taken the place of a lot of note taking these days.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometime later, I reorganize my notes.  I rewrite them clearer, grouped by technique or principle being studied, I type them up.  I redo the drawings a little more clearly as well.  It also helps when you're trying to share with another student on how to do something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-07-26T19:16:29.867" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5312" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1357" CreationDate="2015-07-26T21:53:05.510" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;For me I found that a mixture of written notes and video are helpful. For say patterns in Karate, having someone perform it and taking a video allowed for a quick recap and replay in case you miss something in class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For Judo and BJJ, taking quick words to describe the steps, ie: how to transition from mount to gaurd to a scissor armbar. Doing this after class and writing down anything you can remember will assist you when it comes to reviewing and practising later. Also having the name(s) of the technique will help as you could use Youtube to search for someone using it in a fight situation - different applications&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6016" LastActivityDate="2015-07-26T21:53:05.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5313" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5315" CreationDate="2015-07-27T04:28:45.613" Score="7" ViewCount="1948" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've just begin training in Judo but I strength train independently. After gym workouts, I drink a protein drink to help with recovery and muscle growth. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone else take protein or any other supplements as a recreational martial arts practitioner? If so, what do you take them for?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6056" LastActivityDate="2015-07-27T12:17:30.813" Title="Do you take supplements like protein when you train in Martial Arts?" Tags="|training|judo|health|strength|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5314" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5320" CreationDate="2015-07-27T04:55:57.727" Score="2" ViewCount="497" Body="&lt;p&gt;The conditioning for Martial arts is a mix of strength, resistance and speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not looking for a miracle. I really like to train. I just don't want to training unnecessary things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example I don't want to train myself by running 1h, as running 1h I will improve my cardio, but this seems unnecessary because my fights are about 10 minutes long.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same goes for the weight training. I don't want to do 4 sessions of 10 (normal set in the gym) reps with 100kg in a bench press (the exercise doesn't matter) because in a fight it is possible I will need to do 100 reps with a guy of my weight or 1 repetition with a guy weighing 200kg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like know if exists a protocol of training for Martial Arts or similar to improve strength, resistance and speed?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="1224" LastEditDate="2015-08-11T23:22:50.470" LastActivityDate="2015-08-11T23:22:50.470" Title="What is the best way to improve my conditioning for martial arts" Tags="|training|strength|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5315" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5313" CreationDate="2015-07-27T05:32:05.133" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;While it is essential that you get enough protein (and calories by the way) in your daily diet if you want to build muscle, it turns out that the timing of it is not important at all. Studies show that consuming protein right before, after, or during a weight-training workout doesn't gain you anything. This is despite what you've heard from weightlifters and just about anyone in sports.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The bottom line is: Just worry about your total protein intake in a 24 hour period, rather than trying to time it before or after a workout. You'll achieve the same result, and you won't get as stressed out about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Citation: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/53/abstract&quot;&gt;http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/53/abstract&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Recovery is another subject altogether. Recovery is aided primarily by replenishing the muscle glycogen, which you do more effectively by consuming simple carbohydrates (sugars) immediately after a workout. Simple carbs, because you want to absorb them as quickly as possible during this window of time. You might also need to replenish sodium and potassium (electrolytes). And of course, water. But protein isn't important, so long as you're getting enough in your daily diet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As always, check with a doctor before you change your diet or exercise regimen. Downing tons of simple carbohydrates might increase the risk of type II diabetes. Downing tons of protein might increase the risk of kidney stones, gout, and kidney failure in some people. And increasing calories can lead to excess body fat unless you balance it with exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2015-07-27T05:32:05.133" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5316" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5314" CreationDate="2015-07-27T08:29:42.343" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;My personal (and many others') take on the subject is: if you want to be better at something, train that and not anything else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This applies also to conditioning. Professionals would disagree to a certain degree, but if you want to train your muscles to improve their performances for a certain technique, what's better than repeating over and over again that very same technique? No weight lifting machine will ever emulate a movement better than the movement itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For cardio, running or cycling are always the method of choice, but still: how does a 1-hour run relate to, say, 12 3-minute rounds? Unless it's your job, just train rounds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6045" LastActivityDate="2015-07-27T08:29:42.343" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5317" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5314" CreationDate="2015-07-27T10:15:09.037" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Go to the gym and do circuit training where you do lots of different exercises one after the other against a clock.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-07-27T10:15:09.037" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5318" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5314" CreationDate="2015-07-27T12:10:07.910" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;My martial art is boxing so my answer is from that perspective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally speaking you will want to do interval training to improve your cardiovascular stamina, and relatively light weights to build endurance in your arms, legs and core. Do this in rounds (3 minutes on 1 minute break) for 12-15 rounds. Some examples of what you can do include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Skipping&lt;/strong&gt;. Regular skipping for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of high knees. Repeat 6 times in a round. As your conditioning gets better reduce the time spend on regular skipping and increase the time on high knees. Alternately, first skip 20 seconds, then do high knees 15 seconds, then do push-ups or burpees or squat jumps for 30 seconds. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bag Work&lt;/strong&gt;. Alternate one round working on your technique (so focusing on your footwork, hand position, shifting your weight behind punches without going &lt;em&gt;too&lt;/em&gt; fast) with one round where you cycle through boxing normally for 15 seconds, then punching as fast as you can for 15 seconds, then punching as hard as you can for 15 seconds.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shadow Boxing&lt;/strong&gt;. Try this while holding 3 pound dumbells for a couple of rounds.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shoulder Work&lt;/strong&gt;. Use a 5 to 10 pound weight for each arm you will do three lifts in succession ten times each. First lift straight up (shoulder press), then keeping your arms straight lift straight to your front until your arms are parallel to the ground, then keeping your arms straight lift straight to your side until your arms are parallel to the ground. Once you have done ten lifts for each repeat the series twice for a total of three sets. Try to avoid taking any breaks.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Leg Work&lt;/strong&gt;. Similar to shoulder work, but with 10-20 pounds of weight. Lifts done are squats, &quot;sumo&quot; squats (legs a bit more than shoulder-width apart) and lunges.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Core Work&lt;/strong&gt;. Sit-ups with a 10 pound medicine ball, leg lifts, planks and all of that other goodness :-)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4267" LastActivityDate="2015-07-27T12:10:07.910" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5319" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5313" CreationDate="2015-07-27T12:17:30.813" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;After a judo class I'm more concerned with getting carbohydrate for glycogen depletion than I am with protein for muscle growth. A mix of both after class is fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it's good to be skeptical of supplements and protein powders. They are above all a heavily-marketed consumer product for which advertising is trying to convince you that you need. Most people who train judo, or who lift, used no such supplements and did fine. Most people probably don't need these expensive drinks. Try training without them, or replacing them with a chicken breast and sweet potato, or with a homemade milk-and-berries shake. Be critical of why you use them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-07-27T12:17:30.813" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5320" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5314" CreationDate="2015-07-27T12:39:23.827" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1960/347&quot;&gt;The best way to train for martial arts is to do basic strength and conditioning alongside your chosen art&lt;/a&gt;. Basic conditioning means a mix of slower/longer runs with sprints. Basic strength training means fundamental resistance exercises (squats, lunges, deadlifts, pull-ups, pressing motions) using something like a barbell or dumbbells. This changes only slightly depending on one's chosen art until one is quite strong and well-conditioned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I don't want to train running 1h. Running 1h I will improve my cardio, but this look like unnecessary because my fight is about 10min.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being able to run for a long time will help you with fighting for 10 minutes. &lt;em&gt;Only&lt;/em&gt; running long distances would become counterproductive, but you should be able to run a 5k. Having good cardio allows you to train harder in the gym and the dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I don't want to do 4 sessions of 10 (normal set in the gym) reps with 100kg in a bench press ( doesn't matter the exercise ) because in a fight possible I will need do 100 reps with a guy of my weight or 1 repetition with a guy of 200kg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strength is a general attribute. Training 4 sets of 10 reps, or 3 sets of 5 reps, or 10 sets of 1 rep all contributes to me becoming stronger in that movement. &lt;a href=&quot;http://rosstraining.com/blog/strength-training-for-fighters/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Being stronger helps with everything&lt;/a&gt;, including your &quot;100 reps of a guy my weight&quot; and &quot;1 repetition of a 200kg guy&quot; scenarios. Use a basic strength program to get strong before worrying about specializing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good general program that fits well with martial arts training is &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B00686OYGQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jim Wendler's 5/3/1&lt;/a&gt;. The program can be &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.jimwendler.com/2012/02/531-and-mma/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;tailored&lt;/a&gt; in many ways to work around a martial art schedule. The basic idea is that you train one barbell lift a day (either the squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press), then you use whatever energy you have left to train a small handful of assistance exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, or sprints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another great option is &lt;a href=&quot;http://rosstraining.com/blog/infinite-intensity/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ross Enamait's Infinite Intensity&lt;/a&gt;, which focuses on frequent training that mixes strength work with conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-07-27T12:39:23.827" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5321" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5256" CreationDate="2015-07-27T15:59:18.490" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;With taller opponents, you have the advantage that a smaller horizontal movement will bring their center of gravity beyond their feet. It's also true though that with a taller opponent, you may have issues with reaching designated spots.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With shorter opponents, especially in martial arts like Judo, it's more difficult to get under your opponent for some throws like Hane Goshi. But you have the advantage that reaching them is probably easier than reaching you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6056" LastActivityDate="2015-07-27T15:59:18.490" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5322" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5290" CreationDate="2015-07-27T18:30:38.320" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You teach!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a student, you learn what you choose to remember from your instructors. You then eventually fall into your &quot;own way&quot; of doing things that feel comfortable while still working.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found that when I began teaching, I drew from all my knowledge of the basics. I ended up relearning my discipline and truly understanding what it was that I was doing. By teaching, I became closer to the roots of my discipline whenever I taught them to the younger/newer practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6056" LastActivityDate="2015-07-27T18:30:38.320" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5323" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5256" CreationDate="2015-07-28T03:06:08.893" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Being both Tall and Short has it advantages, having a low center of gravity can be an advantage depending on who you roll with or spar. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me, being tall, I find throwing someone with a lower center of gravity I have to lower myself more (i.e Hip Throw). I would either try a different throw or change my strategy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For yourself - find what works for you and try things out with people on a variety of sizes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6016" LastActivityDate="2015-07-28T03:06:08.893" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5324" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5256" CreationDate="2015-07-28T13:00:03.523" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Standing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, a shorter person has an advantage for hip throws and shoulder throws because it is easier to get under the opponent's center. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But a taller person has other advantages. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Longer legs make foot sweeps easier. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Leg attacks like osoto gari have greater leverage. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Grappling strategies that crush the opponent from above become available. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mass definitely provides an advantage, but I would say there is no advantage to shorter or greater height if you control for mass. Fighters naturally develop different techniques based on what is successful for each person, and skill is a much more significant factor. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find arm reach is not an issue while grappling. If one person can grab, then the other person can grab whatever is doing the grabbing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ground&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the ground, having short legs may make triangle chokes or controlling from the guard position more difficult. But I think for the vast majority (99%) of people, this is not a significant issue. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-07-28T13:00:03.523" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5325" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5419" CreationDate="2015-07-29T03:12:47.483" Score="9" ViewCount="683" Body="&lt;p&gt;In what ways has the evolution of the &quot;modern&quot; boxing glove (shape, size, weight, etc.) changed the way &quot;the boxer&quot; punches? &#xA;&lt;em&gt;(Considering the invention of Jack Broughton's boxing gloves as the invention of the &quot;modern&quot; boxing glove)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please let me know of any suggestions to make this question better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5958" LastEditorUserId="5958" LastEditDate="2015-08-19T02:29:21.423" LastActivityDate="2015-11-27T12:36:14.963" Title="&quot;Modern&quot; Boxing Gloves &amp; Punching Technique" Tags="|technique|boxing|punching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5326" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5290" CreationDate="2015-07-29T04:01:04.073" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tussles has done a good job of covering how to interact with less experienced partners. Here is how you can adapt your training to adjust to reduced availability of instruction. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At some point in every serious practitioner's martial arts journey, it will be time to transition from being a student learning particular techniques as demonstrated by a teacher to performing your own research. This is how students can surpass their teachers; learning a martial art is not merely learning techniques by rote as someone else has performed them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When doing your own research, start from principles to refine your existing techniques or develop new ones. For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Body preparation&lt;/strong&gt; Is your body sufficiently flexible, strong, and fast? If there are problem areas, focus exercise on those. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Balance/Footwork&lt;/strong&gt; When you move, do you remain balanced or are you providing opponents openings to attack?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Exploit leverage/angles&lt;/strong&gt; When you are attacking or defending, are you applying force at optimal angles, or can you be more efficient by changing the direction or location of contact?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minimize distance&lt;/strong&gt; When performing a motion, is there a smaller motion that will achieve the same goal? Smaller motions are faster than bigger ones. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Exploit space&lt;/strong&gt; Can you control space to eliminate your opponents options and leave yours open?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Continuity&lt;/strong&gt; Most any opponent can block/neutralize your first attack. How do you chain your defences and attacks to naturally flow, keeping in mind the other principles?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Relaxation&lt;/strong&gt; Are you wasting energy unnecessarily? Do you become fixated and unable to react to what your opponent is doing? &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's very important to understand why techniques are done the way they are, and more importantly, how you can improve them for yourself. You may discover some things you have learned do not make sense, possibly because they assume something that is not true in your case. You may also discover why your teachers always said to do things in one particular way. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-07-29T04:01:04.073" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5327" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1011" CreationDate="2015-07-29T11:22:51.480" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe there are at least a couple methods of &quot;knockout&quot;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;brain is subjected to physical trauma inside your skull from&#xA;quick accelerations&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;not enough blood/oxygen is being supplied to the brain&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are several potential examples of methods of knockout through disruption of blood flow or oxygen (best I could find at the moment):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;If you follow your jaw back to where it joins the skull, the mandibular joint, you will see that it joins the head near the base of&#xA;  the ears (well, kinda near). If you place your fingers below the&#xA;  joint, you should be able to feel your pulse quite strongly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Your fingers are directly over the carotid arteries. The carotids are&#xA;  the main arteries into the head, though you also have vertebral&#xA;  arteries going up your spine. But the carotids are the ones that are&#xA;  really interesting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;One carotid goes up each side, and branches near where your fingers&#xA;  are located into the inferior and superior carotid. At the junction,&#xA;  there is a physiologically important area that contains a large&#xA;  quantity of nerve endings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;These nerve endings sense some critical information about the blood&#xA;  before it goes gushing into your skull. It senses the oxygen content,&#xA;  possibly carbon dioxide content, and definitely blood pressure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The receptors that check blood pressure at this branching point are&#xA;  called the carotid baroreceptors, and they are responsible for making&#xA;  sure you get plenty of the vino vitae into your brain. If blood&#xA;  pressure drops, they signal for an increase in heart rate and&#xA;  contractility, if the blood pressure rises, they signal the heart to&#xA;  slow down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It just so happens that they really don't measure just blood pressure,&#xA;  but pressure on the notch. If you jab your finger right on top of this&#xA;  sensor, you can fool the sensor into thinking that it is your blood&#xA;  pressure that went through the roof, not that you're just pushing on&#xA;  the sensor itself. Then the body compensates by dropping blood&#xA;  pressure, which happens fairly rapidly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Heart output drops, and you pass out from the pressure reduction in&#xA;  the brain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Go ahead. Try it. Push real hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It is believed that a glass jawed person has a loose mandibular joint&#xA;  that allows a good solid thwack to cause a pressure wave that sets off&#xA;  the baroreceptor, lowering blood pressure, and down they go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Grabbing the baroreceptor is also a common trick that the military and&#xA;  police use to subdue the proles. Punch a thumb into that area, and&#xA;  you'll put them to sleep right fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;But . . .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;There is a critical nerve that runs right next to this branching point&#xA;  of the carotid. This nerve, called the vagus nerve, is important for&#xA;  controlling heart rate and damn near everything else that happens&#xA;  below your neck. If this nerve is damaged, the immediate damage can&#xA;  cause the nerve to stop the heart, and if the nerve is permanantly&#xA;  damamged, you'll never shit right again, if ever.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Just thought you ought to know that before the teeming millions start&#xA;  thumb punching each other in the neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my view, to best induce a knockout via a straight punch (as opposed to a hook or looping punch) while relatively &lt;strong&gt;face to face&lt;/strong&gt;, the punch should be aimed at the chin to force the front of the head/mouth/chin down and the back of the jaw up into your skull for the best chance at disrupting blood flow through one of the methods given above. This also has the potential effect of throwing the person's head and body backwards, causing the person to back up, stumble, or fall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If &lt;strong&gt;not face to face&lt;/strong&gt;, and you are able to see/hit the &lt;strong&gt;side of his face&lt;/strong&gt;, a straight punch aimed near the front of the chin will cause the most rotational acceleration/velocity in the jaw-&gt;skull-&gt;brain to cause trauma to the brain and induce rotational stress/strain on the brainstem.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Hitting the temple is also another choice (although I am not quite sure on that ones method of knockout, I will guess just plain physical trauma for now but could be a reaction to the nerves in that area, feel free to correct me!), but it is a &quot;soft&quot; spot on your head and is known to be potentially deadly. Take extra care in using this spot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are able to hit the &lt;strong&gt;lower back of their head&lt;/strong&gt;, you will be causing more direct trauma to the Occipital lobe which is the visual processing center for your brain, which can very likely cause a person to &quot;black out&quot;. Hitting near the base of the head also causes trauma to the areas of the brain stem, which has a big part in regulation of the body's cardiac and respiratory function. Take extra care in using this spot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although you should &quot;take care&quot; in using ANY spot or hitting ANYONE in the head, there will be situations when you HAVE TO or SHOULD and is best to know of the potential options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5958" LastEditorUserId="5958" LastEditDate="2015-07-29T11:32:01.377" LastActivityDate="2015-07-29T11:32:01.377" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5328" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-07-29T19:37:34.870" Score="3" ViewCount="55" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a student of standard 12 and my age is 17. I have been practising shito ryo karate for 6 months; I am very much interested in taekwondo. May I practice both taekwondo and the shito ryo karate together?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6065" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-08-01T06:16:12.813" LastActivityDate="2015-08-01T06:16:12.813" Title="tae-kwon-do and shito ryo karate practice together" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2015-08-01T12:27:01.867" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5329" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5305" CreationDate="2015-07-29T20:19:10.727" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is my understanding that you'd have to search very far and wide to find a karate school that emphasizes the grappling portions of the karate lexicon. Even quality mainstream karate is kicking and punching with barely any deviation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you seek application of grappling moves: either find a karate school that also offers a dedicated grappling art like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or Judo, or also take grappling from another school concurrent with your karate. As Matt suggested above, learning grappling from a karate teacher is very unlikely to get you to a level you'd reach by learning grappling from a grappling teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd recommend BJJ over Judo if you want to learn grappling. Judo schools (in my experience) over-emphasize throwing to the detriment of ground work and joint locks. BJJ tends to focus on groundwork, but includes some throwing and generally teaches a sense of your opponent through touch that strikers tend to lack. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chin Na is more likely to get to the meat of joint attacks, in my experience. Aikido is pretty good for joint attacks, and I am sure there are other less popular arts that could also fit the bill. If you want great grappling and joint locks, just find a Chin Na teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I started with karate. I had to un-learn a lot of karate as I advanced. If I were doing it all again, I would do BJJ first to gain a strong foundation in non-striking consciousness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(It goes without saying every school/teacher might offer something outside the norm)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6066" LastActivityDate="2015-07-29T20:19:10.727" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5331" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-07-30T21:10:12.593" Score="8" ViewCount="309" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is learning one style of filipino martial arts such as modern arnis presas method with one teacher who you started training with first and also taking other styles such as Kali and Balintawok at another school disrespectful to the first teacher?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6068" LastActivityDate="2015-07-30T23:05:53.850" Title="Filipino martial arts question and teacher respect" Tags="|escrima|kali|fma|arnis|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5332" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5331" CreationDate="2015-07-30T23:05:53.850" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends on the teacher, but generally the answer is no, it's not disrespectful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best teachers I've ever known had no problems with students training under other teachers. Many, if not most, even encouraged it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, you should ask your instructor first before doing anything. Maybe phrase it like this: &quot;Hey, I'm thinking of taking classes under so-n-so for a while to see how they do things and to expand my knowledge. If I did that, would that be okay with you? What do you think of that idea?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you get told no, you can't train there while training here, then just ask why. Ask what the concern is. Usually it's because the styles are so similar that your instructor might be concerned that you'll get confused and start mixing up styles. Other times when I've seen this happen is when a student asks to train with someone that the instructor knows and whom he/she thinks has a bad attitude or teaches the wrong way. So they want to keep you from making a mistake.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, sometimes it's just because the teacher doesn't want to lose a paying student, especially not to a competitor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, if an instructor told me no, I'd be more concerned about that instructor than anything. I'd probably consider leaving. A good instructor doesn't worry about students training with others. They're secure with what they teach, and so they don't worry that students will train elsewhere and discover that they've been taught poorly. Only the bad instructors will worry that, and it's because they know that they themselves aren't that good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So anyway, just ask. Martial arts are a small world. Eventually word will get back to your instructor that you're training somewhere else also. And you don't want to tip-toe around the issue and get all anxious about it, letting it build and build, so just go ahead and ask your teacher if it would be alright as soon as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2015-07-30T23:05:53.850" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5333" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5345" CreationDate="2015-08-02T03:20:42.463" Score="13" ViewCount="1562" Body="&lt;p&gt;Okay before I get into the main question, I'll just outline the sparring structure we employ at the school where I teach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beginner level students do not spar at all to give them a chance to build up some confidence in blocking/kicking/striking before being put under pressure.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Intermediate level students go into very light or no contact sparring (point sparring) which has a small sub set of strikes and kicks that can be used to score a point.  This gives them the opportunity to work on speed and control without being overwhelmed by the massive 'tool set' that they have available to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Advanced level students move up into contact sparring which allows significant contact (up to around 60% power) and allows the student to use most of the strikes and kicks they know provided that contact is limited to the chest protector (and any strikes to the back are strongly discouraged).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In both point and contact sparring full protective gear is worn - chest protectors, groin protectors (men), gloves, head protector, mouth guards and skin guards (optional).  Obviously the use of gloves further limits the kinds of strikes that can be used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now to my question.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the school we have been having issues with attendance levels of sparring classes - mostly the contact sparring classes.  The Chief Instructor has investigated and found that a single student is a major contributing factor in the reluctance of students to participate.  He is overly aggressive and competitive.  He essentially bullies students that are newer to contact sparring and thus less able to handle his intimidation techniques while in the ring.  He also lacks fitness and so makes up for this by going in even harder - especially on the students that can challenge him technically.  Most of the significant 'incidents' we have had in sparring classes over the last few years have involved him in some way and one those was serious enough to get him suspended from contact sparring for a period of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Chief Instructor is considering suspending him from contact sparring again while still allowing him to attend point sparring so he can work on control.  However, this hasn't worked in the past since it's still an issue now.  The Chief Instructor also doesn't want to lose this student but for the greater good of the school something has to be done.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone here have any suggestions for how this can be dealt with?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;UPDATE:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Chief Instructor has decided to give him another chance but is going to step in and be active in all sparring classes for the immediate future. I think he is going try to use it as an educational opportunity for all students (not just this one causing issues). However, if the student doesn't like it and ends up leaving because of it then so be it&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="369" LastEditorUserId="369" LastEditDate="2015-08-04T07:27:24.623" LastActivityDate="2015-08-13T17:07:11.547" Title="How to deal with an excessively aggressive student that is turning people off sparring classes?" Tags="|sparring|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5334" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-08-02T05:59:42.573" Score="9" ViewCount="898" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have trained in my martial art for 6 years, followed by training to be an instructor for 4 years, and now finally am being allowed  to substitute classes for other instructors. For each class we teach (30-45 min), we get $9-10. There are 4 major instructors with 7 classes/day, 5 days a week. After rounding: Money paid toward instructors/rent/utilities to $1,500 per month, the owners are left with $32,600/month. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind, I have taught full classes before, but because I am not an &quot;official instructor&quot; yet so I do not get paid. &lt;em&gt;On top of that&lt;/em&gt;, we still pay the same amount for enrolment every month as other students even though I teach 4 out of 5 classes I go to. They offer a 10% higher discount for items in their shop and seminars which seems like slap in the face. And now they've added another mandatory volunteer thing once a month.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overall, I thought the enrolment should be way lower and the money at least a little better because its quality is high in demand, but only a few schools like this are in the state, let alone the country, while the owners of the dojo get paid about $175 per student a month, with around 200 students, on top of whatever the rent/utilities cost, WE as the instructors are the ones teaching the classes the students are going to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now if this was just employees at a small business, I would be more lenient, but considered the special training we have done for years, the speciality/rare art that it is to teach, and the fact that the few classes we teach are why people pay so much money a month, on top of basically paying to go there/teach (with enrolment), it keeps getting me wondering, &lt;em&gt;Am I being used?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may just be the whole system is flawed and/or we (as instructors) are not being treated fairly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Is this okay, or am I being taken advantage of here?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6073" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-08-03T06:58:05.403" LastActivityDate="2023-08-29T07:44:33.000" Title="Am I Being Used By My Dojo?" Tags="|teaching|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5335" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5333" CreationDate="2015-08-02T16:50:52.673" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do you know what the student wants out of the class?  I have found the first place to look for resolution is to look for a win-win.  If there is a way the Chief Instructor can help him accomplish what he wants to get from the class without affecting the others, then that is the win-win.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, this is not nearly so easy as typing a paragraph about how to look for win-wins.  What the student wants out of the class is not always what they will verbalize as their purpose for going to class.  The Chief Instructor may need to demonstrate remarkable sensitivity in reading between the lines to determine what the student actually wants.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps there is a way to make him value point-sparing more.  Is there a way he could become an example to others as to how to do it well?  If you can convince him to accept a mentorship/leadership role like that, he may be able to gain enough value out of point-sparring to be worth his while.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps there's a way to have two sparring sessions?  Perhaps one where he joins, and one where he is asked to step into point-sparring.  It may help him to notice people electing not to be in his bracket.  That way he can get his punches in, but it can be clear that he needs to also focus on control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also worth noting is that he most likely considers his control &quot;good enough,&quot; despite being called out on it.  My experience on that type of individual is that they are actually unaware that there is a higher level of control to be had, and that the other fighters are applying it! (This is first hand experience: I &lt;em&gt;was&lt;/em&gt; one of them... and I leave it to my peers to opine whether I still am)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, the final question will be safety.  Anyone who is too aggressive in full contact sparing is a danger to others, and your words suggest that, with him, this is not prophecy but merely old information.  This is where I would want to know if he treats himself as &quot;part of a martial arts group,&quot; or &quot;an individual who paid to learn martial arts.&quot;  If it is the latter, I would not be so worried about letting him go.  I would encourage him to try to become part of the group, and start to learn how working together improves training, but if he doesn't get that, let him go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4422" LastActivityDate="2015-08-02T16:50:52.673" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5336" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5334" CreationDate="2015-08-02T18:09:41.357" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Perhaps I'm being to harsh and I'm doing quick judge, but I have seen more than a few examples of bad and/or abusive business models in martials arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a very personal opinion, as its required by your question: Unless you are becoming the next big champion, or the next real grandmaster of MA, or if you are expected to be promoted to owner of your own dojo with a respective sudden increase of your income with such training, you and the students are paying a little too much according to my calculations, mostly because there seems to be, either no good will, or a bad sense of management on such business model.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nevertheless, I agree Bankuei's advice is a very good one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4304" LastEditorUserId="4304" LastEditDate="2015-08-07T22:22:41.803" LastActivityDate="2015-08-07T22:22:41.803" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5338" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5334" CreationDate="2015-08-02T19:59:08.160" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;Odds are, if you're asking this question, you already have the feeling that you're not being compensated sufficiently &lt;em&gt;for you&lt;/em&gt;.  If you were totally ok with it, you wouldn't be asking, right?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So now you have some choices:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accept it&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe the practice and training you get is totally worth it and the money doesn't matter.  There's a lot of smaller schools which barely scrape along and no real money is being made, and all the instructors are mostly volunteers.  The fact there IS money here, but it's not going to you or the other instructors in a meaningful way might be something you can just shrug off and move on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Negotiate&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is an uncomfortable space that can lead to you getting ejected from the school in some cases.  I know friends who basically were in this position and left.  Money can make people funny.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Either:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You find out the school is actually paying a lot of debts or obligations, insurance, or has to save up money for competitions/travel, etc. and then it's reasonable that everyone's getting so little money&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You negotiate some better pay for all the instructors involved&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You are put back in your place, or ejected from the school&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If nothing else, at least you'll get a real look at what's going on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reject It&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a very real point where you have to ask if it's worth the time/energy you put into teaching.  And maybe the answer is that it isn't.  You can step down from being a teacher and stay on as a student.  Or you can leave.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't say what's good for you, but I can say that usually when you have a system like that which has been in place a decent amount of time, the people in charge are ok with it, and unlikely to change how they do things.  The other question is if you feel tired, burnt out or will feel resentful over time.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Likewise, nearly every example of exploitation I've seen in these situations uses a lot of leaning on good will, friendship, and mentor/student respect to cover up what's really going on.  Nearly always you can find out whether you're dealing with respect or exploitation by the reaction that happens when you say &quot;I'm not going to do that anymore&quot; and whether you get &quot;ok&quot; or pressure to keep you working.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-08-02T19:59:08.160" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5344" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5333" CreationDate="2015-08-03T08:58:35.780" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't let the weak students fight him. He is obviously going to be a great fighter, so reigning him in is just going to make him frustrated and force him to quit. By the same token, letting weaker students spar with him will demoralise them and make THEM quit. So have him fight someone in a higher weight class/ age bracket if possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-08-03T08:58:35.780" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5345" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5333" CreationDate="2015-08-03T09:39:19.180" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is the student toxic?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If &lt;strong&gt;yes&lt;/strong&gt; then get ride of him as soon as possible. If they have no desire to change, then they have to go. Actually, that might be harsh: offer him the choice of either mending his ways or training elsewhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If &lt;strong&gt;maybe&lt;/strong&gt;, then you have to figure out if they are willing to change their behaviour. Again, you need to talk to them in an open and non-judgemental way. Explain the perceive problem(s) making sure you criticism &lt;em&gt;actions&lt;/em&gt; and not &lt;em&gt;individuals&lt;/em&gt;. Said student might not realise the trouble he is causing. You need to with with him to come up with a solution everyone is happy with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If &lt;strong&gt;no&lt;/strong&gt; then you have some work to do. Start by working out why he exhibits the traits he does. Is it inexperience, frustration, or a drive to be better? Is he not realising that the red mist is coming over his eyes? Does he fear being &quot;weak&quot;? Those can be easily channelled into something positive. Does he realise that he is acting in an unsafe manner?  Is it just a lack of training? The bottom line is: &lt;em&gt;work with him to figure out (in as much a non-judgemental way as you can muster) why he does the things he does&lt;/em&gt;. Once you know why they are acting in the way they are, it is much easier to find a common ground to move forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;1. By &lt;em&gt;toxic&lt;/em&gt; I mean unsafe, egoistical, and disrespectful.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-08-04T06:49:14.500" LastActivityDate="2015-08-04T06:49:14.500" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5346" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5333" CreationDate="2015-08-03T15:10:02.830" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In our schools we mix up our sparring training so that we can have everybody sparring simultaneously at times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At others times a couple of choice students spar whilst the others watch. Pausing frequently to swap students and give feedback (positive-negative-positive for morale/confidence).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This method also allows an instructor to act as a referee (you can also get students to practice umpiring in these sessions). As referee you can give warnings/fouls as would be accrued in competition (I actually like to be more strict in these sessions so students aren't caught out at competitions).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is helpful as the student will see how their behaviour is costing them the spar (you can also take more time over giving the warnings and fouls to explain what they have done and why it isn't allowed) - it is also useful for watching students to see what is allowed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As other answers have stated - if these methods don't quickly alter their behaviour then eject the student. Ejecting one problem student to keep a good student is a no-brainer in the long run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2015-08-03T15:10:02.830" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5348" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3117" CreationDate="2015-08-03T20:52:01.640" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here are the colors that I went through when I was training with Lee's TKD Federation, who follows WTF rules and regulations:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;White,&#xA;Orange,&#xA;Yellow,&#xA;Green,&#xA;Blue,&#xA;Purple,&#xA;Purple with white stripe along the top and bottom,&#xA;Brown,&#xA;Red,&#xA;Black (unless the person was under 16, which is then poom, black belt with red along the top and bottom).&#xA;From there it's gold stripes on the ends for each additional Dan rank, capping off at a 10th Dan. Grand Master Lee was going for his 8th Dan when I had to leave due to personal circumstances&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5814" LastActivityDate="2015-08-03T20:52:01.640" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5349" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5334" CreationDate="2015-08-03T22:46:05.943" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe that you are grossly underestimating the amount of $$ being spent on utilities and rent and other expenses. I've looked at rents in my local (suburb of phoenix, arizona) area and the minimum I've found for a 1500 square foot space (not built out) is $4000 per month. Not including utilities, insurance and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, as an exercise, lets do some math.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;200 students at $175 each is $35,000 per month. Lets take a mythical 3000 square foot studio (Which is about the minimum I would consider for a full time, 200 student school), in a subprime location at $5000 per month rent. Figure 20% of that as a ballpark utilities cost, and about the same for insurance costs (Which is on the low side). We are already up to $7000 per month.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Add another $1000 per month in advertising, and if the owners are smart, another $500-1000 per month in sunk costs such as replacing worn out equipment, facility repair, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the instructors - If you assign a blanket cost of $10 / class, there are 35 classes a week. That's $350 per week, or $1400 per month (I'm interested in how you came to $1500 for instructors AND rent AND utilities).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So far we are up to $10,500 in absolute bare minimum costs, and I have not included any association fees, costs for ongoing training for the owners, credentialing, etc. Yes, they are probably making a decent living, but it's not quite the gravy train you are making it out to be. And, if it is such a rare/specialty art, then you are paying extra for the opportunity to learn said art. You are also not taking into account the many years they probably spent on minimal income while they were working 60 hours a week to build their student base and reputation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as your options, see Bankuei's excellent response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2015-08-04T14:31:28.907" LastActivityDate="2015-08-04T14:31:28.907" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5350" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-08-03T23:49:20.367" Score="7" ViewCount="334" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have long heard that judo and wrestling, both freestyle and greco-roman, are some of the martial arts that requires most strategy. That lead me to try to learn wrestling (also the fact that although I have trained martial arts before, I have never done grappling).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I started training wrestling a few months ago, and from what I know, the instruction I am getting is quite typical; Every day, you learn to do y if you find yourself in some position x.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, I am supposed to &quot;break down the essence&quot; of these lessons to build up a strategy. However, I want to know if there is some resource, like a book or movie, that explains how strategic wrestling is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Seeing wrestling matches online, I am getting more and more skeptical about wrestling being as strategic as I have been told it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6078" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-04-29T02:17:08.887" LastActivityDate="2021-04-29T02:17:08.887" Title="Wrestling strategies" Tags="|grappling|wrestling|strategy|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="5" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5352" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5353" CreationDate="2015-08-05T14:22:56.257" Score="9" ViewCount="9219" Body="&lt;p&gt;While sparring and moving around on the mat a lot, halfway through the training the skin under my big toes starts splitting. At the end of the training the split can get pretty big (~1cm) which makes it painful for me to move around and it takes around a week to fully heal. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm also afraid it might get infected at some point since my open skin is in contact with the mat the whole time. I have used kung fu shoes from time to time but they feel uncomfortable and I don't have the same grip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;None of the guys I train with have it and they keep saying that it's normal in the beginning and at some point the skin just hardens and stops splitting. However, I've been having this problem since I've started bouncing around and moving around my opponent more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What can I do to stop/minimize this? I can't find any advice on how to deal with this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3194" LastActivityDate="2018-12-03T22:21:34.833" Title="Avoiding big toe skin split" Tags="|sparring|injury|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5353" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5352" CreationDate="2015-08-05T14:47:29.823" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a problem for me as well.  This is usually due to friction tearing your skin open as you try to pivot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Look for some shoes you can wear during training.  Skeletoes work really well for me, but I usually split my toes due to hardwood, not mats.  They do make mat-specific shoes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use &quot;New Skin&quot; or some other brand of liquid bandage to seal up your wounds  I recommend doing this &lt;strong&gt;underneath&lt;/strong&gt; any remaining skin that's still hanging.  Many kinds of liquid bandage are actually anti-septic, thus disinfecting the area you apply it to.  Stings, but worth it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tape your feet.  Find the pivot points on your foot where you are most likely to tear and wrap them in a thin layer of tape.  This will reduce the friction that's tearing your feet.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Toughen your feet by doing yardwork bare-footed.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2015-08-05T14:47:29.823" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5354" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1714" CreationDate="2015-08-05T21:31:47.160" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree very much with Kamil, board breaking should not be used as a form of hard body training.&#xA;It would not be at all effective; the biggest concept in hard body training is striking objects which reflect energy back into the striking body. A board breaks when it absorbs the energy of your strike, and any remaining energy dissipates into motion past the board.&#xA;I know of two good uses of board breaking:Demonstration, and building confidence.&#xA;Demonstration is Obvious.&#xA;As for confidence, I would use this with low level(2-3 months) students who have gained competence with basic techniques. Breaking a board is a satisfying way to demonstrate to them (without hurting anyone) the capability of their strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6083" LastActivityDate="2015-08-05T21:31:47.160" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5355" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5358" CreationDate="2015-08-06T14:51:38.273" Score="8" ViewCount="2648" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am not sure if there is any evidence/ studies done out there, but do martial artists live longer than your average Joe?.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do get that the fitness involved in Martial arts will help, however the strain on out bodies may counter this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5993" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-08-02T11:27:27.090" LastActivityDate="2019-12-07T13:56:06.427" Title="Do Martial artists live longer" Tags="|health|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5356" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="294" CreationDate="2015-08-07T00:01:12.040" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The grips are much more technique that people think. To break grips you need a technique. Also to keep you grip you need a technique as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is helpful training some weights. Exercices that put pressure in your fingers and develop your forearm.  As a sample:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dead lift&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sumo dead lift&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rope climbing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hammering&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The grip will be break when your opponent was able to put your arm straight or hold your arm and move himself putting a lot of pressure just in your fingers. If when my opponent try break my grip I follow my opponent with a loose arm my opponent will not able to break my grip. Because your arm is loose and you following your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you begin the BJJ or Judo you try hold your opponent with your arm. Many guys feel pain at the forearm because they use too much this muscles. If you move with your opponent. If you have a relaxed arms you will put less pressure on your fingers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most efficient technique to have a really good grip is training BJJ/Judo hard. Nothing is more important than practices the real situation.     &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This video explain a little about how to avoid the strength on your fingers.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/lHiHFRrTBqM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/lHiHFRrTBqM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastActivityDate="2015-08-07T00:01:12.040" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5357" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1011" CreationDate="2015-08-07T00:15:51.060" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As has been mentioned by several others, Knockout punches/strikes can be extremely damaging or lethal to employ. They are not something to be played with. That said, there are three basic ideas behind a knockout strike (Chokes are a whole other animal).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first and most common is concussion; the brain striking the inside of the skull. This depends mostly on accelerating the head more quickly than the brain can compensate. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nysportsconcussion.com/concussion.php&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt; is a fairly informative article (and video) This kind of knockout works more effectively when the skull rotates after being struck. Although this question was specifically about a &quot;Straight punch&quot;, that is probably not the best way to achieve a concussive knockout unless it is delivered side-on. For this sort of trauma I would recommend using a Hammer fist, as it generates good penetrative force, and allows striking the side of the head(which produces rotation).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second kind of knockout is one using the arteries of the neck. This was covered in good detail by Zero.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, the most debated kind of knockout strike, a nerve strike. Many styles and martial artists do not use, or even acknowledge this sort of thing, but it is taught (mostly as theory) in some styles. The idea is that by exactly striking specific nerves, you can overload the electrical signals to the brain causing seizure like shutdown. One of the most common(and least debated) targets is the &quot;Accessory&quot; nerve which runs behind the jaw, and down the neck. By utilizing precise strikes to this nerve, short term unconsciousness can occur. Whether or not your style teaches the use of these sorts of techniques, they would certainly be ineffective in the hands of someone who has not had decades of martial arts training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those are the only three methods of achieving a knockout strike I am familiar with, but each one is difficult to use without the level of training that would also make them fairly pointless to use. In short, planning a Knockout is probably not worth the effort it takes to execute.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6083" LastActivityDate="2015-08-07T00:15:51.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5358" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5355" CreationDate="2015-08-07T12:05:28.573" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should not expect to see a study that tries to quantify the effect of martial arts on lifespan. There are too many variables involved in this process: genetics, diet, sleep patterns, stress, environment, other exercise, etc. And while it is possible to determine what kills you, there is not a corresponding causation for what keeps you alive. The number of people you would need to follow, the length of time (until people die!), and the control of what constitutes martial arts would make this very expensive. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you can measure is the ability of practitioners to live fully with mobility in old age. Unless your martial art is popular, you may be stuck with anecdotal evidence on this matter. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First you can look at debilitating injuries like:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Boxing has a well known problem with &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dementia_pugilistica&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;dementia&lt;/a&gt; resulting from repeated head trauma&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Major joints like knees are commonly injured in some martial arts. In my experience, major knee injuries are the most debilitating and often permanent.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Arthritis from grappling or striking&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There has been some work on trying to quantify positive effects, but this is much more difficult, because first you need to determine what it is you are trying objectively to measure, then try to correlate that measure with positive outcomes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/997/5961&quot;&gt;Dave Liepmann's summary of taiji research&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Scientific research on exercise is not very illuminating. It is now well established that you should exercise, where this is generally defined in terms of target heart rate, duration, and frequency. But questions as simple as &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/q/455&quot;&gt;&quot;Should I stretch after exercise?&quot;&lt;/a&gt;, regarding how exercise should be done, quickly lead to more questions than answers. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suspect the best exercise advice for how to live longer is currently independent of martial arts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Avoid activities with a high risk of severe injury (your martial art may or may not have this)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Exercise regularly&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-08-07T12:05:28.573" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5360" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="193" CreationDate="2015-08-07T23:54:10.850" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Lunging forward is the best way to get knocked out&#xA;Feint the jab and when he kicks drop your lead elbo hard onto his toes or the soft part of his foot and I bet he will throw a lot fewer side kicks to your body&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6086" LastActivityDate="2015-08-07T23:54:10.850" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5361" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-08-08T04:17:55.177" Score="6" ViewCount="622" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it okay to dye your hair while in martial arts? I want to dip dye it a different color. I'm pretty high up and a few of the younger students see me as a role-model, and I don't want to dissapoint any of the instructors there. I'm scared dying my hair will dishonor the art, because none of the other students have dyed hair, or any other students at other dojo's we test with. I want to, but if it will put shame on the art, I won't. There are no specifications in our handbook saying that we can't but... any advice? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6087" LastActivityDate="2015-08-08T09:53:05.110" Title="Is it okay to dye hair?" Tags="|karate|social|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5362" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-08-08T04:27:13.390" Score="4" ViewCount="1265" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm confused as to how this kata is to be preformed.  I understand it is a slow and muscle building kata, paired with the hard breathing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which foot slides into sanchin dachi first? I was confused on this as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any help explaining the technicalities about &quot;sanchin no kata&quot; would be helpful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6087" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-08-08T16:00:19.007" LastActivityDate="2016-04-07T10:51:43.693" Title="Need help with sanchin kata" Tags="|karate|forms|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5363" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5361" CreationDate="2015-08-08T05:43:55.483" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think the best thing to do is to ask your Master/Senior Instructor. This kind of thing can vary widely from school to school, but in most modern styles there is nothing disrespectful about having funky hair.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6083" LastActivityDate="2015-08-08T05:43:55.483" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5364" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5362" CreationDate="2015-08-08T07:27:09.873" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Isshin-ryu's Sanchin, the right foot is first to step out, but my understanding is that this kata varies from style to style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously the best way to learn the technicalities of Sanchin(or any other kata) is from a qualified instructor. Sanchin was originally a chinese form, but was adopted very early by Okinawan karate schools. Okinawan styles that teach some form of this kata include: Goju-ryu, Uechi-ryu, Isshin-ryu, Shotokan, Kyokushinkai, and probably several others. So if you are really interested in learning this kata, a practitioner of one of those styles might be able to teach you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6083" LastActivityDate="2015-08-08T07:27:09.873" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5365" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5361" CreationDate="2015-08-08T09:53:05.110" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Dying your hair reflects upon you and your personality, not the art. It allows you to better express yourself, but it doesn't change who you are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any approval or disapproval you get as a result is coming from a personal level. The only thing any instructor should be concerned about is whether the dye is likely to leach onto equipment or other classmate's clothing when things start to get sweaty.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2015-08-08T09:53:05.110" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5366" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="691" CreationDate="2015-08-09T02:38:30.313" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Applying standing techniques while your back is on the ground is not a good idea. For this answer, I will assume everyone is unarmed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Do not fight from your back&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You almost never want to fight from your back, even from a grappling perspective. Even fighting from a guard position is generally not from the back. You prefer a sitting position or transition through a position you are on your back to achieve a position where you are on top. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hitting using your hands while lying on your back is not effective. Take, for example, the basic front punch. The front punch developed by kata generally depends upon stance and hip rotation for power. If you are on your back and your opponent has weight on you, the movement of your hips or shoulders is inhibited, and your power is not going to transfer effectively. Without this, you are hitting only with your arm, which is annoying but will not stop anyone close to your size. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hitting vital points as a method of escape from your back is also a flawed strategy. The person on top can also hit vital points, and they are in a much better position to do so. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have space to effectively kick someone, then you also have space to get up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If someone has mounted you, blocking punches to your face is another losing strategy. You may be able to block a few, but the opponent on top will wail on you faster than you can keep up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;So what should you do?&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Get off your back. If someone is on top of you, the simplest technique for getting out is to hit them with your hips, which is called bridging or bucking. The bridge should create enough space for you to get off your back and improve your position to where something can be effective. The bridge is not a strike that will injure someone. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that bridging is not an effective standing technique; there is no reason while standing to try to arch yourself to hit your opponent with your hips because this will disrupt your balance, and you have many other weapons (punches, elbows, etc.) available to you. I do not see how you would arrive at this technique starting from an effective standing technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-08-09T02:38:30.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5367" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5375" CreationDate="2015-08-09T09:09:08.677" Score="9" ViewCount="5135" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well. I have seen some Kickboxing, Muay Thai and Kung Fu fights on YouTube. I noticed that kicks are much more dangerous to the one applying the kick than I thought. Many times kicking fighters hit the ground due to a sweeped second foot or a blocked high kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This question is about the cases where opponents where able to &lt;em&gt;grab&lt;/em&gt; the foot/leg when defending against a front kick, side kick or roundhouse kick. This seem to happen surprisingly frequent. I also have seen this in my training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In videos, defenders usually where not able (allowed?) to take advantage of the grabbed leg. They more or less simply dropped the grabbed opponent's leg continuing the fight by other means.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what is the best thing one can do after grabbing an opponents leg?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am a Choy Lay Fut Kung-Fu beginner so of course I am especially interested in Kug-Fu techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5632" LastActivityDate="2018-04-13T14:33:29.920" Title="What to do with a grabbed leg?" Tags="|technique|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5368" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5367" CreationDate="2015-08-09T13:21:15.507" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;How you respond will depend on what kind of fight you are in. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kick opponent in groin. This is obviously not something you do to friendly sparring partners. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kick opponent in supporting leg knee. This may cause serious damage to the joint, so it is also not something you should do to friendly sparring partners. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sweep supporting leg. Assuming your partner knows how to fall, this should be relatively safe. Whether/how you continue with your opponent on the ground is up to you. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can catch a kick, exploit it. This will also give your opponent feedback that they need to do their kicks differently or better to avoid the counter. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-08-09T13:21:15.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5369" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-08-09T18:23:39.943" Score="1" ViewCount="135" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you’ve studied martial arts in east or south Asia, is the long-term and in-class “commitment” of the average student significantly, or somewhat, higher than in the “West”? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, does the average student quality seem higher? Would this be because only the committed students stick with the harder lessons, or because the students give 100%? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In east/south Asia, is it like the West in that there still a number of average guys in class who aren’t all that athletic or naturally talented, and who go through class at 90%?  Or will the sifu / sensei / sabumnim whack ‘em on the back of the head if they’re not giving 100%? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6093" LastEditorUserId="11" LastEditDate="2015-08-16T06:00:19.407" LastActivityDate="2015-08-16T06:00:19.407" Title="East/South Asian student vs Western student quality &amp; commitment" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2015-08-16T05:54:41.137" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5370" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-08-09T18:31:56.233" Score="4" ViewCount="416" Body="&lt;p&gt;In various (usually Kung Fu) movies &amp;amp; clips on YouTube, you see lots of wide swinging punches to the head.  It seems to me that it could theoretically work, but that if you’re a little bit off or if the guy moves his head in a little, you’d connect with the heel of your palm, your clenched thumb, and the second-from-the-fingertips sections of your fingers.  So, are wide swinging punches at all advisable in real life? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6093" LastActivityDate="2015-08-11T19:23:15.810" Title="Question about wide swinging punches" Tags="|punching|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5371" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5369" CreationDate="2015-08-10T01:06:37.387" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The quality of the student is dependent on the individual rather than the place they studied at. A practitioner of martial arts can be just as mentally focused and have the same physical ability as well as the same quality instruction whether they train in Japan, Korea, or Indiana. Now what I will say is that in some styles a student is encouraged to train in full contact, or perhaps outside in a more harsh environment to test your focus. This training might be frowned upon in some circles so it's not very common, especially in the US where a Martial Arts school is a business and you don't want to drive away your students. That isn't to say that training in the US is inferior, it's not. The right student and instructor relationship will bring out your best. I don't believe it's like you see in the movies any longer where a student goofing off gets whacked with a stick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what I'm saying is you get out of martial arts what you put in. A student is no more likely to do better studying in Asia vs North America.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6095" LastActivityDate="2015-08-10T01:06:37.387" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5372" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5370" CreationDate="2015-08-10T01:10:59.557" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;They could work. Lots of styles of Kung Fu use circular motions in their movements. Kenpo also uses some circular motions. They work depending on the situation and a true master of their art will be able to show how. I personally don't believe they are ideal for self defense in today's world, but when you talk about the movies the goal is to make it look nice and flashy with flow to it. Straight punching can be quite boring for a movie.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6095" LastActivityDate="2015-08-10T01:10:59.557" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5373" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5367" CreationDate="2015-08-10T01:17:33.623" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;High kicks are dangerous because they leave you vulnerable. Take a roundhouse kick toward the head. You expose your groin, your calf muscle and hamstring, your ankle(for someone to use joint manipulation), as well as like you said leave yourself vulnerable to a sweep or other takedown. It depends on what you are talking about. Sparring is different than Olympic Taekwondo which is different from a street fight. Generally if there are rules involved you see what you have seen. I know Bruce Lee didn't incorporate much high kicking into his method until much later. I believe it was Chuck Norris who told him he should use kicks to the head because it's just one more technique in the arsenal and not to limit yourself to only low or mid kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me personally even though I trained in Taekwondo many years I don't think I'd lean on them. They look nice but for maximum effect I want to take out the knee with a stomp kick or a stiff front or side kick to the solar plexus can work wonders if I'm going to be using a kick. In MMA they often kick the leg of an opponent repeatedly in the hamstring so it goes stiff and the opponent loses mobility, potentially going down. What it comes down to is the rules involved in the activity. Each martial art has different rules for what is acceptable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6095" LastEditorUserId="6095" LastEditDate="2015-08-10T01:44:19.513" LastActivityDate="2015-08-10T01:44:19.513" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5374" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5333" CreationDate="2015-08-10T01:24:04.613" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I was in Taekwondo I was this kid. I wasn't arrogant but I was very tough on the other students below my level. I didn't beat them up but you could tell I was punishing on them and they didn't enjoy their sparring time. I thought it was fun. So the head instructor started inviting other head instructors from other schools to assist during our classes(who were above his rank). I had to spar them and let me tell you, I was put in my place many times. They didn't pound on me, but I never even got a point or made any contact on them whatsoever. You know how a good instructor will go half speed for a student to give them a sense of confidence. I wasn't given that. I got the idea pretty quick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6095" LastActivityDate="2015-08-10T01:24:04.613" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5375" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5367" CreationDate="2015-08-10T03:20:46.010" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Catching a kick is a common technique in Muay Thai and a major part of &lt;em&gt;san da/san shou&lt;/em&gt; (Chinese kickboxing).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Muay Thai, I've seen lots of kicking out or sweeping the other leg. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii7PfcRZQVc&quot;&gt;This clip&lt;/a&gt; teaches one method, and the video ends with clips of competition applications against opponents doing their best to stay standing. Other techniques I've seen in that art include stepping in hip-to-hip behind the leg for a throw/knockdown, punching the other guy in the face, and spinning elbows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;San Shou values kick catches highly and trains them more than perhaps any other art. Several good applications are seen in live competitive matches: in one clip at &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/aKTM9Kd_tOQ?t=1m18s&quot;&gt;1:20&lt;/a&gt; sweeping out the leg in various ways and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKTM9Kd_tOQ&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=2m8s&quot;&gt;2:10&lt;/a&gt; with the ever-popular punch-them-in-the-face-while-you-hold-their-leg, and in this other clip at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcnT3Mx-ZTU&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=40s&quot;&gt;0:40&lt;/a&gt; with the runner-up &quot;punch them in the face while driving forward&quot;, at &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/TcnT3Mx-ZTU?t=54s&quot;&gt;0:54&lt;/a&gt; with a slick leg-pull to make them fall, and elsewhen with a variety of lifts, pushes, kicks, and trips. There are a lot of different distinct scenarios with catching kicks: round kicks, front kicks, back kicks, catching so you're behind the leg or in front of it, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What's the best of these? The one that suits you and the situation best. Personally trips come best to me, maybe because I have long legs and some judo experience. Philosophically, punching people in the face is also a favorite of mine. You should train at a place where these things are taught regularly as part of normal class, practiced regularly as part of normal sparring, and tested regularly in competition against skilled people who train elsewhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-08-10T03:20:46.010" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5376" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5369" CreationDate="2015-08-10T03:37:34.123" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Needle Through Brick is a documentary about traditional and modern martial arts in Malaysia. It is about the difficulties the aging generation of kung fu masters has in passing skills to the next generation in the modern, globalized world. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=997aRsGSvfU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Needle Through Brick trailer&lt;/a&gt; is available on YouTube. I think you will find the concerns present in the film about students, motivation, and training time are very similar to those in other parts of the world. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hopefully this begins to answer your question. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-08-10T03:37:34.123" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5377" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5370" CreationDate="2015-08-10T05:19:15.087" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think it is a matter of timing as always. Nevertheless &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shitoryu.org/skills/punches/furi.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Furi Tsuki&lt;/a&gt; (also called Furi Ush) is one of my favorite Karate techniques, as it has shown a high rate of effectiveness for me so far, and it is a very dangerous punch when correctly connected (which means you must use it with control, or not use it at all).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Goju-Ryu Karate style at least, this technique is composed of a swinging block with one arm, while swinging the other fist down from the back, and it hits the head temple with the two main knuckles with the fist turned on it side, powered by the whole torso, both arms and shoulders, and the hip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4304" LastActivityDate="2015-08-10T05:19:15.087" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5378" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5370" CreationDate="2015-08-10T17:52:04.320" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The wide swinging punches you see can be used, but there's usually some bits of context that is usually erased when you see them in movies or demonstration sets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, some of these movements were originally designed for weapons, not empty hands.  China has a long history of weapons being banned, or of people just being too poor to afford enough weapons for everyone - but they still practiced the moves.  Whether that concept was lost during the transmission for some schools, or whether they show it empty hands in public while practicing the real usage in private, depends on the particular school/lineage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, when they are designed for empty hand attacks, the wide swings are not your entry attacks - they telegraph too much.  They're designed as followups after you've engaged in some way (got them with a jab, grabbed their guard, got them off balance...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, a lot of the wide-swinging punch movements, the contact point is either the nice, thick bone protuberances at the wrist, or the forearm proper.  Not only does this give you a broader contact point, it also transitions into grappling, locks, or take downs quite well.  (Also, some of the swinging &quot;punches&quot; are actually takedowns, again, either hidden deliberately or lost through mistransmission.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For both demonstrations and movies, wide swinging movements look great, which is why they show up a lot, even though combatively, they may be used very differently or not as much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-08-10T17:52:04.320" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5379" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5381" CreationDate="2015-08-10T20:00:44.423" Score="5" ViewCount="5998" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am giving an academic presentation and I'd like to incorporate some concepts from &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeet_Kune_Do&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jeet Kune Do&lt;/a&gt; (JKD). I've always liked the following quote that is attributed to &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Lee&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bruce Lee&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;and it really gets at the point I'm trying to make in the presentation. However, I am having trouble figuring out where this quote actually comes from. Is it in &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_of_Jeet_Kune_Do&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tao of Jeet Kune Do&lt;/a&gt;? Did he just say it in an interview somewhere? Does anyone have any ideas for finding a primary source?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3105" LastEditorUserId="9214" LastEditDate="2023-07-27T21:23:19.643" LastActivityDate="2023-07-27T21:23:19.643" Title="Source for Bruce Lee's &quot;adapt what is useful&quot;" Tags="|jeet-kune-do|bruce-lee|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5380" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5384" CreationDate="2015-08-10T22:09:29.230" Score="8" ViewCount="819" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been training in Aikikai Aikido for a few years but still have problems tensing up when trying to throw - especially training with someone larger. I've been training for a few years and know the main throws and pins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I saw an older tiny guy at a NJ seminar who was absolutely running circles round bigger guys. I trained with him and he mentioned trying to keep relaxed in the shoulders, use your hips and direct momentum.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope this tries to explain what I'm getting at. Does anyone know the right approach for throwing? For example, if I completely relax my arms and someone charges in, it's often too late and then the strength fight starts with my arms pinned against me. I'm trying to avoid this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any insight would be appreciated or advice would help. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4325" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-08-11T06:40:23.947" LastActivityDate="2016-07-26T22:01:12.350" Title="Aikido - overcoming tension" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5381" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5379" CreationDate="2015-08-11T00:27:30.283" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;That quotation is from the &quot;Dedication&quot; on the inside cover of Lee's &quot;Tao of Jeet Kune Do&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It reads, &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;This book is dedicated to the free, creative martial artist: 'Research your own experience; absorb what is useful, reject what is useless and add what is essentially your own.' &quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That may also appear elsewhere in the book, but I could not find it while skimming through the various philosophical sections.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6083" LastActivityDate="2015-08-11T00:27:30.283" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5382" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5135" CreationDate="2015-08-11T03:21:41.263" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best way to fight is always by &quot;without fighting&quot;. Negotiate and talk your way through because your ultimate aim is not getting yourself (or your friends) hurt. If you have the option to run/escape, do so!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is it ok to break someone's arm (it won't kill him) if you are given&#xA;  the opportunity ? (Through a submission or something.).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the country where I reside, the law implies that if you hit back, you are at fault too. For instance, a thief that has stolen something from you and runs away. You catch up and break his legs to stop him from running away. The breaking of legs will be a case against you because you have intentionally caused bodily harm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How to be a fighter without being a murderer ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Murder in Chinese is “&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?page=worddict&amp;amp;wdrst=0&amp;amp;wdqtm=0&amp;amp;wdqcham=1&amp;amp;wdqt=%E8%B0%8B%E6%9D%80%0D%0A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;mou sha&lt;/a&gt;&quot;. The first word &quot;mou&quot; implies an intention, and the second word &quot;sha&quot; implies 'to kill'. Putting the words together it directly translates 'to kill with intention'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A fighter (or martial artist, for that matter) should always practice self-control because he is surely able to kill or heavily injure an opponent, but there must not be an intention to kill. A fighter protects himself and the people around him, defends from attacks, but does not plan to murder. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Easier said than done, really. I figure it will be hard not to cause hurt on the opponents if they charge at you. My instinct would be to take on one at a time and floor them down as quick as possible. If I'm alone I will definitely run, but if I am with friends I will make sure they run first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1797" LastEditorUserId="1797" LastEditDate="2015-08-11T04:15:34.850" LastActivityDate="2015-08-11T04:15:34.850" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5383" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5609" CreationDate="2015-08-11T04:35:37.297" Score="8" ViewCount="8427" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most of us are familiar with the &lt;em&gt;Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles&lt;/em&gt;.  Leonardo fights with two katana, one in each hand.  In every other movie I have ever seen in which katana appear, they are treated as a two-handed weapon.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone really use two full sized katana at once?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6104" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-24T20:36:58.833" LastActivityDate="2023-03-10T22:25:31.063" Title="Does anyone actually fight with two katana simultaneously?" Tags="|history|weapons|style|sword|katana|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5384" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5380" CreationDate="2015-08-11T07:09:48.330" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;That older tiny guy is right but his answer is not helpful. He was showing you the end game but did nothing to get you there: &lt;em&gt;The &quot;secret&quot; is of course to train. A lot.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might benefit from &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenji_Tomiki&quot;&gt;Tomiki&lt;/a&gt;'s randori-ho system. It is an essential part of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://shodokanaikido.es/?page_id=218&amp;amp;lang=en&quot;&gt;shodokan (昭道館合気道)&lt;/a&gt; system that he created. In a nut shell, &lt;em&gt;it helps one take a collection of kata and make them work against an increasing level of resistance.&lt;/em&gt; From my reading of your question, something like that is what you are looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, you start by avoiding (without hands, then with hands placed) attacks. Concentrate first on getting out of the line of attack, then on placing the hand/arm so that you are the right distance to apply an Aikido technique. This is called tai-sabaki.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, throw. There is no resistance from uke, just a solid attack. The idea here is that you get to short cut all the fluff that is in the kata and get the technique to be bare bone of what is needed to throw. This is called kakari geiko.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next come resistance. Uke starts lightly resisting techniques via movement alone.  So, if uke can move out of your technique, they do so. If the technique is good enough, they fall. In effect, uke makes it more awkward for you to throw them so you have to up your game to successfully throw. The way to do that is to quickly change and &lt;em&gt;chain techniques&lt;/em&gt; as well as apply &lt;em&gt;good balance breakers&lt;/em&gt;. This is called hikitate geiko.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that &lt;em&gt;good balance breakers&lt;/em&gt; here is the key. Tomiki developed a whole kata just to teach those. But this is beyond the scope of this question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, uke can fully resist your technique by movement and strength. Uke's role is really important here: they must help you understand where your techniques are wrong and not just show that they are stronger/better. This is called softo randori.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To up the game even more, uke can be allowed to counter your techniques by some of their own. This is called randori.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All the above can be taught in class no problems. I tend to run it for couple of minutes, then switch repeating each stage with two/three partners. It is hard work and get people fit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, this is not the end of the method: the rest must be done by yourself. Clearly this is not for everybody: some people dislike competitions, are too old, too injured, or just do not care about a gold painted tin circle. That is fine too. The randori=ho method is not about competition and winning medal, it is about &lt;strong&gt;making Aikido your own&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shihai, or a match, is where two players try their hardest to throw each other. No one can teach you this.  You have to do it to get good at it. Of course, the skills you learned before are directly applicable but the level of resistance is now full on from both players.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, and what Tomiki is known for, is competition (takai). There is a referee, a cheering crowd, and two players. It is like shihai but much more intense. You might even get a nice gold medal. See the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d36Dl51C1I&quot;&gt;2011 International Aikido Tournament - Men's Tanto Randori: Gonzalez vs. Milliner&lt;/a&gt; match for an example of how this (sometimes) looks. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=shodokan+randori&quot;&gt;There is more&lt;/a&gt; if you wanted to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A more academic approach might suit you better so &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/tomiki2.htm&quot;&gt;Tomiki's paper on Modern Jujutsu&lt;/a&gt; is a must read. If you were keen to learn more, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aikido-Randori-Reconciliation-Opposing-Forces/dp/1861264984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1439276752&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=aikido+randori&quot;&gt;Aikido and Randori: Reconciliation of Two Opposing Forces&lt;/a&gt; by Scott Allbright and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aikido-Randori-Tetsuro-Nariyama/dp/0956620507/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1439276752&amp;amp;sr=8-2&amp;amp;keywords=aikido+randori&quot;&gt;Aikido Randori&lt;/a&gt; by Tetsuro Nariyama are must have books.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-08-12T12:27:47.937" LastActivityDate="2015-08-12T12:27:47.937" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5386" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4790" CreationDate="2015-08-11T15:12:09.740" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have used multiple different types of trackers to track my Krav Maga workouts.  I am 45 and weigh 235 lbs.  I have used a fitbit surge, Mio Alpha 2 (HR monitor), Polar with chest strap and a garmin with chest strap.  I have found depending on intensity I burn between 300 calories (low intensity - avg HR 100) to as much as 1,000 calories during a 60 minute session (avg HR 150).  It really depends on how intense the workout is.  I track all of my workouts.  We workout in a small dojo so I can use a bluetooth chest strap and if my phone is in the same room or a sportwatch like the Polar M400 or Garmin Vivoactive it will send the data to the device and you can review it when you are done.  That way it won't be on your wrist to accidently hit someone.  Another great device is a schosche ryhthm plus + armband heart rate monitor.  It can send the data to a smartphone or sport watch with a 100-foot range.  I have tested most of these and can tell you the chest strap is the most accurate followed by the mio products and the schosche rythm plus.  The surge doesn't pick up large arm movements very well but it does a decent job.  It's usually 10-25 bpm lower than other heart rate monitors for boxing/krav maga.  Let me know if you need any additional info.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dale&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6107" LastActivityDate="2015-08-11T15:12:09.740" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5387" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5370" CreationDate="2015-08-11T19:23:15.810" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, I would say that it is important, when watching a form or even partner work between two people, to be careful identifying an intended throw. It's sometimes hard even watching sparring, if a wide swinging arm was meant as a block, a strike or a missed grab or throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, I would say that many blocks in several styles are thrown as strikes with the theory (right or wrong) that any movement should try to be both. A block should culminate in a grab/off-balancing, a strike should quickly flow into a grab, throw or off-balancing. This concept often causes some &quot;hook&quot; punches to look a little wild when they really shouldn't be. A little sloppy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thirdly, A few punches I've been taught (with varying degrees of practicality) are the &quot;hammer fist&quot; thrown in a wide horizontal arc across the centerline, often thrown wide to clear a guard. Also, the reverse &quot;Oh Uch&quot; punch which goes wide and ends towards the centerline, often used with short weapons but seen open-handed as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, Much of what we see in performed styles are, frankly, stylized to look impressive to spectators. Arcs and circles are made very wide to represent idealized &quot;circles&quot; which are prized in the art or to represent an idealized posture in Eastern spiritual contexts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;~Jared&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6109" LastActivityDate="2015-08-11T19:23:15.810" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5388" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5389" CreationDate="2015-08-12T02:36:09.090" Score="6" ViewCount="1122" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to ask some opinions on the following matter:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been training Kung Fu (Eagle Claw, Lau Fat Mang lineage) for a year or so. Classes last from 90 to 120 minutes each, three times a week. I've been also hitting the gym four or five times per week for two years now, and running for half an hour on the nights I don't have Kung Fu classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am now thinking that I should drop the gym (my weight is 71kg, 9,8% body fat - measured three months ago - and I'm 1,67m tall) and focusing on martial arts. The fact is, training Kung Fu alone may be not enough to be satisfied. I do have the option to join some Kickboxing classes - 1 hour per class, two times per week. I've watched a trial class of that and it was great, really intensive. Problem is, kickboxing classes occur on the same day of the Kung Fu classes, with 30 minutes of interval between them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think I could attend to both and drop the gym, and go running on the nights without training. I've also read some about training two martial arts at once and that seem ok if you're focused, but what about training them both on the same day?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3092" LastActivityDate="2015-08-18T17:43:20.050" Title="Training two martial arts at the same time, on the same days of the week?" Tags="|kung-fu|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5389" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5388" CreationDate="2015-08-12T05:06:32.407" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well the short answer is: Why not try it for a month and see whether or not it's something you're capable of doing? Because you won't know until you try.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the main concerns of practicing more than one style at a time is that you might confuse them, and it will annoy your teachers as well as perhaps slowing your progress. This is a bigger concern for styles that are very similar (to beginners anyway). For example: Taekwondo and Kyokushin Karate, or Judo and Brazilian Jiujitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eagle Claw kung-fu and kickboxing will share only some basic strike techniques. The rest is very different. The two styles are pretty far apart, and I think you won't have too much trouble compartmentalizing them and not confusing them. During sparring you might confuse them, but you can deal with that as it happens. That is to say, your teachers will deal with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you're at an advanced level in one style, then even similar styles will seem very different to you, and this ceases to be an issue. With just a year of training in Eagle Claw under your belt, you're not there yet. But like I said, the two styles are different enough that I think you have a good chance at not confusing them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, you indicated that you want to train both Eagle Claw kung-fu and kickboxing on the same days, spaced a half hour apart, for a total of 3 hours per day training. This can be pretty aggressive and hard on the body. The main problem to watch out for here is something known as &quot;over-training&quot;. That's where your performance plateaus or even worsens over time, because your body isn't able to recover completely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming you have a whole day off from training (48 hours between training sessions), you have a good chance of recovering, more or less completely, from the previous day before going into the new day of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But you still can't go so hard that you trash your muscles each time. If you do that, it will be a week or longer for you to recover. So you have to watch this very carefully. Don't overdue it, especially not in the first month. Take it much more easily than you're used to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, when you have that 30 minutes of rest time between classes, immediately drink something that has glucose and electrolytes in it. Something like Gatorade. This will help you recover from your previous class so that you won't feel as bad in your second class of the day. You're trying to replenish muscle glycogen as fast as possible. So down that sugary drink. It will help you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Running on nights that you're not training probably won't be good for you. You're going to need those days to recover. Probably. You might limit it to one or two nights a week, and do it on a weekend or something. Or do it right after your training has completed for the days you're training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might also benefit from taking a week off from training once every 4 to 6 weeks. It's non-intuitive, but this will allow your body to recover and will actually cause you to make more progress over time than if you did not take those weeks off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other problem you might see will happen well before the effects of chronic over-training are felt: When your body is even just a little tired, your accuracy and form begins to worsen. Training &quot;technique&quot; (form) when your body is in this state will cause you to drill incorrect form into your muscle memory. This can hinder your progress. You always want to drill with correct form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you're going to train two styles on the same day, and you have a choice of which style to train first in the day, pick the style that has a greater emphasis on refined movement and form. Because that's the class you're going in to &quot;fresh&quot;. The second class you're going to go to in a tired state, and so it's not as good for the second class of the day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like I said, you won't know until you try. Give it a try. See what happens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've personally been in such good shape in my earlier years (ages 16 to 21) that I could handle 3 hours of class per day, 3 days a week, just fine back then. Nowadays? No way. But that's me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, and just to comment on what you're doing with regards to dropping your gym workout: My opinion is that if you're trying to keep body fat low, cardio fitness high, and overall muscle tone and flexibility good, then this martial arts program you've come up with is very good for that purpose. You don't need gym workouts for that. But one thing you can do much better at in a gym is weight training, especially with free-weights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Building muscle and strength is very difficult to do with just martial arts training, unless those programs also have you lifting weights (most don't do that in class). You can get &quot;toned&quot; in martial arts training, but it's not the same as actually building muscle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The bottom line is that this depends on your goals and what you want out of it. It also depends on your own body and how it can deal with the increased loads and stresses. Listen to your body for signs of over-training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2015-08-12T17:31:18.833" LastActivityDate="2015-08-12T17:31:18.833" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5390" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5380" CreationDate="2015-08-12T16:18:25.000" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;From a non-aikido perspective: I think the concept you are looking for is &quot;sung&quot;. In Chinese, I think this is song1 (pinyin) and 松 (simplified Chinese). This is roughly translated as relaxation, but the concept has a springiness quality, unlike a wet noodle. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, an aside about structure. In a front stance, someone pushing on your front will have their force transmitted through your skeleton into the your back foot and the ground. This is structure, in contrast to doing a leg press or a push up, where you use tension for strength. As much as possible, you want to fight using structure. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using the example you have provided with your arms collapsing, this means you are too relaxed, like a wet noodle. As you have already recognized, too much relaxation causes problems. You want your arms to have sung, where your arms have structure (springiness) but are not tense like they would be if doing a push up (relaxation). This is the state where you can use your legs and waist to deliver force through your arms and still be reactive to redirect momentum. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To get a sense of sung, I would start with getting someone to push lightly on your arm. Try to figure out how to orient your arm and maintain structure without straining to push back. Then try to apply the same principle to more complicated situations and movements. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-08-12T16:18:25.000" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5391" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="319" CreationDate="2015-08-13T10:28:47.577" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the best aikido books I've read is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Advanced-Aikido-Tuttle-Martial-Arts/dp/0804837856&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Advanced Aikido&lt;/a&gt; jointly written by Phong Thong Dang and Lynn Seiser.  There are very thorough descriptions and explanations of techniques which is a nice change compared to other books.  Ideas such as Zanshin and mushin are discussed.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is very well written and is excellent for anyone who has progressed beyond the basics of aikido&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4325" LastActivityDate="2015-08-13T10:28:47.577" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5392" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5333" CreationDate="2015-08-13T17:07:11.547" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;He is overly aggressive and competitive. He essentially bullies students that &gt;are newer to contact sparring and thus less able to handle his intimidation &gt;techniques while in the ring. He also lacks fitness and so makes up for this by &gt;going in even harder - especially on the students that can challenge him &gt;technically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Seems your's is a non-traditional school. Traditional training would have / should have corrected these issues in the first year of study. Being well-trained in many techniques, aggressive only when necessary, exceptionally fit and exceedingly polite are required for traditional training. Whether someone is highly competitive is a personal trait that can be cultivated and refined. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps he should be invited to practice with your Chief Instructor? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6113" LastActivityDate="2015-08-13T17:07:11.547" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5393" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5367" CreationDate="2015-08-13T20:48:27.007" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Came across this in training a couple of weeks ago - All depends on the kick I guess - Front kick could come in close and sweep them - Roundhouse could strike the supporting leg, groin or thigh (if High), if its low then a take down and side kick would be similar to a front kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A consideration would be is don't actively look to catch kicks as this can leave you exposed: e.g. Trying to catch a roundhouse can expose your ribs and if you get it wrong, you miss they hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6016" LastActivityDate="2015-08-13T20:48:27.007" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5395" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5380" CreationDate="2015-08-14T04:36:30.203" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Disclaimer: I do not practice Aikido.  I practice Tai Chi.  However, from what I have seen of the two arts, they have enough similarity that I feel bold enough to try to suggest how Aikido would handle a situation.  My goal is to be helpful to someone whose problems sound very similar to the hard parts of learning Tai Chi.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to mattm's answer of &quot;sung,&quot; which I agree with, another thing to consider is your frame of mind.  What I have found is that one tenses up when one feels the need to force their will upon another.  Tense muscles are in a better position to apply a great deal of force along a path which you predicted ahead of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not do Aikido, but if you are receiving helpful advice from an expert to relax your shoulders, I think I can read between the lines and recommend.  You are probably trying to throw your opponent.  The simple version of how to fix that is to instead let your opponent throw themselves, all you do is guide the way.  The advanced version will involve varying phrases of merged qi, where instead of it being you throwing your opponent or your opponent throwing themselves, it becomes &quot;you and your opponent throw him.&quot;  However, that takes some time to get to, and I would let your instructor guide your imagery and terminology.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for avoiding the strength fight, that becomes possible as you start talking about qi.  I give that disclaimer because many do not believe qi exists, and are quick to help others believe it does not exist as well.  However, discussing Aikido without qi is an exercise in futility, because the art is built around such terms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key to avoiding those strength matches is two fold.  First step you have covered: don't want to get into strength matches.  The second step is the obviously tricky one: prevent them from forcing you to enter a strength match.  What Aikido will teach you to do is &quot;meld your energy&quot; or &quot;meld your qi&quot; with your opponent to redirect their energy around you.  Then they will not be able to take control of your body with those strength moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have to mention the qi wording because that is the one Aikido will teach, and I don't want to direct you in a way that leads you off of the path of your art.  However, there are well known arguments for why you shouldn't use qi based answers on Martial Arts SE, so I can try to give you some English explanations of what you are looking for.  Hopefully they can guide you until the wordings from your instructor take you the rest of the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is reasonable to divide a grappling situation like your bear-hug strength fight into 3 period.  The first period is all visual.  You may see him running at you, but no contact has occurred.  This changes at first contact.  Once there is a point of contact, he knows where one point of your body is, tactility.  This is an important transition.  Visual processing is &lt;strong&gt;slow&lt;/strong&gt;.  It can take 100-300ms for a change in visual information to properly register mid-fight.  By evolutionary necessity, tactile information is processed &lt;em&gt;much&lt;/em&gt; faster, particularly sensormotor interactions.  Consider how fast you must respond when you put your hand on a hot stove.  I can't find numbers off hand, but I remember seeing them in the 10-50ms range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The third period is after the point of application is found.  A point of contact lets them know where a point is.  A point of application lets them know where limbs are and gives sufficient control to manipulate them.  This is when the grapple is complete, and you are bear-hugged.  Now he knows where your body is, and how you are trying to shift your weight, and he can adjust accordingly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The middle period is key.  You want to give them a point of contact, but never a point of application.  Contact with an expert in aikido is a hidden doom: the information from that point of contact goes both ways.  Aikido, as best as I can tell, is one of the arts which excels in learning more information about their opponent than they give to the opponent, by subtly adjusting their musculature to make it hard to feel what they are doing.  They lead the opponent to &lt;em&gt;believe&lt;/em&gt; they are going to complete the bear-hug if they overextend just a little bit more.  Meanwhile, they are fully aware of exactly where their opponent's center of mass is, and exactly how balanced or unbalanced they are.  Soon, the opponent's defense mechanisms have to kick into play, keeping the opponent upright as they lose their balance.  If those mechanisms engage the opponent's arms, it becomes hard for them to bear hug.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once the opponent is off balance and, for lack of a better word, diffused, the Aikido master is now the only one who really has control over any muscles.  All of the opponent's muscles are busy trying to avoid falling.  At this point, the Aikido master uses qi to send the opponent flying.  Call it what you want, but I think the nature of what is being done can be approximated in English: The Aikido master basically offers the opponent's defense circuits help.  After all, they're overworked.  They happily treat the Aikido master as a resource to regain balance, but the master is smarter than that.  He fanagles the defense mechanisms into believing they are in a situation they aren't, where the best answer is to do something like stiffen the legs.  Now the opponent literally tries to jump over the master, not even realizing that's what he's trying to do.  The Aikido master now has the easy job: he simply obliges, and lets the opponent fly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know there's more to it than that, but that first pass version may be enough to show you why you don't want to tense up (it reveals information), and how you will be trained to avoid the bear hug (you allow a point of contact, but never a point of application).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, that is all assuming you want to cut it razor edge close.  Otherwise, a kick to the balls is a pretty effective method of saying &quot;no hugging.&quot;  However, training to deal with that razor thin edge turns out to be a pretty effective method of improving one's control outside of a fight as well.  The best argument I have heard for martial arts is not what it does for you when you get in a fight, its what it does for you when there is no fighting that needs to be done.  Every martial art has that in it, but with arts like Aikido, I find it more evident than I do in other arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4422" LastEditorUserId="4422" LastEditDate="2015-08-14T04:41:32.367" LastActivityDate="2015-08-14T04:41:32.367" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5396" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5388" CreationDate="2015-08-14T20:47:05.060" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Beware overtraining. In my university years I trained multiple classes per day, nearly every day per week. In retrospect, it was not smart, too much wear and tear on my joints. If I had cut back a bit then, maybe I wouldn't have been quite as good at the time, but I certainly would be twice as good as I currently am now (in my late 40's).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think of your training as a marathon, not a sprint. Train with intensity and focus, and push yourself, yes. But overdoing it early can severely constrain your ability to still be doing martial arts with ease 10, 20, 30 years from now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="698" LastActivityDate="2015-08-14T20:47:05.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5397" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-08-15T02:54:50.010" Score="7" ViewCount="1042" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been practicing Systema for about a year and unfortunately the school that I was attending closed down. There are no other Systema school anywhere within 100 miles of me. I am in love with this art and wanted to know if there is anything out there that is like it. So far I have found that ninjutsu and budo taijutsu are very similar. Is there anything else?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6117" LastEditorUserId="6117" LastEditDate="2015-08-15T03:23:25.770" LastActivityDate="2015-08-17T13:49:55.760" Title="What martial arts are similar to Systema?" Tags="|ninjutsu|systema|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5398" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-08-15T06:08:54.300" Score="14" ViewCount="3163" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am the only woman cross training between three different schools filled with ten or so men in each. In many of my classes, if I do not fully understand a technique, they will hit me with more and more power, often going overwhelmingly fast to the point that I come out of class the only one covered in bruises. Sometimes the men, even though they are two or more feet taller than me, get mad when I beat them in sparring. In one case I was knife fighting a man much bigger than me who had been training for many more years than me, who had only been training a couple months, when he suddenly got really mad that I kept the knife tagging him; he leg swept me by surprise, sprained my ankle and I almost cracked my head on the hard wood floor. A lot of times in my classes, if I do any technique wrong, I pay the price of becoming an example of what not to do before they do a really hard joint lock or smack and or grab my hands and arms really hard to the point I can actually feel my eyes tear up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I love training with the guys and have nothing against men. I have asked them all to go easier on me as I get way too many injuries in classes, but nothing really changes. I don't know if it's an ego thing, or if men just don't know their own strength. A lot of the guys I train with are big muscle builders and are around six feet or taller, whereas I am five foot seven and clearly not looking threatening. I know getting hit is bound to happen and beneficial to learning how to correctly perform a technique, but how hard is too hard? Any thoughts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6068" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2019-04-07T02:05:16.677" LastActivityDate="2019-04-07T02:05:16.677" Title="Men hitting women too hard in martial arts" Tags="|training|sparring|safety|" AnswerCount="11" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5399" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5398" CreationDate="2015-08-15T12:02:07.290" Score="18" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience as a male trainer and trainee the key for a hard, educational or maybe painful training is &lt;strong&gt;trust between all parts&lt;/strong&gt; of the training group. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Female fighters have told me that they were beaten up in training after they told their opponent to slow down. Afterwards they felt violently abused.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in such a case the &lt;strong&gt;trainer has the responsibility&lt;/strong&gt; to intervene the situation immediately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This has nothing to do with the woman/man being a weak person. Every training partner who disrespects the emotions and fears of his opponent (regardless of gender) acts irresponsibly. It's imaginable that a person who acts like that has a serious violence problem or inferiority complex.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6119" LastEditorUserId="6083" LastEditDate="2015-08-19T19:55:13.297" LastActivityDate="2015-08-19T19:55:13.297" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5400" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5398" CreationDate="2015-08-15T17:54:36.583" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Accidents happen.  However, when you have an accident with people you are not &lt;em&gt;really&lt;/em&gt; trying to hurt - &lt;em&gt;you make extra effort to make sure the accident doesn't happen again&lt;/em&gt; - otherwise it is not an accident.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If someone's ego at losing in sparring causes them to attempt to really injure someone, that is not a safe person to work with.  Consider what you are saying: &quot;If I do the technique wrong, they hit me harder.  If I do the technique correctly, and 'win', they hit me harder.&quot;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I highly recommend finding a new school/training group.  There's the people who are hurting you, and then there's the fact that there's other people who see this and aren't stopping it either.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-08-15T17:54:36.583" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5401" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5398" CreationDate="2015-08-15T19:52:04.287" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hi have a trained a couple of ladies over the years and here is my take on it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For starters, there is a difference between training hard and just getting beat up. While I believe that is very important that you treat a women the same way you treat a man it is also important to not discourage a women from training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First - As a women you should be aware that in a violent situation, the predator is not going to take it easy on you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second - You mentioned that you are cross training in three different schools. I really don't recommend that. Not because learning multiple styles is a bad thing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rather, because you are learning so many things from so many different people, you aren't going to be able to build a solid foundation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third - Often times, people get hurt because the people they are training with are using way to much force...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another wards they lack control so they may be hurting you by accident. In many cases you get hurt as a result of being too good. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And your opponent is struggling so they result to using muscle because their skill has failed them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you asked them to go easier and they don't respect that, then it is up to you to not train with them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are only 2 things you learn by getting hit..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;How to take a hit ( really though how many times do you have to experience being hit before your like,, okay got it!) ?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You learn to develop timing under pressure..&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reality is though, you don't need to constantly get beat up in order to learn how to defend yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also agree with what was also said. It is the responsibility of the trainer to monitor the situation and take appropriate action...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6120" LastActivityDate="2015-08-15T19:52:04.287" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5402" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-08-15T20:51:04.473" Score="5" ViewCount="2598" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have never done much sparring, I joined a new class where there is a lot of sparring in every session.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My problem is that I keep hitting one time or two and then pause. When sparring with people who have done this before they just keep coming and hitting me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also I feel like when I spar I just try to hit the air, my punches would not connect if I was trying to hit my partner as I am naturally refraining from hitting him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One last issue I had is that when sparring against someone more experienced, I could not find a way to land myself a punch: as I was always defending and the next punch/kick was coming I was always trying to block the next punch and could not find any time to try to counter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How can I improve and change my behaviour so it becomes natural ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1208" LastEditorUserId="1208" LastEditDate="2015-08-15T22:17:11.247" LastActivityDate="2015-08-19T15:39:49.660" Title="Not being able to spar correctly" Tags="|sparring|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5403" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5402" CreationDate="2015-08-15T21:31:18.763" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's two issues here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ranging for Contact and Force&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a problem I see with folks who train for non-contact in their drills or doing &quot;air sparring&quot; - you train yourself to punch 2-3 inches away from actual contact, and you end up learning to attack, and evade/block, at those ranges.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First thing, is your drills and training have to be at the correct range.  If you're working with a partner, try to have them put any hit pads as close to the actual target, if not directly on it, as possible.  This is where having stuff like padded body armor and helmets to train with helps.  You don't have to go full force here, but you want to make sure you are ingraining the correct distance and timing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second thing, you want to learn to throw power, at the same time, you don't want to hurt your training partners.  This is the fundamental problem for martial arts training everywhere - you want to learn how to hurt people without actually hurting them.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A useful thing I like to do before sparring is give each other a punch on the arm or back to know how hard you should be hitting each other.   If you know how much you should be dishing and taking, you can go up to that level without worrying about hurting them or, if you're going really hard, you can be mindful of what's going on more.  It also allows both of you to set the limits - &quot;That's too much, I need to go easy today&quot; &quot;Let's do a test hit again, I think we can do a bit harder&quot; etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;Tag Fighting&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you quickly figured out - tag fighting - hitting once or twice then waiting, only gets you run over.  Once you're not afraid of hurting your partner, you can go and keep going without pausing.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(You should, however, have some idea between you and your training partners when/how the sparring has a break - if someone falls down? If they're backed into the corner where the weapon stand is? You may decide certain techniques or situations count as wins - &quot;rubber knife to the neck&quot; Etc.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To train this, again, having someone be a target person in armor works well.  You can do drills where they only throw out one attack every few seconds while you try to go for as many attacks as you can.  Or you can have them rush you without attacking, and you try to deal with maneuvering and countering, and so on... you build your way up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-08-15T21:31:18.763" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5404" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5397" CreationDate="2015-08-15T21:40:15.120" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've done penjak silat for several years - the thing that interested me in Systema was a lot of similarity in movement around both blades and ground mobility.  You may find some schools that will give you some similar movements from the various styles of silat,  but penjak silat is also sometimes hard to find depending on where you are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do know if you look online, there's several Systema teachers giving exercises and drills by video and online.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-08-15T21:40:15.120" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5405" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5402" CreationDate="2015-08-17T08:12:15.230" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Practice combinations. Doesn't matter if they're stupid, as long as they exist. E.g. try a 2 punch, one kick combo:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Right Body shot&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Left Cross to the face&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Right Roundhouse to the head&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;or switch around if you're left-handed. But ALWAYS attack with combinations. Single attacks don't do much until you've learned to intercept rather than counter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is always a pause after your opponent has finished his attack. use that to start your own counter-combination. You can work on intercepting his attacks once you've mastered the counter attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-08-17T08:12:15.230" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5406" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5398" CreationDate="2015-08-17T10:45:41.993" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You seem to practise a kind of boxing.&#xA;If you are a woman and a beginner I would suggest you to begin with a softer martial art (Aïkido...), but even in this case it's not 100% sure because it all depends on people.&#xA;Another solution is just to change school and find a school with some women so you can spar with women and/or with men who have a minimum of respect/education.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6126" LastActivityDate="2015-08-17T10:45:41.993" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5407" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5398" CreationDate="2015-08-17T13:46:19.617" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Quite frankly, it sounds like you're in an abusive training environment. The language you're using is uncomfortably similar to what I might hear from someone being beaten up by their spouse, the &quot;they only hurt me badly when I'm doing things wrong&quot; and making excuses for their behavior. It is possible that you're in a situation where you're literally out of your weight class (while martial arts is an equalizer of sorts, being that much tinier than your opponents in a full-contact class is like having a bantamweight boxer decide to spar with the heavyweights) or that you're falling into a situation where macho behavior means that violence keeps escalating, but it sounds more like some of the people are looking to hurt you because of who you are, as a female martial artist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-08-17T13:46:19.617" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5408" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5397" CreationDate="2015-08-17T13:49:55.760" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It probably depends on which aspects you're looking for. The focus on practical fighting methods might suggest looking at something like Krav Maga. If you're focused more on the &quot;inner peace and calm&quot; aspect, you might look into one of the more combative forms of Tai Chi, or to Aikido. Bankuei's suggestion above of Silat might also work, as it's got a bit of both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-08-17T13:49:55.760" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5409" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5398" CreationDate="2015-08-17T18:19:38.450" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;To echo more of what everyone else is saying: &lt;em&gt;there is a fine line between abusive behaviour and hard training&lt;/em&gt;. My reading of your question is that your sparing partners have crossed it. Did they do that knowingly or by mistake I cannot tell. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some schools do go for a harder than rocks attitude that if you do not bleed, you are not training hard enough. Are you in one of those?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you feel the need, talk to the head coach/trainer/sensei/whatever they are called. Raise it as a concern nothing more for now. If nothing happens from that conversion, you can either got to the national organisation or just leave. Finally, if nothing is done and you are getting injured, seek legal advise before potentially reporting it to your legal enforcement agency. Clearly, this goes from a friendly chat to WMD response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Abuse should not be tolerated.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2015-08-17T18:19:38.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5410" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5402" CreationDate="2015-08-18T05:13:59.980" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sparring is simply a simulation of a fight and it is done for practice. There are many types of sparring, ranging from step-by-step sparring to controlled sparring to free sparring. The instructor needs to understand the capabilities of his students before letting them attempt free sparring. Students usually begin with the most basic form of sparring. In Taekwon-do it is called the Three Step Sparring or One Step Sparring for those who are more senior.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More more details please watch &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei__eF438o0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei__eF438o0&lt;/a&gt;. At the 8:26th point there is a demonstration. Have a look.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How can I improve and change my behaviour so it becomes natural ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, what you want to do is to practice some moves. Practice your blocks, shifting around to evade attacks, and counterattacks slowly on a non-moving opponent, so you can understand where the punch/kick comes and how to act upon it. Keep practicing and it becomes muscle memory, thus you will be able to react quicker, and more naturally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind that you must always practice self control. If you are counterattacking with a punch, your fist must be at about 1 to 3 inches from touching the target. You may give him a light tap on the back if you are behind him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do remember that sparring is for practice and it is better to be tactical about it instead of hitting each other senselessly. I see people beat up each other until they bleed, but in reality they bring home nothing but injuries. Learn the proper way to spar and control your strikes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts is not only about using your limbs for protection, but also the usage of the mind that makes it complex and beautiful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1797" LastActivityDate="2015-08-18T05:13:59.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5411" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5398" CreationDate="2015-08-18T05:23:34.403" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Talk to your instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your instructor should pair you up with another woman with similar build/height, but if the situation does not permit such arrangement then your male partner should know better than to go full force on you. It might be good practice but if you don't learn anything and only getting injured, it is not going to do any good to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;how hard is too hard?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think you've answered your own question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;really hard to the point I can actually feel my eyes tear up&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1797" LastActivityDate="2015-08-18T05:23:34.403" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5412" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5398" CreationDate="2015-08-18T09:08:57.630" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your classmates should not be &lt;strong&gt;deliberately&lt;/strong&gt; hurting you during a class. There is a place for hard training, so you know what it feels like, but it should only ever happen once the proper technique has been learned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The behaviours you describe (leg sweeping, joint locks, etc.) strongly suggest that the men you are training with do not understand how to help their fellow students, nor have they understood that, by helping, they will improve their own techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of the other answers have recommended talking to the instructor(s) and I agree. Talk to the instructor at each class, explain the problem (I wouldn't single out/name any individuals, though); if the instructor isn't prepared to take you seriously and deal with the problem, find a different school. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2015-08-18T09:08:57.630" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5413" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5388" CreationDate="2015-08-18T17:43:20.050" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can't tell you whether it's a good idea or not, but I can tell you that I do almost exactly what you're suggesting three days a week when my schedule allows it - 90 minutes of kung fu followed immediately by 60 minutes of kickboxing. I absolutely love it, because while training kung fu has been great for leg strength, flexibility, and other aspects of fitness, I don't get a lot of sustained cardio out of it. In addition to cardio, kickboxing also provides more opportunities for bag and pad work than kung fu classes do and that's greatly improved my power and speed. The cardio is really the big deal though, and I enjoy it so much more than straight cardio exercise like running or an elliptical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I haven't typically had much trouble keeping the two separated, though our school has an overall philosophy of using whatever works, so YMMV.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3105" LastActivityDate="2015-08-18T17:43:20.050" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5414" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5402" CreationDate="2015-08-18T20:56:35.713" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sparring is absolutely essential to learning how to deal with live energy. I would like to caution you though. Sometimes sparring can create bad habits what I mean by this is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To often a practitioners go into sparring with the wrong mindset. They simply try and unload on their opponent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are doing this without protection gear someone is going to get hurt pretty quickly and if you are doing this with gear on, then you aren't realistically experiencing the reality of fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The example I would like to give you is put head gear on and a mouth piece. Then have your training partner put gloves on, then have him punch you as hard as he can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In that example you will be able to take the shot for the most part. Obviously a shot to the nose can still break your nose. The point that I am trying to make is that it's not realistic. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring is a tool to help prepare you for a tournament, it teaches you how to respond to a violent situation and develops your timing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Now back to your current issue:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best time to attack someone is when they are attacking you. Because in order to attack you they have to close the distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds like you are reaching in to try and get a strike, when someone does that it's easy to read and it doesn't take to much to shuffle step out of range or cut an angle out of range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The #1 thing sparring teaches you is timing. You have to develop the ability to time your strikes whilst your opponent is invading your space. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you chase the person they are the ones choosing where they want to fight. Think about that for a moment. There is a difference between chasing your opponent and making a calculated attack. That's for another discussion though &#xA;:-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, unfortunately there are people out that don't respect technique and will keep coming and coming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only way this type of person will stop coming is if you hurt them enough to slow them down. Unfortunately I've had this happen to me, eventually I gave the guy a black eye. Not out of anger but he really gave me no other choice. After that happened, the sparring sessions got lighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't recommend that approach though because it can create bad blood. I recommend trying to resolve any problems before they even occur.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before you start sparring with someone you should talk with the person about what is acceptable to you and what is not. Your martial arts training is about YOU so you decide how much you want to take. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your partner should respect that. There is nothing wrong with extreme training however it's not for everyone and the truth is it's not needed to learn how to defend yourself should the situation comes up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most important thing to consider here is communication. Both you and your partner should know the objective of the sparring session.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of my sparring sessions where battles of endurance, some of them where for working on timing and sometimes they where just to see how much punishment I could take... In all cases it's important to understand what the goal is of the training session.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One final bad habit to avoid. It's important that you don't create habits like leaning forward or throwing sloppy punches to just try and get a strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there is one thing that is true, you will fight how you spar. So if you aren't constantly working on having good technique, when you fight your technique will be poor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this answer helps some...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6120" LastActivityDate="2015-08-18T20:56:35.713" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5415" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5435" CreationDate="2015-08-19T01:56:15.233" Score="2" ViewCount="441" Body="&lt;p&gt;Recently I got a really hard and clean round house kick on my jaw. Almost KOed me entirely. The jaw-ear junction immediately swell and had my internal ear also aching. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I did was taking 2 pills diclofenac 10 or less minutes after impact and apply cold to the jaw-ear junction. Inflammation went down after 1 hr approximately. 4 days after I still feel a bit of ache when biting hard. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a recommended therapy or rehabilitation for this kind of lesions?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5914" LastActivityDate="2015-08-23T13:09:04.773" Title="Kick to the jaw injury rehabilitation" Tags="|boxing|injury|kickboxing|kicking|medical-advice|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2015-08-24T14:42:12.923" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5416" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-08-19T04:19:36.687" Score="13" ViewCount="1456" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am kind of new to martial arts, and have only been involved for about a year. One time when my teacher was away from class for personal reasons, a boxing ranked student of his allowed me (an 18 year old girl who had never sparred or even boxed before) to fight an experienced male boxer about the same age in a sparring match. I made it through three rounds of my brain bashing around inside my skull and could barely stand. At the last round, I almost passed out from a panic attack and horrible concussion. It was a very fast and brutal fight. Shortly after this experience, a man where I work started sexually harassing me on top of a ton of verbal abuse from my supervisors. Often times he would corner me, get touchy, cat call, etc., which lasted for about 3 weeks before management fired me illegally for constantly complaining about the horrible treatment and having to resort to calling the cops (they talked themselves out of getting in trouble).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After this, I changed to a better school and all was well for about two weeks. Still looking for a job, but trying to keep fit, I went for a jog with my Mom in the local park when a young man pulled a knife on us and tried to mug us. Instead of fighting back, I froze. Since then, I just keep freezing. I made it out of the situation unscathed and I did finally get my purse back after my Mom talked him out of doing the worst for a good fifteen minutes. I stood there like an idiot in a daze. Before all of this, as a child I used to live on the Navajo reservation where all sorts of crime came upon my family; anywhere from death threats to guns being held at our heads. My Mom has been through the worst and the horrors go on but so do the miracles and blessings and good people that now surround my life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Right now, when I practice martial arts, I hesitate, I flinch, and I freeze. My teachers have noticed it too. They tell me all the time to relax, but it's easier said than done. I'm just really jumpy and skittish now. In the martial arts I take, I face similar scenarios and being the only girl at my schools doubles the challenge. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The martial arts I take are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Esgrima Criolla&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Irish Stick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;CACC wrestling&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Viking Glima&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Native American warrior arts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Boxing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jeet Kun Do&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wing Chun&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pencak Silat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Eskrima Kali Arnis&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Balintawak Arnis&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Five Animal Kung Fu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, I know it's a lot. I take my training very seriously and, despite the insanely long list, I never mix up my martial arts moves and I practice accordingly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is there any way I can stop being skittish and just learn the techniques?&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do I better prepare myself for another confrontation? What do you do in such scenarios when you're scared out of your wits? Why do I keep freezing and tensing up? How do I break through the fragile shy girl mold and show these guys what I've got?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6068" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-02-25T08:15:12.777" LastActivityDate="2016-03-09T21:47:43.020" Title="traumatic experiences causing martial arts skittishness" Tags="|self-defense|sparring|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5417" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5416" CreationDate="2015-08-19T05:56:19.263" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Disclaimer: I am a male and wasn't in the same situation but I want you to give some advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did 5 different martial arts myself and found it quite hard not to confuse arts of the same type (e.g striking arts). I also had problems working on Wing Chun foot work, which is quite different from Kickboxing footwork. And for this I have several years of experience and did it one after another. So I believe your case is even worse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would say you should choose a maximum of 3 different arts. For instance, one weapon art such as Eskrima, one striking art and a wrestling or ground art.&#xA;For choosing which school you stay at, you should think about how you like your supervisors and training partners at that school. That's more important than the style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can invest the saved time and money in private lessons and general fitness. That should help you more than other martial arts, while you train for only one year.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you have problems hitting your partners? If yes, this comes first. For this, it is most important that you find someone you punch without fear that they will get angry or laugh at you. Speak with your partners and ask how strong you should punch them in training and do as they say. But only train with people who don't get mad easy or can't take a hit. If you can't choose and often come up with 'bad' partners, leave the school and train somewhere else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After this you can slowly start sparring. But start with short rounds, just single round and/or half-contact first. You need to be confident, to handle that sort of light sparring first. Then increase intensity to full sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is important that you do small steps, which you can win and regain confidence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6133" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-02-23T21:52:42.470" LastActivityDate="2016-02-23T21:52:42.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5418" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5398" CreationDate="2015-08-19T11:17:14.760" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all. Although this question already has many answers basically re-iterating the same, please let me repeat that &lt;em&gt;there is a fine line between training hard in martial arts and abusive behavior&lt;/em&gt;, and at least on the surface of it, it seems like what you are enduring tends towards the latter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, there is always (at least) two sides to any story. Without trying to find excuses for use of excessive force, try to think back on those cases where you have got hurt and ask if and what you or your training partner or instructor could have done differently to avoid this situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Did you or your partner have the full understanding of the exercise and technique you were supposed to be exercising? &#xA;Was the level of intensity of training within the attainable limits to both of you?&#xA;Did you or your training partner practice within the framework of the exercise?&#xA;Was the instructor paying attention?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whenever you found that things were getting out of your hands, did you send clear enough signal that you wanted de-escalate the intensity of the practice? Was this signal summarily ignored?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not trying to put blame on anyone or give anyone any excuses, just trying to give you pointers for evaluating your situation and evaluating if the training environment you're in is toxic or merely insensitive. That is, if this is a general attitude issue, find yourself a new place to practice. If this is just a communication issue, work on communicating your expectations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is hard in martial arts. Very often the problem with injuries is that one or both of the sides are &lt;em&gt;out of their depth&lt;/em&gt; and are compensating for it with more aggression than what they are able to control or contain. Look out for these situations and &lt;em&gt;de-escalate&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The trouble is, that whenever you practice any martial art, there is a very real chance of getting hurt in the process. To put it in the words of a disclaimer in my teacher's book: &lt;em&gt;&quot;[...] The practice of [...] any martial art is itself a dangerous activity. You can absolutely expect to be injured, perhaps seriously, in the course of study and practice. That is the nature of serious training in any martial art [...]&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem is that this aspect of the training greatly obfuscates the distinction between abuse and accident. Be aware of the situation you're in and if you ever feel that things get out of your control, just walk away! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the safest way. Do not put up with abuse &amp;mdash; at this point it does not matter if abuse is deliberate or incidental...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastActivityDate="2015-08-19T11:17:14.760" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5419" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5325" CreationDate="2015-08-19T11:32:45.803" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not an expert on the subject, but poking around a little, it turns out that several people have talked about this. As per your question clarification, I'm addressing &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/evolution.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;how the Jack Broughton gloves have impacted the sport&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Increased protection&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, and foremost, padded gloves make it much safer to punch an opponent with greater force, and in harder angular areas such as the head. It distributes the impact force over a larger surface area, mitigating both increased punching force and the risk of your opponents body exerting an equal-and-opposite force over a small area against your knuckles. Boxers can, and do, punch with more force than before, and unlike a bare-knuckle sport such as &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://fightland.vice.com/blog/fighting-motives-how-rules-change-styles&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lethwei&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; boxers punch at the head with no fear that their opponent will set their head to injure the incoming fist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Increased weight&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, the gloves are weighted. Much like wielding a weapon, it increases your striking force, but also leads to increased fatigue because you're moving an additional pound or so of force with your arms. This requires a greater utilization of the entire body to throw the punch rather than just the arms or the upper body. The increased fatigue also increases the efficacy of the &amp;quot;rope-a-dope&amp;quot; technique of letting an opponent wear themselves out with repeated punches, dodging or absorbing the blocks to minimize damage for your opponent's fatigue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Thumb positioning in the fist&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a debated one, but some boxers claim that modern boxing gloves teach &amp;quot;mitten thumb&amp;quot; due to the padding over the thumb preventing the boxer from properly tucking their thumb over the first 2-3 knuckles and instead encouraging the boxer to keep his thumb tucked over the top of his hand where it's more likely to catch and break on a missed hit. There's been &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.google.com/patents/US4457023&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;at least one patent&lt;/a&gt; to address the issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Restriction of grappling and gouging techniques&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, the padded gloves were arguably introduced as much to prevent grappling as they were to prevent injury from punching to either party. The puffy nature of the modern Broughton glove made it significantly more difficult, if not impossible, to make use of techniques such as eye-gouges, fish-hooking, and grappling, all common techniques in bare-knuckle matches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2015-11-27T12:36:14.963" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5420" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5402" CreationDate="2015-08-19T11:37:27.437" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Looking at your description of the problems you have, there are three things you can do:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;and Practice&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Really, all those are &lt;em&gt;rookie mistakes&lt;/em&gt;, to put it bluntly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact that you hit one or two times and then stop, means you lack understanding of the &lt;em&gt;feel and flow&lt;/em&gt; of the fight that only comes from seasoning and constant practice. You may learn however much theory of the particular martial art you study, but you will not be able to use it in the ring if you don't have the practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hitting the air in front of your opponent is another typical mistake that comes from lack of practice. One part of it is the ability to learn to evaluate distance between you and your opponent, so that you can effectively deliver a hit (an understand when you are vulnerable to an attack from an opponent). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, being afraid to hit your opponent stems from the fear of getting hit yourself and the associated pain. Natural empathy can be stronger or weaker for each individual, but whenever you enter the proverbial ring, you need to be able to block it out to some degree. This comes from experience of going into the ring, getting hit and knowing that this is not the end of the world...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thirdly, fighting anyone above your skill level, is Hard™. If they are good, they can make the experience feel safe. If not, it can be devastating. In any case, they have in abundance, what you are lacking &amp;mdash; namely experience. To get to their level, you just have to persist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastActivityDate="2015-08-19T11:37:27.437" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5421" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5416" CreationDate="2015-08-19T12:03:52.197" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;First off, consider therapy. I know that it's not exactly martial arts advice, but it sounds like you've undergone a great deal of trauma and frankly, us just giving you training advice would be like giving cadence tips to a runner with a broken leg. You have been damaged and you need a qualified medical professional to help you with that damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Past that, you have two primary issues. First of all, it does sound like you're spreading yourself incredibly thin. Either you're training pretty much every hour of every day, or you're only training some of these styles once ever two weeks. I'd advise narrowing your focus down a bit. Choose a few styles and put your effort into refining your technique with them. Secondly, learning how to handle a crisis is training much like any other. The key is to put yourself into controlled scenarios, starting with slow drills and ramping up the intensity over time. Again, I have to emphasize that you are essentially an injured person, so treat it like training with recently broken arm. Always be aware of where you stand in terms of pain and discomfort and never be afraid to step back when you realize that you're reinjuring yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of training for crises regarding martial arts, I'd say that you're going to work along two axes. First, I'd recommend practicing conflict resolution. With the trauma you've been in, your first reaction to a dangerous situation is likely to tend toward panic attacks and PTSD. Roleplaying can be a surprisingly effective solution. If possible, again, get professional help for this (medical insurance will often cover it these days), but other than that, start with a simple scenario involving asserting yourself with someone obstreperous, say a grocery cashier deciding to hassle you over your choice of groceries. I know it sounds silly, but it's an important first step, feeling comfortable asserting yourself against someone who's just being unpleasant rather than threatening. After that, you can ease into slightly more hostile territory, someone who specifically starts bringing up things like race or gender and starts insulting you. Don't bring threats into it yet, but have the person you're roleplaying with act like they really don't like you. From there, you can move into more threatening situations such as someone bullying you. In all of these scenarios, do it with someone you trust (and be careful about amateur method actors) and establish safe words so that you can immediately break things off if you feel yourself start to panic. There are professional classes for things like this up to and including roleplaying mugging encounters. I would not advise going that far with amateurs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, of course, there's the physical training. Frankly, this is drills. I'm not going to list individual self-defense techniques, but your best bet is to pick one or two effective strategies for several common scenarios, chokes and holds and the like, and practicing them over and over again with a partner you trust. At the beginning, you're going to be working with little to no resistance, just training yourself to do the movements, and to react immediately when the situation happens. Your goal is to teach yourself to react to an attack with an immediate defense without having to stop to think. When the movements become automatic, your partner will start resisting you a bit more, forcing you to do the technique properly to break their hold. From there, any good martial arts place will be able to move you into free-sparring in a controlled manner, which will help you to get comfortable past the initial reaction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, while this is getting perilously close to psychiatric advice, part of your problem might not so much be fear as bottled-up anger. It's pretty common after trauma for people to feel hopeless and the hapless rage it can inspire can leave you feeling as weak as any trauma. Punching bags, whether it's a traditional sort, a pillow, or a sparring partner in protective gear, can be amazingly therapeutic. When my wife was going through therapy in her teen years, her therapist had her do everything from popping balloons to throwing glass bottles against the wall to punching inflatable clown balloons. I know it sounds silly, but sometimes it really can help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-08-19T12:03:52.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5422" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5427" CreationDate="2015-08-19T12:38:55.527" Score="4" ViewCount="361" Body="&lt;p&gt;I love martial arts, especially Wing Chun. While practising I sometimes don't have a partner to drill the moves with. What forms can be practised without a partner?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6134" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-22T08:48:34.577" LastActivityDate="2019-08-27T07:33:25.440" Title="Wing chun - practising" Tags="|self-training|wing-chun|training|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5423" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5416" CreationDate="2015-08-19T13:29:16.410" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Training should be progressive for ALL students. A basic outline for training, with each step starting slow and progressively increasing speed:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;solo air training to learn movements&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;dummy training, for example with striking bags&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;prearranged partner exercises to develop reactions&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sparring&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Skipping straight to sparring is an invitation to trouble. And if someone is really getting pummeled, it's the instructors job to intervene for safety. Your experience so far indicates a poor school. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Freezing is a common reaction, even among those without traumatic experiences. If you have problems freezing while doing the solo exercises, it is important to address this in the solo exercises before worrying about partner exercises. In prearranged partner exercises, you know what will be coming, and your partner should initially attack slowly, so that you learn to react instead of freezing. Again this can start slow, which is necessary before trying to go fast. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be a successful fighter, it is more important to excel at a few techniques than to learn lots of techniques. With this in mind, I recommend training one or two arts until you feel you have reached some proficiency before learning others. You may initially feel that you are learning more by studying more arts, but you will miss the in-depth study required to excel, which will hurt you in the long term. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;MOST IMPORTANT&lt;/strong&gt; thing is to find a good school/instructor. This school should have a progressive training program that continuously nudges your comfort zone and has your well being in mind. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have not addressed the trauma issues. This is partly because I am not really qualified to do so, but also because the normal development program I would expect does not seem to be present. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-08-19T13:29:16.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5424" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5402" CreationDate="2015-08-19T15:39:49.660" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wont claim to be a sparring expert, but I've had a lot of fun playing with the information-theory side of combat (how to avoid telegraphing and such), and I see some patterns in your questions which cropped up in my work with information-theory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It takes a surprisingly long time to make up your mind.  It's estimated it takes 100ms-300ms between receiving a stimulus and having it integrated within the corticothalamic complex (believed to be very influential in making a conscious decision).  That is a long time in combat!  If you wait that long to do everything, you'll never see an opportunity.  Instead, your mind needs to integrate parts of the information faster and have the body in position to act.  That way when your conciousness pulls the trigger on a punch or a kick, the rest of the brain is already primed for the action.  In general this can be practiced in single person drills.  Instead of just trying to think through the drill, let the body do as much of the drill as you can.  The visual imagery of &quot;letting the body do something&quot; shows up over an over as an effective way of teaching this process.  Follow your teacher's visualization instructions, if they are giving them.  I can tell you how to do it in my art, but every art has its own approach to making this transition from conscious to instinctual &lt;em&gt;safely&lt;/em&gt; (it's not acceptable to train your instinctual side to punch people!  Just use it to prepare to punch quicker!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second side is related.  Your mind needs to know where to send the punches in order to send the command to do so.  During fighting, you will find you have less and less awareness about what is going on, because you're moving so fast, and because the opponent is moving fast too.  Once your conscious mind begins distrusting the information it has (is he &lt;em&gt;really&lt;/em&gt; where I think he is?  Will I hurt him by accident?  Is there actually an attack I need to block?), you will naturally stop and try to get your bearings.  This is where I find one of the true beauties of martial arts.  Not only does your instinctual action need to prepare you to deliver another punch, it needs to be continuously trying to help get you to positions to gather and integrate more information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of that is general, I believe, applicable to every martial art.  I can give you a bit of my perspective from the Chinese martial arts.  They teach that there is yin in every yang and yang in every yin.  Those words may mean nothing to you,  and that's fine.  One of the many parallels one draws from those phrases should be more recognizable: in every punch or kick, you must have a kernel of sensing, learning where the opponent is.  If you are throwing your punches too fiercely, you lose sensitivity, and you can't gain any information from the punch.  In contact sparing, that sensitivity is what you use to avoid harming the opponent, and it also is what you use to feel whether they are dodging left or right &lt;em&gt;while&lt;/em&gt; the punch is connecting, rather than waiting until you see the dodge.  If you are losing sensitivity, either in the punch or by bringing the fist back jerkily, you'll find you have less information about the fight than you want.  This may mean toning back the punches a bit, but honestly, that's the control you need for contact sparing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other half of that aphorism says that, even as you're trying to bring yourself back into balance after 2 or 3 hits, you should still be threatening your opponent enough to not let them get away with anything they please.  If you're in Tae Kwon Do, it's fine for them to get a chance to kick you, but you should always position yourself so they cannot get in the very dangerous high kicks to the head.  If they're trying for it, you'll need to defend more.  If you see that, while you are retreating, they're throwing a punch, you don't have to worry about the kick as much, so you should try to disrupt any punching combos that would be bad news.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second half of that aphorism is too much to think about.  I know of no martial art that thinks its way through that part.  You have to let your body do it.  A good martial arts instructor will teach you the correct way, for their art, to handle these less aggressive phases where you are preparing to counter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4422" LastActivityDate="2015-08-19T15:39:49.660" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5425" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5426" CreationDate="2015-08-19T15:42:37.970" Score="8" ViewCount="405" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been practicing Karate-do Shotokan for 2 years now and I am moving to a town where there is no Shotokan Dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to keep training Karate-do but there are only Gojo-ryu and Kyokushinkai dojos and I would like to know which one would be more like Shotokan or would fit better for me as far as I don't have much elasticity and my feet are a bit outward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6135" LastActivityDate="2015-08-19T16:19:12.430" Title="Moving from Karate Style" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5426" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5425" CreationDate="2015-08-19T16:19:12.430" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kyokushin is a descendant of Shotokan, however there are significant differences in the forms.  Still it is more similar to Shotokan than is Goju Ryu.  According to this &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyokushin&quot;&gt;wikipedia article&lt;/a&gt;, Goju Ryu also had some influence on Kyokushin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;FYI, Kyokushin is known for hard-sparring and emphasis on physical toughness. This may color your decision to join or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It does sound like you are open to different styles.  I suggest you try both and pick which one you like.  You will probably not be able to retain your Shotokan rank, so think of this as a time to branch out.  You might also consider non-Karate styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2015-08-19T16:19:12.430" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5427" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5422" CreationDate="2015-08-19T18:16:19.800" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wing chun has forms for this purpose. There are six forms for solo training, starting with Siu Nim Tau. Keep in mind that forms are aimed at training your muscle memory, so your body gets used to the moves. Apart from this there is never enough of footwork and punching training. Once you start with Chi Sau you will need a partner. There is no way around it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user5645" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-08-22T09:22:02.967" LastActivityDate="2019-08-22T09:22:02.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5428" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2015-08-19T21:00:16.703" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would say show me the science....I have done bodybuilding types of workouts for years along side my martial arts (Grappling, Hapkido and Krav Maga) and building some mass and muscle density have only helped with every art. It has given me strength, power and endurance. I think the key is is variety and changing up how you train. There are tons of freaky big bodybuilders that train in combat arts.... and guess what they are fast explosive and have endurance. Its all about creating and improving motor pathways. The more you train or practice martial arts, generally you get better. The same is true with working out in the gym, you get some hypertrophy, you get some strength and you get some endurance.So I advocate to do want you want, just do it consistently and chang it up a bit, and enjoy the journey.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6137" LastActivityDate="2015-08-19T21:00:16.703" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5429" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5398" CreationDate="2015-08-19T22:36:18.150" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;If I do not fully understand a technique, they will hit me with more and more power&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are &quot;they&quot; other students in your class? And are they attempting to learn an offensive technique compared to your defensive one?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I ask because they may be more focused on their own training than on yours if that is the case, and increase their power as they get more comfortable with their own technique or after getting warmed up. Only by speaking up will they notice that you might be uncomfortable with your own technique or with the power they are using. Even then, &lt;em&gt;some&lt;/em&gt; people won't want to take it easy, what it really comes down to for those people is that they either really enjoy hitting things hard, or they just care a lot more about their own gain from this training than what they care about what you gain from it. (&lt;em&gt;It seems commonly believed that going all-out means you get more out of the training, a debate I don't want to get into&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if it is an instructor, it could be that there is some communication gap. If you're naturally a tough person he might not realize just how fast/hard he is going if you're &quot;toughing it out&quot; and send no feedback. On the opposite end, if you wince at the lightest possible hit (&lt;em&gt;This doesn't sound like the case but I figured I'd cover it&lt;/em&gt;) he may just gradually give up on going soft enough, he might not have the patience or control to train someone as softly as you'd like - which obviously could be a problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that he might think you are getting the technique right, and is slowly making it faster and faster (&lt;em&gt;which also tends to mean harder and harder, though good control can overcome that&lt;/em&gt;) Again, you need to speak up for feedback on how your technique is, or ask him to continue at the previous pace where you are comfortable. Then, if nothing changes you know the issue isn't communication on your end and you'll have a better idea if you'd like to train somewhere else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;get mad when I beat them in sparring&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming you didn't ask them to take it easy, then win and trash-talk them, in which case just about anyone would be a little angry (&lt;em&gt;and take it a bit more seriously next time&lt;/em&gt;), I would say that being angry for losing is understandable but unfortunate. It's too bad that their sportsmanship is poor, but there's not much you can do about that other than (bowing/shaking hands/showing respect) to each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;he leg swept me by surprise... on the hard wood floor&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way you phrase it makes it seem like he did this in anger and frustration in an exercise that, while arguably you could have been prepared for a leg sweep, was not set up for that. Even if the rules of the exercise (&lt;em&gt;if there were any&lt;/em&gt;) allowed leg sweeps, he &lt;strong&gt;shouldn't&lt;/strong&gt; be striking out in anger with the true intention of hurting you. This is a major flag that I would take seriously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A lot of times in my classes, if I do any technique wrong, I pay the price of becoming an example of what not to do before they do a really hard joint lock or smack and or grab my hands and arms really hard to the point I can actually feel my eyes tear up&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The circumstances around how you and the instructor practice in this case is kind of important to how to take this. If you are volunteering to demonstrate a technique in front of everyone, it might be that the instructor would do this to anyone who made the mistake. In fact, if it were a more experienced person, he may ask that person to make a mistake on purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This doesn't mean he should be rough in his demonstration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If he is calling you up, I would assume he thinks you are now &quot;the safe bet&quot; as a sparring dummy, he knows you're new enough to make mistakes and can demonstrate his point without you complaining. The considerable size difference, if there is one, could also be a major factor. He might be able to show off fancy moves on a lighter opponent, or the technique might be better demonstrated by a lighter person against him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this is a partner exercise, whoever gets stuck with the instructor is likely going to be the person who is demonstrated on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In every case, I would ask him 1 on 1 either not to demonstrate on me, or to take it easy when demonstrating on me, though on the partner case you may have to deal with having someone else as a partner then. You are not there to get beat up. If it still continues, he may have character flaws that require you to find a new instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, my answer tries to explore unintentional possibilities. It still very could be some form of feeling good about themselves for &quot;beating&quot; or &quot;man-handling&quot; a woman. If you don't think anything I've said is a possibility and think these happenings are in any way intentional, I would try to find a different place to train. Let them beat each other up, and find a more respectful place to train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5987" LastActivityDate="2015-08-19T22:36:18.150" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5430" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5135" CreationDate="2015-08-20T14:41:36.747" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is pretty much a copy-paste from &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1919/krav-maga-is-it-100-legal-for-defense/2171#2171&quot;&gt;my answer on another similar question&lt;/a&gt;. It is very relevant for the OP here as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How to be a fighter without being a murderer?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; give this any concern in a real-life situation. You neutralize the attacker, and no more. If there are multiple attackers, you should &lt;strong&gt;be excessive on the first&lt;/strong&gt; so that he will not return to the fight, but never do excessive harm to the last person you are fighting, i.e. don't kick them on the ground if they are alone, or if their partner is already out of the fight. Just stop them from causing danger. It is easy to know when you've done the minimum amount of damage to you opponent. It is the point when they are either no longer threatening you, or &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKhEw7nD9C4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;no longer standing&lt;/a&gt;. And never take your eye off those who have left the fight, they always come back. But don't instigate if they don't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So long as all you did was &lt;strong&gt;the minimum to ensure your safety&lt;/strong&gt; and the safety of those with you, then &lt;em&gt;don't overly concern yourself with your attackers' wellbeing&lt;/em&gt;. Had you done any less harm to the attacker(s), you would have been hurt more by them. Had you done more, you would have been reckless. Also, you will improve your own confidence (and your respect if others see the incident) by &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; going overboard. Think of all your favorite action heros. When the opponent is down, do they continue kicking or do they give the opponent opportunity to get back up and walk away quietly?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a matter of prudence, of course I should mention what the other posters are mentioning: the best way not to loose a fight is not to get into one. If you &lt;strong&gt;walk confidently&lt;/strong&gt; then those looking for a fight will be less likely to pick on you. If you &lt;strong&gt;don't wear jewelery&lt;/strong&gt;, then you are less of a crime target. If you &lt;strong&gt;don't wear &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnc4T26NslA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;clothes&lt;/a&gt; with a political message&lt;/strong&gt;, then people will have less reason to confront you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="262" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-08-20T14:50:51.443" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5431" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2297" CreationDate="2015-08-21T01:32:07.637" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Maya or formal exercises are to improve the form of techniques. They are usually performed at slow speed focusing on fine motor control. So the real benefits of weighted gear come from the weights by increasing the difficulty of those fine muscle contractions that mean the difference between proper execution and failure.  Also the force of the weight draws you off balance causing you to gain greater control of your center of gravity by strengthening your core stabilizer muscles. And also increases the mislead around your joints. And the draw back, increased fatigue and and muscle soreness after a training session.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6141" LastActivityDate="2015-08-21T01:32:07.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5432" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5433" CreationDate="2015-08-21T17:21:21.253" Score="3" ViewCount="580" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are there any specific Martial Arts technique (taekwondo, kung fu , judo etc) that an individual can use to save himself from knife attack, especially if there are 2-3 individuals armed with a knife.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5935" LastActivityDate="2015-08-23T12:57:26.727" Title="Martial Arts Technique Against Knife Attack" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|kung-fu|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2015-08-28T07:30:39.990" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5433" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5432" CreationDate="2015-08-21T18:52:04.893" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes. Dozens. Probably hundreds.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tomiki Aikido regularly practices defense against knife attack; students are required to defend against knife attack at every test.  Students are also required to defend against multiple attackers at every test.  There are several kata that focus on defense against knife (Koryu dai san no kata in particular includes at least 8 defenses against knife attack).   I personally am very fond of either shomen ate, or Kote Gaeshi. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I should however point out several things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Tomiki aikido trains against knife attacks that were common during the period when Professor Tomiki was normalizing the curriculum.  There was a problem with gangs using knives at the time, and it was incorporated into the curriculum.  There are other issues here that are probably worth an entire essay, but I'll stop now and merely note that every knife attack carries with it a host of assumptions about motivation, environment, etc.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Possibly the largest class of knife attacks are thrusts. Thrusts are thrusts whether they are done with fist or knife. Anything you do to divert the blow and seize control of the attacker is a defense against a thrust whether that thrust involves a knife or a fist.  (almost) everything I do in Tai Chi to defend against a strike will work against a knife.  I'm sure this is largely true for other forms.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Knife attack is a diverse group.  Some attackers use a knife to kill. Others use the knife to wound and weaken.  Knife attack is different from knife fighting.  In my personal experience, I've found that I have reasonably good success against people who are trying to kill me with a knife, significantly less success against people who are trying to score a point (in a tournament) and almost no success against a clever knife fighter who is using the knife to draw blood, demonstrate dominance or bleed to weaken.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&quot;save himself&quot; (or herself) is a loaded term.   My assumption is that if my opponent has a knife and is at all competent, I'm going to get wounded.  The only thing I can control is who is standing at the end of the fight, and who controls the knife and the opponent. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2015-08-21T18:52:04.893" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5434" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5432" CreationDate="2015-08-21T19:57:20.493" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's no one &quot;technique&quot; here, there's a lot of techniques and principles and all of them are absolutely dependent on the situation and specific.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Run&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being outnumbered, and against knives, escape is the best option.  If you cannot leave the vicinity, the next best option is to get something between you and your attackers - preferably walls and a locked door, though, obviously that may not be possible - in which case even a fence, a light pole, a mail box, a parked car can buy you precious seconds towards your next action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Other Principles&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Get a weapon of your own as soon as you can.  Disarm the threats as soon as possible (&quot;Disarm&quot; may mean getting the weapon away from them, breaking their hand, knocking them out, cutting muscles they need to attack you, etc.).  Maneuver the opponents into each other so you're not facing attacks from every direction at once.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everything else?  Dependent on your situation of the moment.  Some martial arts do focus on blade fighting and against multiple opponents - penjak silat, escrima, kali, a lot of the more combative modern schools also include useful training - Systema, Krav Maga, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's no one technique, there's entire sets of training towards dealing with that situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-08-21T19:57:20.493" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5435" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5415" CreationDate="2015-08-23T10:14:24.957" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A broken or dislocated jaw usually heals well after treatment. But the jaw may become dislocated again in the future. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the US, Columbia University, College of Dental Medicine has done some pioneering work in treatment &amp;amp; therapies related to jaw injuries. So it would be a good idea to touch base with their medical experts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your doctor will diagnose a jaw break or dislocation with a physical examination and an X-ray. So by all means visit your nearest medical center ASAP. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5935" LastEditorUserId="5935" LastEditDate="2015-08-23T13:09:04.773" LastActivityDate="2015-08-23T13:09:04.773" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5436" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5432" CreationDate="2015-08-23T12:57:26.727" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I strongly recomend you to see &quot;the human weapon&quot; and its chapter about krav maga because they talk about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6135" LastActivityDate="2015-08-23T12:57:26.727" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5437" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4913" CreationDate="2015-08-25T00:52:34.527" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can't comment as a new user, but this technique is IBJJF legal for everyone except kids under 12.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The banana split is usually reached fom the Truck, but there is a lot in common between it and the Electric chair submission.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you watch the last match between Eddie and Royler, Eddie gives a textbook exhibition of the Electric Chair.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6151" LastActivityDate="2015-08-25T00:52:34.527" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5438" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2297" CreationDate="2015-08-25T09:16:33.440" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've had pretty good experience when training swordplay, wearing moderately heavy (~14kg) chainmail.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although I mainly practice Chinese martial arts, a friend of mine, who also practices HEMA suggested wearing chainmail while practicing and sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chainmail is pretty flexible, so it does not restrict movement in any significant manner (at least not when practicing swordplay), but it is heavy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The additional weight of the chainmail is rather uniformly distributed across the entire upper body, so any weight training effects of wearing a chain mail are negligible, so I would not recommend it for building up strength or stamina.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I would highly recommend it for working on your footwork and balance. Any mistakes in the posture and footwork that would disrupt your balance are immediately magnified when you wear a chainmail. This allows you to correct your footwork and improve your balance, which will in turn improve your overall skill level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS - I am mainly a &lt;em&gt;Taiji Quan&lt;/em&gt; practitioner, so upright position and good, well rooted, balance is very important in my practice. Your personal style may have different ways of using your body and generating force. Weighted vests of any kind might interfere with that, so use your discretion when applying any training methods not recommended by your instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastActivityDate="2015-08-25T09:16:33.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5439" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="973" CreationDate="2015-08-26T03:54:14.560" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think this answer is lost to time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;JohnP's answer sources from &quot;The Fundamentals of Pa Kua Chang, Volume 1&quot; by Park Bok Nam and Dan Miller. Park Bok Nam is Lu Shui Tian's successor, and Dan Miller was Park's student and also the editor of the Pa Kua Chang Journal (1990-1997). This book does not mention a 500 year old lineage source. It does say that Lu preferred the teaching of his first teacher. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Lu told Park that his first teacher, Li Ching-Wu taught a more complete martial arts system than his second teacher because it combined straight line Pa Kua methods with the circle walking forms and maneuvers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to Master Park's book, Lu Shui Tian (1894-1978) trained in bagua in his youth, and fled to Korea during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), though even the year is unspecified. To find another primary source with more information, you probably need to find someone who trained with Lu Shui Tian in China before the war and also survived the war. They would probably be 100 years old by now. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also according to Master Park's book: the stellae at Dong Hai Chuan's gravesite list the Korean branch of the lineage with Lu Shui Tian as the only member of its 5th generation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;No known bagua lineage predates Dong Hai Chuan (?-1882)&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Park's lineage almost certainly does not trace back to a 500 year old source that is not Dong Hai Chuan. Park himself does not claim this, and the scholarship on this subject currently points to Dong Hai Chuan as the founder, even among bagua schools that claim other sources. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are &lt;em&gt;really&lt;/em&gt; interested in the origins and lineage of baguazhang, I recommend starting from the &lt;a href=&quot;http://pakuachangjournal.com/order.php&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pa Kua Chang Journal&lt;/a&gt; (1990-1997). The publication contains interviews with masters and contributions from many of the major figures in bagua and xingyi of the time. The publication was quite dogged about pursuing everything about bagua; I would describe it as everything you never wanted to know about bagua. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Miller and one of his sources were both wildly enthusiastic about researching bagua's origins, as described in Volume 3, Number 1 Nov/Dec 1992: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The primary source of this information is taken from the work of Professor K'ang Ko-Wu of Beijing. While working on his master's degree in 1980-81, Professor K'ang wrote his thesis on the &quot;Origins of Pa Kua Chang.&quot; ... Professor K'ang's research was extensive and involved close examination of over 650 documents from the Ch'ing Palace history books and over 230 papers written on martial arts. He also examined the situations of 413 teachers in 24 provinces and cities, personally investigating in 16 cities and counties and 9 provinces. K'ang interviewed over 256 people resulting in over 274 documents. Many of the people he interviewed were elderly boxers of the older generation who spoke openly about their martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Volume 3, Number 4 May/June 1993, they basically conclude that there is no solid evidence of a bagua source other than Dong Hai Chuan, though Miller leaves open the possibility. K'ang believes Dong Hai Chuan was the sole originator. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2015-08-29T22:17:27.843" LastActivityDate="2015-08-29T22:17:27.843" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5440" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5448" CreationDate="2015-08-26T07:18:39.340" Score="7" ViewCount="2304" Body="&lt;p&gt;If one has existing injuries to areas of the body that may be deemed to be critical for martial arts such as knees and the back, is there a particular form of martial art that will be well suited. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The injuries were sustained due to a major automotive accident and although i have returned to 'normal' activities the injuries have resulted in degraded performance due to the amount of stress they can bear. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The purpose of picking up martial arts is to remain active but also for self-protection. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6153" LastActivityDate="2015-09-25T16:57:30.193" Title="What forms of martial arts are recommended for existing injuries?" Tags="|injury|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5441" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5440" CreationDate="2015-08-26T08:31:09.223" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;As with all questions of this type there are too many options and the answers will be highly subjective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I broke my back (L4) when I was 16 and started Tae Kwon Do when I was 18.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My recommendation is that you go to the different martial arts clubs in your area and try them out. Most clubs allow for a cheap/free trial period - if the movements in the martial art are going to aggravate the injuries you have then try a different one and you wont have lost much money/time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Discuss your injuries with the instructor before the class - in our classes we tell people with injuries that if they can't/shouldn't do a particular exercise to swap it with a different one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you do pick a martial art - be prepared to advance a little slower than everyone else. It may take time to be able to do certain movements and there may be some you may never get down (true of people without injuries too). I would also recommend you discuss aspects like sparring with your doctor before you do them - I have a back protector for sparring but other than that I am still able to train and compete like everyone else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts schools vary massively - so if you don't like the first one - go to a different one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2015-08-26T08:31:09.223" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5442" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5443" CreationDate="2015-08-26T10:47:43.850" Score="7" ViewCount="1171" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been training Karate-do for few years and I have realized that my kicks are not as good as they should be, even more, I can't give a proper high kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was thinking about training some Taekwondo so that it will improve my kicks but I don't know if it will make my kicks too different from Karate-do kicks. Will it change the way I kick too much? Or will I be able to keep the Karate-do technique?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you know some other way to improve dramatically my kicks?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6135" LastEditorUserId="4429" LastEditDate="2015-09-01T01:56:37.967" LastActivityDate="2016-03-14T22:08:46.200" Title="Taekwondo training to help Karate-do kicks" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|kicking|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5443" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5442" CreationDate="2015-08-26T11:56:40.067" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Karate and Tae Kwon Do have a lot of overlap. So many of the techniques will be very similar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, the slight differences cause more issues as you get to a higher level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best way to improve at something is usually to practice that thing.&#xA;For kicking start low and make sure you are getting the technique right (it is more important that you generate a good-powerful kick than a kick that is high).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kicking in slow motion will help build up the muscles - make sure you lock the technique in its finishing position briefly so that your muscles remember that finishing point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Use a target to see your progress - I have a kickshield attached to a wall - every few days/training sessions I move it up a little (provided the technique is still correct at this new height). If you train on a bag then tie your belt (or an old belt) around the bag and aim at that - this will again help with accuracy and allow you to slowly move the belt up as you improve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stretch! kicking high requires a certain level of flexibility. If you want to improve a certain kick in particular ask your instructor which stretches will help for that kick. Stretching after every session is a must - you can also do a little bit at other times (I stretch whilst watching TV/reading).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go at your own pace. This last one is important, some people are naturally flexible and some people aren't. People will find certain movements easy and others difficult. It can sometimes be hard to watch another student kick above head height with ease whilst you are struggling to kick at belt level (story of my life*) but a little bit at a time you will improve and eventually you look around the class and realise that others are now looking at your kicks and thinking &quot;wow I wish I could kick that high/hard/accurately&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2015-08-26T11:56:40.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5444" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5442" CreationDate="2015-08-26T13:27:00.653" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;You shouldn't need to train in a different art to improve your flexibility. A fellow black-belt in TKD improved her kicking through regular stretching; she had a routine that she completed (possibly still completes!) several times a week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm afraid I don't know what her routine was, so I can't describe it for you; equally, the stretches that worked for her might not help you! However, if you do a web search for &quot;martial arts stretching kicking&quot;, you should find lots of information. Your instructor may also have some good advice on stretching for flexibility/kicking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember, though, to be careful, listen to your body and accept that it will take time and discipline to improve (though as you already study a martial art, you're probably used to that!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2015-08-26T13:27:00.653" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5445" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5440" CreationDate="2015-08-26T16:44:34.683" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ironically, I would suggest an art that deals in submissions and joint locks, being BJJ - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, or if there's one close by a 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu. The grappling arts are generally easier impact wise on the joints. That being said, Collett also has the right idea with discussing the issues with the instructor and giving a couple different arts a try. And as always, double check with a healthcare provider before going full on into something. We may all be martial artists and can offer advice in that regard, but only you and your doctor know what you're capable of. Hope this helps, and good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5814" LastActivityDate="2015-08-26T16:44:34.683" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5446" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5442" CreationDate="2015-08-26T17:42:06.893" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had similar thoughts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The issue is complicated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best stretches are not what we would normally do on the dojo floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They might work fine if you started as a toddler, and did them daily for the rest of your life, but they seem less effective as an adult.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, find a partner, and do &quot;active stretching&quot;.  There are loads of videos on the web for this sort of thing, and you shouldn't have many problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The bigger issue, though, isn't always flexibility... it's a lack of strength in all those ancillary muscles that need to work very hard to lift your leg up higher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only answer to that is to actually try and lift your leg up higher, and build up the core strength you need to be able to kick well with your knee pointed higher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, to sum up...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to kick higher, you start by kicking higher, and continue to kick a little higher, daily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's no magic in Tae Kwon Do; they just make you do it sooner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, after finding I could kick higher, I still didn't use the kicks all that much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Truth is, I felt off-balance, and the kick seemed much slower than a nice belly high side kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-john&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6158" LastActivityDate="2015-08-26T17:42:06.893" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5447" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5362" CreationDate="2015-08-26T17:49:33.317" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you train Kyokushin, I would like to recommend you to take a look into a book written by Shihan Arneil &quot;Kyokushin karate kata&quot;. As I can see, Sanchin kata was explained there step by step, like other katas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, most of my friends found watching youtube videos in slow motion very useful (set up by clicking at &quot;gear&quot; button) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KprSXB25BDA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Sanchin Kyokushinkai kata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope it will be enough for you to remember most important technicalities (like which leg moves when, which hand blocks/strikes in what order). To learn the kata properly, Sensei supervision is required anyway. Experienced Sensei would see at one glance all yours errors and mistakes in stances and techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be also aware that even different Kyokushin organizations differs on some details in kata. My dojo belongs to Kyokushin World Federation so i.e. some punches are lowered from jodan to chudan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, I can share with you short instruction how to go into migi sanchin dachi at the beginning of kata:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bend your knees and sweep a right foot to &quot;clap&quot; to left foot (backbone should remain sill straight and upward). Simultaneously form your fists into lower &quot;cross&quot; (something that looks like juji-uke gedan). Right hand should be closer to body because after rewinding it must agree with the right foot moved forward.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sweep your right foot that heel of the foot lies at the same line as toes of a left foot and those feet should be at a shoulder width (like in fudo dachi). Right heel should end up turned 45 degrees outwards. Rewind your arms into upper cross at the same time.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Turn your left heel outwards of about 45 degrees.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Strengthen muscles from all bottom of your body, especially those of stomach and buttock. Pull your fists outwards that inner edges of your fists are at the same width as your breast and arms are &quot;growing up&quot; at angle of about 10 degrees. Strengthen lower part of your throat (left small hole for the air) and perform ibuki.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6156" LastEditorUserId="6156" LastEditDate="2015-08-26T17:54:35.350" LastActivityDate="2015-08-26T17:54:35.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5448" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5440" CreationDate="2015-08-27T00:38:59.780" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;While certainly some injuries are contraindicated to different movements, it really depends on the specific injury and the extent.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having a muscle tear is different than multiple fractures with pins in your joints is different than tendon tears is different than cartilage loss - and all of it depends on the joint and your specific movement ability after that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your best bet is a really good physical therapist to tell you what movements are &quot;probably never going to work for you&quot;, what kinds of movements are reasonable within years or months of recovery and what movements are safe right away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While there are a few instructors in martial arts who are versed enough in the specifics of injury, recovery, body mechanics to do this kind of assessment, they are, unfortunately, more rare than you think.  Many instructors have gone along with &quot;Do this, it's good for your knees&quot;, &quot;Just push through, eventually it'll stop hurting&quot; and similar admonitions that have left healthy people with cartilage loss or other problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The person I would trust would be doing a long testing period of what your range of motion is, what your areas of unimpeded movement are vs. bound movement, and would be seriously considering what kinds of techniques to teach you from that, and then what strategies can best work with the mobility you have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-08-27T00:38:59.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5449" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5440" CreationDate="2015-08-27T20:10:51.803" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;After a severe injury one should return to strength, conditioning, and mobility training well before martial arts. If martial arts are new then this is doubly important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is critical to be confident in what your body can and can't do before starting a practice centered around the uncooperative infliction of force onto a partner in chaotic circumstances. Your priority for both self-defense and staying active is to &lt;em&gt;stay healthy&lt;/em&gt;. The best way to do that is to get strong, flexible, mobile, and in shape. Only then should you look at martial arts. At that point, you should know your injuries and capabilities inside and out, and be able to safely try class at the gyms nearby in order to get a sense for which suits your needs best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-08-27T20:10:51.803" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5450" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5453" CreationDate="2015-08-28T03:41:56.707" Score="5" ViewCount="250" Body="&lt;p&gt;I cracked the fourth toe a year ago and now every other training in judo or bjj it hurts (even though I am taping it together and avoiding foot sweeps).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The doctor says there is nothing you can do to strengthen that toe and injuries are the price you pay for martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What would you recommend so I'm able to keep doing bjj and judo as long as possible? (I want to prevent back-, neck-, shoulder-, wrist-, knee- injury). Do you think swimming (for muscle state) and yoga (for flexibility) is a good shot?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6162" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-08-28T07:27:16.853" LastActivityDate="2015-08-29T22:32:37.243" Title="Extra training to avoid new injuries" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|injury|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5451" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5367" CreationDate="2015-08-28T09:04:20.783" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It really depends on your situation I guess, if you are sparring, as above it may be worth sweeping the other leg, Or just to put your point across to your Uke, just move them about the Dojo, controlling the caught leg, and allowing them to balance on the other leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this was outside in a street fight, then I would recommend either &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1)(extreme - multiple opponents) Bringing your elbow in hard against the inside knee of the caught leg, then a side snap kick to the supporting knee(this may lead to permanent damage hence extreme).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) Sweep (inside/cross hock?) to take them to the ground then use one of the multiple leg locks/restraint techniques, used in Ju jitsu/ Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my opinion high kicks are a high risk stratagey, leaving the attacker open to a counter, if as you mentiond the leg is caught, or they over extend, puting the attacker in a poor position which you can take advantage of. Lower kickers  (knees/ shins/ groin)  are used as softeners, if they go wrong and you miss/ over extend, you may still be in a poor position however you will not have over extended as much so I imagine the positioning would be no where near as bad as a high kick. These lower kicks are also a lot quicker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5993" LastActivityDate="2015-08-28T09:04:20.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5452" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-08-28T20:10:22.433" Score="2" ViewCount="241" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a new Karateka, practicing Chinese Goju Ryu and I'm working on my 8 point blocking system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm hoping that someone can give me an opinion of my form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Constructive answers and comments only please)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/R7qnvjpHAW0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/R7qnvjpHAW0&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Arigatou gozaimasu!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6165" LastActivityDate="2015-09-03T11:32:57.687" Title="Check my form - 8 point block" Tags="|karate|blocking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2015-09-04T16:32:34.477" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5453" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5450" CreationDate="2015-08-29T00:20:56.413" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Small Joint Training&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The doctor is right in practicality, if not in technicality.  If you have a weight bearing bone, it can be thickened, if you have muscle that you have conscious control over, you can exercise and strengthen it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, the amount of work and time to improve it will be vast and then it still won't mean much in the face of full body weight throws, etc.  Making a pencil twice as strong doesn't matter if it gets run over by a truck all the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can try to do things to protect your toe from re-injury, which may include taping, braces, limiting the type of training, but that's about it.  It's a small joint, and a key part of many grappling arts is using full strength/leverage against small joints just because there's practical limits to what you can do to protect them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Training to Avoiding Injury&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whole body strength training is great.  Swimming is a good option.  Give your body time to recover and build muscle.  Yoga can be a great option as well, if you focus on stabilizers and making sure you have strength along your whole range of motion.  If you get flexibility but have no strength at your need end-range of motion, you simply open your joint up to instability and risk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Particular for grappling arts is to be mindful in training - tap out early if you can't get a way out, make sure your training partners are operating with an appropriate amount of speed to their skill level - getting cranked too hard is a great way to get permanent joint damage for no real learning value at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-08-29T00:20:56.413" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5454" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5367" CreationDate="2015-08-29T02:27:49.330" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sweeps, throws, and unbalancings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of them need to happen fairly quickly after capture, of course; giving the kicker an opportunity to reset themselves on their remaining leg makes it a lot harder. The most common issue I see is that people just don't know what to do in a timely fashion. It's odd, because even just rushing the kicker's center of mass is often enough to get them reeling backwards; they can't hop as fast as you can run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2015-08-29T02:27:49.330" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5455" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5450" CreationDate="2015-08-29T22:32:37.243" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For the toe, it is important that you restore normal flexibility and strength, though it is difficult to tell whether this is a problem for you. I had an open dislocation of this toe once, and the main problem was that after the skin healed, the toe kept getting stubbed because it did not behave in the manner I was used to. The toe would remain mostly straight when I bent the other toes, and this made it easy to jam repeatedly. To help restore this, I would recommend exaggerated stepping where you work through your toes' full range of motion. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For general injury prevention, take good falls and don't fight force with force. Whether particular cross training will be effective for you depends on where you are starting from, which is impossible to assess over the internet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-08-29T22:32:37.243" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5456" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2845" CreationDate="2015-08-29T23:08:34.000" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Actually, one think that I do is that, when I see somebody is about to push me, I use my body to put my force to that push. Therefore, the push wouldn't stagger me and make me look bad. For regular pushes, you need to have a quick sense and use your body to counter that push.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6167" LastActivityDate="2015-08-29T23:08:34.000" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5457" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2845" CreationDate="2015-08-30T13:02:56.700" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Why resist?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why do you want to avoid recoiling? Very frequently someone pushing on you is a little gift, and you can yield and redirect the push to your advantage. Many opponents will unbalance themselves when pushing on you, which is your opening to attack with a throw or lead the opponent into a position to hit them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;If you decide to resist&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;OK, but suppose you merely want to avoid recoiling and do not want to attack back. The simplest thing to do is to set your feet. You are most vulnerable to pushes that come in perpendicular to the line between your feet. So align your feet with the push that comes in. This dramatically improves your resistance even with minimal training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can verify this yourself by having a partner stand in any stance and pushing on their center from different angles. You will find it is easiest to push them perpendicular to the line between the feet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other points:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dropping your weight helps&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Maintain good posture. Do not, for example, allow your spine to bend to move your torso outside the support area of your legs. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use your back leg to absorb the push and push back. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Leaning into a push is not a good idea. A trained opponent will unbalance you very quickly. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-08-30T13:02:56.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5458" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-08-31T01:44:01.427" Score="5" ViewCount="225" Body="&lt;p&gt;In orthodox stance, I pivot my rear foot and hips to my right, so my back is (almost) facing the target, then fire my front leg with the heel side (mostly) up. Another variation is stepping your lead leg back into south paw first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I practice this kick, it feels like I can generate more power than any other move. It's very fast to use and recover from. More so than the &lt;code&gt;standard back kick&lt;/code&gt; I've seen elsewhere. And I expect it would be useful as a leg kick to the knee or thigh. At least to the point of there being an occasional opportunity for its use. But I have never seen it used in MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can you explain the technique and usage of this kick in terms of its role in MMA (why isn't it used)? If this isn't named a back kick, what is its name?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6171" LastActivityDate="2015-08-31T02:00:52.037" Title="In terms of MMA, what is a back kick?" Tags="|kicking|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5459" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5458" CreationDate="2015-08-31T02:00:52.037" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;To be honest I'm not really sure how you differentiate what you described from what you term as a &quot;standard back kick&quot;. There can be a few ways to execute this kick, most of them are just variations on how to start it. You are quite correct that it is a very effective (and devastating) kick if executed correctly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the reason why you never see the back kick used in MMA (and very seldom in other competitions) is because:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you have to turn your back on the opponent. This is dangerous any time you have to do it, but especially so in MMA where your opponent is allowed to tackle and follow with extended grapple. Your opponent only has to alter their position a little for the kick to become vastly less effective - if it lands at all. Additionally most practiced MMA contenders don't need much of an opening to attempt a take down, if you turn your back on them you're giving them a free shot at it. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;remember that MMA tends to be quite BJJ centric. There won't be many competitors in MMA who have trained extensively in a more traditional art (and therefore becoming proficient with the kick) before immersing themselves in MMA (and consequently BJJ). I could name lots of effective techniques that you never see in MMA, simply because the participants don't learn them. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd venture that the main reason though is because MMA and BJJ - for good reason - don't value that particular kick highly enough to train in it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2015-08-31T02:00:52.037" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5460" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5461" CreationDate="2015-08-31T11:38:19.593" Score="2" ViewCount="132" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not sure if this belongs here or on &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/&quot;&gt;the Physical Fitness stack&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When on heavy bags training for western-style boxing we will do interval drills, so 10 seconds of easy boxing followed by 10 seconds of fast punches followed by 10 seconds of power. This is repeated for the duration of a 3 minute round.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a significant difference in the benefit(s) that you get by changing the duration of intervals? Or put another way, is there an &lt;em&gt;optimum&lt;/em&gt; interval duration to use if you are training for a 3x3minute round amateur bout? For example, I've seen YouTube videos of the same drill but with the duration of intervals at 30 seconds... if I did this maybe I increase my stamina as I'm throwing more heavy punches before resting, but on the other hand I'm giving myself longer to recover.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4267" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:46:50.943" LastActivityDate="2015-08-31T16:17:23.150" Title="What is the optimum interval duration for interval training?" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5461" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5460" CreationDate="2015-08-31T16:04:28.563" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's difficult to know what is &quot;optimum&quot; with regards to any kind of training regimen. I'm not sure at this time whether or not this has been proved out for all kinds of high intensity interval training. The only thing I can tell you is that the Tabata Protocol was developed in order to address this for one particular type of exercise (speed skating). And I believe he attempted to find the optimal combination of work and rest. Does it apply to boxing? No idea. But it's a good start.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tabata Protocol is basically 8 sets of: 20 seconds of maximum level activity, followed by 10 seconds of rest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of warnings when approaching this kind of exercise. It will destroy you. You need to work up to it. Otherwise you could really hurt yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some links that discuss it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tabataprotocol.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.tabataprotocol.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.brianmac.co.uk/tabata.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.brianmac.co.uk/tabata.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These links specifically talk about using it for boxing and MMA:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://boxing.isport.com/boxing-guides/tabata-training-conditioning-for-boxers&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://boxing.isport.com/boxing-guides/tabata-training-conditioning-for-boxers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rosstraining.com/blog/tabata-intervals/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://rosstraining.com/blog/tabata-intervals/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3ykvBhIVxU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3ykvBhIVxU&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can find more if you Google &quot;Boxing Tabata Protocol&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2015-08-31T16:17:23.150" LastActivityDate="2015-08-31T16:17:23.150" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5462" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5463" CreationDate="2015-08-31T23:46:30.500" Score="13" ViewCount="4604" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a reason why Wing Chun is uncommon in MMA? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An expert in Wing Chun might do really well as opponents would have a hard time finding training partners (like Lyoto Machida and Karate). perhaps a non-expert could cherry pick a few moves that would surprise an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6173" LastActivityDate="2020-04-21T19:06:12.687" Title="Is there a reason why wing chun is uncommon in MMA" Tags="|wing-chun|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5463" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5462" CreationDate="2015-09-01T04:27:58.230" Score="21" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun is uncommon in MMA for three major reasons. First, its practitioners generally shun sparring. Second, its practitioners generally shun realistic wrestling, throwing, and groundwork practice. Third, the skill Wing Chun focuses the most time on – hand trapping – is a small part of fighting in general, and is easily overshadowed by boxing or clinch work (that is, wrestling in any of its many forms) unless the WC stylist has extensive experience applying WC to rulesets more open than sticking hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The results of trying to apply just Wing Chun sticking-hands experience to MMA are consistently poor: they get &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc0Gt_M16lM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;taken down&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nzHykS-r2M&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;smashed&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAN-ZKQlucg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;choked&lt;/a&gt;. To be effective in MMA one needs to train effectively in all the aspects of fighting, not just the hand-trapping range so popular in Wing Chun. Wing Chun's singular strategy of closing the distance while neglecting takedowns is simply not going to work, whether in the cage or in a street fight, against an aggressive, athletic opponent who closes the distance even further, to a clinch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shawn Obasi explicitly represented Wing Chun in MMA. He did OK on the amateur circuit, but &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Shawn-Obasi-84513&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;his pro debut was not so effective&lt;/a&gt;. Watching his amateur fights, I do not see Wing Chun in action. For example, in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuoSsb9h_nM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this fight&lt;/a&gt;, he does very well against what appears to be a grappling specialist, but that seems due to his sprawl, athleticism, and guard (from some BJJ he's done). His striking seems, to me, singularly unimpressive (though probably better than mine!). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2020-04-21T19:06:12.687" LastActivityDate="2020-04-21T19:06:12.687" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5465" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5467" CreationDate="2015-09-01T10:35:01.393" Score="11" ViewCount="1928" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been training for a few years in karate and enjoyed it so far.  Unfortunately, club politics has crept in and it's now become pretty unpleasant to train there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Relations with our head sensei - based in a neighbouring city - have deteriorated (he can be a very difficult individual),  new starts are non-existant, and the regulars are attending sporadically.  There are some big egos going round and a lot of bitching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm having to be super positive to try and maintain the club and it's becoming draining.  I've made suggestions to seniors to try and boost attendance (change venue, produce leaflets, organise demos) but it falls on deaf ears.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is a very effective style of karate but it's becoming spoiled by politics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm going to open this question to all.  How do you deal with club politics?  I'm tempted to leave but it's a shame as I've spent a lot of time training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4325" LastActivityDate="2024-04-02T01:39:47.697" Title="Martial arts club politics" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5466" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5452" CreationDate="2015-09-01T11:43:38.870" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As already has been stated, your question asks for opinions,  and is vague and not very well suited for this forum. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I watched your video,  and would say that firstly,  your hikite should be on the side of your body,  not under your breast. Secondly,  your gedan harai uke is too linear,  and should be a movement  where you start with your fist up,  forearm perpendicular to the floor,  upper arm parallel to the floor,  move your elbow in front of your body,  and swing forearm and fist (ken) down,  stopping in front of your thigh,  with a fist width from thigh to fist.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The next advice I have for you is to ask a sempai / your sensei to show you,  and if you want to practice for yourself,  ask permission to film them,  then film yourself,  and compare. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5848" LastEditorUserId="6083" LastEditDate="2015-09-03T11:32:57.687" LastActivityDate="2015-09-03T11:32:57.687" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5467" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5465" CreationDate="2015-09-01T12:00:57.603" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are many valid reasons (fitness, self defence, enhance self worth, socialise, whatever...) why one goes to train but politics is not one of them. So, &lt;strong&gt;just smile and walk away&lt;/strong&gt;. Avoid conversations dealing with it. If asked, say you do not care. If that means leaving the dojo/style, do so. It is just not worth your time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether you are &amp;quot;rank and file&amp;quot; or part of the instructor team: you can avoid any politics whatsoever.  Either just train, or teach but do not get dragged down into talking about things. If the situation becomes too much: leave. Find another dojo, start your own, go look somewhere else for a different art to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/70/slugster&quot;&gt;Slugster&lt;/a&gt; stated in a comment:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts is a journey. Maybe it is time for yours to continue?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are involved in the national/regional infrastructure of of your art's organisation then politics is a necessary evil.  I suggest reading &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1232?msg=welcome_stranger&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli&lt;/a&gt;. It is a &lt;em&gt;great&lt;/em&gt; book.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2024-04-02T01:39:47.697" LastActivityDate="2024-04-02T01:39:47.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5468" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5465" CreationDate="2015-09-01T18:45:04.577" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer depends on what you prioritize in this situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Hold tight, continue training as normal&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you've noted, suggestions and positivity aren't helping.  You've mentioned it is unpleasant to train there - which tells me it's not just rough times when it involves the head teacher - there's problems in the local group's experience as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There'll be less people to train with, presumably less fees coming in, and financial hardship and probably eventually closure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Benefits: You maintain whatever relationships you have with the local teachers / students.  You get to continue whatever quality of training you're currently getting for a period, before it becomes completely untenable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Drawback: Nothing really gets better and it eventually gets worse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Try to form a separate, recognized training group&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If recognition and sticking to the core lineage is important, you might organize a group who decides to deal with the head teacher's requirements and form a separate group / school.  This will be seen as a power play, and burn tons of bridges with your local teachers and some of the other students as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The head teacher may not accept it either.  Or, the head teacher uses your group as a &amp;quot;weapon&amp;quot; to basically prop up and make the your current teachers look bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only time I've seen this be a reasonable option is if the local teachers are corrupt or messed up in some way - for example, one of the schools I trained at it became clear the local teacher was stealing from the students (like, their actual belongings) and spreading rumors between the sub teachers in some kind of weird mind game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Benefits: You get to stay in the official recognition of the lineage.  All the suggestions to try to work with the head teacher? You can enact them.  Drawbacks: It's a lot of work.  The head teacher may turn out to be entirely worse than what you know of so far.  You burn a lot of bridges and lose friendships.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Form an informal, unrecognized training group&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to train and you need people to train with.  You may not have all the space and equipment you want, but you can still train with other folks who love the art and also don't want to deal with the politics.  Your operating costs are low, which means you're not dependent on pulling in more students to keep the lights on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it also is hard to pull in new people, since most new people are brought in by being impressed by a nice school, uniforms, and official recognition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Benefits: Training! Not having to fight with people over politics.  Drawbacks: A few folks will see this as &amp;quot;abandonment&amp;quot;.  You won't have official recognition.  You won't benefit from the shared resources of the school - the space, the equipment, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can pick training, maintaining relationships, or staying official, but you can't get all three, unfortunately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastEditorUserId="9304" LastEditDate="2024-03-30T23:06:30.280" LastActivityDate="2024-03-30T23:06:30.280" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5469" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5465" CreationDate="2015-09-02T06:41:42.823" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you talk about politics between the Taekwon-do (some spell it Taekwondo) fratenity, you will have no end. I hope it's not that bad with Karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I'm going to open this question to all. How do you deal with club politics? I'm tempted to leave but it's a shame as I've spent a lot of time training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key to it is to ignore it. Continue your training. Get a few buddies and train seriously. Keep the art alive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I used to have a Master going around cheating students of their money. He collected fees for registration (to international federation) and certificates but he never submitted them to the federation. He just kept the money for himself. I trained under this Master for about 5 years before I got fed up and left him.I opened my own school under the tutelage of a respectable Grandmaster in the country, and continued my own journey in Martial Arts. I am thankful for the Master for teaching me the art, but I cannot follow his deceitful ways. All I can do right now is to keep myself away from all the noise, and continue training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep doing what you think is right, and your training will show results. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck. Don't give up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1797" LastActivityDate="2015-09-02T06:41:42.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5470" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2845" CreationDate="2015-09-02T14:12:50.133" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What parts of the body should be trained?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think it is terribly productive to train in anything but a holistic manner. Whether you are rooting, evading, or redirecting you will need to train your whole body to react in the desired manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How to be ready for a hard push?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Readiness is a product of situational awareness and training. With enough experience you will be able to read your opponents balance, technique, and intent. With the proper training you can read the situation without active consideration and react with muscle-memory guided swiftness. There is no universally correct action to take when being pushed. A great deal depends on the opponent and the circumstance.  So, it is best to learn multiple skills for dealing with this kind of aggression.  There are times when it is advantageous to stand-fast, yield, redirect, or even evade. The trick is knowing when to do what, and that comes from experience. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most arts/systems teach a variety of techniques which specifically address the situation of being pushed/shoved (especially grappling-focused ones).  In my personal experience, being shoved only happens with unskilled opponents. Trained fighters almost never use a generic two-arm, momentum-carrying push (especially considering that it is just behind the infamous wrist-grab in techniques every martial art trains to counter). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2015-09-02T14:12:50.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5471" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1011" CreationDate="2015-09-02T20:02:52.933" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Generally speaking, a straight punch is not optimal for causing a loss of consciousness. In boxing, most knockouts are caused by a solid uppercut punch to the chin (causing spine compression), or by a rapid flurry of straight/hooked blows (also causing spinal compression).  Knocking someone unconscious is never a good thing, medically speaking.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bare-knuckle boxers rarely ever knocked their opponents out, and that is because the amount of force required to render a healthy adult (of comparable size) unconscious is usually enough to seriously damage one's hands. It is feasible to incapacitate an opponent with strikes to soft tissue targets in a way that is comparable to being knocked out, but their are serious inherent risks there as well. A rapid combination of hard blows to the diaphragm, xiphoid process, and floating ribs can cause enough respiratory distress that a loss of consciousness is a possibility (and barring that is still pretty incapacitating). If safety isn't a concern (i.e. lethal force is warranted), rapid strikes (optimally open-hand or extended knuckle) to the throat can cause inflammation/swelling-induced asphyxia, but the throat is difficult to target (especially for multiple blows).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2015-09-02T20:02:52.933" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5472" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5135" CreationDate="2015-09-02T21:02:47.067" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How to win a street fight without putting anyone's life in danger?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only way to win a street fight without putting anyone's life at risk is to avoid fighting altogether.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;•Does knocking someone out by leading a punch to the chin (or&#xA;  somewhere else on the head) is willing to be lethal ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Despite what Hollywood would have us believe, being knocked unconscious is always a very bad thing. There is always a risk of death when that sort of trauma is caused to the brain and/or spinal cord.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;•Could a brutal blow to the solar plexus leads to death ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is always the chance that something like this can cause serious injury or death. That is why one should use the absolute minimum amount of force necessary in defense of self (or another). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the United States (and other legal systems based on British common law) there is a legal concept known as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggshell_skull&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Eggshell Doctrine&lt;/a&gt;, and it essentially states that a victim's frailty is not considered an extenuating circumstance to tortious damages. If you slap someone on the cheek and they fall down dead because of a bizarre preexisting medical condition you are just as guilty of homicide as you would have been if you beat his head into a closed-casket pulp. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;•I heard that a solid kick to the groin could also lead to death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Under the right circumstances this can happen. There are a lot of blood vessels in and around the crotch/inner-thigh region, and sufficient trauma can cause a potentially lethal internal bleed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;•Is it ok to break someone's arm (it won't kill him) if you are given&#xA;  the opportunity ? (Through a submission or something.).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Define okay.  Are you looking for permission, or a blessing, to go around breaking arms?  As a general rule, one should always use the least amount of force to resolve a physical altercation. When the amount of force appears excessive, authorities tend to take notice. The more skill and experience someone has, the less damage they generally need to use to end a conflict. In many ways, a more skilled opponent is a less dangerous one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How to be a fighter without being a murderer ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best way to be a competent combatant without being a murderer is to build your skill and experience to the level that you can effectively assess a situation, and then resolve the conflict with as little harm done as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Of course if such an opportunity is given to you, the best way not to&#xA;  loose a fight is to run away. I don't encourage people fighting when&#xA;  they can avoid the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is exactly right. Causing harm should always be a last resort. One should cultivate a discerning eye, and learn to recognize the warning signs when a situation is headed towards violent confrontation. Hostility should be defused when it can, avoided when at all possible, and settled quickly and decisively when it must.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2015-09-02T21:02:47.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5473" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5474" CreationDate="2015-09-03T08:16:16.547" Score="0" ViewCount="208" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started Krav Maga lessons last January (2015). In my 4th or 5th session, I injured my wrist. I didn't feel it immediately, but after some hours it started hurting. I went to the doctor; they took x-rays but couldn't see anything broken. They wrapped it up and told me not to use my hand for the next 3 weeks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After three weeks my wrist was much better, but I still had pain when swimming or doing push-ups (last June).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This September, I decided to give Krav Maga another try. I talked to my instructor about my wrist problem and he said that maybe it's good not to punch hard with my right hand. As a beginner, that's kind of difficult to control. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After the first training session, I actually felt my wrist hurting again. Not so much as previously, but a small constant pain on the upper part of my palm (the extension of the middle finger).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I plan to visit a doctor and get a CT (x-rays don't always show everything). My question is what should I do: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Should I continue Krav Maga and really try not to use my right hand so much (is this even possible)?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Should I stop Krav Maga once and for all (also any other martial art)?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Should I take a break (from the break) and when I feel better then start strengthening my wrist with some exercises?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6181" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-09-04T16:32:43.610" LastActivityDate="2015-09-04T16:32:43.610" Title="Injured my wrist in Krav Maga 8 months ago and now it hurts again" Tags="|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2015-09-03T23:57:35.187" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5474" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5473" CreationDate="2015-09-03T09:21:16.343" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, you definitely need to see a doctor about your injury! Once you have a clearer idea of what is actually wrong, you'll have a better idea of what you can and can't do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Until that point, though, I would suggest that further training in Krav Maga (or any other martial art!) is likely to make the injury worse. It could also make it harder to recover from the injury properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wishing you a speedy recovery!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2015-09-03T09:21:16.343" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5475" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3046" CreationDate="2015-09-05T01:44:01.920" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;muay thai clinch throws ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;can you pummel and hand fight like a greco roman wrestler ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;g-r is much like thai clinch entries... you must accept and beleave this .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;there are about  five different allowed and used methods of throws from clinch .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1)first group is over hook-- plaaam.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2)next is belly 2 belly .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3)mixed grip . i have called half love vs body lock full love .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4) ***half over collar and  other hand on bicept - c-grip-some will call this meat hook-swand grip . cobra grip.!!!&#xA;this is the most desirable grip because you can stear or move into elbow and more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;you must learn to pummel and hand fight -TRANSITION  OUT OF THESE GRIPS.&#xA;slow and light weight pressure -grippings..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;if you cant find a partner to practice with lift weights . bumbells and kettle weights- non-stop for five minute sets..&#xA;them middel eastern wrestlers use indian clubs and spin them all about the body -over head and around  for &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;strength conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;GRECO clinch aids every thing about muay thai clinch..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;lets talk about CLINCH throws .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1 ) there is a knee bump lead in to pull type throw- this is like the one bukow does.&#xA;this is for a fast nimble fighter only. learn about push pull hand action for throws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) there is a leveraged throw -fulcrum , where you place your knee aside of the opponets thigh just above the knee &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;cap and pull them. YOU MAY NEED TO FORCE AND FALL DOWN ON TOP OF THEM-if  fulcrum action is ineffective or failed..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) twist throw -mostly from body lock .&#xA;4) pull down -sit down throw. MOVING FORWARD OR BACKWARD HELPS. backwards is much like a lateral drop  but has a knee entry ..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;5) from double collar tie-plumm twist an arm and stear the  apponent step direction to twist quickly and jerk &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;there head down.&#xA;the majority of the time a knee is a predesessor -lead in and PLANTED in the proper place for the next action to &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;occure.&#xA;therefore you must have  and use a good round knee and PLACE  it next to the opponents thigh and explode into &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;you next move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;THIS IS JUST STARTERS FOR FULL ON THAI CLINCH THROWS .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6187" LastActivityDate="2015-09-05T01:44:01.920" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5477" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1690" CreationDate="2015-09-06T20:32:25.367" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a lot involved in hand conditioning. You can punch a wall, if you do it right (much better after some conditioning time). As your knuckles make contact with the wall, press your knuckles into the surface as hard as you can. This will help with deep-conditioning, not just the surface where you would see a callous. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I punch trees of many different sizes; I like ones that will move as I hit it. It is always better for you if the object you are hitting gives and not you. You can use an old phone book to strike, or a stack of newspapers tied with twine together. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you know a fireman, try to get a few pieces of old firehose (looks like canvas) and wrap around a tree or mount to a wall or board. Lastly, a rubber mallet works very well, is quiet and portable! Just strike your knuckles with it throughout the day. Only do 40 strikes at a time to avoid breaking of the skin from over doing it. I am 63 years old, in the Arts since I was 10. I use 2 inch boards for my breaks while most everyone else uses 1 inch. I do 3 NOT spaced for a punch! I hope this helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6190" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-03T07:25:51.823" LastActivityDate="2015-11-03T07:25:51.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5478" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-09-07T04:24:09.667" Score="7" ViewCount="2833" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a new student and only female in my Wing Chun class. The teacher who is well over six foot something, strong as an ox and has a black belt in karate, uses full force when showing me techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other day we were supposed to do an off balancing technique when the teacher punched my wrist so hard I had to take a week off for recovery. It hurt to move my fingers and I had to keep them on ice and wrapped up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He's always been rough on me but so are the rest of his students. However, this is not the case in any of my other classes. The day before this happened, my Sifu brought in some of his old Kenpo friends for a sparring match with his WC advanced students. Overseeing the fight he let them beat each other up until the headgear and floor was covered in blood. It was a pretty gruesome fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Feeling bummed out, I asked one of my other teachers and close friend what I should do. He thinks WC is a useless: he says that, in real self, defense and a lot of the trapping techniques won't even work without modification outside oriental martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is the art worth going through the treatment? Is it worth taking the time to learn? Will it work in self defense? Can I trust my Sifu?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6068" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2015-09-09T11:53:31.400" LastActivityDate="2015-11-06T07:54:01.660" Title="Do I have a bad Wing Chun teacher and is Wing Chun worth it?" Tags="|training|karate|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5479" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5478" CreationDate="2015-09-07T06:11:47.600" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am not very familiar with wing chun,  but having studied karate both in the nineties and presently,  I'd say that generally,  there has been a paradigm shift,  making (at least karate) more accessible to people of all shapes and sizes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could say that there are different degrees of training, the regimens that promote the traditions of the martial arts,  and those that are usable in self defense. In order to be comfortable &quot;in the wild&quot;  there are different degrees of self preservation,  the first of which is don't get hit. I believe that just training a martial art,  gives you an aura if self confidence that will deter some potential attackers. But as I say to my students,  to be prepared for something,  you have to try it.  We don't punch each other to a pulp,  but some contact is used,  so that we don't freeze and panic if we are ever confronted with an actual attacker. When I say some contact,  I don't mean giving each other broken noses,  buy eg slapping the side of the face,  ude tanden (hardening training ) and light sparring. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With regards to your trainer, you can choose to regard this as a misogynistic trait,  as being stuck in the eighties,  if as him mostly accommodating those that like the rougher training.  I don't believe that what you describe is normal for wing chun,  but I can't check. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5848" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-11-06T07:54:01.660" LastActivityDate="2015-11-06T07:54:01.660" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5480" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5478" CreationDate="2015-09-07T06:24:02.840" Score="25" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wing chun doesn't have to be bad for this school to be bad &lt;strong&gt;for you&lt;/strong&gt;. It sounds like you're not comfortable there. I think you should stop training with these people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-09-07T06:24:02.840" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5481" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5478" CreationDate="2015-09-07T10:38:34.390" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do you have a bad Wing Chun teacher?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know, as it really &lt;strong&gt;does not sound at all like Wing Chun&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Going back to its roots, Wing Chun is actually named for one of the early female practitioners of the art. It emphasizes techniques where the user flows around the enemy, as it is expected that the WC user would lose when facing an opponent head-on (punching their wrist).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do you have a bad teacher?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am pretty sure your teacher is wrong for you. It sounds like he has &quot;adapted&quot; Wing Chun around his large frame, and developed his own style (which runs completely contrary to the tenets of WC).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would advise you to drop this teacher as soon as you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I would not completely discount WC just yet. The core style is well suited for defeating an aggressor who is much larger than you, which is perhaps how it came to become popular.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6192" LastEditorUserId="6192" LastEditDate="2015-09-11T03:40:08.363" LastActivityDate="2015-09-11T03:40:08.363" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5482" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5478" CreationDate="2015-09-07T12:22:56.703" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Others have said it, I'll agree. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Never work with a teacher who makes you uncomfortable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Always work with a teacher who is serving your needs, advancing &lt;strong&gt;your&lt;/strong&gt; study and developing &lt;strong&gt;you&lt;/strong&gt; in ways you both agree are good.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2015-09-07T12:22:56.703" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5483" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="28" CreationDate="2015-09-08T04:13:21.323" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have found an instant way to stop nose bleeds. I mix powder collagen (from GNC, Vitamin Shoppe or any health food store with a few drops of water to form a paste and put it in your nose and dip a twisted up paper towel pack in the collagen paste and put into the nostril. Hold for a few minutes. But it Stops instantly. Amazing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6200" LastActivityDate="2015-09-08T04:13:21.323" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5484" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5490" CreationDate="2015-09-08T20:56:20.897" Score="8" ViewCount="5522" Body="&lt;p&gt;In your own school, you have a Sifu (師傅 or 師父) or sensei (先生), which is frequently translated as master or teacher. In the same way you have a grandfather, who is the father of your father, you have a grandmaster, the master of your master or the teacher of your teacher. Within your school you can use words that describe your relationship with other school members. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How is the term grandmaster used for schools outside your own? Is this just someone who has grandstudents, or is there some other understood qualification? Why would you choose to title someone with grandmaster over master? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is related to the question&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/563/5961&quot;&gt;Correct usage of the title &amp;quot;Master&amp;quot;?&lt;/a&gt;, but I am really interested in why people on this board choose to use the term grandmaster. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2020-09-18T14:34:49.780" Title="What is a grandmaster?" Tags="|terminology|etiquette|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5485" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5484" CreationDate="2015-09-08T21:25:39.523" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ain't nobody my master. For sure ain't nobody my grandmaster. I've got sensei, I've got coaches. Those are personal relationships with reciprocal obligations of their own, and I choose them. But the idea of a man having a master is outdated feudal* bullpuckey. Similarly, my coaches have coaches, and sometimes they teach me. In that case they're my coach, and my coach's coach, and there's no need for flowery language. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is doubly true when that flowery language has a tendency to go hand-in-hand with self-aggrandizement, fraud, and cult behavior. An organization with &quot;masters&quot; and &quot;grandmasters&quot; is, in my experience, more likely to involve extreme and unnecessary hierarchical behavior, slavish obedience to party doctrine, and a strong sense of unquestionable orthodoxy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Masters&quot; and &quot;grandmasters&quot; have too many weird connotations and cause too many misunderstandings to both outsiders and insiders to use them. I recommend being very, very wary of anyone use of those terms in the martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;or, worse, pseudofeudal!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-09-10T09:01:26.350" LastActivityDate="2015-09-10T09:01:26.350" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5486" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1366" CreationDate="2015-09-09T00:32:52.137" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I feel that while all of the posts are sound ideas of what makes the difference between northern and southern styles. But the lack of acknowledgment of the Northern styles that are compact and explosive like traditional chinese Baji Quan and the repeated claim that southern stylist lack traditional kicking ability is a clear example of the lack of Wushu knowledge presented here.&#xA;Tiger, dragon and snake styles all from the south have standing, jumping and flying kicks, and some of the kicks represented in snake style Wushu are incredibly difficult to master. As an FYI I am not referring to the Shaolin schools of Wushu for I am not a Shaolin practioner so it is not my area of expertise.&#xA;The history of the country plays a large part in the evolution of the styles.. Long fist using large sweeping arm techniques To defend against long weapons, like a spear from a mounted mongol attacking during the Qing dynasty. Smaller frame styles gain their compact representation of techniques due to over crowded training areas thanks to a military regimented influence of Wushu techniques. And then there is the Government's over all influence on Traditional chinese martial arts which caused a dramatic decline in martial knowledge among the people and the development of government standardized sport Wushu which is most of what anyone has seen and is a dramatically watered down version of the style compared to its more martial and now outlawed original style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6202" LastActivityDate="2015-09-09T00:32:52.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5487" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5484" CreationDate="2015-09-09T01:03:10.923" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's no worldwide definition for master or grandmaster.  Some schools or lineages might apply it if you've been at a certain rank for X number of years, or if you can complete certain tasks or tests... outside of that, it's pretty much what anyone chooses to call themselves or others choose to call them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my own personal view, someone who has good movement and power and can adapt well (not necessarily perfectly) to dealing with different styles or opponents?  I'd consider them a master.  And someone who can do that AND constantly pull out new things from their training, adapting it in new, deeper ways? That's a grandmaster to me.  However, you kinda have to spend some time with folks and really see how they move and feel how they act/react to really say anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Outside of that, mostly I use grandmaster when the lineage/school calls that person a grandmaster.  It doesn't hurt me any to call people whatever they want to be called - at the end of the day it's the movement, not the title that's going to matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-09-09T01:03:10.923" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5488" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5484" CreationDate="2015-09-09T01:58:33.467" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Taekwon-do, a Grandmaster is a practitioner who has attained the rank of 9th Degree Black Belt (also known as 9th Dan, for some). He is called the &quot;Sasung-nim&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A Master is one who is 7th or 8th Degree Black Belt. Ranks below that are commonly known as &quot;Sabum-nim&quot; (Instructor) or &quot;Boo-Sabum-nim&quot; (Asst. Instructor).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether or not a person should be deemed a Grandmaster, is another matter. I know people who promote themselves to the title through shortcuts. This is very unfair to the others who worked hard. Likewise I know some old timers who were involved in the art since many years ago and their level of knowledge and skill deserves the title.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1797" LastEditorUserId="1797" LastEditDate="2015-09-16T15:52:12.617" LastActivityDate="2015-09-16T15:52:12.617" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5489" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5383" CreationDate="2015-09-09T07:04:11.790" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As Sean said, nito ryu teach the way to fight with a katana and a wakizashi, but in real fight, on a ground battle, a samurai could use those technique with a second full sized katana. I practised it and i don't remember any technique which wouldn't work with two katana. There is some Kenjutsu Dojo that are able to teach it if you wanna try it&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6203" LastActivityDate="2015-09-09T07:04:11.790" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5490" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5484" CreationDate="2015-09-09T17:35:54.290" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;The short form of the answer is that it is entirely dependent on the organization and its standards and customs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the longer answer, start by looking at the way the word &quot;master&quot; is used in English and notice that it has several meanings that are only loosely related.  &quot;Master&quot; can mean &quot;teacher&quot;, it can mean &quot;lord&quot; especially when referring to the &quot;master of an estate&quot; or &quot;master of slaves&quot;, or it can mean &quot;expert&quot; as in master of the art.  Its worth noting that the division between these meanings is clearer in some other languages.  In Latin, both &quot;magister&quot; and &quot;dominus&quot; are often translated into the English word &quot;Master&quot; but their meanings are distinct in Latin.  &quot;Magister&quot; refers to a master of an art or an expert while &quot;dominus&quot; referred to someone in authority as in a &quot;master of an estate&quot; or &quot;slave master&quot;.  Etymologically, our word &quot;master&quot; derived from the Latin &quot;magister&quot; but went through several changes and the definition broadened substantially.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can see all of these intermingled in martial arts, and as Dave Liepmann pointed out, often in confusing ways.  Some organizations, both in and out of martial arts, have specific and detailed criteria for attaining the rank of master in their art.  A &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_title#Master&quot;&gt;master of chess&lt;/a&gt; has an ELO rating of at least 2200 and meets certain other criteria.  A &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/11/30/so-you-want-my-job-master-penman/&quot;&gt;master penman&lt;/a&gt; has been recognized by IAMPETH as being a master of their craft.  In &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo#Ranks.2C_belts.2C_and_promotion&quot;&gt;ITF&lt;/a&gt; a master is someone who has been recognized as a 7th or 8th Dan and a grandmaster is someone who has been recognized as 9th Dan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the sense of someone being a teacher, I do not think it would ever be wrong to call your sensei/coach/instructor &quot;master&quot;.  But that can easily get confused with other meanings of the word, especially if you are in an organization that has precisely defined the term.  I have never seen the term &quot;grandmaster&quot; used to refer to the &quot;teacher of my teacher&quot;.  Grandmaster as a term generally either refers to a precisely defined rank (ITF 9D for instance) or else to someone who outranks the masters in an organization that recognizes masters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of this is a long way of saying that referring to a teacher as &quot;master&quot; will not be wrong, but can be confusing and ambiguous.  For any other meaning of the word you need to look specifically at the culture and standards of a particular organization.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1253" LastActivityDate="2015-09-09T17:35:54.290" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5492" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5478" CreationDate="2015-09-10T02:58:47.607" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's so weird to hear you say these things. Wing chun is a SOFT art and is not about brute strength or force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Believe it or not, it was actually created by a woman and was meant as a way for softness to overcome hardness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you are experiencing is the exact opposite of what the art is about!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I studied kempo for 12 years and definitely have been there with the rough and tumble hehe.  We usually didn't have much blood but it did happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, that's not what WC is about.  So yeah.. It does seem like your teacher is more a kempo person that values &quot;the hard&quot; rather than a WC person and you yourself seem like you gravitate toward the soft.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds cheesy but good martial arts is both hard and soft, because each is appropriate at different times.  This is actually part of what the yin and yang represents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might want to shop around some more but I think WC could be a great fit for you with the right teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6206" LastActivityDate="2015-09-10T02:58:47.607" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5493" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5495" CreationDate="2015-09-12T14:16:57.753" Score="11" ViewCount="1894" Body="&lt;p&gt;Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitions have multiple events for gender, weight class, and gi (cotton uniform)/no-gi. These events are similar to different stroke events at a swim meet. You can choose to enter gi or no-gi events. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have seen the following image passed around the local grappling community. What is the context for this question/statement? What is the controversy?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YWYoS.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YWYoS.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Another ADCC goes by and gi grapplers win unanimously. Does anyone still believe there's a controversy?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source: &lt;a href=&quot;https://instagram.com/p/7InnY8KGIP/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://instagram.com/p/7InnY8KGIP/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="412" LastEditDate="2015-12-03T16:22:25.907" LastActivityDate="2015-12-03T16:22:25.907" Title="What is the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gi/no-gi controversy?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|gi|no-gi|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5494" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5493" CreationDate="2015-09-12T15:43:05.160" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is basically a matter of traditions. Traditional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners wear a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_jiu-jitsu_gi&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, stemming from their origins in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu which uses the &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt; as the standard in most of its martial-arts. Many BJJ competitions require wearing a &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt; for all competitors while others are &quot;no-&lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt;&quot; competitions where competitors can wear clothing more similar to UFC-wear, compression shorts and rashguards. There are also &lt;a href=&quot;http://breakingmuscle.com/brazilian-jiu-jitsu/to-gi-or-not-to-gi-differences-between-gi-no-gi-grappling&quot;&gt;technical differences in scoring and rules&lt;/a&gt; between the two due to differences in what's possible when there's clothing to be grabbed for holds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The post you provided is the only thing I've found indicating that there's a &quot;controversy&quot;, but I suspect that some people feel that a no-&lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt; training is closer to real-life conditions where your attacker might not be wearing a heavy cotton garment which you can use to tie them up in, and that fighting in one is giving your opponent advantages. However, currently, the traditional practitioners are still winning against opponents who do not sport the uniform, which seems to contradict the hypothesis. You can find some message board discussion of the two different schools of thought &lt;a href=&quot;http://forum.mmajunkie.com/forum/threads/to-gi-or-not-to-gi.62832/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-09-12T15:45:26.433" LastActivityDate="2015-09-12T15:45:26.433" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5495" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5493" CreationDate="2015-09-13T17:54:59.237" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;Gi and no-gi have a long rivalry in BJJ and grappling that has changed character dramatically over the course of the art's history. Most modern jiujitsu practitioners from the US train both and don't think much about it, but there are still a significant number of polemicists on both sides.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BJJ came from judo, which trained exclusively in the gi, and so was similarly a gi practice for decades. In Brazil, one of BJJ's rivalries was with Luta Livre practitioners, whose grappling was partially derived from wrestling and trained without the gi. (This rivalry and difference in training clothes may have involved class/wealth issues as well--the gi is costly equipment.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The proving ground of BJJ was always primarily two-fold: grappling and fighting. Grappling skill was generally proved in BJJ competitions, with the occasional foray into judo, sambo, or wrestling tournaments. BJJ for fighting was proved in dojo challenge matches, street and vale tudo fights, and MMA matches. MMA and vale tudo fights were generally contested near-nude, and though some everyday clothing can be used for grips or chokes, street fights generally didn't involve anything akin to a gi. These no-gi competitive fighting opportunities gave rise to no-gi training and no-gi grappling competitions. Non-BJJ grapplers from Luta Livre, wrestling, catch wrestling, and Sambo fed the popularity of this kind of training. Eventually, some BJJ grapplers specialized in no-gi, and in some extreme cases arguments were made rejecting the gi entirely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The primary remaining argument centers around how much one needs to train with or without the gi for success in either gi or no-gi grappling, self-defense, or fighting (whether vale tudo, MMA, or whatever). One argument goes that MMA is contested without the gi, therefore one should train without the gi. Another goes that in cold seasons we wear jackets, so we should train the manipulation of jacket-like clothes. Yet another set of arguments centers around which training modality is more &quot;technical&quot; or more &quot;athletic&quot;, which may in fact be a disagreement over the ease of escaping the opponent's techniques. There is contention over how much training in one contributes to skill in the other, with arguments and personal experience claiming each direction is superior.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But again, many students ignore the controversy and have fun training both. Nowadays most BJJ gyms train both gi and no-gi, with the split in training time spanning the entire range. Some teachers emphasize the gi first, saving no-gi for advanced students. Some only do no-gi at open mats, not regular class. Most competitive gyms are nearly 50/50. The biggest implication in one's training is generally the choice regarding techniques that are effective in one modality but impossible or difficult in the other, such as collar-grip-based submissions or guards, and some chokes that are applied best with a fast and deep grip that is hard to effect with gi sleeves and collars in the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-09-14T07:17:42.150" LastActivityDate="2015-09-14T07:17:42.150" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5496" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2015-09-14T02:24:57.680" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have found that strength training once a week and power endurance once a week alongside BJJ, Thai boxing, boxing and JKD concepts helps a lot in my fitness and strength; however, if I do strength or power endurance more than once a week, I slow down and burn out. Everyone's body reacts differently; spreading my training out over a period of time makes a massive difference for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6216" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-09-16T18:43:00.720" LastActivityDate="2015-09-16T18:43:00.720" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5497" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5501" CreationDate="2015-09-15T16:40:54.870" Score="7" ViewCount="1693" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't push me off, if I asked a very dumb or plainly stupid question. All I know about martial arts can be written on a matchbox.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was just wondering if there is any martial art (grappling) form where they use legs for locking, chocking or disabling the opponent? Every time I watch a match of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabaddi&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kabaddi&lt;/a&gt; it gets me started if there is a formal martial arts form that incorporates on using legs for grappling. I am not including Kabaddi in martial arts because it is more of a sport than a fighting form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6221" LastActivityDate="2018-10-08T14:09:47.443" Title="Is There Any Martial Art Where They Use Legs For Grappling?" Tags="|grappling|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5498" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5497" CreationDate="2015-09-15T17:16:06.587" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, for example, use legs to lock and choke opponents. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh0QSmL0pEY&quot;&gt;Sankaku jime&lt;/a&gt;, also known as the triangle choke, is a popular technique where the legs are put into a figure-4 position around the neck and arm of an opponent. The legs are used to both immobilize and choke the opponent, and arm locks can be performed from this position as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIhkwLxhcfA&quot;&gt;guard position&lt;/a&gt;, where you are sitting or on your back facing your opponent, also requires extensive use of the legs. Sankaku jime is one of many different ways to attack from the guard position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-09-15T17:16:06.587" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5499" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5497" CreationDate="2015-09-15T22:44:16.410" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the first things that came to my mind, even before Brazilian Jiujitsu, was Harimau Pencak Silat. It can be seen in this video:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GkXXv02YR8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GkXXv02YR8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Harimau (&quot;Black Triangle&quot;) style of Silat is modeled on the movements of the tiger and has a specialization in ground fighting. One of its primary strategies is to take someone to the ground and finish them off there with bone breaks, submissions, and strikes. It is also taught defensively, as in how to rapidly recover from falls to the ground when your opponent is either standing or is also on the ground with you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grappling in Harimau targets the opponent's legs as well as making heavy use of the practitioner's legs in many sneaky, off-angle ways. There are leg and arm bars. There are chokes. There are heel hooks. There are throws. There are leg scissors, single and double arm take-downs, lots of different kinds of sweeps, and other take-downs, often done from an inferior position. All kinds of interesting things done in a highly stylized manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't consider this form of ground fighting to be &quot;superior&quot; to Brazilian Jiujitsu's ground fighting system, but it certainly is interesting and worth looking into if you haven't already. The techniques in the Harimau style can be incorporated into BJJ, MMA, and other arts on a piece by piece basis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That video was just a small sample of what's in the style. You should do a search for other videos on Harimau to get a better understanding of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2015-09-16T04:59:08.883" LastActivityDate="2015-09-16T04:59:08.883" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5500" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2555" CreationDate="2015-09-16T01:26:35.567" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am the least of any expert here.  Each day for me is an empty cup to fill.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, please consider this.. If you are using a katana or similar sword, grip is important, when you strike, both hands twist in a little... this lets you stop the sword at a specific place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But power does not necessarily come from big arms or shoulders.  It comes from the ground up, your feet, legs, waist, torso, shoulders, arms etc.  Conditioning is important, 100%.  It comes from skill and technique.  This comes from good instruction.  At the end of the day, you are talking about a martial science as it applies to the use of a weapon.  There is a scientific application for its use and conditioning.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learn the basics from a qualified teacher and practice them over and over with the weapon he or she prescribes.  This will develop the muscles you need as a foundation for future skills.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not fear the man that knows 10.000 techniques, fear the man that has practiced one technique 10.000 times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regards&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6224" LastActivityDate="2015-09-16T01:26:35.567" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5501" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5497" CreationDate="2015-09-16T12:04:32.253" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some judo, Sambo, and BJJ players specialize in jumping into chokes or armlocks from standing. It's called a &quot;flying armbar&quot; or &quot;flying triangle&quot;. See &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdDG5QaJI_0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this example from MMA&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmdxMvxA2Q8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this example from BJJ/submission grappling&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih4LJ3e4Y2g&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this example from judo&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-09-16T13:30:28.810" LastActivityDate="2015-09-16T13:30:28.810" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5502" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5497" CreationDate="2015-09-16T14:23:41.047" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Among the other excellent answers, I figured I'd mention Capoeira. Capoeira tends to deemphasize the use of hands in its attacks for historical reasons (depending on who you ask, either due to fighting in shackles or simply because it became &quot;the way things are done&quot;), so many of its techniques are done with the legs. It also doesn't have a huge number of pure grappling techniques since the emphasis is on attacking and avoiding attacks without getting bogged down, but it includes a number of leg scissor (&lt;em&gt;tesoura&lt;/em&gt;) attacks from a &quot;flying&quot; &lt;em&gt;tesoura&lt;/em&gt; where you launch yourself at your opponent to the &lt;em&gt;tesoura Angola&lt;/em&gt;, which involves approaching the opponent back-first with legs spread to threaten the &lt;em&gt;tesoura&lt;/em&gt; (this is a somewhat ritualized move with several traditional responses). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also slightly more protracted leg grappling situations that will happen in the sparring circle involving the &lt;em&gt;capoeiristras&lt;/em&gt; trying to disrupt the other's balance, but they tend to be less formalized. To provide an anecdotal case, I had one pass where I went for a standard tesoura sweep, the other guy went into a cartwheel, and I continued into my own cartwheel, hooking his legs and windmilling with my own legs to disrupt his balance. As noted before, they tend to be less of a matter of &quot;grappling&quot; and more of a matter of a sweep, here a series of exchanged sweeps and counter-sweeps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-10-08T14:09:47.443" LastActivityDate="2018-10-08T14:09:47.443" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5503" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="965" CreationDate="2015-09-17T14:41:10.270" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Left hand sticks and pivot on right foot leads away an attacking punch into emptiness.  Opponent now falling forward can receive push back and up from left palm while you bounce them back after dropping into left foot.  Right hand rotating anti clockwise and back at shoulder height deflects a punch coming in from behind.  Was working on that last at night's class.&#xA;After posting the above I did a bit of Google on this move.  On Wikipedia I found out and its an interesting side fact that the title &quot;Single whip&quot; was meant to read &quot;Carrying baskets&quot; but was misheard during a translation from Chinese to English many years ago.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6233" LastEditorUserId="6236" LastEditDate="2015-09-23T04:47:44.260" LastActivityDate="2015-09-23T04:47:44.260" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5504" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-09-17T15:05:09.793" Score="4" ViewCount="2439" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have just brought a gumshield for boxing. I have four front teeth missing. Do I fit the gumshield with false teeth in or out to take the shape correctly?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6234" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-09-17T16:26:56.063" LastActivityDate="2016-05-25T13:37:55.977" Title="How to fit a gumshield it some teeth are missing" Tags="|boxing|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5505" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5504" CreationDate="2015-09-17T16:25:53.550" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.sherdog.com/forums/f16/mouthguard-missing-teeth-983208/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this answer&lt;/a&gt;, it looks like the recommendation is to mold it without false teeth in. The answer &lt;a href=&quot;http://mouthguards.opro.com/custom-faqs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;is different&lt;/a&gt; for children, whose teeth are likely to grow back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-09-17T16:25:53.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5506" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5507" CreationDate="2015-09-18T11:01:13.523" Score="0" ViewCount="292" Body="&lt;p&gt;First how common is it for Wrestlers to train with opponents that are using Jiu jitsu?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When it comes to improving wrestling skills, is it better for a Wrestler to train against another Wrestler or a Jiu jitsu player? Would grappling with a jiu jitsu player lead to better wrestling because of exposure to unexpected positions? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6173" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2015-09-24T20:22:52.780" LastActivityDate="2015-09-24T20:22:52.780" Title="Is it better for wrestlers to train against other wrestlers, or against jiu jitsu players?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|wrestling|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2015-09-23T04:52:17.267" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5507" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5506" CreationDate="2015-09-18T13:08:19.550" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In direct competition between wrestlers and jiu jitsu players, you run into the problem of differences in rule sets. For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jiu jitsu players do not consider back exposure alone to be bad position and will very commonly attack from positions with back exposure. The guard position is a scoring position for the top player in wrestling if there is back exposure for the player on the bottom.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hyperextending an opponent's arm is not allowed in wrestling.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In wrestling, stalling is a penalty. In jiu jitsu, players may make very slow progress that would probably be called stalling.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because of these differences, it does not really make sense to have direct competition between wresting and jiu jitsu. You have to choose one or the other, or create modified rules to compete against each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the US, cross training in wrestling and jiu jitsu is not unusual because wrestling is a common sport offering in secondary schools and jiu jitsu is not. Many students will compete at their schools in wrestling and do jiu jitsu on the side or in the off season.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are interested in experiencing new situations for application to wrestling, my advice is twofold:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you are just interested in improving your wrestling, the simplest thing you can do is travel to tournaments or training camps, or practice with people who do. Martial arts have a huge range of possibilities, and every coach/teacher may specialize in different techniques. Go see what is out there and how others wrestle. Practice with as many different people as you can find.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will be a much faster way of improving your wrestling than trying to take jiu jitsu and squish it into the wrestling ruleset.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you are interested in studying some jiu jitsu, find a jiu jitsu school or some friends who practice jiu jitsu and join. How this may improve your wrestling may not be obvious for some time because many techniques will not be directly usable in wrestling. I estimate the payoff time on this kind of cross training study to be 6+ months, and you also have to factor in your lost wrestling training time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't assume you know in advance what you will be learning. If you already knew, you wouldn't need to attend the school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2015-09-20T03:48:22.747" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5508" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5509" CreationDate="2015-09-21T14:24:28.660" Score="6" ViewCount="2998" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been practicing Shotokan Karate for about 6 months.  Yesterday during practice my sensei had us practice free sparing with no protective gear, not even gloves, and I got punched in the mouth and got a bruised and swollen lip.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is whether I should talk to my sensei about wearing gloves during sparring?  I'm a beginner student so I'm hesitant to tell him how to conduct practice.  Are gloves always used in sparring?  How typical is it to spar without gloves?  How should I talk to him about this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6240" LastEditorUserId="6240" LastEditDate="2015-09-21T19:00:28.927" LastActivityDate="2017-09-18T22:23:55.737" Title="Is it okay to spar without gloves?" Tags="|karate|sparring|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5509" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5508" CreationDate="2015-09-21T14:53:42.987" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a beginner, I would say you should definitely be wearing gloves and more importantly the person you're sparring against should be wearing some form of protective gear, particularly at least a gum shield.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you've never done any sparring before and you're a white belt, it shouldn't be expected that you would know how to control a technique. It is also quite possible that you are unfamiliar with blocking and so it is likely you will take a knock or two. If you were to face an opponent that is considerably better than you, they will probably be able to force you to make mistakes and you could get seriously hurt. Speaking from personal experience, I have been doing karate for nearly 10 years and was wearing pads whilst sparring an opponent in class and his kick managed to break my arm. Whilst this was an unlikely accident, not wearing any protective gear dramatically increases the chance of injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on which association you train with it is generally mandatory to wear some form of sparring gear. I train in karate under the WKF and if you take part in competition kumite, you are instantly disqualified if you don't have a gum shield, hand mitts and shin &amp;amp; foot pads in both red and blue. Read here for the rules they provide on competition kumite: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wkf.net/pdf/wkf-competition-rules-version9-2015-en.pdf&quot;&gt;http://www.wkf.net/pdf/wkf-competition-rules-version9-2015-en.pdf&lt;/a&gt;. Particularly page 6, point 9.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know of any martial art that would recommend using absolutely no protective gear at all. Even boxers wear hand wraps as it's very likely they will break their knuckles without them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rather than going to your sensei directly, it might be worth speaking to some of the higher grades in your class first (brown belt and above) and see what they think about wearing no protective gear. If you don't agree with them then go to your sensei. If you aren't happy with his answer, you can always try a different school. There is no point in training in a martial art if you are not happy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6136" LastEditorUserId="6136" LastEditDate="2015-09-21T15:29:21.630" LastActivityDate="2015-09-21T15:29:21.630" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5510" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5508" CreationDate="2015-09-21T17:01:33.860" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think the key question here is &quot;What are you comfortable with?&quot;  If you are not comfortable with sparring without protective gear then you should not do it, regardless of what is common in your dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want more detail, then I think the next question is what kind of sparring you are talking about.  When I was a kid, I practiced Tae Kwon Do and we routinely did no-contact sparring without protective gear.  There was occasionally accidental contact.  I don't recall anyone being injured beyond the odd bruise and you expect the occasional minor injury in just about sport.  I never felt uncomfortable with that.  Light and medium contact sparring required protective gear, but I was in the kids class.  I have seen schools where light/touch sparring was done with adults without gloves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Its also worth noting that most gloves do more to protect the striker's hands than they do to protect the person being hit, and can actually encourage the striker to hit harder since they have protection for their hands (and possibly wrists, depending on the style of gloves).  If you are worried about protecting your face, you may want to look at headgear for yourself instead of or in addition to asking the other person to wear gloves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1253" LastActivityDate="2015-09-21T17:01:33.860" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5511" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5508" CreationDate="2015-09-21T17:23:21.897" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As has been said, both methods are useful with the proper precautions. I often spar without any sort of pads (although I ALWAYS wear a cup and mouth-guard) when fighting low belt levels. I have found that the speed involved at that stage is so slow that I can be gentle and still allow them to get in some strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When it comes to more advanced sparring, I never spar against someone I'm not very familiar without safety equipment (usually just gloves) because I have fought some people who are unfamiliar with the concept of not hurting their partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are several black belts I work out with regularly, and we generally do not use gloves unless we have agreed to make it a little bit of a faster, rougher match (we usually spar around 2/3 speed to be safe).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my style there is a lot of palms and grabbing, so most gloves inhibit the full use of some techniques, but for other styles (such as TKD), there is almost nothing of this sort and gloves do not inhibit the style at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary, it all depends on the style, and circumstance. If you are not comfortable with something, let your sensei know and be open to his response about whether it is necessary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6083" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-09-18T22:23:55.737" LastActivityDate="2017-09-18T22:23:55.737" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5512" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4806" CreationDate="2015-09-21T18:01:02.187" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is actually very simple: MMA has rules that obstruct the effectiveness of real Kung Fu. Many Kung Fu styles have grappling, but this is usually done with the purpose of dislocating or breaking joints. In Chinese, it is called &quot;fan guan jie&quot; meaning against the normal motions of joints. Hence Kung Fu grappling often starts with the manipulation of the opponent's fingers which is not legal in MMA. Also when being pinned down in a fight, a Kung Fu practitioner will focus strike the opponent's weak points to escape. These include groin, spine, neck, poke eyes, pull ears, grab face, knuckle punch to the solar plexus, back of head, etc. These areas are all illegal in MMA. For example, very often you see an MMA fighter sitting on the opponent's chest; since the poor guy can't swing any strong punches in that position, the MMA fighter can take his time to punch the opponent's head. A Kung Fu fighter being pinned down in that position will just throw a straight, albeit weak, knuckle punch to the neck which would be good enough to choke the opponent for enough time to escape. Alternatively the Kung Fu fighter can go for the eyes or ears. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One might feel these are cheap shots but remember that Kung Fu is not a sport like MMA. Before the introduction of firearms, China had over 5000 years of warring history fought with mainly melee weapons and on war horses. Kung Fu is the art of killing that is not just bare handed fighting but also includes various melee weapons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To really understand what Chinese Kung Fu is about, I suggest watching the 2014 movie &quot;Kung Fu jungle&quot; by Donnie Yen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6241" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-10-01T08:44:56.613" LastActivityDate="2015-10-01T08:44:56.613" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5513" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5508" CreationDate="2015-09-21T18:48:25.840" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a student, it should be your job to ask questions, but NOT to &quot;tell [the instructor] how to conduct practice&quot;. If you have questions about why things are done a particular way, ask respectfully. For example, you should not go to your instructor and say, &quot;We should spar with gloves.&quot; You should ask, &quot;Why don't we spar with protective gear?&quot; The first way implies that you know better than your instructor, in which case why are you studying with them? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This pattern of asking questions applies generally. If you don't understand something, ask politely. That's what good students do. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-09-21T18:48:25.840" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5514" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5508" CreationDate="2015-09-22T02:27:57.323" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sparring safely involves almost just mimicking actual moves with little or no force behind them.  Getting punched in the mouth and bruised is highly unlikely unless it was an extremely rare instance where you accidentally moved into his punch combining the force of his (supposedly barely forceful) punch with you having being blindsided or something to that effect.   In other words unless you were actually like spinning around and accidentally hit his fist with your face I'd say your partner is a complete moron and should definitely not be sparring.  This is from the perspective of family oriented martial arts training.  If you are in something else akin to a fight club or something then its up to you if your comfortable with it, in which case you should accidentally give your sparring partner something to remember &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt; by next time.  Sounds to me like your sparring partner either doesn't know what he's doing or knows what he's doing and is allowed to get away with whatever he likes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6244" LastActivityDate="2015-09-22T02:27:57.323" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5515" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5484" CreationDate="2015-09-22T07:21:44.317" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Generally speaking, a grandmaster is someone who has attained the top rank in a martial art. In some, the title is reserved for those who have received an honorary rank due to their commitment to the sport. To look at it from an academic perspective, a grandmaster would be a professor with a PHD or an honorary doctorate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2015-09-22T07:21:44.317" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5516" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5508" CreationDate="2015-09-23T15:31:04.103" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, it is okay to spar without gloves as long as it is done with control. In my (Taekwondo) school, we use &quot;one-for-one&quot; sparring, without safety equipment and with a large gap between opponents, to emphasise speed and to encourage students to try techniques they might not try in contact sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The hard part is ensuring that less-experienced students maintain sufficient distance between each other (and for senior grades to remember that they are setting an example for the rest of the class!).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would check with your instructor about what different types of sparring he/she uses and how they should be conducted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2015-09-23T15:31:04.103" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5517" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5350" CreationDate="2015-09-23T17:20:24.800" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's not really about reading up on strategies but developing your own strategy for what works for you. When you're starting off in grappling/wrestling, you're going to primarily defending when going against higher levels.  As your skill increases, you will be more on the offense.  I'm a BJJ practictioner, I've seen even with my teachers, the strategies are never that complicated, but more what you've been working to master.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They kind of go:   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;Get to side control -&amp;gt; knee on belly -&amp;gt; mount -&amp;gt; cross cutter choke&#xA;   -&amp;gt; they defended knee on belly go to north south choke&#xA;   -&amp;gt; they sweeped me, try to get back to side control&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thats really it, but of course things don't tend to go that smoothly so you end up in various states and have to adapt and play to the situation. If you work hard at your strategy, you'll tend to maintain control so it does work out that simply or you get good enough to steer the situation back on to course with your strategy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="55" LastActivityDate="2015-09-23T17:20:24.800" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5518" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5478" CreationDate="2015-09-24T02:11:03.857" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Others have said it. That is not anything at all like the Wing Chun I learned, and practice. You have not found the best teacher for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Wing Chun I learned is both hard, and soft, internal, and external.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do believe that in order to be a thorough martial artist you will experience pain. Especially when mastering yourself.  ie. embracing the tree, slow siu nim tao's, Hung Gar's conditioning, iron techniques hardening, developing flexibility etc. I'm sure my wing chun is different from many others as it has been modified to incorporate many of my other arts, and personal strengths... As should your martial arts be yours alone in the end...  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun is a great art in the hands of the right practitioner just like anything else.  It is fierce, fast, piercing, dangerous, deadly, cunning, beautiful, deceptive, smart, economical, invisible, undetectable, ugly, etc. ...but what are we really talking about with all of the arts?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My arm extends, and retracts, my foot goes out and it comes back... My elbow doesn't go that way so it hurts to bend too far in that direction, angle etc.  Not rocket science just anatomy. In the hands of the right practitioner any technique can be useful given the situation... Even superior to something else... unexpectedly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyone who tells you one art is superior and is absolute has missed a major martial theme. Impermanence, and transition are common to ALL of the arts I have learned and talked about with others (which is many) and we humans though we puff out our chests, and growl are extremely fragile when it comes down to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Train for life, and hope you never have to use what you know to take one... Wing Chun (and many other arts) are secretive because the techniques work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do yourself a favor, find another teacher. It sounds like you've found someone who gets off on exploiting, and harming people. (READ&gt; BULLY) &#xA;Expect to experience pain, but don't allow anyone to damage you. Train hard and smart. A little every day forever.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;E.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6246" LastActivityDate="2015-09-24T02:11:03.857" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5519" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5508" CreationDate="2015-09-24T17:43:39.457" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A &quot;a bruised and swollen lip&quot; doesn't sound that significant... may take a week or two to recover at most, right?  If that's your first and worst injury after 6 months training, it sounds like the general safety level is quite high.  The kinds of things to ask yourself:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;How often and significantly do you see other students injured during training?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Have you noticed other students nervous when there's sparring, or dropping out from classes?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do any people who're getting injured or sparring with an intensity clearly more at risk of injury seem to be paired with equally willing and skilled participants in harder training, rather than reluctant or weaker training partners? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Does the teacher lead into sparring in a way that doesn't get the participants too hyped up, e.g. perhaps by having an initial round of light sparring, or giving students specific skills to concentrate on during the practice?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do the senior/stronger students generally encourage you even while challenging you during sparring?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Looking back on how you got hit, what's your understanding of how it happened?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do you think the attacker was excessively, persistently aggressive, careless, or casually indifferent to hitting you?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Was your blocking or dodging flawed in a way they didn't anticipate and reasonably failed to compensate for?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Did the attacker seem concerned when you'd been hit?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do you believe they'd be extra careful not to hit you again?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do you believe you could defend against similar attacks more successfully next time?  (Are there related skills you could drill with a training partner you trust so you're better prepared?)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;My question is whether I should talk to my sensei about wearing gloves during sparring? I'm a beginner student so I'm hesitant to tell him how to conduct practice. Are gloves always used in sparring? How typical is it to spar without gloves? How should I talk to him about this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the frequency and seriousness of injuries is low, your instructor may well think having everyone wearing gloves all the time is an excessive measure.  They may be unimpressed by the suggestion that gloves are necessary, but that doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't ask.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, if injuries are common, you may be better off finding another dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I'd say the threshold for protective gear in children's classes should be dramatically lower - kids don't have the concentration to practice as safely, and are more easily injured.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An alternative is asking if you can wear a mouth guard - that's a less intrusive option, and doesn't require any involvement from your training partners.  If it's really important to you, you could even say your dentist has recommended it because a tooth is loose, or something like that - then if the instructor forbids it you really should find another dojo as there's no excuse for asking a student to ignore medical advice (unless known to be fake O_o).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, part of learning a martial art is gaining some perspective on injuries - being prepared to accept some risk and realising the kinds of injuries that're completely healed within even a few-month timeframe can come and go many times over decades of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I trained for a couple decades in half a dozen styles before joining kyokushin, and it's my first time wearing gloves and shin guards, but countering the safety aspects of that there's considerably more contact.  I've broken a few bones (all but once by kicking elbows or the heavy bag) and had some bruising that took weeks to recover, but nothing I regret: it's all just history now, and I value the experience of training, and progress, far more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2015-09-24T17:50:40.797" LastActivityDate="2015-09-24T17:50:40.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5521" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4873" CreationDate="2015-09-25T16:02:27.053" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been training in Hap Ki Do for over three years and cross training in Judo for maybe 6 months or so, I'm currently 34.  Don't worry about getting into shape before you start training, training along with a good diet and you'll get into shape in no time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I started Hap Ki Do, I was about 230-ish pounds, so quite out of shape, considering I'm about 5'7&quot;.  With constant training and changing my diet, I managed to get myself down to 192 lbs.  While that's not really great, I was happy considering that I hadn't been do that low in a long time.  Due to quite a few terrible choices with my diet, my weight has started to go back up again.  I've acknowledged that I need to get my diet back in check and as incentive to get my weight down and keep it there, I've decided that if I can get back down, I'm going to enter a Judo competition next summer to test myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's no better time to start training.  Many martial artists say that they wish that they had started training at a younger age.  The older you get, harder arts such as Hap Ki Do, Judo, BJJ take more of a toll on your body.  Start while you're young and you'll be more used to the abuse that training brings with it as you get older.  To be fair, I started training in Tae Kwon Do when I was about 11 and moved onto Ju Jitsu at 17, but I still have issues with my knees, especially after a night or hard training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6253" LastEditorUserId="6253" LastEditDate="2015-09-25T16:09:54.163" LastActivityDate="2015-09-25T16:09:54.163" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5522" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="294" CreationDate="2015-09-25T16:27:35.650" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a lot of great information in the above posts.  For gi specific training, using a gi on a chin up bar as stated above is a great choice, but from my experience, the excess gi fabric can get in the way.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a couple of products out there which do the same thing but you don't have to worry about the material.  Origin's orangahang &lt;a href=&quot;http://originmaine.com/orangahang-pro-bjj-grip-trainer-made-in-maine-usa/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://originmaine.com/orangahang-pro-bjj-grip-trainer-made-in-maine-usa/&lt;/a&gt; is basically the equivalent of a pearl weave gi sleeve with an opening at the bottom to simulate the end of a sleeve and a cut down one side to simulate the collar.  A similar product is Jits grips.  The biggest difference is that jits grips doesn't simulate the collar opening.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both of these have loops on the end that can be attached to a chin up bar or weight machine so they can really be used anywhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would also suggest grip pro trainers. They look like little rubber donuts that have different levels of resistance that you can just squeeze.  I've also started squeezing a lacross ball with each hand.  You could also use a racket ball or tennis ball.  After rounds, your hands feel tired, but it's seemed to help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would definitely suggest using different techniques to improve your grip.  Something like the orangahang is great, but you can't really do anything with it unless you have something to attach it to whereas the grip pro trainers are great for using while you're watching tv at night or sitting at work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wasn't able to post links for the grip pro trainer or jits grips, but a quick google search will bring them right up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6253" LastActivityDate="2015-09-25T16:27:35.650" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5523" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5484" CreationDate="2015-09-25T16:37:39.020" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree that for many people, the terms master or grandmaster are just there to make the person feel more important.  The only time that I've used either of these terms is with my teacher's teacher, but he's a ninth degree, so out of respect, you could say that he's earned the title.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6253" LastActivityDate="2015-09-25T16:37:39.020" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5524" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5440" CreationDate="2015-09-25T16:57:30.193" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I feel that it's going to depend on how severe your injury was.  Admittedly, some styles are more focused on joint locks and throwing which could potentially cause a problem but you may find that while one specific technique doesn't work for you, another variation may.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've suffered with knee issues since I was about 16 or 17 but I currently train in Hap Ki Do and Judo, both of which put a strain on my knees.  Most days, I can pop some Aleve after training and go to sleep and relatively speaking, I'm feeling better in the morning.  However, both of my instructors know that I have problems with my knees so they accommodate where possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would suggest finding a place that you're interested in checking out and stop by and talk to the instructor.  Let them know in advance about your injuries, I would hope that they would tell you if they feel that you could cause more damage than good.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many schools also offer a trial period where you can attend a set number of classes to see what you think.  Take advantage of that and see how you feel.  The tricky part to that though is that you're likely to be doing things that are new to you so you might feel sore the next day.  If that's the extent of the discomfort that you feel, I'm sure you'd be fine with continuing your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whatever you decide to do, remember to listen to your body and sit out if/when you need to.  Training is fun, but it's not worth causing significant and permanent damage to your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6253" LastActivityDate="2015-09-25T16:57:30.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5525" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5527" CreationDate="2015-09-25T17:25:32.497" Score="6" ViewCount="1277" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am tremendously out of shape and out of practice, but I would like to get back to practicing Capoeira. Unfortunately, my schedule does not allow me to attend local classes, so I will have to train entirely on my own. One of the issues I have had in the past is controlling my spinning kicks such as my &lt;em&gt;meia lua de compasso&lt;/em&gt;. I was able to kick with decent height and speed, but my ability to control the kick, particularly if going slowly, was pretty bad. Now, after a few years of not really doing any martial arts, even my leg flexibility is pretty bad; my recent attempts lack height and control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My first impulse is, since I am basically starting from scratch, to try to do the kicks slowly and with complete control, then build up speed, but I'm finding that trying to do the kick slowly and with control, I can barely get my leg at hip height. If I let myself use momentum to whip my leg around, I'm OK, but again, there's that control issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, ultimately, am I better off practicing the kicks low and slow, and hoping to build up my strength, flexibility, and balance to be able to get the kicks higher, or should I go ahead and use my momentum to do the kicks and work on being able to halt the kick much as I might in the &lt;em&gt;roda&lt;/em&gt; should I realize that my opponent is not going to be able to dodge?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-04-30T14:54:19.910" LastActivityDate="2020-04-30T14:54:19.910" Title="When training spinning kicks, is it more important to prioritize control or height?" Tags="|training|technique|kicking|capoeira|spinning-kicks|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5526" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2901" CreationDate="2015-09-25T17:29:15.657" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm rather short, 5'7&quot; and the biggest issue that people have working with me is because of my low center of gravity, I'm very difficult to be thrown but I'm in a good position to throw people.  So you'll find that you have to make changes to your game in order to compensate for the height difference.  I'd also recommend that anyone you train with knows about your knee to reduce the risk of damaging it again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6253" LastActivityDate="2015-09-25T17:29:15.657" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5527" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5525" CreationDate="2015-09-25T23:06:53.120" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In summary, you're attempting to regain some kicking ability that you once had but have lost due to inactivity and lack of practice. Your goals are to improve range of motion and flexibility, speed, and control even when holding your kick in place without moving at all. And you'd like to even surpass your abilities when you were once in regular practice. Yet, your schedule doesn't allow for taking classes, and you are only able to train in solo. You're asking for advice on how to approach this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you described is something very common in martial arts. When we're young and have the time and passion to dedicate to training, we find ourselves continual improving. It's a big part of our lives. Then at some point in time, our priorities change. It might be school work, maybe you have a new career job and have to devote 60-80 hours a week on that, maybe you just have a &quot;job&quot; job that has unusual hours, or maybe you now have a new child you have to take care of 24/7.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of those come up in our lives as we get older. The first realization is that it's usually not the case that you don't have the time to train. Instead, it's that you've re-prioritized the things in your life so that training isn't a priority.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That may or may not apply in your case. I just thought I'd mention it. Most people have things that they're not able to get to in life. Stuff never gets done, or things deteriorate, like martial arts abilities. And they look at it and feel bad or get stressed out about it. Well, my point is: Don't feel bad. It's not that you don't have the time. It's that you haven't prioritized it as highly as other things in your life. Be happy that the things you have prioritized are getting done. Or, re-prioritize it so that those other things will get done now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, you wanted advice on how to approach getting more flexibility in your kick so that you can kick higher as well as getting more control over your kick so that you can essentially hold it still at any point in the kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You mentioned using speed to gain that flexibility. What you're talking about are ballistic stretch kicks. In other words, you can get the flexibility back if you just kick really fast and aim high, so it sort of forces your flexibility to return.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But Ballistic Stretching has been shown to cause injury. It's because you're attempting to force your tight muscle to extend way past its limit. It works better when you're properly warmed up, but even then it can cause injury. And even if you don't end up hurt, you probably won't be able to make long-term gains in flexibility with ballistic stretches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A far better approach is Dynamic Stretching. Here, you'll be careful to increase your leg extension gradually. You're going to use the momentum of the kick to just approach the limit of your flexibility, just to where it feels tight but no more. This is similar to Ballistic stretching, because you're using your kick's momentum to stretch, but unlike Ballistic stretching, you're not going past where you feel tight. This will improve your flexibility in the long term.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is also Static Stretching, which has been shown to improve flexibility also. With static stretches, you will attempt to slowly extend your leg until it just reaches the limit of your flexibility, and you hold it there while relaxing your muscles. There is no movement or momentum involved. When you feel the tightness dissipate, you can try to push it a little more, and hold it there. You shouldn't try to force it. It's just to the point where you feel a little tight. You don't increase the extension until the tightness lessens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should attempt to combine Dynamic and Static stretching to make solid gains in flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to consider is Isometric stretching. This applies especially to kicking, and it at least partially deals with your other requirement, which is to control your kick even when you move slowly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With Isometric stretching, you apply resistance in the opposite direction as the stretch. So if you're attempting to kick high, you might practice this by extending your leg out to a place on the wall or on some platform, and then try to keep your leg fully stretched to the limit of your flexibility while also pulling your leg downwards, against the platform or wall. It should feel like you're squeezing and pushing your legs together.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What good does that do? Well, what actually happens during an Isometric Stretch is that some of your muscle fibers that would normally not be extended to their limit will now be extended to their limit. It allows you to get more out of the stretch, basically. And that can have the effect of increasing your kick's range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind that during an Isometric stretch, you should maintain your stretch to the limit of your flexibility while also attempting to add resistance. It's the addition of resistance that engages those extra bits of muscle fiber that wouldn't normally be engaged if you're just relaxing your muscle while you stretch. And that will help you with being able to hold your kick in place or control it even when moving slowly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, so that is my recommendation. Work on all 3 types of stretching. Go to your limit, but not further (not Ballistic). Yes, your kicks won't be super high to begin with, and this might make you feel bad. Don't let that get you down. Take heart that you'll be making &quot;real&quot; improvement in your flexibility, not the fake kind that only looks like you're more flexible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other thing on flexibility: Hip and groin flexibility rules all of your kicks. There are a number of stretches to help with it. Look them up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for being able to hold your kick at any point in its execution or being able to kick very slowly and keep it under control, Isometric Stretches will definitely help a lot. But you should also build strength. The muscles you'll want to work on primarily are: the adductors, abductors, glutes, and core (obliques, abs, and lower back). Secondary muscle groups of importance: quads and hamstring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could just keep repeating your kicks, along with the stretching that I mentioned. That will help build some of the strength, but not all and not very much. You're going to need to add resistance of some sort to go further than that. A kicking bag would help. Weightlifting will help. Isometric resistance helps. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from that, there's just the time factor and regular practice. That's probably the single most important thing here: &lt;B&gt;A daily stretch routine is a must.&lt;/B&gt; In fact, I'd say you need to stretch at least twice a day. Make sure you warm up first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will definitely improve if you make it a priority!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2015-09-26T02:14:20.683" LastActivityDate="2015-09-26T02:14:20.683" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5528" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="208" CreationDate="2015-09-27T11:19:20.737" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I once used an elastic pipe. It's extremely cheap, can be cut to the proper length and you can't accidentally hurt yourself with it, even without protective gear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fraenkische.com/portal/mdb_cumulus.php?id=26527&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.fraenkische.com/portal/mdb_cumulus.php?id=26527&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another good option is a rubber or maybe wooden knife on which you put chalk along the edge. This way you will definitely notice a cut.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6257" LastActivityDate="2015-09-27T11:19:20.737" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5530" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5352" CreationDate="2015-09-28T13:09:19.680" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I second taping your toes.  I use Johnson's &amp;amp; Johnson's athletic tape to tape my toes and I rarely have any issues with the tape slipping or falling off, in fact, I have to cut it off with a knife from time to time because it sticks so well.  I pull enough tape to wrap around my toe about two or three times and fold one corner down so that I can remove it after class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I cross train in Hap Ki Do and Judo, so I too push off with my toes or the ball of my foot but the tape holds up quite nicely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6253" LastEditorUserId="6253" LastEditDate="2015-09-30T10:54:27.400" LastActivityDate="2015-09-30T10:54:27.400" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5531" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5256" CreationDate="2015-09-28T13:38:36.313" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 5'7&quot; and most of the people that I train Judo with do have problems throwing me because of my low center of gravity.  My instructor is quite a bit taller than I am, probably over 6', and he'll often use me to demonstrate throws, sweeps, and reaps as I have a Ju Jitsu background and am more comfortable with falling than the others that we train with.  While he &lt;strong&gt;can&lt;/strong&gt; throw me, he often comments that he has to adjust his entry angle to get below my center of gravity for the throw.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, he's not the only person that has had problems with throwing me.  I've had people that were closer to my height, give or take a few inches, and they still had problems.  Sweeps and reaps are totally different because of the positioning that you're in to perform the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being shorter, with a lower center of gravity, can give you an amazing advantage when you're trying to throw someone else, especially if they're taller than you since you're closer to their center of gravity, it's easier to get into position and launch them to the floor.  When we learn a new throw/sweep/reap, we'll perform a drill where we first perform the technique on our instructor so he can help correct our positioning by feel.  After we run through with him once or twice, he'll step out and the next person in line will step up and we repeat the process until we've had a chance to throw everyone in the class getting a feel for different body types.  Due to my height, I'm usually able to step right in to my opponent, pull them into position and perform the technique while keeping my balance where people trying to throw me don't have that luxury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6253" LastActivityDate="2015-09-28T13:38:36.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5532" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4457" CreationDate="2015-09-28T14:29:46.830" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It doesn't sound like it's an issue with this school, but some schools require that students only wear certain colors, such as white.  If you want a gi other than white and you plan on occasionally training at other schools, especially while traveling, it's a good idea to have a white gi to wear so you don't cause any problems at the host school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6253" LastEditorUserId="6253" LastEditDate="2015-09-28T18:44:34.483" LastActivityDate="2015-09-28T18:44:34.483" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5533" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5534" CreationDate="2015-09-29T16:28:52.083" Score="5" ViewCount="541" Body="&lt;p&gt;The New York Times published a story about &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/30/us/despite-concussions-boxing-is-still-required-for-military-cadets.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;concussions from boxing at US military academies&lt;/a&gt;, where apparently boxing is a required course for all male students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For more than a century, boxing for male freshmen here has been a rite of passage and an academic requirement — one they share with male cadets at the Air Force Academy, and midshipmen of both sexes at the Naval Academy. Officials say there is no better way to teach the grit needed for combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This article says the following about concussions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing accounts for nearly one out of every five concussions at West Point, and one out of four at the Air Force Academy. So far this school year, boxing has caused a quarter of all concussions at the Naval Academy — more than twice as many as football.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the last three academic years, West Point has documented 97 concussions from boxing, more than any other sport, including football. The Air Force Academy has reported 72, and the Naval Academy 29.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no context of how boxing compares to other activities that may cause concussions. I do not expect, for example, that all students play American football.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a brief description of the course:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cadets at West Point now wear thick padded gloves. In sparring bouts, fighters can throw only one hook, one cross and one uppercut per round. And after each of the 19 classes and three test bouts, coaches give a short talk, telling cadets to report to the health clinic if they feel symptoms of concussion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not have boxing training. Are concussions a common problem among beginning boxing students? Or is this more a problem with putting largely untrained boxing students together to pummel each other to learn bravery?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-04-20T19:36:48.787" Title="Is the way US military academies teach boxing atypical with respect to concussions?" Tags="|training|boxing|injury|brain-injury|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5534" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5533" CreationDate="2015-09-29T18:04:36.040" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;An &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1748409/pdf/i1062-6050-41-4-470.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;analysis of the literature&lt;/a&gt; in 2006 presented data for a number of team and individual contact sports.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Concussions in boxing were identified at a rate of 0.8/10 rounds (for pros) or 7.9/1000 man-minutes (amateur). So in a pro bout you can expect one guy or the other to be concussed on average, and one guy or the other to be concussed per hour on average in amateur bouts. This is comparable to concussion rates for females in taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This sounds like a lot, but ice hockey reports 6.5 (pro) or 3.6 (high school) concussions per 1000 player games.... with 20 players on your roster you can expect one concussion every three (pro) or six (HS) games. This is a similar rate for pro rugby (nine concussions per 1000 player-games... assuming you are playing 15 per side).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Current class size is about 4300 cadets (per &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Military_Academy&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;), so assuming you have say 1000 first-year cadets all doing boxing you would expect the reported concussion rate of 97 over three years if each cadet fought one round. Given that the article states that each cadet has three test bouts their reported rate of concussion seems rather low.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;EDIT&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Subsequent to the initial post I found &lt;a href=&quot;http://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_svinth_a_0700.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;additional data&lt;/a&gt; that discusses death rates in boxing. The impetus behind this was a recent &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/oct/05/second-high-school-football-player-dies-in-space-of-a-month&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;news report&lt;/a&gt; on high school football deaths in the USA. The following text taken from the data cited gives an interesting perspective on the safety of boxing. Even though this diverges from the original question I thought this would be of interest. Emphasis in the text is mine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Between 1931 and 1999, at least 616 American football players died of injuries, heat stroke, or exertion. At least a million youths play American football each year, so the risk of death in American football is about 8.9 per million (616/69 x 1,000,000). Meanwhile, during the period January 1979 to May 2003, 16 amateur boxers died in the United States. Using the numbers posited above, that works out to a risk factor of about 13.9 per million for the boxers. Thus, risk of death in amateur boxing appears to be somewhat higher than the risk of death in American football. &lt;strong&gt;Nonetheless, both amateur boxers and high school football players are much less likely to die of athletic injuries than they are to die in Mom’s car on the way to or from practice.&lt;/strong&gt; After all, death rates for some popular models of sport utility vehicle run as high as 251 per million.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4267" LastEditorUserId="4267" LastEditDate="2015-10-08T18:08:07.767" LastActivityDate="2015-10-08T18:08:07.767" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5535" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-09-30T13:36:36.520" Score="6" ViewCount="1104" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the Taekwon-Do Theory of Power, it is explained that the sine wave motion is used to add body weight to the movement, and then generates more power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, is there any evidence, viewed from scientific measurements that show by what proportion the power is increased?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;do you have a link ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4463" LastEditorUserId="4463" LastEditDate="2015-09-30T14:12:59.780" LastActivityDate="2019-10-09T15:28:35.623" Title="Any ITF Taekwon-Do Sine wave studies?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|power|itf|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5538" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5535" CreationDate="2015-09-30T19:29:09.787" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are plenty of articles on the Internet (for example, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.saskgtf.com/theory.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.saskgtf.com/theory.html&lt;/a&gt;) that talk about the 'science' of sine wave, but none of those articles appear to have any references to actual studies. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, no evidence and no links, I'm afraid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2015-09-30T19:29:09.787" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5539" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2204" CreationDate="2015-09-30T23:42:43.380" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It would largely depend on the chainsaw. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What most people seem to forget is that a chainsaw is a tool&#xA;designed to either cut an immobile target(trees) or light&#xA;targets(shrubbery). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A regular chainsaw is not expected to block&#xA;anything, cut through everything or cut indefinitely. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;thus striking the saw likely destroys or deforms the rail (or at&#xA;least knock off the chain)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;blocking it with something it was not meant to cut (metal) will ruin&#xA;the saw teeth and possibly destroy the chain&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;running away from the attacker until he depletes his fuel stops the&#xA;chainsaw, too&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, after eliminating the gardening tool your attacker used, you still have to defend against an assailant who was willing to attack you with a brutal cutting implement. In that scenario, running is still the best option, but maybe mix it up with getting help from other people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh and let's not forget the part where a chainsaw will not spring on immediately, needs to warm up for 30 seconds to seriously cut anything without stopping the motor and is otherwise a giant, unwieldy, &lt;em&gt;noisy&lt;/em&gt; club, so you will hear any attempt on your life by chainsaw from very far away. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means that as long as you generally move away from chainsaw noises (a good policy), you will never have to deal with a chainsaw attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion, if you don't like to get giant gashes, don't attempt anything stupid with a guy carrying a chainsaw, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;run and get help.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;You're not a kung fu master and even they do not fight against powered weapons.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S. if you still have questions why not look up ChainsawGood at TvTropes and read more about chainsaws in fiction and otherwise?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6268" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-10-07T03:15:37.420" LastActivityDate="2015-10-07T03:15:37.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5540" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-10-01T06:25:38.063" Score="6" ViewCount="521" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am studying how stability affects the ability to perform movements. A physician friend of mine has noticed that certain critical kinetic chains (i.e. muscles that work together to perform movement) are needed both in small movements and in large ones requiring large force. After studying his arguments for a bit, I realized the basic idea he is describing is the same principle I have seen in martial arts texts. Specifically, from what I understand, the power one generates in a given martial arts maneuver depends greatly on how efficiently you use the body to exert the force it generates. In other words, you need to essentially use proper body positioning in order to concentrate all the force you are generating into the output. Physicists define power as work / time. I would like to say using a similar idea that martial arts is about maximizing work / energy. You in essence want to exert the most force possible on your target while using the least amount of energy possible. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What I Need:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like a martial arts resource that takes these factors into account. I want something that not only describes positions but explains why the combination of muscles or positioning of limbs in question is ideal for generating the particularly maneuvers described. I own &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1569757879&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Anatomy of Martial Arts&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and this book is not sufficient. It is an anatomy book that has very little explanation of &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;why&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; particular groups of muscles are so good at generating force. It also doesn't offer expected limits as to how much force a given move can generate. So, as I say, I want something with a little more advanced descriptions. It doesn't necessarily need to involve physics explicitly. It could contain qualitative analysis (i.e. deltoid stabilizes the scapula and this permits such and such which results in much greater force). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note, I am not seeking to learn martial arts, so any &quot;how to&quot; discussions are irrelevant. I care only about the stuff I mention above. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;My Question:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What resource should I consult? Please include some info about the resource so I have some sense of how well it satisfies the description I gave. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6122" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2015-10-16T04:46:41.740" LastActivityDate="2016-02-18T23:06:02.370" Title="What martial arts resources discuss biomechanics of maximizing efficient force generation?" Tags="|power|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="13" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5541" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5535" CreationDate="2015-10-01T13:33:19.690" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As Steve Weigand mentioned in the comments it is a very difficult task to objectively measure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having trained ITF for many years I would struggle to perform a punch powerfully without sine wave. It also takes a lot of practice to get the sine motion right. So to measure someone without sine wave and then teach them - they would have to train it. Some of the difference in power may be from the sine wave - but some of it may also be from training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the UK there is a big split between hip-twist and sine-wave groups. I have seen practitioners of both break multiple boards with ease. So whether you are training in sine wave or hip twist there is plenty of power to be found from YOUR body. Its about training hard under a good instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2015-10-01T13:33:19.690" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5542" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1878" CreationDate="2015-10-01T14:29:13.537" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am familiar with the term fa-jin used in contrast with the term jun chi (sp?). These are two different ways that force can be applied to a target. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;fa-jin - An explosive strike, with intent to shatter or something similar. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;jun chi - A heavy push, with intent to displace. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a physics point of view, this means fa-jin is maximizing the instantaneous force and applying force over a short time to make a very sharp impulse. Jun chi is a more constant force applied over time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this usage, there is no assumption about how the force is generated. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-10-01T14:29:13.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5543" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1835" CreationDate="2015-10-02T14:57:11.710" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Learning how to remove tension and relax is a difficult, progressive process. You should expect this process to last a &lt;em&gt;long&lt;/em&gt; time. The internal martial arts are built around the concept that relaxation is desirable, and whole systems are built around training for this purpose, so do not expect easy answers. This is both a physical and a mental journey. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Try learning relaxation in progressive steps. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;lying down - This is the easiest way to learn breathe deeply and slowly, which helps relaxation tremendously. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;standing still - Your basic fighting stance should be relaxed, which means you should be able to hold it several minutes without the feeling of tension. But remember, this is your fighting stance, so you cannot be entirely limp. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;moving slowly&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;moving normal speed&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Weightlifting can be counterproductive for relaxation. Yes, you want to be strong, but if weightlifting trains you to tense every time you try to achieve something, then you are overdoing it. The difficulty is  mental; you have to feel what your body is doing both when it is actively tensing and when it is relaxed. Weightlifting is good for learning about tension and alignments, but not so much for progressive relaxation. Try to avoid the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Weightlifting puts mental focus into creating alignments before applying tension to achieve a goal. This can create the bad habit that mental focus to achieve a different goal will generate unnecessary muscular and mental tension because the body is trained to use tension to achieve goals. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Weightlifting is a very strong stimulus. The problem is that it may cause you to become less sensitive to or ignore weak stimuli. Adjusting your stance alignments is very hard if you can't mentally focus on the task because it feels like you aren't actually doing anything. Little deficiencies add up, and when they affect bodily processes like your breathing, then they also accumulate over time. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Use stretching as a way to create tension that you can focus on relaxing. This creates a clear contrast between tension and relaxation in a specific part of your body that you can feel and start to work on. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;There is almost always something you can relax more; you can train yourself to be better relaxed. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2015-10-03T12:58:48.907" LastActivityDate="2015-10-03T12:58:48.907" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5546" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2015-10-04T20:58:58.443" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am old school I got my BB in 1988. ITF all the way. ITF allowed punching to the head as well as other blows delivered with the hands. Protective gear used to be optional and up to the two opponents and it was feet and hand pads that was it. 1 and 3 step sparring was practiced regularly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Emphasis was on real fighting and real self defense not sports fighting. Point fighting was just a way to see what you had learned and test it in a safe environment. The WTF seems to see the Art as existing for sport first and real fighting and self defense second.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why are you so concerned about switching? People have multiple BB's in multiple fighting arts so no need to worry. This is not like something earth shattering serious like University Credits transferring from one school to another. Instead of worrying about something like this just let your kids learn and explore the art if you have to move then cross the WTF/ITF bridge when it happens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I trained in TKD 11yrs., High School Wrestling 1yrs., Boxing 6yrs., Shotokan 1yrs., Judo 4 yrs, and have trained older Army Combatives and Krav Maga. I never felt like learning one art made it hard to learn another. It is kind of like any other thing learning German does not make it hard to learn Russian and learning Chemistry does not make it hard to learn Biology. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think in today's world finding a good teacher and a good environment are more important than ITF/WTF debate. One and three step sparring, light, medium,full contact sparring and heavy bag work should always be part of training no matter what patch is on the uniform! It comes down to training the core fundamentals!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S. Have them learn Sanchin Kata from Shotokan or get John E. Petersons Sprial Bound Isometric Power Revolution book. It will do a lot to improve their speed, strength and power. It will also improve injury prevention. Wish I had that book when I was kid!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6278" LastEditorUserId="6278" LastEditDate="2015-10-04T21:07:38.207" LastActivityDate="2015-10-04T21:07:38.207" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5547" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5548" CreationDate="2015-10-05T07:13:07.220" Score="10" ViewCount="1137" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34425615&quot;&gt;'Suffrajitsu': How the suffragettes fought back using martial arts&lt;/a&gt; talks about jiujitsu being used by suffragettes in pre-WWI Britain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How did the martial art spread from Japan to Britain?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6279" LastActivityDate="2015-10-05T09:40:28.700" Title="How did jiujitsu spread to Britain?" Tags="|history|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5548" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5547" CreationDate="2015-10-05T09:40:28.700" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to Wikipedia, it was introduced to the UK by &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_William_Barton-Wright&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Edward William Barton-Wright&lt;/a&gt; in 1898.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2015-10-05T09:40:28.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5549" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5540" CreationDate="2015-10-05T16:37:55.203" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Expect disagreement about both ideas of how to generate power and in explanations, because every style has its own theories about how to best generate power. The training for how to generate power for particular techniques may also be beyond the average person, as in stretching required for head kicks, for example. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also remember that the maximal or most efficient force may not win. If you can't hit the mosquito, it doesn't matter how much power you have. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best match I know for what you are looking for is:&#xA;&lt;em&gt;Principles, Analysis, and Application of Effortless Combat Throws&lt;/em&gt; by Tim Cartmell. This book, while nominally about throwing techniques, basically covers the principles of motion from an internal martial arts point of view. Most of the discussion of body mechanics and alignments is equally applicable to striking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This book has three Chapters:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Types of Throws and Basic Principles&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Body Use&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Analysis and Applications: Throws&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are interested in Chapters 1 and 2. The Table of Contents for those chapters:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Types of Throws and Basic Principles  p. 1&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Introduction  p. 2&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Types of Throws   p. 4&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Basic Principles  p. 5&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Non-Opposition of Force   p. 5&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Connect and Join Centers  p. 7&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Apply Force Where the Opponent Cannot Resist  p. 9&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Transfer Momentum Through the Hold    p. 11&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Break the Opponent's Posture  p. 13&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cause the Opponent to Fall    p. 15&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Follow-up p. 17&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The Intent Flows Outward like Water   p. 19&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Conclusion    p. 21&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The Eight Allies  p. 22&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Body Use  p. 25&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Introduction  p. 26&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Align with Gravity    p. 26&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Relax Completely and Let the Body Weight Sink p. 37&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Calm the Mind and Expand the Awareness    p. 38&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Generate Power Through Stretch/Rebound and Rotation   p. 39&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Move at the Speed of Gravity  p. 42&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Move Rhythmically p. 44&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Exhale Smoothly When Applying Force   p. 46&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Move the Body as a Coherent Unit Centered in the Hips p. 48&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Conclusion    p. 50&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Short quotation &quot;from Generate Power Through Stretch/Rebound and Rotation&quot;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Swinging the limbs and torso is the primary method of generating such momentum. Swinging movements are by far the most powerful that a human can generate...the momentum generated through compression-stretch/rebound from the base (legs) is often translated into a swinging momentum in the torso and upper extremities. It is swinging that allows us to generate maximum power (that's why we &quot;throw&quot; rather than &quot;push&quot; a punch).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2015-10-05T21:03:36.273" LastActivityDate="2015-10-05T21:03:36.273" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5551" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1979" CreationDate="2015-10-07T00:07:53.373" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It really comes down to whoever is better able to apply their strategy in the fight. If a champion can tire out their opponent, getting kneed in the face by the champ will not help their ability to fight back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However no matter how skilled you are, in a fight you will get hit. Over a series of fights these add up. So at some point a champ might get knocked out relatively easily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact fighters cut weight to get into lower weight classes implies it's worth having the size advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6173" LastActivityDate="2015-10-07T00:07:53.373" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5552" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2015-10-07T02:15:51.433" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to address the &quot;how to evaluate a school&quot; part of the question from personal experience.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Brief context: I fenced foil in my teens, did aikido and wing chun in my 20s.  I got osteoarthritis in my knees at age 35 (Dad blamed my dancing, I blamed all the kneeling from Catholic school).  For years I couldn't walk without a stick; I even changed careers to avoid climbing, crawling, and prolonged standing.  A combination of water exercise and weight training got me stickless again, rather to the docs' surprise, and I wanted to see how much farther I could go.  Here's my take-away from sampling several classes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Watch the beginners' classes, and see if you can observe every teacher you might have; they're all individuals with their own approaches.  Also, are there other over-40's or people with physical challenges in any of the classes?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;See if you can take at least one class before committing long-term.  Some schools offer &quot;experience&quot; packages for a limited number of hours.  Afterward, how does your body feel?  Arts with a joint-friendly reputation may sometimes be taught in a really arduous way, or vice versa, and different bodies may react differently to the same stance or type of move. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find out if there are corollary commitments when you join, such as dojo-cleaning days that by default will put you on your hands and knees or up and down a ladder.  You might bring your own ergonomic equipment to use instead. Also, in case you care: Is test-taking mandatory?  Who gets to watch (just the class? assorted spectators? potentially the entire Internet)?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ask a student who's been there a couple of months, and one who's been there a couple of years, &quot;off-campus&quot; about their experiences.  Anybody wearing a brace or wrap on a joint is your first choice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keep a sharp inner eye on whether anything about the classes &quot;pushes buttons&quot; that could pit your psyche against your body. For instance, rationally I know I can't boss my body around anymore, only negotiate. But then put a gi jacket on me, fill my nostrils with warm wood and clean cotton, get me moderately tired, and I'm vulnerable to any exhortation to try and bulldoze personal limits.  For which I will pay later.  Most dearly.     &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you're like me, make your decision and settle into the beginner classes for a while before watching an advanced class and getting all excited by the cool things they get to do.  It may be donkey's years before you get to pick up a stick, use live steel, spar full-contact or whatever.  That can be depressing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now let's see what kind of stickynote goes on responses that are too LONG. . . )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6284" LastActivityDate="2015-10-07T02:15:51.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5553" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-10-08T12:22:40.590" Score="-5" ViewCount="198" Body="&lt;p&gt;Which of the martial arts is the oldest? And which is the youngest? And which is the most average age? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you invented another martial art, how would you get it appraised, approved, accepted and deployed? Is there a naming convention, or can you make them up?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Who did the first kick, and who was it aimed at, and did it make contact?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5746" LastEditorUserId="5746" LastEditDate="2015-10-14T21:15:40.690" LastActivityDate="2015-10-14T21:15:40.690" Title="Age of martial arts" Tags="|history|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2015-10-30T15:10:57.163" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5554" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5553" CreationDate="2015-10-08T13:27:47.497" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;For oldest, please refer to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/191/what-is-the-oldest-documented-eastern-martial-art-that-is-still-practiced?rq=1&quot;&gt;What is the oldest documented Eastern Martial Art that is still practiced?&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4277/what-is-the-oldest-martial-art?rq=1&quot;&gt;What is the oldest martial art?&lt;/a&gt;. Also see &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/681/5961&quot;&gt;What qualifies a school or business as a legitimate martial arts system?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, there is no formal certification or approval process for martial arts. There may be rank systems within an art like karate or judo, but these are not recognized outside their respective organizations. Anyone can basically open a school for martial arts and call it whatever they want, regardless of whether they have any knowledge or skills. In some areas, there may be a local group like a guild that decides who can open schools, but this would be region-specific. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The de facto standard for appraisal and acceptance is fighting, in a venue like mixed martial arts (MMA). If you can beat other people, then others are likely to want to learn from you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because there is no certification process, there is no way to quantify what the youngest martial art is. Somewhere in the world, someone has decided that the things they have learned now constitute a new, unique martial art and probably named it after himself. I would wager this happens a lot. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-10-08T13:27:47.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5555" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-10-10T18:08:22.713" Score="4" ViewCount="5133" Body="&lt;p&gt;I live in the countryside and must train alone. What is the best martial art for me to practice? I can devote 1 hour of training everyday. I can make a basic training gym (the one you see in old chinese movies) of ropes, bamboo etc. My body is medium build.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My aim is to be able to defend myself against untrained, but massively stronger unarmed opponents on the street.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the sake of clarity and brevity, I would like the experts to focus on &lt;strong&gt;what&lt;/strong&gt; should I train, instead &lt;em&gt;how&lt;/em&gt; I should train. Which martial art is best for me, under these conditions? Bonus points if you can also point to a source for practical information on training with that school. Thanks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6221" LastEditorUserId="6221" LastEditDate="2015-10-12T13:07:35.847" LastActivityDate="2015-11-03T12:47:40.587" Title="Best Martial Arts For Home Training" Tags="|self-defense|self-training|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5556" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5555" CreationDate="2015-10-11T08:01:05.167" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think practicing &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/a&gt; would fit quite well the situation you described especially that life in the countryside would offer you a basic environment for training and it fits very well to defend against all sorts of attackers whether they are bigger, smaller, armed, unarmed, trained or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga will afford you techniques to defend yourself against a massive attacker in case you are caught in a narrow space and have no where to flee as it it uses techniques of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrestling&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Wrestling&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Judo&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Aikido&lt;/a&gt; and more importantly &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_jiu-jitsu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu&lt;/a&gt; (several ties, I have seen on UFC championships  fighters with Jiu-Jitsu background wining over much more sized ones).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With Krav Maga you can block, grap, threw and attack your attacker in a variety of real world situations as it is called the martial arts of &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;street survival&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On Youtube you can find quite interesting videos about Krav Maga such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_M8eiPOdFQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt; but you can initiate yourself using various online resources such as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kravmagabootcamp.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.kravmagabootcamp.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://krav-maga.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://krav-maga.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.972kravmaga.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.972kravmaga.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/&lt;/a&gt; (self defense, in general)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user5590" LastActivityDate="2015-10-11T08:01:05.167" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5557" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5555" CreationDate="2015-10-11T11:42:11.823" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In ideal world there are quite few you could chose from to suite you but if you dont have a teacher or at least a mentor to directly teach you, I would recommend something you can inform yourself and learn alone from videos, books, manuals or similar.&#xA;  As you live in conditions you described I would suggest (and this is after a thinking and eliminating) Uechi-Ryu or Gojo-Ryu;&#xA;  those styles you can spend life in practicing and they will not present any sort of obstacle or conflicting concept to any other style which you might want to change later in future.&#xA;    On the other hand both of those styles (from Okinawa but with Chinese roots) will definitely help in teaching you basics and proper fundamentals of breathing, holding proper stances, psychomotoric abilities, variety of circular and angle blocking (which both of those styles soaked up from 'White crane' and which is the only correct way of countering a punch of somebody double bigger);&#xA;    You will also need and have to use makiwara as well as trees, which you said you have around the place you live (and which are very good for many practices), makiwara btw is a very different concept in Uechi from i.e. Wing chun makivara and it is used almost exclusively for conditioning your seiken, shuto, tetsui and few other surfaces which are used and exposed in impacts and punches);&#xA;     Uechi also uses series of conditioning techniques and over time your body slowly develops iron robe (how strong and how proper depends on your dedication but I saw some individuums with advanced degree of mastery from this style and they are impressive. to say at least);&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Makiwara example's: &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H1IHYclupI&amp;amp;ab_channel=JanKnobel&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H1IHYclupI&amp;amp;ab_channel=JanKnobel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzNXXbKSYrw&amp;amp;ab_channel=JKAOrkney&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzNXXbKSYrw&amp;amp;ab_channel=JKAOrkney&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you need sources of books or schools feel free to say but with just a name you can find a lot;&#xA;     If not those 2 arts I've mentioned then third one is all right but I think its also furthest from the origins it is (in this order):&#xA;- Uechi-ryu (which is on my opinion closest to origins of  Pangain noon)&#xA;- Goju-ryu, &#xA;- Shorin-ryu:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6295" LastActivityDate="2015-10-11T11:42:11.823" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5558" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5553" CreationDate="2015-10-11T12:07:21.360" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It might be hard to say and very hard to track but if we would speak in general and in a bit more relaxed terms I would say that Indian Kalaripayattu or in some versions &quot;Kalari-payat&quot; is one of the styles which was before majority of organized family traditions and styles as we know them today.&#xA;     Although western sources and some publications speaks around 500 BC or 2500 years old style there are Dravidian terms and words (within the languages itself) which are very similar to Kalaripayattu and which, when translated directly mean &quot;somebody or one who learned to be very skillful in hand and legs-exchange improvisation&quot; or in other cases &quot;one who teaches others to survive anywhere without fear&quot; and that terminology, according to some translators means they are speaking about specific type of &quot;hand exchange and survival&quot; and that art is much older (around 3000 years BC);&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some authors speaks about 28th monk after Buddha who went from India to China to teach Buddhism (Bodhidharma) and who meditated for 9 years in a small cave above Shaolin after which he gave monks first 7 fists of Shaolin (which is later discussed that those 7 fists must be Sanchin kata) I but it is known how there was already few hundred styles when he arrived in China so nobody really knows where the first spark of proper organized and develop style started.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is knows who made certain upgrades and who contributed to the pool of knowledge (like yellow emperor) .. but real starting points are ancient really..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6295" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-10-12T06:47:17.067" LastActivityDate="2015-10-12T06:47:17.067" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5559" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5555" CreationDate="2015-10-12T02:25:34.160" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As you are already aware, martial arts are extremely difficult to learn without an instructor. My advice would be to find the best teacher you can in your area. There is really no substitute for the feedback and guidance they provide. Even if you only travel to see them once a month, you will still make better progress than learning out of a book or video. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many traditional martial arts have extensive foundation work to build strength, flexibility, body coordination, and suppleness that require a lot of personal practice time. Many students with the benefit of regular instruction do not &quot;do their homework&quot; and still expect to make progress. You will have lots of time for the homework but will need to maximize whatever instruction time you get. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have multiple options of systems to study, it's best to choose a system that does not require extensive partner practice initially. This probably means a system emphasizing striking over grappling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't find a teacher, you can expect your results to be similar to someone who exercises regularly and is strong. That is much better than being unfit, but you will have great difficulties against stronger or more skilled opponents. Keep in mind though, that &quot;massively stronger&quot; opponents will always be difficult. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-10-12T02:25:34.160" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5560" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4878" CreationDate="2015-10-12T05:55:45.600" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;What I ended up doing is going to a shoe repair shop and have them replace the velcro straps on my gloves, really happy with the result.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3194" LastActivityDate="2015-10-12T05:55:45.600" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5561" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5555" CreationDate="2015-10-12T18:29:33.720" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think doing some sort of martial art which incorporates kicking and punching, and where you can train with a heavy bag, and do real heavy bag workouts. That's what I would do. Something like kick- &amp;amp; thaiboxing (preferably a martial art where you hit something with contact). &#xA;A general home workout regime would be running for a couple of miles, followed by a half hour of punching and kicking techniques. And then doing some strength exercises to close the workout, and a little bit of stretching. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1978" LastActivityDate="2015-10-12T18:29:33.720" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5562" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-10-13T02:47:18.873" Score="2" ViewCount="94" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm lacking a sparring partner, and there are no dojos where I live. I have no access to anyone with particular martial arts knowledge locally, and my equipment comes down to the floor, a bar, and a 50-pound punching bag. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My martial arts experiences include minimal Taekwondo training as a child (mostly forgotten), a green belt in Aikido (I believe that was 7th kyu in our school), and some street fighting techniques learned by sparring with a martial artist who trained at a local gym, but left after about six months. The style he taught was based on modified Wing Chun, and involved less finesse and more brutal methods, i.e. straight kicks to the side of the knee, going for the groin, shifting weight forwards constantly and aggressively to overwhelm the opponent, raking, attacking the throat and kidneys. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd like to know what I should train to keep my physical and mental potential as a martial artist as high as possible without a partner or a dojo. What sort of striking and kicking should I practice, what balance exercises should I do? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Currently, I use calisthenics for strength training and endurance training -- rope-jumping on bare feet, planking, knuckle push ups, jumping squats, pull ups, hanging leg raises and windscreen wipers -- and after training, I use yoga to stretch out my back and hips, by far the least flexible parts of my body. While a couple exercise pointers are appreciated, I'd like to focus on how I can train specifically to be physically formidable for striking and moving. Most martial art techniques are based on muscle memory, training your nervous system to optimize your movement, so yeah. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6125" LastActivityDate="2015-10-13T02:47:18.873" Title="How do I train the basics of martial conditioning and strength?" Tags="|training|striking|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2015-10-21T07:10:09.050" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5564" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5565" CreationDate="2015-10-14T12:01:25.050" Score="1" ViewCount="1020" Body="&lt;p&gt;I red that Krav Maga is a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_martial_arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;mixture&lt;/a&gt; of other martial arts. If so which are the Martial Art forms that were combined to form Krav Maga?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1031" LastEditorUserId="1031" LastEditDate="2015-11-27T09:51:19.427" LastActivityDate="2021-07-28T14:42:15.103" Title="Is Krav Maga a hybrid martial art?" Tags="|training|mixed-martial-arts|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5565" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5564" CreationDate="2015-10-14T13:17:37.963" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes. It is a mixture of Western boxing punches, Karate kicks and knees, Greco-Roman wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu ground fighting, Jiu-jitsu throws and grappling, Judo, Aikido and most importantly, “bursting,” adapted from Wing Chun. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user5590" LastEditorDisplayName="user5590" LastEditDate="2015-10-14T14:03:58.093" LastActivityDate="2015-10-14T14:03:58.093" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5566" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-10-14T16:18:27.347" Score="-3" ViewCount="196" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a neighbor who proclaims and is reputed to be a martial arts practitioner. This individual has a habit of parking his commercial truck so that it protrudes into my driveway. Being fed up over this, I requested this individual to move his clunker out of my driveway. Immediately he advanced toward me in a nose-to-nose stare-down and muttered a threat that he would kill me. I calmly replied &quot;that's good to know&quot; then called him a &quot;punk ass little bitch&quot; saying &quot;I'll bounce around you around like a rubber ball&quot;. This guy is a known 5150 and a convicted felon. I also told him &quot;back off butt-head&quot; while he spewed incoherent expletives. My question is: how close can a belligerent, hostile, known mental case approach you? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6302" LastActivityDate="2015-10-14T17:41:47.517" Title="Martial Arts wannabe accosting and threating neighbor who simply complains over parking issue" Tags="|self-defense|mixed-martial-arts|attack|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="6" ClosedDate="2015-10-15T22:03:32.823" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5567" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5566" CreationDate="2015-10-14T17:41:47.517" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I answered a question that was similar to this before, which you might want to read:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4720/close-quarters-defense-when-you-stand-face-to-face-with-an-attacker/4723#4723&quot;&gt;Close quarter&amp;#39;s defense: when you stand face to face with an attacker&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That answer deals with an aggressor who attempts to stand face to face with you, violating your personal space but not actually throwing the first punch. A situation like that is best seen through the lens of psychology, and understanding the aggressor's psychology would help you determine what to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You didn't help yourself by saying what you said back to him. In general, I think the best response to this situation is to stand your ground and stare at him until he gets bored and leaves. Backing down or escalating things are choices that will tend to lead to a bad outcome, in my opinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you call him names and egg him on, you're aggravating the situation. You're encouraging him to attack you. It's not a good strategy. It's especially bad since, as you apparently have learned somehow, he's a convicted felon, and the police consider him to be a crazy guy with a short fuse. Even if he's smaller than you, a guy like that could easily mess you up, especially since he knows where you live. Bad idea to taunt him. Now you'll need to watch out whenever you come home. It's not a good way to live.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You asked how close someone like that can approach you. First of all, legally you're probably in a grey area until you get a restraining order filed against him. Until then, the laws will vary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I encourage you to file a police report whenever an aggressive individual threatens you even just verbally and/or violates your personal space. You want to have a record of everything for when things go really bad, and you and the other guy are taken into police custody after your neighbors call the police to come investigate a domestic disturbance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may not need a lawyer, by the way. Just head to the police station and ask to talk with someone about it. That's what they're there for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best thing to do legally is to have a restraining order filed against him. A judge will review your situation and will present options to you. Sometimes this involves just a general order for both of you to stay away from each other (by a specific distance or in more general terms). If you mention the part about him trespassing on your driveway, then that will also get made into the restraining order.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And whenever the restraining order is violated, you need to report it. It's up to the police and the courts to figure out whether the violation warrants an arrest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which brings me back to my advice: Don't say anything to him. Don't attempt to escalate the situation. You want to make this as easy as possible for the police and the courts. When you involve yourself as an actor in the fight between you two, the judge won't know who is the aggressor and who is the victim.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, if you can, get a witness. If you know your crazy neighbor is going to be there at a certain time when you're also there, and you know from past history that he's going to be threatening, then have a witness with you. And maybe have the witness record it on video for you as discreetly as possible. Even just knowing he's being recorded will likely set him off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's my advice. Hope that helps! And from now on, be mindful about your surroundings. Watch out for anything that doesn't seem right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-10-14T17:41:47.517" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5568" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5555" CreationDate="2015-10-14T18:45:27.743" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Without being already established in a dojo it is far more difficult. If you were already established and had been training for some time I would suggest to do as some of my fellow Dans have done since they have jobs now that keep them afar more often than not. They work in the oil fields and since they were Dans (black belts) prior to these jobs. They have been allowed to train and record their hyungs (forms), Ho Shin Sool (self defence) and Il Soo Sik Dae Run (one step sparring) with a camera from several different angles. Our master then reviews the footage provides feedback and occasionally a video responce. Of course all of this is only supplemental as they still show up to the Do-Jang (Dojo) on their off-schedule to further refine their skill. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without already being established and knowing the basics however, the only thing I can suggest is to find an art you'd like to study read up on their forms, styles and techniques, then find video footage maybe on YouTube and practice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But without feedback on proper footing and motion for a given movement you won't be getting the most out of it, it can also be dangerous. Throwing kicks without proper technique for example can cause sprains, strains and joint damage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just be careful. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="726" LastActivityDate="2015-10-14T18:45:27.743" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5569" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4873" CreationDate="2015-10-14T19:03:43.327" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started Tang Soo Do at the age of 25 having never done any martial arts prior to that. In all honesty I've never been very active prior to that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is never &quot;too late&quot; to start practicing, but the earlier you get in on it the better for your body. I'm not a huge guy, not super muscular, nor am I fat. However 25 years of not really training or being physically fit prior to means I have to work a lot harder on things like flexibility. Not that I can't be as flexible as the next guy, I just have to work harder at it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flexibility doesn't just mean higher kicks but its balance, its control and it means a lot less soreness the next day. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I've said my art is Tang Soo Do, but my master likes to incorporate many different things in the advanced classes and I get to play with judo throws and jiu-jitsu style grappling. If you want my 2-cents, starts sooner rather than later, float around a little bit try different arts and different schools and find the art that speaks to you. Just be respectful while you 'float around' and the proprietors of the different schools shouldn't mind to much, although I have met some art purist that don't like when a student cross trains in other arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why put off until tomorrow what you can begin today.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="726" LastActivityDate="2015-10-14T19:03:43.327" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5570" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5484" CreationDate="2015-10-14T19:11:41.657" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my art Tang Soo Do, we have Gups (colored belt, or beginning students), Dans (&quot;black belts&quot;), Ko Sa Nim (Instructor, generally about 2nd degree) Sa Bom Nims (Master instructor, 4th degree +). Grandmasters (8 degree +), Kwan Jang Nim (Is the head of the federation or the master of all the masters in a given group of schools for example WTSDF Word Tang Soo Do Federation. You also have Chun Jang Nim or a President of the federation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="726" LastActivityDate="2015-10-14T19:11:41.657" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5572" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5575" CreationDate="2015-10-15T11:04:28.423" Score="5" ViewCount="2471" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was watching &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WkWNDDrQO4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Samurai Swordmaking&lt;/a&gt;, which was uploaded in 2013, where an old man forges a sword by hand using fire and hammer. Has anybody seen a modern technology for making a sword that is as effective as one produced using a traditional method?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6305" OwnerDisplayName="goodyzain" LastEditorUserId="7195" LastEditDate="2016-06-06T05:47:04.563" LastActivityDate="2019-06-18T19:07:55.550" Title="Is there a modern technology for constructing a katana?" Tags="|weapons|sword|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5573" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5572" CreationDate="2015-10-15T17:48:58.497" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is more of an aside than a full answer (but too long and with links not well handled by comments), but it is worth noting that the traditional Katanas evolved in a region where the naturally available iron was both rarer than in many areas in Europe and of lower quality.  While the famed folding process does have other effects, one of the most significant was that it helped remove impurities and helped more evenly distribute carbon.  In other words, they were essentially making &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;steel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The difference between steel and iron in terms of producing a weapon is enormous.  For just one thing, iron tends to be more brittle.  This means that it fails, and does so catastrophically, more easily than steel does.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But of course, there are numerous different &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_grades&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;grades of steel&lt;/a&gt;.  It is too simplistic to say that one grade of steel is simply better than another, but some are clearly more suited to certain purposes than others.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To make a long story short, we can make vastly superior steel now with modern processes (and do so more consistently) than traditional &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_swordsmithing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Japanese sword-smithing&lt;/a&gt; did.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, where my answer is incomplete is that I do not have a full answer as to whether there is a fully modern process that will produce one that was as effective, but I have a few comments.  First, let me point out that you haven't defined &quot;effective for what?&quot; (And neither saying &quot;killing&quot; nor &quot;warfare&quot; is precise enough).  Weapons, including swords, are products of their environment.  You cannot readily say that a rapier is more effective than a greatsword or vice versa without precisely specifying the environment you are talking about.  A greatsword is much more effective at fighting knights in full-plate than a rapier is, especially in a many-on-many scenario.  On the other hand, if you are talking about a one-on-one duel between opponent wearing no armor, I would rather have the rapier.  Even going back to feudal japan as our context, it is worth remember that Samurai often treated the katana as a sidearm and dueling weapon and often carried either a Yumi (bow) or a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yari&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yari&lt;/a&gt; (spear) as a primary weapon into warfare.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, almost without concern for the exact definition of &quot;effective&quot;, superior metallurgy would give the modern swordmaker with modern techniques an enormous advantage. This is such a huge advantage that even if the modern technique were otherwise inferior to the traditional way that I suspect the answer would be &quot;Yes, modern techniques would be more effective&quot;.  But I do not have any specific citations for that and any more comprehensive examination would require defining precisely &quot;effective for what&quot; or perhaps &quot;effective against what&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1253" LastEditorUserId="1253" LastEditDate="2019-06-18T19:07:55.550" LastActivityDate="2019-06-18T19:07:55.550" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5574" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5572" CreationDate="2015-10-15T17:56:27.073" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax5H9PSf9g8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Yes&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a more nuanced answer, a lot of it gets into what you consider to be a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katana&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;katana&lt;/a&gt;. Presently, it is extremely difficult to make a katana in Japan, as swordmaking was highly regulated post-WW2. During WW2, katana were machine-forged or sometimes even stamped, but they were for display, and were indeed inferior. &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool_steel&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Tool steel&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_steel&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;high speed steel&lt;/a&gt; are equivalent or superior to the layered steel of traditional katana which, as per Timothy's answer, was more a matter of Japan having a shortage of good steel than it was of any truly special technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-10-15T17:56:27.073" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5575" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5572" CreationDate="2015-10-15T19:19:11.013" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;This &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/metal-fundamentals.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;2007 interview with Dr. Rick Vinci, a Stanford-trained materials scientist and engineer at Lehigh University, by NOVA&lt;/a&gt;  does a good job of describing both the materials science and engineering of the samurai sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The sword is an excellent example of people, first of all, understanding the requirements of the particular application. Understanding that the cutting edge of the blade must have a certain sort of characteristic—hard so that it retains its sharpness and its ability to penetrate—while the back edge must have a different sort of characteristic—it must be tough in order to withstand damage and fracture. And then the ability to understand how to achieve these properties through the right choice of materials and the right processing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the interview, the question of whether industrial processes can reproduce the sword comes up directly:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Can we make a sword today that's as good as the samurai sword of yore?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no mystery at this point about exactly what the metals are, so yes. It is understood what makes up a samurai sword, and there is no inherent problem with reproducing it using industrial techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is unclear from this resource whether anyone actually uses industrial processes to make high-quality swords, or whether this is a simply a theoretical statement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2015-10-15T19:19:11.013" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5577" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="869" CreationDate="2015-10-19T07:56:23.840" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is more to possibly improve on than I read above:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Full body&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A huge thing I miss here is use your full body, even more so; your core body. It depends per technique but many of them requires that you move your feet and hips first (even the straight punch). When pulling back, move your feet and hips back and then your arms. The speed comes from the base of your body, not the limb you want to move/hit with. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stance&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good stance helps a lot. Bend knees, shoulders towards opponent, feet spread as wide as shoulders etc. There are more effective stances but this is the base.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don't become too muscular&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not saying it's bad to train your muscles, like Dave says in the comments quite the opposite. Just make sure you keep track and mind your fighting progress. &quot;Too&quot; is hard to define because it is different for everyone. Muscles are heavy and when they get to big: slow. On top of that, bigger muscles are shorter which makes you less flexible and ultimately: performing techniques often harder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Plan your attack and set up attacks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Always going back to your base stance isn't going to open up many different situations. Planning an attack beforehand, or even planning the next positition/situation can open so much. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;An example&lt;/em&gt;: lowkick the front leg with your front leg, don't pull your leg back but step over with your front leg to his side. Now you are vulnerable at your back but so is he: you can turn to make any spinning kick or punch and these are very quick and effective from this situation! You can hit him both at the front as at his side. Just train situations like this and you'll learn what to do from there and quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;One more:&lt;/em&gt;  Step in with your front foot and punch to the face of your opponent simultaneously. While stepping, make sure you turn your foot and hip slightly to the inside. Because of the punch, your opponent will not be able to notice you turning in for any spinning attack, even if he blocks. Now you can perform any cool spinning attack quickly, even more so because you have already initiated the spin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Practice&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end this is what will do the trick. It simply cost time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="422" LastEditorUserId="422" LastEditDate="2015-10-20T07:34:38.603" LastActivityDate="2015-10-20T07:34:38.603" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5578" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="869" CreationDate="2015-10-19T17:26:59.137" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As Dave Leipman indicated, sprints are an excellent choice, but particularly, I've heard recommended short sprints from an external signal. So basically, stand ready but relaxed and when someone blows a whistle, sprint from one side of the room to another and then relax again until the next signal. It builds reaction time and explosive power, plus it has the beneficial side effect of getting you to actually relax in between action so that you don't start training yourself to constantly be tense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-10-19T17:26:59.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5579" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5572" CreationDate="2015-10-20T09:45:16.683" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not only can it be done, but it has been done and you can watch it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/results?q=man%20at%20arms%20katana&amp;amp;sm=1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?q=man%20at%20arms%20katana&amp;amp;sm=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the TV show &quot;Man at arms, reforged&quot;, when they do katanas, they do the folding and tempering but with power tools instead of hand hammers, recently designed clays, and modern furnaces and chemical treatments (in this case, they show that they cut some corners, because the objective here is not a weapons-grade quality, but all the ingredients are present). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="941" LastActivityDate="2015-10-20T09:45:16.683" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5580" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2424" CreationDate="2015-10-22T18:09:15.240" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just like some people answered before, if you like more hard sparring, I would go for the Kyokushin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Shotokan, katas play an important role, but so do they in any other Karate-do style. The point is that as far as they don't do so much sparring, the training of some technics is practice by training kata a kihon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The combat in Shotokan is done using the WKF, which means they don't go for the KO but some points you earn by hitting the other one in specific zones, the number of points depend on the zone. Also you have to consider you can't hit too hard, because it is penalized.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an example of Shotokan karate, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lOF7Dlzd7w&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lOF7Dlzd7w&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, Kyokushin goes more for the KO, although they can not punch to the head (as far as I know) and as a example &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYTy0rCxLoo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYTy0rCxLoo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although I like more the Shotokan (I used to practice it), I think you will enjoy more the Kyokushin one. But I would consider taking one leason of each (which usualy you can get for free) an see by your own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Best wishes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Osu!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6135" LastActivityDate="2015-10-22T18:09:15.240" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5581" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5555" CreationDate="2015-10-23T04:19:04.893" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The upfront caveat&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't need a full school, or even a live teacher to learn -something- although if you can get a single person to train with, even if they are a beginner and even if you only get to practice with them once a month, it will help you immensely compared to training just by yourself.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason is that you will want to learn range, targeting, and how to read someone trying to be aggressive with you.  You can't fully learn that with a bag, since, the bag doesn't duck, move or counterattack.  You also can only really learn grappling of any type with a partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can find anyone who will train with you, even if they can't go hard, it will be much better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kickboxing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're learning on your own and you are decently fit, kickboxing is a pretty decent choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, striking arts are something you can practice a lot with a bag and kickboxing's method of generating force is relatively easy to see and understand.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also tons of training videos and books available, so it's not hard to find.  Most of the punches and a lot of footwork cross over with boxing, so you can also use boxing training videos and books to supplement what you're learning.  If you can get a training partner, most MMA videos or books will get you some grappling in there as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kickboxing gives you both elbows and knees (and, in some cases, they also teach headbutts), which gives you some solid infighting tools that hit very hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And while you're training, remember that you're not necessarily training to be a professional fighter, or fight against professional fighters - the intense conditioning to harden bones is probably not going to be necessary for you - people who are not training in fighting do not handle taking full kicks to the legs or block knees very well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-10-23T04:19:04.893" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5582" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5555" CreationDate="2015-10-23T06:20:18.930" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stop pretending you're learning substantial skills by practicing alone. Without a partner to give live feedback and skilled resistance, and without a knowledgeable coach to correct mistakes, you're just engaging in martial masturbation. You'll ingrain bad habits that you'll have to unlearn later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Focus on becoming the most athletic version of yourself possible. Strength train until you can deadlift double your bodyweight and do more chin-ups than anyone in town. Run sprints and 5ks until you're as fit as someone on the high school track team. Do agility, gymnastic, and movement drills until you can do a dozen well-known feats that no one else in town can do: muscle-ups, pistol squats, free-standing handstand push-ups, backflips, one-arm chin-ups, and all the flying poses in yoga. After you can do all that, get into Olympic lifting and become regional champion of the most powerful movements known to humans: the clean-and-jerk and snatch. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most martial practice I would consider is hitting a heavy bag for a few rounds several times a week. Even that is likely to ingrain bad habits, though, so really &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1756/347&quot;&gt;I'd recommend getting strong, fit, fast, powerful, and mobile&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-10-23T06:20:18.930" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5583" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="501" CreationDate="2015-10-25T22:47:15.177" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In hapkido we pre break our hands where the thumb meets the hand. But my instructor Master Hui Son Choe, and his style is a bit extreme.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6327" LastActivityDate="2015-10-25T22:47:15.177" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5584" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5484" CreationDate="2015-10-26T13:47:38.810" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Kukki-Taekwondo (WTF) the definition varies.  Officially the Kukkiwon doesn't award Grandmaster titles.  Most people generally assume that 8th Dan Kukkiwon and upward is Grandmaster - the Kukkiwon staff will frequently refer to 8th Dans as Grandmaster, but often slip to Master.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I asked my contact at Changmookwan HQ in Korea to ask the head of Changmookwan and he said &quot;9th Dan Changmookwan is Grandmaster&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When my instructor (8th Dan Kukkiwon, 9th Dan Changmookwan and at that time 2nd Class Kukkiwon Master Instructor) was at the Kukkiwon with me a couple of years ago on the Master Instructor course; someone said to him &quot;you shouldn't use the title Grandmaster as that's reserved for 9th Dans who hold a 1st Class Kukkiwon Master Instructor&quot;.  His answer was &quot;my teacher, Grandmaster Kim Soon Bae calls me Grandmaster, so you if you have a problem with it - take it up with him&quot;.  Unfortunately, GM Kim died almost a year ago.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My Grandmaster's feelings (which I echo) is that it's normally between 7th and 8th Dan when the title of Grandmaster is given.  When a Grandmaster refers to you as a Grandmaster, then you should feel comfortable using the title.  If you reach 9th Dan, then you are a Grandmaster without needing another one to call you one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a side note, I've accidentally used Master X to refer to various 9th Dan grandmasters in Korea, not one has flinched or corrected me.  They are much less hung up on titles than we are over here (which is surprising because Korean culture is quite hung up on using job titles).  The Korean seniors go more by &quot;noonchi&quot; (the feeling behind someone's eyes and therefore behaviour) than rank and title.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2015-10-26T13:47:38.810" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5585" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4965" CreationDate="2015-10-26T17:25:28.387" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't say it is rude to ask, and you can always ask for an explanation for the rule.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My original dojo had a similar rule (you had to be 6th kyu). The reason being, it takes a lot more effort to initially get someone up and going in weapons practice than it does in the normal empty hand practice. My instructor only wanted to take the time to teach students weapons after they had shown they were committed and would be regularly attending. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To my amusement, just after I obtained 6th Kyu and was eligible to begin in the weapons class, the restriction was lifted. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastActivityDate="2015-10-26T17:25:28.387" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5586" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1690" CreationDate="2015-10-26T19:12:49.417" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm doing systema with combo strikes of punch, forward elbow crossing face, then back hand punch all in one, flowing move. So I bought a wing chun wall mounted dummy and wrapped a bean wall pad around the top as a head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6329" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-10-28T09:48:42.473" LastActivityDate="2015-10-28T09:48:42.473" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5587" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5654" CreationDate="2015-10-28T22:40:26.187" Score="7" ViewCount="1650" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've just recently begun training again for sport taekwondo - specifically sparring. I've always had a more traditional training, but these days the front-leg heavy style is what's in vogue and I have trouble against them. What are some good ways to break through the defense of the leading leg? I'm told that the regular approach is to beat them in playing the front leg game, and then follow with a good offensive mix-up. The problem is that if you manage to block or get past the first kick, the second one is coming straight for your head. In addition, the front leg has better reach and less committal than a back leg kick, so it's difficult to punish/counter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6338" LastEditorUserId="6338" LastEditDate="2015-10-29T19:48:26.883" LastActivityDate="2015-11-15T14:18:40.657" Title="WTF Sport Taekwondo - Beating front-leg fighters" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5589" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-10-29T21:49:53.070" Score="9" ViewCount="912" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some martial arts are composed for thousands of movements. I know two ways to teach Jiu Jitsu. Others possibly exist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Each class teaches few movements (5-7 movements). This way the student learn/see many movements per month. In this way the student has contact with a wide range of movements but they practice each just a few times each. Students with a better memory can remember better, but they won't know details.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Each week, teach no more than 3 movements. This way the student practices each one more times, but learn/saw just a few movements per month. In this case the class can be repetitive but the movements are very detailed. In case of Jiu Jitsu where exist lots of variations (sweeps, mount, guard, pass guard) the first month for a new student can be lost during the sparring.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it best that the student should learn wide range of movements or it is better to learn slowly and practice more?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-10-30T12:25:12.587" LastActivityDate="2015-11-01T16:08:23.953" Title="What is the most effective way to teach Jiu Jitsu" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|teaching|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5590" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5589" CreationDate="2015-10-30T04:34:06.370" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is an age-old question about training in general. It's generalized as the &quot;Breadth vs. Depth&quot; dilemma.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A &quot;Depth First&quot; training philosophy would prefer to train in a small number of things, but teach them deeply before moving onto other things. This way, you get really good at everything you learn, but you won't have a good understanding of the broader range of knowledge, at least not for a very long time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas, a &quot;Breadth First&quot; training philosophy would prefer to train in a large number of things, but obviously that means not spending much time on any one thing before moving on to the next. This way, you get a really good idea of the range of different things to learn, but you won't get a good understanding of anything in a deep way for a very long time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which is better for jiujitsu? I observe that most jiujitsu schools have success teaching more broadly at first, showing the student a good overview of the system before coming back to certain topics in order to gain a deeper understanding of them. So for most jiujitsu schools, it's more of a breadth first philosophy at first, and then it changes to a depth first philosophy, sometime after blue belt has been reached.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's my impression, but I could be wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For martial arts in general, or really anything you want to learn, this is probably the training philosophy with which most people do best in the long term. Teach broadly at first, and then later on teach more deeply.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there's more to learning than that. Learning must involve repetition. That's how human minds learn. We have to repeat it a lot at first in order to learn it. And we have to come back to it again and again later on. This will go on until we feel we no longer need to repeat it as often, but we'll probably never be able to stop repeating it entirely without forgetting it or without letting our skills deteriorate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It turns out that there's a learning method that memory experts have discovered for optimally remembering anything in general. They call it the &quot;Spaced Repetition&quot; method, which you can read about here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_repetition&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_repetition&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, most of the time when memory experts are talking about Spaced Repetition, they're talking about memorizing lots of data. It's about pure memorization. For example, learning new vocabulary words or new languages. But it turns out it can be applied to pretty much anything, including martial arts training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Spaced Repetition gives you a way of training so that you never forget it, and it's always fresh in your mind. At the same time, it lets you continue to learn more and more over time without overwhelming you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So for example, you might learn a technique on Monday in your jiujitsu class. You repeat it 100 times that day to really drill it in. Then on Tuesday you come back and repeat it just 70 times. Then you skip Wednesday and come back to it on Thursday and repeat it just 50 times. Then you skip Friday and Saturday and come back to it on Sunday to repeat it just 30 times. Then you skip Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and come back to it on Thursday to repeat it just 20 times. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each time you repeat it, you can repeat it a smaller number of times than the previous day you did it. And each day you practice it, there can be more days in between that you are not practicing it. Over time, you might only have to practice it once a month or once every two months, and repeat it only a small number of times that day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why does this matter? It matters because there's a lot of stuff to learn! It makes no sense to repeat everything you've learned the same number of times and do it everyday. You would wear yourself out, and you'd run out of partners. So you have to be smart about it. Time is limited.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The stuff you just learned will need to be repeated a lot more than stuff you've learned a year ago and have already practiced a lot. So your time will be spent mostly (but never entirely) on repeating stuff you've only recently learned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good martial arts instructor will be aware of this, even if he/she doesn't know the actual phrase, &quot;Spaced Repetition&quot;. They know what topics are fresh in their students minds and which aren't. So they continuously refresh topics that are beginning to deteriorate. We don't ever want our skills to deteriorate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, the trouble is that this must be tailored to the individual, yet teachers are teaching lots of people at the same time. So teachers will never be perfect at this. Some students may come in only once a week, for example. Others are there every day of the week. How do you teach classes when your students are all different? It's tricky, and it's going to come down to the teacher's awareness of his/her students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a student, that should tell you something. It should say that you probably want to manage your own practice outside of class with your own personalized Spaced Repetition method. You might keep track of all the techniques or topics you've been taught in class. Each time you practice a topic, you record when you practiced it, how many times you repeated it, and whether or not you ended the practice feeling like you were successful. Then you decide how many days should go by before you come back and practice it again as well as how many times it should be repeated on that day. Schedule it, and keep to the schedule. Do this with every topic you have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, how many days go by before you practice something again as well as how many times you would repeat it on that day is determined by how you feel about the last time you practiced it. If you feel your skill at that technique is getting worse, then you might decrease the number of days between practicing it and increase the number of times you repeat it on the day you practice it. If you feel your skill at it is getting better or staying the same, that means you can increase the number of days between practicing it and decrease the number of repetitions when you practice it again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a feedback loop. It requires you to keep a journal and continuously update your schedule. There might be apps either for cell phones or for desktop PC's that allow you to do this on computer. But it's fairly easy to do with just pen and paper.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And by the way, for most people, this isn't something they care to do even if they know about it. Only the most serious students will practice this way. But most serious students I've seen practice a lot more than they need to. They over-practice. They don't know about Spaced Repetition, so they end up repeating things more than they need to and more often than they need to. They might also neglect to practice the older stuff they were taught, preferring to rigorously practice the new stuff they've been taught. That results in deterioration over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Time is the reason why this matters. There's too much to learn, yet we all have just a limited amount of time in which to learn it. It makes sense to use however much free time you have in the most optimal way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My thoughts anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2015-10-30T04:34:06.370" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5591" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5587" CreationDate="2015-10-30T09:09:54.900" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can watch other people sparring to see how they deal with front-leg kicks; either watch 'live' at tournaments, or search for videos on YouTube. However, I watched a video of a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj16N2FSjDg&quot;&gt;gold medal final&lt;/a&gt; from the London Olympics and couldn't really see what their approach was!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I train in ITF TKD, which normally has a different approach to sparring (more use of hands, for one thing!). One of the ways we use to get round front-leg attacks is to step closer to the attacker (have a look at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFdsY35G47E&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;) or step sideways, rather than backwards&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know from personal experience that it is much, much easier to say/type that than it is to actually do (I certainly spend more time going backwards when I spar!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Something you may notice from the second video is a spinning kick as a counter to the front-leg attack. In ITF TKD, the back is not a target zone, so strikes to the back do not count (however uncomfortable!); the spin moves your target area away from your opponent and gets your foot closer to their target area. It is also quite an intimidating technique, which can be useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, you can always ask the people you train with how they deal with front-leg attacks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2015-10-30T09:09:54.900" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5592" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-10-30T13:52:53.197" Score="4" ViewCount="529" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was looking into practising HEMA(Historical European Martial Arts) for many years, but when I had the money, I didn't have the time or vice versa. Now I have finally found (let's hope) a stable job and I have time, at least on weekends, but my local club closed 3 years ago. Contacting members of the old one is totally out of the question. I don't know why, but that is the answer I got when asked. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, I don't have any option other than starting my own club, as it also takes too much time and money to travel to another town with an existing club for practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I talked to two members of the Spanish association of historic fencing (I live in Spain, by the way) and they offered help, which consists of training and advice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing is, many people asked about a HEMA club in my town but when I tried to contact them they didn't answer, or are no longer interested. Two friends of mine are okay with the idea, but I am not sure how reliable they are. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Right now, I am trying to find a weekend to have a first basic try with those friends, in a club of one of guys from the association. He offered  basic training to start practising. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It would be great if anyone could give some advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main thing I want to know is how viable is what I am trying to do? And  what other steps should I take? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6344" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2015-11-08T16:15:59.890" LastActivityDate="2015-11-08T16:15:59.890" Title="Starting my own HEMA club, any advice?" Tags="|fencing|historic-european|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5593" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5592" CreationDate="2015-10-30T23:24:30.130" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;My friend studies HEMA-German Long Sword, and while I practice with him, I don't have any particular advice for how to practice the style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I would like to say is, especially in the beginning, make sure that you are consistent with scheduling. I have seen many groups form, continue for a couple of weeks and then someone is late or someone doesn't show (only for 1 day) but it quickly turns into &quot;not this week&quot;, &quot;not this month&quot;, and finally &quot;remember that thing we once did?&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6347" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-03T07:24:34.350" LastActivityDate="2015-11-03T07:24:34.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5594" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5592" CreationDate="2015-11-01T14:31:50.500" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;A few simple piece of advice for anyone thinking of starting their own club.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First and foremost, &lt;em&gt;your finances and the club's finances &lt;strong&gt;must be&lt;/strong&gt; separate in all legal sense&lt;/em&gt;. If you take a loan, this must be for the club and not yourself.  If you seek funding, it must be as the club and not yourself. This will protect you in case something bad happens to the club.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, you &lt;strong&gt;must&lt;/strong&gt; get insurance. &lt;em&gt;No exceptions, no excuses, no nuffing!&lt;/em&gt;  Just get it. No insurance, no training. This does link to point one above: if someone gets injured and sues the club (not you because you were smart and set up the club as a separate legal entity), the club could be liable for millions. Best have an insurance to cover that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, look at the &lt;em&gt;legality of transporting and/or storing weapons&lt;/em&gt; with your local law enforcement officers. The law varies massively from country to country and getting shut down by SWAT because there are &quot;samurai swords&quot; around is not going to do you any good. Make sure that wherever you train is aware that you will have weapons (wooden ones?  Steel ones?) but that you are insured and the LEOs know about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fourth, get a good visiting instructor to come and teach.  Advertise this. It will (read: should) attract a lot of new members if they see it.  In general while a lineage is not a guarantee of good standards, it helps to show that you are not a one-man-style but part of a greater whole. Advertising in general is hard for martial arts, but you can probably dig into &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.capitan-alatriste.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;El Capitán Alatriste&lt;/a&gt;'s fame. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, get people to come and enjoy themselves!  Never under estimate going for a pitcher of sangria and tapas after training.  It does wonders to get a bunch of strangers to bond. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-11-06T13:24:12.450" LastActivityDate="2015-11-06T13:24:12.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5595" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5589" CreationDate="2015-11-01T16:08:23.953" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no simple answer to this question. The approach to teaching depends both on the students (age, experience level, fitness level), and on the immediate goals (general development, competition, self-defense, teacher development). The points I make below are mostly from my judo experience. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Help students experience success early&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's best if students can experience early success in applying techniques. Students will naturally have affinity for some techniques and not others. Focusing with a beginner for too long on a technique that is not well-suited to them will create frustration. Showing a variety of techniques early increases the likelihood students will find techniques they can be successful at, then build around. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Early on, don't teach strategies that may stunt future growth&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In judo, for example, there are throws where the standing position is sacrificed to throw the opponent. These can be quite powerful, but have the significant drawback that it is harder to build combinations of attacks using sacrifice throws. Because of this, the normal teaching strategy is to save these for more advanced students, and give beginner students a more adaptable foundation first. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Tiered instruction&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In classes, the teacher often needs to be able to teach across a range of experience levels. The trouble is that if the lesson is too complicated, beginners get lost; but if the lesson is too basic, the advanced students get bored. To keep a class together, try to develop a tiered approach to teaching any particular technique. On the same day, show the most basic version first, followed by progressively more difficult/complex versions. This helps students to focus on the most important elements for their personal situation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Competition/fighting is not a test of breadth&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To win competitions or be an effective fighter, it's not necessary to know a lot of techniques. A handful of well-trained techniques is sufficient to be successful. The wisdom from all martial arts systems I have studied is that successful fighting is a result of training more in depth than in breadth. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Teaching requires breadth&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be an effective teacher, breadth is required. Students will come in all shapes and backgrounds, and a teacher needs to be able to adapt to the particular needs/goals of the students present. Teachers must be able to convey the main ideas of techniques they themselves may not excel at. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-11-01T16:08:23.953" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5596" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-11-02T03:55:30.410" Score="5" ViewCount="1062" Body="&lt;p&gt;On the television show &lt;em&gt;The Walking Dead&lt;/em&gt;, a character named Morgan has become something of a &quot;ninja&quot; in the words of the fans.  He uses a staff as his weapon, and espouses a philosophy that all life is precious, and it is never acceptable to kill anyone for any reason.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the most recent episode, season 6, episode 4, &quot;Here's Not Here&quot;, his martial art style was identified as Aikido, which I just learned is devoted to the twin objectives of self defense and the prevention of injury to one's opponents.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm curious as to whether the style he is shown to use is actually identifiably Aikido.  The following videos are the best evidence I can provide at present.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXPtuJDTDwI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXPtuJDTDwI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31hxKV4RUZE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31hxKV4RUZE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MQrTgF5BdM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MQrTgF5BdM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this actually representative of Aikido?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6104" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-11-05T15:35:02.120" LastActivityDate="2015-11-05T15:35:02.120" Title="Is this character using Aikido?" Tags="|aikido|style|identification|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5597" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5596" CreationDate="2015-11-02T05:59:01.863" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the videos you provided, it seems that his staff, standing up, is about shoulder height. In Japanese and Okinawan arts, that would make it more of a Jo staff than a Bo staff, which is usually a few inches taller than the wielder. While I am not well versed in Aikido, I am somewhat familiar with the Jo from years of karate and Okinawan kobudo training, and I suspect that, while the katas may differ between these styles, the basic techniques should be somewhat similar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From my experience, a lot of Jo techniques are very similar to sword techniques, using the weapon's length to it's maximum potential. In these techniques, both hands are held near one end of the weapon, and definitely not around the middle like Morgan is often seen doing in the examples you provided. Some techniques do require to have a hand closer to the middle of the Jo, but these are either stabbing techniques or slashes that still use as much of the weapon's length as possible, sliding the hands across the weapon while striking to maximize reach and/or angular momentum. Once again, this is, at least in my opinion, very different from what Morgan is doing, as his grip on his Jo staff seems to be very rigid. Instead of sliding his hands along the staff to maximize reach, he seems to favor a &quot;Darth Maul&quot; type of stance, keeping both hands near the center of the weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After some searching on Youtube, I have found a video showing aikido practitioners using techniques similar to what I have described. While these are only a small sample, you should still be able to notice many differences in the stances used, as well as the types of strikes that these martial artists perform with the weapon. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYoWTEkO8bQ&quot;&gt;Sample Aikido Jo techniques&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So while Morgan might be using actual aikido techniques, they are definitely not similar to the Jo techniques I am accustomed to. I seem to recall there being a few aikido practitioners among the regulars here, so maybe one of them could provide more answers or help me refine mine...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2015-11-02T05:59:01.863" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5599" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5596" CreationDate="2015-11-03T02:32:24.180" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;No.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He is not using aiki-jo - at least as I understand it.   I've studied aiki-jo for several years, and I've done my best to learn what I can of related jo arts (SMRJ) I'm not going to claim that I'm an expert, or even that I'm competent, but what he is doing does not resemble what I do, the books, tapes or teachers I've studied. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;His wrist position is wrong. He is gripping the jo with his hand, whereas we grip with the &lt;a href=&quot;http://aikijo.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/2/1/1021944/1913951.jpg?759&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;knuckle&lt;/a&gt;.  Aiki-jo should &quot;wring&quot; the staff at the time of the strike, which is simply not possible with that grip.  My historian girlfriend says we hold the staff like &quot;a pinata smasher&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;His stance is wrong. He is standing with his weight in the middle of his feet - like a horse stance. aiki-jo uses a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://aikijo.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/2/1/1021944/6852323_orig.jpg%253F419&amp;amp;imgrefurl=http://aikijo.weebly.com/the-mind.html&amp;amp;h=800&amp;amp;w=477&amp;amp;tbnid=WYCYeBEnKTj45M:&amp;amp;docid=GJulJdkWw0-m5M&amp;amp;ei=Hxg4Vr6XIIrq-QH6jIzoDA&amp;amp;tbm=isch&amp;amp;ved=0CEUQMyghMCFqFQoTCP6i3PCW88gCFQp1PgodegYDzQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;longer front stance&lt;/a&gt; with the balance very forward.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;He is gripping the jo at the 1/3 and 2/3 position; that happens in aiki-jo, but rarely, and generally isn't used for parrying.  Aiki-jo &lt;em&gt;usually&lt;/em&gt; grips at the base and a 1/3 position. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;His blows occur in a fairly narrow ring, constrained by his grip. Aiki-jo uses the length of the jo more flexibly to reach out.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;There were no thrusting motions, even when they would have been logical -  the engagement range is wrong. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the first video he overbalances to reach a target that is outsize the zone of attack. (about the 13s mark) - aiki-jo would avoid the overbalance by gripping at the base and either thrusting (probably) or a longer strike. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Also in the first video, the second strike (about 4s) is &lt;em&gt;almost&lt;/em&gt; right - low blow to what I believe is the opponent's knee or thigh.  But the grip is wrong and although there is some hip torsion, the blow is delivered with the shoulders.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;(Most important, and most telling) All of the blows I saw were delivered with arm strength, not hip strength.  Much of our practice is to learn how to use the strength of hips and legs. &lt;em&gt;update&lt;/em&gt; the third video &quot;Morgan gets his staff&quot; is very clear - watch his hips as he is studying on the beach.  The hips don't move; all the power comes from the arms.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like I said, I'm just a student, and there is much I don't know.  Japanese martial arts aren't static and it is possible that he is studying from another school that I don't know, but it simply doesn't look similar to what I do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have never studied bo staff, but his techniques do look like the people I've seen doing bo staff work. (The grip looks like a bo grip - I believe you have to hold the bo in the center because it is longer - twice as long IIRC.  Holding the bo in the center would result in a very slow strike.  But I can't claim competence).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Update&lt;/em&gt; I realized that the above was telling, not showing - compare the stance and hand position to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2IqritLhhs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this video of Saito Sensei&lt;/a&gt; or this video of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3EmC4LGAS8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Nishio Sensei&lt;/a&gt;, who is well known for his fluidity, or &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/tX-hGLuheDc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Stenudd sensei&lt;/a&gt;, whose technique is rather different than I study, but we admire his power and precision. @Sardathrion provided &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNzl7TeRmzQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this video of the shodokan 21 jo kata&lt;/a&gt;, which I include for ease of reference.  I think if you watch these, you'll agree that it looks different from Morgan's technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-11-04T13:47:18.297" LastActivityDate="2015-11-04T13:47:18.297" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5605" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-11-03T18:27:23.590" Score="8" ViewCount="1068" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can someone tell me the name of this joint lock?   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://cdn.makeagif.com/media/4-29-2014/Gbjy31.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://cdn.makeagif.com/media/4-29-2014/Gbjy31.gif&quot; alt=&quot;joint lock from Sherlock series S03E03&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is a still of the final position:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0b5Jym.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0b5Jym.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;joint lock from Sherlock series S03E03&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems to be an Aikido technique (is it?)  .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6359" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-15T22:33:20.740" LastActivityDate="2020-12-15T22:46:15.283" Title="What is this name of this kind of joint lock?" Tags="|terminology|identification|joint-lock|entertainment|choreography|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5606" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5605" CreationDate="2015-11-03T22:05:58.913" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's hard to tell, but it looks like the dude on the right's left arm is pushed up behind his back. I hear that called that a &quot;chicken wing&quot;, which is similar to BJJ's &quot;Kimura&quot;, catch-wrestling's double wrist lock, and judo's &lt;em&gt;ude garami&lt;/em&gt;. I'm sure there's a name for it in SAMBO, and aikido too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I say &quot;similar to&quot; because most of those techniques actually require a different and more effective grip. The one shown here is not secure or strong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-11-03T22:05:58.913" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5607" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5605" CreationDate="2015-11-04T03:57:23.293" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a nothing lock - it is a made for television move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While Sherlock's thumb and index finger do lie along anterior wrist points used frequently with various wrist locks or throws (e.g. kotogaeshi in Aikido), this particular implementation is a waste of bandwidth and screen frames, it is a British version of Hollywood nonsense. Try it, and see how little control you have and how easily your opponent will be able to get out of it or nullify it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As suggested by Dave, at most this will be a crude shoulder lock, although poorly held and not very painful as the persons hand is only halfway up their back (which most people can do with little or no discomfort).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2015-11-04T03:57:23.293" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5608" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="126" CreationDate="2015-11-04T09:59:08.570" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Honestly, these are all great answers. Sometimes you will find students that will be disrespectful or disruptive intentionally and this is when you should remind them that it is a martial art class, not baseball practice or dance. &#xA;Adults and teenagers are invited to spar. Kids are given a sharp swat on the backside or leg. &#xA;When I was training, this is how it was done. And, though not a first resort or frequently used, is rather effective and doesn't change the flow of class because of a single student's disruptive, disrespectful, or incorrect behaviour. &#xA;I'm not saying injure them. However, there is a reason kids stop touching a hot stove after the first time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6364" LastActivityDate="2015-11-04T09:59:08.570" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5609" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5383" CreationDate="2015-11-05T00:16:23.797" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a few forms in Tenshinsho-den Katori Shinto ryu. I know they exist, but was not able to progress to that level in my local school. Here is a link to a video of the style. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2xmfyZSn80&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2xmfyZSn80&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6361" LastActivityDate="2015-11-05T00:16:23.797" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5610" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5605" CreationDate="2015-11-05T12:03:17.823" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Lock Aikido techniques involve first of all, the use of the attacker's own power in a clever way to turn it against him so that the lock takes place effectively. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, on this movie, we see the performer of the technique is very awkwardly locking the wrist of the other person who was standing up and not moving (so in practice, the wrist/elbow lock will fail especially given the angle of the attack and the stable posture of the both men)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The hand of the victim is not lifted enough to the shoulders, which thing means his elbow is not enough trailed in the back: with these 2 facts, the attacker can not allow himself to handle the hand of his victim with the his thumb only, and the victim can easily free himself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Conclusion: that has nothing to do with martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user5590" LastActivityDate="2015-11-05T12:03:17.823" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5611" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="594" CreationDate="2015-11-05T16:20:52.107" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would need more information on what you mean by forms and what you are try to accomplish. If it is how to fight with a knife/Tanto, there are many good styles. I am partial to some of the Israeli commando forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are looking for defense I can comment on this a little. I have trained in Aikido for many years in the US, Canada and Japan. When I asked the similar question to our master and sempai in Japan, most do not train with the weapons. They admit it is useful, but it is use to present a priority when doing a technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They all said basically the same thing. Practice your basic movements without a weapon. Make sure you are clear and efficient. When you do add a weapon, you will have to move a little sooner and be clear in taking of balance, pins and throws.&#xA;Ask yourself when doing a technique, am I in a position to strike with a tanto or atemi?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This same advice was given to me when I studied American Kempo and Tae kwon Do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me we introduce Tanto at Nidan, but it is still just Yokomen Uchi Shihonage or tsuki Kotegashi, the only difference is the attacker has a weapon. Same at Sandan we have a Jo and Bokken.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in the end, my recommendation is to be proficient in your style, look for openings to strike. In the end no one wins in a knife fight. Someone always gets cut.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6361" LastActivityDate="2015-11-05T16:20:52.107" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5612" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5193" CreationDate="2015-11-05T19:02:31.647" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It really comes down to your style and sensei. In my form we focus on Kihon, which in itself has multiple translations. The focus is on basic of the basics so to answer your question is that you perform a kotegaeshi stretch during warm ups. The idea was to help show thumb placement and strengthen and stretch the wrist. We place the thumb at the base of the pinky.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is where it varies. The basic is to put your hand over your thumb. &#xA;If you are throwing tobi-ukemi depending on size of the uke and a number of things, I have seen and done variations, but in the end the thumb is always at the base of the pinky.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ask you sensei.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6361" LastActivityDate="2015-11-05T19:02:31.647" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5613" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5592" CreationDate="2015-11-05T19:27:10.327" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would look at joining the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.hemaalliance.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot; title=&quot;HEMA Alliance&quot;&gt;HEMA Alliance&lt;/a&gt;, they can provide a lot of help.  They also provide insurance, which is a nice perk.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;In addition, their forums, and their groups on facebook are great places to figure out how to run a club.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="508" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2015-11-06T01:28:12.053" LastActivityDate="2015-11-06T01:28:12.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5614" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5478" CreationDate="2015-11-05T21:11:26.453" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Being attacked on the street (depending on where you live) is theoretically a once in a life time event, so there's no point going somewhere frequently where you are considerably increasing the likeliness of being hurt because then you might as well take your chances on the street without paying out money and time and risking pain/blood/injury for Wing Chun lessons. It's a bad place to learn. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I don't see why there has to be ANY contact other than holding, touching someone's arms in order to learn the principles initially. They should be accommodating for the level you are training at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6371" LastActivityDate="2015-11-05T21:11:26.453" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5615" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5627" CreationDate="2015-11-06T10:06:12.017" Score="7" ViewCount="4794" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been going to karate for many years and have had a bit of experience teaching our students, mostly in a 1-on-1 setting (I'm not the teacher, I just help out here and there when required).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Recently, we have had a few new students join, one of whom particularly has trouble staying still and paying attention (he's between 7-10 years old). It's not been brought to our attention that he has ADHD or anything like that but it's very similar in behaviour.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Occasionally when I have been teaching him (either alone, or with a single other student), I have been stern in telling him to stop fidgeting and to his credit, he does stop, but only for a short period of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I was taught that Karate is about discipline and you need to pay attention to your teacher, his behaviour is very different to what I'm used to. More to the point, though, is due to his lack of concentration, he doesn't actually pick up on what we're doing to try and help his techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Has anyone else been in a similar situation? Are there any techniques that can be used to help him concentrate more and improve quicker?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6136" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-06T14:09:50.423" LastActivityDate="2015-11-25T18:45:33.500" Title="Child with attention difficulties in my karate class" Tags="|karate|teaching|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="3" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5616" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5615" CreationDate="2015-11-06T10:20:56.607" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Figuring out if he either wants to be there or is forced to go by his parents is important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the latter, then there is not much you can do about it. He &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; get better if he has something that engages him but that can be hard to gauge if he is not mature enough to tell you about it. You can still try though. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a side note, as &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/6372/mark&quot;&gt;Mark&lt;/a&gt; suggested in a &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5615/child-with-attention-difficulties-in-my-karate-class/5620#comment11858_5615&quot;&gt;comment&lt;/a&gt;, not all children chose to do a marital art. Some are introduced to it via their parents because it might help them to focus, gain self confidence, and expend their horizon. However, children do form an opinion about things pretty quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the former, then things are a little easier. He has chosen to be there, so he has a vested interest in getting better. This is something you can leverage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In either case, you need to find out what he &lt;em&gt;enjoys&lt;/em&gt; during the class and maybe do more of that. Ask him at the end of a class. Next class, do a little more of that one thing. This will engage him more and thus get him to focus extra to get his fix.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Positive reinforcement&lt;/em&gt; generally yields quicker results than negative reinforcement.  So, instead of telling him off, compliment him when he is paying attention. Tell him how well he picks things up. When you correct something he does wrong, make sure to say &quot;well done&quot; afterwards. So, &lt;em&gt;focus on the positive&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can help if the acting up is part of attention seeking. If at home he gets no attention (for whatever reason), then acting up gives him adult, full-on attention.  He might crave that.  Again, by being positive you reinforce that good actions get him noticed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-11-06T14:49:59.340" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5617" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-11-06T11:51:17.680" Score="4" ViewCount="1605" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practiced muay thai for a year and my teacher made it clear we would train all along bare feet on the hard ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course I had feet injuries after repeatedly kicking the mitts. At first,  I thought I would hold on and eventually my feet would get used to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But it didn't get better and honestly, this is one of the reasons why I didn't follow up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would you recommend training on mats or is training on the hard ground really a thing ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6370" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-06T13:50:05.587" LastActivityDate="2015-12-01T07:50:17.867" Title="Training on hard ground" Tags="|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5618" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5617" CreationDate="2015-11-06T12:57:52.677" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would not recommend staying in any school, regardless of style, that insists on doing something that results in students being injured; this is a sure sign of a McDojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, what is the hard floor? Is it a nice polished wooden sprung floor?  Is it bare weathered concrete in the parking lot? There is a huge difference between those and anything in between. Some hard floors are fine to train on, others are not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-06T13:54:05.173" LastActivityDate="2015-11-06T13:54:05.173" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5619" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5617" CreationDate="2015-11-06T13:50:33.700" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;I see no trouble training pure striking on a hard floor. It's also not clear that the floor was the cause of your injury--you say it is from hitting pads.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If throws, clinch, or takedowns are even a possibility--as they generally should be--then mats make more sense, but that doesn't seem to be the issue here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-11-06T13:50:33.700" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5620" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5615" CreationDate="2015-11-06T14:35:28.210" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most kids, unless they are really unaware, have at least some idea that they have issues.  A lot of them already feel like failures because of it.  Coming down hard on him (not saying that your are or will) is probably the last thing he needs.  A few things I think would be worth trying:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;As soon as he arrives, give him a task to do (put up a piece of equipment, get a piece of equipment ready that you will need during class, etc) and then thank him for doing it.  Bam, he's been there 1 minute and he's already been successful at something.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;During class, if you see him starting to get distracted, give him a small task to do.  &quot;Hey Billy, I'm thirsty, grab my water bottle from the edge of the mat please.&quot; Take a drink. &quot;Thanks, can you put it back for me?&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you notice him start to get distracted and then correct it himself, make sure to praise him for it after class.  &quot;Hey Billy, I noticed you got distracted by the ambulance going by, but you refocused really well after that.  Good job, man.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="644" LastActivityDate="2015-11-06T14:35:28.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5621" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5615" CreationDate="2015-11-06T14:56:31.480" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Teaching children is very different from teaching adults. Kids have shorter attention spans than adults, and they also have greater difficulty with delayed gratification. It's important to tailor teaching to the audience. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For kids, designing a game to work on particular skills is very effective. The kids can focus on doing well in the game (immediate gratification) and learn skills as a side effect. For example, say you want to work on horse stance. Get the kids to play freeze tag, and have kids who are frozen stand in horse stance, and require another kid to crawl through the frozen kid's legs to unfreeze them. Or to work on hand speed and hand-eye coordination, put clothespins on the kids' uniforms and have them try to grab the clothespins off a partner's uniform while defending their own clothespins. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kids also like to do things that are usually forbidden. For example, to get kids to kiai, you can encourage them to use their outdoor voices while indoors in this specific situation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your goal is to get a kid to be better behaved, I think you have to start with ensuring they are well behaved at times like the beginning of class bow-in or when an instructor is talking to them. Then provide the kids the freedom to burn off some of their energy and be a bit crazy. Then when the class comes back together, enforce good behavior again. In my experience, this is much more effective than trying to straitjacket the kids at all times. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-11-06T14:56:31.480" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5622" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5645" CreationDate="2015-11-06T17:07:54.383" Score="3" ViewCount="557" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been learning Italian Longsword, a style of HEMA (Historic European Martial Arts) for several months now, heavily using &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/9526793404&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The Swordsman's Companion&lt;/a&gt; as a teacher and guide. It has been superb teacher, and most techniques and exercises have been well explained, and what isn't well explained often becomes evident from attempting the techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is, however, not about Italian Longsword, but wrestling. Several respectable sources (Such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V2Uf06NrFc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Matt Easton of Scholagladitoria&lt;/a&gt;) mention that wrestling was a key component of many HEMA systems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This leads to my question: is there such a book like &quot;The Swordsman's Companion,&quot; but for &lt;strong&gt;wrestling/pugilism in HEMA&lt;/strong&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2015-11-14T17:00:22.587" LastActivityDate="2015-11-14T17:00:22.587" Title="HEMA Wrestling Guide" Tags="|wrestling|books|historic-european|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5623" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-11-06T17:53:00.033" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA), or the Martial Arts used in Europe from around 1200-1800 AD. HEMA focuses on a wide range of topics, incuding: armored and unarmored fighting, longsword (more properly called the &quot;hand-and-a-half sword&quot;), sword-and-buckler, Pole weapons (such has spears, halberd, quarterstaves), wrestling, grappling, falchion, falchion and shield, greatsword, and dagger combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;HEMA focuses on re-creating historically accurate techniques, and these techniques are most often preserved in Fighting Treatises made by various masters. These treatises are often preserved by various groups, and have been translated into modern languages for ease of study. Some people can still understand the treatises without translation, but it is often harder to gain that skill than to read the translations. These treatises were often written for people who had already learned to use these weapons, as a sort of review document, so HEMA practitioners have needed to re-create some of the basics that these treatises don't cover.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For longsword, for instance, there are two general categories: German Longsword and Italian (or Pan-European) longsword. These styles of fighting sometimes arrive at some of the same solutions and techniques, but vary in their development and style of fighting. Some weapons were more popular in certain countries than in others, developing systems like Spanish Greatsword and English Quaterstaff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-03-10T12:25:19.350" LastActivityDate="2016-03-10T12:25:19.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5624" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-11-06T17:53:00.033" Score="0" Body="Historical European Martial Arts, or the Martial Arts used in Europe (and by European People) from around 1200 AD to about WW1. Use this tag when you specifically want European Martial arts, as opposed to Far Eastern (Asian), Middle Eastern, African, Indian, Native American, etc." OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-03-09T21:57:09.967" LastActivityDate="2016-03-09T21:57:09.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5625" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5615" CreationDate="2015-11-06T18:03:58.823" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a son in Karate who has a mild case of ADHD, so I can empathize with your situation. In general, I find that he responds well to personal, positive feedback. A gentle reminder when he starts making faces in the mirrors works out well. And, positive feedback when he does something correct will also help build a good rapport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also recommend talking to the parents and asking them what they want to get out of class. In my case, the actual belt grading is irrelevant. I'm interested in an environment that promotes focus and discipline. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6376" LastActivityDate="2015-11-06T18:03:58.823" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5626" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4965" CreationDate="2015-11-06T18:15:12.350" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Again not much to add here. When my dojo has a new student, typically we have a talk with them about their experience and gauge where they are at. We can see if someone has trained before. Even in Aikido, there are many variations and differences in kotegaeshi for instance. I would wait a little bit and let them walk you through a little bit. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nothing worse as an instructor is to have someone approach a martial art and compare it to their old school. Even though it is not confrontational, many instructors are a bit sensitive, especially the traditional ones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I does not hurt to ask, but be ready for a NO response. Don't be dis-hardened. Let your experience show your ability. When I practiced Tenshin shoden katori shinto-ryu, the instructor urged me to buy an iaito as soon as possible and told me to buy the longest, heaviest one I could find due to my size. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But my Iaido instructor said to wait and urged it was a big investment and even encouraged us to wait about a year. Remember approximately 1 in 10 people stop all martial arts within the first 3 to 6 months. Buying a high-quality Iaito that you can appreciate for years can be expensive. You don't want to be buying a new Iaito every couple of years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But as mentioned, ask or wait a few classes it's all about the journey.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6361" LastActivityDate="2015-11-06T18:15:12.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5627" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5615" CreationDate="2015-11-06T19:27:32.710" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick Summary as this post is long:&lt;/strong&gt; It is easier to keep focus when learning something if you aren't just trying to repeat it, but fully conceptualizing the mechanics, reasoning, and technique of a thing.  Having the student realize the benefit of improved understanding and the downside of lack was also a huge help in getting past attention issues as it significantly improved self driven interest in learning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disclaimer:&lt;/strong&gt; I have no experience as an educator, my opinion is based on what did and did not work for me as a child with ADHD issues strong enough that at 6 years old (1st grade) the school wasn't going to let me progress unless I was given medication or another form of professional treatment, they allowed us to try martial arts first.  For the first 6 months or so there was no improvement and I just couldn't focus enough to learn anything, but we had an instructor move and his replacement had a different instruction style and I had rapid improvement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For further background, my teachers/parents didn't think I had 'behavioural' issues, I was respectful of authority, highly empathetic of others, and pretty shy, so I wasn't one of the kids with the violent tantrums/outbursts/etc... I just would daydream or get distracted so easily I pretty much couldn't learn anything, and even entertainment didn't hold my attention for long.  I hated losing focus, I felt like I was letting down my instructors, my parents, and myself, honestly I was consciously trying my hardest to stick with it, but during the conditions in which I would lose focus my ability to maintain control of my body/mind was just compromised, and there was no amount or style of scolding/punishment that could make me feel worse about it than what I already self-imposed.  Given that, my information is likely not going to work on a kid that doesn't want to get better at concentrating/learning, and again I have never been an educator professionally or voluntarily, so take the following with a grain of salt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Failing Strategies\Conditions (for me)&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Simple rote based initial instruction, like Instructor shows the move a couple times, and then expects emulation.  This failed because first and foremost it only captured my conscious attention (watching/assessing the task) and my body attention when trying to repeat it, my 'mind' essentially checked out as it was not needed and distractions would begin.  Secondly, if I didn't repeat it successfully I didn't know why and that was amazingly frustrating and this would be amplified as the instructor tried to re-show or especially physically position me.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Strict demands for my attention, my attention would snap back, but there was no long term affect and I would quickly lose focus again if the contextual situation had not changed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Long periods on a singular task, it is hard to define long, but more than a minute or twos/a dozen repetitions of the same maneuver, for me there is a finite amount of improvement/work that can be done on an individual task during any 1 period, and once I hit that wall, try as I might I cannot care about that task until I've had time to refresh with a different task/problem.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sideline attempts to recapture my attention, like requests that I perform some unrelated task in the hopes to put me back in the now, these always felt purposeless, and the end result was an overall reduction in interest in the whole concept.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Successful Strategies/Conditions:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Specific and guided instruction/focus on mindfulness.  Knowing exactly what my mind and body should be doing at any given snapshot in time during a given task gave me a whole new level of focus and significantly improved my ability to learn tasks presented in this way.  Examples: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Periods of time spent on very simple meditation with guidance like sit in specific given position, and rhythmically repeated instructions to think about this specific thing that does not allow for interpretation like breathe in/breathe out,... or 1/2.1/2,...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The same rote based instruction from the first failure example, but with the initial demonstration being very slow, with thorough descriptions of what the different parts of my body should be doing at every point in the process, then when I don't have it right having the instructor initiate and guide a discussion where I end up figuring out (not being told) what was wrong.  This way I am focusing on perceiving the action, physically repeating it, and mindfully contemplating/processing it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Switching the task context in regular intervals, I could effectively spend all day practicing just 3 maneuvers so long as each interval was short and the switches were on a schedule/routine, like 10 horse stance punches, 10 round house kicks, 10 axe kicks, (repeat in the same order).  It is additionally helpful if there are specific repeated behaviours between the changing points (moving to an attention stance and &quot;yes sensei&quot; before each new task set, and maybe a full bow between each round of sets), and if the specific actions have an additional component, breathe in/out on alternate punches, kia'ing on each kick, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Being stern when I falter, and on repeated events or if I lose attention at a significant point like learning a brand new concept, rather than scolding show me why I should have paid attention like having me demonstrate the move to the class and ask them to critique it or have me publicly spar with a class mate (one who the instructor is confident will defeat me), something that makes me realize the lack created by my inattention, especially when that lack is present even compared to the others at my same level.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If any class segment is going to require a lack of participation, I need to know upfront that at the end of that segment I will be tested in some way, like maybe the instructor wants to spend 10 minutes or so just talking about effective ways to combine the actions we had been going over, each student should then very briefly spar (just a couple strikes) with an authority (instructor, higher grade student, etc) where the result corresponds to their implementation of the given info, complete shutdown/moderate fall to the mat/mild embarrassment on no utilization to even draw/pat on the back for great utilization.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Having students act as instructor and try to teach the class how to use a maneuver they have been practicing is a big help for encouraging a desire to actually learn the material.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;As the student shows a greater ability to reign in their own attention, the hand holding/guidance should reduce to increase the challenge and autonomy, additionally the actual consequences of success or failure should become noticeably more significant, but the demonstrative consequences reduced, the hope is that eventually they will begin/increase self-governing, but they won't if they don't need to.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I never really got good at martial arts, but I did become a good student and enjoyed how much easier it became to learn that I began self-imposing these strategies for actual school and that similarly improved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, I am not a medical professional in any way, these techniques helped me get past a lot of my attention issues, but as an adult I've started using medication as well, and that has made a whole new world of difference.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Different situations require different types/levels of treatments, so just wanted to be clear that I'm not advocating ignoring the advice of doctors, that's for you to decide.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6375" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-11-09T07:52:44.063" LastActivityDate="2015-11-09T07:52:44.063" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5628" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3117" CreationDate="2015-11-07T13:40:03.863" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My school uses:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;White&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Yellow&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Orange&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Green&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Blue&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Purple&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Brown&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Red&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Black&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Black 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; degree-9&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; degree.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6378" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2015-11-07T18:30:25.027" LastActivityDate="2015-11-07T18:30:25.027" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5629" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5615" CreationDate="2015-11-07T20:57:06.720" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You are correct in that traditionally,  karate adopts the Japanese cultural phenomenon of be quiet and absorb.  But that is not necessarily the best method of teaching. Fidgeting is a sign that he needs to move to learn. Which means that you have to encourage him to do so. Making him stand still and learn would be wrong. I would adapt drills where you encourage your pupils to emulate you,  while gradually increasing the difficulty. Start with a movement exercise and add hand techniques or kicks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5848" LastActivityDate="2015-11-07T20:57:06.720" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5631" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-11-08T22:53:54.653" Score="1" ViewCount="2164" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to save some money by removing meat and dairy from my diet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am planning to give a go a diet where I am consuming mostly fruits and beans.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My only concern is how it will impact my energy levels and overall health as a boxer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this type of diet ok for an athlete who is in a combat sport?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6382" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T14:00:32.800" Title="Vegetarian diet for a combat sport athlete?" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5632" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5631" CreationDate="2015-11-09T03:07:36.823" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Carefully planned vegetarian and vegan diets do provide adequate nutrition for athletes. The active phrase being, &quot;carefully planned&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial artists don't have any special nutritional requirements compared with people who do other activities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for energy levels, this depends on what kind of fuel you're putting in you. When you eat simple carbohydrates, you're going to get a spike in your energy levels and a temporary boost, but it won't last. That's why you want to fill your diet with complex carbohydrates and protein instead. Fruit is fine, also, because it comes with the fiber that slows down digestion. Fruit juice may not be a good idea, since it lacks the fiber and digests quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most athletes who have gone vegan tend to say that they went vegan because they found that it raised their energy levels and endurance. They also say it improved their recovery times. You can find even some vegans, or people who go vegan while training for a fight, who were in the UFC. There are vegan iron man triathletes. There are vegan boxers. There are vegan tennis players and runners. There are vegan major league baseball players. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Vegan and vegetarian diets don't seem to slow people down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The protein requirements of a vegan athlete aren't much higher than the average couch potato, either. You can definitely find vegan protein sources that will give you more than enough protein. The beans you mentioned are a perfect example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Incidentally, here is a great article that discusses protein requirements of athletes and weightlifters in particular. The best available science says that people don't need the huge amounts of protein that most athletes and weightlifters say we need:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For health in general, vegan and vegetarian diets have many health advantages and some disadvantages. The disadvantages don't generally cause people to give up the diet. You definitely want to get a vitamin B12 supplement and take it daily. Some vegetarians may also bruise more easily, but there are diet choices that can make that better if it does seem to be happening to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should take a look at the American Dietetic Association's &quot;Official Position&quot; paper on vegetarian and vegan diets. They specifically talk about athletes. And they make it clear that even a strict vegan diet is fine for all stages of life and for athletes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/2009_ADA_position_paper.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/2009_ADA_position_paper.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, many have questioned whether soy protein in particular and many other plant-based proteins have an estrogen-like compound in them which might cause men to lose testosterone. First, it's important to realize that vegans and vegetarians don't require soy protein at all. There are plenty of alternatives to soy. Second, the answer is emphatically: No! This has been sufficiently disproved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some articles I gathered that discuss this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20378106&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20378106&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19524224&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19524224&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science/Review-finds-no-effect-of-soy-on-testosterone&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science/Review-finds-no-effect-of-soy-on-testosterone&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Safety-Regulation/Review-finds-no-effect-of-soy-on-testosterone&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Safety-Regulation/Review-finds-no-effect-of-soy-on-testosterone&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Nutrition/Food/180820091053_nutrition_notes_men_don_t_need_to_fear_soy_foods.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Nutrition/Food/180820091053_nutrition_notes_men_don_t_need_to_fear_soy_foods.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ironmanmagazine.com/soy-and-your-testosterone/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.ironmanmagazine.com/soy-and-your-testosterone/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://jacknorrisrd.com/soy-protein-weightlifting-and-testosterone/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://jacknorrisrd.com/soy-protein-weightlifting-and-testosterone/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson71.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson71.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, getting back to your particular diet idea, which is to consume only fruits and beans. That is a very different diet than a typical vegan diet. I think you would be well advised to talk with a nutritionist before making such an extreme diet change. At the very least, make sure your new diet has enough calories to support your weight and activity level and satisfies all the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) of vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrate, fat, sodium, and so on. And definitely take a vitamin B12 supplement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, there is a ton of misinformation on the web about vegan and vegetarian diets. If you listen to them, no vegetarian should even be alive, let alone living to old age.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, the lifespan of vegans is no different than the general population in the U.S. So we at least know it's not going to cause you to have an early death. Even more positively, it has been observed that populations in various parts of the world that produce the most numbers of people that live past age 100 tend to eat very little meat and plenty of plant-based products. Not generally &quot;no&quot; meat, mind you. Just very little of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The bottom line is: Don't take anything you read on the web as truth until you've had a chance to verify it. The best way to do that is to find any peer-reviewed, scientific papers which support the claims. That usually isn't good enough, however, because you might not be able to interpret the results properly. So if you can, ask some non-biased experts on nutrition for their thoughts on it if it's not immediately obvious what the paper is saying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2016-03-23T21:36:03.740" LastActivityDate="2016-03-23T21:36:03.740" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5633" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5643" CreationDate="2015-11-09T03:11:40.107" Score="3" ViewCount="1004" Body="&lt;p&gt;This might not be a technical martial arts question, but it is somehow related to Taekwon-do, so please bear with me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am a bulky person, and I sweat a lot. Especially when in training, I sweat so much I have to wipe my face often because the sweat irritates my eyes when it trickles into them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While sweating is deemed something good (at least to me), my dobok (uniform)  looks drenched in sweat compared to the others. Attached is a picture of us together after training. You can see that I'm the one with the sweatiest looking dobok. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before training my dobok is clean. White, like the rest in the picture. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GcWOH.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GcWOH.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;If you can&amp;#39;t guess, I&amp;#39;m 3rd from right.&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My dobok is of the same brand as the most of them in the picture. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is, how to take care of the dobok so it remains white (and look clean) always?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there are medical personnel here, I would also like to know if sweating like this is a condition that I should get checked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1797" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-11-09T07:55:38.313" LastActivityDate="2015-11-13T22:37:47.643" Title="Dobok absorbs sweat" Tags="|training|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5634" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5635" CreationDate="2015-11-09T05:19:39.897" Score="2" ViewCount="740" Body="&lt;p&gt;My tae kwon do instructor always tells his students to avoid soft/energy drinks (like Pepsi, Coke or Red bull etc.) Do these kind of drinks harm your flexibility and stamina? What do experts say about it?&#xA;PS scientific evaluation please. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5915" LastEditorUserId="5915" LastEditDate="2015-11-09T12:07:14.990" LastActivityDate="2015-11-14T07:45:03.177" Title="Soft/Energy drinks effects for tae kwon do players" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|fitness|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5635" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5634" CreationDate="2015-11-09T14:21:17.120" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From a metabolic point of view, when you ingest the simple sugars (primarily glucose) present in sodas you get a spike in insulin production. The insulin mediates the uptake of the glucose by your cells where it is converted (either aerobically or anaerobically) into energy plus various waste products (CO2, lactic acid). The problem is that your metabolism will work through the supply of glucose quickly, and with the spike in insulin will clearing you bloodstream of glucose you will become hypoglycemic... literally moving from feast to famine from the perspective of your cells.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your best bet in the case of sugars is to modulate the rate that your body is taking in the glucose, stretching it out over a prolonged period of time. You &lt;em&gt;could&lt;/em&gt; simply nursing your drink. A better approach is to take in the same amount of sugar as glycogen (a polymer of glucose), which takes longer to digest. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similar effects are seen with pretty much any chemical that you introduce into your body, be it sugar or caffeine or nicotine or whatever. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4267" LastActivityDate="2015-11-09T14:21:17.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5636" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5633" CreationDate="2015-11-10T15:50:58.143" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd suggest looking at alternative uniforms - you guys are ITF?  Must be dozens you can order online, some of which may be a heavier or more starched canvas material that won't cling to you so much or show sweat.  I sweat a lot too - some materials are just better than others.  I can't see any particular reason to stick to the same brand that suits the others in your group if it's not working out so well for you.  Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2015-11-10T15:50:58.143" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5638" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-11-10T20:34:13.840" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2015-11-10T20:34:13.840" LastActivityDate="2015-11-10T20:34:13.840" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5639" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-11-10T20:34:13.840" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2015-11-10T20:34:13.840" LastActivityDate="2015-11-10T20:34:13.840" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5641" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5633" CreationDate="2015-11-11T23:03:36.390" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You might be able to use a hydrophobic (water resisting) spray to coat the inside or outside of your uniform. For example, Scotchgard. That could work. It's just that I don't know how well the water resistant coating will hold up to being washed over time. You may have to re-apply it every now and then.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other issue with doing that is that you don't know how healthy those chemicals are. If they're in constant contact with your skin, they could be absorbed into your body where they might cause cancer or disrupt your hormones. Who knows. If it were me, I probably wouldn't do it unless I absolutely knew for certain that it wasn't bad for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As Tony D mentioned in his answer, your best bet is to look at uniforms of different fabrics. A uniform that uses polyester, nylon, or lycra should make it more resistant to sweat. A lighter uniform might help wick the sweat away also.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should also look into using a compression rash guard underneath your gi. It might help by controlling where the sweat goes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for medical reasons for sweating too much, you should ask your doctor to diagnose you. There are many medical conditions that causes people to sweat a lot - sometimes while not even exercising (be thankful you don't have that problem!).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most likely it's just because you're overweight. Being overweight causes you to work harder, and the fat you have acts as an insulator, trapping in heat which causes you to sweat more. You may also have a thyroid condition. Or diabetes. Etc. These conditions are related to being overweight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a link discussing many of the medical reasons for excessive sweating:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/excessive-sweating/basics/causes/sym-20050780&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/excessive-sweating/basics/causes/sym-20050780&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2015-11-12T04:07:38.137" LastActivityDate="2015-11-12T04:07:38.137" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5642" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5617" CreationDate="2015-11-12T02:39:56.400" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;We've moved our hap ki do dojang from a place with mats to a place with super flooring as the floor and as yet there have been no feet injuries. We put mats in place when we're throwing and doing take downs. I agree that an instructor who pushes you through injury is a danger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6388" LastActivityDate="2015-11-12T02:39:56.400" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5643" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5633" CreationDate="2015-11-12T05:33:16.400" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a fellow heavy sweater (and no, for me, it's not a weight thing), I can sympathize. My uniforms would come out soaked. First off, your uniform getting soaked in sweat is not necessarily a bad thing, at least up to a point. One of the reasons why most martial arts uniforms are cotton, or silk, is that it's a material that wicks sweat away from your body to the outside layers. Sweating cools you down by air circulating over the sweat and the sweat evaporating. If your &lt;em&gt;dobok&lt;/em&gt; is scotch-guarded, it's not wicking the sweat away, so you're not getting cooled. Your body won't cool off, and you'll sweat more. In extreme cases, you get plastic or rubber suits that force you to dehydrate (even today, competitive fighters use this method to temporarily drop their weight to reach a given weight class). So you want your outfit to wick the sweat to the outside, but ideally to not get sodden with sweat, whereupon you have extra weight and extra irritation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As Steve is alluding to above, that may mean a lighter uniform. Less thickness means there's less distance for the moisture to wick up. It may mean trying to control for environmental humidity by practicing indoors, or not after a rainstorm (the higher humidity makes it more difficult for the sweat to evaporate). It might just mean training until your body gets more efficient and generates less waste heat (which, paradoxically, generally involves training in hot conditions).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to how to keep your outfit white, you won't have much luck doing so while you're working out (you're sweating more than the other people. That's a fact). What you can do is control for the situation going into a practice and the situation going out. One thing you can do going in is to try to sweat clean. Avoid foods that cause you to sweat with a strong scent (this is individual to the practitioner, but most people have more of a problem with things like asparagus or meats). Try to avoid putting on too much deodorant. I know it sounds weird since antiperspirant is in the name, but when you are going to be sweating hard, it just create a waxy buildup. Drink sufficient fluids to dilute the waste products your body will be outputting. After practice, you may want to rinse your outfit in clean water to wash out the skin cells and other stuff you shed in your sweat. Then, either toss the outfit in a dryer or hang it up in an area where it will dry efficiently. Don't toss it into a closet or on the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With those steps, you'll reduce the amount of staining you sustain and, in time, your sweating will get better as you get more fit and your body recognizes that it doesn't need to sweat as much to keep you cool.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2015-11-12T05:33:16.400" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5645" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5622" CreationDate="2015-11-13T16:29:23.517" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Yes there are treatises regarding Wrestling and Swordsmanship.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As can be seen on ARMA's &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thearma.org/Manuals/master-ott-wrestling.html#.VkYNQXYrLDc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Master Ott's Wrestling&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Hans Talhoffer (1443), Ms.Chart.A.558 (HK 20)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Peter von Danzig, Cod.44 A 8 (Cod. 1449)(HK 42)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Jud Lew, Cod.I.6.40.3 (HK 5)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Paulus Kal ,Cgm 1507&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Hans von Speyer, M.I.29 1491 (HK 43)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Paulus Hector Mair, Mscr. Dresd. C 93/94 (HK 15, 34, 51)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Jörg Wilhalm, Cgm 3712 (HK 39)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also see the treatises on Wiktenauer's (HEMA Alliance Project) &lt;a href=&quot;http://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Ott_Jud#Treatise&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Ott Jud&lt;/a&gt; page.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you would like a modern book on the subject, you can look at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.freelanceacademypress.com/medievalwrestling.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Medieval Wrestling: Modern Practice of a 15th-Century Art&lt;/a&gt; by &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/jessicafinley21/photos&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Jessica Finley&lt;/a&gt; available from Freelance Academy Press.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6397" LastActivityDate="2015-11-13T16:29:23.517" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5646" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-11-13T19:14:49.237" Score="1" ViewCount="173" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am looking at competing seriously in kata. I been training for over 10 years but its not gotten as serious as training for a goal to compete for England.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am finding it hard to maintain my energy, etc. and think it could be down to my diet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Has anyone got any hints or tips for me?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6399" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-15T00:03:20.083" LastActivityDate="2015-11-15T11:57:55.410" Title="What is the best type of diet for serious competition training?" Tags="|karate|forms|competition|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2015-11-17T13:28:42.660" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5647" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5947" CreationDate="2015-11-13T21:20:20.903" Score="5" ViewCount="1067" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a HEMA practitioner (hema-ist?), who has been training with a plastic hand-and-a-half sword from &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B001Q72ARC&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Cold Steel&lt;/a&gt;. While it appears to be the correct weight and roughly the correct size of an actual sword, it does not do one critical thing that a real sword can. It cannot cut; it is blunt!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, I'm looking to buy my first sharp, functional, metal sword. Being a novice, I've looked around for advice, and found some advice from Skallagrim &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDaMR8ifEnU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't break the bank buying this sword, so I'm looking for good quality at a cheap price, and can be shipped to North America. Any suggestions for swords or resources, such as buying guides, that I should pay attention to?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These suggestions and resources should lead to swords which:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;are not composed of stainless steel; it must be safe for actual use.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;come sharp or the sharpening service is &quot;cheap.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;cost less than 400 USD but above 200 USD.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;are &quot;hand and a half&quot; or &quot;bastard&quot; swords.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;are not &quot;fantasy&quot; swords or &quot;sword-like&quot; objects.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2015-11-13T22:04:04.847" LastActivityDate="2022-11-20T23:37:29.140" Title="Buying My First Metal Sword (HEMA)" Tags="|sword|historic-european|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5648" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5646" CreationDate="2015-11-13T22:34:03.980" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It really depends on what your goal is. I do Taekwondo, so I don't know what karate needs, but we focus on cutting weight to make weight classes. But, you don't really need to do that until before competition day. Until then, you should focus on getting a lot of nutrients and proteins in order to have your body running in its best condition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For when you cut, &lt;a href=&quot;https://kristopheruy.wordpress.com/2015/08/03/cutting-weight-5-step-guide/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;here's&lt;/a&gt; a good guide. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6338" LastActivityDate="2015-11-13T22:34:03.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5649" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5633" CreationDate="2015-11-13T22:37:47.643" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You guys are ITF, so I don't know if you guys use these, but in WTF we have &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B00669MB9C&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;lightweight sparring uniforms&lt;/a&gt; designed to breathe more and and dry out more quickly compared to the typical heavier cotton uniforms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6338" LastActivityDate="2015-11-13T22:37:47.643" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5650" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5634" CreationDate="2015-11-13T22:40:52.270" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Personally, I think they're fine; they're good for quick energy when you're in between rounds. Soft drinks and such in fact &lt;strong&gt;will&lt;/strong&gt; harm your flexibility, but only because if you end up accumulating rolls of fat you'll have trouble stretching at times, so it's an overblown concern. (You would be surprised, even some fairly lean people complain about fat getting in the way of kicks/stretching)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6338" LastActivityDate="2015-11-13T22:40:52.270" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5651" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5646" CreationDate="2015-11-13T22:53:40.820" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;B&gt;On Diet...&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you suspect you're not getting enough calories or the right kinds of calories, you can alter your diet and play with it until you find something that works.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Simple carbohydrates digest and absorb into your body very quickly. They can give you a quick but temporary boost in your energy levels. The problem is that simple carbs can leave you out of energy (a phenomenon known as &quot;gassing&quot;) after that short period of time has completed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, to avoid gassing, you want to fill your diet with complex carbohydrates, &quot;good&quot; fats (unsaturated fats), and protein. Those digest a lot more slowly than simple carbohydrates do and provide a more steady, longer lasting energy level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other thing you can look into is not just shifting away from simple carbs, but also how many calories you're taking in. You might not be getting enough. Getting too few calories can lower your metabolism and shift your body into a fat burning state (stored fat, not dietary fat). In that state, you will feel fatigued. It's also known as &quot;hitting the wall&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, you might think you're eating the right amount of calories if you're not gaining or losing weight. That's not necessarily correct. Sometimes raising the number of calories you eat can actually raise your body's metabolism at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that can cause you to gain weight until your body gets out of the low-metabolism stage and raises its metabolic rate higher. You can avoid gaining weight by increasing your exercise output. In fact, your body will feel more energetic, so it will naturally cause you to work harder, thus burning more calories and therefore not gaining any weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The result is that you shift from low calories in and low calories out, to higher calories in and higher calories out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you find yourself hitting the wall, what sports coaches tell you to do is to quickly drink a sport's drink (Gatorade or anything with simple carbs, especially glucose). That will very quickly give you energy. But the problem, again, is that this will only give you a short-term boost of energy and will drop very quickly again. So you end up having to drink sports drinks continuously in this case. It's something you can try, but it's better used only for competition rather than training for form, in my opinion. (I'll explain why in the next section.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing that many athletes do is to split up their meals from 3 big meals a day to 5 or 6 smaller meals a day. This can give you a more consistent amount of energy, and avoids the &quot;bloated&quot; feeling that a large meal might give you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eating at least an hour before working out should help also. Meals take time to digest, so you might have to play with the timing until you feel good about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alright, so that's all I'm going to say on diet. Obviously, there's a lot there to play with. You're going to have to see what works for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;B&gt;Practice Makes Permanent. Perfect Practice Makes Perfect...&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another aspect you should look at is how you're training. In martial arts, we're often just told to keep repeating stuff. And with kata, it's very easy to repeat and repeat ad nauseam.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem with that way of training is that it just emphasizes repetition. It's suggested that if you just repeat something over and over, you'll be a master at it years from now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, you should look at what high level athletes do. The best athletes put emphasis on quality of practice and the overall result they're trying to achieve, rather than simply on repetition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What that means in practical terms is that you still need to repeat things to get better at it, but don't continue repeating it if you can't get better each time you do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you find yourself tiring, that punch may not be as strong, the punch might not be on target or timed well enough, your upper and lower body may not be in sync, that stance may not be as long or deep, your attention may not be as focused, etc. You know when this happens. You can feel it. At that point, move on to something else! Stop repeating it at that moment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why? Because if you keep repeating something with sloppy form, you are training sloppy form into your muscle memory. When form is the primary thing being trained, you must always try to improve your form or at least never let it get worse. If you can't do it, if your form is getting worse as you train, then you must stop. Otherwise you are drilling poor form into your muscle memory, and that will keep you from attaining your goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yeah, sorry that you can't repeat that form 100 times today. I know you keep track of how many times you repeated it, and you try to outdo yourself each day. But that was the wrong way to go about it. You may never reach 100 repetitions a day ever again if you practice the way you should. Maybe you can do it only 10 times reliably well before it begins to worsen. That's okay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you reach your limit for the day for practicing correct form, you should then work on everything else. That would be stuff like raw power and strength, flexibility, speed, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That tells you how to structure your workouts. You always want to do a warm-up at first, of course, but it shouldn't destroy your muscles. Then right after that, do your form training stuff. After that, place all of the rest of your workout. That would be stuff like push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, weights, bag work, running, sparring, etc. It's okay for that other stuff to be last, since it's designed to push your body to the limits, well beyond the point at which you start to lose accuracy in your form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, prioritize your form over all else. If you destroy your muscles prior to working on form, your form will just suck. So you need to put form work first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;B&gt;RECOVERY...&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, I want to talk about recovery. Recovery is what your body has to do after a workout to heal itself and refuel. It takes time for recovery to complete. If you workout again before you have fully recovered, your performance may suffer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The muscles themselves have a kind of fuel storage system in them called muscle glycogen. That's the first thing to be used up during a workout. Your muscles will use up their glycogen reserves, so the body has to work hard to continuously refuel the muscles, and it pulls that fuel from the food you just digested or from stored fat cells.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After a workout, the body has a small (2 hour-ish) window of time whereby it's able to refuel muscle glycogen much more quickly. That's the time when you can actually benefit from taking sports drinks or anything with simple carbohydrate that can be digested and absorbed more quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After that window of time after a workout, your body stores muscle glycogen at the usual rate, not the increased rate. If you miss that window of time, you might not recover as quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Top athletes can recover within 24 hours after a workout, so they can train every day. Whereas, normal people usually require 48 hours to recover. The only way a regular, semi-athletic person can do it in 24 hours is to use that small window of time after a workout to refuel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And by the way, the older you get, the more likely it will be that you absolutely need 48 hours to recover. This is even if you take advantage of the 2 hour window of opportunity after a workout to refuel. And sometimes it may take a week to recover if you really overdo your workout and destroy your body. (So don't do that!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which brings me to another point. If you're trashing your body in every workout, you will hinder your long-term improvement. This seems non-intuitive. Working hard so that your body is completely worn out each time is usually something traditional arts tell you to do. But they're wrong. If you do that, you can't come back tomorrow. You won't be recovered by then. It may even take you a week or more to recover from those workouts. And you probably know what I'm talking about, because you experience it often enough. That has to stop.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have to practice with your goals in mind, and if your way of training isn't getting you closer to those goals, it has to be changed. Non-intuitively, that may mean you have to go easier on yourself instead of trying harder and harder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously this pays off in a major way for you. If you can train every day instead of every other day, you can get better at twice the rate. Recovery gives you the biggest bang for the buck in this equation, if you're doing the math correctly. So the importance of recovery can not be overstated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;B&gt;In Conclusion / TL;DR...&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now putting it all together, how does energy and the way you train relate to each other? The answer is now simple: 1) Eat the right kinds of foods (no simple carbs) at the right times to keep your energy level consistent. 2) Place your form practice first in your workout, right after warm-ups. 3) Repeat your form, but stop the moment you see your form worsen in the previous repetition. 4) Improve your recovery time so that you can come back every day instead of every other day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do it that way, your energy won't be the thing keeping you back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2015-11-15T11:57:55.410" LastActivityDate="2015-11-15T11:57:55.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5652" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5634" CreationDate="2015-11-14T07:02:50.663" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;From personal experience, I tried to stay away from soda and/or energy drinks because the sugar crash (for the stamina side of things, I know nothing of its effects on flexibility) seemed like a pretty big liability for me, especially if you still have fights to do after. I also found in my competitions that it's not unheard of to have to wait for 15-20 minutes in case of technical difficulties. I would be nervous that the sugar high I was counting on would burn out. It may work for some other players though. Some of my teammates eat a bite or two of a chocolate bar while in the holding area before they go out.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;This is all from personal experience though.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; I would nudge you toward eating correctly before your fight and specifically for taekwondo, to veggy-load.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Hope this helps!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://kristopheruy.wordpress.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://kristopheruy.wordpress.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6400" LastEditorUserId="6400" LastEditDate="2015-11-14T07:45:03.177" LastActivityDate="2015-11-14T07:45:03.177" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5653" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5617" CreationDate="2015-11-14T07:53:42.670" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a general rule, I've learned to not do any hard or explosive training on hard floor that doesn't reduce the impact. Even something as small as simple as sprinting is now done on a track where the track absorbs some of the harsh impact. My father used to train on hard floors and now suffers multiple knee problems. What I've learned through hear/say through my mentors in training was that training on hard floor training is a no-go. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://kristopheruy.wordpress.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://kristopheruy.wordpress.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6400" LastActivityDate="2015-11-14T07:53:42.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5654" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5587" CreationDate="2015-11-14T08:08:54.553" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would watch people specifically in your division. Heavyweight games are much different than fin or fly weight fights. Even male/female fin weight divisions fight different. Watch what people are doing in your specific division.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Keep an eye out for Phil's section on this. (USA National Team member, Phillip Yun, is going to run a section on this soon. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/itsenzothephillip&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/user/itsenzothephillip&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;br&gt;&lt;Br&gt;&#xA;Currently I run two schools of thought on this. (I am smaller than average for my division). 1) To make a grab/throw against the leg. If you can get your hands on footage from Daehoon Lee in the 2014 Asian games, it's a perfect example, except in my case, I go with a back kick or hook kick instead of the roundhouse counters to the face.&lt;br&gt; Another example is to watch the Russian Flyweight in the Russia World Championships 2015. He was really good at getting around the front leg of all of his opponents, using his punch and his body. Off the top of my head those are the best two examples I can see. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;The next school of thought is to go fencing with them. This is all fairly new, but the cutkicks can either go low, medium or high. If they're low, we're being taught to cut ontop of their legs and bring it to the body or face (flippy kicks). If it's high, we usually swing our leg up, straight into theirs to try and displace their balance and then follow up as they're recovering. Another option is to do a front leg hook or a reverse kick under their leg. (I'm not flexible so this isn't as effective for me). Also I've seen front leg in out axe kick do well. If it's in the middle, you have to gauge the distance and how bent their leg is, you can do any of the options presented above. The game is fairly new. The key right now is to find what works for you and to get really good at it. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; The sport and its dynamics have changed greatly and it seems the UZB heavyweight and many of the IRI national team players have figured it out. I'd suggest watching their gameplay and see what you like. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; Something Dr. Jason Han told me a long time ago was to try everything and keep what worked for you. I think it's applicable now. Good luck in your next matches!&#xA;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://kristopheruy.wordpress.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://kristopheruy.wordpress.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6400" LastEditorUserId="6400" LastEditDate="2015-11-15T14:18:40.657" LastActivityDate="2015-11-15T14:18:40.657" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5655" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-11-14T16:27:58.777" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A sword is any bladed weapon which is held in one or two hands, but is not a staff or pole weapon. Swords can have one or two edges, and may specialize in thrusting or slicing. Swords are &lt;em&gt;generally&lt;/em&gt; considered larger than knives, and have the distinction of a primarily martial purpose as a side arm or main weapon. It should be noted that the difference between a sword and a knife is poorly defined; there are no generally accepted rules for when knives should be considered swords. (For instance, the German &lt;em&gt;Grossmessser&lt;/em&gt; is often considered a sword whose name specifically means &quot;Big/Great Knife.&quot;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It should be noted that swords come in many varieties, and can often bear different names depending on who is talking about it. For instance, a two-handed European sword could be called &lt;em&gt;Greatsword&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Zweihander&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Spadone&lt;/em&gt;, or &lt;em&gt;Claymore&lt;/em&gt;; this is due simply to different languages and regions called the same or very similar weapons the same thing. To this end, some scholars and martial artists have developed &lt;em&gt;typologies&lt;/em&gt; for swords, perhaps the most famous of which is &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakeshott_typology&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Oakeshott's Typology&lt;/a&gt;, which specifically describes swords from Europe from 11-15 centuries. While none of this is needed to ask a question, seeking out the appropriate typology for swords of interest may be helpful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Use this tag when talking about martial arts which specifically focus on swords, or when swords are the main focus of the question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2019-02-22T12:33:50.993" LastActivityDate="2019-02-22T12:33:50.993" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5656" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-11-14T16:27:58.777" Score="0" Body="Any bladed weapon which is held in one or two hands, but is not a staff or pole weapon. Use this tag when talking about martial arts which specifically focus on swords, or when swords are the main focus of the question." OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-26T03:46:53.280" LastActivityDate="2016-01-26T03:46:53.280" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5657" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-11-14T16:39:36.573" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Practice; training; using a martial art for the purpose of building strength, speed, muscle memory, refining or learning techniques. Use this tag when your question focuses on learning your martial art in a non-competitive environment, either supervised or unsupervised practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-26T03:46:56.397" LastActivityDate="2016-01-26T03:46:56.397" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5658" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-11-14T16:39:36.573" Score="0" Body="Practice; training; using a martial art for the purpose of building strength, speed, muscle memory, refining or learning techniques. Use this tag when your question focuses on learning your martial art in a non-competitive environment, either supervised or unsupervised practice." OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-12T05:02:53.703" LastActivityDate="2016-01-12T05:02:53.703" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5659" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-11-14T16:46:27.380" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Unsupervised Training; practice on your own or without an individual with more expertise present. Usually self-training comes from doing exercises from memory or from some sort of training manual, such as a training book.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-26T03:46:50.503" LastActivityDate="2016-01-26T03:46:50.503" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5660" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-11-14T16:46:27.380" Score="0" Body="Unsupervised Training; practice on your own or without an individual with more expertise present. Usually self-training comes from doing exercises from memory or from some sort of training manual, such as a training book. Use this tag when your question focuses on learning a martial art without a person to act as your teacher or guide." OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-20T16:34:29.700" LastActivityDate="2016-01-20T16:34:29.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5661" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-11-14T16:51:29.323" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Drills are short, repeatable activities which help an individual gain more speed, strength, or skill in a particular technique or overall fitness. Use this tag when you want to know about a particular drill or drills aimed to help learn a martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-12T05:01:32.830" LastActivityDate="2016-01-12T05:01:32.830" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5662" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-11-14T16:51:29.323" Score="0" Body="Drills are short, repeatable activities which help an individual gain more speed, strength, or skill in a particular technique or overall fitness. Use this tag when you want to know about a particular drill or drills aimed to help learn a martial art." OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-12T05:03:05.287" LastActivityDate="2016-01-12T05:03:05.287" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5663" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-11-14T16:54:39.763" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A Martial Arts School is a subdivision of a particular type of martial art OR a particular organization which teaches martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-20T16:34:45.447" LastActivityDate="2016-01-20T16:34:45.447" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5664" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-11-14T16:54:39.763" Score="0" Body="A Martial Arts School is a subdivision of a particular type of martial art OR a particular organization which teaches martial arts." OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-07T09:23:39.037" LastActivityDate="2016-01-07T09:23:39.037" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5665" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-11-14T16:59:56.873" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Books, in martial arts, are documents which teach a martial art or illuminates a particular aspect of them.  Use this tag when you want to know about written material which focuses on martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some famous books are &lt;em&gt;i.33&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Ernst Kampfen&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-26T03:46:47.580" LastActivityDate="2016-01-26T03:46:47.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5666" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-11-14T16:59:56.873" Score="0" Body="Books, in martial arts, are documents which teach a martial art or illuminates a particular aspect of them.  Use this tag when you want to know about written material which focuses on martial arts." OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-12T05:03:17.997" LastActivityDate="2016-01-12T05:03:17.997" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5667" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-11-14T17:06:01.710" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Fencing, or sword-fighting, can be a catch-all term for using a sword, but can also refer to the modern sport fencing. Questions about the modern sport fencing should be asked in Sports Stack Exchange. Many martial traditions have fencing as a large part of them, so please also tag your question with the relevant school or style of fencing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, HEMA and fencing indicates the question is about sword-use and sword fighting in Europe before WW1. Fencing and Iaido indicated the question is about fencing in Japan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-26T03:46:24.953" LastActivityDate="2016-01-26T03:46:24.953" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5668" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-11-14T17:06:01.710" Score="0" Body="Fencing, or sword-fighting, can be a catch-all term for using a sword, but can also refer to the modern sport fencing. Questions about the modern sport fencing should be asked in Sports Stack Exchange. Many martial traditions have fencing as a large part of them, so please also tag your question with the relevant school or style of fencing." OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-20T16:34:57.113" LastActivityDate="2016-01-20T16:34:57.113" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5669" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-11-14T17:08:30.240" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Knife fighting is fighting with any number of involved combatants armed with knives. Knives are generally shorter than swords, and knife fighting can come in many styles. Make sure to specify which style of knife fighting the question pertains to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-12T05:01:44.747" LastActivityDate="2016-01-12T05:01:44.747" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5670" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-11-14T17:08:30.240" Score="0" Body="Knife fighting is fighting with any number of involved combatants armed with knives. Knives are generally shorter than swords, and knife fighting can come in many styles. Make sure to specify which style of knife fighting the question pertains to." OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-12T05:10:23.533" LastActivityDate="2016-01-12T05:10:23.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5671" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-11-14T17:11:12.860" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A shoe is a covering for feet, which can possibly extend up to ankles and shins. Some martial art traditions require specific footwear. Use this tag when the question focuses on footwear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-26T03:46:28.137" LastActivityDate="2016-01-26T03:46:28.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5672" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-11-14T17:11:12.860" Score="0" Body="A shoe is a covering for feet, which can possibly extend up to ankles and shins. Some martial art traditions require specific footwear. Use this tag when the question focuses on footwear." OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-12T05:03:21.707" LastActivityDate="2016-01-12T05:03:21.707" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5673" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-11-14T17:12:44.587" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A Katana is a specific type of curved Japanese sword, famously used by Samurai. Use this tag when your question is about this particular kind of sword. If unsure, use the &quot;sword&quot; tag instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-20T16:34:33.260" LastActivityDate="2016-01-20T16:34:33.260" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5674" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-11-14T17:12:44.587" Score="0" Body="A Katana is a specific type of curved Japanese sword, famously used by Samurai. Use this tag when your question is about this particular kind of sword. If unsure, use the &quot;sword&quot; tag instead." OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-12T05:03:14.953" LastActivityDate="2016-01-12T05:03:14.953" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5675" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-11-14T17:19:04.240" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A specific type of European, straight edged thrusting sword. This tag can apply to actual rapiers meant for war or fencing foils. In the strictest sense, fencing foils should never be called rapiers as they are too short and light when compared to rapiers meant for war. Use this tag when your question involves this specific type of sword. If unsure, use &quot;swords&quot; tag instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is important to note that fencing foils are a derivative of rapiers; rapiers were meant for war and killing, whereas fencing foils evolved from to be shorter and meant for personal duels. The modern fencing foil is actually derived from smallswords, a class of sword related to rapiers, but not used for war. Smallswords were used for gentlemanly duels, which were eventually blunted and further reduced in mass to become the modern fencing foil.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-26T03:46:16.210" LastActivityDate="2016-01-26T03:46:16.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5676" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-11-14T17:19:04.240" Score="0" Body="A specific type of European, straight edged thrusting sword. This tag can apply to rapiers meant for war or fencing foils. Use this tag when your question involves this specific type of sword. If unsure, use swords tag instead." OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-07T09:23:56.403" LastActivityDate="2016-01-07T09:23:56.403" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5677" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-11-14T17:27:16.627" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Footwork refers to the placement of feet into &quot;correct positions&quot; for a martial art. Most martial art footwork attempts to provide balance and stability. Use this tag when your question is about footwork, and add another tag to specify which school or type of martial art the footwork applies to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-20T16:34:39.577" LastActivityDate="2016-01-20T16:34:39.577" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5678" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-11-14T17:27:16.627" Score="0" Body="Footwork refers to the placement of feet into &quot;correct positions&quot; for a martial art. Most martial art footwork attempts to provide balance and stability. Use this tag when your question is about footwork, and add another tag to specify which school or type of martial art the footwork applies to." OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-20T16:34:36.767" LastActivityDate="2016-01-20T16:34:36.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5679" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-11-14T17:35:56.270" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Prevention, as it applies to martial arts, is the avoidance of violence, both for the aggressor and defender. Use this tag when your question involves avoiding violence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many self-defense schools advocate prevention, as it is safer and keeps the parties involved uninjured.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-12T05:10:26.297" LastActivityDate="2016-01-12T05:10:26.297" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5680" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-11-14T17:35:56.270" Score="0" Body="Prevention, as it applies to martial arts, is the avoidance of violence, both for the aggressor and defender. Use this tag when your question involves avoiding violence." OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-01-07T09:23:53.537" LastActivityDate="2016-01-07T09:23:53.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5681" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4284" CreationDate="2015-11-15T03:48:15.447" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Perspective is important in choice and understanding of taijiquan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chen style is THE original art from which all present arts (Yang, Wu2, Wu3, Zhaobao and Sun) are derived. Keep in mind that Chenjiagou borrowed their art from surrounding Shaolin temple and village arts they came in contact with.  There is a thread that a Li family also assisted in this development but at some point in time, they dropped out of the lineage. This synthesis is Chen taijiquan&#xA;More vigorous than the other styles but it retains its martial past.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Yang style at one time had a martial bent but at the 3?? Generation, this training fell by the wayside and today it tends to be seen as a style for 'old people&quot;. It is gentler on the body, less strenuous postures and nice to look at.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wu style (QuanYu/Jianquan) is a much more daoyin centered with its small movements, &quot;minute&quot; posture evolutions that aids as supporting neigong fundamentals, with wrist, ankle, yao/kwa (waist/kwa) chansujin that serves to dredge jingluo (meridians). Wu enthusiasts are excellent at tuishou as its founder was alleged to have been trained in shuaijiao in his youth&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sun style &quot;brisk paced / open close&quot; taijiquan is a variation of a theme as Sun Lutang was a xingyi and baquazhang adept before switching to taijiquan. Faster pace than Wu and Yang style.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wu Yuxian is interesting to the extent that it was the template for Sun style.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6403" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-11-17T13:34:38.893" LastActivityDate="2015-11-17T13:34:38.893" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5684" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5686" CreationDate="2015-11-16T21:16:34.607" Score="11" ViewCount="2888" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know, that's weird. But I'm sure I'm not the only one who has had this problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I do my arm bar and I'm not wearing a jockstrap, I tend to crush my groin...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll understand that in such a case I'm in much more pain than my opponent and I can't make my opponent tap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a way to avoid this other than to wear a jockstrap? Because the arm bar is one of the few &quot;moves&quot; I have a solid knowledge about and I feel like I'd be restricted if I ever needed to use it without a jockstrap..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2041" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-03-05T20:23:07.187" LastActivityDate="2016-03-06T13:52:32.000" Title="Arm bar crushes the groin" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|grappling|joint-lock|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5685" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-11-16T21:23:47.090" Score="4" ViewCount="295" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been actively practising Tae-Kwon-Do for some years, but I had to stop recently for several reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd like to try and maintain my skills, so I keep on training at home from time to time. I'm mostly &quot;shadow fighting&quot; but I have a Body Opponent Bag that I can use during summer (winters are too cold here to practise outside and I can't fit &quot;him&quot; inside).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any ways I can &quot;measure&quot; my improvements without a training partner? I feel like it was easier to know when I was improving when I was coached, but now that's not possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that's not possible, is it possible for me to make sure I don't start making wrong movements and mess up my actual form?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I should've mentioned that I'm a WTF red belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2041" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-23T16:31:29.397" LastActivityDate="2015-12-13T22:45:28.013" Title="Seeing improvements when training alone?" Tags="|training|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5686" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5684" CreationDate="2015-11-16T21:39:37.840" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I assume you are working on the arm bar known in judo as &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/jujigatame.htm&quot;&gt;juji gatame&lt;/a&gt;. The principle in this technique is the use of a class 2 lever to hyperextend the opponent's elbow joint. Resistance is in the middle, at the opponent's elbow joint. Force is applied by pulling down at the wrist and raising the hips. The fulcrum should be one of your legs; this makes any force you apply to the wrist go to straining the elbow joint rather than moving the opponent's arm. The mechanical advantage from the lever is what allows you to apply the lock without having to crank on the arm. If you set this right, it requires very little effort to make your opponent tap. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you pull straight into your crotch, yes, you will crush your own testicles. This is unnecessary; the lever is just as effective if you pull into one of your legs. Change the angle you pull at. The usual guidance is to pull towards the opponent's pinky finger to hyperextend the arm; you are however, allowed to change the direction the pinky is facing. So turn the pinky towards one of your legs, then apply the lock. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2015-11-16T21:45:40.067" LastActivityDate="2015-11-16T21:45:40.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5687" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5685" CreationDate="2015-11-16T21:55:26.630" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;As you have correctly guessed, it will be difficult to  monitor your progress (or potential back-sliding) without feedback from partners and instructors.  This is why Martial Arts are practiced in group environments (man sharpens upon man).  Nevertheless, solo practice is vital, even when you have a regular class that you attend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice for you would be similar in some respects to that I would give to someone not yet able to join a MA class: focus on fitness.  Get your cardio and strength training up. Then you'll be in a better position to return to TKD when you are able. Since you have some training already, you can add basic movements to your training, e.g. increasing reps of punches or kicks of each type that you know.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Likewise, you can practice each of your forms. I recommend you devote as much or more time to slow, deliberate forms practice, really hammering on the stances, as you do fast, dynamic forms practice.  When form goes bad, it's the stance that is first to go. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as making sure you don't go astray, you're in luck since you do TKD.  Every ITF form (assuming you're not doing ATA or some other association) is available for viewing on Youtube (in both Shotokan-style and Sine-Wave style), not to mention handy-dandy charts like this one &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bluecottagetkd.com/images/dangun_1_.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Dan Gun&lt;/a&gt; which you can find by doing a Google image search for the form you want.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I advise you to practice your movements in front of a mirror, at least once per practice session.  You'll monitor yourself in the mirror for two things: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Misalignment of your posture (e.g. leaning forward or backward, knees not in the same direction as the toes, fists not properly chambered on hips, chin not tucked, shoulders too high and tense, etc...)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Extraneous movements that will become obvious tells in sparring. You won't be able to detect the subtleties--you need an instructor for that--but you should be able to see any obvious, unnecessary movements.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make no mistake, however.  You're not going to get much better than you are now practicing alone. My intent was to help you not get much worse.  Hopefully you'll only be slightly rusty when you can go back to training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2015-11-17T13:13:42.530" LastActivityDate="2015-11-17T13:13:42.530" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5688" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5684" CreationDate="2015-11-16T22:00:16.043" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;I prevent testicle crushage while armbarring my partners and opponents by:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/3tmgr1/how_do_i_finish_the_armbar_without_completely/cx7g6sd&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pulling the arm further towards my head, so their elbow is across my pelvis and not my crotch&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Squeezing my knees tighter on their upper arm&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wearing underwear (or lack thereof) that provides freedom of movement, so that they can move out of the way of an elbow mid-attack&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Not giving a f' if it crushes my testicles, because armbarring them is more effective and important than fleeting testicular discomfort&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wearing a cup is illegal in many grappling competitions because it provides an external hard platform with which to attack your opponents' joints. Don't do it. An armbar should rely on proper positioning and a little dose of toughness to overcome testicular smashing, not a groin protector.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-11-21T16:41:40.753" LastActivityDate="2015-11-21T16:41:40.753" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5689" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5694" CreationDate="2015-11-17T02:12:26.660" Score="7" ViewCount="3230" Body="&lt;p&gt;Recently I joined to a Muay Thai Gym, and it is very good. Previously, I did Tae Kwan Do for 2 years. In my Muay Thai Gym, the master is teaching me to kick using the shin. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel really afraid to kick using the shin because I think the shin will break if someone blocked it using, for example, a knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should I really have a concern about this or is it OK?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway I will continue my class because I find the techniques are really strong other than this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not judging Muay Thai or blaming. I respect Muay Thai very much, and that's why I joined the gym; please don't misunderstand me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="899" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-11-17T13:26:22.497" LastActivityDate="2019-07-19T10:22:28.720" Title="Is Kicking with Shin is a weakness / advantage in Muay Thai?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|muay-thai|kicking|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5691" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5689" CreationDate="2015-11-17T03:34:00.420" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Conditioning is one part of kicking safely with a shin to make it stronger gradually by damage/repair periods. However conditioning also teaches how to kick with your shin on an acute angle that will not hurt or break the shin. Also, the lower part of the shin should be used, close to the instep. This part is not as likely to break and some strapping or shin pads may help with conditioning and getting the right feel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Begin to kick a heavy bag, and over time you'll learn how to kick it so that it doesn't hurt, but you can still kick hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastActivityDate="2015-11-17T03:34:00.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5692" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2101" CreationDate="2015-11-17T08:51:24.847" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some points that are valid to teach people the &quot;natural&quot; hand position opposed to the wrist rotation:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;it is easier to learn (people want to learn to defend themselves as quickly as possible and the wrist rotation needs more practice and involves additional movement patterns that need to be practiced more)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;in Krav-Maga you often times use a punch from within called as Burst and the most of your power comes from your legs and the forward motion. Instead the kork-screw motion boxers are using while finishing the move with the wrist turn.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The potential of injuring yourself is lower due to that the most combat sports that are turning the writs are using gloves ... what is perfectly fine in the ring. On the street safety is king and the potential to hit wrong or at least to land a punch with the small knuckles (and braking something) is higher.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The natural hand position punch is faster due not turning your elbow, and is sometimes call telegraphing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6410" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-11-17T10:29:44.703" LastActivityDate="2015-11-17T10:29:44.703" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5693" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5685" CreationDate="2015-11-17T13:26:42.460" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Taekwon-do comprises of&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fundamental Movements&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dallyon (Maintenance of equipment,&#xA;conditioning) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Patterns  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sparring  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Self-defence&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can certainly work on 1, 2, and 3 on your own. Sparring is possible, but only Shadowing works because you don't have a partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you know how to correct yourself (and all Black Belts should be able to do so), check your movements as you practice them. Things to look out for are stances and target points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To measure your improvement, take a video of yourself now performing a basic pattern (Tul or Hyung, depending on which side of the coin you subscribe to). You should be able to see any mistakes done in the pattern, if any. Train for a couple of weeks. Correct any wrong stances or moves, and get used to performing the movements correctly. Take another video then, and compare the videos to see if you had performed correctly a movement previously done incorrectly, or improved on your technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Conditioning can be done via exercises such as knuckle push-ups and pull-ups. Planks work very well too. These exercises will condition your knuckles and grip for better effect. One thing I usually do is to lightly knock my forearms together to condition my forearms for blocking. You can do the same for legs. If you want to condition your legs for range then a lot of stretching is needed. There are many ways to stretch without a partner, but you may need to use some tools available in the market such as resistance bands. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1797" LastActivityDate="2015-11-17T13:26:42.460" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5694" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5689" CreationDate="2015-11-17T13:34:00.907" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your shin can break if you kick someone very hard and they block just right and all conditions align against you. You can break your hand punching someone, even aiming to soft targets like the ribs. You can blow out your knee throwing someone with ouchigari. You can get concussed into unconsciousness taking someone down with a double-leg if they time their knee correctly. All of these terrible things are possible, and they happen, because there are no sure things in fighting, just because fighting is an explosive full-contact activity. All techniques can cause injury to either party. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Round kicks with the shin are, nearly all of the time, quite effective. One must make their shin strong and tough in order to take the impact, and even after doing so, the shin might hurt when blocked. But the vast majority of the time you won't sustain severe injury if you prepare correctly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2017-05-09T15:12:58.817" LastActivityDate="2017-05-09T15:12:58.817" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5695" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5689" CreationDate="2015-11-17T14:25:36.677" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well.. They do shin conditioning prior to sparring. A weak shin will always tend to break if it's blocked with the knee or a stronger shin. So you should be careful when using your shin to kick. That's why most of the Muay Thai fighters tend to hit lower kicks aiming for outer thighs of the opponents which reduces the risk of damaging / breaking their shins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5496" LastActivityDate="2015-11-17T14:25:36.677" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5696" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5697" CreationDate="2015-11-17T14:30:29.007" Score="6" ViewCount="1735" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been training in a WTF Tae-Kwon-do school for some years now. We are very &quot;olympics-oriented&quot;. Which means lots of very quick &quot;light&quot; kicks, very weak head defense (If you've ever watched TKD olympics, arms are laying on the side of the body), series of 3-6 chained kicks etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, this training has some good sides : Distance control, reflexes, flexibility, speed etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, if I was to apply these techniques &lt;em&gt;as I learned them&lt;/em&gt; in a self-defense scenario, I'd likely get tripped or wouldn't do &lt;em&gt;that&lt;/em&gt; much damage considering that I was trained to score points instead of &quot;doing damage&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What can I do to take what I already &quot;master&quot; from the olympic TKD to apply it to self-defense? What are the key things I should change if I was to be in a situation where I needed to use my WTF sparring experience to a real-life situation?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2041" LastActivityDate="2016-01-05T18:18:07.877" Title="Applying WTF Tae-Kwon-Do to self-defense" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|self-defense|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5697" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5696" CreationDate="2015-11-17T15:03:29.397" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;WTF stylists can do a few things to improve their self-defense capabilities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Get those hands up! WTF tends to focus so much on kicking that they forget they have hands.  Hence, they stop protecting their heads. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice non-point sparring.  That is, stop your opponent with the power of your technique rather than stopping the match on touch. Continue sparring for a set length of time, not to a given point value.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hit the heavy bag.  Hard.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Focus on your stance.  Correct stance transmits power from your base into your technique.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chamber your kicks fully.  Do not &quot;sweep&quot; your kicks. In case &quot;sweeping a kick&quot; is not a familiar phrase to you, it is kicking without a full chamber, not following a direct trajectory to the target.  The chamber is vital to a powerful kick, but is usually sacrificed in favor of speed.  With practice you can throw a full-chambered kick with both speed and power.  The best way to train avoiding sweeping a kick is to practice kicking over a folding chair while standing very close to it.  If the kick touches the chair, do pushups.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Cross-train. WTF stylists would do well to cross-train in related styles. Since TKD seems to vary widely in its quality, I actually recommend doing a classical karate, like Shotokan, or its offshoot Kyokushin. I would explain to the sensei that you are not interested in holding a rank in their style (unless you are), but that you wish to improve on your self defense capabilities.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;I recommend Shotokan for its bunkai (analysis of kata for applications), which you can bring back to your TKD to analyse your poomse.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;I recommend Kyokushin for its emphasis on conditioning and hard sparring.  Only caveat is that they do not punch to the head in sparring, so they too develop the bad habit of dropping their guard. &#xA;Since you are talking specifically about developing your TKD skills for self-defense, I will not recommend BJJ, but it does come highly recommended if you do decide to expand your repertoire.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2015-11-17T15:03:29.397" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5698" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5699" CreationDate="2015-11-17T15:12:03.117" Score="7" ViewCount="9420" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've read that &lt;strong&gt;tons&lt;/strong&gt; of time on forums and heard it in many videos.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The explanations always seem kind of vague and to this day I can't explain what it is to &quot;chamber a kick&quot;. I know it's &lt;strong&gt;very&lt;/strong&gt; important, maybe I'm already doing it (I probably am, I have some years of training behind me).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main problem might be that I'm French, so the signification of &quot;chambering&quot; isn't clear to me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, what does it imply to chamber a kick? There probably is a &quot;canon definition&quot;. What are the steps towards this? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd like a &quot;canon answer&quot;, to try and make this a reference for anyone who'd have this question in the future.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2041" LastActivityDate="2023-02-06T14:00:45.807" Title="What does it mean to &quot;chamber a kick&quot;?" Tags="|kicking|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5699" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5698" CreationDate="2015-11-17T15:24:29.420" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Chambering is an analogy drawn from firearms.  In firearms, you chamber a round (put a bullet in the chamber).  In the same way as you chamber a round in firearms, you can chamber a kick to &quot;fire&quot; it.  This is very probably an American saying in martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When one refers to chambering a technique (any technique, but in this case a kick), they mean fully drawing back the technique in preparation for exploding forward.  In looking for images to illustrate this point, I was disappointed because I cannot find an example of a &lt;strong&gt;good&lt;/strong&gt; chamber for a sidekick.  So I'm going to ask you to use your imagination.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/m6VEN.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/m6VEN.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In image #4 this is what we mean by chambering a sidekick. This stylist is illustrating a poor chamber.  His knee should be tightly tucked into his chest instead of far out from his body, and his heel should be pointing directly out at his target.  Thus, when executed, the sidekick should pump quickly and powerfully out, then retract back in like a piston.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;EDIT&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To further illustrate the point, the following is a sequence of throwing a front kick.  There are twelve images.  If we number those images top to bottom, left to right, the 9th and 11th images are chambers for a front kick. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/sv1tV.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/sv1tV.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;front kick&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Likewise, in the image series below, images #10 and #12 are chambers for a round kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/X4iHW.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/X4iHW.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A chamber is, very simply, the inverse of the executed technique.  To use a punch as an analogy, the fist on the hip is the chamber, whereas the fist that is punching is the technique.  Notice that the chambered fist is exactly the opposite of the punch.  It is supinated, whereas the punch is pronated.  When the chambered fist is thrown it will twist.  There is some yin/yang stuff going on here, but it need not be thought of esoterically, but rather as physics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/RUBJb.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/RUBJb.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;straight punch&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chambering adds power to the kick&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By chambering the kick fully (especially in the example of the sidekick) you are adding power to your kick in two ways:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;By fully drawing back, you are increasing the distance your kick will have to travel.  The further it has to travel, the more speed it will develop en route to its target, and therefore the harder the impact will be.  This is a game of inches, so drawing back even a little more than you could before will help.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;By fully drawing back, you are targeting the area of your opponent's body that you want to hit.  Your kick will follow a straight trajectory to the target.  Any deviance from a straight trajectory (i.e. &quot;sweeping your kick&quot;) will detract power from your kick.  This is true in round kicks and other circular kicks as well, though in those cases the trajectory is circular, not straight, but still should be as direct as possible and deviate as little as possible from its trajectory.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2015-11-17T16:06:48.277" LastActivityDate="2015-11-17T16:06:48.277" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5700" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5702" CreationDate="2015-11-17T16:49:30.230" Score="4" ViewCount="1628" Body="&lt;p&gt;We see it &lt;em&gt;a lot&lt;/em&gt; in MMA, and probably in Muay Thai too (never trained in that). Fighters kick the inner or outer thigh; from what I've seen, they usually kick quite low on the thigh, just a little above the knee area, because this is where it hurts the more (from experience at least).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I try to do it in &quot;light sparring with friends&quot; (I have a martial arts background which doesn't employ low kick, they don't have any), they just raise their knee. In such a case, my kick is ineffective, and it's more painful for me than for them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If someone without any martial arts background can lift their knee in time to avoid being hurt by my kick, how can I expect this technique to work with someone who has minimal training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess that this kick could/should be &quot;thrown&quot; when the opponent doesn't expect it, so that they wouldn't have time to raise their knee and therefore receive a maximal impact. But again, watching UFC matches, they usually just throw the kicks &quot;out of nowhere&quot; and &lt;em&gt;it seems to work&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any tips to time the kick so the opponent doesn't block it with the knee? Is there something about the angle of the kick that would make it harder to block?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for overall tips to connect more often and with more power on low kicks to the thigh.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2041" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-20T13:13:32.273" LastActivityDate="2018-02-23T06:21:23.393" Title="Tips to kick in the thigh without being blocked by the knee" Tags="|muay-thai|kicking|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5702" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5700" CreationDate="2015-11-18T04:35:57.497" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The thing is to time your kick to make contact when your opponent's balance is on the leg that you are kicking. That way your kick will do more damage as they can't absorb much force with no give on the leg. If their balance is on the opposite leg, your kick can be checked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why small rapid steps during mobility gives you the time and balance to react and check a leg kick in time, so you don't get caught getting your legs kicked from under you!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastActivityDate="2015-11-18T04:35:57.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5703" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5700" CreationDate="2015-11-18T04:44:25.037" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I guess you have to set it up properly. This comes with experience. For example, watch how Jose Aldo from UFC sets up his kicks with distractions such as jabs and crosses. Even an experienced fighter like Anderson Silva had a broken leg with a nicely timed knee block by Chris Weidman, so I guess, luck also plays a role in it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The set-up becomes easier if both fighters fight at the same stance. For example, if you and your opponent both fight southpaw, then you can easily use your left kick to aim at your opponent's right outer thigh which can cause considerable damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpl_7w8-jTE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot; title=&quot;video&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; might give you a hint.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5496" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-20T13:13:05.297" LastActivityDate="2015-11-20T13:13:05.297" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5704" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5708" CreationDate="2015-11-18T11:14:52.527" Score="6" ViewCount="1063" Body="&lt;p&gt;I sometimes have to lead classes in my club. Most of the members will do what I say but there are one or two members more senior than me who will almost always go off on a tangent and not listen to me when I try to get them to focus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do understand that they want to play and train variants and, if they are working with people of suitable level, I don't mind as much. However, when they are training with beginners, I feel they confuse that individual and undermine me as &quot;sensei&quot; for that lesson. What are the best ways to deal with these individuals in this situation?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6415" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-23T11:39:07.920" LastActivityDate="2015-11-25T21:48:19.220" Title="Problem with more senior club member" Tags="|training|aikido|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5705" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-11-18T11:37:50.543" Score="8" ViewCount="1513" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am 37, 1.80m, &gt;85 kg. I used to train Judo twice or three times a week at competition level  (although I was not participating in contests, I was training hard with those who did). About two years ago I had an ACL rupture while free sparring (randori), and the moment was bad, I lacked time and focus to really treat myself (no operation was done) and for some time I wasn't even sure it is ACL and kept trying to train for a while until I realized it is too serious to dismiss as nothing but body pain. Then I gave it up completely, and went through some serious melancholy (let us not call it depression).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Two years later the pain is mostly gone, I can run for 30 minutes at medium pace without feeling pain afterwards. But I feel that I cannot continue with hardcore Judo (hooks and leg twists are still painful). I tried easier Judo with seniors that looks mostly like some kind of social rumba dance than Judo to me. It did not work, although I do like the feeling of being clad in Judo gear and doing the poses. It doesn't make me sweat, my brain does not register it as a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel like I am loosing the fitness state of my body, doing physical exercise just does not work without some kind of motivation, which I used to get from my passion for Judo and from my fellow training guys. I grew a beard (that helped) and the beginning of a belly and I am getting concerned about health (I am a very sedentary programmer/researcher otherwise).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It not just ACL but also a matter of not having time and sufficient focus, meanwhile I got a small kid so ideally once a week training is the only thing I could afford, coupled with some power training and running every other day. In fact the ACL injury may have come because I could not train three times a week already by that time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the question is if you can suggest something for me that might motivate me into doing anything but sitting on my chair. Having experienced a few martial arts, I think BJJ might put less strain on the knees If I can avoid dangerous hooks. What do you think? Is there something else that you can recommend? I like to do archery but that does not give fitness benefits, I like to swim and to run sometimes, but not as much as to put real effort. Not into the 'compete with yourself' obsession. It may work for an hour while I do it, but it does not make me follow a weekly schedule.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Update:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks for the replies, here are my conclusions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I got an unanimous advice on consulting a doctor and trying to upgrade my knee, even though after two years the knee recovery is probably reduced it may reduce the knee decay.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Judo may not be an option if I want to continue doing rougher fighting, but BJJ could be if practiced with care.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kids might help with future fitness motivation, (although mine is a bit too young for martial arts, at 2.5 years).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6417" LastEditorUserId="6417" LastEditDate="2015-11-19T11:33:33.280" LastActivityDate="2016-05-09T10:57:09.023" Title="how to survive not doing hardcore Judo after losing your ACL forever" Tags="|judo|injury|exercise|recommendation|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5706" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5704" CreationDate="2015-11-18T11:48:14.883" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am but a simple judoka and far from having real training experience, so this is a simple advice. It depends what the class is committed to do and what your training style is. In military the discipline is enforced by extra number of pushups, and also by punishing the whole group when an individual missbehaves. Sometimes this is done in martial arts as well, depending on the situation. If the style is lenient, a simple respectful and honest conversation with the two guys would probably do it, or maybe if you are patient enough they will probably realize by themselves that they are disturbing your class. From my humble experience some seniors are usually less disciplined with their younger sensei, although it is a bad mark on them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6417" LastActivityDate="2015-11-18T11:48:14.883" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5707" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5704" CreationDate="2015-11-18T12:29:47.310" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;You may see this as disruptive, and you may feel anxiety as a result.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Provided they are respecting your commands in general I would strongly suggest that you don't worry about it. Going off on tangents while doing one on one training or drills is important - this type of experimentation can lead to the students learning new applications for moves, and just as importantly they can learn what variations &lt;em&gt;don't&lt;/em&gt; work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This practice of exploring tangents is actually ingrained and valued in my home dojo. Of course we don't expect students to deviate too far from the specified activity, nor do we allow people to act up while doing this. If it looks like it is getting out of hand a suitably senior student or sensei will normally pull the students back into line - and this is something you will have to get comfortable with if you want to lead classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2015-11-18T12:29:47.310" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5708" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5704" CreationDate="2015-11-18T13:08:41.743" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;A good coach does not need to be better than his students but they need to understand how to make their students better. It is not easy but I feel that this is what you are lacking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would allows the senior grades to train with each other for some of the session time: during that time, you tell them to do a kata such as the kaishiwaza or all variations on kote gaeshi that they know. Let them play! Tell hem to do one kata as tori and uke then pick one technique each within that kata that they feel is weak ask the other for advice and practice this one technique a dozen times -- both tori and uke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they are really keen on free play, let them do randori (kakari-geiko, softo-randori, or even shiai!) for that time.  Make sure they all rotate so they get to play with everyone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During the rest of the time, ask them to help you teach. Ask them to demonstrate techniques. Ask them to just be uke, no tori work at all, with the lower grades. This will make their break falls even better and show them which technique they struggle with: if you cannot teach it, you do not understand it. I would do this first, then split the class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-11-18T14:11:07.113" LastActivityDate="2015-11-18T14:11:07.113" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5709" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5705" CreationDate="2015-11-18T14:07:55.867" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;First things first, I think you should see a doctor that could give you a &quot;go&quot;. A specialist could tell you if he thinks it would be safe for your knee if you restarted doing martial arts. If the doctor says no, you're putting yourself at risk if you restart. Let's face it, even if you feel your health is deteriorating, it is much better than with a destroyed knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The advantage with BJJ is that there is usually less emphasis on throws, which I think could be pretty dangerous for your knee. So nothing stops you from starting this. Obviously you should inform your instructor about the situation, so he/she can warn you if an exercise could be dangerous to you. They have experience, they trained for years, a good instructor should be able to tell you when they feel you should be cautious about a movement, especially with knees since these are &quot;frequent&quot; injuries in the world of martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you ever want to start doing BJJ, always make sure that your training partner is aware of your injury. You should try and train with more experimented partners, since white belts usually do not have that much control over themselves, they could hurt your knee without intending to do so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise, couldn't boxing be a good fit for you? It does put some stress on the knees (that is up to you (&lt;strong&gt;and&lt;/strong&gt; a doctor) to see if you think it's dangerous) but since there's no kicking or grappling in boxing, it might be a good fit. Plus it's excellent for the stamina and overall fitness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if you can, depending on the age of your child, include him/her into your training. Most martial arts clubs that I know offer classes for young. It'd be good for the child to start an activity that you love yourself and it is known to be good for kids on overall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, if your child is practising the same activity you do, it &lt;em&gt;will&lt;/em&gt; motivate your. I believe you know the advantages of martial arts for kids and you loved martial arts (At least, I guess you did.) so you'd like your kid to stay focused in an activity they like. But the truth is, some kids are hard to keep motivated, so if you go with him/her, it'll keep the motivation up for the child. &quot;If my dad/mom does it and likes it, and I like it, why should I stop?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2041" LastActivityDate="2015-11-18T14:07:55.867" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5710" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5704" CreationDate="2015-11-18T17:01:15.737" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The simplest approach I know is to have everyone change partners regularly. There is no confrontation necessary with this approach, you reduce the impact a poorly matched partner has on any one person's training, people get to practice on a variety of bodies, and it's better for social mixing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, the tangent problem (not always a problem, but when it is) is not unique to your seniors. I attended a seminar led by a very high rank instructor, senior to all attendees. At the beginning of a session, this instructor stated that people would want to add additional moves and practice things that were more complicated, but they should not do so. Even after this warning, I would estimate the compliance rate was only ~50%. I asked the instructor about this, and his response was that you can show someone the door, but it is their responsibility to go through. The instructor needs to set the conditions necessary for success, but it is the student's responsibility to execute. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-11-18T17:01:15.737" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5711" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5564" CreationDate="2015-11-18T21:28:30.240" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga is not a martial art. It is a self defense system that has acquired or adapted techniques from different martial arts to fulfill a specific purpose.&#xA;Those include groundfighting, stand-up fighting and weapon techniques — one can argue form which art actually ex. BJJ, Muay Thai whatever — but always striving to have the most effective one for the current situation for the needed distance, even modified if needed like the vertical punch (with burst).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-11-19T13:40:49.267" LastActivityDate="2015-11-19T13:40:49.267" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5712" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5705" CreationDate="2015-11-19T00:55:46.197" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;On the physical side: Knee ligament replacement surgeries are pretty good these days.  You should see a doctor to see if that is an option.  (You might want it anyway, even if you don't train hard, because you want to make sure you're not suffering meniscus wear as well...).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second person you want to see is a sports medicine specialist.  They can let you know what movements are safe/unsafe for your leg and body.  This will help determine what martial arts, or techniques/types of practice within a martial art, are things you can go with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the morale side: If you know what's safe to do in Judo, you might have enough options to still have a good time.  If not, you can pick a new martial art based on what is still doable.  Other than that - it depends on what motivates you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm personally recovering from hardcore chemotherapy - it left me bedridden most of a year, wrecked my cardiovascular system, and my sense of balance and fine motor control.  While I still can't do everything I used to, I've found weapon training is fun and something I can do by myself and get some improvement.  Maybe there's some thing you considered exploring but never got into?  Look and see if it's something you can play with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's the competition/sparring that gets you, find an art that allows you to do it safely for your knee and have fun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-11-19T00:55:46.197" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5713" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5572" CreationDate="2015-11-19T04:16:58.363" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wired.com/2001/02/dragonslayer/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.wired.com/2001/02/dragonslayer/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wired magazine published this article, about the advances of modern science in metallurgy, and how a professor and his team demonstrated this by forging a (better) sword then by traditional methods. They named this project the 'Dragon Slayer' - i.e.; blade to slay dragons!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Very interesting read. The short answer is yes, modern science can do a better and more consistent job.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1677" LastActivityDate="2015-11-19T04:16:58.363" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5714" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="417" CreationDate="2015-11-19T06:12:04.543" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In our Southern Shaolin tradition, the interpretation is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Its a form of salutation, sort of like saying hello, but there are various subtleties to it. Yes the symbolism of aggression, the fist and peace, the palm is very relevant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;As is shown in the image above, with the palm wrapped over the fist, its a normal, peaceful, greeting, like a &quot;Hello, how are you?&quot; or shake-hands in Western culture. This is used by everybody, not just martial artists.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;With a straight, open vertical palm, with the knuckles of the fist pressed against it: this is a martial (artist) salutation. It is like a bow for the Japanese. This is the common salute as adopted by WuShu, which they do before they start their performance or match.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A variation of this is with an left open palm, facing inwards and the back of a fist pressed against the palm. Because the fist is hidden, this is deemed to be more 'polite'.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Other salutes where the fist is exposed, ie: fist in front of the palm; is considered an outright challenge!   &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1677" LastActivityDate="2015-11-19T06:12:04.543" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5716" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5704" CreationDate="2015-11-19T09:09:00.673" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I totally understand your problem I have had similar problems and often with people who are of the same grade as me and sometimes even students of a lower grade than myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would suggest perhaps splitting the class up, let the higher grades that cause confusion use one half of the dojo to do more advanced practice and you take the lower grade students and keep control that way rather than trying to battle to be heard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively if I am taking a class of mixed grades, I sometimes bring the higher grade to the front of the class and assign them one or two low grade students that they can teach perhaps a kata/form or even help them improve on a certain kick or basic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps or gives you some guidance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6416" LastActivityDate="2015-11-19T09:09:00.673" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5717" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5684" CreationDate="2015-11-19T10:09:30.427" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been training Bjj since 1998. I always learned to squeeze my knees to prevent this pain on testicles. This is the most common way to avoid this kind of injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But this year, when I was visiting the academy of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-fighters/sylvio-behring&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Master Sylvio Behring&lt;/a&gt;, he taught me a different approach for the arm lock (arm bar).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Squeeze your knees early. He told me to close my knees when my opponent arm are near to my knees and not near to my belly. This will create a much greater angle. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you put the opponent's arm on your belly, the angle for the lock is shorter. Some guys with hyper-arm-extension can escape. When you lock your opponent's arm early, you have to use more of your arms to submit your opponent, but the angle is greater. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another tip from the Master was to pull your opponent's head with your leg, to prevent him from biting your calf. This is because the Master teaches a lot of self defense as well and not just competition Bjj. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know if I was clear enough with my explanation. To me, the Master was really clear and it was really nice to learn something basic from the Master.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-03-06T13:52:32.000" LastActivityDate="2016-03-06T13:52:32.000" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5718" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5700" CreationDate="2015-11-19T19:16:13.143" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I supose that you are talking about the low-kick aka kick to the thigh. I would like to make a difference between a kick with the front leg (1.) and a kick with the back leg (2.) (keep in mind that you are standing in fighting stance where one leg is in front and one back).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My proposal would be the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A kick with the front leg is faster because the path the leg needs to travel to hit the target is short and can be used to break the attacker's rhythm or intercept his forward motion and bring him out of balance - during this motion he will not be able to bring up the knee for defense.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A kick with the back leg has far more power, but a longer path to travel and gives your opponent more chance to recognize and block it. I would ALWAYS prepare the kick with the back leg whether executing a feint before kicking or following a combination, preferably punches, to raise the opponent's attention to the upper body.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Try to identify the proper technique for your body type. If you compare the kicks from Fedor, Feitosa and Mirco CroCop, you'll notice a big difference in style which was perfected by each of them to their fighting style and physical ability. Try to find a technique where you can execute the kick as fast as possible with the most power. You will also notice the points mentioned above if looking at some of the fights.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-20T12:51:29.077" LastActivityDate="2015-11-20T12:51:29.077" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5719" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5721" CreationDate="2015-11-20T02:37:29.180" Score="3" ViewCount="674" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, I know it's best to find a school, but it's impossible to find a traditional kung fu school where I live. (There are a several Wing Chun schools, but I'm not interested in Wing Chun).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Until I can afford a training vacation/trip, I'm going to have to resort to other resources for learning the basics (I really want to). And commuting to train is out of question due to time/schedule restraints. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Understandably, as a beginner, it's really hard for me to differentiate quality resources from bad resources, fake ones, money-grabs etc...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a few years of experience in MMA, so I'm not actually looking to learn how to fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long Version:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm studying Chinese and Chinese philosophy (you could say the whole Chinese culture) and I think that learning Gong Fu would actually benefit me greatly, apart from that I think it's an extremely good mind/body relaxation/coordination exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From an answer below I draw upon the conclusion that internal and soft styles are actually impossible to learn/practice on your own, due to their nature.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a good resource for learning a hard style of kung fu (preferably a shaolin one, just for cool points), by yourself (or with a partner)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also understand that there's the possibility of picking some bad habits due to my inability to spot my mistakes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks in advance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6427" LastEditorUserId="6427" LastEditDate="2015-11-20T22:04:50.337" LastActivityDate="2015-11-20T22:04:50.337" Title="Learning Kung Fu - Resources" Tags="|kung-fu|recommendation|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="6" ClosedDate="2015-11-25T08:26:24.193" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5720" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2015-11-20T02:43:33.850" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This depends on the martial art you are doing. Weight training for aerobic power, gaining strength in pushing and pulling. Read up on the training Bruce Lee developed. If you're big and muscle bound. Wresting, judo may be your art.  Or karate. If it's grappling like ju jitsu, Ai kido or Kung fu type martial arts. Being big makes you clumsy. Unable to do some techniques. However, it is also often harder to apply techniques on a hard, solid-built person. Build for athletic performance and dance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6428" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-20T13:13:43.417" LastActivityDate="2015-11-20T13:13:43.417" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5721" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5719" CreationDate="2015-11-20T07:43:41.090" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends on which form of kung-fu you're talking about. There are many, and each have their own set of skills they attempt to teach. If it's an internal form of kung-fu like Taiji, Hsing-I, or Bagua, no you can't do it without an instructor (yes, you can imitate the motions, but internal martial arts are about what you're doing that we can't see, so it's hard to get from a video alone).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;External forms of kung-fu that have &quot;soft&quot; skills that require sensing and feeling, no you can't do it without an instructor. I'm talking about Wing Chun, Northern or Southern Praying Mantis, Snake style, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;About the only form of kung-fu you can sort of learn on your own is going to be an external &quot;hard&quot; form, like Northern Long-fist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are plenty of videos teaching traditional kung-fu solo forms. You can watch them and teach yourself to repeat the movements as you see them. Maybe you could video yourself and correct yourself. With diligence and attention to detail, it's possible you can perform the form semi-competently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people can't do this very well and only embarrass themselves when they show what they've done to people who have learned it in person from a qualified instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Actually, it's worse than that. When you ultimately do find an instructor, he might find that you've picked up a lot of bad habits, and he will have to spend a lot more time with you undoing some of your training. This is why correction as you go is important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sure there are other things besides forms that you can learn from video as well, like &quot;stance drills&quot;, &quot;pole stepping&quot;, standing meditation, horse stance holding, punching bag drills, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's very important that you video yourself so you can see if your posture is correct. An instructor could take one look at you and tell you what you're doing wrong. Your untrained eye will struggle to find those details.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Getting back to internal/external and hard/soft... The reason why you want to avoid styles that are internal and/or soft is that those styles require a lot more hands-on feeling that you can only get from a good instructor. You won't be able to pick it up from reading about it or from watching videos. If you try to get it on your own without an instructor, you'll probably end up convincing yourself you understand it, but you're probably going to be wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, as you advance in external/hard styles of kung-fu, you'll find that they're not entirely external or hard. Instructors of those styles eventually teach you more soft skills and maybe even stuff that would be considered internal. You can't get that from videos, so you're going to reach your limit on what you can hope to achieve from learning by videos alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other thing to consider is that this is mostly solo training. Some of the more important things you'll get from learning a martial art you'll only be able to get while working with a partner. The obvious thing is sparring. From day one in most kung-fu schools, you're going to be practicing punches and blocks with a partner in class. Later on, they teach joint locking techniques, sweeps, and throws. They also extract self-defense techniques from the forms and then teach them with partners. Beyond that, they might also teach push-hands and other forms of soft-skill techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of those require a partner. And in my opinion, that's where it starts to get interesting. Punching to the air is not very interesting to me. You can make it look cool and impress people with your form, and that's fine, but it's not fighting or learning how to fight. It's just repeating movement like a human DVR. When you learn skills that you can actually use in a fight, if you're like me, that's all you'll want to learn. You'll be like, &quot;Teach me that thing you did where you locked his hand with your arm pit and then did something where he ended up flying backwards on his ass.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that's my opinion. What you get out of it is up to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other suggestion. You mentioned you don't have any schools that teach what you want nearby. Maybe not, but you might still post something to craigslist or Facebook, Meetup.com, etc. requesting same-minded people to join you. And look around for anyone even a little trained in what you want who would be willing to meet with you and introduce you to the style he/she learned. It's worth a shot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for specific videos to learn from, that's highly subjective. My advice is to see what's available on Youtube for free. Chances are someone has posted some high quality material to actually teach kung-fu. Aside from that, you can look at shaolin monks who have their own video series. I can vouch for Shi De Yang, for example. Wing Lam Enterprises has a truckload of instructional video (mostly Hung-Gar, I believe). Take your pick. There are thousands of video series to try. Some will be better at teaching you, because they'll be better quality video (in focus, not blurry, etc.) and will show the technique at normal speed, then slow, then talk about all of the aspects of it, etc. And if you're lucky, they'll even go over the self-defense applications of the form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, which one you select is going to have to be up to you and your preferences. If you ask others which ones they like, you'll get a different response for each person you ask.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, I've answered similar questions in the past, but my answers have typically assumed they were able to pay to travel and train at a school for a week or so at a time. You specifically said you don't have the money to do that. So you're stuck where you are. But I just wanted to post links to my other answers. Maybe you or someone else would benefit:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4528/training-martial-arts-in-china/4535#4535&quot;&gt;Training martial arts in china&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4315/learning-grappling-without-an-instructor/4317#4317&quot;&gt;Learning grappling without an instructor&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2857/which-is-the-best-way-for-learning-wing-chun/2859#2859&quot;&gt;What is the best way to learn Wing Chun?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-11-20T07:43:41.090" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5722" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2015-11-20T10:47:05.243" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Weight training is fantastic for martial arts training, but you have to do it with a goal in mind. Ask yourself which areas you need to improve strengthwise, which areas have muscles that you will use (directly or indirectly) in practicing your techniques. Also, if you do a sport like Taekwondo, keep in mind that, contrary to popular belief, while muscles will not slow you down, they &lt;em&gt;will&lt;/em&gt; make you heavier. Know how much weight you can gain so that you know what weight class you will be competing in. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In regards to your question about mass - don't worry about it. There are forums literally dedicated to the subject; it's really actually quite hard to gain mass. You have to diet well and put in successively heavier loads, among other things, in order to look like a bodybuilder (you'll notice that UFC fighters are much more lean than bodybuilders). Even if you do, as I've mentioned above, it won't make you slower. Regardless, generally the best weight training for martial arts should be either stamina-focused exercises (like wall squats or planks) in order to develop good form, or plyometrics to develop explosiveness (box jumps or burpees) in martial arts that require a lot of speed and power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6338" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-20T13:13:25.780" LastActivityDate="2015-11-20T13:13:25.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5723" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5725" CreationDate="2015-11-20T15:09:44.997" Score="11" ViewCount="928" Body="&lt;p&gt;So, I &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2r3OB.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;stumbled on this gif&lt;/a&gt; and I have a few questions...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/lBcZi.gif&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/lBcZi.gif&quot; alt=&quot;This is some crazy kick&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What martial art is this? Is this allowed in competitions?  What is this kick called?  What is this sorcery?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;^_~&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2023-02-02T14:24:58.597" Title="Some crazy kick identification" Tags="|kicking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5724" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5723" CreationDate="2015-11-20T15:27:54.113" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;One name it goes by in Japanese martial arts is &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZL6T3eoZNs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Do Mawashi Kaiten Geri&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, sometimes known as the &amp;quot;forward roll axe kick&amp;quot;. It does appear in other styles. In Capoeira, it's often referred to as an &lt;em&gt;Aú Chibata&lt;/em&gt; and differs in that actually rolling, rather than springing forward on your hands and landing on the non-kicking foot, is considered to be bad form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2023-02-02T14:24:58.597" LastActivityDate="2023-02-02T14:24:58.597" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5725" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5723" CreationDate="2015-11-20T15:52:46.617" Score="9" Body="&lt;h1&gt;ROLLING THUNDER&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kyokushin competition is also the home of the rolling thunder, or &lt;em&gt;Do mawashi geri&lt;/em&gt; / &lt;em&gt;Kaiten geri&lt;/em&gt;. Because of the rules it is relatively low risk, but tremendously high reward. Bouts are fought so close in, and so ferociously, that a quick push away is almost guaranteed to have the opponent lunging back in. And, if you've been trading body punches, his hands will probably be down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When it comes to the rolling thunder, Peter Graham is the absolute man. He could throw it in combination, on the counter, and pretty much any time you wouldn't expect it. He even knocked out the great Badr Hari with it. I don't know if the rolling thunder will ever catch on in a big way in MMA, because it is essentially throwing yourself into guard... but against Max Holloway, Conor McGregor at least had a go at it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From Jack Slack's &lt;a href=&quot;http://fightland.vice.com/blog/fighting-motives-how-rules-change-styles&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;FIGHTING MOTIVES: HOW RULES CHANGE STYLES&lt;/a&gt;, on the Fightland blog.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2015-11-20T15:52:46.617" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5726" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-11-20T17:14:33.950" Score="4" ViewCount="13325" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can anyone tell me if there is a gum shield for someone who has false teeth? I used to do quite a lot of boxing when I was younger, but now I have false teeth and I want to get back in shape again. I'm 43 years old but I'm still as fit as most 20 year olds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can anyone help ???&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6431" LastActivityDate="2021-04-28T20:13:16.370" Title="Gum Shield for someone with false teeth" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5727" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5726" CreationDate="2015-11-20T19:30:18.073" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Looking online it seems that you may have to go with a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.healthtap.com/user_questions/638791-are-there-any-safe-mouth-guards-for-false-teeth&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;custom mouthguard&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should probably consult with your dentist and your doctor around the pros and cons of keeping your dentures in while sparring. The last thing you would want is to have your false teeth break off in your mouth, both from a safety and a cost perspective. I could imagine an absolute worst-case where you have full dentures being knocked off your gums and floating freely in your mouth....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4267" LastActivityDate="2015-11-20T19:30:18.073" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5728" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-11-21T18:08:02.433" Score="22" ViewCount="51061" Body="&lt;p&gt;In several martial arts (e.g. karate, muay thai), there are methods for toughening body parts (such as the fists or shins) by hitting them against hard objects. I am an amateur martial arts fan and wonder if these techniques are valid. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Does hitting hard objects actually strengthen and toughen a fighter's bones? What is the physiological explanation for this?&lt;/strong&gt;   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are these a waste of time, or do the drills only make one used to the pain? It appears to me that the damage of such training goes well beyond the benefits. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would gladly hear any scientific reasoning for or against such training.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4367" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-11T14:02:14.863" LastActivityDate="2022-12-28T09:27:51.790" Title="Is hitting hard objects really effective in making bones harder?" Tags="|training|injury|drills|anatomy|conditioning|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5729" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5728" CreationDate="2015-11-21T18:54:02.820" Score="18" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, but... (and it's a big &quot;but&quot;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Two things stimulate bone density:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Damage&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally our biological systems are set up so that if something is damaged, cells lay down more, tougher material since clearly what we had before wasn't quite tough enough.  In other tissues, this forms as scar tissue which can reduce your mobility, however bone just gives you denser bone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The ideal way to do this is minor damage, which, you can get from impacts.  Of course, you need to have a certain bone density to begin with, otherwise you're just putting yourself into deep trouble (see what happens when people with osteoporosis take a fall...).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other issue is that if you actually break a bone, there's no guarantee it will heal correctly or the joints will be aligned exactly right either, even with medical care.  Some repairs are too hard even for surgery to get back into place and they just settle for giving you a fake hip or throw a pin in to hold it together.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Weight (resistance to force)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strain against force (in our daily lives, that's gravity + our activities) increases bone density.  This is why the #1 recommended activity to avoid bone loss or increase bone density is resistance training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is safer and generally better researched as the method to use.  The only draw back is that some forms of increased bone density are harder to implement. For example, people toughen the center of long bones because it's tricky to set up weight across it easily, while clanging forearms against a training partner or a wooden dummy or kicking a tire is pretty simple to set up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In both cases, however, you're talking about a process of years of training to remodel bone, and even then there are limits - toughen your fists as much as you want, your metacarpal bones in your hand still can only take so much before they crack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BUT...&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a lot of the cases of striking hard objects, you risk joint damage over time.  Punches tend to suffer this the most, since knuckles are a joint, not a solid chunk of bone.  Just like how bone remodels to deal with force, the joints will start building up calcium deposits... and then you can't move as well at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So... for striking?  Pretty much unless it's forearms/shins, you're probably losing rather than gaining.  And even then, it's about consistent force over years of training, not &quot;hitting harder&quot; and trying to destroy objects as place where you see benefit.  Otherwise, just go with resistance training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-11-21T18:54:02.820" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5731" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5728" CreationDate="2015-11-22T12:33:54.143" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, hitting objects does make your bones more solid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bones are primarily made up of two parts, and outer layer and an inner layer.&#xA;The outer is a thin layer of compact bone (cortical bone). The inner layer is far less compact and is known as spongy or cancellous bone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MenDY.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MenDY.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;cancellous bone(hip)&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thin layer provides up to 80% of the strength of the bone despite covering a much smaller area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Impact (hitting) will cause the density of the bones to increase. The outer layer will thicken and the inner layer will become denser. On impacts, tiny cracks are caused in the bone and when healed they are denser than before. This is not limited to impacts but also occurs under stress, lifting and twisting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1571152/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this paper&lt;/a&gt; puts it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Addition [as response to exercise and impact] is not coupled to time-wasting resorption: both internally and externally, it occurs both by layering on existing cancellous surfaces and by creation of new immature scaffold, with &lt;em&gt;de novo&lt;/em&gt; incorporation of a rich, capillary blood vessel supply. &lt;strong&gt;The real response within bone organs subjected to mechanical overload exercise within normal physiological limits is to make more, and to lose less, bone.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, resistance and impact training &lt;em&gt;done correctly&lt;/em&gt; in terms of intensity and frequency, coupled with certain nutritional needs, does indeed add bone mass and density. Those with weak bones are often told to exercise and specifically do light impact movements, such as jumping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In traditional kung-fu, hand hardening exercises were part of daily routines, and done in such a way to gradually increase bone density without causing damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Modern boxers regularly suffer broken hands after punching forehands or hips, despite wearing gloves. This is mostly due to exercising only on soft pads/bags.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additional Info:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are quite a lot of medical papers which focus on bone strengthening. One example, which is quite accessible to non-medics, can be found at: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.springer.com/cda/content/document/cda_downloaddocument/9783642023996-c1.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.springer.com/cda/content/document/cda_downloaddocument/9783642023996-c1.pdf&lt;/a&gt; (requires PDF reader).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1615" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-12-28T09:27:51.790" LastActivityDate="2022-12-28T09:27:51.790" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5732" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5728" CreationDate="2015-11-23T05:15:47.660" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well it seems I might be the only one who thinks this is mostly a myth. I'm open to the possibility that bone density can be changed by beating against the bone or breaking the bone, but I'll require citations for that from scientific sources first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wrote about this particular issue in my answer to the broader question of:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/3056/arm-toughening-without-losing-sensitivity/3057#3057&quot;&gt;Arm Toughening Without Losing Sensitivity&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Quoting the relevant bits from my answer...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;... Now, what I left out was bone strengthening. The theory goes like this: Micro-fractures in bone cause rapid mineralization of the fracture site, filling it up with calcium to reform the bone. So by repeatedly causing these micro-fractures, over time it can lead to a much stronger bone.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&#xA;But it turns out that might not actually be true. According to some medical doctors, the fractures do increase strength temporarily, but eventually the bone becomes as weak as any other part of the bone, meaning that it's just as likely to break there as any other part of the same bone over the long term: &lt;A HREF=&quot;http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/health/19really.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/health/19really.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&#xA;Of course, that article refers to medical bone breaks and fractures. But what about martial arts micro-fracturing? All bets are off. I don't think it has been sufficiently studied to say either way.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&#xA;My feeling is that there probably will be some increase in bone strength, but it will only last until you stop the iron body training. At which point, it will probably return to normal strength. Most likely, then, what people perceive as their bones getting stronger is actually just a lessening of pain and an increase in power due to mechanical adaptations as a result (mentioned above).&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&#xA;One of the things you can definitely do to increase bone density and bone volume is to start doing weight lifting exercises. Increasing the load (weight) your bones have to endure will cause your bones to grow. This is described in &lt;A HREF=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolff%27s_law&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wolfe's Law&lt;/A&gt;. But once again, this is temporary. Your bone's strength will decrease again after you stop loading it.&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-11-23T05:15:47.660" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5733" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5738" CreationDate="2015-11-23T08:27:32.157" Score="17" ViewCount="5965" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a part of my training in TKD, I learned how to do some wrist locks for basic self-defense applications. These are quite similar to some techniques from Aikido. However, in practice (during sparring in TKD, and also more recently in sparring in Judo), I find it really hard to do. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mostly, my opponents are either 200+ lbs and strong or 170+lbs and incredibly strong. When they grab my lapel or sleeves, their wrists are tight and difficult to bend. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are wrist locks better used against weaker opponents in general, or is it a problem with my technique? That is, can a physically &quot;weaker&quot; opponent apply proper technique to do a wrist lock on a stronger guy who is holding his wrist/elbow/other joint stiff?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6439" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2016-02-25T08:55:59.267" LastActivityDate="2016-02-26T13:46:58.737" Title="Do Aikido wrist locks work against stronger opponents?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|judo|aikido|self-defense|wrist-lock|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5734" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5739" CreationDate="2015-11-23T08:37:19.693" Score="12" ViewCount="19667" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, no disrespect to anyone. I am &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; trying to get into a discussion of which art is better/faster/more effective/etc... I get that the quality of the fighter is more important than the specific choice of style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I am curious to see some real-life examples of Aikido against Judo just so I can appreciate the differences between the arts. There are a lot of videos online that claim to be &quot;Judo vs. Aikido&quot; but very few videos actually feature reputable practitioners. Thus, it's common to see a master of Judo/Aikido vs a student of the other art. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am wondering if anyone has come across a video of an actual sparring match between two seriously proficient practitioners so I can observe the differences. Again, I don't care at all about who wins/loses. My objective is to see two good examples of the styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6439" LastActivityDate="2020-02-20T10:53:16.397" Title="Have you seen a fight between *top* Judo and Aikido practitioners?" Tags="|judo|aikido|competition|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5735" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5734" CreationDate="2015-11-23T09:01:01.640" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my own experience, a match between judo/aikido starts at a distance doing Aikido and as soon as the distance closes, switching to judo. I have no link to videos as I never bothered filming any. However, this is what Tomiki found when he started to introduce Judo randori style play into Aikido: his students (who all knew some Judo) would automatically revert to Judo as soon as one closed the gap between the players.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, &lt;em&gt;any match between a judo-ka and aikido-ka will rely on whichever is the best at keeping the other at his distance&lt;/em&gt;. So, in grappling Judo wins. At a distance, Aikido wins&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;. This to be taken with a metric tonne of salt based on the skill of both players, what they eat that morning, and how long their hair is. ^_~&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tomiki always viewed both arts as complementary. He was a 8th dan in Judo under Kano and 8th dan under Ueshiba. In fact, Kano asked Ueshiba to take Tomiki as a student during the hell dojo year where Ueshiba aikido was brutal. I think that gives Tomiki some authority over both Judo, Aikido, and how they interact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tomiki wrote a &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/tomiki2.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;paper&lt;/a&gt; on how ideas from Judo influenced the Aikido system (Shodokan) he created.  In it, you can clearly see that the both arts are used at different distances: judo is close by, aikido is further away. Here is a diagram from one of Tomiki sensei papers on the subject. I found it in Nariyama's &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aikido-Tradition-Competitive-Fumiaki-Shishida/dp/0964708329/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1448275323&amp;amp;sr=8-2&amp;amp;keywords=nariyama%20aikido&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;book&lt;/a&gt; which refers to it as &lt;em&gt;The Development of Japanese Budo by Kenji Tomiki (1963)&lt;/em&gt; on page 33: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gcRtM.gif&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gcRtM.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Tomiki Judo and Aikido&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It clearly shows his thinking on the subject. &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B000IXLLGQ&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tomiki's Judo Appendix: Aikido&lt;/a&gt; might delve into the matter some more but I have not read the book so cannot comment and it is really expensive!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tomiki introduced the tanto in Aikido randori because all his players were old hand at judo and he needed a way to maintain the aikido distance.  The other reason was to give tanto a possibility to score thus leading to stronger attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1: &lt;sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;As an aside, this is the same way that that kicks/punches wins vs grappling (really biased &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvEmBA8R_QM&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;source&lt;/a&gt;) if one player stays at the right distance. But grapling wins close in (yet another really biased &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT_rW9BUJ_I&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;source&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2015-11-23T15:53:28.537" LastActivityDate="2015-11-23T15:53:28.537" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5736" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5733" CreationDate="2015-11-23T09:09:19.813" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;You are probably missing kuzushi (balance breaking) and/or atemi (strikes).  Both serve the same purpose: to distract your opponent so that they worry about something else rather than their wrist. Then, applying a wrist lock becomes easy (read: easier).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/eqMgKE0rVBg?t=97&quot;&gt;The ninth technique of the goshin-no-kata&lt;/a&gt; shows just what I mean: you have a lapel grab which is deflected by both moving and breaking balance (kuzushi) and a punch to the face (atemi). The following wrist lock is then trivial to apply. The technique finished on a throw because uke is still fighting the lock! It is not enough, therefore we throw uke outwards after smashing his face yet again. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-23T13:45:30.803" LastActivityDate="2015-11-23T13:45:30.803" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5737" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5733" CreationDate="2015-11-23T11:26:53.550" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I also train in TKD and though we don't train for grappling (locks, chokes, etc.) very often, we are told that against a stronger opponent, you may need to do something else to weaken their grip. (As Sardathrion explains in his answer). The weapon of choice is a kick or strike to the groin!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may find that there is a small but vital aspect of the lock that you're missing, so it is worth asking your instructor to verify your execution of the locks. For instance, I've been taught a lock where someone grabs your lapel; you have to put your hand on the back of their hand, spanning the wrist joint (which hand you use depends on which hand they've used). You also hold their forearm against your chest before stepping back and turning away, which allows you to throw them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first few times I tried this particular lock, it didn't work very well at all; it was only after my instructor adjusted my hand position by about two centimetres that it worked properly (I was covering the knuckles, not the the wrist joint). By only covering the knuckles, I wasn't putting enough stress on my opponent's joint, making the lock week and ineffective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2015-11-23T11:26:53.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5738" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5733" CreationDate="2015-11-23T11:57:53.610" Score="14" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Primary and secondary grappling skills&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wristlocks and most other standing joint locks are almost always secondary grappling skills: one must already be able to dominate using basic gross-movement wrestling skills like pummeling, grip/hand fighting, foot-sweeps, hip throws, body locks, and so on. Part of the problem is strength: standing wristlocks and armbars rely on an opponent being either ignorant, weaker, caught by surprise, or slower. This is not true of most major judo and wrestling skills. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, you'll note that nearly all proponents of standing joint-locks will say they don't work unless you distract the opponent by striking them first. Lots of valid techniques do better when prefaced with distractions, and lots of valid techniques are hard to execute without setting up the opponent to make a wrong move. But the fact that strikes are supposedly necessary, not just an unbalancing or other grappling-only set-up, says a lot about the broader applicability of standing joint-lock skills. I think they're useful and valuable skills, but they are nearly impossible to implement without being good at wrestling/grappling first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another problem is that these kinds of jointlocks (excluding come-alongs) mostly do not provide whole-body control. While I wrench their wrist, my partner is free to circle around me, shoot for my legs, or roll out. This, combined with the opportunity to simply exert force against the lock, makes them poor primary techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Applying Aikido to Resisting Opponents&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds like you may be having a crisis about your aikido skills in the broader context of judo and fighting. You are right to worry, but don't despair. Empty your cup. Acknowledge that some techniques work less well than others. Remember that you haven't trained a technique if you've only trained it on a cooperative partner. Work on getting physically stronger. Work on getting better at judo. Maybe in a year or two, try your wristlocks again with your newfound strength and gross-motor jacket wrestling skills. It may go better, it may not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Standing joint locks in a judo context&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first section of judo gold medalist Isao Okano's rare master text, &quot;Vital Judo - Grappling Techniques&quot;, is devoted to standing joint locks in the context of judo contest. Again, these skills are predicated on being able to throw and resist throws at a high level of judo ability, and are not necessarily the most reliable techniques. Further, most of the techniques are shoulder or elbow locks, not wrist locks. But standing joint locks &lt;em&gt;are&lt;/em&gt; a part of judo; aikido does not have a monopoly on them. They are just much more difficult to apply against a resisting opponent with any wrestling-type skills at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-12-13T08:49:49.323" LastActivityDate="2015-12-13T08:49:49.323" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5739" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5734" CreationDate="2015-11-23T12:05:57.863" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;Nearly all forms of aikido are predicated on avoiding any possibility of pressure-testing their skills against resisting opponents in free-sparring or competitive environments. Nearly all practitioners stick to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-B0oMDucV8&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;demonstration&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZZMa-19E54&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;practice&lt;/a&gt; with cooperative partners. From this it naturally follows that few aikidoka will be caught on camera trying to apply their skills against anyone, let alone someone training in uncooperative grappling, for instance a judoka.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Top-level aikidoka in particular seem entirely content with &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-B0oMDucV8&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;practicing their techniques on unresisting high-level students who can be trusted to know the proper responses&lt;/a&gt;, as one would trust a stunt double to flop to the ground dramatically when the sound effects of a sci-fi laser are made. One trusts those students will not resist to even the slightest degree. There are well-corroborated accounts (e.g. in the book &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angry_White_Pyjamas&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Angry White Pyjamas&lt;/a&gt;) of elite aikidoka purposefully injuring their students when they didn't sufficiently telegraph their attacks for a demonstration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would expect most judo-versus-aikido match-ups to go like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AssByvGVx6s&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;: the aikidoka trying in vain to apply jointlocks against someone grabbing their gi, the judoka applying their arsenal against someone with no footwork, no gripping strategy for an uncooperative opponent, no throwing ability, and no sense of hip power. This of course would go differently if the aikidoka already had a solid base of judo (or wrestling, or sumo, &lt;em&gt;et cetera&lt;/em&gt;) skill to fall back on. This, of course, was the original pipeline for aikido pedagogy: students were &lt;em&gt;already skilled&lt;/em&gt; at judo, sumo, or karate, and only then attempted to learn secondary, low-percentage skills like standing armbars or tricking an opponent into throwing themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is all in addition to the plain facts of modern aikido pedagogy versus the modern judo pipeline. What do each produce, viewed broadly? How does training change the thousands of people who come through each style's dojo? It's fairly reliable that if you examine someone who has done a fair amount of judo, they received from it the ability to safely take a fall, maintain their balance against an opponent, escape bad positions on the ground, and maybe even execute a few foot-sweeps, throws, pins, and chokes. They're probably stronger, more fit, and mentally tougher than when they started, too, especially if they competed a few times. In contrast, what are the reliable effects of aikido on most students? Certainly they will have learned basic rolls and how to fall safely, though not necessarily from rough throws. They may be somewhat more fit. Beyond that it is unclear. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2016-07-12T03:03:46.680" LastActivityDate="2016-07-12T03:03:46.680" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5741" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5750" CreationDate="2015-11-23T16:24:37.797" Score="5" ViewCount="564" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on comments on this &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/5735/82&quot;&gt;question&lt;/a&gt;, I am wondering if there is any meaningful &lt;em&gt;statistical analysis&lt;/em&gt; of kicking/punching vs grappling in MMA?  Hopefully said analysis will detail which arts are used in all cases and the &quot;skill&quot; level of the practitioners. So, a fighter who fails to land kicks but has never learned to kick is utterly different from one who has skills in kicking and never lands kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which arts are used most often?  Which arts score the highest points?  Which arts win most often? Is there a difference between UFC and MMA?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not interested in youtube videos showing one or the other. Neither am I interested in your personal experience or opinion of which is better.  I want meaningful statistics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-11-24T14:16:01.387" Title="MMA/UFC statistical analysis" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|ufc|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5742" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5774" CreationDate="2015-11-23T23:42:25.313" Score="18" ViewCount="42019" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for self-defense martial arts that will be effective for me. I've taken a few classes and they seemed geared more towards the average man. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What are effective martial arts for a smaller woman looking to learn self defence?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also I'm over 40, but still in good shape as I play a lot of soccer and run. Thanks in advance!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6446" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-14T01:44:12.340" LastActivityDate="2023-12-18T15:40:44.307" Title="What are effective self-defense martial arts for smaller woman?" Tags="|self-defense|style|gender|women|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5743" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5733" CreationDate="2015-11-23T23:54:38.627" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whatever you do in Aikido, the simple rule of thumb applies: never play fair! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your and your opponent's hands are similarly strong and you're performing your lock single-handed, than you have a very slight chance to prevail. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In order to achieve the goal of your lock you have to: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;use both hands against the one of the opponent&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;use your legs and body to enforce the lock and lever&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;use balance control&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;use atemi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;distract the opponent's attention by false-movements&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;etc..&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;and do that pretty much all in combination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6447" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-24T15:39:53.273" LastActivityDate="2015-11-24T15:39:53.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5744" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4514" CreationDate="2015-11-24T00:08:56.243" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm usually performing a yonkyo immediately after a sankyo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I pull opponent's wrist up and twist it till it the tension is big enough (sankyo). Then I release my lock slightly, so that the opp's wrist un-twists and slides a bit down. Now this is the perfect staring point to apply a yonkyo! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The advantage of this method is, that you don't have to see what you are doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a person with a normal pain treshold it works immediately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6447" LastActivityDate="2015-11-24T00:08:56.243" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5745" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2015-11-24T04:15:39.417" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have very long hair and I'm a wrestler so I usually wear my hair in a French braid in a pony tail. The braid works better at keeping hair out of your face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6449" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-24T18:05:31.680" LastActivityDate="2015-11-24T18:05:31.680" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5746" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5742" CreationDate="2015-11-24T04:31:04.833" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You're a female, and you're mostly interested in self-defense. Presumably this is because you just want to be able to defend yourself in common real-life situations women might find themselves in. And you're worried that the class you enroll in will only teach things that are useful for much taller men.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Briefly, my recommendation for you is to look at Brazilian Jiujitsu. Specifically, if you can find a Gracie style BJJ school, that's where you should go. Gracie Jiujitsu has a long track record of success with regards to training women. So does Judo, but Jiujitsu is more oriented towards practical self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding physical attributes (gender, height, weight, strength, and athleticism) and how it affects your ability to defend yourself: Generally if all of physical attributes are equal, the person with the most skill will have a better chance of &quot;winning&quot; in a physical confrontation. When there is a physical attribute disadvantage, greater skill is required.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind that those physical attributes do matter. A black belt in Brazilian Jiujitsu or any martial art will have a harder time winning against a 200 pound white belt than a 150 pound white belt. Size does matter. There are even cases where BJJ black belts lose to beginners, just because the beginners are able to use their overwhelming strength and weight to their advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But skill also matters. Skill can make up for size disadvantages. And generally speaking, the more the size disadvantage, the more skilled you have to be to overcome your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What that means for women who want to learn self-defense in preparation against men is that they will need to train for a longer period of time to be able to reliably defend themselves against larger men. So the average man starting Brazilian Jiujitsu training may only take a year to reach the point where he's skilled enough to reliably defeat other average sized men. But the average woman starting BJJ may need two or three years to reach the point where she's skilled enough to reliably defeat an average sized man. It just takes longer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This physical attribute disadvantage is inherent in any martial art. If you find a martial art that tries to tell you size doesn't matter in a fight so long as you're using their martial art, just walk away. They're either very delusional about their martial art or are trying to sell you on it. Don't waste your time or money there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have a choice of BJJ schools in your area, go to each one and check them out. You should make sure the school has women already training there. Many schools of BJJ actually have a separate women's-only class and allow those same women to participate in coed classes as well if they want. Make sure whatever school you choose, it places self-defense higher than the sport aspects of BJJ. That's why I say I prefer Gracie Jiujitsu for this, because they try to ensure that self-defense is their core material, and sports is secondary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wrote a lengthy answer in the past that describes exactly what &quot;realistic&quot; self-defense practice should look like and why. It was to a question about someone asking if Taekwondo was good for self-defense. I think I'd just be repeating most of it to explain to you what you want to be looking for, so please read my other answer at the link here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/3029/is-jun-chong-tkd-a-legitimate-tkd-dojo-for-self-defense/3030#3030&quot;&gt;is Jun Chong TKD a legitimate TKD dojo for self defense?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Skip to the part which begins with &quot;Moving right along...&quot;.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, I'd suggest looking into Krav-Maga. You can take a small course about 3 months long usually, and they'll cover a lot of practical topics. It gives you a good introduction to what it's like to punch, kick, elbow, and knee people. It teaches some throws, some grappling techniques, situational awareness, and maybe even some weapons stuff. Its ground fighting training will be pretty minimal, though. All of that will be in the first 3-6 months. It's designed to kind of give you a crash course on unarmed combat. So from that perspective, I like it. It doesn't have all the extra baggage that comes with traditional martial arts training (there are no kata / forms, no meditation, no bowing, no yelling kiai, etc.).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But personally, I think you'll be able to take more from Brazilian Jiujitsu that you can actually remember and use successfully. I say that because of the way BJJ schools train people: with fully resisting partners (but with safety as the highest concern) that don't let you fool yourself into thinking you're able to use it for real. Krav-Maga might give you a small taste of that kind of training, but it's not done nearly as often.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's the thing that really counts when learning realistic self-defense, more than anything else in my opinion. You have to know it can work on a fully resisting larger man first, in class, before you'll ever have the confidence that it will work for real outside of the class. Most martial arts schools don't give you that. Instead, they give you a false confidence, which can get you killed, or at the very least, it will waste your time and money.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-11-27T17:05:57.043" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5747" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5728" CreationDate="2015-11-24T06:09:44.973" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll focus my answer on why you want to do that, and if it's an effective/safe way to achieve the goals that you are truly seeking (because even if you can increase your bone density, this does not necessarily mean that you achieve the goal you want). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll work with 3 scenarios:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I want to hit my opponent harder&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I want to feel less pain&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I want to prevent broken bones&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I want to hit my opponent harder&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First of all, you should focus on learning and executing the correct technique. You can have all the bone density you want, but a correctly executed strike will be much more effective and &quot;harder&quot; than a poorly executed strike. Training to achieving speed and correct technique should be much more important in your training routine than increasing your bone density.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, it's not the weight or the strength of your bones that results in a powerful punch, but the body weight, technique, and &lt;strong&gt;MUSCLE&lt;/strong&gt;. If you have 10 kg of muscle on your arm, you may be able to hit a wall after years of training and not break your hand. However, if I have 30 kg of muscle on my arm, I can knock you out without the tedious and painful time spent hitting a wall. If you want to hit harder, hit the gym, build some muscle, and learn how to use your body weight in your favor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thirdly, know where to hit, and how to use speed and body weight to hit gracefully. Learning where it hit is down to you, your instructor, and your martial art, so I won't expand on this much. You don't need super strength to hurt (or even kill) someone; you just need to know where to hit them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A few more tips: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Your strongest punch doesn’t land when your arms are fully out-stretched; your punch hits harder when it lands a bit shorter than your full range of motion. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Getting hit by a counter-punch hurts more than anything else.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Exhale sharply on every punch.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Body rotation, body rotation, body rotation. A full rotation with short arm extension hits harder than a small rotation with full arm extension.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion, hitting a wall or other hard, immovable object, doesn't make any sense if your goal is to &quot;hit harder&quot;; the ability to hit hard is the result of good technique, having muscle, creating impulse and speed, and knowing where to hit. Remember that essentially, mass (m) times (v) velocity equals impact power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I want to feel less pain&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is already a very good question about this &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/459/how-does-one-mentally-push-past-pain-in-training&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; on Martial Arts. Indeed one of the symptoms of osteoporosis is pain. But the bones are not where you feel pain. You feel pain on the nerves. And pain is not a physical thing, it happens only inside your head. Control your mind and you control your pain. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At same time, you can become desensitized to the pain if it's regular; your body learns to ignore it and you feel less and less pain, and at same time it grows stronger, not just the bones, but the nerves, the muscles, everything!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From personal experience, I had a lot of pain when practising some Krav Maga moves, especially immobilization, but I kept training and every day the pain decreased. Was it because of increased bone density? I doubt it, because it's an exercising with minimal direct impact on your bones (can't say the same for your joints). I only become desensitized about the pain, and acquired more flexibility so the range of motion didn't hurt as much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is little research on this subject, so I can't prove that increased bone density means less pain, but even if they researched this it would be difficult to prove that isn't just desensitization or muscle adaptation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, the best I can say to you is if you want to feel less pain, then feel the pain! Feel the pain with all your being, feel it on every cell, recognize that it's merely a warning of your body and that it will pass eventually.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While the same exercises that supposedly increase your bone density are the same that will help you to overcome the pain, it isn't possible to prove a direct link between the two. It would be very hard for any scientist to isolate the conditions and the biological adaptations that occur at all levels (plus pain can't be really measured). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, just pick something to hit and keep hitting it, or do whatever is causing you pain and do it, but don't go to extremes thinking that opening micro-holes in your bones will help you in anything and give you time to rest! You will see that eventually the pain will decrease (if you have any medical condition, or are feeling extreme pain while or after doing this, stop immediately and seek professional help; you might have gone too far).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I want to prevent broken bones&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This one is tricky. While increased bone density make bones stronger, it also make them less flexible. So it's a question of balance. Too low bone density and your bones will crack like glass; too much bone density and your bones cannot bend and will crack too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The scientific evidence on low bone density and broken bones is very well documented &lt;a href=&quot;http://nof.org/articles/9&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;[1]&lt;/a&gt;. The scientific evidence on high density and fractures is also very well documented; when the bone density is very high, it is usually associated with some sort of disease or illness and bone density is not equal to bone strength (&lt;a href=&quot;http://radiopaedia.org/articles/generalised-increased-bone-density-in-adults&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;[2]&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/osteoporosis-myth-dangers-high-bone-mineral-density&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;[4]&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The scientific evidence on the risks of punching hard objects for a long time is scarce and as such, I cannot guarantee that it is safe or unsafe, or effective at all. So, why risk it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I would reiterate that the majority of people break bones punching because of bad technique. My instructor reminds us all of the time of the importance of having good technique to avoid breaking your hand; some people above my grade already broke their hands because they were doing it wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technique is always everything! If in doubt, ask your instructor how to punch properly and practice that, repeatedly. This is a much better advice to prevent broken bones than &quot;pick a wall, put some news papers, and hit it 20 times every day&quot; because no matter how strong your bones are, if you are punching the wrong way, you &lt;strong&gt;will&lt;/strong&gt; break your hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may also be interested to see what you can do to strengthen your hands and wrists with weights; you may be surprised how weak your hands, fingers, and wrists are if you have never worked them before. Hand and wrist exercises really helped me with my martial arts, possibly more effectively and safely than hitting a wall. I won't include the specific exercises here, because my answer is already very long. I hope this helps and answers what you truly wanted to know behind your question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5769" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2020-01-14T17:16:13.123" LastActivityDate="2020-01-14T17:16:13.123" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5749" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5733" CreationDate="2015-11-24T11:35:02.177" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was trained as a martial artist from a young age for 7-8 years(Tae kwon do), and took up boxing+ krav maga for a while. While in shape I'm physically dominant; as a 13 year I sparred for couple months multiple times a week full contact with a very muscular teenager two years my senior, who had at least 4 inches on me as well as a lot of weight; I held my own and made him work in every fight just as hard as I did. &#xA;A few years later a middle aged man who wasn't in great shape, and had a lot less physical strength than me (we checked) demonstrated to me the power of akaido. Even after he showed me the technique and explained how it works he was able to use on me with alarming regularity. this was what I believe is called a come along, the hold gave him complete control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Disclaimer: When I upped my speed AND had knowledge of the technique he couldn't touch me, it was only when I kept my speed down to his speed that it worked. If you want your akaido to work against a martial artist who knows the techniques you HAVE to be at least as fast, possibly faster by a margin. &#xA;The locks that work against stronger opponents are the ones that use their momentum against them, once their wrist is bent behind their back and they are off balance at an awkward angel, they can't usually bend it back. (If they can they're monsters or you're really weak. If they can, get stronger.)   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6454" LastEditorUserId="1076" LastEditDate="2016-02-26T13:46:58.737" LastActivityDate="2016-02-26T13:46:58.737" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5750" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5741" CreationDate="2015-11-24T14:16:01.387" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;For UFC at least, any point-based analysis is going to run into the problem of a very fuzzy &lt;a href=&quot;http://ufc.com/discover/sport/rules-and-regulations#14&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;scoring system&lt;/a&gt;, similar to that in boxing:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The following objective scoring criteria shall be utilized by the judges when scoring a round:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a round is to be scored as a 10-10 round when both contestants appear to be fighting evenly and neither contestant shows clear dominance in a round;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a round is to be scored as a 10-9 round when a contestant wins by a close margin, landing the greater number of effective legal strikes, grappling and other maneuvers;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a round is to be scored as a 10-8 round when a contestant overwhelmingly dominates by striking or grappling in a round.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a round is to be scored as a 10-7 round when a contestant totally dominates by striking or grappling in a round.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2015-11-24T14:16:01.387" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5752" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5755" CreationDate="2015-11-25T12:54:18.483" Score="6" ViewCount="1158" Body="&lt;p&gt;Recently I joined a HEMA club and I was told that I should get my own equipment. I can take my time; some people spend more than a year getting fully equipped. But there are times when there are not enough swords to spare between all the assistants. Also, there are pieces that are more personal than others (I was advised to get head protection first). So I was thinking of getting it the next month and a sword the month after. The thing is, I don't want to spend much but in my club, they use a steel hand-and-a-half sword in full shape (not Federschwerter) and quite rigid ones. So my questions are: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;knowing that my sparring partners will carry heavy rigid swords, should I buy a steel sword? I read that fencing against less flexible swords makes your sword wear faster.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;what I should look for when I choose a sword? Like material, shape, size, weight, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S.: in my club they don't even consider using swords that are not made of steel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6344" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-25T21:39:45.590" LastActivityDate="2015-12-05T18:54:45.997" Title="Choice of a sword for HEMA" Tags="|training|sword|historic-european|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5753" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5742" CreationDate="2015-11-25T17:57:42.950" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What you should be learning&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, I'll point out factors you want in any training aimed primarily at self defense.  This is because there are schools, programs, workshops, etc. that claim to be about self defense and &lt;em&gt;don't&lt;/em&gt; cover these things, and there are schools for sports martial arts or traditional/cultural martial arts that DO, and this is really the determining factor above all else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Live Training&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring, working against live opponents.  This may not be the thing you do right away, however, it's something you should do before long and it should something that is a regular part of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Weapons&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Around the world people use weapons because they work.  This should involve dealing with people with weapons, as well as using weapons yourself, including improvised weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Multiple Attackers&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assaults aren't fair.  Being outnumbered is a reasonable possibility and you need to train for this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Environment Training&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A clear, empty room with a flat floor makes training easier.  However, self defense rarely happens so easily - you should train to deal with fighting in enclosed spaces, with obstacles, uneven ground, falling on the ground, being seated, all kinds of weird positions, just so you can learn how to find your options while under less than optimal situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Time to proficiency&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should have some solid skills within 3 months of training going 1-2 a week.  This is &quot;proficiency&quot; not mastery.  If a school is telling you it will take a year, or years, before you can hope to defend yourself, they're not teaching self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Common styles which teach these things&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Modern self defense systems&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga, Systema, and there's a variety of smaller systems usually using the words &quot;tactical&quot; or &quot;combative&quot; in the name or advertising that usually covers a variety of stuff.   Controlled Chaos, Tony Blauer's &quot;SPEAR&quot; system and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Traditional self defense systems&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of the styles which focus on weapons do pretty well here.  Kali/Escrima classes are pretty widespread and cover a lot of good material.  Some schools of Penjak Silat as well.  More defense focused Jiujitsu schools also incorporate a lot of the principles above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-11-25T17:57:42.950" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5754" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5615" CreationDate="2015-11-25T18:45:33.500" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Plan on spending between 5-15 minutes (depending on his ability to focus) teaching him something new and another 5-15 minutes practicing stuff that he has already learned. Then do something that all the kids can look forward to. One thing that we do is use swim noodles to attack the kids so they can practice their blocks. We set up stations so that they have to run from corner to corner in the dojo, bow and get ready. We might throw someone into the mix to randomly poke kids with another noodle. They have to apply the skills that they learned (block, stance and block, block and counter, or simply bowing correctly and then blocking.)They all love this. It's a blast and a great reward for the focus that they provided you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What everyone above says about making this positive is true. Negative reinforcement will do nothing to increase their focus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6459" LastActivityDate="2015-11-25T18:45:33.500" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5755" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5752" CreationDate="2015-11-25T20:36:53.413" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should really be asking your club, rather than here. If you have just started training then you should not even be using a full weight sword. Safety and strength aside, your joints (and connecting fibers) will probably not be up to the task without some practice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Buy a cudgel (stick) and a helmet (with eye proper eye protection!) and practice the movements you are taught in class on your own time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have your movements coming naturally, ask your club-mates for their opinions on the best sword for you. Try theirs; you will see how different weights and balances feel and what suits your style. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1615" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2015-11-26T08:28:22.887" LastActivityDate="2015-11-26T08:28:22.887" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5756" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5742" CreationDate="2015-11-25T21:23:33.703" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Nobody here has given a bad answer yet, but here's my buck-20. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mostly it's the artist, not the art. Someone who is aggressive, ruthless, fast and initiates OVERWHELMING violence right up front will beat someone with mad skillz, but who isn't aggressive and ruthless. Ultimately (for self defense) you need to find that aggression. Massive aggression and a bic pen will get you a LOT further than no aggression and lots of training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be clear (with yourself) about your motivations, commitment, current physical fitness, threat model and patience. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Motivation--are you mostly worried about self defense, or do you also want physical fitness and other stuff? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Commitment--how many hours a week are you going to train, and will you be doing this for 6 months, a year, 10 years, the rest of your life? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How fit are you currently? Can you do a &quot;ass to ankles&quot; squat w/out losing your balance and do the splits? Do you need a cane to get around? Heart disease? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are you worried about? Do you live in a small town where you are mostly worried about a rapist climbing in your window at night, do you live in a violent city where getting beat or shot is a reasonable probability?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are you just afraid of rape/sexual assault? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you travel to countries where kidnapping and such are common? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And finally how long are you willing to train before the art/school starts to genuinely become useful? Some schools you'll gain significant defensive abilities in 6 or so months. In other schools you'll still be learning how to fall down properly (hey, don't knock it. You may go your whole life and never get attacked, but you WILL fall down). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are all factors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find a school of almost any art that fits into your schedule, focus on learning the art and training moderately hard and you'll be &lt;em&gt;better&lt;/em&gt; than not being able to make it to class for the &quot;perfect&quot; art. Being present might not be half the battle, but it's hard to learn if you're not. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After you've trained long enough to &lt;em&gt;think&lt;/em&gt; about what you've learned, do the thinking and evaluation, and if where you're at isn't right for you, find something else, but you'll have some experience and more understanding. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6460" LastActivityDate="2015-11-25T21:23:33.703" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5757" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5733" CreationDate="2015-11-25T21:37:06.060" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I study in the Bujinkan, and the instructor I've been working with and I worked through all three &quot;scrolls&quot; of the Gyokko-ryu, and one thing about all the locks and throws there is that while we teach the locks in isolation in order to get an understanding of them, in the kata you always do something to the person before applying the lock (usually some sort of kick :) ). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem with a lot of the locks and throws &lt;em&gt;IS&lt;/em&gt; that someone strong enough can resist it, either by realizing it's coming and strong arming it, or by moving out of it as you apply it (ukemi) Also because everybody is built a little different some locks just don't work as well on some people. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What we have to learn through practice, practice, practice is to feel WHEN someone is starting to resist and immediately move on to &quot;Plan B&quot; (best way to express it. Not a plan, but the next move), taking their resistance into account. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So yes, sometimes locks fail, sometimes you have to do something before the lock to make it more successful, and stay in the fight. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6460" LastActivityDate="2015-11-25T21:37:06.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5758" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5704" CreationDate="2015-11-25T21:48:19.220" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think it depends on how far off they're getting, and what they're doing in that tangent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they are working with beginners and &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; working the techniques you/the instructor is showing then they are doing that student a dis-service (and themselves, but they are responsible for their own training).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even as a mid-level student (lots of time in, but I'm slow at physical things) it is a great frustration for me to go to a seminar or work in a different dojo and work with someone that isn't on the same scroll as the instructor. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eventually I just figured out that I'd learn what I could from &lt;em&gt;that&lt;/em&gt; guy, then try to catch up when we switched partners again. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We (IMO) do not learn from the guy at the front of the class (generally) we learn from each other. We learn from doing, and having done to us (it is often more valuable to be Uke than Tori). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is absolutely critical to learning that we be the best training partner we can be, both for ourselves and for our fellow students. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, sometimes something catches your mind, or you see something in a junior that really needs to be corrected right there. If you (the instructor for that session) didn't catch what happened right before, then you might not understand why the divergence took place. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should talk about your concerns (privately) with the Senior Instructor in your school and ask him (a) what he thinks of this, and (b) how you should address it in your classes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6460" LastActivityDate="2015-11-25T21:48:19.220" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5759" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5742" CreationDate="2015-11-25T22:02:50.763" Score="16" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, let me begin with &amp;quot;What do you mean by effective?&amp;quot;  In this case, there is enough context that I think I know, but it can matter a lot.  Very few martial arts are truly ineffective, but all of them are products of their environments and the needs of their founders.  Muay Thai is brutal, and thus probably not the best choice for someone that needs to subdue their opponent with minimal damage.  BJJ is largely focused on ground fighting, so not the best choice if you need to face multiple opponents at once or retain the option of running away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, let me question the frame of your question, if I may.  If you are worried about actual self-defense effectiveness, are you sure a martial art is the way to go?  Take a look at this: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/AreMASD.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/AreMASD.htm&lt;/a&gt; page from a self-defense expert about martial arts for self defense.  Depending on your particular situation, you might be better off finding ways to avoid the need for self-defense fighting than you would be learning to fight.  It's a bit flippant, but people have semi-seriously said the best martial art for staying safe is sprinting / parkour and there is some truth to that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, with all of that in mind, if you really want a martial art for self-defense, then I recommend Krav Maga, but with some big caveats.  My wife does Krav Maga and it is entirely focused on self-defense techniques with no worries about competition or defending against tournament style techniques.  She both enjoys it and has learned a lot of solid techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there are caveats: the school matters more than the art.  If I need to find a new martial arts academy, I'd rather have a great teacher in my second or even third choice art than I would have a mediocre teacher in my first choice art.  The other big one is that no self-defense techniques are perfect, especially against an attacker who is bigger, or stronger, or armed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1253" LastEditorUserId="1253" LastEditDate="2023-12-18T15:40:44.307" LastActivityDate="2023-12-18T15:40:44.307" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5761" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5631" CreationDate="2015-11-25T22:37:05.797" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;fruit and beans&quot; will not provide a sufficiently balanced long term diet, especially when the requirements of being a moderate to high level athlete. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And yes, some population groups in history had similar diets. They also where several inches shorter, and unless you're a descendant of those groups, they may very well have had genetic and gut microbiome adaptions to that diet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tread carefully, it's your health, right? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I would never suggest someone cut out meat or dairy (absent specific conditions for dairy), if you're going to do it use something like nutritiondata.self.com and do other &lt;em&gt;real&lt;/em&gt; medical/scientific research (not just asking on vegan/vegetarian boards) and make sure you're getting the nutrition you need. Nutritiondata.self.com is kind of neat because it will give you a solid nutrition profile of the food, and in some cases recommend a complementary food to balance it out (mostly with the Amino Acid completeness). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See here: &lt;a href=&quot;http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1927/2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1927/2&lt;/a&gt; in the &quot;Protein Quality&quot; box at the bottom of the box there is a &quot;Find foods with complementary profile&quot; box that brings up a list including brazil nuts and other kinds of seeds. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is possible to be vegan and have a healthy diet, but it takes a lot of work and at least for the first year or two you should consider having blood work done every 3 or 4 months to make sure you're not getting low on anything. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Vegetarian is easier because of cheese and eggs. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you've got moral or religious reasons to drop meat, well, that's your thing and I wish you the best. If it's just economics I don't think you'll save a lot of money. In the US (your profiles says you're in Brooklyn) there's lots of inexpensive meats available, and often times getting quality vegetables and fruits is expensive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Either way, if you approach it carefully it should not impact your martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Editing to add, because I can't comment: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The 1g of protein per pound of body weight link mentioned in the other response is a rule of thumb. Body builders and weight lifters like their rules of thumb and they like them simple. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In their world a little too much protein is better than not quite enough protein, and if you're doing things to artificially increase your T levels, or doing other &quot;non-natural&quot; things to shorten recovery times and increase protein synthesis then you might be out where a study doesn't look. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also we (humans) like round numbers and simple math. We don't spar in 2 minute 48.7 second rounds, we don't run &quot;four and a 3/8&quot; miles, and we don't eat &quot;.73 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1 gram per pound is easy to calculate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And yes, if you're not lifting 2x a week for size/weight, then having &lt;em&gt;lots&lt;/em&gt; of protein isn't useful. Having enough is important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also (with soy) keep in mind that many populations that eat lots of it tend to eat a fermented soy product (miso, natto) and less of the unfermented stuff (tofu). Fermenting tends to get rid of the phytic acid and break down the phyto-estrogen. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember that any culture with 30 (or more) generations of a similar diet might have genetic adaptions. Inuit in Greenland have a high fat diet. They also have genetic divergence that seems to reduce their own bodies production of omega-3 and 6. Choosing to consume omega-3 supplements based on studies of Inuit might be counter productive unless your grandparents lived on ice floes. Or maybe not. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6460" LastEditorUserId="6460" LastEditDate="2015-11-25T22:57:00.597" LastActivityDate="2015-11-25T22:57:00.597" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5763" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4746" CreationDate="2015-11-26T17:37:14.620" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Respect must be earned, not simply demanded.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have always had a problem dealing with mental illness.  Sometimes people with mental illness tend to push your boundaries quite a lot (ex: OCD), where they have an obsessive compulsion to test you.  I have never figured that one out.  Other than that, boundaries are pretty easy to set and reinforce, and I think and most people respect them, when you let them know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I used to teach children martial arts.  I think one thing that helped me was to give the kids something to do, and positive reinforcement.  Kids like being active.  They were in line and enjoyed learning the martial art.  Expecting kids to sit still is not respecting their age limitations in my opinion.  It is important to realize children's age limitations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like that the one teacher used a belt system to teach kids discipline at home: clean room, homework done, etc., before they could earn a belt.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Our martial arts academy did not use a belt ranking system (there was one instructor who knew the most and we listened too) and I also liked that too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6463" LastActivityDate="2015-11-26T17:37:14.620" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5764" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5726" CreationDate="2015-11-26T20:42:28.677" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I lost a tooth playing rugby as a teenager.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a dental school near where I work, so I signed up to be a guinea pig for the students and in return I got a custom gum shield made for doing judo competitions (as well as regular check ups) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A custom made one is the best solution in my opinion,very comfortable and snug.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any dentist should be able to make one for you.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="539" LastActivityDate="2015-11-26T20:42:28.677" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5765" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5766" CreationDate="2015-11-27T17:32:53.317" Score="4" ViewCount="1743" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am currently training for my Black Belt in a shotokan like style of Karate and I have been told many times by my teacher that I need to improve my back stance &lt;em&gt;Kōkutsu-dachi&lt;/em&gt; as my bum sticks out and my front knee drops in (which is causing joint issues) as I am currently unable to open my hips to a 90 degree angle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any exercises that I can do in my spare time to improve my stance. I have tried to gently push my front knee into the correct position but this is quite painful. What stretches should I be doing to improve my stance?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel that if I am able to get my knee into the correct position, my bum will stop sticking out so fixing that is my number one priority.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6136" LastActivityDate="2015-11-28T14:01:57.907" Title="Improving my back stance" Tags="|karate|stance|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5766" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5765" CreationDate="2015-11-27T19:42:46.667" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Please consider checking your stance structure and posture by working from the center out and down to your feet. Kokutsu is hard because you need ankle flex and tons of leg strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make sure your tanden is sucked up and forward slightly. Use your stomach muscles to pull your butt under you. Keep it there for all stances. I always have a slight flex or tension in my lower abs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, check your weight distribution. About 30% front 70% back (about)&#xA;I do place some pressure on the balls of my front foot and pressure on my entire rear foot. Also, your back stance should be as long as your front stance. Make sure your feet are correct. The outside edges are perpendicular not the inside edges. &amp;lt;-- This might be why you have knee pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another index to check is the rear heal, knee, hip, and should are all in the same plane. This allows me to make a coil (torque) as I drop or sink into the stance. Screw your self into the floor. Another index is my belt sits on the top of my back leg. It should not hang in the middle. Sit on top of the back knee. You should be able to see your foot if you look down (your knee blocks the view.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try 1 legged squats in bare feet. This does not include your regular training. Self train. Grab the floor with your feet. Think about using all the muscles and tendons in your leg. Your foot is flat to the floor. Start with 3 to 5 per leg. Another exercise that is more suited to Shotokan training is start in nekoashi-dachi and switch to kokutsu-dachi (same side) 100's of them both sides. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Holy smokes. If you google search &quot;kokutsu dachi&quot; I see an image of Kagawa Sensei. Does your back stance look like his? It's a thing of beauty. Note his foot, knee, hip, shoulder -- same plane. Search this &quot;Kagawa Karate Kokutsu Dachi&quot; That stance is picture perfect in my opinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thank you. And good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(This thing doesn't have spell check...look out) Thank you mattm!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6467" LastEditorUserId="6467" LastEditDate="2015-11-28T14:01:57.907" LastActivityDate="2015-11-28T14:01:57.907" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5767" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5765" CreationDate="2015-11-28T02:39:45.723" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;One thing that will help &lt;em&gt;everything&lt;/em&gt; in your life is back squats--full butt to ankle squats with weight on your back and focusing on &quot;knees tracking the line of the toes&quot; form (it's not problem if the knee goes forward of the toes, the problem is when it tracks too far inside or outside. Outside rarely happens for long). Google Mark Rippetoe. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course to do squats well you'll have to open the knees up, so: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your problem is very likely to be hip flexibility (It is a huge problem for me) and maybe related issues. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One stretch that should help quite a bit is to go into a squat and place your elbows to the inside of your knees with your hands together. Now use your elbows to force your knees out. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing that might help is this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwzxKghoIlw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwzxKghoIlw&lt;/a&gt;. When I can remember to do them, I do 2 sets with each leg, with the second set being the opposite direction from the first. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might also wish to use the foam roller on your quads and hips. Get 5 or 10 minutes of leg exercise to get the blood flowing and then onto the roller. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do note that you should never stretch &quot;cold&quot; muscles, use dynamic range of motion exercises to warm up, then use stretching to cool down. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6460" LastActivityDate="2015-11-28T02:39:45.723" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5768" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5765" CreationDate="2015-11-28T04:31:16.490" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on your description (it's hard to tell exactly without seeing you), it seems like you need to increase your hip flexibility. If you want to improve hip flexibility, a simple exercise is to sit cross-legged on the floor. You can do this while reading, socializing, watching TV, etc. A more active stretch is the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.livestrong.com/article/446897-what-muscles-do-you-feel-stretching-when-performing-a-butterfly-stretch/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;butterfly stretch&lt;/a&gt;. There is a big difference in hip flexibility between people who sit in chairs all the time versus those who sit on the floor. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2015-11-28T04:31:16.490" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5769" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5742" CreationDate="2015-11-28T13:39:57.217" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Any art where you train vigorously and practice applying your techniques against a moving, unpredictable, uncooperative partner will develop self-defense skills and attributes. Judo, BJJ, boxing, kickboxing, SAMBO, MMA, and other arts are all reliable styles for finding that kind of training. The goal is to regularly practice sparring in class in order to develop your practical, applicable skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that doesn't really matter, since the determining factor is what schools are around you. Try a class at each one, be clear about your goals, and don't believe &lt;em&gt;anyone's&lt;/em&gt; spiels about how they're the best &quot;for the street&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-11-28T13:39:57.217" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5770" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="28" CreationDate="2015-11-28T20:24:43.420" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Use NoBleed twice a day for 1 month and then once a day for one month before wrestling season and then once a week after that during wrestling season to PREVENT the nosebleeds from occurring. It works. Also can be used by non-wrestlers who are affected by chronic recurrent nosebleeds...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6468" LastActivityDate="2015-11-28T20:24:43.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5771" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2297" CreationDate="2015-11-29T04:06:37.717" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice Taiji-Quan and I wear wrist/ankle weights and a weight vest. My skill, strength and balance has had a dramatic jump, so I can say from personal experience that this type of training works. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial artists have used this type of training for years; some used weighted clothing, where others trained with heavy weapons. They chose the best option to fit their training goals so just make sure that the vest doesn't restrict your movement or affect your techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6469" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2015-12-01T17:18:04.953" LastActivityDate="2015-12-01T17:18:04.953" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5772" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-11-30T09:25:33.587" Score="5" ViewCount="655" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my club, most of the people use &lt;em&gt;Red Dragon&lt;/em&gt; gloves for sparring with steel longsword. According to the company's own description, these gloves are not designed for that purpose, even though it looks like they offer enough protection. However, if you want a higher grade of protection you must go for mitten-like gloves which cost two or three times more and have far more restricted mobility and added weight. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my club, they are totally confident in Red Dragon but I have heard about broken fingers with those (youtube). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone with more experience have any advice? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6344" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-03-14T21:58:59.790" LastActivityDate="2020-07-06T12:04:11.463" Title="Gloves for longsword sparring" Tags="|sword|historic-european|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5773" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5772" CreationDate="2015-11-30T13:03:19.023" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a cost analysis (kinda) answer&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What would being injured cost you?  Do you have medical insurance/free health care?  Would a broken hand/finger(s) mean you would be effectively unable to earn a living because you do a lot of manual work? Do you know how to use a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvorak_Simplified_Keyboard&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;left/right handed Dvorak keyboard&lt;/a&gt;? Once you have an idea of the cost of the injury as incurred by you, the next step is to work out how likely that injury is to happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Furthermore, as &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/6342/drunk-cynic&quot;&gt;Drunk Cynic&lt;/a&gt; pointed out: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Further consideration for the severity of consequences may be warranted; beyond a broken finger, what would the impact be if a finger or the hand is effectively maimed. Nerve damage, bruised or disconnected ligaments, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is more tricky but you could work it out by seeing how many gloves are sold and how much injury there are. You could do that with just your club but the statistic might be biased. Then again, you are training there so it is a good sample space.  Clearly, you would need to work it out for both type of gloves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, you have the injury cost and the likely hood of it happening. This can give you a predicted cost over time.  Depending on what your findings are, you can then decide which gloves you wish to purchase.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Clearly, you can do this all as bulk parts calculations instead of looking for the most precise data.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt; This is to be taken with a grain (or two) of salt. ☺&#xA;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-12-02T08:38:41.683" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5774" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5742" CreationDate="2015-11-30T16:03:45.590" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will suggest some martial arts that use the opponent's strength against him; martial arts that have simple and easy to learn moves (not in order of importance):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Aikido&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Brazilian Jiu Jitsu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jeet Kune Do&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wing Chun&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wu Shu (some styles)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my case, I practice Krav Maga and I like it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6474" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-27T18:43:44.243" LastActivityDate="2020-03-27T18:43:44.243" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5775" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5617" CreationDate="2015-11-30T16:22:32.520" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is really good to train in hard ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I would say to you not to change the floor drastically&#xA;Start trainning in good hard floors like said before, and then change to the worse when you get used with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6474" LastActivityDate="2015-11-30T16:22:32.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5776" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5617" CreationDate="2015-12-01T07:50:17.867" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Would you recommend training on mats or is training on the hard ground&#xA;  really a thing ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would really recommend training on mats, no matter the art you do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I used to train on tiled floors, so we were very careful performing stunts like takedowns and jumping/flying kicks. In Taekwon-do the pattern Choong Moo has a move to jump and spin 360 degrees in the air and land with a knife-hand guarding block on an L-stance. This is not my favourite move to perform on a hard surface!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Landing hard on hard surfaces will easily hurt the knee if not done properly. So train on mats if you can, but if you can't, be careful not to hurt yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1797" LastActivityDate="2015-12-01T07:50:17.867" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5777" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2015-12-01T20:50:38.507" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Strength training alongside of doing your martial art of choice is key. I've pumped my training from 1 hour to 2 hours every day and over 1 month I've increased 10 fold in my technique and power. This is all alongside my strength training of 1 to 5 reps max and it works &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6479" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-12-02T07:39:51.277" LastActivityDate="2015-12-02T07:39:51.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5778" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-12-03T18:51:54.840" Score="12" ViewCount="13587" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was wondering if anyone else out there feels that time slows down when they step into the fight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Punches and kicks feel slow, especially from the opponents side.Hits feel like pushes more than hits.&#xA;I've watched my own fights on video and what lasts 3 minutes, to me felt like 15.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A friend of mine who plays football says he has it happen to him every so often during big games, but never in training or friendly matches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5571" LastActivityDate="2019-10-07T20:59:47.540" Title="Does anyone else experience slow motion when fighting?" Tags="|punching|competition|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5779" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5778" CreationDate="2015-12-03T20:30:46.703" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Adrenaline is a game changer. The football analogy can be good. You're playing a friendly game, or a training. You won't feel the &lt;strong&gt;need&lt;/strong&gt; to win. For sure, you practice, it's important to feel the stress a little, but in a competitive case, the stress brings a lot of adrenaline which makes you much more reactive to what's happening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact that you feel hits like pushed can be related to two things : &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your opponent is tired, which makes his hits less effective.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The adrenaline makes you not feel pain (yet, lol).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's all related to the adrenaline and the stress to win.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2041" LastActivityDate="2015-12-03T20:30:46.703" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5780" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-12-04T04:15:57.600" Score="1" ViewCount="553" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it traditional in Korean Tae Kwon Do 8th Dan to be given the title of 'World' Master if the person is established in Aust and NZ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6489" LastActivityDate="2015-12-05T05:41:39.680" Title="&quot;World Master&quot; Title in Korean TKD" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5781" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5780" CreationDate="2015-12-04T05:55:08.623" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;No.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An 8th Dan is a Master(Sahyun-nim). Not a 'World Master'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However it could be a title within the person's own federation/association in Aust and NZ (and many other parts of the world). He can be a 'World Master', or 'Senior GrandMaster', or 'Supreme Grandmaster' or 'Senior Master', but traditionally an 8th Dan is called a Master.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A Master title is given to those who have attained 7th Dan and 8th Dan. Upon attaining 9th degree the person is deemed a Grandmaster. No more ranks above 9th Dan, although there are federations going beyond that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1797" LastActivityDate="2015-12-04T05:55:08.623" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5784" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5780" CreationDate="2015-12-05T03:02:11.303" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no such thing as a &quot;World Master&quot; rank in any of the official Taekwondo federations that I'm aware of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, there is the WTF, the World Taekwondo Federation. A master rank in the WTF might be misinterpreted as &quot;World Master&quot;. Maybe that's what you're seeing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, I just did a Google search on the term, and I found out there quite a lot of places that sound similar: &quot;World Taekwondo Masters Union&quot;, &quot;World Taekwondo Masters Association&quot;, &quot;World Class Taekwondo&quot;, etc. The term &quot;World&quot; is used quite a lot with Taekwondo organizations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;ITF Taekwondo has a rank structure that places 1st dan through 6th dan as &quot;instructor&quot; ranks, and 7th dan through 9th dan as &quot;master&quot; ranks. The interesting thing is that its 1st through 3rd dan are called &quot;national instructor&quot; ranks, while its 4th through 6th dan are called &quot;international instructor&quot; ranks. However, a similar &quot;international&quot; rank does not exist in the master ranks. The 7th dan is a &quot;junior master&quot;, 8th dan is a &quot;senior master&quot;, and 9th dan is a &quot;grand master&quot;. The 10th dan is mostly honorary, awarded to only a handful of people, and is referred to as a &quot;supreme grand master&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, my best guess is that someone got confused and called their 8th dan a &quot;world master&quot; instead of a &quot;senior master&quot;. It's a minor issue, because 8th dan is 8th dan no matter what you call it in English.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2015-12-05T05:41:39.680" LastActivityDate="2015-12-05T05:41:39.680" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5785" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5752" CreationDate="2015-12-05T18:54:45.997" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This answer is late to the party, but:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Never buy a stainless steel sword. They may suddenly and unpredictably break in use, resulting in an injury to you or your sparing partner. You're looking for a high-carbon blade.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use a full weight sword. You get better at using a sword by using a sword.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Buy a sword that matches the style you're learning. Most people study Italian or German longsword, which uses hand-and-a-half swords, so buy one of those. How the taper and the cross-section is up to personal preference, although these do affect how a sword handles cuts and thrusts.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As always, asking to handle someone's sword to see what you like is a good idea. Your club may have more advice as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastActivityDate="2015-12-05T18:54:45.997" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5787" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5789" CreationDate="2015-12-07T12:37:35.220" Score="11" ViewCount="1088" Body="&lt;p&gt;This question is specifically in the context of boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am 45 y.o., ~197cm (6'5&quot;) tall with 2m (78&quot;) reach weighing in at ~98kg (215 lbs). I've been training ~ 3 years but have little sparring experience, maybe a dozen rounds over the last year and a bit. Due to a lack of skill, my physique and poor conditioning compared to my much younger sparring partners my go-to tactic is to use my jab to keep opponents at a distance &amp;amp; control the pace.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I got to spar against one of our newer boxers and got completely overwhelmed, he would slip my jab and basically run in very low and hammer away at my body. Makes sense from his standpoint as I have maybe 20cm (8&quot;) reach on him, and according to my sore abs was also very effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my questions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How can a tall boxer counter or defend against a smaller one who is willing to rush in for an inside fight? &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How can this be done most efficiently in terms of managing my energy and letting me dictate the pace of the fight?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4267" LastEditorUserId="4267" LastEditDate="2015-12-07T16:36:52.137" LastActivityDate="2015-12-10T15:21:33.047" Title="How to deal with a substantially shorter opponent?" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5788" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5787" CreationDate="2015-12-07T14:31:05.020" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have no experience in boxing, but it's a problem that's also present in Tae-kwon-do. When you're much taller than your opponent, the opponent will wait for a good moment to &quot;get in&quot;, hit you, then quickly get out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is some advice: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Make him pay the price: he wants to get close, make sure it'll hurt on the way there. Get him hard while he's coming, you'll hit before he does since you have more reach.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Be more aggressive: you're in poor physical condition (taking OP's word, not inventing anything) so it's much more exhausting, but if you're more aggressive, you'll leave fewer opportunities for your opponent to enter your zone. If he feels overwhelmed, he won't be able to correctly enter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keep your distance: it may seem obvious, but if you move a lot and know your reach well, you should be able to punch him while being out of his reach.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Expect him: fighting someone is largely mind games. You &lt;em&gt;expect&lt;/em&gt; him to come to you after your jab. Wait for him. Adapt to his tactic. In Tae-Kwon-Do, we'll throw a light kick to trick the smaller opponent into coming closer then we go full blow when he thinks he got us. This'll work for a time, because your opponent &lt;em&gt;should&lt;/em&gt; adapt (If he doesn't, keep going; you've got this!). When he has adapted, he'll change tactics. Then you'll have to adapt again. Get to know his pattern and use it against him.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For all these tricks, you will need good conditioning. It's always important in sparring, for any martial arts. You need to move a lot and stay active.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2041" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-12-09T15:14:11.437" LastActivityDate="2015-12-09T15:14:11.437" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5789" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5787" CreationDate="2015-12-07T15:48:05.563" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is my opinion:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Your jab is the most important weapon to use (if you are taller then your opponent), it is different if he is left handed, then a different tactic is preferred.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Your footwork is the second important tool that you need to work on,&#xA;always try to fade away from his 'hitting' hand .. depends if left/right handed&#xA;usually the back-hand. The reason for this is that you are creating a bigger distance for him and to hit you with his 'hitting' hand he heeds to over extend and looses power and gives you the opportunity to recognize the punch earlier.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The problem you are facing is probably the right timing for the jab. You can train that only in sparring though, practice will help you recognize the right timing when to throw the jab to intercept his rhythm and giving you the opportunity to counter attack and keeping him on distance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A simple trick for you as you just started with sparring ... try to use as much combinations as possible. I mean try to avoid just single punches as you tend to become foreseeable and giving him the opportunity to avoid the jab (only) and come close to you. (try 3 punches  from time to time, and I guaranty that the first and last one will hit the target!) &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Stay calm and controlled, if you get too emotional, you loose your goal and are forgetting your tactic - to keep him away from you. You are getting less tired too if staying calm. (This is important if your conditioning is not at peak)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Try to stay in the middle of the ring, avoid the ropes and corners, to prevent that he nails you there so you are having hard time getting out without receiving a good punch.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;look at some fights from Klitschko btw, he won most of his fights because he was taller then the rest ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;have fun...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastEditorUserId="6418" LastEditDate="2015-12-08T18:33:27.760" LastActivityDate="2015-12-08T18:33:27.760" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5790" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="293" CreationDate="2015-12-08T01:53:03.247" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a professional martial arts instructor. I can tell you that Tae Kwon Do emphasizes speed and power while minimizing damage to the joints. We learn to shift our weight and deliver blows with minimal impact ending up on our joints. We distribute the force throughout the body; i.e. we twist the bottom leg torso and focus on snap which is to say you do your kick then immediately bend your legs back to absorb the impact onto other parts of the body. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Joints and cartilage heal faster with proper circulation of the blood and martial arts can help with this. This is the concept of acupuncture. It improves circulation by channelling energy and distributing heat for enhanced circulation of the blood and heat to heal areas of the body faster. Also strengthening of the core muscles and the muscles around your joints minimizes the impact on your joints. When we punch, for example, we have our elbows slightly bent (but never 'locked' straight) which allows me to punch as hard as I can without worrying about the impact on my joint. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been training for 35 years and I do not have any joint problems. My instructor is 78 years old and has no joint problems. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6499" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2015-12-08T22:06:15.860" LastActivityDate="2015-12-08T22:06:15.860" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5791" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4818" CreationDate="2015-12-09T05:48:44.743" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, the above technique would be a pin in competition judo. A pin in competition judo does not need to be a standard pin; it needs to meet the definition of a pin under the referee rules. This is good especially because judo people can get very nitpicky about what exactly constitutes a particular pin [more on that later]. If your opponent taps at any time and you have not applied an illegal technique, then you win. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The spirit of the judo pin is control of your opponent with at least one of their shoulders on the mat and the ability to disengage and get up at any time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the section of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.intjudo.eu/upload/2015_04/20/142952199282442702/2015_ijf_refereeing_rules_english.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;current (2015) judo referee rules&lt;/a&gt; relevant to pins (osaekomi):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;ARTICLE 24 - Osaekomi-waza&#xA;  The Referee shall announce Osaekomi when in his opinion the applied&#xA;  technique corresponds with the following criteria:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;a) The contestant being held must be controlled by his opponent and must have his back, both shoulders and one shoulder in contact with the Tatami.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think there is an error in the wording here. It should probably be &quot;must have his back, and one or both shoulders&quot;. I have never seen a requirement for both shoulders needing to be on the mat, as would be necessary in wrestling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;b) The control can be made from the side, from the rear or from on top.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;c) The contestant applying the hold must not have his leg(s) or body controlled by his opponent’s legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are in someone's guard, it's not a pin. If the opponent captures your leg while you are pinning them in kesa gatame, the pin is broken. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;d) At least one contestant must have one part of his body touching the&#xA;  contest area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have a single toe in, the pin still counts. This is to avoid competitors trying to escape out of bounds. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;e) The contestant applying Osaekomi must have his body in either the Kesa, the Shiho or Ura position, i.e. similar to the techniques Kesa Gatame, Kami-shiho-gatame or Ura-Gatame.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you finish a far-side cradle (a wrestling move) on your back, even though your opponent may have his shoulders on the mat, this would not be a judo pin. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also note that the ura-gatame position was recently (&lt;a href=&quot;http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2016/09/IJF_refereing_rules_explanator-1473863720.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;c.2013&lt;/a&gt;) added to the rules, so nothing is set in stone. It used to be that your hips could not be facing up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;APPENDIX Article 24 - Osaekomi-waza&#xA;  Should a contestant who is controlling his opponent with an Osaekomi-Waza, changed without losing control, into another Osaekomi-Waza, the Osaekomi time will continue until the announcement of Ippon (or equivalence), Toketa or Mate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can switch pins while the pin clock is running, as long as you maintain control. There is no requirement to maintain any single pin position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And finally to the nitpicking: I think the pictured hold would be classified as a kata gatame (shoulder hold) variation rather than a kesa gatame (scarf hold). The main principle of kesa gatame and its variations (ura kesa gatame, ushiro kesa gatame, kuzure kesa gatame) is the winding of uke's arm. Without the winding, it's closer to a shoulder hold. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-10T09:55:31.553" LastActivityDate="2019-07-10T09:55:31.553" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5792" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5797" CreationDate="2015-12-09T10:08:53.780" Score="8" ViewCount="2158" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been studying pressure point striking lately, and in particular those that immobilize limbs, such as striking the femoral nerve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel it important to understand how to defend against such strikes, and more specifically, if struck for example in the femoral nerve, what to do in order to get the limb mobile again as fast as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not sure if this is heading more towards neurology than martial arts, but is there a specific massage technique or other technique that helps the body to recover from pressure point strikes faster?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-12-09T16:15:29.637" LastActivityDate="2023-07-26T22:10:33.300" Title="How to recover from (or defend against) pressure point strikes?" Tags="|defense|striking|prevention|pressure-points|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5793" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5814" CreationDate="2015-12-09T10:19:58.000" Score="-1" ViewCount="75" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have hurt my right foot,(painful to walk on) but I don't want to put on weight/ lose any cardio fitness/ lose my Jujitsu skills while I am resting up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what would the best exercises/ routines  I could do to keep my stamina up, along with my jujitsu skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5993" LastActivityDate="2015-12-11T17:21:32.410" Title="Cardio/ Jujitsu excercise without using legs" Tags="|injury|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5794" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5792" CreationDate="2015-12-09T10:58:05.200" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;While pressure points may exist as sensitive spots on the body that can aid in both fighting and healing, touching or pressing on them probably can't kill you. Still, use pressure points as a way to help relax your muscles, reduce tension and stress, and overcome painful headaches.&#xA;  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.medicaldaily.com/truth-about-pressure-points-which-ones-can-kill-you-and-which-ones-are-just-myths-316528&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.medicaldaily.com/truth-about-pressure-points-which-ones-can-kill-you-and-which-ones-are-just-myths-316528&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it's not that easy in real life or actual competition to do this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;If you start a fight and exchanging blows with a capable opponent; I believe that it would be difficult (but not impossible) to find pressure point targets.  Just think when you are sparring against somebody of equal skill, it can be difficult landing a blow on their torso (which is a large target), never mind finding a very small pressure point to hit.  Furthermore, when you have just had an adrenalin dump, your fine motor skills do not work as efficiently.  For this reason, many people advocate concentrating on developing your techniques (regardless of style) so that you are fast and powerful and you will hurt your opponent wherever you hit them.&#xA;  Read more &lt;a href=&quot;http://bunkaijutsu.com/2010/06/does-pressure-point-fighting-really-work/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://bunkaijutsu.com/2010/06/does-pressure-point-fighting-really-work/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When people demonstrate these, it's almost always with someone who is a willing partner. Very different then on the street or in an Ring. &#xA;One should be very critical with the internet about such kind of things ex. there is a youtube video where a MMA guys fights a KI master:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEDaCIDvj6I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEDaCIDvj6I&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In most of those demonstrations there are &quot;promoting&quot; partners involved for increased dramatic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastEditorUserId="6418" LastEditDate="2015-12-09T13:59:45.327" LastActivityDate="2015-12-09T13:59:45.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5795" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2015-12-09T11:40:52.377" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tricking is an abbreviation of 'martial arts tricking' and refers to a sport that combines movements from martial arts, gymnastics and break dancing with the goal to exhibit flashy and complex movements. Although there are no specific rules, many tricks mainly consists of flying kicks, jumps, flips and twists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The sport became more popular in the early 2000s due to exposure via Internet movies. Tricking is often associated with free running or Xtreme Martial Arts (XMA). Some people consider XMA as the precursor of tricking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-12-11T08:34:37.413" LastActivityDate="2015-12-11T08:34:37.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5796" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2015-12-09T11:40:52.377" Score="0" Body="sport that combines elements from martial arts (kicks), gymnastics (flips and twists) and break dancing with the intent to exhibit flashy and complex movements.&#xD;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="88" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2016-01-12T05:01:40.183" LastActivityDate="2016-01-12T05:01:40.183" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5797" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5792" CreationDate="2015-12-09T13:34:10.800" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;It sounds like you're talking about the scientific form of pressure points (as opposed to pseudoscience involving &quot;chi meridians&quot;), namely spots on the body which allow for direct stimulation of nerves and muscles to cause a great deal of pain or sometimes even muscle paralysis. As with defending any vulnerable part of your body, the key principles are a) to attempt to avoid being struck in these vulnerable areas and b) if you can't avoid or block the attack, move to reduce the amount of force exerted. I have heard people talk about building up muscle over pressure points to prevent being targeted, but most of the common points are targeted because they're at junctures where there physiologically is no muscle or other extraneous tissue to prevent targeting the nerves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for recovery, as with most aspects of martial arts involving continuing to fight while in pain or injured, it really comes down to conditioning. In many aspects, a pressure point strike is no different from &quot;hitting your funny bone&quot; in your elbow. You might immediately drop something in your hand when you strike your elbow like that, but for the most part, you &quot;shake it out&quot;, grimace, and continue to do your usual task, compensating for the lack of fine control by relying on routine. As with most conditioning, I would caution that it's essentially a way of training yourself to work through injury, which requires injury in the first place, and training yourself to ignore pain can be a bad idea since pain is part of how our body informs us that something is wrong. Repeated or prolonged trauma to the nerves can cause permanent damage, as anyone who has suffered a prolonged pinched nerve can aver.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, some pressure point techniques don't so much focus on attacking the nerves, but the muscles, causing them to knot up. They tend to require more force and be less targeted, but this is essentially what you're doing when, say, you drive a knuckle into the thigh of a caught leg. In that case, as with any muscle cramp, keep moving and keep the blood flowing. Anecdotally, some people have success in dealing with cramps by striking the affected area, but more broadly (cupping your hand or just slapping it) to confuse the body into not focusing on a single area of trauma, but this might be more &quot;bro science&quot; than anything else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA; - Avoid getting hit in vulnerable areas if you can&lt;br&gt;&#xA; - If you can't avoid getting hit, try to reduce the amount of force&lt;br&gt;&#xA; - If you do get hit in a pressure point, keep moving and rely on your muscle memory to carry you through movements&lt;br&gt;&#xA; - If you feel it is absolutely necessary to train against pressure points, train under those conditions, having someone compress your nerve and then attempting (slowly at first!) your usual movements so that you get used to working through the pain or loss of feeling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-06-26T10:49:54.920" LastActivityDate="2017-06-26T10:49:54.920" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5798" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5792" CreationDate="2015-12-09T18:43:23.320" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are massage techniques that will help you recover from these points.  I have a book next to me full of techniques like that.  you need acupressure points as follows:  ST-35 + M-LE-16 BL-54 GB-34 SP9+ST36&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;SP10+ ST-34&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(just google acupuncture points.  they are basically the same)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to &quot;Essential Anatomy for healing and Martial Arts&quot; by Marc Tedeschi&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a book by a hapkido practitioner but also used by just about everyone I know who studies shorinji kempo (the style I learn)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit* sorry femeral nerve.  That's on the leg, the ones I gave were an arm release now corrected&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2015-12-09T19:51:18.367" LastActivityDate="2015-12-09T19:51:18.367" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5799" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5792" CreationDate="2015-12-09T20:15:50.573" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Corps_Martial_Arts_Program&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Marine Corps Martial Arts Program&lt;/a&gt; (MCMAP) initially included an element called Body Hardening.  It involved hitting the location of primary nerves.  The Radial and Ulna nerves, Femoral and Sciatic nerves, and abdominal strikes for the Celiac Plexus.  The result was that, after repeated impact over a long period of time, the nerve would become damaged, such that an impact of a given area, while felt, would not hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long-term issues with this method.  I have numbness in my extremities, and pain throughout my body.  So while the method worked, I would not recommend it.  Have you tried running?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Experience: 1st Degree Black Belt - MCMAP, Years of Service 2005-2015.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6506" LastEditorUserId="9214" LastEditDate="2023-07-26T22:10:33.300" LastActivityDate="2023-07-26T22:10:33.300" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5800" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5742" CreationDate="2015-12-09T22:57:24.693" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are several things to consider. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;What weapons are legal where you live? Which of these do you intend to carry?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some states of the USA you can carry a gun. This makes military styles such as Krav maga much more useful as they teach you to make space to draw a gun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where I live in the UK weapons are illegal; no guns, no blades, no sticks. As a result Krav maga is perhaps less useful, though still not at all redundant. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;How long do you plan to train? Some styles take a lifetime to learn. Others will teach you to defend yourself in months. The more complex styles may well pay off in the long run, but if you don't make training part of your lifestyle they will be of little benefit.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;How much are you willing to risk to learn? Some jujitsu styles carry high risk. I have seen people with broken arms or punched in the face. Always something to consider.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, with these in mind:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga : Lots of weapons training, quick to learn moderate risk.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Aikido: Weapons but no guns. Slow to learn. Usually low risk.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Shorinji kempo. No weapons, medium speed to learn. Low risk. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Judo. No weapons, medium to learn, medium risk.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Muai Thai, no weapons medium to learn high risk.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Karate. Depends on style.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;SPEAR. Weapons, quick to learn. Low risk.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not going to talk about other styles. Because I don't know a huge amount about them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-12-16T08:37:03.247" LastActivityDate="2015-12-16T08:37:03.247" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5801" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5734" CreationDate="2015-12-10T11:37:14.700" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aikido techniques will work against judo but, and its a big 'But' they get more dangerous the harder you train them. As noted by the other replies those who practice aikido often get injured if they learn a style (of aikido) that does the techniques hard, see angry white pyjamas. The version learned by the japanese riot police would be effective for example. However the successfully applied aikido technique would result in a broken arm. the point of all the elaborate falling is simply to prevent limbs being broken. for this reason you will not see this done in a training or friendly sparring environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;many styles of aikido remove this aspect due to these dangers. As a result these versions are much less effective. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;judo on the other hand is designed for competition. you can do the techniques safely so long as you are on a matted floor. for this reason judo will usually come of better in a friendly match. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2015-12-10T11:37:14.700" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5802" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5733" CreationDate="2015-12-10T11:59:31.560" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are finding a wristlock hard then you are using the wrong wristlock. if they grab the lapel what are they doing? there is one technique for a push, another for a pull. I can do either against a partner twice my size so long as I pick the right one... and move quickly enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they grab and do nothing you shouldn't use a wristlock at all. Rather just hit them. on a nerve on the arm in training. in the eye on the street. they will soon let go. in fact in Shorinji kempo we always strike before and after a joint lock. because this is what works.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;note that both strikes and wristlocks are illegal moves in judo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.britishjudo.org.uk/pdf/BJAContestRulesMay2012.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.britishjudo.org.uk/pdf/BJAContestRulesMay2012.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;page 29 of the above link item b) 25 Kantetsu waza just means joint lock for those that don't know the japanese terms.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;ie. no joint locks to anything other than the elbow.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="6503" LastEditDate="2015-12-13T10:34:36.327" LastActivityDate="2015-12-13T10:34:36.327" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5803" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5806" CreationDate="2015-12-10T14:14:33.150" Score="14" ViewCount="2000" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've recently run across several conversations where someone goes to great lengths to clarify that a certain style is &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; a martial art. Mitro's answer to this question on Krav Maga for example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5564/is-krav-maga-a-hybrid-martial-art&quot;&gt;Is Krav Maga a hybrid martial art?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recognize that some of this is just pedantry, but is there a specific definition of martial arts that is generally agreed upon? One that would exclude some styles of fighting? I've looked through general sources (i.e. dictionaries) but the definitions are broad enough that I couldn't imagine excluding any style codified enough to have a name.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3105" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-03-14T11:34:38.983" Title="What Defines Something As A Martial Art?" Tags="|history|terminology|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5804" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5803" CreationDate="2015-12-10T14:40:55.487" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/martial-arts?q=martial+art&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Oxford dictionary&lt;/a&gt; defines &lt;em&gt;martial art&lt;/em&gt; as &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Various sports, which originated chiefly in Japan, Korea, and China as forms of self-defence or attack, such as judo, karate, and kendo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://beta.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martial%20art&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Merriam Webster&lt;/a&gt; defines &lt;em&gt;martial art&lt;/em&gt; as&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;any one of several forms of fighting and self-defense (such as karate and judo) that are widely practiced as sports&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And finally, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/martial_art&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Wiktionary&lt;/a&gt; defines &lt;em&gt;martial art&lt;/em&gt; as&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Any of several fighting styles which contain systematized methods of training for combat, both armed and unarmed; often practiced as a sport, e.g. boxing, karate, judo, silat, wrestling, or Muay Thai.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Military skills, proficiency in military strategy, prowess in warfare &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In almost all cases, these will define thingy pretty well. My very biased and not so humble opinion tends to agree with the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/martial_art&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Wiktionary&lt;/a&gt; definition the most. For example, I do consider &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_reenactment&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Combat reenactment&lt;/a&gt; to be a martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="6516" LastEditDate="2015-12-11T08:34:16.303" LastActivityDate="2015-12-11T08:34:16.303" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5805" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5787" CreationDate="2015-12-10T15:21:33.047" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some great points in existing answers, but for whatever another slant on things is worth...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;if you're trying to push forwards but he gets the chance to slip past you, then you've both advancing and he gets to close the distance in a flash; instead&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;try to be moving forwards as his momentum is backwards and be fully prepared to move backwards as his momentum is forwards, and circling away from him at other times - that stretches out the time window in which you can hit and he can't&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;don't focus too much on the one tactic of landing a good jab to keep him at a distance as that gets predictable, and unless you get good clean contact past the guard or heavily and frontally into the guard or body, it won't be effective at stopping him closing the distance; instead&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;mix in feints&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;if he tries to slip forwards then you'll still be balanced and cocked to hit where he's moving - either move away to maintain distance while jabbing, or step in for a heavy cross leading into a flurry of punches - some heavy hitting until he's driven backwards&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;if he retreats then follow with just enough commitment to hit him before his back foot lands and gives him a chance to change direction: if you can just tip his momentum to keep him back-pedalling, you can keep feeding in punches without having to commit overly (unless you see there's a good chance for a heavy strike)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;mix in combos&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sometimes step in behind the feint with a combination&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;if you don't have him backing up, don't feel you can't step back and see if he follows you - again, if you're moving in the same direction, then you have a nice long window as he tries to close ground - you can pick him off with some punches and have more time to think about closing yourself for a heavy combination&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;if he's in close and you're exchanging body blows, make sure you're making effective contact; in particular, if he's shorter and keeping his torso angled forwards, he'll be able to hit you hard while keeping his palms downwards; if you try to do the same to the body then your punches will tend to slide down his torso - but if throw body punches with your palm upwards you may find he's just outside the range where you can hit hard; instead, hit with a vertical fist and you can reach out as far as you need to with decent power&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;make sure you're using your legs and hips when you hit: when you practice on the heavy bag, keep the legs bent and as the back leg straightens drive the hips around and through the bag; even as a boxer you can learn a lot from just watching Shotokan Kagawa-sensei teach hip rotation and thinking about how it works: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdIJVDKJ_Os&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdIJVDKJ_Os&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;pay careful attention to how he's slipping your jabs: is it on the inside or the outside?  If inside, then make sure you're fully ready with the back hand.  If outside, make sure you're not too side on, and thereby preventing the back hand coming into play.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2015-12-10T15:21:33.047" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5806" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5803" CreationDate="2015-12-10T15:54:23.033" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Similar to Sardathrion's answer the definition on Wikipedia is &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practices, which are practiced for a variety of reasons: self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, entertainment, as well as mental, physical, and spiritual development.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I and several members of the MA project there spent a fair bit of thought on this and it has survived unaltered for some time so looks to be a reasonable one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5851" LastActivityDate="2015-12-10T15:54:23.033" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5807" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5803" CreationDate="2015-12-10T16:14:44.267" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I totally agree on the pedantry stuff, and i think that it is really depending on what each person thinks about it. For me, a kind of Martial Art has a tradition, a specific form or style or is following certain rules. I believe that there is also some kind of beauty in those 'Arts'... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally would even go further and divide Martial Arts and Combat Sports&#xA;where I would put the traditional styles that have no competing aspect in it &#xA;(by that I mean competing man vs man for a championship bout, not sparring or Katas etc.) (ex. Aikido, Tai Chi, Kung Fu) and styles for competition into Combat Sports (ex. Boxing, Kyokushin, Kickboxing) and self defense systems like Krav Maga or other close combat styles from Military.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thoughts about self-defense systems vs martial art:&#xA;By that I mean that there is no beauty in anything taught there, no style, no rules, no restrictions, just simple plain action and reaction, training to save your life or the life of your family or friends or any other 3rd party. &#xA;I say to 'train', because if the moment of reality comes, there is no guarantee that the things you have learned will be recalled - everybody reacts different under stress. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This leads me to the next point, a self-defense system should simulate real life scenarios, create stress weather through noise, multiple attackers, darkness ... surprises etc.to simulate an uncontrolled environment.&#xA;Every day aspects should be covered, driving in the underground, bus, swimming-pool, car even picking up money from ATM should be part of it, usage of common objects like coins, keys (even though pretty dangerous for the user if not properly held), sand, chairs, jackets, Pepper spray, knifes, Kalashnikov, pistols ... screw-drivers?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A self defense system has also the responsibility to provide information about safety, law about self-protection and provide information about the correct behavior for current possible threats (Terror attacks etc.).&#xA;Basically no boundaries whatsoever and that, in my eyes is no martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I agree that martial arts evolve over time, we would not have Mixed Martial Arts or Daido Juku, even some of the 'modern' combat sports like Kyokushin-Karate would not exist, but that doesn´t change the fact that they still have rules,&#xA;time restrictions during fights, protection gear and referees.&#xA;A self defense system would miserably fail in following those approaches and would miss the reason why it exists, being close to reality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again it really depends what one wants to believe, my opinion on Krav-Maga specifically is based on being a Krav-Maga instructor for many years and talking to and learning from some of the main influencers of it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everyone is free to have his own opinion :-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastEditorUserId="6418" LastEditDate="2016-03-14T08:52:47.583" LastActivityDate="2016-03-14T08:52:47.583" CommentCount="16" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5808" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5803" CreationDate="2015-12-10T16:17:40.097" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;On this site, I see differentiation of self defense from martial arts, with self defense being more what I would expect in seminar classes (avoidance, understanding crime) rather than years-long study. Refer to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/159/5961&quot;&gt;Which martial arts focus on self defense?&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am generally confused about the jargon applied to this classification as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-12-10T16:17:40.097" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5809" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5803" CreationDate="2015-12-10T19:27:42.180" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Our modern definition and conception of martial arts are totally erroneous in that we are brain washed to believe in martial arts from the perspective of peace, self-defense and even religion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you consider any martial arts type, from the oldest to the most recent ones, there is a reality that slams our face: martial arts are a set of physical skills  to improve the performance of violence. Even when we perform purely in a demonstrative goal, martial arts movements are about effective violence. Martial arts are skills with violence. This is true about all martial arts: from the oldest ones that date back to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_dynasty&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Ming dynasty&lt;/a&gt; (or even earlier) to the most recent ones such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/a&gt; develop by the army of Israel, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeet_Kune_Do&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Jeet Kune Do&lt;/a&gt; developed by Bruce Lee to help American citizens deal with urban violence or &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotokan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Shotokan Karate Do&lt;/a&gt; where a simple direct punch (&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsuki&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;tsuki&lt;/a&gt;) is intended to kill and the dropping forearm block (otoshi uke) is intended to break the attacker's arm. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The religious and health-promoting techniques that are now widespread all originated from techniques of combats that were synonyms of death or survival.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A martial arts differ from the set of techniques and knowledge someone can perform a violent action in that martial arts are taught generation after generation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts are biased through time by both the teacher's and the students own natural inclinations. Thus, even if we can not deny the cultural and even the identity aspect of martial arts, they are also a tradition, but an innovative tradition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user5590" LastActivityDate="2015-12-10T19:27:42.180" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5810" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5803" CreationDate="2015-12-11T01:18:18.470" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If we're talking umbrella terms, I tend to think of martial arts as anything that is a codified system of movement which currently, or has roots in the past, of being used for combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This covers everything from currently combative focused methods, to sports, to cultural practices.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a lot of waving around &quot;true martial arts&quot; but I think it's totally fair to accept that people practicing 13th century archery are still doing a martial art, even if in our modern era, a bow is impractical for combat.  What people need to be clear on, is what the martial arts focus is that they're doing, what they can expect from the training, and how they can use it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're doing primarily calisthetics training using empty handed versions of forms designed to work with spear, you are getting very limited self defense value.  If you are training to snatch people from behind and stick them with a knife, you're not going to do well in a ring.  Everything is contextual.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, there's always people who will tell you their chosen way will make you good at EVERYTHING.  There's exercise fads, diet fads, and martial arts is the same way.  So even if you come up with a clear definition, it won't stop people from pushing out misinformation out there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-12-11T01:18:18.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5811" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5803" CreationDate="2015-12-11T13:30:13.807" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a bit of a problem in the West that we culturally discarded our martial arts heritage.  Western Europe had its own schools which were every bit as rich as the Chinese or Japanese, but the growing use of ranged weapons on the battlefield meant that close-quarters weapons became irrelevant.  Various places maintained some of the weaponry traditions (middle Europe in particular had a strong fencing tradition up to WW2), but they became sports, as did the various unarmed combat styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;China and Japan did not have the same weaponry developments as the West, which is why Western forces outmatched them so easily.  The Japanese Shogunate caved to Western pressure, knowing that they had no way to resist; and China was renowned as the &quot;weak man of Asia&quot;.  On the other hand though, the fact that their close-quarters and unarmed schools had remained relevant for longer meant that those particular areas were more practical than the Western equivalents which had atrophied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The word &quot;sport&quot; does have connotations of it not being &quot;real&quot;.  However remember that shooting is also a sport in every situation where a human being is not in the crosshairs.  A soldier target-shooting is practising a sport; the same soldier with the same rifle and ammunition shooting at another soldier is in battle.  The difference between a combat sport and a real fight is only the context, not the activity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6517" LastActivityDate="2015-12-11T13:30:13.807" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5814" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5793" CreationDate="2015-12-11T17:21:32.410" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Endurance training in the martial arts can be divided into four different groups.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1 - is a general endurance training&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;For general endurance training it is best to resort to cardio-trainings such as running or swimming (but with a leg injury, it may be difficult).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2 - is training the muscle groups that are rarely used&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;In that case the choice of exercises depends on your personal characteristics and martial arts school. Ju-jutsu schools is characterized by basic movement techniques (kihon). So you can easily adjust exercises to your school kihon to training the most important muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3 - a practice proper breathing&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;If you already have a sparrings experience, you should know that the greatest difficulty - is the control of breath. The most part of popular japanese martial arts is based on the same principles so is not going to be a problem if you will train any of existing methods to control breathing in a battle. That is good way to improve your skills especially if the injury prevents you to normal training&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4 - is training movements on the principle of minimal sufficiency&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;The basic idea is avoidance of unnecessary movements. You should aim to be more effective instead of being too active.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Endurance training method is highly depends on the person, so i guess it should be a personal set of exercises&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6518" LastActivityDate="2015-12-11T17:21:32.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5815" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="771" CreationDate="2015-12-12T23:48:26.660" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have 2 judo dummies. A 100 pound one and a 120 pound one. They say that a 120 pound dead weight dummy is equal to a 200 pound man. They are great for multiple throws without a partner. It gives you a good aerobic exercise. Use a weight belt around the dummy for ease of lifting it up again for another throw. Also good for wing chun practice too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6523" LastActivityDate="2015-12-12T23:48:26.660" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5817" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="293" CreationDate="2015-12-13T22:41:31.980" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer is generally joint wise minimal. However, there is a big caveat on that. It's minimal only if you get it right, which can be harder than it sounds. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your movements might look right enough to an instructor of a class who can't tell exactly where your weight is on your foot and how you're balanced and bone angles... It may not be spot on and by repeated action over time it can then put a lot of strain on something, which doesn't when you do it right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What can then really make it worse are kumite injuries. Anyone who spots a weakness and prays on it, which let's face it would be the right thing to do, may be adding to the complications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's important to reflect internally a lot in doing slow actions to be sure you have got them right, that the angle in your stances is right, that the weight is where it should be, that angles in ankles and wrists for strikes are spot on, or else the impact will make it much worse. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6124" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-12-14T08:23:03.823" LastActivityDate="2015-12-14T08:23:03.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5818" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5685" CreationDate="2015-12-13T22:45:28.013" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Video yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Its amazing how different you look to yourself on screen than your brain says youre doing.  You can learn so much about what you are doing that way&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6124" LastActivityDate="2015-12-13T22:45:28.013" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5819" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1447" CreationDate="2015-12-14T09:19:42.690" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Simply, smaller surface area concentrates force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This becomes more important when your foes wear armor, as you want small surface area hits to break the bones in vital combat areas, like wrists, and feet, both which can not be armored well if mobility has to be retained, but where a hardened piece of rawhide would simply glance the blows from a round weapon because it doesn't &quot;bite&quot; in like an edge does.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Octagonal shape also lets you use the staff better as a mobility aid, because it doesn't roll around when using it as a bridge/ladder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6527" LastActivityDate="2015-12-14T09:19:42.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5820" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5821" CreationDate="2015-12-14T11:42:50.873" Score="6" ViewCount="3079" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know nothing about martial arts and I'm not sure this is the right board, but I recently read about the Conor McGregor vs Jose Aldo fight which lasted only 13 seconds. How did Jose Aldo lose so fast? Is this a typical fight time?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6528" LastActivityDate="2015-12-15T11:00:16.160" Title="How did Jose Aldo lose so fast?" Tags="|ufc|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5821" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5820" CreationDate="2015-12-14T12:52:01.330" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;Conor McGregor punched Jose Aldo in the head. The punch was quite hard and accurate. Aldo got hit while out of position. Aldo didn't see the punch coming. All of these factors, plus a dozen other intangible ones we can't quantify, lead to Jose Aldo getting knocked out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When someone gets knocked out, they often can't just get up again. In particular, while Aldo was trying to regain consciousness, McGregor was continuing to hit him in the head, which tends to re-concuss people who are already concussed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The referee saw that Aldo was unconscious and therefore not defending himself. That's sufficient reason to end the fight, which he did.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's how Jose Aldo lost.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2015-12-14T12:52:01.330" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5822" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5820" CreationDate="2015-12-14T14:31:29.923" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A simple answer is that he was punched in an unprepared moment.&#xA;Here it happens while the fighter rushes forward attacking and receives a counter blow at the right spot to the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This blow to the head is causing a shake of the head in that way that the brain hits the skull what causes the nerveuos system to shut down and it results is the knockout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Usually fights don´t end so quick, it really depends on the skills of the fighters, preferences of fighting style and sometimes even luck is involved.&#xA;Just a side note, in a fight causing that kind of knockout is not really easy, if tried on purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastEditorUserId="6418" LastEditDate="2015-12-15T11:00:16.160" LastActivityDate="2015-12-15T11:00:16.160" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5823" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5820" CreationDate="2015-12-14T17:16:03.993" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;The really simple answer is that he walked into a punch.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more complex part is that this is effectively what boxing, and many other striking arts build their entire science around - &quot;How do I get that shot in that they're not ready for?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The flipside, is that the striking arts also spend a lot of time training to take hits - to angle the blow off a bit by using your shoulder to tuck your chin, to give with the hit and take off some of the force, and definitely not take the shot full on.  If you're not ready... well.  Here's &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glKUkz2ht38&quot;&gt;a half hour compilation of boxing knock outs&lt;/a&gt; and you can see a lot of similar situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Counter punching has the advantage of being sneaky - the counter attack is often masked by the attacker's focus being on their target, not the incoming attack, and their own arm or shoulder might be blocking their sight to even seeing it coming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It has the second advantage that you have more force - if the attacker is moving in with their body weight and you hit, you have both your force and their force added together (much like how head-on collisions between cars is an additive force).  A concussion isn't surprising really when you consider all of that.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aldo was coming in and throwing punches and caught the counter.  He walked into it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, this isn't the normal fight time, otherwise we'd be seeing 50 card matches every fight night.  For a good while, Mike Tyson was making his name on quick knockouts as well - against professional heavyweight fighters.  Most of the time, however, people spend a lot of time beating each other's endurance down in order to find that opening that will let them land the killer shot, and, often, in striking sports, they win by decision rather than knockout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-12-14T17:16:03.993" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5825" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5826" CreationDate="2015-12-15T15:12:36.127" Score="9" ViewCount="2598" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can anyone produce video evidence of Aikido being used effectively against a resisting opponent who is not an Aikidoka?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Qualifications:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Must display classical Aikido technique (Kote Gaeshi, Ikkyo, Sankyo, etc)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The person applying the technique must be an Aikidoka.  Small joint manipulation is not only an Aikido phenomenon, so &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCLpmElX15s&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; of Jacare using a wrist lock in BJJ would not count, nor &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5vTigEoBnk&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; of Shinya Aoki applying a standing armlock.  In both cases, the martial artist is not an Aikidoka, and moreover the technique is not a standard part of the Aikido curriculum.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shodokan Aikido &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoQQlOEnSFI&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;competition footage&lt;/a&gt; does not count since the rules are so restrictive that even the most basic instincts (clinching) are suppressed, to the point that I cannot consider it to be a &quot;resisting&quot; opponent.  Moreover, since it is Aikido vs. Aikido I strongly suspect they &quot;throw themselves&quot; unnecessarily when a technique is &quot;close enough&quot;. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urhdB5aZTgQ&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here is a pretty good example&lt;/a&gt; of a video which demonstrates Karate being used effectively.  If someone could find a similar video for Aikido, that would be awesome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did Aikido for two years before discovering more &quot;alive&quot; arts like BJJ, Judo, Boxing, etc.  I felt pretty duped when I could use nothing of what I learned against anyone who was trying to resist me.  I would like to believe that there exist some people who can use Aikido, but I have yet to see any evidence of this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6532" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-08-02T11:27:34.843" LastActivityDate="2019-07-08T14:41:32.687" Title="Video evidence of Aikido applied against a resisting non-aikidoka?" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="20" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5826" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5825" CreationDate="2015-12-15T16:28:40.463" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;The exceptionally unusual Aikidoka Tetsu Yamazaki, who seems to have developed his own form of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ySK06LoHsk&quot;&gt;non-Shodokan helmeted aikido restricted sparring&lt;/a&gt;, seems to execute a throw that I've seen taught in aikido as &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blackbeltwiki.com/aikido-gedan-ate&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;gedan-ate&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (or possibly an &lt;em&gt;aiki-otoshi&lt;/em&gt; variant) at &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/vwt9_G6VcME?t=14s&quot;&gt;0:14 of this video&lt;/a&gt;. Note the fact that it's been taught to me in judo as &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/images/animations/blue/sukuinage.htm&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;sukui-nage&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tani_otoshi&quot;&gt;tani-otoshi&lt;/a&gt;, I've heard it described in karate contexts as the &quot;wedge throw&quot; (executed by Lyoto Machida in elite MMA) and as &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v38XQJgK7W0&quot;&gt;kuzushi waza&lt;/a&gt;, in tai chi I've heard it referred to as Parting Wild Horse's Mane, and it was taught to me as a no-name knockdown technique in Muay Thai. So this technique is certainly not found only in aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that I did not see him ever apply a small joint manipulation in any of the three videos he is in. Part of this might be due to the fact that he only has one hand, making two-handed control of an opponent's wrist or elbow difficult. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note also that the majority of his performance showcases techniques that I would say are a stretch to consider aikido. Is a front snap kick an aikido technique? Well, it appears on some curricula, just like it does in judo, but in fact it's not practiced in 999 out of 1000 aikido (or judo!) dojo, so it's kind of silly to say he's doing aikido when he executes a front snap kick. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found it on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=84554&quot;&gt;a Bullshido thread&lt;/a&gt; where the caveats are accurate. He's quite an outlier in terms of aikido practice, but an aikidoka who regularly spars, strikes, and competes outside of aikido's extremely restrictive rulesets at least has a chance to apply aikido skills. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another important caveat to consider is how well this aikidoka rates compared to someone trained in a sparring art of comparable training time. He's testing himself, which is commendable, but it's hard to see this as an endorsement of aikido training approaches, or even of his ramped-up approach to aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2015-12-16T17:06:00.440" LastActivityDate="2015-12-16T17:06:00.440" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5828" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5829" CreationDate="2015-12-16T01:13:29.503" Score="4" ViewCount="683" Body="&lt;p&gt;When chambering and releasing kicking, I have the habit of arching my back. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I &lt;em&gt;feel&lt;/em&gt; like this is a bad habit, but I don't have much information to back it up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was wondering what were the impacts of arching the back while kicking? Can it cause back problems because of the stress on the back, would it reduce the power of my kicks? Can I do something to avoid arching my back if that is indeed a bad habit?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2041" LastEditorUserId="2041" LastEditDate="2015-12-16T14:02:20.920" LastActivityDate="2016-01-05T17:49:01.933" Title="Impact of arching the back when kicking" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|kicking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5829" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5828" CreationDate="2015-12-17T14:04:06.827" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, arching the back has a positive effect of slightly increasing your reach during the kick, as the displacement of your upper body backwards allows you to thrust your hips forward that small amount. One martial art where you will see this significantly is Capoeira, where the traditional &lt;em&gt;Benção&lt;/em&gt;, a front thrust kick, involves arching the back to increase range (as well as moving the upper body away from an attack).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZhGGr.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZhGGr.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Bencao&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would suspect that, if you arched your back while chambering a spinning kick that turned the other direction, you could gain a slight bit of extra momentum from moving your upper-torso forward to start the spin, albeit at the cost of telegraphing your movement. Lastly, as noted in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1328/should-i-arch-my-back-in-a-butterfly-kick&quot;&gt;this question about butterfly kicks&lt;/a&gt;, arching your back can be advantageous because it helps keep your upper torso elevated during the kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, it's not all sunshine and roses. I haven't found any material specifically dealing with martial arts, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.t-nation.com/training/fake-strength-stop-arching-the-bench-press&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;arching the back while benchpressing&lt;/a&gt; has been linked to back injury and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.oocities.org/woras.geo/Injuries.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;diving similarly sees back injuries&lt;/a&gt; from arched backs as the diver hits the water. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fcps.edu/MountainViewS/images/pe/risky.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This fellow issues the same warning for a number of exercises involving arched backs&lt;/a&gt;, although I take that with a bit of a grain of salt since he seems to be vilifying a rather large number of exercises that people do safely every day. Anyhow, the long and the short of it is that arching your back hyper-extends your spine and puts additional pressure on the discs of your back. It's probably not all that harmful for the kicking itself, but if your motion is interrupted, say by being struck yourself, you're putting yourself at risk of the impact and subsequent whiplash hitting your extended spine and causing more serious injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, in short, you're probably best off not arching your back during the chamber or kick because it could contribute to spinal injury, unless the kick specifically calls for it. As for how to prevent it, your best bet is noticing it when it happens (filming yourself or having a friend watch is probably your best bet. Obviously, you're probably best off not wearing anything baggy for fear of obscuring your error) and then correcting for it. Do the motion as slowly as you need to to be mindful of your movement, then speed it up until you've kicked that habit at full speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-12-17T14:04:06.827" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5830" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="216" CreationDate="2015-12-20T20:05:53.130" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many power punches and kicks get their power coming up from the ground.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Both the styles of kicking you describe get their power mainly from coming up from the ground and into your kick. However, one is more of a sharp diagonal stab and the other is more of a sideways stiff force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;for the position of the grounded foot for performing back-leg front kicks (striking with the ball of the foot)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When kicking straight forward keeping hips square with target, you are able to perform a much more snappier kick with your leg because your balance point is near a more neutral point around your hips and your hips are easily able to snap forward and back. Your snappier kick allows you to throw your foot up and retract your foot back down to the ground very quickly and causes your kick to be a forward/upward energy. This forward/upward energy can be added onto with your feet/legs by giving it more forward/upwards energy by using your calf muscles and going up onto the ball of your planted foot and putting your hips into it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;the grounded foot stays planted, pivoting to the side for increased reach if needed&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you do a front kick and snap turn your foot/hips for a snap front to side kick, you are moving your balance point and you are also moving/compromising your upper body to compensate your lower body's extra reach. This equates to more power with a stronger extended structure but will be relatively slower, especially when retracting, and not as stable for reacting to your opponent. It is mainly a forward energy, where turning your foot and hips causes your whole body to translate towards your target and align into a more strong extended side structure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The stronger side structure grounds you more directly to the ground while the front snap kick structure is much more springy and your body structure has a lot more give in the direction of applied force.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;The front snap kick force is more impacting and impulse-like while the front turn side kick is more penetrating or pushing due to the straighter joints.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Front snap is quicker and easier to defend against unsuspected attacks/angles; Side kick is relatively fast to perform with the snap-turn, but is much more committed and takes longer to recover from.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;speed vs power?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5958" LastEditorUserId="5958" LastEditDate="2016-03-15T04:05:22.137" LastActivityDate="2016-03-15T04:05:22.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5831" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5742" CreationDate="2015-12-20T21:27:09.790" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For smaller, weaker people going up against bigger, stronger opponents in a self-defense scenario, the best martial arts rely on using your opponents energy against them and utilizing your body structure (not your muscles) to generate force against your opponent.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;I personally believe that the following martial arts are the best:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Krav Maga - designed for quick brutal crippling attacks within confined spaces (like compact alleyways from where the art originates). Quick to learn and be effective.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kali or FMA - designed for knife fighting. great movements and effective for street fights. may take years to be effective.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wing Chun - designed for the smaller, weaker person (first used by and named after a woman) going up against multiple assailants with quick brutal attacks. utilizes the centerline philosophy and body structure. Easy to learn some basics to start using the principles but will take many years to master and be effective.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Aikido - manipulates your opponent's energy with locks and throws. May take years to be effective.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Judo - learning throws and joint locks can be very effective for getting yourself out of situations. May take some time to become effective.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Systema - System with no real techniques. Designed to get you to think and react quick and instinctively. Good for weapons like knife fighting. May take years to be effective.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not recommend the following for self-defense, but they can help:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;BJJ - designed to use leverage and body structure. excellent for 1 on 1 but not really for all street encounters (it only takes one bad encounter to end up dead). very good to train and condition for the times you are on the ground.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Muay Thai - strong and direct but requires a lot of body conditioning/hardening (&amp;amp; pain management) to be effective. So unless your already a pretty tough cookie (if so then you might not really need much martial arts to handle yourself in the streets or self-defense might come naturally to you), will take years for conditioning. Dangerous for untrained bones in the street.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sports martial arts like TKD, Muay Thai, BJJ, etc. will lend a lot of athleticism and ability to a street fight scenarios, but ultimately, they are designed for sports (unless you practice combat or self-defense variants like combat Muay Boran in Thailand (Muay Thai) and others).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Any Showy martial arts (like most Wu Shu's) will likely get you killed in the streets, but nevertheless can lend you some level of athleticism.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many martial arts can take many years before you are able to effectively use it in a street fight scenario. Depending on the amount of time you are willing to spend/wait before being effective, you may have to choose differently.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Krav Maga would be my current favorite suggestion for learning to be street effective as quickly as possible. They do use very harmful and devastating attacks, especially to soft targets (like many real self-defense martial arts) so you need to be careful on when and how to apply those techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5958" LastEditorUserId="5958" LastEditDate="2015-12-23T02:04:04.970" LastActivityDate="2015-12-23T02:04:04.970" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5832" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5825" CreationDate="2015-12-20T22:29:04.577" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just remembered this video I saw a while back.  It claims to be a genuine fight.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/rs4gTZjSqJc?t=2m31s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/rs4gTZjSqJc?t=2m31s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2015-12-20T22:29:04.577" CommentCount="15" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5834" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5835" CreationDate="2015-12-21T10:55:49.510" Score="7" ViewCount="3552" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have not learnt any martial arts. However, I believe if I were to attain a state of inner discipline and peace I need to learn the arts.&#xA;Unfortunately, I work in India and my earnings do not allow me to save handsomely.&#xA;Can I approach a Shaolin temple in China or Japan and request a sensei to teach me in return for my services as a helper, teacher, worker at the temple?&#xA;If so would you'll know any temples?&#xA;Thank you for your time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6549" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2015-12-22T14:46:15.103" LastActivityDate="2020-11-12T04:47:51.340" Title="Can I learn martial arts at a Shaolin temple by helping out at the temple?" Tags="|shaolin|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5835" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5834" CreationDate="2015-12-21T13:58:54.683" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can approach a Shaolin School, but it is highly unlikely that they will teach you in exchange for services.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Shaolin Temple in China is essentially a business.  They make a large profit from the money they get from students and have plenty of them.  Smaller Shaolin Schools are also businesses.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You also mention temples in Japan.  I assume by this you mean the Shorinji Kempo movement (of which I am a member) This is not actually shaolin kung fu but shares a similar zen philosophy.  This is a multi-part organisation, but may as well be considered a business.  The only way to get 'free' training that I know of with this organisation is the Busen School.  These are basically monks (as opposed to people like me who you might call lay members) and I don't know how you would apply.  You would certainly need to know Japanese first as this is the philosophical school and lessons are only taught in this language.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However it would be a mistake to think you have to go to china or japan to study martial arts.  There are schools in India of the Shorinji Kempo Movement and I am certain of the actual Shaolin Kungfu as well.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="6503" LastEditDate="2015-12-21T17:09:12.147" LastActivityDate="2015-12-21T17:09:12.147" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5836" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5825" CreationDate="2015-12-21T22:33:01.503" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCmucAiUXi4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCmucAiUXi4&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This shows a karate/aikido student in a fight against an untrained opponent:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;a self taught jeet kune do &amp;amp; karate [sic], he is also trained in aikido (white belt)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He manages to &quot;throw&quot; his opponent with an Aikido style movement at 1:13.  He loses his own balance in the process, and the fight immediately becomes a scramble on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not convinced that a fight between two untrained fighters would have looked much different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6532" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-06T08:01:29.313" LastActivityDate="2019-07-06T08:01:29.313" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5837" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2015-12-22T18:29:41.257" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to give my opinion. Kata or poomsae are tools. They are used to teach new techniques or something that is relevant to the student. I think that they are used for teaching purposes. Obviously a real fight is different. If you pay attention a bunch of martial arts have it. When you create a sequence of movements in boxing, judo or MMA for instance then you are using the kata's principles.  I've been teaching my students using this strategy and I've had good results. The forms are an important part of learning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6551" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2015-12-23T03:27:08.393" LastActivityDate="2015-12-23T03:27:08.393" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5838" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2015-12-24T05:57:44.630" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;ITF is learning for life. Not only self defense, but how to control yourself not to do to much damage on a person. Ok general Choi Hong Hi was the Founder Of ITF wich he made by combining to old marterial arts in Korea. This was Tae Kyon and Soo Bak and by combining these 2 and making some new skilles this became taekwondo in 1955 but it was first in 1966 he started ITF and he was president until he died in 2002.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6559" LastActivityDate="2015-12-24T05:57:44.630" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5839" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2015-12-24T19:26:24.757" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Both are federations, in that direct members of each are autonomous organizations.  But there isn't just WTF and ITF, because there are at least 3 ITF organizations: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;one hq'ed in South Korea which is not a federation; &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://itfofficial.org/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://itfofficial.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;one hq'ed in Benidorm, Spain (www.tkd-itf.org) which is a federation (its members are themselves federations: North America &amp;amp; Carribean, Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceana, and Central &amp;amp; South America); &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tkd-itf.org/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.tkd-itf.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;and another in Vienna, Austria (www.itftkd.org) and which is also a federation (its direct members are themselves federations: Asia, Oceana, Europe, Pan-America, and Africa).&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.itftkd.org/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.itftkd.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly, WTF is also comprised of federated direct members, making the hierarchy similar.  Note, then, the only ITF organization that is NOT a federation is South Korea.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.worldtaekwondofederation.net/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.worldtaekwondofederation.net/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a student member point of view, there is little difference between them.  Their dan issuance comes from the HQ of the federation in which their school is affiliated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should also know that WTF isn't a style.  That is because dan and instructor certification are governed by a different authority, which is Kukkiwon, based in Seoul, S Korea.  That means technically, the style is called &quot;Kukkiwon&quot;, not &quot;WTF&quot;.  However, WTF is a valid organization - and federation - and so, it's not appropriate to distinguish between technical differences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason?  ITF members are welcome to join WTF.  WTF is charted solely for the purpose of competition, which includes the Olympics.  With a bit of paperwork, one who is a registered dan-certificate holder of any of the ITF organizations may apply for dan certification at Kukkiwon (a necessary element to compete in WTF competitions).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to the rules?  That depends entirely on the tourny.  Some ITF competitions allow punches to the face and back of the head, others dont.  Some require chest gear, others make them optional.  Each has point and warning differences.  Between all of the federations, the rules are similar - but not identical.  Size of mats, qualification for coaches, age categories, weight classes, skill classes, round timing... they differ.  They get more consistent when the competition gets more formal, particularly with regards to Olympics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a style perspective, though, there are guidelines, because it's not common to see ITF members join WTF.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;ITF students almost universally practice the Chang Hon set of forms (sometimes called the &quot;Chon Ji&quot; set, named after the first form learned).  Whether the student applies the sine wave (and calls the set of forms &quot;tul&quot;) or not (and calls the set of forms &quot;hyung&quot;) is a guideline set by the school, although formally, all ITF federations adopt the sinewave methods.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;WTF doesn't have forms.  Only sparring.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if you considered Kukkiwon, then the set of forms learned is &quot;Taeguek&quot;, a set of underbelt forms which replaced an older set of underbelt forms, called &quot;Palgwe&quot;.  Some schools practice both sets of forms.  In either case, the schools almost always practice the black belt forms beginning with &quot;Koryo&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another difference between them is that WTF is by far the more commonly seen taught in the US.  Where this may be different elsewhere, I don't know, although because of the Olympics, my bet is that WTF is the more common around the world.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because WTF is not technically a style, and because they concern themselves only with sparring (not forms), they technically don't have a self-defense program, either.  Self-defense and sport have overlapping concepts, but strategically, they're very different.  ITF does have self-defense, if you carefully study their forms and have a good instructor.  WTF schools might incorporate self-defense, but, that teaching does not come from WTF, it comes from the instructor's knowledge from elsewhere - perhaps from Kukkiwon's forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT:&#xA;So recently, the US Olympics for Taekwondo (Team USA) - that is, the US branch of the WTF - has now opened membership to Taekwondo competition to any ITF and ATA ranked individual.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Taekwondo/Features/2016/July/22/USA-Taekwondo-Announces-New-National-Dan-Program&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;USA Taekwondo Announces New National Dan Program&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way it works is this: to compete, you need to be a certified black belt.  Traditionally, your rank came from Kukkiwon.  Now, a new program, called the US National Dan program, allows its members to get an equivalent dan certification that can be used for WTF competition.  At this time, only ITF and ATA certified rank holders are eligible, and the criteria for other organizations is spelled out in the by-laws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This might cloud the difference between ITF and WTF, but the difference is still that WTF is not a style, it's a federation whose purpose is the conduit for international and Olympics Taekwondo competition.  ITF member students are now allowed to compete in the Olympics, per the by-laws spelled out in the link.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, as far as Olympic competition is concerned, ITF, ATA, and Kukkiwon are all on the same playing field as far as opportunity to compete in the Olympics.  Prior to this announcement, any ITF or ATA (or Karate, etc) student who wanted to compete in the Olympics &lt;strong&gt;had&lt;/strong&gt; to join a bona-fide WTF school.  Now, you just need to have a ITF- or ATA-certified dan rank to compete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastEditorDisplayName="user6519" LastEditDate="2017-02-11T03:41:48.377" LastActivityDate="2017-02-11T03:41:48.377" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5840" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-12-26T03:25:25.697" Score="1" ViewCount="1094" Body="&lt;p&gt;My kids have been doing Tae Kwon Do for 2 years and just wondering if there was a better system for them for now. I feel they will become black belts within a year but not have mastered everything due to their age. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6560" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-02-17T16:56:24.640" LastActivityDate="2016-02-17T16:56:24.640" Title="Best martial arts for a 6 and 8 year old?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|children|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5841" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4732" CreationDate="2015-12-26T14:46:10.013" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Below is a link pertaining to a 3 month white belt who used Kotagaeshi to defend himself. It goes with the adage that self defence is 80% confidence. Basically a lot of things will work from a lot of martial arts, it's having the presence of mind at the time when your adrenaline is pumping that counts in that context. It has controls, pins and throws, teaches evasion, timing and sensitivity as do many martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r90w-AXESIk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r90w-AXESIk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Though people say Aikido has no strikes, actually many clubs emphasise atemi and anyway the ability to control distance and have good timing which Aikido promotes will lend itself to strikes. Most people can and do strike regardless of what style if any they practice in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel however if ones only interest is in being tough then there are probably better routes to this. For me Aikido, especially as I get older is an activity to keep body and mind healthy and I enjoy it. I may never be in another combative situation but I will surely age and still I have a family and job to manage, that for me is the real life use of Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6564" LastActivityDate="2015-12-26T14:46:10.013" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5842" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5846" CreationDate="2015-12-27T16:25:58.050" Score="5" ViewCount="6547" Body="&lt;p&gt;My weight is 63kgs and height is 5'7&quot; (170 cm). I practice wing chun at home (I rarely have an opponent to practice against). Sometimes, I feel my punching power could be better. To increase my &lt;strong&gt;punch power&lt;/strong&gt;, do I need to add weights to my workout program? And how can I make my &lt;strong&gt;knuckles&lt;/strong&gt; stronger? What exercises are helpful for me in these cases that I can do at home?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6134" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2016-01-13T09:41:01.107" LastActivityDate="2016-02-12T13:12:05.473" Title="Does weight and muscle power really impact punch power and kick?" Tags="|punching|wing-chun|power|weight-lifting|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5843" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5842" CreationDate="2015-12-27T18:36:37.173" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;To punch and kick hard you have to have proper technique. Punching power doesn't come from your arms but from your whole body.  Most of the power you generate comes from your glutes. When you punch you're driving power from the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Most fighters who lack the necessary power to move their opponents backwards are typically called arm-punchers.  What this means and how it correlates to the two large muscles groups defined above [glutes and lats] is that these types of fighters are not engaging these massive muscles to gain leverage and power.  They are throwing from their shoulders and not pushing from the ground, rotating at the hips, putting their back into it and turning their punches over at the end.  Delivery of a power punch should enlist the resources and be dependent on these large muscle groups.  Granted, there are many more variables and more intricate tricks to delivering a knockout blow, but without laying this basic fundamental groundwork, the resulting punch will lack the force it needs to get the job done.&lt;a href=&quot;http://news.titleboxing.com/put-your-back-into-it/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muay thai and boxing both teach proper punching technique to generate the most power. Karate punches while fast, do not possess the same power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same idea applies to kicks. Basic Muay thai/Sanda kicks both derive a lot of power from hip rotation. The most powerful kick is a Taekwondo spinning back kick, which again generates it's power from rotation. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSt3mMtabWo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Spinning Back Kick Example&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So yes weight and muscle do impact striking power, but it's only with proper technique that you efficiently transfer that power from your muscles into your strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also knuckle strength isn't as important as wrist strength. The stronger your forearms are, the less likely you will break your hands. But again proper technique (the angle and alignment of your arm) is the most important thing to avoid injuring yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I disagree with @Bankuei advice on resistance training. Unless your a brown/black belt your focus should seriously be on your technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6567" LastEditorUserId="6567" LastEditDate="2016-01-14T00:30:46.607" LastActivityDate="2016-01-14T00:30:46.607" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5844" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5840" CreationDate="2015-12-27T18:40:16.940" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think BJJ is the best because it generally doesn't involve striking, which probably isn't good for kids. Wrestling is another great sport for kids.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6567" LastActivityDate="2015-12-27T18:40:16.940" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5845" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5175" CreationDate="2015-12-27T21:51:03.707" Score="0" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I'm also Buddhist, so Shaolin is pretty awesome in that way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your goals are questionable for someone who wants to learn traditional Shaolin. Learning, control, not fighting, and internal/self discipline are far more important that beating whoever. Actually, if all you really want is to &quot;beat&quot; someone, no ethical traditional teacher will teach you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Modern Wushu is something you should likely avoid given your existing knee problems. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;... some old-school Chinese fellow&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Did you make clear to this person that you had genuine medical problems? He wouldn't have been the right teacher for you anyway, but he might have had some insights or maybe even some jow (liniment). Sometimes, it is just a matter of working through the pain. Sometimes, the pain is telling you to stop. What kind of pain? Where (precisely)? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;So in sum, what should I look for when I go to the class? What do I&#xA;  ask the instructor, or the other students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does the most senior instructor / teacher care about a) what they are teaching and b) what the students are learning? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is the focus on &quot;do this&quot; or on &quot;how to do this&quot;? (performance v. principles)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What sort of &quot;qi&quot; fills the room? Aggressive and angry or Supportive and disciplined? Do you know how to listen (ting jin) or only how to react (fa jin)? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Spend 6 months in ballet class (seriously) with a good instructor (if you can find one who will teach you) to correct whatever you are doing to your knee and learn how to not do whatever you were doing. Be sure to explain your knee problem and ask for help to correct it. Control isn't about limiting your movement -- it's about using the joint correctly with correct alignment. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Study the anatomy and physiology of the knee. Are you relying on your knee when you should be using the large muscles in the back of the thigh? or supporting your weight from your back (not your legs)? Or landing on your knees instead of using your feet and legs?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Eventually do cool stuff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Cool stuff&quot; is the product, the outcome of training, practice, and self-discipline. It's not something you will ever be able to do merely because you want to. It's something that will come naturally as the result of what you have done.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6113" LastActivityDate="2015-12-27T21:51:03.707" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5846" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5842" CreationDate="2015-12-28T00:25:51.460" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Power in your punches comes from; muscle to generate force, correct shifting of weight/movement, and coordination and technique to get the most of that (alignment of structure, correct angle of attack, timing, etc.).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want more muscle to generate force, you need to do some kind of resistance training - that can be weights, it could be resistance pushing against a partner or some other thing that has mass like a heavy bag, using resistance bands, or it could be training in water, which has resistance.  Weights and resistance bands are convenient, and you can increase the amount of resistance to increase how much power your muscles adapt to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strengthening the knuckles involves increasing the bone density, which takes years of training.  Bones increase strength along the line of force - which, you can get by doing knuckle push ups or simply staying in push up position on your knuckles.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, that takes a long time, and can only go so far - your most immediate concern is correct alignment of your wrist and striking soft tissue of your target, not the skull.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other two parts of getting more power - timing, technique, are things you'll want to find someone more skilled than you to help you on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2015-12-28T00:25:51.460" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5847" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5842" CreationDate="2015-12-28T00:32:23.517" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Regarding punch power&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some basic physics together with some thoughts on punches and kicks may help: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;[impulse] = [mass] × [velocity]&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is much better to improve &lt;em&gt;speed&lt;/em&gt; by technique (!) and exercises (which may include weight training, but as I take it in another sense than you think of it) than weight, if you want to hit harder: Becoming heavier will slower your movement due to higher inertia and therefore have opportunity costs.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, if you only go for weight in your exercises this &lt;em&gt;may&lt;/em&gt; reduce your speed because of reducing white muscle fibres (responsible for speed) in favor of red ones (responsible for strength) if you do not train well-balanced.  Body weight is gained best through training of maximum strength, i.e. heavy weights, small numbers. What you need is speed strength, which can be achieved through weight training with certain exercises and smaller weights with more repetitions, but there are several things to be considered, e.g. weights not being too heavy for you and thus stressing your joints. All this is subject of discussions in training science, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;[pressure] = [force] / [area]&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should hit with a small area (two knuckles, ball/heel of the foot), because it will improve the effect proportionally in the area hit, e.g. bones like ribs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Regarding strengthening of your knuckles&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There already is a question with some good answers &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5728/is-hitting-hard-objects-really-effective-in-making-bones-harder&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts do not work if you do them on your own. Get yourself an instructor that can show you how to build up strength and speed from your heels, through your legs, &lt;strong&gt;hips&lt;/strong&gt; and upper body to your shoulders and onwards if you want to improve punches. There is no point in training something over and over again that may turn out to be biomechanical nonsense. He will also have exercises fitting your specific needings if he is good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a general comment: Intra- and inter-muscle coordination (learnt through countless repeats of techniques and exercises) as well as the technique itself is much more important than the muscle-weight. The coordination is where muscles get their power from. Bruce Lee had nearly 5'8'' and at his best not more than 70 kilos ;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2015-12-28T09:32:00.967" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5848" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5840" CreationDate="2015-12-28T00:49:37.323" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;not have mastered everything due to their age&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Age has nothing to do with mastery - mastery is a combination of physical refinement and academic knowledge. So you can do a kick perfectly, but that doesn't mean in itself that you've mastered it - you also have to know how and when to deliver that physically perfect kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I feel they will become black belts within a year&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As already mentioned, a black belt is nothing, it is just another grade. Most schools also have a distinction between the kids black belt and an adult black belt - very seldom is the knowledge gained and the training undertaken anywhere near similar for each. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;My kids have been doing Tae Kwon Do for 2 years&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To get all Zen like, this training time is but a blink of the eye. Two years for most styles/arts will only take you halfway through the coloured belt grades. The learning and time taken for the later coloured belts usually gets longer and harder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;just wondering if there was a better system for them for now&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe yes, maybe no - we can't suggest what art would be best because we don't know your kids and have never seen them train. What really counts is the instructor they have, rather than the art they do. Cross training in another art is great and usually complements the skills gained in the main art they practice. This means they could gain from just about any other art they decide to train in. The only way you will know is to try them. They might even improve just by going to a different TKD school as a combination of a different teacher with different students may show up flaws in their technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2015-12-28T00:49:37.323" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5849" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-12-28T11:36:52.703" Score="2" ViewCount="159" Body="&lt;p&gt;When practicing an Aikido technique, where should &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt; focus his attention to get a better sense for his own balance as well as &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; movements?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A common advice seems to be that &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt; should focus on his/her physical center of gravity, which is just below the navel (also called &lt;em&gt;hara&lt;/em&gt;). It's kind of obvious that this will improve awareness of one's own balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it's also necessary to observe &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; line of attack and in which direction his/her center of gravity is going (not to mention the extremities). But then again, giving &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; one's full attention would draw away from minding one's own balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How can this apparent contradiction be resolved? Where do you typically keep your attention during practice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6565" LastActivityDate="2016-01-04T14:48:29.857" Title="Where to focus to develop a better sense of balance?" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5850" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5849" CreationDate="2015-12-28T12:09:29.027" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are still unfamiliar with the technique you need to focus on learning the basic choreography.  It's no good focusing on your &quot;Tanden&quot; (center of gravity) if your footwork or grip is wrong.  Once this becomes instinctive then is the time to move on to focusing on the &quot;Tanden&quot; The purpose of this is that you yourself should move as little as possible while applying a joint lock and while doing the throw itself.  It is the uke that should be moving around you until their legs can't keep up with their center of mass and they fall.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words for the majority of throws you should be thinking about the &quot;tanden&quot; only while doing the throw itself.  Before the throw you must move off line, and take hold.  As you turn to throw you should think of your tanden this is the point you will turn around as you perform the throw.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I use the word &quot;Tanden&quot; here as this is the word for the physical centre of mass.  The word Hara just means belly.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-01-04T13:15:22.427" LastActivityDate="2016-01-04T13:15:22.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5851" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5842" CreationDate="2015-12-28T12:42:02.517" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two schools of thought based on two distinct principles as to how to generate a punch with maximum effectiveness.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In schools similar to karate the force comes from pushing after you connect with the target.  Someone punching in this manner will train to strengthen their muscles in order to apply more force.  These punches have reletively short range but apply force for a longer time.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/S9wODMKiHAA?t=4m41s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/S9wODMKiHAA?t=4m41s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In schools similar to muai thai the focus is different.  Rather than push through the target a whip like action is used to accelerate the fist so that it achieves a higher speed.  These punches have longer range than those in the karate style because the shoulders also move.  However this style of punch applies force to the target for less time.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/akQr4oS6GZo?t=46s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/akQr4oS6GZo?t=46s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what I have seen of Wing Chun the shoulders are fairly static so I think you should be looking more at the first method.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whatever method you use every punch has an optimum distance at which it connects.  Too far close and you have a push (Bruce Lee's famous one inch punch is very much a push)  Too far away and you won't have enough distance left to actually transfer any energy.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the most relevant equations to explain this are &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Work=Force x Distance and Transfer of Momentum = Force x Time&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words you want to maximize the force with which you strike, the Distance over which that force is applied and the amount of time your strike is in contact with the target.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For this you need raw muscle strength.  So any dynamic strength training for the arm muscles should be suitable.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2015-12-28T12:42:02.517" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5852" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5840" CreationDate="2015-12-29T05:03:35.093" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;My kids have been doing Tae Kwon Do for 2 years and just wondering if there was a better system for them for now. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this age your kids should be having fun and developing gross motor skills. Taekwon-do might be great for them depending on the instructor. The instructor needs to instill discipline in the children, and at the same time teach them basic moves (and have fun learning, of course!). If your instructor is doing that now, then I see no need for a change.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I feel they will become black belts within a year but not have mastered everything due to their age. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It doesn't matter what belt they wear, a white belt who is eager to learn is far better than a black belt who doesn't want to train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So don't worry! Your kids are too young to master everything in Taekwon-do. They should be learning the most basic things and build their knowledge/skills from there. Be patient and things will fall into place. Who knows, they might want to pick up another martial art or fighting style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1797" LastActivityDate="2015-12-29T05:03:35.093" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5853" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4732" CreationDate="2015-12-29T13:15:54.870" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Good Aikido is good for self defense. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good Aikido teaches you real budo (warrior's way) so you can avoid being caught up in a bad situation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some good Good Aikido Demo. Masters are demonstrating in this post.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://goodaikido.com/good-aikido-demo/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://goodaikido.com/good-aikido-demo/&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What impresses me the most about Good Aikido is anyone can do it. You don't need to big or powerful to get out of a bad situation. You also don't need to be in a punch up situation. Avoid, Control the situation and prevail. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://goodaikido.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://goodaikido.com/&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good Aikido is the real Mental Martial Arts (MMA). Mental Martial Arts are the daily application of martial arts in the modern world. Have a look at mental strategy books like '48 laws of power' by Greene.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;May I suggest that you visit an Iwama Style Aikido or Yoshinkan Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The biggest question I get is, 'if Aikido is about peace then why are we learning martial art. Doesn't that contradict each other'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My answer is 'It is better to be a warrior in the middle of a garden, than a gardener is the middle of a war'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6578" LastActivityDate="2015-12-29T13:15:54.870" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5854" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="631" CreationDate="2015-12-29T17:27:52.070" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Karate is fine and will strengthen lower back and build core strength. I have a prolapsed disc which bothers me from time to time. I studied karate for 3 years as a youth and went back to it 25 years later in my 40s now. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take it real easy to start with, and at your own pace especially with the high kicks. Unfortunately joining a club may be too demanding on your back with sparring etc. But you can learn it well at home with a complete DVD course called &quot;Get my black belt&quot; (Amazon) I can assure you this course will teach you wado ryu karate at home  if you follow it properly to a black belt 1st dan level. Compared to the 3 years real dojo training I had as a youth I find this course more beneficial and extremely rewarding almost like a personal tutor in my house and  goes into much more detail and explaining everything perfectly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know you can't grade yourself or award yourself a belt but so what you will know what they know.. And have a stronger core and back than you had before.. but remember if you have a bad back be careful - small steps Grasshopper = Big changes.. Good Luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6579" LastEditorDisplayName="user5562" LastEditDate="2019-01-20T20:33:16.533" LastActivityDate="2019-01-20T20:33:16.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5855" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4732" CreationDate="2015-12-30T02:51:00.590" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;What I took from Aikido is to discover the least harmful way to respond to any attack, to subdue your opponent in the most complete and least harmful way possible, and to practice these responses so frequently that they become the automatic instinctive response to said attacks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think it was intended to be almost like a non-lethal krav maga in a way, where there is a response to any attack you can think of that can quickly subdue an opponent, including opponents with weapons, but I think the method of teaching has become too systemized in order to keep the schools more unified and to keep strong tradition as part of that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My understand of the theory of &quot;The Way of Peace an Harmony&quot; is that a master of the martial arts can win any fight without taking any damage, nor harming their opponent. A saying in Aikido is that is something like &quot;whomever strikes first loses.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether that is mainly how it is used or not, that is my understanding of how it is intended. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6580" LastActivityDate="2015-12-30T02:51:00.590" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5856" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2015-12-31T11:16:18.567" Score="3" ViewCount="112" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 42 years old and have never been very flexible. I do Tae Kwon do and need to improve my kicks. Any good leg/hip stretches?  I've been working hard on it for last year but not much improvement. Thanks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6560" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-01-02T15:04:36.850" LastActivityDate="2016-01-02T15:04:36.850" Title="Stretching for kicks" Tags="|training|stretching|flexibility|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2016-01-03T07:13:36.560" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5857" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1983" CreationDate="2016-01-01T00:42:43.877" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;These two techniques not dependent on core physics but psychology. In English terms its called hypnotism. I would say this is an advanced form of hypnotism achieved by extreme practicing. In the video mentioned above, the instructor name is Dr.Prakashan Gurukal who by his 40+ years of practicing has achieved this masterpiece. Search for his name in YouTube and Google for more information. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6583" LastActivityDate="2016-01-01T00:42:43.877" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5858" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5840" CreationDate="2016-01-01T08:05:56.123" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A grappling art fits very well with this age group: Wrestling, BJJ or Judo will develop spatial awareness, balance and coordination in a safe and effective fashion. The quality of the instructor is key. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, nobody is really a black belt in just two years... even if they happen to wear one. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="539" LastActivityDate="2016-01-01T08:05:56.123" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5859" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5861" CreationDate="2016-01-01T21:42:09.687" Score="2" ViewCount="120" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am new to wrestling, and I am considering getting into submission wrestling. The question I have is, how valuable are private lessons versus regular classes as a beginner? Can I, assuming a good instructor, get significantly more out of taking a private lesson than a regular class?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6078" LastEditorUserId="6078" LastEditDate="2016-01-01T22:02:19.840" LastActivityDate="2016-01-03T05:49:52.957" Title="Value of private lessons for beginners (submission wrestling)" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5860" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5862" CreationDate="2016-01-03T04:04:42.037" Score="7" ViewCount="8956" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a Blue Belt in BJJ and High-Green Belt in Hapkido, and recently I have been trying to integrate some throws that require manipulating the wrist (Outside Wrist Throw). This technique is from Hapkido and Aikido, and to me, I think it's a great idea as soon as someone grabs your lapel. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, I can't say people love it. But instead of accepting the technique, it seems as if people see it as cheating or unsportsmanlike. Why is that? The wrist is a joint like many others we attack in BJJ. And there is no striking involved either. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6586" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-01-18T03:50:34.133" LastActivityDate="2022-11-03T23:57:06.510" Title="Why is using wristlock throws so frowned upon in BJJ even though they are not illegal?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|throwing|hapkido|wrist-lock|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5861" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5859" CreationDate="2016-01-03T05:49:52.957" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A general grappling perspective:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Advantages of private lessons&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Instruction proceeds at your speed. This can be very important if your experience level is not similar to that of other students in a group class. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Private lessons allow working through many iterations of instruction and attempts at a particular technique during a single session. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Instructor can ensure you do not acquire bad habits. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Disadvantages&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A variety of training partners exposes you to the range of possible styles, body types, and reactions. A single technique may work quite differently depending on the opponent. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Training in a group allows you to learn from others, both in direct instruction as well as observing other students. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If your private instructor's body type differs significantly from yours, it can be difficult to understand how adapt techniques for your body. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Private lessons are more expensive. This is especially true if as a beginner you need extensive rudimentary work; you end up paying for private time when regular class time could be just as good. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If money is an issue, I would recommend starting in a group class because of the benefits of multiple training partners. You can assess whether you progress at an acceptable rate, and I expect you can then add on or switch to private lessons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-01-03T05:49:52.957" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5862" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5860" CreationDate="2016-01-03T06:16:37.460" Score="16" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, you need to ask your instructors and senior students about anything you see them turning their noses up to. Do this reflexively. Always ask why.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they have no good answer for you, other than that they just don't do it, then that's your answer. Otherwise, this is the sort of question that will lead to a much better understanding of Brazilian Jiujitsu, because it could reveal something to you that you hadn't considered before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrist locks and wrist take-downs are allowed in most BJJ competitions, with restrictions on children and for some belt ranks (typically not allowed until purple belt).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrist locks are in the official Gracie Jiujitsu syllabus, also. They appear in its classical self-defense drill sets. And there are some BJJ black belts who specialize in it and even put on workshops detailing wrist locks in BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If wrist techniques are legal to do and part of the art, then why would some BJJ people be uncomfortable with them?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One answer is that some people have never seen them, because they either do a sport version of BJJ, or they just haven't reached the rank where wrist locks are introduced. Naturally, they're not going to know what to do right away when you do your wrist lock on them. It might take your instructor stopping class to demo what to do in this case. Then after that, you might find your wrist lock becomes ineffective on others in your class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In sport BJJ, wrist techniques are considered &quot;low percentage&quot; and may be excluded from practice altogether from a particular school. In other words, they're risky to do and put you in jeopardy of losing your positional advantage or getting submitted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, even if you do a self-defense based version of BJJ, you might find that your instructors are reluctant to use wrist manipulation. There are good reasons for that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the case of the Hapkido &quot;outside wrist throw&quot; that you mentioned (which I think is the same as the Aikido &quot;kote-gaeshi&quot; technique more or less), there are many ways this can go wrong for you. First, realize that someone who is fighting you isn't going to give you their wrists. In fact, the hands are typically the fastest moving body part on your opponent. They flail around so fast your eyes can't even see them. So if you're actively targeting them, trying to capture them and then do your wrist lock throw, you're likely going to fail miserably. You'll miss.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, one of the principles of BJJ is to concentrate on the body first during a take-down, not on the extremities. The body (torso) is the slowest part of your opponent. That's why BJJ is so successful at diving under punches and doing a two-arm grab of the torso before the take-down. Even if you end up eating that punch, you still find yourself holding on to that torso, which allows you to take your opponent down and win the fight on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, the way this wrist throw is done, you typically have to get some distance between you and your opponent, and turn perpendicular to your opponent or turn your back against your opponent while applying force to the hand and wrist. This is problematic for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Getting distance implies you were close to your opponent already and then got out of there. There are easier ways of taking him down if you managed to get close. You just lost that advantage if you broke away. And you took extra time to get that distance, during which time your opponent can follow you and take you down. Also, at this distance, you're vulnerable to being struck with punches and kicks (and your opponent has a free arm and two free legs). BJJ likes to quickly get in and control the torso, because in that short distance, your opponent can't generate as much power in his strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you never got close in the first place prior to performing the wrist lock, then see my first point, above: People don't just let you grab their flailing wrists, unless you get lucky, but luck isn't something you should train to rely on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, turning your body perpendicular to your opponent like this technique does means you are opening yourself up to being taken down. It's not a solid, defensive stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And using both of your hands to apply the wrist lock throw means both of your arms are busy doing something, while only one of his arms is captured. If you're doing the math, that means he has one more arm than you do free. Those are bad odds. And as I mentioned before, he still has the ability to kick and punch you, whereas your arms are tied up trying to do a wrist throw, unable to guard and block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many Hapkido and Aikido people that just cringed upon reading that, I'll bet. They're recalling all of the times it worked for them in class, (typically against lapel grabs from stiff-armed people who are told to keep holding onto that lapel).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key thing to realize is that these arts don't typically involve actively resisting opponents. When that element (sparring) is added, these wrist throws are almost never done. People don't let you take their wrists without punching or kicking the crap out of you, basically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that being said, do a Youtube search for &quot;BJJ wrist locks&quot;. You might be surprised by what you see. There are a lot of videos showing them. But pay attention to the fact that none of them look anything like the outside wrist throw like you mentioned. Instead, they tend to be done from very close in when it's safe for them to do so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BJJ people can be very sneaky about their wrist locks. You might not see them unless someone pointed it out. It's not that they're illegal moves, so people are trying to disguise them. No, they're all perfectly legal moves in BJJ. It's just that the wrist lock is generally not the only thing they have going on in the technique. It's like a cherry on top or the icing on the cake. It can and has been used to tap opponents, but it's most often used transitionally, to move into a better position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's probably something you should work on at black belt level. Until then, you might want to stick with the things your system is trying to teach you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for other techniques which come from other martial arts styles, besides wrist locks, this depends on the school and the instructor. People are there to learn BJJ, and so if you come into the school with stuff from other martial arts, it might be seen as, &quot;That's nice, now how about you concentrate on learning what you're here to learn?&quot; &lt;i&gt;(But definitely follow-up on it with your instructor asking him why those techniques are frowned upon.)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The BJJ schools I've been to have all seemed to welcome other outside martial arts techniques. For example, one school I visited had a high ranking Judo student. So the 3rd degree black belt instructor asked the Judo student to show the class the proper way to throw. And apparently this was a regular part of their class, to ask her for correction on their throws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen other BJJ schools that have ex-wrestlers, muay-thai people, boxers, and kali people who demonstrate their stuff for the class. In general, it's a small part of the class, but the instructors welcome it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The etiquette is very important, though. You can't just yell, &quot;Hey everyone, look at me. I'm going to show you this cool Hapkido technique.&quot; Instead, it has to be something the instructor has seen you do before, asked you about, and had a chance to test you with it. Then in class, if he sees merit to the technique and thinks you're particularly good at it, he might turn to you and ask you to demonstrate it. Otherwise, it's best to keep it to yourself in class and work on it only when you're rolling outside of class time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My perspective anyway. For what it's worth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2016-01-03T06:21:52.647" LastActivityDate="2016-01-03T06:21:52.647" CommentCount="16" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5863" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-01-03T11:24:11.097" Score="4" ViewCount="292" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've seen quite a bit of Kendo now and I always wonder why they do anticipating attacks. I mean they start their sword off in a position where they must draw back, but how is this good? As the open could then potentially attack them with a readied attack from their stance, like a stance. I've also seen a lot of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_European_martial_arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;HEMA&lt;/a&gt;, in which they do not anticipate at all, or rarely at least.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6587" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-01-04T00:01:00.570" LastActivityDate="2017-02-03T21:20:06.693" Title="Kendo techniques" Tags="|kendo|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5864" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5860" CreationDate="2016-01-03T15:53:05.150" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most throws in BJJ descend from western wrestling, or Judo.  In both of these arts, the focus is on taking the opponents balance.  Resisting one of these throws does not matter much:  if someone is good, you can strain all you like against their seio nage, but basic physics cannot be violated, and if your balance is taken you will end up safely thrown to your back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kote-gaeshi relies on a different principle:  uke falls down because they have to fall down to avoid having their wrist broken.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a culture in BJJ of applying submissions slowly enough that your opponent can tap without injury.  Kote-gaeshi violates this expectation:  you apply a submission quickly to provoke a response other than tapping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This idea is probably foreign to most BJJ players.  They see you as cranking a low percentage submission, and trying to break their wrist.  To them, this technique is a lot like cranking on an armbar - it makes you a dick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to start training this technique, it needs to be introduced to your training partners carefully.  They need to learn the ukemi, or they are at risk of injury.  They need to know what you are going for, so they do not see it as irresponsibly dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Follow the rules of your academy.  If heel hooks are banned, do not use them.  If wrist locks are banned, do not use them.  You can try to make an argument for a rule change, but I would advise against &quot;civil disobedience&quot; in a context where people's joints are on the line. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you get permission to experiment with kote-gaeshi, I would ask some of your friends to drill it with you first.  Learn the ukemi together.  When you play standup, only go for wristlocks with those people you have drilled with.  You might even give them a heads up that you are going to try and attempt them during the practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eventually, if you have a lot of success, and there are no injuries,  you might find that the culture of your academy grows to accept these as a normal part of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6532" LastActivityDate="2016-01-03T15:53:05.150" CommentCount="21" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5865" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5860" CreationDate="2016-01-03T20:16:48.383" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I find wristlock throws to sometimes be frowned upon because they are somewhat dangerous due to the speed with which they must be applied to be successful, and their unfamiliarity. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfamiliarity can be fixed, just like leglocks are currently undergoing a normalization process in the community, or like wristlocks-as-a-submission are better recognized in BJJ. Recognize that with familiarity comes defenses and counters--in fact, showing someone how to avoid, defend, roll out of, and counter your wristlock throw is probably the fastest way to getting them to accept it. (And your technique will improve too!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact that a wristlock throw has to be executed fast is tough to fix. People are going to be justifiably angry if you crank their joint in order to throw them, whether you're doing &lt;em&gt;kotegaeshi&lt;/em&gt; or a Kimura-ripping &lt;em&gt;sumi gaeshi&lt;/em&gt; or a &lt;em&gt;waki-gatame&lt;/em&gt;. It's impolite in BJJ to apply submissions fast with the intent to make the opponent move instead of tap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-01-03T20:16:48.383" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5866" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5849" CreationDate="2016-01-04T13:14:08.240" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should focus on your &lt;em&gt;basics movements&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;lines of balance&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;how to generate power&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, your basic movements (the ones you do at the start of the class) are there because they are used everywhere. Any technique will use a basic move, or a slight variation of a basic move. If you cannot see it, ask someone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, the lines of balance are important: where is uke's line of weakness?  This is probably where you should be pushing/pulling uke. Most, if not all, techniques follow a line of weakness. Some kata might assume that uke does a certain thing (for example, pulls back on a grab) so uke needs to know what they are going as well.  Again, if you are unsure, ask.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, sometimes uke is generous and provides you with plenty of momentum to throw them. At other times, not so much -- for example when you miss your timing point. In that case, you need to provide most (if not all) of the momentum to throw uke. In most cases, power comes from your core muscles which generally is what tanden/hara refers to. If you have a strong core, then throw will be easier. As &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/6440/philip-kl%C3%B6cking&quot;&gt;Philip Klöcking&lt;/a&gt; kindly pointed out in the comments, not only is the core the biggest muscle group but the centre of mass of the body is generally close to it. As in Judo, keeping your core low makes it harder to destabilise. This works for both uke and tori.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I suspect you are overthinking it. Learn techniques slowly at first, then speed them up, and finally add resistance to make sure that they work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-01-04T14:48:29.857" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5867" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-01-05T04:32:47.993" Score="6" ViewCount="1410" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a 14 year old girl with a second poom in WTF tae kwon do and have been doing a competitive sparring class for 2 years. Originally I joined because I wanted to try and make nationals, but though I can see myself improving, I'm still miles behind everyone else and I don't think I have potential. I always panic and can't think straight when I spar with someone in the class, who are all on the national team (I'm the only one who isn't). My coach doesn't pay attention to me because he's more focused on training the other competitive athletes; I get the feeling that the other athletes (ages ranging from my age up to university age) dislike me. It's getting so bad that I dread going there and always try and get out of it, even though I genuinely enjoy the sport. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should I quit the class?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6591" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-09-21T08:39:50.447" LastActivityDate="2019-01-22T08:05:17.987" Title="Should I quit competitive sparring class in tae kwon do?" Tags="|training|tae-kwon-do|sparring|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5868" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5867" CreationDate="2016-01-05T07:40:19.340" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Of course you should quit!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what you said, you are neither having fun nor learning anything.  I know you are young but your time is valuable. &lt;em&gt;There is no point in wasting your time with people who do not appreciate you and refuse to teach you.&lt;/em&gt; The shame is theirs. Find another martial art class to go to, one where you can learn, grow, and have fun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you cannot find a tae kwon do class, it does not matter: look around for a good instructor in a fun setting with good people, style is second.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-01-06T07:14:27.607" LastActivityDate="2016-01-06T07:14:27.607" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5869" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5867" CreationDate="2016-01-05T09:40:23.227" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A fight is not lost, until you really believe it is. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two options you can get out of this situation. Doing what Sardathrion suggested or you can stay and stand your ground!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, your current coach seems to be focused on his 'babies' aka nationals people. But what I mean is that you say you are seeing improvement in your skills even though you are not getting as much attention as the others and that means to me that you have potential.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being afraid before a fight is just a feeling like being happy or sad and is caused through Adrenalin to prepare your body for a fight or flight situation.&#xA;(Mike Tyson used to cry before fights!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main factor to focus on is to work on the way you are handling with this feeling. If you accept the situation and you succeed in 'not thinking' during a fight (be a wooden dummy like Bruce Lee said) - by that I mean you should not think about losing, getting hurt, not being good enough or giving up already because of your opponent is in the nationals or has a higher black belt... you will make big progress and you will learn to control yourself and your fears in all life situations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is always easier going the path with less resistance, but if you choose to go the 'fighting' path, there are two recommendations I give to my students: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do what you are afraid of more often and you will get used to it - it might happen that you start even enjoying it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Give your head a little help in bridging the freezing state after the pre-fight adrenaline pump, with a trigger word - like GO that you use to start the first move or attack ex sparring etc.&#xA;(Of course that trigger word you don't say loud, its just your internal one :-))&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't forget to have fun too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck whichever path you choose but as a Martial Artist there is only one way - Bushido... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastEditorDisplayName="user5562" LastEditDate="2019-01-20T20:34:47.487" LastActivityDate="2019-01-20T20:34:47.487" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5870" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5867" CreationDate="2016-01-05T13:14:59.230" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The way I read this, you have joined a high performance group and you are failing to meet expectations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Failing is okay - it's continuing to fail that isn't okay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So yes, you should quit. This class has taught you a valuable lesson - that you are not ready for competitive sparring at a national level. That's okay, not everyone makes it to the top. An absolutely crucial skill to have to become successful at anything is to know when you've failed, admit it, face it, accept it, then try something else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can be brilliantly successful at other things. You might even be successful at sparring when you get older, just not now. But pick yourself up, try something else - you might be great at forms, or you might excel in another art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't be like this guy:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pkwEH.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pkwEH.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2016-01-05T13:14:59.230" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5871" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5867" CreationDate="2016-01-05T14:30:23.593" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You don't have to be the best. Your training should improve you in ways that are independent of where you may finish in competition. If your training does not do this, then I definitely recommend leaving. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, if you want to succeed in national competition, you need to improve in sparring. If you want to improve at sparring/fighting, you find the best opponents, which seems to be where you are. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fourteen is a young, socially awkward age. This is an age when you and your peers are starting to grow into adults, with corresponding social and physical changes. Everyone's development may be different; you should not expect to progress at the same rate as everyone else, as in the tortoise and the hare story. But you need to make sure you make consistent progress. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Talk to your coach one-on-one. Tell your coach what problems you are encountering, and ask how to solve them. Be honest to yourself and your coach about what your goals are, and whether meeting them is a possibility. If your coach cannot coach you properly, then you should definitely leave. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a difference between people actively avoiding you and not making the first effort. So make the first effort to befriend your classmates. If they rebuff you, then you know exactly where you stand. [It's hard to tell from your question what your peer situation is. Is 14 really university age where you are? Small age differences make a big difference socially in school.]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are panicking, I suggest slowing down your partner sparring. Find a speed you are comfortable with, and gradually increase speed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't do something that makes you miserable. There are plenty of opportunities in life outside the confines of athletic competitions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-01-05T14:30:23.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5872" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="995" CreationDate="2016-01-05T14:51:48.780" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Taiji and other meditative practices teach deep breathing, which has been &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.npr.org/2010/12/06/131734718/just-breathe-body-has-a-built-in-stress-reliever&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;scientifically linked to health benefits&lt;/a&gt;. Taiji will provide these benefits without the potential health problems that accompany meditation practices requiring long periods of sitting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nature.com/hr/journal/v33/n7/abs/hr201074a.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Sympathetic nerve activity is decreased during device-guided slow breathing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://search.proquest.com/openview/9b98ccfa3b77e8dc6667b20e1ca0f96c/1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Effect of short-term practice of breathing exercises on autonomic functions in normal human volunteers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Improved oxygenation (after surgery):&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://oto.sagepub.com/content/139/2/281.short&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Effect of deep breathing exercises on oxygenation after major head and neck surgery&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://journal.publications.chestnet.org/article.aspx?articleid=1084030&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Better pulmonary function in Deep-Breathing Exercises Reduce Atelectasis and Improve Pulmonary Function After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the above references, slow breathing seems to be defined as &amp;lt; 10 breaths per minute. In the context of internal martial arts training, this is still relatively fast for a focused breathing exercise, where a goal after continued practice could be 2-4 breaths per minute. Through training, this breathing pattern should become reflexive, which presumably helps you accrue the benefits of deep breathing over time and not just when you are actively practicing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although simple in concept, breathing is not easy to learn and requires training. It is not sufficient simply to breathe slower or hold your breath, because this will cause you to become uncomfortable and/or lightheaded. Breathing should be relaxed, long, deep, and even. This requires physical changes in the body. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-01-05T14:51:48.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5873" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5828" CreationDate="2016-01-05T17:49:01.933" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Arching your back... there's a right way to do it, and a wrong way to do it.  Beginners do it the wrong way, and what happens is that as the upper body goes backward, and the leg goes forward, the foot doesn't have much to back up the kick.  If it's a front kick or round house (any X- or Y-axis kick) then you have the potential to miss the target by undershooting the kick, although the power is kept.  If it's a side or push kick (any Z-axis kick) then you have the potential to pull the kick, thereby robbing you of power, although, the kick does maintain its intended course - so doesn't affect aim, unless the arching is really bad then the kick is entirely pulled without hitting the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, if the arch isn't controlled, you end up throwing your body backward, and that can throw you off balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When done properly, you are thrusting the hips forward normally, it's just the back arching back.  Beginners can't do this: they don't know how to separate the hips and the back into distinct movements.  So an experienced kicker can arch the back as both an evasion and counter, all without loss of aim or power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to other effects, arching the back places tremendous forces on the lower back, which becomes the foundation for the upper body.  If you are not well conditioned in the lower back, your posture becomes strained.  That leads to back and neck pain in the long run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2016-01-05T17:49:01.933" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5874" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5696" CreationDate="2016-01-05T18:18:07.877" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The key to your self-defense in any style can be unlocked by competently studying your forms.  It is not enough to be able to flawlessly perform movements if you don't know what the movements represent.  You must also be careful of common pitfalls: take Taeguek 1, for example.  The first movement is a turn to the left and low block.  Many instructors teach this as a block to an incoming roundhouse kick from the left.  If this is the explanation you're given, then, your instructor does not know what s/he is doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each movement presupposes you've already been attacked; in the preceding example, it presupposes you're about to be attacked.  Aside from the absurdity that anyone would wait until the last second to turn and block what will be expected to be a kick, we must think that the attack could be anything.  It is much better and open-minded to consider an attack that has already occurred, and your first response is to turn to the left.  There are a boat-load of possible scenarios - I can think of a dozen at the top of my head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, consider some of the odd movements, like the spearhand (2nd movement in Taeguek 4), which requires the left palm down as the right hand extends to a spearhand.  Did anyone ever tell you that the spearhand was a strike to the solar plexus?  Hopefully, your BS-o-meter is ringing off the hook.  The fact that your left hand is assisting in some way should give a hint.  Why is it absurd?  Because you would be placing your face and trunk in such close proximity to your opponent, and you have not given any protection to your face and trunk: a recipe for disaster.  (Answer: the &quot;spearhand&quot; in this case is a throw.  The giveaway?  That's the double knifehand block that precedes it, which isn't blocking anything.  The inside hand on the sternum was grabbed, you turn that grabbed hand palm up while pushing the opponent's head away from you - that's (one) purpose of a double knifehand &quot;strike&quot;.  The step in to the spearhand is the elbow lock (left palm down) and throw (the thrust of the spearhand throws the opponent).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To unlock all of this, you need competent instruction.  There are many books and prominent stylists out there, like Iain Abernethy.  They're great for giving you ideas, but you need hands-on practice.  You need a mat.  And you need someone to explain the &quot;rules&quot; of learning your forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To give you a start in the right direction, I recommend the book &quot;The Way of Kata&quot;, by Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder.  They explain forms from a Karate perspective, but, the concepts easily adapt to Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also recommend YouTube channel by Iain Abernethy, and another channel by John Burke.  There are several others.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watch, read, memorize.  Then get practical hands-on practice on the mat from a competent instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will learn that forms teach us many things: technique, balance, striking, blocking, parrying, throwing, falling, breath control, pressure points, joint breaking, locks, pins, adaptation to pain... and more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Above all, be open minded about the instruction you read about, watch, and experience.  There are a dozen ways each technique can be applied, there are no right or wrong scenarios - as long as they make sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people recommend cross-training.  If your instruction is competent, there should never be a reason to cross-train.  Your style contains all that you need to learn.  If your instructor is a boob, then, of course you can either cross-train or change schools.  Otherwise, pay attention to your instructors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2016-01-05T18:18:07.877" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5875" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5867" CreationDate="2016-01-05T21:43:18.303" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you're not seeing improvements perhaps learning a different style of striking might improve your game like kickboxing. Sanda and Muay Thai are popular styles of kickboxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6567" LastActivityDate="2016-01-05T21:43:18.303" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5877" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5880" CreationDate="2016-01-06T11:03:20.533" Score="12" ViewCount="1938" Body="&lt;p&gt;In many martial arts such as Boxing, Karate, Judo, BJJ, TKD etc., there is a strict rule-set of &quot;safe&quot; techniques [yes, often a fine line] and their practice/development is well defined.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is also a well defined competitive progression:  club to regional to national to continental to international.  This progression also helps reduce injury risk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, my question is: &quot;&lt;strong&gt;How can you properly learn techniques which are too dangerous to ever apply?&lt;/strong&gt;&quot;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an (extreme) example, someone who claims to be an expert in martial art &quot;X&quot; which &quot;teaches&quot; eye gauges - what evidence are they basing that claim to expertise on? Have they left a very bloody trail of ruptured eyes behind them?... I know I don't fancy being that uke and especially not their competitive opponent!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, the lack of actual &quot;live&quot; application of the techniques leaves a rather sour taste in my mouth, but I am very interested to hear other peoples' explanations and (hopefully) learn a thing or two.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="539" LastActivityDate="2016-01-06T18:00:42.560" Title="How can you properly learn techniques which are too dangerous to ever apply?" Tags="|technique|competition|safety|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5878" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5877" CreationDate="2016-01-06T11:38:33.597" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The short answer is you go through the motions as best you can.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I practice Shorinji Kempo, our favorite attack is a strike to the eyes using the tips of the fingers in a whip like action.  I have never hit anyone this way but I have:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) practiced the strike single form.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;2) hit people in places other than the eyes in this manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perfectly safe, but you learn the movement.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly we have a technique involving striking a valve on the carotid artery (on the neck).  Even pressing this point causes someone to feel light headed.  A strike will cause unconsiousness.  Again this isn't something you want to try on someone you don't want to hurt.  But what we will do is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) practice it alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) practice hitting the shoulder in this manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) do the technique full speed then slow down for the strike to the neck.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4) practice finding the point on each other.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The techniques that are hardest to do truly safely in this style are the wrist locks and fine joint manipulation.  The founder of Shorinji Kempo adapted these from the original techniques so as to minimize the chance of breaking bones.  But still the joints degrade over time and the techniques are very painful.  This is considered to be the price we pay for learning the art.  A sacrifice we make for our training partners to make sure they learn the techniques correctly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Different people I have trained with in other styles have different approches to these techniques.  Jitsu Foundation martial artists tend to do these techniques harder than us and as a result injuries occur almost every training session.  Aikido practitioners tend to say things like &quot;you need to learn not to do this so hard&quot; but that is a difference in training style really.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2016-01-06T11:38:33.597" CommentCount="13" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5879" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5877" CreationDate="2016-01-06T15:02:28.710" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Great question. I suggest that many of the so-called &quot;too dangerous&quot; techniques are very low-yield in practice. In other words, you're not going to get as much bang for your buck from them as you will your more &quot;meat and potatoes&quot; techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's take the finger-tip eye gouge for example. This is distinct from shoving your thumb or finger into someone's eye while, for example, grappling (that is, in fact, a very high-yield technique). It is a jabbing strike with a spear-hand at punching range. While it is dangerous to do this to a training partner, it is actually significantly more difficult than punching to the face, because of the precision required to hit the smaller target of the eye, and because of the body's natural flinch response when foreign objects near the eye.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you fight, you will also suffer a loss of fine motor skills, due to adrenaline dump, that many of these &quot;too dangerous&quot; techniques rely on. So many of the &quot;hit this nerve to cause unconsciousness&quot; styles find that their techniques do not work when pressure-tested. It is surprising how &lt;em&gt;hard&lt;/em&gt; it is to hit someone who knows it's coming and doesn't want to be hit. This is true for basic punches and kicks, and doubly so for precision pressure points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When it comes down to it, people who practice &quot;too dangerous&quot; techniques are basing their beliefs on tradition. A certain amount of tradition is common sense (much of it is BS). There wouldn't be a spearhand in Karate, for example, if a spearhand never worked for anybody at anytime. It is also logical that shoving your finger in someone's eye will hurt, or at least distract them. Nonetheless, these are difficult to pressure-test and therefore should not be go-to techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How To Practice&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But your question pertains to how to practice them, not whether or not it is advisable to practice them. Invest in a Century B.O.B. (Body Opponent Bag). It has all the heft of a standing kick bag with human-shaped targets for you to practice your accuracy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than this, you can, as suggested in the other answer, practice your techniques at less than full force or at targets other than the intended ones. For example, while a claw to the groin will leave you with no more partners willing to train with you, you can use a claw to the tricep to assist you in a hip toss.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;80/20&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When in doubt, follow the 80-20 rule, a rule of thumb which, when applied to martial arts, states &quot;You will use about 20% of the techniques your martial art contains about 80% of the time, while you will use 80% of the techniques of your martial art about 20% of the time&quot;. The trick is, you should spend about 80% of your time on those 20% of high yield techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2016-01-06T15:02:28.710" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5880" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5877" CreationDate="2016-01-06T16:47:01.890" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can't reliably get good at things you don't practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a fight, we don't rise to the level of our expectations. Rather, we fall to the level of our training. Whether it's an eye-poke, strike to the carotid sinus, a chin-push osotogari, or some other dangerous technique, if you never train it against a resisting opponent (that is, &lt;em&gt;in sparring&lt;/em&gt;), you won't ever really have a good handle on the technique. These are legitimate techniques that work, but you don't &lt;em&gt;know&lt;/em&gt; you're any good at them just by miming them against the air.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Neil Ohlenkamp, judo 6 dan, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judoinfo.com/sport.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;notes&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have never seen realistic training in throat strikes or eye gouges in any martial arts class, even though these are often recommended for self defense. The teaching generally done for these techniques helps students to understand what to do, but does not provide effective results for fast, reflexive and accurate application of these techniques against an unwilling opponent in real life combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as Gillian Russell accurately points out,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;there are a lot of martial beliefs that we do not get to test in such a direct way. Unless you're unfortunate enough to be fighting a hand-to-hand war you cannot check to see how much force and exactly which angle a neck-break requires, or learn from experience about the psychological effects and stopping power of an eye-gouge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In an epistemically ideal--though morally horrible--situation, we'd be able to test the effectiveness of techniques by doing them in realistic set-ups over and over again. How many times out of 100 does your no-holds barred nukite to the throat result in death within 5 minutes? 20/10? 80/100? What's the most likely alternative outcome? Bruising? Scratching? Coughing? Unconsciousness? Internal bleeding? Partially crushed trachea? Escalation? Can subjects partially armour against it or roll with it? These questions have answers, but&#xA;for good ethical reasons, we can't get at those answers by direct testing, and though martial techniques do get used 'for real', this rarely happens as part of a controlled experiment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(&lt;a href=&quot;https://gilliankrussell.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/epistemicviciousness.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Source - Martial Arts and Philosophy, edited by Graham Priest and Damon Young, Open Court, 2010 - PDF&lt;/a&gt;, emphasis mine.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, what to do? I say, get good at the techniques &lt;em&gt;similar&lt;/em&gt; to the dangerous techniques by training them against resisting opponents. For a spear-hand to the eyes, that means working on your jab, wearing gloves, against a heavy bag and a good sparring partner. For a chin-push osotogari, it means getting good at &lt;em&gt;osotogari&lt;/em&gt; from regular &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt; and no-gi grips. For a fast-ripping heel hook, it means establishing a wicked straight ankle lock that you apply slowly. Some techniques (e.g. neck breaks) don't really have less-dangerous variations, so you'll have to be content with just practicing getting into position to apply them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After putting the bulk of your training into applying those less dangerous techniques against resisting opponents, add some compliant practice of the dangerous variations. Make it as chaotic as you can make it, but it will necessarily remain compliant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-01-06T16:47:01.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5881" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5877" CreationDate="2016-01-06T18:00:42.560" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You master it by approximation: the more accurate the approximation, the better your odds are when you need it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now mind you, that also means a great deal of the practice is your entry and positioning against a resisting opponent to deliver whatever is supposed to be your technique that's too dangerous for practice.  That's the big pitfall most people fail on.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Oh, you just do this&quot; - and they show it against an unresisting opponent.  That's great for demonstration of the basic mechanics of the technique, that's not great for seeing if you can get to the position to deliver it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's plenty of dangerous techniques people practice that have evidence of working:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Knife attacks to vulnerable areas.  You don't actually stab people to see that it works, but your rubber knife getting a good position on the target is good practice.  Militaries practice this all the time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Grappling locks that break joints or tear tendons.  You can look up all the accidental injuries in practices to see what these techniques can do and the occasional times people have taken an arm bar or ankle hook all the way through in a match. (also, &quot;contraindicated mobilizations&quot; for massage and chiropractic work that ends in injury)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gouging_(fighting_style)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Eye Gouging&lt;/a&gt; has a horrific history that shows it can be effective, however, my guess is that's also backed up by a lot of grappling to get into position.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;For a non-combat example - CPR is too dangerous to practice on someone who doesn't need it.  You break a great number of the recipient's ribs in the chest compressions - which is why they've made the dummy for people to practice on.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is not to say every technique that someone claims is &quot;too dangerous&quot; is actually functional or effective, but that there are definite historical and current examples of things that are actually dangerous, that you can't actually do on your training partner, but you can be proficient enough to use.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also helps to look up what moves are outlawed in combat sports - boxing, judo, etc. - if it wasn't effective at all, then it wouldn't have to be outlawed as a potential attack. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-01-06T18:00:42.560" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5882" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="104" CreationDate="2016-01-06T21:33:46.463" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;A recently-created false dichotomy&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From Kennedy &amp;amp; Guo's excellent book, Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals: A Historical Survey:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a number of classification schemes used when discussing Chinese martial arts. The one major thing they all have in common is that they are not very accurate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Internal versus External&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to this scheme, Chinese martial arts are either internal or external or, to use another set of words, &amp;quot;soft styles&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;hard styles.&amp;quot; The distinct is supposed to be based on whether the system gives priority to developing internal strength or external strength, which generally gets reduced to: does the system place a great emphasis on qi development or not?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this classification scheme, the arts of Xingyi, Bagua, and Taiji-quan are the three major internal systems. Everything else is external. It parallels the Wudang versus Shaolin scheme.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem with the internal versus external scheme is that it is a false dichotomy. Xingyi practitioners do lots of push-ups and sit-ups, both of which are external strength exercises. In a similar vein, Hung Gar—ostensibly an external system—has an entire set, the Iron Wire set, devoted to internal development.... It is worth noting too that the internal-external classification scheme is of recent vintage, first being used in the late Qing and Republican period.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chapter 7, page 78 of my copy. They go on to discuss the Shaolin/Wudang scheme, which as noted above is identical in grouping Taiji, Xingyi, and Bagua in opposition to other arts. The most relevant passage, quoted here, is on page 84:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How the Wudang branch (consisting of Xingyi, Bagua, and Taiji-quan) came to be one group is a complicated story. A lot of it has to do with personal friendships between masters and hometown loyalties and links. The bottom line is, a group coalesced in the late 1800s and its members viewed themselves as teachers of &amp;quot;Wudang martial arts.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The real basis for this division of Shaolin versus Wudang was simply the formation of a clique that included such luminaries as Sun Lu Tang and Li Cun Yi. They wanted a label to distinguish them and their martial systems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me, this explanation is the most convincing, and has clear implications. &amp;quot;Internal&amp;quot; is now recognized as a marketing term. It is meant to promote those three arts by excluding and subtly, by implication, denigrating others. It dovetails with mysticism and with the exotification of Asian culture to give Xingyi, Bagua, and Taiji cachet: they are the arts that can grant metaphysical powers. Other arts are merely physical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-01-07T22:32:53.333" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5883" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5884" CreationDate="2016-01-06T21:44:26.997" Score="2" ViewCount="1031" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll have my first (real) Muay Thai fight soon and I was wondering about Mike Tyson's famous quote: &quot;Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Actually, I find this quote very realistic. Of course that, when training, I already have been punched in the face and have felt all the effects of it. But, when training, you can stop and breathe. But there's no time to breathe in a real fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe that everything you should do in a real competition must be the result of a lot of practice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, are there any viable (healthy) ways to simulate the body reactions to a punch landed to the face, intending to practice defense in such semiconscious state?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5606" LastActivityDate="2016-01-07T12:50:06.447" Title="Are there viable ways to simulate the body reactions to a punch landed to the face?" Tags="|training|boxing|muay-thai|safety|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5884" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5883" CreationDate="2016-01-06T21:50:07.230" Score="9" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;But, when training, you can stop and breathe. But there's no time to breathe in a real fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This difference does not have to exist. A coach should occasionally put students through sparring of some kind that the student should not take breaks in. That can take many forms, including hard rounds with someone else from the gym, or a smoker match-up with another gym's prospective fighters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Are there any viable (healthy) ways to simulate the body reactions to a punch landed to the face&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cardio, cardio, cardio, and experience getting hit but not concussed is the answer I see most frequently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...practice defense in such semiconscious state?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;NOOOOOPE not a good idea. If you're semiconscious then you've taken a permanently damaging blow. These can happen in the course of training or competition, but seeking them out with any frequency over a long period of time is a recipe for slurring your words for the rest of your life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-01-06T21:50:07.230" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5885" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5867" CreationDate="2016-01-07T03:49:52.220" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the things my early teachers in the martial arts said, that I have seen repeatedly over the past 20ish years of teaching martial arts, is that everyone goes through phases where they feel like they aren't learning, or are even getting worse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Often, what is really happening is that the mental development that is part of learning a martial art is outstripping the physical skills development, so you see problems that you were not aware of faster than you can resolve them.  I call this the green belt disease, because almost everyone hits this at about green belt level (1 and a half to 2 years at 4 hours training per week).  That increased self awareness is actually a good sign of learning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, at 14 your body is still growing rapidly.  Your balance and timing will be off to some extent.  When your body stops growing, your physical skill level will quickly match your expectations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that said, it is entirely possible that the club you are practicing with is entirely too focused on the high level competition for where you are at now. If you like the people and organization, you might want to talk to the instructor about finding a feeder club to start at a level closer to where you are at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have no particular ties to this organization or system, there are many good martial arts clubs out there.  Most serious martial artists have trained in more than one system.  I feel it important enough to get input from people with backgrounds in different styles that our club hosts an annual rensei - a tournament format event that encourages and requires the &quot;judges&quot; to coach the competitors.  My students learn things from other teachers that they will never learn from me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the same time, I believe it is important to focus on one art until you have basic proficiency (first black belt for example), before diverging too much from your roots.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are looking to transfer your existing skills to another art, TKD is most similar to other Shotokan derivative arts, followed by Shorin ryu karate and hard style kung fu systems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck, and don't give up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6598" LastActivityDate="2016-01-07T03:49:52.220" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5886" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="11" CreationDate="2016-01-07T05:14:21.213" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In karate we call that juji-dachi (crossed stance).  It is used extensively throughout this kata (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHtm-eJYcg8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHtm-eJYcg8&lt;/a&gt;), where it is either the ending or the beginning boundary for a technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note:  You don't stand in the stance and throw techniques, you throw techniques either starting or finishing in the stance. The stance is what happens between techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the first usage, dropping into the stance allows 180 degrees of movement from the hips and upper body, generating a large amount of force in the elbow strike.  It also sets you up for the whiplash strike and block combination that immediately follows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is used again almost immediately as the practitioner drops into it to gain distance from the next attacker while receiving an attack, then gets the 180 degrees of hip rotation to generate a powerful punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's next use is almost invisible, but is mirrored in almost every form in any style.  When turning in a form, in any style, you pass through the stance at least briefly.  This is the source of the power for those impressively powerful blocks in beginner forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At about the midpoint in the form, there is an application similar to the one demonstrated in @Rophuine 's comment above.  The practitioner moves aggressively sideways into a block or strike, with the intent of immediately exploding in the opposite direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Towards the end, the practitioner drops into this stance to perform a jamming technique. The bunkai (analysis) is that it's a stable base that can be dropped into when the intended punch was interrupted by the opponent charging, to execute a jam and set up for the much stronger followup attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6599" LastActivityDate="2016-01-07T05:14:21.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5887" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5883" CreationDate="2016-01-07T12:50:06.447" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;So, are there any viable (healthy) ways to simulate the body reactions to a punch landed to the face, intending to practice defense in such semiconscious state?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had heard a story that at least some Cuban amateur boxers will do somersaults as part of their pad workouts. The idea is that this will help you improve punch accuracy/precision when you are a bit disoriented. On the surface this seems to be a relatively safe way to simulate a &quot;semiconscious&quot; state, but I have not idea how effective it might be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4267" LastActivityDate="2016-01-07T12:50:06.447" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5888" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="26" CreationDate="2016-01-08T11:45:28.897" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Take it to a dry cleaners that does repairs/alterations of clothes etc.&#xA;They have really good sewing machines that get through the thick fabric.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6608" LastActivityDate="2016-01-08T11:45:28.897" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5889" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5834" CreationDate="2016-01-08T19:02:37.630" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Adding to Huw's answer (that these major temples are a lot like businesses now and probably will not accept alternatives for payment in exchange for teachings, though there may be some exceptions for those in monkhood) - &#xA;it is worth noting that many schools, at least around the U.S. and with Chinese and Japanese martial arts, will offer flexible rates depending on income level. Based on the experiences of myself and my peers, you're more likely to have success forming that agreement if you can reach out to the leader to discuss it privately. If you are short on finances but can help support the school in other ways, maybe you can work out a deal like that (help setup and clean up, perform some other chores). If you have little income for now but are working to improve your situation, you might be able to get a discounted rate (e.g. a student discount).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The important thing there ties into Huw's bottom line as well: you don't need to go to physically travel far and abandon your house and job to get good martial art training which will help you cultivate a state of inner discipline and peace. Act locally, be sincere and honest, and be willing to emotionally travel and sacrifice. Not all schools will be flexible but I bet the more local the school, the better your chances, to be honest. For the school it can pay to be flexible with those in the community it is in, whereas they may want to avoid attracting unwanted attention by being flexible with travelers with little from far away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6396" LastEditorUserId="6396" LastEditDate="2016-01-08T20:00:48.927" LastActivityDate="2016-01-08T20:00:48.927" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5891" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-01-08T22:43:37.487" Score="2" ViewCount="1165" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure what to do in this situation,  but i definitely don't want my dentures to break! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6611" LastActivityDate="2016-01-10T03:12:36.060" Title="I have full dentures top and bottom... should I fit my mouthguard to my dentures or directly to my gums?" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5892" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5891" CreationDate="2016-01-10T03:12:36.060" Score="2" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Very Likely Fit to Gums, but &lt;em&gt;Ask Your Dentist&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dentists seem to be kind people. I'm sure they would love you to keep those expensive dentures. &lt;strong&gt;Ask your dentist about this.&lt;/strong&gt; The dental Health Foundation of Ireland specifically suggests &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dentalhealth.ie/download/pdf/denture_care_leaflet.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;not playing contact sports with dentures in&lt;/a&gt;. As martial arts are at least as demanding as contact sports, I would think this advice applies to martial arts as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it seems to be common sense that you should fit your mouthguard to whatever you plan on fighting in. If you want to fight with your dentures in &lt;strong&gt;and&lt;/strong&gt; risk them breaking, fit the mouthguard to your dentures. If you don't want your dentures to break, fit your mouthpiece to your gums.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-01-10T03:12:36.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5893" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5894" CreationDate="2016-01-10T21:43:50.367" Score="3" ViewCount="3730" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have fixed on braces and need a mouthguard for sparring. Now I've found mouthguards for braces however most of them are only for my upper teeth, do I'm not sure whether I need a double mouthguard or not? Any thoughts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6587" LastActivityDate="2016-01-16T08:21:21.263" Title="Mouth guards for boxing with braces" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5894" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5893" CreationDate="2016-01-11T12:32:10.243" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The standard for mouth guards is to only be for the upper teeth. This is pretty consistent from what I've seen in several contact sports (hockey, American football, rugger, boxing), both for the boil-and-bite type and for custom guards prepared for you by your dentist. I have never seen or used a mouth guard that also covers the lower teeth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4267" LastActivityDate="2016-01-11T12:32:10.243" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5895" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="694" CreationDate="2016-01-11T14:27:45.200" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you mean from a grammatical perspective, they are the same.  They are synonymous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if you mean from a style POV, it depends on what you mean, so some clarification is needed.  Typically, Kukkiwon universally refers to their forms as &quot;poomsae&quot;, so when Taekwondo-in hear this, they almost always assume you're referring to Kukkiwon's poomsae.  ITF is a little different.  There are two branches of thought.  One branch is more modern, and refer to their forms as &quot;hyung&quot;.  The other branch is older and more traditional, and refer to their forms as &quot;tul&quot; (a derivative of the Chinese word &quot;taolu&quot; which means... forms/hyung/poomsae/kata).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those who refer to their forms as &quot;tul&quot; are almost always ITF-based, and usually perform their forms with a sinewave (up/down motion with each movement).  Their kicks are generally very low, lending to the implication for self-defense.  Likewise, their stances are moderate compared to Kukkiwon whose stances are very narrow and short, vs many ITF schools - particularly the &quot;hyung&quot; crowd - whose stances can (but not always) be very long and wide (a feature some say was adapted from Shotokan Karate).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those who refer to their forms as &quot;hyung&quot; can be either modern ITF, kwan-based (that is, while officially belonging to Kukkiwon, they retain their original style look/feel), or traditional Tang Soo Do stylists.  They can also be part of other Korean martial arts - like Hwa Rang Do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because of the wide variety of styles (modern ITF, kwan-based, tang soo do) who practice &quot;hyung&quot;, it's not feasible to discern the differences, since each school will inevitably vary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'll give my opinion on my form stereotype.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bounce / sinewave:&#xA;If you see someone &quot;bouncing up a down with a deliberate emphasis on power in the &quot;down&quot; motion, you can always assume that is older ITF &quot;tul&quot; stylist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kicks:&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;Kukkiwon and modern ITF stylists almost always favor extremely high kicks.  As to Kukkiwon, it is written in their textbook that the trend is to favor sparring, and so, this is extended to the forms.  As to the ITF stylist, it may conveniently apply to sparring, but the theory seems to be that if you can kick high, you can also kick low. Their reasoning here is a nod toward self-defense rather than sparring - a stark contrast to Kukkiwon/poomsae.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stance:&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;Kukkiwon, as mentioned, favors sparring, and so speed and dexterity are favored over power and balance.  Therefore, their stances are considerably narrow and short.  Some schools who hail from Shotokan-influenced instructors (eg: Kukkiwon schools practicing Palgwe forms, Tang Soo Do schools, and some kwan schools identifying little or no affiliation to Kukkiwon) will show very long and wide stances: very powerful, but with a drag on speed and mobility.  I can't say for sure, but Karate has a &quot;one strike, one kill&quot; mantra for each of it's techniques, and I surmise the exaggerated stance is a nod toward this mantra.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the &quot;tul&quot; crowd is much more moderate, where they do not emphasize the lock to the floor with an extended stance, and yet still retains enough so that mobility and speed aren't sacrificed&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hand Chamber:&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;Kukkiwon/poomsae crowd as well as ITF/sinewave/tul crowd seem universal with regard to hand placement: always on the hip.  I don't know the official position on this with regards to Tang Soo Do.  The ITF/hyung crowd almost always places the chambered hand at the chest, which is more in line with Shotokan Karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Foot chamber:&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;Poomsae crowd tends to de-emphasize the chamber, perhaps as a nod to sparring.  While they do chamber - particularly in practice - the forms demonstrated by better performers seem always to short-circuit the chamber.  As you might know, a good kicker ought to be able to throw any kick from practically any position, so a chamber is not required, even if desired.  This tends to make the form seem less &quot;choppy&quot; and allows it to flow more smoothly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a tendency to see a lot of poomsae performers try to focus on look and feel, and not so much regard to application of movements.  With tul performers and many hyung performers, particularly the better students/instructors, you can discern the applications as they do the form.  I have a hard time believing most poomsae performers have any inkling what they're really doing in their forms as far as applications are concerned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastEditorDisplayName="user6519" LastEditDate="2016-01-12T11:35:23.410" LastActivityDate="2016-01-12T11:35:23.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5896" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-01-13T22:25:10.993" Score="11" ViewCount="2376" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's an honest question. I'm a black belt woman and I have only women in my class. I'd love to understand what happens with them or why men feel uncomfortable with the idea of taking martial arts classes with a female instructor. I hope to have some answers with no offense. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6618" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-03-24T08:34:52.913" LastActivityDate="2023-09-22T17:00:12.100" Title="How a woman can teach martial art for men?" Tags="|training|teaching|recommendation|gender|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5897" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9436" CreationDate="2016-01-14T01:55:13.367" Score="17" ViewCount="3857" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is prompted by &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/33/how-dangerous-is-it-to-choke-someone-unconscious-or-to-be-choked-unconscious/42#42&quot;&gt;this answer&lt;/a&gt; and the description of blood chokes included. It states that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Cerebral blood flow (CBF) chokes involve restricting the flow of blood &lt;strong&gt;to the brain&lt;/strong&gt;, thereby denying it of oxygen&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as I have learned, the blood choke rather effects the &lt;em&gt;veins&lt;/em&gt;, because arteries are &lt;em&gt;under the muscles or within them&lt;/em&gt; and often quite well protected by them, while the veins are prominently positioned &lt;em&gt;right under the skin&lt;/em&gt;, e.g. &lt;em&gt;vena jugularis externa&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, the effect is that no blood can go &lt;strong&gt;out of&lt;/strong&gt; the head or at least much more goes in than out, resulting in:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;red face because of blood coming in, but not out &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;higher pressure until no new blood may enter the head &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the oxygen within the blood getting used without proper replenishment &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;unconsciousness due to lack of oxygen&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so aneurysms are the main danger due to the higher pressure, but this is not a problem for most healthy people if the hold is not maintained more than ~1 minute (see &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/33/how-dangerous-is-it-to-choke-someone-unconscious-or-to-be-choked-unconscious/866#866&quot;&gt;DaveLiepmann's answer&lt;/a&gt;). I always found this to be very convincing compared to the &quot;we primarily attack arteries&quot;, which lay under the muscular structures or are embedded.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is that what blood chokes really work like? What is the actual mechanism going on?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any answer (not necessarily that technical and medical) addressing this is welcome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-12-25T20:12:44.127" LastActivityDate="2019-12-25T20:12:44.127" Title="How do blood chokes actually work?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|chokes|anatomy|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5898" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5896" CreationDate="2016-01-14T01:58:37.640" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately a lot of martial arts is sold on machoism.  Men who build their self image on machoism don't feel they can learn &quot;how to be a man&quot; (as opposed to, say, their martial art), from a woman.  They may not say it, they may not even be self aware enough to acknowledge that's what's driving them, but it's true for a lot of men.  When you add in the studies that show how men listen less to women, you can see where there's plenty of room for a failure of learning.  Finally, there's the part of having someone more skilled than you overcome you, either in demonstration or in sparring, and that's a level of humiliation these sorts can't deal with well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also the men who haven't been able to see contact with women in a fashion that's non-sexual, and so, they have problems with a lot of techniques and close proximity. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wish it were more complicated, but it's really just usual sexist bullshit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-01-14T01:58:37.640" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5899" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5896" CreationDate="2016-01-14T04:57:24.673" Score="19" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, men who know nothing about martial arts may see a woman leading the class and immediately think that they (the men) could beat up the female teacher. So they think there is no reason why the woman could teach them anything about fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, some men might not want to train with women at all (students or teachers), because it would be awkward for them. There is physical contact, for one thing. For many young, immature males, accidentally touching or striking a woman's breast, groin, or butt is deeply embarrassing. Some religions also make it a sin for men to touch women at all, especially if he's married.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, males in many societies are often raised by their families to never physically strike or harm any females. They have deeply held beliefs that cause them to avoid any physical confrontation with a woman. And the thought of accidentally punching a woman in the face and causing a black eye or a bloody lip would be too much for them. They could always just hold back and only use very soft, weak strikes that don't connect, but they may not even want to risk it at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fourth, an insecure man's ego can be very fragile. The thought of a woman beating them in sparring or wrestling would be so upsetting to them and their manhood that they would just want to avoid that as a possibility completely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, it sounds like your class is 100% women. In that case, if a man looks at your class, the first thing he's going to notice is that it's all women. He's going to assume the class is only for women, or that men avoid it for some good reason. He's never coming back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of these problems (with the possible exception of the religiously motivated ones) can be solved. You will have to work hard on getting men to join your class somehow, despite their anxiety. Given the female momentum you have already, that may be a very difficult thing to do. As I said, guys get scared off pretty easily when they walk into a room with all women in it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, you could look at it as an opportunity to advertise women-friendly or women-only classes. You might get more female students that way, if they are assured that men will not be in the class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice would be to make your current class an all-female class. And then add a second class that is coed (males and females). For the new class, advertise a month of free classes, and put advertising posters up at places where men usually are. You should try to get at least 50% men in this new class. Otherwise men will look at it and get scared off again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2023-08-24T04:42:16.527" LastActivityDate="2023-08-24T04:42:16.527" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5900" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5897" CreationDate="2016-01-14T05:27:19.490" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;What I've picked up over the years about how blood chokes actually work - and I could be wrong - is this: There's a nerve in the neck called the Vagus nerve. One of its many functions is to sense blood pressure of the arteries in the neck. When you compress those arteries, it will cause blood pressure to increase rapidly. The Vagus nerve senses it and reports it to the brain. The brain sees the rapid increase in blood pressure and, as a defense mechanism, orders blood pressure to be reduced. The sudden drop in blood pressure accidentally causes you to faint.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same thing can be achieved by striking at that part of the neck where the Vagus nerve sits. You might do it with a karate knife-hand strike, for example. And there are videos on youtube demonstrating exactly this. The sudden strike to the nerve itself will cause the nerve to freak out and tell the brain that the blood pressure is too high. And that causes the person to pass out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can sometimes see a rear-naked choke work instantly, within the first one or two seconds of it being applied. That's a good indication that it's working because of this nerve feedback mechanism which drops blood pressure and therefore causes you to faint. It works more quickly if you put the choke on very hard and very sharply, almost like striking that vagus nerve. [But please don't do that! It can break someone's neck or cause them to have a stroke! Be gentle with people in class. Save that stuff for when your life depends on it.]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The primary health problem with these chokes, I believe, isn't the risk of aneurysm. At least that's not something I typically hear being warned by instructors. Instead, the warning is not to do these chokes to people over the age of about 40, because of the possibility of causing a stroke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strokes might happen if you dislodge arterial plaque inside of the arteries in the neck. The plaque travels to the brain, where it gets stuck somewhere as the blood vessels narrow. And that causes that part of the brain to lose its blood supply, which triggers the stroke. People die from strokes. I think this is more of a concern for older people, and it should be a higher risk as you increase the amount of force and the speed by which the choke is applied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think strokes are going to be pretty rare when applying blood chokes, even in competition when you do it more quickly and more forcefully. Striking the neck with a knife-hand chop would probably be more of a risk. But I have no idea. I'm not sure if we have any statistics collected and available on this subject.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, those are my thoughts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2016-01-14T05:27:19.490" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5901" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4790" CreationDate="2016-01-14T10:11:30.663" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am currently using the withings pulse o2 for aikido. I put the module under my obi. I haven't used it for long enough to have a full opinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is possible to clip it to clothing,  which is the best way I have found to use a tracker for aikido training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6621" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-01-15T15:22:54.210" LastActivityDate="2016-01-15T15:22:54.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5902" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5896" CreationDate="2016-01-14T13:17:44.710" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just focusing on the &quot;How a woman can teach martial art for men?&quot; aspect more than the &quot;understanding why men might be uncomfortable&quot; bit which has been well-covered in existing answers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Steve Weigand also shared some good ideas how to get guys in the door and stop them walking out before they've even got an impression of you as an instructor, if you do get past that stage then the crucial things become:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;project confidence; never act like you're uncertain what your students should be doing - don't invite them to doubt your ability&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;proficient communication and directed practice earns respect; you've either got to be...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;directing a really good, engaging workout, with the right amount of warm up, stretching, cardio etc. to leave everyone feeling good and &quot;high&quot; on the health benefits of training, the muscular exhaustion, and satisfied with the interpersonal aspects of the partner exercised you've directed them through etc. (&lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt; don't have to be satisfying everyone's one-on-one practice needs personally), and/or&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;providing technical input (body mechanics, technique, applications, footwork, strategy, tactics, drills that directly address specific weaknesses you've noticed in your students) that's hard for them to get elsewhere, that they can feel making a difference to their abilities, and interactions with their peers&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;for me, having students say things like &quot;I've been training almost exclusively in your class these last 6 months; when I was sparring against those guys from some-other-dojo again the other day I found I was setting the pace where before I'd struggled&quot; - aim to be the instructor providing that faster pace of development and your students will appreciate it; to do so requires thoughtful, well-directed training, thought, research, experimentation, experience etc.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may not be able to hit as hard as some male student, but if you hit more effectively &lt;em&gt;relative to your weight, speed, and strength&lt;/em&gt;, that earns respect, and helps convey that you will be able to help him towards similar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some instructors prefer not to direct suggestions at the students who really need that input, but instead to direct the whole class to work on the same things: that makes &quot;criticism&quot; less personal, less confrontational, and avoids some of the embarrassment / power challenge things Bankuei and Steve Weigand talk about; the people who're already good at something usually don't mind the extra practice; all up it's a good recipe for having students who enjoy training with you for decades, though some students will appreciate the faster progress they make if they're open to more personalised input.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Apologies - this is a bit unfocused and ad hoc - written with one eye on a movie ;-P - but I hope some of it's useful)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2016-01-14T13:17:44.710" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5905" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1620" CreationDate="2016-01-15T04:42:50.717" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Look up a biography of Masaru Shintani.  In the early to mid 1980's, he was seriously injured in a car accident.  Among his injuries were several spinal injuries.  The doctors insisted he would never walk again. When he passed away many years later, he was one of the few 9th degree black belts that continued to train regularly. See &lt;a href=&quot;https://business.highbeam.com/436167/article-1G1-159922549/masaru-shintani-making-modern-canadian-karate-master&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://business.highbeam.com/436167/article-1G1-159922549/masaru-shintani-making-modern-canadian-karate-master&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6599" LastActivityDate="2016-01-15T04:42:50.717" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5906" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4790" CreationDate="2016-01-15T15:03:36.817" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I teach/practice Isshinryu.  It tracks your activity; it throws off the actual counting of steps since it will count each punch as a step or two. With that said it recently died since it failed to charge the battery.  Possibly due to the excessive forces generated by the punches. I do remove my flex during sparring to prevent it from being struck or injuring someone. Fitbit is sending a replacement; I might be more careful with the new one since I enjoy using it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6628" LastActivityDate="2016-01-15T15:03:36.817" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5907" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5893" CreationDate="2016-01-16T08:21:21.263" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Orthodontists can properly fit a mouthguard for braces.  Many of them consider it cheap insurance.  I would say that your orthodontist is the best resource to answer this question, but obviously he is also unaware.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you point him to this link (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.shockdoctor.com/double-braces-mouthguard&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.shockdoctor.com/double-braces-mouthguard&lt;/a&gt;) , he should be able to start asking the right questions in the right places.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6599" LastActivityDate="2016-01-16T08:21:21.263" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5908" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5896" CreationDate="2016-01-16T20:57:08.080" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well, as a student, I don't care about the gender of my instructor, just someone that really &lt;em&gt;knows&lt;/em&gt; what they are doing and what they are saying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think that some men believe that Martial Arts or Combat-Related/Self-Defense &quot;stuff&quot; can't be taught by a woman.&#xA;It's just a mind matter, closed or open minded.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6630" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-03-24T12:23:05.077" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T12:23:05.077" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5909" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5897" CreationDate="2016-01-17T20:24:15.690" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.com/books?id=0tZIcDDe6bAC&amp;amp;lpg=PA297&amp;amp;ots=1xYOVp-clJ&amp;amp;dq=carotid%20artery%20compression%20leading%20to%20unconsciousness&amp;amp;pg=PA297#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=carotid%20artery%20compression%20leading%20to%20unconsciousness&amp;amp;f=false&quot;&gt;forensic science&lt;/a&gt; it is pressure applied to the carotids and not the veins that causes loss of consciousness, although pressure on the veins leaves specific signs of strangulation when they bust, but are not a cause of death or unconsciousness. (pg. 297, 14.2 Strangulation, see section #2 re: carotid compression).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although the deeper carotid that feeds the brain is under the neck muscles and more &quot;protected&quot; it's also important to realize the neck muscles are relatively thin, and aimed at keeping the head upright - they do not have a lot of force to resist direct perpendicular pressure.  This is amplified more by the fact that carotid chokes involve pinning the person's head or neck in such a way they can't pull away from it - you compress the carotid against the spinal column itself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-01-17T20:24:15.690" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5910" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2348" CreationDate="2016-01-18T11:05:55.353" Score="-7" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, what is considered in America to be &quot;Brazilian jiujitsu&quot; is a false claim. Gracies, have started the &quot;Gracie jiujitsu&quot; are actually formally trained in judo kodokan only. Helio Gracie was a 6th dan in judo, at his peek. I forget what rank his older brother was, but he also was trained in judo only. In Brazil there is no BJJ or Brazilian jiujitsu, and that is an American invention. If Brazilians would claim jiujitsu as brazilian it would be &quot;jiujjitsu Braziliero&quot; or &quot;jjb&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second MMA is not a sport but a term used to describe athletes that compete and train in multiple sorts, but are not restricted to any specific combination. A karateka-judoka, boxer-wrestler or boxer-karateka, and judoka-wrestler are qualified to be described as MMA fighters, and does not have to be only striking and grappling combinations. There is no MMA manual, or single technique that can be claimed as MMA technique. Any gym that claims to teach MMA is actually teaching some striking sport and some grappling sport. If we exclude false claims, people that quit before they reach any rankings, people that never compete, people that spar with friends in the back yard or fight on the street once every 6 months, and people that cant grasp the concepts at all, we are left with a small number of actual people that do train in Gracie jiujitsu long enough to reach even blue belt rank, and even less actual MMA athletes. However there is a large number of real practitioners, that do not claim to be MMA fighters but according to definition they practice mostly one martial art and reach expert level then cross train in another just for good measure, and qualify to be labeled as MMA fighters. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6634" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-01-19T18:16:33.327" LastActivityDate="2016-01-19T18:16:33.327" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5911" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5834" CreationDate="2016-01-18T18:16:02.310" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to my Sifu, the kung fu performed by Shaolin monks in the modern day is largely flashy wu-shu stuff. While it looks really cool for the tourists, it has little to no actual combat application.  Don't go looking over seas, look for a school close to home that teaches real kung fu. Heung Gar, white eyebrow, chow gar, ship pal ki, wing chun and countless other styles are all taught in North America.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6636" LastActivityDate="2016-01-18T18:16:02.310" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5912" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5914" CreationDate="2016-01-19T10:41:37.643" Score="10" ViewCount="7317" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a 5-year-old son. He started Tae Kwon Do lessons one and a half months ago. At first he was reluctant and cried in the first class, but after a few weeks, he was very happy with himself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;His coach is happy too, and took us on the side and asked us to bring him to another class with older classmates, in which only my son and another boy had white belts. The rest were more experienced. The coach chose only two classmates from his young ones, to skip level, one of who was my boy. He asked about his age and was a bit reluctant when I told him he was born in June, 2010. He said that because he is very good, he should try this new class. The first class was yesterday. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My boy came out of it twice in tears. He said that it is difficult. That the coach brought him in his arms back in class. Last night we talked about it, I encouraged him, and he said that he will continue with it. Today he refuses and wants to go to his old class. Should I pressure him?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The funny thing is that though he cried, he told me to ask the coach when will it be time for his blue belt (he does not even have half yellow!). He is very intrigued about the belts, and the activity itself has already helped him with an aggressive boy at school, so it boosted his self-esteem, but I am not sure how to handle this. We started this as a means to protect himself at kindergarten, and to have some exercise. The coach sees something more in him. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should I go along with the coach? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My husband suggests to go along with the boy. Would it help or hinder?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6638" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-01-19T22:32:03.980" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T15:40:41.073" Title="5-year old struggles with his new Tae Kwon Do classes" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|children|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5913" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5912" CreationDate="2016-01-19T12:23:49.157" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's a delicate balancing act; if you don't push and encourage your son, he might not achieve his full potential. If you do push and encourage him, you may end up putting him off martial arts altogether (which is obviously a bad thing, but perhaps even more so for you and your son!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Could your son attend both lessons? That way he would have one class where he feels very comfortable and the other class where he is out of his comfort zone. You'll need to check this with your son's instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Failing that, I would advocate letting him return to the less challenging class for a period of time (say 2 - 3 weeks); after that period, he could try the more challenging class again. You should discuss this with both your son and his instructor to make sure you all know the plan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If these ideas don't work and your son does stop training, it isn't a failure; taekwondo has already had a positive impact on your son's life!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope this helps and good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2016-01-19T12:23:49.157" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5914" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5912" CreationDate="2016-01-19T13:30:24.787" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In addition to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/1159/mike-p&quot;&gt;Mike P&lt;/a&gt;'s &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/5913/82&quot;&gt;answer&lt;/a&gt;, I would expand the talking to the coach and your son about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The coach should be able to give you advice and tailor his teaching of your son so that he feels better. It's his role after all. I would do this before the session so he has time to prepare and it does not come as a shock. Forewarned is best!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your son should have a say in the matter as well! Ask him. Show him all the options, including comparing this hardship to some trials of his heroes which ever those are, I am sure he has some whether it's Superman or Captain America, or whomever. While he is very young, allowing him to see how to make decisions about his life should serve him well in the future.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-01-21T09:40:32.583" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5915" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5912" CreationDate="2016-01-19T15:45:38.653" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My guess would be that there is some other child in the higher grade class who is bullying your son for not being a blue belt.  I would suggest asking the coach permission to observe a class.  I might be wrong but there is not normally a problem with this.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2016-01-19T15:45:38.653" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5916" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5912" CreationDate="2016-01-19T17:16:12.230" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a 2nd Dan (black belt). In my experience there are lots of schools, lots of instructors and lots of classes. All are different. Finding the right class that is at the right pace for your son is important.  I practice TKD as an individual sport where I am only competing against myself so my practice would not suited for younger learners. My instructor runs a pre TKD class for learners as young as your son because five year olds are for the most part just trying to have fun while building self confidence and learning to control their movements. They are probably not ready for the self discipline that it takes to master TKD. Also consider joining class yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6642" LastActivityDate="2016-01-19T17:16:12.230" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5917" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-01-19T22:21:21.240" Score="7" ViewCount="508" Body="&lt;p&gt;Recently I have seen the number of people using O2 masks for training increase a lot. Many of than just use the mask and do the same traditional training as before. I don't believe this is the way to train with an &#xA;O2 mask.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I usually train for 1 hour; if I used a mask, I would get tired after 30 minutes (instead of an hour), because I'm focusing on my cardiovascular fitness and not my muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe there is a protocol for training with this kind of equipment. Also I would like know if this mask works to increase my conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QDiHe.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QDiHe.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-11-17T21:09:45.490" LastActivityDate="2019-11-17T21:09:45.490" Title="how to use o2 mask to training martial arts" Tags="|training|exercise|breathing|endurance|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5918" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5912" CreationDate="2016-01-19T22:39:09.203" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a 5th Dan in Karate and have been teaching for about 20 years. My advice would be to let him work at his own pace. Martial Arts are a journey, they take a lifetime to master. He has plenty of time to learn and shouldn't be pressured or forced to learn at a pace that is not his own. If you want him to stick with it, then it has to be something he enjoys. That knowledge is something that you own, it's a part of you and a prism for seeing the world through. It's strength and confidence but it's also knowing your faults and understanding your deficiencies. It's best to foster a love and comfortably with it at 5 years old. Making it stressful or putting expectations of advancement will, in all honesty, taint the experience and build resentment towards the art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Did he mention why he didn't like the new class? Was it purely difficulty? If so I'd remember that he is only 5. Keep it fun and comfortable for him, believe it or not but being the best person in your class is pretty darn fun. It also allows him to learn another important thing that martial arts teaches: how to mentor others. Usually the best students in class are tapped to be leaders and help teach. This is an invaluable skill as it helps in so many areas (public speaking, confidence, understanding your own learning process and applying it to others, etc).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's my advice at least. I've also seen kids shoot up through belt rankings because of ability and the belts begin to lose meaning (when in reality they don't mean a whole lot other than a few important steps). If he is fascinated with earning belts I can tell you that moving through them too fast will cheapen their value as well. Ideally he'll come to realize they aren't important about the same time he realizes how important the knowledge is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, I'd like to wish your son the best on his journey and hope that he continues to love it and grow with it. Black Belts are fairly rare, and Black Belts over 1st Dan are rarer still. Being part of that brotherhood is great, but the knowledge and perspective you gain are greater still.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6644" LastActivityDate="2016-01-19T22:39:09.203" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5919" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5917" CreationDate="2016-01-19T23:42:12.360" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;This sort of product will fail to achieve any short term or long term benefits over regular training. In fact, some results show that it can hinder performance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People believe these sorts of products can increase their red blood cell count by reducing oxygen levels, similar to the way training at altitude can increase red blood cell count.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem is that the body doesn't work that way. Red blood cell count only increases after about 3 days of continuous training in an oxygen deprived environment. When you're using these face masks, you're putting them on for an hour or two a day, and then going back to breathing normal air. Doing that will prevent the body from increasing red blood cell count. It has to be on continuously through the week, which is very impractical if not impossible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Studies have been done on these devices. The people who wore them for an hour or two per workout, 3 times a week, saw no benefits whatsoever and no increase in red blood cell count compared with a control group doing the same workouts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The following web site does a pretty good job of debunking it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.powerdojo.com/mma-altitude-training-device-review/&quot;&gt;http://www.powerdojo.com/mma-altitude-training-device-review/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2016-01-19T23:42:12.360" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5920" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5912" CreationDate="2016-01-20T02:45:23.823" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a 3rd Dan black belt in Taekwondo. I've taught classes, as well as fought (and medaled) at an international level. When I was in second grade, I was asked to try out for our elite team. I came out of the session in tears about 5 minutes before it ended, and my giving up disqualified me from the team, so I definitely feel a kindred spirit here. My coach &quot;saw something more in me&quot;, and he was right! But just because that talent doesn't manifest itsself right away doesn't mean that there isn't time to develop it later!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would trust the coach, but definitely relay your concerns. There are probably some intermediate steps that can be taken. For instance, consider attending each class half of the time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of your concerns are pretty well founded, others not so much, but with experience comes knowledge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The class (made up of 20 boys and girls) seemed detuned because of the new arrivals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will happen regardless, and isn't reflective on your son whatsoever. Don't worry about this. You can't expect kids who have been training for years, and someone with a white belt to be on the same level. To be completely frank, he &lt;em&gt;was&lt;/em&gt; slowing them down. But remember, at some point they slowed the class down too. Them laughing is a different matter, however. Good natured encouragement and destructive belittling are two entirely different things, and the instructor needs to be proactive in maintaining a positive classroom environment. Probably harmless, but still can't hurt to be on the lookout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;My husband suggests to go along with the boy. Would it help or hinder?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If your school has one-way glass or some similar mechanism like CCTV, ignore this paragraph and go. Your impression is valuable here.&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;In my experience as an instructor, yes. Without knowing your child, I have no idea of ascertaining whether or not he's the type to be distracted by you, try harder because you're watching, or just ignore you. You might not get an honest idea of what the class is generally like for him your presence produces a change. Or it might be the stimulus he needs to put forth extra effort and discover he truly enjoys it. Either way, my suggestion is to wait a few minutes before walking in, (so he's focused on the class and less likely to notice you). Don't let him get distracted by you, if he does, leave. It sets a precedent and reinforces lessons on self-control and focus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overall, don't get discouraged. He has until he's 12 before the competitive divisions start, and that's assuming he even decides to do sparring. There is time to make these decisions. Everything else being equal, stick to the 50-50 schedule or just attend the easier class. People will tell you that few make it to black belt, and as a student who's just starting out, enjoyment is critical. Don't jeopardize benefits for advanced training that's wasted on a white belt. This is a huge opportunity and I encourage him to go for it, but it will be there in a few months when he's learned some more and wears a different color.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6647" LastActivityDate="2016-01-20T02:45:23.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5921" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5917" CreationDate="2016-01-20T10:09:14.957" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't. Train your skills in class normally, without the mask. Train your conditioning outside of class, by running and sprinting or whatever. Train your strength in the gym by progressively lifting heavier weights using compound movements. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The mask is an unproven fad that, even if it does work, would seem to have an effect that is better achieved through trying harder during calisthenic circuits for metabolic conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-01-20T10:09:14.957" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5922" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5917" CreationDate="2016-01-21T16:59:53.150" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Going against the grain, I can see some value in training with the mask in order to simulate situations where your breathing could be impaired but you can't otherwise reasonably simulate it. While you could say train with a mouthguard in to get practice in breathing properly when using one, you need some sort of surrogate to simulate something like a bloody/broken nose. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that is a pretty narrow need and could probably be simulated well enough with a cotton ball up your nose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4267" LastActivityDate="2016-01-21T16:59:53.150" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5924" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="648" CreationDate="2016-01-22T01:53:34.000" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The science on static stretching in the warm up is not settled. The &lt;a href=&quot;http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/01/21/stretching-back-to-the-past/?_r=0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;NY Times has a short article&lt;/a&gt; based on a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26642915&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;review of stretching studies&lt;/a&gt; that points to static stretching in the warm up being neutral or beneficial. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;So most fitness experts currently advise against static stretches before exercise. But now a comprehensive new review of decades’ worth of research indicates that they might not be such a bad idea after all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In fact, these short static stretches turned out to have a positive correlation. People who stretched in this way for at least five minutes during a warm-up were significantly less likely to strain or tear a muscle subsequently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-01-22T01:53:34.000" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5925" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-01-24T01:43:38.907" Score="4" ViewCount="452" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've always heard of Chinese/Asian-based martial arts but never about Norwegian/Germanic martial arts.  Does this kind of martial arts exist and if so, what are its defining features?  Thanks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6664" LastActivityDate="2020-11-10T03:31:38.700" Title="Norwegian/Germanic martial arts forms" Tags="|technique|history|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5926" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-01-24T03:22:09.837" Score="5" ViewCount="562" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a method of sword fighting where one uses two handed techniques with a basket-hilted sword?  I've heard that this happened, just not where, when, and what the technique was called.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6664" LastActivityDate="2021-07-09T23:53:41.033" Title="Two-Handed Basket-Hilted Sword Usage?" Tags="|weapons|history|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5927" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="771" CreationDate="2016-01-24T10:06:46.320" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I hope this is helpful on your journey. I have a dummy called the Submission Master. For me it has been an asset, since it can go into guard position and I can work on reps to practice passing the guard. There are merits of having a dummy and I believe the benefits outweigh the flaws. For example, a person who is not very dedicated may say, &quot;I don't have time,&quot; but the dummy will never tell you no. Reps can be important to help in the muscle memory of the technique, which can be very important when learning new techniques. It is true the dummy may not be able to attack but I think it gives time to think about situations. For example, while going for a triangle choke, I imagine it trying to strike at me. I also believe the dummy can be useful for practicing submissions that are now taboo, for example, heel hooks and perhaps some other rare wrestling submissions, which may be illegal in Judo or BJJ and some other grappling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6666" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-01-27T07:58:11.860" LastActivityDate="2016-01-27T07:58:11.860" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5928" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5925" CreationDate="2016-01-24T11:16:37.530" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I heard about Glima. Have a look...&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/z7UfuzVbI4A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/z7UfuzVbI4A&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;and&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.viking-glima.com/combat.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.viking-glima.com/combat.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is also another site about historical long-sword fighting aka Historic European Martial Arts: &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.hemac.org/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.hemac.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastEditorUserId="6418" LastEditDate="2016-01-24T13:18:33.637" LastActivityDate="2016-01-24T13:18:33.637" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5930" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4240" CreationDate="2016-01-25T21:25:32.957" Score="0" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I am specifically asking this in the sense of how Katas are executed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am basing my response to this question on the videos supplied above. Thank you Kid! Certainly stance length and height is slightly different. However, zenkutsu dachi in both styles looks long and low to me. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my mind the main difference in the two styles' kata is hip position technique to technique. And the order of power generation.  Goju-Ryu looks to make primary power from body vibration, sink, and shift. Shotokan kata make power with hip rotation (hanmi and shomen), shift, sink, and vibration. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6467" LastActivityDate="2016-01-25T21:25:32.957" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5931" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1124" CreationDate="2016-01-26T05:02:08.410" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is an excerpt of the commentary from &lt;em&gt;Bagua Linked Palms&lt;/em&gt; by Wang Shujin (pp. xxi-xxii) , with translation and commentary by Kent Howard and Chen Hsiao-Yen. This describes Dong Haiquan, the source of modern bagua.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Modern scholarship has brought a more critical eye to bear on both Dong's life and the development of Bagua Zhang. Through extensive historical research, a great many new details have been brought to light that constitute a verifiable record of Dong's connection with the emergence and popularization of Bagua Zhang. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The next known whereabouts of Dong Haiquan was when he surfaced in Beijing as a man of middle age. The stories of his escapades in the city are numerous and varied but facts are limited. It is known, for example, that he was involved in some way with instructing guards and other personnel in the Imperial Palace. There are many tales told of his exploits there, but again most are apocryphal and undocumented. It is a matter of fact, however, that Dong started teaching openly in Beijing around 1870, when he was in his fifties. He taught continuously until his death in 1882, twelve years later. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal understanding is the &quot;extensive historical research&quot; referenced in the first paragraph above is well covered by the &lt;a href=&quot;http://pakuachangjournal.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pa Kua Chang Journal&lt;/a&gt;, to which Kent Howard was a contributor. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-01-26T21:26:44.417" LastActivityDate="2016-01-26T21:26:44.417" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5932" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5966" CreationDate="2016-01-26T09:48:56.703" Score="5" ViewCount="191" Body="&lt;p&gt;My background is Shotokan karate, with lower stances and nowadays more stylised than traditional karate (forgive my over-generalisation).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have recently been looking at other styles of karate, and was surprised at the difference in Tekki Shodan / Naihanchi between the two styles. Notably in Okinawan karate the kata is performed much higher than in shotokan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It got me wondering whether a Karate-ka with some kind of mobility issue due to age or injury (perhaps a back injury or knee injury) would do well to switch to Okinawan karate or some other similar style with high stances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My knowledge of other styles is limited. Am I correct in saying Okinawan karate has all high stances and is better suited for older or less mobile practitioners ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1413" LastActivityDate="2016-02-06T03:51:03.017" Title="Okinawan karate (or other style?) more suited for Karate-ka with injuries?" Tags="|karate|injury|mobility|okinawa|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5933" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-01-27T00:03:47.477" Score="0" ViewCount="140" Body="&lt;p&gt;We just launched social network site for martial artists and their fans. Its ready to go but I'm not posting in here link to it as I'm worried it might be against stackExchange rules. Anyway, as we are constantly changing and improving I have few questions in regards to discipines/grades we have listed on the site.&#xA;When registering, user has an option of selecting discipline so e.g. judo, kung fu, boxing etc and then grade. My question is about the disciplines and related grades that should be included. We spent considerable amount of time going thru wikipedias and various sites but it proved to be more difficult as it often happens even schools have different grading systems. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So for now we have short list of disciplines:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;Aikido&#xA;Boxing&#xA;Brazilian JiuJitsu &#xA;Judo &#xA;Karate &#xA;Kung Fu&#xA;Taekwondo&#xA;Other (suggest discipline)&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know there are very knowledgeable posters here practicing various disciplines and so if you could point me to resources where I could find clear information on gradings for any of the above disciplines that would be great.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also there are various types of Karate, Kung Fu etc and I was wondering if it would be worth splitting these or just keep one general name as it is. It probably depends on discipline but please let me know what you think.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, if you practice discipline not listed above we are happy to add it to the list above, just let me know and I will extend the list.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I really appreciate any advice on the above so thank you all for any help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6675" LastActivityDate="2016-01-28T01:53:59.170" Title="What disciplines/grades to list for social network martial arts site?" Tags="|recommendation|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2016-01-28T06:02:03.480" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5934" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5933" CreationDate="2016-01-27T08:48:47.103" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do not bother.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A rank is just an internal thing specific to one particular organisation within a style within a martial art. They do not translate at all between styles nor can you compare them. Even within the same styles, what a &quot;black belt&quot; means can vary massively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fundamentally, a black belt covers about 3cm of one's bum and cost about £5/$5/€5.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are much better creating a good reputation system on your site so people can earn useless fake internet points... And even that has massive failings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2016-01-27T08:48:47.103" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5935" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5933" CreationDate="2016-01-28T01:53:59.170" Score="0" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Don't Forget HEMA Disciplines!&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I practice Italian longsword, which is a Historic European Martial Art. (Commonly referred to as HEMA). I discourage the simple addition of &amp;quot;HEMA&amp;quot; to your list, because then you would need to lump together Karate, Judo, Aikido, Tae-Kwon-Do and Kung-Fu as &amp;quot;Asian Martial Arts.&amp;quot; Sure, HEMA is less codified and practitioners usually study more than one system, but it covers such a large range of techniques, schools, and/or disciplines that it deserves the nuance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some HEMA disciplines could be: German Longsword, Italian Longsword, Spanish Greatsword, I-88 (Sword and Buckler), and English Quarterstaff. This does not work well, though, because German and Italian Longsword cover more than longswords; armored and unarmored combat, grappling (in armor or plain clothes), falchions, bucklers, and daggers are included in these martial arts. Alternatively, you could call each of these disciplines by other names: &amp;quot;German Longsword&amp;quot; can be referred to as the &amp;quot;Ringeck / Lichtenauer / Talhoffer Tradition&amp;quot;, and the &amp;quot;Italian Longsword&amp;quot; could be called the &amp;quot;Fiore del Liberi Tradition.&amp;quot; I've recently heard the argument that the Fiore's system should be called &amp;quot;European Longsword&amp;quot; because he very likely travelled around Europe to formulate the system he did. Even so, these are just named after some people who had their own widely known schools and may not have agreed to recognize the people we grouped them with as within their own discipline. So HEMA disciplines are maybe not as settled as you'd like them to be, leading your product to be not that great.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know of HEMA clubs which don't have much in the way of hierarchy. I also know those who do have a ranking system are often not recognized by other HEMA clubs. While Europe had an expected progression for their warriors, (page -&amp;gt; man-at-arms -&amp;gt; knight) their &amp;quot;ranks&amp;quot; really meant more about what their job was and not how good or experienced they were at it or how they got there. So assigning strict &amp;quot;ranks&amp;quot; where there really are none is silly!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;A Suggestion&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Look at the SE &amp;quot;tag&amp;quot; system. Users can suggest tags of their own, but occasionally people sort and remove under-used tags. It's a decent system which takes advantage of the users' knowledge of the subject. The developers for this network of sites likely know little of each particular site, but gave the communities the tools to develop the tags and maintain them. We even have the occasional &amp;quot;burninate (delete) the '___' tag!&amp;quot; conversation in the meta sites for each SE site.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means that an individual who studies a particular flavor of karate, Judo, Krav Maga, and their wacky personal discipline named &amp;quot;SickOfTheSuffix-Fu&amp;quot; can apply those tags to themselves. If asked what rank they are for each art, each practitioner can see a list of what others have already put in, and use those. Sure, you'll occasionally get something like a bare-knuckle boxer with the rank of &amp;quot;first generation greyscale unicorn pink bunny of the fifteenth class,&amp;quot; but that's the life of a social network for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This approach could even use a simple SQL database to relate known disciplines with their ranks, and it's a simple matter to add, store, and recall ranks for disciplines. Even better, the users tell &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt; what the rank system is!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-01-28T01:53:59.170" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5936" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="771" CreationDate="2016-01-29T03:03:58.697" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Watch these YouTube videos and think about how you might benefit from a long hard workout on such a machine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/cej4kZtgOac&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/cej4kZtgOac&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/dVhqIYeE9_g&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/dVhqIYeE9_g&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A rolled up rug becomes an excellent throw dummy. The dummy is always ready and never complains about anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6681" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-02-06T23:56:09.217" LastActivityDate="2016-02-06T23:56:09.217" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5937" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-01-29T10:37:49.550" Score="3" ViewCount="36" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there any martial art that has all the katas and moves recorded? I prefer strike arts.&#xA;PD: I have trained for a while in different martial arts so I have a little experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6683" LastActivityDate="2016-01-29T10:37:49.550" Title="Self training (don't have time nor money)" Tags="|self-training|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2016-01-29T12:02:06.290" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5938" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5943" CreationDate="2016-01-29T13:49:51.293" Score="0" ViewCount="12307" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is Tai Chi a martial art that can be applied in a street fight or against an experienced fighter?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6684" LastEditorUserId="6567" LastEditDate="2016-02-01T08:03:29.503" LastActivityDate="2016-02-01T08:03:29.503" Title="How effective is Tai Chi as a martial art in street fights?" Tags="|kung-fu|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2016-01-30T02:07:13.780" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5939" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5938" CreationDate="2016-01-29T14:26:31.853" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think that this question can not be answered easily as it is depending on each person how he can transfer the knowledge and practice he learned in classes to the street scenarios under pressure and adrenaline pump.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, you have to realize that a punch is a punch and a kick is a kick, and that if the moment comes, all flashy movements disappear and what will be left, will be just a punch and just a kick ... sometimes a little hugging on the ground too ;-). (took - a punch is a punch and a kick is a kick from Bruce Lee)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal believe is, if you want to have a direct or at least close to street training, you should choose a martial art with a lots of sparring and competition aspect in it - and again, even then there is no guarantee that you will use it on the street.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, don´t forget that in real life there are also. let´s call it 3rd party objects, that you may have to defend against that you will not see in training ex. glas, baseball bat, knife, ashtray, billiard ball or bat etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-01-29T14:26:31.853" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5940" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-01-29T18:08:42.347" Score="4" ViewCount="591" Body="&lt;p&gt;You sure learn how to defend againt knife attacks, but how does it even feel to get stabbed? Would an average human stay under shock? Or Would you still keep fighting and defending after you get stabbed? Or will the pain hurt so much, that you wouldn't be able to use any techniques anymore?&#xA;Do Martial Arts or Krav Maga help hardening your mind and body against such attacks? &#xA;Would even a beginner still have a better chance to survive than someone without any fight/sparr experience?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6686" LastActivityDate="2017-10-20T07:20:03.810" Title="Does Krav Maga or any Martial Arts helps preparing to get stabbed?" Tags="|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5941" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5938" CreationDate="2016-01-29T18:09:01.110" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes I think Tai Chi could be used in real fights. For example Nick Osipczak was a Pro MMA fighter that practices Tai Chi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However I think having knowledge of many different martial arts is advantageous in a &quot;real fight&quot;. Many Tai Chi techniques are used in other forms of fighting like Sanda Kickboxing. Krav maga, Gracie jiu jitsu, kickboxing, and wrestling are also valuable skills to have in a street fight. But honestly training to running fast in the opposite direction is going to be way more effective than trying to fight someone in the street with Tai Chi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6567" LastActivityDate="2016-01-29T18:09:01.110" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5942" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-01-29T18:20:13.257" Score="5" ViewCount="1338" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a member of a gym for 7 months and do strength based exercises 5-6 days a week (in the evening) along with 10-15 minutes of cardio. I have decided to join a mixed martial art facility near my area. The instructor(s) will teach kick boxing for two consecutive days followed by grappling moves for two consecutive days. There are no gap between lessons, and they are held in the mornings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it advisable to go to the gym at evening after training in the morning? If yes, what should be the minimal cool off/rest period between gym and MMA training classes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6685" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-02-01T08:07:03.400" LastActivityDate="2024-04-04T22:09:09.907" Title="Gymming and Martial arts at the same time" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|recommendation|strength|fitness|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5943" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5938" CreationDate="2016-01-29T18:45:35.020" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Taiji (Tai Chi) can be very effective for fighting. Historically speaking, taiji masters like &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yang_Luchan&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yang Luchan&lt;/a&gt; were among the most skilled fighters in China. In his time, taiji was known for fighting, and not for health benefits. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it is necessary to understand how taiji has changed in the years since this time. In the 20th century, China experienced a shortage of trained doctors. Knowing that martial arts like taiji were beneficial for health, the government had martial arts masters simplify the martial training for the masses so they could reap the health benefits. The result is large groups of people in China practicing taiji and qi gong in the parks, with perhaps little connection to the martial roots. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The result of this public health program is an inversion of the source of taiji's fame. Formerly known for martial skill with little known health benefits, taiji is now known for health benefits and little known for martial skill. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From &lt;em&gt;The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi&lt;/em&gt; by Peter Wayne, with Mark Fuerst p. 21:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A noteworthy development in Tai Chi's widespread promotion for health was the development of a 24-posture simplified form, or the Beijing Form. This form was developed in 1956 by the National Physical Culture and Sports Commission of the People's Republic of China as a part of the drive to standardize Tai Chi training for social reform and sport. This form was part of a national fitness program. Today you can go to parks across China and see millions practicing Tai Chi. This practice is clearly part of the country's health maintenance system, and many Chinese hospitals integrate Tai Chi into rehabilitation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the present day, it is common to have taiji classes that do not actually teach fighting, or may teach only push hands. As you may expect, the martial results of this training are not so good. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-01-29T18:55:27.537" LastActivityDate="2016-01-29T18:55:27.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5944" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5940" CreationDate="2016-01-29T21:28:15.207" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wow, that are plenty of questions out there ... let's try explaning it like this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm in Martial Arts for a long time, was very active in Boxing for a long time and been a Krav Maga instructor and bouncer for many years. And NO Martial  Art nor Self defense system will bring you in a position to defend yourself against a knife attack - At least not without leaving you bleeding or wounded badly if trying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are situations where you see the knife before an attack, my personal proposal is to turn your back and run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't see it, and notice that you are stabbed, as depending on the situation and the power of the 'swing' or hit you might not even notice it as a stab, you have at least to try to avoid additional stabbs and this is where something like a martial art or krav maga can help - IF you are able to recall the movements in that situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been stabbed a couple of times and had the luck to still walk around and I can tell that the only time I have felt it was in the muscle areas. I received a stab in my leg and I can say that it felt like a very good low kick where the stab in my back, in the kidney area, I did not notice a all. Just after everything was over I felt a wet shirt- from the blood and a weaknes in my knees.&#xA;I guess it is the adrenaline that don't let you feel the pane actually.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, my suggestion in any case, if you see someone with a knife approaching you, don't try to fight, run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't believe the Marketing hype - you will NEVER leave a knife fight without injuries - weather you are successfull in defending it successfull or not. This is nearly impossible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-01-29T21:28:15.207" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5945" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5942" CreationDate="2016-01-29T23:41:13.377" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm in the same situation. For the past 6 months I've been hitting the gym for 5-6 days a week. My schedule looks like this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mo: chest/shoulders&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Tu: arms/back&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;We: legs/cardio&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Tu: same as Mo&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Fr: same as Tu&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Sa: same as We&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every Tuesday and Friday evening I go to Wing Chun: a lesson is 2 hours, the first 25 minutes are hardcore cardio.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My goals are working on my fysiek and getting very good at WC. From the moment I included 2 days a week of Wing Chun in my weekly training schedule, my fysiek got a big BIG boost. I got a better condition, and even better; I lost extra body fat with as result that I am very pleased with my current fysiek. I'm in good shape and look much leaner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have absolutely no problem with over-training whatsoever. I would almost say that the 2 days of WC every week loosens up my muscles. I hope my answers helped.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6688" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2024-04-04T22:09:09.907" LastActivityDate="2024-04-04T22:09:09.907" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="5946" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5940" CreationDate="2016-01-30T22:44:34.360" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a number of arts that deal specifically with blades combatively - that ranges from traditional to modern military styles.  There's common elements among them all, which kind of tells you there's probably some baseline truths involved if you see parallel evolution across cultures and time periods, especially since knives are among our oldest weapons and tools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The universal strategy to all of these (aside from, &quot;Don't get in a knife fight&quot;) is getting rid of the threat as soon as possible.  That could be jamming the arm that reaches for the waistband before the knife gets out, it could be tearing tendons with a lock, punching the head, or all kinds of thins.  There's not a single solution because knives are ugly, fast, and dangerous, and most of these styles carry a few options because you have to adapt quickly.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, you'll see a lot of combative knife styles spend a good amount of time on training defense, not because you're going to magically dodge/block 5 minutes of knife attacks, but because surviving the first couple of attacks is necessary for you to counter and take control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from the methods towards not getting stabbed, the other part is positioning such that injuries do the least harm - getting cut on the back of the forearms is much less risky than most other places you can get cut. You can't harden your body or your mind, you can just make sure that what gets hurt is something that you can get to a hospital with, and not something that will leave you dead.  (Well, you could wear armor, which is basically what people do when they expect violence...however that's not what you're asking.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are accounts from people who have been stabbed or cut and felt nothing or simply numbness.  A common danger to sharp weapons is not pain, but not realizing how badly you've been cut and not stopping the bleeding in time.  The flip side is that many arts that work with knives often teach overkill - you keep attacking because you can't assume pain will stop an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-01-30T22:44:34.360" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5947" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5647" CreationDate="2016-01-31T02:46:58.510" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are in the US want to buy your first steel sword either sharp or blunt, my suggestion is to take a look at HEMA Supplies, a US-based importer and reseller of Peter Regenyei's swords that seem to offer reasonable prices. They mostly sell blunt steel feders from Peter Regenyei but they will take orders for custom sharp longswords.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regenyei is one of the most trusted swordsmiths in HEMA. I personally own a (blunt) Regenyei longsword (a &quot;hand and a half&quot; sword) and I've briefly handled sharpened custom jobs from him, all really good quality. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;HEMA Supplies - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/HEMASupplies/timeline&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/HEMASupplies/timeline&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing to bear in mind, I'm living in Europe so I'm not familiar with the exact shipping costs to the US but I'll be conservative and assume it's rather high, however you might just get away with a sharp sword in the $400 range if you're lucky. If you have to choose between spending a little more for a high quality robust training sword or buying a cheaper sword of lower quality, I would recommend paying a little more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One last thing that doesn't directly answer your question but I think is important nonetheless, if you are a novice I would recommend getting a blunt training feder. It's much safer to train with if you are just starting out, most clubs will use feders for sparring, and they are cheaper and easier to maintain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6691" LastEditorUserId="6691" LastEditDate="2016-02-05T21:19:59.073" LastActivityDate="2016-02-05T21:19:59.073" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5948" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-01-31T15:57:38.857" Score="3" ViewCount="969" Body="&lt;p&gt;How can one bulk up with lean muscle &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; do Aikido? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido is a martial art in which while being relaxed (read: compliant) joints are stretched, twisted or hyperextended, so joint and ligament injuries are very common. The dojo is rife with injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the initiated, the problem is the wrists are usually tender (from nikyo), as are shoulders (from zealous pins and imperfect ukemi) so bench presses are painful; the knees are often inflamed (from shikko and seiza) so squats and lunges can be agonizing; and there is often general injury to the elbows (from hyperextension due to udegarami/jujinage) which can limit lifting anything heavy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strength training and bulking are different things. How can one bulk and do aikido? Or does bulking necessitate giving up aikido?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6693" LastEditorUserId="6693" LastEditDate="2016-02-01T04:10:25.760" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T15:38:54.533" Title="Aikido and Bulking Up?" Tags="|aikido|weight-lifting|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5949" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5948" CreationDate="2016-01-31T16:19:19.860" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just start a strength and conditioning program normally. Aikido is far from the strenuous end of the activity spectrum, and genetically-average amateurs find the way to weight train alongside just about everything. Make a slight allowance for Aikido crowding out lifting time and recovery resources, but just do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If injuries or immobile joints are in the way, fix them and proceed as stated in previous paragraph. It doesn't sound like the injuries you describe preclude squatting, deadlifting, or lunging--your only complaint seems to be that it's hard. Attention: proper training is strenuous. It's also not clear how jujinage prevents you from doing pull-ups unless there's a full-fledged injury, in which case, again, address the problem and move forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-01-31T16:19:19.860" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5950" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5948" CreationDate="2016-02-01T02:53:10.147" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The following is Kron Gracie's workout routine:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I like to get outside, be in nature, jump in the ocean, so I do an&#xA;  hour run, a two-hour bike ride, or a 40-minute swim. I warm up with&#xA;  100 pull-ups and 100 dips. Two days a week, instead of cardio I have a&#xA;  second two-hour jujitsu session. I do less weight training than people&#xA;  think. In the past year, I've lifted weights maybe three times. It's&#xA;  all push-ups, pull-ups, jujitsu. --&#xA;  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.details.com/story/brazilian-jujitsu-champion-kron-gracie-workout-and-diet&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.details.com/story/brazilian-jujitsu-champion-kron-gracie-workout-and-diet&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While Kron practices a different martial art, I think the emphasis on body weight exercises is applicable to anyone trying to build lean muscle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6567" LastActivityDate="2016-02-01T02:53:10.147" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5951" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5940" CreationDate="2016-02-01T08:38:36.173" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/X6FwPm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/X6FwPm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Science&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://journals.lww.com/jtrauma/pages/results.aspx?txtkeywords=stabbing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Journal of trauma and acute care search on stabbings&lt;/a&gt; should be a good research starting point.&lt;sup&gt;(1)&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stab_wound&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;'s article on stab wounds have a large reference section you should check out. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.turtleskin.com/Body-Armor/Wounding-Patterns-Article.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Turleskin stab armour&lt;/a&gt; has a white paper on stabbing targets but clearly is biased towards selling armours. Finally, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/engineering/people/academic-staff/sarah-hainsworth&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Prof Sarah Hainsworth&lt;/a&gt; has published several papers on the force of stabbing. Oh, one last thing: &lt;a href=&quot;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/knifefighting.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;No nonsense self defence section on knife fighting&lt;/a&gt; is a must read.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most, if not all, martial arts are fooling themselves that they can teach anything useful against a skilled knife fighter. Even a knife vs gun fight is not going to go as you think it should as &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dan+Inosanto+knife+fight&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Dan Inosanto demonstrates&lt;/a&gt; in these videos. Note that the original video showed Inosanto attacking a LEO. This has since been taken down for obvious reasons in 2017…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even a skim read of the above should tell you one thing: &lt;strong&gt;Stabbing is bad news!&lt;/strong&gt; Thus:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do not frequent places where knife crime is common.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If attacked, run towards safety.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Never have anything in your wallet/purse that you cannot replace within 24 hours so its lose is irrelevant.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If stabbed, seek medical attention &lt;em&gt;immediately&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-01-survival-similar-gunshotstabbing-victims-brought.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The sooner medical staff get to you, the greater are your chances of living.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learn first aid.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(1) &lt;sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Clearly &lt;em&gt;this is a medical journal thus contains graphical material related to trauma&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-10-20T07:20:03.810" LastActivityDate="2017-10-20T07:20:03.810" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5952" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5948" CreationDate="2016-02-01T09:28:34.243" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;First and foremost:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The dojo is rife with injuries. [...] &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This should be ringing many alarm bells. This is a sign of a bad teacher and a Mc Dojo. &lt;strong&gt;Get out and never come back before it is too late!&lt;/strong&gt; You only have one body and when it gets injured, it &lt;em&gt;never&lt;/em&gt; fully recovers. Keep good care of it. Any dojo who state that you should &quot;power through the injuries&quot; is not a place anyone should train at. If everyone is injured, including the instructors, then that dojo is worthless. It has failed in the most basic of self defence: that of safe guarding its members' health.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, on one hand bulking up can reduce your flexibility thus making it harder to escape some techniques safely. On the the hand, it make protecting your joint easier so you have that going for you. I trained with several body builders and this was a common feature. However, another one is very bulky yet very flexible. Can you bulk and keep (or increase) your flexibility?  I have no idea how -- try &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/ask&quot;&gt;fitness&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thirdly, do you want to be like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.alainrobert.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Alain Robert&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;http://schwarzenegger.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Arnold Schwarzenegger&lt;/a&gt;? Both are very strong but look quiet different. Of course, unless you have no need for a job, achieving either of these will be but impossible. There are lots of training regimes to get either ends but this is not the place for it -- try &lt;a href=&quot;https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/ask&quot;&gt;fitness&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:46:50.943" LastActivityDate="2016-02-01T11:11:52.083" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5955" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5948" CreationDate="2016-02-02T20:54:37.257" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Quote from your message: &quot;The dojo is rife with injuries.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find a different dojo. Seriously. In this I agree with Sardathrion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In your reaction to him you state: &quot;...but even the teachers are quite injured. It's the culture.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All the more reason to leave and never go back there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6704" LastActivityDate="2016-02-02T20:54:37.257" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5956" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="80" CreationDate="2016-02-02T21:10:29.723" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Generally, it's pretty straight forward. Go to a dojo (or contact someone beforehand if they a website and mail address) and ask if you can watch a class. Watch the class. Do not watch the techniques/movements/forms, but watch the attitudes of the teacher and the students. Watch the interaction between them and between senior students and beginners. Are many people smiling while working hard? Particularly watch the teacher when he demonstrates to the students what to do, or when he intervenes between practising students, handing out feedback. Does he/she give advice/feedback or is he/she just criticising or putting the students down? Are there many injuries?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After watching, try to have a chat with the teacher (if he/she hasn't already approached you him-/herself). Approachable? Hopefully, yes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you leave the dojo, how do you feel? Does it feel like something that you'd want to be part of? Bingo! If not, stay away. You should feel a good connection first. The rest, the movements/forms/etc, can be learned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6704" LastActivityDate="2016-02-02T21:10:29.723" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5962" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2415" CreationDate="2016-02-04T12:50:36.953" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stops sweat running onto the canvas so you dont slip!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6709" LastActivityDate="2016-02-04T12:50:36.953" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5963" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6984" CreationDate="2016-02-04T17:27:53.660" Score="5" ViewCount="226" Body="&lt;p&gt;As noted in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5525/when-training-spinning-kicks-is-it-more-important-to-prioritize-control-or-heig&quot;&gt;one of my earlier questions&lt;/a&gt;, I'm trying to get back into Capoeira. I'm trying to practice for 20 minutes or so each day, just going through the movements on my own in an empty room (the classes in town, unfortunately, still have not worked with my current schedule), but I'm running into an unexpected area of difficulty, the most basic move of the &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_capoeira_techniques#Ginga&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;ginga&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;. I feel unstable during the part where I draw my leg back. I think that part of my problem is distribution of weight between my legs (I know that the weight is supposed to go some to the back leg, but that the front knee needs to remain bent. However, I feel like I'm just lurching backwards rather than shifting the weight). And, well, it leaves me disinclined to keep doing the motion because it just feels clumsy and ridiculous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've tried looking up a few videos on YouTube, but they all seem to be of the &quot;these are the gross movements you're doing... do them with a partner to the music&quot; persuasion. Is there anywhere with better tips for getting it right than &quot;just keep doing it and you'll figure it out&quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm currently at work, but I'll try to post some video tonight so that you can see what my current movement is like and hopefully coach me towards what I can do better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-12-05T15:15:22.413" Title="How do I make my ginga more stable?" Tags="|capoeira|balance|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5964" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6019" CreationDate="2016-02-04T18:53:52.580" Score="6" ViewCount="569" Body="&lt;p&gt;As noted in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5525/when-training-spinning-kicks-is-it-more-important-to-prioritize-control-or-heig&quot;&gt;one of my earlier questions&lt;/a&gt;, I'm trying to get back into Capoeira. I'm trying to practice for 20 minutes or so each day, just going through the movements on my own in an empty room (the classes in town, unfortunately, still have not worked with my current schedule), but I'm running into an unexpected area of difficulty, the most basic move of the &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_capoeira_techniques#Ginga&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;ginga&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I asked about balance &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5963/how-do-i-make-my-ginga-more-stable&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, but the other problem, admittedly one that I had when I was actually taking classes, is how to move in rhythm to the music. I have decent rhythm overall, despite my wife's ribbing, but I can't quite get which movement happens on which beat. When I was taking classes, the general explanation I got was to &quot;just go with the music&quot; and to try to mirror the person opposite me. Still, it just never quite made sense to me. I'm an engineer and I have an easier time thinking in terms of discreet beats of timing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've tried looking up a few videos on YouTube, but they all seem to be of the &quot;these are the gross movements you're doing... do them with a partner to the music&quot; persuasion. Is there anywhere with better tips for getting it right than &quot;just keep doing it and you'll figure it out&quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm currently at work, but I'll try to post some video tonight so that you can see what my current movement is like and hopefully coach me towards what I can do better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2017-03-09T12:10:27.533" Title="How do I make my ginga flow better?" Tags="|capoeira|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5966" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5932" CreationDate="2016-02-06T03:51:03.017" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is inaccurate to say that all Okinawan karate has high stances.  There is a difference in the way that Tekki Shodan and Naihanchi are executed, however. One uses what I would call kiba dachi and the other uses the higher naihahchi dachi, what my style would call soto hachi monji dachi. The difference in stances is a stylistic choice, the bunkai is relatively the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you watch videos of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAkA5zAosC4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot; title=&quot;Tekki Shodan&quot;&gt;Tekki Shodan&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBoU_T8VF_0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot; title=&quot;Seiyunchin&quot;&gt;Seiyunchin&lt;/a&gt;, both done by well known masters, both have deep and high stances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that being said, I have found Goju Ryu to be very adaptable. In the adult mixed classes, we have had students ages range from 14 to 70. Everyone does their best, and a good instructor knows the limits of their students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any well rounded art has the potential to be adaptable given the right teacher.  Styles that aren't applicable to different capabilities and body types don't last through the generations. Research the school, talk to the teachers and explain to them your situation. You can practice good self defense without a textbook horse stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6713" LastActivityDate="2016-02-06T03:51:03.017" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5967" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5968" CreationDate="2016-02-06T10:31:44.240" Score="3" ViewCount="592" Body="&lt;p&gt;When are students or instructors expected to bow and to whom?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For spectators, family, friends or anyone else not participating, is anything expected of them as signs of respect?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6294" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T15:41:09.710" Title="Is bowing a universal sign of respect across all martial arts?" Tags="|etiquette|bowing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5968" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5967" CreationDate="2016-02-06T11:32:18.253" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not really.  Bowing is mostly a Japanese phenomenon.  Even then in Shorinji Kempo (a japanese style) we don't bow but rather put our palms together in a traditional Buddhist greeting.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Chinese arts they tend to make a rough yin/yan with the hands.  In boxing you touch fist with your opponent.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for when to bow this also varies.  Generally it's some or all of the above:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;When entering/leaving the dojo. (directed at the shrine) &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;When stepping onto or leaving the mat. (directed at the shrine)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;To the instructor at the start of class or when given advice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;To the judge at the start of a match.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;To the opponent at the start of a match (after bowing to the judge)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;To the opponent at the end of the match.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;To the judge at the end of the match. (after bowing to the opponent)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;To acknowledge a hit that has been scored in a match or practice session.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;(to whoever scored the hit)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;To the practice partner before and after you train with them.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are not usually any formalities expected of spectators or anyone else not participating.  However normal formalities for the culture are obviously expected.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words each martial art has it's own ettiquette.  You just have to learn it for the martial art you are studying.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-02-06T13:46:01.257" LastActivityDate="2016-02-06T13:46:01.257" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5969" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5970" CreationDate="2016-02-07T18:21:27.373" Score="-2" ViewCount="460" Body="&lt;p&gt;This weekend near my area a guy was assaulted by 2 guys with each one a gun in the hand. No one was hurt cuz they were just after the money.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It makes me struggling a little bit. What would you do in a situation when 2 guys attack you? &#xA;Should I just let them the money and then run away? What if they don't let me run and tell me to sit down, stay on the wall or whatever it takes to control me. Should I still run if they try to control me? Or is this the moment where I would have to defend myself?&#xA;And how would you defend against 2 people with each a gun? Is this even possible?&#xA;When is the moment where you should run and when you should strike back?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6686" LastActivityDate="2016-04-25T01:40:52.790" Title="What to do if 2 guys, each one a gun, assault you?" Tags="|self-defense|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5970" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5969" CreationDate="2016-02-07T21:55:06.773" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If they just want your belongings, give it to them, and good, you're done.  Your friend is unhurt, so your friend did the right thing.   The question people need to focus on is &quot;What will make me safer?&quot; and your friend did the thing that got him out safely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they want your life, you're going to have to a) figure that out in time, b) figure out what you're going to do about it.   Those two parts make up a lot of what intense self defense training is about and people spend years doing scenarios, drills, watching footage, looking up statistics and trying to best prepare.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In most cases, however, running is probably going to do you better than fighting against a gun.  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.theppsc.org/Staff_Views/Aveni/OIS.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This report&lt;/a&gt; puts the average hit percentage for NYPD officers shooting at 15% and you can also see the chart showing people being killed by guns by range dropping off significantly after 10 feet distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of it is going to be specifics that you can't answer with a question that broad - maybe you'd be able to run to safety, or at least enough cover to get to safety.  Maybe you'd be able to deal with one and use him as a shield from the other until you can get the gun free.  It's a million and one specifics that no one can answer for you ahead of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-02-07T21:55:06.773" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5971" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5969" CreationDate="2016-02-08T08:21:24.717" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;While taking on multiple armed opponents is possible, as Bishnu Prasad Shrestha (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.hoaxorfact.com/Inspirational/indian-gurkha-soldier-fought-40-armed-bandits-alone-and-saved-a-girl.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/One-Gurkha-40-Bandits-No-Contest-2-15-2011.asp&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2&lt;/a&gt;) proved, it is a very rare event indeed.  Dan Inosanto is famous for a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_KJ1R2PCMM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;knife vs gun&lt;/a&gt; video showing that a knife is better at close range. And finally, we have &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGzeyO3pGzw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mythbusters's Gun vs. Knife Fight&lt;/a&gt;. Of course all of that is just one off events. If you want real data the &lt;a href=&quot;http://journals.lww.com/jtrauma/pages/results.aspx?txtkeywords=gun&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;journal of trauma&lt;/a&gt; and your local &lt;a href=&quot;http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130128103514/http://homeoffice.gov.uk/crime-victims/crime-statistics/index.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;crime statistics&lt;/a&gt; are a good places to start. Since OP lives in Switzerland, the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/themen/19.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Swiss Statistics&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/profiles/Switzerland/Crime&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Switzerland Crime Stats&lt;/a&gt; are very applicable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In case of a robbery,  you &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; win a fight against armed assiants. However, You will get injured, maybe very seriously and you might die. Is whatever in your wallet worth your life?  If so, &lt;em&gt;get it out of your wallet right now!&lt;/em&gt;.  If gun and knife is so common where you live: &lt;em&gt;move&lt;/em&gt;! You cannot get hurt if you are not there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In case of an assassination attempt, then unless you have bodyguards, luck, and non-professional attackers, you are dead. 'nuff said.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most, if not all, martial arts will not teach anything that is even remotely useful against guns or knives. There is a lot of non-sense being taught sometimes with good intension, that will do nothing but endanger you. See &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/5951/82&quot;&gt;my answer to a previous knife self defence question&lt;/a&gt; for generic advice that apply here as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, playing make believe in your head about what you would do in such and such scenario is less than helpful. Dreams and reality tend not to match at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-02-08T09:16:17.717" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5972" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5969" CreationDate="2016-02-08T08:30:02.103" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NOBODY&lt;/strong&gt;, can give you the right answer to your questions as there are too many crazy people out there, even if you give them your money they will shoot you. If you run away they will shot you. If you fight back they will shoot you!&#xA;What to do then?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It depends on the situation and the guy in front of you, also the location where it happens, by that I mean, if you are in a country, where a human live is less worth as that of a cow, you should be thinking twice to fight back. You should also avoid appearing as a potential victim... don´t try to show off with chains, expensive watches or acting as a prototype of a tourist (with camera etc. or in a safari outfit in south Africa - the natives are not running around like that around too right?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is the guys in front of you nervous? Anxious in any way, maybe under drugs? There are many situations where people got shoot 'accidentally' because they were scared respectively surprised by the attack of their victim and shot him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Running away from someone that has a gun? Seriously? Just give them your belongings and obey to what they tell you and don´t make any quick or suspicious moves and the most important - stay calm!! Staying calm (or at least try as hard as you can) enables you to think. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they are after YOU personally, the chances that you have done something wrong too, are pretty high and then it´s your own fault - live with it, it is the risk if going the wrong path in live. And even then, it depends ... shooting first?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;you got my point... ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-02-08T08:30:02.103" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5973" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-02-08T11:30:48.973" Score="12" ViewCount="1407" Body="&lt;p&gt;How different is Luta Livre from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? Does it have the same submissions as BJJ? Are the rules in competitive tournaments also the same as BJJ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5496" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-02-10T12:44:14.977" LastActivityDate="2016-02-11T21:43:57.677" Title="Luta Livre vs Brazilian Jiu Jitsu" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5975" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-02-08T18:09:17.927" Score="4" ViewCount="319" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm wanting to get some good, broad resources to study up on, for my comic art / graphic novel purposes. Also, for my homebrew table RPG.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for something that shows me something like, &quot;X martial art focuses on Y principles, is fast / straightforward / etc., and prefers Z types of techniques like high kicks.&quot; Or &quot;Fighting with A type of weapon is found in B medieval period/culture, and used with C style and techniques, because of D.&quot; and hopefully some visual examples of such.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can look up youtube videos and what-not, but what I'm most interested in is the &lt;em&gt;comparison&lt;/em&gt; between combat styles, so I can kind of synthesize for myself what it 'comes down to', or what the main principles or strategies are that they play on.  If that makes sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Can you recommend any good books, video series, or the like that give good general, practical, or summarized information on one or more martial arts / combat in general? If possible, a comparison between them?&lt;/strong&gt; If nothing else, if I can get good resources to compare, then that's a good start.&#xA;I'm interested in anything from physical to ranged combat tactics, but mostly physical/medieval weaponry/martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I could go study and curate and 'translate' all that information myself from various sources, but I'm honestly not as interested in actually learning all these fighting styles (though eventually that'd be cool) as much as learning how they basically mechanically work, how they vary in broad terms, and how to convincingly &lt;em&gt;depict&lt;/em&gt; them. And I'm hoping someone has already done some of that work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If that is too broad of a question, can you refer me to a good resource that you think might be a good, simple start for what I'm looking for?&lt;/strong&gt; I don't want to spend a whole lot of time, I'm more interested in the application, but I'm more than willing to do some deep studying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can fudge my fighting scenes a little, basically make it up or envision it, but it's so much cooler if it's based on how fighting actually works. And it'd be so much more awesome if I can vary peoples' fighting styles realistically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit::&#xA;Here's the closest I've found to what I'm looking for on my own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I've already included in my game a few distinctions:&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Combat, Tactics, and Support are how I divide combat skills. Combat tries to deal damage/effect, Tactics tries to lock down or gain an advantage, and Support deals with positioning and terrain, flanking, etc. (Also area effects)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I involve a bit of a 'rock-paper-scissors' type strategy using Aggressive &gt; Defensive &gt; Finessed. But It's not exactly based on realism as much as it's just to add some strategic choice.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Similarly, I make a distinction between Melee, Armor/Mobility, and Ranged; whose technological advantages are based in Power &gt; Defense &gt; and Range, respectively. (So modern firearm combat is power+range, thus melee/heavy armors are mostly obsolete.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fighting Distances - Grapple, Lock, Strike, and Kick/Reach. So this helps me because it helps me envision what is a fundamental aspect - the distance at which you fight. So Tai Kwon Do tries to stay at reach, while Wing Chun tries to stay in locking range.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stances and Strike Types - So one source divided things into 3 stances (High, Middle, and Low Guard) and then into 8 cardinal/compass movement and strike/block directions. I might add a ninth for center strikes. And then he adds Strike vs Counterstrike, Avoidance, Deflection, and Disarms/Grabs. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Soft versus Hard - Basically how brutal it is, or the amount of force used/idealized. It seems like the closer the range, the softer, but this isn't always the case, so I think it's a separate principle.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6724" LastEditorUserId="6724" LastEditDate="2016-02-09T10:53:59.250" LastActivityDate="2016-03-02T11:02:53.257" Title="Resources explaining the differences between martial arts / combat styles for artistic purposes?" Tags="|technique|weapons|history|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5976" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-02-08T21:14:09.567" Score="5" ViewCount="131" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can someone please refer me to a place where I can find out more on this particular kick. I do not know how to spell it. In the movie &quot;Bruce Lee's real training film, rare footage with his own instructions and secrets!&quot;, one instructor refers to the &quot;Sashay&quot; used in &quot;Savah&quot;. I would like to see more of this particular kick and style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6725" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-02-10T10:34:31.533" LastActivityDate="2016-02-10T10:34:31.533" Title="Identification of a kick sounding like &quot;Sashay&quot;(?) used in &quot;Savah&quot;(?)" Tags="|technique|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5977" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-02-09T05:02:52.943" Score="1" ViewCount="1193" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am doing kickboxing and am wondering if there's any risk of brain damage even if head hits aren't allowed. Thanks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6726" LastActivityDate="2016-02-10T13:22:23.877" Title="Is kickboxing dangerous even if hits to the head aren't allowed?" Tags="|kickboxing|safety|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5978" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5977" CreationDate="2016-02-09T05:24:31.850" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Walking on the sidewalk carries &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.copenhagenize.com/2009/08/walking-helmet-is-good-helmet.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;a risk&lt;/a&gt; of brain damage. Consider that before moving onward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any contact sport--and many ostensibly non-contact sports--involves the possibility of an accident involving a clash of heads, a stray limb, or a slip and fall. But I wouldn't classify no-head-contact kickboxing as any more concussion-inducing than flag football, Ultimate frisbee, high school soccer, or roughhousing with your kid cousins. Severe concussions can happen from getting out of bed. The thing to realize about this isn't that all these activities are terrifyingly dangerous but that freak accidents are just that: accidents that are freakish in their improbability, impossible to plan for or protect against. Note that all but one of the low-probability-concussion-inducing-activity examples I've used are from the experience of people I've come into contact with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other point to remember is that there's more than one step from sport to brain damage. First you have to get hit in the head. Then the hit in the head has to be bad enough to cause a concussion or split your head open. Then the hit (or multiple hits over some period of time where you don't stop doing the sport) has to be bad enough to cause brain damage. Barring some freak accident, I can't see how such a path seems like a likely scenario. Lots of people kickbox &lt;em&gt;with&lt;/em&gt; head contact, for &lt;em&gt;years&lt;/em&gt;, without brain damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-02-09T05:24:31.850" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5979" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5975" CreationDate="2016-02-09T08:18:58.873" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a &lt;em&gt;vast&lt;/em&gt; undertaking...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://study-group-tomiki-aikido.wikispaces.com/file/view/On%20jujutsu%20and%20his%20modernisation.pdf/535843920/On%20jujutsu%20and%20his%20modernisation.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Tomiki's On Modern Jujutsu paper&lt;/a&gt; is not a bad place to start for how Aikido and Judo evolved from the myriad of old Japanese ryu. It breaks down ancient jujutsu into four categories:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Nage-waza (throwing techniques)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Katame-waza (locking techniques)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Atemi-waza (striking techniques)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kansetsu-waza (joint techniques)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would add a few more for a full picture:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;5&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ranged armed techniques (no idea what it would be in Japanese). This would be bows, cross bows, javelins, and so on.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mêlée armed techniques (no idea what it would be in Japanese). This would be swords (katana, broadswords, rapier, etc...), axes, spears, shields, knives, and so on.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Firearms techniques (tepo-waza?). Everything including guns but falling short of artillery.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I struggle to think of any martial art that would not neatly fit into one or more of those oh so broad categories.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This may or may not be helpful ☺.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does it even matter in fictional settings? &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_of_the_Immortal&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Blade Of The Immortals&lt;/a&gt; has many fantastic weapons, some of them utterly infeasible and impractical, but that does not stop it from being a good read.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-02-09T10:47:10.357" LastActivityDate="2016-02-09T10:47:10.357" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5980" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5977" CreationDate="2016-02-09T09:36:09.847" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Brain damage can be caused by a lot of things but the main causes are drugs and concussion/compression (usually from boxing or similar sports).  If you suffer a compression or concussion, you will have brain damage as a result to some extent.  The more times you become concussed and the more serious the hit (to the head), the more serious the brain damage becomes.  Sometimes you might not notice it, but the damage is still there and can be detected by psychological tests.  Other times it can result in psychosis, depression, loss of fine motor skills or dementia in the long term. The short term effects include short term memory loss and blacking out.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, if you are not being hit on the head the chance of concussion/compression is likely to be a lot less.  Short of you falling and hitting your head on the ground it is extremely unlikely that you would incur brain damage.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Light contact sparing such as that done by the World Karate Organisation is also unlikely to result in brain damage: anyone who moves the head with a strike gets disqualified on the spot.  This type of training (i.e. light contact, not karate) may be a good complement to the no-head strikes sparing, if you are training for self defense.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-02-10T13:22:23.877" LastActivityDate="2016-02-10T13:22:23.877" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5981" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5976" CreationDate="2016-02-09T13:16:16.837" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on mattm's comment, you may be looking for a &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://savateaustralia.wordpress.com/essays/chasse/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;chassé&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; kick from &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savate&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Savate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are several variations on the move, but I've found at least one reference to Bruce Lee's signature cross-over side kick coming from the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMQn7GRkOqg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;chassé-croisé&lt;/a&gt; kick from Savate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-02-09T17:59:41.133" LastActivityDate="2016-02-09T17:59:41.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5982" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5975" CreationDate="2016-02-09T15:30:27.477" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Asian Fighting Arts&lt;/em&gt; by Donn F. Draeger and Robert W. Smith is a good survey of martial arts from Asia. The original, published in 1969, is a little dated, but should give you an idea of the history, content, and weapons used by Asian martial arts systems. This was republished as &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.com/books?id=_o73NOjb4p4C&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; in 1980. I don't know how the content of the newer version differs, if at all. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-02-09T15:30:27.477" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5983" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5973" CreationDate="2016-02-10T04:52:06.527" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;To my knowledge, Luta Livre and BJJ are practically the same, the only difference is that in Luta Livre you don't wear a Gi. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both systems use belts for graduations, although in Luta Livre you don't wear it during fights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Due to not having a Gi in Luta Livre, it is understood that some techniques are slightly adjusted to fit the circumstances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some more Detail:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Luta Livre as we know it today emanated from &lt;strong&gt;Brazilian judo&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;wrestling&lt;/strong&gt;.It was founded in the mid 20th century by Euclydes Hatem, who went by the name Tatu. Luta Livre truly burst into Brazilian social consciousness when the first of the major Brazilian Jiu Jitsu vs. Luta Livre encounters happened in the 1940's, with Hatem defeating George Gracie. Later in the 1970's, the art was influenced by Tatu's students Fausto and Carlos Brunocilla, who graduated several experts. Perhaps even more so, the art was later positively impacted by Roberto Leitao, a wrestling and judo practitioner&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://martialarts.about.com/od/styles/a/lutalivre.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://martialarts.about.com/od/styles/a/lutalivre.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Both judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are similar in many ways. This is&#xA;  mainly because both emanate from the ancient Japanese art of jujutsu&#xA;  or jujitsu in some fashion. Judo was in essence formulated by Dr.&#xA;  Jigoro Kano (sometimes written at Jigori). Kano's art was formulated&#xA;  with the idea of it being practiced as a sport; hence, some of the&#xA;  more dangerous moves of jujutsu were taken out (killing moves, etc.):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://martialarts.about.com/od/styles/ss/Top-Brazilian-Jiu-Jitsu-Vs-Judo-Fights-Characteristics-Great-Fights-Etc.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://martialarts.about.com/od/styles/ss/Top-Brazilian-Jiu-Jitsu-Vs-Judo-Fights-Characteristics-Great-Fights-Etc.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2016-02-11T16:27:30.547" LastActivityDate="2016-02-11T16:27:30.547" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5984" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5842" CreationDate="2016-02-10T08:40:55.770" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is physically correct with greater weight and muscle power you will definitely be having a greater impact while punching. The greater weight will have a greater momentum as soon as the muscles give you the speed the impact will be doubled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;code&gt;momentum = mass X velocity&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muscle Power is more important than weight&lt;/strong&gt;, as heavier bodies are much more difficult to accelerate. If your hands are heavy and you don't have the power behind, you will lose the stamina quickly. So, concentrate more on the muscle power by doing correct workouts like:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Non Static Stretching&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Standing Stable in Good posture&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Concentrate on your weaker muscles&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do Contrast Training&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use Sprints And Drills&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do Polymetrics&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lift Heavy&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rest Longer&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After you get the muscle strength Force to make the larger impact. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as the kicks are concerned, concentrate more on the techniques and speed. Practice both on punch bag to perfect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6729" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-02-11T21:37:58.397" LastActivityDate="2016-02-11T21:37:58.397" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5985" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5973" CreationDate="2016-02-10T23:14:34.333" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Both are grappling fights. Jiu jitsu can be splitted in two divisions. Gi and NOGi. Luta livre (some times called Submission) is just NOGi. This is a vantage for Luta Livre (they focus in just one style).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The techniques are the same. But Jiu Jitsu nowadays is much more focusing in competition/sport and in my opinion Jiu Jitsu is losing the fight idea. Nowadays jiu jitsu have a lot of rules that helps the competitor to win a fight without a submission. Some of the submission are banned from Jiu Jitsu because could injure. But at same time this rules will helping BJJ to faster grow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bjj banned &lt;strong&gt;cervical lock&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Heel hooks&lt;/strong&gt; at all to all belts and divisions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I started Jiu Jitsu I used to go to Luta Livre Competitions. In that time the Luta livre competition was in two categories of &quot;Belt&quot;, debut and experienced. The Luta Livre accept the White/Blue/Purple compete in debut categories. Brown and Black in experienced category. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To a bjj competitor compete in a NoGi fight is much more easy than a Luta Livre Competitor compete in a Gi fight. The BJJ figter will miss some os the controls and submission(because they use the Gi) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Complementary Information.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Desafio Jiu Jitsu vs. Luta Livre, 1991 The Jiu Jitsu vs Luta Livre&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;challenge generated interest from a major TV company (Rede Globo) due&#xA;  to the influence the Gracie’s held in some media circuits. The TV&#xA;  company was lured into the idea by Robson Gracie (once again the&#xA;  organizer) who mentioned that the event would be under grappling&#xA;  rules, the rules were later changed to no holds barred, but the&#xA;  support of the Rede Globo remained. Having a national audience lifted&#xA;  the stakes of the competition even higher, and the card was picked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wallid Ismail (jiu jitsu representative) vs Eugênio Tadeu (luta livre&#xA;representative) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Amaury Bitetti (jiu jitsu representative) vs Marco&#xA;Ruas (luta livre representative) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fábio Gurgel (jiu jitsu representative) vs Denílson Maia (luta livre representative) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Marcelo Behring (jiu jitsu representative) vs Hugo Duarte (luta livre&#xA;representative) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Murilo Bustamante (jiu jitsu representative) vs Marcelo Mendes (luta livre representative)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;With Marco Ruas missing the fight and Behring getting injured in&#xA;  training, the card moved on with just 3 fights. All fights were won by&#xA;  the Jiu Jitsu side:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Wallid Ismail defeated Tadeu: Tadeu did not return to the ring after&#xA;  the two fighters fell outside Fábio Gurgel defeated Denílson Maia:&#xA;  referee stoppage Murilo Bustamante defeated Marcelo Mendes: after a&#xA;  complete dominance of Bustamante, Mendes refused to return to the ring&#xA;  after he fell out. The event was a major boost to jiu jitsu’s&#xA;  popularity whose gyms had a massive influx of students shortly after&#xA;  the challenge. The bad atmosphere between the two grapping rivals died&#xA;  down for a bit after the event, however it did not disappear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-culture/jiu-jitsu-vs-luta-livre&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Bjj Heroes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="5818" LastEditDate="2016-02-11T21:43:57.677" LastActivityDate="2016-02-11T21:43:57.677" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5988" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1690" CreationDate="2016-02-12T00:58:27.270" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hang a sheet of paper from the ceiling (wedge the string that it hangs on into a light fitting). Practice hitting the paper flat on, with a snap and speed (after warmups and stretching).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will improve your speed, balance and accuracy without the need for equipment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After you've done that well enough (500+ punches) do some strengthening stuff (pushups etc) for a few weeks. Then try the paper hitting again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also use it for kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastActivityDate="2016-02-12T00:58:27.270" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5989" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1035" CreationDate="2016-02-12T10:28:54.240" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Arnica cream works well; it brings out the swelling faster and hence makes the bruise go away quicker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6733" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-02-23T21:53:32.890" LastActivityDate="2016-02-23T21:53:32.890" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5990" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5842" CreationDate="2016-02-12T13:12:05.473" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I see a lot of good answers, so I will just add some wing chun specific remarks. First of all. Wing chun punch gets its power from technique and body structure. Punch is guided by your elbow and comes from your center line. Its focus is in transfer of energy into the target. Punch alone is a whip like movement, as you don't want to push you target away.&#xA;Another important aspect is the concept of softness or relaxation of your punch. When punching to the air you wrist and fingers should wiggle. Like a jelly. Basicaly, more relaxed the punch, the more powerful it will be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, how you can train to improve your punching. As you might often hear in wing chun. The answer is in your first form. Siu Nim Tau. It guides you to proper technique and with repetition it goes to you muscle memory, so you can strike more relaxed. Another good tool is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wingchunmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/punching-wall-bag-15.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;wall pad/bag&lt;/a&gt; so that you can train punches with actualy punching something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user5645" LastActivityDate="2016-02-12T13:12:05.473" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5991" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1761" CreationDate="2016-02-13T15:41:48.467" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I took Krav Maga for about a year with two different organizations.  It can teach you to defend rather quickly and get you to safety in a B- line.  But to say it teaches to kill is over kill. Any martial art can teach you to kill, but going to jail is not worth it.  Once the adversary is on the ground leave the scene—hitting more than that will get you locked up for too much force.  I like the bursting concept of it, to many choke escapes.  One or two will do but to go thru your mind selecting out of 12 is useless under stress.  The knife blocks are even worse, very dangerous.  Use objects around you to defend against a knife and any other weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6739" LastActivityDate="2016-02-13T15:41:48.467" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5992" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1690" CreationDate="2016-02-15T10:35:12.033" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You simply could use an old car tire, cut it in half and would have a nice punching bag you can put on the wall. And you would not hurt your hands that much.&#xA;Please see the following:&lt;a href=&quot;http://homemadegymstuff.blogspot.de/2009/11/car-tyre-tire-punchbag.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://homemadegymstuff.blogspot.de/2009/11/car-tyre-tire-punchbag.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-02-15T10:35:12.033" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5993" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1983" CreationDate="2016-02-16T03:20:59.903" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have done a short research on the topic and here follows my findings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, its very difficult to believe that you can make an attacker cripple just by pointing your index finger. Let us examine what Dr. Prakasan Gurukkal, M.D, Phd., hails from South India. Amoung other subjects he is a master in the follwing:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) Choondu Marmam - Use index finger as a lethal weapon&#xA;2) Oothu Marmam   - Blow your breath to repel an attacker&#xA;3) Nooku Marmam   - No finger, no breath just a fierce look is enough&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He has been on most of the channels for the above reason. Till now nobody has proved anything against him, but that doesnt mean its real. He has been challenged by many people and the victory has been always with him. They say it's not magic, it's not hypnotism but the most lethal and highest form of self defence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Proof 1:&lt;/strong&gt; Some Indian channels recorded his performance and thought it can be a drama by the Master and his students, so they send their representative for the fight, one was a doctor as well. They say something is preventing them from going closer to him as if you are standing in a sea against the waves. Two other guys try to attack him from behind without telling him. they both fell unconscious.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Proof 2:&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;Dr. Peny Kangas, from Miami belongs to Bulgarian royal Family,  billionaire flew down to know the truth. Being a disciple of Mahesh Yogi, practises meditation and was easy for her to learn the technique and applies in real life&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/nNbud.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/nNbud.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Proof 3:&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;International Kung fu and Taichi (Chinese martial art) expert Prof John Cassie flew down from England to take a closer look atPrakasan's index finger, black belt Vijayan does not fare any better, nor did Kalarippayattu champion Joseph. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On coming back to his sences, Babu, the wiry Kalarippayat champion, confesses:&quot; I really don't Know what hit me&quot;. I couldn't move my body at all&quot;.It is neither magic nor hypnotism, but the most lethal and highest form of self defence .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Proof 4:&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;Dr. Pissarevskiy Igor, M.D in Phychology, M.Din Neurology,  Master in Tai Chi and  Qi Gong and many other qualifications (from Russia) was the last one to become Dr Prakasan's desciple.&#xA;&quot;I looked and understand all that was going around me, but I cant move. All of us can do nothing in this situation&quot; - Dr. Pissarevskiy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I put his opinion avove all of the proofs, because being Phychologist and Neurologist and having many qualifications to his credit, you cant ignore this.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/PNO18.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/PNO18.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Videos and photos of proof available in my blog &lt;a href=&quot;http://vedicmanthra.blogspot.com.au&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://vedicmanthra.blogspot.com.au&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dr Prakasan says its not the touch, feel, breath or index finger that does the trick. Its a communication between your's and the opponent's subconscious minds. You make your mind a super mind and deal with the ordinary mind of others. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Still don't believe ? plan your next holiday to Gods Own Country and experience yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6744" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2016-02-18T11:54:51.733" LastActivityDate="2016-02-18T11:54:51.733" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5994" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6199" CreationDate="2016-02-16T05:20:57.020" Score="8" ViewCount="754" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm trying to figure the 540 round kick as a personal challenge approaching my taekwondo black stripe exam. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been practicing for a while so I got a good grip over standard kicks, my flexibility is quite good and I got a solid 360 kick. The thing is, I'm blocking when it comes to kicks like the 540 because of the longer airtime. I feel like there's more chances I get hurt and this plays in my head, I'm unable to practice the kick properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I was wondering, are there any good exercises/tips that could help me be more confident so I can practice my 540 with more effectiveness?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2041" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-03-16T17:32:02.827" LastActivityDate="2019-04-11T08:30:39.100" Title="Exercises to prepare for &quot;long airtime&quot; kicks" Tags="|kicking|spinning-kicks|jump-kick|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5995" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-02-16T10:23:10.480" Score="5" ViewCount="220" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen a few micro rings posted around mainly one by trojanfit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.trojanfit.co.uk/trojanfit-micro-boxing-ring-1362-p.asp&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.trojanfit.co.uk/trojanfit-micro-boxing-ring-1362-p.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the idea is to train in an area where you aren't able to run and therefore have to focus on blocking. Also it would get you used to being against the ropes, so you don't feel pressured in that situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The price range is in the same ballpark as any other big bit of kit for a home gym, and i'de be able to fit it in my garage. (there are a couple of gyms I found that have them, but not close enough for me to justify trying it out)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuCEcxU-qo0&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuCEcxU-qo0&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Has anyone in the community trained using a micro ring? Did you find that it helped improve your technique?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6745" LastEditorUserId="4267" LastEditDate="2016-02-23T21:51:38.423" LastActivityDate="2017-08-04T18:29:54.493" Title="Boxing Micro Rings" Tags="|training|technique|boxing|equipment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5996" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="5998" CreationDate="2016-02-16T12:55:46.930" Score="-2" ViewCount="190" Body="&lt;p&gt;I used to do karate and have recently started boxing. Now obviously the techniques all look very different and the stances etc. However I wonder if karate punches may have more power to them or stuff like that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6587" LastActivityDate="2016-02-16T16:10:54.060" Title="How is karate different to boxing or other martial arts technique wise" Tags="|karate|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2016-02-17T11:53:18.787" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5997" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5994" CreationDate="2016-02-16T16:00:49.113" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you feel like there is a greater chance of injury for 540 degree kicks over 360 degree kicks, that's good, because there is a greater chance of injury. If you want to develop techniques like a 540 degree spin kick, you have to understand this is a fact of life. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The physics of rotation is a good place to start. Your &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_of_inertia&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;moment of inertia&lt;/a&gt; is your resistance to rotational acceleration, which is the rotational analogue of mass, which is resistance to linear acceleration. If you apply the same torque (you use same force at same location to initiate rotation), you will spin faster when you minimize your moment of inertia. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What does this mean in practice? You want your mass as close to the rotational axis as possible. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't lean. This moves your body mass off the rotational axis, which will slow down your rotation. Try to keep your body upright. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bring your arms in to your body. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, jump up, not out to the side. This will maximize your air time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-02-16T16:12:02.013" LastActivityDate="2016-02-16T16:12:02.013" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5998" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5996" CreationDate="2016-02-16T16:10:54.060" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This may be an unsatisfactory answer, as I am no expert in boxing or karate, &lt;em&gt;but&lt;/em&gt; I have experienced multiple arts and sports and have noticed something:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;They may have minor differences, or they may not have any differences at all.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is because there is a thing called &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_biomechanics&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;body mechanics&lt;/a&gt;. Basically, there are only so many ways you can deliver a good punch, kick, or other move. It is very possible that multiple people have independently discovered the optimal way to punch. I would therefore advise you to keep your eyes open and see what karate and boxing share. They do have slightly different goals, so that will affect how the techniques are delivered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a related (and mildly humorous note), I have found such a connection between HEMA (Historic European Martial Arts) and baseball. There is a swordfighting stance called &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stavacademy.co.uk/mimir/images/guard2.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;posta di donna&lt;/a&gt;. You can get a lot of power out from this stance when swinging. Batters use &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.berlinwallpaper.com/caboom/images/Baseball-Batter-red.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;pretty much the same stance&lt;/a&gt; when they go up to bat. It's a biomechanically similar setup, just used in different contexts and executed slightly differently. If &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiore_dei_Liberi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Fiore dei Liberi&lt;/a&gt; saw a baseball batter, he may ask &quot;why is that man in woman's guard? Who is he going to hit?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastActivityDate="2016-02-16T16:10:54.060" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="5999" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4790" CreationDate="2016-02-16T18:41:45.950" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I purchased a Microsoft Band about the time they came to market because I wanted a HR monitor and didn't want to deal with straps and because I felt that it was unobtrusive.  It has an exercise mode and occasionally I would put it in mode before my TKD class.  Microsoft's app provides a range on their graph for viewing your HR data, as I was trying to remain in a MODERATE area.  I found it to be reasonably accurate for my purposes, which meant that I needed to turn down the intensity levels often.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I no longer use the HR monitor but I still wear the band daily for step counting and for text, etc notifications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I never found I had any problems wearing it during MOST activities during class; I don't think I've worn it during sparring but it might be feasible but at risk to the device and the wearers wrists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6746" LastActivityDate="2016-02-16T18:41:45.950" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6001" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-02-17T17:42:38.340" Score="14" ViewCount="605" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is basically a question about how to encourage randori (free play) versus shiai (competition) during throwing practice. Randori is supposed to be friendly; the objective is further development of both partners rather than winning an athletic competition. Behaviors such as falling on your partner while throwing (makikomi) are discouraged in randori due to injury risk, but would not be in shiai. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the judo club where I practice, there is a tendency for randori to be at shiai intensity. For people of higher skill levels, this is not a problem, but it presents an injury risk for beginner or intermediate practitioners, especially when there is a size disparity. In particular, this has been an injury problem for women, who tend to be smaller than the men and frequently do not have options for training partners of comparable size. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from repeating lectures about the difference between randori and shiai, what are ways to develop good habits for randori? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-02-17T23:57:21.503" LastActivityDate="2019-01-03T18:49:10.653" Title="To prevent injuries, how do you discourage people from using excessive force?" Tags="|judo|teaching|grappling|safety|women|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6002" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6012" CreationDate="2016-02-17T20:28:19.347" Score="4" ViewCount="298" Body="&lt;p&gt;The other day I just learnt how to slip in boxing and my coach told me to transfer your weight to the leg towards which you slip. Now by doing this it makes me wonder if you're actually balanced anymore, since your weight isn't distributed evenly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6587" LastEditorUserId="6587" LastEditDate="2016-02-17T20:37:11.617" LastActivityDate="2016-02-18T11:44:30.063" Title="Balance in boxing when slipping" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6003" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6024" CreationDate="2016-02-17T21:54:43.073" Score="2" ViewCount="1494" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many martial arts as well as practical methods such as Krav Maga claims to have the answer for difference in weight and size. However, even in competitions the experts have to be in the same weight. I would like to know if there are any practical techniques that can be used in street for overcoming difference of strength, size and weight. I ask about techniques for self defense not for tournament.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="6750" LastEditDate="2016-03-05T17:04:29.553" LastActivityDate="2016-03-09T14:06:20.860" Title="What are the best techniques to fight with a heavier and stronger rival" Tags="|strength|power|weight|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6004" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6003" CreationDate="2016-02-18T03:38:04.403" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If weapons are available, these quickly equalize situations, but I suspect you are interested in unarmed situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are no best techniques that always work. Any decent martial arts system will have techniques that do not rely on you being bigger and stronger than your opponent. These should work for you provided you have sufficiently trained.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wong Kiew Kit describes the relationship between technique and force in this excerpt from &lt;em&gt;The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu&lt;/em&gt;, pp 134-135:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a fight a seven-year-old black belt, for example, will be no match for a powerful adult, even though the child is trained in martial arts and the adult may have no knowledge of martial arts at all... The decisive factor here is force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of force, the relationship between a Kung Fu master and an ordinary person is like that between a powerful adult and a child.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hence, the mark of a master lies in depth of force rather than range of techniques. Of course this does not mean that techniques are not important; it only shows that force is generally a more significant factor in deciding victory in combat. When the question of force is not relevant, as when children fight among themselves, or when students of similar force levels engage in sparring, techniques become very important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The word 'force' is an imperfect translation of the Chinese term &lt;em&gt;gong&lt;/em&gt; (pronounced 'kung'). The term 'Kung Fu' (gongfu in Romanized Chinese) comes from this concept of &lt;em&gt;gong&lt;/em&gt;, indicating that the emphasis is not on learning techniques but on training force. Besides force, the concept of &lt;em&gt;gong&lt;/em&gt; also includes other factors like skill, speed, agility, balance, fluidity of movement and correctness of form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In developing the &lt;em&gt;gong&lt;/em&gt; concept of force, you need training to improve reactions, get faster, minimize the distance you need to cover, increase the amount of power you generate, increase the efficiency at which you transfer that power, and so on. Basically, you have to do a lot of hard work to make your techniques effective, and you need still more work to make up for being smaller or weaker than an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this school of thought, your technique of choice may be something as simple as a straight punch, just delivered with exceptional skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-02-18T03:38:04.403" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6005" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6003" CreationDate="2016-02-18T04:30:58.943" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your equalizers are to fight unfair: attack by surprise, use weapons that the other side doesn't have, attack with methods that harm a person in such a way the injuries impair response regardless of the long term consequences to the person you are attacking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll notice that competitions remove all of these things - you're expecting a fight, you have an area to fight in, it's well lit, you're told when to start and stop, you do not get to spring surprise weapons the other side doesn't have, you don't get to gouge eyes, or stab people in the neck, etc.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you've removed all of these, you come down to skill, size and power... so if you want to just see skill, you have to start matching people up of similar size...  that's what a competition is about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if you're not trying to see who has the best skill, but rather win no matter what, then there's no such thing as cheating - just doing everything you can to make it unfairly favoring you - which is what you do in a situation involving your safety.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's no singular technique, but most of the combative styles you can learn will focus on these things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-02-18T04:30:58.943" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6006" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6002" CreationDate="2016-02-18T04:45:53.087" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;By keeping on your toes all the time and using small steps you should be able to avoid your slip taking you off- balance. The slip has to be long enough just to slip the punch, if it goes for much longer, it stops being a slip and you have to keep on your toes to regain balance rapidly to your new position. But if you keep on your toes, you can recover from the slip quickly enough and not lose balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastEditorUserId="1985" LastEditDate="2016-02-18T04:57:46.287" LastActivityDate="2016-02-18T04:57:46.287" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6007" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6003" CreationDate="2016-02-18T04:56:12.383" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The trick is to move inside their range. Then it's a case of the bigger opponent having to fend off the smaller one because you're no longer in their striking range. Bruce Lee was a short fellow, and he used a combination of parries to move into range, then do things like backfist, rutts, uppercuts, tight hooks, overhead hook to get the job done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;in competition a while ago there was Mike Zambidis who used to take out opponents much taller than him by slip-counter type moves . The Lethwei fighters do this too. (get close in range and pound)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastActivityDate="2016-02-18T04:56:12.383" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6008" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6001" CreationDate="2016-02-18T05:20:02.593" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've trained in many martial arts schools. There have always been one or two individuals that didn't know their own strength or who simply had some kind of mental issue that caused them to scare everyone else in the class who had the misfortune of partnering up with them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And I'm not even talking about sparring. It could be a nice, smooth, flowing, stationary Taiji push-hands exercise where the object is to use as little force as possible to unbalance and get your opponent to take a simple step, never grabbing, never shoving, and never striking. And then suddenly you hear &quot;thud&quot; after &quot;thud&quot; on someone's chest across the room as they're obviously beating on someone, and you look over there and see some guy being thrown into a mirror on the wall. Seriously, this actually happened.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, the instructor needs to step in, take the offending guy aside, and explain that this level of force or intensity is not helping them, and that everyone else in the class is scared or angered by them. They should be given a second chance. But if they continue with their behavior, they should be tossed out and told not to return.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Often times, though, students are actually unaware of it. They don't know they're scaring or hurting others. Once they're told, they cringe and apologize. They didn't mean to be mean. And they improve from that point on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, others I've run into had this idea that martial arts training is supposed to teach students how to fight. So each thing they do in class is a kind of fight, with the same intensity and the same contempt shown for ones opponent. And they think everyone who doesn't play hard like them is just weak and shouldn't be training in martial arts if they have a problem with it. Like it's their job to show them the way of the warrior.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those kinds of people are not easy to fix. They should be told that they're in the wrong school, and that they need to enroll in an MMA prize fighting school instead. After all, that's going to give them exactly what they want. And if they do actually go to one of those places to train and try to pull the hard core &quot;warrior&quot; crap with them, they're going to get beaten to a pulp.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;As for Judo in particular&lt;/b&gt;, one thing an instructor should do is to sit the class down and explain to them that it's much better to lose to your opponent in class while trying to learn from it, rather than winning merely by forcing yourself on your opponent. The only thing you've learned in the latter case is that you were physically stronger than your classmate, which does you very little good. In the long-run, training without trying to force things will result in steady improvement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My Judo instructor was a woman, by the way. She was a 5th dan at the time. She observed that female Judo students would learn the key concepts quicker than male students did, in general. And the reason she gave was that the males tended to want to compensate for their lack of skill by using their muscles to force things, whereas the females didn't have that option. Lacking muscle strength, the females needed to be more skilled in order to win. And so they &quot;invested in loss&quot; and learned easier and smarter ways of overcoming each situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Males can do the same thing, of course, if they're actively trying to be aware of their use of muscle power. Speed is still just fine. But powering through a technique is not. Using leverage, using positioning, using body mass, using timing and speed, all of those things are what you should be working on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you're in Judo class, and you're rolling with a much weaker opponent, make sure you're not using more strength than they are. Make it a game. Make it a rule if you like. Or have your instructor make it a rule. &lt;b&gt;Each partner needs to use only the level of force that the other person is showing, and no more, even if it means losing. This way, your wins will be more meaningful, and your losses will teach you something.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other thing. You can extend this rule to every other attribute as well, besides just muscle strength. If your partner in class prefers to go slow and remain calm and analytical, you should go slow and remain calm. If your partner is a white belt, and you're a black belt, use only white belt techniques and skills they might have and nothing else. If your partner weighs significantly less than you do, try using only that much body weight against them. Don't attempt to smother them. Etc. You get the idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2016-02-18T05:33:39.547" LastActivityDate="2016-02-18T05:33:39.547" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6009" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6016" CreationDate="2016-02-18T05:51:24.933" Score="5" ViewCount="689" Body="&lt;p&gt;I heard that winning a real life street fight depends on your action in the first seconds. If you have to fight for longer time the probability of winning decrease dramatically. Is it true. How can you prepare yourself for the surprise in real street fight and is the phrase &quot;Act first as fast as you can and surprise your rival&quot;. Are the real examples or video that can show how to prepare yourself for dealing with the surprise and fast reaction?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2020-04-22T17:19:38.977" Title="Act first as fast as you can and surprise in real fight" Tags="|self-defense|self-training|training|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6011" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6009" CreationDate="2016-02-18T09:47:53.813" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;The duration of a fight bares no relation to the risk of injury as clearly demonstrated by countless matches. Attacking first leaves one open to very serious legal repercussions. Expecting to be attacked at all times and places is a mark of paranoia.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The duration of a fight has nothing to do with your probabilities of being injured.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The nature of the attack does.  If the attacker wants to kill, they will stab/shoot to kill. The aim is to kill the target and leave. If the hit fails, they will try again later. If the attacker's aim is to inflict pain, then they will only stop if either when they have inflicted enough damage (whatever that is) or they are taken out. In both those cases, expect the attacker to plan the ambush in such a way as no matter what the victims does, they cannot escape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The skill of the attacker does.  If the attacker is a wee mean drunk unable to stand, their attacks are not going to hurt. Just dodge. If the attacker is Chuck Norris... Well, we know how that ends. I heard that a rattle snake bit Chuck Norris and after three days of agony, the snake died. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The proximity to your mates does.  If all your mates from the martial art club, marines, and special forces are a minute away, the longer the fight lasts the less chances you are to get hurt. You are more likely to get hurt in the first minute than the tenth!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxers, MMA, and other contact sport demonstrate this all the time: The longer a match last, the more injury?  Nope. The longer a match last, the more the pair are evenly matched.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might argue that someone trying to kill you is not comparable with a MMA match. That is fair. However, not all self defence situations involve someone trying to commit murder. A bar brawl is most of the time less violent than an MMA match due to the practitioners lack of coordination and skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Act first, act fast&lt;/em&gt; is utter rubbish.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is one of the common tropes that gets totted by deluded people who claim to know anything about self defence. It reads sensibly in the face of it but as soon as you think about it in depth, its sheer stupidity comes to the front.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;I am not lawyer, nor do I play one on TV&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Acting first makes one the attacker. The situation was escalated form an argument (possibly loud and obnoxious) into a physical confrontation. Any LEO will arrest whoever started threw the first punch. Prosecutors will argue that the attacker is a violent individual and Judges will listen to them. After all, the attacker does a violent sport those aim is hurting people -- a skewed definition of martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self defence does not give one unbridled rights to hurt, main, cripple, or kill one's attacker. What the legal definition of self defence is varies from country to country. &lt;em&gt;If you want to know more, talk to your local lawyer/solicitor.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self defence law is complex and depends on your locality. Anyone claiming that their magic formula will save you from legal ramifications is conning you. Whether you are hit first, threatened with a weapon, or assaulted verbally, does not give you a carte blanche to act like a thug. &lt;em&gt;If you want to know more, talk to your local lawyer/solicitor.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, people who rely on either violence or the threat of violence to resolve any confrontation are called bullies. It makes one a despicable person most people do not want to associate with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, even if it were a good idea legally, the statement would still be utter rubbish form a training point of view: no one walks around expecting hidden and invisible ninja attacking them at any moment. It is impossible. Even soldiers in the middle of battle have trouble detecting attacks. And they are trained for combat. After some time, PTSD starts affecting them -- or combat fatigue, whatever you want to call it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's assume you want to go down that path.  You have to watch for ambushes, expect the worst of all strangers, and watch out for hidden dangers all around you. This is what the medical profession called &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/paranoia&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;paranoia&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, in your paranoid state you thought someone is coming close to you, hands in pockets. Is he going to stab you? Yes, quiet possibly. So, react first: pick you gun and preventively shot him in the face! What if you get it wrong? What if that guy just did not see you and bummed into you. He was thinking about his wife and what she wanted for their anniversary, just not paying attention to his surroundings...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is that how you want to live? Always afraid for your life, never being able to stop and rest. What kind of life is that?...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, you can come up with lots and lots of imaginary situations where this advice saves your live. But they remain &lt;em&gt;imaginary&lt;/em&gt;. In real life, this advice is utterly useless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-02-24T08:59:46.693" LastActivityDate="2016-02-24T08:59:46.693" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6012" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6002" CreationDate="2016-02-18T11:44:30.063" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Having equal weight distribution among your feet is a naive and limited form of balance. Demonstrating balance with an uneven weight distribution, or with only one foot on the ground (or, in other contexts, with hands but not feet on the ground, or with two feet and one hand...) is a more difficult form of balance that is often appropriate and useful for particular purposes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One can be balanced while transferring weight mostly to one foot, as long as one is in position to move out of that state in multiple directions. Doing so is useful for power production, avoiding strikes, sweeps, or takedowns, and so on. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you only practice being balanced while perfectly upright with each foot bearing equal weight, then you will be unable to execute a large variety of offensive and defensive techniques. More frighteningly, you will be lost when, in the course of a chaotic fight, you are forced out of your perfect position. It is important to develop comfort and balance with an uneven weight distribution, even if a perfectly even weight distribution is technically the ideal position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-02-18T11:44:30.063" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6013" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2935" CreationDate="2016-02-18T13:59:02.797" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This here is the best and most clear video tutorial on how to do that kick&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80p6aDigtv8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80p6aDigtv8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6753" LastActivityDate="2016-02-18T13:59:02.797" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6014" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6009" CreationDate="2016-02-18T14:43:08.487" Score="1" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Avoidance is the Best Defense&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be aware of your surroundings. You're in a parking garage, fumbling with your keys, and you see someone running towards you, who appears less-than-wholesome (and you're unsure if you can get into a safe place before they arrive)? Run away! Someone pulls a knife on you? Run away! Do you have a choice between well lit, well traveled streets and dark, dangerous alleyways? Take the well lit, well traveled street. The best way to defend against a particular situation is to not get in it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can't hurt what isn't there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-02-18T19:39:22.967" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6015" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6009" CreationDate="2016-02-18T15:13:55.207" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Real fights are not constrained by rules. There is no referee to pull you apart from a clinch, or rules against bashing the back of your head. Nothing prevents multiple people from attacking. There is no padding. If someone puts you on the ground, they can stomp you.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Real fights are not like the movies, where people are bashed in one sequence and immediately get up to keep going. Fights can end in one punch. You cannot assume that after you get hit in the face you will be able to continue. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Skilled fighters will not waste time once they are in contact with you. Given time, they will find a hole in your defense and hit you or unbalance you, which creates a bigger hole that they will quickly exploit. Trying to defend continuously against an attacker of comparable skill is a losing proposition. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what does this mean? You have to act like the fight can end at any instant. If you are already in contact, you must counter immediately, or you may not get a second chance. The fight may not actually end quickly, but you cannot plan for a later that may not come. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-02-18T15:13:55.207" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6016" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6009" CreationDate="2016-02-18T18:18:17.513" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;All the answers here are valid but I would like to add some Info from another perspective to the questions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From my experience, I would say that your statement with &quot;who first strikes&quot; wins the game, is true - to some point.&#xA;It is valid for a specific type of aggressor, someone unprepared that might had a couple of drinks, maybe trying to show off in front of some girls etc. That kind of bad guy-behaviour can be cured by a punch-first aid if prepared properly. By that I mean to be effective in your intention, you have to distract your aggressor from his intention to catch him in an unprepared moment and lign him up for your best shot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bad luck if he is a berserk and still starts to continue his attack. However you could practice your best punch and that kind of situation to perfection and at least to get the chance to get some time and get towards safety. &#xA;This is all valid if you can't avoid a fight under any circumstances!! Best would be to move away from the guy... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if your aggressor is someone who is prepared to be punched or simply doesnt care, you are best adviced getting away as fast as possible and a preventive strike helps you to get away from the danger zone. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are surprised by the attack, you will not be able to execute the first punch anyway :-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One idea on training that kind of situation would be to get together with some friends with the same mind set and agree in randomly surprise each of you being attacked by the others at different situations and circumstances.&#xA;The attackers should use gloves and head protection of course.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have fun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-02-18T18:18:17.513" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6017" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5540" CreationDate="2016-02-18T23:06:02.370" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee was fascinated with this also, so if you study his writings it is all about reducing the amount of effort used to deliver the most powerful blow in the shortest time possible. For example the &quot;straight blast&quot; would be thrown on the shortest line of attack (straight) and speed*mass to deliver the power into the blow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastActivityDate="2016-02-18T23:06:02.370" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6019" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5964" CreationDate="2016-02-19T03:32:52.897" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I learned from my &lt;em&gt;Capoeira's&lt;/em&gt; Master when you try apply technique to &lt;em&gt;Capoeira&lt;/em&gt; you will lose your ability to improvise and creation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Capoeira&lt;/em&gt; is little different from other Martial arts. In this case &lt;em&gt;Capoeira&lt;/em&gt; look likes much more with a dance. Your Ginga should flow the songs from the Berimbau. If you are playing &lt;em&gt;Capoeira de Angola&lt;/em&gt; you should be fluid like the water. In other hand if you are a Regional player you should be strong and fast like the waives in the ocean. (yep, the ocean is water as well, but in a different form (this is possible too complicated for who isn't involved with &lt;em&gt;Capoeria&lt;/em&gt;))&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I really recommend to you disregard any type of training to have a technical &lt;em&gt;Ginga&lt;/em&gt;. Leave the musicality of the &lt;em&gt;Berimbau&lt;/em&gt; control your body flow with them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Probably you will learn more about ginga reading books from the Older Master.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;I used to teach Capoeira for 10 years.&lt;/em&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-03-09T12:10:27.533" LastActivityDate="2017-03-09T12:10:27.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6020" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6009" CreationDate="2016-02-19T03:48:15.703" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Winning&quot; in self defense is whatever makes you safer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Within that context, if you can get yourself out of danger, sooner, with more reliable methods, that's better.  If someone is trying to hurt you, you don't know if they have friends on the way, if they're going to pull out a weapon or make something into a weapon and so on. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, &quot;first few seconds&quot; is only true under specific contexts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, many dangerous situations involve warning signs or indications that last several minutes.  For example, a lot of fistfights between men start with people trash talking or yelling at each other... and instead of leaving, people hang around or engage (not taking themselves FROM danger...).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of advice around awareness involves people having to take proactive action as soon as something feels off.  It's really applying the diver's philosophy of an &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incident_pit&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Incident Pit&lt;/a&gt; to personal safety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, a fast assault by surprise, you really only have a few seconds at most - someone is attacking you, by surprise, and possibly with weapons or allies.  Reversing surprise in this case, involves you deciding to act before them, or throwing an unexpected factor into their plan. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no easy solution to assaults where the odds are stacked against you - if there was, it wouldn't be bad odds, right?  People spend years trying to develop methods and reaction that allows them to navigate these problems quickly and better.  Some of that is having methods you can use quickly and without much thought, and some of it is learning to identify danger quickly to take action - avoiding that incident pit and having the option to get out of trouble long before you are stuck with &quot;mere seconds to act&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-02-19T03:48:15.703" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6021" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2016-02-19T09:31:32.440" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are people, such as guys who have been in prison 'gladiator schools' with one example: what it takes to knife someone.  There is no 'look, here's my knife' and 'now I'm going to attack' .... the knife is hidden until the time to stab.  On the other hand, the opposite side of the coin shows you that if you are being attacked with someone with a knife, you don't waste time in 'defending'.  One real example from a friend of mine.  He was in a third world country, (he's just 5'7&quot; thin, but strong) and attacked by a guy with a knife.  My friend caught the knife (he has the scar), killed the guy and cut off his head.  Critical note is that he didn't waste much time in 'defending' except for the catching, but in concentrating on killing the guy.  And yes, he was overboard in sawing off his head.  But he's never had formal training, but he's figured out by now what works.  There are people who have never sparred, but would be very deadly in life and death.  Some are naturals, and some are semi-naturals who can figure what works for them.  Does sparring prepare you for ultimate violence, I think is a critical question, or does it somewhat 'soften' your response (&quot;I'll take the blows and get my own in&quot; may be OK with unarmed, but what about a guy with a weapon? And multiple guys with weapons?&quot;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6755" LastActivityDate="2016-02-19T09:31:32.440" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6022" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2016-02-19T09:45:51.257" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;On the shaolin monks:  a brief history is that the real Shaolin monastery was disbanded and the teachers took up other professions, such as farming, etc.  When Jet Li's break out film on the Shaolin Temple came out (in the 1980s, I think) the Chinese government said, Hm, why don't we re-open the temple as a tourist attraction?  And so life followed art, and the temple was re-built, and shaolin teachers were called back.  They developed basically two schools, one for demonstration teams that tour around the world, and another as a sort of kickboxing.  So if one is claiming to be a shaolin monk nowadays, you must keep in mind that the shaolin temple is not the temple one would imagine, being the same institute unchanged for centuries.  Two, you would also need to differentiate whether the 'monk' is a demo guy or a kickboxing guy.  Also, the word 'monk' doesn't mean what most assume.  Many of the monks were married, others were single and had girlfriends.  One funny demo monk was an expert in 'iron crotch.'  He attracted the attention of many females fascinated by his demos (his secret is that he could in-draw his testicles, but would still undergo severe 'toughening' of his target area.  I don't know if this affected his potency, but it is a case of training to be hit, rather than training to do damage).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6755" LastActivityDate="2016-02-19T09:45:51.257" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6023" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6027" CreationDate="2016-02-19T18:29:56.907" Score="1" ViewCount="1278" Body="&lt;p&gt;When you box must your weight be evenly distributed across your boxing stance to have balance or how does it work?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6587" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-02-20T13:13:17.580" LastActivityDate="2016-02-20T20:03:59.070" Title="Weight distribution and balance in boxing" Tags="|boxing|stance|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6024" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6003" CreationDate="2016-02-19T23:37:50.843" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your size and strength is relative. Skill level matters more, or the ability to acquire the skill and the skill of the opponent. Check out this you tube channel &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9kmnWb4FCVMpnD8mY_wngg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; , this guy is really good at explaining the concept of energy and power and it can be applied to multiple martial arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, its better to know a few techniques very well, instead of knowing many techniques poorly. Usually techniques that attack the joints or soft tissues, and techniques that use the opponents force are more effective against larger opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As of particular techniques for street self defense, it depend on the type of attack but USUALLY there's always a weak spot, and most systems teach to defend against common attacks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're in situation were you need to defend yourself, your goal should be to scape safely with/stop the attacker, so places to attack would be Soft targets like: eyes, throat, fingers, groin, inner thighs, and toes. Impairing vision, ability to walk, ability to grab you are more useful in escaping safely if you cannot stop the attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6757" LastActivityDate="2016-02-19T23:37:50.843" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6025" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6026" CreationDate="2016-02-19T23:56:04.293" Score="10" ViewCount="2041" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just started learning Japanese Jujitsu and the techniques for falling are different than Judo and more similar to Aikido. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I learned to do a front or side fall through my previous martial arts experience, I learned the Judo style where you keep one leg straight and one bent. But in Jujitsu, I'm told that it's better to tuck in one leg and keep the other bent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can anyone explain why there are differences and which is better? I know each school has different thoughts on it, but I hope experienced practitioners from each school (or both) can share their insights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6757" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-03T16:48:18.767" LastActivityDate="2020-03-03T16:48:18.767" Title="Fall Differences between Jujitsu, Aikido, and Judo" Tags="|judo|aikido|jujutsu|falling|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6026" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6025" CreationDate="2016-02-20T06:08:30.250" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've learned both methods in judo, BJJ, and karate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tucking the bottom leg makes for smoother &lt;em&gt;rolls&lt;/em&gt; and stand-ups after the fall, but makes little sense if one cannot roll and is just trying to best take the impact. It is also suboptimal for rolling if one's opponent is still latched on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keeping the bottom leg mostly  straight is good for stopping the roll and distributing the impact, but definitely suboptimal for rolling to stand up. It is closer to the hip-switch movement necessary to roll with one's opponent still latched on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-02-20T06:08:30.250" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6027" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6023" CreationDate="2016-02-20T20:03:59.070" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your Basic stance, that you learn first in Boxing is with a balanced weight distribution of the legs. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if you fight, the weight distribution changes and you need to learn punching and defending also in those situations. The weight distribution can also be more towards the front or towards the back foot. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is a nice article using the term &lt;strong&gt;axis&lt;/strong&gt; to explain  more in detail:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-strategy/counter-punching/the-3-axes-of-boxing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-strategy/counter-punching/the-3-axes-of-boxing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-02-20T20:03:59.070" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6028" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6036" CreationDate="2016-02-20T21:05:16.667" Score="7" ViewCount="16620" Body="&lt;p&gt;Suppose someone catches your hand from behind, locks your arm and controls you. (As can be seen in second 11 here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvm_vhe24hY&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvm_vhe24hY&lt;/a&gt;). Is there a way to release from this state?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-05-11T14:46:46.967" LastActivityDate="2020-05-11T14:46:46.967" Title="How do you release yourself from an arm being locked behind your back?" Tags="|self-defense|joint-lock|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6029" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-02-20T22:48:57.573" Score="3" ViewCount="1450" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been doing catch wrestling for a year now and I've seen good improvement in my technique, but I find that I'm too passive when I roll and need to attack more. When I roll, I'm usually trying to get closed-guard or half-guard to capitalise on my partners' mistakes but my partners hardly make mistakes, so I'm usually stuck in side-control or mount. My coach and partners always praise me for my defence, but they tell me I need to attack more, as I'm just too passive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been doing Taekwon-Do for 5 years and for the first two years, I was also very passive. I had a good defence, but I hardly used to attack; now my attack is great and I'm usually up on points. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't want to have to wait two years for me to start attacking more in catch wrestling. Any advice on how I can stop being passive and go for submissions? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6760" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-03-23T11:46:48.573" LastActivityDate="2016-05-18T17:52:16.873" Title="Being too passive when grappling" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|wrestling|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6030" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6028" CreationDate="2016-02-21T00:10:26.417" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm sure the grapplers will have a lot of great counters.  Here's a few that immediately come to mind, going from late counter to early counter:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you have the shoulder flexibility that your wrist has to go fairly far up your back, then one option is to drop a bit and drive your elbow of your free arm downward into the person trying to lock you up from that position.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, if you've got some flexibility on that lock, you can do a leg scoop with your free hand and fall into them.  You're risking the locked arm's shoulder, but they're getting your full body weight driven into them in the ground - most folks will let go as they fall.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A common solution when you are getting put into that arm lock is to spin INTO the lock (The guy is getting his right arm locked, so he'd spin to the right).  However, this is a common solution and usually the one people expect and read well - on the other hand, if you're fast you can get around it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The better solutions, however are to counter the lock before it gets behind your back:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;When the wrist crank begins, stepping in and turning right takes some of the pressure off your wrist and allows you to strike/grapple/threaten with your left arm.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you're starting to get cranked down, you can slap the inside of your locked arm with your free hand to force a bend into your elbow and then continue as above.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;For my style of silat, whenever someone grabs your wrist/hand, we just hammer the hand that grabs us.  We'll use a wrist bone or a knuckle, or a weapon.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll probably also note that most arts that have any basic familiarity with grappling just don't end up in that starting position - the straight armed choke/lapel grab, because it's just a position that leaves you vulnerable to those kinds of counters and more.  (At least, as a static position... you might run through it briefly as you're doing a pull in for a head butt or elbow, or closing for some kind of twist down)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-02-21T00:10:26.417" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6033" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6035" CreationDate="2016-02-21T06:18:30.377" Score="3" ViewCount="448" Body="&lt;p&gt;If your rival carries that equipment, if you back up or withdraw, he might throw it on you. If you get closer, he might break it over your head. What is the best solution offered for such a threat?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-11-04T19:44:12.263" LastActivityDate="2021-11-04T19:44:12.263" Title="How to cope with rival that carries a stone, a folding chair (Klappstuhl), or another chair" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6034" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6028" CreationDate="2016-02-21T07:16:52.117" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;For the 'Hug' in the 11th second, honestly, I dont see any controling, as the guy in front is still able to move and he is still able to deliver punches, headbutts (before he was grabbed by his throoat) even can hit the &quot;controlers&quot; groin with hand or knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He even supports turning out of the hold while grabbing the throat as your first reflex would be to pull thead back and turn away. I dont think that this scenario works with an resisting partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-02-21T07:16:52.117" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6035" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6033" CreationDate="2016-02-21T07:57:43.673" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can only try to shorten the distance to the attacker as soon and quick as possible as the chair, baseball bat or any other object he is potentially throwing has the strongest impact on the end of the motion or object. &#xA;By that I mean, that the stick/bat/chair will be moving fastest at the point furthest from the attackers arm (the hit will be strongest here), so getting inside that point on the bat/blunt object is crucial.  If you can get inside the objects long range, the weapon for the most part is neutralized.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could use another object, back pack as a shield to protect you, if available.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there are multiple attackers, try to get one of the attackers between you and the threat (having him as shield) and as close as possible to him. (Hoping that the original attacker is a good friend of the guy and doesn't want to hit his friend ;-))&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastEditorUserId="6418" LastEditDate="2016-02-22T08:15:19.957" LastActivityDate="2016-02-22T08:15:19.957" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6036" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6028" CreationDate="2016-02-21T11:35:08.897" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Those in the video are very close to the techniques I learn.  It's actually very easy to get out of any one of the techniques.  The difficulty comes when the person performing the wrist lock/arm lock starts to switch technique to adapt to your attempts to escape.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example take the technique at 0.23.  This is supposed to be a bent arm technique, but the person on the left straightens his arm.  The correct response to this is to move to an arm bar which they don't do.  Instead they keep the now useless technique applied.  I'm not impressed by this video as they don't progress from one technique to the next correctly.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the arm bar you want to either: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A) find a way to bend your arm.  or&#xA;B) sweep/grab the leg.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the person applying the technique knows what they are doing they will move to a more appropriate technique for a bent arm if you try A.  They will also try to position themselves so you can't do B.  Most likely though they won't know the family of techniques well enough to leave no openings.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2016-02-21T11:35:08.897" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6037" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6025" CreationDate="2016-02-21T14:49:47.197" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;For a judo perspective on falling technique (ukemi), the best place to start is the formal throwing techniques (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOcVfmmMBLY&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;nage-no-kata&lt;/a&gt;), where the most emphasis is placed on falling details. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For forward rolling falls (zempo kaiten), there are two basic possibilities:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You cannot roll and stand up, as in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/YOcVfmmMBLY?t=2m34s&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;nage-no-kata fall for tsurikomi goshi&lt;/a&gt;. You may be restricted by the the direction of the throw, your partner holding on to you, or maybe you just don't feel like you have sufficient momentum to come up. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You can roll and stand up, as in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/YOcVfmmMBLY?t=4m39s&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;nage-no-kata fall for tomoe nage&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When falling, you apply the same training to both situations; even when coming to your feet, you transition through the breakfall position first. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both legs should be bent in the breakfall position. When the bottom leg is straight, there is more danger of straining/spraining the knee joint, which I have personally done before. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By tucking in jujitsu/aikido, I assume you mean something like &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/W93w6aw26Ls?t=1m7s&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt;. This is discouraged in judo because it results in the legs crossing. When the legs cross and you cannot roll to stand up, you have the danger of your legs striking each other. This may not be an issue if throws primarily project you outwards and you can roll to your feet. In judo, you often cannot roll out of falls. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-02-21T14:49:47.197" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6039" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6029" CreationDate="2016-02-21T19:37:29.293" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;What works for me is to never stop moving. In this training mindset I'm not allowed to think, or to feint, or to control their movement, or to catch my breath. I attack. If I notice myself pausing, I must immediately attack. There is no secret. I must advance position. I must attempt a submission. Repeat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I am in an inferior position I must reverse it or establish guard. If I'm in guard I must sweep or submit--&lt;em&gt;right now&lt;/em&gt;. If I'm on top I must pass &lt;em&gt;immediately&lt;/em&gt;, without waiting for the perfect time or position or pressure. If I'm in a dominant position I must go for a submission, even if it means losing position, because that just means I can start the whole nonstop process over again. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This works best on partners who aren't as good, as a way to get something out of the roll. Against equal or better partners it often becomes reckless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-02-21T19:37:29.293" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6041" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6029" CreationDate="2016-02-21T23:08:36.587" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is your objective in BJJ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the first point. I training light a warrior try protect my family from the bad guys. I never give up from a position to be submitted and start again. To me BJJ is a question of stay alive or die.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nowadays when you watch a BJJ competition we see a lot of position to stolen. We can see some positions with a really small change of submission. Nowadays some position have a bad reputation because the fighters use to hold the game and be able to win in points or advantages. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ex:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;50/50&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I training hard, my strategy is go a head all the time. I try be one or two steps ahead of my opponent. (some times is not possible but I try). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ex: If my opponent pull me to the guard I start my pass before he be able to start to think about his game. This attitude give me better change to pass the guard. If I wait for my opponent start to prepare the attack or a swipe I will have to break the grips before to start my pass. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like the BJJ style of now called old style. Go a head, put presser on the opponent, pass or swipe and finalize quick as possible. Have a look in fights of Zé Mario, Murilo Bustamant, Valid, Fabio Gurgel, Sérgio Canudo, Marcelo Garcia. These guys fight like a &lt;strong&gt;Steamroller&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During the ages 80/90 and early of 2000 the BJJ was a little different. The fight was much more a fight. Nowadays some fights are too much focused to be in the rules to win. Personally I don't like. This is not the essence of this Martial Art. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there are some thing wrong to be passive?&#xA;No. It is completely fine. But What are you doing if your opponent have the same attitude them you? Both waiting for a opportunity to do something. I really recommend. Open you game. Go a head and push your self. If you tap you learn. It isn't a shame tap. This will prepare you to a competition/fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastActivityDate="2016-02-21T23:08:36.587" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6043" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1418" CreationDate="2016-02-22T07:49:06.147" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I personally think that whatever style you choose will be a problem at some point, there are plenty of styles suggested here and you will always have to move on your legs ... currently your issue is landing/jumping kicks, in some years it will be fast attacks, sudden direction changes etc. that will cause issues.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think you should (sorry no offense!) be thinking about loosing some weight and incorporate some sort of heavy barbell strength training ex. squats, deadlifts and presses to strengthen your legs in a different way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The last point I want to mention is, we are all not getting younger, if you see that the strength training and loosing some weight doesn´t help, simply try to avoid jumping kicks... because you can´t do certain moves, that doesn´t mean that you have to change the style/s you are currently doing. The path is the goal and we need to adapt to the physical demands and progressions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I can say, for me (I´m 275 lbs, and in mid 40s) the strength training did wonders, especially the squats. I was always into calisthenics (the oldschool thinking in boxing) and when I got havier and older, explosive moves, jumping and kicking caused a lot pain in my knees and hips - sometimes after prolonged high kick sessions I could barely stand on the legs because of pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If, for whatever reason, you choose to change styles, I´m currently doing Krav-Maga, where high-kicks are rare. The training is hard and there are different styles incorporated - grappling, punching, kicking even the realistic topic is included. if you have a school nearby where you live, I would suggest to stop by and have a look.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Happy kicking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-02-22T07:49:06.147" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6044" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-02-22T17:59:12.837" Score="4" ViewCount="1548" Body="&lt;p&gt;...even theoretically?  I've taken ITF TKD for years, and we do a few, but the only situation I can think of where it might be of some use is a jump spin side kick, which will let you do that kick at closer range than if you leave your front foot on the ground while spinning.&#xA;I guess, theoretically, if you barrage your opponent with multiple kicks, jump kicks can be alarming and disorienting and unexpected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6768" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-02-23T19:55:15.247" LastActivityDate="2016-02-26T18:44:34.750" Title="What are the advantages to adding a jump to a kick?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|kicking|jump-kick|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6045" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6044" CreationDate="2016-02-22T18:44:13.067" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some possibilities:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Increased height&lt;/strong&gt; - sometimes you have to kick higher than you can from a standing position.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ground evasion&lt;/strong&gt; - If an opponent is striking low, a short hop may take you over that attack so that you can attack them.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Avoidance of terrain&lt;/strong&gt; - A short hop over an obstacle or broken terrain can be beneficial&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Startle effect&lt;/strong&gt; - Many people freeze up when something jumps at them. That may work for a jumping kick as well.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Closing distance&lt;/strong&gt; - A hop or jump can close the distance between you and an opponent pretty rapidly.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may also find some interesting discussion &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/2937/1780&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, where a TKD guy explains the myriad variations of kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-02-22T18:44:13.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6046" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6044" CreationDate="2016-02-22T18:47:37.647" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Advantages&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You've guessed part of the equation.  They are shocking to anyone who you manage to pull one off on.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In addition, if the jump is going forward, you add all of your forward weight and momentum to the kick.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jumps also allow you to reach higher targets than you might be able to reach standing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disadvantages&lt;/strong&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jump kicks telegraph quite a bit, and so are easy to get out of the way of.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In a self defense situation, you stand to fall and hurt yourself if the ground is uneven or littered with debris, or if you just execute the landing poorly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2016-02-23T12:40:24.310" LastActivityDate="2016-02-23T12:40:24.310" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6047" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6044" CreationDate="2016-02-23T04:31:41.213" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As Sean Duggan mentioned, I described pretty much the entire taxonomy of Taekwondo kicks here. It's long, but useful to read if you're a student of Taekwondo:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2935/how-does-one-train-for-a-spinning-reverse-kick/2937#2937&quot;&gt;How does one train for a spinning reverse kick?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for jumping kicks, you can perform these a number of ways. First is by themselves, just jumping straight up. In this case, you're not traveling. You'll just do the jump kick and then land. Second is to add a hop to it in order to travel across the floor. You can add a step or two to it before jumping, also, if you have the distance. And lastly, you can add multi-kick combinations to your jumps. In this case, you can perform one or more techniques on the ground before jumping, one or more techniques in the air just after you've left the ground, and one or more techniques in the air as you're coming down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A popular example of a jumping multi-kick combination is the whirlwind kick, which is a spinning inside-to-outside crescent kick with one leg followed immediately by a jump outside-to-inside crescent kick with the other leg before the first leg is put back down on the ground. You can take that whirlwind kick and do it again and again, chaining them each together into one long sequence, maybe adding traveling by hopping out as you jump. It can be effective with the proper timing and in the right situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the question is how does this benefit you vs. not jumping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I discussed something similar here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4764/what-is-the-best-point-scoring-technique/4768#4768&quot;&gt;What is the best point-scoring technique?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I noted there was that &lt;b&gt;the most useful techniques &quot;apply in the greatest number of situations, and they seem to be the quickest, easiest, and safest to do.&quot;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By this definition, jumping kicks are not among the most useful techniques. This is because they have a limited number of situations where they can be used, they are not as quick as other techniques that don't involve jumping, they're definitely not easy to do, and they're not as safe to perform.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And yet, jumping techniques still are useful in some situations. And to a large degree, being able to use them reliably depends on the practitioner. Repeat them enough and get very skilled at not just performing them but also knowing how to time them right and use them during sparring, and they can be useful in many situations. But not most situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So to me this comes down to how you should prioritize your time during training. From the beginner to late-intermediate levels, you should spend most of your time working on kicks (and punches, etc.) and combinations that are the most useful. That would be your basic, non-jumping kicks. Everything up to spinning / reverse kicks. Maybe include hopping kicks also. Drill the hell out of those. Get really good at those. And spend a relatively small amount of time on jumping kicks during this time. Later on in your advanced levels, you can work more on jumping kicks, but not unless you've drilled all the other kicks so much that you're nearly perfect at them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not going to go into the litany of all the problems you might encounter with jumping kicks. Suffice it to say, there are many. In general, they are riskier to perform and require caution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Taekwondo, it's often said that this is like a physical game of chess. You have to be thinking 3 steps ahead of your opponent. That means having a plan for when things go wrong. It's like that with any technique, but jumping kicks can go wrong in spectacular ways, which means you need to prepare yourself for all those ways ahead of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also big rewards that can come from many different jump kicks. They can be powerful, surprising, and lightning fast. These can end a fight. They can also &quot;shield&quot; you from getting hit in some situations, since your opponent might not be able to lock onto you very well, especially if you add spinning and/or hopping to the jumping techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will learn all about the positives and negatives first-hand as you train. By black belt, you'll be good enough to know you shouldn't use them without careful consideration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-02-23T18:17:21.247" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6048" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5416" CreationDate="2016-02-23T07:39:19.617" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a friend, a female who was also raised on a reservation, and she experienced terrible trauma, including from her own family.  Unlike you, she has reacted differently when faced with physical threats. For example, once she became so angry at someone who was abusing her that she 'blacked out' and the next thing she knew she was choking the guy, and would've killed him if she had not 'awakened.'  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, that was a really low class operation where you sparred with some guy; both the 'school' and the guy should've known better, and basically you have to learn things like that are not your fault.  Easy to say, etc.  But as the replies above have advised, you have to find people who have first-hand knowledge of 'wisdom in life.'&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, you mention your mom.  She was certainly cool-headed in that encounter in the park.  Maybe she can help you find others who can guide you.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing that I've noticed:  I volunteer at a program where we prepare lunches for the poor.  I happen to be a chef, and others are either assistants, or they serve, or clean up, etc. But the point is that I'm surrounded by wonderful people (and sometimes the friend mentioned above comes and helps too, and that helps her).  It may be a cliché, but it's true.  The more you give, the more you receive.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, it's interesting that sometimes there are some people we serve who become belligerent (not often), and I've had to step in, or others have.  So that's great practice.  If a person is 'skittish' as you describe yourself, it would be a help for you to observe these dynamics and that things can 1/ quickly be de-escalated or 2/ calmness also quiets down even the most belligerent.  In the latter, some guys knew that I would be through being Mr Nice Guy and that I would have no problem with them.  And they quieted down just like that.  I didn't have to shout or act the bouncer.  Especially if you live in a big city, the 'clientele' will be a little rougher than smaller towns.  In big cities, I notice they have lots of security.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, my final point is that you meet in your life what is inside, so you have to look for that 'calm' that is inside you.  Again, if you surround yourself with positive, strong people, this will have a big impact.  Oh, another illustration, look up HeartMath.org.  they have proven the power and value of thoughts/emotions.  A human has a magnetic field at least 10 feet from body, and this is 'felt' by others, although usually subconsciously.  Scientists venture that actually just that one field alone extends hundreds of feet, we just don't have the instruments to detect them, yet.  The heart has a field that's 5,000 times stronger than the brain!  So you can see the power of emotions.  Hope this is of some help.  Finally, the true martial art teaches us never to give up.  Never give up.  My friend has never given up, and she has experienced some very bad stuff that would knock out the Hulk. Think of that.  There is also something strong in you that keeps you going.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6765" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-02-23T11:12:50.610" LastActivityDate="2016-02-23T11:12:50.610" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6049" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5416" CreationDate="2016-02-23T10:26:48.453" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my experience I know of some methods that helped some of my friends, I hope they can be of some value for you too:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Understanding&lt;/strong&gt; what is happening before, during and and after a fight/ danger: &#xA;The biggest Enemy that is holding you back is actually your best friend, but you are misinterpreting him - his name is Adrenaline. Adrenaline is the bodies preparation for a dangerous situation. There are different circumstances where the amount of Adrenaline varies from small butterflies in your stomach before a fight/sparring in the ring to a shaking and nervousness after a dangerous encounter.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Focus on your strength&lt;/strong&gt;: I would suggest slimming down the amount of different styles and focus on one or two, but practicing them - certain moves and make them perfect. The problem is that when Adrenaline rushes in, you are confused and you actually don´t know what to do out of your repertoire - if you are practicing one or two moves/punches to the extreme that they feel natural like you are brushing your teeth and could do them without even thinking about it, would be optimal.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Take action&lt;/strong&gt;: Use a &quot;trigger&quot; word to make the first move and break out of the freeze. Choose a word, that you say in your mind whenever a difficult situation occurs, where you just start doing a first move. The word should be something short and sharp - like &lt;strong&gt;GO&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;strong&gt;NOW&lt;/strong&gt; etc. if you have done the first move or done the first punch, the rest comes from alone ...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DO it more often:&lt;/strong&gt; Do what you fear more often, I know it sounds a bit strange, but this is one of the things that work for sure and is using a natural behavior. We get used things we do very often, we adopt to certain situations like fighting, being in stressful situations etc. At some point it will feel natural to get into sparring or fighting, of course you will always feel the Adrenaline but you will know the feeling and what happens and it will be natural for you. Some examples are professional fighters, soldiers etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Let your heart grow&lt;/strong&gt;:This is the last point I want to mention, and one of the things I heard when I was boxing as a kid. I wanted to have sparring with one of some guys in an country sponsored camp, and the trainer denied and choose another fighter for me, with the words &quot;Not this guy, we let his heart grow for his next fight in some weeks&quot;. I did not understand what he meant at that time, but after watching the guy for approx a year he ended like thinking of himself being unbeatable. &#xA;He was so confident in himself, it looked like a miracle to me - so what the trainer/s did was simple, they choose the sparring partners wisely so that he could train his techniques, moves properly and built his confidence in his capabilities over time. As the different sparring partners with different skills came and the difficulty increased, his confidence did too also his skills.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck with your journey!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastEditorUserId="6418" LastEditDate="2016-02-25T09:43:53.220" LastActivityDate="2016-02-25T09:43:53.220" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6050" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5416" CreationDate="2016-02-23T10:43:49.623" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all I think I should stress that your Mother handled the situation with the knife wielding mugger perfectly.  Even for the most skilled martial artist an attack involving a knife is a life threatening situation.  Talking, reasoning with the attacker (drugged or seriously mentally ill attackers aside), giving them your money, running... All good options compared with fighting.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second freezing in place is a natural reaction to dangerous encounters.  People often call this an 'Adrenaline Dump'.  As I understand it your body releases the hormone adrenaline to prepare you for a dangerous situation.  However too much will freeze the body in place and leave you bewildered psychologically.  Training to overcome this is one of the main points of both martial arts and military training.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third martial arts are great, but if you live in a state in america where weapons are legal the applications of unarmed styles are limited.  I advise getting a handgun if this is legal in the area where you live and training to use it a lot.  I'm no expert on firearms as I live in the UK where they are restricted to those with a licence (and handguns are illegal) however I understand that firing 100 rounds or more every day is advised for proficiency.  Better still carry a knife as well if the neighborhood is rough as guns are less effective than knives at very close quarters.  The knife will also need training to use so perhaps concentrate on a martial art style that focuses on this?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fourth Learning multiple martial arts styles with no or little overlap is probably not a good idea.  It's important for the moves to become second nature and if you are worrying about what style you are using this is unlikely to happen.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally I echo what Sean says about therapy.  I know this is expensive in America but if you think you are damaged psychologically then this is important, and not just for martial arts but for your own well being.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2016-02-23T10:43:49.623" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6051" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6033" CreationDate="2016-02-23T16:06:32.517" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Try to take his legs away - off-balance he won't be throwing too much at you.&#xA;Or charge right in there before he gets a change to raise whatever weapon to a useful height.&#xA;Or shoot him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6771" LastActivityDate="2016-02-23T16:06:32.517" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6052" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6009" CreationDate="2016-02-23T16:16:08.813" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Reading these answers I have to ask how many real fights some of the posters have been in...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of what's taught in self-defence classes goes out the window when it happens for real, and as for avoidance being best, a lot of the time you won't be able to avoid it if it happens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Going in fast, hard and aggressive is the best way to handle it in my experience - no fear or hesitation, just be confident and get the job done.  The quicker the better.  As soon as you start dithering and showing any doubt that's when it can go wrong.&#xA;True, you can tell in the first few seconds of confrontation how it's bound to go, and only with having done it before a few times can you control the fight-or-flight response.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6772" LastActivityDate="2016-02-23T16:16:08.813" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6053" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6058" CreationDate="2016-02-23T22:21:14.907" Score="15" ViewCount="24829" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let us assume a very common choking technique (for example hadaka jime) performed on an average adult. If I understand correctly what I could gather from other questions, the main mechanism involved is compression of the carotid arteries. What I couldn’t find at all in answers to other questions is: what happens to the person? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During how many seconds would you say he can realistically fight back, as opposed to only witnessing himself losing consciousness? Does his face become blue (cyanosis), or another colour? Does he sweat? Does he shake? Does he make uncontrolled movements? Does he lose control over body functions? Does anything else happen? Do several things happen in succession; if so, in which order?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1878" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-24T09:18:59.377" LastActivityDate="2021-12-27T02:45:04.063" Title="What happens to a person being choked?" Tags="|chokes|anatomy|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6054" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6053" CreationDate="2016-02-23T23:27:09.310" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Subjective experience report incoming:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It very much depends on the quality of the application and the strength ratios. The better the technique is applied and the stronger my opponent in relation to my choke resistance training is, the faster it will end. I can have students choking me at full strength without fading out just by resisting through neck muscles. But with an opponent of comparable strength and/or perfect technique, I will have to use my hands, elbows and whatever it takes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Your face becomes red. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Normally, there is a sort of paralysis, the body concentrates on taking countermeasures against the actual choke and it takes some will-strength to move apart from that, e.g. to stand up.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You have 3-8 seconds to fight back before fading as soon as the application is effective.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Your field of vision blacks out &quot;from the outside in&quot;, i.e. the field of your vision becomes smaller until there is only a small circle in the middle of what you normally see surrounded by blackness moments before you become unconscious (think of the iris of a camera or like in Stargate, closing slowly). If the choke ends then, this black &quot;iris&quot; opens again from the inside out. Exactly the same effect as a &quot;black-out&quot; experience by combat pilots at high g pressures &quot;downwards&quot;, i.e. into the seat.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The world goes slow motion. Seriously. It feels like much more time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you have no effective counter within the first seconds, your strength begins to fade gradually. But you can perfectly act at will all the time as long as you do not panic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;After some seconds, movements are becoming more rare, slower, less effective from an outside view. But they are definitely controllable from an inside perspective all the time. Tapping out would be quite pointless otherwise.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;After-effects are disorientation, lack of balance, and weakness. That is why being choked is dangerous even if you do not get unconscious. It is the same as bathing too hot and then standing up rapidly: Your body has to regulate your blood circulation and pressure, which is highly out of balance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2018-12-02T22:01:17.683" LastActivityDate="2018-12-02T22:01:17.683" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6058" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6053" CreationDate="2016-02-24T04:27:58.497" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Philip Klöcking has done a good job covering what the person being choked experiences. I will try to cover other considerations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my experience, feeling pain is largely separated from whether a choke successfully cuts off blood flow. Pain will usually cause people to tap even when the blood choke is not that effective. You can also choke such that the choke is not painful and does not impair breathing but is very effective in cutting off blood. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Resistance time varies widely. This depends on the person doing the choking, the person being choked, and more. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If a choke is not tight and continuous, it's often possible to resist for &gt; 30 seconds. Any time the person being choked can temporarily relieve pressure increases resistance time. In competitive judo, the match will be stopped and the referee will stand the competitors back up fairly quickly. For poor referees, this can be before the choke has sufficient time to work. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;When a choke is done very skillfully, you may not even have a chance to recognize the danger and tap before you pass out. This can be true both of rolling chokes where the pressure increases suddenly, and of the painless variety of choke. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I think time to pass out also depends on the physical state of the person being choked. I would hypothesize that competitors in match conditions with high heart and breathing rates pass out faster than people at rest. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While someone is being choked effectively, I usually see the following, in order:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;blood vessels in the head begin to bulge&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;face color begins to darken &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;eyes become glassy&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After someone passes out, they may shake, sputter, urinate, or simply go limp. In the dozen or so cases I have seen, I would not say there is a normal set of things that happen or order that they occur in. This makes it difficult to tell when someone has passed out. When practicing chokes, I highly recommend having a third party present because they can often recognize someone has passed out before the choker. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-02-24T04:27:58.497" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6059" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6378" CreationDate="2016-02-24T08:10:01.073" Score="4" ViewCount="196" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://takemusu-iwama-aikido.org/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Iwama ryu&lt;/a&gt; uses a differently shaped (from the classical shape) bokutō to practice. Why does it have the shape it has and why is it the preferred shape for &lt;a href=&quot;http://takemusu-iwama-aikido.org/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Iwama ryu&lt;/a&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some images:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/P5QAZm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/P5QAZm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;bokutō&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iizFa.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iizFa.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;bokutō&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2016-04-13T07:19:35.910" Title="Iwama ryu bokutō" Tags="|aikido|weapons|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6060" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-02-24T08:23:02.353" Score="3" ViewCount="1151" Body="&lt;p&gt;We train in a large gym hall and do not have enough mats to cover the whole floor. Even if we did, there are too many dangers (radiators, bars, etc...) around the edge.  So, we train in the centre which is fine apart from the mats sliding and gaps developing. There is too much time spend pushing the mats back into place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We use 2x1m tatami mats and have no square ones. Currently, our stacking is two length, two vertical and below that two vertical and two length. The cube is then repeated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An additional complication is that we have to clear and store them after each session so cannot just screw in a wooden boarder. Besides, wooden boarders have problems of their own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Is there a better stacking solution?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Is there another way to stop the mats from sliding?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just in case, the image below is not from us, but we use the same type of mats. We even have the same (garish⸮) colours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/IOth2m.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/IOth2m.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;a stack of mats&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-04-01T19:47:43.433" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T06:28:17.613" Title="Stacking mats so they slide less" Tags="|training|equipment|safety|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6061" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6009" CreationDate="2016-02-24T10:20:57.243" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In some parts of 'third' and 'forth' world countries, the notion of a 'fair fight' is not the norm.  A dozen guys with weapons will attack an unarmed guy. A grudge may be settled with one guy arguing with the target, and his buddy comes up behind the target and stabs him in the back. A woman was pissed at her old boyfriend and while her friend was distracting him, she went behind him and sliced his arm nerves, leaving them helpless.  These are true stories.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People who live in such places don't usually advertise that they even know 'fighting.' I know of several experienced 'fighters' who go to such places for visits or permanently and they tell no one of their past.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In USA, in general, there's an epidemic of rudeness, that one can shoot off their mouth all they want. Another true story in one of the above 'tough places': an American MD was vacationing and while walking, cussed out some guy in a car.  The guy just got out of his car and severely damaged the doctor's teeth.  Does this mean one should be 'paranoid'?  Or do you call it smart? Well, you can just study the random attacks of street guys who run up behind someone and pummel them.  Or intent to kill someone just to join a gang.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a big difference in walking around with potential panic, seeing threats at all sides, and being  aware.  No, you have to discern what is just bad behavior and a potentially dangerous situation.  Further, you have to remember that an experienced mugger (or one, who has been in the front row seat at a 'gladiator school' in a prison) will follow rules.  He may be completely high, and just want to cut someone, for no reason.  If it is just an ego thing, that's something you should be able to walk away from. If you can't walk away, then, yes, don't react, but act first.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;As for all the legal ramifications, everyone must decide for themselves beforehand&lt;/strong&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Will I risk myself (or a loved one) maybe being seriously hurt or maimed for life, or even killed, by this nice stranger who is just offering to help me with my bags?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good book is the Gift of Fear... not 'panic' but trusting your gut.  In the previous example, if something tells you something's not right, then say no thanks to the 'help.'  If he persists, then your red flag should be up.  As a closing personal example, a friend of mine was in one of these third world countries and attacked by a guy with a knife.  He took the knife away, and killed the guy.  No cops came knocking on his door.  If he had hesitated, 'maybe this guy wants a cigarette' he would not be here today.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6765" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2020-04-22T17:19:38.977" LastActivityDate="2020-04-22T17:19:38.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6062" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6060" CreationDate="2016-02-24T13:15:25.757" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.zebramatscanada.com/layout-planning&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Zebra mats has suggested layouts for 2m x 1m mats depending on the area you want to cover.&lt;/a&gt; It sounds like you are repeating layout A to cover your area. The problem with this is that when any mat is pushed (up, down, left, or right), only those mats directly in that line are affected. In layout B, for example, a push will be distributed among more mats. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This improves the sliding situation, but does not fix it, particularly because mats around the edge will still separate relatively easily. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6lliQ.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6lliQ.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Zebra mats suggested layouts&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have no affiliation with Zebra mats but have used their products. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-02-24T13:15:25.757" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6063" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6060" CreationDate="2016-02-24T14:02:29.080" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In judo contests I have seen square steel tubing holding the mats together. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rigid, 5cm x 5cm steel tubes going around the tatami, tightened together by several tie-down-straps (ratchet strap is the correct name?) that go under the tatami. The whole package stays together just by gravity and the tension on the straps. The ratchets need to be covered though, to avoid people hurting themselves on them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Steel tubes are about 5 meters long each, and may or may not be connected to each other on all 4 sides. The straps are more important though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice the straps have a loop on the other end, you may need to do some custom (sewing) work on this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To disassemble, loosen the straps, lift mats away and carry the steel tubes to storage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The steel tubes and straps on the photos are 20 years old, so I guess they serve the purpose well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/E6IuA.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/E6IuA.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Strap loop on one side&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Rjcm6.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Rjcm6.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Ratchet on the other side&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KcrwF.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KcrwF.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Pieces of foam mats covering the ratchets&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6488" LastEditorUserId="6488" LastEditDate="2016-04-11T06:28:17.613" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T06:28:17.613" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6064" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6065" CreationDate="2016-02-24T14:39:57.687" Score="4" ViewCount="424" Body="&lt;p&gt;My background is primarily Shotokan karate so I am familiar with Hangetsu-dachi. I then saw that Seisan-dachi is very similar if not the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Today I have been watching a program about Wing Chun. The master used what the subtitles said was &quot;goat-clamping stance&quot; and &lt;strong&gt;I was wondering if this is the same as hangetsu/seisan dachi&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Interestingly he stated that this Wing-Chun stance allowed him to kick at any time, though in the kata Hangetsu we have only three kicks from a different stance (and I don't think Seisan has any).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1413" LastActivityDate="2016-02-24T19:33:45.867" Title="Hangetsu dachi, Seisan dachi, goat-clamping stance - the same?" Tags="|karate|wing-chun|stance|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6065" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6064" CreationDate="2016-02-24T16:08:18.080" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The stance typically referred to as &quot;goat-clamping stance&quot; in Wing Chun is &lt;a href=&quot;http://westcoastwingchun.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/yipmanyeegeekimyeungma.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Yee Jee Kim Yeung Ma&lt;/a&gt;, typically translated as &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/476376/22216897/1363647735477/chinese+two.jpg?token=6gpJMrbBq3DcKiJTJTCp5OEQUOM%3D&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;two character&lt;/a&gt; abduction horse stance&quot;.  The &quot;two character&quot; refers to its resemblence to the character for two in Chinese.  &quot;Abduction&quot; refers to the drawing in of the knees which apocryphally is similar to clamping a goat between your knees so as to, I dunno, sheer it or something. The &quot;Ma&quot; at the end means horse in Cantonese, but can generically be said to mean &quot;stance&quot; in the same way that &quot;Kuen&quot; (Fist) can generically be said to mean &quot;martial arts style&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a similar turning in of the knees in &lt;a href=&quot;http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yzcYO7k2uWo/TjaVSIQ9WLI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/wvActJE-Jjc/s1600/Kagawa_hangetsu-dachi.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Seisan Dachi/Hangetsu Dachi&lt;/a&gt;.  Notably, however, the feet are staggered, rather than parallel as in Yee Jee Kim Yeung Ma.  Also, from the picture, the weight seems to be in the balls of the feet rather than in the heels.  Although different schools of Wing Chun may teach differently, it is traditional that the weight be in the heels for ease of turning from Yee Jee Kim Yeung Ma to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kwokwingchun.com/php/slir/w260/img/assets/ip-chun-lan-sau.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Chum Kiu Ma&lt;/a&gt; facing either left or right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No, they are not the same stance.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2016-02-24T19:33:45.867" LastActivityDate="2016-02-24T19:33:45.867" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6066" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="34" CreationDate="2016-02-24T19:08:50.417" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, because it meets the definition of martial arts — a system of techniques and ideas utilized for combat and self defense. However, some people ask if ninjutsu still exists. The schools Tomagakure Ryu, Kumogakure Ryu and Gyokushin Ryu teach Ninpo (Ninjutsu). The many practical  techniques used by these schools are now taught in Bujinkan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, to keep certain tactics secret, many of these skills were not written down and passed on orally and lost in modern teachings. The scrolls and techniques from these schools are still used in Bujinkan which qualifies Ninpo as a martial art that's still around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6799" LastActivityDate="2016-02-24T19:08:50.417" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6070" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-02-25T05:50:01.017" Score="2" ViewCount="1895" Body="&lt;p&gt;Please refer to minute 2:50 of this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3KLB8szbzw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;YouTube video&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Following my other question &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6028/how-to-release-yourself-from-back-arm-lock-control&quot;&gt;How to release yourself from back arm lock control?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a way to escape from rear wrist lock &amp;amp; twist lock?&#xA;A video of the solution will be appreciated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2017-03-08T13:29:23.637" Title="How to escape from a rear wrist lock &amp; twist lock" Tags="|self-defense|wrist-lock|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6071" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6076" CreationDate="2016-02-25T06:07:18.270" Score="1" ViewCount="678" Body="&lt;p&gt;Please refer to the following &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZiJ8nAkIsI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;YouTube video&lt;/a&gt;.&#xA;Do these techniques work well when defending in a street fight or in pressure point/acupunture attacks?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How can someone learn what is the way to attack each point (for instance slapping or hitting)? Is there a internet source that this subject can be learnt thoroughly? How can someone practice this solo (with no partners)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2016-02-25T08:36:27.233" LastActivityDate="2016-02-25T13:12:16.837" Title="Effectiveness of Shorinji Kempo and acupuncture pressure point attacks" Tags="|technique|self-defense|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6072" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6144" CreationDate="2016-02-25T06:10:33.207" Score="-5" ViewCount="932" Body="&lt;p&gt;I heard that Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu is unique in its methods for dealing with attackers to either side while still facing forward. Is this true and where can I find the appropriate specific drills and tutorials for these side-fighting techniques?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that there is a special way to use your hands and hands to cope with the opponent beside you while your body still faces forward. I think it is done to minimize the time of response to opponents at your side and for multiple attackers (front and side). I would like to know how it works.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-02-25T13:41:33.963" LastActivityDate="2021-07-24T01:43:37.977" Title="Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu - Multiple attacker methodology" Tags="|self-defense|kung-fu|multiple-attackers|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="7" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6073" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6077" CreationDate="2016-02-25T06:18:12.800" Score="4" ViewCount="1210" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a way to escape or defend yourself from a tornado kick? I've heard there are some very fast kicks that you can hardly defend against. What should someone would do if the rival has already started such a kick? Any videos would be appreciated!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-03-05T20:26:44.050" LastActivityDate="2016-03-05T20:26:44.050" Title="Taekwondo tornado kick defense" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|self-defense|kicking|jump-kick|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6074" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6071" CreationDate="2016-02-25T07:46:47.220" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don´t think that you can use that on the street, I mean you can try, but there is a good chance that you don´t hit the right spot as in a real fight everything is happening much faster and your opponent will surely not be just standing and waiting for you to attack the right  place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I personally&lt;/strong&gt; doubt that those techniques work for defense anyway, for massage or rehab purposes pressure points would may have some value.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-02-25T07:46:47.220" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6076" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6071" CreationDate="2016-02-25T13:12:16.837" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice this style. Don't even try to learn this without an instructor. In the unlikely event you find the points you will likely do yourself serious damage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They do work on most people and those shown are not even the most effective/dangerous. Learning the points is not difficult with the right recourses but some require specific angles to work, others must be struck and others are deep inside the neck. You have to push your finger into the neck to reach them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also in a real fight these are useful but not at all sufficient. No one will stand still and let you poke them. You need a system of techniques that set up the opertunities to use these. And lots of sparring practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to take something from Shorinji Kempo that is useful, learn the meiuchi. Its a strike with the fingers in a whip like action to the eyes or groin. Easy to learn easy to incorperate into other styles and very effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2016-02-25T13:12:16.837" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6077" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6073" CreationDate="2016-02-25T15:14:42.770" Score="8" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is there a way to escape/ defend yourself from tornado kick?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ummm... yes.  If there wasn't, all martial arts would &lt;em&gt;only&lt;/em&gt; practice tornado kicks, but in fact relatively few martial arts use the technique.  Those kicks are &lt;em&gt;horribly&lt;/em&gt; telegraphed, which means the defender have a &lt;em&gt;lot&lt;/em&gt; of warning and time to decide what to do to defend or counter-attack.  They're not especially powerful either, so can be blocked easily enough, and with very little movement from a typical guard position.  If they're kicking towards your chest, an inward block with outer forearm is the most natural block.  The back hand can provide further coverage.  If they're kicking towards your back, an outward block with outer forearm.  I'd recommend moving towards your opponent and slightly sideways - whether you move into or away from the kick, it'll move you out of the area where the power could achieve decent focus.  Moving towards the kick tends to be most disruptive and the kicker has less time to bring the leg up as high.  The kicker is likely to be off balance and vulnerable as they land.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I heard that there are some very fast kicks that you can hardly defend from.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;True, but this isn't one of them.  A low front-leg front snap kick to the opponent's front knee is an example of a kick that's hard to defend against - from a typical taekwondo fighting stance it needs virtually no telegraphing.  It's also illegal under every full-contact competition rule-set I've ever heard of, in any martial art or sport.  Someone with a very good low front-leg sidekick can also be hard to defend against.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, the kicks that seem boringly simple are often the most useful, and these &quot;flashy&quot; kicks are predominantly a distraction best avoided from a martial arts / self defence perspective.  Something seeming simple doesn't mean it's actually easy to do well... mastering front, side, turning/roundhouse and back kick keeps most talented, hard-working practitioners busy for a couple decades. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What should someone would do if the rival has already started such kind of kick?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again - you have a lot of time, so unless you're out of position or their foot's already 10cm from your face, you can defend with a forearm block as above.  Nothing else will be more minimal or faster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2016-02-25T15:14:42.770" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6079" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6080" CreationDate="2016-02-26T00:12:42.183" Score="10" ViewCount="2518" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it ever appropriate for an instructor to take away a student's belt as discipline?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Two 12 year old students were outside the class engaged in horseplay.  One had been told previously that if the instructor had to talk to him about horseplay again, he would take away his belt and he would have to earn it back.  This is a 3rd year student with a purple belt.  Another student walked by the two, saw them horseplaying, went inside and told the instructor who came out, took away the belt from the one, and made the other do push ups.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've never heard of this being done as discipline and was wondering if it is an appropriate form of discipline to use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a side note, the student was so upset about his belt being gone after 3 years of work, he quit. Not the best reaction but it happened.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6784" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-04T13:50:35.573" LastActivityDate="2023-10-13T16:05:44.733" Title="Is taking away a belt appropriate discipline?" Tags="|teaching|belt|children|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6080" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6079" CreationDate="2016-02-26T03:50:20.927" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sounds fine to me. The kid was told exactly what would happen if he disobeyed his instructor one more time. In fact, had the instructor not followed through on his threat to take away his belt, the kid would have learned that his instructor makes hollow threats, and that would invite even more insubordination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a reason for this harshness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At 12 years old, boys are maturing into adulthood. They're still not adults, but they're beginning to realize they're no longer children, either. With increased physical size and strength comes greater responsibility, especially in the martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts instructors begin to transition kids into adult classes at about this age. What was once a fun, playful experience for the children changes into something more mature, serious, and disciplined. That's the difference between child classes and adult classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, purple belt is usually right before advanced colored ranks like red, brown, and black belt, depending on which martial art we're talking about. The transition from intermediate to advanced rank is similar to the transition the boy is making from childhood to adulthood. With advanced rank comes greater responsibility, maturity, and discipline.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so, what I suspect the instructor was trying to do was to nudge the kid into taking it more seriously and to act more maturely. This is in preparation for adult classes and more advanced rank.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I doubt taking away his belt meant anything for real. Probably the teacher would give him back his belt after a short period of time, as soon as he saw the boy's behavior had improved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a pity the kid in question decided to react negatively to it and quit. It's probably not too late for him to come back. He would need to apologize and ask if he could return, and he would have to be humble enough to accept a lower rank, even a white belt. The instructor might even give him back his purple belt if he did, because just that act of apologizing and humbling himself might show he has made the necessary progress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And for the record, I have seen this sort of discipline happen many times before in different martial arts schools. Kids and even adults can be demoted for bad behavior. It's rare, but it happens. And usually it's quite appropriate. It's either that or tossing the student out completely, but usually just threatening to demote someone is good enough to snap them into shaping up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2016-02-26T03:50:20.927" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6081" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6079" CreationDate="2016-02-26T12:48:32.950" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;From a strict discipline situation, this makes sense, as Steve states, as it's following up on a previously promised punishment and the kid should be learning proper discipline at that rank. However, from a legal and business perspective, it has issues.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, who owns the belt? The way that most promotion ceremonies are performed, the belt is given to the student when they pass their test. Most people would argue that the student owns the physical belt at the end of their test. Taking, and keeping, that belt is tantamount to theft or private confiscation of private property, like if a teacher at a public school took and kept a student's textbook or an award that they won.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, the teacher might not have so much physically taken the belt as told the student that they can't wear it until they show an improvement in behavior. This is a bit more legally defensible as standards of uniform are often in the contract. From my experience as a child who was in such a contract is that many parents will still give the instructor hell over it if they feel it was unjustified, and that might still be problematic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And ultimately, that's a large issue for modern martial arts schools. Many of them involve legal contracts, and parents have money invested in those contracts. Naturally, they're probably not going to just roll over when an instructor gives what may seem to them to be an arbitrary decision that their child can't take the classes that they paid for. Depending on how the contract is worded, they might even have a good case, but even if they're not, it's more trouble than most schools want to deal with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2023-09-24T16:02:18.810" LastActivityDate="2023-09-24T16:02:18.810" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6082" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-02-26T13:55:20.667" Score="3" ViewCount="2867" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had previously been taught by my sensei that in front stance the weight is over the knee in front stance. This is to allow for quickly kicking mae geri (since there is no shifting of weight forward for balance).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, this makes it difficult and slow to turn 180 degrees in kata that demand it (e.g. Heian Shodan moves 2 -&gt; 3) because the weight has to transfer back through to the centre and then behind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should the weight be over the front knee in front stance? If so how much?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1413" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-12-14T14:20:45.333" LastActivityDate="2018-12-14T14:20:45.333" Title="Shotokan Karate front stance - weight is over the front knee? Or centre?" Tags="|karate|stance|shotokan|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6083" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6082" CreationDate="2016-02-26T14:37:58.670" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Fair disclosure, I do not currently practice Shotokan, but I do practice Tae Kwon Do which has a front stance and requires 180 degree turns. There may be technical differences that I am unaware of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Drawing Into Center&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Typically, when executing a 180 turn there will be a drawing in to center to recover balance.  This drawing in will compensate for any forward weight in a front stance.  Yes, it is clumsy, but part of forms training is learning how to execute powerful moves in awkward positions.  My suggestion is that you may be missing the drawing in to center prior to the turn, or it may be a technical requirement of your teacher or your style that there be no drawing in to center.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D2yOzDsW8k&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;17 Seconds&lt;/a&gt; in this video, the Shotokan practitioner appears to be demonstrating the drawing into center that I am referencing.  Notice how his moving foot passes very close to his standing foot as the foot moving to the front stance passes at a straight diagonal from one front stance to the next.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Zenkutsu Dachi&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.intermartialarts.com/sites/default/files/Zenkutsu-Dachi.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Zenkutsu Dachi&lt;/a&gt; as with TKD front stance should be 70% weighted forward.  My rule of thumb is that the knee must not go in front of the toes or behind the ankle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6ICCR.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6ICCR.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pivot on the Ball of the Foot&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I re-emphasize that I am not fully aware of the weight placement in Shotokan, but in TKD, the weight is mainly in the balls of the feet most of the time.  Some of the awkwardness of spins and turns can be overcome by ensuring that you are properly pivoting on the balls of the feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, in the aforementioned video, the practitioner does seem to be pivoting on the ball of the foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2016-02-26T14:57:21.270" LastActivityDate="2016-02-26T14:57:21.270" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6085" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6082" CreationDate="2016-02-27T14:46:55.180" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Should the weight be over the front knee in front stance? If so how much?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Short answer No. Please consider that the percentage of weight is the product of a few other factors. These factors will vary slightly based on body type. Just saying 70% weight over the knee is not doing the stance justice.&#xA; - Make &quot;your&quot; front stance the correct length and width.&#xA; - Be lower first, then longer.&#xA; - Edges outside of your feet are straight (your lead foot might be turned in   slightly)&#xA; - Your weight sits behind your front heel. &amp;lt;--&#xA; - Grab the floor with your feet and sink.&#xA; - Get your butt under you and keep it there. Activate your ab muscles&#xA; - Tendons in the feet, ankle, and knee must have light active tension.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For my body type, my butt sits right behind my lead heel if you drew a line. This produces knee over foot when I add in the other factors above. Is it 75% 70% 72%? No idea. It is dynamic and I can step or shift from stance  to stance quickly and efficiently. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should have an active tension to the floor. Beginner karate-ka make &quot;skeletal strength.&quot; They have reached a point flexibility wise where they can make certain stance shapes. But they can't move from stance to stance efficiently. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Test your front stance. Can you move in any direction with out &quot;double stepping,&quot; or standing up? When in front stance (full hip and half) what happens when you lift your front foot? If your weight is forward, you should go forward. If your weight is in the middle, that's kiba-dachi. Make a spring using your foot, ankle, knee, and hip joints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kagawa is something else. Love his teaching style.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKdU7Wm7L80&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKdU7Wm7L80&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Moving from move 2 to 3 in Heian Shodan...think step behind with the movement starting in your hips. I turn on the middle of my foot or whole foot. Your hip action will make your feet work. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sincerely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6467" LastActivityDate="2016-02-27T14:46:55.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6086" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-02-27T15:33:18.357" Score="4" ViewCount="5003" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm looking to learn longsword and sword and buckler, but unfortunately there are no clubs near me. My partner trained sabre when he was younger, but recalls none of the details, so at best I have a sparring partner while he's not at work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;What material would you recommend for an absolute beginner who's never done HEMA before?&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best I can find is the PDF translation of Fiore's treatise Matt Easton contributed to, but its so large it doesn't render properly in my PDF viewers and printing it would cost more or less the same as your average novel in a high street book store.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6790" LastEditorUserId="7421" LastEditDate="2016-08-26T15:06:41.567" LastActivityDate="2016-08-26T15:06:41.567" Title="Starting off in HEMA without joining a club" Tags="|historic-european|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6087" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6101" CreationDate="2016-02-27T20:17:00.267" Score="7" ViewCount="809" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is a position that I found in some places: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/j4ERV.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/j4ERV.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this a realistic start position in a fight? Can he use the back hand in this position fast? Isn't it better to position the back hand near the chest in a position that will enable a faster response? Where this position can be used and in what methods?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-02-28T01:26:14.233" LastActivityDate="2016-04-03T18:29:15.693" Title="Is the following position realistic in any fight?" Tags="|stance|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6088" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6079" CreationDate="2016-02-27T23:53:45.420" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think there are times when demotion of belt is valid as a form of punishment.  It would seem in this story that the pupil had been warned this would be the consequences, he chose to ignore it, and paid the price, then got crabby because the punishment threatened was actioned.  Suggesting his parents may not usually follow up with the consequences the threaten with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also depends just how much the person would have to do to get it back. For example, a lot of clubs have a minimum time period between gradings, if he had to wait 6 months, that would probably be harsh.  If there was a reasonable chance that he could get it back by end of class, or within a week or so.. Depending on the horseplay, thats really not a big deal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Its especially true with children, that ive seen them gain a belt, but the standard of karate and more importantly etiquette has often not reflected their grade, a bit of a knock back, in life is common, and with the whole &quot;deferred success&quot; cos god forbid kids &quot;fail&quot; these days, it really is a good thing that kids learn somethings need earning, and deserving.. Not everything is a right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6124" LastActivityDate="2016-02-27T23:53:45.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6089" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6087" CreationDate="2016-02-28T00:57:10.197" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The picture is used on the cover of Winning Karate by Joseph Jennings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My guess is that that stance is from some kata, and as such it could be completely reasonable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, your critique is of the utility as a general ready stance for fighting, and you're inviting us to join in...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as that goes, you're right - it would be terrible if used as a general fighting stance, and it's a good skill to read weaknesses in a position if used during sparring, so here's some analysis:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;as you say, the back hand is effectively out of play&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;stance is too side on&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;further removing the back hand from play&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the back leg is pretty useless too, as it can't take the proper line into a front , side or turning/roundhouse kick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the hips/shoulders have no room left to rotate in behind a front jab&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the front hand could not comfortably or strongly be brought from his right to left in an inward knife hand  or reverse knifehand/ridgehand strike because it'd have to be awkwardly extend outside the line of the shoulders first&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;similarly, the front hand can't strongly block any attack coming in from his blind side, such as an opponent's inward ridgehand, turning/roundhouse kick, spinning heel/hook kick, slapping/crescent kick (soto/uchi mawashi geri)...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the front arm's too straight and out of position - it would have to be pulled back a long way first before a decent jab or block could be executed&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;we can't see the leg position, but if the front knee is turned too far inwards, it's especially vulnerable to a stomp at the knee; if it's inline with the shoulders, a low turning/rounding/mawashi-geri forcing it further outward could be very unpleasant&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, I have seen some extremely good fighters (e.g. Tsukamoto Norichika of Shin Kyokushin) extend their front arm vaguely similarly when fighting at long distance... perhaps as a way to help gauge distance and perhaps for complex reasons of balance and mobility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2016-02-28T00:57:10.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6090" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6087" CreationDate="2016-02-28T01:24:47.663" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is this a realistic start position in a fight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, not at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead you think of this as a &lt;strong&gt;finishing&lt;/strong&gt; position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That particular position could be anything, including but not limited to:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;an arm bar  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;knife hand strike to a nice vulnerable spot (like the neck or the mastoid process)  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a grapple that is leading to a hammer fist&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I never start a fight in a stance or position other than &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachiji_dachi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Hachiji dachi&lt;/a&gt; (&quot;the ready&quot; stance) - unless the fight starts without me being &quot;ready&quot;!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2016-02-28T01:24:47.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6091" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6087" CreationDate="2016-02-28T03:42:24.193" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Freezing a movement and taking a still image of it is only useful if you can see the movement that came before it and the movement that comes after it. This image you've given us can be anything, because we can't see what came before and what's coming after it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're assuming that it represents a &quot;fighting stance&quot; or a position that you hold while waiting for something to happen, it may or may not be. I have seen similar fighting stances from Bujinkan budo taijutsu and other forms of classical jujitsu. You can look it up on youtube to see some examples. Just type in &quot;Bujinkan&quot; and scan the video until you see a similar fighting stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But given that this picture is of a karate practitioner, that means it's not a fighting stance. It's a freeze-frame image of the performance of a karate kata. Find out which kata it's in, which move it occurs on, and then re-post your question asking us to tell you what's going on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many of us that understand karate kata and can give you our analysis. But it will depend on the context within the kata itself. The move(s) that came right before it and the move(s) that comes right after it are hugely important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2016-02-28T03:42:24.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6092" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6094" CreationDate="2016-02-28T06:15:38.950" Score="-2" ViewCount="276" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is BJJ is the ultimate fight method/ technique on the ground for street fight or is it most a sport technique? &#xA;Is there any evidence for the benefits of BJJ on ground in street fights? Are there any other better methods/ techniques in ground street fight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="6750" LastEditDate="2016-02-28T19:35:42.950" LastActivityDate="2016-02-28T20:06:34.980" Title="Street fights that ends on ground is BJJ is the ultimate solution?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|self-defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ClosedDate="2016-03-04T10:12:27.037" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6094" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6092" CreationDate="2016-02-28T20:06:34.980" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no &quot;ultimate method&quot; in a street fight.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ground grappling is really good if you end up in a one on one fight, on the ground, with no weapons involved.  Fights tend to go to the ground because people have bad balance, it's relatively easy to trip or get knocked over something, and the tackle/bum rush doesn't require a lot of skill to use. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Untrained combatants usually go for a mount and pound, which mostly limits the target to the head.  Meanwhile on the ground everything is a target for potential grapple and lock - ankles, wrists, arms, etc. and that's where ground grapplers do great - they have more options, they have more targets, and while the untrained person has only one place where they feel comfortable attacking from, the grappler can attack from many positions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if you are restraining or looking to get a grapple on with someone and they have a friend or several friends running up to attack you - you've lost your mobility and probably a lot of situational awareness.  You can find numerous street fight videos where someone gets kicked in the head while they're trying to ground fight, or, worse, attacked with a weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second situation that is bad is when a weapon comes out and you don't realize it.  This is true in all situations, however with a ground grapple you are in full contact and have no &quot;give&quot; to escape like you might when you are standing.  Just as much as any body part is a target for a grappler, any body part is also a target for a knife, or worse, a gun. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grappling is a great set of tools to have in any self defense plan.  BJJ is one of the most popular types of ground grappling, but you can find grappling styles all around the world, because, well, wrestling is as old as humanity.  Pretty much every combative art in history has SOME grappling in it, even if it's not as popular or taught as commonly in the current day.  However, against multiple opponents or against weapons, it's not sufficient by itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-02-28T20:06:34.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6096" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="222" CreationDate="2016-02-29T16:25:25.740" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ninjas were useful because they could do things that violated Bushido. However, they did have their own moral code.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the translation of the Bansenshukai (one of the manuals used by ninjas), there is entire portion devoted to &quot;Correct Mind&quot;. The Bansenshukai is translated by Antony Cummins and expresses that ninjas should be able to stray from a righteous path as long as their motivations are not for self-gain, but to serve a uncorrupt employer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Along with this, the chapter &quot;Correct Mind&quot; talks about many other philosophies used by the ninja. For example, the handbook encourages courage, but not the kind that leads to making reckless decisions or following irrational leaders. So in a way, the ninja did have a moral code, but not a traditional kind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There were a set of guidelines that allowed them to perform morally questionable actions, without becoming reckless or motivated by self-gain. There were provisions in the manual to prevent them from being manipulated, but allowed them to manipulate others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The difference between Bushido and ninja codes is that Bushido was meant to preserve honor and ninja philosophy was structured to keep the ninjas on a path were they could avoid falling victim to greed, blind allegiance or anything that would make them less effective in their profession. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source: The Book of the Ninja by Antony Cummins&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6799" LastActivityDate="2016-02-29T16:25:25.740" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6097" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6082" CreationDate="2016-02-29T23:53:38.913" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a current student of JKA Shotokan Karate. From my notes from the last Gassuku in Honbu Dojo, we went over front stance in fine detail for most of the week. The JKA teaches more of a 60% / 40% weight distribution, with the front of the knee in line with the end of the metatarsals (specifically from one instructor, a plumb line from the knee will hang at the base of the 'V' between your big toe and second toe).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Foot positions as per the diagram posted by The Wudang Kid, though the common element I've heard in the dojo is 'One shoulder wide, 2 shoulders long'. Front foot turned slightly inwards, to make the outer edge of the foot a straight line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The feeling of the stance should not be pushing forward at the knee, but a feeling of stability at the knee, and lowering of the hips into the stance. We are also taught to never grip the floor with the toes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To address the turn movement 2 -&gt; 3 in Heian Shodan, the practitioner shall shift their weight from the forward leg through the center, while keeping their supporting (back) foot flat on the floor. Turning on the heel of the foot, the transitioning foot comes through the center, in more or less a straight line, to the finishing position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1026" LastActivityDate="2016-02-29T23:53:38.913" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6098" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6099" CreationDate="2016-03-01T01:54:47.190" Score="3" ViewCount="2612" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question w/background:&lt;/strong&gt; Hi, I'm interested in practicing Iaido, mostly because of the mental aspect of it. After some research, I got to the conclusion that iaido can be considered as meditation in motion, That's why I'm interested in starting iaido. However, after trying to join a local dojo, the sensei told me that in order to practice iaido, I had to practice kendo as well(They practiced both things at the dojo, the didn't teach them separately). The reason behind this was that these two martial arts complemented each other, and that should not be teached separately. So, I went on and tried to find another dojo which would teach iaido(I practiced kendo before, and I'd like to avoid it), but got to think about what the sensei told me, is this true? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Short version:&lt;/strong&gt; Is kendo necessary when practicing iaido, as if iaido was just a tool to do better kendo? Or is it an art by itself completely independent from the other one?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kind of weird question, but I can't seem to find any info about this. Help appreciated! Thanks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6803" LastActivityDate="2017-07-19T04:53:17.827" Title="Is iaido a martial art by itself? Or is it just a complement to kendo?" Tags="|kendo|iaido|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6099" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6098" CreationDate="2016-03-01T04:02:31.657" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Iaido is roughly translated as &quot;the way of the quick draw&quot;. You can think of it as a class of different martial arts, not a style in and of itself. The actual style will have a proper name like Muso Shinden Ryu. So in that case, it is called Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido (but most people just refer to it as Muso Shinden Ryu, since iaido describes pretty much everything they do). There are many ryu that can be called iaido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each ryu that teaches iaido generally has a series of sword kata, both solo and partnered, that must be mastered by the student. There are beginning kata up to advanced kata. These kata teach what each ryu considers the correct and most important techniques and principles for actual sword combat. The movements themselves are often useless without a good teacher explaining what is happening in the motion and the philosophy behind it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also something called &quot;Iaijutsu&quot;. Whenever you see -jitsu or -jutsu, instead of -do applied to martial arts names, it implies that you are doing it for the purpose of combat. Whereas the -do arts imply that combat is no longer the central focus of the art. Instead, personal development (usually of ones character and spirit) is the goal, and combat is secondary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly, there is kenjutsu vs. kendo. Kendo is worlds apart from kenjutsu, by the way. The two often don't look a thing like each other. That's because kendo has been highly standardized and made into a sport, with rules and limits placed on what you can do, how you can attack, what you can attack, what you wear, etc. Whereas, kenjutsu schools teach everything relating to combat, are each highly stylized and different, and do not teach it for sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your Kendo teacher is correct that Iaido practice will help your Kendo performance. The sword cuts and methods of drawing the sword that Iaido teaches will give you a more precise, more focused, and stronger technique as well as strategies for dealing with circumstances you'll find yourself in when doing kendo. And of course, there are many things Iaido teaches that do not apply to Kendo practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The feeling you get when practicing kendo and iaido will differ completely. Kendo will emphasize the reality of having an opponent who's there trying to win against you. You are going to be highly active, breathing hard, sweating, and fearing getting hit. It's a very good test of how you'll perform under stress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas iaido will feel like everything is frozen, calm, and without emotion. Everything is over in an instant in Iaido. The only stress you feel will come from your own mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So as you can see, you need both. Or actually, I'd say all three: Kendo, Iaido, and Kenjutsu. Kendo gives you a framework for seeing how your Iaido and Kenjutsu can work when you have to attack and defend simultaneously against an opponent who is trying his/her best to win against you. It is messy, interactive, stressful, and alive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's one thing to practice sword technique in a nice environment, in solo or possibly with a partner who just lets you do stuff to him. Yes, that requires great skill and a level of mental concentration that most people will never achieve. But it's quite another thing to have to deal with someone who's attacking you. Iaido and Kenjutsu give you the former, and Kendo gives you the latter. Each aspect gives you something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, Iaido is not necessary for learning Kendo. Plenty of Kendo students do fine at the sport without ever learning a single Iaido kata. (Actually, Kendo itself has kata which imparts some concepts that Iaido also imparts, but that's besides the point.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And no, Kendo is not necessary for learning Iaido, either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But each does complement each other. There's some overlap between them. The insights you get from one can help the other. But more importantly, combining all these aspects of sword fighting will make you better at sword fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think it's more rare that people train in Iaido these days, even and especially in Japan. Kendo, with its emphasis on the sport aspect, has really taken off in popularity. It's Japan's national pastime. But it's also not uncommon for Kendo students to train in Iaido or Kenjutsu to make their understanding of sword fighting more complete. It's well understood that Kendo is far removed from the sword technique trained in feudal ko-ryu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2016-03-01T04:14:27.077" LastActivityDate="2016-03-01T04:14:27.077" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6100" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2470" CreationDate="2016-03-01T12:54:06.410" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I remember my black belt grading was the toughest thing I had to go through and prepare for. I had to perform all 11 patterns and black belt pattern. I had to do the basic sets for all belt colours. All of the one step sparring. I had to demonstrate all kicks, and did 10 rounds of 2 minute pad sparring. Also, 10 rounds of 2 minute sparring with our fellow graders and previously graded black belts. We also were paired up with previously graded black belts, who tested our endurance. We did several types of board breaking (using different power kicks and palm strikes). I think that was all. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6805" LastActivityDate="2016-03-01T12:54:06.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6101" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6087" CreationDate="2016-03-01T14:34:16.257" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's not a starting position. It is a defence against a kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The rear arm has caught the opponent's leg and it is hooked over it, the front hand is pushing him over backwards. You would need to see the full sequence of movements in the form to understand how the position is used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In karate the stance is called &quot;manji-uke&quot; and it has a direct equivalent in Kung-fu. The application is the same in both cases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You see this in for example the katas Passai/Bassai Dai, Pinan/Heian Godan and in several kung-fu forms such as Tong Bi Quan. The sequence in Passai and Tong Bi Quan are the same application. It's likely that the Passai sequence originated from that or another earlier kung-fu form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The application in both is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Catch kicking leg and raise it up.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Push opponent over backwards with the other hand.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step round and kick out his remaining leg, retaining hold of the caught one.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Once opponent is on the ground, use both arms to dislocate/hyperextend the knee joint of the caught leg.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/C-sg3g9D4hU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Manji Uke example video&lt;/a&gt; created by Iain Abernethy&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastEditorUserId="6808" LastEditDate="2016-04-03T18:29:15.693" LastActivityDate="2016-04-03T18:29:15.693" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6102" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="232" CreationDate="2016-03-01T16:17:51.297" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In general, kata and forms are very badly misunderstood by everyone. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately the meaning of kata and forms has largely been kept deliberately secret by the practitioners who do understand them, so misinformation abounds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Karate kata and kung-fu forms are collections of self defence drills&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kata and kung-fu forms are collections of self defence drills. They are sets of drills arranged sequentially one after another. Each individual drill within the kata takes the practitioner from a position of weakness to a position of strength against an opponent attempting to attack in some way. The attacks in each drill vary obviously. So while there may be 80 distinct movements in a kata, each self defence drill might be 2-5 movements in length so there could be 20 distinct drills within such a kata. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can quite literally take a drill sequence out of the kata and practice it with a training partner, assuming you know what kind of attack it defends against.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The purpose of a kata or form originally was to allow you to practice solo, all of the drills you had been taught, one after another in a time and space efficient manner. Visualisation during the process aiding the practice as it does with sportsmen and women today. Today by investigating them for applications &lt;em&gt;we are using kata and forms backwards&lt;/em&gt;. Originally the practitioners would have been taught the applications first and would have understood them before learning the form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This information was first published in English to my knowledge in 2001, by Seikichi Toguchi; 10th dan and one of Chōjun Miyagi's (creator of Goju-Ryu) students. I highly recommend reading this book, no matter your style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Toguchi, Seikichi (2001). Okinawan Goju-Ryu II: Advanced Techniques of&#xA;  Shorei-Kan Karate. Black Belt Communications. ISBN 978-0-89750-140-8 page 44.&#xA;  (available on google books)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is backed up by knowledge we have about the use of &quot;sparring sets&quot; within Chinese forms, which kata evolved from:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_martial_arts#Forms_in_Traditional_Chinese_Martial_Arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_martial_arts#Forms_in_Traditional_Chinese_Martial_Arts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given the nature of fighting, striking methods are very quick, quite literally 1/6 of a second to throw a punch. It really doesn't make sense to record those in forms or kata. What you find is that kung-fu forms and karate kata record mostly stand up grappling techniques where the opponents have hold of each other. Including joint locks, throws and the such like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Copernican model of movement&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A helpful hint was given by Kenwa Mabuni in his book &quot;Kobo Kenpo Karatedo Nyumon&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With the notable exception of Naihanchi/Tekki, Okinawan kata make use of a &quot;Copernican&quot; model of movement. They put the opponent at the centre in front of you, and turns in the kata represent the angle you have to take with respect to the opponent. Particularly at the beginning of a drill sequence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;e.g. turn 90° to the left indicates that you should be on the opponent's left hand side, but still facing him. Obviously things like throws &lt;em&gt;within&lt;/em&gt; a drill, the opponent is brought with you as you move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For those practicing shuri based karate; shotokan, kyokushin, wado-ryu, shorin-ryu, shito-ryu and so on. The Pinan/Heian katas created by Itosu,  usually/often use a forearm grip as the entrance technique. That is, the opponent has hold of your forearm or wrist. Same side for most of them, but Heian Shodan, Pinan Nidan uses opposite sides.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;How to use a Kata or Form&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First of all, &lt;strong&gt;there is only one opponent&lt;/strong&gt; and in most of the drills, he will begin in front of you. In some he may begin behind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Analysis&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Break the form up into the drill sequences&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The first thing to do is dissect the kata or form into it's component drill sequences. This can be somewhat challenging depending on the form and often you have to begin at the beginning and work out where each sequence ends. The Pinan/Heian katas and Naihanchi/Tekki for example often perform the same sequences to both the left and right hand sides, so it can be clear where each sequence begins and ends.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each drill sequence also &quot;ends the fight&quot;. When performed, the uke/opponent has been defeated at the end. There are no submissions, all finishing techniques are performed as if full strength was applied. Examples of techniques which might indicate the end of a drill sequence:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Elbow strike to the temple.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Take down which leaves the opponent prone.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Arm pushed far up the back, damaging the shoulder joint.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The list is by no means exhaustive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;At the start of the drill, determine the angle which the entrance technique would be applied. In the case of Karate this is given by the kata itself. &lt;em&gt;It isn't clear that kung-fu forms make use of angles in the same way, it may be an Okinawan innovation&lt;/em&gt;. In most cases, the angle in the kata shows you the angle you should be at with respect to the opponent.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some exceptions like Naihanchi/Tekki, which is performed in line and without angles. Head position tells you where the opponent is positioned, though it's less reliable as often styles have modified their katas. (It's very much worth looking at several versions of the kata). Within Naihanchi, &lt;em&gt;changes in head position can indicate altering angle&lt;/em&gt; with respect to the opponent, though it can also indicate the end of a sequence and the beginning of another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Entrance technique is unfortunately a case of trial and error bearing in mind the angles and positioning of the opponent, and this is where most errors in interpreting solo kata enter. For the Pinans and Naihanchi, as &quot;beginner&quot; kata, the entrance technique is often a hold that the opponent has on you, lower arm, upper arm, chest, same side, opposite side. It will always however be a position of weakness.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;All movements you make alter the position of the opponent and the kata/form accounts for this. If the opponent has a grip on your right arm and you bend and pull his elbow across your body, the kata accounts for the fact that the opponent has rotated. If you kick his knee out, it will account for the fact that he has dropped lower.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;High kicks were originally not. All kicks were low. All kata and forms have been modified. Look across all styles you can find that practice the kata and remove the alterations where you find them. e.g. Many kata kicks today performed at head height were originally to the back of the knee.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;One of the most important, certainly with many karate kata styles... A closed hand is more probably a grip than a fist. Some styles a grip is not indicated by the general Okinawan convention of a closed hand, but a half open hand. Uechi-ryu for example. (hence the number of finger and palm strikes in the style). Chinese forms it very much depends on the style of kung-fu.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Quite simply perform the kata/form movements &lt;em&gt;exactly as taught&lt;/em&gt;. Where you see a &quot;punch&quot;, or &quot;block&quot;, think grab or grip. The correct application will fit &lt;em&gt;every&lt;/em&gt; movement of the kata with only relatively minor deviation. If it deviates significantly it is unlikely to be correct.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Training&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have isolated a drill sequence, and in your eyes successfully decoded and understood how it works, the next step is to train it. You &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; train the drill exactly as is with a partner, but that isn't really the point of the drills, they provide examples of techniques and principles. It's really these techniques and principles that you should take into your one step, three step and free form sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's quite important to train against resistance from partners, in reality there will be lots of resistance and you should understand how it affects the dynamics of the applications you train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hopefully this helps understand what kata/forms are and how they can be used. Unfortunately over the last several decades understanding has been lost across large swathes of the Chinese derived systems, such as Karate, TaeKwonDo and Kung-Fu which make use of solo forms, leading to a lot of very poor applications in these martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The process of analysing them is a parasitic process which while it's necessary, doesn't really help teach or learn the martial art. It would be far better if the teachers had these already decoded and the results recorded. We can see this with the relative progress karate and kung-fu students make vs the progress that Japanese Ju-Jutsu students make where all their kata are already well understood. Students are taught the application and usage directly and not expected to work out fighting applications themselves from kata (a highly unreasonable expectation). In general JJJ students progress far more quickly than karate or kung-fu practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;p.s. &lt;a href=&quot;http://katapedia.org/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://katapedia.org/&lt;/a&gt; describes all this in more detail, with more references. It also has all of the Pinans/Heians decoded, and Naihanchi - Tekki shodan with the drill sets for each of them...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;p.p.s This answer refers primarily to Karate kata, they are conceptual descendants of Kung-Fu forms so many but not all of the methods and details will apply equally to kata and forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;p.p.p.s Be very wary of any martial art form, kata, poomsae which was created during the 20th century. It's very clear that there are forms out there which were thrown together from nearly random movements by people who had no understanding of the meaning and usage of kata and forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastEditorUserId="6808" LastEditDate="2016-03-09T21:10:59.870" LastActivityDate="2016-03-09T21:10:59.870" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6103" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6082" CreationDate="2016-03-01T17:53:09.517" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's a mistake to think of karate stances as static. They are not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When fighting you will be in a stance for a fraction of a second. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Therefore there is no correct static weight distribution&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said that, all stances have a purpose, and it's not always the same purpose. For example shiko/kiba dachi can be used to lower your body, e.g. applying an arm bar, as per Naihanchi/Tekki shodan, or it can be used to attack an opponent's balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The application for Heian Shodan movements 2-&gt;3 is to lunge forwards and grab the &lt;em&gt;back&lt;/em&gt; of the opponent's neck (collar, hair or perhaps shoulder). The zenkutsu-dachi hits the back of his leg and breaks his balance. The following 180° rotation with gedan barai pulls the opponent over backwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is a video example of the uses of zenkutsu dachi by Eonida and shiko or kiba dachi by Machida. The Machida application is directly out of Pinan Shodan. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jseW5QikD6U&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jseW5QikD6U&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice the &lt;strong&gt;stance is dynamic&lt;/strong&gt; and retained for a fraction of a second in both cases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastEditorUserId="6808" LastEditDate="2016-03-01T17:59:04.357" LastActivityDate="2016-03-01T17:59:04.357" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6104" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="934" CreationDate="2016-03-01T22:54:03.377" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Reverse punch relates to the fact that it's the side opposite the front leg which is punching. Doesn't matter if it's forward or backwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both forward and backwards are normal and you should be able to use both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When stepping forward the force will primarily be on the punch, the hikite pulling hand would only be clearing the opponent's guard, and isn't likely to unbalance him much because you're moving forward as you pull.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When stepping backwards however, the pulling hikite hand is far more significant because your body weight will be pulling the opponent off balance down towards your hip, over your front leg and on to your strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-03-01T22:54:03.377" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6105" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1963" CreationDate="2016-03-01T23:09:10.357" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are you talking competitive punching, or for defensive usage?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For defensive usage, the single biggest thing you can do is get hold of the opponent with your off hand. Usually illegal in most competitive sports.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your brain knows where your hands are with respect to each other to within a couple of millimetres. If you have hold of the opponent your brain knows where he's positioned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;He can't get out of the way.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You'll be able to hit him to within a centimetre or two repeatedly and quite literally with your eyes closed.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can test this yourself, hold your arms out to the sides, close your eyes and touch your finger tips together.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-03-01T23:09:10.357" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6106" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5367" CreationDate="2016-03-01T23:37:25.153" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kick defence taken from a kung-fu form Tong Bi Quan. Begins at 1 min 15 secs through to 1 min 23 secs in the Youtube video.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21vZz4beFv8&amp;amp;t=1m15s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21vZz4beFv8&amp;amp;t=1m15s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Catch the leg.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Raise it up high with the rear hand, push the opponent over backwards with the other, front hand.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step forward and kick out the remaining leg and allow opponent to drop to the ground.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Retain hold of the leg as he drops.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Apply joint lock to the opponent's knee joint.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a defensive situation you'd just tear the joint, in a competition you could go for submission instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BTW, this exact same application / sequence is present in the Karate Passai/Bassai Dai kata. Beginning at 57 secs to 1 min 5 secs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXPZFarJMh0&amp;amp;t=0m57s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXPZFarJMh0&amp;amp;t=0m57s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-03-01T23:37:25.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6107" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5975" CreationDate="2016-03-02T00:06:12.997" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Actually, when you look into it, you find that martial arts are &lt;em&gt;remarkably&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;similar&lt;/em&gt; the world over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, there are diagrams on the Beni Hasan tombs in Egypt which are 4500 year old representations of grappling martial arts. Many of the diagrams are clearly identifiable as &quot;modern&quot; Judo or Ju-Jutsu techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beni_Hasan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beni_Hasan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You also find exactly the same techniques being used by Medieval European men-at-arms (knights) in the Holy Roman Empire (modern day Germany). The unarmed techniques they used (Abbrazare and Ringen) look &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; much like Ju-Jutsu and Karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;e.g.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvkPLvoH1vI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvkPLvoH1vI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More European stuff on Wiktenauer:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Joachim_Me%C3%BFer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Meyer&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Fiore_de&amp;#39;i_Liberi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Fiore&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; wary of comparing modern sports like TKD against methods that were used for self defence during eras that required the arts. Almost all of the modern representations you see of martial arts differ &lt;em&gt;drastically&lt;/em&gt; from how they were originally used. Some are pure sport, some are pure entertainment. This goes for all Chinese derived arts like Karate, Kung-fu and TKD, as well as western martial arts like wrestling and boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-03-02T11:02:53.257" LastActivityDate="2016-03-02T11:02:53.257" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6108" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1963" CreationDate="2016-03-02T15:13:49.603" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A great tool for practicing on a moving target is to suspend a tennis ball (or other similar soft objects) from a string.  You can adjust the height of the target fairly easily and it gives you a striking surface which won't harm you (and is rather small). Space allowing, you can freely move around the ball practicing your footwork. It can swing like a pendulum or in a circular motion, so you can practice striking a moving target (and learn to predict where a target is going to be).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also used a metal washer, suspended thus, when practicing thrusting accuracy in fencing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-03-02T15:13:49.603" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6109" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5926" CreationDate="2016-03-02T17:06:09.977" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Half swording.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-sword&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-sword&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no space in a basket hilt to use two hands, so the second hand would be on the blade. It became more common with all swords as armour improved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-03-02T17:06:09.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6110" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5926" CreationDate="2016-03-02T17:19:37.000" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Historically speaking, there wouldn't be much overlap between the us of the half-swording technique and the advent of the basket-hilted sword. Half-swording was typically used with a longsword by heavily armored combatants.  The basket-hilt arose once technology had advanced to the point that heavy armor began to fall out of favor. The basket-hilt itself being a design to protect the unguantleted hand. Against the lightly armored soldiers of the day a basket-hilted blade would not require a technique like half-swording, but there may have been the odd exception (perhaps some twit who refused to retire his Maximillian-style fluted plate).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-03-02T17:19:37.000" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6111" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6073" CreationDate="2016-03-02T17:42:27.103" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The setup for one of these kicks is ridiculous, and I question if there is even a significant power difference between one and a well delivered roundhouse or side kick. I feel good footwork is the best defense, since anything except a stationary target is going to foil the effectiveness of execution. I'm a big, aggressive fighter, and I always step inside when someone tries this kind of nonsense. You might get hit with a suboptimal part of their leg, but if you press the attack they won't have an opportunity to recover. If you time it right you can strike/snatch them out of the air and they have no base with which to prevent you from dropping them on their head. You can always step out, but then you might give them time to recover.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-03-02T17:42:27.103" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6112" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6114" CreationDate="2016-03-03T14:15:32.213" Score="5" ViewCount="213" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm new to this forum, and new to Tai chi (and martial arts in general). I started last week and have had 2 classes so far, having my third one today. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like some advice on how to breathe properly during the class breathing exercises, since the way I am currently doing it makes my vision go black and causes nausea, even though I don't feel 'out of breath'. Should I match the Sifu's breathing pace, which is really slow, or is that too slow for a beginner? Are there particular things I should pay attention to during these exercises? Is there a way I can work on this at home? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;In case it is important, I am not in a great physical state (sedentary job, no sports, but I do walk everywhere), and we do these breathing exercises after the stretching and holding poses (forms?) part of the class, so at the beginning of these exercises I'm usually somewhat tired already&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6821" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-03-04T20:58:06.357" LastActivityDate="2016-03-04T21:32:20.010" Title="Should I follow the class or instructor's breathing rate during Tai Chi breathing exercises?" Tags="|tai-chi|breathing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6113" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5305" CreationDate="2016-03-03T15:25:17.400" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;but it is actually a grappling martial art&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; the case at all. Karate was always a &lt;strong&gt;complete&lt;/strong&gt; martial art. Most martial arts began this way, the modern striking/grappling dichotomy is a false one related to sporting rule sets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;i.e. It makes use of all techniques, striking, grappling and everything else that works, including methods that would be considered very much &quot;unsporting&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes the katas are chock full of grappling methods; arm locks, wrist locks, chokes, throws, takedowns, even leg locks, eye gouging and pretty much anything else you can think of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider how fluid and fast a punch is. It takes about 1/6 of a second to perform a punch and retract the punching arm. It's faster than normal human reaction times. Now consider how static kata are. Kata don't lend themselves to very fast fluid movement. They don't represent it well at all, and modern striking combat sports like kickboxing or boxing don't make use of kata for that reason. At most they run a couple of combinations together. The methods are simple and don't really need to be recorded in this way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now look at grappling techniques. They are far slower, more complex and it's important that the configuration between the attacker and defender; relative position of body, arms, legs etc is recorded in order to execute the techniques correctly. This lends itself to kata or forms rather well though with solo forms only half of the needed information is there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Striking methods are the most common, they are the easiest to learn, but they are only the beginning. Schools which stop at this point are teaching only maybe about 1/3 of what karate is in toto.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How kata are structured:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://katapedia.org/wiki/Structure_of_kata&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://katapedia.org/wiki/Structure_of_kata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some tools for analysing the real meaning of kata sequences:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://katapedia.org/wiki/Bunkai_%28Analysis%29&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://katapedia.org/wiki/Bunkai_%28Analysis%29&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What Kenwa Mabuni said about the meaning of angles within kata:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://katapedia.org/wiki/Kenwa_Mabuni&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://katapedia.org/wiki/Kenwa_Mabuni&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Misc other info:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://katapedia.org/wiki/Other_rules&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://katapedia.org/wiki/Other_rules&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And an example of the meaning of the first movements of Pinan Shodan / Heian Nidan:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://katapedia.org/wiki/Pinan_Shodan_moves_1-3_application_one&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://katapedia.org/wiki/Pinan_Shodan_moves_1-3_application_one&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;i.e. The opening movements of the kata are often described as a double block followed by two strikes. An explanation that makes little sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The double block is a figure 4 type arm lock, and the two &quot;strikes&quot; are you dislocating the shoulder of the opponent, using his elbow as a lever. The double strikes are really a push/pull.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How to make use of the grappling methods is dependent on the situation, that's what you need to train, and practise for. That is what kumite is for. In terms of kata, it differs for each kata and often for each sequence. Itosu's kata the Pinan/Heian katas very commonly uses a wrist or forearm grab as the entrance technique for the sequences. He obviously thought it was a reasonable way to begin each drill. And when you look at real violence, you find that untrained attackers very often grab before their main attack. Grab and hit, grab and stab.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;e.g. grabbing the shirt with the left hand before punching with the right hand...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shuto uke was designed for exactly this situation. The upstroke of shuto, catches the elbow of the grabbing arm, the down/out stroke rotates uke away from you and puts him in an arm lock. The other hand traps uke's grabbing hand. The result is that the attacker's strike &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; blocked, though not as is commonly taught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastEditorUserId="6808" LastEditDate="2016-03-03T16:24:40.917" LastActivityDate="2016-03-03T16:24:40.917" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6114" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6112" CreationDate="2016-03-03T16:19:45.600" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should not try to match your instructor's breathing rate. This would be like trying to lift the same weight as your weightlifting instructor; it does not make sense to do this because your instructor's body is different from yours. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The general advice for basic breathing exercises is to make your breathing relaxed, continuous, deep, and even. Pay attention to these elements and don't worry about your breathing rate. Over sustained practice, you will find your breathing rate will slow, but this is more a side effect than something you should force. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taiji is not an art of heavy exertion. You should not be trying to brute force things, and this includes breathing. You do want to gently push your boundaries, but what is a gentle push for your instructor or senior class members may be far beyond your current boundaries. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any martial art, you should practice at home. You should also see your teacher regularly to ask questions and so they can monitor your progress. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-03-04T21:32:20.010" LastActivityDate="2016-03-04T21:32:20.010" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6117" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3129" CreationDate="2016-03-03T21:12:07.293" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since you are interested in ninjutsu, you can learn techniques from Bujinkan which culminates 9 schools of martial arts (including 3 schools that teach ninjustsu). While it is important to guide your training through classes, the grand master and other practitioners have released many instructional videos for purchase and many free online videos. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Along with this there are great books that detail how to perform certain techniques. However, these skills and teachings may seem abstract so it is important to try to find someone who practices them and can explain them to you. This may help in perfecting the training you do on your own and prevent you from developing bad habits. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can look up books on the Tenchijin Ryaku no Maki which involve various techniques from Bujinkan  or go here to learn some of the basics: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/NinjaLearningNetwork/videos&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;youtube&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;or an &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/4805313056&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;illustrated guide&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6799" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-03-04T07:58:50.977" LastActivityDate="2016-03-04T07:58:50.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6118" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2016-03-05T21:22:37.447" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In some martial arts, the color of a cloth belt worn by a practitioner indicates rank within the martial art organization. &lt;a href=&quot;http://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/518/5961&quot;&gt;Jigaro Kano first introduced the belt system in judo&lt;/a&gt;. The belt system is also used in other martial arts, including tae kwon do, hapkido, karate, and aikido. The belt is also known by the Japanese term &lt;em&gt;obi&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each organization chooses its own colors and their relative order. A single martial art such as judo or tae kwon do may have multiple governing organizations, and different organizations within the same martial art may use different colors, or put colors in a different order. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rank is also specific to each organization. Ranks may or may not be recognized across organizations. A person may hold one rank in one organization, but a different rank in a different organization, even of the same martial art. For example, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keiko_Fukuda&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Keiko Fukuda&lt;/a&gt;, held the rank of 10th dan as recognized by the United States Judo Federation and USA Judo (two different US organizations), but the rank of 9th dan as recognized by the Kodokan, the mother school of judo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A black belt commonly signifies a practitioner is sufficiently proficient to be considered representative of their martial art. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-03-06T02:56:06.507" LastActivityDate="2016-03-06T02:56:06.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6119" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2016-03-05T21:22:37.447" Score="0" Body="Piece of clothing indicating rank within a martial art organization. Each organization chooses its own colors and their relative order and awards its own ranks. A black belt commonly signifies a practitioner is sufficiently proficient to be considered representative of their martial art. Use this tag for questions about rank and the accompanying clothing. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-03-06T02:56:02.083" LastActivityDate="2016-03-06T02:56:02.083" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6120" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4914" CreationDate="2016-03-06T16:41:55.187" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's possible that staying in a fighting posture constantly could negatively affect your posture, but I suspect that there are other first-order factors, such as those studied in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ergonomics/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;ergonomics and musculoskeletal disorders&lt;/a&gt;. For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sitting - The modern information worker spends the majority of waking time sitting and typically does not use good posture while doing so. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Smartphones - Most people hold their phones in front of their chest, and tilt their head and back forward. And people spend a lot of time looking at their phones. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of this adds up. If the postures you frequently use are poor, you are basically training your body to have poor posture. You probably spend a lot more time doing these things than training martial arts. As the body ages, it will lose flexibility and mobility if not exercised properly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;General exercise helps, but there are specialized exercises such as the Daoist spine stretch/wave or others in yoga that have the explicit goal to increase the flexibility and mobility of the spine. These develop both the ability to feel and manipulate vertebrae. It should not be surprising that improves ability to stand up straight. This kind of training is present in martial arts such as bagua. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With this in mind, the effect of martial arts on posture will be very style dependent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you think your martial art contributes to poor posture, you should supplement with exercises for the spine that increase control, flexibility, and mobility. For this purpose, it's probably easiest to find a reputable yoga instructor. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-03-06T16:41:55.187" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6121" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6122" CreationDate="2016-03-06T19:35:40.563" Score="-1" ViewCount="822" Body="&lt;p&gt;IS there any criteria to decide whether to fight your rival from distance (by using kicks for instance) or to close distance and to fight back with short punches for instance? Does it relate to differences in size between you or any other difference?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2016-03-20T18:26:30.293" Title="Close street fight vs far distance" Tags="|self-defense|streetfight|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6122" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6121" CreationDate="2016-03-06T23:59:30.733" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ranging in self defense is actually very different than sparring or competition fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Start with this: what range are you at when you realize you're being attacked? (and don't have an option to get away?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are you 20 feet away, with them running and yelling at you?  Did someone tackle you from behind and you're on the ground?  See, the first problem is that you don't necessarily get to choose the range when you're assaulted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second question is: what is the terrain like? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can't play a distance game if you're attacked in the elevator, or when you're halfway in your car.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those two questions make a lot of the decision for you.  If you get any option beyond that, then the questions are: what is open and where do you feel comfortable in your techniques/methods?  What is going to make you safer given your options?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can find video of folks holding off knife attackers by putting their shoes on their hands, and holding them off long enough the attackers decide to leave before the cops show up.  You can find video of women doing great judo throws of guys who outweigh them and leaving the guy completely knocked out from the throw.  People defend themselves successfully at all ranges, and it has to do more with their ability to adapt to the range they find themselves in and the training they've had.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why a lot of self defense training ends up having you train many scenarios from different ranges and starting points of disadvantage.  It's not like a match where you see your opponent, you know what they're armed with, you know there's no other people about to run in and attack from behind, and you don't have to worry about tripping or falling down stairs or anything.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-03-06T23:59:30.733" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6123" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6121" CreationDate="2016-03-07T08:33:51.373" Score="2" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I would say it depends on the attacks of your opponent. As I assume that you would not attack anyone.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It depends on the size of your opponent (if he is much bigger, it doesn´t make sense to kick and use the distance game)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It depends on the surroundings (Bar, Open Range, Wet, Swimming pool, Train etc.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It depends on if your opponent has any weapon (Knife, bat, Chair, Stone)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best advice i can give you is to use the right tool for the right distance. by that I mean if you are in Leg-range simply use your legs first (attention that on the streets high-kicks can be contrary productive), if the opponent comes closer in punching range use the fists. &#xA;If still coming closer use elbows, headbutts, knees what not...&#xA;If on the ground, use grappling skills like arm bars, locks, chokes, from eye gouging to biting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-03-07T08:33:51.373" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6124" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2861" CreationDate="2016-03-07T11:51:47.790" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's information which is sadly rather difficult to get hold of, but which is crucial for all martial artists and security professionals to understand. Given that some martial arts were designed originally to help deal with these most common types of violence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is an article which &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/jwtdart&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;John Titchen&lt;/a&gt; recommends. The data was compiled and summarized/posted by a Shotokan practitioner who was looking for exactly the same kind of information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://johntitchen.wordpress.com/2015/02/09/haov-habitual-acts-of-violence-revisiting-2005/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;John Titchen blog post on habitual acts of violence&lt;/a&gt; created 2005, updated in 2015.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastEditorUserId="6808" LastEditDate="2016-03-08T08:32:32.660" LastActivityDate="2016-03-08T08:32:32.660" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6125" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3129" CreationDate="2016-03-07T14:07:11.427" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You face a tough challenge. I have been very fortunate to be trained by a very good instructor. There is a lot on-line, but what I would do is save your money and make an effort to connect with a school (even if you have to drive). I have been training for 15 years and students need correction in all their training. So, save a few bucks, find a competent teacher in another location, and once or twice a month travel and get the instruction you will need. The problem in the industry itself is finding a competent teacher who was taught by another great instructor. I have seen black belts who do not have the level of competency, due to the fact they were trained by someone who didn't know what they were doing. I know this is not the answer you may want, but I think it is the best answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6823" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-03-08T17:00:37.983" LastActivityDate="2016-03-08T17:00:37.983" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6126" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6129" CreationDate="2016-03-08T06:28:08.490" Score="5" ViewCount="1407" Body="&lt;p&gt;As can be seen here in &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/gioLeSaqex0?t=102&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;, it seems impossible to escape from the &lt;em&gt;sankyo&lt;/em&gt; grip. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a way to escape from it (including self defense options)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-10T17:49:15.710" LastActivityDate="2019-08-10T17:49:15.710" Title="How to escape from a sankyo grip?" Tags="|self-defense|technique|aikido|grips|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6127" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6126" CreationDate="2016-03-08T08:11:11.700" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the case of sankyo (or tenkai kote hineri), the most common way to escape the technique is to drop one's elbow. Of course, a well executed tenkai kote hineri prevents that from happening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any kote hineri (rotational wrist lock) or kote gaeshi (supinating wrist lock) can be escaped with a judicious punch aimed at Tori's nose or to be fair, any body parts. In addition, if one's wrist is heavily muscled then it is possible to just force the write to untwist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All wrist locks are aids to a technique (either throw or pin) and not the technique.  Better results are achieved with balance breaking and wrist locks than with just wrist locks. Unless the intent is to cause grievous bodily harm by snapping the wrist&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;. In this case, the lock can cause dislocation, tendon tears, and bone breaking. Depending on the level of balance breaking, indirect harm can as well be inflected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;em&gt;I am not a lawyer nor do I play one on TV&lt;/em&gt;. That said, causing grievous bodily harm will get you into trouble with the law whatever the situation and reasons for doing it.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2016-03-08T08:11:11.700" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6128" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6126" CreationDate="2016-03-08T08:40:57.613" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Holds like sankyo rely on crossed extensor reflex action - the sensation of pain causes reflexive activity in other parts of the body. This is most effective when the opposing side of the body has nothing to leverage against, i.e. no wall or floor to push against. This means you can continuously adjust or tweak the hold to prevent the opponent punching or grabbing you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One very simply way to nullify the pain from sankyo so that you can then counter it is to put your forehead to the back of the wrist that is being manipulated. I'm sorry to say I don't know why it works - from my experimentation I don't believe it's due purely to bio-mechanical reasons because the attacker can still be cranking on the wrist (it may have something to do with interrupting the pathway of the nerve impulse). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course placing your head in that position can lead to further danger - so don't leave it there for too long! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2016-03-08T08:40:57.613" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6129" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6126" CreationDate="2016-03-08T18:07:49.153" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A non-Aikido solution, is to simply hammerfist or punch the back of the grabber's hand or their fingers, smashing it to get free.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We see twice in the video the guy gets a countergrip before the grabber shifts position and increases pressure, so the reach is there, and few people consider their hands as striking targets.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also the possibility of stomping the grabber's feet, however, it's harder to get off given that the grabber has a good read on any weight shifts through the pressure of the lock itself, and it's not as immediately easy to target like the hand on your arm which you can target by feel, instantly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-03-08T18:07:49.153" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6130" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6126" CreationDate="2016-03-08T20:35:35.903" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;We have a similar throw in the the style I practice but It's only taught to higher grade students for the reason that it's very hard to get that grip in the first place.  Once you have the grip on the fingers the throw isn't too difficult but to get it requires:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The receiver of the technique must have their hand open (ie not in a fist)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The receiver must not move the hand when you try to grab it.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can learn a lot about balance when you do this technique but I don't think this is going to come up much outside a dojo.  Open hand strikes are one thing but if your opponent is good enough to catch one of your strikes you are probably in trouble anyway either in self defence or anywhere else.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However the first thing you should do if caught this way is relax the arm muscles.  This makes it harder to manipulate the body using the arm and also reduces the pain caused by the stretch.  Then anchor the elbow to the body.  If your elbow ends up high you are in big trouble as you can see in the video.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2016-03-08T20:35:35.903" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6131" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6003" CreationDate="2016-03-08T20:49:02.413" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Honestly, if the size, mass, and/or strength disparity is wide enough overcoming such an opponent is not possible without some sort of force multiplier (e.g. a weapon). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is also too broad a question to realistically answer. There are too many unknown factors. What are the physical discrepancies between combatants? What are both combatant's skill levels? What is the environment and circumstance of the confrontation? What are the stakes?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a very real hierarchy of contributing factors when it comes to combat effectiveness, and Skill level is definitely placed below Mass/Weight, Height/Reach, and Strength/Fitness. What that means is that a smaller combatant needs to be significantly more skilled/experienced than their larger/stronger opponent to compensate for the difference. Even then, sometimes the physical advantages are insurmountable.     &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-03-08T20:49:02.413" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6132" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6003" CreationDate="2016-03-09T14:06:20.860" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Jiu-jitsu can be used to null-ify your oponent regardless of his size and weight for example. But if the guy knows a thing or two, it might get complicated UNLESS YOU ARE AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL! (checkout the first UFCs for examples)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo applies the same principle (there is a Youtube video of a 70+ year old man with a x degree black belt that can't be taken down by a strong 30 something man). Kickboxing applies the same principle (get in, hit, get out..).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point I'm trying to make is that to overcome your 'bigger &amp;amp; stronger' opponent you must be extremly confident and master in your technique(s) regardless of origin and strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does this make any sense to you?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6766" LastActivityDate="2016-03-09T14:06:20.860" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6133" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6135" CreationDate="2016-03-09T15:25:30.987" Score="3" ViewCount="1317" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can't find relevant info about this matter. The thing is, I found this picture to get more detailed info about anatomy of the bone it self at the shank part of the lag and found this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LqIow.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LqIow.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I) Is this actually the bone we use for low kick? If so, then it used also for the defense(block) right? If so, this is very odd, the bone looks very thin &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/eLgnY.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/eLgnY.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;II) What is this bone? Looks like this one should be used for low-kick, he-he. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*please add ''low kick'' tag:)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6835" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-04-02T16:02:34.863" LastActivityDate="2022-04-02T16:02:34.863" Title="Low kick and block with shank-bone" Tags="|muay-thai|kicking|kickboxing|anatomy|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6135" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6133" CreationDate="2016-03-09T16:35:57.570" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Round Kick&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're delivering the kick with the lower part your &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leg_bone&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;fibula&lt;/a&gt;.  You would also block a low round kick by turning your fibula to meet the fibula of the opponent. The tibia, while potentially stronger than the fibula, is located on the &lt;a href=&quot;http://kneestability.weebly.com/uploads/3/0/3/6/3036083/1467011.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;posterior&lt;/a&gt; in relation to the Fibula.  It would therefore be in no position to deliver a low round kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hook Kick&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You &lt;em&gt;could&lt;/em&gt; deliver a low &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPHuldgoq44&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;hook kick&lt;/a&gt;, but a hook kick typically makes contact with the heel rather than any part of the leg.  If you make contact with the tibia, you are more in a position to deliver a sweep than a true kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It isn't As Weak as it looks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please observe the picture you posted.  Notice how the blocker has her foot planted and has all her body structure aligned with the fibula to meet the round kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Due to extreme &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.muay-thai-guy.com/wp-content/uploads/1508609_10154831426990858_3559893024167704745_n.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;leg conditioning&lt;/a&gt;, Muay Thai fighters have dense bones in their legs and their pain receptors are less active.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;But it can break&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because of the aforementioned leg conditioning, it is possible to snap the leg of an opponent from delivering a well placed kicked to their fibula.  It is also possible to snap &lt;em&gt;your own&lt;/em&gt; leg on a well-placed block like the one in the picture you posted.  I'm going to go ahead and include &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw_jcnFPfxU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;, but it is hard to watch, so exercise discretion.  As far as I know, this is live footage from a MT fight.  So, your initial assessment of the weakness of the fibula does have a basis in reality.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2016-03-09T16:43:37.353" LastActivityDate="2016-03-09T16:43:37.353" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6138" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6086" CreationDate="2016-03-09T18:45:47.710" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This answer is late in coming, but I was in the same boat. No HEMA club, just me, and later some friends. I'll split this answer up into 1) Books and 2) Equipment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Books&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I highly recommend &lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/1891448412&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Guy Windsor's Swordsman's Companion&lt;/a&gt;. He breaks down Italian/Pan-European longsword into very learnable chunks. Sure, he only references the manuals every so often, but what he teaches you is solid and helpful. He's even had people come to him after buying his book, and these individuals successfully learned what was described in the book. It's a great starting place if you're on your own. It covers longsword only, though, so you'll need to find another sword-and-buckler manual. Longsword is nice, though, because it's a &amp;quot;gateway weapon&amp;quot;- you can use principles from longsword to help you learn other weapons. In fact, many longsword techniques and stances can work with spears, halberds, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A friend of mine enjoys reading &lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/1891448439&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;i.33&lt;/a&gt;. He seems to be learning things decently well from it, but would benefit from an instructor as well. Sword-and-buckler sources are hard to come by, so I recommend learning longsword first, then transferring that knowledge to sword-and-buckler treatises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is important to note that you need some basics before you can just dive into the old treatises. Those old books often assume you've already been trained in the use of these weapons, so they don't have very good explanations. This gets even harder when you need to rely on someone else's translations of them. The german books are easier to read, because some people still speak dialects which are very similar to Middle-High German, but good luck finding someone who speaks the same Italian as that in the Middle Ages.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Equipment&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend buying a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.woodenswords.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=TYPE-III-50&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Pentti 50&amp;quot; longsword&lt;/a&gt; as your first practice sword. The &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.coldsteel.com/Product/92BKHNH/HAND_AND_A_HALF_TRAINING_SWORD.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Cold Steel practice sword&lt;/a&gt; is cheaper, but much shorter. A Hand-and-a-Half sword should reach from the bottom of your sternum to the ground. The cold steel practice sword is still a few inches short, and the rounded cross section makes it really hard to work on edge alignment. The Pentti does not have these problems, and appears to be just as durable. Your hand-and-a-half sword &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; work for sword-and-buckler, but it's not very accurate. Swords for sword-and-buckler were often shorter, with smaller hilts; after all, you have a buckler for protection!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case, you should focus on getting plastic training weapons. Try to find ones that come near the correct weights and sizes as historical examples.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll start by doing some basic drills that usually don't require actual protection, so you can hold off buying the masks/gloves/gambesons you'll need as you progress. Your first 20 hours with a sword should be spent getting basic stances and footwork down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also recommend finding a pell- a pole you can smack, and hit &lt;em&gt;hard&lt;/em&gt;. Pell-work has been a traditional and effective training method since, at the earliest, Rome, but likely earlier as well. It'll help condition your body to hitting things, as well as help with edge alignment and distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;A Final Note&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are no substitute for an actual teacher and classes. You will, at some point in time, need to find someone to spar with. Try to find a club using the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.hemaalliance.com/club-finders/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;HEMA Alliance Page&lt;/a&gt; if you're in the US. Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-03-09T18:45:47.710" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6139" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5416" CreationDate="2016-03-09T21:47:43.020" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Competence and confidence go hand in hand. It's very difficult to gain one while the other is constantly being battered. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Cut it down to &lt;strong&gt;one&lt;/strong&gt; martial art, and probably none that are on your current list. More is not better.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find a female only school, at least for a while. Many if not most schools will run female only classes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Focus on a martial art which allows you to practice against real people in a competitive manner where you're not constantly being dominated by physical size and strength differences. i.e. a combat sport rather than a traditional martial art. Again, at least for a while. You can move on to arts which deal more seriously with less controlled conflict as you get comfortable throwing people around... and I'm talking about after a year of several times per week practice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I'd recommend something which deals with stand up grappling like judo to begin with. The idea being to build confidence and competence in an upward spiral rather than a downward one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-03-09T21:47:43.020" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6140" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2016-03-09T22:28:16.523" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2016-03-09T22:28:16.523" LastActivityDate="2016-03-09T22:28:16.523" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6141" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2016-03-09T22:28:16.523" Score="0" Body="The act of aggressing, of performing a threatening action which is not in response to another action." OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-03-10T12:26:37.647" LastActivityDate="2016-03-10T12:26:37.647" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6142" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5940" CreationDate="2016-03-09T23:03:24.813" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;From what I've seen. No, most martial arts don't deal well with knives, there is a lot of complete fantasy, wishful thinking and misinformation around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've never been stabbed myself, but come from the stabbing capital of the UK and know a couple who have, and in both cases they didn't realise they had been stabbed until after the event.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If we look at the past, there is a common feature that all cultures employed when they had to deal with blades. Armour. i.e. even though they had technique, they still employed armour. Put another way. Technique will not save you. It takes 1/6 of a second to throw a punch. Human reaction time is closer to 1/4 of a second. If the hand throwing the punch holds a knife, you'll see that the odds are stacked in favour of the offence rather than defence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Armour doesn't have to be steel. Blades do very poorly against multiple layers of clothing, 3+ will often prevent a slashing attack and Gambeson worn in medieval times of 10-&gt;30 layers of linen would prevent all but heavily committed thrusting attacks. Today we have far superior fabric technologies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-03-09T23:03:24.813" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6143" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2108" CreationDate="2016-03-10T04:16:13.983" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Actually there are many skills that can be developed through solo practice and some of them even benefit from the isolation. Evasion skills, such as those gained through Parkour or Ninjutsu training allow you to develop tools of self-defense without resorting to fighting and improve both physical skills as well as timing and strategic thinking. Speed bags, such as those that boxers use, can also allow you to train for dodging punches; hanging bags filled with sand can simulate multiple attackers. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as dummies go, there are some types of wooden man that can be hung from a rope allowing you to learn to judge the forward and backward movement of a technique. As for the wooden man itself being too pricey, a serviceable one can be made from PVC obtained at your local hardware store.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6841" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-03-10T12:47:07.590" LastActivityDate="2016-03-10T12:47:07.590" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6144" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6072" CreationDate="2016-03-10T16:17:05.390" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've studied chow gar for about 1 1/2 years now, and I can't think of any such methods.  Southern mantis, like Wing Chun, is based on centre line theory.  The only advice I can offer for facing multiple opponents is to keep a triangular formation and not to let one get beside you or behind you.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kicking to the side or rear can be effective, but using your hands as such... not so much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6636" LastActivityDate="2016-03-10T16:17:05.390" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6145" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2016-03-10T20:21:03.290" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2016-03-10T20:21:03.290" LastActivityDate="2016-03-10T20:21:03.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6146" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2016-03-10T20:21:03.290" Score="0" Body="Filipino martial arts" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-03-16T10:44:49.097" LastActivityDate="2016-03-16T10:44:49.097" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6147" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="529" CreationDate="2016-03-10T20:26:06.503" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I don't want to ask a silly question like &quot;What is the authoritative&#xA;  bunkai&quot; -- if there were such a thing, we'd all know it, I'm sure&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I disagree that it's a silly question. It is &lt;strong&gt;exactly&lt;/strong&gt; the question which should be asked about the contents of all kata and forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Certainly when forms were created, there would have been a single correct interpretation of the movements. The modern concept that there are and were &lt;em&gt;always&lt;/em&gt; multiple meanings for movements in forms is a profoundly bizarre one. How could it have occurred, and over so many kata and forms? No, the fact of the matter is there was, and most probably is, a single correct interpretation that fits the movements well, and much of the difficulty we have today in terms of quality within our martial arts is related to the inability to find that correct interpretation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also disagree that &quot;we'd all know it&quot;. There is generally a lack of questioning of teachers of martial arts, students are particularly credulous. It's typically only after several years and numbers of attempts to use techniques that they begin to question what is being taught. If that process never happens then as teachers they simply pass on the misinformation they have been taught. We end up with generations of practitioners and crucially, &lt;em&gt;teachers&lt;/em&gt;, who have been deeply misinformed about the nature of their martial art, and what kata and forms are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thankfully today, students and practitioners are beginning to question the techniques which have been passed on to them, as they are tested and fail under pressure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Example suggestion using a common entrance method:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The drill sequence begins opponent opposite holding your right wrist/forearm with his left hand.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;uchi-uke &quot;block&quot; catches opponent's left elbow and rotates him clockwise. He ends up facing mostly away from you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Right handed &quot;punch&quot; pushes his arm up his back.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a very common sequence found in many kata and forms and is a very common restraint/arm lock technique used all over the world. The application may continue further into the sequence, but I think it fits the criteria that it ends the fight at that point. I would start looking for the application of the next drill sequence from there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may not. Often sequences extend far further than one initially supposes and one of the more important aspects of analysis is finding the start and end point of applications. A notable example being the bear hug defence and subsequent choke retaliation (okuri eri jime) in Pinan/Heian Sandan which requires the &lt;em&gt;entire&lt;/em&gt; second half of the kata; some 12 movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking at other versions of Seisan than the Isshin-ryu version (Goju-ryu/Shito-ryu/Uechi-ryu) and common to all of them is the double raised fist, similar to Sanchin. It's possible this represents a double grip on the opponent (possible clinch position) and the three repetitions of movements are meant to be taken together with each repetition &lt;em&gt;progressively&lt;/em&gt; manipulating the opponent into a different position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The more movements that an application matches, the lower are the chances that the match is random.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Caveat: It's clear today that kata and forms &lt;em&gt;commonly do&lt;/em&gt; have multiple applications &quot;hung&quot; on to the movements. It should also be made clear that there is only one correct primary application, and the additional applications while still a (possibly useful, possibly not) component of the martial art are secondary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastEditorUserId="6808" LastEditDate="2016-04-20T10:42:46.300" LastActivityDate="2016-04-20T10:42:46.300" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6148" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="426" CreationDate="2016-03-10T22:23:55.637" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bunkai means &quot;dissection for teaching&quot;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Contrast to korean &quot;bunhae&quot;, which translates to &quot;dissection for learning&quot;, but is sometimes used interchangably with the term bunkai in Korean schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since it is a dissection, it is by definition exploratory, and can never be definitive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6599" LastActivityDate="2016-03-10T22:23:55.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6150" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="426" CreationDate="2016-03-11T02:40:45.147" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;+1 for Abernathy. But I would add &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bubishi: The Classic Manual of Combat Hardcover – by Patrick McCarthy&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have not read all the other authors listed, but I bet they all note the Bubishi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6467" LastActivityDate="2016-03-11T02:40:45.147" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6153" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6087" CreationDate="2016-03-11T04:47:04.740" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been known to shift into a fencers stance, similar to this, when I'm playing around in sparring or want to force a student to think differently. The lead hand is well positioned to parry most attacks to the body and head, including multiple attacks, with little or no movement.  The rear hand helps to maintain balance.  In sparring, it's good for taking a short breather while the clock is running, against a less skilled partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on the stance and leg position, it it possible to throw a decent jab, provided it is powered almost entirely by the legs.  This would be more like a fencers lunge than a classical karate or boxing jab.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some aikido schools use a similar stance to invite certain types of attacks as a setup for a throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6599" LastActivityDate="2016-03-11T04:47:04.740" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6154" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6156" CreationDate="2016-03-11T05:45:08.997" Score="8" ViewCount="575" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it generally expected in martial arts systems that all training stances/positions (horse stances, front stances, drop stances, etc.) will have direct fighting applications? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Questions such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/6087/5961&quot;&gt;Is the following position realistic in any fight?&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/539/5961&quot;&gt;What&amp;#39;s this posture called, and does it signify something&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/529/5961&quot;&gt;Isshinryu karate - seisan kata - opening move bunkai&lt;/a&gt; seem to start from the presumption that there are direct fighting applications that are a primary goal for training certain positions/stances. Is it generally an expectation that there are such applications, and the stances/positions are trained to achieve those applications? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-03-12T11:55:10.597" Title="Is it expected that all training stances/positions will have direct fighting applications?" Tags="|training|self-defense|sparring|stance|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6155" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6154" CreationDate="2016-03-11T09:31:26.090" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is it generally expected in martial arts systems that all training&#xA;  stances/positions (horse stances, front stances, drop stances, etc.)&#xA;  will have direct fighting applications?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally expected... No.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In reality. Yes. All stances have fighting applications. All movements in kata or forms have direct fighting applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They may not be immediately obvious depending on the type of fighting that you are familiar with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Horse stance has a couple of applications. It drops your body weight, for example if you have someone in a standing arm bar it puts pressure on the arm and drives them down. It can also be used to break someone's balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem with the way that stances are taught today is they are seen as static. i.e. a way to stand... It's a profoundly incorrect view of what they are. They are not static, you would be in stance for a fraction of a second. Taking stances out of application, out of context is a good example of poor teaching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a great example of Machida applying horse stance. It's an application taken directly from the kata Pinan Nidan and one he's gone on to use in other venues.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Application of zenkutsu dachi forward or lunge stance and kiba/shiko dachi horse stances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jseW5QikD6U&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jseW5QikD6U&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Add in a belt and you have obi-otoshi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without seeing the movements in the respective forms they're taken from, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/6087/5961&quot;&gt;first&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/539/5961&quot;&gt;second&lt;/a&gt; examples you give are the same application. Catch a kicking leg, lift it up, push opponent over backwards. The second example it looks like he's also being pushed backwards over the extended leg, there are a number of ways to complete it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is a video example of &lt;em&gt;exactly&lt;/em&gt; this application:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGix-z9tlYw&amp;amp;t=9m30s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGix-z9tlYw&amp;amp;t=9m30s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking at the text of the second question example, the teacher was obviously told what the application of the movement is; &quot;push opponent away&quot;, &quot;block a kick&quot; but failed to understand or pass it on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is it generally an expectation that there are such applications, and&#xA;  the stances/positions are trained to achieve those applications?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, in my experience, the general expectation from martial artists as conventionally trained today (in many schools and systems) is that stances have no purpose and that kata or forms are &quot;dances&quot; which have little to no value.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personal opinion: I see this as a failure of training and understanding, rather than a failure of the originators of the forms. The quality of teachers of systems which teach martial arts based on solo forms is &lt;em&gt;on average&lt;/em&gt; abysmal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-03-12T11:55:10.597" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6156" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6154" CreationDate="2016-03-11T11:12:01.890" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;In general you will do a lot of things in training that may not be directly applicable in a fight. This does not mean that they are not helpful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example: what is the likely practical fighting application of a press up?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can also extend to Stances - some stances are designed to work your leg muscles and increase your balance. My experience comes from Tae Kwon Do and many of the stances would not be used in a fight, however, understanding the purpose of the stances and how they work help in delivering more powerful strikes as well as staying balanced and giving yourself better movement options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2016-03-11T11:12:01.890" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6157" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6154" CreationDate="2016-03-11T19:01:04.467" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;For Historic European Martial Arts (HEMA):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Just about every stance or guard is meant to be used in combat.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While some of them may seem odd, like Ochs/Ox (or Finestra/Window);&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GjeAD.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GjeAD.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Actually Quite Useful&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;... or the reverse grip (from German Longsword):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ffwbr.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ffwbr.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Look at his hands!&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;... or may seem to leave you vulnerable, like Long Tail (notice how he's looking to &lt;em&gt;our right, his left&lt;/em&gt;);&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LiGPD.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LiGPD.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Also Quite Useful&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;... or just don't seem intuitive, like you find in i33;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tiXwH.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tiXwH.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Awkward? But It Kills People!&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;HEMA will almost always give you a stance that you can use in combat. People were using these technique to fight and gain victory. All the stances shown here are actually used to great effect. The battlefields of Europe were the proving grounds, and the styles which were preserved were the effective ones. Europeans in the middle-ages did not bother with things that did not work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, Ochs can be used after passing under a blow (or yielding), or to catch a sword blow going for your head. The reverse grip actually helps you control individuals when they bind your sword, and can be used to give good thrusts. Long tail gives you immense power to swing, and can be used to deceive opponents into thinking you're defenseless. The sword-and-buckler play shown above is an individual in grey countering an opening from the individual in yellow. The bottom two stances show an individual charging in a stance which obviously delivers a strong cut, and another person warding that individual off. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you take a look at people fighting, such as these &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/DueNcVFHI0k&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;two fighters at swordfish 2015&lt;/a&gt;, you'll see them use stances and techniques from the treatises. (You may also catch the commentators talking about what they're using, etc., if you're not familiar with the source texts.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-03-11T19:08:28.433" LastActivityDate="2016-03-11T19:08:28.433" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6158" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6159" CreationDate="2016-03-11T20:11:11.200" Score="5" ViewCount="1789" Body="&lt;p&gt;So I've been watching a bit of BJJ lately and I've seen many techniques. Is it possible to actually rip or pull your arm out of an arm bar if someone's doing it to you. I mean, I've never seen it done, so the answer is probably no when someone does an arm bar or other joint lock right. However, apart from the attacker just doing the technique right, I don't understand why the defender can't just move their arm up and resist, not that there's a point. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6844" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-03-15T13:52:43.127" LastActivityDate="2016-10-25T20:41:43.553" Title="Why can't you rip your arm out of a BJJ arm lock?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|joint-lock|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6159" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6158" CreationDate="2016-03-11T20:51:44.790" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am going to assume we are talking about the cross body arm lock (&lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/jujigatame.htm&quot;&gt;juji gatame&lt;/a&gt;, in judo). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9atKH3WDZek&quot;&gt;It is possible to escape before an opponent sets in a joint lock tightly.&lt;/a&gt; This basically involves maneuvering your elbow out of your opponent's legs. It's easiest to do this if you can still move your body around effectively. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is not possible if you wait too long. A good arm lock does not leave much space for your body to move; it isolates the elbow joint and applies overwhelming force using leverage against it. Trying to bicep curl your way out will not work unless there is a huge size disparity (adult v. young child); you are trying to use one bicep against your opponents legs, abdomen, and two arms. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Part of setting an effective arm lock includes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;squeezing the arm between the legs to prevent the elbow from escaping&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;holding down the body with the legs long enough to apply lock&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-03-11T20:51:44.790" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6160" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6158" CreationDate="2016-03-11T21:08:11.950" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There was a machine at a gym I used to go that was inadvertently an armbar exerciser. It started you out on your side, with your body in a &quot;crunch&quot; position, and you moved to straighten out your back, just using your core muscles, resisting against a weight that wanted to keep you crunched up. Basically, this is the armbar movement, where you are crunched in the abdomen and want to straighten out your back. The machine showed the targeted muscle group, which was your lower back, abs, and hamstrings. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found I could EASILY move my own body weight (~155lb) worth of resistance in a series of 6-10 reps before getting tired. That means to resist my (admittedly weak) armbar with strength, you'd need to be able to do a bicep curl of roughly 150lbs on the arm I would be attacking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, when you armbar, you are using your lower back, glutes, and hamstring muscles (with some arm force, but not much) and are competing against your opponents lone bicep, or at most their bicep plus their grip strength if they attempt to hold only their attacked arm by their other arm's sleeve. This is not a fair fight, even if the attacker is much smaller than the defender, which is why the best armbar defense is to never let yourself get into a bad position on it to begin with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1076" LastActivityDate="2016-03-11T21:08:11.950" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6161" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6169" CreationDate="2016-03-12T10:34:05.530" Score="0" ViewCount="423" Body="&lt;p&gt;In boxing, mma, mauy Thai or any other martial art, when you're in your stance, does balance depend on equal weight distribution or what?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6846" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-12-14T14:19:40.953" LastActivityDate="2018-12-14T14:19:40.953" Title="Balance in martial arts stance" Tags="|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|stance|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2016-03-21T02:12:42.340" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6162" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="539" CreationDate="2016-03-12T13:41:25.893" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm rather loathe to answer this one &lt;em&gt;again&lt;/em&gt;... However...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a simple defence against a kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Catch the leg, raise it up with the back hand.&#xA;Front hand pushes opponent backwards over the extended leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No &quot;blocks&quot;, no strikes. Just catch, lift, push.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-03-12T13:41:25.893" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6163" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="539" CreationDate="2016-03-12T17:08:57.810" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This position (approximately) occurs in the first form (&quot;discipline form&quot;) of the Shaolin Qi Shi (seven animals) style of Kung Fu that I am learning. In this form, the hands are held in eagle claw rather than closed (the position is therefore known as &quot;low eagle&quot;), and the upper hand is closer to the face, but it is otherwise the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The position occurs as one returns from a side kick to an attacker in front, and is held only momentarily - the form continues with a high and a low block with the leading hand, then a counter-strike with the upper rear hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1553" LastEditorUserId="1553" LastEditDate="2016-03-12T19:42:52.137" LastActivityDate="2016-03-12T19:42:52.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6164" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6121" CreationDate="2016-03-13T00:16:37.033" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This depends on many factors. If you are super athletic but not very strong, and you are under attack from a human tank, then your best bet is to keep your distance and wear them down (actually your best bet is to just run, but I'm assuming in your hypothetical scenario that's not an option). On the other hand, getting in very close makes it easier to to use throws and takedowns, and if you know what you're doing, there are some awesome strikes available at close quarters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think there is a single right answer. It depends entirely on the situation, and you. I'm quite big and strong. But I burn out quickly. So my general preference is to close the opponent down, moving in close and fast. When I was young, I was light and weak but very fit and fast, so I'd stay out of the way and choose my moment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that said, I think there is argument for both ranges for anyone. I prefer very close, but if my opponent makes a mistake while at the longer range, and I think I can take advantage of that with a jumping kick or step in kick of any kind, I will take it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastActivityDate="2016-03-13T00:16:37.033" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6165" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4746" CreationDate="2016-03-13T00:29:32.340" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Perhaps point out that you are teaching potentially lethal combat techniques, and in order to keep them safe, it is imperative that they focus and pay attention. Ask, how can you trust them with combat techniques if they can't even manage basic etiquette. No respect = no tuition and guidance. Don't be afraid to ask them to sit out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A few years ago a good leg sweep was acceptable, but unfortunately nowadays everyone wants to sue each other so your options are quite limited.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastActivityDate="2016-03-13T00:29:32.340" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6166" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6168" CreationDate="2016-03-13T02:13:03.337" Score="2" ViewCount="120" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm in my 40s now. And a bit overweight. And with arthritis here and there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I trained in karate and then kung fu years ago. Then recently, about 18 months ago, returned to martial arts after years and years of no training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's the thing. In class, I perform on the same level as people half my age. But between classes I feel like a decrepit old man.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this normal, and will I eventually feel the benefits of training, between sessions?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastActivityDate="2016-03-13T17:19:20.893" Title="Fitness in martial arts" Tags="|injury|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6167" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5940" CreationDate="2016-03-13T02:29:35.120" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a statistic sometimes mentioned in our school. I don't know where it comes from and therefore I can't vouch for its accuracy, but it goes like this. 1% of untrained people defend successfully when attacked with a knife. 5% of people trained to black belt standard in any art manage to defend themselves when attacked with a knife.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the statistic is correct, the implication is that an untrained person has on average a 1 in 100 chance. A black belt or equivalent has a 1 in 25 chance of not getting seriously injured.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or put another, if 100 untrained people get attacked with a knife, 99 will be seriously injured, 1 will walk away. If 100 black belts or equivalent get attacked, 96 will be seriously injured, and 4 will walk away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Put still another way, if you are confronted with a knife, and running is a viable option, then run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastActivityDate="2016-03-13T02:29:35.120" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6168" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6166" CreationDate="2016-03-13T05:01:21.970" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;When training, the body experiences damage.  In the resting phase between training, the body heals and overcompensates for the damage done.  Around the second day after a training session, you experience the most benefit from that single session.  By the third day, your body begins detraining.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you overtrain, your body will not be able to keep up with the load.  If you undertrain, you will basically maintain your current level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An ideal training schedule alternates different types of training on a two to three day rotation, with sufficient intensity to trigger the repair response, but not so intensely that you overwhelm the body's ability to recover.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Men over 40 sometimes experience low testosterone, which affects the drain ng response and general wellbeing.  Doctors routinely test for this and prescribe steroid patches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The body's healing processes slow with age, so it may take longer to experience full benefits.  Look at your training regimen in the light of this background.  The worst case scenario matching what you describe would be overtraining once a week.  A better scenario would be to start at a more moderate level of training two to three times per week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6599" LastActivityDate="2016-03-13T05:01:21.970" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6169" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6161" CreationDate="2016-03-13T05:18:04.793" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial arts and sports collectively have a huge variety of stances, some of which have weight equally distributed between the feet, while others have an unequal distribution, or even all the weight on one foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I answer here despite an existing answer because balance in boxing is managed very differently from arts like karate.  In karate, the spine tends to stay more vertical, rarely leaning side to side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Static balance simply requires that the body's centre of mass is over the foot or feet that are on the ground: basically anywhere above the shape you'd get by tracing around both your feet and drawing lines from left toes to right, and left heels to right.  The body's centre of mass changes depending on your body position too: if you are standing up with your arms hanging beside you, it is somewhere around 10cm lower than your belly button, near the height of the top of the hip bones, but it varies a bit with gender, physique etc..   But, if you raise your arms the centre of mass moves up too.  If you bend forward 90 degrees and let your arms dangle downwards, the centre of mass will be outside your body: 10 or 20cms in front of your belly button.  This diagram illustates this: &lt;a href=&quot;http://karatecoaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/centre-of-gravity.1.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://karatecoaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/centre-of-gravity.1.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Often in martial arts, the aim is not to be as stable as possible, but to be able to move very quickly and with little telegraphing, and movement in certain directions is more important than others.  For example, if you simply stand facing your opponent with your feet side by side in no special stance, the opponent can very easily push or pull you forwards or backwards, but if your feet at apart, they'll find it harder to knock you sideways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A typical &quot;fighting stance&quot; in karate or boxing is more - but not completely - side on, having one foot in front and facing predominantly forwards, with the other behind and angled somewhat forwards, lets you push forwards and backwards more quickly, which is crucial in fighting for closing the distance to strike, often while driving the hips around to create power, and backing away when necessary.  The balance in such a stance is closer to being over the back foot, but not all the way: having the centre of mass forwards of the back heel is crucial for allowing an extension of the back leg to drive the body forwards, rather than upwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2016-03-13T05:18:04.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6170" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6161" CreationDate="2016-03-13T13:28:58.540" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a misunderstanding here about stances. Stances are not actually things that you stand in and distribute your weight. I hope that isn't how you're being taught. They are tools you use to achieve a goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A forward stance for example may put 60% -&gt; 70% of your weight over your front leg, but that isn't the point of the stance. The purpose of the stance may be to lunge forwards, or drive forwards. Possibly to take out the legs of your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Back stance might be to pull back, pull the opponent off balance towards you, possibly provide a leg for them to fall over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Put another way, all stances are going to have varying weight distributions, based on what they're used for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a quote I always remember from a teacher to think of stances as &quot;the burned out shell of movement&quot;. The important bit is the movement, not so much the stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-03-13T13:28:58.540" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6171" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6176" CreationDate="2016-03-13T14:38:11.090" Score="-1" ViewCount="4405" Body="&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, in some situations motorcycle drivers that are equipped with helmets, boots and suits attack. Is there a way to fight back and control them with inability to attack their face, legs and upper body?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2016-03-14T00:01:38.393" Title="How to fight and control equipped motorcycle driver" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2016-03-21T02:10:54.047" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6172" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6171" CreationDate="2016-03-13T15:57:04.797" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;A motorcycle driver in protective gear is similar to an armored opponent. Striking the opponent may not be effective, but you can still use grappling techniques. This striking constraint makes the situation like that in wrestling, judo, or jujutsu; except you are constrained by circumstances and not competition rules. You can still throw them, use other takedowns, apply joint locks, sweep legs, and so forth. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-03-13T15:57:04.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6173" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6166" CreationDate="2016-03-13T17:19:20.893" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Training martial arts is a good activity for health, but there is no guarantee that it will fix your weight or arthritis. For that you need either luck, youth, or a diet and exercise plan specifically made for your purposes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-03-13T17:19:20.893" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6174" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4914" CreationDate="2016-03-13T18:42:41.143" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I only have experience of a few styles, but those styles, taught well, will if anything promote good posture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the styles I've trained (mainly karate and kung fu) the back is almost always held straight, with head up, shoulders relaxed. Even in sparring. The attitude is, you can't fight well if you can't see, and you can't see well if you're looking down. Also being relaxed but holding your spine straight enables you to move more quickly for less energy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can see how in sparring it can seem to go against instinct to not scrunch up defensively. But surely the whole point of martial arts training is to modify instinct to apply science.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastActivityDate="2016-03-13T18:42:41.143" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6175" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5803" CreationDate="2016-03-13T18:59:19.560" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The clue is in the term 'martial art'. Martial, relating to military and combat, art relating to its original meaning in the English language, where art was not necessarily the subjective thing it is now, art in this sense means skill set.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So 'martial art' means a set of skills used for combat in time of war.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course the language has changed, and how we think has changed, and most of us don't plan to use a flying side kick to remove an enemy from his horse on the battlefield. But the essence of the term is still there. If a soldier finds himself disarmed and has to resort to unarmed combat, he uses his martial arts skills, even if those skills are a modern hybrid that can't be matched exactly to any traditional style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think it comes down to a misunderstanding of language. Perhaps it might help if we didn't try to use English to describe oriental arts. Few would say that kung fu is not a martial art, but kung fu is not actually any style. The term kung fu is, I'm told, simply mandarin for something like 'refined skill', though according to my Taiwanese friend that told me this, there is no word for word translation to English, but great skill or refined skill is the closest he said.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastActivityDate="2016-03-13T18:59:19.560" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6176" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6171" CreationDate="2016-03-14T00:01:38.393" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are certain considerations you must take into account with this type of opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;The head&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They have a helmet on, so regular boxing style techniques are going to have less or nil effect. Helmets are specifically designed to spread impact so you shouldn't attempt a king hit on the helmet - you will break your hand.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;You could however apply mechanics. A helmet protects the skull (and maybe face) but it doesn't protect or enhance the neck and shoulder musculature. You can use this fact to exert some mechanical theory: the opponent will still be prone to head rotational and snapping movements. So an uppercut at a 45&amp;deg; angle through the chin area should still produce a knockout. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Boots&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boots protect the feet nicely, so there's no point attacking them. While the ankle area will still be a weak area it is augmented by the boot so will still be a hard target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Legs&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if padded pants are being worn the opponent will still be prone to thigh attacks and upper calf attacks (depending on the height of the boots). Some pants will have knee protection but this will be more for protecting the patella; the knee will still be vulnerable to sideways forces.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Jackets/gloves&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jackets and gloves will make it harder to exploit wrist and elbow locks and leverage that requires pinpoint control. Joints still move the same way they always do, it's just harder - for example I wouldn't attempt a koto gaeshi, but I would attempt an arm bar. This also don't stop you from using brute force against a wide area, i.e. power punches or kicks to the rib area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Summary&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The opponent will be harder to attack, but you simply need to change your approach. Use brute force techniques on exposed areas (thighs, side of knee, ribs, neck). Use techniques that leverage mechanical weaknesses in the musculoskeletal structure. Remember that due to the bulk of the clothing the opponent will be slower, so use this to your advantage. Don't forget other basics like using other opponents and/or objects like lampposts to hinder incoming attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2016-03-14T00:01:38.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6177" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5803" CreationDate="2016-03-14T11:10:55.913" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A martial art is the practise of any exercise where the goal is to defeat an opponent through the application of physical force directed against them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many martial arts, it's the very broadest of terms, but they can often be broken down further into more specific categories. Such as combat sports. They are still martial arts, but the emphasis of the training is the defeat of an opponent within a controlled (i.e. there are rules), competitive environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditional martial arts were historically practised to defeat opponents in an uncontrolled environment (i.e. there are no rules), so the emphasis of the training and types of techniques which are successful are often entirely different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Modern martial arts are those skills, techniques, tactics and strategies practised today to defeat modern opponents through the application of physical force and usually in an uncontrolled environment. Armies and police forces the world over make use of modern martial arts, in differing contexts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts also mutate over time. With constant usage as originally intended they remain as efficacious as they would have been in the past. However when an art becomes a combat sport, the techniques, tactics and strategies which are used to win the contest differ markedly from those needed to survive violent uncontrolled encounters, so the art changes over time. One of the best examples of this is wrestling. While within a sporting ring, wrestlers are very formidable, outside the ring in an uncontrolled environment many of the techniques and strategies used are today of dubious suitability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even without the deliberate switch to combat sport, when the directing influence of the violent environment is removed, the understanding of violence is eventually lost, the original art changes and so techniques are forgotten, misunderstood, poorly trained. The most extreme examples lose the martial component entirely and become &lt;em&gt;traditional physical arts&lt;/em&gt;. You can see examples of this process in progress with various arts which are over time becoming less and less martial; Tai Chi, Aikido are examples where the emphasis is generally moving away from the martial aspect, and indeed, arts which appear to have lost all martial components entirely. Examples being Highland dancing, Morris dancing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The efficacy of &lt;strong&gt;all&lt;/strong&gt; martial arts should be considered suspect where they are taken out of context and where they are not being used regularly within an uncontrolled martial context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is Krav Maga a &lt;em&gt;hybrid&lt;/em&gt; martial art? No, &lt;strong&gt;all&lt;/strong&gt; martial arts are &quot;hybrids&quot; of earlier collections of strategies, tactics and techniques... it's not a useful term. It's simply a martial art; a name given to a collection of certain practises. A modern one rather than traditional, but one where the &quot;use in anger&quot; is relatively recent compared to others so less time has passed for it to mutate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastEditorUserId="6808" LastEditDate="2016-03-14T11:34:38.983" LastActivityDate="2016-03-14T11:34:38.983" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6178" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3056" CreationDate="2016-03-14T16:57:08.847" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;99.9% of people do 'civilianised' iron techniques.  Any and all techniques that involve striking objects (whatever their hardness or softness and whatever force you use) would be considered 'civilianised' iron palm/fist etc techniques (same is true for Japanese arts).  This originally comes from people thieving techniques by looking over walls (seeing masters 'maintaining' their conditioning and not training to gain it).  18th century street performers would break bricks in China to get money and THEY used the impact/striking method but the upper/ruling class never did (impact conditioning also shows up on the persons hands ..good for the ruling class to tell which civilians are 'training'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the highest level, practitioners are taught how to toughen hands, arms and legs etc WITHOUT impact conditioning at all (instead through a special compression conditioning and using centrifugal force amoungst other things).  Only after completing the training do you break bricks (and then only to see if you gained the ability - you don't need to to break lots of bricks or anything silly :)  Once you 'have it' all you need do is maintain the technique.  However, this form is not taught to the general public as its a MUCH faster way to achieve your goals (6 months and your shattering bricks like someone who's done iron palm for 15/20 years) and as it never causes bruises etc offers a superior conditioning to any other method.  However, for this reason it is way too dangerous for the general public (because they ARE the general public :) ..the public should have to spend many years training their body (to show they can be trusted).  One other thing, this is also used by high up officials to recognize true Chinese martial arts over 'fake' ones created in more recent centuries (that then claim many hundreds of years lineage and proven combat skills ..without hard evidence naturally).  Fake ones always strike objects to condition their bodies, this is because of the first martial art tutorial shown in HK (and Chinese) cinemas during the 1950's.  There's a clip of the tutorial that was shown in cinemas (i believe) on youtube!  Search youtube for 'Iron Palm methods - Old rare footage'.  Oddly ALL Chinese arts use this method ..if you know anything you'll understand why this is so 'odd'   :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6853" LastActivityDate="2016-03-14T16:57:08.847" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6179" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5442" CreationDate="2016-03-14T22:08:46.200" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Lots of good answers here already, but I'll add that kicking high is probably 50% flexibility, 50% technique. You very often see people focusing entirely on what the kicking foot is doing. Equally important is what the supporting foot is doing. For example, if you pivot your supporting foot to point sideways during a side kick, then unless you're very flexible, you'll get about waist height and put massive stress on your hips. Get that supporting foot all the way round so it's pointing almost behind you, and suddenly you unlock loads of range, and head height becomes easy. From there, lots and lots of practice, and it will start to look like you mean it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastActivityDate="2016-03-14T22:08:46.200" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6180" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2016-03-14T22:19:44.583" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kung fu is about freedom of natural movement and clarity of thought. If you get into a real fight and you start thinking 'i will do kung fu techniques', you will probably be defeated, because while you're busy thinking, your attack will be busy attacking. If on the other hand, through vigorous training, both physical and mental, you move fluidly, appropriately and instinctively, which is what kung fu is about, then the outcome might be more positive for you. Do you need to spar? It definitely has many advantages, but given that kung fu is typically about delivering immense power without effort, to the extent that many moves are lethal, it could be quite difficult to apply it usefully in training with someone you don't really intend in break.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastActivityDate="2016-03-14T22:19:44.583" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6181" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="535" CreationDate="2016-03-14T23:42:45.903" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;No. None of these would have existed pre-1950ish. They're for show only. Demonstrating your athleticism is the sole purpose. Attempting to actually make use of one in non ideal conditions; outside the training hall, will demonstrate why.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-03-14T23:42:45.903" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6182" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2016-03-15T00:05:59.750" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2016-03-15T00:05:59.750" LastActivityDate="2016-03-15T00:05:59.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6183" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2016-03-15T00:05:59.750" Score="0" Body="This tag is for use when talking about many assailants aggressing against an individual." OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-03-16T10:44:41.877" LastActivityDate="2016-03-16T10:44:41.877" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6184" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6158" CreationDate="2016-03-15T00:08:28.810" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is the possible escape from all locks and chokes like in other martial arts. Dodge before the punch is possible, after isn't. In BJJ/Judo, it is the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the case of the armbar, if I wait to try escape when you have my arm in stretched out position when it begins to hurt, it is really hard to escape. If you anticipate the armbar of my opponent and you move with him you have more chances to escape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Some escapes possible:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKgA9YMJbPQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Open the leg off your head and move the leg to behind your neck.&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qs8LyuU-jM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Open the leg off your body and hold this leg with your legs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShV9jUhbyLA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt; Twist your body in direction of your thumb, moving your body to the floor &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeegdwgAOXU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Put pressure on you opponents spine.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The samples are only to better description, it does not mean I follow these guys or they have some relation with me.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some escapes can put you in risk of other submissions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some techniques help to have a good movement with low possibilities of escapes. Like the describable &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5684/arm-bar-crushes-the-groin&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-10-25T20:41:43.553" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6185" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2016-03-15T00:16:40.547" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I read all of the answers posted and they all are informative. If you would permit me, I would just like to contribute an answer based on my own life's experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I learned martial arts without sparring really, because I had an injured hip (permanently, bone crumbling after 1968 motorcycle accident). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I listened to my teacher, a blackbelt in kyokushin (yes, that is a hard contact fighting school, so he was allowing me some privilege), who told me that it took about 10,000 repetitions to learn a kata well. I looked at studies of motor learning also and the whole concept of precise repetition seemed very valuable. So I trained rigorously daily for years, all blocks and strikes, strike training on heavy bag, running for aerobics, occasional speed bag just for check on hand eye coordination, all toning work with and without weights designed around the target strikes (for example, pushups on fists, vary stance, sometimes palm heel, etc.), hand weights and ankle weights in full speed motion practice at times to ramp up speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long story short, I ended up in only a handful of fights (real fights not in the dojo) and they were over quickly, either my frustrating an attacker to the point they made a mistake (by easily blocking all strikes), or by a hard strike that tko or ko'd. Once I was pinned against a wall by a monster who outweighed me by 150 lbs and towered over me, but I still avoided the incoming ham hands with head movement and ended up being pulled off of him, punching him in the head (I did lose some blood from superficial head cuts, but it didn't bother me).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, if I had encountered someone with good martial arts training they might have chopped me down pretty quick (unless I surprised them with a good strike or joint manipulation).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, I would say you can learn effective martial arts without full contact sparring, but not at a level sufficient to compete in your school against high quality martial artists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6801" LastActivityDate="2016-03-15T00:16:40.547" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6186" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="216" CreationDate="2016-03-15T14:37:31.927" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I feel like there is a disconnect between practicing kicks from a static position (i.e. stance), and practicing them in the context of sparring/combat. There aren't many occasions when you should have your feet firmly planted in an exchange with an opponent. It's much more reasonable to practice throwing a kick while working on one's footwork. The kick needs to be fluidly discharged, as needed, mid-movement. If you always stop to adopt a practiced kicking stance, you are telegraphing your intent and moving slower than you should be. Whether the kick is delivered from a flat-footed base, or off of the ball, should be dependent on the dynamics of your footwork in the moment.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-03-15T14:37:31.927" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6187" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="535" CreationDate="2016-03-15T14:48:11.603" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The only real value in learning the mechanics of big, spinning, haymaker attacks is being able to accurately gauge an opponents telegraphs and punish them accordingly. Mechanically speaking, these techniques tend to be slow and overpowered. Thus, their practicality is low for use against a non-compliant opponent. Plus, it is always, always, always a bad idea to turn your back on an opponent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-03-15T14:48:11.603" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6188" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="535" CreationDate="2016-03-15T15:41:00.073" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a MMA practicionner with 20 years of combat sports, here's my 2 cents/ideas :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kicking practice helps keeps legs strong, FLEXIBLE and AGILE (very important)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the fact that 'they are rarely used' does not mean u can't use them if your good enough not to get caught when throwing them (therefore you really need to practice)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A kick can be as effective as you want it to be, as long as you're good enought at it. And there are examples everywhere (whether you like kicking or not). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6766" LastActivityDate="2016-03-15T15:41:00.073" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6189" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="535" CreationDate="2016-03-15T17:36:51.507" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Personally, and I think it is a personal thing because we each have very different strengths and weaknesses, I think much of the stuff we learn in class is not meant to be applied literally. I see martial arts training as training the body so as to reduce its physical limitations, and training the mind to be confident in a greater range of abilities. The ultimate goal being the ability to move naturally and instinctively and within your limits in any given situation. Many techniques we train will build muscles that are rarely used, or improve flexibility, or improve coordination, or kind of related, improve the brains ability, through the motor cortex, to turn intention into action. Would I do a 360 jumping roundhouse in a real fight? probably not. But by training it, I'm training balance, coordination, timing, self confidence in my ability to do it without falling over or twisting a hip joint etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastActivityDate="2016-03-15T17:36:51.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6190" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="426" CreationDate="2016-03-15T21:07:53.443" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well, yes, there are... And that's part of the problem...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Japan Karate Association have a number of (authoritative) publications in various formats; books, CDs, DVDs etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_24?url=search-alias%3Daps&amp;amp;field-keywords=japan+karate+association&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_24?url=search-alias%3Daps&amp;amp;field-keywords=japan+karate+association&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However... Much of what is taught as the meaning of kata in the official publications is nonsense. example, block a kick from your left using gedan barai. Simultaneously block a low kick from the front and a high punch from the rear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Either, they don't know the real meaning of the movements in kata, or they &#xA;are unwilling to put the real meaning into print or video.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you go back further, you find that early publications by Funakoshi did contain real, credible applications for sequences within kata (e.g. Karate-Do Kyohan 1935 edition), &lt;em&gt;only for them to be removed in later editions of the same books&lt;/em&gt;. Obviously not by accident. The consequence of this is that now these early editions are excruciatingly expensive and very difficult to get hold of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, yes there are &quot;authoritative&quot; resources out there, but they are not as useful as one might imagine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are other &lt;em&gt;non authoritative&lt;/em&gt; resources though which can help explain kata, applications etc. They are usually not Shotokan specific, and there is no real reason for them to be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Bunkai Jutsu&quot; and &quot;The Way of Kata&quot; are already listed by other answers. Highly recommended. Anything by the authors of those books should be read and on your shelves. Web sites and DVDs etc are also worth acquiring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the most important books published, but not listed and relatively unknown outside the Goju-ryu community is &quot;Okinawan Goju-Ryu II: Advanced Techniques of Shorei-Kan Karate&quot; by Seikichi Toguchi. It's referenced by &quot;The Way of Kata&quot; and is a &lt;em&gt;must read&lt;/em&gt; for all karateka.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, because there are really no trustworthy authoritative sources, there is &lt;a href=&quot;http://katapedia.org/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://katapedia.org/&lt;/a&gt;. Which is my attempt to remedy the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-03-15T21:07:53.443" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6191" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6198" CreationDate="2016-03-15T21:21:28.213" Score="6" ViewCount="4814" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have started the study of Tai Chi and have really enjoyed it so far. I  believe that it has enhanced my overall and previous martial arts experience because it requires me to slow down and breathe. (to be honest, I have not seen many of my colleague taekwondo instructors that really try to get participants to practice that art slowly and with intentional breath.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question for the TaiChi/Qigong Sifu's, what is the preferred time to execute the Yang-style 24-form (Beijing)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have seen and heard of ranges from 2 to 10 minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knowing that this comes from the larger set, what is the expected time frame for the full 108-form?  When is this usually taught? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am kind of learning this on my own, so I apologize in advance for the multiple question-question. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1513" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-03-16T17:06:35.413" LastActivityDate="2020-05-13T20:05:00.470" Title="How long should the Tai Chi basic 24 form take?" Tags="|forms|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6192" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-03-16T03:18:35.190" Score="3" ViewCount="406" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been going to a new gym for a few months. One of the instructors doesn't like me and keeps calling me out during class for random things like using &quot;big&quot; words. In light sparing today, apparently he thought I was going too hard and sent a pro fighter to rough me up. He hit me pretty hard, knocked me down and had me seeing stars. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I spared with 4 people before the pro fighter; no one told me I was going too hard and I didn't land any hard shots. Not sure about the practice of checking fighters with more experienced fighters? Should someone normally say something first? Is that a practice that a lot of gyms do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not sure how I should handle it, but I'm pretty angry. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously I'm not going to be able to out spar a pro fighter who weighs almost 200 pounds (I'm 150 pounds). I don't know if I was supposed to stay there and take his shots. I hit him back as hard as I could to get him off me, but that didn't do anything. Kind of feel like it was some kind of bully thing picking on someone who obviously can't defend themselves against you. If anyone had a problem with me why didn't they just say it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6859" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-03-16T11:40:27.590" LastActivityDate="2016-04-10T18:09:20.217" Title="Fighters checking newer fighters?" Tags="|training|sparring|safety|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6193" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6191" CreationDate="2016-03-16T04:21:10.100" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best answer is to do it at the rate your class executes it at.  However, it sounds like you may be trying to learn this without a teacher and a class, which is a less typical way to learn Tai Chi, so you will need other benchmarks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you look at youtube for recommendations, you will find several videos in the 5 minute region.  I found one in the 10 minute region.  The 108 move form seems to be around 30 minutes, depending on the practitioner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead of focusing on the time it takes, my advice would be to focus on the feeling, and go at the rate which feels best.  I have been taught to find the happy medium.  I have been taught that one develops Tai Chi better if one is slow and smooth.  I have also been taught that one should not have inner conflict when doing Tai Chi.  If one tries to slow the form down too much, one feels the conflict as one fights against one's own desire to move faster.  Thus the ideal pace would be slow enough to develop the skills, yet not so slow that one relies on resisting one's own movements to keep the pace in check.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I typically practice towards that ideal most of the time.  On some days, this means I'm slow and smooth.  On rougher days, it may be faster.  Some times I'll do it faster with a concentration on smoothness, then go back and do it a second time with what I would consider the &quot;proper&quot; slow stillness in my movements.  Sometimes, I'll even throw my usual ideals to the wind and do the form quickly just to test whether I have picked up a poor habit from doing it at the same pace all the time that only shows up when trying to move fast with stillness.  However, I consider that to be the seasoning.  The meat and potatoes is the slow smooth movements.  At the very least, that is what I was taught, and it seems justifiable  because slow smooth movements make it harder to hide any off-balance movements (if you are one who needs justifications).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of that being said, I am only one voice.  If your Sifu recommends doing it a different way, listen to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4422" LastActivityDate="2016-03-16T04:21:10.100" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6194" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6192" CreationDate="2016-03-16T05:38:51.923" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You don't happen to go to Eric Kelly's Cherry Street boxing gym, do you?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syhb3z4pTFQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syhb3z4pTFQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm kidding. But if you watch that video, I wonder if you might see some things in common with your gym experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Coaches can be intimidating. They push you. Usually it's because they want you to step up your game and learn quickly, because they believe you're capable of it (they see your limitations as being more &quot;mental&quot; than physical in that case). Other times, like in the video above, they just don't like you and want to give you a rough time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your coach is teasing you for using &quot;big words&quot;, then it sounds like he might have a problem with educated, white collar people (assuming you are one), or people who are just more cerebral and want to know why they're doing stuff. Or he might have you pegged as some other &quot;type&quot; he doesn't think should be there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like in the video, the guy may think educated, white collar people are too soft, too casual, and maybe not willing to take a punch and get bloody. In other words, not cut from the same cloth as he is. So he might hold you in contempt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm really guessing on this, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Either way, I think what happened to you is unprofessional. And I would walk. I wouldn't come back. I don't care if the instructors there have trained dozens of professional fighting champions. If they can't relate to me in particular and know how to motivate me in a positive way, then they can't coach me. It's their failing, not mine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for using too much force, yes what you described is consistent with a coach who thinks you're using too much force. Usually they do partner you up with someone who's going to hit you hard until you've had enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then again, it could just be that the coach doesn't like you. I'm just guessing, but what your coach might think about you is that you think you're superior and have an attitude. I'm not saying you actually do, but he might think you do. In that case, putting you up against someone who's in a completely different league in terms of physicality and skill level would be their way of confronting the attitude they perceive from you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll just add one more thing. Every gym has a culture. For the first few months, each newcomer there has to learn that culture. There are a lot of unwritten etiquette rules, such as how often you should verbalize what you're thinking (some coaches look down on you talking and prefer action instead). There are people there who don't like conversation at all. You might be looked down upon for wearing clothing or other gear that's overly expensive or something only really advanced people generally wear. Everyone in your gym could have very short haircuts, while you come in with your long hair. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those are all things that you're supposed to pick up on in the first month or so. It's the culture. And you would be better off trying to blend in. If you can't, then you might want to go elsewhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before you quit that gym, though, you might want to talk with your instructor and ask why he set you up with that pro fighter. Start the conversation by telling him that that guy sure did kick your butt, and that you're not in his league. Then ask why. With that humble admission, he might be more willing to open up about what he really thinks about you. If it goes down hill again, just walk out and never come back. It's simple.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2016-03-16T14:34:55.310" LastActivityDate="2016-03-16T14:34:55.310" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6195" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6192" CreationDate="2016-03-16T08:36:51.600" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MLiOv.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MLiOv.png&quot; alt=&quot;Cobra Kai&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this the logo of your club? ☺&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a more serious note, what you are describing is called &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullying&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;bullying&lt;/a&gt; which is a form of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abuse&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;abuse&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;strong&gt;Bullying should not be tolerated in any context whatsoever.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, what can you do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, if you were knocked out: &lt;em&gt;seek medical help as soon as possible.&lt;/em&gt; You might have more damage than just &quot;seeing stars&quot;. Some might be permanent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, talk to the coach one on one and ask that they explain their attitude. It could be that this is a case of massive miscommunication. Give your coach the benefit of the doubt, but do bring this to them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your coach is dismissive, unapologetic, and continues their bullying, report the instructor to their organisation as a bully. This can be their manager, if the gym is run out of a reputable club, or the next in line in their organisation. Make sure you use a neutral tone, have evidence (times, specific instances, and details), and any medical reports on injuries you sustained.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, the gym sounds like it is not a healthy place to train. Consider finding another gym or another art altogether.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While you should &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;never talk to the police&lt;/a&gt;, you might consider talking to a solicitor/lawyer to take legal actions against said gym.  If you have severe trauma due to the sparing, this might be out of your hands as your doctor might start legal proceedings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-03-16T10:44:18.080" LastActivityDate="2016-03-16T10:44:18.080" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6196" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6192" CreationDate="2016-03-16T08:59:56.850" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A few things to keep in mind :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If the pro-guy is going too hard, just tell him to relax a little bit because you're not handling his shots well. If he doesn't comply, either don't spar, tell the coach (once, since he might be an a-hole), and ultimately find another partner to spar with, one who you can talk to about intensity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Your sparring partners might not be saying anything because either they are too proud (in which case you don't know the power of your punches), or they are really ok with your power/technique/whatever. The case remains that you should (in your case) talk to these guys before hand : hey..wanna go 100% ...50%..tell me if I'm going 'beast mode' on you..joke about it&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If (and you need to objectively check yourself) you're putting up and shutting up, but the man is still giving you headaches, either avoid him, or avoid the gym. You can get advice from that pro-fighter (not too much since he's not the couch) or just ask someone who is equal or better than you (there should be at least 1 in that gym; no offense, of course).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4.Training hard and disciplined sometimes gets mixed in with coaches...that's life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6766" LastEditorDisplayName="user6827" LastEditDate="2016-03-16T12:41:11.873" LastActivityDate="2016-03-16T12:41:11.873" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6197" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6192" CreationDate="2016-03-16T15:19:50.777" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sounds to me like you should find a different club. Unless you want to train to be a bully. In a year or two, maybe you will be asked to beat up the new kid. Will you do it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastActivityDate="2016-03-16T15:19:50.777" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6198" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6191" CreationDate="2016-03-16T16:03:00.620" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;This may be new information to you, or it might be something you already understand. Taiji is done slowly for a very good reason. It's not for meditation, although many Taiji schools teach it that way. The real reason it's done slowly is because you're trying to move your body in a very special way that requires your brain to concentrate on many variables at the same time. This is in order to practice what is known as &quot;internal mechanics&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The practice of internal mechanics requires a high degree of attention to detail and concentration on how you're moving. People who are new to Taiji won't be able to move fast while getting the internal mechanics correctly. They need to move very slowly, because their brains are juggling a lot of different variables. It's very challenging!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Internal mechanics consists of a number of &quot;&lt;b&gt;jin&lt;/b&gt;&quot;. Jin is a word used to describe &quot;qualities of motion&quot;. Each movement in your Taiji form requires a different jin or a combination of two or more jin. There are 8 core jin: p'eng, lu, ji, an, cai, lie, zhou, and k'ao. There are at least a dozen other jin that are taught in Taiji.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, in the beginning movement of most forms of Taiji, you're raising your arms up. During this motion, you are practicing something called &quot;p'eng jin&quot;. P'eng jin requires you to tighten your tendons so that your bones form a solid connection from your arms to your feet. So if someone were to push down on your arms when you are doing p'eng jin, the force of his push gets channeled from your arms to your feet. It's a little like a bridge or an arch in architectural terms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to that, during p'eng jin you must maintain a degree of freedom with your joints such that they must remain bent, not locked, and therefore neutral. That allows your entire body to channel the forces against it in a dynamic way, making adjustments quickly and without resistance in real-time. In fighting, the advantage is that you're never over-extended in any way, and so you remain stable, balanced, and able to adapt. Locking your joints in Taiji is generally considered bad form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's even more to p'eng jin than that, though. And we haven't even gone past that one jin. There are over 20 more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I'm getting at is that during your Taiji form practice, you are imagining people pushing, pulling, grabbing, or striking you. At the same time, you are trying to perform the correct jin. Each jin has a number of parameters that must be maintained in order for the jin to be considered correct to form. So while you're doing your form, you're going down this laundry list of parameters for each jin in your mind. (When you get past the beginner stage after several years, you should know it by feel instead of having to think about it as much.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you can see, it's not easy. It's why you're doing it very slowly. It will take a good 10 years of constant attention to detail and practice before you will be able to move more quickly. And even then, it's unlikely you could use it at full fighting speed for quite some time after that. It really depends on the quality of your instruction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I go over this a little more in my answer here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4675/what-is-qi-what-is-fa-jin-where-can-i-learn-them/4680#4680&quot;&gt;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4675/what-is-qi-what-is-fa-jin-where-can-i-learn-them/4680#4680&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now getting back to your primary question, how long should it take to perform your form? The answer is now a little more clear: It should take as long as is required for you to perform the techniques with the correct jin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a competition - which is where you'll more often see this 24 technique form performed - you probably will have a time limit. And so you need to complete the form in that time limit. For example, 5 minutes. But in real life, take as long as you need.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're performing it with others in a group, it's probably best to stay in sync with each other so you don't run into each other. In that case, you usually have a leader or a row of leaders that you follow. If you're in the front row, you get to set the pace.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other thing I need to emphasize. Internal mechanics is the real reason for the existence of Taiji and why it looks the way it does when it is practiced. But it's actually more common to be a student of Taiji and have never even heard of internal mechanics, let alone understand it correctly. That's because most Taiji schools (99%) today do not teach it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Over the years, there has been increasing emphasis on the meditative, health, mind/body, and spiritual aspects of Taiji. Part of that has to do with certain high profile Taiji instructors who decided, over a hundred years ago, to open up Taiji practice to the general public. Prior to then, it was a closed door practice taught to few people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When teaching the public Taiji, the emphasis shifted from its martial aspects to all the other aspects. In fact, the martial applications were often thought of as &quot;secret&quot; and reserved for the few who could pay for it. Since then, generations of people have learned it and passed it on to the next generation without ever knowing anything about internal mechanics and the martial applications of Taiji, aside from myths, legends, and theories they might have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, don't let that dissuade you from practicing it as a form of meditation or as a way to improve functional fitness. If that's what you want from it, that's fine. There's a long history of it being taught that way, and they have their own knowledge they pass on. Studies have been done on people who practice Taiji, and they conclude that there are many benefits. So you don't need to know internal mechanics at all to do your form the way you want and for whatever purpose you have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the reason I'm mentioning this is because a lot of questions like yours can be answered if you know why it was designed to look the way it does. It all comes down to internal mechanics and the original martial application. Various forms of Taiji have diverged pretty far from its origins, but it's still there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if what I told you is new to you, and you do want to pursue a study of internal mechanics and learn the martial applications of Taiji, here's what I recommend doing. First, look for Chen style Taiji teachers near you. Chen style almost always gets taught by having you learn the internal mechanics. So it's more likely that you'll find someone who can teach it to you if you look at Chen style schools. But ask around the various Taiji schools in your area asking who the best teachers are in your area. It doesn't necessarily have to be a Chen style teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there is nobody teaching it near you, you'll have to look for and sign up to seminars and workshops to learn Chen style. The very first thing you want to start learning is something known as &quot;silk reeling&quot; (chan su jing). There are youtube videos that show it. It's going to introduce you to the 4 basic jin: p'eng, lu, ji, and an. From there, you can begin to apply it in your forms. Learning from video is difficult and imprecise. Which is why you want to get to some Chen style workshops on this subject where you can learn hands-on from a good instructor. They can show you what it feels like, not just what it looks like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And finally, you could pack your bags and head to Chen Village, in China. There are tour guides that set it up for you. You just have to decide how long you want to stay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, and you should look into Taiji web forums where you can ask your questions of people who just do Taiji.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-03-18T16:53:00.463" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6199" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5994" CreationDate="2016-03-17T09:54:06.773" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The 540 kick causes a lot of problems for people who are confident with the 360. This is often due to starting with the opposite leg forward to the 360. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As backwards as it may sound - &lt;strong&gt;practice the 180&lt;/strong&gt; kick: this will get you more used to jumping with the kicking leg at the back. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Progress that to a &lt;strong&gt;360 reverse turning kick&lt;/strong&gt; with the opposite leg. This will get you more used to having the backwards facing part during the jump (whereas 360 kick the backwards facing is first). If you struggle with the 360 reverse turning kick then practice a 360 back kick first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Building enough of a jump to manage a 540 spin is the next trick. If you are doing ITF style in Choong Moo you do a standing 360 degree jump - so we get used to these. To build up to the 540 kick, &lt;strong&gt;practice a 540 jump&lt;/strong&gt; (if you can do it standing then that's amazing - most people will need to be moving forward to get that spin). This will seem much more difficult than the 360 jump - part of this is that we start the spin on the floor (maybe get as much as 90 done) and finish the spin with how we land (possibly another 90 degrees here) for the 360 this means that we can get away with only spinning 180 degrees in the air - meaning that for the 540 we actually have to spin roughly twice as much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you can jump 540 and land comfortably then 'just &lt;strong&gt;add the kick&lt;/strong&gt;' to the end of it. Again: many times we see spinning kicks the kick itself is not technical. We generally aren't going to be using this for self defence or breaking so don't be too worried if the kick is more of a crescent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't over do practice of these kicks - they can be fun and fantastic for demos and showing off - however, they aren't useful for self defence and landing them can be a nightmare for your joints. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2019-04-11T08:30:39.100" LastActivityDate="2019-04-11T08:30:39.100" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6201" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2577" CreationDate="2016-03-18T17:17:19.063" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;At 16, of course you can. At 16, you're not even fully physically developed yet. You're not yet at your prime. You are however at the optimum age for learning. Many schools won't even take the very young, and those that do often find the kids can't concentrate, or are lazy. By 16 years, someone is old enough to train seriously, but very much young enough to keep up. All that said, if you're sole reason for joining is to compete, I expect you'll be disappointed. You'll be training hard in a very small subset of the art. You will learn to win competitions, and nothing more. Taekwondo is a rich and diverse art. Soak it all up, and love it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastActivityDate="2016-03-18T17:17:19.063" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6202" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-03-20T02:17:07.007" Score="2" ViewCount="663" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know why the liver shot is so devastating, but I was wondering how to maximize the damage. Specifically, what kind of size and shape are best for the strike? Large and flat, narrow and rounded, a mix of both? Also, would any specific shape reduce the power necessary to incapacitate with the liver shot? And is there a certain angle that it is best to hit from, i.e. front, side, coming up or down. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am interested in any style of martial art. I am more interested in what best incapacitates the recipient.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, I am looking for the best technique (angle of hit, shape of fist, etc.) for one strike to the liver with a fist. I know that a proper strike will cause them to faint as a reaction of the autonomic nervous system. I am wondering what this takes and what, if any, lasting damage it will cause.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6569" LastEditorUserId="6569" LastEditDate="2016-03-30T16:03:01.557" LastActivityDate="2016-04-03T15:51:05.593" Title="Maximizing Liver Shot Damage" Tags="|technique|power|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6203" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2016-03-20T18:15:47.380" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;No, you can learn the form... But not the applications... In martial arts one of the aspects for complete understanding of art is put in practice what you learned... Is like you try learn to swim without jump to water.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6875" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-03-20T20:14:38.373" LastActivityDate="2016-03-20T20:14:38.373" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6204" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6121" CreationDate="2016-03-20T18:26:30.293" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my opinion, the most cases,in street fight, the kicks help you to close distance to launch a powerful attach with punches, catches and throwing...  I'm not feel safe using too many kick on street fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6875" LastActivityDate="2016-03-20T18:26:30.293" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6205" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="890" CreationDate="2016-03-20T22:48:06.063" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;While your martial art may have included round house kicks in it's list of basic techniques, it's unlikely they were ever originally in any of the forms you practice (though some styles may have retrofitted them to forms later).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is because within the forms, the kicks have a specific purpose. It's doing something specific to the opponent and it's rarely simply a kick for a kick's sake. Forms are not collections of unrelated movements, they are made up of self defence drill sequences concatenated together one after another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-03-20T22:48:06.063" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6206" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1487" CreationDate="2016-03-20T23:27:12.480" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;While &lt;em&gt;occasionally&lt;/em&gt; it's very easy to determine what's going on where you have some very characteristic body shapes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;e.g.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://spiritdragoninstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Horse-stance.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://spiritdragoninstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Horse-stance.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fireman's carry throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.isport.com/images/guide/12838011152010052525.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.isport.com/images/guide/12838011152010052525.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where the positioning is less characteristic, it's usually very difficult to determine the meaning of a stance or posture from a static image. All postures in solo forms from Chinese derived systems are parts of a sequence of movements, usually several movements in length within the larger form. Therefore several preceding and succeeding movements are usually required for ultimately decoding the real meaning of the movement/posture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking at it, the &lt;em&gt;specific&lt;/em&gt; stance is probably relatively unimportant, body weight is pulling backwards so you are probably pulling on the opponent. More important would be what are your arms doing. What part of the opponent do you have hold of and what parts of you does the opponent have hold of. From the height, it's likely that you have hold of bits of upper body of the opponent, so the question is what happened before and what happens next?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note be aware that the real meaning is probably grappling related, not striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastEditorUserId="6808" LastEditDate="2016-03-20T23:48:54.863" LastActivityDate="2016-03-20T23:48:54.863" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6209" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6210" CreationDate="2016-03-21T11:13:33.277" Score="8" ViewCount="6030" Body="&lt;p&gt;I currently work (part-time) as an instructor with a karate dojo. I have been with them in one way or another for over five years (including taking classes).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Recently, a highly decorated instructor has started teaching with us and I have noticed that he seems to skip belts with some students. I was always told that students should have a waiting period between each belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this something to be concerned about or is this a normal practice? Should I bring the concern to the owner or my bosses?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Update for future reader's: After considering the marked correct answer I spoke to owner- The response was mostly positive &amp;amp; is planning to have me assist him and learn how to grade students from other schools or previous experience as well as what would qualify a student to &quot;skip&quot; a level. He also said that students should not be charged to &quot;skip&quot; and he will look into it immediately and make sure all students are given the fee if they were charged. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6880" LastEditorUserId="6880" LastEditDate="2016-03-22T21:53:37.113" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T21:53:37.113" Title="Why do teachers skip belts?" Tags="|training|teaching|belt|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6210" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6209" CreationDate="2016-03-21T12:15:03.693" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Yes, this is normal although not common.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grading are set to determine if the examinee has a certain skill set appropriate for said grade.  If they have, they should pass. If not, they should fail&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most, if not all, syllabus have a &lt;em&gt;recommended&lt;/em&gt; time between gradings. That time is a general on average most students will be able to learn the skills for the next grade within said time. The reason is simple: everyone is different and grows at different rates.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider the following: Alice is a 5th dan Aikikai Aikido.  She starts Iwama Ryu Aikido as a kyu-less grade. Making Alice wait six months between gradings is pointless, you might as well grade her to 2nd kyu (say) as the skills from Aikikai and Iwama are transferable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider the following: Bob is a 2nd kyu but is lazy and does not train hard yet demands to be graded to 1st kyu after his allocated time. He does not have the skills, he should not grade.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that the same reasoning applies to dan grades as well although I have rarely seen someone jump dan grades. The only times I have seen it was with &quot;auto-promotions&quot; within an organisation for &quot;service rendered&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a side note: I would be very uneasy about any instructor charging for each grade and not only for the final one&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;. This would smell like a make-money-fast scam: promote students fast so you get as much money from them in as quick a time. This would be even more worrying if the instructor got a cut of the fees...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1:&lt;/strong&gt; In my not so humble opinion, no one should be put forward for a grading if they do not have the skill to pass.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2:&lt;/strong&gt; OP confirmed this in a comment at the time.  However,  a further edit shows this not to be the case... Hopefully this now reads as generic advice. &lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-03-21T22:01:03.020" LastActivityDate="2016-03-21T22:01:03.020" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6211" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6209" CreationDate="2016-03-21T13:02:45.053" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's not unusual if the student has prior martial arts experience.  Even in other situations, it may make sense.  For example, if the student has natural ability and is training very hard, and the dojo generally attracts a crowd that trains less seriously and/or less often, it doesn't make sense to prevent the former student from getting stuck into more difficult training sooner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, if students &lt;em&gt;think&lt;/em&gt; they're finding the current training easy, and they're relying on e.g. strength, natural athleticism, flexibility, speed, and/or other students not hitting them too hard because e.g. they're young or female, then promoting them before they've had the chance to really assimilate the deeper parts of the curriculum: the technical body-mechanical nuances, the sparring experience (especially how to block and dodge effectively against a stronger opponent who's not taking it easy on them), the behavioural expectations in the class (and especially sparring), exam, tournament setting etc., and they get promoted to a level where only some of their better abilities are a match for others at their rank, they're likely to come a cropper.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my first school, we had too many promising young ladies rapidly promoted to a belt or two below black belt, where the students weren't intimidated by an aggressive lady and had the skill and experience to dominate the fight still in an appropriate way, and that was often a huge shock for these ladies who'd been publicly praised at gradings for their aggression and ability, skipped belts, then found themselves struggling, because really they hadn't had the chance and stimulus to develop their defensive abilities at the same rate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In most schools, someone skipping a grade or not doesn't make much difference in the long term, so I think it's better to encourage such promising students to focus even harder on perfecting the more basic parts of the curriculum - encourage that kind of mentality, rather than a headlong rush.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Still, you might ask the instructor for advice about why they're giving such promotions and how they've seen them pan out in the context of your style/school... I don't see you've got anything to lose by asking.  You can do so in a &lt;em&gt;&quot;I want to learn from you as maybe one day I'll be in your situation&quot;&lt;/em&gt; way, rather than as a challenge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2016-03-22T13:53:22.460" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T13:53:22.460" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6212" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6217" CreationDate="2016-03-21T17:14:31.800" Score="2" ViewCount="22566" Body="&lt;p&gt;Swallowing hurts (like when I have a bad cold) since someone did a neck restraint to me during BJJ sparring 8 days ago. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/74OHa.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/74OHa.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the symptom is still there I'm wondering if I don't have something &quot;broken&quot; in the throat, or something. Is that possible?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3138" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-03-21T23:47:52.573" LastActivityDate="2016-03-21T23:47:52.573" Title="Swallowing hurts after BJJ neck restraint" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|injury|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2016-03-25T22:44:22.380" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6214" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6209" CreationDate="2016-03-21T18:22:38.153" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's not unheard of, but it may or may not be a problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good reasons: a student has shown natural aptitude for both the technical skills, and understanding of the philosophy, to a standard beyond that required for the next grade. Perhaps they have trained previously at another club and achieved a high grade, then switched, and applied what they know to the new club.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bad reasons: the club, or that particular teacher could be a trophy hunter, who likes to tell people how many black belts he has created.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate is a way of life, not just a hobby (that's what the 'do' in karate-do means). The grades should represent an understanding of the philosophy, etiquette etc, and development of spirit. Not just the ability to robotically demonstrate a kata and then break a half inch breaking board. If you think the teacher in question thinks otherwise, it would be a good idea to tactfully discuss the situation, in a way that comes across as a desire to learn the reasoning, and not in a way that sounds judgemental or accusing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastActivityDate="2016-03-21T18:22:38.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6215" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6223" CreationDate="2016-03-21T18:29:09.007" Score="4" ViewCount="614" Body="&lt;p&gt;Chi kung is supposed to be at the core of our style, but we don't cover it very much in class, for various genuine reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what I gather, it is largely just controlled, deep breathing, from the belly, combined with gentle flowing exercise with the movements and breathing coordinated, but as there are entire books about chi kung, and even schools dedicated to it, I wonder if there is a lot more to it than I realise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-03-22T20:48:13.787" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T20:48:13.787" Title="Is chi kung just deep breathing?" Tags="|breathing|qi|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6216" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6212" CreationDate="2016-03-21T19:11:46.890" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming you don't have any existing medical problems in your neck, then, with the massive disclaimer that I am no medical expert, I wonder if you have simply bruised your neck. It can happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, I would urge you to get it checked. It's inevitable that you'll get sprains and bruises from martial arts training, but the neck is kind of important, being as it houses your airways and the blood supply to your brain. I wouldn't ignore any neck injury. I think it's unlikely after 8 days, but you can't rule out the slim but dangerous possibly of the injury swelling, and closing up your airways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastActivityDate="2016-03-21T19:11:46.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6217" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6212" CreationDate="2016-03-21T19:14:43.957" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's likely you strained a muscle or bruised your esophagus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This has happened to me 3 times. The first time I went to the doctor and she prescribed me prescription strength ibuprofen and said to come back if the pain did not go away in two weeks. The second time I simply took Advil (over the counter ibuprofen) and the pain went away in a few weeks. The 3rd time the pain lasted for almost 2 months but it did go away. I should note in all three instances I did not return to BJJ until my neck was completely healed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6567" LastActivityDate="2016-03-21T19:14:43.957" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6218" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6215" CreationDate="2016-03-21T19:29:57.670" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, divorced from mystical nonsense qigong/chi kung is just a series of breathing exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-03-21T19:29:57.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6219" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6215" CreationDate="2016-03-21T19:41:29.010" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's also about good balance and soft stances.  If you breath high into the chest your center of mass moves slightly up because you lift your shoulders.  If you breath low your center of mass moves slightly down as the diaphragm moves down.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The soft knees emphasized in Qigong also help to move the center of mass down and make it easier to move to dodge.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have a low center of mass it's harder to do a take-down on you (Judo style for example) and you are better grounded for punches.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2016-03-21T19:41:29.010" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6220" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6215" CreationDate="2016-03-21T19:55:11.890" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes &amp;amp; no.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is far more not just &quot;deep breathing&quot; it helps with focus &amp;amp; core power it is often paired with other forms or marital arts to help with basic teachings like balance form and concentration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Qigong practices can be classified as martial, medical, or spiritual. All styles have three things in common: they all involve a posture, (whether moving or stationary), breathing techniques, and mental focus.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is very relaxing afterwards :-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6880" LastActivityDate="2016-03-21T19:55:11.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6221" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2016-03-22T00:09:45.457" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Okay so I have a black belt in ITF and I've been doing WTF for about a year and I've jumped grades up to blue belt fairly easily. UKTF and ITF are actually surprisingly different (I'm British but I live NZ). UKTF is a little bit closer to WTF than anything. WTF ends up making you way more aeorbically fit than ITF, but it's not as good for strength. They will not lose out if they train in WTF, they will only incorporate the best of both styles into their own. Go for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6884" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T00:09:45.457" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6222" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6209" CreationDate="2016-03-22T02:58:19.227" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think that there should be an order. No skipping belts. Don't care how good your skill is, real skill takes time. Plus it's so much more than just belts. I feel as though more and more these days it is becoming a forgotten art. Not taught the way it use to be&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6885" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T02:58:19.227" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6223" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6215" CreationDate="2016-03-22T04:53:26.690" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;No, qigong is not just deep breathing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are MANY different qigong exercises, so it's impossible to say what the goal of your particular exercise is. Here is a sampling of non-breathing qigong elements:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Why move slow&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When performing the same basic motion slowly versus quickly, there are different muscles involved and different balance considerations. This is very clear, for example, with a front push kick. When kicking slowly, you have to hold the leg up for several seconds, which is quite different from snapping the kick out. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Joints, not muscles&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Much of qigong is about exercising joints, rather than muscles. One goal of qigong is to make the body limber and relaxed. Tight joints are described as having stagnant or stuck qi, and you improve qi circulation by making them more limber. Working joints through range of motion elongates connective tissue and helps prevent issues like frozen shoulder. Look at elderly people who don't exercise their joints for what happens if you don't do this over time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are probably qigong exercises for every joint in the body. This includes joints you probably do not normally think of exercising: the back vertebrae, your toes, your finger knuckles, your wrists, and your ankles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Martial application&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One martial viewpoint is that this training emphasizing moving slow and exercising joints teaches you to use your body more fully than you would otherwise, and this increases the amount of power you can generate. Another theory is that flexible joints allow your body to transmit power more effectively. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;The mind&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meditation is a form of qigong. The brain consumes an enormous amount of energy in the scientific sense relative to its mass. One early goal of meditation is to simply quiet the mind, which reduces its energy consumption and leaves more energy for other purposes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Stationary exercises&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Standing qigong helps to train the body both to have better alignment (posture) as well as to hold this alignment using less tension. In one sense, this is basically an exercise to do nothing; success is being able to put your body in a position and leave it there without having to do anything to support it. As you improve, more difficult postures are used and time is increased. This sounds easy, but I assure you it is not. Try standing in one place for 15 minutes without moving or shifting your weight. You will probably have knots in your legs or back, which indicates you can improve both your alignment and relaxation (you are doing nothing, which should be relaxing and restful). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T04:53:26.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6224" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6252" CreationDate="2016-03-22T08:18:51.867" Score="12" ViewCount="8932" Body="&lt;p&gt;The common interpretation of the phrase according to the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/magazine/05FOB-onlanguage-t.html?_r=1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;New York Times&lt;/a&gt; and &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Man+Up&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;urban dictionary&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dictionary.com/browse/man--up&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;dictionary.com&lt;/a&gt; is about living up to a stereotypical image of masculinity. There are other meanings for sure but the overwhelming meaning comes as sexists: conform to a sexist image of a man.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I used the term in the past, it was to mean a mixture of stopping being afraid, of dealing with a (small) amount of pain without breaking down, and pushing oneself beyond what one feels that they are capable of. &lt;em&gt;There was no sexist undertone.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, kote gaeshi (see below&amp;mdash;image by Oscar Westbrook, taken from &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido_and_the_Dynamic_Sphere&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this book&lt;/a&gt;) is a scary throw especially if done at speed. Many people find it intimidating in randori/kata but can do it perfectly fine in basic practice. All they need is a little push to get their self confidence up (&quot;man up!&quot;) to be able to do it in any situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vZWwAm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vZWwAm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;kote gaeshi by Oscar Ratti&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that the term was used in our dojo by female and male instructors to both male and female students. Thus diminishing its sexist nature.  Still, a better term would be good. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newspeak&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Newspeak/Political correctness&lt;/a&gt; notwithstanding, I do not really mind &quot;man up&quot; as long as it is understood that there is &lt;em&gt;no sexism involved in the term as we use it&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if someone is watching a session or just started training and hears the term, I would hate for them to leave the club because they perceive erroneously that we are macho. Too few women train in martial arts because of a perceived (and sometimes accurate) view that all martial artists are macho. If I can use a better term, great. Besides, I like using big words and expending my vocabulary. ☺&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some equivalents &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Man%20Up&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://english.stackexchange.com/q/34246/62591&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://english.stackexchange.com/q/29170/62591&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. However, to my ears, none of them are a good fit for a dojo setting. Then again, I might be wrong and need convincing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Is there a better term?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although a rude or familiar equivalent would be acceptable as an answer, I am really looking for something is which neither sexists, nor rude, nor offensive. The aim is to be inclusive, not discriminating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:38:46.900" LastActivityDate="2016-03-25T08:12:18.633" Title="Non-sexist equivalent of &quot;Man up&quot; within the dojo" Tags="|training|terminology|dojo|gender|sexism|" AnswerCount="18" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6225" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6230" CreationDate="2016-03-22T08:29:35.643" Score="10" ViewCount="3195" Body="&lt;p&gt;We do get the usual leaving patterns: after a few sessions, after six month, after a few years, and after getting shodan. While we, as instructors, can guess why this is happening, I am looking for hard evidence. Clearly, this will depend on too many things to be answered here. Thus what I am looking for is a &lt;em&gt;method of finding out why people do not come back&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We tried questionnaires (no one would return them), phone conversations (too much pressure, thus no truth), and guess work (does not work).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once we know why people are leaving, should be able to see what we are doing something wrong and what we could improve to retain members.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2018-12-25T16:01:14.443" Title="Finding out why people leave?" Tags="|dojo|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6226" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-22T09:07:22.340" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not aware of a suitable term that has wide acceptance yet, but there seems to be a lot of discussion on this issue at present (in a wider context than Martial Arts).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Recently, on Twitter, the term &quot;Fortify!&quot; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/shegeekshow/status/708046646265819136&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;has been suggested&lt;/a&gt; for this situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1553" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T09:07:22.340" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6227" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6225" CreationDate="2016-03-22T09:21:45.160" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Using google forms (or equivalent) to provide an anonymous feedback mechanism is as good as you'll get, I think.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bottom line: if people don't want to tell you, then they won't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A pattern I've observed at my club is that one of the instructors is particularly good at alienating the more experienced players: he's very negative under the guise of providing &quot;constructive criticism&quot; - so everyone just goes to the other class and/or club in the town to avoid him and his class only has lower graded players as a result.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have problems with higher graded players leaving, that's when you should really be worried: if they had the persistence to achieve a high grade, then chances are there's probably a good reason they're choosing to quit/go elsewhere.  (instead of the more &quot;normal&quot; reasons you might expect from lower graded players)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="539" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T09:21:45.160" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6228" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-22T09:46:34.117" Score="23" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Harden up&quot;, &quot;come on&quot;, &quot;toughen up&quot;, &quot;get it together&quot;, &quot;just do it&quot;, and &quot;let's go&quot; can all be slotted into the same purpose. One could even reach for &quot;osu&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find the gist of the phrase comes more from elements other than word choice, such as volume, sharpness of tone, or accompanying the phrase with a loud clap. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T09:46:34.117" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6229" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6225" CreationDate="2016-03-22T10:17:17.207" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If the rate of people leaving isn't too great, then perhaps a &lt;strong&gt;personal visit&lt;/strong&gt; might help, especially for the more blatant cases where you &lt;em&gt;thought&lt;/em&gt; that the person was a good fit but left anyway. Be sure to be non-confrontational and state very clearly that you goal is &lt;em&gt;not to convince them to come back&lt;/em&gt; but rather to &lt;em&gt;learn how you could make the dojo better&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Hi, as a ____ (insert some relevant personal trait of the student) I would really value your opinion as to how I could improve the dojo. If there is anything that you would like to share, or anything that you think that I should know, please do tell. I'm not writing anything down, and your advice will be known to me only. Thanks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This strategy might even encourage a few to come back!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="262" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T10:17:17.207" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6230" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6225" CreationDate="2016-03-22T11:28:56.940" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;You have an annual meeting or a Christmas party. Ask people to fill in anonymous little forms with: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Three things I really like about this dojo&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Three things I would change.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They could also nominate their favourite sensei and say what he does better than the others, that kind of thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then you'll get lots of surprises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(I gave up karate after I got kids, because I was no longer able to train every day. Some clubs now have oldie sessions for people like me.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6887" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T11:28:56.940" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6231" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-22T11:35:07.433" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Suck it up&quot; or &quot;Suck it up, princess&quot; (the latter usually being male-male) is one I've heard used. Whether it could be seen as having a derogatory implication will likely depend on the locale and the social interactions of the group.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or to go back to the kinds of phrases used before &quot;man up&quot; became a thing...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Pick it up, soft lad&quot;, &quot;Stop being soft&quot;, &quot;Just get on with it&quot; etc would all work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If used directly to a woman, &quot;Woman up&quot; is certainly becoming more common. As is &quot;Put your big girl panties on&quot; - although I find the latter tends to be used between women who are fairly close socially&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6888" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T11:35:07.433" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6232" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-03-22T12:08:05.553" Score="-3" ViewCount="252" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question Background&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6224/non-sexist-equivalent-of-man-up-within-the-dojo&quot;&gt;Another question&lt;/a&gt; got me thinking about gender within the martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do Judo, and seeing as that's a grappling art, it's a particularly interesting/relevant topic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have never come across explicit sexism / gender issues in my experiences with Judo, even though the nature of it is close-contact (especially ground work).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, there is a very obvious difference in participation levels across the genders...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The question&lt;/strong&gt;:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The old question, which caused considerable confusion&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Does the sex of a competitor (directly, or indirectly) affect the level at which they operate/compete at within (sport based) martial&#xA;  arts&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The new, simplified question:&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;If I was born a female (I'm a male) and everything else remained constant, would I have a different chance of success at a martial arts competition just because of my gender?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="539" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T14:30:49.017" Title="Does your gender effect your competitive potential?" Tags="|sexism|gender|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="14" ClosedDate="2016-03-22T15:27:48.013" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6233" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6232" CreationDate="2016-03-22T12:33:31.327" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here in the UK, competitive participation for female judoka is lower than that of male judoka - a statement which is easily supported by looking at pool sheets (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judotechnologies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Scottish-Open-2016-Resultss.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Eg Here&lt;/a&gt;) and noting that usually the pool sizes for the female categories are lower.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, from this fact, you can directly infer that female judoka have fewer &lt;strong&gt;opportunities&lt;/strong&gt; to learn their craft at a competitive level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's a demonstrable indirect affect of gender on martial arts athletes and is the sort of thing which I believe should be not only a valid discussion here, but indeed an important one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="539" LastEditorUserId="539" LastEditDate="2016-03-22T12:58:02.947" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T12:58:02.947" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6234" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6232" CreationDate="2016-03-22T12:41:34.843" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;No.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hard lesson the hard way - When I did competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Though in general terms strength, build, and size do have to do with fighting or self defense in general doing it for sport is more skilled based.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if your adversary is twice your size if you can out maneuver them you have the advantage  (this stands for male vs female or male vs male etc)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The counter aspects.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An opponent that has similar skills or teachings that has a bigger build, size or mussel mass. (Even though you can still out maneuver them its alot harder)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note:&#xA;Grappling- Many mma fighting styles foucua on just this point of view that size doesn't matter only skill and to use your  opponents size against them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6880" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T12:41:34.843" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6235" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6232" CreationDate="2016-03-22T12:47:13.750" Score="-5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The color (red vs blue) has an implication according to this research: &lt;a href=&quot;http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/05/0518_050518_redsports.htmlhttp://&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;In Sports, Red Is Winning Color, Study Says&lt;/a&gt;. We can quote:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;red seems to be the color, across species, that signals male dominance and testosterone levels,&quot; Barton said. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So certainly the genitals matter as it do in our daily job life. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6620" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T12:47:13.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6236" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-03-22T12:51:33.820" Score="7" ViewCount="4037" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do any martial arts have competitions where men fight women?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="539" LastActivityDate="2017-08-03T13:57:33.463" Title="Do any martial arts have mixed gender competitions?" Tags="|gender|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6237" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6236" CreationDate="2016-03-22T13:02:16.023" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's common for light-contact karate divisions to not be divided by gender. Note the diminished importance of strength due to the lack of hard contact in this ruleset.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In American high-school wrestling, I hear girls often but not always compete with boys.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Male/female exhibition matches between men and women have occurred in boxing and kickboxing. In youth Muay Thai, girls often fight boys.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T13:02:16.023" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6238" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-22T13:28:14.017" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm recommending &quot;Step Up&quot; as a replacement phrase.  The other phrases I include are contextual, and some do not have the exact intent of &quot;Man up&quot;.  I kinda got carried away with phrases that might fit in the same slot as &quot;Man up&quot;.  For clarity, I understand &quot;Man up&quot; to mean that the person needs to recognize that their barriers are mental and do what they need to do i.e., to &quot;Suck it up.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For your consideration / enjoyment:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;If it was easy, everyone would do it.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;Free your mind and your ass will follow.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;Pain is weakness leaving the body.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each of the above is useful in a different context, and I think the context of each is fairly evident.  All of them are meant to encourage someone who is having a hard time, and they each have a connotation of their problem only being in their mind.  In other words, it is their own mental barriers that are the primary problem.  Importantly, none of them reference the gender of the person to whom you are speaking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Less direct phrases, encouraging students to push harder in training&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;Train like you fight, because you will fight like you train.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;It's not enough to do it until you get it right.  You have to do it until you can't get it wrong&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The above phrases cannot be directly compared to &quot;Suck it up, buttercup&quot;, but depending on context might mean the same thing.  For example, &quot;Train like you fight...&quot; might indicate that a student is being lackadaisical in the execution of their technique, and that you want them to show Focus.  Come to think of it, simply saying &quot;Focus!&quot; has a lot of impact on students who are distracted, say, after their third attempt at hitting a board.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Non-Martial Arts Equivalents&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;Step up&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bite_the_bullet&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;&quot;Bite the bullet&quot;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;Face the music&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are direct alternatives to &quot;Man up&quot;, but they might not fit, as they are not specifically sports-related.  &quot;Face the music&quot; for example might make someone think they were facing disciplinary action.  &quot;Bite the Bullet&quot; is probably closest to &quot;Suck it up&quot;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Step up&quot; is closest to &quot;Man up&quot; and has the added benefit of being sonically similar (two, single syllable words, one of which is already included in the original phrase &quot;Man up&quot;).  Connotations are &quot;Step up to the plate&quot; or &quot;Step up your game.&quot;    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jokes AKA Yogi-Berra-isms&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;It's 90% Mental and 50% Physical&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Used to ease tension for persons becoming frustrated with their lack of performance.  Use wisely. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2016-03-22T13:58:52.797" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T13:58:52.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6239" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6225" CreationDate="2016-03-22T13:31:18.680" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As you have pointed out, it is difficult to get straight answers out of people who are unhappy or apathetic. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Start collecting data when they begin training when you have access to them. You should start with what their goals are, how long they expect these goals will take, and how often they plan to train. This will help to understand whether their goals/expectations are realistic, whether there are preexisting factors, or whether they are looking for things you do not emphasize. You may not be able ask them why they leave, but you can ask why they show up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people do not approach martial arts as a lifetime undertaking. It's unrealistic to expect that most people will continue indefinitely. A local joke is that the quickest way to get rid of someone you don't like is to give them their shodan (first black belt). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T13:31:18.680" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6240" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6232" CreationDate="2016-03-22T14:01:25.447" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would look at this two ways for gender segregated sports: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gender has no effect on whether you win or lose any competitive match. Competition pits your strength, speed, skill, tenacity, etc. against your opponent's. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gender does affect your chances of being a champion. If there are N competitors, only 1 / N competitors can be champion. If N = 1, this is trivial. If N = 100, then this is quite a bit more difficult; you have to win more matches. As you have noted, there are generally fewer female competitors. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am also surprised you have not encountered sexism in judo. To start with there is the business of female dan ranks with striped belts. These are disappearing now, but they were a very clear indication of sexism. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T14:01:25.447" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6241" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2016-03-22T14:22:33.073" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is not to encourage said behaviours, it is how to deal with it if it happens and help stop it happening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-03-22T14:22:33.073" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T14:22:33.073" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6242" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2016-03-22T14:22:33.073" Score="0" Body="Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, on the basis of sex within martial arts." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-03-22T14:22:33.073" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T14:22:33.073" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6243" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2016-03-22T14:25:34.463" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/gender&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Definition&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The state of being male or female (typically used with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones):&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The members of one or other sex&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-03-22T14:25:34.463" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T14:25:34.463" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6244" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2016-03-22T14:25:34.463" Score="0" Body="Male, female, and by extension transgender issues within the martial art world." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-03-22T14:25:34.463" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T14:25:34.463" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6245" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6225" CreationDate="2016-03-22T14:29:43.310" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a great question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As most sports go you will find ones who just leave no notice, no reason, and no one knows why. I mostly consider this a few ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1.) What did we do wrong -Well if something was wrong with the class or instruction then they would have said something or a parent (in some cases) would have informed us of the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2.) It happens -Some students find its not for them and are not interested in completing anything more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3.) Did someone else leave - Maybe a good friend left of has gotten to busy to train right now and plan on coming back later, but the student doesn't know anyone else lets make some friends!  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4.) How can we stop this - Monthly question-ares (during class) have a sit down with students and have the complete a (What did you learn this ...) with a section for (how can we improve what would you like to learn next..) make it optional to fill name out. Call them after (Hey we noticed you have left us please help improve by telling us what we did wrong thank you) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6880" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T14:29:43.310" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6246" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-22T14:31:00.243" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;How about &quot;Fight it&quot; or &quot;Fight Through&quot;  something like that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's positive and active, non gendered, and implies an opponent (their own fear etc) that can be beaten.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Push Through would work too, often already used in medical settings re pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also an honest talk with the women in the group, they may have suggestions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6895" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T14:31:00.243" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6247" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4450" CreationDate="2016-03-22T14:32:33.000" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Improve speed, technique and strength. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For speed! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go through Kihon techs as fast as you can. For instance, throw out Jodan Masashi Geri while maintaining balance and technique in quick rapid succession. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For overall strength!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lots of heavy bag work. Try different combinations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technique!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Total body flexibility training. Spend a lot of your time stretching. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Combination training for overall speed, strength and tech.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oi tsuki, yako tsuki, lead leg gedan mawashi geri, back leg Jodan mawashi, spinning ushiro Geri.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For strength training add really light hand weights for the punching techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6896" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T14:32:33.000" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6248" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-22T14:51:44.417" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd suggest encouraging perseverance/effort with a phrase like &quot;push yourself&quot;, &quot;keep going&quot;, &quot;nearly there&quot;, &quot;dig in&quot;, &quot;last N seconds&quot;, &quot;let's up the pace, folks&quot;, &quot;you know what to expect now, throw yourself into it&quot;, or - with caution - &quot;imagine you're doing this to defend yourself&quot;....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Japanese arts, &quot;gumbate [ne]&quot; is an option... it means something like &quot;keep going [won't you]&quot;, &quot;keep trying&quot;, &quot;hang in there&quot;, &quot;stick with it&quot;, &quot;toughen up&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Widening this to the psychological issue of getting students to push themselves - as for your kote gaeshi example - there's a lot more to it than a good phrase.  You could do exercises where you gradually increase the intensity too - at my dojo we do quite a lot of exercises with a clock counting out certain training intervals and rest periods: a structure like 20 seconds relaxed, then 15 seconds for changing partners / a breather, then upping the pace for the next 20 seconds, then switch/rest, then 20 second fast, then switch/rest, then a final 20 seconds at the kind of intensity you want the students to reach (we normally do 90+ seconds kumite, but for getting students used to higher intensity specifically, you need shorter periods).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The variation in partners and rest periods lets the student mentally prepare for each increase in intensity.  Switching partners keeps resetting the subtle &quot;hey I'm giving you feedback that I'm tired / want you to go at a pace/intensity I'm comfortable with&quot; nuances that build up when two partners keep training with each other.  People ask themselves &quot;is the standard I'm setting comparable to what this person was doing with their last training partner?&quot;, encouraging them to hold themselves to a higher standard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A variation on this is to have one senior tori throw uke for 20 seconds each, swapping without a pause, starting with a more senior uke.  Each uke sees the tori's pace and intensity and has time to steel themselves for the experience.  (This is a variation on what we do at karate: we do something similar with the large pads - 20 seconds high intensity strikes and an instant change.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you think it safer, you might want seniors on one side of the line-up, doing the throwing carefully but intensely, reducing junior-on-junior pairings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T14:51:44.417" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6249" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6215" CreationDate="2016-03-22T14:51:57.403" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;EDIT: A Definition of Qi Gong / Chi Kung&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Qi means &quot;breath&quot; or &quot;energy&quot;.  Gong means &quot;skill&quot;.  Hence, Qigong is the &quot;skill or working with one's breath or one's energy&quot;.  The idea is to move Qi throughout the body.  There are many methods.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hard vs Soft&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Moving vs Standing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Internal* vs External&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hard, Soft, Moving and Standing Qigongs are all External methods.  Internal Qigong uses meditation or visualization to move the Qi throughout the body.  This can be very confusing because Qigong as a whole might be referred to as Neijia, meaning &quot;Internal Arts&quot;, as opposed to Weijia, meaning &quot;External Arts&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PRE-EDIT&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your question might be taken to mean &quot;does Qi Gong / Chi Kung really develop Qi Powers?&quot; As with anything involving this bugbear of a word, we have to ask &quot;what do you mean by Qi?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A few points:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Qi / Chi is not an observable phenomenon.&lt;/strong&gt;  We can detect the presence of electricity, air, and other, otherwise invisible phenomena.  We cannot detect the presence of Qi, because Qi does not have a consistent definition.  When Qi is given a specific definition, e.g. &quot;bio-electricity&quot;, we can answer definitively, &quot;yes, of course &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioelectromagnetics&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;bio-electricity&lt;/a&gt; exists&quot;, but at that point we can use the term bio-electricity, as it is more precise and does not carry mystical baggage with it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Qi is a pre-scientific medical theory.&lt;/strong&gt; Acupuncture isn't real and only works via the placebo effect.  So-called Qi meridians often align with nerve clusters.  Nerve clusters are real.  Qi meridians aren't.  Qi is a lot like the four humours from ancient, western medical theory.  Qi might be useful as a metaphor, but I wouldn't ask anyone to treat my diseases using Qi as a basis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Qi is a placeholder word, meaning energy.&lt;/strong&gt; Like the word &quot;energy&quot; it doesn't have a precise definition.  What do you mean by energy?  Electricity? Light? Feeling good?  The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/search?q=chinese+steam+character&amp;amp;espv=2&amp;amp;biw=1148&amp;amp;bih=633&amp;amp;tbm=isch&amp;amp;imgil=_f4x5NTldvpvBM%253A%253BzoHEkZgB5bh2qM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fdictionary.hantrainerpro.com%25252Fchinese-english%25252Ftranslation-qi_steam.htm&amp;amp;source=iu&amp;amp;pf=m&amp;amp;fir=_f4x5NTldvpvBM%253A%252CzoHEkZgB5bh2qM%252C_&amp;amp;usg=__jpfEFRIeodS0f0yDq9t3XImhS50%3D&amp;amp;ved=0ahUKEwjC4pLIwNTLAhWMez4KHdsJBIUQyjcIMw&amp;amp;ei=sFbxVsLKFoz3-QHbk5CoCA#imgrc=foMCE0jmsAKFdM%3A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;character for Qi&lt;/a&gt; is an ideogram combining the character for rice, with the character for steam.  The idea behind the character might be taken to mean &quot;the steam coming off a pot of boiling rice&quot;.  Thus, the idea of Qi is directly related to the energy derived from eating good food.  Want Qi?  Eat Rice.  Simple.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If you ever see someone use &quot;Qi Powers&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;, ask yourself who the people they are using them on are.  Chances are, they are their students, or other persons who are for whatever reason highly suggestible.  Each time someone who claims Qi Powers has attempted to use them on a person who is not suggestible, their &quot;powers&quot; have failed.  I refer you to the sad case of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z0_n7tGnK0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;George Dillman&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Focusing your Qi does work.&lt;/strong&gt;  By using visualization, you can make your body perform better.  There are (at least) two observable benefits from visualizing Qi: relaxing the muscles and reducing tension as you perform athletic activity, and making your body mechanics work together more efficiently.  Yes, your mind can trick your body into working better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You are talking about &quot;Soft&quot; Qi Gong.&lt;/strong&gt;  Don't forget &quot;Hard&quot; Qi Gong.  It's a different animal than what you're talking about.  Generally speaking, &quot;Hard&quot; Qi Gong is for breaking stuff with your body.  It involves a lot of conditioning of the various surfaces of your body, e.g. &quot;Iron  Shirt&quot;, &quot;Iron Head&quot;, &quot;Iron Crotch&quot;.  The only thing it has in common with &quot;Soft&quot; Qi Gong is Focus and Visualization.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You are talking about &quot;Moving&quot; Qi Gong.&lt;/strong&gt; Don't forget &quot;Standing&quot; Qi Gong.  It is often used in the same regimens as &quot;Moving&quot; Qi Gong.  It involves holding static postures until the muscles &quot;Give Up&quot;.  The purpose is to force the body to cease holding tension and to force the body's posture to align in a more efficient, natural way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2016-03-22T17:37:46.910" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T17:37:46.910" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6250" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6259" CreationDate="2016-03-22T14:56:56.617" Score="-1" ViewCount="400" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although I could answer this question according to my class; &lt;strong&gt;In general terms with all forms of martial arts how can we define the difference between them&lt;/strong&gt; ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;****What else i would like to hear****&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why would a school or organization enforce this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If not or why do you think that there is not?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does school or form make a difference? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: Example in the class that i teach my students are instructed to answer &quot;Yes teacher&quot; in response to commands given by myself by the Certified school instructor.  However the respond to other commands given by a more experienced &quot;instructors&quot; would be &quot;Yes sensei&quot; or they (the instructor) may use another &quot;yes ...&quot;  in place in they wish.     &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6880" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-03-22T20:09:59.233" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T20:09:59.233" Title="What is the difference between a Teacher &amp; an Instructor?" Tags="|teaching|terminology|etiquette|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="7" ClosedDate="2016-03-23T10:11:23.617" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6251" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4450" CreationDate="2016-03-22T15:48:37.563" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I prefer using (and recommending) isometric exercise for strength training.  Anecdotally, I've experienced far fewer injuries using isometric resistance than I have using free weights (and I have been training for almost 30 years now). Speed is a function of several factors: raw synaptic response times, efficiency of movement, preparedness (mental and physical), and conditioned response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You really can't do anything to improve your in-born synaptic efficiency. Either you have good reflexes, or you don't, but that is just a single factor when it comes to speed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Efficiency of movement can be improved through repetition of a technique(s), and it's especially useful to practice one's techniques at a slow speed where you focus on the correctness of form (thus the adage - slow down to speed up).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Preparedness can be improved in several ways. Mental exercises can be performed just about anywhere. Methodically examine in the mind's eye how you would react if the guy passing you on the sidewalk suddenly turned and threw a right hook at you. Step-by-step, how would you move to defend yourself and disable the threat of further violence? Physical preparedness can be improved by free-form sparring. You don't need anything more than light contact to see the benefits of having to react on the fly to another person's combat decisions. The best benefits will come from utilizing a large sample size of sparring partners (and from differing disciplines if possible).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By conditioned/trained response I am referring to training your muscles to react more quickly and in an 'explosive' manner. This is as close as you can get to altering your inborn synaptic transmission rate, and it is really more about changing how quickly your muscles react than it is to altering your nervous system.  The best way I have found to achieve this is through the use of 'explosive' and/or plyometric exercise.  This includes things like clapping pushups, high-energy rope skipping, lateral box jumping, and medicine ball throws. These kinds of exercises can condition your muscles to contract faster, and thus move more quickly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for strength. Speed and strength usually go hand in hand. There are of course different measures of strength, but remember Force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T15:48:37.563" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6252" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-22T16:02:11.490" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since you are already using Japanese terms, may I suggest:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;頑張れ -- &lt;a href=&quot;http://forvo.com/word/gambare/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;ganbare&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganbaru&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;translates&lt;/a&gt; as &quot;Do Your Best!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="644" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-03-25T08:12:18.633" LastActivityDate="2016-03-25T08:12:18.633" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6254" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-22T16:54:36.727" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here are some calls for renewed motivation from my army days: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Warrior up&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pain is just weakness leaving the body&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Everyone must choose one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;It's not how much more you can take, it's how much more you can give&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;and my favorite - &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Half-right face! Front leaning-rest postion, move! Now...beat your faces until I get tired&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T16:54:36.727" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6256" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6225" CreationDate="2016-03-22T17:42:57.377" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't wait for people to leave. Find out if they are happy &lt;em&gt;before&lt;/em&gt; they leave, and do what you can to ensure they are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In our school, our instructors have cultivated an atmosphere of mutual support and encouragement, to the extent that it feels like one big family. We have the ocassional informal activity, sometimes outings that are purely social and nothing to do with martial arts. Our instructors are all very approachable, and will happily have a chat either in class, or one to one if we prefer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All this adds up to a sense that it is &lt;em&gt;our&lt;/em&gt; club. We're not just paying customers, we're part of it, so when we have someone leave, 9 times out of 10, they tell us why, and even stay in touch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course some people just leave and there is no way to know why. Martial arts training is physically, mentally and emotionally tough. Some people just don't feel it's worth all the effort and so just fade away. That would be no slur on the club or the teaching staff, nor is it a sign of weakness or anything negative in the student. It's just the way it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T17:42:57.377" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6258" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1487" CreationDate="2016-03-22T18:31:50.557" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Seven Star Stance&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;OP commented that he was mainly concerned with the foot position of the movement.  This is &quot;Seven Star Stance&quot;, one of the primary stances of Northern Mantis generally, although it may bear different names outside of the Seven Star Mantis style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/sUinb.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/sUinb.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I tried to find better pictures, honestly.  This one does &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; show a proper Seven Star Stance.  Notice that the foot is 90 degrees out from the body. In the picture you included, notice how the back leg is bearing most of the weight, and the back foot is angled at approximately 45 degrees out from the body.  That is a proper Seven Star stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nonetheless, it was the only readily available photo &lt;em&gt;involving another person&lt;/em&gt; that depicted the intent of the movement.  Seven Star Stance is always a foot capture, and it usually occurs from the outside of the foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many potential applications to the foot capture.  Consider the effect of the fighter in the above photo doing the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;grabbing the opponent's right wrist and pulling him in tight&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;applying his arm against the opponent's throat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sweeping the opponents foot forcefully&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSczpMGspts&amp;amp;ebc=ANyPxKqME3WZfkGAUnxvxW4Eds05j1tkKsZDU-amt5MoNEydMNXOuzC82QtQCWVdrSDB60dvPOrVTpPDQyrmOAq6QsU4L3j88Q&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here is a video of Wong Kiew Kit demonstrating this application at 00:30&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Below is a drawing of another route you could go after capturing the foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5imyQ.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5imyQ.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T18:31:50.557" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6259" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6250" CreationDate="2016-03-22T19:19:48.170" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;We can't answer your question&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The particular distinction that you've provided differs between systems, languages, organizations, and sometimes individuals. Since you haven't specified your organization, we can't even address why they consider &quot;instructor&quot; and &quot;teacher&quot; differently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More broadly, the reasoning may range from ceremonial titles (some styles have specific titles that depend upon rank, either absolute or relative) to legal (in some jurisdictions, titles are regulated. For an example outside of martial arts, you cannot advertise yourself as an engineer without being a graduate of an accredited program in some places) to personal (I had one teacher who refused to use the ceremonial title of &quot;Master&quot; because he was black and saw unfortunate implications in the word, and there's an entire can of worms in whether to call female black-belts &quot;Mistress&quot; in some styles) to linguistic (the question of whether titles are translated, and how they're translated, is contentious).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-03-22T19:38:49.753" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T19:38:49.753" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6260" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-22T21:12:21.247" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Brace up&quot; is my favorite translation from a samurai movie.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6907" LastActivityDate="2016-03-22T21:12:21.247" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6261" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6263" CreationDate="2016-03-22T23:28:43.723" Score="5" ViewCount="189" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have practiced taiji for some time. I also practiced shaolin styles for some time. However, when practicing stuff like sparring I &lt;em&gt;feel&lt;/em&gt; I could do it better if I understood stuff like traditional chinese anatomy concepts about energy, meridians, and joints (when I learn a concept in that topic, no matter how tiny it is, most related applications make sense to me and never forget them).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Should&lt;/em&gt; -meaning: is, doing this, well-seen inside the practice, with a precedent from advanced practitioners or shifus in this site- I ask my shifu about my interest on learning (guidedly) about those topics? It is usually expected that a student asks those questions to a shifu or should wait for the shifu to tell that to the student?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6910" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-08-10T23:10:34.130" LastActivityDate="2021-08-10T23:21:20.197" Title="Is it common and expected that shifus give theory classes about stuff like TCM, meridians and joints?" Tags="|kung-fu|tai-chi|anatomy|physiology|theory|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6262" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6261" CreationDate="2016-03-23T00:09:12.377" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is common for Shifus to have knowledge of TCM theory.  It is also common for them to explain TCM theory to students.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it is equally common for Shifus to withhold such information.  Such information may be deemed the province of closed-door disciples, not for disclosing to normal students.  For better or worse, CMA has a tradition that most students are only there to pay the bills.  Only some will inherit the entirety of the martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The new school of CMA holds such &quot;secrets&quot; as useless relics of the past.  Indeed, some styles have died because of this type of withholding of information.  Yet some traditions die harder than others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether your Shifu is withholding this information is a matter of conjecture with the information you have provided.  If he/she does not speak of it regularly in class, chances are your Shifu either does not &lt;em&gt;know&lt;/em&gt; the information or is withholding it.  It is extremely unlikely that a Shifu who teaches Taiji will not know something of (or at least think they know something of) TCM theory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it makes you feel any better, I &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; know something of TCM theory, and I do not particularly feel it has enhanced my capacity to practice Taiji.      &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1462" LastActivityDate="2016-03-23T00:09:12.377" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6263" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6261" CreationDate="2016-03-23T05:19:19.947" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Joints&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This one is easy. Yes, your martial arts instruction should cover joints extensively. This includes things like the use of joints, the training of joints, striking with joints, striking at joints, the protection of joints, and health maintenance of joints. But this is not something I would call theory; there is very little abstraction when talking about joints. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Meridians&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;General meridian theory is not really helpful for learning to fight and train; it is not going to tell you that your shoulders are not flexible enough to hit hard, you haven't developed sufficient sensitivity to pressure to avoid overcommitting, or your feet need more coordination. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your system should have a roadmap for body and skill development, and it is important that you understand this roadmap. Your sifu should be a guide in this respect, helping you to understand where your body's feedback puts you on the roadmap, and what training elements are necessary to continue your journey. Understanding your body cannot come solely from book knowledge; you have to put in the training hours. If your system roadmap is written in the language of qi, you should develop a clear bodily feeling/understanding of what is meant by this language for your system for particular exercises. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Continuing with the roadmap analogy, a good martial arts system will:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lead you to a useful destination. This can include things like ability to fight and understanding of how to improve/maintain health. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Have enough clearly-marked signposts along the way that you can tell what direction you are heading. Understanding of meridian theory may be of side interest when feeling that when your foot gets warm your leg also feels full, but your understanding of whether your foot has achieved sufficient coordination and relaxation will not be impacted. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Have teachers and other students to assist your navigation. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have been training for years and do not understand what you need to practice to progress, there is a problem. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Traditional Chinese Medicine&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is not something that will help you fight directly. TCM theory will do things like help you determine diet, treat injuries, and address physical problems, but it will not help directly with striking, throwing, and other fighting skills. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would actually expect skills to be more transferable going the other way; many of the physical practices associated with martial practice will help a medical practitioner understand a patient's physical state and how they can be treated. Exercise (mental and physical) is a primary mechanism of health preservation and improvement in TCM. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Asking&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good teacher-student relationship includes the open asking of questions. A teacher may not be able to answer all questions or may tell you that you are not ready for the subject (the inner-door issue), but there should not be an issue with asking. Do not expect your teacher to be a mind reader; if you do not express interest, then your teacher has no way of knowing about your interest. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-03-24T16:28:01.347" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T16:28:01.347" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6264" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-23T07:35:52.170" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gut up&lt;/strong&gt;. I heard Alex Jones use it once. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6916" LastActivityDate="2016-03-23T07:35:52.170" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6265" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6029" CreationDate="2016-03-23T10:32:39.810" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ask your coach and partners for advice on how you can be less passive. If you can, watch some bouts between more aggressive opponents to see what they do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You mentioned that you were initially quite passive in Taekwondo; do you know what you changed to overcome that? Was it simply experience and time, or did you identify some technique or personal obstruction that made you passive?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From personal experience, I know that sparring as a junior grade against a higher grade can be very intimidating; in this situation, I often find myself holding back, even after 15 years of training!. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A point to consider (which is relevant to me as well, so thank you for helping me identify it!): maybe it is a mindset thing? Perhaps, like me, you're looking at sparring in class as a win/lose situation, rather than a learning opportunity? Rather than thinking &quot;How do I win this bout?&quot;, we should both be thinking &quot;What will I learn from this bout?&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2016-03-23T10:32:39.810" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6266" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2577" CreationDate="2016-03-23T10:51:38.940" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I personally didn't start Taekwondo until I was in my late 20s; I wish I'd started at 16! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my school, we have a gentleman who started after he retired! He is now 74 and a 1st Kup, so it really doesn't matter what age you start at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some years ago, we had a teenager who did ballet join the school; she'd been dancing for many years and ended up going to London to further her (ballet) training. Her strength and flexibility was much better than everyone else at her age/level and also better than many of the black belts at the time!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, 16 is a good age to start and with your background in gymnastics and ballet, you should adapt to it very easily. I imagine you'll be pretty competitive in tournaments, too!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-08-11T16:29:48.290" LastActivityDate="2016-08-11T16:29:48.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6267" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-23T19:35:12.920" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ante up.&lt;/strong&gt; I've heard this used interchangeably with &quot;Step up.&quot; The phrase comes from poker, &quot;to up the ante&quot; i.e. raise the stakes. &quot;Go big or go home&quot; might also work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6928" LastActivityDate="2016-03-23T19:35:12.920" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6268" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-23T19:56:27.370" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stomach In, Chest Out and Flow with it! comes to mind&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6929" LastActivityDate="2016-03-23T19:56:27.370" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6269" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-23T20:06:07.347" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;My football (American) coach used to say &quot;Get after it.&quot; It's a bit of a Texas kind of thing (pretty sure he was from Texas), but I found it motivating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, he'd sometimes talk about how he was 5th string his first year in college, but he &quot;went after it&quot; and was starting by the end of the season. Or while out on the field, he'd get in your face, tell you what you need to do, capping it with &quot;you gotta get after it.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The motivation was always &quot;You want this? You have to go out and get it. It's only you standing in your way. You gotta get after it. Get after it!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6930" LastActivityDate="2016-03-23T20:06:07.347" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6270" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6281" CreationDate="2016-03-23T20:14:53.357" Score="13" ViewCount="9256" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many martial arts spend time in practicing high kicks, for instance to the face. Is there a situation in a street fight where high kicks would be the best choice? Why not prefer low kicks? With low kicks, you have fewer chances to lose your balance, fewer chances to miss the kick, and higher strength in the contact. In addition, you don't have to be flexible for kicking with a low kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-03-24T12:35:07.617" LastActivityDate="2023-04-15T03:34:32.903" Title="Low kicks vs high kicks in street fight" Tags="|self-defense|kicking|streetfight|" AnswerCount="10" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6271" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6270" CreationDate="2016-03-23T20:56:45.150" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is going to vary from individual to individual.  What is going to matter most is one's training and comfort level.  I don't advocate throwing a spinning jump kick when your life is on the line, but if you are a taekwondoin and you are really comfortable with busting out a roundhouse kick to your assailant's brainpan, then by all means do so.  I have trained in a wide variety of martial arts over my life, and while I am comfortable throwing out a variety of kicks at varying heights, in an unfriendly conflict I rarely discharge a 'high' kick.  In those situations, I consider my footwork to be paramount, and any kick I release is likely to either be an attempt to foil my opponents footwork as I close on them, or a feint to setup something else. That said, if there was a golden opportunity for me to end a fight with one kick to the head I might be tempted to take it. I'm operating with about 30 years of experience though, and a younger me may well have given you a very different answer to this question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-03-23T20:56:45.150" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6272" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6270" CreationDate="2016-03-23T23:43:34.840" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Outside the training hall the ground surface is unpredictable. Inside it's completely predictable, you can kick all day and on every step it'll behave the same. You can throw any kick you like and your supporting foot will remain planted. Exactly the same kick outside, on damp or dusty, or gritty, or whatever ground wearing whatever footwear, will put you on your back and your assailant will walk over and stab you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend you practice kicking outside, on pavements, in parking lots, outside pubs at night, with your normal footwear and then decide for yourself if it's a good idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-03-23T23:43:34.840" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6273" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6270" CreationDate="2016-03-24T00:33:10.623" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, some martial arts &lt;em&gt;as practiced in the training hall&lt;/em&gt; are unsuitable for general use in street fights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The danger with high kicks is not just the surface as mentioned by &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/6272/70&quot;&gt;cs1971&lt;/a&gt;, there are other factors too:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;high kicks are slower (they have further to travel)  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you are more vulnerable during the delivery and retraction stages of the kick &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;there is a good probability you may be faced with multiple opponents in the street  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;street fights are far more unstructured  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;there can be environmental factors like crowds, bystanders, furniture, etc. in the way&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is my understanding that historically high kicks are a relatively recent addition in karate; the Okinawan masters were never documented kicking above the waist. It's not because they couldn't, it's because they didn't need to. If they needed to kick someone in the head they would take the opponents head down to waist level or lower!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So fundamentally you are right - a low kick is faster, more stable and safer to execute than a high kick, especially in a street fight situation. That doesn't mean you shouldn't train in high kicks, but it does mean that you shouldn't make them a priority (depending on the intention of your study).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T00:33:10.623" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6274" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-24T04:17:41.227" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It should be questioned whether &quot;men&quot; really implies the exclusion of wo&lt;em&gt;men&lt;/em&gt;, in every context. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a sexist assumption, unwarranted by etymology and set theory. &quot;All men&quot; &lt;em&gt;includes&lt;/em&gt; all wo&lt;em&gt;men&lt;/em&gt;, as women are &lt;em&gt;also&lt;/em&gt; men. But &quot;men&quot; aren't necessarily also &lt;em&gt;wo&lt;/em&gt;men. &quot;All men and women&quot; is a pleonasm of sorts, only needed when the context suggests &quot;just men&quot; for some reason. In this context, it really is a synonym of ideal characterological qualities of &lt;em&gt;adulthood&lt;/em&gt; -- not with male genitalia, more body hair and somewhat more musculature.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is a more inclusive, and less disruptive, more natural, take on gender-neutral language. But there are those who may profit from women not seeing themselves included when the word used is only &quot;men&quot;, so they will try to sell this idea of a strictly sexually-restrictive meaning for &quot;men&quot;. As if we couldn't speak of just &quot;mankind&quot;, but we needed &quot;womankind&quot;, &quot;childkind&quot;, &quot;girlkind&quot;, &quot;boykind&quot;, &quot;queerkind&quot;, &quot;colorkind&quot;, &quot;babykind&quot;, &quot;elderkind&quot;, in order to include all kinds of peoplekind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6935" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T04:17:41.227" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6275" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-24T05:15:07.440" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Given the context, &quot;Mean it!&quot; might serve the purpose, but I quite like &quot;Gut up!&quot; suggested above. Pretty sure all peoples, genders, ages, etc. are presumed to have guts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6936" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T05:15:07.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6276" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-24T07:45:14.157" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Fortify&quot; is something I really like. It captures the essence of &quot;man up&quot;, is short and inclusive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6938" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-03-24T07:49:07.507" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T07:49:07.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6277" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6279" CreationDate="2016-03-24T08:23:48.860" Score="14" ViewCount="3181" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some clubs do women-only training sessions for either beginners or open to all levels. Generally those are taught by a senior female instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I dislike the idea. I find it much more inclusive to have a mixed session where everyone trains together. I think that all-women sessions reinforce the idea that women are weak and cannot cope with training with men.  &lt;em&gt;That is clearly one hundred percent pure manure.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I am happy to put this opinion to the test and hear about the &lt;strong&gt;benefits of such all-women sessions&lt;/strong&gt;.  Because any opinion that cannot survive in the marketplace of ideas, is a bad opinion and should be discarded.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My long term goal, and the problem I am trying to solve, is that I want my club to be more inclusive&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;. Currently the adult classes have about one-third women to men ratio. We have more girls (two thirds) than boys in the junior classes. I did ask the women in the adult class what they thought about recruiting more women and the idea of women only classes came up. However, there was no consensus as to why those would work or whether they were a good or bad idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pretty please, with sugar on top, use &lt;a href=&quot;http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2010/09/good-subjective-bad-subjective/&quot;&gt;Good Subjective, Bad Subjective&lt;/a&gt;. Unless an answer is backed by concrete evidence, it should be downvoted into oblivion.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS: The many good answers here have changed my mind. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: This would make an over broad question thus why I did not ask it.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-06-03T07:05:22.483" LastActivityDate="2019-06-06T19:27:15.227" Title="Benefits of women only sessions" Tags="|training|gender|sexism|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6278" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-24T08:48:44.593" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Personally I like &quot;bring it!&quot;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think this phrase covers the intended nuance of the OPs question, because the &quot;it&quot; can encompass all of the qualities he's seeking to stimulate:  courage, skill, strength, effort, fortitude, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also not particularly macho.  I find a lot of the suggestions offered so far still focus on &quot;being tough&quot;, which whether it happens to be perceivably sexist or not, has a more macho connotation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6939" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T08:48:44.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6279" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6277" CreationDate="2016-03-24T09:20:48.283" Score="22" Body="&lt;p&gt;Nobody cares if a man likes the idea of women-only classes. They're not &lt;em&gt;for&lt;/em&gt; you. They're for women.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With some historical perspective, poo-pooing the idea of women-only classes becomes even more ridiculous. In my lifetime, women were banned from many karate and judo dojo. To turn around so quickly and say that women &lt;em&gt;must&lt;/em&gt; train with men, not on their own, should set off alarms in your head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some women want to train with only women. &lt;a href=&quot;http://thehairpin.com/2014/12/wax-on-wax-off-a-brief-history-of-women-only-karate/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Women-only karate clubs follow this concept and add women-specific self-defense concepts&lt;/a&gt;. There is even &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-sex_education#Effects&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;some evidence&lt;/a&gt; that single-gender school environments improve academic achievement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://breakingmuscle.com/brazilian-jiu-jitsu/my-case-for-women-only-beginner-bjj-classes&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;BJJ brown belt Sally Arsenault&lt;/a&gt; has specific reasons to run women-only classes: they allow her women student athletes to progress faster, in a safer environment, without harassment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can’t say that if I could go back in time, I would choose to start BJJ in a women-only beginner class over a co-ed class, but I think I would strongly lean towards it. I had some shitty experiences as a brand-new white belt training with brand-new male white belts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Size&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...Brand-new male white belts (BNMWBs) are dangerous to themselves and others. Some BNMWBs are clueless. They don’t understand that it’s better to try and match your athleticism, strength, and technical skill to your opponent’s during rolling in order to help each other get better. They just want to get that submission.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How many times has one of these fucking idiots injured me? I can’t count.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This aspect of size is so incredibly strong in sparring-based arts that many lighter men will only train with similarly-sized men. This is seen in boxing, where finding sparring partners of appropriate size is critical, as well as in grappling arts (for instance, &lt;a href=&quot;https://the6minutegrappler.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/felipe-costa-and-jiu-jitsu-for-small-guys/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Felipe Costa's lightweight-only group&lt;/a&gt;). Having a time set aside to train with people closer to your size, temperament, and background can be tremendous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Dicks&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On several occasions my bottom was groped during rolling or drilling. I have been greeted with the term “slut,” [and] been bullied in front of others for show&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can pretend that this would never happen at your club, but an instructor can't be everywhere, and plenty of men are fine with men but inappropriate with women.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Optics&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You and I might know martial arts as an inclusive, welcoming place for women. But the general public doesn't. Lots of people who don't train have a view of martial arts schools--yours, mine, anyone's--as a machismo-drenched chest-beating show of militarism and brutishness. &lt;a href=&quot;http://okkimonosblog.com/how-womens-only-brazilian-jiu-jitsu-classes-can-be-beneficial/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Women-only classes and seminars&lt;/a&gt; can alleviate these barriers, thereby bringing more women into the practice:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having a women’s only class, seminar, or open mat is a great way to introduce women into the world of martial arts, especially if they have had no prior experience in sports or martial arts. Starting something as awkward and hands-on as jiu jitsu, can be intimidating. It can be even more intimidating when you see guys bigger than you armbarring and choking each other out. However, seeing a class full of women training can be more inviting and put a beginner more at ease. This gateway also promotes growth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-06-01T12:22:55.110" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6280" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6224" CreationDate="2016-03-24T12:24:49.100" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have the phrase in pretty much everything I do:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;Always winning - never won!&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To that end whenever I motivating someone to try hard I shout &lt;em&gt;&quot;Win!&quot;&lt;/em&gt; and when they complete a task I would exclaim &lt;em&gt;&quot;Winning!&quot;&lt;/em&gt;... They have not won, they are simply on to the next task.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6940" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T12:24:49.100" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6281" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6270" CreationDate="2016-03-24T12:37:01.103" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;One possible use for a high kick is intimidation. A high kick delivered cleanly is impressive-looking, and may convince other attackers to back off. That said, I'd only recommend it if you're really certain of your ability to pull it off, and to recover if it doesn't come off cleanly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, there is another purpose to training high kicks, namely stretching out your body to make it less likely that you'll pull something kicking something lower while not warmed-up. If you can kick 6 feet in the air when warmed-up, 3 feet isn't as bad when not warmed-up. But if you train for kicking at 3 feet when warmed-up, you're more likely to strain something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-03-24T13:45:29.353" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T13:45:29.353" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6282" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5896" CreationDate="2016-03-24T13:38:26.643" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can't think of any martial art I have studied which required me to do anything rougher than light-contact sparring with my instructor.  Sex/gender shouldn't make one bit of difference when teaching technique. As long as the skills are there (both in the martial art and in effectively communicating/teaching said art), I don't think there should be an issue.  If you have students who are too sexist to learn from a woman, then they aren't students you should want to have anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T13:38:26.643" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6283" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6277" CreationDate="2016-03-24T13:41:28.440" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree the desired end-state has men and women training together, but it can be difficult to start there. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People do not always voice complaints. I suspect this is because complaining is viewed as a form of weakness. In judo, which involves close-contact grappling, I have seen men (instructors even!) get inappropriately cozy with young women; they create extra contact while practicing or maintain contact long after a drill is over in a way they do not when practicing with a man. I, as a man, have never seen a woman complain about this. If a man or woman did the same to me, I would be offended. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have trained with a woman who refused to wear judogi pants because she thought they were not flattering to her appearance. This idea may seem silly because everyone else is wearing the same pants. Nevertheless, this is how the woman experienced mixed-gender training; part of her experience was that she was on display. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's hard to train in an environment where everyone is bigger than you. This is a factor for injuries as Dave has already covered, but it also creates a disparity in perceived progress. Bigger people can make up for technical deficiencies with muscle and &quot;win&quot; while training, but this is not possible for smaller people. Even if a smaller person is actually developing their technical skills at a faster rate, they may experience falling behind their peers and being the class dunce. What do people do when they feel like they are failing? They drop out. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T13:41:28.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6284" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5631" CreationDate="2016-03-24T14:00:32.800" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The effectiveness of a vegetarian diet, like any other, is dependent on the types and amounts of foods you eat.  Do some research. Make sure that the food choices you make are diverse enough to cover all of you dietary needs. Despite what the multi-billion dollar supplement industry would have you believe, it is always best to get your requisite vitamins, minerals, and other trace elements directly from the foods you consume. As you adjust to training as a vegetarian, pay close attention to what your body is telling you, and make any necessary alterations to your protein and carbohydrate intake to optimize your energy level. A lot of people who switch from an omnivorous diet to a vegetarian one encounter periods where their energy levels drastically drop, and this can be fixed through minor adjustments of meal composition, size, and frequency.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's worth noting that, historically, many Roman gladiators maintained an almost totally vegetarian diet.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T14:00:32.800" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6285" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6277" CreationDate="2016-03-24T14:25:08.290" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just as a women that trained in both women-only and mixed-classes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Body issues - I feel more confident when I'm surrounded by women. In my gender-mixed training I always make sure I wear long pants.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Strength - I can't do push ups, which is totally accepted in women-only class but less accepted in classes where there are mostly men. This is of course even more important if you have to directly fight with other people in the training. It can be scary to stand in front of very trained men.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I just like to be surrounded by women sometimes. It feels a bit more relaxed.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Believes -  In my women-only class there were some women who prefered to not been seen in revealing clothes by men. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6943" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-03-24T14:39:36.547" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T14:39:36.547" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6286" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6261" CreationDate="2016-03-24T16:51:06.337" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Soapbox time. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is dangerous quackery. It is right up there with homeopathy and the healing power of crystals.  While some of the 'magic potions' TCM practitioners peddle are harmless, many are dangerous concoctions of unregulated plant materials and cheaply made pharmaceuticals. That's right, many TCM remedies have hidden doses of prescription drugs which are undeclared on any labeling (when a label is even present). Even in the best-case-scenario where a TCM remedy is completely inert (see also, every homeopathic treatment), the practitioner is still paying an opportunity cost.  People die every day because instead of getting treatment via science-based medicine, they waste their resources and limited window for treatment (i.e. money and time) on 'potions' that either do nothing to treat their illness/injury or actually case harm to the patient.  We cannot embrace, or even turn a blind eye to, things like TCM. Wanton ignorance hurts all of us.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T16:51:06.337" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6288" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6060" CreationDate="2016-03-24T21:27:06.143" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's no interlocking with a quad cube layout. Try laying in a herringbone pattern instead, see if it helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why the 40mm jigsaw mats have become so popular, I don't remember how we laid out the old ones but do remember similar problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T21:27:06.143" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6289" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5896" CreationDate="2016-03-24T22:17:11.470" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not all men feel awkward about having a female instructor. Those that do should take a serious look at themselves. &quot;judge ones self instead of others&quot; and all that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Our school is mixed. There are females that are younger than me, that are much higher grade. They are fellow students but sometimes get asked to take elements of the class. When they do, they are the boss. Anyone that doesn't like that is free to find another school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Surely everyone is there to learn the art. That being the case, does it matter if the person at the front is a man or a woman?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the students are judging the teacher by anything other than skill in the art, then they have surely missed the point entirely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T22:17:11.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6290" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6270" CreationDate="2016-03-24T22:29:29.117" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you can kick high, you can kick low.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can kick high, then you have achieved good flexibility. So if you fall or otherwise end up being bent about, things are less likely to go snap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can kick high, and in a brief moment in the heat of a skirmish you see one brief opening in an otherwise strong guard, and that opening happens to be high, you can take it. Even if you abort the kick in transit, it's going to bring the opponents guard high, making more opportunity for your low kicks or any other move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If two big chaps have restrained your arms, and a third is about to crack your face, if you can kick high, you can crack his face first, which might buy you some time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kicking high requires more energy and strength than kicking low. So by training it, you are potentially developing greater stamina and muscle strength than if you practiced exclusively low.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many reasons to train to kick high. Even if you never had to use a high kick, it has to be nice to know it's available to you, and that all the strength, stamina, balance and flexibility that goes with it is there at your disposal, should you need it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6847" LastActivityDate="2016-03-24T22:29:29.117" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6292" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5778" CreationDate="2016-03-26T01:40:18.750" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've had it sporadically occur during a fight as I was evading a reverse roundhouse to the head from a much younger and quicker appointment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway while ducking to evade the kick, Time suddenly starting slowing down it felt like 5 seconds and the kick was still in the air crossing in front of my view everything was black during this time (due to my opponents black pants). During this eternity I devised a counter attacking strategy to commence as soon as I saw daylight. Which I executed perfectly nearly knocking out my opponent with several punches (to me in slow motion) but to the audience and the instructors/refs. it was a very quick blur of a response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the first time I've experienced this during sparing or executing MA.&#xA;Interested to hear of others or am I a freak?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Steve &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6959" LastActivityDate="2016-03-26T01:40:18.750" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6293" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5778" CreationDate="2016-03-27T04:05:52.193" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The effect you have experienced is a well known psychological phenomena, known as &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_motion_perception&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Slow Motion Perception&lt;/a&gt;.  It is an effect commonly experienced in high stress situations:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Slow motion perception is a subjective perception of time in which things are perceived as passing by slower than the normal perception of time. To a bystander watching a life-threatening situation such as an accident, time is moving at a normal speed. However, to the individual in the accident, time seems to have slowed down. As a result, the individual in the accident may be able to think faster and act faster during these events. However, even though individuals commonly report that time seems to have moved in slow motion during these events, it is unknown whether this is a function of increased time resolution during the event, or, instead, an illusion of remembering an emotionally salient event. Research conducted by David Eagleman has suggested that time does not actually run in slow motion for a person during a life-threatening event, but, rather, it is only a retrospective assessment that brings that person to such a conclusion. To bring this into the realm of scientific study, he measured time perception during free-fall by strapping palm-top computers to subjects' wrists and having them perform psychophysical experiments as they fall. By measuring their speed of information intake, they concluded that participants do not obtain increased temporal resolution during the fall, but, instead, because their memories are more densely packed during a frightening situation, the event seems to have taken longer only in retrospect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3384265/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;meta-analysis&lt;/a&gt; from 2012 by the University of Turku questioned both the method and the framework proposed by Eagleman's 2007 experiment. Instead, the paper suggests a framework where cognitive processes are indeed improved, with the result being a slowed perception of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22951740&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;experiment from 2012&lt;/a&gt; seems to supports the idea that cognitive processes can be sped up. When primed first by action preparation, subjects showed a reduction of perceived frequency for flickering stimuli and an enhanced detection of rapidly presented letters during action preparation, suggesting an increase in sensory processing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4422" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2019-10-07T20:59:47.540" LastActivityDate="2019-10-07T20:59:47.540" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6294" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6270" CreationDate="2016-03-27T05:03:59.280" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is there a situation in a street fight where high kicks would be the best choice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lots of them.  I once had an opponent charge at me from about 10 metres away, right hand raised obviously intending a big hook: I delivered a gliding side kick to his chest - laying him flat.  If I'd wanted to hurt him seriously, I'd have gone higher.  It had the advantage of closing the gap towards him and engaging him earlier than expected, he had no chance to adjust his movement.  The longer reach of my leg meant he had no chance to throw a punch earlier (he was taller with more reach, so it was best not to give him the chance as I'd be the one who had to dodge or deflect it before making contact myself).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This reach aspect - the contrast with arms reach - is an important benefit of kicking, be it high or low.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Simply having a larger variety of ways to attack the head is a fundamental advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider full contact karate, kickboxing, Muay Thai etc. - I've not heard of rules under which competitors &lt;em&gt;have&lt;/em&gt; to kick high, and yet it happens quite a lot, obviously because - on balance - it helps win fights.  While there's massively more variety in street fight situations, there's plenty of times when you've got good footing, and enough awareness of the situation to make informed, rational decisions about the pros and cons of using high kicks, or any other techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Front kicks / mae geri in particular are very easily and powerfully delivered at chest or chin level with little compromise to your position, it's easy to watch how the opponent's moving and decide whether to kick, the recovery is fast, you can keep your hands in a decent guard and block or punch freely.  If they're moving to stay just out of arm's length, it's easy to bring a front kick through. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another benefit of kicking is that you're likely to be wearing shoes, and a kick to face doesn't have the risk of teeth cutting you and their blood getting onto those cuts, the way a punch to the face has.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Why not prefer low kicks? With low kicks, you have fewer chances to lose your balance, fewer chances to miss the kick, and higher strength in the contact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I disagree with &quot;fewer chances to miss the kick&quot;, if you consider low roundhouse/turning/mawashi geri jammed by a raised leg a miss.  Further, given humans' centre of mass, if you kick between the waist and sternum the defender can't just pivot out of the way with a switch-step, or lean their torso this way or that.... it requires a good block or significant power against the ground to move their core.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;higher strength in contact&quot; is true for roundhouse kicks, but isn't true of front kicks, side kicks, spinning back kicks (all of which have greatest power around sternum height), spinning hooking kicks with the heel (which most naturally and powerfully target the head), vertical/slapping/uchi mawashi and crescent/soto mawashi....  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if you get a low kick in, they're less likely to end a fight than a strike to the head.  If your opponent is a conditioned full-contact fighter, they can probably take many minutes of such strikes, and - in street fight situations sans gloves - it's the head strike whether with hands or feet, that's likely to be decisive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In addition, you don't have to be flexible for kicking with a low kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sure, but that's a bit like saying &lt;em&gt;&quot;we shouldn't punch because some people have soft, unconditioned hands&quot;&lt;/em&gt;.  If you're not flexible, either put the work in at stretching or don't use high kicks - whatever works for you.  There are technical aspects that affect how much flexibility and leg strength is needed for high kicks too - for example with a side thrusting kick, the right footwork sling-shots the leg using hip rotation, making it easy and effortless to kick high, but of course such footwork may constitute telegraphing, depending on the situation and opponent's skill. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While a low kick is a great go-to first option for a street fight, it's not a good idea to take high kicks off the table.  Still, nobody can be a master of every martial skill - if you've been developing other skills, it may be better to stick with what you're comfortable with, but under-estimating the utility of high kicks is not wise, even if you're not planning to use them yourself.  If you think you perceive disadvantages, get in the ring for some full-contact sparring with people who kick high, and put your ideas to the test.  Whatever you learn there will be worth more to you personally than all the replies here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2016-03-27T08:26:46.890" LastActivityDate="2016-03-27T08:26:46.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6295" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6270" CreationDate="2016-03-28T17:47:29.780" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the street, I prefer to use low or middle kick, since we use jeans and clothes that are not completely comfortable not like trainning clothes, if the pants are a much fitting closely you can fall down. In addition with the high kicks, you have little low posibilities of success, and i think it is a excesive energy loss. I prefer to use kick with high percent of success like low kick. You cannot send your opponent to ground with one of this kicks, but him loss energy whith every kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6875" LastActivityDate="2016-03-28T17:47:29.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6296" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6297" CreationDate="2016-03-28T20:15:23.617" Score="2" ViewCount="809" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been training in Chen style Tai chi for more than 2 years, and I can say I can perform the first routine, Yi lu, without thinking of the form (which movement comes next and so on). So my Sifu says that I should start to concentrate on my energy and breathing. When I practice at home, I find it comfortable to close my eyes for concentration. However, my Sifu is not really a fan of it; he says we should train eyes-open and it is also important where we look at during practice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What do you think? Is it harmful for my tai chi to close my eyes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6654" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-03-29T16:46:43.990" LastActivityDate="2021-04-04T10:20:33.257" Title="Practicing a form with closed eyes" Tags="|forms|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6297" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6296" CreationDate="2016-03-29T04:02:36.490" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are you doing Taiji entirely for meditation, relaxation, and chi-kung? If so, go ahead and do it with your eyes closed. Or better yet, do it sitting down on the floor while just &quot;thinking&quot; of how the movement should feel. You'll make more progress at your intended purpose that way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If, however, your purpose for learning Taiji is at least partially for martial arts (self-defense), then practicing it with closed eyes seems counter-productive. If you need your eyes closed in order to practice it, then what happens when you need to use it for self-defense? Are you going to close your eyes then? That would be ill-advised. And so, how do you think it's going to work for real when you can't even make it work when practicing it that way (with your eyes open)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond that, your eyes give you instant feedback on your balance, your position and which direction you're facing, your stance and how your body looks, etc. If you take that away during practice, it's very likely you'll be leaning too far forward, your arms will be too far away or not far away enough, your head will gradually tilt downward as if you're looking at the ground, you'll end up facing the wrong direction or you'll finish too far away from where you started, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Seeing is very important during the training phase for self-correction. It's why having mirrors on the walls is so important. You have to be able to see yourself to know what needs correction. Going by feeling alone, without sight, often isn't good enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other thing to realize is that the forms themselves encapsulate self-defense instruction. Where you are looking at in the form often tells you something about where your opponent is expected to be or what you're supposed to be doing. If you know how to interpret your form correctly for self-defense, this is one of the most basic pieces of information you need.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, you can experiment with training without your eyesight. You'll laugh sometimes at the way you look when you open your eyes to check. And maybe that can give you something you can take back into your normal Taiji practice. It's just that this probably shouldn't take up much of your practice time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Push-hands practice is also something many people like to try without sight. It develops their sensitivity. But that's only a drill, not reality. When you go into free-sparring or realistic self-defense applications, you'll definitely need to see what's going on. Or you'll get hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2016-04-01T17:27:07.107" LastActivityDate="2016-04-01T17:27:07.107" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6298" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6202" CreationDate="2016-03-30T10:15:04.030" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A proper liver shot, needs to be prepared with some kind of combination. Usually a punch combo to the head so your oponent brings his hands up. The next thing would be to hit his right, lower rib cage in a 45° angle in un upward-motion with the intention to go through him towards his left shoulder. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-03-30T10:15:04.030" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6299" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6202" CreationDate="2016-03-30T15:32:43.693" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;So you want to punch someone's liver? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Why liver?&lt;/em&gt; I hear a large number of people shouting. &lt;em&gt;If you are going to hit an organ, why not the brain, groin, stomach, eyes, kidneys? Why pick the hardest to hit?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are questions we won't be answering. Mr Robertson wants to inflict some liver damage on others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The liver is protected by the ribs. So you want to strike their ribs, around the area of the bottom of the solar plexus, towards their right side (as they face you, your left). This is because your only chance of damaging the liver is by getting a rib to crack and puncture it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the topic of incapacitating an opponent, any level of internal bleeding is going to incapacitate someone. However, using the well known (police taught) principle of &lt;strong&gt;hit once, hit hard&lt;/strong&gt;, you would be better aiming your one hit towards a region like the solar plexus, temple or groin. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Closing, if you are looking to damage someone's liver in a serious/incapacitating way, buy them a few too many drinks.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6894" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-03-31T09:22:01.610" LastActivityDate="2016-03-31T09:22:01.610" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6300" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6202" CreationDate="2016-03-31T04:41:57.100" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was actually doing some research on body knockouts last year, and I can give you some of the information I've dug up.  It's not as detailed as what you're looking for (&quot;best methods&quot;), but it is some useful information nonetheless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Liver, Location, Access&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The liver sits under the right side of the ribcage.  It's &lt;em&gt;mostly, but not entirely&lt;/em&gt; protected by the ribs.   Why mostly?  Well, there's a host of reasons the liver can end up with it's lower half below the ribcage, including:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) Depression downward when the diaphragm is depressed when people have full lungs&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) Visceral drift - the viscera in the abdominal sack aren't tightly locked into place, they are held mostly by the network of blood vessels and fascial connective tissue.  The stomach is the most common organ to migrate around from standard, but other abdominal organs can vary position as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) Anatomical variation - some people have larger, or smaller livers, and sometimes the variant can have the liver covering from the front to 2/3rds around towards the spine.  Likewise, taller/shorter and rib coverage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.uptodate.com/contents/management-of-hepatic-trauma-in-adults&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;medical article talks about the liver typically being accessible 2-3 CM below the rib margin&lt;/a&gt;, my experience in bodywork typically finds most people have about 1-2 inches available. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Fun sidenote: you can do test this on your friends and training partners by tapping on person's abdomen, the liver is denser than the intestines and gives a different sound.  Doctors sometimes also do this when they're trying to isolate your lower right lobe of your lung to place the stethoscope &lt;em&gt;above&lt;/em&gt; the liver.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Delivering the Strike&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have no clue what's the &lt;em&gt;best&lt;/em&gt; way, but I see several styles and places give a thought to how to get in there and deliver it.  It shows up a lot in boxing, for pretty obvious reasons, and it follows from a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx1iz0aZOqQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;basic jab or 1-2 followed by a digging hook to the ribs&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNCbeYxqnd4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Here's another video with a few combos to get into a liver shot&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: I've found the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A7b9gBUYJU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Muay Thai liver shot video&lt;/a&gt;.  They talk with a doctor about the anatomy, then go into some of the ways to get hits in both with hands and kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as I can tell, pretty much every style that puts thought into doing it mostly looks for how to open up the opponent to drop a power strike in.  Whether one is better than the other, is something I'd want to have some practice with or at least talk to someone who's gotten it to work in different situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastEditorUserId="1598" LastEditDate="2016-04-03T15:51:05.593" LastActivityDate="2016-04-03T15:51:05.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6301" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5734" CreationDate="2016-03-31T10:19:27.213" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Though they come from similar bases, Aikido and Judo are designed for entirely different purposes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo was explicitly designed as a competitive grappling sport, grappling against other judo practitioners primarily within a dojo or competition hall, and it's techniques and training have expanded to fill this role.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido was designed to provide a mechanism for self defence in an uncontrolled environment &lt;em&gt;which would not harm an attacker&lt;/em&gt;. As such it purportedly handles common types of physical violence you might encounter from untrained attackers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Applying one to the other will simply show that Judo was designed to deal with other grappling martial artists and Aikido was not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In criticism of Aikido, as @DaveLiepmann I think validly points out, there is very often a lack of real testing of Aikidoka techniques against realistically resisting opponents. To me this is a more important failing than the design of the martial art against common attack types. It's also a club or philosophy specific failing rather than a problem of the art itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In criticism of Judo I would say that while it's a strong grappling combat sport, not all of the techniques are appropriate for use outside the dojo. As an example, virtually all of the sutemi waza should probably be limited to competitive use. Excluding any/all inappropriate techniques, would probably limit it to a far more conservative system, possibly more like the Japanese Ju-Jutsus it's derived from.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-03-31T10:19:27.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6302" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="501" CreationDate="2016-03-31T15:55:46.937" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Looking at the use of nukite in karate katas has led me to the belief that you &lt;em&gt;simply should not use a spear hand as a strike&lt;/em&gt;. There isn't a single example of it being used as a strike against an opponent in any of the kata I practice, though there are examples of what &lt;em&gt;appears on the surface&lt;/em&gt; to be spear hand strikes (and they are often trained that way). &lt;em&gt;All&lt;/em&gt; of the examples of spear hand strikes within these kata are entirely different techniques, in particular squeezing a hand through a narrow gap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Interpreting many of these types of movements as strikes are very often simply misunderstandings of the real applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Uechi-ryu karate style's kata conform to the Chinese form convention of using an open hand to indicate a grip. While the Okinawan convention indicating a grip within a kata, is a closed hand which resembles a fist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The result being that most Okinawan karate styles make use of punches while Uechi make use of a far higher percentage of open hand strikes, like nukite.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Uechi-ryu practitioners unfortunately therefore tend to suffer a higher proportion of finger damage simply through the misunderstanding and misapplication of the techniques. You can see this in many of their older practitioners. Kiyohide Shinjo is an example, but if you inspect the hands of many of the senior practitioners you will see evidence of permanent finger damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-03-31T15:55:46.937" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6303" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="501" CreationDate="2016-03-31T16:41:58.627" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You cannot condition your hands to make combat effective spear-hand attacks, with or without risk of injury. Hand conditioning is a bad idea in general (I spent years abusing my own body in pursuit of such an edge). Mechanically, and realistically, there is nothing to be gained from trying to jab your straight fingers at an opponent with the full force of a punch.  The outcome will be your fingers folding/buckling at the many joints (every one of them a potential point of failure). No amount of strengthening the muscles, bones, or ligaments will change this. There is just too much energy in play for your hand to maintain rigidity through the strike. So, the best one could hope to accomplish with a spear-hand is a light-contact jab, and there are more effective means of delivering those.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In an absence of all sense, throw a series of spear-hand strikes at a heavy bag with someone holding it steady. Continue increasing your commitment to follow-through on the strikes until you realize how dumb this whole notion is, or you are forced to seek medical attention.  Hopefully, you reach the former before the latter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-03-31T16:41:58.627" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6304" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6060" CreationDate="2016-04-01T04:46:23.233" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are your mats actual zebra mats? They should have a latex &quot;waffle&quot; grid on the bottoms. &#xA;The mats should not move one bit (on a concrete floor) as this grid creates a suction, holding the mats in place. &#xA;I was actually at the zebra warehouse today and witnessed this personally. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6975" LastActivityDate="2016-04-01T04:46:23.233" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6305" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4240" CreationDate="2016-04-01T15:32:13.303" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a lot talked about kata from different styles, things like how one style might be more linear or another more circular. One style might be more stiff or strong, hard and external and another might be soft and internal...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's largely nonsense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kata and forms of all unarmed styles based on Chinese kung-fu[1] are made up primarily (but not exclusively) of stand up grappling methods. Things like arm locks, throws, chokes, takedowns, body manipulation etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How the kata is performed and what it contains are &lt;em&gt;entirely different things&lt;/em&gt;. The performance in virtually all cases has been idealised, and often overemphasised as well, I believe deliberately as various ways of obfuscating the reality of the methods, so you would never in reality apply a technique &lt;em&gt;exactly&lt;/em&gt; as it's seen and performed in the kata. The kata can only show you how to do it and &lt;em&gt;possibly&lt;/em&gt; give hints through stance and speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A kata performance is made up of postures (kamae), these postures have no specific meaning within the context of the &lt;em&gt;performance&lt;/em&gt; of the kata. They are simply body shapes. You will see and perform things that &lt;em&gt;look like&lt;/em&gt; punches, or blocks, or even open hand strikes. Your teacher might even (incorrectly) call them punches or blocks. &lt;em&gt;It's likely that what they look like and are called and what they really are is entirely different.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;“All kata use the so-called postures (kamae). In fact, there are many&#xA;  kinds of postures and many kinds of kata. While learning these&#xA;  postures should not be totally ignored, we must be careful not to&#xA;  overlook that they are just forms or templates of sort; it is the&#xA;  function of their application which needs to be mastered.” – Choki&#xA;  Motobu&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore you have to get out of your head the circularity or linearity of the movement, or the hardness or softness of it, or the comparative apparent stiffness or flexibility during the performance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;strong&gt;all&lt;/strong&gt;[1] cases for &lt;strong&gt;all&lt;/strong&gt;[1] styles, from the softest Tai Chi, to the hardest Kyokushin Karate, to make them practical, you have to take the techniques out of the katas and perform them against opponents for yourself to see how &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt; need to do it to make it work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[1] The one style which has me entirely stumped at the moment is Wing Chun. The conventions used in it's forms are particularly obscure and attenuated relative to earlier styles it was derived from. So far it's completely opaque.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-04-01T15:32:13.303" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6306" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6126" CreationDate="2016-04-02T07:32:29.230" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is always a counter technik; also inside the Aikido (other than punching and kicking) For every technique there is a twin technique which could be used as counter, like ying yang principle. The concept is called &lt;code&gt;Kaeshi waza&lt;/code&gt;.&#xA;Of course I would not suggest to resist the &lt;code&gt;sankyo&lt;/code&gt; grip if your opponent/partner &lt;code&gt;tori&lt;/code&gt; has solid control over you, it might harm your joints. But there are 2 maybe 3 points of time which you can use for your &lt;code&gt;kaeshi&lt;/code&gt;, if &lt;code&gt;tori&lt;/code&gt; makes a small failure:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shortly before the &lt;code&gt;sankyo&lt;/code&gt; grip seated, tori needs to slow down a&#xA;little. As already suggested, you can try to drop your elbow,&#xA;control opponent's wrist and with the other elbow of yours you can&#xA;go for a quick &lt;code&gt;kote gaeshi&lt;/code&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;After &lt;code&gt;sankyo&lt;/code&gt; grip seated, tori screws the controlled hand with a direction to the top and immediately sinks it for the throw/leading to the ground. He can lose the control for a second exactly at this moment. You can once again drop your elbow and go for a &lt;code&gt;kote gaeshi&lt;/code&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Does not happen often, but tori can slightly lose the control during the leading to the ground. You can try to make a forwards roll (&lt;code&gt;mae-ukemi&lt;/code&gt;) and loosen the grip.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6654" LastEditorUserId="6654" LastEditDate="2016-04-04T08:43:01.203" LastActivityDate="2016-04-04T08:43:01.203" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6308" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6086" CreationDate="2016-04-04T14:02:32.490" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't worry many big clubs started with two members and worked from there. 10 or 20 years ago there were no books , no equipment and no hema workshops or seminaries and people any way took the original treats and start working from there. You are at far better situation. So my best advice is: start your own club. Mine is almost in place :) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6344" LastActivityDate="2016-04-04T14:02:32.490" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6310" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2802" CreationDate="2016-04-05T01:37:19.857" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm new to this section of Stack Overflow, but I practice and teach wing chun and self defence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've read some comments here and I agree that this is a &quot;gorilla vs shark&quot; like question. I'm not for heavy theorizing martial arts, but I do miss some considerations which could be of interest to the readers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mainly, you should not explicitly train to overcome one style's weaknesses.&#xA;If your opponent has years of training ahead of you, it simply does not matter which style he uses. He will most likely succeed because of experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Train your style and if it comes to a fight, do your thing, not your opponent's. Simply put: don't wrestle a wrestler if you're a boxer!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another distinction I'm missing is between martial arts as sport and martial arts as self defence &quot;tool&quot;. This is a crucial distinction because it shows some flaws of the question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sports have rules. The main objective is to win in compliance of such rules. There is a referee, who ensures that no party suffers an unreasonable/unhealthy amount of pain and/or damage.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Self defence does not have rules (although some judicial limitations!!!). The main objective is to survive; you can poke eyes, bite, etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most martial arts were developed as the latter, although over time reduced to the former, in order to widen the audience and to ensure that novices aren't killed. And I mean they were developed for war time level of self defence. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where I train, we teach wing chun as this kind of &quot;traditional&quot; martial art. We do not beat each other senseless, but we teach which technique (and yes wing chung has such techniques) is designed to break a bone (We don't demonstrate it!).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given those facts, do you want to fight for real or in a sparring like competition? For instance, in a real fight, a wing chung response to a boxing jab could be an eye poke. A take-down could be countered with a choke-hold (wing chun has those too, although we use them as a last resort due to the range preferences mentioned in other comments) guiding the opponent head first to the ground. This stuff is forbidden in competitive sports (Boxing, Kumite, MMA, ...) for good reason - this stuff can cripple or even kill someone!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also bear in mind, nothing stops your opponent (wing chun practitioner or not) from going for lethal points first; he does not have to wait for your attacks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as a last remark: it is true that wing chun has a focus on arm techniques. However, a well trained wing chun practitioner will kick and punch almost simultaneously, in order to distract his opponent. A kick aimed at your jewels/gonads (works for all genders) probably lowers your defence. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(All this does not mean wing chun is superior - in a kicking competition it will most likely lose against taekwondo or karate - it's just different)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6985" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-05T09:19:15.687" LastActivityDate="2016-04-05T09:19:15.687" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6311" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2857" CreationDate="2016-04-05T01:40:46.003" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Find a &lt;strong&gt;good&lt;/strong&gt; teacher - and a good group to train with. &#xA;This is important for all martial arts, especially for internal styles.&#xA;(I recommend training wing chun as internal martial art)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an edit, I should outline: what is a good quality in a teacher?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;He/She should not have the need to show that he is better/stronger than you. You already know that. That's the reason you train with him.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;He should train &lt;strong&gt;with&lt;/strong&gt; you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;He should be able to explain why a technique works or not. He should be able to explain the mechanics within the bounds of your limitations (these should decease over time).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;He should challenge you from time to time, but inside your capabilities.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6985" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-05T09:19:24.703" LastActivityDate="2016-04-05T09:19:24.703" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6312" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-04-05T01:52:01.010" Score="1" ViewCount="2737" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am aiming for national level skill. I want to be able to use my front kicks more fluently and naturally. Are there any good drills for that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6986" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-04-07T03:31:07.373" LastActivityDate="2016-04-20T22:51:45.117" Title="Drills for improving front kicks" Tags="|training|kicking|drills|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6313" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6312" CreationDate="2016-04-05T09:34:26.620" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Basing this answer on a TaeKwonDo front kick&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With most things in life the best way to improve is to practice it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Breaking&lt;/strong&gt; If you are looking to break with a front kick then technique is crucial. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ensure that your &lt;em&gt;knee&lt;/em&gt; is coming up high (and then dropping slightly as the foot fires forward to make the foot travel straight). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make sure you are making contact with the &lt;em&gt;ball of the foot&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Hips&lt;/em&gt; must stay parallel - if you twist the kicking hip forwards the power will slip off to the side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;practice&lt;/em&gt; - kicking the air is good for balance and ensuring technique is correct. Mix fast and slow motion kicking to build the muscle memory. Once your technique is good then kick the pads. Kicking off the back leg will be more generally be more powerful because your weight is travelling forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sparring&lt;/strong&gt; Usually this requires more speed/flexibility and the technique can be sacrificed a little.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Still do everything above&lt;/em&gt; - The front kick still stays the same - if you want to be a world class sparrer then you need to be a world class kicker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A couple of pointers for using this in sparring - the &lt;em&gt;front leg is quicker&lt;/em&gt; and for much closer range so can be used to get in or out of hand/punch range. By pushing your hip forward you can get a little more height/distance which may make the difference between a chest shot and a head shot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;practice&lt;/em&gt; - use sparring sessions to practice the techniques you want to improve - set yourself a target for the lesson (or each spar) such as &quot;I will score a front kick&quot; or &quot;I will use front kicks to open up punching opportunities&quot;. If you don't use sparring training sessions to try new things - you will forever and ever spar the same way&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2016-04-05T09:34:26.620" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6314" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-04-05T13:56:28.740" Score="1" ViewCount="572" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've trained in MMA for one and a half years and half a year in Krav Maga. I find that I don't have enough energy to train, because of work and school. My goal is not to lose reflexes and my current proficiency at doing techniques.  I want to be able to defend myself in case I am attacked.  I do not want to be &quot;competition fit&quot;, but still retain a healthy workout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am sure that many people have the same problem: they have neither the time nor the energy to practice daily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What would be the minimum number of sessions or time that I would need to train?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6686" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-06T10:12:16.923" LastActivityDate="2016-04-07T04:14:11.043" Title="What is the minumum training time to remain proficient?" Tags="|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6315" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6312" CreationDate="2016-04-05T14:01:28.090" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Practice your kicks as if you are moving in slow-motion. While doing so, focus on perfecting your form. Proper posture, balance, and skeletal alignment are key to optimizing your technique. Speed and power will follow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I cannot stress this enough, but practice your kicks and footwork at the same time. If you are looking to be a high level competitor in tournament or other contact competition you need to be able to fluidly attack mid-stride. This is one of the best ways to increase one's 'speed' in combat. Practice moving and kicking until you no longer have to think about the details.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Along with practicing your footwork, work on kicking at a moving target. Work with a partner who is holding a kicking target and have them move like an opponent (alternating defensive and offensive footwork). When training alone you can use a ball suspended from a string from the ceiling of your training area (tennis balls are a great for this). The ball is a small(ish) target for you work on fine motor control, and it can swing like a pendulum or in circles.  You can also practice your footwork circling around and reacting to the balls movements. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-04-05T14:01:28.090" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6316" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6314" CreationDate="2016-04-05T15:45:10.040" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boxing (Western) is a great way to get and stay fit.  You say you don't have much energy, but you need to push your cardio-vascular fitness to build that back up (also, eat right). The punching fundamentals of boxing translate well to self-defense and are simpatico with most other fighting skills you may pick up. As an added bonus, boxing gyms are usually not hard to find in most areas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: The question has been edited to the degree that my response no longer seems relevant. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastEditorUserId="6178" LastEditDate="2016-04-05T21:19:12.260" LastActivityDate="2016-04-05T21:19:12.260" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6317" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6314" CreationDate="2016-04-06T05:10:16.730" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to this question.  The minimum amount of practice you need depends upon many factors which vary from individual to individual:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Other activities - If you play a sport like soccer, you are more likely to retain things like reflexes.  If you are well known for having a mind like a steel trap, you are more likely to retain fixed action patterns associated with martial arts.  If your life is spent sitting in a desk chair, and you find your mind fuzzy more often than not, you will likely require more training than others.  What does your job require you to do?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Desired combat readiness - There is no one magic line to be drawn between &quot;combat ready&quot; and &quot;not combat ready.&quot;  Every situation you come across is unique.  Some will be easier to defend with a given martial art than others.  &quot;Combat ready&quot; on the streets of a rural town is very different than &quot;combat ready&quot; in a warzone.  Do you live in Deluth or Los Angeles or New Orleans?  Each sports its own variants on &quot;combat ready.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Build - A massive muscled individual may require less training to remain ready than one who has less muscle and must use that muscle more efficiently in a combat situation.  This is simply a factor of margins: a more muscled individual has more margin in many situations before they become compromised (there's situations where the opposite is true, but you get the idea)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sensitivity - The more sensitive you are to how your body works, the sooner you'll detect something which is starting to fall apart, giving you a chance to tailor your regime to work with those particular skills.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4422" LastActivityDate="2016-04-06T05:10:16.730" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6318" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6507" CreationDate="2016-04-06T08:53:09.247" Score="6" ViewCount="992" Body="&lt;p&gt;What's the main difference between a Baratoplata and Kimura lock? Or is a Baratoplata just another variation of a Kimura? Do they affect the same area of the arm? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5496" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-15T10:19:05.037" LastActivityDate="2019-08-15T10:22:30.400" Title="Baratoplata vs Kimura" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|technique|joint-lock|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6319" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6321" CreationDate="2016-04-06T10:18:41.207" Score="8" ViewCount="1644" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am practicing Japanese Jujitsu, I am currently purple white stripe belt. Physically I am about 75kgs, and about 5ft 7-8.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My problem is when I hip throw (Ogoshi) my regular uke, probably a few kgs heaver and a couple of inches, its great, I get in quick low and fast,  and my Uke gets proper air on the throws. (again with other uke's same height / weight or less no problem).&#xA;But when I tried the same  hip throw/ Ogoshi on a 102kg uke (all muscle – was in a weight lifting team) who is about 6ft 2 in height, its just rubbish I think I am going in low and fast, but the throw ends up more like a slide of my hip, and when I did manage to get it all done properly he didn’t get much air (and later admitted, he helped by jumping a little).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So any advice on how to hip throw a much larger/stronger opponent? Or could it be a hip throw is not for every opponent? - I know there are other throws I could use. Dropping body drop / stamp etc, but I want my hip throw(Ogoshi) to be spot on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5993" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-04-06T16:08:18.917" LastActivityDate="2016-04-07T14:39:13.920" Title="Problems hip throwing a larger opponent" Tags="|technique|judo|jujutsu|balance|throwing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6320" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6319" CreationDate="2016-04-06T14:58:44.070" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best option would be to ask your instructor to watch what you do with both the opponents you mention in your post. He will be able to check that you're doing the technique correctly and if you're doing it differently for the two opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively (and if you're allowed to) have someone video you performing the technique on both opponents and see if you can spot what is different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2016-04-06T14:58:44.070" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6321" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6319" CreationDate="2016-04-06T16:05:52.430" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are 75 kg, then you should not have a problem throwing an opponent who is 102 kg with a basic hip throw. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/images/animations/blue/ogoshi.htm&quot;&gt;major hip throw (ogoshi)&lt;/a&gt; is the first hip throw in the judo curriculum. It's simplest to start with throwing ogoshi slowly because ogoshi has the nice property that you can stop mid-throw. It's easiest to understand the mechanics while practicing slowly, and then you add speed and power afterward. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In judo, throws are analyzed in three basic parts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;off-balancing (kuzushi)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;entry (tsukuri)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;finish (kake)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can throw people of comparable size, but not people who are bigger than you, this is probably a problem with missing the off-balancing portion. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some tips:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You do not want to be squatting the weight of your partner. You want their weight to fall onto your hips, and once this happens you rotate your partner's weight off your hips for them to fall. Your hips need to be lower than your partner's for this to happen. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To get your partner's weight over your hips, you need to pull them forward. Without your action to off-balance your partner, their weight will be over their own feet. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Try to grab your partners far hip with your hand when inserting your arm. Inserting your arm deep will give you more control of your partner's movements. This arm should also be assisting with the off-balancing. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;For ogoshi, push your hip all the way across your partner's body. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The major hip throw is actually a good throw to learn without relying on your partner wearing a gi. The first grip taught is with one hand at uke's elbow and the other arm around uke's waist/hips. The hand on the arm around uke's waist does not grab the gi or belt (if you do, that is normally classified as a lifting hip throw [tsuri goshi]; not an important element if you want to just throw someone, but a judo technicality).  The hand gripping the elbow is usually taught first as grabbing the gi sleeve, but you can off-balance someone just as effectively if you grab the elbow directly. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-04-07T14:39:13.920" LastActivityDate="2016-04-07T14:39:13.920" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6325" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6319" CreationDate="2016-04-06T23:48:16.473" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It can be very hard to impossible to willingly off-balance an (maybe sub-conciously) uncooperative, stronger opponent, i.e. to have enough kuzushi. That is where Judo (in the very sense of the expression) begins. And as Judo is Jujitsu specialized on throwing (among other things), I will answer purely in this context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally had the experience with a partner having about 20 percent more height and weight. I pulled with all I had and it felt like nothing happened for an eternity before this person began to even move one inch. It was a devastating experience for me. I could throw him by force, but it never felt right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here, you have three possibilities:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ask him to help you more. If it improves, ask him to do a bit less, step by step, until you do not need his help anymore. This may take a long time, but it's crucial for learning techniques. Jumping is &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; the right thing to do, though, but going into the movement/leaning towards you is better.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Concentrate on kuzushi &lt;em&gt;before&lt;/em&gt; going into the throw (tsukuri). Overcoming the resistance from the beginning is tough, but it will be another possibility of training for you. You should never enter a throw before being sure of your kuzushi.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ask your partner to move forward (dynamic execution), so that he will make part of the kuzushi for you. In Judo, the idea is to use the momentum of your opponent instead of creating it. This does not hold for most of the very cautious modern competitive Judo, though.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If executed correctly, a throw should always feel easy and without much strength needed. The pain is in the off-balancing needed for getting there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2016-04-06T23:48:16.473" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6326" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6318" CreationDate="2016-04-07T01:26:55.357" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Baratoplata and Kimura hurts the same joints and area &lt;strong&gt;Shoulder&lt;/strong&gt;. It means both submissions are to same result but with different variations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the same way of the Arm bar/arm lock. This submission hurts the elbow and could be apply for guard, mount, back, inverse and also from inside the my opponent guard (not usual)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The history of Kimura:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The kimura lock, also called double wristlock (catch wrestling),&#xA;  chicken wing or gyaku ude-garami (judo) is a grappling submission hold&#xA;  of uncertain origin, being catch wrestling and judo the likely authors&#xA;  of the position. In Brazilian jiu jitsu the submission bares the name&#xA;  of “Kimura” after the famous Masahiko Kimura who defeated Helio Gracie&#xA;  with this lock on the 23rd of October, 1951. The submission relies on&#xA;  isolating the shoulder and elbow joints with the use of a double wrist&#xA;  grip which allows for the attacker to apply leverage against both of&#xA;  these joints (though mainly the shoulder).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastActivityDate="2016-04-07T01:26:55.357" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6327" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6314" CreationDate="2016-04-07T04:14:11.043" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The thing is, you're approaching it kind of from the wrong angle. You're asking how you can reduce the number of days per week that you train so that you can just retain what you have and not lose anything. So you want the answer to be a simple &quot;1&quot;, &quot;2&quot;, or maybe &quot;3&quot; days per week. That's just not going to be easy for you or anyone else to say.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem is our brains and bodies don't work that way. When you learn any new skill at first, you're going to have to repeat it 100 times that day. And then you're going to have to come back to it again a day later, but maybe only do it 90 times. And then you can skip a day and come back to it the day after that and only do it 70 times. Then you can skip two days after that and come back to it and do it 50 times. And so on, until you can come back to it a month from now and only have to do it a half dozen times to retain that skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's how our brains actually work. And this is what's known as the &quot;Spaced Repetition&quot; method, which you can learn about here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_repetition&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_repetition&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Spaced Repetition method can serve as the framework for figuring out the minimum time needed between training sessions to retain whatever you want to retain. It's often used to learn new vocabulary and new languages, but it can be applied to any skill in general.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not as simple as limiting your workouts to one or two days a week. Some of your skills will require more days training per week with less number of days resting in between. Some skills will only require training once a month. And the number of times your repeat each skill will depend on the previous times you've done it and whether or not your previous attempt was better or worse than the ones before it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I talked about this much more in depth several paragraphs down in my answer here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5589/what-is-the-most-effective-way-to-teach-jiu-jitsu/5590#5590&quot;&gt;What is the most effective way to teach Jiu Jitsu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I would do if I were you is to prioritize what skills I want to retain. Once those are prioritized, you can focus on them and determine the frequency (how many days on, how many days off) and duration (how many reps) of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Start with a rough guess for everything you prioritize. Write it down. Program it. Then after two workouts, you can determine if things got better, worse, or stayed the same. If things got better, you can afford to space the training out more and/or reduce the number of repetitions or duration you train. Then go back to your program and make the changes. Always update it after every workout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think of it like a big feedback loop. Your performance today will change the frequency and duration you program in for the next time you practice that skill. So if you go to practice your uchi-mata throw, and it has gotten worse than the last time you did it, that means you need to increase the frequency of how often you train it as well as how many repetitions you do each time you train it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds like a lot of work, and it doesn't give you a simple answer of 1, 2, or 3 days a week like what you really want. But actually, it gives you the right answer, which is the minimum effort you need to put into any skill in order to retain it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that answer doesn't work within your own personal time limitations, that's where you must change your prioritization. Prioritize that skill more highly, allowing you to focus on it more and spend more time on it. But that will mean that other skills will worsen, unfortunately. That's okay. It's all about your own priorities in life. Nobody has infinite time and energy to train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-04-07T04:14:11.043" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6329" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5362" CreationDate="2016-04-07T10:44:41.547" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sanchin originates from the Chinese kung-fu forms &quot;San Chiem&quot; or &quot;San Zhan&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Example comparisons of the various Chinese and Okinawan versions of the kata, this video shows how each style practises it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWh-uhw4C9s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWh-uhw4C9s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It means (in all of the names and languages) &quot;Three battles&quot;. Possibly a shortening of &quot;Three Battle Steps&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While there is little to no &lt;em&gt;direct&lt;/em&gt; evidence for the following view, the shortness of the kata indicates it was more likely to have originated from a formalised type of 3 step sparring. Something that Asian arts very often make use of early in the training of a technique. As such it would not have have been practised solo, but with a partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In various chinese kung-fu systems the convention used within forms to indicate a grip on an opponent is an open hand. Within Okinawan karate systems, the convention is a closed hand. When the kata was brought from China to Okinawa the local convention was used and the open hands were replaced with closed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now the kata very commonly has both hands raised with the grip convention. It indicates that when practising with a partner that you would have a two handed grip on that partner. Effectively a clinch position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The kata is therefore very similar to wrestling &quot;pummelling&quot; drills where the two attempt to gain a superior position. This also explains the use of tension and dynamic tension when practising the kata within various karate styles &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; the use of the Sanchin stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without a partner providing resistance when practising solo, the practitioner has to provide that resistance themselves. Today, the resistance is often used to build muscle, it's an interesting and innovative way of practising.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or, put another way. Sanchin is a form of 3 step sparring, teaching wrestling from a clinch. The end techniques differ from style to style and are probably relatively unimportant in themselves, they would likely have changed depending on what was being practised at the time, though they could also indicate good clinch ending techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I highly recommend practising Sanchin with a partner. It's ... enlightening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastEditorUserId="6808" LastEditDate="2016-04-07T10:51:43.693" LastActivityDate="2016-04-07T10:51:43.693" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6330" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6338" CreationDate="2016-04-07T13:47:38.123" Score="-3" ViewCount="1153" Body="&lt;p&gt;What focus and what kind of techniques are different?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6686" LastActivityDate="2019-04-11T21:00:19.447" Title="What's the difference between Krav Maga and Urban Krav Maga?" Tags="|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6331" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2857" CreationDate="2016-04-07T17:12:49.170" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Emin Boztepe has trained in Wing Tsun for decades. He has a brand of his own called Emin Boztepe Martial Arts System (EBMAS). He trained under Leung Ting and Keith Kernspecht. You will definitely learn how to fight in this system. There are 2 schools in Romania under his system. Here is a link to the info for those schools:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ebmas.net/category/schule/romania/?lang=en&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;EBMAS schools in Romania&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6947" LastActivityDate="2016-04-07T17:12:49.170" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6332" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="691" CreationDate="2016-04-08T11:54:19.240" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Short answer. Yes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Longer answer. There are entire martial arts/combat sports which are designed for exactly this situation. By attempting to use standing techniques on the ground you are basically re-inventing the wheel from a position of inexperience, i.e. probably badly. As such, this answer agrees with @daveliepmann.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The drill sequences you find in kata can be taken &lt;strong&gt;directly&lt;/strong&gt; from the kata and practised with an uke with little to no modification. However as with any drill, it's really not the point to simply use it &lt;em&gt;exactly&lt;/em&gt; as is. Usually there are underlying principles which are being taught by executing the drill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;examples. get off line; get behind the opponent's attack. Immobilize him. Attack the limbs that he gives you. etc etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The principles can be applied in any environment, standing or on the ground. However because they are primarily standing techniques (almost all of the ones I've come across) there are additional constraints not there when standing and there are certainly additional principles which are inherent to fighting on the ground that the standing drills &lt;em&gt;cannot&lt;/em&gt; teach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So get some experience in ground fighting from other experienced ground fighters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;p.s. I don't believe the statistics given that 90% of fights end up on the ground. They were taken from police records where trained officers deliberately took (untrained) suspects down to restrain them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anecdotally (&lt;em&gt;So take it for what it's worth&lt;/em&gt;. Getting hold of good numbers is almost impossible in this area. I would like to get hold of sources of good information) speaking to door staff and other security personnel who regularly deal with violence, the percentage of unarmed fights where &lt;em&gt;one&lt;/em&gt; of the combatants ends up on the ground is high, but it's most commonly the less trained one. The percentage where both end up on the ground is much lower.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where &lt;em&gt;both&lt;/em&gt; combatants are trained, you are in the realm of duels. 1 vs 1 fighting, usually with rules. This is an &lt;em&gt;entirely&lt;/em&gt; different environment from casual violence and ending up on the ground is extremely common.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-04-08T11:54:19.240" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6333" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6335" CreationDate="2016-04-08T22:32:56.917" Score="-1" ViewCount="1532" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are certain regulations on carrying a knife in some regions. I wonder what are effective alternatives that can be used in knife's stead, and that can be considered cold weapons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4367" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T15:34:41.503" Title="What is the most effective cold weapon alternative to knife?" Tags="|weapons|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="5" ClosedDate="2016-04-11T21:25:25.147" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6334" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6333" CreationDate="2016-04-09T03:32:58.900" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is going to depend highly on your particular region's laws, be them at the city, county, state, province, or country level. And the laws change from time to time. It's hard to know for sure what's allowed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other thing to keep in mind is that even if a weapon is legal, if you go to court on homicide or assault charges, even if it was clearly self-defense, juries are often prejudiced against the use of weapons, particularly if your attacker is unarmed. They can easily rule against you in favor of the prosecution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oddly enough, I've heard that guns are the only exception (in the U.S. and other countries where gun ownership is legal and encouraged). They say juries tend to be okay with someone using guns to protect themselves. Not knives, for example. If you use a knife, even legally, the jury may see it as something only a &quot;thug&quot; would be carrying. Only guns are something an &quot;upright&quot; citizen would carry for self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best advice I can give anyone who wants to carry a weapon for self-defense that's not a gun is to carry something that isn't a weapon but can be used that way. This has to be something you might have with you at the time and have a good reason to have it other than for self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, a very strong, heavy umbrella. Or a cane or a walking stick. Or even a strong, metal pen with a hard, blunt point to it. Drum sticks. Belts, ropes, and electrical cables can be used defensively. Screw drivers and wrenches. Steel tipped boots. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're a woman carrying a purse, think about keeping rolls of pennies or nickels at the bottom of the purse so you can flail your purse at an attacker. Guys might want to also have rolls of pennies, nickels, or quarters in your jacket pockets to use while punching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You get the idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Legally, that's more justifiable than having an actual weapon on your person and using it. But, again, this depends on your local laws. It often doesn't matter that you used something that wasn't actually a weapon. If you used it &quot;as&quot; a weapon, that may be the only thing that matters, legally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you really have to be aware of your own local laws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only other thing I'd suggest looking at is pepper spray. In fact, I'd go so far as to say get that before thinking about the improvised non-weapons I mentioned above. It's easily justified in courts as a pure self-defense weapon. It doesn't have the stigma that knives do, being associated with criminals and &quot;thugs&quot;. Pepper spray is common, cheap, effective, and legal - in the U.S. anyway, if over 18 years of age.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But make sure you know how to use your pepper spray and go through drills every now and then. You don't want to have to fidget with it to get it to work when you need it. You should know how to aim it and do some target practice with it. It should be kept out of reach of children. There should be a safety lock to prevent it from accidentally discharging. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of the states in the U.S. allow pepper spray without a license now (or will as of this July it seems), but there are some regulations you have to abide by on a per-state basis. Other countries may or may not allow pepper spray. Many countries only allow law enforcement officers to have pepper spray. You can check this link for info on your particular location:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper_spray#Legality&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper_spray#Legality&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But be careful not to use pepper spray without a good reason. Just because it's legal doesn't mean you can't be sued or imprisoned for using it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's true of everything else I mentioned as well. If you use an umbrella or a rolled up newspaper against someone, for example, and they press charges against you with the police, you might be imprisoned for battery with a weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2016-04-09T04:21:49.747" LastActivityDate="2016-04-09T04:21:49.747" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6335" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6333" CreationDate="2016-04-09T03:33:11.023" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;As no specific region was specified in the question, this answer applies exclusively to Canada. Perhaps similar provisions exists in other legal systems, however.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Canada, the law allows you to openly carry a knife of pretty much any size, as long as it conforms to these points of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/page-19.html#h-37&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Criminal Code Article 84&lt;/a&gt; :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Prohibited weapon means&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(a) a knife that has a blade that opens automatically by gravity or centrifugal force or by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in or attached to the handle of the knife, or&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(b) any weapon, other than a firearm, that is prescribed to be a prohibited weapon&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the first item implies, any straight knife or knife that opens from pressure to the blade only is legal, with no size restriction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The prohibited cold weapons list includes :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tear gas, sprays or other similar items&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;nunchaku&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;shuriken&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kusari or Manrikigusari&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;bladed rings (as in weaponized jewellery)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;TASER&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crossbows longer than .5m or that can be fired with a single hand&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;push daggers&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;any item smaller than 30cm that conceals a blade or spike of any kind&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;spiked wristbands&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;blowguns&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;telescoping clubs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;morning stars&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;brass knuckles made of metal&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, if it's not on that list, it's legal to &lt;strong&gt;own&lt;/strong&gt; one. Notice the emphasis on own... In Canada, use and intent are considered when weapons are involved, as far as the &lt;a href=&quot;http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/page-20.html#h-39&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Criminal Code Article 88&lt;/a&gt; is concerned :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every person commits an offence who carries or possesses a weapon, an imitation of a weapon, a prohibited device or any ammunition or prohibited ammunition for a purpose dangerous to the public peace or for the purpose of committing an offence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The common interpretation is that if you are carrying weapons for the practice of martial arts or for mundane uses (i.e. that knife on your belt with an 8&amp;quot; blade is for woodworking and general bushcraft, opening sealed boxes, etc.), it's 100% legal. However, if you are carrying for combat purposes, even if it is self-defence, it is deemed &amp;quot;dangerous to the public peace&amp;quot; and you could be arrested. Obviously, carrying a weapon with the intent of committing a crime is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nonetheless, some interesting stuff is still legal to own in Canada. For instance, pretty much any straight knife is OK, as well as unassisted opening folded knives. Metallic and wooden clubs are fine, too, as long as they are not telescopic (it's apparently OK for law enforcement, though). Metallic brass knuckles are prohibited, but not hard plastic or ceramic ones. Bows are apparently perfectly fine, too!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As long as you remember that these items are utilitarian in nature or part of your personal collection, they are perfectly fine. Just never use them as a weapon or state that you could intend to do so if you felt threatened...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a matter of fact, I used to regularly transport swords of various kinds in the Montreal metro system, going to demonstrations and other martial arts related activities. I was questioned more than once by the local law enforcement, but was never fined or arrested, nor were my weapons confiscated. The only thing that was said to me was that I should wrap them in a piece of cloth, as it becomes more apparent that I'm only carrying the weapons, and not actively prepared to use them. After I started doing so, I was never bothered again, even if I sported the classic anime look with an obvious bundle of swords strapped to my back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-04-09T03:51:12.000" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6336" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6333" CreationDate="2016-04-09T07:05:04.567" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll give you both the &quot;ideal but still probably illegal&quot; answer, and the more realistic answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Smashing weapons - still probably illegal&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can't have edged weapons, a stick or club is a great tool.  It gives you reach, leverage, and can smash bones.  If you want a short pocket weapon, then you want brass knuckles.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, if I had the choice, I'd take brass knuckles over a knife, because many people report not feeling pain from stabs or cuts, but broken bones destroy the structure people need to keep attacking you.  If you don't have the training to incapacitate someone correctly and they bleed out 20 minutes after they've already killed you, it doesn't help you any.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, these things tend to be just as outlawed as knives so the point is moot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The practical option&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To most of my friends I recommend a flashlight.  You can get metal flashlights that have good heft, and range in size from pocket flashlights to foot long &quot;regular&quot; flashlight sizes, which are generally acceptable as normal tools to carry or have in your car. And frankly, you'll use them for actual flashlight duty, so it's an honest claim. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I carry a small 7 inch pocket flashlight that allows me to strike with either a hammerfist or a stabbing motion to strike with either side of the flashlight.  Most of the blade techniques I've learned from silat carry over fairly well, provided you train to go for bone smashes and with more force than you would use for a knife.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't get the kind with 101 &quot;features&quot; like &quot;tactical edges&quot; or such. Solid construction, heavy weight are what make this work, and all the extras move it from being a tool into a weapon as far as most people are concerned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Your local laws, interpretation, and bias&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, this also filters through your local regulations.  Those also filter through your local law enforcement, which may be much more arbitrary than the actual laws itself.  Given that for some people, they can't walk down the street with a soda can without police shooting them, carrying a knife, even if legal, would be out of the question when their primary goal is what makes them &lt;em&gt;safer&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-04-09T07:05:04.567" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6337" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2016-04-09T07:17:36.050" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've had a solid 2 years of strength training including Olympic weightlifting before starting martial arts, which I've pursued for over ten years since my first real fight. Strength training for minimum two years is a must for adding the necessary bulk to compete in fighting at a high level, but to really stand-out, you need weightlifting. That's why I was a natural in martial arts right away: the weightlifting training. Never mind body-building or power-lifting (unless you are trying to build &quot;python&quot; strength, a pure grappler/submission artist), you want dynamic power a.k.a. speed-strength, explosive strength. Power is power is power. The same power a weightlifter will build is the exact same power you're using in the ring, whether it be to toss someone 8 feet away or in the air, twisting the guy backwards or flat-out knocking someone's teeth out. if you can't find an Olympic gym, find a good basketball or track &amp;amp; field coach and learn as much about 'plyometrics' as you can (same concept, same result, different training approach). I'm not trying to sell anyone on weightlifting, it just works!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My point is, unless your only goal is to wrestle someone down and get them in a submission, simply training body-building or power-lifting will get you knocked out. Those sports build strength, but very little power. On the street, the 3 most important things are speed, power and technique. Weightlifting will give you the power aspect; power is the combination of speed and strength. So there you've pretty much got two. Think of a 150 kg (330 lbs) Olympic calibre weightlifter. Fat right? Well, that guy can probably run faster than anyone on this post within 10 yards. As far as technique, none of us are going to be like the shaolin. I'd say 3-5 years of training technique, you'll be as lethal as you like. On a level of 0-7 (zero being untrained and 7 being world champion) I'm a three in weightlifting. Being a three on the standards chart will put you at an advantage in power over almost anyone you're facing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7002" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-11T15:40:08.180" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T15:40:08.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6338" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6330" CreationDate="2016-04-09T08:50:46.587" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Krav-Maga is close-combat. Originated by Imi Lichtenfeldt, however, as to my knowledge there are plenty of organisations and derivates existing.  The difference is who is teaching it, as there is no restriction to anybody to call his business in any way except there is some kind of trademark set. The main problem with this is that anybody who was in the IDF or participated in an Krav-Maga a instructors course can open a Krav-Maga school and give it his own name and apply techniques he see fit his 'business' or current needs. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice, stay with its roots and train in gyms that are part of quality controlled organizations like KMG, IKMF or KMA then it doesn't matter how the instructor calls it, it might be cake-krav-killer-defense but you will have at least some sort of confidence that the things you get taught have part of the idea in it of the originator.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-04-09T08:50:46.587" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6339" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="888" CreationDate="2016-04-10T01:15:36.090" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Various forms of fencing and swordsmanship are good for learning how to use one hand effectively. Bruce Lee applied a lot of ideas from fencing to how he performed his lead punch. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some styles of historical fencing, notably British sabre, it is common to put the off hand (usually the left) behind the back. This both makes it less likely to be cut and, in some styles, conceals a dagger for close range. In that context the lead hand is used exclusively for both offense and defense. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7005" LastActivityDate="2016-04-10T01:15:36.090" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6340" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6347" CreationDate="2016-04-10T06:50:22.177" Score="3" ViewCount="1037" Body="&lt;p&gt;My question: how can I prepare myself to avoid the &quot;deer-in-the-headlights&quot; phenomenon if I am ever attacked in real life?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The background:  I took a self-defense seminar today at my dojang and learned some valuable skills, mostly about distance and using my voice, but also some basic escape moves.  The problem is that we practiced the moves in a safe place and the &quot;attackers&quot; were all men that I trust and have sparred against.  None of the positions made me at all uncomfortable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that in a real situation, I would have a ton of adrenaline dumping into my system. I also know that my normal reaction to that much adrenaline is to close-up, shut-up, and tremble--all extremely counterproductive. How do I avoid that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7006" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T15:46:40.007" Title="Training to avoid freezing up in self-defense" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2016-04-11T21:24:31.890" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6341" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6340" CreationDate="2016-04-10T07:42:58.240" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;One way to reliably experience using martial arts skills during an adrenaline dump is to compete in a full-contact ruleset. A judo tournament, knockdown karate tournament, and scheduled kickboxing match, would each fit the bill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some &quot;reality-based self-defense&quot; schools advocate situational training, such as practicing in everyday clothes and in everyday environments, or with extended cursing and yelling intended to elicit emotional responses and discomfort. I don't find these give me an adrenaline dump, nor help me think through my actual responses, nor practice technique effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-04-10T07:42:58.240" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6342" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6340" CreationDate="2016-04-10T11:17:43.217" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's a bit of a dirty secret really - most people who teach self defence classes know that what they're teaching will be mostly ineffective due to:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the deer-in-the-headlights syndrome that you mentioned  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;99% of those students are not going to actively practice what they were just taught therefore if they ever manage to apply it effectively it will be pure luck  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some schools/people will use this knowledge simply to make profit, the others will still teach the courses because they know that even one person &quot;saved&quot; is better than nothing at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my experience the only way to overcome that situational paralysis is to train. Then train some more. Then practice the techniques on an unyielding opponent. Then train some more. It's a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stressstop.com/stress-tips/articles/fight-flight-or-freeze-response-to-stress.php&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;psychological reaction&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-or-flight_response&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;also here&lt;/a&gt;), the only way to beat it is to understand it and train it out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Situational paralysis is common, especially in lower ranked or beginner students. Another manifestation of it is situational panic - where the student just panics and strikes out like a crazy person, not really sure what they're doing. Afterwards they have no real memory of what they did.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only way to get rid of either behavior is to train to the point that you don't need to consciously remember the technique, and to actually experience having to use the techniques. When you train be aware that you're not just training the body, you are also training the mind and eliminating the negative responses. As you execute the techniques you need to be visualizing exactly what you are doing with it; after a while this visualization will become an automatic habit and you won't have to do it deliberately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2016-04-10T11:17:43.217" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6344" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6333" CreationDate="2016-04-10T17:47:39.810" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just carry a pen. It can save your life. If your attacker has a knife, honestly I'd say forget the rules; you are evening your odds or otherwise going 6 ft under. You can legally carry a pen anywhere you want, including into a court room. A simple fountain pen is THE ultimate concealed weapon. I have one in my car and on me at all times. Don't just use it for nothing or flash it around. We know from very early (well, some of us) that it's to your best advantage that other people don't even know you practice martial arts! Good luck, I hope for our sake we don't have to use it. Would it work? Um, yeah, it would.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;N.B. don't go buying a &quot;combat pen&quot; or something stupid like that. You're hust fine with a good old-fashioned ball-point pen. Good luck explaining the &quot;combat pen&quot; stupidity to a judge! Hope that helped in some way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7002" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-11T15:34:41.503" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T15:34:41.503" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6345" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6296" CreationDate="2016-04-10T18:00:57.040" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;in my experience of defying my elders and getting hurt so many times, i'd say if you really want to master the deepest roots &amp;amp; principles of how tai chi actually works... and your sifu is good? always listen to your sifu. that's my take on it. sifu is like your dad in the way that, when he gets to know you, he really starts to care. if he has a good soul, he's like your &quot;dad&quot; in a way that he'll teach you things that his teacher taught him, same as a family!! if you know your sifu is a good person, treat him like a Buddha... like gold! it's only going to bring good things. if not, you can screw-up your foundation for tai chi and possibly get your eyes or throat ripped out... &lt;strong&gt;joke&lt;/strong&gt; lol&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7002" LastActivityDate="2016-04-10T18:00:57.040" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6346" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6192" CreationDate="2016-04-10T18:09:20.217" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know how that feels Matt, used to happen all the time at hockey &amp;amp; football. The coach thinks you're soft. He wants to make you into a fighter. You want my honest opinion? unless the guy is a pure a-hole, he's just trying to make you harder (like, carved out of wood Hard). don't take it personally because he's probably not personally attacking you. he's just busting your balls and looking for an excuse to test you. don't freak out. he wants you to man-up. the more we as men realize it's not all personal...!!! get it? the more we own-up and act more like real men. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;don't take it personal is all i'm saying. go in there nose first, get hurt, and after some time, that same coach is going to put you above everyone else. he thinks you're nothing, prove to him who you are bro. good luck... and put the personal issues aside.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;n.b. if he is really an a-hole, maybe start looking for a new club... sorry!?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7002" LastActivityDate="2016-04-10T18:09:20.217" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6347" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6340" CreationDate="2016-04-10T22:26:12.747" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's basically 3 things going on with the freeze.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &quot;easiest&quot; hurdle (easiest to adjust your training to) is addressing practical issues of terrain, location, being out of position.  Most training is done in a clear, well lit space, free of obstacles.  After you get basic proficiency, your training should include adding things which put you under greater disadvantage and stress - these don't have to be exactly 1:1 to real situations, but you need to play with adapting techniques and experimenting in the moment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The emotional hurdle often involves facing aggression.  Folks like Richard Dmitri have &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MWQXVTKJdI&amp;amp;nohtml5=False&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;exercises where you deal with intense emotional aggression as something to train and deal with&lt;/a&gt;.  My friends who have gone through military training point to a lot of boot camp yelling being this kind of thing too.  The people who need this kind of training the most are usually the folks who have either been fortunate enough to never face real aggression, or else suffered various forms of abuse.  So the tough part is finding the balance between &quot;you're toughening up against it&quot; and &quot;wow, that left me feeling like shit&quot;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The third part is the actual just freezing of the mind and trying to catch up to what's happening.  Rory Miller's &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1594392137&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Facing Violence&lt;/a&gt; goes into some of it, and his experience is the #1 key thing is to get yourself to do one, physical concrete thing, to break the freeze.  This is actually where things like traditional arts' methods of slapping your thigh or chest before going into action work well as a training tool - you bring yourself into your body awareness and it's a simple action that doesn't eat up too much time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-04-10T22:26:12.747" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6348" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5995" CreationDate="2016-04-11T00:26:28.583" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Micro ring? Look, sounds to me like it's made for bare-knuckle fighting. Look up bare knuckle fighting in the UK on YouTube. They fight in tiny &quot;rings&quot; with no gloves. Some guys use hand-wraps, but they can't call themselves real bare knuckle fighters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7002" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-11T15:37:56.637" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T15:37:56.637" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6349" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6033" CreationDate="2016-04-11T00:36:14.073" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If, for instance, someone has a baseball bat, you want to get closer to the side he's swinging it from. Even if you get hit around the body, you can brace for impact with your arm like a shield and it will not be debilitating if you're closer than his focal point of impact. His power is cut in half if you're 45 degrees or less from his frontal angle and thus cannot reach the focal point of impact. The ideal for stopping a baseball bat is to cut off that angle where he will hit you, which is right in front of him. Use angles and move diagonally into the bat (or chair). You see, he is relying on you to be right in front of him, like a baseball! See, his center-line is facing the home plate. Ideally, the bat is an extension of that center-line hitting the baseball. If you're not where he wants you to be, STRIKE!! Batter (a-hole): &quot;Hey Stand Still!!&quot;... Pitcher (you): Yeah Right!!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7002" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-11T15:39:06.847" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T15:39:06.847" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6350" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5969" CreationDate="2016-04-11T00:43:18.247" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you're allowed to conceal and carry, you need to be more sensitive to these threats and see them coming before they happen. Arm yourself with know-how, confidence; know who and what your enemy is, and be ready before any of this dumb stuff ever happens to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Worse comes to worst, what? 200 dollars? Is your life worth 200 bucks? More? Less? Give the dumb ass caveman your money, go have a beer and laugh and thank god you're still breathing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7002" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-11T15:40:27.243" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T15:40:27.243" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6352" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5948" CreationDate="2016-04-11T01:05:09.753" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Forget machines, bench press, or any of that. You're not trying to become static or develop slow, crushing 'python' strength in aikido. Rather, you're trying to go for dynamism. You want to flow and crash. Fast, hard and weightless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some real strength practices I can suggest as opposed to the regular &quot;strength training&quot; you'll find in any men's health or body-building website. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Progressive calisthenics (consult convict conditioning; paperback)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Muscle control (look up MAXICK, monte saldo)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Olympic weightlifting and plyometrics&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Names in strength to look up:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Eugen Sandow&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mighty Atom&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;John Grimek&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7002" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-11T15:38:54.533" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T15:38:54.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6353" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5912" CreationDate="2016-04-11T01:14:10.090" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;That's a really cute story. I think every child needs a healthy mix of nature and nurture. The last thing a child needs is to be babied, but even worse is to be forced/pressured into doing too much. Just make sure he's having fun in the end!! He's probably crying because he's just... a competitive little guy who's curious!! If he ever wants to quit, give him a reason like &quot;well, what about your classmates? Your friends? You don't want to let them down, right!? Remember (X cute kid's name here) in martial arts you need to be brave right!&quot;. He has to remember everyone is on his side. The thing a child &lt;strong&gt;NEEDS&lt;/strong&gt; to know is that people are on his side!! Good luck!! Future world champion!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7002" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-11T15:40:41.073" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T15:40:41.073" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6354" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6333" CreationDate="2016-04-11T14:51:00.067" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can't go wrong with the tried and true Millwall brick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T14:51:00.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6355" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5969" CreationDate="2016-04-11T15:13:31.567" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The odds of violent resistance against two assailants, with firearms who also have the drop on you, are not good. The best you can do is comply until the situation changes. If they don't kill you right away, you may have an opportunity to resist and/or escape at a later point. If your goal is to survive, then the best skill to have is the ability to 'read' the situation, including the genuine intent of one's assailants.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T15:13:31.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6356" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6033" CreationDate="2016-04-11T15:24:03.327" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would back away from them until I felt I was credibly out of the range of their thrown object, and then walk/run away as necessary to deescalate the situation.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I was unable to move away from the armed aggressor because of circumstances (e.g. trapped in an enclosed space), I would attempt to feel out their speed/reflexes as I closed distance and then time a rush inside their optimal striking distance and take them down hard (but with the least amount of force necessary).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T15:24:03.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6357" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6340" CreationDate="2016-04-11T15:46:40.007" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;With enough experience in sparring against opponents of other disciplines, sizes, and experience levels, one can learn to read the body language of intent. With enough experience in training, one's body just does what it needs to without having to think about what it's doing. Specific self-defense scenarios may be mental traps, but knowing that you can reliably punch, kick, parry, and grapple through trained response and muscle memory is invaluable. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Situational awareness is one of the absolute necessities of surviving a conflict, whether in the back-alley or the battlefield. Practice noting all of the exits when you enter a new place. Make a mental game of assessing the threat level of people you observe by their posture and carriage. With experience, you might be surprised by how well you can guess the training and experience of an individual based on the way they casually move. Being able to avoid or escape a physical conflict is much better than having to survive one, and situational awareness is key to such avoidance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T15:46:40.007" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6358" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4404" CreationDate="2016-04-11T19:08:40.490" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Something my Jujutsu Sensei always told us was come to class even if you are not feeling well. No need to participate, but you can watch and learn a lot from watching others practice. If you are contagious, stay home and get the rest you need, but if you are sore or have another injury where you can still watch the class then come on by.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7012" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-13T15:04:10.770" LastActivityDate="2016-04-13T15:04:10.770" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6359" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6360" CreationDate="2016-04-11T19:13:11.697" Score="10" ViewCount="1591" Body="&lt;p&gt;In watching some Olympic Judo matches I am confused as the why the ref sometimes stops the match when it goes to the ground, sends judoka back to their sides and then restarts the match.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If someone throws someone to the ground but it is not enough for an Ippon shouldn't the match continue so one can work towards a pin?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7012" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T19:17:40.823" Title="Judo - Why does the ref sometimes pause the match when it goes to the ground?" Tags="|judo|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6360" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6359" CreationDate="2016-04-11T19:17:40.823" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;If there's a lack of progress during ground work in a judo match, the referee will stand the competitors up. This is intended to encourage action, rapid attack, and prevent stalemate positions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T19:17:40.823" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6361" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-04-11T19:47:52.970" Score="7" ViewCount="6000" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was introduced briefly to Wing Chun from my Jujutsu Sensei some years ago. He felt it was very effective for situations where you were in close and had to deal with strikes. He gave an example of prison, where you may be cornered and had to fight in a closed in space with little to no room. He also felt it was extremely functional and practical much like Jujutsu (Small Circle specifically).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fast forward a few years and I have the opportunity to study Wing Chun. In looking at videos it sure seems that practitioners were standing at a very odd angles while practicing the hand techniques. Essentially leaning backwards while their feet were angled and pointing inwards. It sure didn't seem very practical but I can't really judge based on some cursory research.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are feelings of others on Wing Chun? Not for MMA or competitions but for self defense. Is it for show or are the techniques really effective? Is this something you can utilize as you get older and perhaps less flexible?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Clarification: I do not consider MMA self defense. It is organized brawling with lots of rules where you cannot perform certain techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7012" LastEditorUserId="7012" LastEditDate="2016-05-01T19:09:55.607" LastActivityDate="2016-05-02T08:24:48.353" Title="Wing Chun for practical, close in defense" Tags="|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6362" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5969" CreationDate="2016-04-11T19:54:32.970" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I assume that you are not in that 2 vs 1 situation right now. I'd say you run, as far to safety as reasonable, starting right now. If you have any possessions (or family) you don't want to give up, you better start packing your bags and move out. You say you don't have the money to move, but that can't be right. You must sleep somewhere, you sell it, or if you pay rent, you stop it. Go sleep at friends to save money for a ticket out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Attackers will be nervous as well, and acting hostile will end badly. Move out. Let's call it &quot;pre-emptive strike weeks in advance&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6488" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T19:54:32.970" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6363" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6361" CreationDate="2016-04-11T20:36:45.960" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As with most things like this, you get out what you put in. There are no simple answers to what style is best. Some are more practical than others, but mechanically they almost all have more in common with each other than they have different. There are only so many ways that a human body can move, and thus there is necessarily a lot of overlap in martial arts curriculum. I honestly think it is more important to find a style that you enjoy practicing (for whatever reason) than to scrutinize its nuances for effectiveness in real-world combat. The chances are slim that you will ever be in a self-defense situation (YMMV), but training in a martial art is going to take a considerable amount of time. So, it's best to spend that time doing something you enjoy. Most schools offer a free demo class, and that can give you an idea about the curriculum, student body, and chemistry with your prospective instructor(s). Don't be afraid to shop around for a 'good fit,' and don't sign any long term contracts unless you are sure you are in for the long haul.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun does focus on close range striking. It tends to focus kicks on the lower body, rapid hand strikes, and hand trapping/sticky hands techniques. The effectiveness of these technique preferences depend greatly on the practitioner's fitness, size, strength, and technique (exactly like any other martial art). It should be relatively low impact enough to be fairly friendly to an aging body, and certainly more so than something like Sambo or pankration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-04-11T20:36:45.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6364" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6361" CreationDate="2016-04-11T22:05:49.430" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You might want to take a look at what I wrote about the subject in my answer here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2802/defence-against-wing-chun/2809#2809&quot;&gt;Defence against Wing Chun&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the link above, I explained what the original purpose was for Wing Chun, why it was invented, and what its weaknesses are. I think you can apply that article as a partial answer to your question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You also mentioned self-defense vs. MMA fighting. For that, I would direct your attention to another article I wrote here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4806/are-there-any-effective-kung-fu-fighters-in-mma/4807#4807&quot;&gt;Are there any effective Kung Fu fighters in MMA?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the article linked above, I talk about why kung-fu in general doesn't appear very often in MMA. Change &quot;kung-fu&quot; to &quot;wing-chun&quot;, and it still applies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also expound on what I consider &quot;realistic&quot; self-defense training at the answer below. Just ignore the top part about Taekwondo and jump to the part where I say &quot;Moving right along...&quot;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/3029/is-jun-chong-tkd-a-legitimate-tkd-dojo-for-self-defense/3030#3030&quot;&gt;is Jun Chong TKD a legitimate TKD dojo for self defense?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, now having gotten that out of the way, I just want to say some things about the legitimacy of Wing Chun as a self-defense style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can train in any martial art and use it for self-defense, even a martial art that has just one punch, and that's all. That one punch could work if you do it just at the right time and the right way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem is that you won't know what the right time is, unless you've spent a lot of time practicing it against partners that are trying relentlessly to do everything they can do to beat you. They get to do anything to you: punch you, kick you, grab you, lock your joints, throw you down, choke you, pin you to the ground, etc. And you just have your one punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you &lt;em&gt;train&lt;/em&gt; that way, you're going to do just fine, even with that one punch. Well, you're going to do a lot better training that way than if you just punched to the air or practiced on a compliant partner who lets you do stuff to him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;It's how you train that matters.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What MMA does is to remove the &quot;model&quot; about how a martial art thinks a fight &quot;should&quot; look like. It replaces dogma with something that has no model, just rules for what you can't do. Outside of those rules, you can do anything. And that's very useful, because it very closely approximates what you're going to deal with in an actual self-defense situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And by the way, the rules of MMA (or Gracie JJ) allow you to practice day after day without getting badly injured. That's important. It means you can go all-out in your training, and it's still more or less safe. If it wasn't safe, you would spar maybe once or twice a year. And then you'd head to the hospital afterwards. How good do you think you'll get sparring twice a year? How much better would you be if you could spar every single time you train?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun can work for self-defense, like anything else can work. And it actually does do sparring on occasion (some places more than others), which is better than just practicing forms, chi-sao drills, wooden-man dummy, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem is how Wing Chun people train. If they train with MMA people using MMA rules, they're going to figure out very quickly what works and what doesn't. Unfortunately, most Wing Chun groups don't do that. They train using traditional methods.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for performing Wing Chun as you get older, it's one of the least physically demanding styles out there. You're not going down into any splits. You're not doing high kicks. Your not doing back arches. Yes, you do lean back in most styles of Wing Chun, but that's going to be a muscular limitation, rather than a limitation on your flexibility. People who do T'ai Chi actually have to go through a much larger range of motion, in general, than Wing Chun typically requires. And an awful lot of elderly people do T'ai Chi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where I think older people will have problems with Wing Chun is in its hardness. If you have an instructor who demands you hit the wooden-man dummy hard, or he has you hitting each other hard during chi-sao or sparring, that's a problem. The older you get, the less able to do hard training you will become. It really depends on the person and the instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My general advice is: Do what you think you're able to do. Your instructor may insist you go harder. Don't if you think it's going to hurt you. At age 50, for example, your joints and tendons will be a lot less forgiving than at age 20.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-04-12T02:37:27.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6365" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6033" CreationDate="2016-04-12T00:35:16.330" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is an example of a technique against a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gXk0Oo9tgo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;baseball bat&lt;/a&gt; as taught by the Krav Maga Association &quot;Krav Maga Global&quot;. Techniques against chairs and other larger objects are also in curriculum and work similarly. In fact they are often much easier to defend against, since they are much heavier and make the attacker more immobile. The baseball bat is the most dangerous from this family of weapons, which can be called &lt;strong&gt;club-like objects&lt;/strong&gt;. Most of the techniques are based on what @mitro said in his excellent answer, namely shortening the distance as quickly as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another obvious, but often forgotten technique (in fact the most important one in all of self-defence) is very good in the particular scenario due to the large objects slowing the attacker: running away. Of course since this might not always be feasible actual techniques are required.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7015" LastActivityDate="2016-04-12T00:35:16.330" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6367" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6361" CreationDate="2016-04-12T08:49:26.143" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;To add to these really well researched answers a personal experience:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I learned wing tsung at a fairly practical school and after some years training and sparring (we trained with shoes on hard floor and often had mostly unlimited fights) I found that the biggest thing I got out of it are reflexes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can train the Wing Tsung forms in training situations, get a feel for it, develop reflexes over time and you will feel your body to move automatically in extreme situations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I cannot talk about other arts/styles but I found that WT gave me:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;an eye for movement &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;controlling tge others arm with reflex&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;not getting hit yourself &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally combined that with a bit of judo/juo jitzu for anti ground and some training against boxers, as tgese two are some of the weaker points. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if you are looking for a martial arts which can be used for self defense (depends on the SiFu's focus) and feels more like you are the defender, using the enemy against itself, WT could be for you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the topic of age, we had many people over 60 training at our school. Most things seemed to work really well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember, like others here already said. Try out every school you have around you. Find a style you feel fits you. Find a dojo with a trainer whom you can respect and with students who you can train with. And most importantly, have fun doing it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="633" LastActivityDate="2016-04-12T08:49:26.143" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6369" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-04-12T16:46:13.567" Score="2" ViewCount="971" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm receiving the impression that Systema (or maybe just certain branches of it?) has some type of force generation by means of internal energy rather than muscles. However, while information on this topic is abundant for far eastern martial arts, I'm having a hard time locating anything for Systema and I'd prefer to learn more before I start spending money.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the techniques and philosophy behind Systema relaxed power generation? Although I have no beef with him, at the moment I am not interested in anything discussing merely relaxation as a means of power generation like the type of stuff Mike Sigman teaches. To qualify as an answer for this question, the material has to espouse something &quot;beyond the physical&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4479" LastEditorUserId="4479" LastEditDate="2016-04-13T16:02:46.727" LastActivityDate="2018-09-13T22:29:20.630" Title="Systema: &quot;Beyond the physical&quot; force generation" Tags="|power|systema|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="13" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6370" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6369" CreationDate="2016-04-12T18:15:36.837" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no such thing as force generation without muscles. All animals use muscles to pull tendons which connect to joints. That causes the joints to move in a given direction, which causes limbs to move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you may mean is that Systema might use &quot;internal mechanics&quot; in a similar manner that other &quot;internal&quot; styles such as T'ai Chi, Bagua, and Xing-Yi use?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Internal martial arts do not avoid the use of muscles. They use muscle power, but they use it in a different way than external martial arts use it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some aspects of Systema might arguably be &quot;internal&quot;, because proper full-body mechanics is a universal concept shared by many martial arts at the advanced level. And I do believe Systema takes its techniques in part from other martial arts that are considered internal (Aikido being one of them). But from what I gather, there is no formal training in internal mechanics in Systema.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Systema, however, there is a lot of training in what they refer to as &quot;internal&quot; technique, which to them is more like a mystical / esoteric force. Their definition of internal is more akin to &quot;psychic&quot; kinds of phenomenon: telekinesis, telepathy, clairvoyance, spiritualism, and suggestion / hypnosis. These aren't the same as what T'ai Chi and the other internal martial arts practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for psychic phenomenon, to understand what they do that looks like telekinesis and/or telepathy, you should look into how suggestion and hypnosis works. This particular topic deserves an entire book. Suffice it to say, it's all bogus. It works only on people who are &quot;believers&quot; in their system and who are highly suggestible. It's completely useless as a method of self-defense. As such, it's a waste of time and a red herring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2016-04-12T18:15:36.837" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6371" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6369" CreationDate="2016-04-12T19:05:50.570" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Qi manipulation, psychic phenomenon, and the like are pure hokum. The only internal forces that people can generate to effect the outside world are via our muscle tissue.  There may be some subtle techniques for expressing non-linear movement (e.g. a reeling/coiling strike, or a fa jin/explosive strike), but ultimately the energy is being delivered through your conventional musculoskeletal system. The end. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a reason everyone laughs at the nonsense that is Yellow Bamboo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-04-12T19:05:50.570" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6372" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6374" CreationDate="2016-04-12T19:58:07.630" Score="13" ViewCount="3562" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was reading this one:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/529/isshinryu-karate-seisan-kata-opening-move-bunkai&quot;&gt;Isshinryu karate - seisan kata - opening move bunkai&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;and there is all the usual stuff I've seen in quite a few styles over the years about: &quot;The drill sequence begins opponent opposite holding your right wrist/forearm with his left hand.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen &quot;they grab your wrist and then...&quot; type moves in a variety of styles. Certainly a lot of Aikido stuff, but other places as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I've never seen a style start a technique with an actual wrist grab. I'm sure they must exist in Aikido (right?) but generally in self-defense, dueling based martial arts, grappling, etc, I don't see this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if no styles teach attacks that start by grabbing the other guys wrist ( which makes sense to me because why would you do that?) then why are there so many defenses against it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my question is: What's what all the wrist grabbing? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7028" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2018-06-19T23:34:22.797" Title="Why all the wrist grabs?" Tags="|technique|grappling|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6373" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6372" CreationDate="2016-04-12T20:27:18.740" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I hypothesize that it is an outgrowth of sword culture. In a CQC situation, a common tactic would be to control the opponents sword hand (preferably before they can even draw a weapon). A lot of disarming techniques begin with a wrist grab to prevent the weapon from being brought to bear against you. The holistic approach to martial arts would include techniques for both disarming your opponent and preventing him from doing the same to you. Flash forward a couple hundred years, and you still have this defensive element being taught but without any context.  In the West, we usually only see a wrist grab being used against someone considered to be a minimal threat (like a child or slightly built adult). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-04-12T20:27:18.740" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6374" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6372" CreationDate="2016-04-12T20:31:24.937" Score="11" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What's what all the wrist grabbing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In violent situations (as opposed to competitive situations), your assailant is likely to grab you. Grab and hit is one of the most common attacks. Being number 2 behind the haymaker according to the statistics I have seen. Also grab and stab btw. If you have a guard or fence raised they'll grab it to control and clear the limbs. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Contrary to popular belief, these aren't sports. They're not martial art vs martial art. You will almost never see any sportsman grab and hit. It's generally against the rules and gets trained out early.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grabbing before striking is the single biggest advantage you can give yourself. It increases your accuracy dramatically. It removes the opponent's ability to evade. It increases the power you can hit with, and it appears to be an instinctive behaviour given the prevalence among untrained violent offenders. It's also why almost all karate, TKD and kung-fu punches are grab and strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wrist grab is shorthand for lower arm; anywhere elbow to wrist behaves similarly and sometimes can apply also to upper arm grips as well.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Historically, as a member of the military caste which developed the techniques, you would likely have been armed. Grabbing your wrist prevents you from drawing your weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A convenient common entrance method to many of the early techniques. It isn't all wrist grabs by any means but in early training it's useful to begin from a familiar point. I think this is how Itosu used it in the Pinans.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;What makes you think it's a wrist grab? Whether your opponent grabs your wrist/forearm or &lt;em&gt;you have grabbed theirs&lt;/em&gt;, arm positioning is near identical. It's likely that many of the techniques in TMA originated within the military castes, and &quot;No first attack&quot; philosophies not withstanding, were probably formulated as active &lt;em&gt;attacks&lt;/em&gt; on opponent's limbs, which were then later justified as wrist grabs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastEditorUserId="6808" LastEditDate="2018-06-19T23:34:22.797" LastActivityDate="2018-06-19T23:34:22.797" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6375" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6372" CreationDate="2016-04-12T21:36:27.173" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are plenty of grappling attacks that start from wrist grabs. Wrist grabs are a basic element of eliminating your opponent's attack/defense. It's much easier to attack if you can move the opponent's arms out of the way. Wrist control is one way to start this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Examples:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/lTOmSjc-yVE?t=1m20s&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jimmy Pedro (judo) on grip fighting with wrist control&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/E3bklGaiQZQ&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;wrestling takedowns&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV25sUTSKi4&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;more wrestling&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrist control is rarely as static as counters make it out to be.  Usually you exploit wrist control quickly to get a better control, strike, throw, takedown, etc. It's hard to actually control an opponent's movements with only wrist control, which is why you also need speed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-04-12T21:36:27.173" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6376" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6369" CreationDate="2016-04-12T21:42:20.787" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Every muscle in your body pulls and they &lt;em&gt;only&lt;/em&gt; pull. They &lt;em&gt;only&lt;/em&gt; generate force while contracting and it's the only way your body can generate force. In order for your body to function, every muscle must also have one or more other muscles pulling in &lt;em&gt;direct opposition&lt;/em&gt; and under normal usage the muscles are constantly straining against each other while controlling your limbs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To generate maximum force in a specific direction then it's necessary to contract some sets of muscles while completely relaxing the other opposing sets, and there are a number of approaches to achieving this behaviour. If the opposing muscles are not relaxed they naturally act as brakes, reducing the force applied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sports, and martial arts are full of mythology and mental techniques which help the practitioners perform, co-ordinating the muscle contraction/relaxation. The reality is it's &lt;em&gt;whatever works for you&lt;/em&gt;, be it Chi, Internal Energy, visualisation, whip techniques, sports science, or whatever. In general you either have to actually believe it, or at least be able to relate to it for the methods to work. You could search for sports psychology for examples of the kinds of things that sports men and women use today. Not necessarily any more effective than the techniques used in the past.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chi for example may not be the best concept for westerners to use, we don't in general have the cultural understanding that Asians do about what they believe it is and how they can use it. I personally for the most part use visualisation instead to improve performance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I won't go into the wisdom of maximising forces on relatively delicate parts of the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastEditorUserId="6808" LastEditDate="2016-04-13T09:55:51.980" LastActivityDate="2016-04-13T09:55:51.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6377" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6372" CreationDate="2016-04-13T06:24:24.113" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to offer an answer from traditional aikido point of view (Iwama ryu/Takemusu). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are lot of grabs on body or clothes: kata dori, kosa dori, hiji dori, morote dori, riote/hantai dori, katate dori, mune dori, sode dori, eri dori and so on, plus grabs from the back ushiro eri dori, ushiro kata dori.... you get the picture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grabs are considered dangerous, more dangerous than punch attempt with distance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If one is grabbed, it means that grabbed person already made a mistake in budo sense; he didn't respect distance &lt;code&gt;maai&lt;/code&gt; and left himself in a situation to be grabbed. He now can't move freely, or draw a weapon; there are always other attackers around, so if you are grabbed it means you are almost dead and you have one chance to save yourself. If you are grabbed, you don't have the initiative, so you are reacting to someone else's initiative, which is a really difficult situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the reason why are defence techniques from grabs are so important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most Japanese sports descend from arts that were common in samurai life. In that life, there were no rules or honour in a sporting sense; it was the &quot;business&quot; of killing without all the romantic elements we imagine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7033" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-13T08:40:36.203" LastActivityDate="2016-04-13T08:40:36.203" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6378" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6059" CreationDate="2016-04-13T06:53:16.933" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, in iwama ryu we have lot of contacts with stabbing (tsuki) so it would be less dangerous to stab with blunt kisaki.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, there are go no awase and shichi no awase which are parrying techniques, practitioner should parring in proper way, if he parry wrong he will punch on top of the opponent bokken on his blunt kisaki and instructor will hear that sound.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50r6jaSvzus&amp;amp;ab_channel=AikidoRijeka&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This is example of parrying, 1. and 2. kumitachi kanren, my two deshis (2 kyu at that time).&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7033" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-04-13T07:19:35.910" LastActivityDate="2016-04-13T07:19:35.910" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6379" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4404" CreationDate="2016-04-13T15:49:16.247" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's completely normal to be sore when you're new to the sport. Boxing hits a lot of muscles you normally wouldn't, and especially through high repetition exercises(pushups, situps, burpees... and even just hitting the heavybag).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Know your body, and know the difference between being sore, and actually having pain. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember to stretch out properly after workouts. Those 10 minutes will be worth it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6601" LastActivityDate="2016-04-13T15:49:16.247" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6380" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6270" CreationDate="2016-04-13T20:07:21.777" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are already a lot of excellent answers describing how the two compare in balance etc. Her I would like to advocate the a single technique instead of comparing the two in general. This technique is often forgotten, because it is not allowed in most sports-based martial arts: the &lt;strong&gt;kick to the groin&lt;/strong&gt;, which is of course a low kick. It is the single most effective technique in self-defense (after running away). Here are some of it's advantages:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Speed:&lt;/em&gt; it requires nothing more than a snap kick with the lower leg, which is faster than any kind of roundkick or roundhouse kick, even slightly faster than the higher aiming front kick. The only kick that comes close in speed is a kick to the knee, but that requires more force, which brings us to the second point.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Damage per power:&lt;/em&gt; even if it is only a light kick that hits correctly, the damage is fatal to the extent that any opponent (unless he/she is a crazy shaolin monk who practices this sort of thing...) will at least cringe, which sets up for further attacks/punches. So even if the opponent is significantly stronger this will be the kick of choice.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Reach&lt;/em&gt;: Due to not requiring a lot of power, one can train to make this one of the highest reach kicks in your repertoire.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Required precision:&lt;/em&gt; Depends on the distance, but as long as the kick ends up between the legs, it is not very hard to hit.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lack of fatal damage:&lt;/em&gt; A factor that is not to be underestimated in self-defence is that unlike for kicks/punches to the head, the opponent can easily recover from a kick to the groin on the long term. This is important since in unclear legal situations (i.e. it is not obvious that you were the defender), you would not be sued for having used inappropriate measures for your defense. Especially in Germany beating up an attacker too hard can get you in quite a bit of trouble.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How does this answer the question?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Why not prefer low kicks?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You should&lt;/strong&gt;, in fact you should prefer a very specific kick as elaborated above. This is for real self-defense situations. Of course if you are fighting in a bar kicking to the groin might count as cowardly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is there a situation in a street fight where high kicks would be the best choice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are, specific examples are &lt;strong&gt;opponents that charge&lt;/strong&gt; at you, against which the best defense is a step to the side and a high/medium-high round kick. Of course if the situation is a 1vs1 fight rather than an actual street self-defense situation (the distinction is that in the latter there will usually be not much facing off, it is just an attack and a defense maybe with some follow up) then you should use all the tools at your disposal and have a fight strategy. If high kicks are part of that &lt;strong&gt;depends entirely on you&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7015" LastEditorUserId="7015" LastEditDate="2016-04-15T10:41:51.397" LastActivityDate="2016-04-15T10:41:51.397" CommentCount="19" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6381" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-04-14T16:38:23.853" Score="0" ViewCount="208" Body="&lt;p&gt;Being balanced means that your center of mass is supported by your body's structure. How is being rooted different from being balanced? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-04-14T16:38:23.853" Title="What does it mean to be rooted, and how is being rooted different from being balanced?" Tags="|technique|terminology|stance|balance|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6382" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6381" CreationDate="2016-04-14T16:38:23.853" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Being rooted means you can absorb/resist some force without moving. A dancer can be balanced on pointe, but this is not a good stance for rooting because they are easily unbalanced. Balance is necessary but not sufficient to be rooted. Fighting stances will have the feet separated and knees bent to help absorb force. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But this is not the end of the story. There are factors in addition to where your joints are in space and how they are aligned. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is an example that is easier to illustrate than explain mechanically: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stand facing a wall in horse stance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stand ~30 cm from the wall so you can easily push on the wall with a bent arm. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;[Make your lower body rigid]&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Now push lightly and continuously on the wall, without leaning. This push is perpendicular to the line drawn between your feet, and is the most advantageous angle to apply force to unbalance someone in a horse stance. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are rigid, you quickly rock back on your heels and start to fall backward. But if you relax your lower body, and in particular the area around your hips, you can absorb some push and feel this transmitted into the ground through your heels. There is no obvious change in appearance between these two states. Your center of mass is unmoved. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also do this drill with a partner supplying the push instead of pushing on a wall. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-04-14T16:38:23.853" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6383" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-04-16T17:18:04.747" Score="-2" ViewCount="132" Body="&lt;p&gt;Somebody attacked my with a bat-like wooden stick. Fortunately, I have a wooden stick as well. He makes a lunge, but I parry it. We get stuck just like in all movies:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MD9BK.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MD9BK.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;anakin versus obi wan&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What should I do next?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7043" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-04-16T18:14:28.790" LastActivityDate="2016-04-17T13:07:30.317" Title="What should I do if I'm fencing stick-on-stick and we get stuck?" Tags="|weapons|mixed-martial-arts|fencing|positions|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6384" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6393" CreationDate="2016-04-16T17:36:12.253" Score="8" ViewCount="9288" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm training BJJ but my native language is not english. I tried translation but it didn't work as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'm wondering: what is a cross face? I see people mentioning this cross face position, when passing the guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I apreciate!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7044" LastActivityDate="2016-04-18T22:52:35.403" Title="What is exactly a cross face position in BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6386" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6383" CreationDate="2016-04-16T18:33:10.480" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm no fencing/stickfighting expert, but some options that come to mind include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kick your opponent&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step or duck aside to open a new line of attack&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Slide your stick down theirs to strike their hand&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(if we are talking about sticks, not lightsabers) grab your opponent's weapon to disable it, then attack with your weapon, or disarm your opponent&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;if strength/leverage permit, use your weapon to push your opponent's weapon aside momentarily to open the way for attack.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;move backwards to create distance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;push forwards to unbalance your opponent&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;pivot your stick to strike their head&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1553" LastEditorUserId="1553" LastEditDate="2016-04-16T18:41:19.497" LastActivityDate="2016-04-16T18:41:19.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6387" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6383" CreationDate="2016-04-16T19:50:40.477" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sticks don't &quot;get stuck&quot;.  There's no cross guard to catch the main body of the weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you ended up in a position of stick vs. stick without momentum, it would break into a different position very quickly:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You can grab their stick for a disarm, lock, or to open them for an&#xA;attack (and you'd probably want to do so before they do the same to&#xA;you)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You can grab their hands or wrists for a lock or throw&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You can grab your own stick further up for a high/low grip like a&lt;br&gt;&#xA;baton and use it to lever, lock, disarm or strike them&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You also have the usual option of close range attacks as well -&#xA;punching them, kneeing, kicking, head butts, elbows, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can look up videos or books on a number of stick fighting methods from Filipino Kali &amp;amp; Escrima, police baton training, short or long staff training from Chinese, Japanese, or Korean arts, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-04-16T19:50:40.477" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6388" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6384" CreationDate="2016-04-16T23:49:49.480" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Crossface has no translation in bjj. It is a position when you force the head of your opponent to one side using your forearm or shoulder on the face of him. This position could be from side control, half guard, back, mount and defense of take down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Crossface is very common nowadays to protect the single leg. When your opponent attack your leg. Using the crossface to be able to escape from the take down.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uFGl8.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uFGl8.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Hold the opponent face to prevent he turn to turtle&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/yBL34.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/yBL34.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;using the forearm to create space&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/C1zZi.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/C1zZi.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;looks a choke, but without pression on the neck it isnt&amp;#39; a choke &quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;Nowaday BJJ is getting very well organized but the name of the positions still a problem. In few year I believe, BJJ will get better and will organize it. But BJJ keeps growing and every day appear new position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are names in Portugues/Japanese/Inglish with a really good explanation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Triangulo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Omoplata&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Arm Lock&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kataguruma&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kata gatame&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also some names with the name of the person who introduce the position to BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kimura&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;De Larriva&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And the worst scenario the names created inside the academies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Helicopter&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Flying donkey &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pork knuckle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="5818" LastEditDate="2016-04-18T22:52:35.403" LastActivityDate="2016-04-18T22:52:35.403" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6389" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6383" CreationDate="2016-04-17T04:44:59.890" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;From a Historic European Martial Arts (HEMA) perspective, you have some options open to you:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Punch you opponent. Drop your lower hand and use that hand for punching, while maintaining pressure on the sticks with your other hand.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Grab your opponent's weapon with your lower hand, then go to town using the short end of your stick, the point of your stick, or with your fist while holding your stick. (Side Note: you can do this with sharp, sharp swords! Not recommended for those with weak grips.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step to the side, blocking your opponent's strike and letting the momentum transfer to your stick, and bring it around to power your strike.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Push your opponent's stick above your head; pass around and under your opponent's stick (ideally when the stick is still in motion). Once under your opponent's stick, attack with your stick (short or long end).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wind around his stick to hit your opponent. (Use the point where the two sticks meet as a fulcrum or center point, and move around that.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These solutions brought to you by &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiore_dei_Liberi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Fiore dei Liberi&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Liechtenauer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Johannes Leichtenauer&lt;/a&gt;, 14th century fencing masters. These systems of fencing were meant to be applied to many different weapons, and many techniques can be used with humble sticks. There are many other things you can do here, but I consider them too dangerous to simply give out, such as the one which involves dislocating your opponent's arm! If you're interested, find a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.hemaalliance.com/club-finders/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;HEMA club&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a final note, this situation is one to be avoided. There are simply better ways to handle an overhand strike, or any other strike, which don't involve such a perilous, uncontrollable situation. Each of those above options can be done by you or your opponent! Some of my favorite options:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hit your opponent's stick perpendicular to their swing. It'll knock their stick off target, and give your a chance to do something to them!&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step back. Your opponent cannot hit what is not there!&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastActivityDate="2016-04-17T04:44:59.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6390" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6383" CreationDate="2016-04-17T10:42:39.053" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would not recommend letting go of the weapon unless you are close enough to be able to inflict lots of hurt before the opponent registers that you dropped the weapon. In this case you should be in a position to finish the fight (not just disarm them).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another option you have is: leaving your hand(s) in roughly the same spot, move the tip of the weapon down until you have a 45&amp;deg; angle (the weapon tip should now be pointing towards the ground). I can't give you a name for this technique, but there is a block similar to it in escrima (and it's likely there are similar moves in other weapon arts).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If executed fluidly this should leave you fully protected from the opponent's weapon. If the opponent had any sort of momentum going when you execute this move it will continue and they will slide off and quite possibly be off balance. If you step in the direction of your strike while doing this it will enable you to move towards or past the opponent on an angle, striking or cutting on the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2016-04-17T10:42:39.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6391" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6383" CreationDate="2016-04-17T12:54:44.560" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I really don't know how to explain this. The movies are there for entertainment. &lt;em&gt;Everything you see there is entertainment&lt;/em&gt; and has little to no relationship to reality. Please don't think that you can look at anything you see in any movie and assume it in any way represents anything which has or does or would happen in reality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Scholagladiatoria on this kind of situation: &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXbSv7lhKzg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXbSv7lhKzg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My recommendation is to seek out some competent training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-04-17T12:54:44.560" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6392" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3117" CreationDate="2016-04-17T22:03:48.863" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Belt order at my school is:&#xA;White, Yellow, Yellow-green, Green, Green-blue, Blue, Blue-red, Red, Red-black, and Black&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7042" LastActivityDate="2016-04-17T22:03:48.863" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6393" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6384" CreationDate="2016-04-17T22:09:27.547" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A crossface is a way to gain positional control of an opponent while working from side control (side control is also called cross side or side mount). The gist of it is that you are driving shoulder pressure into the chin of your opponent to mitigate his/her mobility. More specifically, using a crossface helps prevent your opponent from turning toward you so that they can either hip away from you or roll into you to initiate some sort of escape. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is a good visual reference: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9DHk7DgL1w&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9DHk7DgL1w&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7048" LastActivityDate="2016-04-17T22:09:27.547" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6394" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-04-18T15:11:55.747" Score="3" ViewCount="3026" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hello all I am a red sash in Wing Chun and my Sifu is a red sash.  What is the order that the sash system goes in? I am really confused. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7037" LastActivityDate="2017-03-28T14:10:06.737" Title="Wing Chun sash color rankings in order" Tags="|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6395" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6394" CreationDate="2016-04-18T18:25:54.147" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;This depends on your particular school, because sash color and rank are not standardized across Wing Chun schools. Even in the same branch of Wing Chun, your school may have a different tradition than other schools in the same branch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Very simply, if your school of Wing Chun has everyone wearing the same color sash, then that means that sash color is not important and does not indicate rank. Or maybe all the students get one color, all the instructors get another color, and maybe the sifu / master instructor gets another color. I've seen variations of that in many schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may even just be random. Students pick their sash color to be anything they want in those cases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In many Wing Chun schools, rank isn't even a thing. They often don't award rank, except maybe for when someone becomes an instructor or master. Some don't even wear sashes at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some Wing Chun schools, the sash is tied on the right side for students, left side for instructors, or vice-versa. In some, it's left side for males, right side for females, or vice-versa. This is going to vary widely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my best answer to you is to just ask your instructor or another student about it. They can clue you in on what the sash means, or whether it's completely non-important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2017-03-28T14:10:06.737" LastActivityDate="2017-03-28T14:10:06.737" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6396" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6398" CreationDate="2016-04-20T02:29:17.777" Score="17" ViewCount="28747" Body="&lt;p&gt;As we can see in &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/XcdKwg_DQdM?t=1m57s&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;, many boxers join each punch with a sharp exhalation, making a sharp hissing sound.  It seems to be more common among heavyweights than it is among smaller fighters.  Why do boxers do this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6104" LastActivityDate="2016-04-21T09:23:51.093" Title="Why do boxers huff each time they throw a punch?" Tags="|boxing|breathing|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6397" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6396" CreationDate="2016-04-20T07:41:27.530" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are few reasons for this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;remembering to breathe correctly.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tightening your core muscles &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;adding additional explosiveness to your punch  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;relieving unnecessary tension in your muscles&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7060" LastActivityDate="2016-04-20T07:41:27.530" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6398" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6396" CreationDate="2016-04-20T07:53:35.347" Score="17" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am an amateur boxer competing so perhaps I can share some insight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically breathing technique is a major aspect one needs to learn. You can very quickly gas out (lose your breath, which also leads to a lack of oxygen for your essential muscles). Therefore, we learn to breathe through our noses when you're not tense - i.e. when you jump-rope and such.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, the inflow and outflow of air is very different when punching and receiving punches. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First of all, you need to exhale fast when you punch, usually done through your mouth (rather than nose), and through your teeth (you don't want to open your mouth, your jaw can break if you receive a punch). Basically you do it fast when you punch and inhale slowly with your nose afterwards because you don't want a lung-full of air when you get potentially punched in the stomach - I'm sure most people have tried getting the air knocked out of them, and it's terrible and could lose you a boxing fight! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing is about repetition and muscle memory so you do it when doing bag-work and mitt-work as well, to make it second nature.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TL;DR: It's difficult to be punched and you don't want it to happen with a lung full of air. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6601" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-04-20T10:44:13.287" LastActivityDate="2016-04-20T10:44:13.287" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6399" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6396" CreationDate="2016-04-20T11:03:05.390" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Huffing while punching is sort of a golden rule which they teach in boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The effect of punching without exhaling is much lesser than that of while exhaling. If the boxing classes have very advanced instruments, they show you with the help of a device which calculates the power of your strength. In that it is amazing to find that such a simple thing can cause a great change.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can try it on a friend. (:p just kidding)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7062" LastActivityDate="2016-04-20T11:03:05.390" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6400" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6361" CreationDate="2016-04-20T12:45:37.380" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The stance with the feet pointed inwards is known as &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.londonwingchun.co.uk/wing-chun-training-basic-stance&quot;&gt;Yee Jee Kim Yeung Ma&lt;/a&gt; &amp;amp; may be referred to as the &quot;Pigeon-Toed&quot; or &quot;Goat riding&quot; stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is a stance that is developed under the foundational form called Siu Nim Tao. This form is typically found in the Yip Man heritage schools (note there are other &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Wing_Chun&quot;&gt;Wing Chun variations&lt;/a&gt;) which was  popularized by Bruce Lee. This stance is supposed to build the legs &amp;amp; structure. It is also supposed to have a Qigong or meditative benefit. Another theory though was the root of the stance was designed to provide solid balance when fighting on a boat due to the Red Opera history of Wing Chun (boats rock left and right hence flaring the heels outwards &amp;amp; toes inwards).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But this stance is only at the introductory level (note it does though get trained all the time by the life long practitioners). The stance eventually adapts to other stances as found in the other two empty hand, wooden dummy and weapons forms. The modifications are more mobile with a focus on advancing, retreating, height changes and cornering footwork.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding it's combat use - much like all the arts this is dependent on the student and learning environment. But Wing Chun does contain a lot techniques that are designed to be practical. The kicks tend to be low hence don't require any stretching, are fast  (direct) and with shoes on can be painful. This is mixed with close quarter trapping and control methods. When mixed with punches, elbows and knees up close they can be devastating. They also can be applied even as people age but that does not mean an elderly person wont need to keep chain punching, kicking, practising reaction drills and sticking hands/legs methods.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In an mma competition using Wing Chun is trickier. In a cage/ring/matt there is a lot of room to dodge &amp;amp; the style does not focus much on ground work or long range attacks. There is a sweet spot for Wing Chun but a broader fighter will avoid the close quarter range or move to a take down. In mma the recommendation would be for Wing Chun people to also practise longer range kicking, grappling take downs &amp;amp; ground submission methods. This is exactly what Bruce Leee did. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun techniques can also be beneficial in mma as they provide great close quarter methods which are good glue between long &amp;amp; close range. But there is also an additional limit - Wing Chun moves are hard to see and judges who are not aware of the techniques will not value them or even miss seeing them to award points. This is the nature of competition. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7040" LastActivityDate="2016-04-20T12:45:37.380" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6401" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6396" CreationDate="2016-04-20T14:47:35.707" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Exhaling on a strike is common in many martial arts as well as boxing (most forms of Karate and Tae Kwon Do for example).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The purpose of a short sharp exhalation at the end of the technique is to grip the core and &quot;connect&quot; the punch to the body. This helps with both timing and power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For sparring (and thus boxing as well) this has the benefit of ensuring you continue to breathe and helps mask any symptoms of fatigue (which is important in the mental battle with an opponent)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This exhale can also be done to lessen the shock and pain of an incoming strike. As you become more practised at it a short breath out will tense your core against the blow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Tae Kwon Do this is part of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tkd.co.uk/powertheory/&quot;&gt;theory of power&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2016-04-20T14:47:35.707" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6402" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6312" CreationDate="2016-04-20T22:51:45.117" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Getting good at kicks is about drilling them a lot and here are a few recommendations as to how to go about doing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Flexibility&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To boost fluidity in front kicks a person will need to be flexible as lacking flexibility will create resistance and slow them down. At a minimum ensure you can touch the toes without the knees bending but the ultimate level is to be able to fold so the palms touch the floor &amp;amp; the face touches the knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fluidity &amp;amp; speed&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kicking is an art form and the best kickers can launch kicks from unexepcted angles that change direction in mid flight yet are still powered. Practising this is with core and varied kicking drills. For example a front thrust kick can be practiced by playing with different heights &amp;amp; stagering the timing. Then additional variations can be included eg it might start like a thrust kick but turns into an axe kick. But underpinning all this is doing &lt;strong&gt;a lot of kicks&lt;/strong&gt; (aim for 1000+) in a practice session. Not necesarily full force and without breaks but done in almost a playful experimental level. &#xA;Also play with speed. This could include landing a set number of kicks in a time block and then attempting to beat your time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Timing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a tricky one to do solo. There are methods but I recommend finding good sparring partners &amp;amp; getting them to drill your footwork, avoidance and counterkicking. The greatest timing in a kick is when an opponent is delivery a kick they believe will land as they thrust for power only to hit the air. They are for a split second vulnerable and if a counter kick lands, it will hurt &amp;amp; score a lot of points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Power &amp;amp; Balance&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Often overlooked and this might not be as important in certain competitions but power training does help with speed, timing and balance. This includes squats and lunges but I find that leg pistols are very effective. This can then be augmented with heavy bag kicking to ensure the foundation is still there as kicks loose power when off balanced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A further way to power kicks is to create perfect balance play. One excercise is to lift the leg, extend it and piston it back and forth an inch. Do this for as long as possible. When comfortable then do it on a brick wall just raising the leg and lightly tapping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7040" LastActivityDate="2016-04-20T22:51:45.117" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6403" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-04-21T00:17:54.350" Score="8" ViewCount="4832" Body="&lt;p&gt;Anyone who paid attention to boxing in the 90's knows the name &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naseem_Hamed&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&quot;Prince&quot; Naseem Hamed&lt;/a&gt;.  Love him or loathe him, everyone had an opinion.  He was undoubtedly a brilliant showman, and many people - myself included - think he was one of the most exciting, promising boxers the sport has ever seen.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're not familiar with him, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/0kXg6AwtXR8?t=29m40s&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here's a video&lt;/a&gt; of one of his better fights, in his prime.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you can see, his style is totally unorthodox:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;He usually keeps his hands down below his waist.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;He rarely blocks punches in the conventional manner;  instead, he relies on his reflexes and uses head and upper body contortions &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.imgur.com/vOwYcoe.gifv&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;to duck or lean away from incoming blows&lt;/a&gt;, forcing opponents to hit thin air when they swing.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;He is a natural southpaw, but an ambidextrous puncher.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;He is quite small (he fought at flyweight, bantamweight, and featherweight), and very fast, but also has &lt;em&gt;enormous&lt;/em&gt; punching power;  he was constantly described as hitting like a middleweight (or occasionally even heavyweight).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;His punches are bizarre and awkward; almost always heavy, lunging blows; thrown from all over the place (sometimes even behind his back) and coming in at crazy angles most boxers would never even consider attempting.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;He often does something no trainer would ever recommend:  &lt;a href=&quot;http://giant.gfycat.com/FalseGentleApe.gif&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;leads with an uppercut&lt;/a&gt;.  He gets away with it most of the time because he's simply too fast to be caught (he was only knocked down about 6 times in 37 fights, and never knocked out).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;He switches his stance frequently, from southpaw to orthodox to &lt;a href=&quot;http://gfycat.com/SizzlingWhiteIndochinesetiger&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;square&lt;/a&gt;, and is equally dangerous in every stance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;One of his weaknesses is the result of his defensive and offensive techniques:  because he avoids punches by throwing his body in all directions, and because he throws punches from such awkward angles, he is very frequently off balance and on the verge of toppling over.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For more information, &lt;a href=&quot;http://fightland.vice.com/blog/jack-slack-how-prince-naseem-became-the-king-of-boxing&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; is an excellent article examining his style.  Some excerpts: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;When his opponent fired back at him, Hamed would swing the dropped right hand around, leaning back at the waist, and look to take the opponent's head off with a southpaw lead hook. There's a tendency to get hung up on Hamed's uppercut and left straight, but the short counter right hook was where Hamed did much of his damage in the ring. It was the threat of this counter that turned forty-punch-a-round boxers into ten-punch-a-round boxers against Hamed...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The classic Hamed lead uppercut was on full display [against Robinson]. In amateur boxing, dipping the head below the belt line is illegal, in professional boxing it isn't... but then why would you bother? For Hamed it became a set up. Bringing his head low, Hamed would weave back and forth below his opponent's vision and come up to the side with a lead uppercut. The number of opponents Hamed hurt with this boggles the mind...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Hamed's corkscrew uppercut was combined with a hop to the right to line up his left shoulder with the opponent's centerline, shortening the path of the left straight which followed.  [Sometimes] Hamed angled to land a short left hook, something he also did regularly...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Hamed's leaps across the floor could put him in trouble - as when he lazily and repeatedly leapt at Barrera - but sprinkled in through a solid boxing performance, they were lethal...&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  -  &lt;a href=&quot;http://fightland.vice.com/blog/jack-slack-how-prince-naseem-became-the-king-of-boxing&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Vice Fightland:  How Prince Naseem Became the King of Boxing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, Hamed had a fairly short professional career, consisting of only 37 fights;  the last two fights (including his only loss) were extremely disappointing, and he had clearly been in decline for several fights before then.  Following his only loss, to Manuel Barrera in 2001 (he lost on points), he fought only once more;  he never officially retired, but simply faded away.  He had gotten complacent and lazy, and his career is typically seen as one of enormous potential that went unfulfilled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Announcers in his fights (including one of his biggest fans, George Foreman, who called him &quot;the greatest fighter since young Muhammad Ali&quot;) often said he was one of a kind, and called his style unprecedented.  I wish we had seen more from him, but that ship has sailed, so I am hoping for the next best thing:  an heir apparent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Has anyone else fought the way Hamed did in his prime - i.e., the way I described above?  Has there ever been another fighter like Prince Naz?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6104" LastEditorUserId="6104" LastEditDate="2016-04-21T06:36:01.750" LastActivityDate="2023-12-14T05:34:13.827" Title="Has there ever been a boxer who fought like Prince Naseem Hamed?" Tags="|technique|boxing|style|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6405" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6396" CreationDate="2016-04-21T09:23:51.093" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The huff is a quick exhale that brings all the contributing muscles in your body to support that punch you throw. At the same time it prepares your conditioned body to absorb any shock from a counter-punch that could strike your body. This is part of a breathing technique that also ensures a steady supply of oxygen/blood pumped to those strained muscles and to your brain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7067" LastActivityDate="2016-04-21T09:23:51.093" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6406" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6443" CreationDate="2016-04-21T12:12:48.103" Score="2" ViewCount="255" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morihei_Ueshiba&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Morihei Ueshiba&lt;/a&gt; was a ardent &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.oomoto.or.jp/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;oomoto-kyo&lt;/a&gt; follower. Rumours of him bullying his students to check out the religion abound. &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morihei_Ueshiba&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Ueshiba&lt;/a&gt; claimed that &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.oomoto.or.jp/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;oomoto-kyo&lt;/a&gt; was inextricably linked to him developing Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How effective was the spread of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.oomoto.or.jp/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;oomoto-kyo&lt;/a&gt; within Aikido?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.shodokanaikido.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;shodokan Aikido&lt;/a&gt;, you would be hard pressed to see any evidence of the religion as far as I can gather despite &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenji_Tomiki&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Tomiki&lt;/a&gt; dabbling in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.oomoto.or.jp/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;oomoto-kyo&lt;/a&gt; at &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morihei_Ueshiba&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Ueshiba&lt;/a&gt;'s advice. But other style (ki-aikido, I am looking at you) might be different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-04-21T12:18:42.537" LastActivityDate="2016-04-28T13:25:41.303" Title="How widespread is oomoto-kyo within the Aikido community?" Tags="|aikido|mysticism|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6407" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2016-04-21T12:26:22.710" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-04-21T12:26:22.710" LastActivityDate="2016-04-21T12:26:22.710" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6408" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2016-04-21T12:26:22.710" Score="0" Body="A catch all tag for all mysticism within martial arts be it meta physical philosophy, religion, magic, or super natural powers, include Qi/Chi and other fabulous powers." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-04-21T12:26:22.710" LastActivityDate="2016-04-21T12:26:22.710" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6409" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5100" CreationDate="2016-04-22T08:08:58.520" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I see I'm late here. But if it helps other people, here's a go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taiji breathing depends on the kind of movement you do and is grounded in the yin-yang theory (not just duality but ever-changing duality). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are 4 phases to breathing - inhalation, pause, exhalation, pause. And there are 4 primary physical jing or energies: peng (wardoff), ji (press), liu (rollback) and an (push) (you may want to read up on this, it's too much to explain here). Every taiji movement is an interplay of the 4 energies and each of them is linked to a particular kind of breathing: inwards or outwards, rising or sinking. You can see this the most clearly in fajing movements where breath follows the body for the best 'force'. It's worth noting that nothing is rigidly tied, a master may well do something internally and something else externally. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, the classics identify two kinds of breath - 'soldier breath', where fast movement naturally demands upper-chest rapid breathing trying to pull in maximum oxygen (think of running or jogging); and 'scholar breath', where slow, deep breathing starting from the diaphragm and utilizing as much capacity of your lungs as it can, brings calmness (think meditating). Taiji has both of these - some slow movements, some fast, some explosive, some gentle. Also a particular movement can be done fast-style; it can be done slow-style depending on your intent - are you practising that morning as a peaceful start to your day or are you all energized and want a martial art start?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Usually beginners are asked not to worry about breathing and just concentrate on their movements since concentrating on breathing at this point is asking for the cart before the horse - it takes focus off aspects that need to be polished first like posture and technique and makes the movements jerky. The only thing you should remember to do in the beginning is just breathe normally (you'll be surprised how many times people are caught holding their breath). Once you are grounded in the principles of the art, the breathing becomes automatic and you don't have to think about it consciously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, find a teacher you respect - a good one is more precious than gold or diamond, like a second father/mother, irreplaceable. Mine taught me this and I pass it on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7070" LastEditorUserId="7070" LastEditDate="2016-04-22T08:18:20.960" LastActivityDate="2016-04-22T08:18:20.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6410" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6413" CreationDate="2016-04-22T16:27:58.750" Score="3" ViewCount="337" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have 7 years practising Wing chun, it took me 5 years to get an &quot;intermediate&quot; rank ( officially we don't have ranks at all just people who have more experience/skill than us), when we train technique we have a partner, back then when i was a beginner everytime we had a different partner to avoid getting used to one person size/strength/speed etc...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But now i don't know why it was my sifu decision to change this, now we have fixed partner to train, the issue is mine partner sucks in the sense he doesn't practise more than we do in that class nor he exercises, so he always get tired way too fast after just warming up, also he gets distracted too easily. &#xA;He barely has 2 years of training, sure there is people who has more skill but not him, he confuses the names of the techniques, still lacks of coordination and worse of all i don't see any motivation from him (which would explain the slow progress).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I tried to help him to get better at it, but no result if he's not willing to do it. Also i don't get better either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How i can address this to my sifu being tactful?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7069" LastActivityDate="2016-04-23T05:35:22.553" Title="How to address this issue with my sifu" Tags="|training|recommendation|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6411" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6410" CreationDate="2016-04-22T18:54:17.167" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Try this...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;I thoroughly enjoy your teaching, and you are a great sifu. However, I am finding it difficult to further my learning with my current partner. I would like if I could work with an alternative partner, preferably one with similar experience as me.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's likely questions he may ask are those you already have answers to. But if the answer is negative try to subtly avoid the question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember to choose your timing correctly, maybe when you sifu is in a particularly good mood, or even when we has noticed that you are not learning as well with your partner. Or, even better, you might want to tell them at the beginning of the lesson, so they can observe throughout the lesson, and it is likely they will be in a better mood at the beginning of the lesson.&#xA;Also, try and turn to make it sound like something you would say. You sifu might note a change in your regular tone of speech.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See this link on how to be tactful: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Tactful&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Tactful&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7047" LastActivityDate="2016-04-22T18:54:17.167" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6412" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="330" CreationDate="2016-04-22T20:45:02.147" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Might be of your interest:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-1958-roadhouse-gets-lot-right-5-lessons-bouncer.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-1958-roadhouse-gets-lot-right-5-lessons-bouncer.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Relevant quotes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;The people who run the bars, they're not looking at your karate&#xA;  application; you can throw that right out,&quot; Cronk says. You might as&#xA;  well paint a big sign on your back that says &quot;Potential Lawsuit,&quot;&#xA;  because those kinds of people are &quot;more a liability than anything,&quot; he&#xA;  says. &quot;The bar that does hire them, they're asking for trouble.&#xA;  They're gone within a week 99 percent of the time anyways. They think&#xA;  it's more like the stereotypical bouncer, like the guy who throws&#xA;  people out doors and yells at people, and it's not like that.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also consider:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In A Fight, Women Are Way More Terrifying Than Men&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;because:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;You see, women are living in a world where it's increasingly dangerous&#xA;  just to be one. If they're attacked, there's a good chance they won't&#xA;  have a size advantage over their opponent, so they've come up with&#xA;  clever ways to even the playing field. [...] according to Cronk, is simple: &quot;Women carry mace.&quot; Hooray&#xA;  for equality! &quot;I've been maced eight times as an adult man,&quot; he says.&#xA;  &quot;I wouldn't wish mace upon my worst enemy. ... It's worse than the&#xA;  Devil's piss. I hate mace.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the others pointed is actually more about psychology confrontation than physical, at least that's the thing you try to avoid to happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7069" LastEditorUserId="7069" LastEditDate="2016-04-22T21:00:34.717" LastActivityDate="2016-04-22T21:00:34.717" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6413" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6410" CreationDate="2016-04-23T03:40:54.250" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a good reason why an instructor pairs two students of unequal skill together. The student that is of lesser skill will begin to accelerate their knowledge when exposed to someone of greater skill. The student that is of greater skill, on the other hand, improves his/her knowledge of the art by being put in a position to explain things to the lesser skilled student. Together, they can be of great benefit to one another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At 5 years of training, that is usually when someone takes on a more teaching role. They've reached a level that most martial arts consider &quot;black belt&quot;. It's at this point that the instructors begin to ask the students to train others. And usually they'll train the beginner through intermediate level students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you're being asked to teach and explain something, you will find out very quickly what you do and don't know. It can really solidify your understanding of the art. And that's why instructors often put students in that role.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now the interesting part is how your instructor in this case decided to keep you with one student only, rather than switching you around to partner with others in class. That isn't done as often, in my experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes I see it done that way if a particular student only works well with one other student in the class and nobody else. So the instructor makes sure that the &quot;problem&quot; student is always with people who can handle him. It's not a good solution for the student who's forced to partner with him all the time, though. Could your partner be such a student? If every student in class is stuck with a particular partner all the time, then this obviously doesn't apply.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I think if I were you, I'd just bring it up with my instructor. But instead of going into it accusingly, just say, &quot;Sifu, can I ask you a question? Is there a reason why I always have the same partner? Would we not be better off rotating partners like we used to? Why the change?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's very simple. It doesn't accuse. It just asks why. Any good instructor loves to answer &quot;why&quot; questions from students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2016-04-23T03:40:54.250" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6414" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6410" CreationDate="2016-04-23T05:35:22.553" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe the reason for his decision was well explained by Mr Weingard. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I think you should just talk to him. Find time after a training and just tell him what your goals are and what you are expecting.&#xA;Why should you treat a 'sifu' different then everybody else? &#xA;Just think about that if you continue to train like that, you'll soon loose motivation and your skills will stagnate and/or your progress will slow down. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The last point is, not the most important one though, that you are probably paying him for teaching you... so it is even more natural to expect something and express openly what you can get out of it right?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-04-23T05:35:22.553" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6415" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-04-23T08:29:03.763" Score="9" ViewCount="1509" Body="&lt;p&gt;I read something interesting about Brendan Ingle's fighters:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Dancing turned into fighting and pretty soon Ingle, a free spirit, a maverick, the great improviser, was combining the two to concoct a boxing style all of his own, a style imprinted on each of the men he trained, from [Naseem] Hamed and [Herol] Graham to [Johnny] Nelson and [Ryan] Rhodes. Even his lumbering heavyweights boxed the same way. &lt;strong&gt;They were all light on their toes, in and out, masters of range and timing, each of them utterly comfortable with their hands down by their sides. They were ostensibly matadors with gloves. Hit and don’t get hit was their mantra&lt;/strong&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;&lt;strong&gt;It’s all about time and patience&lt;/strong&gt;,” he said. “I’m in charge. If they look good, I look good. It’s simple logic. If they make money, I make money. Who wants to finish up with a flat nose and cauliflower ears? People don’t realize that a few years ago I started the Sheffield, Rotherham and District Ex-Boxers Association. I came across so many people with flat noses, cauliflower ears and a croak in a voice from being punched in the throat. I wanted to do something to help them.”&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Perhaps the greatest testament to the Ingle way – to be elusive, to be defensive-minded – are the coherent voices and clean faces of his retired former pupils.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For example, Hamed, though now as wide as he is tall, is just as brash and fast-talking as ever while the likes of Rhodes, Graham and Nelson have all appeared on television as pundits. What’s more, Nelson now enjoys a role as a boxing presenter on Sky Sports.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  -  &lt;a href=&quot;http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/382741-brendan-ingle-the-legacy-lives-on&quot;&gt;Source&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is beyond doubt that Hamed, Nelson, Graham, and Rhodes have come out of their careers in apparent good health and still mentally sharp.  It is at least plausible to suggest that Ingle's style - i.e., hit and don't get hit, using reflex and head, body, and leg movement to avoid punches rather than trying to absorb or block them with gloves - might have something to do with this.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Is there any reason to believe that Ingle's fighters do better than average in avoiding serious, lasting damage from injuries in the ring?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6104" LastActivityDate="2019-09-28T22:01:50.243" Title="Is the Brendan Ingle style of boxing really healthier in the long run?" Tags="|technique|boxing|injury|safety|style|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6416" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6419" CreationDate="2016-04-23T09:38:27.180" Score="2" ViewCount="315" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been self teaching myself to do Ninjutsu for a few weeks, and I have gotten stuck on the art of Henka (also know as Kihon Happo). For me, it is very vague.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know to do Henka training, you have to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learn some set moves&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Break them down&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learn different variations of them&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any other tips to help me learn Henka training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7047" LastEditorUserId="7047" LastEditDate="2016-04-25T17:51:30.750" LastActivityDate="2017-05-19T00:44:22.980" Title="Henka training - how to progress" Tags="|self-training|ninjutsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6418" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6361" CreationDate="2016-04-23T21:39:27.750" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As Zen-Hydra already said if you would like to find a Martial Art to train there are other factors than how effective it is in self-defense. Since you are asking specifically about the effectiveness of Wing Chun though, I assume you want to train for these specific situations (maybe because you enjoy exactly that) and I would like to share my thoughts on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Among many people in the martial arts community there seems to be the misconception that it is the same thing as self-defense. In my opinion the two are quite distinct things that deal with a variety of situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Martial arts&lt;/strong&gt; is usually (of course your interpretation of the word may differ, but that is semantics) meant to describe sports like Karate, Judo, Aikido, greko roman wrestling etc. and their modern partners like modern wrestling etc. Most of them have a &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;traditional&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; or philosophical side, some are more adapted for a &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;competitive sport&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; (MMA, boxing etc.). Note that of course if you are a master in either of these arts you will do relatively well in self-defense to. But &lt;em&gt;neither&lt;/em&gt; of the ones just listed devotes to self-defense, they are not specialized self-defense systems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But such &lt;strong&gt;specialized self-defense systems&lt;/strong&gt; exist. My personal favorite is Krav Maga as taught by Krav Maga Global. Other forms include Systema and military forms. Ninjutsu is also worth naming, but focusses on offensive use of weapons rather than defensive. Self-defense situations are qualitatively different from fighting (although they can transition into it). They usually come as a surprise, are shorter and nowadays often involve a weapon. I will make an example to demonstrate how they are different using a common case in the UK, specifically London: knife crimes. Imagine you are walking a lonely road towards the evening and a person passing by suddenly draws a knife and presses you against the wall, an arm-length away from you with the knife to your throat asking for money. &lt;strong&gt;Any of the other forms I listed under &quot;martial arts&quot; is not going to help you here and &lt;em&gt;that&lt;/em&gt; is the difference between a self-defense sport and a martial art.&lt;/strong&gt; To prepare for such situations you need to train strategies, do psychological pressure drills and prepare specifically for weapon attacks/threats from every angle and in any situation/environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now after this relatively long prologue I can try to answer your question about &lt;strong&gt;Wing Chun&lt;/strong&gt; in particular. It is a bit of an intermediate, they do train weapons defenses etc. but in my opinion it is rather adapting some techniques to these situations rather than having a thought through self-defense system. As an example you can see that already from the stands: it is unnatural and you would not stand like that in real life. When someone walks up to you and you are not sure wether he is going to attack you, you would like to prepare for it. But you are not going to adopt a Wing Chun stance because then the grandma passing by is going to identify &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt; as the aggressor in the situation. To fit this in the argument I gave above: &lt;strong&gt;Wing Chun teaches some self-defense, but is not a dedicated self-defense system.&lt;/strong&gt; This is of course my opinion and you may disagree.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;EDIT TO ADDRESS THE CRITICS&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will give another example concerning knife attacks demonstrating why Wing Chun is not a self-defense &lt;em&gt;system&lt;/em&gt;, although it might teach some defenses against knives. In interviews with people (see for example &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.book-info.com/isbn/1-58394-008-1.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this book&lt;/a&gt; for sources on that) it has become clear that in a surprising attack (i.e. someone just starts stabbing you on the street) with a knife it is rare that people realize the other person has a knife. They think they are just getting punched and defend accordingly until they notice their wounds. This is the reason why Krav Maga Global teaches basic punch defense techniques (the &quot;inside defense&quot; and the &quot;360 defense&quot;) that work &lt;em&gt;equally&lt;/em&gt; for punches and for knives, in particular try to control the opponent as fast as possible instead of throwing wild punches (note that this is also good from a legal perspective, since in some countries, e.g. Germany, you can be held accountable for wounding your attacker if the defense was not appropriate to the situation.). What is the most basic Wing Chun technique? Keep your elbows in and low, punch fast and move in... good luck when there is a knife!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7015" LastEditorUserId="7015" LastEditDate="2016-05-02T08:24:48.353" LastActivityDate="2016-05-02T08:24:48.353" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6419" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6416" CreationDate="2016-04-24T03:14:21.710" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Henka means &quot;variation&quot; or &quot;change&quot;. In other words, a different way of doing something. It doesn't refer specifically to the kihon happo (&quot;basics&quot; / &quot;essentials&quot;) of Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu, although you are expected to learn many different henka for each technique. That's part of the training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The theory goes like this: When a technique is first shown, it is taught in a sort of &quot;textbook&quot; manner so as to show all of the key features of it. Then the instructor typically shows a series of henka of the technique. In other words, you'll see it done differently. Then, after doing it a number of different ways, your subconscious mind will eventually figure out what the principles are, rather than having to learn rote technique. And from there, you will be able to apply the principles in any shape or form of technique on the fly as needed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, this doesn't happen overnight. It can take years, if not decades before students are just able to react subconsciously with the right technique. It just depends on the student, the quality of instruction, and how often the student is exposed to the techniques and concepts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The advantage said of this method of training is that it doesn't rely on rote memorization of dozens of seemingly different, distinct techniques that all have the same principles. Instead, your brain absorbs the principles, and then the technique emerges from that. You may even make up a technique that nobody has thought of before, and yet it is just a henka of something else you've learned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The funny thing is that Bujinkan teachers rarely just come out and tell you what the principles actually are. They just show you the technique and a grab-bag of different henka for it. They may speak of principles, but language itself isn't generally good enough. You have to feel it in order to understand it. At least according to what I know from my Bujinkan training days.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watching videos is an incomplete way of learning anything in the Bujinkan. It can help. You can learn from it. And there are many youtube videos of Bujinkan instruction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The downside to learning this way is that you won't be able to feel it being done to you, and so you won't really know if you've truly understood it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hatsumi Sensei once said this of learning anything in Bujinkan:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&quot;The Uke is usually the only one who understands what’s happening. The people who stand around and watch might think they understand, but they don’t. All they see is what I show them. That part they can do themselves, and teach on to their own students. What Uke experiences cannot be replicated afterwards. Even if they truly feel it, they can’t explain it afterwards. I always ask people to explain the feeling back to me. This is how I know how good they are. Sometimes silence is the best answer. When I ask them to explain and they just shake their heads and laugh, that’s when I know they understand.&quot;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only way to learn more henka for a given technique is to learn it from a qualified instructor and have it done on you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, you can take it apart mentally and try to figure out what the essence is of the technique. That can help. But I find that no matter how creative you are, you're just not going to come up with all of the many henka that Bujinkan people have shown over time. I know 15th dan black belts in Bujinkan that are still amazed every single time they train with Hatsumi-sensei or any of the Japanese shihan. They're constantly being shown new aspects of stuff they thought they understood completely already.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bottom line: If you don't have anyone to train with near you, get to a seminar, a workshop, a Taikai, whatever. There are many, and they cover a wide range of techniques. You might have to travel a little, that's all. Or better yet, head to Japan if you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-05-19T00:44:22.980" LastActivityDate="2017-05-19T00:44:22.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6420" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-04-24T09:55:14.077" Score="4" ViewCount="5127" Body="&lt;p&gt;I cannot do any split.Why is it so essential to make a full leg split to learn martial arts? Will I be able to learn martial art without doing it? Please help me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7074" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-04-24T16:57:31.083" LastActivityDate="2017-01-31T13:21:49.050" Title="Why is it so essential to do a full leg split to learn martial art?" Tags="|self-training|flexibility|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6421" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-04-24T10:01:12.827" Score="2" ViewCount="99" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like /love to learn martial artsHow do I choose a suitable martial art for my self?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7074" LastActivityDate="2016-04-24T14:22:32.147" Title="How do I choose a suitable martial art for me?" Tags="|self-training|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ClosedDate="2016-04-25T08:58:39.403" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6422" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6420" CreationDate="2016-04-24T13:55:16.670" Score="8" Body="&lt;h2&gt;TL;DR&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, it's not essential. Full splits are an impressive display of flexibility, but few martial arts include them as anything other than a nifty party trick or something for exhibitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-01-30T20:55:32.857" LastActivityDate="2017-01-30T20:55:32.857" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6423" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6420" CreationDate="2016-04-24T14:22:15.630" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two important points to consider:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Full splits are not essential in many martial arts systems. Kicking itself may be secondary. The motivation behind full splits is often high kicking, which is high-risk in combat. See &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6270/low-kicks-vs-high-kicks-in-street-fight&quot;&gt;Low kicks vs high kicks in street fight&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;No one expects beginning students to have full splits. If your martial arts school considers flexibility to do splits important, then this is part of the training regimen. It is expected that this will take many months (or perhaps a few years) of training to achieve. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-04-24T14:22:15.630" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6424" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6421" CreationDate="2016-04-24T14:22:32.147" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The only feasible answer is, given whatever set of constraints you must consider (time, money, health, etc.), try as many as possible and then choose to study whichever art(s) you enjoy the most. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7048" LastActivityDate="2016-04-24T14:22:32.147" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6425" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5969" CreationDate="2016-04-25T01:40:52.790" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bankuei, in his winning answer, is right that this comes down to specifics. If you really think about the situation, the person with the gun has a huge tactical advantage of having a gun, while you do not. In such an asymmetric situation, you're not going to find a general solution that wins. If one existed, guns wouldn't be such a big deal. Instead, you must exploit mistakes the assailants have made. Those are specifics to those two assailants that one particular time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Teachers can tell you general patterns, such as running at a particular time, but there's no guarantee it will work. There's just an increased likelyhood that you will be able to exploit a mistake at one of those points in time. You wont learn to spot every mistake every gunman will ever make in a short period of time, which is why so many arts elect to not teach gun defense, or teach it late in your training. Overconfidence near a loaded gun is a very easy way to learn just how much blood happens to be pumping around your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since you tagged Krav Maga, my opinion is that arts like Krav Maga that teach gun defenses teach them as a last resort. If you have to use the gun defense they taught you, it means you have already lost, and you are hoping that the other person simply doesn't realize it until its too late. &lt;strong&gt;The really good Krav Maga teachers will teach you to carry yourself in a way such that you don't need to use the gun defenses they teach you.&lt;/strong&gt; In the best case, that means not making decisions that get you held at gun point. In the worst case, that means you're comfortable enough improving to not need to use some canned gun defense plan.  Instead, you improvise something which is custom tailored to the exact situation you're in.  It might look like a gun defense they taught, or it may not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4422" LastActivityDate="2016-04-25T01:40:52.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6426" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-04-25T05:41:29.070" Score="8" ViewCount="486" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the commentary on the tragic 2005 Leavander Johnson/Jesus Chavez fight, which claimed the life of Leavander Johnson, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/F4yeA1uHiXI?t=43m49s&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;commentator Jim Lampley said that there are two things that seem to be &quot;constant&quot; in recent fights where a boxer was seriously - sometimes permanently - injured&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In the recent history of the sport, when you look at fights where one fighter has been badly, sometimes permanently damaged, two constants seem to be part of the formula. Number one, the opponent who is doing the damage is a hard  hitter, but not a big enough hitter to put the opponent away. &lt;strong&gt;Number two, the guy who is getting worked over has his father in the corner as his trainer, constantly sending him back to take more punishment.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sure Lampley would love to have been proven wrong in this case, but the words he spoke in the 11th round, shortly before referee Tony Weeks belatedly stopped the fight, were eerily prophetic, and less than a week later, Johnson was dead.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A little research on my part turned up &lt;a href=&quot;http://articles.latimes.com/1995-10-31/sports/sp-63078_1_california-ring&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;an earlier article from the LA Times&lt;/a&gt;, which listed other fighters who were killed in their bouts and had their fathers in their corners:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Johnny Owens (1980)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Kiko Bejines (1983)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Rico Velazquez (1988)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Jimmy Garcia (1995)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Fernie Morales (1991)&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More recently, in 2009, &lt;a href=&quot;http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-11-24/news/0911230663_1_chicago-boxer-fatal-boxing-community&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Francisco &quot;Paco&quot; Rodriguez&lt;/a&gt; was killed in the ring, with his father in the corner.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/document/d/17osnLRiUHzBSsWIgkNRt9tFI_TgY6nBF4lBPbbZbDwg/edit?usp=sharing&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here's a slightly more thorough list&lt;/a&gt; of boxers who were killed or seriously injured in the ring since 1980 with their fathers in their corners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Has there ever been a serious analysis into the possible correlation between permanent injury/deaths in the ring, and having one's father in the corner?  Do we know if there is actually a statistical correlation between these two factors?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;em&gt;Fortunately, Morales actually survived, but suffered a blood clot in his brain, had to have emergency brain surgery to remove it, and never fought again.  Sadly, all the others on the list died from their injuries.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6104" LastEditorUserId="6104" LastEditDate="2016-04-26T22:53:39.853" LastActivityDate="2017-06-24T00:18:32.100" Title="Is there a statistical correlation between deaths in the ring and having one's father in the corner as one's trainer?" Tags="|training|boxing|injury|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6428" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6430" CreationDate="2016-04-25T18:36:16.343" Score="1" ViewCount="227" Body="&lt;p&gt;Say, for example, a ninjutsu artist swings a sword. Why does that ninja stop swinging halfway through the follow through?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watch this short video to see what I mean: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcZVTZjI-Qw&amp;amp;list=PL388B34C619207E47&amp;amp;index=14&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcZVTZjI-Qw&amp;amp;list=PL388B34C619207E47&amp;amp;index=14&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Has this got something to do with saving time?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7047" LastActivityDate="2016-04-25T19:44:06.360" Title="Why do ninjas stop with their follow through when attacking" Tags="|ninjutsu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6429" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6428" CreationDate="2016-04-25T19:43:53.903" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based upon my experience with the Bujinkan system, I think it's got more to do with this being an instructional video. By stopping the blow where he does, he gives a better idea of what arc the sword took. When we did do weapons training, we followed through on all of our strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2016-04-25T19:43:53.903" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6430" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6428" CreationDate="2016-04-25T19:44:06.360" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not a practitioner of ninjutsu, but my experience in martial arts tells me that what you're seeing is actually normal. Here are a few reasons why I believe this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The video you link was meant to teach/showcase a technique, not show off the ninja's skill.&lt;/strong&gt; The important part was the cartwheel, and the sword was only there to show you what the cartwheel was supposed to achieve in a combat situation. Going faster and following through the move would've been more realistic, but less instructive.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;They wanted to avoid injuries.&lt;/strong&gt; This is a corrolary to the previous point, really. Practicing against a resisting oponent is surely better, but why risk an injury if it can be avoided? They were shooting the video in a really small space, which could've hampered their movements enough that an injury was a likely outcome.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Most martial arts don't teach new techniques with 100% strength blows.&lt;/strong&gt; In karate, when studying the bunkai associated with a kata, we would pair up and the uke would strike the tori in a slow and predictable fashion. Only when the tori is comfortable with the countering technique, which can take many practice sessions, will the tori start attacking faster. Many techniques require a lot of coordination and timing for them to be effective, so increasing the speed of execution in small increments ensures that you can work on these elements in a safe and controlled manner.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because of this, I think the uke here isn't really trying to hit his opponent. He is merely providing an obstacle for the tori to cartwheel over. These videos are meant to be pedagogical in nature, so they take things slow, allowing the viewer to focus on the techniques being shown. They are meant to &lt;strong&gt;illustrate&lt;/strong&gt; combat situations, not &lt;strong&gt;be&lt;/strong&gt; combat situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most likely, these ninjutsu black belts regularly practice similar bunkai at more normal speed, but it really wasn't the point of this video. It's a demonstration, not a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2016-04-25T19:44:06.360" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6431" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-04-25T21:40:42.417" Score="3" ViewCount="247" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a problem with training (Muay thai , Filipino and wing chun) in that I am a perfectionist. I focus on details of technique like my stance, my body shift, if if I put my body weight on the strike to make it more powerful , if I made it 100%, etc... I focus on that because I am afraid to do the techniques wrong. Which will result in a weak strike and that strike will not affect my opponent&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Actually that prevent me from being a creative martial artist, to make a technique in my own way for example, not putting my weight in a strike due to my position in a fight.  Another example, I will do a technique like &quot;knee, elbow, punch or even kick&quot; all without putting my body weight in it due to my position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should focus on details or should I be creative and do techniques in my own way?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7081" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-04-26T06:32:38.423" LastActivityDate="2016-06-01T15:54:17.483" Title="creativity and strength of a strike" Tags="|training|technique|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6433" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6431" CreationDate="2016-04-25T22:52:59.470" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've found a key part of the learning process is experimentation.  First, learn the basics to where you can do them consistently well.  Not perfect, but good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then play a bit with it.  Change the angles, a little bit.  Change the weight distribution.  Change your timing of when you push off or drop your weight to get your strikes in. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point of this is not to create a new technique, but rather to learn:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are the limits of a technique? (angle, range, position, etc.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What works best FOR ME personally with this technique? (some techniques work differently for different body proportions)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes doing it wrong also highlights for you why you do certain things in the &quot;right way&quot; that you may not have known.  The small adjustments can also help you discover what the correct way is that may have been described for you, but you didn't actually know physically.  A lot of efficiency in power is about small adjustments in angles and timing of how to activate your muscles - which you only learn by playing around like this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;End your training sessions with doing it the correct way, incorporating whatever you get from these experiments that worked out well.  There may be sessions of training where the only thing you learned is &quot;Why we don't do it that way&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-04-25T22:52:59.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6434" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6431" CreationDate="2016-04-26T14:16:35.683" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should focus on the details now so that you can free yourself from them later.  The proper mechanics are vitally important. Proper posture, alignment, and balance are fundamental to functionality (and injury mitigation). Once your form has become second nature, you can work on spontaneity and improvisation. You can only really customize the techniques and make them your own after you have laid down the foundation to deviate from. That foundation is key for proper perspective. It helps you understand what aspects are viable to change and which ones are essential kept as they are. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-04-26T14:16:35.683" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6435" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6444" CreationDate="2016-04-27T05:58:00.537" Score="2" ViewCount="162" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been studying for 5 years but mostly practice by myself. I occasional go to my local school for sparing but practice primarily by myself. What ways can I learn new taolus and training exercises without help of my teacher?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7084" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2016-05-01T12:05:55.663" LastActivityDate="2016-05-01T12:05:55.663" Title="Self development and training" Tags="|kung-fu|self-training|training|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2016-05-02T19:16:08.277" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6437" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2056" CreationDate="2016-04-27T13:45:42.037" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Choy li fut Kung fu has 42 weapons. At my school you can request to learn a weapon of your choice. For instance a friend of mine asked to learn the double axes, so our Sifu learnt the form and taught it to him. I've already learnt the staff, double daggers, spear, two section staff, sabre and double ended spear after 5 years (obviously you need skill with weapons before learning this many). There is a wide array of other weapons such as the trident, straight sword, melon hammers, three section staff and horse chopper, to name a few. It draws from various other styles, so many of these weapons can be found elsewhere as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7085" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2016-04-27T22:16:39.887" LastActivityDate="2016-04-27T22:16:39.887" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6438" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2056" CreationDate="2016-04-27T16:41:24.833" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most Karate schools will include some Okinawan Kobudo in their curriculum. Usually, this means learning a few Bo (staff) forms, but you can find schools in which the Kobudo is more widely integrated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From my experience in Shorinji-Ryu Karatedo, the following weapons were taught very regularly :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bo (6' Staff)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jo (4' Staff)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tanbo (~2' escrima stick)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dual Tanbo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dual Kama (Small Sickle)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sai (pronged metal baton, like Rafael in TMNT)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dual Tonfa (short clubs with perpendicular handles)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Eku Bo (literally &quot;Oar Staff&quot;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which weapons are seen more often obviously depends on the knowledge and proficiency of the teacher, but Tanbo and Bo forms are usually learned as early as yellow belt in Shorinji-Ryu Karatedo, while Tonfa, Sai and Jo forms are usually integrated at the blue/brown belt levels. Kama and Eku Bo are somewhat rarer, because fewer instructors know many forms and bunkai, and are usually taught to higher level students because of the counter-intuitive nature of many of their associated techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, while you regularly spin a Bo to gain kinetic energy and momentum for your strike, you will usually start rolling by pointing down, then completing a full circle and strike the top of your opponent's head. Eku Bo has similar techniques, but they were designed by sailors using movements that felt natural to them, so you spin starting up, before completing the circle and striking from below. This is more similar to how you would row a boat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastEditorUserId="557" LastEditDate="2016-04-27T19:21:28.560" LastActivityDate="2016-04-27T19:21:28.560" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6439" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2056" CreationDate="2016-04-27T19:04:45.247" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have previously trained in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bujinkan#Weapons&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Bujinkan&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; style and they had a fair variety of weapons, although my schedule meant that I only attended a few classes where they were being taught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Weapons use is among the 18 disciplines taught in the Bujinkan: ken (sword), kodachi (short sword), jutte (sword breaker), tessen (iron fan), kabutowari (helmet breaker), bō (long staff), jo (4 foot staff), hanbo (half staff), yari (spear), naginata (halberd), shuriken (throwing blades), kusarigama (sickle and chain), kusarifundo (weight and chain), kyoketsu shoge (dagger and chain), ono (war axe) tetsubishi (caltrops), tanto (dagger), shuko (hand claws), ashiko (foot spikes), metsubushi (blinding powders), and kayaku (the use of firearms). Some types of weapons in the Bujinkan have more than one type, such as the shuriken. Historically, there are two main types of shuriken, hira shuriken (flat blade) and bo shuriken (straight blade). The hira shuriken are also called shaken and senban shuriken; these types of shuriken are flat multi-pointed plates and blades which can have from three to as many as eight points. Some different styles of hira shuriken are Sanko Gata (3 pointed triangular), Juji (cross shaped), Manji(swastika shaped), and Kumi Awase (a cross shaped folding shuriken). The bo shuriken can be round or flat, thick or thin, and come in many different styles such as straight and round with a single point, round and pointed at both ends, flat pointed at one or both ends, as well as types such as Hari Gata (needle shaped), Tanto Gata (knife shaped), Yari Gata (spear shaped), and Empi Gata (swallow shaped). There are also many types of swords used in the Bujinkan such as Ken, Katana, Tachi, Odachi, Wakazashi, Kodachi, Nadachi, Shikomizue, and Tanto. There are also many different types of Yari or spears. Long bladed, short bladed, and long or short bladed with single or double hooks or blades flaring out to the sides.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2016-04-27T19:04:45.247" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6440" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2056" CreationDate="2016-04-28T07:34:38.227" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is very Subjective ! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are medieval kind guy go for hema! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of people use longsword but you also have rapiers(a lot of kinds out there as they were a very popular duel sword, also variations: rapier and buckler, rapier and dagger , rapier and cape), sword and buckler, dagger ( and shield or buckler) , big two handed sword ( you can't use them for sparring),all kind of pole weapons including simple staff, sabers (more straight or more curved ones)... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6344" LastEditorUserId="6344" LastEditDate="2016-04-28T10:19:50.327" LastActivityDate="2016-04-28T10:19:50.327" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6441" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2056" CreationDate="2016-04-28T08:41:39.710" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What martial art should I try if I want to train with a wide variety&#xA;  of weapons?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Probably the HEMA arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fiore de’i Liberi in &quot;The Flower of Battle&quot; for example covers everything from unarmed hand to hand combat through to mounted armoured combat and virtually everything in between.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;unarmed, dagger/knives, baton, swords (one and two handed), axe (poleaxe), staff, spear&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The 1595 club have a lovely demo based on the teachings of Saviolo:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSYSqdz9WKc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSYSqdz9WKc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2016-04-28T08:41:39.710" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6443" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6406" CreationDate="2016-04-28T13:25:41.303" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am in an Aikikai federation and I have not seen any evidence of it.  We have a senior student who will read some of Ueshiba's teachings in that area before we start class but that is really the extent of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5573" LastActivityDate="2016-04-28T13:25:41.303" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6444" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6435" CreationDate="2016-04-28T14:25:04.770" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A lot depends on where you are at in your training. If you are well on your way to mastering the fundamentals of your art, you can probably deconstruct forms from a video performance.  A quick search on YouTube provides thousands of results. You can also ask your instructor if he/she has any video training aids. It might also be worth talking to your instructor about your situation. They may be willing to let you record video at the sessions you can attend, and you can work off of that when you can't attend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you aren't at the point in your training where you have a good understanding of the correct postures and mechanics of the techniques involved, working off of videos (and without feedback) might do more harm than good. You certainly wouldn't want to put muscle memory to a misinterpretation. Even without a deep understanding of the style's fundamentals you can spend your time without instruction honing your strength and flexibility. A huge part of the martial arts hang upon one's physical fitness.  There is so much you can do to improve your overall fitness and flexibility in support of your martial arts practice which doesn't require any materials other than your body and gravity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another point worth making is that quantity =/= quality. You don't need a large volume of material to become extremely proficient, and if you already have a decent number of forms in your repertoire you can spend your time mastering them. Once you have a deep grasp of what the elements in the forms are, you can construct your own variations. These arts were all created by people, and not with any sort of special insight. There is no reason you can't do so as well (especially since you are looking for health benefits over combat effectiveness).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-04-28T14:25:04.770" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6446" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2146" CreationDate="2016-04-29T07:52:20.693" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think it's worth noting that &lt;em&gt;jō&lt;/em&gt; is sometimes translated to English as &quot;cane&quot;. While it doesn't match up in shape and size to a classic European cane, it does match in purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another interesting fact about the &lt;em&gt;jō&lt;/em&gt; is that it's also the size of the haft of a farmer's spear: in the feudal period of Japan, a commoner couldn't keep a full-length &lt;em&gt;yari&lt;/em&gt;, but was permitted to keep a shorter spear for purposes of self-defense against bandits and the like. Much like a &lt;em&gt;yari&lt;/em&gt;, a short-spear would also commonly have a blade end and a spike end, so double-sided movements work for both spear and staff. There's still a few sensei's who will train Aikido-spear (&lt;em&gt;Aikisō&lt;/em&gt;), but it's uncommon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ueshiba Ō-Sensei was captured on film on several occasions performing all or part of a short-spear &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; called &quot;&lt;em&gt;Nuhoko&lt;/em&gt;&quot; or &quot;&lt;em&gt;Nuboko&lt;/em&gt;&quot; (meaning &quot;jeweled spear&quot;), however, in the vast majority of the film clips, he is using a &lt;em&gt;jō&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I suppose Ō-Sensei could have drawn some inspiration from &lt;em&gt;Shintō Musō-ryū&lt;/em&gt;, Aikido's &lt;em&gt;jō&lt;/em&gt; techniques, as taught by leading Shihans (notably: Saito, Saotome, and Chiba), look quite distinct from MSR.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7089" LastEditorUserId="7089" LastEditDate="2016-04-29T07:55:27.100" LastActivityDate="2016-04-29T07:55:27.100" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6447" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6449" CreationDate="2016-04-29T09:22:14.987" Score="10" ViewCount="2887" Body="&lt;p&gt;I understand why boxers clinch (although it's the main reason I get bored watching most heavyweight fights), but I just learned that it is technically illegal.  However, I've literally never seen a boxer being penalized for clinching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would expect that many fighters would say boxing would be much more difficult, if not impossible, if the rules against clinching were strictly enforced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;So if it is illegal, why are penalties so rare (in pro fighting), and if it is necessary, why is it illegal?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6104" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-04-29T12:32:36.220" Title="If clinching is technically illegal, why does it almost always go unpunished?" Tags="|technique|boxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6448" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="319" CreationDate="2016-04-29T11:14:32.423" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can suggest &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/9178940176&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Aikido Principles &quot;Basic Concepts of the Peaceful Martial Art&quot;&lt;/a&gt; from Stefan Stenudd. The author is an Aikikai instructor but I also found the book useful as a Kobayashi style practitioner. It is mostly about the basic concepts in Aikido, not the techniques. The spiritual side of Aikido has also been mentioned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For german readers, I can also suggest &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.de/Aikido-Lehren-Techniken-harmonischen-Weges/dp/3806821208?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;psc=1&amp;amp;redirect=true&amp;amp;ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;&quot;Aikido. Lehren und Techniken des harmonischen Weges&quot;&lt;/a&gt; from Rolf Brand. This book is, on the other hand, a technical instruction. There are really good explanations with pictures. It is a pity that it is not available in English.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6654" LastActivityDate="2016-04-29T11:14:32.423" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6449" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6447" CreationDate="2016-04-29T12:23:03.920" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;The fact that Wladimir Klitscho could hug his way to win after win keeps me up at night tbh...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Clinching is difficult to manage as a ringleader. That's why, I assume, it goes unpunished. At one point, you need to allow infighters to infight(meaning when 1 hand is available, even though the other is holding - for example).. As per why it isn't punished? It's definitely a good question, and one we couldn't answer. Boxing has rules, but often follows what general consensus is instead of what's present in the rulebooks - it's a funny sport in that regard. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To answer your questions..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;So if it is illegal, why are penalties so rare (in pro fighting)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Penalties are, in general, very rare. Good ringleaders(for world championship fights, of which you, a spectator, is more likely to see) are not there to get attention. On the contrary, they want to intervene as little as possible and let the fighters fight. So penalties are, in general, just rare. Warnings are common, though. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;and if it is necessary, why is(hugging/clinching) illegal?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because it resets the pace of the fight. Anytime someone gets too close to Klitscho, he will hug them and let the ringleader reset, so he gets back to his comfortable reach advantage. As you can see, in a lot of heavyweight fights, these are snoozefests because it's 1-3 seconds of punching, and 10 seconds of hugging/man-handling each other. It's ridiculous and I completely agree with you that it's surprising nothing is done. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6601" LastEditorUserId="6601" LastEditDate="2016-04-29T12:32:36.220" LastActivityDate="2016-04-29T12:32:36.220" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6450" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6426" CreationDate="2016-04-29T17:27:00.880" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are fortunately not enough deaths in boxing (about 10 per year) to tell one way or another, hence no statistical correlation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People consistently underestimate the importance of sample size requirements in statistics. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the sample size is too small, that's the end of the discussion, as far as statistics are concerned, because any apparent correlation could easily be an expression of randomness. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Statistics only work on large numbers and if you don't have large enough numbers, you don't have a statistical correlation, or a statistical anything. Attempting to draw statistics anyway from a small sample size &quot;because that's all we got&quot; is a logical fallacy known as the &quot;law of small numbers&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A classic example of that fallacy is the story of the traveler who enters a town and sees 3 kids at the entrance of the town. It should be obvious to a sane person that it doesn't mean anything, but people hate uncertainty and so the traveler makes up his mind:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;3 out 3 persons in town are kids. 100%. Therefore there are no adults in this town&quot;, concludes the traveler. Obviously, the conclusion is ridiculous because we know that kids don't happen out of thin air and that their parents are bound to be around, but it's not really that different from the &quot;4 boxers died with their dad in the corner&quot; train of thought. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When numbers are small, statistics are meaningless and can easily be misleading. When you have small numbers of data points you have to either get more data points (which isn't an option here unless you want to start killing boxers) or simply forget about it because you simply don't have enough to generate reliable statistics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1179" LastActivityDate="2016-04-29T17:27:00.880" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6451" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-04-29T21:21:25.467" Score="7" ViewCount="2287" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a little experience with boxing and kickboxing (&amp;lt; 1 yr) and did ok in those sports.  I have a chance to do jiu jitsu, but am wondering how much flexibility is needed.  I am older (late 40s).  I know virtually nothing about the sport.  I'm interested in Jiu Jitsu right now rather than more boxing because I find it's easiest to exercise when and where I have the opportunity.  I drop my son off for Jiu Jitsu and it occurred to me I could use the time to exercise rather than read a book. It would be problematic to get to a boxing gym right now (3 kids, job, etc.) However, my brief viewing of Jiu Jitsu leads me to observations:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The folks seem young.  Folks were younger than me at the boxing classes, but there were a few older ones.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It seems like flexibility would be more important in Jiu-Jitsu than other sports (such as boxing).  In boxing, I wasn't the greatest at &quot;bobbing and weaving&quot;.  It didn't seem to hinder me too much at my level.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps those who have done jiu-jitsu and boxing (or kickboxing) could chime in.  Does Jiu-Jitsu require much more flexibility?  Is it harder? If so, how is it harder? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1973" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-10-23T11:56:40.050" LastActivityDate="2017-10-23T11:56:40.050" Title="How necessary is youth and flexibility in Jiu Jitsu? As compared to Boxing?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|boxing|jujutsu|flexibility|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6453" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-04-30T22:46:58.477" Score="3" ViewCount="231" Body="&lt;p&gt;My Kung-Fu specialty is the two section staff (Dai so ji). I noticed rececently that the three rings connecting the sections has some sort of grime (Not rust) and seems looser. Is this a problem? If so, how do I treat it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: I am afraid I lack pictures of the problem. However, I can provide an explanation. The staff has seen a great deal of usage. The grime is black and bumpy to the touch. When I perform a large swing it always feels as though it will fly off, though the it doesn't look damaged or loose, just grimy. If the problem cannot be solved, I am open to purchasing a new staff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7096" LastEditorUserId="7099" LastEditDate="2016-05-03T14:18:02.700" LastActivityDate="2016-05-03T14:18:02.700" Title="Is this normal for a two section staff?" Tags="|kung-fu|weapons|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6455" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6458" CreationDate="2016-05-02T10:20:13.613" Score="6" ViewCount="4670" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is a good strategy to land a good punch on your opponent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been sparring around 5 times now with a friend, and we both have problem knowing how to attack each other. We both practice Bujinkan and our instructor thinks that sparring is not how you should be practicing, so we can´t turn to him for help. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I intend to change martial art after the summer to one that does encourage sparring, but until then I would like to train on how to attack through my opponent's guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6969" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-04-29T02:18:29.773" LastActivityDate="2021-04-29T02:18:29.773" Title="How to get a punch through opponents guard?" Tags="|sparring|strategy|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6456" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-05-02T14:28:01.330" Score="-1" ViewCount="169" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm writing this out of a sense of frustration so it's going to be more emotive than it needs to be. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been practicing martial arts (WTF Taekwondo) for a few years now and I've felt that the &quot;sports&quot; angle which mostly involves competitions, very limited sparring (kyorugi) and the emphasis on credentials rather than physical and mental conditioning has killed them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm interested in knowing if this is a genuine concern and what can be done by someone personally to get some of the more traditional benefits that one does from studying martial arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1965" LastActivityDate="2016-05-03T16:41:09.210" Title="Sports and martial arts" Tags="|self-training|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="9" ClosedDate="2016-05-04T07:47:27.573" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6457" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6455" CreationDate="2016-05-02T14:34:31.053" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think that reversing the order of your question makes the answer you seek easier to find.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;We both practice Bujinkan and our instructor thinks that sparring is not how you should be practicing, so we can´t turn to him for help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This indicates that you should practice another art, because what this one is teaching you does not seem to be what you want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I have been sparring around 5 times now with a friend, and we both have problem knowing how to attack each other. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring between two people who haven't been taught techniques for sparring is not going to be very productive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What is a good strategy to land a good punch on your opponent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find a school with an instructor who values sparring, and train under them. This might mean boxing, or knock-down karate, or another martial art. Remember that the two most important criteria are 1) that you can find it near you and 2) that they spar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-05-02T14:34:31.053" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6458" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6455" CreationDate="2016-05-02T15:20:34.617" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Getting through the defenses of an opponent is one of the fundamental concepts of every combat strategy devised by man.  There are at least as many ways to circumvent an opponent's defenses as there ways to defend oneself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will attempt to break things down to a basic level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some of the most common means of defense utilized in unarmed combat:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dodging/Evasion - This entails moving one's body out of the path of an oncoming attack.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Blocking - This is the act of interposing a part of one's body (usually a limb) into the path of an attack to protect more vulnerable targets and defuse the oncoming delivery of kinetic energy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Parrying - Similar to blocking, a parry uses part of one's body (usually a limb) to deflect the angle of the opponent's attack and direct it away from one's body.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Counterpunching/Counterstriking - This is defense through counter-offense. The idea is to strike an opponent more rapidly than they are attempting to strike you, and in doing so disrupt their commitment to their original strike. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some common means used to overcome the defenses I listed above:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Feinting - This is lying with body language. Most defenses rely on determining the path of an incoming attack. Feinting is signaling to your opponent one (or more) path(s) that your attack will take and then changing the angle of attack to something else.  Feinting can be very simple or very complex depending on the skill levels of the combatants.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mix-ups/Combinations - Blocking and parrying require an opponent to anticipate the angles of the aggressor's attack. A string of attacks from multiple angles in rapid succession can overwhelm the defender's ability to adapt and effectively defend themselves. This is especially true when all four limbs can be brought to bear in combination. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Limb striking/grappling - This method involves directly targeting an opponents defending limbs with either strikes or grappling attacks. This can be as simple as drawing an opponent's guard down to punch their unprotected head, or striking at the soft tissues of the arms and legs to make an opponent more wary/hesitant of placing them within reach.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Overwhelming strength/speed - This is perhaps the most simplistic approach, but sometimes simplest is best. When one clearly has an advantage in strength, and/or speed, one can more-or-less attack their opponent at will. If one's reflexes and striking speed outclass their opponent's ability to react, they can attack around and through any attempts at defense. With enough strength and mass one can easily bat aside any interposing limbs to strike at more important targets. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Attack baiting/riposting - This is similar in concept to counterpunching. In most cases, an opponent must create an opening in their own defenses when they make an attack. A riposte is a counterattack immediately following a defensive measure like a block, or parry. It ideally capitalizes on the opponent having not yet recovered to their guard position. A more advanced technique is baiting an attack, which entails deliberately leaving an opening in one's defenses to provoke a predictable line of attack from an opponent, and then counterattacking them while their guard is broken.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think this covers most of the basic concepts without getting bogged down in specific techniques or obscure corner-cases. I'm sure someone will point out something glaring I might have missed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastEditorUserId="6178" LastEditDate="2016-05-03T13:36:47.217" LastActivityDate="2016-05-03T13:36:47.217" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6459" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6456" CreationDate="2016-05-02T15:22:45.310" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a genuine concern. Many martial arts struggle with this as soon as competitions are introduced. I would like to examine first first: &lt;em&gt;why are competitions useful?&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You have a non-compliant opponent; they will actively defend themselves and resist your attempts at aggressing or defending.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Competitions provide a controlled environment, so that fighters can be broken up before it turns ugly&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, the second point can be problematic. Martial arts (as a generality) are about harming your opponent. The safeties we put in place at competitions draw lines to prevent serious harm. This makes martial arts more &quot;sporty&quot; and less &quot;fighty&quot;; you sometimes don't do things in competition that you would do in a real fight. This leads us to your question: how can one get more of the fight, and less of the sport?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps the best way to get more of the fight and less of the sport is to acknowledge the difference between the two while training, and look for &quot;sport&quot; and &quot;martial&quot; moves. What can you do with the techniques you're learning? Did you have the opportunity to really do harm to your opponent while sparring with them? Asking yourself these questions while your train will help you realize when you're doing more of a &quot;sport move&quot; and more of a &quot;martial move.&quot; (As a note, there are times where a particular skill or technique is both!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastActivityDate="2016-05-02T15:22:45.310" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6460" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6456" CreationDate="2016-05-02T15:49:07.683" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Competitions form a social glue that pulls many people into martial arts - either as contenders or people who watch the competitions and find out about the martial art that way; for that reason they're pretty popular.  They also force you to be honest about some of your ability and conditioning.  You know how some of your techniques work against a live, resisting opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, competitions come with two restrictions.  You need some measures of safety, which limits some techniques.  You also need some way of judging who wins, which favors some techniques or methods above others.  These two restrictions funnel people's training away from the larger context of any given martial art aimed for combative use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is not a new issue.  I remember seeing a US Army combatives manual that went over this but had a pretty simple solution: they would have competitions, but they would shift what the rules were for each competition - which things were restricted, and which things counted towards winning.  By moving the focus around, people who wanted to compete had to cover a broader base of actual combative ability rather than hyper focusing to win by one set of rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For your case, I'd look at training with doing drills and sparring conditions that change those things and bring it back to the combative elements you want to cultivate.  You should probably also consider what protective gear will help in this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, use your discretion to choose what makes sense for your needs - if you have a method that deals with attackers on horseback as a traditional technique, you may decide that doesn't need much practice because you're not going to face that in the modern day context.  Or maybe you decide it's gives enough of the &quot;traditional benefits&quot; to keep around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this, your two hurdles are taking the time and effort to disentangle what training methods you have learned which may already be modified for competition (&quot;We don't protect this target on our bodies during the kick because no one attacks there because it's against the rules...&quot;), and to get other people to train with you in this fashion, especially if it's a widespread issue in your circles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-05-02T15:49:07.683" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6461" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6453" CreationDate="2016-05-02T20:37:06.797" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There can be a few reasons for this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It could be coated in fake chrome or even genuinely chrome plated. If the original metal looked very shiny and reflective, then that's probably what it was. In this case, if you scrape the outer material off, you'll be left with the base metal or primer paint coat. It's not rust, just kind of black or grey. It can turn powdery or flaky. The base metal might be aluminum, lead, iron, or steel.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It could be grease, WD-40, or gun metal oil. They're used as lubricants to make the chains faster. And they can be used to prevent oxidation in the case of non-stainless steel. Sweat sometimes gets on stainless steel, also, and corrodes the metal finish over time, especially with grinding. That can lead to rust, which is what the gun metal oil might prevent. So what you're seeing could be that combined with dust.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It could also be aluminum oxide or lead powder. If your metal rings are made of aluminum, the aluminum oxidizes and turns powdery over time. It's a strong enough metal for this purpose, and keeps your staff light. But I'd prefer stainless steel if I were you. If your metal rings are made of lead, the lead can turn into a fine black / dark gray powder also. Best to avoid any lead exposure, as it is toxic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2016-05-02T20:37:06.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6462" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-05-02T22:48:39.283" Score="6" ViewCount="5177" Body="&lt;p&gt;Olympic boxers usually wear a tank top, but pro boxers never wear shirts in the ring - why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6104" LastActivityDate="2019-07-13T16:17:28.363" Title="Why don't male professional boxers wear shirts?" Tags="|boxing|equipment|uniform|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6463" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6420" CreationDate="2016-05-02T23:42:03.413" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is not required, I don't think it is ever required in any martial art (except maybe ones that actually involve it, like say capoeira and some kicking based martial arts)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is just good for you, without flexibility you end up having lots of vulnerabilities other martial artists may not have (for example you are more vulnerable to choking and joint locks, and you will find it harder to break free of these kinds of attacks than otherwise if you were flexible) and you will end up in situations where you cannot execute certain moves very well (or at all) because your legs don't bend enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sure the focus on full split is probably because for most people, their legs tend to be far more stiff than anything in their upper body, and even with a stiff upper body, you can usually get by pretty well (but you won't be any &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK9en6g9JTQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Floyd Mayweather&lt;/a&gt;, do you think he could dodge like that if he wasn't super flexible in both his upper and lower body? He's a boxer, but I bet he can still do the full split even if he doesn't really have to to be able to box well, his style requires it)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being flexible increases your range of motion, and the efficiency and speeds at which you can move within said range. For example, you may find the range of your punches and kicks significantly increasing thanks to your flexibility (especially the kicks, the punches might improve, but this will be much harder to notice).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And in any fight (inside or outside a ring) being flexible simply increases the range of options you have for every situation, while reducing how predictable you can be to your opponents whoever they may be (especially if you're not in a ring, against an opponent that hasn't studied you, they'll be pretty surprised if they see something like an axe kick, and that may intimidate or confuse them putting odds in your favor)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, let's just look at the basics of a flexible vs stiff body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you're stiff, it can be a bit of a struggle to bend at your hips or your knees (so reaching for something on the floor, or tying your shoelaces, it becomes a bit harder to breathe and thus a bit harder to move in any sort of way until you are upright again). When you're flexible all of that goes away, you can easily bend over without struggling, straining yourself or noticable breathing difficulties, and the more flexible you are, the more you can bend without these breathing difficulties which gives you a greater range of freedom for what kind of awkward positions you may need to fight from (I mean come on, the shapes you get bent in when fighting on the floor can get pretty intense, and if you're not flexible, that may just be the end for you).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your flexibility in your upper and lower body matters, that's why you want to be able to do a full split, but you don't really have to be able to do it when you start, only when you're reaching the higher levels of mastery where new moves are getting more and more complex and harder to execute.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in short, flexibility as you could guess increases your versatility, and this is crucial to any martial artist, being able to fight in unexpected ways that most normal people probably couldn't do to begin with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice to you if you're a beginner is to work like hell to attain that flexibility, but do it while you're training in your martial arts of choice, don't put martial arts on hold because you can't do this yet. Start doing it with the intention of being able to do it later, and don't just work towards splits, work towards flexibility in all areas of your body (hips and waist are just as important as your legs), perhaps above and beyond whatever you get in actual martial arts classes or in your regular training sessions (maybe even do yoga inbetween your martial arts classes), and for your own safety, remember to try to keep your flexibility balanced (very few things will be more annoying than being noticably more flexible in one leg than the other, or on one side of your hip than the other, the same applies of course to strength, you don't want to have a stronger right leg than a left leg, or right arm than a left arm, balance is important, and if you ignore that you will pay for it later on, unless you were never really serious about martial arts or just keeping your body in a good shape to begin with)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7102" LastEditorUserId="7102" LastEditDate="2016-05-02T23:47:43.107" LastActivityDate="2016-05-02T23:47:43.107" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6464" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6462" CreationDate="2016-05-03T07:08:47.817" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are many reasons for this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Boxers use oil/vaseline to make their bodies more slippery. Obviously doesn't work in a tank-top.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;12-rounds of boxing against 8/10oz gloves would end up wrecking an olympic style tank top really fast. Something would go loose, and there would have to be breaks in the fight. You don't want to hit anything that is not just the skin for this reason.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Scoring. With a perhaps little loose tank top, judges can't see if a body punch connects or not. Scoring is already pretty questionable in boxing; there's no reason to add additional x-factors to it. Pro fighters can be insanely fast;this could potentially be game-changing. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I think this is just plain history. Rather than pro boxing taking the shirt &quot;off&quot;, amateur boxing put the shirt &quot;on&quot;. Pro's just kept doing what was done for the past 100+ years. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6601" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-07-13T16:17:28.363" LastActivityDate="2019-07-13T16:17:28.363" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6465" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6451" CreationDate="2016-05-03T14:44:32.080" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Jujitsu isn't harder, per se, but the stresses of boxing/kickboxing on an aging body can be very different than those of jujitsu. While age doesn't do our joints any favors, stretching doesn't need to be the purview of the young. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My 70+ year old father started Tai Chi a few years ago, and he marvels at the realization that he is now more limber than he has ever been before.  Jujitsu uses your muscles in different ways than boxing ever did, and assuming you don't have any medical conditions which would prevent it, the long term benefits will vastly outweigh any transient discomfort.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It shouldn't take you long to start seeing progress from the stretching exercises, and I am a firm believer that every human being should learn how to fall without injury (i.e. break-falls). Assuming you have good instruction, I think that jujitsu will be kinder in the long term to your body than boxing/kickboxing. I advise that you stick with jujitsu for at least a few months, and then evaluate any notable benefits to your fitness and flexibility. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastEditorUserId="6178" LastEditDate="2016-11-03T16:08:46.530" LastActivityDate="2016-11-03T16:08:46.530" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6466" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6456" CreationDate="2016-05-03T16:14:11.350" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Questions that invite mostly opinionated answers are pretty frowned upon on all stackexchange sites as you are aware, but I do so understand why sometimes you just can't help yourself sometimes. You need an answer to something you are thinking even if it's mostly philosophical, there's some chip on your shoulder and you need to put an end to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I will try to actually answer this question for you in a way that I hope will satisfy you, put a bit of a rest to this debate, and most importantly, put your mind at ease. Sorry for the length of my answer, but questions like this require a bit philosophical and metaphorical answers to actually qualify as good answers I believe. (Vague and broad questions get more detailed and complex answers)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, Traditional Martial Arts that were developed to face real life threats under real life circumstances with very real pressure, often life versus death. I like to think about traditional, &lt;strong&gt;Japanese Ju Jitsu&lt;/strong&gt; as an example of this. Might just be that this is what I have practiced myself the most. This martial art was developed for the purpose of farmers being able to stand up for themselves when threatened by the often tyrannical samurai of their time period. (The modern day equivalent I believe would be &lt;strong&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And Traditional Martial Arts's beloved child, Competitive (Sport, Showmanship) Martial Arts. This will be &lt;strong&gt;Judo&lt;/strong&gt; (I mean that is exactly what judo is, a competitive version of the traditional ju jitsu I spoke of before) and &lt;strong&gt;Pro Wrestling&lt;/strong&gt; (Pure focus on showmanship, little to no focus on actual fighting, it's all staged, and it's all meant to be staged). I won't actually give pro wrestling any sort of focus since it can easily be argued whether or not it is a martial art to begin with (but wrestling is, and it is just as much sport martial art as judo based on mostly similar principles) I just felt like throwing it out there, that that kind of martial art exists, and that I think that that is ok even if I personally wouldn't participate in that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is one better than the other?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No. No they are both quite great in their own right. Think of it as a tool, when you want to hammer a nail into a block of wood, do you use a hammer, or do you use a crowbar? You obviously use the hammer designed for this task right? It's not like you can't use the crowbar to do the same task, it's just that the hammer fits the job better, and does it better, both tools are very similar in nature and can often be used interchangably if need rises despite their very different design goals. (I'm not using either tool as a metaphor for a specific genre of martial arts, you can think of the hammer as traditional and crowbar as competitive, or the other way around as you wish, the fact is that it doesn't actually matter, both can be used as blunt force to hammer in the nail, both have a &quot;claw&quot; that can be used to pull the nail back out, and both can be improvised to force things open in creative ways. There always was &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5lbDe.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the option of both in one, with a few extras&lt;/a&gt; which I shall call the haxbar, but that's off topic)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;So let me turn the question around to you. Why are you practicing martial arts?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You want your body to be in good shape?&lt;/strong&gt; Well great, martial arts are great for that and you know what, it doesn't matter at all which martial art you are practicing if this is your goal. You may however want to focus on striking based martial arts (rather than something like Judo or the many other variants of Ju Jitsu) because the striking based martial arts tend to have a heavier focus on physical fitness than martial arts that are more technical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You want to be able to effectively fight anybody 1v1 (unarmed vs unarmed; relatively fair fights)?&lt;/strong&gt; Well, now we're entering competitive martial arts's strongest area, so you know what, if this is your goal, then you really shouldn't worry about whether your martial art is sport or martial art, both will work very well, but often competitive martial arts are more tailored towards this kind of fight and thus I think that would be the logical choice here. However, just like with the crowbar and hammer, the traditional martial arts will tend to work very well in these situations too, but don't be surprised if you lose to a competitive martial artist (one of the primary reasons you would is not because the martial art is necessarily better, but people who are practicing competitive martial arts will often spar more, and spar more seriously, as in actually enter a ring and fight according to a set of rules, they have more experience in this than you). But I can easily turn this around and say that the rules of the competitive sport might hold back the competitive martial artist who would lose to the traditional martial artists when the latter decides not to play fair (A popular example of this would be that boxers never kick, this is because the rules of box dictate this, and thus they become limited in fights where there are fewer rules) but more often than not I believe the competitive martial art will really come through here, they are tailored towards these kinds of scenarios, traditional martial arts will however often work just as well because since they are thought through without any rules, they may have a more open mind to stepping outside the conventional ways of fighting that the competitive fighter may end up being mentally locked into. It's all very circumstantial.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You want to be able to more effectively fend for yourself in tough situations that arises in life (like assaults and street fights)?&lt;/strong&gt; Turning around the previous example, what if the fight is not fair? While this is great too, and you will get better in this scenario from almost any martial art, again because the fact is that any solid fighting style (competitively based or street fighting/traditionally based) is going to help you in those situations. Some may help you more than others thought so this is where the question becomes important. For example, we are no longer dealing with unarmed vs unarmed, you may end up in a situation where you unarmed have to fight against someone who is armed, and you need not only to have the techniques to deal with that, but also the mental preparation (don't fear the knife, for example). You may also be in a situation where you are 1 and they are 3, many martial arts cover these kinds of scenarios, but they are usually more heavily focused on in traditional martial arts. For example in Japanese Ju Jitsu trainings for these situations may come very early (e.g. for total newbies, yellow belts and the like). So you will also be more mentally prepared for this with traditional martial arts than competitive. Remember that having the right mentality and knowing the right responses to deal with any combat situation is half the fight to clawing your way out of even the most grim of situations. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying competitive fighters are weak minded, but they haven't been trained for scenarios where their life is in danger. It wasn't important in a ring to be prepared to take on a knife, or even a gun (Krav Maga does that...). Not all competitive martial arts are created equal however, and I think for example Kickboxing, Muay Thai or Taekwondo might save your neck in many (or all) of these situations, but Brazilian Jiu Jitsu would be like an Achilles heel in a street fight where you have to fight against more than one opponent. (It will be pretty easy while you are restraining one person for the other to kick you in the face). It's again all very circumstantial, but there is another thing many traditional martial arts (including again the famed Japanese Ju Jitsu) and that is training with a wide variety of weapons, so if you have this kind of stuff under your belt, you may get attacked by an armed person, you get to disarm him and use his weapon against him (and his friends), but for a competitive martial artist who hasn't trained to do that his fists and legs will always be a much more effective weapon than any object he will be able to rip from the hands of a knocked out or incapacitated opponent, and this lack of versatility can really hurt your odds sometimes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do you want to fight professionally?&lt;/strong&gt; Do you love fighting (or martial arts) so much that you want to do it for a living? Is there some thrill you get out of fighting in front of an audience? Proving your mettle to thousands or even millions of people by beating a strong opponent? Or narrowly losing to a strong opponent after a drawn out fight? Do you like the romance and drama surrounding ring fights? The connection you can only make with another person by fighting them? Etc. Do you want to fight as much and as often as possible? Any or all of the former? There are two valid routes here. The most obvious and highly recommended one is going all out in competitive martial arts. In a ring fight, traditional martial arts may end up holding you back because they might utilize a style that bends or even breaks the rules of a given ring, for example Japanese Ju Jitsu while just as Brazilian Ju Jitsu it focuses a lot on locking down and restraining/choking an attacker until he submits, however Ju Jitsu also has a plethora of moves that can permanently incapacitate, maim or even kill people, and this is not something you are allowed to do in a ring fight, it is also something you would extremely regret doing in a ring fight. You may have lost your temper and just done it by accident, but you don't have any undo button so it's better for you not to know how to do that, not to have an instinct to do things like that in a ring fight at all rather than to know how but try to avoid it, reduces the risk. You might wonder why some self-defense focused art like Ju Jitsu would have moves like this, and it's quite simply because in the real world, outside of a ring, you will more often than not if assaulted, be assaulted by more than one person at a time and under circumstances like these you need to be able to think fast, act fast and if you can't run you need to be able to take all of them down fast (basically unfair fights as I talked about above). Brazilian Jiu Jitsu style joint locks and choke holds which are extremely good in a ring, would not do you very much good in a 1v2 or 1v3 scenario as I talked about before, it would be absolutely meaningless in a 1v6 or 1v7 scenario as well (on the other hand, things like muay thai, kickbox and taekwondo, striking arts, these will serve you pretty well in all these situations despite being competitive martial arts. Muay Thai was also notably not originally a competitive martial art, and it was very lethal, and even if you learn competitive muay thai, it only takes a minor twist to turn it from &quot;sport&quot; to &quot;lethal&quot;. The same does apply to taekwondo, but over time it has become more convoluted by shifting it's focus to not only competitive but also showmanship. You know all the flying kicks, but as I noted in an answer I wrote yesterday to another question, even that may serve you well in a street fight because it can double as an intimidation technique. Will be no use against trained opponents though.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do you want to be the other kind of professional?&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;Going on from the above, there is another frequently overlooked use for martial arts here, Traditional martial arts do have a use in some serious jobs (not sports) that may involve you getting into a lot of fights, but these aren't as light jobs as sports, competing in a ring, these are jobs that involve real world combat scenarios and they range from anything between being a security guard or bouncer to being in a military or a mercenary, and in here you will want traditional martial arts having your back rather than sports because the situations you will end up in will usually not be as idealistic as &quot;1v1 unarmed duels&quot; which practically all competitive martial arts (except a few niche ones like kendo, which focuses on sword vs sword) are focused on. Don't get me wrong here, having a competitive martial art will do you a world of good (maybe save your life a couple of times) in this kind of a job as I said before, having any sort of martial art under your belt will do you good in any combat situation, ring or no ring. But when you're fighting in unpredictable environments against unpredictable opponents and unpredictable numbers of opponents which will unpredictably and quite variably be either armed or unarmed (knives, guns, pipes, baseball bats...) which you aren't going to see in fair competitions, do you want to have brazilian jiu jitsu, or judo, or do you want to have traditional ju jitsu (which by the way also has armed combat exercises at higher levels; e.g. you could pick up one of these weapons that others brought to the scene and use it to increase your odds, something you won't learn in any competitive sport I know of). When you are potentially betting your life, the gravity of the question asked becomes much more severe, and important, and you need to be able to make an informed but personal decision on this matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bottom line&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Competitive and Traditional martial arts while usually nicely interchangeable have a different focus, and because of that may end up serving you differently under different circumstances. Neither is better than the other, and the most important part is what you are going to be using martial arts for, why are you practicing this stuff? If you know the why, you know what martial art or at least what class of martial arts would be the right one for you. (Btw something I didn't cover before, if it's showmanship, I totally think various styles of Kung Fu are the way to go! Much cooler than Pro Wrestling, but that's just my opinion)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every last one of us needs to decide for himself what martial art he wants to practice, and why he wants to practice it. What are you going to use martial arts for?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's absolutely no use in judging others for what style or genre of martial art they chose, they did it for themselves under their conditions, you don't have their conditions, you have yours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But do decide for yourself what you want to do and act on it, because having questions like these on your mind and even leaning towards one answer but not acting on this feeling is going to be like having a ball and chain on your foot. You won't be able to fight as well within your conditions, within your martial art because you are too busy thinking about whether it's the right martial art for you or not. Whether you should continue, or go try to find another martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember that your mind is just as much a part of martial arts as your body, when one of them is not balanced or having doubts, your performance starts to drop. (Look to Connor McGregor for example, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CfFvtSUDA0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here's a good video&lt;/a&gt; if you're interested in the mental aspect of his fights, how his mind helps him win, and how he was losing fights before he re-centered his mindset; take things with as much grain of salt as you will, but at least acknowledge that your mind and what, and how you think is of importance and it will affect you, potentially greatly. And accordingly, make sure your mind is at peace with what you're doing, not just in martial arts but in life in general. If you are having doubts about your life choices, your life, or just yourself, it's going to bite you in the ass, repeatedly, until you do something about it.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you know what you want, look for the right martial art for you. For me personally, I believe that Krav Maga and Japanese Ju Jitsu for defensive techniques (and the ability to snake my way out of the most extreme situations, including being held at gunpoint) coupled with Muay Thai for a good and efficient striking capability would be best for me. I sadly can't practice Krav Maga, and I dropped out of martial arts a few years ago because of injury. But if I will go back into martial arts this is where my focus will be even if I'm actually pretty open to doing competitive arts like boxing (which I may very well do to get my body back into shape; it's more accessible to me than any of the others because there's a boxing gym at jogging distance. And I am ok with doing that for a while until I have the access I want to the martial arts I desire, I might even start competitively boxing, but it won't ever be more than a hobby to me, I don't want to be a professional martial artist, it's just not my thing, but I don't judge anyone for wanting that, and I don't doubt their choice of martial arts because I acknowledge that they probably just chose whatever they thought was best. And I am free to disagree with that choice as he is free to disagree with my choices, but we shouldn't have to argue about something like this; and in fact arguing over something like this is immature.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make your own decision, by yourself, for yourself, stick with it, and do not reject the fact that many others are practicing martial arts for different reasons than you or simply have a different perspective than you. As can be deduced from my long wall of text, both traditional and competitive martial arts are useful in all combat situations and it is very easy to argue which is better without finally reaching a conclusion, because there's always one niche or one corner case where one will be better than the other in whatever situation you can think of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also some things to be considered further (your homework) that I didn't cover in much detail (for example competitive martial arts tend to have a lot more sparring, and competing in a ring gives you real fighting experience to which the only alternative for traditional martial arts is fighting in the streets in potentially life threatening situations; I mean if you can safely get through the process of amassing experience through the latter means then you sure will be a force to be reckoned with. I mean think about it, how much sparring can you really do with techniques that might with a slip of your wrist maim your sparring partner? When the martial art isn't centered towards a ring fight, sparring becomes harder to put into practice because of it's own nature. This is very inconvenient for traditional martial artists for example. And there are more hurdles like this for both ends as well as less visible benefits of both. For example the fame being a competitive sportsman can bring you, and attention it can draw to martial arts, increasing public interest; and the opposite, for traditional martial arts may also be a benefit to some (be that ninja, you secretly have a black belt in some obscure martial art and none of your friends know it, then a tough situation arises and nobody knows what the hell you did to overturn it; and you don't want them to know, since it gives you an edge to be an unknown)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial Arts are &quot;Arts&quot; for a reason (it's not &quot;How to fight&quot; it's &quot;Fighting Creatively&quot;, this is also why at it's core martial arts are not a sport like football and probably one of the major reasons questions like this crop up every now and then. Never forget that, you're an artist, combat is your canvas, not your struggle the struggle is getting good at it; and just like with any other form of art, there are many styles, none particularly better than the other usually, just made by people with different tastes and perspectives of life).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But most importantly, don't forget. You're supposed to have fun in life! ;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7102" LastEditorUserId="7102" LastEditDate="2016-05-03T16:41:09.210" LastActivityDate="2016-05-03T16:41:09.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6467" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6451" CreationDate="2016-05-03T22:48:30.147" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Jiu Jitsu is about Technique. There are movements that needs a little more  flexibility than others but not exceptional flexibility. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will learn movements that require or not flexibility, also movements that require more explosion or strength. During the fight you will use just that you are comfortable and confident to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because the Technique is the most important thing in the martial arts. The other things will help you to have advantage. If you have the same Technique ( this is hard to measure) but you are stronger than your opponent you will have advantage during the fight. Also the flexibility, fitness, time to apply the position and also creativity.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-05-06T03:15:22.497" LastActivityDate="2016-05-06T03:15:22.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6468" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6431" CreationDate="2016-05-05T05:48:52.930" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a few aspects to this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Make sure you're developing those &amp;quot;perfectionist&amp;quot; techniques so you can apply them minimally from your usual fighting position - they should snap out with minimal telegraphing.  Practice on the heavy bag, making sure you can launch a wide variety of your techniques from the same guard position, as well as advance, retreat, side-step and even jump comfortably.  Each should be very direct, minimal and powerful, happening like a click of the fingers rather than with a big windup/backswing or large sluggish movement into the technique.  Focus on attacking with that suddenness then returning immediately to the guard or a follow-up technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Use the experience/insights into how you can unleash your techniques on the bag to guide how you dynamically maintain a good stance and guard relative to your opponent, so you can unleash your &amp;quot;classic&amp;quot; techniques freely at them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Make a conscious effort to be flexible and spontaneous mentally in your technique selection, so you're utilising opportunities that arise or you can create and using your &amp;quot;perfectionist&amp;quot; technique in its classic application, rather than fixating on one or a few techniques and trying to make them work when the openings they require aren't available.  Constantly during sparring, extend your awareness towards what you can do next that's most likely to be decisive.  Take a few risks during friendly practice to help hone your decision-making abilities with feedback.  As an example - you might be preparing a powerful reverse punch but see the opponent's going to be able to block it, so throw a front jab to the liver instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which brings us to...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Actually that prevent me from being a creative martial artist, to make a technique in my own way for example, not putting my weight in a strike due to my position in a fight. Another example, I will do a technique like &amp;quot;knee, elbow, punch or even kick&amp;quot; all without putting my body weight in it due to my position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should focus on details or should I be creative and do techniques in my own way?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think over some of the situations where this has happened, and what you might have been able to do if you were &amp;quot;creative&amp;quot;.  Practice variations of your classic techniques.  For example - if you find one opponent always blocks your high section roundhouse/turning/mawashi-geri kicks, you might practice on the bag by introducing a slight delay mid-kick - hopefully they'll tense slightly into a block and you'll actually make contact as they're relaxing again.  Or you might withhold the final extension of the kick while turning your kicking leg's knee downwards, then kick downwards at their face.  Or bring the knee across without extending the lower leg then hook back in the opposite direction with the heel.  Or use some kind of hybrid turning/side kick.  Don't think of these things as flawed or poor techniques - practice and explore them with a mindset that a less basic technique that still hits hard enough to do significant damage - or just create an opportunity to do so - is better than a classic technique that's 10 times harder but easily and consistently blocked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly, a given art might habitually practice a downward &amp;quot;chop&amp;quot;, and horizontal chops, but if you realise a diagonally-downwards chop might be a good way to penetrate an opponent's guard, practice such a strike until you're comfortable with it too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These variations are not necessarily any less &amp;quot;perfect&amp;quot; than your &amp;quot;classic&amp;quot; techniques - you can and should practice them the same with an aim to achieve good speed and optimal power.  As you explore such variations, you may start to perceive what I call the &amp;quot;lines of power&amp;quot; around the body - the ways you can coordinate and time the motion of different parts of the body - legs, hips, core muscles, pecs/lats, arms, flexing of the spine etc. to strike powerfully from a wide variety of angles and positions.  Your classic techniques are likely prime examples of these lines of power: you want to be so familiar with the classic technique that you can vary say the back foot position then otherwise follow the classic technique and have your attack drive in at the opponent at a correspondingly different angle, all without much compromise to power or speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Summarily, you can get a long, long way by sticking to &amp;quot;perfectionist&amp;quot; classic technique if your perfectionist practice has been focused on minimalist, untelegraphed, powerful, snappish movement &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;and&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; you're mentally adjusting your technique selection spontaneously.  You get even further by systematically looking back at situations where you've been unable to find an effective technique, and studying variations, strategies or tactics you could try next time.  After a while you'll probably manifest spontaneous adaptations too, but I wouldn't try to do that for its own sake - let it happen from a deep foundation of carefully practised techniques.  The risk with trying to force creativity is that you create half-baked techniques without sound body-mechanical underpinnings, that may have enough power to block or strike in a friendly dojo situation but will fail you on the street.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-05-06T13:19:01.303" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6471" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5705" CreationDate="2016-05-06T20:06:46.653" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 49 , 1.85 and &gt; 90Kg; I'm going to keep on training 2 or 3 times a week as long as my knees allow me. When they no longer let me throw my o soto gari, I will change for BJJ. Many judokas have already chosen Ne Waza because of injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could also get semi-judo training : warm-up, technical part, Kata, and just do Ne waza Randori. And during stand-up randori, you'll train Uchi Komi&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7114" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-05-09T10:57:09.023" LastActivityDate="2016-05-09T10:57:09.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6472" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4873" CreationDate="2016-05-06T20:14:03.067" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started Judo at 40 with my sons.&#xA;Now i'm 1D and i keep training for 2D. We are numerous in my intitute in that case. And we participate contests for senior older than 40&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7114" LastActivityDate="2016-05-06T20:14:03.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6473" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-05-06T22:45:43.410" Score="1" ViewCount="174" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the first Julio César Chávez vs. Meldrick Taylor fight, Taylor was winning pretty conclusively.  Then, with 17 seconds left in the fight, he was knocked down (&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/AgenYK7VaxY?t=1m31s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;).  He got up in time, but with 3 seconds left in the fight, the ref signaled that Taylor was unable to continue, and Chávez was declared the winner by TKO.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This shocked me, because common sense dictates that if the ref hadn't stopped the fight, it would have ended before anything else could happen:  By the time that the fighters returned to the middle of the ring and the ref said &quot;fight&quot;, the bell would have rung.  Thus, Taylor was deemed &quot;unable to defend himself&quot; when there was no need for him to defend himself, because Chávez didn't have time to throw another punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, we have the Lucian Bute vs. Librado Andrade fight.  Notwithstanding the fact that Bute was in terrible shape by the time the fight ended, and the fight really should have been stopped before then (he was literally falling from one side of the ring to the other), the fight ended in an exactly opposite manner from the Taylor - Chávez bout.  Bute was knocked down with seconds left in the fight, and although the count was obscenely long (about 20 seconds long), and although the fight ended before he got up, he &lt;em&gt;was&lt;/em&gt; up within about 9 seconds of the knockdown (&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/i8N4-xN5468?t=2m48s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this case, Bute won the fight.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So we have two very different outcomes - both of which were highly controversial - from similar circumstances.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What is &lt;em&gt;supposed&lt;/em&gt; to happen in cases like this?  One fighter is in very bad shape, and if it happened in the middle of a round, the ref would have to stop the fight to keep him from taking more damage.  However, the fight is basically over, and there is no chance that he will actually &lt;em&gt;take&lt;/em&gt; any more damage.  What is the ref supposed to do?  Ignore the fact that the fight is basically over, and base his decision solely on the fighter's condition?  Or ignore the boxer's condition, because the fight is basically over?&lt;/strong&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6104" LastActivityDate="2016-05-07T22:31:18.360" Title="Unable to continue fighting but the fight is over?" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6474" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2882" CreationDate="2016-05-07T04:43:18.317" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Depends on the school, he would either get a blue or purple belt, he could also possibly be given an adult white belt &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7115" LastActivityDate="2016-05-07T04:43:18.317" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6475" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6473" CreationDate="2016-05-07T09:03:56.167" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Being unable to defend oneself at any time until the final bell has rung and the fight is over ends the fight. The fact that a fighter could conceivably not take another punch, or probably not take another punch, despite their being time on the clock, is immaterial. Your shock confuses me, since the rule is straightforward: if the fight is on, you have to be able to defend yourself, otherwise the fight is stopped and you lose. This is necessary for fighter safety and consistency.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-05-07T09:03:56.167" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6476" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6455" CreationDate="2016-05-07T09:17:29.987" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Zen_Hydra explained specific techniques for hitting through a guard and is realy thorough. I agree that going into any more technical depth would be wrong and might be overwhelming. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nevertheless I have to give some advice additionally as I could not comment on the original question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The sad truth is that there is no real strategie on how to punch someone.&#xA;You can make one up for yourself but you never be assured that it will work though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have to realize that the answer you are seeking for is - to do sparring! Whether that is with a friend or in the gym, the essence is that you learn to land ANY punch properly on a moving target from different angles! You will understand that perfecting punching a heavy bag is something very different compared to a moving target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After you are comfortable with the movements and dynamics during sparring and can land some hard, precise  (what is more important) hits, no matter in what position you are, you should start to implement the stuff Zen_Hydra explained... &#xA;... tactics or trying to stick to a plan that you made up for the sparring or a fight as now you don't have to think about the punching itself anymore and it feels naturally for you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you consider doing some competitions, sparring is an essential and unavoidable training tool. If you are training martial arts for the purpose of fun, self defense etc. you should include some sparring from time to time but I would focus more on conditioning and endurance... as it is healthier and puts you in advantage compared to a 'standard' street browler.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-05-07T09:17:29.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6477" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="998" CreationDate="2016-05-07T21:33:23.717" Score="0" Body="&lt;h2&gt;How bad for your brain is Kickboxing and MMA?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;TL;DR:  Pretty bad, but not quite as risky as boxing.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From an article about an ongoing long-term study called the &lt;a href=&quot;http://bjsm.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bjsports-2014-093877&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;&quot;Professional Fighters Brain Health Study&quot;&lt;/a&gt;, whose findings to date were published in 2015:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;Repetitive head trauma may be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and is considered the primary cause of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)&lt;/strong&gt;,” wrote the authors in their new study. &lt;strong&gt;Alzheimer’s is a well-known form of dementia, while CTE is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain linked to memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, and progressive dementia.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;To understand how these sports might affect fighters’ brains, researchers from Cleveland Clinic turned to the data collected by the Professional Fighters Brain Health Study (PFBHS). They identified 224 professional fighters: 131 mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters and 93 boxers. The PFBHS athletes were all between the ages of 18 and 44 and the average time these professionals had fought was about four years, with an average number of 10 total matches. While slightly more than half had a high school education (give or take), just under half had spent at least some time in college. In terms of race, 89 were white, 59 black, and 76 other. Next, the researchers matched these athletes with 22 same-aged people with a similar level of education but no history of head trauma.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;At the start of the study, all participants underwent an MRI scan to assess their brain volume and then they returned for a brain scan annually for four years after that. At each juncture, the researchers tested their verbal memory, processing speed, fine motor skills, and reaction times as a general assessment of brainpower. Next, the researchers calculated for each athlete a Fight Exposure Score, or FES, which combines duration and intensity of fight career.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fighters with an FES score of four were found to be 8.8 percent slower in processing speed than those with an FES score of 0. Add to that, the higher the score, the smaller the brain volume, particularly in the thalamus and the caudate&lt;/strong&gt;. The thalamus acts as a gateway to the cortex, the outer layer of brain tissue linked to consciousness and decision-making. The caudate resides in the basal ganglia, where it is part of a system responsible for voluntary movement. The researchers speculate the typical response to a punch — when a fighter’s head rotates slightly — might be the cause of volume loss in the thalamus and caudate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More generally, smaller brain volumes plus higher Fight Exposure Scores were linked to slower brain processing speeds. In fact, the researchers estimated a 0.19 percent reduction in processing speed per fight and a 2.1 percent reduction for each increase in FES.&lt;/strong&gt; Irrespective of age, boxers tended to fare worse than martial arts combatants.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  -  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.medicaldaily.com/head-blows-and-brain-injury-boxing-and-mixed-martial-arts-cause-similar-loss-320000&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Head Blows And Brain Injury: Boxing And Mixed Martial Arts Cause A Similar Loss Of Processing Speed In Fighters' Brains&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From another article about a second study, which borrowed some participants from the one linked above:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;&lt;strong&gt;While we already know that boxing and other combat sports are linked to brain damage, little is known about how this process develops and who may be on the path to developing CTE&lt;/strong&gt;,&quot; study author Dr. Charles Bernick, a CTE researcher at the Cleveland Clinic said in an American Academy of Neurology written statement. CTE is only diagnosed through autopsy after death, but symptoms may be similar to Alzheimer's and include memory loss, aggression and difficulty thinking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;For Bernick's study,  which will be presented at the academy's annual meeting in New Orleans next week, researchers looked at 78 boxers and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, average age of 29, who were enrolled in the ongoing &quot;Professional Fighters Brain Health Study.&quot; The fighters underwent MRI brain scans and also took computer tests to measure their memory and thinking abilities, and were then split into groups based on whether they had more than or less than nine years of fighting experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The researchers found in both groups that those with more years of fighting experience overall, as well as those participating in more fights per year, were more likely to have lower brain volumes than fighters who had the least experience. In those with fewer than nine years experience, there was no link between fighting and symptoms of memory loss or cognitive decline. But among fighters with more than nine years experience, those who fought the most times annually performed worse on thinking and memory tests.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  -  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cbsnews.com/news/boxing-mma-study-examines-threshold-before-fighters-suffer-brain-damage/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Boxing, MMA study examines threshold before fighters suffer brain damage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17302869&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;abstract&lt;/a&gt; for a report titled &quot;Kickboxing sport as a new cause of traumatic brain injury-mediated hypopituitarism&quot; published in the Oxford Journal of Clinical Endocrinology in 2007:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;OBJECTIVE:&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;strong&gt;Traumatic brain injury, which is a frequent and a worldwide important public health problem, may result in pituitary dysfunction. Concussion, a common type of lesion after traumatic brain injury, is an injury associated with sports including boxing and kickboxing.... Head is the most common site of injury in amateur and professional kickboxers.&lt;/strong&gt; Pituitary consequences of chronic repetitive head trauma in kickboxing have not been investigated until now. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the pituitary function in both retired and active amateur kickboxers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;PATIENTS AND DESIGN:&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Twenty-two amateur kickboxers who have boxed in national and international championships (16 men, 6 women) with a mean age of 27.3 +/- 7.1 years, and 22 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in the study. Basal hormone levels were obtained from the participants. To assess GH-IGF-I axis, GHRH + GHRP-6 test and glucagon stimulation tests were used. Hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis was assessed by glucagon stimulation test.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;RESULTS:&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  When mean basal hormone levels were compared between kickboxers and the controls, IGF-I level was significantly lower in kickboxers (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Five (22.7%) and two (9.1%) of the 22 kickboxers had GH deficiency had ACTH deficiency, respectively. &lt;strong&gt;There were significant negative correlations between IGF-I levels and age, duration of sports and number of bouts (P &amp;lt; 0.05).&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;CONCLUSIONS:&#xA;  &lt;strong&gt;Present data clearly demonstrate for the first time that amateur kickboxing is a novel cause of hypopituitarism and kickboxers are at a risk for hypopituitarism especially isolated GH deficiency. Therefore, participants of the combative sports who were exposed to chronic repetitive head trauma need to be screened.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From an article on a 2014 &lt;a href=&quot;http://ajs.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/03/19/0363546514526151.full.pdf+html?sid=a2e7e3b5-e377-4840-9489-6e3903519bae&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;study&lt;/a&gt;, limited to kickboxers and MMA fighters:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The rate of serious head injuries among professional mixed martial arts competitors is potentially twice that of professional football players, according to U.S. researchers.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The first event they looked for was knock-outs, in which players are literally knocked unconscious. The second, known as technical knockouts, occur when a referee or other authority judges that the player is too woozy to successfully defend him- or herself. Both kinds of knockout end the match.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The researchers also used statistics to investigate which factors were associated with a player having a higher risk of a knockout or a technical knockout due to being struck multiple times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;They found that players suffered a knockout in 12.7 percent of matches, and that a technical knockout took place in about 19 percent, meaning that nearly one-third of matches ended as a result of some type of head trauma.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;These numbers mean that out of every 100 matches in which a mixed martial arts athlete could be knocked out, known as an athlete exposure, the injury would happen 6.4 times.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The comparable concussion rates for boxing and kickboxing are, respectively, 4.9 and 1.9 per 100 exposures, the authors note.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Moreover, they observed that competitors often used the few seconds before the referee stepped in to repeatedly kick the downed opponent in the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If all knockouts and technical knockouts are counted as concussions, the rate among professional mixed martial arts athletes seen in the study was about 16 per 100 athlete exposures.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It's tempting to compare those statistics to rates of concussions in sports such as football, which has been found to have 8.08 concussions per 100 plays, and ice hockey, with 2.2 concussions per 100 athlete-encounters.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  -  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.reuters.com/article/us-head-injury-idUSBREA311SB20140402&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Head injury risk is high in mixed martial arts: study&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like any sport in which the head is being struck, kickboxing and MMA carry high risks of brain injury.  We don't have a lot of reliable statistics that might help us quantify the risk, but all the data we do have says that yes, kickboxing and MMA clearly cause brain damage in many of the people who participate in them.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reasons for having relatively little data on kickboxing and MMA (compared to the much larger amount of data on other sports, like boxing and football) is pretty easy to explain:   Professional kickboxing and MMA haven't been around for very long, they are still in the process of developing regulatory standards in many countries, and there aren't many professionals in these sports.  MMA, for example, began in the 90's;  professional boxing has existed for centuries.  MMA was virtually unregulated almost everywhere &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_martial_arts_rules#Unified_Rules_of_Mixed_Martial_Arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;until the 2000's&lt;/a&gt; and it is still unregulated in many countries;  professional boxing has been subject to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquess_of_Queensberry_Rules&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Marquess of Queensberry Rule&lt;/a&gt;s (and later regulations based on Queensberry) since the 1860's.  An informal effort conducted by &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.sherdog.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Sherdog.com&lt;/a&gt; estimated that there are roughly 5,000 active MMA fighters in the world right now (the largest MMA organization, the UFC, has only 600 fighters on its roster);  &lt;a href=&quot;http://boxrec.com/records&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Boxrec&lt;/a&gt; lists about 22,000 pro boxers who have fought at least once in the past year, and it is safe to assume that they missed a good number of boxers, so the real number is probably closer to 30,000.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Why is Kickboxing bad for your brain?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;TL;DR:  Because you're getting hit in the head.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;American football is considered the &quot;most concussive sport&quot;, but that's only because we don't track concussions in combat sports.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;“[Boxing] is not really tracked the way school sports are tracked,” says Robert Cantu, clinical professor of neurology and neurosurgery at the Boston University school of medicine. “&lt;strong&gt;Concussions in boxing are a poorly reported sample, but at B.U. we’ve had a 100% incidence of CTE [&quot;chronic traumatic encephalopathy&quot;, a degenerative neurological condition caused by repeated blows to the head] in the boxers we’ve studied&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;.”&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;With good reason. &lt;strong&gt;Various studies have put the force delivered by a blow from a trained boxer at anywhere from 450 lbs. (204 kg) to over 1,400 lbs. (635 kg), enough to accelerate the head to 53 g’s. Those forces hit in one of two ways - linear and rotational - and neither of them is good.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Acceleration from a straight-on punch is linear, while a roundhouse is more rotational,”&lt;/strong&gt; says Dr. Christopher Giza, professor of pediatric neurology and neurosurgery at UCLA’s Mattel Children’s Hospital, and a former commissioner of the California State Athletic Association. &lt;strong&gt;“We think rotational forces are more important in getting knocked out, but most punches have components of both.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Within the brain, it’s the white matter - or the fatty sheathing on nerve cells that serves as insulation and connective tissue - that suffers the most. “The brain has the consistency of firm Jell-O,” says Giza. “If you shake or twist it you put strain on the connections, leading to stretching or tearing.” That causes both immediate and long-term harm, with the damaged connective tissue leaking what are known as tau proteins, which build up over time to form the signature deposits that signal CTE.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The brain’s slightly loose fit in the skull causes other problems. A thin layer of fluid surrounding the brain is supposed to provides shock absorption in the case of minor blows, but when you get hit hard enough, that little bit of wiggle room allows the brain to rattle around, with soft tissue colliding with unyielding bone. That can cause shock, bruising and even bleeding and death&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  -  &lt;a href=&quot;http://time.com/3842459/mayweather-pacquiao-brain-injury/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pacquiao, Mayweather, and the Physics of Getting Punched in the Head&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Neurologist Dr. Margaret Goodman, former Chair of the Nevada State Athletic Commission's Medical Advisory Board, says that sparring is a particular cause for concern:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When a fighter is licensed to compete - whether it is for one bout or the entire calendar year, it is a green light for them to spar. Sparring means head shots and further exposure to brain damage. No fighter should receive a boxing license unless they prove they are fit to spar.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  -  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.secondsout.com/usa-boxing-news/usa-boxing-news/jones-hopkins-the-worst-side-of-boxing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Jones-Hopkins: The Worst Side of Boxing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;Irrespective of the fighter’s age,” Dr. Goodman continued, “there are really extensive tests that need to be done based on somebody’s MRI studies, neuropsychological testing, neuropsychological exams... &lt;strong&gt;I still see fighters that I have concerns about, not just in boxing but also in MMA. Some of these athletes that have continued to compete year after year after having so many knockout losses that it takes a great deal of effort&lt;/strong&gt;.&quot;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  -  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.maxboxing.com/news/max-boxing-news/dr-margaret-goodman-on-fighter-safety-and-peds-in-boxing-part-one&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Dr. Margaret Goodman on Fighter Safety and PEDs in Boxing: Part One&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;I completely agree with Roy [Jones Jr., the boxer] that balance problems are one of the earliest signs of brain damage from boxing. I think it is admirable that he is seeking treatment. There are certain types of physical therapists that also specialize in balance retraining, and it can be successful - to some degree. With that said, &lt;strong&gt;the only sure way to improve balance caused by chronic brain injury from boxing is to stop getting hit in the head.&lt;/strong&gt;  Roy has been one of the greatest boxers of our time. He is brave enough to admit he has neurological problems from boxing. &lt;strong&gt;Continuing to spar and fight will significantly worsen these problems and contribute to other more serious problems, like cognitive dysfunction (disruption in memory/concentration) in the future.&lt;/strong&gt; I believe that his balance issue is a significant warning that needs to be heeded. &lt;strong&gt;You cannot spar away age or neurological problems irrespective of any medical therapy&lt;/strong&gt;.&quot;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  -  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.boxingtalk.com/pag/article.php?aid=21302&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Dr. Margaret Goodman Speaks Out About Roy Jones&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Will brain damage from kickboxing get better over time?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;TL; DR:  No.  Some &lt;em&gt;symptoms&lt;/em&gt; might improve slightly if you stop getting hit, but damage from repeated traumatic brain injuries is basically irreversible and permanent.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Brain traumas, especially chronic injuries such as those sustained in sports can, over time, lead to irreversible brain damage. There is just so much jarring and shaking the brain can take.&lt;/strong&gt; The difficulty is that the most serious, long-term symptoms often don't show up until later in life, but clearly CTE can develop almost any age...   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Chronic traumatic encephalopathy affects many areas of a person’s functioning, including mood, emotional regulation, cognitive capacity, memory, and personality. It often doesn’t develop for years after the traumas occurred, and can present with a different constellation of symptoms in each person it affects...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Its prevalence in boxers continues. &lt;strong&gt;One recent review study of athletes who were diagnosed with CTE found that of the 51 confirmed cases of CTE, 46 were in athletes – and of these, 39 were boxers.&lt;/strong&gt; Five football players, a soccer player, and a wrestler made up the remainder of the athletes affected by chronic brain trauma.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When the head undergoes a trauma, the brain takes a hit. Brain tissue may be insulated by layers of bone and fluid, but severe or repeated injuries disrupt the neural communication in the brain. Recent research on the long-term effects of concussion offers a picture of the lasting effects a brain injury can have. Lateral, or side-to-side, traumas are more damaging to than sagittal, or front-to-back, motion...&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The brain trauma associated with CTE may also trigger the death of neurons; inflammation in the brain; and damage to the white matter, the connective fibers in the brain by which neurons “talk” to one another. One team of CTE researchers suggests that there are probably many “pathological cascades” that are occurring over time. These cascades are thought to continue throughout the course of a lifetime. And the worse the initial injury – or injuries – the more severe the brain damage that can follow.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;There are likely multiple mechanisms by which traumas can lead to brain damage and dementia, and the more traumatic and more repetitive they are, the more likely they are to result in irreversible damage.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  -  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/content/sports_medicine/art3599.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Athletes and Brain Trauma&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Fatalities in Boxing and MMA:&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did some research, and found that over a period of about 7 years, the rates of deaths from injuries sustained in the ring were roughly similar between professional boxing and regulated/sanctioned MMA contests:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recorded MMA deaths in regulated fights:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Sam Vasquez 30 Nov. 2007&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Michael Kirkham 28 Jun. 2010&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Tyrone Mims 11 Aug. 2012&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Booto Guylain 5 Mar. 2014&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pro boxing deaths in regulated fights during that same period:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Yo-sam Choi 25 Dec. 2007&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Alex Aroy 4 Feb. 2008&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Rafael Ortiz 8 Mar. 2008&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Hi Cho (Mikeo Takeuchi) 3 May 2008&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Samora Msophi 27 Jun. 2008&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Luis &quot;Tino&quot; Lugo Quintero 27 Jun. 2008&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Dachirri &quot;Bashiru&quot; Thompson 27 Jul. 2008&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Daniel Aguillon 15 Oct. 2008&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Benjamin &quot;El Michoachano&quot; Flores 30 Apr. 2009&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Marco Nazareth 18 Jul. 2009&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Francisco &quot;Pancho&quot; Moncivais 24 Jul. 2009&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Somboon Wiengchai 12 Oct. 2009&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Francisco &quot;Paco&quot; Rodriguez 20 Nov. 2009&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Hirokazu Yamaki 19 Feb. 2010&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Ki suk Bae 17 Jul. 2010&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Anele Makhwelo 7 Oct. 2011&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Roman Simakov 5 Dec. 2011&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Karlo Maquinto 28 Jan. 2012&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Muhammad Afrizal 30 Mar. 2012&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Jose Angel &quot;Vitaminas&quot; Jimenez 31 Mar. 2012&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Willman Rodriguez Gomez 4 May 2012&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Ermelito &quot;Jog&quot; Alim Jr. 19 Jun. 2012&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Okson Edison Ingamiua (Okson Palue) 21 Nov. 2012&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Michael Norgrove 6 Apr. 2013&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Francisco Javier &quot;Frankie&quot; Leal 19 Oct. 2013&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Tesshin Okada 20 Dec. 2013&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Oscar &quot;Fantasma&quot; Gonzalez 1 Feb. 2014&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methodology:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MMA:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I started with the &quot;sanctioned bouts&quot; section of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatalities_in_mixed_martial_arts_contests&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;wiki article on fatalities in MMA&lt;/a&gt;, and did some googling to try to find records of other deaths in pro MMA bouts, which turned up nothing useful. I used the dates of the first and last deaths listed on the wiki page to limit my the data set - that is to say, I ignored all deaths before 30 Nov. 2007 and after 5 Mar. 2014. I also ignored all deaths that weren't caused by events that took place in the ring, and I ignored all deaths that resulted from unsanctioned/unregulated events.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Boxing:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I started with the &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1e7iWW3KLuVYfQjN_MOK3a9M42Ht_ACIZVa3Tf5n_Z5o/edit?usp=sharing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;raw data&lt;/a&gt; from the &lt;a href=&quot;http://ejmas.com/jcs/velazquez/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Manuel Velazquez Boxing Fatality Collection&lt;/a&gt;, and ignored all deaths due to sparring, practice, amateur bouts, and preexisting medical conditions. There were several deaths each related to amateur bouts and sparring, one related to training, and one related to a preexisting medical condition (a man who died shortly after a fight, but whose cause of death was kidney failure - from overuse of dietary supplements - and liver damage - from alcoholism). The Velazquez collection data didn't mention whether the bouts in question were regulated or sanctioned, so I had to assume that they were. However, I can't vouch for that, so my work might include some unsanctioned/unregulated fights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Analysis:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;There are probably at least 30,000 pro boxers in the world, vs. maybe 5,000 pro MMA fighters. That means that we should expect about 6 times more deaths in boxing, because 6 times more people box.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;That is almost exactly what we see here. Four deaths in sanctioned MMA bouts, and twenty seven deaths in pro boxing matches. That's a ratio of 6.75:1. Since we expected 6:1 based on the differences in the number of people who participate in either sport, we only have to explain why it is 6.75:1 instead of 6:1.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I think the extra 0.75 deaths in boxing per death in MMA is probably just a problem with the resources available. The Manuel Velazquez Collection is a meticulously compiled, thorough, and rigorously updated resource so reliable that it is frequently used as the sole source of data for academic and medical journal articles about boxing mortalities. Thus, the data for boxing deaths is almost certainly complete, and includes every death that actually occured.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;There is no comparable resource for deaths in MMA - I relied on Wikipedia and google. Thus, the data for MMA deaths may very well be incomplete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Whether or not this is the case, the fact is that a difference this small, in a sample size this small, is probably not statistically significant.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  -  &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.sherdog.com/posts/116194213/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Quoted from my own work, originally posted by me in the Sherdog forums&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Why is this relevant?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Because in every case, in both the MMA and Boxing fatalities, the cause of death was traumatic brain injury.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&quot;The 100% figure Cantu cites is derived, he readily acknowledges, from a self-selected population of fighters who come to his clinic seeking help for neurological symptoms. At least some of the larger population of boxers who don’t show up may be fine. What’s more, smart boxers - at least at the championship level - are increasingly taking steps to protect themselves, sparring less, engaging in safe aerobic training more and fighting perhaps only two bouts a year.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6104" LastEditorUserId="6104" LastEditDate="2016-05-07T23:25:45.377" LastActivityDate="2016-05-07T23:25:45.377" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6478" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1521" CreationDate="2016-05-07T22:24:25.543" Score="1" Body="&lt;h2&gt;TL;DR:  Yes, kickboxing, MMA, and boxing are extremely dangerous.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The greatest risk in all combat sports in which blows to the head are allowed is traumatic brain injury.  When it comes to traumatic brain injury, boxing is by far the most dangerous sport, but kickboxing and MMA aren't far behind.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Brain Injury:&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Almost a century ago, a rare but serious form of dementia was linked to repetitive head injuries in boxing. The dementia was aptly named, “Boxer’s dementia.” Lately, this “punch drunk” dementia has been found to affect athletes in other sports, such as American football and soccer, where athletes' heads take repeated blows, so a broader term for this condition was needed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), is a related brain disorder that has been shown to affect other kinds of athletes, and more rarely, non-athletes who sustain head injuries...   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Its prevalence in boxers continues. One recent review study of athletes who were diagnosed with CTE found that of the 51 confirmed cases of CTE, 46 were in athletes – and of these, 39 were boxers. Five football players, a soccer player, and a wrestler made up the remainder of the athletes affected by chronic brain trauma.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  -  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/content/sports_medicine/art3599.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Athletes and Brain Trauma&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From an article on a 2014 &lt;a href=&quot;http://ajs.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/03/19/0363546514526151.full.pdf+html?sid=a2e7e3b5-e377-4840-9489-6e3903519bae&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;study&lt;/a&gt;, limited to kickboxers and MMA fighters:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The rate of serious head injuries among professional mixed martial arts competitors is potentially twice that of professional football players, according to U.S. researchers...&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Yet [fighters'] risk of head injury hadn't been well studied, according to [Michael Hutchison, a researcher at the University of Toronto] and his coauthors. The highly physical nature of the contact sport - which some critics consider dangerous or violent - got the researchers wondering just how high a risk players run of getting knocked out repeatedly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The first event they looked for was knock-outs, in which players are literally knocked unconscious. The second, known as technical knockouts, occur when a referee or other authority judges that the player is too woozy to successfully defend him- or herself. Both kinds of knockout end the match.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The researchers also used statistics to investigate which factors were associated with a player having a higher risk of a knockout or a technical knockout due to being struck multiple times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;They found that players suffered a knockout in 12.7 percent of matches, and that a technical knockout took place in about 19 percent, meaning that nearly one-third of matches ended as a result of some type of head trauma.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;These numbers mean that out of every 100 matches in which a mixed martial arts athlete could be knocked out, known as an athlete exposure, the injury would happen 6.4 times.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The comparable concussion rates for boxing and kickboxing are, respectively, 4.9 and 1.9 per 100 exposures, the authors note.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Moreover, they observed that competitors often used the few seconds before the referee stepped in to repeatedly kick the downed opponent in the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If all knockouts and technical knockouts are counted as concussions, the rate among professional mixed martial arts athletes seen in the study was about 16 per 100 athlete exposures.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It's tempting to compare those statistics to rates of concussions in sports such as football, which has been found to have 8.08 concussions per 100 plays, and ice hockey, with 2.2 concussions per 100 athlete-encounters.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  -  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.reuters.com/article/us-head-injury-idUSBREA311SB20140402&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Head injury risk is high in mixed martial arts: study&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From an article about &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25633832&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;an ongoing long-term study&lt;/a&gt; of brain injuries in boxing and MMA, whose results to date were published in 2015:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is boxing the better sport or does mixed martial arts win that title? While spectators may debate for hours, the answer to that question when it focuses solely on the health of participants is simple: &lt;strong&gt;Both are bad, research indicates, even if martial arts combatants have a slight advantage. The repeated head blows sustained by fighters during their battles link to slower cognitive processing speeds and smaller volumes of certain brain parts.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;Repetitive head trauma may be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and is considered the primary cause of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)&lt;/strong&gt;,” wrote the authors in their new study. A&lt;strong&gt;lzheimer’s is a well-known form of dementia, while CTE is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain linked to memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, and progressive dementia.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;To understand how these sports might affect fighters’ brains, researchers from Cleveland Clinic turned to the data collected by the Professional Fighters Brain Health Study (PFBHS). They identified 224 professional fighters: 131 mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters and 93 boxers. The PFBHS athletes were all between the ages of 18 and 44 and the average time these professionals had fought was about four years, with an average number of 10 total matches...&lt;/strong&gt; Next, the researchers matched these athletes with 22 same-aged people with a similar level of education but no history of head trauma.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;At the start of the study, all participants underwent an MRI scan to assess their brain volume and then they returned for a brain scan annually for four years after that. At each juncture, the researchers tested their verbal memory, processing speed, fine motor skills, and reaction times as a general assessment of brainpower. Next, the researchers calculated for each athlete a Fight Exposure Score, or FES, which combines duration and intensity of fight career...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fighters with an FES score of four were found to be 8.8 percent slower in processing speed than those with an FES score of 0. Add to that, the higher the score, the smaller the brain volume, particularly in the thalamus and the caudate&lt;/strong&gt;... The researchers speculate the typical response to a punch — when a fighter’s head rotates slightly — might be the cause of volume loss in the thalamus and caudate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More generally, smaller brain volumes plus higher Fight Exposure Scores were linked to slower brain processing speeds. In fact, the researchers estimated a 0.19 percent reduction in processing speed per fight and a 2.1 percent reduction for each increase in FES. Irrespective of age, boxers tended to fare worse than martial arts combatants.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;Perhaps the most obvious explanation is that boxers get hit in the head more&lt;/strong&gt;,” the authors note. “&lt;strong&gt;MMA fighters can utilize other combat skills such as wrestling and jiu jitsu to win their match by submission without causing a concussion.” In the end, boxers' brain structure volumes were smaller and they were mentally slower than the mixed martial arts fighters. Ever so slightly, then, MMA edges out boxing as the 'better' sport, at least in terms of a fighter's health.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  -  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.medicaldaily.com/head-blows-and-brain-injury-boxing-and-mixed-martial-arts-cause-similar-loss-320000&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Head Blows And Brain Injury: Boxing And Mixed Martial Arts Cause A Similar Loss Of Processing Speed In Fighters' Brains&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Why are boxing, kickboxing, and MMA more dangerous than non-combat sports?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;TL;DR:  Because in team sports, blows to the head are an unfortunate but inevitable consequence of the game;  in combat sports,  blows to the head are one of the &lt;em&gt;goals&lt;/em&gt; of the game.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;American Football, Basketball, and Soccer:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In American football, you're trying to get the ball into the end zone and stop the other team from doing likewise.  In basketball, you're trying to throw the ball through the hoop and stop the other team from doing likewise.  In soccer, you're trying to kick the ball into the goal and stop the other team from doing likewise.  Someone might get hurt in any of these sports, but that's a side effect, not the primary objective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Boxing:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In boxing, you're trying to punch the other guy until he is unconscious or unable to fight; although body shots sometimes achieve this goal, the surest way to pull it off is to punch your opponent in the face and head as many times as possible, as hard as you can.  In other words, you're basically doing everything in your power to give the guy a concussion.  What is a concussion?  Simple:  a concussion is traumatic brain injury.  Thus, when two boxers step in the ring, they are essentially trying their hardest to inflict traumatic brain injury on one another.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact that boxers are restricted to hitting each other from the belt up increases the rates of brain injury, because you are only allowed to hit opponents on the end of the body where the head happens to be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from brain trauma, the most common injuries in boxing are broken bones (usually in the head and face -  noses, eye sockets, cheekbones, jaws - but sometimes in other places - especially the ribs and hands), eye damage, and swelling. These are relatively minor, relative to brain injury, and easy to overcome.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Kickboxing:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In kickboxing, as in boxing, the goal is to hit your opponent until he is unconscious or incapable of fighting;  however, you're allowed to strike with more of your body (hands, feet, shins, knees, and elbows, as opposed to just your hands), and you're allowed to hit the opponent in more places on his body (basically, everything except the testicles, throat, and eyes, as opposed to only the face, sides of the head, and front and sides of the torso).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This simultaneously reduces the percentage of shots that will be delivered to the head (because more areas are fair game) and increases the kinds of shots that will be delivered to the head (because you're kicking AND punching, and because punches can strike with other parts of your hand, not just your knuckles).  It also helps that you can block incoming attacks with your legs as well as your hands and arms.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All in all, kickboxing is slightly less likely to cause brain damage than boxing is, for all the reasons mentioned above, but the difference is negligible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, other injuries are far more common in kickboxing than in boxing, mainly broken bones in the arms, legs, feet, hands, ribs, and face.  And obviously, there's plenty of bruising, and some damage to ligaments and tendons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;MMA:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If kickboxing can be described (via a slight oversimplification) as &quot;boxing plus kicking&quot;, then MMA might be described as &quot;kickboxing plus grappling&quot;. All of the factors I mentioned in relation to kickboxing apply here, but there is the added component of the grappling:  whereas boxers and kickboxers are limited to striking, MMA fighters have other options.  They can grab, hold, throw, wrestle, etc.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, the grappling angle of MMA means that even less time is spent trading shots to the face and head than is the case in kickboxing;  as a result, traumatic brain injury is probably slightly less common in MMA than kickboxing, and even less common than it is in boxing.  Again, though, the difference is relatively small.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, &lt;a href=&quot;http://thesportspost.com/science-says-mma-is-the-most-dangerous-sport/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;some researchers&lt;/a&gt; believe that MMA might be a bigger risk for brain injury, although their findings were based on reviewing fight tapes rather than examining fighters or their medical records.  They speculate that one reason for MMA being more dangerous is related to the fact that MMA bouts often end with the dominant fighter delivering a flurry of head shots to his opponent, while the opponent is pinned on the ground and incapable of defending himself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Non-brain-related injuries are probably more common in MMA than in kickboxing or boxing, and in addition to broken bones, bruising, and torn ligaments/tendons, dislocations are more common because of grappling and submission holds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're still not convinced, you might want to look at the &lt;a href=&quot;http://ejmas.com/jcs/velazquez/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Manuel Velazquez Boxing Fatality Collection&lt;/a&gt;, which lists all the known, recorded cases in which boxers died due to injuries sustained in the ring.  At present, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1e7iWW3KLuVYfQjN_MOK3a9M42Ht_ACIZVa3Tf5n_Z5o/edit?usp=sharing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;raw data&lt;/a&gt; lists 2,045 such cases between September 1724 and December 2015;  there are 1,324 boxing deaths listed between December 1915 and December 2015.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no such resource for kickboxing or MMA, and I'm not aware of any similar resources for any team sports.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6104" LastEditorUserId="6104" LastEditDate="2016-05-07T23:26:58.820" LastActivityDate="2016-05-07T23:26:58.820" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6479" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6473" CreationDate="2016-05-07T22:31:18.360" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The outcome is at the discretion of the referee. Referee's are human &amp;amp; have to make calls based on pressure of doing what is right for the fighter (a living human being), by the promoter (who pays the ref) &amp;amp; by the crowd (who pay the promoter). Sometimes they have to consider organized crime.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end whatever the call the referee may be called up to justify it. In the case of the two matches a simple queue is gloves at ready. In the first fight he kept on holding the ropes. In the second he was at ready. There are other considerations for tell signs but they seem like an obvious place to start.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7040" LastActivityDate="2016-05-07T22:31:18.360" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6481" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-05-09T10:47:02.727" Score="15" ViewCount="20705" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to become proficient with the basic TKD kicks (front, side, round, hook, spinning back) and I'm looking for a routine/workout that I can perform throughout the week by myself to ensure that I make progress over the next 12 months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm 44, have okay flexibility for normal life, but not good enough for TKD. I have a sedentary job. My technique for the mentioned kicks is &lt;em&gt;okay&lt;/em&gt; but not great - Mostly held back I think by flexibility and strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for some good workout routines that I can do at home, on my own, to get my flexibility and technique to where it should be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My philosophy at the moment is to work primary on flexibility, then strength, then the actual technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Right now I'm mostly doing some or all of the following at least 4-5 times a week:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;working on flexibility by following these training programs (side split &amp;amp; hamstrings):&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.easyflexibility.com/collections/martial-arts/products/side-split-flexibility?variant=844239909&quot;&gt;https://www.easyflexibility.com/collections/martial-arts/products/side-split-flexibility?variant=844239909&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.easyflexibility.com/products/hamstrings-intermediate-level?variant=17800489220&quot;&gt;https://www.easyflexibility.com/products/hamstrings-intermediate-level?variant=17800489220&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;doing some leg strengthening exercises like side raises, leg circles, slow roundhouse and side kick movements&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;practicing the kicks themselves&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not making fast progress at the moment - If I stand up straight, I can raise my leg out to the side to about 3/4 of the distance from the floor to my hip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can anyone suggest a better training program to get me to good kicks? Am I on the right track and just need to give it more time?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1669" LastActivityDate="2018-09-03T21:22:56.957" Title="Daily Tae Kwon Do routine to improve kicks" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|technique|strength|flexibility|stretching|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6482" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6481" CreationDate="2016-05-10T04:15:02.233" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;First I just want to say that at age 44, you shouldn't expect your body to perform the same as an 18 year old's body. It's just not realistic. So resist the temptation to compare yourself to them, or anyone for that matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, that doesn't mean you can't make continual, gradual progress from where you are now. Go ahead and try.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I just want to warn you. If nothing seems to be working, that's your answer. You're just going to have to accept that this is where you are and may always be. Though, you might actually improve over time, but maybe at a glacial pace. It's okay. There are worse things in life. And you're probably not as bad as most people your age. Taekwondo is very athletic, so if you're doing that and keeping up, you're not bad. You should be proud of yourself. Whether you can kick as high as the hot-shot 18 year old black belts in the class is unimportant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm a former Taekwondo black belt. And my kicks today at age 43 are nowhere near as good as they were back when I was training at age 18. But then, I didn't keep up with it, so it doesn't surprise or bother me. I'm innately flexible, though. With daily stretch work, I believe I could get my split back in probably a month or less.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're not just innately flexible like I am, it's going to take a lot more effort. You're on the right track with those videos on how to train splits. But being Taekwondo, there's more to it than that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most stretch tutorials only go over static stretches. Yet, in Taekwondo you're moving. Static stretching will improve flexibility over time. But you also have to work on your dynamic stretches. In addition, you'll probably benefit from isometric stretches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I go over this more in depth in my answer here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5525/when-training-spinning-kicks-is-it-more-important-to-prioritize-control-or-heig/5527#5527&quot;&gt;When training spinning kicks, is it more important to prioritize control or height?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should read the answer at that link above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there's one thing you must do, it's to make sure you stick to a daily stretch routine. When I was doing Taekwondo seriously, I would wake up and immediately do some stretching and high kicks for 15 minutes or so. I'd do stretching and high kicks throughout the day whenever I found myself taking a break. I would stretch for 15 to 30 minutes before Taekwondo class. I would then do a normal Taekwondo class which almost always worked on flexibility. And then I'd stick around after the class to stretch and work on whatever I wanted to work on. I would then finish the day with some more stretch work before bed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, that was a description of an &quot;ideal&quot; day back when I was training. On my days off, I might only have 5 to 10 minutes in the morning and 5 to 10 minutes in the evening to do some stretching, with maybe some minor stretching sporadically throughout the day. It becomes habitual. I found myself doing high kicks to the air in my jeans when nobody was looking. At home, I'd do kicks as I was walking from room to room. It's habitual. And I highly recommend it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Warming up before stretching is important, though. You'll get worse results if you go into it cold. And from your description, it's probably a requirement for you, or else you might injure yourself. Take 5 to 10 minutes to vigorously run in place, jump rope, hop on an exercise bike, or do some forms or kicking / punching drills. Then begin your stretch routine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now with regards to your comment about only being able to kick 3/4 of the way up to hip height, that definitely needs work. Taekwondo requires kicks to be above the belt, and that doesn't qualify.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can fake it until then, though. You can bend your body down as you kick instead of keeping completely upright. That will allow you to get your kick higher. It's not proper form and is frowned against, but it's better than kicking below the belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also keep your base knee (of the leg that stays on the ground) bent as you kick, and that also lets you kick higher. Again, that's not proper form in Taekwondo and is frowned against, but it can help until you get better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That should also tell you what not to do when actually working on your flexibility in class or on your own. Keep your base knee semi-locked, not bent. Keep your body upright, don't dip down. That will allow you to push the limits of your flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in sparring or doing focus pad drills, go ahead and fake it so long as you can't do it 100% properly. It's okay. Fake it just enough, but no more. Over time, when your flexibility improves, tighten up on your form and make it better and better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-05-10T04:33:10.743" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6483" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-05-17T00:11:08.887" Score="5" ViewCount="2643" Body="&lt;p&gt;is Single Leg X or Ashi Garami the same thing or is there is slight difference between them. I see some guys mixing up the two names so now I'm confused. Can anyone make this a little clear for me ? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6760" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T09:33:39.973" Title="Single Leg X or Ashi Garami" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6484" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6483" CreationDate="2016-05-17T06:46:09.777" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My current understanding is that basic Ashi Garami is essentially the same leg configuration as Single Leg X guard (SLX), but that because the position is often used with a different strategy, some people keep the two mentally separate. This might be useful or it might hinder understanding--I don't know. I haven't studied Danaher's system in depth, and it's extremely likely that people who do have strong opinions regarding nomenclature and the relationship between the positions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/40caed/leg_locks_and_losing_position/cyuaq2k&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;This breakdown of the positions shows the standard Ashi Garami to be equal to SLX&lt;/a&gt;. To me, this isn't a position that one would hang out in while using SLX, since people are usually wearing their &quot;guard hats&quot; while playing SLX, and are looking for the sweep. But viewing it as ashi garami opens up leglocks and nearby IBJJF-illegal leg control positions that aren't part of old-school SLX play. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-05-17T06:46:09.777" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6485" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6029" CreationDate="2016-05-17T23:17:30.513" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some people have too high of a &lt;strong&gt;tolerance for meanness.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're pretty green and this is a pretty serious problem that in my opinion makes or breaks a 'career' as a wrestler. Young guys all come in with this problem and the sooner and the deeper you can shake it the better. @AFetter kind of alluded to this principle&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;This is the first point. I training light a warrior try protect my family &#xA;  from the bad guys. I never give up from a position to be submitted and start &#xA;  again. To me BJJ is a question of stay alive or die.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Functioning in civil society today means learning &lt;strong&gt;self restraint&lt;/strong&gt; without a counter balancing principle and because of the intensity of wrestling it's very important that you learn to control your own self restraint because you are over restrained. I'm not saying forget restraint I'm saying learn counter restraint or how to un-restrain what is important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I doubt that it's a mindset thing because you've trained TKD for 5 years you probably understand attack mentality you're just used to being nice to people. But if you don't have attack mentality that's a problem you need to focus on drilling with attack mentality. Again like @AFetter said: &lt;strong&gt;steamroller&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overcoming learned self restraint on a &lt;em&gt;deep&lt;/em&gt; level needs to be practiced by wrestling with people in a mean way, you can do this by wrestling people you don't like, people who are weak or bad or stupid or scared that you have contempt for and you have to cultivate those &quot;negative&quot; feelings. By negative I don't mean bad, feelings are not inherently bad, but society is afraid of young men's anger and with the disappearance of strong traditional values of order, discipline and hierarchy, society has turned to other methods to restrain the fiery energy of young men like brainwashing and shame. You need to be smart about this because sometimes you have too much anger and you wrestle like a jackass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You also need to have some confidence in your wrestling. Once you overcome a little bit of your own restraint and become more active, you will be shooting and scrapping more, which confronts you with a deeper level of restraint you may have developed about being rough with other people. Then you build strength or you learn how to use strength in ways you didn't know before and you stop restraining when it comes to hurting people. So your emotions about wrestling will develop with your technique and your skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;So our summary is&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Be meaner&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Get better&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Repeat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do see what I mean? This is how style evolves and refines, confronting new challenges in opponents and in yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7135" LastEditorUserId="1462" LastEditDate="2016-05-18T17:52:16.873" LastActivityDate="2016-05-18T17:52:16.873" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6486" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6029" CreationDate="2016-05-18T04:14:33.330" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately I think the answer requires time. Catch is all about execution of attacks from any position. For example caught in a guard? Don't pass but get a leglock. In half guard? Go for the neck or figure 4. It's the opposite of position over submission.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So this means learning to attack from many positions and trying to do it naturally. This requires a lot technique practise which means drilling hundreds of moves. But each move then needs to be memorised, applied naturally while under pressure of a moving opponent. This takes a few years to get (my coach uses a 3 year rule).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having great defense is a great way to start. Then it's down to just trying to remember the attacks and apply by repeating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end I think it all boils down to matt time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7040" LastActivityDate="2016-05-18T04:14:33.330" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6487" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6481" CreationDate="2016-05-18T08:08:08.917" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I took it quite literally by perform 50 of each kick daily. I saw improvements pretty quickly. Concentrate on the technique first. The flexibility will come with time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1200" LastActivityDate="2016-05-18T08:08:08.917" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6488" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6495" CreationDate="2016-05-18T08:21:26.083" Score="4" ViewCount="266" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I was a kid (6 years old) I trained for a year in tae kwon do. I liked it but my parents didn't want me to continue doing violent sport. At 21, I want to practice martial arts again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I loved tae kwon do (the jump kicks are crazy) and I was close to start it again, but then I heard about &quot;mugendo&quot;. It has the jumps I like, and more movements than tae kwon do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you know another martial art with that high jump kicks?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7138" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-05-23T07:29:38.180" LastActivityDate="2016-05-23T07:29:38.180" Title="Martial art with lots of high kicks" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|jump-kick|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6490" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6494" CreationDate="2016-05-18T18:55:08.763" Score="5" ViewCount="3990" Body="&lt;p&gt;I came across this You Tube &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGBAWmW20nA&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; that demonstrates a specific Kung Fu move, where an individual breaks a concrete brick with his head. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally speaking, conditioning of certain body parts is necessary in various types of martial arts. For example Muay Thai fighters condition their shin by kicking a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6yrW69XQoE&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;tree&lt;/a&gt; several times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;So are there any specific training available to condition the head/skull&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; so that an individual can eventually break a concrete brick with his head?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5935" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-05-19T07:43:33.773" LastActivityDate="2023-09-23T12:22:49.887" Title="How to condition the head/skull in order to break bricks with it?" Tags="|training|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6491" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6490" CreationDate="2016-05-18T19:19:00.050" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.livestrong.com/article/386995-iron-body-training-techniques-for-shaolin-kung-fu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this Livestrong article&lt;/a&gt;, it starts with pressure against sandbags:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The head is hardened over time through static contact with other objects. Areas of focus on are the forehead, the top of the head and the back of the head. The student begins by leaning the head either perpendicularly or vertically onto sandbags for several months, two times daily. When the head begins to become more resilient, the student moves to trees and finally to rock. Beginning training sessions last for just a few minutes on the sandbags and at the advanced stage can go for at least 20 minutes up against a stone slab.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Outside of that, the skull is pretty strong, so as long as you can avoid the sudden deceleration of failing to break your target (which leads to the brain sloshing around, aka concussion) and your neck is in good enough shape to decelerate your head, it's not that terribly dangerous comparatively speaking to use your head for a break.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2016-05-18T19:19:00.050" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6492" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5350" CreationDate="2016-05-19T04:35:19.203" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As someone who has a lot of wrestling experience and with little bits of other things there are a few things that come to mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wrestling is an old sport&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BJJ declares itself to be a unique discipline relative to other MAs and as such it's less than 100 years old. Same story with Taekwondo, and I can imagine if you live in the western world most people are learning disciplines that, while they may have historical continuity, are cultural transplants. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestling is not like this. Wrestling in some form has been practiced by many cultures on small and large scales. The aggregate of knowledge and refinement that wrestling has to pull from is larger than even the oldest Asian MAs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a side I don't know if I agree that Judo falls into our category of ultra strategic sports by this measurement, but the Japanese make very good wrestlers, just as good as the Indo-Europeans who have been wrestling since before the classical period that we inherit the tradition from.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;There is no striking and there are restricted use of locks and manipulation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means that athletes can spar for longer with higher intensity and have lower risk of injury. &lt;a href=&quot;http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1991-04-28/sports/9102070835_1_world-class-wrestler-top-ranked-wrestlers-state-champ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;The average age for an American competing on the Olympic wrestling team is 27&lt;/a&gt;, while most &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2013/7/18/4533754/ufc-going-deeper-into-mma-fighter-longevity-does-age-matter&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;MMA fighters with a striking background are retiring at that age&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think it's clear that you can devote more time to your sport when you aren't getting hit in the head or when someone is trying to snap your arm. So the time cost of pushing the envelope of how hard you can hit, how hard you can get hit are not present, nor is the risk of being injured by a submission and more time can be devoted to training that deepens strategy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not saying that other MAs are non-strategic, but the likelihood of reaching a certain level of depth decreases with the increasing risk of a knockout or submission. One thing I always hear people say in the striking and BJJ game is that a fight can end from anywhere at anytime. This is also true for wrestling to a certain extent, however, and I can't find any data on this unfortunately, pins are less and less common as you go higher up. I've also heard that the inverse is true of striking MAs, that knockouts are uncommon at lower levels and more common at higher levels.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure if there is any good data on these points but if anyone has something to contribute I would be interested in hearing more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;edit: I missed the point of your question was about the content of wrestling strategy rather than wrestling strategy vs other MAs so I guess I should delete this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7135" LastEditorUserId="7135" LastEditDate="2016-05-19T04:50:04.500" LastActivityDate="2016-05-19T04:50:04.500" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6493" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5350" CreationDate="2016-05-19T08:42:50.647" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Before going too far be aware that &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.m.wikiquote.org/wiki/Helmuth_von_Moltke_the_Elder&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;strategy&lt;/a&gt; should also be about dealing with uncertainty. Nothing ever goes perfectly to plan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every good wrestler who is not being flippant about the opponent will think &amp;amp; plan about the match. This can be as simple as sizing up the opponent, watching them in other matches or many other ways to assess and then plan. For example in a fight I was told about, one wrestler went up to the other wrestler before the match and playfully grabbed and hugged him. Later it was found he used this as a means of assessing if he could get a good waist grip and feel the center of gravity. He did this to know what could and could not work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once on the mat then it's about knowing what are good setups, counters, counters to counters and so on. If you only have one move then pretty soon others will know this and will be able to bait it and set it up to fall into a trap. Over time a good wrestler can read a person and know what their setup is within an instant. So the strategy part is about knowing moves and knowing counters to moves and then knowing how set them up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This sort of wrestling does not come overnight but with practise and experience. It usually takes years of mat time to get.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a source of examples in techniques I like Erik Paulson, Cary Kolat and Carl Adams materials but theres a lot of other great instructional videos out there. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7040" LastActivityDate="2016-05-19T08:42:50.647" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6494" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6490" CreationDate="2016-05-19T17:48:29.260" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just want to point out that a lot of martial arts demonstrations like these are actually illusions. Bricks used for breaking are often chemically treated and baked longer to become more brittle. They look like ordinary bricks, but they're far easier to break. At some demonstrations I've seen, I laughed because I saw bricks actually crumble into pieces just from picking them up!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The video you linked to actually shows a good example of such a brick. It crumbles apart with ease. This isn't impressive at all. You can tell by looking at how much force is generated by the kung-fu practitioner in the video. To break the brick, he actually jumps up and lets his head come down on the brick. But the total distance his head travels is around one foot. This is the same as dropping a weight from one foot high to the brick. The weight is going to be a fraction of his body's weight, probably not his whole body weight. But given that he's pretty slim, I don't think he weighs a lot. The force he generated is very small. Yet the brick crumbled apart easily. It's obvious this brick was very brittle to begin with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same happens for metal bar breaking demonstrations. You often see a kung-fu master swinging a 2 foot long metal bar at his forehead, and the bar just breaks in two. The key thing to realize is that the bar is made of iron. And iron can be very brittle if it's made with more carbon. It breaks very easily. It's not the same hardness as wrought iron is. Because people are only familiar with wrought iron and steel bars, they naturally assume the kung-fu practitioner is using a bar that has similar hardness. But it does not. That's why this is an illusion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for wood, that too can be an illusion. First of all, you want to use a brittle board to begin with, so choose pine instead of oak for example. Then you can bake the boards in an oven until they're completely dried out. There are instructions for doing this all over the web. Use spacers if you're breaking multiple boards (the physics makes it a lot easier than not using spacers). Doing this and other things with the boards really makes it easy. Some demonstrators even pre-break the boards, joining them back together with some weak glue or tape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts demonstrations are filled with these and other illusions. And even &quot;legitimate&quot; martial arts masters do it. My opinion is that they're just making themselves and their style look very foolish by doing these sorts of demonstrations. They should stick to what their style actually teaches, not parlor tricks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2016-05-20T03:31:05.143" LastActivityDate="2016-05-20T03:31:05.143" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6495" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6488" CreationDate="2016-05-20T14:39:02.923" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;When using kicks I will suggest you &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capoeira&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Capoeira&lt;/a&gt;. It has a lot of kicks of any kinds, acrobatic kicks and acrobatic moves. See some &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Capoeira&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;videos here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But inside a martial art you can practice more the moves you want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6474" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-05-23T07:29:03.380" LastActivityDate="2016-05-23T07:29:03.380" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6496" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6420" CreationDate="2016-05-20T14:59:14.243" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, you will if you want!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can't, your dailly practice will make you able.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, there are some martial arts that focus on kicks or forms like Taekowndo and Wushu that require more legs flexbility and other like boxe that requires less flexbility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's up to you to choose a martial art that fits on you or you try to fit on the martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6474" LastActivityDate="2016-05-20T14:59:14.243" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6498" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6501" CreationDate="2016-05-20T22:48:39.743" Score="10" ViewCount="804" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not saying I can always block every punch or kick that's thrown against me in sparring but why is it that you sometimes cannot block, parry or dodge an attack? Is it because I haven't trained the technique enough?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6846" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-05-25T04:17:10.150" LastActivityDate="2020-05-28T11:51:36.487" Title="Defence in martial arts in general" Tags="|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|defense|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6499" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6498" CreationDate="2016-05-21T00:54:36.360" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sometimes your opponent is faster than you.  Sometimes they can read your body language and your tells, and fake you out, or feint.  Sometimes you might have patterns that leave you open in predictable ways, and they take advantage of that.  Sometimes you think you are dodging to safety and you're walking right into the attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;More training&quot; could help, but mostly it's about &quot;right training&quot;.  Doing the technique is the easy part, then you have to learn when is it a good idea to use the technique in general, and when is it a good idea to use the specific technique against this opponent, specifically.  Range, timing, angles, body language, your own endurance, how fast you can shift your weight and facing, all of this, will be part of what you're learning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even then, you will probably not block or avoid every attack.  No amount of training makes you invincible.  A good teacher, or coach, should be looking at your common patterns that leave you open, and teaching you how to minimize them so you take fewer hits, and how to set it up so the hits you do take are less damaging.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-05-23T14:37:04.673" LastActivityDate="2016-05-23T14:37:04.673" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6500" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6498" CreationDate="2016-05-21T03:03:09.663" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why can you not dodge every attack? For the following reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you dodge every attack (without supplying your own), you're no longer fighting, but running. That generally goes against the martial aspect of &lt;em&gt;martial&lt;/em&gt; arts.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your opponent can keep giving out attacks faster than you dodge them.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your dodge could end up moving you into the way of the next attack.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Even if you provide an attack, your opponent can still provide an attack. Ideally, you want to provide attacks &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; deny your opponent's attacks. In armed forms of martial arts, you try to make your attack and defense one and the same (defensively strike, offensively defend).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastActivityDate="2016-05-21T03:03:09.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6501" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6498" CreationDate="2016-05-21T04:38:53.250" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;One thing to realize is that you have two factors that affect blocking a strike: 1) reaction time, and 2) tracking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reaction time is the time taken by your brain to notice the strike coming towards you, to calculate an appropriate response, and to begin to move to counter it. (Notice I said &quot;begin&quot; to move, not the complete movement.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If a strike has a large distance to travel before getting to you, you have more time to react. That means that strikes that begin close to you or strikes that change course when they are close to you are going to be more difficult to react to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can actually measure reaction times, by the way. Typical reaction times will be on the order of a half a second, plus or minus 300 milliseconds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay then, what that means is that if someone's strike takes only a half a second to perform from start to completion, your chances of reacting to it are nearly zero. And we haven't even started moving yet. It takes more time to go from reaction to actually moving your limbs to block the strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It stands to reason, then, that strikers that initiate attacks closer to their opponent will have a greater chance of it getting through without being blocked. It also stands to reason that the one that starts the fight is often going to be the one who wins it, because the other guy is not able to react in time and will take the first hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This old saying applies here: &quot;It's faster to act than to react.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reaction times are also affected negatively by age and acquired knowledge. Age is obvious. The older you become, the longer your brain takes to react to things. But acquired knowledge is also a detriment to reaction time. Why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reaction time is more than just the time needed to realize something is coming towards you. It's also the time needed to come up with an appropriate response (a plan of action). The more you know, the longer your brain takes to consider the variables and decide on the right response. It's strange, but true.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second factor is tracking. That is your brain's ability to lock onto the object approaching you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can't track the position of your opponent's strike, then you can't block it. You need the correct direction and speed of the strike in order to know where the strike will hit you and when. Your brain has to do some extrapolation (guessing) based on that calculation so that your block will be at the right place and time. It has to plot a path both of the strike and of your block, and they need to intersect at the exact same time and place. It's hard!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One problem is that human eyes and brains aren't good at tracking fast moving objects in general. You can calculate the speed and direction incorrectly. So it requires constant visual feedback to reduce error.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there's another problem. Certain trajectories (changes in speeds and paths) aren't tracked very well by the brain. So it's hard or even impossible to lock on to the path that some strikes take.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, it's been shown in studies that objects traveling diagonally in the field of vision are harder for the brain to track than objects that are traveling horizontally or vertically. So, it's not a coincidence that a lot of attacks in martial arts are diagonal. You can see this in the UFC a lot. The strikes that happen diagonally often get through defenses more reliably.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strikes that are accelerating are harder to track than strikes that are traveling at a constant velocity. (This is especially true if the acceleration occurs whereby the terms of its mathematical expression have exponents greater than 1 - in other words, non-linear acceleration.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other problem is that the brain must calculate the expected path of the strike based on the continuous feedback it gets from tracking it in order to know where and when to block. This takes time, though. You have to actually sit there watching the strike, observing it. That's going to take time. The brain has to look at how the strike is moving to know what the expected path is going to be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since strikes are coming so fast, the brain doesn't generally have time to wait for a lock on the strike before beginning to block. It would be too late. So it isn't going to be able to come up with a definitive expected path for the strike. At least not initially. Bummer!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what defenders do to make up for the lack of tracking, initially, is to use other clues to let them know the general target area of the attack. That way, they can begin to move their arms to block that general area before tracking information is available. As their brains begin to get more information about the path of the strike, they can fine tune their movement so that the block is successful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, defenders guess at the target of the strike, at least initially.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good strikers know how to trick their opponents into guessing a different target than they're actually going to take. That causes the defender to block at a different place and time than needed. By the time the defender's brain realizes that the strike is on a different path than expected, it's too late.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, the striker may alter the rhythm of their attack so that the defender blocks too soon or not soon enough. Or the striker may look (on purpose) at a different target than they're actually targeting, and so the defender guesses the wrong target based on the striker's eyes. Or the striker begins to strike at one target but then changes course and strikes another target before the defender can react in time to the course change.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not all bad news for the defender, though. These two factors (reaction time and tracking) can work in the defender's favor as well. When the defender begins to react to a strike, he can move his body. Just moving the target will cause the striker to have to do the same mental math as the defender: He has to first react to it, and then he has to track it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Body movement is a hugely important topic in martial arts. The more sophisticated ones body movement is, the better they can defend themselves. Body movement is crucial for self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And by the way, remember when I mentioned that diagonal strikes were harder for the brain to track and defend against? The same is true about body movement. That's why most martial arts teach you to move diagonally across the floor instead of straight forward and backward, left and right. It's harder for your opponent to track.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, this is a lengthy subject, and I think I've only scratched the surface. But you get the idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2016-05-21T04:38:53.250" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6502" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6451" CreationDate="2016-05-21T07:50:26.923" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I haven't done straight boxing, but have 20+ years of striking TMA's with some kickboxing thrown in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I started BJJ when I was about 44, and got my black belt just before my 59th birthday. I spent about six years at white belt, but the rest of my belt progression matched that of many of my younger peers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do pretty much all BJJ now, TBH I got sick of getting punched in the face, and with about $50K worth of dental work in my past I'm not keen to put that at risk any more. And I find BJJ far more interesting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have to pace myself a bit at age 61, but I'm hoping to keep doing Jiu Jitsu well into my seventies if not longer. No reason anyone who isn't reasonably fit couldn't do the same - if you've boxed for a while, that should be you. You will be pretty sore at the start because this is an unusual activity if you haven't done anything like it before, but your body adjusts fairly quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A high degree of flexibility can be useful for some Jiu Jitsu techniques, but it is hardly a requirement to be able to grapple effectively. Overreliance on flexibility rather than good technique and structure is to invite injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flexibility IMO is far more important for proficient kicking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a great activity to do with your kids.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6151" LastActivityDate="2016-05-21T07:50:26.923" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6503" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2882" CreationDate="2016-05-21T07:58:51.470" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This explains how it works pretty well (for the IBJJF)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://ibjjf.org/info/graduation-system/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;IBJJF graduation system&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, you can become a blue or purple belt at age 16. You can't get brown until 18, or black before 19.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6151" LastActivityDate="2016-05-21T07:58:51.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6504" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6509" CreationDate="2016-05-21T17:58:53.470" Score="4" ViewCount="588" Body="&lt;p&gt;Plucking as a defense against chokes is basically that you use your arms/hands to pull the attackers hands off your throat a small amount and pin them to your body - getting enough room to breathe again, and then proceeding to counter attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This makes sense to me as a possibility and fairly effective from the front.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, in krav maga it also seems to be a defense taught when choked from the back where you reach your arms up and behind your head to pluck the arms, pinning them down at the wrist or thumb area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This feels kind of awkward to me to reach up and behind my head to pluck the arms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It feels like it isn't so effective as say, throwing an elbow to the solar plexus, or to the head, or stomping a foot, kicking the shin or knee, or stepping forward as you turn and raise your arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do people here consider it a decent technique to pluck when choked from behind or is it one of those things where it's a tool in the toolbox but when you learn more (krav maga in this case) that you would almost always do something else instead?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's hard to tell over text on the internet but does it seem like I have a misunderstanding of how the technique works?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6206" LastEditorUserId="6206" LastEditDate="2016-05-22T14:59:05.403" LastActivityDate="2016-05-23T22:29:17.903" Title="&quot;plucking&quot; as defense for a choke from behind" Tags="|krav-maga|defense|chokes|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6506" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6508" CreationDate="2016-05-22T20:04:59.083" Score="1" ViewCount="311" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you refer to the following situation shown in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRme3I_IdW4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; at 19:30. What are the recommended ways to release of back rope choke?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2016-05-23T14:06:11.247" Title="Release from back choking rope" Tags="|streetfight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6507" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6318" CreationDate="2016-05-22T23:29:35.950" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The kimura, omoplata, and barataplata are all attacks on the shoulder. The end result is the same but they apply the attack in different ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The end result is to isolate the uke's (receiver's) shoulder joint, immobilize uke's elbow, and move uke's wrist along a path that would circle it towards their shoulder blade.  A similar effect is achieved if uke's wrist and elbow are circled in directions opposite to each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To apply the &lt;strong&gt;kimura&lt;/strong&gt;, the tori (attacker) uses a figure-four grip of their arms to accomplish this, where one of the tori's forearms blocks the elbow from moving while tori's other hand controls the wrist of uke and moves it in a circle towards uke's shoulder blade.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/geXSIm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/geXSIm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;omoplata&lt;/strong&gt; accomplishes this using tori's legs. Uke's bicep &amp;amp; tricep is trapped between tori's legs so that the legs have isolated the shoulder and immobilized the elbow.  Then, tori lifts his hips into uke's forearm to circle uke's wrist towards the shoulder blade.  (The name &quot;omoplata&quot; comes from the Portuguese for &quot;shoulder blade&quot;.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7CXiJm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7CXiJm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;barataplata&lt;/strong&gt; uses a combination of the arms and legs.  Generally, only uke's elbow needs to be trapped between tori's legs.  Tori's arm threads through uke's elbow and tori places his hand on his own thigh in order to prevent uke from withdrawing his arm.  Then, a rotation of tori's body and lifting of tori's arm (the one that threads through uke's arm) like a lever is what circles uke's wrist one way while circling uke's elbow the opposite way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/RYg7Hm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/RYg7Hm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The name &quot;barataplata&quot; is a portmanteau of &quot;Barata&quot; (the nickname of the jiu-jiteiro that invented the move, Rafael &quot;Barata&quot; Freitas) and &quot;omoplata&quot;.  Barata + omoplata = barataplata.  I've also heard barataplata called the &quot;arm-out omoplata&quot; because it is very similar to the omoplata (i.e., a shoulder attack using the legs) except much of the uke's arm is outside the grip of tori's legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A kimura applied by rotating the arm in &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomical_terms_of_motion#Flexion_and_extension&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;flexion&lt;/a&gt; (as opposed to extension) is often called an &lt;strong&gt;Americana&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kgi8um.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kgi8um.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7150" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-15T10:22:30.400" LastActivityDate="2019-08-15T10:22:30.400" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6508" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6506" CreationDate="2016-05-23T04:30:49.470" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a number of problems with demonstration videos like this. First of all, the attacker is essentially frozen in place while the defender is able to move and do stuff. It's not realistic at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, when you watch &quot;demonstration&quot; videos, make a note whenever the student seems to freeze while the instructor goes right along through a series of complex movements. When you see that, realize it's basically just theory. And martial arts is full of theory. Most of it is bogus, because it wouldn't work against a struggling opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, this particular choke shown in the video is not one you would likely see in real life. In other words, even with a rope, people don't choke like that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More realistically, an attacker wanting to choke someone from behind with a rope will immediately cross the two ends of the rope behind the defender so that the choke is actually completed. Without that, it's not actually a choke. It must be cinched tight around the neck, not just placed around the front of the neck. And most people, even untrained people, instinctively know this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But let's suppose this scenario is for real. If the attacker doesn't actually intend to cinch the rope and instead just places it around the front of the defender's neck from behind the defender, what happens if the attacker pulls back hard on the rope?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If he pulls back on the rope while there's a big gap between him and the defender, the defender will end up getting &quot;clothes lined&quot; (ie, thrown backwards to the ground).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's not a choke, then. So the video demonstrates a situation that just wouldn't happen in real life. Common sense will tell you that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what should the attacker be doing in this situation if he's really trying to choke someone from behind?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The attacker must make sure there's no way for the defender to fall backwards when he begins to pull back on the rope. He has to move up super close behind the defender so that there's no gap between him and the defender. He should be able to kiss the back of the defender's head he's so close. With no room between attacker and defender, there's no room for the defender to fall backwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, the attacker's fists would actually be placed against the back of the defender's neck as he's holding the rope and choking. He will be trying to pull the rope tightly against the neck by bringing his fists closer together while holding the rope. That applies the choke. Crossing the rope behind the defender's neck is a more common variation of this choke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While he's doing this, the attacker is going to stick his chest right up against the defender's back, without any gap between them. This will prevent the defender from being able to turn around to face the attacker (which would nullify the choke).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And for extra control over the defender, he might want to wrap one of his legs around the front of the defender while making sure to lower his hips down a bit (like the beginning of sitting down). This will make sure the defender can't throw him forwards and can't step away from the attacker or turn around. The attacker's other leg will be free for stability, because the defender will likely thrash around from side to side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, what I've just described is a more realistic scenario. The one in the video shows a completely non-committed, frozen attacker who has no real intent of choking the defender, as evidence by lack of pulling and too much distance between him and the defender. Whatever defense strategy follows from this bogus setup is itself bogus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without the proper choke setup, there are many things you as a defender can do. For example: 1) You can simply turn around to face the attacker. 2) You can drop your weight down while holding onto the rope and throw the attacker forward over your head or shoulder. 3) You can simply to look to the side, and the rope will no longer be at your trachea. From there, you can step around and grab the attacker's arms and perform some kind of a throw. 4) You can sit back onto the ground while holding the rope, then roll backwards onto your back, and then use your legs to press against his stomach and throw him forwards with your legs while pulling at the rope. 5) You can grab the rope with both hands, tuck your chin to your chest (pinning the rope at your trachea), and then turn around to face your attacker, ducking under the rope as you do this and then popping your head back up at the end. Doing so will release the hold. Etc. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll see a ton of neat and plausible ways out of this choke in all the different martial arts out there, but they generally do assume the attacker has no idea what he's doing. Assumptions like that are not helpful to you. You really ought to assume that the attacker knows what he's doing and design your defenses accordingly. If it works against someone who's trying their best and who knows what they're doing, then it should work on everyone else as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for defenses against the proper setup for this choke, you need to put yourself in the position of the attacker and ask how the defender could cause problems for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For one thing, you're pulling back on his neck while sitting back into your stance a bit. What if he were to simply sit down a little, lowering his head slightly so that it's now under your chin. Then he'll be in a perfect position to launch his head back at your chin. He just has to push off the ground hard while arching his back backwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're the attacker, the warning sign that he's able to do this is him lowering down. If you see him do that, you should get your head out of the way and pull him back up with the rope.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing the defender could do is to snake one of his legs back behind your leg, if you're the attacker. He does that by crossing his right leg behind his left leg first, and then he places it down behind your left leg (snaking it around). Now he can twist his shoulders clockwise, so that his right shoulder pushes against the right side of your chest. It will put pressure on you to move to the left. But since he has placed his right leg behind your left leg, when you get pushed to the left, you will be tripped - or you will be thrown - to the left.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stomping on the feet is another thing that can be tried. It's not very reliable by itself, though. It's primarily used to distract the attacker. A distracted attacker might loosen up on his grip or might put some distance between him and you. It might also cause him to lose his balance while you're struggling with him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing you as the attacker must worry about is the fact that the defender has control of his arms still. It's possible the defender can reach back and press his fingers into your eyes or grab your ears or throat. He can also reach back to grab your testicles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't consider those very reliable defense techniques, but like with stomping, they might distract the attacker long enough to do something else without him noticing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With his arms free, the real worry for you as the attacker is if the defender snakes his right arm back between you and him and reaches around the back of your left hip. He can use his grip on your belt or pants to pull you off balance, causing you to step to the side and offering him a way to break free.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The defender may also be able to use one of his free hands to reach down and grab the leg that you might have wrapped around the front of one of his legs (you may have done that in order to add extra control over his movement). If he can pull up on your leg, he can push back against you, causing you to fall backwards to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once on the ground, he can use the opportunity to get out of the choke much more easily. For example, he can roll backwards or back and to the side, slipping his head out of the choke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many other defenses I've not mentioned. It's hard to go through them all here. I'm sure I wouldn't be able to come up with a complete list, either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My main point here is that, in order for any defense to be worth anything, the attack envisioned must be as good as you can make it. Because in the real world, your attackers aren't going to be playing around. You don't have the luxury of assuming the attacker is going to make huge, basic mistakes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other thing. Be VERY careful with this in your practice. It's so easy to break a neck, collapse a wind pipe, break your wrist as you fall, etc. Both partners need to be sure to dial down the amount of force and go easy while still providing resistance. And communicate. Give each other feedback as to the effectiveness of both the attack and the defense. Be honest, but don't go crazy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2016-05-23T14:06:11.247" LastActivityDate="2016-05-23T14:06:11.247" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6509" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6504" CreationDate="2016-05-23T09:46:50.817" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can simply see it as a tool, and depending on the circumstances where it happens. Usually, and what I personally find naturally, is the turning motion while raising one arm (biceps to your ear and turning around to loose the choke) more convenient. Plucking, is requiring a certain degree of flexibility as some people can´t really do that motion properly due to lack of flexibility. And as a side note, for a proper execution you need decent space in front of you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The turning technique:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kravmagaalliance.com/level-6-blog/choke-from-behind-with-a-push-krav-maga-technique-of-the-month-february-2016/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.kravmagaalliance.com/level-6-blog/choke-from-behind-with-a-push-krav-maga-technique-of-the-month-february-2016/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The plucking is derived from the instinctive respectively reflex-motion to reach out to the attacked area with your hands first, like when you cut your finger with a knife, your first reflex is to grab the finger with the other hand :-).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The plucking technique:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blackbeltwiki.com/escape-a-choke-from-behind-krav-maga&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.blackbeltwiki.com/escape-a-choke-from-behind-krav-maga&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-05-23T09:46:50.817" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6510" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6481" CreationDate="2016-05-23T21:13:15.047" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Background, in case you're curious, I'm a second dan black belt training for competitive sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, it's my opinion that there are two things that you should work on to improve finesse. One of them is flexibility, but I'm sure you already know this. Have a solid stretching routine, and stick with it. The most important places to stretch are your hips and your hamstrings. So, your routine is already fine. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for strength: it would do you some good to work on your accessory muscles. One area people often struggle with is actually your back. Your lats and your glutes are what help you raise your legs and hold them up. Notice that you squeeze your lats when you raise your leg up to do a sidekick or a roundhouse kick. So, doing some exercises for your back will help you chamber more easily. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A favorite exercise of mine for this; lean a hand on the wall. Try not to overly rely on the wall, it's there in case you lose your balance or have some difficulty. Now, lift your leg up to chamber for a roundhouse kick, and keep it there. You should be squeezing your back the entire time, and from your shoulder to your knee should be a straight line, while the rest of your leg is bent back. Now, while you hold the chambering position, snap outwards and kick. Your leg should not be moving above the knee. Concentrate on squeezing your lats and having a strong snap. Repeat for both sides. You can also do this drill for sidekicks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, it's important to note: &lt;strong&gt;flexibility, strength, and technique all go hand-in-hand.&lt;/strong&gt; You should not heavily prioritize any of these things over the other. Having better techniques will make your kicks stronger, having better flexibility makes it easier to have good technique, etc. So, remember to keep this in mind. And, of course, all of these things will come with time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, a tip for practicing technique. This is something I'm also working on, as a matter of fact. Try not to raise your entire body with your kick. It's not necessarily bad to be doing this, but focusing on raising only your leg, instead of raising your body and your leg will clean up your technique and improve your leg strength. In general, try to keep your technique as clean as possible, and when you're practicing with focus pads try to resist the temptation of swinging your leg at it. Chamber as much as you can; a better chamber results in more snap and more impact. Focus on chambering first, then focus on making it faster once your chamber is clean.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Best of luck! Feel free to pm me with questions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6338" LastActivityDate="2016-05-23T21:13:15.047" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6511" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6504" CreationDate="2016-05-23T22:29:17.903" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Plucking the hands &lt;strong&gt;off the neck&lt;/strong&gt; is not a realistic response because no one who is realistically trying to hurt someone with a choke places their hands on the neck from the rear. The only exceptions are if they trying to ram a person's head into a wall (which is not a hold) or they are giving a rather pleasant neck massage (also not a hold).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Standing rear choke holds are done by wrapping the arm around the neck, locking it with the other sides biscep or shoulder and either leaning back,  kicking the legs out or wrapping them around the waist. Here is an &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/IF8L2pPQPUI/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;example&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding escapes of a proper standing choke, they require a bit of space to be made and not to allow the lock to come on fully. If the lock comes on then it's either an air or blood choke. Once that's on then it can be lights out in seconds if it's a tight blood choke. As for escapes: &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/BqooggN3QCY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;let Bas explain some&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7040" LastActivityDate="2016-05-23T22:29:17.903" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6512" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4873" CreationDate="2016-05-23T23:29:08.267" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Its never to late to start martial arts as a hobby.&#xA;If you should have higher hopes to do that on a professional level, it depends a lot on which martial arts you want to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are several cases in mixed martial arts where people became professionals, even though they started relatively late, even some of them with no prior martial arts expierence. Thats something ive noticed over the years in the sport of mma, and i think its pretty rare in the world of sports that people went on competing on the highest level with such a late start.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Few examples:&#xA;Frank Shamrock directly started with MMA as a 19 year old, and became the UFC Champion. His brother Ken Shamrock also started in his early twenties with no prior martial arts experience, and also became highly succesfull.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also within the recent generation there are a bunch of fighters who started late and still became very successfull.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason i mention this is not to let you think its easy to become a professional martial artist. Even the most athletic guy in the world wont get far without a lot of dedication and disciplne.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But just imagine what all those people achieved, allthough they started relatively late. And now imagine what you can achieve too, even if its not becoming a professional fighter, just think how adept and fit you can become if you start now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7154" LastActivityDate="2016-05-23T23:29:08.267" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6513" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="558" CreationDate="2016-05-24T12:24:37.850" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was a dancer first and became a martial artist later. As I have bad knees, in order to protect them from overrotation, I started off wearing 'footundies', a specialised version of the socks rolled up halfway we used to wear in dance classes to be able to spin on the ball but also to have friction when putting down the heel. I found that I pivot much more on the heels, though, so I don't wear the footundies any more. Still, it might be a good idea for those who tend to use the ball of the foot more for pivoting, as they reduce friction, and they are practically invisible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7158" LastActivityDate="2016-05-24T12:24:37.850" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6514" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6498" CreationDate="2016-05-24T16:58:45.033" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The ability to defend successfully is governed by the following time relationship:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;reaction_time&lt;/em&gt; + &lt;em&gt;decision_time&lt;/em&gt; + &lt;em&gt;defend_time&lt;/em&gt;(&lt;em&gt;defend_distance&lt;/em&gt;) &amp;lt; &lt;em&gt;telegraph_time&lt;/em&gt; + &lt;em&gt;attack_time&lt;/em&gt;(&lt;em&gt;attack_distance&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Covering greater distances requires more time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some defensive principles:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Control distance - If you simply want to defend yourself, keep others outside of engagement distance where they cannot reach you before you can react. If you want to attack, you need to close distance first. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Impede direct attacks - If you cover your face, your opponent has to maneuver around your guard to hit it. This has the effect of increasing &lt;em&gt;attack_distance&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Minimize motion - If your hands are down, your &lt;em&gt;defend_distance&lt;/em&gt; will be high. Use a guard position that minimizes the movement distance required to defend yourself. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use all of your limbs - The &lt;em&gt;defend_distance&lt;/em&gt; for using your leg to block a kick may be shorter than that for you hand to block the same kick. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Retain mobility - It is often easier to dodge than block or parry. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's much easier to defend against attacks that are telegraphed. If you want to attack more effectively, don't telegraph. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Human &lt;em&gt;decision_time&lt;/em&gt; can be improved substantially through training. Most people need to train to do something useful immediately upon detecting an attack rather than flinching or simply freezing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are fundamental human limits to &lt;em&gt;reaction_time&lt;/em&gt;. The human visual system requires tenths of seconds before it react to anything. If you are reacting based on vision, you cannot defend anything that is under this limit. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Humans react more slowly to vision than to touch. So even though you are closer to an attacker when in contact (shorter &lt;em&gt;attack_distance&lt;/em&gt;), you can actually learn to defend more quickly at touch because of a reduction in &lt;em&gt;reaction_time&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-05-24T16:58:45.033" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6517" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5504" CreationDate="2016-05-25T13:37:55.977" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This seems pretty straight forward.  If you plan to wear your prosthetic while using the mouthguard, mold it with the prosthetic in place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you plan on using the mouthguard without your prosthetic, mold it without the prosthetic in place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are looking for advice on whether to wear your prosthetic, or not, you should consult your dentist. Your dental appliance is not designed to resist the stress of repeated blunt force trauma. Your dentist will almost certainly suggest not wearing it with the mouthguard. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-05-25T13:37:55.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6518" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-05-25T18:32:06.277" Score="17" ViewCount="3127" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice Karate but as a 5'2&quot; adult male I'm beginning to wonder if I'm wasting my time with martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Years and years ago I did well in tournaments when I was fighting kids my own sort of size but in my mid to late teens I stopped growing and started getting pounded into the ground by people twice my size.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is Martial Arts ability inherently bounded by the anatomy we are born with?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any short but exceptionally good martial artists I can draw inspiration from? (Bruce Lee was a basketball player compared to me).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7164" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2016-05-26T16:53:39.753" LastActivityDate="2016-06-10T23:27:53.093" Title="Does size matter?" Tags="|power|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6519" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6518" CreationDate="2016-05-25T18:53:29.420" Score="17" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many small grapplers have found success fighting bigger opponents. Lightweight Leandro Lo &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/bjjheroes/posts/162413763901514&quot;&gt;won the Brazilian open-weight nationals&lt;/a&gt;. Marcelo Garcia &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY8JlJZBgCk&quot;&gt;went on a tear in ADCC and Worlds&lt;/a&gt; for several years in the aughts against bigger, stronger opponents. Caio Terra is another tiny fighter who fights in absolute divisions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Massive skill advantage can overcome size. But regardless of success, training is good for you no matter your size. Be the best &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt; you can be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-05-25T18:53:29.420" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6520" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6518" CreationDate="2016-05-25T19:02:10.773" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes. Size does matter. It matters a great deal. Fighting techniques are essentially 'tricks' developed by people to try and stack the odds in their own favor, but they can only compensate for so much disparity.  Realistically, no amount of martial arts training is going to make a 5'2&quot; man the equal of an NFL lineman (average size 6'5&quot; and 312 lbs.) in unarmed combat. Greater reach and mass can be an overwhelming advantage. A high degree of skill and experience can achieve a lot, but they can't defy the laws of physics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-05-25T19:02:10.773" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6521" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6518" CreationDate="2016-05-25T21:38:44.697" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, obviously size matters for martial arts. Success in martial arts is a combination of speed, strength, skill, technique, bravery, etc. If you are smaller, you have to make up for being smaller with other factors. Part of this is that small people need to adopt fighting strategies that may be different from big people. Your martial art studies should be preparing you for that; if your techniques do not work against people who are bigger and stronger, then you need to figure out how to use them better or find others that work for you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In judo, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyuzo_Mifune&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Kyuzo Mifune&lt;/a&gt; is an excellent example of a small person who was successful at the highest level. But keep in mind he is exceptional and not the norm. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-05-25T21:38:44.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6522" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4890" CreationDate="2016-05-26T00:24:56.603" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suspect it´s because your punching with your fist sideways, as apposed to punching straight, with your thumb facing up, but I´m just guessing :b&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7165" LastActivityDate="2016-05-26T00:24:56.603" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6523" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6518" CreationDate="2016-05-26T02:59:39.307" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Size does matter, but only if you play to their strengths and not yours.  A 6'+ will have reach on you, yes, but will be at a significant disadvantage when it comes to a low center of gravity and when you are well inside their reach.  You can throw them much easier than they can throw you.  Also, knowing that they have the reach may make them overconfident and make mistakes.  It's your job to capitalize on those mistakes and show them it's not always about reach or brute force.&#xA;With martial arts, it's all about using your strengths against their weaknesses.  Maybe looking into a grapple-based martial art?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7166" LastActivityDate="2016-05-26T02:59:39.307" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6524" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-05-26T04:52:02.773" Score="3" ViewCount="346" Body="&lt;p&gt;I keep seeing quotes from boxing trainers that mention &quot;six ways to keep a left jab from landing&quot;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;There are six ways to keep a left jab from landing. Six ways&lt;/strong&gt;. For a left jab to land over and over means that your trainer has been deficient in teaching you how to defend against a left jab. &lt;strong&gt;You’ve got six damn ways to keep a left jab from landing! So why can’t you draw upon one of those six ways to not get hit by a left jab?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  -  Wilbert &quot;Skeeter&quot; McClure, quoted in &lt;em&gt;The Arc of Boxing:  The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science&lt;/em&gt; by Mike Silver &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also read Brendan Ingle referring to these &quot;six ways&quot; somewhere  - perhaps &lt;em&gt;Prince of the Ring:  The Naseem Hamed Story&lt;/em&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chuck Marbry:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Admittedly, I certainly was no “world-beater” when I was fighting, but my trainer, Lou Kemp Carangio (who himself had over 240 professional bouts, and held Lou Ambers to a ten round draw in 1932) taught us &lt;strong&gt;there are at least six ways to keep your opponent from landing his left jab&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  -  &lt;a href=&quot;http://ringtalk.com/boxing-eddie-futch-trainers-lou-kemp&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Source&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;What are the six ways to keep a left jab from landing?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6104" LastEditorUserId="6104" LastEditDate="2016-05-26T05:21:09.170" LastActivityDate="2020-02-03T11:39:56.533" Title="What are the six ways to keep a left jab from landing?" Tags="|technique|boxing|punching|defense|blocking|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6525" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6524" CreationDate="2016-05-26T07:13:09.337" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I only know 3:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Slip the punch: push on the front foot and slide on the back foot a bit. While doing this, also shift your weight on to the back foot so the moment your opponent retracts their jab, you immediately push on the back foot and counter with a hard cross. Don't slide too much, otherwise you'll be out of range and unable to counter (which is OK as you've avoided the punch, but you could make him pay for it). DO NOT lean back to avoid the punch as he could follow up with a cross and there would be no way for you to avoid that.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Smack it: with a fast and short downwards motion of your glove, smack the incoming jab so that it gets deflected from your face. It's a really short move; your glove should not travel more than a couple of inches. Then you could counter with a right cross (left cross if you're southpaw).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Smack it (alt version) : Same as 2, but in this case you counter with your own jab.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is what I was taught and try to do, although it's not always easy. If the opponent throws a lazy jab, these 3 methods are relatively easy to implement. If it's a hard fast jab, I usually try to slip to the side by turning my shoulder in and counter with a right straight or a right hook to the body (if you turn your shoulder in nicely, you can put some decent power in that hook).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3194" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2020-02-03T11:39:56.533" LastActivityDate="2020-02-03T11:39:56.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6526" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6524" CreationDate="2016-05-26T07:44:28.780" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well, it's defined by an author that there are six ways. Maybe there are four, maybe there are 7. Difficult to interpret.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can slip left, slip right. You can take a small step back. You can move your head slightly back. You can &quot;roll&quot; with it like Mayweather Jr. The list goes on. You can block if with your lead hand, and jab back. You can block it with your back hand and simultaneously throw a jab back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not absolute. Boxing never is. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6601" LastActivityDate="2016-05-26T07:44:28.780" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6527" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6524" CreationDate="2016-05-26T12:16:47.640" Score="2" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Slip &amp;amp; jab with left&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sway &amp;amp; then sway back with a jab with left&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Parry down with left &amp;amp; counter jab&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Block with right &amp;amp; counter jab&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Left jab across the (on top) jab and counter with right&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Block with the left holding in front of head and cross to counter&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a few more variations but these 6 cover the main points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7040" LastActivityDate="2016-05-26T12:16:47.640" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6528" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6518" CreationDate="2016-05-27T04:17:20.890" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is Martial Arts ability inherently bounded by the anatomy we are born with?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not so much by height alone in absolute terms (i.e. real unarmed life-and-death fights), but within your own style - with their rules, techniques and training methods, conventional tactics etc. - it might be more or less important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you feel more comfortable with the challenge of fighting other people of similar overall build, you could look for styles where the tournaments are split into weight divisions: if someone's still taller at least it probably means you heave a strength advantage.  You could still enter the next weight division up if you want greater challenge, without it being totally overwhelming.  As you get used to that you may be able to work your way back to open weight tournaments, if you think that helps you prepare for actual fights against much larger opponents and that's your priority.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Key skills include closing the gap suddenly, &quot;trapping&quot; - where you block the opponent's limbs across their own body restricting their further movement, getting blind side advantage (behind the line of their shoulders - though in an artificial rule set their may be limitations on the strikes you can perform from there), and &quot;centre line&quot; concepts such as wing chun's where you block the taller opponent's efforts to bring their limbs in from the sides and press forward owning the centre.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally find watching video of fights in slow motion useful to clearly see why/how the fight unraveled as they do, and I suggest you patiently study video of your own fights or sparring sessions, and other fights where there's a height discrepancy, particularly if the shorter fighter dominates.  If there's someone you have trouble defeating in the dojo - watch how someone else picks them apart and try to apply some of the same tactics, or other tactics to exploit the same weaknesses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Are there any short but exceptionally good martial artists I can draw inspiration from?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kenji Midori, Kancho (President) of Shin Kyokushin karate, is 165cm tall and won the 5th World Tournament for Kyokushin, back before the founder Mas Oyama  died and the organisations split.  In that final he fought Akira Masuda, 177cm tall, though he fought taller opponents at other times.  You'll find plenty of online video of his fights, as well as demonstrations of kata and breaking.  That said, fighting without punching to the head could be considered somewhat of an artificial equaliser between heights, as having your head in arms reach isn't so dangerous, but then kyokushin allows downward elbows to the collarbone/shoulder, and knees and kicks to the head, with no protective gear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2016-05-27T04:17:20.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6530" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6518" CreationDate="2016-05-27T05:51:24.123" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you're only looking at empty handed arts, typically competition favors size.  Size allows people to hold greater range, to dish out and receive more punishment in striking, and to power-through to get out of some submission locks in grappling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, most martial arts trace their roots back to combative origins, where people used weapons whenever they were an option.  Size matters less with weapons, because no amount of muscle stops a spear from going in your gut, or mace from shattering the side of your knee. If people can hunt boars or tigers with weapons... certainly size or bulk isn't enough to protect you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With weapons, skill matters most.  Can you get the hit in, in the right places, first?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're looking for competition options, there's plenty to choose from.  You'll want to take a close look at how they measure scoring, such as what counts as a legit target vs. what scores good points.  I don't see much point in scoring where only 2 targets count, or in scoring where hitting a pinky counts as much as a hit to the head or neck... but find what works for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're just looking for mastery and skill... well, in any weapon art where you get to do even a little bit of sparring, you'll quickly find out where you stand.  However, when you see people much older than you, or who aren't very &quot;fit&quot; by most standards, yet can cut through your defenses and consistently dominate you, you can at least realize that with practice, anyone absent physical disability could also become just as good - including you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the big picture of &quot;martial arts&quot; as a trained skill, throughout history, around the world, in battle, for survival - size turns out to be a smaller factor than you think.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-05-27T05:51:24.123" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6531" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-05-28T15:46:26.100" Score="0" ViewCount="85" Body="&lt;p&gt;i put my back out years ago and have abit of lordosis. &#xA;One problem i have with my legs is a severe lack of mobility when lifting my legs to the side. It's like a combination of a lack of strength and/or tightness. I can manage to get my leg up to 90 degrees to the side but it's an effort. Hamstringss don't like to be stretched - feels abit off after. &#xA;My groin muscles feel like they've reached the max on stretching. If i lay on my side and bring my leg up to the max i feel a pinch in the hips. BUT, if i put my leg sideways on my girlfriend's shoulder and she stands up i get a good height with my foot no problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any ideas?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cheers  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7175" LastActivityDate="2016-05-29T05:01:27.487" Title="Leg side raises with lordosis" Tags="|mobility|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2016-06-10T08:34:05.100" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6532" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6531" CreationDate="2016-05-29T01:48:13.160" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The initial thing that comes to my mind is the thought that loosing excess weight could be of great benefit and that notion comes into my mind because I started Taekwondo at 11 (57 yrs now; or 46 years training and teaching -- before there was an ITF or WTF incidentally and on to today...) and I now fondly recall the struggle I had until loosing what I like to imagine was baby fat but was really hard fat and short ligaments and thick bellied muscles. Twisting exercises are and were helpful so long as I kept them quick and slimming as opposed to those that actually built the transverse abdominal muscles (as in punching drills) windmills while on the floor (saves one from potentially herniating a disk while standing windmills can herniate disks of the lower back-sacrum and ones where you reach through and then stretch backwards and then side to side w/ full motion through out -- not hurried through initially (always best technique)  -- then increase speed and time or amount of drilling. Massage, and heat; acupressure etc. &#xA;Diet, of less meat where too much meat is the problem with most Western diets -- I read where a portion of meat should be about the size of a deck of cards. We synthesize our own protein and our muscles from that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I heard a question asked of Biology students, where does the material for a desk come from? And, the graduate students (at MIT) where asked to graphically represent their beliefs -- nearly all or all showed the root system as being the source whole in actuality it is the leaves and sunlight -- photosynthesis that created the mass for lumber and not what was glossed over in the students understanding. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, don't harm yourself in stressing and straining -- it will happen over time or you'll learn you were more built naturally to fly -- some folks are just built more inclined to flying and not flexibility per se. Not one thing in martial arts comes quickly and if it does is quickly eclipsed by a better understanding of what is set out on. You are speaking of an exercise, side rising kick which has very rare application -- disarming an opponent of a knife or blocking a punch, popping an opponent under the chin and else wise warm-ups -- don't be boggled down by wanting to excel at the perfection of a single &lt;em&gt;exercise&lt;/em&gt; when more and other exercises, as you already are aware will bring you to your goal of mastery as -- you have the attitude and understanding already. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like rice -- we eat too much muscle thinking we will gain muscle by eating muscle -- no. Exercise requires energy, and light digestible stuff. My Grandmasters were really big on soups on soups in summertime and Believe it or not that subject of soup, and benefits of soup constituted quite a bit of time and discussion by my teachers. Not until I got older and developed more refined tastes did I learn to appreciate a good cold )but spicy) noodle salad and hot soup on a summer day. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Best to your travails and be cautious a herniated disk is not progress. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7143" LastActivityDate="2016-05-29T01:48:13.160" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6533" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6518" CreationDate="2016-05-29T01:54:43.300" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wow! My take is not from the usual experience but it is from experience -- move my grandmasters were considerably smaller stature yet exceedingly well trained and had great abilities, however there was one student who was near seven feet tall who could do most everything that a third degree or fourth degree black belt should be competent in and he did with all the rapacious grace of any -- he died of cancer years ago but he stands out as a testament to &quot;no size is inconsequential&quot; though not as the fashions of today consider. These were lifetime practitioners however and not MMA or the like. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7143" LastActivityDate="2016-05-29T01:54:43.300" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6534" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6481" CreationDate="2016-05-29T02:02:06.633" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just read an article where a group of students in Inchon (seniors) had measurements taken over a period of time and while at their age (the men) were expected to have 25% less strength due to age but because of training actually had 65% greater strength from training regularly - at 65 and greater. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am 57, and have been training since 11, I feel good. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Best of all good things to you, through wisdom it is gained. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7143" LastActivityDate="2016-05-29T02:02:06.633" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6538" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6531" CreationDate="2016-05-29T05:01:27.487" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are able to get the range of motion passively - that is, with someone or something else moving your body, then the issue is not muscle tightness, so stretching will not help.  Usually, it's a simple case of needing to strengthen the muscles to allow you to reach the range of motion (in this case, against gravity) - and for side leg raises you're looking at abductors and core trunk muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, with a previous back injury, and the pain of pinching, it could be that your injury has left enough problems that you are feeling nerve compression simply from the weight of one leg being lifted (and supported only by your own muscle/tendons) with the vertebrae compressing at a bad angle.  Given that you don't feel the pain with assistance/passive stretching, it may be that your structures can hold EITHER your spine stability OR your leg, but not both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is where I would highly recommend a physical therapist or sports medicine coach with a focus on paying attention to your spinal issues first and foremost.  The benefits of side leg lifts are irrelevant if you're risking damage on the spinal column from adding stress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-05-29T05:01:27.487" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6539" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5100" CreationDate="2016-05-31T01:17:25.337" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Breathe in when your balance is on your left foot, and breathe out when the balance is on your right foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you're able to breathe deeper, the length of your movement matches the length of your breath.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To vary your breathing, practice your form in both directions, but always inhale while balancing on left foot, exhale while balancing on right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastActivityDate="2016-05-31T01:17:25.337" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6540" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6498" CreationDate="2016-05-31T15:05:19.450" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The other answers are all pretty good and I won't go over any of that, but nobody has mentioned a fundamental physical fact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Typical time required to throw a punch is about 1/6 of a second.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Average human reaction time is about 1/4 of a second, so if you're relying on your reactions to defend yourself, you are at an &lt;em&gt;enormous&lt;/em&gt; physical disadvantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practised sporting martial artists learn to read their opponent's body language and begin defending &lt;strong&gt;before&lt;/strong&gt; the punch has been thrown, and this is why many sporting methods (and indeed traditional methods) don't translate from one environment to another; people behave differently in different environments. Many of course do translate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then there's the purely physical fact that the hand is faster than the body, which in turn is faster than the feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;i.e. Moving your hand is faster than moving your entire body, which is faster still than taking a step.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is btw, why all karate &quot;blocks&quot; as normally taught, fail. They physically can't work. Having personally timed them, they are closer to half a second to perform, even at speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastEditorUserId="6808" LastEditDate="2016-05-31T15:35:16.050" LastActivityDate="2016-05-31T15:35:16.050" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6541" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="558" CreationDate="2016-06-01T14:33:23.890" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A way to avoid the pivoting is to use step-through or jumping techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Step-through is specifically taking a small step forward/backwards from opponent and putting your foot down pivoted (i.e. pivot in the air whilst stepping) then you can kick with all of the power that pivoting offers you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also works by jumping instead of standing pivot. You can jump backwards as well as forwards, but generally only the forwards jumping side-kick will be more powerful. Either way I would suggest training to obtain callouses so you can do all the kicks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Better to have all the weapons in your arsenal!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7186" LastActivityDate="2016-06-01T14:33:23.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6542" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6431" CreationDate="2016-06-01T15:54:17.483" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It really depends on what you want to achieve through your martial arts. To be a fighter you can be effective by knowing several moves really well (your perfectionist side). If you want to be better for enjoyment then if perfectionism makes you happy stick with it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would suggest doing the moves really slowly (perfect balance and technique) then speed up. With speed comes power. Some of my most damaging (on my opponents) moves have been fast with good technique and hitting the right spot- I did not even think I hit that hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if you want to be a more complete martial artist then having a range of moves is important. By exploring different combinations you will find what works for you and also it will help you land hits on opponents. For this I would write a list of all the moves you know (it will be longer then you think) then start putting them in orders that you have never tried before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7187" LastActivityDate="2016-06-01T15:54:17.483" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6543" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6394" CreationDate="2016-06-01T22:11:40.663" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ask your Sifu. Like the post above. My school didn't even have sashes. We had 3 different t-shirts. Reason being, shirts are more useful and affordable. Everyone started with a white shirt, then when you learned all 3 forms you would be awarded a blue, once you became an instructor or master you would be awarded the black.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6757" LastActivityDate="2016-06-01T22:11:40.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6544" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-06-02T21:30:12.460" Score="5" ViewCount="396" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been a Karateka for about 10 to 12 years, but haven't been training for multiple years now. My wife has little to no fighting experience. I am interested in buying a self-defense device. I know that this is not making anyone safe in itself - especially against someone with serious training or weapons, e.g. a gun - however it might help somewhat and in some cases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Question&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like to know which devices might practically help in situations where one is attacked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hopefully there are some statistics or some research has been done or some security experts out there that know what they are talking about from solid experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I write down what I investigated and what my thoughts are. Though I do have martial arts experience, I actually have hardly any real street fighting experience (lucky me, I guess). Thus, I hope that answers are less guesswork than my own thoughts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Background&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Physical aspects&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both, my wife and I, are very similar, except as a women she has a lot less strength. We are around 30 years old, both pretty slim (around 135 pounds / 61kg), small (around 5.65 foot / 1.72 meter) and not muscular, though of athletic statue. We do some sports, but not enough to say we are well trained.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Training&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We would like to do some self-defense training (both for protection and fun), which would be once a week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if we train, the main issue of just being the really-not-bulky type will remain for both of us.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Threats&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Threats to face might be mugging, (sexual) assault, and &quot;I don't like your face&quot; situations; one would hope to simply escape, but this isn't always possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Disclaimer!&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe someone will say something like &quot;do self-defense training instead&quot;, &quot;be aware of your surroundings&quot;, &quot;run, don't play around&quot;, and they would be right of course. We are thinking about doing self-defense training (partly also just for fun). These devices are not supposed to be a substitute, but an addition, since we both are not exactly the Hulk (more like the opposite).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;What I investigated&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;1. Sirens (to surprise, not to call for help)&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B00NSOW4KO&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NSOW4KO&lt;/a&gt;, the idea is to pull a cord from the device and it gives off a very load sound that can scare off (like &quot;wtf, I'm out of here&quot;) or at least surprise an attacker long enough to run away. In order to be not too stunned yourself &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mace.com/screecher-personal-alarm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.mace.com/screecher-personal-alarm&lt;/a&gt; might give the sound a direction. To have it always close to you &lt;a href=&quot;http://sirenring.com/pages/how-siren-works&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://sirenring.com/pages/how-siren-works&lt;/a&gt; might be a good choice for women.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Advantages:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Simple to use.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Unlikely of self-inflicted harm.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Can't be used against me (in opposite to all the other options)!&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Disadvantages:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Only a shock-moment for the attacker, might not work against a determined one.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It effects me as well (in opposite to all the other options)!&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;2. Tactical light with strobing.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some flashlights can be really bright and the strobing is indeed pretty disorienting, giving one time to run away (or attack if really necessary). I am not sure if the disorienting effect remains for a while, once I turn tail and run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A real issue though is finding a flashlight that goes into strobing with the push of a button - haven't found any. So far all need several button pushes to change into strobing which makes the whole thing pretty difficult to handle in a high-stress situation (which is dumb in my opinion, because what else is the strobing for?).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;3. Pepperspray&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Might be pretty effective, but might also require some training that might not work in the high-stress situation - but I am not sure. Wind, not-so-open space etc. might make pepperspray a danger to oneself as well, not just the aggressor. Might be more dangerous to the attacker then intended.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;5. Stun gun&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similar to pepperspray: Might be pretty effective, but might also require some training that might not work in the high-stress situation - but I am not sure. Might be used against oneself. Might be more dangerous to the attacker then intended.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;6. Hitting&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In case it gets physical a keychain like &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/999Tz.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/999Tz.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;might give a bit of extra leverage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;6. Elektronics&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some neat apps like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.safetrekapp.com&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.safetrekapp.com&lt;/a&gt; or complete-package products like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.getthedefender.com&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.getthedefender.com&lt;/a&gt; but I haven't anything like that, which is available outside the USA...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there some apps like that where one can set a different phone (e.g. the partners) mobile as the security buddy, instead of a firm? E.g. I thought maybe an app that sends an SMS to a predefined number with the coordinates and a predefined text?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Guns&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I forgot to mention them. Guns cannot be carried in my country.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7190" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-06-10T10:28:28.277" LastActivityDate="2016-09-12T01:31:38.343" Title="Which devices might help against an attack?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="10" ClosedDate="2020-04-03T16:03:18.780" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6545" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6546" CreationDate="2016-06-03T10:19:27.340" Score="4" ViewCount="3847" Body="&lt;p&gt;A real experience: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well about a year ago I got in fight with a bullying thug in street, and we tackled each other. He was way bigger than I am, though we pushed each other locked-arm swinging around for some time, and soon he got my head in a lock with his arm and tried to pull me around. Despite my resistance, he succeeded and I lost my balance, being pushed to the ground with my feet bent to the ground due to extreme pressure he was putting on me. I tried to catch his legs but he was deliberately standing away, so I could not reach them. He kept punching on the side of my head with hammer fist, I was left helpless, if people were not coming around, I do not know what would happen. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although the best solution might be not to get in fight in the first place, especially when opponent is stronger, in case it happens how should one release oneself or counteract when put in such a situation locked especially on the head in a lower position?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Update:&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Well I guess I finally got the technical name for this situation: a front headlock as shown in this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGTCGB00Bjc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;YouTube video&lt;/a&gt; and picture below. I hope it makes clear the situation I described above. I had a similar situation:&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/1LMqq.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/1LMqq.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4367" LastEditorUserId="4367" LastEditDate="2016-06-17T23:04:09.860" LastActivityDate="2016-06-17T23:04:09.860" Title="How do you escape from a front head lock?" Tags="|self-defense|streetfight|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6546" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6545" CreationDate="2016-06-03T10:56:35.180" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Basic headlock release:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1)&lt;/strong&gt; twist your body to get the front of your neck at the gap (if your throat is being closed by the arm this is top priority).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2)&lt;/strong&gt; &#xA;With the arm that is closest to the attacker - do a front crawl motion (bring the arm between you and the attacker low to get the arm behind you both). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3)&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;Bring the arm up and between yours and the attackers heads.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4)&lt;/strong&gt; Push your hand upwards (in a knife hand ideally) into the attackers nose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NOTE&lt;/strong&gt; this is a basic technique we teach - mainly to allow children to get out of grabs in a playground setting without hurting the other child to avoid further repercussions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would adapt this slightly for a real life situation as described. Below are little additions to help protect you and increase the likelihood of escape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Guard&lt;/strong&gt; - id place the other hand infront of my face for a bit of protection.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Movement&lt;/strong&gt; in a headlock your centre of gravity will be generally lower than theirs. Keep pushing in different directions to keep them adjusting and not able to focus fully on hurting you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Attack&lt;/strong&gt; your feet and knees should be free to attack the legs of your attacker. As with the movement above will be a distraction to the attacker helping with the defence. There are many pressure points in the legs which may be used to your advantage (e.g. back of the knees has many)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WARNING&lt;/strong&gt; The basic technique will work in class. It may be required to add the extras in with a less willing &quot;partner&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastEditorUserId="5926" LastEditDate="2016-06-03T14:53:22.947" LastActivityDate="2016-06-03T14:53:22.947" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6547" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6545" CreationDate="2016-06-03T13:50:19.360" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;A lot depends on the exact circumstances of the situation. How unevenly matched are the combatants in size and strength? What are the stakes (pain, humiliation, injury, death)? What are you prepared to do to remedy the situation?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some things are pretty straight forward. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make certain your airway and blood-flow is clear. If they aren't, you can thrash and twist your body while pulling at the restraining arm to loosen the choke and give you room to breath. Once you can find room to, drop your chin to your chest to prevent the assailant from reestablishing the choke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can reach one of your assailant's hands you can peel his grip open and/or use a finger lock (or break) to forcefully disengage their grasp. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can reach your assailant's face or neck you can gouge an eye or apply pressure to the suprasternal/jugular notch (these are vulnerable targets no matter how muscular an opponent is). Keep in mind these are targets which could maim or kill someone if too much force is applied. The goal should be preserving your safety through measured application of force, and not causing needless suffering.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the assailant's mass isn't overwhelmingly more than your own, you can use your heels to hammer at the side of their knees or instep of their feet. You can also drive with your legs toward the assailant's body to unbalance them and/or hook one of their legs with your own to sweep them. Most of the time a falling assailant will disengage to try and break their own fall.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If life and limb are on the line, use every tool at your disposal to defend yourself. This includes your teeth. Most people are not psychologically prepared to be attacked savagely by a human bite, but they are an excellent weapon of last resort. As omnivores, our teeth are pretty good at tearing flesh. If it ever comes to using one's teeth in self-defense it is important that you fully commit to the action. Using one's teeth in this manner is almost certainly going to be considered an escalation in violence, and if an assailant wasn't trying to seriously harm or kill you before they may consider doing so after. If you are going to bite someone in defense then you need to do so effectively. The bite target should be fleshy enough to get ahold of with your canine teeth/cuspids. A restraining forearm is a good example. Don't bite down straight on, but do so with the front corner of the mouth placing a set of cuspids as deeply into the assailant's flesh as possible. While maintaining strong bite pressure, thrash from side to side as hard as possible to try and tear the soft tissues. Doing so will be incredibly painful and psychologically traumatizing to the recipient of the bite. Reapply bite and repeat as necessary until the assailant is subdued and/or you can flee for your own safety. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are of course many, many other techniques one can use to get out of a choke or headlock, but a lot of them require some degree of specific technical training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-06-03T13:50:19.360" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6548" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-06-06T14:51:10.493" Score="4" ViewCount="234" Body="&lt;p&gt;I currently reside in Texas, which rather surprisingly has some of the most restrictive knife/sword laws in the United States. While the state government is all about making sure you can walk your dog with an AR-15 slung across your back, you better not be carrying a knife longer than 5.5 inches with more than a single edge. As a practitioner of several weapon arts, I would love to not have to skulk in the shame-filled shadows. My research has found exactly one knife activist site - Knife Rights (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kniferights.org/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.kniferights.org/&lt;/a&gt;), and it seems a bit anemic. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond sending indignant letters to my state representatives (which I have already done), what other resources are out there to help me persuade the state of Texas to let me open-carry a scramaseax and/or sabre?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-06-07T01:35:04.207" Title="What Resources Are There For Knife And Sword Rights Activism In The USA?" Tags="|weapons|sword|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6549" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6548" CreationDate="2016-06-06T19:40:03.870" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;What a coincidence. I recently stumbled upon a video of a young sort of guy in Arizona by the name of Kairo Seijuro who seems to have attained a high degree of skill in classical kenjutsu. He was in the news due to a video posted to youtube showing him using his sword to protect himself and another man from harm when a fight broke out between multiple people on a bus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;News reporters interviewed him after the video came out. It turns out he has an extensive background in sword training and carries his sword with him everywhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's the video:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGbE0L2zWbc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGbE0L2zWbc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, everyone including myself thought it was inevitable that he was going to be taken to jail for carrying that sword with him and threatening others with it. But as I learned, in Arizona it's perfectly legal to openly carry knives of any length and any kind, including swords, so long as you're 21 years old or older:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.knifeup.com/arizona-knife-laws/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.knifeup.com/arizona-knife-laws/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice to you would be to ask your local Texas state congressman to look into this and see if this is something he/she would be willing to take up in congress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Arizona's laws could serve as a template, making it easier for your congressman to write new Texas legislation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, the fact that this has been legal in Arizona since at least 2012, from what I gather, means that there should be some statistics available regarding crime with knives before and after 2012, or when the law went into effect. You would want to research this ahead of time, before approaching your congressmen. They will want to know how legalized open carry of knives has affected crime statistically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Statistical analysis is a nuanced and complex subject, of course. Teasing truth out of the data often requires a math and science pedigree at the Ph.D. level. But don't worry. A simple analysis is sufficient to get the ball rolling. Delegate this task to someone else if it's not something you're capable of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your congressman doesn't seem interested, that's when you should try other congressmen. And try getting as many signatures as you can on a petition that you write up. Politicians usually pay more attention when a large enough number of people are involved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might also want to research the public positions your state's congressmen may have on open-carry legislation of firearms to see how they might feel about extending that to bladed weapons. Those that have come out strongly in favor of it in the past may be more inclined to take up this legislation than others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2016-06-07T01:35:04.207" LastActivityDate="2016-06-07T01:35:04.207" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6550" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2555" CreationDate="2016-06-07T11:17:22.743" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In response to most comments NO to heavier that should be sword or excessive strength. Sword play it is exercise of focus and fitness not strength. If you use to much force you will find you self losing balance and sword of your opponent in your head. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is all about right amount of strength in right time. If you feel that you opponent is applying to much strength just get away from it, the opposite ?push harder but no too hard... you are getting the idea if there are no blade contact you are not doing fencing that I can tell you for sure. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was adviced to just lift weight that will also strength your joints and make you stronger win win. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6344" LastActivityDate="2016-06-07T11:17:22.743" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6551" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4295" CreationDate="2016-06-07T12:14:18.537" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The benefit of learning traditional weapons is in extending yourself, to widen your awareness of your surroundings. Learning different weapons helps you to distance yourself effectively, which is an important factor in combat. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most weapon forms require stamina to perform, therefore learning weapons will help improve your stamina. A simple heavy saber form lasts around 1:30 minutes and it will need a lot of energy to complete the form. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practicing weapons also helps you breath correctly so that you can generate powerful moves with accuracy while maintaining your normal breathing, rather than being out of breath. This is another important combat skill which helps you if you need to defend yourself, even with empty hands. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another benefit of weapons training is giving you a calm mind over matter. When you can  roll forwards and backwards comfortably with 2 heavy sabers in your hands, you will not be easily hurt if pushed from behind in the street. Learning a flexible weapon helps you to be agile, while having a habit of committing to each movement to avoid injuring yourself. With Bo staff, you learn to watch out in all directions around you while striking, therefore it widens your field of view.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7201" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-06-14T21:32:40.753" LastActivityDate="2016-06-14T21:32:40.753" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6552" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4295" CreationDate="2016-06-07T13:17:16.363" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;A point I haven't seen anyone else make yet is that learning to use a weapon can improve your unarmed techniques by forcing you into a new paradigm. Most weapon use is different enough from unarmed combat that one is forced to pay attention to what they are doing moreso than they do using their body alone. Most of us are so familiar with the ways our body moves it is very easy to take things for granted, but a weapon starts off as something unfamiliar and other. We are forced to consider things we normally wouldn't like position, effective range, and edge alignment. Being more mindful of concepts like these can make us better martial artists with or without a weapon in hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-06-07T13:17:16.363" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6553" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2555" CreationDate="2016-06-07T14:02:43.417" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't overlook the necessity to strengthen your shoulders. Arm and hand strength are great, but you can't discount the importance of shoulder strength and endurance. Part of my warm-up routine for sword practice involves slow shoulder rotations, overhead hand claps, and side-extension isometric holds (often with swords in hand for added weight).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The many variations of the humble press-up/push-up can do a great deal to strengthen the wrists, arms, shoulders, and back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another great exercise with a somewhat practical angle is splitting firewood (practically speaking YMMV). Hours spent concentrating on good posture and form while splitting wood can massively increase one's shoulder, arm, core, and grip strength. Just be sure to slowly build up the duration of the wood slitting exercise, as it is easy to overexert oneself.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that said, I generally prefer a holistic approach to strength training. We are not isolated body parts, but complex interdependent systems. I use a variety of calisthenics and isometric exercises to improve my whole body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-06-07T14:02:43.417" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6554" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6558" CreationDate="2016-06-08T08:40:24.203" Score="2" ViewCount="2131" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the best way to train / practice back flips?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to learn how to do a back flip or a front flip but I don't want to do it on grass or something like that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;the reason behind it is to learn some kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7203" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-06-08T13:17:25.863" LastActivityDate="2016-06-09T17:35:11.720" Title="What is the 'best' way to train / practice back flips?" Tags="|training|kicking|self-training|jump-kick|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6555" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6554" CreationDate="2016-06-08T13:17:42.217" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The easiest solution would be to find an adult-friendly gymnastics, parkour, street dancing, or cheerleading class. They should already have the curriculum and equipment to teach you to safely perform forward and back flips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternately, there are many instructional resources on the internet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Google + Parkour Backflip Tutorial =&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How To BACK FLIP - Free Running Tutorial: &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/SJUqEy0mpSo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/SJUqEy0mpSo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How To Parkour: Backflip Tutorial: &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/1Lt843scNsc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/1Lt843scNsc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;HOW TO DO A BACKFLIP: &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/c2f-glrrua0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/c2f-glrrua0&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To train yourself you will need a matted (or other soft-ish surface to fall on), and a spotter to keep you from breaking your neck (and point out what you are doing wrong).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-06-08T13:17:42.217" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6556" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6557" CreationDate="2016-06-08T18:32:28.817" Score="1" ViewCount="238" Body="&lt;p&gt;Next year it's going to be a little more throwing-oriented year in my club (although we're still going to mix ground fighting and stand up fighting, submissions etc).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is: how practical and effective are throws and why? Against punching and kicking? On the ground? In the streets?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Appears like they're pretty great for getting dominant position, sometimes they're even fight enders? Throws seem like a logical transmission between stand up and ground fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have a nice day and happy throwing!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/q5CIo.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/q5CIo.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7205" LastActivityDate="2016-06-08T20:39:46.510" Title="Effectiveness of Throws on the Ground and Standing Up (Judo, BJJ etc)" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|aikido|streetfight|throwing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2016-06-15T12:26:02.443" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6557" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6556" CreationDate="2016-06-08T20:39:46.510" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Throwing is a very effective part of the martial arts arsenal. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Many people actually unbalance themselves when striking or kicking. It can be much easier to punish them for this by throwing than with counterstriking. Kicking to the head, for example, may make sense when your opponent is not allowed to throw you, but it becomes very dangerous when they can throw you. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A common defense against striking is to close distance and clinch. Throwing allows you to continue attacking immediately if your opponent closes to negate your striking, or if you are closing. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Taking falls is inherently dangerous. In most training settings, a throwing practitioner tries to land a trained receiving partner in a manner to prevent injury onto a flat, padded surface. In combat, you do not try to protect the receiver; you throw onto their head or try to knock the wind out of them. If landing on uneven concrete, do not expect to get up without injury. Think about how many people injure themselves when they slip and fall, and imagine how much worse that gets if someone else is adding momentum or lands on top. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Throwing is not normally practiced in groundfighting, or at least the techniques are no longer called throwing. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not expect to be able to  exclusively throw. If you watch high-level judo, for example, competitors are able to stall out long portions of matches without getting thrown. If you want to throw people, you want to work it seamless into your fighting strategy so that your striking sets up your throws, and your missed throws set up your strikes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-06-08T20:39:46.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6558" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6554" CreationDate="2016-06-09T01:56:58.443" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Enroll in an adult gymnastics class. While you can ask them to start with the back and front flips, they'll usually have you start with more basic things and will allow you to make gradual progress towards your flips over time. And they'll teach you good form with an emphasis on safety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Safety is key, and so is being able to teach it to different people. In my experience, teachers who trained in Gymnastics generally have a better understanding of the fundamentals and of form. They also have more students, and so they're more experienced at teaching it to a larger variety of people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's not to say that you shouldn't learn from a Parkour instructor, a &quot;tricking&quot; club, or a Contemporary Wushu coach. Many of those people have gone out to learn gymnastics on their own, and they bring their gymnastics knowledge with them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My wife who did adult gymnastics to help with her Contempory Wushu training mentioned to me just now that it's not so much that Parkour or Tricking gives you &quot;bad form&quot;, it's that gymnastics form is done to look like proper gymnastics. It looks good for gymnastics, in other words. Whereas Parkour and Tricking coaches can often do it a different way and look different, but the effect is the same. It's not necessarily &quot;bad&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was going to recommend using a foam pit in an &quot;open gym&quot;, but she corrected me. She said if you use the foam pit for this purpose, you will be training the wrong motion. A flip - whether it's a front or a back flip - should not be done for distance. When you flip, you should come down right where you started. A foam pit will require you to push outwards to launch yourself into the pit, and so it will train the wrong motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are special harnesses that some gymnastics gyms have. They hang from the ceiling, and they attach to your waist. They let you do a flip without worrying as much about falling on your head. You still need a spotter, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way I learned the front flip was the &quot;wrong way&quot;, but it worked for me. I found a sturdy fence that came up to about chest height on me. Then I just ran towards it, placed my hands down on the top bar, and launched myself over it head first while pushing off of the bar. I tucked my chin and allowed the somersault motion to happen. I repeated this until I felt successful at it. And then I tried loosening my push on the top bar. I did this until I was about to jump over the top bar without touching it at all. And lastly, I did it to the air, without any bar. I just imagined that the bar was there. And it worked!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technically, what I described is not a proper front flip. It's a diving front flip. But later on, I stopped running into it. I would jog into it. Then I would walk into it. Then I was perfectly still when I did it. And lastly, I tried to land exactly where I started. And it worked!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I described is a method known as &quot;successive approximation&quot;. This works for a lot of people, providing a short-cut approach for learning the fundamental concepts and committing them to muscle memory. But this is not the way you'll learn it in gymnastics. Gymnastics classes typically try to teach the &quot;right&quot; way to do it from the very beginning, in a very straight-forward manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I described is not the safest way to learn it, either, because it's very easy to slip by accident and launch your face, teeth first, into the bar. That actually happened to me once. So be careful!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My best advice is to learn it the right way and practice it consistently, at least 3 days a week. Find a qualified gymnastics coach at a gym that has good ratings and which considers safety its first priority. Oh, and don't be in a rush to get it on your first day. It takes time. Learn to do it right. Only when you've reached a mental block and have tried it the &quot;right&quot; way should you try other approaches, in my opinion. But don't give up right away. If you're having a problem, talk it through with your coach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2016-06-09T17:35:11.720" LastActivityDate="2016-06-09T17:35:11.720" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6560" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6575" CreationDate="2016-06-09T08:05:13.797" Score="3" ViewCount="790" Body="&lt;p&gt;I saw some practitioners who hang ropes (in different sizes) or sheets from the ceiling down and work with them as if they were boxing bags. Are there any benefits of using ropes or sheets instead of bags? Is the size of the rope/ sheet important? Are there any references for videos or pictures for practicing it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-06-21T08:20:20.673" LastActivityDate="2016-07-07T05:12:07.910" Title="Practicing boxing using rope or sheet hanging from the ceiling" Tags="|training|boxing|self-training|drills|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6561" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6560" CreationDate="2016-06-09T10:05:58.983" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes it could benefit you a lot in many different ways, as an: athlete or boxer and even your physical fitness will increase. This method allows you to &lt;strong&gt;aim the target much more&lt;/strong&gt; and if you didn't hit the rope, your stamina will increase as your strength goes depleted. And as time goes by, you are more aimed than any of the boxer because the target you were practicing is less than in size so it is difficult to hit. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7208" LastEditorUserId="7208" LastEditDate="2016-06-10T04:10:20.433" LastActivityDate="2016-06-10T04:10:20.433" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6562" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6518" CreationDate="2016-06-10T04:56:06.253" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Massive training of Speed and precision. Practice your hands with shadow boxing with weights in your arms and legs. And also for precision you need to aim the target with &lt;strong&gt;HIGH AIMING ABILITY&lt;/strong&gt;, so you need a much smaller target practice like hanging a rope instead of a punching bag then hit it. Also with this training you can also gain more stamina.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7208" LastActivityDate="2016-06-10T04:56:06.253" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6564" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5772" CreationDate="2016-06-10T09:07:16.503" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer by Sardathrion is a really good one, but I would like to add some experience to that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I mainly use the Red Dragon gloves as well. Mostly because they're a good compromise. They don't have the best protection, but I've never had any major incidents in them while some people in our club have suffered painful hits (no broken bones though) using mitten gloves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When using mitten gloves I lose a lot of mobility and while that can be alright for some weapons (mainly pole weapons) I just don't feel comfortable using them for the longsword. Maybe the 3 Fingered Fechtschule might provide a bit more mobility, but I haven't tried those yet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An alternative can be using actual steel gauntlets. I have a pair of Visby gauntlets that I use from time to time and they offer great mobility and protection, but at the price of added weight. Just make sure you get usable gauntlets and not ornamental ones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All in all, I'm satisfied with the Red Dragon gloves and I value the mobility of them, but even though I haven't suffered any major injuries in them I should probably also point out that my sword has rings on the cross-guard and that some blows that would have hit the gloves if using a straight cross-guard are instead stopped or deflected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3214" LastActivityDate="2016-06-10T09:07:16.503" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6565" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6518" CreationDate="2016-06-10T09:11:49.340" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;No, size doesn't matter heart and by that I mean the desire to do a thing -- I've seen 6'8&quot; and 220 lbs fly up nimbly and 5'4&quot; 220 lbs men do the same (I've only met a few (5-10) women/lady masters and grandmasters (2,3). I've seen (nearly) chubby, and old men do that what they envisioned and others hesitate to believe possible at all -- seen kids who aspired greatly outperform their hopes (these are or become State, National &amp;amp; Inter-Nation representatives as athletes). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Size of ones appetite to excel matters,  yes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7143" LastActivityDate="2016-06-10T09:11:49.340" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6566" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4915" CreationDate="2016-06-10T09:57:39.767" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, things first in Taekwondo -- technique has to be learned from someone who knows. Keep a tight ankle in a front kick (front kick, ap cha busigi) for example. Side kick (yup cha olligi, yup cha busigi or side rising and side bend kicking) keep toes back (true in front kick as well: tightens ankle &quot;sinew&quot; muscle, ligamentous and tendon develop from good practice and habit. You can't have a floppy foot and kick with speed without it jolting your knee out of whack and if you hit something with the wrong aspect (wrong striking point) or weak attitude of the joint (a side, sword side of the outer foot). Not heel, unless a back kick in the fashion a mule might kick (straight backwards, standing or flying; or a spinning heel). Thinking, just now what other (proper) kick uses the heel (and, always ONLY -- the heel The heel has, must have a concentrated point like a ball peen hammer using the walking muscles and all lower back and abdominal though without a good tight ankle ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some, and by some I mean: some grandmasters (Taekwondo post 1972-74; and with the synergy of Taeguk jang (Poomse and Yu Dan Cha) think highly of the exercises contained in Keumchang (lesser and greater hinge, et al). I can see the utility of those techniques, considering them now (the entirety of the Yu Dan Cha, form; now really) as great training for aspiring second - fourth Dans.  Check it out google Keumchang or go to the kukikwon's website in mobile it makes a great app for iphone too. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yeah, be kind to knees, knuckles and vertebra you'll not want them hurt or badly damaged (to be reconditioned, or worse removed; replaced or fused) and it is so very much wiser to go easy and go long -- practice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How to get to Carnegie Hall? Same as in every other city or NYC --  practice, practice. But, if you are intending concert piano, violin or bassoon practice with an &quot;open hand&quot; not fist. Same applies to knee care and prevention:   technique and proper execution of that technique in order of accurateness of execution and accuracy of striking point, balance strength elocution, speed (lastly: if you can do it slowly, many reason you can do it fast (not great, or even good science in contemporary neurophysiology and kinesthetics  but exactly right in good teaching skills). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the thing that helped me most, and seems &quot;race ipsa loquitur&quot; is that I had great teachers and because I sought them out; I wish you good, great teachers and the means to employ them (they deserve decent  payment, too). You'll want it as well. Taekwondo is now a four year college baccalaureate degree, and with that all that a 4-yr. college degree requires and commands. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7143" LastActivityDate="2016-06-10T09:57:39.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6569" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2297" CreationDate="2016-06-12T05:08:37.667" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I feel that weight clothes help to some degree.&#xA;I used ankle weights and plan on getting more weighted clothes too.&#xA;Once I take those ankle weights off, I feel like I'm about to start flying.&#xA;But while I'm wearing them, I really do see how slow my techniques become.&#xA;I just try my best to move as normal as possible with the weights on.&#xA;That's how you'll really get the best use out of the extra weight.&#xA;Im a black belt in taekwondo, so I really just use ankle weights but I am going to get more gear soon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7219" LastActivityDate="2016-06-12T05:08:37.667" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6570" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-06-13T06:45:44.763" Score="0" ViewCount="160" Body="&lt;p&gt;Will punching by tying a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/search?site=&amp;amp;tbm=isch&amp;amp;source=hp&amp;amp;bih=971&amp;amp;q=Thera+band&amp;amp;oq=Thera+band&amp;amp;gs_l=img.3...2031.2031.0.2211.1.1.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..1.0.0.sJbfbJhEpNI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Thera band&lt;/a&gt; on my hand or karate belt help me in improving my punching power? I am a karate student of seishinkai shito ryu style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7224" LastEditorUserId="7224" LastEditDate="2016-06-14T06:07:00.920" LastActivityDate="2016-06-14T13:10:06.743" Title="Karate practise by thera band" Tags="|karate|punching|power|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6571" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6570" CreationDate="2016-06-13T14:01:11.777" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have not tried what you suggest, but it sounds awkward. It also seems to me that it might impede proper form in punch delivery.  If you want stronger punches increase the strength of your whole body, focus on using proper form in practice, and do bag work with a partner. Something like a resistance band tied to your belt is going to offer resistance in strange way, and may actually end up doing more harm than good. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want some training advice on an exercise that is proven to produce results in your punching speed and strength, start doing Clap Pushups (of course YMMV). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-06-13T14:01:11.777" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6572" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6570" CreationDate="2016-06-14T04:51:48.423" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I dont believe it will help with punching power as power relies on mass and speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mass relies on coordination of the whole body and there is a lot more to be gained practising better coordination.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Speed relies on coordintaion as well as reducing resistance which is attained by limiting the use of antagonistic muscles. This device will engage them.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What this sort of device can help with is continuous pull power which is better suited to grappling. For example a snap down on a head or arm comes to mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7040" LastActivityDate="2016-06-14T04:51:48.423" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6573" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6570" CreationDate="2016-06-14T11:09:24.110" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Fundamentally, no it won't. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A punch is a delivery of kinetic force; a resistance band will simply help you burn more calories and maybe increase your muscle tone a little. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using a resistance band will tend to work your hand grip, forearms, triceps and anterior deltoid muscles. Punching with weights will do the same however it will also indirectly stress your latissimus dorsi muscles (as they compensate to help you keep balance), you will also tend to adjust the motion so that the medial deltoid muscles also have some assistance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A resistance band will possibly alter your punch technique in a suboptimal way - the line of resistance will never perfectly line up with the trajectory your punch should take and your muscles will consequently compensate and work in a way that is not an optimal motion for punching, especially once you start to tire. If you really want to apply resistance to your punching movements then do them standing submersed in water.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A resistance band will also not help you build your focus. Focus is that moment when you achieve a combination of maximum tension and maximum kinetic energy and it is a critical element of your punch - if you lack it then the punch is little more than a bludgeon or a shove with a closed fist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-06-14T13:10:06.743" LastActivityDate="2016-06-14T13:10:06.743" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6575" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6560" CreationDate="2016-06-14T15:53:06.713" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Practicing striking a rope or sheet differs from striking a bag primarily in the area of resistance. The rope or sheet will give you feedback as to whether you hit it, but will not impede your strike. Some of the advantages are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No penalty for missed or badly executed strikes&lt;/strong&gt; - This is primarily useful in my opinion for practicing kicks, where you're more likely to be thrown off balance, particular initially, if you don't execute the technique accurately. For boxing, this usually only comes into play if you're not properly stacking your wrists in the strike, where a missed strike could lead to a sprain or worse.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accuracy&lt;/strong&gt; - Particularly with a rope, you are dealing with a smaller target area. Practicing striking that smaller area may aid you in accuracy training.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cost&lt;/strong&gt; - Ropes and sheets are cheap and easily replaced. Striking bags are not.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Disadvantages include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No resistance&lt;/strong&gt; - The flipside of there being no resistance to injure you is that you're also not training to strike against resistance, which means that you're more likely to be unabalanced or even injure yourself when striking an actual target or opponent.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rope burn/tangle&lt;/strong&gt; - This is more an issue with kicking again, but striking a rope at high speed risks having it loop around the striking limb, potentially either causing a friction burn as it releases or tripping you up if it catches.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-06-22T04:24:07.510" LastActivityDate="2016-06-22T04:24:07.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6576" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6577" CreationDate="2016-06-15T07:57:41.520" Score="1" ViewCount="697" Body="&lt;p&gt;Currently, the only kick that seems safe for the kicker to me, is a side kick with the heel or the balls of the feet. &#xA;A kick with the back of the feet, like I see in taekwondo is really only for the head right? Otherwise if I kick something that doesn't move, then something below the shin area, I know only from experience, gets pulled hard and it hurts for days.&#xA;Also, my friend showed me some videos of professional fighters kicking with the shin and accidentally hitting the opponents knee, resulting in the kicker's shin being broken into two, which is a major no-no for cowards like me.&#xA;With which part of the leg do I kick, and when I kick with that part, where do I want it to hit?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7229" LastActivityDate="2016-06-15T08:56:46.010" Title="What area of the leg should I perform a turning kick with?" Tags="|kicking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6577" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6576" CreationDate="2016-06-15T08:54:22.587" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my years of ITF TaeKwonDo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A turning kick should impact with the &lt;strong&gt;ball of the foot&lt;/strong&gt; - it is important to straighten the ankle and &lt;em&gt;pull the toes back&lt;/em&gt;. The attacking tool is important - because we walk around all day on our feet the ball and heel are conditioned to the impact already.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This does mean that the opponent is more in-front of you than most beginners think. (think diagonal forwards - not to the side). We can still attack opponents with this kick who are not in this position by turning our body - this act can add additional power if it is in the same direction as the kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the target areas &gt;&gt; most vital spots are acceptable targets and this will depend on what is visible/accessible and how flexible you are. Knee/Groin/Abdomen are  typical targets (none sparring) - anywhere in the body with lots of nerves close together - or a weak joint.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In sparring it is common to use the top of the foot - this allows a little more range. However this is sacrificing power/damage (which sparring isn't really about anyway) and should obviously be kept to scoring targets (not vital spots).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2016-06-15T08:54:22.587" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6578" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6576" CreationDate="2016-06-15T08:56:46.010" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hard on soft is a good general rule.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The hardest parts in the human body are the ones with a bone directly supporting it. For example take a fist vs the heel of the palm. The palm aligns directly to the bone whereas the fist has many small bones in the way. This is why it is easier to break the bones in the hand when punching &lt;strong&gt;unless they are well conditioned&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knowing this then you can understand that the heel of the foot when thrust in line with the bone will be harder than the toes or the ball of the foot (unless of course there is conditioning).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The shin has no supporting bone and impacts with a shear force (which is more damaging) and relies on momentum. To avoid fracture it needs to be conditioned to be effective or hit on a soft part only. Knees are defintely not soft.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So using the heel aligned to the tibia will require less conditioning than using the other parts of the foot. The best method of using this part to kick will be to thrust in. So the kicking options are front, side, rear or a spiraling mix of these.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The target is important to apply hard on soft. For a front on opponent the targets are the face, solar plexus, bladder and groin. With a little conditioning though these thrust kicks can be applied on the chest, thigh, knee, shin and foot with a lot of effect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7040" LastActivityDate="2016-06-15T08:56:46.010" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6580" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6545" CreationDate="2016-06-16T12:00:18.913" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;When the opponent does a head lock there is usually a small gap between his arm and your head. If none try to make one. The armpit can be easily hit through this gap. Just make a so called Ippon ken with your fist and hit the armpit nerve center which should make the opponent release his hand.&#xA;This technique was successfully performed by me in real situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user7226" LastActivityDate="2016-06-16T12:00:18.913" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6581" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-06-17T08:13:29.517" Score="-4" ViewCount="170" Body="&lt;p&gt;Today is my kumite after 4 hours&#xA;Plz give some advices to me so that i can do better. I had practised a lot for today's kumite match.give me some advices on what should we do probably before a kumite and what should we do to stay calm and fearless to face the fight and how we can understand our opponent during the fight , style is shito ryu,i am a purple belt,.i want to fight very strongly and my aim is to get many points without letting the opponent to take a single point from me..help me by giving some precious advices and thanx for giving your precious time to my question.fast&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7224" LastEditorUserId="7224" LastEditDate="2016-06-17T10:09:46.963" LastActivityDate="2016-06-17T11:35:59.110" Title="My Kumite fight after 4 hours" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="12" ClosedDate="2016-06-18T13:27:26.397" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6582" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6545" CreationDate="2016-06-17T08:58:44.933" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Unlucky to be in a situation like that. There are a couple ways to get out of this that have not been mentioned, but are damaging to your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based on the &quot;I do not know what would happen&quot; part there is a serious risk to your health/life...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first one is to use your hand to break his little finger. Isolate the finger using your hand and use your thumb to stop it bending and pull. This should break the hold then you can escape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second one - you cannot reach the legs but can you reach the crotch? If you can grab, squeeze and twist. This is to get your assailant to release, but it may make them angrier...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are on your knees and cannot reach most of them, you can only attack what you can reach. There are pressure points etc. But not worth trying unless you are going to train up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you are out of the hold (based upon them getting you into the position before) they have a chance to get you back into the lock. At this point you need to have learned some stand-up self-defence techniques (but you will be out of the hold as per your question).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7187" LastActivityDate="2016-06-17T08:58:44.933" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6583" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6581" CreationDate="2016-06-17T11:35:59.110" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You don't have time to learn much new - and our suggestions can really only address your mental state.  I suggest you imagine &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;being&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; the fighter you feel you need to be to dominate the fight.  Imagine the determination you'd need, feel it, &quot;own it&quot; so to speak.  Work out one or two things you think you can use to win - speed, suddenness of movement, power, combinations, footwork, timing - whatever you're good at, or perhaps you'll see the opponent has a related weakness.  Go into the fight with the mindset that you're already a blackbelt, you can trust in your techniques - they're just tools you can use as easily as snapping your fingers, and seize the right times to use them.  Stay determined but open-minded and analytical so when things don't go your way you work past the problems quickly and find a way to use your strengths.  When something works, keep using it or variations on it, or use the threat of it as a set-up for something else completely, to get the most &quot;value&quot; possible out of it and keep the opponent unsettled.  If you find yourself in trouble, be quick about working out how to change things up so avoid it - for example, if you're trying to defend but getting hit anyway, forget about it and start attacking.  Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2016-06-17T11:35:59.110" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6584" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6483" CreationDate="2016-06-18T11:04:21.350" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is what Eddie Cummings calls &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/keeTKizdZzU?t=25s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;basic Ashi garami&lt;/a&gt;&quot;. Note that he is on his side with his chest facing outwards, outside foot on the hip and inside foot hooking the far thigh; opponent's trapped knee is also pointing slightly outwards.&#xA;Now, compare that to Marcelo Garcia's &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Rux8Qf9eskE?t=39s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Single X-guard&lt;/a&gt; and see that the main difference is that Marcelo's chest is facing towards opponent and the opponent's knee is bent inwards rather than slightly outwards. While generally in Ashi garami the inside foot hooks the far thigh and in Single-X it hooks the near thigh, these positions allow variations such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/AhsXraebbdg?t=13s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Marcelo hooking the far thigh&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Rux8Qf9eskE?t=2m27s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Marcelo hooking the near thigh and underhooking the ankle&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/M5OVAUbMfIk?t=1m21s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Marcelo underhooking the ankle and hooking the far thigh&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/CpJUEYePhpo?t=1m41s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Eddie hooking the near thigh&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watching more competition/rolling tape for both competitors, I am getting the impression that every variation that could be labelled as differentiating between Single-X and Ashi garami is negligible. Aside from the opponent's base (feet/knee/butt), the main distinction I see is in the purpose rather than in the geometry of the position, with the surrounding technique systems making the real difference. Even though an ultimate answer should not rely on footage from just two guys, I think their mastery of the position shows well enough how many variations of angle there can be and how one approach blends into the other, while keeping the same position in a more general sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reasons for which I advise against seeing them as different positions are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Simplification&lt;/strong&gt;: remembering one more position is more work, and differentiating them is even more work. The controlled leg can be overhooked or underhooked, held at the ankle or at the heel, the inside leg can hook the near thigh or the far one, the chest can be pointed towards the opponent or outwards; see &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/IHOV5N-Esnk?t=8m10s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this example&lt;/a&gt; for something hard to classify.&#xA;The risk is oversimplification: in fact we have half guard, knee shield half guard, deep half guard, lockdown half guard, reverse half guard, quarter guard. Since not every technique is available from each of these positions, there is a need to distinguish them. This leads onto the next point:&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Interconnection&lt;/strong&gt;: as pointed out by Dave Liepmann, Single-X has been associated with sweeps and Ashi garami with leglocks. Realizing that you can sweep from Ashi-garami and go for a heel hook from Single-X is advantageous. This is possible because every technique is available from one position is also available from the other, with the only obstacle I see being the opponent's base: standing, kneeling or sitting.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, in the case we consider them as distinct positions then &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/qyXqtrq_dxc?t=54s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this technique&lt;/a&gt; would maybe be a transition rather than a sweep. This would lead to problems like the ones that surrounded whether or not to award sweep points to 50/50 sweeps, which eventually needed a &lt;a href=&quot;http://ibjjf.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/20130123_RuleBookIBJJF_v2.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;special treatment (see 5.7.6)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3234" LastEditorUserId="3234" LastEditDate="2016-06-20T18:23:17.623" LastActivityDate="2016-06-20T18:23:17.623" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6585" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-06-18T17:36:17.850" Score="2" ViewCount="77" Body="&lt;p&gt;In all of the karate styles I have seen that fighters scream loudly by yelling &quot;kiyay&quot; during kumite when they think that they got a point. I am also a karate student and when I joined my karate classes, my sensei told me to say &quot;kiyay&quot; when we take a point during kumite. I didn't ask him why we say that and so I blindly obeyed what he said. Is yelling &quot;kiyay&quot; an appeal which is made to the referee that we have earn a point in the kumite match?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7224" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-20T17:03:56.357" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T17:03:56.357" Title="Why do we say &quot;kiyay&quot; in karate?" Tags="|karate|terminology|kiai|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2016-06-19T11:53:06.153" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6586" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6587" CreationDate="2016-06-19T15:55:27.827" Score="0" ViewCount="395" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the best strategy for street fight when your rival is expert in kicks (Taekwondo black belt) and when you close distance he throws punches in very aggressive way and then reopens distance for kicks. His kicks are fast, accurate and very strong in a way you can hardly see them until they hit you. If you have a good knowledge in Krav Maga for instance, is there a way to win such a rival?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2016-06-19T18:11:05.470" Title="Strategy for defence in street fight for good kicker who throw punches in short distance" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|boxing|kicking|krav-maga|streetfight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6587" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6586" CreationDate="2016-06-19T18:11:05.470" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In a street assault, the normal action is that an opponent will be attacking you by surprise, possibly from behind, or where you are unable to fully maneuver.  However, the situation you describe the attacker is constantly preferring to take distance and do probing attacks rather than focus on getting you on the ground/against a wall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason you don't see this in assaults is that it gives the victim time and distance to respond.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since your attacker is being kind to you, take advantage of it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they slide back for distance, then use that opportunity to run.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that's not enough, circle yourself around terrain - light poles, trees, parked cars, fire hydrants, etc. to remove your opponent's ability to dance in and out.  This allows you to buy additional time - to run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're still unable to get distance, consider if you have any self defense tools or weapons available, or can makeshift a weapon.  Since you're asking a very specific question head of time and not as a past example, I can only assume you're EXPECTED a PARTICULAR individual to attack you.  There's no reason to not a) avoid the areas they're in, and b) arm yourself accordingly.  Pepperspray, well trained, will help a lot.  Striking devices would also be useful, particularly to punish striking limbs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are boxed in (which is rare for range fighters to do, since the conditions that box you in usually prevent them from circling which is what they're most comfortable with) you can even grab ANYTHING on them and slam it into one of the walls.  You'll probably take a couple of hits along the way, but break a hand or twist an ankle on them and your odds of getting away increase drastically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-06-19T18:11:05.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6588" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6455" CreationDate="2016-06-20T11:18:17.887" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;We can do the punch in the presence of the guard by the following ways:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Usually an opponent(right handed) keeps his left hand forward as a guard to protect his stomach. So by removing that by your hand which is forward and punching on the stomach will score you a point.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You can also land a punch on the stomach in the presence of a guard by sliding the front leg of the opponent by pushing it with your front leg and then the guard of the opponent is then removed for a moment and then you can punch, if you want to do this technique your reaction time should be fast.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You can also punch him by simply dropping him. In this technique you would have to bring your front leg between your opponent's front and hind leg and then you have to slide his leg backward by your leg and pushing him in the opposite direction in which you have made his leg slide. You would have to push him by holding his shoulders by your hand and then he falls down and then you can punch him in his stomach.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Punch them in the face. If they cover the face, hit them to the body.&#xA;Good luck and remember that practise and practise makes the man perfect.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7224" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-06-20T13:00:07.903" LastActivityDate="2016-06-20T13:00:07.903" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6589" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6490" CreationDate="2016-06-21T20:39:01.183" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think this kind of demonstration requires a lot more than just physical training. It requires also training of the mind and Qi &lt;em&gt;(or Chi)&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my school, we are required to train a lot of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qigong&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Qi Gong&lt;/a&gt; (research a little about it, it's very interesting) to perform breaking techniques. Even for the simpler ones, like breaking bricks with the palm of the hand or breaking them in the ribs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, for advanced techniques like breaking stuff using the head, I think Qi Gong is an essential part of the training. &#xA;I agree that the brick in the video is not impressive, but I've seen (live) harder techniques, like bending metal bars supporting its edge on the neck, a really soft part of the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7241" LastActivityDate="2016-06-21T20:39:01.183" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6590" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6591" CreationDate="2016-06-22T08:48:25.713" Score="2" ViewCount="200" Body="&lt;p&gt;So I have just done my purple belt grading in JJJ, the current syllabus it went mostly fine - but hard, a lot of throws and randori etc, then we moved to back catalogue This is where things start to not quite go to plan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Normally outside of grading/ pressure I can rattle them off no problem at all, but in the grading, I struggle to remember the moves, and execute them properly. I think this is probably down to tiredness, as I say doing the current syllabus first, we are put under pressure, and do a lot of throws, which is physically and mentally very demanding)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So how can I improve this? – so I can rattle of back catalogue within a grading environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(When we spar I also know the moves, but I think in a proper fight I worry I may forget what I am doing, in the same fashion as the grading).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5993" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-06-23T07:12:55.900" LastActivityDate="2016-07-04T12:24:29.453" Title="How to deal with pressure in a grading" Tags="|jujutsu|grading|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6591" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6590" CreationDate="2016-06-22T09:29:04.037" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/git-gud&quot;&gt;Git gud&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To paraphrase the &quot;&lt;em&gt;train like you fight, fight like you train&lt;/em&gt;&quot; mantra, you need to train in conditions worst (or better, depending on your point of view) than those in your gradings: So with pressure and fatigue both mental and physical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best way to do this is demonstrations at the end of a class. You get up, demonstrates something from the back catalogue.  It gets you up, exhausted after hard training, and forces you to do something unexpected in front of an audience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your gradings have five rounds of randori, you should regularly practice seven rounds. If your randori round is two minutes, then you should train them at two and a half. Basically, make your training harder and longer than the grading. Then, the grading will feel like a breeze.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a side note, no one should ever fail a grading. If one is put forward to grade, one should have already passed. The grading is just a fun show.  Clearly, if one does not have the level for a grading, one &lt;em&gt;should not&lt;/em&gt; be put forward to grade. This is especially true if the grading costs money whether or not you pass. Paying for failed gradings is a big warning sign of a McDojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As such, one should not be stressed in a grading whatsoever: It has been passed! However, stress is not a voluntary thing. There are ways to reduce stress (out of scope for this answer) that are applicable. My favourite is to git gud so even if I do a kata/randori at 80%, it's still more than enough to show that I am &lt;code&gt;$next_grade&lt;/code&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-06-22T14:42:38.190" LastActivityDate="2016-06-22T14:42:38.190" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6593" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2016-06-23T07:16:01.350" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most, if not all, martial arts have hierarchical system of grades meant to reflect a certain level of competence in said art. Most organisation do hold gradings where an examinee is asked to perform some aspect of the art and might be require to submit a written report.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case, this tag denotes anything related to said grading process.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-06-23T07:16:01.350" LastActivityDate="2016-06-23T07:16:01.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6594" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2016-06-23T07:16:01.350" Score="0" Body="Anything to do with the act of awarding a grade. This can include study, preparation, the examination itself, or teaching related to grades." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-08-02T11:36:34.490" LastActivityDate="2016-08-02T11:36:34.490" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6595" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6597" CreationDate="2016-06-24T18:27:15.820" Score="5" ViewCount="2469" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would also like it not take a lot of work to pick up, I mean, it shouldnt take long before I am able to defend against the average person. I am willing to work at it to improve from there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also my physical fitness is not optimum, I would like to rely more on techniques&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By without causing pain I mean ether minimise  or eliminate pain to me and opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7244" LastActivityDate="2016-07-07T02:11:09.587" Title="Looking for a martial art to do, self defense without causing pain?" Tags="|self-defense|self-training|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6596" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6595" CreationDate="2016-06-24T18:40:11.340" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Running&lt;/strong&gt; seems like it is the thing for you: You can start now and improve your techniques by going to the gym to find a trainer, going to a run club, and reading books and magazines on running. You can also get a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bushcraft-BCB-Howler-Whistle-Black/dp/B000TGMOZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1467028900&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=loud%20whistle&quot;&gt;whistle&lt;/a&gt; and blow it (while running to a safe place) to attract attention to your predicament.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts take long time to learn.  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com&quot;&gt;Self defence&lt;/a&gt; takes long time to learn. Anyone telling you otherwise is selling something (read: conning you) that will get you killed, maimed, or jailed -- possible all three in any order.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-06-28T10:13:12.957" LastActivityDate="2016-06-28T10:13:12.957" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6597" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6595" CreationDate="2016-06-24T19:44:45.427" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;You have two requests here.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, you can learn to defend yourself against an average person relatively quickly - just as much as you can learn basic first aid, relatively quickly.  Whether it will be enough or not really depends on the luck of the draw of the situation you face.  Going to train once or twice a week, for a few months, in a school aimed at actual self defense, will get you there pretty easy.  However, a) you'll take some bruises and have to push yourself, and b) you'll learn stuff that probably involves hitting and hurting the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of modern combative arts, Krav Maga, Systema, and such cover this.  A decent number of traditional weapon arts like Kali or Escrima would work too.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your second request, to minimize pain, is pretty much mastery.  That is something you're not going to learn quick, and it may not be possible in some situations.  in which case, running and escape is about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-06-24T19:44:45.427" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6598" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6595" CreationDate="2016-06-24T20:07:55.473" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A fundamental truth about self-defense is that the more relevant skill, strength, and experience you possess, the less damage (and pain) you need to inflict to accomplish your goal. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than running away, there aren't many real options which offer substantive protection without a commitment to training while minimizing pain dealt to any aggressor one is defending against. I think you need to consider that your stated goals aren't compatible with each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-06-24T20:07:55.473" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6599" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-06-26T00:49:50.243" Score="3" ViewCount="6557" Body="&lt;p&gt;So I've always been interested in martial arts since I was young but since I was 4 years old I've had arthritis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key points to note are as follows:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;My arthritis is under control, however I'd think intense physical activity could potentially cause me to flare up. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;My arthritis has left my left elbow with severe disability. My left arm cannot fully straighten and can also not fully bend (if I try and touch my shoulder I'm a good 5 inches short) &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Whether it's self defense or combat, I'd like to explore both options.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given my above physical problems, what martial art would work for me? I'm open to anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am a averaged size 5ft 7 man, 29 years old.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm also up for taking (or giving) physical punishment. That's not a concern...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Apologies if the question is a little vague, but I'm after recommendations like Judo, Karate etc, given my disability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks for your time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7245" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-06T17:44:50.393" LastActivityDate="2019-09-11T15:59:07.827" Title="Martial Arts with arthritis" Tags="|recommendation|style|disability|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6600" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-06-26T05:30:12.267" Score="2" ViewCount="3442" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am new to karate. &#xA;I noticed there are cases where you don't say 'osu' (pronounced 'oss'), for example when bowing at the beginning of a kata. But in most cases you do say ' osu' when bowing. &#xA;There are many times when students respond with 'osu' to the sensei.&#xA;So is there a set of rules for when to say that word during training, sparring, speaking to your sensei after class etc.? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7247" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T09:16:58.060" Title="When is it appropriate to respond with osu?" Tags="|karate|bowing|shotokan|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6601" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6599" CreationDate="2016-06-26T18:16:53.540" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Usual caveat: check in with your physician, physical therapist, etc. on what is or isn't ok for your condition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you are looking to develop self defense skills while suffering long term/permanent impairment, you will need to focus on training that is practical and effective and doesn't necessarily rely on you having full mobility or strength.  Throughout history, weapons are the way people have gained a significant advantage in combat, and as such, weapon based self defense is probably a good way to go.  (Second caveat: look up what is legal to carry and use in your area).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many modern combative arts, like Krav Maga or Systema, or traditional weapon arts, like Kali, Escrima and so on, would be a good fit with this idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your instructors will have to understand your limitations of movement, limitations of repetitions, and so on.  They will need to look at what techniques or strategies will fit best for you.  Although you may have greater range of movement while your condition is under control, currently, you can't plan on trouble only coming your way when you're at your best - so you should also train for what you might be like at your worst.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Arthritis, much like tendonitis, and other inflammatory conditions are often triggered through over-use, so you'll have to be careful about that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastEditorUserId="1598" LastEditDate="2016-07-01T03:40:25.127" LastActivityDate="2016-07-01T03:40:25.127" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6602" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6595" CreationDate="2016-06-27T02:10:45.190" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is an &quot;average&quot;person? I know quite a few people that can take a lot of pain/punishment that have never trained. There are also a lot of average people that are simply just much bigger than I am.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You want a 3 month, Bruce Lee in a,box course that turns you into a mystical wuxi finger hold master, and there ain't no such creature.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And from a personal standpoint (28 years in MA), if someone comes at me and I have no other option but fighting (which in itself a last resort), I will inflict whatever pain is necessary to protect me and those around me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2016-06-27T02:10:45.190" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6603" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6595" CreationDate="2016-06-27T11:57:22.250" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Quite a challenging set of criteria.  To minimise pain to your opponent, you basically need to apply some hold or joint-lock until the opponent submits.  The arts that try to apply joint locks while standing - in my opinion and after spending several years studying hapkido and aikido after a solid base of striking arts - require a massive gap between your skill level and your opponent's to apply reliably, so aren't a practical short term self-defense option.  Some kind of wrestling where you can hope to pin or choke an opponent is perhaps more practical, but if you learn only that without any awareness of striking you're move likely to walk into a punch.  So, I'd suggest looking for a relatively laid-back Mixed Martial Arts gym where it's not so intense that you're getting significantly &quot;hurt&quot; at training, but also not so feeble that you're not genuinely trying hard to prove the techniques work during training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, the aversion to pain should be questioned?  There's a difference between causing injury that's of lasting consequence, and causing short-term pain.  Pain's not so bad, but a lot of us live such sheltered lives we're unaccustomed to it and disproportionately averse.  If you learnt kick boxing (or similar arts like muay thai or kyokushin karate), you could quickly learn to deliver a solid kick or two to the leg, while keeping your guard up to protect your head and torso, and that'd likely dissuade most aggressors - more through pain than injury.  Similarly, a liver punch is momentarily debilitating, but recovery is very fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whatever you choose to do, there's normally some leeway to try to rely more on technique (and strategy, footwork, timing etc.) than fitness during the class, but there will likely be sporadic moments when the less you put in, the more punishment you take (again, it's often the shock of being on the receiving end that you need to overcome, more than pain or injury).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2016-06-27T11:57:22.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6604" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-06-27T13:27:58.967" Score="5" ViewCount="328" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a university student and just come back home for summer holidays. I want to take up some form of martial arts, mainly to have self defense and build confidence and strength, but I would also like to show off some moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found this place and was thinking of taking Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and beginners kick-boxing. But when I go back to uni, they don't have these, and I would do Karate. Should I just go straight into karate, or is it worth having a few moves from something else?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7244" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2021-07-25T15:53:57.857" LastActivityDate="2021-07-25T15:53:57.857" Title="Mixing different martial arts?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|karate|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6605" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2016-06-27T17:23:29.030" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whoever said you have to choose between long hair and uninterfered training is dead wrong. Have you never seen women's martial arts or combat sports? Have you never seen Clay Guida, Brian Ortega, Benson Henderson, Miachel Chiesa, Uriah Faber, or the plethora of fighters with long hair fight? For mma training whether you are striking or grappling or both there are a a bunch of easy things you can do with your medium to long length hair. You can knot it, do a hair tie bun, braided ponytail or french braids, you can do a ponytail and keep the loose ends in the hair tie and then tape up or wrap your hair. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7252" LastActivityDate="2016-06-27T17:23:29.030" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6606" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6604" CreationDate="2016-06-27T21:10:45.867" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Depending on your purpose, a different martial art would be recommended.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You mentioned &lt;em&gt;self defense&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;confidence&lt;/em&gt;. For that I would highly recommend Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Since the beginning you feel like you can take care of yourself and your beloved ones in case of an emergency.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But you said &quot;show off some moves&quot; and that's not something good to say to your instructor anywhere. All martial arts I know require self discipline, respect and humbleness. If you plan to learn something to get in trouble, you'll be kicked out of the gym.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1983" LastActivityDate="2016-06-27T21:10:45.867" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6608" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4979" CreationDate="2016-06-28T15:29:02.857" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A point worth making is that fight choreography in a movie is optimized to be visually impressive while minimizing the risk to the participants (the same applies to professional wrestling). A movie fight is a dance, and at it's best a real fight is free-form jazz (more often than not it's just chaos though). In a film things are slowed down, exaggerated, and telegraphed - all things you want to avoid in a real fight. With rare exceptions, there aren't one-hit KOs and even more importantly being knocked out isn't like film portrays it at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-06-28T15:29:02.857" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6609" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6595" CreationDate="2016-06-29T07:18:47.680" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am sorry to disappoint you. There is no such thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning a self defence that minimizes the pain to yourself and others is one of those things that people seem to asking for a lot but that can never exist. It is like the proverbial wish of  eating your cake and having it too...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By definition, martial arts are all about effective application of pain and discomfort. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is also implied in the practice and practical application of martial arts that you only really use it when facing an immediate and unavoidable threat to your life and/or that of your close ones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you should ever find yourself in such a situation, you need to be aware that the attacker has already crossed the unspoken threshold of the social norm and does not give a flying s**t about your feelings or health or well being. He (or she) is out to hurt you. He is ready for this and he will not stop even if you ask nicely not to. This is the territory that is completely out of usual comfort zone of an ordinary person...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only option in this case is quick and efficient (well, as quick and efficient as you can manage) application of pain and/or discomfort that will disable the attacker (or attackers) for enough time to get out of this situation without further damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have learned (and mastered) some form of martial art, you have a chance of more control over the amount and the manner of hurt you can inflict, but there is always some pain involved (with implied threat of more pain and discomfort)...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another concern that I read in your question is that you want to learn martial art without getting hurt in the process. This is impossible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The process of learning to function efficiently in the situation of conflict involves putting yourself in a similar situation. A lot!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to learn to fight, you have to fight to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As part of the learning process, you will make mistakes that will result in hurting yourself or your training partner. Maybe even seriously. That is the nature of the martial arts practice. You can not completely avoid this — only keep your eyes open to avoid the most serious of injuries. Without this crucial component you might just be better off learning yoga or gymnastics instead. Be prepared &lt;em&gt;to eat bitter&lt;/em&gt;, as chinese say it...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or learn to run. Longer and faster than anyone else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastEditorUserId="424" LastEditDate="2016-06-29T07:27:37.213" LastActivityDate="2016-06-29T07:27:37.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6611" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6595" CreationDate="2016-06-29T15:56:15.683" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aikido is exactly what you are looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Aikido is often translated as &quot;the way of unifying (with) life&#xA;  energy&quot; or as &quot;the way of harmonious spirit.&quot; Ueshiba's goal was&#xA;  to create an art that practitioners could use &lt;strong&gt;to defend themselves&#xA;  while also protecting their attacker from injury&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that : &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The most common criticism of aikido is that it suffers from a lack of&#xA;  realism in training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can agree with this, but know that; after you begin to master the techniques and gain control over your body, Aikido is effective in handling the average person (also including bigger, stronger and faster than you), without any pain to both parties (you and the attackers). None the less, an Aikido technique can also be use to inflict great pain, aiming to control and reduce the will to fight, in the opponent's mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should look it up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From personnal experience and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7258" LastActivityDate="2016-06-29T15:56:15.683" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6612" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6604" CreationDate="2016-06-29T18:22:24.417" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;It could be worth it or you could be better served by just going to a gym and focusing on conditioning. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of time used before the summer, you should consider what you can gain. It is unlikely that you will gain more then the bare basics of either kickboxing or BJJ (unless you mean to devote a large amount of time of each each day to the art). Beside those skills, you might except to gain some broader MA concepts and some understanding of what it means to be engaged in combat (depending on how much 'live' sparring the school does).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Will you gain anything that will directly transfer over into a Karate curriculum? &lt;strong&gt;Unlikely&lt;/strong&gt;. &#xA;BJJ is a grappling art, so little transfers over to the more strike focused karate curriculum. However, it is unlikely to leave you with any 'bad habits' in terms of karate. &#xA;Kickboxing is a striking art, one whose philosophy of body mechanics seems to differ from Karate (from my experience). That means it might leave you with habits that you will need to unlearn while taking karate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, I think that what makes the most sense is considering the BJJ (knowing that it will not really have anything to do with the karate) or just hitting the gym. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="182" LastEditorUserId="182" LastEditDate="2016-07-05T15:32:33.300" LastActivityDate="2016-07-05T15:32:33.300" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6613" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6599" CreationDate="2016-06-29T19:00:00.583" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why not look into Aikido? IMHO, it seems like a less 'intense' art. Personally, I've developed issues from training and after observing an Aikido class and talking with the instructors, the style and it's teaching can be altered to accommodate things like arthritis or any physical limitation really &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7257" LastActivityDate="2016-06-29T19:00:00.583" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6614" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6604" CreationDate="2016-07-01T17:07:23.477" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;So, firs things first...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Humility&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No respectable organization will encourage you to &lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;show off some moves&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt;. The only possible exceptions being a choreographed demonstration or during a competition--and both require being at a skill level where you know what you're doing and actually have something significant to offer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Lessons Learned from MMA&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By definition, it is widely known that &lt;code&gt;BJJ&lt;/code&gt; and &lt;code&gt;strike fighting&lt;/code&gt; are two very different things. It is also &lt;a href=&quot;http://rwmma.com/brazilian-jiu-jitsu-for-self-defense/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;generally accepted&lt;/a&gt; that you need some familiarity with &lt;em&gt;both&lt;/em&gt; to be &amp;quot;successful&amp;quot;, at least in MMA. For further info on this, study &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royce_Gracie&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Royce Gracie&lt;/a&gt; relevant to the early history of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.gracieacademy.com/generations_royce.asp&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;UFC/MMA&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In other words,&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;it is useful to have at least two fighting styles with which you are comfortable&lt;/em&gt;. One &lt;code&gt;strike fighting&lt;/code&gt;, and one &lt;code&gt;grappling&lt;/code&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Examples of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-up_fighting&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;strike fighting&lt;/a&gt;: karate, taekwondo, muy thai, kickboxing, and various kung fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Examples of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grappling&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;grappling&lt;/a&gt;: BJJ, judo, and various forms of traditional wrestling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7266" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-07-01T17:07:23.477" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6615" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6604" CreationDate="2016-07-01T19:46:33.970" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can learn quite a bit for self defense in a few months... with directed training.  That said, few classes/programs are aimed for that.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're primarily looking for self defense, you should see if either class will put you into working with a) weapons, b) multiple opponents, c) fighting from bad positions (attacked from behind, in a narrow space, etc.) within that short of a time frame.  My guess is that neither will.  (Mind you, this is what you should be aiming to learn and work with when you get back, as well).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're willing to put in extra work when you get back into maintaining and exploring with grappling, you can get some good things from jujitsu.  If not, kickboxing is a striking art, so that will carry over more for your Karate training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-07-01T19:46:33.970" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6616" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6619" CreationDate="2016-07-02T20:57:27.293" Score="5" ViewCount="245" Body="&lt;p&gt;Dojos are no longer available in summer. Can I stay 2 months without training?&#xA;Should I organize training on the beach with my team even if sand is not as convenient as a mat?&#xA;Indeed, sand is harder than a mat when you fall down and less stable to move fast (ankle injuries).&#xA;I'd like to avoid losing all I capitalised during this year. Of course, I could train in a fitness room to gain muscle, but I fear to decrease speed.&#xA;If someone had an experience to cope with long no training period i would appreciate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7114" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-07-03T13:32:41.557" LastActivityDate="2016-07-09T10:10:47.190" Title="How to train out of dojo during summer?" Tags="|training|judo|self-training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6617" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6616" CreationDate="2016-07-03T23:49:36.170" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Keep &lt;strong&gt;fit&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;strong&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;flexible&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;visualize&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go for a daily run, do some push-ups, sit-ups and stretching. Keep your cardio engine going.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep your mind on your training by practicing visualization of your techniques and self-defense. This is the vital part as it helps with consolidating on what you know so far. Do this during a run&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before you know it, you're back at training feeling ready for the next challenge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastEditorUserId="1985" LastEditDate="2016-07-04T00:57:29.083" LastActivityDate="2016-07-04T00:57:29.083" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6619" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6616" CreationDate="2016-07-04T03:29:09.133" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I see no problem in training on the beach as long as the sand is dry, clean (no rubbish), relatively plain (no bumpiness) and fine (it &lt;em&gt;adapts&lt;/em&gt; better to the impact, same reason why it should be dry).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It might be slightly harder than a mat, but it's far from dangerous. It might even improve ukemi by 'punishing' bad posture or lack of tension. Modern mats are very forgiving.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Training on sand stresses small muscles from the feet up to the core. This is not to be confused with danger; it actually improves stability in the long run, as you will train muscles that simply are not needed on plain, relatively stable ground like mats. It will improve your stance. If you slip on sand, you were unstable in this movement, which could also have been punished by an attentive, fast opponent.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Grappling strength can be improved by grabbing into the sand and squeezing the fist repeatedly.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Training on the beach in summer has another big advantage: cooling down is near and easy ;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-07-06T14:03:48.903" LastActivityDate="2016-07-06T14:03:48.903" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6620" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6590" CreationDate="2016-07-04T06:50:25.240" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with Sardathrion's answer for the most part. I have a different take though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't try to escape the stress. The point [partly] of a grading is to simulate &quot;combat stress&quot; to test how you cope under similar conditions. No matter who you are, combat is stressful. So accept it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a stressful situation, one's conscious mind blanks out. That's why you forget your techniques during a grading. The key is, following on what Sardathrion said, &lt;strong&gt;practice&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Starting from your most basic and fundamental techniques, practice until they become second nature or muscle memory or whatever you wish to call it. You are now training your subconscious. When (if) the time comes that you are in a real fight &lt;em&gt;&quot;your training will take over&quot;&lt;/em&gt;. You won't know what  happened, but you'll be standing there surrounded by defeated, unworthy, adversaries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the concept on which military training is based. Members perform drills repeatedly until they can do it in their sleep. When they enter a combat situation, they react without needing to think about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TL;DR &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Practice&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2024" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-07-04T12:24:29.453" LastActivityDate="2016-07-04T12:24:29.453" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6621" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2334" CreationDate="2016-07-04T23:32:25.583" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Strike it hard on the nose. A dog's nose is very sensitive, so if you can whack it with a stick sharply and quickly, it will be in too much pain to continue. The best sticks to use would be flexible but dense, like guava wood, or else a flexible composite like the sticks the South African police used during the apartheid era.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the dog is a type that leaps for the throat, you must be prepared to move aside at the last second and whack it sharply on the nose. A strike across the eyes is just as good, but must be sharp and quick, which is why the stick must be a comfortable weight for your wrist strength so you can get a sharp, quick motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it is life or death and you have a sharp instrument, even a pen or your keys, wrap a jacket or sweater on the the non-dominant arm (left arm if you're right-handed, or right arm if you're left-handed) and while the dog is biting the protected forearm, you jab the pen or keys into its eyes or, alternatively, its sides in a 90 degree stabbing motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7275" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-07-11T10:03:58.093" LastActivityDate="2016-07-11T10:03:58.093" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6622" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2334" CreationDate="2016-07-05T15:51:05.700" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let's assume that noise and posturing have failed to dissuade attack from the dog(s), you are completely unarmed, and the dog(s) in question is of sufficient size to pose a real threat of injury or death.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think scenarios 1 and 3 will have the same answer. There isn't really a functional difference between the motives for aggression and both a rabid animal and one bred and trained for fighting are going to have difficulty processing pain and disengaging hostility under typical biological and situational norms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A canine's only deadly weapon is its mouth and teeth (disease is something to deal with at a later time). You want to minimize its ability to do damage to you, while leaving yourself open to incapacitating or killing the animal. Fortunately, as humans, we (typically) have two amazing manipulatory limbs available to us for just this sort of occasion. You will need to be prepared to use one arm defensively and the other offensively (so promptly decide which is which). The defensive arm is going to get hurt. If you had time to wrap the defensive arm with a shirt (or the like) you probably also had time to find another way out of this situation. So, we will assume that you have only a few seconds to react to this dog attack. Whether you are on your feet, or have been taken to the ground, you will want to face the animal in order to adequately defend yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can stay on your feet, then stay on your feet. Keep facing the dog while slowly backing away from it. try to keep your stance wide enough that a sudden lunge from the dog won't knock you down or off-balance. Keep your defensive arm ready to fend off an attack, and be prepared to deliver a savage low kick if an opportunity presents itself. If you keep slowly moving away in a sound defensive posture while meeting probing attacks with a painful kick, there is always the possibility you may convince the dog to break off its attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instinctively, a dog will try and attack your throat (unless it has been specifically trained otherwise). You do not want to let a dog get its teeth around your neck (the badness of this goes without saying). When rushed by an attacking dog, you want to be prepared to shove the forearm of the limb you have designated for defense (we'll presume this is your non-dominant hand) as far back into the dog's mouth as you can. You want to try and shove it back behind the dog's cuspids (canine teeth). The cuspids are the teeth designed for tearing flesh and instinctively dogs will thrash their heads from side-to-side when they have a firm grip with their cuspid teeth. You want to push your arm to the back of their mouth and maintain backward pressure (as if you are trying to push your forearm through the back of their head). Doing this puts the dog in an awkward and uncomfortable position, and it will try to disengage and bite again. If you are on the ground, you want to try and prevent the dog from disengaging and getting another chance to bite you. It's far better to have some superficial injuries to your forearm than to let the animal get its teeth on your face or neck. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Under normal circumstance, you might be able to use pain to demotivate an attacking animal, but we a talking about rabid dogs and animals bred for pit fighting. Pain won't be effective in the same way it normally would. If such is the case, we must assume that disabling injury or death are the only avenues left open for the sake of survival. With the dog's mouth busy trying to sort out your forearm, you can either attack the first cervical vertebrae (C1) with hammering, downward blows, or you can try to cripple the dogs legs (via kicking, stomping, or hyperextension of the joints). We are talking about saving your own life at this point, and you must be prepared to use extraordinary means to do so. It may seem cruel, but savagely breaking/dislocating a dog's digits, wrists/ankles, or forelimbs may be your only option. Rabid animals can't think clearly and fighting dogs are used to being hurt on their faces, ears, and neck. You shouldn't waste your time twisting ears or gouging eye's. Striking at the base of the animal's skull (and/or C1) is one of the most effective targets for an unarmed strike (especially with your other arm occupying the dog's mouth), and can easily result in the paralysis or death of the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are on the ground, you will want to try and stand back up (while keeping your forearm in the dog's mouth if necessary). Once you are on your feet, slowly back away towards a perceived means of egress, keep facing the threat (the dog), hold your defensive arm ready to ward off attacks, and be prepared to meet a lunge with a low kick. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now to address scenario 2. If you are unarmed, and forced into a life/death confrontation with a pack of dogs which is comprised of animals which individually would be considered a viable threat...well....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A large dog's teeth are fairly comparable to a knife as a threat level. If fighting a single dog while unarmed is similar to fighting another person armed with a knife (while unarmed yourself), then fighting a pack of large dogs unarmed is bad news for you (Julius Caesar bad). The best you can hope to do is get lucky and injure enough them that the pack decides you aren't worth the trouble. The same advice for handling one attacking dog applies, but you also have to be aware of every potential threat (dog in the pack) and be ready to face it accordingly. Unlike kung fu movie extras, dogs know how to attack in concert, and that is where a lone unarmed human is out of luck. In a situation like scenario 2, it is probably best to resign yourself to making them work for it (and subsequently choke on it). Against multiple dogs, it is critically important to stay on your feet (though dogs instinctively try to hamstring their prey).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-07-05T15:51:05.700" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6624" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6595" CreationDate="2016-07-07T02:11:09.587" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on your expressed desire not to cause pain, I would recommend a martial art that focuses on health and enlightenment.  The martial arts which claim such a focus will likely direct you towards solutions that don't cause pain to yourself or others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As warned by others, the art of stopping an assailant without any pain is a topic for mastery.  Pain is the quick way to stop a conflict (whether it is your opponent getting hurt, or yourself).  To stop a conflict without pain is a very valuable skill, but it will take time no matter what martial art you choose.  In fact, if anyone suggests you can attain it in anything less than a lifetime of study and self improvement, I'd be wary of their claims.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido and Tai Chi come to mind as excellent disciplines for this sort of goal.  Those arts naturally lend themselves to such painless victories.  However, it is oft said that the best way to strive for such enlightened goals is not to find the teacher of the correct art, but rather to find the right teacher and learn whatever he or she happens to be teaching.  It is absolutely possible for a teacher to teach these things with a more external art, like Tae Kwon Do or Boxing.  If you find a teacher worth following and they happen to teach Muay Thai boxing, then by Jove follow them and learn some Muay Thai!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4422" LastActivityDate="2016-07-07T02:11:09.587" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6625" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6560" CreationDate="2016-07-07T05:12:07.910" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I found great benefits in using the paper and string.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cheap and easy&lt;/strong&gt; - Hang paper on a string wedged between ceiling tiles or spotlight fittings. Small thin note cardboard I found to work best. Rope can be trickier, but still very simple to rig up. I had one in my office, stand up have a few hits (after a stressfull phonecall) , sit down calmly.. keeps you on your toes at least ;)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Speed&lt;/strong&gt; - In terms of speed this is next one up from floor to ceiling ball. This is because it doesn't have bottom support. so to have any chance of a workout using this method and have a few hits in a row, you do need to be super fast as not to make a mess of your target practice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accuracy&lt;/strong&gt; - The best hits seem to be the ones that POP. Literally. You can really tell the difference between a good snappy paper target punch (or kick) and a lousy one: pop vs. push &gt; tangle&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Distance&lt;/strong&gt;. - It's super tricky to get a good pop on a paper target from a long distance. Practicing this will have you catching houseflies mid-flight in no time. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recovery&lt;/strong&gt; - keeping covered and recovering properly becomes more important as the entire punch doesn't work if you don't begin and end the punch in the same stance really quickly. Keeping covered also comes into focus, perhaps slipping, parrying etc. while whipping out popping jabs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastActivityDate="2016-07-07T05:12:07.910" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6629" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1309" CreationDate="2016-07-11T05:38:23.970" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Chokes, armbars and figure-four armlocks are allowed like basically every standard submission with very few exceptions. Often when getting a position like back mount, the competitors don't go for a submission because they have very little time to pin the opponent before the ref breaks them up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7293" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-09T18:03:26.877" LastActivityDate="2019-09-09T18:03:26.877" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6630" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2716" CreationDate="2016-07-11T05:48:07.030" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well, technically 'Guruma' implies a 'rotation', so like in Ashi Guruma in Osoto Guruma you're not just reaping two legs, you're leading your opponent towards a rotating movement around your leg, just like Ashi Guruma. Wheel just indicates the rotation this technique implies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The difference between Osoto Guruma and Osoto Gari, if you will is similar to the the one between Hiza Guruma and Sassa Tsurikomi Ashi: in one your opponent is rotating around a fix point, be it your leg or his knee, in the other he's falling because you eliminated or neutralized the leg on which all of his weight rested.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7293" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2016-07-11T10:09:15.080" LastActivityDate="2016-07-11T10:09:15.080" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6632" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6633" CreationDate="2016-07-12T03:48:49.117" Score="4" ViewCount="226" Body="&lt;p&gt;So I've been boxing for a while now and I've learnt how to slip and weave, not that I'm very good at the technique. The way I've learnt it though, is that you mainly squat while pivoting to your back and lead foot for slipping; not gonna in too much detail. For weaving I just step widen my stance quickly and squat but then go back to normal stance etc. However when I watch boxers they seem to lean a lot or duck like mayweather. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this kind of head movement good technique? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems rather easy to do, I'm probably wrong and there's more to it but I don't know what that is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7296" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-07-12T06:33:12.303" LastActivityDate="2016-07-12T07:09:35.560" Title="Head movement technique" Tags="|technique|boxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6633" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6632" CreationDate="2016-07-12T07:09:35.560" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Leaning/ducking is bad technique for amateurs, let alone most pros. Leaning puts you off balance, and unless you have as much control over your balance and weight as Mayweather, it's really bad for you. You will have no snap in your punches and you will go down more easily. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practice head movement while shadowboxing, i.e. double jab, then move head to the left. Constantly move the head, and practice it while sparring too - everytime you jab or move, move your head a bit. Just an inch might work well, especially if you roll with the punches. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6601" LastActivityDate="2016-07-12T07:09:35.560" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6634" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2016-07-12T11:48:19.907" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As an ITF veteran, &#xA;I am amazed how silly this debate is. &#xA;Taekwondo is taekwondo, whether&#xA;ITF, WTF, or independent. &#xA;The ITF is as much about sport as WTF, it depends on the student.&#xA;As for the fast nature of the kicks, ITF and WTF high-level fighters would be equal in their kicking speed. The fact that a ITF fighter in tournament can follow in with hands means that different tactics have to be applied,&#xA;but there are plenty of examples of ITF v WTF fighting each others rules that prove they really are equal in terms of ability.&#xA;Add to that a recent historical treaty signed by the ITF and WTF to allow each access to their competitions, and you can see that taekwondo is pretty much the same what ever version you do.&#xA;keep kicking&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7298" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-07-12T12:00:33.453" LastActivityDate="2016-07-12T12:00:33.453" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6635" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4230" CreationDate="2016-07-12T16:56:27.117" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Teaching children in Judo for 13 years now and having made an instructor's license, I will try to pin it down to some principles (as concrete lessons may be established, but are dependent on the group).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;General principles (all techniques/ages)&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These principles do not only apply to children (or ukemi), but are more essential to be held in mind and used in smaller steps:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Simple to difficult:&lt;/strong&gt; Think of an ukemi (and any other technique, basically) as a bundle of different actions. Divide into steps and put them together later. For example, just sitting on your buns, rolling backwards (heads up!), slapping for the backfall (1st step).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Low to high:&lt;/strong&gt; Starting out of a sitting position, then a low squatting, somewhat higher and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Soft to hard:&lt;/strong&gt; I found it very useful to use soft-ground-mats and gymnastics mats on the tatami for losing the fear of falling in the first place. It is great fun inventing sequences of different exercises getting ever harder, doing them on different grounds, on each ground up to the point the single child wants to go. Brave ones will lead to others trying it as well eventually. The top was not only letting go, but jumping as far as possible from a box, for example. It is fun, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Making it a partner exercise with different emphasis:&lt;/strong&gt; Basic throws like o-soto-otoshi and o-goshi/uki-goshi, done slowly, involve ukemi to some extend, aquaint with the feel of it. Using partners as stumbling blocks may be useful as well. I do not know of specific aikido techniques, but you will possibly find some.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Know your group:&lt;/strong&gt; Homogeneous groups are easier to be trained, generally. Heterogeneous groups have group dynamics that have to be adressed and can be used. Older/more advanced ones could get bored, but involving them into the training process by helping the 'younglings' is both challenging and educative regarding the technique, for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Special requirements of children&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make it fun to fall:&lt;/strong&gt; As you yourself already mentioned, they are kids after all. This should be instrumentalised e.g. the fun of being loud (or, even better, the loudest) may be used for introducing repetetive slapping. 'Make it sound like thunder', for example. Negative/explanatory statements like 'Slapping is to prevent injury' are not very helpful here. The main point here is letting them forget that it is falling - it is everything but falling!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The younger they are, the more show:&lt;/strong&gt; This is basically the point of @BenCole, but a bit more as well - Being an entertainer/clown can help very much for younger children. This includes transporting the &lt;em&gt;feeling&lt;/em&gt; that doing what you do has to be great fun, e.g. by showing great amounts of enthusiasm. It also includes using funny vocabulary and figurative language (side fall not 'like a tree/stick', but smooth etc.) and always being in movement if you have to overcome the first aversion towards doing something at all. Playing the dumbass when pointing out mistakes. Totally overdo. All this stuff that helps creating the lesson as a special experience for kids.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Include the exact moves into games:&lt;/strong&gt; Playing e.g. tag games helps a lot. We have invented a game named &amp;quot;Wizard&amp;quot;: Having the spells &amp;quot;tree&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;stone&amp;quot;, the wizard may put a charm on the others by tagging them and saying out loud what they are supposed to be, only to be released with the proper action (standing trees are thrown, crouching stones fallen over). May be used for both back- as well as forward falls. Being inventive is the key here, as it is in general. Playing for half of the time is no problem this way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Short explaining, straight to the point:&lt;/strong&gt; The attentiveness of children is way shorter, one has to concentrate on the essentials.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keep developmental psychology in mind:&lt;/strong&gt; This includes the beforementioned point, (explanatory) vocabulary, exactness of movements, speed, balance and coordination as well as other factors. Excessive demands are the main reasons for children losing motivation. If a kid does not want to continue with an exercise or training in general, this is most certainly the reason and offering help here often helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If talking to a child, get on its height:&lt;/strong&gt; It is important to kneel down when talking/showing/explaining to single pairs or children in order to talk eye-to-eye. Have them look you in the eye. It helps with attentiveness and shows them that &lt;em&gt;you take them seriously as well&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Take them seriously in general:&lt;/strong&gt; In a first approximation, you have to take every word they say to you, every injury (no matter wether you already know that it wasn't that bad or not) or whim, and every change in behaviour seriously. There are what I call 'mere actors' that only invent something in order to get your attention, but you will know them quite soon. For the others: Take your time, let them sit on you knee, listen to them and they will simply love you. Of course, this sometimes has to wait until the next game or after the training, simply because your first responsibility is for the &lt;em&gt;whole group&lt;/em&gt;. But as a side effect, you get a chance to discover them as the little individual miracles they are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;(Be empathetic:)&lt;/strong&gt; Listening to them, allowing bodily nearness, attentiveness etc. is much more essential for children until adolescence. Therefore large groups forbid themselves. But this is to some extend up to personal preference. I personally hold this to be an important part of training with children, not to be confused with a loss of professional distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While you may be disappointed that this answer does not propose very much concrete things, but that is one of my points: five year-olds have to be treated very different from eight year-olds. On the other hand, I think the points that have to be kept in mind for children in particular and are often forgotten by only training adults are included.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-07-13T21:28:48.730" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6636" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2933" CreationDate="2016-07-14T17:49:34.947" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although @SteveWeigand 's answer is good, I want to base another one on sources I found and introduce a new aspect:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.de/books?id=FE-dCgAAQBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PA30&amp;amp;lpg=PA30&amp;amp;dq=mae+mawari+ukemi+aikido&amp;amp;source=bl&amp;amp;ots=0sijaRPMmq&amp;amp;sig=QHaIfDF22I22CG0CCNnOVopNqvU&amp;amp;hl=de&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;ved=0ahUKEwiV15z-5fLNAhVIXhoKHW17DxAQ6AEIXDAR#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=mae%20mawari%20ukemi%20aikido&amp;amp;f=false&quot;&gt;Aikido: A Complete Guide&lt;/a&gt;, a generally well sourced book, there are mentioned the two names which obviously would make sense to a Japanese native speaker:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;zenpō ukemi: 'zenpō' or 'zenpou' &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kanjijapanese.com/en/dictionary-japanese-english/zenpou&quot;&gt;literally meaning 'forward' or 'frontward'&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;mae ukemi: 'mae' &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kanjijapanese.com/en/dictionary-japanese-english/mae&quot;&gt;literally meaning something like 'in front' or 'before'&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I myself have made the experience that at least in Germany, the second one is used more frequently, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judotechnik.eu/Motowaza/ukemi/en_ukemi.php&quot;&gt;see e.g. here&lt;/a&gt;. I personally have never heard zenpō ukemi or zenpo kaiten ukemi before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But after searching for quite a while now and having read into some international books from different budo sports, I came to the conclusion that &lt;strong&gt;while mae ukemi is more common for this ukemi, the forward rolling ukemi is more commonly called zenpo kaiten ukemi&lt;/strong&gt;, see e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.de/books?id=M28VAgAAQBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PA5&amp;amp;dq=ukemi&amp;amp;hl=de&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;ved=0ahUKEwjt6NbIuvPNAhXEsxQKHV0hC8YQ6AEISzAH#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=ukemi&amp;amp;f=false&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.de/books?id=qZrXwJCXOuEC&amp;amp;pg=PA69&amp;amp;dq=mae+ukemi&amp;amp;hl=de&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;redir_esc=y#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=mae%20ukemi&amp;amp;f=false&quot;&gt;here - written by a japanese-canadian hachi-dan in Judo - on pp. 69 and 70&lt;/a&gt; (kaiten literally meaning &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kanjijapanese.com/en/dictionary-japanese-english/kaiten&quot;&gt;'rotation' here&lt;/a&gt;, making it simply a 'forward roll ukemi'), instead of the also known 'mae mawari ukemi' (see the Aikido guide above), mawari literally meaning &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kanjijapanese.com/en/dictionary-japanese-english/mawari&quot;&gt;'circulation' or 'rotation' as well&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This actually makes some sense, as while in mae ukemi you just fall straight 'in front' of yourself, zenpo kaiten ukemi is a more extensive, forwarding movement, justifying the change in vocabulary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2016-07-14T17:57:29.413" LastActivityDate="2016-07-14T17:57:29.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6637" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2933" CreationDate="2016-07-15T19:27:55.267" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd say it's a Mae Ukemi, although I think calling it Zempo Ukemi would be as correct.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As many have alredy noted, the term Zempo Ukemi is not to confuse with the &quot;shoulder roll&quot;, or &quot;rolling fall&quot;: Mae Mawari Zempo Kaiten Ukemi (which can be either migi or Hidari, depending on the shoulder on which you roll ).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7293" LastActivityDate="2016-07-15T19:27:55.267" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6638" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4230" CreationDate="2016-07-15T19:32:50.687" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my Judo class, we do what we call &quot;Ukemi competion&quot;: we assign every Ukemi a number and whenever the insctructor shouts that number, everybody has to excecute the fall. The last one to execute it and anyone who either performs the wrong fall or doesn't execute it correctly, gets eliminated. As fewer kids remain, you can increase the speed at which you shout the numbers.&#xA;This really gives everyone the motivation not only to rember the Japanese names of the falls, but also to execute them perfectly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7293" LastActivityDate="2016-07-15T19:32:50.687" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6639" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4295" CreationDate="2016-07-15T19:44:44.237" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The biggest point in favor of weapons training is the fact that anything can be used as a sword, a stick, a staff and other elementary weapons, while it's pretty difficult to get a hold of a gun in a self-defence situation, unless you're carrying it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also your empty handed techniques will benefit from it too, as you'll learn new forms of movement, which you can apply to virtually anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7293" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-07-19T18:52:09.140" LastActivityDate="2016-07-19T18:52:09.140" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6641" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6600" CreationDate="2016-07-17T05:47:11.217" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;OSU stands for Onegai Shimasu that means something like &quot;i owe you something&quot;, so when you are in debt with teacher, sempai, or dohai say &quot;osu&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7313" LastActivityDate="2016-07-17T05:47:11.217" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6642" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6648" CreationDate="2016-07-17T15:26:59.447" Score="6" ViewCount="5851" Body="&lt;p&gt;I feel rather self-conscious asking this but, here goes...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am picking a selfie stick for a forthcoming European holiday considering their potential use as a weapon (I know several sword and stick kung fu forms).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without buying a few and testing their relative joint strength, assuming nested, extending tubes, what are the characteristics of carbon fibre vs aluminium tubing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is carbon fibre prone to breaking on impact as a general characteristic? (I have heard of bike frames &quot;shattering&quot;)? &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1088/are-there-good-alternatives-to-wood-for-weapons&quot;&gt;This answer&lt;/a&gt; suggests it is a bad idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Has anyone seen a serious evaluation of selfie sticks as weapons? (Yes I have seen the Russian videos, which seemed more about kubotan striking and joint-locking techniques).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or, are they all such flimsy things that this is a completely silly idea?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="179" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2022-07-28T18:28:45.397" Title="Picking a selfie stick with an eye to defense - carbon fibre vs aluminium characteristics?" Tags="|weapons|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6643" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-07-17T15:43:48.623" Score="3" ViewCount="268" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am 24 years old guy with very little background of boxing &lt;em&gt;(I bought heavy punching bag and watched &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/expertboxing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;tutorials&lt;/a&gt; on youtube and practiced at my own)&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to learn a martial art to a better level (&lt;em&gt;not at my own this time&lt;/em&gt;). My expectation from the martial art:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Keep my body in shape&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Self defense  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Quick to learn*&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;code&gt;*&lt;/code&gt; 3rd point is not to offend anyone. I know every art needs time. But I am a software developer by profession so can not spend much time (&lt;em&gt;like 3-4 hours a day&lt;/em&gt;) on this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After some research, I found Boxing, Kick Boxing, Muay Thai and MMA as options. What should be the best option as per my background and expectations?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It would be better if can use my punching bag for the recommended martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5903" LastEditorUserId="5903" LastEditDate="2016-07-17T15:56:07.513" LastActivityDate="2016-07-26T23:19:29.270" Title="Martial art to start with very little background of boxing" Tags="|boxing|muay-thai|mixed-martial-arts|kickboxing|recommendation|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6644" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6643" CreationDate="2016-07-18T01:52:55.273" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I imagine you're looking for the right teacher and motivation, and not so much the right martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suggest going to a few local various MA gyms and checking out the physical intensity of their workout, and choosing the one with most sweat and partner-work involved. This will match with the boxing ethic and any martial art, which requires intensive physical activity is being done right so you know you're onto a good thing there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After seeing about 5 gyms, choose one. Checking out other MA schools is always a great experience anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastActivityDate="2016-07-18T01:52:55.273" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6645" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6642" CreationDate="2016-07-18T04:19:25.050" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is not quite a complete answer as I've never bought a selfie stick for that purpose...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While selfie sticks &lt;strong&gt;can&lt;/strong&gt; be used for self defense, they are not &lt;strong&gt;made&lt;/strong&gt; for self defense. I would suggest that if you use your stick you will need to replace it after each &quot;situation&quot; because at the very least it will be bent or the telescoping joints will be sufficiently misaligned to be useless. Basically, selfie sticks are not designed to withstand sideways stresses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would suggest that aluminium selfie sticks will be prone to bending and snapping (like an older car or transistor radio aerial can be snapped), carbon fibre ones should be more resilient with regards to bending, but they won't be made from high quality carbon fibre so could still snap. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you've got the money I would suggest you purchase a walking stick or nordic walking pole instead - they are quite innocuous and helpful, but also have more reach and are stronger than a selfie stick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A comment on carbon fibre bike frames shattering: bike frames are quite tough, but they are manufactured to take stresses and forces in certain directions. If a frame shatters it is usually due to an unseen crack in the frame, or a massive amount of force applied in the wrong direction. You are far more likely to get a shattered carbon fibre wheel than a frame because the wheel is already under a large amount of stress when the extra force (pothole, stone) is suddenly applied. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2016-07-18T04:19:25.050" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6647" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6642" CreationDate="2016-07-18T17:47:38.510" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I'm a peaceful guy in his 50's, not a troublemaker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;if that's the case i would suggest using a walking cane or an umbrella, more likely to be more resistant than the selfie stick, and totally legal to carry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7069" LastActivityDate="2016-07-18T17:47:38.510" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6648" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6642" CreationDate="2016-07-18T22:25:13.843" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;As Slugster mentioned, selfie sticks are not, inherently, designed for close quarter combat. However, if you really want your stick to be effective in self-defence situations, there are a few factors to consider when choosing your &quot;weapon&quot; : techniques (length), materials, transportability and legality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Techniques (length) :&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From your question, it seems that you are familiar with a good selection of weapons. Since you seem to be more familiar with swords and sticks, my suggestion for you would be to pick a selfie stick that's around 2-3 feet long when retracted. This allows you to use most escrima or short sword techniques that you already know (it would be my personal pick for similar reasons, having learned the okinawan tonbo in the past).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, some people might be more familiar with self-defence weapons such as the kubotan. In this case, consider getting a &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B017B5ZIYE&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;small telescopic stick that about 6-7 inches long&lt;/a&gt; when retracted. At this point, it's basically a kubotan, and you should be able to use any appropriate techniques with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some companies also make very long selfie sticks, going up to 12-18 feet when extended. Once retracted, these sticks are usually about 6 feet long, which means that you could probably wield one like a staff or bo until it breaks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Materials :&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what I can see, there are three main materials used in the fabrication of selfie sticks : fibreglass, aluminium and carbon fibre. Carbon fibre would be the hardest, but might shatter if the impact is significant enough since most selfie sticks are hollow and quite thin (because they don't have to hold significant weight). Aluminium will bend the most, and is likely to stay bent after any strong impact. Fibreglass is somewhat in between, but is probably closer to carbon fibre than aluminium in terms of resistance (will flex more than carbon fibre, akin to aluminium, but is more likely to shatter).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some companies, like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/981655-REG/youngblood_the_heads_up_2_to_4_heads_up.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Youngblood&lt;/a&gt;, make fibreglass coated aluminium selfie sticks. We're talking about ~200-250$ selfie sticks here, but that combo is actually pretty kick ass. Just like concrete reinforced with rebar, the aluminium core will help the stick flex more instead of shattering, and the fibreglass exterior should be hard enough that it would take many serious strikes to permanently bend your impromptu weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case, you should aim for a telescopic selfie stick. A selfie stick that is made of a single tube is mostly empty inside, and is thus a lot less resistant. If you use a telescopic stick and leave it retracted, the 2-3 sections, when nested one within the others, will make a surprisingly resistant stick. To be fair, it's really likely to break if you use it as a weapon. But if its 2-3 layers thick, you should have time to finish your fight before having to change weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Transportability :&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if you actually want to use it as a selfie stick, only put your phone on it if you're taking pictures. The phone itself is a target for thieves and, while I'd say your life is worth more than your phone, why even risk your phone if you don't have to? That being said, you'll want something that's easily carried, and inconspicuous enough that people will let you carry it wherever it is that you're going.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why the 6 feet long stick isn't really interesting, despite doubling as a really great impromptu staff. A palm-sized stick can be carried on your belt with a strap/clip or even inside your pockets, making it the most portable option. If you want more reach, however, my personal choice would be a 2 feet long stick that can extend to 4 or 6 feet. While it can't be carried inside a pocket anymore, it can still easily be strapped to the side of any backpack (or even carried inside it, though it makes retrieving it a chore in an emergency situation), or just carried in your hand without generating much suspicion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Legality :&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on where you're going, laws can vary greatly where weapons are concerned. I can't speak for Europe, but I can give some example for Canada, since I happen to be familiar with the local weapon laws. As Sardathrion mentioned in a comment, some places, like Canada, actually consider intent to determine if something is a weapon or not. For instance, I could carry pretty much any kind of knife, as long as it's for a utilitarian purposes (skinning game, utility knife, box-cutter, etc.). The instant that I say it's for my protection, even if I never intend to use it offensively, its possession becomes illegal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, if I get mugged and happen to have a knife or a selfie stick on me, which I am carrying for legitimate purposes, I would not hesitate to use it in self-defence. Justifying minimal appropriate use of force to the cops might be a little harder for the knife than for the selfie stick, but if I can prove that I'm carrying this item for purposes others than self-defence, it should be legal as long as the danger I was facing warranted it. From the link provided by Sardathrion, the UK seems to also take the appropriateness of the force used by the defender into account in cases of self-defence, and it is likely that similar laws are in effect throughout the European Union.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If anyone asks, you're carrying your selfie stick to take cool &amp;amp; touristy selfies. And if you happen to use it in self-defence, do not exaggerate in your use of it as a weapon and do your best to keep the fight from escalating. Stop fighting as soon as you believe it is safe to do so for you, your loved ones, but also for your aggressor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2016-07-18T22:25:13.843" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6649" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5462" CreationDate="2016-07-20T03:40:23.097" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.snakevscranewingchun.com/why-isnt-wing-chun-in-the-ufc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; very comprehensive explanation that I recommend to read. In resume:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Wing Chun was not designed for ring fighting.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;In order for an art to be “represented” in the UFC, you have to have a gifted young athlete start in your style and then get the UFC&#xA;  bug.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Conditioning is not the strong point of most Wing Chun fighters.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Wing Chun was historically practiced by Chinese aristocrats, until the 1950s.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Most UFC Fighters come from a competitive sports background.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7327" LastActivityDate="2016-07-20T03:40:23.097" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6650" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6643" CreationDate="2016-07-20T17:56:23.290" Score="2" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Boxing is good for body shape, easy/quick to learn, and it is ok for self defense. You can practice your by yourself easily.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kick Boxing and/or Muay Thai are good for shape too, a little bit harder (slower) than boxing but they are easy/quick yet, better than boxing for self defense. You can still use your punching bag to practice.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Other Martial arts are more complex, the more complex the art is, harder/slower is to learn, harder is to practice by yourself. For exemple, MMA uses to practice Jiu Jitsu that does not use a punching bag and require a partner to practice and will take more time to learn. In the other hand is better for self defense.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal opinion is for Krav Maga (that I practice). It is kind of easy to learn, you can use your punching bag for some practice (because it envolves muay thai moves too). You can go to a higher level as you wish. It has military-like exercises (good for shape). It is very good for self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other options I recommend are Wing Chung, Jeet Kune Do, Goshin Jitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6474" LastActivityDate="2016-07-20T17:56:23.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6651" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6544" CreationDate="2016-07-20T18:40:53.323" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I use this: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com.br/search?q=kubotan&amp;amp;biw=745&amp;amp;bih=645&amp;amp;tbm=isch&amp;amp;tbo=u&amp;amp;source=univ&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;sqi=2&amp;amp;ved=0ahUKEwjS56ug14LOAhWDnJAKHZOJB3QQsAQIGw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Kubontan&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;Strike in the right points and it would be effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;10 years of karate may give you some advantange in a fight ( wouldn't it? ).&#xA;Practicing again would be a good way. Some videos would help you to remember some moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not know about your country laws, but knives use to be allowed. But I know it requires some practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6474" LastActivityDate="2016-07-20T18:40:53.323" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6652" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6643" CreationDate="2016-07-21T09:43:00.180" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just start with boxing and go from there. &#xA;If you an agile guy and/or just want to use your legs, try kickboxing as well.&#xA;Muay-Thai involves a few more techniques + elbows; the rest just being kickboxing basically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(in my opinio) Don't go with any traditional martial arts because it will involve form and specific things/exercises that will sometimes take more time to learn (plus the belt system which in some cases limit what you are allowed to do in the gym) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;:)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6766" LastActivityDate="2016-07-21T09:43:00.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6653" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6643" CreationDate="2016-07-21T13:21:38.830" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, hello my friend the art of boxing martial arts good self to you that I still suspect that boxing is the best I advise you to this article that will help you find the &lt;a href=&quot;http://improvementyourlife.com/how-to-choose-the-best-martial-art-for-self-defense/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;best of the art of self-defense&lt;/a&gt; read works for you and will give you some examples&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not hesitate in reading it&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7292" LastActivityDate="2016-07-21T13:21:38.830" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6654" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6658" CreationDate="2016-07-25T10:29:45.577" Score="7" ViewCount="366" Body="&lt;p&gt;In wake of more and more terrorist attacks in Europe such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_2015_Paris_attacks&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Paris&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Nice_attack&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nice&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Munich_shooting&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Munich&lt;/a&gt; as well as the rising frequency of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_shooting&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;mass shootings&lt;/a&gt; in the USA, I was wondering how martial arts deal with the treat paused by such attacks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is focused on martial arts, not &lt;a href=&quot;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/activeshooter.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;generic survival&lt;/a&gt; nor &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.zombielandrules.com/zombieland-rule-1-cardio/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Rule #1 Cardio&lt;/a&gt; tips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am interest in both the following: How can a martial art help in keeping oneself (and potential dependents) safe during said encounter? How can a martial art prepare one to take down such an attacker(s)? Clearly, taking out someone with a gun and a suicide vest leaves one very little chance of being alive at the end of the encounter and thus might not be a recommended course of action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I strongly suspect that the answer is &quot;nothing&quot; and that would make a fine answer provided that evidence is used. Ditto for affirmative answers: I &lt;em&gt;require hard evidence of any claim whatsoever&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2010/09/good-subjective-bad-subjective&quot;&gt;Good Subjective, Bad Subjective&lt;/a&gt; is &lt;em&gt;essential reading&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I am really not interested in whatsoever:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Speculations&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wishful thinking.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fabulous mystical power such as &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=48680#post48680&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;dodging bullets&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Anecdotal evidence.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any such answers should be mercilessly down voted into oblivion by everyone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2016-11-10T22:40:39.263" Title="Terror and mass shooting attacks" Tags="|training|self-defense|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6655" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6654" CreationDate="2016-07-25T11:51:52.720" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The problem that has been made very evident in these incidents is that people who have no experience or training panic. And this seems to be the case whether they have guns or not - if they have not been in a combat environment before, the first reaction is to panic and hide, flee or even stand still and fail to react.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While martial arts training may help one disarm an attacker when close, this is unlikely to happen in the initial stages, when the attacker will have the advantage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If an incident continues, martial arts training may provide discipline such that an attempt to disarm or take down an attacker by surprise may be effective, however the general rule applies: don't attack an armed man if you are unarmed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="57" LastActivityDate="2016-07-25T11:51:52.720" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6656" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6654" CreationDate="2016-07-25T12:20:30.363" Score="3" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Run, Hide, Fight&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most institutions suggest the &amp;quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VcSwejU2D0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;run, hide, fight&lt;/a&gt;&amp;quot; approach to such terrorist attacks. You should first run from the terrorist; they can't harm you if you're too far away. If that isn't an option, you should hide from the terrorist (they're less like likely to harm you if they can't see you). If both of those previous options are not available, you should fight the terrorist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;The Fight Option&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/J_KJ1R2PCMM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;21 foot rule&lt;/a&gt; is important here. Particularly note the statements at &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/J_KJ1R2PCMM?t=2m10s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2:10&lt;/a&gt;; this training video indicated that a drawn weapon will &amp;quot;win&amp;quot; at 10 feet, which is rather close. Martial arts training would be quite helpful if choosing to fight; if you can get within this distance, a well trained martial artist stands a great chance at defeating the attacker. Outside this distance, it is doubtful that any amount of martial arts training will help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-07-25T12:20:30.363" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6657" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6654" CreationDate="2016-07-25T14:06:48.240" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are some, let´s call them &quot;self-defense system styles&quot; to avoid any martial art or not discussions, like Krav Maga that could potentially be of benefit in such scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I´m saying potentially as it depends really on the type of thread one is facing, the life experience one might have (war veteran), trained martial artist ... Hitman or a Grandma. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Krav Maga there are curriculum's or special training classes one can take to get some knowledge about how to act properly in those situations, you can drill them as often you want, you may want to take some additional military boot camps, BUT that will never be a guarantee that one also reacts the right way as fighting for your life ... fearing for your life is a totally different subject matter then being on a tatami or inside a ring and staying calm is mental thing that can not be trained - You have to experience it to see how you react.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some examples: &lt;a href=&quot;http://krav-maga.com/krav-maga-for-government-sector/krav-maga-for-law-enforcement-agencies/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;krav maga for law enforcement agencies&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that the answer is a little broad, but to target all circumstances would be a really BIG answer. If you are interested on some specific things I´ll be glad to provide more detail on those...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-07-26T07:14:04.440" LastActivityDate="2016-07-26T07:14:04.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6658" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6654" CreationDate="2016-07-25T18:19:54.347" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;amp;rct=j&amp;amp;q=&amp;amp;esrc=s&amp;amp;source=web&amp;amp;cd=1&amp;amp;cad=rja&amp;amp;uact=8&amp;amp;ved=0ahUKEwj-mLaAmI_OAhVN92MKHdjJAeYQFggeMAA&amp;amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fbi.gov%2Fabout-us%2Foffice-of-partner-engagement%2Factive-shooter-incidents%2Fa-study-of-active-shooter-incidents-in-the-u.s.-2000-2013&amp;amp;usg=AFQjCNG8_AGOyEzhFGAzBVMsK9K--DJpiw&amp;amp;sig2=mDrXChp-thoV-ObQVYOGEg&quot;&gt;The FBI has done a study on mass shootings which I've found very informative&lt;/a&gt;.  Page 11, &quot;Resolutions&quot;, has a lot of useful statistics.  The slight majority of attacks (56%) end because the shooter commits suicide, flees, or gives up on their own.  In 13% of the attacks, it states &quot;citizens restrain&quot; the attackers, which is probably where we're talking about how self defense could be useful.  As the general advice to the public has been &quot;Shelter in place&quot; or &quot;Evacuate&quot;, it's hard to say how the results would change with more people being trained to take on attackers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A few years back, Jon Meis stopped a mass shooting at Seattle Pacific University by &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS9Qb2kNaw0&quot;&gt;spraying the attacker with pepper spray before disarming him of a shotgun and then restraining him&lt;/a&gt;.  Obviously, he had several advantages here - surprise, pepper spray, and the attacker was in the midst of reloading, but it does account for something.  Getting the knife away after the attacker draws it was definitely something for which hand to hand training was useful, but all of this happens AFTER the gun is out of the picture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, if you can close the gap and remove the weapon (entirely as in that case) or at least temporarily (disarm, grapple and keep it from being aimed at you) the fight becomes one of hand to hand - and that's where the martial arts/self defense training comes in.  Pretty much every modern combative art deals with gun disarm training, and most of what I've seen deals with &quot;within arm's reach&quot; kind of disarms - being held up or held hostage, which MIGHT happen, but also might NOT happen in a mass shooting.  So, my guess would be if you're serious about training for this specific thing, I'd be adding some kind of practice in identifying hiding/ambush points from which you can spring out to clear that gap in a mass shooting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Explosive suicide vests, there's no good martial arts/self defense solution for beyond running away - after all, both the bomb and any empty hand or melee weapons all work at the same range: close.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-07-25T18:19:54.347" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6659" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6660" CreationDate="2016-07-26T00:12:48.733" Score="2" ViewCount="725" Body="&lt;p&gt;For years I've had thinking if there's a martial art that teaches and maybe exclusively focuses on defence techniques without extremely hurtful bone breaking or organ damaging counter attacks. I'm aware that this might sound a bit awkward. Please forgive me for not elaborating on my motivation behind this issue but I think it would only lead to more confusion and unnecessary long discussions. Kind regards, Ed&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S. Please forgive me if this is the wrong way to answer as I'm new to this forum. I just wanted to thank you all for taking the time to answer and help me thinking in possible directions. As of my personal believes I rather run than to hurt or get hurt. On the other hand I know that I'm not a hero type who doesn't mind to get beaten and also because of this &quot;fearfulness&quot; I remember finding myself beating an opponent way to hard, just because of this fear. This is something I never ever want to experience again, more so since I'm a father now and don't want to give my boy a wrong example. I have been attacked by a kick-boxer once while doing some voluntary work with friends. One of my friends had her son of 10 yrs. helping her. After all of this happened I felt so ashamed and couldn't even look this boy in the eyes. Later on I apologised to his mother and she just reacted with a smile that she and her son both saw what happened and that I didn't have any chance to avoid what happend. Maybe this helps to understand my intention. Nevertheless, having my own kid now who is the same age as that boy I mentioned (and while I hope that I've grown up to be a little more mature) I never want my son to see his father reacting like this. I would love to remain calm and maybe even lose that fear that caused my reaction in the first place. That's why I just admire people who stay in control and are capable of avoiding the use of unnecessary force even offer the opponent to get away without too much damages. If I don't get any chance to avoid this because my family or friends would be at risk, then this is something else though I want to avoid serious damages for others. Once again, thanks to you all. Your answers are very much appreciated. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7337" LastEditorUserId="7337" LastEditDate="2016-07-29T11:07:51.067" LastActivityDate="2016-07-29T11:07:51.067" Title="What kind of martial art if I'd like to defend myself but don't want to hurt others?" Tags="|recommendation|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ClosedDate="2016-07-31T13:43:12.857" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6660" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6659" CreationDate="2016-07-26T03:40:14.493" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The most &quot;defensive&quot; or generally understood to be &quot;gentle&quot; martial arts often focus on either pushes &amp;amp; knockdowns and/or restraints through grappling.  However, even in these martial arts there's always the chance someone falls poorly and breaks bones, suffers a concussion, or in a grapple that muscle, tendon, or joints are damaged.  That's just the reality of forcibly moving someone - risk is always involved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While you can focus exclusively on these methods, most of these arts benefit by adding some amount of striking techniques in order to stun or create openings for the larger control/off-balancing - in fact, you can find many of these arts will have lineages or variations which do include some amount of these methods. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Arts that often advertise as focusing on this include aikido and tai chi, but there's some schools of judo or jujitsu which look to do less harm but still successfully operate in self defense (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.smallcirclejujitsu.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Small Circle Jujitsu&lt;/a&gt; for example).  If you're willing to accept more forceful actions - slaps, palm strikes, shoulder strikes etc. a lot more &quot;internal&quot; Chinese arts become available as options - a lot of these focus on shoving through the center to knock someone back/down - which then buys you time to run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of modern systems, you're looking for any programs or methods that focus on restraints and &quot;pain compliance&quot; options.  Kris Wilder's &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B00D4EDLFK&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Dirty Ground&lt;/a&gt; is a good book which gives variations on common grappling techniques for doing more or less harm - which might be a useful adjunct to any grappling stuff you might end up learning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whatever you're studying, do make sure it does cover defending against harmful techniques, weapons, multiple opponents, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-07-26T03:40:14.493" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6661" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2212" CreationDate="2016-07-26T05:42:19.950" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Actually, Yes they were...  Although they played a fractional role, Ninja were active in both World Wars.  There are several 'odd' accounts of US servicemen being attacked and 'taken away' at night on many of the islands where they were stranded and where fighting took place.  I read a particular interesting account (partial account actually) where a US naval serviceman was taken at night and woke several hours later quite a 'long distance' into the jungle (unaware how that could have occurred) from their beach encampment (these were survivors of a ship that struck an underwater mine).  This serviceman was supposedly tortured (mostly by hand) by a single individual for some time (torture would certainly make time pass 'very' slowly..) and then surprisingly, abandoned once this small group (his assumption) found out he was not the person that they had sought out (also his assumption due to specific questions being asked of him).  This serviceman was always 'alone' while being tortured and the face of his attacker WAS shown to him.  The man however was blindfolded whenever anyone other than the sole 'torturer' was present at their own camp.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I get from this is that the Ninja were not particularly 'worried' about what the individual would say or do while in their custody nor once released as they did not 'kill him'.  I would assume that the 'Ninja' is now no longer used due to the advent of high tech warfare and CCD camera's etc, (difficult to hide from those), but soft targets may be a 'different thing' and I would imagine they could still be useful for abductions and similar things...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7338" LastActivityDate="2016-07-26T05:42:19.950" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6663" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6659" CreationDate="2016-07-26T15:19:30.073" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my experience, with coming up on 20 years of combat sports, it seems to me that Jiu-Jitsu would be the main answer here.&#xA;Why ? : because it's efficient, it focuses on position and locks (head, arms, etc) rather than hits or throws and it is (arguably) the base of one of the most complete combat sport today : M.M.A.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6766" LastActivityDate="2016-07-26T15:19:30.073" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6664" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2212" CreationDate="2016-07-26T15:45:06.957" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think there is a consensus on the definition of shinobi/ninja, and thus their existence at any given time is spurious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mystical shadow warriors have never existed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Historic accounts of any highly-trained civilian special operations forces are kind of sketchy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If we assume shinobi/ninja are synonymous to spies, then they have almost certainly existed for at least as long as Nihon has a recorded history, but also aren't significantly different than spies the world over.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Star-tossing idiots wearing black pajamas, who flip out and kill people (all the time), have only existed since the 1980's.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-07-26T15:45:06.957" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6666" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5380" CreationDate="2016-07-26T22:01:12.350" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Disclaimer: I've also been doing Aikido for a few years only, so also consider me a beginner still.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I've been training in Aikikai Aikido for a few years but still have problems tensing up when trying to throw&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then either you are tensing up because you're tense yourself (you're afraid to fail, to hurt them or for whatever reason), or they are bad Ukes because they want to overpower you (or probably both if they are on the same level as yourself). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do your senseis practice Uke's role in your training? Uke has a job as well, and it is not holding on to you with all his might and resisting as much as he can. Uke should sense how far along the path you are, and if you are still working on the basics, he should let you learn them. Throwing a good Uke should be a joy, and then you can practice, practice, practice - when you are ready for it, ask your Uke to resist a bit more, to see if you are on the right track, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sure, an Uke can use resistance as a teaching tool to show you that you failed and better start over. But resisting while you are trying to throw them is just ignorant (which probably means your Sensei needs to explain/train it with all of you).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I saw an older tiny guy at a NJ seminar who was absolutely running circles round bigger guys. I trained with him and he mentioned trying to keep relaxed in the shoulders, use your hips and direct momentum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, that's the usual thing that happens. &quot;Old/experienced&quot; does not mean &quot;good teacher&quot;. Often, less experienced people have the benefit that they remember what it feels to be new to the art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had such a guy as well in my place, who kept nagging at me and telling be things that I could intellectually understand and agree to (&quot;yes, I &lt;em&gt;know&lt;/em&gt; that I need to do XYZ, I just don't know &lt;em&gt;how&lt;/em&gt;&quot;). My tactic in this case is to take him aside, and make it respectfully but abundantly clear that I understand his words and meaning, but am not getting what he actually wants me to &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; because I am too inexperienced. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do that once or twice - if they &quot;get it&quot;, then they are usually very happy to explain their points in more mundane words. If they don't get it, then I happily accept that I maybe won't learn much from them yet, shut my mouth for now, and will return to train with them a few months later down the road when I'm maybe able to apply their advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Example: for aihanmi katatedori ikkio, they tell you to &quot;redirect energies into your opponents center&quot;. As a newbie, you probably don't know that they simply mean to &quot;grab his elbow, and move it into his face in a big circle while walking through him&quot;. Simple words work wonders.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I hope this tries to explain what I'm getting at. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sure, the proper tension is one of the most, if not the most important, and for most people, difficult aspect of Aikido (and likely other arts as well).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;For example, if I completely relax my arms and someone charges in, it's often too late and then the strength fight starts with my arms pinned against me. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are not supposed to be relaxed like a jellyfish. You are not supposed to be tight. You are supposed to be somewhere in between. And with the correct timing, and the correct angles and and and... :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good basic technique (imo) is this: practice them grabbing you in a dynamic way (let's say the simple aihanmi katatedori), slowly, and turn yourself with tenkan/taisabaki so that your hand is like a carrot for them - &lt;em&gt;just&lt;/em&gt; out of reach while they continue trying to reach it. Do that a few times. Then make it so that they &lt;em&gt;barely&lt;/em&gt; are able to grab you (all of this in slow motion, no contest). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Etc. etc., finally let them grab you correctly while still doing your motion, and make it so that you don't feel any resistance in any way (i.e., you do not pull them and do not push them, and both of you still move along with the dynamic energy your uke came along with, and your own body rotation). That is the feeling you are looking for. From there on, it's just a few rotations here and there and a-flying they go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I'm trying to avoid this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good. Unless I spar with old friends who know what they're doing (and me also not out of my depth), I tend to abort whenever I sense that I (or my partner) are using excessive force. Not to prove a point, but because at that point the whole excercise is usually pointless. When they have grabbed you with all their might and holding you static, you usually were too late; your part of the technique should have started earlier (e.g., by providing your hand-to-be-grabbed in just the right angle etc.).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Any insight would be appreciated or advice would help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have fun. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7343" LastActivityDate="2016-07-26T22:01:12.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6667" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6659" CreationDate="2016-07-26T22:57:25.703" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;For years I've had thinking if there's a martial art that teaches and maybe exclusively focuses on defence techniques without extremely hurtful bone breaking or organ damaging counter attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sure, there is. Since you are not asking for &quot;the best&quot; or whatever, just for &quot;an&quot; art like this, I offer Aikido, simply because it is the only one I happen to do. What you ask for is the very cause of  its existence - the founder of the art appears to have done so because he was horrified by the injuries sustained (by others) while training other arts in his youth/young adult life, and basically everything about the actual training is fashioned in a way to avoid any kind of damage to both parties whatsoever. No competitions, either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It will likely take many years until it will help in real-life situations, though, so it is not a quick fix if you were looking for that (not suggesting you do, just saying).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I'm aware that this might sound a bit awkward. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why so? Not every martial artist is interested in competition and/or breaking bones. Most competition arts have rules to avoid injuries. Breaking bones is objectively not the best defense strategy - an hyperagressive hulk loaded with alcohol, drugs and adrenaline will happily let you break a few of his bones while still pounding you into a puddle of blood with the other fist, and &quot;pain compliance&quot; will probably not work with them either. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, using their own physical momentum against them with minimal effort (part of what Aikido and other arts teach), or simply stepping aside during their first swing because it is ingrained in your bodily reflexes, might just give you the few seconds required to start running.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For less explosive situations (&quot;normal&quot; people, not elite fighters, grabbbing or holding you, grabbing your hands behind your back, attacking you with a knife or sword (sic)), it has plenty of more or less realistic options). Great if working with problematic/aggressive adolescents where it just so happens that it is a very bad idea to hurt them... and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Please forgive me for not elaborating on my motivation behind this issue but I think it would only lead to more confusion and unnecessary long discussions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No need to elaborate, really, your question is clear as it stands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7343" LastEditorUserId="7343" LastEditDate="2016-07-26T23:39:23.870" LastActivityDate="2016-07-26T23:39:23.870" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6668" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6643" CreationDate="2016-07-26T23:19:29.270" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best art is the one you do not quit soon. This means, go and look at all the usual arts (probably filtered down to those you can actually train close to you, it's no use if you find a fancy art that is taught 100s of km away).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If none of the martial art schools close to you trigger your interest, then I don't see an answer. And you can only decide that yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Keep my body in shape&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, if you are moving while doing/training the art, then check.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Self defense&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even just keeping your body in shape will help with that. On the other hand, I would trust &lt;em&gt;no&lt;/em&gt; art with my life unless I've practiced it many years and become a real master, except the art of running and hiding. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Quick to learn&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That depends 100% on the teacher. A great teacher can introduce you to the basics in a few days worth of training; a bad teacher won't do that after years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a concrete suggestion, again, look for whatever your city offers. You'll likely find Jiujitsu, Judo, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, maybe Aikido, and they will all be fine (not everyone of them uses your punching bag though ;) ) with different degrees of defense effectiveness (i.e., Boxing may be of limited use to you. The rules in real-world scenarios are different, and even if you win you might go to jail because you wasted your opponent...).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7343" LastActivityDate="2016-07-26T23:19:29.270" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6671" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6599" CreationDate="2016-07-28T05:45:32.967" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ways I found dealing with arthritic pain in MA are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't 'crack' your knuckles or other joints. As good as it feels, it contributes to your long term joint damage.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Keep the affected joints mobile. Moving to all of your joint's rages, and keeping them agile and warmed up helps the arthritic creep.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Gentle massage helps to get rid of the lumps and stiffness from your joints, gets you to understand its limits.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Constant slow pressure such or isometrics such as Yoga or Pilates (or even cables) also are useful in testing joint movement range limits and strength if you feel more comfortable.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tai Chi and Chi kung can really work on improving this condition as they address the above criteria.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastActivityDate="2016-07-28T05:45:32.967" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6672" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6659" CreationDate="2016-07-28T06:38:14.497" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In order to negate the pain being projected at you, sometimes others hurt themselves whether you like it or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In real life, there's no such thing as self defense without inflicting damage to your opponent intentionally or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if you are running away from a conflict, your assailant who is chasing you trips over and hurts themselves. oops.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastActivityDate="2016-07-28T06:38:14.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6673" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6654" CreationDate="2016-07-28T15:07:23.917" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As I understand it &lt;a href=&quot;http://blauerspear.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;SPEAR by Tony Blauer&lt;/a&gt; is the training used by most law enforcement and military personal in the US and in Europe.  He has a separate training system designed for civilians.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't personally speak for it working better or worse than any other system but it claims to teach the correct skills for the kind of situation the question describes.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2016-07-28T15:07:23.917" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6674" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5896" CreationDate="2016-07-28T23:20:29.980" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have taken martial arts classes in which a woman is the instructor.  I'm male and honestly, I knew the woman instructor could knock me out in a fight and I accepted it! Lol...  I have also sparred with women black belts and in class (point sparring) and have been decisively defeated by all of them i.e. 5-0!  I was a green belt in my style.  Make your class very receptive and talk to male prospective students.  Show them that you know your stuff. Put them at ease and than do a demonstration on them (but don't hurt them of course).  The men and boys are also going to have to open their minds as well.  Women can be damn tough!!  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7349" LastActivityDate="2016-07-28T23:20:29.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6675" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5896" CreationDate="2016-07-30T08:18:30.393" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't be very harsh or very soft with men who come for the classes...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;•&lt;code&gt;Some men will find your harshness more like being woman-dominated..&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;They will either stop coming to your classes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Very Few will take up the challenge to be able to win a match against you on a ring.. And end up getting fed up  in few days if few men around&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;• Some men might come to just to check out girls... These types are likely to stay for long if you go soft on them... Now, it's upto you if you want to keep them... And note that these type might be good company to those who are serious about it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7352" LastActivityDate="2016-07-30T08:18:30.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6676" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6677" CreationDate="2016-07-30T19:26:10.947" Score="2" ViewCount="713" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a way to use Krav Maga for stopping experienced taekwondo warrior using Krav Maga drills? In Krav Maga dojo there is a black belt taekwondo who has also orange belt in Krav Maga. Are there any drills that we can use to stop him. We tried stop kicks but his kicks are so fast that it is too late. We assume that closer sparring will be a benefit for us but we can't reach inside. We look for ways to stop him in sparring and in street fights.&#xA;You can refer to the following &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/kwonclub/videos/766604380106570/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;link&lt;/a&gt; to feel our challenges. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2021-08-11T12:25:19.540" Title="How to stop taekwondo warrior using Krav Maga with no need of timing?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6677" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6676" CreationDate="2016-07-31T05:35:56.663" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Burst and fight close.  That is the strength of Krav Maga and the weakness of Tae Kwon Do.  Coming from someone who has trained in both.  There's no such thing as a counter to any style that doesn't require some level of skill and timing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead of trying to block kicks, if you want to get close, bait him until he fires one without actually committing to getting close, then jam his follow-up (you'll probably still take a bit of a hit, that's the cost of fighting someone faster than you...) and tie up for kneees/elbows/grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7300" LastActivityDate="2016-07-31T05:35:56.663" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6678" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2831" CreationDate="2016-07-31T06:40:58.943" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have studied Tai chi at my local library and found that there were many elderly people with challenges similar to yours. We were very fortunate to have a teacher who had studied the art in China and knew the applications (how to use for self-defense). I had stiffness in my shoulders when I started and reaching for objects above my head was a bit difficult. I mentioned this to the instructor in case I might be able to do something, and she showed me a better way of raising my arms over my head by keeping my shoulders &quot;down&quot;; tai chi helped me with my stiffness. I hope this helps. Good Luck to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7355" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-07-31T12:48:26.313" LastActivityDate="2016-07-31T12:48:26.313" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6679" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2234" CreationDate="2016-08-01T01:37:43.140" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;GRASS HOPPER listen up and start to remember then explore what you have been shown.&#xA;there are man paths to victory in the ring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;bent leg or supper straight is a question and there is goodness in both .&#xA;situations dictate which will be used , therefore having both methods in your arsenal, ready to use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;i beleave it the lack of english speaking ability to explain in detail all the subtleties and nuances that has created this story.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7359" LastActivityDate="2016-08-01T01:37:43.140" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6680" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2016-08-02T12:40:24.670" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;For questions involving any strike or impact that causes unconsciousness (defined as unresponsive to any stimulus by the DK first aid Manual).  Use the strangle tag for any strangle or choke that causes this.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are five ways in which a strike or other impact can cause a person to become unresponsive.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are: Concussion, Cerebral Compression, Spine Injury, Neural Stimulation/Pain and Cerebral Hypoxia (or loss of oxygen to the brain).  Skull fractures from an impact are also a possible cause of unconsciousness however the methods of causing a skull fracture are very similar to those that might cause Cerebral Compression so I will not cover them separately here.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000799.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Concussion&lt;/a&gt; is the name given to the brain being impacted by the skull.  This is the most common form of 'knockout' in competitive martial arts such as Boxing, UFC, and Judo.  Any strike that causes sufficient acceleration to the head is likely to cause concussion.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.healthcentre.org.uk/sports-medicine/sports-cerebral-compression.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Compression&lt;/a&gt; is the name given to damage to the tissue inside the skull.  A strike (with light or no gloves) to the temple that causes damage to the temporal artery would be an example of compression.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000029.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Spine injury&lt;/a&gt; although most commonly associated with car accidents can also be caused by a strike to the head.  Rather than direct damage to the brain, in this case it is the spinal chord that is damaged.  An uppercut to the jaw that lifts the head backward may cause an injury to the spine.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knockout by neural stimulation is relatively rare in competition.  Examples of this would be a &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=BiDFAgAAQBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PA451&amp;amp;dq#v=onepage&amp;amp;q&amp;amp;f=false&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;kick or punch to the testes&lt;/a&gt; although other areas of the body can cause a similar affect.  The study of these strikes tends to be a specialist subject for certain traditional martial arts styles.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knockout by &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/anoxia/anoxia.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;cerebral hypoxia&lt;/a&gt; is similar to that caused by a strangle* A strike to the carotid artery or certain parts of the chest can cause an effect similar to a stroke and may cause unconsciousness as a result.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*some people prefer the term 'blood choke'&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="6503" LastEditDate="2016-08-02T22:41:13.980" LastActivityDate="2016-08-02T22:41:13.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6681" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2016-08-02T12:40:24.670" Score="0" Body="For questions involving any strike or impact that causes unconsciousness.  " OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="6503" LastEditDate="2016-08-02T22:41:27.717" LastActivityDate="2016-08-02T22:41:27.717" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6682" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1258" CreationDate="2016-08-02T15:30:54.790" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your framing is a little off.  It's not &quot;How can I avoid a grappling situation?&quot; as much as &quot;How do &lt;strong&gt;I&lt;/strong&gt; control when and where I'm in the grappling situation?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be a bit more clear - if the person rushes you and you grab their arm, hook outside and spin them a bit at the shoulder to where you're almost at their back - you're grappling.  But you're in control, and could push them off, drag them down, or a number of other options.  (If, as in your example, two other guys are coming with weapons, you can use this guy as a shield for a moment to assess your options, or push him into one or both of his friends.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, you've used a bit of grappling but you're not at a disadvantage and you can control when you get OUT of the grappling situation.  The point is, that you want to &lt;em&gt;avoid getting controlled and/or losing your mobility&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The path to being able to do this is to train some grappling. There's many techniques which are about either slipping a grab or getting the control so that you can exit at will or push/drag the opponent leaving them knocked down or at a disadvantage.  If you're training a non-sport method, this should include strikes and quick twists/breaks to create injuries on your opponent as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-08-02T15:30:54.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6684" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6685" CreationDate="2016-08-03T14:51:19.687" Score="5" ViewCount="460" Body="&lt;p&gt;My Karate gi is pretty old and it was a middle-range one (not imported). I begin to be quite experienced and I'm thinking about buying a new gi. Do you really feel different when wearing a top quality japanese gi (the &quot;clap&quot; when you execute a technique, the overall comfort, the performance during a fight) ? I practice full contact karate at 170 lbs, and was thinking about buying a heavy one. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7362" LastActivityDate="2016-10-05T01:40:48.070" Title="Does good Karate gi make difference" Tags="|karate|competition|gi|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6685" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6684" CreationDate="2016-08-03T15:52:04.633" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, you can really feel the difference in a gi made of heavier weight material. I own a few heavy weight gi I purchased once I reached dan rankings in their respective arts, and they held up very well over years of hard use and many washings. The light weight gi can make a whip-cracking snap, but the heavier weight gi make a lower register whoosh and pop. My really heavy judo gi don't make much of a sound at all, and are still almost as stiff as a freshly starched BDU top. If you buy from a reputable source the higher cost balances out with the durability, since you should not need to replace your gi nearly as often (though YMMV).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-08-03T15:52:04.633" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6686" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-08-05T10:07:43.767" Score="2" ViewCount="516" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm trying to learn the mechanics of a straight punch by myself without an in-person teacher; even youtube videos aren't too clear for me. I'm right handed and want to know exactly how the 45 degree angle happens and how the hand is moved.  Anybody know of a slow-mo super close-up video showing a Krav Maga straight punch? A side view and a front view?  I can't tell how much to rotate my shoulder etc. either as the photos on a site and youtube videos aren't perfectly clear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7370" LastEditorUserId="7370" LastEditDate="2016-08-05T15:52:06.970" LastActivityDate="2017-09-11T19:00:22.540" Title="How to visualize a Krav Maga straight punch?" Tags="|punching|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6687" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6688" CreationDate="2016-08-05T13:52:18.097" Score="2" ViewCount="1116" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started watching fighting sports with this recent grow of the UFC and MMA.  I picked Muay Thai because it looks the funniest for my standards, it's explosive and not static so it would be my first choice. I started looking for gyms around my house and I found some Muay Thai gyms and a Muay Boran one. Now I know nothing about Muay Boran, I just read that Muay Boran is closer to the original martial art Muay Thai derived from and that is in fact a &quot;purer&quot; martial art with respect to Muay Thai which is closer to a sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the differences in the techniques between the two arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't compete, since I'm already 23 and a total beginner I don't think there's place for me in competition. For the first years it will be a total amateur thing that's for sure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7372" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-08-06T09:23:02.360" LastActivityDate="2016-08-06T09:23:02.360" Title="Technical differences between Muay Thai and Muay Boran" Tags="|training|muay-thai|recommendation|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6688" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6687" CreationDate="2016-08-05T14:45:52.973" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;TL;DR - These schools have names that refer to different concepts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what I could gather, Muay Boran seems to refer to &quot;Thai martial arts&quot; in a broader sense, while Muay Thai refers to a specific art. This is much like you finding a &quot;Karate&quot; dojo and wondering if this &quot;Karate&quot; is better or more interesting than the rival &quot;Shotokan&quot; or &quot;Kyokushin&quot; dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Etymologically speaking, &quot;Muay&quot; refers to boxing and &quot;Boran&quot; refers to something old, ancient. &quot;Muay Boran&quot; thus refers to traditional, or old-style, boxing. In older times, Thai martial arts were localized and often bore the name of the city or region where it was most known. One such example is &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muay_Chaiya&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Muay Chaiya&lt;/a&gt;, originating in the city of Chaiya. The name basically meant Chaiya-style Boxing, not unlike the names of the Okinawan arts that eventually became known as Karate (Shuri-te - fist of Shuri; Naha-te - fist of Naha; Tomari-te - fist of Tomari). All of these styles were eventually grouped under the Muay Boran umbrella, including Muay Thai, which is probably the most commonly known of these arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, it certainly doesn't mean that the Muay Boran school teaches less effective techniques. Perhaps the instructor there practices a much lesser known style, and referring to it as &quot;Muay Boran&quot; instead of something no one's ever heard of might be more attractive to people that have at least heard the name &quot;Muay Thai&quot;. Perhaps this school teaches a more modern, composite style, such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lerdrit&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Lerdrit&lt;/a&gt;, the martial arts of the Royal Thai Army, or some Thai version of Mixed Martial Arts, incorporating many techniques from different styles to form a complete art. The only way to know is to go there and ask! Who knows, maybe this Muay Boran school actually teaches Muay Thai but chose to use another name for various reasons...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2016-08-05T14:45:52.973" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6689" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2016-08-06T22:36:27.527" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2016-08-06T22:36:27.527" LastActivityDate="2016-08-06T22:36:27.527" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6690" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2016-08-06T22:36:27.527" Score="0" Body="柔(ju) 術(jutsu) is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon. Jujutsu is also anglicized as jujitsu and jiujitsu. Derived martial arts include judo and Brazilian jiujitsu. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-08-11T01:36:02.553" LastActivityDate="2016-08-11T01:36:02.553" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6691" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1258" CreationDate="2016-08-07T05:22:47.890" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;KISS,&#xA;Keep it simple stupid...&#xA;Your question is in regards to range, specifically avoiding the trapping and grappling range, which leaves kicks and strikes.  The best strikes to develop muscle memory, and accuracy, on are eye strikes and ear claps.  These take everybody out regardless of size! That's why they're not allowed in MMA sports.&#xA;You want to blind them and make them lose balance and coordination.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;For an ear slap, you want to &quot;cup&quot; your hand, like a relaxed spear hand.  Your trying to pop the enemies ear drum, and disable their balance.  Use a two hand clap, if you have no hesitation on killing the enemy, it's your call and consequences.&#xA;For an eye strike, you'll want to train for speed, and accuracy.  That means, pushups on your finger tips, hanging a small paper target from the ceiling, the height of your enemy, and practice making a pop sound white striking the paper with an eye strike, which is a &quot;V&quot; with your index and middle fingers.  Make the paper target smaller and smaller as you get better.&#xA;You'll have to train with the mind set of life or death, put the situation in your head, and see your enemy in your mind eye.  Then practice on that hanging piece of paper, at different angles, and at different levels of muscle fatigue, for accuracy!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5930" LastActivityDate="2016-08-07T05:22:47.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6692" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6695" CreationDate="2016-08-07T06:59:06.390" Score="-1" ViewCount="149" Body="&lt;p&gt;Please refer to the following &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/wayoftheshokunin/videos/1073011469446139/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;: as can be seen, the smaller man wins. &#xA;What technique does he use? Where can I find more information about it? Generally, are there any additional techniques/ drills that smaller person can use against stronger/bigger opponent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="557" LastEditDate="2016-08-22T18:17:08.660" LastActivityDate="2016-08-22T18:17:08.660" Title="Technique identification in a wrestling match" Tags="|sparring|wrestling|weight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6693" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6698" CreationDate="2016-08-07T13:17:01.537" Score="5" ViewCount="5044" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was sparring with a friend and he is much bigger than me, like 95Kg, and he went for a big kick on my &quot;vastus lateralis&quot;, shown below.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to know what kind of training I should do to harden this part of my thigh? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Q2m4z.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Q2m4z.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Thigh anatomy&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4270" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-05-20T21:26:28.100" LastActivityDate="2021-06-16T20:32:46.287" Title="How do you harden the outer side of your thighs?" Tags="|training|tae-kwon-do|karate|self-training|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6694" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6693" CreationDate="2016-08-07T13:33:36.107" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can train to endure the pain better but that's about it. Getting hit in the thigh will always hurt and will often cause you to fall over. It is also questionable whether conditioning is actually a good idea as it basically equates to damaging the nerves beyond repair. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Really it depends why you train. Self defense? Probably not worth it. Competition? Depends on the rules. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To deaden the nerve endings you need to be hit repeatedly in the area in question with a blunt hard object. For the face this is too dangerous but it should be fine for the thigh.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-08-08T02:34:27.440" LastActivityDate="2016-08-08T02:34:27.440" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6695" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6692" CreationDate="2016-08-07T14:04:43.133" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;On youtube, this is titled &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7V1eUfccJo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Jouko Salomäki vs. Hans Fell&lt;/a&gt;. In this match, you should notice that there is a huge skill disparity between the smaller man and the bigger man. The bigger man is uncomfortable and never actually produces an attack. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are no magic techniques that will make small people win against big people. As I pointed out in my answer to your other question, you need to train techniques well to get them to work against bigger opponents. In any  martial art, you should be training with the mindset that your opponents are bigger and stronger. If you understand how to make techniques work on bigger and stronger opponents, it is straightforward to apply them to equal-sized or smaller opponents. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is the brief analysis of the wrestling techniques in the video:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;~18 sec single leg takedown. This is one of the first attacks you learn in wrestling. There are many variations. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;~30 sec &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.kolat.com/mid-level-gutwrench&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;gut wrench&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;~56 sec To me this looks like a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.kolat.com/firemans-carry-series&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;fireman's carry&lt;/a&gt; attempt. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;~60 sec &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QbgtFZoaE8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;front headlock roll&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the best techniques to use against opponents who are bigger and stronger? The techniques you are good at. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-08-08T02:32:06.803" LastActivityDate="2016-08-08T02:32:06.803" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6698" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6693" CreationDate="2016-08-07T22:59:34.123" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can't actually &quot;harden&quot; soft tissue through conditioning.  You can:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A) increase the muscle strength and density (though strength training), which gives you better ability to absorb/resist hits&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;B) condition yourself to work through the pain and numbness by regularly taking thigh hits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise, it comes to do avoiding the hit, or doing some form of blocking.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Classic Muay Thai raises the knee and drops the elbow inside your leg to defend, which spreads the surface area at the cost of your balance.  I've seen some Filipino fighting styles throw the opposite leg's knee to serve as the blocking surface - which can be really dangerous to the attacker's leg if you're quick enough to read and get it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many modern fighters raise the knee slightly to give some tension to the muscle to resist and try to get some minor deflection.  Many MMA fighters turn the hips to try to spread the impact across the front of both thighs instead - the drawback here is that sometimes the attackers' foot can slide up into your groin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, all of these are done in conjunction with the strength training and pain conditioning I mentioned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-08-07T22:59:34.123" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6699" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1307" CreationDate="2016-08-10T01:12:31.580" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo rules and scoring have changed over the years, so I am providing an update for 2016. Differences from older answers are in pin times and treatment of penalties. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Scores&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are three positive scores:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;ippon - a match ends immediately if when an ippon is scored. Referee signals with arm pointing to ceiling. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;wazari - if a player scores two wazari, the match immediately ends (wazari awasete ippon). Referee signals with arm out to side, parallel or higher to ground. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;yuko - these only count if match time expires. Referee signals with arm out to side and angled down. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are four ways to score:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;pin (osaekomi)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;choke (shime)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;arm lock (kansetsu)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chokes and arm locks are all or nothing; they can only score ippon. Throws and pins have their own criteria for determining scores. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Throw scoring&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The criteria for judging a throw score are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;opponent lands largely on the back&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;speed&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;force&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;control&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If a throw meets all four criteria, it is an ippon. It if it missing one, it is a wazari, including if the player being thrown rolls across their back instead of landing on it. A yuko is a throw where the player lands on their side. There is no score if someone lands on their front. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In order to score, a player must perform a throwing action. It is not sufficient for an opponent to land on their back, as they would, for example, while attempting a sacrifice throw. In situations where one player is attacking and the other counters, either player may score. It may be very difficult in these situations to determine who has scored, as in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK5TYK8Efc0&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;2000 Sydney Olympics heavyweight final&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Pins&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pins require control of the opponent with the back of at least one of their shoulders on the mat and the requirement that the legs of the pinning player must be free of the player being pinned. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The duration of the pin determines score:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;10-14 seconds - yuko&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;15-19 seconds - wazari&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;20 seconds - ippon&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Matches can continue on the mat before a pin while the referee considers that progress is being made, which is subjective. If the situation stalls, the referee restarts the competitors in a standing position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Penalties&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sadly, penalties are a very important component of competitive judo. There are two types of penalties:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;major (hansoku make) Major penalties result in automatic disqualification and are relatively rare. These are for grabbing the legs from a standing position, punching, or safety violations.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;minor (shido) Minor penalties include for stalling, false attacks (which are a form of stalling), not taking a grip, pulling off a grip with two hands, holding onto one side of the opponents gi with two hands without attacking, stepping out of bounds, or pushing your opponent out of bounds. Four shidos in a match result in disqualification. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Penalties do not accumulate into positive scores before disqualification. They used to, but this was changed to encourage &quot;positive judo&quot; so that positive scores count above penalties. Towards the end of matches, you will often see the player in the lead stalling and accumulating penalties to preserve their lead. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The referee signals a penalty by stopping the match, making a motion to indicate the violation, and pointing a finger at the offending player. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;End of time&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When time expires, scores and penalties are compared to determine who wins. If one player has a wazari and the other does not, the player with the wazari wins. If the number of wazari is the same, yukos are compared. If one player has more yukos, that player wins. If the number of yukos is also the same, the shidos are compared. If one player has fewer shidos, that player wins. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When time expires and the players are tied (same scores and penalties), the match continues in golden score. The players compete until one player either scores or exactly one receives a shido, and a winner is declared. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Scoring examples&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The score format is now&#xA;(ippon)(wazari)(yuko)s(shido). &#xA;Leading zeros may be omitted. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;100-0s1 Player 1 has an ippon, and player 2 has a shido. Player 1 wins&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;1s1-0s2 Player 1 a yuko and a shido, and player 2 has 2 shidos. Player 1 wins. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;2-10s3 Player 1 has 2 yukos. Player 2 has a wazari and 3 shidos. Player 2 wins. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;0H-100s1 Player 1 has a hansoku make. Player 2 has an ippon (because of player 1's hansoku make) and a shido. Player 2 wins. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;0s1-0s2 Player 1 has a shido. Player 2 has 2 shidos. Player 1 wins. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-08-10T14:06:31.277" LastActivityDate="2016-08-10T14:06:31.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6700" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6686" CreationDate="2016-08-10T18:57:31.407" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think that you are overcomplicating things. &#xA;The Krav-Maga straight punch is called so on purpose, as the boxers punching technique (like a corkscrew) and having a snapping ending is to much technical and needs far more practice to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The straight punch execution:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Let your arms hang to the sides naturally.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lift your arms or just your right or left arm to the front.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;By now you should have a natural hand position by approx. 45° it is not set in stone to be 45° btw.!&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Close your fist and make sure your big knuckles of the fist are aligned with the big bone of the underarm. You should have a straight line from the underarm to the two knuckles of your fist.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When the punch gets executed, twist your shoulder at the same time with your hip and make sure your shoulder passes your center of the body so you generate enough force but don't lose balance and don't lean forward - as this is not intended&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Recoil your fist after hitting the target.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;That's basically all to it...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you Google for Krav-Maga straight punch, you should be able to understand how it works with the information above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-08-10T18:57:31.407" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6701" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6708" CreationDate="2016-08-11T00:15:19.560" Score="6" ViewCount="2097" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/OPhSI.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/OPhSI.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;en garde&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would expect that given fencing's linear nature, it would be more advantageous to angle the back foot more forward to push off. Why does the foot point off to the side in the basic stance?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-02-12T00:41:09.187" Title="Why do fencers point their back foot to the side in the en garde position?" Tags="|stance|fencing|footwork|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6702" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-08-11T00:41:55.523" Score="2" ViewCount="430" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are kicking &amp;amp; punches similar if not the same for TKD as they are for Krav Maga?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7382" LastActivityDate="2016-08-20T23:40:29.197" Title="Krav Maga &amp; TKD strikes similar" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6703" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6702" CreationDate="2016-08-11T04:55:22.540" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's huge variety in what passes for TKD - it's evolved (degraded?) from (predominantly Shotokan) karate to myriad current forms including the WTF Olympic sport, and ITF and its dubious sine wave, in just 70 years, while being spread to hundreds of countries by instructors of all ability levels with all manner of influences.  There are many significant sized organisations - some with quite consistent, distinctive technique and others where seemingly anything goes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some styles barely punch at all, while others give it as much or more focus than kicking.  That said, few TKD styles that don't explicitly claim a boxing influence emphasise hooks or upper-cut punches, nor is punching with a vertical fist common.  Upset (punches into the stomach) are taught in some schools, but not utilised much in combat.  These all seem common in the (relatively little) Krav Maga I've seen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for kicks, my impression is that many Krav Maga instructors prefer to focus on low kicks and knees, quite unlike the majority of TKD schools where kicking is predominantly above the belt.  The Krag Maga instructors I've seen kick higher aren't doing anything outside the range of techniques that'd pass for &lt;em&gt;some&lt;/em&gt; manner of TKD, but they wouldn't be mistaken for a high-level WTF or ITF practitioner, for which the stylistic elements are pretty obvious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2016-08-20T23:40:29.197" LastActivityDate="2016-08-20T23:40:29.197" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6704" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6701" CreationDate="2016-08-11T06:36:14.950" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;It has been a while since I fenced, but my understanding of the foot position is to increase stability during a deep thrust like the one shown below. Look at the leg slightly above the &quot;C&quot; of the fencer on the right. Were their foot in any other position, they would not be able to extend as much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Y7RND.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Y7RND.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Rapier thrust&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-08-12T14:07:22.913" LastActivityDate="2016-08-12T14:07:22.913" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6705" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6701" CreationDate="2016-08-11T21:08:14.567" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;We have had some considerations in our Judo training regarding the open foot-stance. I can only report here, I have no (e.g. biomechanical) informations soppurting this. It only makes sense for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main points have been that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;a) The thrust forward is more stable. Having your back foot in line forces you to either rest rather on your heel, which makes it impossible to have explosive movements forward or you rest on your forefoot in order to have the possibility to accelerate forwards explosively, but having only small parts of your foot on the ground has the disadvantage that you loose great amounts of adhesion - you are more at risk of slipping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;b) Possibly not that important for fencing, but in Judo, the stability against being pushed backwards is better as well: If you have the back foot in line and rest on your heel, you tend to roll over it and you have no muscles functional to work against it (the calf is stretched), if you rest on your forefoot the point of slipping is your main problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both points may be avoided by pointing the back foot to the side: Full adhesion and the possibility of explosive thrust. In Judo, another point is the mobility sidewards, but this can be ignored in fencing, of course.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2016-08-11T21:08:14.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6706" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-08-12T11:14:06.827" Score="4" ViewCount="1241" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have noticed that during kick boxing every time I receive a punch or kick on the head or even neck I tend to go into concussion. I initially suspected it to be vertigo but it seems more like concussion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any conditioning exercises that I can do that can prevent a concussion every time I am punched/kicked on the head/neck?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5935" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-20T19:36:57.417" LastActivityDate="2019-04-20T19:36:57.417" Title="Any conditioning exercise that can prevent concussion caused by a punch or kick to the head or neck?" Tags="|boxing|kicking|punching|brain-injury|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6707" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6706" CreationDate="2016-08-12T13:22:12.223" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;What you are talking about sounds like a disruption to the vestibular system of the inner ear. Some people are particularly sensitive to disequilibrium from abrupt motion. If this is the case for you, I would recommend seeing an ENT physician. They should be able to run some test and perhaps prescribe medication to mitigate the vertigo.  If you want to try something over-the-counter (OTC), Dramamine may help you, but it does cause drowsiness as a side effect. You should definitely rule out any underlying medical causes for this condition before considering any other options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-08-12T13:22:12.223" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6708" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6701" CreationDate="2016-08-12T13:58:06.640" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Mainly for versatility and stability. In fencing your actions moving backwards are just as important as your actions moving forwards. A lot of people think of it as advancing on your opponent or retreating from them, but the point of those things isn't to capture or cede strip, it is to open and close distance. &#xA;When you're fencing, you know your range and you know where you're most effective. When you're new, you only know these things for perfect control and balance situations. As you get better and more experienced, you also start to get a sense of where those points are during motion and in situations of imbalance. At that point, what direction you're moving matters much less than whether the space between you and your opponent is opening, closing, or static. And your opponent is trying to do the same thing. So you're both trying to manage optimum distance at the same time. Micro changes in direction and pace are really really important. &#xA;If your foot is turned too far forwards, while it favors forward motion, it doesn't provide any stability in terms of quick changes of direction. If your foot is turned too far backwards, you just fall over.&#xA;Posting guidelines says &quot;Share your research&quot; - I've been a fencer since 1985, competitive on the national level since 1990. I have taught beginners for most of that time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7389" LastActivityDate="2016-08-12T13:58:06.640" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6709" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4207" CreationDate="2016-08-12T16:19:48.733" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe everyone has their own preferances but for me personally, I like to use the lighter gloves on pad work as I am looking to improve my precision and targeting. During sparring, the heavier (more cushioned) gloves are ideal protection for the opponent (as mentioned by the above contributor).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7391" LastActivityDate="2016-08-12T16:19:48.733" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6710" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6706" CreationDate="2016-08-13T13:34:40.163" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;My first piece of advice is to see a doctor.  If you are suffering something other than a concussion, that's important to know.  However, if you are suffering concussions, you are risking your health in a serious way, and that's even more important to know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Concussions ARE brain damage&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All the current science points to the fact that concussions produce permanent damage.  The &quot;recovery&quot; from a concussion is your brain re-wiring itself around the damage.  Enough concussions, enough damage, and your brain lacks enough connections to keep it going - and people end up with memory, speech, emotional problems.  Or death.  A lot of high school sports deaths in the US are directly tied to concussions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you suffer headaches after any of these hits, you need to end that session of training.  If the headaches get worse AFTER the hit, you should go seek medical care immediately.  Concussions turn to death typically within a few hours to a day after receiving them - as brain swelling isn't immediate - and if symptoms worse, that's your small window to get help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Avoiding Concussions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's say you go to the doctor and it does turn out to be some other issue that is treatable, and you're still worried about concussions as a separate issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My previous answer about &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/4257/1598&quot;&gt;boxers dealing with head blows&lt;/a&gt; sums it up.  You can condition your neck to improve stabilizers, you can learn to block better, and roll with the blows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if it turns out you have been taking concussions this whole time? You need to stop engaging in full contact sports.  The sports medicine teacher I trained under, who coached football, had a rule: 3 concussions in your high school career, and you're out of the sport forever.  It wasn't worth risking your life or permanent disability for fun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-08-13T13:34:40.163" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6712" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-08-17T10:11:30.760" Score="6" ViewCount="293" Body="&lt;p&gt;I guess, a lot of people here are familiar with &quot;Muay Thai - The Art of Fighting&quot; book, or at least with its list of Muay Thai techniques copypasted all over the Muay Thai related web.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The list where all techniques are divided into Cherng Muay, Kon Muay, Mae Mai and Look Mai with further fist/elbow/knee/foot division.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of the techniques have fancy names often referring to Ramakien epic as  opposed to simple modern technique lists (like one on the Wiki). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where does this list come from? I believe there must be a certain major Thai source.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7411" LastActivityDate="2016-10-26T07:59:18.460" Title="The source of Muay Thai techniques terminology" Tags="|technique|muay-thai|terminology|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6713" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6693" CreationDate="2016-08-17T15:56:22.177" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The other questions here answer the intention of the question quite well: Don't take lowkicks if you can avoid it. No matter the muscles, a well-performed lowkick can be crippling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you just want hard upper legs / thighs, I may be able to help, as I happen to have that (people often complain about hurting themselves when kicking me, due to that. Been called having iron legs, as a result).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I got 3 ways for it, the first one mostly being available only when growing up. I suppose it will still have effect when you're older, but to a lesser extend. The other 2 need to be done in combination of each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ride a bike. I'm not talking the bikes you see in cyclist races. I'm talking a regular mom and pops bike. Ride it anywhere, as fast as you can, up to the point that slightly sore upper legs seem like a normal state of being. That's what I did when I was a teenager (it was either that or walking), and it must have laid the ground works.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Horse stance helps alot, too. If your style has eg. 3 basic stances, including horse stance, every other day do exercises like 1x60 seconds horse stance, 2x60 seconds the 2nd stance (left for 60 seconds, then right for 60 seconds), same for the third stance, then horse stance for 60 seconds again. Do it as low as you can, really pushing down.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Running, for every day you're not doing stances. The stances typically will make your legs feel heavy the day after. Running will counteract that, making them feel light again while firming them up.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, all this is personal experience. Your milage may vary. Also, I can't stress it enough: even with hard, strong thighs, don't be daft and take lowkicks like candy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2016-08-17T15:56:22.177" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6714" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2577" CreationDate="2016-08-17T20:05:33.533" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe that is a great age to start! Your body is still growing and you are training your muscles so that they grow stronger with you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;However,&lt;/strong&gt; regarding your question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind that Martial Arts are not just &lt;em&gt;sports&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;competitions&lt;/em&gt;, Martial Arts are &lt;strong&gt;a way of living&lt;/strong&gt;. That tiny &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;-Do&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; at the end of the name means &lt;em&gt;way&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;route&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus Martial Arts are a life-long journey. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;The more you know, the more you discover that you don't know and the more you want to research&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, being good in competitions it's not only about &lt;em&gt;years&lt;/em&gt;; it is about &lt;strong&gt;depth of understanding&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;experience&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;dedicated training&lt;/strong&gt;, and of course, a bit of &lt;em&gt;luck and talent&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you listen to your Master and try to understand every part of your training you will be a champion both &lt;em&gt;inside and outside&lt;/em&gt; the ring. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From someone who has practiced both Shaolin and WuDang styles of Kung-Fu, San Shao (San Da, Chinese kickboxing), Krav Maga &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; has a deep love for philosophy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7416" LastActivityDate="2016-08-17T20:05:33.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6715" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5077" CreationDate="2016-08-17T20:18:58.907" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind that Martial Arts are not just sports or competitions, Martial Arts are a way of living. That tiny &lt;strong&gt;-Do&lt;/strong&gt; at the end of the name means way or route.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus Martial Arts are a life-long journey.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;May I first ask why is it that you want to start TaeKwonDo? Maybe I can suggest an equivalent style of Martial Arts that does not rely as much on competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously I do not pretend to know all Martial Arts, but as my knowledge goes, all beginners learn the &lt;strong&gt;fundamentals&lt;/strong&gt; of their style. This is usually &lt;em&gt;stances&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;forms&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;kicks &amp;amp; punches&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will help you: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Create a good posture&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Understand basic movement&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Help with the respiratory system&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gain confidence with your body&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After the basics, your muscles, tissues, bones, skin will be able to absorb more pain and you will be introduced to physical contact. This simple contact is to remove the fear of being hit and give you the knowledge of how to strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You won't participate in a ring fight &lt;strong&gt;unless&lt;/strong&gt; you have a certain rank.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those guys getting KO-d are professionals whose body is adjusted to that sort of pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Most importantly:&lt;/strong&gt; Martial Arts teach you how to connect your body with your mind and emotions. They teach you how to achieve peace and deepen a sense of being.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From someone who has practiced both Shaolin and WuDang styles of Kung-Fu, San Shao (San Da, Chinese kickboxing), Krav Maga and has a deep love for philosophy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7416" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-08-18T13:04:37.497" LastActivityDate="2016-08-18T13:04:37.497" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6717" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6070" CreationDate="2016-08-18T21:28:36.923" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Usually every exercise has a solution both as an attacker or defender. The demonstration in the video shows an advantage point from the attacker, and does not focus on the defender. Thus the first thing is to &lt;strong&gt;not allow yourself to get into that position&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you feel the opponent is grabbing onto a limb of yours, that means he/she is vulnerable somewhere. Aim for that spot. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;i.e. in the video the attacker has a vulnerability on his left knee. You could try to accumulate a bit of momentum and kick his shin or knee (if you can). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also use your body weight. Push him with your left shoulder or if he is heavier just jump onto him aiming both for the ground (I might be wrong on this one). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, the situation in the video &lt;em&gt;is highly advantaged&lt;/em&gt; towards the attacker and you are not supposed to let anyone get that good of a hold to your arm. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope my answer is adequate. I am new to this community and I love to discuss Martial Arts :) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7416" LastEditorUserId="7416" LastEditDate="2017-03-08T09:22:59.577" LastActivityDate="2017-03-08T09:22:59.577" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6718" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6070" CreationDate="2016-08-18T22:33:04.763" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's true the wrist position is vunerable and can be damaged no matter what happens next.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if I really wanted to risk it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Look to slightly off balance the attacker (the guy putting the lock on) to create just enough space. I would push slightly (1 inch) with my front shoulder &amp;amp; front knee to my right. Then reverse this by driving with the head and torso slightly back. Repeat as required.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Assuming the hold is slightly loosened I can now move my hips out away from the attacker while trying to make a fist with the locked wrist.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hopefully there is now a little more room and I can move my opposite shoulder forward (right one in the video), turn the hips slightly to the right &amp;amp; try to drive my caught wrist downwards.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Now that there is hopefully some space the arm that was trapped can move past the hips, I can now use my legs, head &amp;amp; shoulders to drive him back so that I can single leg him with the other arm.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said I would prefer not to let the person get a hold in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7040" LastActivityDate="2016-08-18T22:33:04.763" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6719" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4790" CreationDate="2016-08-19T07:57:56.013" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I train Thai, mma and bjj and I use a garmin vivoactive hr, you can use it with or without a chest strap I have used it for heart rate with just the watch and just put it a few inches higher up my arm just after my hand wraps. The glove covers it, I've even used it during sparring (45 minutes averaging 194bpm!) and so far it's been accurate, for bjj I use a chest strap and same with wrestling. I'm pretty happy with it. You need to buy the strap seperate and I'd go with the flattest garmin strap you can find. It's also perfect for when I'm doing my s&amp;amp;c work, it's got all the gps features you could ever need and I use it when I swim. Can't rate it highly enough! Another handy feature is that you can connect it to my fitness pal and track your diet via that, fantastic when cutting weight. It adjusts the calories in/out but don't input your exercise on the my fitnesspal If it's tracked via the watch but if you take the watch off for the session you can put it in that way and it will adjust your calories via an estimated amount for that sport. And it links in to the apple fitness app too, never used it but I'm sure that's good too. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7422" LastActivityDate="2016-08-19T07:57:56.013" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6720" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6599" CreationDate="2016-08-19T08:43:29.703" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my club there actually are a few people with arthritis. It's usually in the wrists, which makes pushups and full contact boxing very fun for them. They work around these limitations by adjusting the exercise to suit them (eg. for pushups, doing them on the elbows instead)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, keep in mind what you train for. If you train for competitions with arthritis, you may not have the best goal in mind. If you train for health, exercise, and being able to defend yourself if necessary, then it's all good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your goal is general health and exercise, and being able to defend yourself, as usual the teacher matters more than the style. If your club allows you to work around your limitations, you'll be fine in any style. If your club forces you to eg. do pushups on your hands instead of elbows, it won't be for you, regardless of the style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2016-08-19T08:43:29.703" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6721" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6599" CreationDate="2016-08-19T10:01:53.313" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First and foremost:&lt;/strong&gt; I would strongly encourage you to visit a doctor before you decide to take on any sports (and after picking a certain Martial Art). They know what is best for you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Which Martial Art to choose&lt;/em&gt; is a typical question but as much as all Martial Arts share a lot of common features, they vary from Art to Art, from style to style and even from within the style because &lt;strong&gt;the most important part of your Martial Arts training is your Master/Teacher&lt;/strong&gt; combined with his techniques and exercises (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.researchofmartialarts.com/#!about/c1pyv&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;reference&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should know that we are all biased and unfortunately no one can try all Martial Arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;However&lt;/em&gt; a good start might be to &lt;strong&gt;look around your area&lt;/strong&gt; for the Martial Arts classes that it offers. Visit the class, talk to the Master/Teacher. I am sure they are more than happy to discuss their interpretation of the Martial Arts philosophy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I come from a Kung Fu background (both Northen Shaolin Chan, Jing Wu (Chin-Woo), Wu-Dang, Taiji, San Shao (San Da), and Krav Maga). Thus I am more biased towards those.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because of your disadvantages I highly recommend to &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; engage in any grappling/throwing/lock-joints (such as Judo, BJJ, Aikido etc). These sports focus on throwing the opponent on the ground and you cannot afford that. Also they focus on the strengthening of joints, which in your case it might make it worse (again, I am no doctor).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I suggest is to try &quot;&lt;strong&gt;Internal&lt;/strong&gt; Martial Arts&quot;. They focus on coordinating your body with your conscious &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; unconscious mind. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Taiji&lt;/em&gt; is a good example. You have plenty of exercises that improve your reflexes, but unlike &lt;em&gt;external&lt;/em&gt; Martial Arts, here you learn by doing very slow movements, which deepen your understanding. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please keep in mind that &lt;em&gt;the goal of Martial Arts is &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; to kick ass, but to have a deeper sense of being and understanding your body&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also in &lt;em&gt;Wu-Dang&lt;/em&gt; styles (such as &lt;em&gt;Taiji&lt;/em&gt;) you learn animal stances and forms (how cool is that? :D )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7416" LastActivityDate="2016-08-19T10:01:53.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6722" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="359" CreationDate="2016-08-21T12:56:58.413" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;What i Know is -  human brain receives one signal at a time. We take our strike as a light  signal and shout as a sound signal. If the brain received sound signal the hit will serve more dangerous to the opponent. Just like a hit to a person who is not alert towards the move, strike becomes more dangerous than to whom who is aware of the strike. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly it is a natural process producing sound force to pull or push a more heavy weight, we use the same force to deliver the strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thirdly animals scream, shout &amp;amp; Grunt naturally when they are scared and try to scare the opponent by high sound.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7430" LastEditorUserId="7430" LastEditDate="2016-08-21T13:04:32.203" LastActivityDate="2016-08-21T13:04:32.203" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6723" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-08-22T01:45:02.960" Score="-1" ViewCount="2308" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm interested in trying to find a training partner in my area to practice at my house. I am strapped for cash and time so martial arts gyms are out for right now. However, I have everything necessary to train at home (multiple sets of pads and mitts, heavy bag, room to train). Ideally I'd like to find someone with a certain degree of knowledge and skill in stand up and ground game, as I do. I really don't want to have to teach someone. My question is, where should I look for a training partner online/offline? I checked craigslist but didn't see any posts that were relevant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7433" LastActivityDate="2019-12-19T04:13:12.623" Title="Where to find a training partner for home based practicing?" Tags="|training|kickboxing|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6724" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6725" CreationDate="2016-08-22T08:37:43.450" Score="6" ViewCount="239" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm going to a Muay Thai gym soon. I'm a total beginner so I'll have to follow and trust blindly everything my instructor says. Since nobody is perfect and somebody may even be not prepared, I'm not so sure of this choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there some major and common flaws in teaching Muay Thai I can recognize to classify the guy as a bad teacher? And are there some concepts or things to teach that can tell me immediately that the teacher is good or even great? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7372" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-08-22T12:49:43.220" LastActivityDate="2016-08-22T12:49:43.220" Title="How to notice if your instructor knows what he's talking about" Tags="|training|muay-thai|teaching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6725" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6724" CreationDate="2016-08-22T10:00:01.433" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most of this advise is a sub-set of looking out for a Mc Dojop. I am going to assume that you are referring to technical knowledge instead of generic &quot;should I train here&quot; which has been answered &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/1504/82&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/80/82&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are a majority students showing signs of injuries? If so, &lt;em&gt;run&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is the teacher explaining techniques safely?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is the teacher explaining techniques clearly?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is the teacher humble or arrogant?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are students practising with you appropriately for your level?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is there a warm up and cool down in each class?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is there a fist aid kit in the gym?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is there water in the gym?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;After the class: do you hurt more than expected after exercising hard?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could look at how many fighters went on winning tournaments within your gym? This can give you a clue as to how well people coming to train do. Although, this might be a false alarm is the gym is a fun place without pushing fighters. The class might still be really good. However, I would expect anyone teaching Muay Thai to have had a career as fighter (maybe just as an amateur) which you could check…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that you cannot tell if the technical knowledge is &quot;correct&quot; since you have no idea what Muay Thai correct is. However, use your common sense to determine if the techniques you were shown are practical. As a hint: the more complex the technique, the less practical it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-08-22T10:00:01.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6726" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6728" CreationDate="2016-08-22T15:33:57.413" Score="5" ViewCount="1647" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the best martial art for me? I'm 25 years old and have a stiff body (stretching my body is really, really killing me, I cannot touch my toes while sitting straight).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people around me talk that it's too late for me to start learning martial art now, but I want to give it a try. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have 3 candidates: Hapkido, Taekwondo, and Wing Chun. &#xA;I'm confused which one should I pick, because I want to learn martial art mainly for sport (and of course burn some fat in my body).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7434" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-08-22T21:29:34.590" LastActivityDate="2016-11-01T06:12:21.753" Title="Which Martial Art for sport for a young person with stiff body?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|recommendation|wing-chun|hapkido|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6727" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2360" CreationDate="2016-08-22T20:50:14.093" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've also heard that samurai wore white under their armour, and that it was a funeral garb. &#xA;Therefore if he was to die he's already to go! &#xA;Shows a real do or die outlook.&#xA;I remember hearing this story years ago when i first started training but i cant verify it.&#xA;I like it though. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7435" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-08-22T21:05:32.623" LastActivityDate="2016-08-22T21:05:32.623" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6728" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6726" CreationDate="2016-08-22T21:27:06.277" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are interested in sport competition among the three options you have presented, I would choose taekwondo. Taekwondo has sanctioned sport competition, whereas hapkido and wing chun are more self-defense oriented. The specific schools around you may differ, but I would expect the sport opportunities to be greatest in taekwondo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's never too late to learn martial arts. It may be too late to achieve some goals like competing in the Olympics in taekwondo, but if your goals are flexibility and sport, go for it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for your stiffness, the idea behind martial arts training is that it improves your body to make it more flexible and strong. A martial arts teacher expects to train their students to improve these. You should not have any hesitation to start training because you are inflexible; the whole point of training is to improve this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-08-22T21:27:06.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6729" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6726" CreationDate="2016-08-22T21:27:47.490" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It seems like you're looking for a definitively striking-based martial art. Of those you have suggested, I would agree that tae kwon do is the best, but I would very strongly recommend looking into other alternatives.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason being that striking arts are focused on, well, striking; quick jerking extensions and contractions of muscles and tendons. In general, you will be moving around a ton and be straining yourself in ways I do not think you want to, if you are as stiff as you say.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would give my sincere recommendation to any Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu places by you. The art is designed for non-athletic people, whereas striking arts demand athleticism. It's a great work out too, as you maintain a steady pace for longer, which burns more fat than the more 'sprint' nature of striking arts. BJJ will help slowly and much more healthily improve your flexibility, and eventually to a degree higher than any of your listed choices. It's also a much more practical self-defense art (this is an area of HUGE debate, but most agree BJJ wins).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Check out these videos by the Gracie Family (Invented modern jiu-jitsu) and see if it's something you'd consider:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM_8-c1EqOY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM_8-c1EqOY&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CphlU3ApDHg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CphlU3ApDHg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7417" LastActivityDate="2016-08-22T21:27:47.490" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6730" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5398" CreationDate="2016-08-23T01:35:49.690" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm late in this post but the bottom line is....you need to find better schools with better instructors.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instructors will dictate what kind of students stay at the school.  If an instructor is a bully and has a bad attitude, soon all the people who don't appreciate bullies and don't have bad attitudes will leave.  In turn, all that's left are bullies and people with bad attitudes.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same goes for great instructors that are caring and fair. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I train Shidokan.  We study knockdown karate, kickboxing, boxing, judo, jits, and mma.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If anyone is ever executing a technique or sparring too hard on a less experienced student, you better believe that the next round that student will be working with an upper classman or instructor and will get a taste of their own medicine. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I respect everyone trying to diagnose the issue here but the short answer is, you are not respected at these schools and need to go elsewhere to a business who cares about all their students. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7438" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-08-23T11:36:36.317" LastActivityDate="2016-08-23T11:36:36.317" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6731" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-08-23T03:34:33.963" Score="2" ViewCount="2397" Body="&lt;p&gt;I once heard that the grandmaster of a school of martial arts has the highest rank in the whole world. No one else can earn that rank, so when the grandmaster passes, the man or woman who has the next-highest rank becomes the grandmaster. However, even then, that person never attains the same rank as the previous grandmaster. The highest rank is simply lowered by one. Perhaps, I am confused, but would that mean that after many years, the highest rank would be (for example) a blue belt?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7439" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-08-23T13:26:40.930" LastActivityDate="2018-06-28T17:47:45.320" Title="The Grandmaster's Rank" Tags="|belt|schools|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6732" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6731" CreationDate="2016-08-23T05:02:05.880" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Martial Arts Traditions Vary&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, there's no universal structure for all martial arts.  Different styles, different schools, different teachers within the same style, might have different ranks, or no ranking system at all. (Wikipedia on &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandmaster_(martial_arts)&quot;&gt;martial arts grandmasters&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Common Traditions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many styles (but not all, maybe not most, when you look at things globally), have a head of a style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some, when the head instructor passes, it goes down to the next highest ranked person.  In some, a group of the most advanced instructors decide who is next.  In some, the head instructor has nominated someone as an heir - usually either their most favored student or a family member.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In most cases, that person takes on that same rank of grandmaster/head of the lineage.  Sometimes, they may get the top role, but if it has a belt ranking, they may still have to put in time or earn a higher rank as well.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, there's also many situations where someone breaks off from a lineage, creating their own new lineage - changing the name, perhaps changing or mixing in other styles, or perhaps not at all - and then take on the role of &quot;grandmaster&quot; for their new lineage.  This happens a lot when you have friction and political problems within a lineage, and in places where it's profitable to trademark a style and set yourself up as the person with the rights to teach these materials and license use of your school's name and logos.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Confucianism&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe the person who told you &quot;never attains the same rank&quot; might have somehow deeply confused a basic idea of Confucianism?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Confucian traditions, there's a deep reverence for family, elders and teachers. So, if you were to inherit the title of Grandmaster or head of a style, you'd be the official top ranked person, but you'd still always pay respects to the instructor(s) who came before you.  They would, at least in your esteem, &quot;outrank&quot; you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, Confucian philosophy and practices only applies to a subset of martial arts, and as you can see, even then doesn't affect or adjust the actual ranking of the living practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-08-23T05:02:05.880" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6733" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6726" CreationDate="2016-08-23T06:14:04.317" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's never too late to start training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best martial art for someone who is untrained and inflexible is yoga, running, and strength training (perhaps with one or two 16kg kettlebells). Spend six months becoming strong, fit, and flexible on your own terms. You cannot trust that a martial arts school will do it for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-08-23T06:14:04.317" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6734" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-08-23T12:45:10.650" Score="12" ViewCount="2486" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been training in Karate for a few years and have managed to make my way up to 1st Kyu.  I could probably do my Shodan grading in about a years time.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing is I'm starting to get very bored of training. I train twice a week but I really don't feel I'm getting much out of it anymore.  I used to really enjoy it, but feel I'm 'killing time' till the next grading.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Opening this to instructors and students of all martial arts.  Have you ever experienced burnout/boredom with senior students?  Any advice on what to do?  Take a break, talk to an instructor, try something different, quit??&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4325" LastActivityDate="2022-05-30T22:37:01.037" Title="Burnout or boredom in martial arts class" Tags="|training|teaching|grading|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6735" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6734" CreationDate="2016-08-23T12:56:15.840" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;What our club does, is have senior students try new things out together. This can be a new form, or advanced techniques that can be just fun without being practical, or just generally letting them fool around with old forms (which still have to be practiced regularly, of course). Alot of these aren't for any curriculum. They're to further insights and to break from the grind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2016-08-23T12:56:15.840" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6736" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6726" CreationDate="2016-08-23T13:07:16.797" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The style itself doesn't matter as much as the expectations you have, and the effort you put in. Some people who start late progress fast, others progress slow. The important thing is that you progress. The only way to progress, is by doing efforts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe everyone here must have seen people come to their clubs, doing the exercises as lightly as possible, skipping entire weeks of training, then complain that there's no progress and quit. Avoid such an attitude. Do your best, train regularly, and you'll see improvements, no matter what style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Along with that, the expectations matter too, as I mentioned earlier. If you expect to become a new Bruce Lee after one year of training, you'll be highly disappointed, which will reflect in the aforementioned effort, and you'll end up in a vicious circle. Set realistic expectations and you'll stay motivated to keep going, as you see yourself grow towards what you expect, one week at a time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2016-08-23T13:07:16.797" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6737" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6731" CreationDate="2016-08-23T13:26:04.633" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In judo 10th dan is the highest rank anyone can receive. &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rank_in_Judo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; attributes the following quotation to the founder of Judo, Jigaro Kano:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;There is no limit...on the grade one can receive. Therefore if one does reach a stage above 10th dan... there is no reason why he should not be promoted to 11th dan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people have elevated Kano to 11th dan, so that he is the highest rank. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good teachers should have students who surpass them. There is no inherent reason why ranks should decrease over time rather than increase. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-08-23T13:26:04.633" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6738" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6734" CreationDate="2016-08-23T17:08:08.413" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Any of your proposed actions could be appropriate, depending upon circumstances. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a student, you need to understand what you need to improve, exactly what you need to get there, and practice. It's your teacher's job to set you on the right path by showing you what you need to improve, and giving you the tools to get there. Mindless practice does not lead to improvement; practice is a continuous refinement process that requires active adjustment. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you already know what you need to improve and how, then the problem may simply be motivation. Take a break, and come back later. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do not know what you need to improve or do not know how, this is a bigger problem. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ask your instructor for more guidance. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ask your instructor's peers for guidance. Sometimes a fresh perspective on the same subjects is needed for improvement. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Branch out or move on to a different school or system. It's possible you have outgrown your teacher. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a monetary matter, martial arts teachers need to retain students. But in most fields outside martial arts, people expect to graduate at some point. Don't get stuck because it is in your teacher's interest, but not yours. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rank is a motivation for beginners. In most cases, rank matters only in your head. Many people quit after reaching shodan because they consider their goals met. If you have already reached your goals outside of rank, then why slog through for the piece of paper? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts can be a lifelong pursuit, but it does not have to be for you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-08-23T17:08:08.413" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6739" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6740" CreationDate="2016-08-24T09:59:53.010" Score="18" ViewCount="3053" Body="&lt;p&gt;McDojo is a portmanteau of the words&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;McDonald's, a famous American fast food chain&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;dojo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This conveys a emphasis on commercialism and an assembly line approach to the detriment of martial arts. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mcdojo&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;McDojo definitions vary&lt;/a&gt; but they share a common core: &lt;em&gt;McDojo are to be avoided&lt;/em&gt;. This community wiki aims to collect warning signs such that readers might avoid said McDojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.meta.stackexchange.com/q/450/82&quot;&gt;Meta discussion about this wiki…&lt;/a&gt; Note that this is not a format for questions that you should seek to emulate. It is a very special case, as discussed in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.meta.stackexchange.com/q/450/82&quot;&gt;meta post&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-03-16T15:50:09.570" LastActivityDate="2018-08-08T14:43:28.047" Title="What are the signs that a dojo could be classed as a McDojo?" Tags="|terminology|dojo|schools|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" CommunityOwnedDate="2016-08-24T13:15:14.563" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6740" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6739" CreationDate="2016-08-24T10:01:25.103" Score="19" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Here is a list of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dictionary.com/browse/canonical&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;canonical&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; signs&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Large and opaque fee structure.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Unqualified instructors.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There is a cult mentality in the Dojo.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Secret techniques that are &quot;too dangerous for the untrained to know or see&quot; that require special training, usually costing more money.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Obtaining a higher rank costs lots of money&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;This is the accepted answer because the canonical signs should always come first. The warning signs are potential indicators only as there are valid reasons for a dojo to do those things.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-08-08T14:43:28.047" LastActivityDate="2018-08-08T14:43:28.047" CommentCount="0" CommunityOwnedDate="2016-08-24T10:01:25.103" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6741" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6739" CreationDate="2016-08-24T10:02:47.887" Score="22" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Here is a list of warning signs&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note that there exists valid reasons for all of those, this is why they are only warning signs.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Monthly or yearly fee that one cannot get out of paying if one quits.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Buying all supplies from the Dojo/Gym.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;No possibility to try out a lesson before signing up.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;People with little or no experience are promised to achieve black belt in 1-2 years.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The teacher has a very high rank and younger than 35 years old.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The teacher has many high ranks in many martial arts.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The style that is taught was invented by the local teacher.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The teacher's lineage is unclear.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The teacher does not allow any questions.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Training with other teams or schools, or training other martial arts, is not allowed. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rank advancement is on a time schedule (say every three months) instead of solely on demonstrated and/or achieved competency.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that you could replace teacher(s) with instructor(s) and not lose any meaning. There is no prejudice in using one term over the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-10-05T07:15:44.237" LastActivityDate="2017-10-05T07:15:44.237" CommentCount="9" CommunityOwnedDate="2016-08-24T10:02:47.887" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6742" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6726" CreationDate="2016-08-24T13:11:31.533" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm 25 years old...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people around me talk that it's too late for me to start learning martial art now, but I want to give it a try.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally started Taekwondo when I was 27; 15 years later, I'm a second degree black belt and still training. In the school I train at, we have a gentleman who started after he retired (mid-late 60s). He is now a 1st kup (one away from black belt) and in his mid-70s!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;25 is not too late (nor too early) to start a martial art! Within the wider organisation, there are many examples of students who started rather later in life than 25 and all are very capable martial artists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;stretching my body is really, really killing me, I cannot touch my toes while sitting straight&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I couldn't touch my toes (either sitting or standing) when I started. Although I'm significantly more flexible now (after 15 years of training), I still struggle to bend that much! However, I don't need to be that flexible; I can produce powerful techniques without being able to tie myself in knots.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I won't offer advice on which art to train in because I'm biased and have no experience of Hapkido or Wing Chun. As other answers have pointed out, it is important that you focus more on finding the right instructor and school, rather than an art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, don't worry about your age or flexibility, but do concentrate on finding the right instructor and school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2016-08-24T13:11:31.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6743" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4515" CreationDate="2016-08-24T14:26:04.947" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been boxing/kickboxing for the past 6 years and when I started I definitely had elbow soreness. It sounds like overextending the arm as well especially if its your non dominant hand! Two days rest and icing helps a lot. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, be watchful of your knees while pivoting, another mistake I did in my early days.  I would let my knee lag behind at the pivot point during shadow boxing and target/heavy bag work and my right knee was sore for about 3 weeks! Minor mistakes we all have made as beginners. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7447" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-08-24T14:52:32.010" LastActivityDate="2016-08-24T14:52:32.010" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6744" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6745" CreationDate="2016-08-25T13:37:09.903" Score="-1" ViewCount="62" Body="&lt;p&gt;Following the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/100000427881320/videos/1266395243384726/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; at 40 seconds. We can see man holds the little boy hands stretched to the back and pulls him back. The elbows of both hands are locked back. Is there a way to release from such situation?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2016-08-25T14:40:48.360" Title="Release from pulling back with stretched hands and locked elbows" Tags="|self-defense|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6745" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6744" CreationDate="2016-08-25T14:28:55.090" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Quite simply, don't allow that position to be achieved. That particular position is not a viable attack, it will only work when the attacker has a massive size advantage (like in the video).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To get out of it:&lt;br&gt;&#xA;When the arms are stretched back, the palms will either be facing in towards each other or possibly upwards. Simply rotate the palms into a pronated position (facing down), then curl your arms in (like a bicep curl) while stepping backwards - this will position you right up against your attacker. If you have bent your arms sufficiently then your wrists will be at your side or even in front of you, and the attacker will have a very tenuous grip by this stage due to the position and location of your wrists - at this point it will be trivial to break their grip and go to work on them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This pull-forward movement is a naturally strong movement for you to make, it is hard for an attacker to resist it. Stepping back at the same time will help to destabilize their position and help to nullify a front kick they might attempt. Their only real option to continue the attack is to let go - which is exactly what you want. (Arguably they could step forward and headbutt you, but that is a risky move for them and they will also slacken their hold as they do it, which gives you an opportunity to move).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-08-25T14:40:48.360" LastActivityDate="2016-08-25T14:40:48.360" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6746" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6747" CreationDate="2016-08-25T18:36:03.553" Score="1" ViewCount="122" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a way to release from back choke when your all body is on the floor and your face (and body) turn to the floor. Is there a difference if the choker is on your body or is beside you? Videos or pictures will be highly appreciated. There is no space between body and the choked hands so it is different from the regular known back choke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="6750" LastEditDate="2016-08-25T21:06:23.700" LastActivityDate="2016-08-26T07:35:53.480" Title="Release from back choke when your face and body turn to the floor" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|self-defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="8" ClosedDate="2016-09-06T14:56:34.050" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6747" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6746" CreationDate="2016-08-26T07:35:53.480" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you're face-down flat on your belly getting rear naked choked, you done f---ed up a long time ago, and most likely you're not getting out. That's just how it goes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The back-mounted rear naked choke is what's called a &quot;terminal position&quot;, meaning there is no better place for the dominant person to go, and properly applied there is no escape. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your best chance is to somehow simultaneously deal with both the arms around your neck and the control of your hips. You'll need to hip escape and remove any leg/foot hooks controlling your lower body and trunk while also removing, step by step, the arm that secures the choking arm and then the choking arm. You'll then need to move your torso laterally so it is not aligned with your opponent's. This is quite difficult and usually fails, because the person in a dominant position is by definition in a more secure situation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-08-26T07:35:53.480" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6748" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6792" CreationDate="2016-08-26T19:22:48.280" Score="2" ViewCount="244" Body="&lt;p&gt;I saw this video: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR2S0radfzk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR2S0radfzk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And I wondered, &lt;code&gt;what kind of kick is this?&lt;/code&gt; so I did some research and I think its a &quot;Tornado Roundhouse Kick&quot;, but it doesnt look quite right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The kid is spinning counter-clockwise into his left side, but ends up kicking with his left foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it a Tornado Roundhouse Kick or is it something else?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7456" LastActivityDate="2016-09-06T09:57:29.377" Title="What kind of kick is this?" Tags="|kicking|spinning-kicks|identification|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6749" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6748" CreationDate="2016-08-26T20:25:15.067" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It looks like a spinning wheel kick to me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-08-26T20:25:15.067" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6750" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6731" CreationDate="2016-08-27T03:43:15.677" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, I just want to discuss the meaning of the term, &quot;grandmaster&quot;, because I think some clarification is needed, since there's no universally accepted definition for it. Later I'll get to how styles promote new heads of their systems and what their ranks are after that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some styles do only have one &quot;grandmaster&quot; who holds the highest rank of the style and outranks all others. But more commonly I see the term being used by many people of the same style, and they may use &quot;supreme grandmaster&quot;, instead, to refer to the one person above all others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But again, this depends on the style. And it depends on how it is being translated to English.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the Western world, &quot;grandmaster&quot; is often overused or abused by martial arts teachers as a way of marketing and getting more students, and therefore making more money. It can be a legitimate rank, but it's often self-awarded or even bought (from fake rank certification companies) after teachers form their own style or school and place themselves above all others as the grandmaster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Heck, in every major city in the U.S., you'll find no shortage of &quot;grandmasters&quot;. They're everywhere. That doesn't make any sense if they're supposed to be the absolute head of their styles, with nobody ranked higher than they.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In kung-fu arts, &quot;grandmaster&quot; is often just a way of referring to your master's master. Chinese martial arts commonly use familial relationships to refer to everyone's place within the style. Such as: &quot;grandfather teacher&quot; (sigung), &quot;father teacher&quot; (sifu), &quot;mother teacher&quot; (simu), &quot;older brother&quot; (sihing), etc. There are even terms for kung-fu aunts and uncles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Japanese styles often use the term &quot;soke&quot; to refer to the head of a style (nobody outranks him/her). In English, we might refer to them as the grandmaster of that style. But that's just a translation. Soke really just means &quot;head of the family (style)&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for how succession works when the old head of the style dies or retires, that also depends on the style. Usually the old head of the style names his/her successor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In many cases, however, the old head dies before having a chance to name a successor (or doesn't want to name a successor if he/she thinks nobody is worthy). Ideally when that happens, the most advanced ranked students vote on who will be the next head, and whomever is chosen becomes the highest ranked member of the style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But this has rarely happened as ideally as one would hope. As has often been the case in the past, some of the most highly ranked students insist that someone else should be the new head. Or maybe they themselves might think they deserve to be the new head instead. When that happens, styles are split apart as splinter branches form, each laying claim to the head of the style. It can get bitter and messy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And to answer your question about ranks decreasing over time: No, that isn't how it works. Instead, the new head of the style automatically gets promoted to the highest rank. In many Japanese and Korean styles, that might be 10th degree black belt. So if the old head of the style was 10th dan, and you're a 9th dan prior to his death, then you get automatically promoted to 10th dan when you become the new head of the style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some styles also have special ranks for the founder of their styles. In that case, nobody will ever again be as high in rank as they are. So if the newest head of the style is ranked 10th dan, then maybe the founder of the style is posthumously ranked 11th dan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2016-08-28T04:07:38.767" LastActivityDate="2016-08-28T04:07:38.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6751" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6866" CreationDate="2016-08-27T17:22:35.993" Score="4" ViewCount="965" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it reasonable to punch a medicine ball to improve punching speed? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I mean one of these medicine balls that look like a stuffed soccer ball, not the ones that are quite hard, like a stuffed basketball ball.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All exercises that I found was throwing the ball. But wouldn't the closest to a punch be punching it? I realize that one problem with working with weights is that they are not really like a real punch, since when working with weights you have to decelerate at the end.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't have access to a sand sack, so, do not suggest 'just use a sand sack.'&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1811" LastActivityDate="2021-12-14T09:17:58.637" Title="Improving punching power with a medicine ball" Tags="|punching|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6752" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6753" CreationDate="2016-08-27T19:39:47.310" Score="0" ViewCount="121" Body="&lt;p&gt;If for instance someone in street aims at specific position (kick or punch) and produce it with a slight deflection so practically he hits his rival. So, for instance if the deflection is minor instead of hitting the nose for instance he would hit his mouth or eye. So should one emphasis his practice on the intensity of the hit (speed and strength) more than accuracy? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2016-08-27T23:00:54.863" Title="Is accuracy less important in street and Krav Maga?" Tags="|strength|streetfight|speed|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6753" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6752" CreationDate="2016-08-27T23:00:54.863" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;Can I get a good shot in at the right range?&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Accuracy matters... but maybe not in the way you're thinking of.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, you got to be able to hit a target that is moving.  Range matters a lot here.  Then you have to be able to hit it in a way that you successfully transfer force into it, instead of sliding or glancing off.  Along the way, you also don't want to break your hand or wrist either.  So the accuracy is less &quot;can I hit their left eye&quot; and more &quot;Can I hit their bobbing head while moving and they're attacking me?&quot;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And notice that to do all that, you'll need a certain amount of speed, accuracy, and power.  (and part of what's influencing the power of the hit, is the ability to land a clean shot...).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's what a lot of the accuracy training is in boxing and similar arts - you expect your opponent to slip and angle, and you have to deal with that.  Even untrained people move erratically in a fight, and it means they're not going to be at exact angles to get easy hits in.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Workarounds to Accuracy&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is also why you'll see a lot of streetfighting techniques and some self defense systems will utilize &quot;indexing&quot; or &quot;sticking&quot; - grab the opponent with one hand and attack with the other - it makes it harder for them to move away, and gives you a direct, tactile sense of range and direction. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you move to using larger weapons (sticks, machetes, etc.) you can pretty much give up tighter accuracy and accept range as your main bit to work on - connect with any part of their body and they'll be sorry for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Starting Simple&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I train people for self defense, usually the first thing I focus on is using hammerfists/ulnar forearm strikes. It gives a broad striking surface, has a tolerance for misjudging range, is unlikely to break their own hand, and can hit with a lot of force without a lot of practice.  It translates well to using things like self defense tools or knives as well.  After that, then I focus on elbows and knees, which work primarily in conjunction with grabbing the opponent - again, taking care of the issues of range or accuracy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As they do more training, and become comfortable with range and movement in action, we expand the repertoire and move out into methods that require more skill or complexity to utilize.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-08-27T23:00:54.863" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6754" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-08-28T12:54:59.933" Score="2" ViewCount="220" Body="&lt;p&gt;Someone punched me twice unexpectedly very hard on the upper lip. The first punch kind of stunned me and the second one actually knocked me over. I was able to get up but was then put into a full Nelson by someone who then checked my eyes and nose. There was bit of blood but nothing too dramatic and nothing got broken. I am not a fighter and have no experience whatsoever in these matters, which probably explains why I was an easy target for this guy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would what happened to me be considered a TKO?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, would you consider me to have gotten lucky insofar as I came away with nothing more than a fat upper lip?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7462" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-08-28T17:04:19.987" LastActivityDate="2016-09-01T08:02:27.600" Title="Knocked Out but not Knocked Unconscious?" Tags="|striking|medical-advice|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6755" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6754" CreationDate="2016-08-28T17:04:51.750" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Technical Knockouts(TKO) does not imply the person is actually knocked out. It just means they are unable to continue. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6601" LastActivityDate="2016-08-28T17:04:51.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6756" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4290" CreationDate="2016-08-29T03:32:41.353" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My martial arts weapon of choice for home defense are my Sai, which are carried in pairs. At 21.5 inches of iron or chrome covered steel they are a formidable weapon in my hands. They are able to block incoming blows an have the added bonus of having the ability to trap an counter weapon as well as hand attacks. You do not have to worry about someone by passing your spear head or katana tip an moving in close, the point on Sai do real damage to any part of the body they are thrust into while the other sai is on its path to strike the side of the neck,colar bone,wrist whatever you feel will serve best breaking any bone in its path. Just like a collapsible baton they are very useful in locking techniques an unlike a baton they do not have the risk of collapsing in on themselves during use. If said fight does happen the sai can also be used the same way a punch can with all the pressure contacting  on one small space easily breaking bones such as ribs, nose, cheek bone. Ment to be used as non-lethal self defense weapons they can be use to take life if absolutely necessary. Sai are defense weapons you can easily have two to five pair around the house placed behind doors,hung up on wall displays,kept in the garage, placed under cabnets, anywhere you see fit. With all this being said I feel in my personal opinion the use of Sai for home protection would be easily justifiable for defending ones life, an the life of loved ones in any court proceedings which are bound to occur.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7464" LastActivityDate="2016-08-29T03:32:41.353" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6758" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6754" CreationDate="2016-08-29T16:36:05.257" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A Technical Knockout (&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knockout#Technical_knockout&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;TKO&lt;/a&gt;) only really exists in the context of sport, and refers to a set of circumstances which are considered equivalent to a knockout in the context of a match. It is not a medical term, but then again, neither is &lt;em&gt;knockout&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a common misconception that being knocked out is like going into a deep sleep, and that almost never happens IRL (when it does it is a very dangerous situation). Under most circumstances a knockout causes momentary loss of consciousness followed by a longer period of stunned confusion. The loss of consciousness can happen so quickly that the individual suffering the knockout may remain standing, and just appear dazed and confused. Such are the circumstances for what is deemed a &quot;standing knockout&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on the exact circumstance, the mechanism causing a loss of consciousness can vary, but are usually related to asphyxiation and/or concussion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-08-29T16:36:05.257" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6759" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6760" CreationDate="2016-08-29T17:57:21.717" Score="7" ViewCount="851" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ivbbn.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ivbbn.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any technical reason for this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5903" LastActivityDate="2016-08-29T18:50:54.427" Title="Why do Muay Thai players wear armbands?" Tags="|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6760" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6759" CreationDate="2016-08-29T18:50:54.427" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends. The best answer is that it's traditional to wear them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Apocryphally, it is supposed to harken back to a custom where mothers would give their sons, who were going off to war, good-luck charms which they made from cloth torn from their own surong. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In more modern times, they often denote accomplishment and rank within a Muay Thai organization.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-08-29T18:50:54.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6761" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13574" CreationDate="2016-08-30T19:49:21.130" Score="7" ViewCount="1359" Body="&lt;p&gt;At my judo club randori is usually 30-45mins at the end of the session. Some nights we just have randori for an hour and a half. The randori itself usually consists of 5min bouts with no break in between, everyone in the club gives maximum effort, there are no weight classes and most are exhausted after about the third partner change. Is this a good way to practice? I feel that the standard of judo just drops as soon as everyone gets tired and don't believe this is the best way to practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you take a look at BJJ training for example, rolling is never really 100%. In fact it is encouraged not to go 100% so that you can get more out of the practice trying many different positions and techniques each practice until it all becomes muscle memory, rather that just getting stuck in someones full guard for 5mins. I believe judo could benefit with this approach to training for example have randori session were you just go with any attempt at a throw to help your partner work out when it is best to come in for a throw and to help them with their technique. Two people going hammer and tongs at each other for 5mins with terrible technique will not make a good judo player in my opinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7468" LastEditorUserId="7468" LastEditDate="2016-09-08T14:58:59.943" LastActivityDate="2022-12-29T13:30:38.487" Title="Are we doing randori properly?" Tags="|judo|training|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6762" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6761" CreationDate="2016-08-30T20:39:33.977" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Randori of six to nine or more 5-minute rounds without a break sounds just about perfect. One can't get in solid judo shape without hard training like that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Degradation of technique should be examined as its own problem. Are students in poor shape? Are they not training frequently enough to get in good shape? Are students playing too competitively, and so excessively spending energy in early rounds? Or are only some students merely slowing down a bit towards the end, as is natural and not too problematic?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No weight classes is absolutely necessary and correct. Judoka should be able to train with everybody.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The part about &quot;maximum effort&quot; could be an issue. A dojo needs hard randori, but it needs loose randori too. Drills such as &quot;throw for throw&quot; are useful. So is what I've heard called &quot;French randori&quot;, where each partner plays hard on attack, but attempts no defensive techniques other than footwork. If &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; is like &lt;em&gt;shiai&lt;/em&gt; in every workout, you're either already at the elite level and preparing for a major tournament or something is wrong. Judo practice should involve &lt;em&gt;somewhat&lt;/em&gt; cooperative training &lt;em&gt;sometimes&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hard, almost-&lt;em&gt;shiai&lt;/em&gt;-style randori is necessary, too. If randori is playful and cooperative all the time, you risk &quot;dulling the sword&quot; of your techniques. You need to practice against people going lightly and cooperatively to try new things you're not sure of, but you also need to practice with partners resisting hard in order to sharpen your waza into something that will work in shiai or in violent application.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One method that helped me turn down the intensity of my randori was to make sure I took ukemi for three throws with each partner before attempting my own throw. This can set a playful mood that encourages more back-and-forth rather than escalation towards &lt;em&gt;shiai&lt;/em&gt; intensity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2016-09-01T06:24:19.893" LastActivityDate="2016-09-01T06:24:19.893" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6763" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6761" CreationDate="2016-08-31T07:35:54.493" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;What you describe does sound like a good way (although not the only way) to train for randori.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The standard of judo done drops because you are all unfit for the standard you want to practice at&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would strongly suggest that some night when you are not training in judo you meet up and did some endurance training like the &quot;black test&quot;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;. If you have some nice walks, you could go for a walk (the harder, the better). You should look at what you eat as well. Do not be silly and follow a fad: just eat a healthy diet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/1838/82&quot;&gt;Trailing while exhausted will not improve your technique&lt;/a&gt;, it does force you to practice what you know well under stress. This is no bad thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That there are no weight classes is both good and bad. Good because it forces you to fight with opponents that you would not normally fight in competition. This teaches you how to apply things to bigger and smaller opponents. It is bad iff&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; you are focused on winning competitions as it takes away time training for a specific purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, &lt;em&gt;do breath&lt;/em&gt;. Sounds silly but I have seen it so many times: you get engaged and hold your breath… Very silly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: Black test is 3km running on flat, 2km rowing at full resistance, and 2.5 km cycling at 2/3 resistance. No break between activities and it has to be done in less than 28 minutes.  It has two advantages. First, it is quick to do: from getting to the gym to out, less than an hour with shower so you can do it in your lunchtime every (other) day of the week. Second, it will get you fit in extra fast time. Clearly, do not over do it: you need resting time.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2&lt;/strong&gt;: if and only if.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-08-31T14:45:01.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6764" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="159" CreationDate="2016-08-31T19:20:40.167" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think that all have been said to the topic, I would just add that If I have had the chance to start all over again, I ve been boxing for years, I am a Krav Maga instructor and I've been a bouncer for a very long time, I would have chosen &lt;strong&gt;Daido Juku&lt;/strong&gt; as Martial Art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe that wearing a Gi is similar to people in 'real world' have cloth on, you are allowed to use headbutts, elbows, knees and grappling and throwing techniques. So a MA well suited for standing your ground in any confrontation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For further steps I would recommend taking some Self-defense classes weather it may be a Tony Blauer, Krav Maga ... Batman-Navi-Seal-Super Self Defense system... the main point is to feel the different scenarios and to see an option how to get out of the situation. &#xA;If you are able to execute it in a real world scenario is a different topic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-08-31T19:20:40.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6765" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6761" CreationDate="2016-09-01T06:30:51.927" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no inherent problem with long, hard randori sessions. If you want to compete at a high level in judo, there is no substitute. That said, the wrong approach to randori will inhibit your development. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shiai and randori are separate activities with different objectives. It's important both to recognize this and train accordingly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shiai (試合, a game or match): The objective is to win matches.  You attack with your best techniques and get business done quickly. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Randori (乱取り, free practice): The objective of free practice is mutual development. You should choose to emphasize elements of your judo that are appropriate to your current partner. For partners that are better, this is often your favorite technique. For other partners, your emphasis could be elements such as off-hand attacks, different gripping, secondary throws, counters, foot sweeps, etc. One variety of randori I advocate for less experienced players is to replace defensive stiff-arms and hip checks with more aggressive footwork and countering; this results in more throws and less stalemate in the short term and develops faster countering reactions over time. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you treat every randori session like shiai, you may never develop all of the elements you need to compete at high levels.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Judo Formal Techniques&lt;/em&gt; by Tadao Otaki and Donn Draeger has suggestions about the proper relation of kata, randori, and shiai. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-09-01T06:58:44.357" LastActivityDate="2016-09-01T06:58:44.357" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6766" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6754" CreationDate="2016-09-01T08:02:27.600" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A knock out is a knock out, usually respectively most people feel a sort of electricity through the body and loose the stability in the legs. In some cases they fall down and/or loose consciousness. &#xA;If knocked out you certainly don't necessarily realize that you are dizzy or stumbling afterwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You asked if you were lucky not to have a broken nose... I think you weren't lucky because you were in a fight! &#xA;The outcome of such a situation varies depending on different circumstances and capabilities of both opponents ... so not realy answerable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2016-09-01T08:02:27.600" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6767" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2424" CreationDate="2016-09-01T10:28:16.930" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think that both JKA shotokan and Kyukushin are full contact karate because their kicks and punches will contact the parts of the body being hit. I read one comment stating that in kyukushin, the fight will only stop when one competitor gets floored, while in shotokan the fight is immediately stopped once a strike is effectively delivered. I have viewed many shotokan kumite where opponents were floored when hit in the face by a punch or kick and the fight was stopped and the winner was immediately declared. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the difference is in kyukushin, the fighters are allowed more rounds even when one opponent had been knocked to the floor, while in JKA shotokan once a player delivers an effective strike with a full point, the player wins and the fight stops. I viewed many kyukushin kumite and noticed that players use continuous punching to the torso, interspersed with kicks to the face. In JKA shotokan, the player can punch and kick to the face and body. This is, I think, the difference: the kyukushin have continuous attacks because they can endure the punch and kicks to the legs and body, but try punching bare knuckles to the face and surely the defender will quickly disengage  from the attacker. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me, both styles have their respective types of effective full contact karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7473" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-09-04T13:17:49.817" LastActivityDate="2016-09-04T13:17:49.817" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6769" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6761" CreationDate="2016-09-01T20:38:08.590" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes Randoris are a good practice as described in previous answers.&#xA;I appologize for being french, so I'm probably not objective enough about this subject.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nevetheless I'm 50 and young judokas (half my age) are sometimes stronger and faster than me. But I keep training this way thanks to deep judo. Never forget judo enable the weak to cop with the strong. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you must have a randori with someone realy stronger than you are or if you are out of order, accept the shiai and let him make his fight, let the huricane blow and improve your ukemis, your breath, your shifting. That's what -60Kg do when they fight with +100Kg. And it's perhaps the reason why light-weight have a better technicity than heavy-weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7114" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-09-02T07:11:58.870" LastActivityDate="2016-09-02T07:11:58.870" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6770" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6771" CreationDate="2016-09-01T22:21:20.790" Score="-1" ViewCount="519" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will definitely be training again in Kyokushin Karate again soon. My question is, does anyone recommend cross training it with Freestyle Wrestling aswell?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not interested in competing in MMA or even Muay Thai for that matter. I would consider doing Kyokushin matches and Freestyle Wrestling matches but just them on their own. Just want anyone's advice who knows weather that is a good idea or not? Maybe you've done a similar regime and it hasn't worked out or it has been awesome? Either way everyone's response to this post will be listened to and not criticised...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end scenario I will be doing Kyokushin, just wanting to decide about Wrestling. Please give some advice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regards- Drew 27 from New Zealand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7475" LastActivityDate="2016-09-03T10:45:11.953" Title="Is it possible to cross train Kyokushin and Freestyle Wrestling?" Tags="|karate|wrestling|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6771" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6770" CreationDate="2016-09-02T01:24:53.180" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you enjoy Kyokushinkai , and you want to learn the close range stuff, my suggestion is that you look at Judo. This is because once you're past the long distance range of karate, you're in the zone where Judo really comes into it's own. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Freestle wrestling would get you tackling/wrestling on the ground in some serious ways, but Judo would really be a better fit to transition / cross-train from Karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastActivityDate="2016-09-02T01:24:53.180" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6772" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6777" CreationDate="2016-09-02T02:01:52.257" Score="6" ViewCount="920" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can I place a Belly Pad on a tree and practice some body kicks, or it is not recommended?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B000N5V2TU&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Combat Sports Dome Tech Belly Pad&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7476" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-09-02T10:49:49.293" LastActivityDate="2020-04-28T15:38:07.333" Title="Practicing Muay Thai kicks with no partner" Tags="|muay-thai|training|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6773" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6776" CreationDate="2016-09-02T02:18:05.357" Score="4" ViewCount="5418" Body="&lt;p&gt;My &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/6770/6163&quot;&gt;original question&lt;/a&gt; was about whether Kyokushin Karate and Freestyle Wrestling go well together as cross training.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now that I have some further insight from a very helpful user, &lt;strong&gt;my question is how well would Kyokushin go with Judo as cross training&lt;/strong&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7475" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2018-12-31T01:47:36.333" Title="Karate and Judo?" Tags="|karate|judo|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6774" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6772" CreationDate="2016-09-02T02:27:24.967" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would think its safe to say that it is ok. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am by no means an expert on the subject but it would have to be more safe than kicking a bare tree and breaking your leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Seek further advice before you do it though because like I said I am not sure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7475" LastActivityDate="2016-09-02T02:27:24.967" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6775" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-09-02T03:32:21.803" Score="3" ViewCount="60" Body="&lt;p&gt;How effective is Judo in real world self defense situations without gi? How does one use Judo without a gi?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7475" LastActivityDate="2016-09-02T03:32:21.803" Title="Judo for real world self defense?" Tags="|judo|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2016-09-02T04:53:19.227" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6776" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6773" CreationDate="2016-09-02T07:41:33.933" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrestling and kyokushin karate go together fine. Most martial arts that cover different disciplines (e.g. striking/wrestling, or punching/kicking) work fine together because they complement each other. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Arts that cover the same discipline, like Tae Kwon Do and Muay Thai, or wrestling and judo, can be confusing to combine if both arts are new to the trainee. But someone experienced in one could train in the other to see known techniques in a new way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, most cross-training can be made to work. Asking about specific examples is overthinking things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-09-02T07:41:33.933" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6777" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6772" CreationDate="2016-09-02T07:42:36.930" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd use a heavy bag instead of a tree, but if it's what you've got then it's what you've got. I wouldn't throw full force kicks because a tree doesn't &quot;give&quot; even if it's padded.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-09-02T07:42:36.930" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6778" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6751" CreationDate="2016-09-02T08:10:58.143" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Punching a medicine ball is not really going to help you achieve your stated goals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason people throw a medicine ball is because it requires explosive forward motion from the arms, which can help develop explosive arm strength.  (Folks also do &quot;jumping&quot; pushups to get a similar effect).  Of course, a punch isn't just the arms, it's also the torso turning, and footwork, etc. However, a medicine ball does allow people to develop some strength and power with the arms in this way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Punching a medicine ball, however, doesn't necessarily give you strength building, nor speed, anymore than... I guess punching any other random object you can find.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally with punching targets you are looking at:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hard vs. Soft (and safety for your hands in the process)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Weight, if the object can swing or recoil&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Shape, and ease of delivering appropriate strikes to it (compare, for example, the classic heavy bag vs. the uppercut bags).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're worried about punching speed, find something you can punch safely and put force into it without hurting your knuckles or wrist (even if that turns out to be something like a towel hung on a clothes line) and focus on your form and coordination.  Also realize that part of punching speed is your footwork and ability to generate force through your legs and torso, as well as how little you telegraph your attack (which is where you see people who look &quot;slow&quot; if you watch them fight, but they're constantly getting hits in if you're IN the fight... it's hard to read if you're the target.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're worried about power, then look to targets that provide more resistance and fit the factors I mentioned above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-09-02T08:10:58.143" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6779" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6772" CreationDate="2016-09-02T10:04:17.010" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, you can attach a belly pad to a tree and kick it, but I wouldn't. Bear in mind that, unless it's a very thin tree, it is likely to offer more resistance than you would get hitting a human being (or suitable substitute). This will increase the chance of injuring your leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rather than attaching a pad to the trunk of a tree, I would suggest hanging a punch bag from a branch instead. The advantage of this is that you can practice moving around the bag as well as strikes other than kicks. You also reduce the risk of hitting the trunk instead of the pad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2016-09-02T10:04:17.010" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6780" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1447" CreationDate="2016-09-02T12:23:35.660" Score="-1" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hakkaku bō/jō have the advantage that they deliver more damage. The edges severely raise the probability of breaking bones. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The round bō/jō have the advantage that they deliver less damage. The roundness lowers the probability of breaking bones. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So at the end you just should ask yourself what your views and those of your style are. In aikidō I would think a hakkaku bō would not really fit. In martial arts focussed on battlefield combat on the other hand, the hakkaku would be a better choice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Round weapons weren't as easy to make as polygonal ones. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hakkakubō/jō offer better grip. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7478" LastEditorUserId="7478" LastEditDate="2016-09-04T00:10:00.890" LastActivityDate="2016-09-04T00:10:00.890" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6781" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6912" CreationDate="2016-09-02T15:52:52.397" Score="3" ViewCount="214" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do people use running Parachute and Agility Ladder for martial arts training or it is not something useful? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7476" LastActivityDate="2017-07-29T05:28:23.110" Title="Running Drag Resistance Parachute and Agility Ladder" Tags="|training|fitness|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6782" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6791" CreationDate="2016-09-02T16:04:13.380" Score="7" ViewCount="185" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a caregiver. My phone is linked to my FIL's life alert system, but having a phone in my pocket during class is not working at all. I would like to know if anyone else has a product they use or know of someone who has luck with this type of thing. Especially need something that is durable and wont hurt me while in class. I know there's many firefighters and others who have to be on-call at all times too. Thanks for any advice:)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7480" LastActivityDate="2016-09-06T10:04:49.923" Title="Advice on wearable technology during MMA class to alert me of critical phone calls (on-call 24/7)" Tags="|karate|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6783" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6772" CreationDate="2016-09-02T16:20:19.473" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree, there's more of a chance of injury, since there's no 'give'. However, when you've been doing martial arts for awhile and your body is used to it you may move to toughening up by hitting the tree bare. It may sound like a contradiction, but it's not once you learn your body control that comes to many through years of practice. You'd have to work yourself up to that or you may pay for it long-term. I recommend using a bag or dummy to practice on. Plus, seeing them move, somewhat tells you how much force you put out in your moves;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7480" LastActivityDate="2016-09-02T16:20:19.473" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6784" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2076" CreationDate="2016-09-02T19:04:28.993" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;^as for the &quot;new official Shaolin Temple&quot;, thats no more than a way to attract tourists.  The Abbot has a bank account of millions of dollars, and they only practice Wushu for show and performance. This &quot;shaolin Temple&quot; is just a way to bring in money for under a capitalist communist regime. Indeed the Shaolin Temple was destroyed by the Manchus when they took over and established the Qing dynasty in the late 1600's.  Shaolin Temple is no more, but Shaolin Derrivative styles are very prominent around the world, Choy Lay Fut, Jow Gar, Hung Gar, southern Praying mantis, to name a few. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7482" LastActivityDate="2016-09-02T19:04:28.993" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6786" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6789" CreationDate="2016-09-04T20:21:31.557" Score="-2" ViewCount="388" Body="&lt;p&gt;How can you train a one inch technique kick? When can it be used? Is it practical in real street fight and sparring. If there are videos for the tutorial I'll highly appreciate it. Why does the one inch punch is more popular than the one inch kick?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2016-09-05T23:27:55.043" Title="One inch kick technique" Tags="|technique|kicking|sparring|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2016-09-08T16:37:00.450" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6787" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6786" CreationDate="2016-09-05T13:53:29.293" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you can deliver significant power from one inch, this is a huge advantage in fighting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Most people cannot produce significant power at very close ranges. A common way to nullify striking is to close distance, but this doesn't help against people who can whack you effectively at very close distances. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Attacking at one inch leaves no reaction time for a defender. The eye cannot register an attack at this distance before the strike lands. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Successive attacks can be very fast, including multiple strikes with the same weapon. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are not going to find video tutorials on how to develop this kind of power helpful. It is the culmination of years of training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The punch is more popular than the kick because of the available targets. If your feet are on the ground, the only targets you can have for a one inch kick are your opponent's feet and ankles. Anything higher than that is going to be farther away, which will nullify the advantage of being able to strike effectively at very short distances. You have two hands, which can move independently of your feet, that are considerably less predictable than your feet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-09-05T13:53:29.293" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6788" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6786" CreationDate="2016-09-05T13:53:51.197" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In order to do an inch punch, you need to state your legs appropriate position to get a better punch.Can you punch well when you stand on your one leg?&#xA;that's why inch punch is more popular than the other.&#xA;standing in balance is very important to kick or punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7491" LastActivityDate="2016-09-05T13:53:51.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6789" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6786" CreationDate="2016-09-05T23:27:55.043" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun has a training method that can lead to a 1 inch kick capabiity except it is not widely known or trained due to it being viewed as an advanced technique. The training method falls under &quot;chi gerk&quot; aka sticking legs. There are many videos on &quot;chi gerk&quot; as guidance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The 1 inch aspect comes from countless hours of drilling the legs both the supportive and attack part so that after contact and deflection are made short range counter kicking can be applied through the use of pistoning the supporting leg or rotating the hips. This is why it is rare to see because it needs a lot of training to the point where single leg pistol excercises are easy to apply.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for its practicality, it is a useful method for counter kicking and can be practical. The weakness is that a take down can neutralise the legs quckly making this training method more of a transient excercise. There are many example videos of wing chun being taken down in an mma fight. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7040" LastActivityDate="2016-09-05T23:27:55.043" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6790" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-09-05T23:54:02.533" Score="3" ViewCount="73" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a total begginer and would like to pick and train a martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am 6 foot tall 165 lbs. I go to the gym regularly and have been lifting free-weights for about a year now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My only criteria really are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-Is highly applicable in real life situations&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-Has sparring which doesn't involve getting hit in the head regularly (if at all) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;note: I don't have problem with sparring in general,just the head hitting part &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7493" LastActivityDate="2016-09-05T23:54:02.533" Title="Help choosing a martial art" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="1" FavoriteCount="0" ClosedDate="2016-09-06T01:21:38.410" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6791" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6782" CreationDate="2016-09-06T09:49:19.133" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a Taekwondo instructor. I would happily make an exception for a special case like this, put your phone on the loudest volume, somewhere at the side of the class where it's easily hearable. Even tell everyone that it's a special case for this phone to be on, if they hear it please make Danielle aware of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would genuinely say just speak to your instructor. The rules are in place for a reason, but it doesn't mean that we won't make exceptions - we're human beings first, martial arts instructors second.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If not, maybe something like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.amazon.co.uk/WAYCOM-Bluetooth-Anti-Lost-Bracelet-Smart-Bracelet-Black-Black/dp/B00A4BJN94&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; would work (it's soft gel sort of material so reasonably safe for martial arts training).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-09-06T10:04:49.923" LastActivityDate="2016-09-06T10:04:49.923" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6792" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6748" CreationDate="2016-09-06T09:57:29.377" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's definitely not a tornado kick (dolgae chagi, 돌개 차기). It has a number of names, Americans tend to use wheel kick, in Korea it's more commonly known as a back whip kick and in the UK we tend to use one of &quot;reverse turning kick&quot; or &quot;back hook kick&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2016-09-06T09:57:29.377" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6793" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-09-07T17:26:11.790" Score="3" ViewCount="361" Body="&lt;p&gt;How can we practice elbow striking in the context of sparring without undue risk of injury? I've looked into elbow pads, but they seem to be built more around protecting the elbow than protecting the face of the person getting struck. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyone have any experience sparring with elbow strikes? Do you just rely on head gear to take the impact?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3105" LastActivityDate="2016-09-07T21:42:29.810" Title="Sparring w/ Elbow Strikes" Tags="|sparring|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6794" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6793" CreationDate="2016-09-07T18:56:32.147" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A lot depends on the specifics of the sparring. Are you specifically talking about full contact sparring? Have you considered light contact sparring? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the case of elbow pads, there are soft pads available for safely practicing elbow strikes. &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B00AXVQK4G&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt; is an example (and not an endorsement of this particular pad). When looking it may help you to search for Muay Thai training equipment. The pads are soft and broad, and they help diffuse the concentrated energy of an elbow strike. You still wouldn't want to do a full contact elbow to a training partners head, but something like this will definitely take the edge off of any accidental hard contact. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-09-07T18:56:32.147" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6795" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6793" CreationDate="2016-09-07T21:42:29.810" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Elbow pads are used to protect the elbows from grazing (thin ones) or impact (thicker ones) when landing on them from falling. They can take some of the sting of an elbow by spreading the impact. Damage to the area will still be considerable. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another option is to consider a &lt;a href=&quot;https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSgZV1nMk6c7fmMoGM2NPSrc0tOvviWDrp781j85izQLQDFdCZeiQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;fullface helmet&lt;/a&gt;. It's biggest advantage is it will alleviate skin tearing which is a common occurance of elbows. It will also help avoid breaking the nose or cheek bone. But it wont stop the elbow's momentum which can impact the neck &amp;amp; also still cause a knockout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When the pads &amp;amp; helmet are combined then it might be ok to spar &quot;light&quot; but keep in mind even a light tap can cause injury on the neck if the opponent is not conditioned or charging into the attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have experience sparring, competition &amp;amp; reality with elbows &amp;amp; they have resulted in seeing two broken noses, concussions and cut faces.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7040" LastActivityDate="2016-09-07T21:42:29.810" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6796" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6802" CreationDate="2016-09-09T00:54:53.400" Score="3" ViewCount="242" Body="&lt;p&gt;My plan is to buy a heavy bag , a stand and gloves . Should the bag be 100 lbs or 150 lbs? (my weight is 149 lbs) What kind of gloves should I buy ? Is there anything else important that I should know about the equipment? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any stand that doesn't affect so much the footwork? Could a free standing bag work better than a bag placed on a stand? What are the drawbacks of a free standing bag? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7476" LastEditorUserId="7476" LastEditDate="2016-09-09T20:00:30.843" LastActivityDate="2016-09-19T15:44:35.687" Title="Starter kit for Muay Thai" Tags="|muay-thai|self-training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6797" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-09-11T22:23:31.393" Score="1" ViewCount="199" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do nunchaku artists use under-the-arm protective pads during demonstrations for quick underarm catches? If so, I see none available anywhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7507" LastActivityDate="2016-09-12T20:03:45.920" Title="Nunchaku demonstration under-the-arm protective pads" Tags="|weapons|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6798" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6544" CreationDate="2016-09-12T01:31:38.343" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Out of the things you mentioned, I would recommend pepper spray/mace. I believe this sort of thing is legal in all of the US (I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV), and I have seen it in effect first hand when one of my friends accidentally activated a keychain variety leaving multiple people in tears and coughing. I disagree with the premise of needing training for most of these kind of sprays, they are the simplest of the weapons you mentioned. In fact I would say they are probably the weapon requiring the least amount of training, and the highest likelihood of escape (even from multiple attackers). I have experienced firsthand the &quot;Million volt&quot; stun gun/wand type weapons, and they are extremely innefective in terms of dissuading a determined attacker, and completely useless against multiple assailants.&#xA;In terms of firearms and knives, you once again run into the issue of training. although I would absolutely recommend the purchase and training involved with using a hand gun, as this is bar-none the most effective option if used correctly. I would not recommend a knife for personal defense, as it is neither easy nor very effective.&#xA;As to strobes/sirens, I would not consider them as anything that would deter a strong, determined attacker.&#xA;I hope this helps. I know there is a lot of personal opinions/hearsay in it, but sometimes that is what you need.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6083" LastActivityDate="2016-09-12T01:31:38.343" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6799" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6797" CreationDate="2016-09-12T14:06:04.143" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial artists practicing the use of the nunchaku do not traditionally use any padding when catching the weapon under the arm. Control is exercised so as to not swing the weapon with great velocity at any part of the practitioner's own body. This learned control is one of the primary reasons why students of the nunchaku do not start their technical development using the weapon at full speed. Speed is something one works up to. It's also worth noting that most nunchaku weighted for martial arts use are not optimized for use as weapons and aren't going to do much damage without follow-through in a given strike. You might get a few bumps and bruises, but you aren't likely to break any of your own bones during practice.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-09-12T14:06:04.143" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6800" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6797" CreationDate="2016-09-12T20:03:45.920" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been practicing nunchaku for a number of years now and I have never seen or heard of anyone using any padding like that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally beginners will practice using foam nunchaku, which should provide more than enough padding and protection whilst they learn how to properly handle the weapon. &#xA;Once they are more proficient in the weapon, they should have developed enough control over the nunchaku to be able to perform under-arm catches and rebounds with non-foam nunchaku without harming themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7492" LastActivityDate="2016-09-12T20:03:45.920" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6802" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6796" CreationDate="2016-09-13T11:23:59.327" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are going to self-train then I would suggest that you start with a softer bag. A hard bag may lead to you hurting your hands or wrists whilst punching. I would go for a hanging bag and gloves. Try 16 oz gloves as these are nice and padded.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The drawbacks of a free-hanging bag are that it will move when you hit it and it can burst/ fall off its fastening through hard use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you learn (I am guessing off YouTube?) look at the right way to make a fist and also the right foot shape for kicks. These are the first things that a good instructor will teach you so you do not hurt yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I would say... take a few lessons :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7187" LastActivityDate="2016-09-13T11:23:59.327" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6803" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-09-13T14:22:08.050" Score="3" ViewCount="320" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have found from some past street fights that I go blind when I am angry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me explain:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I am 5'8&quot; inches tall, &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;80 kg or 176 pounds, &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;33 years old and &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I am not fat, not so fit (I can run for 15 minutes and cover 2 miles on a treadmill).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Software Engineer by profession, spending on average 10 hours everyday on laptop.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the last 5 years, I have had 3 street fights (not planned, but defending myself in road rage). I lost one and won two (meaning I dominated).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In every fight I had in the last 5 years (or before that), I couldn't see the other person swinging or moving in front of me. I could only see a blur, moving here and there. So if I want to hit him in safe place (on muscle not on bone) just to disable him or not draw blood, I couldn't. I know the spots but I couldn't hit correctly, which meant I hurt myself (ripped skin on my fist) or hurt the other person badly. A few days ago, I experienced the same blurring while chatting to a  person who had made me furious/angry. I had to wait and calm myself down to get proper vision/focus back; when you are defending yourself, even 10 secs time could result in serious injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have often heard these phrases in movies: &quot;I saw that punch coming a mile away&quot;, or &quot;I didn't see that coming, you were too fast&quot;. &#xA;This shows these boxers have very good focus and can dodge a fast boxing jab/punch. Not the case with me; I am getting slapped repeatedly and I couldn't see even one coming, then I just pushed the person, he fell over and then I gave him a few blows, on teeth, on concrete, but not on the right place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, how I can fix this? Are there any techniques that martial artists use to prevent this sort of blindness?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7512" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-09-15T15:00:10.170" LastActivityDate="2016-09-16T12:11:53.780" Title="Practice focus at home" Tags="|self-defense|self-training|streetfight|automatic-response|reaction|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6804" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6803" CreationDate="2016-09-13T14:58:58.390" Score="7" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Learn to walk away…&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your problem is that you get angry: &lt;em&gt;stop doing that&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://duckduckgo.com/?q=anger+management+classes+techniques&amp;amp;t=ffab&amp;amp;ia=web&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Anger management&lt;/a&gt; classes and/or techniques should be your first step. Your second step should be to learn about &lt;a href=&quot;https://duckduckgo.com/?q=de-escalation%20techniques&amp;amp;t=ffab&amp;amp;ia=web&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;de-escalation techniques&lt;/a&gt;. Finally, a trip to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;no nonsense self defence&lt;/a&gt; is needed -- especially the notes on &quot;street fighters&quot;. All these will help you not get into those situations in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It will help you not getting hurt, prevent hurt to others, and potentially ending up in trouble with the law&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Martial arts sparring&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any martial art that does sparring (of any kind) will help you focus. It will give you the adrenaline rush in a controlled environment. Rules are there so you and your partner do not get seriously hurt so you can spar again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;You cannot develop this at home.&lt;/em&gt; You need a gym, a coach, and some willing participants. But this is a good thing™. You get to get fit, to meet new interesting people, and to stop working ten hours days!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/469/82&quot;&gt;Look around where you live and visit clubs and do not focus on style or school.&lt;/a&gt; Look for one where you think you will have fun and that does sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The trick here is more practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hitting anything fancy (falling water, paper clips, butterflies, or whatever other crazy thing) is utterly useless unless your aim is to impress gullible people… Bags or pads are useful for developing power, precision, and endurance. They do not hit back and thus are useless at preparing you to not lose your calm in a fight situation. The only thing that can do that is sparing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;em&gt;⚠ I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV…&lt;/em&gt; That said, if you continue beating someone who is prone or cannot defend themselves you become the attacker and could get prosecuted for assault. Do not take my word for it: talk to a criminal attorney where you live.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-09-16T12:11:53.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6805" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6809" CreationDate="2016-09-13T16:55:40.297" Score="0" ViewCount="1106" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is known that Karambit attacks are very dangerous and lethal. Is there a way to protect yourself with free hands and with stick from Karambit attack? Videos and pictures will be appreciated. Karambit is totally different from regular knife from many perspectives: visual, functional and attacking way. Please give specific solution to Karambit attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="6750" LastEditDate="2016-09-13T17:48:20.817" LastActivityDate="2018-08-17T23:51:44.303" Title="How to defend from Karambit attack" Tags="|streetfight|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6806" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6803" CreationDate="2016-09-13T17:19:53.723" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Try to deflect any confrontation until it seems absolutely inevitable, e.g. the other person is set on fighting/threatening etc. Then strike first and fast, and legitimately try to end it right there. As Mike Tyson says, &quot;Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.&quot; Also it sounds in your case you might have to stay clear headed enough not to pound on them once their down...so like the other poster said, anger management. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7513" LastActivityDate="2016-09-13T17:19:53.723" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6807" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6805" CreationDate="2016-09-13T18:44:31.207" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A karambit isn't inherently any more dangerous than any other knife of a similar size. The biggest practical deference when defending against someone wielding a karambit (versus more traditionally hilted knives) is the ring. The ring will make the karambit somewhat more difficult to disarm than a knife without such a retention device. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally speaking, when unarmed (and forced into a physical confrontation) and being attacked with a knife, you are in a very bad position. A knife is a force multiplier, and the unarmed defender is going to get injured as a matter of course (statistical outliers excepted). With this understood, the defender's primary goal must be to remove or control the knife. The ring element of a karambit makes it more difficult to disarm, but it also makes it more difficult to quickly transfer the weapon from one hand to the other. This means that techniques which control or disable the limb the attacker is wielding the knife with are more likely to be effective than they would if a more conventional knife was used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same technical factors also apply for stick techniques versus a karambit. The karambit will be harder to drop, but the wielding hand still isn't very protected. Attacking the hand directly will be less effective with the ring in place, but multiple fractures can still make that hand unusable. A stick will also most likely have a reach advantage over the karambit, and the stick wielding defender would do well to use such an advantage to keep the knife out of its optimal range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As in all escalated threat situations, time is a critical factor. The longer an engagement carries on, the more likely someone is to be seriously injured or killed. An armed attacker should be incapacitated as quickly and directly as possible. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-09-13T18:44:31.207" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6808" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-09-13T20:06:05.050" Score="15" ViewCount="63812" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a device of some kind that allows you to do that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've tried phone apps and &lt;a href=&quot;http://store.steampowered.com/app/494380/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this little game&lt;/a&gt; with HTC Vive headset, but it seems to be quite unreliable, since it only calculates the speed, which is important, but it's not the same as power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I'm looking for is some kind of special punching bag, that would measure the actual force of my punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've found those &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Click-Me-2013-Hottest-Boxer-Game_629120837.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;arcade punching machines&lt;/a&gt;, but they are quite bulky, expensive and probably aren't very good for home use: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jEl6Um.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jEl6Um.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7514" LastEditorUserId="7514" LastEditDate="2016-09-14T06:51:07.027" LastActivityDate="2020-08-28T16:50:06.830" Title="How do you reliably measure your punching power?" Tags="|punching|equipment|power|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6809" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6805" CreationDate="2016-09-13T20:20:33.180" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;My background is penjak silat, which uses a lot of kerambit.  Yes, they're good combat knives...however, the way you're framing this makes them sound like magic super knives, which they are not.  Right now they're trendy with the macho tactical crowd, which means they get painted as The Most Dangerous Weapon (TM) just like every other fad does eventually.  The advice around dealing with kerambit is 90% the same as dealing with other short knives.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29N7C42LRh4&quot;&gt;great short video&lt;/a&gt; describing the fact that kerambit are effective primarily based on your ability to trap and enter to the kerambit clinch range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Avoid the Rush&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knives do their most damage up close, to the body or neck.  Knife assaults go for surprise, or at least to rush in close.  So the first thing is to avoid the rush - if you can, interpose anything between you and the attacker - a parked car, a mailbox, a light post, etc.   This won't buy a lot of time, but it may buy you a few moments, and it means they can't come STRAIGHT at you with momentum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If you have a reach weapon, use it&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have a stick (or other makeshift weapon with some range) use it to keep that range.  Few people can wade through a full on, committed hit with something that has some power and weight to it.  You'll want to have some training in this kind of stuff, because if the tool has low recovery time (&quot;I'm using a chair I picked up&quot;) you are open to being rushed if you miss.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knife assaults are very much about using the free hand to grab and pull someone into a blade or keeping them positioned to do your work - so if you end up hitting or breaking their free arm, that's still a big advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Destroy or control the weapon arm&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's where things get different, a only a little.  Kerambits have a retaining ring, which means slap and strip disarms do not work.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my style, we aim to destroy the bones in the hand or fingers so someone physically CANNOT hold it properly or use it anymore.  This may be controlling the arm and firing an elbow or knee into their hand or fingers... or slamming their hand and arm into the ground, or a wall, or around a light post to break their arm.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if you can get control of the weapon arm, pretty much anything else that might serve as a fight ender also counts as legit targets - eye gouges, driving the blade into their own body (inside thighs for kerambit), etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-09-13T20:20:33.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6810" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6808" CreationDate="2016-09-13T21:56:24.617" Score="17" Body="&lt;h1&gt;A Cheap, but Scientific Solution&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can be done cheaply (and reasonably accurately) with a smartphone, your fists, and some physics (which can be streamlined in excel or other spreadsheet). You want numbers to accompany your punches, so with a little effort, you can become intimate with character of your punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm pretty sure every smartphone has an accelerometer inside it. Most smartphone accelerometers are sensitive enough for punches, but you may have to worry about maxing them out. Some phones can take up to 16 g's.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You just need to find an app to record and then export that information, like &lt;a href=&quot;https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lul.accelerometer&amp;amp;hl=en&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt;. Sure, you could find an app like this &lt;a href=&quot;https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fgironesdev.punchforce&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;other one&lt;/a&gt; or even &lt;a href=&quot;https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.smart_fight.punch_speed&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this other one&lt;/a&gt;, but doing it yourself is rewarding and lets you see the messy details! Know thine punch!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To measure the force of a punch, you have two safe options:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Attach your phone to a punching bag. Activate the app to record accelerations and punch the opposite side. I would suggest placing it near the top of the punching bag, and securing it with some tape or sewing a pocket to hold your phone. Ideally, you want the phone to be as close to your punch as possible without endangering it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hold your phone in your fist, and punch with it while the app is active. This runs into problems, because you're grasping your phone which likely relies on a touchscreen, and I don't recommend punching anything with your phone in hand. That doesn't stop some people from making those &amp;quot;other apps&amp;quot; I mentioned above.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now to figure out how strong your punches are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You will need to measure the weight of the thing you're punching, like the punching bag or the weight of your phone and fist.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You'll take advantage of newton's &lt;a href=&quot;http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/newt.html#fma&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;second law&lt;/a&gt; to calculate the force of your punches. If your phone is on the bag, it measures the force you've put on the bag, which is what matters. Remember, force is not power, but a larger force means more power. You could stop here.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Take advantage of &lt;a href=&quot;http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/impulse.html#c1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;impulse&lt;/a&gt; to see how much energy your fists impart. You'll also need to measure the distance the bag travels back. This will give you an energy.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Once you have the energy of a punch, you can take the time it took to make that punch and calculate a power from that.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To measure the frequency (&amp;quot;speed&amp;quot;) of punching:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Count each big spike in the accelerometer data&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Find the time period over which these punches occur&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Number of spikes/time will give you your frequency (or &amp;quot;speed&amp;quot;).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are clever with excel, you can set up an excel sheet, and use that to figure out all the data you want for every exercise you do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a small note: effective punches are seen as &lt;em&gt;sharp/narrow&lt;/em&gt; spikes, not broad/wide ones. Sharpness in that graph represents a punch that bestows its force over a short time period, thus more power. You can see this pretty quickly in your data without any number crunching!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2020-08-28T16:50:06.830" LastActivityDate="2020-08-28T16:50:06.830" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6811" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-09-14T08:58:28.077" Score="1" ViewCount="127" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've seen a lot of Wing Chun courses like this: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.udemy.com/wing-chun-sil-lim-tao-module-1-know-yourself/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.udemy.com/wing-chun-sil-lim-tao-module-1-know-yourself/&lt;/a&gt; that promise you results by watching their videos and doing the exercises they suggest. Is it really possible to learn anything useful this way or it's just a waste of money?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My guess is that it's pretty much pointless unless you also practice sparring with a teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7514" LastActivityDate="2016-09-14T08:58:28.077" Title="Is it possible to learn Wing Chun remotely?" Tags="|teaching|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2016-09-15T12:18:02.043" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6812" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6808" CreationDate="2016-09-15T14:29:00.737" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's generally very difficult to measure the force very meaningfully, i.e. in some way that would let you compare different techniques, variations in timing/body-mechanics that you're aware of, even the same technique delivered by different people, or to predict the effect of the technique on different targets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To understand why, it may help to consider what kind of measurement would be ideal, and I'd argue that's a set of (x,y,pressure,time) capturing (x,y)  coordinates on the target or striking tool, and the instantaneous pressure (e.g. kg/cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; or psi) at each point in time.  For surfaces like the fist or fingertips hitting something that doesn't deform much, you'd want samples every couple millimetres, whereas for larger flatter less bony surfaces like the instep hitting softer targets like a punching bag, there's unlikely to be huge variation in pressure within a couple cms.  I'm not sure how many times per second you'd need to capture to make sure you didn't miss peak pressures when hard surfaces collide, but I'd guess it'd be  order-of one to two thousand hertz (i.e. pressure measurements at each point across the surface per second).  It might help to imagine a &quot;heat map&quot; - much as the weather forecast on TV might show a map with blue/green/yellow/orange/red contours representing air pressure as a storm builds and fades over time, your striking tool and the target will form a map of waxing and waning pressures during the strike.  For example - &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sensorprod.com/application/images/dynamic/heat-sink-dynamic-1.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;an animated gif such as this&lt;/a&gt; could encode how the pressure builds at different points during a strike (but you'd want a lot more samples).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What's more important - localised peak pressures that may shatter the point of contact, or sustaining lower pressures for longer times over larger areas that will bend the target to its breaking point - differs with the target material and structure.  The contrast is similar to the difference between striking with a (pointy) pick, a blade, or striking with a sledgehammer or wooden mallet: the area, shape and hardness of the contacting surfaces affect the instantaneous pressures.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, getting gear to take such pressure measurements across a surface - I'm not aware of any commercial offerings in this space that someone could afford for home use.  Closest I've come across is a 700Hz 200PSI 16x16 grid at about US$15k.  200PSI isn't nearly enough for a powerful karate punch with the top of the knuckles.  If I find anything later I'll update this answer....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even with ideal gear, it's important to understand that the measurements won't just be a function of the strike - how much the target yields during the strike is also a major factor.  Specifically, a harder and heavier target will register higher instantaneous pressures (both in time and space) than a softer, lighter target that shapes itself around the striking tool (e.g. fist, foot) more, and is easily accelerated to the same speed as the striking tool (which is when pressure becomes 0, as there's no net force imparting further acceleration on the target).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These TV shows that have claimed to quantify different arts' strikes with a single &quot;PSI&quot; reading are tacky entertainment and shouldn't be mistaken for scientific.  For example, a boxer wearing a glove is going to be making contact with at least 25cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; striking area, so you only have to hit with 1/50th of the effort if you rap the target with the bottom edge of one knuckle - an area of about half a square cm - to register the same PSI reading, if the equipment's accurately giving a peak PSI reading.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note the above also assumes the sensor can be trusted.  A problem for cheaper sensors and home-made measurement attempts is that more intense strikes - with greater impact in a lesser time - may transfer energy less efficiently.  For example, more energy may be lost to sound, localised deformations/stretching of the materials at the immediate point of initial contact.  Similarly, with less time for pressurised air to escape from the target, the air pressure may resist the strike and distribute the impact over a larger part of target - energy expended in stretching the materials, again making the peak pressure and especially peak pressure per unit area &quot;visible&quot; to the sensor less.  Some sensors may attempt to correct for this, but given a wide variety in striking surfaces and pressures it's an unrealistic ask for reasonably priced gear, particularly for small striking surfaces like the knuckles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an extreme example of how a seemingly simple and legitimate way of measuring impact can be flawed, consider the idea of seeing how much a kickboxing heavy bag swings when punched: a really good punch may fold the bag around the fist, such that the bottom and top are jerked towards the fist and the front surface material of the bag snaps taught and stretches against the further penetration of the fist; with the top of the bag naturally imparted a tendency to fold down but actually held up by a chain, straps or rope, the roof or frame holding the bag will undergo a sharp tug downwards and the bag upwards.  All these forces and movements tend to be perpendicular to or against the direction of the punch, and they make it harder for the punches impact to efficiently convey momentum to the rest of the bag, compared to a slower &quot;pushing&quot; impact over a larger surface area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this case, you'd get a considerably better indication of punching power from a shorter, fatter bag that has less tendency to fold, especially if there's some stiffer material running vertically through the bag to help convey impact at the middle to the top and bottom, but any impression you get of power will still be very vague.  You also trend towards more meaningful measurements/impressions of overall power for techniques that impact over a longer time and with a larger surface area: for example - a front kick with the flat/sole of the foot into a heavy bag will convey a better sense of the intensity of impact through the bag to a holder than a tai-chi style slapping palm, delivered with the hand slapping down from above the shoulder, which generates a very sudden short-lived shock of power with little follow through.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What's wrong with an accelerometre or high speed camera?  Well, they don't tell you much about the body weight transfer and muscular tensions behind the strike, potentially encouraging flicky technique that wouldn't actually do useful damage.  Some other devices will register better &quot;scores&quot; for slower thudding impacts, discouraging the speed and snap needed to break lighter, unsupported or retreating targets.  And it's very unlikely that a device will encourage good habits across a variety of strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, my advice is just to get a heavy bag and a &quot;big mitt&quot; like they use in kyokushin karate and try to hit through them as hard as you can.  Use your art's body mechanics, common sense, any science/physics you know and a good deal of experimentation and partner/instructor feedback.  When you're ready, break some things.  Let that take you as far as it will, without worrying too much about &quot;scientific&quot; measurements when most things out there marketed as such or readily DIY-able are of dubious accuracy and value.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2016-09-20T17:22:33.530" LastActivityDate="2016-09-20T17:22:33.530" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6815" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6451" CreationDate="2016-09-17T21:51:09.610" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I understand you are comparing two specific physical attributes related to training (flexibility and youth), but I suspect you are asking: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;“Do I have what it takes to train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?” &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are not alone. It’s a daunting sport to enter. I began at 29 years old and I'm a 50 year old black belt now. I realized early on that the only way to make this a long-time passion was to understand the notion of the &quot;multi-faceted fighter,&quot; of which flexibility, age, strength, etc. are considered. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watching your first class from the sidelines will give you a mixture of excitement and dread. You will be questioning every aspect of yourself as you make a decision. In short, you will discover that for every aspect of skill required in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, there are people who persevere in the sport due to strengths in a variety of areas. Be prepared for something completely different, but understand that despite your best efforts, it may not work out. Here are some characteristics to consider:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fitness&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Weight  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Strength  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Size  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Aggression&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Technical Skill &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fearlessness &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Flexibility  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Agility&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Competitiveness&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Physical Intelligence &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Physical Creativity  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knowledge of your Opponent &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knowledge of Yourself &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Showmanship (getting inside your opponent's head) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Age&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Characteristics that Define the Fighter&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many of these characteristics can be improved upon with work, such as strength, fitness level, and technical skill. Others can be changed slightly with substantial work, coaching and mindset, such as competitiveness. Others are difficult to change or control, such as aggression, agility, and physical creativity. I just scratch the surface of each of these characteristics. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Fitness Level&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It almost always starts here. People who are “out of shape” often think they need to get into shape before joining. I suggest that you really are never going to be in shape enough to start grappling unless you are already grappling. Paradoxical, but it’s the same in every sport. Until you use the muscles and move in the way the sport demands, you won’t discover them though some other cross-training regimen. Get on the mats and get in shape there. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Weight&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding weight control, I’ve seen more pounds shed on these mats than I can count. It’s hard work, but it can be done. And why not learn how to fight while you go through the hard labor of weight loss?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On our mats, the overweight train side by side with the super-fit. We’re all in it together. Fitness as a way of life, practiced through the sport of submission grappling. In the professional fighting context, mixed martial artists are well regarded as some of the most well rounded athletes out there. It is rare to find a successful fighter who doesn’t have an incredible fitness level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;MMA legends Ken Shamrock and BJ Penn have both lost fights because their opponent was better conditioned, not more technical. Ortiz did it to Shamrock and Matt Hughes did it to Penn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Strength&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The amount strength matters depends on the situation. If two opponents of similar skill faced off, strength would matter and would absolutely define the victor. Since it is rarely the case that two people are that closely matched in a fight, especially an unplanned street altercation, strength really doesn’t have the lion’s share of consideration. In training for competition, anything an athlete can do to legally improve their ability to win should be focused on. There is no doubt that strength training improves the overall athlete. If you are not naturally strong, you should weight train, use kettle bells, etc. If you are naturally strong, you can put it off, but eventually, you should consider resistance training to improve your game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Size&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Size matters. While many proponents of this sport will point to great champions who overcame larger opponents, they neglect to say that those larger opponents had less skill, agility, or stamina than the smaller opponent. Taking a single factor into play against a like opponent in all other aspects, size matters. In my time coaching, I have seen many larger (or stronger) guys learning the finer points of ground fighting slower than smaller guys since they can rely on their other assets. Technique comes later, and only when their size (or strength) is neutralized by an opponent of greater skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Aggressiveness&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aggression is an interesting quality, and one that surprisingly doesn’t help a refined fighter much. Aggression, simply stated, is the ease with which a fighter is willing to be violent or harmful. It is completely different from the desire to win, or more accurately, the complete distain for defeat. This attribute is the competitiveness. Don’t confuse the two. An aggressive man may lose all desire to win at the slightest sign of pain, loss of position, or exhaustion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don’t need to be a naturally aggressive person to love the challenge of competition. I’m a very passive individual. I would never fight unless cornered or defending a loved one. Yet I love the combination of competition and challenge that comes when grappling on the mats. I don’t mean to overstate my case, but there may actually be a negative correlation. Overly aggressive guys generally clumsily hurt people. When this happens, they get ostracized (other guys don’t want to train with them) or even physically beaten by the senior students repeatedly to scare them off. It is rare that someone with the singular skill of aggression distinguishes themselves in the sport. On the other hand, a nice dose of controlled aggression combined with several other factors can make for a great fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Technical Skill&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technical skill is the accumulated knowledge of a student and their ability to draw upon it when needed, with appropriate speed, strength, distancing, and precision. The sports of submission grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu celebrate technical skill like most martial arts and sports. Those with the most technical skill tend to be those who have accumulated the most realistic mat time against strong opponents and have been lucky enough to have solid coaching. Clearly being able to demonstrate technical skill requires significant agility, technical intelligence, and usually requires flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technical skill is by far the most important of the characteristics that make a fighter great. When Randy Couture wore out Gonzaga against the fence in UFC 74, it was his technical skill that kept Gonzaga at bay. Sure, other aspects of the fighter helped (strength, fitness, fearlessness, desire to win), but it was Couture’s skill that allowed his much heralded body lock to disable Gonzaga. By far the most spectacularly technical fighters out there is Marcelo Garcia. Garcia won the ADCC, in his 66-76 kg weight division three times in a row. He has only lost against much larger opponents in the absolute division, generally in the finals. How Garcia wins is important: he almost always wins by submission rather than points, this is a key indicator of technical advantage over his opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Fearlessness&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It takes a bit of bravery to face off with an opponent on the mats. It takes even more bravery to come back to class after getting your butt whooped a few times. I recall my early days as a white belt. I’d miss a couple of classes and think how easy it would be to never go back. I knew if I went back in, I’d get obliterated by the more advanced students. I think the pure excitement of learning such an effective fighting system kept me coming back. It overcame the fear. You don’t have to be fearless to be great. In fact, there is a fine line between bravado and stupidity. Knowing when to tap and when to back down in an unwinnable match will keep the injuries at bay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technically skilled students may become more fearless, simply because fear is all about the unknown. An advanced student knows what every submission feels like and knows their limits. An advanced student has a greater chance of winning a fight. Both of these greatly diminish fear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fearlessness is closely related to Desire to Win.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Flexibility&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flexibility is completely independent of all the other factors. I’ve seen overweight, physically unfit people with incredible flexibility. Conversely, I’ve seen some amazing fighters with significant limits to their range of motion in various limbs. Some people are naturally inflexible in certain parts. No amount of stretching, yoga, or conditioning will improve this more than a few percentage points. More flexible people can get out of tighter jams and can stay calm in very nasty physical situations. But I’ve got some very good fighters who are very tight. It matters, but won’t make or break your game on the mats.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eddie Bravo’s flexibility has helped him redefine the sport of submission grappling. I also credit Eddie’s physical creativity in creating scores of new moves. Not everyone can succeed with the rubber guard. More flexible fighters have more options to put their body into shapes that help them succeed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Agility and Balance&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Agility is by far the most important characteristic of this sport. Agility, in context with this sport, is defined as the ability to move your body smoothly and precisely on command, from a multitude of angles, both with or without the full weight and strength of your opponent borne upon you. That’s a tall order for many students. Prospective students who ask me if they have what it takes to succeed on the mats are often times answered by my asking this question: “Can you dance?” This is a good indication of agility, balance, physical creativity, and physical intelligence. After training over 250 students at Austin Jiu-Jitsu, it is quite clear that the most agile students bubble quickly to the top of the stack of the group. Agile students fly past awkward ones. In the end, gyms that train in fighting sports have a pecking order. The most agile are often on top. It is rare that someone without agility will dominate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Desire to Win&lt;/em&gt;&#xA;(i.e. Will, Competitiveness, Confidence, Mental Strength, Mind Game)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be very afraid of an opponent with copious amounts of competitiveness. An overly competitive personality in a poorly skilled opponent is dangerous to himself. These are they guys who never know when to tap and end up getting hurt and emotional when they lose an unwinnable fight. Conversely, a competitive personality in a highly skilled opponent is a treacherous opponent indeed. A desire to win is an outstanding quality that absolutely makes the difference between chumps and world champions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An important part of the desire to win is the mental strength that allows a fighter to stare into the eyes of another. While some may call it an act, this display of confidence tests the will of the opponent. It is the beginning of imposing your physical will over an opponent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Physical Intelligence&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Right-Brained Fighter has Muscle Memory&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Physical intelligence is defined by a rapid ability to recall physical motion. Some people learn physical motion with fewer repetitions than others. I’ve seen this as completely independent of other forms intelligence. “Book smart” intelligent people don’t learn physical motion any faster and certainly can’t tap into that muscle memory any faster. The difference is how quickly muscle memory latches on and if it can be tapped when needed. If it’s not there when you need it, in an instant, you don’t have it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People with greater muscle memory certainly learn faster in physical sports like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. If you don’t remember techniques well, you’ll need to “rep” techniques more. In the end, you’ll learn it if you commit the time to practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Physical Creativity&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Left Brained Fighters define their own moves&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Physical creativity is the ability to work out new situations with the movement of your body. For example, a physically creative person can discover new submissions or escapes quickly by untangling the numerous positional relationships between the fighter and the opponent. These are the guys who advance the sport and define the fighting system in terms of their own body, rather than simply mimicking the movements of others independent of consideration of the physical aspects of the differences of others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The left brained fighter isn’t necessarily artistic off the mats, but on the mats they take the often times clumsy movements of fighting into something graceful and beautiful. Generally, a physically creative person is highly agile, but an agile person may not be physically creative.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An interesting question to ask is why advanced fighters so often end up making up their own moves? Is it primarily because advanced fighters have so much mat time to have successfully, through trial and error, created new moves? Or is it because only physically creative people make it to the advanced levels of this sport? It is very unusual to see a brown or black belt in the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu who hasn’t defined their own special sub-species of the sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knowledge of the Opponent&#xA;Sun Tzu summed it up best “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” Beyond simple knowledge, you need to know how to adapt your fight. You may know someone has great take-downs, but if you don’t work the sprawl, you’ll still end up on your back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When Randy Couture beat Tim Silvia in UFC 68, he won the fight by knowing how to avoid the punching power of Sylvia. A new Randy Couture emerged at this fight: someone who bobbed and weaved like an experienced boxer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Knowledge of your Own Limits&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don’t get pulled into a fight you can’t possibly win. Fighting an opponent out of your league isn’t smart. Of course, the prerequisite to this decision is knowing your opponent. Unless this is a friendly sparring match, if you can compare your skills and you can’t win, don’t fight. Unfortunately, cornered on the street, you have no choice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Showmanship&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may seem surprising to hear that showmanship in any way applies to the ability to fight, but showmanship is a mental game designed to get the crowd on your side and to get inside the head of your opponent. Nick Diaz is great at at goading his opponents. He’s so good at it, he even confused referee Steve Mazzaggati into mistakenly declaring that Diaz was somehow breaking the rules in the UFC. Nick knows how to piss people off. A pissed off opponent isn’t necessarily more dangerous, just distracted. Kazushi Sakuraba’s showmanship gets the crowd behind him almost every time. When he spanked Ryan Gracie in Pride, it created such a buzz, the media attention alone elevated Sakuraba’s stature as a “Gracie Killer.”&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During matches, a fighter’s ability to conceal pain, pretend they are less challenged than they really are, and generally show no concern, is generally a successful approach. This poker face tactic prevents the easy “read.” If you know your opponent is in pain, tired, or afraid, you will pick up the attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Age&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have safe training partners, you should be able to grapple into your retirement years. Communicate your constraints and concerns, and good training partners will respect them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Enjoy BJJ! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7524" LastActivityDate="2016-09-17T21:51:09.610" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6817" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6796" CreationDate="2016-09-19T15:44:35.687" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;When you get the 16 oz gloves as @NeilNeil's answer suggests make sure you get some hand wraps. They're not so important if you're punching pads that someone is holding, but you'll end up damaging your wrists and hands if you use a heavy bag. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are tons of videos on youtube to demonstrate how to wrap your hands, find something that works for you. The main thing to look for is that the fist you make should be tighter after you've wrapped it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7531" LastActivityDate="2016-09-19T15:44:35.687" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6818" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6819" CreationDate="2016-09-20T09:34:03.223" Score="7" ViewCount="2806" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/t7mYym.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/t7mYym.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Upward palm block&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://taekwondo.wikia.com/wiki/Upward_Palm_Block&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Souce&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As per the title, I can't quite see how the upward palm block has any advantage over a normal middle block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7412" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-09-20T09:46:15.217" LastActivityDate="2020-09-26T02:33:00.657" Title="What is the purpose of the upward palm block in Taekwondo" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6819" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6818" CreationDate="2016-09-20T10:19:38.787" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are familiar with the ITF patterns it is often used as a direct defence for a fixed stance punch type attack (3rd move from &lt;a href=&quot;http://taekwondo.wikia.com/wiki/Won-Hyo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Won-Hyo&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally it can be used for any belt line attack - and depending on the positioning and type of attack can sometimes be more desirable than a downward palm block (2 of these at the end of &lt;a href=&quot;http://taekwondo.wikia.com/wiki/Joong-Gun&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Joong-Gun&lt;/a&gt;)&#xA; For example: knocking a kick upwards may knock the opponent off balance - whilst knocking it downwards may put it straight into your legs (depending on your current positioning).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In your 2 step - as @AndyJeffries explains - the upwards block should leave you in a reasonable position to manipulate the attackers arm after removing the focus of the punch. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also puts your body in the correct position for the attacker to do their turning kick to a sensible target and gives you chance to practice a block that appears in your patterns (start of &lt;a href=&quot;http://taekwondo.wikia.com/wiki/Joong-Gun&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Joong-Gun&lt;/a&gt;) against a live target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that it is common when doing this in practice to take the block too high - this is one of the reasons it is in 2-step and patterns at a similar grade, giving the instructors/examiners more chance to see and correct this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastEditorUserId="5926" LastEditDate="2016-09-20T11:06:59.373" LastActivityDate="2016-09-20T11:06:59.373" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6820" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6818" CreationDate="2016-09-20T10:30:30.460" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;We often use the same block in Kukki-Taekwondo during one step sparring for defending against a punch so then we can easily grab the underside of their punching wrist, from there we can quickly apply arm/wrist locks. This is changing in the amount it's used with the new Kukkiwon one step syllabus being more self-defence focused (rather than technical), but still...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2016-09-20T10:30:30.460" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6821" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6394" CreationDate="2016-09-20T13:20:11.210" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are no ranks or grades in the original art of Wing Chun. It wasn't even a complete system just 100 years ago. Prior to Yip Man, it had been taught only from one practitioner to another, so grading didn't make much sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most ranking systems derive from Japanese tradition. There is no standard rule set for Wing Chun. Every school or foundation may have their own. Shape and color usually reflect the number of years trained, exams passed or other achievements. There might even be honorary grades.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7533" LastActivityDate="2016-09-20T13:20:11.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6822" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1" CreationDate="2016-09-20T13:41:24.023" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Depending on the particular school of Wing Chun, especially those in Hong Kong and southern China, muscle training might have the exact opposite effect of what you want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If force generation is done internally, or by pivoting, then most of the force will be delivered through your joints and bones. In such a case, additional bulk mass will just slow you down when changing shape, but not contribute to the impact force. Masters of those styles are often skinny and feeble-looking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7533" LastActivityDate="2016-09-20T13:41:24.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6823" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6818" CreationDate="2016-09-20T16:38:35.930" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you have the full encyclopedia, you'll find further details and illustrations of applications for this technique in the description of Joong Gun Hyung, Vol 9 pages 216 and 222.  It's noteworthy that the text says &quot;the palm reaches the target in a circular motion&quot;, and one of the photos shows a dotted line tracing the motion of the hand: it should be brought about a hand span in front of the blocking shoulder as the body's squared while stepping the back leg through, then loop outwards to drag an incoming attack outside the line of the body and downwards, circling it inwards again and upwards as the hand comes back on line with the front foot.  Dragging the attack sideways first is necessary to stop a kick or punch hitting you, and the circular motion helps unbalance the attacker.  You could think of it a bit like a grasping block that doesn't just make a small arc, but loops right round from maybe 11pm on a clock to maybe 8pm, clockwise, though at the end of the movement the hand's not travelling in a side to side plane but move back-to-front.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, if someone has attacked deeply enough to hit you, their arm may be extended too far for you to circle it back on line without dragging the attacking limb into your own side.  Sometimes it may be practical to catch a punch closer to to their elbow and have your push more directly shove their upper arm towards their shoulder to unbalance them, in which case their arm will bend as you shove it back into them, allowing you to complete your movement on line.  The encyclopedia hints at this application in the way a reverse punch has been deflected and the punching shoulder is raised awkwardly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may also be possible to a punching arm outwards and have their fist tuck in near your arm pit as your hand slams up under their elbow.  But this is diverting into alternative applications of similar movements, and I believe the focus should always be on understanding the utility for the primary application first - here - blocking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another explanation of the block that I was taught at one time - but find no evidence for in the encyclopedia, is to catch an attack coming in from your side and throw it up and forwards.  For example, if you were stepping through in joong gun hyung to block with your right hand, imagine someone standing off to your right side, delivering a front kick towards your front thigh: you could catch their kicking leg and scoop it forwards and upwards for you - which will be sideways and de-stabilising for them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2016-09-20T16:38:35.930" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6824" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6761" CreationDate="2016-09-22T12:07:11.683" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Canada, when you take the elite class at the national team ( the club is called Shidokan and regroup the people who are training for the Olympics, or trying to get there), the WHOLE CLASS was 5 minutes randori. 5 nights a week. 2 hours a day. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The coach was sitting in middle of the class, watching, sometimes giving hints or bits of advice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;you had a 30 seconds break in between to go drink water, and you could sit out once in a while if you were too tired ... but you couldn't refuse a fight, if you want to win the respect of the team's member, just give your 100%. Fighting pass exhaustion is a good way to push further and ask your body to give more ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;and I think this is even more important now, considering international competitions now go in &quot;overtime&quot;, so you can see 7 or 8 minutes fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I started over there, I was 15, and not strong enough to fight vs man, so I was doing randori against older person who where training once in a while with the team, or against woman, since physical strengh was less different between us. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was sooo in shape compare to the other kids my age, and beating them easily, that they started to realize I was training much harder than they did, and started to show up at the club too. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1526" LastActivityDate="2016-09-22T12:07:11.683" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6825" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6723" CreationDate="2016-09-22T12:29:35.953" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Have you looked at sites like Meetup.com? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.meetup.com/topics/martial/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;They have a martial arts section&lt;/a&gt;. There's also &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fitlink.com/martial-arts-partners&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Fitlink&lt;/a&gt; or, if you're looking for &lt;em&gt;other&lt;/em&gt; sorts of partners, &lt;em&gt;fitness-singles.com&lt;/em&gt;. Honestly, if you type in &quot;martial arts training partners&quot; into Google, you'll get a number of results.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2016-09-22T12:29:35.953" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6826" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-09-22T17:02:24.560" Score="5" ViewCount="5563" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a guy in my 40s and would like to improve my flexibility in Tae Kwon Do.&#xA;Not new at it but there is always room from improvement.&#xA;Any sugestions?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks in advance&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7539" LastActivityDate="2023-05-10T05:01:19.603" Title="How to improve flexibility for a 40yo guy" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|flexibility|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6827" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1352" CreationDate="2016-09-23T16:54:12.590" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Disclaimer- I am not a Japanese speaker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Short Answer:&#xA;Don't worry about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Longer Answer:&#xA;The suffix -jutsu means 'practice of', the suffix -do means 'study of'. I have been taught by Japanese instructors who have used both or changed for emphasis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Historically, martial arts tended to be called something-jutsu because they taught you how to do something. After WWII these were banned for a period. When they eventually returned they were modernised and/or rebranded as something-do. This was to give them respectability and to distance them from their military origins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7543" LastActivityDate="2016-09-23T16:54:12.590" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6828" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6098" CreationDate="2016-09-23T18:34:20.413" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The word 'iaido' is most commonly used to describe the study and practice of sword exercises (&lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt;) and related subjects. Traditional schools (&lt;em&gt;koryu&lt;/em&gt;) were dominated by these exercises which they used to preserve and transmit their syllabuses. It is important to realise tho that &lt;em&gt;koryu&lt;/em&gt; are not Martial Arts in the modern sense because they were not restricted to one kind of fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kendo is a Martial Art that emerged with the development of mock bamboo swords and armour that were safe enough to fence with. Kendo quickly became very popular whilst the various &lt;em&gt;koryu&lt;/em&gt; declined. Most now no longer exist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a consequence of this, the problem emerged that kendo practitioners became unfamiliar with the handling characteristics of actual swords. So a selection of &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; drawn from a number of different &lt;em&gt;koryu&lt;/em&gt; were incorporated into kendo study.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Today, the vast majority of people who do iaido are kendo students doing this selection of &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt;. But the has been a resurgence of interest in &lt;em&gt;koryu&lt;/em&gt; and it is perfectly possible to do iaido without kendo or kendo with a bare minimum of iaido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is also worth mentioning that mental aspects are not absent from kendo. They are very strongly emphasised.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7543" LastActivityDate="2016-09-23T18:34:20.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6829" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1218" CreationDate="2016-09-23T18:46:22.503" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrNeIFvOx3Y&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the first form of &lt;em&gt;Tachi-uchi-no-kurai&lt;/em&gt; set&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;em&gt;Musu Jikiden Eishin Ryu&lt;/em&gt; there is an example of a cut to the knee being blocked by exactly the same action. This results in an edge to edge contact. Of course, the defender could rotate to use the edge, but that would be adding an extra movement to protect the sword when they should be moving straight to protect the leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course it is better to protect the edge and deflect cuts away. But never at the expense of weakening your defence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7543" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-05-12T20:09:24.097" LastActivityDate="2020-05-12T20:09:24.097" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6830" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="191" CreationDate="2016-09-23T18:53:26.520" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Japanese &lt;em&gt;Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū&lt;/em&gt; is an organisation that has a documented existence back to the 15th Century.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7543" LastActivityDate="2016-09-23T18:53:26.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6831" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3170" CreationDate="2016-09-24T06:42:10.980" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you strongly chop the throat hitting the adam's apple or even not, it might cause immediate but temporary asphyxiation or stun which will momentarily stop an opponent to fight. If you strongly chop at the side of the neck it might cause momentary stoppage on the opponent because the carotid arteries are smash and it may cause dysfunction on the flow of blood to the brain. At the nape a chop, may act like a smashing hard pipe, causing immediate death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7546" LastActivityDate="2016-09-24T06:42:10.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6832" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3170" CreationDate="2016-09-24T06:46:45.553" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;please try letting your throat be tweak even by one finger, or the side of your neck be chop with a little force and feel the effect if a chop to the neck can injure or even kill. Thanks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7546" LastActivityDate="2016-09-24T06:46:45.553" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6833" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2424" CreationDate="2016-09-24T07:14:06.317" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do not think so that shotokan is best for kumite only. It is more suited for street fight because of their kumite practice to hit the face and body with punch or kick which is the reality in street fight. hitting just the body and kicking the face, as the kyukushin fighters do, is not street reality. The hardness of sparring should not be considered on the way the sparring goes for how many rounds despite the participants being floored several times. The consideration should be if the fist and kicks of the fighters can land on the&#xA; face or body whatever is clear for strike. In shotokan kumite you can see players knocked to the floor by a punch to the face or a kick to the face. It is seldom that you can see a participant goes down with a punch to the body but mostly due to punch or kick on the face or a strong sweep to the lower leg followed by a punch to the floored participants.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7546" LastActivityDate="2016-09-24T07:14:06.317" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6834" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4194" CreationDate="2016-09-24T07:30:59.293" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;When you practice empty hand way of fighting, that can be karate of which you practice hand to hand fighting. But weapon fighting can also be added of which you learn a fighting system using weapons. On the other hand, those who learn weapon fighting can add in their system empty hand fighting. In the Philippines, the weapon fighting of Arnis is complimented with Arnis de Mano, an empty hand fighting system using the movement of Arnis when manipulating their stick or bolo knife.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7546" LastActivityDate="2016-09-24T07:30:59.293" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6835" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-09-24T14:26:45.760" Score="3" ViewCount="1281" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have just started a Hwa Rang Do course in a very good martial arts school. The other day my instructor found out I'm a smoker. He first told me that smoking is a terrible practice and I should quit. He then said, &quot;Smoking is so terrible that for me it's no difference than finding out you cause violence on a disabled person.&quot;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;I felt very offended and I said, &quot;Look, I understand your point of view on smoking and I respect it. I also understand if, as my instructor you would suggest me or urge me to stop, but you are not seriously comparing violence on a disabled person with smoking are you? Because I would never hurt anyone, especially a disabled person.&quot;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;And he said, &quot;No, it's the same to me. You are at the same level as someone that would kill a disabled person. It's just my point of view.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I felt appalled, offended, and yes, angry. As my instructor I respect and trust him, but I can't possibly accept a personal offence such as this one. If everyone were to defend their accusations of violence as &quot;their point of view&quot; everything would be far too easy... I never judge anyone, I never cause any harm to anyone, I myself suffered from violence and bullying (one of the reasons I decided to join in the first place), and this sort of behaviour from my instructor hit me hard. I now feel angry and sad and I just want to quit. I love my course, I love martial arts, but I'm not sure if I can stand even being with him in the same room. To me, respect is everything and I just feel like I'm now going to be bullied and shamed by everyone in that gym (I forgot to mention the others listened to the whole thing). Before leaving, he saw the disappointed look on my face and said to me, &quot;Don't judge me.&quot;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;I said, &quot;I'm not, I'm not judging you or offending you personally. You did and I feel awful.&quot; He continued to say he didn't, that it's just a point of view and that's it. I had to leave, I felt nauseous. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What do you guys think? What should I do or say now? Do you think what he said and how he behaved is justified? I'm new to the martial arts and I don't know if that's a &quot;reasonable&quot; behaviour to have. But aren't we first and foremost human beings? And isn't maybe respect a core value of martial arts? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7548" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-01-03T14:11:35.373" LastActivityDate="2017-01-04T11:10:04.367" Title="My instructor disrespected me or am I overreacting?" Tags="|social|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6836" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6835" CreationDate="2016-09-24T15:11:03.613" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;As someone who's been trying to get his parents to quit smoking for the last 30 years, I kind of understand his passion. But while he's right on a certain level (you are, in fact, hurting yourself and others around you when you smoke), there are, however, better ways to say things and, most likely, better metaphors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as instructors go, you probably realize by now that if he can feel that strongly about one thing and not be able to moderate his own comments regarding it, he'll probably do the same with other topics such as, for example, your poor grasp of certain techniques. I've known some students who really liked that sort of attitude, as it whipped them into better form and made them practice even harder, but I've also known others who simply quit coming to class because of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, you do you, we can't decide for you. In my experience as a teacher (both martial arts and other school-related subjects), students don't learn as much when they don't respect their teacher or their methods. I can see this has affected you deeply, and wouldn't be surprised that you no longer enjoy the course. Maybe this school as other courses you can take, with a friendlier instructor?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2016-09-24T15:11:03.613" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6837" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4194" CreationDate="2016-09-24T17:31:19.777" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Specific Answer&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;'Karate' originally meant 'Chinese Hand'. The change to 'Empty Hand' was essentially a political shift. (The sound is the same, only the writing is different).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;General Answer&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The sorting of Martial Arts into distinct fighting styles (striking, grappling, weapons etc) is a relatively modern thing. Historically, people would only have access to one school because of their clan and class. So they covered a much broader range of subjects.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7543" LastActivityDate="2016-09-24T17:31:19.777" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6838" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6701" CreationDate="2016-09-24T17:55:38.753" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I still remember the start of my very first fencing lesson at school. We had no swords, the instructor just paired is up and gave us a game. We had to touch each other with our right thumbs and shout whenever a touch landed. Five minutes later we were all laughing when he suddenly shouted &quot;freeze!&quot;. We all did. &quot;You are all standing with one arm out and one pulled back. You all have your feet at 90 degrees which means that your bodies are 45 degrees to your partner&quot;. And so we were. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The position is natural compromise that allows forward movement, reduces exposure of the body and puts the weapon up front.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7543" LastActivityDate="2016-09-24T17:55:38.753" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6839" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4194" CreationDate="2016-09-24T19:47:13.527" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recommend the Wikipedia entry &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karate&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In this era of escalating Japanese militarism,[6] the name was changed from 唐手 (&quot;Chinese hand&quot; or &quot;Tang hand&quot;)[7] to 空手 (&quot;empty hand&quot;) – both of which are pronounced karate&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="689" LastActivityDate="2016-09-24T19:47:13.527" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6840" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1056" CreationDate="2016-09-25T07:25:01.790" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have had more experience than most with wood. I was foreman at a yacht woodworking mill, although that was not the only thing we did to be sure. Some of the previous answers take things a bit too far. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;1st and foremost is the quality of the stave. This means the integrity, any cracks, large knots, rotting, insect damage, etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Second would be the drying of the wood and that it was done properly. This will be done long before you get your hands on it. Most won't know if it has been done. A wood moisture meter can tell at what state the wood is currently at. The average for different areas of the world vary. Arizona would be around 8% .South Florida around 13%. For most this won't be an issue. Allowing it to stay indoors in your home for 3 to 5 weeks will allow the wood to find the ambient level.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Third has been mentioned, boiled linseed oil. Applications of this will keep the wood from drying out too much and replaces the natural oils that slowly evaporate. This is a very important aspect of woods abilities to stay intact. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fourth, frequently check the end grain for cracking and checking. A chamfer should be made with a file or sandpaper. The chamfer protects a section of the grain from propagating a crack that could run the length of the staff possibly making it unusable. Regular inspection after all contact sessions is something that should always be done. As simple as tapping it on a hard surface and feel for vibrations and or sounds indicating cracks.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Realistically guys what are you doing with this... oh ya you are beating the living daylights out of it against other wood, bone, sharp metal.&#xA;I have found that it has more to do with things that you have the least control of. Mainly how the tree was grown. A good waxwood staff is a small juvenile tree or an exceptionally straight section of branch. More than not it will be a juvenile tree. So how it was cared for will have more to do with its overall performance than most anything else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said shallow engraving will not hurt most. I have done it with mine. A good sanding followed by application of boiled linseed oil is what to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you could select from hundreds of these it would be more important. Since few of us will have this chance, your best bet is to buy from a reputable dealer and 95% of the hard work is done. &#xA;Buy several of them and keep them oiled and out of the weather. Inspect them every time you use them. &#xA;Very long answer but this was a living creature, each has their gifts and faults. Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7550" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-09-25T15:35:45.830" LastActivityDate="2016-09-25T15:35:45.830" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6841" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5203" CreationDate="2016-09-25T10:49:46.437" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe that this comes down to cultural bias. Historically, for example, it would not have been acceptable to wear swords on the right hip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I cannot imagine tho that there were no samurai who lost their right hands. Presumably, they would have used a wakizashi left-handed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only left handed technique that I am aware of is the quick left handed draw. (Watch &lt;em&gt;Sanjuro&lt;/em&gt;). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7543" LastActivityDate="2016-09-25T10:49:46.437" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6842" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="722" CreationDate="2016-09-25T10:57:12.993" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kendo is hitting real people with a pretend sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Iaido is pretending to hit people with a blunt sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tamashigiri is really hitting pretend people with a sharp sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7543" LastActivityDate="2016-09-25T10:57:12.993" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6843" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6835" CreationDate="2016-09-27T13:53:21.237" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What do you guys think?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think that you should understand that he's only one in 7.4 billion people you share the world with, and that there's no particular reason to think he's a more thoughtful, informed, considerate or accomplished person than you at anything other than - at least the physical aspects of - martial arts.  As such, his opinion puts him perhaps in the 100 million most excessively anti-smoking, but it's just a blip in the statistical spectrum of opinions people will have on your habit, and needn't have any special significance for you.  It's unlikely but still remotely possible he's consciously taking an extreme position because he thinks it's more likely to shock you out of a bad habit, or even to strengthen your ability to cope with emotional inter-personal shocks (which might feed back into preparedness for altercations), and feels he has the right and perhaps obligation to &quot;help&quot; you in that way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What should I do or say now?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I see no point in saying anything.  If you are finding the training satisfying, and you still have sufficient trust that the instructor's not going to do something odd-ball in another way like encouraging/letting someone beat you unconscious one day - keep doing it for its own sake.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Do you think what he said and how he behaved is justified?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It depends on the ethical system used to evaluate it.  I find it vaguely interesting, but without knowing his motivations and general character I've no more than that to say about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I'm new to the martial arts and I don't know if that's a 'reasonable' behaviour to have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is orthogonal to martial arts.  You should react the same way you might if someone at say a sports club, educational institution or work made a similar comment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;But aren't we first and foremost human beings?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Certainly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;And it isn't maybe respect a core value of martial arts? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe it should be, but it's not for everyone involved in martial arts, and without a specific agreed ethical framework to evaluate this act in, it's hard for me to say it's not respectful in some absolute sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2016-09-27T13:53:21.237" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6844" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6835" CreationDate="2016-09-28T02:17:34.770" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Offense is always taken, not given. &#xA;My answer may appear to be harsh, but it's based on experience and common sense. I won't justify the instructor you talk of, but I also won't condemn him - it's not my place to do either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What should I do or say now?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your feelings are hurt so much that it's irredeemable then clearly this isn't the right training hall for you. When selecting a school, one of the things you evaluate is the instructor(s) - if you can't get along with them then you won't be able to learn from them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a pretty obvious statement to make if I say that quitting smoking is going to benefit you a lot (and could kill you if you keep at it). But having said that, you have the right to smoke even if other people disagree with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Do you think what he said and how he behaved is justified?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes. He has a right to express an opinion, just as you have a right to smoke. You don't have to like his opinion (or even listen to it), but he still has that right.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;But aren't we first and foremost human beings?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be really bluntly honest: if you are looking for lots of left wing politically correct inclusiveness with safe places then a martial arts training hall is not the place to find it. The instructor is there to teach, not to indulge the student's needs. Martial arts can lead you on a path of spiritual enlightenment, but that doesn't mean the instructor is obligated to your spiritual or emotional needs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;And it isn't maybe respect a core value of martial arts? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes it is. But you've missed something: respect is earned, not a right. And it comes in levels.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If a new student was to walk into my dojo, I respect them for making the decision to come in, but other than that they are just like any other normal person on the street. Some of those new students will have values or a world view that is contrary to mine - I will still teach them, but they have to want to learn from me. I'm not obligated to teach them, but if they genuinely want to learn we will get along. Over time this will gain my respect - despite our differences. If our differences are too great for me to accept then I have the right to not teach that student.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;My instructor disrespected me or am I overreacting?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;IMVHO you are over-reacting. I might be wrong but reading between the lines, you've come from an environment where too much time is spent pandering to people's &quot;rights&quot;, and not enough time is given to those people actually earning those rights - much like what's practiced in a lot of universities.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Of course this doesn't fix your problem - you are still offended and your feelings are hurt and you don't know what you can do about it. The irony is that martial arts training can help you deal with emotional turmoil like this.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Put your feelings aside for the moment and take a good hard objective look at it: can you continue in this training hall? If not, walk away and find another. If you can then you'll automatically earn a little respect from your peers for going back to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2016-09-28T02:17:34.770" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6845" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6851" CreationDate="2016-09-28T10:17:56.507" Score="5" ViewCount="217" Body="&lt;p&gt;Morihei Ueshiba training in Daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu under Takeda Sōkaku, and after engaging with the Ōmoto-kyō religion, changed his teaching of Daitō-ryū to encompass more of his religion ideology. He started calling his new art &quot;aiki budo&quot; and then in 1942 renamed it to Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why did Ueshiba chose Aikido over aiki-budo or any other variant?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-09-29T06:39:39.760" LastActivityDate="2016-10-03T08:25:04.113" Title="Why did Ueshiba name his art Aikido (合気道)?" Tags="|aikido|history|shu-ha-ri|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6847" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6826" CreationDate="2016-10-01T16:05:12.070" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have always been told by my instructor that regular hip stretching (sitting on the floor with your legs apart with a partner or a stretching machine pushing them) is the most effective way to increase kick height. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After 6 years at TKD and many, many hours invested in this specific stretch I have to say that personally I don't think that has been effective for me in any significant way. Other stretching exercises have been very effective and this wasn't something I was doing in isolation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recently found a superb local sports physio for an injury. I asked her what she thought would be most effective and she has got me on a program of resistance band training - basically doing side rising kicks with resistance. She pointed out that you need to do targeted exercises that will build up that lateral strength and doing resistance exercises does that and also includes stretching that is targeted at the muscle groups necessary for high turning and side kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is too early to know if this is going to be truly effective, but understanding that strength and flexibility must go hand in hand has been a useful eye opener for me - even if it might be obvious to many.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7562" LastActivityDate="2016-10-01T16:05:12.070" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6848" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6845" CreationDate="2016-10-02T15:07:53.180" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Simply because he walked the path that leads from warrior to spiritual disciple. Removing &lt;strong&gt;budō&lt;/strong&gt; removed reference to warriorship. Adding &lt;strong&gt;Dō&lt;/strong&gt;, or Way, emphasises a spiritual discipline, in this case the Way of harmonising our individual Ki with that of the greater Existence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is all clearly explained in &lt;em&gt;The Spirit of Aikido&lt;/em&gt;, by Kisshōmaru Ueshiba, in the chapter &lt;em&gt;The Ki of the Universe and Individual Ki&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;He dedicated himself to establishing a martial art that would meet the&#xA;  needs of contemporary people but would not be an anachronism...&#xA;  Ultimately, Master Ueshiba concluded that the true spirit of budō is&#xA;  not to be found in a competitive and combative atmosphere... it is to&#xA;  be realized in the quest for perfection as a human being, both in mind&#xA;  and body... the constant training of mind and body as a basic&#xA;  discipline for human beings walking the spiritual path...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7564" LastActivityDate="2016-10-02T15:07:53.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6849" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6684" CreationDate="2016-10-02T15:18:07.270" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A good quality gi has the advantage of good quality: comfort, durability, and aesthetics. Heavier gis are generally best, but may get very hot in summer. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Despite what so many say and practice, the sound a gi makes is entirely irrelevant. It is no sign at all that a technique is good or powerful, and concentration on this is rather a symptom of egotism and empty self-congratulation. It's similar to how, in &lt;em&gt;Go Rin No Sho&lt;/em&gt;, Musashi describes some samurai as being conceited about their muscular forearms. It helps to train in a tracksuit or t-shirt to rid oneself of this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Concentrate on relaxation, good form, being rooted, and disciplining your mind and body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7564" LastEditorUserId="7564" LastEditDate="2016-10-05T01:40:48.070" LastActivityDate="2016-10-05T01:40:48.070" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6850" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6600" CreationDate="2016-10-02T15:23:11.543" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Osu is generally an acknowledgement of learning or instruction from another person, particularly a teacher or senior. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Apart from instruction, such as how to better perform a technique, it can be in response to being called onto the floor by a teacher to demonstrate something like bunkai or kata. It can also be a response to being given a compliment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7564" LastEditorUserId="7564" LastEditDate="2016-10-05T01:36:01.127" LastActivityDate="2016-10-05T01:36:01.127" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6851" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6845" CreationDate="2016-10-03T07:11:51.843" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ueshiba himself justifies his choice of Aiki/Aikido (&lt;a href=&quot;https://aikidojournal.com/2016/02/03/memoir-of-the-master-by-morihei-ueshiba-with-commentary-by-stanley-pranin/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Aikido Journal&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/general/memoir.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Aikiweb&lt;/a&gt;) as such:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;As ai (harmony) is common with ai (love), I decided to name my unique&#xA;  budo Aikido, although the word &quot;aiki&quot; is an old one. The word which&#xA;  was used by the warriors in the past is fundamentally different from&#xA;  that of mine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the &lt;a href=&quot;https://aikidojournal.com/2016/02/03/memoir-of-the-master-by-morihei-ueshiba-with-commentary-by-stanley-pranin/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Aikido Journal&lt;/a&gt; version, there is a note from Stanley Pranin that states:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Although Morihei did not actually choose the name “Aikido,” he&#xA;  embraced its use after the name was selected. He would refer to his&#xA;  art mostly as “Aiki” in conversation. […]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, no sources or reasoning beyond this was added making it hear say at best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I could not verify when Ueshiba wrote this. Thus, I cannot tell whether this was a retro fit at the end of Ueshiba's life or an accurate representation of his thinking at the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The rest of the article from Ueshiba continues:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Aiki is not a technique to fight with or defeat the enemy. It is the&#xA;  way to reconcile to world and make human beings one family.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The secret of Aikido is to harmonize ourselves with the movement of&#xA;  the universe and bring ourselves into accord with the universe itself.&#xA;  He who has gained the secret of Aikido has the universe in himself and&#xA;  can say, &quot;I am the universe.&quot; I am never defeated, however fast the&#xA;  enemy may attack. It is not because my technique is faster than that&#xA;  of the enemy. It is not a question of speed. The fight is finished&#xA;  before it is begun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;When an enemy tries to fight with me, the universe itself, he has to&#xA;  break the harmony of the universe. Hence at the moment he has the mind&#xA;  to fight with me, he is already defeated. There exists no measure of&#xA;  time -- fast or slow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Aikido is non-resistance. As it is non-resistant, it is always&#xA;  victorious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Those who have a warped mind, a mind of discord, have been defeated&#xA;  from the beginning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Then, how can you straighten your warped mind, purify your heart, and&#xA;  be harmonized with the activities of all things in Nature? You should&#xA;  first make the kami's heart yours. It is a Great love, Omnipresent in&#xA;  all quarters and in all times of the universe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;There is no discord in love. There is no enemy of love. A mind of&#xA;  discord, thinking of the existence of an enemy is no more consistent&#xA;  with the will of the kami.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Those who do not agree with this cannot be in harmony with the&#xA;  universe. Their budo is that of destruction. It is not constructive&#xA;  budo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Therefore to compete in techniques, winning and losing, is not true&#xA;  budo. True budo knows no defeat. &quot;Never defeated&quot; means &quot;never&#xA;  fighting.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Winning means winning over the mind of discord in yourself. It is to&#xA;  accomplish your bestowed mission.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;This is not mere theory. You practice it. Then you will accept the&#xA;  great power of oneness with Nature.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Don't look at the opponent's eyes, or your mind will be drawn into his&#xA;  eyes. Don't look at his sword, or you will be slain with his sword.&#xA;  Don't look at him, or your spirit will be distracted. True budo is the&#xA;  cultivation of attraction with which to draw the whole opponent to&#xA;  you. All I have to do is keep standing this way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Even standing with my back toward the opponent is enough. When he&#xA;  attacks, hitting, he will injure himself with his own intention to&#xA;  hit. I am one with the universe and I am nothing else. When I stand,&#xA;  he will be drawn to me. There is no time and space before Ueshiba of&#xA;  Aikido -- only the universe as it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;There is no enemy for Ueshiba of Aikido. You are mistaken if you think&#xA;  that budo means to have opponents and enemies and to be strong and&#xA;  fell them. There are neither opponents nor enemies for true budo. True&#xA;  budo is to be one with the universe; that is to be united with the&#xA;  Center of the universe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A mind to serve for the peace of all human beings in the world is&#xA;  needed in Aikido, and not the mind of one who wishes to be strong or&#xA;  who practices only to fell an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;When anybody asks is my Aiki budo principles are taken from religion,&#xA;  I say &quot;No.&quot; My true budo principles enlighten religions and lead them&#xA;  to completion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I am calm however and whenever I am attacked. I have no attachment to&#xA;  life or death. I leave everything as it is to the kami. Be apart from&#xA;  attachment to life and death and have a mind which leaves everything&#xA;  to Him, not only when you are being attacked but also in your daily&#xA;  lives.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;True budo is a work of love. It is a work of giving life to all&#xA;  beings, and not killing or struggling with each other. Love is the&#xA;  guardian deity of everything. Nothing can exist without it. Aikido is&#xA;  the realization of love.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I do not make a companion of men. Whom, then, do I make a companion&#xA;  of? The kami. This world is not going well because people make&#xA;  companions of each other, saying and doing foolish things. Good and&#xA;  evil beings are all one united family in the world. Aikido leaves out&#xA;  any attachment. Aikido does not call relative affairs good or evil.&#xA;  Aikido keeps all beings in constant growth and development and serves&#xA;  for the completion of the universe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In Aikido we control the opponent's mind before we face him. That is&#xA;  how we draw him into ourselves. We go forward in life with this&#xA;  attraction of our spirit, and attempt to command a whole view of the&#xA;  world. We ceaselessly pray that fights do not occur. For this reason&#xA;  we strictly prohibit matches in Aikido. Aikido's spirit is that of&#xA;  loving attack and that of peaceful reconciliation. In this aim we&#xA;  bring and unite the opponents with the will power of love. By love we&#xA;  are able to purify others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Understand Aikido first as budo and then as the way of service to&#xA;  construct the World Family. Aikido is not for a single country or&#xA;  anyone in particular. Its only purpose is to perform the work of the&#xA;  kami.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;True budo is the loving protection of all beings with a spirit of&#xA;  reconciliation. Reconciliation means to allow the completion of&#xA;  everyone's mission.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The &quot;Way&quot; means to be one with the will of the kami and practice it.&#xA;  If we are even slightly apart from it, it is no longer the Way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;We can say that Aikido is a way to sweep away devils with the&#xA;  sincerity of our breath instead of a sword. That is to say, to turn&#xA;  the devil-minded world into the World of Spirit. This is the mission&#xA;  of Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The devil-mind will go down in defeat and the Spirit rise up in&#xA;  victory. Then Aikido will bear fruit in this world.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Without budo a nation goes to ruin, because budo is the life of loving&#xA;  protection and is the source of the activities of science.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Those who seek to study Aikido should open their minds, listen to the&#xA;  sincerity of the kami through Aikido, and practice it. You should&#xA;  understand the great ablution of Aiki, practice it and improve without&#xA;  hinderance. Willingly begin the cultivation of your spirit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I want considerate people to listen to the voice of Aikido. It is not&#xA;  for correcting others; it is for correcting your own mind. This is&#xA;  Aikido. This is the mission of Aikido and should be your mission.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-10-03T08:25:04.113" LastActivityDate="2016-10-03T08:25:04.113" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6852" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2204" CreationDate="2016-10-03T09:57:06.123" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is called a gun.  You stay a safe distance a way, aim at the mask made of human flesh (as I assume it is Leather Face you are worried is going to make a trip from Texas to find you) and pull the trigger.  If you a squeamish about killing some psycho trying to treat you like a log, then shoot for the lower body, knees are always a good place (most likely messier as they may fall and hurt themselves with chainsaw than 9mm parabellum to the cerebellum) as they cannot pursue.  If you have no good aim, invest in a shotgun and defender shells, a.k.a hamburger helper shells, they will stop pretty much anything and all you have to do is point the direction you want to look like ground chuck and voila, screw a chainsaw.  By hand?  Well if you are asking the internet this question your pretty much well screwed in that circumstance.  Run.  Anyone who is putting too much thought into this has not spent much time wielding them.  They a highly dangerous weapon as the person using it.  Unwieldy, no balance, not good for much else other than scare tactics.  One missed swipe and oops there goes a leg.  Even if they do not maim themselves it is slow, clunky and rather an awkward thing to use for a weapon making recovery from the attempted swing.  That and well you fast enough to move around them pretty much means you can do some real damage when they are looking like an ass wipe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A rock, battery, ninja star, anything solid throw it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7565" LastActivityDate="2016-10-03T09:57:06.123" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6853" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-10-04T17:29:31.767" Score="4" ViewCount="1033" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a brown belt in Higashi karate and I'm being put up for my black belt grading this year. However, one of the things my coach keeps mentioning to me is my poor roundhouse kick. I have always had trouble getting enough height and my calf and thigh are never in line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a distorted femur head and a slightly flattened socket so this is obviously causing some impingement, but I'm almost certain that the muscles are all tightened up because of this and with proper stretching I think I should be able to improve things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So basically I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with this or any advice regarding stretching? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7568" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-07T09:20:52.217" LastActivityDate="2019-09-07T09:20:52.217" Title="Hip problems and roundhouse kick?" Tags="|karate|kicking|stretching|disability|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6854" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6853" CreationDate="2016-10-04T19:38:09.357" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll assume you're already doing a good amount of stretching for hip and thigh muscles.  The next thing to work with is core muscles - tight quadratus lumborum, psoas, and serratus muscles can also impact getting your leg height.  Then beyond that is strengthening your core muscles because those impact how high you can get your leg up and hold it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond that, you may want to look into finding a good sports medicine doctor or massage therapist who can help you with assisted stretching (PNF stretching, neuromuscular work, etc.) who can help you find out how much is a matter of tissue issues (restriction, needing more strength, etc.) and how much is simply the shape of your hip joint (which basically, you're stuck with).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-10-04T19:38:09.357" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6855" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6853" CreationDate="2016-10-05T08:32:59.780" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Asking the Internet for advice on something like this isn't the best approach, because we don't know enough about you and your limits. The best thing would be for you to find a physiotherapist, or other sports therapist, who can spend time developing a scheme to help you (and only you!).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With regard to your instructor repeatedly mentioning your poor roundhouse kick, is he aware of the issue with your hip? In my school, a student isn't marked-down if they can explain the technique correctly and have a good reason for less-than-perfect execution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck with your black belt!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2016-10-05T08:32:59.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6856" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6857" CreationDate="2016-10-05T08:55:39.397" Score="8" ViewCount="1384" Body="&lt;p&gt;My son (9 years old) and I do Japanese jujitsu, we have a great time, though our class does split into juniors and seniors. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the last few weeks I have not been in class, but watched my son, and his moves are fine, but there is no real intent in them, he will gently do all the moves, when I asked him about this he says it was so he didn’t hurt his Uke, which is fair enough, but he needs to learn how much force to use. And if he is in a real fight/getting bullied I don't think he would use jujitsu effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5993" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2019-04-06T21:41:10.760" LastActivityDate="2021-04-25T06:53:18.413" Title="How to teach intent?" Tags="|technique|teaching|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6857" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6856" CreationDate="2016-10-05T09:54:32.240" Score="14" Body="&lt;h1&gt;There is nothing wrong with what your son is doing!&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He is doing all the right things at the right time: he is gentle so his uke will train with him again. Gentleness might be because your son does not want to feel like he is acting like a bully. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;His moves are fine so that he is learning to do them reflexively. Remember repetition makes permanence. This means he is learning correct forms. Speed and power can come later when he grows up a little.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, as the next stage of learning, he needs to do the techniques faster and with more power. Those thing will happen naturally as he trains more and more. As his uke (and himself) becomes more skilled in ukemi, he should see that doing a technique powerfully and fast does not mean harming his uke.  Neither will tori harm him when the roles are reversed. My guess is this last paragraph is what you were looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;You have a caring son with empathy for his fellow human beings.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;strong&gt;This is a good thing™&lt;/strong&gt; and you should be proud of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Effective use…&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you live in a war zone where you expect your kid to fight? Are there no figure of authority around that can deal with bulling in a civilised way? Or do you want your son to use violence to solve his problems? … Of course you do not. I was exaggerating on purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are concerned about self defence, then you should look into &lt;a href=&quot;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/childsafety.htm&quot;&gt;kid self defence&lt;/a&gt;, as martial arts are just but a &lt;a href=&quot;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/kidkarate.htm&quot;&gt;tiny part of it&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-10-05T10:16:22.330" LastActivityDate="2016-10-05T10:16:22.330" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6858" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6856" CreationDate="2016-10-05T12:14:00.353" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm with Sardathrion that martial arts are a small part of self defense, and one that we seldom actually use these days, so your child is not necessarily missing out on anything by practicing the movements as more of an intellectual exercise. That said, you might consider appealing to him about ensuring that his &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; is getting a good experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning how to fall is an aspect of martial arts that is, in my opinion, much more relevant than learning combat. Tripping hazards are everywhere and a surprising number of people get injured, or even killed, tripping over small distances. Knowing how to recognize that you're unbalanced, and reacting appropriately to it, is a major survival skill. The problem with a gentle &lt;em&gt;seme&lt;/em&gt; is that you're not learning to react to the forces involved, but rather self-initiating your falls. Knowing that, your son may be more inclined to ramp up the force he's using so as to give his classmate the valuable experience that he needs. He's helping, not hurting, but putting as much force into the technique as he can safely perform, and that his partner can handle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-04-13T13:34:52.223" LastActivityDate="2019-04-13T13:34:52.223" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6860" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6853" CreationDate="2016-10-06T09:59:56.907" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a brown belt you have already got a number of years of stretching behind you - did you notice any improvement that was related to that stretching (and wasn't a result of co-ordination improvement)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would suggest that due to this being a skeletal issue your muscles will already have adapted to it - while you may be able to improve your flexibility there will be limits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would also suggest that your instructor needs to take your impingement into consideration during your grading. If he was grading a paraplegic in a wheelchair would he fail him because he couldn't do a roundhouse kick? Would he fail a one armed person because he couldn't punch with both hands? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reality is that while your roundhouse kick doesn't match his interpretation of aesthetically perfect it can still be very effective. Doing it to the best of your physical ability, and understanding how and when to use it should be sufficient.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2016-10-06T09:59:56.907" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6861" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5778" CreationDate="2016-10-06T10:48:02.647" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I haven't experienced slow motion while sparring, but I have experienced tunnel vision - when the adrenaline kicks in, I don't see or hear anyone/thing other than the person right in front of me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I got more experienced at sparring, I experienced this less and less. During a recent self-defence demo with my instructor, showing how to use one's voice to avoid physical violence, I experienced the same tunnel vision even though it was a demo (clearly, my instructor's simulated aggression was real-enough for my fight-or-flight instinct to kick in!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have experienced time slowing down like you describe as a passenger in a skidding car!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2016-10-06T10:48:02.647" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6864" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6826" CreationDate="2016-10-07T07:12:14.833" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For side and round-house kicks you need flexible hips. Use a very wide horse stance (your legs and the ground should be close to an equilateral triangle when stepping out), then switch slowly (about 2 seconds in each position) left-center-right, back and forth, as low as possible 10-12 times on each side. Stay as relaxed as possible while doing these moves. This exercise works the hips without damaging the ligaments from the knees (as it can often happen when you try to do the side split or stretch with a partner). Your leg muscles are going to feel like burning in the beginning, but you will improve your leg and back strength and your hips will become more flexible. When done, come out of the stance VERY slowly. If you keep doing it once a day for several weeks, you will see a lot of improvement. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For front kicks, it's the back tigh muscle that usually makes the trouble. One of the best exercises is to put the stretched leg on a table or something higher in front of you while standing, then slowly bend towards it. In time, the purpose is to reach the knee with the forehead, then with the chin, then to reach the shin with your chin. As your flexibility improves, you can lift the leg on a support that is chest or shoulder high. The most (crazy) flexible people can do that inside a door's frame - set the leg up and bend towards it. If you feel any pain in the ligaments, stop, don't push, don't ever force it. Ligaments can only extend about 10% without damage, you don't want to damage them. The stretch should always come from the muscle relaxation, muscles can expand easily 50%. One can never force-stretch, it always backfires and can even create long-lasting ligament injuries. Don't stay bent over the leg for more than 10-15 seconds and always cone out of the stance slowly. Never push hard, never force it. Just relax. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These two exercises, done daily, take less than 5 minutes both and have done wonders for me. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7576" LastEditorUserId="7576" LastEditDate="2016-10-07T09:29:08.637" LastActivityDate="2016-10-07T09:29:08.637" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6865" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6751" CreationDate="2016-10-07T13:39:23.827" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, your question is about power, but your explanation talks about speed. Thankfully these two are inseparable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Punching a medicine ball will not have any special benefit&lt;/em&gt;, but all the below are essential.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In martial arts, power is not only a product of mass and speed, but is also the result of how we can transfer energy throughout our physical structure, from the earth. Other factors are at play, too, like smoothness as a quality of motion. It needs to be approached from various angles to deepen our understanding over time; this approach should be simultaneously mechanical, in accord with our anatomy, and about feeling. Consider these points:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Basic fitness and reasonable overall muscle tone. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ask-the-muscle-prof-how-do-i-target-fast-twitch-muscle-fibers.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This article about fast twitch muscle&lt;/a&gt; is an interesting read, but be aware that the martial artist shouldn't gain too much bulk, and weight training should be seen as supplementary.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Muscle tone, especially of the core, lats, triceps, pecs, deltoids and rotator cuff (for striking), and the glutes and all muscles around the hip joints (for kicking).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Good form, and movement that is not wasteful of energy and has no superfluous elements.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Good posture, which allows a free and unbroken transfer of energy throughout the physical structure.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Relaxation, which allows the body to be rooted and also not use unnecessary muscle tension, which slows down technique and makes it cumbersome.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Skill and co-ordination, which allows the body to move as a unit, so that power is generated from the entire body, not just an arm or leg. This specifically concerns how the striking limb moves in relation to the rest of the body.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice striking and kicking on a heavy bag, at medium power 80% of the time, and at relaxed full power for the rest.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7564" LastEditorUserId="7564" LastEditDate="2021-12-14T09:17:58.637" LastActivityDate="2021-12-14T09:17:58.637" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6866" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6751" CreationDate="2016-10-10T13:55:49.200" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't recommend punching a medicine ball. They are certainly not designed for that kind of abuse, and your risk of injury performing such an action is high. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do believe that medicine ball work (especially with a partner) can help you develop more powerful punches. If you aren't familiar with &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plyometrics&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;plyometrics&lt;/a&gt;, take some time an read up on them. There are whole regimens of plyometric exercises which incorporate the medicine ball, and they can assist you in developing faster muscle response and 'explosive' power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is important to keep in mind that a powerful strike is generated by the whole of your anatomy. You will see more benefit in your striking speed, power, and endurance by strengthening your body as a whole than you will focusing solely on your arms, chest, and shoulders.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-10-10T13:55:49.200" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6868" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-10-12T14:12:21.867" Score="5" ViewCount="369" Body="&lt;p&gt;I stopped practising judô and jiu-jitsu some years ago, at a blue belt level, because I wasn't enjoying this martial art as much as I used to. However, I still love the philosophy of it, and would like to get back to the dôjô to practice another japanese martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am particularly attracted by arts in which I will learn to use traditional weapons and more particularly the katana although I'd also enjoy learning to use the bô, jô and yari.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I did some research and found about the &lt;strong&gt;battodô&lt;/strong&gt;, which seems great.  However, most dôjô only teach battodô to people who are already advanced kendokas or iaidokas - which is not my case.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Iaidô&lt;/strong&gt; seems really interesting particularly for its spiritual aspect but I am hesitant because of the fact every kata is done alone and there are no fights against an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kendô&lt;/strong&gt; does not attract me very much mainly because of the use of shinais instead of bokkens/katanas/iatos - yes, this is kind of stupid but shinais don't have this curved-shape I love about katanas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jôdô&lt;/strong&gt; looks great, but although the katas are done bokken vs. jô, the knowledge seems to be centered only around the jô and the bokken is anecdotic... And well, I'd prefer to learn the bokken over the jô.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I also heard about &lt;strong&gt;chanbara&lt;/strong&gt;, which looks fun but also uses some weapons I am not interested in. Also this is apparently a modern sport so it does not have that ancient and traditionnal aspect I love about japanese martial arts martial arts...&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;As for the yari, I read &lt;strong&gt;sôjutsu&lt;/strong&gt; is not practised nowadays and you can only learn the yari through chanbara practise. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In short :&lt;/strong&gt; So basically I'd like a japanese martial art where I will learn to use a katana/bokken/iaito (or bô, jô or yari but I'd prefer the katana) and where the katas are done with two oponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can someone help me out with this choice ? Thanks in advance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user7591" LastActivityDate="2016-10-13T21:34:24.313" Title="Kendô, iaidô, jôdô, battodô, chanbara... Which one should I pick?" Tags="|kendo|japanese|iaido|katana|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6869" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4890" CreationDate="2016-10-12T18:49:53.557" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It may have something to do with how he is curling his fist, but anyone that hits with power will have this problem. The problem is that when you hit, your fist pushes into the bag, meaning the bag wraps around your fist. As a result, as it wraps around your hand for the force of your fist pushing into the bag, it scratches your lower knuckles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as I know, the only way to avoid this, if you are a hard hitter, is to get different gloves that cover your entire fists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7594" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-10-13T11:45:04.793" LastActivityDate="2016-10-13T11:45:04.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6870" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6868" CreationDate="2016-10-13T01:27:49.893" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't discount Kendo yet!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The shinai was created to reduce the risk of injuries during the practice of swordsmanship. Combined with the bogu, it allows for semi-realistic combat practice. While I'll readily admit that the kendo rules are far removed from those of an actual battlefield, the same could be said about boxing, or most martial arts, in fact. Kendo will allow you to practice a certain number of techniques against a resisting opponent, which will teach you more about handling a live blade than practising alone, even with a real katana, ever will.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kendo also has many katas, in which other aspects of swordsmanship are developed. Usually, a bokken is used for katas, and it's not unheard of for many students to use one during warm-up suburi (practice swings), as it's heavier and makes for a harder workout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On another topic, you might also like to look at some karate dojos, as they usually incorporate a lot of kobudo (traditional okinawan weapons training) in their teachings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shorinji-ryu, the style I used to practice, is one of those. Most of their schools are grouped under the &lt;a href=&quot;http://butokukai.info/index.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Kokusai-Butokukai&lt;/a&gt; banner, currently under the teachings of Jean Chalamon. &lt;a href=&quot;http://apktk.free.fr/Acceuil.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;One of their Paris school&lt;/a&gt; is directed by Max Bouton, a very nice man I've had the occasion of training with during a week long seminar in Canada.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming their curriculum was similar to what my dojo used to offer, there are weapons (tonbo) in your hands as early as yellow belt. You'll move on to bo, jo, tonfa, sai and kama as you rank up. Not necessarily in that order, but the bo will definitely be a regular.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2016-10-13T01:27:49.893" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6871" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6868" CreationDate="2016-10-13T06:48:11.303" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since you are in a location (Paris) that has a plethora of dojo, I would strongly suggest you check out as many different styles as you can&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/469/82&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;. In summary, &lt;em&gt;look at places and chose the one where you have the most fun&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/557/dungarth&quot;&gt;Dungath&lt;/a&gt; states in his &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/6870/82&quot;&gt;answer&lt;/a&gt;, do not discount Kendo. Some clubs will be very physical and might well teach iaido as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if it is weapons you are interested in, look for Chinese arts, Filipino, and European historical fencing as well. You might be pleasantly surprised.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-10-13T06:48:11.303" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6872" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6868" CreationDate="2016-10-13T21:34:24.313" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;See if you find a dojo practicing the Nishio school of Aikido. They place a lot of focus on katana and stick fighting...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=nishio+aikido&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=nishio+aikido&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you can see, many of the classic Aikido techniques stem from swordfighting; and Nishio placed a lot of focus to show this relationship (much more so than other styles). There are plenty of techniques like unarmed vs sword or stick vs sword and so on, of course sword vs sword as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That dojo will very likely also have Iaido classes on top. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't find any Nishio Aikido dojos, keep looking for any dojo that offers both Aikido and Iaido, they will likely also have courses combining the two. Just give them a call and ask.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7343" LastActivityDate="2016-10-13T21:34:24.313" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6873" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6835" CreationDate="2016-10-13T22:23:02.090" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;We learn a lot of other things in MA aside of how to apply our techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In your case, your teacher stated his clear opinion. So what? There are strong-opinioned people out there, and MA teachers seem to be, in my experience, right at the top in righteous stubborness.  It's their job! They are used to being in a position where everybody looks to them to speak about their art with authority. It's no small wonder that someone like that will, over the years, develop a tendency to do so with every topic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems to me, then, that the problem is not the teacher, but your getting very offended by &lt;em&gt;mere words&lt;/em&gt;, which were not even really designed to hurt you. It's not like he made fun of your mother or something personal like that - he simply started his opinion about a topic external to you. What if you get into a real fight and they start smack talking you, do you then either break down or get into a rage?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you have a mind problem. You are confused and emotionally suffocated. Let go of it! You let stuff like this go by accepting things for what they are (your teacher &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; just the way he is, it &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; simply his opinion, he &lt;em&gt;does simply&lt;/em&gt; voice his opinion, he did not actually do you any harm, it &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; just your mind playing tricks on you and so on). Meditation might help you. Check out this small series starting at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLvU7ppM4vE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLvU7ppM4vE&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH2sEqrCza4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH2sEqrCza4&lt;/a&gt; (don't get distracted by the guy with the flowing toga ;-) there is no religious/spiritual content in there) - just basic meditation techniques designed to quiet down your mind going crazy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an aside: you are new to MA. One lesson I have learned is that I do not, ever, discuss stuff with sensei or advanced students on the mat; and I also try and talk only little with less-experienced students (more show than tell, if needed in partner excercises). Nothing good ever comes from discussing/arguing stuff there. Questions are fine of course, but ask the question, listen to the answer, and get on with it. Emotions are totally misplaced in that place. I especially never, &lt;em&gt;ever&lt;/em&gt; talk about anything than what we are doing right now. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7343" LastActivityDate="2016-10-13T22:23:02.090" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6874" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6826" CreationDate="2016-10-13T22:35:48.227" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As you do not ask about a specific problem, I assume you just mean alround flexibility in the whole body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can suggest the book &quot;Becoming a Supple Leopard&quot; where many techniques for gaining flexibility are explained in great detail - stretching being one of it. It also explains how to self-diagnose your problems, with &lt;em&gt;many&lt;/em&gt; practical examples. It is targeted towards strength training, but the concepts seem global to me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is not a miracle cure for every problem, but it might give you some ideas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You did ask your teacher about it, right?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7343" LastActivityDate="2016-10-13T22:35:48.227" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6875" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4295" CreationDate="2016-10-14T04:31:03.280" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been attacked by bullies and thugs several times, and I have to say learning to fight up close is very important for self defense as these types of people often don't carry weapons themselves.  I've seen a few bad situations where someone had a knife or baseball bat.  I carry a chain whip belt I made with a combination lock on each end, easy to carry and concealable, and at a moments notice I can swing it around to discourage people from attacking me and providing good distance between me and my foe.  I also carry a mace flail weapon I built as I workout with it everyday outside, So for part of the day I actually carry a more solid weapon, which I feel confident against knives and bullies.  Sometimes simply having a weapon can discourage people from messing with you, without even having to use it.  Showing them you know how to use it can discourage that drunk idiot who wants to fight you.  If you have a weapon, keep it close or near you, keep a weapon in your car, especially in your home in case anyone breaks in.  Situations that are rare and unexpected still happen from time to time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7595" LastActivityDate="2016-10-14T04:31:03.280" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6876" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6739" CreationDate="2016-10-14T08:45:09.283" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I found that you only can spot a proper dojo by seeing the amount of effort student exert. If a dojo is full of sweaty nearly exhausted students that is a good sign. Fancy prancers walking around in fancy uniforms - McDojo..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastActivityDate="2016-10-14T08:45:09.283" CommentCount="0" CommunityOwnedDate="2016-10-14T08:45:09.283" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6877" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6879" CreationDate="2016-10-14T14:26:47.267" Score="6" ViewCount="531" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been doing Karate for 3 years and during that time I have researched the history of Karate. My research indicates that during the propagation of Karate to Japan and the rest of the world, some techniques (and indeed the whole concept of bunkai) were &quot;Japanified&quot; and given names/specific applications to ease the teaching of large groups.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This, in my opinion, has weakened the art; many clubs either do not teach bunkai/self defence or they teach &quot;Japanified&quot; Bunkai/self defense, which is a source of much frustration for me (who on the street is going to be standing 10 feet away from you, for you to step towards them and block an Ushiro Geri for instance?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my question is this, where did all these impractical ideas come from? Has anybody done much research into this subject and if so, could you provide any references for further reading about this subject?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7598" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-10-17T08:16:48.797" LastActivityDate="2016-10-17T19:56:51.507" Title="How did the modernization of Karate weaken its self-defense applications?" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6878" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6739" CreationDate="2016-10-14T18:47:21.013" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A lot of good and bad info here. Mostly anecdotal,  like &quot;if the teacher is young yet holds a high rank in more than one martial art&quot;. That's just absurd as it requires people to make snap judgments based solely on appearance. I'm 44 years old and I still get proofed for cigarettes, people don't assume I'm older than 20 years. I hold a black belt in judo, I've participated in the AM-CAN eight years in a row.  I hold a black belt in Tae Kwon do and for the past two years I've practiced boxing and Brazilian Jujitsu.  I don't own a school and I am not a paid instructor. But my knowledge and experience pales in comparison to my Tae Kwon Do instructor who is 4 years younger than I am. Age, or the lack of does not predicate a failing as an instructor. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Signs that you're at an awful money hungry McDojo:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;More than half the class holds high level belts with less than 3 years of formal training. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The school is less than 5 years old with more than 12 black belts. (12 being an average class size and 5 years being an extremely short -albeit possible- time to earn a black belt.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Contract payment method. If your school requires a contract of payment to learn, get out. An annual membership is not the same as a contract. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The school lead instructor  (not always the owner)  claims to have multiple belts in multiple disciplines but does not have proof of graduation or hasn't learned from a reputed master.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Belts are awarded and not earned. Belts should never be given without a very specific test for said belt. There is a tradition where a master can bestow a belt unto a student who shows exceptional understanding of the art without tradotional belt testing,but this isn't done in a class sething, ever. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If belts are given based on time spent or classes attended and/or lessons are individually charged. Belt testing is a must and if an entire class can receive a belt simply for attendance and not have to demonstrate an actual understanding of the art, you're in the wrong place.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Not everyone learns at the same pace, individual testing for belt/rank advancement is a must and taking the test is usually left up to the students discretion. There are exceptions and it's the masters job to push the students.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you walk into a school and there are &quot;kids&quot; belts. This is a hallmark of an awful school and has unfortunately  (or fortunately for those looking to spot bullshit schools) has become something of a trend. Kids classes will advance students faster through belt rank with a simplified class syllabus in order for kids to feel good and parents to feel like they are getting their monies worth. This usually means your school has no understanding of ANY martial art and it's students are going to fail at life. Often.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7602" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-10-20T14:45:22.887" LastActivityDate="2016-10-20T14:45:22.887" CommentCount="2" CommunityOwnedDate="2016-10-14T18:47:21.013" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6879" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6877" CreationDate="2016-10-14T20:14:18.660" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, it's unclear how useful Okinawan karate was for self-defense prior to its transformation under Funakoshi, Itosu, et al., especially in comparison to modern methods.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, the major factors introducing impracticality are, to my mind, 1) incomplete transmission, 2) kata and classes as group activity, and 3) isolation from hojo undo and tegumi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Incomplete transmission&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Simply put, some karate teachers were not taught the complete syllabus. They learned a form without applications and that useless husk became their curriculum. People taught application-less kata are prone to make up ludicrous explanations for movements and to waste time trying to reverse-engineer forms to match known techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's hard to get fit or learn to fight when so much time and priority is put on learning dances and thinking about what parts of the dances could mean.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Group Kata, Group Classes&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Prior to Itosu and Funakoshi, Okinawan martial arts were transmitted in small groups or in one-on-one sessions. Teaching karate to groups of school children changed this. Instead of coaching a protege individually, whole hordes of pupils had to be put through the motions (quite literally) of stepping through a form. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This was a radical change. Very little application can be taught in such large groups. The proportion of vitally useful supervised partner practice plummeted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Isolation from Hojo Undo and Tegumi&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okinawan karate was originally taught to people who were fluent in Okinawan tegumi (wrestling). They were also strong because of either independent or coached use of &lt;em&gt;hojo undo&lt;/em&gt; (supplemental training), such as lifting, grip practice, and practicing feats of strength. The modernization of karate brought karate to people who were not familiar with wrestling and whose primary physical training was karate (instead of hojo undo). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning karate's jiujitsu-like holds and tricks or its method of striking is virtually useless without the strength to back up technique or without the  ability to fall back to wrestling if a clinch happens or is necessary. Wrestling and practiced physicality are broadly necessary skills that lay the foundation for karate, and yet became less common as karate modernized.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Other considerations&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to practical concerns about this particular historical change in Okinawan karate, there are also a host of functional criticisms. The training methods, strategy, and pedagogy of karate can be rightly discussed independent of historical concerns, speaking purely about modern karate as-is. That is another question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Further reading&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The primary suggestion I have for reading is to be extraordinary skeptical of any and all claims by Okinawan &quot;masters&quot;. Expect self-aggrandizement at the national scale as well as the personal. Be critical of the idea that Okinawan karate is or has ever been useful in any way, and only then allow yourself to start considering the possibility that it &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; be, &lt;em&gt;sometimes&lt;/em&gt;, in some limited ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that in mind, Funakoshi's book Karate-Do: My Way of Life is solid, and a lot can be learned if one skeptically reads Mark Bishop's &lt;a href=&quot;https://smile.amazon.com/Okinawan-Karate-Teachers-Styles-Techniques/dp/0804832056&quot;&gt;Okinawan Karate: Teachers, Styles, and Secret Techniques&lt;/a&gt; and Tetsuhiro Okama's &lt;a href=&quot;https://smile.amazon.com/History-Traditions-Okinawan-Karate-Tetsuhiro/dp/0920129196&quot;&gt;History and Traditions of Okinawan Karate&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-10-14T20:14:18.660" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6880" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-10-15T06:11:51.490" Score="4" ViewCount="10093" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am looking at joining the military in a few month and am somewhat overwhelmed by how many different martial arts gyms there are in my area. I am wondering which martial art would be able to best prepare me for the military environment and give me a headstart in hand to hand combat training? I have no prior martial arts experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7603" LastActivityDate="2018-03-01T08:30:35.530" Title="What is the best martial art to learn for the military?" Tags="|training|combat|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6881" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6880" CreationDate="2016-10-15T07:51:19.590" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;The military doesn't care very much about your hand to hand skills, a few months isn't a lot of time to learn, and picking a gym is mostly about which specific gyms are available to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your best preparation is probably focusing on running and lifting weights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-10-15T07:51:19.590" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6882" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6880" CreationDate="2016-10-15T16:06:42.473" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;That depends on the country, but if it's a NATO country, even if you want to enlist as a specops (commando) you will mainly be evaluated on a single criteria : &lt;strong&gt;endurance&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So running and crossfit could be the the best return on investment to prepare your brand new life. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you complete the 6 or 9 weeks of basic training to deserve to become a commando (SEALs, SAS, airborne, etc.), then you'll be taught hand-to-hand arts. But this kind of art has nothing to do with sport martial arts such as judo, Karaté, or boxing. It's a no-rule fighting style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, martial arts training will teach you values which are required to become a good soldier&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7114" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-10-17T13:06:49.157" LastActivityDate="2016-10-17T13:06:49.157" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6883" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6890" CreationDate="2016-10-16T14:29:03.273" Score="2" ViewCount="249" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am 34 years old and I want to start a martial art for physical fitness and to bring some discipline to my daily routine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now before I join any martial art school, I want to test and prepare myself for it. In other words, if I pay the fees, I want to make sure I will go and train regularly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any discipline or will-power enhancing techniques/drills, that any martial art instructor might teach me, that I can practice at home?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7512" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-10-17T08:22:23.650" LastActivityDate="2016-10-31T20:59:18.850" Title="Few discipline/will-power builiding technique/drill that any martial art beginner practices" Tags="|self-training|drills|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6884" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6880" CreationDate="2016-10-16T16:49:19.683" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are new to martial arts and interested in learning, just find a decent school that you find appealing. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/466/what-martial-art-should-i-start-with&quot;&gt;This is the standard advice on this site for all beginners&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the United States, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20080409093624/http://www.usmc.mil/news/publications/Documents/MCO%201500.54A.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Marine Corps Martial Arts Program&lt;/a&gt; (MCMAP) and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.benning.army.mil/infantry/197th/combatives/content/BasicCombatives.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Modern Army Combatives Program&lt;/a&gt; (MACP) programs are built from multiple distinct martial arts sources. MCMAP has(had?) a list of martial arts that are approved for meeting a higher rank requirement for civilian martial arts training:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Categories for civilian (MCMAP approved)&#xA;  martial arts are: grappling or throwing arts; striking arts; and&#xA;  weapons arts. The grappling or throwing arts are, but not&#xA;  limited to: Judo, Jujitsu, Sambo, Hap Ki Do, and Ai Ki Do.&#xA;  Striking arts are, but not limited to: Karate, Tae Kwon Do, &#xA;  Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Kung Fu, and Capoiera. Weapons arts are,&#xA;  but not limited to: Kabudo, Ascrema, Cali, Kendo, and Aiedo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you can see, this list has many martial arts, and is expressly not limited. Any decent martial arts school will teach at least one of grappling or throwing, striking, or weapons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Modern warfare is based around weapons that kill at a distance, like cruise missiles, artillery, and firearms. It is overwhelmingly more important that soldiers learn to shoot and not get shot than fight hand-to-hand. Soldiers will learn hand-to-hand combat techniques in basic training, but hand-to-hand combat is a not a priority. The primary tactic (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.benning.army.mil/infantry/197th/combatives/content/PDF/Basic%20MACP%20Strategy.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Option 1&lt;/a&gt;) in MACP is to make space so you can shoot with your standard-issue rifle (primary weapon). Civilians do not have standard-issue rifles that are carried at all times, so obviously martial arts training will differ between military and civilians. The US military does not expect you to know any of this before you show up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-10-16T17:27:09.257" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6885" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6880" CreationDate="2016-10-17T03:40:56.113" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are good styles and bad styles, and those all have good instructors and bad instructors.  I'm going with the other folks who say you should focus on strength and endurance.  That is #1.  Regardless of what you know, if you can't last in a fight, you are done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyhow, besides that, the Israeli martial art Krav Maga is meant just for this purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga was made for the Israeli military to be able to give someone 4-6 weeks of training and come out of it with as much effectiveness as possible in that amount of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's based a lot on brutality, attacking first, finishing the fight fast, weapon defenses (guns, knives, clubs and more) but also tries to go off of what your natural reactions are to situations, instead of trying to retrain your reactions, which takes a lot longer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would suggest doing anything that gives you the basics of punching, kicking, knees, blocks, weapon defenses, and like others have said, do a ton of PT.  Ground fighting skills are not something you want to plan on needing (like Brazilian jiu-jitsu), but ground fighting is hard work, so is good for endurance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For what it's worth, even martial arts masters just stick to the basic punches and kicks when in an actual confrontation.  No kicks to the head, unless you take the guy down to the ground first. Just finish the fight as quickly as you can, as brutally as you can, and go home alive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6206" LastActivityDate="2016-10-17T03:40:56.113" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6886" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6883" CreationDate="2016-10-17T08:50:51.613" Score="2" Body="&lt;h1&gt;No.&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only discipline a martial art requires is the will to learn. That is it. Nothing more, nothing less. Any school that trains you to obey rules or a code of behaviour, using punishment to correct disobedience should be avoided at all costs&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/discipline&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to will-power enhancing techniques/drills, those are either mythical mumbo-jumbo that you are welcome to believe in or cult indoctrination which you should run away from. Either way, none of the techniques I have ever encountered are effective and are therefore a waste of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you &lt;em&gt;can and should&lt;/em&gt; practice is working towards enhancing your stamina, flexibility, and strength. You can do that at any gym or at home. There are countless books and web pages on the subject. Just make sure what you are doing is safe. However, none of those are prerequisites to joining a martial art school. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Prerequisite to joining a school.&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;only&lt;/strong&gt; prerequisite to joining a school is the will to go in and start learning.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only will-power needed is to go to the next class no matter how tiered one is, what the weather is like, what's on TV, or what your friends are doing… Just go and train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Just do it!&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you need motivation to get out of your house and train:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Rv3ZT.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Rv3ZT.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Shia LeBeof JUST DO IT&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXsQAXx_ao0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;source&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-10-17T14:16:46.363" LastActivityDate="2016-10-17T14:16:46.363" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6887" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6883" CreationDate="2016-10-17T14:11:14.940" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;While I agree with Sardathrion that there is no &quot;will exercise&quot; out there, there is something that you can do, and that's to set up a training routine and start it. Since you don't actually have martial arts training yet, and training on your own can result in bad habits, I would advise picking general stretching, calisthenics (general advice these days is to stretch &lt;em&gt;after&lt;/em&gt; the calisthenics, or in a separate session, as stretching actually weakens your muscles for a time afterwards), or cardio. Many martial arts schools will also include these practices to ensure that students are properly warmed up before moving on to actual martial movements, and if you can't hold yourself to doing them, then there's a good chance you're not going to be able to motivate yourself to do so at an actual martial arts school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will add a caveat that this is not a perfect test as going to an external place to train has benefits and drawbacks in terms of commitment. On the plus side, the fact that you're paying in time and money to attend can motivate you to hold to it. On the other hand, the fact that it is in another location can make it easier to decide not to attend, especially after a long day at work where you may or may not have eaten properly. And, of course, martial arts might be more intriguing, or more difficult. But still, it's not a bad way to train up your willpower and to test yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2016-10-17T14:11:14.940" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6888" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6880" CreationDate="2016-10-17T14:29:35.323" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;As others have mentioned, hand-to-hand combat doesn't play a significant role in modern militaries. If you want to learn a fighting art in the build up to your term of service, I would suggest something like boxing and/or judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of the training for boxing involves general athleticism and endurance, and if you want to go far in the military you need to not only meet the Physical Training (PT) requirement, but surpass it. Promotions can be very competitive in most militaries, and one easy way to pad your promotion packet is to receive maximum scores on your PT tests for record. Boxing teaches discipline and hard work, and it is a good primer for teaching you the depth to which you can push yourself. It is also an easy to learn but difficult to master means of self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo, on the other hand, teaches flexibility and teamwork. These are also traits which are fundamental to military life. Literal flexibility is a great boon, it can help your overall athleticism a great deal, but the discipline of judo teaches you how to read a situation from moment-to-moment and then act in the correct manner at the correct time. A lot of military life revolves around improvisation to situations which are out of your control. One of our mantras when I was in the US Army was, &quot;Do more, with less.&quot; There will be times when you don't have the right tools for a job, or you are asked to do the seemingly impossible, and the fluidity and flexibility which judo teaches can help you adapt your mind to a way of thinking which thrives in theses sorts of situations. Judo also teaches teamwork. Even in a competition, a judo bout is about teamwork and trust. Without these, serious injury is the result, and that is not the spirit of judo. Learning to trust your teammates/partners implicitly is also a fundamental aspect of military life. At some point, your life will literally be in the hands of your fellows, and their lives will be in your hands. It is one of the most profound aspects of military service, and it is one of the key ways that such service can change you. Practically speaking, judo teaches break-falls, and breakfalls are a skill every person should learn. There are hundreds of times you will trip or slip and lose balance, and knowing how to fall while minimizing risk of injury is far more useful than being able to hurt someone with your bare hands. Judo is also about controlling your opponent and their balance. If a rare situation ever arose where you had to fight unarmed against an armed attacker, the ability to neutralize an opponents weapon is of far more use than being able to deliver a roundhouse kick to their head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is a bit of unsolicited general advice. Run. Run a lot. Early in the morning, and again before bed. Run and run and run. It is easy to do, the cost of entry is low, and it will prepare you for a fundamental aspect of every modern military force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastEditorUserId="6178" LastEditDate="2017-04-14T21:18:32.940" LastActivityDate="2017-04-14T21:18:32.940" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6889" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6883" CreationDate="2016-10-17T14:53:11.943" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are concerned about your ability to see a martial arts class through, and you don't want to end up wasting time and money, there are things you can do to prepare yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, pick a regular workout time, preferably in the same time-frame as the classes for the martial art you want to train in. Create a personal workout routine which last about an hour (or whatever the normal class length is for the beginner classes you wish to attend). Start arranging your work and social calendars around these workout times, and continue doing this for a month, or two. Once you can stick to the times, dates, and prolonged exertion you have created for yourself, you will have proven you are capable of sticking to a class. It is through practice that you develop discipline and willpower.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-10-17T14:53:11.943" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6890" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6883" CreationDate="2016-10-17T15:36:23.983" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's nothing about the question that's really specific to martial arts, so you can easily search online for tips on overcoming procrastination, and getting motivated.  For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;make a regular time for exercising, so it becomes a habit: if you're working out fairly intensely then your body will come to expect and want the exercise&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;build a routine around it, e.g. when you're coming home from school/work/the-pub(?), watch some youtube clips, or read a book/comic/magazine/anything about martial arts, to get you thinking about martial arts and how good it would be to improve your skills&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;take a bag with your training gear with you so you're going straight to the dojo after school/work/whatever, and you'll avoid that &quot;wow, my couch is so comfy&quot; problem getting back out your front door&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;if it doesn't make sense to take your gear with you, at least have it ready in advance: pre-packed near the front door&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;commit in advance to meeting people: at the end of one class when you're feeling enthused, assure people you'll be there next class, or arrange to meet them somewhere to go to the class together&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;write a blog or something about your experience of learning martial arts and share it online, so your family and friends know you're training and you'll want to keep going so they know you're not bludging instead&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;buy a punching bag or something so you can train with by yourself at home, and put Fist of Legend or whatever gets you pumped up on your ipad/phone/TV until you feel like training&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;get some friends around to train with, even if it's other exercise like jogging or stretching, or ask them just to hold a focus shield or mitt for you&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;use your spare time to train: e.g. stretch on the floor or do pushups while watching TV, and you'll want to get back to training to enjoy your improving kicks or punching power&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;use some friendly rivalry if it helps: tell yourself you won't let some other student who's joined after you overtake you, even though they're super keen and training hard, or try to catch up to someone;  don't tell anyone what you're doing - it can be a private benchmark, and remember not to take it too seriously; catch up one skill at a time: e.g. this month you want to nail a specific technique or pattern/kata, or increase your push-up count by 10&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;if your gym has optional after-training partner exercises like say punching or kicking each other for conditioning, find a regular partner and you'll naturally feel pushed to keep pace&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;during each class try to pick up one thing from the instructor, a senior, or just observing yourself, and work on it at home so you feel motivated to put it into practice at the next class&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;enjoy helping the other students around you get into their training: that can be a great source of satisfaction and motivation for you too&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;make sure you're training enough that it's a significant part of your routine and consciousness... preferably at least twice a week, 3's &lt;em&gt;much&lt;/em&gt; better but you needn't go to more than that initially.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;do just a little bit of training before you sleep, even if it's mentally running through your techniques or patterns/kata while you're lying in bed: you mind will then be focusing on it during your sleep and you'll learn much faster and feel more motivated&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2016-10-17T15:36:23.983" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6891" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6883" CreationDate="2016-10-17T19:08:16.713" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The first step is to have some kind of drive to do what you're doing, which you seem to have: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I want to start a martial art for physical fitness and to bring some&#xA;  discipline to my daily routine&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cultivating discipline and will power is always easier when driven by some kind of inspiration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there is nothing that you can do &lt;em&gt;before&lt;/em&gt; going to learn martial arts that will &lt;em&gt;guarantee&lt;/em&gt; that you will stick it out. If you've done some other form of physical cultivation or exercise previously, and done that for some years, then this is probably the only indicator that you would have the will power and interest to continue doing something else similar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Apart from this, your will power must be cultivated, and will be tested over time as you study. It will be tested when you have to face the inner conflict that comes up when you don't feel like training, but know that you should. And it will be cultivated when you overcome that conflict by simply going to train, despite not feeling like it, or having the desire to do some other thing that seems appealing but that will not bring you as much real benefit. (And the real test is sustained self-initiated practice, without relying on the support of a class.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bear in mind that &lt;strong&gt;this internal process is one of the major purposes of learning martial arts&lt;/strong&gt;. And cultivating it through training yourself in the martial arts will allow it to flow into the rest of your life. To me, Gichin Funakoshi put it best when he said that karate was ultimately about &quot;overcoming tangible and intangible obstacles&quot;. This is ultimately the same for any path by which we develop ourselves in some way, when we see the deeper purpose in it, not only the martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7564" LastActivityDate="2016-10-17T19:08:16.713" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6892" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6877" CreationDate="2016-10-17T19:49:35.480" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are probably two components of an answer to this. The first is that, once Gichin Funakoshi brought karate to the Japanese mainland, some of his students saw the benefits of introducing the element of sport into karate. Most notably, this was done by Masatoshi Nakayama (and other founders of the JKA), who was a long time student of Funakoshi and Chief Instructor of the JKA since its inception in 1949 to the late 1900s.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This introduction of the sporting element has tended to degrade the true budō spirit in many cases, but this was not the original intention. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The role of karate in the modern age is multiple... As a practical&#xA;  means of self-defence, it is widely taught in private clubs... In&#xA;  Japan and elsewhere in the world, moreover, karate is gaining great&#xA;  popularity as a competitive sport, one which stresses mental&#xA;  discipline as well as physical prowess. &lt;em&gt;~ Dynamic Karate, M.&#xA;  Nakayama&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good karate school will either shun the sporting element, or include it as a part of training to gain skill and confidence, but always keep the underlying martial spirit. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second reason is, in my opinion, the problem of many martial arts. This is the problem of stylised forms, of tradition, and primarily of interpretation. The purpose of practising kata is to teach correct form and free use of the body, but the movements of kata mostly need to be interpreted to make them functional, because the kata hold the knowledge of a particular martial system in stylised form. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many teachers do not know this and do not know how to do this, and I have seen top Japanese instructors teach what I consider to be very impractical applications. Many also have not experienced other martial arts, and therefore other ways of thinking, and so are a bit stuck in the traditions, interpretations, and mode of understanding of their own system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a challenge for every teacher and their ability as a teacher and martial artist is probably best exemplified in how they teach bunkai. (Or IF they teach bunkai at all.) The 'secret' is that &lt;strong&gt;bunkai should be loosely based on kata&lt;/strong&gt; - we need to learn them to master the knowledge they contain, then throw away their stylised form when we apply that knowledge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7564" LastEditorUserId="7564" LastEditDate="2016-10-17T19:56:51.507" LastActivityDate="2016-10-17T19:56:51.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6893" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-10-18T17:17:49.727" Score="2" ViewCount="378" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've trained Muay Thai in Europe and it is quite popular in countries such as the UK, Spain, Netherlands, and Poland. When I went to Thailand for training, I expected that I would meet a lot of guys from Europe and also from the US but, I mostly met guys from Europe, the UK especially, and not many Americans. I thought that the popularity of MMA would introduce Muay Thai to a wider audience in the US, but it seems that it didn't. Or are there schools in the US that teach Thai Boxing, and it's just not popular to train in Thailand?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7428" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-10-18T19:01:40.980" LastActivityDate="2016-10-23T22:12:59.240" Title="What would be the reason that Muay Thai is not very popular in the US?" Tags="|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6894" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6893" CreationDate="2016-10-18T17:38:35.103" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think that the primary difference you'll see is that Muay Thai seems more likely to have been subsumed under a more generic &quot;kickboxing&quot; or &quot;MMA&quot; label in the United States. I do not have any data on-hand, but anecdotally, I always see Muay Thai listed as a subset within the &quot;ring combat&quot; martial arts which tend to be trained as one unit without any of the cultural ceremony.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To a lesser degree, this might also be the influence of cinema. Some of the most popular martial arts in the United States such as Karate and varieties of Kung Fu have been fueled by the movies that are out. Kids watch The Karate Kid, or a Jackie Chan film, and they get their parents to sign them up for the respective classes. Some kid watches &lt;em&gt;Only the Strong&lt;/em&gt; and decides they want to learn Capoeira. While there are definitely Muay Thai movies out there (Tony Jaa's output for example), they tend to be more recent, or were subsumed under a more general heading, as with the JCVD &lt;em&gt;Kickboxer&lt;/em&gt; series.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, it might be a self-feeding problem of that martial arts styles tend to be championed by locals who have learned the art and wish to spread it. Take a look at Chuck Norris and how he spread Tang Soo Do throughout the United States, or the various Karate or Judo competitors who went out and started their own schools. Because few people in the United States train in Muay Thai exclusively, fewer come back to the States and open their own school, which means fewer kids are exposed to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-10-19T01:14:42.767" LastActivityDate="2016-10-19T01:14:42.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6895" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-10-20T09:08:57.117" Score="3" ViewCount="4428" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 14 and I would &lt;em&gt;love&lt;/em&gt; to start training for Krav Maga but I'm not sure if I'm too young to start. Can I start training at 14?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7613" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-10-20T14:39:13.370" LastActivityDate="2019-02-19T21:57:10.963" Title="Am I allowed to start Krav Maga training at 14?" Tags="|training|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6896" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6895" CreationDate="2016-10-20T14:40:12.647" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is nothing physically preventing you from doing Krav Maga. As per Mike P's comment, the question is whether your local school will accept you. Some schools have age limits, possibly because they feel intense training is harmful at that age, for insurance purposes, or because they prefer to cater to a particular age range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2016-10-20T14:40:12.647" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6897" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6895" CreationDate="2016-10-20T20:18:26.747" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, most Krav Maga places accept students even as young as 5 years old when they have children's classes. At age 14, you're physically able to be in the adult classes, so that shouldn't be any concern.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You didn't say why you wanted to learn it. But at age 14, I am going to recommend against it for you. And I'll explain why.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a number of publicized cases of kids in elementary, middle, and high school using Krav Maga against bullies in school. But it often results in them being punished, suspended, or even expelled. In some particularly bad cases, it results in them being put into juvenile detention. Why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason is that Krav Maga was originally designed for the military. The intent behind it is to use the most &quot;effective&quot; technique to down your opponent as quickly and efficiently as possible. That sounds great for when your life is in jeopardy, but that's almost never the case with defending against bullies in school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a result, when kids have used Krav Maga in the past in school on their classmates, it has often resulted in serious injuries which in some cases were potentially life threatening. When school administration staff see serious injuries done to another student, they are going to demand serious punishment, including suspensions, expulsions, and even juvenile detention.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me give you a real-world example that I saw a while ago:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/Parenting/comments/48f47g/i_got_called_a_a_bad_parent_for_putting_my/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.reddit.com/r/Parenting/comments/48f47g/i_got_called_a_a_bad_parent_for_putting_my/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the example at the link above, the main issue for me is that this school girl used a technique that used a lot of leverage and therefore power to slam her classmate's head against a desk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's straight out of Krav Maga training: head slamming from a standing arm-bar. This resulted in a broken nose, fractured orbital, and a shoulder dislocation. Those are some pretty serious injuries, caused by a technique done with a recklessly high level of force (which comes from using the leverage and torque that this technique provides).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many people online praised this girl for her victory against the bully. But the problem I have with it is that this stopped being self-defense when the girl chose to head-slam her opponent into a hard, fixed object (a desk in this case). That's assault with a deadly weapon and intent to kill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's simply not appropriate for self-defense. It's only appropriate when you have no other choice, and this girl had ample time to deescalate the situation. She lacked the maturity and perspective needed to control herself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;She herself may not have been completely at fault, either. This is how she was trained. It was drilled into her from the first day of class that this is how you respond to aggression. The problem is, it's a one size fits all solution. Not every situation is a battlefield.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which is why I say don't do Krav Maga if you're still young and in school like you are. There are better choices available which would give you more control over the level of force you use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In particular, I highly recommend Gracie Jiu Jitsu and most other forms of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, so long as they're not just &quot;sport&quot; oriented. That is, assuming you're interested in practical self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gracie Jiu Jitsu would give you far more control over the level of force you use in self-defense. And it has a proven track record for being effective. The first two years are almost always non-sport-based. In other words, it's all self-defense until blue belt. They even have an anti-bully program for children and teens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All my advice here applies to boys and girls equally, by the way. And if you're a girl, it's not a problem. I haven't seen any all-male Jiu Jitsu schools out there. They're usually co-ed, and some even have female-only classes in addition to their co-ed classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another good option is Wrestling, if your school offers it. If you're a girl, Wrestling clubs are often for boys only, but that's changing rapidly these days. I say go for it if it's something you want to do as a girl.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know you didn't want to get a lecture on Krav Maga and the use of force, but I felt if I were 14 years old looking to get into martial arts, I would want to be told everything I just told you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-02-19T21:57:10.963" LastActivityDate="2019-02-19T21:57:10.963" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6898" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-10-21T01:35:24.187" Score="2" ViewCount="1393" Body="&lt;p&gt;My son started training in Martial Arts 11 years ago at age 5. He started in Ryuku Kenpo, received a black belt at age 8. He then started American Kenpo, and received a black belt at age 10.  He started training in Small Circle Jiu-Jitsu and Modern Arnis for a year, but didn't like it and started Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu at age 12.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He learned quickly, and was placed in the adult class to train with them.  After 4 months of training his instructor rewarded his quick learning and progress, and granted him an Orange belt in BJJ. He trained at this BJJ school for 2 years and got up to White-Green belt. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this point he was beginning to win sparring matches against most adult white belts who weren't much more than 50 lbs heavier than him.  However, he wanted to start training at a more competitive level, which the school did not offer. Therefore he switched schools and is now at a BJJ school (which allowed him to keep his current rank and also placed him with the adults) that he enjoys much more and is getting the type of training he desires. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He is 16 at the end of the month and will be eligible for adult ranking. His instructor says he will receive a Blue Belt 0 stripe. My son is happy with this, but I am not.  If an adult were to start training in BJJ, 3 years would be equivalent to Blue 4 stripe or maybe Purple. This, of course, would vary by school, but I am relating it to the Gracie Barra (where he trains) standard. I consider this unfair, and they are not taking into account his past training at the previous Jiu-Jitsu school. Is it just me because I am his parent?  Is this the typical norm for a kid transitioning to adult ranking?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7615" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-10-21T08:40:04.837" LastActivityDate="2016-10-21T10:03:40.643" Title="Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu Kid to Adult ranking transition" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2016-10-21T15:21:14.257" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6899" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6898" CreationDate="2016-10-21T08:46:16.133" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your son's previous training is being recognised (he's not starting from the beginning again) and your son is happy with the grade he will receive. The instructor knows your son's training and the syllabus being taught, so he is the best person to make that decision.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you honestly think it's the wrong grade, you would have to discuss it with your son's instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2016-10-21T08:46:16.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6900" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6898" CreationDate="2016-10-21T10:03:40.643" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your son's previous training has no relation with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. You can see that by watching world champions in Judo, Karate or Taekwondo starting in BJJ as white belts and no stripes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your son's instruction knows better his progress and skill level and he's the best person to evaltuate and promote him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most important, one of BJJ's principle is humbleness. More than armlocks and chockes, your son is leaning discipline and humbleness. Wouldn't be good for him or his gym colleages if he gets a higher promotion. It can even turn into a big issue inside the gym. Don't worry, according to your story, he'll get promotion faster than everyone else there, but he can't skip for the sake of his experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1983" LastActivityDate="2016-10-21T10:03:40.643" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6901" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6915" CreationDate="2016-10-23T03:41:41.990" Score="4" ViewCount="337" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the book &quot;Hagakure: Book of the samurai&quot; there is a short story:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A certain son of Mori Monbei got into a fight and returned home wounded. Asked by Monbei, &quot;What did you do to&#xA;  your opponent?&quot; his son replied, &quot;I cut him down.&quot;&#xA;  When Monbei asked, &quot;Did you deliver the coup de grace?&quot; his son replied, &quot;Indeed I did.&quot;'&#xA;  Then Monbei said, &quot;You have certainly done well, and there is nothing to regret. Now, even if you fled you would&#xA;  have to commit seppuku anyway. When your mood improves, commit seppuku, and rather than die by another's hand,&#xA;  you can die by your father's. &quot; And soon after he performed kaishaku for his son.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is why in this case seppuku was a needed procedure? Why the life should be over after such a duel?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general I am puzzled how easily samurais end lives of professional warriors and much effort they pay to raise and train one. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6162" LastEditorUserId="6162" LastEditDate="2016-10-24T08:06:46.897" LastActivityDate="2016-10-28T16:14:13.743" Title="Story from &quot;Hagakure: Book of the samurai&quot;" Tags="|samurai|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6904" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6893" CreationDate="2016-10-23T22:12:59.240" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the US, training in Muay Thai and training derived from Muay Thai is popular as part of mixed martial arts (MMA). Every MMA school pays at least lip service to having Brazilian jujutsu and Muay Thai training, and MMA is very popular. MMA competition is far more popular than Muay Thai competition; people may train Muay Thai, but it is often only for their MMA striking game, not to compete in Muay Thai competitions. With this preference for MMA, it does not make a lot of sense to travel abroad; MMA is already in the US. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-10-23T22:12:59.240" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6905" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6895" CreationDate="2016-10-24T04:19:40.517" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Certainly you could 'study' Krav Maga at any age really. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To do serious physical training, I'd wait until 18.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of your joints are sill finishing forming until around so any serious training which uses a lot of locks and twists on you joints might be unwanted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Same goes for other full impact sports, including weightlifting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At 14, I'd concentrate now on stretching as much as possible to make that transition to some serious training more prepared.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also at 14 perhaps begin with Aikido / Judo as a baseline. This will give you a good foundation once you want to transition to more westernised close combat techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastEditorUserId="1985" LastEditDate="2016-10-24T04:25:58.037" LastActivityDate="2016-10-24T04:25:58.037" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6906" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6901" CreationDate="2016-10-24T15:27:41.330" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not familiar with this reference, but what it sounds like to me is that the wound was severe, and eventually he was expected to die from it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The dying process from deep wounds was slow back in feudal times. Their medicine was primitive. They didn't have modern surgical techniques or antibiotics. They would invariably develop a serious infection, which often took their lives. They would go into shock from sepsis. Their appendages would gangrene and would have to be chopped off to prevent death (and that might be too embarrassing for a samurai who relies on his arm for wielding a sword). Their stomach and intestines, if punctured, might leak causing severe pain and an agonizing death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The man would be in agony, crying, and delirious. He would lose his mind. It would be a long and emotional sight. For samurai who value self-control and keeping a calm mind, this alone would be embarrassing enough to ask for death instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What his father wanted was for his son to die &quot;honorably&quot; rather than die like this from a wound caused by his enemy. It would also mean that his duel was not a tie, but instead he won the duel, if he didn't die from it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now that is nonsense thinking, of course. Technically, if you committed suicide because of a mortal wound, then the real cause of your death is still the wound. Everyone knows it. Even the samurai. They weren't stupid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the only thing left to conclude is that dying quickly from dismemberment was a preferable way to die compared with a long, lingering, agonizing death. It would save everyone around him from the emotional pain as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The tie-in with samurai code and spiritualism is just the icing on the cake. It's the religion to make the medicine more palatable. It transmutes a really bad way to die into a good way, one where he is showing how strong he is mentally and spiritually.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of things about the samurai way of life is incomprehensible to us westerners in modern times. Suffice it to say, there's a reason for everything. And as a side note, just because there's a reason, it doesn't mean it's a rational one. It's okay to be critical of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My thoughts anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2016-10-24T15:27:41.330" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6907" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6901" CreationDate="2016-10-25T07:10:46.863" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagakure&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hagakure&lt;/a&gt; should be regarded just as historically accurate on historical samurai lore in the same way as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanson_de_Roland&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Geste De Roland&lt;/a&gt; is to early medieval knights or &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Morte_d%27Arthur&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;La Morte dathur&lt;/a&gt; is to chivalry. While not utterly useless, it is of very limited value. Using it to gleam some truth of what samurai were thinking is utterly useless: it is fiction!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since &lt;a href=&quot;https://history.stackexchange.com/a/162/103&quot;&gt;the Charter Oath promulgated at the enthronement of Emperor Meiji of Japan on 7 April 1868&lt;/a&gt;, the samurai class is no more. &lt;em&gt;There are no samurai, nor can there be any new ones.&lt;/em&gt; As such any studies on samurai belong to history, not martial arts. Furthermore, no serious martial artist think of themselves as a samurai. Any that do are either trolling or idiots.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The tale presented is an allegory of how cool it is to commit suicide. The Hagakure is full of it. It was written in time of peace, where all samurai had to do was write poetry. It glorifies a mythical age (based on &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sengoku_period&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sengoku-jidai&lt;/a&gt;) where combat and death were common and tried to exalt the current samurai as descendent of perfect warrior-gods. It has nothing to do with the reality of war. Furthermore, as a martial art text, it is utterly useless. It contains no great truth, no hidden techniques, and no advice beyond &quot;be ready for death all the time&quot;. The latter is a terrible advice to give soldiers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are really interested in real life samurai, anything by &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Turnbull_%28historian%29&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Stephen Turnbull&lt;/a&gt; should be your first port of call: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Turnbull/e/B001H6U2BS/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Amazon link to author page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:47:54.060" LastActivityDate="2016-10-25T07:39:49.007" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6908" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6910" CreationDate="2016-10-25T19:00:32.457" Score="6" ViewCount="471" Body="&lt;p&gt;I used to do &lt;em&gt;Capoeira regional&lt;/em&gt; while I lived in Philadelphia. I now live in Pittsburgh where the primary game is &lt;em&gt;Capoeira Angola&lt;/em&gt;. One of the issues I'm running into is that my low game is not great. Most of our drills are upright, and that seems to be what the student leading the class (we lack a proper &lt;em&gt;mestre&lt;/em&gt;) is comfortable teaching. Are there any drills for improving one's low game, sequences linking one movement to another while staying low?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2017-03-22T15:30:20.050" Title="How can I improve my Capoeira low game other than &quot;just doing it&quot;?" Tags="|drills|capoeira|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6909" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3117" CreationDate="2016-10-26T02:51:28.903" Score="-3" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;White&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Yellow (10, 9 or 8 degree)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Blue (7, 6)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Green (5)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Brown (4, 3)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Red (2, 1)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Black (1 through 10)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7627" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-10-26T13:14:53.050" LastActivityDate="2016-10-26T13:14:53.050" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6910" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6908" CreationDate="2016-10-26T03:22:55.750" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Like any activity where you want to make those kinds of improvements; Visualisation is your friend. See yourself in your mind making those sequence links and keeping low. Do this over and over to get comfortable in your mind that you will be able to do the moves you want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other thing is flexibility and strength. Both can be worked on separately, holding the position you need to off the ground. Transitioning through the moves very slowly so that you get comfortable and strong at every inch of this movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastActivityDate="2016-10-26T03:22:55.750" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6911" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6712" CreationDate="2016-10-26T06:10:09.953" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Muay Thai is definitely well related to The Epic of Ramakein. Also the names of techniques do resemble certain events or names in it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, the point to note is that, The Ramakein is Thai interpretation of Hindu  &lt;strong&gt;Ramayana&lt;/strong&gt; from India. &lt;a href=&quot;https://kickboxing2008.com/muay-thai-ramayan-connection/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot; title=&quot;Muay Thai - Ramayana&quot;&gt;Here is a reference link for more info&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The characters and events in both these mythological stories are more or less identical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since a major chunk of martial arts is believed to have improvised or originated from Gautama Buddha (Indian/Chinese origin) with his &lt;strong&gt;18 Hands&lt;/strong&gt; physical training (&lt;a href=&quot;http://flowingzen.com/4862/18-luohan-hands-qigong/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot; title=&quot;18 Hands&quot;&gt;source&lt;/a&gt;, considered to be a huge influence in Martial arts world), the source of these names may have some sort of mysterious relation to the this south east country.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7628" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-10-26T07:59:18.460" LastActivityDate="2016-10-26T07:59:18.460" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6912" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6781" CreationDate="2016-10-26T14:24:10.220" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial arts drills involve a large set of aspects of a human body. It may be difficult to find all the ways that can help your body to adapt to these drills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anything and everything that tests your endurance, strength and agility will be useful for the training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Agility laders, although can be used, will not be of any much utility. This is because the drills and work outs of a martial artist test, increase and build up your body for further adaptation at every stage. However, the effectiveness of agility ladders can be easily forgotten in this case; Since there are other more fruitful ways of building up agility and endurance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Running parachutes are definitely used in all sorts of sports today including martial arts (Of course depends on what art you are learning). That being said, it again may not be as useful as some other drills. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Certain points to be noted :&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some martial arts like Muay Thai, where stamina plays an exceptional role, are definitely an exception.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;These tools do provide a healthy amount of utility but at a marginal expense of a lot of time that could be invested in better ways of improvisation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;This answer is completely based on my experience in Krav Maga and Kung Fu.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps! :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7628" LastActivityDate="2016-10-26T14:24:10.220" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6913" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6723" CreationDate="2016-10-26T16:39:33.843" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aside from meetup sites, you may want to consider also considering if local gyms have bulletin boards or forums you can use.  You might not be able to always get out to the gyms, but some of the people going to the gyms might have the time to get to you - and they might be looking for someone with good skills as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, the hard reality is you may HAVE to spend a little time doing teaching depending on where you live and the general &quot;density&quot; of skilled folks around.  There might be someone with good ground game but not standing, or vice versa - and you'll have to do a little bit of helping them get their skills up to be worth practicing with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The unfortunate reality is that this is part of what you end up paying teachers/trainers/coaches for - having someone around who is skilled and trained enough to help you push past your limits.  The better you get, the less folks you're going to find who fit that bill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you basically end up with a choice - is it better to take the time to get someone up to where it helps you to train with them, or do you solo train until you can find someone who is already at that level and logistically available?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-10-26T16:39:33.843" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6914" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5963" CreationDate="2016-10-28T11:45:05.977" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do the ginga for one hour straight non-stop and your body  will adapt to it and you will develop your style. That is an old trick passed down to me by my master and also been advised by students who have visited brazil for capoeira training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7634" LastActivityDate="2016-10-28T11:45:05.977" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6915" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6901" CreationDate="2016-10-28T16:14:13.743" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Googling Mori Monbei turns up some extracts from a book called Samurai Weapons: Tools of the Warrior by Don Cunningham, wherein he explains:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Yamamoto Tsunetomo (1658-1719), a Buddhist priest and former retainer of Nabeshima Mitsushige, third daimyo of Saga, shared a series of anecdotes over several years with Tashiro Tsuramoto, a samurai from the Nabeshima fief in Kyushu.  Record by the younger samurai and published as Hagakure [Hidden Leaves], these offer many insights into daily life and attitudes of his era.  &lt;strong&gt;The following example illustrates how a samurai might be expected to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) to atone for brawling and murder:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He then lists the anecdote in the question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is actually what I was expecting, and I don't know if Don had any evidence for his interpretation, but my thinking is that the samurai times were pretty rough and some tough laws were needed to discourage fighting over personal slights (after all - samurai were supposed to risk their lives &lt;em&gt;for their lord&lt;/em&gt;), and if a young man fell into a brawl and killed his opponent, his own life may well be forfeit as punishment, or perhaps as some form of &quot;justice&quot; for the lord and/or family of the person killed in combat, who've lost a servant or family member.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More anecdotes:  I live in Japan and haven't yet confirmed this with the only police officer I know, but have heard from Japanese folks that if there's a fight all parties may well be punished without as much concern for who was &quot;at fault&quot; as we're used to in the West, much as responsibility for the costs of repairs may be divided between parties in a car accident even if one had &quot;right of way&quot;.  Consequently, fights are almost unheard of, despite a good deal of drinking going on and an enormous population packed sometimes too tightly, with many high-stress jobs and crowded trains.  Similarly, the car thing encourages defensive driving - rather than a sense of entitlement - and may well ultimately save lives even if it seems unjust.  Perhaps on some level it's unjust &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; to encourage safe driving in such a way and have more victims of traffic accidents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2016-10-28T16:14:13.743" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6917" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6883" CreationDate="2016-10-31T20:59:18.850" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've always found that native interest is what sustains me in practice.  If you find an art that truly interests you and engages your mind, you'll actually want to practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The exercise also makes you feel quite good, so there will be a natural draw to continue training once you start.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most important thing, however, is to find the right teacher, and ideally, a community of positive students.  (In some sense, as you become more devoted, these people will become a kind of family.)  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2016-10-31T20:59:18.850" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6918" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6726" CreationDate="2016-10-31T21:03:27.433" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I honestly recommend Tai Chi if stiffness is a real problem.  (Stiffness can lead to injury, particularly with hard styles.)  Ideally, you'd want to pick a school that does a lot of stretching before practice, although that is not always common with Tai Chi, as stretching the connective tissue is inherent to the forms themselves.  But the key point is that Tai Chi requires extreme relaxation to be effective, and relaxation is a great antidote to stiffness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2016-10-31T21:03:27.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6919" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6726" CreationDate="2016-11-01T06:12:21.753" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;For flexibility, besides yoga, the ballet stretching routines are the best. Ballet dancers, both males and females, need to be capable to do splits while jumping in the air, which is much more dificult than doing them sitting on the ground. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ballet has more than 200 years of verified techniques that guarantee a good flexibility. What's important is that you don't force your joints or ligaments while training for stretching, because this is going to generate long-term injuries which, in turn will make anyone less, not more flexible. Even on youtube, there are plenty of ballet routines for flexibility you can take a look at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7576" LastActivityDate="2016-11-01T06:12:21.753" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6920" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6895" CreationDate="2016-11-01T12:54:55.963" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As Steve Weigland has pointed out, it depends on your motif. If you just want to do it for workouts, that's totally fine: you'll have a good condition and learn a lot of useful techniques for fighting. Also, most of the schools have a separate children's class under the age of 18, because there they focus more on bullying and other similar problems which require a totally different reaction than when someone tries to kill you on the streets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But you'll always have to keep in mind that having such knowledge and practice is also a great responsibility. Learning Gracie Jiu Jitsu is a great entry into the world of martial arts: although you are not using kicks and punches, you'll get the best foundations for ground-figthing (used in higher level Krav Maga as well), safe locking techniques and great physical power with good self-control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And don't worry about being &quot;the girl&quot; in the classes, if that's the case: for many years I was the only girl on the Krav Maga and Jiu Jitsu trainings I went to, which gave me a more practical knowledge, as in most of the cases girls are being attacked by boys/men.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my advice would be the following to you:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;join a children's Krav Maga class if you have one in your area and want to have a practical physical education with an anti-bullying side&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;join an adult's Krav Maga class if you live in a dangerous area where even getting home in safety is an everyday challenge&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;start doing Gracie Jiu Jitsu if you want a solid techniqual and physical background which will be useful later on in almost any of the martial arts versions (especially in Krav Maga and MMA), and it's also good for self-defence&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, if you would give us some more details about &lt;em&gt;why&lt;/em&gt; you want to do Krav Maga, we'd be able to give you more precise answers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7647" LastActivityDate="2016-11-01T12:54:55.963" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6921" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2730" CreationDate="2016-11-01T15:53:51.403" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes...if you do not need air/blood supply to your brain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a more serious note, depending on your and your opponent's body shapes you can be immune to some chokeholds. For example, I have broad shoulders and a guy I trained with had short legs. He found some triangle chokes impossible on me...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7187" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-24T11:18:41.717" LastActivityDate="2019-09-24T11:18:41.717" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6922" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6451" CreationDate="2016-11-01T21:38:19.357" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am 44 years old, and fairly fit.  I cannot speak for boxing, but I just began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the middle of August, and I now have my 1st stripe as a white belt.  Prior to this, my only other exposure to martial arts was 6 months of Hapkido during college, many moons ago.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am fairly flexible, and this has been a &quot;nice to have&quot;, but I would say it is not a requirement.  Stretching should be a daily part of your life as you grow older.  As you move through your Jiu-Jitsu training, 2 or 3 times a week, you will have an opportunity to stretch, but more importantly, the techniques are going to work your body, increasing flexibility and strength as you go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Something you should consider is the type and style of Jiu-Jitsu training that would most suit you.  Some training centers are &quot;meat-grinders&quot;, and you might get injured, being thrown into 45 minutes of sparring, following a 15-minute &quot;teaching&quot; session.  Other centers emphasize the longevity of practicing the art, teaching it safely and methodically, with sparring and intensity coming at a later stage, once you're more equipped.  The latter type of training might be a better route for you to take.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;UPDATE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am now 45 years old, and even more fit, and I would credit that to practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I've worked through 14 months of training - averaging 3 to 4 sessions per week - the number one thing that has both helped me to avoid and endure injury, has been a focus on &lt;strong&gt;Mobility&lt;/strong&gt;.  I was fortunate enough to attend a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.maxwellsc.com/mobility-conditioning-for-jiu-jitsu-n-mma.cfm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mobility for Jiu-Jitsu training seminar with Steve Maxwell&lt;/a&gt; a few months back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generically speaking...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Flexibility&lt;/strong&gt; is the ability to stretch or bend something without breaking or tearing.  However, you can stretch beyond your ability to support what is being stretched or bent, and once you go beyond that threshold, you are at risk of injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mobility&lt;/strong&gt; is the ability to move and move freely, and could be described as a range of motion that has the foundational support of muscular strength. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Staying within the range of your body's ability to support something muscularly, is an important range in which to remain.  It's better to be a somewhat tight, mobile athlete, who can muscularly support the movements and extensions that are being made, than a highly flexible athlete that is able to contort or move into extreme positions.  The latter may have no strength to support those extended positions, nor defend against unforeseen or surprise movements they hadn't anticipated.  In such cases, injury is far more likely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mobility is key. Especially in the pursuit of life-long Jiu-Jitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7401" LastEditorUserId="7401" LastEditDate="2017-10-21T22:01:07.923" LastActivityDate="2017-10-21T22:01:07.923" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6923" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6927" CreationDate="2016-11-02T11:36:07.877" Score="10" ViewCount="907" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a concept or a theory to define how to measure the practicality of a martial art? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, is there a measurement, dimension or a rating method to check how effective BJJ or any other grappling techniques against a knife wielder or how effective karate against 2 unarmed robbers?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5496" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-11-02T12:06:35.037" LastActivityDate="2019-03-20T17:44:28.763" Title="Measurement of the practicality of a martial art" Tags="|self-defense|training|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6924" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6923" CreationDate="2016-11-02T15:42:03.887" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Everyone makes claims about that, regarding how their own art is the best.  It would be difficult to assess because so much depends on the competency of the person performing the skills.  Any martial art is useless in the hands of a poor practitioner.  Almost any martial art would seem bullet-proof (figuratively speaking) when performed by a practitioner at the highest levels of skill and competency.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7553" LastActivityDate="2016-11-02T15:42:03.887" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6925" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6923" CreationDate="2016-11-03T03:02:43.663" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's no one rating/scoring system out there.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, there are ways to look at more/less effectiveness - which is testing your skill against conditions as close to the actual situation that you can do within safety and reason.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A broad set of factors that need to be tested against if you are considering effectiveness within combative situations: live opponents who are actively resisting with force, stressful situations, different terrain/environments, weapons, ambush, unfair odds, etc.  This is what military and high-risk police forces utilize in their training (this also parallels the sort of stress testing first responders, EMTs, or firefighters go through with their own training as well.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For any form of training, the conditions which make it reasonably safe (reduced to minor injuries and pain, and greater injuries rare or non-existent), are the conditions which limit the combative reality you get from the situation. Too much, or applied incorrectly, and people don't learn effective methods.  Too little, or applied incorrectly in a different way, and people get to spend the rest of their lives learning how to defend themselves on blown out knee ligaments or slipped vertebral discs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So how do you measure the effectiveness? Figure out a safe way to &quot;spar&quot; the situation.  Find a way to test it under as many close conditions as possible within reasonable levels of risk and safety and see if it works pretty well.  Look for videos or personal testimony from other people who have had to really use those methods to help guide you in setting up, analyzing and seeing why it's working (or not working) for you in the process.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-11-03T03:02:43.663" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6926" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6923" CreationDate="2016-11-03T03:56:06.410" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Short answer: MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long answer follows...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What we've learned about martial arts in the past two decades is that what matters most is how you train, not what you train. Style and techniques are unimportant. So long as your training involves sparring against &quot;live&quot; and &quot;non-compliant&quot; partners, the techniques you use and how you use them will be honed to fit that situation. And that situation, by the way, most closely approximates a real fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What does it mean to have a &quot;live&quot; opponent? It means that your partner isn't a robot. He's not going to tell you what he's going to do. He gets to decide that. And he doesn't stop once he completes what he was doing. He keeps going, reacting to what you're doing. He's alive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What does it mean to have a &quot;non-compliant&quot; partner? It means that your partner is actively resisting everything you do. He's not letting you do stuff to him. He's trying to win against you. He is doing what he can to stop you from doing whatever you're trying to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So long as you have live and non-compliant partners, you have the basic recipe for success. Your techniques may be limited and ineffective to begin with. But over time training the right way, you will learn what works and what doesn't. And more importantly, if you have a hole in your game, you'll go out on your own to figure out how to fill that hole.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, if in sparring your partner is repeatedly able to shoot in and take you down right as you're beginning to punch at his head, you'll learn to adjust your stance so that you're not quite as open for that shoot. And you'll learn how to sprawl from that stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The techniques follow directly from that practice as a matter of necessity. So style doesn't really matter. What matters is how you train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for your question about how to &quot;measure&quot; the effectiveness of a martial art, we have a method, though it might not be what you're really asking for. It's called MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In MMA, people from any martial arts background can spar or compete against people from other backgrounds. From these matches and from MMA training, we can see trends. We can see which styles are, on average, producing better MMA fighters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The styles that, on average, seem to produce the most winning MMA fighters are: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Thai Boxing, Wrestling, Boxing, Sambo, and Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At least that was true in the early days of MMA fighting competitions. Back then, in the early 1990's, people weren't training in multiple martial arts. Most were &quot;pure&quot; stylists. And those that did the styles I just listed tended to do better, on average, than all the other styles. It's because of the fact that these styles train people using live, non-compliant partners who are actively trying to win against them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Later on, people realized they needed to train in those styles. So they all went out and learned stuff like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Shootfighting, Pankration, Sambo, and so on. And that became MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now here's the interesting part. There have been some noteworthy MMA competitors who had training in martial arts that don't make that list, however. And they did extremely well. So what does that tell you? For example, Lyoto Machida and his Shotokan Karate background.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing to keep in mind is that, once again, it's not the style but how you train that matters. Lyoto Machida wasn't just a karate practitioner. He also has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. And he practiced MMA fighting. But he was able to bring some of his karate techniques and strategy into his MMA game. The result wasn't a combination of karate and MMA. It was just MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;MMA training is like a crucible. It burns away the ineffective elements. What remains just works.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So then your question about how to measure the practicality of a martial art is answered: Find out how people from that martial art do, on average, against others in MMA style fighting competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This has to be relative, not absolute. And you're not comparing the martial arts against each other. You're actually comparing the people who have trained in those martial arts. And you can use averages or take the best. That's up to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, this is really hard to do nowadays. It's because in MMA, the level of skill and knowledge has increased tremendously. Nobody goes into MMA competitions these days without first learning some Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai at least. So when you're trying to see how a martial art does against other styles, it's really hard, because you can't find pure stylists in MMA these days. And there's a reason for that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, as for weapons, there are some MMA groups that add weapons to their sparring. For example, Dog Brothers. They also do MMA without weapons, but they'll tell you that they had to modify what they do to deal with knives and sticks more effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sorry if you're looking for something more analytical and objective. If you want some kind of a number representing the practicality of each martial art, you're really not going to find anything useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could count how many techniques a martial art has, but as I said above, it's not the number of techniques that matters. It's how you train them. Most techniques are ineffective anyway and will just be thrown out when you go to MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or maybe you could look at physical qualities like mechanical advantage, leverage, speed, and power. That would just measure the effectiveness of each technique in isolation. It wouldn't tell you how useful or how practical those techniques would actually be. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could argue that the more useful techniques are indeed the most direct, fastest, most powerful, most leverage providing techniques. Still, it's not obvious that the one must follow from the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And consider techniques like the back flip. You can make a perfect back-flip that's really fast and mechanically efficient. But is it practical to use in a fight? Probably not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'm back with one answer: It's how you train that matters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's very simple. You could take two martial arts styles that each have exactly the same techniques in them. But maybe one style emphasizes body conditioning and spends most of the class doing strength training, cardio, and so on. And the other one instead uses the time to do martial arts training with a live, non-compliant partner. Which one will produce better fighters, on average? My feeling is the second group would come out ahead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's how you train that matters. Not the style. Not the techniques of the style. Not how many techniques you have. Not how strong or fast those techniques are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2016-11-03T03:56:06.410" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6927" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6923" CreationDate="2016-11-03T08:28:15.887" Score="13" Body="&lt;h1&gt;No absolute measure&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not think an absolute measure can be determined as the skill, training, and physical differences between participants in addition to local environmental factors would make any measure meaningless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I have a few ideas…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Woolly Measures&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;If those were more woolly, they would baa…&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Simplicity&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The martial art needs to be simple, to have simple rules and movements that can be taught easily. Bruce Lee famously said that&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I fear the man who practised one kick a thousand times, not the one that practice a thousand kicks once.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If a style has 3000 techniques and takes twenty years to learn the basics, then the style is not practical. It is easier to train someone to use a rifle than teaching them to be a swordsman to the same level of competency -- however you measure that: kills per minute?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A simple style does not mean it has no depth, just that simple principles that can be applied to many situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A collection of techniques, however simple is worse than a system taking basic ideas and expending them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Ease of equipment&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to be able to carry practically whatever you need to defend yourself. Sometimes, this is nothing; sometimes, it is a weapon. Carrying a potentially lethal weapon has legal implications beyond this question and as I am not a lawyer nor do I play one on TV I will not expend this beyond saying: Talk to a lawyer before doing something dumb.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, in a war zone, I want a rifle with grenades and a hand gun and bullet proof gear; while walking in Manhattan, I might get into some trouble wearing those. This is a situational consideration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Range&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The longer the better: if you can reach your enemy but the enemy cannot reach you, you are safe while they are not. Thus, you win. So hands are worse than knives are worse than swords are worse than bows are worse than rifles are worse than ordinance are worse than orbital bombardment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Testing against a resisting target&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No falling for sensei here! This is where sport and competition comes in naturally. However, there are rules in sport which might distract from the effectiveness, as no one wants to lose an eye in a normal class. Also one on one is not how most fights happen, so training against multiple attackers is good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The old adage of &lt;em&gt;train as you want to fight&lt;/em&gt; applies here: in a fight, one falls to the level of their training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-02-19T15:06:32.167" LastActivityDate="2019-02-19T15:06:32.167" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6928" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6923" CreationDate="2016-11-03T08:38:39.790" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've decided to post my guide to &lt;strong&gt;qualitatively&#xA; determining practicality&lt;/strong&gt;, but we first must separate effectiveness and practicality. Effectiveness helps determine practicality, but &lt;em&gt;effectiveness alone&lt;/em&gt; is not enough. Therefore this answer has two parts: determining effectiveness and determining practicality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Determining Effectiveness&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The basic criteria to determine the effectiveness of a martial art &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;On average, how quickly can the practitioner inflict harm, to the point of neutralizing any threats? (Or &lt;strong&gt;&quot;How quickly can I stop them?&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;On average, how much risk or harm does the practitioner take on while achieving this neutralization? (Or &lt;strong&gt;&quot;How bad will I hurt?&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Throw a martial art vs another martial art in lots of situations and ask these questions. Finding out &quot;the most effective&quot; would require the largest, most crazy accumulation of knowledge from tournaments and case studies ever assembled by mankind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Determining Practicality&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As if determining effectiveness is not complicated enough, practicality adds another layer to this. I'll define practicality as &quot;the amount of effectiveness per daily effort in maintaining combat-readiness.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For an example, let's go out on a limb and say that armed martial arts (those that use knives, swords, shields, and other weapons) will generally be more effective than the open-hand martial arts (such as tae-kwon-do, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and so on).&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; Let's also say we all do lots of research and tournaments and find out that the &lt;em&gt;most effective&lt;/em&gt; martial art is, &lt;em&gt;for the sake of argument,&lt;/em&gt; armored German Longsword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For armored German Longsword, you need a full suit of plate armor, hand-and-a-half sword, and a dagger. Wearing this every day takes significant effort. Try to pull a knife against such a person, and if you don't immediately die from shame, you'll &lt;em&gt;very likely&lt;/em&gt; lose that fight. But how much daily effort does it take to have all this gear?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Compare this to, say, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. How much daily effort does the BJJ practitioner need to be ready to perform their martial art on a moment's notice? I'm no BJJ expert, but I'm pretty sure they don't require equipment to employ their techniques. So when a guy pulls out the knife with the intent to harm, the a proficient BJJ practitioner may suffer some cuts but stands a reasonable chance to neutralize the knife guy.&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So compare the &quot;some cuts, almost no daily preparation&quot; outcome vs &quot;no damage, lots of daily preparation&quot; outcome and you see that BJJ is a more &lt;em&gt;practical&lt;/em&gt; martial art. The main point is that one must examine the &quot;effectiveness per effort put in&quot; of a martial art to &lt;em&gt;estimate relative practicality&lt;/em&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;In Summary&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sort the relative practicality of martial arts by asking the following questions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;On average,&lt;/em&gt; how quickly does this martial art turn enemy combatants into non-combatants? More speed means more effectiveness.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;On average,&lt;/em&gt; how much damage does this martial art expose the practitioner to? Less damage means more effectiveness.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;On average,&lt;/em&gt; how much daily effort goes into being &quot;combat ready&quot;? More effort means less practicality.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Compare the effectiveness to the daily effort. The thing which provides the most effectiveness per daily effort is the most practical.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is just a general guide. This could change based on personal preference. For instance, one could alter the measure of effectiveness by asking &quot;how much effort did I expend neutralizing the opponent?&quot;. This could change the relative ranking of some martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;1. I should note that I'm coming from a Historic European Martial Arts background, so I have a fairly broad notion of what a &quot;martial art&quot; is. I'm going to think of &quot;martial arts&quot; to include the use of any non-chemically based weapon to inflict or prevent bodily harm. So &lt;strong&gt;no bullets,&lt;/strong&gt; but archery and the use of other weapons are fair game.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;2. Not that an unarmed person can't ever overcome an armed person, but that the armed person is at an advantage and is therefore more effective. If open-handed martial arts stood a reasonably high chance against &lt;em&gt;all&lt;/em&gt; armed martial arts, why did people bother outfitting armies with weapons?&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;3. I actually have my doubts about BJJ vs. Knife. I'm only mildly familiar with BJJ, so maybe one can weigh in and let me know if BJJ can handle knife attackers reasonably well. For the sake of my argument, I'll say they suffer some damage, but don't outright lose to knives.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Disclaimer:&lt;/strong&gt; Actual milage may vary. Consult a doctor before blithely assuming one martial art is &quot;better&quot; than another. Do not use this guide if you have a history of ignoring the effects of culture, individual ability, and situational variables on martial capability or don't understand averages. Side effects include, but are not limited to: misinterpretations or misuse of averages, differences of opinion, and getting beat up by a practitioner of a &quot;less effective&quot; or &quot;less practical&quot; martial art than yours.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastActivityDate="2016-11-03T08:38:39.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6929" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6923" CreationDate="2016-11-03T10:35:30.710" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can come up with lots of theoretical arguments based on techniques/historical development etc. IMO the most &lt;strong&gt;objective&lt;/strong&gt; measure is practical experience. I.e. one should compare different martial arts by interviewing its trainees after they had been in a self-defense incident on the road. Of course to be accurate in comparing different martial arts through this method, one would have to reduce statistical bias and e.g. normalise by training level of the particular participants (so that you don't compare a master to a newcomer).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not aware of any such comparative studies, however intriguingly &lt;em&gt;one self-defense system employs this method to check and improve their own techniques&lt;/em&gt;. The system I am talking about is &lt;strong&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/strong&gt;. I am not claiming it is the best system out there, however the OP asked about a measurement system and the method suggested in this answer would most certainly be most objective if applied to more martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sidenote: There are other reasons why Krav Maga is really a benchmark in terms of self-defense. Often people confuse the martial arts or combat sports with self-defense. E.g. MMA is a devoted &lt;strong&gt;combat sport&lt;/strong&gt;, it has artificial rules that you have to obey that do not apply on the road. A &lt;strong&gt;self-defense system&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;by definition&lt;/em&gt; does not have such rules and focusses on how to defend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7015" LastActivityDate="2016-11-03T10:35:30.710" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6930" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6934" CreationDate="2016-11-03T11:51:29.850" Score="7" ViewCount="496" Body="&lt;p&gt;So my son (9 yrs old) and I have been doing JJ for about a year and a half- first 6 months at Dojo B -prices seemed quite high but 2 of the instructors split off to start a new Dojo A (slightly cheaper). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We have been at Dojo A from the start, the sensei talk about respect, integrity honour, etc, and we are taught some great moves, and my son really enjoys it. He gives it 110% every time we go, really loves it, and has graded here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the problem is this. I am away with work so my wife took my son to the class.  When she went to pick him up, the teachers asked my wife AND son to step out the room for a minute, and complimented my son on how polite he was, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a bit more background on my son.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6856/how-to-teach-intent?noredirect=1#comment14303_6856&quot;&gt;How to teach intent&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then they went on to say his back breakfall was dangerous, as he lands on his elbows sometimes, and his hip throw is not right as he is not bring his feet together. Then they went on to explain how he could hurt someone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of this got my son quite upset (he cried himself to sleep that night).&#xA;The teachers then continue to tell my wife and son that he needs to take a break until after Christmas, and unlearn what he learnt at Dojo B, then come back still on his current belt, but to start all the moves from white again!!&#xA;(remember the same teachers from Dojo B are now in A)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have also watched him, and his throw and breakfall are not different from a lot of other kids. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the end of the night, the teacher informs the class what he and the other teacher have done - again talking about a journey/ integrity respect etc. (my son and wife had left by now – as she has to put our other child to bed)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My issues are :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Why did they wait till now to bring this up, the week after we paid out insurance / Why was this not picked up a lot earlier in the year?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Has he been in danger of hurting himself or others for a year? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Why let my son teach other students lower belts moves?  I would say about a 1/4 of his lesson time he is doing this with minimal oversight.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Why do they force him to have a break (suspend?) when they could teach him to do it properly? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Why not wait till the following week to talk to me when I am there?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand my son is not the most agile of people, but I have been paying for the club to teach him Jujitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am very angry about this and currently looking for a new dojo; do you think I am overreacting?&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;Is it right I have lost all respect for this dojo, and question their integrity?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;UPDATE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thank you for taking the time to reply, I have decided to move on, and look for another school. Your advice was spot on and I should have picked up the signs sooner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5993" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-11-04T21:14:26.987" Title="Dojo not quite right or am I overreacting" Tags="|teaching|recommendation|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6931" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6930" CreationDate="2016-11-03T13:42:34.310" Score="5" Body="&lt;h1&gt;There is something rotten in Dojo A and B…&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You seem to have hit some nasty politics within martial arts. It happens, it is disheartening, and not worth anyone's time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a side note, you (as an untrained person) has no way to judged if someone is doing a technique right. What looks similar might be utterly different to someone who knows what they are doing. It is but a small point… So, it is possible that your son has developed bad habits that need fixing. This is fine and has happened to us all. However, there are some warning signs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Warning sign #1&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your son is teaching? He's nine! He's done martial arts for 18 months. &lt;em&gt;No, no, and NO!&lt;/em&gt; This is bad. He should not be teaching. His instructor is a bad one for letting him teach. This alone suggest that &lt;em&gt;you should leave the dojo and do not come back!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Warning sign #2&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Starting from the beginning of rank in the same style (maybe under different organisation) is looking like a way to get more money out of you in grading fees. If it was a different style, fair. If it was moving from one organisation to another, generally there is a conversion not a start over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Warning sign #3&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taking a break or being suspended are two very different beasts. The former implies that time off would be beneficial. I find it odd in a martial art context and without more justification (unlearn is clearly rubbish) there is not much I can add. The latter is a punishment so either you are unaware of something or something was lost in translation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Now what?…&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From your (somewhat still jumbled) exposition of what is happening, there is no other choice but to look for a more professional dojo. In your quest, remember that a good teaching is more important than a style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, you could go and talk to the instructor and bring your concern to them. Do so like a adult, in a calm and composed way looking for solutions not blame. It is possible that all of this is a massive misunderstanding. However, the first one to lose their temper loses! So, be the adult in the room.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-11-03T14:06:15.320" LastActivityDate="2016-11-03T14:06:15.320" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6932" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6818" CreationDate="2016-11-03T13:54:42.497" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The key to understanding a movement's purpose is to consider the previous movement, the next movement, the other hand, the stance, and your eyeline.  Since only the other hand, eyeline, and stance is provided in the photo, there can be many variations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this case, consider that the left hand is &quot;chambered&quot; into a fist.  I don't like the phrase &quot;chambered&quot; because it suggests the hand or foot is in some sort of ready position; in this case, it is not: it is already grabbing something (note the fist), not waiting for something to happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The stance is interesting, too.  First understand what a stance is, and what it is not.  Despite its name (from &quot;stasis&quot;), it is not a static, unmoving thing, you don't just stand there in a stance and that is that.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, a stance is a mechanism to move the body from one place to another, and also, to help support the execution of a technique.  So a cat (or tiger) stance in this case is called beom-seogi, and it's purpose is to load the weight on the back foot.  Why?  Because the front foot needs to be able to do something.  That &quot;something&quot; depends largely on the next movement, which is not mentioned in the picture, but there could be several possibilities: Perhaps the front foot is readying for a front kick; or it could be wrapping around the opponent's leg so that they cannot get out.  Remembering that forms also teach us strategy for pain absorption, it could also be that the leg is injured, and this is a means to keep weight off of it.  Other possibilities exist too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So one possible outcome of this technique (again, without the benefit of knowing the previous and next movements), is that our defender is receiving an opponent's grab with the left/chambering hand (that's why it's in a fist; note also the fist's palm is facing upward which supports the grabbing elbow to point downward), and the palm up is issuing an armbar upwards (the palm is facing up, the grabbing fist wrist is palm up); the stance suggests the front leg could be used to engage the opponent's leg to prevent escape from the armbar, or at least to make it difficult.  That the defender is looking forward suggests that the attacker is in front, or that is the direction of his movement.  This suggests that the front leg from beom-seogi is probably readying for a sweep, which will be facilitated by the arm-bar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, where do we go from here?  That depends on the next movement, but again, the beom-seogi is a hint: it allows us to place weight on the back foot, and not commit one way or another to move forward or backward.  With an arm bar secured, the attacker can be swept onto the floor requiring an in-place high-fall; or the defender could raise the arm bar assembly, guide it all over his head, then turn counterclockwise; that exposes the opponent's hand to a reverse grip; or a throw requiring a forward roll), or a throw to the ground.  These techniques are basic techniques seen in hapkido and aikido (and the exist in taekwondo!).  In the follow-up to the overhead pass, Aikido-ka call the resulting techniques sankyo, ikkyo, or gokkyo; I forget the hapkido names, but they are similarly executed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in no case is the technique construed to be a &quot;catch&quot; or &quot;block&quot; of a punch.  That is sheer ridiculousness: you don't catch punches, you move off the line of attack, because that punch could be a knife or other weapon.  And your timing would have to be so spot-on; otherwise, an overly committed punch could work against you as you both tumble to the ground, or, that you take a very hard punch.  Even if you entertained one possibility for a punch block, how do you move off the line of attack in a beom-seogi?  This example is definitely not a defense of any kind of punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So no, the technique has NOTHING to do with a punch in any way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastEditorDisplayName="user6519" LastEditDate="2016-11-03T19:53:58.783" LastActivityDate="2016-11-03T19:53:58.783" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6933" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6826" CreationDate="2016-11-03T14:56:29.797" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a huge fan of dynamic stretching and/or PNF/isometric stretches and exercises to improve flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Too often, static stretches are suggested.  These would be butterfly, or sitting in a position trying to achieve a split, or hurdler's stretches... these do not improve flexibility in any way.  Some, like the quad and calf static stretches, are used for post workout stretches which alleviate the muscles of built-up lactic acid, which can cause cramping later on.  And these statics can be used to ease into exercises when coming out of recovery from injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But for regular use, dynamic stretches and PNF are the best you should do.  PNF is best, because they include the weightlifting which is needed, but these also tend to require a partner, and if you don't have one, the dynamic stretch is better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dynamic stretches can be done as often as you want: multiple times a day, every day, without worry of injury.  As these are also your warmups, you don't need to warm up.  Progress is not as fast as PNF.  Also, you need to augment these stretches with mild weightlifting, because having flexibility is no good unless you can control your kicks at the maximum range of motion.  That can injure you or your opponent, and rob you of technique.  So strength training is needed, and this needs to be done every other day (or less often, if you are older).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PNF/isometrics are combined flexibility and strength training all in one.  These require a warmup, and, you must give a day or more rest in between these exercises.  These are unequivocally the best stretches, as you will see results much faster.  But they do often require a partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Read up on Tom Kurz, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stadion.com&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.stadion.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He gives a very thorough analysis of muscle fibers, studies, and recommended stretch practices.  He is a big proponent of dynamic stretches, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is also evidence that stretching at all is not helpful.  All that is needed, these studies show, is a good warm up and competent exercise as part of your regular workout.  You do not need to practice doing the splits in order to perform the split, they say.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27182398&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27182398&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://physioworks.com.au/treatments-1/pnf-stretching&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://physioworks.com.au/treatments-1/pnf-stretching&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijes/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijes/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Excerpts:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1528&amp;amp;context=ijes&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1528&amp;amp;context=ijes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So bottom line, whichever regimen you choose - and you can change them up if you want, just stick with one or the other for 6 months or more - but be sure you are also weight conditioning as well.  Flexibility is dangerous without being able to control at your maximal ranges of motion, and that is partly achieved with weightlifting.  (and regular practice to perfect technique... that should always go without saying)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2016-11-03T14:56:29.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6934" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6930" CreationDate="2016-11-03T17:11:12.000" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is horrible politicking!  If it were me, I wouldn't have anything to do with the current dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your questions are spot on, and they are indicative of something much deeper going on.  It could be politics, it could be money.  It could even be that your son doesn't perform well in competition, and they don't want him there because of that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is ridiculous to think that a timeout will unlearn things.  They should be ashamed for even suggesting that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This business of demoting.  I don't like the concept of belts these days, such are abused by instructors as a money-grabbing gimmick, and something tells me that this is the case here.  If your son was an adult, and an accomplished jujitsu-ka, we would be having a very different conversation.  But he's nine.  Anything that needs to be corrected needs to happen here, and now, and without delay, and at his current belt.  If they did not want him to come to the current dojo with his rank earned elsewhere, they should have said something back then.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(This is not an uncommon request, either: schools place students on a probationary period all the time, and that's done by setting them back to white belt and progressing them until they learn the material the school wants them to; or, they simply don't grade them until they are on-par with school standards).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem is that if you insist to stay, your son will stagnate at his current rank and never test - the instructor will ensure that; or he goes to white belt, and that demoralizes him.  Either way is abuse of belt by teacher.  And I would not want an instructor whose ulterior motive has to do with this kind of politics.  That is why I recommend moving him out.  Your son is 9, he'll have plenty of opportunities to find better places.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll address your issues again:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Why did they wait till now to bring this up, the week after we paid out insurance / Why was this not picked up a lot earlier in the year?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They now have a hold over you and your son.  If you quit, they have your money.  If you stay, there's no guarantee they will promote him or even work with him in a professional, competent way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Has he been in danger of hurting himself or others for a year?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good question.  If he was in such danger, he should have been corrected much sooner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Why let my son teach other students lower belts moves? I would say about a 1/4 of his lesson time he is doing this with minimal oversight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is fine to allow a student to coach another junior; but I wouldn't let it rise to the level of teaching.  That would be risky, given that he's already demonstrating &quot;dangerous technique&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Why do they force him to have a break (suspend?) when they could teach him to do it properly?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My feeling is that they want you to leave.  Probably, as you say, your son isn't the best.  That might impact the school's record.  This happens often in very competitive schools, so watch out.  However, if they do insist on a time-out, be sure to get a refund - not a deferral! - of money you've already paid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Why not wait till the following week to talk to me when I am there?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They seem to be afraid to deal with you.  Use this to your advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bottom line, I think they want you to leave.  You'll know when you ask for a refund.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider taking to social media.  (after your refund).  Call them out here, call them out on Facebook.  If they have a defense, they'll address it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, I don't think you are overreacting.  This is despicable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastEditorDisplayName="user6519" LastEditDate="2016-11-03T18:46:52.653" LastActivityDate="2016-11-03T18:46:52.653" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6936" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6880" CreationDate="2016-11-03T18:38:40.587" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Martial: Of, or pertaining to war or soldiers&quot;&#xA;- Merriam-Webster&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of us &quot;martial artists&quot; are not really practicing &quot;martial arts&quot;.  Perhaps, some of us are practicing CLASSICAL martial arts.  But not real martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are throwing hand grenades, learning how to disassemble and reassemble your weapon, going onto bivuac, learning first aid, hygiene, and sanitary habits; then you might be learning a martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are learning how to pin someone to the ground, or punch them into unconsciousness, you are definitely not learning a martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the best martial art to learn for the military would be that which the military already teaches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you go to boot camp, you learn the same things the samurai did when they trained for their battlefield wars: how to fight, how to live, how to get along.  That also included cooking, first aid, survival (come to think of it, they were regular Boy Scouts!  lol)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now that I'm done being coy with the phrase &quot;martial arts&quot;, you should know that a great many soldiers also practice what is commonly called &quot;martial arts&quot;, and can include MMA, wrestling, boxing, taekwondo, karate, krav maga, aikido... it just depends on their available resources.  For instance, many soldiers stationed in Korea learn Taekwondo.  Those in Japan learn Karate or Judo.  And so on.  And some have instructors within their own ranks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And yes, the Marines also have their own style - you generally learn that as a Marine, so no point going out to look for classes here.  The Army also has their Combatives training, as does the Air Force.  I'm sure other branches also have similar.  I don't know about the other styles, but, in 2007, the Army mandated that all units make Modern Army Combatives available.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, you do NOT need to join a gym or learn a style.  The military will teach you all that you need to learn.  As to what you want to learn, that is a personal decision only you can make.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2016-11-03T18:38:40.587" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6937" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6930" CreationDate="2016-11-04T10:19:48.053" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I totaly agree with previous answers about such a dojo.&#xA;As a father and trainer I just want to give you some hope. If your son is 9 and if he's not afraid by falling, I'm sure he'll improve his JJ each time he train on the mat. That's one of the strengths of this Martial Art.&#xA;You will have to evaluate his motivation and never hesitate to change dojo if it doesn't match with your son's expectations.&#xA;An easy way of evaluate motivation of a young boy is to answer this basic question : Does your children want to return dojo just after the end of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for his back ukemi, it's indeed dangerous (for shoulder) to land on elbow. But instructor could learn him to loose such a bad habit by throwing him (as safely as an instructor knows how to do) on O uchi gari or O soto gari. Other wise, You could even learn him in all security by yourself (just keep hard his harm during the fall) on the gass or the sand on the beach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wish a long and happy JJ life for your son and you&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7114" LastActivityDate="2016-11-04T10:19:48.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6938" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-11-04T12:58:37.897" Score="3" ViewCount="145" Body="&lt;p&gt;When training with a Kung-Fu staff, should I keep a strong grip on the staff or a loose grip?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*by training I mean doing basic staff exercises such as rotation or simple movements with the staff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7416" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-10T17:49:05.530" LastActivityDate="2019-08-10T17:49:05.530" Title="Grip on a Kung-Fu staff (Bo) during training" Tags="|kung-fu|bo-staff|grips|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6939" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="501" CreationDate="2016-11-04T13:52:18.853" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think the way to use finger strike is to hit the face not needing accuracy to the eyes but just &quot;spear&quot; your fingers to the face hitting whatever parts of the face: eyes, the periorbital part, nose, lips, cheeks, forehead which will make your target get hurt by impact or wound injury. that is why the fingers must be trained to become very strong to withstand impact when it hit the target; and there is a technique to spear your hand- it should not be straight but the whole palm is a little cup-like while the fingers especialy the fore,middle and ring finger are  closely knitted and straight. this manner will give the finger a safe recoil not to break when it is speared strongly against a skin-next-to the bone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7546" LastActivityDate="2016-11-04T13:52:18.853" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6940" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="501" CreationDate="2016-11-04T13:57:35.403" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;you may have not trained properly and the one who guided you is misguided. compare yourself with other who trained the way you did and yet they did not hurt themselves. you just did the wrong way of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7546" LastActivityDate="2016-11-04T13:57:35.403" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6941" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6938" CreationDate="2016-11-04T14:00:01.927" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;For most staff work, grips change constantly to change range and direction of attacks or parries.   You have a tight grip when you expect impact, and naturally, you have to let go/slide/keep simple contact when you are moving your hands to change grip position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are working from a form or in a class, this is something that should be shown to you.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are trying to play around and figure it out on your own... well, you might do well looking up some videos and books to see what your options are in terms of movement and not go fast or hard to start, especially if there is a chance the stick might fly out of your hands and hit anyone or anything that can break.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-11-04T14:00:01.927" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6942" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="501" CreationDate="2016-11-04T14:03:15.207" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;what about those who can break a inch pineboard using spearhand. if he will hit your face with it do you think his fingers will break? your head will surely move backward by the force of the strike and reaction to pain and so the fingers will not absorb so much impact because of the reaction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7546" LastActivityDate="2016-11-04T14:03:15.207" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6943" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6953" CreationDate="2016-11-04T15:25:34.533" Score="4" ViewCount="807" Body="&lt;p&gt;A &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OeedpzLRe2E/maxresdefault.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jab&lt;/a&gt; is a straight punch, a Wing-Chun punch looks like &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LP4PnDjaAak/maxresdefault.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt;, and a Corkscrew punch looks like &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Yyg6d6gJmjc/maxresdefault.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the difference in terms of speed &amp;amp; power between these punches?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7416" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-11-08T09:01:26.137" LastActivityDate="2016-11-08T09:59:25.157" Title="Difference between a jab, wing-chun punch, and corkscrew punch" Tags="|boxing|punching|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6944" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="501" CreationDate="2016-11-04T16:14:04.580" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sorry for a late answer to an old question.  But some answers suggest that the technique is too dangerous to be used; or that you should bend your fingers to allow safe crumble; or that there's no way to properly condition for use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These answers assume that there's only one way the spearhand is to be used, which is that it is a power strike into the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why assume that?  A gentle backhand smack to the eyes can be enough distraction for the opponent to become off-balanced, lessening the impact of his strike.  Surely if a gentle back-smack can do that, a gentle poke to the eyes - even a threat of a strike to the eyes - can do the same, yes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These answers also assume that the tips of the fingers are what strikes the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why assume that?  Can't the palm of the spearhand be used to rub along the attacker's face?  If meeting your opponent head-on, if your right hand is the spearhand, your left arm is crossed in an &quot;L&quot; shape in front of you.  This is a common defensive movement: you're holding your opponent to you while you slide your hand up the chest, over the face, and beyond: this has the effect of bending his head backward.  Isn't the shape of the spearhand the same?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or are we talking about where the palm is vertical (facing left with a right-hand spearhand).  Well, meeting your opponent from the side and issuing a similar strike has the effect of twisting the head sideways, snapping the head laterally, maybe breaking the neck, inducing vertigo, or applying a headlock.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I get it that we see these strikes as a power strike.  After all, I break with fingertips.  I'm above average with respect to fingertip strikes, given my constant practice for breaking.  However, I would never use a fingertip strike as a power strike against an opponent.  Rather, I would use it as a distracting movement, or to poke the eyes or throat - but not with full power.  Doing that could cause injury to both of us, and, if he's got a friend who can help him, I'm going to be fighting his friend next - and without a good hand to do so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We should never assume a technique's use based on its name.  Giving a thing a name thus limits its use, and that is unfortunate because it makes it difficult for us to imagine more uses.  To figure out what a technique's use is, you need to look at many things: what's the other hand doing?  What's the stance you're in?  What's the previous movement?  What's the next movement?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Did you ever see a spearhand being applied WITHOUT the other hand's palm beneath the elbow?  If you did, it's probably high - as if attacking the eyes with the finger tips, and the stance was probably a front stance.  If it was very low, the palm was probably facing up and it's probably to grab at the groin or knee - but not attacking by the tips of fingers.  (and most likely, you're in a back stance or cat stance).  Ever wonder why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's another use for a spearhand: it can be a throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Kukkiwon Taekwondo, Taeguek Sa Jang (#4) (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAauWkIZuqY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAauWkIZuqY&lt;/a&gt;), the first movement is a double knifehand block, then step into a spearhand.  The key here is to figure out what the previous double knifehand was doing.  If you were competently taught, you'd know you're not blocking anything.  Because your hands are knifehands, and not fists, the assumption is that you are being grabbed.  The outstretched hands keep your opponent off-balance; if he wriggles into a position most advantageous to him with maximum possibility to attack you, then, he'll jam himself up by having his hands (which are now grabbing you) useless; you step in with your forward hand (the forward part of the double-knife-hand) reach behind his back or head (that's the part that forms the palm down underneath the spearhand), and the rear hand of the double-knife-hand then moves forward over the shoulder, which throws him backward.  In Aikido this technique is called &quot;iriminage&quot;, and you can see superb examples with Sensei Christian Tissier on youtube (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2EJEWrAxsQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2EJEWrAxsQ&lt;/a&gt;).  Hapkido has a very similar throw, in English we just called it a head throw, I don't remember the Korean name.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So there you have it: don't assume a technique's purpose based on it's name.  Otherwise, you'll get completely flustered with &quot;Swallow Poom&quot; (which is the high-block/neck chop combo).  ;-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And a word of warning: if you have to condition to use a technique, what good is the technique when you can no longer condition for it?  As you get older, the technique that once required conditioning is useless to you.  And in many cases, conditioning can be damaging; osteoarthritis is common among people like me who condition for breaking.  Yes, I'm paying dearly for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And what good is a technique if you are required to condition for it, but you never do condition for it?  That's on your instructor, who should have told you that the spearhand need not be a power strike (unless you're breaking).  In self-defense, a spearhand is just too dangerous for YOU to use as a power strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To answer your question, you ought to explore the many uses of a spear-hand.  Don't assume you need full force behind it, such is not the intention.  In my belief, a technique which requires such conditioning means to go down a path not intended for the technique.  What will you do when you're older, or injured, or fatigued?  Learn what a spear-hand really is, and then practice your technique for those cases.  If you think hitting a sandbag will improve it, or condition you, then you don't know what it is for.  Find a competent instructor who can give you drills, and help you as you practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastEditorDisplayName="user6519" LastEditDate="2016-11-06T18:06:46.140" LastActivityDate="2016-11-06T18:06:46.140" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6945" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-11-04T19:30:50.180" Score="3" ViewCount="1062" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 22, I did 2 years of wrestling in school, and I played football, and started some home boxing training (taught by my dad's friend who is a D.I. in the army) that I've been doing since I was 13. But I have been doing absolutely nothing for the last 3 years because I had to move to help take care of my little brother who got leukemia. He's very stable now and he's on his last block of chemo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'm trying to find a martial art to help me relax and meditate, while also learning self defense and doing some decent physical exercise&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am interested in wing chun but I am 6'3&quot; and 330 lbs so I'm not sure if that would be the best idea, but I am really flexible but I'm also fairly slow striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm also interested in qigong just for its mental benefits and relaxation, but I'm worried it wouldn't be enough physical activity for me to lose weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would also like to defend myself properly, meditation while practicing form, and I really want one that focuses more on reactive defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So being a newbie to more focused martial arts, I would love any suggestions on martial arts that would benefit me?&#xA;Or comments on my above suggestions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7659" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-11-05T00:33:12.860" LastActivityDate="2016-11-07T08:17:15.387" Title="Trying to find a martial art that fits" Tags="|recommendation|health|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6946" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6945" CreationDate="2016-11-05T06:31:34.537" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You haven't listed priorities so much as requirements. So I'll treat them as all more or less equal in priority. Though, it might be helpful if you were to indicate which were more important and which were just something nice to have. That can often give you a better result.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your requirements for martial art are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Must have relaxing, meditative aspects.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Must be good for self-defense.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Must be good for weight loss and physical fitness.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Meditation / Relaxation:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm just going to go out on a limb and say every martial art I've ever encountered has been good at taking my mind off of my day to day worries and putting me in the moment. They all provided a mental break, causing me to forget about anything else going on outside of class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason for that is that martial arts demand you pay attention to what's going on right there and then. If you don't, you get punched in the face. Or your movement will be sloppy, and you'll be forced to make quick corrections which will require 100% of your brain focused on the task at hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But you may be wanting something even deeper than that. There are martial arts that explicitly engage in meditation practice. While often not officially part of the curriculum, it is generally included in most Taiji, Xing-Yi, Bagua, and Aikido schools. These are &quot;internal&quot; martial arts, but even external martial arts schools such as kung-fu schools tend do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I wouldn't make this explicit meditation practice a requirement if I were you. You can meditate on your own before or after class. There's very little a martial arts instructor typically teaches about it. They often just have you clear your mind and concentrate on breathing while sitting down on the floor. It's designed to clear your thoughts and get you more in the moment. And it usually only lasts about 5 minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my advice is that you'd be better off reading books and getting videos about it and decide on your own what to do and how to do it. There are even workshops and seminars that you can go to. Yoga places tend to teach it as part of their normal class routine, and they often have workshops devoted to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can go to Zen Buddhist temples, and they often have an introductory class in meditation. They're some of the best people from which to learn, in my opinion. It's because it's actually a fundamental part of what they do. They have different levels of meditation from beginner to advanced, and they will instruct you more deeply than your typical strip-mall martial art class will.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other thing to realize is that you're paying for this. If a martial arts school is taking time out of the class to do something, you're paying for it. You have to ask if you're getting your money's worth. Is it the best use of expensive class time to take however many minutes out just to meditate? Or would it be better that you meditate before and after class on your own free time?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's a question only you can decide.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Self-Defense&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You mentioned you wanted &quot;reactive&quot; self-defense. I guess it means you don't want something that's active and combative like MMA or Muay Thai would be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What people usually think of as &quot;self-defense&quot; training are techniques that can let you escape a bad situation. Like you might learn a self-defense technique that will break someone's bear-hug hold. And when they release you from that bear-hug, you're supposed to just punch them in the face or kick them in the groin and run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's the traditional interpretation of &quot;self-defense&quot;. They're quick techniques to deal with specific and common scenarios in order to let you stop the attack from happening and get away unharmed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only problem is that these don't usually work very reliably. And that's because when the attacker feels you breaking his bear-hug, he might switch to just tackling you to the ground. Or maybe he'll change to a side-choke instead. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if the bear-hug release technique actually did work for you, maybe that kick to the groin you followed up with didn't result in him dropping to his knees in agony like you learned in class. Now you're face to face with a very angry guy whom you just kicked in his testicles. Are you ready for what comes next?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In these traditional forms of self-defense classes, an attacker that fights back isn't part of their model. To them, that's &quot;fighting&quot;, and it's not the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My point is, you might want to reconsider wanting to learn &quot;reactive&quot; self-defense only, rather than also learning how to fight. Because, if you learn how to fight, the self-defense is just the cherry on top. It becomes a small part of your overall defense, in other words. The fighting skill backs it up and allows it to work, if it's going to work at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To clarify, a self-defense technique might work for the first two seconds of the fight. After that, you're fighting. And it's kind of wishful thinking that your self-defense technique will work just like it did in class on a partner that let you do it to him, allowing you to just run away unscathed after it worked perfectly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So how do you recognize martial arts that train people how to fight reliably? Which martial arts are better at it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What we've learned about martial arts in the past two decades is that what matters most is how you train, not what you train. Style and techniques are unimportant. So long as your training involves sparring against &quot;live&quot; and &quot;non-compliant&quot; partners, the techniques you use and how you use them will be honed to fit that situation. And that situation, by the way, most closely approximates a real fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What does it mean to have a &quot;live&quot; opponent? It means that your partner isn't a robot. He's not going to tell you what he's going to do. He gets to decide that. And he doesn't stop once he completes what he was doing. He keeps going, reacting to what you're doing. He's alive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What does it mean to have a &quot;non-compliant&quot; partner? It means that your partner is actively resisting everything you do. He's not letting you do stuff to him. He's trying to win against you. He is doing what he can to stop you from doing whatever you're trying to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So long as you have live and non-compliant partners, you have the basic recipe for success.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And I would add that competence in fighting requires training in all ranges of fighting. That includes free-fighting, the clinch, and the ground. In free-fighting, you and your opponent(s) are standing, free to move around, because nobody has a hold on anyone else. In the clinch, you're both standing, but someone has a hold on the other. You're not entirely free to move. And on the ground, you're either on your back, on your stomach, on top of him, him on top of you, beside your opponent, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you're comfortable in all 3 ranges of fighting, you won't freeze up in a fight. Everything will feel familiar to you. And your training will take over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts that practice this way and which have a proven track record for producing the best fighters are martial arts like MMA, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Judo, Boxing, Kickboxing, and Sambo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of those, the martial arts that also teach self-defense techniques (similar to classical Japanese jujitsu) are styles like Gracie Jiu Jitsu, most Brazilian Jiu Jitsu schools that don't specialize in sport fighting only, and some forms of Wrestling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There may be others. But there won't be many others. So that greatly reduces your pool of martial arts if you want to learn to fight in addition to learning self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're just interested in self-defense techniques in isolation without learning the full fighting game, you've got a lot more choices available to you. Such as: Classical Japanese jujitsu, Aikido, Kung-fu, Karate, Bujinkan Ninjutsu, Hapkido, Krav Maga, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Exercise and Fitness&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of study has gone into how to lose weight. The main conclusions are: Do cardiovascular exercise the most to burn more calories. Strength training is helpful for retaining muscle while losing fat, but it's not going to burn more calories and therefore more fat than cardio exercise will. Weigh yourself frequently. And lastly, control how much you eat on a daily basis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The good news is that a lot of martial arts are highly active. For example, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, BJJ, Wrestling, Boxing, Wushu, and Karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, there are some martial arts that don't do a lot with cardio. And you can see it in their students. Their students will be overweight or out of shape, yet they'll be black belts. It's okay if some black belts are overweight, but if you're seeing a trend at that school, then that's something you may want to avoid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think this is something you're going to have to shop around for. You need to visit some of the schools near you and see what they do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;My Advice&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everyone will have their own opinions about what you should do. It's going to be subjective. But based on the requirements you've given, my advice is to find a Gracie Jiu Jitsu school near you and take an introductory class, or a week of classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gracie Jiu Jitsu will really make you work hard physically. It will burn fat and give you strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;About the only thing more intense for you might be MMA or Muay Thai training. But you said you wanted &quot;reactive&quot; self-defense, which I interpret as being something akin to classical Japanese jujitsu. Both MMA and Muay Thai don't generally provide that training. But Gracie Jiu Jitsu does.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, on the subject of classical self-defense, this is something that a lot of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu schools don't teach. But it is part of the curriculum of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. The Gracie system makes sure not to teach the sport aspect until after or around blue belt. Until then, it's all for fighting and self-defense. Whereas, other BJJ schools may have a different curriculum. You have to ask.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And Gracie Jiu Jitsu actually will teach you how to fight, in addition to the self-defense training. MMA just teaches you how to fight, but won't give you much in the way of classical self-defense training. And Muay Thai teaches you a more limited range of fighting than MMA would while also not teaching classical self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the relaxation and meditative aspects, I think some Gracie Jiu Jitsu schools incorporate it into their training, but not most from my experience. But like I said, you can meditate on your own before and after class. And it may not matter, because any martial art will be able to take your mind off of your daily life, like a little vacation for your mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If meditation is very important to you, then you should be looking at an internal martial art like Xing-Yi, I think. The only problem with that is that those arts don't generally burn much fat. And they don't do a good job of teaching classical self-defense. Or fighting for that matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But assuming you did want to do an internal art, my recommendation is to do Bagua, Xing-Yi, or 5 Ancestor's Fist kung-fu, to name a few. Most of those schools will teach some classical self-defense, albeit a small amount. Most will involve some meditation, sometimes quite a lot. And unlike Taiji, they generally move quickly rather than slowly, which will allow you to burn more calories. They won't burn nearly as many calories and get you as fit as something like BJJ, Muay Thai, or MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If classical self-defense was the most important thing for you, I'd say try Krav Maga. You'll get a moderate amount of exercise from it and will burn some calories. They might even have a supplementary &quot;Cardio Krav Maga&quot; class which you can take in addition to the normal class. And it almost certainly wouldn't give you any meditation practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some forms of Japanese jujitsu that do involve meditation practice. And it's pretty much all self-defense there. But again, not much cardio.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You said you did Wrestling and some Boxing. That will work well with either Gracie Jiu Jitsu or MMA. You won't have to unlearn things. Wrestling and Boxing are key skills incorporated in MMA training these days, by the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You said you had an interest in Wing Chun kung-fu. But it contradicts the requirement for something that helps you lose weight. It's a fairly stationary style, with relatively less leg movement compared with other styles. It does move the arms a lot, but if you're looking for something that burns the most calories, then you want a full-body workout which includes the legs, arms, and torso.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun does have a lot of meditative aspects. And it might qualify as &quot;reactive&quot; self-defense, if you mean that you just want your body to react without thinking about it. Part of its skill set is arm sensitivity. Instead of seeing the motion and reacting to it visually, you make connection with your arms and sense the motion. That can cut down on your reaction time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But Wing Chun doesn't generally offer classical self-defense. It's a fighting system. And as a fighting system, it may not be reliable due to the fact, like I mentioned above, that it doesn't generally train with non-compliant partners, liveness, and resistance while allowing all 3 ranges of fighting. It wasn't really meant as a street fighting style. It was designed only as a counter to the particular styles of kung-fu that were around in the region it was created. Some Wing Chun schools try to close that hole with varying success. For example, Leung Ting's Wing Tsun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can read more about my thoughts on Wing Chun here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2802/defence-against-wing-chun/2809#2809&quot;&gt;Defence against Wing Chun&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My only other advice besides finding a Gracie Jiu Jitsu school near you is if you can find one that has some students that are heavy and tall also. And this is because you might learn faster if you didn't have as much weight advantage over some people in the class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In grappling, weight definitely makes it easier for you to win. The smaller, lighter students are the ones who have to learn the proper way to do things from day one. They pay very close attention to detail, because they need to. But heavier weight people can often get away with being less skilled. At least for a while and against similarly ranked students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that is not super important. It's more important to find a good teacher than finding a school with one or two big students in it. And any BJJ school is going to put you through a very intense workout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other thing. If you're trying to decide between Gracie Jiu Jitsu and MMA, consider your joint health also. Being 330 pounds means you probably want a low impact exercise for now, at least until you lose the weight. MMA is high impact. Gracie Jiu Jitsu is low impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'm sticking with my recommendation: &lt;b&gt;Gracie Jiu Jitsu&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-11-05T19:08:34.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6947" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6945" CreationDate="2016-11-05T08:13:54.630" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You have three overall requirements, which, are all potentially available, though it make take a few years to hit all three, and a lot of what will influence your choices are going to be what's accessible to you and reasonable given other life requirements. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's go in the order of most difficult to least difficult to find...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Self Defense&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practical self defense includes - situational awareness, multiple opponents, weapons, being attacked by surprise, being in less than-optimal-positions, and a lot of live training against resisting opponents.  If you can find these things, then you can start sorting for the other requirements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Systema, Kali/Escrima, some styles of Penjak Silat, I know can cover all of these things AND cover the other requirements you are looking for. (There's certainly other schools in other styles that may hit this and the next two requirements as well, you'll have to do a bit of research on a case-by-case basis).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Meditation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now...the next question is basically &quot;What KIND of meditation?&quot;.  There's martial arts that simply have breathing and relaxation, ones that use visualization, ones that focus on chi energy, ones that hope to achieve spirit possession to improve fighting ability.  It can get pretty far out there.  You want relaxation, but it's worth considering if there's religious requirements/limitations you're operating with and what those might look like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After you sort by self defense by the requirements above, you'll have narrowed things quite a bit.  The meditation aspect will narrow things further and may leave you with little/no schools that cover both nearby you.  It may be worth considering taking up a meditation practice unrelated to the martial art and supplementing your training with it - a friend who's deep into jujitsu is very into yoga.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many of the Chinese, Japanese, and Indian arts are into meditation, so if you find some into self defense, you can also probably find a meditation practice attached to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And of course, not every form of meditation will fit you, personally, in relaxing.  You may have to try a few to find what gives you what you're looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fitness and Weight Loss&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are you moving?  Do you have to work against resistance of other people, weight and gravity?  How much of it do you want to do?  There's your fitness and weight loss in it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Within the limitations of safe practice, do it faster, do it longer, and do it harder.  There's your cardio, strength building and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-11-05T08:13:54.630" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6949" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2334" CreationDate="2016-11-05T18:08:48.243" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Obviously a weapon would help a lot. A strong aggressive dog may not always stay engaged in an attack. The dog might dodge and lounge around and try to bite your sides or jump to get to your throat. Dog may also bite you when you turn away from it to walk away so don't ignore it if it came to you. Kick it, punch it, pepper spray it, choke it, stab it, shoot it, whatever works.  Also if you can control the dog's head it can't bite you. Bottom line is you need to win and survive. Ask a K9 deputy as they may have more knowledge of this topic. If you are unarmed in the wild and a pack of wolves decides to make you dinner, you will most likely die even if you are a black belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7662" LastEditorUserId="7662" LastEditDate="2016-11-05T18:14:55.387" LastActivityDate="2016-11-05T18:14:55.387" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6951" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6945" CreationDate="2016-11-07T08:17:15.387" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;So I'm trying to find a martial art to help me relax and meditate,&#xA;  while also learning self defense and doing some decent physical&#xA;  exercise&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to learn how to mediate, you should go to a Buddhist temple and join classes there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to learn self defence, you should go to a self defence class. A read of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;no nonsense Self-Defense&lt;/a&gt; would go a long way too, especially its &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/martialarts.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;section on martial arts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to get fit, you should join a gym and get a personal trainer. You should look at eating better foods and change your bad living habits -- whatever those are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;None of those things will be well taught in any martial arts classes.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When looking at a martial art class, you should try all the ones around where you live -- say within an hour commute max. Pick the one where people are having fun, training hard, and whoever is teaching is clear, friendly, and open minded. Whatever style or art is mostly irrelevant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a side note: I have seen Aikido dojo where the students trained hard, against full on resistance, and many of dan-grades were police and army who used Aikido in anger (and successfully) in the field. I have also seen Aikido dojo where sensei's shout and thirty people fall over because bullshit magic or something… &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2016-11-07T08:17:15.387" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6952" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6481" CreationDate="2016-11-07T15:32:24.087" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm just nearing 50, and am seeing physiological changes in me that are moving faster than my mental capabilities allow.  That is to say, my mind is saying &quot;go!, Go! GO! Faster!&quot;, and my body is saying, &quot;Hold on, there cowboy...&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So age will creep up on you to the point that your training methods will make a difference.  My Taekwondo instructor tells me I have a typical American hips.  A sedentary job, mild workout on the weekends, coach from the sidelines, drive to the supermarket even if only 2 blocks away...  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's not exactly me, but that's fairly common.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As stated before, dynamic stretching is definitely the way to go.  You can, instead (or in conjunction) do PNF for faster results, but PNF can be more difficult, especially as it often requires needing a partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With dynamic stretching, you can work out as many times a day as you want, without giving any rest days in between, as long as you are not otherwise injured.  In fact, with the best dynamic stretches, you begin a routine within 15 minutes of waking up in the morning.  The nice thing about dynamic stretches is that they really aren't stretches per se, because you aren't going beyond your normal range of motion.  However, you are keeping the muscles active, and that is most important in anything you do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you find a routine, keep at it.  Meantime, I wonder what you mean by &quot;not good enough for TKD&quot;.  I suspect you're worried about competing with the 18 year olds in class, and that you're in a sport school.  I've got a problem with that, because that may be how Taekwondo is taught these days, but that's not what Taekwondo was originally taught.  I've got students in my class who can knock a can off the top of my head.  But I can crack his ribs before he lands the kick.  He may have snazzy kicks, but I'll be the one to survive.  And that's what Taekwondo was originally all about: survival, not some grunge competition to see who can kick the highest or with the most turns in the air.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that's where I'd suggest you start your focus: forget the jump spin kicks.  Flexibility is only the beginning of your issues.  You risk spraining a knee, or an ankle.  Or you can tear an ACL.  You need to decide why you are in Taekwondo at all, and then train for that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're there to do jump spinning high kicks, I'd say at 44 that time has long past.  You might do okay, but at what risk, and at what cost, and for what benefit?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're there to keep in shape, I'd say you're not in the right place.  Whether you're there for sport or for self-defense, Taekwondo is dangerous for keeping in shape.  Keeping in shape does not mean risking ankles or knees, or bloodied knuckles.  It means maintaining flexibility, mobility, your heartrate, your blood pressure, your cholesterol, your diet, and your mental faculties.  Taekwondo is about self-defense (or trophies, depending on the school you land in).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're there to learn self-defense - and the school is competent - then you need not worry about how high you can kick.  You don't want to kick high anyway.  If you look at old footage of the original pushers and movers of Taekwondo, you'll note their kicks rarely hit stomach high.  Here, your focus is in applying techniques according to what you can do.  If you struggle to kick high, what good do you think that's going to do you in self-defense?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The trick here, though, is to find a competent school.  Admittedly, this is hard to do, and is why so many people ask silly questions like &quot;I'm 18, is it too old to start taekwondo&quot;, or &quot;How high should a 40 year old be able to kick&quot;.  If you're in it as a sport, then these are sound questions.  If you're in it for self-defense, these questions are moot.  If you're in it for keeping in shape, then go buy a Billy Blanks DVD and stay in the basement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, to answer your question, you need only perform dynamic stretching, and daily practice each of your kicks and forms.  You might not have a partner or a kicking bag around, and that's okay.  Just do what you can safely at home, spend about 15 minutes of kicking (after your 10-15 mins of dynamic stretches), for a half-hour of practice each day.  Don't spend too much time kick practice, you really do need a partner to help correct technique; otherwise, bad habits settle in that make it difficult to correct later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Incidentally, I'm a huge fan of Tom Kurz and his published materials.  He's an accomplished coach and author.  He explains muscle physiology and optimal exercise regimens.  Read his work to understand the best stretching methods you can employ.  (No, you do not need to suspend yourself across two chairs as in his book and DVD photos; however, if that's what you aspire to, follow his routines TO THE LETTER.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stadion.com&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.stadion.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2016-11-07T15:32:24.087" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6953" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6943" CreationDate="2016-11-08T08:38:50.973" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;All of these punches are good, but it's not about the most effective, it's more about the best punch for a given situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Jab has more range than a Wing-Chun punch and also offers protection to your head, while your hand is extended. This is because of the rotation of 90° (or more, depending on who you train with) it lets your shoulder raise and protect your chin. The rotation also gives a bit more power, but also makes the punch more obvious, so that it is seen and blocked somewhat easier. A good jab should first move forward and then rotate, so it is less obvious. The forward and backward motion (getting punch back to your face) is the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Wing-chun punch often starts a little bit lower than the head, while the other punches start and end on head-level. It goes exactly along the centre and has no rotation at all. It is more focused on relaxing right before and after the punch. The punch goes back on a lower level on the centre, so the other hand can punch the same level as before on the centre. It's very fast, with a lower range and no direct protection to the head. It's more about controlling the centre to have a good position to block/counter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The picture of the corkscrew looks like a variation of the Jab with a 180° rotation, which gives more protection to the chin by raising the shoulder even higher. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have also seen diagonal downward corkscrews for blocking low centre attacks. In this situation, the rotation helps with blocking and stopping the forward motion of the attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess in Boxing range the Jab and Punch (Jab -&gt; lead hand, Cross -&gt; other hand) are the best for attacking, but if you fear getting countered while punching, it's better to use the corkscrew. Ata closer range where you can also use elbows, the Wing-chun punch is probably the best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be aware that a wing chun punch on average being faster and less powerful than a jab doesn't mean that it's not powerful enough, or that the jab would be slow. Also, you have fast jabs and power jabs, so it's hard to compare anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7667" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-11-08T09:59:25.157" LastActivityDate="2016-11-08T09:59:25.157" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6954" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4334" CreationDate="2016-11-08T15:31:07.260" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I use it occasionally as a replacement for a partner when attempting PNF stretching, which is how pulleys should be used.  It's a bit awkward for me, and unless you have several pulleys located in different places (essentially, high and low, allowing for adductor and abductor stretching), you're not really getting the best benefit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, some people use them in a similar fashion that the stretch machines that Chuck Norris used to peddle.  These, I've discovered, are dangerous because when you feel pain, it's difficult to release quickly, and the damage is done.  With pulleys, pain can be lessened almost immediately, so it's moderately better than the machine.  So as long as you are not pulling and locking (by wrapping one end of the rope around something), you should be fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other caveat: be sure to use them in an active manner - PNF, actually.  As you pull the rope and open (or close) the stretch, you need to fight against that exercise: that is the PNF exercise.  If all you do it sit there and pull the rope, all you're doing is static stretches which won't do you much good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2016-11-08T15:31:07.260" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6955" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4334" CreationDate="2016-11-08T15:57:46.120" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Using a stretching aid to assist a stretch is fine as long as you take your time and don't use too much force (YMMV). In my experience, the very best aid for achieving progress in stretching (for limberness) is to perform a solid warm-up routine before hand. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Achieving a significant increase in limberness is something that takes time. If you push yourself to do too much, too fast you risk injury, and stretching-related injuries can undo any progress you've already made.  Set realistic short and long term goals, and then make slow methodical progress towards those goals. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2016-11-08T15:57:46.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6958" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1197" CreationDate="2016-11-10T13:56:57.523" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;1st thing find the correct shoe or boot  from lowcut to high you'll have to actually kick with them  use toe kicks all angles .  find boots or shoes with a thick sewed on sole  stiff is good , if when you handle the boot check for flex stiffness in the toe area is better &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2nd make sure your foot fits really good  , your fit should be so as to not let your feet slip forward inside the boot , in the store kick toe first downward into the floor if foot slips forward and toes hit and jam try tightening laces, use extra foot padding &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3rd technique   you can use toe kicks with any kick you do front kick , or roundhouse toe kicks   work well if you use the correct part of your boot or shoe&#xA;use the hard sole directly into target  do not make impact with the top of boots ,use sole of shoes   boots work well for crescent kicks use ankles or side of boots, have an open mind and experiment with all angles until you find what will work . kicking with boots or heavy stiff shoes  , can be done medium or high and really good low destructive bone bashing leg kicks , and yes heavy boots may slow your kicking but if you train with them your legs will get stronger , so when you're barefoot at dojo  martial art school your kicks will be allot faster and easier &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7673" LastActivityDate="2016-11-10T13:56:57.523" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6960" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6963" CreationDate="2016-11-11T11:05:28.963" Score="5" ViewCount="440" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the wake of rising&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/hate_crime&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;hate&#xA;crimes&lt;/a&gt; after Brexit and fears of a similar rise after the election of Trump as President of the USA: &lt;em&gt;How can martial arts help support people who are victim of said crimes?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that this question only focuses on verbal attacks such as racial slurs, sexual explicit comments, and sexual harassment. Physical assault (unarmed or armed with either mêlée weapons or firearms) is out. Of course, the earlier can easily escalate into the latter: losing one's cool is a sure way of escalating this. If it is not yet a fight, how can martial arts help?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a side note: Checking out with LEO where you live is a good thing. If you&#xA;are planning on owning and carrying a lethal weapon, please consult a criminal lawyer first. It might save you jail time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: Sources for Brexit:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37640982&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;BBC&lt;/a&gt;,&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/brexit-hate-crime-racism-eu-referendum-poland-islam-more-in-common-a7231836.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Independent&lt;/a&gt;, and &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/07/hate-surged-after-eu-referendum-police-figures-show&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Guardian&lt;/a&gt;. Sources for the USA:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-elections/donald-trump-president-supporters-attack-muslims-hijab-hispanics-lgbt-hate-crime-wave-us-election-a7410166.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Independent&lt;/a&gt;,&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/day-1-trumps-america_us_582497afe4b0cdd5e7e99e86&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Huffington Post&lt;/a&gt;,&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://qz.com/834656/writer-shaun-kings-twitter-account-has-become-a-clearinghouse-for-trump-related-hate-crimes/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Quartz&lt;/a&gt;, and&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://metro.co.uk/2016/11/10/the-ku-klux-klan-are-throwing-a-victory-parade-for-donald-trump-6250161/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Metro&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-11-14T08:14:16.673" LastActivityDate="2017-05-19T20:40:53.337" Title="Martial art against verbal hate crime" Tags="|training|self-defense|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6961" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6960" CreationDate="2016-11-11T14:49:39.380" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a very complex and broad question, so I will add a few general remarks here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;How can martial arts help support people who are victim of said crimes?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Increased/Rebuilt confidence&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A safe and controlled outlet for emotion/anger&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lasting friendships&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tolerance (not just of pain, but of all life to some degree, walking past the verbal abuse so that it does not become more than that)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously these are things that the majority of students will gain from martial arts, it is up to instructors to provide a safe class to allow the student to thrive - taking into consideration any physical or mental conditions suffered by the student. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2016-11-11T14:49:39.380" CommentCount="2" CommunityOwnedDate="2016-11-11T14:49:39.380" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6963" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6960" CreationDate="2016-11-14T14:05:54.863" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's been a while since I read it, but &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/133203.The_Gentle_Art_of_Verbal_Self_Defense&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; is essentially a primer for how to apply martial arts patterns to arguments, ranging from &quot;soft&quot; techniques such as recognizing and redirecting attacks to &quot;hard&quot; techniques such as interjecting more harsh language to shock someone into actually listening. And, much as with martial arts, there are chapters devoted to determining when to fight and when to walk away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2016-11-14T14:05:54.863" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6965" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6967" CreationDate="2016-11-15T05:36:45.947" Score="4" ViewCount="261" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been a Shito Ryu karate student for seven years now. I would like to know if there is a way to make my defences faster than they are now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7687" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-11-15T15:00:21.150" LastActivityDate="2016-11-17T17:04:34.447" Title="How can I improve my defense speed?" Tags="|self-defense|kicking|punching|defense|attack|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6967" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6965" CreationDate="2016-11-15T15:15:28.333" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Defense is harder than offense because reaction is slower than action.  You have to see and recognize the movement, your brain has to process a response, and then you have to respond. So, there is a limit to how fast your responses can get compared to attacks, even with improvement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can improve your speed by seeing enough attacks come in from the same style or person - you learn to read them better.  (of course, this doesn't help as much when it's a different person or style with a very different set of tells for the movement).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most styles of striking operate by throwing the force through their hips and shoulders, so you find a lot of advice involves keeping one's eyes on their chest or using peripheral vision to catch full body movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some martial arts focus on getting a hand on their opponent to read their body through contact.  Reaction time to touch is about half that of sight, so there's value in it, of course, you have to be in range to touch and your opponent might take advantage of that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some styles set up their combative stances in such a way to lure in certain types of attacks - if you know you're probably only going to have to deal with attacks in specific zones, you don't have to train as many responses - less cognitive load, quicker response.  The major drawback to this is that it doesn't work if the attacker is going to grapple or if they have a weapon and you don't... in both cases, &quot;everything is a target&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you can see, much of the improvement to defense is sensory and cognitive, rather than simply physical reaction.  However, it still suffers the limitation of slower reaction vs. action so there are upper limits no matter what.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-11-15T15:15:28.333" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6968" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5153" CreationDate="2016-11-16T15:15:59.267" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The highlighted concerns is&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;head first landings may potentially cause long term brain injury&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_traumatic_encephalopathy&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; give a general idea of CTE. It is a progressive degenerative disease found in people who have had a severe blow or repeated blows to the head. CTE has been most commonly found in professional athletes participating in American football, rugby, ice hockey, boxing, professional wrestling, stunt performing, bull riding, rodeo, and other contact sports who have experienced repeated concussions or other brain trauma. The primary symptoms of CTE are similar to dementia (memory loss, aggression, confusion and depression). &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NFL_players_with_chronic_traumatic_encephalopathy&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;CTE cases in NFL&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15987548&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt; is the medical journal on CTE by Bennet Omalu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5923" LastEditorUserId="5923" LastEditDate="2016-11-16T15:26:44.967" LastActivityDate="2016-11-16T15:26:44.967" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6969" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6965" CreationDate="2016-11-16T16:49:13.043" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;One way is to slow down.  Relax.  That is to say: don't clutter the mind.  When you are rigid and nervous, the whole body wants to move as one unit.  This is a beginner's problem.  Do you want a 150 lb body to move as a single, solitary unit - like a rock?  That takes a lot of energy and muscles fighting each other.  Ever see a fighter stutter-step or raise the shoulders?  This is a classic tell of an inexperienced fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you relax, you allow the body to move to a more advantageous position, thereby having to move less mass at one time.  Bruce Lee said it best: Be like water.  He didn't say like an ice cube.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another way is getting experience.  Think of it like chess: there can be dozens of movements in the beginning of a game.  Which move to take can be daunting, but, by using processes of elimination, you can limit your best choices to a handful, then select the best one from there.  At the end of a game, your choices are much more limited, since there are less pieces on the board.  That's how grandmasters do it, and to get to that point takes a great amount of experience.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another way is to lead the opponent, and hope the opponent goes for the bait, and then react with the opponent.  We call this &quot;inviting an attack&quot;, and an attacker who is less experienced is more prone to baiting because it's a gross motor movement to an innate instinct.  A more experienced attacker might see it also as a more advantageous opportunity and might take the bait, but better fighers are keen to look a gift horse in the mouth.  Leading the opponent is a great way to limit your choices, and is directly related to your experience.  Don't offer bait if you can't defend against the bait!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Experience gained is what builds confidence.  When you are confident of your position and your options, your body and mind can move together without fighting itself through conflicts and inefficient responses.  When you lack confidence, you gain hesitation.  It is here that your brain sees the options, but because of the bottleneck in the body, is powerless to move it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastEditorDisplayName="user6519" LastEditDate="2016-11-17T17:04:34.447" LastActivityDate="2016-11-17T17:04:34.447" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6970" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6960" CreationDate="2016-11-16T23:59:37.747" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Perhaps this isn't the answer you want to hear, but what you need to hear.  The martial in martial arts refers to the ability to take a life, and came from ancient times when those skills were needed for life and death in everyday situations.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but the issue behind this question is what in NLP is called &quot;framing&quot;.  A verbal assault, such as when people intentionally say something to get under your skin, isn't really an assault unless there is intent to commit battery. &#xA; The thing is your emotions are yours and how you feel is up to you...change your mindset(frame) and feel the way you want to feel.  That means change your internal dialogue and react the way you want to act.&#xA; You might not want think about about what &quot;they&quot; say, so think of your favorite song, or if you want to &quot;verbally&quot; respond, do what Tim Allen did when he was in prison, tell them a joke and change their mindset, this can be done by making fun of yourself with even more exaggeration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS- if you might want to apply this knowledge to the news you read as well, some of the news sources you cited are playing politics, and perhaps you should learn about how subversion works in the media.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5930" LastEditorUserId="5930" LastEditDate="2016-11-17T00:05:04.003" LastActivityDate="2016-11-17T00:05:04.003" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6971" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6960" CreationDate="2016-11-18T17:26:55.283" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Know what your laws are around altercations and what counts as reasonable defense.  Teach them.  Look up some actual, local cases, as what stands on the books may not hold true in court (pay close attention to whether that seems skewed by race or gender, etc. and how that might affect things.) Set up scenarios and play with the idea of verbal intervention and physically interposing yourself between an aggressor and the targeted person.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider what you can offer the target to increase their safety - a car ride, and offer to walk them away to another location, willingness to serve as a witness if police have been called.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider roleplaying what happens if the target is agitated and angry as well - how to let them know you're on their side BUT that their safety is more important than physical confrontation without silencing them or effectively favoring the verbally violent aggressor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Train to look for the signs and physical movements of impending violence.  When someone is going to change over from &quot;just words&quot; to action and what are the best strategies around that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-11-18T17:26:55.283" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6972" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6973" CreationDate="2016-11-22T04:43:08.177" Score="4" ViewCount="162" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a special name for a type of spin in the air where the person's body is almost horizontal? I have seen it in several action scenes, such as this fight scene from a movie (at 1:41). &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt9R_DaXJQU&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ninja Assassin Fight Scene&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7705" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-11-22T09:45:31.570" LastActivityDate="2016-11-23T04:26:55.853" Title="What do you call this type of spin?" Tags="|spinning-kicks|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6973" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6972" CreationDate="2016-11-22T12:53:12.537" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This looks like the wushu &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di0ihPN5o-c&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;butterfly twist&lt;/a&gt;. It's more gymnastic than useful for fighting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-11-22T12:53:12.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6974" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6972" CreationDate="2016-11-22T12:56:46.577" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As per mattm, it's the &quot;butterfly twist&quot; in Wushu. In Capoeira, it's the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-Iy6atOteE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;mariposa&lt;/a&gt; (which also means &quot;butterfly&quot; in Spanish, but in Portuguese more often translates to &quot;moth&quot; or &quot;prostitute&quot;) and my copy of &lt;em&gt;Unknown Capoeira: Secret Techniques of the Original Brazilian Martial Art&lt;/em&gt; notes that it is indeed ornamental, although, as with many spins, lashing your foot out in the midst of it can transform that spinning momentum into a strike, and of course it does work as a dodge, albeit one that's more flashy than utilitarian. Lastly, as with most acrobatic moves, it sometimes can just be intimidating, since it shows your body control and that you're confident enough to waste energy on something flashy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-11-23T04:26:55.853" LastActivityDate="2016-11-23T04:26:55.853" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6975" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2260" CreationDate="2016-11-23T10:22:24.847" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been training Muay Thai for over 6 years and the only supplements I used were protein shakes/bars, creatine and vitamins. Nowadays I don't even use much of  these since I figured out that a proper diet is the best vehicle to achieve a good performance in the gym.&#xA;I wrote a little post about it. Take a look, you may find something useful: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.effectivemuaythai.com/muay-thai-diet.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.effectivemuaythai.com/muay-thai-diet.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, you don't have to train a specific amount of days per week to get a satisfactory progress: what is important is to push yourself to the limit and then let your body to fully recover before another &quot;push&quot;. When you train hard a micro fractures in your muscles appear (that's how your muscles grow) and then it needs some to time to recover. How long it takes to recover depends on a person and his/her ability to repair the &quot;damage&quot;. Things like a speed of metabolism, amount of sleep, a diet and obviously a genetics my slow it down or speed it up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7428" LastActivityDate="2016-11-23T10:22:24.847" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6976" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6977" CreationDate="2016-11-25T10:12:17.817" Score="-2" ViewCount="157" Body="&lt;p&gt;I personally have trained in a number of martial arts and competed under karate, tae kwon do, Muay Thai, kick-boxing and San da. I know some people like to try a few different styles and others prefer to focus on a single discipline.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am thinking about running a tournament in the future, and I would like this to be as inclusive as possible. I would like this tournament to be &quot;open&quot; to different styles and weights etc. My experience is mainly with stand-up fighting, therefore, stand-up rules are the ones that I am interested. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like to ask for suggestions on the best type of rules that would enable lots of practitioners of different stand-up styles to enter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, Muay Thai would be able to kick the legs and elbow a Tae Kwon Do practitioner in Muay Thai rules, but would lose this under Tae Kwon Do rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the fairest rules to allow the majority of stand-up martial art practitioners to compete together?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have updated my question - hopefully this is better now...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7187" LastEditorUserId="7187" LastEditDate="2016-11-30T13:51:13.260" LastActivityDate="2016-11-30T13:51:13.260" Title="What rules should be used to allow fair stand up fights between any martial art" Tags="|recommendation|competition|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="9" ClosedDate="2016-12-07T17:28:27.813" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6977" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6976" CreationDate="2016-11-26T16:32:42.917" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's two questions you have to answer, that determine what rules you get (and, regardless, will disfavor some techniques and methods):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How safe should it be?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every sport outlaws eye gouges, groin strikes and throat strikes, as these end matches, and can potentially permanently disable or kill your competitors. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After that, though, the question is how much do you want to risk your people?  Many places outlaw elbows or knees to the head, however, these are among the most powerful tools any striking art can bring. What about attacks like foot stomps or shots to the back of the hands? Both of those could break something and end a match quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are gloves required? If so, how heavy of gloves?  Part of what changes what punches and strikes work, is the types of gloves you wear.  Gloves stop people from breaking their hands, and that in turn also dictates what targets are viable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What counts as grappling and when do you stop it?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You mentioned your main goal is to avoid ground fighting.  Ok, is a standing clinch acceptable?  Is it acceptable for a short period? How long?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How about a neck grab in order to deliver an elbow, a headbutt, or a knee?  What about standing throws?  A standing choke?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can you grab a kick that missed and hold onto their foot? Can you do that if they leave a punch out too long? (also presumably we're outlawing moves that tear tendons or break bones directly)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If one person is tripped or thrown down, is there any scoring penalty? If not, people won't bother throwing.  If there is, how much of a penalty is it, since you wanted to focus on standing striking and not a throw-down match?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The divide between grappling and striking has never existed in actual combat - you use anything that works, and the usual question of what to focus on depended mostly on your weapons and the armor involved.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you go more towards sport, you have to ask what kind of safety you're looking for and what constitutes an entertaining enough match.  The rules you create end up having a few optimal methods by the limitation process itself.  There's no one set of rules, which is why even in combat sports you see a good amount of variation in the tactics and choices people make, and places where certain arts do better than others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-11-26T16:32:42.917" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6978" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6980" CreationDate="2016-11-26T18:50:03.110" Score="2" ViewCount="188" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently put a &lt;em&gt;berimbau&lt;/em&gt; on my Christmas list, having gotten back into Capoeira and wanting to be able to contribute to the music. A local has offered a handcrafted one for a price similar to what shows up on, say, Amazon.com, but the pictures show it to be pretty heavily painted over the bow and gourd. I have &lt;a href=&quot;http://capoeira-connection.com/capoeira/2011/10/the-art-of-building-the-berimbau/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;seen it said&lt;/a&gt; by Mestre Bimba that &quot;a painted berimbau had no voice&quot; and is therefore meant primarily for decoration. Is this perhaps a matter of more modern materials changing things, or does this still hold true? Since it would be a private transaction, and he's headed back to Brazil soon, there would not be much chance of a refund.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2017-04-07T03:02:02.977" Title="Are painted berimbaus appropriate for music?" Tags="|capoeira|music|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6980" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6978" CreationDate="2016-12-01T16:25:15.127" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm starting to suspect that this may be a matter of a combination of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/capoeira/comments/2poacj/do_you_paint_your_berimbaus/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;appeal to tradition&lt;/a&gt; and changes in lacquer / paint technologies. I purchased the &lt;em&gt;berimbau&lt;/em&gt; mentioned above and I can't tell any difference in the sound from the lacquered-only &lt;em&gt;berimbau&lt;/em&gt; I've played in class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-04-06T11:29:21.517" LastActivityDate="2017-04-06T11:29:21.517" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6981" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="771" CreationDate="2016-12-02T01:20:47.747" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;My rolled up rug throw device - dummy is my very best training partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The dummy is always ready, willing and able.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is made from a rug that is six feet tall by about 30 feet long, rolled up then rigged together with packing twine - nothing  more; cheap and easy to make.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take dummy to the beach and give it a toss; works well on mats, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Toss dummy suplex and over the knee or lateral drop.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7730" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2016-12-02T11:34:50.027" LastActivityDate="2016-12-02T11:34:50.027" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6982" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-12-02T20:44:34.973" Score="5" ViewCount="538" Body="&lt;p&gt;I read about how to &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4515/preventing-and-or-healing-sore-wrists-and-elbows-in-boxing&quot;&gt;Prevent sore wrists and elbows in boxing&lt;/a&gt;&quot; and now I am curious. I train Muay Thai 6 days a week for 2 hours a day. I understand that placement is key when delivering a jab or punch and that doing push-ups on the knuckles/fists will strengthen as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Will the use of a gyroscopic trainer, &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B018K6D06Q&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;like this one&lt;/a&gt;, help prevent pain in the wrist?&lt;/strong&gt; Does anyone use one in their practice and does it work?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/g6VsZ.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/g6VsZ.png&quot; alt=&quot;Gyro Strengthener&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7732" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-12-20T04:13:40.660" Title="Will using a gyroscopic training device eliminate (or greatly reduce) wrist and elbow pain?" Tags="|boxing|muay-thai|soreness|wrists|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6983" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5825" CreationDate="2016-12-03T17:22:35.420" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.jiujitsutoday.com/real-life-thug-disarmed-martial-arts-cop/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.jiujitsutoday.com/real-life-thug-disarmed-martial-arts-cop/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This shows a cop using a kote-gaeshi type movement to disarm someone.  Notice that he does need to follow up with a hip bump / leg sweep to complete the throw, however.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6532" LastActivityDate="2016-12-03T17:22:35.420" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6984" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5963" CreationDate="2016-12-05T15:13:27.457" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;1) Ginga a lot.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) Do variations:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Slow&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fast&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Very low&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Very stiff&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Let your chest nearly touch your knees while doing the Ginga&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Switch directions&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stop and reverse in mid-movement&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do esquivas/cocorinhas while doing the Ginga&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) Strength training:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kettle-bell swings&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Squats&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kneeling Squat Jumps&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="718" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2016-12-05T15:15:22.413" LastActivityDate="2016-12-05T15:15:22.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6985" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6600" CreationDate="2016-12-05T15:32:31.513" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ok, before all the uban legends begin to grow here, you first need to know what &quot;osu&quot; means and what its origins are.  As to origin, there is no one single source which is right.  Some say it's derived from &quot;onegaishimasu&quot;, where the initial and trailing syllables are kept and everything else is discarded.  Ever hear a drill sergeant scream &quot;TEN-HUT!&quot; and everyone jumps to attention?  Well, &quot;ten-hut&quot; is a derivative of &quot;attention&quot;, much like &quot;osu&quot; derived from &quot;onegaishimasu&quot;.  Except that &quot;ten-hut&quot; isn't in dispute, whereas &quot;osu&quot; is.  Others have other ideas where it comes from - some from regular speech, other say it has military derivations, and so on.  Others say this is a phrase that is something women should not be using.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on whom you ask, it can mean anything from &quot;acknowledged&quot; or &quot;ok, got it&quot;, to &quot;Waaaasssssuuuuppppp!&quot;, to a cheer of sorts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are one of these cases where, when in Rome, do as the Romans.  If the class screams out &quot;OSU!&quot; at seemingly every response to what the instructor says, then that's what you do.  Some karate schools use it as a form of &quot;ok, got it&quot; (while others use the phrase &quot;hai&quot;), while others use it as a sort of &quot;SIR!!  YES SIR!!!&quot; response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People who never heard the phrase before are at a better advantage, because they will walk into a dojo and not say anything, which is proper for anyone who is not a student anyway.  Those who are used to using it as &quot;Waaasssssuuuuupppp&quot; and then go visit a dojo run by some ancient relic from the samurai era who seems to have a deal with Death that he will never die... the visitor is going to bitterly annoy the old crony to no end.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my advice to people who ask: say nothing, and maintain humility.  Then when you get used to the lay of the land at a particular dojo, do what everyone else is doing.  If you visit or change to another dojo, don't assume &quot;osu&quot; means the same at the next place, so, shut mouth, and watch to see what the locals do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2016-12-05T15:32:31.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6986" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6982" CreationDate="2016-12-05T16:41:17.283" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Scientific skepticism is your friend. The only thing this ball can offer is a bit of resistance in the form of gyroscopic action. In what manner could a resistance exercise &quot;prevent sore wrists and elbows from boxing?&quot; There is no magical process radiating from the flywheel, and that means that this ball can only accomplish the same results that comparable resistance exercises can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your workout regimen leaves you with joint soreness which falls outside the norm for exercise of that intensity and duration, you should consult a physician.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If something seems too good to be true, it almost certainly is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: If you are looking for exercise tools/exercises to strengthen your hands, wrists, elbows, and shoulders, I would strongly recommend that you look into some of the tried-and-true free weight options. I personally benefit from training with weighted Indian clubs, maces, and kettlebells. There are several exercises with these training aides which strongly benefit joint rotation and strengthening. These types of weights are relatively inexpensive, and have a broad utility in training the upper body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastEditorUserId="6178" LastEditDate="2016-12-05T16:49:52.100" LastActivityDate="2016-12-05T16:49:52.100" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6988" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6982" CreationDate="2016-12-06T15:36:32.620" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;No, something like this will probably not help you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have to consider how your specific situation differs from the standard marketing target. If you train six days a week, you are definitely not the standard audience for gimmicky exercise equipment. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Exercising is almost always better for you than not exercising, and most people do not exercise. In general, if a device gets people to exercise at all, it can be considered a success, and it probably will help to reduce joint pain for &lt;em&gt;the average person&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But you train six days a week. When your wrists and elbows hurt, it's probably not because you sit in stasis at a desk 50 hours a week. I would guess your problem is one of three things:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Your technique needs improvement. For example, if you punch with a bent wrist or hyperextend your elbows while striking, you will hurt yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You are overtraining. Human joints cannot withstand an infinite amount of pounding, and as you get older your body's tolerance decreases. You can help by eating and sleeping well, and ensuring good circulation to your joints. You can spend more time on skill work and less time hitting things. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You need supplementary training. For example, if you have prior wrist injuries that affect stability and range of motion, you should start fixing this with exercises less strenuous than pounding on a heavy bag. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-12-06T22:07:10.647" LastActivityDate="2016-12-06T22:07:10.647" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6989" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3117" CreationDate="2016-12-07T03:44:20.463" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been training through the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) for 8 years now, and I am currently a second dan black belt. It seems to me after reading through these responses, every club has a different variety of belt colours, so that is why every answer is somewhat different. Anyways, here's what my club goes by.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First of all, there are three different ranks you can obtain in WTF taekwondo. There is Gup, Poom, and Dan. Gup is coloured belt rank, Poom is junior black belt rank, (under 15 years old), and Dan is just full black belt rank. (15 years old and up.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the coloured belt order in my club it goes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-White belt&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-Yellow belt&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-Yellow belt with green stripe&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-Green belt&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-Green belt with blue stripe&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-Blue belt&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-Blue belt with red stripe&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-Red belt&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-Red belt with black stripe&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, those are all of the Gup ranked belts. (Coloured belts.) For black belts, there's 1st degree all the way up to 9th degree. Whether it's a Poom or a Dan depends on your age, as I've said above. In our club, you can test for your next coloured belt every three months. For black belts on the other hand, you need to wait however many years your current belt rank is. For example, if you're a 1st degree black belt, you'll need to wait 1 year to test for your 2nd. If you're a 2nd, you need to wait 2 years to test for your 3rd. That's why it's extremely rare to become a 9th degree black belt! To become a master, you'll need to be a 5th dan or higher. Our club has 3 masters currently teaching!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7742" LastActivityDate="2016-12-07T03:44:20.463" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6991" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6993" CreationDate="2016-12-07T10:26:10.967" Score="4" ViewCount="709" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many of my students keep asking me what kind of weapons they should get: I tell them to get a jo and a bokuto, generally the cheapest&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; they can find. If they like them and end up doing a lot of weapon work, then they can pay for a better version. However, I am not sure this is the best advice I could give.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;What should one look for in a set of wooden weapons?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Clearly, this is relevant for me for Aikido only. However, a good answer might come from any martial art that contains wooden weapons for training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: By cheapest, I mean the cheapest from a reputable martial art shop, not any old stick from your local hardware store…&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-12-07T14:28:55.197" LastActivityDate="2016-12-07T14:28:55.197" Title="What to look for in a wooden weapons set" Tags="|aikido|weapons|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6992" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6991" CreationDate="2016-12-07T10:54:37.393" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;A tanto you can go on the cheap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But a good jo and bokken should be made of white (not red!!) oak, or hickory.  These are hard woods, and are not brittle.  You can find pine, but they're for kids, since they're lighter.  But pine and red oak are brittle and will not withstand the rigors of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The ken you can get various weights, it is personal preference.  But for beginners, I recommend a light one to start.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The jo you should be careful that it is not already warped.  It will warp a little over time, you can't do anything about that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, it should be factory treated with an oil - but no more.  If there is lacquer on it, it should be sanded off, and then treated with an oil - I use mineral oil, since it is safe to handle and won't go rancid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lacquer-treated woods will have a greater tendency to grip the hands, causing blistering.  With oil, the jo in particular, will slide nicely in and out of your hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2016-12-07T10:54:37.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6993" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6991" CreationDate="2016-12-07T14:25:01.800" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming you do paired work, do &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; buy the cheapest jo/bokken you can find.  I've had weapons fracture on the practice floor, sometimes with splinters shed quite widely around. There is a real (small, but real) chance of injury.  It is worth buying a weapon that can stand up to punishment.  Also note that the fracture may not occur at the point of impact.  My daughter parried one of my blows and the hilt of the bokken chipped - the opposite end from the impact and the end that is much closer to my eyeballs.    For the same reason I'm skeptical of the cut down broomstick/mop handle, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I agree that you don't want to go premium on your first weapon, but I would recommend that they buy something credible - the difference between the cheapest and the most useful isn't very large. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/weapons/goedkoop1.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here is an old aikido forums article on weapon materials&lt;/a&gt; the author is affiliated with Kingfisher woodworks, and I have purchased multiple weapons from that company. I trust kingfisher, but I have to acknowledge the bias.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://cookdingskitchen.blogspot.com/2016/09/all-about-wooden-weapons-for-martial.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Cook Ding also has an excellent article&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.zaimoku.org/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ellis Amdur's article on weapons&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I used to covet exotic wood weapons - after reading those three articles, I'm now content with my mundane woods.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on how you use your weapons there are additional considerations.  I use a weapon with an Iwama style tip - The rest of my dojo uses a pointed tip.  Every time someone lines up with my weapon they hold it incorrectly because they're looking for the tip.  Beginner students should probably buy weapons similar to those used by the rest of the dojo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My dojo does not use the tsuba; many of our students have to be counselled to not hold the blade of the weapon, only the hilt.  The tsuba automatically corrects for that error. (I cannot remember a situation where the tsuba would have saved my fingers.). Plastic tsuba are fragile and look stupid and the retaining band is notoriously ineffective. Leather tsuba are surprisingly expensive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you buy a jo, buy the right length.  (the shindo muso ryo jodo jo is about 4 inches shorter than an aikido jo; it doesn't make a huge difference, but if you want the student to be proficient and expect the end of the jo to be in a specific place, they need to train with the length they will use.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of our students has an octagonal jo - you'll see discussion of that variant elsewhere in this forum.  I haven't worked with it long enough, but I don't want to work in paired practice against it - the edges are going to mar my jo.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2016-12-07T14:25:01.800" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6994" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-12-07T15:40:16.730" Score="5" ViewCount="218" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to find some specific physical training exercises to directly benefit my practice of martial arts (both unarmed and weapon). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, I recently discovered weighted Indian clubs and maces. Incorporating them into my training has positively effected my sword practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond martial art specific technique practice, forms/kata, and sparring, my regular workout regimen already includes an array of common stretches, calisthenics, running/sprinting, and the use of the previously mentioned weighted clubs/maces.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastEditorUserId="6178" LastEditDate="2016-12-08T16:13:56.600" LastActivityDate="2016-12-08T22:41:24.450" Title="What are some supplimental training techniques which improve the practice of martial arts?" Tags="|training|recommendation|strength|flexibility|cross-training|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6995" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-12-07T15:42:54.633" Score="5" ViewCount="399" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let's build a video reference library of aikido techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please post:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A (link to a ) video clip of someone doing shomen ate.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your description of the essential features of the technique. What would you tell a new student doing this technique for the first time.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Any discussion of unusual features of this video clip. (for example, in my dojo all techniques are initiated by uke attacking; in a sister dojo, all techniques begin with uke static. In one of my prior dojo's, techniques began with a wrist grab. Each of these assumptions has consequences for the resulting technique.)  Try to avoid criticizing these assumptions, but analyze the implications for the remainder of the technique.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you were grading this video clip as part of the nage's demonstration for shodan, what critiques/comments would you offer?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Answers with a more insightful analysis will be voted higher, but the real value of the question is not to identify the highest voted answer but to create a set of video clips that can be compared for reference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Written with &lt;a href=&quot;https://stackedit.io/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;StackEdit&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2019-11-14T13:17:12.637" Title="How to do Shomen Ate?" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6996" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6995" CreationDate="2016-12-07T15:59:54.027" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fDXAf.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fDXAf.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Nariyama shomen ate&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;Nariyama shihan doing shomen ate against a tanto strike.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/-aoqBuC707I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;There is now a video of Sakai-sensei and Jo-sensei doing the Atemi waza.&lt;/a&gt; Shomen ate is the the first technique they do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shomen ate&lt;/strong&gt; is a front strike to the inside of uke's attack using the weak line to break balance and throw. Keep in mind the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Uke has their weight on the front foot so they cannot just step back. This is what the left hand does: it pins uke's right arm forwards thus forcing their weight on their right leg.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tori pushed down and out at the same time.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tori's hand cups the jaw while their elbow rests on the upper chest: do not attack the throat for obvious reasons.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Good timing is essential for this technique to work.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tori is not using arm or should power to throw uke, they use their legs to drive outwards (tsukuri in Shodokan jargon) thus making the technique much more powerful. Note that tori's back is straight not leaning forward as would be the case on a push.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Note that the attack is a tanto strike thus giving tori plenty of momentum to work with. If done form a more static position, tori needs to drive (tsukuri) with much greater power to achieve the throw.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is part of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.londonaikido.com/index.php/aikido/tomiki-system/randori-no-kata/atemi-waza&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;atemi waza&lt;/a&gt; section of the Shodokan kihon no kata as developed by Tomiki.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-11-14T13:17:12.637" LastActivityDate="2019-11-14T13:17:12.637" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="6997" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="6999" CreationDate="2016-12-07T16:30:31.297" Score="3" ViewCount="460" Body="&lt;p&gt;As can be seen in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw4EoWi5QSM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; at 2:20, &lt;code&gt;martelo de negtiva&lt;/code&gt; (capoeira kick) is considered a very lethal and fast kick. Is there a way to counter and defend against such a kick (not necessarily in capoeira) where you are in a standing position? I would appreciate it if you can add videos to your explanations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-12-19T21:06:25.307" LastActivityDate="2018-10-08T14:02:36.343" Title="How to counter martelo de negtiva" Tags="|self-defense|kicking|capoeira|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6998" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7003" CreationDate="2016-12-07T21:27:46.347" Score="3" ViewCount="339" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was often told (by an old sensei) that if I can't train in a dojo with a human &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;, elastic bands could be the best way to keep training and maintain good form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that it can be excellent to perform &lt;em&gt;Uchi Komi&lt;/em&gt; against a force (kind of dynamic body building) while executing a pure movement.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;But I wonder how to use elastic bands/devices. I imagine there are many exercices to improve power-speed-endurance...  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I need advices about number of sets and what kind of exercices develop particular aptitudes. So all returns of exerience would be welcomed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7114" LastEditorUserId="7114" LastEditDate="2016-12-08T15:04:39.007" LastActivityDate="2016-12-08T22:56:58.833" Title="Is Elastic a good partner to keep training when far from dojo" Tags="|judo|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="6999" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6997" CreationDate="2016-12-08T11:10:40.173" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Step back away from the kick, or step closer to the attacker's body. If that kick always starts from a crouching position, it would be fairly obvious that your opponent is moving to that position, giving you time to move in or away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do step closer, the only thing supporting him appears to be one hand; take out his support and you're in a winning position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said that, I know from my own experience how hard it is to step closer to someone you know is going to throw a kick at you! Remember, though, the most power in the kick is at the end of the limb (that's the bit that's moving fastest); by stepping closer to the body, you will reduce the effectiveness of the attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2016-12-08T11:10:40.173" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7000" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6994" CreationDate="2016-12-08T17:04:12.483" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I only have anecdotal evidence to support this, but I have trained with students with experience of dance and/or gymnastics; they are frequently stronger and more flexible than students without experience. They seem to pick up the techniques a lot quicker!. They also seem to have a better idea of how the body works, so their techniques are generally sharper and faster than non-dancers/gymnasts at a similar level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe this is because of the mixed nature of the training required for dance or gymnastics, working on multiple areas that are very useful for martial arts (for example, core strength or flexibility).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2016-12-08T17:04:12.483" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7001" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6994" CreationDate="2016-12-08T17:37:08.573" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tendon remodeling for impact absorbtion&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of my best kinesiology and sports medicine instructors also does a lot of instruction at the local circus school - and he noted that folks who do lots of trampoline training end up with stronger tendons and are capable of taking impacts (including on hard surfaces) far better than the average person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So far science points to tendons strengthening under lots of high repetition exercises, or continuous stress over time... so the repeat impacts of trampoline would seem to be creating those conditions (probably along with people becoming better at body mechanics in taking impact as well).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, however, you will need access to a trampoline and preferably skilled instruction, as trampoline accidents and injuries from people just setting one up and going at it are relatively high.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A different way at getting at this effect which I've only recently encountered is high velocity, low weight loading from catching thrown objects.  The Sikh martial art Shastar Sanatan Vidiya demonstrated this using thrown iron balls or tossing up and catching a spear or staff a few inches, over and over, so that the downward weight pulls on the tendons in the spine.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have only gotten to practice this a little bit, and it's unquestionable that the back muscles are activated for this, and it seems in line that it would lead to tendon strengthening, but I haven't had the months/years of practice to talk about larger effects and whether the effect in taking force better is worth the time invested.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ground Tumbling, Pratfalls&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Falling happens in fighting.  Along with the usual styles that teach falling techniques, there's a variety of tumbling activities ranging from acrobatics, &quot;movement play&quot;, parkour, some dance moves,  and clown pratfalls.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While these tend to have some similarities they also have some differences mostly in the types of falls they expect, how one is expected to come out of the fall and exercises for practice.  Nonetheless, I'd say it's worth looking at these to see what's worth taking and what won't work for your goals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-12-08T17:37:08.573" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7002" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6994" CreationDate="2016-12-08T22:41:24.450" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Athleticism is athleticism&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no difference between physical preparation for combat arts and physical preparation for sport. One must develop physical attributes. The list of attributes one must develop varies slightly by source, but the basics are fairly consistent. You could use the list of physical training goals from Kurz' Science of Sports Training: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;strength, speed, endurance, coordination, agility, and flexibility&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...or the &lt;a href=&quot;http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ-trial.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;CrossFit list of physical skills&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, accuracy&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...but basically the goal is to be a capable athlete. Be able to safely get into positions and exert lots of force quickly and correctly, and then change that force nimbly, and continue doing so for a long time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Developing athleticism&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The prioritization of these skills varies somewhat (but only somewhat) and generally involves resistance training, cardio, stretching, and continually learning varied movements. Some techniques are well known to be more effective than others at producing athletic results. Superior training approaches that come to mind include gymnastics, track and field, Olympic lifting, and all of the supplemental exercises in these realms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, in my opinion, most martial artists should focus their supplemental training on becoming a &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1756/347&quot;&gt;supple, powerful physical specimen with an undepletable gas tank&lt;/a&gt;. Kettlebell work is fine. Running, cycling, running, yoga, powerlifting, crossfitty-type workouts, and Olympic lifting are all good choices as well. Gymnastics works for some but it is a lot to ask of older trainees and it may not be quite as useful as a secondary or supplemental pursuit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-12-08T22:41:24.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7003" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6998" CreationDate="2016-12-08T22:56:58.833" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Uchikomi using bands (or ropes, or dummies) is for technique training, development or sport-specific explosiveness, speed, and agility, and maybe a little bit of sport-specific conditioning. It is not meant for general strength or endurance work, and could even be harmful to developing fast technique if one's whole-body speed is not yet developed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;General strength should be developed with standard modern resistance training methods such as powerlifting or Olympic lifting with barbells, kettlebells, or dumbbells. Speed and explosiveness should be developed with Olympic lifts, sprints, and jumps. General endurance or cardio should be developed with standard modern methods like running, swimming, or cycling (all steady-state) and interval work like sprints or circuits using bodyweight or dumbbell exercises. General coordination should be developed with tumbling exercises and field sports.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Save the uchikomi for making your turning throws stronger, crisper, and faster. It is particularly helpful for turning throws such as seoinage or haraigoshi, but I've also heard it used for osotogari.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2016-12-08T22:56:58.833" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7004" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6880" CreationDate="2016-12-09T18:55:32.947" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Physical Training is very important like some said above. But if you think about combat skills I will suggest you fighting systems (not martial arts) like Krav Maga/Kapap (used by Israel army), Systema (used by Russia army) or some specific martial arts like Goshin Jistu or Hakoryu Jutsu (I dont know if I've spelled right) that are japanese martial arts or Ninjutsu etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6474" LastActivityDate="2016-12-09T18:55:32.947" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7006" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7007" CreationDate="2016-12-10T04:25:15.703" Score="18" ViewCount="2249" Body="&lt;p&gt;In some forms of Karate, sparring with a partner is done just once in three months. The rest of the time is spent in strength exercises, katas, flexibility exercises and ab crunches. I've noticed this not just in Karate but other martial arts classes too.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I agree it takes time for discipline, muscle development and development of reflexes, and in one way the katas help with that, I'm also of the opinion that a student needs to be introduced early-on to the body weight and the dynamics of body movement of an opponent, and that only comes with constantly practicing with a partner. It does not have to be full contact sparring. I'm referring to what the kids are doing in the background of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8MY8c3xCWI&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;. They are practicing the moves with each other in a controlled environment. It gives them some very necessary practice and confidence, which I believe is far more valuable than fighting an imaginary opponent or an immovable object.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I remember reading of a teen who learnt Karate at a Dojo where his master taught only katas. The kid's friend was getting beat up by a bully, so he stood in a karate horse stance in front of the bully to defend his friend. After that, he didn't know what to do. The bully simply pushed him to the ground, sat on him and started punching him. That's when he realized his Karate wasn't actually doing him any good because they never taught him to fight in a real life situation.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shouldn't people be readied to have the confidence to prevent social injustice? So why do martial arts classes still dedicate so less time for practicing with a partner?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it just an intelligent way to make money via monthly fees?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Update:&lt;/strong&gt; From the answers given below, I hope this message would actively get conveyed to martial arts instructors and students across the world.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6623" LastEditorUserId="6623" LastEditDate="2016-12-12T12:47:45.963" LastActivityDate="2021-06-13T12:06:37.797" Title="Why is more time dedicated to exercises and very less for sparring? Is it for the fee?" Tags="|sparring|forms|philosophy|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7007" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7006" CreationDate="2016-12-10T07:42:32.577" Score="17" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a good question. And to answer it, you have to understand why karate kata (forms) exist, what their original purpose was, and how kata practice differs from sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The original purpose of karate kata was to pass on self-defense technique to students. Each self-defense technique consists of one to three movements strung together in the sequence of the form. When you've learned classical jujitsu, you can begin to notice what's going on in the kata. The movements are the same, more or less. Those &quot;blocks&quot; in the forms aren't really blocks. They're grappling-based self-defense maneuvers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What self-defense scenarios are we talking about? Well, they're the same ones that have always come up in real life. For example, a guy gets up in your face and grabs your lapel in one hand and raises his other fist up threatening to punch you. There are probably a dozen techniques shown in karate katas for dealing with this situation and situations similar to it. It's because it happens so often in real life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other scenarios: Someone has bear-hugged you from behind. Someone is choking you from the front. Someone has you in a side-by-side headlock. Someone is grabbing your shoulder from behind to turn you around so that they can punch you in the face with a hook punch. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of these are typical self-defense scenarios that came up in the past and still come up today. Nothing has changed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And when I say that the self-defense shown in the kata is grappling-based, I mean it. The blocks you're taught in karate are actually doing things like grabbing someone and throwing them, performing a standing arm-bar, bending someone over so you can strike to the base of the skull and shove them to the ground, grabbing someone by the hair and pulling them down by it, shoving someone over your leg to trip them, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Bottom line: It's jujitsu.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a side-note, if you want an example of what I'm talking about, I posted an analysis (also known as a &quot;bunkai&quot;) of a series of 3 movements in the karate kata, &quot;Heian Sandan&quot;, at the following link:&#xA;&lt;UL&gt;&#xA;   &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7008/name-and-meaning-of-stance-where-you-stand-with-fists-on-hips/7010#7010&quot;&gt;Name and meaning of stance where you stand with fists on hips?&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kata were developed as a way of more easily remembering self-defense techniques. And for that purpose, they did well. At the time books weren't very easy to make and produce. Drawings failed to show all the details, also. And they certainly didn't have video tapes and DVD's to record everything. So they relied entirely on memory. And kata made that part a lot easier and more reliable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Classical jujitsu taught self-defense techniques individually, with a partner. And it still does, by the way. That means that you have to remember a list of techniques, and you have to have a partner with you in order to practice them. It was easy to forget a technique that way. Karate kata can be practiced in solo, which lets you practice much more often. It can be drilled into you so that it's much harder to forget.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The shape of the kata, and where it starts and where it ends on the floor also helps to remember the form. If you forget something, it will be more obvious that way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so originally, karate was supposed to be taught as a series of self-defense techniques that go along with the movements in the kata. You would learn both at the same time. Or you might learn the kata and then learn the self-defense interpretation after that. And the kata helped you remember them. &lt;b&gt;That's it in a nutshell.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, why don't you know this? Why do we see countless karate schools teaching people to do kata in solo and almost never see any partnered activity working on the kata's self-defense techniques?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well the answer is: &lt;B&gt;Most karate instructors don't have any knowledge of it whatsoever.&lt;/b&gt; Less than a percent of karate schools teach this. These can be 8th dan black belts. They still don't know the first thing about the self-defense techniques of the kata they teach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why is that? It's because they learned from someone who didn't know it, and that person learned from someone who didn't know it, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can see this more clearly in Shotokan Karate and its derivatives. It's because the founder of Shotokan Karate, Gichin Funakoshi, taught it as a form of exercise to Japanese school children as part of their official physical education program. In doing so, he deliberately left out the self-defense meaning of the kata. He didn't want any kids hurting the others with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the self-defense meaning of the katas was left to the students' imaginations. Which is why you see a lot of really terrible interpretations of kata. I've seen people explain, &quot;Oh, this technique is simultaneously striking a person in front you and blocking a strike from someone else behind you, whom you can't see.&quot; Yeah, have you ever been able to block punches you couldn't see?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shotokan karate gave rise to the karate phenomenon in the second half of the 20th century. Prior to then, it was an obscure art practiced by a small number of people on Okinawa.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shotokan became very popular in Japan because of it being taught in the elementary and high schools there. The children would graduate and form their own schools to continue practicing what they had been taught in high school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It spread to Korea to become Taekwondo, Tangsoodo, and so on, because Japan invaded Korea in the early 1900's and forced its young men to go to Japan to become soldiers where they were exposed to Shotokan karate. They brought it back to Korea. And Taekwondo spread like wildfire.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After World War II, American G.I.'s were stationed in Japan and were exposed to Shotokan karate. They brought it back to the U.S., and karate soon afterwards overtook Judo in popularity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shotokan and all the hundreds of styles derived from it spread all over the world in the second half of the 20th century. Today, most Japanese and Korean karate schools can trace themselves back to Shotokan karate. And that is why most karate schools you might run into don't have any idea what the self-defense techniques are in their kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;As for sparring&lt;/b&gt;, it's completely different from the self-defense scenarios I spoke about. Sparring is free-fighting. Nobody is holding onto the other person. Kata, however, is grappling. You can't learn to block from solo kata practice, nor can you learn to deal with a bear-hug from sparring practice. Both teach completely different things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, back to your original question, which deals with how best to spend your time...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since the vast majority of karate schools don't have a clue about the self-defense meaning of their kata, the only thing they can do is practice performing it over and over again in solo. They don't know why they're doing that. They just do. They mumble something about it training &quot;proper movement&quot;, physical development, or maybe how it's supposed to teach your subconscious mind which will be able to apply it perfectly without thought when the time comes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I was given those kinds of answers for why we're practicing karate kata in solo for 50-90% of the class time, I'd laugh. Well, now I would. I know better now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At least sparring is useful. You can see yourself improving. You learn distancing, timing, the ability to block and parry, how to evade and move, etc. Good stuff. But endless amounts of solo kata practice without any partnered self-defense practice? It's pretty much worthless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, that's why some karate schools (especially Taekwondo) only do sparring and physical development instead of kata. It's because they see those other things as useful. They don't know why anyone would want to do kata. In those schools, you learn kata so you can test for your next belt. That's it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your school is only doing solo kata and physical development but not doing sparring or any partnered self-defense activity, then you need to ask your instructor about it. Plenty of schools are like that. They truly believe that kata is &quot;everything&quot;. They just don't know why. But they're going to repeat those kata over and over again until they reach the enlightenment they know someday they will achieve!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice to you is to go have a good look at other schools in your area. Find some Okinawan karate schools, for example, instead of Japanese or Korean karate. You'll probably have better luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Better yet, take up Muay Thai. And while you're at it, study classical jujitsu or Gracie Jiujitsu. That combination will give you what karate was originally designed for, and it will do it much less time and will be a lot more refined, effective, and useful. It gives you all of the knowledge and skill with none of the bs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2017-03-28T15:29:35.297" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7008" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7010" CreationDate="2016-12-10T17:04:34.943" Score="6" ViewCount="2561" Body="&lt;p&gt;After the first Kiai in Heian Sandan (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blackbeltwiki.com/heian-sandan#Instructions&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;source&lt;/a&gt;):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Bring left foot to the right, pivot left 180 degrees on the right&#xA;  foot, informal-attention stance (slowly), bring fists to hips, elbows&#xA;  to the sides, backs of fists face forward&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The stance at the bottom-right corner of the image below, marked as the 11th move (image taken from &lt;a href=&quot;http://senseyonline-postagens.blogspot.co.il/2010/06/clique-nesse-link-abaixo-para-saber.html?m=1&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/akl1o.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/akl1o.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We didn't get to study this Kata's Bunkai yet in the class I attend.&#xA;What is the meaning of this move and stance? To a novice like me it seems like a vulnerable position that I wouldn't expect to being used in combat. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7247" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-12-14T14:22:59.353" LastActivityDate="2018-12-14T14:22:59.353" Title="Name and meaning of stance where you stand with fists on hips?" Tags="|karate|forms|stance|shotokan|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7009" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6481" CreationDate="2016-12-10T18:49:22.830" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a third degree black belt and former instructor, I would personally advise the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Side Kicks: Utilize an object such as a ballet bar or something equally sturdy to place your foot on. Ensure proper placement of your base foot and &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;very slowly&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; bend your base leg's knee to a position that you can feel the stretching sensation. Hold at that position for about 10-12 seconds, raise slowly, and repeat. Just be careful of pressure on your kicking-leg's knee. Do this on both sides for maximum effect. &lt;strong&gt;NOTE:&lt;/strong&gt; This can also be done with a partner instead of an object by using their shoulder as a resting point. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;General Advice: Warmup for a good 5-10 minutes to get your muscles and joints warm beforehand. Utilize warmups like straight leg kicks(i.e. Crescent Kicks) to stretch that hip out. Also see if your instructor would recommend any additional floor stretches like the butterfly stretch.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope that helps. Feel free to PM if I can help any further.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7749" LastActivityDate="2016-12-10T18:49:22.830" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7010" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7008" CreationDate="2016-12-11T06:53:59.427" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your intuition is correct. It is a very vulnerable position. That should give you a clue about its bunkai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For those that don't know, &lt;B&gt;Bunkai&lt;/b&gt; is the Okinawan karate term used to refer to the practice of analyzing a kata for its self-defense applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Right off the bat, you know this is not a block. And you can conclude that because it would be insane to keep your hands low and at the hips like that if you're expecting someone to punch you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another clue is that the form has you step forward and then turn around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, what these observations tell me is: 1) Someone is either holding onto you, or you are grabbing someone else, because you're not expecting a strike. And 2) That person is behind you after you turn around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's observe the bent elbows also. Why bend them like that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The next thing you do from this position is to make a big step out while turning your body 90 degrees. You drop into a low horse stance. And you do this while keeping your elbows and arms locked in that original position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But before that, did you notice that high knee? You actually bring that knee way up as high as your chest! What's that about?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the end of this step forward, you twist your torso counter-clockwise and press forward with your right elbow a bit while remaining upright. You keep your arms in their initial position chambered at the hips throughout the movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why would you not move your arms from the initial position to the next position?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think we're nearly done. We just have to add one more observation. Position 12 to position 13 follows up by doing a back-fist to head height. What's that about? It must mean our arm is now free. Was it free all along?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, let's get to the explanation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is what Judo refers to as an &lt;b&gt;&quot;O-Goshi-Nage&quot;&lt;/b&gt; (hip throw), but there's a twist, which I'll get to in a moment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, in the movement just before you turned around (movement 10 in the diagram), the position has your right arm straight out after a punch to the solar plexus. And your left fist is chambered at your left hip. It's a pretty typical &quot;karate&quot; stance. What does it mean?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The left fist chambered on the left hip is an indication that you've grabbed someone by their wrist or their sleeve and have pulled it back to your hip. Otherwise, it's ridiculous to keep your left hand that low. In a real fight, you would only do that if you had grabbed his wrist or sleeve like I said. You would never want to drop your hand to your hip in real life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then you step forward with feet together and turn 180 degrees. While doing that, you're putting your arms in the weird elbows-out position with your fists both chambered at your hip. Why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well imagine a guy is in front of you. You've just grabbed his right wrist with your left hand and yanked it to your hip. You took your other arm (right arm) and reached around behind his back and grabbed a hold of his belt or his clothing at his right hip. And you turned your back towards him as you did it, so that your back is now against his front.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You still have control over his right wrist. It's still being held securely at your left hip at this point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This position now looks more or less exactly like the kata's position 11.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, you bring your knee straight up high. Why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well if you have control over his right arm by pulling it to your left hip as I've mentioned, his right elbow is now pointed down. That means you get an arm break for free here by simply bringing your knee straight up into his elbow. The leverage provides the strength to keep his arm straightened as you knee it. Snap!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Incidentally, this explains why your feet are together as you turn around and why you're in a high stance. Usually you want a lower stance if you do a hip throw like you're about to do next. But if you're in a low stance, you can't break that arm of his as easily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And I've seen variations of this form where you don't just bring your knee straight up, you sweep it inwards also, as you bring it up. That could be more effective for breaking the elbow, since the elbow points slightly outward and not just perfectly downward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, you step out on a 90 degree angle into a low horse stance while maintaining the original arm positions. Why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the hip throw (o-goshi-nage). You maintain control on his right wrist with your left hand while using your hip to throw him over your right side. You let go of him at his waist, though, after the throw. The low horse stance gives you the leverage. Taking a step while doing it provides some additional momentum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Position 13 has you then do a back-fist high. We've seen this before in classical jujitsu, aikido, and judo. It's used as a distraction. It's a way of saying, &quot;You might want to begin this sequence by doing a quick back-fist to his face.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While he's distracted by the back-fist, you can do stuff to him more easily, including that elbow break.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;But I left out one detail:&lt;/b&gt; What is the scenario where you might find yourself able to use this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are actually many scenarios where it can apply. The basics are: Attacker is facing the defender. The attacker has his right hand forward in a position that can be grabbed easily by the defender. The attacker's left hand can be at his side, or it can be grabbing the defender's lapel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have one particular scenario in mind that I think makes the most sense:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Imagine someone is threatening you with a knife in his right hand. He's pointing it at you in front of him. Maybe his right leg is forward, or maybe he's standing square with you. His left hand is in a guard position, perhaps. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You begin by doing a quick back-fist to the face. That causes him to be distracted, and his eyes will be closed and unable to see what you're about to do, if you're fast enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, your left hand reaches up and grabs his right wrist or sleeve from the inside. Some people call this is a &quot;monkey grab&quot;. You pull that wrist back to your left hip while twisting his wrist so that the under-side is pointing upwards, and his thumb is pointing outwards. This elongates his arm and points his elbow downwards. It also means that blade of the knife is pointing away from your body, which is important. Otherwise, he might use that knife to slash or stab at your abdomen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And then you complete the application. You step inwards to loop your right hand back behind him, then do the standing elbow break with your knee, and finish with a hip throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The elbow break is only important if your opponent has a weapon in his hand. It removes the threat of that weapon. And that's why I chose this scenario. Also, if he has a knife, twisting his wrist with a sudden jerk to your hip can cause the knife to go flying out of his hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An &lt;b&gt;alternative&lt;/b&gt; to this bunkai is to go all the way back to the beginning. This time your left hand grabs his left hand instead of his right hand. And so you yank his left hand to your left hip, step forward, turn 180 degrees (your back towards him), and then press your right elbow against his elbow as you turn. You're side by side now. The pressure will cause an arm bar. Stepping out and at 90 degrees will extend that arm bar and throws him by it. It could also break that arm. The back-fist at the end can be used if the throw wasn't successful and it merely moved him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That alternative bunkai feels good to me, but it lacks the high knee. It wouldn't make sense in this context. So this means that this bunkai is less likely to be the original intent of those movements in the kata in my opinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being able to see this stuff requires cross-studying in classical jujitsu, in my opinion. Because, that's what karate kata is. It's classical jujitsu, encoded in a unique way meant to make it easier and more reliable to remember.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2016-12-12T05:25:49.470" LastActivityDate="2016-12-12T05:25:49.470" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7011" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7006" CreationDate="2016-12-11T15:23:41.360" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;People get hurt sparring, and they get hurt worse fighting. This is a fact of life. It's why professional fighters may only fight a few times a year, and why you can't just pound each other in martial arts class all the time. Some injuries are permanent. If you are injured all the time, you can't train and possibly can't work either. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a reason why there are techniques that are &quot;too dangerous to be practiced&quot;. It's because people got hurt while they were being practiced. The problem is that if you can't practice a technique realistically, it's hard to really develop that technique to be combat effective. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts have to train in a way to minimize the danger of injury while still imparting real martial skill against live opponents. This is a fundamental conflict. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some training elements to address the injury problem:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gear: Boxing, for example, puts giant gloves on your hands, and possibly headgear to try to protect your head. The problem is that this is not the way you will actually fight, and headgear may not protect your head while training anyway. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Rules: Judo prohibits hitting and kicking during competition. Boxing and tae kwon do prohibit throwing. Obviously there may be problems when you encounter opponents who do things outside the respective rule sets. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kata/Forms: These are very safe to train. Some people never learn to apply, as you have pointed out. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Prearranged fighting exercises: These are partner exercises where each partner has a role to follow, so it's easier to anticipate what will happen and not get hurt. The problem is that real opponents do not follow a script. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Point sparring: If you don't hit hard, you can't get hurt, right? The trouble here is that you can tag your opponent for a point with a technique that is totally ineffective in combat. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hitting boards, bags, and other non-human targets: You can develop hitting power with non-human targets, but ultimately you have to hit a live person that moves. Also, the act of hitting these other targets can still hurt you. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are no perfect solutions to the safety/liveness conflict. Each martial arts instructor will have their own approach to this problem, and it's up to you to evaluate whether this approach works for you. It may also be that one approach works for you for awhile, but you need to change to a different approach at a future time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finding a good martial arts instructor who knows &quot;real&quot; martial arts is another age-old problem. There have always been instructors who can show you little bits that may look useful by themselves but never amount to anything. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-12-11T15:23:41.360" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7012" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7013" CreationDate="2016-12-11T15:25:34.757" Score="5" ViewCount="609" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a beginner and interested in both Yoshinkan aikido (which is richer in waza compared to Shodokan) and Shodokan aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any negative impacts when I learn both at the same time? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7701" LastActivityDate="2016-12-12T18:38:20.133" Title="What is the negative impact when beginners learn both Yoshinkan aikido and Shodokan aikido at the same time?" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7013" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7012" CreationDate="2016-12-11T16:01:53.440" Score="5" Body="&lt;h1&gt;None whatsoever with a little pinch of salt.&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of the Aikido techniques are the same in all styles, baring all the minor tweaks, emphasis, and focus changes. Ikkyo or Ikajo or oshi-taoshi are all the same techniques: you drive uke's elbow downwards via their head.  Yet, because you are a beginner, you will see all of them as different techniques due to the emphasis that each kata puts on the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Shodokan, randori will force you to strip kata of its gloss and make it work for you against a resisting target. Clearly, this means that you have to understand kata first. Whether this kata comes from Shodokan or Yoshinkan is mostly irrelevant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yoshinkan will give you excellent basic skills and technical knowledge. Yoshinkan might try to optimise techniques to make them more effective but without a physical test that those work for yourself, its use is limited: for this, you need application against resisting targets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both styles were born from training under Ueshiba during the Hell Dojo years and are considered &quot;hard&quot; styles of Aikido. Both are good solid systems, have some excellent teachers. Both are used to train Japanese Police forces.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Best pick one first.&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To progress in an art at a reasonable speed you need two to three classes per week. So, training in both styles will require you to have five/six classes per week. Unless you are super fit, that's going to be hard on you. At much less than that, you are getting breath but not depth. This means that it will take longer to grade in either styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since you are a beginner, I would advise you to pick one, get shodan &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; in that then cross train in the other. You will then not get the confusion of alien techniques and be able to tell where the different emphasis are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Clearly, pick the dojo where you are having the most fun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: Clearly reaching first dan depends on how often you train, how gifted you are, and on the length of time between gradings. That said, at three times a week you should be shodan with three years, give or take… There are courses that allow you to get a shodan in less than a year, those are intensive training not for the faint hearted.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-12-12T15:17:01.597" LastActivityDate="2016-12-12T15:17:01.597" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7014" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7017" CreationDate="2016-12-12T15:34:27.490" Score="1" ViewCount="1475" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am learning self defence. I don't intend to become a master at martial arts. So I think it is wise to keep things simple. I want to concentrate on a few basic moves, and learn them well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should I learn this low kick? At 3:30 minutes. &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/5mzX_1Zcvcs?t=3m34s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Video: Bas Rutten vs Warpath&lt;/a&gt;. Bas Rutten immobilises Warpath with a kick to the thigh muscle. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure how effective it would be in a real fight, and I don't see it being so devastatingly in MMA very often. Maybe it would only work if I had the exceptional leg power of Bas Rutten, which is never going to happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7748" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-12-16T00:50:04.910" LastActivityDate="2017-02-14T18:26:12.160" Title="Is this a good kick for self defence?" Tags="|self-defense|kicking|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7015" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7012" CreationDate="2016-12-12T16:08:05.347" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Depends on the teacher.   This is ultimately a variation on the gorilla vs shark problem - the variables surrounding the question influence the outcome more than the question does.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I started in yoshinkan and shifted to Tomiki (equivalent to Shotokan for the scope of this question).  Worked well for me - is working less well for one of the students who just joined us.  Ultimately the differences are more about how the art is taught than about the technique, and &quot;how the art is taught&quot; depends heavily on the teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In theory, yoshinkan is taught by repetition.  Tomiki has a defined curriculum.  In practice different teachers within the same school will teach very differently (and may teach different students differently).  The core corpus of Tomiki (the basic 17) is an ordered set of techniques that build on one another to teach the fundamentals.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technically, Yoshinkan movements involve more rotation/tenkan deeper stances, and a &quot;learn by doing&quot; training.  Tomiki is closer to judo, has a smaller base stance, more judo throws, de-emphasis of kote-mwashi/nikkyo, and a formalized curriculumn.  You'll learn different names for the same control (kote mawashi vice nikkyo), and the kata are organized differently (I'm relatively sure that owaza jupon is not part of the yoshinkan curriculum).  I'm skeptical of your assertion that Yoshinkan contains more waza, and even more skeptical that the number of waza is related in any meaningful way to the quality of a martial arts lineage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although I will not question your experience, I'm skeptical that a yoshinkan practitioner is more creative than a tomiki practitioner; that simply doesn't match my experience. Given that Tomiki is the only lineage of aikido that regular fights tournaments, I'm even more skeptical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would always ask my primary instructor before cross training with another instructor. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if you can ask the question, &quot;If I take 15 classess a week, how long does it take to get a shodan in Shodokan aikido? &quot;, then it really doesn't matter what ryu you're learning In any school of any quality whatsoever, that question is unanswerable. You'll be promoted when you demonstrate mastery of the material.  If you care about the shodan rather than the training, then you want a mcdojo, and those can occur in any lineage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm reminded of the teaching story - a student once asked a teacher how long it would take to attain mastery. The teacher said that if the student studied diligently mastery could be attained in 5 years.  The student asked how long it would take if he trained twice as many days as the other students, took twice as many classes, and did twice as many exercises.  The master replied, &quot;Ahh- for such a student, mastery could be obtained in as little as 10 years.&quot;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2016-12-12T18:38:20.133" LastActivityDate="2016-12-12T18:38:20.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7016" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7014" CreationDate="2016-12-12T16:34:25.510" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Low kicks to the thigh can be effective for slowing an opponent's footwork and can cause painful, and occasionally disabling, muscle spasms.  However, it is generally more appropriate for combat sports than it is for life-and-death self defense situations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For self-defense it is best to disable an opponent as quickly and decisively as possible. The knee is a much more vulnerable part of the leg, and if self-defense is your aim, I recommend the use of oblique kicks to the knee (particularly the inside of the opposite knee) in lieu of something less effective like a low kick targeting the thigh. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Opening with an oblique kick to the inside of the opponent's knee when combined with a simultaneous volley of fist and elbow strikes, can often end a fight straight away. Few people are prepared to defend their head and knee(s) at the same instance. This is even true of many martial arts practitioners. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It should take fewer strikes, with less energy, to disable an opponents knee than it would their thigh. However, kicking the knee in such a way can cause permanent ligament and soft-tissue damage. It is important to consider the stakes of the situation before you attempt to destroy someone's knee joint, but if forced into a situation where one must protect life-and-limb it is best to end the conflict as quickly as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastEditorUserId="6178" LastEditDate="2016-12-12T17:51:48.063" LastActivityDate="2016-12-12T17:51:48.063" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7017" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7014" CreationDate="2016-12-12T16:54:24.907" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This kick is called (not so descriptively) a &quot;leg kick&quot;. It is an effective long-distance tool to have in the self-defense toolbox, alongside push kicks like the teep. Trained use of this kind of low round kick to the thigh against an untrained, unconditioned opponent has a good chance of making them less mobile. It can end a fight. People are &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/11/27/9798748/the-night-we-faced-jose-aldo-ufc-194-conor-mcgregor&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;rightfully terrified&lt;/a&gt; of a good low kicker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The leg kick has long been assumed to be a &quot;safe&quot; strike for non-fighters to experience. It often ends poorly for the receiver, such as when Pedro Rizzo &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX3LUp2H5lc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;literally sent a reporter flying&lt;/a&gt;, Forrest Griffin &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KMRMcVDZLE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;accidentally broke a reporter's leg&lt;/a&gt;, or Fabricio Werdum &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuJucNSJ3KY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;floored an interviewer&lt;/a&gt;. None of these kicks were full power. All of them were expected, so the receiver could prepare for impact. They were devastating anyway. One can reasonably expect a single well-executed leg kick to debilitate a non-fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2017-02-14T18:26:12.160" LastActivityDate="2017-02-14T18:26:12.160" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7018" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6997" CreationDate="2016-12-13T16:36:48.687" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In general, there are four primary ways to counter a kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dodge&lt;/strong&gt; - This can be tricky, since a kick can strike on different levels, but the nature of Capoeira is such that this sort of kick generally defaults to landing somewhere between the waist and head. Leaning the torso back and away from the kick is likely to take the target zone out of consideration, or at least reduce the impact. A traditional Capoeira &lt;em&gt;esquiva&lt;/em&gt; combines this with counter-balancing using the leg opposite to the direction you're turning with the benefit that if you successfully dodge, you can do a sweep with a &lt;em&gt;rasteira&lt;/em&gt; on the supporting arm.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Block&lt;/strong&gt; - This is probably not as good of an idea with a power technique like this, but if you take steps to reduce the force such as stepping into the kick so that the part that strikes you is traveling a shorter distance, and taking the strike across a broader surface such as your back, you can take away a fair amount of the power.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Interrupt&lt;/strong&gt; - While a &lt;em&gt;martelo de negativa&lt;/em&gt; is a fairly fast kick, it's not the fastest one. A shuffle &lt;em&gt;chapa baixa&lt;/em&gt; (low side kick) or &lt;em&gt;ponteira&lt;/em&gt; (snap kick) has a decent chance of getting there faster. At the least, having a foot coming at the head will often break the concentration of an attacker. If you're really feeling froggy (and have the control to stop if you're doing this in a sparring situation), jumping in with both feet for a stomp closes the distance, blunts the force if they do get the kick off, and possibly hits the largely prone martial artist.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Avoid&lt;/strong&gt; - A &lt;em&gt;martelo de negativa&lt;/em&gt; can travel a few feet, but is otherwise limited in range, and the position from which it's launched is not the most mobile, so another option is to step back out of range. In a self-defense situation, this is a good time to run or throw things at your opponent from a distance. Within the &lt;em&gt;roda&lt;/em&gt;, you will probably instead go for acrobatics, &lt;em&gt;floreios&lt;/em&gt;, to taunt your opponent who's sitting there waiting for you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Frankly, I would disagree with you that it's &quot;considered a very lethal and fast kick&quot;. The National Geographic &quot;Fight Science&quot; show flirts with sensationalism. Lateef Crowder indeed registered with the strongest kick, but he's also bigger than most of the other martial artists on display.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-10-08T14:02:36.343" LastActivityDate="2018-10-08T14:02:36.343" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7019" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7014" CreationDate="2016-12-13T16:37:00.733" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;No. Don't learn it. If you want simple moves look at basic boxing. If you need kicks and have been drinking or wearing jeans then this kick won't be easy if you have not practised a fair amount.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7187" LastActivityDate="2016-12-13T16:37:00.733" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7020" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7006" CreationDate="2016-12-13T16:53:22.833" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;mattm and Steve have adequately covered the angles of injury and the basis of &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt;. I would also add two more factors, efficiency and the need to set a physical foundation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Efficiency&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not easy to make money with a martial arts school without going down the route of a McDojo and gouging money with belt fees, contracts, etc. Typically, your two routes are either a) train a small set of dedicated students who are willing to pay relatively large fees or b) train more people at once, but with lower fees. Because there are only so many people really interested in advancing themselves rather than kids ferried in by harried soccer moms, the latter is a common approach. Free sparring takes a fair amount of resources between the space necessary and the fact that you need at least one person supervising each bout. Arranged sparring (going through specific sets of movements) requires less supervision, but still typically takes up space. Compare that to spreading your students across the floor and having them do katas, or having them jog around the room before doing crunches &lt;em&gt;en masse&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Physical Foundation&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's say that, in class, you only teach technique, whether it's kata or sparring. Students are expected to exercise outside of class, warm up before class, cool down after, etc, all on their own. That's an efficient use of time... and would probably fall apart pretty quickly with typical students. I know that I personally seldom would decide to pump out a quick 50 crunches at home outside of class, and I was typically getting to class just on time because of all of the other demands of my life. Again, you could probably consider this under the perspective of whether you want to teach a small number of dedicated people, or open your school up to the general public, but people are busy, with a lot of demands on their time. If you have an hour-and-a-half class, the exercise they do in that class might be the only exercise they do all day. Thus, you need to include that conditioning in the instruction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my experience, this often lets up in upper ranks, where students truly are expected to work on their own outside of class, and where those people who lacked the dedication have been winnowed out, but especially early on, you kind of need to include it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2016-12-13T16:53:22.833" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7021" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7022" CreationDate="2016-12-13T23:44:57.003" Score="1" ViewCount="132" Body="&lt;p&gt;Of course classes/instructors would be best, but without resources like those, what's the best way I can get started?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, are there any resources or training guides that can teach how to kick or any other stand-up fighting techniques that I can practice on a punching bag before I actually join a class?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7756" LastActivityDate="2016-12-14T04:48:30.123" Title="Best way to get started in martial arts without classes or instructors?" Tags="|self-defense|recommendation|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2016-12-14T18:37:54.813" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7022" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7021" CreationDate="2016-12-13T23:59:55.240" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most attempts to learn martial arts outside of classes, without instructors, without sparring partners, lead only to ingraining bad habits. Don't waste your time trying to learn technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1756/347&quot;&gt;focus on becoming the strongest, most flexible, fastest, most agile athlete you can be&lt;/a&gt;. Then, when martial arts instruction is available, you'll be ready to take advantage of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2016-12-13T23:59:55.240" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7023" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7021" CreationDate="2016-12-14T04:48:30.123" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Learning martial arts alone involves a lot of re-discovering the wheel.  You will be a hundred times better off finding anyone who has a solid grasp of the basics to show you and train with you - whether that's an official school or someone you meet online who is looking for a training partner.  That's because not only is there the movement of the technique, there's the range, the timing, and more which you really only get when you're working with another live human being who is responding as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, seconding Dave's recommendation for general fitness, if there is a particular style you are looking into, you can see what kinds of conditioning they do in terms of exercises that might be feasible for you to train on your own (I'm thinking calisthenics, push up variants, squats, etc. not punching logs or anything.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-12-14T04:48:30.123" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7024" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-12-15T16:18:28.743" Score="9" ViewCount="1161" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are there any reliable statistical numbers about the practice of martial arts worldwide? I'm very curious about the how widespread such practices are, where they are most popular, what styles &amp;amp; schools are practiced by region, and the like. I'm not sure where to find any reliable data, especially impartial unbiased stuff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7764" LastActivityDate="2016-12-19T19:05:45.673" Title="Reliable Statistics About Martial Arts" Tags="|style|schools|sport|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7025" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7024" CreationDate="2016-12-16T08:14:02.510" Score="4" Body="&lt;h1&gt;I do not believe so.&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know of no such data being available world wide, nor would I trust any such. Mostly because even something as &quot;number of people insured&quot; is not precise enough. Also, some schools/styles would heavily object being lumped together because ego.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;There is some hope…&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could look per style/school and country by looking and trawling through data on parent organisations home pages. Although, this would be error prone and hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, in the UK, Aikido is represented by the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bab.org.uk/cms/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;British Aikido Board&lt;/a&gt; so all Aikido school/styles are represented there. All, but for the BAA which has quit for political reasons&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;. Still, between those two you should be able to find out how many people practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Aikiweb&lt;/a&gt; did run a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikiweb.com/polls/results.html?poll_id=3&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;poll several years back&lt;/a&gt; as to the style everyone was practising. I cannot find the results. So, that might be a good way to get a sample. The statistical value of such poll might be negligible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: Remember, Aikido is the way of harmony⸮&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2016-12-16T08:14:02.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7026" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7014" CreationDate="2016-12-16T19:57:46.983" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is not a bad kick for self defence. I intentionally write that in the double-negative form because it is easier to identify elements that make a kick poor for self defence than it is to enumerate elements that will give you a &quot;best&quot; kick. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The specific target aside, low kicks are safer for the kicker because: &#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Low kicks are harder for the defender to catch without exposing other targets.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Low kicks are easier to maintain balance while executing. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The kick does not require spinning or jumping, elements which are flashy but time-consuming. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not expect, however, that this kick will be as devastating as the  video examples in this question and answers show. Just as punches do not usually result in knockouts, this kick will not usually result with the recipient on the ground. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2016-12-16T19:57:46.983" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7027" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5778" CreationDate="2016-12-17T02:38:13.023" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have experienced time dilation under stress, but it involved needing to quickly react to 2 evolving driving emergencies: a horse on a highway and a multi car pile up. In both cases, time seemed to slow so I was able to easily track speeds/vectors, react with what seemed to be plenty of time, and select best evasive moves. Time resumed normally on the other side of danger. But with threat of attack by a single mugger and another time with a set of 2 muggers, there was no time distortion at all. In those situations and no self defense training, I think my Irish heritage kicked in, and both situations resolved with muggers fleeing when my brain chemistry flipped an attack switch I didn't know existed, and I found myself chasing them. Apparently, if you're radiating the willingness to &quot;bring it&quot;, you may not have to actually fight. But they were looking for an easy mark.  In none of the above, did I feel I had a choice, it was just body took control with no thought and no fear.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7770" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2016-12-17T17:43:35.090" LastActivityDate="2016-12-17T17:43:35.090" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7028" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7024" CreationDate="2016-12-17T06:05:52.547" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;What you're looking for is martial arts demographics. And you want world-wide demographics. Both of which seem kind of hard to come by.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The demographics you're looking for might be along the lines of: how many people are there doing martial arts, what percentage of the population is currently practicing one or has ever practiced one, average time spent per week, average time spent before quitting, which martial arts are most popular, average age of participants, average income of participants, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most demographic polls are conducted by polling organizations that need to be paid for their work. Individual martial arts schools don't make enough money to do this. And they generally aren't going to be interested in martial arts in the broader sense, either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some sports and martial arts related magazines and journals have been known to do polling from time to time. For example, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2013/04/22/In-Depth/Fight-fan-avidity.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here's one on the subject of MMA viewership&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you might gather a list of magazines and journals and ask them if they have anything that might interest you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also found these articles discussing a Simmons Market Research poll &lt;a href=&quot;http://adage.com/article/american-demographics/questions-answered/44147/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://mainemartialarts.com/martial-arts/martial-arts-statistics-demographics-people-practice/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. And I found &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.statista.com/statistics/191917/participants-in-martial-arts-in-the-us-since-2006/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you search, you might find more. Those just came up in a quick Google search.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind there's a difference between an online poll and a professional poll. Professional polls are done by organizations that only poll for a living. They understand how to ask the questions in such a way as to not bias the results. They know how to sample the population so that it takes all ages, all professions, all economic and ethnic backgrounds into consideration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas, online polling and surveys are automatically biased towards people who are spending time on their computers. It's a certain type of person, perhaps not representative of martial arts practitioners as a whole.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Online polling and surveys often don't ask the right questions or in the right way. And they may not be able to prevent multiple poll results from the same person for the same poll. And their sample size itself may be too small.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I mention that, because there are many online polls and surveys about martial arts. And they're generally pretty low quality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;None of these so far offer the kind of broad, world-wide data you're looking for. I think that kind of thing would be one or two orders of magnitude more rare. Nothing comes to mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2016-12-19T19:05:45.673" LastActivityDate="2016-12-19T19:05:45.673" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7029" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="589" CreationDate="2016-12-18T11:56:08.780" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are some details about Kalaripayattu that nobody has mentioned here. I have studied it for a short duration and so have some older generations of my family. There is an excellent documentary from the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_of_the_Warrior_(TV_series)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Way of the Warrior&lt;/a&gt; series that describes Kalari: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmt0WTZfKI0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmt0WTZfKI0&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Apart from this, there are a few important things you need to know about Kalaripayattu:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.&lt;/strong&gt; Right from the start of training, it is more intense and physically demanding than other martial arts. If you don't start at a young age, you will struggle. There is focus on full body development and making your body like flexible steel. The katas (called 'legs') involve slaps, punches, kicks, grabs and jumping from a low crouch to kick very high up. So basically you'll be exercising almost every muscle in your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.&lt;/strong&gt; Kalaripayattu makes use of yoga techniques and Ayurveda knowledge too. Even beginner students are expected to start learning how to do the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayurasana&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mayurasana&lt;/a&gt;, handstands etc. to develop strength in the wrists, hands and body core.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;You can spend twenty years learning Kalaripayattu and yet not learn self defence techniques&lt;/strong&gt;. My Kalari guru told me this today when I asked him why he didn't teach self defence (locking techniques, grappling, pressure points). He also said that if he taught the techniques early, students would learn it and quit training during the early stages itself. Teaching the techniques is entirely dependent on whether the guru sees you worthy or having the capability to learn. They see your character, your behaviour and your intentions to decide this. The tradition is to not teach such techniques to people who might misuse it. I'm not sure if all Kalari guru's share this opinion, but when people come to learn how to defend themselves, I feel it's wrong &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7006/why-is-more-time-dedicated-to-exercises-and-very-less-for-sparring-is-it-for-th&quot;&gt;not to teach them self defence (click link)&lt;/a&gt;. At least the student should be informed early that they are not going to be taught self defence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4.&lt;/strong&gt; Kalaripayattu follows the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurukula&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Gurukul system&lt;/a&gt;. In today's times is is almost never a residential system, but the discipline and relationship between the Guru and student is maintained as was in the ancient times. You start the class by touching the feet of the Guru and he blesses you. You also bow before photos of the gods and before you start the katas, you offer a salutation to the &amp;quot;Bhoomi Devi&amp;quot; (goddess of the Earth). If a student starts questioning the Guru or thinks that he knows more than the Guru, the student could be asked to leave. They don't teach for the money.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5.&lt;/strong&gt; Students of Kalaripayattu participate in full contact sparring competitions. Even against students from other martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;6.&lt;/strong&gt; No safety equipment whatsoever is used. My seniors have got injured during practice sessions with sticks and swords. One senior's shield was not positioned correctly above his head and the master swung the sword directly onto my senior's head. He had to get eight stitches on his head. Another senior had her arm pulled out of its socket when her partner caught her arm and did something like a Judo throw. They do exercise due care, but accidents with sticks, swords, daggers and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urumi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;flexible sword&lt;/a&gt; are very common in Kalaripayattu. According to today's standards, it could be considered irresponsible, but Kalaripayattu practitioners insist on sticking to tradition and on letting the students develop confidence from fighting with real weapons without any safety equipment, because that's how real life is. Certain training methods are out-of-touch with reality. During my first class, after an intense warm-up routine of running, we were asked to stop running and hold our breath. When the body needed oxygen, we were stopping the supply. It resulted in a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyout&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;greyout&lt;/a&gt;. I tried opening my eyes but realized they were already open, but I couldn't see anything. For a while, I thought I went blind. A fitness-enthusiast friend later told me that when starting off, the guru should not have put me through such intense exercise so early-on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;7.&lt;/strong&gt; A well trained Kalaripayattu practitioner (one who has the blessings of his Guru and has been imparted the necessary knowledge) has intimate knowledge of the human body. They know where people have been injured, how to heal it and which pressure points cause what effect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;8.&lt;/strong&gt; Like every martial art, it is very difficult to find a Guru who has the maturity and understanding of proper Kalaripayattu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;9.&lt;/strong&gt; Kalaripayattu emphasizes slapping motions rather than just on punches like Karate. You basically swing your arms and slap the head of the opponent, dazing them. You slap their ears (not during class of course) to cause their eardrums to burst. You use crouches to protect vital parts of your body. You cross your arms in front of your body, protect your ears with your palm and protect your solar plexus with your elbows. These techniques (especially the way hands are swung to slap) can seem very odd to someone with a boxing or Karate background, because the way you are taught to protect your body, the stances and the attacking techniques are very different, and can seem unnatural.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;10.&lt;/strong&gt; Unlike other martial arts, bare handed defence and offence is taught only a few years after you join, and this too is decided based on the Guru's perception of your character and behaviour. You are first taught a series of very complicated katas, then introduced to long stick fighting, short stick fighting, dagger fighting and only much later introduced to locks, self defense techniques and knowledge of healing and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marma_%28Ayurveda%29&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;marmas&lt;/a&gt; (pressure points). Again, only if you are &amp;quot;worthy&amp;quot;. Some schools &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalaripayattu#Techniques_and_Teaching&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;have variations&lt;/a&gt; on which techniques are taught first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;11.&lt;/strong&gt; Traditionally, the first month of Kalari training is supposed to impart full body oil massages to a new student, to help the student's flexibility and to help adapt to the rigorous physical exercise. Not all modern Kalari schools do this now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kalaripayattu is designed for use in the (ancient) battlefield. That's what the word &amp;quot;Kalari&amp;quot; means. Since other martial arts (especially Kung Fu) are said to originate from Kalaripayattu, you can't really compare them to it, especially since modern Kalari masters appear to be more dedicated toward preserving the art in its ancient form. While people from other martial arts raise doubts on the efficacy of the techniques (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb6xlI4bkmE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kalaripayattu on FightQuest&lt;/a&gt;), one must not forget that a martial art like Kalari that has &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varma_kalai&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Marma adi&lt;/a&gt; in its arsenal, is not to be trifled with. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpFSwQztptQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Dan Inosanto explains&lt;/a&gt; how Bruce Lee taught that certain moves performed for demonstration would never be used in real combat. I believe it's the same with Kalari. What people are shown and what most students get taught, are only the demo techniques, but advanced students may very well know the art in its deadliest and most effective form, which could very well be as effective as any other martial art &lt;em&gt;(however, as with any other martial art, it depends more on the proficiency of the practitioner, than purely on the techniques)&lt;/em&gt;. I guess we may never find out for sure, but as a personal opinion: I would only trust the efficacy of a martial art that is open to critique and open to improvement by being tested for the efficacy of every technique. It is my personal opinion that Kalaripayattu originated as an intelligent, adaptable, research-oriented martial art that was meant to evolve with time, and I hope modern masters would agree someday.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6623" LastEditorUserId="6623" LastEditDate="2022-03-27T13:16:33.553" LastActivityDate="2022-03-27T13:16:33.553" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7030" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4973" CreationDate="2016-12-19T10:58:33.320" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;They're not used in judo. After 18 years of practice, including international training camps, I've never ever seen someone wear a mouthguard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I only had some split lips, but never any dental problems. If you break a tooth in judo, it's definitely not because it's a typical injury for the sport. Chances of breaking one in, say, football (as in soccer, not AF) are at least equally high and they don't wear them either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reading the comments above, I'm assuming they're from Americans (sorry if I'm wrong), it seems to be used in the USA. In Europe and Asia it's definitely not used. Not even when wearing braces (and those things give nasty lip cuts...).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in training the only rule for protection is: it should not be harmful to other judoka. So you're &lt;em&gt;allowed&lt;/em&gt; to wear them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7778" LastActivityDate="2016-12-19T10:58:33.320" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7031" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6773" CreationDate="2016-12-19T11:36:05.683" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Techincally you can combine any martial arts, but it will be difficult to excel at either of them, unless they're really similar. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Different arts often require opposite reflexes which can (will) be confusing, especially for beginners. My advice is to start with one and after you reach a decent level, choose a second. That way you can place the differences and know when (and mostly WHY) you shouldn't use the basic stance from MA 1 in MA 2 and vice versa.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I actually followed an interesting workshop for MA trainers this weekend about teaching kids basic positions (both for standing up and ground work). There were karate, judo, JJ, BJJ, boxing, ... trainers. The teacher was a BJJ guy.&#xA;Some reactions from myself and other trainers there clearly show my point:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Exercise:&lt;/strong&gt; When avoiding a blow (or neck grab), the practicioner had to duck under the arm, go behind his opponent, grab him around the chest and keep him very very close, leaving no space between any part of his body and the opponent's back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This is how we looked at it:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Teacher (BJJ):&lt;/em&gt; if your opponent is behind you, you're in trouble. NEVER show your back to someone. The guy ducking and grabbing from behind is now in the best position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Me (judo):&lt;/em&gt; having an opponent that steps behind my back me makes my fight A LOT easier, I don't have to pull him there or turn, I can just lift my leg, twist my shoulder and throw him. Thanks for the free score.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Boxing trainer:&lt;/em&gt; ducks and steps nicely, grabs opponent with arm, but leaves a huge space between him and the opponent's back, standing far away with his legs and hips. -&gt; boxer's are not supposed to get close to each other, it's against his reflexes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Karate trainer:&lt;/em&gt; I'd never get that close to someone, let alone grab them closely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;General examples&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In judo (and BJJ) getting close to your opponent is absolutely necessary. And it's difficult to learn. It usually takes years for a young judoka before he automatically brings his hip close to his opponent. This behaviour however, is not good at all in karate, taekwondo, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also in judo, you're feet should be more or less on one line (usually one stands a bit in front), parallel to your opponent. In karate and taekwondo, for example, you don't align parallel to your partner. You show so much of your body then, so many space to hit... those fighters will stand with one side far away from their opponent and one foot very clearly in front (= free foot sweep for judoka).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In BJJ and JJ laying on your belly is dangerous. You're weak and have no defense. Losing is almost inevitable.&#xA;In judo, on the other hand, laying on your belly is a very safe and sturdy defense posture. You're not in a position to attack, but you can hold off attacks very well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning to defend well laying face down takes practice. Most judoka that have been practicing for only a couple of years, I can easily turn to their back or get an arm free to lock. Same for the stance with the feet on one line. Most are &quot;afraid&quot; in the beginning and will try to keep one part of their body away from you. Leaving a free foot to sweep. This takes practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now imagine combining the stand up work from karate and judo and the groundwork of judo and BJJ. It gets quite confusing and it will be difficult for the positions to become automatic. Every time you have to think &quot;now I should do it&quot;, &quot;now I cannot&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if you need to think about your position during a fight, well, you've already lost...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So basics from different arts can really contradict each other. Although it all sounds simple, it takes a lot of practice for those basic stances/positions to be automatic, believe me. Trying to mix them will only lengthen this practice time and you might never get the real hang of either of them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Depending on the goals you have with your chosen MA's, this will or will not be a problem. &#xA;If you want to know a lot of different techniques and defense/attack situations for real life, combining e.g. judo and karate is great, because they complement each other as stated in the answer above. &#xA;If you want to be a very good judoka or karateka, you won't fare well by combining them. You'll lack the automatic moves in both to become a champion.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7778" LastEditorUserId="7778" LastEditDate="2016-12-23T09:40:45.900" LastActivityDate="2016-12-23T09:40:45.900" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7032" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1197" CreationDate="2016-12-19T19:07:47.897" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For round kicks, even with lightweight shoes, I have trouble pulling my toes back to any significant degree so as to kick with the ball of the foot. Kicking the bag with the point of the toe would hurt your opponent more, but also jams the inside of the toe of the shoe right down into my toes, painfully. (Try it - maybe the fit of your particular pair of shoes will not be so bad.)  This leaves kicking with the instep.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For front kicks it would be less of a problem.  For a snap kick, the toes, top of the toes, or instep would work.  If you have the chance to wind up and do a power kick, I'd use the instep.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For side kicks, of course use the heel or knife-edge of the foot. What can also work is bringing the rear foot forward and striking the knee or shin with the inner side of the foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it were me, though, I'd want to be sure of the fit of my shoes. I'm sure everyone has taken an awkward step which threatens to turn your ankle in when landing.  You won't always have perfectly-laced shoes or a smooth surface to step down onto.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2016-12-19T19:07:47.897" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7033" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6982" CreationDate="2016-12-20T04:13:40.660" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a couple of these. I like them and I think they do a decent job of strengthening the forearm, I suppose the elbow may gain some support thereby and IMO the wrist gains some benefit.   For forearm exercises, I have always thought the spring -type grip trainer is a little better even, but it's a good idea to do various exercises to make sure all parts get a workout. What made my grip quite strong years ago was a mix of judo and hockey.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;I believe the most important activity for wrists is regular stretching, that really applies to the rest of the body especially where martial arts is concerned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5498" LastActivityDate="2016-12-20T04:13:40.660" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7034" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7035" CreationDate="2016-12-20T22:11:34.853" Score="5" ViewCount="292" Body="&lt;p&gt;Chinese martial arts has some training called &quot;iron body&quot; or a variation called &quot;golden bell&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Part of the ritual is beating yourself with a &quot;metal flogger&quot; (for lack of better words) for 108 days, to desensitize nerves and increase bone density.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The metal flogger is a group of small metal wires straightened. The ones I've seen were about an inch in diameter and about 16 - 18 inches in length. Many are home made, but one of my buddies knew someone who had a machining shop and he made me a really nice one. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm hoping to know the name of this tool, so that I can do some googling to see if anyone sells these online. If you know the name that would be awesome. If you know some where online that sells them, that'd be even better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3154" LastEditorUserId="3154" LastEditDate="2016-12-20T22:20:27.530" LastActivityDate="2016-12-21T08:08:35.793" Title="Iron Body - Name of Beating Tool" Tags="|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7035" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7034" CreationDate="2016-12-20T22:50:49.773" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Searched google images for &quot;kung fu iron body&quot; and found an image that looked like what I was looking for. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looks like &lt;code&gt;Iron Body&lt;/code&gt; is also known as &lt;code&gt;Iron Shirt&lt;/code&gt;. Clicking on the image and fast forwarding to the part of the video that had the tool, I found the name of the tool is called &lt;code&gt;Steel Brush&lt;/code&gt;. In case you want to see, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.getlinkyoutube.com/watch?v=1vbFmQ7Sl4s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;fast forward to 14:07.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Doing some more googling, I found one on &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B00ROD26FI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;amazon&lt;/a&gt;.It seems a bit expensive... I'll probably do some more googling to find a cheaper version.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3154" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2016-12-21T08:08:35.793" LastActivityDate="2016-12-21T08:08:35.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7036" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1197" CreationDate="2016-12-21T12:31:53.077" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Even in shoes you should STILL kick the way you do in training.  Pull your toes up inside the shoe and kick with the ball of the foot if you are going for the body.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If kicking to the groin then lift the toes and kick between the legs.  Then rake the instep and toes back against the testicles.  (assuming a male attacker obviously)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is because even if you actually have a steel toe cap your toes can still be in danger when kicking.  Such boots are not designed for kicking but too prevent things from falling on toes.  If they are touching the toe cap when you kick.  If they are not touching the toe cap (IE you boots are fitted correctly) your foot will move inside the boot or shoe as your kick connects and reduce the power of the kick.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The final reason for doing the same thing is because that is what you are trained to do.  Any kick you haven't leaned you probably can't do well. The whole point of spending your time kicking the air in a of people is to make these kicks come naturally.  Don't just throw that training away.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case, kicks outside the dojo are risky.  They are bottom of the list when it comes to good self defense techniques.  I would say a kick is even more risky than ground work in self defense.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2016-12-21T12:31:53.077" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7037" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-12-22T21:08:57.023" Score="11" ViewCount="1259" Body="&lt;p&gt;I need to intimidate them because I am at my tipping point now. I can no longer stand their bullying day in and day out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which martial art is the best to learn to intimidate the school bullies?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user7783" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-04-29T02:44:15.040" LastActivityDate="2021-04-29T02:44:15.040" Title="Martial arts to intimidate school bullies?" Tags="|strategy|bullying|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7038" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7037" CreationDate="2016-12-22T21:28:21.907" Score="19" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a common reason people get into martial arts.  You're probably going to hear a lot of people tell you that's not a good use of martial arts, out of some general sense of &quot;violence is wrong&quot; paternalism.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I will say, instead, is that not everyone's bullying situation is the same.  One person might punch a bully in the nose and be left alone from then on.  For me, I fought back against someone trying to beat me, and after &quot;winning&quot; the fight, he tried to come after me with a knife, and later, sent his cousins after me to shoot me.  I ended up running from a gang for a couple of years, and learning ways to make sure absolutely no one knew where I lived.  So maybe I would have been better off taking that beating, who knows?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So no one online can give a simple and useful answer.  And of the things someone can tell or show you online, it won't be enough to necessarily help your situation (without, say, months of practice probably), even if martial arts are the answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We also live in a very different era: bullies follow you online, and harass you constantly.  Fighting back might put you in jail or have hyper-violent police beat or shoot you, depending on where you live, how you look, and how the police respond to things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are your best options?  Well, if you have a functional set of parents/guardians who will help you, let them know what's going on.  If you don't, look for any teen support counselor who might be able to help you, whether that's at the school, outside of the school (local city services), a phone hotline or a website.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond that, for obvious reasons, no one can recommend what form of self defense would be good for you, legal, or best in your situation.  Any useful self defense training would require a few weeks time at least and intelligent consideration of what the rules are around self defense where you are at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please seek people who can help you and consider your choices carefully.  I ended up spending a few years hoping they wouldn't find out where I lived and shooting my family to death, so I can't say &quot;Go out there and bust heads&quot; is ever the best answer, even when you're the one in the right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2016-12-22T21:28:21.907" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7039" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7037" CreationDate="2016-12-22T23:34:28.363" Score="6" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Which martial arts is the best to learn to intimidate the school bullies?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;None of them. You might get a better return on your time if you take some acting classes instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Intimidation has nothing to do with the martial arts in general, martial arts simply gives you the skills to be able to deliver on your intimidating behavior. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But therein lies the problem: you want to stand up for yourself, and you want to be able to back it up in case of violence. But the reality is that you need a decent amount of training in your chosen martial art to be able to carry this off - without that background anything that you say or do will simply be posturing and bravado and is likely to inflame the situation. &lt;strong&gt;This will simply give the bullies more reasons to ridicule you.&lt;/strong&gt; Good acting skills will help because you will not learn enough martial arts quickly to avoid being a danger to yourself and others. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In fact martial arts are not going to solve this problem in the short term - it may get you into more trouble if you decide to enter a situation with an inflated sense of capability. Martial arts &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; solve this in the long term because it will help you build your self esteem in a positive and productive way, it may even help turn you into a new and better person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideally you need to walk away from situations, keep your mouth shut and don't react. Avoid troublesome locations. Seek some counseling from university staff. Bullies only do it when you either provoke them or give them a reaction that they're seeking. Look to why the bullying is happening, then eliminate that cause.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TLDR:&lt;/strong&gt; no matter what the circumstances, premeditated intimidation is unlikely to ever be a good answer - whether you have martial arts skills or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2016-12-30T05:17:02.650" LastActivityDate="2016-12-30T05:17:02.650" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7041" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-12-23T01:24:37.450" Score="-1" ViewCount="240" Body="&lt;p&gt;On our way come from school, a boy at least 6 yrs older grabbed both my friend's wrists &amp;amp; his 2 friends were closing fast.  Feeling that grappling @ his hands would be ineffective, I stepped behind him &amp;amp; sought the spot on his spine that was on a line with his mid-scapulae &amp;amp; hit him with my ulnar-side fist.  Not knowing why I had wanted that 1 spot, I was extremely surprised when he huffed out air, released my friend, &amp;amp; slowly sank to his knees. While his 2 wingmen stopped to check on the bully, my friend &amp;amp; I got away.  What the is that spot? Why did that work?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Backstory:&lt;/strong&gt; I was 10 &amp;amp; had no training; no one I knew had training. As an adult, I became a registered occupational therapist with a emphasis on hand &amp;amp; upper extremity rehab. As a kid, the weird bit for me was the calm &amp;amp; wider perceptual field: &quot;knowing&quot; how much time I had before his 2 friends arrived; that it would be risky to try to release his hands; that to &quot;find the spot&quot; I had to search for &quot;the line&quot; running across his spine to reveal my target, and the certainty. It WAS as if I knew what I was doing, but I was only going on instinct. As an adult, I later understood that there are powerful centers on the body that can be used for wide effects, but this was never explained. The boy was fine but I got in trouble. Was wearing an  identifiable catholic school pinafore, was reported &amp;amp; the nuns did not want to hear my opinion it was justifiable,that my friend was scared &amp;amp; I was not willing to find out what 3 bullies might do. Whatever meta-mind place the info came from, I was grateful, but remain curious about the whole experience &amp;amp; that spot. Thanks for any opinions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7777" LastEditorUserId="7777" LastEditDate="2016-12-27T23:35:52.823" LastActivityDate="2016-12-27T23:41:27.747" Title="why was one strike by a 10 year old girl effective?" Tags="|streetfight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7042" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7045" CreationDate="2016-12-23T10:47:13.157" Score="4" ViewCount="5178" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to buy aikidogi but I'm not sure whether judogi and karategi can also be used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any differences between karategi, judogi, and aikidogi?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7701" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-13T01:12:02.050" LastActivityDate="2020-02-13T01:12:02.050" Title="Are there any differences between karategi, judogi, and aikidogi?" Tags="|judo|karate|aikido|gi|uniform|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7044" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="376" CreationDate="2016-12-23T12:15:45.650" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a 3rd degree black belt who doesn't have much tournament experience, but sparring was a huge part of my studio and I consistently sparred adults taller than I was throughout my 8 years of training. First some general drills that will help you, that you can still practice on opponents of your size:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice leaving more space between you and your partner. Generally when we spar, we are used to leaving a balance of our reach and the reach of our opponent. Your going to have to find a new balance with taller opponents. (practice this with close and open stances; closed is when you and your partner's chests are facing opposite directions, eg. both your left feet are in front; open is when both of your chest's are facing the same direction)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;On a pad, or a partner during sparring/drills, practice hiding your telegraphing by not bending your back leg when you go to kick with your front leg. As you do this slide forward on your back leg and let the kick from your front leg propel you further without having to step up before hand. (I'm sure you've done drills like this before and know what I'm talking about, if not then please tell me and I can explain in more detail). Practice this ALOT, increasing distance from the pad, and pair it along with my first point to increase the distance you can close in and successfully strike your opponent.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the psychological/fighting aspect;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't let your opponent think that they are intimidating you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;As someone else said: &quot;Own the center of the mat.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Be aggressive. Strike harder than you normally would, make them be intimidated by you enough to the point that they are wary to use their size as an advantage, make it an even playing field. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Right when the fight starts, within reason, throw a strike. Even if they can easily block it, it puts them on the defense.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Use the above tips within reason, assess your opponent just the same as you normally would and don't take any risks you normally wouldn't. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, this advice will be just my opinion of specific sparring style that is best against larger/stronger opponents which is usually what I was facing in my martial arts studio. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When facing larger opponents blocking hurts more, it's less effective if they are strong, and it just doesn't feel good. Try evading more than blocking, usually size also means larger movements, take advantage of this and be dynamic in your movement, set yourself up for success by evading instead of blocking and throwing a counterattack. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also found that this just creates more frustration in your opponents and makes people much more respectful of your skill. &quot;I can hit him pretty well but he's blocking.&quot; versus, &quot;I can't even hit him.&quot;. This may cause them to do something stupid, or at the very least have you be less tired from blocking a bunch of techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Work a lot on your ability to read telegraphs, this will help a lot with knowing where to move, and knowing if you want to choose to move into your opponent or outside your opponent toward their back. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;DO NOT BACK UP. This advice is good for anyone but especially if you are smaller than your opponent do not get in the habit of going backward. Use angles to go forward or at least sideways, this takes huge amounts of practice to know which angles you can cut to avoid being hit while also staying close/getting closer to your opponent but start, or continue, to practice it while considering the extra distance required for larger opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that in tournament sparring blocking is usually not a huge component, usually just speed, which is why I had the most relevant advice for tournaments first. You sound like you are very skilled already, and you are already seeking help from others which is better than most. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7785" LastActivityDate="2016-12-23T12:15:45.650" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7045" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7042" CreationDate="2016-12-23T13:10:09.517" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;tl; dr&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Buy what the other people in your club buy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are variations from brand to brand and art to art.  I've done aikido in an aikidogi, a judogi and a karategi; none of them really affect my technique; they do affect my comfort.  The big issue is how well it fits, and how reliable the brand is at selling equipment that fits.  When I wear through my current gi, my next gi will match that which my training partners wear.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before I answer, let me point out that the terms are not standardized; I'm just going to refer to trends/clusters.  I own one karate gi, one gi that people describe as  a judo gi and I've worn several aikido gi's past the point of safety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Aikido&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Jackets&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, aikidogi are made of a loosely woven but thicker fabric, and the seams and edges are heavily reinforce.  Many aikido techniques involve grabbing the lapel of the gi in order to control the body; you don't want that lapel to rip off in your hand and send your partner on an unplanned ballistic trajectory.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;I'm told that aikido gi jackets are longer and the sleeves are a bit shorter. (but I've always wondered if that is a back-formation for the differences in stature between Japan and the West.)  I know that my current gi is woefully short for my trunk.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Pants&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pants tend to be reinforced at the knee - aikido involves a lot of seated/kneeling work.  Pants will also frequently have two loops to secure the drawstring. I'm not sure how functional this is, but there are techniques that involve pulling the pants, and the double loops may give more security&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Judo&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't play judo, but I do play Tomiki aikido, which is heavily influenced by judo.  Judo gi and aikido gi are very similar - effectively interchangeable.  As I said, I'm told that the judo gi is shorter through the trunk and may have longer arms, but that may just be style or one manufacturer.  Judo involves a lot of stress on seams and lapels, so once again they're heavily reinforced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Karate&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't practice karate, but I wound up buying a karate gi in the hopes that it would be lighter for summer wear.  Although it is technically lighter, it is more tightly woven, so it wind up being actually warmer. The seams/lapels are reinforced, but nowhere near as much as either of the other gi's.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are strings on the lapels that anchor them to the opposite side of the coat - keeping the coat closed even if you lose your belt.  Alas, because of some fit issues, these are actually counterfunctional for me. The coat is so long that if these are tied, they constrain my legs and prevent me from assuming deeper stances. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you didn't ask, but I've learned is that the brand for my current gi is short - it keeps creeping up above my best and getting loose. I wish I had another six inches of length.  The karate gi is so long that I feel like I'm wearing a narrow skirt. Listening to others in my dojo, there are brands that are reliable - when you buy a 4, you get a size 4, and there are brands that are unreliable (order a size 4, get something that is labelled size 4, but is obviously closer to a 3).  &lt;em&gt;That&lt;/em&gt; is why I urge you to consult your training partners, and ask them what they buy and how it fits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2016-12-23T17:17:49.120" LastActivityDate="2016-12-23T17:17:49.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7046" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7037" CreationDate="2016-12-23T17:57:26.190" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some martial arts are good at helping you survive an actual physical confrontation. (Though their efficacy varies wildly by the particular style, school, and instructor, as well as the time and effort the student puts in.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many martial arts can also be good at simply improving your confidence and physical presence in such a way that you won't have the appearance of an easy victim. But lots of physical activities that are not martial arts can also accomplish this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No martial arts are especially good at &quot;intimidating&quot; people, which I think would imply scaring them away without actually employing it, in a similar manner to flashing a weapon (which I also do not recommend). That's not really how martial arts work, and also human psychology is not very amenable to this -- bullies, especially if there are several of them, may just escalate or gang up on you if they think you might be competent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think a better strategy in general (up to the point where a dangerous physical confrontation is actually in progress, at which point you MUST fight back) is to not let yourself be isolated -- find other kids who are being bullied, and stick together. Bring this to the attention of the teachers and administration. If you don't get a good response from the school authorities, remind them of their legal liabilities if it comes to light that they know bullying is occurring in their facility and they are not taking adequate action to address it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="698" LastActivityDate="2016-12-23T17:57:26.190" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7048" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5734" CreationDate="2016-12-24T20:56:28.663" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Short answer : Yes...and none of them turned out well for the Aikidoka.&#xA;...and a few more things...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Judo was NOT designed to be a &quot;sport&quot;.  It was designed to be a jiujitsu that focused on training using modern methods and conditioning.  Judo proved it's effectiveness as a combat art in the dojo challenges common in the late 1800's in Japan.  Kano's team ANNIHILATED the competition. &#xA;source: http:judoinfo.com&#xA;source: &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/doctrine/history/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/doctrine/history/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Japanese law enforcement do not use Aikido or any variant thereof.  They use a form of Judo at the core of their hand to hand training that is oriented towards  &quot;street fighting&quot; and combat in close quarters.&#xA;source: &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiho_Jutsu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiho_Jutsu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7790" LastEditorUserId="7790" LastEditDate="2016-12-27T15:45:07.433" LastActivityDate="2016-12-27T15:45:07.433" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7049" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7041" CreationDate="2016-12-26T16:50:26.537" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure where on the body you are referring too exactly.  But strikes to the spine are very effective and dangerous.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At age 10 it doesn't make a huge difference if you are male or female so far as muscle strength is concerned environmental factors (how the child spends their time, what they eat etc) will make more of a  difference.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the boy was older than you you would probably also have been striking upwards to hit the target which exacerbates the damage caused by blows the torso.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2016-12-26T16:50:26.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7050" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6773" CreationDate="2016-12-27T14:22:57.687" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Very well Indeed!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate and Judo are actually more similar than people realize.  A lot of the kata in Karate are actually progressions from standing to groundwork and incorporate pieces of judo-like throws.  Judo has little or no actual striking but the strikes you learn in judo kata are not dissimilar from those seen in karate.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kyukosho is no different from other styles of karate &lt;em&gt;In this respect.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have several friends who combine Shotokan karate with judo and one who combines Ich Shin Ryu with Judo.  Both finds that the two complement and reinforce each other very well.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2016-12-27T14:22:57.687" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7051" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6835" CreationDate="2016-12-28T15:09:54.197" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's one part I haven't seen mentioned yet. As far as we can tell, the trainer may have as well meant it not in a lack of respect way. He could as well have meant it in a self-control and self-discipline way. Those are of utmost importance in martial arts. If you don't have the self-control and self-discipline to stop smoking, how can he be sure you won't have the self-control and self-discipline to not beat physically disabled people up? Sure, it's an extreme example to prove the point, but extreme examples illustrate best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2016-12-28T15:09:54.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7052" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6394" CreationDate="2016-12-29T09:11:25.913" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Depends on your system. Your Sifu with establish the curriculum and grading system. They could use tshirts, badges or shashes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my previous school red sash means SiHing and blue sash means instructor. Gray sash was reserved for the chief instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;IMHO sashes or badges don't matter so much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5870" LastActivityDate="2016-12-29T09:11:25.913" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7053" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2016-12-29T09:16:01.060" Score="2" ViewCount="241" Body="&lt;p&gt;10 years ago I started studying Wing Chun with one Sifu. Some time after that I moved to another country and changed lineage. Nowadays I train in private with another Sifu (same lineage as my previous). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question: who is my Sifu? First one or the last one?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5870" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-01-03T14:02:30.013" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T18:09:39.257" Title="Lineage: Who is my Sifu?" Tags="|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7054" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7053" CreationDate="2016-12-29T09:56:36.067" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd say both. Technically speaking, sifu doesn't even mean teacher (that would be laoshi), but skillful master. If the first one laid the groundworks for you, the fundaments on which the second one builds, both have formed you, so both are your teachers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's no different from training, say, wing chun in one club and tai chi in another. You won't say the wing chun is your teacher, but the tai chi one isn't. It's unavoidable that wing chun and tai chi won't mix together in how you use it, if you train both, so even if you stop either one, the teachings from that one will still be in you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same goes for doing wing chun from two teachers, as long as they formed you up to the point you're carrying it in your other training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2016-12-29T09:56:36.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7056" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4424" CreationDate="2016-12-31T19:23:04.010" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think wrist weights if light enough doing shadowboxing is a fine idea.. These guys sound like bodybuilders and not boxers.&#xA;The benefit of shadowboxing with wrist weights is that you'll be able to punch harder and it will develop strength  against gravity trying to pull your hands away from guard position. You need to keep your hands up to protect your face. And whip out punches faster. Wrist weights will help with that. Just start out light.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The guys saying that these wrist weights will damage your elbows are thinking in terms of extremes. Dont listen to them. Start out as light as possible so your body adjusts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So OP you are right. Don't let these guys say you are wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are a boxer you train for boxing skills.&#xA;Yes you can do free weights but they won't develop skills for the ring. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also if you want to punch harder. Hit a punching bag BAREFiSTED. &#xA;Gloves protect your hands too much. You want to get your bare fists used to the impact and especially your wrists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do it as light as you can. Tap tap tap. &#xA;Aim for volume. You will create micro damage to your fist's  skin and bones which will heal and become stronger. &#xA;The more you punch a bag, the harder you'll be able to hit as your knuckles become used to the impact. This will also strengthen your wrists which will get used to the impact. A weak wrist will not let the energy transfer properly into your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The strongest punches form a solid link from your fist, and travel through your body to the floor from your feet. You should hit people with the force of your entire body. Any weak link in that chain will diminish your punching power.&#xA;So practice hitting a bag SLOWLY and SOFTLY to develop this proper form and keep in mind your are punching with your entire body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't punch the bag too hard. Everyday just punch the bag over and over again and eventually you'll punch like a beast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With respect to these guys answering you... while they have good intentions and may be martial artists, they are not boxers. They are proficient in other fighting styles.&#xA;Boxing is all about punching and boxers are expert punchers.&#xA;I am a boxer, your coach is a boxer. If you want to get better at boxing, listen to BOXERS.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7800" LastEditorUserId="7800" LastEditDate="2016-12-31T19:42:43.417" LastActivityDate="2016-12-31T19:42:43.417" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7057" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7059" CreationDate="2017-01-01T18:59:28.050" Score="1" ViewCount="505" Body="&lt;p&gt;As can be seen in the following &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpBTFoHLsEM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;, ankle pick is very dangerous. Is there a way to counter it? Is there a way to counter it when the rival holds your ankle?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2017-01-03T04:06:20.940" Title="How to counter ankle pick takedown?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|self-defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7058" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4790" CreationDate="2017-01-02T15:23:39.720" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wore my charge hr in a 3 hr session of Iaido.  I burnt about 1000 calories. Bear in mind that iaido is not that intense as in comparison to other arts I have done (I burn the same calories doing a 40mm insanity vid). What was interesting was how heart rate changed throughout the session. Obviously during individual warm up my heart rate got up high. I like to use the insanity warm up plus press ups and squats followed by stretching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The next part of training was to complete 100 kata in an hour. Bear in mind at the time I only practised seitei  (12 forms) just over 8 times through. Heart rate was at medium high cardio rate, but I burnt more calories than I thought I would. The last hour was our own practice which was slower but a lot more stressful on the legs and I feel a better workout. The tracker read that this was the least productive for the health parameters, but to me it was harder on both body and mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have worn trackers for taichi, silat, general fighting exercises, and others. To be honest trackers are great for staying fit, but as for collecting data for MA well as every session is different and most classes won't allow the wearing of any jewelry or accessories I don't feel the need.&#xA;I mainly use for weights, cardio and hiit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7805" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-01-02T22:43:47.150" LastActivityDate="2017-01-02T22:43:47.150" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7059" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7057" CreationDate="2017-01-03T03:23:12.223" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Following @mattm 's proposal...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This throw in Jujutsu/Judo (where BJJ comes from) is called &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snZwfAMDIQ0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kibisu-gaeshi&lt;/a&gt; (grabbing from the outside).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As in most cases, the key is to avoid getting off-balance in the first place. In the video you linked, the kuzushi (off-balancing) is done by pressing the neck down. You automatically have to put a foot in front as you weight is shifted forwards. Pulling the arm additionally guarantees it will be the one the attacker wants it to be eventually. As you are off-balanced and the attacker increases the pressure on the neck by dropping his weight and therefore pulling the neck downwards even stronger then, you are virtually nailed in this position, i.e. immobilised long enough for him to execute the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With an upright posture, your balance is centered and can be shifted on a single leg in very short time. This means your feet are too mobile and you can easily evade attempts of this technique (and many others).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the main points in standing grappling combat therefore is to never let your head pulled down (this is one of the things; in general: stay in upright position, not crossing feet, firm stand). It is not only a matter of balance, but also a matter of sight/awareness. To do something against this, you have to counter these tries with moving your hip under your head again and stretching the neck (i.e. with tai-sabaki - body movement/positioning). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As this movement exposes you to attacks, you should combine it with an attack with the leg, e.g. with o-uchi-gari, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sPNaPs7dNY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;possibly even in combination&lt;/a&gt;. There are good variants of the grip out there that are working without a gi just as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To make a long story short, do not let the enemy get into a dominant position like this, or he has every opportunity to finish you. Your example is only one of them. If you are passive and not use his efforts (as he is open for approximation and throws backwards when trying to get there - he essentially has to put himself a bit off-balance in order to get you where he wants you!), you deserve losing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before MMA rants are incoming: Even with knee attacks allowed there are very similar ways to deal with this situation - the awareness has to be a different one, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2017-01-03T04:06:20.940" LastActivityDate="2017-01-03T04:06:20.940" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7060" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4424" CreationDate="2017-01-03T03:31:13.110" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Instead of weights, use resistance bands; around your back, anywhere from armpit level to lower rib level, and grip them between your thumb and index finger so that the bands are on the inside of your arm (not the outside). Then do your shadow boxing as normal.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend &lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B001VIPPZK&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this type&lt;/a&gt; (whatever resistance level you want), so they are the correct length.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7806" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-01-03T11:10:40.073" LastActivityDate="2017-01-03T11:10:40.073" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7061" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-01-03T07:32:32.087" Score="2" ViewCount="704" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am 33 years old and I have a bad hip (due to a medical condition). Can I still learn/practice judo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(keeping my fingers crossed for positive answers)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7807" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-01-09T17:03:17.647" LastActivityDate="2017-01-09T17:03:17.647" Title="Can I still practice judo with a bad hip?" Tags="|judo|training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7062" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7061" CreationDate="2017-01-03T08:04:37.120" Score="7" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Yes, with caveats…&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First and foremost, you do not describe your &quot;bad hip&quot; which could range from a small inconvenience to risk of paralysis if things go wrong. Clearly, speaking to a medical professional is essential here. If they give you the go head, keep reading.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, you will never compete in the Olympics. So, you need to find a dojo that caters more to older people than to young sport oriented folks. Clearly, the instructor team should know about your hip and might change things so you can practice safely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, no one can protect you better than yourself. So, when you see something that you think will hurt, do not do it. Take care of yourself. Speak to your training partners. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2017-01-03T08:04:37.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7063" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6835" CreationDate="2017-01-03T16:38:20.337" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What do you guys think?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think I stand in the minority of answers here.  I'm no current or ex-smoker, but I did grow up in a home full of smokers, and who did it knowing the risks to themselves and others.  Having said that, I also realize that smoking is an addiction and am aware of the various reasons people start.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;None of those reasons relate to going out and killing people.  I think your HRD instructor is a jerk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What should I do or say now?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Far be it from me to tell you what you should do or say.  However, if my instructor lumped me in a class of society that would kill disabled people, I might consider several things: first, not all who are disabled are good people (David Berkowitz, Ed Gein, Richard Chase, Jared Lee Loughner, anyone?)  So killing these disabled people does not change my compunction one iota.  In this case, I might respond with a smart-ass &quot;thank you&quot;.  On the other hand, I might see this confrontation for what it is: he's being an a-hole, and I'd say &quot;thanks for your time, have a nice life&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But you asked what YOU should do.  I have no idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Do you think what he said and how he behaved is justified?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No.  He's a jerk.  Move along.  Find an instructor who will work with you, not against you.  (Ok, I lied and told you what you should do.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I'm new to the martial arts and I don't know if that's a 'reasonable' behaviour to have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts instructors are not in classes by themselves.  They are parents, children, and spouses.  They are doctors, teachers, plumbers, businesspeople, cops, and ex-cons.  They are low-income, medium-income, and high-income people.  They are christian, muslim, and atheist.  They are democrats, republicans, and independents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's all: they're just like you and me.  Except that they have knowledge and experience you and I don't possess, and which we seek to receive in return for payment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stated another way: how would you feel about your husband or your kids telling you that your addiction places you in a class of people who would murder disabled people?  How would you feel if your primary care physician did the same?  What if your heart surgeon did that?  Or your priest or rabbi?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think you'd probably feel put off, as would I.  Because that is NOT a reasonable behavior to have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Aren't we first and foremost human beings?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No.  You are first and foremost a student.  A paying student.  Go somewhere else and give someone else your money.  Hopefully there, everyone can be human beings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;And isn't maybe respect a core value of martial arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No.  You have the wrong idea about respect and martial arts.  This &quot;respect is earned&quot; thing is misguided at best.  You start by respecting people whom you don't know.  You maintain that respect until they do something that undervalues that respect.  Would you walk into your first day of class and greet your teacher &quot;Hey, Jane... 'sup?&quot; would you?  No, you start by respecting them: &quot;Good morning Mrs Smith&quot;.  She, in turn, does not bark her first request of the class by saying &quot;shut your pie holes and plant your ass in the seat, m-----f-----s&quot;.  Thus, you have both begun to respect each other, and then have maintained that respect.  It is the same when we answer the phone, make a customer service request, or talk to a salesperson.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As such, you respect your instructor and your students.  And you don't respect your enemy - but you do respect his capability to harm you.  (Although, I might behave in a respectful way so as to minimize both the confrontation and any legal repercussions later on).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as to a core value of martial arts, it is not respect.  It is survival.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2017-01-03T16:38:20.337" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7064" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4424" CreationDate="2017-01-03T19:25:49.080" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A lot of usefull information here, although not really focusing on the topic SO is referring to. SO is boxing, therefore it is essential that he is doing some sort of conditioning for increasing the stamina of his shoulders and arms - and his coach responded with a proper answer, to use light dumbbells 2lbs or even lesser while shadow-boxing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The purpose of the weight is pure stamina and not strength increase of the punch itself. Still you need to do it properly, and this is the point where I agree with some of the other answers, otherwise you will cause more damage then good, especially the heavier you go with the weight. Note that you should never extend your arms fully while shadowboxing with a weight in the hand and try to have a constant fluid motion while exercising different combinations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Increasing punching power is best achieved by punching a heavy bag. You can even support that process by strengthening your core further and your overall strenght and power output - doing Powerlifting/Olympic lifting exercises combined with Plyometrics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using isometric exercises at sticky points like the start of a hook, mid range and near end against a door will even benefit more on top of all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end adding some sort of resistance bands into the whole strength protocoll would make a perfect program... the bands are usefull to have a resistence in the direction of the punch, best if the band is attached somewhere and you are punching against the resistence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would recommend rossenamait.com for some videos about the things I was talking and you can find some scientific information about the topics mentioned there too. Btw he was a former boxer too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or search for Vasil Lomachenko training youtube clips for some inspiration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And dont forget to have fun!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2017-01-03T19:25:49.080" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7065" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7272" CreationDate="2017-01-03T20:14:36.753" Score="4" ViewCount="272" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's the motion at the 3 second to 4 second mark &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYEoE-qqvaU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; where the &lt;em&gt;capoeiristra&lt;/em&gt; pivots so that their side faces their opponent and they're sitting back a bit. It's often done before a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.akban.org/wiki/Queixada&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Queixada&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, particularly since it works well for a partner drill where &lt;em&gt;capoeiristras&lt;/em&gt; trade kicks, using this defense to avoid the incoming kick while setting up for the next, but I've also seen it suggested as a defense against a &lt;em&gt;Bênção&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;Chapa&lt;/em&gt; (moving back from the attack while potentially moving to the side of it) or against a more lateral attack by turning your back to it, either catching the kick along the flat of the back to reduce its force (and because the back is not a valid target in the &lt;em&gt;roda&lt;/em&gt;, thus negating the hit) or to facilitate ducking under it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The description in the above-linked article is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;From the base position of the ginga, with one leg pointed backward, shift the chest in an orthogonal line to the opponent, turning on the two feet; bend the legs at the knee, sitting on the pelvis (a straight leg can be an easy target, and it hurts bad).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When stepping into the movement, I've often seen it described as &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://gatorato.com/video/capoeira-moves-entrada/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Entrada&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;. When I was studying in Philadelphia, Mestre Doutor had a name for it, which I think might have rhymed with &quot;&lt;em&gt;Queixada&lt;/em&gt;&quot; because I remember him prompting the moves and I remember the two going together, which could match with it being &lt;em&gt;Entrada&lt;/em&gt; other than that sounds backwards since you're retreating, not entering.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ah, and I have found one pictorial reference. It's the first two steps, here depicted as the setup for a &lt;em&gt;Queixada&lt;/em&gt; courtesy of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.virtualcapoeira.com/basics.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this site&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/PExje.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/PExje.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Queixada&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-03-06T13:59:37.640" LastActivityDate="2023-08-21T14:25:27.500" Title="What is the name of the side-turn defense in Capoeira?" Tags="|terminology|capoeira|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7066" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6835" CreationDate="2017-01-04T00:29:06.243" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Try seeing yourself as both the disabled person (in the sense that you've lost control over yourself enough to smoke) and the person causing the violence. &quot;Murder&quot; is murder whether it happens quickly in an instant, or slowly over decades.  What if you were to find out someone was slipping anti-freeze in your water, in small enough volumes to make your death look natural over the course of 5 years? Would you not still consider it murder even though they took a less immediate route? The only difference is you willingly ignore the &quot;murdering&quot; part because you want to smoke the cigarette. Your teacher is viewing &quot;smoking&quot; as a &quot;sickness&quot; within itself.  One thing to keep in mind is that traditionally a lot of teachers are absolutely brutal. Some would be inclined to chain you in a room for a month or two, where you can't do anything but eat and practice your forms, then throw a pack of cigarettes in the room n see if you smoke one or not, so don't feel too bad. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7812" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-01-04T11:10:04.367" LastActivityDate="2017-01-04T11:10:04.367" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7067" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7037" CreationDate="2017-01-04T01:07:55.003" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is the same as asking someone what type of gun shoots better.  It all depends on you, your strength, your current level of instinct for shooting, etc.  I've personally studied shaolin kung fu and tai chi.  Different students decided to progress in different styles because of how comfortably it fit them.  A lot of people over 5'9 seemed to like Crane and Mantis style because their techniques made perfect use of having longer arms and legs.  Then a lot of people between 5'6-5'9 who were a little more muscular tended to like tiger style and other southern shaolin styles because they focus on being within inches of your opponent.  Some people who are that same height but a lot skinnier sometimes gravitated towards snake style because there's a lot of deceptive moves to throw the opponent off and it focuses more on precise strikes to vital areas, so it's not a matter of being big and strong.  Just 2lbs of force in the right place can break a bone of kill someone, we can easily deliver 6-8lbs of pressure with a jab.  So it's all about your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing is the level of grit you have within you.  You can study a martial art for 2-3 years and be top of your class.  If you've never had a real fist fight in your life, and you get into a fight with someone the same age as you who's had to fight literally for EVERYTHING they've ever gotten, you may not come out of that situation looking too well.  While if that person who's grown up fighting their entire life took just 3 or 4 martial arts classes, they would be able to relate to what they're learning a lot better in terms of real life application because they're already intuitively in tune with that.  They already have a &quot;combat mechanism&quot; developed between their reflexes and intuition.  If you don't have  &quot;combat mechanism&quot; brewing within you, you're going to lose miserably against someone who does until you attain enough real life survival experiences of your own to cultivate it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One problem with a lot of &quot;westernized&quot; translations of a lot of martial arts styles is the fact they turn it into a &quot;safe family fun activity on tuesdays and thursdays from 7-9&quot;.  So when you're sparing, it's for &quot;sport&quot;.  You develop a hbit of not hitting as hard, you develop and instinct for halting action if you see you're about to do something that will injure your sparring partner.  So you basically train in &quot;self defense&quot; in a way that prevents your from hurting people.  In a real life situation this can harm you, that .02 miliseconds you stop yourself from doing serious damage can be the window of opportunity that they seize to do harm to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All in all don't study a martial art to learn how to &quot;intimidate&quot; someone, study it to learn how to not be intimidated by bullies and to know how to defend yourself if you need to.  Intimidating others is never the way to go ESPECIALLY if you're not willing to react to their response should they welcome your intimidation.  I don't know your situation so I don't know if these are just typical assholes picking on somebody out of boredom, or if these are people who truly hate your guts for some reason and are dying to a reason to finally come at you full force like they've been wanting to all along.  If that's the case, intimidating them won't make them back down, it will make them blood thirsty.  If you're being bullied by them it will be seen as a sign of disrespect as well because you're &quot;stepping out of place&quot;, so you have to be ready to deal with them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately you want to do enough to let them know you're not going to tolerate them anymore while showing enough mercy to let them know you clearly COULD do something to them if you wanted to..... but you don't... so you're not... but you will if they keep on.  They can usually see how wrong they were when you make them think about it like that.  But if you go all out and stomp the crap out of them in front of everybody and continue kicking them while they're down, they'll seek revenge and will go to whatever extreme they need to go to in order to make sure they come out on top.  So decide wisely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7813" LastActivityDate="2017-01-04T01:07:55.003" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7068" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7061" CreationDate="2017-01-04T13:03:31.327" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 50 and among my problems I count a hip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The major risk is with back techniques like &lt;strong&gt;ko-uchi-maki-komi&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;strong&gt;o-soto-otoshi&lt;/strong&gt; as uke. These two techniques may be hazardous for an uke with a weak hip who would try to avoid falling on the back, which is the case in randori. Because you bear weight on just a single leg in a bad rear position, sometimes locked, your weight plus tori's weight multiplied by speed and sincerity of his attack. You could face same risk with tani-otoshi. Anyway, it's more obvious to feel than to explain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you want to keep doing randoris I advise you to prevent these harmful techniques by shifting your center of gravity towards the front and moving using tsugi-ashi. Of course, you'll take it ippon and harai more often, but if you have good ukemis it's fun because safe for your hip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Trust in me when I daresay you can practise judo with a bad hip. I keep on fighting in shiai tournaments one sunday per month to gain points. And I know what is bad for me and how to keep on fighting in spite of an injury. That's the miracle of judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7114" LastEditorUserId="7114" LastEditDate="2017-01-07T14:43:56.547" LastActivityDate="2017-01-07T14:43:56.547" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7069" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-01-04T20:36:43.197" Score="-2" ViewCount="391" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do mixed martial arts (Jujitsu, Aikido, Judo, not too much Boxing and Iaido).&#xA;We do strike, but we don't get taught ways to strike well. I want to do another martial art that focuses on striking rather than grappling (what we spar pretty much all the time now). This is to maybe compete in the future but mainly for self improvement&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What martial art(s) will complement what I do already? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Due to a lot off people telling me to change my question (rightly so) I am going to add some info on me:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Height-5ft 11 &#xA;weight-11st&#xA;I am bigger in size than average&#xA;I have started doing calisthenics recently &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sorry for this late update, I didn't see the &quot;show more comments button&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please note, there is no Mauy Tai anywhere near me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7815" LastEditorUserId="7815" LastEditDate="2017-01-09T17:20:38.127" LastActivityDate="2017-01-09T17:20:38.127" Title="What striking oriented arts will complement wrestling/grappling MMA practice" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|striking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7070" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7069" CreationDate="2017-01-04T21:36:00.547" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is a personal opinion but I feel as though these arts, Muay Thai in particular incorporates all elements of striking. At the end of the day I don't think it matters what the style is as long as you have a good coach who know what they are talking about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there's no Muay Thai then I'd say boxing or kickboxing is your next best option. You may be able to try and self learn a few moves and then incorporate them into sparing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7816" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-01-06T09:41:38.693" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T09:41:38.693" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7071" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7037" CreationDate="2017-01-05T14:40:11.600" Score="2" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Martial arts are not the answer&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts isn't about intimidation, so MA isn't going to help in this area, I think.  However, it can be good for self-defense, but that takes time - and I'm guessing you don't have the time that MA requires to be proficient.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my advice would be to first learn what your resources are.  They are your parents, the administrators, and the police.  And don't discount your friends, either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;The pen is mightier than the sword answer…&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I assume your parents know what is going on, and they've tried to talk to the school.  I also assume the administrators have used menial means to intervene, like &quot;Stop that, or else!&quot;.  And I assume you've read your &quot;anti-bullying pamphlet&quot; which has advice and resources for you.  I assume these, because in all states, schools are required to spell out what their bullying policies are, and all students, parents, and administrators are required to know those policies.  (If you are not in the USA, I can no longer make these assumptions, but the rest of the advice may still be helpful).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If someone touches you in an inappropriate way, they've broken the law.  Your parents are now responsible for your safety outside the school; the administration is responsible for your safety inside the school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;First steps&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have spoken to your parents, and administration, and nothing was done, or nothing has changed, then you have the right to march into your local precinct, and file charges of assault and battery against the perpetrators.  This is what your parents and administrators are supposed to be doing, and if this wasn't done, someone wasn't doing their job, so you'll have to do it for them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;LEO&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The police are sometimes just as inefficient as parents and administration, and will occasionally refer you back to the administration.  If you find yourself in front of a sympathetic and proactive officer, things may look up for you.  Otherwise, any hint of going back to the school to fix things is not going to get you anywhere, you've already done that - that's why you're here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Child services&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next up is to open a child services case against the administration and perpetrators.  Yes, you read that right: you are making a claim of child abuse.  For the perpetrators, it's physical, and for the administration, it's neglect.  Both are serious accusations.  In this case, several agencies might be interested in knowing what is going on.  State law - all states - require an agent to interview the claim, like any 911 call no matter how frivolous the case may seem.  Sometimes, things are not always as they seem.  And anyway, this is how you intimidate &quot;the system&quot;.  The state agency here has many names depending on the state, DYFS is common (Division of Youth and Family Services), or CPS (Child Protection Services).  This is the agency who takes kids away from abusive parents.  They are a feared organization - more so than the IRS - but they can be a good resource for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First to want interest in your case is the Office Of Licensing.  You call them directly, and tell them you just filed an abuse claim against the administration.  Follow their instructions and let their process begin.  This department exists in various names in each state, but usually falls under the jurisdiction of the Department Of Human Services, which every state has.  They are responsible, among many things, for ensuring each school is following its own standards which allow them a license to be a school, and one of those standards is handling bullying.  Your administration does not want to tangle with this group.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next is the Office Of Civil Affairs, or something similar depending on your state.  This group handles your state's constitutionally guaranteed civil rights, and typically gets involved in cases like this with students with disabilities.  If you have an IEP or are 504'ed, or are in counseling or therapy, or if your parents or teachers THINK you might have a mental, emotional, social, or academic disability, then you meet the federal government's standard for being &quot;disabled&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are thus &quot;disabled&quot;, next on the list is ADA (www.ada.gov).  The frderal Americans with Disabilities Act is dedicated to helping people legally navigate an infrastructure that does not support people with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Legalise…&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, the legal definition of &quot;abuse&quot; is this, an example from NJ:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Abuse&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Abuse is the physical, sexual or emotional harm or risk of harm to a child under the age of 18 caused by a parent or other person who acts as a caregiver for the child.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Neglect&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Neglect occurs when a parent or caregiver fails to provide proper supervision for a child or adequate food, clothing, shelter, education or medical care although financially able or assisted to do so. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nj.gov/dcf/reporting/defining/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Source&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Check out the standards needed to successfully adjudicate an abuse case, directly from the NJ judiciary.  You'll be surprised that ignoring bullying, and bullying itself, can easily be &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/criminal/charges/abuspar.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;classified as &quot;abuse&quot;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Lawyer up.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next up is a lawyer.  If your parents are also at wit's end, they should call a lawyer.  Your lawyer will make all kinds of threats - including at the bully's parents.  They can be sued for anything - including legal fees.  If you can't afford a lawyer, go to your state's attorney general's office, and seek help for those who can't afford a lawyer.  You can also get help from the ACLU, if you are disabled.  If your parents or grandparents are members of AARP, they have access to legal teams, and might refer you to someone who can help you free of charge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You say you are at your &quot;tipping point&quot;.  This is a red flag statement.  It's actually a threat, and if you say these words to an administrator, they are required by law to notify authorities.  These and other phrases are what we administrators are taught to look for when students approach them.  The last thing anyone wants is a suicide or a school shooting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Know your rights.  You have many, and you have many remedial options.  You do not have to suffer in silence.  You also don't have to fight with a &quot;sword&quot;.  You can fight with the &quot;pen&quot;.  This is fighting with a pen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-01-06T15:39:46.673" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T15:39:46.673" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7072" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2017-01-05T14:54:12.393" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Used for all instances were bullying would be an appropriate description.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is defined as 'using superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force them to do something' (source: &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/bully&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Oxford Dictionaries&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2019-12-06T19:40:08.807" LastActivityDate="2019-12-06T19:40:08.807" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7073" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2017-01-05T14:54:12.393" Score="0" Body="For questions about bullying, defined as 'using superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force them to do something'." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2019-12-06T19:39:54.913" LastActivityDate="2019-12-06T19:39:54.913" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7074" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2017-01-05T16:25:13.560" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;ITF and WTF are a world apart when it comes to style, technique, and power. I trained ITF, then later in life joined a WTF. The instructor was always telling me I was doing it wrong, but would always use me for an example when he wanted the class to see something done right.  WTF is all show, tournament and no power, and no way to generate it. ITF is all about the self defense in real situations, and teaches you how to get the most power with the least effort. My opinion of course, but I believe the WTF teachings to be greatly inferior to the ITF.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7820" LastActivityDate="2017-01-05T16:25:13.560" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7075" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7083" CreationDate="2017-01-06T05:05:58.477" Score="0" ViewCount="1181" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a Taekwondo student. I want to learn front flip and next back flip at home. I have two quilts at home. What are the requirements to practice those flips myself. Please specify any warm up exercises and web links for that. I want expert advice because there is a risk of fracture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7693" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-01-06T16:20:29.613" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T16:20:29.613" Title="Front and back flip at home" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|training|tricking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7076" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7075" CreationDate="2017-01-06T07:34:48.050" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Advice?  Don't do it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flips are not part of any martial art - including Taekwondo.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to flip, you should seek out a good gymnastics coach, and practice on proper equipment in a proper environment with proper instruction, not on quilts in your home from advice you randomly got from the internet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Failing to do this, you run the very real risk of enjoying the rest of your life getting comic books every Christmas, and drinking your meals from a straw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I promise you: fractures are the least of your worries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T07:34:48.050" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7077" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6600" CreationDate="2017-01-06T09:16:58.060" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;After months of training in my dojo I feel confident enough to answer my question. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The the answer is simple: ossu is said only when bowing or responding to a person. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When &quot;Ossu&quot;  is said in the dojo I train:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bowing to the Sensei at beginning/end of class, before/after break,... &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Before you spar (various forms of kumite) you bow to your partner&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Acknowledging a command from the Sensei, advice about improving during class &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sensei gives trainee a reinforcement for performance or asking a good question &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When do you bow without saying &quot;Ossu&quot; in the dojo I train:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;At end of class we bow to the Shome following the tradition &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;At the beginning of execution of a Kata, we bow but not to someone in particular. This is considered to be part of the kata. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is probably no right and wrong ; there is merely a given set of rules and conventions in each d&#xA;ojo /organization /discipline.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7247" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T09:16:58.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7078" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-01-06T09:29:59.737" Score="2" ViewCount="138" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's a particularly frustrating guard for me to start passing and often if I even get close then the transition to single leg x happens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have seen a few tutorials of Mendes brothers, etc., using a leg drag on the bicep control but this is actually quite difficult to achieve in my experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some YouTube videos for reference:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_vjAIhqWSk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;De la riva spider leg drag pass&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3LtZzKwSKI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;De la riva spider knee bump to leg weave&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-Ook1kchPI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mendes brothers de la riva pass&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7823" LastEditorUserId="7823" LastEditDate="2017-01-06T11:09:14.567" LastActivityDate="2017-01-13T17:01:34.877" Title="What is the most effective way to pass dela riva spider?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7079" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6483" CreationDate="2017-01-06T09:33:39.973" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do you differentiate between anaconda guard (ashi gurami), and single leg x where the hook is behind the knee instead of on the hip like in a footlock position?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At my club we call ashi garami anaconda guard, much easier to pass this guard than the single leg x where the hook is behind the knee so it cannot be easily pushed off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7823" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T09:33:39.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7080" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7037" CreationDate="2017-01-06T10:40:53.017" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Starting with martial arts will probably give the wrong self confidence and more like into the position to get injured.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why are they bulling you anyway and not other specific people? Are there any guys they are avoiding? Try to find out why they are avoiding the other guys. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the times why bullies and other muggers are choosing a specific type of people is because of their appearance, they appear as victims, their bodylanguage, how they speak how they respond etc. Take some self defense classes instead of traditional MA, Krav-Maga or similar to understand the root of the problem. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditional MA will do the same but the process takes far longer and this is not what you are wanting right? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another way would be to find out similarities you may have with each one of tjose guys, sports, hobbies, interests etc. and simply ask the guy fo a favour to do for you in that topic, in a moment when he is seperated from the others. That can start a changing process... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case a physical action will cause a physical reaction, and most probably a law reaction too. Take this solution as a last resort!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T10:40:53.017" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7081" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1322" CreationDate="2017-01-06T11:14:48.857" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I use bridge and roll if they are over my hips but its not all that effective in my opinion. If they are very high up I elbow escape\shrimp to get my hips lower and then use either of these 2 escapes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) Turn on my side, frame the hip with both hands, push their knee wide with my bottom knee exposing their shin, hook the shin\ankle with my top leg, using elbow and the hook lift their leg and get half guard. I have been using this since white belt, its effective for getting back to half guard and I reckon your instructor should have shown this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) Shrimp hip escape and get full guard&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those are the only 2 escapes I personally use, combined together to get half or full guard. I sometimes use the bridge and roll to create some space and get onto my side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7823" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T11:14:48.857" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7082" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2745" CreationDate="2017-01-06T11:19:27.793" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Back away, with spider guard I always back away, the further back you go the harder it is for them to maintain good control with their legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7823" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T11:19:27.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7083" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7075" CreationDate="2017-01-06T14:16:29.497" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll first disagree with Wigwam about flips not being a part of any martial art. Capoeira and some forms of Wu Shu include acrobatic flips as part of their repertoire (primarily to show off and to intimidate opponents). There are Jujitsu and Aikido &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; that involve flips to react to a throw or joint locks. And lastly, learning how to do flips improves your air awareness, which can be an asset when you lose your footing, whether it's due to a throw, a trip, or simply slipping. In general, in such cases, you're not going to land on your feet, but if you're used to shifting your weight in mid-air, you're less likely to land on your head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to how to learn flips, you can find any number of tutorials on Youtube. I personally have found &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTBjtACFlDmd-g6Gtva9biQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;pigmie&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/NickProvost7&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nick Provost&lt;/a&gt; to give good progressions on how to get into it. pigmie has more videos going into details, such as how to overcome your fears, how to improve technique, and some tricks for using mattresses to make it a bit safer, but you also have to endure his short commercial tags for his bodyweight exercise system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Frankly, your best bet is to learn from a professional in a proper gymnastics setting with the springy floors, mats, and all of that. Failing that, the next best is to have at least two good friends to help you through the flip if you freeze up. One can work, but it's more likely to unbalance you sideways. Past that, learning the flip off of a diving board or on a trampoline isn't a bad way to get over the fear of a bad landing, but may get you into some bad habits regarding landings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The basic progression for a back flip:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learn the jump. Go into a crouch, knees bent at about 90 degree angle. Straighten your legs and jump straight up, swinging your arms up into the air and just past your ears (basically straight up). Do this multiple times until you feel that you're getting a decent amount of height and have a good sense of where the peak of your jump is.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learn to tuck. A lot of people start this one on the ground, lying on their back, practicing going from straight to bringing their knees up to their chest and wrapping them with their arms. This needs to be a quick motion. Knees go up to the chest, not head to the knees. Once you feel comfortable, do a couple jump tucks, same technique for jumping as before, but practice bringing your knees up and having them fully tucked at the apex of your jump. During this tuck, you may need to do a bit of bringing your head to your knees, just to avoid doing the flip early. Doing this on a soft surface, and with friends spotting you, is a good idea.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Flip. This is where you definitely want either to be doing this in a pool, on a trampoline, and/or with spotters. As before, you go into a jump-tuck, but focus on bringing your knees over your head, looking back slightly. Your body should naturally go up and rotate. Keep your eyes open and when you see the ground, untuck for the landing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's really that simple, for good or ill. A front flip is essentially the same thing, but the tuck involves bringing your chest to your knees instead of knees to chest, and your head goes forward, still spotting the ground for when to untuck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T14:16:29.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7084" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7098" CreationDate="2017-01-06T15:50:39.260" Score="4" ViewCount="229" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am currently leading the Martial Arts club at my university (mostly Jing-Wu Kung-Fu training). Since it is difficult to get a regular group, I am thinking whether I should stick to basic Kung-Fu exercises (that people find not so interesting, and they don't understand their value, but will help build their foundations), or change to new exercises (which might raise their interest, but they will not be skilled enough to do the exercise properly). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I usually do a mixture of both, however I am more interested in the philosophy of such exercises. Maybe a certified trainer could help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We usually train twice a week, but since everyone has a lot of academics to handle, a regular group of people is not yet formed. I am not a certified instructor, we just gather for fun but I would like to make the most out of our time (exercise-wise).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7416" LastActivityDate="2017-01-10T08:15:37.747" Title="Repetition or new exercises while leading a Martial Arts club in a University?" Tags="|training|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7085" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7084" CreationDate="2017-01-06T16:02:52.280" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would continue to do both. But make sure you explain why the boring stuff is essential to the interesting stuff. It should be all linked so that you can explain the more complex techniques via the basic exercises: this is how systems are built form the simple to the complex. Your teaching time should be to the point, illustrative (funny at times), and as short as possible. The latter is very important: keep your babbling to a minimum. Movement is best learn by mimicking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is as well better to do the complex things slowly to make sure you can do it. Nothing wrong with taking your time. The speed comes from all those basic exercises which suddenly do not seem boring at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I always say to new comers that the secrets of Aikido are all revealed in the first twenty minutes of a two hours class. But that it takes years to finally get that it is important. ☺&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Outside of the class, build social activities around the groups. Newbies mostly stick to groups not because of the art, but because of the people. Meet in a pub afterwards, go for meals, go see the latest martial arts movie together,  etc… That is what tends to keep groups alive and running. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Thanks to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/6440/philip-kl%c3%b6cking&quot;&gt;Philip Klöcking&lt;/a&gt; for very helpful comments about teaching times and socialising which were added with to this answer with his consent.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2017-01-10T08:15:37.747" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7086" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7053" CreationDate="2017-01-06T16:43:28.557" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does it have to be only one? I have had multiple ones and each of them taught me a part of their reality. They both have been part of your life and your training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Plus, I believe this lineage is different in modern times since practicing Martial Arts is not only limited to a selected few. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7416" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T16:43:28.557" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7087" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7053" CreationDate="2017-01-06T18:09:39.257" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are at least two ways people think about lineage:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Student considers teacher to have contributed significantly to their development. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Teacher considers student to have reached competent level of proficiency and be representative of system. Students must graduate to be in lineage. Traditionally, a student's acceptance into a lineage was a formal process, possibly with an issued certificate. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Case studies (these terms are my own and are for illustrative purposes rather than a complete classification):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;successor&lt;/strong&gt; Both senses of lineage apply. Successor is too strong a term for the general case where both senses apply, but I can't think of an existing term for the general case. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;dilettante&lt;/strong&gt; Student thinks they are in teacher's lineage, but the teacher does not consider the student sufficiently advanced to be in their lineage. Other less derogatory terms, including simply student, also apply. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;renouncer&lt;/strong&gt; Student graduated from teacher, but student thinks they  have learned much more important skills later from others. Teacher claims importance of their teachings. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;mixed-martial-artist&lt;/strong&gt; In the original sense of this term, this meant a student studied multiple martial arts systems and became proficient in more than one. This places the student in multiple teacher's lineages. Nowadays, it may actually refer to a particular martial art system learned from one teacher. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you can see, lineage is not a simple concept. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based on your question, I think you have had three teachers from two distinct lineages. Based on the information you have provided, you could be in the lineage of any subset of those three teachers, depending on what definition of lineage you are using. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T18:09:39.257" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7088" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4773" CreationDate="2017-01-06T23:26:39.063" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Mandarin, &quot;hao&quot; means &quot;good&quot;, and is used as a greeting. (As in &quot;ni hao&quot;. &quot;Ni&quot; means &quot;you&quot;, but can also be replaced by a title, in this case Shifu.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The end of class phrase is probably &quot;shi fu xin ku le&quot;. Literally, it means that Shifu has worked hard, but the implication is that you are thanking them for their hard work. &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://chinese.yabla.com/chinese-english-pinyin-dictionary.php?define=xin+ku&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://chinese.yabla.com/chinese-english-pinyin-dictionary.php?define=xin+ku&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7811" LastActivityDate="2017-01-06T23:26:39.063" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7089" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1342" CreationDate="2017-01-07T11:12:08.113" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Its less biased to study CCTV than MMA for scientific results, because MMA involves many moments where wrestling is stopped at the end of rounds and players are even stood up from wrestling to encourage a knock out, especially in endurance wrestling when they are tired. MMA is also semi nude with lower hand agility due to gloves, when clothes facilitate wrestling and takedowns. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fighters are trained in knock outs and kicks which also makes a standing knock out more likely than in ordinary humans. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;MMA is a good source of statistics, if you search for MMA statistics there are many images:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;many knock outs happen while wresting on the ground or against a wall&lt;/em&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/thYAc.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/thYAc.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/PJPvj.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/PJPvj.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most submission involve breathing and neck strain, the other 20-30 percent are arm and leg submissions.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my experience, 90 percent of MMA fights involve one player attempting to overpower and surmount the other by wrestling, and less than 5 percent of fights have two strikers, neither of whom attempt to wrestle. That is why 50 percent of fighting time is on the ground, actually 75 percent of them involve considerable incidents wrestling contests with both players grounded, and 95 percent of bouts have serious attempts of manhandling to topple over the other contestant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7826" LastEditorUserId="7826" LastEditDate="2017-01-07T11:22:19.810" LastActivityDate="2017-01-07T11:22:19.810" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7090" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2017-01-07T16:06:18.797" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all I want to make myself clear that I a not intending to hurt anyone's feelings or trying to prove one is better than the other. Myself 32 years old. Black belt Karate. Black belt judo. Wing chun kung fu 1 year, free style wrestling 1 year and Boxing experience in amature league for 2 years. And currently studying an ancient Indian martial arts knows as kalaripayattu (said to be the mother of modern shaolin kung fu). Weight training experience 2 years. Profession: teacher in Engineering. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;OK to get to the point. &#xA;Human anatomy:&#xA;1. Upper body: built for speed and skill&#xA;2. Lower body: built for strength and power. &#xA;3. Core: to join and balance the functions between upper and lower bodies. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Two types of fighting needs:&#xA;1. Sportive fighting: mma, boxing, wrestling, King fu, kick boxing, bjj, muay Thai, judo etc. Requires skill, speed, stamina and strength. &#xA;2. Street fight or self defence: purpose is survival. 90% psychological and 10% physical. Requires the will to fight dirty and survive. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since weight training is either to develop strength, power, muscle mass, it comes under the category of sportive fighting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Power and strength: depends solely on neuromuscular activity which means the nervous system. Examples to develop such attributes are regular skill practice, such as sparring with partner, or punching and kicking heavy bags. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muscle mass: weight training helps a lot. Which in turn does help to develop power and strength to an extent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muscles required to generate power from the ground (as power is generated from the ground): calves, quads, hips. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muscles required to transfer the power: core (abs, obliques and erectors) and lats&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please note power generation and power transmission are totally different functions. Power generation requires muscle mass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Forearms: required to block attacks, to strike, to deflect an attack and used in pulling sports such as bjj and wrestling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Biceps: required in pulling sports such as bjj and wrestling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Calves, quads and hips: required in lifting and throwing opponents: examples are wrestling, judo. They are also used in generate power in punches and kicks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gutt muscles: balance entire body movements. Requires strength and mass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Triceps: power delivery during punching. And also for pushing during grappling. Does not depend on mass. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Core: purely depends on twisting it for power transfer from lower to upper body. Does not depend on mass. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lats: punch recovery and transferring of power. Does not depend on mass. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shoulders: requires muscular endurance for punching so that your arms don't give out..dies not depend on mass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Exercises I do for my martial arts other than fighting skill training:&#xA;1. Sprinting/Burpee &#xA;2. Shoulder width push up &#xA;3. Shoulder width Pull ups&#xA;4. Barbell back Squats with Calf raise: legs slightly wider than shoulder width. Targeting Calf, quads, hams, gutts,  abs, obliques and hips&#xA;5. Rotary cuff training with light weight dumbbells to prevent injury during punching. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus the only weight training I think might help for martial arts is barbell back Squats with Calf raise.&#xA;        Make sure not to lift more than a bit higher than your body weight as you will be fighting in your specified weight division. Example if you weight 80kg you need not lift more than 90kg.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Body weight exercises: 2 sets with max reps&#xA;Barbell Squats with Calf raise: 3 sets with 10 reps, until the weights reach just above your body weight. Then you go for 2 sets and max reps &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The weight training I think might be useful for daily life is Farmers walk with medium weight. It's full body strength training exercise along with cardiovascular effects. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you find my post useful I am glad I could help. If not am really sorry for ur time :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7828" LastEditorUserId="7828" LastEditDate="2017-01-07T17:25:55.333" LastActivityDate="2017-01-07T17:25:55.333" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7091" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7217" CreationDate="2017-01-08T06:45:42.490" Score="7" ViewCount="304" Body="&lt;p&gt;So, I finally own my own &lt;em&gt;berimbau&lt;/em&gt;. I have successfully unstrung and restrung it a few times (although I'm still getting the hang of stringing it tightly enough). I've got a question though on how to handle it unstrung. Should I leave the &lt;em&gt;arame&lt;/em&gt; (the string) hanging loose? Should I wrap it loosely around the &lt;em&gt;verga&lt;/em&gt; (the main rod)? Loop it more tightly so that it's flush?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-12-13T19:32:27.517" LastActivityDate="2017-12-13T19:32:27.517" Title="How do I store an unstrung berimbau?" Tags="|equipment|capoeira|music|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7092" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7095" CreationDate="2017-01-08T14:15:47.627" Score="2" ViewCount="3037" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had sciatica before and had to have operation for it; I have since recovered and have been going to the gym regularly (e.g. running, chin up, back extension machine). I am now interested to learn Krav Maga since it teaches one with practical self-defence within a relatively short time frame.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I was being rejected by one instructor, since apparently there are slamming, jumping, landing and twisting. I asked if I can skip the slamming moves, which are the only ones I think I am unable to do, but she replied that it would not be fair to my practise partner, which is fair enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is, is there anyway at all I can practise Krav Maga? If not, could anyone recommend another martial art that can achieve similar things as Krav Maga please?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many thanks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7829" LastActivityDate="2017-01-08T23:49:22.143" Title="Can I learn Krav Maga with a prior back injury?" Tags="|injury|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7093" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7092" CreationDate="2017-01-08T14:29:29.810" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=124029&amp;amp;p=2845598&amp;amp;viewfull=1#post2845598&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;All there is to say about 'Krav Maga' as a modern 'art' (as an independent system instead of a label) in one post/thread&lt;/a&gt;. Also, there is no such thing as &quot;practical self-defence within a relatively short time&quot;. From that post:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;So, if a student can pick the bits of gold out of the pile of poo [that nowadays is taught under the name of Krav Maga], they will be well served. Or, they can go do judo and boxing, which provide almost universally effective skills, and take a few seminars on SD to underscore awareness, evasion, escape, deescalation, legalities mindset, etc, and not have to worry if they've learned anything useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Caveat: As practical self-defence training involves full-resistant full-contact if it wants to prepare for the things you have to face in case in any way, I render it impossible to achieve remotely reliable self-defence capabilities through martial arts for you - at least before doing a considerable amount of supplemental training, see my comment (referring to Judo on both receiving and executing side) below.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, you may learn some strikes. You may learn some blocks. Kicks, depending on the nature of your injury, may already put too much stress on the back. You even may learn throws if the teacher and partners organise accordingly. But without having trained all this under a stressful, potentially (hopefully not actually) harmful situation against one or more opponents that go full out - these skillsets will probably fail you in the situation you need them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many other possibilities of self-defence though, like seminars for awareness and the all-time winner - running. If you are aware of the situation and can outrun aggressors, you are safe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any other case, a bad back (or knives/guns on the aggressor's side) will put you in a bad situation anyways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disclaimer regarding the introduction:&lt;/strong&gt; There are good Krav Maga teachers out there, but especially as someone without experience, it is hard to tell the difference. Even in Judo/Boxing there are really, really bad teachers. It's just that it is really easy to call yourself certified Krav Maga teacher in one of the quadrizillion organisations out there and it is a hype that is advertised and where people know it is money to make there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2017-01-08T23:49:22.143" LastActivityDate="2017-01-08T23:49:22.143" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7094" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7092" CreationDate="2017-01-08T16:01:55.113" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is important to understand that for any given civilian to need to use a fighting method is extremely rare.  'Self defence' can be achieve by avoiding situations where there are likely to be hostile people, by talking to the potential attacker and by running away.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are a civilian defending yourself somewhere with no CCTV footage this could get you in a lot of trouble.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you are going to learn to fight in a self defence context you need to be able to scale your technique to be an appropriate level of force to the situation at hand.  This is not a strong point of the techniques taught in krav maga. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga is a system designed to be part of the training of soldiers.  In particular it is designed to be taught to Israeli &lt;em&gt;Conscripts&lt;/em&gt;.  It is not geared towards those who want to defend themselves in civilian situations.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A soldier is always armed when on the battlefield.  His opponents are also always armed.  Most importantly a soldier is always trying to actually kill his opponent.  This can be the case for a civilian altercation if you live in america for example but if so why use anything other than your gun?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition a soldier has to be physically fit anyway to get into the army (even as a conscript).  Krav Maga assumes a certain level of fitness for this reason.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga techniques are fit for purpose in that they teach soldiers to react in an aggressive manner when threatened.  They teach to get into a position where you can kill the enemy (often) with a weapon.  This is not the goal in a self defence situation.  If you are a civilian you want to get away not kill the opponent.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For this reason Self Defence is not a particularly rational reason for wanting to learn a martial art.  Further, if you are at all likely to injure yourself in your training or in competitions then claiming you train for self defence is completely irrational.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lets suppose though that you do want to learn to fight in a way suitable for civilian self defence.  You just want to improve your odds of survival in the event of a particularly unlikely thing happening.  Why would you want to learn a method intended to make you both aggressive and lethal and which will risk injury because of throws?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The attitude of the instructor you spoke to says it all.  She was not interested in helping you learn to defend yourself or anything else.  She just wants her students to feel tough.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To summarise I recommend you find a style in which to train where you can learn basic escapes, dodges and blocks without fear of injury.  You won't be doing yourself any favours if you get injured while training.  That completely defeats the objective of 'self defence' for anyone regardless of physical fitness.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2017-01-08T16:01:55.113" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7095" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7092" CreationDate="2017-01-08T18:45:53.560" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most self defense and martial arts instructors do not have sufficient medical knowledge to analyze what is safe or unsafe for your condition - in this case, the instructor is erring on caution, which is completely reasonable.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, you'll want to talk to a physical therapist or sports medicine specialist who can look at your medical records and make a good assessment of what movements and training would be safe or unsafe for you.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That will provide you with necessary information for yourself, but also allow you to talk to instructors of whatever you decide to get into, and have them make informed decisions about how to best instruct you.  (which may also include, &quot;I will not alter my training regime, go elsewhere&quot; or &quot;I'm not skilled enough to adapt it accordingly.&quot; but at least it will be an informed statement at that point.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-01-08T18:45:53.560" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7097" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7084" CreationDate="2017-01-09T10:34:29.290" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Both is a good idea. I want to expand on Sardathrion's answer by suggesting, that if time allows, look at doing a selection of basic exercises that culminate in the interesting within the training session.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Within the context of aikido this would be 3-4 basic movements that, when put together, make the basis of a technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6415" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-01-09T10:54:00.327" LastActivityDate="2017-01-09T10:54:00.327" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7098" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7084" CreationDate="2017-01-09T22:43:05.877" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ok, what I think you need cannot be expressed purely in comments, so I have to write an answer...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Regarding the main question&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First of all, both is important. As long as you have the feeling they (or some/most of them) lack foundations, you have to train foundations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In training science, it is common knowledge that if you have mistakes in your foundational skills, you have to unlearn and relearn the whole technique. That's painful, it is boring, but it is important, because the patterns otherwise only go deeper into habit and the mistakes become even harder to get rid of. A good argument can therefore be &amp;quot;If you don't do it now, it only gets harder.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Normally, the idea is that you lay good foundations and then &lt;em&gt;step by step&lt;/em&gt; add elements to it, may it be speed, resistance, combinations, partner's movement, etc. By that, you train, deepen and embed the foundations as well. Variability does not necessarily mean that you train different things - you may just as well think of different ways, e.g. with the help of using a movement as part of a game, or by using balls or weights. They must not even recognise it as training the exact same thing. Be inventive!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;That means as far as possible, stick to repetition through new exercises!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But as this has limits, you will have to deal with the problem of people getting bored or annoyed by certain basic stuff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;How to deal with that&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Two thoughts on that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Especially when only training once or twice a week due to time&#xA;constraints, an intermediate or advanced would not feel good when&#xA;doing just the same stuff as a beginner. My solution always has been&#xA;to show the beginners basic stuff, concentrate on only the most important points, let them start, and show some more elaborate stuff for the others. This does not have to be a totally&#xA;different technique, just e.g. more details and explanations irrelevant for learning a first crude idea of a technique, i.e. more sophisticated points to look at. Or higher speed. Or more&#xA;movement involved. Having to be attentive to other points basically makes it a new exercise.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It is always highly problematic telling an intermediate or advanced that they do something badly or plainout wrong. Especially when they have a higher grade or can simply beat you up easily because of their strength/weight/attitude/whatever.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The latter point can be dealt with in different ways. One way for me has always been playing the dumbass. Like &amp;quot;Oh I thought this and that would be better, because of X?&amp;quot; Obviously works some times, but cannot be the only means. The best method turned out to be thinking of ways to validate my point. Like, when you have the feeling that a certain way would be better, let them train it, correct them, and have something at hand to test the success/difference. This may be a partner saying it had much more power, it may be a sandbag swinging much more, in the case of throws in Judo it was throwing someone the first time with ease instead of using strength, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That way, it is not you telling them something they might simply reject, it is reality telling them you are right. And it deepens the trust in your abilities. And it enables them to see progress. I use this method for all my students, from four year-old white belts adoring you just because you care to over forty year-old black belts highly sceptical and probably grown up in basically a different art. And it works for all of them, because it is something defining their reality that cannot be ignored.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Main problem: Experience&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, to keep a group running, in 99.9% (the rest being high level competitors) it does not have to offer high quality training (though it helps), it has to be fun with cool people. It has to be a diverse training, it has to include some socials. Think of how you could train certain things you want to see conceiled as a game or partnerwork. Think of and organise socials. This it what keeps people coming. Uniform drills do not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second thing is you yourself. There is nothing wrong in feeling insecure in front of higher graded or stronger people or a bunch of kids. It is normal. And the confidence is something that comes with time teaching, with experiencing and coping with a great variety of problems of all sorts. If I would be asked to train a high level competition Judo team for one lesson in some days, I would shit my pants. I never did this. I know what to do, I know what to look for, but I would feel insecure as this isn't something I've done before. Give yourself time to become experienced. If you know many ways to train each technique and have seen almost every possible mistake and learned ways to deal with them (individually, not every solution works for everyone!), you become way more relaxed and develop an aura of confidence automatically. Sometimes I get told I have to lead the session the moment I arrive - and can make up interesting sessions for the group within minutes. That's not magic, that's experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should really write down what you want to achieve, what is important for each technique (and level of experience ;) ), and a detailed plan for each session, if possible several weeks ahead. You will also have time to make up new methods of training. You will be able to think about what and how to say it. And you know how long you will train it (rule of thumb: about five, never more than ten minutes the same exact thing with the same partner - forms excluded). That way, you have something to test against reality and become more realistic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Speaking of becoming more realistic, another part of getting experienced is how to set the bar. By this I mean that I always had very high expectations. Working with children and understanding limits of learning helped me lowering them. I guess one hard lesson every instructor has to learn is that most students do never achieve a high standard, especially not with 1-2 sessions a week. If the worst mistakes are out of the way, it is an achievement until middle grades. Tell them each time you see something getting better, only correct one mistake at a time (worst first!), and praise individually (&lt;strong&gt;I cannot stress this sentence enough!&lt;/strong&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, it helps to widen your horizon if time allows. Attend seminars and trainings of other groups. Look into how they do things. It enables you to gain confidence about how it is right to be done over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2017-01-10T00:40:22.877" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7099" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7084" CreationDate="2017-01-09T23:31:32.480" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The folks I train with are often sporadic, we're only getting to meet once or twice a month.  So, I try to operate on &quot;branching exercises&quot; - or starting with a core idea and showing a few things that build off of it in different ways. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The core idea ends up being the fundamental we work on the most during the training session, while the branching variations become the variety that entertain people, even though for most people only 2-3 of those will stick with them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This also changes people's sense of accomplishment - if I only remember 4 moves out of 28 move set, it feels very hard and intimidating, I haven't accomplished &quot;one thing&quot;.  If I remember 3 combos of 3 moves each, which all start on the same 1-2 moves, I feel like I've learned 3 discrete chunks. (even if there's 5 other variations I can't remember at all...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The nice thing is that when you next train together, you can see what parts stuck well with them and work from there.  It helps you see what things are easier for the group you're working with to understand, which in turn, helps you teach them the next part easier as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, if part of what you're trying to do is train up some conditioning (such as a low stance), you can set up all of your variations from a core of a low stance step or movement and put a drill or two that directly uses that movement. This allows people to focus externally on &quot;doing something&quot; rather than just focusing on the experience of conditioning or basic training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-01-09T23:31:32.480" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7100" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7084" CreationDate="2017-01-09T23:52:04.947" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;The Conflict&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The basic conflict is between two things: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fundamental exercises are the foundation for long-term development. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Students can get bored or otherwise lose motivation, and leave/quit. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There may also be business considerations. In a university setting, this may be availability of practice space based on head count. In a normal martial arts school situation, this is tuition. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is not a new problem. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Teaching Approaches&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are two extreme instructor approaches:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Force students to do fundamental exercises until they are ready to move on. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pro&lt;/strong&gt;: This minimizes the student's time to fighting proficiency and maximizes the instructor's time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Con&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;For this approach to work, there needs to be strong motivation on the part of the student (there are numerous stories of feats of discipline required for students to be accepted by teachers) and faith that the instructor's teaching abilities will lead to skill. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The instructor must also be able and willing to evaluate when the student is ready to progress. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It can be very difficult to mix beginners with non-beginners. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Show students more than they are really prepared for. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pro&lt;/strong&gt;: Maintains student interest. Students get a taste of the finished product before reaching it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Con&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Students may overestimate their abilities and never invest the necessary time in fundamentals to achieve proficiency/mastery. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It takes extra time for the body to catch up to where the mind thinks it is. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are of course hybrid approaches. Some material may still need strict prerequisites, while other material may not. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;General Philosophy&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is the teacher's responsibility to lead the student and show them the right doors to go through. It is the student's responsibility to go through them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not all students will succeed/excel. It's the teacher's job to provide students with the correct framework, but ultimately the students must put in the work (kung fu). This applies regardless of the specific teaching approach. The tragedy is the students who put in hard work into a shoddy framework and come away with nothing useful. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Adapt&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I met one well-respected kung fu teacher who was born and trained in Asia, who learned under the fundamentals-first approach. Upon relocating to the United States, this teacher felt students were not willing to endure this same approach, and adapted to teaching more advanced material without requiring the same mastery of the fundamentals. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can only train the students you have, not the ones you wish you had. In the era of electronics, I think the fundamentals-only approach is unrealistic due to shortened attention spans and the total duration of training in martial arts. Emphasize fundamentals as much as you can, but accept that you may need to adjust to each student's attitude. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-01-09T23:52:04.947" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7101" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7102" CreationDate="2017-01-10T08:18:12.033" Score="2" ViewCount="206" Body="&lt;p&gt;I trained for a few years in one school, but have since moved away and have been looking for a new place to train (most likely in a different style). I know that there will always be differences in techniques with different instructors, whether it's a different style or not. Is it disrespectful to ask about why they do a technique a certain way, or to note the difference in the way I was taught at my old school? I don't want it to come across like I am questioning the way they do things -- I'm mainly curious about the pros and cons of each approach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7811" LastActivityDate="2017-01-10T17:23:14.080" Title="Switching schools/styles - Is it disrespectful to ask about differences in technique?" Tags="|etiquette|social|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7102" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7101" CreationDate="2017-01-10T15:39:45.540" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It should be fine to ask why techniques are performed in a particular way. Good practitioners understand why and do more than blindly follow what they have been taught. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good teachers will be able to tell you why. A poor answer is something like, &quot;our style has always done it this way&quot;. Keep in mind you may not have sufficient experience to understand the answer. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Asking why a technique is done a certain way is not the same as asking why style A does something differently from style B. The A v. B question requires knowledge of both A and B. If the teacher does not know both A and B, it is not realistic for them to contrast the two. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-01-10T15:39:45.540" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7103" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7101" CreationDate="2017-01-10T17:23:14.080" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some instructors love to contrast and compare, and some instructors consider it highly disrespectful.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is an old school mentality from some of the more traditional styles which treat it almost like a religion - mentioning anyone else is considered insulting (&quot;If you want to know more about what they teach, why are you here then?&quot;).  I don't find that a particularly healthy space to learn in, but that's how some schools operate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also schools or instructors who love these comparisons because it allows them to point out the context or conditions that shape their art vs. others, or why they consider a particular technique or strategy superior, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even in those schools though, you have students who take up a lot of class time by ALWAYS asking questions of that sort, in which case, it can be simply disrespectful all around, because it disrupts the flow of class, and, in some cases, can be &quot;justify every little detail before I will try anything out and find out for myself&quot; which... is not how useful learning operates.  If you have a lot of comparison questions, they're best kept to after class, or quite honestly, to getting a private training session (people's time is worth money...).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-01-10T17:23:14.080" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7104" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-01-12T09:17:11.217" Score="6" ViewCount="1291" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it simply like learning two different languages at the same time? If so will it be easier to differentiate if the two styles are very different? For example, Kyokushin Karate and Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7840" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-01-12T10:35:24.977" LastActivityDate="2017-01-13T17:46:51.500" Title="Starting two or more different martial arts at the same time" Tags="|karate|judo|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7105" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7104" CreationDate="2017-01-12T10:07:43.673" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;It generally takes two/three classes per week (so four/six hours?) to progress in a martial art. Doing two arts, you will need that in both. Three arts brings you to around fifteen hours! That is a lot to fit in a normal day with work and social activities around it. In addition, unless you are really fit, your body will not cope with the strain of that amount of exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mental space is a little different but the more similar the arts, the more confusion will creep in. So, you might spend time being confused.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would pick on, get to first dan (or whatever &quot;I know the basics&quot; is in that art) before picking a new one. Although, the more arts you &quot;know&quot; does not make you good at any of them:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I fear not the man who has practised 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practised one kick 10,000 times. -- &lt;strong&gt;Bruce Lee&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2017-01-12T10:07:43.673" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7106" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7104" CreationDate="2017-01-13T12:03:20.667" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;When you approach an opponent in Kyokushin you have no choice but strike because they have no throws. You might feel yourself uncomfortable after learning some judo throws because Kyokushin allows an opponent came closer than usual and you are not allowed to throw him but only strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user7226" LastActivityDate="2017-01-13T12:03:20.667" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7107" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7078" CreationDate="2017-01-13T17:01:34.877" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a BJJ coach and run bjjtech.com and covered this question over there. Here it is: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Setup: The Initial Situation&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;You are standing inside his de la riva guard. He is setting up any variation of the De la Riva guard where his leg is wrapped around your lead leg. This might include him also gripping your sleeve and applying pressure to your rear leg with his other foot. Much of this technique applies to gi only, but can be adapted for no-gi. In this example, his left leg is wrapped around your right lead leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Steps&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Grab the end of his left pant leg with your left hand. You will be reaching slightly under your right thigh to reach this. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Quickly turn your hips, pivoting on your right foot, spinning your left leg behind you. While you are turning your back to him, you will maintain control of his right leg and land tight around his left thigh. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Immediately and strongly clamp your left thigh on his left leg above his knee. Your right foot should be planted inside his left thigh and should be touching your left thigh. This will ensure you are as tight as possible. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Grab his belt or the top of his pants with your right hand. This will maintain control of him as you kneebar him and will help prevent him from improving position momentarily.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lie to your left and extend the kneebar&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More detail&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;Here's &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bjjtech.com/tech/358&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a link to the full technique on bjjtech.com&lt;/a&gt;.&#xA;And &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qrdL2CPyuw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a link to the embedded YouTube video&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7524" LastActivityDate="2017-01-13T17:01:34.877" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7108" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7104" CreationDate="2017-01-13T17:46:51.500" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's a big commitment to put sufficient time and effort into just one martial art to really get good and advance quickly. Most people who start a single martial art only stick to it for a few months. Biting off more than you can chew is probably not a recipe for success. Training in two martial arts is twice the effort, and if both are intense high-contact styles (as both Judo and Kyokushin are), that may be a cheque your body isn't prepared to cash. (You did say &quot;starting&quot;... it's a somewhat different story to already be proficient in one art and add another that complements it.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the reason you are contemplating this is that you are after particular aspects of both, it may be wise to consider finding a single martial art that combines whatever aspects you like about the two you are considering. One example (but not the only one) is Hapkido, which very roughly speaking combines the strikes and kicks of Karate/Taekwondo with the throws and falls of Judo, and also a lot of joint locks, escapes from holds, etc. Sometimes you can also find schools that combine Jiujitsu and boxing, if what you're after is to get skills in both grappling and striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="698" LastActivityDate="2017-01-13T17:46:51.500" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7109" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7111" CreationDate="2017-01-13T21:41:16.583" Score="6" ViewCount="1023" Body="&lt;p&gt;I used to train kickboxing for about a year. Recently my eye doctor told me I may be susceptible to retinal detachment and advised against training. I will still be working a bag from time to time, but I would like to try something new.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sadly, I have no idea what to choose. I'm not a big fan of ground fighting, so I would rather stay away from stuff like BJJ, Sambo, etc&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are my choices? I'm considering Yoshinkan Aikido and Hapkido, though the latter may be just as bad for my eyes as kickboxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7849" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-01-16T09:06:13.873" LastActivityDate="2020-11-03T04:48:39.627" Title="Martial arts based on throws" Tags="|health|throwing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7111" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7109" CreationDate="2017-01-14T17:26:29.763" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The main risk for a detached retina is head impact, not necessarily eye impact. Although, yes, you want to avoid getting punched, kicked, or poked in the eyes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although it does put an emphasis on falling safely and gently, Aikido still results in high impact forces hitting the ground. This is especially true with a technique like irimi nage which requires a back breakfall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously this rules out Judo as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ground grappling arts like Brazilian Jiujitsu use the head like a 5th appendage, subject to sometimes high impact forces including accidental strikes as your opponent is struggling against you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo generally practices without any head contact whatsoever. They often just &quot;show&quot; kicks and punches to the head. But there's still a risk of accidental strikes. Even wearing whole head padded sparring gear won't prevent sudden impact forces.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun also doesn't do a lot of contact to the head in practice anyway. They sometimes spar, and that's where you have to exercise caution. You tell your sparring partner to only &quot;show&quot; to the face, no contact there. And no throws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could look into escrima / kali. So long as you're doing stickfighting, there's almost no head contact, except for accidental strikes. Since the sticks don't carry much mass, a stray hit to the head with a stick probably won't result in high impact force. But you would need to wear safety goggles to prevent getting a stick in your eye by accident.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might try other weapons styles besides escrima, such as kendo, iaido, and fencing. These don't generally result in any head impact. Kendo has full, solid head gear that takes most of the impact really well. Fencing has no mass behind it, making it unlikely anything could affect your retina (but wear safety goggles). Iaido is completely non-contact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And lastly, there's always non-contact / performance-based martial arts. For example, Contemporary Wushu Kung-fu. Wushu is very challenging, requiring a high level of refinement over time. It's also very cool to look at and to do. Just watch out for the g-forces as your spin your head around. And make sure you don't fall from a botched air technique such as the butterfly-twist or an aerial.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can try traditional forms of kung-fu that don't do sparring, also. You'll have to look around where you are to figure out who does what.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately there's going to be risk in anything you decide to do. Even if you decided to do a sport like Tennis. There's still a risk. You just have to be mindful of what you're doing and prevent / avoid anything that might cause problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to consider is retina surgery. From what I gather, this involves shining a laser at your retina, and it kind of welds your loose or detached retina to your eyeball. It's done when your retina detaches or tears. But I speculate (I don't know) that they might also do it as a preventative measure. It's something to discuss with your doctor. And definitely get a second opinion if you're considering surgery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the very least, it's good to know that a detached retina usually can be fixed with surgery, if it happens to you. You just have to make sure you see your doctor immediately if anything changes about your vision, even a little change.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2017-01-15T02:30:59.417" LastActivityDate="2017-01-15T02:30:59.417" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7114" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-01-15T11:54:06.280" Score="-2" ViewCount="946" Body="&lt;p&gt;For many people who take up martial arts, self defence is one of the main reasons.  However actual cases of physical assault (&quot;violence with injury&quot;) as recorded by the police can be relatively rare depending on the region. For example 13 per 1000 people in June 2015 - June 2016 in England and Wales:&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingjune2016#how-have-trends-for-individual-crime-types-changed&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Crime in England and Wales: year ending June 2016&lt;/a&gt; (table 1.a)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Injuries from sport on the other hand are common.  For example rugby: 130 per 1000 people in one season (year).  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-33478629&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;BBC report on injuries in sport&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my question is:  what is the chance of being injured doing a specific martial art?  Say Krav Maga for example (a popular art often chosen for self defence reasons).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any styles where the chances of being injured are actually lower than the chances of being a victim of physical assault?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Prevalance drops to 0.9% when accounting for repeat victimisation (table 1.b).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-21T09:19:51.007" LastActivityDate="2019-09-26T17:13:32.353" Title="For what martial arts is the chance of being injured while training less than the chance of being injured by assault?" Tags="|self-defense|style|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7115" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7114" CreationDate="2017-01-15T13:18:41.523" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Even the flippant, non-contact, self-defense training of running carries serious risks of injury. Injury rates for runners in a year are estimated to be &gt;30%. See the abstracts of:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.fas.harvard.edu/~skeleton/pdfs/2012b.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Foot Strike and Injury Rates in Endurance Runners: A Retrospective Study&lt;/a&gt; (2012)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1439399&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Running injuries. A review of the epidemiological literature.&lt;/a&gt; (1992)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-21T09:17:09.043" LastActivityDate="2019-09-21T09:17:09.043" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7117" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7114" CreationDate="2017-01-15T15:08:18.060" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/9/3/136.full.pdf+html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This Study&lt;/a&gt; Shows values for Judo and Boxing in terms of man hours.&#xA;  If someone is training say 4 hours a week.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This would be 4*52=204 hours a year.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1.4*204 hours *1000 people/10,000 people hours = 28.56 injuries for every 1000 people for boxing&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;OR for Judo: 1.6*204 hours *1000 people/10,000 people hours = 32.64 injuries for every 1000 people.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;IE. you are about twice as likely to get injured if you do 4 hours of judo or boxing each week as you are to suffer an injury from an assault if you are the average member of the public.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(and these injuries are 100% likely to be serious enough to need medical attention according to this study)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2017-01-15T15:08:18.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7118" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-01-15T18:40:27.113" Score="2" ViewCount="2281" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a four year old son, who is hyperactive. Which martial arts training will help him tire enough to go to sleep early? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have already eliminated the other options and thus looking for martial arts as a last resort to burn off energy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My son at age four, is already in grade 1, he is psycho-metrically tested to be at the upper end of the spectrum. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To calm him down we started with Music; even though he is not interested, he has excelled in piano without any practice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am turning to Martial Arts as an option; if he finds it interesting&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="507" LastEditorUserId="507" LastEditDate="2017-01-20T10:07:14.803" LastActivityDate="2017-03-28T13:34:00.980" Title="Best Martial Arts System for 4 year old?" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7119" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7118" CreationDate="2017-01-15T22:02:05.683" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Anything without joint locks and make sure they are not teaching a 4 year old strangles. This kind of thing is too dangerous for a child skeleton as it is still growingand the bones are soft. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend Judo or Brazilian Jujitsu. However striking arts can be fine if taught in an appropriate manner.  Head injuries should be avoided in children.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2017-01-15T22:02:05.683" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7120" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7114" CreationDate="2017-01-15T22:45:15.157" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Short version: there's no one style, or school which you will find adequate data to make a useful comparison, there are, however, instructors and methods which are safer vs. more dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Safety as a Goal&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first thing to understand is that what we're talking about is harm reduction.  The goal is to reduce injury and harm within reasonable efforts.  Part of this is figuring out acceptable risk and acceptable effort. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A basic tenet is understanding that there is a huge difference between minor and serious injuries, and that if your training causes minor injuries but improves your odds of avoiding serious injuries (or death) then it is typically considered a worthwhile tradeoff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minor vs. Serious Injuries&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Minor injuries are those which typically resolve in a few weeks, and lingering effects are gone in a few months, at the worst, without the need for physical therapy.  This includes bruises, most muscle strains, minor sprains, cuts, and the lightest end of concussions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are common in any physical activity, and also can be incurred doing normal daily activities, such as lifting something incorrectly, slipping on stairs, or bumping your head while getting something out of the car.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Serious injuries may require months or years of rehabilitation, surgery and may never be &quot;right&quot; again.  Joint injuries to the hips and knees, disc or ligament injuries to the spine, heavy concussions, shoulder girdle separations, are the common ones in martial arts training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These injuries cause lasting problems for the rest of your life, and so, are what you really can't afford to incur during training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sorting Data for Martial Arts &amp;amp; Self Defense&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Problem #1 - the best studies you'll get will be based on sports training, not self defense training.  Sports tend to incur greater rates of injury overall, since they're always pushing the envelope of capacity (in comparison to other forms of training for high-risk work, such as fire fighters or police officers, which requires intensity above a given average but not necessarily the edge of what a person can do.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Problem #2 - does the given study break out what kind of injuries you are looking at?  Most people, faced with a sprain, will seek medical attention (and, if it's happening in a competition, they may be forced to per the rules and insurance requirements of the event itself).  Does that get noted as to the type or does it just get piled into &quot;X% of participants needed to go to the hospital&quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, as you can see, finding good data is very difficult here.  Not only that, the biggest difference is in the quality of the instructor you're working with, more than a &quot;style&quot; generally, as to the safety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For that reason, I usually tell people to talk to students under a given instructor who have trained for 6 months or more, and focus on finding out if anyone has suffered concussions, knee injuries, or back injuries, especially focusing on students who are training to the level you expect to train at (&quot;I do 2 classes a week&quot;, &quot;I'm here everyday&quot;, etc.).  Sometimes a given training regimen is safer for people doing the extra conditioning, sometimes less so if people are over training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also useful to find out if your instructor has any sports medicine and first aid background.  The ability to assess how fast to bring someone into certain types of training vs. hold them back to better develop safe skills and/or conditioning to protect against injuries is critical. (See: &quot;Heel Hook Injuries&quot; in many grappling schools as an example of doing it wrong). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sorting Data for Risk&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While it's easy to find national data in most places, what you really want is city or neighborhood level data.  In some places you can find crime maps that literally point out what streets or even times crimes happen around you.  In some cases, these are easy to avoid (&quot;Pool Hall, 2 am&quot;).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second thing to look at is demographics of who is targeted.  Most of the &quot;Rah-Rah Self Defense!&quot; crowd is made up of people who are the lowest risk demographic for actual danger.  Again, you'll want to find some way of figuring out what crimes involved serious or minor injuries, if possible - robbery with no injury or &quot;being pushed down&quot; or such aren't really a big problem compared to knife attacks or group beatings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you know what kind of risks are most likely, you can tailor your training around it.  For example, many countries have few gun attacks because guns are rarely available - in which case knives, sticks and group attacks should make up the bulk of your focus.  In places like the US, guns are quite common, and consideration has to be put into that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Training more risky than attack?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, any training has risk.  The question is whether you're racking up minor injuries which are annoyances but not a serious life impact, or if you're risking permanent injuries which impair your ability to go about life and protect yourself.  The former is totally acceptable, while the latter is not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For some people, self defense is a theoretical exercise - they aren't really at risk, so it's effectively a fun hobby for them.  For others, it is a practical question which they are quite at risk, and sometimes even if they aren't attacked directly, having extra capability reduces their stress and worries as they try to live life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what can we do to reduce risk in training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Instructors educated in sports medicine and first aid (or have access to someone who is)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Utilize high intensity training at appropriate intervals, with safety gear&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Close assessment of student capabilities - not pushing people too fast or too hard in ways that open themselves up to receiving or creating serious injury&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, as I've pointed out, the data is quite shakey and incomplete, there is no standardization in training or assessment of instruction quality. You'll need to do local research and interviews and see whether you can find people with serious injuries or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-01-15T22:45:15.157" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7121" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7118" CreationDate="2017-01-16T06:57:50.153" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well if all you're trying to do is burn off energy, there are better ways of doing that. Bring your kid to a park or indoor play gym, and let him go wild. You can read a book or surf the web while you're there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But at the risk of reading too much into this, it sounds like your son's hyperactivity may be more than just high energy levels that need to be burned off. I recommend seeing your pediatrician who can then recommend a strategy for tackling this issue. Or maybe you don't know if it's an actual &quot;issue&quot; yet, but your pediatrician will be able to figure that out for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your son is truly hyperactive, he almost certainly won't do well in martial arts classes. Or for that matter, any structured environment. That's because hyperactivity results in a lack of ability to stay interested in and focus on something for any amount of time. Martial arts classes requires the ability to listen to the instructor and stay focused all the time. It's too much to ask of a child that's hyperactive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen hyperactive kids from the ages of 4 through about 10 in martial arts classes, and it's a terrible thing to watch. They're fidgety. They're not doing what the other kids are doing. They're laughing, sometimes screaming, or talking to themselves while the instructor is trying to get the students to do something. They look like they have no interest in what's going on, but in truth, they just lack the ability to stay calm, focus, and maintain interest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Almost all martial arts classes that have young children in them will have at least one or two kids like this from what I've seen. And from what I gather, often times the parents of those kids just see the class as an affordable way of babysitting them after school. After school lets out, they get taken by bus or carpool to the martial arts school. And then their parents pick them up after they get done with work. It's cheap after-school daycare. That's our modern life for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel bad for any instructor who has to deal with it. And I've talked with a few about this before. They just let the hyperactive kids do whatever they want, so long as it's not hurting anyone. It's because they can't control them. They keep trying, though. They say that when they actually get those kids to do something, that's when they feel great. But it doesn't last long.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At age 4, your son is about to begin attending kindergarten classes. That's when this will become a real issue for you. Working him out to burn off energy might help him fall asleep at night, but it's a red herring. It won't help him stay focused in class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your kid is in daycare or pre-K classes, you should talk with his teachers to see if his hyperactivity is expected or above what they normally see. They might not be willing to tell you anything bad about him for fear of losing their jobs. So you might want to drop in a couple times to observe his class without him knowing you're there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes hyperactivity in children this age is caused by a kind of allergic reaction to certain foods, certain chemicals in food and other products they ingest (toothpaste, for example), and chemicals in the environment. It's tricky knowing what's the actual cause. And your pediatrician might know a specialist who can diagnose this better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was a hyperactive child at that age. My mom didn't know what to do, but she ran into someone promoting the Feingold Diet, which eliminates artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, etc. It's since been mostly debunked. But something about it worked really well to prevent my hyperactivity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I was about 5 years old, I remember having a hyperactive episode. We were getting ready to attend church, and so my mom told me to go brush my teeth. I went to the kids' bathroom, but the tube of my special toothpaste was empty. So I went into my parents' bathroom to find more toothpaste, and I just used theirs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Almost immediately, I went crazy. I was running around, screaming, kicking things, turning over chairs and sofas, etc. It was so bad, I remember kicking a hole in the wall. I went from completely calm to completely hyperactive in a matter of minutes. They tried to get me to go to church that day, but we ended up turning the car around and driving back home, instead. I was flipping out in the car.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After about an hour had passed, my energy levels came back down. I calmed down completely. Trying to figure out what went wrong, my mom asked me if I ate anything I shouldn't have just before going to church. I knew what I could and couldn't have, according to the diet my mom placed me on. I said no.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;She then asked me to remember the events of the day. And when I got to the part about using the adult toothpaste, my mom said, &quot;Aha!&quot; She ran up to look at her toothpaste, and sure enough, it had artificial colors, flavorings, and artificial sweeteners, all of which were outlawed by the diet. I didn't know that I wasn't supposed to use their toothpaste. Oops.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And just like that, we realized what set me off. It was an reaction of some sort to the chemicals in that toothpaste.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I was adhering to the &quot;all natural, no added anything, all organic, etc.&quot; diet, I was a perfectly nice, calm, normal kid. When I came into contact with any &quot;trigger&quot; foods, I was uncontrollable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By around age 8 or 9, my body had outgrown this issue. I could eat any food at that point. No special diets were needed. So kids can outgrow this sort of thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, I don't know that this is what your kid has going on. Like I said, the Feingold Diet itself is pretty well debunked. But maybe medical science has some strategies for dealing with childhood hyperactivity, and I'd start by running it by your pediatrician if I were you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might want to research it on the web, also. Just beware of all the pseudo-science and alternative medicine nonsense out there. Pass everything by your pediatrician first before acting on anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, and as a parent myself, I would be extremely cautious about using Ritalin and other ADHD drugs. I would want to eliminate all of the other possibilities first, and use drugs only as a last resort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2017-01-16T06:57:50.153" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7122" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4653" CreationDate="2017-01-16T14:27:54.613" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Historically and regarding the spirit, Judo essentially includes developing combative skills applicable in self-defence as one of its main goals:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Kodokan Judo, in its formative days, had three objectives: (I) to develop the physical&#xA;  body, (2) to train the mind, and (3) to develop combative efficiency. In Kano's words (1889):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;[Judo) is the study of techniques with which you may kill if you wish to kill,&#xA;  injure if you wish to injure, subdue if you wish to subdue, and, when attacked,&#xA;  defend yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;(Otaki, Tadao &amp;amp; Draeger, Donn F. (2001), &lt;em&gt;Judo - Formal Techniques: A Complete Guide to Kodokan Randori no Kata&lt;/em&gt;. Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, p. 23.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yet there is a tendency in modern (especially Western) Judo towards training it as a sport. This includes much less training in kata and the minimisation of mental and physical energy needed for the execution of a technique they were designed for (ibid:26). Instead, efficacy (i.e. executing some kind of technique at all), not efficiency (i.e. if executing a technique, then it has to be in the best of possible ways) is the main concern, as illustrated in the following diagram:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/INkJb.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/INkJb.png&quot; alt=&quot;The Development of Judo&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;(ibid:27)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the eyes of Kano, not emphasising kata as the center of Judo training must lead to considerable worse combating abilities:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Modern-day Judo training, in disregard of Kano's cautions, has come to have only the &#xA;  purpose of developing contest skills and the contest champion. By such a deliberate &#xA;  narrowing of the founder's intention for Judo, untold harm is being done to its practi&#xA;  tioners. (ibid:25)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And regarding the benefits of kata for combating:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Kano had a specific plan in mind when designing kata. He was aware that jujutsu practice was almost always carried out in kata style, and that the remarkable fighting skills of &#xA;  the warrior were due to a concentrated study of kata. Fighting skills did not come about &#xA;  simply from free fighting, but from knowing how to fight against an enemy under all &#xA;  conditions of terrain and weather; such concentrated study was made possible through the &#xA;  application of kata. (ibid:26)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you may know, traditional Nage no Kata includes grabbing in a way as if there was no gi in some throws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That his take on combating has its merits should be shown in the &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/saigo/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1886 tournament against the strongest Ju Jutsu fighters in all Japan at this time&lt;/a&gt;, where - just like in the Kodokan itself - &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/rules/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ju Jutsuka were allowed to do any technique they know&lt;/a&gt;, including joint manipulations, strikes and kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2017-01-16T15:10:16.433" LastActivityDate="2017-01-16T15:10:16.433" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7123" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-01-16T17:14:30.587" Score="-1" ViewCount="218" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I asked &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7114/for-what-martial-arts-is-the-chance-of-being-injured-while-training-less-than-th&quot;&gt;my previous question regarding injury rates in martial arts practice and assault&lt;/a&gt;, some users pointed out (quite rightly) that it didn't take account of the severity of injuries sustained.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, this question is to go with the other one in order to give a balanced view of the effects of training in martial arts on your chances of injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, this does not take into account other potential health benefits of martial arts. However, it will give an idea of injury severity.  Again, let's take the United Kingdom, partly because that's where I live, but mostly because if we take the United States, gun violence eclipses all other injury statistics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;According to the UK Police, less than 50% of assaults actually caused injury at all.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See the graph under point 3: Violent Crime &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingdecember2019&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Crime in England and Wales: year ending December 2019&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But let's ignore these (UK law has a very broad definition of assault) and just look at those where some injury was caused.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the minimum type of injury that is classed as Actual Bodily Harm:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The loss or breaking of a tooth or teeth&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Extensive or multiple bruising&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A displaced, broken nose&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Minor fractures of bones&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Minor (but not superficial) cuts requiring medical treatment&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A recognised psychiatric disorder&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_occasioning_actual_bodily_harm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia for reference who in turn cite the Crown Prosecution Service&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do these compare to the minimum types of injury RECORDED in a martial arts dojo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-07-30T12:21:21.477" LastActivityDate="2020-07-30T12:21:21.477" Title="Are injuries from Assault more Severe than those Sustained During Martial arts Practice?" Tags="|self-defense|sparring|injury|streetfight|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7124" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7123" CreationDate="2017-01-16T19:35:56.897" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Legally speaking, in most states, you are never physically injured from any assault.  (In other states, assault is the same as battery).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/assault&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/assault&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you meant battery, then no - there's nothing to suggest anything that happens criminally is any more or less severe than MA practice.  Severe injuries can happen - by accident - during practice.  Some forms of illegal battery - eg, spitting - induce no physical injuries at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2017-01-16T19:35:56.897" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7126" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7128" CreationDate="2017-01-19T00:14:30.620" Score="2" ViewCount="4373" Body="&lt;p&gt;As the title suggests, I keep getting hit in the solar plexus and as soon as I get hit, I lose wind and this disarms me completely. I do Kyokushin Karate and they taught us how to &quot;hara&quot; (remove all air from the stomach to harden it) which works, but only for a single blow; for consecutive punches it doesn't help (when I breath in, my stomach goes soft again and that's when they take me down). Any tips or ideas?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do I reinforce it? I keep doing sit-ups but those haven't really done much for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;what sort of conditioning do I have to go through?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4270" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-01-20T09:43:29.910" LastActivityDate="2017-01-20T09:43:29.910" Title="Solar Plexus: how to reinforce it?" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7127" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7129" CreationDate="2017-01-19T00:55:07.917" Score="1" ViewCount="378" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to become really good, I train 9 classes (1 hour each class ) a week. I want to do some solo work, will solo drills help me? I found some on youtube that I wanted to practice:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sit outs- back and forth&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sit outs- around&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;leg circles&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hip ups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hip up triangles&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hip drive throughs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;bridges- side to side&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;bridge turns&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;compass drill&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;flat roll&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;shrimp backward to back roll&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;elbow drags&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;back roll to flat roll forward&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;seal crawls&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;leg high sit outs w/ push up&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;forward and backward crawls&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;side to side crawls&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;half circle monkey hops&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;from knees jump-ups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;wrestler's shots&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;up downs from base&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sideways shoulder rolls&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;s-turns&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;s-turn hip-ups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;alligator push-ups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;scorpions &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;backward scoots&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;imaginary rope pulls&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;backward shrimps&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;forward shrimps&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;shrimps in place&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;explosive hip/chest pops&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;plank hops&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;low leg through push-ups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BTW is it possible to up my level in BJJ so that even if I am still a white belt (started 4 months ago) my skills are that of a blue belt?? I see blue belts being able to escape and choke you very easily. The Purple belts just let you play because they might breka you in two if they were serious. But I don't have anything specific that I would like to learn I just want to be able to choke and submit my opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Right now in class I am white belt with 1 stripe (4 motnhs training), the coach showed us some chokes, how to open and the different guards, so my level is quite low. Thats why I wanted additional training. To speed things up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4270" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-01-19T14:37:27.957" LastActivityDate="2017-02-14T23:42:30.280" Title="How can I become good in Bjj?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7128" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7126" CreationDate="2017-01-19T01:13:39.110" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;The solar plexus is exactly a main goal in martial arts because there are basically no muscles above it that can be trained. The abs begin just below it, but well trained abs help to reduce the area that allows for critical impact there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The solar plexus (or, correctly, celiac plexus) itself is a point where several nerves meet. A blunt trauma, like a punch, a ball, of just falling on you flat back, can cause these nerves to fire all at once.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most common physiological consequence is a spasm of the diaphragma, resulting in what is normally described as &lt;a href=&quot;http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/health_and_fitness/4275414.stm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;getting winded&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So while improving core strength, training all the little muscles, and abs helps for hara in general (which just means stomach), there is simply no way besides having a guard and movement to secure this sweet spot. If you are hit there, you will lose some breaths. Overall physical condition and the level of conscious control over the diaphragma (&lt;strong&gt;as trained in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adJSQQZzKHU&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;sanchin kata&lt;/a&gt;, as this beautiful video illustrates&lt;/strong&gt;) may reduce the time of recovery up to the point that you can continue fighting, but as it is a direct neurological effect, there is no way of avoiding it completely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Btw. core strength in general is not through crunches (rather than situps), this trains abs. You can look up some exercises for that &lt;a href=&quot;http://greatist.com/move/plank-variations-for-core-strength&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. One of the most basic ones is planking. The muscles trained in core training are actually not necessarily the abs, it is rather that training the abs is &lt;em&gt;one part&lt;/em&gt; of core training. It is &lt;em&gt;core&lt;/em&gt; for a reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To sum it up - the wisdom inherited in kata and &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/oqPxDr4J4iA?t=346&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;basic body excercises&lt;/a&gt; routinely included in training in okinawan karate (regarding this, the video is worth a watch) is severely underestimated in western training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2017-01-20T02:04:33.957" LastActivityDate="2017-01-20T02:04:33.957" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7129" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7127" CreationDate="2017-01-19T09:01:04.377" Score="2" Body="&lt;h1&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/git-gud&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Git gud&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no short cut to hard training. Sure, the right teacher, the right personal classes, and the right dedication does help but not as much as enjoying the journey not the end goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When a student of mine asks how long it takes to get to black belt, I say four year. They then ask what if they worked twice as hard. I say, eight years. Surprised the student asks why: &lt;em&gt;with one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the road&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to stop worrying about ranks, belts, and whatnot. You just need to train and lose as much as you can. Because losing means that you are learning something new. It pushes your skills up and up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a side note, you should not be a white belt with the skill of the blue belt: If you have the skill, you should have the rank.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: Yeah, I took this from a Zen master but &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/7130/82&quot;&gt;cannot find the original source…&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2017-01-19T09:26:29.747" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7130" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7133" CreationDate="2017-01-19T09:03:46.993" Score="6" ViewCount="679" Body="&lt;p&gt;We all heard that story, in one form or another:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Student&lt;/strong&gt;: Master, how long does it take to be a black belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Master&lt;/strong&gt;: Four years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Student&lt;/strong&gt;: What if trained twice as hard?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Master&lt;/strong&gt;: Eight years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Student&lt;/strong&gt;: How can that be?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Master&lt;/strong&gt;: With one eye on the goal, you only have one eye for the road.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where did it originate from?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-01-19T13:10:58.787" LastActivityDate="2021-09-09T09:15:10.393" Title="Origin of this Zen koan-like story" Tags="|history|zen|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7131" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2017-01-19T09:06:39.750" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Zen (Chinese: 禪; pinyin: Chán) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty as Chan Buddhism.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Zen emphasizes rigorous self-control, meditation-practice, insight into Buddha-nature, and the personal expression of this insight in daily life, especially for the benefit of others. As such, it de-emphasizes mere knowledge of sutras and doctrine and favours direct understanding through zazen and interaction with an accomplished teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-01-19T09:06:39.750" LastActivityDate="2017-01-19T09:06:39.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7132" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2017-01-19T09:06:39.750" Score="0" Body="禪 Zen is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism emphasizing the value of meditation and intuition rather than ritual worship or study of scriptures." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-01-19T09:06:39.750" LastActivityDate="2017-01-19T09:06:39.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7133" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7130" CreationDate="2017-01-19T13:27:48.543" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have not found a definitive answer for where the story originates, although I'm under the impression that it actually began in &lt;a href=&quot;http://howtopracticezen.com/advanced-zen/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Zen Buddhism&lt;/a&gt; as a sort of a koan:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Zen teachers often tell the story of a young monk who asked a Zen master:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;“How long will it take me to attain enlightenment?”&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The master thought for a few moments and replied: “About ten years.”&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The young monk was upset and said: “But you are assuming I am like the other monks and I am not. I will practice with great determination.”&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;“In that case,” replied the Master, “twenty years.”&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A grasping, ambitious mind is an impediment to enlightenment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, every quotation I've found is relatively modern with early examples going back to the 1970s at best. It does not seem to appear in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dan#Classical_k.C5.8Dan_collections&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;classic Koan&lt;/a&gt; books of &lt;em&gt;The Blue Cliff Record&lt;/em&gt; (Chinese: Bìyán Lù; Japanese: Hekiganroku), &lt;em&gt;The Book of Equanimity&lt;/em&gt; (also known as the &lt;em&gt;Book of Serenity&lt;/em&gt;; Chinese: Cóngróng Lù; Japanese: Shoyoroku), or &lt;em&gt;The Gateless Gate&lt;/em&gt; (also known as &lt;em&gt;The Gateless Barrier&lt;/em&gt;; Chinese: Wúménguān; Japanese: Mumonkan). And honestly, the way in which it ends clearly with an aphorism is counter to the original Koans, which generally had an accepted answer, but a cryptic one intended to make you think rather than to feel that you understood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some references I've found are to &amp;quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.101zenstories.org/the-taste-of-banzos-sword/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Taste of Banzo's Sword&lt;/a&gt;&amp;quot; which is a similar one, but focused on martial arts (albeit swordwork). Its first telling that I've found is the 1919 collection, &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/101_Zen_Stories&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;101 Zen Stories&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Matajuro Yagyu was the son of a famous swordsman. His father, believing that his son’s work was too mediocre to anticipate mastership, disowned him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So Matajuro went to Mount Futara and there found the famous swordsman Banzo. But Banzo confirmed the father’s judgment. &amp;quot;You wish to learn swordsmanship under my guidance?&amp;quot; asked Banzo. &amp;quot;You cannot fulfill the requirements.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;But if I work hard, how many years will it take to become a master?&amp;quot; persisted the youth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;The rest of your life,&amp;quot; replied Banzo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;I cannot wait that long,&amp;quot; explained Matajuro. &amp;quot;I am willing to pass through any hardship if only you will teach me. If I become your devoted servant, how long might it be?&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Oh, maybe ten years,&amp;quot; Banzo relented.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;My father is getting old, and soon I must take care of him,&amp;quot; continued Matajuro. &amp;quot;If I work far more intensively, how long would it take me?&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Oh, maybe thirty years,&amp;quot; said Banzo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Why is that?&amp;quot; asked Matajuro. &amp;quot;First you say ten and now thirty years. I will undergo any hardship to master this art in the shortest time!&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Well,&amp;quot; said Banzo, &amp;quot;in that case you will have to remain with me for seventy years. A man in such a hurry as you are to get results seldom learns quickly.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Very well,&amp;quot; declared the youth, understanding at last that he was being rebuked for impatience, &amp;quot;I agree.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Matajuro was told never to speak of fencing and never to touch a sword. He cooked for his master, washed the dishes, made his bed, cleaned the yard, cared for the garden, all without a word of swordsmanship.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Three years passed. Still Matajuro labored on. Thinking of his future, he was sad. He had not even begun to learn the art to which he had devoted his life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But one day Banzo crept up behind him and gave him a terrific blow with a wooden sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The following day, when Matajuro was cooking rice, Banzo again sprang upon him unexpectedly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After that, day and night, Matajuro had to defend himself from unexpected thrusts. Not a moment passed in any day that he did not have to think of the taste of Banzo’s sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He learned so rapidly he brought smiles to the face of his master. Matajuro became the greatest swordsman in the land.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2017-01-19T13:39:29.847" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7134" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7126" CreationDate="2017-01-19T13:45:35.280" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You don't reinforce it, you protect it.  You can take limited steps to lessen the pain associated with striking the area, such as controlled outward breathing and focusing your attention to the hara/dantien/tanden (lower navel area).  Such is a point of your kata, if you are properly taught.  But that only goes so far: a well-placed strike is going to knock the wind out of you no matter what.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your solar plexus (and xyphoid process) needs to be well-protected.  There is no way to strengthen either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2017-01-19T13:45:35.280" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7135" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7127" CreationDate="2017-01-19T22:38:12.983" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is a basic answer that gives concrete things you can do, but does not address particular drills because that is not so useful over the internet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Practice regularly&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;You have to both show up and practice, and this includes not frittering your all time away socializing instead of practicing. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Avoid injury&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;If you get injured, you can't practice. Don't take silly risks. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Practice with everyone (without getting injured)&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;If someone asks to practice with you, your default answer is yes. It does not matter whether they are a world-class competitor, a woman, a child, or disabled. There is always an element of timing or coordination you can work on to improve. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take the initiative and seek out training partners yourself. Do not be intimidated by rank or size. If they are good partners, you will be fine. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Be a good partner&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;No one likes a partner who endangers you, or is resisting unnecessarily when you are simply trying to learn a technique. Practice at a speed and intensity appropriate to your partner so you both learn something. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Evaluate all ideas&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;You will get lots of advice from many different people. Some advice will be good and some not, but this advice will definitely conflict sometimes. Understand that you have to evaluate what works and why. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Specialize for competition&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;It's better to have reflex speed in a few basic moves than to know 100 different ways to choke someone from behind. But make sure your game is complete; you can't train only moves from the guard position and expect to win in other situations. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Add strength last&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;If you learn to fight using strength first, you risk using strength to cover deficiencies in your technique. Learn to apply the principles of your techniques without strength first, then add strength. Some people call this concept &quot;investing in loss&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ask questions&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;If there is something you don't understand, ask about it. Many people avoid asking questions because they fear how they will appear, which is  silly. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-02-14T23:42:30.280" LastActivityDate="2017-02-14T23:42:30.280" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7137" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7138" CreationDate="2017-01-20T17:55:52.183" Score="9" ViewCount="1829" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/ashiguruma/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;code&gt;Ashi guruma&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is a throw where tori off-balances uke to the front and tori spins to wheel uke over the fulcrum of tori's outstretched leg (and not a reap, like harai goshi). I find it easiest to execute &lt;code&gt;ashi guruma&lt;/code&gt; in using the inner-outer circle principle where you occupy the center and move opponent around the outside, rather than with a static uke. I think I understand &lt;code&gt;ashi guruma&lt;/code&gt; well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Kyuzo Mifune's &lt;em&gt;Canon of Judo&lt;/em&gt;, Mifune states that he as a small person developed &lt;code&gt;o-guruma&lt;/code&gt; to throw larger people using the inner-outer principle. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My understanding of &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/oguruma/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;code&gt;o-guruma&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is that the off-balancing and entry are quite similar to &lt;code&gt;ashi guruma&lt;/code&gt;, but the key distinction is in the placement of the tori's leg near uke's hip rather than near uke's knee. This placement makes very little sense to me as an alteration to &lt;code&gt;ashi guruma&lt;/code&gt;; the fulcrum is moved closer to uke's center of mass, which results in uke's forward motion being blocked rather than rotation about the leg fulcrum into a successful throw. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt; by Toshiro Daigo, Kodansha International, Tokyo 2005, p. 184:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The difference between o-guruma and ashi-guruma lies in the area of tori's leg that he uses to press with, and the part of uke's body that is pressed. The technique will be classified according to the function of these parts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What am I missing that makes &lt;code&gt;o-guruma&lt;/code&gt; successful? Is there a different setup entirely? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-01-21T04:51:22.820" LastActivityDate="2019-01-27T15:01:22.430" Title="Under what conditions would you prefer o-guruma to ashi-guruma?" Tags="|judo|throwing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7138" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7137" CreationDate="2017-01-20T19:47:30.800" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The principles as I learned them (or had to make sense of by myself) are pretty different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While in ashi-guruma you really block his leg, having to apply your force mainly backwards, o-guruma is a throw that works the following way:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is applied from quite some distance, standing outside of your partner, but nevertheless applying force in the center of the partner (inner-outer-principle). You are attacking the hips from underneath, lifting it ever so slightly. You achieve this by turning your heel up, sliding along the thighs (already applying force), and locking in at the hip, as the partner should (similar to ashi-guruma) stand bent forwards in this moment already (Mifune: &quot;It is also important that the leg stretched out must sweep up in a rolling way&quot;, Canon of Judo, p. 112). Sometimes, the upwards pressure on the thighs is enough already. This little &quot;bump&quot; is all you should need. It is a bit similar to how harai-goshi should be thrown, especially in nage no kata: only a very short, explosive lifting movement by the leg - but here the partner is pivoting around &lt;em&gt;the hip&lt;/em&gt;, therefore harai-goshi is koshi waza albeit the leg is seemingly doing most of the work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means that the pivotal axis is completely different: In ashi-guruma it is in line with the side of your whole body, diagonally to the ground when looking from the front; you &lt;em&gt;twist&lt;/em&gt; uke's body &lt;em&gt;around the side of your body&lt;/em&gt;. In o-guruma, uke tilts frontwards around your leg, which is parallel to the ground. You apply the inner-outer-principle to &lt;em&gt;push&lt;/em&gt; uke &lt;em&gt;over your leg&lt;/em&gt; as it were. This brings o-guruma &lt;em&gt;regarding the mechanism of uke's movement&lt;/em&gt; closer to hip and shoulder throws. While the inner-outer-principle of how to apply the force to the upper body is similar to ashi-guruma, the directions of force are different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And this explains why it favours smaller persons: Being taller, it is virtually impossible to apply the upwards, lifting movement in the centre of uke's body and much easier to twist a smaller uke around you. Lifting, which enables you to tilt/push over your opponent in the first place, is possible only by bending the standing leg to get low enough, which obviously screws stability. This is not very realistic, especially considering that the inner-outer-principle requires much stability in the standing leg to apply force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think keeping this in mind, you can see that the gifs quite well depict the differences. Just look at how the legs are moving and the heels are turned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding the application I would say the smaller you are in comparison and the more the partner is bent over already, the more sense it makes to do o-guruma rather than ashi-guruma, because ashi-guruma needs quite a lot of twisting uke's body around your leg (which you can't do when you are smaller and/or weaker), whereas o-guruma just needs a little bump from underneath, which of course is even easier with a partner that is bent over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mifune himself wrote about it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A big player is naturally higher in center than a small player. It is comparatively easier to float and break the opponent in a circle by utilizing the center. So, I came to think it wise to snatch the big opponent's exterior circle: this this technique I contrived. (The Canon of Judo, p. 111)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can see the moment when to apply it &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcpLisR8W8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here, executed by Mifune himself&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, it really comes down to being forced to and having advantages in it because of being small.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2019-01-27T15:01:22.430" LastActivityDate="2019-01-27T15:01:22.430" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7139" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7140" CreationDate="2017-01-20T21:03:15.007" Score="1" ViewCount="409" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've seen a person being stabbed to death, and yet he wasn't in intolerable pain; he could actually stand up and walk normally despite his injuries (until he collapsed, 30 seconds later). I am assuming that the pain didn't stop him because of his high levels of &lt;strong&gt;adrenaline&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, needless to say, &lt;strong&gt;drugs&lt;/strong&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;some of which&lt;/a&gt; are extremely powerful pain relievers) can reduce pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, &lt;strong&gt;alcohol&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(16)30334-0/fulltext?rss=yes&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;can increase&lt;/a&gt; pain tolerance a lot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming avoiding the fight and deescalation was not an option, and the attacker is determined to seriously injure or kill, which of the following could be ineffective:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;neck chop&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;groin kick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;solar plexus punch&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any other similar areas that can be effectively attacked despite the attacker's high pain tolerance?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not asking for a one-attack-solves-all-problems solution. I am asking &lt;em&gt;specifically&lt;/em&gt; how effective the above attacks are against intoxicated attackers, and perhaps a few examples of attacks that are effective regardless of pain tolerance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I avoided adding more context, to keep it focused on &lt;strong&gt;attack effectiveness against high pain tolerance attacker&lt;/strong&gt;. Perhaps i should have. The scenario is a lethal attack by a junky with a knife or screwdriver while me being unarmed. The odds of escaping are very low, but if it ever should happen, I need to avoid doing things that will definitely fail, and instead do things that &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; succeed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7461" LastEditorUserId="7461" LastEditDate="2021-04-23T19:21:27.913" LastActivityDate="2021-04-23T19:21:27.913" Title="Attacks against intoxicated individual with high pain tolerance" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7140" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7139" CreationDate="2017-01-21T05:54:39.193" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Pain is an unreliable factor to depend upon in self defense.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  Between natural pain tolerance and adrenaline alone, things that would hurt like hell normally might not even register, and that is before you get into chemical effects that may or may not be in play.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(In the case of your knife attack, many survivors of stabbings have reported feeling numbness or no pain, which makes it more a common mechanism of how knives work, and why most knife arts teach &quot;overkill&quot; because pain is not the stopping factor.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, broadly, what do folks use instead?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Positioning &amp;amp; Structural Control&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although most people focus on the pain compliance aspect of controlling locks and grappling, the main thing is structural control - putting yourself in a position where you can apply force efficiently and the person you are controlling cannot do so.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes this is using larger/more muscles vs. a small target, sometimes moving your center of mass and centerline to efficiently use force while pulling your opponent's arm or turning their spine off center, sometimes forcing end-of-range positions where people have little strength (hammerlocks, chicken wing locks).  Usually it's a combination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact that they either cannot bring enough muscle in play, work against your mass, and/or would have to tear their own tendons to make it work, is the factor, not pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Structural Damage&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Break bone, tear muscle, destroy a joint.  If it cannot mechanically perform the action, it simply doesn't work, and it doesn't matter if it hurts or not.  Some strikes, grapples, takedowns, and obviously, weapons in general, aim to do this.  Break a collarbone, and the arm on that side cannot lift up, regardless of whether it hurts or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pretty much anything combative-focused aims to do these things, with differences in terms of what weapons are used, what level/speed of escalation is appropriate according to the situation (military vs. civilian, etc.).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methodology, not a specific technique&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So... you might read the two categories above and go, &quot;Wait, don't MOST martial arts aim for these things?&quot; and yes, that is correct.  If you are pulling from a movement form to deal with actual fighting, you deal with positional control and/or structural damage, depending on how far the art has moved from the original goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Very few things are &quot;pain only&quot;, and where they are used, they are small additions to the core fighting methodology, not a single reliance.  The groin kick, &quot;wiping&quot; the eye with your thumb or fingers, pressing into soft tissue, are extras you add onto everything else, not things you plan on winning and escaping with.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, obviously, the groin kick you list is unreliable in this situation.  The other two techniques you list are unreliable for other reasons, and basically not the core of what I would want to depend on if someone comes at me with little or no pain registering in their head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not a matter of &quot;where is the magic off button to hit?&quot; but rather, &quot;What are the ways I need to move to keep myself safer, while doing the damage or restraining this person as needed?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Utilize better positioning, control their structure appropriate to your methods, and decide what kind of damage is appropriate to the context and the quickest way to deliver it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit for Knife Addition&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knives change the nature of a fight quickly.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/6809/1598&quot;&gt;A link to an answer I had about defending against knives previously with mostly the same general principles.&lt;/a&gt; Knives are easy to use, but hard to defend against, which is why arts that deal with knives become very deep and complex at some level, because being &quot;ok&quot; at protecting yourself against them is hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Three Options?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The groin kick is now even worse of an idea, because not only is pain not going to do much, you cannot shift your position off-line from a rush while kicking, and if they catch your leg, they can cut that up too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both the punch and neck chop require getting past that knife to land.  The solar plexus strike is unreliable in general, and now you're putting your arm in the danger zone for it.  Neck chops have a shorter range than punches even, and tend to telegraph which is why they're usually part of a flurry, not an entry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;What Else?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, as mentioned in the linked answer - control &amp;amp; destroy.  Some styles of combative arts focus more on one or the other, but you need to make sure you're not getting cut, and that the person can't keep trying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Control can be achieve through: catching the arm at the beginning/end of a swing, where the momentum is low, jamming the elbow or forearm, looping &amp;amp; locking the arm, looping &amp;amp; locking with cloth, or a jacket, and so on.  Control is always followed with a disarm or destruction.  All of these methods? Positional &amp;amp; structural control, as mentioned above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Destruction is usually either: using a weapon against the weapon arm, high powered attack (elbow, knee) against a specific target (bones in hand, bicep, collarbone) to destroy the weapon arm, or a tendon tear/bone break lock. All of this? Structural damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some styles recommend pummeling the head to get the person on the defense, though, admittedly, if you think the person is less susceptible to pain, that seems iffy to me.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, the answer to &quot;what to do if someone comes at me with a knife?&quot; is &quot;learn a whole methodology to deal with it and train hard&quot; in the same way &quot;What to do if someone has cancer?&quot; requires years and years of medical school and lots of expensive equipment to make treatment happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2017-01-21T16:43:29.103" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7141" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="501" CreationDate="2017-01-21T13:26:39.137" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I read many reasons about the spear hand that it is better to train your standard fist or if you cannot an eye with a fist how can you hit it with fingers. If your fingers are sturdy enough that it it can already pierce a little a banana stalk or when it can withstand impact when you strike them on a table or swinging door without injuring it. if you keep flinging your fist to the face of your opponent why don't you do that also with your fingers on the same face it might hit the eyes or hurt the face when your sturdy finger forcefully hit the cheek or lips of your opponent. if you grapple with him fling your fingers in the eyes instead of punching him. or hit him with extended knuckle to the breast or the face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7546" LastActivityDate="2017-01-21T13:26:39.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7142" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7146" CreationDate="2017-01-21T15:10:19.443" Score="5" ViewCount="2384" Body="&lt;p&gt;Currently, I am looking to increase the power of my left-hook. From my understanding, force is generated from the ground and delivered with a powerful rotation of the spine up through the arm as a power delivery mechanism.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;My questions:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What types of exercises are recommended to improve form and power?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are there any compound/functional workouts that would increase the power that I can generate?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Current Training:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am doing a lot of exercises that consist of rotating/stretching the hips and core with cables. Typically I do about three to four cycles. In addition, I also stand to the left hand side of a heavy bag and throw left-hooks for 2 rounds while facing myself in the mirror.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7873" LastEditorUserId="7873" LastEditDate="2017-01-21T23:05:58.193" LastActivityDate="2017-01-24T10:22:55.567" Title="Increase left hook power" Tags="|boxing|power|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7143" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7145" CreationDate="2017-01-21T16:34:01.193" Score="-3" ViewCount="83" Body="&lt;p&gt;In every Martial Arts has their movement. Such as Kyukpa, Chireugi, Step One, Step Two, hit one, hit two, and anything. When a Martial Athlete make a movement, There will some of movement will possible to do by the victim or me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And My question is How we know what is the next movement that will he do. If we know his belt and level?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7874" LastActivityDate="2017-01-21T23:01:46.640" Title="Knowing Happen in Every Martial's Battle" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2017-01-25T19:47:16.840" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7144" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="968" CreationDate="2017-01-21T20:35:20.127" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I guess it depends on the style. And many practitioners certainly do whatever complimentary conditioning/strengthening suits them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my style, the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.taichichuan.co.uk/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wudang (Practical) TCC&lt;/a&gt; we have a few conditioning/strengthening exercises and they are considered quite important, even - for those preparing for full-contact competitions - being the corner stone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One is the striking drill called &lt;strong&gt;Running Thunder Hand&lt;/strong&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4usaCX14-E&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;demonstration&lt;/a&gt;). There are multiple variations but the conditioning one is a quick series of jabs and crosses. It is recommended to do 150 (somebody says 180) strikes/min (i.e. 75 per hand) for 5-20 minutes and possibly with weights. D. Docherty writes about his preparation for full-contact fighting: &quot;&lt;em&gt;Each day I'd 3,000 Running Thunder Hand punches with a 1.8kg (4lb) weight in either hand. I'd also do around  thousand punches on the heavy bag and the same on a focus mitt.&lt;/em&gt;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We also practice &lt;strong&gt;hand stands&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;rolls&lt;/strong&gt; (e.g. 80/2 min).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And I believe that weapons training can be also very good fitness training, as Roland suggests. It is performed with a heavy object and, especially some weapons, quite vigorously. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7869" LastActivityDate="2017-01-21T20:35:20.127" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7145" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7143" CreationDate="2017-01-21T23:01:46.640" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you had done any reasonable amount of training then you would know the answer to your question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a number of reasons why you cannot always know the next move:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;there can be many possible moves from a certain position  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you would be assuming that your opponent is predictable. I wouldn't make an assumption like that in a fight&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;different schools even within the same style don't always teach the same thing  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you are predicating your desired answer on the opponent only training in one art/school, you are excluding everything else&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It doesn't matter if you know his belt and level. The only way to definitively know (or narrow down the options) what the next move will be is to train with that person and get to know them and their style. Every practitioner is different (hint: did you ever wonder why they are called martial &lt;strong&gt;arts&lt;/strong&gt;?). For your question to be answerable every practitioner would have to be a robot trained/programmed in the exact same way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We can give you options on how to counter or avoid specific moves/techniques, but we cannot tell you with any certainty what the next move will be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2017-01-21T23:01:46.640" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7146" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7142" CreationDate="2017-01-22T01:16:13.520" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;One way to increase your power is through isometric tension.  In the case of the left hook, use a wall that has a corner, where you can stand so that if you threw a left hook, you'd punch the wall.  For the isometric tension exercise, act as if your throwing that left hook at the wall, keeping your body position when your fist touches the wall, as you keep your fist on the wall, tense your whole body as you push into the wall for at least thirty seconds each time, your whole body should shake.  Do this at different distances and heights, relaxing your body on your inhale breathing, tensing on the exhale.  Do this for at least twenty minutes, working your left and right sides.  I hope my description isn't confusing, it's one of those things that's easier to show. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, as you pointed out, the power comes from the bottom of your feet and travels up as you involve more and more muscles and inertia.  I have always thrown my hooks by throwing them from the hip (like swing a baseball bat), and aiming for the kidneys for the greatest effect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5930" LastActivityDate="2017-01-22T01:16:13.520" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7148" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7150" CreationDate="2017-01-22T06:24:06.837" Score="4" ViewCount="281" Body="&lt;p&gt;Having watched many aikido demonstrations on YouTube, I have noticed that many high-rank aikidoka perform the demo with a lower rank uke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have never seen, for example, a pair of Susumu Chino sensei (8th dan) and Tsuneo Ando sensei (8th dan) do a demo with one of them as uke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Possibly it is because the higher the rank the aikidoka has, the older the aikidoka is, which may make it more dangerous to be uke. Is there a rule in which uke must be lower rank?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Question&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why do high-rank aikidokas perform demos with lower ranks as uke?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7701" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-10-10T14:54:26.703" LastActivityDate="2018-10-10T14:54:26.703" Title="Aikido demonstration with master(s) as uke" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7150" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7148" CreationDate="2017-01-22T14:15:07.687" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are several reasons for this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Old people are less good at break falling than young people; it is more impressive to have young people break fall.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tori/Uke are sometimes extensions of a Sempai/Kohai relationship; it would be odd to have two people of the same standing do demos together.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ego. Aikido has some of the most egotistical, self-centered people in it; having an 8th dan use another 8th dan as uke would mean that the first has more standing than the second.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;守破離 (&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuhari&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;shu-ha-ri&lt;/a&gt;): the latter part (leave/transcend) is about moving away from what one knows. Thus, it would make no sense whatsoever for two &quot;masters&quot; to use each other as demonstration dummies; they do different things. One master wants to show what they have done, thus uses one of their students who knows what is coming (or at least can cope with whatever their senior throws at them).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There would be a loss of face in hurting a foreign (to one's school) instructor while using them as uke. Or worse, if uke were to hurt tori…&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, there are plenty of videos of Shodokan Aikido honbu instructors throwing each other: &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/hjwR8vvIRT4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sakai-sensei and Adams-sensei&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqMgKE0rVBg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Omori-sensei, Sakai-sensei and Abe-sensei&lt;/a&gt;, for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-10-10T14:50:46.370" LastActivityDate="2018-10-10T14:50:46.370" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7152" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7153" CreationDate="2017-01-23T11:30:37.407" Score="2" ViewCount="161" Body="&lt;p&gt;Zenpou Hiyaku Ukemi (前方飛躍受け身) is a break fall technique in Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/47Is8m.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/47Is8m.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/fOnAgnOU5wQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Video (in English)&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/E_fRh0j7Muw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video (in Japanese)&lt;/a&gt; show how Zenpou Hiyaku Ukemi is taught in Yoshinkan Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Question&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How is this technique taught in Shodokan Aikido? I couldn't find any videos to answer my question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7701" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-01-24T09:02:20.127" LastActivityDate="2017-02-13T23:52:27.650" Title="How is Zenpou Hiyaku Ukemi taught in Shodokan Aikido?" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7153" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7152" CreationDate="2017-01-23T11:53:29.050" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Zenpou Hiyaku Ukemi is a tobu ukemi without tori.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Tobu ukemi (Flip) 飛び受け身&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tobu ukemi is nothing but a forward roll (Zempo kaiten ukemi) where tori holds uke's hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;See saw&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One leg forward, same arm bent so the palm is upwards. Point your head to the floor and move the back leg up making sure your back is straight. There is no roll, just a see-saw motion. Make sure your shoulder are straight and not side on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Flip&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sit on all fours, present one arm underneath your body (to the opposite side), and let your partner grab it.  Whoever grabs the arm has their legs bent and a straight back. Then, they pull the arm up, causing you to flip on your side. Thus landing in the perfect position. Note that your free arm should be hitting the matt first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Belt roll&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your partner is standing up, you are grabbing their belt knot with your hand palm up. Do the same exercise as the see saw above twice and flip on the third.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try putting your head straight down in a line, your legs should arc over your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first bit to hit the matt should be your free hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once this step is comfortable, your partner puts your wrist in kote-gaeshi and you do the flip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Zempo kaiten → tobu&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your partner kneels on the floor, you execute a zempo kaiten roll. From time to time, your parter grab your front arm and a tobu ukemi occurs naturally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;No partner&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Start with the see-saw, then roll.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2017-01-23T11:53:29.050" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7154" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7142" CreationDate="2017-01-23T12:02:05.280" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;`In 1950´s T. Hettinger and E. Muller (1953, 1955) established that &#xA;a daily effort of 2/3 maximum, for a period of six seconds, would increase &#xA;strength by approximately 5% per week. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One reason for such improvements is the enhanced activation of motor &#xA;units during an isometric muscle action. &#xA;One can recruit almost all motor units during a maximal isometric contraction.&#xA;As stated by sports scientist Yuri Verkhoshansky, &quot;each 6-second isometric &#xA;contraction is in effect equal to many dynamic contractions (ballistic type) in &#xA;which maximal force is of a duration no more than 0.1 seconds&quot; (1977). &#xA;Recent studies however suggest that strength increases over a range of 15 to 20 &#xA;degrees on either side of the training angle. This potential limitation is easily &#xA;overcome by training several angles (ex. starting point, mid-point, end-point) &#xA;of a specific movement. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Verkhoshansky listed the following negative aspects of isometric training: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Isometrics fatigue the nervous system &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Isometrics have a harmful influence on the cardiovascular system &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Isometrics decrease coordination and speed of movement &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The development of absolute strength however has a negative influence on speed. &#xA;For this reason, we must focus our attention towards explosive strength. &#xA;When training explosive strength, tension should be generated with &#xA;maximum speed (Verkhoshansky, 1977). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shorter sequences (ex. 3 to 6 seconds) are also recommended when training for &#xA;explosive strength. Longer sequences are commonly used when training for &#xA;muscle mass increases. For example, it is common for individuals to hold &#xA;isometric positions for 30 to 60 seconds when training for size. The increased &#xA;time under tension is thought to produce greater mass gains. &#xA;And with proper sequencing of work and rest, coupled with time for breathing, &#xA;relaxation, and stretching, one can eliminate all negative effects.`&#xA;From: Infinite intensity by &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rossboxing.com/thegym/thegym25.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.rossboxing.com/thegym/thegym25.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Adding hooks with bands would be a great addition or as combination with the iso holds at different ranges to improve speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the hook is involving the stretch reflex of the pecks and shoulders (stretch by the initial torque/hip rotation prior to the fist and arm beginning to travel), adding some heavy bench pressing would have an additional impact - no bulking just some dense muscles with high sets and low reps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastEditorUserId="6418" LastEditDate="2017-01-24T10:22:55.567" LastActivityDate="2017-01-24T10:22:55.567" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7155" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4614" CreationDate="2017-01-23T15:41:27.903" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most kyokushin dojos are located in Bengal, especially Kolkata. I know of some in South India as well, but if you live in West Bengal you can contact IFK or WKF. Shihan Sivaji Ganguly and Shihan Prasenjit Saha have trained directly under Mas Oyama, while the IFK India (KKAI) head, Shihan Santanu Ganguly, has trained under Hanshi Steve Arneil. I practise Kyokushin under IFK in Southern Kolkata, hope it helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7879" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-01-24T08:59:49.213" LastActivityDate="2017-01-24T08:59:49.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7156" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7157" CreationDate="2017-01-24T09:02:11.007" Score="3" ViewCount="374" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was wondering what was the first fictional film to show more than one Aikido technique&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;. I am assuming that the 1988 &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094602/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_55&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Above The Law&lt;/a&gt; might be it but it there might be something else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt; Let's assume more than one technique done differently. So, a dozen kotegaeshi would not really fit but add an ikkajo and all is good.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-12-14T15:44:17.307" LastActivityDate="2018-12-30T01:49:27.797" Title="First fictional film to show Aikido" Tags="|aikido|history|entertainment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7157" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7156" CreationDate="2017-01-24T14:50:15.400" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen references to the 1982 film, &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Challenge_(1982_film)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Challenge&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, prominently showing Aikido (Seagal was a fight coordinator).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The Challenge is a 1982 American action film directed by John Frankenheimer and co-written by John Sayles. The film stars Scott Glenn and Toshirō Mifune. It is noted that this film features several aikido-based action scenes choreographed by Steven Seagal, prior to the start of his own film career.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEL08kvdNEY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEL08kvdNEY&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2017-01-24T14:50:15.400" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7158" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7159" CreationDate="2017-01-25T04:00:04.050" Score="1" ViewCount="349" Body="&lt;p&gt;So, I mentioned this on chat when responding to the fellow who was begging the question of whether more injuries result from training than being assaulted, and I figured I'd follow through. Years ago, when I strained my groin doing a high kick, coming back to TKD after a few years of no normal training, my teacher claimed that the majority of martial arts injuries involve one person, and are the result of people coming back to training after a break. Namely, he said that humans are pretty close to naturally able to throw high kicks and fast punches, but our brains hold us back because it's harder to stop that kick or punch before it causes injuries, resulting in strained muscles and hyper-extended joints when you throw the strike, or do the stretch, and can't stop in time. When you used to practice a martial art, you &quot;know&quot; you can stop safely, and are more likely to hurt yourself when you cannot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any truth to this, or was the teacher passing a myth on to me?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2017-01-25T20:40:22.237" Title="Are the majority of martial arts injuries from people returning to training after a break?" Tags="|training|injury|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7159" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7158" CreationDate="2017-01-25T17:27:57.927" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a truth in there, however... it sounds like your instructor either didn't understand fully what was going on or had it explained incorrectly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Re-injury in sports in general&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know if the majority of injuries happen as a re-injury, but it is common.  It is a combination of the previous injury generally leading to problems and opening up for more injury (especially around joint and tendon injuries), and that people push too fast and too hard because they're eager to get back into things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basic tissue recovery happens in a matter of weeks at top, but restrengthening muscles, or adaptations around scar tissue usually take months of rehabilitation, and the problem is that you can get to &quot;good enough to do daily tasks&quot; relatively quickly, but not &quot;safe for full sport action&quot; as well.   (High end professional athletes sorta get around this through having a full set of doctors, specialists in bracing &amp;amp; taping, and full immediate care when injuries happen.  Instead they pay their dues a few years down the line when everything else breaks down...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Self injury&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your muscles and joints have specialized proprioception nerves that deal with speed of contraction/stretching.  A basic evolutionary adaptation is that if a joint is being moved &quot;too fast&quot;, the opposite muscle will contract, attempting to create a &quot;braking&quot; action, to stop the joint from getting hyper extended.  On the lowest end, this slows down your movement, or maybe causes a cramp.  Higher up, you get a full muscle strain or tear, as muscles heal faster than joints, so it's a worthwhile sacrifice as far as your biology is concerned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The solution for this is slow warm up to the action you plan on doing, eventually getting up to full speed/force.  This allows the nerves to re-adapt to the movement and speed to expect without contracting and causing tears.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stretching done to the range of motion you expect can help.  Stretching outside the range of motion you are going to do, destabilizes the joints and opens you up to more potential for injury.  This is why studies tend to be here or there when it comes to stretching helping or hurting - &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/648/is-static-stretching-before-practice-beneficial-harmful-or-something-in-betwee/2628#2628&quot;&gt;wrong stretching hurts, good stretching helps&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2017-01-25T17:27:57.927" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7160" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7158" CreationDate="2017-01-25T20:40:22.237" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm unaware of any studies done on the topic.  But I've been teaching for almost 15 years, and have been a student for 35 years.  I've run the gamut from Olympic and ITF Taekwondo, to Shotokan Karate, to Wing Tsun, to Hapkido, and to Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so I'm going with myth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Namely, he said that humans are pretty close to naturally able to throw high kicks and fast punches&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a joke.  That's why we train - to learn how to do what this clown says we are naturally able to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Acute injuries, like sprains and bloody noses, are due to accidents, while chronic injuries, like osteoarthritis, are due to training methods.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some forms of improper training - like improper warmups, stretching, or conditioning - can lead to acute injuries, which can lead to chronic ones.  Torn ACL, hernia, dementia pugilistica, and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy can all be caused by repeated acute injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen dozens of people coming in from long hiatuses, and never once did they get injured because their brain said &quot;yes&quot; while the body said &quot;no&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Really: who does that?  Who stops training for a few years, then out of the blue comes to class and starts where he left off, raring to go?  Nobody does that.  They take their time, they stay in the back of class, they come in once a week.  They ease into their training.  Some may ease into where they left off, others fall short.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While there might be a few who've done that, the number of injuries I see are far and away caused by accidents with students who are not returning from hiatus, than by those who get injured because they overestimated their ability to return to where they left off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In fact, it's the people who DON'T take time off from training who I see are more likely to get injured.  Chronic fatigue, and boredom, lead to instances where mistakes are made because the student is not paying attention, or who is compensating for injury or fatigue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bottom line, though, I don't see any injuries resulting from returning on hiatus, to say nothing about a majority of injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2017-01-25T20:40:22.237" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7161" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7164" CreationDate="2017-01-26T01:40:59.397" Score="4" ViewCount="550" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been learning Hapkido (and also Judo, Aikido, and some other similiar arts) for around 4 ~ 5 months now and one of it curriculum is falling technique (낙법 / nakbeob) that we studied so when we fall, we don't got any serious injuries. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am wondering if this technique can applied in real life situation, like a fall from motorcycle / bicycle / scooter, fall because slippery floor, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am wondering this because last night, I fell from my scooter, and I didn't use this technique at all and just fell like other people (I have injured my knees).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7872" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-09-08T15:43:02.943" LastActivityDate="2018-09-08T15:43:02.943" Title="Apply Falling Technique in Real Situation" Tags="|technique|judo|aikido|hapkido|falling|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7163" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7161" CreationDate="2017-01-26T10:45:20.177" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;They most definitely are applicable in real situations. In our club, we call it investing in your old day. With that, we mean that even if you don't do martial arts, practicing proper falling technique will limit injuries when you're old.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also outside of martial arts, falling techniques are often practiced by cyclists and the likes, to avoid exactly the sort of situation you had. One article on it can be found here: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.corfman.com/russell/cycling/crashtechnique.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.corfman.com/russell/cycling/crashtechnique.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sure everyone here knows stories of buddies, trainers, and so on, who fell from somewhere and saved their skin with falling techniques. Personally, I've heard stories of falling down a ladder and getting out of it unscathed due to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want a visual example of when backward falling technique would be useful, the comedian Conan o'Brien once slipped and fell, hitting his head and ending with a concussion. When slipping, you could really tell what he did wrong, and how he could have prevented concussion with proper falling techniques: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q_NOYOgf7k&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q_NOYOgf7k&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, it's about getting the proper reflexes. As such, they work in any situation, and for the rest of your life. They're invaluable, so take practicing them seriously!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2017-01-26T10:45:20.177" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7164" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7161" CreationDate="2017-01-26T13:23:27.853" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;This probably should go without saying, but you will learn to do what you train to do. If you only train your &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; as &quot;If they use technique A, use breakfall B&quot;, you're probably not going to think of it when you trip instead. To some degree, &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; or just training a variety of techniques will teach you how to fall properly spontaneously because you're teaching yourself a general reaction rather than a formulaic response, but really, you should probably intentionally train for falling situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While it's not martial arts, take a look at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5UTjpRJNhc&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Amos Rendao's Precision Slip Out drill&lt;/a&gt; for an example of how you might train, putting yourself in a situation where you put yourself in a likely fall situation where you have some safety measures (padding), but you can't predict all of the variables. This slipout method is actually valuable in general because that's not an uncommon way to trip up, and doing it repeatedly in reaction to your own motion will drill into you the basics of always lifting your head and always orienting yourself onto your back. I'd suggest also training things like going into a forward or sideways breakfall or rolling with your legs tangled, basically modeling tripping yourself rather than starting with legs shoulder-width apart. Lastly, if you can't arrange for a tripping hazard, use a training partner to make one. Just having someone push you into the trip will help since you can't start falling into it until they start, particularly if you force yourself to not be in an ideal situation at the start. Add to that the potential for them to change up which way they're tripping you, and you start learning to react spontaneously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;TL;DR&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training for how you plan to use your training will be much more effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-02-02T12:27:18.767" LastActivityDate="2017-02-02T12:27:18.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7165" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7161" CreationDate="2017-01-26T15:31:48.030" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your training to fall unquestionably can be used in daily life, I've personally used it in several cases which resulted in nothing more than serious bruising to my ego.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, slippery floor: yes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, you also qualified your question to apply to a moving vehicle (motorcycle, scooter, bike).  In these cases, then, my answer is &quot;no&quot;, since few places actually teach how to fall while moving at high speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you trained at a stunt school, perhaps there may be overlapping techniques they use between that and some self-defense schools, but that is coincidental.  Self-defense schools are focused on your safety from an aggressor, not your safety from a getaway (or a casual Sunday drive, for that matter).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2017-01-26T15:31:48.030" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7166" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7148" CreationDate="2017-01-26T15:50:05.180" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;A lot depends on what is the focus of the demonstration.  I know that Christian Tissier and Bruno Gonzolez do many demonstrations together, and Mr Gonzolez himself is a high-ranking Aikido-ka, while Mr Tissier is higher in rank.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Aikido, there is as much emphasis on nage-waza as there is in ukemi, because, one gives while the other simultaneously receives.  But an instructor can only play one role at a time.  Often, the execution of ukemi is easier than nage-waza, which requires more in-depth demonstration (or instruction), and not surprisingly,  that should come from the higher ranking instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On occasion that the focus of instruction/demonstration is ukemi, the instructor will usually switch to the role of uke.  I've never seen it done any other way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a demonstration, the focus of the performance is usually the nage-waza, even though a crappy uke can ruin the entire demonstration.  People don't &quot;ooooh&quot; and &quot;aaaah&quot; over uke's deft stunt work, only the manner in which he got wrapped up in the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think about it: what role should the instructor play if the focus of instruction is the reversal?  He should be playing the role of initial uke, yes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you are careful and observant, it is definitely worth your while to pay attention to both nage and uke, especially if they are high-ranking Aikido-ka.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2017-01-26T15:50:05.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7167" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4654" CreationDate="2017-01-27T00:01:44.697" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would add that a well-fitted, cotton t-shirt might be preferable to a rashguard, given that the t-shirt traps less heat, while still offering rash and burn protection.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7401" LastActivityDate="2017-01-27T00:01:44.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7168" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7173" CreationDate="2017-01-27T02:12:25.593" Score="2" ViewCount="149" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Goal:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am looking for a way to better my left uppercut technique. This can be extremely difficult at times doing this alone. I understand that the power of the uppercut comes from the feet and spring-like motion of the knees and inertia from hip rotation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Problem:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My gym doesn't have uppercut bags and I only see my coach once a week. So mits aren't usually an option. I find that when I am hitting the heavy bag the angle is extremely awkward. The angle that I am using to hit the bag feels like a body uppercut from a long distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How can I better the technique of my left uppercut given my circumstances?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7873" LastEditorUserId="7873" LastEditDate="2017-01-27T14:15:31.227" LastActivityDate="2017-01-28T11:59:45.470" Title="Improve left uppercut technique" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7171" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1035" CreationDate="2017-01-27T16:33:57.430" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to throw in another view I found effective and, considering the explanation behind that, coherent:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A physiotherapist once told me that while cooling directly after the blunt trauma is of course important against the swelling, a different treatment should be considered afterwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As bruises include ruptures of capillaries, therefore an accumulation of clotted blood and potential local inflammations as pointed out by e.g. @stslavik, the treatment should be twofold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First cooling down for a good minute at least, causing a contraction of the capillaries and tissue surrounding the injury. &lt;em&gt;Directly&lt;/em&gt; afterwards, warming &lt;em&gt;without compressing&lt;/em&gt; for about double the time. This - so I have been told - causes a comparatively explosive opening of the capillaries and tissue (more than mere warming), easing the flow of blood. The effect is therefore both that the clotted blood is washed away and blood flow in general is restored locally and that the white blood cells coming in with fresh blood can deal with potential inflammation better, allowing the body to remove the remnants of the trauma. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This should help &lt;em&gt;better than warming from normal body temperature&lt;/em&gt;, which seems to be the standard treatment. Seems logical to me as the maximum temperature difference would be around 4-5 degrees Celsius before denaturation sets in, whereas with cooling beforehand it can be double the span.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This procedure should be repeated for about half an hour of change between cold and hot (not the other way round).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that I should support my writing with some science, but surprisingly, I couldn't find any regarding this exact procedure. She had learned it at a workshop for physiotherapists, so I guess there should be some, though. But I can only report very positive outcomes I experienced myself compared to treatments I used before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2017-01-27T16:33:57.430" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7173" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7168" CreationDate="2017-01-28T11:59:45.470" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This seems like a hard task, but I have three possibilities for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Use a mirror and do shadowboxing. In this way you can train form and technique with the capability to have a virtual opponent (yourself ;-) )&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Create your own Uppercut device from an old tire ex: cut it in half and bring it on a board attached to a wall. Sample: &lt;a href=&quot;https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mzgUx3US5g4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mzgUx3US5g4&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;For power, you can use isometric contractions combining with bands (see your question about inproving power of left hook)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2017-01-28T11:59:45.470" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7175" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7178" CreationDate="2017-01-29T12:22:11.783" Score="2" ViewCount="1237" Body="&lt;p&gt;I came across a provocative individual with long thumb nails, on both hands; about &lt;code&gt;2cm&lt;/code&gt; extra length.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How dangerous could his nails be?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eye gouging comes to mind. But is it more effective with that type of nails? What about neck tissue? Can it be pierced or slashed more easily? Would it be able to reach the carotid artery? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7461" LastActivityDate="2017-02-03T18:34:14.310" Title="How dangerous are long thumb nails" Tags="|self-defense|streetfight|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7176" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7183" CreationDate="2017-01-29T14:08:14.967" Score="6" ViewCount="692" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Goal:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am looking to use the form and strength that I have built in boxing and start towards hand speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Problem:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a lot of power, the problem is my hand speed is suffering because of the amount of resistance/compound training I have been doing over the years. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the most effective methods to increase a boxers hand speed given my problem and my goal?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7873" LastActivityDate="2017-02-02T16:02:08.773" Title="How to increase hand speed in boxing" Tags="|technique|boxing|speed|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7177" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6420" CreationDate="2017-01-29T21:18:19.653" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The thing in general with martial arts and the splits is that it gives you a sense of advantage, even though in most of the time it may just be a symbolic thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well either way it's important to strive to be more splits-capable, especially when we're a bit older; its like a good yawn and hits home in your sense of being adept, whether by genetic ability, or trained for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7902" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-01-30T09:16:43.717" LastActivityDate="2017-01-30T09:16:43.717" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7178" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7175" CreationDate="2017-01-30T14:37:37.567" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Generally speaking, human nails aren't much of a threat. There is more of a chance the individual with long nails will injure themselves trying to use them as weapons (e.g. painful tears and nail-bed trauma) than there is to an intended target. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have already identified the eyes as particularly vulnerable (and honestly they are just as ready a target to someone without long nails), but painful scratches to the dermis are the likely outcome from a fingernail attack. As someone who has practiced both striking and grappling arts for decades, I see long nails as far more of a hindrance/risk than they are an advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2017-01-30T14:37:37.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7179" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7176" CreationDate="2017-01-30T15:33:20.223" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I went into boxing from a jujitsu-style art and thought I had a fast punch until my coach put me on the floor to ceiling ball and I got yet another lesson in humility. My punch speed went up like crazy and people I used to spar with commented on it. Wonderful piece of kit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="689" LastActivityDate="2017-01-30T15:33:20.223" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7181" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-02-02T10:47:38.823" Score="4" ViewCount="1113" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iskf.com/dojo%20kun.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;dojo kun&lt;/a&gt; is a set of 5 principles that should be followed in the dojo. The dojo kun states the basic philosophy of karate, according to Funakoshi. Some schools choose to recite the principles at the end of each training session. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The principles are in Japanese, and translate to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Seek Perfection of Character&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Be faithful&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Endeavor&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Respect Others&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Refrain from Violent Behavior&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would it be appropriate to display these rules through work of art or crafts in a home environment as well? I just really appreciate the philosophy behind them, yet they are explicitly linked to the dojo. I couldn't find anything arguing against home-use via a web search. However, I also couldn't find anything arguing &lt;em&gt;for&lt;/em&gt; it either.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;Source: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iskf.com/dojo%20kun.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;ISKF&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6264" LastEditorUserId="6264" LastEditDate="2017-02-02T13:47:49.773" LastActivityDate="2017-02-02T16:17:50.563" Title="Is it appropriate to display the dojo kun at home?" Tags="|karate|dojo|etiquette|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7182" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7181" CreationDate="2017-02-02T11:22:29.733" Score="7" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Yes&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course it is appropriate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am struggling to find a reason why not to do it if you are keen on it. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iskf.com/images/dojo%20kun.png&quot;&gt;It is a piece of nice calligraphy&lt;/a&gt; which would be enough to display as an art piece regardless of whether you abide by it or not. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Besides, it is your home and you should be able to decorate it how you see it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I could not find a higher resolution image of it but you probably can buy prints of it from somewhere (ISKF site?) or get some ink, brushes, and do one yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-02-02T14:25:21.437" LastActivityDate="2017-02-02T14:25:21.437" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7183" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7176" CreationDate="2017-02-02T16:02:08.773" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Improving hand speed means improving Speed strength, you can do that by doing&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;plyometrics &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;punching with bands &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;throwing medicine balls or dumbbells&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;shot putting&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, you should also pay attention on the execution of your punching technique.&#xA;Buy that i mean you should &quot;throw&quot; your hands through the opponent, initiated or catapulted from the legs via the shoulder, and during this motion you should be as relaxed as possible. When you tense up, you are becoming slower.&#xA;The only thing that needs to be tight is your fist and upon impact you should&#xA;tense up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can use a small exercise and try to punch through a peace of paper that is attached to a rope or something from the ceiling. if you can rip the paper in half that would be a confirmation of a solid punch. In short, the drill is useful. The piece of paper isn't what causes improvements however. It is the fact that you are consciously trying to hit the paper with a snap (ie. as fast as you can). The best way to become fast is by training fast. This simple logic is seen with the drill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastActivityDate="2017-02-02T16:02:08.773" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7184" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7181" CreationDate="2017-02-02T16:17:50.563" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would say, in the spirit of the question, that it should be treated with appropriate respect. While I agree with Sardathrion that it is up to you how you decorate your home, the fact that you are asking suggests that you care about &quot;proper&quot; approach to such symbol/item.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although not Karate practitioner myself, from my own experience with this kind of items in Japanese culture, I would require of myself to put it in an appropriate room, in a place that grants proper respect to it (so, not nailed through to a wall next to a Playboy calendar) etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would actually be wary of putting this kind of item in my house, as I would (personally!) feel obligated to keep at least the room in a clean and orderly state. Though maybe it is precisely why I should. Something like: if you were to display urn of ashes of your family members, you would not probably want it to be surrounded with trash, dust and general mess. The respect shown is not to the item, it is respect shown to the idea behind it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7920" LastActivityDate="2017-02-02T16:17:50.563" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7185" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2830" CreationDate="2017-02-02T21:56:34.077" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As was hinted to in the comments, it seems that &quot;Bushin Ryu&quot; is a freestyle martial art that is a combination of various other arts, with components of Jiu-jitsu, Ninjutsu, Aiki Jujutsu, Aikido, Hapkido, Karate and Kobujutsu (Japanese Classical Weapons Training).&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;strong&gt;source&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;a href=&quot;http://mesamartialarts.com/bushin-ryu-aiki-bujutsu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bushin Ryu Aiki Bujutsu - 'School of the Samurai'&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what I understand, there is no real technical focus, and it blends various martial arts into something new. I think the following quote makes clear that there is no clear focus present in this style: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;[Bushin Ryu is a] self-protection [discipline] that includes an extensive variety of strikes, kicks, joint locks, throws, pressure points, ground survival and disarming techniques. The result is a practical, comprehensive self defense system that is enjoyable to learn and truly effective in realistic situations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;source&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.budoshingikankyokai.org/bushin-ryu-aiki-bujutsu.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bushin Ryu Aiki Bujutsu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It does, however, seem to strive to conserve the classical way of Japanese Samurai training:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;[The] school of authentic Japanese Bujutsu [is a] self-defense-based&#xA;  Japanese martial arts emerging in the modern era but taught in the&#xA;  tradition of the feudal era [...]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;source&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;a href=&quot;http://bushinryuaikibujutsu.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bushin Ryu Aiki Bujutsu World Federation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This latter contrasts with another freestyle self-defense system composed of various other disciplines, namely the Israeli &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/a&gt;. Krav Maga is focused on real-life practical solutions for self-defense techniques designed for the Israel Defense Forces (and other military forces). Krav Maga is therefore focused on efficiency, while Bushin Ryu has a strong focus on the classic Japanese budo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6264" LastEditorUserId="6264" LastEditDate="2017-02-03T12:39:24.423" LastActivityDate="2017-02-03T12:39:24.423" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7186" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7175" CreationDate="2017-02-03T18:34:14.310" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Nails aren't really all that &lt;em&gt;dangerous&lt;/em&gt;, but they can be painful, especially when practicing things like grabs and releases. Personally, I've had my share of scratches from long nails in practice.&#xA;If anything his nails are more of a threat to himself, they're probably fragile enough that they could break.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7914" LastActivityDate="2017-02-03T18:34:14.310" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7187" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5863" CreationDate="2017-02-03T21:20:06.693" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The position you're referring to is the most common used starting position (&quot;kamae&quot;) for kendokas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is absolutely not passive, as all attacks can be done from this position. Standing in the starting position, the whole body is prepared for lunging forward by a push of the left leg. It's not very visible, because of all the clothing and gear the participants are wearing. You might have seen them been standing like this for minutes, just shouting and doing small movements. This is one of the most intense situations for kendokas, as they're just waiting for the right moment to lunge into an attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As mentioned in the comments, the tip of the shinai is pointing at the opponents throat. Moving strait forward will make the shinai hit the throat, and the attacking kendoka will get a point, if the attack is correctly executed. &#xA;As for other attacks, it's not necessary with large draw backs. Often (e.g. in competitions) a kendoka will stretch his arms keeping the shinai in the center (while moving towards the opponent), and within the split of a second do a small cut to a valid point area. Bigger cuts with obvious draw backs happens fast and are used in combination with body movements (barely visible and very visible) to execute a successful attack. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7926" LastActivityDate="2017-02-03T21:20:06.693" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7188" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7189" CreationDate="2017-02-04T08:13:27.197" Score="3" ViewCount="5792" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was wondering if anyone who has gone through an ACL recon, specifically with an allograft, could say when they started moving freely again. By moving freely, I mean kicking with both legs and shadow boxing/pivoting on the operation leg without any reservations. Note, I mean just movement and shadow boxing/kicking...not sparring, or any contact work. Similar to what Conor Mcgregor is doing in this video, maybe excluding all the level changes and fancy jump kicks where both feet leave the mat&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5_qFzz730No&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5_qFzz730No&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4352" LastActivityDate="2017-02-04T14:36:09.197" Title="Kicking after ACL Reconstruction" Tags="|muay-thai|knees|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7189" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7188" CreationDate="2017-02-04T14:36:09.197" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I went through ACL recon in 2015 November, was pretty lazy in rehab and ended with a weak hamstring. I have always been told and recommended that kicks with the knee that was repaired generally will take longer to feel natural again, especially in relation to pivoting on the operational leg. I was able to do roundhouses after 7 months and pivoting on the operational leg after 11 months. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been able to pivot on operation leg and do the demonstration above for about 2 months now. If you have done correct rehabilitation for being able to pivot on the operation leg and have full range of motion you should be able to commence when you feel you can complete all the motions required without feeling pain - It largely varies from person to person. If I am correct I do believe Conor McGregor returned to practice within 4 months of injury to his ACL in the fight vs Holloway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this time period is way too long maybe you should look into doing light work and no pivots after 4 months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://sportsmetrics.org/published-rates-of-reinjury-after-acl-reconstruction-show-need-for-advanced-neuromuscular-retraining/&quot;&gt;http://sportsmetrics.org/published-rates-of-reinjury-after-acl-reconstruction-show-need-for-advanced-neuromuscular-retraining/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lermagazine.com/article/rehab-speeds-return-after-acl-surgery&quot;&gt;http://lermagazine.com/article/rehab-speeds-return-after-acl-surgery&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7930" LastActivityDate="2017-02-04T14:36:09.197" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7190" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7139" CreationDate="2017-02-05T20:11:40.983" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Short answer here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Break something. If an assailant is resistant to pain, break something to incapacitate them. Kick out a knee, break an arm or two. As one of my instructors likes to say, &quot;Make the crack heads crawl.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7914" LastActivityDate="2017-02-05T20:11:40.983" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7191" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7139" CreationDate="2017-02-05T22:54:46.297" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The foot sweep is an example of attacking in a manner the opponent cannot resist. It does not matter whether the opponent feels pain; they will still fall on the ground when their weight is unsupported by their feet. Presumably this gives you a sufficient advantage to escape or end the engagement decisively. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key principle is to attack the opponent's foot while weight is changing there. There is a narrow timing window where weight is over the foot being swept but the foot is not planted. This can be as weight comes up off the foot, or as weight is coming down on the foot. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the case where weight is leaving the foot being swept: if weight has not yet started to shift the sweep meets a planted leg, which feels like kicking a pole and is not effective. If the weight has completed transfer away from the foot you are sweeping, you end up with pushing the opponent around while they stand on the other foot. If you succeed in finding the timing window, the opponent falls because their weight is no longer supported. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To the person being swept, the sensation is similar to slipping on ice; you step and expect your weight to be supported normally, but suddenly it is not and you fall. Sweeps will work on opponents of unlimited weight as long as they are moving their feet (which may itself be difficult to force). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfcNJo2KK5E&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;In this example, note that the person being swept is stepping away at the time they are swept.&lt;/a&gt; As weight starting to shift away from the right foot, the right foot is swept. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXzhQVmA8zI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here is an instructional example.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-02-05T22:54:46.297" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7192" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7193" CreationDate="2017-02-06T08:50:46.170" Score="2" ViewCount="429" Body="&lt;p&gt;In movie &quot;&lt;strong&gt;Never Back Down: No Surrender (2016)&lt;/strong&gt;&quot;, Michael Jai White is seen practising a footwork technique shown below. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8UG8Jm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8UG8Jm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Footwork&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any such technique in Karate? If so, what is it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7940" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-02-06T10:58:30.947" LastActivityDate="2017-02-07T05:51:23.850" Title="What's this footwork technique called?" Tags="|karate|footwork|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7193" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7192" CreationDate="2017-02-06T13:27:03.523" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's hard to say without better context, but that looks like a standard Side Step drill, as seen &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/fszMnO84iJ0?t=10s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. Diagonal step in, kick. Repeat on the other side. The duct tape provides a tactile and visual guide for the steps. The image on the wall provides a target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can see similar duct-tape diagrams in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLmX-umfd_0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this boxing footwork tutorial&lt;/a&gt; and I know that my SCA light fencing class similarly used them to teach the technique of a diagonal step and counter-attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As Steve Weigand noted in the comments, it is commonly covered in karate. I personally experienced one-step drills in Tang Soo Do (later changed to Chun Kuk Do) and Tae Kwan Do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-02-07T05:51:23.850" LastActivityDate="2017-02-07T05:51:23.850" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7194" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7195" CreationDate="2017-02-07T00:11:45.247" Score="2" ViewCount="2756" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been told that I need to &quot;get out of the way&quot; of incoming kicks and change the angle to attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can anyone suggest some drills to work on this when training alone? I have a wave master and a reflex bag (on a stand), an agility ladder, and I have plenty of room to do footwork drills, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7936" LastEditorUserId="7936" LastEditDate="2017-02-11T16:27:07.607" LastActivityDate="2017-03-25T20:38:43.440" Title="Solo drills to improve footwork" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|footwork|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7195" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7194" CreationDate="2017-02-07T15:56:06.283" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes!  Work on your stances.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your stances are responsible for facilitating getting you from one place to another.  If you are in a stance, your thoughts should be &quot;where can I easily move from here?&quot;, because that's exactly what your opponent will capitalize on.  There are a few basic stances: back, front, horse, cat, parallel, natural, walking.  Your school may have different names, but whatever they are, practice them, and get a feel for their pros and cons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, is your weight predominantly on your rear foot?  Then you're going to have difficulties moving back.  Are you leaning forward?  You're giving a gift to your opponent who can kick higher at you with less risk.  Are you in a horse stance so that your back is back and you are squared with your opponent?  You can move side to side, but moving forward and back is not so easily done.  And so on.  So for each stance, imagine an incoming kick or strike: where can you easily move and either get out of the way, or counter with something else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's no one perfect stance; good fighters change them up all the time, and that's the next thing to work on: changing up your stances.  Move from back stance to front stance, and back again.  Switch your stance, so that you are right-facing, and again so that you're left facing.  Your goals in this drill is to change as fast as possible so that you shorten the time to change, that reduces the window of opportunity for your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In combination with practicing different stances, and changing stances, is to move your position while keeping your stance or move your position and change your stance.  Either way, the key is moving.  Slide up or back, slide from side to side.  To hide your intentions to move, fighters often bounce on the ball of toes.  Good fighters change the rate at which the bounce, but beginners need to be able to move and change stances while bouncing, and so, this should be a priority.  When you get good at this, then work on changing your tempo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are an absolute beginner, then you should do these things without a technique.  But if you are intermediate, or more, experienced, you should be doing these techniques on a bag or with a partner (but since you qualified your question for solo work, a bag or air kicking is the way to go).  So, work on your combinations, your aim, your defenses, your awareness of where you can go, your technique, your stamina.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Much can be done without equipment, you just need some space.  But you get better mileage with a hanging or standing bag, and of course, a partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2017-02-07T15:56:06.283" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7196" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="924" CreationDate="2017-02-09T05:22:29.127" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's important to consider both the training and application purposes of stepping styles. There are reasons you may want to train a style of stepping that are not used directly in application. Although this question is about sliding, there are also other aspects of stepping that you can similarly vary, such as speed, the height you lift your legs, or the height of your stance when stepping. The combination of aspects you choose will change the flavor of training you get. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Sliding step (snake step, mud step, ...)&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Training&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people walk in a series of controlled falls; they lean forward and catch themselves with the foot moving in front. If their foot encounters an unexpected obstacle, they stumble and perhaps fall because they are actually falling with each step. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One primary training goal of the sliding step is to move with balance and power. One way to verify you are moving with balance (not leaning) is to have someone wrap a belt around your waist and hold onto it. If you can step and pull this person along without leaning, you have the right idea. Propelling yourself in this fashion allows you to deliver your leg power into strikes while moving. You can use a step as a kick, or deliver this into hand/elbow/whatever strikes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It isn't necessary to slide your feet to do this, but my understanding is that instructional wisdom says it's easiest to learn this with the sliding step. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Application&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sliding steps allow you to adapt more quickly. You can shorten steps mid-stride, which allows you restablish a strong stance more quickly than if you have to finish stepping your foot down. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Icy conditions are a natural fit for the sliding step. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Natural(?) Stepping&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Training&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are stepping drills when lifting feet as well. To remain on balance while lifting your feet, you shift weight to one leg, lift the other foot and reposition it, then transfer weight. Manipulating foot joints may also be part of these drills, with the emphasized joints depending upon what direction you are moving. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The balance training for this kind of stepping is significantly different from the sliding step. You cannot easily catch your balance as with the sliding step, which forces you to develop different muscle strength, flexibility, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Application&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some environments like broken ground or stairs simply do not allow the sliding step. If you used the sliding step, you would constantly run into obstacles, so you have to pick up your feet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You move faster when you pick up your feet. You can't run, for example, without lifting your feet. You also can't kick much without picking up your feet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-02-09T05:22:29.127" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7197" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-02-09T13:58:10.013" Score="4" ViewCount="938" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to improve my perception and reaction time to help me respond to incoming attacks more quickly. What techniques can I use to improve perception and reaction time?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7952" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-02-09T14:36:53.850" LastActivityDate="2017-02-27T09:18:34.087" Title="Improve perception and reaction time" Tags="|self-defense|self-training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7198" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7197" CreationDate="2017-02-09T14:55:56.533" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR&lt;/strong&gt; the best way for you to improve your perception and reaction time is to train and spar with opponents at a school or club, under the guidance of an experienced coach or instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Get hit!&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Seriously, nothing sharpens your perception quite like getting hit.As has been pointed out in the comments, my answer may seem like I'm saying &quot;go out and get hurt&quot;. This is absolutely not what I mean! In a class, you will learn to spar and fight in a controlled environment. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, I'm not suggesting you go out on the street looking for someone to attack - that way leads to the dark side, padawan! What you really need to do is find a school/club/gym that offers some fight or martial art training; once you've found such a place, join up and start training as often as practical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning to spar and fight in a controlled environment is the key point of my original answer. In taekwondo, we have various different types of sparring that allow us to increase the realism without compromising safety; at the highest level (in class), free sparring, with safety kit, allows us to approximate a real fight (with the stress and adrenaline that goes with it) without serious harm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At first, you'll get hit a lot. It will be demoralising and painful, but it will start to help. You'll also need to listen to comments, hints and tips from your opponents and coaches/instructors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Improving your perception and reaction time for fighting is something that can only really be improved by repeatedly sparring with real opponents; I don't know of any drills you can do on your own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It will take time and it may feel like you're not getting any better, even after several months of training - remember that the people you're training with will also be getting better, making it harder to see your own improvement. Again, listen to your coach and training partners; they will be able to tell you if you're improving.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, Sardathrion commented that you could set a beep to sound at a random interval, hitting a bag when you hear the beep. This is true and will help somewhat, but it is no substitute for actually sparring with someone; it will not help you learn how to read an opponent for an incoming strike and it won't help you experience how you react when you feel threatened or under pressure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-02-27T09:18:34.087" LastActivityDate="2017-02-27T09:18:34.087" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7200" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2115" CreationDate="2017-02-10T09:26:21.827" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had a pilon fracture; it's the plate that causes pain.  Get it removed. &lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UiXzp.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7954" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-02-10T09:39:03.693" LastActivityDate="2017-02-10T09:39:03.693" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7201" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7206" CreationDate="2017-02-10T09:37:51.367" Score="3" ViewCount="703" Body="&lt;p&gt;During kata I have a real issue maintaining my stance, this is predominately caused by me bringing my rear heel up off the floor when striking. The two katas I have learnt, so far, are taikyoku and pinan shodan. The style is Godoryu, which is a combination of shotokan and wado ryu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the problem crops up in general but either not as prevelant OR I'm not picked up on it as much. I am aware I do it so I have been trying to keep my heel down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any exercises or shortcuts that I can use to help keep that heel on the floor?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6415" LastEditorUserId="6415" LastEditDate="2017-02-13T10:03:21.663" LastActivityDate="2017-02-19T23:09:46.540" Title="Trouble keeping heel down during katas" Tags="|karate|stance|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7202" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2017-02-10T11:41:47.703" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In march of 1966 Choi founded the International Taekwon-do Federation (ITF), which he also served as president. Choi later resigned as the KTA president and moved his ITF headquarters to Montreal, Canada, from where he concentrated on organizing Taekwondo internationally. His emphasis is on self-defense methodology, not particularly on the sport. By 1974, Choi reported that some 600 qualified ITF instructors were distributed throughout the world.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Young-wun Kim was elected the new KTA president. Feeling that Korea was the mother country of Taekwondo and that the world headquarters should be located there, he dissolved the ITF's connection with the KTA and on May 28, 1973 created a new international governing body called the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), which coincided with the first World Taekwondo Championships that were held in Seoul, Korea. At the first inaugural meeting, Un Yong Kim was elected as president of the WTF and drafted a charter for the federation. The WTF is the only official organization recognized by the Korean government as an international regulating body for Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7955" LastActivityDate="2017-02-10T11:41:47.703" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7203" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7201" CreationDate="2017-02-10T16:05:58.013" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You've already identified that you're bringing your heel up, which means that if you have access to a mirror in your dojo you can keep an eye out for it when you practice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other suggestions include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ask someone to watch you performing the kata at different speeds.&lt;/strong&gt; Get them to check on what strikes/moves your heel comes up, so that you know what to focus on. Regular feedback from others is essential if you often practice alone. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Slow the movement right down, and practice not bringing your heel up at that speed.&lt;/strong&gt; Slowly you can build up the speed, ensuring that you aren't bringing your heel up. Eventually you will feel whether your heel comes up or not, and be confident performing at full speed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me, it was repetition, repetition, repetition - and ask others to help!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7900" LastActivityDate="2017-02-10T16:05:58.013" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7204" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7201" CreationDate="2017-02-10T16:21:23.633" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In general, over all martial arts, this means you're going beyond your reach. There's alot of different things you can do, depending on the when.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's during a specific stance, without any real movement, try standing higher in that stance and move in and out of it slower. As you get more used to it, you can stand lower and increase speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the heel goes up during a punching technique, it may be no problem at all. You need to pivot on your foot for a decent punch, and depending on the stance, that pivot will make your heel go up. If you're in a bow-arrow stance that requires the back heel flat, and it does come up, you're trying to punch further than you can. You can learn your right distance for punches by facing a wall, standing close to it, and throwing a (VERY) light punch at it. Step back until your arm is only slightly bent (so NOT entirely stretched). Then practice punching at that distance to get the proper feeling of it. If you try punching further than that, your heel will typically go up, as you'll lean forward to cross that extra distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's during a kick, you're just kicking higher than you're able to. Kick lower and stretch to improve the reach. Lower kicking with proper technique and form is better than higher kicking with bad technique and form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most important part here, is taking your time. Do the kata step by step, take your time to check yourself on every aspect of the stance, correct it, repeat the transition over and over, til you get it right. For kicks, cut the kick down into parts. Lift your knee up, turn your hip, stretch leg, pull knee back, put it back down. Hold a chair or wall for balance if necessary, and do each step slowly, paying attention on each aspect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, in short, don't try to overdo yourself. Form and technique are the most important. Speed, power, etc. come after you get the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2017-02-10T16:21:23.633" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7205" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-02-10T17:03:20.657" Score="8" ViewCount="221" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think most of the Judoka know the ladder of Tandoku renshu, Uchi komi, Yakusoku geiko, Randori and Shiai as well as Kata as classical training forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in Ne waza, there was another name introduced to me: Kakari geiko.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It was supposed to mean a form of Ne waza randori where you actually never want to stand still, but keep in fluent movement with one another, always searching for opportunities and the most efficient direction to apply momentum. No strong resistance, just playful, dynamic movement in Ne-waza. Ends up mostly in holds, sometimes armbars, but strangles interrupt the movement and I ended up to apply them rather other forms of Randori/Shiai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After some research, I found that the Japanese nomenclature does not seem to fit this. In some sense, the &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judo-ch.jp/english/dictionary/terms/kakarigeiko/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;continuous attack practice&lt;/a&gt;&quot; seems fitting, but it is both partners alternating instead of one and the same, and you do not get 'fresh' partners all the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore I would like to ask whether there is a special name for that form of training (good for warming up and training the sense for direction of movement), or it simply is light randori.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disclaimer:&lt;/strong&gt; I am well aware that for many people, the Randori/Shiai divide is not really existing, which is kind of sad. It is there and important. I have the feeling that the coach chose a different name for the form of training in order not to let people hear &quot;randori&quot; and go all out. Therefore the question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-02-10T21:25:21.427" LastActivityDate="2017-02-14T08:18:29.707" Title="What is the name of dynamic, non-resistant form of sparring in Japanese?" Tags="|training|judo|terminology|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7206" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7201" CreationDate="2017-02-10T17:06:15.850" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Without a video clip of your performance, it will be hard to diagnose a problem.  However, I can give you some tips that might help you, as this kind of problem is fairly common - usually, it is beginners that have these problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes, the heel lifts before you take off for a step; other times, the heel lifts as you strike even though you landed properly.  You didn't indicate the timing at which you lift the heel, that is an important set of troubleshooting steps.  Personally, I don't always mind the heel coming up in order to take a step, but some instructors have differing opinions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are rushing to strike before you get into your stance, that can pull you forward - that can lift the heel.  The solution is to slow down, and time your strike to land with the step, if that is what is called for in your form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the moment of your strike, your body should be settling down - as in &quot;downward&quot;.  So, your strike goes forward while the body sinks down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lower your shoulders.  Rising shoulders encourages raising the body, which encourages lifting the heel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lower your chin.  An abnormally uplifted chin can encourage rushing the strike, which can lift the shoulders, which can raise the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It could be you're doing all else correctly, which means, you're just lifting for the strike or for the take off on a step.  This means a bad habit has settled in.  The fix for this is to practice at an exaggerated slow motion as you go through your forms, and focus on keeping the heel down.  To undo habits is difficult; you'll need to do this more than you think.  How much time is hard to say, it depends on how comfortable you felt while lifting the heel; you'll need to overcome that comfortable feeling and replace it with not lifting the heel, and so now you have to practice enough for it to be comfortable, then practice enough for it to become habit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to this (the bad habit) this is often seen in young children who have walked on the balls of their toes.  This is a bad habit for them as it leads to poor posture, and doctors are keen to have the child settle onto the heels.  You'll hear parents remind the child &quot;off the toes&quot; or &quot;don't walk on your toes&quot;.  As you get older, these habits tend to go away, but depending on how long it has been occurring (if this describes you), and how old you are now; but, this current habit could have been borne from this early childhood habit.  You see it in people who, as they walk naturally, they step and instantly lift the heel.  I'm not sure if this is a bad habit, as far as walking and posture is concerned; but I notice that people who do this kind of bounce as they walk are often the same ones who lift heels as they step.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, I realize you qualified your problem with kata, but, you didn't say you weren't having problems when not doing katas, and, it's possible you are.  So if you don't have problems outside of kata, then this doesn't apply of course:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But when you strike - usually in problems like this, it will be a reverse strike (the hand opposite the lead foot) which when over-reaching, it pulls the rear foot up.  In this case, you need not think you have to reach to hit your target.  If you do, you are off-balance, and then could be used against you.  If you are lifting while &quot;air striking&quot; (that is, striking without a target) then you need to think about your target to be imagined much closer than you are.  If you are lifting the heel while striking a target (hand-held or a hanging or standing bag) then be closer to the target so that you don't have to feel you are reaching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastEditorDisplayName="user6519" LastEditDate="2017-02-11T22:17:57.360" LastActivityDate="2017-02-11T22:17:57.360" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7207" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7205" CreationDate="2017-02-11T02:21:30.230" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In  budo taijutsu we call it randori as well. Were the Uke attacks at faster than normal training speeds. The speed, assuming the Uke is trained well enough, is set by the Tori based on comfort levels. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Informally we have &quot;flow drills&quot; which equate to the different katas like Fu no kata or sui no kata&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7956" LastEditorUserId="7956" LastEditDate="2017-02-11T02:32:46.617" LastActivityDate="2017-02-11T02:32:46.617" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7208" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7211" CreationDate="2017-02-11T12:06:11.243" Score="0" ViewCount="1301" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Injury prevention within the context of martial arts training&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Goal:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During the randoris, I am not always able to finish due to cramps on calves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What proven routines can I do to build my calf endurance to last till the end of the randori. My goal is to be able to finish at least 5 randoris.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Side Note:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am currently practicing/training every morning, doing jump rope or running.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7957" LastEditorUserId="7957" LastEditDate="2017-03-09T08:21:51.123" LastActivityDate="2017-03-20T12:25:16.333" Title="How to build calf endurance?" Tags="|training|judo|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2017-03-08T08:28:31.097" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7209" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7201" CreationDate="2017-02-12T01:50:27.100" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Shorten (and maybe widen) the front stances to keep your heel down. I think my instructors prefer a shorter but grounded stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7936" LastActivityDate="2017-02-12T01:50:27.100" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7210" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7208" CreationDate="2017-02-12T16:02:48.320" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Among the many exercises the most suitable is jump rope.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wikihow.com/Build-Calf-Muscle-Without-Equipment&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Source&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;When you use a jump rope, your calf is constantly engaged. This helps&#xA;  build muscle, provides a good cardiovascular workout and makes you&#xA;  quicker on your feet as well. Do this exercise regularly, and see why&#xA;  you don’t need weight equipment to tone your calf muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7957" LastEditorUserId="7957" LastEditDate="2017-03-20T12:25:16.333" LastActivityDate="2017-03-20T12:25:16.333" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7211" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7208" CreationDate="2017-02-12T17:00:27.590" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Go to class more. Drink more water in the 8 to 12 hours before training so that you're not dehydrated in class. Stretch your calves when you wake up and in your warm-up for judo class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't look to bodybuilding for answers; their training methods are inappropriate for a judoka. Even strength training is almost certainly unnecessary: the problem is sport-specific and unless you've been seeing this problem for more than six months of judo training it's due to being unconditioned &lt;em&gt;for judo&lt;/em&gt;, not some deficiency in your calves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2017-02-12T17:00:27.590" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7212" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7205" CreationDate="2017-02-13T08:34:46.897" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Shodokan Aikido, we call this &lt;em&gt;toshu randori&lt;/em&gt; (empty hand free play?) and it works in pretty much the same way as you describe it for Judo. Mostly, one player initiates an attack, the second counters, the first counters, and so on until one of the players cannot counters. There is no tori or uke, both switch role as needed. It is definitely below even soft-randori in resistance but is a fantastic training tool. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another good side effect of the exercise is that you can do it very slowly allowing less experience players to think their way through technique. This boost their confidence and allows them to start remembering patterns and combinations that work for them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I strongly suspect that the exercise was ported by Tomiki to Aikido from Judo but I am not sure if the name has changed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While there is no tanto involved, this used to be the stage before randori in Tomiki's early system which did not involve a tanto. However, everyone quickly close the distance and started using Judo. So, Tomiki introduced the tanto to create more distance and to give uke some way to score points instead of being passive. The latter forces uke to attack strongly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-02-14T08:18:29.707" LastActivityDate="2017-02-14T08:18:29.707" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7215" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7161" CreationDate="2017-02-13T23:29:47.150" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, it is applicable in real life situations. With time, your body will adapt and create what is known as muscle memory, so that you will do certain things without having to think. Five months of training are not enough for this muscle memory, but if you keep training you will eventaully get there, maybe whitin a year if you train hard and focus on &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing we do in our dojo to improve &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; is that, occasionally (a few days over a year), we don't use any tatami in our training, so that we have to fall on the ground. If your falling is okay on the tatami but hurts on the ground, you know you're not doing it right and have the chance to try to fix it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I myself fell from a bicycle at roughly 40km/h, flew over the bicycle; my knee got a little hurt because it absorbed more impact than it should but besides that, not a scratch. I think I was training in Aikido for about 2 years and a half at the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also know of a sensei (3rd dan) who fell from a motorcycle and got very few injuries compared to what might have been if he didn't know any falling techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7959" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-02-14T10:27:40.737" LastActivityDate="2017-02-14T10:27:40.737" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7216" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7152" CreationDate="2017-02-13T23:52:27.650" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am neither a shodokan practicioner nor a yoshinkan one, I am at Aikikai's line. But one thing i have notice is that this falling has many many names. Here in Brazil we call it Yoko Ukemi. But i have seen people calling it Leaf Ukemi, Neko Ukemi and so on... So maybe if you search with another name you can find what you want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7959" LastActivityDate="2017-02-13T23:52:27.650" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7217" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7091" CreationDate="2017-02-14T11:54:01.470" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In our academia berimbaus are hanging on a wall unstrung. Generally, we do not remove the string from the &quot;tuning&quot; end, we just let it loose but it's still wrapped around the upper part. In other words, it looks almost like tuned berimbau except that string is not tightened.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7960" LastActivityDate="2017-02-14T11:54:01.470" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7218" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1440" CreationDate="2017-02-14T11:57:15.417" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;We have one berimbau in academia which got broken in the middle. People put some glue there and wrapped it with a thick cord pretty tightly (the kind which is used for atabaque). So far it's holding up but it has to be tuned carefully. So, in the long term, you can't avoid replacing the verga.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7960" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-02-14T14:45:19.247" LastActivityDate="2017-02-14T14:45:19.247" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7219" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-02-14T16:43:00.570" Score="3" ViewCount="340" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, a bit of background. I've been training kungfu for nearly a decade now. During all these years, I had the nagging feeling something essential was missing. Shifu sometimes told me to follow tai chi classes as well, as it would make my movements more fluid. An opportunity to train tai chi with a good, proper trainer came up, and I took it. I learned a lot from that, which I incorporated into my main training as well, but that nagging feeling of something essential missing never went away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During one class, the tai chi teacher lost his patience and told students off. He told me off by saying that I've trained for nearly a decade, but to him, I didn't train for even one day, cause I always leaned out of axis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What this means is I pretty much move like the Tower of Pisa. I.e. my entire upper body leans over, while top of my head down to the hips (and actually to the bottom of the foot I'm standing on), should be in one line, straight down. To illustrate, here are some examples: I can do squats just fine. Cat stance and the likes are no problem. When moving from one stance to another where I have to do those, then stretch my leg out, I lean over. Same with doing kicks. When I do a front kick, my hips twist forward. That's how it should go. My back (lower and upper) should remain upwards, yet I lean backwards. This results in too much time lost getting back into position, taking most usefulness out of the kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That got me thinking... Shifu occasionally alluded to that as well, but was always very soft-worded about it. Because of that, I stupidly enough didn't pay much attention to it. When looking at the mechanics of every movement, keeping your back in axis is what makes or breaks it. As such, the tai chi teacher was right when saying it was as if I didn't train even one day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now the problem is: How to fix it? I've trained with this flaw for such a long time, removing it has become a real challenge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shifu told me to practice in front of a mirror, and during class he now pays extra attention to it and sends me close to a mirror when necessary. This works for static movements. Get into stance A. Check the mirror. Correct where necessary. Move into stance B. Check the mirror. Correct where necessary. This works fine for those static movements, but not for other movements, nor during more active movement (e.g. sparring).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is where you guys come in. I'm hoping you can help me with some exercises that'll help me with this issue during active movement, and any movement in general. Especially useful are exercises I can do during daily life (e.g. when walking to the grocery store), as those aren't limited to designated training time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastEditorUserId="9304" LastEditDate="2023-05-15T10:56:34.753" LastActivityDate="2023-05-15T10:56:34.753" Title="Leaning out of axis" Tags="|self-training|training|exercise|stance|balance|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7220" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7201" CreationDate="2017-02-14T17:42:45.457" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Something that helped me a lot with this is my instructor would always suggest imagining I had poles in my feet that extended 20 feet below the surface of the earth. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This gets into the idea of grounding. Richard Clear shows a good example here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAly_noiUC8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAly_noiUC8&lt;/a&gt;. Mr. Clear doesn't explain it in the video, but from seminars I've attended by him and others, it appears as though he is imagining the force coming in through his fist or his fingers and directing it through is back heel. You can see it's planted in this video. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1502" LastActivityDate="2017-02-14T17:42:45.457" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7221" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-02-14T18:52:37.207" Score="1" ViewCount="145" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hey everyone been browsing around trying to learn as much as I can about different arts. Never been one for any sort of ''Sports'' as Martial Arts are often referred to as. I had a simple question of what are some things I should be working on just starting off?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My flexibility is subpar at best I've been stretching every other day outside of my normal classes which I take about 3 days a week. I have a feeling of wanting to already be better and sometimes forget I am white belt and just started. What should I be focusing on?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel my flexibility is limiting my power during portions of training/even keeping up. Thank you! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7961" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2017-02-15T00:14:18.373" LastActivityDate="2017-02-15T12:01:37.187" Title="Just started martial arts" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2017-02-15T15:15:05.217" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7222" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7221" CreationDate="2017-02-14T19:50:04.830" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Work on the basic stuff- good stances, good blocks, and kicks... focus on the kick chambers especially, how to turn your feet, etc. Kick a lot, whether on a bag or in the air- make each kick have a chamber-extension-&amp;amp; retraction. You said you're stretching already- give it some time, you'll be surprised with your progress. Fair warning- this stuff can be addictive!&#xA;What type of TKD are you studying (if you're not sure, have you started learning a form/hyung yet)? Welcome aboard!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7936" LastActivityDate="2017-02-14T19:50:04.830" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7223" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-02-14T20:07:00.863" Score="2" ViewCount="226" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm working on my 2nd Dan patterns, which in ITF TKD are named for famous people, places, or groups in Korean history. The pattern's total number of moves usually has a connection to the person it is named for, but I have been told that sometimes the number is selected only because it returns the student to the starting spot. I have been unable to find a reason for the Choong-Jang pattern... it is not his age at his death or the latitude coordinates for his birthplace, and I haven't been able to find any military connection (he was a general). My instructor likes to quiz me on the history, so I've been scrambling trying to find an answer. If anyone could point me to a resource I would be very appreciative.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7936" LastActivityDate="2017-02-23T12:32:33.513" Title="Why are there 52 moves in the ITF form Choong-Jang?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7224" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7221" CreationDate="2017-02-14T21:01:15.270" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whenever you come home from a class, be sure to practice what you remember when you get home.  For this, spend no more than 5-10 minutes a day to help remember the details you were taught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since you mentioned &quot;sport&quot; taekwondo, I suggest you spend time at home also developing your flexibility.  Walking, jogging, biking, jump rope - those are great activities to help get the blood going.  After a few minutes of aerobic activity, practice your kicks or your forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From time to time, you may go through training plateaus.  You'll either become bored, or feel things are too repetitive, or that you're not learning anything.  This is normal, don't fight it.  Take a few weeks off, and in that time, do some research on your style, or your instructor, or other styles.  Change up your warm-up routines.  Or read up on Korean culture - pop culture, traditional culture, customs, music, language.  Then go back to class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most important is to listen to your instructor.  Remember that there is no best style.  If you trust your instructor, then train hard, and be serious about what you're doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In your comments about WTF and self-defense...  Yes, you are right.  Your style of taekwondo is called &quot;Kukkiwon&quot;, and is the style used in the Olympics.  WTF is the organization which manages competition and is the conduit for the Olympics.  It is heavily sport-oriented, and typically, self-defense is not taught in most schools.  The majority of self-defense which is taught is not taught well enough, and the students don't get a lot of practice with it.  It is a rare school indeed which teaches good self-defense in the WTF/Kukkiwon system.  That does not in any way mean the school is no good.  Just know that Kukkiwon does not expect its students to have good self-defense skills: it's not part of their curriculum.  They're into competition, not self-defense.  As long as you know that going in, nothing to worry about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That also doesn't mean the style is not good for self-defense (it very much is), but if you are not taught the principles of good self-defense, then what you are learning in your school will not help much.  As you test, your instructor will focus on certain things, like forms, breaking, techniques, sparring, etc.  But if self-defense is not practiced regularly, then, the quality of skills here won't help you much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said that, let it rest.  If you really want self-defense, talk to your instructor and see what is provided.  If you don't care, then this is an area of taekwondo politics you don't want to get involved with.  It is always the case that from someone else's perspective, taekwondo is horrible, or MMA is horrible, or muay thai is horrible, or boxing... yada-yada-yada. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just train.  Stay out of the politics, it will ruin your training if you listen to the yahoos out there.  No best style, no worst style.  Just good (or bad) instructors, and good (or bad) students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2017-02-14T21:01:15.270" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7225" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-02-15T05:53:55.190" Score="1" ViewCount="146" Body="&lt;p&gt;How do I progress in the harmony program with arthritis in both hips, lower spine, and right ankle. I am 77 years of age and young.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7963" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-02-15T09:29:15.913" LastActivityDate="2017-02-15T20:36:12.850" Title="How to train in taekwondo at 77 years old" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2017-03-08T08:19:55.763" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7226" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7225" CreationDate="2017-02-15T09:28:35.553" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your best bet is to discuss it with your instructor (if you already have one) or find an instructor who will make adjustments to support you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is also important not to compare yourself to younger students in the class; everyone is different and has different limitations on what they can or can't do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the taekwondo school I train (and assist) at, we have a student who started training after he retired; he is a similar age to you and now a black stripe (1st Kup). My instructor and I understand that he has limitations and we do our utmost to support him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, you know what you can and can't do; your instructor should encourage you to try, but without hurting yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2017-02-15T09:28:35.553" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7227" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7221" CreationDate="2017-02-15T12:01:37.187" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You should be able to identify additional exercises to complement your specific training needs as your training progresses.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You've already identified that your flexibility is something you'd like to focus on. Therefore, on days where you're not training in class, you should focus on improving your flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As your training progresses you, or your instructors, may identify additional areas to focus on, and you can incorporate these into non-class days.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As absolute basics, &lt;strong&gt;cardio&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;strength training&lt;/strong&gt; should be considered if you're not training with high-frequency. (&lt;em&gt;I'd personally recommend getting a kettle-bell and doing some HIIT work (High-intensity interval training)&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, if you go to class 3 times a week, I would therefore expect that on at least 1-2 more days of the week that you're working towards your overall fitness (or on a specific area), so that all the hard work you're putting in isn't lost. Personally, a day of stretching is a great option.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7900" LastActivityDate="2017-02-15T12:01:37.187" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7228" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7219" CreationDate="2017-02-15T20:09:46.680" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Leaning out of axis&quot; is, in my mind, a combination of three separate ideas. It's not clear to me how your idea relates to mine, so here are all of the elements as I understand them:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Balance&lt;/strong&gt; Your center of mass is supported by your base. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Alignment&lt;/strong&gt; The relative positions of your body parts are conducive to applying/resisting force. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Verticality&lt;/strong&gt; Your back is perpendicular to the ground plane. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The simplest example of being both balanced and aligned is standing with your back straight up, which means you are also vertical. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Styles disagree about alignments and verticality. You can be balanced and vertical but not aligned if you have a hunched posture. Some styles think it is necessary to fix this, while others do not. Some styles think the shoulders should twist relative to the hips, while others insist these should move together. Some styles require verticality. Other styles allow the back to be inclined to the ground, so long as it remains balanced (due to the placement of the feet) and aligned. Some of these disagreements cannot be reconciled. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems like you are trying to fit a round peg in a square hole. Some cross-system training is simply incompatible. Kicking high while maintaining a taiji posture is VERY HARD; only a small minority of practitioners can expect to achieve this in their lifetime. Kicking high is not a goal in taiji and fighting does not rely upon it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are reasons why taiji practice is done slowly. While moving slowly, it is much easier to detect whether you are on balance because if you have to move quickly to catch your balance, then you are not on balance. It is also easier to tell when you are losing alignments. One simple training approach is simply to practice the taiji you have learned. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Moving balance is quite a bit different from static balance because you can be balanced before and after stepping, but not while stepping. The slow &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/7196/5961&quot;&gt;sliding step&lt;/a&gt; is one way to train moving with better balance without leaning. When first learning, you can use push a heavy book prop with your foot to learn to apply force rather than falling with each step. Once you get this idea, you should be able to remove the book. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2017-02-15T20:09:46.680" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7229" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7225" CreationDate="2017-02-15T20:36:12.850" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's no reason you can't start up a martial art.  However, recognize that most instructors aren't also 77 years old.  That means, they don't know what you know.  They don't understand body physiology at that age.  So you could end up with an instructor who could hurt you - badly.  Your muscles aren't as flexible as they used to be, the ticker is usually weaker, your breathing is more difficult, your muscles don't recover as quickly, and you need more time to warm up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An instructor who doesn't see this will have you doing 10 minute sparring sessions, or trying to do a split, or spar with a younger kid... and that can be a recipe for disaster if s/he doesn't know how to watch out for your safety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you need to work with the instructor, and tell him or her what you are capable of doing.  Of course, the instructor's job is to get you to do things you can't do, so there has to be some give and take, and patience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should work with your doctor, as well.  At home, you should spend a good deal of time working the muscles - particularly dynamic stretching.  Several times a day, you should look for opportunities to do these kinds of exercises.  They need not be a workout in of themselves, you can take 5 minutes here and there and work on the hips, back, and neck.  This is generally good for overall fitness anyway - and that's the point: stay active all the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2017-02-15T20:36:12.850" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7230" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7219" CreationDate="2017-02-16T03:59:52.460" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know about the axis part of your question, but a good way to self-check is to use your smartphone or tablet with the video camera. I do this a lot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7936" LastActivityDate="2017-02-16T03:59:52.460" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7231" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-02-18T14:24:46.973" Score="3" ViewCount="318" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been practising Muay Thai for about 8 months now, I really like the sport and I plan to continue practising it. Later on I would like to add some ground skills and move on to MMA. My ultimate goal is to eventually become a well rounded fighter, adapted to various situations, not a Muay Thai pro. Muay Thai IMHO has a significant value as a striking base, and definitely is my favourite so far, however it lacks grappling skills and I would like to transition to MMA and Krav Maga eventually.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I took boxing for 3 months now in my Uni, and I noticed that I improved my hand skills tremendously, learned the technique how to strike properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Would a time period in boxing help me build a solid hand striking base&lt;/em&gt; before returning to Muay Thai? If yes, then long would you recommend me to take boxing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, I noticed that I learn well when it's one skill at a time. I started in an MMA group, and felt like they were teaching everything at once and I learned nothing. I moved to Muay Thai to concentrate at striking and noticed that I am learning well. When I took boxing for a few months, the group consisted of beginners, and the coach taught every move from scratch focusing on technique, it filled a lot of gaps in hand technique for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7980" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-02-21T10:06:52.597" LastActivityDate="2017-02-26T14:30:05.647" Title="Considering boxing for improvement in Muay Thai punches" Tags="|boxing|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7232" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7201" CreationDate="2017-02-19T23:09:46.540" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As an instructor and ref myself your heel tends to go up when you aren't adjusting your foot position correctly.  This has also go to do with your stances as well. I do Shotokan karate myself and if I were to use Front stance as an example, most people lift their heel when moving through because they're not staying the same height.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I apply the foot positioning and stance issue this would be the case here;&#xA;Your stance is too narrow or long so you adjust it by lifting your heel to make a &quot;seamless&quot; transition without the need to adjust your actual stance length. By lifting your heel you invariably go up as well (which in shotokan is wrong).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By moving your front foot out to where it's position would end up (being the back foot) would allow you to focus your movement through your hips and thighs rather than your thigh/calf.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best method I used when teach was to take a stick (some can use rope) and a mirror have one person hold the stick a few cm above your head and have you walk under it in every stance you know. Use the mirror to find your weakest stance and take it from there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Focus areas: 1 length of stances, 2 height of stance/movement, 3 use your feet to open your movement and lastly driving force of movement - are you driving from your hip/thigh or through your legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7986" LastActivityDate="2017-02-19T23:09:46.540" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7235" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="595" CreationDate="2017-02-22T02:38:27.517" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had the same problem.&#xA;I did the following to strengthen my wrist. &#xA;I still do end up bending my wrist occasionally but mostly the problem has gone. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) Take a tennis ball (or any other not too hard one) and squeeze it. This will help develop the grip strength and help hold the wrist in alignment when punching. &#xA;You could also do it with one of those grip strengthening devices.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) Jump Rope!&#xA;   Jumping rope with a heavy rope. (Focus on maintaining the rhythm instead of speed). The rope has to be heavy enough to cause fatigue in the forearm. This helped my develop forearm strength and hence keep the wrist in alignment.&#xA;(Do not keep too tight a grip on the handle and let your wrists roll a little.) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7996" LastActivityDate="2017-02-22T02:38:27.517" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7236" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="192" CreationDate="2017-02-22T02:57:43.880" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had the same problem. It keeps happening from time to time even now, but I identified what helped me avoid this. &#xA;I practice Muay Thai, so usually my focus in on striking with the shin rather than the toes, unless for a teep.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) Strike with the shin. &#xA;I used to strike with my Toes instead of my shin when I wasn't pivoting fully on my supporting leg. This was due to me not opening the hip and ending up do a kicking just with my leg. You can find a better explanation below. &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://breakingmuscle.com/learn/swinging-the-bat-how-to-do-the-muay-thai-roundhouse-kick&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://breakingmuscle.com/learn/swinging-the-bat-how-to-do-the-muay-thai-roundhouse-kick&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;There are two problem with this:&#xA;- The kick won't have enough range. It will fall short and end up making contact with the toes. (so make sure to pivot on the supporting foot)&#xA;- The kick won't have enough power as the hips aren't driving them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) Try kicking the forearms and biceps instead of always aiming for the body. Once you get your opponent to raise his guard, you can go below and kick the body. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) Don't kick Upwards. Your kick should travel at an angle , not vertical. This can again be achieved by having proper form. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7996" LastActivityDate="2017-02-22T02:57:43.880" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7237" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2017-02-22T03:25:32.350" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although I'm not entirely sure how to help you, I have seen a few girls wrestling in competition, and I used to wonder how else they could do their hair as to not get hurt. I have figured out a few different ways actually, I hope this helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;• you could do a tiered ponytail (basically where you take the front section of your hair and create a ponytail, then create another ponytail below that, being sure to tuck the ends of the one before into it, continuing with the same pattern all the way down and finishing it off with a ponytail or a braid. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;• you could do two lace braids (similar to French braids, but much easier and swifter) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have shorter hair and have styled it like these, they definitely keep the hair out of your face. I hope these can help you&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7997" LastActivityDate="2017-02-22T03:25:32.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7238" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4470" CreationDate="2017-02-22T06:55:09.987" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well, a late answer to a good question.  I am a bit confused about the block/strike mentioned; I have in front of me a copy of the Encyclopedia compendium.  In vol 3, there is no mention of exchange-anything, and the outward backfist strike in the TOC refers to p134, which describes a back stance horizontal knifehand.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But judging by other answer and commentary, I conclude you might be asking about the 3rd movement, which has the right hand at 90 degrees &quot;backfist&quot; to the rear, while the left hand is in a sort of low block to the front.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I read Choi's description, and I flatly disagree with the application shown in Vol X, p39.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YvYmPm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YvYmPm.png&quot; alt=&quot;&amp;quot;Pubic region is the target&amp;quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It states that the strike is a fingertip strike to the pubic region - all the while the left hand is neatly tucked into the chest.  It is most absurd to perform a technique whilst facing an opponent in this manner.  Further, that the next movement is a groin grab which has you turning 90 degrees and raising the right arm (junk in hand) while striking the groin via the &quot;low block&quot; is also inconsistent with the movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's why: you've exposed your center to your opponent - who, by the way, has free use of both hands, both feet, and head, while you are uber-focused on grabbing the groin and tucking your left hand into your chest - and now you've managed to secure the groin and, I guess, the thinking is to pull it such that you turn away from your opponent and raise the right hand in a most strenuous way...  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just look at the ridiculous photo of the protagonist grabbing toward the groin with his right hand, and with his left hand neatly tucked into his chest, while the opponent has BOTH hands down and away.  This is reminiscent of a rated X film just about to get busy with the action.  Who allows their groin to be so grabbed and then throws his hands to the rear???&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No way.  Choi was wrong.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Junbe position&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go back to first movement: your hands cupped suggest you are grabbed from the front, and antagonist has your right hand, since that is how you are facing.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;First movement: turn left, outside block&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First movement, you issue a left outside &quot;block&quot;.  This is not a block; it's a throw by way of a come-along arm-bar.  Your left hand reaches under antagonist's LEFT elbow (or, as suggested by the fist technique, you grab your opponent's elbow clothing) and pull to the left, thus throwing the opponent to the left.  This makes sense given the stance (right back stance to the left) and the hand (outward block to left).  Since he has grabbed your right hand, and your right hand is chambered to your right hip/chest (depending on your instruction), his arm is firmly locked and cannot easily escape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Antagonist is now facing your rear-ward direction by way of standing and being bent over on your left.  His free hand is away from you while you've got his close hand in control by way of the come-along.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So far, all principles of defense are properly observed.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Second movement: turn into front stance, spearhand to groin&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next movement is the strange groin strike with the left arm tucked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, not a groin strike at all. Nor is it a pull.  In fact, it's nothing to do with the groin at all; thus we don't have to assume a male antagonist.  ;-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Antagonist is still grabbing our right hand with his left, so, his elbow is bent during the come-along. His hand is also in our chamber.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As we turn (into front stance), we are reaching toward the opponent with a right spearhand palm up; remember, he's got that hand.  And, we've got him in an elbow lock with our backfist.  As we turn toward him, we pull his elbow to our chest, preventing any hope of escape for him.  We reach low to break his grip on our right wrist.  The spearhand is an open hand technique: that suggests we aren't grabbing anything, we just want to break out of his grip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Third movement: exchange block&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next movement, we turn 90 degrees back to the front and issue a right handed backfist and left-handed low block.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &quot;backfist&quot; is a fist, which means, we grab something.  (no, there's no one behind us receiving a backfist; this presupposes a multiple attacker scenario, and that's not allowed in form analysis; especially as we haven't even dispatched our antagonist yet.)  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As we turn to the front, we also grab his wrist (that's the right-handed backfist) and pull upwards to the right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This forces his elbow (pointing up, because we've cupped it to our chest) to flatten out, easily allowing us to pull, dragging his head to our front.  That's where the left-hand &quot;low block&quot; comes in: a strike to the temple or neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Some myths about our forms&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We never grab the groin.  It's not that it's an unfair technique; rather, it's ineffective.  To pull at the groin means to also pull along the clothing.  This in of itself just doesn't make sense.  And then, we're raising our grabbing hand to our ear.  Really?  You're grabbing someone's groin to the height of your ear?  Good luck with that.  This might work if your antagonist is an 8 year old boy.  So I think: no, we're not grabbing the groin at all.  We might be pointing towards it, and such is a good visual.  But that is far from what we're really doing.  It limits the technique to a small male only.  I can think of a better explanation that applies to any size opponent, no matter the gender.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, the backfist to someone behind us.  This is rarely the case it applies.  In this form, that would presuppose another opponent.  While we always assume a second attacker is around, our forms don't consider the quantum mechanics of a secondary or tertiary opponent - the calculations of what-if's are just too complex to deal with.  We only fight one person at a time anyway, no matter how many the enemy throws at us.  We might timeslice between the antagonists, but we only fight one at a time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, our junbe position.  No, this is not ever a greeting.  It is the initial attack.  Because of one closed fist and the other covering, we assume we are grabbing, or that we are grabbed.  In my bunhae (analysis), I assume I am being grabbed.  Were I to assume the other way around, I then become the attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a beginner, there is an alternative and simpler interpretation of the exchange block.  Everything is the same as I mentioned.  However, as you turn 90 degrees to the front, you are lifting the antagonist's hand with your right, while your left hand (a fist, representing a grab - not a strike/block) is grabbing the antagonist's elbow - a classic straight armbar.  The 4th movement presupposes we can dispatch our attacker in some way; a beginner need only demonstrate an armbar, not necessarily following up with a strike as I had originally suggested.  There are many possible interpretations, I gave only two.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-02-22T15:01:15.603" LastActivityDate="2017-02-22T15:01:15.603" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7239" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7223" CreationDate="2017-02-22T14:20:42.440" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I also could not find anything resembling the number 52, no matter how contrived.  Deck of cards?  Twice two more hours in a day to get things done?  Weeks in a year, representing incarceration?  Latitude coordinates?  I think that's all very far-reaching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think maybe the esteemed Gen Choi left us a mystery whose sole purpose was to get us to research a concept he never intended to formally define, thus ensuring a student actually does some sort of research, and that any answer, however contrived, would be a correct one.  If your research concludes that the Admiral spent 2 years in prison while at age 26, you have thus shown your research into his age and his imprisonment.  Who's to say your supposition is incorrect, if your data relies on facts you discovered?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Methinks this is a puzzle.  Perhaps, an alt-fact designed to get you to pound the books?  Choi is perhaps laughing in his grave.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;IMHO&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2017-02-22T14:20:42.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7240" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6723" CreationDate="2017-02-23T01:38:22.633" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Gracie garage can be an option as well. People register their residence as a meetup for practicing bjj.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.gracieuniversity.com/students.aspx?enc=HST8o1nQgbBCO5J0PXPkTQ%3d%3d&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.gracieuniversity.com/students.aspx?enc=HST8o1nQgbBCO5J0PXPkTQ%3d%3d&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1846" LastActivityDate="2017-02-23T01:38:22.633" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7241" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="372" CreationDate="2017-02-23T02:46:44.003" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you like the Gracie style mats, they have a DIY tube so you can create your own.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehb7tfvrXe8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehb7tfvrXe8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1846" LastActivityDate="2017-02-23T02:46:44.003" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7242" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7243" CreationDate="2017-02-23T03:02:32.577" Score="6" ViewCount="9441" Body="&lt;p&gt;Looking at the Wikipedia article for &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirko_Filipovi%C4%87&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mirko Filipović&lt;/a&gt;, his &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirko_Cro_Cop#Mixed_martial_arts_record&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mixed martial arts record&lt;/a&gt;&quot; is shown as a table with a &quot;Record&quot; column.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do I interpret this column?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Example #1(without brackets):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;23–6–2  &#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Example #2(with brackets):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;34–11–2 (1) &#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think it means:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;code&gt;1st Round Points&lt;/code&gt;-&lt;code&gt;2nd Round Points&lt;/code&gt;-&lt;code&gt;3th Round Points&lt;/code&gt;( &lt;code&gt;?&lt;/code&gt; )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8004" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-09-14T08:02:07.430" LastActivityDate="2018-09-14T08:02:07.430" Title="How I can read &quot;Record&quot; results of MMA Fight?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7243" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7242" CreationDate="2017-02-23T05:00:38.750" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;The record is Mirko Filipović's cumulative record as of each fight. It is not a recording of what happened in that particular fight. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The breakdown is: &#xA;Wins - Losses - Draws (No contests)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taking your example 2 as a concrete example:&#xA;34–11–2 (1)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;34 wins&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;11 losses&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;2 draws&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;1 no contest (fight stop by officials without a winner)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-02-23T05:00:38.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7244" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="595" CreationDate="2017-02-23T06:33:27.367" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are some really good answers but I'd like to add some more into the mix.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can do:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fingertip push-ups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knuckle push-ups &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dolphin push-ups &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Push-ups with a broomstick in each hand (thumbs up)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use rice buckets and grab and roll your hands in it (great exercise, by the way)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Grip training (don't forget pinch and extensions)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additional tip: don't use any wraps or thick gloves during your heavy bag exercises as it is totally contrary to what you want; hand wraps and thick gloves stabilize your hand and wrist, which won't help you get stronger wrists. Use light thin heavy-bag gloves!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6418" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-02-23T12:06:36.323" LastActivityDate="2017-02-23T12:06:36.323" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7245" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7223" CreationDate="2017-02-23T12:32:33.513" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In ITF patterns, there are some that specifically relate the number of moves to something (for example, age at death or birth place on a certain parallel/latitude). Hwa Rang, for instance, has 29 moves because General Choi commanded the 29th Infantry division; Kwang Gae, a first degree pattern, has 39 moves because 3 and 9 are the first two digits in 391, the year Kwang Gae succeeded to the throne.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm trying to make two points here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The patterns where the number of moves is significant specifically give you the reason for the significance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In some cases, the significance of the number is rather tenuous (Kwang Gae was &lt;strong&gt;39&lt;/strong&gt; when he died, for instance).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As other answers have said, there is no immediately obvious reason why Choong Jang has 52 movements. If you get asked why, you can always answer with: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I've tried to find out why, but haven't found anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't forget, you could always ask your instructor!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2017-02-23T12:32:33.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7246" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="372" CreationDate="2017-02-23T21:03:50.180" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;www.fujimats.com&quot; I recommend anything 1.5&quot; and above. &quot;fujisports.com/judo/mats-pads/fuji-mats-smooth-series.html&quot; The product is tailored more towards BJJ though they have a few other Mat styles and types for other MAs. Hope this helped! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7961" LastEditorUserId="7961" LastEditDate="2017-02-24T14:42:32.187" LastActivityDate="2017-02-24T14:42:32.187" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7249" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5355" CreationDate="2017-02-24T08:35:04.233" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Too much of anything is bad . There has been no exact statistics about it but Martial Artists should stick to proper Health &amp;amp; Food regime with their age . The kilometres of running for an example is not the same in the age of 20s compared to 50s . Though they are far fitter than the average people with much better prowess but it does not mean that they will live more than the normal . &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8005" LastActivityDate="2017-02-24T08:35:04.233" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7250" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7219" CreationDate="2017-02-24T11:32:29.310" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Answering my own question... Oh geez...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The past few days I've noticed some things during day to day office life, which can be helpful, and is very, very simple. When walking, I tend to walk fast. When taking stairs, I tend to take two steps at a time. If I'm carrying a coffee or a glass of water, the liquid swashes around in the cup / glass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I'm doing now, is trying to keep the liquid calm while not slowing my pace. If the liquid stays calm, my posture should be good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2017-02-24T11:32:29.310" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7251" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7231" CreationDate="2017-02-26T14:30:05.647" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recommend avoiding learning skills that overlap heavily until you've mastered one.  In your case, muay thai and boxing both teach punches, and if you pick up habits from boxing they may get you in trouble later when you're fighting under muay thai or MMA rules.  When you box you learn to defend against another boxer, but the defensive habits you form may leave you very vulnerable to the extra attacks in muay thai, such as elbows, knees and kicks.  For example, boxing teaches you to lean the upper body various directions to dodge and counter, but this may limit the mobility you need both to utilise the wider range of follow up attacks allowed you in muay thai, as well as compromising your footwork and ability to dodge or block.  Leaning towards either leg makes it harder to lift to jam a low kick, or to attack with that leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2017-02-26T14:30:05.647" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7252" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7197" CreationDate="2017-02-26T14:50:43.373" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;One thing you can do that very directly targets improved reactions is find a partner to practice with, and take turns with one of you trying to deliver fast, untelegraphed strikes - stopping just in front of the defender, or with protective gear to allow contact without injury - while the other side starts from a generic sparring stance and attempts to consistently dodge, deflect or block the attacks.  Start with something simple like a jab blocked with the palm of the defenders front hand - defending just needs a twist of the forearm - and eventually increase the number of allowed attacks and targets (e.g. jab, reverse punch, front kick or low kick).  If the attackers finds it way too easy, get them to stand back and have to close distance more during the attack.  The defender can challenge themself further by trying to deliver a nice counterattack simultaneous with or extremely soon after defending, which the original attacker might or might not try to defend against.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure if it's a current concern of yours, but another aspect of perception is peripheral vision - you should find the above can aid development of peripheral awareness once you start mixing techniques like low and high attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2017-02-26T14:50:43.373" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7254" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6781" CreationDate="2017-03-01T02:38:56.080" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I use an agility ladder for general fitness (great for calf strength) and footwork speed. I have seen people who incorporate kicks into their drills with ladders as well. Not sure if it is the best training method out there but I think it has to help a little and I enjoy it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7936" LastActivityDate="2017-03-01T02:38:56.080" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7255" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-03-01T09:10:09.193" Score="5" ViewCount="10628" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to know how many people practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu around the world. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8029" LastActivityDate="2019-07-22T15:19:32.860" Title="How many people practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu globally?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7256" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7255" CreationDate="2017-03-02T18:46:13.230" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's no way of knowing the total number of BJJ practitioners worldwide, because it's a really broad question. The only way I know of for getting the exact amount is to call up each and every BJJ school on the planet and ask them for a head count, including teachers and students. Then you total that up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There will be error even in that, though, because there are many groups of BJJ practitioners that practice out of their garages or in parks. Lots of colleges and universities now have BJJ clubs. Many high schools even have BJJ clubs. And BJJ groups operate in lots of other unconventional places like dance schools, yoga places, the YMCA, Taekwondo schools, Jewish Community Centers, churches, etc. They're not going to show up in the Yellow Pages or even on the web. Finding them all is an almost impossible challenge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you accept that you'll never have 100% accuracy, and that this is inherently going to be an estimate, then you're fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that's still a lot of work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A better way of estimating this is to figure out how many schools are in a big city, like Los Angeles. Then call up a random sampling of them and ask them for how many people they have. Take the average and multiply that by how many schools there are in total.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That gives you an estimate of how many BJJ practitioners there are in total in Los Angeles. To extrapolate this to the entire country, we need to first figure out the &quot;per capita&quot; rate of BJJ practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Los Angeles has 13 million people living in it, depending on the area you're looking at. So if you know how many people in total are practicing BJJ in Los Angeles, then you just divide that by 13 million people total to get the per capita rate of BJJ practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's say there are 13,000 BJJ practitioners in total in Los Angeles. Then the per capita rate of BJJ practitioners is 13,000 divided by 13,000,000. This would give a per capita rate of 0.001.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you know the U.S. population is 324,000,000 people, then you multiply that by 0.001 to get a total of 324,000 people doing BJJ in the U.S. alone. (Again, totally made-up number, don't use for real!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is just for the U.S. Now you have to do the same thing for each of the other countries in the world. Each country will have a different per capita rate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, this is full of statistical and methodological problems which increases the margin of error. In our example above, we just looked at Los Angeles. Los Angeles may or may not be representative of all other cities in the U.S. Other cities may have a different per capita rate of BJJ practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you can repeat this analysis by sampling other big and small cities and averaging them to reduce the error.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And instead of analyzing all countries in the world, you could take a similar approach that we took for cities. You would just take a random sampling of different countries and find the average.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more cities and countries you analyze, the smaller your margin of error becomes, but the more effort you're going to put into it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't have any definitive numbers for you. I just wanted to describe how I would go about it if I were you. It can be done by one person in a fairly short period of time, if you accept that you have a good amount of error in the calculation. If all you want is a ballpark estimate, then you're fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2017-03-02T22:14:46.417" LastActivityDate="2017-03-02T22:14:46.417" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7257" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7161" CreationDate="2017-03-03T06:03:42.280" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You have mentioned a few martial arts forms but the very first one, Hapkido makes all the difference. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without casting aspersions, Hapkido is all about real-life scenarios. There are no set-patterns because in real-life there are no set-patterns to 'fall-down'. The only thing that is certain is gravity will pull you down. So, if your Hapkido training is improved/increase, it will help you in real-life situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, one of the key principles of Hapkido is fluidity of movement, flow. And yes, it comes from the mind (then your body/movement). Greater focused learning &amp;amp; training will help in real-life scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8038" LastActivityDate="2017-03-03T06:03:42.280" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7258" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-03-03T12:06:44.427" Score="0" ViewCount="1016" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 12 and I started BJJ 2 months ago, and I've been wondering if by the time I'm 18 will I still be in the kids category of belts?  According to my math, a yellow belt? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8039" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-28T16:38:10.383" LastActivityDate="2019-06-28T16:38:10.383" Title="If I'm 12 and a white belt, what belt will I be when I turn 18?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|belt|grading|children|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2019-07-01T16:52:54.217" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7259" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-03-03T17:59:24.633" Score="6" ViewCount="2561" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a teenager I heard from other teenagers (and read in some thriller spy book) that death could result from a palm strike to the nose, as it would drive a sliver of bone into the brain.  Is there more than a vanishingly-small chance that this could happen?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And my grandmaster’s wife said that a knife-hand strike to the side of the neck could result in death.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And my first martial arts instructor said that a back-fist to the temple could result in death. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So are any of these realistically at all likely, short of an extremely powerful strike or a fluke, or the guy subsequently falling and hitting his head? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2021-02-24T21:14:49.440" Title="Supposedly potentially deadly techniques" Tags="|punching|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7260" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7259" CreationDate="2017-03-03T19:01:43.213" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;No. The force required to drive a nasal bone into the brain would be enough to kill the target regardless of said nasal bones being present (we are talking about high speed, head on car collision levels of energy here). The skull is pretty resilient.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The knife-hand to the neck is pretty dubious. A powerful adult striking a small child in such a manner could result in serious injury or death, but two similarly sized combatants are likely to end up with nothing worse than painfully bruised soft tissue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The back fist to the temple is also dubious. The temple area of the skull isn't particularly thin bone. What is special about it is the relative flatness. The curvature of our skulls tends to cause blows to glance off without delivering their full payload of force. The flat-ish temple area makes glancing blows less likely.  A back-fist, like many other body-twisting haymakers, uses circular momentum to deliver more energy to a strike than arm and shoulder rotation alone. An optimal attack to a flat target can deliver a lot of energy. However, this would very rarely be life threatening. Again the skull's bones are very strong, stronger than the bones in one's hands. More people break their hands punching someone's head than skulls fracturing from someone's hand strike.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, all in all, these are almost all hype, myth, and downright fabrication.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2017-03-03T19:01:43.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7261" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7258" CreationDate="2017-03-04T04:37:26.277" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I talk about this in more detail in my answer here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2882/what-brazilian-jiu-jitsu-belt-ranking-at-age-16-after-11-yrs-experience/2884#2884&quot;&gt;What Brazilian Jiu Jitsu belt ranking at age 16 after 11 yrs experience?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is that most BJJ schools will automatically convert (without need for a test) your children's rank into an adult rank when you reach 16 years old.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But as my answer in the link above suggests, the adult rank you actually receive may depend on other factors besides what children's rank you had. Your instructor may add or subtract a grade or two. So nothing is entirely certain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This may also depend on your particular school, if they have a policy of only considering 18 years old and above as adults. I think it's usually 16 years old, not 18.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should ask your instructor this question if you want to know your particular school's policy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2017-03-04T20:18:59.863" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7262" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7259" CreationDate="2017-03-04T05:23:05.563" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;None of what you described typically causes death. They can cause serious injuries, but rarely death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not possible for a palm strike to the nose to break off the bone and drive it into the brain. That's a complete myth. There's no truth to it whatsoever. If anything, the bone will shatter into bits or will break in two. It won't get driven back towards the brain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A knife-hand strike to the side of the neck is a common strike in martial arts of all kinds for one reason: It causes people to faint. There are many videos showing examples of this on youtube.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What's happening is that the Vagus nerve is being given a whack, and the Vagus nerve is what measures blood pressure going through the major arteries of the neck. If it is struck, it will send the brain a signal that the blood pressure is way too high. So the brain responds with a signal telling the body to dramatically lower the blood pressure. Since the blood pressure wasn't actually high to begin with (it was just a glitch caused by the strike to the neck), blood pressure suddenly drops so low that it causes the brain to faint.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It has been known to cause death in rare cases when someone suffers a stroke because of it. Not only is it rare, but because the stroke can occur up to days after the impact, this technique can't be used reliably for the purpose of killing someone on the spot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strikes to the arteries in the neck sometimes dislodge arterial plaques on the inside of the arteries, especially in older people who have more plaque build-up in their arteries. This plaque then travels up into the brain and clogs the smaller blood vessels inside of the brain. That causes a stroke which can lead to death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strokes can also be caused by tears in the arteries of the neck which then causes blood clots. The blood clots become dislodged and travel to the brain, where they clog smaller blood vessels in the brain. And that causes a stroke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's rare that we see this happen in martial arts today or as a result of real fighting. Part of the reason is that it's rare to find anyone able to successfully perform a knife chop to the neck on someone who is moving around and able to block it or flinch out of the way. It turns out it's a lot harder to do than martial arts practice would suggest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is more frequently documented as a side-effect of Chiropractic neck manipulation. Chiropractors perform a sudden twist of the neck. It's a bad idea, because that procedure has a significant risk of tearing the arteries of the neck and causing strokes. Don't let anyone try it on you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Citation: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.webmd.com/stroke/news/20140807/could-chiropractic-manipulation-of-your-neck-trigger-a-stroke&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.webmd.com/stroke/news/20140807/could-chiropractic-manipulation-of-your-neck-trigger-a-stroke&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people suggest the knife-hand chop to the side of the neck is actually severing the nerves of the spine or is breaking the spine itself. The muscles and tendons of the neck provide a great deal of resistance to any strikes from the side. That alone would diffuse the force of the strike enough so that it couldn't break any bones of the spine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond that, the head and neck aren't really held in place. It's like hitting a speed bag. The head will move. So the neck won't receive the full force of the strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The vertebrae of the neck are mostly immune to this kind of a strike, also. It's almost impossible to break the spine with a strike of any kind. That's because of evolution. The way the spine is shaped makes it really hard to break using a strike of any kind. It usually requires a weapon of some sort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;About the only way you could damage the nerves of the spine would be to attack an area of the spine that is closer to the surface and therefore less protected. You could hit the back of the neck or the top of the shoulder. You wouldn't break the vertebrae this way, but you could cause an injury to the nerves, which could cause death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Attacking the neck can also cause the head to bob. If it's done very quickly and with a lot of force, it's possible the head could snap some bones of the spine. And that could cause death. It relies on a completely relaxed neck, which is almost never the case in a real fight. We don't really see this happening at all in any street fights or professional fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just to reiterate, knife-hand strikes to the side of the neck rarely cause death. And it can't be used reliably for that purpose. When death occurs because of this strike, it's usually unpredictable and often caused by a stroke later on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the temple, it hurts to get hit there, and it can result in a knock-out or a concussion, but not usually death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the things to keep in mind is that a lot of martial arts &quot;knowledge&quot; has been passed down from generation to generation. Some of it may have been based on a misunderstanding of what was actually observed. Some of it is exaggeration (usually for marketing purposes). Most of it is just plain myth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for stuff based on real observations, something may have been seen as the cause of death. But was it the sole cause of death, or were there other factors? Like in the case I mentioned above where a knife-hand strike happened to kill a guy, it wasn't because the strike broke the neck or something. It was because it dislodged some plaque and caused a stroke. But again, that's not a common outcome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And another thing to realize is that these arts come from times before modern medical science. Back then, it's possible for a palm strike to the nose to actually cause death. It wouldn't have been from pushing the nasal bone back into the brain as people may have thought back then. Instead, it could be due to a simple concussion or some other head trauma which is easily diagnosed and treated nowadays.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm just glad you didn't mention dim-mak, the so-called &quot;death touch&quot; or &quot;delayed death touch&quot;. That's a whole discussion in and of itself. And I would tell you it's basically all myth and misunderstanding, just like above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many martial artists end up chasing these &quot;amazingly powerful if true&quot; kinds of things only to realize it's basically a myth and a waste of time. I spent quite a bit of time studying dim-mak and acupuncture, for example, and I can honestly say it was a waste of time and a red herring. Don't bother.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, I just want to say that fighting of any sort can cause death, often in unintended ways. Head trauma can still be deadly in modern times. Just punching someone in the face or head can kill them. It happens. Blood clots happen and can kill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People sometimes go back home after a fight, get a headache, take an aspirin, and go to bed. They don't realize it's something serious, so they don't go see a doctor. Some don't wake up after going to bed. So, always get yourself checked out by a doctor if you ever get into a fight, especially if you got hit in the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2017-03-06T18:54:25.093" LastActivityDate="2017-03-06T18:54:25.093" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7263" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-03-04T15:36:11.180" Score="3" ViewCount="747" Body="&lt;p&gt;Could someone give me definitions for &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) Double &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;(Doo)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; - eg. ??&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) Twin &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;(Sang)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; - eg. twin forearm block, Dangun&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In ITF Taekwon-Do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note:&#xA;I'm struggling to understand the difference, relating to a yellow belt student.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8042" LastActivityDate="2017-03-07T00:17:01.823" Title="Double and Twin definitions" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|itf|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7264" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7263" CreationDate="2017-03-04T16:33:01.467" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on this &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.suttontkd.co.uk/blackbeltanswers.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;website&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A twin block is a defence against two attackers, and a double block is a defence&#xA;  against one attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Twin Block (blocking two attackers at once)&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/lQOkJ.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/lQOkJ.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;High Twin block&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Double Block (two blocks for one attacker)&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0uOSc.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0uOSc.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Double Knifehand Block&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-03-04T21:34:31.837" LastActivityDate="2017-03-04T21:34:31.837" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7265" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7271" CreationDate="2017-03-04T17:06:15.017" Score="5" ViewCount="1077" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the correct Korean term for &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Side-piercing Kick&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Iv'e seen: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;a) &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.taekwondo.edu.sg/patterns/foot.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yop Cha Jirugi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;b) &lt;a href=&quot;http://homepages.physik.uni-muenchen.de/~Klaus.Steinberger/budo_english/tkd/node14.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yop Chagi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I look at the above links souldn't it be: &lt;strong&gt;Yop Cha Jirugi Chagi&lt;/strong&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8042" LastActivityDate="2018-10-24T15:07:03.607" Title="Korean term for Side-piercing Kick" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|itf|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7266" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7265" CreationDate="2017-03-04T20:57:43.027" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Both terms refer to the same kick; &lt;code&gt;yop chagi&lt;/code&gt; is the short hand for &lt;code&gt;yop cha jirugi&lt;/code&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's what I've been taught (and what I teach)!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More Detail&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the 15 volume TKD encyclopedia (written by General Choi), volume 4 has a very large section on &quot;Foot Techniques&quot;, including several piercing kicks (&lt;code&gt;Cha Jirugi&lt;/code&gt;); one of the piercing kicks is Side-Piercing Kick - &lt;code&gt;Yopcha Jirugi&lt;/code&gt;. This particular volume doesn't appear to mention &lt;code&gt;yop chagi&lt;/code&gt;; my copy of the encyclopedia is a dodgy scanned version that isn't searchable, so I can't confirm the presence or otherwise of that term in another volume.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Conclusion&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;code&gt;Yop cha jirugi&lt;/code&gt; (or &lt;code&gt;yopcha jirugi&lt;/code&gt;) is the term found in the encyclopedia, so this must be the correct &lt;strong&gt;Taekwondo&lt;/strong&gt; term for side-piercing kick. &lt;code&gt;Yop chagi&lt;/code&gt; is a commonly-understood, but inaccurate, short-hand for side-piercing kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-03-06T15:30:21.177" LastActivityDate="2017-03-06T15:30:21.177" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7267" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7263" CreationDate="2017-03-05T00:43:43.607" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll ask my instructor- it seems that he told me the difference once but I can't remember exactly how he worded it-- maybe a &quot;twin&quot; is both hands in same position and a double has a different position for each arm? We call the first move of Dan Gun a &quot;double knifehand block&quot;, which is against a single attacker, and move 13 of Do San a &quot;twin outer forearm block&quot;, which I was taught was to prevent a choke grab also by a single attacker. I'll ask next week- sorry I can't be more definitive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7936" LastActivityDate="2017-03-05T00:43:43.607" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7268" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7269" CreationDate="2017-03-05T07:15:52.417" Score="3" ViewCount="1280" Body="&lt;p&gt;In ITF Taekwon-Do, what are the main differences between:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Continuous motion&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Connecting motion&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8042" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-03-06T09:00:52.550" LastActivityDate="2017-04-05T09:08:38.607" Title="Question about types of motion in ITF Taekwon-do" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|itf|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7269" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7268" CreationDate="2017-03-05T16:42:18.357" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Continuous motion&lt;/strong&gt; - links movements with no pause between the end of one movement and the start of another. Breathe in once, then breathe out in a continuous flow of air. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Connecting motion&lt;/strong&gt; - completes a movement with one breath and one sinewave.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The breath should emphasize that the movements within continuous motion are not ending movements - they support the final movement.  (Otherwise, you have no breath left for the remaining movements).  The breath usually should emphasize that the movements within are also not power movements - they're supporting movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is said that continuous motion begins with a block.  I am trying to find out where in the encyclopedia that is stated, but it's hard because my copy is image-only, not searchable text.  However, that the word &quot;block&quot; is used suggests a misunderstanding of the technique, since blocks can be strikes and throws (and vice-versa), and so it's not clear why the stipulation of &quot;block&quot; is mentioned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is also stated that connecting motion begins with one arm, and ends with the other (opposite arms).  I think this is an error in translation; connecting motion begins on one &quot;side&quot; (not necessarily on one arm), and ends with the other side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Source&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;em&gt;Encyclopedia, Vol II (Gen Choi, Hong Hi)&lt;/em&gt;, p31:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;One breath is required for one movement, with the exception of a continuous motion&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suspect that the opposite arm and that thing about blocks is an interpretation loosely based on this tenet.  I suspect that it's true in some cases, but not all cases.  Such discussion of movements has never been a lengthy subject in my classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastEditorDisplayName="user6519" LastEditDate="2017-03-05T16:56:58.010" LastActivityDate="2017-03-05T16:56:58.010" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7271" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7265" CreationDate="2017-03-06T09:48:55.743" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not sure how much it makes sense in native Korean - but splitting the words into small blocks and &quot;building&quot; the technique a bit at a time seems to be the way to learn it effectively&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yop - Side&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cha - kick&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jiru - pierce&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gi - Motion&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;so Yop Chagi is side kick (could be a non piercing side kick)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yop Cha Jirugi is a side piercing kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;This has come from questioning FGM Rhee and GM Hwang (among other pioneers).&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastEditorUserId="5926" LastEditDate="2017-03-07T10:01:51.713" LastActivityDate="2017-03-07T10:01:51.713" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7272" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7065" CreationDate="2017-03-06T13:18:13.503" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was unable to get ahold of my instructor from Philadelphia, but I did get an answer from one of his senior assistants who said that they always just taught that pivot as the wind-up for the &lt;em&gt;queixada&lt;/em&gt; and that there was no distinct name for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, it's queixada. It's strange to read the technical description. [The] esquiva is part of the queixada. The textbook doesn't do it justice. I need to see it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have since found a &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/lD-F7fIhkTs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;YouTube video&lt;/a&gt; which refers to this movement as &lt;em&gt;quebrada&lt;/em&gt; (&amp;quot;ravine&amp;quot;), which matches the rhyming scheme I remember. What may have been throwing me off is that it involves a more bent position than the example images I provided above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For what it is worth, my Angola instructor refers to this as &lt;em&gt;esquiva atrás&lt;/em&gt;, or &amp;quot;dodge behind&amp;quot;, although that does include the backwards dodging aspect rather than just turning for the kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2023-08-21T14:25:27.500" LastActivityDate="2023-08-21T14:25:27.500" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7273" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7263" CreationDate="2017-03-06T16:14:18.990" Score="2" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A twin block is where the arms are apart (for instance, Sang Palmok Makgi, or Sang Songkal Makgi). &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A double block is where the arms are 'together' (for instance, Doo Palmok Makgi, or Doo Bandalson Makgi).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For Sang Palmok Makgi (twin forearm block) or Sang Songkal Makgi (twin knifehand block), one arm is at the mid-section, with the elbow roughly level with the bottom of the ribs and the hand level with the shoulder; the second arm is above the head (in a similar position to a rising block). The final hand positions are different (closed fist for the former, open hand for the latter), but the arms are &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;apart&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For Doo Palmok Makgi (double forearm block), one hand is in a middle block position (elbow roughly level with the bottom of the ribs and hand level with the shoulder) and the other hand is level with the elbow of the first hand. For Doo Bandalson Makgi (Double arc-hand block), the two hands face palm outwards at roughly shoulder height. Thus, the arms are &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;together&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2017-03-06T16:14:18.990" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7274" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7259" CreationDate="2017-03-06T20:00:40.117" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Because I don't believe they've been mentioned yet, two other &amp;quot;insta-death&amp;quot; attacks that I was told about when learning martial arts, and an honorable mention:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kicking the inside of the thigh&lt;/strong&gt; will create a deadly blood clot in the femoral artery - The concept behind this is that a sharp blow to the femoral artery will cause a clot, which will eventually go to the brain or heart to kill someone. It sounds vaguely plausible because there are many stories of people suffering trauma to the femoral artery, such as in car accidents, who die before anyone (including themselves) even realizes they're injured. The key here is that those injuries generally involve opening the femoral artery to the outside. With such a large artery, blood can exit the body rapidly, even fairly painlessly. And since the blood is moving from the heart to the lower limbs, it's unlikely for a clot to &amp;quot;travel up to the heart&amp;quot; to stop it. The more common injury from blunt force trauma is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.jvascsurg.org/article/S0741-5214(06)01387-5/fulltext&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;thrombosis&lt;/a&gt; from either a blood-clot or dislodged plaque.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A &lt;strong&gt;sharp blow to the chest&lt;/strong&gt; (aka the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commotio_cordis&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;heart punch&lt;/a&gt;) - Yes, this can stop the heart, but it requires a lot of force and it's pretty random with the most likely times for it to happen are in a car crash (steering column) or baseball (baseball). It has been seen on occasion in boxing and in hockey, but it's a rare and random thing. Incidentally, this is also sort of the theory behind the thing you see in movies of striking of the chest of a dying person. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precordial_thump&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;precordial thump&lt;/a&gt; can disrupt a dangerous arrhythmia of the heart, but it's a low-percentage maneuver which requires trained timing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Boxing the ears&lt;/strong&gt; - I don't think I've heard of anyone suggesting this as a kill method outside of the playground where it was one of those scary rumors that some kid had died from having their ears boxed and the pressure was too much for their skull. Boxing the ears can rupture the ear drums, creating disorientation and deafness, but I cannot find a single case of anyone being killed by it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-02-24T21:14:49.440" LastActivityDate="2021-02-24T21:14:49.440" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7275" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8256" CreationDate="2017-03-06T23:45:48.307" Score="6" ViewCount="927" Body="&lt;p&gt;The choreography was quite diverse, where Wick's style changed depending on his opponents' favored styles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The initial fight scenes involved the Russian Mafia, and the grappling had a different flavor than grappling later in the movie (certain uses of footwork, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keanu studied under Tiger Chen, so this could be the Chinese influence, but per the in-universe profile of the character of Wick, it would be within his scope to have studied Systema, if only to be prepared when fighting practitioners. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-11-11T16:10:44.793" LastActivityDate="2019-11-11T16:10:44.793" Title="Is there any Systema in John Wick 2?" Tags="|entertainment|systema|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7276" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7263" CreationDate="2017-03-07T00:17:01.823" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Perhaps the criterion is to do with whether or not the arms swing into the block together from the same side of the body?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Double forearm block (doo palmok makgi) has both arms swing around the hips together, while the double arc-hand block (doo bandalson makgi) has the arms/hands start near one shoulder then swing together into the block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Twin blocks are either moving in different directions (sang palmok makgi), or coming in from opposite sides (e.g. twin palms). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2017-03-07T00:17:01.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7277" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7292" CreationDate="2017-03-07T01:48:47.657" Score="4" ViewCount="4980" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Goal:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During my boxing workouts, I am only able to last about 2-rounds until my punches start getting sluggish.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;proven&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; routines can I do to build my shoulder endurance to last more rounds. My goal is to be able to go at least 5 rounds in the next 3-months if possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Side Note:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am currently practicing/training every night, doing functional workouts, practicing combos and isometric workouts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7873" LastActivityDate="2017-03-09T09:27:46.230" Title="How to build shoulder endurance" Tags="|boxing|endurance|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7279" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-03-07T08:53:34.040" Score="4" ViewCount="1521" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I mention my experience in Martial Arts, I speak of the years I was involved in training under a Sifu. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But besides the physical training part, there is also a mental training part. During university I spent two years NOT attending any Martial Arts classes. However, I constantly thought about katas, or different exercises, or even meditated. I also started reading books about Kung-Fu and watched different videos on it. Some days I also did a short self-training session.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is: do these two years count as experience? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To give my specific example: I was actively training from 2012 - 2014 and again during 2016. So should I say that I have 3 years of experience, or 5?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7416" LastActivityDate="2017-03-26T01:39:00.377" Title="Do passive training years count as experience?" Tags="|training|self-training|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7280" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7279" CreationDate="2017-03-07T09:03:20.083" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;It doesnt count as experience. This is mostly due to the fact that the extra knowledge you have gained hasn't been tested and played with, which in it self could be dangerous should you rely on it. Be honest and state the number of years actively training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The improved knowledge is a good thing but without having a chance to apply it it would be like claiming &quot;I read a book on quantum physics and now have experience&quot;. (Apologies if that sounds harsh).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6415" LastActivityDate="2017-03-07T09:03:20.083" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7281" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7279" CreationDate="2017-03-07T10:04:52.410" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;From the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/experience&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;definition of experience&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The knowledge or skill acquired by a period of practical experience of something, especially that gained in a particular profession.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By that definition, your two years hiatus from martial arts should not count as experience regardless of the amount of time you fantasied about martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, years of experience are utterly meaningless with martial arts because one could train two hours per week or eight hours per days during a year. In addition, this take no account of the practitioner physical (and mental) base line.  If one has &lt;a href=&quot;http://dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/about-dyspraxia/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;dyspraxia&lt;/a&gt;, training will be harder to achieve the same skill level. Finally, this is why martial arts have ranks that are (in general) representative of skill sets not years of practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-03-07T11:12:51.793" LastActivityDate="2017-03-07T11:12:51.793" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7282" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4553" CreationDate="2017-03-07T10:36:08.617" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no difference.  We are all human, no matter Korean, Japanese, or any other culture.  As such, we all have arms, legs, heads, hands - and they all move the same way.  That Taekwondo had borrowed the entire concept of a martial art style - including uniform, training methods, advancement, and forms - suggests they cannot escape the essence of the forms that they borrowed, even if they changed the forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems no secret that the Taekwondo founders had no idea, or care, about bunkai, and even today, it still seems quite denied:  The Kukkiwon textbook and Choi's Encyclopedia are both devoid of any meaningful bunkai (bunhae, in Korean), and often, the sparse applications mentioned go against the grain of conventional wisdom established in the system it was influenced from.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But denying bunkai's existence, or pointing to poor bunkai, or showing lack of application in the main books of the style as tacit refusal to accept its existence does not mean it doesn't exist: just because two styles have the same technique (eg, a low block) does not mean the movements must be interpreted in separate ways, no matter the name you give the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The analysis of a form's movements can - and should - yield more than one application - sometimes dozens.  Sometimes, the result is rather ridiculous, and I tend to pick on the Encyclopedia and Textbook often to explain.  You are correct to doubt the application of the neck wrap as a way to protect the neck, because you point out it looks like a rear naked choke.  But that doesn't mean the technique shouldn't be performed; we need to think about the intended purpose.  In your example, it's not about protecting the neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You asked about blocks.  In real Karate, there aren't any blocks.  What we call blocks we commonly find things to block; the reality is they are usually grappling techniques: throws, locks, pins.  They're strikes, too.  Maybe parries.  But usually, they're grappling maneuvers.  There's absolutely no reason why this can't apply to Taekwondo as well.  Why shouldn't it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've heard of some amazing feats of human achievement (read: fanciful luck) where a technique is used to catch punches, rip out groins, yank out hearts, or knock out an enemy with a stare...  Meanwhile, some techniques - notably the junbe positions - are often spouted as some sort of greeting, or having some spiritual representation of elemental objects.  Yikes.  Maybe the shape of form takes on such meaning.  But the techniques within - the business end of the concept - have meaning applicable to self-defense, not some celebration of a Korean general or ancient element like a pine tree and rock.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The elemental meanings, or representation of famous icons in Korean history - these - and not the bunhae - are the &quot;add-ons&quot; to the forms.  The bunkai is there, and always has been.  It may have been forgotten, or reforged into something else.  But there's no denying bunkai - real bunkai - exists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to know more what your Taekwondo blocks (or forms) mean, I'd suggest asking a competent instructor.  Failing that, find a competent Karate instructor (preferably, one from Okinawa - their teaching methods often emphasize the 'why' over the 'how').  Even, consult a competent Chinese style instructor in any Kung Fu substyle - they do the same thing as us in Taekwondo and Karate (bunkai/bunhae)!  Meanwhile, read books on bunkai.  Question everything.  Practice often.  Find out what works, and decide for yourself what is fanciful and what can work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, and sub-questions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Sub Question A: Does the wrapping motion of Taekwondo Blocks interfere&#xA;  with the Bunkai?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, it doesn't interfere with bunkai (analysis).  But it is not the correct yield for bunkai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Sub Question B: What is the purpose of the wrapping motion in TKD&#xA;  blocking (from an application perspective)? The generation of twisting&#xA;  power and range of motion is understood and need not be discussed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The wrapping motion is not a motion.  The arm is wrapped because it has grabbed something - ostensibly, the opponent's hand who is grabbing at the lapel, throat, or shoulder.  The arm underneath is also wrapping, and in my opinion, is probably incorrect: that arm should be outward, either touching the opponent to maintain a sense of distance or blind sight; or it is reaching for something (which seems the case if the hand is in a fist).  I tend to keep the underhand outward, so I haven't had time to think of any bunkai which has the chambering hand wrapped underneath.  My first thought is that it's useless, but maybe someone can come up with a viable example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For reference:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/8973367501&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kukkiwon Taekwondo Textbook (Korean-English)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1880336928&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Complete Taekwondo Poomsae: The Official Taegeuk, Palgwae and Black Belt Forms of Taekwondo&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1594390584&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Way of Kata: A Comprehensive Guide for Deciphering Martial Applications&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Encyclopedia of Taekwondo (Choi Hong-Hi)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0804821100&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/4902481960&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hidden Karate: The True Bunkai for the Heian Katas and Naihanchi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1578631424&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Barefoot Zen: The Shaolin Roots of Kung-Fu and Karate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2017-03-07T10:36:08.617" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7283" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7279" CreationDate="2017-03-07T12:04:33.293" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;They don't count. In short, you don't learn martial arts by reading books or watching video's. All the college students watching Bruce Lee movies while in a half-drunk haze would be kungfu masters if it worked that way. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only way to learn, is by practicing, preferably with partners. You can't get the right reflexes or body conditioning without actual practice. Those are essential in gaining experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To give an example, you can watch a thousand pictures and video's about how to throw a punch. Your first punch will always have a high chance of being with bent wrist. Your fingers will always hurt. It's only through actual punches that you'll automatically align your wrist properly, and that your fingers strengthen and get used to impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2017-03-07T12:04:33.293" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7284" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="529" CreationDate="2017-03-07T14:26:13.547" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Isshinryu karate bunkai is tiered. That is, it has multiple levels of interpretation. Interpretations range from the simple and obvious block/punch to the deeply refined Kiko or chinkuchi bunkai. The opening sequence of seisan kata is a significant application, and a statement of the power and clarity of Okinawan combat knowledge. This level of kata was not passed along to the Western martial community. Only in the last decade are we seeing the truer face of kata interpretation. For an example of the application depth of this movement sequence, little known by mainstream isshinryu, check out this link; &lt;a href=&quot;https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4f9BzCVVkXTczhzZGZUVWlhNG8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4f9BzCVVkXTczhzZGZUVWlhNG8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8050" LastActivityDate="2017-03-07T14:26:13.547" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7285" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7279" CreationDate="2017-03-07T17:11:42.697" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If a professional basketball player plays for 5 years, retires, and for the next 10 years is a sports commentator on basketball, do they get to say they have 15 years of experience?  (in the industry, sure, as a player, no.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't necessarily have to train under a teacher or study at a formal school to count time as experience, but you do need to train consistently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, the base reality is that the amount of time spent is less useful than the quality gained from it, which may be in part of your general athleticism, ability to pick up on movements, apply them, and whatever tactics or strategies are used in your art - which is why you'll find classes where new students can quickly outpace long time students (outside of, you know, age or size related physical differences).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyone who is looking to really judge your ability is going to have to see you use it in some fashion, rather than count days.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-03-07T17:11:42.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7286" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-03-07T20:16:48.877" Score="4" ViewCount="7408" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have recently started binge-watching the AMC show, &quot;Into the Badlands&quot;, and I kind of want to take a class to learn that fighting style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8054" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-03-07T21:04:29.970" LastActivityDate="2019-03-30T06:16:02.370" Title="What fighting style is used in &quot;Into The Badlands&quot;?" Tags="|identification|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7287" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7286" CreationDate="2017-03-08T08:11:46.227" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Wu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Daniel Wu&lt;/a&gt; studies &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_martial_arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wushu&lt;/a&gt; so I am going to assume that this is the main art. In addition, executive producer &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0298691/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Stephen Fung&lt;/a&gt; also serves as the series' action director alongside veteran Hong Kong choreographer, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0473317/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ku Huen-chiu&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/15/arts/television/theres-kung-fu-and-in-into-the-badlands-theres-hong-kong-kung-fu.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;reference&lt;/a&gt;). These imply a strong Kung Fu background.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did watch the whole show and mostly it looks like generic Hong Kong marital arts mishmash. Therefore, I doubt that you will never be able to find just that style to learn as it is a style that was modified to look good on screen. However, looking in Wushu, and other forms of Kung Fu, you might find something quiet similar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-03-08T11:28:20.213" LastActivityDate="2017-03-08T11:28:20.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7288" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7286" CreationDate="2017-03-08T11:14:43.067" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just checked several trailers and fight scene videos, and as said in other answers, it's mostly flashy HK cinema fighting, based off of wushu. There's no clean style to be detected. However, there can be some influences from different styles detected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The three monks battle: The &quot;main&quot; monk uses tiger claw. This is most often associated with Hung Ga, which also typically uses low horse stances and tends to avoid kicks, especially high ones. All these tend to return in how the &quot;main&quot; monk fights. The part where the three monks team up in a sort of triangle around the main character, attacking him with a sort of swinging arm punch, reminds me of pigua: big swings where the hit comes from minor hip movements and mostly from the shoulder, and the fist doesn't really matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main character, Sunny, definitely uses wushu, but no specific style. I guess that fits his character well, as it doesn't limit him. It's what Bruce Lee means with &quot;be like water&quot; and &quot;be formless&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The black eyed kid doesn't really do any style. From the videos I saw, he mostly seems like a kid who did a basic kickboxing bootcamp, but mostly relies on fancy effects and that open palm hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Haven't had time to check more videos, but if there're specific fight scenes you're interested in, I don't mind having a look. Mind you, there's so many styles of kung fu out there, I can only recognize some.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastEditorUserId="7414" LastEditDate="2017-03-08T11:52:14.523" LastActivityDate="2017-03-08T11:52:14.523" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7289" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7290" CreationDate="2017-03-08T13:05:36.807" Score="4" ViewCount="503" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it against competition rules for patterns,  for say a green belt, to be entered into the yellow belt category, if they have have only been qualified for a few weeks? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) Can an instructor use his discretion and do this for his students,  or could the instructor be reported for cheating?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: This happened to my son when he was a white belt,  another yellow belt student,  used a white belt,  when he in fact was a yellow belt. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) if this is against competition rules:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;a)  what is the penalty for the student and instructor?&#xA;b)  how would I report it? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS:  I think this is totally wrong and shows &lt;strong&gt;little integrity&lt;/strong&gt;, but I know it happens!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8042" LastEditorUserId="8042" LastEditDate="2017-03-09T11:37:32.873" LastActivityDate="2017-03-09T11:37:32.873" Title="Itf taekwon-do competition rules for patterns" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|itf|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7290" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7289" CreationDate="2017-03-08T13:14:16.117" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.taekwondoitf.org/rules/#rules-regulations&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;ITF World Tournament Rules as of 2013&lt;/a&gt; do not use belts as official categories in sparring. Per section T31 - Divisions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;INDIVIDUAL&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  (A) Male and Female groups.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  (B) Weights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;N.B.: In individual sparring matches competitors shall participate in the category according to their weight. It is not allowed to participate in any other weight class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Honestly, since belts are arbitrarily awarded by instructors, this is pretty much the only way to handle the situation. Your individual tournament might have their own rules, but we can't comment on those rules because we can't see them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're discussing special technique, the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.taekwondoitf.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/2016-World-Cup-Rules-Mar-22.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Cup rules&lt;/a&gt; group the colored belts into a single group, so there's still no conflict here unless your individual tournament operates differently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Belt  Categories    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Coloured Belt    (Blue   and Red Belt    in  one division)    &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Black Belt    - 1st   - 6th   Degree&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For forms, it looks like it's broken out a bit differently, but starts at 4th Gup:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;4th Gup will compete with    the Optional Pattern    being   any one from    CHON-JI to&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Joong-Gun,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;3rd Gup   will    compete with    the Optional    Pattern being   any one from    CHON-JI to  ToiGye,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;2nd Gup   will    compete with    the Optional    Pattern being   any one from    CHON-JI to&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Hwa-Rang,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;1stGup    will    compete with    the Optional Pattern    being   any one from    CHON-JI to&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Choong-Moo.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As regards disputes, the only rules I've found are for sparring, and require the coach to submit a written dispute. Again, your tournament may have its own procedures. Again, I don't think that the rules really rule out someone competing outside of their belt range since, again, ranks are arbitrary. It looks like the belt rank merely decides what form, or range of forms, will be performed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-03-08T13:24:35.340" LastActivityDate="2017-03-08T13:24:35.340" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7291" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6070" CreationDate="2017-03-08T13:29:23.637" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;One consideration the cop has to watch for is the suspect squatting down.  Yes, the cop has pain compliance on his wrist, but suspect also has his knee aimed at the cop's inside knee - that can surprise the cop enough to let go or release a little.  The cop needs to not allow his inner thigh to be so compromised on spleen 10.  It's not likely most suspects have knowledge of such pressure points, but if the suspect is panicking and flailing, that could be attacked accidentally - it is a striking point, not a rub or squeeze, so it is vulnerable.  Cop should ensure to keep suspect slightly off-balanced to the rear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO8oI1JEqHA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO8oI1JEqHA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Suspect can also do a forward roll or a forward high fall, so the cop has to ensure to keep suspect slightly off-balanced to the rear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Suspect can also barrel himself into the cop taking both to the ground.  If the cop is in a proper stance and suspect is slightly off-balanced rearward, that can be mitigated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Common theme, then, is keep suspect slightly off-balanced to his rear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember, no technique is fool-proof.  Every one has a weakness. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user6519" LastActivityDate="2017-03-08T13:29:23.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7292" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7277" CreationDate="2017-03-09T09:27:46.230" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think the most common answer to this question is a one-liner, yet I can assuredly say that I have done many different exercises to build more shoulder endurance and that some of them have worked very well. There are three staples to the workouts I have been doing and will keep doing to work on shoulder endurance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Isometric Lateral Raises&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shadow Boxing&lt;/strong&gt; (with or without light weights)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Boxing Apparatus&lt;/strong&gt; (Double End Bag, Speed Bag, Heavy Bag Intervals)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Isometric Lateral Raises&lt;/strong&gt; is by far one of the exercises done to increase shoulder endurance - this is directly linked to being able to hold your gloves in the defensive position for longer - To perform the exercise try holding up two weights with both arms fully extended like an eagle. At first, go for as long as possible and up the time by 5 seconds every week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shadow Boxing&lt;/strong&gt; should not come as a surprise. The continual application of this technique has been proven by many professionals and amateurs alike to increase their ability to box for longer. You should try to shadow box (with or without weights) before any boxing workout at least to get your perception going. Constantly shadow boxing will improve the shoulder endurance in relation to throwing punches as the expended effort not only helps the muscle but improves your technique so you will not be wasting energy in needless punches. With weights, you can try to be a lot slower in shadow boxing but make sure you make every punch count and follow up with combinations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Boxing Apparatus&lt;/strong&gt; has been used throughout history as not only a method of sharpening your skills but also your muscles. Speed Bag will have you continually hit a ball at head height making you rotate your shoulders and get used to them being above your head. The Double End Bag will allow you to make more efficient combinations and decrease the amount of energy you undoubtedly waste in punches. The Double End bag is about having a rhythm and technique, don't go about throwing bombs. The Heavy Bag intervals can largely improve your capacity for punches in a minute, try throwing fast but light punches for an entire round, then slow and precise ones after that round to recover.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are techniques we use at my gym - and I personally have used to increase my capacity from being able to do about 100 punches per round for 6 rounds to about 250 punches per round for 12 rounds. Constant application and practice will naturally improve shoulder endurance. &lt;strong&gt;However, do keep in mind that even at the end you might not improve so much this will not be a failure because the exercises do not work but rather that you are expending too much energy in your punches that will naturally cause tiredness.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hopefully, this will help you!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sources:&#xA;- My Boxing Gym / Personal Experience&#xA;- &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.peakspeedandstrength.com/Weekly-Training-Program/Shoulder-Workout-Muscle-Endurance.php&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.peakspeedandstrength.com/Weekly-Training-Program/Shoulder-Workout-Muscle-Endurance.php&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;- &lt;a href=&quot;http://odentonfitness.com/the-speed-bag-the-benefits/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://odentonfitness.com/the-speed-bag-the-benefits/&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;- &lt;a href=&quot;http://livehealthy.chron.com/benefits-doubleend-bags-boxing-9135.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://livehealthy.chron.com/benefits-doubleend-bags-boxing-9135.html&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;- &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.scifighting.com/2013/12/20/20594/3-reasons-incorporate-shadowboxing-workouts/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.scifighting.com/2013/12/20/20594/3-reasons-incorporate-shadowboxing-workouts/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sorry for Non-Academic sources, but sadly not a lot of people publish great methods :( Personally I wouldn't have used many sources but it shows that some people agree with this view. THIS IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO TRAIN keep in mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7930" LastActivityDate="2017-03-09T09:27:46.230" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7293" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7065" CreationDate="2017-03-09T10:52:11.713" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The name is &quot;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.akban.org/wiki/Esquiva_de_lado&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Esquiva de lado&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&quot; (&quot;Sideways esquiva&quot;). It can be used as part of the &lt;em&gt;entrada&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I'd call the steps after the &lt;em&gt;esquiva&lt;/em&gt; the &lt;em&gt;entrada&lt;/em&gt; (picture 3 in your sequence) because there are other ways to get to the steps if you enter after a &lt;em&gt;finta&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a reference: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuBW3Qp9YHQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuBW3Qp9YHQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8058" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-03-09T12:12:46.837" LastActivityDate="2017-03-09T12:12:46.837" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7294" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5964" CreationDate="2017-03-09T11:23:57.663" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Even if the answer is late:&lt;br&gt;&#xA;You don't have a beat to coordinate your steps to in capoeira.&#xA;The rhythm gives you an indication on how fast or how slow to go.&#xA;BUT: With all the breaks, feints and kicks your timing will never match up to the beat. It's actually a big part of the game to disturb the rhythm of your partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8058" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-03-09T12:09:18.867" LastActivityDate="2017-03-09T12:09:18.867" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7295" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="595" CreationDate="2017-03-09T18:12:38.237" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;What really helped me was to tie one end of a rope around a section of dowel rod, the other end to a 30lb weight, lift the contraption off the floor (with feet wide apart in case of system failure), and turn the dowel rod to slowly &quot;wind&quot; the rope around the rod, first up, then slowly down... then repeat the other way.  Keep your back straight to avoid strain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2017-03-09T18:12:38.237" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7296" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7926" CreationDate="2017-03-10T11:23:13.670" Score="5" ViewCount="324" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a seasoned instructor of taekwon-do, and love working with all the kids; oftentimes I talk about the important things in life with them: How to handle life and all the odd balls it'll throw at you. I am currently trying to find some insight into how this is addressed in the philosophy of martial arts generally, and taekwon-do specifically. In particular, how are mental illnesses¹ considered in the practicing of martial arts in the philosophical teachings of the old masters. What, if anything, did General Choi and his peers (then and current) have to say on this subject?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;¹ Examples include, but are not necessarily limited to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;clinical depression, or anxiety&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;PTSD (e.g. from years of being bullied—yes, this diagnosis is also given to non-combatants)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;eating disorder&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To clarify, this question has to be concerned with ITF taekwon-do, though influences from Shotokan karate would also be of interest, considering the background of early taekwon-do practioners in general, and Choi in particular. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8041" LastEditorUserId="8041" LastEditDate="2017-03-13T13:19:36.910" LastActivityDate="2017-10-24T15:48:53.663" Title="How do General Choi and his peers consider mental illness" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|history|itf|philosophy|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7297" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7299" CreationDate="2017-03-10T11:45:14.030" Score="2" ViewCount="114" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just become a member of Shodokan aikido.  As there are many members with different level, I am also taught many techniques in one session. It seems to be difficult for me to remember these techniques. It is really confusing. I cannot catch the important points as well as the 3D orientation and movements. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I need a video that can be played as many as I want to review the techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Question&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any free or commercial videos explaining the shodokan basic techniques in easy-to-learn ways?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7701" LastActivityDate="2017-03-10T12:47:43.337" Title="Looking for videos about Shodokan Aikido Basic Techniques" Tags="|aikido|shodokan|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7298" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7300" CreationDate="2017-03-10T12:44:36.190" Score="4" ViewCount="637" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was advised to ask this as a separate question, and would suggest reading the &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7296/how-does-martial-arts-philosophy-consider-mental-illness&quot;&gt;related question and answers&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Suicide has only in the past decade or so received the attention it deserves as a serious health challenge to handle in modern day societies. A few years back, Prof Stephen Platt showed that the highest-risk group had moved from young adult males to men aged 35–55. Recent movements such as Movember Foundation and Suicide Prevention (Twitter: @GrassrootsSP) demonstrate that &lt;em&gt;awareness&lt;/em&gt; that this is a problem and &lt;em&gt;willingness to discuss it&lt;/em&gt; are recent positive changes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For these reasons, I find it to no surprise that I've never heard anything about suicide and how to deal with and prevent it in martial arts circles, considering how these often are traditional, and once their teachings are written down, often not willing to update and expand their horizons. However, this could just as well be on my account, that I might not have researched it well enough. What, if anything, do the philosophical teachings of martial arts, in particular ITF taekwon-do, have to say about (the problem of mental illness leading to) suicidal ideation and/or suicide attempts and suicide?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Notes&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a taekwon-do instructor, I am particularly interested in what the ITF philosophy says about this, but the question, I believe, is relevant for all practitioners of all martial arts. I would prefer not to limit this question to ITF taekwon-do alone, but that would probably lead to thesis length answers rather than answers in the spirit of Stack Exchange.  I therefore suggest that other martial arts' teachings are left to the comments, or in a separate chat room should this be fitting for the question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would highly suggest that a &lt;code&gt;mental-health&lt;/code&gt; tag is made selectable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;References&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Prof. Stephen Platts &lt;a href=&quot;https://goo.gl/KoFnQr&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;original announcement&lt;/a&gt;, about the change in the high-risk age group towards adult and middle aged men in lieu of changes in work opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8041" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-06-25T12:18:41.207" Title="How does martial arts philosophy consider suicide?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|itf|philosophy|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7299" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7297" CreationDate="2017-03-10T12:47:43.337" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is perfectly normal. Remember that instructors do not expect you to get it right, they expect you to try. ☺ Your best bet is to keep going to classes and try everything. The most important part of any Shodokan lesson is the first half an hour. That is the bit you have to concentrate on the most.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many shodokan instructors, following Nariyama, are unkeen on being captured on video. There has been in the past too much criticism and tension from people looking at badly filmed videos and becoming experts in the technique show. So, you will not find a definitive guide.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, there are several resources you can use:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.shodokanaikido.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Shodokan hombu&lt;/a&gt; has a blog (or news sections) that contains some videos. You can subscribe to their &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.shodokanaikido.com/feed/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;RSS feed&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There are &lt;a href=&quot;https://duckduckgo.com/?q=youtube%20shodokan%20aikido%20channel&amp;amp;ia=videos&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;several Shodokan Aikido Youtube channels&lt;/a&gt; as well as Facebook pages you an follow.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Both &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aikido-Randori-Reconciliation-Opposing-Forces/dp/1861264984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1489149326&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=scott%20allbright&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Allbright&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aikido-Randori-Tetsuro-Nariyama/dp/0956620507/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1489149299&amp;amp;sr=8-3&amp;amp;keywords=nariyama&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nariyama&lt;/a&gt; have written books which are must have. There is a master course DVD/book that you can get from hombu, but you will need to source it directly from the instructors. Best go via your instructor team. It used to be instructor only but that might have changed.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Otherwise, you could spend some time googling for Scott Allbright, Phil Newcomb, Joe Adams, Satoru Tsutchiya, Mike MacCavish, Ryuichi Omori, Sakia, and of course Tetsuro Nariyama. Most of what you will get are demonstrations but more often than not, you can find extract from seminars where they teach a given set of techniques.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2017-03-10T12:47:43.337" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7300" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7298" CreationDate="2017-03-10T13:19:08.300" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In almost two decades of doing various martial arts from Karate to Capoeira to Escrima, I have had exactly one time when the subject of suicide was brought up and that was more of a general statement on how bullying was bad and how the instructor was available to talk to if we were experiencing bullying at school after a student at the Chun Kuk Do studio I went to made an attempt. Otherwise, the subject has never come up, presumably for the same reason that driving technique or drug abuse (other than a generic &quot;Drugs are Bad&quot; message) never came up, because it was not directly or indirectly tied to what we were practicing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a more abstract perspective, I have seen two general &quot;warrior philosophies&quot; that might run counter to a good suicide-prevention message.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Self-determination / Independence&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a general thread of martial arts, the concept is often put forward that the individual can control their own life if they try hard enough, a sort of &quot;magic thinking&quot; that ranges from telling students that they can take charge of their life and that martial arts helps provide that confidence by showing you what you can do, to pseudo-mystical philosophy such as the old chestnut about &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2191/who-is-a-person-martial-art-who-broke-his-hand-when-he-tried-to-break-the-tile&quot;&gt;the martial artist who healed their broken hand through positive visualization&lt;/a&gt;. This sort of thinking has a bit of a dark side to it in that it's easy to flip it over and say that, if you can take charge of your life, then any failure is solely personal, possible because you &quot;aren't trying hard enough&quot;. Combine that with the occasionally macho atmosphere in martial arts schools where students often don't want to show pain or weakness and will push themselves even when injured and hurting, and it can create a toxic environment for someone struggling with depression.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Noble Sacrifice&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While it's technically a different sort of suicide, many eastern martial arts have tales of warriors who choose suicidal actions for the sake of honor whether it's a ritual such as &lt;em&gt;seppaku&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benkei&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Benkei&lt;/a&gt;'s memetic bridge defense, fighting on even as he was killed by inches. Ideally, this would not factor into suicide due to mental illnesses such as depression as it's specific contexts, but one of those contexts is the idea of suicide for the greater good, which could possibly get twisted around to a &quot;my family/friends/school would be better off without me or would benefit from my death&quot; situation where you're back to a central narrative of suicide for the sake of honor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, I do not know anything specifically about ITF teachings on the subject (I only did ITF TKD for a few months at college), but I hope my more general experiences might be of some aid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2017-03-11T05:06:21.817" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7301" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7298" CreationDate="2017-03-10T21:56:22.063" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Encouraging students NOT to commit suicide is one of the central aspects of Shorinji Kempo, The martial art I practice.  This is in deliberate contrast to the older ideals (based on the idea if not the culture of the samurai) that were very much part of the Japanese society at the time of the second world war.  You often hear practitioners of karate or judo say things like 'I live or die by my technique' or 'I will only learn from someone who is stronger than me'.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shorinji Kempo however was founded after the second world war when those who had put their country before all else had something of an identity crises upon their defeat.  The phrase 'Never Give Up' is one of Shorinji Kempo's most defining and most misunderstood phrases.  'Giving up' refers to the act of suicide.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This phrase though is just a small part of the Shorinji Kempo philosophy.  There are whole books on the founder's theory of Buddhism called Kongo Zen, but always the message is the same.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For Reference: So Doshin spoke explicitly about how a Chinese monk Persuaded him not to commit suicide in April 1968 as recorded on page 66-67 of &quot;The Words of So Doshin&quot;.  I would quote this but I know that the governing organisation would not look kindly on reproduction of their copyrighted material.  (I think this is a pretty poor attitude but that's by the by)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="6503" LastEditDate="2017-03-11T13:12:25.147" LastActivityDate="2017-03-11T13:12:25.147" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7302" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2646" CreationDate="2017-03-11T22:11:13.820" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Has anyone used a crown braid in conjunction with a &quot;buff&quot; headband? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sooo, &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://cdn.spright.com/media/2015/06/22135258/Headbands_ProductShots_buffUV.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://cdn.spright.com/media/2015/06/22135258/Headbands_ProductShots_buffUV.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;with &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://blog.themodelstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/hair-tutorial-braid-crown-10.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://blog.themodelstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/hair-tutorial-braid-crown-10.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The buff headbands aren't as thick as a regular headband, and therefore might be less likely to roll off. I think that the crown style braid would help to hold it in place as well. I just started BJJ, and am unable to attend classes for a couple weeks, but definitely planning on trying this out when I get back. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Buns and ponytails have been the biggest pain in the butt because they create a big lump behind my head which reduces my movement through positions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hoping that if I wet my hair before class, and do the crown braid quite tightly, then throw some hairspray on, that I will avoid both a braid falling out during training, and irritation near my hairline. Pluuuuus, I wear my buff over my ears- maybe it would help the whole fighters ears which can happen. Also keep me from sweating on other BJJ peeps! I've got a big head though- it might be better for some girls to try the junior sizes for a tight fit methinks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;... and it doesn't hurt that buffs look pretty cool in my opinion. ;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8066" LastEditorUserId="8066" LastEditDate="2017-03-11T22:21:59.520" LastActivityDate="2017-03-11T22:21:59.520" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7303" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7296" CreationDate="2017-03-13T04:05:36.967" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As you have indicated an interest in martial arts generally, here is some of what Jigaro Kano, the founder of judo, says in &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo&lt;/em&gt; (Kodansha International, 1986) on training the mind:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both kata and randori are forms of mental training, but of the two, randori is the more effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In randori, one must search out the opponent's weaknesses and be ready to attack with all the resources at his disposal the moment the opportunity presents itself, without violating the rules of judo. Practicing randori tends to make the student earnest, sincere, thoughtful, cautious and deliberate in action. At the same time, he or she learns to value and make quick decisions and to act promptly, for, whether attacking or defending, there is no place in randori for indecisiveness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In randori, one can never be sure of what technique the opponent will employ next, so he must be constantly on guard. Being alert becomes second nature. One acquires poise, the self-confidence that comes from knowing that he come cope with any eventuality. The powers of attention and observation, imagination, of reasoning and judgement are naturally heightened, and these are all useful attributes in daily life as well as in the dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From &lt;em&gt;Judo Memoirs of Jigaro Kano&lt;/em&gt; by Brian Watson, p. 157&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As long as they believe that they have used their mental and physical energy most effectively, humans beings will never lose hope, nor will they suffer undue anxiety. This is because, having used their energy most effectively, they have not room to expend it in any other manner. Feelings of regret and worry occur when you have not done what you should have, or when you cannot make up your mind to do what you should... I would also urge people to practice judo to help overcome mental fatigue that results from regret and anxiety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a non-judo audience, I would summarize Kano's thoughts as the importance of collaborative free practice with partners (randori) as a source of organic development. In historical context, judo was a departure from its contemporary jujutsu that was almost exclusively kata-based.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2017-03-13T04:05:36.967" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7304" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5355" CreationDate="2017-03-13T14:22:07.857" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;What determines how &lt;em&gt;long&lt;/em&gt; you will live is &lt;strong&gt;genetics&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts can determine how &lt;em&gt;well&lt;/em&gt; you live until that moment. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although plenty of other factors come in play; lifestyle for instance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finding the right balance is our best shot! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7851" LastActivityDate="2017-03-13T14:22:07.857" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7305" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-03-13T15:29:31.010" Score="11" ViewCount="998" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a woman starting in BJJ, I find that wearing my belt as low as the men in my class results in it sliding, during a roll, from my hips to up higher up onto my waist, which is naturally much smaller than a man's. This results in it &lt;em&gt;falling open constantly&lt;/em&gt;. I started to tie it higher to prevent this, and a male student immediately corrected me to tying it lower. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is, is there any tradition of women tying their belt higher on their waist in order to prevent their gi from constantly falling open? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8067" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2017-03-15T20:26:00.623" LastActivityDate="2017-03-16T07:09:21.873" Title="What height should women tie their belts?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|belt|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7308" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7311" CreationDate="2017-03-15T08:08:23.700" Score="-3" ViewCount="788" Body="&lt;p&gt;If in a martial arts tournament chi energy is used, will it be able to defeat big stalwarts like Ali/Tyson/bulky Wrestlers? I am not comparing the skill as to what like Karate/Kungfu or Muay Thai or Boxing which is better, but when I see Shaolin Monks can withstand heavy blows when they apply this strength. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lets assume a normal person who does not have any technique applies chi and fights with a professional who does not apply chi. Who will win in this case?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why is that MMA fighters do not apply this strength? Is it forbidden?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8005" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-03-16T15:43:07.283" LastActivityDate="2017-03-25T20:19:02.017" Title="Does the Energy &quot;Chi&quot; or &quot;Qi&quot; has more strength and cannot be refuted?" Tags="|qi|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="7" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7309" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7308" CreationDate="2017-03-15T08:35:22.817" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ki or chi should not be referred to as 'energy' in the sense of a noun. The fighters in MMA are energetic and vivacious. This is all that 'using chi' really means. They use their strength their skill their 'get up and go' that is chi. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This question is like asking why a gambler doesn't use their 'luck' in when they play roulette.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people believe chi is like magic but there is no evidence for this any more than there is for 'luck'&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2017-03-15T08:35:22.817" CommentCount="16" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7310" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6908" CreationDate="2017-03-15T09:41:54.543" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know you said you're training Angola,.. but have you considered trying &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M92w3a28hUw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;CDO Miudinho sequences&lt;/a&gt;?  From my experience, its a great way to rep ground movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8076" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-03-15T19:05:25.910" LastActivityDate="2017-03-15T19:05:25.910" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7311" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7308" CreationDate="2017-03-15T13:56:39.147" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The most charitable thing I can say about chi/qi/ki is that it's a conflated and confused concept outside of its original context. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it is taken as shorthand for the expression of one's potential and/or kinetic energy, fine, but there are better terms to use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, in practice it is almost always used in a manner which fully embraces woo, pseudoscience, and straight-up fraud. Magic isn't real. Anything which seems to operate outside the testable bounds of science is almost certainly bullshit. The martial arts community is rife with misguided believers, predatory opportunists, and self-important gurus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No amount of mystic nonsense will allow a 5'3&quot; / 98 lb. martial artist to defeat an even marginally competent 6'5&quot; / 250 lb. opponent. That's something even a massive skill disparity would struggle to overcome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be canny. Apply scientific skepticism to anything which sounds dubious or too good to be true.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2017-03-15T13:56:39.147" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7312" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8488" CreationDate="2017-03-16T03:36:37.747" Score="4" ViewCount="147" Body="&lt;p&gt;In response to my question, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6908/how-can-i-improve-my-capoeira-low-game-other-than-just-doing-it&quot;&gt;How can I improve my Capoeira low game other than &amp;quot;just doing it&amp;quot;?&lt;/a&gt;, the suggestion was made to try the &lt;em&gt;Miudinho&lt;/em&gt; sequences as used by the &lt;em&gt;Cordao de Ouro&lt;/em&gt; group. I've found a good video depiction of the sequences &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M92w3a28hUw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, but I'm a textual learner in a lot of ways. Is there a book or other source of information indicating the moves involved in these sequences? The closest I've found is an &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWt5Z9zsk_g&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;iTunes app&lt;/a&gt; (which no longer seems to be available) which is of little use to me because I don't own an Apple tablet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2022-11-13T07:48:49.200" Title="Is there any textual description available for the Cordao de Ouro Miudinho Sequences?" Tags="|forms|capoeira|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7313" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7305" CreationDate="2017-03-16T07:09:21.873" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some women do wear their belt a bit higher on the hips. Wearing it at the waist is somewhat rare and I mostly see it at lower ranks. What I usually see is top of the hips:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/C6eQR.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/C6eQR.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Mackenzie Dern vs Michelle Nicolini&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But your struggle is real! Lots of BJJ players, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/3pszih/have_you_noticed_how_high_or_low_down_bjj_folk/cw9cyjb/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;particularly women&lt;/a&gt;, fight &quot;upward belt creep&quot;. The jacket falling open is totally normal. The natural state of a gi jacket is half-tucked, with a belt half-tied. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5fkKSzNFyk&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;This women's gi BJJ highlight&lt;/a&gt; has maybe 50% of jackets open at any given moment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel your pain. For some reason, I too have trouble keeping my gi jackets from falling open within seconds of rolling, drilling, or even warming up. (The only ones that don't are the ones that have a long &quot;skirt&quot;, such as a slightly larger double-weave gi that I wear for judo competition.) There is even a small minority of male BJJ players who wear ludicrously short gi jackets in class, and prefer to tie their belts low on their hips, leaving only a few centimeters of jacket tucked below the belt. Naturally this comes loose with the first grip taken. To me this is extreme, and I notice that women in BJJ tend to be less likely to follow it. But it goes to show just how unusual it is for a gi jacket to stay in place in BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The solution is to get good at re-tying your belt fast, at re-tucking the jacket between rounds, to be OK with your jacket flopping about, and to tie it wherever feels best. I find that tying the knot super-tight (and softening the belt so it can be tied so tight) helps keep things together as it slides around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2017-03-16T07:09:21.873" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7314" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1793" CreationDate="2017-03-16T12:36:03.567" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Without making them actually punch a board, how do you determine who has the most breaking power? Is it momentum, kinetic energy, or some other simple physical amount?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No - it's nothing so simple, but neither is it so mysterious that it's beyond exploring.  If I were a PhD sport science student, this would be the kind of project I'd enjoy, though breaking boards is such an artificial measurement of the usefulness of a punch I couldn't claim cracking this would be a huge contribution to martial arts.  (There are too many more-important factors like lack of telegraphing, speed, ability to abort the movement and defend instead, recovery time before follow up movements, ability to vary direction and depth of focus for the punch so it strikes a moving target effectively, how effective it would be against harder or softer targets, more or less fragile ones, targets with different prior velocity or levels of supporting tissue behind or around the edges....)  Anyway...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd start with measuring the strength of muscle groups contributing to the punching action, weight distribution, limb lengths etc., then get them to wear a device like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.liveathos.com/products/mens-full-body-kit-dual-core-v3&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Athos gear&lt;/a&gt; that can measure percentage muscle activation during a movement.  You'd also need positional information, to see how the body's aligned and moving in space - other products or cameras could allow that to be captured.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Working out an overall board breaking measurement from these inputs wouldn't be easy at all - I think you'd need to take thousands of sets of measurements while different people attempted different difficulties of board breaks, then try to work out which factors - when correlated in the right ways in time - led to success.  Modern AI computing techniques could probably find these correlations more easily than a person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With such a data set, you should be able to take the same measurements of movement during an in-air punch and infer something about board breaking potential if that same punch had struck boards instead.  It might not be 100% accurate, but ought to be much better than a person could do visually, even with slow motion capture from different angles.  It could also lead to feedback for the punchers about how to improve their punching power by adjusting their stance, movements, timing etc..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2017-03-16T12:36:03.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7315" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7308" CreationDate="2017-03-16T15:38:38.910" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Lets assume a normal person who does not have any technique applies chi&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a poor assumption. I am not aware of any martial system that believes you can &quot;apply chi&quot; to fighting without first having learned fighting techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xing_Yi_Quan#The_three_stages_of_training_power_.28Jin_.E5.8A.B2.29_in_Xing_Yi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;three stages of practice&lt;/a&gt; common to at least to xingyi and bagua. The first stage, ming jing, requires you to learn in an obvious, easily observable way. After you learn this, the next stage is an jing, where you learn to &quot;hide&quot; force, applying the same principles as the obvious version in smaller space. The one-inch punch is an example of this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Breaking the bottom brick in a stack of bricks is still a matter of physics. You have to apply force differently from a sledgehammer; you can't just swing hard with all of your mass. You can, however, alter your application of force over time. Think of the difference between how a whip and a sledgehammer apply force. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't equate parlor tricks with fighting capability. Being able to break bricks with your hands or chest does not necessarily mean that you can fight an opponent who moves and does not attack you like a brick. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if it's all just physics, you still have to learn to skillfully apply force from a human body. The traditional roadmap for learning this involves &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5261/what-is-a-fast-way-for-a-beginner-to-experience-qi-unambiguously-in-their-own-bo&quot;&gt;qi feeling&lt;/a&gt;&quot;, which is rather controversial on this site. How do you know whether an exercise is doing anything? Partly because you feel something different, either during or after the exercise. This among other things, is traditionally described in terms of qi. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would start to characterize the fighting aspect of taiji, xingyi, and bagua in this way: it is more important to have complete control of your body and especially the nervous system than it is to move massive weights.  You do get old people who are &quot;weaker&quot; who can best young people who can move heavier weights. But these people do not think of themselves as the ones who are weaker; they have spent a long time developing parts of the body you probably have not considered. These people also still think of their younger, more muscular selves as better fighters. Does also being able to move massive weights help? Yes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-04-13T12:49:44.270" LastActivityDate="2017-03-16T15:38:38.910" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7324" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2017-03-20T06:37:25.597" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Regardless of different style of same martial art or different martial art, if you are concerned about if it is hard for your child to comprehend than I have only one comment for you and that is your children have not comprehend the most important essence of any martial art and that is being able to remained focused under high pressure and accomplish what he or she need to accomplish.  There are plenty of books that is documented for taekwondo so if you are really interested go to taekwondo times buy the books and study it in detail before you comment on anything.  If anyone who is not black belt to master level Dan yet please don't talk in that manner either.  My great master quote&quot;All of you are too elementary, you don't think, you just follow at this moment, and if you get creative, it is not good for you.  You most likely will head to wrong direction.&quot;  I give you my masters most signature quote to you so I advise you, don't change, don't think, and just follow.  Is there difference absolutely, is it going to be hard absolutely, do I recommend you to change, the answer is no until your child reach master level.  Lastly, if you are worry about hard than go having vacation instead of practicing martial art.  Another famous quote from my master &quot; All of you need to think what you want to do in the future? Why are you here instead of just having good time? Why are you here spending money to get torture instead of having vacation?&quot;  You may want direct answer, however, once you sincerely calm down and answer those question than you will have answer yourself. To be even more black and white, you are too elementary to know how to think and that is why you are asking those question.  Stay with the master your children with right now and accomplish to the level your children know how to think first.  WTF or ITF, I can tell you right now they can all kill someone with one punch or one kick, it is easy to kill, however, it is harder to hold those responsibility once you have the skill.  Does that say more than enough? I know what you trying to ask inside your heart without saying it out loud.  Wanting to change another style because you want to find something that have more kill power is equal to very lost person.  Any style of martial art have defense and attack, how productive your children really are depends on how much your child understand the martial art concept he or she practice, reducing the disadvantage, and using what he or she learns advantage to the fullest.  Once again you are not just lost, you are extremely lost.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8090" LastActivityDate="2017-03-20T06:37:25.597" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7326" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3117" CreationDate="2017-03-20T23:20:56.860" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;My school does ITF-style TKD. This is my school's belt order:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;10 gup- white. They learn the form Chon Ji and students spend a minimum of 3 months here (same for all gup ranks except 1st Gup).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;9- yellow. Dan Gun&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;8- orange. Do San&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;7- green. Won Hyo&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;6- blue. Yul Guk&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;5- purple. Choong Gun&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4- brown. Toi Gye &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3- red. Hwa Rang&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2- high red (this is a poom belt for juniors in other systems. Our adult and junior students wear this rank)- the belt is half black and half red. Choong Moo&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1- probationary black belt. Kwang Gae. Our school uses this rank, which is a minimum of 6 months. Kwang Gae is a 1st degree black belt form (there are 3), so our school has this probationary period with one of the forms. Probies are treated as black belts but are not a full BB. They don't get a new belt or dobok.  I compare it to being a student teacher in a high school- you're learning what is expected and making the transition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then Dan ranks- 1st to 9th, with a minimum of that many years before being eligible to advance (i.e. 1st degree must spend at least one year at that rank before being eligible to test up to 2nd). Our Dans wear black collar doboks with belts with stripes, and each Dan rank has 3 forms to learn (plus the extra form Juche, which was a 2nd degree form, but I think my instructor moved it back to 4th Dan now, reverting back to original Ko Dang at 2nd).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7936" LastActivityDate="2017-03-20T23:20:56.860" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7327" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3117" CreationDate="2017-03-20T23:23:28.897" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The ATA uses:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;White&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Orange&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yellow&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Camouflage&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Green&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Purple&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Blue&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Brown&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Red&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Red-Black (Recommended Black Belt)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And then 1st through 9th Dan black belts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7914" LastActivityDate="2017-03-20T23:23:28.897" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7328" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="529" CreationDate="2017-03-21T01:48:02.250" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am aware of three primary applications to the opening move for this form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first is blocking a right handed chest punch and responding with a chest punch (Although this always seemed a bit of a poor interpretation to me).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second is similar, but instead of blocking a single punch two punches are blocked. The application differs slightly in performance to the kata in that it requires the two Ude Uke's (Outside block) to be thrown in sequence rather than simultaneously (as is seen in the kata).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The final application is to defend against a &quot;Front Collar Grab&quot; by first breaking the hold with a double Ude Uke (similar to what is seen in the 4th movement of Seisan), and then delivering a punch to the chest. This one is my personal preference as it lines up very well with the remaining moves in that line of the kata (Tori responds to chest punch by throwing two further punches while retreating, Uke chases, deflects and continues attacking).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than that I am not familiar with any other bunkai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6083" LastActivityDate="2017-03-21T01:48:02.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7329" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3117" CreationDate="2017-03-21T08:03:42.000" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;WTF system:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;White&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Yellow&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Orange &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Green&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Blue&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Brown &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Red &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Advance Red (black red one)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Black Red 1&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Black 1st Dan to 9th Dan&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8091" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-03-22T14:48:16.970" LastActivityDate="2017-03-22T14:48:16.970" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7330" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-03-21T10:53:07.407" Score="20" ViewCount="15671" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iXsv3m.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iXsv3m.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;sitting in seiza&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We often end up sitting in &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiza&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;正座 (seiza)&lt;/a&gt; for some time during class. This is much longer during demonstrations and gradings. In addition, a whole corpus of techniques (suwari waza, ghosin no kata) do start from seiza.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of us westerners did not have the benefit of sitting in seiza during our childhood, thus prolonged periods of time are just painful. In my case, it's the legs that go to sleep and get really stiff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Is there anything one can do to increase one's ability to cope with sitting in seiza?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To get better at something you have to do more of that thing. &lt;em&gt;This is kind of obvious.&lt;/em&gt; It is the how and why a specific set of exercises will improve safely my ability to sit in seiza that I am interested in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;⚠ None of the current answers go beyond &quot;just do more of it&quot; which is lazy advise. Clearly, the way to get better at something is to do more of that. That is obvious. I am looking for an &lt;em&gt;effective and safe&lt;/em&gt; way to improve. The bounty was not awarded to anyone.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-06-15T14:59:08.180" LastActivityDate="2020-07-17T17:28:05.453" Title="Getting more comfortable sitting in 正座 (seiza)" Tags="|training|aikido|self-training|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7331" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7330" CreationDate="2017-03-21T11:33:20.860" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best thing I found was to try and sit in seiza more often. This helps to get used to the position and will also help you to find your &quot;sweet spot&quot;. For me that is with my weight on top of my feet with the ankles pushing out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Outside of just sitting in seiza try to stretch out quads before and after as that also helps with position. - Disclaimer my issues with seiza was tight quads.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Further investigation has yielded this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UqNdF_CxJU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot; title=&quot;How to Practice to Sit in Seiza, Stretch for Seiza and Other Options for Seiza&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; on how to practice seiza. It covers the use of pillow to help support your weight (between the legs, not underneath) and various stretches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also uncovered &lt;a href=&quot;https://kitlaughlin.com/forums/index.php?/topic/310-st-for-sitting-in-japanese-seiza/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; forum post which again offers a variety of methods for practising seiza. Unfortunately both involve sitting in seiza which could constitute to &quot;Do more of it&quot; and neither are peer reviewed or sourced. Hope it helps though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6415" LastEditorUserId="6415" LastEditDate="2017-04-03T11:39:51.397" LastActivityDate="2017-04-03T11:39:51.397" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7332" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-03-22T06:41:31.523" Score="7" ViewCount="344" Body="&lt;p&gt;It has already been proven that if you &quot;set your mind to it&quot; you can take it. E.g. Shaolin or other practitioners, specially prepared to take hard hits into very potent areas like the groin,the neck, and similar, with no (apparent) damage whatsoever.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But &lt;em&gt;what about if it comes unexpected?&lt;/em&gt; For example, as it will in a real fight? Is all the training they have done going to be pointless? Are they still able to take much more than an untrained person? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is interesting because if you pay attention, every time they take these hard hits, they prepare at least a few seconds in advance so that it's expected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8094" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-03-22T07:43:14.730" LastActivityDate="2017-03-22T07:43:14.730" Title="Unexpected vs expected hits to sensitive areas" Tags="|training|injury|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7333" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7332" CreationDate="2017-03-22T07:15:50.150" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Parlor tricks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just about all of the demonstrations along these lines you will see are set up in such a way that the force is not applied the way you think.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Breaking sticks over back? Notice that the striking point is the middle of the stick, not towards the tip.  Breaking a spear with the neck? The spear tip goes into the suprasternal notch and the force is applied at an angle, not direct in, so the spear bends then breaks.  Etc.  That's not &quot;willing&quot; your way through pain, that's simply offsetting the actual force to prevent injury, as much as show wrestlers will do &quot;flying knee drops&quot; and not actually harm each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So...no, generally this kind of thing isn't going work in a real fight.  (However, if they do train for any kind of combat, there's a lot of OTHER training they're doing that may still prove useful - notably, you won't see them offering up their throats, groins, or eyes as targets...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Weird exceptions?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also two extreme Shaolin tricks which I've heard of which MIGHT actually make a difference, but the steps to making them function probably aren't worth the minor benefit.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One is dragging a giant stone roller with a rope... &lt;a href=&quot;https://laughingknave.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/testicle_training.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;that is attached to the puller's testicles&lt;/a&gt; (image shows exactly that).  I imagine after enough of this treatment, you probably lose a great deal of sensitivity and pain receptors, at the cost of permanent physical deformation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other is extreme control over abdominal and pelvic floor muscles to re-open the channel which the testes drop through during development - and to manually pull them back into the body.  The more medically minded of you might also recognize that this is effectively a self-induced controlled hernia, and that it has potential other problems that might come of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Does training help with taking more?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, being more fit helps with a lot of things, and certainly if you endure a certain amount of pain in your training, you are generally better able to work through pain in general.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BUT, that doesn't necessarily make any of the weak areas better able to survive the injury inflicted; having pain tolerance to not be bothered when your windpipe is collapsed doesn't matter when the oxygen cuts short and you fall unconscious anyway. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More importantly, if your training deals with the potential for attacks to such locations (whether this is done through intelligent drilling or, very safely set up, and careful, sparring), you become better at positioning yourself to avoid some of these attacks, and also reducing the harm overall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-03-22T07:15:50.150" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7334" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7330" CreationDate="2017-03-22T14:52:11.640" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you spend part of your day in front of a laptop, find a low table and spend part of that time sitting on the floor, in seiza, legs crossed, legs streched, whatever. It will give you flexibility and improve circulation on your legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also go for having some of your meals on the low table, Japanese style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7943" LastEditorUserId="7943" LastEditDate="2017-03-23T14:39:31.983" LastActivityDate="2017-03-23T14:39:31.983" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7335" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6908" CreationDate="2017-03-22T15:30:20.050" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bryan Garrett proposed doing Benguela games. This might actually something you want to do. As Benguela was designed to help students of Capoeira Contemporânea to develop a low game that then can lead to the game played with toce de angola. ( &lt;a href=&quot;https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benguela_(capoeira)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benguela_(capoeira)&lt;/a&gt; ).&#xA;Sequences always change and depend mostly on your teacher (and group). But remove all Jinga, only do Cadeira, Negativa, Role, different Aus (com e sin Cabeça no chão) and you got a solid basis of defensive moves you can combine to your own movements. Add to them kicks that always start from and end on the floor and you get more variety. Remember that different groups have different movements to the different toques.&#xA;Maybe you should look up some workshops on weekends so that you can learn this part from another teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8058" LastActivityDate="2017-03-22T15:30:20.050" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7337" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-03-23T18:17:34.990" Score="-1" ViewCount="122" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had my trip on LSD a few weeks ago. Every since, my fighting style has been EXPONENTIALLY climbing up. Not to mention my levels of energy, or my body awareness. I now need no trainers telling me what body part to work on after this one, how intense, for how long I should be fighting for best results and so on. It just comes natural. Not only that, but the intensity and endurance of which I do the exercises or the whole trainings is litterally times more. This, and much more but it'd be way too long to write everything here. What I wrote is enough to get why I'm asking this question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, what is known about psychodelics and martial arts? Please, don't go with the, &quot;you should be very cautious&quot; apporoach. Or you can achieve same results without psychodelics. Although this is a very proper question, I'd prefer to keep it separate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S. This is not only my experience, i.e. there are plenty of other martial artist that can say the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8094" LastActivityDate="2017-03-25T20:07:34.537" Title="Relation between martial arts and psychodelics?" Tags="|training|recommendation|health|strength|power|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7338" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7337" CreationDate="2017-03-23T19:05:31.187" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;What you perceive to have changed has not necessarily changed in the manner you understand it to. The psychotropic you ingested altered your perception of reality, and not the way you interact with it. Because of the way that LSD bonds with your neuroreceptors, you are likely to have long-term (to permanent) effects from it. Those effects are distortions of your sensory input. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, LSD didn't give you a deeper understanding of martial arts. It just makes you feel like you have. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2017-03-23T19:05:31.187" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7342" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7343" CreationDate="2017-03-25T01:14:21.137" Score="3" ViewCount="363" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know if this is the right place for this question, but here it goes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm writing a story where one of the characters has been involved in judo since she was 4/5. She took to it like a duck to water and she flew up the levels.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question here is what would be a realistic level for her to be at? I've managed to track down the belt levels, but I don't know what would be a realistic level for a young-but-talented judoka.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks so much!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8110" LastActivityDate="2017-03-25T03:52:34.643" Title="Fact check-- highest belt level for a 21 year old" Tags="|judo|belt|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7343" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7342" CreationDate="2017-03-25T03:52:34.643" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo has rank requirements that include competition record, skills demonstration, time in rank, minimum age, service, etc. The specific requirements are dictated by a judoka's governing organization, and these requirements will not necessarily match, which is why a judoka's recognized rank may differ depending on the considering organization. For example, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keiko_Fukuda&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Keiko Fukuda&lt;/a&gt; was recognized as a 10th dan (judan) by United States organizations, but only as a 9th dan (kudan) by the mother Kodokan organization. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am most familiar with the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.usjf.com/sites/usjf.pwcstores.com/files/imagelibrary/uploads/2016/10/6RankReqs1s160608.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;United States Judo Federation requirements&lt;/a&gt;. For the black belt ranks that a 21 year old could attain, the minimum ages are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shodan 14 yrs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Nidan  16 yrs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sandan 18 yrs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Yondan 21 yrs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For these ranks, the most important factor would be competition record. World/Olympic medalists could reach 4th dan (yondan) by age 21, but this would be quite exceptional and require you to be known worldwide. Receiving a shodan at age 14 is also quite unusual because adult/senior ranks are usually granted starting at age 17; you would have to be able to consistently defeat adults while still developing physically, or more recently, completely dominate junior divisions at national tournaments. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are my rough expectations for ranks at age 21:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;1st (Shodan) minimum expected for continuous practice since 4/5 until 21&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;2nd (Nidan) accomplished competitor, not necessarily known outside region&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;3rd (Sandan) National Champion&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;4th (Yondan) World/Olympic champion&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also be aware that some judoka are unconcerned with their rank. There are shodans who are technically and competitively better than upper ranks, but they simply do not bother with further promotion paperwork upon receiving a black belt.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-03-25T03:52:34.643" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7344" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7369" CreationDate="2017-03-25T18:13:04.260" Score="2" ViewCount="232" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can a martial arts instructor demand unquestioning respect from their students, and their students' parents, if they don't behave in a respectful way? For example, cheating in a competition and trying to cover it up?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8042" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-03-27T09:07:26.613" LastActivityDate="2017-03-29T08:04:01.713" Title="Tutor demands respect" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7345" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-03-25T18:58:18.587" Score="5" ViewCount="1008" Body="&lt;p&gt;I realize this is opinion based, but I have had a wide variety of responses that seem to believe that &quot;true&quot; martial arts can only be learned by properly dressing the part of the original form, whereas others state its the body mechanics and focus but not the dress that matters.  I am curious if this is the &quot;type&quot; more than a general concept and I am wondering when it matters and when it doesn't matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Example&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;Kickboxing seems to not matter so much whereas Kung Fu, Ninjitsu, Karate, Tae-Kwon-Do, judo, etc... seem to have very specific dress codes and not allow anyone in unless they adhere to the dress code.  Also these dress codes are all different as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the goal of the dress code and how does that really affect the body mechanics of the sport/art?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-03-29T07:52:42.217" LastActivityDate="2017-03-29T11:15:20.027" Title="Does particular traditional attire affect the ability to learn and perform martial arts?" Tags="|training|uniform|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7346" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7345" CreationDate="2017-03-25T19:45:40.863" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Certain schools or teachers might require certain attire or practitioners prefer to dress and look a certain way, perhaps like a hero of theirs. But your question asks about attire affecting 'ability to learn and perform'. &#xA;I can think of a few examples of this - in judo and karate, the uniform and belt are often grasped and may aid throws and techniques, though Ronda Rousey seems to employ her considerable judo skills in shorts and shirt in the MMA ring. It's her mastery of balance and technique that gets it done. There is also the common 'attire' of bare feet in japanese and korean martial arts as opposed to chinese martial artists usually wearing shoes - for example, the mud-walking step of baguazhang slides along the floor, and most practitioners are usually seen wearing shoes, but I practice this movement in bare feet, as do some others -it is a subtle difference, but it does take adjustment. In the film, Man of Tai Chi, Tiger Chen is surprised by a fighter while wearing a suit and tie and his opponent uses that tie creatively, dominating him, until Tiger is able to get it off. In the end, I have to conclude that attire would make no real difference in the execution or performance of a master of his or her martial art, except in the mind of the practitioner - on the other hand, looking how you feel you want to look is no small thing - it is actually an integral part of your expression as a martial artist and may give you a feeling of comfort and wholeness, feeling true to yourself - which is important. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8087" LastEditorUserId="8087" LastEditDate="2017-03-25T19:51:42.240" LastActivityDate="2017-03-25T19:51:42.240" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7348" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7337" CreationDate="2017-03-25T20:07:34.537" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial arts practice has a lot to do with the feedback from your own body and so in some ways, it may help you break through some barriers. It may also improve your speed while under its effects, but having familiarity with LSD in my youth as a guitarist, I felt like I was breaking new ground - listening back later when I was off the drug, it was nothing special. Besides, even if it does help you in your movements and perception, you are training with LSD as part of your practice - is this something you plan to do every day of your life - include a drug as part of your training in order to gain its benefits? I've practiced martial arts daily for 35 years - there's no way I could have done LSD as part of my training every day for 35 years!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8087" LastActivityDate="2017-03-25T20:07:34.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7349" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7308" CreationDate="2017-03-25T20:19:02.017" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Chi is the universal energy - it does not furnish power, but a skilled practitioner who can sense his or her own chi energy can work to keep a flow going in their body. It can help to learn to sense restrictions in your actual body - such as stiffness, misalignment, etc or restrictions in the form of faulty techniques. In this way, an awareness of chi can act as a goal for ideal, unimpeded movement and allow more power, speed and awareness as a martial artist. But you'll never understand this from films, you have to practice with your own mind and body - it's the only way to really understand. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8087" LastActivityDate="2017-03-25T20:19:02.017" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7350" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7279" CreationDate="2017-03-25T20:24:32.800" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Too much emphasis can be placed on 'qualifications' - but to answer your question - when I trained in the zen martial art of Shim Gum Do, we did the usual physical training of forms and ended with a short meditation. The master and creator of this art considered visualizing the movements of these forms while not actually performing them as a valid and important way of integrating them and remembering them, even 'practicing' them this way when you're unable to physically perform them. I've found this to be true, though of course physical practice is necessary to teach the body. In representing yourself to someone - ie - experience in terms of years spent training, this might be a bit deceptive, but as a method of training YOU and your mind and body in your art, I think it's valid and useful. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8087" LastEditorUserId="8087" LastEditDate="2017-03-26T01:39:00.377" LastActivityDate="2017-03-26T01:39:00.377" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7351" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7219" CreationDate="2017-03-25T20:33:06.220" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would recommend trying chi kung - in the book by Lam Kam Chuen, the simple standing 'pose' of wu chi is introduced. Nothing could be simpler to learn, but over the months and years, this simple stance teaches you everything. It's enhanced my martial arts practice beyond measure. It may or may not correct your leaning off axis, but will help you develop proprioception and a sense of your position through your own senses. With the help of a mirror and/or a partner, you can learn to bring together your 'actual' position with what you are sensing. It takes time, and the simplicity of this simple standing exercise will have most people gloss over it quickly and dismiss it. But PRACTICE it and its value will yield great rewards. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8087" LastActivityDate="2017-03-25T20:33:06.220" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7352" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7194" CreationDate="2017-03-25T20:38:43.440" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would highly recommend circle walking - the basis of baguazhang practice. Even without the later martial applications, circle walking has improved my footwork and ability to move the body quickly as a unit, among many other benefits. And it is well known that a baguazhang fighter who has mastered the art is very hard to find - this doesn't happen overnight, of course - but if you want to be as inaccessible to your opponent as possible, I can think of no better martial art than baguazhang, and it's easy to begin with simple circle walking - it delivers powerful results, especially in terms of circling, stepping and turning. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8087" LastActivityDate="2017-03-25T20:38:43.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7353" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7118" CreationDate="2017-03-25T20:43:23.223" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You may have to try a few teachers / schools before finding the best one for your son, but I think you're right in that martial arts may be a very, very good solution. The key will be finding the art that gets HIM interested - it could be as simple as the right school - many have had great experiences with Uechi Ryu or Tae Kwon Do. Adhering to structure and form while expressing out his energy may really help him. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8087" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-03-27T09:18:41.070" LastActivityDate="2017-03-27T09:18:41.070" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7354" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7006" CreationDate="2017-03-25T21:00:51.577" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many good answers here - I would add that for many, like myself, martial arts practice is a way of life - a 'practice'. It's practical and exhilarating to learn actual fighting techniques and to practice sparring. But I've found that after 35 years of martial arts training in various styles, that it's the basic exercises that help most - these thousands or millions of reps are forever keeping your body in good condition and are 'remembered' by your body and integrated within you - if health is your goal, then the exercises alone are of great value. If fighting skill and ability is the goal, you still need the body to be trained. It's a good question, but I think any good teacher will include plenty of warmups and exercises - like yoga or chi kung, simple exercises are not glamorous to watch, but as a martial artist/fighter they are a friend to your body. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8087" LastActivityDate="2017-03-25T21:00:51.577" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7355" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6856" CreationDate="2017-03-25T22:38:27.047" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree that at 9 yrs old, just practicing is enough. But I think intention is an important part of martial arts - not necessarily for scoring hits to the body, but in building yourself into a complete martial artist. In the course of a lifetime you will do millions of movements as a martial artist. If you train with intent - that is, engaging your mind as much as you can when executing the simplest moves, then you will always have that extra component. I trained in a zen martial art so right or wrong, I learned that - to be deliberate with each move. I've come to appreciate it - really, to 'tell your body what to do' and have it react - it's a miracle. I try never to let my mind get too far away from what my hands and feet are doing - to do every movement with intent and I think practicing this way trains you to stay engaged in what you're doing.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8087" LastActivityDate="2017-03-25T22:38:27.047" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7356" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6734" CreationDate="2017-03-25T22:46:51.373" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you love martial arts and are bored with your current school, it may be because it's designed in a predictable way - belts, ranks, etc. You can see where it's leading and it can make you feel boxed into a program. Some will disagree, because many people stay with their style all their lives, but you might find if you leave that school, and try another style, then another after that, that it's more fulfilling than perfecting the one style. This is how it's been for me - I'm 63 and I find the interaction between different styles so satisfying that I practice them all. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8087" LastEditorUserId="8087" LastEditDate="2017-03-27T12:30:02.220" LastActivityDate="2017-03-27T12:30:02.220" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7358" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="193" CreationDate="2017-03-26T01:18:55.927" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Circle walking is an excellent means of changing your thinking about how to step and turn. It's the basis of baguazhang, and is a lifelong practice - but is simple to learn. The more you practice it, the more you're able to add circular stepping to your thinking when moving. I began with Karate and the practice drills are very linear - like the stepping and punching we all learn. You get stuck in that way of advancing and retreating - in a line.  I've been at circle walking for a year now and it has opened up a new world for me - it really helps you get away from that linearity and it also helps teach you to move your whole body as a unit. I'm no baguazhang master myself, but an opponent who has mastered that art will be very hard to locate!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8087" LastActivityDate="2017-03-26T01:18:55.927" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7359" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="558" CreationDate="2017-03-26T01:27:03.677" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The danger when pivoting is the foot not sliding and the knees over-rotating, which can injure the ACL among other things. I've always trained in bare feet and maybe it's specifically because a bare foot is more likely to stick to the floor than shoes, you're forced to learn very early to take the weight off the foot when pivoting - after awhile, it becomes second nature to lift vertically a bit when pivoting - that is, move the body vertically a bit to take the weight upward. I don't think I would've learned and developed this practicing in shoes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8087" LastActivityDate="2017-03-26T01:27:03.677" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7360" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1676" CreationDate="2017-03-26T01:52:26.057" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It will take years to be an expert in any martial art, but it is definitely possible, even desirable, to become proficient in several different arts. It is a bit counter-intuitive - you might think that Karate would conflict with say, baguazhang. But in my experience each art has helped me learn develop more knowledge of my own body and how it moves - chi kung and yoga are not martial arts, but will help the martial artist achieve balance, grounding, range of motion, proprioception and other skills. Likewise each martial art has something to offer - integrating more than one into your daily practice can help you become a complete martial artist - it is a lifelong journey - and a very satisfying experience. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8087" LastEditorUserId="8087" LastEditDate="2017-03-26T13:37:16.530" LastActivityDate="2017-03-26T13:37:16.530" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7361" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="558" CreationDate="2017-03-26T03:17:15.837" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Puzzle mats still sometimes tear the balls of my feet after 4 years of training. I have bunions on both feet and my Orthopaedic doctor said that could cause additional pressure on the balls of the feet when pivoting. I just use athletic tape around my foot there and it is more comfortable (although sometimes I have to adjust or reapply the tape during breaks in a workout).  Be sure to flex your toes back and forward to find the right tightness to the tape. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7936" LastActivityDate="2017-03-26T03:17:15.837" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7363" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6826" CreationDate="2017-03-26T12:29:20.057" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yoga is excellent for this purpose. Being married to a yoga teacher and injured in my TKD class at 40 yrs old, the injury benched me. It was yoga that healed the injury and taught me alignment, slowing down enough to understand my body, proprioception and many other things. That was 23 years ago - I'm 63 now and extremely flexible. Some martial artists simply won't do yoga, but I'm married to a yoga teacher and it was a missing link for me, especially when I reached my 40's. It's a part of my daily martial arts practice now. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8087" LastActivityDate="2017-03-26T12:29:20.057" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7365" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7345" CreationDate="2017-03-26T14:10:43.787" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;In descending order of importance, here are reasons why your attire matters:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Range of motion&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Uniforms are cut to provide range of motion for the joints. Skinny jeans and Western-style suit jackets restrict your range of motion in ways that loose-fitting or stretchable clothing do not. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The manner in which clothing is worn also matters. If you wear your pants around your knees, don't expect to be able to run or kick well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Proper body development&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Clothing designed to look good can create problems for your body development. For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;high-heeled shoes change the forces on muscles, tendons, and ligaments throughout the body. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;corsets restrict breathing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if you don't wear these while actively training, their effects still matter. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Clothing as a weapon&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can use either your own clothing or an opponent's clothing against that opponent. For example, you can grab it, you can choke with it, or you can tie up limbs with it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Skin infections&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For grappling-based martial arts, the uniform plays an important role in preventing the transmission of skin infections which can be viral (herpes), fungal (ringworm), or bacterial (staph). Your skin is one barrier to infection, and the uniform is another. Unless you and your training partners are scrupulous about hygiene, this is an important consideration. Training half-naked may provide fewer advantages to your opponent, but it presents more hazards to you as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Durability&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Uniforms should be designed to last. Most normal clothing will rip or tear under stress from many martial arts activities. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Marketing&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although appearance is not a primary consideration for uniforms, it does affect whether your training partners stick around, which does matter to you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-03-26T14:10:43.787" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7368" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3160" CreationDate="2017-03-27T01:44:14.240" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wqxI7.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wqxI7.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the book Martial Artists Book of Yoga by Lily Chou, she suggests using Half Moon Pose to help with balance and execution of a sidekick. Any stance where you're on one leg can help you learn balance, but in Half Moon your core is horizontal, plus you're really stretching and extending your limbs which requires even more balance, and seems to increase the overall benefit. I think you can see from the pic how spending time in this pose would improve balance, stability and extension in your sidekick - it's worked for me. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8087" LastEditorUserId="8087" LastEditDate="2017-03-29T19:34:17.860" LastActivityDate="2017-03-29T19:34:17.860" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7369" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7344" CreationDate="2017-03-27T07:02:06.010" Score="5" Body="&lt;h1&gt;No! No way in Hell or Heaven!&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Anyone who demands respect, does not deserve any whatsoever.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; Respect is earned, respect is given, but respect is never demanded.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an aside, unquestionable respect is a sure sign of a cult mentality. This is a dangerous mental state that can lead to much pain and suffering.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyone who advocates cheating in competition is a worthless failure of a human and a martial artist. To pre-empt: competition and fighting are not the same thing… This only applies to competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyone who advocates either bending the rules or their sprit in competition is highly suspicious and should be taken with a pinch of salt. Winning at all costs does have a price. Some think it worth paying, others take the moral high road.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to the question and the many comments made, this teacher behaves like a idiot. &lt;strong&gt;I would strongly recommend you seek training elsewhere.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Needless to say (right⸮), &lt;em&gt;politeness is your prerogative&lt;/em&gt;. You should be polite in your dealing with anyone, even in dealing with a worthless and contemptible person or group of people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: There &lt;em&gt;are&lt;/em&gt; a few exception to this rule, although they are so minor that the generality stands.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-03-29T08:04:01.713" LastActivityDate="2017-03-29T08:04:01.713" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7370" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6734" CreationDate="2017-03-27T12:25:07.933" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I love testing-- the prep period leading up to it is fun to me, so not sure how to motivate you there, but now I have almost 2 years before I can go again, so I understand how you feel about getting bored. These are some things I've done to keep things interesting. Our school's black belts are working on another style of forms. It was refreshing at first to get some brand new material for everyone, and we've been doing it kind of self-directed using books and videos online outside of class, then coming together for instruction, so maybe exploring another style a little on the side would break the monotony and maybe even help you with your style. We also have a weapons class that I'm going to try. Do you have a chance to assist with instruction of lower ranks? Helping or leading will cause you to think about your style in a different way, too. If that's not an option, use your &quot;off time&quot; to work on something specific- i.e. after first Dan I worked on spin kicks every workout for a couple months. I just got my second and now I'm  working on footwork. It's nice to have a specific goal to fix or improve on and no &quot;deadline&quot; or immediate testing date, although I've already started thinking about potential breaks and other stuff I'll need for 2019. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7936" LastActivityDate="2017-03-27T12:25:07.933" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7372" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7118" CreationDate="2017-03-28T13:34:00.980" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would recommend Capoeira. As this art has many different aspects that can help stimulate different parts of the brain. (physical exercise, balance, rhythm, singing, music.) All of this with different difficulty levels within the same group.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course as others pointed out the trainer is very important. If he can not engage your son he will get bored and do anything but actually concentrate on the class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8058" LastActivityDate="2017-03-28T13:34:00.980" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7373" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4543" CreationDate="2017-03-28T18:00:31.053" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In general either has it's plus/minuses as you mentioned.  I personally like the more durable filled ones.  It requires greater strength and impacts than light ones, but is more similar to an actual person with weight instead of lighter with techniques only.  You might start with a unfilled and work to a filled one, but I think to truly practice for real situations a heavier filled one is more realistic. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you goal is more for competition or demonstration the unfilled might work better here.  As your end goal is not 100% clear it's more generic here.  My vote is filled though for a serious person as it will pay off in the end with training and should last longer, even if it takes longer to get used to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-03-28T18:00:31.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7374" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7345" CreationDate="2017-03-29T01:55:41.953" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Does particular traditional attire affect the ability to learn and perform martial arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In small ways, yes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Safety &amp;amp; comfort:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kicking techniques need parts with lots of extra material around the groin, and some bagginess and/or stretchiness around the hips and legs, so they don't snap taught in unpleasant places as the legs are driven apart for a kick, or rub constantly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hand strikes need similar freedoms around the torso and shoulders, though even a moderately tight t-shirt is normally stretchy enough.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some throwing techniques are applied to the clothing, so the clothing needs to be robust enough, and not concentrate excessive force in vulnerable places like the neck.  For example, if you tug violently on the back of a judo/jujitsu/hapkido uniform's collar, or on a sleeve, there's no tight fixed collar forcing the front or side of the neck to absorb the forces.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;As mattm points out, uniforms may reduce skin-on-skin contact which is desirable for hygiene reasons.  No harm reducing skin-on-pad/bag and -floor contact either.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Modesty&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Some students may appreciate a uniform design that doesn't come open easily and isn't too revealing.  I suspect that's one reason that when the big (ITF and WTF) Taekwondo organisations decided to leave a little more of their karate legacy behind and design more distinct uniforms, they went with pull-over vests rather than the separate folding sides of the karate-gi.  This is particularly relevant for girls and ladies, but some young boys starting training may have been bullied about their skinniness or whatever and feel more comfortable. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Consistency&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Outside martial arts, many schools and organisations use uniforms because they minimise any one-upmanship or jealousies that kids may feel about each others' attire, and instead promote a sense of community.  Same in martial arts.  For better or worse, it focuses attention on the bits that do differ - which is often the belt signifying rank. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;History / uniforms similar to common clothes&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Some techniques evolved to work on people dressed a certain way.  It's no coincidence that the &quot;gi&quot; jacket worn in ju-jitsu, judo, karate is similar to the Japanese kimono.  Related techniques may be ineffective these days though, for people wearing western dress.  So you could reasonable argue that what you're calling &quot;traditional&quot; uniform now &lt;strong&gt;hinders&lt;/strong&gt; people's learning and performance of martial arts: not only might they be better off learning more about how they can fight in the clothes they normally wear, they need to know what works on people wearing &quot;normal&quot; clothes in their society.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Feedback&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Some uniforms provide feedback such as a certain intensity of snapping sound when a technique is delivered in just the right way.  Students will hear seniors and instructors, and try to reproduce the sound, which can help them improve and even motivate them to practice harder.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2017-03-29T01:55:41.953" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7376" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7344" CreationDate="2017-03-29T02:21:52.970" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Can a martial arts instructor demand unquestioning respect from their students, and their students' parents, if they don't behave in a respectful way? For example, cheating in a competition and trying to cover it up?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's obvious what answer you want to hear, and you're framing your question to divert attention from the important bit which is that someone's cheated and tried to cover it up.  Sadly, your question is unclear though: is the teacher demanding respect after an incident where...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) the student cheated, or&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) despite the teacher having cheated?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If the student cheated,&lt;/strong&gt; it's reasonable for the instructor to give the student an ultimatum - own up, apologise, possibly accept some punishment / demotion, agree not to do it again - or get (stripped of rank? and) expelled.  He or she's can reasonably expect certain standards of behaviour from the people (s)he chooses to teach, and will hopefully have made those expectations clear to them from the start, but sometimes it's common sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If the instructor cheated,&lt;/strong&gt; and is trying to bully people out of calling him out on it, then that's sad and pathetic and you really should leave the dojo yourself and find a better instructor elsewhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You also commented on a deleted answer: &lt;em&gt;When in the hall, what if the instructor doesn't instruct most of the students and focuses on his and his girlfriend's kids?&lt;/em&gt; - again, if your instructor has such an attitude then you're better off training elsewhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2017-03-29T02:21:52.970" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7377" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7345" CreationDate="2017-03-29T07:51:48.660" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Going against the flow here, I would say that some traditional outfits actively hinder in developing your skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, in Shodokan Aikido, we do not wear a hakama. The main reason is safety: you and/or your partner can get tangled in it making injuries more likely to happen. This is especially true during randori-ho. Some urban myth started that the hakama needed to cover the feet making it even more of hazard. Hence, we just do not wear one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even the traditional dogi can be a hindrance. If you are training for self defence but cannot do a technique because of your close fitting skirt, suite, or coat then you are putting yourself at a disadvantage. Can you do a break fall with your keys in your pocket? Tomiki (who founded Shodokan Aikido) used to train in his three piece suits from time to time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the self defence course I ran, I suggested that the last class is a recap of all learned before in cloths you go out clubbing in -- clearly with sport oriented underwear. It always is an eye opener.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, why do we still wear dogi while training? First, they are sturdy pieces of clothing with padded knees. Second, they do confer a sense of belonging to the group. Finally, tradition. But a dogi does nothing whatsoever to improve ones Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2017-03-29T07:51:48.660" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7378" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7345" CreationDate="2017-03-29T11:15:20.027" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I started training in Taekwondo, it was explained to me that we all wore a dobok (training suit) to help us remember/understand that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Everyone is equal&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;We're all part of the same school/organisation&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;We're all on the same/similar journey&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The waters are muddied somewhat when the black belts have a slightly different uniform. Black belt doboks have black edging on the bottom of the tunic; I was told that black was a colour associated with royalty in Korea (much like purple was in ancient Rome). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2017-03-29T11:15:20.027" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7379" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7421" CreationDate="2017-03-29T20:49:37.333" Score="0" ViewCount="143" Body="&lt;p&gt;About 30 years ago, I had leather bag gloves made by Everlast that contained very little padding, but had thick leather and a heavy metal core in the palm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does any manufacturer still make something similar? I am not interested in the padded gloves, and I believe that the leather ones will hold up better than neoprene or other synthetics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7788" LastActivityDate="2017-04-06T12:52:09.517" Title="Old school leather bag gloves" Tags="|training|equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7381" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3117" CreationDate="2017-03-31T13:32:41.073" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;ATA uses&#xA;White&#xA;Orange&#xA;Yellow&#xA;Camoflouge&#xA;Green&#xA;Purple&#xA;Blue&#xA;Brown&#xA;Brown 2&#xA;Red&#xA;Red 2 (1R) (Reccomended Black Belt)&#xA;Black1-Black9&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8128" LastActivityDate="2017-03-31T13:32:41.073" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7382" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7383" CreationDate="2017-03-31T22:46:42.630" Score="7" ViewCount="820" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was taught in my jujitsu school to make a fist with the thumb on top which I discovered through some internet digging is the way Isshin ryu practitioners make a fist.  I have yet to find anyone else that does this.  I am wondering where this comes from.  I believe I have heard it called a Chinese fist.  I assume that this is where it originates since karate's roots are Chinese styles such as White Crane.  Can anyone give me specifics as to the history of this method of fist-making?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8129" LastActivityDate="2019-02-20T08:13:41.623" Title="What are the origins of the Isshin ryu's vertical fist with thumb on top?" Tags="|karate|kung-fu|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7383" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7382" CreationDate="2017-04-01T01:17:33.557" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know how authoritative it is, but &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.msisshinryu.com/articles/aja/mysteries_isshinryu.shtml&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this article&lt;/a&gt; credits Isshin ryu's founder as deciding on the thumb position through experimentation:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;For over 30 years, Shimabuku experimented with different methods of holding the fist.  He found that if you placed the thumb on top of the fist, instead of on the side, the wrist became stronger.  He therefore settled on this position for the Isshin-ryu vertical fist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2017-04-01T01:17:33.557" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7384" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7385" CreationDate="2017-04-01T01:29:25.327" Score="5" ViewCount="486" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there any safe sparring staff which can simulate a spear, which you can use with minimal protection? I've talked to friends, and even rattan staffs seem to smart and leave bruises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess you could cover the ends with foam or something, to make it hurt less (since that's where all the leverage and poking is).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8127" LastActivityDate="2017-04-01T05:09:13.070" Title="Safe Sparring Spear" Tags="|sparring|weapons|safety|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7385" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7384" CreationDate="2017-04-01T05:09:13.070" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Home-made&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;I have utilized a wooden staff and put a layer or two of pipe foam on the end.  It's relatively cheap and provides padding to blunt hits so long as you don't jab it really hard.  I utilized electrical tape to fully wrap it which helps prevent slippage (you need to keep it a solid piece and start at the top wrapping and go down and then wrap the wood a few times to hold the padding steady).  The end looks funky and is bigger than expected, but due to the light weight of the foam and the tight wrapping of the tape it had virtually no extra drag, stayed in place, and padded all hits.  The poking part was the worst though as it's such a small area and hard to pad it enough.  I would probably add some extra to the tip if I re-did it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;any staff (non-slick might be best)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pipe insulation (i.e. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.homedepot.com/b/Plumbing-Pipe-Insulation/N-5yc1vZbuy9&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.homedepot.com/b/Plumbing-Pipe-Insulation/N-5yc1vZbuy9&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Electrical tape&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-04-01T05:09:13.070" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7386" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7426" CreationDate="2017-04-02T09:28:00.553" Score="6" ViewCount="1803" Body="&lt;p&gt;A student asked the Aikido master the reason behind keeping the &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.in/books?id=zathYcL-as0C&amp;amp;pg=PA41&amp;amp;lpg=PA41&amp;amp;dq=aikido%20why%20left%20toe%20over%20right%20toe&amp;amp;source=bl&amp;amp;ots=jfP1SQe8HW&amp;amp;sig=J-PGhNIjZzg9CdwK3Mr-xipGtdY&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;ved=0ahUKEwi95b6puIXTAhVCFpQKHSrQCPoQ6AEIHzAB#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=aikido%20why%20left%20toe%20over%20right%20toe&amp;amp;f=false&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;left toe over the right toe&lt;/a&gt; when sitting, and he told her &quot;&lt;em&gt;I honestly don't know&lt;/em&gt;&quot;. He later said that one reason might be because of how the sword is drawn and placed back in the sheath on the left side of the person. He says the origin of the left toe would have something to do with weaponry. He also mentioned how Hindu people in India, when bowing down to a deity, cover the base of their right foot with their left foot. Another student said the reason the Indian worshippers do this is to prevent dissipation of energy from the body.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen similar questions asked here about the &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1926/why-should-i-wear-my-gi-with-left-side-over-right-side&quot;&gt;dogi&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5172/is-there-a-reason-that-the-red-part-of-the-belt-is-on-the-left-side&quot;&gt;belt&lt;/a&gt;. So is there a reason to the left toe tradition or is it just for the sake of uniformity? I don't really see the point of stressing so much on a seating posture though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6623" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-05T12:40:15.037" LastActivityDate="2019-07-14T14:03:35.827" Title="Aikido seiza: Why is the left toe placed over the right toe?" Tags="|aikido|etiquette|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7387" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7391" CreationDate="2017-04-02T09:41:28.757" Score="10" ViewCount="6049" Body="&lt;p&gt;A person from Ukraine told me today that one of the reasons he practices martial arts, and also studies (and practices) religion by residing in religious places in India, is because he believes India had a lot of fundamental knowledge about energy and the human body, and that martial arts had its origin in yoga. He says it is from India that martial arts spread to the world.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find this a bit hard to believe. Although there is mention of how Indian martial arts were introduced to the monks in China, it does seem a no-brainer that other societies across the world would have developed their own fighting systems before, or at the same time, as India.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_martial_arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;wiki page&lt;/a&gt; on Indian martial arts says that there were fighting systems in place much before the incorporation of yoga or ayurveda into the fighting styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6623" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-02-08T13:33:02.277" LastActivityDate="2021-10-25T11:05:09.703" Title="Did martial arts really originate from India and is it based on yoga?" Tags="|history|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7388" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7387" CreationDate="2017-04-02T12:58:43.827" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Short Answer: No.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Longer Answer: When and where have there &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; been martial arts? Individual styles and schools all have their own creation stories. And they can generally be ties to historical events or people. But there has never been a vacuum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As long as there has been fighting, people have created some form of training environment where mistakes could be made. Always and everywhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just try to imagine it otherwise. Imagine learning to use a bow without using targets. Imagine learning to use a sword without starting with sticks. Imagine learning to grapple without trying it with somebody who isn't trying to kill you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7543" LastActivityDate="2017-04-02T12:58:43.827" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7389" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7387" CreationDate="2017-04-02T14:24:50.947" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes it did. Although, people have been training to fight since probably humans have existed. The origin of martial arts that your Ukrainian friend is referring started in India more than 5000 years ago uses fighting, yoga and meditation. Spread to China, then from China to Japan, and then to Europe and Americas. India was a colony of British and Muslim rulers for the last 1000 years and they banned the practice of martial arts during that era. So most of the art was lost. After India's independence in 1947, it's now making a comeback and people are trying to discover it now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8132" LastEditorUserId="8132" LastEditDate="2017-04-02T23:50:46.337" LastActivityDate="2017-04-02T23:50:46.337" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7390" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7415" CreationDate="2017-04-02T19:01:52.560" Score="0" ViewCount="2056" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm curious of the mix-ability in various styles of martial arts.  Like there are some that seem almost opposite like judo/aikido with throws/holds appear opposite to karate/tae-kwon-do with strikes.  But sometimes these opposites seem to complement the other style thus making it a more full martial arts combo instead of the weaknesses of a single style alone.  Also there are themes like open hand and closed fist styles as well as various body motion forms that play a part (i.e. Capoeira being fluid and on hands a lot vs. a more rigid style...don't appear to mix as well).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;Are there any specific Martial Art combinations proven to be a good complement to each other and if so what are those and how do they best complement each other?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-04-02T22:02:28.553" LastActivityDate="2022-07-05T01:19:07.540" Title="What styles of martial arts flow well together for mixed techniques and styling?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7391" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7387" CreationDate="2017-04-03T05:25:30.253" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sainid's answer mentions the common &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;story&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; that an Indian monk introduced exercises to the Shaolin temple, and their martial arts practice grew out of those exercises; this is probably what the Ukrainian guy is referring to.  There are hundreds of web sites and books sharing that notion, for example &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.historyoffighting.com/bodhidharma.php&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;(Bodhidharma) &amp;quot;taught various exercises to the monks there that would develop into modern day kung fu&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wikipedia's &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaolin_Kung_Fu&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;article on Shaolin Kung Fu&lt;/a&gt; also mentions this popular myth of &amp;quot;Bodhidharma influencing Shaolin boxing&amp;quot; &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;but largely discredits it&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  See the Wikipedia article for links to further reference material:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bodhidharma's influence&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some popular stories consider Bodhidharma as the founder of Shaolin kung fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The idea of Bodhidharma influencing Shaolin boxing is based on a qigong manual written during the 17th century. This is when a Taoist with the pen name &amp;quot;Purple Coagulation Man of the Way&amp;quot; wrote the Sinews Changing Classic in 1624, but claimed to have discovered it. The first of two prefaces of the manual traces this qigong style's succession from Bodhidharman to the Chinese general Li Jing via &amp;quot;a chain of Buddhist saints and martial heroes.&amp;quot;15 The work itself is full of anachronistic mistakes and even includes a popular character from Chinese fiction, the &amp;quot;Qiuran Ke&amp;quot; (&amp;quot;Bushy Bearded Hero)&amp;quot; (虬髯客), as a lineage master.[16] Literati as far back as the Qing Dynasty have taken note of these mistakes. The scholar Ling Tinkang (1757–1809) described the author as an 'ignorant village master'.&amp;quot;(p168)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like other stories of Shaolin, this story has, after all, some basis in reality. Bodhidharma was the founder of Dhyana (Chinese: 禅; pinyin: chán; Japanese: zen) Buddhism.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhidharma&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia article on Bodhidharma&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to Chinese legend, he also began the physical training of the monks of Shaolin Monastery that led to the creation of Shaolin Kung Fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some Chinese myths and legends describe Bodhidharma as being disturbed by the poor physical shape of the Shaolin monks,[40] after which he instructed them in &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;techniques to maintain their physical condition&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; as well as teaching meditation.[40] He is said to have taught a series of external exercises called the &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Eighteen Arhat Hands&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; and an internal practice called the &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sinew Metamorphosis Classic&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;. In addition, after his departure from the temple, two manuscripts by Bodhidharma were said to be discovered inside the temple: the Yijin Jing and the Xisui Jing. Copies and translations of the Yijin Jing survive to the modern day. The Xisui Jing has been lost.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your question continues:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...it does seem a no-brainer that other societies across the world would have developed their own fighting systems before, or at the same time, as India. // ...there were fighting systems in place much before the incorporation of yoga or ayurveda into the fighting styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For sure, your Ukrainian friend wouldn't be totally mistaken to think that Indian practices like yoga show an extreme mastery of mind and body that could complement martial arts training, and seems quite rare internationally and historically. In my opinion, India is &lt;em&gt;not an unreasonable&lt;/em&gt; place for a martial artist to seek knowledge.  That said, I've not personally seen evidence of any especially developed martial arts in India, compared to other locations, but for some reason they seem to get less media attention from the Western world that many other countries' arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-02-08T13:38:02.067" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7392" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7330" CreationDate="2017-04-03T08:25:34.803" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The most important part is doing exercises that stretch your quads. One efficient one is this: Sit on your knees, shins against the ground (like in seiza), then lean back, trying to put your shoulders and upper back on the floor behind you. Knees and legs should remain in full contact of the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2017-04-03T08:25:34.803" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7394" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-04-03T13:22:25.410" Score="6" ViewCount="2882" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is clear that long hair can be a hazard to a defender in a 'streetfight' scenario where combat breaks out and you need to defend yourself suddenly and unexpectedly. Hair can get in your eyes and, much more severe, it can be pulled and used as a weapon against you. In sparring that simulates streetfighting it is clear that having hair long enough to grab can be a significant vulnerability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What can one do to minimize harm from having long hair? ...aside from cutting it during times of peace, that is. Protecting it, as you would protect your face and head in general, is one obvious answer. Is there anything else that can be done, in advance or during combat, to keep it from being used against you?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that this is not a duplicate of &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2646/what-are-good-solutions-for-mma-training-with-half-long-hair&quot;&gt;What are good solutions for MMA training with half long hair?&lt;/a&gt; because that question focused on MMA training and matches whereas this question focuses on general self-defense in unideal, unplanned conditions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6396" LastActivityDate="2017-07-06T23:59:01.377" Title="What are techniques to minimize harm from having long hair in combat?" Tags="|self-defense|streetfight|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7395" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7390" CreationDate="2017-04-03T13:28:57.200" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo and boxing make a great combo. Take a look at any Ronda Rousey videos to see them together in action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8134" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-04-03T13:55:21.337" LastActivityDate="2017-04-03T13:55:21.337" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7396" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7387" CreationDate="2017-04-03T13:39:46.307" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Though myself an Indian I will not believe this fact that Martial arts originated in India as we never had such great history of Martial arts being part of Indian Culture . Kalaripayattu being one of the oldest we came to know about this during the British rule and it was being kept in secret from the colonial Britishers . We have different fighting warriors who introduced different fighting systems with versatile weapons unlike the Sikhs, Marathas, Rajputs and other different clans whom we never heard that trying to prove their fighting mettle with the help of Martial Arts . &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yoga has a matching aspect with Martial arts whose objective is to bring Mind , body and Soul together . Yoga is just a non violent form of Martial arts for better health and relaxation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8005" LastActivityDate="2017-04-03T13:39:46.307" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7397" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7414" CreationDate="2017-04-03T13:52:32.260" Score="1" ViewCount="511" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am almost 100 Kg or 220 lbs. My height is 5 ft 9 inches. I do everyday gymimg for almost 70-80 mins. Can anyone suggest me some videos or links which combines both weight loss along with getting good at martial arts ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8005" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2017-04-05T01:12:39.080" LastActivityDate="2017-04-05T14:57:56.553" Title="Which martial arts exercise helps to reduce weight?" Tags="|weight|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7398" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7397" CreationDate="2017-04-03T14:10:38.783" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Anything that has cardio as part of it should suffice.  This is a one that I have heard a lot about &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.taebo.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.taebo.com/&lt;/a&gt; there are forms of Cardio kickboxing that I have participated in as well which is basically kicks/punches etc... in a fluid continuous motion to music to get the heartbeat up for the duration of exercising.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-04-03T14:10:38.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7399" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7394" CreationDate="2017-04-03T14:19:07.993" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen it braided and then folded up on the head or wrapped around the head and pinned down.  This keeps the flopping and easy grabbing out of the way.  If someone fingers the head to grab, it's going to happen anyway regardless.  I have seen the above and a fitting hat, but I'm not sure the hat did anything more than strapping it down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately I think the best solution is to practice avoidance of hair pulls.  If you practice and train in a way that keeps the hair away while doing the martial art then it will be much harder in a street fight as you will naturally keep it away with movements.  How best to do that I'm not sure, but I think there has to be some ways to practice that.  If not try the strapping down part at a minimum.  I have seen &quot;going with the pulls&quot; and striking in the movement...that may be the best path as it keeps the momentum flowing with the pull and then breaks the hold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Youtube has some stuff, try browsing some of that: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aw1bQjG9v4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aw1bQjG9v4&lt;/a&gt;  If your going to have hair you got to defend it like everything else on your person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also braid spikes into your hair. This will deter most hair grabs...although I'm not sure that it would be advisable in most places due to appearing as having an active weapon and not being allowed in certain places...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastEditorUserId="8108" LastEditDate="2017-04-03T16:27:39.550" LastActivityDate="2017-04-03T16:27:39.550" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7401" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6734" CreationDate="2017-04-03T14:48:52.253" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you already have your established base, love martial arts and are tired, maybe it's time to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Start teaching;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Try new styles as long as you can continue to use your internalized base. Some styles will not force you to &quot;start over&quot; but add complementary techniques and approaches.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3152" LastActivityDate="2017-04-03T14:48:52.253" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7402" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7394" CreationDate="2017-04-03T15:42:20.550" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;My dojo teaches a few techniques against hair grabs. First if your hair is being pulled put your hand over theirs and clamp it down. Then, twist your body stepping away from the thumb. This should turn the hand over. Finally push the arm away keeping the twist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If we are talking about shoulder or longer length hair and it is being grabbed far from the scalp this is different. Most cloathing grab techniques and many judo moves can be adapted to deal with this though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2017-04-03T15:42:20.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7403" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7386" CreationDate="2017-04-03T19:04:33.027" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Answer to a &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4586/please-tell-me-the-correct-way-to-sit-seiza/4590&quot;&gt;previous question&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;Some schools cross the big toes, some don't.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then there is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kendo-guide.com/feet-position-in-seiza.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this discussion&lt;/a&gt; on a kendo forum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And the Wikipedia page on &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiza#Form&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;seiza&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;...big toes sometimes are overlapped...&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case, in my Aikido dojo (where I am the chief instructor), there are no rules regarding crossing the toes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6704" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-02T15:27:31.377" LastActivityDate="2019-07-02T15:27:31.377" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7404" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7409" CreationDate="2017-04-03T19:28:26.783" Score="4" ViewCount="223" Body="&lt;p&gt;In shodokan aikido competition, both aikidokas don't use mouth guards. Considering the nature of resisting opponents, it will be difficult to push the opponent's chin exactly, there is a risk of breaking teeth when executing shomen ate or ai gamae ate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5Ydyn.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5Ydyn.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Questions&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How dangerous is executing shomen ate or ai gamae ate in the competition? Do we need to use mouth guard or chin guard?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Edit&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is also a risk of breaking teeth when executing gyaku gamae ate. For example, the executor accidentally strikes the opponent mouth with the executor's elbow. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7701" LastEditorUserId="7701" LastEditDate="2017-04-03T19:34:30.340" LastActivityDate="2017-04-05T06:54:04.350" Title="The risk of breaking teeth when executing shomen ate or ai game ate in competition" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7405" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7404" CreationDate="2017-04-03T20:17:34.240" Score="-3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How dangerous is executing shomen ate or ai gamae ate in the competition? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you hit the opponent it will be dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Do we need to use mouth guard or chin guard?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do not want do run risks, yes, you need to use protection.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;There is also a risk of breaking teeth when executing gyaku gamae ate. For example, the executor accidentally strikes the opponent mouth with the executor's elbow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you strike the mouth, yes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are techniques to prevent that, like keeping your mouth closed (even teeth closed), a good evasion technique or other skills to redirect opponent attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6474" LastEditorUserId="7701" LastEditDate="2017-04-03T22:40:26.023" LastActivityDate="2017-04-03T22:40:26.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7406" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7394" CreationDate="2017-04-03T20:20:24.330" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are concentrating on my hair and I am concentrating on your throat, I will tend to win.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long hair sounds like a great misdirection technique against the poorly educated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8139" LastActivityDate="2017-04-03T20:20:24.330" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7407" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7394" CreationDate="2017-04-03T20:22:15.037" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In self-defense, there are some tecnhiques against all kind of grabs, even hair grabs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Specially for women (for long hair men too), they may be practiced if you want to defend against that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6474" LastActivityDate="2017-04-03T20:22:15.037" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7408" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7420" CreationDate="2017-04-03T23:02:28.897" Score="4" ViewCount="2743" Body="&lt;p&gt;My &lt;em&gt;sifu&lt;/em&gt; moved to another point in the city and the usual place where the group used to train was moved too, and now, for me the actual place is too far away from me. I spent half of my day going there; back then this didn't bother me, but now I have more  things to do besides training and being on the public transport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I looked for other Wing Chun groups/teachers, but I didn't feel that they were good at what they were doing. So instead, I'm looking for another similar style so as to avoid stopping training, something that has a similar mindset/philosophy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To clarify, I'm not asking &quot;How do I find a martial art club in general?&quot; but &quot;What other martial arts are similar to Wing Chun?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7069" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-04-04T14:26:48.220" LastActivityDate="2023-06-02T16:15:15.107" Title="Looking for martials arts with similar wing chun mindset" Tags="|wing-chun|style|philosophy|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7409" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7404" CreationDate="2017-04-04T07:22:54.297" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;That photo is an awful aigamae ate which if used in a competition would result in a dangerous technique warning and penalty. The photo pretty much describe everything you should not do while doing aigamae. The main point is the hit under the jaw snapping uke's head back: this is likely to cause wipe lash on uke's neck thus is a dangerous technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point of aigamae ate (and all atemi-waza to a greater extent) is to move the head beyond the hips thus breaking balance. Tori's hand should move to the side of uke's head and push downwards towards the collar bone. While it looks like uke's head is snapping back, it is not: it just moves back due to movement being applied forward. Here is a tiny gifs of shomen ate and aigamae ate:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mqYm1.gif&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mqYm1.gif&quot; alt=&quot;shomen ate gif&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7cZQb.gif&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7cZQb.gif&quot; alt=&quot;aigamae ate gif&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note the uke's head move sideways first, then as tori drives forward, is moved backwards out of hip alignment. Note as well that tori's hand is &lt;em&gt;on the side of the face&lt;/em&gt;, not directly underneath the jaw. &lt;em&gt;The latter explains why teeth clashing is not such a big problem in the first place.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for mouth guards, they are not required but neither are they frown upon. I wore one when I was competing, so do many others. From a oh-so-scientific survey of my memory, I would say about 1/3 of competitors do use them. Do not quote me on that. ☺&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for head guards, I have seen them used but once. However, there is nothing in the rules that forbid them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://tomiki.org/assets/uploads/Randori_Rules.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;The rules for randori competition&lt;/a&gt; in case you wanted to read them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-04-05T06:54:04.350" LastActivityDate="2017-04-05T06:54:04.350" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7410" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7397" CreationDate="2017-04-04T07:36:27.047" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial arts are the wrong vehicle for weight lose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, muscle weights more than fat so hard martial art training will make you gain weight as you build muscle. Those muscles will be specialised in doing the right thing for the specific art you train in. If you want broad spectrum, you have to cross-train. Second, your body is super lazy and the amount of energy you have to spend to do the same set of moves will diminish over time. This is why variety is important in weight lose exercises. Thirdly, martial arts do nothing about your calorific intake but put more pressure on you to eat more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;100kg for 175cm tells us nothing about your fat percentage or your waste to height ratio. The less said about the aberration that is BMI, the best. Furthermore, nothing is said about what type of body you wish you had: slim free-climber one or body builder one! Clearly, the training will be different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2017-04-04T07:36:27.047" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7411" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7394" CreationDate="2017-04-04T07:59:26.887" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aikido has a fair few techniques based of grabbing the hair. Most involve &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wristlock&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;supinating, pronating, and hyper-flexing&lt;/a&gt; wrist locks while pinning the attacker hand. In additions, there are quiet a few collar grabs that can be easily modified to work with hair grabs. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/d3n8Om.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/d3n8Om.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Hair grab 1&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pQ2G3m.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pQ2G3m.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Hair grab 2&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The above shows a little of what I am driving at. In the first photo, there is a grab to the front of the hair. In the second, uke pins the attacker's hand and applies a pronating wrist lock with their head to the attacker's hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Links with a (⚠) suffix contain very graphic content!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, in modern combat, &lt;em&gt;the enemy has no interest whatsoever in your hair&lt;/em&gt;: They will &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClcbLlJpA7Y&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;shoot you (⚠)&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.reuters.com/news/picture/the-sniper-wars-of-mosul?articleId=USRTX32W8X&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;snipe you&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improvised_explosive_device&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;blow you up&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/streetfighting.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Street fighters&lt;/a&gt; will &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2017/02/sinaloa-armed-commandos-engage-in.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;seek to kill you (⚠)&lt;/a&gt; either with explosives, guns, knives, or run you over with a vehicle. Even historically, the Roman cut legionnaire's hair for hygiene and group bounding, not tactical advantage. Spartans on the other hand, all had long and flowing hair.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-04-04T14:00:00.090" LastActivityDate="2017-04-04T14:00:00.090" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7412" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7390" CreationDate="2017-04-04T15:07:27.213" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo goes very nicely with shorinji kempo. One starts where the other finishes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taikwondo and karate are so close that asside from kata a move could be from either or both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only times martial arts don't go well is where one actually has moves or ideas that contradict another's. Eg karate and shorinji kempo have completely different punching shapes. Or aikido and shorinji kempo that use arms length and close to body wrist manipulation respectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2017-04-04T15:07:27.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7413" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7390" CreationDate="2017-04-04T15:17:49.420" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;(&lt;em&gt;Not much of an answer, but contributed as requested by mutt in comments&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TKD folks often branch into Hapkido - especially if you're from ITF it is a closed fist / linear / hard to open / circular / soft contrast, and that's actually why it adds some value, especially if you're getting older and don't want to rely so much on brute strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Still, while the combination is common / popular, and having myself studied Hapkido for several years after a TKD foundation - I'm not convinced Hapkido adds a lot of empty-hand &lt;strong&gt;self-defence&lt;/strong&gt; value to someone with a solid foundation in a more old-fashioned karate-like style of TKD (or of course, someone with an actual karate or other hard, linear striking style background).  Hapkido covers so many things - striking, joint locks, throws, weapons, falling and rolling, there's a tendency to produce jack-of-all-trades students who are masters-of-none.  It's hard to use joint locks against a serious striker, and the throws aren't drilled like they would be in a judo or ju-jitsu style, so it's unlikely a Hapkido person could often pull off good throws or joint locks against a striker with a similar level of training experience and physical ability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most practical thing I took from Hapkido was just a softer attitude towards blocking and controlling the limbs - blending in with the opponent more as I close the gap and cover myself from potential attacks the opponent's in position to deliver.  That's not so much a direct application of Hapkido techniques as an improved understanding of the arcing paths around the body that the hands are able to make as my arms come in contact with my opponent's - even if not joint locking, similar tension and motion allows me to trap and jam opponents while I close the gap to strike.  I suspect other arts like Wing Chun would be a much shorter path for a karate/TKD practitioner to gain a far better understanding of this space.  My tai chi training helps similarly, and with explosive force too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2017-04-04T15:17:49.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7414" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7397" CreationDate="2017-04-04T15:47:46.717" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Weight loss is highly individualistic. What works for some doesn't work for others, and vice-versa.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consistency is the most important thing when it comes to exercise and health in general. So if you can find something you really enjoy doing, it makes it much more likely you'll continue doing it day after day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unlike some others here, I'm not going to suggest that martial arts practice is unsuitable for weight loss, because it can be used for exactly that purpose. And for some people, martial arts is more than just exercise. It becomes recreational, interesting, and continuously challenging.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That satisfies the main requirement that I mentioned above: Consistency. If it's something you enjoy doing, you'll keep doing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, weight loss is a combination of exercise and diet. Everyone knows that. That's no secret. And what most people also realize is that you need both in order to lose weight reliably.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, you can just exercise alone or just diet alone and not both together, but eventually most people with that approach find that their weight loss plateaus. They might lose a ton of weight at first, and then it gradually becomes less and less. At some point they just stop losing weight altogether. When weight loss stops, it can be frustrating enough to go back to eating more and not exercising, and then the weight comes back really fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the key thing to take from this is that exercise and diet must both be controlled if weight loss is to happen reliably. Both have their own issues and require some planning, and trial and error.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for diet, there are plenty of approaches. It can be pretty overwhelming trying to choose one that works for you. So I won't say anything about any particular diet. I'll just say that successful dieters generally eat 3 meals a day, don't skip meals, don't starve themselves, limit their portion sizes, and cut out junk food, colas, and candy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They also enjoy their diet. It shouldn't be something that requires tremendous willpower. If eating salads is your idea of torture, then don't do diets where salads are the main course.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to go above and beyond that, start counting calories and limit yourself to some number of calories per day. There are calculators online for figuring out exactly how many calories you should eat in order to lose weight. But for most people, simply controlling portion sizes and not eating crap will suffice. The easier it is to follow, the less likely you'll stop doing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, that brings me to exercise. Exercise can be aerobic or anaerobic. It can be all cardio and no resistance. It can be all resistance (strength) and no cardio. It can be sporadic (work and rest cycles). Or it can be continuous. And it can be any combination of these, or somewhere in between.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which exercise is best for weight loss?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is that it depends on a number of things. First and foremost is how much time you have in your schedule to workout. If you have just 30 minutes a day to workout, or maybe an hour every other day, then that says you probably need to think about getting the most calories burned per minute. For that, you'll want to do something akin to High Intensity Interval Training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then again, another factor is how fast you want to burn your fat. If you're okay with losing just a small amount of weight per month, then you might be able to accomplish that by just sticking with a lower intensity workout, such as strength training (weightlifting) or riding an exercise bike at a rate that doesn't cause much of a sweat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can try whatever you like first. Such as martial arts practice. So long as you're continuing to lose weight over time at the rate you want, you're fine. Increase your intensity if you see yourself plateauing or even gaining weight over time. Or change your exercise completely. It involves some trial and error.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts practice actually does fit this description pretty well. You can adapt it to a high intensity interval workout very easily. Or it can be light and continuous. This includes exercises like punching and kicking to a bag or even to the air.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jumping rope is something you can take right out of boxing training, and there are videos on how boxers jump rope. There are grappling exercises as well that can be done, such as shrimping, weighted sled, tire rolling, walking on all fours across the floor, climbing rope, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take a look at the warm-up exercises that Gracie Jiujitsu or MMA gyms do and repeat the ones you find interesting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also kata / forms. Karate, Taekwondo, and Kung-Fu have them. You can maybe learn one from video and repeat, repeat, repeat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The good thing about forms is that after you repeat one maybe 100 times, it will be committed to memory. You won't have to think much about what you're doing. At that point, you're just trying to go as fast as you can and repeat it as many times as you can in a row before you collapse. It becomes a nice, compact workout program you can whip out whenever and wherever you are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Movements in forms exercise a lot of muscles that are often neglected in traditional exercise programs. It can be intense at first. You might find your legs shaking after doing them. And over time you can increase the level of difficulty by lowering and elongating your stance and making your strikes pop faster and harder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Choosing a form to start with is tricky if you haven't done them before. I recommend starting with a basic form from karate or taekwondo. Those forms don't have much variation and won't exercise the whole body, but they still give you something. If you learn multiple forms, you'll probably get more of a complete body workout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of the more advanced forms have you moving in weird ways that are physically challenging. And if you really want a challenge, look at traditional or contemporary Wushu Kung-Fu forms. I find kung-fu forms in general to involve a lot more variation of movement than karate or taekwondo forms do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't need forms, though. Like I mentioned before, you can just take the drills straight from boxing, karate, muay thai, BJJ, MMA, and wrestling. Combine the drills together to make a workout. You can absolutely work yourself out that way. And you can do it in as little as 10 minutes a day in addition to your normal gym workout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are tons of videos online for this purpose. Here are some I found just with a quick search of Youtube. I've selected them to cover a broad range of martial arts styles from grappling to pure striking, eastern and western:&#xA;&lt;UL&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXjP50SOwK4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXjP50SOwK4&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRUtpYQ0c6E&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRUtpYQ0c6E&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4luaFHs7O4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4luaFHs7O4&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suvM7sJo-6w&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suvM7sJo-6w&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b3tQIZaUcw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b3tQIZaUcw&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO3uaGOu2Oo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO3uaGOu2Oo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpGGMkphci8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpGGMkphci8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTwPEfMUauw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTwPEfMUauw&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujly7l3-xUM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujly7l3-xUM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;/UL&gt;&#xA;That's not by any means a complete list. There are thousands of videos just like these, and they all have some things that you might find interesting enough to take and use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And below are some &quot;forms&quot; videos that I thought you might want to look at. These are arguably some of the most well known forms from karate, traditional and contemporary / northern and southern kung-fu, and taekwondo. I chose them based on my personal experience in these martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some are basic, some are advanced. The videos are sometimes grainy, out of focus, or may only cover one viewing angle. And these particular demonstrations aren't necessarily ones that I think are good to learn from. They just showed up on a simple search, that's all, and they at least show the form reasonably well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The important thing is to get the name of the form and look up other versions online to correct yourself, if you want to learn them. Since they're very popular and widely practiced forms, you should have no problem finding other videos and articles that discuss them:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;UL&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOEgRrWZh48&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOEgRrWZh48&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2da_YijN9U&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2da_YijN9U&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fict-rt_a1I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fict-rt_a1I&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rnar_APMgI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rnar_APMgI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koOaztyceUs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koOaztyceUs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFKWfAlgGKw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFKWfAlgGKw&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip4gKICJD6c&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip4gKICJD6c&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVz-Wkm3pfw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVz-Wkm3pfw&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jJuTkz0psY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jJuTkz0psY&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FomUPyqf-qY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FomUPyqf-qY&lt;/a&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One final thought about using martial arts as a form of exercise...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of people here will probably cringe at the thought of someone learning to do martial arts movement from video without proper, in-person instruction. They'll point out that without an instructor to correct your movement in person, you're going to learn the wrong movement, and you're going to drill that into your muscle memory. If you were then to go on to learn martial arts for real at a school, your instructor will have to work a lot harder to correct you, because all of the flaws you learned over time have to be un-done. It's much easier undoing flaws before you drill them in to your muscle memory, before it becomes a bad habit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is something to think about, if you ever intend to go into martial arts &quot;for real&quot;, rather than just learning it as a form of exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This idea applies to any form of exercise as well, by the way. If you learn how to do weightlifting from videos or from a book, rather than getting with a personal trainer who can correct your form in person, there's a good chance you're going to learn it incorrectly, or at least sub-optimally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In weightlifting, if you have bad form, it can cause serious injuries over time. In martial arts, that's less of a concern, since you're not putting huge loads on your body - with the exception of doing punching bag work, where you can cause injury over time with the wrong form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So these are things to think about. If you're uncertain after watching videos, it might be time to head to a martial arts school and enroll in some classes for however long, until you feel confident that you've learned the correct movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And the biggest thing to keep in mind: If you feel like something is causing pain, stop immediately. Pain is usually your body's way of saying you're doing it wrong, or you're not ready for this movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2017-04-05T14:57:56.553" LastActivityDate="2017-04-05T14:57:56.553" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7415" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7390" CreationDate="2017-04-04T16:05:01.370" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many martial arts with a history, it turns out, are amalgamations of other fighting styles from the past as well.  What usually determines when fighting methods will complement each other, or not, is these two basic factors:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Positional Philosophy&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do you enter the opponent's space, and where do you want to be in relation to them?  Are you trying to push through their center and take them off balance?  Are you flanking to the side, with the goal of taking their back?  (Is there an expectation of multiple opponents and a need to keep changing position/direction for safety?) etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Power Generation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where does the power in strikes or grappling techniques come from?  Twisting from the hip, dropping weight with steps, forward/backward whipping of the back and spine, pressing off the back foot, hard to read core activations? Something else?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Two examples for consideration&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many styles of Filipino Kali/escrima tend to work well with Western boxing and Muay Thai.  This happens to be because all three primarily generate their power from hip rotation and entering space from forward angles.  There's no need to shift weight or footwork methods to any serious degree to switch between the techniques and the force generation being the same makes all of them work well.  The context for combat more than sport, especially assuming bladed weapons are in play, means you don't see a lot of ground grappling, so not much need to focus on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In comparison, you can see a lot of people whose coaches have given them &quot;Muay Thai + Wrestling&quot; without really any thought to how to transition them.  The wide stances of wrestling with grounded feet or falling with the opponent vs. the narrow stances of Muay Thai means you often see whether these folks are in &quot;striking mode&quot; or &quot;grappling mode&quot; as they will shift stance before doing each thing.  (Smarter training covers this shift with a feint or attack, so the step out to wide stance or the draw in to narrow is less obvious).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-04-04T16:05:01.370" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7416" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="154" CreationDate="2017-04-04T21:48:34.213" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;So I wasn't on here in 2012, but I didn't really see this biological answer...probably because there aren't brain doctors or modern psychiatrists on here, but it's relevant if someone was curious of the underlying factors at play.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Brain&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;Real world situations are experiences which affect the brain and thus affect the whole body.  The hippocampus serves as the memory center which catalogs the memories with the experiences to reference when similar situations arise.  The other basic parts that fit in are the amygdala which houses the adrenal &amp;amp; hormonal responses and instincts and the prefrontal cortex which houses the reasoning parts of the brain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When a person experiences an event (verbal, physical, emotional, sexual, spiritual) the initial responses register amygdalically and then as the prefrontal cortex processes what is happening the hippocampus logs it all away as the whole &quot;experience&quot;.  When a similar experience happens again the reference is in the biology and thus shoots up with the previous experience responses in the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus we have &quot;training&quot; and some of the other &quot;mock situations&quot; mentioned in the other answers.  This stores the experiences in the hipocampus with associated biological responses in the hopes that any future experience of your body (including brain) will know how to perform in order to best address the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Trauma&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;Any traumatic experience &quot;including being assaulted&quot; would result in the amygdalic response of adrenaline and other chemicals rushing in and require additional processing in the rational prefrontal cortex in order for the hippocampus to store the memory with full processed experiences.  If this processing doesn't happen it becomes what is know as PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).  The only way past that is the same as originally mentioned in fully processing in the moments(now memories in the hippocampus) that the trauma occurred and bringing the prefrontal cortex into play.  Severe trauma like a bomb blast, sexual abuse, any situation resulting in complete powerlessness and damage being done at the same time results in trauma.  The &quot;fight/flight/freeze&quot; mechanisms are coping amygdalic responses which are selected based on previous situations that worked stored in the hippocampus.  If none are found it defaults to the closest thing that can be found.  The need is still there for the prefrontal cortex to turn into full cognitive responses, otherwise the prefrontal cortex literally shuts down and the person starts operating completely on the amygdalic responses being received.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Preparation&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;Thus the major preparation is basically like survival training for the event.  Soldiers are psychologically conditioned for combat experiences often by traumatizing them in training and programming via the above process to have default responses for those traumatic situations thus better preparing them to react appropriately when the need arises for real.  The best result is full cognitive reasoning with the pre-frontal cortex during the traumatic event.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please note this is the very abridged summary and there are multiple topics that have volumes of books written on the subject, but unless your going into the profession anything deeper seems excessive for this answer.  Please comment if you would like references for specific subject matters as this is a huge subject with a ton of information.  I will add more references to target specific topics if anyone desires to know more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Some general references&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elementsbehavioralhealth.com/trauma-ptsd/traumas-effects-on-the-brain-notes-from-a-presentation-by-dr-linda-chamberlain/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;traumas-effects-on-the-brain-notes-from-a-presentation-by-dr-linda-chamberlain&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/traumaptsdblog/2013/10/ptsd-symptoms-what-people-need-to-know/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;PTSD affects&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/educational-resources/brain-basics/brain-basics.shtml&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Brain Makeup&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastEditorUserId="8108" LastEditDate="2017-04-05T19:55:54.657" LastActivityDate="2017-04-05T19:55:54.657" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7417" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-04-05T12:28:13.983" Score="2" ViewCount="1142" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's well known that the legs generate most of the power in your punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;My question:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the most important &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;leg&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; muscles for power, and what is a recommended routine to work them out using resistance or functional training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7873" LastActivityDate="2017-05-21T03:52:30.323" Title="Which leg muscles create the most punching power and how to strengthen them" Tags="|boxing|power|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7418" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7417" CreationDate="2017-04-05T22:46:10.003" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The proper power association in punches is not just a leg muscle, but the pivoting of the body behind the punch.  This being the case depending on which side you are using most of the leg muscles are utilized, but the leg muscles themselves aren't the powerhouse, but the pivot torque power is what contributes to the force of the punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said if you want to strengthen your punching then practice weighted pivots to evenly strengthen all the muscles related to pivoting instead of focusing on a single leg muscle.  You can do this in a number of ways:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Medicine ball holding and twisting at the hips to build strength (practice both directions)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stretching bungees (workout, not tieing things down) and then put one loop on on the opposite foot from where the strike is going and wrap around your back under the butt to the hand that is punching, then go through the pivot punch motion as the tension pulls back the hand and the hips during the turn.  Don't allow the foot with the bungee to be pulled out of position. Practice both sides. (i.e. left foot forward with bungee, right foot back, punch with the right hand while pivoting the right foot and the tension is around the body including the extension of the punch.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sometimes the one above is hard to get to work right, so optionally you can get in position and use a wall mount(or machine) bungee or weight pull and practice punching with full pivots against the weight.  I have seen ones that hook to a belt too in which case you can feel it pull your hips during the pivot more.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sit on a bench straddled and pick up a weight on the back right and bring it up and over the front of your legs to the back left and set down, then repeat from the back left to the back right.  This puts the turning muscles under workout to build them up.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pullup bar pick up your legs together with knees forward and swing full swing to the left with your knees and stop, then again to the right side.  You must put force into the left/right movements and put resistance to stop the momentum.  This repeated alot builds endurance to the twisting motion as well strength.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;chopping trees is the motion to think of, and doing this for real alternating sides helps as well.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sure other people have exercises as well, but the goal is the pivot strengthening so that when you pivot your full weight of the lower body muscles gets put behind it.  Anything that helps the body move in the motion you are pivoting and adds resistance without hurting yourself is a good choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-04-05T22:46:10.003" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7420" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7408" CreationDate="2017-04-06T01:43:27.143" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question is: What martial arts are similar to Wing Chun?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The question does seem like it is open to interpretation. It depends on which aspects of Wing Chun you're looking at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But without going into every permutation of different attributes, I want to cut to the chase and mention one martial art that comes to my mind the most. That would be &lt;b&gt;Southern Praying Mantis kung-fu&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both Southern Praying Mantis (SPM) and Wing Chun have an emphasis on keeping the number of forms to a minimum (especially in the Kwong-Sai Jook Lum branch of SPM). And their forms are designed to teach fundamental concepts rather than just a collection of self-defense techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both styles incorporate chi-sao (sticking hands) practice. Both incorporate wooden man dummy training. Both are &quot;center-line&quot; dominated styles. Both put two arms forward instead of standing with one arm ahead of the other. Both are close-range systems. Both emphasize hand techniques over leg techniques. Both are hard and soft styles (SPM is a bit &quot;harder&quot; than Wing Chun in my opinion).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I once visited a Wing Chun school in Houston. I had just gotten done visiting Henry Poo Yee's SPM school, and I mentioned it to the Wing Chun sifu. He told me that he had great respect for SPM and thought of it as a kind of &quot;sister style&quot;, as he put it. He explained that the two styles shared much of the same philosophy and tactics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It takes a lot longer to learn SPM than Wing Chun, though. Some schools of SPM have you learn one form and repeat it over and over again for anywhere from 1 to 4 years before you're allowed to learn anything else. It also incorporates internal mechanics, which Wing Chun styles do not do. Internal mechanics requires a lot more training and refinement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In SPM, there's also a reliance on the phoenix-eye fist (a single knuckle projecting from a closed fist), which is used to attack pressure points primarily. Wing Chun has no emphasis on pressure point striking. So there is more detail in SPM about what to strike and how, which requires a lot more time to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my advice is to look into Southern Praying Mantis. In my mind, nothing else comes as close to Wing Chun. But keep in mind that it will take longer to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, don't confuse Southern and Northern praying mantis styles. The southern styles of mantis are very different from northern styles. Southern Praying Mantis doesn't even make the &quot;mantis finger&quot; thing that you see in Northern Praying Mantis styles. It's completely different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is one style I think you might also want to check out: &lt;b&gt;Taiji&lt;/b&gt; (also spelled Tai-Chi). You know, that slow, graceful style you see people practicing in the park.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both Taiji and Wing Chun claim to be based on Shaolin kung-fu, and specifically Snake and Crane styles. Taiji incorporates push-hands practice, which is similar in a way to Wing Chun's chi-sao practice. Both are attempting to develop snake style's &quot;listening&quot; soft skill, where you use the connection with your arms to your opponent's arms to sense what your opponent is about to do. It can cut down on reaction time greatly. And while you're at it, you're yielding to force instead of using force against it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But Taiji is an internal art, which requires decades to learn and master. It does have its own fundamental techniques and principles, just like Wing Chun has. But it doesn't look anything like Wing Chun. If anything, you might say that Wing Chun is taking one small aspect of Taiji and utilizing it for everything. Taiji has a lot more stuff to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other style that comes to mind that is somewhat similar to Wing Chun is &lt;b&gt;Kali / escrima&lt;/b&gt;. The Hubud exercises they do look a bit like chi-sao, but with more percussion and with less sensitivity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kali also involves a simple, logical set of hand techniques based on angles and directions. Most of its leg movement is based on the triangle shape. The combination should seem very familiar to Wing Chun people who have their own logical arrangement of hand techniques and stepping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, if the aspect of Wing Chun that you like the most is how quickly it can be learned, then I'm afraid both SPM and Taiji are not for you, if you haven't already guessed that by now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But Kali actually does qualify. It can be learned in a very short amount of time. Within about a year, you can pick up the basics of the system and be able to defend yourself reasonably well using it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What's more, what you learn with sticks (escrima) can be applied to empty-handed, knife, and machete fighting with almost no changes. So it's a very time-efficient style to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The application of Kali for machete, stick, and knife fighting is reminiscent of the way Wing Chun approaches butterfly swords and staff fighting. In Wing Chun, butterfly swords and staff are really just an extension of what you already do in empty hand training. The same is true of Kali and the way it approaches the machete, stick, and knife.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The biggest difference between Kali and Wing Chun is the fighting range, however. Wing Chun is most comfortable being in the close range. That's where it excels. Kali is more of a mid-range fighting system, because of its emphasis on weapons. In fact, most Kali schools start you off learning with sticks, as opposed to starting off empty handed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to Kali, I would steer you towards two other martial arts that are time-efficient: &lt;b&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/b&gt; and &lt;b&gt;Gracie Jiujitsu&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both Krav Maga and Gracie Jiujitsu emphasize bringing the students up to speed quickly on a broad range of fundamental techniques and strategies that are meant to keep you alive in a real fight. Training for just one year at those styles should prepare you to defend yourself in real life. That's something that people often aren't able to do even after 10, 15, or 20 years of other styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that's where the similarity with Wing Chun ends. Krav Maga and Gracie Jiujitsu don't look a thing like Wing Chun. At all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;So take your pick:&lt;/b&gt; Southern Praying Mantis, because it has a lot of similarities with Wing Chun. Taiji, because it's also a Snake and Crane style. Kali, because of its similar logical approach to attack and defense, as well as its similar approach to rapid learning. Or Krav Maga or Gracie Jiujitsu, because of their emphasis on rapid learning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2017-04-08T02:42:12.470" LastActivityDate="2017-04-08T02:42:12.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7421" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7379" CreationDate="2017-04-06T12:52:09.517" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I ended up buy the &lt;a href=&quot;https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HMS1MMC&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hayabusa Fightwear Kanpeki Elite 3 4oz MMA Gloves&lt;/a&gt;. Although they have some padding, they feel pretty good. I am still breaking them in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7788" LastActivityDate="2017-04-06T12:52:09.517" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7422" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6978" CreationDate="2017-04-07T03:02:02.977" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think in this case your question has more to do with your own relationship to this particular instrument. May I recommend obtaining it in a more organic fashion? What I mean is I think there is merit to obtaining it of a direct transaction perhaps through your teacher or the next time you attend a workshop/seminar/batizado/roda, or of course by travelling to Brazil.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Often times these are great conversations to be had with teachers and masters that can lead to additional insight on their experience and knowledge of the berimbau, of how to string it, how to make one, stories about its role in capoeira, of songs and so on. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just a thought. Best of luck on your journey in capoeira. It is a long and exciting one! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8147" LastActivityDate="2017-04-07T03:02:02.977" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7423" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7424" CreationDate="2017-04-07T06:26:30.550" Score="4" ViewCount="4917" Body="&lt;p&gt;Having seen many pictures of Sumo wrestlers on the web, I have not found ones who expose their six-packs or ones who have appearance as follows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/DvI61.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/DvI61.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of them look like the following.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hhulF.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hhulF.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Questions&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally speaking, what are the physical requirements for sumo wrestlers?&#xA;Can a Sumo wrestler train his body to expose his six-pack abs?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any connection with the ancient perception of strong man between western and eastern here? Probably in eastern, the fat guy is considered to be strong while one exposing muscles (as shown in many ancient statues) is considered to be strong in western. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7701" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-11-13T17:47:45.213" LastActivityDate="2022-09-19T18:22:30.770" Title="What are the physical requirements for Sumo wrestlers? No exposing six-packs?" Tags="|history|wrestling|sumo|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7424" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7423" CreationDate="2017-04-07T10:30:56.390" Score="10" Body="&lt;h2&gt;TL;DR&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mass is one of the most important aspects of winning sumo bouts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;More detail&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most prominent physical requirement, at least in Japanese sumo, is &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumo#Minimum_height_requirements&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;height&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In 1994, the Japanese Sumo Association required that all sumo wrestlers be a minimum 1.73 m (5'8&amp;quot;) in height.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Past that, there is no weight class. Since &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20130505095908/http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/ozumo_joho_kyoku/shiru/kiso_chishiki/beginners_guide/rules.html#rule&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the other rules&lt;/a&gt;, such as prohibiting a large number of potential strikes and reducing the allowable gripping area of your opponent to basically his belt and what you can physically encircle, limit your options when it comes to a pure physical confrontation, having more mass is important (this sort of goes back to that real-world bit where a larger opponent generally has the advantage despite all of the tales of 5 foot nothing masters effortlessly demolishing massive fighters). As one researcher put it while studying &lt;a href=&quot;https://thedoctorweighsin.com/why-don%E2%80%99t-sumo-wrestlers-die-of-heart-disease/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;why Sumo wrestlers don't die of heart disease&lt;/a&gt; (which is actually a matter of overall fitness):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The rationale is simple: winning in the arena depends on momentum. And in high school physics, we learned that momentum = mass x speed. So they build up their mass, and they train them for speed, agility, and overall fitness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fat is easier to add to the body than muscle mass, and therefore the general method of building the proper body involves practices that inflate weight gain while also training to be able to move that weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestlers are not normally allowed to eat breakfast and are expected to have a form of siesta after a large lunch. The most common type of lunch served is the traditional sumo meal of chankonabe, which consists of a simmering stew of various fish, meat, and vegetables cooked at table. It is usually eaten with rice and washed down with beer. This regimen of no breakfast and a large lunch followed by a sleep is intended to help wrestlers put on a lot of weight so as to compete more effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Trying to compete in Sumo while training in a way that limits your mass gain is essentially competing with one arm tied behind your back by training for the wrong metric, like training for a boxing match by eschewing punching strength in favor of fancy footwork, or competing in a sport that does have weight limits while carrying excess fat that won't help you in the ring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-09-19T18:22:30.770" LastActivityDate="2022-09-19T18:22:30.770" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7425" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="154" CreationDate="2017-04-07T19:11:53.260" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience, the best preparation for dealing with the mental stress of a physical conflict is to train your fighting techniques to the point they become rote action (i.e. without conscious decision/high order executive function), and to spar with as many different training partners as one can manage, with as much contact as can be safely endured. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Doing so helps one normalize the combat environment, and quickly fall into a relaxed mental state free of panic and/or overanalysis. Full contact sparring will boost confidence in one's fighting skill and ability to correctly gauge injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is also some degree of a 'je ne sais quoi' factor as well. Some people seem to deal more easily with high stress situations than others. In some cases, no amount of training will be enough to overcome a panic response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2017-04-07T19:11:53.260" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7426" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7386" CreationDate="2017-04-07T23:16:56.790" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I tried a couple of things today:&lt;br&gt;&#xA;When you want to 'stand at ease' with your hands behind you or with your hands crossed in front of you, you'll notice that it's always your left hand that goes over your right hand and that's what &lt;em&gt;feels&lt;/em&gt; comfortable. If you keep your right hand over the left, it just does not feel comfortable.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Same feeling when crossing the legs over each other in Seiza. When crossing your legs if you make contact with a large portion of your left foot over the right, it feels more comfortable than right over left, but it's tougher to distribute the weight of the upper body onto the legs and you'll end up crushing your feet a bit when sitting.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;On the other hand, if you don't cross your toes while sitting, what it feels like, is similar to your upper body being like a wedge that is driven between the two feet (and the feet are driven away from each other sideways) and it feels loose and a bit uncomfortable to sit after a while (although it is reasonably comfortable once you get used to it).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When seated with a toe over the other toe, the feet get placed in a position that offers a kind of a locking mechanism that supports the weight of the upper body comfortably and since having the left toe over the right feels more comfortable, &lt;strong&gt;it is just a matter of positioning and comfort&lt;/strong&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How this concept might have started:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Perhaps people in ancient times observed the phenomenon of feeling more comfortable having left over right, and tried to offer an explanation to the feeling by saying &quot;left side is calmer than the right&quot; etc. A Ukrainian who studies Hinduism in India heard the &quot;calmer&quot; philosophy and mentioned he's heard of a similar concept in India, where the left hand is considered to be like the moon (calm) and the right hand is like the sun (more vigour).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lefties:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Now that we've fleshed out the details and heard some opinions from across the world, I believe that if a left handed person feels comfortable keeping their right toe over the left toe, they should be allowed to do so. The reason is that I believe we shouldn't follow tradition just because it is tradition, but we should follow it with an understanding of what it is meant for. That's the way we gain respect for our tradition. There are far too many cultures where people thrust ideas down the throats of people and use fear as a means of making people stick to tradition. It ruins the good intentions the tradition was started with, and leads to an eventual lack of knowledge and loss of the capability for scientific inquiry. The martial arts are applied, grown and adapted better when we understand it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6623" LastActivityDate="2017-04-07T23:16:56.790" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7428" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2957" CreationDate="2017-04-11T14:01:27.127" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The history to this is through the Apache &quot;survival&quot; and &quot;fighting&quot;.  The knife, tomahawk, bow and arrow, and then later guns were utilized as they served the needs of the people.  The knife was a primary and savagely utilized weapon of Native American's in general, the Apache tribe as well (scalping, skinning animals, close combat, main tool in many tasks).  These skills are indeed passed down through generations and as similar to other tribes &quot;verbal stories&quot; is the primary method vs. writing them down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus yes this was passed down through the ages of Apache warriors, however, as with any culture many warriors vary and some are not warriors at all.  Apache has some militant history which increases the number of warriors and thus would provide a more rich lineage on fighting techniques and styles to a more domestic focused tribe.  Strong beliefs and a fervor to survive and prove oneself often are the best ingredients to creating a solid fighting system as well as passing it on to others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said though, Robert Redfeather is the main one who took general tribal training and developed a &quot;system with a label on it&quot;.  It is also recognized by the masters/grand masters as valid and thus you can say it was passed down through the generations and also developed by Robert Redfeather.  Before he, for lack of a better term, &quot;patented&quot; it you could call it fighting techniques that were passed down from generation to generation in the Apache tribes.  At this juncture you can also see that Robert Redfeather defined it specifically and thus it's hard to say if there were past &quot;grand masters&quot; of the art or if in the past it was merely practical and depended on individual skills with the need to utilize it in combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Frankly though most all martial arts comes from the same general areas in each distinct culture:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Need of ability in self defense and offense in combat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Harnessing discipline of the body, mind, spirit&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Maintaining fitness, prowess, and skill to ensure effective readiness when the need arises&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can read about the Apache culture and warfare in general on Wikipedia: &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you can read the Apache tribe as with many Native American tribes is rooted in spiritual beliefs and it would be out of those beliefs and culture that the knife fighting system of Robert Redfeather is born.  I would suspect there would be mixed opinions among Native Americans if the system really represented the true heart of the teachings or if it was turned into more a commercialized style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.maotw.com/gmg/t/tiegouquan.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Robert Redfeather other Martial Arts Influences&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://apache-knife.com/apache.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Apache history by Robert Redfeather&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.snakeblocker.com/articles.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Snake Blocker&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.php?48953-Redfeather-Experience&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Blog about interactions with Readfeather teaching&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://hockscombatforum.com/index.php/topic,1643.0.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Breakdown on Apache groups by snake blocker&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S. Also note that Robert Redfeather also is into martial arts in general and I doubt the style is 100% just Apache instead of adopting useful body mechanics and custom styling from his experiences to enhance the core Apache teachings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastEditorUserId="8108" LastEditDate="2017-04-12T00:49:57.433" LastActivityDate="2017-04-12T00:49:57.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7429" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-04-12T05:23:56.843" Score="0" ViewCount="149" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are there any good workouts to strengthen your chin to reduce the probability of getting knocked out?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5496" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-04-12T07:18:37.543" LastActivityDate="2017-04-12T10:50:02.103" Title="Ways for Chin Strengthening" Tags="|boxing|punching|strength|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7430" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7429" CreationDate="2017-04-12T06:08:34.033" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can strengthen muscles around the face like chewing alot, or you can wear a tight chin strap and open your mouth alot.  Neck strengthening as well might help out with putting a weighted helmet on and then nodding up down, side to side, left to right, and circular motions with the heavier weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Box and get hit more with lighter hits and increase until you can take more hits.  Although this will also have a long term affect as well, so you likely want to do both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-04-12T06:08:34.033" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7431" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7429" CreationDate="2017-04-12T10:50:02.103" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You'll need to train two things: neck and jaws. Neck is to keep your head more stable, so it doesn't get knocked around as much, jaws to take the brunt of the punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Neck can be done by standing in pushup position, putting the top of your head on the floor, and carefully rolling back and forth. Eventually, you can do this with your hands on your back, but at first, keep your hands on the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The jaw is basically just clenching. The harder you clench your teeth, the more massive it is. It's the same principle as when you have your arm in a 45° angle, or closed up entirely. It gets moved around alot easier at an angle. If you get hit while firmly clenching your teeth, chances are your opponent's fist will hurts. If you don't clench at all, your jaw could get dislocated. This is more a matter of habbit than of practice, though. While warming up, some exercises require tilting your head back and forth, sideways, and so on. Clench your teeth as hard as you can there, so you train to get the reflex to clench your teeth when your head gets knocked around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's actually a third part too: Just getting knocked in the head. Mutt already covered this part perfectly in his answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2017-04-12T10:50:02.103" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7432" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5172" CreationDate="2017-04-12T17:04:16.133" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;To put an answer on this one, I believe the consensus is that it is &quot;&lt;strong&gt;tradition&lt;/strong&gt;&quot; of the culture/style with which it originated.  As this was asked on Jun 17 2015 I doubt anyone will find a more exact answer or why the tradition was to put it on the left specifically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If anyone finds the reason this tradition was started please update with an answer, but alot of traditions started as preferences by the master and the students out of respect continued to &quot;do things like the master&quot; and generations later noone can remember or understand why it's done that way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-04-12T17:04:16.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7433" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-04-12T19:13:01.930" Score="0" ViewCount="267" Body="&lt;p&gt;I train taekwondo and I don't know what to do.&#xA;I have to fight against someone taller, with longer legs than me. &#xA;If I get too close, they either hit me or push me away.&#xA;They can still kick me when I'm too far away to kick them.&#xA;Do you know some kind of trick I could use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8160" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-04-12T19:39:16.287" LastActivityDate="2017-04-13T04:25:36.750" Title="How do I beat someone taller with longer legs?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|competition|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2017-04-25T14:21:55.783" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7434" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-04-12T20:50:24.647" Score="1" ViewCount="107" Body="&lt;p&gt;Instead of punching horizontally some pad/sack/dummy on a wall or hanging from the ceiling, could we place a (properly cushioned) pad on the floor and train punching it (the position would be like a one-hand push up)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8161" LastActivityDate="2017-04-14T17:33:58.267" Title="Training punching vertically pad on the floor" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7435" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7434" CreationDate="2017-04-12T23:49:03.743" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can you...sure you can, but you defeat the body mechanics and technique which is the main goal of the training.  Punching a standard bag or wall pad allows you to position your body and punch with pivoting as well as proper technique to train your body to punch properly as well as increase your skill and power.  On the ground like you mention you eliminate your lower body and pivoting for the punching.  You also eliminate your upper body except for 1 arm because you have to hold yourself up with the other hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your limited on means it would be better to hang a pad by a string and practice proper technique even if you can't see the power due to little resistance than it would be to mess up the body mechanics and practice bad form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-04-12T23:49:03.743" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7436" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7433" CreationDate="2017-04-13T03:12:39.843" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;They will continue to be able to stop you with a lead leg sidekick if they control your range. You can bait them to kick by footwork, faking, or by offering a target (i.e. Squaring your body to them) then evading (stepping out at an angle) and countering (round kick to body, crescent kick to head).You will need good footwork to avoid their technique and get inside their range- hit them- then get back out. When I get inside a taller person's range I use a lot of quick punching before pulling back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7936" LastActivityDate="2017-04-13T03:12:39.843" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7437" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7433" CreationDate="2017-04-13T04:25:36.750" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you limit yourself to kicking, you're in trouble unless you're really fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Against a person who depends on long range kicks, i would normally try to get inside their range, or parry a kick nage-ashe to turn them around, come in close for kidney shots, then get out of range again before they recover their balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As ksp08 says, you need to have good footwork and be able to bait them effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6599" LastActivityDate="2017-04-13T04:25:36.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7439" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7434" CreationDate="2017-04-13T08:27:35.547" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, you can.  Indeed, there are human-shaped targets that the MMA guys at my gym often sit on top of while working on their downward punches, or even wrapping themselves around it from underneath and hitting into the kidney area.  While mutt's right that a standing punch lets you engage more muscles and get more power, that's no reason not to practice punching from other positions where it may still be your best or only option.  The more versatility you have using your techniques, the better.  It's not to &quot;practice bad form&quot;, but to understand how the form should best be varied with your and your opponent's position.  That said, if you don't have a good standing punch, it may be a good idea to work on that first - it will give you a better idea of what bio-mechanical elements you should at least be trying to utilise from a more prone position.  And a &quot;one handed pushup&quot; position doesn't sound like something coming about often during ground fighting anyway....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2017-04-13T08:27:35.547" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7440" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-04-14T12:00:09.167" Score="4" ViewCount="8174" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have an unusual question and I hope you can help me. I'm a fantasy romance writer and know nothing about fighting, although I watch a lot of Muay Thai and kickboxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So there's a sparring scene in my book. The main character is a highly trained assassin. In this particular scene, he's sparring with an opponent who is taller, heavier, and physically stronger than him; the opponent also has good technique, though not quite as highly trained. For demonstration purposes, the assassin allowed himself to be pinned to the ground by this heavier guy, who is pressing his knee at the base of his spine, trying to restrict his breathing (the assassin is face down, which is important). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;How would the assassin get out of such a position?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What would he have to do exactly, if that's possible? I need to describe it in a couple of sentences and I need it to be realistic. Basically, I want to show off his skill and the ability to get out of a tight spot while fighting an opponent who outweighs him and finding himself in an unfavourable position. He is not allowed weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that won't work, could you suggest another position and escape that would demonstrate a high level of skill?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8166" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-04-19T11:33:48.987" LastActivityDate="2017-04-21T15:36:08.733" Title="Getting out from underneath a heavier opponent when pinned face down" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|technique|wrestling|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7441" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7440" CreationDate="2017-04-14T12:25:11.653" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Given assassins are generally known for using simple and effective (and not entirely sporting) maneuvers, I'd go with the self-defense technique of kicking the opponent in the groin. For someone to be pinning you​ down with one knee, odds are their legs are somewhat spread. Kicking up and back like trying to kick your own butt has a decent chance of hitting the groin, particularly for a flexible and precise combatant. From there, it's taking advantage of the distraction by rolling them off of you laterally, pushing up with the arms while twisting the hips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to make it sound less prosaic, have the assassin strike a &quot;nerve cluster&quot; in the leg or back. Basically the same thing, but it suggests the strike was precisely targeted, not blind flailing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-04-14T14:34:52.017" LastActivityDate="2017-04-14T14:34:52.017" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7442" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7434" CreationDate="2017-04-14T17:33:58.267" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can you practice punching a target on the floor? Yes, you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should you?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, if you want to get good at punching an opponent on the ground (say, who you have just thrown).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It doesn't seem like it would be a good substitute for practicing a punch for situations where both you and your opponent are upright. The body mechanics are quite different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since your question included the phrase &quot;instead of,&quot; I would answer that it would not be wise for this to be your primary punching practice. Always practice in a way that most closely resembles the circumstances in which you expect to deploy a technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="698" LastActivityDate="2017-04-14T17:33:58.267" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7443" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6880" CreationDate="2017-04-14T20:46:21.310" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For military use, I think that a good combination of weapons-based martial arts like Arnis, Silat, Fencing, Kenjutsu and Kobudo; striking arts like Kyokushin Karate, Muay Thai, Wing Chun, Boxing and Kickboxing; grappling/wrestling arts like Jujutsu, Judo, Sambo, Wrestling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, added to combat principles of Jeet Kune Do, Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi and others are a reallistic way to the warrior's mentality of survival. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8168" LastActivityDate="2017-04-14T20:46:21.310" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7444" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-04-16T13:51:44.317" Score="3" ViewCount="118" Body="&lt;p&gt;My friend and I are practicing southern style mantis kung fu, but we do not have an academy that teaches this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do those two techniques work? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It would be great with pictures, but if not, no problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8170" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-04-26T07:55:30.577" LastActivityDate="2020-04-26T07:55:30.577" Title="How to do Pai kui and the Cheet jeung techniques?" Tags="|punching|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7445" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1284" CreationDate="2017-04-17T04:38:29.503" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had been doing stretches just as instructed by many websites online but I never got to increase my flexibility all tht much.  I then noticed that everyone who does splits here in Zambia and in all the taekwondo, Kung Fu, and Karate clubs I've seen is by actually forcing! (which I always see being discouraged online) You have people to force you and maintain that very intense and painful stretch for extended periods of time of at least 5 minutes . it's very painful the first time but in just a couple of weeks of doing such stretches you won't be feeling that much pain and in about 3 to about 6 months you'll be flat down on the floor with your splits both front and side splits.  this method has helped, me the same way it is helping my martial arts students and everyone here who does martial arts or gymnastics. we actually force!! try it and you'll never go wrong because the stretching methods they tell you on these websites will take you years and years of stretching without achieving full splits&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8172" LastActivityDate="2017-04-17T04:38:29.503" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7446" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6880" CreationDate="2017-04-17T16:19:43.650" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Should Soldiers Learn Hand to Hand Fighting?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To say unarmed combat has no place in the military is a misleading and dangerous thing to say. It is still very possible to end up in CQB with enemies, and soldiers do still end up using bayonets for that reason. The tactical axe, often used for breaching doors, has also gained a lot of popularity for its use as a hand-weapon in case of a sudden enemy. It is true that it's rare for troops to end up in hand to hand fighting, but it is also true that it's rare for troops to ever have to fire a shot at an enemy or be shot at--this is no reason to not practice marksmanship.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your role and the conflict you take part in will determine how likely you are to see combat, and how likely to see hand to hand. If you're clearing urban buildings, you will want to know how to quickly identify and kill an attacker at close range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Best Martial Art&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best martial art which I would recommend, that would be old army manuals. Namely those by Fairbairn, Sykes, Applegate, and Biddle. They wrote a number of books and manuals, on police use of force, impact weapons, knives, bayonets, unarmed combat, general combat. It can be hard to find the manuals online or in your local library, but they're out there (university library might be more help). Send me a message if you can't find any.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't think of a particular gym or martial art brand that practices their system, so to practice it you would need to get friends, or interested persons from a local gym/dojo to practice with you. Some martial arts clubs do have an interest in martial and military material, and may be very helpful if you show a strong interest in practicing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Books&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main manual in particular would be &lt;em&gt;Kill or Get Killed (1943)&lt;/em&gt; which covers unarmed combat, knife combat, impact weapon combat, fighting an armed opponent unarmed, and bayonet combat, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other examples would be &lt;em&gt;GET TOUGH!: How To Win In Hand-To-Hand Fighting As Taught To The British Commandos And The U.S. Armed Forces&lt;/em&gt;. Which focuses almost exclusively on unarmed techniques, including details on disarming enemies, how to resist capture, how to take an unaware enemy, etc, some of which will be covered in Kill or Get Killed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Do or Die (1944)&lt;/em&gt; is also good, and if I recall correctly got deeper into bayonet fencing than the others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The USMC combat manual is also a great collection of some of this material, but don't get the MCRP 3-02B 1999 edition, as they made many... questionable changes. The old USMC manual had more about breaching urban areas and about group tactics, if I remember correctly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8127" LastActivityDate="2017-04-17T16:19:43.650" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7447" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7449" CreationDate="2017-04-18T09:49:15.523" Score="0" ViewCount="111" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is a good way to prevent muscle soreness while training and exercising if you lack professional help and facilities? I guess you could just fill the tub with cold water and some ice-cubes, and bathe when you get home from the gym? Should you bring some kind of cold pack to the gym, and apply it right after the work out?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muscle soreness is my biggest challenge with martial arts and training. I often overdo it, and end up very sore, too sore to train. How do I prevent this and get stronger?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8127" LastActivityDate="2017-04-18T14:07:44.020" Title="Preventing Muscle Soreness on a Budget?" Tags="|training|health|exercise|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2017-04-18T17:52:24.747" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7448" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7447" CreationDate="2017-04-18T13:55:03.823" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best advice I can offer is to keep a workout journal to log your exercise routine. Being mindful of what your plan is for a given workout. Sticking to a plan can mean the difference between meaningful progress or frustration and injury. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be certain to conduct warm-ups and cool-downs before and after strenuous activities (including stretches).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than that, make sure to maintain good nutrition, hydration, and rest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2017-04-18T13:55:03.823" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7449" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7447" CreationDate="2017-04-18T14:07:44.020" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Icing afterwards is always a good thing- 20 minutes on, 20 off, especially if you have past injuries. I tried an ice bath once and it was not for me. Rehabbing foot injuries in an ice bucket was bad enough! A foam roller can also be helpful (I prefer to use the harder core stick instead of the ridged foam, however). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the thing that helped me most was to make myself take 1 or 2 rest days each week. Schedule them as part of your workout plan. Lightly stretch on those days, and if you are like me and miss your workouts- read or study or watch videos on your martial art instead of working out. Warm Epsom salt soaks are also good for relieving sore muscles on your days off as well. It was amazing to me to see that I actually could perform better if i let my legs have a day or two off each week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7936" LastActivityDate="2017-04-18T14:07:44.020" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7450" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7440" CreationDate="2017-04-18T23:02:52.517" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Training in &lt;em&gt;Budo Taijutsu&lt;/em&gt; we practice this a lot. You can preform our postures either standing, sitting, or laying down. The posture is called &lt;em&gt;ichimonji&lt;/em&gt;. By shifting your waist and spine your entire body shifts. This shift starts in the hips. It moves your opponent enough that you can throw them off you without much strength required. From there, if you have the strength left you can end up on top of their chest by rotating on your leg that was on the ground and throwing your other leg up and over; this opens you up to a whole lot of fun. I'm trying to find a video of it on the ground but I can't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7956" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-04-19T11:29:54.340" LastActivityDate="2017-04-19T11:29:54.340" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7451" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7417" CreationDate="2017-04-21T02:58:54.587" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I found the short answer is : &quot;your back foot big toe&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is because a properly thrown technique is helped at some point using your back foot toe to move your body forward while delivering a punch or kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So any explosiveness training to propel your body forward would work. Sprinter block starts, leaping mobility, tyre work ... I found forefoot striking running really improves ankle and calf strength and mobility as you're keeping on your toes all the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;also try cutting the big toe out of your training and see how much difference it makes. this is really obvious during an injury on the back foot toe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1985" LastActivityDate="2017-04-21T02:58:54.587" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7452" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-04-21T03:28:49.443" Score="5" ViewCount="584" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why do Chinese martial arts often move the sword tight across/around the shoulder/neck?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is done a lot in many styles, but I do not know why. Its faster to just make an arc over the head to get the sword back to the side of the body where the sword-hand is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope you know what I mean.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS. I am not talking about moving the sword behind the back with the tip down to get it to the other side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8183" LastActivityDate="2017-06-27T11:22:22.080" Title="Why do chinese martial arts sometimes move the sword around the neck?" Tags="|kung-fu|sword|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7453" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7440" CreationDate="2017-04-21T15:36:08.733" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If the opponent is balancing on only a single knee to pin you down, the easiest way out is definitely rolling. First slowly bring your elbows in toward your torso and use your forearms as frames between you and the ground, do the same with your knees. We need a small amount of space between us and the ground for leverage to roll. Once our wedges are in place we are going to explode and rotate our hips and shoulders to face the direction of our opponents posted foot (meaning the foot they are using for balance, not the knee on the back). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will probably land us in a position called mount, and still on the bottom which is still a pretty losing spot, but there are plenty of mount escapes we can use from here. For inspiration on those search youtube for &quot;BJJ mount escapes&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8187" LastActivityDate="2017-04-21T15:36:08.733" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7455" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7452" CreationDate="2017-04-21T18:51:47.130" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sword play and weapons in general are focused on control.  A weapon that is closer to the body is typically under more control than one further away.  You can see this in chain fighting or roped weapon combat specifically as well as nunchaku.  The quick motions that create the force while wrap close to the body to keep control over the strike as well as catch it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In sword the difficulty with swinging around the head is you can easily hit yourself, lose control, or your opponent can knock the sword movement off and then you hit yourself.  Unlike some other weapons it's sharp and a small accident can be detrimental, specifically in a spin or slashing motion.  Eliminating the distance from the body allows movement of the weapon into a different position to then strike from, while at the same time stabilizes control of the sword by closeness to the body and also prevents interception of the movement of the sword by an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason for specific placements is to position for various defensive and offensive movements.  So closeness to body for control and specific motions to best stay in fighting position with the particular weapon/style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastEditorUserId="8108" LastEditDate="2017-04-21T18:58:08.237" LastActivityDate="2017-04-21T18:58:08.237" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7456" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7452" CreationDate="2017-04-21T21:26:07.923" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The movement serves several purposes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A blocking motion&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is used with single edge blades as you keep the back of the blade against the body, usually contacting around the shoulder blades.  Any attacks in are deflected by the blade, but the two bracing points (hand + shoulder blade) provide stability and can cause the attacker's blade to bounce back - leaving an opening for a cut through.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Filipino blade arts will often use a similar motion with their &quot;umbrella block&quot; using the free arm's forearm as the second brace point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Feint and reposition&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's an excellent way to shift your attack direction from one angle to the other at close ranges.  When you watch the form, or from a distance, it doesn't seem like much, but close range, it works very well for losing people's sight tracking if they're not familiar with it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pivot attack off the body&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can increase the force of an attack by effectively whipping the weapon around a pivot, which can be your shoulder blades against someone nearly behind you, or, off your opposite shoulder at an angle to the front.  (Many short blade arts also use the forearm as a pivot as well, except in those cases it makes as much sense to push the forearm forward at the same time as well.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Contraindications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Naturally, though, this movement is all for close range fighting, almost at arm length or closer.  It's a useless movement if you try to use it against a long weapon or someone whose tactics are in-and-out with thrusting.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Movies &amp;amp; TV like it because it looks cool and often allows the &quot;I blocked your attack from behind&quot; trope, but you never really see the practical application, which often is &quot;I grab one of your arms and hack it off&quot; or &quot;I reverse the slash and turn it into a stab right away&quot; which doesn't look really good for the camera.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-04-21T21:26:07.923" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7457" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7462" CreationDate="2017-04-24T19:59:51.357" Score="5" ViewCount="347" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although I teach a japanese style of jujitsu I would welcome advice from practitioners of other styles as well. At our school we typically focus on a kata curriculum in a fairly low stress environment. There isn't usually a lot of adrenaline pumping though students as they repeat a known set of moves. Regardless, there are students that seem to get so focused on what they're doing that they forget there's a human partner on the other end of the technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even after years of training with some students I can't seem to shake them of the tendency to forget they're supposed to go slow and not rely on muscle to make a technique work. A simple leg sweep to the rear has resulted in a few students getting blasted into the mat on the backs of their heads. I've spoken to these students and they're very apologetic and I don't have any impression that they're just the macho type trying to show off; they do want to get more relaxed and controlled but can't seem to will their bodies to do it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm wary of having these students practice anything other than kata because I suspect adding the adrenaline of a sparring situation would be dangerous. I've had some limited success with an extended warm-up that makes them too tired to be tense, but this always seems a temporary fix. What are some things I can have them practice to help them learn to relax &quot;under fire&quot;? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7825" LastEditorUserId="7825" LastEditDate="2017-04-24T21:28:43.013" LastActivityDate="2017-04-25T14:29:25.183" Title="How can I teach students to relax and not rely on muscle strength" Tags="|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7459" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7457" CreationDate="2017-04-25T01:03:15.790" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Have special training days (or maybe you do some of this a lot?) at your dojo that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You play slow, classical music.  Here's a few I randomly chose searching for &quot;koto&quot;:&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQZ67UQkpG8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQZ67UQkpG8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpqivQ6P0s4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpqivQ6P0s4&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't play gagaku, that will split the ears, and you end up with the opposite problem.  Taiko drummers are nice to hear, but they, too, will incur the opposite effect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Practice in candle light (perhaps with the music)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Burn incense&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Invite children to the adults classes.  Everyone goes easy on children, and they, in turn, get to see how the adults train.  Choose your children wisely, tens to tweens are your best bet.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an overall strategy, have your students partner up with less experienced students in addition to those of similar or higher skill levels.  When they get a well-rounded mix of partners, they are forced to alternate between being a mentor to being the mentored.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Introduce concepts from other styles - sticky hands, for instance, or pushing hands.  So then some of their practice is blindfolded or deliberately slow motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Always remind them about breathing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes, you need to give them a taste of their medicine: a student who is overly active needs to know what his partner feels - you show him.  I understand from your details you don't have hotheads.  But still, people who don't look after their partners - who are lending their bodies so someone else can practice getting better - won't want to train with them anymore.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-04-25T01:03:15.790" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7460" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7457" CreationDate="2017-04-25T07:26:34.290" Score="4" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Tiered is better… Nope.&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;[…] makes them too tired to be tense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find this to be counter productive in the long run. &lt;em&gt;Practice makes permanent, not perfect.&lt;/em&gt; Training hard makes you revert to what you are used to do: in their case, use strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead I suggest a few things: first, go slow; second, breathe; and finally even more &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Go Slow&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It takes your mind time to adjust to new things. One must do the new things slowly, carefully, and thoughtfully before one can use it in anger. So, slow things down to half speed, a third speed, or even a fifth speed. If both partners help each other, it should be apparent when one uses strength vs good technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Breathe&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is much harder to be tense if one breathes. So, remind everyone to breathe. All the time. you can even use &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt; if you feel like it. You can tell who is breathing because after five minutes, they are the unshattered ones not sweating buckets!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Even more &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ukemi&lt;/em&gt; is the art of escape. &lt;em&gt;It is the corner stone of self defence.&lt;/em&gt; With good &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt;, I do not fear any partner be they The Mountain because I know that I can survive any techniques thrown at me. I really cannot stress how important this is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One exercise I teach is to do a set of &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; against an invisible opponent as &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;. So, you are taking &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; as if someone was throwing you. It teaches you the correct posture to be in, how it should feel, and makes your breakfalling better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-04-25T11:24:12.390" LastActivityDate="2017-04-25T11:24:12.390" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7462" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7457" CreationDate="2017-04-25T12:56:50.097" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have the most experience in Judo, but know Ju-Jutsu and Okinawan Karate as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From this perspective, I want to add points not necessarily covered yet, especially from the perspective of an instructor confronted with the problem as a technical one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Regarding throws&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, ukemi is very important. When I hear of people getting injured when thrown, in 99% of the cases it is a problem with breakfalls, not with throws that are too strong or tensed. Here, the intensity (speed AND hight) of &lt;em&gt;breakfalls&lt;/em&gt; should of course be increased with experience. When you train nice and slow solo breakfalls, you will get hurt when thrown in alive situations. Because you simply have not trained for them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, a classical method of training is, coming from static situations, first increasing the speed in static situations gradually. A trick my trainer used to do is the instruction of only using the thumb and one finger for your grip. You cannot excert strength through the upper body, have to relax your lower body in order to being able to execute the technique at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an instructor, I often show the difference of a tensed, stiff execution of the throw and a relaxed version. I get more contact, more control, because I enable myself to get deep enough into the partner to properly build this contact needed for control. This is virtually impossible when tensed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, the goal I give them is building certain contact points, not throwing. The throw is a trivial result of having the right contact points and breaking of balance. But arriving there only is possible through relaxation within tsukuri (the movement into the partner).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short: It can simply depend on the way you present the goal of the exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Regarding kata (or - more general - tangoku renshu)&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I myself encountered the problem of being quite tensed/stiff in Kata. In hindsight, I think it was a combination of two factors: lack of flexibility and lack of (the feeling of!) stability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me, personally, more training of low stances/movement, flexibility, and balance, enabled to relax my muscles. The tension was a coping mechanism for not feeling comfortable and having to compensate for a lack of strength and stability in certain positions and postures.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And the only way to overcome this is training it more, especially in slow movements or even statically. In my understanding, it is for this reason that historically, e.g. standing in low horse-stance for considerable time used to be a standard training method for beginners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This problem is of course applicable to throws as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2017-04-25T14:29:25.183" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7465" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7467" CreationDate="2017-04-26T14:43:19.747" Score="1" ViewCount="386" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the 1990s, I attended &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.daviskarate.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Virgil Davis Karate Studio&lt;/a&gt; in Flatwoods, KY. There was a form that one of the upper-belt students (I don't think he was a black belt yet at the time) did which had a section where he did a double knifehand block in a back stance, then did this odd shuffle where he shifted forward and kicked the thigh of his front leg with the sole of his back leg, then did the same, striking the back leg with the front leg. The impacts were sharp enough to create a slapping sound and took about a second total before returning to the back stance. For some reason, this has stuck with me in the years since I attended and I'm starting to wonder what exactly it was.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/EWMym.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/EWMym.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Stick figure representation&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't remember the form name. I thought that it was one of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blackbeltwiki.com/tang-soo-do-hyung&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Pyung Ans&lt;/a&gt;, but none of them look familiar. At the time, the school was a Chuck Norris &lt;em&gt;Tang Soo Do&lt;/em&gt; school, but partway through, it was rebranded as &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ufaf.org/about-chuck-norris-system.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chun Kuk Do&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, so the form might have come from either side. It could have also possibly been one from outside the style (at the upper belts, people often cross-trained, or brought in forms from styles they'd previously trained in).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What exactly is this movement? And what is its purpose? I've sent a query to my former instructor, but I don't know how often he replies to random emails.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Edit:&lt;/em&gt; After Steve Weigand provided some examples, I think there's a good chance this is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E725D7kZCDo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Naihanchi 1&lt;/a&gt;, even though I don't remember that being part of the curriculum and the movement does not match what I remember exactly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-11-12T13:30:24.763" LastActivityDate="2018-11-12T13:30:24.763" Title="What is this stance shifting maneuver from Chun Kuk Do (maybe Tang Soo Do)?" Tags="|forms|stance|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7466" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7465" CreationDate="2017-04-26T16:09:17.050" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a rule of thumb, anytime in a form you touch yourself, it is representative of touching your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way you describe, I imagine the front leg crosses beyond the opponent, and thus begins your question: what is the back leg doing as it touches the front?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer could be one of several:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) You are stomping on the inside knee of your opponent to off-balance them; the inference being that you don't have enough distance to kick to strike, but rather, to bend the knee to effect a sweep or off-balancing maneuver.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) You are touching a pressure point area just above the knee to effect a painful response, mitigating their escape or counter with the inside knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) You are wrapping your leg around your opponent, in order to effect prevention of escape or counter, or otherwise use his leg against you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4) You are wrapping your leg around your opponent, in order to effect a throw; such a wrap makes it difficult for him to escape easily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;5) As an alternative movement (the Japanese refer to it as henka-waza) another explanation might be where you are avoiding a sweep, and you lift that leg to avoid it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We see this movement occasionally in ITF but this seems more common in Karate styles.  In ITF, we use this method from a horse-stance in Gae-Baek Hyung Yoo-Shin Hyung.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To study a movement, take note of what the hands are doing, what the previous movement was, what the next movement is, and where the eyeline is.  These can all provide clues to deciphering what a movement does.  You mention 2x knifehand block; that tells me you're not grabbing the opponent - rather, you're tending to push him back or keep him at bay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-04-26T16:09:17.050" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7467" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7465" CreationDate="2017-04-26T17:17:52.000" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR&lt;/strong&gt; - It is meant to represent a sweep of your opponent's leg or a kick behind his knees. With the prior techniques, you trap his arm and upper body, then you take him down with a sweep or a kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming you are indeed remembering Naihanchi Shodan, you are remembering a form that is likely around 200 years old, if not more. As with many modern forms of Karate, Tang Soo Do is largely composed of many small variations of ancient katas. This is not bad in and of itself, but it does mean that a few of the original bunkai are &quot;lost in translation&quot;. In many styles, the Naihanchi series is formed of three katas that are taught when a student is nearing brown belt. This is because these katas mark the transition between a mostly &quot;striking&quot; karate to a mostly &quot;grappling&quot; karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I'm sure all would agree that karate is not a grappling art, but that's mostly because people tend to imagine stuff like wrestling, judo or BJJ when they think of grappling. A lot of Jujitsu and Aikido techniques solely aim at controlling the hands and the movements of your opponent without necessarily grabbing at their whole body and taking them down. This sort of hand-play is often called &quot;tuidi-waza&quot; (lit: seizing hand technique), or &quot;trapping&quot;, in english. As the Naihanchi katas were taught in my school, they were mostly about learning tuidi-waza.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's have a look at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urc7T2FMRa4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tang Soo Do version of Naihanchi Shodan&lt;/a&gt;. The chosen technique comes towards the end of the sequence (Naihanchi Shodan is basically one sequence repeated twice). It is composed of the following movements :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A large sweeping right-handed Uchi Ude Uke&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A left-handed punch&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What seems to be a simultaneous Gedan Barai to the right and a second Uchi Ude Uke to the left&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A left-handed striking Soto Ude Uke&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;And finally, that weird looking stepping motion, followed by a side strike&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We did it a bit differently in our school, but the gist of it remains the same. Parts 1 to 4 show different ways of gaining control of your opponent's punching arm and upper body in a way that restricts his movements. Once that is achieved, that leg movement you see is meant to represent a sweep; by controlling your opponent's upper body and by removing one of his feet from the ground, you can unbalance him and throw him down. Depending on how you control your opponent's movement, you could also kick him behind the knees to achieve similar results. This is why the sequence ends with two of these sweeps, to indicate that the technique can be used with any leg and in different ways. Old karate katas are all about obfuscation of techniques, after all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/S8HhWmoNEAM?t=1m10s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video, you can see an application of this technique&lt;/a&gt;. The prior hand techniques are somewhat different than what you are used to, but they serve the same functions. They are simply variations from one style/school to another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the past, I have also seen a few instructors interpret this technique as a defence against a kick/sweep. After your fight with the opponent in front of you, another opponent comes to the side with a kick/sweep to your leg. You dodge this technique and strike (weakly) to his head. While this seems like a plausible explanation, it feels &quot;wrong&quot; in the context of the Naihanchi series. The Naihanchi katas are usually very thorough in dealing with the imaginary opponents. Simply dodging one opponent before starting something completely different on the other side leaves that opponent free to attack you in the back (you merely punched him once). This movement is also the end of the main sequence, meaning that, at least traditionally, your opponent should be dealt with, not simply backing off from a single weak strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2017-04-26T17:17:52.000" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7468" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-04-26T20:53:37.190" Score="2" ViewCount="124" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have access to a speed ball (a freestanding one) for training. It's great for the purpose it was made, hand-eye coordination, punching accuracy, and quickness, but I need something that offers more resistance. I want to train the power of my punch. Normally one would use a heavy bag for this, but I don't have any. Is it OK to lean it against a wall for that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1811" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-04-28T11:23:14.773" LastActivityDate="2017-04-28T11:23:14.773" Title="Punching a speed ball against a wall" Tags="|punching|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7469" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7496" CreationDate="2017-04-27T08:02:50.737" Score="1" ViewCount="3511" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are the advantages to being strong and short? Similarly, I wondered about the benefits of shorter arms, if advantages exist. I wonder about this for unarmed and armed fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In weapon fighting, particularly with staff and polearm, a long reach is handy not only for thrusting, but also so you can widen your grip and use leverage, so in general it feels like a tall and long armed person is at an advantage. But, I've often wondered if a person with shorter arms might have more strength when reaching away from their body. The further you reach, the weaker your arm strength, but perhaps more &quot;compact&quot; arms are different?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly, I wonder how it is with wrestling. The bigger and heavier person has a lot of advantage is wrestling, but a stocky fellow with thick arms looks plenty scary. With wrestling, you at such close range that reach seems negligible, at least. But for striking, a short strong body seems not as good as a tall strong body?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being lower to the ground may also be useful in some way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8127" LastActivityDate="2017-05-09T14:42:16.123" Title="Advantages of a Short, Strong Build?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|weapons|recommendation|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7470" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7468" CreationDate="2017-04-27T13:08:35.397" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Technically it's possible, but it may be ill-advised. The speed ball will provide you with a marginally padded target surface to punch. Putting it up against the wall will keep it from rebounding as much, providing more resistance and preventing it from moving as much. However, a speed bag is generally built with a less yielding surface than a heavy bag, and the smaller size can exacerbate the problem with the curve of the bag, or even corners, creating more wear and tear on the fist. Lastly, consider what happens when you miss the bag, or hit it less than squarely. Behind the bag is the wall, which is likely very inflexible since putting the bag up against something like drywall will damage the wall with repeated strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR&lt;/strong&gt; Unless you're in really dire straits financially, you're better off getting a heavy bag, or adding a padded mat to the wall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2017-04-27T13:08:35.397" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7471" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7468" CreationDate="2017-04-27T18:47:22.817" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I doubt a speed ball will work well at all...so you can&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make one yourself&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;Go to Walmart or some sporting goods store and get either a held punching pad which you can strap to the wall, or get about 4-6 pillows, a yoga mat, and some duct tape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you were able to get the actual pad you can attach that to the wall with whatever you feel comfortable doing to your wall (superglue, hooks with rope, rubber cement, etc...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you got the other supplies this is what you will need to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Duct tape the pillows together in a clump that is about the desired size.  Be sure to fully encapsulate the pillows in duct tape so there is a solid mass.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Either super glue or duct tape the yoga mat to the pillow mass (fold to fit and add more surface layer).  Depending on if you have gloves/wraps(I recommend something) or bare knuckles you will want to ensure a smooth striking surface.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mount this to the wall in whatever way you feel comfortable doing to your wall.  Usually a rope taped to the pillow mass and hooked to the wall would work, but depends on what you want to do to the wall.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Optionally&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;Get a heavy bag with stand as this will ultimately be the best bet in the long run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-04-27T18:47:22.817" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7473" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7469" CreationDate="2017-04-28T13:34:23.260" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many advantages come in submission grappling. Having shorter arms means your Anaconda, Darce, and arm-triangle chokes lock up tighter. You will have to do less squeezing (than a longer arm person) for an arm-in guillotine once it's locked in, but you will have a harder time getting it locked up!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for standing, your reach disadvantage doesn't do much good. Being shorter means you can be more deceptive in when you want to work the body with your boxing. Liver shots and crosses to the body come quick. Shooting takedowns works the same way. You're upper body is closer to their legs already, so your shot or snatch is a less dramatic body movement. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The last guy I fought was about 4 inches shorter than me, and stronger. He took me down a couple times because I was boxing his face off. It was difficult to tell when he wanted to shoot, because he always seemed to be lower, even just from the 4 inch difference. Even a fraction of a second delay in a sprawl can mean everything. But on the other side of that coin, wrestling is far more exhausting. By the final round he was gassing out hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastActivityDate="2017-04-28T13:34:23.260" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7475" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5535" CreationDate="2017-04-28T15:46:48.630" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The upward downward motion of sine wave makes ITF practitioners very vulnerable to a Ju-Jitsu/Aikido/ninjitsu throw (the downward motion opens up 'O soto gari', and the upward motion would result in a devastating 'ippon').  The body movement makes them easy targets for a variety of throws.  A static punch would be equally as effective, but reduces the options for a counter-attack throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8223" LastActivityDate="2017-04-28T15:46:48.630" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7478" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6693" CreationDate="2017-04-29T10:33:16.997" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am having the same problem. I am old (51) and slow but I don't mind pain in my ribs, but by thighs turn to granite after one karate roundhouse kick &lt;em&gt;mawashi-keri.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My only means of defence is to get close in and keep close in if I can since the round house kick requires some distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A &lt;em&gt;Kyokushin&lt;/em&gt; karate friend recommends the standard shin raising defence made more speedy by, as it were, jumping with one foot, tapping/springing off the ball of the foot rather than just raising the leg, but I can't seem to read my opponents legs quick enough. Once one adult has kicked my thigh, then children can cripple my stiff-karate-thigh with the next blow to the same thigh. Full recovery seems to take more than a week. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another, &lt;em&gt;Shinbu Ryu&lt;/em&gt; karateka I think he said, karate acquaintance and instructor said one way of countering the thigh attack is to stand with front foot slightly raised so that even if kicked it will swing and not hurt the thigh which is horizontal and difficult to hit anyway. He called it the cat foot (&lt;em&gt;neko ashi&lt;/em&gt;) stance. It looks rather like the famous Karate Kid &quot;crane&quot; pose but with hands down and not so extreme. Here is a google image search for the cat foot pose in Japanese. Not only does it protect the front, kickable thigh, but it allows for various kicking attacks. &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://goo.gl/aUofbY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://goo.gl/aUofbY&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;Here are some Japanese people demonstrating movement, kicks, how to defend and how to attack (get the rear leg) the cat-foot position&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%E7%8C%AB%E8%B6%B3%E3%80%80%E7%A9%BA%E6%89%8B&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%E7%8C%AB%E8%B6%B3%E3%80%80%E7%A9%BA%E6%89%8B&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;Since kicking the knees is now illegal in kyokushin karate, a pose in which the thighs are level with the knees would make it almost impossible to hit them with round house kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same man also said that he would be unable to sit down for a week after a karate match due to the damage to both thighs. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess the cat foot pose is similar to or a more extreme version of the first respondents &quot;Many modern fighters raise the knee.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My stiff-karate-thigh is not that painful so much as just stiff and so I thought it was partly psychological -- my leg going into stiff mode so I thought &quot;the getting used to it&quot; method might work. But then I see that my leg has swollen up quite a lot so I realise I have done myself some damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Neither ice (pack) nor heat (shower nor hot shiatsu) seem to relieve the stiffness. Cycling seems to relieve the stiffness slowly. I have ordered some Zheng Gu Shui herbal ointment online since it was recommended elsewhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a strap on my thigh now and that seems to help as did jetting hot water on it in a jacuzzi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8226" LastEditorUserId="8226" LastEditDate="2017-05-01T05:09:58.033" LastActivityDate="2017-05-01T05:09:58.033" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7479" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7480" CreationDate="2017-04-29T20:52:46.270" Score="2" ViewCount="164" Body="&lt;p&gt;Please refer to &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/S1X6sfQO_Tw?t=3m46s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video at 3:46&lt;/a&gt;. &#xA;As can be seen one of the fighters lift the other guy and he twists his legs at the high point and release as he reaches the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is this release called and where can I find tutorial for it?&lt;br&gt;&#xA;In addition, is there a source for releases in case you are already caught?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="6163" LastEditDate="2017-04-30T18:22:19.603" LastActivityDate="2017-05-01T15:53:46.120" Title="How to release from Jiu Jitsu throw?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|jujutsu|escapes|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7480" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7479" CreationDate="2017-04-30T19:28:33.613" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Rickson Gracie escapes this pick-up by&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;pre-emptively jumping for an arm-in guillotine choke grip rather than waiting for his opponent to initiate the throw, then&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hip switching, then&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;drawing on raw elite athleticism, and finally&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;by his opponent failing to secure any grip for a true double-leg, suplex, or anything other orthodox technique&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rickson doesn't use a specific &quot;release&quot; or escape. To replicate this performance you should not focus on this particular technique, but rather on general agility, proprioception, and body awareness during uncooperative grappling with a partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2017-05-01T15:53:46.120" LastActivityDate="2017-05-01T15:53:46.120" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7483" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-05-01T23:49:40.643" Score="3" ViewCount="2185" Body="&lt;p&gt;On the way to the seminar this weekend, someone advanced the hypothesis that engineers are more likely to be attracted to aikido than to other martial arts.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Has anyone studied this?  Are there comparative demographics of various martial arts? (kinetic/grappling/etc.?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2023-10-09T01:01:18.293" Title="Has anyone studied the demographics of martial arts?" Tags="|research|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7484" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7483" CreationDate="2017-05-02T11:30:49.330" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://bfy.tw/BXyj&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yes&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To give a few excerpts, &lt;a href=&quot;http://adage.com/article/american-demographics/questions-answered/44147/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Simmons Market Research&lt;/a&gt; states&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;... an estimated 18.1 million Americans participated in karate or some other form of martial art at least once in the past year. Included in that estimate are 9.4 million adults, 5.5 million teenagers and 3.2 million kids.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They then break into further statistics for age groups, gender, and affluence. For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An estimated 5 percent of adults say they participated in martial arts last year at least once, and a quarter of those (28 percent) say they do martial arts every chance they get. Surprisingly, this bunch is fairly evenly split between men (52 percent) and women (48 percent). But for the most part, participants are young. Sixty-three percent are between 18 and 34, compared with 25 percent who are between 35 and 49 and 11 percent who are 50 or older.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Interestingly, Asian American adults are no more likely to participate in martial arts than are whites; around 5 percent of each group is involved in the sport. Blacks, on the other hand, are more likely than whites or Asians to engage in martial arts, with 7 percent saying they have participated in the sport at least once in the past year.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And, indeed, income is a definite factor:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alas, karate lessons don't come cheap, and the likelihood that a child will partake in martial arts increases proportionately with the income of his or her parents. Fifteen percent of kids whose parents earn $75,000 or more a year participate in martial arts, compared with 13 percent of those whose parents make between $50,000 and $75,000. Only 10 percent of kids whose parents earn $50,000 or less participate in the sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sfia.org/reports/426_Martial-Arts-Participation-Report-2016&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sports &amp;amp; Fitness Industry Association&lt;/a&gt; apparently has a more comprehensive and current report, but a subscription is required to access it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2017-05-08T14:21:14.347" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7485" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-05-02T13:27:25.807" Score="-1" ViewCount="263" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been thinking about creating an ontology of grappling/martial arts techniques recently. I know there are things like flowcharts for BJJ. &#xA;Google directed me to this question: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1742/an-ontology-of-combat&quot;&gt;An Ontology of Combat&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;There's a link to an ontology made via WebProtegé, which sadly doesn't work anymore. So I am wondering if there is still somebody out there working on an ontology of BJJ or something similar?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm generally thinking of something like &quot;positions&quot; that have certain significant positions of arms and legs, &quot;transitions&quot; that have certain significant changes in positions of arms and legs etc. I see that my English might be too limited...but I hope to be able to deliver the point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ontology, not a taxonomy. A taxonomy would be nice, too. But I'm after e.g. the transitions in grappling styles, which might be modelled as relations between different positions (e.g. sidemount to mount and vice versa). I don't think this is covered by/in a taxonomy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So...any directions?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, this is kind of a duplicate to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1742/an-ontology-of-combat&quot;&gt;An Ontology of Combat&lt;/a&gt;.&#xA;But 1) I don't want to spam 50 (?) questions to earn reputation, so I could then comment on the other question.&#xA;And 2) the other problem is time: The question is as old as the answers to it and those answers do not seem to be valid anymore. I could comment on the answers - see 1).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All in all the question hasn't been answered thoroughly yet and it's just not a &quot;How do I wrap my bandages properly?&quot;-question. If there is a way to revive the old question and/or fuse both, I'd be grateful for that!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reformulating my previous question:&#xA;Are there any ontologies of combat sports? Are there different approaches? General ontologies or specific (e.g. boxing, BJJ, MMA)? Is there an open access to those ontologies?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would be glad for any hints on technique-databases, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8229" LastEditorUserId="8229" LastEditDate="2017-05-02T14:11:23.047" LastActivityDate="2017-05-02T21:39:52.617" Title="An Ontology of Combat II" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|teaching|terminology|positions|research|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2017-05-06T12:24:03.857" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7486" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7485" CreationDate="2017-05-02T21:39:52.617" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a massively broad topic. Let me try to give you a little idea by answering your rephrased questions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Are there any ontologies of combat sports? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, not really. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Are there different approaches? General ontologies or specific (e.g. boxing, BJJ, MMA)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, there are different approaches. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider just throwing techniques. Judo classifies throwing techniques based on the primary body part of the thrower responsible for the throwing action (hand, hip, leg, falling to rear, or falling to the side). Even within judo, people will disagree about what a throw should be called and what the primary mechanism is. Outside judo, &lt;em&gt;Principles, Analysis, and Application of Effortless Combat Throws&lt;/em&gt; by Tim Cartmell classifies throws based on how the throwee moves through space (spiral, arc). How you think about a throw leads you to understand it relative to other throws differently. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It gets worse. At least with the throws, there is a single commonly recognizable action that you can discuss. Take piquan from xingyi. It's a posture, it's a block, it's a grab, it's a pull, it's a strike. If you consider it from outside the perspective of xingyi, it's likely multiple distinct actions. There may be no agreement of what a unit is. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is there an open access to those ontologies?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No. You are stuck mostly with books and oral transmission. You cannot expect complete knowledge from any source, and sources will frequently disagree on major points. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-05-02T21:39:52.617" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7487" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-05-05T19:06:14.630" Score="2" ViewCount="257" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are punches to the head more dangerous if you are in the floor, or if you are standing? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can the attacker apply more force vertically upside-down, or, when he's standing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8236" LastActivityDate="2017-05-05T20:44:13.547" Title="Punching, vertical vs horizontal" Tags="|punching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7488" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7487" CreationDate="2017-05-05T20:38:19.377" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Standing is more &quot;powerful&quot;, but that doesn't always mean more dangerous. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's easy to think that you might be able to generate more power on the ground since gravity is on your side and their head is on the canvas, but the extra force you gain from gravity doesn't make up for the less than ideal punching form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you're punching while standing you're generating the majority of your power from your hips turning over. You turn your hips, and your upper body follows suit. The snap of your arm extension is surprisingly a small part of the power equation. Next time you're at a heavy bag try standing perfectly still (no hip movement) and punching with your arm extension only. It's shockingly weak! This is why we rarely see knock outs due to strikes on the ground, and we see the vast majority of knock outs while standing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This isn't to say that strikes on the ground don't have their place! It's difficult to defend punches when you're on bottom mount, half guard, and to an extent, full guard. Punching from the mount is devastating. It's easier to land punches from advantageous top positions like mount and side control because your opponent not only has to deal with your punches, but also your weight, advancement of position, and submission threats.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While striking from a top position, you're at little risk from strikes from your opponent. You can absolutely take damage from strikes from the bottom, but if your opponent is striking it means they're giving you an opening to advance position, threaten submissions, or do your own striking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In top position you should be more worried about holding top position than getting hit. This is why we often see MMA fighters use hammer fists and elbows over straight punches. Hammer fists and elbows allow you to strike from top position without requiring a rigid posture. You can hammer fist and elbow while hunched over, fishing for underhooks and threatening submissions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2017-05-05T20:44:13.547" LastActivityDate="2017-05-05T20:44:13.547" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7489" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1035" CreationDate="2017-05-06T03:09:34.207" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;FAIL!&#xA;After writing all this, and cycling too hard, it seems to me that I have been failing really badly in treating my haematoma and by exercising so much have caused ongoing bleeding. I am now not using my leg at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Addendum: my thigh is heeling really slowly so all the below should be treated with caution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have 'karate thigh' right now. I should have blocked or used neko-ashi stance or something, but now I am faced with treatments which are as the OP says vague but I agree with what the OP says: cooling straight afterwards to reduce initial haemorrhaging, warming after once haemorrhaging has stopped. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not a doctor and the following items are not medical advice. Hematoma's can lead to calcification, and deep vein thrombosis resulting in disability and death respectively. Several of the items below may increase the chance of these dire outcomes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also&#xA;1) A full on Japanese karateka recommends strapping lower leg to thigh that night. If you can do this then you will likely be able to extend your leg the next morning but if you sleep with straight leg, and in general, the problem is the inability to bend at the knee. However, strapping the lower leg to the thigh while there is still damage to the veins sounds like it could be dangerous, leading to DVT and death. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) There are Chinese herbal potions such as Zheng Gu Shui　which I have not tried but are available cheaply though the internet. I don't know what they do but I have ordered some. It arrived. It smells a bit like Vicks Vaporub (eucalyptus) and has a similar anaesthetic efficacy to Japanese poultices. It works better on the superficial bruises to my ribs. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) Stretching and or exercise such as swimming, jogging and cycling are generally recommended so long as you are not going to increase /re-start haemorrhaging. That said, at least one poster has suggested that exercise can increase one of the worse outcomes - the blood turning to bone. Still, I am cycling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4) Blood letting while still liquid, or injecting blood thinners (e.g. heparin) and then blood letting, or surgery is used. The haematoma YouTube videos are gross! I am going to try natural for a while longer but there are people saying that getting the blood drained before it clots works for a lot quicker recovery. I may go to a hospital to discuss this if my leg does not get better in a week or two and immediately post trauma should it happen again. I did go to a hospital but was told that no local hospital would perform this operation unless the hematoma had solidified and required surgery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;5) I have found that using my heated &lt;em&gt;shiatsu&lt;/em&gt; massager (like a spring tipped soldering iron with the diameter of a banana) can work the gunky blood around in my leg to get it fluid enough to allow (3). These are cheap on auction in Japan &lt;a href=&quot;https://goo.gl/td34HL&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://goo.gl/td34HL&lt;/a&gt; &#xA;This continues to work well. Massage at room temperature takes longer. When I am not near my heated massager I put hot water in a PET bottle and massage myself with that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;6) Pain killing poultices such as generally sold for muscle pain in Japan (&lt;em&gt;Banterin&lt;/em&gt; etc) are minimally effective in what they say they do but may help (3).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;7) When I was dehydrated with a hangover my leg froze solid, so not boozing and fluids are a (no brain?) good idea. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;8) For bruises some are recommending natural blood thinners, such as onion and garlic. I like onions so I am doing that. Aspirin might also be an idea as it thins blood as it reduces pain. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;9) There are haematoma taping videos on YouTube. I have not tried (other than the compression with icing immediately after the strike). I have now tried taping, immitating the kinesio taping videos on youtube, using a tape in a hand with long fingers shape. This may help to reduce the effect of gravity (see 11 below) as does a simple bandage compression.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;10) Bromelain as found in pineapple and some meat tenderisers can be applied topically. I have not tried this either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;11) Elevation seems to help since otherwise gravity puts the jello blood sludge in one place where it fills the gap between the muscles and thus restricts movement. This may natures way of getting the injured to lie down. I find that lying with my thigh vertical helps improve mobility. I could ride my bike againt after 15 minutes of digital cold vertical thigh massage, as opposed to about half that with my hot massager seated. Conversely after a few minutes of standing, at a convenience store mid ride for instance, it becomes difficult to ride again. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I repeat, I am not a doctor, the above is not medical advice and may kill you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here below is the video version of the above, which it may not be appropriate to post (if so please remove, or tell me and I will)&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyioOwbXEGI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyioOwbXEGI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8226" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2017-11-01T21:01:58.557" LastActivityDate="2017-11-01T21:01:58.557" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7492" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7501" CreationDate="2017-05-09T09:01:52.073" Score="0" ViewCount="400" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are &lt;a href=&quot;https://duckduckgo.com/?q=shooting%20arrows%20fast&amp;amp;t=ffab&amp;amp;ia=videos&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a lot of speed archery videos&lt;/a&gt;, for example &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o9RGnujlkI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt;. Most of them appear to be modern people working out how it could have been done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any historical archery manual or/and specific historical primary sources on speed shooting which could be either specific techniques or descriptions of such.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am limiting this to western archery, although there could be a nice cross over into eastern due to the Crusades and cross contamination of archery techniques and manufacture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-05-10T07:24:20.500" LastActivityDate="2017-05-11T18:37:56.480" Title="Historical &quot;speed&quot; archery" Tags="|history|archery|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7493" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2017-05-09T09:05:19.523" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Originally from the late Middle English: from Old French archerie, from archier (see archer).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This covers both Western, Eastern, and Asian archery. It is a catch-all tag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-05-09T09:05:19.523" LastActivityDate="2017-05-09T09:05:19.523" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7494" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2017-05-09T09:05:19.523" Score="0" Body="Shooting with a bow and arrows." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-05-09T09:05:19.523" LastActivityDate="2017-05-09T09:05:19.523" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7495" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="625" CreationDate="2017-05-09T14:16:38.213" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a black belt at a twae kwon doe school ( and sorry if I misspell anything) and when they do self defense with pressure points my partner had a problem with the pressure points so at the end of class I asked my instructor to try all pressure points and nothing happened so I believe it might be pain tolerance or nureon damage or something like that but the weird thing is that one time at 6th grade it was the end of or and we were exiting the tennis court and I pushed the metal gates tennis courts usually have then it boomeranged back at me at the fore head but I wasn't bleeding it was just a very small bruise. Keep in mind that you can't pressure point yourself or break your bones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8242" LastActivityDate="2017-05-09T14:16:38.213" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7496" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7469" CreationDate="2017-05-09T14:42:16.123" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Striking:&#xA;Shorter arms come with a better feeling for infighting. The opponent will appear to be more open to the short guy's punches. Vice versa the short one will appear to be less open.&#xA;Still depends on the guard though. If you guard your hip with your hands, your opponent won't have that much of a problem to hit your face. At least in boxing you might want to hold your guard a bit higher, btw.&lt;br/&gt;&#xA;To bypass/bridge the distance can be tough. I'm not used to be the guy with the shorter arms, so when I happen to spar a taller guy I usually experience a lot of problems with bypassing that additional distance. On the other hand taller guys seem to leave more open space to punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Search for &quot;Garip Ilbay&quot;, you might find some videos on how a short &amp;amp; strong guy performs in thaiboxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grappling:&#xA;It's a lot harder to make a short &amp;amp; strong guy's limbs go the way you want them to: Short levers, strong muscles.&#xA;I used to roll with a guy who sometimes went into some sort of a turtle stance. He was of that short, muscular build. I found it really hard to get him out of that.&lt;br/&gt;&#xA;Another thing about &quot;significantly odd physiques&quot; is applying triangles: You will encounter guys you're just not able to catch with your legs. Either because there is nothing to catch (really skinny guys) or because your legs are too short to get a proper grip/lock on those shoulders &amp;amp; neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Apart from that, smaller guys seem to be more able to sort their limbs than taller guys in general, learning techniques faster than others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That good old disclaimer: All in all it's a matter of individual skill and talent. If a tall guy has done a lot of takedown drills (with a good teacher) he will be good at that. If a guy just doesn't get the clue about a certain movement, he might fail to apply the related technique. (Yes, that's an indirect hint on my examples &amp;amp; personal experiences.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8229" LastActivityDate="2017-05-09T14:42:16.123" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7497" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5689" CreationDate="2017-05-09T14:53:13.997" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just start and increase conditioning your shins carefully. Usually you parctice on a lighter/softer heavy bag first, then you will go on to harder bags.&#xA;In sparring you use shin guards that prevent damage. &lt;br/&gt;&#xA;Give your shins/body enough time to recover after each training.&#xA;It's really rare to see (and hear - hah!) a shinbone break.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fun fact: I never understood how guys in taekwondo don't break their feet. ;) I think I had more injuries from accidentally kicking/hitting with my foot instead of my shin, e.g. elbows can be quite painful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8229" LastActivityDate="2017-05-09T14:53:13.997" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7499" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7500" CreationDate="2017-05-10T17:48:59.727" Score="-2" ViewCount="365" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not an expert in martial arts but I always wanted to know if a offensive-based martial art, like Karate and Taekwondo, is capable of lasting or even defeating a fighter that uses Aikido.  I've seen a few YouTube videos of Aikido in action and, so far, I've noticed the Aikido practitioner barely takes any hits from a fighter who used Taekwondo.  In fact, almost every attempt the Taekwondo fighter made ends up with him being in a joint lock or on the ground.  Like I said, I'm not an expert so I probably don't know the whole story on either fighting style.  So can any of you help me answer this question?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8247" LastActivityDate="2017-05-10T18:15:18.463" Title="Can Karate Stand a Chance Against Aikido" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|aikido|sparring|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2017-05-16T20:44:10.450" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7500" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7499" CreationDate="2017-05-10T18:15:18.463" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's no such thing as an offensive-based martial art.  Only the fighter can do or be offensive things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate is inanimate, and so it cannot stand, let alone stand a chance.  Only the fighter can be better than another, and then only for an instance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;YouTube does not bestow wisdom, intelligence, capability, nor knowledge.  It can only report what had happened at the time the video was made.  The same video can be shown in different contexts and tell very different stories.  Best to stay away from YouTube until you have a better understanding of martial arts in general.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But as to specifics about what you saw, the Aikido-ka didn't get hit because he employed the first rule of self-defense: &quot;don't be there&quot;, sometimes stated as &quot;get outta the way!&quot;.  This mantra exists in all styles, whether it is for self-defense or for sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't worry about what you see on YouTube.  It is no guarantee about what you will experience, or what you will be, or what you can do, or what can happen to you.  YouTube shouldn't even be part of your resources until you are well under way in your training, and then only judiciously used.  Therein creates many misconceptions and myths, which we martial arts - of all styles - work hard to dispell.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-05-10T18:15:18.463" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7501" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7492" CreationDate="2017-05-11T02:45:55.247" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bow and Arrow&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow_and_arrow&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;bow and arrow predates recorded history&lt;/a&gt;, therefore the origination is in question for most civilizations.  The south American's utilized spears and developed the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spear-thrower&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Atlatl&lt;/a&gt; which is actually utilized for more range and trajectory as well as clean fluid throws.  Bow and arrows did show up as well to replace the spear as more could be carried at a time. For hunting the need was accuracy and distance with power.  The main place that speed comes into play is in warfare specifically.  A well shot arrow or spear will pretty much take down most creatures for hunting, especially when hunting in groups.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When one moves into fighting human opponents the odds of the other person getting you is as likely as you getting the other person.  Thus strategy enters the situation and as the saying goes 'necessity is the mother of invention'.  Since the bow and arrow predate recorded history the speed mention is vague at best and the most significance is in traditional art paintings and word of mouth that eventually became literature.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Warfare&lt;/strong&gt;: The eastern archery has a much richer and more diverse history than the western culture here, the main reason for this is the tribal nature of the west until European settlers arrived.  Most &quot;warfare&quot; related text regarding archery is from Europe and Asia.  This is also the more prominent place as these are the places where territorial domination was practiced.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_warfare&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Aztecs&lt;/a&gt; would be an exception, but relied on their fierce foot soldiers primarily over ranged combatants, but the Atlatl and bow and arrows were utilized. The arrival of Europeans brought guns which ultimately captured the warfare side as the power of the weapon was unprecedented.  Speed was the only factor the bow and arrow had over the guns, even with improvements on muzzle loading speed, it was slower but the odds of a bullet not impacting a target with power versus an arrow not impacting with power the bullet wins with a lot less training to use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Due to the tribal nature of western natives there was little need to become extremely dominate with speed shooting of bow and arrows as all warfare was over game/territory/disputes and none were into annihilation/genocide/domination of other parties.  Select warriors through practice became proficient at high speeds similar to those proficient with muzzle loading became extremely fast and able to reload as fast as &lt;a href=&quot;https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061218045431AAvdU1s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;7.5 seconds&lt;/a&gt; (depending on the year/type/proficiency - earlier is much slower).  Archery speed became obsolete only when the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolver&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;revolvers&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbine#History&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;carbine rifles&lt;/a&gt; started appearing.  Compared to the fire rate of those vs. bow and arrow the bow and arrow could no longer keep up and native Americans started swapping to guns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shooting rate on bow and arrow is muscular based instead of chemical reaction thus limiting the number of &quot;realistic shots per minute&quot; vs. &quot;capable shots per minute&quot;.  The historic number is around &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_longbow#Shooting_rate&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;6 per minute and 60-72 arrows per engagement&lt;/a&gt; for long bows.  This is the medieval long bow records which is a heavier bow than most western bows.  As native Americans didn't create written records until they were nearly done with the bow and arrow it's harder to gauge their speed, but due to the size of the long bow vs. the size of the smaller western bow and mathematical summation can be abstracted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.yeoldearcheryshoppe.com/drawlength.php&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Long bow length (72in.) (w/70lbs. draw-weight) ~ 6/per minute [28.5 draw length]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.yeoldearcheryshoppe.com/drawlength.php&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Standard bow length (36in.) (w/45lbs. draw-weight) ~ 9-10/per minute [10.5 draw length]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Weight Formula&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;(70lbs*6 times)/60sec = target factor of 7&#xA;(45lbs*9 times)/60sec = 6.75 -&gt; (45*10)/60 = 7.5&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So someone should realistically with the same skill/strength level be able to fire 3 or 4 more arrows than a long bow in the same amount of time.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dexterity Formula &amp;amp; Tricks for speed&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;The variable that can't be measured, but is trained would be the ability to fit the arrow to the string in the amount of time.  So assuming the dexterity of the archer is superb then the realistic average strength would fall in line with about 9-10 times per minute.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tricks on how to dexterously load and shoot quickly are mostly scraped together from imagery and a few text on shooting.  The rest is pieced together from actual trial and error experience from real practitioners.  Here is one such person who has a number of videos from &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJZ94qp4dtCw0Q5UQqAkg7w&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lars Anderson&lt;/a&gt; on tricks for loading:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zGnxeSbb3g&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zGnxeSbb3g&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEG-ly9tQGk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEG-ly9tQGk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iLTA43MBuA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iLTA43MBuA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hold arrows in your hand either draw or bow hand, but draw hand makes it quicker as that one fits the arrow to the string so you already have it in hand for repeat shots.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Shoot from the right side of the bow as the fitting into the bow is faster, this requires a different bow position than normal though so might be harder to master.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fluid motions contribute so practice solid continuous movements over jerky movements.  Once you have the movement down increase the speed while maintaining the movement to get faster and faster.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Muscular strength allows more pulls with less fatigue affect on the arm.  This results in consistent and continuous movement.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Additional Resources&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;Most of the archery developments came from word of mouth and observation with trial and error.  This being said historical photos are important as they capture the bow, the person and position of the body for bow handling.  This allows someone to imitate and reconstruct based on visual example without the textual references.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.historyoffighting.com/native-american-bow-and-arrow.php&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.historyoffighting.com/native-american-bow-and-arrow.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://anthromuseum.missouri.edu/grayson/americasarchery/americasarchery.shtml&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://anthromuseum.missouri.edu/grayson/americasarchery/americasarchery.shtml&lt;/a&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.native-languages.org/weapons.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.native-languages.org/weapons.htm&lt;/a&gt; for weapon specific references&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://nmai.si.edu/searchcollections/peoplescultures.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;National Muesem picture references for bow usage&lt;/a&gt; Select the region, then the sub-region, then the people and look for bow and arrow usage pictures to gain a visual understanding on their usage&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.law.ou.edu/sites/default/files/files/FACULTY/04%20coates%20comment%20blu4.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Law reference regarding Native Americans and the spiritual connection to the bow and arrow as well as the art and usage&lt;/a&gt; - this is relevant because the bow and arrow was not just a tool but a form of worship in some cultures.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/pictures&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/pictures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;P.S.&lt;/strong&gt; Please keep in mind that the tricks are not western archery, but pulled together from eastern text and practical application.  Again this is the speed part and not the power part, so if you want them both together you need the tricks from the speed and then apply them to a higher weight bow and arrow and practice until you can get both down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;P.S.S.&lt;/strong&gt; Keep in mind that western archery was primarily for hunting and was adapted for combat in a raiding capacity.  Quick short bursts at a time and not prolonged lengthy combat like eastern sieges.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastEditorUserId="8108" LastEditDate="2017-05-11T18:37:56.480" LastActivityDate="2017-05-11T18:37:56.480" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7504" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7507" CreationDate="2017-05-15T08:26:47.427" Score="5" ViewCount="2684" Body="&lt;p&gt;I read some &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kalaripayattubangalore.com/index.php/abtus/kalaripayattu-history/2-uncategorised/33-how-other-martial-arts-derived-from-kalaripayattu&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;online texts&lt;/a&gt; that say Kung-Fu is originated from Kalaripayattu. Is there any truth to this claim?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The Shaolin temple itself was founded by an Indian Dhyana master Buddhabhadra. On one of the walls of the Shaolin temple a fresco can be seen, showing south Indian monks, teaching the Chinese the art of bare-handed fighting. On this painting (see image below) are inscribed: Tenjiku Naranokaku which means: the fighting techniques to train the body (which come) from India.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gJJ3Q.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gJJ3Q.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8261" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-05-15T12:38:15.900" LastActivityDate="2021-12-27T22:53:05.277" Title="Does Kung-Fu come from Kalaripayattu?" Tags="|kung-fu|history|kalaripayattu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7505" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-05-15T18:47:34.570" Score="-3" ViewCount="112" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am not an athlete but I play football. Approximately how many days will it require to learn a heel stretch? I want to be able to raise my leg up to head level so that the sole of my foot is facing the sky. It is a part of pre-fight yoga.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user7149" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-05-16T12:37:07.550" LastActivityDate="2017-05-16T15:57:09.103" Title="How much time is required for heel stretch?" Tags="|kung-fu|forms|flexibility|stretching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7507" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7504" CreationDate="2017-05-16T13:45:34.997" Score="10" Body="&lt;h2&gt;NO, or at least not until about 900 years after both Buddhabhadra and Bodhidharma died.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Meir Shahar's &lt;em&gt;The Shaolin Monastery: History, Religion, and the Chinese Martial Arts&lt;/em&gt;, there is a whole chapter (number six) dedicated to that topic. It basically debunks this (with reference to studies and historical sources) as a myth that had been raised as late as the 17th century and later. The conclusion ends as follows:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The seventeenth-century transformation of bare-handed fighting was accompanied by the emergence of a novel martial arts mythology. &lt;strong&gt;Shaolin monks&#xA;gradually accepted a legend that had originated outside the monastery according to which their fighting techniques had been invented by the Chan patriarch Bodhidharma.&lt;/strong&gt; The legend of the Buddhist saint evolved in conjunction&#xA;with the myth of a Daoist immortal. As the “External” Shaolin martial arts&#xA;were attributed to a Buddhist master who reputedly resided on the sacred Mt.&#xA;Song, an “Internal” school of fighting was ascribed to a Daoist recluse who supposedly hid on the holy Mt. Wudang. The two legends matched each other in a&#xA;perfectly harmonious mythological structure, the flawless symmetry of which&#xA;has likely been the source of their ongoing appeal. (p. 181, emphasis mine)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main point is that is only in modern times (17th century and later) that stories were made up to provide a unity of religion and martial arts that provided further credibility and myth to the alleged superiority of (Shaolin-)Kung Fu. This mixes religious aspects of trying to found legitimization on lineage with martial traditions of questionable historical lineage. Let me handle both separately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;On Zen Buddhism, Buddha, and the Shaoilin monastery&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thought that legitimization has to be based on tracing one's lineage to Bodhidharma is based in Chan (Zen) Buddhism as such:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The eighth century witnessed the flowering of a new school of Chinese Buddhism [...]. One of the Chan School's novel traits was the belief that the truth revealed by the Buddha could be directly transmitted from master to disciple. At least in theory, it was no longer necessary to study the scriptures. Instead, the unmediated mind-dharma (&lt;em&gt;xinfa&lt;/em&gt;) could be handed from teacher to student. To legitimize this claim, Chan masters had to show that &lt;em&gt;their&lt;/em&gt; mind-dharma had been transmitted to them through a lineage going back all the way to the Buddha himself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The monastery itself was most certainly founded by an indian-born monk &amp;quot;in the last decade of the fifth century&amp;quot; (p. 9), and even though it is widely accepted that Buddha was from India and at some point (about 40 years later) was near the location of the Shaolin monastery, it is only through the 6th to 8th century that the Shaolin monastery and Mt. Song have been firmly linked to the alluded Chan patriarch. In truth, neither him having founded this strand of Buddhism nor him having taught religion or exercises at Shaolin monastery can be considered anything but a myth as it does not add up with historical facts and is only to be found in later records contradicting the original ones (see p. 13).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Buddhist monks and martial arts&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, the Buddhist faith categorically forbids violence. There are archaeological proofs that the Shaolin Monastery in particular did fight in 610 and 621, though, which secured a lasting protection of their status as a Buddhist monastery with certain property rights by the dynasty they helped to establish. That is, they fought in violation of their general faith in a time where many Bhuddist monasteries where sacked and disbanded, probably to save themselves. The existence of Buddhist &lt;em&gt;war gods&lt;/em&gt;, the appointment of a Shaolin monk as a general in the imperial army after the win in 621, and some textual evidence suggest that there used to be martial training at the monastery at that time. This was probably practiced in the perimeter rather than the monastery proper where a more pure Bhuddist lifestyle of non-violence and vegetarianism was the norm (see chapter 2 for all this).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The actual famed &amp;quot;Shaolin Kung Fu&amp;quot; cannot be traced to any sources earlier than about 1600 AD, though (see chapter 3).  The monastery used to be famous for its staff fighting rather than bare-handed fighting before that. The latter apparently developed or was brought there in the 17th century. This puts the claim that either Indian monk (the founder or Bodhidharma) actually had any part in the development of the systemized martial art that is known as Shaolin kung fu even more into question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is a common myth which perpetuated for reasons of religion and, especially in the 20th century, advertisement and tourism. The Shaolin monastery is set at a very important strategic point near a local capital and hence had been linked to wars and consequently martial arts since shortly after its foundation. It cannot be ruled out that Kalaripayattu and Shaolin kung fu are related in some way insofar as they share principles and informed each other, but certainly not as a direct lineage from India to China originating in the 5th or 6th century. The trademark bare-handed animal styles of kung fu as they are known today are no more than 400 years old.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-11-19T19:23:00.493" LastActivityDate="2021-11-19T19:23:00.493" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7508" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7505" CreationDate="2017-05-16T15:57:09.103" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is entirely dependent on your flexibility and muscle tension.  Age also plays a factor as the younger you are the easier it is to stretch muscles out.  You will have to stretch and test your flexibility to see how much progress you make before you can estimate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No one can estimate your own personal flexibility as it differs with each person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-05-16T15:57:09.103" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7509" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7512" CreationDate="2017-05-17T04:24:16.573" Score="6" ViewCount="884" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have studied a few different martial arts (Krav Maga, Jiu Jitsu, MMA) on and off over the years but, after becoming a mother and establishing the practice of having a baby on my hip 18 hours a day, I have been realizing just how small a percentage of my training I would be able to use in a real-life, self defense scenario with one arm full (as I usually am, especially in public).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can anyone shed light on any strategies or techniques that might still be useful with only one arm free?  I'm not looking for a magic solution or silver bullet, but any shared wisdom or ideas would be helpful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8240" LastActivityDate="2017-05-17T14:09:33.740" Title="Self Defense with One Arm Full" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7510" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7509" CreationDate="2017-05-17T07:14:33.090" Score="2" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Rule 1: Cardio! &lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R5JPO9QC98&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Zombieland, contains gore.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fighting with an infant in your arms is beyond impractical even if using said infant as a mass&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;. Any techniques will not work as expected, your balance will always be off (infants do struggle), and you will have to always worry about harm coming to the infant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, run towards safety as fast as you can. Shielding your infant should be a priority so using your own body as a shield between them and whatever the threat is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obligatory link to &lt;a href=&quot;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;no nonsense self defence&lt;/a&gt; where you can learn a little more about how to keep yourself &lt;em&gt;out of trouble&lt;/em&gt; in the first place. &lt;strong&gt;This should be your goal:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;Not being there when violence starts is the safest thing to do.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Martial arts… Maybe?&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kicks are good but balance will be a problem although you can practice that with weights. However, a struggling screaming infant is a different thing. The last thing you want is to end up on the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Punches will be much less powerful than if you could put your whole body behind them thus are unlikely to do much good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this situation, the less said about grappling, the better…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Weapons, such as knives, guns, or CS-gas are all possibles but escalate the situation massively and can be illegal to use. What is you lose control of the weapon? Not a good idea at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, one of the things that &lt;em&gt;will help is your increase in self confidence&lt;/em&gt; from doing martial arts. It will make you appear less like prey and more like a predator.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt; Clearly a suboptimal substitute for a mass and said in jest. Do I need to say that⸮…&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2017-05-17T07:14:33.090" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7511" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7509" CreationDate="2017-05-17T08:18:17.683" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Something my trainer often tells us, is to run away. If that's not possible, try to talk the attacker out of it. If they still insist, a single, strong lowkick can actually work. It will show them you've been trained and shouldn't be messed with. Stop after that lowkick (or any other attack you're confident with) and try talking the attacker out of it again. Usually, they'll stop, as nobody actually wants to get their ass whooped. If they don't stop, you'll have time to put the infant aside.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All this relies heavily on something Sardathrion already mentioned: Confidence. If you try to talk an attacker out of fighting, but have little to no confidence, you'll actually encourage them. If you're beaming with confidence, little to no words may be necessary to stop them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2017-05-17T08:18:17.683" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7512" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7509" CreationDate="2017-05-17T14:09:33.740" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, get a small, child sized sandbag - you can train with the weight without necessarily risking having your baby getting rocked around with the training you'll be doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, start with your evasive footwork and short sprints.  You'll want to really become comfortable with how your balance changes with the baby AND having to change direction suddenly.  Be sure to practice both arms and how that feels as well.  You won't really &quot;square up&quot; against an opponent as you may have been trained, so you'll want to ingrain this different movement in early.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, practice your safe falls with the bag.  Unlike normal safe falls, you now have yet another thing to protect, which makes it more complicated in terms of movement.  This is also really useful in case an attacker knocks you down - they usually won't expect you to recover quickly or be ready to fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, I'd practice elbows, knees, and stomps.  You're not trying to hang around and box it out with folks - you're looking for quick moves to stun and drop and push past them.  Rushing forward and driving an elbow in is something few folks will expect, knees and stomps are also great close range attacks.  You also will find it harder keep balance with the hip twists you'd normally do for punches or kicks, while elbows and knees can do more damage without having to shift your balance as deeply.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-05-17T14:09:33.740" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7513" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1035" CreationDate="2017-05-17T15:22:57.950" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ice and heat are both about blood circulation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When the injury first occurs, there is damage and there is bleeding at the site of the wound - either externally visible or internally.  Ice, while the injury is still bleeding, reduces the blood flow, and reduces the amount of blood lost to the injury, which reduces initial swelling/inflamation/bruising.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once that initial trauma starts to heal and stops bleeding, then increased blood flow helps the body to speed the healing process and to gradually cycle out dead blood and tissues from the injured site, so heat is then recommended.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I've had muscle pulls/tears, very aggressive icing for the first 24 hours to a day and a half made a huge difference in the amount of swelling and inflammation, and, consequently, the speed of recovery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once your body is in recovery mode, that bruise or dead blood doesn't really offer anything useful to the body.  You body gradually cycles it out, but I notice, personally, a lot of overall aches and discomfort in my whole body, which I anecdotally attribute to the fact that all that &quot;trash&quot; the body is trying to clean from the injury site basically travels throughout by body as it is carried in the bloodstream.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Methods of extracting the bruise/pooled blood, artificially, can be helpful, but these methods are not considered to be scientifically proven, as far as I know.  &quot;Cupping&quot; and, even, leeches, would be methods to facilitate this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7553" LastActivityDate="2017-05-17T15:22:57.950" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7514" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-05-18T10:08:45.383" Score="2" ViewCount="504" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is the &lt;em&gt;Keysi Fighting Method&lt;/em&gt; studied exclusively by any military unit in the world or is it mixed with other military martial arts such as Krav Maga, Silat, etc?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5496" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-05-18T19:44:47.880" LastActivityDate="2018-10-08T13:52:34.530" Title="Keysi Fighting Method" Tags="|self-defense|keysi-fighting-system|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7515" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2017-05-18T10:51:51.290" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It was used in the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/7/19/3170123/dark-knight-rises-movie-christopher-nolan-batman-keysi-martial-art&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nolan's Batman trilogy&lt;/a&gt; as Batman's martial art of choice. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://keysiworld.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Keysi home page&lt;/a&gt; has more information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-05-18T10:51:51.290" LastActivityDate="2017-05-18T10:51:51.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7516" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2017-05-18T10:51:51.290" Score="0" Body="A martial art system founded by Justo Diéguez in 1980." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-05-18T10:51:51.290" LastActivityDate="2017-05-18T10:51:51.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7517" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7518" CreationDate="2017-05-18T18:16:43.887" Score="4" ViewCount="691" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most people know of Koryo, the first Black Belt form in Kukkiwon/WTF Taekwondo. However, few people today know that there once was a different version of Koryo practiced before by the KTA. This original version of Koryo was replaced by the newer version in 1972. There is not much information around regarding the reason for the change. Why was the original Koryo replaced with the newer version practiced today?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8267" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-05-18T19:35:54.697" LastActivityDate="2017-11-13T07:01:19.947" Title="Why was the Original Koryo form replaced?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|forms|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7518" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7517" CreationDate="2017-05-18T19:36:06.450" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Apparently, it was &lt;a href=&quot;http://jungdokwan-taekwondo.blogspot.com/2014/08/palgwe-forms-original-koryo-as-bonus.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a matter of politics&lt;/a&gt; when the schools were joined.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Why did we replace Palgwe with Taegeuk? This was a political motivated move. In 1965-67 all the schools together made Palgwe forms so they could all practise [sic] one common set of forms. At this time the Ji Do Kwan and Moo Duk Kwan which were very big and succsefull [sic] were not part of the Korean Taekwondo Association. Later these two schools also joined the organisation and to keep the spirit of all the schools contributing to the forms in that organisation they made the Taegeuk forms and a new Koryo Poomsae with representatives from all the schools including Ji Do Kwan and Moo Duk Kwan. Another reason that is often stated is that the Palgwe forms looked too much like &quot;Karate Kata&quot; while the Taegeuk forms were made to make them look less like Karate forms. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2017-05-18T19:36:06.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7519" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7514" CreationDate="2017-05-18T19:49:37.373" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I cannot find any reference to a country's military training exclusively in the Keysi method. That said, I have yet to find any reference to a military officially using any part of KFM outside of sites associated with the style who claim that it's &quot;used by military and security forces&quot;, which makes me wonder if it's used officially at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On further poking around for quotes, I can't even find much mention of it being used in the military from the Keysi sites, largely people claiming that it's aimed at military usage and people mentioning that their Keysi instructor has military experience. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://keysiworld.com/programs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Internationally regulated program aimed at professional police, military and private security self defence...&lt;/a&gt;&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.themodernsurvivalist.com/archives/1242&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Apparently some KFM moves are being incorporated to MMA instruction and are being taught in some military forces for very close combat.&lt;/a&gt;&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&quot;My instructor offers KFM as one of the primary arts he teaches. .... His practical fighting foundation is based on his extensive combat background: US Naval Search &amp;amp; Rescue, Nuclear Weapons Security for the US Navy, Close-Quarters-Combat Instructor for Blackwater (now Xe), bodyguard for dignitaries in Iraq, and being a Master Officer for Virginia Beach. .... &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=104762&amp;amp;s=cd946973fa81b238552a706735ff7cd0&amp;amp;p=2631582&amp;amp;viewfull=1#post2631582&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;He's a combat historian, and travels to different locations in the US and around the globe to teach combat seminars for law enforcement, military (I believe), and citizens&lt;/a&gt;.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.worldwidedojo.com/reality-based/keysi-fighting-method/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;KFM has also been contracted now by the military and law enforcement communities for training programs which have been specifically designed for these areas&lt;/a&gt;.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-10-08T13:52:34.530" LastActivityDate="2018-10-08T13:52:34.530" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7520" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6960" CreationDate="2017-05-19T20:40:53.337" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial arts can help many people in troubled times. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.taeyunkim.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tae Yun Kim&lt;/a&gt;, who was the first female Taewkondo Grandmaster, teaches about the positivity in life while still teaching people to fend for themselves. She also has some motivational books &amp;amp; videos that talk about using martial arts to help cope with your feelings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8271" LastActivityDate="2017-05-19T20:40:53.337" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7521" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7522" CreationDate="2017-05-21T16:59:53.960" Score="6" ViewCount="537" Body="&lt;p&gt;The following sequence shows a fighter crossing his legs around the waist of his opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What could be some possible ways to avoid this situation?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once caught in it, how does one get out?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To make the question objective and non-opinion-based, are there any examples somewhere of someone reverting successfully from this situation ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zhyIfm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zhyIfm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Overhead python&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KPeAdm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KPeAdm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Python rolled over to supine&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zBiNfm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zBiNfm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;To side&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fTXvcm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fTXvcm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Forcing submission&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8024" LastEditorUserId="8680" LastEditDate="2017-10-12T14:32:19.983" LastActivityDate="2020-01-05T03:14:16.037" Title="How to avoid being encircled by a body triangle?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|mixed-martial-arts|forms|grappling|escapes|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7522" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7521" CreationDate="2017-05-21T21:21:13.020" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Against the back control body triangle, BJJ instructors generally recommend you&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;be good at grappling in general so you have the knowledge and body skill to understand and survive the position in the first place&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;consider counter-attacking the triangled foot with an &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUnYDMXcsKo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;ankle lock&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;escape the position by &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jD039fPDyM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;methodically unwrapping the legs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2017-05-21T21:21:13.020" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7523" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7452" CreationDate="2017-05-23T19:58:55.490" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;To redirect an incomming low thrust attack, you would need to push it away with a sword pointing downward, to the direction of your free arm. If you connect this redirection to that circular motion around the neck, it flows freely to a downward slash from your head, or a forehand slash.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing, with heavier weapons (mace, broadsword, heavy axe), it is easier to get into stance for a full downward swing by using this motion, instead of lifting them from your front to above/behind your head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5630" LastEditorUserId="5630" LastEditDate="2017-05-24T10:53:33.650" LastActivityDate="2017-05-24T10:53:33.650" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7526" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-05-25T12:39:59.360" Score="-2" ViewCount="553" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the best martial art to study if you have PTSD?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suffer from freezing. Im not sure if that narrows it down. But based on how many martial art disciplines you studied do you recommend any discipline to help beat this particular symptom?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8281" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2017-05-27T11:21:28.753" LastActivityDate="2017-05-27T11:21:28.753" Title="what is the best martial arts to study if you have ptsd" Tags="|training|forms|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="11" ClosedDate="2017-05-29T22:41:54.693" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7527" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7526" CreationDate="2017-05-25T12:49:33.723" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;My immediate impulse is that you're going to want to avoid styles that are high-stress or emphasize more combative practices. Your ideal martial art might be something non-contact, practiced individually. My first recommendation would be Tai Chi. It's a soft style, generally doesn't involve fighting an opponent, and is often reputed to be good for stress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My second recommendation would be Capoeira, particularly if you can find an Angola group. While Capoeira is a bit more physically active, it also has very strong play and musical components. The &quot;sparring&quot; in the &lt;em&gt;roda&lt;/em&gt; is competitive, but it's generally played without contact, and the emphasis is on demonstrating skill rather than scoring points via contact, so when you're faced with a superior opponent, the odds are that they'll be using their skill to mesh with your movements to make the game look more impressive rather than beating you down to show how superior they are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based on the clarification you gave &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7530/hi-regarding-previous-question-you-answered&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; that your primary problem is &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/traumaptsdblog/2012/10/ptsd-and-the-freeze-response/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;freezing&lt;/a&gt;&quot;, I would recommend Tai Chi. There, there's very little external pressure, and the worst that could happen if you freeze up is a pause in the form versus possibly missing a dodge or falling from a precarious position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-05-26T22:48:14.067" LastActivityDate="2017-05-26T22:48:14.067" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7528" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7521" CreationDate="2017-05-25T20:59:34.357" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step one&lt;/strong&gt; of defending the body triangle is rolling to the side so that your opponent's feet are on the ground, rather than their knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step two&lt;/strong&gt; is turning into the body triangle. You need to turn belly up. Resist the urge to push on the body triangle, as you can get your arm trapped, and get rear naked choked easier. If you want to, grab hold of your opponent's non choking arm. It takes away the possibility of a rear naked choke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step three&lt;/strong&gt; now that you've turned a complete 180 degrees, you're on top, and in full guard. Worst case is they out scramble you and take mount, which is better than getting your back taken and choked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastActivityDate="2017-05-25T20:59:34.357" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7529" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7622" CreationDate="2017-05-26T08:52:32.570" Score="5" ViewCount="386" Body="&lt;p&gt;The ura-waza (&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Nkra7k76Ug0?t=133&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;as shown in this video&lt;/a&gt;) is a set of ten counters to the basic seventeen techniques of Shodokan Aikido. Those are shown in the first part of the video. While I know the technical details of the kata, I am lacking historical knowledge of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;How did Tomiki create and evolved this kata to its current form?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-06-21T12:51:21.337" LastActivityDate="2017-07-03T11:38:55.213" Title="Origins of the ura-waza" Tags="|aikido|history|shodokan|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7531" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-05-28T09:15:25.660" Score="0" ViewCount="264" Body="&lt;p&gt;Trying to learn all about karate to help my son &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8284" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2017-06-06T08:34:56.017" LastActivityDate="2017-06-06T08:34:56.017" Title="Why are gedanbarai, gyakuzuki and uraken so significant in basic" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7535" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-05-31T15:02:33.437" Score="3" ViewCount="675" Body="&lt;p&gt;On its face this seems like a silly and easily dismissible notion, but neuroscience has established that visualizing the processes of learned skills can improve\reinforce neural pathways in much the same manner actually performing the action does.  One can strengthen the brain's connections used to perform a task by thinking about doing the task. The more these neural pathways are reinforced, the easier and more efficiently it becomes for our brains to process them. This phenomenon is a contributor to concept of 'muscle memory.' We have all experienced performing a task which has become rote to the point it seems we do not have to consciously think about doing it. That is the product of well-establish neural pathways. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A question I am left with is whether a martial-arts fighting game/simulator has the ability to reinforce neural pathways in a similar manner to memory-based visualization. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does playing a fighting game help reinforce learned concepts like spatial reasoning and tempo/priority? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does controlling a proxy character on a display internalize actions taken enough for our brains to reinforce similar establish neural pathways (i.e. does my character's roundhouse kick make my brain think about performing a roundhouse kick in a similar manner to physically performing the action myself)? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the thresholds/tolerances for such an internalization, if any? Does a 3rd person proxy character work as well as immersive virtual reality?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand this is a complex issue, and perhaps beyond the scope of Stack Exchange. However, if video games can function in such a reinforcing manner, they may become an invaluable tool helping martial artist strengthen their training.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2017-05-31T21:10:24.217" Title="Can video games make you a better martial artist?" Tags="|teaching|training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7536" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-05-31T17:28:02.343" Score="0" ViewCount="111" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been training at a school for about 4 years. However, over the course of the last year and a half I've been held up in rank because of politics. I've been told multiple times I'm ready to be tested, but the head instructor of the school doesn't want me passing up his students. On top of that I've been having issues with the style. I like to learn stuff that can be used accurately against a trained fighter. I feel big flashy movements and katas are a waste of time. And techniques with too many steps are also a waste of time as you can't predict where or when someone is going to fall or move to. I have almost completely lost my drive to train this art. However, I've been training in another art for about 2 years and absolutely love it. Would love to be an instructor in that art one day. My question is, Is it a big deal if I leave? Will it harm my credentials as an instructor to walk away from this school right now? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8296" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-05-31T19:35:15.623" LastActivityDate="2017-06-01T18:49:34.393" Title="Will leaving a school hurt my credentials as an instructor in another art?" Tags="|kempo|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2017-06-14T19:10:40.610" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7537" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7531" CreationDate="2017-05-31T17:57:47.420" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In some styles, for example Kyokushin, they form the most basic kata and kumite.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kihon kata is formed by gedan barai and gyaku tzuki. Is required at 9kyu exam.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Uraken tzuki is useful in one of the kihon kumite. I dont remember details maybe it was for 7kyu exam. When I started training, my fist configuration during applying this technique was wrong and I needed some time to learn it properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6156" LastActivityDate="2017-05-31T17:57:47.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7538" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7535" CreationDate="2017-05-31T19:03:04.780" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are multiple parts to training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mental/Psychological/Emotional ability to handle and work through situations and maneuvers.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Strength/Agility/Endurance ability to handle and work through situations and maneuvers.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Video games only allow a mental and sometimes psychological/emotional ability.  This is also limited to just the reasoning center and not the full person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practice and training is required as the body must build strength/agility/endurance to the physical intensity of martial arts.  Also, muscle memory is needed as the brain hard wires repetitive muscle movements to ease the strain on the overall brain thought processing in performing physical actions.  Think of typing on a keyboard, when you start you have to look at all the letters and writing takes forever, but as your body remembers the finger positions and it becomes more an instinct then you just think the words and the fingers make it happen without really thinking about it anymore.  This is called muscle memory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To become good in a martial art you need solid muscle memory development so you just think on movements/techniques and your body just does them correctly.  You don't have to stop and think, spinning back kick needs to pivot on left foot, align hips and strike with right heel while spinning and maintaining the balance and positioning to push force outward at the exact moment and placement for maximum impact.  You need to just say, spinning back kick followed by jumping roundhouse or sweep and your body knows what you mean.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, you can get &quot;ideas&quot; from video games which are sometimes fun to try, but you can't actually become better at martial arts from a video game.  You need to get into your body in order to develop a martial arts discipline.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I always wanted to do the electric shock move that Blanka did from street fighter, but all the focus in the world doesn't make it actually happen.  I would need to attempt with my body and discover &quot;humans don't channel electricity without taking damage and can't generate it on their own&quot;.  This is a very obvious example, but the point being that video games look cool and just because it's cool looking doesn't make it realistic.  Try it out and see if it's total crap or actually achievable, but either way you still have to train on it yourself in your body and reality to gain it as an ability for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-05-31T19:03:04.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7539" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7536" CreationDate="2017-05-31T19:44:48.133" Score="0" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is it a big deal if I leave? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No. The school where you are studying is making you unhappy, and you do not like the curriculum anyway. Leave. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most significant issue is probably social; people at the school may or may not want to socialize with you once you leave. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Will it harm my credentials as an instructor to walk away from this school right now?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No. Schools largely do not care about training in separate systems, especially for the purposes of instruction. Systems enumerate the requirements for their instructors based on their system, not other systems. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-05-31T19:44:48.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7540" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7535" CreationDate="2017-05-31T21:10:24.217" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, videogames aren't in a place where they can do much for you at this time - future technology, VR, etc. might solve all of these problems, but it likely won't be very soon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most videogames use buttons and joysticks - so you're not getting a solid muscle memory built up from that.  The ones that use gloves/remote VR controls, etc. often have a lag, don't have realistic impact, and tightly limit your movement as far as footwork options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way in which you see or visualize the movements is rarely 1st person, and rarely in that, are they well done or with realistic timing.  A key point of design in videogames is giving people telegraphed attacks so you can have a chance to react fairly.  Even motion capture loses things like muscle twitch or eye shift that might be the &quot;tell&quot; you'd use against a real opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are probably better off closely studying video of great practitioners doing their art to learn the movement you want, and to read the tells that go with specific movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-05-31T21:10:24.217" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7541" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7504" CreationDate="2017-06-01T05:42:26.507" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;all martial arts originated from kuttu varisai and nattu adimurai..these martial arts were originally practised by Tamils living in the southern part of india (Tamil Nadu..but in particular it was from the district of kanyakumari).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;it was from kuttu varisai that kalaripayattu and angampor (sri lanka) and other martial arts travelled to other places of the world in different names&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;these ancient martial arts are still practised in secrecy in some southern parts of kanyakumari&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8299" LastActivityDate="2017-06-01T05:42:26.507" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7542" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7543" CreationDate="2017-06-01T09:03:20.437" Score="8" ViewCount="720" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am taking Beginner Muay Thai classes for a couple of months now quite regularly. A few rounds of light sparring (no elbows, no knees &amp;amp; kicks to the head, focus on technique instead of power) against several other trainees in succession is part of most training sessions. For each session I usually focus on one specific technique/detail that I want to work on, e.g. dodging blows, delivering lots of lowkicks, executing combos containing a level change...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Recently, a situation occured that made me reconsider my attitude. The goal I pursued that day was to safely enter clinch and dominate the opponent. Amongst others I was paired against a girl that is at least as long a member of that gym as I am and is probably 20-25 kg lighter than me. I closed distance and entered the clinch easily and tripped her to the ground effortlessly. I immediately apologized and she didn't seem to mind and continued sparring with me. I felt bad anyways because that move didn't help either of us getting better at MT and was basically just a display of dominance on my side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyways, I'm not quite sure anymore about how to deal with sparring partners that I outclass either physically or technically. On one hand I think you can learn a lot if your opponent gives you a rough time and provides a challenge. Plus, I don't want to give people the feeling that I don't take them seriously. On the other hand, I'd like to make people feel welcome instead of intimidating them and don't force them into situations they basically can't win.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think the answer is 'Do not spar with people 25 kg lighter/heavier than you'. I once got roughed up pretty hard by a skinny guy who was a foot smaller than me and I enjoy facing taller and heavier guys than me because it forces me to deal with my disadvantages and keeps me on my toes. Both are valuable lessons in my book.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my question is: is there any general advice on how to spar against opponents that you clearly outclass one way or another without looking like a complete douchebag, so both combattants are able to learn something valuable from the encounter?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8302" LastActivityDate="2023-04-17T09:25:51.300" Title="How to spar against a weaker opponent" Tags="|sparring|muay-thai|etiquette|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7543" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7542" CreationDate="2017-06-01T09:30:51.137" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Competition, in a club setting, should be all about learning: for yourself and them. Thus,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Help them!&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Against a weaker opponent, your goal should be to make them better. So, allow them to practice on you their techniques. Let them manage distance, ring craft, and techniques. If you see weakness there, point it out (either with a well timed riposte or verbally) and let them try again and again and again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is all about them getting better and you will quickly have to up your game because they will get better fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Get out of your comfort zone.&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might know some techniques well, others not so much. Now is the time to practice those. You will be slower, clumsier, and easier to parry which will help your opponent practice. You will gain confidence and experience using those techniques you are weaker with thus gaining more &quot;weapons&quot; in your arsenal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Themes&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is nothing wrong in asking someone about doing one particular thing within a sparing session. In your case, &quot;safely enter clinch and dominate the opponent&quot;. So, ask your partner is she mind just training that. Offer her advise how to make it awkward for you: maybe kicks or ring craft or … Something will make it really hard for you. This way, you are both learning something. Then, switch roles and ask what she wants to practice and focus on that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;This is based not on Muay Thai but Aikido, although I strongly suspect that is similar enough to be a helpful answer.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2017-06-01T09:30:51.137" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7544" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-06-01T10:33:35.520" Score="7" ViewCount="1562" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 1,91m tall and stronger built than most of my opponents. Right now I'm trying to improve my strategy in Judo, as so far I'm mostly passive and use &lt;em&gt;Tani Otoshi&lt;/em&gt; as I can, or &lt;em&gt;Ippon Seoi Nage&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;Seoi Otoshi&lt;/em&gt; if I see a chance and variations of &lt;em&gt;Sumi Gaeshi/Tomoe Nage&lt;/em&gt; against more aggressive opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yet in none of these can I actually use my size as an advantage. Sure, &lt;em&gt;Seoi Nage&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Sumi Gaeshi&lt;/em&gt; are a beginning already, but there have to be more?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My trainer recommended the usage of throws in which I grab the back of the collar of an opponent - which makes sense to me. After some research I came up with &lt;em&gt;Uchi Mata&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Harai Goshi&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Ashi Waza&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;O Uchi Gare&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Osoto Gari&lt;/em&gt; with &lt;em&gt;Hiza Guruma&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Uchi Mata&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Harai Goshi&lt;/em&gt; seem to be a good idea as my legs, which are pretty heavy (I'm doing a lot of bicycling), accelerate fast - yet are they good for tall practitioners?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ashi Waza&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Osoto Gari&lt;/em&gt; with &lt;em&gt;Hiza Guruma&lt;/em&gt; seems to take advantage of my long legs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;O Uchi Gari&lt;/em&gt; seems to be an interesting choice, as I can use the volume of my body&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I'm completely lacking are useful strategies. I'm in Karate and Ju-Jutsu as well, but except for some handy blocking and freeing techniques, I'm not able to use much to my benefit. I realize my opponents usually try to aim for my legs, as my balance point is low and mostly avoid techniques that require grappling my collar or shoulders (especially when I'm keeping them at a distance).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The benefit of my long arms usually helps me to avoid leverage by keeping everyone away, but it puts me in a passive position and is a huge waste of energy. Yet, any kind of take-down from the default position is tricky, as my movements require a longer distance and come with more force, which can be used against me easily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideas and combinations would be much appreciated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8303" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2022-07-04T15:02:37.550" LastActivityDate="2022-07-04T15:02:37.550" Title="Judo throw/techniques for taller people" Tags="|judo|jujutsu|throwing|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="15" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7546" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7536" CreationDate="2017-06-01T18:49:34.393" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Will leaving a school hurt my credentials as an instructor in another art?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, you're not now an instructor, so, there are no credentials to hurt.  At such time you become, or are due to become, an instructor, then your past is generally irrelevant, unless you somehow made negative headline news.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is it a big deal if I leave?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, not a big deal, unless your exit gets you in headline news.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But you said some things that are red flags:  you've been held up in rank because of politics; you're having issues with the style; katas are a waste of time; you're ready to be tested, but...; you've lost your drive to train this art; and you've been training in another art for about 2 years, concurrently with your current style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think you know what you're doing.  I know nothing about your style or school, but if you've been training for 4 years and still think katas are a waste of time, you haven't learned much.  Your instructor is probably picking up on the &quot;issue with style&quot;, &quot;politics&quot;, and &quot;lost drive to train&quot; vibes and seems it shows in your performance.  You're even only half-committed to your school, giving up half your time to another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're not really ready to test, so I think your instructor's gut feeling is right on this, and you've got way more learning to do.  In short, this is immature behavior.  Piss or get off the pot. If you got problems with the style, find someplace else to go.  Don't like the instructor?  Find another.  You've only invested 4 years of your time there, that is inconsequential to the bigger scheme.  I can only imagine what my instructors did during their first few years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That all doesn't answer your concern about instruction.  But it shows you've got a long way to go before you are showing signs of an instructor worthy of taking people's time, money, and energy, and so, time will heal these wounds.  Meaning, fix your problem now, and in due course, your ability to become a great instructor will happen.  If you don't fix your problems now, it's not because you left that will hurt; it's your attitude.  That will trickle down to your students, and then the quality of your instructorship will show to the world.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-06-01T18:49:34.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7547" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7548" CreationDate="2017-06-02T13:42:58.363" Score="1" ViewCount="132" Body="&lt;p&gt;My teacher demonstrated counter technique (a.k.a kaeshi waza) and it seems to me that there are fixed pairs, for example&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;shomen ate can be countered by waki gatame&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;kotegaeshi can be countered by kotegaeshi&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;etc&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Questions&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can any arbitrary technique be used to counter a certain technique? For example,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Can shomen ate be countered by shomen ate?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Can oshi taoshi be countered by sumi otoshi?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;etc&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7701" LastActivityDate="2017-06-02T14:16:45.627" Title="Can any arbitrary technique be used to counter a certain technique in Shodokan aikido?" Tags="|aikido|shodokan|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7548" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7547" CreationDate="2017-06-02T14:11:12.700" Score="3" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Mostly yes…&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two kaeshi waza in shodokan aikido: The first, &#xA;the ura-waza kaeshi waza which is a set of ten fixed counters. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/7529/82&quot;&gt;The origins of the kata are unclear to me&lt;/a&gt; although I can see why each techniques makes perfect sense to use as a counter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second is the Tanto kaeshi waza which is a set of fourteen (dropped to ten in gradings&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;) counters while having a tanto in tori's arms. The kata was developed by Nariyama as a way to promote counters in randori by teaching tanto that they can either stop and re-direct the attack or blend and accelerate it. It is a set of ideas based on those principles. As part of making Aikido ones own, one is expected to learn principles from it and apply those to whatever works for one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Clearly, the ura-waza exhibit the same stop &amp;amp; re-direct or blend &amp;amp; accelerate movement. I am unsure if it was a first atempt at teaching those principles or something else I have not groked. Thus &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/7529/82&quot;&gt;my earlier question&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a special case, Kote gaeshi can be countered by itself, ushiro ate, and gedan ate: we see this in both kaeshi-waza. Which one is best? Clearly, the one you can do under pressure. So, most (if not all) of the techniques of the randori kata &lt;em&gt;could be&lt;/em&gt; countered by any of the other seventeen ones. Although some combinations might be a little contrived and would probably not work under duress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that during randori, tanto can only retaliate with the five atemi-waza so training those makes more sense than working out all possible combinations. Also, a counter is tricky to execute so a simple technique will be easier to get right than a harder one. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: The drop was because you do them as uke first, then as tori. This means twenty four techniques on top of the seventeen tanto randori and sixteen (or more) of the goshin… It all takes too long. Thus, a simplified version is used for gradings.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-06-02T14:16:45.627" LastActivityDate="2017-06-02T14:16:45.627" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7549" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7550" CreationDate="2017-06-02T16:38:34.327" Score="7" ViewCount="560" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Yoshinkan aikido, the tegatana looks as follows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/phPJT.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/phPJT.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fingers are spread and we feel relaxed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in Shodokan aikido, the teganta looks as follows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Gyoqm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Gyoqm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fingers are squeezed together.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Question&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How can these tegatana forms differ considering they are both aikido from the same source? What are the strong and weak points for each form?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7701" LastActivityDate="2017-06-06T23:19:03.213" Title="Spread-finger tegatana versus Squeezed-together-finger tegatana" Tags="|aikido|shodokan|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7550" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7549" CreationDate="2017-06-02T21:45:13.060" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I apologize if I'm not exactly answering your question, as I can't speak directly to Yoshinkan or Shodokan: I am not a part of either organization.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I am a Hapkido-in, and who practices the equivalent tegatana as Yoshinkan; and I am an Aikido-ka with Aikikai, whose practice of tegatana is similar in Shodokan according to your descriptions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I would be offering only a guess based on experience from different styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My observation is that neither statement you made is entirely correct, unless the 4 styles hold tegatana in 4 different ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Explanation:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Hapkido, we splay the fingers, not because the hand is relaxed, but because that allows energy - they say &quot;ki&quot; - to reach the hand as it exits the fingers.  This makes the hand very tense.  That protects the hand; in Hapkido, we often strike with such a hand, and so it is necessary that the hand is tense: and that is the point, the hand is not relaxed.  This is different in your observation of tegatana in Yoshinkan, where the splayed fingers relax the hand.  In an attempt to get my hand in the picture you provided, I find my hand is far from relaxed.  It is tense, not unlike how I might do it in Hapkido.  Therefore, it's possible I am not doing it according to that style's guidelines.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Aikikai, the fingers aren't firmly together, but they aren't splayed, either.  In fact, keeping the fingers together has the tendency to tense the hand, just as splaying the fingers does the same.  I think, then, that is a sort of &quot;middle road&quot;, because in this case, the hand is very relaxed.  This makes sense: we tend not to strike when the hand is in this position.  A tensed hand can give away our intentions and location - even if subconsciously - as we feel for the moment to take kotegaishi or assist in iriminage or something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Aikikai, there is the desire to not want to force anything, and so, a tensed hand would violate that policy.  In Hapkido, we do a lot of striking, and it makes sense that the hand is tensed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the hand is tense, then there is the desire for that hand to become &quot;alive&quot; and actively part of a technique, whereas a &quot;dead&quot; hand is more passive.  In my Aikikai school, it is not uncommon for the same hand to shift from passive (dead) to active (alive) during the course of a technique.  Kotegaishi is a good example (and one which we perform the same technique in Hapkido): the passive hand feels down from shoulder to upper arm to lower arm; and at the point we feel the wrist, we grab the wrist according to our style's guidelines (which differs from style to style, and instructor to instructor, so, I'll leave that part out).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But whether these principles are the same or similar in Yoshinkan or Shodokan, I can't say.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-06-02T21:45:13.060" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7551" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7549" CreationDate="2017-06-03T13:46:00.383" Score="6" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Yoshinkan&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gozo Shioda describes (in &lt;em&gt;Total Aikido&lt;/em&gt;, page 31):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Open up the fingers of the hand. […] The fingers of both hands should be pointing at the base of your partner's throat. Beginners tend to need strength in order to keep the fingers open, but keep practising until it becomes natural. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This naturally leads to the fingers pointing more forward than up as can be seen in any of the photos on pages 30/31.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Shodokan&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Scott Allbright (in &lt;em&gt;Aikido and Randori, reconciliation of two opposing forces&lt;/em&gt;, page 43):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The transfer of power into the other person is carried out through the use of &lt;em&gt;tegatana&lt;/em&gt;, literally, &lt;code&gt;hand-blade&lt;/code&gt;. More accurately, this means the forearm acting as a sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tetsuro Nariyama (in &lt;em&gt;Aikido Tradition and the competitive Edge&lt;/em&gt;, page 61) has a whole pages on this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In kenjutsu, attack and defence, is done with a sword. In sojutsu it is with a spear and in naginatajutsu it is with a halbard. So what do we use in aikido, as we only have our bare hands? The answer is &lt;em&gt;tegatana&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;br /&gt;&#xA;  […]&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;  It is important to do the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Masintain a godo upright anhd stable posture.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Keep your tegatana in front of you on the centerline of your body.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;While using tegatana you should use fast foot movements.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tetsuro Nariyama, this time in &lt;em&gt;Aikido Randori&lt;/em&gt;, page 8:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Aikido uses weapons concepts in an empty-handed format which, in randori, takes the form oof an unarmed person defending against a tanto tsuki. […] Tegatana functions in defence as  shield blocking or parrying an attack. […] Tegatana is used most effectively when it is in your centre with your power concentrated through it while using quick footwork and maintaining a strong and mobile posture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Why the difference?&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A difference in application mostly. Yoshinkan seems to use the hand as a guide to grab uke. Shodokan uses the hand as a weapon with which to strike (atemi awaza) or block. Clearly, a block can lead to a grab and in that case Yoshinkan and Shodokan are no different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It &lt;em&gt;might be&lt;/em&gt; that Yoshinkan is happier in being grabbed thus the hand position invites it. Whereas Shodokan wants to do the grabbing for kuzushi. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I were to hazard a guess as to the history, I would say that Yoshinkan harks  to a more circular set of motions whereas Shodokan moves in straight lines. Although, I could be wrong so do not quote me on that. ☺&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-06-03T13:51:12.603" LastActivityDate="2017-06-03T13:51:12.603" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7553" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2017-06-04T13:14:27.043" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This tags refers to 昭道館合気道 (Shōdōkan Aikidō) which is the system created by (富木 謙治 Tomiki Kenji, 1900–1979) to teach Aikido. The system is unique in its mix of kata and randori training heavily influenced by Kano's judo. It was developed based on the early teaching of Ueshiba during the Hell dojo years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is somewhat controversial in allowing competition which some other styles of Aikido frown upon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-06-21T12:49:44.787" LastActivityDate="2017-06-21T12:49:44.787" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7554" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2017-06-04T13:14:27.043" Score="0" Body="昭道館合気道 (Shōdōkan Aikidō), the system teaching Aikido created by Kenji Tomiki." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-06-21T12:49:44.787" LastActivityDate="2017-06-21T12:49:44.787" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7555" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7531" CreationDate="2017-06-05T20:54:43.067" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Gedan bari, the low block; gyaku zuki, the middle punch; and ura ken is the backfist.  I agree with the other answers that these are basic techniques.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a young child, such as your son, that's probably enough reason for him.  But for you, that's not the whole picture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They are not &quot;only&quot; a low block, punch, and backfist.  These techniques also form a basis for a large number of applications - oyo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stated another way: suppose you're a chef, and 99% of your recipes call for salt.  Most recipes call for it because of its flavor enhancement.  Some call for different kinds of salt (like kosher, fine, table), because each has a particular physical property that gives it purpose.  Some call for it for presentation (like kosher, rock, or pink salt).  Others call for it because of its perceived health benefits (like sea salt).  And chefs know that fires can be extinguished with salt.  Many people don't know this, but table salt is nearly twice as dense as kosher, so, if using kosher as a substitute, you need to double the call.  Would you agree, then, that salt is a basic spice you should have in your kitchen, and that you ought to know as much about it as possible so that you know how and when to use it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, so it is with basic techniques, like gedanbari.  We tell people that it's a block and protects the lower part of the body.  Other instructors say it's basic because it's easy to execute.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, not really on both counts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, most of the time, a strike to the lower body will be a kick or a weapon.  What do you think will happen with that low block when used against a kick or bat?  (yeah, - a trip to the hospital for a broken arm).  Most of the time when we see it in kata, we always seem to be in some sort of long front stance.  When was the last time you ever saw a fight (youtube, high school, pay-per-view...) that someone blocked something whilst in a front stance?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe the low block isn't meant to be a low block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And therein lies the secret in all of Karate: it's no block at all.  (Well, it can be used as one.  But it has many other purposes as well).  The technique appears in so many kata because there are so many oyo - things you extract from a given technique.  It is a block.  It is also a strike.  It is a vertical armbar.  It is a wrist grab to release from a shoulder/lapel/neck grab.  It is a lead to the front from a rear grab.  It can be used as a hook for catching a kick or weapon.  It's a slicing motion with a ken or tanto (or stick or knife).  It's about several dozen other things that don't even have a name.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The low block to a karate-ka is like the salt to a chef: a most important and basic staple with many uses.  As such, it's constant appearance in kata suggests the student ought to pay attention to every nuance about its execution: the feet, the hips, the torso, the head, the eyes, the other hand, the breathing... everything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reverse punch: it, too, is not just a punch.  It can be used to distract, off balance (grab), strike, break, or lead in a throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Uraken: I wouldn't say this is a &quot;most basic&quot; technique.  But it certainly has many oyo.  The uraken is a backfist, and like a punch, can be used for similar oyo.  The backfist can also represent some of the gedanbari bunkai as well.  How do you throw a basic backfist?  You hold your fist over your opposite shoulder, and then swing outward, yes?  Well, you could also be grabbing a wrist who's grabbing at your shoulder, lapel, neck, hair, or ears; that outward swing can expose his midsection for you to implement another technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning all about Karate to help your son is a noble cause.  I suggest, though, that you would learn a world more by taking your own classes.  First, because it's a great way to bond with him.  (Well, when in kumite, it's also a way to get back at him for talking back to you...  :-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should also pick up a book (or two, or a dozen) on the subject.  Learning history, organizations, biographies, and maybe a few helpful hints here and there is all an amazing way to develop talent and interest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ganbatte!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-06-05T20:54:43.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7556" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1742" CreationDate="2017-06-05T22:22:57.350" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you want to systematize things, I suggest taking a look at a technique's 'tactical' value. Is it an attacking or defending technique or maybe a bit of both? For example, the concept of the Tactical Wheel from Western Fencing (and I think this is what Dave Liepmann was referring to with his comments about Russian and Eastern European coaches) has proved to be a useful tool in characterizing actions for sword arts. IMO, it's a good basic primer to tactics in general and, if you don't mind equating a kick with a punch or a sword thrust, it's can come in pretty handy. The Szabo tactical wheel (created by Lazlo Szabo) has basically four points, each successive point being a counter to the previous one:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Simple Attack (a single offensive action, such as a punch or a thrust)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Parry/Riposte (or Block/Counter, which is a defensive-offensive set of movements)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Compound Attack (an attack made evade the expected block, or nullify it, e.g., fake high, go low)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Counter Attack (a simple attack while the opponent is preparing)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also additional actions that can be inferred from this simple set of tactics. For instance, maybe you want to invoke your opponent's Parry/Riposte, so that you can counter riposte? Or maybe we can use their  Compound Attack to set up a Parry/Riposte of our own? And so we go spiraling off down the halls of possibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I admit that it's simplistic, but since every martial artist needs some framework for setting up a strategy, it allows one to do so with very little information from your opponent. It also allows novices to start working with tactical concepts, even though they only possess a few techniques. Additionally, I would note that, as with &lt;em&gt;all&lt;/em&gt; systems, things start to break down when you can no longer determine what is happening. As with anything, it only works when one can see clearly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8313" LastActivityDate="2017-06-05T22:22:57.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7557" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4790" CreationDate="2017-06-06T01:40:19.887" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been using the Polar M400 (in my underpants) with the chest monitor.  2.25 hrs of intense karate = 1300 kcal for me (220 lbs Bwt).  Just been told I can't wear a chest monitor either so looking for a Polar alternative if indeed one exists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8314" LastActivityDate="2017-06-06T01:40:19.887" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7559" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7549" CreationDate="2017-06-06T23:19:03.213" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Anatomically you have to think about what you are doing with that hand and arm.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you open the hand the wrist expands and is harder to hold onto (for someone grabbing the wrist) In Shorinji Kempo we call the principle of making your wrist hard to hold and bracing 'shuho' (kagite shuho, katate shuho and so on depending on how the rest of the body is positioned)  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now in Aikido You don't brace the body, but you still have to decide to what extent you wish to be held.  So if you want your Uke to have a tight grip it doesn't make sense to use a splayed finger tegatana.  Conversely if the point in your technique has come for them to let go use splay the fingers and it will help to release their grip.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise, if you are blocking with the arm opening the fingers will add power to the block while keeping them together will make the block softer and harder to feel.  In shorinji kempo we learn this as a progression.  You start off being taught to block with fingers spread as this allows you to use kime in the block.  Over time it becomes softer and your blocks should make the attacker feel 'wrapped in silk'.  For the latter effect we use fingers together.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally you might be striking.  For this you should tilt the &lt;strong&gt;whole hand&lt;/strong&gt; as you strike with fingers slightly apart.  This is demonstrated in the gif found on this webpage:  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikido-wiki.org/Entrainement/Essentials/tegatana-and-holds-pattern.en-us.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tegatana explanation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2017-06-06T23:19:03.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7560" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7562" CreationDate="2017-06-06T23:40:37.440" Score="0" ViewCount="1032" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm looking to eventually learn the use of the karambit in martial arts training, but I have a question before I get to that point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given the form of this karambit (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.zombietools.net/shop/the-mauler/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Mauler&lt;/a&gt;)  would this be a useful tool to carry in the woods, or just use as a utility knife?  I'm imagining that the ring might make me less likely to get cut if I should slip and give me more control over a stroke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I realise it was originally an agricultural tool, though this blade is only 4.5&quot; long so I won't be cutting any wheat or clearing brush with it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's legal to carry in my state.  I freely admit an emotional attraction to the way it looks like a claw (cat person here)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3145" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-06-07T12:48:56.890" LastActivityDate="2017-06-08T18:25:03.407" Title="How useful is a Karambit for Everyday Carry - noncombat" Tags="|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7561" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7563" CreationDate="2017-06-07T01:13:56.987" Score="7" ViewCount="178" Body="&lt;p&gt;The translation of the book of Water of The Book of Five Rings at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bookoffiverings.com/WaterBook.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.bookoffiverings.com/WaterBook.htm&lt;/a&gt; states:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The spirit of Direct Penetration is handed down in the true Way of the Ni To Ichi School.&#xA;  Teach your body strategy. You must practice well. This is transmitted orally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It has been a few centuries since this was published - is this now recorded, has it been lost, or is there some unlikely school which still retains a legitimate oral tradition? If it has not been lost, what is the &quot;spirit of Direct Penetration&quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8320" LastActivityDate="2019-06-08T02:20:57.977" Title="What is &quot;Direct Penetration&quot; from The Book of Five Rings book of Water?" Tags="|sword|japanese|samurai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7562" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7560" CreationDate="2017-06-07T04:00:50.740" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Would this be a useful tool to carry in the woods, or just use as a utility knife?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes and no, but mostly no, at least in my opinion. If your primary concern is going to be bushcraft and similar activities, you'll probably get more use out of a short and thick straight edge that can handle a beating. This short &amp;amp; straight edge will make the knife more maneuverable, making it easier to use in multiple tasks, such as skinning, feathering, simple woodworking, etc. A thicker blade is also interesting for batoning, which can effectively replace a hatchet for gathering firewood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main selling point of a knife being utilitarian in nature is that it can replace a multitude of specialized tools, so that you can carry a single item to get all those jobs done. The karambit also comes from South East Asia, where the flora and fauna are much different from what you will likely encounter in Europe or North America. As such, it's likely more adapted at performing those same tasks in that geographical context. People over there are not skinning/butchering the same animals, they're not cutting the same trees, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I guess my question for you is : can you see yourself cutting your food, cutting firewood, filleting fish or skinning game with your karambit? If so, sure, it will be useful in the woods. But I'm willing to bet you can find a more appropriate knife somewhere (for a fraction of the price of &quot;The Mauler&quot;, too).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I'm looking to eventually learn the use of the karambit in martial arts training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's an entirely different prospect. If the Martial Arts aspect of the karambit has a certain appeal to you, you should definitely try it out. If you take a look around, you'll also probably be able to find training karambits that are either blunt or made of various polymers. This way, you don't have to maim anyone to train karambit techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also nothing wrong with owning 2 knives. Use your karambit as an EDC when you're in town, where you're much less likely to have to skin a deer or cut firewood, and bring another knife to the woods. Besides, an angry bear won't be impressed by your karambit and most of the cool martial arts application won't work on animals anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2017-06-07T04:00:50.740" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7563" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7561" CreationDate="2017-06-07T18:05:21.020" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;The following &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GWEoL3xlMKQC&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;translations&lt;/a&gt; (by &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.christies.com/features/Unique-among-swords-an-interview-with-Victor-Harris-on-the-Samurai-Aesthetic-5275-1.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Victor Harris&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=fL__xCDDHusC&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Thomas Cleary&lt;/a&gt;) instead translate the phrase as &amp;quot;Direct Communication&amp;quot;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The spirit of &amp;quot;Direct Communication&amp;quot; is how the true Way of the Ni To Ichi school is received and handed down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://1.ariken.info/archives/146&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;corresponding passage in Japanese&lt;/a&gt; (possibly modernized Japanese) is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;わたしは、勝利に直結するあり方を、わが流派の道としてお伝えします。&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;よく練習して、わが流派をきわめて下さい。&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;詳しくは口頭で伝えますね。&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't speak Japanese, but Google Translate gives the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will tell you how to directly lead to victory as the way of our school.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Practice often, please refrain from our school.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;For details, I will tell you verbally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking at translations of individual words, and the context, I'd say that this is not a reference to some secret technique, or school of fighting, but a simple statement that he's talking straight, not producing flowery metaphor from which someone is supposed to figure it out for themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-06-05T10:37:03.753" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7564" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7" CreationDate="2017-06-07T22:27:58.420" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with what's been suggested, but purely from a conditioning point of view I would suggest the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;being able to run (not jog) 2 to 3 miles  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;be able to do 100 Hindu squats without break  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;be able to do 2 sets of 25 push ups  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;be able to do 50 sit ups and 100 crunches  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;leg swings (taking it easy) front back and side each morning.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would go further with weights too (squats and deadlifts in particular) - but I think this is enough to prepare your body for the volume of work a TKD session will throw at you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5804" LastEditorUserId="23" LastEditDate="2017-06-08T13:17:57.043" LastActivityDate="2017-06-08T13:17:57.043" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7565" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7560" CreationDate="2017-06-08T18:25:03.407" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The traditional kerambit was quite larger than the usual ones for sale.  For most of the silat styles I've seen, the tool-usage was cutting rice stalks.  The smallest sized kerambit-shaped blades were used for textiles - cutting fabric and twine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For general use in the wilderness, you can find a good variety of machete-style blades from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, but they all are basically variations on the classic &quot;heavy chopper&quot; motif.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a &quot;kerambit-inspired&quot; blade (ring is in the wrong place, usage in defense would be very different) I carry for EDC - it gets used in the office all the time for opening boxes.  I would not consider it for wilderness use, really, the blade would dull too quick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-06-08T18:25:03.407" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7566" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7568" CreationDate="2017-06-09T14:51:08.120" Score="3" ViewCount="244" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on what I see and hear during my practice, some students (even teachers) do ukemi with double slaps. For example, when the tori executes shomen ate and the uke does ukemi, I hear two consecutive sounds of slapping the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But sometimes I also hear just one slap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Question&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why do some people slap the floor with 2 hands one after the other? Why don't just slap the floor with 2 hands at the same time?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any benefit for each style?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7701" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-06-10T13:13:46.873" LastActivityDate="2017-06-10T16:11:25.787" Title="Single slap versus double slaps in 2 hand ukemi" Tags="|aikido|falling|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7567" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7566" CreationDate="2017-06-09T15:15:38.230" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no difference or benefit, you are simply communicating to nage that the technique is complete, and that &quot;if you continue, you're going to hurt me seriously.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess if you are in a seminar or testing scenario, where there is a lot of ambient noise, a double-tap can be more noticeable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen students tap out by rolling the fingertips, which to me is dangerous (to uke, if nage/tori doesn't notice the fingertips), and also insulting (because it's conveying that the technique is too gentile, and therefore, warrants a gentile tap-out).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on the technique, uke can also tap himself, by slapping the chest, arm, or leg; or can tap nage/tori as well.  Whichever is preferable depends on each scenario.  Sometimes, uke is not on the floor, so tapping the floor isn't an option.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nage is responsible for uke's safety, and should know that beginners can forget to tap, and so, should look for other indicators (like, &quot;ouch!&quot;).  But the floor is preferable whenever possible, because it is a common sound, and easily recognized.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-06-09T15:15:38.230" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7568" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7566" CreationDate="2017-06-09T15:28:21.877" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;When doing ushiro ukemi (back breakfall), the hands should slap the mat at the same time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes the throw means that it is impractical to do so thus either one hand is enough (more a side breakfall) or one hand after the other hit the mat. The latter is &quot;bad form&quot; but sometimes the best you can do due to position and momentum. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-06-09T15:37:03.587" LastActivityDate="2017-06-09T15:37:03.587" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7569" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7566" CreationDate="2017-06-10T16:11:25.787" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There should be no slaps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &quot;two slaps&quot; happen when the Uke tries to take the simple fall and finds mid-way that flight is needed. One slap for the try, a second slap for taking the flight too late.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7943" LastActivityDate="2017-06-10T16:11:25.787" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7571" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7575" CreationDate="2017-06-13T12:53:40.403" Score="4" ViewCount="1472" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've just started Kung Fu a little over a week ago.  I'm older (43), big (tall, and still slightly overweight), and haven't done any serious exercise in... well, longer than I care to admit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel like I'm really struggling to maintain even a semblance of the pose.  I'm not able to get my knees down, and I can't even begin to attempt a half lotus, let alone a full lotus.  During meditation, or any of our exercises from that pose, I am struggling to keep from slouching over, and keep feeling like I'm going to roll backwards.  Since a lot of our work on breathing is supposed to be done from this position, and breathing techniques are a pretty important part of training, I want to get at least comfortable enough in this position that I can focus on breathing, instead of not falling over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't expect increasing my strength and flexibility to be fast, but I'd like advice on what I can do at home to help work on this, to maintain steady and efficient progress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What specific exercises should I be working on?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8330" LastEditorUserId="8330" LastEditDate="2017-06-13T15:22:13.780" LastActivityDate="2017-06-15T14:30:44.200" Title="How do I increase my flexibility to obtain a full lotus position?" Tags="|training|flexibility|positions|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7572" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7571" CreationDate="2017-06-13T17:04:48.963" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I cannot speak from experience of learning as I learned to do it as a child, and have continued to do it through the years to maintain the ability, but this site has stretches to help one to a &lt;a href=&quot;https://yoga.com/article/5-poses-to-prepare-you-for-lotus&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lotus Position&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Butterfly Stretches&lt;/strong&gt; - Referred to in the article as &quot;Bound Angle Pose&quot;, this is where you sit and press the soles of your feet together, draw them in towards you as far as you can comfortably, then gently pressing your knees toward the ground. This will help you stretch out and open your hips and groin.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Revolved Head to Knee Pose (Parivrivritta Janu Sirsasana)&lt;/strong&gt; - I'm not familiar with this one, so I'll just include their explanation:&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;From a seated posture, bend your left leg and bring your left foot to the inside of your right thigh. Keeping your torso rotated to the left and your chest open, bend toward your right leg. Allow the right side of your body to sink toward your right leg, and try to take hold of your right toes with your right hand. If you can, stretch your left arm over your head to meet the right. Hold for 10 deep breaths and then repeat on the other side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pigeon Stretch&lt;/strong&gt; - This one will help with getting your foot and leg higher. You could see this as a variant of a lunge, or of a front split, but basically, one leg is stretched out behind you while the other has the knee rotated out so that your weight is across your calf, which is horizontal, perpendicular to your torso. You then lower yourself to the leg and try to touch your chest to it. Be careful and protect your knee.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cow Face Pose&lt;/strong&gt; - Never done this one before either.&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Cross one leg over the other so that both ankles are resting next to the opposite hip, and your knees are stacked. For our purposes, you can do the pose with your arms in any comfortable position. Stay here for a few breaths, and then walk your hands in front of you and begin to fold forward. Hold for 10 deep breaths and then repeat on the other side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Half lotus pose&lt;/strong&gt; - This is pretty self explanatory. Put one leg up on on the other leg and then fold the second leg under you tailor-style.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2017-06-13T17:04:48.963" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7573" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7544" CreationDate="2017-06-14T08:43:34.863" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can try a range test to find what suits your body and taste the most.&#xA;This range test I am talking about is an uchikomi training of:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tai-otoshi&#xA;Harai-goshi&#xA;Ashi-guruma&#xA;O-guruma&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;... and any technique you'd like to compare&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you can see, your impact foot will go up your opponent's leg and your balance foot will be changing position between techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: &lt;a href=&quot;https://vid.me/ZRvW&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt; is a video showing an example of what I meant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8332" LastEditorUserId="8332" LastEditDate="2017-07-06T18:24:33.203" LastActivityDate="2017-07-06T18:24:33.203" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7574" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7452" CreationDate="2017-06-14T09:44:55.940" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;One reason it's done in that specific way is that dao were an infantry weapon and pulling in tight around you like that reduces the chance of you cutting the guys beside you in a formation or a melee. Verbally from my teacher Dan Docherty, chief instructor PTCCI. &#xA; If you think about it, it's common sense. Bringing the blade around behind you you can't see what or who is behind you that your blade might injure or get caught in. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="689" LastEditorUserId="689" LastEditDate="2017-06-27T11:22:22.080" LastActivityDate="2017-06-27T11:22:22.080" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7575" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7571" CreationDate="2017-06-14T12:25:17.200" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From your question, you seem to have 3 issues:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. Keeping your back straight&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This one shows by you feeling like you're falling over. This problem can be taken care of by doing two things:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Work on your core&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your core (abdomen, waist, lower back) carries your upper body. Strengthen that and you'll have less trouble keeping your back straight. This should already be included in your regular training (situps, crunches, plank, etc.), so just keep at it. Don't cut corners on those.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Practice in front of a mirror&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is something I recommend for everything, like your basic stances, forms, etc. It'll help you get the right posture. I cannot stress enough to do this with mirror from the start, so you get it first time right. Correcting it afterwards, after years of practicing it in a wrong way, will make it a whole lot trickier.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. Putting your legs into that pose&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This one is mainly a matter of flexibility. There are some exercises that can help with this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Stretching&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, stretching is an important part. Sean Duggan's post covers the most important stretches for this&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Rotations&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rotations may be a weird term, but I don't know the exact word for it. It comes down to hip rotations and rotations of the part where your leg attaches into it. These include the exercises where you swing your leg upwards, keeping it stretched along the swing, inwards, and outwards (crescent moon kicks). These should actually already be part of your regular training too, so never cut corners on those either! There are other exercises that are great for it too, like going into split, then turning around. Those are more advanced, though, so keep at it with these, first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3. Staying seated like that&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The last issue is staying seated like this. This is done with a combination of the 2 steps above, and simply just sitting like this. If you really can't keep sitting like this for even 30 seconds or so, try against a wall, first. The extra support you get, will compensate for the core that has to be built up, and may help with keeping your back straight as well. Move away from the wall eventually, so you can sit by yourself, without the support, and just keep at it. In the end, you'll be able to sit in lotus position for extended times with no problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2017-06-14T12:25:17.200" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7576" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7571" CreationDate="2017-06-15T13:13:37.267" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Start in a position you can focus on breathing or meditation&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The lotus position is not essential to breathing or meditation. This may be where you want to end up, but it sounds counterproductive for you to start in this position because you will be focusing on all the wrong things while nominally working on breathing and meditation. You have pointed out your difficulties. There are many alternate positions you can use, including:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;lying down &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sitting in a chair&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;standing - this alternative is more challenging than either of the first two because it requires you to balance while relaxing your leg muscles. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In all of these positions, you should be remain relaxed. Keeping your back straight, while perhaps requiring more effort initially, will cause you to be more relaxed over many minutes because your skeleton will support your weight instead of your muscles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Increasing flexibility&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the context of kung fu systems, I would expect the necessary hip flexibility for a lotus position to be acquired from moving stance training. For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;From a horse stance, rotate your hips around your centerline without moving your knees or feet. You should feel a stretch in your hip and groin area. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There is a common moving stance pattern: bow stance (left) -&gt; crane stance -&gt; drop stance -&gt; bow stance (right). After one cycle, you are in a bow stance on the opposite side. After two cycles, you are back in the initial starting position. This is both a strength and flexibility exercise. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ballet also has extensive exercises for hip turnout if you are looking for more variety. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-06-15T13:13:37.267" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7577" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7571" CreationDate="2017-06-15T14:30:44.200" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a Taekwondo instructor - and we don't do much lotus position, but for general hip mobility/flexibility I've found that one exercise has consistently been the best for hips is &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;HORSE STANCE&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;do this as much as possible with your back straight and feet parallel (straight forwards). Have your back against a wall if needed when starting out. &#xA;The more you do, the better you will get. I find this position has so many benefits for strength, flexibility and mobility. It doesn't require any baseline flexibility to get a benefit, and I've seen plenty of new starters develop their hip range of motion quickly though daily practice of a good horse stance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8340" LastActivityDate="2017-06-15T14:30:44.200" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7578" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7579" CreationDate="2017-06-19T08:52:11.217" Score="5" ViewCount="3667" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have relocated to another city a short time ago and now I am training mostly with an old disciple of my sifu. He starts the Tai chi training with practising 3 kung fu stances: &lt;code&gt;Ma bu&lt;/code&gt;, &lt;code&gt;Gong bu&lt;/code&gt;, &lt;code&gt;Pu bu&lt;/code&gt;, which I found really useful for &lt;code&gt;tui shou&lt;/code&gt;. As I researched in internet I have seen that there are more stances. I would like to ask what are these stances and why do we need them with some examples if possible?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6654" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-06-20T09:59:07.393" LastActivityDate="2017-06-20T09:59:07.393" Title="What are basic kung fu stances?" Tags="|kung-fu|tai-chi|stance|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7579" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7578" CreationDate="2017-06-19T10:03:25.377" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;code&gt;Ma bu&lt;/code&gt; and &lt;code&gt;gong bu&lt;/code&gt; are the most basic stances, and I'm sure every other martial art has them. &lt;code&gt;Ma bu&lt;/code&gt; gets referred to as horse stance alot here. &lt;code&gt;Gong bu&lt;/code&gt; is basically a standard attack stance. &lt;code&gt;Pu bu&lt;/code&gt; is a bit less basic, but is great for flexibility and balance. Being able to switch between those three will create good hip flexibility and will allow you to do alot of the tai chi movements well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from &lt;code&gt;ma bu&lt;/code&gt;, &lt;code&gt;gong bu&lt;/code&gt; and &lt;code&gt;pu bu&lt;/code&gt;, there's also cat stance (&lt;code&gt;mao bu&lt;/code&gt; or &lt;code&gt;xu bu&lt;/code&gt;). Switching between &lt;code&gt;gong bu&lt;/code&gt; and &lt;code&gt;mao bu&lt;/code&gt; will be necessary for getting the hang of basic dodging and building some spring in your legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then there's &lt;code&gt;xie bu&lt;/code&gt;, which is great for balance and upper leg strength. Its practical use is more limited, but I'm sure with some creativity, you'll figure out what works. Practicality aside, it's a great stance for leg workout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This lady shows the basic stances very well &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUnXSlxuZ1U&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;in this video&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also a form called &quot;Five basic stances of wushu&quot;. This image shows it pretty cleanly:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pMMmU.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pMMmU.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-06-20T07:45:49.567" LastActivityDate="2017-06-20T07:45:49.567" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7580" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7586" CreationDate="2017-06-20T01:12:56.690" Score="4" ViewCount="553" Body="&lt;p&gt;In just trying things out, I have put a knife in my teeth and clamped down while doing something with my hands and then picked the knife up again.  I found no matter how easily they do it in the movies, it really freaking hurts the teeth and seems a completely silly and unrealistic approach to keep a knife handy while using your hands to climb something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there an actual way to do this without hurting your teeth, or is it just a Hollywood thing that looks cool but is completely unrealistic?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-12-14T16:31:26.990" LastActivityDate="2018-12-14T16:31:26.990" Title="Is there a way to carry a knife in your teeth without hurting them, or is it just hollywood?" Tags="|knife-fighting|entertainment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7581" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7578" CreationDate="2017-06-20T04:47:44.293" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am aware of two basic reasons to do stances. See &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6154&quot;&gt;Is it expected that all training stances/positions will have direct fighting applications?&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stances are directly for fighting&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stances are for training&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stances can be for one, the other, or both, depending on who is teaching. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Stances and variations&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many different stances; it's probably not really practical to expect a full list. How styles use them and what points they emphasize vary substantially. Proper understanding of these differences is also frequently not possible with simple one-to-one comparisons because the training goals of one system's use of a stance may be covered by multiple other training methods in another. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That aside, here is a quick survey, focusing on points that have not been covered in your question. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;horse stance&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;legs parallel to ground&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;legs forming arch - this version is more about structure and less about muscular strength&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;front stance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;drop stance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;cat stance - Weight is 100% on rear leg. This is for strength, balance, and protection&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;crane stance - For balance, protection&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;cross stance - Strength, flexibility, and leg trapping applications. There are variations both where:&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;weight is even distributed &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;weight is all on one foot&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;60-40 (4-6) stance: Weight is distributed with 60% on the rear foot and 40% on the front foot. In the bagua I have studied, this is the expected fighting stance. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;wuji - I don't actually know an English name for this stance. It's &quot;normal&quot; standing, in the sense that you can practice it without people necessarily noticing. This is for relaxation, balance, and meditation. I associate this stance with &quot;internal&quot; training, which is a rather controversial topic on this site both as a matter of categorization and theory. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-06-20T04:47:44.293" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7582" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7580" CreationDate="2017-06-20T20:32:27.980" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;So you've tested it, and found it lacking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But are you going to believe HOLLYWOOD FRICKING MOVIES, or your own lying experience? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is more a matter of &quot;how&quot; and &quot;what knife&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2011/02/01/woman_held_knife_in_her_teeth_murder_trial_told.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2011/02/01/woman_held_knife_in_her_teeth_murder_trial_told.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;She got it to work for her. Well, sort of, she's on trial. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In that case she was (allegedly) holding the knife with the handle in her mouth, sticking straight out. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would say that if your stationary and just want to get it out of your hand for a couple seconds while you do something that requires both hands, it might be doable. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're climbing a soaking wet rope ladder hanging off the side of a ship in heavy seas, at night, expecting to find a fight at the rail? Might want to give that one another think. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So while it's possible with the right knife and the right situation, I wouldn't want to rely on it, and wouldn't train it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6460" LastActivityDate="2017-06-20T20:32:27.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7583" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7584" CreationDate="2017-06-21T08:56:34.747" Score="3" ViewCount="669" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Aikido there are &lt;code&gt;suwariwaza&lt;/code&gt; techniques which are done on the ground and one should walk on knees or sometimes pivot on one knee for &lt;code&gt;tenkan&lt;/code&gt;. Some schools make the students walk in &lt;code&gt;shikko&lt;/code&gt; like 10 times around the mats to train it. However it could be really painful for knees especially if the tatami is hard. Are there any good tips to prevent knee pain or injury? Is it better to avoid &lt;code&gt;shikko&lt;/code&gt; completely?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6654" LastActivityDate="2017-06-23T07:29:34.053" Title="How to avoid knee pain/injury during Shikko waza?" Tags="|training|aikido|injury|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7584" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7583" CreationDate="2017-06-21T10:11:28.773" Score="5" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Bad knees&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have bad knees, as in medical professional has told you they are bad, then &lt;em&gt;you should avoid any exercise that damages them further&lt;/em&gt;. Your coach/teacher should modify the exercises so you still can do them standing up. You will miss some of the subtleties of suwari waza but nothing drastic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Good knees&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your knees are fine… There are a few things you can do to mitigate the pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, make sure your dogi is re-enforced in the knees. This means that you have some extra padding to protect your soon-to-be sore flesh. Your knees are not used to being threaded on so the padding will help. You could use some light bandage or knee pads. The former is an extra layer of protection but does cut into the back of your knee. The latter exacerbates the cutting and can be counter productive in the long run. However, if your knees are bleeding because you ripped the skin off them, they are essential!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, lose weight and increase your flexibility. The former is kinda obvious: the heavier you are, the more pressure you are going to put on your knees. So, the more they are going to hurt even before you do shikko or suwari waza. Clearly, if you are a lean mean machine already, this might not matter. The latter is a little less obvious. Flexibility will help make the posture of kneeling easier and thus allow you to do it more often. Which nicely brings me to… &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thirdly, do less more often. This will get your knees more used to being used as feet and therefore less painful. This is kind of lazy advice: do more dhu! The trick there is to do little a lot rather than a lot once in a blue moon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, try to minimise the time you spend on your knees. You can site in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/7330/82&quot;&gt;seiza&lt;/a&gt; or cross your legs. You can get up and walk instead of using shikko to go to your partner. You can (and really should) make sure your knees are not stiffening up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Do yourself no harm!&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most important advice I can give you is &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;do yourself no harm!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;em&gt;If it hurts, stop doing it&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your knees are super important&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; and once they break, they never go back to a good state. You should be in martial arts for the duration, not a few years. No one will care in a dozen years how macho you were doing laps in shikko and leaving blood trails on the mat because you will not be there training. Or they might tell this as a warning to others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts all claim to teach self defence: this is a prime example. You should know when to stop to protect your own body and not be ashamed of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: This is the understatement of the year. ☺&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2017-06-21T10:11:28.773" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7585" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7330" CreationDate="2017-06-22T17:37:09.407" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know if this will help you, but I've gotten great results from foam rolling and using a tennis ball to work out trigger points in my thighs and calves.  I used to get stiff, painful knees and hips from seiza, which sounds different than you, but the &quot;magic bullet&quot; for my knees was the tennis ball work.  A lot of knee issues stem from knotted calves, which isn't super obvious.  I never would've believed rolling a tennis ball on my calves would possibly help my knees, but it was literally magical.  Your mileage may vary but it won't hurt to try (actually it will hurt a lot, but it's a good hurt :) ).  Stretching and rolling are totally different in my experience; I can stretch my calves all day and it won't get rid of the knots that a tennis ball will.  Same with quads.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8354" LastActivityDate="2017-06-22T17:37:09.407" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7586" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7580" CreationDate="2017-06-22T19:22:01.817" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;To answer your question as stated;  While, it is possible to carry a knife in your teeth without injury &lt;strong&gt;there is no method&lt;/strong&gt; by which you can do it &lt;strong&gt;safely&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The teeth are formed in such a way that they are remarkably strong and resilient to damage &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.livescience.com/3498-mystery-tooth-strength-cracked.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;(reference)&lt;/a&gt;. However they are also fairly fragile due to the brittle nature of glass-like dentin.  Especially when they develop micro-fractures from long term damage from things such as impacts, biting hard foods (i.e. ice, nuts, popcorn kernels), and misuse.  Misuse can be anything from biting open packages to opening beer bottles to carrying your pirate cutlass in your teeth! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This mainly falls under the &quot;Rule of Cool&quot; and is specifically referenced here at &lt;a href=&quot;http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CutlassBetweenTheTeeth&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;tvtropes.org&lt;/a&gt;.  Ultimately, though others may have been a bit harsh in their response, they were correct in that it is never advisable to put a hard object in your mouth. Especially while doing vigorous physical activity like climbing wet ropes in rough seas or fighting pirates!  Leave it to the actors to look cool doing stupid things, and spend your time training the fundamentals of whatever martial art you practice... because it's the fundamentals that save your butt in a pinch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8341" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-06-23T07:31:41.233" LastActivityDate="2017-06-23T07:31:41.233" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7587" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7583" CreationDate="2017-06-23T00:08:25.047" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is not to take away anything that Sardathrion said, as it is largely correct (wait for it...) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, Aikido is not knitting class (nor are most of the other martial arts). There is discomfort, and there is pain. There is &quot;hurt&quot; that denotes damage, and there is hurt that is merely the triggering of some neurons that really should learn to shut the &gt;ahem&amp;lt; up and let you get on with things. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was a Marine subject to reveille at one point in my life, and I didn't learn that lesson for a LONG time. Now I have arthritis in several joints (including both my big toes!), a fused vertebra and a moderately high pain tolerance. I have learned to stop when it starts hurting more than momentarily. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As in one of my martial arts instructors in the past said &quot;Damn. You have a high pain tolerance&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We study martial arts for different reasons--I have no idea what &quot;yours&quot; are (and no idea who &quot;you&quot; are), but martial arts are, inherently about &lt;em&gt;fighting&lt;/em&gt;. In a fight you will experience both mental (at least the first few times) and physical discomfort, you will &lt;em&gt;likely&lt;/em&gt; get hit, which will hurt, and you might get damaged. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Part of martial training is experiencing some of that discomfort in class so that when it happens outside of class you don't get your OODA loop interrupted. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your knees are in really bad shape you need to discuss this with your instructor. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But unless your instructor is is having you do suwariwaza races on concrete (go find another instructor) it's &lt;em&gt;going&lt;/em&gt; to be uncomfortable at first, but I don't think it's something that will &lt;em&gt;damage&lt;/em&gt; healthy knees of a healthy individual. Hell, we do similar techniques (different art) and the biggest problem I have is that I'm not flexible enough. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To recap:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learn the difference in feeling between discomfort and damage.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Suwariwaza should not be &lt;em&gt;painful&lt;/em&gt;, but until you learn how and gain&#xA;the requisite flexibility it will be uncomfortable.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Embrace the suck, it makes you a better person. Modulo the issues in 1. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6460" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-06-23T07:29:34.053" LastActivityDate="2017-06-23T07:29:34.053" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7588" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7529" CreationDate="2017-06-23T07:19:09.817" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The kata in this video shows the basic applications of &lt;code&gt;kaeshi waza&lt;/code&gt;, meaning counter techniques. The history of &lt;code&gt;kaeshi waza&lt;/code&gt; goes before the foundation of aikido, it is already a known concept in older martial arts like &lt;code&gt;jiu jitsu&lt;/code&gt;, &lt;code&gt;judo&lt;/code&gt;, etc. Here is a link to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judo-ch.jp/english/dictionary/terms/kaesiwaza/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Judo terminology&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is of course no surprise as Aikido has its root in older budo arts. Shihan Stefan Stenudd (7.Dan) has a nice list of kaeshi applications for Aikido in his website, showing which technique can be countered with which: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stenudd.com/aikido/aikidobasics-kaeshiwaza-table.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Table of Kaeshiwaza techniques&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;I also add a screenshot of the table, so we will not lose the information if the website goes offline.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pgtEK.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pgtEK.png&quot; alt=&quot;Kaeshiwaza table&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the last point why some Aikido schools don't teach Kaeshi waza and some do, is difficult to answer. I have once heard from Shihan Adrien Halm (8.Dan), who is a disciple of Hirokazu Kobayashi, that O'Sensei teached &lt;code&gt;Kaeshi waza&lt;/code&gt; before the World War 2. After the war it was removed from the art because of the martial arts ban between 1945-1950 in Japan. However I could not find any source or documentation to support this argument. It might be a speculation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6654" LastActivityDate="2017-06-23T07:19:09.817" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7589" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7594" CreationDate="2017-06-25T07:17:23.147" Score="3" ViewCount="2962" Body="&lt;p&gt;A bit of backstory:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I wanted to know if there were any advantages of women fighting against men. And the only thing I came across was lower center of gravity. On average, women lose against men in both strength and speed (I think just sprinting/running) but have a lower center of gravity. However, I never found anything which really complimented the lower center of gravity. There are answers saying that a lower center of gravity helps with throws (judo, jiu jutsu, etc.) but doesn't really apply to sword fighting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But then I wondered if the lower center of gravity would help in side to side movements. And if it would help in deflecting opponents attacks to off balance them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So overall... &lt;strong&gt;do women have any advantages in sword fighting?&lt;/strong&gt; I'm more specifically interested in long sword fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7703" LastActivityDate="2022-04-24T17:36:37.863" Title="Do women have any advantages in sword fighting" Tags="|sword|women|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7591" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7589" CreationDate="2017-06-26T07:17:16.483" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not really no… &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The winner in a fight is generally the one with the more skill. And skill can be acquired regardless of gender. The nature vs nurture debate might rage here saying that some people are better suited genetically (mentally or/and physically) to certain things rather than others. Still, spend ten years doing anything for eight hours a day and you will master it. Certain things such as weight, height, equipment quality, willpower, luck, etc., do play a part. However, such are relatively minor adjustments compared to skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The plural of anecdote is not evidence and while this or that event clearly shows David winning against Goliath, statistically Goliath squashes David a much larger number of times. Not a perfect analogy but you know what I am driving at…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On average, women tend to be physically smaller and less strong than men. That is a disadvantage when yielding mêlée weapons: Both strikes and parries will be weaker. The weight of the weapon one can swing will either be less or one will not be able to do it for as long as a stronger opponent. Any increase in speed/agility by giving up weight is negligible: it actually does not matter that much if you are athletic. Size cannot be changed, but does not affect your hitting area that just in any case at mêlée range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While some might claim that cleavage is distracting (thus &lt;a href=&quot;http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/PlayingWith/ChainmailBikini&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;bikini-armour&lt;/a&gt;) and that gentlemen do not hit ladies, this is nothing but sexist manure. However, sexism might spur a woman to excel by training much harder than her male counterparts to prove she is as good as they are. This was the case of an old sensei of mine. Clearly, most of the time, it is a turn off and not a performance enhancer -- just to be clear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Something that I did notice is that dancers pick up kata (empty handed or weapon based) at an accelerated rate: they are used to following patterns and their eyes grasp the movement much quicker than most non-dancer. Since most dancers are female, this is an advantage but not one linked to gender.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-06-26T13:21:21.363" LastActivityDate="2017-06-26T13:21:21.363" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7592" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7593" CreationDate="2017-06-26T17:10:46.040" Score="-2" ViewCount="1356" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a weaker left arm bone; more than a decade ago (at age ~11) I had 3 bone tumors each of which caused a pathological fracture, all in the same place on my left arm, each tumor happening after around 6 months of the previous one. Ultimately I had to get a large part of the bone replaced via grafting (the replaced bone was my body's tail bone, a vestigial organ).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to join Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but I'm afraid I might get this bone in particular broken. How grave is this risk, both in learning as well as sparring?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd like to point out that as of now, I'm able to perform many kinds of push-ups, incomplete handstand push-ups, pull-ups and weightlifting at the beginner level without experiencing any pain there at all. Also I had 2 years of experience of Shotokan Karate from my years before the fractures happened.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7458" LastActivityDate="2018-11-15T13:55:21.723" Title="How risky is it to practice grappling martial arts (eg Jiu Jitsu) with a weakened arm bone?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|injury|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2020-04-06T01:05:48.177" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7593" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7592" CreationDate="2017-06-26T20:05:48.870" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;That sounds like a great question for your doctor! Honestly, that's who you should be talking to about this. Your doctor can do a bone density scan and look over your medical history to know exactly what you can and can not do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Incidentally, I'm not a doctor, but I do know that bones heal themselves over time. Fractures, cracks, and weak areas can get better over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bone is not dead tissue. It's actually alive, filled with cells that are capable of growing more bone in response to various conditions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of those conditions that grows bone is weightlifting. Any kind of strength training exercise or resistance-based exercise involving the arm would help. Pull-ups, push-ups, dead-lifts, and presses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think your bone injury necessarily means you can't train in BJJ, but your instructor and training partners will need to know about it so that they don't apply too much torque to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It would help your partners if you wore a full-arm rash guard on that arm only (the other arm's rash guard you can cut off with scissors) to let them &quot;feel&quot; when they have the arm that shouldn't be torqued. When doing gi work, have something on your gi's sleeve that they can feel (like PlastiDip) to identify the arm they need to watch out for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for specific techniques within BJJ that cause force on the arm bone itself, there aren't any that I can think of at the moment. Submissions work on weak points on the body, and bones are typically the strongest points. Looking at juji-gatame (arm bar) for example, the force is directed at the elbow joint, not at the bones of the arm itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: Actually, as someone else pointed out, there's the Bicep Slicer technique. It's a technique whereby you're putting pressure on the bicep muscle. That force drives the muscle into the humerus (upper arm) bone. And since leverage is used, it can snap the bone, especially if your bone is weak. It isn't actually meant to attack the bone, just the bicep muscle. But in your case, your bone might be vulnerable. This technique is more advanced, and probably you'll be ready for it when you encounter it later on in your training. The main thing to remember is: Tap soon, and tap often.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where you might encounter problems is when you're trying to pull your arm out of submissions such as the arm-bar. That would put force on the bone itself. Who knows, maybe with enough force, it could snap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing you'll encounter often is putting your hands down on the mat to protect yourself from a throw or a take-down. If you're not careful, you can lock your arms out and cause a weak bone to fracture. But usually stiff arms during a breakfall causes shoulder and wrist injuries. The problem is that it's very easy to forget how to fall correctly, and your instincts take over. That's when you get into trouble.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Oma-Plata technique can be trouble for you, also. It doesn't necessarily target the bones, but people often put their knees down on your arm and put their full body weight on it. This happens to the humerus (upper arm) bone. The ulna and radial bones of the lower arm can be torqued also with this technique, as with the kimura technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So this is why you have to talk with your partners ahead of time. And go slow and light at first, until you can sense what's going on and can defend your arm better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your doctor will have the ultimate say, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2017-06-28T15:30:14.220" LastActivityDate="2017-06-28T15:30:14.220" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7594" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7589" CreationDate="2017-06-26T22:17:38.297" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's basically two factors here that matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Height and Reach&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reach matters with melee weapons, however... it matters most when you're fighting with similar weapons.  Since your context is specifically &quot;sword vs. sword&quot; presumably of similar type, reach is going to matter.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can change the effects of natural reach with things like longer weapons (polearms, for example) or a means of blocking while entering - shields, parrying weapons, etc... which is typically what you see happens with smaller combatants of any gender.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Skill&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For weapons, skill matters the most.  It's about reach, timing, and angles, not hammering through people's defenses.  This is why even in the sparring heavy/competitive spaces you find a broader age range of high level practitioners than empty hand sports.  So in this regard, the usual issues of strength matter less.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, if you are thinking about things like grappling included in your sword fight, or the larger context of &quot;We're marching 30 miles, carrying camp equipment for our army, then we fight&quot; - strength and frame size can become very important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In short&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, while women have no specific advantages in a sword fight, the usual claims of disadvantages are not in the way most people think, and unless you're looking at a duel of similar weapons, most people would just do the sensible thing and fight with a different weapon to make up the difference of reach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-06-26T22:17:38.297" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7595" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1742" CreationDate="2017-06-27T16:31:38.100" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have to admit I was stymied by the concept of &quot;ontology&quot;, so, I had to look it up.  And when I did, I realized it was a philosophical concept.  After reading about it for a bit, I decided my answer was that yes, there has been an attempt to systemitize a martial art, but no, not a way for combat.  Not exactly, anyway: In some styles, notably taekwondo, tangsoodo, karate, kungfu, etc, there exists the concept of forms (kata, poomsae, hyung, taolu).  It is in forms that define the style.  Of course, some styles have many forms, others changed their forms, others have only a single form, others have forms but seem to have no idea why...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's your philosophical answer: the forms are the key to the style.  The ancients knew this; it was the only means to record their style and pass it on.  Some played games, like hiding techniques into representations of something else.  For example, many techniques in Capoeira are hidden in dance.  Many techniques in Karate and Taekwondo are defined by hitting yourself.  Always, these techniques are representative of something else (who in their right mind hits themselves in self-defense??)  While this will form a tangent into politics which has nothing to do with your question, the basic answer is yes, it has been done before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, others here seem to have concluded a different meaning to ontology, and so, I did more research and decided they're also quite right.  It sort of follows that there is a canonical list of techniques within the style.  I can say with assurance that two of the styles I practice - Kukkiwon Taekwondo, and ITF Taekwondo - the former has a textbook containing all of the techniques, while the latter has the famed Encyclopedia.  The textbook and encyclopedia are rather incomplete, and form the basis for many who complain bitterly about the styles: both tomes contain techniques not seen in forms and yet not allowed in competition.  Or they're missing techniques which are commonly employed in competition (eg, tornado roundhouse).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I would say that, yes - there has been an ontology created for Kukkiwon and ITF Taekwondo, but it differs from your example in two distinct ways: first, the textbook and encyclopedia are complete as written, although not complete as practiced.  Your example is, of course, not intended to be complete - you're asking for details to be filled in.  The second way is that the techniques are categorized into a mind map or chart.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, despite the books' shortcomings, I also see limitations and limited use of an ontology.  What use could it have?  Listing a technique that is never used, as it the case with the mentioned books; or naming or qualifying a technique, as you and others here have done.  This method of categorizing techniques is what limits - not expands - our knowledge.  Giving something a name makes that thing useful only for what its name implies.  Some Chinese styles had it right, in my opinion: things get names from concepts having little or nothing to do with its purpose.  Otherwise, we have things like &quot;rising block&quot;, and suddenly, this thing is categorized as a defensive maneuver which can only be used for blocking.  Never mind that it has striking, grappling, and parrying purposes: this thing MUST be a block, and ONLY a block, and NOTHING else.  I don't agree with that mantra, which is why I'm careful not to categorize techniques, and refer to them by name only when I have to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you prefer to have an ontology, perhaps making the techniques more generically categorized: hand techniques, foot techniques, body position, etc would be more helpful.  It would reduce the repetition of a technique appearing in more than one place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, styles have techniques with no name at all.  Aikido, for example, has henka-waza which are derivatives of named techniques, but executed in odd ways.  Throws are a good example here: sometimes, a throw is achieved simply because the opponent has grabbed onto you, and you need not grab back at him to throw (this is accomplished via the open knifehand &quot;blocks&quot;); or, your opponent is in position for an easy throw but has not grabbed you, so you must (this is accomplished via the closed-fist &quot;fighting&quot; or &quot;on guard&quot; position or posture (the closed fist is the hint we are grabbing)).  And yet the knifehand and closed fist have several distinct other uses as well: will you reflect this in the ontology?  Will an ontology be allowed to have duplicates - two purposes for a single named technique?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another example is the double-face punch, seen in more than a few TKD forms.  Of course, these are not really face punch, yes?  This would be highly inefficient (given some of us have established that a chamber is needed to add power).  Hint: you are grabbing the opponent's ears.  Or hair.  So your ontology must reflect this: one technique for two distinct purposes.  Do you list &quot;double face punch&quot; (which is not a punch at all), or do you list these two: &quot;hair pull&quot; and &quot;ear pull&quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, what about context?  The answers listed so far don't mention &quot;stances&quot;, which I guess is good.  But the ontologies I listed (the textbook and encyclopedia) DO mention stances, and here, this is a very useless item.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you were going to mention stances, you might as well go ahead and list other techniques, like &quot;head facing left&quot;, &quot;head facing right&quot;, &quot;turn the torso clockwise&quot;, etc.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While these are simply positions of the body, or transitions from one place to another, they arguably are not techniques any more so than a stance is also a body position or a transition from one place to another.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, stances are one of those things we have which don't really clue us as to what the thing is doing by name alone.  You know, like &quot;cross stance&quot;.  Is it offensive?  Defensive?  Both?  What's its true purpose?  Where does it go in your ontology?  Some stances - like a crane stance - absolutely have offensive and defensive movements.  For example, the crane stance (where the foot is not wrapped behind the knee) is representative of the person lying on his back with the opponent on top of him.  The bent knee keeps the opponent from completely taking over, and affords the possibility that we can push off and roll the opponent off us.  All that in a &quot;crane stance&quot;, which isn't a stance; and if you're lucky, the outward knee goes to the opponent's groin or solar plexus.  But it isn't a kick, because that would imply a transference of energy from defender to offender, whereas here, the offender is transferring his mass and energy onto the fixed and unmoving knee.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, speaking of knees...  So the other crane stance has us wrapping our foot behind the knee.  Subtle difference - except that with the former, we're on the ground on our back, while the latter is used whilst standing.  Not very subtle at all, yes?  In this case, we're wrapping our front leg behind the opponent's, to effect a trip.  This is one of those &quot;hidden&quot; strategies I mentioned before. How are you going to relate all this in an ontology?  And that cross stance?  That's usually a strike (using the knee) to a pressure point in the opponent's area of SP10, ST36, SP09, SP08 (or if you prefer, ou-li/kee-moon, shitsu-kwansetsu/dohk-bee, kokotsu/um-nung-chun; etc)  This is something else that ought to be in an ontology, if you're striving for completeness and information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What about chambers?  Here's where we get into these philosophical arguments.  Are they preparatory movements for a strike, or are they a technique in of themselves?  How do you put it into the ontology?  Should you?  Where does it go?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What about breathing?  And kihap/kiai?  These are used for many purposes some say for power, pain absorption, harmonizing, aim, and maintaining stamina.  It's a technique.  Gotta put it in there.  But where?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You see?  Your list is 1-dimensional - a top-down list.  If you categorize the techniques, it becomes 2 dimensional, but immediately becomes complicated because a single technique can traverse more than one category. Do you remember the movie Contact, with Jodi Foster?  Do you remember how the aliens conveyed instructions to Earth for the knowledge to building the machine?  They could have used a set of instructions listed top down.  After all, that's how the machine got built to begin with.  Instead, they made the instructions more efficient by using math, and by compressing it into a third dimension.  It's the same here: your forms (poomsae, kata, taolu) are the most efficient means for representing your ontology.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With forms, you can have a 5-dimensional ontology: not just a top-down list of techniques (and no categorization) (and no names, except the part where you're being taught the form's movements), but movement, timing, and alternative interpretation are also included.  All neatly represented - in context - which could never be represented in a top-down approach, whether it is a top-down list or a mind map or a chart of some sort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your written ontology might have 50 techniques in it.  Your form may be defined as having 20 movements, but will be hundreds of techniques.  And will include the &quot;esoteric&quot; stuff I mentioned: breathing, chambers, stances, etc.  And the more you study your forms, the more techniques you will derive out of them.  In this way, your written ontology is static and can be memorized - but no learning occurs.  With forms, the movements are static (that is, they don't change), but the techniques drawn from them are nearly endless - and that's where much of the learning takes place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sources:&#xA;Encyclopedia of Taekwondo; author: Choi, Hong Hi&#xA;ISBN13: 978-1897307762&#xA;ISBN10: 1890307764&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kukkiwon Taekwondo Textbook (Korean-English); published: Osung&#xA;ISBN13: 978-8973367504&#xA;ISBN10: 8973367501&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your style has forms, there's your ontology.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2017-06-27T16:50:34.687" LastActivityDate="2017-06-27T16:50:34.687" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7597" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-06-30T13:48:35.040" Score="10" ViewCount="3764" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just came to my new school, where I feel like a loner and there are some students who are professional boxers. The bullying is common here. I'm afraid that they can beat me. I am a weak one unlike most of them, they have good muscles. So, after watching the movie Drunken Master, I want to learn Kung Fu, so that I can protect me at least. My age is 15 and I'm weakest in my class. I want to learn self defense in Kung Fu which is the easy and fast to learn style. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user8373" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-06-30T14:53:04.600" LastActivityDate="2021-07-18T08:27:26.603" Title="Which will be the best style for kung fu for self defense for a weak person?" Tags="|self-defense|kung-fu|self-training|wing-chun|stance|" AnswerCount="12" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7598" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7597" CreationDate="2017-06-30T14:52:48.233" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Frankly, you probably don't want to actually fight (you can encounter some pretty severe penalties in some areas, including much of the United States of America) and no martial art is going to quickly show you how to go up against people bigger than you, let along people bigger than you and trained to fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My recommendation is to work on your running: speed, endurance, and ability to quickly traverse obstacles. And get teachers or administrators involved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2017-06-30T14:52:48.233" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7599" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7597" CreationDate="2017-06-30T15:00:00.693" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;Protecting yourself from bullying has more to do about confidence than about martial arts. Learning martial arts will raise your confidence, but coming across as unsure and uncertain, even if you're a grandmaster, will still get you bullied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because of that reason, the style of kungfu matters less. The club you go to and your trainer matters more. Make sure you feel good at the club and during the trainings. Make sure the trainer has a positive attitude. That way, you'll reach your goals of not being bullied while getting better at kungfu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a sidenote, plenty of semi-professional or professional fighters actually are really kind-hearted people. Don't take &quot;professional boxer&quot; as a sign of them being a bully. Of course there are bullies amongst competitive fighters, but they're in a vast minority.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2017-06-30T15:00:00.693" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7600" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7597" CreationDate="2017-06-30T15:14:10.207" Score="5" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Fighting will not solve your problem&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning how to fight will not help. It will take too long, land you in trouble with the law/school, and even if you succeed at becoming a fighter, all you achieve would be &lt;a href=&quot;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/streetfighting.html#streetfighter&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;to turn yourself into a bully&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using weapons is an even worst idea! Leave knives, shives, and bats at home. You can cause serious harm to yourself with those.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;What will (might?) help…&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/childsafety.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Child safety from no-nonsense self defence&lt;/a&gt; is a good place to start. They have a section on bullying about half way down the page. It makes for grim reading.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, there are things you can do:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Talk to your parents. They should be your first port of call. They can talk to the school officials, move you to a different school, and &lt;em&gt;they are there to help you.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Talk to your teacher(s). Preferably one you like, if not the head of your class (if you have such a thing), and otherwise the head teacher. It is their responsibility to keep you safe while at and around school. Some schools have special counsellors and appointed persons that you can talk to, some do not. All of them are still legally responsible to listen and more importantly help you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If the two previous things have failed, &lt;em&gt;and only in that case&lt;/em&gt; then you should seek help elsewhere: a good place is anti-bullying charities. You can find the closest to your local via Google.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You &lt;em&gt;might consider&lt;/em&gt; talking to law enforcement. But this should be your last resource.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/1780/sean-duggan&quot;&gt;Sean Duggan&lt;/a&gt; is absolutely right in his &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/7598/82&quot;&gt;answer&lt;/a&gt; that you should develop an athletic outlook: get fit, flexible, and stronger. It will help you in all kinds of way and the sooner you start, the less effort it will be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/7414/raf&quot;&gt;Raf&lt;/a&gt;'s &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/7599/82&quot;&gt;answer&lt;/a&gt; is spot on about martial arts styles being irrelevant compared to the teacher. If you look for an art, look for a good school and teacher more than a style. I would encourage you to do that but not for fighting bullies: instead look at developing your physique, your self confidence, making new friends.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-06-30T15:21:49.120" LastActivityDate="2017-06-30T15:21:49.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7601" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-06-30T16:33:06.027" Score="0" ViewCount="420" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can a weak person learn kung fu? I want to master drunken style. I am fascinated with it. What are the basis of it? and are there any free online resources to learn it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user8373" LastActivityDate="2017-07-06T19:06:26.393" Title="What are the best free online resources to learn Drunken Kung Fu style?" Tags="|self-defense|kung-fu|self-training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2017-07-07T11:30:11.560" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7602" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7597" CreationDate="2017-06-30T16:41:39.880" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll stay out of the debate regarding the best way to deal with bullying, but I think it's worth noting that a martial art that is easy to learn probably isn't going to be particularly effective. You get what you put into it, and if your opponent is following a difficult training regimen to prepare for boxing, finding a school that teaches kung fu in an &quot;easy&quot; manner won't be great. I'd guess only 1 of 3 people makes it through the first weeks of class at my kwoon; the plus side is that those who do get the benefit of getting in far better shape while also learning effective self-defense. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finding the right teacher and school will provide you with the needed environment to develop self-confidence, increase your fitness level, and pick up self-defense on the way; highly recommend it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8375" LastActivityDate="2017-06-30T16:41:39.880" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7603" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7597" CreationDate="2017-06-30T17:07:19.080" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun/Jeet Kun Do. It originated (according to legend) as a style for women and has a focus on efficiency rather than strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That answers the question, but the solution, I think .. is to gain weight and muscle mass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Honestly, you can spend the same amount of time learning martial arts and try to use it in a fight - or - just bulk up and more likely people will leave you in peace.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given that any training whether its martial arts or weight lifting, would take several years to gain any real benefits from, and you likely graduate in 2 or 3 years .. don't you think you should consider another strategy, e.g. political: make friends with some tough guys? That partially worked for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I took up Goju Kai at about the same age and the only thing I learned from it was how to not panic in a fight, focus my mind, and deliver a clean strike, even while I was getting beat up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I agree with @Kalmino, it can get you in more trouble, because once I became use to bloody sparring from the dojo I found myself picking fights with anyone that made fun of me, even if I knew I might get beat up. It didn't matter, because I lost all fear. &lt;em&gt;The fact that other kids knew that I lost all fear was the single most significant thing to being left alone.&lt;/em&gt; (same principle as the comment from Raf)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've noticed the same thing as pojo-guy, once I got into fights with people from my weight group and upward, I eventually realized my limits and they weren't far beyond my own capabilities for some one of my weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8376" LastEditorUserId="8376" LastEditDate="2017-07-03T14:37:43.357" LastActivityDate="2017-07-03T14:37:43.357" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7604" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7601" CreationDate="2017-06-30T17:07:58.697" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Drunken kungfu is crazy difficult. It requires significantly higher levels of timing, balance and coordination than most other styles. It may look foolish and easy, but it takes alot of skills to make it look that foolish and easy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My suggestion is to start with another style first. Once you get the hang of basic stances and your coordination improves, maybe you can talk to your teacher about drunken kungfu. But really, start at the beginning. You don't polevault without being able to run and jump, first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2017-06-30T17:07:58.697" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7605" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7597" CreationDate="2017-06-30T18:05:48.777" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;Source: Black Belt in Ju Jitsu&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, I completely agree that learning to fight won't fix your problem; it'll probably just get you into trouble.  However, learning a martial art is a great way to build confidence and THAT can definitely help with the bullying (speaking from experience here).  One thing to note though, is that NO martial art is &quot;fast and easy&quot; to learn; they're all disciplines that require lots of training and focus.  Without that discipline, you're in danger of hurting yourself or &lt;strong&gt;seriously&lt;/strong&gt; injuring someone else which, even in a fight, is not what you want to do.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of that being said, one discipline that I would recommend is &lt;strong&gt;Ju Jitsu&lt;/strong&gt;.  I'm a black belt in Japanese Ju Jitsu and the style is based on controlling someone by using their own strength, weight and energy against them.  It's a fantastic style for learning ways to deal with larger, stronger opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, one of the below answers mentioned &lt;strong&gt;Wing Chun&lt;/strong&gt;.  I'm not sure why it got downvoted; Wing Chun is a great style for someone who doesn't want a discipline based on strength. It was originally designed as a &quot;women's martial art&quot; but picked up a lot of steam with both men and women.  Wing Chun is one of the styles that Bruce Lee studied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8377" LastActivityDate="2017-06-30T18:05:48.777" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7606" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7597" CreationDate="2017-06-30T20:16:10.823" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recommend taking a public speaking or debate class and work towards a peaceful resolution. That will help with shyness, which in turn will pro-actively prevent bullying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Short of that, learn San Soo or Krav Maga.  That way if they try to box, you can just break their arms with very little pressure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bullying can be deadly.  In my mind, the objective of martial arts is to win the fight as quickly as possible.  Generally this means either running away or putting your opponent in the hospital.  Don't feel bad about it; you'll be doing them a favor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8378" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-07-01T21:23:21.980" LastActivityDate="2017-07-01T21:23:21.980" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7608" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7597" CreationDate="2017-06-30T21:49:13.187" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let's keep in mind that your goal is safety.  Depending on what kind of danger you are facing, martial arts may, or may not help. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, consider if there are any adults who you can turn to for help.  There may be legal or school problems on top of the bullies, so having someone with the ability to navigate that and help you stay safe and find the best solution is important.  You may need to reach out locally to organizations that help youth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, if you don't have that, then you have to seriously consider the type of danger you are in.  If it's just people talking mean, and pushing you around, it is survivable.  Terrible, emotionally destructive, but survivable.  Maybe, in those cases, it might be worth fighting back.  Depending on what the types of responses you might get.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me, I fought back when someone punched me.  I won the fight, but it cost me a lot.  The guy came after me with a knife, next.  He was caught by police.  Then he sent his cousins after me with a gun.  I got to spend the next several years on the run from a gang.  So, in hindsight, fighting back cost me more than taking a punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do seek out training - do talk to your instructor - the advice they have MUST be about more than fighting.  It may be about how to endure, it may be about when to run, but fighting is one tool and only sometimes useful, in these situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-06-30T21:49:13.187" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7609" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7597" CreationDate="2017-07-01T03:04:36.750" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Three questions:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are you willing to hurt people?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are you willing to get hurt?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you have a seventy yard head start, and can choose how long the race is, can you outrun any sprinter on your high school's track team?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Know how to hurt people, and be willing to get hurt&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;How nasty are you willing to be?  What are the informal rules where you live for what fighting tactics are so unacceptable that they will get you knifed or killed?  Except in extreme circumstances, stay on the safe side of that line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider attending a &quot;rape prevention&quot; or &quot;self-defense&quot; course at your local police department or a nearby college.  You will learn a martial arts style that is just as nasty as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  This martial arts style involves:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Situational awareness (so you don't get into fights, and cast a &quot;bigger aura&quot;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knowing the law about what use of force is legally justifiable in dangerous situations.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Keeping your balance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Yelling, &quot;Back off!&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Making your opponent pay for staying too close to you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;High-leverage, close-in moves.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Backwards (or sideways) 1-2 Elbow-Hand punches to the gut and the groin.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knees to the groin.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Blows to the solar plexus, throat, nose, and eyes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Blows that damage joints (like knees, insteps, and fingers).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Biting.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Grasp-breaking techniques.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wrestling techniques for getting un-pinned.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Live practice against live opponents.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice getting hurt and continuing to fight.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Or retreat at speed&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;If you are not willing to be that nasty, join your high school's track team.  You will learn how fast you can go, how to pace yourself, and how to outrun anybody if you have a big enough head start.  (You won't be able to outrun a top distance runner -- but top distance runners have better things to do.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Get stronger&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Either way, take up weight lifting.  If you cannot afford weights, look into the Charles Atlas exercise program.  Eat enough complete protein that you gain muscle.  When you are strong, fewer people will want to mess with you.  And standing up for yourself will be easier.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make friends&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&quot;Quantity has a quality all its own.&quot;  Consider joining a sports team -- or maybe even your local boxing gym.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8383" LastEditorUserId="8383" LastEditDate="2017-07-01T03:23:21.193" LastActivityDate="2017-07-01T03:23:21.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7610" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7597" CreationDate="2017-07-01T06:02:09.270" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;5th dan Black belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts, in general, work best against someone of about the same size and strength as yourself.  A typical expectation is that one dan belt rank should give you the same benefit as 10 lbs of mass, given the same level of general athleticism. That's an advantage, but not much of one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a fight (meaning no rules, both parties out to kill), athleticism and muscle are the primary factors for determining a winner. Even when I was younger and more fit, I could not go up against a 300 lb body builder and expect to win, no matter what art I practiced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee's primary art before establishing Jeet Kun Do was Wing Chun. About 70% of Jeet Kun Do is still Wing Chun. One of the things that made him controversial was that he added western style weight training to his regimen. there is no question that weight training enhanced his ability as a martial artist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learn any martial art. After you've been around you will realize that they all teach the same skills, just in different ways. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The masters of old trained with many schools before blending them and founding their own system. Augment your martial arts training with sound strength and cardiovascular training, like any serious fighter in any system does (some systems already have resistance training built in, so don't over do it). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After that, avoid trouble. The purpose of martial arts is that knowing them you will never need to use them, but they are there just in case.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6599" LastActivityDate="2017-07-01T06:02:09.270" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7611" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7529" CreationDate="2017-07-01T06:54:30.213" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;JuJutsu (not Jiu Jitsu) is definitely the precursor to Aikido. By more than 1000 years. The father of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, has an amazing life story. His book, The Art of Peace, is definitely worth a read if you're interested in gaining more insight into the art. Particularly noteworthy was his training relationship with Sokaku Takeda. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8384" LastActivityDate="2017-07-01T06:54:30.213" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7612" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7544" CreationDate="2017-07-01T06:58:50.197" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I prefer the older jujutsu teachings and putting your opponent's thumb UP when pulling it over your shoulder. If anything, being taller gives you an advantage in most throws because the basic concept is the same; get them on their tip toes &amp;amp; trap their leg with your own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8384" LastActivityDate="2017-07-01T06:58:50.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7613" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7597" CreationDate="2017-07-01T07:22:07.403" Score="-5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Been there, done that. I'm a taichi/paqua/hsing yi &amp;amp; others martial arts bum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Parkour is what you should be looking at. Being able to run and go where you can't be pursued.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8385" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-07-01T20:58:42.313" LastActivityDate="2017-07-01T20:58:42.313" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7614" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-07-01T13:33:12.643" Score="4" ViewCount="8094" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am looking to start a martial art. I am 42 years old and I prefer striking rather than wrestling/grappling arts (for many reasons, such as being able to practice at least some of it on my own or being able to learn them more quickly).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I absolutely want to avoid strikes to the head when in training - studies that link boxing and brain damage got me scared. I don't have a problem with strikes to the body, even if they are somewhat painful. This preference might change in my 50's though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I strongly prefer some sort of sparring (light/no contact), preferably from the beginning; I like to know that I am moving &quot;in the right direction&quot;, that I am not horribly mangling the techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What do you suggest?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8388" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-07-15T11:58:30.503" LastActivityDate="2018-11-19T20:56:02.463" Title="Help picking a martial art (avoiding head strikes)" Tags="|recommendation|striking|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7615" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4625" CreationDate="2017-07-01T16:11:06.843" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In tae kwon do, the rules are simple. You must be at least an instructor, and you must be at least 1 degree above the rank you are testing your student to. For example. I am a 5th Dan, therefore I can test a student up to 4th Dan, but before that student may test to 5th Dan, you must either have a 6th Dan, or higher at a minimum watching your testing and certifying that your student has met the requirements to pass the test.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8389" LastActivityDate="2017-07-01T16:11:06.843" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7616" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7542" CreationDate="2017-07-02T04:51:17.517" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you're training in a dojo that &amp;quot;goes hard&amp;quot; all the time. That's a red flag. It's better to practice the same movement slowly 1000 times. In this manner it becomes muscle memory- correct muscle memory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Respect the person who's training with you. Correct each other and ask questions. Ask the instructor for insight when something doesn't make sense. If you are unable to do these things, find a new place to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8384" LastEditorUserId="12991" LastEditDate="2023-04-17T09:25:51.300" LastActivityDate="2023-04-17T09:25:51.300" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7622" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7529" CreationDate="2017-07-03T11:02:13.097" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The ura-waza was developed by Tomiki-sensei as an example of counter techniques that could be done within toshu randori. However, two problems emerged: First, toshu randori tended to end up as Judo more often than not. This was due to the distance being inadequate to do Aikido and the fact that all practitioners knew Judo well. Second, the counters did not really map well to toshu-randori.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tomiki-sensei introduced the tanto to keep a good aiki distance between partners to address the first (and root) problem. As such, the kata is not as relevant as the newer tanto kaeshi waza developed by Nariyama-sensei and is therefore more of a &quot;museum piece&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gleamed from a conversation with &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shodokan.org.uk/scott-allbright/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Scott Allbright&lt;/a&gt; sensei.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-03T11:38:55.213" LastActivityDate="2017-07-03T11:38:55.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7623" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7717" CreationDate="2017-07-03T13:40:57.323" Score="7" ViewCount="679" Body="&lt;p&gt;The goshin-ho is a set of 50 self defence techniques that are part of the curriculum for 四段 (4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; dan), 五段 (5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; dan), and 六段 (6&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; dan). The start can be seen &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWGOi63M81w&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and the middle &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS1zzdVCJvI&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am looking for what is the &lt;em&gt;core theme of this kata&lt;/em&gt; -- why is it ordered in the way it is, why are techniques grouped the way they are within it, and where does it stand within Tomiki's system?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bonus points go to any answer including a historical perspective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-03T13:47:56.510" LastActivityDate="2018-03-16T21:06:20.250" Title="Explanation of the goshin-ho kata…" Tags="|aikido|history|forms|shodokan|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7625" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7626" CreationDate="2017-07-05T11:56:12.220" Score="-6" ViewCount="197" Body="&lt;p&gt;who are some celebrities known for Martial arts. We know only about &lt;strong&gt;jackie chan and bruce lee&lt;/strong&gt;. Is there any other &lt;strong&gt;celebrities&lt;/strong&gt; who are good at martial arts ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8401" LastActivityDate="2017-07-06T15:03:44.900" Title="celebrities known for Martial arts" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2017-07-07T11:29:25.343" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7626" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7625" CreationDate="2017-07-05T12:15:14.873" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Willie Nelson was awarded his 5th degree black belt on his 81st birthday. Unlike many celebrities holding black belts, Willie has been training for 20 years to earn that rank (i.e. it's real, not honorary).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chuck Norris is an accomplished Tang Soo Do practitioner and instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Steven Segal is an aikido practitioner. He is unique in that (for a while anyways) he was the only westerner to open a successful martial arts school in Tokyo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jet Li is a kung fu practitioner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6599" LastActivityDate="2017-07-05T12:15:14.873" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7627" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2108" CreationDate="2017-07-05T23:35:44.040" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I find it really hard to do it alone. I've stopped for half a year now because of it. Just lost the motivation I guess. Need to get back to watching Ip Man movies lol :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8404" LastActivityDate="2017-07-05T23:35:44.040" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7629" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7625" CreationDate="2017-07-06T13:21:59.283" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll share some BJJ ones that I know of:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ashton Kutcher is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keanu Reeves is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chuck Norris is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Joe Rogan is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Anthony Bourdain is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Paul Walker is/was a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Brown Belt (awarded Black Belt at funeral)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Joey Diaz is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Scott Eastwood is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Steve Irwin is/was a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guy Ritchie is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2017-07-06T15:03:44.900" LastActivityDate="2017-07-06T15:03:44.900" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7630" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7614" CreationDate="2017-07-06T13:24:09.193" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your best bet is learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. You won't do striking at first, but once you start going to MMA sparring the strikes are very light. It's much easier to control punch power while grappling vs standing far apart. People just do light touches, as there's no point in hitting hard during grappling training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem is you will have to go quite a bit (around a year) to get to the level where you're able to do &quot;rolling with punches.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2017-07-10T13:47:24.473" LastActivityDate="2017-07-10T13:47:24.473" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7631" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7601" CreationDate="2017-07-06T15:07:10.673" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Learning martial arts online is not a great option. You will need live instruction, which you can then supplement with online instruction. You will also need to live spar, a lot. Hitting pads and bags can only go so far. You need a resisting opponent to determine if your stuff will actually work, and to improve it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stop in to your local MMA gym and see what they have to offer. Most will have Boxing, Muay Thai, Dutch Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Wrestling. All great options if you're interested in learning to fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2017-07-06T19:06:26.393" LastActivityDate="2017-07-06T19:06:26.393" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7632" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7614" CreationDate="2017-07-06T15:27:37.617" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First - it's mostly going to depend on your instructor, regardless of style.  It's better to know up front if your instructor will modify to help you or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Escrima/Kali&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Primarily weapon arts, with strong crossover into empty hand fighting.  Most schools focus on drills and light sparring, since, you know, you don't have to hammer people in the head with stick to know hammering people in the head with a stick is effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many weapon focal arts are like this - since weapons can cause serious injury, the sparring tends to not go heavy or hard in terms of force. You may find yourself limited in some schools since some move up to padded/helmet sparring, but you can talk to the instructors and find out beforehand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Some forms of Kung fu&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many Chinese styles made the change towards no head hits or focusing on training to hitting to the chest for the sake of safety before adequate safety gear was invented. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's numerous pitfalls that can appear with this modification, the biggest being the temptation to stop protecting the head if no one is attacking to the head.  Some schools still teach the defensive positioning while an unfortunate many forget to do so.  Look for what's local to you, see if you can find some video of their movement and talk to the instructors as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-07-06T15:27:37.617" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7633" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7394" CreationDate="2017-07-06T23:59:01.377" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Seriouly think about the question&#xA;In combat or street i dont think you want to  waste time protecting your hair. When you need to be protecting vital organs.  the worst thing you can do is have your hair work against you in these situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just cut the hair&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Its a cruel world out there stay safe &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8407" LastActivityDate="2017-07-06T23:59:01.377" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7634" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-07-08T22:43:32.583" Score="5" ViewCount="640" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was wondering if it was possible to do judo and bodybuilding together. Is it possible to compete in judo and an amateur level while doing bodybuilding?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8410" LastActivityDate="2017-07-09T13:21:04.920" Title="Judo and bodybuilding" Tags="|judo|strength|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7635" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7634" CreationDate="2017-07-09T13:21:04.920" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, you can do amateur judo and bodybuilding together. The only major potential conflict that comes to mind is nutrition, and if you are not planning on cutting weight for amateur judo competitions (which I would recommend against), this is moot. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To succeed in judo competition, you need both skill and strength. Make sure that you do not rely on strength to make up for deficiencies in skill. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-07-09T13:21:04.920" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7636" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7637" CreationDate="2017-07-10T13:04:51.617" Score="4" ViewCount="401" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice WTF TaeKwon-Do and would like to keep track of heart rate during training sessions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have seen the advice about the &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4790/wearing-a-fitness-tracker-during-a-martial-arts-session&quot;&gt;effectiveness of fitness trackers&lt;/a&gt;, and I'm convinced about the effectiveness of heart rate monitoring. So my question is more specific about how practical or safe is to wear such trackers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrist mounted HR devices don't seem appropriate, and probably won't be allowed by my instructor. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A chest mounted device, seems seems a good option: while in practice it's not expected to be hit on your plexus, and when sparring with contact we use chest protection vests.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To avoid the problem of having the chest strap move out of place, I found a t-shirt with included sensors and a mount for the sensor device, designed for running. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any advice against using a chest based heart rate monitor?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2017-07-11T08:04:33.903" LastActivityDate="2017-07-11T11:17:30.670" Title="Wearing a chest heart rate sensor" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|fitness|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7637" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7636" CreationDate="2017-07-10T13:19:29.757" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a TKD instructor (ITF - so no chest protectors) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wear a wrist based monitor to teach and let the students do so to train&#xA;- They must sign forms taking responsibility for any damage to the device (or themselves because of the device).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To avoid hurting anyone else they must take them off for partner work and sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First thing I would do is &lt;strong&gt;talk to your instructor&lt;/strong&gt; - if you are not insured to train wearing the device then do not wear it. If you are using a fitness app add a rough approximation in manually after the class - or leave it as it is safe in the knowledge you have done more fitness than the app says.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the chest straps, look at triathlon friendly ones if they stay in place whilst swimming cycling and running then they should stay in place through TKD also. Study the reviews on Amazon or similar as well - some straps chafe or are generally uncomfortable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can see them in a shop then look at how far much the sensor pads stick out and whether they have other bumps/ridges as part of the design, most of these items are not designed for being hit - so look for something that wont stick into you when hit or be an awkward shape for the person kicking you (Under the chest protector this is less of an issue - but the chance of it pushing between your ribs etc. is still valid) - Ideally larger surface area and as flat (to your chest) as possible to spread the impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make sure your instructor and club first aider know you are wearing the strap&lt;/strong&gt; and make sure they are happy for you to spar wearing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastEditorUserId="5926" LastEditDate="2017-07-11T11:17:30.670" LastActivityDate="2017-07-11T11:17:30.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7638" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7645" CreationDate="2017-07-10T20:09:56.490" Score="9" ViewCount="1299" Body="&lt;p&gt;Im beginning to learn BJJ. The gym I am attending teaches both gi and no-gi variants on different days of the week. I want to attend as much as possible, and I was wondering if there is any disadvantage for me to attempt to learn both variants at once. Or is one better to be picked up after mastery of the first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8417" LastActivityDate="2017-07-21T13:53:20.883" Title="Beginning Jiu Jitsu, learning gi and no gi at the same time" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|gi|no-gi|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7639" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7614" CreationDate="2017-07-11T12:38:37.970" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe &lt;strong&gt;Taekwon-do&lt;/strong&gt; can fit in your requirements. &#xA;I'm 42 and recently restarted WTF-style practice after 10-15 years inactivity. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be careful to choose a school that does not focus too much on olympic sport sparring, which is not what you want. These see Taekwon-do just as a combat sport, rather than a martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring should still be in the curriculum, but the practice would be mostly &quot;controlled sparring&quot; (you aim to touch, not to hit), which only has light contact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you like competing, there are also options other than sparring: there forms (&lt;em&gt;poomsae&lt;/em&gt;) competitions for all ages and grades.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastActivityDate="2017-07-11T12:38:37.970" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7640" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7614" CreationDate="2017-07-11T18:41:58.647" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;One other possibility is Capoeira. At first blush, it may seem like an unlikely candidate, given it involves a lot of very athletic movement, something I know I didn't feel myself very up to in my 30s when I started, let along my 40s, but a lot of it, especially in Capoeira Angola, is more a steady controlled movement than a lot of rapid snaps, and the &lt;em&gt;mestres&lt;/em&gt; often continue to play Capoeira into their 60s and 70s. It includes sparring from the beginning, but sparring in the &lt;em&gt;roda&lt;/em&gt; is largely non-contact, with the action being more of a game than a fight, maneuvering your opponent into a position where he can't dodge and then demonstrating that you could have struck them, but didn't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a bonus, it's very much a whole-body movement, which means you're constantly training your balance and proprioception, something which comes in handy as you get older and more prone to falls.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For an example of older &lt;em&gt;mestres&lt;/em&gt; in action, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK87KR4s2Hc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a game between Mestre João Grande and Mestre João Pequeno&lt;/a&gt; who were 69 and 81 respectively at the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-07-12T11:55:51.647" LastActivityDate="2017-07-12T11:55:51.647" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7641" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7614" CreationDate="2017-07-11T21:01:47.093" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Combining the terms &quot;Martial Art&quot; and &quot;avoiding head strikes&quot; is a tall order. The two are mutually exclusive, honestly. The head and its surrounds are excellent and strategic targets in all arts martial. That said, there are plenty of so-called martial arts that reduce their focus on head strikes, primarily for liability reasons, or out of ignorance. Tae Kwon Do includes head strikes, but various schools tend to minimize this aspect of the art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each instructor of each art tends to emphasize certain aspects more than others, so I would recommend you attend a training session and talk to the instructor about your concerns and interests.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps you would do well with a martially inspired exercise regimen - Tai Chi, Tae Bo, or some form of aerobic kickboxing where contact is extremely limited.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, some of the sport variants of Tae Kwon Do and Karate have less contact than their martial brethren and might be good to investigate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't expect to find a serious martial art that doesn't include head strikes. Head contact is a whole other consideration. Control is the issue here, practice striking towards the head does not necessitate actually making contact and this is where observing classes is key. Don't go to a school where folks are boxing each other's head and face unless you want to enjoy all that that contact entails. I'm not suggesting there isn't value in making some contact, just that it should be very controlled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8400" LastActivityDate="2017-07-11T21:01:47.093" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7643" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7638" CreationDate="2017-07-12T06:31:26.127" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Basically you have traditional (Gi) vs. every day (No-Gi).  It really depends on what you want to learn.  There is something said for learning the traditional and perfecting your technique from that setting and then adapting to every day use.  Can you learn them at the same time? probably, but you will need to be sure you approach each with that in mind and don't mix one with the other, but commit to learn each one in the way it's instructed.  This will help you gain mastery over both and be able to adapt as needed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would ask the instructor for sure though as there may be a specific process to their training that it would benefit you to start with one before the other in order to ensure proper techniques are learned.  Usually the traditional is the starting place and sometimes moving to the non-traditional too soon can cause bad techniques to be learned...which unlearning/re-learning is always harder than learning right the first time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-07-12T06:31:26.127" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7645" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7638" CreationDate="2017-07-12T14:28:21.357" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Short answer to your question: &lt;strong&gt;There is no disadvantage to learning both variants at once.&lt;/strong&gt; And now for some detail...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training as much as possible is ideal. If that means doing both gi and nogi, so be it. Doing BJJ, regardless of what you're wearing, will make you better at BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond that, it depends what your goals are. In the months leading up to an MMA fight I train much more nogi. I don't want to cheat with gi grips when those won't be available in a fight. If I'm doing a gi BJJ tournament, I'll train more gi. If I have nothing coming up, I'll do both equally, or whatever I feel like more. If you have goals to fight some day I would avoid relying heavily on gi techniques. The gi can breed some bad habits, and make you rely on techniques that aren't possible without the gi. Learn everything, but be aware of what techniques you're falling back on in times of adversity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Neither style is &quot;more technical.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; Grips are king in gi. Underhooks are king in nogi. Just because nogi tends to move more quickly does not mean it is less technical. Latching on to a grip in nogi is often not enough to secure a technique. The lockdown from half guard, underhooks (top or bottom) in half guard, side control, and butterfly guard are essential. Yes, the scramble becomes more important in nogi because of how fleeting positions can be, but there are effective techniques even within the scramble. To the untrained eye it may appear frantic, but a trained nogi grappler or wrestler's technical execution in the scramble often is the difference between a win and a loss in a tournament match.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Point being: Train for what you want to do. Train for your goals.&lt;/strong&gt; If you're training to get better at grappling, do whatever your gym is offering, whenever they offer it. More is better. If you're just training for fun, do whichever is more fun!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2017-07-21T13:53:20.883" LastActivityDate="2017-07-21T13:53:20.883" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7646" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2017-07-13T09:07:55.320" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Relating to the legality of things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;⚠ ⚠ ⚠  We do not provide legal advise!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;If you want a definitive legal answer, please go and speak to a lawyer.&lt;/em&gt; Anything you read on the 'net about legal opinions is generally from people who have no clue whatsoever about legal matters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The tag is here to clarify that some legal matters within the martial art community can be accurately answered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-13T09:07:55.320" LastActivityDate="2017-07-13T09:07:55.320" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7647" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2017-07-13T09:07:55.320" Score="0" Body="Relating to the legality of things. ⚠ This is NOT for legal advise." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-13T09:07:55.320" LastActivityDate="2017-07-13T09:07:55.320" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7648" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7614" CreationDate="2017-07-13T11:40:54.710" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would suggest to compare your requirements with the competition rules of each martial arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Usually, the high level martial arts schools competes at some point. So better choose one of those the one that the sparring techniques don't involve head kicking/punching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From my personal experience I would choose Karate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On one hand, Kyokushin Karate doesn't allow head punches. Despite of this head kick are allowed (and they are hard) but I don't think your partners will do that during the training (for sure they will do it at competitions).&#xA;On the other hand, you have the rest of Karate styles that competes under WKF.&#xA;They have a strict non (or soft) contact. So it would be the best fit for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Saying so, I think the best option is to check the martial arts schools around you, see how they train and then make a decission.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I agree with @decuser that some Taekwondo schools may also minimize the contact but sticking again to the rules, they are allowed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8425" LastActivityDate="2017-07-13T11:40:54.710" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7649" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-07-13T13:17:38.873" Score="1" ViewCount="66" Body="&lt;p&gt;In a chance I had read 'Mindfulness in Plain English' by the Buddhist monk Venerable H.Gunaratana Mahathera.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It says &quot;After joining inhaling with exhaling,fix your mind on the point where you feel your inhaling and exhaling breath touching.Inhale and exhale as one single breath moving in and out touching or rubbing the rims of your nostrills.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I have heard  about different meditation practices and I doubt that there is no such a point is drawn in Chakra Meditation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Then what is the purpose of concentrating on the rims of the nostrils or  where I have to concentrate during meditation as a beginner?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8427" LastActivityDate="2017-07-13T13:17:38.873" Title="Where to concentrate exactly during meditation?" Tags="|meditation|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="9" ClosedDate="2017-07-17T19:21:14.633" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7650" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7651" CreationDate="2017-07-13T14:13:44.850" Score="10" ViewCount="2143" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why, at least in the United States, is wrestling not generally considered a martial art? It's arguably the single most important martial art in MMA and self defense, in addition to being one of the oldest known. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it because it's done in schools? Is it just taking a while for the term to catch up with society?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8428" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2018-08-17T15:47:18.270" LastActivityDate="2022-09-01T06:44:57.790" Title="Why is wrestling often not seen as a martial art?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|wrestling|" AnswerCount="8" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7651" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7650" CreationDate="2017-07-13T15:58:00.047" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Television and movies give people impressions of things that are never corrected. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the first thing an American thinks of when they hear &quot;wrestling&quot;? World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), which is definitely more entertainment, showmanship, and athleticism than wrestling or martial art. Wrestlers are enormous muscled men who jump off the ringside and hit each other with chairs. They talk smack, roar, and wear funny costumes. Kids see &quot;pro wrestling&quot; well before they encounter actual wrestling. Some people never learn that pro wrestling is not real wrestling. Most cannot name a real wrestler. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How about martial arts? Americans think of martial arts movies with Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, and people in uniforms that look like pajamas kicking to the head while making funny noises. These are Asian or learned from Asians, and they have foreign names. Martial artists do jump kick splits to two goons at once and don't look like they are on steroids. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These caricatures look different. If someone stops to think about it, wrestling, boxing, and martial arts in the movies all train to fight. But this requires actually thinking about it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-07-13T15:58:00.047" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7652" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7650" CreationDate="2017-07-13T21:38:58.407" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrestling isn't often seen as a martial art because it has been primarily pushed as a sport - much in the same way most people don't consider archery, javelin, or shot put, as war arts, though those are clearly origins for those sports.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, one of the benefits of having achieved mainstream status is that it is not in danger of dying out or losing a good network of skilled practitioners.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One can, of course, find subsets of wrestling which are more biased towards their combative origins (for example, some Catch Wrestling styles) which also have the same problems a lot of martial arts have - with tactics or methods that are not designed for sport, it's harder to get regular support and practice to use them, and so it becomes about specialized training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, anyone looking for combative training can easily see the direct value, whether or not it tends to get promoted as such.  (Likewise, actual traditional combative arts usually are a mix of weapons, strikes and grappling, and loss of the full art is often what removes their effectiveness).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-08-17T07:55:16.623" LastActivityDate="2018-08-17T07:55:16.623" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7653" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10027" CreationDate="2017-07-14T10:02:06.893" Score="9" ViewCount="250" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glima&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Glima&lt;/a&gt; is a wresting Scandinavian martial art dating back to Viking times. &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Roman_wrestling&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Greco-Roman wrestling&lt;/a&gt; should be well known. Vikings were known to associate with the Roman Empire -- see the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangians&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Varangians&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any cross pollination between Glima and Greco-Roman wrestling?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am mostly looking for primary sources, although an analysis by a practitioner of both would be most welcome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="10830" LastEditDate="2020-07-23T01:36:31.587" LastActivityDate="2020-07-23T15:27:51.807" Title="Glima and Greco-Roman wrestling cross pollination" Tags="|history|wrestling|historic-european|glima|greco-roman-wrestling|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7654" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2017-07-14T10:03:06.767" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glima&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Glima on wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-14T10:03:06.767" LastActivityDate="2017-07-14T10:03:06.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7655" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2017-07-14T10:03:06.767" Score="0" Body="Glíma is a Scandinavian martial art used by the Vikings. The word glíma in Old Norse means glimpse or flash, which describes the systems techniques." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-14T10:03:06.767" LastActivityDate="2017-07-14T10:03:06.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7656" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2017-07-14T10:11:12.397" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Roman_wrestling&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Greco-roman wrestling on wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-14T10:11:12.397" LastActivityDate="2017-07-14T10:11:12.397" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7657" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2017-07-14T10:11:12.397" Score="0" Body="Greco-Roman (US) or Graeco-Roman (UK) wrestling is a style of wrestling." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-14T10:11:12.397" LastActivityDate="2017-07-14T10:11:12.397" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7658" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7650" CreationDate="2017-07-14T23:31:07.897" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial: Of, or pertaining to, war&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Art: Acquisition of skill through discipline, experience, study, or observation&#xA;(also, Product of human creation)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestling is a sport, not a martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-07-14T23:31:07.897" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7659" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7661" CreationDate="2017-07-15T12:54:12.050" Score="4" ViewCount="662" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can mouth guard for boxing be used for karate, basket balls, etc?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are they are the same?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7701" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2017-07-19T08:12:33.697" LastActivityDate="2017-07-19T08:12:33.697" Title="Are mouth guard the same for all sports?" Tags="|karate|boxing|kickboxing|protective-equipment|sport|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7660" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-07-16T10:42:55.957" Score="-1" ViewCount="2108" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've started Wing Chun few days before. Everything seems to be nice, but I've seen some videos on internet, they say that Wing Chun can't handle Boxers or Wrestlers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the comparisons between Wing Chun and boxing/wrestling that would lead someone to make this claim? Are there weaknesses that can be exploited?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user8373" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-10-11T14:46:10.707" LastActivityDate="2018-10-11T14:46:10.707" Title="Is it true that Wing Chun Fails before wrestlers or Boxers?" Tags="|self-defense|kung-fu|self-training|wing-chun|wrestling|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7661" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7659" CreationDate="2017-07-17T03:28:17.283" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;No they are not.  The mouth guards are designed to protect against different kinds of impact most common to sports.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You have the top only mouth guard which is meant to be something between your teeth for chomping impact.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You have a separate top and bottom mouth guard which has a full set covering each teeth to help prevent outside impact into the teeth but leaves a gap in the middle and lets the jaws move independently.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You have a top and bottom together mouth guard which which is designed to keep the jaws in place as well as prevent chomping and often has the outer protection as well to prevent teeth from moving.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You have standard plastic/acrylic/etc... ones as well as ones custom molded to the teeth.  Custom molding helps secure the teeth better from impact directly to the mouth/teeth, while the harder plastic ones makes it protect general hits to the mouth area, but doesn't expect direct teeth contact.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Then there are medical mouth guards as well to adjust jaw position and help in chomping while sleeping etc...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary, use the recommended mouth guard for the sport you want to participate in or need you have.  Research and experience goes into the needed mouth protection for each one and the guards are designed specifically for that.  There are some variations and min-max protection within the guards, but follow the sport you are after.  If all the mouth guard styles are for the same sport/purpose then find what you like best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note: There are some mouth guards that say for everything, that is because it's extra protective and they are saying it will work for whatever since it's the max protection design you might need.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-07-17T03:28:17.283" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7662" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7672" CreationDate="2017-07-17T07:34:01.587" Score="5" ViewCount="690" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navaja&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Navaja&lt;/a&gt; is a Spanish knife, which started as a tool (like most knives) and ended up being used for fighting. During Napoleonic times, it was banned by the French, to quote wikipedia:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The navaja de muelles proved sufficiently formidable as an offensive arm that it was specifically named by the &lt;em&gt;Marqués de la Mina&lt;/em&gt;, the Spanish military governor of Catalonia, in his edict of 29 May 1750 prohibiting the carrying of armas blancas, or edged weapons.[10]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Despite official disapproval, the navaja de muelles became popular throughout Spain as a fighting and general utility knife, and was the primary personal arm of the Spanish guerrilleros who opposed Napoleon during his invasion and subsequent occupation of Spain in the Peninsular War of 1808–1814.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CElfj3tfzxg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; showing how it is used now or &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYodrniMqsw&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Curro Jiménez - Duelo de Navajas&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, &lt;em&gt;I am interested in technical manuals that would have existed in Napoleonic times&lt;/em&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;. Either from primary sources (since my Spanish is very limited, translated text or pictures would be better) or form a current practitioner with knowledge of such.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: Why only Napoleonic times? I am writing a character for an pen &amp;amp; paper RPG set in that time period. This is research so I can accurately portrait their fighting techniques.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2017-07-24T12:01:31.030" Title="Historical esgrimas de navaja technical manuals" Tags="|history|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7663" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7660" CreationDate="2017-07-17T08:07:32.587" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As always, you can't compare style A with style B and say either one is better. It's not because you're a boxer, you immediately win agains a wing chun practitioner. It all depends on how good both fighters are, how much experience they got fighting opponents of different styles, the competition's rules (eg. if you pit a judoka vs. a taekwondo, and rules state no throws or groundwork, chances are the taekwondo will win. If the rules state throws and groundwork are allowed, but kicks to the head aren't, the tables will turn), and even as much as how good/bad a day someone's been having and even sheer luck (Remember, one lucky hit can be all it takes)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, each style has its strengths and weaknesses. Once you understand your system well enough (and your own body, for that matter), you can start playing with the strengths and the weaknesses. You can get creative with them. That's an important part of the experience part mentioned above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But yeah, in short: You can't just compare style A with style B. A kid who did 3 weeks boxing classes won't win against Ip Man. A kid who did Wing Chun for 3 weeks won't win against Mohammed Ali.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2017-07-17T08:07:32.587" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7664" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7660" CreationDate="2017-07-17T08:54:18.113" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think that it makes too much sense to compare styles instead of individual athletes, but I will try to answer your question anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no one answer to this as it is very hard to say how important the advantages and disadvantages of both styles are. Therefore I will give you some insight to the advantages/disadvantages and you can think about it yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun has good punches, which may be the fastest with the least amount of telegraphing, but they have less range and have a less power compared to the punch of a boxer (they are still powerful and hurt).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the most important thing is the range. Wing Chun and Boxers have different ranges in which they work and feel comfortable. Also because of the range, they have different tactics to be in that range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A boxer normally stays back, out of range, moving in to strike then moving back again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A wing chun practioner will be much closer to their opponent and tries to stay close (this is one reason why &quot;sticky hands&quot; are important).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I assume that the fighter who can stay at his preferred range will win the fight. Wing chun focuses on sticking to the opponent, maintaining physical contact in some way. The sense of feeling is 6 times faster than the sense of seeing, which obviously gives a strong advantage to the wing chun fighter in their preferred range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some boxing schools start training in the wing chun range. If this is the case, the boxer has an advantage, because all boxers I know train a lot to get into their range. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An additional point I can imagine that a boxer could lose because he underestimates his opponent in general. On the other hand I see a good chance, that the wing chun practitioner gets knocked out by a hook, because I have seen a lot of wing chun people underestimating every round technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestling and wing chun are even more difficult to compare, but I think it's about the same as with a boxer versus a wing chun guy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8434" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-07-17T19:59:54.647" LastActivityDate="2017-07-17T19:59:54.647" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7665" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7806" CreationDate="2017-07-17T09:05:51.387" Score="4" ViewCount="373" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to practice at home both grappling and punching. For punching there is a boxing bag or Bob and for grappling there are grappling dummies such as bubba dummy and the like. I would like to know if there is a dummy that combines the two: punching bag with legs, hands and face such as Bob and grappling such as bubba dummy?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2017-10-17T08:22:36.263" Title="Combined Grappling Dummy and Bob punching bag for practice" Tags="|training|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|equipment|grappling|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7667" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2017-07-17T13:11:13.427" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-07-17T13:11:13.427" LastActivityDate="2017-07-17T13:11:13.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7668" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2017-07-17T13:11:13.427" Score="0" Body="Related to health and well-being topics, such as nutrition or physical condition tracking and improvement." OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2017-08-01T11:57:23.410" LastActivityDate="2017-08-01T11:57:23.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7669" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1919" CreationDate="2017-07-17T14:21:17.247" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The response above (&quot;First of all, you should understand that when you claim self-defense, the burden of proof is now yours. You're no longer innocent until proven guilty.&quot;) is an excellent example of why you need proper advice. That may be the case in the US but in the UK it is not true. Offences against the person in the UK require that there has been the use of unlawful force. Acting in self-defence is not unlawful and therefore you would enter any trial as innocent until proven guilty. The prosecution would have to prove that you committed a crime, you are not required to prove that you are innocent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8408" LastActivityDate="2017-07-17T14:21:17.247" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7670" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7660" CreationDate="2017-07-17T14:51:27.500" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;So there are some fundamental assumptions here that one must look at with &quot;intent or goal&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Goal:&#xA;To beat your opponent senseless?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If this is your goal then you will probably want a style that focuses aggression and subjugation of your opponent over anything else.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Goal:&#xA;To protect oneself?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If this is the goal then any discipline which focuses on body mechanics as well as properly analyzing a situation and working to diffuse it works well.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Goal:&#xA;To develop oneself through discipline and mastery of ones body?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If this is the goal then the ability to &quot;beat someone&quot; isn't really as important as the type of person you become through the exercise and mastery of the art.  Boxing, Wrestling, Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Karate, etc... all have the ability to develop ones physical and mental techniques while disciplining and harnessing ones own inner self for personal growth.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S. Unless you are practicing just for a MMA full contact event, then any style has use, purpose, and value.  The only caveat to add is if you are grappling it's hard to hit and if you are at a distance it's hard to grapple, so there is a body mechanics balance needed to be well rounded.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.P.S. As far as ability to beat another opponent, this is largely circumspect on the individual's abilities and if one is better skilled and physically capable then they will likely win regardless of the style in question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastEditorUserId="8108" LastEditDate="2017-07-17T19:05:19.007" LastActivityDate="2017-07-17T19:05:19.007" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7672" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7662" CreationDate="2017-07-17T20:09:21.387" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;If 1849 is recent enough, there's the &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kalisilat.it/PDF/Manual_del_Baratero_1849.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Manual del Baratero&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;http://bladebrothers.narod.ru/broken/instruction.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;I've only found a partial translation available for free&lt;/a&gt;, but there are a few ones for sale &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3186143-manual-of-the-baratero&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;such as this one&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/D5ByEm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/D5ByEm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;cover&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Excerpt from the free online translation:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The instruction for wielding the navaja is divided into four parts.  The first part contains lessons on the characteristics of the weapon and its different techniques.  In the second the guards are analyzed, the manner of attacking the enemy is explained, to give a small idea of the various ways in which it is performed, and the tretas are discussed.  In the third is the method of wielding the cuchillo.  Finaly, in the fourth are lessons on the method of wielding the tijeras as in practice among the jitanos.  The first part is divided into eleven lessons, the second into 12, the third in six, and the fourth in two, in the following manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;THE POSITIONS OR STANCES&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/FaawT.gif&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/FaawT.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Guardia illustration&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those skilled in wielding the navaja take their first position or stance, in a similar manner to that of the espada and sable, which is called guardia. After taking the navaja in either of the hands place the thumb upon the first third of the blade, whose edge should lie towards the inside, place yourself in guardia at a reasonable distance from your opponent, better far than near, with the unoccupied hand held against the body at the waist and in front of the abdomen, and in such a disposition so as to be ready to recieve the navaja when you wish to make a cambio; the feet and legs are placed at equal distance from the oponent, a little open, and in such a manner that all the body faces front and none to the side, as is seen in the present figure: but not when a hat, cap, jacket or mantle is used in either of the hands, in which case you should arrange yourself with the leg on the same side as the arm in which is the hat or cap, towards the front and in the manner of the figure found in lesson eight, the Cambios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Upon coming on guard take care to draw in the abdomen all that is possible, for which effect it will be neccesary to stoop a little, or else the face will be exposed too far forward, will recieve a blow, and be disgraced. The eyes are always fixed on those of the enemy; in an unwavering manner, even if provoked with feints, words or gestures; it is neccesary to point out that good wielding of the navaja lies essentialy in the swiftness of the eyes and feet, as we now move on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the introduction by &lt;strong&gt;Maestro Ramon Martinez&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;em&gt;director of Martinez Academy of Arms, President of the association for historical fencing and founding member of the International Masters at Arms Federation&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After my meeting with Maestro Loriega, I read the Manual again more carefully and come to realise that here was a manual of the Destreza for the common man. Though extremely brief and superficially written, Manual del Baratero is nonetheless the first book on the art of Spanish knife fighting ever published and the only known historical text on the subject. Even though Mariano de Rementeria y Fica may not have had in-depth knowledge of the methods of the navaja, he nonetheless provided for posterity a window to the methods of knife fighting practices in 19th century Spain by the working class, the barateros, and, in particular, the Gypsies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sardathrion, having read the book, confirms that this is a good description of the manual although the translator notes make the technical aspect much clearer. Some of the original drawings were published in 1836 and the manual was first published in 1849, so about 35 years after The Peninsular War (1807–1814). Sardathrion seriously doubt that much had changed in that time frame. Most of the technology and weaponry were the same. In any case, they are not striving for 100% historical accuracy, just enough to be thematically appropriate. &lt;strong&gt;The manual is perfect for Sardathrion's needs.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2017-07-24T12:01:31.030" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7673" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7286" CreationDate="2017-07-18T03:52:53.483" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started binge watching the show as well.  It seems like different characters use different styles, and some of it is also blurred with movie style wire work.  Sunny also uses different styles, but definitely see Wushu and Choy Lay Fut.  The guy in the wheel chair used some Wing Chun techniques.  It looked like in some other fights and training sessions, the different characters were practicing Wushu, Karate, Wing Chun, Tai Chi and Choy Lay Fut as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're interested in a learning a style that encompasses many of the techniques you see, check out Choy Lay Fut.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8435" LastEditorUserId="8435" LastEditDate="2017-07-18T03:58:26.930" LastActivityDate="2017-07-18T03:58:26.930" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7675" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7681" CreationDate="2017-07-18T20:34:47.190" Score="2" ViewCount="147" Body="&lt;p&gt;I heard about &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/flexibility/comments/39kvni/magnesium_for_flexibility/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;magnesium&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://rageyoga.com/news/2015/12/15/bend-better-6-vitamins-for-flexibility&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;calcium&lt;/a&gt; supplements being recommended when working to improve your flexibility and high kicks. Researching on the subject I can see it recommended for martial arts and fighting sports in general.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this correct? Why? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-07-19T11:38:55.640" LastActivityDate="2017-07-19T13:29:56.827" Title="Magnesium supplements for martial art performance" Tags="|fitness|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7676" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6098" CreationDate="2017-07-19T04:53:17.827" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice Aikido (Iwama )which has a strong weaons emphasis and seems more martial than the later styles.&#xA;Would it be correct to say that Iaido can help one's Aikido in such things as centering and ki extension?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8438" LastActivityDate="2017-07-19T04:53:17.827" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7677" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-07-19T05:09:17.030" Score="3" ViewCount="425" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice Aikido Iwama Ryu which has a strong weapons emphasis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I often have trouble centering as I get too tense and I suppose I try too hard.&#xA;Anyway I love weapons and was wondering if Iaido can help me in relaxation, centering, and ki extension. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8438" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-19T07:10:51.970" LastActivityDate="2017-07-28T07:24:15.250" Title="Can Iaido help one's Aikido?" Tags="|aikido|iaido|iwama|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7678" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7677" CreationDate="2017-07-19T07:30:54.067" Score="2" Body="&lt;h1&gt;It &lt;em&gt;will not&lt;/em&gt; help&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will get the same problems in relaxation, centring, and breathing&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; in Iaido as you get in Aikido. In addition, Iaido will confuse your Aikido weapon work unless you keep them very separate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ueshiba trained in lots of different arts that influenced his Aikido. Most of his weapon work was done when he was a young man in his prime. Iwama is the final evolution of Aikido as an old man. Of course, this does not mean it is only for old men or ineffective. However, it does mean that the weapon work was influenced by decades of Aikido, not weapons. The weapon work is an extension of Aikido, not the other way round. Weapon kata help you practice and understand ideas behind techniques. On the other hand, Iaido is 100% pure weapon without any consideration to CQC whatsoever. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;What would help?&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go slow, even slower…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for relaxing, I tend to just shake myself between techniques: loosen up those muscles and let the tension ebb away. Looks silly but it helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do a technique slowly, you will remember to breath. Hence, you will not get tensed because your body is craving sweet sweet oxygen! You can even speak while doing the technique if that helps: speak what you want your body to do. It might drive your partner crazy, so it might be best done when you do solo practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Practice makes permanent, not perfect.&lt;/em&gt; You need time for your brain to learn new skills this is why doing the move slowly, concentrating on centring the weapon (constantly checking), and breathing in and out then making sure you get the right breath out as you strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Too many people see sensei and senior grades do things at lightning speed and think that more speed is what needed. Nope. They are fast because they spend the time to learn slowly, then increased the speed till they could do it fast, then trained for ages doing it fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: I am going to assume that &quot;ki extension&quot; here means correct breathing and not the mythical force that allows one to cast fireballs…&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2017-07-19T07:30:54.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7679" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-07-19T07:46:50.343" Score="4" ViewCount="7292" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been doing muay thaï for 4 years. Once per week we do sparring as a part of the training. The sparring is relatively light, the goal is not to knockout the partner, not even to cause injury actually. However, some hits can pass and the head can bounce a bit. I do not even get dizzy after these types of hits. I do not compete. Under these circumstances, is there any danger of having a brain trauma or concussion?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8439" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T20:29:41.167" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T20:29:41.167" Title="Concussion in light sparring" Tags="|boxing|muay-thai|kickboxing|brain-injury|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7680" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7679" CreationDate="2017-07-19T11:15:40.423" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In short, yes. There's always that danger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you're training with experienced partners, this danger is near to none, as they know how to measure hit strength. However, if you train with beginners, even if it's light hits, they don't know how to measure hit strength yet, and may actually hit quite hard without intending to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When training with only experienced partners, accidents can still happen. A slip putting extra weight in a kick, a reflex kicking in, ... . These things can happen, no matter the experience. Experience just lowers the chances of accidental hard hits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thirdly, given enough time, even a mountain can be removed with a shovel, one step at a time. Get enough light blows to your head, and it will definitely still leave a mark. It will be less bad than a few heavy hits, but it will still leave a mark.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And last but not least, &quot;relavitely light&quot; is... well... relative. Now I'm not saying lightweights pull their punches, but a lightweight's punch is light to a heavyweight. If a heavyweight does a punch that's light to heavyweights, it may still hit harder than a bantamweight fighter's ever been hit. Even within bantam / feather / lightweight divisions, there've been plenty of deaths related to brain damage (eg. Davey Moore in 1963, Johnny Owen in 1980, Cleveland Denny in 1980, etc.) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2017-07-19T11:15:40.423" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7681" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7675" CreationDate="2017-07-19T11:51:57.103" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Both calcium and magnesium are &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.webmd.com/hw-popup/electrolytes-and-electrolyte-imbalances&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;electrolytes&lt;/a&gt; which aid in the transmission of fluid in the body. Among other things, a deficiency in magnesium or calcium is linked to muscle twitches and/or cramps. Thus, if you have a deficiency, increased intake of electrolytes may aid flexibility by allowing your muscles to function properly, plus the calcium and magnesium will aid in bone development, the parts that said muscles are attached to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, evidence has been scanty in actual studies that supplementation is useful. Magnesium is easily retained in the body, and the majority of people get sufficient amounts through their diet. Similarly, calcium is present in many foods and the body has little trouble keeping it there. More worrying, longterm studies in calcium supplementation in women with osteoporosis (I know, not what you're asking about, but it's the closest relevant study) have shown that non-dietary supplementation has little effect on calcium in the bones, and actually has a positive correlation with heart disorders. The reasons for this were debated the last time I checked, but the general consensus seems to be that the calcium in supplements may not be as bio-available, which means your body does not absorb it correctly (my pet theory is that it might also have to do with that many calcium supplements are made from cuttlefish, and there might be a link with minor seafood allergies and negative effects from constant low-level exposure, but I have no real good basis for that theory).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR&lt;/strong&gt; If you have a deficiency, magnesium and calcium in your diet may be helpful for healthy bone and muscle development, which will help with stretching, but you probably do not need supplements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-07-19T13:29:56.827" LastActivityDate="2017-07-19T13:29:56.827" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7682" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7679" CreationDate="2017-07-19T13:21:28.670" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since you don't compete, and you're sparring once a week, you probably aren't taking enough damage to cause noticeable long term affects. One issue is the shots don't always have to hurt to cause brain damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any &quot;bouncing&quot; of the head causes damage. Jet ski riders and slalom skiers have been shown to have some of the worst brain damage of all athletes, due to that bounce (google search provides some great sources on the research). Is your sparring comparable to that? Probably not, but it's worth noting. If you ever get a headache from a couple hard shots, take some time off. Go see a doctor if the headaches won't go away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know you already said you don't go hard to the head, but sometimes guys get feisty. How we spar is: light to the head, hard as you want to the legs and body. It allows for people to rip some great shots. You can drop guys with a nice leg kick or body shot, and yet they're perfectly fine after the initial pain. Maybe look into this style of sparring if you're feeling spicy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastActivityDate="2017-07-19T13:21:28.670" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7683" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-07-19T13:24:10.857" Score="4" ViewCount="240" Body="&lt;p&gt;In sport fencing, two of the most common parries are parry four, a middle line parry to the inside, and parry six, a middle line parry to the outside. Last night, I went to a rapier class and the only parry that was taught before we also learned to use the dagger was a parry four analog. During drills, I also reflexively used parry six, and was told not to do that. What is the reasoning behind not using an outside parry?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8367" LastActivityDate="2017-12-03T13:20:58.157" Title="Why are outside parries not used in rapier fencing?" Tags="|fencing|historic-european|rapier|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7684" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7683" CreationDate="2017-07-19T13:43:53.440" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm afraid that you'd have to ask the people at the rapier class you attended, because &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HanCU8rFdiM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;not all HEMA practioners outlaw a &lt;em&gt;Sixte&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. It is possible that they don't actually have anything against a &lt;em&gt;Sixte&lt;/em&gt;, but you were practicing a &lt;em&gt;Quarte&lt;/em&gt;, so they were simply chiding you to follow the drill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2017-07-19T13:43:53.440" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7685" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7679" CreationDate="2017-07-19T14:06:47.590" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, there's a danger of concussion.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/6710/1598&quot;&gt;My answer to another question on concusssions&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you know what sports end up getting a surprising amount of concussions? Soccer and volleyball.  It's not because these folks are getting hit in the head all the time - it's just that when they do get hit, they have had little conditioning to help deal with the blow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any hit to the head has potential for concussion, and the problem of concussions is that damage builds up over your lifetime.  You should see a doctor or sports doctor to get an assessment at some point.  There's now pretty good tests using computer apps to measure your cognitive ability against your own baseline to see if you're suffering light concussions and an impairment over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people are more susceptible to concussion than others for no apparent reason.  You may be one of those folks who catch them easily, and the only best advice is to reduce head hits as much as possible, which may mean changing martial arts or your sparring rules drastically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-07-19T14:06:47.590" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7686" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7687" CreationDate="2017-07-19T20:58:28.970" Score="1" ViewCount="119" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've always had a cat mind, so I'm very attracted to the tiger style martial arts, but I don't have a teacher anywhere near me, as I'm living in the middle of Montana. So I'd like to know what other martial arts outside of kung fu have clawing techniques as a central or frequent point of the martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3145" LastActivityDate="2017-07-19T21:28:53.647" Title="What other styles aside from hak fu mon and fu jow pai use claw styles as a core (or frequent) technique?" Tags="|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7687" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7686" CreationDate="2017-07-19T21:28:53.647" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, within Kung Fu styles, you may want to look into Eagle Claw Kung Fu or anything with a strong chin-na techniques as part of their curriculum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In penjak silat, there is a variety of harimau (tiger) styles, with the Sumatran styles going quite low to the ground, and matjan styles of standing tiger.  Many of these use a small curved knife known as the karambit for attacking and controlling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also seen a bit of East Indian fighting arts using palm claws primarily as a wrestling/disarming tool (as much as shredding the thumb muscles or fingers 'disarms' a person).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-07-19T21:28:53.647" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7688" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7690" CreationDate="2017-07-19T21:45:00.967" Score="1" ViewCount="190" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am looking for a teacher and some form of clawing art like the styles based on tiger Kung Fu. While I am searching for a teacher what are the best ways to prepare my body and mind for my eventual training? I was thinking along the lines of finger, hand and wrist preparation, and any other activities that would be especially helpful for this type of claw style. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For what it's worth, I have a Kenpo background.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3145" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-20T08:46:30.450" LastActivityDate="2017-07-20T08:46:30.450" Title="What are some ways to prepare for learning a clawing art" Tags="|kung-fu|self-training|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7689" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7704" CreationDate="2017-07-19T22:39:17.713" Score="4" ViewCount="750" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Taekwondo the Front Kick, &lt;em&gt;ap chagi&lt;/em&gt;, has a variant Push Front Kick, &lt;em&gt;mireo ap chagi&lt;/em&gt;, to push opponent away, rather than hitting him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the Side Kick, &lt;em&gt;yeop chagi&lt;/em&gt;, I haven't seen any mention to pushing variant. Looking on the internet also. For example, the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blackbeltwiki.com/taekwondo-kicks&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Black Belt Wiki&lt;/a&gt; site mentions Front, Side, Push (Front) Taekwondo kicks, but no Push Side Kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, I see the Push Side Kick being taught as a defence tactic for WTF Olympic sparring: keeping the knee high to protect your body, and possibly counter an opponent attack with a side kick push near their hip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is the Push Side Kick part of Taekwondo kicking techniques?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastActivityDate="2020-11-18T18:43:47.550" Title="Is the Push Side Kick a Taekwondo technique?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|kicking|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7690" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7688" CreationDate="2017-07-19T23:22:57.367" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;For finger / hand / wrist training to prepare for claws, you'll need to keep the following in mind:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. Finger strength&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not very familiar with Judo, but I bet this is roughly the same as there, as the basic is the same: Grab and don't let go. You can train finger strength in several different ways&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fingertip pushups:&lt;/strong&gt; They're exactly what they sound like: Pushups on your fingertips. If you've never done these before, start easy. There's no shame on starting them standing up, against a wall (hell, that's how I started, and at one point, I could do them with my feet way up on the couch's back rest) and slowly work your way down. Don't overdo it. Let your fingers gradually get used to it. Once you're comfortable with doing regular pushups on your fingertips, you can also start doing them on less fingers (8 instead of 10, 6, etc)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stressball squeezing:&lt;/strong&gt; Stressballs or tennis balls, whichever you got access to. Just grab them, put your fingertips onto the surface, and squeeze the bejeezes out of that thing!&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Grip strengthening thingamajingy:&lt;/strong&gt; I honestly don't know the proper name for it. It looks like two handles and a curly ring at the top. You grab it in your hand, and squeeze. It's basically a more advanced version of the stressball squeezing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tiger claw:&lt;/strong&gt; It may sound silly, but a great way to train your fingers for claws, is using those claws. Especially tiger claw is good for this. You bend your fingers, pointing each fingertip forward and make them as firm as possible. If you're not used to it, you'll quickly feel it pull in your fingers, hand and maybe even lower arm. Don't give up at this point. Bite through it and keep those fingers firm! Eventually, your claw will strengthen&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hitting beans:&lt;/strong&gt; This is a more traditional type, which is shown almost every time the Shaolin temple is shown. They're standing in front of a jar filled with beans and slam their fingers into it. The hits basically strengthen the bones. You can also take eg. a sock, put a plank in it, and fill it up with foam or hankies or such, to soften it a bit, then loosely hit with the back of your fingers and the front. Or you can buy &quot;iron beans&quot; or use gravel (DISCLAIMER: Don't use gravel when starting out! That's for highly advanced only!)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. Wrist strength&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrist strength is more general, and requires to be very careful! If you do this poorly, you'll be lucky if you're out for only a few weeks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Back wrist pushups:&lt;/strong&gt; These are regular pushups, but instead of putting the palms of your hands down, you put the backs of your hands down, and curl your fingers up into a &quot;bird's beak&quot; (place all fingertips around the tip of your thumb). Be EXTREMELY careful with this! As always, form matters, but tenfold so with this!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Leopard claw pushups:&lt;/strong&gt; You make a leopard claw. It's pretty much half a fist. You put your fingertips on the cushions of your fingers, and close your thumb at the side. Then stand in pushup position, with this leopard claw facing downward. Best is to start on your knees and just stay there. Once you're comfortable with that, just stand in pushup position (so basically doing a high plank on those claws). Once you're comfortable with that, you can slowly start doing pushups. This also trains finger strength, but will have more effect on your wrists, so it comes here.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Good ol' punching:&lt;/strong&gt; Just regular punches: Jabs, straights, hooks, uppercuts. They all create impact on the wrists, and thus are practice for those as well.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3. Lower arm strength&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For lower arm strength, any lower arm exercise can work. There's such a wide range of exercises you can do with either dumbbells or barbells for this, I'm not gonna list them. I'm actually only going to mention one, which I think is relevant for specifically this, and not just general lower arm strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Explosive hands:&lt;/strong&gt; This doesn't have a name that I know of. It's just an exercise I figured out, which helps wonders. You make a fist, as tightly as you can, open it quickly, and close it as tightly as you can again, straight away. The more explosiveness you put in this movement, the better. First time will be nothing. Second time, nothing still. You'll feel its effect if you do it for a bit longer, like a minute or so. It's a perfect exercise to do while you're waiting somewhere, or are taking a walk (both while nobody's watching, cause, y'know...)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's all the main ones I know of. If anyone else knows more, I'd actually be very interesting too. Finger / grip / wrist / lower arm strength is of such high importance in so many different styles, it'd be interesting to hear how eg. judoka, jiujitsu or aikido practitioners train this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2017-07-19T23:22:57.367" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7691" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-07-20T05:48:10.243" Score="1" ViewCount="1369" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am looking for open Taekwondo tournaments that &lt;em&gt;do not&lt;/em&gt; require for you to be in any specific organization to enter. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How would I go about finding those?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8442" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-20T08:57:08.157" LastActivityDate="2017-12-23T06:05:09.720" Title="How do I find Taekwondo Tournaments near me?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7692" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7691" CreationDate="2017-07-20T07:58:28.297" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;ITF and in the UK here,&#xA;There are not many truly open tournaments around so heres a couple of ideas:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Widen your search&lt;/strong&gt; - look at freestyle karate/kickboxing (more useful for sparring - some do open Kata as well which will let you do patterns)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ask the groups&lt;/strong&gt; - usually the closed competitions it is for insurance or conformity reasons, if you talk to the heads of the organisations posting tournaments locally you may be allowed to compete - they may ask you to purchase insurance or similar. Just be aware that while most judging is fair - some referees may take a negative view of you if you are not wearing the correct dobok and you may have to win more convincingly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Join a larger group as well&lt;/strong&gt; - competitions are one of the benefits of the larger groups, see if you can train occasionally and keep your insurance and membership up to date to allow you to compete. They are unlikely to stop you training at a small independent local school as well (they may have more of an issue if you are instructing*)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2017-07-20T07:58:28.297" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7693" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7689" CreationDate="2017-07-20T08:21:20.990" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hi do you mean &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blackbeltwiki.com/side-kick&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;yeop chagi&lt;/a&gt; ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;i'm not learn Taekwondo but i learn Hapkido (Hapkido have almost all of Taekwondo kick) which i learn this kick and i believe Taekwondo have this too&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7872" LastActivityDate="2017-07-20T08:21:20.990" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7694" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7689" CreationDate="2017-07-20T08:27:12.817" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://taekwondo.wikia.com/wiki/Moon-Moo&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot; title=&quot;Moon Moo&quot;&gt;ITF Pattern Moon Moo&lt;/a&gt; - moves 31 and 40&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;yes, ITF has Side Pushing Kick - its even in a pattern - it just happens to be at fourth degree.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We spend a lot of time trying to get practitioners to kick with the foot sword with side kick, letting them at an early belt use the ball of the foot will tend to stop them developing the power that side kick can deliver.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2017-07-20T08:27:12.817" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7695" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7691" CreationDate="2017-07-20T09:16:33.607" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Look for schools and instructors in your area and talk to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Schools usually organize smaller competitions between them, to help prepare their students for larger events. Since these are organized between schools and not by an official organization, they can be open to other people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastActivityDate="2017-07-20T09:16:33.607" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7696" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2423" CreationDate="2017-07-20T11:05:56.583" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Kukkiwon/WTF Taekwondo, the &lt;em&gt;poomsae&lt;/em&gt; (forms), required for &lt;em&gt;geup&lt;/em&gt; (below &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; black belt) grades are associated with I Ching symbols.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the &quot;Complete Taekwondo Poomsae: The Official Taegeuk, Palgawe and Black Belt Forms&quot; book, page 24, states that the &quot;Poomsae reflect the characteristics of Korean culture&quot;, including the &quot;eight trigrams, wich originate from the Tegeukki (Korean flag)&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6fuf7.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6fuf7.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://taekwondo.wikia.com/wiki/Taegeuk_Poomsae&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Taekwondo Wikia&lt;/a&gt; website provides more in depth explanation of this relation:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Taegeuk Il Jang: ☰ &quot;Keon&quot; The Sky, the Heavens&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Taegeuk Ee Jang: ☱ &quot;Tae&quot; Lake&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Taegeuk Sam Jang: ☲ &quot;Ree&quot; Fire&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Taegeuk Sa Jang: ☳ &quot;Jin&quot; Thunder&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Taegeuk Oh Jang: ☴ &quot;Seon&quot; Wind    &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Taegeuk Yook Jang: ☵ &quot;Kam&quot; Water  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Taegeuk Chil Jang: ☶ &quot;Kan&quot; Mountain&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Taegeuk Pal Jang: ☷ &quot;Gon&quot; The Earth, the Ground&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The 1st, 3rd, 6th and 8th are the four symbols in the Korean flag: Sky, Fire, Water and Earth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The movements in each form are inspired by what it represents. For example, in the Chil Jang, associated with the Mountain, introduces the Tiger stance, known to live near mountains; in the Yook Jang the movements are similar to a water flow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, the floor pattern of each form draws the three lines of the corresponding I Ching symbol. When performing the &quot;lines&quot; with movements to the side, turning with your front foot represents a solid line, pivoting in place represents a broken line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, on the Taegeuk Ee Jang, the ☱ three lines are represented like this (from the bottom to the top line):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you first move left, and then turn back, to the right with your front foot, performing a solid line&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you then advance to the second line, and repeat a solid line&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;on the third line you turn back pivoting in place, representing a broken line.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2018-04-12T13:36:01.130" LastActivityDate="2018-04-12T13:36:01.130" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7697" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5077" CreationDate="2017-07-20T16:28:19.840" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't worry about those head kicks. Like everything in life, you'll start small. You'll learn to kick to the body, receive to the body. You'll have time and hopefully nice training partners that'll adapt to you, so you can get tougher and tougher when it comes to receiving kicks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Afterwards, maybe you'll start competing. You'll never fight &quot;to the head&quot; under the red/brown belt. Even after that, most competitions don't allow them anymore unless you're fighting &quot;pro&quot;. If you do, get a good instructor that'll help you prepare. But trust me, once you'll have the level to fight with head kicks, you'll also have the level to see them coming (most of the time).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll take myself as an example. I fight to the head while sparring at my dojan, with people I trust and people I don't want to hurt, so we are careful but I decided not to do any competitions with kicks to the face. I have a job, I can't afford a commotion. Even though I'm a black belt, I just don't feel like I need to kick someone's head off to enjoy competing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To resume, you'll never &lt;em&gt;have&lt;/em&gt; to fight with head kicks to enjoy fighting in TKD. But be prepared to have bruised legs/arms a lot :p&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you get in a dojan that forces you to get kicked in the head and you don't like it, go somewhere else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The important is to enjoy it, and you will. Plus, it's not because you don't kick people on the face that you're a strong fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do it, sign up, you won't regret :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2041" LastActivityDate="2017-07-20T16:28:19.840" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7698" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7614" CreationDate="2017-07-20T16:39:51.873" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Start &lt;em&gt;any&lt;/em&gt; martial art you want. The martial art itself won't define if you get kicked in the head or not, the school you're in will.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ask the question before joining : &quot;Hey, do you guys spare with head contact or not? If I'm not comfortable with it, would I be forced to do it?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your problem seems to be that you think when you train MA everyone you train with will hit you with all they've got. That is wrong, Martial Arts are about developing yourself. If you get a nice school, your training partners will adapt to you. If you think they hit too hard, tell 'em. You'll need to progress, one step at a time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, you can't expect to take a hit from a good black belt of similar weight right when you start, you'd probably choke. So they'll spar easier with you. That doesn't mean they'll go easy on you, you'll probably get hit a lot more than you hit, but these hits won't be painful. You need to be comfortable saying that a hit hurts, because your partner can't know by themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2041" LastActivityDate="2017-07-20T16:39:51.873" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7699" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7037" CreationDate="2017-07-20T18:18:30.507" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You want to intimidate &quot;them&quot;? How much are they? Don't think you'd be able to handle more than one opponent unless you train for years in sparring and practice that kind of situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts take time to develop, you won't be able to use them to do any harm for the first few years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Still, you might want to start martial arts to release your anger in a controlled environment. It's fun and relaxing. Plus you'll learn to defend yourself, slowly but well. Do it for you, not for someone else (or to beat up someone else).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For your actual problem, learn how to throw a solid punch and get one of them by surprise if that's what you want. But this scenario asks for retaliation and you don't want to have to fight of 2-3-4-5 guys, you'll get beaten up pretty bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Getting in Martial arts will make you friends. In my case, my dojan (I practice Taekwondo) is pretty much my second family. You could find people that would help you there. (Not to beat people up, but to help you with other means).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2041" LastActivityDate="2017-07-20T18:18:30.507" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7700" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7544" CreationDate="2017-07-21T05:42:12.307" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm certainly no Judo Master, but did practice, beginning at age 25-26 (now 66).  I was 6'3&quot; and 180 lbs.  I was rather awkward at that age, starting late, with a stiff and weak body, not ready for the vigors of Judo; However, I did seem to find some success in some of the techniques meant for taller players: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;O-Soto-gari - utilizing my long legs; foot sweeps on smaller opponents&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Believe it or not, my favorite and best was (usually successful from smaller guys, on bigger opponents): Ippon Seio-nage. I seemed to like to turn my back on the other guy, while having to get very low, the biggest challenge. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If I ever went back to Judo practice, I would try to get into the &quot;drop-down&quot; Tai O-toshi; the appearance of an Ippon Seio nage entry - but followed by reversing toward him w O-soto-gari (and vice-versa).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8444" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-07-22T19:58:20.997" LastActivityDate="2017-07-22T19:58:20.997" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7701" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7703" CreationDate="2017-07-21T13:55:44.283" Score="3" ViewCount="4980" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The Rumble in the Jungle was a historic boxing event in Kinshasa,&#xA;  Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) on October 30, 1974&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rumble_in_the_Jungle&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kinshasa is in Africa, which is far away from USA. It was inconvenient for not only Ali and Foreman, but also the thousands of people who watched the match.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then why was not it held in USA?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8445" LastActivityDate="2017-07-24T11:48:12.430" Title="Why was `Rumble in the Jungle` held in Zaire?" Tags="|boxing|history|punching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7702" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7614" CreationDate="2017-07-21T22:32:18.697" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I currently train HEMA (Historic European Martial Arts) and I think that would suit you perfectly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;HEMA is primarily based around training with a longsword and while there is some striking to the head, you don't get the twisting motion of the head as you do in boxing. This motion shakes the brain around, it is why you get knockouts and it is one of the primary reasons why the brain takes damage. The reason this doesn't happen in longsword fighting is due to the fact that a longsword is meant for cutting, so brute force isn't a big factor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;HEMA is also easy to practice at home. There are many ways to train your swordmanship alone, although I do recommend doing it outside if you're training with a sword. The great thing is that forms can be trained using something as simple as a flyswatter if you don't want to risk the furniture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is a bit of a gearsport once you get into it, but you can start out with fairly little. If there is a HEMA club in or near your home town I would recommend talking to them. They will most likely lend you everything you need for the first few times so that you can try it out and see if you like it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3214" LastActivityDate="2017-07-21T22:32:18.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7703" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7701" CreationDate="2017-07-22T20:56:07.670" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Short version, Don King signed on Ali and Foreman with the promise of a $5 million purse, but didn't have the cash, so he accepted an offer to host and finance by Mobutu Sese Seko. (&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rumble_in_the_Jungle&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Don King arranged this fight with the music businessman Jerry Masucci, who took his famed musicians, Fania All Stars, to play at the venue. King managed to get Ali and Foreman to sign separate contracts saying they would fight for him if he could get a $5 million purse each. However, as King did not have the money, he began seeking an outside country to sponsor the event. Zaire's dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, eager for the publicity such a high-profile event would bring, asked for the fight to be held in his country.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There were also race relations reasons. Zaire was an independent African nation ruled by a black man, and Foreman and Ali were example of strong Black men, particularly Ali with his ties to Black Nationalism, and Mobuto was facing disapproval of his U.S. government-backed overthrow of Lumumba, so he was looking for any good publicity he could find. (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thedailybeast.com/revisiting-the-rumble-in-the-jungle-with-an-eye-toward-human-rights&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Daily Beast&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-07-24T11:48:12.430" LastActivityDate="2017-07-24T11:48:12.430" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7704" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7689" CreationDate="2017-07-24T07:11:11.190" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the official Kukkiwon (WT/WTF) Taekwondo Terminology guide published in 2012 the listing is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mireo-chagi(밀어차기): Pushing Kick&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A technique of pushing the opponent with the foot&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;This is a pushing technique to make the opponent fall or to maintain some distance with him or her by using the ball or sole of the foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;use&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;► Mireo-ap-chagi / 밀어 앞차기 / Pushing Front Kick&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;► Mireo-yeop-chagi / 밀어 옆차기 / Pushing Side Kick&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, in most dojangs around the world &quot;Push kick&quot; is just that, it's not &quot;Push front kick&quot; (in either the Korean or English terminology), and we don't practice a push side kick. The kick you see in WT competitions is a &quot;cut&quot; kick or &quot;check&quot; kick and not thought of as a push (because pushing motions don't score on electronic PSS protectors, only impact motions).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2017-07-24T07:11:11.190" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7705" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7689" CreationDate="2017-07-24T16:36:21.523" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The short answer is &quot;yes&quot;, ITF and Kukkiwon both have them; but the long answer is more pedantic (and still &quot;yes&quot;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Short answer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;ITF has &quot;Yopcha Milgi&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kukkiwon has &quot;Mireo Chagi&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't answer for ATA or any other TKD style&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long answer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a purely physics POV, there is no difference between a push, thrust, or pierce (or even a block and parry...)  All involve a movement along a vector, and the thing moving is met with an object along that vector.  The name of the technique usually boils down to intent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We may qualify the action moving along the vector as a kick when the thing kicking is moving at a fast rate of speed; and similarly we may qualify the action as a push that thing doing the action is slow.  (With regards to hands or body motion, we might even discern the difference between a push and throw having more to do with velocity than speed, but that is outside the scope of your question).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We can also take a look at some technique definitions.  In Choi's encyclopedia, Vol II, beginning page 76, nowhere is speed of the kick mentioned.  It only mentions optimal attacking areas, and parts of the foot.  But speed is not mentioned at all.  In fact, on page 76, it specifically states &quot;Proper and timely employment of this tool [the foot parts] cannot be overemphasized&quot;.  Key word here is &quot;timely&quot;, which is not the same as speed or velocity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Vol IV, pages 25, 36, and 38 describe techniques &quot;Yopcha Jirugi&quot; (side piercing kick), &quot;Yopcha Tulgi&quot; (side thrusting kick), and &quot;Yopcha Milgi&quot; (side pushing kick), respectively.  The relevant differences are described here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;YJ: No mention of speed is made at all.  Strike only with the footsword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;YT: variant of YJ, strike only with ball of foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;YM: variant of YJ, uses only weight without acceleration and power, losing piercing force and naturally rapid withdrawl of foot becomes less important.  No mention about whether to use the ball of toes, the heel, or the foot blade.  It DOES say &quot;be sure to cross the other foot rapidly past where the kicking foot had been placed while KICKING AND PUSH the target momentarily&quot;.  Also, &quot;without acceleration&quot; is interesting, as it suggests the others should be using acceleration, whereas here there is no acceleration.  Gen Choi did not seem to have a good grasp of physics when considering all other discussions of power, and so, one might question whether he really meant &quot;slow speed&quot; when he said &quot;no acceleration&quot;, because, a constant velocity has an acceleration of 0, even if you have an extremely fast kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So as far as ITF is concerned, the implication is that velocity of the kick is important as far as push vs thrust/pierce is concerned, but, seems not well defined.  This suggests that in ITF, all kicks are both pushing and piercing/thrusting.  (Note that a thrust and a pierce are exactly the same, except the thrust uses the ball of toes, while the pierce uses the blade.  The push has &quot;no acceleration&quot;.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the Kukkiwon style of Taekwondo, the definitions according to www.kukkiwon.or.kr (and similarly described in its textbook) are much more vague:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mireo-chagi is a &quot;push kick&quot; which applies to the front and side kicks, and is described as &quot;A technique of pushing the opponent with the foot.  This is a pushing technique to make the opponent fall or to maintain some distance with him or her by using the ball or sole of the foot.&quot;  Note here the technical difference: ITF doesn't say ball/toe/blade/sole, while KKW says ball/sole can be used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yeop-chagi (side kick) is a &quot;thrusting kick&quot;, which is described as &quot;A technique of delivering a kick by turning one’s body to the side.  This is a skill of striking the opponent’s face or chest with the outside edge of the foot or the bottom of the foot. The side kick is usually performed by turning one’s body to the side and at the same time bending the leg and extending it to kick the target. In some circumstances, one may push the opponent with the foot to maintain the distance from the opponent.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I said, it's pedantic.  But it means all kicks can be &quot;piercing&quot;, &quot;thrusting&quot;, and &quot;pushing&quot;.  It depends on your application, which should be part of your poomsae / hyung.  And one's definition of &quot;push&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: with apologies, I referenced the wrong volume, should be IV (4), not IX (9), pages 25-38.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2017-08-03T17:39:31.353" LastActivityDate="2017-08-03T17:39:31.353" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7706" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2017-07-27T07:15:42.150" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwama,_Ibaraki&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Iwama&lt;/a&gt; (岩間町 Iwama-machi) is a small town located in Nishiibaraki District, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-27T07:15:42.150" LastActivityDate="2017-07-27T07:15:42.150" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7707" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2017-07-27T07:15:42.150" Score="0" Body="A style based upon Ueshiba's Aikido teaching at the Iwama dojo, known for its weapon work." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-27T07:15:42.150" LastActivityDate="2017-07-27T07:15:42.150" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7708" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7709" CreationDate="2017-07-27T13:00:48.093" Score="6" ViewCount="1411" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vqIL1m.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vqIL1m.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;shodokan aikido Shodothug&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Shodokan Aikido, we do not train with a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakama&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;hakama&lt;/a&gt; whether a yudansha (first degree black belt or above) or not. Mostly, this is for safety during randori-ho (free play) training: one less thing to get tangled into! Yoshinkan seem to only wear the hakama for demonstrations but not in general training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, many other styles of Aikido (Aikikai, Ki-Aikido, and Iwama for example) use the hakama in general training, sometimes even for all grades.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Is there any benefits to one's learning of Aikido using a hakama?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: Note that this image was always meant as funny (both by the artist and the main character depicted, no it is not me).&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-07-28T11:44:15.080" LastActivityDate="2017-07-28T11:44:15.080" Title="Benefits of training in a hakama…" Tags="|aikido|shodokan|uniform|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7709" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7708" CreationDate="2017-07-27T13:26:44.753" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Honestly, it seems to be largely tradition (with said tradition basically stemming back to a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.guillaumeerard.com/daito-ryu-aiki-jujutsu/articles/why-do-yudansha-wear-hakama&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;fashion trend in the aristocracy&lt;/a&gt;), with many practitioners pointing out that it creates a tripping hazard. The two main benefits I have seen people cite:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It hides your footwork - This is sometimes cited as the reason why the samurai wore them, so that opponents would not see how they were stepping. This is actually noted as being a drawback for instructors, because they have to lift their hakama to show students proper footwork.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It forces shorter steps and centered footwork - If you take too long of a step, or don't remain in the center of the hakama during motion, you're more likely to trip. Thus, wearing the hakama forces you into good habits.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The third reason people cite is that it looks good. With the feet hidden, and the flowing fabric, it creates a flowing appearance to one's movement. Of course, this is an aesthetic concern, and does not actually improve one's training, but it is a consideration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Another item I've seen cited on various message boards is &quot;Hakama Groupies&quot;, essentially something along the lines of why some people wear kilts, because they know it leads to speculation as to what's under there, but I figure that's even more out of line with what you're looking for, and frankly, it's more a running joke than anything else.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-07-27T14:40:21.043" LastActivityDate="2017-07-27T14:40:21.043" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7710" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7708" CreationDate="2017-07-27T17:37:37.880" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a huge critic of the hakama, and of its related bane - sawari-waza.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been given many reasons over the years, from fashion, history, tradition, hiding footwork, managing strides...  In the end, I look at it as practical as the human appendix: we all have one, no one knows why, but you better care for it or else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm in Aikido for self-defense.  I don't wear hakamas outside the dojo, so, any benefits of it hiding the feet or managing stride are not applicable to me.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In our school, we wear hakamas starting at 3rd kyu; but we attend seminars, and there, it's common to find schools who have all their students wear the hakama, even kids; while others insist only when 1st dan.  So here, vanity seems gone: you can't readily tell who's who in a crowd of mixed formalities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm no fan of sawari-waza, either (who is??), and wearing a hakama when performing it is insanely difficult - so much so that I find myself worrying about ripping the hakama or dislocating a toe than I am about my technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been in martial arts for almost 40 years, and only in the last 10 years have I begun to wear a hakama, and, when comparing what I've learned in Aikido to what I've learned in Taekwondo, Karate, and Hapkido, I see no practical use for the hakama.  I don't even like traditional gi/dobok because such isn't a part of real life, although, they do provide something that makes it easy to train in, and translating it for outside-the-dojo is a lot easier to do than with a hakama.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So no, I don't think it adds to one's training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But not everyone is in Aikido for self-defense.  The more recreational schools teach for more historical reasons, much like Medieval Times knights wear plate mail when jousting.  It's because, that's what they used back then.  Or revolutionary war re-enactors, why use muskets in re-enactments when one could use an M16?  It just wouldn't be historically accurate.  So same for hakama, I think.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in this case, perhaps a hakama would be more useful in this context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-07-27T17:37:37.880" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7711" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7708" CreationDate="2017-07-27T20:39:56.407" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;For me, the hakama simply belongs to the art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At my dojo, people are encouraged to wear the hakama as soon as they decide that they are going to make Aikido a siginificant part of their life, i.e., as soon as they are positive that they will attend regularly for a long time. Or in other words, we spare people the issue of investing the money and then having it gather dust due to non-use. Aside from that, no skill level at all is connected with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the seminars I visited so far, including international ones, including ones given by old japanese &quot;original&quot; teachers like Endo Seishiran, this kind of use is obviously well known to everyone and well accepted, also. If one wishes to make sure that they are not mistaken for a black belt wearer, they can make double sure that the white belt shows up prominently between the bits used to tie the hakama.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me personally, I like it immensely. It gives me a sense of tightness around the waist. It improves my posture, as it gives me immediate tactile feedback when I round my back. It makes me conscious about standing up, so I don't tangle up in it (I did get a knee injury once when standing up hastily after kneeling in kokyo-ho, in the time before I wore one). It gives a sense of comradeship and &quot;belonging&quot;. I like it when a bunch of 100-120 strangers sit on a big mat, being tied together by the common garment. I like the slightly meditative act of tying it before, and putting it away afterwards, It is one more item which makes it easy to completely separate between the every day life and Aikido time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, I &lt;em&gt;absolutely do not&lt;/em&gt; do Aikido for self-defense, and have zero interest in &quot;practical&quot; applications. So there's that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can say with 100% certainty that I know nobody in my dojo or elsewhere who feels &quot;proud&quot; or &quot;more important&quot; due to wearing a hakama. But everybody I knew before and after switching to it was more &quot;earnest&quot; afterwards for whatever reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7343" LastEditorUserId="7343" LastEditDate="2017-07-28T08:10:31.250" LastActivityDate="2017-07-28T08:10:31.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7712" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7677" CreationDate="2017-07-27T21:01:45.673" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It did help me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem is not so much whether the art itself helps, but whether the teacher teaches it in a way that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More specifically, when I started out with Aikido, my first sensei taught the Nishio style. You can look it up on Youtube, there is a full DVD with the original Nishio guy to be found there. The specialty of Nishio is that he includes sword work in the usual training, a lot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We did not actually do &lt;em&gt;that&lt;/em&gt; part, i.e., regular training was usually without katanas. But we did a lot of katana and stick work on the side. Sometimes katas, sometimes partner exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The katana partner exercises were often frustrating, as it was hard to get a sense of &quot;would this really work&quot; or &quot;would this be tactically sound&quot;, and I did not really feel that it transfered much, anyways. But I loved the katas (which are very similar to Iaido, if not exactly the same). Our teacher really went all out stressing the timing issues around the longer katas - when to be quick, and when to be slow; when to relax, how to breathe and such; and was &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; detailled on exact execution of the movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The katas, especially the long ones, have little to do with actual Aikido exercises, but it helped with getting the mindset of really listening to the whole body; balance, not extending yourself, being in control of your own motion. I apply that a lot during regular training these days (I am not with that sensei anymore, and at a dojo which does another style). Also, in many exercises, there are instances where being able to imagine doing a sword strike &lt;em&gt;really&lt;/em&gt; helps the correct movement (i.e., most 45° spiraling downwards movements are so simply done by imagining a yokomenuchi katana movement that is being pulled through - people who do not have that mental image can struggle a lot).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So give it a try, by all means.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7343" LastEditorUserId="7343" LastEditDate="2017-07-28T07:24:15.250" LastActivityDate="2017-07-28T07:24:15.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7713" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7708" CreationDate="2017-07-27T23:02:58.577" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hakama are traditional horse-riding pants and come in a number of styles. They were worn in Aikido because back when Morihei Ueshiba began teaching, it was part of traditional clothing, and not wearing one would be akin nowadays to going around in your underwear. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Presently, to the best of my knowledge, they are most often seen in Aikikai from either 3rd kyu onwards for women and 1st dan black belt for men. Many dojos have everyone start wearing them from black belt only.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yoshinkan only has instructors from 4th dan wear them as I recall, though I believe that the senior students of Shioda who split and formed other groups may have changed that requirement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some traditional martial arts (&quot;koryu&quot;) use neater, and more regular pants-like nobakama, which are more sensible for training.  It was NEVER designed to hide footwork. That is one of those nonsense myths. Think about it: You're about to fight someone to the death. If your life is on the line, do you think you'll really care about hiding your footwork? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my experience, wearing a hakama makes me pay more attention to how I am moving, as well as my center, since all the ties clamp around your middle. It also keeps my gi from messing up constantly. Other than that, it's a nuisance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8455" LastActivityDate="2017-07-27T23:02:58.577" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7714" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7715" CreationDate="2017-07-28T13:07:53.260" Score="11" ViewCount="762" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm curious about the purpose of suwari-waza practice, the Aikido technique sometimes described as &quot;knee walking&quot;, although I'm aware that the two are different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know some styles like Hapkido and wrestling use it, although it is performed very differently than I see in Aikido.  I occasionally see its use in grappling, but no where it seems more widely practiced than in Aikido, where eventually all techniques are performed while in this position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does your style use suwari-waza or knee walking techniques?  What are you told about its benefits, purpose, and method of performing it?  Any tips you might offer to help someone suffering from ankle, knee, or ball of toes fatigue and pain because of it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2018-09-08T18:49:15.807" LastActivityDate="2018-09-08T18:49:15.807" Title="Benefits of training with suwari waza" Tags="|aikido|technique|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7715" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7714" CreationDate="2017-07-28T14:15:05.653" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Self defence comes to mind: Historically, and I guess still now-a-days, people do sit in seiza in Japan. It is not an idea position to defend oneself from and this is by design. Therefore, daito-ryu (and many others) developed techniques that could be used to fight either a sat or standing opponent. Most of those techniques emphasis getting up as quickly as possible to either escape or use one's blade whichever was available.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suppose that you &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; encounter a situation where you have to defend yourself while sitting in seiza. Although, I consider this &lt;em&gt;unlikely in the extreme&lt;/em&gt;. Thus, the self defence aspect of suwari waza is more or less of historical interest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Suwari waza is about isolating your hips from your legs. When kneeling down, you cannot &quot;cheat&quot; with your legs: &lt;em&gt;all the power must come from your core.&lt;/em&gt; This, to my mind, is why suwari waza is still useful as an exercise. It teaches that economy of movements can have massive impact on the opponent provided that said movements are focused.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first eight technique of the shodokan &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFAFG8azMaI&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;goshin no kata&lt;/a&gt; illustrate this. In the first four techniques, you see both the traditional four timing points and techniques that are performed very close to uke with minimal movement from tori. In the next four, you see selected attacked from each direction, leading to tori standing up at the end. Note that I have seen this eight done standing up by old people with shot knees. There is nothing magical about doing them kneeling down, but for distance and economy of movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2017-07-28T14:15:05.653" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7716" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7722" CreationDate="2017-07-29T17:31:21.740" Score="-5" ViewCount="192" Body="&lt;p&gt;Spy movies frequently feature a suicide pill, which a spy would ingest if caught, preferring to die than being interrogated by the enemy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Could martial arts be used to the same effect? E.g., imagine a martial arts expert who was a spy is captured and placed by the enemy in a room where he has no weapons. Suppose, even, it's a special room adapted to hold those who're a suicide risk, e.g., no hard walls (maybe whatever they use in psychiatric hospitals). Suppose also the spy is stripped naked, but he isn't tied up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What could a martial arts expert who was a spy do in these circumstances to kill himself effectively, without using any devices or substances but his own body, and a few long minutes to spare while no one's watching?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="951" LastActivityDate="2017-08-01T20:20:18.290" Title="Could martial arts knowledge be turned towards self with deadly effect, like a spy suicide pill?" Tags="|injury|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="8" ClosedDate="2017-08-02T04:51:35.927" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7717" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7623" CreationDate="2017-07-31T08:08:07.523" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;⚠ Disclaimer&lt;/strong&gt;: I am &lt;em&gt;still&lt;/em&gt; learning about the goshin-ho and thus the below is best seen as a work in progress… Anyone with a more complete answer is welcome to post it. &lt;em&gt;Any errors, confusion, and misrepresentations are mine alone.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;What is it?&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The term goshin-ho means &quot;methods of self defence&quot; and as such is not a kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a set of (57) techniques showing basic Aikido skills of &lt;em&gt;economy of movement&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;good posture&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;application of power via movement&lt;/em&gt; that form the &#xA;4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; to 7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Shodokan syllabus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each syllabus demonstrates different themes and skills:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; dan explores kuzushi and applications techniques from go no sen timing points. Many of the techniques are variation of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHid3Og_lDc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;nage no kata&lt;/a&gt; with atemi and kansetsu waza finishes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; dan explores the theme of leading an opponent into a weaker posture before executing technique. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;6&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; dan explores a variate of techniques in which the jacket is grabbed in different ways.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; dan revisits the 6&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; dan syllabus and explores the use of kegatana, datsu roku, and kaiten. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that 7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; dan is the last examinable rank of the Shodokan system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Where does it fit?&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tomiki added it to allow higher grades to go back to basics and practice them some more so they could understand them better. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This makes sense in the grand scheme of dan grades: At shodan (1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;), you know the basics. At nidan (2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;), you can do the basics. At sandan (3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt;), you understand the basics. This is the &quot;obey&quot; stage of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuhari&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;shu-ha-ri (守破離)&lt;/a&gt;. At yondan (4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;),  godan (5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;), and rokudan (6&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;) you put the basics into practice and start to deviate/digress from your teacher: &lt;em&gt;This is what the goshin-ho helps you achieve.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Much later on, nanadan (7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;) and above, you should leave your teacher and make your own way. This is the reason why 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; dan is seen as the traditional Meyko-kaiden: your teacher has nothing left to teach you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Sources&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the above was gleamed from Scott Allbright either from his &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aikido-Randori-Reconciliation-Opposing-Forces/dp/1861264984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1501620529&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=Aikido%20and%20Randori%2C%20reconciliation%20of%20two%20opposing%20forces&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Aikido and Randori, reconciliation of two opposing forces&lt;/a&gt; book or from personal conversations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-08-02T08:14:55.453" LastActivityDate="2017-08-02T08:14:55.453" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7719" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7720" CreationDate="2017-08-01T15:28:12.503" Score="11" ViewCount="54392" Body="&lt;p&gt;I heard that Shao-lin is teaching Kung-Fu to foreigners who are non-Buddhist people. By learning Kung-Fu from Shao-lin temple,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Could a non-Buddhist person become a master/teacher/monk at Shao-lin temple?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Or how could anyone become a monk/lifetime student at Shao-lin?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8427" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-08-01T15:44:59.007" LastActivityDate="2021-03-02T09:39:55.177" Title="Could a non-Buddhist person become a monk/master at Shao-lin temple?" Tags="|kung-fu|shaolin|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7720" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7719" CreationDate="2017-08-01T16:44:44.660" Score="21" Body="&lt;p&gt;Short answer: Yes, they teach foreigners. No, it wouldn't be possible for an outsider to become a monk there. You can, however become a disciple under a monk. And you can become a sifu of your own school while being a disciple of a monk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the Shaolin Temple at Songshan in Dengfeng, Henan, monks routinely take on foreigners for training. Usually the junior monks are assigned to teach outsiders. Your training there will be whatever you ask for. You pay for it, and they provide the training. The senior monks will figure out what you want and assign the right junior monks to teach you. You decide how long you want to stay. You can be there a week or two, or you can be there for years. It's up to you and your wallet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will not stay at the temple. You will sleep and eat somewhere else. The monk in charge of you will often set this up for you. They'll find a place for you to stay (usually at the nearby hotel), and they'll provide all your meals. They'll provide transportation to take you to Dengfeng to buy your monk's uniform, leggings, weapons, and so on. They'll even arrange for tour guides and translators if you need them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A typical day begins at 5:30AM with a run up and down the mountain. Then you meet with a monk for training. Then you eat breakfast wherever you want (not at the temple). Then you come back after breakfast for more training at the temple. Then you eat lunch. Then you come back for more training at the temple. Then you eat dinner. And finally, you go to sleep.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is very hard on your body. It will take weeks to become accustomed to the altitude, the training regimen, and the food. Expect to have diarrhea your entire first week, by the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will not get trained the same way monks would be trained. The monks there start at an early age. They are hand selected from the best of the best. They undergo a rigorous, structured training regimen from an early age and live there at the temple. They don't get any say in what they train in. They have to learn to read, write, and do math. They have this academic education in addition to their wushu training. And they have to learn the Buddhist rituals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what I gather, the religiosity of the Shaolin monks varies. A small number are very interested in the Buddhist religious aspects. Others don't care at all. Most probably care a little. With some, they only become really interested in it later on in life, in their 20's and 30's.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the monks are there to train in wushu. That's their dream. They want to be the best at it. They often have the goal of leaving the temple to become either businessmen or movie actors. They're not usually interested in the religious aspects.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For business, many of the monks that are currently living at the temple also have connections with martial arts schools in China and elsewhere. The teachers of those schools pay them to be the head instructor of their schools. It gives their school credibility and status having a real Shaolin monk as their head instructor. The monks rarely visit the schools, if ever.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a rule that the monks must live at the temple. They can't just go off and have an apartment and set up businesses, etc. So they have cell phones and computers to connect them with the outside world. They receive money electronically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, as for you wanting to become a monk, it's not possible. But you can be a &lt;b&gt;disciple&lt;/b&gt;. You just need to find a monk there that is taking foreign students and ask to become a disciple. After taking the oath and performing the ritual (I've witnessed this myself), you will receive a Chinese monk name. But you are not a real Shaolin monk, just a disciple. They probably have a special term for this, I forget.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eventually, your monk will award you with sifu title if you've been with him for long enough and have become suitably skilled. And then you can open a school and start teaching. You can still open your own school and begin teaching before that, but you just can't refer to yourself as a sifu before your monk grants you that title.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe your monk will also award you the title of master. I'm not sure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I asked a friend of mine who happens to be a disciple under a Shaolin monk and who is a sifu what the oath of discipleship involves. And specifically if it involves becoming a Buddhist in any way. Here's his answer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The discipleship oath consists of 5 core vows of which being Buddhist&#xA;  is not one of them. The monks make 7 vows, 2 more in addition to their&#xA;  core discipleship vows which include taking refuge. In a nutshell  and&#xA;  not in any particular order, the vows are: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Being a good person and compassionate and helpful to those in need.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Defending Shaolin Temple. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Not killing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Refraining from vices, i.e. smoking, sex, alcohol.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Loyalty, Honoring Shaolin Temple and your master.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And I go over my experience with training at Shaolin a little more at my answer here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4528/training-martial-arts-in-china/4535#4535&quot;&gt;Training martial arts in china&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2017-08-03T16:05:00.857" LastActivityDate="2017-08-03T16:05:00.857" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7721" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6236" CreationDate="2017-08-01T17:26:32.867" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aikido has mixed team competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Might be worth reviewing the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tomikiaikido.ie/WSAF-World-Sport-Aikido-Open-championships&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Sport Aikido Federation&lt;/a&gt; event list, or the event list from the 2016 Tomiki Nationals. (I was there for part of those, but the only mixed gender I recall is team).  I can't find an event list for the nationals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would be surprised if taiji push hands tournaments didn't have some mixed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2017-08-01T22:18:05.967" LastActivityDate="2017-08-01T22:18:05.967" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7722" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7716" CreationDate="2017-08-01T20:20:18.290" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;My BJJ practitioner friends and I were talking about this recently. Naturally we decided a choke would be the best method.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You would need to lay on your stomach. Make two fists, and put them in your neck, one on each carotid artery. flair your elbows out a little bit, and rest on them. Drop the weight of your head down. If your elbows don't move, you're good. Now you wait. A good Rear Naked Choke takes ~5 seconds to put someone to sleep. Without the RNC squeeze, we guess it would take 10-15 seconds. Once you're out, the blood choke would continue, eventually killing you in no longer than 10 minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is just an educated guess though, as obviously we didn't try it. We did test the position and found out that you are able to stabilize your elbows, so it SHOULD work. If you don't have enough weight to complete the choke, prop up your knees on something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastActivityDate="2017-08-01T20:20:18.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7723" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7724" CreationDate="2017-08-02T14:59:03.613" Score="6" ViewCount="686" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is a description of the sweep:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Attacker is in a sitting position, holding the opponent in guard, possibly, but not necessarily controlling the opponent's hands and preventing the opponent from blocking the sweep. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Attacker then uses one's feet to push the opponents leg backwards, breaking their balance, and rotating the opponent on their back. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not much different from a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34ka6zcncCM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;scissor sweep&lt;/a&gt;, same principle. I've seen it in competitions and in training, and I do it myself. I've seen it in Judo and BJJ. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8472" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-18T12:49:52.583" LastActivityDate="2020-02-08T22:31:13.663" Title="What's the name of this sweep and where did it originate?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|history|grappling|identification|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7724" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7723" CreationDate="2017-08-02T16:12:26.110" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;You're describing the knee push variation of &quot;Scissor Sweep.&quot; It's very common in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two main ways to do it from full guard. Both involve getting control of one arm in either double wrist control, or arm drag position. For the sake of this example we'll say you have their right arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method 1: Classic Scissor Sweep&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While keeping your arm control, hip off so you're facing the side of the arm you have. You have their right arm, so you're on your left hip. Bring your right knee up to their chest (Z guard position). Drop your left leg to the ground. Three movements happen here at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pull the arm toward you (ideally across the body, but not necessary)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kick your left leg in hard, chopping out their leg&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kick your right leg to the left, moving their upper body over 180 degrees.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will end up in mount or side control. Worst case is half guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method 2: Knee Push Variation&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the one you described. While keeping your arm control, hip off so you're facing the side of the arm you have. You have their right arm, so you're on your left hip. Bring your right knee up to their chest (Z guard position). Drop your left leg to the ground and put your foot on their knee. Three movements happen here at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pull the arm toward you (ideally across the body, but not necessary)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kick your left foot hard, pushing their knee backward. It will straighten backward causing them to lose balance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kick your right leg to the left, moving their upper body over 180 degrees.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The idea is you switch back and forth between threatening method 1 and 2. They defend method 1, you hit method 2, etc. It's an extremely effective sweep. The main danger you face is someone hopping over your sweeping leg when you drop it to the ground and them taking side control. Be prepared to bring you leg back into your body to recover guard if you fail.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the origin, most guard techniques are attributed to Carlos Gracie, as guard was not a common position in Judo until Carlos' adaptation to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2017-08-02T16:18:14.497" LastActivityDate="2017-08-02T16:18:14.497" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7725" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7723" CreationDate="2017-08-03T01:51:55.600" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think the sweep technique in question is similar to those in this image from &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Higher_Judo.html?id=G6gif_EMVNEC&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Higher Judo: Ground Work&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; by Moshe Feldenkrais published by Frederick Warne &amp;amp; Co., Ltd, 1952:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/q9WCo.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/q9WCo.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;sweep&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And closer to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlFJuYEw-Hw&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=21s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this example&lt;/a&gt; in Mifune's &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhxfk5GW9BY&amp;amp;t=1351&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Essence of Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1955):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wxWH5.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wxWH5.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not know a judo name associated with this sweep, however Kashiwaziki in his &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=iD6nAAAACAAJ&amp;amp;dq=fighting+judo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Fighting Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; names a similar technique &lt;em&gt;ude-kakae&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/bfaiX.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/bfaiX.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for origin, I would suggest Japan and probably some form of jujutsu, but almost certainly predating BJJ. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-08T22:31:13.663" LastActivityDate="2020-02-08T22:31:13.663" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7726" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6236" CreationDate="2017-08-03T13:57:33.463" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are occasionally Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournaments with mixed gender divisions. They are extremely uncommon, and are only done in smaller tournaments because there would not be enough women to fill their own divisions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A little anecdotal info: I've done two of these tournaments with mixed gender brackets. The women never did well. Even though they were in the same weight classes as their male opponents, I did not see a woman win a single match. That's not to say it isn't possible, it absolutely is! There are some amazing female BJJ practitioners. They just have a much tougher road ahead of them if they are to overcome their physical disadvantages and compete with men.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastActivityDate="2017-08-03T13:57:33.463" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7727" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5995" CreationDate="2017-08-04T16:57:27.933" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have done training that mirrors a micro ring (though I can't see a gym actually wasting space on one of these). Two of the most effective were:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;King of the Square:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The mats at my gym are in squares. We pick a square that's probably around 8x8, so the same as that micro ring (which has a fight space of 9x9). You're not allowed to leave the square for the duration of the drill (usually 2 minutes), and the goal is to be in the center of the square more than your opponent. It helps you to work on dirty boxing, switching between head and body shots, and knees and elbows if we're MMA sparring. I find this kind of sparring very effective, as it causes guys that are typically outside strikers to get in the range that they're not comfortable with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;King of the Corner:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similar to King of the Square, but you're using a corner of the gym. There's a set area of the walls that you have to stay within. The goal is to force your opponent out of the &quot;square&quot;, to the opposite side of the corner. It's very difficult, as if you want to &quot;win&quot; the drill, you have to put your back to the wall and fight out of it. It goes against all intuition. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both of these methods can be done with Boxing, Kickboxing, and MMA sparring. Rather then spend money and space on this specialty tool, use what you have. Squares and corners! Also prepare to get your liver crushed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2017-08-04T18:29:54.493" LastActivityDate="2017-08-04T18:29:54.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7728" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4543" CreationDate="2017-08-04T17:02:37.177" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do you value your equipment quality?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a reason these dummies are so expensive; professionals are REALLY good at making them. You risk damaging your expensive dummy if it's not filled properly. They are incredibly dense for a reason - structural integrity. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Order your dummies and bags filled. If you can't afford it, save your pennies. It's worth it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastActivityDate="2017-08-04T17:02:37.177" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7729" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7731" CreationDate="2017-08-04T09:56:28.547" Score="2" ViewCount="391" Body="&lt;p&gt;When pole standing, should my weight be balanced more on my heel (where I feel it works my thigh muscles), or the ball of my foot (where it seems to work more my lower leg)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8480" OwnerDisplayName="Benubird" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-08-07T12:39:01.120" LastActivityDate="2017-08-08T20:22:10.540" Title="Should pole standing (zhan zhuang) be on front or back of the foot?" Tags="|kung-fu|stance|balance|meditation|internal|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7731" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7729" CreationDate="2017-08-07T12:17:10.873" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not an expert, but there's a discussion on weight distribution &lt;a href=&quot;http://legacy.ymaa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5103&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; that suggests that the weight should be balanced uniformly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Keep the center of the feet (Yongquan points) lifted lightly and place your body weight exactly onto the center of your feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Actually, you open the Yongquan point by grasping a very little the ground with the toes. It will lift up a tiny bit the arch of the foot. Do it first with your intention only and then add a very light physical gesture. Nevertheless, the weight can be distributed quite equally all over the feet. Put down first the heels, then the exterior edge of the feet, then the toes -from little to big-, grasp lightly the ground with the toes (without tension), and find the center of your feet, and settle your weight there. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2017-08-07T12:17:10.873" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7732" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7734" CreationDate="2017-08-07T12:31:11.450" Score="10" ViewCount="2603" Body="&lt;p&gt;Background information: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will start university in September and I want to continue practicing martial arts. I've been doing shotokan karate for 8 years now and I have a black belt exam in December. At the university there is no karate club but there are other martial arts clubs and I've decided to start japanese jiu-jitsu. I'll be studying abroad so going to other clubs than the university's is not an option because I don't speak the language and even though most people there speak English I don't want to put pressure on the instructor and his students plus I want to experience and train in a new art and expand my techniques and knowledge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to know &lt;strong&gt;how I should behave at first when joining the club&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;if there is any etiquette to be followed&lt;/strong&gt; (I've never changed clubs), &lt;strong&gt;if I should tell them that I've been doing karate&lt;/strong&gt; (I don't want them to think that I'm boasting about it).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I excuse myself if this is too long or there are too many questions stuffed in here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8386" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-08-08T18:43:35.993" LastActivityDate="2021-07-30T07:47:20.900" Title="Etiquette when changing from karate to jiu-jitsu" Tags="|karate|recommendation|jujutsu|etiquette|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7733" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7729" CreationDate="2017-08-07T12:38:25.547" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Basic&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your knees should be bent, and your weight centered over the arch of your foot, which is near the center. This places weight on both the ball and heel of the foot. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One goal of zhan zhuang is to eliminate unnecessary muscular tension used to hold your body up. Although you may feel strain in your lower leg for some weeks or months, this is not a long term feature. Over time you should feel less strain and your body should feel like it holds itself up through structure. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People who do not bend their knees tend to stand with their weight on their heels, which tends to cause stiffness in the lower back. I have never heard/seen advice to center your weight on the heels; this is often enumerated explicitly as a common mistake. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Advanced Variation&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your weight shifts forward from the basic position to over the ball of your foot. You can allow your heels to rise by a sheet of paper's thickness to ensure this weight shift. Personally, I think this should not be done without instruction; the basic version which can easily occupy you for years. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Opening&quot; the yongquan point (or any other point) is not a strictly mechanical process. You learn what this means by practicing consistently and feeling how your body develops over months. It's not sufficient to put your body in the right position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-08-08T20:22:10.540" LastActivityDate="2017-08-08T20:22:10.540" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7734" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7732" CreationDate="2017-08-07T12:56:50.833" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a famous zen &lt;a href=&quot;https://duckduckgo.com/?q=zen%20full%20cup&amp;amp;t=ffab&amp;amp;ia=web&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;story&lt;/a&gt;, one of the variation is this…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a&#xA;  university professor who came to inquire about Zen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on&#xA;  pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!”&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;“Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and&#xA;  speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is how you should approach learning a new art: &lt;em&gt;with an empty and open mind.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many different splits within Jujutsu: For example, Daito-ryu Aiki jujutsu is a flavour of jujutsu but has nothing to do with the Gracie clan system of jujutsu. Jujutsu is like Kung Fu, there is a lot of it. Whichever flavour of Jujutsu (see above…) you practice will have differences, similarities, and contradictions to karate. Just accept it all and learn. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is nothing etiquette-wise beyond the usual of being polite and open-minded to what is being taught. As for whether to tell them you have been studying karate, if they are any good they will notice and ask. In any case, it serves nothing to hide it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, a letter of recommendation (or email or phone call or …) is sometimes written from your old teacher to your new one. This &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; happen within the same style (or with the same parent organisation) but is rarely (if ever) used between organisations. I would not bothered with such recommendation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-08-09T14:15:47.500" LastActivityDate="2017-08-09T14:15:47.500" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7735" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7742" CreationDate="2017-08-07T13:14:47.360" Score="2" ViewCount="1423" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background information:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will start university in September and I want to continue practicing martial arts. I've been doing shotokan karate for 8 years now and I have a black belt exam in December. At the university there is no karate club but there are other martial arts clubs and I've decided to start japanese jiu-jitsu. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've never practiced any other martial art, I only attended 1 class of kyokushin  karate with a friend and sparred a couple of times with some taekwondoins that were practicing in the same hall (that is  all of my &quot;real life&quot; experience with other martial arts). &lt;strong&gt;Are there are tips, tricks and things that I should know&lt;/strong&gt; and take into consideration when I'll start training? &lt;strong&gt;How it'll be like to adapt from karate to jiu-jitsu&lt;/strong&gt; as they are quite different martial arts and &lt;strong&gt;what should I concentrate on in jiu-jitsu lessons and training  considering my previous karate training&lt;/strong&gt; (I'll also continue training, certainly less, in karate for my upcoming exam).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8386" LastActivityDate="2017-08-16T02:40:31.600" Title="Adapting from karate to jiu-jitsu" Tags="|training|karate|recommendation|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7736" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7732" CreationDate="2017-08-07T16:19:41.687" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been in a similar situation, and though I expect them to ask about your background, I would definitely mention it to the teacher at the earliest opportunity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main advantage of sharing, is that you may get tailored advice/training if the teacher is familiar with people who come from a similar background.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main risk of &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; sharing your experience is that people see some capabilities and extrapolate from that. For instance, when they see you are good at one thing, they may expect you to be good at other things as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Real life example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Start with kicks punches, etc.: deliver comparatively high performance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Make groups roughly based on performance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice throws, grips, ...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Naturally, you should not overthink this, but if your recognize such a situation please &lt;strong&gt;speak out to make sure you get the proper fundamentals and learning curve&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8483" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-08-08T20:44:19.670" LastActivityDate="2017-08-08T20:44:19.670" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7737" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-08-07T17:01:18.643" Score="10" ViewCount="6697" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know that Wing Chun has the chain punching that can target the chest / solar plexus so as to rattle the other guy and not provide any opportunity to recover. But why not do the same punches to the face?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there some benefit to punching your opponent in the chest that I’m not aware of? Is there much at all reality behind movies' depictions of someone being struck in the chest then coughing up blood or even dying?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that just about any technique &lt;em&gt;could&lt;/em&gt; work, but why not go with the higher-percentage strikes which hurt the other guy more?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2021-11-08T07:12:38.863" Title="Chest punches - deceptively useful, or movie fantasy?" Tags="|punching|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7738" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7737" CreationDate="2017-08-07T17:18:49.943" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well, to start off, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer%27s_fracture&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;punching someone in the head is potentially harmful to the puncher&lt;/a&gt;. Skulls are made out of hard bone with few flat surfaces and several angles, which increases the risk of breaking your knuckles on contact. And that's if you're lucky enough to not make contact with something like the teeth, and also suffer additional lacerations. Frankly, the damage caused by punching a head is one of the major factors behind boxing gloves (the other major factor being preventing grappling, but that's &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/5419/1780&quot;&gt;a different topic&lt;/a&gt;). Compare that to the chest, which is largely flat, and therefore less likely to damage your hands. In addition, the head is a relatively small target, and one more easily moved away from the attacker than the torso, so it's going to be harder to target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, yes, &lt;a href=&quot;https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=uf7538&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;chest punches can be very damaging&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A chest contusion, or bruise, is caused by a fall or direct blow to the chest. Car crashes, falls, getting punched, and injury from bicycle handlebars are common causes of chest contusions. A very forceful blow to the chest can injure the heart or blood vessels in the chest, the lungs, the airway, the liver, or the spleen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pain may be caused by an injury to muscles, cartilage, or ribs. Deep breathing, coughing, or sneezing can increase your pain. Lying on the injured area also can cause pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2017-08-07T17:18:49.943" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7739" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7732" CreationDate="2017-08-07T17:39:08.653" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I was studying Tae Kwon Do -- if you want to be ultra polite...&#xA;Explain the situation to your current instructor and if possible get permission and a reference letter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if you don't talk to your current instructor.. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Approach the new school very carefully. Perhaps calling first and explaining your situation.  Some old schools used to mind, most don't today.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8486" LastEditorUserId="8488" LastEditDate="2017-08-07T21:19:03.393" LastActivityDate="2017-08-07T21:19:03.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7740" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7737" CreationDate="2017-08-07T18:56:14.183" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A little bit useful, a little more fantasy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the context of a real fight or an MMA fight, it's really only useful as a set up punch. IE, it's not a strike for damage, it's to open up the real damaging shots. There are much better set up punches, so they aren't used that often. Also &lt;strong&gt;due to the position of a traditional boxing or kickboxing guard, they're incredibly easy to defend.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I first need to define the &amp;quot;body&amp;quot;. In fighting the body refers to strikes to the lower-outside ribs, lower ribs (below the solar plexus), stomach, and obliques (where your left hand liver shots hit).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Much like a body jab, body cross, and liver shot, you can get your opponent to think about their body a bit too much, and drop their hands. The same can be done with a chest punch. Here's the problem, body jabs, body crosses, and liver shots, and body hooks all do this better. They hurt more, do more damage, and most important, they cause your opponent to drop their hands lower to defend. This is key. The lower they drop their hands, the better time you have landing your follow up shot to the head. &lt;strong&gt;If you strike to the chest they don't have to drop their hands as low (if at all) to defend.&lt;/strong&gt; It goes the same way for setting up body shots. The chest is too in the middle, so forcing someone to defend the chest doesn't do the job as well as head and body shots.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One could argue that an unblocked (good luck with that) chest strike could do damage. I've never seen someone hurt by one in all my years of MMA, and assume it would only work vs an untrained opponent, which isn't even worth talking about. Tons of ridiculous techniques work against untrained opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-08-05T13:08:00.290" LastActivityDate="2021-08-05T13:08:00.290" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7741" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7732" CreationDate="2017-08-07T19:50:46.097" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most likely your instructor and training partners (when you are new) will ask if you have any prior martial arts experience.  I would offer it when asked, but two years from now, you don't want to be the guy who won't stop talking about how &quot;in karate, we...&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-an assistant instructor w/ 12 years' experience&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8490" LastActivityDate="2017-08-07T19:50:46.097" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7742" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7735" CreationDate="2017-08-07T20:52:12.560" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You're looking for a way to connect your karate with jujitsu. There actually is a very deep connection, one which you might not be aware of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of karate kata are based on classical jujitsu. I spend a good amount of time explaining this at the answer here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7006/why-is-more-time-dedicated-to-exercises-and-very-less-for-sparring-is-it-for-th/7007#7007&quot;&gt;Why is more time dedicated to exercises and very less for sparring? Is it for the fee?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That answer also links to another answer of mine giving an example of karate kata application / analysis (bunkai), here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7008/name-and-meaning-of-stance-where-you-stand-with-fists-on-hips/7010#7010&quot;&gt;Name and meaning of stance where you stand with fists on hips?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Classical jujitsu training will teach you all of the stuff in your karate kata that you didn't know about before. You'll be able to just see it. And when you can see it, all of the previous explanations for what's going on in your karate kata will seem pretty silly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on who you are and what your ultimate goal is, this knowledge can either make you abandon karate altogether, or it can make you return to karate with renewed interest, focus, and respect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, as for the differences in approaches to learning, this is where classical jujitsu is going to seem harder than karate, in my opinion. In karate, you learned your techniques by stringing each one together in the form of a kata. Each karate kata traced out a shape on the floor and ended at the same position as it began, so it was easy to remember. It made it easy to detect mistakes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate kata were created as a mnemonic. They were created as a way of easily remembering sequences of techniques at a time when books and video weren't possible. They made it easier to preserve knowledge from generation to generation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Classical jujitsu has its own kata. But those kata are typically done using partners. In classical jujitsu, the kata don't look at all like karate kata. Someone grabs you on your lapel, so you step out diagonally, then turn around and perform a hip throw, and finally end it with an elbow break with your knee. That's one kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The jujitsu kata are typically arranged in sections of a dozen or so kata. And there might be several sections to learn before you have the entire jujitsu ryu learned. Unfortunately, there's often no rhyme or reason for why each kata appears in a given section. Is the first section considered less advanced than the second section? Sometimes, but not generally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So it's going to rely more on rote memorization to learn and remember jujitsu kata. It's very easy to forget a kata. You'll need to take good notes or video yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo was actually one of the first jujitsu schools to organize their throws in a taxonomy from most to least useful. And when I say &quot;useful&quot;, I mean these are techniques that have the broadest application in the most common scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jujitsu kata are considered to be just a starting point. They exist to teach fundamental concepts. But they're often not very realistic for applying in a real fight. So most classical jujitsu schools have the notion of henka (variation).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're expected to learn how to alter the kata to fit different situations without changing the fundamental concepts embedded in the kata. There can be many henka for each kata. You're expected to know the basic kata and be able to show its many henka.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not only will jujitsu be harder to remember, it generally requires a partner to practice. One of the best things about karate is that it doesn't require a partner. You can repeat your karate kata on your own for however many reps you want. That lets you get good at it outside of your school time. You can't do that in classical jujitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another difference you're going to run into is the sparring. Classical jujitsu doesn't usually have anything equivalent to karate sparring. But this depends on the jujitsu school. Some may do a simulation of a fight, but it's usually constrained in a number of ways in order to prevent injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Punches and kicks will be the hardest thing for you to unlearn and relearn,&lt;/b&gt; unfortunately. The way classical jujitsu generates power for a punch or a kick is very different than what you learned in karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most classical jujitsu styles come from Samurai battlefield arts. They assume you're going to be wearing armor on the battlefield. If you're wearing armor, you can't snap your punches and kicks out like you do in karate. Instead, you have to generate power gradually and smoothly, like a wave, connecting everything to a stance firmly rooted to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Striking in jujitsu will seem inferior to you after learning karate, at least at first. As you continue to learn and grow, you're going to realize that there are many advantages to the way jujitsu does it. And in the end, I think you'll add it to what you know in karate. They will become more tools in your toolbox.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My general advice for anyone trying to learn a new martial art after having trained significantly in another one is this: Start over from scratch. Keep whatever you think you know to yourself the entire time you're there. Even when you're warming up before class, you warm up the way they warm up. Observe everything and do only what they do. Above all else, when you find yourself struggling to perform things correctly, resist the urge to do it the way you were taught in your first style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Empty your cup.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll be fine so long as you do that. It's going to be a big change for you, and that should be very exciting. If you must take anything into jujitsu from your karate, let it be the intangible qualities: discipline, focus, respect, and hard work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2017-08-14T23:44:44.493" LastActivityDate="2017-08-14T23:44:44.493" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7743" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-08-08T20:44:28.673" Score="0" ViewCount="366" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to start Muay Thai or Kickboxing but my only option right now is to train by myself. I looked for valuable training material all over the internet and I did find sources to start Boxing, Krav Maga or any other martial art on sites like Udemy, but I could not find any that specifically targets my choice. I know that there are some on YouTube, for example, but the ones I managed to find are mostly not that detailed: since I have never tried any martial art, I would be interested in videos where I can learn the basics of the movements, what can I do wrong or how I should/should not practice etc. Could someone point me in the right direction? Suggesting a quality YouTube channel or anything like that would be much appreciated as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8496" LastActivityDate="2017-08-10T05:40:16.920" Title="Muay Thai/Kickboxing: Online training for absolute beginner?" Tags="|muay-thai|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2017-08-21T10:27:54.360" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7744" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7745" CreationDate="2017-08-08T21:09:43.213" Score="9" ViewCount="938" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am familiar with the history of both Jujitsu and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and how they were formed and I know a &lt;em&gt;little&lt;/em&gt; about the differences between them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've read multiple threads, but there were things like this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[jujitsu]...Its more focused on self defence and lethality. BJJ is more rolling based and much more heavily reliant on submissions (submissions in JJ are there and I think they are meant to be slightly more different and perhaps lethal for real life situations) and weaponless combat...&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/MMA/comments/5t4ft1/what_is_the_difference_between_jiu_jitsu_and/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;source&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This was said by an individual not confident in his knowledge, but it summarizes for the most part what I've read on the internet. I'd like a more concrete answer from a trustful source/person, so to speak.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To keep it clear:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;in this day and age what does Jujutsu put emphasis on?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;what does Brazilian Jiu Jitsu put emphasis on?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;what do each of them neglect or ignore in some way?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that it differs from gym to gym and from instructor to instructor but I am asking from a general perspective of both martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At first I wanted to add &lt;strong&gt;Judo&lt;/strong&gt; too but I already consider this question pretty broad (not a problem if you add it or talk about it too, it'd be much appreciated but again, its not the main issue).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8386" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-01-08T17:15:55.153" Title="What are the differences between traditional Jujutsu and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7745" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7744" CreationDate="2017-08-08T22:22:53.427" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kano created a hybrid martial art from existing jujutsu in Japan and named his hybrid judo. What made judo novel was not the introduction of new techniques, but the manner of training them. The critical elements according to Kano are: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;randori (free practice): This is non-prearranged live practice against resisting opponents, in contrast to kata-style training that was common in jujutsu. Some techniques are prohibited in randori due to injury danger. Judo retains kata training where these techniques still exist, but this is frequently peripheral. There is obviously a tradeoff between the advantages of training live techniques and marginalizing more hazardous ones. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;principles, not collections of techniques: For example, all throws are studied in three basic parts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kuzushi (off-balancing)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tsukuri (entry)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kake (finish)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is in contrast to learning only a collection of unrelated techniques and trying to optimize each individually. By studying principles, it is easier to learn and organize. The principles point may be more important historically than today. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;moral/spiritual development&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Japan, it is my understanding that Judo has largely displaced jujutsu, as Kano states in &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo&lt;/em&gt;, published by Kodansha International Ltd., 1986, p. 19:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Eventually judo displaced jujutsu in Japan, and no one speaks of jujutsu as a contemporary art in Japan, although the word has survived overseas. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am ignorant of major evolution in jujutsu since Kano's time (which is actually well before 1986). Jujutsu does not have judo's emphasis on randori, so it has more of the &quot;too dangerous to be practiced&quot; kinds of techniques. Jujutsu has a greater emphasis on striking techniques, which are secondary even within judo's often limited kata training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/1520/5961&quot;&gt;(jiu jitsu = jujutsu)&lt;/a&gt; is a &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/328/5961&quot;&gt;direct descendant of judo&lt;/a&gt; and definitely retains the randori-based training model. The primary emphasis in BJJ is on ground techniques and submissions. Submissions end matches, while everything else just scores points. BJJ retains some joint locks that are now illegal in modern judo, for example on the knee and ankle joints. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Foot sweeps are better developed in judo than in jujutsu. These minor techniques are important to developing continuous attacks through combinations in randori. Modern sport judo emphasizes throwing techniques from the standing position and has generally moved away from groundwork. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have only studied judo directly, so it's necessary for me to organize the answer around judo. I think judo is essential to understand the relationship between jujustu and BJJ, however, because judo has largely replaced jujutsu and BJJ is descended from judo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-08-09T03:15:26.237" LastActivityDate="2017-08-09T03:15:26.237" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7746" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2423" CreationDate="2017-08-08T22:37:44.067" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been in several KKW schools, some of which are, shall we say, &quot;militant&quot; about their teachings of the I Ching and of the relationship to the Taeguek forms.  They state that the movements in the form are representative of the I Ching elements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ok...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So let's see if I got that right:  Taeguek 1 represents the &quot;greatness of heaven&quot;, and should be performed &quot;as such&quot;.  Go ahead: tell me how to perform a low block, step, and punch &quot;with the greatness of heaven&quot;.  Or better yet, you have a new student to your taekwondo classes, and you try to convince him to perform his movements - his very first form - &quot;with the greatness of heaven&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Seriously?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some idiot came up with the idea of how to stitch concepts of the I Ching with some crap that they do in the dojang, and decided to use poomsae to do this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can think of no greater way to befuddle a new student being told to perform his form &quot;with the greatness of heaven&quot;.  Like, what's in store for the next form?  What could be greater than heaven?  (That would be a lake...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You see the fallacy?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the forms were retrofitted to make them work with the I Ching.  Oddly, there are only 8 forms - not 9, a revered number in Asian culture.  Why are there 8 basic forms meant to tackle the meanings of the I Ching, and there are 10 yudanja forms which again separately re-capture again the I Ching elements again?  [repetition intended]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think what was meant instead is that we Taekwondo students should live the tenets espoused by the I Ching.  We introduce a new I Ching philosophical concept at each level (the 8 in the Taeguek/Palgwe series, then again in the yudanja series).  Ultimately, this is how we are supposed to live our lives.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I found in the more I Ching heavy schools was a closeness toward Buddhism, and that was a turn off for students of other faiths.  Also, that there is some tie-in to the I Ching philosophy and the specific techniques introduced therein, and not having anything to do with the more practical (and intended) function of a form, which is self-defense, none of this made sense to me.  If I were journeying onto a path of enlightenment and following the principles espoused by the I Ching, I'm not sure I would find a Taekwondo school which would help me on that journey - even if I wanted to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Such did not happen for me.  I never sought, nor found, enlightenment.  I don't even know what that means.  The teachings of Buddhism, and the I Ching, and the relationship to techniques within Taekwondo all became a distraction for me.  I was in it for self-defense, not enlightenment.  If I wanted enlightenment, I wasn't going to find it in a strip mall dojang, it was going to be in a Tibetan mountaintop temple.  (Or maybe that temple in downtown Newark...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bottom line, I was part of these schools which focused more on the I Ching, but I realized I lost out on what Taekwondo was really about.  I dismiss the concept altogether, except as a cultural relationship to the Korean people.  Is it useless?  Not really, but it depends on how it is taught.  Either, it is all-out and everything about the I Ching, or stay away from it.  And either way, don't try to tell a white belt that his first form has to be performed with &quot;the greatness of heaven&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And yes - seriously, that is how my schools wanted me to perform Taeguek 1 - with the &quot;greatness of heaven&quot;.  I earned my yellow belt, ostensibly after performing my form with the greatness of heaven (or living my life with the greatness of heaven).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-08-08T22:37:44.067" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7747" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1741" CreationDate="2017-08-09T00:05:43.027" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Iaido uses a katana, but only when you are advanced. Any martial art that involves two people &quot;fighting&quot; will not use a katana. The sword used in these is the wooden Bokuto. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8498" LastActivityDate="2017-08-09T00:05:43.027" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7748" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-08-09T02:23:12.853" Score="1" ViewCount="69" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was practicing for a Sweet Sixteen for 1 month. Throughout the month, I was stressed out and I had a minimum amount of time to train. Since the Sweet Sixteen finished, I haven't been in my Tae Kwan Do class for a month and I feel like I would loose my strength returning there. I am currently a orange belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8499" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-08-09T04:13:58.713" LastActivityDate="2017-08-09T04:30:18.723" Title="How do I become ready for Tae Kwan Do after not training for a month?" Tags="|training|safety|health|strength|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7749" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7748" CreationDate="2017-08-09T04:30:18.723" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;We'll start with the bad news. Yes, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.health.com/fitness/stop-exercising-effects&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;you will have lost strength, endurance, and flexibility after being gone a month&lt;/a&gt;. And yes, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4963096/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;they have results specific to Tae Kwan Do&lt;/a&gt;. When you go back to class, you will likely not have the stamina that you did, and you'll feel incredibly uncoordinated for a while.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It gets better&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The good news is that a good part of martial arts is also mental. The time you've spent training has essentially laid down pathways in your brain for how things are supposed to work, and it will take less time to regain your strength than it did initially to gain it. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shape.com/blogs/fit-list-jay-cardiello/how-get-back-working-out&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;You can do this&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;But be careful&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take things slow. Practice your technique slowly and gradually speed it up as the skills come back to you. It's easy to get injured going back into martial arts because it's surprisingly easy to move your limbs with significant power and part of what you will have lost is the mental state necessary to stop your movements before injury. I can speak from experience, having dealt with sprained muscles, a hyper-extended knee, and strained tendons when I went back to Tae Kwan Do after a lengthy absence. Resist the temptation to jump right back to where you were before, and hammer on the fundamentals. Don't move at full speed until you are entirely certain your technique is good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Other things you can do&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than, of course, resuming your training, you might consider some supplemental work. Cardio is going to be important, both because it's one of the things that diminishes quickly and because it's a strong factor in the mental state you may experience of feeling like you just can't do this anymore. Take up calisthenics, or running. Push yourself, but don't exhaust yourself. This is especially important if you can only get a few classes per week. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, stretch. I recommend &lt;a href=&quot;http://stretchcoach.com/articles/pnf-stretching/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;PNF stretching&lt;/a&gt;, essentially pairing static stretches with short dynamic movements that move you just a little bit further, but not too hard. As with the endurance, you haven't changed that much physically, but your mental state has changed. If you're someone with high pain tolerance, be careful about pushing too hard. Lastly, you want to do dynamic stretching, but do it carefully. Essentially, this is practicing the kicks in a controlled manner. You want to be training the movements that you will do in your martial arts, so this will be running through stances in kata, leg raises, and the like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The two biggest problems you will face are fear that you won't get back into the groove (accept that you will not be in top form at the start, but remember that it won't take too much time to recover it) and over-training. Have fun at it. And practice those fundamentals. You should have been doing it from the start, but this is a good time to check to be sure you're getting the weight distributions right on the stance, to be sure you're properly chambering kicks, that you're maintaining your balance and not &quot;cheating&quot; to make things easier. Start with your low belt forms and perfect each one before moving on to the next. Again, &lt;em&gt;have fun&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2017-08-09T04:30:18.723" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7750" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7737" CreationDate="2017-08-09T05:19:51.797" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I asked my instructor an analogous question once, when we were looking at a scenario where the defender has fallen and improvises by attacking the lower body. We started with strikes to the knees, and then to the groin. I asked why we don't immediately attack the groin to disable the attacker and secure safety for the defender ASAP. To answer, he tapped me on the knee just hard enough to prove that he could easily have caused me great pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although obvious places to attack, such as the eyes, groin, jaw, and head generally, are important targets in a fight, there are other places in the body that are not as obvious but perhaps equally important. 3 more anecdotes to prove this point:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;My instructor has a story that a well-placed hit on the clavicle by his instructor, done for demonstration purposes, caused him so much pain he nearly passed out.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The teacher that hit my instructor on the clavicle once flicked out his arm at me and knuckled me in the bicep for demonstration purposes. He took advantange of a nerve in the arm, and it felt like an electric shock. My elbow was stiff for 3 days. He related that the same strike with greater force could cause enough pain to render a person unconscious.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A sparring partner once got too excited and hooked me in the liver. I literally crawled out of the ring and started hyperventilating, and it took me at least 15 minutes to calm down. Another hit to the liver, probably not as hard, during boxing a few weeks later stunned me for around a minute, plenty of time that my partner then could have finished me off.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So it's not that it's wrong to think about hitting the attacker in the face, but if that is the only target you permit yourself, that is a disadvantage. Yes, there are other very worthwhile vulnerabilities in the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8500" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-08-09T15:45:35.310" LastActivityDate="2017-08-09T15:45:35.310" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7751" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2470" CreationDate="2017-08-09T19:01:20.930" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;My son recently passed his black belt aged 16,he has been going since he was 9 &#xA;He had to get above 75% in his written exam (100 questions) or he was not allowed to sit the belt at all.&#xA;Black belts that are gained in two years or less are simply fake.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8503" LastActivityDate="2017-08-09T19:01:20.930" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7752" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7754" CreationDate="2017-08-09T21:46:08.787" Score="8" ViewCount="101972" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen videos on youtube, but none of them go into detail on how to knock someone out via pressure points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8504" LastEditorUserId="557" LastEditDate="2017-08-10T16:16:24.517" LastActivityDate="2020-10-19T01:31:23.347" Title="How do you knock someone out using pressure points?" Tags="|pressure-points|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="13" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7753" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2470" CreationDate="2017-08-09T22:20:53.973" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Kukkiwon(WTF) Taekwondo, you are supposed to score a 60% in all categories of sparring, forms, breaking, &quot;special technique&quot;, and, for higher dan, a written test and/or essay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For sparring, your score reflects your offensive and defensive strategies, movement, aggression, varying techniques, and stamina.  It's subjective, but you shouldn't have to win a match, only demonstrate competency in these categories.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For breaking, at 1st dan, you are supposed to show one speed (hand), one speed (foot), and one power (foot) breaking technique.  Your score across these three breaks is collected (averaged or added, depends on the instructor).  What you are graded on is the quality of your technique, how clean the break is, and how difficult the technique is.  It's not defined, but some instructors will give credit for multiple boards, creative breaks, and multiple stations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For forms, you'll have to perform Taeguek 7 and 8 are compulsory, others may be demanded.  Your grade will be based on your apparent confidence, balance, eyeline, correct technique, breathing, kihap, and your physical appearance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For special technique, that is generally left for the instructor.  That could be special kicks, self-defense, expanded breaking (different materials than wood), or something else altogether.  It could even be a review of basic techniques. &#xA; Score will reflect your confidence, power, speed, balance, breathing, proper technique, and kihap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last, the non-technical stuff includes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You must answer a 20-question test, and score 12 correctly&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You are interviewed to determine goals in TKD, career, and education&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You'll be required to test in an appropriate and approved facility&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your performance must be observed by no less than 3, and no more than&#xA;10, Kukkiwon-certified instructors at 6th dan or higher rank&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You (or a designee) must fill out paperwork&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You have to provide passport photos &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You must wear an approved uniform (Adidas) with proper belt and patches applied&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Believe it or not, a doctor or nurse is supposed to be present, too; I've seen tests for over 35 years and never once saw a doctor or nurse on-hand&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kukkiwon.or.kr/front/pageView.action?cmd=/eng/evaluate/regulations&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kukkiwon Promotion Regulations&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;FYI, there is no regulation on &quot;time served&quot;.  In other words, Kukkiwon doesn't stipulate how much time you have to spend training.  That is a discretion they leave for instructors, who can better determine students with relevant experience or past history can catch up easier than others.  Yes, this can be abused, and it isn't uncommon to see students with only 2 years of experience get their black belt.   (Then again, Kukkiwon mandates a 60% score in technique categories, which is the academic equivalent of graduating high school with a 60% in math, 60% in English, 60% in science, and 60% in social studies.  Most people would flunk here...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-08-09T22:20:53.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7754" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7752" CreationDate="2017-08-10T03:51:46.083" Score="33" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've done extensive study of pressure point theory, kyusho-jitsu / dim-mak, acupuncture, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). And for the record, I think most of it is bogus and a waste of time. There are some things about it that actually work reliably, but for completely different reasons than TCM theory suggests.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The pressure point knock-out (KO) phenomenon is caused by one of two mechanisms: 1) Central Nervous System (CNS) shutdown points, and 2) auto-suggestion (hypnosis / belief).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, the CNS shutdown KO's are basically limited to just a few places on the body. I'll use acupuncture terminology, because that's the most precise way of targeting points on the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The locations that actually result in a KO are: Stomach 9, Gall Bladder 4, Gall Bladder 20, and Stomach 6.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Stomach 9&lt;/b&gt; is located on the neck, adjacent to the Adam's Apple. Strikes there cause knock-outs by way of the Vagus nerve. The Vagus nerve actually measures the blood pressure of the arteries of the neck. A strike to the Vagus nerve at that location will cause a false measurement of extremely high blood pressure. The brain will receive the high blood pressure signal and will attempt to lower the body's blood pressure. Since blood pressure is actually not high for real, lowering the blood pressure will result in the person fainting. They pass out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can be seen in various online videos on Youtube. Here's a memorable one:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcaOr1TBA1w&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcaOr1TBA1w&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Incidentally, you don't need to strike at Stomach 9 to get a knock-out. You can get it by choking someone using a blood choke like Rear Naked Choke. A quick inward thrust on the arteries can cause it. This is why many people pass out instantly upon applying the choke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;Use major caution here, though.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt; The arteries of the neck can tear and rupture. When that happens, blood clots can form, and that can send clots to the brain. That can cause a stroke to happen. And the stroke will happen up to days later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The arteries of the neck contain plaque as well, especially with people over the age of 30. So attacking the neck with strikes or chokes can sometimes dislodge this plaque. The plaque can break off and travel in the blood stream up to the brain and cause a stroke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to the stroke caveat, you also have to watch out for collapsing the trachea. If your strike or choke is off by one or two inches, it can hit the windpipe, and your partner could be headed to the emergency room.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So yes, I know there's temptation to try this on your buddies. Don't. You don't want to kill them and go to jail. So just don't mess around with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Gall Bladder 4, Gall Bladder 20, and Stomach 6&lt;/b&gt; all work in a similar way. These work by stunning the brain. You should be familiar already with Stomach 6. It's just the jaw. Boxers call it &quot;the button&quot;. Strikes there knock people out. Gall Bladder 4 is the temple. And Gall Bladder 20 is located on the base of the skull about 2 inches adjacent to the spine on the back of the neck, in the hollow places there. These are all weak areas on the body that can shock the nervous system into scramming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technically, the entire head is basically one big CNS shutdown point. Hitting anywhere on the head can jolt the brain and cause a knock-out. But those 3 points I mentioned above are typically the sweet spots that require the least effort, and it's mostly due to the mechanics of the way the head moves when you hit those points. Nothing too special or mysterious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, CNS knock-outs aren't easy to do in real life. That's because people naturally flinch when they see hands coming towards their heads. They tuck their chins. They raise their hands up to deflect the blows, also. And even if you do land the strike correctly, each person has some ability to take the hit without knocking out. It's hard to know ahead of time if it will work, so you have to have a back-up plan and be able to fight. There is no way around it. Learning tricks like this is no substitute for training how to actually fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's about it. The other places on the body that are pressure points aren't going to reliably knock anyone out. This is despite what kyusho-jitsu people believe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kyusho-jitsu theory uses the Five Element Theory, the Mother Son Law, Meridian Theory, and other theories from TCM. It uses acupuncture, in other words. Only, instead of trying to heal people, they try to do the opposite.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the ways Kyusho-Jitsu is supposed to work is by combining points in the &quot;destructive cycle&quot; of 5 Element Theory. So you hit a point on the arm, a point on the torso, and a point on the leg, and the combination of points causes illness, knock-outs, or death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's how it's supposed to work in theory. In actuality, Kyusho-jitsu / dim-mak doesn't really work. The practitioners that demonstrate it working all do so on their own students. In other words, it works on &quot;believers&quot;, but not on skeptics or people who have never seen it before. This fact has been proven many times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In order to make it work on non-believers, kyusho-jitsu people rely on one of the 4 central nervous system shutdown points that I already explained. If you hit 3 different points, and the last one you hit is one of those 4 CNS shutdown points, they will get knocked out. But they'd accomplish the same thing if they merely skipped the first two points and went right for the last point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of other weak points on the body that, when hit, cause pain or cause people to lose structural stability, but not knock-outs. Places like the solar plexus, the testicles, the eyes, the nose, the ears, the arm pits, the floating ribs, the liver, the kidneys, the back of the knee, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some reports of people being killed after being struck in the solar plexus. Apparently there's a nervous system connection between the solar plexus and the heart. But it's a pretty unreliable connection. You have to hit it at just the right moment and with enough force. It's not something that really ever happens in professional fighting (boxing / MMA), so it's not reliable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary, most of what you hear about pressure points, dim-mak, and kyusho-jitsu is pretty much bogus, with the exception of CNS shutdown points. Do yourself a favor and don't waste any of your time on it like I did.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2017-08-10T03:51:46.083" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7755" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7743" CreationDate="2017-08-10T05:40:16.920" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are many wonderful sources on Muay Thai/Kickboxing. Take for example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;books &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&amp;amp;field-keywords=Muay%20thai&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;found on Amazon&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;countless &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com.au/search?q=muay%20thai%20video%20training&amp;amp;oq=muay%20thai%20video%20&amp;amp;aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0l3.5892j0j4&amp;amp;client=tablet-android-samsung&amp;amp;sourceid=chrome-mobile&amp;amp;ie=UTF-8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;videos&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You mention they are not that detailed but the issue of learning from this material is not about detail but traing. To practise these art forms requires less detail and a lot more practise in order to develop the foundational cardio, strength, flexibility etc. All great stylists spend countless hours throwing thousands of kicks and punches in order to develop the fundumentals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With goood fundumentals the more detailed work can be understood which is all down to timing, strategy and the ability to adapt technique. This is impossible to learn solo. It needs a serious commitment to sparring and ring time to bring it to life. There's also a lot of exchanging of ideas with peers and adapting of technique to match the fighters personality (usually best lead by a good coach).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The simple answer to your question is select the popular material to get started but eventually you will need to find a coach/kru or at a minimum a good group you can spar with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7040" LastActivityDate="2017-08-10T05:40:16.920" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7756" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7761" CreationDate="2017-08-10T06:23:59.717" Score="5" ViewCount="215" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Context&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've recently decided to take a &quot;break&quot; from taekwondo after five years of training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Due to stress from school (11th grade), I have been training less and less over the past five months, going from two lessons a week to maybe once a fortnight. I was an assistant instructor, and used to teach the younger students. I thought that it was irresponsible of me to be constantly absent from class and thus have decided to leave until I have freed up my schedule.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Actual question&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it possible for me to stay &quot;in shape&quot; for at least three months without attending any training sessions? I can practice for maybe half an hour on most mornings, so any short routine recommendations would be greatly appreciated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(AN: I really like &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2108/how-can-one-practice-well-alone&quot;&gt;this answer&lt;/a&gt;, but I'm looking for something more specific to ITF taekwondo and around 1st dan level).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8392" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-08-11T19:18:13.697" LastActivityDate="2017-08-23T13:54:25.713" Title="Stay in shape while interrupting Taekwondo practice for a few months" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|self-defense|self-training|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7757" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7756" CreationDate="2017-08-10T07:54:20.103" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Firstly, speak to your instructor and explain the situation. They are more than likely going to be fine with your change in circumstance and one training session every now and then will help keep you on top of your technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Technique&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice your patterns - paying particular attention to stances as these are the foundation of everything you do.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Basic techniques - do some basic techniques as you would in row work, sitting stance punch has all the ingredients of most strikes - ensure you are preparing the movement correctly, that you twist at the very end of the technique and that your feet are held in the correct position.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sparring&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bag work - if you have access to a bag then keep practising combinations on it, if you don't have access to a bag (or a willing pad holder) then practising against thin air will suffice.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Movement - Skipping is a useful tool for this, the key is to keep bouncing on your toes and not staying in one place. Practice sharp steps forward, backwards and to the sides.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember that whilst training alone can be very beneficial, you are also prone to picking up bad habits (and practising them until they become hard to break). If you can make sessions (however infrequently) your instructor will be able to give guidance to avoid them. You will also lose a bit of sharpness in sparring and the rest of the class will have advanced in your absence, when you do make a full return be patient with yourself and don't expect to me top of the class that first lesson back - it does return quicker than you might think if you just stick with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2017-08-10T07:54:20.103" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7758" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7760" CreationDate="2017-08-10T23:44:09.100" Score="2" ViewCount="276" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've developed myself into Karate, Kung-fu (Hung gar and Shaolin) and Krav-maga. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said - I'm looking for the development of natural effective movements to make a self-defense action without causing injuries to the opponent. I know that it is a difficult call but, could one strikes in such a way that will just cause momentary (1-5 min) pain or faint in order to just stop the fight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How confident can I be that by hitting the KO head spots, the opponent will not have problems afterwards?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is not a duplication of &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6595/looking-for-a-martial-art-to-do-self-defense-without-causing-pain&quot;&gt;Looking for a martial art to do, self defense without causing pain?&lt;/a&gt;. They are talking about avoiding to cause pain. This is not what I'm asking here: &lt;em&gt;I want to know means that may or not cause pain without sending the opponent to the hospital.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8506" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-08-14T14:53:57.940" LastActivityDate="2017-08-14T14:53:57.940" Title="Is it possible to perform a disabling attack that does not cause permanent damage?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7760" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7758" CreationDate="2017-08-11T06:10:46.583" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no guaranteed technique to stop the fight and ensure the safety of everyone involved.  (Well, running away has a high success rate, provided you are in a place where you can run and are more fit than the assailant).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you knock someone out, you're giving them a concussion. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6706/any-conditioning-exercise-that-can-prevent-concussion-caused-by-a-punch-or-kick/6710#6710&quot;&gt;Concussions are a form of brain damage&lt;/a&gt; and you can never be sure how severe the actual concussion will be.  You cannot be confident at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you apply a blood choke to cause someone to lose consciousness, they will be incapacitated from a few seconds up to a few minutes - but it's hard to gauge how fast they'll come back.  These tend to have higher reliability in terms of quick put-down with less damage, BUT they're also hard to get to in a fight - you have to fight to get into a position to apply them, typically.  Many security or police forces are also forbidden from using blood chokes due to the fact extended holds cause permanent brain damage from oxygen deprivation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All other forms of pain compliance are a gamble and usually the pain disappears right away or a few moments after the technique is no longer applied.  Adrenaline, alcohol, or drugs might make a person not feel the pain in which case they can still fight back with whatever means they have available.  For people who do feel the pain, you might be able to completely immobilize or control them depending on your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, most pain compliance holds require lots of skill to &quot;jump into&quot; against an attacking opponent.  You usually have to fight for position before you can get to a good option, and that may involve striking for distraction... which again leads us back to space for injury and concussion.  After you get a pain compliance hold, if the person doesn't feel pain or is very aggressive, you might end up breaking one of their joints or tearing tendons, even without trying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts as an entire endeavor across the world exist simply because no one has come up with &quot;the few easy ways to win most/all of the time and not hurt people&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-08-11T06:10:46.583" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7761" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7756" CreationDate="2017-08-11T12:54:00.063" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of reasons that can make you stop attending lessons for a couple of months, such as your Dojang is temporarily closing, or because you're travelling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you stop exercising completely it will probably ruin all your hard work in the previous months, so I find that finding a way to keep in shape is important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, the most important thing is commit yourself to a training schedule and set aside that time. If you're busy or travelling it is easy to miss that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the training plan, you can start with a basic routine, and then modify it according to what you need to work more. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This example a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujly7l3-xUM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;10 minute basic training&lt;/a&gt; covers the essentials: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;warm up, push ups, sit ups;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;basic kicking techniques;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;stretching, cool down.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can expand some of the basic training section to fit your weaknesses / development needs. &#xA;For example: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;add two or three more advanced ab exercises if your abdominals need work; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;add some leg strength exercises if you you need to work your elevation for flying kicks;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;add more stretching exercises at the end if you are working to improve your splits;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;add more spinning kicks exercises, if you need to improve your technique there;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;add step exercises if you need to improve your sparring footwork and speed;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, try include forms in your training, so that you don't forget them and the movements become familiar and fluid. You will that that for your grade promotions. It is also a great addition to the first stages of your routine, just after warm up, or before the kicking drills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastActivityDate="2017-08-11T12:54:00.063" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7762" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7858" CreationDate="2017-08-12T08:17:18.283" Score="8" ViewCount="335" Body="&lt;p&gt;Someone has said there are 3 paths (or types of practitioner) of judo. It goes something like this, but I might remember the details a bit wrong:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One is a competitor, advances quickly in rank, but might end up giving up judo because competition is so hard on one's body&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One is practising judo for recreation and fitness, not necessarily advancing much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One studies judo and it's techniques and philosophies all his life, not necessarily to win competitions&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think it was not Kano, but maybe one of  the later senseis (high dan).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6488" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-05-29T18:59:20.783" Title="Who said there are 3 paths of judo and where can I find the quote" Tags="|judo|history|philosophy|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7763" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-08-12T14:51:55.577" Score="3" ViewCount="769" Body="&lt;p&gt;The boomerang is a traditional hunting weapon. For use outside of hunting, boomerangs can be thrown, used for striking, blocking in a similar way to tonfa etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is, &lt;strong&gt;are there any martial arts that teach the use of the boomerang?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user8475" LastActivityDate="2017-08-14T18:38:03.427" Title="Are there any martial arts that use the boomerang?" Tags="|weapons|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7764" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7763" CreationDate="2017-08-12T15:33:30.317" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Tamil martial arts include use of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://tamilnation.co/heritage/weapon.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Valari&lt;/a&gt;, a throwing weapon much like the Australian boomerang.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some weapons which are unique to the Tamils. Among them are thirukkai vaal, vaLari, and suruL vaaL. Of these, the vaLari is a weapon which arouses our curiosity. It is a sort of boomerang. Boomerang is a weapon which is used by the Sons of the Soil of Australia and some tribes of Africa. Tamilnaadu is the only place apart from them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The boomerang of the native Australians comes back to the thrower. But the Tamilian vaLari does not do so. VaLaris were available in many shapes and sizes. The usual form consists of two limbs which are at an angle to each other. Usually the limbs are flat. One is thin and tappering while the other is rounded. Some have one limb; the other limb is used as a handle. They were usually made of wood. But some were made of iron. Some the vaLaris had limbs which were tipped with iron. Some had limbs which had sharpened edges. These were very lethal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thrower holds the vaLari by one of its limbs and throws it. There are several ways of throwing and aiming. It is usually given a spin while throwing. While flying through the air, it manuevers and executes several types of movements according to the throwers purpose. It may spin in the vertical axis or horizontal axis. Or it may just fly without spinning. The spin may also vary in speed. A lethal throw is given a spin and aimed at the neck.A non-lethal throw is given a spin and aimed at the ankles or knees. This is to capture a fleeing victim. A simple hurting blow does not have any spin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The indigenous Australian people also used non-returning boomerangs for ranged and melee combat and hunting (the latter sometimes referred to as &amp;quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/boomerang.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Battle Boomerangs&lt;/a&gt;&amp;quot;), but I'm unaware of any codified martial art. You can find a more in-depth discussion of the history of Australian throwing sticks and throwing clubs in &lt;a href=&quot;http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1525/aa.1936.38.1.02a00080/pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;Australian Throwing-Sticks, Throwing-Clubs, and Boomerangs&amp;quot; by D. S. Davidson&lt;/a&gt;, but he weighs in on the side there being throwing sticks that can function as boomerangs, and clubs that could be thrown, but they generally were built for one purpose or the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2017-08-14T18:38:03.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7765" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-08-14T19:32:54.063" Score="3" ViewCount="431" Body="&lt;p&gt;Today, whilst sparring with my opponent I was trying to pull of a lot of kneeling shoulder throws, but my opponent simply walked over me several times. I came back up from one attempt and managed to sway the opponent so that all of the opponents bodyweight was on their right leg. I grasped into that leg with my right hand and rolled right while rotating the opponent from the collar grip that I had retained with my left hand and the leg so that I landed in a side position with my knee over their chest, and received some minor applause.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does it resemble any specific throw? I know that some like to shoot for the legs and roll / push / rotate in some direction in order to get a dominant position early in the match, but those usually result in slow rolls. The one I managed to pull off had actual power and timing in it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8472" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-08-16T03:10:36.940" LastActivityDate="2017-08-17T17:55:46.487" Title="What is the name of this takedown / throw?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|wrestling|throwing|identification|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7766" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-08-14T23:30:21.610" Score="5" ViewCount="3325" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've recently started krav and my studio gave me a boil-and-bite mouth guard that is WAY too big for my apparently tiny mouth. I trimmed the ends so it doesn't make me gag, but it's still too tall, especially the inner walls. I can barely close my mouth and the guard's inner walls dig into the roof of my mouth. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is whether I should just boil it and assume the inner walls once softened will sort of bow inward to curve towards the center of the roof of my mouth and run alongside it instead of just digging into it, or if I should trim the inner walls so they don't come up as high into the roof? I'm afraid that if I try either one and it's not the correct approach I'll have ruined the mouth guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been trawling Google for help but all the sizing advice I can seem to find is people talking about trimming the ends, not the walls, and a bunch of results related to ill-fitting night guards for people with dental problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8517" LastActivityDate="2017-10-11T15:35:58.120" Title="Mouth guard fitting for very small mouth" Tags="|equipment|krav-maga|safety|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7767" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7766" CreationDate="2017-08-15T08:22:45.277" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A dentist can fit you with a guard that will fully fit your teeth and mouth.&#xA;It might be on the expensive side (I have no idea on prices and/or insurance) but might save you lots of pain and possibly more dental work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2017-08-15T08:22:45.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7768" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7766" CreationDate="2017-08-15T20:20:37.893" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you want a boil mouth guard and the adult version is too small I recommend going for a youth version.  In general it's just plastic so you can cut it to fit if you want, but naturally starting off with a smaller mouth guard and then trimming will require less trimming than a standard adult one.  So long as it clings to the teeth and you can close your mouth with a solid guard it should be good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-08-15T20:20:37.893" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7770" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7765" CreationDate="2017-08-16T03:30:24.153" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Wrestling firemans carry&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds like you are talking about some variation of the wrestling &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kth0Uqo5ygY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;fireman's carry&lt;/a&gt;. I am not sure whether actually picking the opponent up in wrestling changes the classification. The instructor in this video definitely lifts completely in one example, but in another appears to proceed directly to the sacrifice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Judo uki waza or yoko otoshi (formal), kata guruma (informal)&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In judo, this has been called &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/IOYFMQbnzUE?t=1m25s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kata guruma&lt;/a&gt;, though if you are using a sacrifice technique, this is not the current formal classification. For understanding arcane formal judo classification, the best source is &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo: Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt; by Toshiro Daigo, Kodansha, Tokyo, Japan 2005. Toshiro Daigo, the current head of the Kodokan, explains a sacrifice in the kata guruma position would be either uki waza or yoko otoshi. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Daigo p. 232 discusses &quot;uki-waza from the form of kata guruma&quot;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;After a study by the Kodokan Waza Research Institute (April 1, 1997), it was decided that this technique is related to uki-waza and not kata-guruma, because the concept of the throw is based on the principle of yoko-sutemi-waza [side sacrifice technique]. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Daigo p. 235:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It is extremely difficult to clarify the differences between these techniques [yoko otoshi and uki waza], and is a matter for the judges. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The points of judo throw classification can be quite complicated and opaque. I would recommend against investing too deeply in understanding the Kodokan current thinking about the differences between uki waza and yoko otoshi. In everyday usage, I would also expect to see this called kata guruma as it is in the linked youtube video, as the official word on this is only from 1997. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-08-16T03:38:39.357" LastActivityDate="2017-08-16T03:38:39.357" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7771" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7765" CreationDate="2017-08-17T13:06:46.370" Score="4" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Judo &lt;em&gt;Kibisu gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The major point in descriptions of &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/q0N-vvgrg-w&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;kibisu gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is grabbing and reaping of the heel with a hand. The suggested applications of &lt;em&gt;Kibisu gaeshi&lt;/em&gt; include continuations both from a &lt;em&gt;seoi nage&lt;/em&gt; feint as well as a when your opponent dodges &lt;em&gt;seoi nage&lt;/em&gt; by circling towards your front. It also used to be a common continuation from &lt;em&gt;uchi mata&lt;/em&gt;, when the opponent is standing on one leg to avoid the leg reap. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unlike the classification for leg techniques, &lt;em&gt;kibisu gaeshi&lt;/em&gt; may be performed from either the inside or outside of the opponent's leg. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unlike the discussions of &lt;em&gt;kata guruma&lt;/em&gt;, classification does not seem to depend on whether you sacrifice your standing position for this throw. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Wrestling ankle pick&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestling usually sets up the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWnUqflawgI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;ankle pick&lt;/a&gt; using downward force on the opponent's neck with the collar tie to break their balance, but it is a very similar technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-08-17T17:55:46.487" LastActivityDate="2017-08-17T17:55:46.487" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7772" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4625" CreationDate="2017-08-17T15:43:43.740" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;No, you cannot typically test an applicant alone.  At a minimum, three to ten people must promote.  Read on:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;They must be&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A Kukkiwon-certified instructor &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;6th dan or higher&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;There must be&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The 3-10 members to oversee the test, which may or may not include you&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A place to conduct the test, in accordance with KKW regulations&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If testing &amp;lt; 6th dan, you can do it locally&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If testing &gt;= 6th dan, you do it at a certified WTF facility&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A doctor on-hand&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You must be&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Able to submit your student's application to your member national association (in the US, that would be Team USA Taekwondo, and you'd submit the application to the president's office, currently is Keith Ferguson who is executive director.  It is likely he'll refer you to your state association.  In my case, that would be in NJ, and the contact is Kevin Vigneri)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.teamusa.org/usa-taekwondo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;USA Taekwondo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.teamusa.org/usa-taekwondo/v2-membership/state-associations&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;US State Associations&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Student must be&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Within age and time guidelines&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Student must do&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Perform:&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;poomsae (forms) - which ones depend on dan test&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kyrogi (sparring)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kyukpa (breaking) - power&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;special techniques (fancy kicks, self-defense, creative form, creative breaking... whatever instructors want)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Depending on the dan test, may have written exam and/or submit thesis&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pass a health examination by doctor&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Score 60% or better in each category, by majority of test overseers&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Alternatives&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are other ways to promote a student in Kukkiwon, or have TeamUSA recognize your student as a dan rank.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your student is a dan rank in the styles of ITF (International Taekwondo Federation) or ATA (American Taekwondo Association), then, that student may fill out paperwork and send (with $50) to the US National Dan Program, which will attest to your student's dan rank, and allow your student to be recognized up to 4th dan for purposes of WTF-sanctioned event competition.  This is not Kukkiwon-recognized, and, WTF schools may choose not to accept this; however, the individual may still compete in WTF events (except, not Olympics).  This alternative is only available in the USA, however other countries may have similar alternatives.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your student is a dan rank in Kukkiwon-overseen styles, such as from fraternal Kwan organizations (eg, Chung Do Kwan), or from Tang Soo Do organizations, or from a school not run by a Kukkiwon certified instructor, then there is a special administrative process to get your dan rank from that organization or school to transfer to Kukkiwon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;There are always exceptions, and that depends on your instructor's involvement with TeamUSA, WT, Kukkiwon, rank, and other criteria.  That is why this alternative exists:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your student can also do it by him/herself, online.  There are some online methods (for example, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.taekwonwoo.net&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.taekwonwoo.net&lt;/a&gt;) for attaining dan rank.  While I think this is a scam, it is legitimate, and because of the way Kukkiwon and WTF work world-wide, such a student would have to be accepted... everywhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While this last option is a gross affront to those who have to go through the gauntlet everyone else has to go through, there is nothing stopping you (as an instructor) from coaching your protege through this online process.  This makes the concept of online promotion a little easier to go down than castor oil, especially if you have a talented student but who has no means to go through the traditional means of attaining dan rank.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2018-10-08T21:26:59.203" LastActivityDate="2018-10-08T21:26:59.203" CommentCount="22" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7774" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4743" CreationDate="2017-08-17T21:19:10.883" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Allow me to put it this way. Every master had a master, but what about the first master? I would say it's completely possible to master kung fu on your own, but i wouldn't recommend it. if you're serious about learning martial arts without a master, i would recommend trying to create your own style after learning the basics! though i warn you it will be MASSIVE amounts of work and will probably take many years to perfect, depending on how much time you devote to it you could most definitely do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8526" LastActivityDate="2017-08-17T21:19:10.883" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7775" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7777" CreationDate="2017-08-18T08:34:25.470" Score="4" ViewCount="451" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Taegeuk Chill jang move #7 is a supported palm block: the left hand fist faced down, supporting the elbow of the right arm performing a palm block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From an applied poomsae point of view, what is the case for the need of the supporting arm? Is it also a block, like in the Taegeuk Sa Jang move #2?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The below image pictures to movement being explained by Grand Master &lt;a href=&quot;http://taekwondo.wikia.com/wiki/Kyu_Hyung_Lee&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kyu Hyung Lee&lt;/a&gt;, taken from a &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/jewGP4sEFv0?t=141&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video near 2:20&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/nREBA.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/nREBA.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2017-08-21T12:14:18.003" LastActivityDate="2017-09-01T18:02:43.913" Title="Purpose of the supported palm block in the Taegeuk Chill Jang" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|forms|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7776" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7775" CreationDate="2017-08-19T14:20:39.757" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've never had it explained on the Kukkiwon Master Instructor courses (twice attended) or the Kukkiwon Poom/Dan Examiner course, but I would guess that it's actually intended not to reinforce the block but because someone grabs your (reinforcing) hand and tries to punch you with their other one. In the picture, someone grabs the ladies left hand and tries to punch with the right, so she pulls her hand in to bring them closer, blocks the punch and counters with a backfist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2017-08-19T14:20:39.757" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7777" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7775" CreationDate="2017-08-20T23:32:23.913" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Application 1&lt;/strong&gt;: &quot;smash the elbow&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The movement in TG7 can be a cross grab of opponent's arm or clothing with your left hand; the palm &quot;block&quot; is a strike to the elbow (and follow-up backfist to the face).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way you decode it is to understand that the fist under the armpit isn't punching or chambering; rather, because it is a fist, it is grabbing onto something.  The block is a palm block, which is a soft weapon use to strike a hard target (rule: soft-to-hard; hard-to-soft), in this case, it is the elbow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Application 2&lt;/strong&gt;: &quot;take-down&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A similar alternative application (although not for this form) is that the palm is issuing control of the elbow, which can be used for a take-down.  The reason this isn't applicable to this form is because the backfist assumes you give up the takedown for a backfist, which is not a reasonable application.  Nevertheless, many times we issue a palm block like this, such an application might be possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can see several examples of the control through the elbow in this video:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX3Oru_CbKY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ikkyo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Application 3&lt;/strong&gt;: &quot;smash the face&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this one, it is similar to the first.  The first presumes you grab the wrist and strike the elbow; this one assumes you grab the elbow and strike the face.  Here's the detail, assuming the first set of movements in TG7, to make it easier to explain:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Opponent cross grabs you (lapel, hair, wrist, etc) with his RIGHT hand.  You counter by grabbing his elbow/clothing with your LEFT hand, and cross it in front of you toward your RIGHT side and slightly DOWN.  (This can off-balance him, throwing his other shoulder back.)  Now that you don't have to worry about the other hand, the RIGHT elbow you are grabbing turns your opponent so that you can strike his face with a RIGHT HAND hammer fist and then follow up with a RIGHT HAND backfist to the face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, with this variation, you do have to move slightly different than in the poomsae.  It is like a scissors block, as seen in Taebaek.  You grab his elbow (or clothing) with your LEFT and lead it to your RIGHT side - that should turn him.  You have to drop his elbow slightly as you might in the scissors block, because you need to get your RIGHT hand on top of the elbow assembly.  But you don't want to drop it too much too low, or he will not turn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Application 4&lt;/strong&gt;: &quot;forward wrist lock&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have your armpit fist grabbing the opponent's wrist in a wrist lock (his wrist is upward, elbow and palm down, and fingers pointing toward him and downward to his own feet). Japanese call this kotegaishi, Koreans call it boo chae. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With this variation (admittedly an advanced one), your elbow applies pressure to his bow wrist; while in excruciating pain, strike his face with the backfist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To acquire the wrist lock, it could be that with either of his hands he attempted to grab you by the neck or lapel; or he threatened you with a knife close to your face; or you caught him off-balance.  This variation requires that you secure his wrist by first grabbing his wrist as if you were taking his pulse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, you're grabbing his wrist from the inside of it (like taking a pulse).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Application 5&lt;/strong&gt;: &quot;backward wrist lock&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A similar variation to the last, you grab his wrist again; this time, you grab it from the outside (back of the wrist) - opposite from the last method which &quot;takes the pulse&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this method, you are not bending the wrist forward as it bows; instead, you are bending it backward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this and the last case, you are using your elbow to apply the pressure against the wrist to induce compliance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In both of these cases, you'll note you're in a beom-seogi (cat stance) which lends itself to lowering your body and directly facing the opponent.  As you lower your body, you apply more pressure to the wrist lock without compromizing your balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Side Note on Taeguek 4&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In TG4, movement #2, that is called a &quot;spearhand&quot;, however, it is not a strike at all - it is a throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can see two examples in this video at precisely :02 and :13&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UjYxpDcMsA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Iriminage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The big difference here is Mr Tissier holds his thumb down, whereas in our poomsae, the thumb is up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With the thumb up, as in the poomsae, we can also imagine an X-throw, as in this video:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1yqlJP-h3M&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Juji Nage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this throw, you have the option to keep grabbing the opponent, as in the video; or you can use your knifehand and not grab the opponent.  The former is to control the opponent, perhaps as a come-along; the latter is to throw the opponent.  Because this is TG4, the likelihood it assumes the less difficult throw method is assumed, the come-along is more complex and the stance doesn't lend itself to the technique.  When the student gets more advanced, the come-along can be studied as well, adjusting for stance, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;FWIW I stand in stark contrast to Kukkiwon's and Gen Choi's applications for poomsae, many do not make sense to me.  The hand under the arm (both cases) otherwise is wasted or given a menial task like &quot;assisting&quot;.  So I prefer the bunhae offered from Karate and Aikido backgrounds, since our style was heavily influenced from Karate at the time the forms were made.  Hence, I provided the Aikido form videos.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;EDIT:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having researched further, I can find no article, book, or blog, except one (see below) on the concept of &quot;assisting&quot; with regards to these kinds of techniques.  There are a few examples in KKW and ITF poomsae, of &quot;assisting techniques&quot;.  This technique is one example.  Another is a double forearm block, sometimes called an assisted outside block, (see Sipjin poomsae for example).  And in these cases, no one (except in a link, below) describes what is meant by &quot;assisting&quot;.  Usually, the technique is called a block, which is a farce in of itself; but if we do look at it being a &quot;block&quot;, it can be readily acknowledged that the assisting hand is not, in fact, providing any assistance at all.  Such can be seen in this question's example.  What is the assisting hand actually doing? Is it supporting a block or strike?  How?  Is it preventing a reversal?  Why the fist?  Why the stance?  Why do it in such a technically weak architectural position (ie, why not bring the assembly of blocking/striking/grabbing/whatever-the-primary-technique-is-doing down to a manageable place, instead of away from the body whereby it is structurally unsound?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The assist is no &quot;assist&quot; at all.  The block is no &quot;block&quot; at all.  Nearly always, the assisting hand is engaging in a fist; this should be interpreted as a grab - clothing, arm, weapon, etc, depending on your bunhae.  There are examples, like in Sipjin, where the assist really is an assist - but because we label the technique a block, we call the whole assembly as an assisted block (sonbadak kodureo momtong bakkat makki).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to the exception I came across this article...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://taekwondo.wikia.com/wiki/Sipjin&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sipjin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;... it is curious to me that in this the author makes a rational analysis of this &quot;block&quot; which is that &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The idea of this slow, augmented block is that your opponent has grabbed your arm, and you are either (a) twisting your arm to get him to release his grip, with your fingers prying under his grip to loosen the grip, or (b) using his grip against him, to force your opponent into an awkward position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure I buy into the fingers prying under the grip, but, this analysis is definitely more wholesome than what Kukkiwon provides.  Kudos to the author, and shame on Kukkiwon for not describing this in this kind of detail.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm no fan at all of sourcing any Wiki sites, which by definition means community editing, and true source is usually dubious.  However, the article does align with my belief, as I subscribe to those whose bunhae are more realistic (see: Karate).  Nevertheless, such a description is a grappling maneuver, not a blocking maneuver.  So the description is awesome, but still, the name suggests a thing otherwise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So while the technique in this article does not apply to your question (it's not even the same form), the fact that there is this concept of &quot;assisting&quot; techniques really does throw people off into thinking it somehow is assisting in the block or strike, when in reality, it's an assist of a thing which we in Taekwondo often take for granted does not exist at all: grappling, throwing, locking, pinning, etc, and that it must be assisting in a block or a strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2017-09-01T18:02:43.913" LastActivityDate="2017-09-01T18:02:43.913" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7778" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7756" CreationDate="2017-08-23T13:54:25.713" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yoga seems like a good practice when on hiatus. Two fold rationale: (1) Stress relief (2) Paying the extremities attention, more especially the hip sockets for the various kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8540" LastActivityDate="2017-08-23T13:54:25.713" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7780" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7782" CreationDate="2017-08-24T14:02:00.453" Score="4" ViewCount="418" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a noob when it comes to mixed martial arts and boxing. I was just curious what difference does the glove size make in MMA as Mcgregor was happy that Mayweather agreed to reduce the glove size to 8 ounces. Is it an advantage for an MMA person to have lighter gloves?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8544" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-08-24T14:10:59.757" LastActivityDate="2017-10-04T05:17:33.393" Title="Does glove size make any difference?" Tags="|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7781" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7797" CreationDate="2017-08-24T15:08:10.303" Score="5" ViewCount="1083" Body="&lt;p&gt;When defending your legs while using a two-handed sword (longsword, zweihander, etc), &lt;strong&gt;what are the advantages and disadvantages between blocking low vs voiding your legs and counter-attacking?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;(Disclaimer: I understand that nothing is strictly better all the time, and that context matters. My question is asked accordingly, and answers should be made similarly.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've heard mention that a major advantage of larger, longer swords is their ability to successfully &lt;strong&gt;defend the legs by blocking low&lt;/strong&gt; - something that shorter bladed weapons cannot do.  However, &lt;a href=&quot;https://myarmoury.com/feature_arms_gls.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this article&lt;/a&gt; discussing the teachings of 14th-century longsword master &lt;em&gt;Johannes Liechtenauer&lt;/em&gt; appears to suggest that &lt;strong&gt;a superior form of defending one's legs is not to block, but rather to threaten a dodge and counter-attack.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;So far we have used the Plow guard to defend against an attack to the&#xA;  torso, and we have used the Ox guard to defend against an attack to&#xA;  the head. It would seem logical, then, that to defend against a cut to&#xA;  the legs one would therefore use &lt;strong&gt;the Fool's guard&lt;/strong&gt;, as it lies low.&#xA;  While this is not an impossible thing to do, it &lt;strong&gt;is not actually a very&#xA;  good defense&lt;/strong&gt;, as follow-up attacks from this position will be too&#xA;  slow. The Schietelhau, or &lt;strong&gt;Parting Strike, offers a much more efficient&#xA;  way of defending the legs.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;One cannot make a cut for the legs without exposing the head. If your&#xA;  opponent attacks your lead foot you simply need to remove that target&#xA;  from reach while simultaneously striking the now-vulnerable head. In&#xA;  this case, blade contact is completely unnecessary, and &lt;strong&gt;this reaffirms&#xA;  the point that you should not be chasing your opponent's weapon, but&#xA;  always attack the opponent.&lt;/strong&gt; The safest way to move the foot from harm&#xA;  is to move it backwards, though you do not want to step so far back&#xA;  that you cannot reach your opponent. Instead take a half step back as&#xA;  you cut. You will want to make sure that your arms stay high for this&#xA;  strike, as you do not want your opponent to make a sudden change&#xA;  upwards and catch your elbows. You will always be able to do this,&#xA;  regardless of how tall your opponent is by virtue of the fact that&#xA;  your shoulders are high and your legs are not. Keep in mind that this&#xA;  can also be done as a thrust should you have started in a guard such&#xA;  as the Plow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;(Emphasis mine)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The idea here seems to be that making an attack to someone's legs inherently over-commits and leaves them vulnerable (relatively-speaking) to a counter-strike to the head.  &lt;strong&gt;Is this a more consistent and reliable alternative to blocking?  What circumstances effect this?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8535" LastEditorUserId="8535" LastEditDate="2017-08-25T13:27:01.473" LastActivityDate="2020-07-06T18:09:50.120" Title="Defending legs with a sword" Tags="|sword|defense|striking|historic-european|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7782" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7780" CreationDate="2017-08-24T18:32:33.093" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;With no context yes, but in this situation (McGregor vs Mayweather) very little, if any.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;MMA gloves are 4oz. Many of the strikes that land in MMA would not land if they were wearing larger gloves. This is due to the massive surface area of boxing gloves. Even 8oz gloves (let alone 10oz) will allow a defender to block strikes, or at least cause them to be glancing strikes (less powerful) compared to what they would have been with 4oz gloves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A boxer gets used to being able to &quot;shell up&quot; and be safe. That's not really a thing in MMA (to the same extent), as you can sneak in shots that wouldn't have been possible with larger gloves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So we've established that smaller gloves are better for MMA fighters because that's how they're used to fighting. Good. Here's the problem in this specific scenario: &lt;strong&gt;Mayweather is already used to this glove size.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There won't be any strikes &quot;sneaking through&quot; that he's not used to. he has fought with 8oz gloves before, and has proven to be a master of defense, even with the smaller gloves. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So to answer your question, &lt;strong&gt;going from 10oz to 8oz likely will not make a big difference. If any, the slight edge may go to McGregor.&lt;/strong&gt; McGregor prefers the change, as he wants the gloves to be smaller (as small as possible). Mayweather doesn't care, as 8oz is nothing new to him (hand speed increase is negligible as both fighters benefit.) If the gloves got even smaller, to 6oz or 4oz, then that would be a different story. With 8oz though, it's still within the range that neither fighter should gain much more of an advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, as an MMA fighter, if I had to fight a boxer under boxing rules I would absolutely push for 8oz gloves over 10oz gloves. Every tiny little shred of possible advantage is worth pursuing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2017-08-25T13:14:21.570" LastActivityDate="2017-08-25T13:14:21.570" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7784" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7781" CreationDate="2017-08-25T16:57:01.893" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;From a non-HEMA perspective: you want to minimize the time it takes to defend the current attack, while maintaining a position that can still adapt for your own attacks or to defend potential future attacks. Whether footwork evasion or a block will be faster depends on where your sword is when the attack begins. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your sword is high, an attempt to block may not succeed because your sword is too far away and the block is not fast enough. In addition, if you are moving your sword with velocity to defend, its momentum will make it difficult to readjust and leave you vulnerable to later attacks. Evade and counterattack instead. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your sword is low, then it may be much easier/safer to block rather than rely exclusively on footwork to evade. You can of course add footwork or a counterattack. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A successful fighting strategy minimizes the necessary speed and quickness of your defensive actions. This principle explains why you have some kind of guard; you have to move less to defend, which makes your defense faster than if you must move more. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-08-25T17:49:10.687" LastActivityDate="2017-08-25T17:49:10.687" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7785" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="417" CreationDate="2017-08-26T11:32:41.367" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It seems a lot of myths are being perpetuated here.  Many answers are correct - but in martial context can only apply to a greeting as might be done when entering or exiting the kwoon, or greeting Sifu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But as to Japanese kata, the context of the question, and also Korean poomsae/hyung, the covered fist has absolutely &lt;strong&gt;nothing&lt;/strong&gt; to do with greetings, war and peace, thank you, hello, good bye, subservience, gratitude, weaponless and empty hands, or any of that nonsense.  It is not to say that the covered fist can't have these meanings in context other than kata.  But in kata, these meanings do not apply at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are several ways to debunk the concept of greetings, et al, as used in kata or poomsae, and I suspect the same is true even in Chinese taolu (kata).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What is kata?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To start, it is necessary to understand what is the purpose for kata.  If it is believed anything other than self-defense, then that means going back to sensei (or sabumnim, in Korean styles), and asking for the correct answer.  Some styles implement a bit of symbolism, but in classical Japanese and Okinawan kata, it is all about self-defense.  For those reading this answer who are not in a classical Japanese or Korean style, perhaps your style might employ a bit of symbolism, such as in World Taekwondo (WTF), whose new set of forms are all about presentation, and not at all about self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What is covered fist salute?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next is to understand the traditional meaning of the hand-over-fist, which is a common etiquette form in China - but not in Korea or Japan.  At one time in history, maybe it was commonly practiced in the latter two cultures.  But by and large, this is relegated to Chinese culture.  Hence, my earlier reference to kwoon (dojo) and Sifu (sensei).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Japanese history&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a Japanese / Okinawan perspective, I can offer little historical analysis, as my knowledge there is limited.  But I can say that greetings now - and then (when the forms were invented) - are almost always by way of a bow, not by a covered fist.  The Okinawans were adamant that in their forms, there is a &lt;strong&gt;always&lt;/strong&gt; practical use for &lt;strong&gt;everything&lt;/strong&gt;.  Neither greetings nor symbolism of the sort are practical.  There are no wasted movements at all.  Everything performed is related to movement to support self-defense.  The form itself may take on some symbolism, but never the movements within.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a corollary, there are two kinds of Karate: there is &quot;do&quot; and there is &quot;jitsu&quot;.  The &quot;do&quot; is the part about the way of life, and to this extent is probably where the myth of the greeting had been introduced.  The &quot;jitsu&quot; part concerns itself with the science of fighting, and any sort of symbolism is patently dismissed.  Note that the &quot;jitsu&quot; part came about long before the &quot;do&quot; part.  Nevertheless, anyone practicing the &quot;do&quot; part of Karate can still live the life of Karate and even sit around their campfires ruminating about the symbolism of the covered fist, and still get in the practice for the actual applications they represent when they get back to the dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Korean history&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a Taekwondo (or any classical Korean style, like Tang Soo Do or Hwa Rang Do, etc) perspective, the same applies as it does for Japanese styles, but there is more thought about why these styles use the covered fist, and here also, the same greetings myth is spread about.  Its forms go back no further than 1955, so, one might consider the mindset back in 1955 when the forms were being drawn up.  (Ok, give or take a few years; it didn't happen over night).  Why would the Koreans implement such a movement that is not culturally relevant, at a time when they were desperately trying to re-Koreanize their culture when they became liberated from the Japanese?  Why would they adopt any cultural influence from Japanese martial arts?  (Answer: because they were probably never taught properly by their Japanese instructors, most of whom did not hold many Koreans in any regard as they were seen as an imperialized culture, who themselves were never held in very high regard by the Okinawans).  The Koreans simply used what they borrowed from their Japanese style influences, and if any sort of greeting or existential symbolism was adopted into the Korean forms, it was because that was all they knew.  This we know from reading the Kukkiwon textbook or General Choi's encyclopedia, and there, such is not covered at all.  If it was a deliberate decision to remove the practical aspects of covered fist and change the meaning to something like a greeting, then, besides copping out on technique, they will have short-changed self-defense instruction.  And further, they'd have documented this in their respective tomes.  As it is, such is left primarily undiscussed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Debunking lesson #1: Culturally confused greeting&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When we perform a kata, it seems well established that the student bows to the instructor, or to the judges, and then begins the kata.  But why do so with another culturally-confused greeting?  This makes sense to everyone?  That is like greeting your boss every morning with &quot;Good morning!  Bon jour!&quot; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Debunking lesson #2: Greeting the enemy&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to the symbolism of greeting both the instructor/judge and the enemy, I say, no one ever greets their adversary.  Or thanks them.  That happens in the movies, but not in real life.  There are millions of fights on YouTube alone, high school fights, gang fights, riots, CCTV prison fights, street fights, sibling fights, grannies duking it out over coupons in the express lane, kids duking it out over an ice cream cone, ad nauseum.  Not a single one shows either combatant showing any sort of respectful courtesy before the pugilistic activity begins. (Have I seen all said millions of videos?  No.  Still looking though.)  Maybe my not having seen an example of two otherwise angry combatants mutually respecting one another which makes this is a myth is a logical fallacy?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps, the adversary is respected, much like we respect a venomous snake's ability to kill us.  We do not greet the snake, we do not thank the snake for its... whatever it is we're supposed to be thanking it for.  We do not throw up a symbol of war and peace at it.  We leave the damned thing alone!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And when leaving the damned thing alone doesn't work, that is where the system of kata sort of takes over.  Greetings, dialog, turning the other cheek, tact, diplomacy - all of that has failed.  We now have to defend ourselves from great bodily harm.  We do not bow to the enemy, nor do we issue a symbol of culturally-dependent meaning to our adversary.  If so, we could justifiably replace it all with a &quot;Yo, sup!&quot; with a pinky and index finger pointed at the shoulder.  Or maybe we cut it back a little, and use the less formal Chinese method of fist and rigid hand.  It's a greeting, right?  And that means, women use the right hand to cover the left fist, right?  Or did they tell you about that little detail?  Because that IS the greeting protocol, yes?  Yep, I'm going down this road:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Debunking lesson #3: Men vs women vs friends vs enemy vs funerals&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's the primer: Men cover their right fist with the left hand; women do the opposite and cover left with right.  They do this in formal settings when things are normal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there's more: It's considered a sign of anger (some say akin to &quot;flipping the bird&quot;) when a man covers left with right, and when a woman covers right with left.  Unless, of course, they are all at a funeral, at which, the protocol to greet is the same as if in anger when not at a funeral (so men politely cover left with right, and women cover right with left...)  Ok, Asian society has a lot of strange protocols.  Question is, which one would the kata be following?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does your sensei allow you to change hands based on whether you are a man making a polite greeting, a woman making a polite greeting, a man saying &quot;screw you&quot;, a woman saying &quot;screw you&quot;, or either of you exhibiting a funeral rite?  (I suspect not the latter.  Just going out on a limb here, but it seems reasonable to dismiss this case.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Debunking lesson #4: Smile!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And what about the facial expression: aren't you taught never to show emotion?  Why would you offer a polite greeting without smiling?  Why would you give a neutral facial expression while telling someone to have sex with himself?  Why would you remain silent while making a polite greeting, telling someone to kiss off, or expressing regret at the loss of their loved one?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;STILL think the covered fist has anything to do with greetings in kata?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Debunking lesson #5: The numbers game&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why, then, do so few kata have this greeting?  I don't know the numbers in Japanese forms, but for taekwondo (kukkiwon) there are 8 Palgwe, 8 Taeguek, and 9 yudanja forms - a total of 25 forms - same in ITF.  About two use the &quot;greeting&quot;, the numbers are not all that different in Karate styles.  So now this begs the question: why are we greeting in a couple of kata, but not the others?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Debunking lesson #6: Weapons&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And what of the idea that the hands represent something that is weaponless?  There is a clear contradiction in your forms.  How many times have you been told to perform this technique or that technique in such a way so as not to let the opponent optimally see your incoming technique or weapon?  In other words, why show you are weaponless, and then split seconds later do something to hide your weapons?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Debunking lesson #7: Leo Tolstoy&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And what of the idea that the covered hand represents war and peace?  In our kata, our goal is to dispatch our adversary.  It might be by way of a throw, or a choke, or a vital area in the throat to kill.  This idea that the greeting before the form begins having to do with war and peace seems contradictory with the actions about to be performed merely seconds away from said philosophical statement of... war and peace.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Debunking lesson #8: Slavery&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And what of subservience?  Come on.  We are not indicating subservience to our adversary.  Do we really need to go there?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is, the covered fist that is reminiscent of greeting, gratitude, subservience, anger, or sympathy in China is &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; the same thing in our forms.  Such requires a complex social setting context considerations which is not applicable to self-defense.  Such is an easy mistake to make: &quot;Looks like a greeting, so, must be a greeting, so, not gonna use my brain and explore further.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So... then what is it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Answer: &lt;strong&gt;it's an opening move&lt;/strong&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The kata has to start somewhere.  So we begin our bunkai by considering the posture we make when we begin the form.  At that moment, we have been attacked.  Our opponent is white, and we are black.  White moves first, and has done so, and now it is our move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Recall the rules of forms analysis (and if you don't remember, refer to the link, below): If you touch yourself in a form, that represents you touching your opponent.  Fists are grabs (or they can be punches; but in a covered fist, I think we can all agree it's not a punch).  Open hands are anything BUT a grab, but they can secure an opponent's grab so we can effect a technique like a S-lock, or something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(And, let's get into the nitty-gritty details of the &quot;covered fist&quot;.  We have a right-handed fist, and the left hand is wrapping the fist; or the left hand is straight and rigid, as would be the two cases in a Chinese greeting.  There is significant difference in bunkai; the covered fist means more tightly holding onto the opponent, whereas the straight hand could mean passive touch of the opponent.  Either way, consider the differences and alternatives in your bunkai.)  And is the fist such that the top of the hand can balance a tea-cup, as is sometimes called for in some schools; or is the top of the fist more diagonal and the index finger's knuckle pointing upward?  Consider these alternatives in your bunkai as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now we can start to imagine several PRACTICAL uses for the covered fist, and not some useless greetings or existential meanings.  Without example of kata that uses covered first, it's hard to be specific about application, so, I'll generalize here.  If it doesn't apply to your kata, then keep analyzing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Application #1: Attack from behind, move to the side&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ever notice how sometimes we move left or right immediately after the covered fist &quot;greeting&quot;?  (Ok, I'll stop calling it a greeting...)  In this case, we imagine we have had one or both hands grabbed from behind.  Settle low (bending knees), bend elbows; this allows us to move the grabbed hands to the front.  You may concern yourself with either of the opponent's hands, it doesn't matter.  But now you've got his hands in front of you (and notice, you're not reaching so far forward with the covered fist as to throw you off balance, because his arms are surely not long enough to do this!) you hold your right hand in a fist and clench it (that is a classic movement which opens the wrist ever so slightly, giving you advantage to release yourself from the grip).  With your left hand (covering the fist means holding his grabbing hand onto yours: you now WANT him to keep grabbing so you can effect the next movement).  You turn to the side and... well the rest depends on the next movement in the kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Application #2: Attack from behind, move to the front&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes, we can move to the front when grabbed from behind.  Consider much of the scenario from application #1; this time, though, when we bring his hands in front of us, we can step to the side with the opposite foot we brought the hand around; then we step forward with what will be the inside leg, and that hopefully off-balances him which is useful, say, for a throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Application #3: Attack from front, issue a wrist lock (#1)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here we assume we're grabbed by either/both wrists.  There are a couple of variations here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With both hands lowered and unfisted, lift upwards, and catch his grab in the web of your right hand.  As you lift higher, you grab his wrist, as if you take his pulse.  This represents the fist in the covered fist.  Now with your left hand, hold his hands there so he can't let go (you want to finish him off, yes?  Violent, but effective.  If we didn't hold him there, he could let go and try again.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you hold him there, the rest depends on the kata's movement, but one general possibility is that with his grab being covered (bound) by your left hand (remember, covered fist means left touches right, which means, we are touching opponent), you are in perfect placement for a wrist lock, like kotegaishi.  You've got his wrist, so, it's one example of a kotegaishi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Application #4: Attack from front, issue a wrist lock (#2)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similar to application 3, this one doesn't have you catch his grab in the web of your hand.  Rather, you let him grab you; raise your grabbed hand (clenched fist, to ready for atemi to the face, if opportunity provides), cover (secure) his grip with your left hand.  From here, you can move circularly to the left or right, which twists the wrist into a lock (Aikido-ka will immediately recognize this as nikkyo).  From here, you can easily transform into sankyo, or some other technique like a takedown, throw, lock, or pin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Application #5: Reversal&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your sensei is worth his or her salt, you will be taught that one of the things your kata teaches is &quot;reversals&quot;.  This could be one of those techniques where you are the attacker administering a choke or a lapel grab (either could be inferred from the covered fist technique.)  The covered fist here isn't itself the reversal; rather, the techniques that follow assume your adversary is reacting to your choke/grab, and, you are being reversed.  So that is out of scope of the question, except to say that it is a vaild point of study (bunkai).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Application #6: Preparation for a throw&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By now you should be getting the idea that Karate and Taekwondo are anything but punches and kicks.  There's grappling, throws, locks, and pins.  Yes, throws are a part of Karate and Taekwondo, and if you aren't learning them, then your instruction is incomplete.  The covered fist in a standing position of feet together is a perfect position to get into for a shoulder throw: your fist is cross-grabbing your opponent's other shoulder, the covering hand is securing the shoulder.  Of course, the covered fist in of itself isn't the throw - that would depend on the next movements in the kata.  If you were to slide forward, or tenkan into a 180 degree turn, that strongly suggests a throw is intended here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, there you go: 6 applications, and long commentary (sorry about that), debunking the notion that a covered fist is any kind of greeting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I strongly recommend to read the book &quot;The Way of Kata&quot;, by Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1594390584&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Way of Kata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, you ought to watch and read books and videos by Iain Abernethy and John Burke.  All of these authors provide logical and realistic explanations for many of the things we do in kata.  It applies to Korean styles as well.  If your instructor is feeding you a line about symbolism, that is a red blinking neon flag that the instructor doesn't have a clue about what the movement is, and is afraid to admit s/he doesn't know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't have access to the book at the moment, here is a link or two which espouses some of the principals in the book, which you can read immediately here.  I'm in no way endorsing the sites or the dojos they represent or the instructors; I'm merely sourcing examples used in my answer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://kellmankarate.com/instruction-blog/textual-resources/principles-of-kata-interpretation.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Principals of Kata Interpretation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ilovegkr.com/pages/kata/katarules/majorprinciples.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Major Principles&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ilovegkr.com/pages/kata/katarules/goodideas.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Rules for Interpreting Kata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, about Chinese covered fist:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.topchinatravel.com/china-guide/chinese-etiquette-fist-and-palm-salute.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chinese Etiquette: Fist and palm salute&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some more relevant and good reading:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iainabernethy.com/Applied_Karate.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Applied Karate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.karatebyjesse.com/7-reasons-why-your-bunkai-probably-sucks/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;7 Reasons Why Your Bunkai (Probably) Sucks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.karatebyjesse.com/5-more-reasons-why-your-bunkai-still-probably-sucks/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;5 (More) Reasons Why Your Bunkai (Still) (Probably) Sucks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2017-08-30T16:56:42.763" LastActivityDate="2017-08-30T16:56:42.763" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7786" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3079" CreationDate="2017-08-27T19:33:25.037" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;My brother trains in Systema.  I train in Krav Maga. Systema and Krav Maga both have the end game of decimating your opponent by any means necessary. For self preservation, you won't go wrong with either. Systema takes longer to learn, but has a greater arsenal from which to draw in a combat situation. Krav Mava is learned very quickly with basic moves that work for a vast variety of scenarios. My opinion is to do whatever fits your budget and time frame. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8550" LastActivityDate="2017-08-27T19:33:25.037" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7787" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1447" CreationDate="2017-08-28T05:39:18.373" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Actually, I'd say the very first poster was dead on, despite the temptation to look for some &quot;martial artsy&quot; kind of answer.  Round staffs were made from tree branches that happened to be the right size.  Octagonal staffs were easier to make from lumber in an age where shaping a round pole would have been quite time consuming. Some staves were actually square. The advantages of sharper edges to strike with and give better grip were merely incidental to this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8551" LastActivityDate="2017-08-28T05:39:18.373" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7788" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7781" CreationDate="2017-08-30T21:05:29.070" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This may not answer your question and depends on your clothing allowing,but western weapon use does not lower the whole body(squatting)as much as in eastern some eastern martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8552" LastActivityDate="2017-08-30T21:05:29.070" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7789" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-09-02T18:01:30.037" Score="11" ViewCount="401" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am looking for a Brazilian jiujitsu book to understand how BJJ thinks about groundwork. As a judoka of some years, I already have some familiarity with joint locks, chokes, control, escapes, the guard position, guard passes, etc. I am looking to understand at a high level the BJJ evaluation of these elements and putting them together. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In particular, I would like:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Strategy - For example: how techniques are linked together, the thinking behind when some guard positions may be preferable to others, general principles of position (in the sense of position before submission)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Names - BJJ has its own nomenclature, and it would be helpful if no prior knowledge of names were expected&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am only secondarily interested in how-to descriptions for techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-04-24T16:53:24.347" Title="What is a good BJJ book for someone familiar with groundwork but not BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|recommendation|grappling|books|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7790" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-09-04T15:40:40.387" Score="6" ViewCount="220" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am pretty good with a singular weapon, but trying to do two at once often just ends up with doing one hand and then doing the other hand instead of actually doing two at the same time.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any tricks other than tons of practice to help one get the mental/physical coordination for doing two things at once with different hands?  I would think there is a way to help train the brain to get used to doing two things with different hands at the same time.  I seem to be able to do one thing two to three times as fast easier than doing two things at the same time.  Maybe some people are just more gifted at dual wielding than others, but I thought I would ask for any that are proficient at dual wielding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note&lt;/em&gt;: I juggle which I would think helps practice this, but it's not as the goal is the formation of juggling and not two completely different things.  Hand/eye coordination and reflexes are a great benefit to juggling, but the mental split of doing two completely different things with each hand at the same time is a hurdle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2022-06-19T00:17:41.803" Title="Any tricks to help with two hand wielding (dual weilding)?" Tags="|weapons|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7791" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7790" CreationDate="2017-09-04T16:11:02.127" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;It sounds like whatever style you're training, it doesn't have two-weapon forms as part of it?  That would be the first thing to look at.  If you're training without a form/teaching that includes two weapons, you're basically re-inventing the wheel and would do best by cross training in something that already has it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Conceptually, you're not &quot;doing two things at once&quot; you're doing one thing, like how if you have a stance that involves stepping forward and striking - it's one movement, not two.  You practice it until the compound movement is one thing, and in the same sense, the movements for two weapon styles are &quot;one position&quot; or &quot;one movement&quot; as far as the way you process it once you've ingrained it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Filipino martial arts, silat styles, Kung fu with two dagger forms, all of these handle the issue quite well and solve the two first hurdles: not injuring yourself in the process and having functional attack/defense through your movements.  After that, it becomes a lot of two person drills to get your range and timing down, and then from there actual live sparring. (Edited to add a youtube video of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w07cUh7z1Q&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Heaven 6 broken down into clear steps&lt;/a&gt;.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, if your style has a long weapon + a parrying dagger or smaller shield, those also tend to develop similar skills, though the reach and use difference significantly changes how you go about it.  (Larger shield mechanics around attack and defense work very differently and don't carry over as much).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also worth noting that a key skill that often gets overlooked in two weapon styles is fluid transition from unarmed to armed and back again - you might start with one weapon, begin a counter, draw a second weapon and attack in one motion, get your 1st hand locked, drop the weapon to escape the grip and counter grip while your 2nd hand makes another attack.  The ability to switch up quickly in response to the need of the moment makes it harder for the opponent to adapt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastEditorUserId="1598" LastEditDate="2017-09-10T02:12:56.743" LastActivityDate="2017-09-10T02:12:56.743" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7792" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-09-04T16:29:50.023" Score="6" ViewCount="91" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm wondering if anyone knows of the equivalent of a target mitt or kick shield for weapons training, what they would be called and where I could find one?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for something that would allow people to practice full on striking power with a stick but isn't, you know, a static padded pole or a swinging bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-09-06T20:44:23.607" Title="Hand held striking targets for sticks?" Tags="|weapons|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7793" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7792" CreationDate="2017-09-04T17:18:44.467" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can probably purchase something for a bit of money, but I recommend you build your own as it's easier to replace.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Get a sport or work glove that is very sturdy (baseball mitt/heavy leather glove/tactical gear glove/etc...)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Get some liquid nail or gorilla glue or some substance that is meant to permanently bind the glove material and wood together.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Get a 2x6, 2x8, 2x10 and cut a good size square off that will match the size of holding target you need. (you can also get harden plastic, but that usually runs more expensive.  Rubber might work, but is much heavier.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Secure the wood to the glove in a way you want it using the glue.  Be sure to cover very fully the entire area between the wood and the glove. (you have to be sure the glue binds fully with both wood and the glove material...thus a leather baseball glove has plenty of surface and is usually all the same leather/synthetic material.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Follow the waiting instructions for the binding glue to fully solidify.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now you have a hand held glove with an impact area for practice weapons.  The wood will absorb most of the impact and the thick glove should absorb the wood impact resulting in minimal absorption directly too the hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S. If you really want to buy something check out riot gear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-09-04T17:18:44.467" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7794" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7802" CreationDate="2017-09-05T10:02:38.813" Score="2" ViewCount="1146" Body="&lt;p&gt;A &lt;a href=&quot;http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MorphWeapon&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;trope&lt;/a&gt; in several media, such as Bloodborne and Bleach for example, is weapons that have two mode that can be switched.In case you have no idea what I am talking about, here is a transformation of a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bloodborne-wiki.com/2015/03/saw-cleaver.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Saw Cleaver trick weapon&lt;/a&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; from Bloodborne:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UjoX0.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UjoX0.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Saw cleaver&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While there are a lot of strange weapons used in martial arts such as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_and_fire_wheels&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;wind and fire wheel&lt;/a&gt; for example, I doubt that there are &quot;trick weapons&quot; in the real world as the mechanism for switching would probably weaken the weapon in either states. However, I could be wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there such a weapon?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that either &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS7X_1t0Hvw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;CardSharp credit card&lt;/a&gt; or switch blades do not really fit as they only have one offensive form, not multiple ones. Neither is a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayonet&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;bayonet&lt;/a&gt; which is an addition to an already existing weapon. Neither is anything that requires a work shop or external tools to change shape -- so that get rides of modular fire arms and such.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: Bloodborne is a mature game thus reader discretion is advised before following links.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-09-05T12:53:33.957" LastActivityDate="2017-09-05T15:29:17.250" Title="Trick/Morph weapons aka weapons with different modes…" Tags="|weapons|fiction|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7795" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2017-09-05T10:19:21.493" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.meta.stackexchange.com/q/517/82&quot;&gt;Check this thread on meta before using this tag!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-09-05T10:19:21.493" LastActivityDate="2017-09-05T10:19:21.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7796" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2017-09-05T10:19:21.493" Score="0" Body="Related to whether something is possible and/or effective." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-09-05T10:19:21.493" LastActivityDate="2017-09-05T10:19:21.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7797" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7781" CreationDate="2017-09-05T12:15:55.377" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The same source text you're quoting mentions the use of &lt;em&gt;Uberlauffen&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;overrunning&lt;/em&gt; as defense against low threats. The idea is to use a Scheitelhau (or a similarly executed thrust) to strike before you get hit by the opponent while removing the target. Your blade in the opponent's body would then prevent follow-up attacks.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The argument used there is that the shortest path between you and the opponent is a straight horizontal line, so if you can choose a high-lethality target right in front of you (head, for example), you will reach it before the opponent reaches his. The mechanics of a Scheitelhau make it's reach very long and possible to execute even when withdrawing. The best case scenario is that the opponent swings, get struck in the head, and misses your foot (which you are now withdrawing). If he doesn't (e.g. because he overcommits), you get struck with a minor graze, but the opponent is positively dead. If you withdraw too quickly and miss, you still end up pointing your sword at the opponent's face, setting you up for a thrust.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6842" LastEditorUserId="6842" LastEditDate="2017-09-27T10:30:28.353" LastActivityDate="2017-09-27T10:30:28.353" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7798" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7794" CreationDate="2017-09-05T13:00:44.980" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is one example of a &quot;trick weapon&quot;, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.gatergrotto.com/products/multi-purpose-metal-staff-mpms-metal-stick&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&quot;MPMS&quot; Multi-Purpose Metal Stick&lt;/a&gt;, which claims to allow the user &quot;to combine or unfasten with a simple twist of the wrist&quot; the unit into nightsticks, nunchuks, batons, or a billy club.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8qVqIm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8qVqIm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;MPMS&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, I have not found any demonstration of this in use, so your mileage may vary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2017-09-05T13:00:44.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7799" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7794" CreationDate="2017-09-05T13:59:15.517" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Shikomizue katana sword, or popularly known as the Zatoichi sword, is a weapon which is disguised as a walking stick but actually a sword. It is believed to be invented during the Meiji Period (1868-1912), when the public carrying of weapons were restricted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gwPyR.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gwPyR.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6654" LastEditorUserId="6654" LastEditDate="2017-09-05T14:12:35.010" LastActivityDate="2017-09-05T14:12:35.010" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7800" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7789" CreationDate="2017-09-05T14:50:34.167" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are countless paths you can go down, so I'll cover two of the most popular.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;Traditional&quot; Jiu Jitsu&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique by Renzo Gracie and Royler Gracie&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This book covers BJJ from the most simple techniques, to the more advanced stuff. You not only learn positions and submissions, but little intricacies that help you hold the positions, and transition between them (ex. which grips to use, how distribute your weight, etc.) The ability to, as you say, &quot;link techniques together&quot; is essential, and Renzo and Royler are two of the best to ever do it. They go over all the names of common positions and techniques. There are two down sides to this book; it's gi heavy. If you're planning on fighting, you'll need to learn exclusive nogi techniques elsewhere. The other down side is the defensive techniques are limited to defending against stupid moves (untrained folk), and defending against the Gracie techniques you just learned. (so good luck defending against our next author, Mr. Eddie Bravo)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;10th Planet Jiu Jitsu&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mastering The Rubber Guard: Jiu Jitsu for Mixed Martial Arts Competition by Eddie Bravo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This book couldn't be more different than the first one I mentioned. Eddie Bravo developed his own BJJ system, centered around the rubber guard. Eddie goes into depth as much, if not more so than the previous book. He covers positional changes, technique flows, and of course unorthodox submissions. Eddie has his own naming system that is overwhelming at first, but you'll get used to it. Two down sides to this book: It doesn't cover &quot;everything you need&quot; for BJJ. You will learn rubberguard and a few other things, which are foundations for 10th Planet BJJ. He has more advanced books to further your knowledge. The other issue is the book is old. Eddie is constantly developing his system, so rubber guard has been tweaked and improved countless times since this release. Eddie has no problem letting his students add to his system. If you use this book, be sure to research the techniques on YouTube for updates.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All in all, there are a lot of great books out there, but these are two of the best. Since you have a Judo background the first book I mentioned will be much easier for you, as you won't have to learn as much new terminology. You really can't go wrong with either, just supplement your training based on the downsides of each that I mentioned. But remember, you can't improve by just reading books, watching videos, and drilling, &lt;strong&gt;get in the gym and roll!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit:&lt;/strong&gt; Since I mentioned YouTube I'm also going to add one of my favorite YouTube channels, Stephan Kesting. He provides excellent step by step technique lessons, as well as plenty of BJJ philosophy. Great place to look for techniques for any level BJJ practitioner. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want a more &quot;formal&quot; instruction, Ryan Hall is widely regarded as one of the best in the BJJ instructional video game. Much of his content is on YouTube as well. His stuff can get pretty advanced, so it might not be the best place to start for a beginner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2017-09-05T17:49:50.247" LastActivityDate="2017-09-05T17:49:50.247" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7801" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7794" CreationDate="2017-09-05T14:59:58.690" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most &quot;trick&quot; weapons have historically been the tools of spies and assassins, and the trick was disguising a weapon as an innocuous object.  That doesn't seem to be what you are interested in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The M203 and Master Key are secondary weapon systems (a 40mm grenade launcher and 12 gauge shotgun respectively) which were designed to attach to an assault rifle. Accurate use of either subsystem requires a different grip and positioning of the weapon, and both have their own dedicated triggering and loading mechanisms. So, an individual would either be utilizing the rifle aspect, or the grenade launcher aspect, but couldn't optimally do both at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than that sort of weapon subsystem, I don't think you will find much. The circumstances in the game Bloodborne don't exist in the real world (particularly needing to cause differing kinds of damage to an enemy). There aren't (m)any combat situations where a transformable hybrid weapon would be favorable to carrying dedicated versions of the weapons needed and using them in turn. The hybrid weapons that have historically existed are of dubious function (see Lantern Shield and Pistol Sword). The properties which make a good firearm and a good sword have very little crossover.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2017-09-05T14:59:58.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7802" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7794" CreationDate="2017-09-05T15:29:17.250" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If we are talking about blades like the one you mention a simple mechanics setup can make it useful like you mention.  In reality though, few people had the metal/skill/money to actually craft a weapon like that during the time periods mentioned.  Some examples that modern weapon smiths can probably create for functional use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Blade/Shield&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;In principle this is a folding knife the size of a sword with the back of the blade matching with the handle to form a small oval shaped buckler with a tonfa like jabbing end(or not if optional hinge only is followed).  The handle and blade would have to be a solid material to maintain impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Blade is metal the entire length of the weapon with a blade part on one end and a metal counter part on the other end.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Handle is a sturdy material like carbon steel or a hard ballistic plastic used in body armor.  There is a side handle on this like a tonfa or a full 2 handles like a full shield that you can slide your arm through.  Please note the handles on the back need to be significantly lighter than the actual handle material and the handle needs to be lighter than the blade part otherwise your sword tang is way off and the weight distribution is crap.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hinge mechanism between the blade and the handle should be fully concealed inside the handle thus preventing impact on the hinge.  Rivets with the ballistic plastic would likely be a good option.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Extension mechanics need to be in place as a typical folding knife uses human finger strength to open.  You need to embed an extension mechanism so that when you want to extend it to the sword it will actually move out and lock into position.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A lock mechanism is needed as well since this is a solid blade for stability a metal brace to keep the blade in place is needed as well.  This likely can be a bolt mechanism in the handle which naturally stays locked and fits into the handle or blade part to keep it locked in closed or open states.  A mechanism to release the lock is needed as well.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Optionally you can make it like a true folding sword but you decrease the sword strength as the hinge would maintain the full brunt of the impact on swings and likely break easier.  However, the flip side is your &quot;shield&quot; would have a protruding end on it instead of just a solid shield and your hand would have to adjust for the protruding end to enter the handle and extend.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Baton Blades&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;Solid blunt that has a removable end with a blade underneath and the removable part hooks into the handle to extend the handle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;These are made cheaply already.  Usually an imitation fantasy idea, but if you utilize high carbon steel it would be solid enough to actually use.  The baton length matches the full sword length with part being the actual handle and the other part a sheath for the sword.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ones that screw in make the baton more stable as the scabbard and the handle will be screwed together instead of just snugly fit which leads to swings making the scabbard fly off.  Otherwise some sort of locking mechanism is needed to make the scabbard stay while using as a baton.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Optionally the back of the handle has screw grooves as well so that once removing from the blade the scabbard can screw into the handle making the sword into a sort of shortened naginata or one of the elf swords in lord of the rings battle at the beginning.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bracer blades&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;A forarm bracer that has a blade extension to function defensively and offensively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Standard forarm bracer made of a solid substance (Steel or Ballistic plastic)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Blade mechanism similar to a switchblade with a locking for out or in accordingly.  This is usually either on the inside of the wrist or the outside of the wrist as you need room for the blade to shoot out without cutting your fingers off.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Survival Weapons&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;These are more modern day survival weapons/tools and not historical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;There is a wide variety of these that exist on the market today.  Knife axes where the knife is in the handle of the axe.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Saw knifes where the knife part gets replaced with a saw blade that screws in.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Telescoping weapons that extend like batons some including blades and some just turning from a kubotan into a full baton.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Spear that screws together in parts and has compartments for storage and knife etc...&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Pretty much anything that modern mechanics can come up with is possible, but most of these are made with stainless steel which is not very good for impact.  You would need to take a concept here and then apply high carbon steel to make it worthy of actual combat.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, yes it's possible with technology today, but the usefulness of such weapons is likely only for mercenaries or fantasy replicas which makes the production of these custom and extremely expensive or cheap and easily breakable.  You need a professional blacksmith/weapons maker and a solid design including the mechanics/weight distribution and movement physics to actually create one.  The cost will likely be $500(US) on the cheap side and up to whatever you are willing to pay.  For a good 30k you could likely make most anything you wish and it would be fully functional and sturdy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note: Ballistic projectiles adds more cost and you will likely end up paying much more than just the standard melee weapons.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-09-05T15:29:17.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7803" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7790" CreationDate="2017-09-05T19:22:26.807" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although I have been trained with one and two weapons both western and eastern,my opinion is that two presents a larger target,slower,unwieldy,-that is why both western and eastern masters both use only one.This may not be true for sticks,but for anything sharp.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8552" LastActivityDate="2017-09-05T19:22:26.807" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7805" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4331" CreationDate="2017-09-05T22:08:28.660" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Understanding that some of this has to be subjective due to changing technology and impact/direction hits as well as gloves during the exact time period in question I think the logic behind this is stable enough to draw some conclusions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mouthpiece improvements between modern day and the past&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Specific boiling to mold to the actual teeth structure&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;More pliable yet solid substance instead of more rigid&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The above two reasons are the main points.  If you take football mouth guards or some less direct impacting sports that don't use the boil/fit mouth guards you see the gaps between the plastic and the teeth.  Teeth are very sensitive to all sorts of things, but also they sit independent inside of gum tissue and bone.  Unlike other bones in the body they are actually help together with the gum tissue and independent bonding in the mandibles for the jaw structure.  They also move position over time which allows orthodontist to actually do what they do.  You can't do this with other bone structures...makes it great for living/chewing, but less so for impact resistance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Newer mouthpieces focus on preserving the structure and position of the teeth and not just preventing impact.  This is critical for teeth as it adds the additional support needed that old mouthpieces didn't have.  In the old days it reduced the impact power, but the mouthpiece itself pressed against teeth thus weakening the root bonding strength and allowing a much higher chance of tooth loss the more impacts that happen.  With the boiled versions it fits completely with the contour of the teeth in the mouth actually helping to reduce tooth movement as well as pad the impact.  That reduction in movement keeps teeth where teeth should be instead of just trying to lessen impact against the teeth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Latex is also more spongy which absorbs rather than trying to &quot;block&quot; like acrylic.  This by nature means less transference of impact to the teeth underneath.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In summary&lt;/strong&gt;:&#xA;Can it still happen? Yes, if you get pounded in the mouth by someone like the Russian guy in Rocky 4 you could still lose teeth...or if you get hit by a sledge hammer in the mouth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it less likely to happen now?  Yes, the likelihood is greatly decreased from where it was.  There has also been additional glove regulations which add padding and only makes it still less likely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-09-05T22:08:28.660" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7806" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7665" CreationDate="2017-09-05T22:23:00.103" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I thought someone might write in on here with an alternate, but apparently not.  So this is how you can make your own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Get a very simple weighted standing bag like Bob, but you just need the bottom part so I recommend going cheaper.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Get a bubba dummy&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Take off the top part of the weighted standing bag so you just have the bottom heavy part and the top part is missing.  You may need to literally just cut it off.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You then bind some industrial PVC into the base so that it's stationary.  Depending on what type of weight is utilized the binding substance may vary.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You carefully cut into the bubba dummy between the legs to ensure that the PVC can be inserted into it.  Please note that depending on the material it may be best to have the post with the weighted bottom a slightly smaller size PVC and put a slightly larger size PVC into the bubba dummy and then slide the PVC together.  Naturally this will add a hardness to the grappling part, even though the base of the bubba dummy will be there.  If it works well without the additional PVC and the hole in the bottom of bubba dummy then no worries.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have this you can slide the bubba dummy on and off of the weighted punching stand.  This will allow you to punch and kick him and then pull him to the ground and grapple.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: Be sure to secure the plastic PVC to the weighted bottom and bubba dummy with a glue or substance that binds the PVC to they respective parts.  You don't want it slipping off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note2: The dummy will likely spin as hit when added to the weighted base.  You may want to add some pins to keep it from spinning, but then it might likely decrease your attack to grapple transitions as well.  The spinning might mimic actual human body reactions to hits which seems like the goal of this in the first place, if so no worries and enjoy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S. Not exactly what you describe, but this seems for both punch and grapple &lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B00FX6NDVO&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;punch and grapple&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastEditorUserId="8108" LastEditDate="2017-09-05T22:28:32.817" LastActivityDate="2017-09-05T22:28:32.817" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7808" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-09-06T18:17:03.260" Score="4" ViewCount="270" Body="&lt;p&gt;Could anyone recommend a martial art to study that a middle aged person with a permanently sore lower back can do for fun &amp;amp; workout? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My karate days are over (can't kick as well now after injury). I'm a yellow belt, I'd like to be able to practice and enjoy leveling up. I'm open to styles, etc. I have had everyone say , try Tai Chi but I wasn't really into it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks for suggestions and ideas. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8564" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-09-19T15:54:17.347" LastActivityDate="2019-10-10T06:24:47.987" Title="Old student looking for a new style" Tags="|injury|recommendation|style|aging|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7809" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7808" CreationDate="2017-09-06T18:32:50.077" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As per &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7614/help-picking-a-martial-art-avoiding-head-strikes/7640#7640&quot;&gt;my recommendation&lt;/a&gt; to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7614/help-picking-a-martial-art-avoiding-head-strikes&quot;&gt;Help picking a martial art (avoiding head strikes)&lt;/a&gt;, Capoeira might not be a bad style to check out, in particular Angola Capoeira, which tends to be slower and more strategic. The emphasis is on controlled steady movement, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK87KR4s2Hc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;some of the &lt;em&gt;mestres&lt;/em&gt; were still doing sparring far into their 80s&lt;/a&gt;. Plus, well, it's a fun style, as much about the music and rhythm as about the fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2017-09-06T18:32:50.077" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7810" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7792" CreationDate="2017-09-06T20:44:23.607" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You could reinforce an existing kick shield with one or more pieces of PVC. Depending on how your shields are stuffed, you could unzip it and shove the pvc in diagonally through the padding or on the held side of the pad, as opposed to the striking side. A single stiffener would go from one corner to the other and two stiffeners would be in an X-shape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The idea here is that it would spread the load of the impact. The reason it should not be on the striking side is to protect the stick from the stiffeners and vice-versa. Putting them inside the pad allows you to use it normally without it interfering with the users normal grip. An additional benefit would be that the shield would be less prone to flexing and wearing out over time with the downsides being that the extra pressure on the inside may cause the seams to bust more quickly, as well as the difficulty of install.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some relatively small diameter, maybe 5/16&quot; or 3/8&quot;, should be flexible enough to form to the original contour of the shield, if it has one, while still providing structural support. Definitely feel that out at the hardware store, taking the length of your shield into consideration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8566" LastActivityDate="2017-09-06T20:44:23.607" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7811" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7808" CreationDate="2017-09-07T15:51:04.547" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Usually I would recommend BJJ for a low impact MA (due to there being no strikes), but if you have lower back issues that would be a bad idea. Plus it sounds like you have a lot of fun striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds like you're a prime candidate for cardio kickboxing. You won't advance in belt levels, but you're also not going to be sparring or expected to throw strikes with perfect technique. Most MMA gyms have cardio kickboxing classes, otherwise some regular gyms have them as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's nothing quite like wailing on a heavy bag or some mitts!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastActivityDate="2017-09-07T15:51:04.547" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7812" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7808" CreationDate="2017-09-08T03:07:48.390" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I understand where you're coming from. I'm 45. I've had knee problems and back injuries in the past.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The knee problems pretty much mean you can't kick, which is what you indicated. You can maybe do low height stomping kicks or anything that doesn't involve &quot;snapping&quot; your kick out really fast like karate or taekwondo would have you do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a number of martial arts that involve no snapping kicks and only do low angle kicks. Classical jujitsu is one example. They do kicks and punches, but there's no &quot;snap&quot; to them, and their kicks are typically low or mid-section only. Instead of using a snap, they create power by accelerating the kick or punch gradually outward, continuously through the entire motion, fully connected through their whole body to the ground. There are many jujitsu styles out there you could look at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Back pain is the next variable. I don't know enough about the nature of your back pain to know what would work for you. I think that's just something you're going to have to do some trial and error on. Try a bunch of different martial arts and see whether your back is still okay at the end of the day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can try stick fighting (kali / escrima). That's a lot of fun and fairly practical. What you learn with sticks applies pretty much equally to empty hand, knife, and machete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I could literally list off dozens of martial arts at this point. I think in the end, you're just going to have to do a little research, figure out what styles are being taught near you, show up at those places, and observe some classes. Ask the instructors when you get there whether your injuries would preclude you from participating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2017-09-08T03:07:48.390" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7814" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-09-08T12:14:34.227" Score="8" ViewCount="2167" Body="&lt;p&gt;Over the last few months I've been trying to learn martial arts as my main hobby. The problem is, I really struggle with performing the techniques shown to me. I constantly need correcting and just constantly make the same mistakes. I also really struggle to mirror what the instructors want me to do. I'm not sure whether I have some kind of learning difficulties that I've never been diagnosed for or if it's because I'm really nervous, or both. It's humiliating to be so awful to the point where instructors clearly feel sorry for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My martial art experience so far is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did wing chun with one school for a month (twice a week, two hours a class). Everyone was very advanced, and I just consistently messed up almost every technique I was taught. I could see it in the advanced student's face that I was hopeless (and he had a lot of patience). But the thing that made me quit was when we were doing some kicking partner drills and the advanced student was so frustrated at how bad I was that he just went off and did his own thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More recently I tried a Japanese jujitsu class. Again, I just couldn't mirror the instructor's warm up movements to the point where the girl behind me felt sorry for me and helped me out (I had only been in the class for ten minutes). Then the instructor tried to teach me break falls. I mentally couldn't bring myself to fall like he was showing me. I really tried, but I just couldn't. Then when he tried to teach me easier variations, I would fall, but incorrectly, every single time. Of course, after a while the instructor felt sorry for me and started trying to make me feel better while trying to get me to do any technique. He showed me the hip throw, which I struggled to remember all the steps, then when I did them he constantly told me my foot placement was wrong and I just kept making the same mistakes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;What can I do to overcome this?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've got a muay thai class on Monday and I fear it's going to be the same deal. I intend to continue the jujitsu as it looks like it is will be really useful with muay Thai, plus the people were nice and patient.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8573" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-09-08T13:12:18.740" LastActivityDate="2017-09-12T14:37:17.370" Title="Clumsy and struggling with performing techniques" Tags="|muay-thai|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7815" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7814" CreationDate="2017-09-08T13:22:46.643" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;What you are experiencing is normal. You are trying to learn new skills and  movements and are clearly getting overwhelmed by it. There are a few things you can do:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Take it slowly, as slowly as you can manage. It takes time for your brain to control your body to teach it new movement. Let that process take its time. Do not try to do techniques at lighting speed as you will miss all of the details. Do it slow, steady, and get used to the movement.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Watch your instructor/partner performing the movement and try to learn the flow of it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Listen and try to learn the different points of the technique.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Try, try, try, and try again. That's how one git gud.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learning two martial arts at the same time as a beginner is not ideal. I would pick one then go back to the other once you have some experience. Otherwise, it will just add to the confusion.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a final note, as an instructor, I &lt;em&gt;never&lt;/em&gt; expect students to do techniques right. I &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; expect them to try.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="8579" LastEditDate="2017-09-10T13:01:27.833" LastActivityDate="2017-09-10T13:01:27.833" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7816" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7814" CreationDate="2017-09-08T13:45:52.687" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Repetition is the mother of learning. &lt;em&gt;Russian Proverb&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;@Sardathion is entirely correct&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would add that it may simplify things to ignore hands and work on feet &amp;amp; hips first, then add hands when that feels comfortable. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd also suggest that you try some of the moves in private.  There are a couple of sections of the Taiji sword forms that I was utterly unable to do in class.  I could see the motion in my mind (barely), but my body could not execute the vision.  I had to rehearse it privately with nobody watching. (OK, there was one day when I walked to lunch leaping and swinging an imaginary sword... )  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't speak to your experience, but much of the value of martial arts is learning to move your body as a unit - a skill you don't get until probably brown belt.  Martial arts is complicated - if what they are doing were easy, it wouldn't be worth your time to learn.   They all look like it is easy because they've done it hundreds of times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the slogans of my Taiji school is &quot;I can't believe that wickedly complex movement you showed us at the beginning of class is the same as this simple, obvious movement we just practiced.&quot;  - you'll hit breakthroughs where you cannot imagine that these techniques were ever complicated.  And then you'll see a junior student attempt the move, and you'll remember.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The woman behind you who helped - that is her obligation.  Every sempai is obliged to help every kohai. That is part of the way they learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Final thought - I still feel like I can't do the things my seniors show me; that is one of the reasons I do martial arts.  It is one of the few opportunities I have to make mistakes and learn slowly without harming anyone.   Elsewhere in my life mistakes are consequential.  When I'm on the mat, people expect me to make mistakes, and if I'm not making enough mistakes they ramp up the difficulty until I start making mistakes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you're experiencing is the steep part of the learning curve.  It doesn't last long.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2017-09-08T13:45:52.687" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7817" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7814" CreationDate="2017-09-08T14:08:28.133" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was pretty clumsy and took a long time to learn things as well.  There's basically a few strategies that can help (but you really see the benefit in terms of months of practice, not immediately):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Isolate movements&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's say we're talking a jiujitsu throw or lock from a wrist grab.  Usually there's going to be grabbing/countergrabbing the wrist (step 1), twisting their hand and arm (step 2), turning your body to get better leverage (step 3) etc.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Talk your way through the process - &quot;Grab, Twist, Turn in, Turn at the Waist, Drop weight, etc.&quot;  It seems stupid because you're not going to do this in a real time movement, but it helps add another way for your brain to keep it in mind. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find someone who is willing to work with you and let you practice each step until you get it or, if it's something you can do solo, do that.  If you find an arm or leg is in the wrong position, stop, tap/slap the the arm/leg and put it in the correct place. (tapping is to help you have physical awareness of which part you're correcting in the process).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While other people might go through 4-5 techniques in a single class, you might have to settle for trying your best to learn 1 technique until fluency kicks in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Take Notes/Video&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before we had easy video always available on phones, I would just take a notebook and draw stick figures and add specific notes (&quot;Left hand goes over, right hand grabs hip&quot; etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, you can ask permission from a teacher or fellow student to demonstrate while you get a video.  Best if you can get it from a few different angles as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will want to go through the movement of at least one thing you learn AFTER you get home from class, and try to practice a bit between class sessions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Helpful questions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;What part should I be pushing/pulling?&quot;&#xA;&quot;Where should my weight go?&quot;&#xA;&quot;Am I too close/too far?&quot;&#xA;&quot;When do I change hand positions/step/twist/let go/etc.?&quot;&#xA;&quot;Why does (this body part) go here? Is it a defense? For balance?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When others demo it, watch, and see if you can watch it from different angles to see what's going on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Patience&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It'll take time, but you'll start picking things up eventually, and then you'll find other things easier to learn too - once you have the base in an art, you find everything else tends to be related.  &quot;Oh, this is just like X move except you do Y thing different!&quot; and you're not so much learning something completely new, just a little variation from something you already know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-09-08T14:08:28.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7818" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7814" CreationDate="2017-09-08T14:45:39.643" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If I'm reading this correctly, you spent 3 months trying to learn skills that it takes people a lifetime to master, so no it doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong or are deficient in some way. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first step is not to psyche yourself out. As Louis CK said in an interview, &quot;If you are going to master a new skill, you have to accept that for the first few years, you're going to suck. You're going to fail, you're going to be embarrassed. You just have to accept that.&quot; Those weren't his exact words, but it was the gist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, are you sure they felt sorry for how pathetic and hopeless you were, or did they see a novice who was trying their best? Was everyone there better in every way than you, or had they simply had more practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I was starting martial arts, my instructor told me, as you're going, you don't see how you're improving until 6 months down the line, when a new class comes in. Then you can see how far you've come.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the only thing you can do is keep trying to do what they tell you and keep putting your best out right now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, don't skip around styles and schools. It's better to get a blackbelt in one style then switch than it is to have 5 different yellow belts. As Bruce Lee said, &quot;I don't fear the man who has practiced 10 000 kicks; instead I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10 000 times.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8574" LastActivityDate="2017-09-08T14:45:39.643" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7819" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7814" CreationDate="2017-09-08T18:54:03.460" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your experience is normal. Every practitioner was once a beginner and felt the same way. It is expected that beginners need help (why would they be in the class otherwise?). You should not feel bad about this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have full control of your body and practice diligently, you can learn standard martial arts. If you don't have full control of your body, modifications may be necessary. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Pick one style&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Switching martial arts ensures you will continue feeling like a beginner. Styles do things differently in sometimes irreconcilable ways such that you have to relearn things anyway. Even schools within the same style may have completely different warmup routines. You should pick one style to focus on for a significant period of time (&gt;1 year) before worrying about others. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Stop worrying so much&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Get out of your head and use your attention on your body to practice. Part of martial arts training is learning to focus your mind and block out thoughts about how someone looked at you funny earlier, what you will eat for dinner, or whether someone failed to diagnose you as a child. In your personal practice time, practice focusing on an exercise so that you notice you stop thinking about these things, at least for the duration of the exercise. This exercise can be something as simple as breathing or as complicated as forms. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Falling as a model for how to learn&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For learning falling (ukemi) specifically, I advocate an incremental backwards approach, which it sounds like your jujutsu instructor does not use. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lie on your back, with your head off the ground. Strike the ground with your arms. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;From a sitting position with your legs in front of you, rock backwards until you reach the position in step 1, and do step 1. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;From a low squatting position, sit down and do steps 1-2. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;From a standing position, squat low and then do steps 1-3. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will notice that the first step does not actually have any falling.  You start with something very simple, that seems too basic, but you can complete successfully. It may be mentally painful to practice because it seems like a waste to practice something so simple. Then you add another simple step, and discover that putting together two simple things yields something complicated. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good teacher will break things down for you into manageable steps. Not so good teachers will require you to break things down yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you try to skip too far ahead (falling before you have learned how you should land), you get overwhelmed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Practice is constant refinement&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You get better because you recognize there is something to improve (a mistake, perhaps) and practice it until it improves. This is the same situation after 1 day, 1 month, 1 year, or 10 years of training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One day you encounter a student who has trouble with your instruction, and you realize that your instruction could use improvement too. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-09-08T18:54:03.460" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7821" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7766" CreationDate="2017-09-11T15:29:54.020" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would personally recommend the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.shockdoctor.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Shock Doctor&lt;/a&gt; line of mouthguards. They are the boil and bite method for fitting, and they come in several different adult sizes as well as youth sizes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They also have double (upper/lower) as well as the single upper. I've found them to be very comfortable and don't interfere with my breathing, and they come with a fairly hefty dental warranty, but not sure how worth it that part actually is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, if you can't find a youth one that fits, some dentists will be able to custom mold a mouthpiece for you that will fit your mouth specifically, but I am not sure of the $$ cost of that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2017-09-11T15:29:54.020" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7822" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7814" CreationDate="2017-09-11T15:46:36.830" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, a small bit of advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;RELAX&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nobody &quot;gets it&quot; their first day. If they do, they have had prior training in another art. Nobody really &quot;gets it&quot; in the first few months, either. This is unusual training, it takes time and repetition to get it down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, for the rest:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;STOP BOUNCING AROUND&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are on your third art in as many months, and you are now talking about adding a second into the mix at the same time. Don't do that. If you keep bouncing around and mixing arts, you will most likely be a muddled mess in a year or two and not be very good at two different arts. Find an art you like, and get reasonably competent in it. This process could take 1 year, it could take 6. Everyone's journey is different and unique to them. Once you hit that point, &lt;em&gt;talk to your instructor&lt;/em&gt; about adding a second art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second point in that, it sounds like you are sitting in on advanced classes. Seek out more beginner classes. That is your tribe, your people. They will be the ones having the same struggles you are having, and your best source of encouragement. If you keep taking class with the advanced group, you will just frustrate yourself (And to some extent them).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ENJOY WHAT YOU ARE DOING&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't enjoy it, you will quit. Guaranteed. Nobody wants that. Find what you enjoy, and don't let modern enticements sway your decisions. It's one thing to want to fight UFC/MMA, it's another thing entirely to enjoy it enough to do it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2017-09-11T15:46:36.830" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7823" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7790" CreationDate="2017-09-11T15:54:04.390" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Drills. There are innumerable videos out on you tube delineating basic drills in pretty much every two hand weapon out there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For simplicity and utility, I would recommend focusing on double escrima. One, there are almost always sticks around. Two, you get instant feedback when you do it wrong. Three, it is popular enough that there are tons of videos on the strike drills, from one to eight count, single and partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go slow. If you can't do it slow, you can't do it fast. You (presumably) didn't pick up a single weapon and start slinging it around like Wyatt Earp, so follow the same progression with a double.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Use a heavy bag. Actually hitting something also gives you valuable tactile feedback in how it shifts your weight, stops the weapon, and disrupts the flow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, to reiterate: Drills, do them slow until you get it, partner drills and heavy bag practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2017-09-11T15:54:04.390" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7825" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7814" CreationDate="2017-09-12T14:37:17.370" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You've got excellent advice from others here.  I agree that your experience is quite normal, as are your feelings.  It's also common for new or junior students to feel they are detracting from senior students' experience and practice.  It's also not unheard of for senior students to feel they are being held back, or feel bored, when they work with junior students.  As for me, I'd been studying Taekwondo for then 30 years when I walked into my first Aikido class.  Boy did I feel like a schlimazel.  And it took several months of it for me to get comfortable enough to keep coming back to class, despite my other experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So there you have it: you're normal, and your peers are normal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to your peers and their feelings (the one who went off and did his own thing), that is a childish attitude.  All senior students should be taught that at some point in their martial arts journey, they will have to work with junior students.  That is a time for reflection and patience, and to focus on the basics.  My senior students may occasionally feel frustrated, but they would never display such arrogant behavior.  I've only once in my life seen a student shown the door, and told never to come back again, for that kind of behavior.  Most of my students, and students in schools where I am a student, and myself, welcome the occasional opportunity to work with a new student.  Not only does it bring about an opportunity to make a friend, but it helps keep a student in the school, which makes the school stronger, and longer lasting.  Everyone has an interest in taking new and inexperienced students under their wing from time to time.  My advice to you, when you come across such arrogant students, is to ignore them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to the student who helped you, that is to be expected by an instructor, so you shouldn't feel bad.  Her helping you re-enforced what she was taught, and so, by helping, she learned.  I don't think it was wise to have a student 10 minutes into their MA journey to be learning break falls in a general class, that showed some inexperience on the instructor's part.  But it happens, so, expect to feel awkward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's an old cliche - sorry, but it's relevant - that a black belt is nothing more than a white belt who didn't quit.  Do you think that even the best martial artists today - the actors, like Steven Segal, Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan; or your instructor or senior students; or the founders of all the styles in the world - started out as advanced and capable students?  No, of course not.  They ALL made their mistakes.  And all (except one of them, we'll just not mention his name) will fully admit they have a lot of learning to go through, and make mistakes even now.  And this is true for any art: plumbing, electrician, computer programming, painting, glass making, smithing, sports... All start as novices.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So take heart: you're a normal student.  Expect to make mistakes, that's primarily where you learn.  They answer all of the &quot;why&quot; questions you might have: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instructor: &quot;Do it this way&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You: &quot;Why?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You: &quot;X!#&amp;amp;*@#&quot;       ←------ learning!!!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instructor: &quot;That's why&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, in the next few months, where ever you end up at, you'll meet another new student.  You will probably feel quite empathetic toward that student, as you will understand how they feel.  Don't be that jerk who walked away and did his own thing.  The first skill you help that student with, you will feel like you learned something, something that clod will never know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, I will also say this: Don't pay much attention to the other students in class.  That is, don't compare yourself to them.  In any given technique, there are a myriad things that have to be done to accomplish it.  You are working on one of those myriad things, and they are working on something else in that myriad of things.  Focus on what your instructor or partner tells you to work on.  If the construction workers focused on the window treatments instead of the foundation they were supposed to be pouring, then the foundation shouldn't be trusted.  So you should only focus on what your instructor tells you to focus on, and don't worry about the rest.  When you do one thing right, you'll get to correct something else later.  Don't try to correct everything, or nothing will get done.  Always go home with the expectation of doing at least one thing right, not everything right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ganbatte!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-09-12T14:37:17.370" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7826" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7828" CreationDate="2017-09-13T12:13:38.710" Score="4" ViewCount="1433" Body="&lt;p&gt;Occasionally, I'll break toenails on roundhouse kicks (generally, right in the middle of the nail of my big toe), even though I keep them short. This doesn't happen often, just occasionally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What causes that, and how do you prevent it? Is it evidence of a flaw in your technique on that particular kick when that happens?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8276" LastActivityDate="2019-11-17T01:35:02.830" Title="Are broken toenails evidence of poor technique?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|technique|kicking|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7827" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7826" CreationDate="2017-09-13T14:09:28.780" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Unless you're doing a martial art only meant for point fighting, you should be trying to kick with your shin, not the top of your foot. If you're landing with your foot or instep you're going to get injured. (Life will be hell when you spar with guys that know how to check kicks). One of the most common injuries I see in sparring is injured feet and insteps due to sloppy kicks landing with the feet instead of shin. The only time you would be OK with just the foot landing is a head kick. You'll trade an injured foot for a KO.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, breaking your toenails happens even with good technique. In your case you'll want to worry about landing with your shin. See if that fixes the toenail issue. It will certainly up your kick damage, and your own self preservation!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastActivityDate="2017-09-13T14:09:28.780" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7828" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7826" CreationDate="2017-09-13T16:25:15.023" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, you need to be sure you hit with the foot part and not on the nail of the foot.  The top of the foot itself is the main area to strike with and the toes are pointed to avoid the main impact on the toe nail itself, but puts the main impact on the top of the foot.  If you keep breaking toe nails it would indicate either you have weak toe nails or you are not hitting with the right part of the foot and are catching the toes with the kick instead of the top part of the foot.  Try to curl the toes down like you are gripping a pencil with them when you strike.  Then once you get the idea just loosen your toes and let the foot fly with a slight curl to the toes.  The part that should hurt is the top of the foot and not the toes on a roundhouse kick with the top of the foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other way is to mimic a front kick position, but kick with the ball of the foot on the roundhouse kick.  The danger there would be broken toes or snagging long toe nails.  The ball of the foot is the base of each toe on the bottom of the foot for anyone not familiar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2017-09-13T16:25:15.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7829" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-09-14T05:06:49.493" Score="-1" ViewCount="110" Body="&lt;p&gt;Suppose you are attacked by an attacker using pepper spray and you experience the effects such as shortness of breath and involuntary closing of the eyes. You are in a remote location, so no help is available and you have no weapons.  Suppose the attacker is after you for your purse. How would you defend yourself from being robbed. Remember you are temporarily blinded, so you can't run away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8594" LastEditorUserId="8594" LastEditDate="2017-09-14T07:54:38.307" LastActivityDate="2017-09-14T18:22:46.993" Title="Techniques under the influence of pepper spray / temporarily blinded" Tags="|self-defense|technique|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ClosedDate="2017-09-20T10:31:20.013" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7830" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7829" CreationDate="2017-09-14T09:41:06.540" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I &lt;em&gt;cannot&lt;/em&gt; stress this enough: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;There should not be anything in your wallet/purse that you cannot easily replace.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wallets/purses &lt;em&gt;should not&lt;/em&gt; contain anything that you think is worth getting injured over. If you have, &lt;em&gt;take those items out &lt;strong&gt;now&lt;/strong&gt; and put them somewhere safe.&lt;/em&gt; Losing your wallet/purse should be all resolved within an hour or so with access to phone and/or computer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If someone threatens you with weapons: &lt;em&gt;give them your wallet/purse and run towards safety.&lt;/em&gt; Your life &lt;em&gt;is not&lt;/em&gt; worth spare change and a few credit cards. Do not let your &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/pride.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;pride&lt;/a&gt; get in the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If someone injures you with a weapon, you are in big big trouble. In case of a mugging, dump all your valuables away from you and move in the opposite direction as best as you can. In case of a murder attempt… Well, your chances of survival are grim. In any case, you might reflect on the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/crime_is_a_process.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;unwise decisions that lead you to show up there&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In muggings, it is rare that weapons are used beyond the threat of use. Injuring or killing someone with a weapon leads to a much stronger police response than just a mugging. However, provoking or bluffing with an attacker is not a sane thing to do. It is about risk vs rewards for the criminal. In addition, your chances of being mugged are probably much less than you think: The &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41178903&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;BBC has a crime calculator&lt;/a&gt; if you were in the UK… There are similar data in your local.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-09-14T09:51:23.233" LastActivityDate="2017-09-14T09:51:23.233" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7831" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2424" CreationDate="2017-09-14T15:13:05.197" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm going to beat this old horse.  I have to agree with Tobiushirogeri. Kyokushin does emphasis katas training, but incorporates lots of hard sparring.  I'd venture to say it varies from school to school.  In ours (MANY moons ago), we had full contact, but used headgear, hands, feet, cup and shin guards for white to orange. After that, you could opt out most gear, but it would take a considerable amount of time to get to that level. Even then, face was off limits. Full contact was reserved for Brown on.  Though an Americanized system, it held practical purposes. UFC has popularized more full contact styles. You're more likely to find a Kyokushin school that starts full contact earlier on nowadays.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What was unique about our school was we also had a Shotokan instructor.  I only knew him as Pedro.  What was amazing about Pedro and his instruction of Shotokan was he was a very lanky and wiry man, but the power he drew and channeled through his strikes were borderline metahuman levels. He instructed mostly form, power from every strike and meditation (knowing your body). Kata practice is important for precision, focus and muscle memory. Thou shalt not forsake thy katas!  OSU!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8597" LastActivityDate="2017-09-14T15:13:05.197" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7832" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7829" CreationDate="2017-09-14T16:09:47.787" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm afraid my answer isn't going to be very positive in this case.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The truth is, taken by surprise, fights are hard enough to win when you both are equal sized and equal abled. When you are also the weaker one (a purse usually indicates a female, and I would guess your attacker is a bigger male), the odds of getting out of it unharmed decrease considerably.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now to make things worse, you're pepper sprayed so you can't see and can hardly breathe. And there's nobody else around to help or even hear you scream.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In that situation, you would need a miracle to get you out unharmed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The one saving grace here is that you indicated the attacker is after your purse. In that case, you give it to him. And do so as quickly as you can. Tell him he can have it. Then toss it far away from you and run in the opposite direction. That will buy you some time. And scream as loud as you can as you run. Even if you can't see very well, it's better than nothing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's all you can possibly do in that situation to save your life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem with that is that you're going to be taken completely by surprise. You're not going to remember what to do. The shock of getting pepper sprayed will put you in a panicked state for a while. And if your attacker is after your purse, there won't be any time to gather your wits and throw your purse away. He'll have already grabbed it and will be making his exit very quickly. That is, if he was only after your purse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's really bad news if he wasn't just after your purse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming the attacker continues to attack you even after you've given him your purse, are there martial arts that can help you in these situations? Sort of. I would say Brazilian Jiujitsu is going to be your best bet. Grappling arts like BJJ have a track record of being successful for women in rape attempts. They can work even with little or no ability to see an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But even if you're a black belt in BJJ, your odds are still pretty slim in these situations, because you're going to be panicking. Not to mention the body size difference and the possibility that your attacker has a knife or a gun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from BJJ, the only other martial arts I could recommend would be those like Silat or Kali/Escrima, but only if you have a knife stashed on your person somewhere. Those styles work well when you have a knife.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A handgun is another possibility. Trouble is, women tend to put their guns in their purses, and since the purse is the first thing that will be taken, so too will your gun. So you'd have to wear it in a shoulder holster or something. And there's a chance it will be confiscated by the attacker and used against you if he sees it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The moral of the story is this: Be aware of your surroundings. And don't make yourself out to be an easy target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2017-09-14T18:22:46.993" LastActivityDate="2017-09-14T18:22:46.993" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7833" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2617" CreationDate="2017-09-15T11:29:40.450" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;i have learnt a few martial arts including systema - the Russian martial art - which is mainly focused on using the attackers momentum against him. in this particular case, since he's running at you, you can simply just step aside and trip him when he reaches you, and because he's expecting to meet resistance his momentum will carry him down where you can then deal with him there. hope this helps!   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8598" LastEditorUserId="8598" LastEditDate="2017-09-16T17:48:26.237" LastActivityDate="2017-09-16T17:48:26.237" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7835" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7838" CreationDate="2017-09-15T13:35:39.757" Score="7" ViewCount="946" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure if this question would be considered on-topic. I originally wanted to discuss this with someone in the chat, but that has been inactive for almost a month.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How does one deal with insults towards their martial art?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think we've all heard these:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;Tae-kwon do is a SPORT, not a martial art&quot; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;Everything they teach you is just for show anyway&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;Why learn &lt;em&gt;insert technique here&lt;/em&gt; when it's useless in a street fight?&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;Who even learns martial art these days when you can just get a gun?&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;Your instructor is white? MCDOJO ALERT&quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;the list goes on...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've even been in a situation where a man who claimed he had spent 30 years studying various forms of martial art only to ditch them all because of &quot;impracticality&quot; came up to me in a gym and told me to &quot;stop practicing that bullsh*t&quot; (and some other, more colourful insults).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As per usual I just smiled awkwardly and tried to change the topic, or responded with something like &quot;perhaps, but I enjoy it&quot;. I'd never try to start an argument about this topic (unless it was with a close friend) but the more I hear &quot;taekwondo isn't a real martial art&quot;, the more I start to subconsciously believe it is true.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Has anyone else encountered situations like these? If so, is the only course of action just to ignore and shrug it off?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To clarify: I asked this here instewd of on sites like IPS because this kind of &quot;toxic BS&quot; (thanks for the phrase, @Bankukei) happens way too frequently in the martial arts community (not sure if just a regional thing). People seem to take &quot;oh, I do martial art x&quot; as an opportunity for them to go on about how &quot;no no no, that's not a real martial art, but martial art &lt;em&gt;y&lt;/em&gt; (the one they're learning) is the one real martial art&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8392" LastEditorUserId="8392" LastEditDate="2017-09-15T22:34:08.993" LastActivityDate="2017-10-13T07:00:36.790" Title="How to respond to insults/stereotypes against one's own martial art" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7836" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1104" CreationDate="2017-09-15T13:37:36.663" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Goju-Ryu is a close-quarter style.  Visualizations in the kata are as if the opponent is immediately in front of you.  Best example is the high front kick sometimes practiced by holding your belt straight out if front of you with both hands,  and kicking up within the boundary of the belt (that means very close).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly,  I was also taught that kata Saifa in particular may have been developed with fighting aboard a boat in mind.  It has techniques involving one foot on the ground,  thus a focus on balance.  I was taught that the individual kata may have actually been representations of entire styles boiled down to one kata and assembled together into Goju-Ryu.  So, that is,  Saifa may have represented a boat fighting style and the techniques were a best-of from that style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also we were taught Ryu Ryu Ko in mainland China was Higaonna Sensei's teacher.  Ryu Ryu Ko was said to be 7 feet tall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks for the question and I'm happy to add what I was taught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8600" LastActivityDate="2017-09-15T13:37:36.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7837" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5508" CreationDate="2017-09-15T14:20:41.123" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a warm up or technical drill, absolutely! We start most boxing classes with a couple rounds of no gloves &quot;sparring&quot;. It's 99% about movement, since you're making little, if any, contact. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For real sparring, no. Wear the gloves. If you're doing full MMA sparring ( strikes, submissions, and grappling allowed) wear your 6-8oz training gloves. The 4oz gloves are OK, but the padding is usually pretty hard, so you can get unwanted cuts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In your case, I would refuse to do this contact sparring without gloves. There's nothing to gain from not wearing gloves, and everything (cuts, broken hands, etc.) to lose. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastActivityDate="2017-09-15T14:20:41.123" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7838" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7835" CreationDate="2017-09-15T16:26:48.030" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you want to find out if your art has value, you'll need to go test it under conditions that make sense for its context (don't expect the sword fighting art to work best in a grappling ring, etc.) and see if you feel it's enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, the bigger issue you're looking at, is toxic male behavior (women don't really do this).  These are guys trying to flex their ego.  They may be insulting the martial art as a pretext, but mostly they're looking for someone to argue and belittle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pretty much the only thing you need to do is decide if: a) this person is trying to start a fight and if you need to leave, b) if they're going to keep harassing you, and what your options are from there, or c) if they can be safely ignored despite their bad behavior.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's no point in arguing with these folks since they're not there to discuss, but rather, insult.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-09-15T16:26:48.030" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7839" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7835" CreationDate="2017-09-15T21:33:43.040" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Best way to deal with it? Ignore it. It's not what someone else thinks that matters. You joined for certain reasons, with certain goals in mind. All that matters, is if those reasons are fullfilled and if you can work towards those goals. So, in short, if you're happy with your martial art, who cares what someone else thinks? Just ignore them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7414" LastActivityDate="2017-09-15T21:33:43.040" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7840" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7835" CreationDate="2017-09-17T09:40:04.203" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am going to answer your question in a strange way. &#xA;Nobody can prove that 'art' as an entity exists. Not 'art' in any form. No painting is 'art'. No sculpture is 'art'. No music etc etc.&#xA;And definitely no fighting 'art'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The original word 'art' meant excellence.&#xA;This changes everything. 'Fighting excellence' is something completely different to the imaginary 'fighting arts'. The world of fighting excellence is where you would find combat shooting and special forces training. Not Tae Kwon Do, Karate or MMA - they do not feature as relevant at all. They are all useless. (Special forces guy once asked me if I want to try blocking a bullet. Big lesson.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the big picture all the unarmed fighting stuff is useless - actually it has always been useless. This is the point. You train to become incredibly good at something completely useless. &#xA;Does it matter which useless activity you train in?&#xA;Not at all.&#xA;You train so you can walk away from conflict with your own ego intact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am old now, bit slow, knife was hidden.&#xA;So I pretended to be a zombie wanting to eat his brain.&#xA;I am still laughing, think I am awesome.&#xA;Thank you 55 years of Karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6585" LastActivityDate="2017-09-17T09:40:04.203" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7841" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-09-17T12:14:16.213" Score="2" ViewCount="1969" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Real Aikido&quot; is a Serbian martial art founded by &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljubomir_Vra%C4%8Darevi%C4%87&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ljubomir Vračarević&lt;/a&gt; originating from traditional aikido. I have been training traditional aikido for 4 years and trained aikido with aikidokas who train &quot;Real Aikido&quot; but didn't see a big difference, at least for techniques we were doing. What is the difference between &quot;Real Aikido&quot; and traditional aikido?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8413" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-10-13T11:01:11.510" LastActivityDate="2018-08-29T11:13:01.083" Title="What is the difference between &quot;Real Aikido&quot; and traditional aikido?" Tags="|aikido|style|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7842" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7835" CreationDate="2017-09-18T09:07:13.110" Score="2" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Insults&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be the adult in the room and walk away from confrontation:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Thank you for your opinion. I need to be somewhere else now. Good bye.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no point in arguing with someone insulting you. There's only bad things down that road.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Stereotypes&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can be toxic drivel or it can be a genuine interest badly expressed or even ignorance. Most of those complaints can contain elements of truth. Your love for a style should never blind you to its short failings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We see this a lot with Aikido. &quot;It's a dance&quot;, &quot;Shodokan Aikido is just sport&quot;, &quot;It does not work in a real fight™&quot;, &quot;If it were effective MMA would use it&quot;… Are those insults or stereotypes or actual reflection of weaknesses in the style? It depends on the interlocutor. Some might be interested in learning more or having their preconceptions challenged others are just passive aggressive: it is your job to decide which is which and act accordingly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2017-09-18T09:07:13.110" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7843" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7846" CreationDate="2017-09-18T12:08:13.190" Score="3" ViewCount="535" Body="&lt;p&gt;When landing a teep kick, should one apply pressure via the toes/palm of the foot or the heel?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8599" LastActivityDate="2017-09-28T00:48:16.227" Title="Technique for landing a Teep" Tags="|muay-thai|mixed-martial-arts|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7846" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7843" CreationDate="2017-09-18T14:47:40.783" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Either is acceptable. You will find MT and kickboxing coaches preaching one or the other, and calling either one terrible technique. Such is martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using the ball of your foot is easier to land, your hamstrings don't have to be as flexible, and the damage is decent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using your heel will cause more damage, as you don't have the flex of your ankle absorbing some of the impact. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not a big deal which you try to use, and unless you're an experienced teep kicker you probably won't have much of a choice of what part of your foot you're landing with. This is all assuming you're throwing a teep to the face, chest, or stomach. If you're throwing to the thigh or knee I always try to land with the heel. The legs are too solid to strike with the ball of your foot. Your heel is a dense weapon that can really dig in to a thigh or knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastActivityDate="2017-09-18T14:47:40.783" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7848" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7853" CreationDate="2017-09-20T22:45:13.137" Score="4" ViewCount="153" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some of my friends got long term knee injuries because of sparring (and some of them because of motorcycle accident). It makes them can't fully do footwork like before, e.g. doing high kick or jump. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is, &lt;strong&gt;how does one prevent knee injury like this in sparring?&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By sparring, I mean in level promotion test and competition. I think there is nobody breaks other's knees on purpose. So what I want to prevent is accidental knee injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should I use such knee protectors or knee support sleeves? Are knee bands enough, or should I use those with hard material like knee protectors used by biker?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8613" LastEditorUserId="8613" LastEditDate="2017-09-21T13:35:55.737" LastActivityDate="2017-09-21T21:47:17.080" Title="What kind of protector to use when sparring?" Tags="|safety|protective-equipment|knees|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7849" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7850" CreationDate="2017-09-21T07:04:45.150" Score="-5" ViewCount="350" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently read a comment where the author said he did Tae Kwon Do for self defence and to protect his loved ones. How does Tae Kwon Do, do this? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The World Health Organization estimates a third of women in relationships are beaten. According to the US Justice Department, two-thirds of violent attacks against women are committed by a man they know. The FBI says 2 million men beat their partners every year. The greatest danger to 'loved ones' comes from inside the home.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the online magazine 'Bloody Elbow' an article appeared which contained interesting information: &#xA;&quot;Christy Mack held back tears as she voiced those harrowing words on HBO's critically acclaimed ‘Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.' She recounted the disturbing tale of her ex-boyfriend, former UFC and Bellator fighter Jon Koppenhaver, as he allegedly brutally beat her to the point of convulsions. Using public records as their main resource, Real Sports determined that the national rate of domestic violence arrests is around 360 per 100,000 men. On the same chart, they contrasted that against NFL players, which found 210 arrests per 100,000, while MMA saw a staggering rise to 750.&quot;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bloodyelbow.com/.../hbo-segment-domestic-violence-ufc-mma-christy-m&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.bloodyelbow.com/.../hbo-segment-domestic-violence-ufc-mma-christy-m&lt;/a&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Considering the practitioner wants to protect loved and statistically he poses the greatest danger: Does Tae Kwon Do teach practitioners not to beat up their partners? How? The same question would also be applicable to Wing Chun, Kung Fu, Karate, Aikido, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;NOTE: Although my solution has been to stop teaching adults as they all land up fighting or doing competitions, I believe there is a more generally applicable answer to the question. Long ago, after I had invited him to join Kyokushin, a mercenary told me he prefers doing Shotokan katas to calm down between 'missions'. I cannot speak for Shotokan but it might be some practical solution like that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6585" LastEditorUserId="6585" LastEditDate="2017-09-22T06:03:08.423" LastActivityDate="2017-09-22T06:03:08.423" Title="Considering domestic violence, what does Tae Kwon Do teach its practitioners in order for them to protect their loved ones?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|aikido|kung-fu|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="9" ClosedDate="2017-09-21T18:49:35.980" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7850" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7849" CreationDate="2017-09-21T12:22:54.357" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two very distinct answers to your question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One answer can be found in Gen Choi's Encyclopedia of Taekwondo.  There are many references to building character and integrity, but to sum it up with a specific answer, I quote p16, Vol 1, under the chapter &quot;Charter of Taekwondo&quot;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;A beginning constitutes a significant part of the whole endeavor.  Therefore, students of Taekwondo should not fail to take action whenever to do so might benefit the society.  If he behaves thus [&quot;improve health&quot;, &quot;nourish intellect; enlarge spiritual realm&quot;; be &quot;humble, merciful, and selfless&quot;; and &quot;demonstrate equality and brotherhood of man&quot;] he himself will benefit most.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So there you have it: a knight in shining armor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Except that there's a second answer, and equally poignant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The style doesn't do the teaching - an instructor does that.  That means, what one learns depends on what is taught by the instructor.  People do not go to Taekwondo classes in order to calibrate their moral compass; they go to learn to fight (sport) or to get out of a fight (self-defense).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Turning aside from your question to your other points, the 750 per 100,000 statistic you point to to say that &quot;Clearly 'martial artists' are a great danger to their partners than unknown attackers and it seems the 'art' is more often used to beat up wives than 'bad guys'.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nothing could be further from the truth.  You have come to a conclusion post hoc ergo propter hoc: a logical fallacy.  You could just as easily have postulated that &quot;all men are a great danger to their partners&quot;.  You have shown no study that proved that completely honorable men were suddenly influenced into abusing their partners simply by studying martial arts, or MMA.  For myself, I have not found any studies that found men who were pre-disposed to being abusers also take up MMA and join the UFC, and so can't make that postulation, either - although that is what I suspect is the case, due to the culture of the UFC, use of steroids, and the type of media coverage it gets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All I can do is say: you have drawn a dangerous conclusion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And now you have this preposterous solution, which is to stop all adults from learning (or continuing to learn...) a method to help them when someone - who may not be a martial artist - tries to do them harm.  Sorry, that is not going to fly.  That is akin to the slogan &quot;if you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your link is broken.  But the url suggests your beef is with UFC - and not martial arts.  Your misunderstand the differences between what martial arts, Taekwondo, MMA, and UFC.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Neither Taekwondo as commonly taught today, nor MMA, nor UFC are martial arts.  These are all fighting sports (the UFC is just an organization which uses the fighting sport of MMA).  They are not martial arts, and they are not used for self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-09-21T12:22:54.357" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7851" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7848" CreationDate="2017-09-21T18:42:55.340" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;No protective equipment has been scientifically proven to protect against knee injuries in martial arts sparring/competition. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The #1 preventative measure one can take to protect their knees is building leg strength. Squats, deadlifts, and all the smaller stuff like lunges, kettlebell swings, etc. &lt;strong&gt;More dense leg muscle makes it harder to move your knees in directions you don't want them to move.&lt;/strong&gt; It makes it safer to make explosive lateral movements, and twisting movements, which are top causes of knee injuries. Resistance training also strengthens tendons and ligaments. An added bonus is your new meaty legs will feel like getting hit by a truck to your opponent. Pat Barry was obviously a technical expert, but having tree trunks for legs certainly didn't hurt in his kickboxing and MMA run, having the most leg kick knock outs of all time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can wear knee support sleeves and all that stuff if you want to, just know that there's no evidence to suggest they will help you. They're designed for expected movements, like what a powerlifter might do. Sparring is too random, and too high impact for a sleeve to do any good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Moral of the story: you're doing a combat sport. You need to build muscle to protect yourself from injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2017-09-21T21:47:17.080" LastActivityDate="2017-09-21T21:47:17.080" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7853" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7848" CreationDate="2017-09-21T21:35:53.977" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In sparring, knees are rarely damaged by direct hits.  This is because just about everyone trains to hit the thigh and not do any of the shots that would really wreck knees - you don't want to destroy your training partners.  You'll note that most martial arts do not use knee protection for this reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The usual threats to knees are bad twisting motions while weighted -falling and throwing, though bad form with roundhouses and other movements could do it too. (Exception: playing around with heel hooks in grappling before people have control...) The typical protection worn for that is usually tight cloth/spandex knee braces - same as many other sports. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, that alone isn't the answer.  Better training of form, and solid stabilizer muscle training reduces the odds of taking those bad twists.  Muscles stabilize joints, and the point of failure is always whatever muscle is either the weakest, or too poorly coordinated to activate in time.  In those cases, it's not just &quot;more weight/power&quot;, but rather a lot of work on unstable surfaces and shifting directional weight.  Some traditional martial arts include some of this in their forms (especially all the stuff around balancing on one leg and slow kicks), but you'll get the most from working with wobble boards and any kind of modern stablizer work under a trainer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is months of work in the process, however, not a quick fix.  If your group is incurring regular knee injuries, you are training unsafely and I would get in contact with better instructors and someone with sports medicine background.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-09-21T21:35:53.977" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7854" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1575" CreationDate="2017-09-24T00:28:06.533" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's ridiculous everyone is afraid to give a general time frame to reach a black belt... You can get a black belt in tkd like 1.5 years.. You can learn the forms in class and then use YouTube to practice. Do each form like a million times at home and there you go... Muscle memory. Record yourself doing the one-step or self defense techniques. Then practice at home.. If you don't practice at home at all, then you might get black belt in 2 or 2.5 years. General time frame, 1.5 - 3 years.. Karate is pretty much the same. Hapkido, 2 - 3.5 years. BJJ 3-5 years. It's not about how long it takes, it's about how much you train! I trained and helped teach kids classes about 5 classes a day 4 days a week and got my 1st Dan in 1 year 4 months but my curriculum was integrated with Hapkido and pressure points. At 1st Dan I had the knowledge of blue belt in Hapkido and knew about 85 pressure points. Names, meridians, locations, angle and direction of attack. It's not that complicated. Just train every second you can and you will fast track yourself. It's not about the speed, it's about the hunger to learn and grow. Some people know they don't need 3 months to learn something they can practice at home and learn in 2 weeks..  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8621" LastActivityDate="2017-09-24T00:28:06.533" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7855" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7826" CreationDate="2017-09-24T00:43:34.793" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Happens to me all the time. I've been doing tkd since I was 6 and now am 30. Toe nails get cracked, veins get blown, fingers get jammed. It's part of training. If your form or technique was that bad, you would be hurting more then your toe nails. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8621" LastActivityDate="2017-09-24T00:43:34.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7856" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7857" CreationDate="2017-09-24T03:40:17.650" Score="5" ViewCount="2840" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karate_at_the_Summer_Olympics&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;, the 2020 Summer Olympics will feature karate, and it will include Kata. However, tae kwon do has been an Olympic sport since the 1980s and it obviously does &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; include Poomse, even though there are major WTF-sanctioned Poomse competitions. Why are Karate Kata included at the Olympics but not Tae Kwon Do Poomsae?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8276" LastActivityDate="2017-09-24T12:30:31.857" Title="Why do the 2020 Summer Olympics have Kata but not Poomsae?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|forms|competition|olympics|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7857" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7856" CreationDate="2017-09-24T12:00:42.260" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are several reasons, but in my opinion, they are somewhat of a cop-out - and yet a relief.  Keep in mind, getting into the Olympics is a herculean task: there needs to be a federation representing 75 countries on 4 continents (for men) and 40 countries on 3 continents (for women), anti-doping policies, &quot;modern appeal&quot;, media interest, promote gender equality, and a few other criteria.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When Taekwondo first came into the Olympic spotlight, they needed to showcase something the IOC could understand.  Most people inside and outside of martial arts have a concept of sparring, so, that was sort of a given.  But few people outside martial arts understand poomsae/kata.  They may have seen it, but they surely don't understand the technical side of it: what they are, what they do, and what goes into judging a performance.  And in the case of poomsase, specifically, they're very short compared to their Japanese kata bretheren - Koryo is only 32 movements.  You blink, you miss half the performance.  That leaves lay people thinking, &quot;what was that all about??&quot;  This all goes to the youth appeal that the IOC wants, as well as media popularity.  You ever see ESPN or ESPN2 showcase kata or poomsae and the world championship events?  Not often.  So this is an uphill and carefully scripted battle that the Karate (and TKD) federations and organizers will have to negotiate with the IOC.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fast forward to 2012 with the scandals in sparring, specifically, Angel Matos' referee kick.  Although he was kicked out of the Olympics and banned from the WTF for life, the sport, too, was placed on notice: fix it so it doesn't happen again, or you're gone.  That was no time to be introducing &quot;new&quot; elements to the sport.  As it stands now, the sport has settled quite a bit - it is actually a model for many other sports.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But Karate was also vying for a spot on the podiums as well.  And there's Olympic committee rules, too.  Among many rules, including a few subjective ones, they won't consider a sport if it is deemed too similar to another.  For Karate to enter the stage with only sparring, it could appear too similar to Taekwondo.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Note that in 2015 when Karate placed a bid to enter the Olympics, Softball and Baseball did the same.  The latter two were also granted a spot, but they are considered one sport.  Few men play softball, and few women play baseball, so you can imagine the bruhaha resulting if either - but not both - were included!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So for this reason, Karate had to distinguish itself from Taekwondo - an irony, I know - and so, decided to include kata.  It isn't yet determined whether a competitor may compete in either or both events, or that they must compete in both events, in order to receive a medal.  My guess is that they'll have to compete in both; otherwise, it might look like kata was unceremoniously jammed in there to make itself distinguished from TKD.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate still has a long way to go to explain itself to the general public - and the IOC - about what kata is.  However, many in TKD have no idea what poomsae is and what its purpose is; if Karate plays its cards right, those in TKD will get schooled in that concept.  In other words, Karate's marketing can easily benefit the TKD followers, even though TKD competitors won't be competing in poomsae in the Olympics.  However, TKD did remove a great deal of subjectivity with regards to scoring sparring with the use of electronic scoring.  Karate will need to do the same, or it will have a hard time staying on the podiums.  But with sparring, it was easier to have e-scoring - this can't be said of kata.  There must be humans judging the performance, and this is going to be Karate's downfall if the Karate committee doesn't do this right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind, when &quot;something&quot; is included in the Olympics, it can be a sport, a discipline, or an event.  For instance, triathlon was admitted as a sport at the 2000 games. Women’s wrestling was a new discipline in the sport of wrestling at Athens, and women’s pole vaulting debuted in Sydney as a track-and-field event.  Karate is wholly another sport.  Kata/poomsae would be considered an event, and it is likely that Karate would be considered two events: sparring and kata.  What it has actually done, I don't know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think poomsae will eventually be added, but only once it can do so by offering objectivity.  They'll surely watch Karate to see how they fare.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.topendsports.com/events/summer/sport-selection.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sport Inclusion at the Olympics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2016/08/09/how-a-sport-becomes-an-olympic-event/#26d3212c2ce9&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;How A Sport Becomes An Olympic Event&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britannica.com/demystified/how-are-sports-chosen-for-the-olympics&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;How Are Sports Chosen for the Olympics?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wired.com/2016/08/not-just-taekwondo-looks-totally-different-rio/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;It’s not Just You: Taekwondo Looks Totally Different At Rio&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.inverse.com/article/19943-2016-rio-olympics-taekwondo-technology&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Taekwondo Is Fairer Than Ever This Olympics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://en.mastkd.com/2013/10/poomsae-in-the-olympics-sung-chon-hong-answers-the-question/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Poomsae in the Olympics? Sung Chon Hong answers the question&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2017-09-24T12:30:31.857" LastActivityDate="2017-09-24T12:30:31.857" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7858" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7762" CreationDate="2017-09-25T11:24:54.780" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Obviously, the sourcing is kind of messy, but considering Hal Sharp used to actually be in personal contact with this man, a video of his will have to suffice for validation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yoshimi Osawa, 10th Dan, said,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;There are three types of judoka,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Recreational.. practices for enjoyment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Technical.. studies, practices, and teaches most of their life&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Competitor.. only be able to compete for a limited time.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/omycfCjQaaQ?t=16&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Video link&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2017-09-25T11:24:54.780" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7859" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7860" CreationDate="2017-09-25T16:22:42.103" Score="3" ViewCount="297" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the UFC, Muay Thai seems to be much more common than kickboxing, karate, or tae kwon do. Is this actually true, or is it just my perception? What's the relative breakdown of the styles?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the reasons for this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8276" LastActivityDate="2017-09-25T18:55:00.227" Title="What is the relative frequency of Muay Thai in the UFC vs. other fighting styles and why?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|muay-thai|mixed-martial-arts|kickboxing|ufc|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7860" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7859" CreationDate="2017-09-25T17:11:37.773" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's almost impossible to shoehorn fighters into individual styles these days since they're all training multiple martial arts. Rarely do we see the old school &quot;karate guy&quot; or &quot;judo guy&quot;. Even those experts (Stephen Thompson, Dan Kelly) are also experts in several other martial arts. Tony Ferguson (UFC lightweight title contender) even says he trains every martial art he's ever heard of. To answer if this is true: yes, &lt;strong&gt;most modern MMA fighters train Muay Thai.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now why do they all train it? &lt;strong&gt;Muay Thai uses more tools than the other striking arts.&lt;/strong&gt; Elbows and knees are huge additions. The other striking arts generally stick to punches and kicks, whereas elbows and knees are an essential part of MMA. You can't throw most punches and kicks effectively in extremely close range, but that's where elbows and knees shine. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The biggest difference of all is &lt;strong&gt;THE CLINCH!&lt;/strong&gt; Who's more comfortable in a clinch is often what decides fights. Even an elite wrestler is going to have an awful time taking someone down if he can't survive in the clinch. An elite kickboxer will get murdered if he can't hold his own when someone wraps up both hands around the back of his neck for a Thai clinch. Fighters with clinch control dictate where the fight takes place; the open floor, against the cage, going down to the mat, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that Muay Thai specific stuff being said, Muay Thai also excels at open floor striking. Good ol' &quot;stand and bang&quot; style fighting. Muay Thai has been adapted for MMA to aim for maximum damage strikes rather than more traditional point scored Muay Thai. This makes for some absolutely brutal leg kicks, and knees/elbows meant to finish fights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2017-09-25T18:55:00.227" LastActivityDate="2017-09-25T18:55:00.227" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7861" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-09-27T01:59:57.940" Score="2" ViewCount="264" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a significance in ITF-style patterns, to which foot moves first or the direction in which it moves? Most of the patterns begin by moving to the left at the start. Thank-you!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7936" LastActivityDate="2017-09-28T00:21:32.113" Title="ITF patterns- symbolism" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|forms|itf|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7862" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7861" CreationDate="2017-09-27T05:14:26.997" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I checked the encyclopedia, and found no reference to any symbolism of initially moving left or right. While there is significant symbolism for the number of movements, and the name of the hyung, there is nothing described about the left or right initial movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also checked with some resources on Taekwondo’s influnces in Japanese kata and Chinese taolu. There, too, the line of the form (Japanese call it embusen, and the Koreans use the term yeonmuseon) has no purpose, other than for pure pedagogic reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there were any symbolic meanings, it would have been an afterthought by some instructor later on after the Encyclopedia had been written. That could have resulted from Choi himself having applied the concept later on, but I doubt that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you were asking from a purely technical reasoning - bunhae (bunkai in Japanese) then absolutely no. If your pattern has you turning left, you are responding to an attack which makes turning left advantageous; you could just as easily have turned right, instead, so long as you performed the entire form in the other direction, and that you assumed your attacker also performed his attack in a mirrored fashion. That is why a mirror performance of your hyung is a valid - if confusing - exercise, and should be encouraged, especially for those hyung who are not symmetric, and there are more than a few out there (Do-San, Hwa-Rang, Chung-Moo, and Se-Jong come to mind, I know there are others).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, performing Do-San in a mirror has benefit, but not so much for Chon Ji - and definitely not Po-Eun. Chon-Ji is not perfectly symmetric, although it is close; Po-Eun is perfectly symmetric, and you would not realize any benefit from mirroring this hyung.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;:-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-09-27T05:14:26.997" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7863" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7861" CreationDate="2017-09-28T00:21:32.113" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;Block with your left arm and strike with your right.&quot;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most taekwondo patterns begin with a left arm technique (moving to the left) because all the patterns begin with blocks, since they are &lt;em&gt;self defence&lt;/em&gt; routines. The only exception to this are the Sajus, which aren't really proper hyungs/tuls and have no historic background.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for why blocking is associated with the left arm and striking with the right, the most common-sense answer is that for most people, the right arm is their dominant arm, which makes it feel more natural to strike on the right side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, this is mostly just a convention to look neat since realistically both arms should be equally capable of both blocking and striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8392" LastActivityDate="2017-09-28T00:21:32.113" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7864" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7843" CreationDate="2017-09-28T00:48:16.227" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;We employ both in my training, but for the reasons coinbird describes the convention is the ball of the foot. I want to elaborate on their answer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On top of being easier to land with the ball of the foot, it's also more versatile in where it can strike. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The foot will form a 'spearhead' using the ball, while using the heel does not (feel free to prove me wrong with evidence!). This could allow one to bypass a gap in a guard or strike a smaller area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7196" LastActivityDate="2017-09-28T00:48:16.227" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7865" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-09-28T03:54:11.683" Score="6" ViewCount="252" Body="&lt;p&gt;So after a few months of training, my instructor eventually told me I was ready to test for belt advancement. I got very emotional and I didn't know how to react. Contrary to the reaction of pride you might expect, I was emotional because I felt unsure of myself. I had been under the mistaken impression I would work the white belt level techniques until they were muscle memory. Or at least that was what I had hoped.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was afraid of falling, because safely falling wasn't my strong suit. Forward falls in particular were hard for me to perform. I was also afraid of getting hit, which was actually a long way off. Presumably however, my instructor knows when I'm ready. He or she has gone through the same program I'm going through, they've helped me progress to the level they were at when they were asked if they wanted to advance. They know more about the system than I do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I told my instructor I didn't feel ready, and I wanted more time with the maneuvers I still wasn't good at. They basically said &quot;I'm your superior, and I know what I'm talking about.&quot; They said it more cordially and philosophically. That's all behind me now, and I have advanced. But I wonder if it would have been unreasonable to hold my ground and really kind of demand the extra time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8628" LastActivityDate="2017-10-02T22:26:48.277" Title="If the instructor recommends advancement, should I trust them?" Tags="|training|technique|belt|hapkido|philosophy|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7866" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7865" CreationDate="2017-09-28T06:57:15.950" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am an Aikido practitioner, but I think it is very similar to Hapkido in this regard. The answer is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;YES&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First of all, the belt test is not only to examine if you have advanced enough, but also to see how do you perform under stress. Being able to use the techniques under some controlled stress conditions is a crucial part of martial arts. As it is not easy to create a situation like you would have in real life,  belt examination is a good way to simulate it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, it is not common in eastern cultures to question the decision of the master. I don't know where you live, but it is mostly expected to have full trust on your master. If you think your trainer is not enough qualified to have your full trust, than you should consider changing your dojo. An extreme example: If he says close your eyes, turn around and encounter an unknown opponent, you should do it. He knows you would feel uncomfortable, but being uncomfortable is also a part of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The third point as you have said, he has possibly seen a lot of students in his martial arts career, and he can understand to what degree you are ready. It is OK to take your time until you feel ready, but you might underestimate your advancement. I have seen people like you who hesitate to take the belt tests although they were ready. And after the examination they were like &quot;Hey that was easier than I expected!&quot;. That is really common. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And at last, I should say I have never ever seen someone who has failed her/his first belt test. Maybe after the first degree, but exam commission knows it is really demotivating to let some fail the first test. If they see some serious mistakes, they make nasty comments after the test, but they don't let you fail. The only exception is that you injured someone intentionally. But that is very very unlikely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6654" LastActivityDate="2017-09-28T06:57:15.950" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7867" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7865" CreationDate="2017-09-28T08:47:33.630" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice Hapkido too. As long as your &lt;em&gt;Sabeum&lt;/em&gt; (instructor) said that you are ready, then you are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think this is your first belt exam, right? If so, then just do your belt advancement exam because first advancement (from my experience) is easy, and just like @Endery said, I don't think your first exam will be hard enough to make anyone fail.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, if you still not confident with your skills, you will gather more confidence after you pass this exam.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7872" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-09-29T09:45:00.783" LastActivityDate="2017-09-29T09:45:00.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7868" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7865" CreationDate="2017-09-28T11:42:59.770" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ultimately, it should be your choice. Listen, but make your own decision&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While your instructor can certainly tell you what they believe to be the best course of action, it is ultimately always your decision whether you want to test for promotion. I have personally declined to test for promotion a few times, both in Tae Kwan Do and in Capoeira. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll admit that, in first case, it was basically a matter of that I felt no particular need to achieve promotion (I had already reached nearly Black Belt level in Tang Soo Do) and that I wasn't interested in paying for the testing fees. It actually ultimately resulted in me getting promoted a few weeks later in class, where the instructor handed me the belt and later explained that, while he understood my reasoning, the instructors used belt levels to determine who to pair in class, so it was important for me to have a belt appropriate for my skill level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the latter case, Capoeira, I had less prior experience and the belts influenced very little of what was done in class, so my &lt;em&gt;mestre&lt;/em&gt; simply accepted that I didn't plan to test and I remained at that rank for the rest of my time there (my current Capoeira class doesn't do belts, so it's not a factor). Frankly, I felt that, in that case, I was advancing slowly enough that the rank felt appropriate for me. The one thing I do regret is that, because I was avoiding the possibility of being promoted, I missed out on the &lt;em&gt;Batizado&lt;/em&gt; where students and teachers from other cities were brought in for the day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2017-09-28T11:42:59.770" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7869" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-09-28T15:21:55.513" Score="9" ViewCount="915" Body="&lt;p&gt;Currently, there is a cap of 28 sports possible at the Summer Olympics, with unique events being lumped under the sport umbrella (Winter Olympics do not have the same restriction as yet). Some examples are&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aquatics&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Swimming&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Water Polo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Diving&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Synchronized swimming&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Open water swimming&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cycling&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Track&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Road&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mountain&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;BMX/Freestyle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so on. Given that there are several individual sports that are related, why can't there be a sport named &quot;Martial Arts&quot; (or similar) and then move TKD, Karate, Judo, Wrestling, Fencing, Boxing all under the single sport umbrella? That would free up many &quot;sports&quot; slots, and make it easier to incorporate events such as wushu in the future. (And yes, there are 33 &quot;sports&quot; scheduled at the 2020 Summer Games, however the ones over the cap are demonstration sports for future consideration. If they were to be included, another sport would need to be cut.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2017-09-28T20:44:02.753" Title="Why is there no sport called martial arts at the Olympics?" Tags="|olympics|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7871" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7865" CreationDate="2017-09-28T17:57:58.057" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Trepidation is normal. You have expectations about what rank means, and you are not sure whether you can live up to the expectations of a new rank. Many people have this reaction. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Analogy: Learning/Teaching Martial Arts is like Painting a Wall&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good analogy for the initial promotion process is painting a wall. You want the wall to look good, but it's not productive to continually repaint the same spot to make it perfect before working on the rest of the wall. The paint will not dry, and you will still see the whatever was underneath. It's best to go over the whole wall once, let it dry, then return to apply additional coats of paint and finally touch up. If you spend too long worrying about one thing like falling, this can actually inhibit your long-term progress. Rank is not an indication that you have totally mastered skills in the curriculum; you have not finished painting, but you have completed a coat. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is not to say that falling (or any other element) can be skipped without problems. You still have to ensure the wall ends up fully painted and looks good before you move furniture in front of the wall. It's your instructor's responsibility to teach you more when you are ready and not before. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;What is Rank?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rank is a funny social construct. It is a combination of fighting ability, technical skill, teaching ability, perseverance, and social ability. You can get promoted based on strengths in some of these areas while being weak in others. It's an imperfect measure of all of these things. Rank does not help you fight, it does not change your health or well-being. Having a rank changes neither your skill level nor what you know. Outside of your organization, rank is meaningless. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rank does have an outsize influence on what people think of themselves. This includes a need for feedback for advancement, a way to compare themselves to others, a desire to be the biggest person in the room, and your anxiety over being good enough. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Accept rank for what it is, a social recognition that you are a little more advanced. Refusing rank creates its own problems. Your juniors will look at the progress you have made and despair that if you have not advanced they never will. Your peers will feel poor when you, someone at a lower rank, can do something better than they can. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not all martial arts have rank. Some people find this liberating, while for others it feels directionless. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-09-28T17:57:58.057" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7872" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7869" CreationDate="2017-09-28T18:10:10.193" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;What makes multiple events fall under the same sport? They all have the same governing organization. Many individual martial arts cannot keep their affairs within one organization because of too much infighting. It is unlikely they will agree with organizations outside their own martial arts about how to manage competing interests. Look at the hostility between practitioners and styles on this site when there is no money at stake. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, politics prevents this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-09-28T18:10:10.193" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7874" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7869" CreationDate="2017-09-28T19:47:54.757" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;To directly answer your question, it is a guess, but I'd say that politics prevents it from happening in the future, and momentum prevented it in the past.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to politics, it's hard enough to get a bunch of grandmasters to agree on what to have for dinner, let alone agree to working together on inter-organization support for a global effort - every 4 years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to momentum, I think that each of the sports you mentioned (tkd, wrestling, judo, etc) got there on their own merit at different times.  At the time, no one thought about combining them.  Now that Taekwondo and Karate are about to show at the same time, such a question is easy to ask.  Sumo also tried and failed to get in; that would be a parallel comparison to wrestling, and the same question arises: why not have one category, then lump all martial arts (tkd, karate, etc, plus the ones trying to get in) underneath that umbrella, either as a sport as they currently are, or as events, or as disciplines.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also don't know if creating &quot;martial arts&quot;, and then lump tkd, karate, judo, fencing, boxing, wrestling under it would shrink 28 down to 23, and then we can add more events under martial arts with impunity (eg, wushu and sumo), and then add more major sports as well to stay under that 28 limit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because aside from politics and momentum, there's another reason: money.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason 28 is set by IOC is to prevent runaway budgets a country has to incur to host the games.  Whether wushu is a sport or an event, the cost to cover the entire games rises, because media time, commentators, venus, security, etc all have to handle the additional load.  As to venue, perhaps the cost differential might not be that great - they can re-use it for similar sports - but still, the fact that people are there means additional infrastructure, eg security, still must be paid for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would love to see a great many more styles represented in the Olympics.  The popularity of one style - like Taekwondo - reverberates to other styles as well, so as a community, everyone benefits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, many of us in Taekwondo also bemoan the damage the Olympics has done to the style.  This is an area that doesn't answer your question about why can't there be a better structure to allow for more styles, except to say that not everyone wants more styles - that's part of the politics part.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-09-28T19:47:54.757" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7878" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7865" CreationDate="2017-09-29T08:18:41.347" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;First and foremost, if you do not trust your instructor, it makes no sense whatsoever to train with them… Therefore you should trust them in teaching you useful things, in helping you progress, and in keeping you safe in class. This means that you should trust them when they say you reached a new grade.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, a grading is you demonstrating that you can do techniques at the level of your next grade. This does not mean perfect techniques or even accurate techniques or even right techniques. It means &lt;em&gt;good enough&lt;/em&gt;. If you are put forwards to a grading, then &lt;em&gt;you already have the grade&lt;/em&gt;. All you have been asked to is to show case that you can do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that the last point can be contentious. Some teachers insist that the possibility of failing must be there: it is an exam after all. Grading are sometimes viewed as opportunities to make money. Since one pays for them, it is tempting to rush people through them and if they fail pocket the cash with a &quot;try again next time&quot;. We call those places &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/6739/82&quot;&gt;McDojos&lt;/a&gt;. In that case, you should run and fast. Some teachers will not charge you for a failed grading but that is just a waste of everyone's time…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, stop viewing grades as something worthwhile: they are not. Any belt costs £5, covers two centimetres of your waist, and is only useful in keeping your jacket closed. What matters is the journey and the skill you learned. Remember that first &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; only means &quot;I know the basics&quot;, at second &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; you can do the basics, and understand them at third.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-09-30T13:10:44.983" LastActivityDate="2017-09-30T13:10:44.983" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7881" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7883" CreationDate="2017-09-29T20:38:16.850" Score="4" ViewCount="547" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am asking how to develop strong punches, kicks, knee strikes and elbow strikes. I have attempted training my biceps, chest and back, but I feel as if my striking force is the same as before...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8635" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-10-19T07:28:37.733" LastActivityDate="2017-10-19T07:28:37.733" Title="How can I build striking power?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|self-training|strength|power|striking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7883" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7881" CreationDate="2017-09-30T15:55:19.167" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, let's cover some basic context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Coordination of muscle is key&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It helps to have muscle, but... the real key is coordinating your muscles to work together to generate power.  It's the same reason power lifters, who can undeniably lift and move great weight, don't make good baseball pitchers - the pitcher's ability is about coordination to generate power, not just muscle strength.  Striking power is the same way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Damage comes from good shots at places that count&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxers often say, &quot;It's the punch you're not ready for that knocks you out.&quot;  If the person isn't protecting one of the better places for a knock out blow, it's quite possible they'll go down quickly - and most striking arts spend quite a bit of training and focus into trying to find ways to get to those spots.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In streetfights, the majority of damage comes in once someone hits the ground - stomping and downward blows put the full bodyweight behind the strikes and the target is unable to give any with the strikes- they are pressed into the ground so the full force hits them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Many ways to get striking power&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Different arts use different ways to get power.  The most common is twisting the hips and pivoting on a foot - the boxer's cross, Muay Thai's roundhouse, many movements use this.  The twisting moves your center of gravity and your striking limb gets the advantage of your weight transfer going into the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some arts use a springing forward action to drive a thrusting attack - fencers, boxers with a jab, etc.  Some add a small straightening of the back to get the torso muscles added. Many styles push off the back leg and let that small forward momentum provide the power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some styles use gravity - you strike as you step forward or to the side, &quot;falling&quot; into your strike.  Your bodyweight falling is what powers the strike.  Jack Dempsey wrote about it, and it shows up in a variety of fighting styles as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also styles that use things like specific muscle coordination, tightening core muscles, hard breathing, spiraling motion to get a little extra muscle power, and so on.  When you dig into a variety of sports, you also find overlap with some of these techniques as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Contextual to what you're doing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So all these different methods?  Generally are contextual to the type of fighting you're training for.   The power generation of boxing has overlap, but differences with Muay Thai, which is why you see differences in both guards and foot placement.  Arts that focus on using weapons or the possibility of weapons also have different guards and ways of dealing with things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whatever you're training, start with getting your form and delivery of your attacks better.  Find out when and where you're supposed to be shifting weight, when and where you tense up, and when your strike is supposed to land in ALL of that.  Practice the hell out of that timing to get the most force.  It can help to deliberately play with the timing a bit - try doing things a little too early, a little later, just so you can find where the actual &quot;perfect&quot; spot is in that timing chain for you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then find out from your instructors/coaches if there are better situations for WHEN to deliver this strike on a target.  &quot;If you catch them mid-step, perfect!&quot;, &quot;This is a great counter punch&quot;, etc.  Then set up drills to get that down. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1598" LastActivityDate="2017-09-30T15:55:19.167" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7884" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4927" CreationDate="2017-10-01T17:03:14.640" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my province in Cebu, located in central Philippines, we refer the arnis/kali/eskrima stick as &quot;OLISI&quot; or &quot;GAROTE.&quot;  All cebuano eskrimadors young and old alike (the old school) use the terms above. I hope this will satisfy your queries. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8644" LastActivityDate="2017-10-01T17:03:14.640" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7885" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7881" CreationDate="2017-10-01T18:24:16.817" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;From a physics perspective, one way to think about striking is &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impulse_(physics)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;impulse&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kmE0j.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kmE0j.gif&quot; alt=&quot;impulse&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To have an effective strike, you want to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Maximize &lt;em&gt;mass&lt;/em&gt;. The normal advice is use your whole body to strike. This means that you do not want to punch simply by using your arm. Most styles deliver more mass behind a strike by rotating the hips. You can also step while striking. It helps to be more massive too, but obviously you do not have as much control over changing your body mass as moving it effectively. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Maximize &lt;em&gt;velocity&lt;/em&gt;. The simplest way to increase velocity is to swing fast. If you are rotating about your central axis with constant angular speed, you get more velocity with a striking limb or weapon that is farther way from your central axis. You can also whip your body, which generates high velocity at the tip of the whip, but whipping is harder to learn. You can add stepping to increase velocity. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Minimize time of force. This is what makes contact a strike and not a push. Deliver the maximum force in the minimum amount of time. If you do bag work, you want your strikes to deliver all of their momentum immediately upon contact and not with a push after contact. When striking, you want all of your mass to arrive at the same time. This is hard; for a punch, you have to coordinate your feet, hips, shoulders, arm, and hand so a strike hurts your target, but not you. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vVkd6.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vVkd6.png&quot; alt=&quot;strike v. push&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have to work out for yourself what motions best combine these elements for your body. Your hook punch may have maximum velocity, but it may be hard to get your mass behind it effectively. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember that power or impulse is not everything. You can maximize striking power with an American football tackle, which uses your full body mass at running speed to make contact with all of your mass at the same time, but this is very easy to counter. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A second factor is energy dissipation from an inelastic collision. The energy from a strike, &lt;em&gt;E=mv^2&lt;/em&gt;, must be accounted for in the movement of the target and damage internal to the target. With this consideration, velocity is more important than mass. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-10-19T03:33:03.737" LastActivityDate="2017-10-19T03:33:03.737" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7887" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7889" CreationDate="2017-10-02T20:00:04.293" Score="5" ViewCount="255" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've read numerous sources indicating that improving core strength can improve your kicking power, especially for kicks that involve twisting. Has there been a rigorous exploration of the exact relationship between them? In particular, has anyone developed an exact mathematical model (presumably based on biophysics) of the relationship between muscle strength and kicking power?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8276" LastActivityDate="2017-11-02T17:38:18.703" Title="Is there a rigorous exploration of the relationship between core strength and kick power?" Tags="|kicking|strength|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7888" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7865" CreationDate="2017-10-02T22:26:48.277" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Depends on the instructor.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've encountered instructors who promote people way too quickly. When I was looking for an instructor to train with in college, I encountered a school that would routinely promote people to black belts in tae kwon do within two years. (I ended up not training with them).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that said, if I'm understanding your question correctly, you've been training for some number of months and your instructor wants you to do your first belt test (correct me if I'm wrong). This sounds reasonable. In many styles that I've encountered, you test for your yellow belt (or the equivalent) after a couple of months (usually a minimum of 2 months of consistent attendance). After that, the time between tests keeps increasing. For example, in tae kwon do, you may be able to get your yellow belt after as little as 2 months but be expected to train for years between black belt tests.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, the time frame seems reasonable enough (assuming that you've been training consistently).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You want to strike a balance between not rushing yourself to test too quickly (it's not about the belt) and not letting fear hold you back. If you tend towards the latter (which I personally do) and you've chosen a good instructor that doesn't promote people too quickly, then if they think that you're ready it could be good to trust them. This can help you avoid falling into procrastination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See if you can get details on what you'll be tested on. My instructor gives us detailed breakdowns of exactly what we're expected to know for each test. If you know those things to the level that your instructor expects you to know them for that test, you should go for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR:&lt;/strong&gt; Some instructors promote people too quickly, but based on what you've said it doesn't sound like your instructor is one of them. I'd be inclined to trust him if he thinks that you know the material.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8276" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2017-10-02T22:26:48.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7889" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7887" CreationDate="2017-10-03T12:12:35.323" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ok, so the concept to keep in mind is the bigger the muscle the more potential for power.  Think of a horse and how those incredible strong legs can move so much more than that of a human.  Then think of an elephant and how the power is enormous that they push down full grown big trees for fun thus maintaining the environmental atmosphere of the plains instead of letting them turn into forests.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ok, with that in mind &lt;strong&gt;the largest muscles on the human body are the Rectus Abdominis muscle, External Abdominal Oblique muscle, Latissimus Dorsi muscle, and Gluteus Maximus&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.innerbody.com/anatomy/muscular/lower-torso&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;core muscles&lt;/a&gt;.  The issue is that these muscles are not direct striking muscles, but more protective and pivoting muscles which protect the torso structure and the organs underneath and the one that is the butt which allows us to sit.  Where I'm sure we are all very thankful for this protection, the techniques and forms of martial arts are designed with body mechanics to harness these larger muscles and use them to channel additional strength and energy to kicks and punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now all the abbendage muscles (i.e. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.innerbody.com/anatomy/muscular/arm-hand&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;arms&lt;/a&gt;/&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.innerbody.com/anatomy/muscular/leg-foot&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;legs&lt;/a&gt;) are groups of corded muscles.  if you watch body building this creates the ripples of muscles as you can see the individual muscles working together.  That being said, no one muscle duplicates the function of another muscle.  It's important to strengthen all related muscles to a specific movement as they each support their function.  When looking at kicks specifically you can track the exact muscle usage and focus attention to those muscles specifically.  Careful not to detract from other muscle sets those as when you change body position it changes muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, &lt;strong&gt;back to the biggest muscles and how to incorporate those&lt;/strong&gt;.  The position and muscle usage is key.  If the position is off the muscles utilized are different.  So the twisting of the hips and the movements are critical as those are the things that select the combination of muscles utilized for the body movement.  That being said, all speed/strength comes from the muscles, so you are really just trying to select the right muscles.  Thankfully systems of martial arts are developed that already do this positioning and you don't have to learn from scratch like the original practitioners did.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &quot;&lt;strong&gt;core&lt;/strong&gt;&quot; is focused on because that constitutes the main external muscles mentioned as well as the many supporting muscles that allow for muscle body and joint movement.  The goal is a whip motion in that the force starts at the center or &quot;core&quot; and moves out through the supporting muscles to the point of impact.  The more core power the more the final impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is &lt;strong&gt;no &quot;math&quot; formula&lt;/strong&gt; as there are so many varying factors depending on all the muscle conditions and usage it would be thousands of variations.  The important thing is what is &lt;strong&gt;&quot;your&quot; formula&lt;/strong&gt;.  That is a body mechanics and personal training thing though and an instructor would need to help you work that out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fun thing to try is the &lt;strong&gt;belly thwomp or push&lt;/strong&gt;.  Naturally the more you have the easier it is, but this exercise uses those core muscles directly.  Thus being able to push things with your belly is surprisingly strong even with the little movement that you do.  Get a friend and try to push them with your belly, if you do it correctly with just the belly and not body checking them you will see that regardless of the person you are able to move them and displace their weight with your belly.  That is the &quot;core&quot; power that is being harnessed in the kicks.  It doesn't feel like alot, but the fact you can move them with such a small motion is powerful.  The same power requires a full shove from an arm vs. a little nudge from the belly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;P.S.&lt;/strong&gt; Please also note that injuries to muscles are often compensated for by varying the body movement again so other muscles more healthy can take over while the injured one heals. This compensating is sub-conscious and happens without you thinking about it, thus changing your formula to match.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;P.P.S.&lt;/strong&gt; Due to the amount of combination/variations if you want a specific set each kick needs to be done separately as there are way to many muscles and muscle combinations to indicate generically for &quot;kicks&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;NOTE&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;: This is not about physical fitness.  Strength and overall fitness of muscles should be addressed in the fitness SO as they are key points.  Mass vs. Density and tone fits into the fitness category.  This is merely talking about a muscle that is larger has more potential than a smaller muscle and the body mechanics to help incorporate larger human muscles into movements to generate more power.  For a complete solution please consult muscle building and strength/endurance training for muscle development.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastEditorUserId="8108" LastEditDate="2017-11-02T17:38:18.703" LastActivityDate="2017-11-02T17:38:18.703" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7890" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7887" CreationDate="2017-10-03T14:12:40.737" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kicking power is a dubious term.  Some people who ask about power do not know what they mean when they use the phrase, and others do and want answers involving physics.  Is force a result of multiplying mass times acceleration?  Or is it a result of multiplying mass times velocity?  Be careful here, you get two very different answers because of two very different applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll give a parallel example, in golf.  The same applies to kicking, but it's easier to understand without the bias of subjective understanding of body mechanics and forces in martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Suppose Tiger Woods was at the tee, and the hole is 300 yards away.  Does he use a putter or a driver?  Both clubs have a vertical face, so what is the difference?  When he swings a putter when on the green, his body moves with the putter as if the whole body assembly were sort of like a pendulum (that is, his center moves with the club head, and not ahead of it nor behind it).  Would he swing the driver like a pendulum?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, on both counts.  Here's why:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The driver and putter do have vertical faces.  But the driver is longer than the putter.  That means, if his hands move at the same rate, the club head moves faster, because geometry tells us that two points about a radius, the one further from the center of the circle moves at a faster distance over time than the closer point as long as both points remain on the same radius.  A golfer will tend to choose a lower numbered club head (longer shaft) than a shorter one and use the same swing when he needs a little more distance.  He could swing faster with a shorter club and impart the same force, and not considering club face angles, the ball will land in the same spot - but that requires much more experience to pull off.  It's easier to make the same swing and have a longer or shorter club (again, not considering club face angles).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing about Tiger Woods: he would never drive a ball by swinging a driver like a pendulum as he would a putter.  Why not?  Isn't the longer driver going to drive the ball farther than the putter?  Doesn't his core impart the same twisting force on the driver and putter?  The answer is yes, the driver is longer and thus will have its head moving faster than the putter's head; and yes, the same twisting force (torque) is applied to both clubs when swinging as hard as he can.  But that difference in head speed is negligible when the goal is to move the ball 300 yards.  He needs more... power/speed/strength/force.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So how does Woods move the club head to get the ball to move 300 yards?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is he needs more speed.  He could go to Gold's Gym and work on those abs, but even the best body builders in the world don't have enough core strength to move a golf ball 300 yards by moving their body like a pendulum, no matter the size of a typical driver.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, we can't increase the torque (or else body builders would be the best golfers, baseball hitters, and kickers in the world, agreed?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But we can increase the speed of the club/leg by making use of potential energy.  By twisting the body and pulling the club/leg, we are in essence whipping the thing around the radius at a much faster rate of speed then if we moved like a pendulum.  Ever hear a golf or batting coach tell his protege to move the hips through the swing?  He wants the hips to pass the ball before the arms do.  This is just another way of saying twist the body: you can't twist the body without getting the hips to move through first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And therein lies your answer: the core moves the body through the kick to help it gain speed (technically, it's velocity, not speed).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But we're not really done yet, because we don't know whether we are dealing with momentum or force.  Or both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Momentum is a result of multiplying the mass (the weight of the leg, although strictly speaking, it's not really the weight)... times the velocity (speed) of the moving leg: that's momentum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Force is... well, that's complicated.  Yes, it's mass times acceleration, I'm sure you hear that a million times.  But does anyone really understand what that means?  Momentum itself is all about the thing moving, but force is about the thing being moved.  In other words, momentum is all about the club, and force is all about the ball.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To explain a little more, think of two kids playing a game of &quot;toss the egg&quot;.  One tosses an egg to the other, who must catch the egg without breaking it.  If the catcher keeps his hand stiff and unmoving, and the thrower manages to get the egg into his hand, guess what's gonna happen to the egg?  Yep: it'll crack.  That's because the amount of time that egg hits the hand is a very short period of time.  100N has been applied to the egg if you catch it in 1/20 of a second to stop the egg's motion, and that'll crack it.  But if you carried your hand in the direction of the egg's movement, and it takes a half second to catch it and stop it (instead of 1/20 of a second), only 10N has been applied, and might not crack the egg.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The catching hand, therefore, makes the difference in the amount of force needed to break the egg - not the tossed egg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more a kicker moves his kicking leg like a pendulum (not necessarily vertically where gravity plays a role - it doesn't - but where the body and the kicking leg are moving with the radius of the kick), the more core strength has relevance.  The more a kicker relies on twisting force, the more core conditioning has relevance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bigger muscles don't necessarily translate to a faster kick - it can contribute to a slower kick.  Developing fast-twitch muscles in the abdomen (conditioning), and making use of the joints like the knee (technique), and pulling the leg around to the target (technique) creates much more impulse force because it reduces the time of impact.  This is like the egg-catcher who does not move the catch with the egg's motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A kick which moves slower imparts less impulse because of its increased contact time with the target.  This is like the egg-catcher who moves with the egg's motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To directly answer your question (&quot;is there an exploration of the relationship...&quot;), yes, this is all embodied in Newton's laws of motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The method of improving core strength is the key: building muscle mass is less important than building the fast twitch reflexes to help change your technique, so that a whipping motion can be used.  Building &quot;core strength&quot; necessarily requires defining the method of building &quot;core strength&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2017-10-03T15:45:28.920" LastActivityDate="2017-10-03T15:45:28.920" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7891" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3079" CreationDate="2017-10-03T20:04:15.487" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Krav maga and Kali which uses different techniques on the platform on the titles of a skill, is confusing you people. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both are the same, it's in the individual and the opponent that is coming at you, it's the level whereby you in your level of skill will understand what is your opponents frame of mind and body language. You will also understand his move towards the stand of his foot work already in the form, his hands combination and their positioning, the eyes are focused at which point of your body or the place in which only the Advanced level Martial artist will be able to justify.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aggression, anger, very cool and humble, etc, positioning of his incoming attack at the very first before strike, may it be seconds, will give you the edge to handle him in the skill, to defend or body lock him, or play the mid range skill to move on strikes, defense, blocks, attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's the situation and the opponents decision that a martial artist will know which form of skill is to be used for which individual. It's in the Art, and the Person himself, in a professional level. The highest of level is, Vital attacks, if the aggressor is moving in for the kill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know, maybe. Was told by a long lost friend of mine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8648" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2017-10-03T21:19:00.693" LastActivityDate="2017-10-03T21:19:00.693" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7892" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="359" CreationDate="2017-10-03T21:46:44.133" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Its as simple, go bk to Bruce Lee, the reason behinf the shout of a heavy aggresion of anthem that is called in certain arts is to use your individual, toatal force as vital as possible, with the breath, that is in the very point of the positioning attack, the as you phrase scream, is a vital use of internal and your physical force in the point of skill being used , example when a person scream ,what is he using on his internal emotion force?Got it.... Maximum force in a vital but positive extreame attack.&#xA;This  skill is only used, if your opponent is coming towards you in a killing motion of moves or the fight has come to a deadly point where by your life is to be safed..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8648" LastActivityDate="2017-10-03T21:46:44.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7893" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7780" CreationDate="2017-10-04T05:17:33.393" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my opinion, Mc Gregor , was already out of advantage, by 50 percent, and May weather in confidence by a 90 percent win...&#xA;Any martial artist will be in a disadvantage if he forsake his principal rule of his individual art, (a risk) already in the frame, Mix Martial art champion, uses diffirent skills, from the Boxing rules.... May weather, a tactical Undefeted champion to the title is no idiot, as for the gloves in both arts the fughter will make sure he wears the right size of gloves in the regulations in which the punches are going to be felt within the gloves and the power used to maximise hand/punch knuckles to the opponent.... Nothing to  be of surprise or a question i believe, because the main issue on the fight is to win, cross punches, upper cuts, etc, the opponent has to feel the knock out punch through the gloves, and the knuckles that are being landed upon in the individual skill.&#xA;Mc Gregor, took a chance, way below the equel range of their individual art, by giving in to the boxing rules, to a Tactical World Undefeted champion...&#xA;If Mc Gregor, would have won that fatefull day, than the history of Martial arts and Boxing, would have taken a shocking, Genius world record..&#xA;Lol.. Cheers Guys.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8648" LastActivityDate="2017-10-04T05:17:33.393" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7895" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="359" CreationDate="2017-10-04T16:36:12.163" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Besides the inner and outer manifestations of power and focus which are mentioned in the other answers, the yell also has other uses which haven't been mentioned.  In two styles, the kiai (japanese) or kihap (korean) have context in sport rules:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Kendo, the attacker must yell the target: men (head), kote (wrist), do (side, waist, body), and tsuki (throat)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Kumdo, the attacker must yell the target: mori (head), sun-mok (wrist), and hori (side, waist, or body)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When striking, you must yell the attack.  Failure to do so, or yell the wrong target, means the attack does not count.  If you do not yell it loudly enough, the judge may not hear it, especially if your opponent does it loudly at the same time as you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-10-04T16:36:12.163" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7896" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2957" CreationDate="2017-10-05T00:36:58.690" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I did not add any martial arts to Apache Knife fighting. I think it’s very funny how people make their own decisions without talking to me first without seeing it for themselves that’s all. You need to ask who people been to the seminars, they can speak for themselves, thank you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8657" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-10-05T02:22:24.800" LastActivityDate="2017-10-05T02:22:24.800" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7899" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7900" CreationDate="2017-10-05T18:52:52.750" Score="-1" ViewCount="6520" Body="&lt;p&gt;I got a very strong hit and it had almost no bruise. How is it possible to hit in this way? Is it a special technique?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2017-10-05T21:44:31.213" LastActivityDate="2017-10-06T15:41:45.243" Title="Is it possible to hit without bruise?" Tags="|technique|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="13" ClosedDate="2017-10-06T20:59:51.677" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7900" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7899" CreationDate="2017-10-06T14:28:21.257" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, it is possible (As you have seen demonstrated on yourself).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What causes a bruise is actually blood leaking into tissue from damaged vessels. The colors of the bruise are the blood cells dying and decaying in the tissues and being reabsorbed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if you get really hard, if the angle or surface area of the strike is such that no blood vessels get damaged, then you won't get leakage, and hence no bruise. This tends to happen with flatter strikes that have a large surface area (Such as an instep round kick to the outside thigh), or strikes that hit an area with a relatively low number of blood vessels.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you get hit with a more concentrated force in a smaller area, then the odds of you getting a bruise from it go up. It is not, however, a guarantee that you will or will not get a bruise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, if you do get an internal bruise, the blood may not make its way up enough to be visible. It is still there, just not visible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2017-10-06T15:41:45.243" LastActivityDate="2017-10-06T15:41:45.243" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7901" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7909" CreationDate="2017-10-07T21:43:57.917" Score="6" ViewCount="5704" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know that practitioners of Japanese martial arts are called with a &lt;em&gt;-ka&lt;/em&gt; ending (e.g. karate &lt;em&gt;ka&lt;/em&gt;), but I wouldn't know how to denote a practitioner of Tai Chi Chuan or other Kung Fu styles. I recall asking a chinese friend who suggested that the term &lt;em&gt;might have been&lt;/em&gt; Tai Chi Chuan &lt;em&gt;su&lt;/em&gt;, but he wasn't even sure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you know how to denote such a practitioner?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8664" LastActivityDate="2017-11-09T22:32:49.353" Title="How do you call a practitioner of Tai Chi Chuan (or Kung Fu in general)?" Tags="|kung-fu|tai-chi|terminology|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7902" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7901" CreationDate="2017-10-08T10:54:29.480" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is complicated in Chinese, and often depends on who is referring to whom, and what dialect is being used.  In Japan, the term &quot;-ka&quot; is added (and in Korean &quot;-in&quot;) to denote a &quot;practitioner of&quot;.  One equivalent in Chinese would be &quot;jia&quot;, as in &quot;Kung Fu-jia&quot; or &quot;Wushu-jia&quot;.  The same character in Chinese for &quot;jia&quot; (家) is used in Japanese &quot;ka&quot;, so I suspect this is the term you're looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It could also be &quot;xuesheng&quot; which is used by itself and means &quot;student&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thoughtco.com/home-jia-chinese-character-profile-2278374&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;What Does the Chinese Character 家 Mean?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2011/10/on-the-character-%E5%AE%B6/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;On the Character &quot;家&quot;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2017-10-08T11:48:45.997" LastActivityDate="2017-10-08T11:48:45.997" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7904" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2470" CreationDate="2017-10-10T11:36:31.880" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In our training hall we get to grade every three months until we reach black tip. And then we have to wait a minimum of 6 months to get our black belt. Following this it should take about 27 months to get a black belt, so getting a black belt in under two years is impossible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8674" LastEditorUserId="6654" LastEditDate="2017-10-10T14:04:16.973" LastActivityDate="2017-10-10T14:04:16.973" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7905" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7901" CreationDate="2017-10-10T15:51:59.443" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Adding on to Wigwam's answer, other options are&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;武者 （wǔ zhě）&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;武人（wǔ rén）&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;功夫者 （gōng fū zhě）&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;功夫达人（gōng fū dá rén）&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although the last one translates to something like &quot;Kung fu expert&quot;, I've heard it used as a respectful term for just practicioners of kung fu in general and it's probably the one I am most familiar with. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And for Tai Ji Quan specifically, I'd use&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;太极拳手 （tài jì quán shǒu）&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since &quot;拳击手&quot; is the common name for &quot;boxer&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think there's a single proper term &quot;kung fu/tai chi practitioner&quot; but rather many for &quot; -master&quot; e.g. -大师 （dà shī），-高手 （gāo shōu）&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8392" LastEditorUserId="8392" LastEditDate="2017-10-11T10:20:39.190" LastActivityDate="2017-10-11T10:20:39.190" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7908" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7901" CreationDate="2017-10-12T02:02:57.933" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;By practitioner, I assume you mean someone who practices &lt;em&gt;tài jì (taichi)&lt;/em&gt; regardless of skill level considerations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As explained to me orally, and corroborated at least by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo#Judoka_.28practitioner.29&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia judoka description&lt;/a&gt; (which itself does not have a proper reference for this fact), the term &lt;em&gt;judoka&lt;/em&gt; (柔道家) formerly referred to a practitioner with rank (3rd degree according to oral source, 4th degree according to Wikipedia), not a practitioner of any skill level. Thus, I think attempting to extrapolate &lt;em&gt;jiā&lt;/em&gt; to a general practitioner is not a good idea. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based on this interpretation of &lt;em&gt;jiā&lt;/em&gt;, I would guess that 太极拳家 &lt;em&gt;tài jì quán jiā&lt;/em&gt; has the same meaning as 太极门 &lt;em&gt;tài jì mén&lt;/em&gt;, which is an inner door practitioner (disciple), not a practitioner of any skill level. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;家 &lt;em&gt;jiā&lt;/em&gt; is also used in 內家 &lt;em&gt;nèi jiā&lt;/em&gt;, a term which comprises the internal martial arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A 学生 &lt;em&gt;xuésheng&lt;/em&gt; student is usually used to describe someone who is insufficiently trained to be considered representative of the art, so also probably not what you are looking for. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not a native speaker of either Japanese or Chinese. I have found, however, that friends who are native speakers often do not know specialized martial arts vocabulary like &lt;em&gt;nèi jiā&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-10-12T02:02:57.933" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7909" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7901" CreationDate="2017-10-12T08:26:41.927" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends on context, skill and time spent training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they just start training they're a student 学生(xué'shēng), when they become an official disciple they'll be called 徒弟(tú'dì).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then when they become an instructor/teacher they'll be called 老师(lǎo'shī). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When they take on disciples of their own they'll be 师父(shī'fu)  and when their skill is widely recognized as a master they can be called 师傅(shī'fù) or 高手(gāo'shǒu).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6869" LastEditorUserId="1631" LastEditDate="2017-10-14T22:24:38.417" LastActivityDate="2017-10-14T22:24:38.417" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7910" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1485" CreationDate="2017-10-12T18:12:17.393" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;From personal experience, I would say it's essential to develop a general understanding of martial arts from other schools before beginning with Tai Chi. Not only because it is the art with by far the highest number of fraudulent teachers, but also because you just won't be training it properly unless you understand how it works as a martial art. I train currently with an honorary member of the Chen family, and even in his classes I'm seeing a great number of people using sweeping motions where there should be piston motions just because they only think of the postures they need to end in rather than the purpose of the movement. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8681" LastActivityDate="2017-10-12T18:12:17.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7912" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-10-13T17:12:52.113" Score="3" ViewCount="213" Body="&lt;p&gt;The way I have my thai-style cup's strings set up is bowlines on the top two strings attached with bowlines, and the middle string with a cow hitch. Currently, the way I tie it on is secure the top two strings with a square knot in front, slide the whole thing around and fumble behind my back to tie a bow with the two loose ends of the square knot for one line and the double string of the middle for another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the time this works fine for me, but occasionally I notice the groin guard manages to work loose during warm-ups. I haven't quite figured out what I do differently, but I suspect I get the bow handedness wrong and it capsizes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, does anyone here have a consistent method for tying a bow with my hands literally behind my back?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8680" LastEditorUserId="8680" LastEditDate="2017-10-13T19:03:49.700" LastActivityDate="2017-10-23T00:38:30.843" Title="How to keep a thai-style groin guard from loosening mid-practice?" Tags="|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7913" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7918" CreationDate="2017-10-13T21:15:41.163" Score="11" ViewCount="667" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm new to (thai) boxing and I remember that it confused me during training that I was always assumed to position myself according to what I now know is the &quot;orthodox stance&quot;. I naturally assumed that it makes sense to train both stances (orthodox and southpaw) equally well - at least for three reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;physical balance as I'd assume muscles should always be symmetrically trained&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;to be less predictable in a fight&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I read that training a motoric skills with the not dominant side will speed up overall improvement also for the dominant side (can't find the study). Or generally - symmetric training works faster than asymmetric training.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I read that actually you can categorize fighters into southpaw and orthodox stance. Wouldn't it make sense to encourage symmetric training in boxing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8653" LastActivityDate="2020-03-30T09:12:50.433" Title="Is the differentiation between southpaw and orthodox stance useful?" Tags="|boxing|stance|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7914" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-10-14T10:01:11.550" Score="-4" ViewCount="184" Body="&lt;p&gt;If a McDojo conveys an emphasis on commercialism and an assembly line approach to the detriment of 'martial art', what would the signs be of a dojo which would benefit the 'martial arts'. Which dojos should students of the 'martial arts' seek out? What would be a good dojo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit to clarify: I say 'not' McDojo but more I say 'good dojo'. A dojo could be regarded as not being McDojo but it might not still not be a 'good dojo'. If McDojo is regarded as being bad then 'good' should be the complete opposite. In between comes all the reasonable dojos. If McDojo can be defined, then so can good dojo. I am looking for answers in the &quot;they say unto you ... but I say ...&quot; mold. Not McDojo, not reasonable .... good! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6585" LastEditorUserId="6585" LastEditDate="2017-10-14T16:23:46.503" LastActivityDate="2017-10-14T16:23:46.503" Title="WHAT ARE THE SIGNS THAT A DOJO COULD NOT BE CLASSED AS A McDOJO?" Tags="|terminology|dojo|schools|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2017-10-14T22:24:04.977" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7915" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7914" CreationDate="2017-10-14T10:02:30.277" Score="-5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Note valid reasons exist for these signs of a good dojo as they are all based on the ancient traditions. Any dojo which do things differently should be considered commercial and assembly line - thus McDojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are no fees.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;No uniforms, badges, T-shirts, caps or any other paraphernalia are allowed. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are no gradings or belts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The teacher is at least sixty years old with thirty years teaching experience.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The style which is taught was invented by a mythical figure in the distant past. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The teacher was taught by a long direct line from the founder.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Most of the class is spent answering questions from students.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Students are encouraged to attend classes in other martial arts and not attend their class.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are no secrets as only sixteen well known techniques and four katas are taught.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The teacher obtained the dojo through a dojo challenge.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are no competitions - only challenges.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit note: It is incredible how Biblical this answer is. If anyone wants I can find them the scriptural references.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6585" LastEditorUserId="6585" LastEditDate="2017-10-14T16:20:50.323" LastActivityDate="2017-10-14T16:20:50.323" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7916" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-10-15T14:16:14.943" Score="6" ViewCount="5851" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to do Brazilian jiu jitsu and tae kwon do at the same time. However, I’m worried that they might not work together and be problematic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8684" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-10-16T20:56:39.370" LastActivityDate="2020-01-05T02:22:32.377" Title="Can I do Brazilian jiu jitsu and Tae Kwon Do at the same time" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7917" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7916" CreationDate="2017-10-15T16:05:42.127" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is actually two questions you're trying to answer. The first question is: Will it be too confusing to learn two styles at the same time? The second question is: Are the two styles compatible?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My general answer to the first question is that it's only confusing if the two styles are very much alike. For example, taking Judo and Brazilian Jiujitsu together might be confusing, because they both have similar techniques. There's a significant amount of overlap between the two styles, and yet the strategy and focus of Judo is very different from that of BJJ. That can lead to confusion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But taking Taekwondo and Brazilian Jiujitsu together shouldn't cause any real confusion, because they're completely different styles with very different techniques. There's almost no overlap between them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the second question (compatibility), what you're asking is whether or not combining Taekwondo and BJJ will be compatible in a way that Boxing, Muay Thai, and Kickboxing are compatible with BJJ, as seen in modern MMA. The answer is a firm MAYBE. Let me explain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whenever you talk about compatibility in martial arts, you have a goal in mind. That goal may be making an effective street fighting martial art, or it might be making something that works in competitive MMA fighting. You may even have another goal in mind. Who knows. Now, that goal determines everything about how your combined martial art will look. That's because the &quot;rules&quot; of the game shape your training, and your training determines how your style looks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take western Boxing for example. By itself, its stances are upright. Feet are a shoulder's width apart, generally. There are no wide stances. In Brazilian Jiujitsu and MMA, you're going to see a wider stance, with a slight lean forward of the body, and with a bit of crouching down in the knees and hips. There's a reason for why the Boxing stance looks very different from the BJJ and MMA stance. It's because in Boxing, you don't have to worry about your opponent rushing in and trying to grab your torso or your legs for a take-down. The rules of the game determine the way your martial art looks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So to generalize: The more similar two styles are, the more compatible they are but the more confusing they are to study at the same time. The less similar they are, the less compatible they are but the easier they are to study at the same time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo forbids strikes below the belt and anywhere to the back. It usually forbids punching to the head (kicks are allowed to the head, however). There is no grappling allowed, either. As a result, Taekwondo's stances, techniques, and strategies will look very different from what you'll see in something like Muay Thai, where kicks below the belt are encouraged, and punching to the face is allowed. In particular, training in Taekwondo can create bad habits that leaves your legs and head open to attack, since you're not training to defend against those techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So at first glance, you might be tempted to say that Taekwondo and Brazilian Jiujitsu are completely incompatible. Because, they are. They are designed for completely different situations, and so they look completely different. But guess what? The same is basically true of Boxing and Brazilian Jiujtisu. Yet, Boxing and Brazilian Jiujitsu together have been successfully incorporated into MMA training. How?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well the answer is that someone had to think about how to adapt both Boxing and Brazilian Jiujitsu together in an intelligent way that addresses the rules of competitive MMA. Both styles had to be modified in order to make an MMA style that worked, given the rules of competitive MMA fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nowadays in competitive MMA, we are seeing Taekwondo coming into play here and there. It's because a lot of MMA people probably grew up learning Taekwondo when they were kids. They're taking small amounts of Taekwondo that they learned and are applying it in MMA when it makes sense to do that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And they didn't just start out trying to combine TKD with BJJ. They usually take BJJ, Muay Thai, and a separate MMA class. That forms their foundation. From there, they add whatever else they want to add when they feel comfortable enough that they can do that. Most of the work of adapting everything to fit MMA has already been done for them by countless numbers of people who came before them. When they want to add some tiny thing to it, they can do that fairly easily at this point, usually in MMA sparring sessions where they get to make mistakes and learn from them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, I'll give you some advice. Don't try to combine two different styles to make your own MMA style in a vacuum. While that may be intellectually very interesting, challenging, and satisfying, you're just one person. The MMA training that exists out there already is so far ahead of what you'll come up with on your own, in all likelihood. If your goal is to be good at MMA fighting or street fighting, chances are you'd get there faster by just going to a good MMA school and learning what they have to teach. Then you can branch out after forming a good foundation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise, you're going to have to do a lot of work to learn what MMA has already learned. You're going to make all of the mistakes that people made in MMA from the beginning. If you look at the evolution of MMA fighting from the early 1990's with the first UFC until now, you're going to realize that those early MMA fighters really wouldn't stand up against the MMA fighters of today. That's because MMA has evolved and gotten a lot better. So learn from them. Why not?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me just wrap it up by saying that Taekwondo gets a bad rap from pretty much everyone else in martial arts. That's primarily because of the way it is trained. Sparring in TKD is done with light contact, aggressive offense is emphasized (defense is almost an afterthought, to the point of even letting their arms fall to their waist), and the rules don't permit the vast majority of typical self-defense scenarios that you might encounter in real life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if the training is modified such that all those issues are addressed, then Taekwondo is no longer a problem. The problem is shifted from the style to the training instead. Is it really TKD at that point, though? Sort of. It starts off with the same techniques, but like with Boxing and BJJ, everything will need to be modified to handle the different rules. What you end up with might look a little like Taekwondo still, but it will be vastly different overall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2017-10-18T20:01:59.227" LastActivityDate="2017-10-18T20:01:59.227" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7918" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7913" CreationDate="2017-10-16T14:49:31.220" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Symmetric training is encouraged only at higher levels, and only by some coaches. The reason people mostly stick to their base stance in training is because &quot;you need to learn to walk before you can run.&quot; In a complex sport like kickboxing, learning to &quot;walk&quot; takes a looong time. Some would say it takes an entire career.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's no sense in learning a combo from your switch stance if you can't throw it with perfection from your base stance. That doesn't mean you can't try it, but stance changing doesn't do THAT much to confuse your opponent (you asked about being less predictable), so you're better off having a sound offense from one stance, than a half assed offense from both stances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you become more proficient you can start having a new combos or moves you like to throw from your switch stance. For example, the step back rear hook (which when you step back with your lead leg, the hook is now your lead hand) is a solid starter switch technique. It leads to a nice cross with your off hand too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just because you're standing in your base stance doesn't mean you're not training your lead hand. Practice lead hand heavy techniques! Jab jab lead hook is extremely deceptive, and done entirely with your lead hand. It's a good way to condition your &quot;weak&quot; hand in preparation for switching stances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All in all, switching stances is a good tool to have in your pocket, but it's not important enough to sacrifice becoming an expert at techniques in your normal stance. &lt;strong&gt;Many of the greatest MMA fighters and boxers of all time never switch stance.&lt;/strong&gt; &quot;Who's going to win, your opponent in their natural stance, or you in your switch stance.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a nice article with some more breakdown: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-basics/why-dont-boxers-train-equally-in-both-stances&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-basics/why-dont-boxers-train-equally-in-both-stances&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastActivityDate="2017-10-16T14:49:31.220" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7919" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7922" CreationDate="2017-10-16T18:26:29.630" Score="4" ViewCount="520" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not a student of it, but occasionally the style's namesake comes up, sometimes referred to as &quot;Shodokan Aikido&quot;, and other times &quot;Tomiki Aikido&quot;.  I don't know which is correct, and I believe it is meant to refer to the same style.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to that confusion, I wonder if there is any relationship between the name &quot;Shodokan&quot; (aikido) and &quot;Shotokan&quot; (karate).  The names sound similar, I wonder if they are related in some way?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-10-16T20:57:38.653" LastActivityDate="2017-10-17T14:13:42.427" Title="Shodokan or Tomiki Aikido, which is the proper name for the style and organization?" Tags="|aikido|shodokan|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7920" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7919" CreationDate="2017-10-16T18:35:05.733" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;From the sources that I am looking at (reddit, wiki, various web forums) almost universally refer to them as &quot;Shodokan/Tomiki&quot;, which would indicate that the names are intended to by synonymous for the same style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, the wiki states:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Shodokan Aikido is sometimes referred to as &quot;Sport Aikido&quot; because of its use of regular competitions, the style also may be referred to as &quot;Tomiki Aikido&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This would also be buttressed by the following information on the founder of Shodokan, Kenji Tomiki.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In 1967 Kenji Tomiki built a Shodokan hombu dojo in Osaka, Japan, to teach, train and promote his style. The style itself, could arguably have been founded with the formation of the Waseda University Aikido Club in 1958.[1] Today, Shodokan Aikido is organised with two major groups, the Japan Aikido Association (JAA) and the Shodokan Aikido Federation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would surmise that the official name is Shodokan, as the federation carries that name, and that Tomiki is a secondary synonym.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as the similarity between Shodokan/Shotokan, that I did not find any clarification on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2017-10-16T18:35:05.733" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7922" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7919" CreationDate="2017-10-17T08:12:35.237" Score="5" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Style name(s)…&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Tomiki Aikido&quot; is a misnomer. However, keep on reading.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tomiki started teaching his system of learning/teaching Aikido before naming it. Thus, people (especially in the USA) started to call it &quot;Tomiki Aikido&quot; because it came from Tomiki. Afterwards, Tomiki (with others such as Oba and Nariyama) continue to refine his system. &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.shodokanaikido.com/about-shodokan/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;He called it the &lt;em&gt;Shodokan Aikido randori system&lt;/em&gt; in the inaugural address at the opening of Shodokan&lt;/a&gt;. Tomiki was not arrogant enough to name his style by his own name. Thus, the real name of the style is &lt;em&gt;Shodokan Aikido&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, people keep using &quot;Tomiki Aikido&quot; and more often than not, what they teach is the first version (or unrefined version) of the &lt;em&gt;Shodokan Aikido randori system&lt;/em&gt;. The two are close but have differences but that is a topic for another time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Organisations&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido, being the &quot;way of harmony&quot;, has so much harmony in it that everyone is creating their own organisation⸮ All start to deviate from the &lt;em&gt;Shodokan Aikido randori system&lt;/em&gt;. Sometimes, this is both justified and wanted (see &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuhari&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;守破離 - Shuhari&lt;/a&gt;). Sometimes, it is ego, pride, and hubris.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The two main Japanese organisation are the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikido-kyokai.com/en/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;JAA&lt;/a&gt; headed by Shishida-shihan and &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.shodokanaikido.com&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;SAF&lt;/a&gt; headed by Nariyama-shihan. The latter used to be the head technical director of the JAA but there was a split due to politics I have no intentions to get into and are not interesting to anyone. Most, if not all, organisation in the world tend to follow either one of these two.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the UK, the situation is crazy: everyone is starting their own organisation, whether either as part of the overall umbrella Aikido organisation (the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bab.org.uk/cms/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;BAB&lt;/a&gt;) or against it as it is the tool to the Devil™ or some such. Note that this is in no way limited to Shodokan/Sport Aikido. Traditional is even worst if anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I strongly suspect that this crazy is the same in the USA, and any other country in the world…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Kanji&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's look at the kanji:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;昭道館 for Shōdōkan &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;松濤館 for Shōtōkan&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice that the first two kanji are different… And that's where I get stuck as I do not read Japanese. As far as I know, 昭道館 (Shodokan) can be translated as &quot;open way&quot;. This is something Tomiki was very keen on: he wanted anyone who knew his system to teach it to anyone who asked, whatever their race, creed, or gender.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I asked about &lt;a href=&quot;https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/53861/6910&quot;&gt;the meaning of 昭道館 vs 松濤館&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href=&quot;https://japanese.stackexchange.com/&quot;&gt;Japanese Language&lt;/a&gt;  and &lt;a href=&quot;https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/53863/6910&quot;&gt;this answer&lt;/a&gt; provided the insight:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Both styles are named after the dojo where they originated. The 館 (&quot;kan&quot;) in both names means a type of building and is commonly suffixed to the names of dojos.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please see &lt;a href=&quot;https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/53863/6910&quot;&gt;the full answer&lt;/a&gt; for details.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Sources&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mostly, this comes from conversations, books, and videos of Tomiki, Nariyama, Phil Newcombe and Scott Allbright. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;text=Tetsuro%20Nariyama&amp;amp;search-alias=books-uk&amp;amp;field-author=Tetsuro%20Nariyama&amp;amp;sort=relevancerank&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nariyama has written a few books with good history sections&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aikido-Randori-Reconciliation-Opposing-Forces/dp/1861264984/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1508228314&amp;amp;sr=1-1&amp;amp;keywords=scott%20allbright%20aikido&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Aikido and Randori: Reconciliation of Two Opposing Forces&lt;/a&gt; has Scott Allbright's views and contain lots of his experience talking to Tomiki.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-10-17T14:13:42.427" LastActivityDate="2017-10-17T14:13:42.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7925" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7919" CreationDate="2017-10-17T11:55:58.713" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Irrespective of the historical genesis of the names,  it would appear (in this time 2017) that the designation &quot;Tomiki Aikido&quot; seems to be more employed by followers/associates of the JAA  and &quot;Shodokan Aikido&quot; seems to be employed by followers/associates of SAF. (shodokan Aikido Federation).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The common source is however Kenji Tomiki and his Judo inspired absorption and dissemination of Ueshiba Daito-Ryo and Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The term &quot;Sport Aikido&quot; seems to be gaining more global acceptance and usage by both (non-japanese) JAA and SAF followers as a generic name for this school of Aikido to assist in the formation of a unified bid for olympic acceptance.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Personal Opinion Only)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8690" LastActivityDate="2017-10-17T11:55:58.713" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7926" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7296" CreationDate="2017-10-19T02:09:17.020" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;One way to view mental illness is through the mental model of Buddhism and Daoism. This mental model is the basis for meditation in taekwondo (See &lt;a href=&quot;http://chosuntkd.com/2014/10/connecting-the-dots-the-influence-of-buddhism-confucianism-and-taoism-on-traditional-taekwondo-by-master-doug-cook/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://jungdokwan-taekwondo.blogspot.com/2012/01/religion-and-taekwondo.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;), as well as karate, Shaolin gongfu, Muay Thai, taiji, bagua, and xingyi. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the Buddhist and Daoist view, the mind comprises two distinct components:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;emotional mind - produces emotions such as anger, sadness, jealousy and associated thoughts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;wisdom mind - directs intention&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Part of meditation training is to observe the thought process. Experiencing the emotion of anger often leads to thoughts such &quot;He/she is mean&quot;, &quot;it's not fair&quot;, and &quot;I should get back at them by xyz&quot;. This causation is not imperative; using your wisdom mind you can train your emotional mind to experience emotion independent of these thoughts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One way to start this process is to closed your eyes to reduce distractions and focus your intent (wisdom mind) on abdominal breathing that is quiet, relaxed, continuous, deep, and even. By focusing on breathing, you should notice that other thoughts enter your mind less frequently. Focusing thought on one thing (breathing) to prevent thoughts about many other things is colorfully referred to as &quot;distracting the monkey with a banana&quot;. Over sustained practice, you reduce distracted thought and can separate the experience of your emotions from the thoughts they normally trigger. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Young children express their emotions without inhibition. Most adults learn to suppress their responses to emotions (&quot;bottle up their emotions&quot;), but not necessarily to stop the formation of negative thoughts. Meditation training is supposed to train this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One goal of martial meditation training is to achieve &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushin_(mental_state)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;mushin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, a state of no-mindedness where thought is stopped. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mental illness, as described in your question (which does not include things like psychosis), can be viewed as a state where the emotional mind forms chains of uncontrolled, unproductive thoughts. These thoughts and resulting emotions may be debilitating, enervating, and lead to counterproductive behavior. A stimulus that most people consider unremarkable may trigger the memory and mental experience of trauma. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-10-24T15:48:53.663" LastActivityDate="2017-10-24T15:48:53.663" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7928" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7936" CreationDate="2017-10-21T14:27:39.817" Score="6" ViewCount="750" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've moved to a new location, and have started training with a new Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school. My previous school made absolutely no use of the word &quot;oss&quot;. It is, however, ubiquitous with my new school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At times, it is phrased as a question, &quot;Oss?&quot; To which we reply, &quot;Oss.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I realize it is a response, usually affirmative, or in agreement, basically meaning &quot;yes&quot;, but I suspect there is more to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I post a Jiu-Jitsu photo to Instagram, for example, some users will reply with &quot;oss&quot; indicating some show of support or camaraderie I presume.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems to be used for a variety of different reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have read the similar question / answer – &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6600/when-is-it-appropriate-to-respond-with-osu&quot;&gt;When is it appropriate to respond with osu?&lt;/a&gt; – but the OP's question is specifically about &lt;em&gt;when&lt;/em&gt; to say &quot;osu&quot; not &lt;em&gt;what&lt;/em&gt; &quot;oss&quot; means. None of the answers given to that post provide any citations or references for their answers, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/7077/7401&quot;&gt;only one specifically answers the OP's original question of &quot;when&quot;&lt;/a&gt; to say &quot;osu&quot;.  I presume &quot;osu&quot; to be an ancestor of the presently used &quot;oss&quot;. Or is &quot;oss&quot; some slang derivation?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the etymology and meaning of &quot;oss&quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7401" LastEditorUserId="7401" LastEditDate="2017-10-31T02:09:49.843" LastActivityDate="2017-10-31T02:09:49.843" Title="What is the etymology and meaning of Oss?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|jujutsu|japanese|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="13" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7930" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-10-22T18:58:30.127" Score="2" ViewCount="113" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm approaching my 1st Kyu grading for Shorinji Kempo.  But I'm having trouble with one of the essay topics.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know next to nothing about Shorinji Kempo Organizations within Japan yet I'm supposed to write a page long essay on them.  The only source book I can find is the Tokuhon.  The standard textbook for WSKO kenshi.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The organizations are as follows (straight from the Tokuhon)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;World Shorinji Kempo Organisation (this is the bit I belong to so&#xA;I know about this)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Foundation Shorinji Kempo Federation (like WSKO but japan only I think)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kongo Zen Sohonzan Shorinji (this is the religious organisation with the buzen monks)  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Zenrin Gakuen (a 'school' apparently possibly even something akin to a university, but I have no idea for what age group or what it teaches other than shorinji kempo)  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Shorinji Kempo Unity (this is the part that seems largely interested in intellectual property.  I know they brought and lost a law suit against the (defect) BSKF in the UK over IP.)  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example if I want to gain a Hokei (Philosophy) rank.  Which organisation would this be?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-10-23T09:03:58.950" LastActivityDate="2017-10-23T09:03:58.950" Title="What do the Shorinji Kempo Organisations do?" Tags="|philosophy|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7931" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7912" CreationDate="2017-10-23T00:38:30.843" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are not required to use a particular kind of protector, there are several different commercial ones available.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am partial to the Shock Doctor line, as they are both comfortable and effective. There are a couple different versions available. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/shock-doctor-adult-supporter-w-pocket-16skraspprtrwpcktspm/16skraspprtrwpcktspm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;There is one&lt;/a&gt; that is basically just a minimalist waist strap and holder:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/so6KH.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/so6KH.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The version that I prefer is a pair of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/shock-doctor-adult-core-comp-with-bioflex-cup-16skracrcmpwbfxcpspm/16skracrcmpwbfxcpspm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;compression shorts with the holder built in&lt;/a&gt;. I've used this exclusively for the past 6ish years with absolutely sterling results (Including some direct back kicks into the cup):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/b9Tju.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/b9Tju.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think either of these versions would suit, but if you don't like them there are many variants available online.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2017-10-23T00:38:30.843" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7932" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7935" CreationDate="2017-10-23T14:55:51.423" Score="0" ViewCount="188" Body="&lt;p&gt;What would prove more effective/efficient for a young kid to learn from a young age, 3-4 years old, and later on use in survival situations when they are still not fully grown, 10-15 years old. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for something that would be highly effective for young girls particularly, but of course boys as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3-4 would be the age they begin learning, not the age they will be fending off bullies or attackers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8709" LastEditorUserId="8709" LastEditDate="2017-10-23T19:32:42.470" LastActivityDate="2017-10-24T16:14:08.823" Title="What would prove better for a youth as self-defense" Tags="|krav-maga|jujutsu|gender|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2017-10-25T21:16:07.663" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7933" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7932" CreationDate="2017-10-23T18:59:14.037" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Nothing.  3-4 year olds do not take martial arts for self-defense.  Their mode of self-defense rests entirely in the hands of their care-takers - parents and teachers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same is probably true for that 10-15 year old crowd as well.  But these people can learn some self-defense which is practical, since it can be assumed they are not always under the watch of a parent or teacher: they can go out into the neighborhood and be by themselves.  The older ones, at least.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in this case, it isn't the style that's important - it's the instructor.  No sense determining the best style for your child, only to find out that the only instructor in a 100-mile radius of you is a boob.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, there are things that can be done to improve a child's chances for survival in self-defense, and it doesn't require a martial art or combat sport or self-defense clinic.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They should be taught at an early age about appropriate touches (so this goes to both sex abuse as well as aggressive physical contact - and everything in between).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They should be taught about the most effective weapons they have at their disposal - their voice - and how they can properly use it.  Not just to call attention to rid themselves of a batterer, a kidnapper, a sexual predator, or a bully; but also that voice should be used to contact a trusted person when they feel they've been violated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They should be taught to keep physically fit, so that in need to run away - or perhaps overpower someone - they might have the strength and/or stamina to do so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think a full contact sport can be helpful, as it might help them understand the experience they feel when adrenaline starts flowing, and to know what it feels like to get hit in the face or the stomach, and in a safe way.  Such can completely frighten a bullied child who has never been hit before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, I wouldn't label any of this &quot;self-defense&quot; or &quot;martial arts&quot; per se; rather, it is a development of a healthy lifestyle.  That lifestyle can make the difference between a child looking like a target (and therefore, inviting attack), and a child looking like maybe it's better to find another mark instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-10-23T18:59:14.037" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7934" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7928" CreationDate="2017-10-23T19:25:12.797" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;We don't use the phrase in my school, Karate or Aikido.  But I know of some who do; and not being a part of them, I admit ignorance on the subject.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, this article might be helpful:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.karatebyjesse.com/meaning-oss-osu-japanese/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The History &amp;amp; Origins of “Osu!”&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, it does discuss &quot;when&quot;, but it also discusses the etymology.  And there is the implication that there isn't a definitive source out there.  I like KarateByJesse and his articles; but he doesn't source this one, and so, you might want to take it with a grain of salt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-10-23T19:25:12.797" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7935" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7932" CreationDate="2017-10-24T01:56:55.760" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Age 3 is a little early, as children of that age do not yet have an inclination towards discipline, focus, etc. - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/caqdevelopment.asp&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;they are still learning the basics of socialization and behavior&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, once they get to 4 or 5 years of age, you might consider &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.gracieacademy.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Gracie Jiu-Jitsu&lt;/a&gt; if you have &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.gracieacademy.com/training_centers.asp&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;an academy nearby&lt;/a&gt;.  They have a highly developed curriculum called &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.gracieacademy.com/bully_proof.asp&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bullyproof&lt;/a&gt;, which is intended for children ages 5 - 13.  But 4 year-olds seem to be regularly admitted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Children up to 7 years of age, participate in a class called Little Champs: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The Little Champs program is for kids 5-7 years old (we offer private lessons for children ages 3-4). Using our time-tested “Gracie Games,” we teach the Little Champs basic self-defense techniques while instilling the foundational principles of leverage and control. The secret to the success of this program is that we make the lessons so fun that the kids beg for more! Once a child masters all ten Gracie Games, they advance to the Jr. Grapplers program.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Graduating from Little Champs, kids 8 years and up move into Junior Grapplers:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In the Jr. Grapplers program, we focus on 33 non-violent self-defense techniques that teach children to “neutralize and negotiate” with the bullies. Verbal assertiveness strategies are a major portion of this curriculum. A child needs absolutely no experience to start, and we guarantee a noticeable increase in your child’s confidence within a few weeks!  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As your daughter comes of age, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu also offers &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.gracieacademy.com/women_empowered.asp&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Women Empowered&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Women Empowered is the official Gracie self-defense program for women. In this 10-lesson program, we will teach you how to neutralize the 15 most common attacks ranging from having your hair grabbed to being pinned to the ground by a weapon-bearing assailant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is not concerned with competition, and has a bully / street defense focus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the competition side, our new home for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training is a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.lepribjj.com/associations/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lucas Lepri Association&lt;/a&gt; academy.  Their curriculum for children is not only applicable to bully / street defense, but also allows for a focus on sport oriented Jiu-Jitsu if desirable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They have &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.lepribjj.com/kids-martial-arts/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;classes for children&lt;/a&gt; 3 -5 (Little Champions), 6 - 9 (Junior Champions), and 10 - 13 (Junior Champions II).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To select a martial art for our son, we researched numerous styles (Shotokan Karate, Taekwondo, Mudo, Kung Fu, and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu), and attended classes in each. We ultimately settled on Jiu-Jitsu because of its nature and reputation for being the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jujutsu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;gentle art&lt;/a&gt;. Unlike Krav Maga and the other classes we attended, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, for the most part, is a &lt;em&gt;non-striking&lt;/em&gt; art. It relies on intelligence and leverage over brute force. It teaches techniques that instill options for de-escalating confrontations and avoiding harm to the adversary, which is prudent on the playground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My son, who is now 8, has attended the Jiu-Jitsu schools mentioned above, and has benefited tremendously from both disciplines in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7401" LastEditorUserId="7401" LastEditDate="2017-10-24T16:14:08.823" LastActivityDate="2017-10-24T16:14:08.823" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7936" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7928" CreationDate="2017-10-25T03:53:15.687" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Oss is...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Also known as&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Osu or Ossu (&lt;a href=&quot;http://gogen-allguide.com/o/ossu.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;オッス&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;The Meaning of Oss&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://gogen-allguide.com/o/ossu.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;good morning&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wikiwand.com/ja/%E6%8A%BC%E5%BF%8D&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;additional reference&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.attacktheback.com/what-does-oss-mean/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;persevering when pushed&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.minrec.org/wilson/pdfs/Language%20-%20The%20%27oss%27%20greeting.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;to push and to suffer&lt;/a&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.minrec.org/wilson/pdfs/Language%20-%20The%20%27oss%27%20greeting.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;to keep the faith&lt;/a&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.minrec.org/wilson/pdfs/Language%20-%20The%20%27oss%27%20greeting.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the equivalent of a warm-handshake&lt;/a&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.uskyokushin.com/osu.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;hello, yes, or I understand&lt;/a&gt;, (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bjjee.com/articles/the-meaning-of-oss-or-osu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;additional reference&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://the-martial-way.com/history-of-osu-oss/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a greeting used by young Bushi warriors of the Saga clan in the 18th and 19th centuries&lt;/a&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.uskyokushin.com/osu.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;acknowledging an opponent's good, hard technique, or, their skill&lt;/a&gt;, (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bjjee.com/articles/the-meaning-of-oss-or-osu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;additional reference&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.uskyokushin.com/osu.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the absolute and unfaltering devotion needed to &quot;scale the cliff&quot; of a martial art discipline&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;good job, rad, or kewl brah&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From Kyokushin Karate:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.uskyokushin.com/osu.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This strength of character develops in hard training and is known as Osu no Seishin 押忍の精神 (the Spirit of Osu).  The word Osu comes from Oshi Shinobu 押し忍ぶ, which means &quot;to persevere whilst being pushed&quot;.  It implies a willingness to push oneself to the limits of endurance, to persevere under any kind of pressure.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From Carlson Gracie's philosophy of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bjjee.com/articles/the-meaning-of-oss-or-osu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;In BJJ, Carslon Gracie introduced the use of the word “Oss” and it rightly fits the mentality of Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu: Brave, determined, strong, smashing. It’s a bit similar to the war cry “Hoo-ah” that you will hear U.S. Marines use.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;The Etymology of Oss, Osu, and Ossu&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Osaku&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://gogen-allguide.com/o/ossu.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;オッスは、戦前、京都にあった武道専門学校の生徒の間から生まれた言葉で、「おはようございます」の略。... 「おはようございます」が「おはよーっす」となり、「おわーす」「おす」と変化していった ... 挨拶として用いられる「オッス」は「おはようございます」が略されたものだが、&lt;/a&gt;:: &lt;em&gt;&quot;Osaku&quot; stands for &quot;Good morning&quot; in the words born among students of the martial arts vocational school which was in Kyoto before the war. ... &quot;Good morning&quot; was changed to &quot;Oh yeah,&quot; and it changed to &quot;Ohuu&quot; and &quot;Osu&quot;. ... &quot;Osu&quot; used as a greeting is the abbreviation of &quot;Good morning&quot;.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meaning, good morning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Osu-ni&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://gogen-allguide.com/o/ossu.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;その「おす」に、武道の精神である「自我を抑え我慢する」という意味の「押して忍ぶ」が当てられ、漢字では「押忍」と表記されるようになった。&lt;/a&gt;:: &lt;em&gt;To &quot;push and endure&quot; meaning &quot;to hold back the ego&quot; in the spirit of martial arts in which it was applied. In Kanji, it was written as &quot;Osu-ni&quot;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meaning, to push on and endure while also holding back the ego.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Oshi Shinobu&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.uskyokushin.com/osu.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;押し&lt;/a&gt; :: &lt;em&gt;Oshi meaning &quot;Push&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.uskyokushin.com/osu.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;忍ぶ&lt;/a&gt; :: &lt;em&gt;Shinobu  meaning &quot;to Endure&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.uskyokushin.com/osu.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;to persevere while being pushed&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meaning, patience, determination, and perseverance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Onegaishimasu&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bjjee.com/articles/the-meaning-of-oss-or-osu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;おねがいします&lt;/a&gt; :: &lt;em&gt;Onegaishimasu or Onegai Shimasu meaning &quot;Please&quot;&lt;/em&gt;, (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-the-difference-between-kudasai-and-onegaishimasu-3572604&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;additional reference&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meaning, a polite or honorific way of requesting something from another, of saying &quot;please&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Ohayossu, Ohayoosu, and Oossu&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From Jesse Enkamp of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.karatebyjesse.com&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Karate by Jesse&lt;/a&gt;, who quotes Dr. Mizutani Osamu&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.karatebyjesse.com/meaning-oss-osu-japanese/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;オハヨス&lt;/a&gt; :: &lt;em&gt;&quot;Ohayossu!”, “Ohayoosu!”, “Oossu!” meaning &quot;Hey ya!&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meaning, &quot;hey ya&quot;, by male runners in the midst of jogging, responding in rougher, masculine ways to Dr. Mizutani's greeting to them of &quot;Ohayo gozaimasu!&quot; (good morning).&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The term &lt;strong&gt;oss&lt;/strong&gt;, which is derived from &lt;strong&gt;osu&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;strong&gt;ossu&lt;/strong&gt;, has a variety of interpretations and meanings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there is a common essence shared among them all.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oss means having humility and an acknowledgement of respect for the person to whom it is being spoken.  It means to have a perspective of strength and perseverance towards a challenge that is being addressed, or, that is to be endured.  And in more general or colloquial contexts, it operates as an affirmative acknowledgment, a greeting, or a polite request.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;FEY, B.R., 1994, &lt;em&gt;To oss or not to oss: that is the question&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Dojo Magazine&lt;/em&gt;, Winter 1994, p. 80-81&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;Tsunetomo, Yamamoto, &lt;em&gt;Hagakure, The Book of the Samurai&lt;/em&gt;, ~ 1709-1716&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;These are general impressions from training, class, and, sigh, bro-jitsu experiences.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;Mizutani, Osamu, &lt;em&gt;Japanese: The Spoken Language in Japanese Life&lt;/em&gt;, Tokyo, Sotakusha, Inc., 1981, p. 59-60&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7401" LastEditorUserId="7401" LastEditDate="2017-10-27T00:10:27.300" LastActivityDate="2017-10-27T00:10:27.300" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7937" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5465" CreationDate="2017-10-26T01:21:24.163" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a late response. I am sure you have already made your choice by now, yet I am shedding light on recent events in my life which may help someone who comes across this thread...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I for one have been involved in martial arts politics. I trained a martial art that was riddled with it and I know of only a couple of places where there aren't as much politics and the instructors are honest people. In the end, I realized that my instructors were doing the wrong thing by their students, the federation and most of all, the art. They were dishonest people, wolves in sheep clothing.  I had started training a second martial art not long before I left, which was much more federated, and in the end, I ended up walking away from the previous martial art and sticking to the federated art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, anything you do in life, you will experience politics: religion, workplace, family... Even if you were to throw the towel in on all things martial arts and join a knitting or chess guild, you will experience the same thing. I left because I realized that the politics were holding the martial art back and only a handful of places in my country were practicing the art properly due to politics, agendas, power and money.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advise is this: If you are really enjoying the martial art you are practicing, try and find a federation or club that doesn't contain as much politics. If you are finding that the the art is riddled with it and you won't find anywhere to train that doesn't contain it, you have come to a crossroad. If the politics bother and aggravate you, to the point it is interfering with your life, it is best to move on. I made this decision, and in the long term, it has made my life simpler and I am really enjoying my training now. Hard questions I had to face:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it worth it? &#xA;Are you loosing sleep over it? &#xA;Do you feel down about it at times?&#xA;Do you feel like noone in the club wants to associate with you? &#xA;Are people leaving you out of training? &#xA;Do you feel that you are not a right fit for the culture? &#xA;Do you have different training goals?&#xA;Is it interfering with your personal relationships?&#xA;Is it interfering with your work?&#xA;Are you feeling negative toward your seniors - losing respect for them?&#xA;Do you find yourself arguing or discussing politics with those around you more than you actually train?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have four options at this point:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Continue training if you can grunt and bear the politics or ignore them altogether.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Move to a new dojo/gym or federation.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Take a leap and train a different martial art (This option, your experiences will allow you to pick the right place as you have seen and smelt bullshido previously).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Quit martial arts altogether.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing to do if you are considering this - get in touch with people who have left your gym/dojo or federation. See what their thoughts are on why they left and how you are feeling. They may provide clarification on some of your thoughts - it may help provide comfort on your decision, should you make it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyone reading this - all the best with your decision. I went through this personally and it was a tough road. The important thing, in my eyes - as long as you keep training, this is the important thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8713" LastEditorUserId="6654" LastEditDate="2017-10-27T19:45:20.777" LastActivityDate="2017-10-27T19:45:20.777" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7938" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4267" CreationDate="2017-10-30T16:11:21.467" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll give an answer from a completely different point of view.  A child who undergoes the stresses of joint locks are subject to the manifestations of injury as described in Bankuei's answer, I have no doubt.  But the injury to a child is not relegated to the child, and for different reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Children who engage in joint locks should be considered from both nage/tori point of view, as well as uke's point of view.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As nage, inexperienced children are at more risk of hurting (a minor) uke, because they are not experienced in the technique as well as recognizing when to stop.  I often see youngsters perform what they think they see, and overexaggerate the technique; they do it too fast, and don't recognize the signs given by uke to stop.  Either they don't recognize the sign at all, or they recognize it too late.  For this reason, I see many a martial art school - not just aikido, but other styles as well - have very young and/or inexperienced kids do many of the techniques with tegatana - an open hand.  Without the grip, there is virtually no chance of injury, since uke can slide out.  Of course, this changes the dynamics of the technique, often to the point it is not useful or practical.  But the exercise for these kids at this level is less about practicality, and more about the shape of the technique, an issue to deal with which is outside the scope of this question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On uke's side, children sometimes cannot exhibit pain: either they don't know how, or they don't react in time.  I have seen first hand an instructor bring a child into sankyo, and (accidentally) not realize the child bent over with tears streaming out of his eyes because he was too scared, too startled, or inexperienced to indicate he was in pain.  A child being held in kotegaishi can be more easily seen in pain from a facial grimmace than one who is in sankyo, due to the fact that they are  more or less facing each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, these aren't really medical considerations or studies, they are simply observations lending to the idea that children engaging in join locks and wrist bends should be watched with particular care.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, there is more.  When a child is injured - even if not noticeably so - they can have injuries show up later in an x-ray for an unrelated injury.  For example, a child sustains a minor spiral metaphyseal fracture because of a joint lock, sankyo, or kotegaishi in class last week might experience minor pain which might not even be reported, or might be mistaken from injury sustained from football or hockey that same afternoon.  Then this week, he falls off his bike (whether or not that fall is related to his fracture), and gets an x-ray which shows the other underlying injury.  Bike falls, hockey, and football don't usually exhibit spiral fractures, while child abuse often does.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now the parents have a lot of explaining to do - sometimes to child protection services.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes: an instructor who is not careful with his minor students can wrap his student's parents up in a child protective services investigation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some sources which may be of interest which describe fractures relating to child abuse.  Note they are somewhat graphic and unsettling to those not experienced with the subject, caveat lector:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.radiologyassistant.nl/en/p43c63c41ef792/diagnostic-imaging-in-child-abuse.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Diagnostic Imaging in Child Abuse:&#xA;Non Accidental Trauma&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.boneandjoint.org.uk/content/jbjsbr/75-B/6/849.full.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Fractures Caused by Child Abuse&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does this happen often?  No, not at all, or else the Surgeon General would be calling for a war on Aikido.  But this subject comes up from time to time as a defense when a case goes to a formal investigation and/or court.  Parents who are innocent and are accused of abuse in these cases must consider all of the activities their children have done which might have caused the injury.  It is not uncommon for horseplay among peers, sports, and martial arts to be blamed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, hopefully this isn't outside the scope or spirit of your question.  But the subject should cause people to think hard about the training their children get: the injuries their children can receive, the injuries their children can cause, and the (legal) injuries an injured child's parents can receive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said that, there are diseases classified for repetitive use injuries in children, seen here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00613&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Overuse Injuries in Children&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, you DID ask for studies.  In this article, the recommendations and articles are from none other than the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, hardly a group to challenge their recommendations for sources.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would venture that the US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes for Health falls under a similar category, although, they do source their articles:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4055241/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The child and adolescent athlete: a review of three potentially serious injuries&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3445246/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Peri-epiphyseal and Overuse Injuries in Adolescent Athletes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As in the AAOS and NIH, the concern here is harm in growth plates and growth spurt.  In both articles, the issue is of repetitive action, not the legal issues as mentioned before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess I'm throwing in this one for no other reason than to show that, while the content of the article has nothing to do with Aikido or joint locks, the implication is that with proper and repetitive training, injuries can actually be &lt;strong&gt;reduced&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2796946/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nine year longitudinal retrospective study of Taekwondo injuries&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2017-10-31T13:06:21.283" LastActivityDate="2017-10-31T13:06:21.283" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7939" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-10-31T01:57:39.077" Score="10" ViewCount="938" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Disclaimer:&lt;/strong&gt; this is a potentially subjective question, so I'm looking for answers to &quot;why&quot; with references.  What is your experience and historical understanding of the use of the word?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've moved to a new location, and have started training with a new Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school. My previous school made absolutely no use of the word &quot;Oss&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it is ubiquitous with my new school. At times, it is phrased as a question, &quot;Oss?&quot; To which we reply, &quot;Oss.&quot; We greet, thank, and bow to each other with the word.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, I realize it is an affirmative response, or sign of respect, but I presume there is more to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I post a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu photo to Instagram, for example, some users will reply with &quot;Oss!&quot;, which seems to be a show of support or camaraderie.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems to be used for a variety of different reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have read a &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6600/when-is-it-appropriate-to-respond-with-osu&quot;&gt;similar question on this forum&lt;/a&gt;, but this is in regard to &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;when&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &quot;Oss&quot; is used in &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Karate&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; (where &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.uskyokushin.com/osu.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the term seems to have deeper, ancestral roots&lt;/a&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;), but the answers have no references or citations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've done a fair amount of googling on the matter. There are numerous articles, and the most compelling ones that I've discovered describe &quot;Oss&quot; as etymologically meaning to &lt;strong&gt;push and endure&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://gogen-allguide.com/o/ossu.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;, to &lt;strong&gt;acknowledge with respect&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bjjee.com/articles/the-meaning-of-oss-or-osu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;, or to &lt;strong&gt;convey understanding&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.attacktheback.com/what-does-oss-mean/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;4&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;. There are many other meanings associated with &quot;Oss&quot; that are less relevant to this question, such as &lt;strong&gt;abbreviated expressions of good morning, oh yeah&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://gogen-allguide.com/o/ossu.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;5&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;, or &lt;strong&gt;hey ya&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.karatebyjesse.com/meaning-oss-osu-japanese/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;6&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;7&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bjjee.com/articles/the-meaning-of-oss-or-osu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Eastern Europe BJJ claims&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In BJJ, Carslon Gracie introduced the use of the word “OSS” and it rightly fits the mentality of Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu: Brave, determined, strong, smashing. It’s a bit similar to the war cry “Hoorah” that you will hear US marines use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...but they have no reference or citation. And &lt;a href=&quot;https://mymmanews.com/what-does-oss-mean-in-regards-to-bjj/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;My MMA News&lt;/a&gt; makes similar, unreferenced claims.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school I began with neither bows nor uses the word &quot;Oss&quot;, and I previously regarded the word as superfluous and corny. But in my new school, it is absolutely part of the culture, and I fully respect that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if we're talking about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I am compelled to ask whether or not Helio Gracie ever used that word? &lt;a href=&quot;http://bjjgreg.com/oss-in-brazilian-jiu-jitsu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This article seems to indicate absolutely not&lt;/a&gt;.  But again, no references, other than hearsay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That article talks about &quot;Oss&quot; being a recent evolution, as opposed to a long-standing, rooted tradition in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This is interesting, because it is similar to the pop-interpretation found in the article at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.karatebyjesse.com/meaning-oss-osu-japanese/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Karate by Jesse&lt;/a&gt;.  And yet, a well-regarded champion's school has an article that claims that it is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.lepribjj.com/oss/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;synonymous with BJJ itself&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there was some clear lineage of its use in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, that would be pretty cool and understandable, but I'm at a loss to find it.  In my opinion, and from my experience, it seems to have been glommed onto the art with a bit of whim, and then became widely used thereafter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can anyone give a compelling, historical reason why &quot;Oss&quot; should be used in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;FEY, B.R., 1994, &lt;em&gt;To oss or not to oss: that is the question&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Dojo Magazine&lt;/em&gt;, Winter 1994, p. 80-81&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;7&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;Mizutani, Osamu, &lt;em&gt;Japanese: The Spoken Language in Japanese Life&lt;/em&gt;, Tokyo, Sotakusha, Inc., 1981, p. 59-60&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7401" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-05-12T14:51:10.033" LastActivityDate="2020-08-02T13:50:28.660" Title="Why should &quot;Oss&quot; be used in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|history|jujutsu|japanese|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7940" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4515" CreationDate="2017-11-01T14:36:16.210" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been hitting a heavy bag for 40 yrs aside of the fact getting my palms punched by many fighters, It comes with the sport, just remember always swing in a upward motion,that is everyone's best punch. Last a 3-4 day resting period is needed along with ice compress to the wrist, For novice throw more punches with less power is most important. build stamina most important.!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8726" LastActivityDate="2017-11-01T14:36:16.210" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7942" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1764" CreationDate="2017-11-05T19:51:26.023" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;After 6 years of training my 11 year old is taking a 24 hour jr black belt test finishing today.  It involves a 10 mile run, 30 plus katas including long forms 2 and 4.   hours of sparring, ju jitsu.  writing papers, and giving a professional like presentation of their skills.   I have seen kids taking what looks like a test on youtube and they look asleep. That is not this dojo.   There are two girls (out of six kids) taking this test who are 11.  Most are 13.  Both 11 year olds have won national (not just local) tournaments in sparring (although mine usually comes out 2nd to the other (the particularly aggressive and talented daughter of the studio owner)   In other words, some studios use junior black belt as an economic plus for the studio and a minor challenge and just another kid's belt for the student. Other's don't.    The thing I am most proud of is that when she was five she promised to get her junior black belt.  And, for the last 6 years I never had to once make her go to the lessons and she went 4 to 7 days per week up to 10 hours and taught the 5 year olds when she got her first brown belt last year.  The belt is less as important as the commitment and the ability to show the world your word means something.  Karate is life.  Physical, mental, and ethical.   I know when my 11 year old says something, she means it and more importantly, she knows that too.  The belts mean very little in comparison.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8736" LastActivityDate="2017-11-05T19:51:26.023" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7943" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2017-11-06T15:39:25.433" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2017-11-06T15:39:25.433" LastActivityDate="2017-11-06T15:39:25.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7944" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2017-11-06T15:39:25.433" Score="0" Body="This is a special tag that is designed to be used only by the system for questions that have had all of their other tags removed. Do not add this tag to existing questions, it is reserved for use by the system to identify posts with no valid tags." OwnerUserId="7808" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2017-11-24T16:47:40.173" LastActivityDate="2017-11-24T16:47:40.173" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7945" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4379" CreationDate="2017-11-06T22:38:42.267" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial arts is about the journey itself, not so much the end goal. Taking on martial arts is like taking on a pet. There are specific pets that would suit someones lifestyle. There are also specific martial arts that would suit specific lifestyles. Questions you must assess:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is your body conditioned enough to take on martial arts that are heavier on the body? For example, I wouldn't recommend a 50 year old to take on Judo or Wrestling.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is there a specific subset of a martial art that you prefer?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What is your time and schedule like? For example, MMA training would require more time as you are learning various styles combined, therefore you must dedicate more time.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are there any injuries that you currently have which may prevent you from doing harder martial arts like MMA, Judo, Wrestling etc?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do you have a wife, family, kids and mortgage etc? If so, the thought of MMA competition and training may be a daunting thought as you begin training - people have jobs to go to, families to support and mortgages to pay. It doesn't help taking sick days because you banged your leg up or you have dislocated ribs (YES - these things can happen, it is a slight chance but the chance is still there).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do you have a job where you are client facing? If so, going to work looking banged up may not be a good look and your manager may not be happy with this.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you look at most of the MMA fighters or greats, they all have a base art they trained. Once they had done their time with this base art and built their foundation, they moved toward the MMA spectrum. Generally speaking, they fall underneath two categories - they are either strikers or grapplers.&#xA;Striking = the art of attack with limbs. &#xA;Grappling = the art of attack with any form of a seize or hold (Grappling is defined as when anyone grabs or grips someone - standup or on the ground).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ronda Rousey was a world class Judoka (Grappling) who completed at the Olympics. Holly Holm was a world class kick boxer and boxer (striking) who was a world class amateur kickboxing champion and professional boxing champion. These are only two examples, but there is always a base and that base is required to understand the basics of combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is simple to say - if you focus on one martial art instead of a mix, you will be more proficient in that field, and more effective. You will easily achieve all three (3) objectives. Most martial arts offer entry level competition and if you find the right gym, you will easily be in shape for this. I would also add - you &lt;strong&gt;NEED&lt;/strong&gt; to train where they focus and dedicate time to sparring. If they do not or the sparring is always very soft, I would recommend you find somewhere else to train, unless your body is not capable of training in a sparring focused gym - a lighter style of martial arts training is better than no martial arts training :|&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would recommend this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pick four different martial arts to do a trial lesson in different gyms - two &#xA;striking and two grappling over a span of two (2) weeks.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Post trial lessons, assess how your body is and assess if you liked what you learnt - maybe keep a journal as to what you learnt, &#xA;how you felt, how you flowed with it all and how you felt the next&lt;br&gt;&#xA;day.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Post trial lessons, take a few days off and assess what your preference is for training:&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Did you feel as though you preferred one form of martial art as opposed to the other (striking or grappling) ?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Did you find yourself more fluent in one martial art more than the other?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Did you find your body struggled with one martial art more than another?(Be careful with this - you may feel tired for days doing any martial art for a first time).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you did like both forms of martial arts, can you see yourself dedicating more time to MMA which will allow you to develop an understanding of all forms?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Did you feel as though you were totally disinterested in one form as opposed to the other? (e.g. someone may not not like ground work so they would opt out to focus on BJJ and focus on Muay Thai/boxing/kickboxing instead).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have done the above, you will easily be able to assess this and decide on your path for training. Good luck, all the best and to anyone reading this, all the best with your decision making. I wish you every success in your martial arts training :) I am happy to answer any questions should anyone have any.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8713" LastEditorUserId="8713" LastEditDate="2017-11-07T21:24:01.233" LastActivityDate="2017-11-07T21:24:01.233" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7947" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5726" CreationDate="2017-11-09T00:29:55.153" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;when you put your mouth guard in hot water it becomes pliable in the inside and then you just shape it to your gums or dentures, i suggest not wearing dentures because any impact can drive the sharp edges (I have partial bridges) into your gums and it REALLY hurts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8747" LastActivityDate="2017-11-09T00:29:55.153" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7948" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-11-09T21:23:57.957" Score="3" ViewCount="291" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although this sounds absurd at first, there is a well known legend about the 12th Century samurai Satō Tadanobu beating back assassins with a &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_equipment#Board&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;goban&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  In the legend, he is said to have subsequently committed seppuku, which implies the board was an effective weapon.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm assuming 12th century game boards had more weight and solidity than modern, mass-produced boards, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyamoto_Musashi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Musashi Miyamoto&lt;/a&gt; is pretty outspoken on the point that a swordsman doesn't need a sword to kill enemies.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chinese styles often incorporate &quot;gimmick&quot; weapons, probably to kindle interest in the arts, but also to make the point that anything can be a weapon.  (Jackie Chan was a leading exemplar of &quot;bench form&quot;, using a wooden bench as an effective weapon, in various films across his career.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-08-06T19:55:37.327" LastActivityDate="2021-05-03T22:13:26.200" Title="Are there any martial forms that utilize game boards as weapons?" Tags="|weapons|japanese|samurai|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7949" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7901" CreationDate="2017-11-09T22:11:18.733" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are several good answers here.  I'll only add that there are specific names practitoners call other practitioners &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;depending on relationship&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Very commonly utilized are the terms:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Si Hing ( 師兄) Elder kung fu brother&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Si Jie (師姐) Elder kung fu sister&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;because all schools have longer-term, more advanced students who help teach the newer students.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If one is lucky, one also gains exposure to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Si Baak (師伯) Master’s elder kung fu brother/sister&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Si Suk (師叔) Master’s younger kung fu brother/sister&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many kung fu films involve the disciple seeking out their kung fu uncle or aunt for additional teaching. This can be extraordinarily valuable in getting a fuller picture of the art, particularly in regard to a certain style through existing relationships.  (As an example, the founder of Bagua taught each of his disciples different things, based on their aptitudes, inclinations and body types.  This is not at all uncommon.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can find a full list of martial relationship terms here: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.moyyee.com/about/kung-fu-terminology/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.moyyee.com/about/kung-fu-terminology/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding &quot;Sifu&quot;, when addressing one's own teacher, one uses that term independently, or &quot;Sifu [Name]&quot;.  When addressing a master from another school, one reverses it: &quot;[Name] Sifu&quot;.  It's also fairly common for non-students to call any master &quot;sifu&quot; to show respect for their skill and/or reputation. In the same way, one can call a student from a different school &quot;Si Hing&quot; or &quot;Si Jeh&quot; to acknowledge the greater experience of that student. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although there are uncountable schools (and famous rivalries) in the Chinese system, all practitoners are considered to be part of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/jiang_hu&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;jiānghú&lt;/a&gt; (江湖) or  &quot;gallant fraternity&quot;.  It's important to understand these terms in the context of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuxia&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;wuxia&lt;/a&gt; and of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Margin&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Water Magin&lt;/a&gt;, one of the four great classical novels, in particular.  (In the Water Margin, aka &quot;Outlaws of the Marsh&quot;, the heroes are forced into outlawry, but are nevertheless virtuous.  This idea was strongly reinforced by &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Jinglin&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Li Jinglin&lt;/a&gt; (&quot;Miracle Sword Lee&quot;) in the preface to &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Major_Methods_of_Wudang_Sword.html?id=uP1ZnSTsVCEC&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Major Methods of Wudang Sword&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, and is heavily emphasized in contemporary mythologization of martial heroes, most notably &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wong_Fei-hung&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wong Fei-Hung&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially, all practitoners are part of one big family, and the familial nature of the terms referenced here is a reflection of that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2017-11-09T22:32:49.353" LastActivityDate="2017-11-09T22:32:49.353" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7954" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7957" CreationDate="2017-11-18T19:56:09.707" Score="4" ViewCount="248" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am just starting out some sword and buckler courses. It has been emphasised, that the bind lets you sense the opponent's attacks and protect against them. Consequently, I have been advised to &quot;bind early&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is what I have no clue about.  How is the bind achieved? Do both duelists approach with their swords pointed at each other's heads? Or is it a result concurrent strikes? If so, are those strikes aimed at actual targets (head, neck) or are they &quot;defensive&quot; strikes to claim the center?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="485" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-11-20T15:31:21.133" LastActivityDate="2017-11-21T16:15:50.350" Title="When to bind in european sword &amp; buckler?" Tags="|sword|historic-european|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7957" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7954" CreationDate="2017-11-20T14:57:02.227" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Roland Warzecha has quite a bit to say on the subject. You should consider looking through his website and YouTube channel.*&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dimicator.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Dimicator Medieval Swordplay&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnXjzhYu7VgA-R3XVpT2XTQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Roland Warzecha on YouTube&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;His research and experimentation has concluded that the bind is the foundational principle to sword and buckler combat theory. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*Disclosure: I am in no way connected to Roland Warzecha, or his HEMA school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: The way that a bind is initiated is entirely dependent on the combatants and the circumstances. Two fighters used to fighting from the bind may both approach to measure and immediately initiate a blade bind. However, when fighting against an opponent who is not skilled in use of the bind and/or prefers a more percussive/aggressive style, one may need to initiate a bind from an offensive (e.g. a covering blow) or defensive (e.g. parry or envelopment) technique. Once the bind is initiated, control of the opponents weapon can in fact be more tactically important than covering the centre (YMMV).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastEditorUserId="6178" LastEditDate="2017-11-21T16:15:50.350" LastActivityDate="2017-11-21T16:15:50.350" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7958" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5742" CreationDate="2017-11-20T21:09:13.117" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Brazilian Jiu Jitsu no question about it.&#xA;It allows people to submit their opponents with minimal effort (that is if you can get them to the ground - which almost always happens in a fight)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: Ok let me elaborate on my answer. If you look at any other martial art it requires plenty of strength and or size advantage. Been doing MMA for a few years now and wrestled all throughout school. Here are a few popular martial arts and why they won't benefit a smaller woman like op.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;boxing = chances are if you're fighting a bigger opponent, their punching power is going to be a lot greater than yours. In a real situation you rarely jab your way out of a fight  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;wrestling = requires a lot of strength, conditioning and athletic agility&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;judo = allows you to use your opponent's weight/momentum against them but they don't teach anything in regards to defending strikes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;aikido = a lot of aikido moves only work in the movies, which is why it is not a practiced martial art in MMA&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;karate = this is mostly for sport and will not subdue an attacker unless you aim for the groin or something like that  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is not perfect by any means but it allows smaller/skinnier opponents to have an advantage over their larger opponents. By being smaller you can be more nimble in the ground game and if you're bony then your submissions tend to be more effective (you don't cramp up when applying triangles or going for mission control). They also teach you to close distance and how to fight from disadvantaged positions such as bottom guard or bottom mount. It also teaches you the reality of fighting - its not like karate or aikido where a lot of moves are preplanned (ok grab my arm THIS way...) and doesn't account for a lot of real life situations.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;This is in no way disrespect to any other martial art (in fact I prefer wrestling) but if you are small and not very strong I would recommend Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - and if you can, add Judo to your training so you can learn to take your opponent down with more ease!!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8767" LastEditorUserId="8767" LastEditDate="2017-11-21T17:37:39.490" LastActivityDate="2017-11-21T17:37:39.490" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7959" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4558" CreationDate="2017-11-22T06:54:56.723" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What I guess I'm saying is, what approaches to people take in aikido to training with bigger, stronger partners who sometimes don't want to cooperate?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's two separate issues here: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;With techniques involving leverage and balance some will not work from various angles or with extreme differences in size. They Just Won't Work. Part of your study is to learn which ones these are and NOT USE THEM in a critical situation. If you're a tall guy fighting a short person and you're doing something that requires you to get under them you're going to have a LOT harder time than if you were shorter than them. The converse is also true--as you note. However many of these can be made better with some changes in your movement. This however requires an engaged Uke. Which leads us to 2:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some People Are Dicks. They aren't in the dojo to get better, they're there to win fights. And every time you work a technique with them it's a fight. The first thing to try is to talk to them--explain that you don't &lt;em&gt;know&lt;/em&gt; the technique yet and need their assistance in getting better. Next, ask your instructor what to do. Maybe they can either some answer, or they can talk to the class about what being an Uke &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(gets up on soapbox)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being an Uke is not being a participant in a fight, it is not being the Opposition Force. It is another aspect of being a student, it is where you learn how the technique manipulates the body. Where (if any) the holes are and how to cover them. It's also how you learn when you've &quot;lost&quot; so that you can do something (e.g. roll out, whatever) to mitigate it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I do is try to regulate my &quot;resistance&quot; with my partner's level of experience. Last month in one class we were working on a specific shoulder lock. One of the guys I trained with is a cop that is...he doesn't mind fighting. He'd rather you didn't, but if you want to, well, that's ok. Well, he's &lt;em&gt;good&lt;/em&gt; at this stuff. He does joint/arm locks &lt;em&gt;professionally&lt;/em&gt;. He gets ZERO slack from me. I'm not going to actively fight him because I like my joints, but I'm also not going to give him one stinking millimeter. He's got to &quot;make&quot; it work, including the subtle little stuff (to the extent I know it. He's better than me). By doing this I help &lt;em&gt;HIM&lt;/em&gt; Get better, and it helps me learn those little subtle things. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of the other people in my class seem to never even seen violence on TV. They aren't nearly as good, so when I work with them I won't make them be as perfect. With them I focus on the main ideas and then as they &quot;get it&quot; I work with them on the smaller and smaller stuff getting a little harder to move as they learn--so they have to refine their technique over time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6460" LastActivityDate="2017-11-22T06:54:56.723" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7960" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-11-24T09:08:21.977" Score="5" ViewCount="814" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the Shodokan Aikido goshin-no-kata, there is a technique (the 24th one) where uke's steps with the tanto in both hands and draws it. Tori grabs uke's left hand and executes a tenkai-kote-hineri. Here is video of &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/KFAFG8azMaI?t=197&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Abe-san and Sakai-san demonstrating it&lt;/a&gt;, as part of the whole kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tOVyBm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tOVyBm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;A tanto&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The tanto is suppose to be one where the scabbard and handle look the same -- see above image. By holding onto it with one hand at one edge, the target cannot clearly see if the handle is in one's right or left hand thus giving the attacker an edge when drawing and either stabbing or slashing. Apparently, this knife type and attack are common practice with the Yakuza.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this weapon and attack common practice with the Yakuza? Was it ever? If so, is the attack practised correctly?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want evidence of that either from personal experience (at either end) or verifiable records such as police, medical, or in written form from (non-fiction) yakuza literature. Anecdotes and speculations are of no interest whatsoever.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-11-27T15:13:41.397" LastActivityDate="2017-11-27T15:13:41.397" Title="Accuracy and historical veracity of goshi-no-kata knife attack: Yakuza link?" Tags="|aikido|history|japanese|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7961" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="127" CreationDate="2017-11-25T20:40:43.420" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my opinion as a martial artist. maybe Weights would increase your punching and kicking power but would lower your speed, so think it like this is strength more important than speed ? With speed you can dodge or block any attack and you wont be to damaged and you can make an attack perfectly , but you would attack with less strength. With strength you are applbet be unblockeblo and you can defeat someone with one punch, but he can dodge you easily and hit you easily. Now that we know the advantages of both. What you think is better strength or speed ?.weights could be used for train your speed and strength at the same time by having weights in your hands and foots, and try to punch and kick with then as fast as you can. In that case you have a balance between both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8776" LastActivityDate="2017-11-25T20:40:43.420" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7962" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-11-27T06:15:16.573" Score="1" ViewCount="299" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm about 100 lbs (45 kg), small frame. No weight training experience.&#xA;I'm very skinny, but in my previous discipline that allowed me to be the fastest in the studio. My weight has always stayed in the 90-115 lbs (41-52 kg) range with or without regular workouts&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have about 12 years experience in Tae Kwon Do, before I left my organization I was a 3rd Degree L4 black belt. Like the title says I want to focus on effective self defense for a small person. We did practice a bit of self defense and BJJ but nothing outside of the basics. We were also partnered with Hyper Martial Arts and I was in that for about a year, before I left. I'm interested in Krav Maga and Aikido. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Something that can be effective against stuff like &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hair grabbing (my hair is down to my lower back) would be ideal.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;fend off multiple attackers once mastered&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;fend single attackers armed with any variety of weapons like a gun or knife&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would also prefer something I can learn on my own but it's not a necessity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like to learn something to protect myself in a place like lower Manhattan. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also would like to add at my old studio we did train to defend against knives but not in depth, only how to disarm from a basic lunge. I'd like to learn how to use and defend against a knife. My daily carry will be a &lt;a href=&quot;https://duckduckgo.com/?q=karambit&amp;amp;t=ffab&amp;amp;ia=web&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;karambit&lt;/a&gt; once I have the funds to get a nice one&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8779" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2017-11-29T09:05:26.967" LastActivityDate="2018-05-09T22:23:23.587" Title="I'm curious about learning a new discipline for self defense" Tags="|training|self-defense|self-training|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7964" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7962" CreationDate="2017-11-27T14:15:14.527" Score="2" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Self defence&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/self-defense.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;no nonsense self defence&lt;/a&gt; would be a good place for you to visit and read. It has many good advise on keeping safe, most of them are easy to learn and apply. Some require a little preparation, thought, and understanding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.zombielandrules.com/zombieland-rule-1-cardio/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Rule 1: cardio&lt;/a&gt; will get you much further than you think. It is really hard to fight if one is running faster and longer than their attackers. Instead of wasting time learning a new martial art, start running. If you have nothing in your wallet/purse that you cannot replace within 24 hours, drop it and run. If not, remove all items that you cannot replace within 24 hours: none of them belong in your wallet/purse. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, do look up statistics about muggings and assaults where you are. Those are freely available from your LEO and/or city hall and/or national databases. You will probably find that your chances of getting attacked are much less than you think. The &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41178903&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Crime calculator: Find your personal risk of being a victim&lt;/a&gt; for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Martial arts&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;No martial art will protect you against all weapons and eventuality and anyone telling you different is selling something.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/martialarts.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;But martial arts help, right?&lt;/a&gt; … Yes, they do by giving you more confidence (thus reducing your risk of being pick out as a valid target) and give you some understanding of what it is to be in a fight -- if you ever spare. You already are a third dan (so you know, can do, and understand the basics) and any other art is unlikely to help much beyond that. you already have that card in your deck. Adding Aikido or Krav Maga or BullshitDo is not going to give you more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You fight like you train. If you want to survive street violence, you are going to have to face it -- even if only in lots and lots of training situations. Look at the statistics you found above and ask yourself if this is a good way to spend your time?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before choosing an art, chose a teacher. I have seen Aikido dojo that train in mythical manure and some that train active police and army. Same style, utterly different training regimes. The same is true of any art whatsoever: teacher comes first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Carrying a knife…&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;⚠ I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV and this is not legal advise!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, carrying a knife to use as a weapon in self defence is unlikely to help in any way, shape, or form:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A knife will always escalate the situation, not diffuse it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Any fighting which occurs afterwards will result in potentially fatal injuries. This could lead to either civil or criminal prosecution where you will be the accused, potentially answering murder with premeditation charges.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Whatever happens, LEO will not be amused at you carrying a lethal weapon and may well shoot you just in case.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More details &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/knifefighting.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Anecdote time:&lt;/em&gt; I always remember (&lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0671750402&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;source&lt;/a&gt;) the words of a guy arrested for fatally stabbing his brother in law over a crab stick: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;All he had to do was back down… All he had to do was back down…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2017-11-27T14:15:14.527" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7965" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7967" CreationDate="2017-11-27T15:56:23.093" Score="2" ViewCount="176" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Story&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;Some time ago, A man approached me on the street and asked to use my smartphone. I made suggestions to first go indoors somewhere but he kept insisting. For some reason I relented and just gave him my phone. Then while pretending to make a call, he slowly started moving to a nearby forest. I followed him there. Just before he entered the forest, I asked for my phone back. He kept moving saying things like his friend is waiting there. When he entered the forest, I repeatedly demanded my phone back, he refused. After several attempt at talk, I gave up and left. I did not want to fight. This was mainly due to my naive nature and helpful character.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Question&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;How do I effectively snatch back my phone from the hands of a thief? And if possible, can you provide a link to a video on how to do it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8781" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2017-11-27T16:10:01.800" LastActivityDate="2017-11-28T13:22:54.470" Title="How to retrieve phone from thief?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7966" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="7968" CreationDate="2017-11-28T05:41:47.047" Score="1" ViewCount="166" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does the length of your arms affect the power of an elbow strike? I was trying to work out if a longer arm would give more leverage to the blow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8127" LastActivityDate="2017-11-28T21:00:11.623" Title="Does Arm Length Affect Elbow Strike Power?" Tags="|power|striking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7967" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7965" CreationDate="2017-11-28T13:22:54.470" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Clearly, the right thing to do is to either ask for the number and call it yourself or ask for collaterals such as credit card and driver's license. However, by the time they have your phone, it is too late. You can and probably did brick the phone soon afterwards giving the criminal nothing of value. Your insurance will probably cover the lose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You did the right thing in not following the confidence trickster into the forest. Nothing good would have happened there. Your phone is not worth getting stabbed over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could have reached and grabbed the confidence trickster's arm (just above the elbow is a good place) and used that to control their movement and if necessary use the arm to pin them. However, these moves are not trivial and by then you are in a fight with someone who is a criminal and possibly armed. In addition, they can have backup in the forest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Punching, kicking, or otherwise attacking the confidence trickster could potentially land you in trouble with the law for assault. I would be wary of anyone advising such actions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2017-11-28T13:22:54.470" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7968" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7966" CreationDate="2017-11-28T21:00:11.623" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a quote by John Von Neumann: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;With four parameters I can fit an elephant, and with five I can make him wiggle his trunk.&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Arm length is going to be just one of many variables (parameters) in the equation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A longer, rigid arm moved through an arc is going to allow more speed, and given the same mass is going to hit with more energy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since most elbow &lt;em&gt;strikes&lt;/em&gt; (that I can think of) are arcs, then yes a longer arm (more specifically the upper arm/humerus bone) will apply more force. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But really you're not talking about much of a difference. The average length of that bone (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reference.com/science/average-length-humerus-bone-fb4ebf4c289dff34#&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.reference.com/science/average-length-humerus-bone-fb4ebf4c289dff34#&lt;/a&gt;) is 14.4 inches, and is (see link) alleged to be constant relative to height. So you're really not going to see a big difference in &quot;normal&quot; people. Whatever they are. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, technique (timing, hip rotation, angle) and raw strength will cause MUCH more variation and that's where you find your elephant (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.johndcook.com/blog/2011/06/21/how-to-fit-an-elephant/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.johndcook.com/blog/2011/06/21/how-to-fit-an-elephant/&lt;/a&gt;) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6460" LastActivityDate="2017-11-28T21:00:11.623" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7969" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-11-29T15:11:29.263" Score="4" ViewCount="468" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm looking to learn specific techniques that can be used in a variety of self-defense situations, but generally are &quot;relatively safe&quot; on your opponent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not sure if I have to justify myself on this website (first post), but I'll try to briefly explain my reasoning. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll preface with: First preference is to de-escalate / talk your way out of a situation. Second preference is to run. If both fail, or aren't ideal, then fighting becomes an option. This is just my opinion. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to avoid strikes because they can be very harmful. I want to avoid ground-grappling as a main focus (I'll probably have to learn it enough to stay off the ground), because in worst-case-scenarios I don't want to be sitting on top of someone while his friends stomp me. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had a quick look at what Aikido had to offer, but as far as I can tell it was all reactionary, and required bizarre situations (such as your opponent grabbing your wrists and holding onto them). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am a big fan of blood chokes. I have successfully performed some Judo throws. I've trained in some wrist locks. I can throw a variety of strikes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I fully understand that each technique has a level of risk involved. What I mean by &quot;relatively safe&quot; is that certain techniques have a much higher risk to the opponent. Dropping someone on their head, especially on hard surfaces in a self-defense situation, is going to be much more harmful than a simple leg sweep. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll also note, that I'm more talking about general self-defense where you don't feel your life is in mortal danger. Maybe a friend or family member is out of control. Maybe it's a drunk guy wanting to fight. Maybe you need to restrain someone as a security guard / police officer. If I feel my life is in danger, I'm not going to care if I harm my attacker, because survival comes first. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've generally got Judo, Sambo, Wrestling, Systema, BJJ in mind (but I've never physically studied any of them), and similar systems. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I fully acknowledge that I am not an expert, and I humbly request advice on which techniques fit my description. For reference, I like the look of &quot;Tani Otoshi&quot; and &quot;Uki Goshi&quot;, because they're simple and not the harshest of throws (still  dangerous though, definitely). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a big topic, and if anyone knows a database of techniques that I can watch examples of to pick my favorites, that would be awesome. I feel if I train Judo, for example, there's some awesome technique from another art I'll be missing out on. Right now Judo is my default. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8800" LastActivityDate="2017-12-02T09:43:58.527" Title="Relatively safe standing throw/grapple/manipulation techniques?" Tags="|self-defense|recommendation|safety|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7970" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7969" CreationDate="2017-11-29T20:12:35.680" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stand up grappling is dominated by wrestling and judo. Both disciplines are tried and true in MMA, the closest simulation we have to a real fight. You can't really go wrong with either one! Now for the &quot;bad&quot; parts of both, and specific techniques to focus on:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main issue with judo is the reliance on gi grips. The gi is supposed to simulate clothing, but having to rely on someone wearing something worth grabbing onto is poor practice, in my opinion. There are plenty of nogi judo techniques as well, but wrestling really shines through as all the techniques work in gi or nogi. &lt;em&gt;The specific technique to focus on:&lt;/em&gt; &lt;strong&gt;A hip toss with an underhook (O Goshi) is the bread and butter of simple judo throws.&lt;/strong&gt; Works from just about any tie up position, even if they have a headlock. It's also nogi! Just know that when you're full force throwing someone that doesn't know how to break fall, they're probably going to break their arm, or something else trying to catch themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main issue with wrestling is it's hard. Really hard. You're going to suck for a long time. Judo is difficult as well, but even a novice can grasp a hip toss in a short period of time. There are no wrestling techniques that come easily to an untrained person. Even the highest level fighters seek out wrestling coaches to constantly tweak their wrestling game. &lt;em&gt;The specific technique to focus on:&lt;/em&gt; &lt;strong&gt;A double leg takedown is an extremely safe wrestling takedown.&lt;/strong&gt; Similar to a football tackle, your opponent goes down hard, and you stay on top. Know that you can do some serious damage with a double leg alone. Fights have ended due to KO because of powerful double legs. Know your surroundings. Don't go to jail for murder because you got dumb and double legged a guy into a cement curb.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And one last technique suggestion that has a place in wrestling, judo, BJJ, and I'm sure many others: &lt;strong&gt;The arm drag!&lt;/strong&gt; The arm drag allows you to quickly take your opponents back. From there you can work your throws, takedowns, and submissions. It's an extremely powerful technique, and can be executed from most standup positions (as well as guard positions on the ground).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based on what you want out of training, and the time it takes to become proficient, &lt;strong&gt;I suggest focusing on Judo. You will get more out of the martial art in less time. If you really want to go all in, go to an MMA gym and learn wrestling and BJJ.&lt;/strong&gt; That duo will allow any mid level practitioner to beat even a high level striker in a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To briefly cover the others you listed, Sambo is excellent, but not as widespread. Good luck finding a place to train. Systema and Aikido have never proven to be effective in fighting, and the self defense techniques are painfully hypothetical. It &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; work on a random untrained drunk, but the goal is to be able to also hold your own against athletic or trained opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as with every self defense situation, the best technique is to avoid a fight all together!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2017-11-29T21:59:23.657" LastActivityDate="2017-11-29T21:59:23.657" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7971" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7969" CreationDate="2017-11-30T22:33:09.270" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Normally questions asking for lists of techniques should get closed as being too broad, but the answer for this question does not require a list; you have already identified huge sources of &quot;relatively safe&quot; techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo is designed around the idea of practicing &quot;relatively safe&quot; techniques. Practice should mutually benefit both partners, and practice that causes frequent injury is obviously not mutually beneficial. In practice, you use mats for safety and you protect the head of the person being thrown by steering them to land on their back, and ideally only on one side of their back to protect the spine. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each judo student is exposed to many throws over time, and selects a few throws for specialization according to their own affinities and strengths. Everyone finds some techniques come more naturally, while others are difficult to execute or even comprehend. These may also change over time for the same person. The founder of judo specialized in uki goshi, but you will find few practitioners who specialize in this today. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/techjudo/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Judoinfo.com&lt;/a&gt; is great reference for judo descriptions, articles and video. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo disagree about what is &quot;relatively safe&quot;, for example with leg locks, but the basic technique set and culture of safety are the same. If you prefer an emphasis on standing, judo is probably a better choice because BJJ tends to specialize in groundwork. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would characterize wrestling as being focused on power first, and technical skill second. Leg shots are taught first because throws are considered advanced. But wrestling techniques are also &quot;relatively safe&quot;; people compete with them with force. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chokes are not very effective when standing. The chance of success increases by at least an order of magnitude if you can immobilize the opponent first, which is most easily done by controlling on the ground. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-11-30T22:33:09.270" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7972" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4890" CreationDate="2017-12-01T01:35:56.810" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know this is an old question but I wanted to add my two cents because it's the only place I've seen describe a problem that is extremely similar to what I experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I too have an index finger where the middle knuckle sticks out. I think mine sticks out more than the average person, especially on my left hand which I think is the result of spraining it playing football as a kid more times than I can remember.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The differences between mine and your issues are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I don't do bare-knuckle, I wrap my hands and wear boxing gloves.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I am not scraping my middle knuckle. For me, the problem is that after about 5 months of training any medium-force punch or higher feels like my raw bone is hitting concrete.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Evaluation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After evaluating my technique and reading the posts and answers on here I think there are two things that are contributing to this issue:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I realized that I don't make a super tight fist under the gloves, essentially bad form. I try to make it a point to maintain good form but squeezing my hand into a tight fist wasn't on the list of things I focused on.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The bag I punch is really heavy and really hard. Heaviest and hardest in the gym that I go to actually. Originally I liked it because I could transition from soft to hard punches without having the bag swing around on me but I think my bad fist form has caught up with me.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Solution&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that being said, two things should solve this problem:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Focus on making a proper fist. Like you said, I don't think it is possible (at least not for everyone) to make a perfect 90° fist but really focusing on tightening it as much as you can should help.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Switch up to punching a lighter bag. Obviously, you probably won't be able to wail on it but that's probably a good thing since it will force you to focus on your technique. And technique is king.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hopefully, this helps anyone else who may come across this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8828" LastActivityDate="2017-12-01T01:35:56.810" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7973" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7969" CreationDate="2017-12-01T08:50:28.250" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Provided you found a suitable dojo&lt;/em&gt;, Aikido &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; be a good choice. Most, if not all techniques, do rely on joint manipulations to either throw or control an attacker. Training against multiple attackers is part of the training. Some styles do train against resisting opponents, others consider it heresy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it will take some years to use effectively and many dojos do teach a very soft style, or down right rubbish in some cases, which might not be for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, I trained and train with police officers, prison wardens, body guards, and members of the military which all have successfully used Aikido in the field as part of their job. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senshusei_course&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yoshinkan senshusei course&lt;/a&gt; trains member of the Tokyo riot police. Nariyama (head of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.shodokanaikido.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Shodokan hombu&lt;/a&gt;) teaches the Osaka police. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ_ThadpEw0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tsuchiya&lt;/a&gt; (head of Shodokan France) is a professional body guard. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both other current answers (&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/7970/82&quot;&gt;coinbird's&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/7971/82&quot;&gt;mattm's&lt;/a&gt;) do an excellent job of advocating Judo and BJJ. Thus, I will not repeat their arguments here. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might be interested in reading &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/tomiki2/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;On Modern Jujutsu by Kenji Tomiki&lt;/a&gt; which details how Judo and Aikido developed from traditional Jujutsu techniques. Those were passed down as unarmed fighting techniques from a time of civil war. How &quot;pure&quot; those are is a matter of debate. Nonetheless, it might help you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido, Judo, Sambo, Wrestling, Systema, MMA, and BJJ are all good styles, with their good and bad points. Whatever the style, you &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;must find the right teacher for you&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. I would suggest looking at the places around where you live, try each one (if you can), and then pick the one that you liked the best. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/martialarts.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;reading the martial art section of no nonsense self defence&lt;/a&gt; is a good idea™.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In more humoristic way, check out what &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxrd1I7wmE2chwpoqD4DSTA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Master Ken&lt;/a&gt; has to say about &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdQc79oBNgI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Aikido&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7VjFcb3JV8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;BJJ&lt;/a&gt; for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-12-01T11:46:22.413" LastActivityDate="2017-12-01T11:46:22.413" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7974" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7969" CreationDate="2017-12-01T15:38:08.500" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll sum up the advantages and disadvantages to a few styles with respect to your preferences.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Judo:&lt;/strong&gt; This has a lot of techniques where people are prone to fall very heavily, but some of the techniques are safe to perform on hard surfaces. It is usually easier to use judo methods if the opponent is clothed as the gi is often used as a handhold.   It is an Olympic sport so it's easy to find a teacher of this.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jujitsu:&lt;/strong&gt; (traditional japanese) there are many different styles of japanese jujitsu these tend to teach the Judo type throws in some form or another as well as wrist locks.  Wrist locks are not used in competition but can be quite effective outside and are much safer for the person being thrown than a judo type throw or sweep.  There are plenty of Jujitsu dojo's around but the styles are not all the same so assessing the teacher for yourself is important.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aikido:&lt;/strong&gt;  Aikido is essentially a specialised jujitsu style but deserves it's own mention because of the focus on wrist and arm manipulation.  Depending on the school this may teach you a method that is safer for the attacker.  Don't be put off by the focus on wrist grabs at early levels.  These are as much for teaching purposes as techniques to be used 'as is'.  Aikido has several schools each headed by a different one or group of the founder's students.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chi Na:&lt;/strong&gt;  This is a Chinese grappling system usually taught alongside other kung fu moves.  Chi Na is very much based on applying wrist and fine joint manipulation hard and quickly.  The damage this causes is likely to be permanent for the attacker but unlikely to be life threatening (broken fingers are a possibility for example).  Chi Na teachers are fairly hard to find and as there is no governing organisation for the Chinese styles it's also hard to determine the pedigree or ability of a teacher.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shorinji Kempo:&lt;/strong&gt; This is a (japanese) style based on a mixture of japanese Jujitsu and Chi Na.  It has a focus on combining light strikes (often referred to as distractions)  with wrist, hand, and sometimes finger manipulation.  Also worth mentioning is the principle of Kagite Shuho where your elbows are anchored to your hip for the duration of a technique to allow the power of the hip movements to be added to a wrist lock.  I have yet to see this method used in any other style.  This style teaches not to change your grip on the opponent at any point during a technique which is also unusual.  Shorinji Kempo is largely governed by the World Shorinji Kempo Organisation (WSKO) however due to the questionable internal politics of this organisation splinter groups exist in many countries.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wrestling:&lt;/strong&gt; This is a western style with two types of competition in the Olympics (Greko Roman and Freestyle) so finding an instructor shouldn't be hard.  The focus here is on largely strength based methods from what I have seen.  Takedowns are often based on physically lifting the opponent's leg or even their whole body.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Brazilian Jujitsu:&lt;/strong&gt;  This is a largely groundwork based style with take-downs more akin to wrestling then judo.  Often favoured entrants to UFC type competitions probably because they compete almost naked (so judo type throws are less useful) and wear gloves that extend to the wrist (so wrist and hand manipulations are harder).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Systema/Krav Maga:&lt;/strong&gt;  I put these together not because they share a lineage but because they have a lot in common in terms of outlook and methodology.  These a military methods often focused on bringing a holstered firearm or bladed weapon to bear.  They include strikes to make distance, escapes from grabs and disarming techniques for use in an emergency.  As these were intended for battlefield use rather than use by civilians they have to be adapted for use in countries where firearms are not legal to carry. So far as I can tell they are not particularly coherent in that what you might learn from one teacher may be very different to what you might learn from another.  Worth noting that as these are for military to use they take much less time to learn as their methods are specifically designed to be intuitive.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kali/Escrima:&lt;/strong&gt; These are weapon based styles, but some of the disarms they teach involve joint manipulation so it does contain grappling elements.  They tend to focus on the fine joint manipulation from what I have seen.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Karate:&lt;/strong&gt;  Though many people consider Karate to be a purely striking style it DOES have grappling techniques hidden within many of the Kata.  If the application of these techniques is taught in a dojo (they call this Bunkai) then it can be a very well rounded style.  However as most of the grappling techniques are basically Jujitsu based this probably isn't the fastest way to learn these methods.  Karate has many dojo's but again as it is only loosely governed by it Olympic organisation many of these will not teach Bunkai and some will focus entirely on strikes.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I havn't mentioned Sambo here.  I don't know a huge amount about it, but I think it's another competition sport with rules similar to BJJ and Wrestling.  Perhaps someone would like to inform me on this.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="6503" LastEditDate="2017-12-02T09:43:58.527" LastActivityDate="2017-12-02T09:43:58.527" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7976" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7386" CreationDate="2017-12-04T19:03:10.333" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know from personal experience, but I did have the opportunity to ask several high-ranking Aikido-ka.  Two admitted never having heard of the practice, three others are aware of the practice but do not ask their students to perform it.  Of them all, they offered several guesses for explanation, and this is what they offered:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It is purely a pedagogical tool: keeps the student focused about their entire self and surroundings.  Giving the student yet another thing to do forces them to become self aware.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Discipline.  They admit this reason is a cop-out, but it is a reason for some, they suppose:  Do it so that everyone is doing it, so you should too.  Just because.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Uniformity.  This, to me, is another useless example, as many modern students, particularly westerners who are not used to kneeling, cannot perform this position well, and so, crossing legs is about all some can do.  Once one student is allowed an alternate way to sit in seiza, there goes the uniformity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;When in seiza, you are supposed to be relaxed and focused on your inner self and thoughts - a spiritual moment of sorts.  Toes crossing (he did not say which over the other) touches a healing meridian which enables one to ignore pain and injury that might have been sustained during practice, or before coming to the dojo.  This sensei is well-versed in accupuncture, accupressure, and tuite, and so I take him at his word.  But having found this explanation the most interesting to me, I researched and could find no example of a meridian anywhere near the vicinity of toes crossing that has any healing or relaxing effects.  Maybe others can offer more detail here?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;One offered what I thought a humorous guess, although his demeanor suggested he was dead serious: Children are often like Gumby, and when sitting, can sit between their knees and feet.  Such is dangerous, as someone could kick or trip over their feet, thus injuring either the sitting or tripping person.  I looked at his students, and none sat in this manner, but none sat with toes crossed, either.  I guess such are like stories we teach children, like registering the hands as weapons, belts touching the floor, and the meanings of the colors of the belt.  As children grow into adults, these stories never leave them, and so as they grow into martial artists with influence over others these stories grow to become legend, and legend becomes myth, and finally myth becomes the law of the dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am a lefty.  I tried to SiS crossing left-over-right, and then right-over-left.  I found it painful - even momentarily - to sit left over right; the feeling was a charlie horse in the left foot and calf.  When I shifted to the other way, it was similarly uncomfortable - although tolerable.  For me, this lends to the idea that there may be a meridian point in the foot.  However, any thoughts of spiritualism got completely tossed away while dealing with the charlie horse.  lol&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It should be noted that the practice of SiS has both spiritual and physical beneficial properties.  Sitting with legs crossed, for example, can cause the back to slouch - injuring posture.  SiS allows one to get up out of position much faster than sitting in other fashions.  It also allows the dantien to remain compact and humble in spirit.  Of course there is the religious aspect - subservience to deity (Buddha) and/or to the dojo.  As such, like a tea ceremony, there are a myriad symbolisms to every part of the act of SiS, and you are likely to get different reasonable reasons from different people about any aspect of it, including the toes crossing, and all depending on their spiritual influences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2019-07-06T14:09:35.463" LastActivityDate="2019-07-06T14:09:35.463" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7977" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-12-05T05:00:30.950" Score="0" ViewCount="1328" Body="&lt;p&gt;The country I am living in only has 2 good teachers who taught kungfu and several for Martial arts. But I am more interested in Chinese lifestyle type martial arts like Tai Chi or Wing Chun. Can I learn any of the mentioned two just by myself, watching tutorial? Or I should wait until I can go to a country where I can find a mentor who taught these? Or is there a better way&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8288" LastActivityDate="2017-12-05T05:54:30.757" Title="Can Martial Arts be learned alone?" Tags="|self-training|wing-chun|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2017-12-05T14:21:58.037" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7978" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7977" CreationDate="2017-12-05T05:54:30.757" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am not an expert, but I think this is the general answer to expect: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can learn techniques, and understand concepts, just by watching videos or trying things out for yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The issue is, if you practice with poor form (you're not throwing punches the correct way, or moving the right way, or using the right muscles), it is much harder to unlearn bad technique than it is to learn good technique from the beginning. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice to you, or to anyone who doesn't have martial arts gyms nearby, or has bad teachers, is to learn proper stretches, learn concepts, and learn ways of training your body, and work on fitness and flexibility first. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is a risk to practice techniques using videos. It may turn out fine, but you may end up performing the techniques poorly, and without quality guidance to correct your mistakes, you could set yourself up to have to completely unlearn the technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: Also, it would help to know why you want to learn specifically Wing Chun and Tai Chi. If you just want to learn Tai Chi as an exercise tool, and not as a self-defense martial art, it should be fine to learn it alone. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My comment is more aimed at fighting arts, which are used for self-defense or competition. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8800" LastActivityDate="2017-12-05T05:54:30.757" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7979" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7386" CreationDate="2017-12-06T04:23:19.963" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;At my dojo, I have yet to be instructed as to toe overlap, I would assume you would want to sit on both feet besides each other, not overlapped, with your buttocks tucked in behind your heels.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would assume that you would shift slowly to some toes over lapping because peoples feet can get sore. but I imagine not having the extra stimulus from your feet being over top of you and you being balanced level on a symmetrical position would help you focus more on the instructor who is trying to teach you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8903" LastActivityDate="2017-12-06T04:23:19.963" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7980" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7962" CreationDate="2017-12-06T04:34:44.893" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You will want to do some kind of grappling martial art that involves take downs, submissions and pins. To compliment the striking understanding you already have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would also suggest sparring with people who are from different martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would also suggest going to the gym three times a week and to the sauna four times a week and taking cold showers. Basic things like practical strength, stamina, endurance, and your bodies ability to fight off inflamation and direct blood flow are essential in any fight. By engaging all the muscles and getting heat shock and cold shock proteins, you be able to have your body cooperate better and absorb more damage, and repair it self over time easier.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8903" LastActivityDate="2017-12-06T04:34:44.893" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7981" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-12-06T19:43:33.313" Score="3" ViewCount="160" Body="&lt;p&gt;Recently my karate teacher told us to find out the name of the position (or it might have been the &lt;em&gt;act&lt;/em&gt; of retracting your leg after a kick - I can't remember) when you retract your leg after a kick. For example after a front kick (&lt;em&gt;mae geri&lt;/em&gt;), you kick and then you retract your leg before going back in your stance. He gave us a hint : it starts with the letter &lt;strong&gt;w&lt;/strong&gt; (in japanese)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8909" LastActivityDate="2019-09-20T23:58:46.550" Title="What is the name of the postition with the leg retracted (in japanese)?" Tags="|karate|kicking|stance|terminology|japanese|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7982" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7981" CreationDate="2017-12-07T14:23:58.410" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%BC%95%E3%81%8F&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;引き&lt;/a&gt; /hiki/ meaning &quot;pulling; drawing back&quot; might fit, though it doesn't begin with &lt;em&gt;w&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-11T12:45:58.303" LastActivityDate="2019-09-11T12:45:58.303" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7983" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1520" CreationDate="2017-12-07T16:42:35.400" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jujutsu#Etymology&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;Ju-jutsu&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt; and &amp;quot;jiu-jitsu&amp;quot; are different romanizations of the same Japanese word(s) 柔術. This is analogous to how we have both &amp;quot;Qur'an&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;Koran&amp;quot; from the Arabic الْقُرْآن‎.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;柔術 was &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_kana_orthography&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;historically&lt;/a&gt; spelled じうじゆつ with hiragana.&lt;sup&gt;1 2&lt;/sup&gt; Individually these characters are &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanization_of_Japanese&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;transliterated&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;じ&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;う&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;じ&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;ゆ&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;つ&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;ji&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;u&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;ji&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;yu&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;tsu&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;but when occurring together, some of these characters represent different sounds (similar to how &lt;em&gt;ch&lt;/em&gt; represents a different sound from &lt;em&gt;c&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;h&lt;/em&gt;):&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;じう&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;じゆ&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;つ&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;jū&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;ju&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;tsu&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Due to such ambiguities, and that in the early 20th century there were multiple competing romanization standards for Japanese, multiple spelling variants emerged. Since this was contemporary with the early spread of the art in Europe and the Americas, multiple orthographies have stuck around with &lt;em&gt;Ju-jitsu&lt;/em&gt; remaining a common spelling in some countries (e.g. France, Canada, the UK, the US) and &lt;em&gt;Jiu-jitsu&lt;/em&gt; in others (e.g. Germany, Brazil).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As such, some languages/countries maintain a difference in spelling between classical &lt;em&gt;jujutsu&lt;/em&gt;, and Brazilian &lt;em&gt;jiu-jitsu&lt;/em&gt; (where one spelling was a later adoption), e.g. France (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fjjt.eu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;ju-jutsu traditionnel&lt;/a&gt; vs. &lt;a href=&quot;https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiu-jitsu_br%C3%A9silien&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;jiu-jitsu brésilien&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Japanese syllabary - a phonetic based writing system.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In modern hiragana (adopted 1946) this is spelled じゅうじゅつ.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Using the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepburn_romanization&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hepburn romanization&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Japanese Stack Exchange:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/69084/was-%E8%A1%93-as-in-%E6%9F%94%E8%A1%93-ever-pronounced-jitsu&quot;&gt;Was 術 (as in 柔術) ever pronounced jitsu?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/sup&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-05-09T21:30:18.680" LastActivityDate="2022-05-09T21:30:18.680" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="7986" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-12-09T09:21:18.767" Score="6" ViewCount="531" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've recently began Krav Maga training and the center that I go to has a highly acclaimed instructor who is also friendly and patient. I love the art and believe it teaches very practical skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it is hit-and-miss with the other students and these are the people I have to practice with. Many times, my training partner just barely goes through the motions and to put it bluntly, is very &quot;wimpy.&quot; I do not like this because it doesn't seem realistic to me at all for how a real fight might be and it even changes muscle-memory when one trains in a weak way. In fact, watching the Israelis on YouTube doesn't seem like they would approve of this at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also tried a boxing gym and while they don't teach as many techniques for dealing with weapons and realistic street situations, the aggression and &quot;physical factor&quot; is definitely much higher which I like and I do feel that is necessary for actual self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This has to be a common issue. What are some ways to resolve the issue of getting your training partner to become more aggressive during training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8912" LastActivityDate="2018-04-09T16:20:17.480" Title="How can I get my training partners to be more aggressive?" Tags="|sparring|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7987" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7986" CreationDate="2017-12-09T16:41:24.387" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;re, Recently&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're new.  You're supposed to go easy until the instructor is confident you aren't a hothead and aren't going to hurt his other students.   However, with the &quot;wimpy&quot; students, while much depends on the culture of the gym, you could just ask them to go through with more realism.  Or, you could approach the instructor, and mention your concerns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;re: Aggression and physical factor; wimpy&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know what a lot of people mean when they use this phrase, but not everyone.  You should qualify what you mean.  Because often when people use this phrase, they're looking for the &quot;fully resisting&quot; opponent, and that can be just as unrealistic as a &quot;fully compliant&quot; opponent.  On the flip side, &quot;wimpy&quot; is also subjective, and doesn't really tell us what you are truly experiencing.  Sometimes when an opponent appears to be &quot;wimpy&quot; , that is just them waiting for the right moment for you to apply your &quot;resistance&quot;, in order to reverse you.  That is a common defensive strategy, but all of these adjectives you're using are very subjective, and without qualifying what you experience, it's hard to objectively understand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;re: Aggression and &quot;physical factor&quot; again&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be careful here, you need to train more and think less.  Aggression leads to fatigue and execution of techniques which will land you in jail, or, at the least, allow your opponent to &quot;up the ante&quot; and respond to your aggression.  If you were hammering on for points, that'd be one thing.  In self-defense, you need to preserve your stamina, and focus on being anywhere in the world except where you're at.  If you can leave, but you feel that being aggressive is the better option, you are no longer in a self-defense situation.  Indeed: your adversary now has the legal edge.  Your goal in self-defense is survival, not winning.  If your goal is to be better than the other guy over machismo, perhaps boxing or some such is better for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;re, Isralis&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're in the US, get used to the training not being like it is in Israel.  Much of what is in the US is not like what it is abroad.  And what is often offered for civilians is not what is offered to soldiers and LEO.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;re: Boxing&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a sport, it's not meant for self-defense.  In no boxing ring do they teach for weapons, multiple partners, and a great deal many other things.  Sport is not meant for self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;re: Youtube&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is not the end-all-be-all place.  Many times, what you see is a showcase of the best of the best.  You should not expect to be at that level at this stage of your training.  Trying to get there too soon will cost you in technique, so don't rush it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;re: Common issue&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, this is common.  But while you're looking for aggression and physical factor, you need to remember that there's also technique, balance, breathing, self-awareness, environmental awareness, and a host of other things you can be working on - even with &quot;wimpy&quot; opponents.  If your opponent is truly not pulling his or her weight, and it's not about skill (or lack therein), then your best action would be to work with your instructor.  Your instructor, if he's any good, will likely know your opponents are wimpy and would have been trying to fix that.  That being the case, don't bother the instructor with this, it's already being dealt with.  If it's not the case (that the wimpy students are being worked on) then it means that the instructor isn't doing his job.  As you are new there, it would take awhile for you to discern the difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is also common for students to compare their instruction to what they see on YouTube.  Don't buy into this!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is also common for new students to be very gung-ho about their training, and to be disappointed because of expectations aren't met.  Yet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2017-12-09T16:41:24.387" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7988" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7986" CreationDate="2017-12-10T04:33:45.207" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Go to an mma gym. Start sparring. Get your ego checked. If you want to learn about knife fighting, find an mma gym which does arnis too&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8913" LastActivityDate="2017-12-10T04:33:45.207" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7990" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="192" CreationDate="2017-12-11T05:02:17.710" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Happens to me a lot, &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The solution is to shorten the distance for the kick to hit with ankle rather than toes, to fully open your hips so that your foot hit the target flat instead of sideways. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8916" LastActivityDate="2017-12-11T05:02:17.710" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7991" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-12-12T10:03:19.243" Score="-1" ViewCount="153" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was injured last August in my taekwondo training. My foot was casted because there has been a little crack on my 2nd-3rd metatarsal and it was taken off last September. I really REALLY want to train again, but I'm still afraid and nervous. I'm stretching here at home and still taking vitamins for the bones. When do I get to train again? (it's my 4th month since the injury) :(&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8920" LastEditorUserId="8920" LastEditDate="2017-12-20T04:08:44.110" LastActivityDate="2017-12-20T04:08:44.110" Title="taekwondo injury" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|injury|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2017-12-13T07:53:22.140" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7994" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7991" CreationDate="2017-12-12T15:42:22.343" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Without getting into the medical issues, I can offer some ideas for you to do while you are on the mend.  How you achieve &quot;on the mend&quot; is out of scope for this site (medical advice), but what you can do &lt;strong&gt;while&lt;/strong&gt;, rather then &lt;strong&gt;for&lt;/strong&gt;, being on the mend is a very different thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some things you can do:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Be a patient, and be patient&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Read:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Like a textbook or encyclopedia about your style (see links)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;From authors writing about your style (eg, Sang Kim, Dr Kyu Hung Lee)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;About other styles (eg Dr Jwing Ming Yang)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;About healing methods and injury avoidance&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;About stretching (eg, Tom Kurz)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Other (&quot;The Way of Kata&quot; (Kane, Wilder); Sun Tzu; others)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watch:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;8&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Videos on forms and applications (Iain Abernethy, John Burke)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Competitive-grade performance for board breaking and forms, maybe you can get ideas on using their technique?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Research:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;10&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Meaning of advancement in your style&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Terms and phrases in Taekwondo&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;12&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learn basic Korean&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ask the instructor how you might help the dojang while you are on the mend&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck, and feel better!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1594390584&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Way of Kata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/8973367501&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kukkiwon Taekwondo Textbook (Korean-English)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B00POFH6BC&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Complete Taekwondo Poomsae: The Official Taegeuk, Palgwae and Black Belt Forms of Taekwondo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1594392943&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tai Chi Chuan Martial Power: Advanced Yang Style&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1594392692&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Simple Qigong Exercises for Health: Improve Your Health in 10 to 20 Minutes a Day&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stadion.com&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sports Training Info for Serious Athletes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2017-12-12T15:54:26.083" LastActivityDate="2017-12-12T15:54:26.083" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7995" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-12-13T08:48:31.957" Score="-1" ViewCount="184" Body="&lt;p&gt;A former Judoka (over 15 years' experience) in my JJ class throws by yanking and pounding.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is contrary to what I have read about Judo, have seen in videos with Kyuzo Mifune, and have been taught in JJ kata.  We are first taught the main technical elements: distance, timing, balance, frame.  In throws, we first let gravity do all the work.  Strikes, breaks, and forcefully planting a thrown uke into the ground are added later.  But our new student seems capable of throwing only by yanking and planting, and I am not sure he knows anything different is possible.  Is this an exception or a standard situation?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8922" LastEditorUserId="8922" LastEditDate="2017-12-13T09:26:07.480" LastActivityDate="2017-12-13T14:03:05.803" Title="Are Judoka generally taught yanking and pounding the uke into the ground, as opposed to technique and flow?" Tags="|technique|judo|strength|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2017-12-13T19:16:57.340" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7997" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7995" CreationDate="2017-12-13T14:03:05.803" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's not clear what you mean by yank, pound, and plant, so I will try to illustrate what is expected. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/dAkTChZi7WA?t=1m02s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This is video of Kosei Inoue, a world and Olympic champion and the current Japan national team coach, demonstrating uchi mata.&lt;/a&gt; There is a strong, sharp pull on the sleeve arm. Inoue uses an upward and in pull with the hand on the lapel. The throw is forceful and results in uke striking the mat, which produces a reverberating sound. Uke is not able to roll out of this fall. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAhNZ6387sk&amp;amp;t=5s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This is Mark Huizinga, an Olympic champion, demonstrating several throws at speed.&lt;/a&gt; The strong pulls, quick entry, body contact, and throw impact are expected for a high-level competitor. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo throws are analyzed in three parts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kuzushi (off-balancing) Position uke's body to restrict their movement and ability to resist and apply force. This is done with some combination of the hands and arms, sometimes blending into the body movement of tsukuri:&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tsukuri (entry) Body control and speed are emphasized to position tori's body to be able to complete the throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kake (finish) Throw uke with speed, force, and control largely onto uke's back. One way you show throw control is planting all of uke's mass on the ground at the same time while still supporting the fall by pulling up on an arm to prevent uke's head and spine from impacting the ground directly. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo uses the phrase &quot;maximum efficiency, minimum effort&quot;. Kuzushi is used so that you can use your force effectively, but your opponent cannot. In this way you can defeat someone physically stronger. This does not mean, however, that you do not apply force. Once you understand how to efficiently apply force, you then apply your force. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The modern sporting aspect of judo usually leads to an emphasis on winning competitions, then perhaps polishing of technique afterward. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kyuzo Mifune was an exceptional technician. By accounts, he was able to defeat basically everyone despite being small with slight build. He is an exception, and not the normal case. His level of skill is aspirational, but cannot be expected. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-12-13T14:03:05.803" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="7999" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4404" CreationDate="2017-12-14T14:20:07.147" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I used to dance and my teacher was very wise about stretching; it relieves soreness so that you can still move around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try stretching each limb for 30 seconds each either standing up or sitting down. When sitting down you can increase your flexibility by touching your toes, taking deep breathes while keeping your neck close to your chest. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I stretch before and right after my work outs and although my boxing session has left me very sore I feel a bit better because I stretched.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8928" LastActivityDate="2017-12-14T14:20:07.147" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8000" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-12-16T09:22:14.303" Score="3" ViewCount="154" Body="&lt;p&gt;By shortsword, I mean ~40-80cm overall length (closer to 50-75cm). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Examples include &quot;butterfly swords&quot;, &quot;wakizashi&quot;, &quot;gladius&quot;, and similar weapons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Particularly, I am interested in the &quot;model 1832 foot artillery sword&quot;, and similarly-shaped weapons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the best sources for learning this type of shortsword, or options for other shortsword styles?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8800" LastActivityDate="2017-12-28T19:06:40.880" Title="Are there any shortsword treatises/sources?" Tags="|sword|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8001" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8008" CreationDate="2017-12-17T09:33:59.767" Score="7" ViewCount="541" Body="&lt;p&gt;In most Chinese sword forms, the sword is held in the left hand and the right hand is held in a position (剑指 in Chinese, not sure if an English translation exists) that looks like this:   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Xe3wus.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Xe3wus.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;hand with two fingers extended illustrating the hand position in question&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have found that the right hand movements are just as, if not more complicated than the left hand. I understand that this is mainly for stability but is that really all there is to it? The movements seem too complicated for stability to be the only purpose.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8392" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2017-12-18T14:00:33.790" LastActivityDate="2019-07-13T18:44:31.743" Title="Purpose of non-sword hand movements" Tags="|sword|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8002" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-12-17T11:37:06.867" Score="1" ViewCount="1000" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm mostly talking about street self-defense, and your ears and eyes, I figure if they went for your mouth you clamp down.&#xA;Edit: I should have been more clear, sorry, I meant from within the clinch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8935" LastEditorUserId="8935" LastEditDate="2017-12-18T20:33:53.380" LastActivityDate="2017-12-20T17:34:48.760" Title="How to defend against fish-hooking?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8003" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8002" CreationDate="2017-12-17T15:27:07.793" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Defending against fish hooks is not different from defending other strikes; you prevent an opponent from touching your head with their hands. You can block with your hands, move your head, move your body, use footwork, or simply attack first. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-12-17T15:27:07.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8004" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1384" CreationDate="2017-12-17T17:42:34.180" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a black belt in taekwondo right now, and I've not been injured once. People who go to tournaments face higher risks. Mostly, those risks include kicks and punches to the face. I haven't seen any people get major injuries and the people who get injured most are olympic-class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user8937" LastActivityDate="2017-12-17T17:42:34.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8005" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7689" CreationDate="2017-12-17T17:52:33.413" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been in taekwondo for close to seven years now and we have the front kick (ap chagi) and the side kick (yeop chagi). We also have a kick called a thrusting kick, which is kind of a combination of the push kick and front kick. We don't have a variant of the side kick except step-behind side kick (used of breaking boards, mainly).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both clubs I have went to don't have the push side kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user8937" LastActivityDate="2017-12-17T17:52:33.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8006" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="376" CreationDate="2017-12-17T17:55:45.160" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A good idea that's been suggested by my trainers is to keep moving. Side shifts are a good idea along with staying in close. Their legs would also be longer than yours, so staying in close will make it harder for them to kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user8937" LastActivityDate="2017-12-17T17:55:45.160" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8007" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8002" CreationDate="2017-12-18T10:03:15.617" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Adding onto mattm's answer, there is no single way to defend against a basic attack. Street self defence is serious, which means there is no referee/coach there to tell you which techniques are allowed and which aren't. Everything you do will be heavily dependent on the situation and personal ability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How close is your attacker?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How strong is your attacker? Will you be able to block the attack?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How much movement space do you have? Are you cornered or free to run away?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Does your attacker have a weapon?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do you have anything that can be used as a weapon?   &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;etc etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that being said, fish hooking is a close range technique that requires both arms. Since both your attacker's arms would be occupied, there's a pretty good chance you'd be able to land the classic kick-in-the-groin-and-run. (Is that taboo here? I haven't been around for very long)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8392" LastActivityDate="2017-12-18T10:03:15.617" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8008" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8001" CreationDate="2017-12-18T13:35:19.107" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://goo.gl/T1tZB7&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chinese Swordsmanship&lt;/a&gt;, by Scott Rodell refers to that hand position as &quot;sword talisman&quot;.  The  illustrations of the sword talisman used for strikes.  (Mr. Rodell has an &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.grtc.org/about/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;international reputation as a scholar of Chinese swordsmanship&lt;/a&gt;. Obligatory self disclosure; I am a student of his student) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Aside from its overall function of balancing the jian's movement, the sword talisman is employed to strike whenever a duifange moves inside one's jian length.  It is also used as a brake or measure to prevent one's movement from carrying too far and overriding the target when executing a thrust or other long, powerful movement. And it is used to join with the sword arm to re-enforce it during deflecting movements. &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://goo.gl/T1tZB7&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chinese Swordsmanship, Rodell, pg 31&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2017-12-18T14:07:26.443" LastActivityDate="2017-12-18T14:07:26.443" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8009" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-12-18T15:35:06.413" Score="8" ViewCount="954" Body="&lt;p&gt;I’m relatively new on the martial arts scene, but I’ve enjoyed learning judo, wrestling, pretty much anything involving grappling, in stand-up or on the ground. Being sort of small (5’9” and 145 lbs.) compared to the majority of 6’ and up practitioners I’ve found in the gyms and dojos, it raises this question for me. I understand that some throws are easier if you are shorter than your opponent, but that’s not quite what I’m asking. More so, I’m asking which throws or takedowns can move the heaviest opponent? So, if I tried all these throws and executed them properly, which technique could I use on the tallest, heaviest opponent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8938" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2017-12-18T15:45:14.333" LastActivityDate="2019-01-02T04:10:46.557" Title="Which types of throws can lift the heaviest weight (hip throws, shoulder throws, etc.)?" Tags="|judo|grappling|wrestling|throwing|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8010" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8009" CreationDate="2017-12-18T16:10:44.207" Score="6" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Foot sweeps&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming that your objective is to put the opponent on the ground and not actually lift them, foot sweeps are the throw that will work for the greatest size disparity. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Foot sweeps work on the principle of attacking your opponent's foot at the instant they are changing weight on a foot, either lifting it up or placing it down. At this instant, there is weight over the foot, and removing the foot will cause the opponent to fall as they are unsupported. Timing the sweep for this instant is the critical element. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Slipping and falling on ice is the basic foot sweep situation. You take a step and expect to be supported but you are not because your foot is moving unexpectedly, and you fall. It does not matter how tall or massive you are; you can still slip on ice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To throw someone with a foot sweep, you only need to generate enough force to make your opponent move their feet. This is easier than unbalancing or lifting your opponent to perform other throws, where their defense is to move their feet. The sweep itself does not require much force, but speed and timing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2017-12-18T16:10:44.207" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8012" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8015" CreationDate="2017-12-19T16:50:12.040" Score="9" ViewCount="1407" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently joined a Muay Thai gym and am doing hundreds of punches.  I had one martial arts teacher who taught us to make fists with our palms perpendicular to the earth (thumbs on top) like they do in Wing Chun for chain punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muay Thai and some other martial arts tell me to do jabs and cross punches with my palm facing down, parallel to the earth with the thumb on the side.  I've been told that this is stronger because the rotation of the forearm causes the muscles to become closer to the bones. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my experience it is much easier to do 3 minutes of fast punches with thumbs on top (especially with boxing gloves on). All the muscles in the arms are connected via tendons, ligaments, etc. and I think I may be sacrificing speed and endurance of punches by using the palm down technique, but is there some advantage?  Perhaps it's easier to deflect the punch if the thumb is on top?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8788" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2017-12-19T19:25:21.003" LastActivityDate="2017-12-20T22:56:27.797" Title="Why is it easier to punch with palm facing out then down" Tags="|muay-thai|punching|forms|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2017-12-22T15:57:58.060" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8015" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8012" CreationDate="2017-12-20T16:01:40.553" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is an interesting discussion/debate that is currently being solved with live experiments in the form of martial arts competitions. Though the results have proven one being &quot;better&quot; than the other, there are a few exceptions. For the sake of simplicity I will refer to the palm facing down has a &quot;horizontal fist&quot;, and palm facing sideways as a &quot;vertical fist.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The twisting movement that your elbow makes is the major factor in the difference between these two techniques. I'm going to quote an article from expertboxing.com, because to paraphrase wouldn't do it justice:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The horizontal fist position is more powerful not so much because of&#xA;  the rotation of the fist but rather the rotation of the elbow. With a&#xA;  vertical-fisted punch, the elbow stays down and doesn’t support the&#xA;  wrist until the very end where the arm is extended straight. Whereas&#xA;  with the a horizontal-fist, the elbow rotates and lifts up immediately&#xA;  supporting the wrist much sooner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Having the elbow come up behind the fist is the key difference here.&#xA;  The wrist has so much more support and delivers more power when the&#xA;  elbow is behind the fist to give your forearm a straighter impact&#xA;  angle. It’s important to know that punches can land with the arm bent&#xA;  at varying angles. Rarely does the punch land when the arm is&#xA;  completely straight. It’s more common to land punches with the arm&#xA;  bent (at the elbow) to some degree, even if only minor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Because punches are so often landed with a bent elbow, it’s generally&#xA;  more powerful to land with a horizontal fist. When punches are landed&#xA;  at very close range (with a very bent elbow), you’ll notice the power&#xA;  output greatly favors a horizontal fist over a vertical fist. Think of&#xA;  the optimum benchpress position, where you’re more powerful when your&#xA;  elbows point out sideways (using the chest) supporting the wrists&#xA;  better, rather than pointing downwards (using the triceps) towards&#xA;  your feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing they don't mention is the hook. The hook is the one time that a vertical fist is preferred. The reason for that is the lateral movement. The hook has a built in &quot;digging&quot; motion to it. If one were to throw a hook with a horizontal fist you would too often land with your outer knuckles, losing most of your power. Throwing the hook with a vertical fist allows you to land with the middle of the fist for maximum power. Many boxing coaches will teach an almost slapping motion to beginners for hook technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Uppercuts fall under the same category, except a horizontal fist solves the problem. If you were to throw an uppercut with a vertical fist you would land with your outside knuckles, causing less damage, and taking more damage to your fist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To summarize: for straight punches (and overhands), you want a horizontal fist. For hooks, vertical fist. Uppercuts are back to horizontal (but upside down of course). &lt;strong&gt;But wait! Power and speed aren't everything!&lt;/strong&gt; There have been some excellent fighters that managed to mix in vertical fist straight strikes with success. The ability to throw in a deceptive vertical fisted strike right down the pipe is something Manny Pacquiao, Lyoto Machida, and many other fighters have incorporated to their game. One thing is true for all techniques in fighting: if it works, it's going to be used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source for the quote: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-techniques/punch-techniques/horizontal-punches-vs-vertical-punches&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-techniques/punch-techniques/horizontal-punches-vs-vertical-punches&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2017-12-20T22:56:27.797" LastActivityDate="2017-12-20T22:56:27.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8016" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8002" CreationDate="2017-12-20T16:11:33.737" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You don't need to specifically defend against it. If someone is committing their hands to poking your eyes/mouth/ears/nose or whatever, you have free reign to choke them unconscious. To do this from the clinch (like you suggested) you would take them down, or go for a standing arm triangle choke, guillotine, or standing back take to rear naked choke. Now that they're unconscious, run away, beat them to death, do whatever you want. Fish hooks and eye gouges are easily the most overrated technique by untrained folk, right next to groin shots. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a funny Bas Rutten (Pride, Pancrase, and UFC champion, MMA legend) story about how he deals with eye gouges:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKVErVDA0JA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKVErVDA0JA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2017-12-20T17:34:48.760" LastActivityDate="2017-12-20T17:34:48.760" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8019" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7841" CreationDate="2017-12-22T18:06:56.993" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;answer is - RA is NOT Aikido but initially it was Aikido.  Aikido doesnt have homocide techniques, JuJutsu has - RA also has. RA initially didnt have kills, battery and serious injuries. In attempt to create distinct style of Aikido, Vracarevic merely returned principles that Osensei Morihei Ueshiba removed from Jjj. Aikido didnt emerge instantly - by 1942 it was known as Aikibudojutsu, and even today if kicks,punches,etc are involved we use the term &quot;Aikijutsu&quot;. If its only tripping, locks,no intensive violence we call it Aikido. RealAikido teaches necklocks, spinalcord dislocations and variety of fist,elbow,knee,foot blows. IMHO - Aikido must never ever teach lethal techniques &lt;em&gt;Jjj,Bjj,Judo,Sambo and CACC allow learning but bann applying such techniques&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8950" LastActivityDate="2017-12-22T18:06:56.993" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8020" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7691" CreationDate="2017-12-23T06:05:09.720" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a list of all open taekwondo tournaments at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.taekwondotournaments.org/wtf.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.taekwondotournaments.org/wtf.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm assuming you already checked there?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They have one for ITF too, but it's smaller.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8951" LastActivityDate="2017-12-23T06:05:09.720" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8022" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8009" CreationDate="2017-12-25T20:37:34.730" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Being the shorter party is an advantage when trying to preform hip throws because it's easier to get under your opponent center of mass, there are other specific throws who use the same principle but they don't all sit under one category. While it's true that foot swaps demand lass power and more timing then most throws a taller opponent will have a reach advantage over you allowing him to execute foot swaps of himself outside of your reach. If the opponent is also heavier than you timing and clean technique will compensate for your disadvantage&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8956" LastActivityDate="2017-12-25T20:37:34.730" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8025" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8000" CreationDate="2017-12-28T19:06:40.880" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are manuals for European &lt;a href=&quot;http://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Category:Side_Sword&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;smallsword&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Category:Arming_Sword&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;arming sword&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Category:Dussack&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;dussak&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;http://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Category:Messer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;messer&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="182" LastActivityDate="2017-12-28T19:06:40.880" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8027" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8009" CreationDate="2017-12-29T20:55:46.833" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would say a self defense application would be to lock the person before the throw.  The real ippon seionage breaks the opponents arm and he flies over like a bird.  As you get older parlor tricks might not work on experienced bad guys.  This is the point of locking him up or disorienting the opponent first.  After that then you throw a much bigger guy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8964" LastActivityDate="2017-12-29T20:55:46.833" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8029" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2017-12-30T15:59:44.873" Score="3" ViewCount="497" Body="&lt;p&gt;In boxing and in wrestling, only the upper weight limit is given in Wikipedia and other sources that I have found. This would mean that a flyweight fighter can compete in the heavyweight division and not vice versa. &#xA;Is it actually legal that a flyweight fighter be allowed to fight in heavyweight division in boxing or wrestling?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8967" LastActivityDate="2018-02-12T01:35:47.260" Title="Can a 60kg fighter fight in the heavyweight bout in boxing or wrestling?" Tags="|boxing|wrestling|weight|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8031" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8038" CreationDate="2018-01-01T12:06:08.057" Score="5" ViewCount="1080" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I was a kid in my early teens, my parents got me to take up Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I remember little of it, but I do remember quite successfully resisting choke-hold attempts by tensing the neck down and the tendons at the front of my throat. But I was a kid then, and so were those I was active with, so none of us had adult strength or build.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find myself wondering, as a rule whether, and how well, throat tendons and related muscles can resist &quot;crook of elbow&quot; choke-holds, in reality, as opposed to in movies and fantasy media.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(I'm thinking of choke-holds that target the front of the neck - principally the main blood vessels or breathing - as opposed to twisting or other holds that might target the spinal chord, brain stem, or neck pivot points instead)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8971" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-24T14:02:59.590" LastActivityDate="2019-09-24T14:02:59.590" Title="Resisting choke holds using throat tendons?" Tags="|grappling|defense|chokes|anatomy|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8032" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8033" CreationDate="2018-01-01T14:54:52.817" Score="-4" ViewCount="72" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the difference between &lt;a href=&quot;http://a-c-t.co.il/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;A.C.T.&lt;/a&gt; (Armed Combat and Tactics) and other Filipino martial arts? What is the emphasis in A.C.T?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-01-02T04:08:08.057" LastActivityDate="2018-01-02T04:10:32.410" Title="A.C.T vs Filipino martial arts" Tags="|knife-fighting|kali|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8033" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8032" CreationDate="2018-01-02T04:10:32.410" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;They are &lt;a href=&quot;http://a-c-t.co.il/about-act/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;basically unrelated&lt;/a&gt;. A.C.T. is an Israeli style that's a mix of &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://a-c-t.co.il/how-we-train/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kendo and Arnis, sport fencing and Silat, Kenjutsu and Aikido, Systema and Naginata-jutsu, Jo-do and Ninjutsu, Kobudo and Wing Chun, Bagua and Dos Manos, Russian knife systems and 19-th century Saber fighting styles to mention a few&lt;/a&gt;&quot; according to their site.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As regards an emphasis, it looks like they have a combination of drills and free-sparring with their main selling point being their simulation system, which they claim allows free-sparring with weapons in a way which is realistic, but avoids injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2018-01-02T04:10:32.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8034" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8029" CreationDate="2018-01-02T21:25:55.110" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not true.  A fighter can legally only fight someone in the same weight class.  So every division has a minimum even if it is not stated.  A fly weight cannot fight a middle weight on normal circumstances.  Middle weight fight middle weights, heavy weights fight only heavy weights.  This also implies size matters in a sports fight setting.  The stronger one will win of the skill sets are really close enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8964" LastActivityDate="2018-01-02T21:25:55.110" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8035" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1575" CreationDate="2018-01-02T22:30:24.050" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I got my black belt a short time ago, and it took me almost seven years of training. This was partly because I went to a club that went through belts slowly. If you are willing to dedicate some of your time, it could only take you a few months each to get the early belts. As you advance to higher belts, it will take you much longer to advance. If you dedicate more of your time, it will certainly take a much shorter time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user8937" LastActivityDate="2018-01-02T22:30:24.050" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8038" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8031" CreationDate="2018-01-04T15:15:58.230" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;When a choke is properly applied, no amount of &quot;neck flexing&quot; will save you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's use a &lt;strong&gt;rear naked choke&lt;/strong&gt; for example. The attacker is behind the victim. The choking arm forms a 'V' shape at the front of the neck with the elbow pointing down. This is to target the carotid arteries. Closing one of the arteries will not completely stop blood flow to the brain. A person may feel slightly light headed, and vision darkened, but only closing one will not put them to sleep. To close both arteries, the choker applies the forearm to one side of the neck, and bicep to the other side. The choking arm grabs the off hand bicep, and the off arm comes behind the head for further force the opponent's neck into the choke. Closing both arteries, for around 5-8 seconds, cuts off blood flow to the brain, and the person being choked will go unconscious. &lt;strong&gt;No neck tendon, muscle, or anything else is strong enough to withstand the squeeze needed to close the arteries.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now let's use an &lt;strong&gt;arm triangle choke&lt;/strong&gt;. The same principle applies, closing both arteries. The difference here is the choker uses the victims own arm to close off the other half of the choke. From the side of the victim, the chokers arm is wrapped around the neck from the front, with the opponents close side arm raised up next to their head. In this case the chokers arm is closing the far side artery, and the victims own shoulder is closing the close side artery. &lt;strong&gt;No amount of neck flexing can stop this when properly applied.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What you most likely ran into was improperly applied chokes.&lt;/strong&gt; It's amazing how difficult it is for a beginner to actually choke someone unconscious. I've had newer folk full on squeeze my neck for as long as they want, with no results. No flexing or anything special on my end. They just can't hit the arteries properly (bad technique), or for long enough (their arms burn out). Another thing you likely ran into is choking technique changes for different neck sizes. Your training partner may have not been used to choking a neck as small as yours. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2018-01-04T20:16:26.257" LastActivityDate="2018-01-04T20:16:26.257" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8040" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-01-05T23:51:33.313" Score="1" ViewCount="205" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been looking to get into Taekwondo but I was wondering if it is mostly a free moving style (like boxing) or a disciplined style (strict movement with mostly certain positions allowed). I want to get into a mostly free moving style. Can anyone answer my question?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user8733" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-01-06T16:24:55.627" LastActivityDate="2018-01-13T13:13:55.690" Title="Is Taekwondo a free moving fighting style?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="5" ClosedDate="2018-01-10T20:05:20.887" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8041" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8040" CreationDate="2018-01-06T16:29:29.857" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It may depend on what type of Taekwondo you study, and which part of the class you're asking about. In my experience, from having done a bit of ITF, a bit of WTF, and a bit of Songham-style, the drills during class tend to be what you're discussing with the &quot;disciplined style&quot;, going into specific stances and doing specific techniques, as are the &quot;forms&quot; (I'm told &lt;em&gt;tul&lt;/em&gt; is the proper Korean word). Sparring tends to be free moving, with some rules to constrain the fight, but without specified movements. In between, some schools do &quot;one step&quot; drills, which involve an attacker at speed, doing a specified set of movements, with a specified defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-01-08T13:54:42.487" LastActivityDate="2018-01-08T13:54:42.487" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8042" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8040" CreationDate="2018-01-08T10:27:50.150" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Considering that you're talking about the WTF Olympic sparring combat sport, I would say that it is mostly a free style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course the movements you will use are actually constrained by the sparring rules, but that's also true for boxing, that you mention as an example of a free style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a caricature, you could say that TKD sparring is like boxing, but using mostly your feet instead of your fists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In TKD you can hit only on the coloured areas of the body vest and on the helmet, and these areas are very similar to the ones allowed in boxing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;in TKD you can only hit with your feet and fists; similar to boxing but adding kicks.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;No grabbing is allowed in either.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;No ground fighting is allowed in either.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2018-01-13T13:13:55.690" LastActivityDate="2018-01-13T13:13:55.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8044" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8040" CreationDate="2018-01-08T17:08:42.950" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just a quick note on the terminology.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Free fighting&quot; is generally the term used to describe when people are fighting together on their feet, free to move around. There's no holding going on at all. No throwing. No grappling. It's mostly about striking. This is also called the &quot;free movement&quot; phase of fighting (other phases include the &quot;clinch&quot; and the &quot;ground&quot;, with transitions occurring between each phase).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Free style&quot; is generally the term used to describe when people are able to use whatever techniques they want to achieve some goal (usually to score a point in competition). There's no adherence to a particular style's set of techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, in Judo, there are only a limited number of ways you can hold someone down on the ground, and there are a limited number of throws you can do to get someone on the ground (some throws are actually banned in some Judo competitions). The techniques you use in Judo must conform to the standards of that technique. Sloppy technique generally doesn't score, or scores less than &quot;perfect&quot; techniques. So Judo is not a free style grappling art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you're referring to is &quot;free style&quot; when you say &quot;free movement&quot;. Taekwondo is a &quot;free fighting&quot; style, but it's a matter of philosophy when trying to determine if it's actually free style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In TKD, there is a great deal of flexibility allowed when performing kicks and punches in sparring. Your kick could look nothing like an orthodox technique. That's fine, it still scores points. So in that sense, TKD sparring is free style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But where the philosophical dilemma comes in is how one reconciles this with the fact that TKD rules are very limiting. They greatly limit what techniques you can perform at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take for example a technique from Capoeira where you do a kind of cartwheel-like movement, placing your hands on the ground while kicking to your opponent's face or torso. While a kick to the face is allowed in Taekwondo, placing your hands on the ground is not allowed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Elbow and knee strikes to the face and body are also forbidden in TKD sparring. In some TKD competitions, spinning back-fists are also forbidden.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'll just say that Taekwondo competition can be seen as having elements of both free style and non-free style. It depends on your own way of looking at it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And notice I'm careful to say this only refers to &quot;competition rules&quot;, not to the martial art itself. In the broader version of Taekwondo, there are self-defense aspects which do not have these limitations. That's where you're going to see elbow and knee strikes taught. But it still doesn't generally teach grappling, or strikes to the back, etc. This is also highly dependent on your school and your instructors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, sparring becomes &quot;free style&quot; when the rules are reduced so much that essentially the only thing remaining is the goal (which is usually to score a point). The way you achieve that goal doesn't matter. All techniques would be allowed - with some reasonable exceptions for safety reasons (eye gouging, fish-hooking, kicks to the testicles, ear claps, throat strikes, etc.).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By that definition, something like Boxing is not free style. That's because spinning back-fists are not allowed, for example. If the only thing that's important is that the strike hits the face or the body, then surely this technique should be allowed. But it isn't allowed in most Boxing competitions. In fact, non-spinning back-fists as well as palm strikes aren't allowed in Boxing, either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing would be &quot;free style&quot; if it merely allowed any kind of strike with the hand or the fist to occur. It still wouldn't have to allow for kicking or grappling in order for it to be categorized as free style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, getting back to Taekwondo...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is Taekwondo a free style system? I don't think so, not by my definition. But does it have free style elements to its sparring? Yes. So that is why this really requires you to think about what you want from Taekwondo and whether or not it's giving you that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2018-01-09T15:52:38.803" LastActivityDate="2018-01-09T15:52:38.803" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8045" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8048" CreationDate="2018-01-09T02:30:14.213" Score="2" ViewCount="830" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a problem that I can not seem to fix: When I throw a punch I raise my shoulders along unconsciously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the beginning I thought it was because of shoulders tension and with practice the problem will be solved. Fast-forward 5 years and I am still having the same problem. My teacher always points out this mistake during the training, and when I ask how I should solve it, he doesn't have the answers.&#xA;I made some researches in the internet, but all the hits are about being tense when throwing a punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;How can I stop my shoulders from rising?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, I do kung-fu (wushu). Raising the shoulders when punching is frown upon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8983" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-01-09T07:47:57.260" LastActivityDate="2018-01-10T10:33:31.373" Title="Lowering shoulders when punching" Tags="|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8046" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1384" CreationDate="2018-01-09T03:07:07.670" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;To prevent head injuries, strengthen your neck.&#xA;Clench your jaw and don't fool around (ie laughing) when sparring&#xA;Wear protective helmet and mouthguard when sparring&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2018-01-09T03:07:07.670" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8047" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="539" CreationDate="2018-01-09T14:39:52.610" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yikes!  Blocks?  Multiple attackers?  I agree that we in Taekwondo have this same technique, but I don't subscribe to this as being a block or a multi-person defense.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to a block, it would usually follow to mean against a low attack - which would typically be a kick or a weapon - two very things that should never be blocked, unless one desires to end up in an arm cast in short time.  And in any contrived scenario involving a kick or a weapon - or any other attack - one questions what the high back hand is doing?  Or what the near leg is doing with its exposed and unprotected knee?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the strike originated from high and ended up low, then the defense becomes a parry - not a block - or a grappling technique.  And this makes more sense, because then we can interpret what the back high hand is doing.  And, we can have a meaning for the stance, which the picture does not adequately portray except as approximately a horse stance, but which is different than in Taeguek Pal Jang (Taeguek 8).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as to multiple attackers, any contrived scenario is always based on a lucky scenario not likely to happen.  Were it to really happen, the focus for that unlikely scenario pulls attention away from more likely scenarios.  It would force us to think as if we are stuntmen in a Jackie Chan or Sammo Hung movie: very improbable movements to unlikely encounters, however entertaining the result may appear.  While we always assume we are attacked by more than one person, we must dispatch each attacker one by one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact that we are in a horse stance according to the illustration, we presume our sole attacker is to our right or left.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As ColinSeligSmith mentions elsewhere in this question, this pose (and poomsae) can easily represent a catch of a kick:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You squarely face your opponent who throws a kick with either leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You step backward with your left foot, into horse stance.  You are now off the line of attack, so you've met one prerequisite for self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you step back, your left arm draws back and follows the kicker's knee (making this more a parry, and not a block); at the end of the kick's reach, you raise what is now the rear hand (the left hand), and because it's a fist, we assume we're grabbing something: the calf, ankle, shoe, or pants leg; and then we raise it high.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In raising the leg high, the opponent should be off-balance, and should be moving more or less uncontrollably toward you, passing to your front.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He is losing height as you are stretching him into sort of a split.  This also neutralizes any attempt by him trying to follow up by using his hands to further attack.  He might reach you, but not in any meaningful way; you are now meeting the next rule of self-defense: neutralize the attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your ethics takes over from here, but, assuming the opponent is still dangerous, your &quot;low block&quot; is a strike to his head (which could be lower if he's lost his balance) or it could be a hammer fist to his knee depending on where you caught his foot, or it could be a hammer fist to his groin - especially if he kicked with is left foot and you both are facing the same direction; and in this case, if the hammer fist is not readily accessible to the groin, it is your elbow - and not the fist - which can strike his stomach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taeguek 8 does not lower the high hand as if in a strike, so, for Taeguek 8, this would not be the best interpretation.  However, the illustration - without context of what happens next - could infer this as one possible scenario.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this way, you've exercised the final rule in self-defense: you neutralize the attacker.  So to recap: we've gotten off the line of attack; we neutralized the attack; we neutralized the attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another interpretation is similar, and does apply to Taeguek 8, and still applies to the illustration:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You square off; your opponent throws a kick, similar to before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You back up (getting off the line of attack) into a horse stance as shown and as prescribed in Taeguek 8, which means backing up with your right leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you back up, your &quot;low block&quot; is a parry: it leads (not blocks) the kick to where ever end it may land - low, medium, or high - but not on you, because you moved off the line of attack.  No matter the assumption here, we don't have to assume anything about the attacker's kick quality; we just know that while we got off the line of attack, we did not give up distance to the attacker, and because the attacker closed the distance by kicking, we can assume that the attacker is in very close proximity to our right hand, which is executing a high &quot;block&quot;.  With his face right there, the &quot;block&quot; is a strike to the face/jaw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Our own head is looking toward the low block, not the strike to the head.  This might make sense: if there was another opponent to deal with, if he's behind your attacker (whose now been struck with your raised back hand), you need not yet worry about him, so no need to look in that general direction.  The bigger worry is if you are sandwiched in between two attackers (one of whom you just took out his jaw), and the other is possibly coming at you.  What you do next depends on the poomsae's interpretation of his attack, but, whatever you do, you keep your eye on him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is how we consider multiple opponents.  We indicate our awareness of another opponent, and our positioning with regards to one: this is called strategy, and is one of the things our forms are supposed to teach us.  That is precisely why we study - in great depth - of every nuance of the poomsae: eyeline, stance, open or closed hands, bending knees, foot placement - &lt;strong&gt;everything&lt;/strong&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in our forms - no matter the style - we can't presume the attacker will do anything warranting a specific attack: In Taeguek 8, we have the slow upper cut coming next.  Why assume that is for the next opponent, when we might not yet have completely dispatched the current opponent?  Indeed, the rising high block might just be the preparatory movement for a lock or a pin.  In my studies, the slow movements are exactly that: preparations for a pin or a lock, which almost never require an explosive movement.  Yes, a slow movement is not a slo-mo of an attack, like an upper cut; it's a movement meant to draw and control the opponent, and in which speed of the technique is meant to stabilize by keeping up with the opponent.  Fast is not important, or even strength and power.  &lt;strong&gt;Keeping up&lt;/strong&gt; is the key, and that is representative of the slo-mo movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Explaining this further would draw away from scope the original question, so perhaps asking another question about what slow moving techniques are for is warranted.  I only mention it because Taeguek 8 was brought up, and uses this as the very next movement to the pose being asked about, and its consideration has effect in Taeguek 8 application, and is not applicable to the question about the pose; and because of the mentions about multiple opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-01-09T14:39:52.610" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8048" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8045" CreationDate="2018-01-09T15:59:00.087" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is true that we'd need a video of your performance of a punch - only then can earnest troubleshooting begin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That your instructor allowed you to go 5 years, and not once provide guidance on how to stop it, raises a serious red flag as to the effectiveness of the instructor.  Raising shoulders is a beginner's mistake, and most will correct it in due time.  For them, it's all in technique.  It is the same for you, except now you have to fight habit.  Whatever you are told to do to correct, it will feel unnatural to you, because you are so used to the bad habit: this is one of a myriad reasons why finding a good instructor is so critical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to lifting the shoulders, that is not necessarily a wrong thing to do.  For a beginner, I'd say yes - don't do it.  But boxers do it, and have good reason to cradle the head into the shoulders.  The technique there is related to the sport, the rules, and the equipment, and so probably doesn't apply to you.  You can certainly use the shoulders to block or deflect as a boxer does, but you should first learn to do it without cradling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When my students do this, it's almost always tension: they are told to punch, and so, they think they have to punch as hard as they can, so, their body internally winds up (resulting in the shoulder lift).  To help them get out of this habit, I always tell them that for them, they should never think about punching hard.  Hard punches come from speed, and with speed comes time and patience.  So, they should think &quot;less power&quot;.  It takes a few tries, some even go though a phase of almost slow-motion punches; eventually, they get it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For you, perhaps you'll need two trainers to help you break the habit.  Have one hold targets (or use a punching bag); the other stands behind you with either their hands on your shoulders, or with elephant ear targets on your shoulders.  This will help remind you to keep your shoulders down, and to slow down, and to relax.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next up is the hips.  Are you fully turning your punching side hip into the punch?  Doing so can lead to over committing your body into the punch, but too little can make you look like a rigid robot, and neither will help you.  You should rotate your hips, which will facilitate torso rotation which will facilitate shoulders moving slightly forward.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next up is the head.  In this case, rather than thinking to keep your shoulders down, rather, think about keeping your head up.  This change in focus may help to lower the shoulders.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next up is the chin.  With chin tucked, as many beginners do, that will inevitably lead to shoulders rising.  Keep your chin up.  But not so high that you end up reaching for a target.  Your head should be perfectly balanced on the shoulders.  If you used no muscles to move or secure your head motionless, then, that is the position your head - and chin - needs to be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also with the chin: take note of where your nose and chin point.  If your head is cocked ear-to-shoulder, it means you are reaching.  If you focused on keeping the chin and nose always pointing toward the target, and not cocking the head to one side, that should help keep the shoulders down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last up is the brain.  People lift shoulders for psychological reasons - usually fear and anger.  It is less likely you are feeling anger, but fear is possible.  Some people freeze when it comes even to friendly sparring.  If you like to spar, this is probably not your problem, and if you've been at it for 5 years, it's very doubtful this is your problem.  But the rest of your body will be telling: do your feet move in a haphazard way?  Are you always moving back?  Do you gallop a lot?  Do you crouch your torso behind your guard?  If any of these is a &quot;yes&quot;, then you might have a psychological problem to sparring.  If this is the case, relaxation is key.  But telling people to relax is not helpful: most get it.  They just don't have the means to relax, and there are many.  Think that you're not there to win matches; you're expected to take hits and not be afraid of them.  You &lt;em&gt;should&lt;/em&gt; be taking hits.  So accept them.  Even invite them.  Get the body to stop thinking &quot;OMG! OMG! OMG!&quot; and start to think &quot;lets move with purpose&quot;.  Think &quot;sway&quot;.  Think ballroom &quot;dancing&quot;.  Just relax.  Take hits, and invite them.  Your partner is not there to hurt or intimidate you.  And work with your partner and tell him or her this: you're working on body relaxation, so, don't expect much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-01-09T15:59:00.087" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8049" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8045" CreationDate="2018-01-09T16:31:35.030" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Practice while looking at yourself in a mirror. It may take a bit before the artificial-ness of the situation wears off and your natural tendencies take over again. Also (or alternatively) consider making video recordings of your practice sessions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being able to see yourself performing the action which you are being called out on is very important to understanding exactly what you are doing wrong. The mirror gives you immediate feedback, and a video recording can offer angles of view you might not otherwise see. If you can match what you are seeing to the sensations you are feeling when you perform the action (i.e. raising your shoulders), you will be better able to internalize exactly what is happening mechanically. Later, you will know that when you feel a certain way, you are moving/behaving in the manner you previously observed and can take corrective action without visual feedback.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6178" LastActivityDate="2018-01-09T16:31:35.030" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8051" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-01-10T08:11:28.670" Score="-4" ViewCount="126" Body="&lt;p&gt;Later this year I will take my nephew (he is 19) to Tokyo for a week.&#xA;We will spend most of the time together but I am considering having one or two afternoons were each goes his own way (I am interested in Martial Arts and ShoDo, he is more on the Manga/Anime/Action Figures camp).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am 55, 3rd Dan in Aikido (25+ Iwama Ryu, 3 years closer to Aikikai since I moved to Germany, still practicing 3/times a week - I consider myself still fit enough for ukemi etc.).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I were alone, I would either go straight to Hombu Dojo (as I did back in 2013) or visit a local dojo fairly regularly (like I did in Kyoto in 2016, where I went to Yoko Okamoto sensei's dojo for 4 or 5 sessions over 12 days).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Considering I will not have much time available, what would you suggest?&#xA;I am perusing www.govoyagin.com to see what they can offer (e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.govoyagin.com/activities/japan-tokyo-join-a-shinkage-ryu-bujutsu-martial-art-workshop-tokyo/8280&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.govoyagin.com/activities/japan-tokyo-join-a-shinkage-ryu-bujutsu-martial-art-workshop-tokyo/8280&lt;/a&gt; looks interesting) but maybe someone here can suggest less-known alternatives?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I realize that &quot;one afternoon&quot; is not enough time for, well, anything. I am also aware that most of the Voyagin stuff is probably designed for tourists with very casual interest in martial arts (and they may probably prefer flashier stuff like ninjutsu or stage fighting in Samurai garb).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am open to try something different from Aikido, of course, but I would prefer either grappling styles like JuJitsu, or any traditional weapon style (in other words, I am not much into Karate or any striking-oriented art - I hope to find something were I can leverage my own Aikido experience a bit, and hopefully take back home at least one tiny technical nugget).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can of course bring a Keikogi with me, my hakama, and I have zero problems in donning a white belt (I consider myself a beginner in anything which is not Aikido and I hope not to have any ego issue about that).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, taking in account all this, what would you suggest?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="831" LastActivityDate="2018-01-10T09:58:26.493" Title="Things to do in Tokyo when you are NOT dead (yet)" Tags="|training|weapons|recommendation|grappling|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ClosedDate="2018-01-10T20:04:20.863" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8052" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8051" CreationDate="2018-01-10T09:58:26.493" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just one option, but you could drop in on one of the open dojo sessions at a  municipal sports centre.  You should check current details, but in their old premise at least from ~2007 until ~2014, the Minato Ku Sports Centre near Tamachi Station (Yamanote line) had open nights on Thursdays with quite a reasonable and diverse turn out, and on Saturday afternoons where it was typically very poorly attended.  FWIW, their old 2015 timetable is &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.minatoku-sports.com/en/fitness/pdf/public_use_sche_en_2015.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;online&lt;/a&gt;.  Thursdays would typically have five or six small groups (3-10 people) studying aikido, jujitsu, judo, ninjutsu, karate, taekwondo, kickboxing, muay thai, &quot;kung fu&quot; etc., a couple mixed groups that were happy to train together and typically welcoming to anyone who wanted to train together, and a smattering of individuals just doing their own thing.  If your nephew ends up hanging around at the sports centre, there's a gym, pool, and sometimes table tennis, basketball etc..  Badminton, kendo, archery too, but they needs equipment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe there's a similar venue somewhere around Shinjuku but never went there myself.  The standard was as varied as the attendees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2018-01-10T09:58:26.493" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8053" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8045" CreationDate="2018-01-10T10:33:31.373" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll echo the point that some video or even photos of you punching would give us a lot more to go on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, some exercises:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;practicing punching with a vertical fist (your knuckles vertical, your fingers horizontal, radius over the ulna) until you get your shoulders sorted, as a horizontal punch (in which you turn the fist palm-downwards) more easily sees the shoulders lift as the forearm rotates&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;try some pushups with your fists in vertical punch position: below your arm pits, next to your ribs, in close to the body with the elbows going straight up behind you and not out to the sides: that will help you get used to expressing power (into the ground) with your arms in optimal alignment and your shoulders held tightly down into their sockets (try &quot;lifting&quot; your shoulders towards your ears and moving your hands further towards your head and you'll feel less powerful and comfortable in your pushups)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;similarly, practice low body blows (the left-arm liver shot's particularly useful) into a heavy bag using a similar arm/shoulder position to your push-ups - try to have the strike arcing slightly upwards during impact, pushed up by the rotation of your hips and your legs extending rather than pulling upwards with your shoulders  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you could practice this low body punch movement slowly while holding a dumbbell: just lock the elbow angle in and lift with the legs as you rotate: relax the shoulders so there's minimal effort from them to raise the weight&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;try hitting a heavy bag hard with with a front-hand palm strike (just above your elbow height, still palm vertical - radius above the ulna so your thumb is upward -  as it's less likely to bend your wrist back nastily than striking with the palm horizontal) out of a &quot;back&quot; / L-stance with no back-swing of the striking-side shoulder, elbow, or hand.  Just start with your hand about 10cm forward of your body, front foot facing forward, back foot mainly forward, with a similar torso position starting just slightly squarer and ending slightly more closed than &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.yellowdragon-kung-fu.co.uk/images/mantis/Sifu2.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; but striking hand kept in close throughout: twitch the front knee then hips forwards and around, letting that jerk the striking-side shoulder forward, instantly expressing shock through the palm: aim for a sharp, explosive contact and don't bother &lt;em&gt;pushing&lt;/em&gt; through the target after the initial impact; if you lift the shoulder you'll find you have little power and feel very uncomfortable; with practice, you should be able to lift a bag of your own weight so it's not hanging by it's straps/chain and snap it backward&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2018-01-10T10:33:31.373" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8054" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8055" CreationDate="2018-01-10T13:30:33.653" Score="2" ViewCount="59" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to know whether it is possible to always use Zenpou hiyaku ukemi instead of Zenpou kaiten ukemi? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7701" LastActivityDate="2018-01-10T14:22:29.820" Title="Can Zenpou hiyaku ukemi be used to replace Zenpou kaiten ukemi?" Tags="|aikido|shodokan|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8055" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8054" CreationDate="2018-01-10T14:22:29.820" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, zenpou hiyaku ukemi (also known as tobu ukemi or a flip) is nothing but a forward roll (zempo kaiten ukemi) where tori holds uke's hand. They are the same rolls but depending on which technique is performed, one is safer to do than the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, note that when uke performs a flip, they end up close to tori. This is fine when the alternative is a broken wrist but not so good if tori decides to punch uke. A forward roll allows uke to create some distance between themselves and an aggressive tori. Many escapes out of the san-dan section of the goshinho are about uke abandoning what they do and creating distance so they can fight on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, an ukemi is a safe escape: whatever you do, sometimes it will be a bastardisation of any and all rolls you can do. All that matters is that uke is safe after the escape. If you know and have practised both break falls, your chances of not hurting yourself are increased.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2018-01-10T14:22:29.820" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8056" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8568" CreationDate="2018-01-10T15:12:55.477" Score="2" ViewCount="281" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm trying to remember the specific Japanese name of a common posture/stretch I used and heard of in Aikido during training and warming-up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically it was called by our sensei &quot;&lt;em&gt;standing and crouching&lt;/em&gt;&quot;.&#xA;You would start standing straight as you would normally, with a light posture and square shoulders, then &quot;&lt;em&gt;lower your butt to your heels&lt;/em&gt;&quot; by folding your knees, while keeping the rest of your body straight.&#xA;You'd try to go as low as you can whilst relaxing and resting you weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you can imagine it would stretch the back leg and calf muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found it simple and useful to execute whenever I'm forced to stand for long bouts of time, waiting for a bus or in a lift for instance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My sensei used the Japanese word for it and I can't remember it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any idea what this posture is called in Japanese?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6015" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-01-10T15:21:45.113" LastActivityDate="2018-09-25T16:48:31.550" Title="standing and crouching posture name in Aikido" Tags="|aikido|terminology|japanese|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8058" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8060" CreationDate="2018-01-11T08:04:37.097" Score="7" ViewCount="1903" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a Shotokan Karate practitioner and I have good control over my kick. However,  even with that I am not doing well under WKF sparring because these two kicks are disallowed. I find them very effective as they go to the centre of the body and are hard to block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although most of semi contact sports allow them like TKD, Wu Shu etc…, WKF does not allow them. &lt;em&gt;Why is that?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8501" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-02-01T08:15:35.113" LastActivityDate="2023-04-14T15:59:54.913" Title="Why does WKF not allow Mae geri (Front Snap Kick) and Yoko geri (Side Kick)?" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8059" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1366" CreationDate="2018-01-11T10:33:29.950" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am an intermediate level practitioner of Wing Tsun, which is a southern style...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to my Si-Gung---who is not only a master-level sifu with over 22 years of experience in Wing Tsun, but also an incredibly knowledgeable scholar of the history of martial arts on a global scale and author of several books and publications on Chinese Kung Fu---the most common (and perhaps the most practical) difference in styles sparks both from genetic differences (and therefore, expression of athleticism) and from the inherent necessity prescribed by those genetic differences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The explanation he offers is that Northerners were historically taller and of greater musculature than Southerners, and that in order to withstand impossibly powerful blows from opponents who are already significantly stronger, Southerners had no choice but to attempt to &quot;hack&quot; the Northerners' fighting systems.  The theory here is that when force is matched with force, the greater force wins and the weaker force loses; so Southerners developed techniques like closing the gap, giving way, using low elbow power, and attacking on and controlling the center line in an attempt to nullify the powerful, long-range, often round attacks of the northern styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8989" LastActivityDate="2018-01-11T10:33:29.950" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8060" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8058" CreationDate="2018-01-11T12:58:46.877" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Where did you get the idea that these techniques are disallowed?  Not only are they allowed, but they score well for jodan - and may be trapped.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here, Article 8, which describes prohibited actions, no mention of any specific technique is mentioned - only prohibited targets (groin, throat, etc)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wkf.net/pdf/wkf-competition-rules-version9-2015-en.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;KATA AND KUMITE COMPETITION RULES&#xA;REVISION 9.0&#xA;EFFECTIVE FROM 1.1.2015&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;EDIT&lt;/strong&gt;: Added a more updated document, just released:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wkf.net/pdf/WKFCompetitionRules2018.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;KATA AND KUMITE COMPETITION RULES&#xA;EFFECTIVE FROM 1.1.2018&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And in it, still no mention of specific banned techniques - only banned targets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, in your comment, you mention that a class of techniques (eg, &quot;curved&quot;) would fall under a category of prohibited action.  This is partly true: but it applies to &lt;strong&gt;every single&lt;/strong&gt; technique.  The idea behind the rule: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Techniques, which by their nature, cannot be controlled for the&#xA;  safety of the opponent and dangerous and uncontrolled attacks [&lt;em&gt;sic&lt;/em&gt;, are Category 2 prohibited behaviors]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...is for contestant safety.  In other words, if you can't control a punch... don't punch.  If you can't control a front kick... don't use the front kick.  And so on.  If your instructor has evaluated you, and found that your kicks are not well controlled, s/he may well tell you that, for purposes of an upcoming competition, you &quot;should not&quot; (not &quot;cannot&quot;) use those techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is fine: you are not banned from it, and there's no rules against it; rather, you are being told that temporarily, you shouldn't use it because you can't control it.  If you use the technique your instructor has told you not to use, and yet it lands safely, then no problem.  Similarly, if your instructor doesn't tell you not to punch, because s/he thinks you control them well, and then you punch your opponent in an uncontrolled way possibly injuring him, guess what?  You get a warning or point deduction.  It's not the technique, it's the result of the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is the only reason I can think of why you might have gotten the idea that the technique, per se, has been banned.  It hasn't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2018-01-12T15:40:57.150" LastActivityDate="2018-01-12T15:40:57.150" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8062" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8056" CreationDate="2018-01-12T09:16:21.387" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The warming-up exercises in Aikido are called generally &lt;code&gt;Aiki-Taiso&lt;/code&gt;. I couldn't find a specific name for the movement you described, but it is the last part of &lt;code&gt;Ashi no Taiso&lt;/code&gt;, which consists of 7 different leg stretching techniques in Kobayashi ryu. That's all what I can find in my sacred scrolls(!) and google helps no further. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6654" LastEditorUserId="6654" LastEditDate="2018-01-12T11:06:21.613" LastActivityDate="2018-01-12T11:06:21.613" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8064" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-01-12T19:20:56.517" Score="5" ViewCount="144" Body="&lt;p&gt;What type of armour was common for samurai?  I would like to know if the armour had flexible joints versus totally flexible joints.  I suppose the flexible joint armour came afterwards.  To me some photos look like the user had straight arms all the time which seems like there was not much bend one could make in the elbow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8964" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-03-15T11:26:19.997" LastActivityDate="2020-03-15T11:26:19.997" Title="Did Samurai armour have flexible joints?" Tags="|history|equipment|japanese|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8065" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8066" CreationDate="2018-01-13T12:12:38.017" Score="5" ViewCount="12754" Body="&lt;p&gt;I punch rock and wood slowly everyday; is it good for conditioning knuckles? What do you recommend for conditioning knuckles? I am doing knuckle push ups on concrete, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8995" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-01-15T13:59:35.793" LastActivityDate="2018-01-16T22:40:14.097" Title="How to condition knuckles?" Tags="|karate|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8066" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8065" CreationDate="2018-01-14T05:20:48.410" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In case you haven't seen it, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/1690/70&quot;&gt;here is a related question&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While you can punch rock and wood to condition your knuckles, you should do it with moderation. &lt;strong&gt;There is no quick way to condition your knuckles&lt;/strong&gt; - it must be done progressively over time. It is really important to avoid injury not just of your knuckles but your &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpal_bones&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;carpals (wrist)&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metacarpal_bones&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;metacarpals (hand)&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalanx_bone&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;phalanges (fingers)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Typically with conditioning exercises the idea is to slightly injure the affected area before allowing it to heal, then repeating the process hundreds or thousands of times. That healing process is very important - you might get better results if you only condition your knuckles once or twice a week rather than every day (eventually knuckle press ups on concrete will cease to have any measurable effect on your knuckles so you should be able to still do those every day).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course measuring progress is going to be difficult. You could use board breaking as a measure, or discomfort (or lack of it) when doing knuckle press ups on hard surfaces. In any case there is no standard or established way to measure it. Deformity or callusing of the knuckles should not be used as a measure or indication (ideally you want to harden the bones, deformity can indicate breaks and calluses are simply a toughening of the dermis layers).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2018-01-14T05:26:08.123" LastActivityDate="2018-01-14T05:26:08.123" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8067" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-01-14T13:28:58.083" Score="3" ViewCount="1099" Body="&lt;p&gt;How much is the groin open for an attack in full guard in different stages?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/sDxHZ.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/sDxHZ.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Bruce Lee in &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/JH4YntPKEJI?t=2m57s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Way of the Dragon&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Especially, in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/fKbNbY80yTU?t=3m23s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;stage 3 of the Gracie system&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/M0G09.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/M0G09.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems like groin is quite open, for example it seems it could be hit by an &quot;uppercut&quot; under the leg. Or, in situations &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Hm5l39UBWdA?t=1m52s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;like the one below&lt;/a&gt;, spread the legs and hit in a similar way as Bruce Lee did above:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ySfLc.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ySfLc.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that I don't consider any rules of the BJJ sport, I think about its application in self-defense situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="93" LastEditorUserId="93" LastEditDate="2020-02-28T08:57:58.843" LastActivityDate="2020-02-28T08:57:58.843" Title="Groin attack danger in full guard (especially stages 3, 4)?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|self-defense|streetfight|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8068" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1557" CreationDate="2018-01-15T05:05:24.280" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Butthan is a time honored heritage, a South Asian realistic system of self-defence , personal development and safe Sports, apparently called the Noble art of stopping-fight and Enlightenment. It produces physical, mental and spiritual balance, through a process of inculcating self-discipline and pragmatic restructuring of personal nature. Butthan is well renowned as a South Asian system of life development combining physical, mental and spiritual culmination. Butthan practice aims to attain psychophysical strength, indomitable spirit, healthy lifestyle and successful life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/bmLXh.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/bmLXh.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Butthan(ব্যুত্থান) is originally a Sanskrit word means 'defense with distinction' or 'spiritual defense' is defined as 'establishing truth by replacing the conventional' or 'Awakening'&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The system of Butthan has the essence of knowledge and scientific principles of psychology, trigonometry, human anatomy, physiology, logic, human nervous system, Vajra pran, siddha medical knowledge blended with selected self defence methods combining the arts like Varma Kalai, Bando, Vajramushti, Tibetan &amp;amp; Chinese Kempo, Ming Jing, Kalaripayattu, Bansahy, Lathi-khela and other selected strategies of the ancient Indian, Burmese and Tibetan Unarmed and Weapons systems. Butthan aims towards achieving a harmonious mind, body and a successful way of life. The person who practices Butthan is called “Butthanchariya”. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are 16 Mandates, or Components, among four Dimensions in Butthan: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sadhana (Endeavour)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Praggya (Wisdom)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Borjon (Desertion)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Saggya (Seeking Self Knowledge). &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are five Sadhana, five Praggya, five Borjon, and one Saggya. The Five Sadhanas are: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Butthan Dhyana (Meditation/ Mind training)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Atmaraksa o Krira (Self-defence and Sports)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Baktigot o Samajik Kallyan (Personal &amp;amp; Social wellbeing)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sarircharchya o Vajrapran (Physical Training &amp;amp; Vajra Pran)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kawsol (Strategy). &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Five Proggayas are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Gana (Wisdom) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Noitokota (Morality) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sahas (Courage) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Vakti (Respect) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Oddyabasay (Perseverance). &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Five Borjon are: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Oggota (Illiteracy) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Alosso (Laziness) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hingsa (Envy) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Asokti (Addiction) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sarthoporota (Selfishness). &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last not the list is Soggya or Intuition or seeking self-knowledge. Apart from physical techniques, the disciplinarian, philosophical, ethical expressionistic and meditative aspects of Butthan are vital features for one's development.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8997" LastEditorUserId="8997" LastEditDate="2018-01-16T08:11:54.543" LastActivityDate="2018-01-16T08:11:54.543" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8069" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8064" CreationDate="2018-01-15T07:37:37.090" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Samurai is a rather large class ranging from foot solders to the Shogun. All wore different armours. Your question spans around a thousand years of history.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, generally speaking… A few armours have stiff joints. However, they are specific armours, for example tourney jousting ones. Those are donned for specific tasks and generally require staff to put on and off. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All combat ready armours have flexible joints. If you cannot move on a battle field, you die. That is it. So, samurai armours all had flexible joints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/128351.Stephen_Turnbull&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Stephen Turnbull&lt;/a&gt; is a very approachable and good source for further reading. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219242.The_Samurai_Sourcebook&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The samurai sourcebook&lt;/a&gt; is a good start.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2018-01-15T07:37:37.090" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8070" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8065" CreationDate="2018-01-15T20:03:42.070" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;No, that's absolutely not good for you. Your hands take enough damage in sparring and fighting. DO NOT PUNCH WOOD AND ROCKS!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hit the bag with gloves (and wraps if it's a power hitting day). Hit the mitts. Your knuckles will be fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Professional fighter here. I've never heard of anyone worry about knuckle conditioning. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2018-01-16T16:26:11.323" LastActivityDate="2018-01-16T16:26:11.323" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8071" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8067" CreationDate="2018-01-15T20:10:31.163" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you go for a groin strike in someone's full/open guard that's a one way ticket to being triangle choked, arm barred, swept, getting your back taken, and a host of other things that will end the fight, and your life. So sure, &lt;strong&gt;you might get hit in the groin, but you're also going to choke the other person to death.&lt;/strong&gt; You can see in your Bruce Lee clip that he is a simple arm drag away from a triangle choke. He's also open to a variety of sweeps and back takes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This reminds me of Bas Rutten explaining why eye gouges are a garbage technique to someone that said they would gouge his eyes if he had them in a rear naked choke. If you go for the eyes, you might get a nice little poke, but you're also being choked to death. Defending against the choke is priority #1.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick and easy damage is not the goal in a fight. Finishing the fight is the goal.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: I should add that this is also why we don't see many kidney shots from full guard as well. Committing an arm that low is extremely dangerous. If you're going to strike without passing the guard, you pretty much need to go to the head (of course there are exceptions). Dropping elbows to the face while maintaining your posture (kneeling, or one leg up) is the safest route.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2018-01-16T16:20:21.797" LastActivityDate="2018-01-16T16:20:21.797" CommentCount="14" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8072" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-01-16T13:40:49.807" Score="1" ViewCount="313" Body="&lt;p&gt;I did have been read article on Wikipedia that in Kyokushin karate they do not use throwing or gripping or any kind of locking technique to practice or to use. which kind of philosophy is stays behind this? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8501" LastActivityDate="2018-01-16T15:53:08.633" Title="Why kyokushin Karateka did not prefere soft style technique?" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8073" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8072" CreationDate="2018-01-16T15:53:08.633" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Every style of martial art is unique from all others.  Kyokushin, like all fighting sports, is no different: there are certain rules about their sport that make it stand out from all other sports.  Their rules are their niche.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said that, all styles of martial arts - unless they are new - are systems complete with all kinds of fighting, defensive, and control techniques.  In the case of Kyokushin sport fighting, they have subtracted out some things such as grappling and throwing, as you pointed out.  But that is just the sport aspect.  The style itself is complete, and generally has a more complete repertoire of techniques.  It may be the case that your school/instructor does not teach (or does not know) that aspect of your style - that is a common phenomenon in all styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To give you an overall picture of the state of fighting sports in general, take a look at, say, Wu Shu, or Shotokan Karate.  Both are martial arts styles in their own right; are classical styles; and each are known to have a very complete repertoire of techniques, including striking, kicking, throwing, pins, locks, chokes, gouges, and weapons.  One may counter your original question by asking: Why do these styles - known to have weapons - never compete with weapons?  Some may argue that they do - but only via forms (kata or taolu).  Others argue it's too dangerous - but would not explain European fighting which DO use weapons in fighting sports.  The overall answer is this: the styles have weapons, and their practitioners are no doubt familiar with many of the weapons their styles traditionally use; but for whatever reason, they choose not to use them for competition.  Whether it is because of popularity, insurance, safety, timing, quality instruction, legalities of training with such weapons, similarity to another sport, or some other reason or combination of reasons therein, that is known only to the sport body governing that style or particular competition instance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would also caution about what you read from Wikipedia.  It's a great resource to have, especially if the author(s) cite their references.  Your best bet is to go directly to the body which governs a particular tournament or style.  From there, you can read their rules, and if you so incline, you can ask them why such rules are in place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In all honesty, I tried to do just that for you, and unfortunately came across some verbiage which clearly indicates petty infighting between federations.  For example, this one, especially about half-way down:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kyokushin-world.org/kwfqa/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;KYOKUSHIN WORLD FEDERATION - Q&amp;amp;A&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And then there's this one comparing itself to &quot;others&quot;, also about half-way down:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.worldkyokushinkaratefederation.com/wkkf/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Kyokushin Karate Federation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...and on it goes, there are many federations, and all pointing fingers at each other (or maybe perhaps at a few; it's hard to tell, and I'm not part of that milieu of politics).  Nevertheless, the rules governing sport are very similar, and, the components which make up the style (including kata used by other Karate styles) are also pervasive.  Therefore, your style isn't old, but it derives from very old styles, and still, is very complete.  What you may lack is quality instruction.  We in Taekwondo see this all the time, and often have to resort to joining Karate schools with emphasis on kata, bunkai, and oyo in order to help learn what we do, when local TKD instruction lacks in this area (although they may excel when it comes to competition).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-01-16T15:53:08.633" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8074" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8067" CreationDate="2018-01-16T22:19:58.877" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is how I (judo training, no BJJ training) think of the two presented positions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Position 1: opponent on knees&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The opponent is on their knees, so attacks are limited to their arms. There is no direct line of attack to the groin, so you can defend arm attacks by either disrupting the opponents balance with your legs or attacking the elbows with your feet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Presumably you will either transition to attack including your arms or create additional separation to get up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Position 2: opponent standing&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this point I feel vulnerable on the bottom. The opponent is standing, with ability to use both their hands and feet, while on the bottom, there is no contact with the hands. There is danger of the standing opponent disrupting your feet/leg defense with their hands and stomping on your groin with their feet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In these video situations, the opponent just seems intent on punching you in the head, which is not the problem you have asked about. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With the initiative on the bottom, I would press the opponent off sharply to create separation and come to a standing position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-01-16T22:19:58.877" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8075" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8065" CreationDate="2018-01-16T22:40:14.097" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;I second coinbird's motion: don't do this.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a theory called Wolff's Law, which is a medical concept first studied by a German surgeon Julius Wolff back in the 1800's, and he found that microfractures of a bone develop under extreme conditioning, and the body responds by shoring up the fractures with calcium.  The body, ever efficient as it is, finds that the most reliable source of calcium is from the bone itself - usually, from an uninjured area, and, coincidentally, behind the fracture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;His observations are correct, but further study of this phenomenon has created several counter theories, and so this subject is debated.  One of the counter arguments to inducing Wolff's Law is that when robbing the bone of calcium, that part of the bone becomes extremely brittle.  So in a normal bone, you have a mature and evenly distributed amount of calcium.  In inducing Wolff's, the front of the bone is very hard, but the area behind it is brittle, and is subject to forces other than that which triggered Wolff's to begin with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A corollary to Wolff's Law is Davis' Law.  Davis is similar, but doesn't apply to bones: Davis applies to soft tissue.  Davis' Law was discovered by another surgeon, an American named Henry Davis - also back in the 1800's.  He found that soft tissue heals according to the stress it is placed under, in order to protect itself from that stress.  In short: calluses are developed in response to that stress.  The issue here is that calluses can develop painful spots in areas other than the callus itself.  That can affect nerves, which can be hyper-sensitive to the pain; it can also cut off the nerve to the nervous system, causing the opposite - no pain at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In both phenomenon, osseous and soft tissue will revert to normal once the stress heals.  In Wolff's case, healing bone will not be uniform, and can create uneven surface on the bone, which can cause pain in the skin and tendons that run along it.  And in the case of Davis, scarring can result.  In other words, healing is imperfect - and sometimes that imperfection is permanent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My suggestion to you and anyone who wants to do bone conditioning: use a punching bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have money, you can buy the full text of some of these articles:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.20371/abstract&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Who's afraid of the big bad Wolff ($)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/health/19really.html?ref=science&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Claim: After Being Broken, Bones Can Become Even Stronger (Google Book partial)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1yMg7gdUXPAC&amp;amp;pg=PA518#v=onepage&amp;amp;q&amp;amp;f=false&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Medical and Surgical Reporter, Volume 8 (Google Book partial)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Em8PAQAAIAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lectures on Orthopaedic Surgery&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.clinbiomech.com/article/S0268-0033(00)00089-9/fulltext&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mechanical properties of the human achilles tendon ($)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.com/books?id=Q0EgHgjsvo8C&amp;amp;dq=inauthor%3A%22John%20Joseph%20Nutt%22&amp;amp;q=davis%27%20law#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=%22davis&amp;#39;s%20law%22&amp;amp;f=false&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Diseases and Deformities of the Foot (Google Book partial)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10959617&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Does bone design intend to minimize fatigue failures? A case for the affirmative (abstract only)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15038485&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;A 2003 update of bone physiology and Wolff's Law for clinicians (abstract only)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bonebroke.org/2017/02/09/wolffs-law/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wolff’s Law&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://comprehendingfitness.wordpress.com/2016/05/15/the-laws-of-fitness-davis-law/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Laws Of Fitness: Davis’ Law&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Curious legal issue surrounding Davis' law:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.injurytriallawyer.com/faqs/what-is-davis-s-law-.cfm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;What is Davis’s Law?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's some more advice on advisability of such training:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.blitzmag.net/self-defence/269-some-handy-advice&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Some Handy Advice&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wanna see what happens to this kind of extreme training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qwX93.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qwX93.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;training 1&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vafvx.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vafvx.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Training 2&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/G5YCk.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/G5YCk.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Training 3&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Rg0o6.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Rg0o6.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Training 4 (this is from makiwara!)&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0qXXE.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0qXXE.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Training 5&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-01-16T22:40:14.097" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8077" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8086" CreationDate="2018-01-18T17:51:11.480" Score="5" ViewCount="2029" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been training muay thai at the gym for some time, and I'd decided to also train at home. So I bought myself a punching bag and hung it in my garage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem is that I have no mat, and the floor is very hard (and sometimes dirty) for me to train bare foot. So I was thinking, is there any shoes that I could use to train at home? Could I use any kind of trainers? I'm asking this for the sake of training kicks (since obviously there would be no problem to punch with shoes)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9005" LastActivityDate="2018-01-26T10:41:16.093" Title="Using shoes while training at home" Tags="|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8078" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8080" CreationDate="2018-01-18T20:56:20.737" Score="4" ViewCount="1620" Body="&lt;p&gt;I read a lot of girls' stories about how some guy grabs their breast and she has to shove him off, or punch or kick him. The guys usually give up and run away in these stories.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What do you do if they don't run away?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having your breasts squeezed really hurts; I don't know what I'd do. The one that really scares me is if he grabs you from behind. If he's in front of you and grabs you, at least you can try to kick him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9006" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-01-19T16:50:01.140" LastActivityDate="2020-03-14T04:27:21.247" Title="What do I do if an attacker grabs my breasts?" Tags="|self-defense|grappling|escapes|women|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8079" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8078" CreationDate="2018-01-19T01:57:07.733" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Quite simply, if an attacker grabs your breasts then s/he* has at least one hand extended which you can use against him. Using your hands or forearms you can trap the hands against your chest. What you do from there will depend on your level of training:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;if you are not trained then normal self defense principals still apply. Make lots of noise, attract a lot of attention. Don't be still, keep moving and make it difficult for your attacker to subdue you. Don't concentrate on kicking the attacker in the groin, instead you should concentrate on hitting anything that looks like a target. If you have an object to hand that you can use to strike the opponent then use it. Hit, gouge and break any part of your opponent that you can reach. If the attacker has grabbed your breasts from behind then you still have their hands and fingers to work on - bend and break the little fingers. Drop your weight and keep moving to make it difficult for them to move you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;if you are trained then it's game on! Trapping the attacker's hand(s) and then shifting your weight to a stance or position that unbalances your opponent is the first step, then there is a large number of things you can do (what exactly you do cannot be specified, it depends on positioning).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is important to remember that what you read in stories is simply that - a story. However random sexual based attacks against women are not uncommon especially in some parts of the world. With these sorts of attacks your attacker wants you to be surprised and subdued, they do not want you to fight back - so the more you fight and be the &quot;victim from hell&quot; the more likely you are to stop the attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are somewhere like a pub or club and someone does this, make them disengage. But once you've done that you should concentrate on getting away from the situation, seek help from security staff. Don't escalate unnecessarily - once you've made them disengage you are (strictly speaking) no longer being attacked so do not look to continue the interaction unless your continued safety depends on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being attacked in a sexual way is quite traumatic but your state of mind will be critical to how you handle the situation. Don't panic, and be determined to survive - one thing worse than being a victim of an attack like this is being dead. The best way to be prepared is to attend regular self defense classes (don't make the mistake of thinking that a single class protects you for life - it can increase your chances but you are even more prepared if you attend regular classes). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*never make the mistake of thinking that only males attack in this way&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2018-01-19T01:57:07.733" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8080" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8078" CreationDate="2018-01-19T17:56:07.997" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with slugster's &lt;em&gt;&quot;if an attacker grabs your breasts then s/he&lt;/em&gt; has at least one hand extended which you can use against him&quot;*, and almost all of his general advice, but think &lt;em&gt;&quot;Using your hands or forearms you can trap the hands against your chest.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; should be at most a momentary measure while you get in a good strike.  If the attacker has grabbed you and you trap their hand(s), there's generally nothing to stop them applying even more pressure, so you don't want to be there for seconds or tens of seconds just holding/trapping their hands, getting hold of one of their fingers, or trying to twist free.  The best you can hope for is that one of your arms can momentarily pin both of theirs (if they've grabbed you with both), or at least their dominant hand, leaving your other arm free to strike their face or throat, and your legs free to kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, if they'd put their hands on both your breasts, and you're right handed, you could bring your left hand up and over their arms so one of their hands is pinned by your left bicep and you have your left hand is on top of their left arm, then hold their arms there while you strike (repeatedly if necessary) over their arms with your right hand and/or kick through underneath the arms.  Your left hand is thereby stopping them using their arms to intercept your strikes or hit you back, and also keeping their head at what's generally a good striking distance (if they're much taller, you may need to use your left hand to drag down closer to their elbow, so their arms bend and they come in closer, but it's harder to do effectively).  Thrusting your palm to the chin or nose, or even slapping - using the palm halfway up the jawbone to twist the head sharply, are techniques worth considering.  If you haven't trained serious and conditioned your fist, then your palm's less likely to get injured during striking.  If they're really close, remember you have elbows, but they have very limited reach so they're harder to use than you might expect.  Remember you can kick underneath all these tangled arms, and they're relatively unlikely to see it coming, though they may feel you shifting your weight to prepare to kick; just lifting your knee then snapping out a kick to their knee is faster, less &quot;telegraphed&quot; (obvious early warning signs for them) and has better balance and recovery time than trying some kind of football kick or going for the groin, though little in fighting goes according to a script and taking the best opportunities you get is important.  Keep a clear head and don't get bogged down mentally in one way of defending or attacking - or even the fight at the expense of considering your environment and escape/call-for-help options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A frontal grab's not dissimilar to a strangulation situation, where if you're weaker and try to grab their hands or get in under their fingers and make them let go, you may run out of time and air.  Similarly, there are &quot;nice&quot; textbook techniques to twist this way or that and escape a grab or strangulation, but if they've pushed you up against anything, dragged you in close to them, put you on your back or hauled you up onto tip-toes, you may not have the leg contact into the ground to power a twist of the hips and torso to make &quot;joint locking&quot; techniques - those that twist a limb or joint and apply pressures in painful ways - work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, do as little trapping / joint locking as possible to be able to strike effectively; &lt;em&gt;after&lt;/em&gt; striking you could do more, but if you're untrained in those techniques I wouldn't recommend it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you think you'll likely be followed and there's nowhere safe to run to, make more strikes count while you have the advantage of surprise and position, but run if and when you can, call for help, pick up some kind of weapon (but beware escalating the level of violence) or whatever seems the best use of the time window your strikes create.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Escaping a rear grab&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're grabbed from behind, and their arms are under yours - turning and elbowing to the head is worth consideration.  You can kick backwards at their knees, or down onto their feet.  If they've grabbed around your arms - pressing them to your sides it's harder to escape from - the kicks are still good options, while a &quot;textbook&quot; escape is to drop your body weight while pushing both arms forward (as if you were doing a push-up with your elbows tucked in to your ribs); don't lift your elbows sideways like you're pretending to be a bird flapping its wings - that uses much weaker muscles and has a lot less chance of breaking the hold.  Once the grib loosens, again look to run, or failing that strike.  A problem with this escape is that it relies on suddenly dropping your body weight helping you slip out under their arms, but if they've already taken most of your body weight by bear hugging you to their chest and lifting you upwards, they're already supporting your weight and you can't drop.  But you can kick backwards at their knees / shins, or possibly down onto their feet, and they can't hit you while they're lifting you up in a bear hug.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A final desperate measure that's got nearly as much potential to hurt you as your attacker is a reverse headbutt - if you catch their forehead you may injure yourself worse than them, but if it's your only chance and things look grim, it's worth keeping in mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Getting dragged to a car etc.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they've grabbed you from behind, around/over your arms, then drag you backwards, the &quot;push-up&quot; like arm thrust I mentioned above as a textbook escape from a rear bear-hug should also help you loosen their arms.  If they lift you while pinning your arms - whether you're facing them or away - there's little you can do except kick (or possibly bite or headbutt - both desperate measures).  If they drag you by the hair, there are ways to grab their hands and joint-lock their arms but they're too elaborate to explain and hard to execute - you'd need proper training to have a hope of using them, so I can only suggest instead of struggling to get away, push in close and strike as best you can until they let go of your hair.  Again, a hand used to hold you (even by the hair) is an arm they can't block or attack freely with, but keep in mind it's also a way to control your balance and movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do remember that even with years of martial arts training it's not reliably &quot;safe&quot; or trivial to handle real-world fights - especially against stronger attackers - so don't over-estimate how useful tips like these are.  &lt;em&gt;Avoiding&lt;/em&gt; danger's always the best bet when possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2018-01-19T18:09:05.027" LastActivityDate="2018-01-19T18:09:05.027" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8081" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8083" CreationDate="2018-01-21T10:04:58.090" Score="4" ViewCount="142" Body="&lt;p&gt;In some Aikido styles (I have seen this only from people who trained with Tamura, like Suga sensei, but maybe other schools do the same) there is a whole series of techniques where Tori slips the ken in the obi, in the way it was worn by Samurai in the past.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After having done that, Uke attempts a grab (either of the hand resting on the ken, or of the free hand) and Tori executes a &quot;normal&quot; technique, i.e. Ikkyo, Nikkyo, Kotegaeshi etc. But alwyas using the sword handle to supplement the technique (and often as part of the final lock on the ground).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a technical (Japanese) word to name this type of forms?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="831" LastActivityDate="2018-01-22T10:55:35.480" Title="Aikido locks/throws while wearing ken in the obi" Tags="|aikido|technique|bokken|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8082" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8081" CreationDate="2018-01-22T07:47:05.910" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The closes I can think of is &quot;tachi dori&quot; although that is a set of techniques within the goshin no kata against bokuto, not with. Apart from that, I do not think there is a specific name to those. After all, they are just application of normal techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2018-01-22T07:47:05.910" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8083" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8081" CreationDate="2018-01-22T10:49:54.710" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Thanks to @Sardathrion I was able to &quot;deduce&quot; the correct answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is indeed Tachi Nage (as you can see here, for example: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRaylht6NNo&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRaylht6NNo&lt;/a&gt;) where Suga Sensei is performing a series of techniques while wearing a stheated sword in his Obi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively also &quot;SAYA NO UCHI&quot; is a general term for this (saya means &quot;Scabbard&quot; - see also &lt;a href=&quot;http://ichijoji.blogspot.de/2011/02/saya-no-uchi-principle-and-practice.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&quot;Saya no Uchi - principle and practice&quot;&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="831" LastEditorUserId="831" LastEditDate="2018-01-22T10:55:35.480" LastActivityDate="2018-01-22T10:55:35.480" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8084" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8078" CreationDate="2018-01-22T19:39:07.300" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;By asking the question I assume you are looking to train against this possibility.  That is you are willing to go train.  A qualified instructor can give women practical self defense techniques especially from grabs.  In your example the attacker grabs from behind and grabs your breast.  This is close to or equivalent to a rear bear hug.&#xA;The fingers have to be loosened and attacked.  Holding or trapping the opponent is generally for locks  and throws.  This is ideal for smaller or weaker victims.  The instructor will show variations to different holds from various angles and hand positions such as his arms over both of  your arms, grabs under both of your arms, one over one under, etc.  Fingerlocks are almost a sure thing once you break grips.  Throw the attacker and run the opposite direction you throw the attacker.  Stokes are not neccessary but may distract the attacker enough.  The most crucial aspect is to prevent his grips with both of his  arms and hands clasped together which indicates either him picking you up off yiur feet or him taking you down  to the ground. You can strike all you want if he picks you up or takes you to the ground he can punish you for the strikes you gave him.  Break his grips and keeping you balance are the most important think for someone without experience.  Realistically body weight matters most of the time.  A smaller man is unlikely to get away with doing such a thing a taller and heavier woman. With that said an experience bad guy expects the strikes aka groin, throat, eyes, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8964" LastEditorUserId="8964" LastEditDate="2018-01-22T23:58:24.593" LastActivityDate="2018-01-22T23:58:24.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8085" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5201" CreationDate="2018-01-23T04:19:31.333" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In addition to custom, your heart is on the left side of your chest, so it's easier to protect while unsheathing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9016" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-01-24T21:05:56.480" LastActivityDate="2018-01-24T21:05:56.480" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8086" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8077" CreationDate="2018-01-25T22:57:23.643" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your main concern seems to be about kicking, so I think you can draw some advice from Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo is a kick intensive martial art, and it is common to find people practicing using shoes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But appropriate shoes are used, and not regular trainers. &#xA;If you search for &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://duckduckgo.com/?q=taekwondo+shoes&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;taekwondo shoes&lt;/a&gt;&quot; you will a lot of options available.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iDrkc.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iDrkc.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some hard line people may think that using them will make you too &quot;soft&quot;, but there are also &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tkdessentials.com/tkd-shoes/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;good arguments&lt;/a&gt; to use them, specially for those doing intensive practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2018-01-26T10:41:16.093" LastActivityDate="2018-01-26T10:41:16.093" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8087" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8088" CreationDate="2018-01-26T02:46:43.153" Score="7" ViewCount="1629" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm curious what you are taught about martial application for slow movements?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a general concept that a slow movement has a particular meaning?  Or does it really depend on the specific movement within the form?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What about the execution of the slow movement: is it done relaxed, or is there dynamic tension?  For me, depending on the school I'm practicing at, it seems it can vary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are three examples of forms that have slow movements within:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMqB-098i2s&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Grand Master Kyu Hyung Lee - WTF Poomsae Ilyeo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrr-c5RCKpo&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jion - Shotokan Karate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ID-sqwjCOU&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Shaolin Xiao Hong Quan小洪拳&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-01-30T11:21:31.523" Title="What is the purpose of slow movements in poomsae / kata / taolu for?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|kung-fu|forms|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8088" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8087" CreationDate="2018-01-26T03:58:29.040" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer to this question entirely depends on the form and the history behind it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most forms have changed in small and often big ways since they were first created. Sometimes movements are repeated slowly just because someone thought it would look better in a demonstration. That's the truth for most of what you'll see out there when you see something being done slowly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dynamic tension is an exception. There's an actual purpose behind it. It's done slowly not for the sake of looking slow, but because you're tensing up your muscles and feeling the burn, basically. You have to go slow for that. How slow? It's timed with breathing, so that you perform the movement in one breath. And your breathing is also slowed, due to abdominal muscle contraction. I won't explain dynamic tension, but suffice it to say, there's a reason for it and why it's done slowly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the TKD video you linked to in your question, it shows a form where a kick is done slowly. This is done in TKD as a test of balance, flexibility, and your ability to remain calm. You generally don't see this in older martial arts, because that wasn't something they cared about as far as forms are concerned. They might have developed those attributes in other ways, just not in forms, because forms had another purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other times in forms you might see slowness done with little or no tension but with a coordination of breathing. That could be added after the fact (after a form was created). And it's usually added by someone who wants to incorporate a form of chi-kung / ki-ko to their martial arts. They're attempting to circulate chi/ki to their limbs. You'll see that a lot in Chinese kung-fu forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Slowness that's not due to dynamic tension, chi-kung, or as a test of balance, flexibility, and mental state, is there for emphasis only (or to look cool). Why the emphasis is there is generally lost to time. Who knows why the original maker of the form wants it there. People can guess, but without something in writing or without something passed on in oral history, nobody can know definitively the reason why.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To give you an example of why there's emphasis placed on a movement, it's sometimes done to mark the beginning of a throw. In these cases, this is the point in the form where you're emphasizing that the other person is now in trouble and about to be thrown. It's like saying, &quot;Here we go!&quot;. You can see such an example in my breakdown of the Heian-Sandan form, here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7008/name-and-meaning-of-stance-where-you-stand-with-fists-on-hips/7010#7010&quot;&gt;Name and meaning of stance where you stand with fists on hips?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Heian-Sandan, you often pause a little after turning around and standing up in the middle of this form. The interpretation is that this is right after you've grabbed a hold of your opponent in preparation for an &quot;o-goshi nage&quot; throw. The pause is emphasizing that this is where the throw happens. It's a way of marking the end of something and the beginning of the next thing. In real life, you wouldn't actually pause there. You'd just complete the throw. And in the form, the pause generally doesn't need to be there. It's just that someone thought it should be there for emphasis. That's all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a video showing a demonstration of Heian-Sandan. The movement in question happens around 0:33...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OI-FTV3-4o&amp;amp;t=21s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OI-FTV3-4o&amp;amp;t=21s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My recommendation whenever someone asks why something is done slowly is to look back on old black-and-white movies or videos showing someone performing the form, and compare it against what the form looks like today. Also, compare different lineages and branches that all practice the same form and see how they differ. That can often lead you to discovering something. And of course, try to get good bunkai for it (look up &quot;bunkai&quot; if you don't know what it is).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2018-01-27T03:57:43.080" LastActivityDate="2018-01-27T03:57:43.080" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8089" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-01-26T14:29:24.350" Score="2" ViewCount="284" Body="&lt;p&gt;From &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.waterstones.com/blog/non-fiction-book-of-the-month-gut&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Gut&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Throughout much of Asia, Africa, and southern Europe, people squat briefly over such toilets &lt;strong&gt;in a kind of martial arts&lt;/strong&gt; or downhill skiing pose to poo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand the concept, but how does this relate to martial arts? What kind of martial arts are mentioned? Googling &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/search?q=martial+art+squats&amp;amp;ie=utf-8&amp;amp;oe=utf-8&amp;amp;client=firefox-b&amp;amp;gfe_rd=cr&amp;amp;dcr=0&amp;amp;ei=UDlrWoHOJMWhX4ragpAK&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;code&gt;martial art squat&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/a&gt; seems to only about body building.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;FYI: &lt;a href=&quot;https://travel.stackexchange.com/q/3080/46728&quot;&gt;tips and tricks - OK we're all adults here, so really, how on earth should I use a squat toilet? - Travel Stack Exchange&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8476" LastEditorUserId="8476" LastEditDate="2018-01-27T14:12:45.357" LastActivityDate="2018-01-28T13:57:10.663" Title="How do martial arts relate to squatting?" Tags="|health|sport|positions|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8090" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8089" CreationDate="2018-01-26T15:02:36.033" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This probably refers to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_stance&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;horse stance&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MVm2p.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MVm2p.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;horse stance&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is used in a lot of martial arts… &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2018-01-26T15:02:36.033" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8091" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8087" CreationDate="2018-01-27T05:20:06.287" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Slow has purpose&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you fight, obviously you prefer to be fast over being slow. Everyone understands why you want to practice fast, but sometimes it's useful to practice slow. This may be different speeds within a form done the same way every time, or the same form done with variations in speed over different sessions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You move slow when your technique does not yet support moving fast. For example, some styles dictate that the shoulders should not rotate independent of the hips, that your shoulders should remain aligned above your hips. If you have problems maintaining this alignment while moving fast, the solution is to practice (sometimes, at least) moving only as fast as you can while maintaining the alignment, which may be very slow. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Speed masks problems that become apparent when moving slowly. You can kick fast with poor balance and not fall because your kicking leg returns to the ground swiftly and catches you. But you cannot kick slowly with poor balance without stumbling. Moving slowly allows you to identify problems with balance, control, and continuity. It's also usually easier to correct these problems by practicing slowly initially. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not sure there should be a general way to answer the relaxation versus (dynamic) tension question. I think this should depend upon the particular element you are working on. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Speed variation&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the kung fu school where I studied, the instruction was explicit that after learning a form (sequence of movements independent of speed), you would vary the speed elements to suit your instantaneous state. The same form movement could be fast in one session, but slow in the next; there is no expectation that you will repeat the complete form exactly the same way. This training model is different from one where you can watch the form on YouTube and copy its performance to learn it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a metaphor, the form is a cup. You can have hot drinks or cold drinks in the cup. You can scald yourself with the first sip and decide you need to cool the drink down to finish it. You can decide to have your drink with sugar one day but without the next. You can start admiring the barista's cream pattern on top of your drink before deciding partway through that the now wonky pattern reminds you of something unpleasant and decide to stir the cream in. The cup is a vehicle for storing and consuming any beverage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe you start a form focusing on control and move very slowly. At some point, your body may be itching to go faster, so you let loose for a bit and blast through some movements. But then you notice that your weight is shifting when it shouldn't be, so you slow back down to focus on weight shifting. You think you have corrected the weight shifting, so you speed up to test your adjustments. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can and should watch what other people drink from their cups to inform yourself how to make better drinks, but don't let the one time someone on YouTube drank a prune juice and kale smoothie out of their cup ruin your cup experience. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-01-29T21:44:04.017" LastActivityDate="2018-01-29T21:44:04.017" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8092" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8089" CreationDate="2018-01-27T15:40:40.547" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Honestly, I think that Giulia Enders is using an artistic metaphor to conjure an idea of someone squatting in a relaxed but engaged position in much the same way that you might describe someone attentively awaiting a piece of post as &quot;standing still at the door like a dog pointing&quot; or bracing for a date rejection as &quot;standing lightly on the balls of his feet, like a boxer ready to advance or retreat&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, long story short, squatting over a floor toilet requires a degree of relaxation (so that you're not tiring or cramping up from constant exertion) but also a degree of muscular engagement in the legs (so that you don't topple over), which resembles the sort of static pose you might see in martial arts or skiing where someone is braced in a comfortable position that still requires a bit of effort to maintain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a side note, while it does not fit the geographical regions described in the book, &lt;em&gt;Capoeira&lt;/em&gt; has a defensive dodge called a &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.fitness-vip.com/capoeira-movements/i-cocorinha-stationary.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;cocorinha&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; which literally translates to &quot;squat&quot;, and is traditionally a flat-footed squat, either with the arms crossed in front of one's face to guard against a low attack, or with one hand on the floor for support while the other guards the face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/yL2xg.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/yL2xg.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Cocorinha with arms crossed in front&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BOLs6.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BOLs6.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Cocorinha with one arm down&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-01-28T13:57:10.663" LastActivityDate="2018-01-28T13:57:10.663" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8095" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8087" CreationDate="2018-01-29T08:54:53.333" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my Kukkiwon 6th dan thesis (on poomsae and their benefits/analysis):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a few slow movements during the Taegeuk poomsae series, but there are a lot more in the black belt patterns. Their presence is undeniable, however the reason for having them does not seem to have a simple universal reasoning - unlike the other technical and philosophical areas of poomsae practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people have a simple explanation, there are slow movements purely for artistic reasons. The poomsae shown by Taekwondoin are not a violent pursuit and have a lot in common with a modern dance in terms of grace, balance and flowing movements. So some masters consider the slow movements in poomsae just that, an artistic expression in the middle of a pattern. Those same masters often advocate doing the movement slowly without tension, as a breathing exercise while developing a complete circle of hard/fast and soft/slow to show balance in the form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A different set of masters see them as a physical pursuit, a chance to ensure every muscle is strong as the movement is performed with tension throughout the motion. By doing this contraction throughout the major muscle pairs (e.g. bicep and tricep are an antagonistic pair - each contracts moving the lower arm in the opposite directions) they are all given an equal workout, with the added benefit of maintaining the core tension, building strength in the minor stabilising muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, some grandmasters feel that the slow movements are a chance to build internal power. This is defined as the contraction and strengthening of the fascia throughout the body that forms connected lines from head to toe. It is believed by some that developing this internal power allows for strong movements without the use of “external power” (contraction of the major muscles). This is often practiced by Tai Chi or Kung Fu practitioners, but is not commonly taught in Taekwondo. Some Taekwondo grandmasters advocate the practicing of Taekwondo in a similar way to Tai Chi, slow and balanced rather than fast - practicing in this way may develop this fascia or connective tissue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I believe in a combination of the first two points of view. I believe that the slow movements add balance to the pattern and certainly aid in the artistic expression of Taekwondo. In addition to this, I believe they should be performed under tension to give the physical benefits to that style of contraction/movement. This allows grading examiners a good way to judge the confidence and skill of the candidate. Expert level practitioners should be confident in performing the movements to the required number of seconds, but lower level practitioners often either hurry them or use jerks in movement rather than smoothness to fill the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Various masters and grandmasters I interviewed during the writing of my theory. In personal conversations with me over the phone and instant messaging. One of them was my instructor Grandmaster Sim Pan, others didn't want to be named in my thesis (so doing it here would also go against their wishes). None of the opinions were stating it as fact, just their own opinions, so feel free to treat them with the weight of all internet opinions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-01-30T11:21:31.523" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8096" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4654" CreationDate="2018-01-31T21:21:09.423" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although not your question directly, you did mention in your post &lt;code&gt;&quot;Rashguard are forbidden in IBJJF Gi competition.&quot;&lt;/code&gt;IBJJF bans rashguards because they get in the way while doing collar chokes. Oftentimes the choker will get a hand full of rashguard when trying to attack the opponent's neck, which makes the choke harder to finish.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8917" LastActivityDate="2018-01-31T21:21:09.423" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8098" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8099" CreationDate="2018-02-01T22:30:21.717" Score="4" ViewCount="736" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background info:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been practicing shotokan karate for 9 years now and loved exercising in general. Due to various reasons, I moved to a different region and started japanese jiu jitsu 5 months ago (there are no karate dojo's around). Since then, because of the current location, I must ride a bike for at least 8 kilometers almost daily (sometimes even more). I know this might not sound like a lot, but before moving, I hadn't even touched a bicycle in years and now it's my main mean of transportation. Couple that with two training sessions a week of jiu jitsu (which I sometimes have to skip for my schedule does not allow me to). After 5 months, I noticed a change in my thigh and calf muscles (a bit thinner and more pronounced, not by much, they were very &quot;pronounced&quot; even before I started cycling). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding the terrain, it's mostly flat but there is an steep overpass over an highway plus a 100 meters region which is pretty steep as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does riding a bicycle for at least 8 kilometers a day (or any substantial number of km for that matter) improve stamina in karate or martial arts in general? Are there any other benefits from it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The jiu jitsu training (at least from my perspective) teaches a different kind of energy &quot;output&quot; for the feet compared to karate, as in karate matches the legs are continuously under use compared to jiu jitsu (just my observation so far).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8386" LastActivityDate="2018-02-02T10:42:12.437" Title="Does cycling improve stamina or any other physical characteristics?" Tags="|karate|training|jujutsu|exercise|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8099" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8098" CreationDate="2018-02-02T08:38:09.570" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Cycling will initially improve your general fitness, (especially stamina, general cardiovascular). After a while you will reach a general plateau of improved fitness (unless you keep increasing the cycling distance/intensity).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The issues for martial arts fitness is that cycling only uses certain groups of movements for a repetitive action. So while you may find an increase in muscle in certain areas you may start to lose it in others (as carrying muscles for lifting your legs to the side are redundant and may actually work against you in cycling).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another issue is that cycling is an endurance activity, you output a similar amount of energy constantly for several minutes (or hours if you go longer distances). Martial arts often require that short sharp movement (Karate especially) so whilst you may feel fitter, activities like sparring where you are working beyond the energy output of cycling can quickly wipe you out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flexibility - Cycling will tend to hurt your flexibility as it only requires a short motion and it is too common to get to your destination, park up the bike and forget to stretch. It also builds muscles good for that forward and backward motion that may hinder side to side motion (as it is unnecessary).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My recommendation? - Cycle! its good for you and it helps with your general fitness, but make sure you pay attention to the areas that cycling does not work. Sparring drills and anaerobic exercises (e.g. sprints) to keep the fast twitch fibres working. Chest work to keep in proportion. Kick practice - to ensure you are not just building muscles good for rotating those pedals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2018-02-02T08:38:09.570" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8101" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8103" CreationDate="2018-02-02T12:25:55.030" Score="3" ViewCount="527" Body="&lt;p&gt;This probably applies to many arts - but my particular experience is Tae Kwon Do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I love competing - and have been lucky enough to compete around the world in the adult black belt categories.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;The successes have brought prestige to my club which has helped with club identity and membership.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now as I age - and am facing competitors more than 10 years my junior - I start to feel myself slowing down and those high kicks take more energy than they used to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a few years before I am considered a Vet (age for this varies from competition to competition). I would love to keep on competing always and the veterans category should be more of a level playing field again. So my question is this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should one carry on competing in the interim years - where I am too old and slow to really win in the adult categories - to remain sharp and hopefully be on the rostrum as a veteran competitor?&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Or take a couple of years away from competing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously the answer to this is heavily dependant on the individual - so a good answer will list the considerations one should make.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2018-02-02T17:38:56.280" Title="Ageing and Competition - Step back or Power through?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|recommendation|competition|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8102" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8117" CreationDate="2018-02-02T14:59:54.370" Score="7" ViewCount="1150" Body="&lt;p&gt;The head-inside single leg is an essential takedown in both wrestling and MMA. Often when one fails the head-inside, you can fake the switch to the double leg, and the head-outside single is there. This is great for wrestling, but in MMA three horrible things happens if you attempt a head-outside single:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You get stuck in a guillotine, and need to immediately pass to side control on the opposite side (quite difficult), or get choked out.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You get your back taken. (This is most common)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You bail on the leg once you go down and get triangle choked.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there instances of this takedown being used in high level MMA? Is it worth keeping in one's arsenal? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2018-02-02T16:49:41.483" LastActivityDate="2018-02-16T21:59:51.663" Title="Is the head-outside single leg takedown relevant in MMA?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|mixed-martial-arts|wrestling|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8103" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8101" CreationDate="2018-02-02T17:38:56.280" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Always know your limits.  One bad event, and your decision will be made for you whether you like it or not.  And then what do you have to offer your students?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo is fast becoming a young man's sport.  Too often, my daughter, or other women in our dojang, had to accept a trophy after winning by default because there were no other competitors, or the competition was adjusted so that she'd compete in a different category, or that the event was simply cancelled.  Besides a waste of money, it's a waste of lots of people's time - not just the tournament, but for the practice leading up to it.  For older women, the prospects are even worse.  Maybe that does not apply to everyone.  But that can factor in one's decision to press on in competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Older folks can't - or shouldn't - be doing dangerous flying or twisting kicks; a blown knee, torn ACL, a bruised hip, a twisted ankle, or even a pulled muscle - these can spell disaster for older folks, who are statistically generally well-established in their day jobs and don't heal well from injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are well-conditioned and you know the risks, by all means continue if you want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for me, I too am approaching an age where young kids can knock my block off - and I'd never know where it came from.  Arthritis has set in, and aches and pains take a lot longer to heal than they once did.  Competition is just too dangerous for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me, I am an instructor, a boy scout leader and merit badge counselor, a soccer coach, a baseball coach, and a softball coach.  I do photography and videography as well.  And I volunteer at an Elk's lodge and our town drum corps. &#xA; All of that, including my responsibilities at home, comes to a grinding halt if I experience said knee, ankle, or hip injury.  So I stopped competing in sparring long ago.  I compete in forms and breaking every now and then, but, I define my contribution to my style in terms of what I give back to the community.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a result, I spend significant time reading up on relevant subjects, or going to seminars, and then passing what I learn on to my classes.  In addition, I referee, I help administer gradings, and I assist in setting up tests, demonstrations, and tournaments.  I no longer feel the need to compete to prove myself; rather, I give back what I've learned.  Not to be (too) cliche, but, the light of a candle does not dim when it provides light to another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-02-02T17:38:56.280" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8104" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6" CreationDate="2018-02-03T14:18:07.837" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Get a hand wrap wash bag + this one comes with an extra set of wraps &gt;&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://savagebreedcombat.com/collections/accessories/products/hand-wrap-wash-bag-wraps&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://savagebreedcombat.com/collections/accessories/products/hand-wrap-wash-bag-wraps&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is designed to hold and wash your hand wraps preventing them from tangling. Putting them in the bag will save you time and hassle from having to untangle them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This bag holds 5 wraps at a time and is breathable if you wanted to put it in the dryer. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your welcome ;) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9046" LastActivityDate="2018-02-03T14:18:07.837" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8105" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-02-07T08:32:14.153" Score="4" ViewCount="1150" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've recently started karate again after a ~5 year haitus, and I am getting pains everywhere, which was expected. These are ok, but there are two that I find concerning. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pain in back of knee when performing mae geri&lt;/em&gt;. This happens when I perform the movement fast, on the snap-back. I think it has something to do with hamstrings. It is a sharp pain. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pain in outer-hips when performing mawashi geri&lt;/em&gt;. This happens at any speed, and the pain arises whenever I am raising my knee to prepare for the snap. I think it has something to do with my hip rotation. It is not a sharp pain, but a dull, almost fatigued one.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any exercises I can do to strengthen these areas of my legs? I know that in the meantime I will need to take it slow and stretch everything, so that my body can readapt to karate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9052" LastEditorUserId="9052" LastEditDate="2018-02-07T10:33:26.297" LastActivityDate="2018-02-09T16:11:45.923" Title="Pain when performing mae geri and mawashi geri" Tags="|karate|kicking|stretching|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8106" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8105" CreationDate="2018-02-07T14:48:05.530" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL; DR; - Stronglifts 5x5 and therapy devices.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A slight bit of anatomy first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are several muscles and tendons running through the back of the knee area (As well as ligaments). The heads of the gastrocnemius (Calf muscle) originate from the condyles of the femur (Lower part of femur just above knee, inside and outside of leg). There is also the plantaris muscle, and the tendons for the hamstrings run through here as well. Any one of these could be causing that pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The pain in the outer hips (You don't mention if it is bilateral i.e. both sides or not) could be any number of muscles/tendons, but since you mention it as a dull ache, I would suspect it is the IT (Iliotibial) band, which runs almost directly down alongside the outside leg before crossing in lower down. This is a common overuse area, as it tends to rub over/back on the hip and get inflamed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A sharp pain is usually indicative of a fresh, happening now kind of injury while a dull ache is more of a long term thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without getting into a possible injury and mechanics, what you want to do is work the strength through the lower leg, as well as flexibility. Calf raises, squats, deadlifts, leg curls are going to be your mainstay exercises. To start, I would highly recommend a program such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://stronglifts.com/5x5/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Stronglifts 5x5&lt;/a&gt; for overall body strengthening. It hits the major muscle groups, and is a very good beginner styled lifting regimen. Combine this with your stretching. For the lateral hips, you can add lateral leg raises, lateral raises with an exercise band, or they make machines that you can do lateral weight &quot;raises&quot; on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would also recommend getting &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thestick.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Stick&lt;/a&gt; and a &lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B01N4GEZFC&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;foam roller&lt;/a&gt;, as they really work to help break up muscle knots and release tight fascia (Which can also be a proximate pain cause).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2018-02-07T14:48:05.530" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8108" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-02-08T13:29:20.657" Score="1" ViewCount="360" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was trying to search for a matching hand mudra where just three fingers are touching the other hand with the others apart. I learned it along with a basic ground stance of maintaining three to four points of contact with the ground. Other than that it was supposed to have an official martial arts style which used the same mudra. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was hesitant to just show pics of it so you'll have to bear with me on any minor hand position mistakes. Also, note that there are only three fingers for contact plus my body itself for a possible fourth. It does differ from the Hakini mudra, which connects all fingers, in case there is a misunderstanding. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NE9Yom.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NE9Yom.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Side Shot&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/O53O5m.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/O53O5m.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Front shot&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9057" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-09-17T13:58:31.747" LastActivityDate="2018-09-17T13:58:31.747" Title="Is there an official hand mudras record?" Tags="|training|identification|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8109" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8105" CreationDate="2018-02-08T16:01:39.217" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would add, per your details, you should focus on warming up.  You didn't say if you warmed up, and you didn't say when you stretched or how you stretch -&#xA; the devil is always in the details.  So perhaps you are warming up; but stretching cold muscles, or using the wrong stretches, is a disaster in the making and often contributes to pain during or after working out.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your warmup should never, ever, (ever, ever, ever) consist of static stretching.  I see so many people arrive for Taekwondo classes, plop themselves on the floor, then go into static stretches consisting of butterflies, hurdler stretches, and splits.  Then they go into the ballistic stretches by kicking as high as they can.  This is just as dangerous as going into a workout without properly warming up.  The only time you might want to start your workout with a static stretch is when you are doing active static stretches your doctor might have ordered as you are on the mend from an injury; but then, your workout will be mild anyway.  And still, there is no excuse for not warming up before that anyway.  Tom Kurz (see link) and others will eventually have you go into your workout cold (no stretching, no warmup), but there is a science to it unrelated to your question, so I'll leave it at that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, folks in traditional Karate don't really need nearly as much flexibility as we do in contemporary Taekwondo, because, Karate isn't about kicking high.  You didn't say what the focus of your classes are like, and if your kicking has you doing them at or near your maximum range of motion, as that could be an indicator you're kicking too high for your conditioning and that you need to focus on more warmup and possibly less stretching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kids might not need to warm up much because they're usually active during the day anyway, but we adults often find our jobs (or college) leads to a somewhat sedentary lifestyle, and so, we should be sure we get a strong warm-up before working out.  How much warm up depends on your current conditioning, perhaps a doctor can help here.  But anything that gets the blood, breathing, and relevant muscles moving faster for several minutes would be the goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me, in my 50's, I circumnavigate the parking lot to my Taekwondo and Aikido schools, both have large ones I walk around.  I get there 30 mins early, walk the lot, then go in and do some dynamic stretching (&lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; ballistic, and &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; static).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I'm particularly warmed up from soccer practice that afternoon, or I know that I won't be doing high kicks, I might ask a partner to help with PNF / isometric exercises, which are workouts in of themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One caution: whenever you do serious muscle workouts involving calf or thigh, you should be doing static stretches at the &lt;strong&gt;end&lt;/strong&gt; of your workout; this helps alleviate aches the next day, which typically results from a buildup of lactic acid.  The quad and calf statics can help squeeze the lactic acid out, and minimize build up which makes you ache later on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And after any serious kicking, you should give at least a day's rest - no activity except dynamic stretches.  This day of rest is how the body heals and is where your flexibility increases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find Tom Kurz's materials a great resource on dynamic stretching not only for increasing flexibility, but also for general health and maintenance overall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.stadion.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Stadion Publishing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, you might find PNF more suitable for your lifestyle.  Here's a good and recent article on the subject:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/pnf-stretching&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;PNF Stretching: A How-To Guide&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are tons of articles on both dynamic and isometric stretching, and some even conflict, and many don't agree on what ballistic or dynamic stretching are, so be careful what you read.  Tom Kurz does go into anatomy, which is a great way to understand why one kind of stretching is good or bad over another kind, and with that understanding, you can more easily navigate another author's idea of what they mean with the various kinds of stretching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2018-02-09T16:11:45.923" LastActivityDate="2018-02-09T16:11:45.923" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8111" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8029" CreationDate="2018-02-11T04:19:19.767" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association, which I think follows the same rules as the Olympics:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A wrestler can choose to compete in the next higher weight class, except for the heaviest weight class, where the wrestler must weigh the minimum weight listed in this rulebook. The decision to change a weight class cannot be made after the wrestler has already weighed in and the athlete has officially been entered on the weigh-in sheet for a particular weight class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://1umxx21xcbmi5khaw2dgwp52iz-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/2015_2016_Rulebook_v3.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Source (pdf)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9062" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2018-02-12T01:35:47.260" LastActivityDate="2018-02-12T01:35:47.260" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8116" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5700" CreationDate="2018-02-16T16:06:34.387" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;One very simple way to avoid the opponent's knees during sparring is to angle your kick down. Don't kick to the side as you would usually do when aiming for ribs (horizontally) - &lt;strong&gt;when you kick the outside of the thigh, aim high to low, as if you would kick their hips and then turn the inside of your leg down&lt;/strong&gt; - it's WAY harder to defend and to accidentally hit a knee. &#xA;If curious, take a look at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgJpiak1wxw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kyokushin (full contact) karate fighter Hajime Kazumi making some real damage&lt;/a&gt; doing that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally use it to avoid getting hurt while sparring white belts and new people at the dojo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9075" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-02-16T19:24:00.637" LastActivityDate="2018-02-16T19:24:00.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8117" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8102" CreationDate="2018-02-16T21:54:41.140" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;We actually drilled this before MMA sparring yesterday, so I'll answer this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, it is relevant. I'll address my three previous concerns:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key is you have to finish the head outside single by &quot;running the pipe&quot;, the traditional head inside single leg finish. The reason for this is you get to maintain control through the entire takedown. If you go to bulldoze your opponent like you would with a blast double leg takedown you will drop a hard inside shoulder on their groin area, causing you to land unbalanced, and having your arms stuck. They can take your back or work a guillotine. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Running the pipe allows you to stay standing/squatting while they go down. You can then work a leg drag, bullfighter pass, knee on belly, or just throw some bombs from a low standing position a la GSP. If you don't go down to the ground hard and uncontrolled with the takedown you get to bail on the leg without risking falling into a triangle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary, the answer to all three concerns is: &lt;strong&gt;They can't do any of those things because when you properly &quot;run the pipe&quot; you remain standing/squatting, or at the very least, not face down on the ground (like with one or both knees down).&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2018-02-16T21:59:51.663" LastActivityDate="2018-02-16T21:59:51.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8118" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8120" CreationDate="2018-02-17T05:41:47.673" Score="10" ViewCount="1209" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have studied jujitsu for almost 5 years. Last year, my daughter and I started Taekwondo also. From the minute I walked through the doors, a 40ish year old man has been harassing me. Everything from comments on my flexibility to my age, trying to talk down to me. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tonight, I had to spar with him; he is twice my size (I am a five foot tall woman). He came at me full force right from the start. He made me so mad I threw him. In all of my training, I have never met anyone nastier. Any suggestions on how to deal with this guy before he gets me to a point of no return? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9076" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-20T09:25:46.070" LastActivityDate="2019-06-26T23:12:48.257" Title="Harassment by another student" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|jujutsu|safety|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8119" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8118" CreationDate="2018-02-17T06:21:13.933" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your instructor should have noticed this and be taking steps to mitigate his aggression and lack of respect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Respect is a cornerstone of the martial arts. Not everyone has it and not everyone learns it, so you will invariably encounter people of this nature. It is especially prevalent in lower grades - usually respect is learned (and gained) the longer someone trains. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to talk to your instructor as soon as possible about it and they then should take steps to make sure the two of you don't train together. The instructor should have a range of options from talking to the student to suspension. I've seen belts confiscated and people permanently excluded from dojos due to lack of respect and other infractions - not that it should come to that for your situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2018-02-17T06:21:13.933" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8120" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8118" CreationDate="2018-02-17T06:30:20.660" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm sure with your jujitsu you've seen enough of how a dojo should be to judge when someone's acting improperly, though from the little you've detailed it's not clear whether he's potentially just socially inept (trying to offer encouragement or some sense of empathy with the difficulties of stretching as an adult), and junior enough in the martial arts to be over-excited and carelessly forceful in sparring, or he might really be the nasty crude brute you believe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, I'd say find out for sure by telling him how you feel and getting his perspective, then watching his future behaviour.  If that proves he's the condescending creep he appears to be, discuss it with the instructor.  If the instructor doesn't do something you're happy with, find a better place to train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2018-02-17T06:30:20.660" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8121" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8118" CreationDate="2018-02-17T21:42:53.680" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;First and foremost: &lt;strong&gt;abuse should not be tolerated&lt;/strong&gt;, thus you should talk immediately to your instructor. If they do not take steps about it, you should go to your/their organisation representative (whomever is higher up) and mention it to them. In any case, &lt;strong&gt;you and your daughter should stop training there&lt;/strong&gt; until this is resolved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the abuse continues outside the dojo, you should speak to a lawyer as soon as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hopefully, it was just a misunderstanding and after a heart felt apology all will be well. If not, find a different place to train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2018-02-17T21:42:53.680" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8122" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8118" CreationDate="2018-02-18T00:02:19.197" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Concur with the other answers; it is worth repeating that I don't think this situation is acceptable.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also want to agree that your instructor has failed you already - the instructor should have identified and dealt with this behavior before this.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what I've read, this kind of bullying is not uncommon.  Deplorable, but not uncommon.  There are plenty of schools that are undermined by the ego of bad students.  Fortunately there are also lots of good schools where students practice respect.   (If you've been doing Jujutsu for 5 years, you already know this.) You asked for my suggestion; I'd suggest finding a new school and letting this instructor know why you are leaving.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2018-02-18T00:02:19.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8123" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8118" CreationDate="2018-02-19T11:36:05.970" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with everything that's been said so far. However, I'd also like to give my own two cents on this issue as a female taekwondo practitioner who has (unfortunately) been in similar situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Safety above all.&lt;/strong&gt;   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Firstly, make sure you trust the instructor before you proceed with any of the following steps. I'm not sure what kind of school you're attending, but the fact that behaviour like this can go unnoticed raises some red flags with me. A Taekwondo school should, above all, emphasise respect. If your instructor believes otherwise, I strongly suggest you leave. It might not be a safe place for you and your daughter to train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you believe the instructor is trustworthy enough, you can either speak directly with them, or warn the guy that you'll see the instructor if he continues to harass you. Do what you feel is most comfortable, as long as you are taking action, since staying silent will just feed his ego more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should the worst happen and your instructor can't stop him, leave the class. There are plenty of dojangs out there that value respect and will provide a safe environment for you to train in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8392" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-06-21T15:57:26.673" LastActivityDate="2019-06-21T15:57:26.673" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8124" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5700" CreationDate="2018-02-21T11:30:14.580" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Distraction - continuous attacks with fists, and allow opponent to block it, establish an attacking pattern that he is used to and then break it by landing the kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fakes - lift the front leg as if to kick. Bait the opponent into starting to block. Now kick with the other/same leg&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The lesson here is, for a beginner/intermediate; the chances of your first direct kick to score/land are low. You need to have combinations and make use of distraction, fakes, shuffles. Fighting is like a fast paced chess game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a book coming out on Amazon that has this as one of its topics&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastEditorUserId="8980" LastEditDate="2018-02-23T06:21:23.393" LastActivityDate="2018-02-23T06:21:23.393" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8125" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-02-22T14:02:08.477" Score="4" ViewCount="2038" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &quot;bandal-chagi&quot; is often referred to as &quot;crescent moon kick&quot; and the &quot;dollyeo-chagi&quot; is usually translated to english as &quot;roundhouse kick&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both kicks have a very similar movement: raise the kicking leg knee in front of you, rotate your supporting leg, while simultaneously extending the kicking foot towards towards the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When performing &quot;dollyeo-chagi&quot; you should do a full extension, with a 180 degree rotation of your supporting leg, so that your end with your heel pointing to the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the difference is that this is not true for the &quot;bandal-chagi&quot;, where you do less rotation, between 90 and 120 degrees. While this has a lower reach, and makes it more difficult to kick high, it is a faster movement and allows you to perform double kick sequences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wonder technically this distinction is correct.&#xA;I looked up the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kukkiwon.or.kr/front/pageView.action?cmd=/eng/information/taekwondoSkill2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kukkiwon website&lt;/a&gt; and only found the &quot;dollyeo-chagi&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To add some confusion, some sources seem to relate the &quot;bandal-chagi&quot; to the outward and inward &lt;a href=&quot;http://taekwondo.wikia.com/wiki/Crescent_Kick&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;crescent kicks&lt;/a&gt; (&quot;bakkat-chagi&quot; and &quot;an-chagi&quot;), but I believe this is because of the unfortunate coincidence in the english translation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2018-02-22T15:33:24.983" LastActivityDate="2018-03-06T23:19:25.967" Title="Difference between &quot;bandal-chagi&quot; and &quot;dollyeo-chagi&quot;" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|technique|kicking|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8126" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8125" CreationDate="2018-02-23T05:42:39.847" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, it's been many years since I took Tae-Kwan-Do, so I can no longer speak from personal experience, especially for terminology, but I do remember those kicks being taught as being different, although for us, the &quot;bandal-chagi&quot; was referred to instead as a &quot;sparring roundhouse kick&quot; with the instructor being sort of deprecatory about it, not seeing it as a proper roundhouse kick, but acknowledging that it was useful for a faster kick that required less commitment, and was therefore safer. Because the supporting leg isn't turned as far out, you get less power, and it also is more difficult to get height on the kick. The other aspect which was different was the chamber. While both kicks started the same way, with a lifted knee, the proper &quot;dollyo-chagi&quot; involved the calf going parallel to the ground before the kick was launched, while the &quot;sparring&quot; version typically only went to about 45 degrees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Doing a quick search around the web reveals similar cases of people asking about the difference and the general distinction, when one is made, is the angle of the supporting leg, and the angle of the chamber.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2018-02-23T05:42:39.847" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8129" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5151" CreationDate="2018-02-25T20:10:44.547" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You may want to consider looking at other schools in your area and find one with a more family focused atmosphere, or one that does not concentrate so much on sparring and winning competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6776" LastActivityDate="2018-02-25T20:10:44.547" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8132" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-02-27T16:20:33.693" Score="6" ViewCount="313" Body="&lt;p&gt;My problem is that my sensei talks and talks and talks, forever. He spends a good 5-10 minutes explaining something, we then practice what he explained for a about 2 minutes, then he starts talking again. During a typical one hour class, he often spends a good 30 to 45 minutes talking. He can't even stay quiet long enough to finish a count. Say we are doing a combination 5 times, he goes: 1, 2... and when you think he is going to say &quot;3&quot;, he starts talking again. It's like you better not react too quickly. You have to wait before you move, to see if he is gonna say 3&quot; or maybe he just wants to make some additional comments. I used to think I needed to adjust my attitude and listen with respect. But this is getting to be too much. Many times, I just feel frustrated and disgusted and it takes a lot of discipline not to walk out of there. That's too bad, because I love doing Karate, the few minutes I actually get to do something, during his classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9103" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-03-07T03:34:06.850" LastActivityDate="2018-05-09T06:22:40.153" Title="Do I need a new attitude, or a new dojo?" Tags="|teaching|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8133" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8132" CreationDate="2018-02-27T18:27:43.190" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It'd be an awkward conversational topic to broach, and I don't think you're going to change him anyway. The only reasons I can come up with to stay would be the total lack of MA alternatives, or if your kids are go there too and love it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2018-02-27T18:27:43.190" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8136" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7737" CreationDate="2018-02-27T19:34:01.000" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a couple of ways that a direct blow to the chest could cause damage, other than the freezing of the diaphragm from a blow almost anywhere along the line of the ribcage (Although the side edges and solar plexus are the more vulnerable points).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Breaking a rib&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can punch around 3300 newtons of force, you have about 25% chance to fracture a rib, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.livescience.com/6040-brute-force-humans-punch.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;according to a Livescience article&lt;/a&gt;. A typical boxer can generate up to 5000 newtons with a punch. A fractured rib will impair both breathing and movement immediately, and depending on the break, a chance to rupture blood vessels running along the rib itself. (This also depends on angle of strike, bone condition of opponent, many factors. This is just a rough example).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Stopping the heart&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A direct blow over the heart has a chance to stop the heart. The basic mechanism is that the blow strikes during the major repolarization phase of the heartbeat (Called a T wave on an ECG), and disrupts the rhythm. This is called &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commotio_cordis&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;commotio cordis&lt;/a&gt; and while rare and more prevalent in youths, it does happen in many sports, and has a mortality rate above 60%.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Why the chest?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As pointed out already, striking the face is potentially very harmful to the person doing the punching. Additionally, a punch to the face may do no more damage than a nosebleed and really enraging the opponent. Knocking a person out relies more on torque causing the brain to bang against the skull. There is no guarantee that you are going to be able to do that with a punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Add to that, the head is relatively small in area compared to the chest, and can easily be covered, or deflect blows coming at it. In comparison, the chest has a very broad area from front to back and top to bottom, and it takes a skilled person to guard that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The final point - Against an untrained person, the typical reaction is to jerk the hands down in front of an incoming punch. An experienced fighter can target the ribs, potentially do damage and cause the hands to move, then target the face if desired once the guard is moved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2018-02-27T19:34:01.000" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8137" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8132" CreationDate="2018-02-28T03:00:40.217" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some people just love hearing themselves talk. Although he may have to take up some time giving guidance and input on techniques and applications, using half or even more of a class doing nothing but talking does seem unreasonable.&#xA;Honestly, your attitude sounds amazing. In your shoes I would have walked out the door after a few classes, you clearly have dedication and patience. Changing dojos is bound to be a difficult decision, but...&#xA;If your instructor is doing anything that you feel seriously degrades the quality of the class, or that you wholeheartedly disagree with, you should probably consider a different school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7914" LastActivityDate="2018-02-28T03:00:40.217" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8138" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8132" CreationDate="2018-02-28T09:27:33.977" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am afraid you need both and a third one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, you need to pay attention to what sensei says and steal as much of his knowledge as possible. To me, he sounds like a perfectionist wanting all his students to learn as if they were tenth dan. This is a curse and a blessing at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, you need the space and time to actually practice what he says. This is hard to do in class but finding some time is a good idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thirdly, do talk to him like two adults in the room: no recriminations, no fake modesty, and no blame. Bring solutions to the problem. For example, you could say something like:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I want to steal as much of your knowledge as you can share. However, I am finding it a little of an information overload. Can you help with that? I thought that maybe a one to three ratio of talking to training would be good? What do you think?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2018-02-28T09:27:33.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8139" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8132" CreationDate="2018-02-28T12:20:47.560" Score="7" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Personal remark&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reading it charitable, he's a perfectionist, just @Sardathrion wrote. I sometimes catch myself talking too much in class and it's been brought forward. Especially when teaching adults this can become a common theme, but I, personally, was thankful for pointing that out, as I want to be the best teacher I possibly can be. So in the end, both sides got positive outcomes from that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;General remark&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With more than 16 years of teaching MAs, I came to the conclusion that interaction is the most central thing in good teaching. This has two dimensions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Personal level of interaction&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While this is probably the less important one, it is quite important for retaining your participants. But I consider interaction on a personal level to be quite important as you&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;want to get to know the person you are teaching techniques that potentially harm both participants of your group and others&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;you can adjust methods and how to engage the person so that there is trust and development that would not be possible in a one fits all method&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;you bond with and bind people (which is important imho)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Interaction on a professional level&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's the core of the problem as you describe it: holding a monologue may help to understand something, but MA is about being able to do something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need both practice (like, a lot) and constant feedback in order to become better. You have to have more repetitions in order to correctly learn a technique you did wrong than you had for learning the wrong technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This necessary level of personal feedback is impossible to provide with short, non-interactive practicing periods. And by this, I mean on a 1-on-1 basis, not correcting mistakes in front of the whole group (except it's a very common mistake, which you then point out explicitly).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Solution&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two steps: First, speak to him heads up. I've been told long talks make it so that most people forgot what I told at the beginning before I finished. I adapted and had positive feedback. If a teacher cannot cope with constructive feedback, he is both a bad martial artist in terms of personality and in terms of instruction. So if he is unwilling or unable to work on that, he is the wrong person to teach you (and, imho, anyone).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-02-28T12:20:47.560" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8140" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-02-28T18:43:44.300" Score="8" ViewCount="280" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Original Question&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is an excerpt of an interview with Takako Kunigoshi, a direct student of Ueshiba, in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1957/5961&quot;&gt;THelper's answer&lt;/a&gt; to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/1953/5961&quot;&gt;Who were the first female aikidoka?&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Editor: During Ueshiba Sensei’s training sessions in what way did he explain the techniques of Aikido?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No matter what it was that we asked him I think we always got the same answer. Anyway, there wasn’t a soul there who could understand any of the things that he said. I guess he was talking about spiritual subjects but the meaning of his words was just beyond us. Later we would stand around and ask each other, “Just what was it Sensei was talking about anyway?” (laughter).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Did Ueshiba's students' understanding of his explanations improve at a later time? Or did Ueshiba have an understanding that was not passed down to his students?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Restated Question&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The current answers are considerably more complicated than the more basic question I am trying to ask.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Define the logical boolean proposition &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;understands_explanations(X, Y, t)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; as: At time &lt;em&gt;t&lt;/em&gt;, Person &lt;em&gt;X&lt;/em&gt; believes that Person &lt;em&gt;Y&lt;/em&gt; understands Ueshiba's current explanations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Did there exist a student &lt;em&gt;S&lt;/em&gt; and times &lt;em&gt;t_1&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;t_2&lt;/em&gt;, such that these three conditions are true:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;understands_explanations&lt;/em&gt;(Ueshiba, &lt;em&gt;S&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;t_1&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;understands_explanations(S, S, t_2)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;t_1&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;t_2&lt;/em&gt; are after 1933, when Kunigoshi's experience with Ueshiba begins&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The situation described by Kunigoshi is very unusual. Did this situation persist? Or did students simply catch on later? If necessary, you can relax the &amp;quot;understands&amp;quot; to &amp;quot;partially understands&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that I do not care whether the student can manifest Ueshiba's skills, or whether the time that Ueshiba thinks the student understands matches when the student thinks they understand. The question is about whether Ueshiba and his students ever thought the students understood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based solely on the quotation from Kunigoshi, the answer to this question is simply: &amp;quot;no&amp;quot;. The students agree they do not understand what the teacher is saying. Thus, there would not exist a student &lt;em&gt;S&lt;/em&gt; and time &lt;em&gt;t_2&lt;/em&gt; such that &lt;em&gt;understands_explanations(S, S, t_2)&lt;/em&gt; is true. Although a student may be able to pass on what they have learned (as in Kunigoshi's case), it is expected that information missing in the transmission from the original teacher will still be missing in later generations unless they are rediscovered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-03-02T12:19:04.917" Title="Did Ueshiba successfully explain his aikido knowledge to his students?" Tags="|aikido|history|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8141" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3033" CreationDate="2018-02-28T22:55:48.500" Score="7" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zy40B.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zy40B.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;3 10th Dan grade holders at the Kodokan&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ichiro ABE, 10th Dan  |   Yoshimi OSAWA, 10th Dan |   Toshiro DAIGO, 10th Dan&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The image above can be found &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/doctrine/palace/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;on the website of the Kodokan&lt;/a&gt;. It shows three holders of the 10th dan with their red belts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess this settles it with an appropriately authoritative source.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-04-23T06:06:32.807" LastActivityDate="2022-04-23T06:06:32.807" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8143" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8140" CreationDate="2018-03-01T08:56:39.873" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Maybe…&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Yes?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu_%28negative%29&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;無 (mu)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It depends on what you mean really.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, &lt;em&gt;Aikido is not a static thing&lt;/em&gt;. It evolved over time due to Ueshiba's own interpretation, ageing body, and mysticism evolution. Clearly the Aikido of Hell Dojo was utterly different from the one practices in Iwama: decades separate the two, and Ueshiba moved from a fit young man to an old one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, a specific Aikido could be understood just fine at certain points by certain students. I think that this matches the three &lt;code&gt;understands_explanations(X, Y, t)&lt;/code&gt; assertions. Clearly, it is difficult to judge unless we can ask any of the students and Ueshiba -- unless necromancy is involved, we can definitely say that this is impossible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, there is a method by which we can judge that: Tomiki was given a Meyko Kaiden (later translated to 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; dan) which in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuhari&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;shu-ha-ri (守破離)&lt;/a&gt; concept is the equivalent of saying &quot;go away and do your own things, I have nothing to teach you any more&quot;. Thus, Tomiki could be said to have been the first person beside Ueshiba to grok Hell Dojo Aikido. Ueshiba told him so by giving him the Meyko Kaiden. Of course, the same could be said of Shioda, Tohei, and countless others too numerous to mention here. Basically, any time Ueshiba gave an 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; dan to a student of his.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, &lt;em&gt;Ueshiba was notoriously terrible at explaining things&lt;/em&gt;. He would practice a technique a few times, ask his students to do the same, then yell at them when they got it wrong. Even the Aikikai has stories of Ueshiba coming to visit from Iwama and being asked politely (view his wife!) to leave as he was telling everyone they were a disgrace. Was it because he was insane or because he just did not know how to teach is open to debate. If the former, then Aikido was never a static thing in his own head. If the latter, then no one ever grok it at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, no one should care about Ueshiba's Aikido unless they are Ueshiba. Aikido of the same style and tough correctly will look utterly different on a 150cm lithe women and a 230cm quarter a ton bench pressing giant. A truly skilled instructor will teach the same technique so that both can make it work. This will become two techniques, both different from the one that works for the instructor. There is no point in understanding someone else's Aikido as it will be utterly useless to you. Understanding &lt;em&gt;your Aikido should be your goal&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to the splintering of the art, it is another vast topic. However, differences in understanding and Aikido evolutions can explain a lot of it. Adding some massive egos and desire to be the &quot;one true path from Ueshiba&quot; and you get the unhealthy attitude of some Aikidoka. Way of harmony indeed⸮&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;: in case ⸮ does not show for you, it is the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_punctuation#Irony_mark&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;irony mark&lt;/a&gt;…&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2&lt;/strong&gt;: Thanks to Mark C. Wallace for reminding me of this concept in his &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/8144/82&quot;&gt;answer&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-03-02T12:19:04.917" LastActivityDate="2018-03-02T12:19:04.917" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8144" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8140" CreationDate="2018-03-01T09:42:08.397" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Mu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure this question can be answered.  How do you compare Ueshiba's art to his student's art? The process is subjective.  Did he transmit 99.999%? 95%? 25%? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One could answer &quot;no&quot; and @Sardathrion's answer is good, and summarizes well my understanding of the what I believe to be the consensus answer (and the answer given in the interview).  I believe the question is of the &quot;Is water truly wet?&quot; category.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One could answer &quot;Yes&quot; because whatever Aikido we have today is a result of the transmission.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately though, it is a question without definitions and an answer without implications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2018-03-01T09:42:08.397" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8145" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8125" CreationDate="2018-03-02T18:18:22.090" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure I would say they have similar movement, although some people trying the RH their first time can end up throwing the CK if they fail to rotate the standing leg; and young kids can manage to throw the RH even without any standing foot rotation due to their bodies being more like Gumby.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But both kicks are X-axis kicks - they move from side-to-side, rather than up/down, or away from the body; and so in this way they are similar.  But they differ in so many ways, and even a novice to the style would easily discern the kicks are very different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would also say that if you looked at only the motion of the foot, the shape it makes could be similar.  But even here, things can get different.  Suppose you dipped the kicking foot in luminescent paint, then turned off the lights except a black light.  You would notice a very similar shape in the resulting blob of light between the kicks.  But, if you taped a laser light to the sole of the foot, you would notice that the laser light travels only on the walls (RH); and only briefly on the walls and chiefly on the ceiling (CK - both varieties).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You do need to look at the rest of the body for the difference:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rotational of standing foot&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the CK, you can get away with little or no rotation of the supporting foot, while in the RH, you &lt;strong&gt;must&lt;/strong&gt; rotate (unless you are said Gumby...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shape of the knee&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the CK, your knee remains more or less locked, and the power comes from the whole leg; in the RH, you snap the foot from the shin's extension from the knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kick speed&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In measuring a kick's speed, the important speed is the thing that's striking: that would be the foot.  The foot, in both kicks, sits on the end of a radius.  In the CK, the radius is the whole leg, which moves about the hip.  In the RH, there could be two radii.  One is always the knee-to-foot radius (basically, the shin), the other is what advanced kickers use and is the moving radius of the thigh (hip-to-knee).  A beginner uses the thigh radius to get the knee into position, stops, and then throws the kick (utilizing only one radius), whereas the advanced kicker can combine the independently-moving radii such that the shin radius can whip from the thigh radius.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the CK only moves from the hip, and to get the foot's speed means to develop the fast twitch muscles of the hips to get that leg to move fast - that is no easy task.  As a result, for many kickers, the CK tends to be a much slower kick than the RH&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Versatility&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The CK can't easily be thrown with a jump (with other knee being lifted first), whereas the RH can easily be done so.  Both are easily thrown with a hop (no lifted knee).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The CK kick DOES have versatility: if the timing is right, it can block or parry any kick, whereas a RH is not suited for kick blocking.  The CK can be used to off-balance the opponent when parrying, another advantage it has over the RH.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Striking parts&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The CK can only land with the inside of the foot, the sole, the heel, or maybe the calf; the RH can only land with the instep, the ball of toes, or the shin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Repeated kicks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The CK lands with a single kick only; the RH can be initiated with a fake front, RH, or side kick; it can also be thrown and recoiled into chamber and thrown again and again without going through the initial rotation - and do so indefinitely (which is a drill in of itself for this particular variant).  The CK must be thrown, and cannot be interrupted, and is very difficult to control, one of the many reasons it has fallen out of favor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think you pointed this out in your comment about double-kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muscle physiology&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When throwing the CK, it is necessary to develop the adductor muscles, the inner thigh muscles, because they need to draw the leg from the outside to inside.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When throwing the RH, the adductors are used much less, and the abductors (outer muscles) are used more to open the hips to lift the knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Joint physiology&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;RH kicks can be very dangerous to the knee joint, especially if throwing lots of air kicks and the kicks are fully extended.  The CK does not incur the same impact in any of the joints in the leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In your commentary, you mention the motion of lifting the knee and extending.  Perhaps this is where styles may differ - and I don't mean like ITF / ATA / KukkiWon, etc, I mean like between Taekwondo-in.  I don't usually lift the knee in the same way between the kicks.  For me, the knee lifts to the outside (for the out-to-in variant of the CK; of course, I think we can all agree that the in-to-out has a very different motion).  For the RH, I lift the knee in a direct line to the target, such that the knee points to the target; then the foot flicks out to strike the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to differences in style, I doubt one style differs over the other.  I have been kicking the same way for almost 40 years, and have been in and out of both Kukkiwon, Chung Do Kwan, Tang Soo Do, and ITF schools, and not a single one wanted me to change in any significant way.  Where my problems lie with the RH is that it's a hip-ripper for me; I've lost flexibility over the years, and I struggle to get the kick out because of the needed hip rotation and the lack of hip flexibility.  So my kicks are generally very low compared to the CK.  My RH kicks barely make head-high, and when I do, there is less control for me.  With the CK, I can easily strike the head, and, if I wanted, I can stop the kick on a dime.  (Ok, maybe a quarter...)  As a result, I dip my head more with the RH as I try to reach high; that causes the hands to compensate for balance.  The whole package looks messy for me when I throw high roundhouses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will say that for the RH, my ITF schools like to start beginners out by having their knees take a wide berth to the chamber, while my WTF-oriented schools like a more direct position of the knee.  The difference here is in speed.  But, WTF schools do tend start their students out pretty much the same as their ITF counterparts, and I see some notable ITF fighters have a more direct line of their kicking knee.  And as any fighter in any style whose been in the business for years would notice, there are a lot of variants to the RH that are subtle, and, no one really uses the crescent much any more (except when we have to do it in a form... lol)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I were to define the primary differences between the kicks, and therefore their definition, I would describe:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;degree of standing foot rotation&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kicking medium (part of the foot to strike)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;chamber&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;direction of the kicking foot&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2018-03-02T18:24:22.983" LastActivityDate="2018-03-02T18:24:22.983" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8146" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8132" CreationDate="2018-03-03T15:06:49.360" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd say don't be scared to change. The personal relationship with a coach is of utmost importance for any athletes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this the national training center of your country ? if not you can probably safely go an choose another dojo...  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BUT you are still a student and I think you own your coach a little respect in this case, this would mean to talk to him and explain frankly (as other have said) that you are just seeking a different, more combat-oriented approach in your training. Just steer away from personal remark and it will be fine.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was told there are two ways to teach (in judo) the European and the Japanese way. The European include a lot of direct interaction from the coaching. Japanese is a lot more of a personal learning through observation during a practice. (Our coach would just make us fight for 2 hours, sitting in a corner and observing, and would call errors when he saw something he didn't like) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1526" LastActivityDate="2018-03-03T15:06:49.360" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8147" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8132" CreationDate="2018-03-04T01:17:51.437" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For me, digging into the theory and nuance of a technique is never sinks in until I've drilled it into muscle memory and used it in sparring. If that's your preferred learning style too, it may be worth looking at other dojos or gyms, or at least bringing it up with your instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning every detail of the theory behind a technique is a good idea, but not at the expense of actually learning to use the technique. Throwing that combo should require absolutely no thought, it should be on deck, ready to go whenever you need it. It takes practice to get there, not TED Talks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9112" LastActivityDate="2018-03-04T01:17:51.437" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8151" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4890" CreationDate="2018-03-06T17:45:35.960" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You need to wear boxing gloves.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best fighters in world all wear boxing gloves when they hit the bag for a reason. They will help preserve your hands and wrists, which are the most common thing to injure in boxing, kickboxing, and MMA. &lt;strong&gt;The last thing you want is come fight night you're dealing with some stupid hand/wrist injuries because you wanted to be a tough guy to the bag.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wear big gloves to hit the bag, 16oz. I would never even consider throwing power shots on the bag with anything less than 12oz. Save the little gloves for mitt work (if you need to, I still prefer 16oz gloves even when preparing for an MMA fight with 4oz gloves). Come fight night you're going to have super light hands after all that training with the big gloves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You say that it makes your technique worse. That's fine. You just have more practice to do. Keep the quick snap on your punches. Make sure you're turning your hips over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastActivityDate="2018-03-06T17:45:35.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8152" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8125" CreationDate="2018-03-06T23:19:25.967" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I found the english version of the Kukkiwon's &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kukkiwon.or.kr/kwinc/swf/Technical_Terminology_ENG.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Technical Terminology&lt;/a&gt; document, and the &amp;quot;bandal-chagi&amp;quot; is described in page 15:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bandal-chagi(반달차기): Crescent Kick&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A technique of striking the target by swinging the foot inward&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In appearance, it is a striking skill similar to Dollyeo-chagi (Roundhouse&#xA;Kick). However, in this case, the supporting leg does not pivot. Instead, the&#xA;kicking leg is slightly turned inward to deliver a strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, for the Kukkiwon/WT style, it is a distinct and officially recognised technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-03-06T23:19:25.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8153" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5151" CreationDate="2018-03-08T17:10:25.910" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;My daughter is 9 years old and has been involved in WTF TKD for just over a year now. She had some of the same reservations that you have described about sparring. She practices her poomsae and board breaking and she does very well but sparring was not her thing because she is not an aggressive child and she is smaller than many of the children her age.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Something that worked for me is putting on my own sparring pads and letting her spar with me. She felt much more comfortable sparring that way (and let's face it, what child wouldn't jump at a chance to kick at a parent).  During this time we were able to look at things she did well as well as things she could improve all in an environment that wasn't constrained by time limits to begin the next class or instructors needing to give attention to all the students. Now she feels much more comfortable sparring with the other students and realizes that she can be aggressive and still be respectful. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9122" LastActivityDate="2018-03-08T17:10:25.910" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8154" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-03-10T10:39:50.260" Score="3" ViewCount="568" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been doing roundhouse kicks for some time on my own. &#xA;But recently my sensei told me that my body was getting stiff during this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think my flexibility is ok. But its not perfect yet. However just need an explanation as to whats causing my body to be stiff while executing kicks (Mawashi Geri).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shall I focus on gaining more flexibility or on balance?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8465" LastActivityDate="2018-03-10T13:35:41.577" Title="What causes stiff body while kicking? (Lack of flexibility or balance)" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|flexibility|balance|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8155" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8154" CreationDate="2018-03-10T13:35:41.577" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;You've given us a one word diagnosis - &quot;stiff&quot; - but with only that it's hard to guess what your instructor means.  If you're confused by the description, then whatever you're doing wrong is probably relatively subtle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's at least as likely to be attitudinal (i.e. your mental focus, as in trying to hit too hard, or &quot;clenching&quot; for too long, or rushing too fast through the early stages stages of the kick) as technical (e.g. not rotating the back foot to the right angle) or a physical limitation (flexibility, strength).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing to do is watch carefully what your instructor and others do, and see if there's any differences you can notice in what you yourself do.  Does their technique seem less &quot;stiff&quot; to you in some way?  If you can't work it out - ask the instructor what they mean.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As is often the case in martial arts, you can work backwards from the goal to the start of the technique.  To do so, try a loose, light, relaxed kick with the front foot into a bag - just aim to get the timing right so it snaps satisfyingly into the bag without any conscious effort.  Then gradually stand more square on, with the foot coming off the ground increasing from the side and back, so you have a little more turn into the kick, and use that turn to increase the power by snapping the hip around more strongly, dragging the knee and foot behind so it's some combination of centrifugal force and a whip like action when first the knee and then the foot snap around into the target.  Focus on how much more angle the hip has to turn through, and position your feet and knees so they're snapping your hip strongly through that angle as your kicking foot leaves the ground.  As you keep increasing the amount of turn you make into the kick, you'll end up with a back leg kick.  If you do it right, I believe you'll find the back leg should be angle 45-60 degrees from forward, not 90 degrees as some arts/texts recommend, which prevents the back leg driving the hips powerfully through the kick and can easily result in a large, lumbering kicking action based on sustained muscular effort that will feel still and sluggish.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another good exercise is kicking into the bag with your knee - but still have it moving sideways in the direction you want your foot to travel it during contact for mawashi geri.  This removes the leg extension from the picture, giving you more focus on the hip and body rotation and the way the knee if accelerated snappily towards the target.  Once that is all working well, adding the lower leg extension for mawashi geri is easy.  The trick to a really strong, snappy mawashi geri is to feel like the the knee is left behind the hip as long as possible, then sling-shots past it as late and hard as possible.  Vary your timing, stay loose and experiment. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Separately, you also could try practicing the kick and immediately afterwards moving loosely into other techniques (e.g. try a wide variety of kicks and hand techniques with both sides of your body) - developing the ability to flow smoothly, powerfully and fast between techniques will help you be aware of any stiffness, as stiffness generally slows you down and compromises your balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2018-03-10T13:35:41.577" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8156" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-03-15T12:59:16.110" Score="6" ViewCount="1803" Body="&lt;p&gt;My problem is that:&#xA;My thigh lifts up high when I am nearly executing the kick but as I execute my kick, my thigh stays about my waist. What was that cause from? Also I can do middle split and side kick. My major in Taekwondo is poomsae. Sometimes I could kick my leg up high but I could not hold my kick for about 2 second when it reach its maximum height. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overall, my coach said that your leg could give a good sparring kick but you could not give a good poomsae kick. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9132" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-03-15T11:25:23.787" LastActivityDate="2020-06-11T12:15:15.107" Title="Problem holding Taekwondo front kick" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|kicking|forms|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8157" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8156" CreationDate="2018-03-15T14:20:52.127" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Front kicks (and similar teep kicks for those in Muay Thai, Dutch Kickboxing or general MMA striking) take an incredible amount of technique, flexibility, balance, and coordination. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds like your problem is a combo of flexibility and technique. I know you say you can do the splits. That's great, but each kick has its own flexibility requirements. You need to push your flexibility specifically while doing that kick. The only way to get better at it is to drill it more. &lt;strong&gt;Stretching out your hamstrings may help a little, but if the technique isn't sound, no amount of flexibility will make up for it.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I mentioned stretching, but another little exercise you can do between drilling the kick is static holds. Lift your leg to kick height and hold it there. Get that knee up high. For 10 seconds. 20 seconds. 30 seconds, etc. It's going to suck. You're going to get tired. Now when you're good at that, throw the kick (under control) from the static hold position. This will build the conditioning for that specific kick, so when it comes time to throw it in real speed your leg will quickly snap up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All in all, no single thing will fix this issue. &lt;strong&gt;Drill the kick more, do your hamstring stretches, and build up your kick specific conditioning!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastActivityDate="2018-03-15T14:20:52.127" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8158" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8156" CreationDate="2018-03-15T19:37:27.957" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is very hard to help troubleshoot without seeing a video of your kicks.  You could have a range of problems, and so, without playing 20 questions with you, I'll give you a list of things that are common to people who have kicking problems as you describe.  It's probably better for the community anyway.  Understand that what you describe often happens to new students, so likely, it is just your body getting used to all of the motions required to execute the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many of these tips can help correct many different kinds of problems with many kinds of kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lift the knee&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What we strive for is lifting the knee, but danger can set in.  Ideally, we want the knee as far into the shoulder pocket as possible, and then the foot whips up.  This is dangerous because the technique relies on the momentum of the foot to whip it upwards.  If you are not flexible, you can easily pull or tear a muscle.  So start light and get an idea of your capability, then work so the knee goes ever higher.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hip Strength&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I ask a student to throw a kick, I sometimes ask them to hold the kick as long as they can.  When they throw the kick as high as they can, but the foot immediately drops a few inches, it means they're more flexible than they are strong.  Momentum got the foot up there, but with lack of strength, they can't hold it there.  If this is your case, working on abductors and lower back is key.  You can keep practicing the kick full speed, or you can do it using dynamic tension, or you can have a partner help you apply resistance (isometric / PNF).  These exercises will not only build flexibility, but they will also build strength.  And strength is important because it helps you control your kicks.  Without control, you are more liable to injure yourself (because of a pulled muscle) or a partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where are your hands?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you drop your hands to the side as you try to kick, that can sap a lot of momentum from lifting the knee, and that can tend to keep the knee down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What are you looking at?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you keep your chin down during the kick, that can help create the tendency to keep the knee down as well.  You want your chin forward - not upward and not downward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where are your shoulders?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you hunch your shoulders, than can also create the tendency to keep the knee down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pivot on the standing foot&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It isn't always necessary to pivot on the standing foot (indeed, there are times you don't want to).  But by pivoting, even just a little, you can open the hips just a little more.  This can help allow the kicking knee to rise a little higher.  Buy not pivoting, a tight hip can tend to keep the knee from rising as high as it could.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-03-15T19:37:27.957" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8159" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-03-16T00:11:23.403" Score="1" ViewCount="856" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos of people boxing and sparring. It caught my interest and I figured I would learn how to box, however, does everyone need to go to a dedicated boxing school to learn? I've a friend who knows Karate (not sure if it'll help since they're different than Boxing), but we're gonna plan on sparring at a beginner level. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is, what prerequisites do I need to start sparring? I haven't been to the gym for a few months so I'm gonna need to get back in shape to help with flexibility and mobility and stamina.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9135" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2018-03-16T16:38:49.170" LastActivityDate="2018-05-09T15:24:52.063" Title="20 years old, 0 experience with Martial Arts but I want to start learning how to spar for Boxing" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8160" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8159" CreationDate="2018-03-16T14:07:31.383" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Yes, you will need to go to a Boxing or MMA gym if you eventually want to spar or fight.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need a legitimate instructor to teach you. No amount of YouTube videos or messing around with buddies can teach you how to box. Fitness clubs have cardio boxing and similar exercise programs. These will not prepare you for sparring or fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems like you have your heart set on sparring. The reality is you won't be sparring for at least a few months if your gym is legitimate. &lt;strong&gt;You need to learn the absolute basic fundamentals.&lt;/strong&gt; Footwork, keeping your hands up, turning your hips, etc are all needed before you're thrown into live sparring. It may look fun on the YouTube videos you watched, but real boxing sparring is brutal. &lt;strong&gt;You're going to get hurt. You're going to suffer brain trauma. You could die.&lt;/strong&gt; I'm not trying to scare you, these are just realities of combat sports. Know what you're getting into.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-03-16T15:39:02.353" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8161" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8159" CreationDate="2018-03-16T14:25:12.530" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would not recommend learning to spar for boxing from a friend who &quot;knows&quot; karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Karate is not boxing&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They are two separate sports, with distinctive styles and techniques. The adaptability of McGregor aside, hands in karate are at best, 60% of the offensive techniques, and of those offensive techniques, maybe 30% of the hand techniques would be applicable to boxing style sparring. Footwork is different, weight balance and shifting is different, even technique setup and flow is different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Sparring first? Yeah...don't do that&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Part of learning to spar is as much defense as it is anything else. Learning how to take a punch with minimal impact/injury, learning how to move, and above all, learning under the tutelage of someone that can correct technique and limit the ferocity of the sparring. Even as a senior BB, I have to be cautious when sparring with junior belts as they have not learned distancing and control. The likelihood that you hit or get hit just &quot;a little harder than you meant&quot; is the difference between walking away and being carried away. Yes, sparring can be that dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Don't learn to unlearn&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The odds that you watch a few videos and spar your buddy and end up with good form is...almost nonexistent. That means that when you do go to an actual gym/studio, you will have to spend time unlearning all the bad habits that you picked up because you didn't know what you were doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Don't underestimate a good instructor&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No offense to your buddy, but unless he is a certified instructor and a higher rank for a time, the general person that says &quot;Yeah, I know some _____&quot; means that they got to a mid level colored belt and dropped out. Any martial artist that knows anything won't say &quot;Yeah, come on over and we'll spar&quot;. This just increases the likelihood that someone is going to get hurt, and hurt badly. You absolutely &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;need&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; someone that can watch, diagnose, correct and teach the correct form from the word go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TL; DR;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't do that. Don't be a Darwin award candidate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2018-03-16T14:25:12.530" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8162" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7623" CreationDate="2018-03-16T21:06:20.250" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Goshin ho no kata was developed by Tetsuro Nariyama.  I first learned of in the mid 1990s.  I saw Nariyama demonstrate it in 1996 in Baltimore, MD.  Much of the kata involves using waza from ju nana hon kata in response to attacks other than shomanate. I’ve seen websites saying that the kata has 50 and 58 waza.  There may have been additions to and/or modifications to the kata since Nariyama first introduced it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9137" LastActivityDate="2018-03-16T21:06:20.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8163" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8159" CreationDate="2018-03-16T22:39:02.047" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;I haven't been to the gym for a few months so I'm gonna need to get back in shape to help with flexibility and mobility and stamina.&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Worrying about the above as preparation for practicing with your friend is a huge red flag - if you're planning to go that hard that any of that matters &lt;em&gt;while you don't know any technique&lt;/em&gt;, somebody's going to get hurt for sure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even &lt;em&gt;if&lt;/em&gt; your friend knows martial arts well enough to teach properly, and you're happy to learn karate instead of boxing, go slow until your attacks and defence - including footwork and distancing - are comfortable and familiar and trusted, then &lt;em&gt;slowly&lt;/em&gt; up the pace and power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your friend's &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; at instructor level (only a small proportion of people who know &lt;em&gt;some&lt;/em&gt; karate are), find a proper instructor or boxing coach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2018-03-16T22:39:02.047" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8167" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8156" CreationDate="2018-03-23T14:36:33.423" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;For poomse it is important to show the kick and hold it in position for at least a second. It was hard for me at first too, but eventually you'll get the hang of if. I used to practice by repeating the kick I had to do. For me it was mainly the front kick because its not that easy to keep the leg up front in perfect balance, but honestly just keep practicing and if that doesn't work sparring is not a bad option. Sparring is more less technique and more speed. If you have speed than I suggest sparring because its less power and more speed in sparring. poomse is more technical and involves everything you know and all the power you have to make it look neat and tough.&#xA;hope that helped!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9152" LastActivityDate="2018-03-23T14:36:33.423" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8168" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1843" CreationDate="2018-03-27T19:44:06.060" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15840949&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15840949&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a medical article on that topic. It mentions that &quot;...Seiza with large knee flexion produces harmful effects on the cartilage of knee joints and hemodynamics of the lower legs.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a personal example, my mom has bad knees and her doctor told her that the ideal position of the legs for the knees is: stretched out in an angle of more than 90 degrees, but not completely straight, just with a slight angle, as if you put a small pillow under your knees. And that's for everyone, not only for people with bad knees. I try not to sit in positions that put my knees in unnecessary strain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion, i think seiza is bad for the knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9160" LastActivityDate="2018-03-27T19:44:06.060" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8169" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-03-28T13:59:45.273" Score="0" ViewCount="467" Body="&lt;p&gt;I currently practice Tai Chi (Yang style--short and long form) at an intermediate level. I enjoy it, but have recently wanted to explore a martial art form that still stresses economy/fluidness of movement, is well suited for an older adult (60's and in good health), but has a greater emphasis on not-too-demanding strikes, blocks, locks and learning to fall properly. &#xA;I'm uncertain if Aikido fits this description--as I would like to pick up some practical self-defense techniques in the near(er) term--and Aikido classes are not offered near where I live. &#xA;Hapkido, however, is. Would this martial arts form address many of my interests and needs? Would my practice of Tai Chi likely help or hinder a transition to learning this form? Finally, (and primarily out of curiosity), does Hapkido include forms for using a staff or other traditional weapons?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9162" LastActivityDate="2024-01-29T19:27:48.770" Title="Would Hapkido be a good choice for transitioning from Tai Chi (Yang) to a form with with more locks, strikes, falling for an older adult?" Tags="|tai-chi|hapkido|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8171" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-03-31T10:14:58.050" Score="3" ViewCount="351" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since &quot;kung fu&quot; is not a martial art and simply means the mastery of a discipline, I'm wondering firstly which martial art is known in the public eye as kung fu and secondly which martial art is actually taught under this name.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1463" LastActivityDate="2020-10-28T02:28:13.050" Title="Which chinese martial art is known in the West as kung fu?" Tags="|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8172" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8302" CreationDate="2018-03-31T11:56:41.120" Score="4" ViewCount="794" Body="&lt;p&gt;From the Once Upon a Time in China 2 movie, I found it rather hard to believe that the way the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpUiRvJdn1Y&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;'cloth stick'&lt;/a&gt; was used, would actually be feasible.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The list of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_martial_arts_weapons&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;martial arts weapons&lt;/a&gt; does not have it. There seem to be a lot of &lt;a href=&quot;https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/20860/how-to-best-upgrade-your-towel-for-military-combat&quot;&gt;functionality&lt;/a&gt; conjured up for towels, but none seem to describe anything like what was shown as a long piece of cloth in the movie.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any historical and practical validity to it? Do any Kung Fu schools still teach how to use wet cloth as a weapon?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6623" LastActivityDate="2018-05-23T13:40:29.413" Title="Can long wet cloth really be used effectively as a weapon?" Tags="|kung-fu|weapons|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8173" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8171" CreationDate="2018-03-31T14:54:55.990" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Chinese term &quot;Kung fu&quot; (gong fu) usually refers to martial arts, though it also more generally means skill attained through hard work that can be applied to any skilled trade. When referring to martial arts, the term does not refer to a single martial art but can refer to many different martial arts styles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chinese martial arts tend to be less organized than their Korean (tae kwon do), Japanese (karate, judo, aikido), and Western (boxing, fencing, wrestling) counterparts. Organization means there is a governing body that makes decisions. Without organization, variation is very high. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The term kung fu is applied to styles including, but not limited to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;shuai jiao&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;wing chun&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hung gar&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;shaolin&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;mantis&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;white crane&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;baji&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;bagua&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;taiji&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;xing yi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many of these styles themselves can be subdivided into distinct substyles.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally would consider the application of &quot;kung fu&quot; to styles such as karate to be correct when considering martial skill earned through hard work, as opposed to classification of martial arts. Karate is not normally referred to as kung fu because it is named from Okinawan or Japanese origins, which use different terminology. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-04-02T22:32:02.477" LastActivityDate="2018-04-02T22:32:02.477" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8174" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8171" CreationDate="2018-04-01T07:44:47.937" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Technically the Chinese term &quot;&lt;strong&gt;Kungfu&lt;/strong&gt;&quot; (spelled and pronounced numerous ways) means &quot;skill obtained through hard work and diligent study&quot; as stated in the previous post. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if you use this term in China it will be always be assumed that you are speaking of &quot;&lt;strong&gt;Chinese Martial Arts&lt;/strong&gt;&quot; and nothing else. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are other terms in the language that are used too. These often have specific connotations in mind: &quot;&lt;strong&gt;Wushu&lt;/strong&gt;&quot; - for the performance side of martial arts, &quot;&lt;strong&gt;Sanshou&lt;/strong&gt;&quot; - free fighting (no weapons used), &quot;&lt;strong&gt;Kuo Shu&lt;/strong&gt;&quot; - a general term for combative martial arts (not necessarily respectable or earned through hard work and study), etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Though you could technically make a case for using the term &quot;&lt;strong&gt;Kungfu&lt;/strong&gt;&quot; when referring to a martial art of any origin, that might appear dishonest frankly. Kind of like calling a person an &quot;Engineer&quot; when what they really do is collect garbage from the streets (&quot;Sanitary Engineer&quot;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9166" LastEditorDisplayName="user5562" LastEditDate="2018-04-02T10:26:44.710" LastActivityDate="2018-04-02T10:26:44.710" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8175" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4743" CreationDate="2018-04-01T08:44:23.790" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would say that you can learn something about Kungfu without a formal &quot;Master&quot;. One of my former teachers, a Baguazhang master from Beijing, when he was young used to sneak around a building where great Kungfu masters trained. He would peak through the window then go home and practice what he saw. He did this for years until they discovered him and eventually took him in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that was maybe 70 years ago, now we have the internet. Martial arts have always been prone to fake teachers and there are many on the internet, so you have to be careful. In real life good teachers will always give you some opportunities to test their skills so that you can form your own opinion as to whether or not they are authentic. It is impossible to do that via internet as far as I can tell - to much fake demonstration and accreditation there. But still, you can usually ask questions via email for any instructors you do find so that helps a bit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't worry too much about picking up bad habits to begin with (but use your head and try not to do anything that seems ridiculous). I can tell you that the life of any dedicated martial artist is one of constant investigation, evaluation, refinement, and modification of what you have learned anyway. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been training martial arts for more than 40 years, and have been teaching for nearly 30 years and I have never seen anyone (with a teacher or not) that doesn't have tons of bad habits to correct. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So having said this, you will eventually have to find a master that you can feel comfortable and confident with and the sooner the better. Kungfu is not like any other martial art as far as I know. There is a correct progression in Kungfu that you have to follow but there is not a single standardized path to follow to get through that progression - you need a master to create that path for you individually. He will create that path as a result of your interactions with him personally. Each student is understood as unique. This is the tradition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And finally, as a quick summary - yes you should be fine picking things up without a master to a point. Just be careful not to hurt yourself (use common sense). But to actually understand (and learn) the type of Kungfu you choose to a degree that you can say you know it in depth or that you can represent it in any way, then you will need to form a relationship with a master who will be willing to teach you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9166" LastEditorDisplayName="user5562" LastEditDate="2018-04-02T10:24:17.707" LastActivityDate="2018-04-02T10:24:17.707" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8176" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2018-04-02T06:09:18.457" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Absolutely Not! That is a ridiculous as saying that you can learn to swim without water. Think about it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I suppose if one prefers reading about adventure rather than having an adventure, then it might be a good school for them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9166" LastEditorDisplayName="user5562" LastEditDate="2018-04-02T10:27:00.387" LastActivityDate="2018-04-02T10:27:00.387" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8177" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1843" CreationDate="2018-04-02T14:06:13.167" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my opinion, sitting in seiza is probably not permanently bad long term for the knees, because, well, the position hurt me horribly and I do not suffer permanently because of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can tolerate it for short periods, but as Sardathrion suggests, if one hasn't been doing it since childhood, then starting to do it when older will result in pain.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nevertheless, the act does not contribute to my performance of any Aikido, Hapkido, or Karate techniques, when/if we do it.  It does cause me to have to recover for a minute or so just to be able to move around, and so in this way, it's probably not good, since that inability to capture balance or feeling sensation below the knees can be dangerous.  But really: how long does that sensation truly last?  I don't think it lasts long enough to be a problem at all.  On the other hand, for me, after sitting in seiza for a long enough period to get paresthesia, during that recovery period, my blood pressure tends to drop a little, as I experience temporary dizziness.  I suppose this could be a secondary problem, whereby being dizzy while standing, and then not having the ability to feel anything except the pins and needles sensation could have a deleterious effect on training.  But as I said, it's temporary.  I never get this feeling after getting up from sitting in a cross-legged position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it definitively a bad thing, like we know that smoking is bad for your health, and that there are no positives to it?  There are not many studies out there suggesting anything one way or another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is one article that suggests it &quot;could&quot; be dangerous...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1576/99ff6302611894c0a6138f4fb553970cd4bb.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;A case of crush syndrome induced by the kneeling seiza position&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In it, it says crush syndrome resulting from as little as 20 minutes from sitting in seiza has been reported, and, that's about the longest I've seen anyone sit in that position at a martial arts seminar.  I suspect that anyone who is not used to this position will readjust themselves long before 20 minutes is achieved, unlike what could happen in an accident, as suggested in the article.  Also, the victim's weight probably played a factor in that accident.  Most people sitting in seiza for martial arts practice have the capability and freedom to readjust to a more comfortable position, so, I suspect that any crush syndrome will not result from any martial arts practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It should be noted that there are many articles on this subject, but most of the time the articles suggest an acute condition, such as temporary paresthesia.  There is no suggestion that sitting in seiza can lead to chronic problems, whether sitting once or over a lifetime.  If there was, I suspect that the Japanese and Korean Surgeons General would call for a war on Aikido and Hapkido - two styles which use it a lot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-04-02T14:06:13.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8178" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4605" CreationDate="2018-04-02T18:46:54.927" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer is YES. Those people who say otherwise will have issues with their weak storyline they are telling you.  Those people forgot to tell you that obviously the alleged Martial arts is a con because it won't work for the extreme elderly.  This means MMA is B.S. once you are past a point.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point of self defense is not to be healthy and in tip top shape.  Even in the animal kingdom predators only go after the WEAK and not the STRONG and HEALTHY.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The pragmatic people are misusing or do not understand concepts.  The idea of self defense is  closely related to HOW TO LOSE and without serious injury.  That is if a lion and a rabbit fight the rabbit will lose everytime. The best the rabbit can do is to run and escape.  A rabbit has no weapons like sharp claws, super kicking power, etc to harm the lion.  So this is where how to lose comes in.  How do I fight a lion  and not get killed?  That is what technique is for.  Boxers who know how to roll with punches actually get touched but not HURT. Watch boxer James Toney for demonstration.&#xA;Many martial arts step the direction of the attack to minimize the power of the attack.  The art of NOT getting HURT or seriously injured  in a fight.  This is the point.  You will likely lose the fight the longer it goes so escape is usually needed.  Throws were invented to project a heavier opponent to make a way to escape.  Joint locks were invented to prevent a heavier or stronger opponent from using an arm a certain way.  Strikes are of little use to the extremely weak and super elderly.  How hard can a 99 year old grandma hit a man 6ft 240 pounds trying to rape her?  Strikes without power won't work.  Grandma needs to minimize damage immediately.  This is what martial arts for self defense ought to focus on.  Survive with out serious injury.  Falling techniques as in judo or aikido will assist grandma in not getting seriously hurt. Go home safely is another way of saying the purpose of self defense. It is not about killing, injuring, breaking bones, or WINNING a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8964" LastEditorUserId="8964" LastEditDate="2018-04-02T18:53:03.950" LastActivityDate="2018-04-02T18:53:03.950" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8179" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8169" CreationDate="2018-04-02T22:33:47.347" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;So you're in your 60's, in good shape, and you've been practicing Yang style Taiji. You're now looking to branch out and train in a style that has an emphasis on practical self-defense, which should have a mix of striking and grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First let's talk about the age thing. Being in your 60's doesn't necessarily mean you can't do certain martial arts or are limited to just a small amount of low-impact styles. But it does mean you have to be aware of your own limitations when you're doing them. That's all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You just have to make sure your instructors and partners know what you're comfortable doing. Either directly or through peer pressure, you're going to be tempted to do stuff that you know might be risky. Your best defense against this is to know your limitations and say &quot;no&quot; when you need to. Speak up. They can't read your mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That advice actually applies to people of all ages.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, let's talk about Hapkido and Aikido, since you brought them up. No doubt you've seen both styles, either in person or on the web. You're attracted to the joint locking and the effortless looking throws. You notice the fluidity of the motion and how everything seems to come from the &quot;center&quot;. And you've seen a good number of older people in Aikido classes. This might evoke comparisons with the Taiji you've learned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While Aikido has some strikes, Hapkido has a lot more and is much more developed. Hapkido generally borrows its striking from Taekwondo. While Aikido's strikes are merely used to distract ones opponent, Hapkido's strikes are done with the intent to harm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for its grappling, Aikido also has less number of grappling techniques compared with Hapkido. Though, some would say that Aikido's grappling is more refined in comparison. This judgment is biased, however, because Hapkido's objectives and training methods are much different from Aikido's.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido's training method revolves around the notion of not resisting. And Aikido's highest moral code is to leave their opponents unharmed. Both of these contrast with Hapkido, which trains with a greater amount of resistance and with no reservations about harming their opponents. As a result, Hapkido will look a bit more &quot;clunky&quot; compared with Aikido. That arises directly from their values.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido students are taught not to resist anything done to them. As a result, the throws and joint locks can look a lot more fluid and soft compared with Hapkido. Students of Aikido are often guilty of being too compliant, even throwing themselves into their partner's throws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I talk more about Aikido and its weaknesses and strengths here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4732/what-are-the-main-uses-of-aikido-in-self-defense/4733#4733&quot;&gt;What are the main uses of aikido in self-defense?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &quot;do no harm&quot; principle of Aikido means that hard contact beyond distracting strikes are not practiced in class. And without the need to develop striking technique, there just aren't a lot of strikes taught in Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if your goal is to learn more practical self-defense, I would steer you towards Hapkido more than Aikido. Hapkido trains with more resistance than Aikido does. And Hapkido's striking and grappling is more complete. Based on that, I believe Hapkido is more practical for self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for how Taiji training might help or hinder learning Hapkido or Aikido, I think you'll find that the styles are so different from Taiji that it won't matter at all. It will not be confusing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will say that Aikido is more compatible with Taiji, and that's because Aikido is a style that bases itself on internal mechanics, just like Taiji does. But Hapkido does not. As a result, you might find that transitioning to Aikido will allow you to continue to develop and apply your internal mechanics that you're learning in Taiji.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But a word of warning regarding internal mechanics: It takes 10 years under a &lt;strong&gt;very&lt;/strong&gt; good, qualified Taiji instructor to learn internal mechanics properly and begin to use them in real life self-defense. It might take 20 years before you reach the point where you can actually use it &quot;for real&quot;. So, are internal mechanics important to you? Or is it more important to learn practical self-defense that still uses good mechanics and leverage, but just not &quot;internal&quot; mechanics? That's a question you have to answer for yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your last question has to do with whether or not they teach staff and other weapons. Yes, Aikido teaches primarily the Jo staff (a 4 foot long staff), and also teaches sword and knife. Whereas Hapkido also teaches those along with stick, cane, long staff, and other weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, I'd like to recommend that you also check into Gracie Jiujitsu. It is very grappling oriented and specializes in ground fighting (wrestling). It also has a good number of take-downs, throws, and standing grappling. And while at first you'll learn defenses against strikes, later on you'll develop your striking a lot more. Their striking methods come from kickboxing and western boxing. Their primary focus is on self-defense, while competition is also done later on. They train with much more resistance, so it's going to be more practical and realistic compared with Hapkido. Will it be too physically demanding for you? That's a question you'll have to answer yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, which martial art you decide to take is going to be a completely subjective choice. My recommendation for anyone in this position is to go ahead and dive right in. Go to a school near you, and ask to try some classes. Usually schools let you try a class, or a week or a month of classes, without paying much or committing to anything. So go try some classes in one school, then another, and so on. This is going to answer all of your questions much more than reading what others have to say. In the end, you'll select the school that felt better to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2018-04-02T22:33:47.347" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8180" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8159" CreationDate="2018-04-03T00:14:55.520" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Lets be clear. Boxing, MMA, Kungfu, Karate, and other martial arts all have sparring content. None of them &quot;own&quot; the concept or practice of sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to learn to spar like a Boxer then you have to learn sport of boxing.&#xA;If you want to learn to spar like someone does MMA then you have to learn the sport of MMA.&#xA;If you want to learn to spar like someone who trains Kungfu then you have to learn the martial art of Kungfu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's that simple.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe you are a bit inexperienced in martial arts at this time in your life. Don't worry everyone starts out that way. But don't drink anyone's Koolaid either. You said that you would like to &lt;strong&gt;learn to Box&lt;/strong&gt;. Go to a Boxing Club - no other type of club can teach you to Box.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9166" LastActivityDate="2018-04-03T00:14:55.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8181" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-04-03T20:09:37.377" Score="1" ViewCount="349" Body="&lt;p&gt;I study ITF Taekwondo, and our patterns are named for significant people, places, groups, or events in Korean history. I was trying to learn more about the Neo-Confucian beliefs of Yi-Hwang ( Toi Gye)and Yi I (Yul Gok). I posted this on the Philosophy forum as well—&#xA;I know it isn’t a martial arts technical question, but I posted it here in hopes a Taekwondo instructor can recommend a resource with a basic-level explanation of their different views. &#xA;I understand if this question needs to be deleted due to its academic focus vs physical focus most questions on here have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The standard explanation that we are taught in Taekwondo is that Yul Gok was “nicknamed the Confucius of Korea” and that Toi Gye was a “noted scholar and expert on Neo-Confucianism”. I’m not a philosophy student and on digging deeper, the online descriptions of their teachings that I’ve found don’t make much sense to me. I need something very basic, for my own growth as well as explaining to 10 year olds why these two men are honored in our style of Taekwondo, other than what I’ve been telling them— “they were very smart men”. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thank you in advance for any help or recommended resources. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7936" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-04-03T20:27:42.753" LastActivityDate="2018-04-04T07:10:37.543" Title="ITF Taekwondo Patterns Information- Yul Gok &amp; Toi Gye" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|history|philosophy|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8182" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8181" CreationDate="2018-04-04T07:10:37.543" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a really basic overview:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both Yi I and Yi Hwang studied/followed the teachings of the Chinese Philosopher &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Xi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot; title=&quot;Zhu Xi&quot;&gt;Zhu Xi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They differed slightly in their beliefs around the interaction of Chi and Li. (spellings differ from Chinese to Korean and then to English)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_Hwang&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot; title=&quot;Yi Hwang&quot;&gt;Yi Hwang&lt;/a&gt; set up a school and academy of Confucianism&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot; title=&quot;Yi I&quot;&gt;Yi I&lt;/a&gt; wrote many highly regarded literary works and spent much of his life in public office.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Its worth noting that Yi Hwang (Toigye) - whilst taught in ITF taekwondo after Yi I (Yul Gok) - was born 35 years before Yi I - and much of their differing views and teachings of Confucianism were actually happening simultaneously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2018-04-04T07:10:37.543" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8183" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1560" CreationDate="2018-04-04T13:58:30.810" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I found in &quot;Tai Chi Postures &amp;amp; Internal Power Enhancement Taijiquan Shi&quot; by Xu Yu-Sheng another explanation (page 107):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The seven stars [the seven joints of the upper torso] unite as one, ant the intent of KUA forms within. Qi resides and settles below; the seven above rise without effort to embrace complete roundness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That means that the seven are the two shoulders, the two elbows, the two wrists and the neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is another intriguing drawing of a carriage (4 corners) and three attendants (two carring the carriage and one holding a lantern to beckon the way, in total 7. Nice, isn't it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9178" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-04-04T20:27:07.600" LastActivityDate="2018-04-04T20:27:07.600" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8185" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-04-05T10:44:28.063" Score="0" ViewCount="99" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can I learn some self-defense on my own? I mean I don't really want to have professional martial art skill, but I want to be able to defend myself if facing someone attacking me. Can I learn that by my own? If so, is there any suggested resources to do so?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9182" LastActivityDate="2018-04-05T15:39:09.067" Title="Just for self defense" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2018-04-05T14:07:19.660" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8186" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8185" CreationDate="2018-04-05T11:04:37.170" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can learn self defence on your own. However, you &lt;em&gt;cannot learn to fight alone&lt;/em&gt; because &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/3129/solo-martial-art-learning&quot;&gt;of lots of reasons explained elsewhere.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self defence is just stacking the deck in your favour. Martial arts are a useful addition, if only because they give you self confidence thus making you less of a target. There are many steps you can take to protect yourself that have nothing whatsoever to do with martial arts. Many (if not all) of these, you can learn by reading, although some will require some physical skill -- for example, gardening to plant roses below your windows. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot, if not all, of self defence features not getting in situations where you have to fight to keep safe. The latter should be avoided at all costs, as the risks far outweigh the benefits. I would rather lose my wallet (which contains nothing I cannot replace within 24 hours) than be stabbed. Better yet, not be there when someone pulls a knife…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;No nonsense self defense&lt;/a&gt; is a good place to start and contains very useful information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-04-05T15:39:09.067" LastActivityDate="2018-04-05T15:39:09.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8187" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-04-05T13:28:31.327" Score="3" ViewCount="340" Body="&lt;p&gt;Snake Creeps Down: when coming from Single Whip, is it possible to open such a wide posture in order to bend the left foot almost straight ahead when squating the right one? When learning, did you feel unconfortable with the right knee?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would appreciate some correct tips to do it or - if needed - to train some specific exercises to help me doing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9178" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-04-05T15:24:13.017" LastActivityDate="2019-02-19T07:43:19.910" Title="Snake Creeps Down" Tags="|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8188" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8187" CreationDate="2018-04-05T17:40:26.887" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes it is possible; it is relatively easy to find video of people doing it.  I am not a health professional and I would not presume to give health advice, but I am an aging practitioner with knee issues and I share your concern over the posture.   Squatting on that right knee can be challenging.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I said, nothing below is medical advice; I'm merely relating some things that I do to protect my knees. Your challenges may be different, and you should consult your instructor/medical professional/tax attorney/life coach as appropriate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I ensure that my right knee stays over my right foot as I squat.  Sometimes I need to turn the right foot inward a bit before I squat; I believe this compromises the purity of the posture, but protects my knees.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also don't squat as low as I would like to; I listen to my knee and limit my practice to what my knee informs me is realistic. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I probably won't articulate this very clearly, but in my experience it is vital to warm up the qua.  The degree to which I can &quot;open&quot; the posture without compromising the structure of the knee joint depends heavily on the flexibility of my qua. If I want to open my posture to 90 degrees or more, I find that working to warm up and stretch my qua is more effective than working my knees.  (I suspect that my knee are nearing their end-of-life; there is very little left I can do other than to avoid damaging them further) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does that help?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To respond to Mattm.... I'm making some assumptions.  for squatting single whip/snake creeps down, I actually start with my right foot just beyond the cardinal and my left leg at slightly greater than 90.  In order to practice isolation, I put all my weight in my right leg and slide my left heel out as I squat. At my age if I can get three to five inches of squat I'm content.  I'd love to open up the posture, further as I squat, but realistically, I'm not going to be able to create a greater than 90 degree angle between my right foot and left thigh.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(of course it is easy to get into squatting single whip; the trick is to get out of it in a controlled and safe fashion.  There are plenty of postures that I can do once if I'm willing to pay an orthopedic surgeon afterwards).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps - it is possible that I've completely misunderstood the question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2018-04-05T17:40:26.887" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8192" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8169" CreationDate="2018-04-06T00:36:03.560" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Part of training in Hapkido is being on the receiving end of the joint locks and throws.  We practice various weapons, but each Instructor and school could vary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user9187" LastActivityDate="2018-04-06T00:36:03.560" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8195" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8197" CreationDate="2018-04-07T17:08:23.890" Score="2" ViewCount="2997" Body="&lt;p&gt;This evening I was engaged in a street fight and I realized that he was a boxer because of his stance. His kicks were very weak, but he was pretty fast in punching and he was taller. I realized I could jump and kick better. I managed to land in several kicks and I got a punch in the right eye. By the way I am not a martial artist, but I like it and I am pretty fit and fast. Fortunately, the fight ended for good, but how can one best defend against a boxer with kicks (or other defenses)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4367" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2020-11-04T14:10:07.610" LastActivityDate="2020-11-06T01:03:27.293" Title="How to effectively defend against a boxer with kicks" Tags="|boxing|kicking|punching|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8197" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8195" CreationDate="2018-04-07T18:45:06.973" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;The subject of &quot;puncher vs. kicker vs. wrestler&quot; comes up a lot in martial arts. The general philosophy that's put forward is: &quot;Don't box a boxer. Don't kick a kicker. Don't wrestle a wrestler.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The idea is that you don't want to fight someone on their terms. You need to take them out of their element, where they have no training and therefore become lost and confused and make mistakes that you can use against them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, you perform the way you've trained. The more you train at a certain skill, the better you will be. The less you train at it, the worse you will be. And if you don't train at all at something, your performance will likely be very poor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A boxer doesn't train with kicks or wrestling. A mostly pure kicker (Taekwondo style, for example) doesn't train realistically with the kinds of punches boxing does, nor do they train with wrestling. A wrestler doesn't train with striking at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you're fighting a boxer, you want to stick with techniques and strategies a boxer doesn't generally encounter during training. There are lots of these, because boxing is fairly limited in scope to a small number of punches and a small amount of footwork.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make no mistake, though, boxers are formidable opponents, and it's because they train realistically, with partners that are hitting hard and fast and who want to win against them. They are very strong fighters in the scenarios that are familiar to them, and those scenarios are the ones commonly encountered in real fights (up close and in your face).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Furthermore, if you want to defeat a boxer, you need to train with boxers. Again, you perform the way you train. If you have no training with someone who uses boxing, you're setting yourself up for failure if you do end up fighting someone who's a boxer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So make sure you get a boxer to train with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that understood, what are some of the things a boxer might not be familiar with?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) &lt;strong&gt;Stay in the long range, on the outside.&lt;/strong&gt; Boxers are best in the close to mid range, so you don't want to be there. They push forward until they can get close enough to land a good punch. In this range, kicking is ideal. The thing to watch out about, though, is that a boxer will rush forward while your kicking leg is still in the air. It takes time to kick and bring that leg back down, and that's time enough for a boxer to take the kick (or parry it) and push forward. You don't want to be make yourself vulnerable during a kick. Keep kicks low so you can recover your balance and react more quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) &lt;strong&gt;Keep moving quickly.&lt;/strong&gt; Don't ever stay still, especially if he manages to get in close to you. Move your head up and down, left and right. Dip your body down and then up again. Step diagonally. Don't give him a target he can lock onto. You need to keep him thinking. As soon as you move, he has to recalculate where the target is, and that will cause him to miss or not hit as powerfully. And be fast. Boxers can move quickly to close the distance. You have to be faster than them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) &lt;strong&gt;Time your strikes.&lt;/strong&gt; When he begins to move, that's when you should strike. Don't wait until after he's done before you counter. When he sees you striking, he'll have to change his technique mid-flight. That puts him instantly on the defensive, and it takes time for him to recalculate what to do. Right after he begins to punch is also when he's most vulnerable. His hands and body are not in a defensive position, which means his defense will be weaker, making your damage more significant. And this can really frustrate your opponent, causing him to get sloppy and take more risks which you can take advantage of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4) &lt;strong&gt;Practice take-downs.&lt;/strong&gt; A boxing posture is more upright and narrow compared with that of MMA or wrestling. It's optimized for a sport where they never have to worry about being taken down. So if you find yourself in a bad position where the boxer has closed the distance with you, that's when you can get in a take-down. The single leg take-down is taught in the first month in most Brazilian Jiujitsu schools. You can find plenty of youtube videos teaching it. Get a partner and train this and other take-downs. They're invaluable against a pure boxer when you find yourself in a bad position (up close). Take-downs are almost never executed &quot;cleanly&quot;, so you'll probably end up being pulled to the ground with your opponent. You need to practice with that in mind, getting to your feet as quickly as you can after being pulled down with your opponent. Once on your feet, you've got stomps and football kicks you can do. And you can run away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to all of the above, I'll just say work on your cardio stamina and general conditioning. Boxers train to conserve their energy. They have excellent cardio stamina. And they're fast. If you want to stay on the outside, keep moving, and move faster than a boxer, then your cardio conditioning must be even better than theirs is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, I'll forward you to another article I wrote about reaction times which might be useful for you: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6498/defence-in-martial-arts-in-general/6501#6501&quot;&gt;Defence in martial arts in general&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2018-04-07T18:45:06.973" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8198" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4284" CreationDate="2018-04-07T19:24:25.393" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Functional differences in taijiquan are as follows regarding structure and ease of playing said forms. Keep in mind that my response is following yangsheng concepts of health and wellness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;For younger people and those who are more 'vigorous', Chen style may be the place to start as the movements require more of an 'effort' (high perceived exertion)-see RPE pertaining to exercise prescription. This will raise heart rate based on stance and physical ability.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Those needing less heart rate per effort and degree of health compromise, Yang, Sun and Woo may be a better choice. Older practitioners may enjoy these more as movements are less difficult in execution. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wu style (Jianquan) is known to be excellent for those who need less physical movements as limb coordination within posture integrity has more of a beneficial effect for those with OA, RA or some similar affliction. Of course, anyone with a sincere interest can learn, if interested.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Beijing Forms are as good and are stated to be less difficult due to its recent choreographed movements to integrate into a physical fitness method while attemnpting to maintain elements of health and wellness. I have found the Beijing 16 form (Beijing 16 shi taijiquan) to be a great start for neophytes regarding structure and posture placement. Beijiing 24 shi taijiquan is OK subjectively speaking) but agin the objective viewer is the one who makes the choice and enjoys the choreography per the specific form/forms.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6403" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-04-07T21:06:49.747" LastActivityDate="2018-04-07T21:06:49.747" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8199" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7986" CreationDate="2018-04-09T16:20:17.480" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my experience, there are two dimensions: benefit from training and control over motion and actions, and I think you only touch upon one of them (the former).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think, from that, it follows that there are two points: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Control/ Safety: I have attended a couple of Krav schools and the most important takeaway for me was: don't do things you can't control (this is a safety issue!). Especially when it comes to people who don't know their limits yet (which, not sure about your level, you might be part of) but want to go full force: that's how injuries happen. (Related to that are also questions of masculinity and feeling like one needs to be tough, so you might want to reflect on to what extent the &quot;tough guy&quot; image, which is very dangerous when it comes to training, influences your thoughts on that. This point doesn't just influence you but also your partner! If you are going too hard and can't control and stop at any point when your partner &quot;taps&quot;, you are putting them in danger! Don't do that!&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Training benefit: if you're not realistically simulating attacks, the training benefit is limited. This is true. The instructor is in charge of telling people how to &quot;attack&quot; and train properly. However, they're also in charge of safety - and therefore it's not up to you to decide how strong someone else can go (maybe including yourself, if your instructor tells you to go more slowly/ gently/ whatever). If you have an issue with the general atmosphere, it'd be best to talk to the instructor, since they are the only one who can responsibly decide about the way they teach and want people to attack. (Maybe they have good reasons for whatever they're doing.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Train safely and don't try to go too strong too soon. ;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9196" LastActivityDate="2018-04-09T16:20:17.480" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8200" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-04-10T13:43:17.310" Score="-2" ViewCount="326" Body="&lt;p&gt;I need help with a 'hit and run' scene I am writing for a book. My main character practices Martial Arts. He is about to be run over, he turns to face the oncoming car - what position would he adopt? He practices WingChun &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9198" LastActivityDate="2019-08-11T07:50:14.663" Title="What Position to adopt if a car is speeding towards you?" Tags="|self-defense|wing-chun|positions|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8201" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8200" CreationDate="2018-04-10T14:37:29.520" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;No wing chun or other martial arts position will save you from serious injury or death from a car impact. Best case is you are elsewhere when the car arrives. You would want to move perpendicular to the direction the car is traveling, and put obstacles in the way to prevent the car from steering into you. If that's not possible, you would try to decrease the speed differential (run in the same direction the car is traveling) to reduce the impact. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-04-10T14:37:29.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8202" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8200" CreationDate="2018-04-10T18:52:27.093" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a perfect example to demonstrate the importance of getting out of the way of a line of attack, which is no doubt a martial arts concept.  Surprisingly, it's not taught all the time, as evidenced by cheesy self-defense demonstrations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your position should be off the line of attack.  Move side to side, or upward if you are so inclined to use acrobatics.  But don't move backward or forward, with respect to the direction of the car.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-04-10T18:52:27.093" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8204" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8205" CreationDate="2018-04-11T18:13:05.680" Score="-2" ViewCount="1391" Body="&lt;p&gt;Following &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/vault/vault/systema-expert-demonstrates-techniques-used-by-the-secret-service&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; article and the embedded video. We can see that American secret agents are trained to use Systema techniques. What is it? Why not Krav Maga for instance? As can be seen there are some other solutions for the drill with the knife and gun in Krav Maga. What other techniques are trained for secret agents?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2018-07-21T22:15:52.480" LastActivityDate="2018-07-21T22:15:52.480" Title="Why is Systema used for American secret agents training?" Tags="|systema|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8205" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8204" CreationDate="2018-04-11T21:57:54.740" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no known relation between the demonstrator in the video and American &amp;quot;secret agents&amp;quot;. This connection is insinuated in the TV show:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;demonstrates how Secret Service agents &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;could&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; eliminate a threat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;demonstrates how the Secret Service &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;can&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; up the ante to guard the protect team and spare innocent bystanders&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, these are the kinds of techniques that can/should be used. There is no evidence the US Secret Service studies Systema in particular.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-04-11T21:57:54.740" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8206" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8214" CreationDate="2018-04-12T12:26:40.560" Score="3" ViewCount="862" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was told that one of the Dan-level Kukkiwon poomsaes include a movement similar to the &lt;a href=&quot;http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Kamehameha&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kamehameha&lt;/a&gt; we see in the Dragonball cartoons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this true?&#xA;If so, what would be the application for this technique?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4KSVU.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4KSVU.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastActivityDate="2021-04-21T06:38:00.523" Title="Taekwondo technique similar to &quot;Kamehameha&quot;?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|forms|identification|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8207" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8200" CreationDate="2018-04-12T13:56:05.610" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;One hell of a question.  The faster the car's going the less practical any options will be.  While my training doesn't cover such things, for the sake of offering something to write I'll list what comes to mind.  The interesting situation is when there's just too little time to move outside the line of the sides of the vehicle:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;when I studied hapkido we used to practice a jumping roll like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKIAnJvvfuI&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; - basically, if you have enough time to make a small vertical leap, you could try to dive over the car - possibly aided by a foot or hand on the bonnet or windscreen to get extra height or start you rotating.  Notice how the hands and arms are positioned to make contact with the ground first and land gently and smoothly into a roll.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;if you have too little time to jump: I'd try twisting so the front of the car is pushing the backs of my lower legs forward - rather than breaking my knees - while sitting one bum cheek on the bonnet and leaning towards one side of the car, then straightening the legs: my thought is that if you straighten out the body with the axis of rotation (crown of head down through feet, arms either tightly by your sides or lifted out above your head) parallel to the front edge of the windscreen, there's more distributed impact and a chance you'll roll/slide up the bonnet then windscreen while minimising sudden impacts and your overall change of inertia: hard to imagine much control of the landing with this approach though: if you make it over the windscreen then you'll land behind the car: if the angle of the windscreen is too vertical or the car's going too slow or too fast you might smash into it without lifting clear, then you'll get thrown forward by the car: potentially nastier than rolling/sliding over it.  This is more about understanding the way the body can get hit without being damaged too badly, and how it can roll/slide, rather than directly utilising any martial arts training.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I thought to google &quot;stunt hit by car&quot; and it turns up some clips very similar to the second option I describe above &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp5aavbCZqE&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aytABKjp0W4&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2018-04-12T13:56:05.610" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8208" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8200" CreationDate="2018-04-12T14:18:58.343" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is possible. For example, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/snMARIWsnwg?t=38&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;like Tonny Ja jumping over a moving car.&lt;/a&gt; Sure, the car is slow moving and not aimed at him but it can be done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2018-04-12T14:18:58.343" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8209" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="746" CreationDate="2018-04-13T08:49:24.327" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This shield is often used to practice the power of forward/front kicks, as an alternative to a kicking bag. Usually is used for front kicks (&lt;em&gt;ap chagui&lt;/em&gt;), side kicks (&lt;em&gt;yeop chagui&lt;/em&gt;) or back kicks (&lt;em&gt;tuit chagui&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have few or no kicking bags available, it may be more effective to use this type of shield to have students practice in pairs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From my experience this is how you should use it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You should put the shield on the side, facing the person practicing the kick.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your front facing arm should go inside one strap, and that hand should firmly grab the second strap.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Keep than arm close to the side of your body, but leave the elbow outside, so that it doesn't hurt your ribs when you receive the kick.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The lower part of the shield would usually be on your hip.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Place your free hand on the back of the upper part of the shield, for additional support.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lower you gravity center, with a long stance, so that you don't loose balance when receiving the kick.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;On the moment you receive the kick, do a small back sliding step to better absorb the blow. Back kick are particularly powerful and you will surely need this for them.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastActivityDate="2018-04-13T08:49:24.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8210" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-04-13T10:31:47.843" Score="-2" ViewCount="153" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm currently in the process of choosing schools to learn Krav Maga (if the regional context is relevant: in the UK and Germany). My main concern is to learn practically applied skills and safe training (in detail, I want to improve my skills, which are moderate as of now, and get skills that are as practical as possible; I want to make progress, i.e. have demanding training, while training safely and reduce the likelihood of injuries from training to a minimum).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For this, I was wondering if people have experiences with &lt;em&gt;practical&lt;/em&gt; indicators and what to pay attention to (the more specific the better) - both in terms of a school's formal qualifications and things to look into when attending practice: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;what do you think is important to pay attention to when assessing training quality?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;what do you wish you had paid attention to earlier?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;what do you particularly enjoy in your Krav school, and why do you feel it helps you - and what are indicators one can notice within one training session or even without any training in that particular school?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;what &quot;warning signs&quot; to look for (the more specific the better!)?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking forward to your comments and responses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9196" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-04-17T07:45:59.400" LastActivityDate="2018-04-17T19:25:03.443" Title="Which factors to consider when choosing a Krav school?" Tags="|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8212" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8206" CreationDate="2018-04-13T21:15:50.883" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Modern wushu, which is perhaps more performance art than martial art, has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E-iEeF-BKY&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=57s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;nanquan (Southern Fist) form&lt;/a&gt; with a similar element. I am not sure what the source style is for this element; my understanding is the form is inspired from multiple styles of gong fu normally &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/1366/5961&quot;&gt;classified as southern, as opposed to northern&lt;/a&gt;. This is probably related only peripherally to tae-kwon-do, if at all. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not aware of a canonical application of this technique. I speculate that one application would be to wrist or ankle locks. The turning of the attacker's hands causes rotation of the opponent's foot or hand around the wrist or ankle combined with a throw. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-04-13T21:15:50.883" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8213" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8206" CreationDate="2018-04-14T16:35:29.860" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is actually a technique found in literally hundreds of martial arts, and it's typically one of the first things taught in those arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Okinawan karate, specifically Uechi Ryu or Goju Ryu, you'll see this very prominently featured in the form &quot;Sanchin&quot;. You can see a demonstration here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kybxNOlnl20&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kybxNOlnl20&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This technique typically has roots in older tiger style kung-fu, circa 1600's. From there it got into dragon, crane, and other styles of kung-fu. These are mostly southern style kung-fu arts, but it even appears in northern style. It was adapted from kung-fu to Okinawan karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It can be traced back perhaps thousands of years to wrestling arts in China, India, and Greece, because it's such a basic and widely practiced movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Question is, what is it doing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well to answer that question, please start by reading my explanation for what kata/forms really are here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7006/why-is-more-time-dedicated-to-exercises-and-very-less-for-sparring-is-it-for-th/7007#7007&quot;&gt;Why is more time dedicated to exercises and very less for sparring? Is it for the fee?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, it's jujitsu. Or chin-na. Or shuai-jiao. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, it's all about grappling. It's not actually a double palm strike. And it certainly doesn't involve chi/ki projection like you see in cartoons. Haha.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This movement (Dragon Ball's &quot;kamehameha&quot;) fits many self-defense situations. If someone is in front of you and grabs your left wrist with his right hand, you can use your right hand to circle under and to the outside of his right hand. Then you grab a hold of his right wrist with your right hand, twisting it and pulling it simultaneously to your right hip. This releases his wrist hold and uses your leverage to extend his arm out and positions it such that his right elbow is now pointing upwards. Next, you can step forward with a &quot;half-moon&quot; circular step (see Goju Ryu video above). This steps around his right foot and places your left foot in between his legs. Next, you press forward with both your palms. Your left palm is placed on top of his arm, above the elbow (or on his shoulder if you like). And your right hand is still locking his right wrist. The combination of all of the above causes a standing arm-bar. It will bend him forward. He'll trip over your left leg now (or you can do a foot sweep simultaneously), and he'll fall face-first to the ground. You'll still have his arm locked and controlled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, if you don't want to send him to the floor, you can get an elbow break if you yank really quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many other scenarios where this works, which is why it's a very basic technique taught within the first year in many martial arts. It works if he's punching at you, for example. You can use the circle block while stepping diagonally forward, deflecting the punch and getting your body out of the way of the punch. That lets you get in close to body-check him while pulling his punching arm further forward, causing him to become unbalanced. Next, your palms press on his exposed torso and shoulder, causing him to fall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a scenario where he kicks you, too, and this can be used to deflect his leg and unbalance him or throw him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you see a pattern? Notice that each application involves getting in close to him, using leverage, and unbalancing him. It's all based on good body mechanics and grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not aware of Taekwondo using this specifically, but then I haven't learned all of the forms in Taekwondo. It wouldn't surprise me if Taekwondo borrowed this movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wrote a little article on how Taekwondo came from karate here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2498/history-of-shotokans-influence-on-taekwondo/2530#2530&quot;&gt;History of Shotokan&amp;#39;s Influence on Taekwondo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2018-04-14T18:47:46.960" LastActivityDate="2018-04-14T18:47:46.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8214" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8206" CreationDate="2018-04-15T09:24:34.203" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I did some research and found the technique in the Kukkiwon website. The &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kukkiwon.or.kr/front/pageView.action?cmd=/eng/information/taekwondoSkill2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Information section on Techniques&lt;/a&gt; describes the &lt;em&gt;taesan milgi&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Taesan-milgi (태산밀기) Steep Mountain Pushing&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A motion of pushing an imaginary mountain This is a movement of&#xA;  pushing a big mountain in order to focus the performer’s mind and&#xA;  control his or her breathing. This movement can be delivered by&#xA;  putting the heels of both palms close to each other in the form of the&#xA;  Palm Heel. The fingertips on the side of the front foot should point&#xA;  down while those on the side of the rear foot point up. These open&#xA;  hands are to be pushed away at the front of the chest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5H2Ap.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5H2Ap.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This technique is introduced in the 7th Dan poomsae, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYI_EWIqI18&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chonkwon&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the information for current WT/Kukkiwon-style Taekwondo. Read @steve-weigand and @mattm for a broader perspective on this technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is presented as a concentration and breathing control technique, which matches with Karate's Sanchin form.&#xA;It seems that it lost it's initial grappling function.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: You can see it being performed in &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/sNDJHpdmfrg?t=77&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT2: An application of this technique is shown in &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/vsWDcLovCYk?t=7m24s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2018-06-14T21:44:44.447" LastActivityDate="2018-06-14T21:44:44.447" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8215" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-04-15T15:51:33.297" Score="0" ViewCount="532" Body="&lt;p&gt;Has anyone ever had an umbilical hernia, had it repaired, and after the appropriate recovery time, returned to active sparring? I practice Taekwondo point sparring and wondered if that was going to be a possibility. I will be seeing a doctor and following their advice, but since sparring is not a common activity for adults where I live, I wanted to see if anyone here has had a similar issue and was able to return. I only do recreational point-sparring (harder at testing), but definitely not full contact. We do not wear hogus or chest protectors but that would not be an issue if that allowed me to spar. I was just interested if the scar area would be able to withstand direct contact. I’m female, early 40s— not sure if that matters on the injury or not. Thanks In advance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7936" LastEditorUserId="7936" LastEditDate="2018-04-15T22:25:17.103" LastActivityDate="2018-08-03T00:41:16.013" Title="Umbilical hernia surgery and return to sparring" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|injury|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8216" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8215" CreationDate="2018-04-16T07:02:36.637" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;First and foremost &lt;strong&gt;listen to your doctor's advice&lt;/strong&gt;; if they say don't spar, don't spar!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are unable to spar for medical reasons, it should be removed from your tests (with something else added in its place); there is plenty to do in Taekwondo (and almost every martial art) that does not require sparring and there are techniques and skills involved that you can still excel in!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make sure you &lt;strong&gt;have an open discussion with your instructors&lt;/strong&gt; about this; if they are unwilling to make allowances in their classes to suit your needs then perhaps finding a school that will is best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are able to spar and are still worried about contact to that area, &lt;strong&gt;look at what additional protection&lt;/strong&gt; is available. Your instructors may be able to help with this; a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;hogu&lt;/a&gt; might be a good place to start. I wear a full back protector in competition (and sparring training) to protect an old injury; other than declaring it when I enter tournaments (both to the chief umpire before the start and the referees on my ring before competing) it is never a problem. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-05-16T12:54:06.670" LastActivityDate="2018-05-16T12:54:06.670" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8217" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8206" CreationDate="2018-04-17T01:14:47.947" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, this is in Chongkwon, I compete with it all the time.  There are a lot of nuances about this technique, as any Karate-ka can tell you.  But like many Taekwondo forms, their presentation seems more abbreviated and less detailed than their Karate roots.  That means you'll have a lot of research and learning to do to come up with bunkai (bunhae in Korean) if your instructor doesn't teach it.  It also means you have a wider berth when it comes to bunhae: just make sure your bunhae makes sense and that you practice it well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Breathing is not the object of the technique, but it is certainly the subject of the technique.  Of course, that could be said for any technique.  I agree also that it's got nothing to do with ki or stuff like that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note the tiger stance:  This suggests very close quarters to your opponent.  It also suggests nearly no mobility, and therefore, it's application is always grappling - not striking, not a reversal, not a weapon, not a block or parry, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note also that, when you perform the technique correctly, you never lean forward; rather, your back is upright and balanced on the hips.  Coupled with the bend in the knees for the tiger stance, this - and the speed of the technique - suggests a resisting opponent and you are rooting yourself.  And the direction of the technique is a z-axis - away from you.  Timed properly, you push out as you dip low into the tiger stance.  This is an example of a technique that ITF Taekwondo-in perform all the time in their sine-wave motions of their forms.  By lowering yourself, you lower your center of gravity allowing you to more easily push the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, note how you begin pushing the hands: they start at the hip and rotate with a small circle.  Also note your hands are not in a fist, and rather, are open-palm.  This means you are not grabbing anything; rather, you are reacting to being grabbed.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you factor this all in, the technique shows some similarities in application using a push or a throw.  If your hands move from chamber, through a circular motion, to an extension outwards, that is reminiscent of a Karate or Aikido &quot;jujinage&quot; - an &quot;X&quot; throw.  Such is seen in many styles, like Hapkido, Aikido, wrestling, Judo, and others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's an example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K17meZxrGXU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yamada Shihan - juji-nage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you change up the form and your chambering hands are not moving in a circular motion (making this what the Japanese would call a &quot;henka waza&quot; - an alternative but similar technique), then this could be seen as a simple push of the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, this technique is borrowed from Sanchin kata, and there exists a similarity in performance of the technique - but there are also subtle differences.  One thing to note is that in Sanchin, the hands are at 2:00 / 8:00 position (or reversed), whereas in Chongkwon, the hands are at 12:00 and 6:00 positions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In either case, it begs the question: is it really a push, as some people like to teach it?  Wouldn't a more effective push be executed at the opponent's shoulders - higher center of gravity - to leverage a more effective push?  One interpretation with the kata would be a kaitenage - a throw.  But in the taekwondo variant, that isn't really well demonstrated by the technique, although one might take that &quot;wide berth&quot; as I mentioned before, and make use of a similar execution of the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So here is a nice example of a kaitenage at :25 into the video:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1SGI9n3AKo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Aikido: Bruno Gonzalez Dynamic Aikido&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...and another at 1:22:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxQACXflYMw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Aikido: Christian Tissier Stage de Paque 2017&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-04-17T01:14:47.947" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8218" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8219" CreationDate="2018-04-17T06:33:40.507" Score="6" ViewCount="4109" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have this sparring partner that always avoids me in the BJJ rolling class. He is my same grade (purple belt), and same weight. But is always avoiding me, I have confronted him before and it seems that he is worried I will hurt him...&#xA;This is really not the case, as I roll normally with lighter partners, lower belts, and girls, and have not injured anyone.&#xA;I feal like I want to spar with him as is of my same belt/weight/height, but the constant avoidance, like when I ask him to roll with me when is rolling time and he just says to my face, no I will not roll with you. Is getting me pissed off now. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have asked him many times to roll with me and promised I will go light and respectful, but he acts very dismissing, to the point of being rude.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to know if I should ask my coach to intervene as I would like to measure my self against opponents with the same level, or just continue ignoring him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I remember that once he got mad with me in some roll and looked for a fight, I just dismissed the situation, letting him know all was fine, and there was no reason to lose control. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7506" LastActivityDate="2023-10-04T21:39:32.440" Title="BJJ sparring partner avoiding me" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|sparring|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8219" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8218" CreationDate="2018-04-17T06:40:46.630" Score="17" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moSFlvxnbgk&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;♫ Let it go ♫ &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You talked to him several times, you made overtures, and still he refuses. There is no point in continuing to pester him into doing something he does not want to do. And that is okay. He does not have to train with you. It is his choice, a choice you should respect. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could tell him that you will stop pestering him but if he ever wants to, you would be honoured to train with him. Then leave it at that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-04-17T10:49:06.603" LastActivityDate="2018-04-17T10:49:06.603" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8220" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8210" CreationDate="2018-04-17T14:14:11.577" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;@Sardathrion already linked some indicators that can be applied to any gym.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As Krav Maga is supposed to be a self defense system, it's effectiveness is important. So look at formal qualifications of both the school and the teachers.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On top of that, make sure that both the teacher and the school are a member of an (international) organisation. This ensures that:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Teachers receive training to keep their skills up to date&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The curriculum is being updated to reflect what works and doesn't&#xA;work in real life.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Teachers who do not have a organisation behind them are more likely to use outdated techniques, or use techniques that they &lt;em&gt;think&lt;/em&gt; are effective - without having the exposure or experience to incorporate all scenarios. (Not all techniques work against all attackers - not all students have the physical capabilities to use all techniques.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Source: Personal experience: I've trained for 6 years, and have quit gyms because of the above.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9211" LastActivityDate="2018-04-17T14:14:11.577" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8221" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8218" CreationDate="2018-04-17T14:21:00.203" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with Sardathrion, let it go. I will also add:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You probably don't want to train with this guy anyway. If he wants to go light all the time he's not going to make you better. You need to push it to the limit on a regular basis with people as good as, and better than you. You're a purple belt though, so you you already know this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lower belt with some spunk will help you improve your game more than a wimpy purple. Just remember not to constantly smash them. If you've already tapped them a couple times in a round, let them work their stuff for the rest of the time!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastActivityDate="2018-04-17T14:21:00.203" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8222" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8195" CreationDate="2018-04-17T15:04:55.830" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Rule 1: &lt;strong&gt;No jumping.&lt;/strong&gt; As soon as your feet leave the ground, you lose control - if he rushes in, you'll go flying.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rule 2: &lt;em&gt;Kicks tend to be slower and easier to dodge/catch than punches, so unless you have decent training, don't lead with them.&lt;/em&gt;  A technique that misses is generally worthless, wasted energy.  A technique that lets your opponent start grappling or breaking limbs is &lt;strong&gt;worse&lt;/strong&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, a boxer generally only needs to worry about 1 limb on each side of their opponent.  If they don't have much experience fighting people who kick, a good way to take advantage of this is... a punch. High jab to the face - making him raise his guard to block - followed by a roundhouse kick or knee strike from the matching leg to the now-exposed lower ribs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even then, after the first couple of attempts, they'll get wise to it.  Most &quot;street fights&quot; only last 30 seconds or so, but a trained boxer probably has the stamina to go longer than that - if your own stamina isn't up to a drawn-out fight then you need to stay on the offensive and hope to finish fast.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rule 0:  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Don't get in a fight&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.  That way you can't lose.  The discipline and situational awareness to avoid these situations is a key part of what seperates a &quot;Martial Art&quot; from a &quot;Sport&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9212" LastActivityDate="2018-04-17T15:04:55.830" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8223" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8210" CreationDate="2018-04-17T19:25:03.443" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You will definitely want to pay attention to the organization a gym and its members are part of. Check out the requirements for an instructor course in the organization, this can tell you a lot. For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;KMG: 24 day course, 2 day exam and a P3 minimum as prerequisite (about 2 years of training).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mike's S.E.A.L. Commando Krav Maga System: 2 day course, 4 hour exam. No prerequisites (obviously a fictional name, however, this is in fact the requirement for a school in my area).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That aside, most gyms will offer a free class, you should definitely try that as well before you sign up. Look for these indicators: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;How are the communicative skills of the instructor?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;What's the atmosphere like? (preferably friendly)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Are stress drills involved? (preferably yes)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Is there any sparring? (preferably yes)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;How long is a class? (preferably 70 to 90 minutes)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9216" LastActivityDate="2018-04-17T19:25:03.443" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8224" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8195" CreationDate="2018-04-18T12:35:18.557" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This question has already been answered, but I wanted to add some additional basic information.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Try de-escalating the process! You &lt;strong&gt;never&lt;/strong&gt; want to fight, especially &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; against someone with martial art experience! Chances are high that you will not only lose (this is nearly guaranteed [99%] if you have no experience at all and only luck or a mistake will prevent this), but also take &lt;strong&gt;serious&lt;/strong&gt; damage out of the fight depending on your opponent (some just try to win/end the fight as quickly as possible; some want to make an example).  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you have no other choice, you obviously don't want to fight &quot;their game&quot;. Against a boxer, you don't want to try &quot;out-boxing&quot; him.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Be &lt;strong&gt;very&lt;/strong&gt; careful with kicks! If you are not good at kicks and/or kick to high/slow, your opponent will easily counter you. Kicking opens up a big weak point and if your kick doesn't work as planned, their counter-attack almost certainly will! Worst case will be that he catches your leg and kicks away your other leg (which even a normal, non-martial art person can do) and you will be on the ground; if you've ever watched UFC, you should know that being on the ground is a terrible idea.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, let's say there is no chance of stopping this fight, but you can't simply out-box him since he is the more experienced one. At this point it's worth trying to  run away or being very mobile, trying to reach space as soon as possible. The boxer will try to get closer, but as long as you are outside his reach, he will struggle to land critical hits. This still requires you to do some very quick steps and &lt;strong&gt;always&lt;/strong&gt; have your jab hand at head level to turn away punches. It's not important to block them completely, but prevent them from hitting where they should hit. Still be careful; he will soon adapt to your style and also attack your body parts. Even trained boxers are knocked out with a single punch.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last, but not least, dirty tricks! As far as I know a boxer's stance won't protect his genitals or other critical parts. Boxing has strict rules about attacking the lower areas or human weak points. Attack weak points and use dirty tricks. This will be your best chance against him! A knee-strike to the genitals will stop most men with one hit, no matter their size or strength, and a boxer won't have practised blocking such dirty moves. Spit in his face, since it's disgusting for most people to have such thing in their face and it will bring them out of context. Dirt, sand or even dog mess on the ground? Take it and throw it at him! What's more important? The fact you touched faeces or some serious injuries?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9218" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-04-19T12:55:22.357" LastActivityDate="2018-04-19T12:55:22.357" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8225" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8228" CreationDate="2018-04-19T22:44:36.037" Score="6" ViewCount="881" Body="&lt;p&gt;I understand that Capoeira's was originated from slave people in Brazil, so it was disguised as a dance, and most moves could be done with shackled hands.&#xA;Today's Capoeira still stays true to these principles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Capoeira moves are &quot;tricky&quot; to an opponent and can easily surprise an unprepared opponent, and the kicks can be very powerful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand it is less &quot;direct&quot; when compared to combat sports and oriental martial arts: it looks more like a dance than fighting moves. And AFAIK it has no sport/competition formats.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus the question: is fight effectiveness/personal defense an important goal for modern Capoeira, or is it to be considered mostly a performing art?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2018-04-20T09:58:51.403" LastActivityDate="2020-07-23T13:26:09.777" Title="Is Capoeira mostly a performative art?" Tags="|capoeira|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8226" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8227" CreationDate="2018-04-20T08:55:28.737" Score="-1" ViewCount="173" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 20 years old and want to learn a martial art. I have fractured my leg twice in the past, but still I want to try. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which form should I choose? My physical strength is good, have fast reflexes, can run fast (despite the previous fractures) etc. Does anyone have any advice? I live in India, so many forms may not be available.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user9224" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-04-20T09:24:01.430" LastActivityDate="2018-04-20T09:57:26.280" Title="What form of martial arts should I choose?" Tags="|kung-fu|recommendation|krav-maga|wing-chun|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="12" FavoriteCount="0" ClosedDate="2018-04-20T16:38:06.737" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8227" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8226" CreationDate="2018-04-20T09:57:26.280" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on your goal to join the army, Krav Maga will be the most applicable. Krav Maga is oriented towards the kinds of situations you're most likely to find yourself in the military--hand-to-hand, no-holds-barred, where the opponents likely have weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6032" LastActivityDate="2018-04-20T09:57:26.280" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8228" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8225" CreationDate="2018-04-20T12:45:48.260" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a tricky, and somewhat subjective question to answer, and unfortunately, I don't have much more than anecdotal data.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Is fight effectiveness or personal defense an important goal for modern Capoeira?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, no. Much like most modern martial arts from Tae Kwan Do to Kung Fu to Kickboxing, people primarily study Capoeira for the purpose of exercise and for learning new things. And most people who study it will never get into a fight and use it and if they did, they'd probably find themselves overwhelmed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Can Capoeira be an effective fighting style?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes. Historically speaking, capoeiristras were considered to be on par with the Vale Tudo fighters of the day. Several MMA fighters today incorporate kicks from Capoeira in their fighting style. And if you try to pick a fight with a capoeiristra on the streets of Brazil, there's a good chance you're going to face a tough fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;So, if Capoeira is effective, why does it seem so weak?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, first off, as I mentioned before, most people don't do martial arts to fight, so the vast majority of people you meet haven't trained to be good combatants. Secondly, most Capoeira schools don't train people to fight. The sparring is generally light to no contact with a large part of the prestige lying in setting up a situation where you show that you could strike someone with great force, or take them down, but you don't, merely counting coup on them. The rules of a polite fight forbid certain targets, which means that some of the defenses involve doing things like turning your back to an opponent or dropping to a crouch, because the other person won't attack you in your time of vulnerability because by doing so, they'd basically be saying that the only chance they have against you is a cheap shot. And that's not even getting into ritualized situations such as the &lt;em&gt;chamadas&lt;/em&gt;, where you essentially invite an attack with the expectation being that instead you'll go through a ritualized set of motions rather than engage in attacking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, typical Capoeira instruction does not involve an actual fight with full contact, and the rules (both formally and in the eyes of your peers) constrict what you can do, creating an unrealistic situation. And, well, you're not in there to win a fight, but rather to show your skill, and part of that actually involves avoiding shutting down the other person in the circle, because it's more impressive if they make a good showing as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Wait... I thought you were trying to say this can be effective?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, remember what I said about these rules being for a polite fight? Outside of a Capoeira school, you're not always in a polite fight. People might pull knives. They might try to hit &quot;illegal&quot; areas. And they might be bigger and stronger than you. In that case, you're expected to only follow the rules for as long as it's helping you. If you're up against someone who is actually spoiling for a fight, you give them one. You don't do acrobatics. You do an abbreviated &lt;em&gt;ginga&lt;/em&gt;, if any at all. And you hit hard where it will hurt them the most. Also, as a number of people who've trained Capoeira for fun have learned when trying out their skills on the streets of Brazil, there are people who do this full contact, and find it funny to bounce your head against the cobblestones if you look like an easy mark.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Outside of that, Capoeira does require a large amount of physical conditioning, and you learn pretty quickly how to recover from a variety of ways to fall without rendering yourself immobile. While you are expected to not knock your opponent silly with a kick, you do learn to strike with full speed and force when you're against someone who you know can dodge. And you do learn to dodge on an instinctual level, and how to roll with a hit to avoid injury. With a little bit of cross-training to learn how to actually take a hit without stopping the game as everyone gives your opponent the side-eye for showing such lack of skill, the movements of Capoeira are indeed useful, although you're unlikely to use the acrobatics outside of recovering from losing your balance, and for intimidating opponents before a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I were to reach for an analogy, I'd say that Capoeira is a lot like Olympic fencing. Within a formalized arena, you get a chance to demonstrate your full skill. On the street, if you've only done the formalized version of it, it's not going to be super-effective, but there's a good chance you can hold your own against an untrained opponent because you are physically conditioned and have an idea of how to move your body. And with an additional bit of training, you can make it combat-effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Back to the subject of competition...&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is actually a fairly contentious topic for historical reasons. Back in the days when Capoeira was just becoming legal (because politicians realized it was actually something they could be proud of, and use as advertising), there were attempts to &quot;legitimize&quot; Capoeira by staging competitions. Since Capoeira's origins are on the streets, among the poor (and frankly, often the criminals), there was a pushback against this gentrification of the style, particularly since it codified a lot of the more formalized aspects of what you could or couldn't do in a fight. And, since it's so subjective, scoring is a tricky thing. A decent comparison would be breakdancing competitions on TV, particularly the ones where they're both sharing the same floor space. Whether one person outdances the other is subjective, and when you include improvisation based on what the other person is doing, your performance is dependent on them as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Add to that that such competitions were seen as a way to shift Capoeira to being a thing for rich people with paler skins, and you can see why the competitions are largely absent today.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-08-03T15:07:30.610" LastActivityDate="2018-08-03T15:07:30.610" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8229" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8231" CreationDate="2018-04-21T08:05:31.320" Score="10" ViewCount="716" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a black belt in WTF Taekwondo and some training in Kalaripayattu. However, the first martial art I was exposed to was Shotokan Karate. I reached the yellow belt and then had to discontinue for personal reasons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm interested in (re)learning traditional Karate but am confused. From what I've read and seen, I'm really interested in learning Goju-Ryu or Uechi Ryu but most schools from where I am teach Shotokan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I really want to know is how different the styles are and what will I miss or gain from a decision on which school to follow. I'm interested in studying this primarily for fitness and physical discipline and combat skills. I'm not very keen on the sport aspect of the whole affair.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1965" LastActivityDate="2018-07-06T22:42:46.197" Title="Styles of Karate" Tags="|karate|shotokan|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8230" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-04-21T08:09:53.563" Score="0" ViewCount="158" Body="&lt;p&gt;Often during practice, I have small injuries such as someone missing the kicking pad and hitting my hand, or missing my step and twisting my toe on the mat. When I was younger, the pain from these small injuries would disappear in a few days and I didn't think much about it. However, these days, the pain doesn't disappear and I lose confidence when these injuries happen. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What can I do to mitigate these injuries?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1965" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-04-22T21:55:56.343" LastActivityDate="2018-04-26T17:59:42.843" Title="First aid for small injuries" Tags="|injury|medical-advice|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8231" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8229" CreationDate="2018-04-21T17:04:29.287" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;Thank you for the question. It's actually quite a good one to ask, because a lot of people assume all karate is basically the same. And that's not true.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are 3 main branches of karate in my perspective (there are actually more, and I'll mention that later):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shuri-Te&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Naha-Te&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Japanese karate (Shotokan derivatives)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Shuri-Te and Naha-Te lineages come from Okinawa. The Japanese karate lineages stem mostly from Shotokan karate, though there was often some cross-pollination going on with Okinawan karate and classical jujitsu, so it can be a little muddy with different styles of Japanese karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing to realize is that Shotokan karate popularized the art. It was brought from Okinawa to Japan in the early 1920's by a man named Gichin Funakoshi. He studied Shuri-Te versions of Okinawan karate and modified them to be taught in the public school systems of Japan as a form of exercise to school children. He called it Shotokan karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Japanese school children eventually grew up, went to universities where they formed Shotokan karate clubs, and later formed their own Shotokan karate dojo all over Japan. That happened by around 1935.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During this same time period, Korea had long since been occupied by Japan, and young Koreans were drafted into the Japanese military. In Japan, Korean soldiers would be exposed to various Japanese martial arts, including Shotokan karate. They eventually returned home to Korea, where they formed Tangsoodo, Taekwondo, and other Korean versions of a karate derived from Shotokan karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the end of World War II, American GI's were stationed in Japan where they were first exposed to Shotokan karate. They would bring Shotokan karate back to the U.S. where it would take off like wildfire in the early 1950's and 1960's.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By this time in the 1960's, Shotokan karate had multiple splinter organizations and different styles derived from it all over Japan. And it had spread across the world.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the 1970's we saw the rise of Korean karate and its near total domination in the 1980's across the world. Taekwondo became one of the most popular martial arts in the world, if not the most popular. It was and still is based on Shotokan karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;American Kenpo (Ed Parker's style) came out of karate and kung-fu styles in the 1960's and 1970's. It briefly surpassed Shotokan karate in terms of popularity, but it never reached the level of popularity that Taekwondo obtained.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's Chinese Kempo also. And there's a number of other less popular forms of karate out there as well. I won't go into all of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, and just to note: There's a third branch of Okinawan karate called Tomari-Te. The thing to realize is that Tomari-Te has pretty much died out. There's not a lot of pure Tomari-Te kata out there today. Most of the styles that purport to have come from Tomari-Te are actually mostly based on Shuri-Te. That leaves only Naha-Te and Shuri-Te lineages.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can read more about the 3 main branches of Okinawan karate here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawan_martial_arts&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawan_martial_arts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now let's answer your main question: &lt;strong&gt;Which styles of karate are more focused on developing physical fitness and self-defense, rather than sport?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The short answer is: Okinawan karate. And in my opinion, specifically Naha-Te. And if I had to choose one branch of Naha-Te, I'd probably stick with Goju-Ryu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, Japanese karate was developed by Gichin Funakoshi for school children as a form of exercise. It was modified in many ways to remove the martial qualities. The self-defense knowledge is almost completely missing in Shotokan karate and its derivatives, because it just wasn't taught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Funakoshi didn't want kids hurting themselves with it. So he wasn't going to teach them what was really going on in the kata. And even things like the way punches are done in Shotokan karate made it hard for kids to hurt each other with it (the difference between a full-twisting punch in Shotokan vs. the 3/4 twisting punch of Shorin-Ryu karate).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shotokan and its derivatives do not practice practical self-defense. They don't do partnered kata training and analysis, known as &quot;bunkai&quot; in Okinawan karate. So there is no connection between the kata and self-defense in these branches of karate. They will do sparring, but the sparring is not the same as self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I explain this more in detail at my answer here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7006/why-is-more-time-dedicated-to-exercises-and-very-less-for-sparring-is-it-for-th/7007#7007&quot;&gt;Why is more time dedicated to exercises and very less for sparring? Is it for the fee?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't skip that link. Read it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, Shorin-Ryu (Shuri-Te) is a very popular form of Okinawan karate. Depending on the teacher, you might hit the jackpot in terms of what they can show you in terms of practical self-defense coming from the kata themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But as I said above, my own personal opinion based on my experience is that Goju-Ryu (Naha-Te) will give you a more well-rounded system of self-defense and physical development.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kata bunkai is an integral part of Goju-Ryu also. Whereas Shorin-Ryu is more long-range, Goju-Ryu is more close-to-mid-range. There are shorter stances in Goju-Ryu. It's more obvious that there is grappling going on in the kata (Shorin-Ryu makes it all look like punches and blocks to a much higher degree than Goju-Ryu does). The use of the open hand as opposed to a closed fist is more prominent in Goju-Ryu. And Goju-Ryu has more circular movements than Shorin-Ryu does (a give-away that there's grappling going on).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for physical development, Goju-Ryu takes it up a notch. In all karate schools, there will be physical development. That's true even in Japanese karate. But Goju-Ryu has its own unique system of physical exercise and conditioning, known simply as &quot;hojo-undo&quot;. Hojo-undo is a common term that just means &quot;supplemental exercises&quot; (also known as body conditioning exercises).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can read about some of Goju-Ryu's hojo-undo methods here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ftmaagojuryu.com/hojo-undo---supplementary-exercises.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.ftmaagojuryu.com/hojo-undo---supplementary-exercises.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of Goju-Ryu's most famous kata is called &quot;Sanchin Kata&quot;. It's one of the first forms you're taught. It contains only a small number of movements. They're all done using dynamic tension and coordinated breathing. This dynamic tension is a kind of isometric exercise that will improve muscle tone and bone strength. The kata also packs a good amount of self-defense knowledge that forms the foundation for the rest of the style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll find that Uechi-Ryu shares a lot of the same ideas as Goju-Ryu as well. It's also a Naha-Te style, so it shouldn't be too surprising. If you don't see Goju-Ryu being taught anywhere near you, you might want to see if Uechi-Ryu or any other Naha-Te lineage is taught near you. Failing that, a Shuri-Te branch of karate such as Shorin-Ryu might be your best bet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can't find Okinawan karate near you, if the types of karate schools near you don't look like they're training practical self-defense, or if they seem to have an unusual number of overweight black belts, then you might want to consider doing something other than karate altogether.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In fact, I strongly recommend giving serious thought to training in Gracie Jiujitsu, Catch Wrestling, Sambo, Muay Thai, and/or MMA. These are styles that are heavily focused on training for self-defense and for body conditioning. If you want a no-nonsense approach, that's it. There are no kata to learn and no &quot;interpretation/analysis&quot; (bunkai) needed. They just cut to the chase and give you practical knowledge in a logical, straightforward manner. And in most cases with those styles, you're going to get a much more modern way of conditioning your body based on the best available understanding we have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think by now you've got your answers. Post follow-up questions in the comment section if you have them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2018-04-21T18:22:03.690" LastActivityDate="2018-04-21T18:22:03.690" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8232" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8233" CreationDate="2018-04-23T02:54:49.880" Score="3" ViewCount="502" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm currently reading the book &quot;Pragmatic Thinking and Learning&quot; by Andy Hunt. It mentions about this martial art that can help in concentration and control. The martial arts is called &lt;em&gt;&quot;Ki-Chun.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; However, I can't find it. I tried googling it but i can't really find anything about it. Does anybody know about ki-chun and how i can practice it? Or if there is any other martial arts along the line that I can learn online or through a book, I'd like to ask for recommendations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Iiw9B.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Iiw9B.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9229" LastActivityDate="2018-04-23T04:38:46.523" Title="Searching for martial arts called &quot;ki-chun&quot; or anything that can help in concentration and control" Tags="|qi|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8233" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8232" CreationDate="2018-04-23T04:33:14.633" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ki chun is &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qigong&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;qi gong&lt;/a&gt; or chi kung. I suspect ki chun is simply an anglicized version of a Korean pronunciation. Qi gong is a controversial subject on this site. Qi gong roughly translates to energy work, and is a &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/6215/5961&quot;&gt;very broad topic that encompasses many different theories and exercises about how the body and mind should be trained&lt;/a&gt;. To a Western audience, the more unusual elements are moving slowly without weights and mental training to clear the mind. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are interested in mental focus in particular, meditation is a relatively well documented and researched topic that is a subset of qi gong. When meditation is mixed with martial practices such as taiji or bagua, you quickly move to the point where instruction is required. You would be well served to start with meditation and breathing practices alone; it is quite true that learning to breathe better has significant benefits. Basic practices are also simple enough that you can start on your own. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The general breathing advice is to make your breathing relaxed, continuous, deep, and even. Start by closing your eyes and paying attention to your breathing for several minutes a day. You can do this lying down (simplest), sitting up straight, or standing. With continuous practice over some weeks/months, you should begin to notice changes. In my opinion, this should be sufficient to give you a taste of qi gong training; it requires dedicated personal practice and lots of patience, which is not suited for everyone at whatever their current stage of life is. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-04-23T04:38:46.523" LastActivityDate="2018-04-23T04:38:46.523" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8234" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8230" CreationDate="2018-04-24T13:28:28.450" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Get the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/cbeebies/episode/b06kg157/hey-duggee-series-1-44-the-be-careful-badge&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Be Careful Badge&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is it. When you grow old, your body takes time to recover from injuries that you shrugged when you were younger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2018-04-24T13:28:28.450" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8235" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8285" CreationDate="2018-04-24T22:53:45.950" Score="5" ViewCount="351" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jogo_do_pau&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jogo do Pau&lt;/a&gt;&quot; is an ancient Portuguese martial art which uses long staffs and originates from villages in the northern mountains.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An example can be seen in this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8wgGP_eBq8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;. It shows one vs one, one vs two, and one vs many. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While it has some movements where the grip on the stick can change from one end to the other, most of the moves are done keeping the grip on the same end of the stick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is quite different from the staff fighting techniques we see in oriental martial arts (I read an account that it is unique). In fact, to me it seems much more similar to a sword fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Could it be the result of the noble sword fighting techniques being adapted by peasants and shepherds?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-05-17T13:16:51.153" LastActivityDate="2018-05-17T22:05:42.767" Title="Is &quot;Jogo do Pau&quot; (stickfighting) derived from longsword fighting?" Tags="|sword|bo-staff|historic-european|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8236" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8230" CreationDate="2018-04-25T05:29:10.900" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You list two distinct types of injuries which require different kinds of avoidance (which I think is the key: avoiding the injuries to begin with, yes?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In one, you mention the kicking pads.  We use a variety of pads, one is called &quot;elephant ears&quot;.  These are usually held in one hand, so, you hold two.  For kicking drills, I get clever about holding one pad with one hand, and with the other target, it covers my holding hand.  This way, if the kicker misses the pad, he kicks the protecting pad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to avoid toe injuries, there are several things to do.  When kicking (and turning), always lift up.  This reduces the tendency to grind the foot into the floor.  Too great of a lift, and you end up doing a jumping turning kick.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Puzzle mat floors are a particular danger, because when the puzzle pieces don't align right, they can pop up, or create holes.  These popups or holes can grab a toe, and if you aren't careful, can break the toe.  Nothing you can do here, except lift your feet when walking on these mats.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another injury I see in classes is during breaking routines: the board holders are always at risk.  They make these finger protectors just for this purpose: when a kicker misses the middle of the board, and opts to take out your fingers instead, they end up kicking the rubber finger protectors instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are other kinds of injuries, such as stretching or when being kicked.  These muscular problems can be resolved with pain killer meds, or, cremes like Ben-Gay, and the like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other muscular injuries are due to overexertion.  These are caused by lactic acid build up.  The way to get around these to perform quad- and calf-stretches, which squeeze the lactic acid build up out of the muscle tissue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if you are looking for pain medications, there are a few.  NSAID like Ibuprophin can be helpful to reduce pain caused by swelling, because, they're anti-inflammatories.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also use products like Ben-Gay and Tiger Balm, they have high amounts of eucalyptus, camphor, and other topical anesthetics.  These can help allevite muscle damage due to stretching or blunt force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kicking pads, I forgot to mention about others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, large thick pads.  I tend not to use the straps at the back for strong kickers.  For them, hold the pad close to my body, then absorb the kick by moving back in the direction of the kick.  This way, I'm not slapped with the pad, and, I'm moving with the kicker.  Remember, strong kicks are what kicking bags are for; these pads are large to protect you - but kickers assume they're large and meant for power.  Nope.  But they still kick hard, so, you want to minimize impact to you.  (And for younger children, you want to hold the pads by the straps and then not held to your body.  This is less about protecting yourself and more about being able to maneuver the pad so that you can watch the kick to provide feedback.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For elephant ears and other one-handed targets, be sure never to hold them with a locked elbow, or you'll inherit some severe joint damage.  Hold the targets so that the face allows the kicker to properly kick with the heel, ball of toe, or instep - whatever is appropriate for the kick, and the kicker's reach and capability.  It's not always necessary to be so rigid; the more rigid you are, the more you absorb the kick into you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are holding a pad for a kicker who's too fast or hard for you to hold properly, you shouldn't be paired with that person.  The instructor should prevent that, lest that creates a safety hazard to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For elephant ears, it's common to hold the target for axe kicks in such a way that is reminiscent of holding a dagger for a downward stab.  In this way, you hold the target high with your fist grasping the handle and with your elbow behind the pad (but not resting against the pad).  In this way, when the kicker comes down on the pad, it will slap back safely against your elbow, not your face.  If they miss the target completely, no part of your body is exposed outside of the sides of the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When holding an elephant ear target for roundhouses, if you hold it so that the target as extended from your arm, then, if the kicker kicks too close, your hand will catch the kick and hurt like hell.  So, hold it like a knife where it extends 90 degrees upward or downward from your arm.  An over kick will not contact your arm or hand.  However, in this hold, a kick that is too high (or too low) could still contact your hand.  So in this regard, as I mentioned before, I use another target to cover my holding hand, so that a kick that is too high or too low will be protected by the protecting target instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2018-04-26T17:59:42.843" LastActivityDate="2018-04-26T17:59:42.843" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8237" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2541" CreationDate="2018-04-25T09:29:36.213" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;My sifu taught me that the purpose of these rings is changing the weight and balance of your broadsword. By changing the number and order of the rings, the student can practice with different weight/balance, so the student can use almost every broadsword in his hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9232" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-04-25T13:30:01.927" LastActivityDate="2018-04-25T13:30:01.927" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8238" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-04-25T14:24:31.497" Score="14" ViewCount="1289" Body="&lt;p&gt;Reading the &quot;Taekwondo Grappling Techniques&quot; book (Dr. Tony Kemerly and Steve Snyder, Tuttle Publishing, 2009), the first chapter provides an interesting overview of Taekwondo history, and the influences from Chinese and Japanese martial arts. It goes into detail on how Okinawan Karate came to be, and how Brazilian Jiu Jitsu originated from Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The general &quot;thesis&quot; of the book is that the block - counter attack techniques are watered down versions of the much more lethal block -grab - counter attack techniques, and goes on showing how each type of block can evolve into a grab.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The authors trace this trend back to 19th century Karate, when it was introduced in Okinawa's elementary school curriculum:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In 1868 however, this all changed. Japan moved from a feudalistic&#xA;  government to a  democratic one that resulted in a few changes to the&#xA;  martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The martial arts began&#xA;  to be taught as a way to promote the values of the past. This was&#xA;  done by using the martial arts to foster health, spirit, morality,&#xA;  and national identity, instead of the most efficient  way to&#xA;  disable an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Finally, a sportification of Japanese martial&#xA;  arts began. This switch to a more holistic, sporting martial art&#xA;  gained ground in 1908 when Itosu “Anko”  Yasutsune was able to&#xA;  incorporate karate training into the physical education programs in &#xA;  all elementary schools on Okinawa. In order to do this however, a few&#xA;  changes needed to  be made to the art. For these changes, he was often criticized for effectively watering down the combat efficacy&#xA;  of karate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;He disguised the more dangerous techniques, i.e. grappling,&#xA;  and taught the art as one primarily based on blocking and punching. No&#xA;  combative application was taught for any technique, meaning the&#xA;  patterns were taught without their  application thereby making them no&#xA;  different than any of the traditional dances popular  at the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Lastly, deceptive names were given to the techniques that were taught,&#xA;  such as  “high block” or “low block”.  Prior to this, what we know as&#xA;  a “high block” or “low block”  was utilized as a striking or grappling&#xA;  technique in addition to its role in blocking. It is  now clear that&#xA;  karate patterns did at one time contain more than just striking and&#xA;  blocking techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This strikes me as generally true for modern martial arts, particularly Kungfu  and Taekwondo, that tend to become sports or performing arts, rather than disabling or killing opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it fair to say that modern martial arts are intentionally made less effective, in order to appeal to a broader range of people?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-04-25T21:14:18.937" LastActivityDate="2020-06-03T13:01:15.887" Title="Is modern martial arts effectiveness intentionally reduced?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|history|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8239" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8242" CreationDate="2018-04-25T22:12:03.340" Score="4" ViewCount="3344" Body="&lt;p&gt;While kicks can be very powerful techniques, they carry some risks and may leave you very exposed to the opponent. A particular case is when the opponent grabs the kicking leg: things can go bad very quickly if this happens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the case of Taekwondo, I often hear this from other martial art practitioners, as an objection to the style's effectiveness in a fight. Of course, there is no definite answer, and the outcomes depend on the skill of the opponents, the styles they train, the context and rules of the engagement, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Still, there is some point in the critique, and a kicker should be prepared to react when this happens. &#xA;Thus my question: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How should a kicker react if his kicking leg is grabbed by the opponent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the sake of objectiveness, we can focus on the case of a roundhouse kick, although explanations of front or side kicks, would be also welcome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-04-26T15:10:07.957" LastActivityDate="2018-04-26T21:06:36.250" Title="How to counter a grab to a kicking leg?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|kicking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8240" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8241" CreationDate="2018-04-26T03:05:58.680" Score="7" ViewCount="1026" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a BJJ praticioner trying to improve my takedowns. I was wondering: &lt;strong&gt;is Obi Tori Gaeshi just a variation of Sumi Gaeshi, or a different takedown?&lt;/strong&gt; The two are quite similar, with little differences. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I searched them on Google, but I've found images that look like Obi Tori Gaeshi named as Sumi Gaeshi. I'm confused! Could someone give me some enlightenment?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9109" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-11T13:03:57.907" LastActivityDate="2019-09-11T13:07:31.790" Title="Sumi Gaeshi or Obi Tori Gaeshi?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|technique|throwing|takedown|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8241" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8240" CreationDate="2018-04-26T04:39:01.920" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;I take Toshiro Daigo's book &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt; to be the official word on throw classification. Daigo is the chief instructor at the Kodokan, the mother school of judo in Tokyo, Japan. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;obi-tori gaeshi (sutemi version) is hikkikomi gaeshi&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The top player in the lightweight class was a man named Stepanov, who inflicted pain on many Japanese judoka, with ashi-tori-waza from Sambo Judo, and unorthodox techniques such as obi-tori-gaeshi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The technique, in which he gripped the back of the opponent's belt and dropped down the rear, has long been called obi-tori-gaeshi, but is in fact the hikkikomi-gaeshi described in sono ni.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Sono ni&quot; is the second variation/point of the section on hikkikomi-gaeshi, where an over the back grip is taken on the belt. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obi-tori-gaeshi is now on the list of now &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/waza/list/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;68 Kodokan-recognized throws&lt;/a&gt; as a te-waza. See &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/8533/8910&quot;&gt;john's answer&lt;/a&gt; for description and video. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Differences between hikkikomi-gaeshi and sumi-gaeshi&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Daigo explicitly enumerates points that differentiate variations of hikkikomi-gaeshi and sumi-gaeshi, so you are in good company regarding the confusion between the techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Without over the back grip:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The key point in telling these techniques apart lies not in the part of uke's leg that tori springs upwards, but in whether he executes the technique from a defensive grappling posture (sumi-gaeshi), or executes it while holding one of uke's arms (hikkikomi gaeshi). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;With over the back grip:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The key point for telling these techniques apart lies in whether tori grips uke's back (sumi-gaeshi) or whether he grips the back of uke's belt (hikkikomi gaeshi). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo throw classification is a messy business. Throws may have different names at different times, and the points of classification can be quite arcane and perhaps not useful. The difference between sumi-gaeshi and obi-tori-gaeshi is not something I actually remember, but I know where to look it up. I would not expect most instructors to know or care about this difference. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-20T09:22:27.490" LastActivityDate="2019-06-20T09:22:27.490" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8242" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8239" CreationDate="2018-04-26T08:03:04.627" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How should a kicker react if his kicking leg is grabbed by the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mostly the same ways you would counter someone grabbing your arm:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Move weight on an angle and rotate the joint. &lt;em&gt;Of course this is much more difficult with a leg and often requires falling to the floor.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ignore that leg. My opponent is using their arm(s) to hold my leg, what is now guarding their head? Use hand/elbow techniques to the head - they will let go of your leg soon enough. &lt;em&gt;Relies on you being flexible enough and opponent not instantly tipping you&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fall over. In most cases your opponent is not just going to hold your leg, they will try to tip or control you with it, you won't have much choice about it so be in charge of the fall to free your leg (almost a reverse of number 1).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On this whole leg grabbing business - there's a whole heap of arrogance in a fighter who goes for that high section kick right off the bat - in sparring competitions its fine as the consequences are very limited. For any more real circumstance (like in all martial arts) you would be taught - 1) avoid the conflict if possible. 2) when that fails - hit the closest/most available vital spot whilst protecting yourself - unless your foot just happens to be above your head when you get into a fight you are skipping all the targets below the belt, and all the targets in the torso - to go for the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So by one of the basic rules of defending yourself - &lt;strong&gt;don't move past one target to reach another&lt;/strong&gt; - a disciplined student of a kicking martial art should not be at great risk of their leg being grabbed and (as they will be kicking low section) the opponent will have compromised themselves to achieve it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2018-04-26T08:03:04.627" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8243" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8238" CreationDate="2018-04-26T15:29:42.613" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Absolutely. Though I would say it's the case for modern &quot;traditional&quot; martial arts. There are some martial arts that have not been affected. Here are the main two reasons for what you're seeing (I use &quot;scary&quot;, but I could have used &quot;dangerous&quot; or &quot;violent&quot; as well):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fighting is too scary for kids&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Effective martial arts are a hard sell for parents, and many large traditional martial arts gyms prioritize membership (money) over teaching effective combat techniques. Many parents would much rather their child throw some kicks at the air, or a bag, rather than see them learn to take someone down and sink in a rear naked choke. Fighting is brutal and violent, and there is an attempt to mask that from the general public that just want an activity for their child. Belt promotions come quickly and easily to keep the children interested, and the parents seeing &quot;progress&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fighting is too scary for adults&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the early 1990's MMA shot up in popularity. The UFC and Pride were major fighting organizations that showcased every fighting style that wanted to participate. This forced martial arts gyms to a fork: Can we train actual fighters? Or should we train the general public? (I should note that many MMA gyms do both) For many traditional gyms there was not a choice, their martial art was not effective on its own in MMA. A gym that wanted to teach strictly striking martial arts would not produce effective fighters, as they wouldn't train grappling. The same went for strictly grappling gyms that wouldn't train striking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The result was a lot of fighters and prospective fighters moving away from the traditional gyms, to the MMA gyms. This left behind the hobbyists and sport fighters at the traditional gyms. &lt;strong&gt;Weeding out the fighters meant the majority of customers weren't going to demand an effective combat system. They weren't going to question a less hardcore curriculum.&lt;/strong&gt; They were there to have fun and get a workout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a side note, two older martial arts that have not been affected by this are Boxing and Wrestling. These two were never popular with the casual crowd in the first place (I suspect due to live sparring being necessary). I came up in traditional martial arts and eventually switched to MMA, so I had the unique experience of seeing this unfold first hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2018-05-03T15:53:19.380" LastActivityDate="2018-05-03T15:53:19.380" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8244" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-04-26T16:58:40.033" Score="7" ViewCount="858" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the source of this Bruce Lee quote? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.  Make at least one definite move daily toward your goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9236" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-04T08:11:33.550" LastActivityDate="2019-06-04T08:11:33.550" Title="Source for Bruce Lee quote &quot;If you spend too much time thinking...&quot;" Tags="|jeet-kune-do|bruce-lee|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8245" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8239" CreationDate="2018-04-26T21:06:36.250" Score="1" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The normal grappling response is to weigh down the held leg and move away. The opponent wants to lift your leg higher to unbalance you and  attack your standing leg or body. You make this harder for them by pushing your leg down, trying to place the captured leg between you, and not allowing them to close distance by hopping away when they move in. This is a grind it out approach to getting your leg back on the ground. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kick them with the other leg. Seriously, if the opponent is holding your leg up strongly, you can support yourself on this leg and kick with your standing leg. The target may simply be to rotate your leg over the opponents head to twist your captured leg free, or you can aim to kick their head. Their defense is at least partially tied up with holding your leg. This is obviously a very aggressive action because you will end up on the ground regardless of whether it works. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-04-26T21:06:36.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 3.0" />
  <row Id="8246" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8244" CreationDate="2018-04-27T14:25:43.073" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Bruce_Lee&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;wikiquote page for this&lt;/a&gt;, the origin of the quote is given for the book &lt;em&gt;Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living&lt;/em&gt;, published in 2000 and edited by John Little, &lt;strike&gt;Part III&lt;/strike&gt; Part II. (Thanks to @ukemi for the correct section reference)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strike&gt;Part III : On Matters of Existence&lt;/strike&gt; Part Two - On Being Human - Concepts (Abstracting)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Balance your thoughts with action. — If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done. p. 43&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not sure what qualifies to be noticed for google's ngram viewer (Searches book instances for phrases), but this does not come up in that search. Looking at the preview in google books, the placard page gives the information that it is copyright 2000 by Linda Lee Cadwell, so the provenance of it is a little shaky, but it appears that it was Bruce Lee's quote as remembered by LLC and entered in the book.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-05-03T21:21:35.217" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8248" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8249" CreationDate="2018-05-03T03:45:20.347" Score="8" ViewCount="7256" Body="&lt;p&gt;A few friends and I want to have a few rounds of boxing. We're going to use mouthpieces, headgear, and wraps with gloves, but I can't tell what weight of glove to use. Everywhere online says they &quot;wouldn't use less than 16oz or 14oz,&quot; but I'm not sure why. Force = mass x acceleration, so wouldn't it be &lt;em&gt;safer&lt;/em&gt; to use lighter gloves? I feel like the risk of brain trauma, as well as the ability to crack a rib or other bone with a blow, is lessened if you're hitting with a glove that is, say, half a pound, rather than a full pound. Am I missing something in thinking that a lighter glove is safer to get hit with than a heavier glove?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, I have heard that lighter gloves leave higher risk of getting cut by someone's punch, but I feel like cuts are better than blunt trauma.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9242" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-05-04T01:31:59.097" LastActivityDate="2021-08-26T11:59:02.297" Title="Light or heavy gloves for friendly boxing match?" Tags="|boxing|equipment|safety|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8249" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8248" CreationDate="2018-05-03T13:02:50.520" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The weight of the glove is an indication of the amount of padding there to gradually decelerate your fist and transfer the impact energy gradually into whatever you hit.  Extra padding takes longer to compress, and larger padding with more surface area spreads the impact to reduce the peak stresses and pressures.  So, a heavier glove isn't more dangerous: the weight of the glove is insignificant compared to the weight of your body moving behind your punch.  It's more like having one mattress between you and a punch versus having two or three: more is heavier, but the thickness spreads and softens the instantaneous forces making you safer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you google for &quot;boxing gloves 8oz 12oz 14oz 16oz&quot; or similar you'll turn up a few websites with tables for recommended gloves sizes according to your weight.  I'm not going to endorse any particular site, but to summarise: only very light people should consider anything less than 16oz for friendly amateur sparring.  If you're heavier/bigger, you may want 18oz or more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Regarding &lt;em&gt;Force = mass x acceleration&lt;/em&gt;: what big gloves do is decrease acceleration - which is the &lt;em&gt;rate&lt;/em&gt; at which the target's velocity is changed - by having about the same amount of overall change in velocity take place over a longer period of time.  That happens because the thicker padding reaches the target earlier and takes longer before reaching maximum compression.  By the formula, reducing acceleration reduces the instantaneous forces on the target.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2018-05-03T13:19:23.990" LastActivityDate="2018-05-03T13:19:23.990" CommentCount="13" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8250" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8248" CreationDate="2018-05-03T16:04:40.777" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Gloves protect your hands, not your head.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is actually safer to use lighter gloves, from the perspective of brain trauma. Research suggests greater brain trauma is suffered from boxers (8-14oz gloves) than MMA fighters (4oz gloves) because boxers take a high volume of shots, versus an MMA fighter that would have been knocked down or out, and finished from the same strikes with a smaller glove. &lt;strong&gt;It sounds crazy, but you would actually receive the least brain trauma wearing no gloves!&lt;/strong&gt; You would get more cuts, and more wrist injuries, but punches that should finish the fight would actually finish the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Answer:&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the sake of your fight with your friends, I would suggest using the smallest gloves you can find, just to help with cuts so you don't look like a psycho at work on Monday. Don't be tough guys about it. If someone gets rocked, stop the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't use headgear. The science against it is overwhelming. Headgear causes unnecessary torque from what should have been glancing blows, which causes concussions, and neck/spinal damage. The only thing it really helps with is cuts from headbutts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't use wraps. All wraps do is protect your wrists, which allows you to punch harder, and with reckless abandon. You would rather have sprained wrists than damaged brains. Wraps are nice for hitting the heavy bag, but when your friend is on the other end of those punches you want want to be able to hit him with an artificially stiff wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a source, but there are tons more if you'd like to do your own research.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.complex.com/sports/2015/11/bare-knuckle-boxing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.complex.com/sports/2015/11/bare-knuckle-boxing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-05-03T16:11:23.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8251" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8244" CreationDate="2018-05-03T21:20:20.127" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This quote can be found in Part Two - On Being Human - Concepts (Abstracting) of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tuttlepublishing.com/books-by-country/bruce-lee-striking-thoughts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p43):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Balance your thoughts with action.&lt;/em&gt; — If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the introduction, &lt;em&gt;A Book For Free Spirits&lt;/em&gt;, John Little writes this of the sources of the quotes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The title “Striking Thoughts” is taken from a heading that Bruce Lee created for a series of maxims he wrote down after reading the philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti’s book &lt;em&gt;First and Last Freedom&lt;/em&gt;. However, the committing to paper (and, later, to audiotape) of “striking thoughts” was a habit of Lee’s that extended back to his early days in Hong Kong. Included within the pages of this book are those “striking thoughts” that issued forth in conversations, interviews, and correspondence that Bruce Lee shared with journalism, friend's, and colleagues. Other entries are postulates that Lee had been moved to type&#xA;  out—perhaps with an eye toward one day making use of them—others were quickly jotted down before they escaped his concentration. Still Others were noted in book  margins as he read; the result of a “striking thought” that had come to him as he was closely regarding a particular writer or philosopher’s point of view. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-03T14:47:52.370" LastActivityDate="2019-06-03T14:47:52.370" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8252" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5379" CreationDate="2018-05-03T21:47:10.077" Score="7" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Source of quote&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce read widely and took aphorisms from many different sources, incorporating them into his writings on his own martial arts and philosophy. The idea behind this quote is ancient,&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; but this specific wording appears to come from Mao Zedong:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;All military laws and military theories which are in the nature of principles are the experience of past wars summed up by people in former days or in our own times. We should seriously study these lessons, paid for in blood, which are a heritage of past wars. That is one point. But there is another. &lt;strong&gt;We should put these conclusions to the test of our own experience, assimilating what is useful, rejecting what is useless, and adding what is specifically our own.&lt;/strong&gt; The latter is very important, for otherwise we cannot direct a war.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-1/mswv1_12.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Problems of Strategy in China's Revolutionary War&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (Dec. 1936)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Similar quotes in Bruce Lee's writings&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Very similar quotes appear in a couple of Lee's works:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Absorb what is useful.&lt;/em&gt; - Research your own experience; absorb what is useful, reject what is useless and add what is essentially your own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tuttlepublishing.com/books-by-country/bruce-lee-striking-thoughts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;em&gt;Part VII - The Process of Becoming - Self-Expression&lt;/em&gt; (p.176)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/8251/8910&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;This Book is Dedicated to the Free, Creative Martial Artist&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Take what is useful and develop from there.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kVRlv_ulrDwC&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;what+is+useful&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tao of Jeet Kune Do&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1975) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, Bruce Lee said and wrote &lt;em&gt;many&lt;/em&gt; things very similar to this thought, and to some extent it characterises the ideology of Jeet Kune Do. See this quote from the same book (p.24 and worded slightly differently on p.12):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Jeet Kune Do favors formlessness so that it can assume all forms and, since it has no style, Jeet Kune Do fits in with all styles. As a result, Jeet Kune Do uses all ways and is bound by none and, likewise, uses any technique or means which serves its end. In this art, efficiency is anything that scores.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1. &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=feU-AAAAYAAJ&amp;amp;pg=PA182&amp;amp;dq=&amp;quot;reject+what+is+useless&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Eudemian Ethics&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (Book VII, Chapter I), Aristotle&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-07T15:11:14.860" LastActivityDate="2019-06-07T15:11:14.860" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8253" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8255" CreationDate="2018-05-03T21:52:41.873" Score="4" ViewCount="147" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my Taekwondo classes we sometimes train throws, in the context of self defense (&lt;em&gt;hoshinsul&lt;/em&gt;). I'm bothered that, when being thrown, I can see that the way in falling is not the best and I'm getting too much impact when hitting the mat (even if gym mats are used). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In fact, learning to fall when thrown is not something trained often in TKD classes. What kind of exercises I could do on my own, at home, to improve this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2018-05-04T08:25:46.310" LastActivityDate="2018-05-04T08:25:46.310" Title="Exercises to train better falling when thrown" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|self-defense|training|falling|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8255" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8253" CreationDate="2018-05-04T02:16:21.043" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suggest you check out the &lt;a href=&quot;http://judoinfo.com/judo-basics-beginners/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;series of videos linked by judoinfo.com&lt;/a&gt;. The &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J65_Dt9QKVo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;side&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc8Wjox0xeg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;rear&lt;/a&gt; falls are the easiest to learn first. The videos go through a good progression, learning the process in reverse. You learn the position after a successful fall first, then start to fall from low positions and work your way up to standing and throwing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Start from a position on the ground, and learn to strike with your arm(s). &#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;This teaches you to distribute the impact of a fall and how to use your arms. The most common mistake is to brace out with a hand, which often results in spraining a wrist or shoulder. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You keep your head up because falling and hitting your head is very bad. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;From a squatting position, roll into the position in #1 and perform #1. Rolling enables you to dissipate the energy of the fall over time and reduces impact. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;From a standing position, squat, then do #2-1. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice cooperatively with partner throwing. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice noncooperatively with partner throwing. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At home you can easily do #1-2. You probably want mat time when starting to learn #3. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The goal is to make good falling technique reflexive. When falling, you don't have time to think. If you find yourself thinking too long, go back to a simpler stage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-05-04T02:16:21.043" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8256" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7275" CreationDate="2018-05-04T14:13:29.570" Score="7" Body="&lt;h2&gt;No. Not specifically.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the John Wick 2 training featurettes, they mention Japanese Juijitsu, Brazilian Juijitsu, and Judo as the three arts they practiced with Keanu in preparation for John Wick 2. Systema is not specifically called out. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqG-F2t0p14&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=53&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqG-F2t0p14&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=53&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;We just went to town training him on 14 or 15 great Judo moves, Aiki-jitsu moves, and then really up'd his Juijitsu game, spent a lot of time grappling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p98lf_QzHxI&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=155&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p98lf_QzHxI&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=155&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9" LastActivityDate="2018-05-04T14:13:29.570" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8258" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8259" CreationDate="2018-05-07T12:21:39.963" Score="-2" ViewCount="767" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have rice filled conditioning bag is it good for improve knuckles ? Or do I need make new one with mung beans ? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/H9tjf.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/H9tjf.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8995" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2018-05-08T11:21:25.423" LastActivityDate="2018-06-08T16:32:55.063" Title="Rice filled bag or mung bean filled bag which one is effective for training?" Tags="|karate|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8259" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8258" CreationDate="2018-05-07T14:36:01.703" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I no longer condition the knuckles, because I wondered why I needed to condition them in the first place.  As a rule of thumb, fists are considered &quot;hard&quot;, and hard should strike soft, while soft should strike hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given this concept, the only purpose for such conditioning is to have the fist strike something hard - like the skull or jaw, and usually, this isn't very safe to do.  In any case, if you're young, you can probably get away with it.  But when you get older, you find better ways to strike that require no conditioning.  Punching the stomach, for example, does not require knuckle conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said that, my older days of knuckle (and fingertip) training used mung beans because the oils in the beans would help keep the hands from drying out.  Rice was taboo because it would rob your hands of moisture (it's commonly added to salt shakers to do just this!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;EDIT&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I can open the link which is of a bag made out of duct tape and filled with either mung bean or rice.  I wouldn't use either for conditioning, that's not how you condition knuckles.  We would fill a large pot filled with mung bean and punch the dried out mung beans.  But the idea of conditioning knuckles at all is questionable at best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2018-05-07T18:01:27.060" LastActivityDate="2018-05-07T18:01:27.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8260" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-05-07T17:11:52.270" Score="5" ViewCount="87" Body="&lt;p&gt;Somewhat recently I was at a somewhat major (national-level, so the referees were competent) karate tournament which used the standard WKF rules when it comes to scoring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While watching others fight, I noticed that &lt;em&gt;not a single time I had seen an Ippon being awarded for a technique on a fallen opponent&lt;/em&gt;. I &lt;em&gt;did&lt;/em&gt; see a few Ippons being awarded for kicks to the head, but not a single occasion for the second category, despite having seen quite a few people having fallen / thrown to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now my questions is:&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;strong&gt;Is there a &quot;common&quot; (?) interpretation of the standard rules that heavily discourages awarding Ippons on fallen opponents or is it more likely that more often than not some of the other scoring requirements are not met by the attacker when attacking a target at this &quot;weird&quot; position?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For reference: &lt;a href=&quot;https://wkf.net/pdf/rules/wkfcompetitionrules2018-pdf-en-176.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;The current official Kumite rules&lt;/a&gt; (PDF, Article 6 on page 10 is most relevant).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9248" LastActivityDate="2018-05-08T15:24:38.170" Title="Why is an Ippon rarely awarded when attacking fallen opponents?" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8261" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-05-07T18:49:02.700" Score="6" ViewCount="690" Body="&lt;p&gt;By the title one should notice there is a distinct way to fall in Aikido. In judo &amp;amp; most karate like styles i have never seen these types of falls.&#xA;    In most Japanese like systems the ukemii is the hard slap out style. This can be really bad for the elderly in those systems. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The aikido high feather fall appears to have less body toll in the Uke -the person taking the fall.  So I ask people unfamiliar with the aikido feather fall there are specific YouTube videos that detail this way a falling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The judo falls seems to absorb way more impact. That is you hear a large thud. The featherfall on the other hand you don't hear that hard thud. The rear hand seems to hit the mat before the rest of the body in the feather fall specifically. I would like to know would this type of fall work in a judo environment for all throws to reduce impact on the person falling? For example a judoka with an awesome Ippon seionage will toss Uke with ease. A standard hard slap out fall works but if there is an easier way to take the fall this may be usefull.  Or are these aikido falls choreographed for aikido. That is a judoka can launch a throw on you unexpectedly.  Do you suppose one is able to do a feather fall in a split second the same way one can do a slap fall?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8964" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-05-10T21:51:18.160" LastActivityDate="2018-05-10T21:51:25.160" Title="Would aikido high feather falls work in judo?" Tags="|aikido|judo|falling|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8262" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8261" CreationDate="2018-05-07T19:27:13.173" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suppose you mean that one: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YPhgdjlYCw&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YPhgdjlYCw&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Three aspects to bear in mind:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In Judo there often is full control of the partner straight down to the ground.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You will possibly not get your arm free and can roll on like you want.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Not every throw or partner will allow for that to happen.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, it depends. A well-executed, smooth seoi-nage thrown in technical drills will not involve a hard fall anyways. Throwing nice and low (like experienced judoka do) will involve a smooth ukemi (if you are not dumb enough to not go with the movement). If we are speaking e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBSJoGYmEko&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;kata-guruma&lt;/a&gt; in its classical form (the first one), there is no way of a smooth, rolling movement to mitigate the impact, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;This kind of ukemi, if you look closely, does NOT mitigate much damage through the arm, the arm rather introduces a rolling movement which then mitigates the energy afterwards!&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And this is the crucial point: If the throw or the executing partner allows for smooth rolling because of the hight of his throw or the tightness of control, you may very well apply this kind of breakfall. If one of the factors is missing, the arm will essentially be useless or even invites serious injury (dislocated shoulder, broken bones). A slap close to the body accompanying the impact itself will help mitigating more impact through distribution of pressure in the inevitable hard breakfall happening then as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;So if you do not &lt;em&gt;know&lt;/em&gt; that both an appropriate throw and a smooth execution without too tight a control are a given and you're not already an expert at (this kind of) ukemi, your fall will actually be &lt;em&gt;softer and safer&lt;/em&gt; when taking the &amp;quot;hard&amp;quot; option for judo throws.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you can see &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QlxgP2gNrE&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;e.g. here&lt;/a&gt;, this kind of fall is not even necessarily applied (or advisable) in Aikido when doing exercises with partners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-05-07T20:00:49.013" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8263" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8260" CreationDate="2018-05-08T15:24:38.170" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Point Karate differs from Knockdown Karate and other forms of Full Contact Karate in that it doesn't try to simulate a real fight, but seeks to encourage &quot;proper&quot; application of Karate techniques in a competitive setting. This is why certain criteria are required for a technique to score points:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Good form&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sporting attitude&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Vigorous application&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Awareness (ZANSHIN)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Good timing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Correct distance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I cannot vouch for this interpretation to be &quot;common&quot;, it is not impossible that judges and referees are especially hard on some of these when dealing with attacks on fallen opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, they might take into account the actions that led to the fall. To qualify for the &quot;good form&quot; criterion, certain referees could require the fall to be the result of a properly applied technique such as a throw or sweep. Without such skillful application of a Karate technique, perhaps the strike is judged to be simply opportunistic, and not an indicator of skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly, as the objective is to showcase the skill of the participants, it could be judged unsportsmanlike to strike an opponent that fell by himself. If the fall isn't the result of any technique at all, awarding points feels like punishing bad Karate rather than encouraging good Karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From my limited competitive experience as a kid in the 80's, I remember attacks on fallen opponents being discouraged (if not entirely forbidden), but that could simply be because we were not expected, as kids, to show the same level of control as older Karateka. Hopefully, somewhere on this site is a Shotokan practitioner more familiar with the modern WKF competitive scene than I am to shed more light on the matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2018-05-08T15:24:38.170" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8264" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8159" CreationDate="2018-05-09T06:00:35.590" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was very lucky to have been introduced to my teacher before I started training.  New students started in an initiation class that was simply called &quot;JKD phase 1&quot; (I found out on day 1 that my teacher was a Bruce Lee student).  The basics were boxer techniques; stance, feet work, defence, basic punches and eventually kicks (and very important, how to hold focus mitts, kicking shields and thai pads).  When we practised drills and &quot;sparred&quot; we would be lined up and didn't move around.  After phase 1 (typically 6 months) you would choose a discipline and attend those classes.  In the muay thai class, we ran drills and sparred while moving around the mat.  It was cool to have had time to get in shape and some practice before the classes beyond phase 1.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I thought I knew how to throw a punch; day 1 was an awakening.  Youtube can't correct you if you do it wrong.  Two beginners will have a hard time correcting each other.  A good teacher can.  I taught myself to use nunchakus pretty well, by watching a youtube video.  The thing is, I got lucky; the first video I saw was made by somebody that knew what they were doing.  If I try to find nunchakus training videos, I have to sift through a ton of speed chucking videos and videos of people that really don't know what they are doing to find a decent one.  If I started today, I wouldn't know which videos are garbage.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suggest starting with a good teacher and practice with your buddy. One day you could stop going to class and can do drills (that you learned from a teacher that corrected any mistakes) and spar with your buddy on your own time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9254" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-05-09T15:24:52.063" LastActivityDate="2018-05-09T15:24:52.063" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8265" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8132" CreationDate="2018-05-09T06:22:40.153" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is the stuff your teacher says relevant to what you're doing? Does he tell stories that are not lessons and seem like bragging? Rambling?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's hard to answer that because my teacher talked (I don't want to say &quot;a lot&quot;). He was a former Bruce Lee student, so class had a lot of mental stuff as well as the obvious physical elements.  He told stories about Lee, but the stories were always relevant to class.  In my case, his talking was equally important (plus it was cool to hear stories from a person that knew The Man and not simply repeating quotes he read or saw in an interview).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9254" LastActivityDate="2018-05-09T06:22:40.153" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8266" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2279" CreationDate="2018-05-09T06:36:48.570" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Totally possible.  You could learn a few and use what works for you.  My teacher had studied a few arts and eventually boxing and thai boxing.  He coached the olympic boxing team sometime in the 80s.  In class we sometimes would have &quot;boxing days&quot;, &quot;leg days&quot; and &quot;stick day&quot; (rattan sticks).  While not the same as multiple schools/teachers, the idea was the same.  We learned how to throw punches like a boxer and elbows like a thai boxer.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My answer is biased.  I was trained by a teacher that also 'taught' jeet kune do, so I'm more into learning different things and mixing it up myself than the alternative, which to me seems like it's pre-mixed by people telling you &quot;this is what works in the ____&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TL;DR&#xA;The more stuff you know, if it ever comes down to having to defend yourself or loved ones, it could make it harder for your opponent to figure out what you know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9254" LastActivityDate="2018-05-09T06:36:48.570" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8267" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8274" CreationDate="2018-05-09T17:29:52.567" Score="4" ViewCount="461" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently turned 50 and I would like to take up a martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a some background in yoga so my flexibility and strength &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/longrob604/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;are OK&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also run twice a week (10k~45 mins), so my cardio-vascular fitness is also OK.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am interested in MA because:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;..it will be a new challenge and I want to learn something new&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;..I've always wanted to do it but somehow I never did. I did judo as a child and regret giving up.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;..I want to maintain my flexibility, strength and fitness&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like to choose an MA which:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;..is relatively easy on my joints. I have the beginnings of osteoarthritis in my fingers&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;..has an underlying philosophy. Ideally this should be compatible with yogic philosophy, but this is not essential. I know that the philosophy of Aikido is similar, but in some ways it is &lt;em&gt;too&lt;/em&gt; similar (or maybe it isn't ?) I want to learn something new...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;..does not require a lot of equipment.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other points:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I am not particularly interested in self defence, but if it came down to it, this would be a factor.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I have zero interest in competing (sparring is fine!). My goal is personal development (and maybe make a few friends!)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After reading the answers to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/466/what-martial-art-should-i-start-with&quot;&gt;this question&lt;/a&gt; last month, I went to all my local gyms and took advantage of their free taster sessions, but honestly I loved them &lt;em&gt;all&lt;/em&gt; and have no idea how to choose:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Aikido&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;MMA&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wing Chun &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Muay Thai&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Chinese kickboxing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Traditional boxing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Brazilian JuJitsu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shotokan Karate&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shukokai Karate&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tae Kwon Do&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How should I choose ? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9253" LastActivityDate="2019-06-19T18:51:33.207" Title="50-years-old. How should I choose which MA to start?" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8269" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7259" CreationDate="2018-05-09T22:35:05.660" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;To follow up on this from a trained martial artists perspective :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The strike to the side of the neck is aimed at the Carotid artery, there is an area just above the Carotid where artery's branch to the external and internal Carotid arteries. If you are trained in the placement of the arteries, and you strike at the right place , it will send an interruption to the brain which will stun them. If you hit both sides of the carotid in quick succession in the correct place, it will shut down their brain and basically have them comatose and quickly deceased.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can not kill someone with a palm strike to the nose. However, you can kill someone with a strong palm strike under their chin, forcing their head back and snapping their neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can kill someone if you punch them in the heart, but this requires punching with Qi. Once you learn to control Qi, then you can direct your energy , and if your intention is to stop their heart, so be it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can accidentally kill someone by hitting them and having them hit their head on the cement, or accidentally bounce their brain off their skull too hard and cause permanent damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can kill someone or seriously injure them with wrestling moves. Picking your opponent up and then slamming them on their head or neck causes massive and permanent injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9258" LastActivityDate="2018-05-09T22:35:05.660" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8271" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8261" CreationDate="2018-05-10T21:51:25.160" Score="4" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Louder does not necessarily mean more impact&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A louder thud does not mean more impact (more energy in the physics sense). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My first sensei explained this principle with a book analogy. If you drop a hardback book flat on its cover from chest height, it makes a loud thud. If you drop it from the same height on a corner, it does not make a loud thud, but damages the corner instead. The book has the same energy to dissipate upon impact in both cases, but in the loud case there is no damage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Slapping with your arm is like dropping the book on its cover. It distributes the impact over more area, reducing the pressure on any single part. If you stick your arm out to brace against the fall, there will not be a loud thud, but you will likely sprain or break something, which is like dropping the book on its corner. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Rolling&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can roll out of a fall, obviously this will decrease the impact of the fall. The energy that would be absorbed in a breakfall brings you back to an upright position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The judo approach to forward falling is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Prepare for the worst. If you are unable to roll, you want to be in a good breakfall position. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you can roll out, then do so from the good breakfall position. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also discussed this in an answer to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/6037/5961&quot;&gt;Fall Differences between Jiu-Jitsu, Aikido, Judo&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As PhilipKlöcking discusses in his answer, you can't always roll out. The feather fall will not help you in this case. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-05-10T21:51:25.160" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8273" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1575" CreationDate="2018-05-10T23:31:50.507" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;General Choi's Encyclopedia of Taekwon-do (volume 2) states there are three programs a beginner can follow to obtain first degree black belt&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;An 18 month course; an hour and a half per day, six days a per week for a total of 702 hours.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A 30 month course; an hour and a half per day, three days a week for a total of 585 hours.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A 12 month course; four hours per day, six days per week for a total of 1248 hours.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's probably the most official answer you can get to &quot;How long will it take to earn my black belt&quot;.  As others have said, schools (kwans) differ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my experience a good rule of thumb is lower ranks up to 4th kup should take about 50 hours of training. The period from 1st kup to 1st dan is likely double that, and the belts in between take anywhere from 50-100.  Everyone has different natural ability and grades at different rates.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5617" LastActivityDate="2018-05-10T23:31:50.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8274" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8267" CreationDate="2018-05-11T16:12:07.170" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You're doing well. At age 50, most people are slowing down, and their bodies are deteriorating, having long since abandoned strenuous physical exercise due to the various forces in their lives pulling their time and focus away (kids and career, typically).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing to realize is that your body adapts to whatever conditions are placed upon it. Regular martial arts practice will keep you in shape for the rest of your life. And there are many examples of people who kept on practicing martial arts well into their 80's and 90's.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're doing martial arts, your body will adapt to that and will become flexible, fit, and strong. If you go from sitting at a desk to sitting on a couch every day, your body will adapt that and become fat, rigid, easily fatigued, weak, and sickly. It's just that simple.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you have the right idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, you mentioned having arthritic fingers. Sorry to hear about that. That might make it more painful for you to do anything grip related. I can't be certain of that, but that's what I'm guessing you would feel, especially decades from now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So that means you should be more concerned about grappling arts, because the grip is highly stressed in those arts. It's not uncommon to hear this as a complaint of people training gi (uniform) based martial arts like Brazilian Jiujitsu or Judo. They get their fingers firmly wrapped up in their opponent's gi, and then as they thrash around, their fingers undergo a lot of torque which can cause sprains. They tape their fingers to help with this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Read this article to get some background about why some BJJ people tape their fingers: &lt;a href=&quot;http://jiujitsumag.com/finger-tape/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://jiujitsumag.com/finger-tape/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, I'm not sure that in your case this would be a big problem for you. You might never have an issue with it just because you're going to be more careful and aren't going to approach grappling arts at full force like a lot of young competitive grapplers do. And your partners aren't going to go overly hard on you if you're not going overly hard yourself. It's something you would have to experiment with by trying a BJJ class for a little while. You won't know until you try. Just don't sign any long term contracts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your arthritis might also exclude weapons based arts like Filipino Martial Arts (escrima / kali). Their stick fighting practice involves holding onto sticks very firmly while whacking them against opponents' sticks. That puts a lot of force on your hands, forearm, and fingers. Your fingers often get hit by accident, also, and it's not uncommon to have a finger break on occasion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for percussive martial arts like Muay Thai, MMA, Taekwondo, Karate, kickboxing, and boxing, they practice punching on heavy bags. This will put forces on your fingers and forearm. Again, depending on how your body reacts to it, it might be either bad or okay for you. You're going to need to experiment by signing up for a short period of time and trying it out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun practices with a wooden man dummy that involves hitting your hand against firm wood. Depending on the school, they might want you to really hit it hard, or they might be really soft. This is highly variable, so you have to look at what's going on in each school and talk with the instructor beforehand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido uses the grip, but the torque tends to be on the wrist instead of the fingers. In general, I think Aikido is a lot softer than most grappling based arts. And Aikido has a large percentage of older adults in its ranks. This might be your best bet for your fingers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I have also observed a relatively larger percentage of out of shape practitioners in Aikido. So you're going to have to gauge that by looking at what kind of shape the black belts in each school are in. If you see a lot of overweight, out of shape black belts in a particular school, that's your answer. And that goes for any martial art school you  come across, not just Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of the martial arts you listed could present issues for your fingers in various ways. All of them generally improve physical fitness. So my recommendation for you is to approach it by first figuring out which martial art appeals to you the most. Don't worry about your fingers too much. Try it out for a few months, and then decide if it's something that you want to continue. If you're finding that your fingers are having problems, then you'll maybe want to look elsewhere instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2018-05-11T16:12:07.170" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8275" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8267" CreationDate="2018-05-11T16:43:05.547" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't recommend a style no matter the bias I might have for any particular one.  For example, Aikido is widely known as a very safe and &quot;flowy&quot; style - generally safe for most practitioners at any age and state of health.  But I have seen some schools with absolutely devastating applications of bone breaking, tuite, and eye gouging.  At the other end of the spectrum, Taekwondo is notable for its applications of high kicks, with many spinning and/or jumping variations.  Such is not advisable to those with joint problems.  But, there are schools who teach taekwondo with 70 year old beginner students, and there is no expectation of them doing any jumping or spinning of the sort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the style is irrelevant: what matters is the instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that is a recurring theme in any kind of &quot;what style should I take&quot; kind of question.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What's more, suppose we here actually agree that there is a style that you should take up.  Then what if there is no school near you to take it?  What if there is a school, but the cost is prohibitive?  What if the instructor is a jerk?  What if the students of the nearby cheap school are abusive to their classmates?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You ask &quot;how should I choose&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My answer has nothing to do with style of martial art.  Rather:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Does the instructor have knowledge of body physiology of older students?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Is the school near you?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Is the instructor knowledgeable in his or her style? (beginners won't be able to discern this)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Is the instructor a boob?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Are the existing students jerks?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Is the class schedule compatible with your work and family schedule?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Does the instructor provide ancillary studies which may benefit you, such as fitness programs, accupuncture, spiritual study, multiple styles of martial arts, meditation, or something else?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also decide for yourself, what do you want out of martial arts.  Is it self-defense?  Sport?  Recreation?  Historical study?  Weapons?  Are you looking for your cultural background?  Spiritual?  Some combination?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Look for the school - not the style - which meets your expectations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-05-11T16:43:05.547" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8276" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8267" CreationDate="2018-05-12T14:12:51.560" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can relate to your question, since I practiced an MA as a young adult (Taekwondo), gave up at some point in my adult life, and then decided to come back to practice. At this age, the interest is more in keeping body and mind fitness, rather than sparring or competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a quite personal choice, so rather than recommending a particular MA, I think it's best to give advice on things to consider when making that choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Consider martial art characteristics and instructor style&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When choosing a martial art (and instructor style), it is important to see the type and intensity of the techniques used.&#xA;Combat sports tend to be more cardiovascular, or rely on fast and explosive movements. Some martial arts focus on hand and fist techniques, and others on close distance techniques, such as grappling and throws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While general considerations about each martial art can be useful, you need to check the particular style of the instructor, since there can be some significant differences here. For example, in Taekwondo you can find instructors that make traditional technique an important part of practice, and others that only focus on the Olympic sparring sport. You can even find instructors that also know other MAs and like to do some cross training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since you are not particularly interested in sparring competition, you should probably look at how important this aspect it to the instructor (and most other people in class). If it is too focused in sparring, practice may become less interesting to you, and you would be best with an instructor that introduces a wider and more varied set of drills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Factor in your physical limitations&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good advice here is to understand your physical imitations, and discuss that with the instructor.&#xA;An arthritis problem might limit you to practice BJJ, but maybe not Judo or Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And you are more fit than the average, and clearly don't have problem with your knees (a common impediment), and can practice activities with more impact. So more intense sports/MAs things, like Taekwondo and Muay Thai can be good options.&#xA;But you personal preference may be on &quot;softer&quot; MAs, so that is something to weight in your decision.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Consider your practice partners&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whatever martial art you choose, it is important to have adequate partners for practice.&#xA;Look you will have at least one or two other persons with similar age or body constitution as you.&#xA;Whatever the martial art, if your partners are all much smaller or lighter than you, it will surely provide a less interesting practice that when you have available partners with similar body constitution.&#xA;Look if there are other people with goals or interests similar to yours. Do they prefer to play too &quot;hard&quot;, or too &quot;soft&quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Considering philosophy&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the philosophy side, combat sports (like sports in general), can teach you values like hard work and persistence. Martial arts also carry a cultural heritage that can be appealing or interesting to explore.&#xA;But in my opinion the underlying philosophy should not be a central factor for the martial art practice, and does not need to be an important factor for your choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;On equipment&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding the specific equipment used by each martial art, probably this is not a significant factor.&#xA;You can practice any combat sport or martial art with little to no special equipment.&#xA;More encumbering equipment will usually be available in the training room, provided by the gym/school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;What should you choose&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should start by checking if your physical condition rules out any particular martial art.&#xA;Other that that, you should be able to practice any martial art until late ages (adapting properly to current physical condition, as with any physical activity).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So then it is mostly about personal preference.&#xA;Do you prefer &quot;softer&quot; or &quot;harder&quot; practice? Do you prefer kicking techniques or grappling and throwing?&#xA;Do you find particularly interesting the aesthetics or signature techniques of some martial art?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also factor in previous experience.&#xA;You mentioned having practiced Judo, and enjoying it. Why not continue from where you left?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastActivityDate="2018-05-12T14:12:51.560" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8277" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1447" CreationDate="2018-05-12T20:38:00.883" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Simple.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So that when you drop it, it doesn't &quot;run&quot; away from you ^_^&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*Edit: Oook, don't really know what I said that offended so many of you, but I felt that it was a fairly solid guess (at least as legitimate as assuming that that extremely minute edge gave any sort of notable increase in a staff's striking power).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me take a crack at being a touch more clear.  When you are fighting someone, being disarmed of you weapon is a pretty bad thing.  Some would even call that the end of the fight.  That said, being able to reacquire your weapon should the worst happen is a fairly high priority I would say.  Now, when something round drops to the ground, it has a depressingly high chance of rolling away from its point of impact meaning that not only have you been disarmed and your chances of winning the fight have plummeted dramatically, but now your staff is ALSO rolling away from you, further decreasing the chances and likelihood of you ever reacquiring the thing that is supposed to be keeping you alive.&#xA;On the other hand, a nice octagon shaped staff is FAR less likely to roll once it's dropped.  Even if you accidentally kick it or step on it, it's tendency for rolling is dramatically lessened, meaning you won't end up making matters worse for yourself in your fumbling attempts to rearm yourself and stepping on it isn't likely to cause you to slip around like some comical cartoon henchman (such a quality is only detrimental to you since trying to get your opponent to slip on your downed staff is not a reliable enough tactic to justify using it in combat).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please note that I'm perfectly alright with being proven wrong and would love to hear how that is the case.  I am NOT a martial artist, but I DO consider myself fairly well equipped in the common sense department.  There are many other perfectly valid answers on here, my personal favorite being that the octagon shape is easier to keep a grip on and apply leverage to during grappling and such (which, in my understanding, is a massive part of historical martial arts weapons training).  Also, the fact that the octagon shape would have been easier to craft back in those days seems perfectly reasonable as well, though I hesitate to assume something like that when the same age of people were able to create such ingenious methods for crafting swords and armors.  If they wanted a round stick, I have no doubt they'd have made themselves a round stick.&#xA;I just threw in my two cents because I hadn't seen anyone else mention it earlier and it seems to me to be one of the most likely reasons why a wooden shaft with no axe head or something on any of its ends might greatly benefit from NOT being uniformly round throughout it's entire length.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, if I'm wrong I welcome a response explaining to me why, as I clearly have a great deal of interest in the subject, but just silently down-voting my comment is in no way helpful.  Perhaps my friendly manner came across as mocking or mean spirited.  I apologize if that is what you all thought, but I assure you that that was never the intent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have a good day all.&#xA;Cheers!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9267" LastEditorUserId="9267" LastEditDate="2018-05-15T15:26:09.180" LastActivityDate="2018-05-15T15:26:09.180" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8280" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2018-05-14T13:34:27.783" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2018-05-14T13:34:27.783" LastActivityDate="2018-05-14T13:34:27.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8281" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2018-05-14T13:34:27.783" Score="0" Body="Historical European martial arts (HEMA) refers to martial arts of European origin, particularly using arts formerly practiced, but having since died out or evolved into very different forms.&#xD;&#xA;Usually associated with fencing and swordsmanship, but also covers other armed and unarmed combat." OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2018-05-27T12:43:49.050" LastActivityDate="2018-05-27T12:43:49.050" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8282" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1447" CreationDate="2018-05-15T11:33:55.117" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I visited Japan (specifically the area around Fuji) I noticed that there were walking sticks for sale which were a bit longer than an Aikido Jo, and usually octagonal:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tKEtcm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tKEtcm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;octagonal staff&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rUGdluXjOEc/TLYGsRSbKeI/AAAAAAAABHQ/ld0tGfryFXQ/s1600/Tokyo+Mt.+Fuji.JPG&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Full sized image&lt;/a&gt; and &#xA; &lt;a href=&quot;http://luvtoexplore.blogspot.de/2010/10/mt-fuji-hakone-lake-ashi.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;source&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do believe that - as a walking staff for a pilgrim - octagonal would present several practical advantages, including: easier to manufacture, better grip, less prone to roll away from you if dropped - especially on a steep trail.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the linked article I now find out it is also traditional to stamp it when you reach specific waypoints (a practice that could also work for people visiting temples, I suppose?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wonder if this could be the original source from which the Jo was derived, despite being shorter (you can also try googling &quot;八角杖&quot; for more images). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One more thing: if this is indeed the origin for the idea of an octagonal section staff... please understand that they may have adopted the octagon (instead of an hexagon, for example) for some &lt;a href=&quot;https://japanesemythology.wordpress.com/the-significance-of-the-number-8-the-eight-looped-sun-shamash-samas-compared-with-other-eight-rayed-eight-looped-sun-or-eight-petalled-lotus-symbols/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;numerological/symbolic/doctrinal/ritualistic&lt;/a&gt; reason. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="831" LastEditorUserId="831" LastEditDate="2018-05-15T13:06:36.067" LastActivityDate="2018-05-15T13:06:36.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8283" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4890" CreationDate="2018-05-15T17:26:15.990" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Scraping your lower knuckles comes primarily from two things: the secondary knuckles making contact first, and the likelihood of skipping or sliding across the bag with power punches. Even with a perfectly straight-in straight-out punch, if the secondary knuckles make contact first, they will slide a bit on the bag as they are compressed into the palm until the upper knuckles make solid contact. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My striking knuckles have gotten larger and calloused over the years, but the angle of my fist is still basically 90. As far as striking bare knuckle goes, you have to control both where you are targeting and the alignment behind the punch. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Targeting is pretty straightforward. A bag is basically flat on a vertical plane (at two-knuckle width), but the human form isn't. In other words, even if you are punching upward to hit the jaw or chin, there is no surface immediately below that target for your secondary knuckles to hit unless you miss. And after the jaw and chin, most other targets would be shots to the body at a level lower than your shoulder. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alignment is the other factor you can control. As long as your forearm bones remain aligned straight behind your primary knuckles in regards to directional force, you'll have good impact with little risk of injury to your fingers and wrist (bone has high compression tolerance and strength). I would recommend experimenting with rotating your hand so that the primary knuckles are leading from whatever direction you punch, and the forearm bones are aligned behind them. Horizontal fist seems pretty standard, but a vertical at the proper height will ensure contact on only the two primary knuckles. Once you get much higher, you'll need to turn the hand over the other direction, basically pointing the thumb downward, in order to lead and make contact with only those two knuckles. This actually makes for a great overhand around an opponent's guard and causes your shoulder to naturally cover your chin. Just keep in mind this really flares your elbow and opens you to body shots. A bit less rotation, such as pointing the thumb almost 45 degrees downward, will make for great contact with a straight punch without flaring the elbow way out of place. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9275" LastActivityDate="2018-05-15T17:26:15.990" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8285" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8235" CreationDate="2018-05-17T22:05:42.767" Score="4" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Most certainly not.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://ejmas.com/jmanly/articles/2003/jmanlyart_wolfcosta_0203.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This article&lt;/a&gt; on Jogo do Pau specifically tells a story of how stick fighting naturally evolved in rural areas as it is both a useful thing to have in general in the wilderness as well as a weapon simple enough to be available for everyone while not being perceived as an expression of possible aggression. And this extends back into the Neolithic Age:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Human beings have always had to fight to survive and humans have always employed tools. The simple stick was almost certainly among the first tools to be turned to martial purposes, as an instrument of attack and defence against animals. As societies evolved from the nomadic hunting and food gathering stage, conflicts arose; competition over resources, etc. boiled over into personal combat, and people created series of specific movements, attacks and defences, with their utilitarian sticks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As of the very peculiar style, this is bound to the properties of the wood used as is pointed out as well:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Portugal one very rich technique was developed, adapted to a type of wood known as o varapau or cajado. As with the development of staff weapons in other countries, the pau was also part of the normal equipment of the field-worker, used as a walking stick or hiking staff and as an elementary weapon of self-defence itself against the aggression of people and animals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://hemamisfits.com/2015/02/03/what-is-irish-stick-fighting/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This very good, long, and fully sourced article&lt;/a&gt; on Irish stick fighting is similar insofar as it involves &amp;quot;stick fencing&amp;quot; as a translation of the original term. But it also points out how this is misleading because of the different techniques and esp. handling of the weapon (balance, range, and areas of defence being different):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boiscín can be translated as “fencing” according to the 1977 dictionary of Niall Ó Dónaill. This relation to fencing does not necessarily means a connection to sword-fighting; as fencing could be used at the time to denote other martial arts aside from swordsmanship.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;and, more to the point:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We know that French La Canne was inspired by saber fencing, and both are very similar, and so if Irish stick came from the same source it would probably also be similar, but then we have absolutely no source that mentions an Irish style which would resemble saber fencing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the general history of stick fighting in Europe:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is much more interesting is to observe that shillelaghs like clubs were once extremely popular all over Europe, at least until the 18th century. The imagery of similar clubs is found in Ancient Roman mosaics, medieval illuminated manuscripts and even the art of William Hogarth. But by the 19th century, only the Irish and Britons still used them, the later abandoning them rather early. Would this be indicative that the shillelagh would, in fact, be the remnant of an ancient type of vernacular martial art which survived on the Island as other European traditions such as the bagpipe did?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;TL;DR&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While there &lt;em&gt;are&lt;/em&gt; forms of stick fighting coming from the &amp;quot;nobler&amp;quot; sword fighting like the French La Canne, it is much more probable that stick fighting in general developed in all cultures before the Iron Age as means of self-defence both against humans and animals. The very special style of Jogo do Pau is due to the combination of length and flexibility of the wood used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-05-17T22:05:42.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8288" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8289" CreationDate="2018-05-18T23:00:54.110" Score="5" ViewCount="548" Body="&lt;p&gt;My instructor has been making us practice the forward roll, and mentioned that once we are confident with it, we would move on to learn the back roll.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Researching the subject on the Internet, I find that most &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; basics videos start drilling the back roll, and only after introduce the front roll as just a reverse of the back roll.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which one should we learn first?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-05-21T11:55:13.150" LastActivityDate="2018-05-21T12:03:24.743" Title="Learn first the back roll or the front roll?" Tags="|falling|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8289" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8288" CreationDate="2018-05-19T00:04:03.113" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;What you describe is the usual practice: Backwards first, then sidewards (both without rolling), then backwards rolling, and forwards as the last one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Hard evidence&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a German Judo coach, I tried to find some English guidelines that define the order of teaching ukemi, but could not find one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the German &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.judobund.de/fileadmin/_horusdam/1704-Multiplikatorenskript_zu_Kyu-Ausbildungsinhalten_des_DJB_07-04-2015.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;guidelines for teaching Judo&lt;/a&gt;, it says on page 16:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For learning O-goshi or Uki-goshi on the training level of 8th kyu breakfalls to the front are not compulsory. More important at that point are learning the correct landing position on the side and proper use of the slapping arm. (translation mine)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Accordingly, the mandatory ukemi for the first belt are only sidewards and backwards (cf. p. 20).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Own experience&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rolling movements are hard for many beginners. I teach basic levels (for those who are afraid) always sitting on the ground and without rolling, see also my post &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/6635/6440&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; for further aspects and reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;As of rolling forwards vs. rolling backwards: They have a fundamental difference - the rolling of the backwards ukemi evolves naturally and can be achieved by gradually putting more momentum into the movement and making the back rounder.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means each student can extend their own comfort zone gradually in their own time. The forward movement works fundamentally different. You may start at the ground, but apart from that, there is no &amp;quot;gradual&amp;quot; approach. You either manage your guts and go upside down or not. Without lifting of the hips, this ends up all messy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In other words: Even with the nicest of all approaches, the forward rolling ukemi is by far the most complex and hardest to learn of the standard (i.e. beginners') ukemi.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Starting with it can work in a group with basic coordination and gymnastics abilities (i.e. I can assume everyone is able to do a mediocre somersault). It can be a great motivator to start with this and when they managed it, point out that this was the hardest one. But if I suspect that I have group members that will have a hard time learning it, I'd always start with backwards and sidewards - no rolling at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-05-19T00:04:03.113" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8290" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8288" CreationDate="2018-05-19T15:04:33.900" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;What's most commonly taught first varies by martial art: in Aikido (and Hapkido for whatever that's worth / appreciate you're using Japanese terminology) training, it's very, very common to roll forwards out of various joint locks so that's a day one technique, while as a beginner you're more likely to be taught a back break-fall than an actual roll.  I defer to Philip's insights into common judo practice and the order of introduction there.  The question doesn't mention any particular art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even within an art, there may be variation for all sorts of reasons: e.g. if the other beginners learnt one technique the week before you started, you might find yourself learning the other for a bit before they cycle back.  One instructor might do it differently to another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All up, it's such a trivial matter that it's not worth second-guessing your instructor.  That (s)he's there to guide your form is what matters. &#xA; In a year, which you learnt first won't have made any difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2018-05-19T15:04:33.900" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8291" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8294" CreationDate="2018-05-19T15:07:52.663" Score="5" ViewCount="10279" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just watched this compilation &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/p4aRkLSgNGY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/p4aRkLSgNGY&lt;/a&gt;. I've been sparring for a few months now, and even though I've never been knocked out, I can see how one would get knocked out. In this video though, the fighters are just eating the hits with their chins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my question is: Why, and how are they able to do that? Just take uppercuts that would send most people flying, and still be ok with it? I'm sure they're concussed like crazy after that, but how are they still up? Weak hits from their opponents? Drugs? Natural resiliency? Something that can be trained?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8701" LastEditorUserId="8701" LastEditDate="2018-05-20T09:01:54.483" LastActivityDate="2023-09-27T21:06:47.647" Title="Why are some people just not getting knocked out?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|punching|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8292" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-05-20T09:26:05.170" Score="-2" ViewCount="200" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a civilian who would love to get trained in a similar way that special forces such as SEALs, do. More specifically, I want to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;be able to defend myself and others with bare hands or with any tool available at the moment against various types of attack,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;be able to survive in extreme conditions (in water, desert, jungle, mountains, etc.),&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;gain extreme mental strength,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;get into great physical shape with functional strength (i.e. not just gain muscle but also strength and stamina),&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;be able to provide at least basic first aid,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;know what to do / how to react in dangerous situations (e.g. an attacker in a subway full of people, etc.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe gaining the above skills would allow me to live my life to the fullest and really take the responsibility for all my actions. However, I do not want to enter militia.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is there anything like this available for civilians&lt;/strong&gt; (regardless of location - I am willing to travel)? Now I could possibly find separate courses for &lt;strong&gt;some&lt;/strong&gt; of the things above, but I would prefer an intense 1 or 2 month camp with everything included.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The closest I found so far is SEALFIT programme, but it only takes 2 days which is obviously not enough for all the things specified above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9281" LastEditorUserId="9281" LastEditDate="2018-05-20T11:03:22.240" LastActivityDate="2018-05-21T12:40:52.927" Title="Extreme training for civilians" Tags="|training|self-defense|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8293" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8288" CreationDate="2018-05-20T20:26:26.913" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should learn whichever one your instructor tells you to learn first.  It makes no difference, they're both basic techniques that you'll eventually need to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will say that for beginners, meeting the mat can be a nerve-wracking event, and a forward roll gives the student a chance to see the mat as they are falling and rolling.  A back roll requires a little bit of a leap of faith, as it were.  So I think forward rolls are easier for beginners to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if I saw a student being taught a back roll as their first ukemi technique, I wouldn't have a problem with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-05-20T20:26:26.913" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8294" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8291" CreationDate="2018-05-21T00:01:21.920" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boxers, kickboxers, and MMA fighters train to be able to minimize the damage caused by a hit to the head. It's actually pretty hard to knock anyone out who has trained for any length of time in these arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing to realize is that you have a natural instinct to flinch whenever you see something coming towards your face. You might still get hit, but the fact that you saw it ahead of time means you began to get your hands up and your head out of the way. This diminishes the impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to realize is that tucking the chin can mitigate a lot of the impact force. Instead of it shocking your brain, it gets reinforced by your body and prevents the sudden recoil of the head. Boxers, kickboxers, and MMA people are taught this on day one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And then there's conditioning. Getting hit in sparring by guys that aren't necessarily trying to knock you out but are still hitting hard will toughen you up and get you ready to take hits. Your body will adapt to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Conditioning also means strength and stamina. Having a strong body that doesn't get fatigued during a fight is vital. If you gas half-way into the first round, your odds of getting knocked out go up a lot. It means your defense becomes weak. You stop being able to move to avoid hits. You'll go down quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's age and previous knock-out history as well. The more you've been KO'd, the more likely you'll be KO'd. I think it's just that the body wears as you get older and have been subjected to more damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having a history of being KO’d before also means you’re less likely to continue fighting. The people left in the game are, therefore, people who either have little experience or who have lots of experience. Those who stay as fighters a long time are people who don’t get KO’d easily. So it’s kind of a selection bias. These aren’t typical people. These are exceptional people. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, there's genetics. That probably counts for a lot. How your body is put together, whether or not you're able to grow muscle in all the right places, your brain's response to low/high blood pressure and adrenaline, etc. Genetics plays a role. How big? I don't think anyone knows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2018-05-21T00:22:44.010" LastActivityDate="2018-05-21T00:22:44.010" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8295" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8292" CreationDate="2018-05-21T06:04:25.407" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;be able to defend myself and others with bare hands or with any tool available at the moment against various types of attack&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try some Krav Maga courses. It's supposed to teach you primarily aggression. If you've never fought before, keep in mind - Jason Bourne is not going to happen. You'll get punched, especially if there is more than one opponent. I know krav maga has techniques against multiple opponents, but cannot say anything more, cause I didn't train it properly yet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;be able to survive in extreme conditions (in water, desert, jungle, mountains, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe some survival camps? My friend reads some survival guides, gets ready and just goes into a forest in the middle of the winter, builds a shed and sleeps there. He learned a lot, since a couple of times his shelter got flushed with water. (Built it in a den)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;gain extreme mental strength&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The real answer is I don't think you'll be able to have a normal life with going to work, while someone mentally breaking you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;get into great physical shape with functional strength (i.e. not just gain muscle but also strength and stamina)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Talk to a personal trainer, or search the internet and hit the gym. This one is easy to find.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;be able to provide at least basic first aid&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First aid courses&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;know what to do / how to react in dangerous situations (e.g. an attacker in a subway full of people, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My friend trains Krav Maga. He said they have &quot;practical lessons&quot; later on. They go on a bus, and one person from the group is going to attack someone else. Everybody needs to be ready.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some boot camps in which ex-military train civilians. But they are not the proper military training, mostly because most of the civilians just want to &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;feel&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; they are ready for a situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind, no one will just give you the knowledge. They will show you the path, and you'll have to work to get where you want to be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8701" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-05-21T11:39:18.277" LastActivityDate="2018-05-21T11:39:18.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8296" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8292" CreationDate="2018-05-21T09:02:09.830" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You are looking for a unicorn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;None of the skills you want will be tough effectively in a few months. It will take years to develop them and daily practice to keep them honed. Unless you plan to be a member of an elite military or police or rescue responder force, you are wasting your time. If not, those organisations will teach you all you need to know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Check &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;no nonsense self defense&lt;/a&gt; as it contains many good resources if you want to learn self defence and will dispel of a lot of the nonsense idiocy you might have heard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keeping fit, first aid, and survival are all off topic here. All three are vast subjects where many charlatans will take your money for fake, incomplete, and dangerous courses. All of them take years of learning and practice to become efficient.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-05-21T12:40:52.927" LastActivityDate="2018-05-21T12:40:52.927" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8297" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8288" CreationDate="2018-05-21T12:03:24.743" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Adding to Phillip's commentary, my experience in Aikido and Jujitsu, as well as a handful of arts where grappling isn't primary, breakfalls are generally taught first because they have fewer moving parts. After that, backwards (over one-shoulder) rolls are generally taught because it's intuitive (it starts with a very natural movement of relaxing your knees and dropping to a crouch before rolling backwards) and starts with less vulnerable parts of your body hitting the mat (forward rolls, even if started low and already threading your arm through your legs, still involve a degree of throwing yourself headfirst at the mat).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the opposite of what I've experienced in tumbling training, but I think that has to do with a difference in technique. Rolls in grappling tend to be diagonal, shoulder to opposite hip. Tumbling rolls are square, over your spine, and it's easier to hold your body weight up with your arms in the forward roll at first  then it is for most people to take that leap of faith to roll backwards over your neck as you learn to plant your hands and push hard enough to lift yourself off of the mat to have your head clear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2018-05-21T12:03:24.743" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8298" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8299" CreationDate="2018-05-21T22:37:49.070" Score="4" ViewCount="1809" Body="&lt;p&gt;When training outdoors, it is inevitable that I'll do some kicking practice; using an actual target is much better practice than just air kicking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It turns out that it is often easy to find a tree with a trunk with a size similar to a kicking bag, but not only can the hard trunk be bad for your feet, rough bark also won't be kind to your training shoes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are good options to overcome these issues?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have tried putting a Taekwondo body protector around the trunk, but didn't like the result; it isn't easy to fasten it to the tree, and with each impact, the bark can make holes in the body protector.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps using a (cheaper) foam gym mat fastened to the trunk with an elastic band could work?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or maybe this is not such a good idea (yes, a part of me tells me that it looks weird)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-05-22T12:42:38.800" LastActivityDate="2018-05-22T12:42:38.800" Title="Using a tree trunk for kicking practice" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|kicking|training|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8299" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8298" CreationDate="2018-05-22T07:11:19.763" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;My preferred method is to take a kick shield and tie it around a tree with a belt (loop the belt through the shield handles).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This has a couple of advantages&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The kick shield should offer adequate padding to not hurt your feet/shins etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Up to a certain point the size of the tree doesn't matter (I have a 3 metre belt so a huge tree would cause me an issue).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;This also works with other sturdy fixed objects such as lamp posts.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately this does mean carting a kick shield around with you - but if you are already carrying a Hogu then this is barely less convenient.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;From the comments&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can replace the single kick shield with small round pads in my above suggestion. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blitzsport.com/Circular-Focus-Pads&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot; title=&quot;example&quot;&gt;example pads&lt;/a&gt;. Chaining a few of these along the belt gives you several smaller targets to kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Better for kicking with both legs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Smaller target enforces accuracy&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Drawbacks of this being - you now need to buy/carry even more pads - they don't offer much variety in height unless you bring several belts or find another creative way of attaching them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An issue I have with switching legs  is the tendency to trip over the tree roots switching feet - it may just be me being clumsy - but you have been warned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastEditorUserId="5926" LastEditDate="2018-05-22T09:13:31.103" LastActivityDate="2018-05-22T09:13:31.103" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8301" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8238" CreationDate="2018-05-22T19:54:16.127" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I come from a background of philipino martial arts, i speak manly for those traditional, weapon-based systems (sticks, knifes, machetes)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Back in the day - 2 or 3 generations ago - it was not a sport. There was fighting between tribes and fighting against the Spanish or Japanese or American rulers. People got hurt. Badly hurt - we are talking about machetes and the term &quot;Amok&quot; is philipino.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Times changed after World war 2 - it shifted from a fighting art to a fighting sport. It's bad practice to hurt your training partners. For example basic blocks are done on the sticks nowadays, no longer smacking the &quot;attackers&quot; hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A teacher of mine used to show the old, traditional techniques as part of the culture, but &quot;people freaked out&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Time has changed, it's no longer accepted to end a fight with a badly injured enemy - or a dead one. To kill is not that difficult, to heal and to grow is a much harder way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5572" LastActivityDate="2018-05-22T19:54:16.127" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8302" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8172" CreationDate="2018-05-22T20:05:57.490" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well, you can block with flexible objects (T-shirt, towel, chain, scarf) and trap arms, legs or strangle someone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there are limits as an impact weapon. If you hide a padlock in your towel, it can ruin someone's day - but that would be cheating, right?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That clip is mostly for entertainment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5572" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-05-23T13:40:29.413" LastActivityDate="2018-05-23T13:40:29.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8303" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8305" CreationDate="2018-05-23T07:52:55.117" Score="1" ViewCount="197" Body="&lt;p&gt;Recently I was at a &quot;Jogo do Pau&quot; demonstration, and during the introduction it was said to be the only historic European martial art that kept being practiced until the present day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It was at risk during the 20th century, probably because younger people preferred to live in urban areas and lost interest in it, but it kept being practiced by some people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This opposes to historic European martial arts in general, that stopped being practiced a long time ago, and are in the process of being reconstructed from the few available historic documents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wonder is the statement about &quot;Jogo do Pau&quot; is accurate, or are there examples of other European historic practices that were kept alive until today.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastActivityDate="2018-05-23T13:53:18.540" Title="Is &quot;Jogo do Pau&quot; the only historic European martial art kept alive until today?" Tags="|history|historic-european|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8304" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8303" CreationDate="2018-05-23T08:47:37.550" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If we're talking about sword-fighting, there are &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;a lot&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; of historical reconstruction groups. A link to a Tournament of Warriors held in Lithuania. &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/pZH74NSmpfM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/pZH74NSmpfM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And there is Glima. A grappling martial arts supposedly used by the vikings.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glima&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;More info here&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/WUx2pOqtTiM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Link to a championship video here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Our historical martial arts are not as famous as the Eastern ones, but there are still some alive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, there still is an Olympic competition of wrestling. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nbcolympics.com/wrestling/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Check here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sure there are more examples but to answer your question. No, Jogo do Pau is not the only historical European martial art still alive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8701" LastEditorUserId="8701" LastEditDate="2018-05-23T10:03:24.613" LastActivityDate="2018-05-23T10:03:24.613" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8305" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8303" CreationDate="2018-05-23T09:10:48.993" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NO&lt;/strong&gt;, not even if one is being charitable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unarmed, we have &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrestling&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Greek wrestling was a popular form of martial art, at least in Ancient Greece (about 1100 to 146 BC).&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glima&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Glima&lt;/a&gt;, as pointed out by &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/8701/alex3wielki&quot;&gt;alex3wielki&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/8304/82&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; is another one from the cold north of Europe and dates from Viking Age (793–1066 AD).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With weapons, we have &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_fencing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;fencing&lt;/a&gt; still uses manuals that were written in the XV century. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarterstaff&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Quaterstaff&lt;/a&gt; is still used by martial artist and has manuals dating back from the XV century.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, Jogo do Pau is most certainly not the only European historical martial art in any shape or form. I suspect some clever marketing ploy or just a redefinition of terms that excludes everything else because it's not Jogo do Pau…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-05-23T13:53:18.540" LastActivityDate="2018-05-23T13:53:18.540" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8306" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-05-24T12:14:14.783" Score="16" ViewCount="11737" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently noticed that Wrestling was scheduled to be removed from the 2020 Summer Olympics. In the meantime, the International Olympic Committee has reversed this decision; the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/125th_IOC_Session#Wrestling&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;125th IOC Session&lt;/a&gt; reinstated the sport, and so it will be part of the program for the 2020 Games in Tokyo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestling is widely practiced, was part of the Ancient Olympic Games, and was played in most Modern Olympics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why was it decided to remove Wrestling?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-09-07T08:52:04.647" LastActivityDate="2021-08-05T04:07:37.807" Title="Why was Wrestling scheduled to be removed from the Summer Olympic Games?" Tags="|wrestling|olympics|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8307" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8306" CreationDate="2018-05-24T12:22:58.980" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;Long story short, they wanted to drop one sport so that they could add another, and they cited &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.espn.com/olympics/wrestling/story/_/id/8939185/ioc-drops-wrestling-2020-olympics&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;low ticket sales, low popularity, low TV ratings, and a lack of oversight and diversity&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The board voted after reviewing a report by the IOC program commission that analyzed 39 criteria, including TV ratings, ticket sales, anti-doping policy and global participation and popularity. With no official rankings or recommendations contained in the report, the final decision by the 15-member board was also subject to political, emotional and sentimental factors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;This is a process of renewing and renovating the program for the Olympics,&amp;quot; IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. &amp;quot;In the view of the executive board, this was the best program for the Olympic Games in 2020. It's not a case of what's wrong with wrestling; it is what's right with the 25 core sports.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to IOC documents obtained by the AP, wrestling ranked &amp;quot;low&amp;quot; in several of the technical criteria, including popularity with the public at the London Games -- just below 5 on a scale of 10. Wrestling sold 113,851 tickets in London out of 116,854 available.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestling also ranked &amp;quot;low&amp;quot; in global TV audience with a maximum of 58.5 million viewers and an average of 23 million, the documents show. Internet hits and press coverage were also ranked as low.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The IOC also noted that FILA -- the international wrestling federation -- has no athletes on its decision-making bodies, no women's commission, no ethics rules for technical officials and no medical official on its executive board.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-05-24T12:22:58.980" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8308" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-05-24T16:58:07.857" Score="6" ViewCount="655" Body="&lt;p&gt;When performing a poomsae, you should finish on the same spot where you started. Poomsaes are designed to be symmetric, and this should happen naturally if all the steps are done correctly and with exactly the same length.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is the theory. But for the &lt;em&gt;Taegeuk Il Jang&lt;/em&gt;, practiced by 8th &lt;em&gt;Gup&lt;/em&gt; grades, this seems harder than it should, and you will usually end significantly behind the starting position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Taekwondo Wikia &lt;a href=&quot;http://taekwondo.wikia.com/wiki/Taegeuk_Il_Jang&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;describes this problem&lt;/a&gt;, and even adds a graphical explanation, so it seems to be a known problem:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Assuming one performs the poomsae with consistent stance lengths, by the time one finishes the form, one is somewhat behind the starting spot. Specifically, if all your stances are &quot;perfect&quot; you will finish 4.5 apseogi-widths behind the starting spot. The problem is exacerbated if your apseogi-widths are too wide, which is a common mistake. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/bE3vX.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/bE3vX.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The solution is perform the sideways &lt;em&gt;ap seogui&lt;/em&gt; with the feet close to an imaginary line, not too spread apart, and to compensate the error by performing the two final &lt;em&gt;ap kubi&lt;/em&gt; steps, going back to the starting position, a bit shorter than usual.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this some kind of &quot;design flaw&quot; of the pattern, or is this just an execution flaw, in the the steps and turns are not being properly done?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastActivityDate="2018-05-24T18:31:19.250" Title="Taegeuk Il Jang does not naturally end on the place you started" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|forms|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8309" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8308" CreationDate="2018-05-24T18:31:19.250" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are several poomsae with exception to the start and stop on the same spot: Keumgang and Jitae are also exceptions as defined here, in WT(f) Poomsae competition rules:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WTF-Poomsae-Competition-Rules-Interpretation-March-19-2014.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Poomsae Competition Rules Interpretation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See page 22, bullet 7 for the exception.  The competition allows to take a .1 point deduction whenever any of the foot postures or hand movements is not performed as explained in the score guidelines handbook, and, this book says there must be no more than one foot allowance (from start/stop position) with keumgang and jitae as exceptions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have always found that starting and stopping on the same spot for TG1 form was not possible, if you perform the techniques properly.  But this is a basic form, and there cannot be any expectation of a beginner to execute this line perfectly for any form, so, my guess is that such is not the focal part of this form at this level.  With more advanced forms, there is the expectation of that discipline.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nobody seriously competes with this form anyway, which is why it's not listed in the WT guide for poomsae competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-05-24T18:31:19.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8311" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8312" CreationDate="2018-05-25T22:24:35.680" Score="3" ViewCount="104" Body="&lt;p&gt;The lower strap holders in Taekwondo body protectors seem to be their weakest spots. I have seen protectors in decent condition, other than the broken strap holders, that make them impossible or difficult to use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/1QNWR.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/1QNWR.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Body protector with broken strap holders&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a way to mend them well enough to be usable for practice again?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastActivityDate="2018-05-26T03:09:42.480" Title="Fix body protector strap holders" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8312" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8311" CreationDate="2018-05-26T03:09:42.480" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well you can just take it to any clothes alterations place, and they can stitch it up fairly easily. Something like this would take about 5 to 10 minutes of time for them to do. Make sure to tell them it has to be a very strong stitch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They might even recommend replacing the loops instead of stitching the existing ones. And they can suggest a material that will hold up better, maybe a thick nylon material.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Speaking of nylon, if they're made of nylon fibers, you can try melting them together with a lighter or some kind of flame.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't recommend gluing with any kind of glue. The bond probably won't hold up over time. And if it doesn't work, you now have to deal with the glue somehow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One alternative to stitching would be to use metal rivets. You can get them on Amazon. You might not even need any tools, just a hammer. But keep in mind adding rivets means you lose about a centimeter or two along the perimeter of the loop, because you have to overlap the two ends to make the rivet. That might make the loop too small.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a web site describing how to do it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://sew4home.com/tips-resources/sewing-tips-tricks/how-install-metal-rivets-sewing-projects&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://sew4home.com/tips-resources/sewing-tips-tricks/how-install-metal-rivets-sewing-projects&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But my recommendation is to just go with a clothes alterations place instead. It's fairly cheap, and they know what they're doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2018-05-26T03:09:42.480" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8313" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-05-28T08:45:47.330" Score="5" ViewCount="3035" Body="&lt;p&gt;These two colors are also used in Taekwondo Olympic sparring, where the two opponents use red and blue colored protective gear. In the case of Taekwondo, the choice of colors is the same used in the Korean national flag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But what about Karate? The red color is in the Japanese flag, but why the blue color? Does it have some particular significance for Japanese culture?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is the color choice a coincidence between Japan and Korea, or is it there some common theme in oriental culture about these colors?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-04-07T10:04:49.053" LastActivityDate="2022-04-07T10:21:38.903" Title="Why kata competitors wear red and blue belts?" Tags="|karate|forms|competition|uniform|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8315" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8313" CreationDate="2018-05-28T20:03:03.643" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is as Meer states, that they distinguish between opponents.  However, not all styles use red and blue.  In Taekwondo, it is required to wear the color of your belt (for poomsae competition), while in JKA, Red and White are worn, while in Olympic Karate, Red and Blue are worn.  Incidentally, in Taekwondo, while natural belt colors are worn for poomsae divisions, in sparring, Red and Blue are worn (Chung and Hong).  Usually, though, without e-scoring, the color of the chest protector is the color of the competitor, which is why white hogus are white with red on one side and blue on the other.  They are switchable for just this purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a referee, I can tell you that is is much better to have differing colors, because it makes it easy to point out which competitor gets the point or warning.  The rule books don't go into the whys and wherefores, but, from experience, I can tell you that the colors really do make a difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an example, a common judging format is to have a judge sit with two pieces of paper, each divided down the middle.  Left side is for competitor #1, while right side is competitor #2.  In this type of scenario, it is easy for sparring opponents to cross and re-cross, and so, &quot;competitor #1&quot;, or &quot;left competitor&quot;, etc can easily be confused.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to why the specific colors were chosen, I cannot say.  As to why different colors are chosen, I can definitely say it is to reduce chances for error in scoring a competitor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.teamusa.org/-/media/USA_Karate/Documents/Rules-Regulations/USA-KARATE-KUMITE-RULES-revised-July-19-2017.pdf?la=en&amp;amp;hash=1876917D52B75AFC889F1B93BE615F996B5A26E5&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;USA Olympics - Red/Blue&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.jka.or.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Tournament-Rules-Regulations-Text-2015rev.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;JKA - Red/White&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-05-28T20:03:03.643" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8317" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6723" CreationDate="2018-05-30T16:35:12.143" Score="1" Body="&lt;h2&gt;It depends if your goal is to screw around or learn and improve at fighting.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to just screw around go ahead and find someone on Craigslist or whatever. You will not improve by just winging it with some randoms, but if you're just trying to have some fun, go for it. Try not to kill eachother.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your goal is to learn and improve as a figher/martial artist, you will need legitimate instruction, and structured, full contact sparring. I assume because you even asked this question that you are inexperienced. Save your pennies and join an MMA gym. &lt;strong&gt;You will get more out of a month of legitimate training than you will from years of messing around in your garage.&lt;/strong&gt; I can promise you that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What to do in the mean time while you're saving? Lift weights. Exercise. Play other sports that rely on explosive movements, balance, and agility (basketball, etc.), or whatever you think is fun. Just stay active so your body is ready to be broken down by martial arts training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastActivityDate="2018-05-30T16:35:12.143" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8319" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8320" CreationDate="2018-05-31T10:36:07.367" Score="5" ViewCount="542" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a novice question related to boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a dominant right-hand boxer, what is the purpose of a left hook? By default, the opponent's right hand will be guarding the face, so can't get the jaw. Similarly, their elbow will guard the side, so body shots are difficult. Further, since its the left hand, it is not a power punch - so why do we learn it as one of the basic punches?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9305" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-05-31T10:57:09.007" LastActivityDate="2018-06-05T06:27:30.187" Title="What does a left hook achieve in boxing?" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8320" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8319" CreationDate="2018-05-31T12:09:39.633" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Looking specifically at the weaker hand hook&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When an opponent lunges forward, maintaining front foot position, you can steer around to your &quot;back&quot; side allowing the front hand hook to land clean across the chin. (I drill this often - it is much harder to explain than demonstrate).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When leaving a clinch/close position hands tend to be in the middle, a hook as you back away can open the guard for a straight shot with the dominant hand.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Play with angles - diagonal movement is key to breaking down many experiences fighters - adding hooks from either side can add further variety to where your punches come from. (Step the back foot diagonally forwards, hook with the front hand, a punch that travels almost straight but many opponents will be caught out by - amazing how many times I have landed this cleanly) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Why train my weaker hand (in general)?&lt;/strong&gt;. A couple of key reasons from my (limited) experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;If my opponent only throws their dominant hand I can disregard the weaker then:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I can move my guard to only cover their dominant hand&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I can focus my actions and timings to counter just one hand - (this is so much easier)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I comfortably know which way to move when they lunge forward to avoid being hit.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking at these in reverse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Using both hands (with a variety of punches) means our opponent has a larger area to guard, even with a jab, my left hand attacks from a different angle to my right meaning a solid defence from my right jab won't always stop my left. Whilst stepping around your opponent the gap may open for the weaker hand first, landing a strike with this often allows for a powerful punch with the other hand.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If they are concentrating on blocking your dominant hand attacks - your weaker hand may be able to land on a regular basis - keeping the scoreboard rolling in your favour if nothing else. Concentrating on attacks from more appendages is more mentally draining - hopefully draining enough that your opponent gets sloppy in later rounds.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When an opponent ducks and weaves their way out of an attack, naturally they will favour the opponents (generalisation here) left side (as most of their sparring partners will favour hitting with their right) if you are happy to land a powerful shot with your left as they go it will mess with their game plan. They may still favour this side over your dominant hand but they will have to absorb a hit each time.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main purpose of jabbing with the weaker hand at the higher levels (and especially weights) is so that the stronger hand is poised for the powerful strikes that may end the bout early.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Everything above applies to hooks and jabs but obviously the distance is closer for a hook than it would be for a jab.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastEditorUserId="5926" LastEditDate="2018-05-31T14:26:17.173" LastActivityDate="2018-05-31T14:26:17.173" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8321" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8323" CreationDate="2018-05-31T12:58:47.237" Score="6" ViewCount="7883" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm new to boxing, so this is an absolute novice question. My dominant hand is right, so I use left for jabs and right for straight/cross, like most people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Despite right dominance, I'm slightly ambidextrous. While punching a bag, I find myself sometimes jabbing with right, with body slightly square. At such times, the right foot leads. Is this a mistake I should avoid, or is it good to mix things up? The more general form of this question is, can a right handed boxer jab with right hand, or is there a good reason to avoid this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9305" LastActivityDate="2018-06-05T06:27:49.667" Title="Is a right hand jab possible for right handed boxer?" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8322" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-05-31T14:20:50.270" Score="4" ViewCount="2046" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it possible to stay white belt and continue to learn as normal until black belt level without taking belt advancement because not really interested in belt but in skill for self defense &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9306" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2018-06-01T07:23:13.937" LastActivityDate="2018-06-05T12:10:39.953" Title="Taekwondo belt skills and level" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|self-defense|belt|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8323" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8321" CreationDate="2018-05-31T14:29:20.887" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;My answer to a similar question should give some more info: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/7918/8174&quot;&gt;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/7918/8174&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Specifically for your question, it's not bad to mix things up, but you want to prioritize your preferred stance over your switch stance. Many boxing, kickboxing, and MMA coaches won't even have you bother with stance switching. It doesn't do much to confuse or surprise opponents, and is used sparingly (if at all) even at the highest levels. I personally never switch stances in a fight, only screwing around in sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One good time to use your switch stance is when you're put there because of the footwork of a technique. If you throw a jab - overhand right and end up with your right foot forward, great! Now you can throw a big ol' left cross. Or work that right handed jab. You don't want to hang out there too long though. &lt;strong&gt;Your opponent's main stance is better than your switch stance.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary, the relevance of stance switching has been up for debate forever. Some of the greatest fighters of all time never switch stance. Some do. Work with your coach for what works best for you!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2018-05-31T18:16:02.487" LastActivityDate="2018-05-31T18:16:02.487" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8324" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8322" CreationDate="2018-05-31T14:41:35.057" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it possible?  Well, we can send a man to the moon and bring him back alive, so it stands to reason that it is possible for you to stay at white until you're ready to test for black belt.  Some styles do this as a matter of pracitice anyway - Aikido is notable for this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But is it recommended?  That's not so easy to answer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Understand that the purpose of a colored belt is primarily for the benefit of the instructor.  If not financial (as would be the case in a McDojang), it is for convenience.  There are no pedagogical advantages, since belts bestow neither knowledge, nor wisdom, nor capability. But they can help an instructor divide up a class so that those who are more skilled can work on more advanced techniques than the more junior classmates.  If your instructor has few students, this may not be an issue, and may be easier for a student to be granted the favor to lay low and remain a white belt longer.  If your instructor is not your primary instructor (for example, there are many assistants, particularly those who may hail from another school), they may not know your true capability, and you may be assumed more junior than you are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thinking other ways, if your school competes, having colored belts can also help distinguish your capability for purposes of competition.  You can be seen as a cheat if your skill level is of an advanced brown belt (with your black belt test the following day) competing in the white belt division.  If you, or your school, does not compete, this may not apply to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice is to not worry about the belt.  If you test, you test.  If you don't, you don't.  Just go with the flow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-05-31T14:41:35.057" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8325" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8322" CreationDate="2018-05-31T14:58:43.433" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whilst it is of course possible and I agree with much of &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/8324/5926&quot;&gt;@Wigwam's answer&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think it is important to look at the benefits of the gradings themselves:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;dealing with pressure&lt;/strong&gt; - you will be put under pressure at a grading, which of course is scary the first few times, but as you get used to this pressure you deal with it better, allowing you to deal with other high pressure situations better (which may include self defence situations). Of course the black belt grading will be of a higher pressure - at least with the previous gradings 'under your belt' it won't be such a step up.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;seeing where you really are&lt;/strong&gt; - am i half way to black belt? what aspects of my training are not as strong as they should be? Gradings answer those questions for you - they guide your training and allow you to know on a regular basis which aspects you need to work on.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;respect&lt;/strong&gt; - knowing what a grading involves and how hard people must have worked to pass them, will allow you to respect those senior colour belts (regardless of how arrogant they may be), it will also earn you the respect of your fellow students almost without question. (If a white belt questions something they will more likely be dismissed out of turn than a higher grade).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts are a journey and it is up to you the road you take - but having seen the positive impact on people the grading system has had I would always suggest trying it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2018-05-31T14:58:43.433" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8326" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8322" CreationDate="2018-05-31T17:43:15.850" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a pretty big contradiction in your question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are not interested in belts, but you want to have a black belt. So which is it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you aren't interested in belts you shouldn't be interested in the black one either. You could find a school/martial art that works without belt systems &lt;strong&gt;or&lt;/strong&gt; you could not care about your belt at all. Personally, belt doesn't really matter to me, but the challenges that come with the grade exams give you an opportunity to test yourself to your limit, to challenge yourself, to be creative and to be heckin' proud of yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, you should know that a belt doesn't represent skill. All the TKD black belts I've met (this ranges from first to 8th dan) told me that when you reach your black belt it simply means that you can really start learning Taekwondo. Plus, being a black belt doesn't mean you can defend yourself more than someone who doesn't have a black belt. I like to think of the belt as a representation of &lt;strong&gt;my&lt;/strong&gt; skill in comparison to my previous skill. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2041" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-06-04T07:34:41.203" LastActivityDate="2018-06-04T07:34:41.203" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8327" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8322" CreationDate="2018-05-31T21:24:29.967" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe it will depend upon the school.  In the program that I took, skills and patterns only advanced upon graduation to higher belt/stripe levels.  Consequently, if you remain a white belt, you would never learn any new patterns or skill used to achieve them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9308" LastActivityDate="2018-05-31T21:24:29.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8328" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8291" CreationDate="2018-06-01T09:03:41.240" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the case of boxing, it's mostly &quot;natural resiliency&quot;, combined with strong neck muscles from training. For the higher weight classes in boxing, it's a process of elimination: the boxers that get knocked out (repeatedly) don't advance and usually leave the sport, a form of &quot;natural selection&quot;, that results in the top ranked boxers in the higher weight classes having a &quot;natural resiliency&quot; to getting knocked out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One example from the past is Muhammad Ali, who was able to take punches that would KO most of the other heavyweights at the time. This doesn't mean there isn't brain damage, and most of the higher weight class boxers, especially ones with longer careers, ended up with fairly severe brain damage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9310" LastEditorUserId="9310" LastEditDate="2018-06-01T09:09:48.967" LastActivityDate="2018-06-01T09:09:48.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8329" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-06-01T13:58:56.957" Score="5" ViewCount="473" Body="&lt;p&gt;I found my dad's certificate which says &quot;Sandan&quot; on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What does that mean?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it a 3rd degree Black Belt?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9312" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-06-01T14:23:34.203" LastActivityDate="2019-06-27T14:50:52.893" Title="Sandan meaning in Taekwon do" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|terminology|belt|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8330" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8329" CreationDate="2018-06-01T14:13:51.020" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, Sandan means 3rd dan, or third degree black belt. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In rank systems patterned after the Japanese, dan (black belt) ranks count up:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sho (little) dan&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;ni (two) dan&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;san (three) dan&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;yon (four) dan&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;go (five) dan, etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A sandan rank is higher than a shodan or nidan rank and lower than a godan rank. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The kup/kyu ranks count down. A first kyu is higher than a second kyu. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-06-01T14:21:39.923" LastActivityDate="2018-06-01T14:21:39.923" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8331" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8329" CreationDate="2018-06-01T18:04:52.960" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It probably refers to &quot;third Dan&quot; in Korean.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_(rank)#Korean_martial_arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://taekwondo.wikia.com/wiki/Dan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikia&lt;/a&gt; state that Dan grades are refered using sino-korean numbers:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;When numbering the dan ranks, Sino-Korean numbers are used (rather than traditional Korean numbers). In other words, the ranks are il dan, ee dan, sam dan, etc., not hana dan, dool dan, set dan... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While &lt;em&gt;Sam&lt;/em&gt; is usually used as the romanization for the sino-korean &lt;em&gt;Three&lt;/em&gt;, they can vary and &lt;em&gt;San&lt;/em&gt; could have been used in this case.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastActivityDate="2018-06-01T18:04:52.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8332" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8322" CreationDate="2018-06-02T09:20:46.490" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Lots of solid points covered in existing answers, to which I'll add another aspect...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you stay at white belt while those around you are grading and working their way towards black belt, it can create a certain &quot;turbulence&quot; in the school.  Say another visiting student has been graded to some higher belt, but they visit your dojo or come across you at a cross-dojo training session.  They'll see your white belt and seek to engage at a reasonable, supportive level to both challenge and encourage a white belt, but all that's based on misleading information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can dance around and they can humour you and gently poke a few techniques out and you can feel like you're mixing it up with someone of a higher grade, but sparring a &lt;em&gt;X&lt;/em&gt; belt as a white belt is not the same as sparring a &lt;em&gt;X&lt;/em&gt; belt as a fellow &lt;em&gt;X&lt;/em&gt; belt or as their senior - having to prove yourself.  Being visibly a senior is also about feeling the pressure to play your role in challenging and encouraging those who should be junior to you, if you weren't dicking around avoiding gradings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What happens if you break our your not-at-all-white-belt moves, and surprise them?  Well, it's not really fair to them - they're probably going gently on you and trying to make sure you're comfortable enough to learn effectively, developing trust in the practice/sparring environment, and you're exploiting that.  They might feel they just can't get stuck in as it'd be over-the-top against a white belt, and you may misinterpret their reticence as some skill-based dominance.  Not healthy for anyone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or, they might feel they have to defend the status of their rank, and really get stuck in to try to put you in your place.  I certainly wouldn't have let a &quot;X&quot; belt get the better of me when I was a &quot;X+1&quot; belt, and while I'd cut a white belt a lot more slack, there's a limit.  People may think you're being disrespectful, which could end badly for you.  And if it does, they shouldn't go home thinking &lt;em&gt;&quot;damn - how did I end up having to beat up a white belt today? - I feel like crap&quot;&lt;/em&gt;.  Other students may see them having to get stuck into you, and blame them for being over-the-top without realising the extent to which you were pushing them.  To some extent, battling for dominance between the ranks is normal, but it should be done without misrepresentation.  Or, if they can't control you they may wonder how a white belt - which represents someone walking in with insignificant training in the art - can best them, and doubt the system, their own ability, the examination process etc..  Other junior students may watch you dominate them and wonder how a white belt can overcome an X belt and doubt the system.  None of that's fair or honest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can understand not liking gradings.  And it's very comfortable being a &quot;X&quot;-belt-in-white-belt-clothing.  But taken too far it's ultimately dishonest and disrespectful to those around you, including your instructor (who should step in to stop this before it goes on too long).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2018-06-02T09:20:46.490" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8333" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8335" CreationDate="2018-06-02T12:22:51.617" Score="3" ViewCount="1336" Body="&lt;p&gt;Novice question on boxing a punching bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How much should a bag swing when you punch it? This is a light bag (~20kg), suspended from the ceiling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been told to whip punches, not push them, so that the bag isn't pushed too much. But most demonstrations are on a heavy bag; is it possible to have the light bag relatively stationary after maybe a round (3 min) of boxing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I enjoy hitting the swinging bag because a moving target seems fun, but I'm concerned it may build wrong technique, because I notice light wrist pain when throwing non-straight punches sometimes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9305" LastActivityDate="2018-06-04T13:25:50.277" Title="How much should a (light) punching bag swing?" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8334" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="968" CreationDate="2018-06-04T12:07:07.813" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For me, using heavier equipment can develop correct body movement. I have used heavy hand weights for boxing, not to build muscle, but to ensure all movement begins with the feet, engaging the hips and then arms and fists.&#xA; The same can be said for moving heavy objects, not to build muscle, but to define technique.&#xA; Achieve more while doing less, for me is a great fighting mantra. &#xA; I would also suggest if you never really practice throwing sparring partners, getting used to dealing with real punches or kicks, then you will never be able to express whichever fighting style you proport to be experienced in. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9313" LastActivityDate="2018-06-04T12:07:07.813" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8335" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8333" CreationDate="2018-06-04T13:25:50.277" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's a light punching bag, so it will swing. Probably a lot. But there is a reason for the bag to move. That way you can practice movement at the same time. It's more like a real fight this way. If you don't want the bag to move, you might as well hit the wall with gloves on (did it, good for learning the right distance).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the bag didn't swing (Strapped by top and bottom), you could get your wrists injured (like if you hit a wall). My coach told me that if you want to work on your technique, you should use a mirror, and do some shadow fighting. A punching bag is good for working on your conditioning, and technique together. If you hit strong - You're building condition. If you hit with less force - You're working on your technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also you can just punch with less force. That's going to make the bag swing less. But again - If it's a light bag it will always swing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8701" LastActivityDate="2018-06-04T13:25:50.277" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8336" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8319" CreationDate="2018-06-04T16:08:14.373" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The left hook is indeed generally used at close quarters but you will learn to jab and hook with the same hand. It's about opening up your opponents guard, it's not all power shots.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For smaller stockier fighters like me, a hook, with either hand is invaluable once you've worked your way in. Don't forget that to throw your close hook, you'll already be in a melee of arms and gloves, so good close control is vital.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your left is weaker, train it more. I'm an orthodox boxer too but my left hook is sweeter than my right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would add that it's a good shot (among others) to throw to help you pivot away to the side and set up a wee combo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope you enjoy learning, it's a great sport. Do your best to relax, every shot starts with the feet, a keep your hands up! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9313" LastEditorUserId="6321" LastEditDate="2018-06-05T06:27:30.187" LastActivityDate="2018-06-05T06:27:30.187" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8337" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8321" CreationDate="2018-06-04T16:17:42.640" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It would be too easy to pick up poor habits if you're starting out, I would agree to keep to your left jab. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your coach will be able to spot if they think you can accomplish switching properly (I found it handy warming up for some amateur fights where the opponent or their coach can see you, they'll then set up for a southpaw so you might get a few licks in to start proceedings )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One shot that can work for you would be the 'step through' allowing a good solid backhand shot while maintaining or closing distance, or upsetting your opponents rhythm. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9313" LastEditorUserId="6321" LastEditDate="2018-06-05T06:27:49.667" LastActivityDate="2018-06-05T06:27:49.667" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8338" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4580" CreationDate="2018-06-04T17:44:52.413" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have recently been in the same situation. &#xA;I recently lost a match 9-8 due to none of my hits being called by the refs. They were calling body shots when my opponent wasn't even throwing any but instead ducking down everytime I would strike to the head. Eventually towards the end of the match they starting giving me points but time ran out before I could score another point. In football I ran into the same situation but all the same I didn't argue with the refs if they made a bad call or didn't make a call. It makes you look bad and also like a punk. Even though I knew that the match wasn't going in my favor I keep going to try to end the match. Sometimes it just doesn't work out in your favor. My advice is to watch the video of your fight, talk it over with your teacher to figure out what adjustments need to be made so it doesn't happen again. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9315" LastActivityDate="2018-06-04T17:44:52.413" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8339" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-06-05T07:36:50.347" Score="6" ViewCount="2694" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'v been learning Krav-Maga for many years and now I mostly train on my own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When working with other people, I could train on others, or at least they were holding those punching pillows on which I could train &quot;full force&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, however, I don't have such an option, thus I was wondering on which objects, so to speak, I can train?&#xA;A punching bag immediately comes to mind, however here are the problems I am facing:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I'm moving into a rental apartment thus I can't drill holes for hanging.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A standing punch bag is not an option for they are extremely expensive (at least where I live)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I can hang it on a tree in some park, but I'd rather train discreetly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hanging on a door pull-up bar is an option, but it will restrict my side movements much.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you have other, more efficient ideas? I'm thinking about a &quot;Double End Bag&quot; but not sure it'll serve my needs (simulating punching/ kicking into a body)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user9316" LastEditorDisplayName="user9316" LastEditDate="2018-06-11T15:45:37.090" LastActivityDate="2018-06-11T15:45:37.090" Title="Punch bags in a rental apartment" Tags="|training|punching|self-training|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8340" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8339" CreationDate="2018-06-05T09:36:31.820" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know of people who fitted wooden beams to their rooms, essentially building a self-standing frame along walls and ceiling you could screw the hook into. This way, you can use both a heavy bag and a makiwara (punching board - self made or bought) without having to bother with your landlord losing it because of holes in her precious walls.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice would be to have in mind another aspect when moving into an apartment: Neighbors. No matter how well secured your installation of whatever device you use is (the beams could be fitted with sliced-up anti-vibration mats for washing machines as a dampener - great stuff for preventing scratches and noise transferred into the walls because of the beams moving ever so slightly), your movements will probably still make some noise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, before actually doing something in your own apartment, you should look for a small, inexpensive gym nearby where working the bags is possible (those are virtually everywhere), or at least check with your new neighbours before installing any training gear for punching/kicking that costs you some bucks and cannot be used afterwards because of the threat of being kicked out of your place if using it ever again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2018-06-05T09:45:43.033" LastActivityDate="2018-06-05T09:45:43.033" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8341" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8343" CreationDate="2018-06-05T10:25:08.633" Score="5" ViewCount="151" Body="&lt;p&gt;So the correct way to punch in k1/kickboxing is to twist your body, on your foot as you do it, right? But when I try to increase my rapid punching speed I saw that I cannot twist my feet to punch quickly enough, so I just turn my body in the core.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I watched &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/uCHdpYQtxo8?t=484&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;McGregor's practice videos&lt;/a&gt; and saw that he barely twists for rapid punches as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So how does it work? Is less force in the punch a cost for the number and speed of punches? Or am I just not there yet and should focus on my technique?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8701" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-06-05T10:56:19.253" LastActivityDate="2018-06-07T11:25:16.653" Title="Punching speed vs proper technique/force" Tags="|punching|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8343" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8341" CreationDate="2018-06-07T10:29:06.387" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think you are mixing up training purposes here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Speed drills are mostly for three purposes: Rhythm/reaction training, muscle memory, and &lt;strong&gt;cardio&lt;/strong&gt;. The latter is especially true for working the bags. Other aspects are things like footwork/angles, establishing kinetic chains crossing the &lt;em&gt;corpus callosum&lt;/em&gt;, etc. If you are doing this fast, you can do many more moves within the same training time. And considering that internalising movement and reaction patterns perfectly takes thousands of repetitions, speed is a viable option - with limitations, see at the end of this answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you look at actual boxing matches, you will notice that speedy combinations become less common, especially the heavier the opponents are. Lightweights are insanely fast, but they do not have much weight/power to put behind hits anyway, so they might as well produce power by sheer speed (momentum = mass x velocity). Fast hits are mainly used for concealing movements, changing angles and setting up more powerful strikes with mass behind them that hit their mark, i.e. to provoke reactions and put opponents under pressure. The Klitschkos (when they still were fast) used their fast jabs and superior reach to unnerve opponents and force them to open up at some point, for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Really dangerous are the guys that are heavy and fast. If you look at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gHcQe8Q56s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; of young Tyson, you can see how he is insanely fast and can still generate insane amounts of power by either rotation or ducking plus upwards movement (essentially pushing from the ground up) - or even a combination of both. &lt;em&gt;Any&lt;/em&gt; of those hits would have felled anyone but the best-trained athletes if they connected and weren't blocked. This is how he trained and fought. Compilations of his KOs will show you that most of his KOs were produced by changing from his very fast and powerful rotational hits to uppercuts, less commonly the other way round. Of course he had changes in rhythm and pressure as well - where he just tested or rested - throughout longer fights against tougher opponents. But this is high-level boxing, where a lot is depending on subtle and fast footwork and very strong and fast core and leg muscles - a level McGregor could never dream to reach in the short amount of time he had for training. I'd even suspect that Mayweather had been told to not end it too fast and back down a bit in between to give McGregor his moments - just look at how relaxed he looked, grinning into the cameras between rounds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking at McGregor's fight, you may sarcastically say that he fought as he trained; he may have looked good to the eye of the usual bystander because of more or less speedy combinations and evasions, but he could never actually really put Mayweather into danger as he basically rolled Connor's strikes all the time, even if they would have been powerful - which they weren't - they wouldn't have hit him hard (exception: few uppercuts which he just ate and got on). Even if Mayweather had not rolled so many of them, they would have lacked the power to knock him out - notwithstanding the fact that even light hits stack up their effect over time. As McGregor's cardio failed, he was determined to lose even that part of making Mayweather move out of the way and looking good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long story short: Like in every other martial art, it is better to start slow but correct and become gradually faster without losing the precision than having speed but lacking technique. It takes more time to achieve both than McGregor had, so I suspect his coaches aimed for giving him cardio and speed so that he could stand the length of the fight (or at least more than six rounds) and put some pressure on Mayweather - hoping for the very small chance of a lucky punch. Thus, &lt;em&gt;your&lt;/em&gt; aim should be good technique first and gradually more speed in the long term so that you do not develop &quot;bad habits&quot;, i.e. patterns that are ineffective, but reflect your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-06-07T11:25:16.653" LastActivityDate="2018-06-07T11:25:16.653" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8345" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8339" CreationDate="2018-06-08T14:28:25.553" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You really have no options inside your apartment, unless you are on a first-level or basement level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You cannot hang a bag in any fashion.  From the ceiling, the bag being hit and kicked will resonate with neighbors, and will damage ceilings - even neighbors'.  From a door frame, because they're too heavy for use, those bars won't get you far.  And they're not practical because you won't have much room for movement, to say nothing of the bag's needed movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Standing bags are not particularly expensive, you can get them online and fill them with sand or water.  But if you have neighbors below you, they'll hear it.  And if you are on a lower level but on a wood floor, your lateral neighbors will still hear you.  If you are on a concrete floor, as would be the case in a basement level, that would be your best option.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So... I assume inside your apartment isn't an option.  Perhaps a laundry room, or a garage will be your best option.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't discount the tree and relying on discrete training.  You may develop friends who may want to train with you, or, you might find they, too, need places to train - and then you can work together for a solution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for other options other than a commercial gym, perhaps there are homeowner neighbors in the area who have a place you can train; there may be industrial garages for rent you might be able to use for this purpose.  There is a place nearby where I live where there is such an arrangement, he's been using the industrial garage for years, and has several different sized hanging bags, and even put down a puzzle mat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-06-08T14:28:25.553" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8346" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8350" CreationDate="2018-06-08T16:10:13.960" Score="12" ViewCount="2296" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why don't karateka use hook punches in kihon or kumite?&#xA;The basic technique exists (kagi zuki) and can be found in several kata eg: heian godan and the tekki kata but it is always performed as a kind of shortened mid-level straight punch to the side and not to the side of the head of an opponent in front of you like it is used so much in boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why is this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9320" LastActivityDate="2020-03-04T04:41:56.113" Title="Why doesn't karate use hook punches like boxing does?" Tags="|karate|punching|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8348" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8349" CreationDate="2018-06-08T17:49:44.543" Score="2" ViewCount="335" Body="&lt;p&gt;At the recent Rome Grand Prix, Jade Jones won the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyTujDE3yto&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Women's -57 Kg final&lt;/a&gt;, with 14 points and 9 fouls made.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a later interview she said that she was close to lose the fight by disqualification.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a limit to the fouls that can be made in a combat? Reaching 10 fouls would disqualify and make her lose the match?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5WdLU.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5WdLU.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastActivityDate="2018-06-09T00:27:05.710" Title="Limit for fouls in Taekwondo Olympic Sparring" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8349" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8348" CreationDate="2018-06-09T00:27:05.710" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, Article 14, bullet 7 states &quot;When a contestant receives ten (10) “Gam-jeom”, the referee shall declare the contestant loser by referee’s punitive&#xA;declaration (PUN)&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See page 28 at the link.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Revision-WT-Competition-Rules-Interpretation-Hammamet-040520181.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;WT Competition Rules &amp;amp; Interpretation (Hammamet 04052018)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For other rules, refer to this link:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/rules/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Rules and Docs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-06-09T00:27:05.710" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8350" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8346" CreationDate="2018-06-09T02:45:20.630" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The short answer is that it's generally not taught as one of the traditional techniques, so karate students generally don't practice it, and therefore it doesn't come to mind when they use techniques, and might actually be actively discouraged in a more regimented form of sparring that limits what techniques are considered legitimate to score points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to why Karate, as with many traditional Japanese martial arts, eschews the hook punch, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ikigaiway.com/2011/the-hook-punch-why-do-martial-artists-neglect-it/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this article&lt;/a&gt; puts forward some interesting theories but it basically seems to boil down to two (possibly related) themes. First, Karate is a traditionally linear system with power being generated with straight attacks. Even kicks such as &lt;em&gt;mawashi geri&lt;/em&gt; are linear along the plane that they're delivered, and with a straight leg. Thus, hook punches don't quite fit into the philosophy. Add to that a hooking punch, particularly a windmilling roundhouse punch, is something that comes natural to many brawlers, albeit inexpertly and with much wasted effort. Thus, early &lt;em&gt;karateka&lt;/em&gt; were likely disinclined to include such &quot;crude&quot; techniques.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2018-06-09T02:45:20.630" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8351" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-06-09T08:59:19.453" Score="3" ViewCount="1520" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm doing a little bit of research for a project.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, for a fighting style that consists mostly of punches, what are the pros and cons of body-fitting pants (trousers, not overly tight skinny jeans etc), and those that are more on the baggy side (cargo pants, loose jeans and such)? Does this answer change if we introduce kicks and grabs?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as I know, footing is really important even in boxing, hence, this question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9324" LastActivityDate="2018-06-11T07:51:23.223" Title="Should a martial artist wear baggy or form-fitting pants?" Tags="|punching|equipment|footwork|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8352" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-06-09T16:54:42.070" Score="2" ViewCount="178" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think pushing an opponent strongly is what I look for?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But while Wikipedia has an extensive &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throw_(grappling)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; about throws, I can find little about &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Push_(professional_wrestling)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;pushes wrt combat sports&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe pushes are so impractical that no one uses them on the ring and no discipline codifies them?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this the case? Or if not, how is such a move called and how does it look like?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I only come here having failed to find a description of a relevant move on Wikipedia.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9326" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2018-06-09T20:48:57.123" LastActivityDate="2018-06-12T21:24:56.813" Title="Is there any move (push?) in combat sports that hits an opponent and increases the distance to the opponent, while not throwing them to the ground?" Tags="|terminology|striking|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8353" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8352" CreationDate="2018-06-09T18:15:39.603" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Taekwondo you have the push kick, &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cMnNTGZ1JA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;miro chagui&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The front push kick is similar to the front snap kick, but the knee is raised a little higher to produce a slight downward and frontward movement, pushing away the opponent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The push kick is frequently used in sparring, and is also a simple and effective technique for self defense situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kRSsS.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kRSsS.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Miro chagui&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2018-06-09T18:22:13.153" LastActivityDate="2018-06-09T18:22:13.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8354" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8351" CreationDate="2018-06-09T18:39:54.420" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Body-fitting: The only possible pro I can see is jock support. But this is achieved in a number of ways with loose shorts as well, so it may not be very valid. The other reason for wearing body-fitting clothes is aerodynamic advantage (think swimming, cycling)- not much of a concern in martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Loose: The biggest pro is ventilation, which keeps body temperature in check and allows you to fight longer. Besides, it allows rapid stance changes much more than tight trousers would.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't foresee a change in case of kicks/grabs. Maybe in a street fight situation (not controlled sport), something baggy could get caught on nearby objects. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9305" LastActivityDate="2018-06-09T18:39:54.420" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8355" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8352" CreationDate="2018-06-09T19:44:38.417" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Pushes do not tend to score points in combat sports points based combat sports.  In Full Contact combat sports they gain little advantage unless you are able to either take the opponent to the floor or gain a position advantage from them.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However in Chinese martial styles and their derivatives (which are not 'combat sports' but are fighting methods) pushes are fairly common.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;In one of my first Shorinji Kempo classes we were shown how to adapt a block and punch technique called uchi uke zuki into a block and push technique.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We also talk about Tai Atari where you essentially body slam an opponent.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Tai means body Atari is a word from the board game go similar to the word check in chess)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In either case the trick to these techniques is to use the weak points in the opponent's balance.  There are 6 of these in a normal fighters stance:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Draw a line from the smallest toe on the left foot to the heel on the right foot.  The ends of this line extended out are two of the weak points.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly Draw a line from the smallest toe on the right foot to the heel of the left foot.  the ends of this line are two more weak points.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where these lines meet is the center of balance.  At 90 degrees to a line passing through this point and each foot is a new line.  The last two week points are on this line.  (often called the 'tip of the triangle' by martial artists of all disciplines)  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you push someone along one of these lines they will stagger.  Push them fast enough they may even fall over.  This is very useful in self defense as it will give you a moment to run.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe some forms of aikido also teach similar pushes, but I am less familiar with this style.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2018-06-09T19:44:38.417" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8356" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8363" CreationDate="2018-06-10T12:41:01.790" Score="6" ViewCount="1295" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why don't karateka train in any kind of ground fighting or takedown defense? Karate contains takedowns, throws, leg sweeps etc. yet I've never seen anyone teach sprawling in karate and getting up from the ground and back on your feet isn't practised in training very much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9320" LastEditorUserId="9320" LastEditDate="2018-06-17T00:43:30.767" LastActivityDate="2018-06-17T00:43:30.767" Title="Why don't karateka practice ground-fighting and takedown defense?" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8358" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8351" CreationDate="2018-06-11T07:51:23.223" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Neither&lt;/strong&gt;, you should be looking for something that does not restrict your move set. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your main protagonist is wearing a tight t-shirt, then as soon as he throw a big punch, there's gonna be a ripping sound as the t-shirt shears a la Hulk. If they are wearing a tight fitting pencil skirt, any kicks is going to be impeded, the skirt will tear, and their underwear will show.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other things to consider are things like keys in pockets as falling on them might cause injuries. Doing break falls with those in your trouser pockets is inadvisable unless the situation really demands it. Ditto with phones, chain-wallets, and other things attached to one's trousers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might want to browse &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;no nonsense self defense&lt;/a&gt; as it is good source material.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2018-06-11T07:51:23.223" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8359" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8356" CreationDate="2018-06-11T08:01:30.693" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can't speak for Karate, but Taekwondo has similar characteristics to Karate. In TKD, we don't emphasise ground-fighting or takedowns, because we simply don't have the time in one or two hour-long sessions a week to cover them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is often rationalised by saying that TKD is about keeping your assailant at a distance, hence the emphasis on kicks. In self-defence terms, we teach our students that awareness is vital. In other words, don't let any assailant close enough to actually grab you!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Equally, as the emphasis in TKD is on fighting on your feet, it is conceivable that instructors aren't confident enough in grappling or ground-fighting techniques to teach them effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary, my reasons are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Available teaching time&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rationale or philosophy of the art&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knowledge or experience of the instructor&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2018-06-11T08:01:30.693" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8360" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8356" CreationDate="2018-06-11T14:07:15.327" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;True Karate, like Taekwondo, is a complete fighting system, with grappling, striking, weapons, pressure points, meditation, and more.  It's a complete lifestyle, really.  Every aspect of one's training relates to life outside the dojo in some way, whether it is about respect to another, self-defense, competition, or what one does when no one is looking.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, that is a tall order for most people.  Who has the time to do all that, and still get in time for baseball, college, work, family, commuting to work or school, testing, girl/boy friends, and walking the dog?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Today's lifestyle is a very busy one for most people, and as a result, the classical martial arts have had to adapt as well, or else they lose students.  Taekwondo nixed everything for the Olympics and doesn't do anything other than sparring (and that strange thing that nobody really understands, but we call it forms, hyung, poomsae).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And Karate is no different, and did the same.  Except, by and large, they still retain their forms (although, it's common to find the same students here who don't have a clue about what they're doing in kata).  Some still manage to get in self-defense practice.  But that will change, come Tokyo Olympics, and - like Taekwondo - many schools will drop everything to focus on Olympic requirements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a result, our styles have become nothing by niche sports, and useless for their original applications.  Did you know that boxing contained grappling and throws?  That wrestling contained strikes?  That Karate and Taekwondo contained weapons, grappling, pressure points, and throws?  All of these styles nixed one element or another - or several - so that it morphed into what we have today.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The challenge for the serious martial artist is to find a school which embraces all or most of these original elements, and with less of an emphasis on any one of these things, like sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As classical-styles-now-turned-sport matures in the future, the classical ways will be forgotten entirely, as today's students become tomorrow's teachers.  If today's students aren't taught, where (and when) will they learn, and what will they teach?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You wait.  We in Taekwondo went through this, as we saw the ruination of our style collapse into this crap we call Olympic Taekwondo, and it is dragging in the other TKD styles like ITF and ATA into it.  We are all betting the same will happen to Karate, and within one generation, what you will see in Karate will not look a bit like it looks today; indeed, what we see in Karate today looks nothing like it did a generation ago.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps my observations will give you some insight for what you are in for.  In my town in Long Island, NY, there were 80 TKD schools within a 15-mile radius of us.  Annually, we competed with each other in nearby school gymnasiums.  We competed in striking sparring, some grappling sparring, weapons, and forms.  That was 20 years ago.  Today, there are about 150 by several schools' accounts in that same area, and all except maybe 5% of them focus &lt;strong&gt;only&lt;/strong&gt; on Olympic Taekwondo.  And some schools live no more than 2-3 years, then go out of business, usually because the instructor has no sense of business or can't keep students.  Granted, part of their problem is saturation.  And Karate schools?  They estimate about 40 schools in the same area, and about half that 20 years ago.  Those 40 schools today are also only doing competitive sparring: they do not do self-defense except as a cursory adjunct to their regular classes and nearly always involves the &quot;here, grab my wrist&quot; thing which is so ubiquitous.  And no one ever falls on the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Kukkiwon - the governing body of the style of Taekwondo typically attributed to Olympics Taekwondo - is now officially a sport (and has been informally called a sport for the past 15 years) by - guess what? - The Ministry of Sport in South Korea.  We don't call them Taekwondo-in anymore, we call them players.  And refereeing is fast becoming a serious role in Taekwondo life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2018-06-11T14:34:07.937" LastActivityDate="2018-06-11T14:34:07.937" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8361" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8356" CreationDate="2018-06-11T14:08:53.433" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is mainly going to come down to the instructor and the school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For both karate and similar arts, the emphasis is on striking, and there is little emphasis on what is commonly called the &quot;ground game&quot;. This is not a knock against the art, it is just the way that it evolved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For many typical instructors, they spent a considerable amount of time learning and improving their technique, as well as learning how to teach and (hopefully) learning how to run an effective class and school. The more complicated the curriculum (weapons, forms, etc), the more time you have to spend on that aspect of it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unless the instructor goes outside their normal range and seeks out the groundfighting/grappling arts, they simply don't have the knowledge to teach it, much less teach it effectively. The common mantra of teaching to avoid the ground is somewhat of a rationalization, as if you have someone that is skilled at a ground based art, if they get in close enough to get hold of you, then you are most likely in a world of hurt, especially if they do manage to get you down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most common recognized single art that encompasses aspects of both the striking and joint lock/throws along with grappling is hapkido. If that is not an option, if you want to get the ground training, then you will need to find a bjj or similar style school to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2018-06-11T14:08:53.433" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8362" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8356" CreationDate="2018-06-12T01:26:34.713" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I did Kempo when I was at school for about seven years. I can count on one hand the times we did ground fighting. It was there, but very rare. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your average dojo today (and for a couple of decades) is more like an alternative to pilates or yoga for the mass of students who attend. They likely offer a competition track for those wanting a challenge, but the old martial side of things has been lacking for a long time. You can say nearly the exact thing for tkd.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;WTF rules tkd is the number one &quot;martial art&quot; in China because of the ability to get medals for the State so the State heavily promotes it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now there is MMA which is feeding interest to new generations but MMA is just the new boxing, it's a heavily regulated sport where much of what traditional martial arts taught is not usable in the ring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TKD sparring, what you see in more traditional organisations, bars grappling. So you can't grab someone's leg. That's because sparring was designed to train the use of the legs and arms in a combat situation but it was never the complete art. TKD has little grappling to begin with, but there should be a category of sparring where it can be used to remind people that in a real fight their wonder technique might be defeated by something as simple as their leg being grabbed before they can deploy it properly. You see this in MMA situations where grapplers, BJJ being the popular one, move in and shut down strikers before taking them to the ground. There are several techniques which could possibly prevent this but sport oriented clubs tend not to train to do so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I should refrain from saying sport orientated because the real issue is that these clubs are too insular. They only train to fight against their own style and if that style has already limited what techniques it uses, like next to no grappling, then students are being given false confidence that their style works.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9333" LastActivityDate="2018-06-12T01:26:34.713" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8363" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8356" CreationDate="2018-06-12T08:37:22.193" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;TL;DR - Karate itself doesn't include much grappling because ancient karatekas were expected to be proficient grapplers and would regularly cross-train in both karate and wrestling. Karate was transmitted, but not the wrestling, leaving modern karate with very little grappling defenses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other people have posted great answers as to why most instructors do not include ground fighting in their curriculum. Some of these are heavily oriented towards taekwondo which, while it has some roots in Japanese karate, it was created at a time when grappling had already been phased out. Thus, I feel it is important to add an historical perspective to this discussion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While karate is definitely the most well know Okinawan martial art, it is not the most ancient, nor the most popular, at least historically. As in many other Southeast Asian countries, folk wrestling has had an incredible influence on the development of martial arts. Known as &lt;em&gt;tegumi&lt;/em&gt; in Naha, or &lt;em&gt;mutō&lt;/em&gt; in Tomari and Shuri, Okinawan folk wrestling includes grappling, joint locks, pins and strangles. Ancient karatekas were thus generally expected to be proficient in wrestling, the &quot;primary&quot; combat form of the island. Like most modern MMA gyms, they would alternate between karate and wrestling training and aspire to be well-rounded martial artists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the early 1900's, a reform of Okinawa's school curriculum tried to integrate karate into the physical education program of the island. Karate started evolving towards &quot;fitness&quot; rather than &quot;self-defense&quot;, and the grappling side of the art was essentially removed from the schools' curriculums to avoid injuring the children. This process was further amplified when Funakoshi Gichin imported karate to Japan in the 1920's, as he tailored his shotokan to Japan's intellectual elite.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In most karate katas, traces of grappling can still be found. &lt;em&gt;Tuidi-waza&lt;/em&gt;, or seizing hand techniques, are integrated into the forms to indicate ways of transitioning from striking to grappling. As I've mentioned earlier, ancient karatekas were expected to be proficient at grappling, and would thus know how to best take advantage of these opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, most modern lineages have &quot;forgotten&quot; the grappling aspect of karate. Okinawan styles generally continue to train in &lt;em&gt;tuidi-waza&lt;/em&gt; but, as most instructors are not proficient in &lt;em&gt;tegumi&lt;/em&gt;, most schools simply stick to the striking aspect of karate. Japanese styles often eschew &lt;em&gt;tuidi-waza&lt;/em&gt; altogether, despite vestiges of it being present in their katas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a slightly different take on this topic, I would suggest reading one of &lt;a href=&quot;https://iainabernethy.co.uk/article/tegumi-karates-forgotten-range&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;sensei Iain Abernathy's short article on the subject&lt;/a&gt;, in which he also provides a few interesting references.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2018-06-12T08:37:22.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8364" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8356" CreationDate="2018-06-12T20:44:35.183" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From what I know, KARATE is not a fighting stlye. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate is the Japanese translations of “Fighting with empty hand”.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please see Karate more as an concept then as a fighting style. In Karate concept as long as you fight with your empty hands, no matter what you do, is karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the Japanese term point of view, even taekwondo is consider to be a karate fighting style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now. About grappling and sweeps.  A fight can happen on a long, medium or short range. &#xA;Most of the styles promote the long/medium distance. Reduce the risk of immediate danger for the practitioner plus add an extra reaction time to block/duck/run. In real life, the fights are BIG vs small.  Not most people have the physical/mental straight to sustain a close quarter combat ( see a TKD fighter vs a Judo fighter) and is much easier to promote the DEFENSE part of the Art, just because  the distance offer time and plenty of chances to escape. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember that the Art was adapted to serve for Self-Deference not Attack.&#xA;There are Arts that have a more complete approach. Kudo Daido Juku for an example.&#xA;Have everything from the distance point of view, both fist/kick and grappling/trows.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Now. For those who think to the Art as a sport, as Tkd, Judo, Vovinam Viet Vo Dao , etc.  From competition point of view, is much more danger. You promote an Art. Is hard to show blood. In UFC is FIGHTING Competition. No Art involved. Marketing. &#xA;How many techniques are not banned for being to brutal?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9334" LastActivityDate="2018-06-12T20:44:35.183" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8365" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8352" CreationDate="2018-06-12T20:46:13.477" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sumo has many pushes that are not necessarily throws. Within sumo rules, it is only necessary to push the opponent outside the circle to win. With this goal in mind, it is probably advantageous to maintain contact (not increase distance) until the opponent is defeated. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Video examples:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/-01K1HxqPB8?t=2m22s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Instructional&lt;/a&gt;. Note that distance does not increase in this example until the very end. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/UCFrAzACjUU?t=37s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Match&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/1FP-7oJup-Y?t=14s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Match&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think this is called &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimarite#Oshidashi_%E6%8A%BC%E3%81%97%E5%87%BA%E3%81%97&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;oshidashi&lt;/a&gt;, but I am not really familiar with sumo technique classification. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-06-12T20:55:56.130" LastActivityDate="2018-06-12T20:55:56.130" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8366" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8352" CreationDate="2018-06-12T21:24:56.813" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Taiji (taichi), which I do not consider a combat sport, uses many pushes. The basic sequence of techniques &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.taichi108.com/peng.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;peng, lu, ji, an&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;can be practiced in pushing hands practice to push and displace the opponent: &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/fSYPOhSgiis?t=3m37s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;footage of Cheng Man Ching&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-06-12T21:24:56.813" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8367" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-06-13T01:58:11.870" Score="7" ViewCount="544" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for a martial art or combination of martial arts that do not require a lot of footwork to practice. I have cerebral palsy and walk with forearm crutches. I would like to learn martial arts so that I can defend myself and stay in shape. If anybody knows of any martial art or combination of martial arts I would be greatly appreciate it Thank you for your time&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9335" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-06T17:46:13.167" LastActivityDate="2019-09-06T17:46:13.167" Title="Martial arts with cerebral palsy and forearm crutches" Tags="|training|self-defense|self-training|disability|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8368" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8367" CreationDate="2018-06-13T02:26:14.447" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It isn't the style that's going to help you - it's the instructor.  Be sure to find an instructor who knows how to teach someone like you the skills you need.  This will be a tall order for you; few instructors have the skills or experience to teach students with disabilities and impairments so it may take a lot of time to find one.  Start with your doctor and physical therapist.  Those will be your shortest links to a good instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-06-19T13:34:41.087" LastActivityDate="2018-06-19T13:34:41.087" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8369" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8367" CreationDate="2018-06-13T07:24:32.473" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Defending yourself when you are walking with crutches is going to be tricky and martial arts are not your ideal solution for this. Please check &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;no nonsense self defense&lt;/a&gt; as it contains plenty of good advice to help keep you safe. In a nutshell, you want to concentrate on prevention, not reaction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Staying in shape when you have cerebral palsy is not trivial and I would not expect any martial art instructor to have a clue about how to go about it. The last thing you want is some clueless instructor giving you bad advice which makes it all worse. You are much better off seeking a specialist gym and trainer. Your doctor should be able to suggest something. Clearly, your diet will need looking at too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if with all that, you still want to do a martial art, I strongly recommend archery (either eastern or western). There is no footwork whatsoever, it is great fun, and will keep your upper body fit. As a close second, I would suggest axe-throwing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to which specific style, that is more or less irrelevant. The instructor matters much more than style and they should be able to modify their style to fit your condition. Clearly, some styles will be right out: horse archery comes to mind. You should look around where you live and see what is on offer and take an introduction class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-06-19T13:33:04.917" LastActivityDate="2018-06-19T13:33:04.917" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8371" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="969" CreationDate="2018-06-13T13:09:31.007" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Fixed step flows into moving step and moving step into free sparring. Chen Village competitions are displaying the free sparring wrestling aspect which has always been the objective. Even other martial arts such as Judo, Shuai Jiao and Sambo have similar principles such as staying relaxed, transferring weight and regulating force with the waist, breathing correctly, and so on. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In one of his few interviews Chang Yui Chun, a student of Yang Shou Hu, said training with his teacher was brutal and that it wasn't uncommon to leave a session with a bloody nose or other injuries. This gives an idea of a very different style of Tai Chi Chuan to what many students practice today; according to him, they called it loose boxing at one point. Obviously, the boxing and wrestling elements were still quite strong back then. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9338" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-06-14T12:14:48.407" LastActivityDate="2018-06-14T12:14:48.407" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8373" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8374" CreationDate="2018-06-13T15:10:33.757" Score="7" ViewCount="2428" Body="&lt;p&gt;When we teach &lt;em&gt;basic&lt;/em&gt; bunkai we often show impractical techniques and unrealistic situations for example blocking a mae geri by turning into the kick and using gedan barai. This is obviously not realistic for sparring or self-defense so why do we continue to teach these applications to beginners?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9320" LastActivityDate="2018-06-15T02:50:14.087" Title="Why do we teach unrealistic bunkai?" Tags="|karate|self-defense|forms|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8374" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8373" CreationDate="2018-06-13T16:24:27.767" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer is simple: &lt;strong&gt;Because the vast majority of karate is taught by instructors who don't know what realistic bunkai is.&lt;/strong&gt; And that's because their instructors were never taught it. And their instructors' instructors were never taught it, etc. This goes back many generations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I gave a good overview of the subject&#xA;&lt;b&gt;&lt;A HREF=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7006/why-is-more-time-dedicated-to-exercises-and-very-less-for-sparring-is-it-for-th/7007#7007&quot;&gt;at this link&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And you should also read&#xA;&lt;b&gt;&lt;A HREF=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7008/name-and-meaning-of-stance-where-you-stand-with-fists-on-hips/7010#7010&quot;&gt;this link&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Read those two links first, and then continue...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bunkai is useless without first understanding classical jujitsu or something similar. I'm talking about standing grappling as it is applied to self-defense. Because, as I explained in the links above, that's what kata have in them. It's not a bunch of blocks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The bunkai that anyone comes up with on his/her own is just a reflection of their own knowledge. If all they have is an understanding of punching, kicking, and blocking, then that's what they're going to see in the movements of the kata. It's just that simple.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When people are taught classical jujitsu for a year or two, then things in the kata start to make more sense. Sometimes, like in the Heian kata &quot;hands on hips&quot; example I linked to above, it is obvious that it can not be anything other than grappling. And once you understand that, it's like a light will go on in your head, and you'll realize just how unrealistic and worthless the punch/kick/block interpretations were.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't learn how to block from doing solo kata. You learn that quite well in free sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And vice-versa, you don't learn grappling based self-defense in free sparring (because &quot;free&quot; sparring means you are free and not holding your partner at all). You learn that in kata and partnered kata bunkai. At least, that's what you're supposed to learn from kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So why is the state of karate and karate bunkai this bad today? Why do most karate schools not teach proper bunkai?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well I answered that already in the first paragraph and in the first link, above. It's because there are multiple generations of instructors who have not been taught it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This situation would not be an issue if there was a set of standardized applications given for each technique in a kata taught along with the kata. Bunkai wouldn't even be necessary, because there'd be no interpretation and no guessing required.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The original authors of each kata had their own applications which, according to oral histories, they did teach to their top students (not all of their students, by the way). However, the transmission of that was incomplete and eventually faded away in pretty much all lineages of karate. No karate instructor these days can definitively say what each technique in their kata was originally designed to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way to get it back and to reclaim the kata is to learn classical jujitsu and reverse engineer the movements in the kata. Or create new kata based on classical jujitsu and an understanding of the original karate kata. And then from there, it needs to be passed on as an official part of the system to all students, not just a trusted few. This is something that's obvious to me, and it's strange to me that karate systems haven't gotten their act together on this yet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2018-06-15T02:50:14.087" LastActivityDate="2018-06-15T02:50:14.087" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8375" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8373" CreationDate="2018-06-13T16:54:58.470" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a complex question deserving a complex answer. In your question, you explicitly refer to &lt;em&gt;gedan barai&lt;/em&gt; as an example of a generally &quot;bad&quot; bunkai. In this answer, I will start from there to explain why it is taught that way, the purpose behind it, and why it appears to be missing something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. Gedan Barai is not a block.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In karate, blocks are generally called &quot;uke&quot;, as in &quot;jodan uke&quot;, or upper block. &lt;em&gt;Uke&lt;/em&gt; means &quot;to receive&quot;, and generally represents the act of absorbing most of the impact during the block, or at least striking the attacking limb.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Barai&lt;/em&gt; means &quot;sweep&quot;, not block. In &lt;em&gt;gedan barai&lt;/em&gt;, you are not supposed to block the attacking leg. In it's simplest application, &lt;em&gt;gedan barai&lt;/em&gt; is intended to move the leg one way &lt;strong&gt;while you go the other way&lt;/strong&gt;. The intended application is for you to &lt;strong&gt;step back&lt;/strong&gt; (and not &quot;turning into the kick&quot;, as you mention in the question) into a &lt;em&gt;zenkutsu-dachi&lt;/em&gt;  and deflect the kick so it lands beside you. If performed correctly, you should essentially be standing behind your attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L18tYBdkTdg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here is a short video showing you what I mean&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This leaves your opponent open for a &lt;em&gt;yoko geri&lt;/em&gt; to the knee, or a plethora of other counter attacks. My favorite, personally, is to use the blocking hand to transition into &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/OAC6mUJ8K34?t=11s&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;hadaka-jime&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, a form of choke. But, had I not cross-trained in judo, I would likely have never learned how to execute it properly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. What you call &quot;basic&quot; bunkai is just the simplest way to visualize the principle of the technique.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Gedan barai&lt;/em&gt; is first learned to defend against a basic &lt;em&gt;mae geri&lt;/em&gt;. This serves two purposes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It helps the &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; practice his kicks, learning proper &lt;em&gt;maai&lt;/em&gt; so that, unless the &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt; moves out of the way or successfully blocks/deflects, his kick would land solidly. This is probably the most important part of a partnered drill, otherwise there is no reason to block in the first place.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; learns that the most important step is moving out of the way. The actual &lt;em&gt;gedan barai&lt;/em&gt; is an offensive move meant to manoeuvre your opponent into a less desirable position (i.e. showing you his back).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While the technique itself is fully applicable, it's just the tip of the iceberg. Once the student understands the principle behind &lt;em&gt;gedan barai&lt;/em&gt; (see #2 above), he can apply it to other scenarios, and advanced techniques can be grafted to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efqiHKGIBzc&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here is another short video showcasing a few different applications&lt;/a&gt;. Note that these are purely demonstrative versions and, as such, it should be understood that while you do start drilling these applications in the same way, you eventually transition to more robust drills with an opponent that keeps attacking. If not, the problem lies with the sensei, not with the technique itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3. Most dojos stop there because they never learned what comes next.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Speaking of problems lying with the sensei... Once you reach that point and understand how to use &lt;em&gt;gedan barai&lt;/em&gt; to properly defend against punches, kicks, grabs, attempted grabs, etc., now you are ready to learn how to use this technique to transition into &lt;em&gt;tegumi&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;mutō&lt;/em&gt;, known in occident as &lt;strong&gt;wrestling&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are multiple levels of &lt;em&gt;bunkai&lt;/em&gt; and, because no one really knows &lt;em&gt;tegumi&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;mutō&lt;/em&gt; outside of a select few people, the last levels are not taught anymore. As I mentioned &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/8363/557&quot;&gt;in an answer to a recent question&lt;/a&gt;, ancient karateka were expected to be proficient grapplers and would routinely cross-train in both karate and Okinawan wrestling. Karate was exported to Japan and the rest of the world, but Okinawan wrestling was left behind to reduce the risk of injuries. As such, modern karateka generally only know the basics of their techniques, but not the most advanced of their applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is partly why I now practice judo. While karate can take me to grappling (my karate dojo still practiced &lt;em&gt;tuidi&lt;/em&gt; applications), I had no idea what to do from then on. A lot of people have gone the BJJ route, but I feel like the judo throws mesh better with karate, as their main objective is to keep you standing while leaving your opponent down. In a self-defense situation, that's my cue to leg it. It's a matter of preferences, really.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But does it mean that karate alone is completely useless? Not at all! The basics can still take you pretty far. In fact, a lot of karateka compete in kickboxing events with great success and, while it's not 100% representative of a real life or death street fight, it's at least a proof that it works against trained and resisting opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastEditorUserId="557" LastEditDate="2018-06-13T17:10:30.247" LastActivityDate="2018-06-13T17:10:30.247" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8376" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-06-13T18:36:45.477" Score="1" ViewCount="165" Body="&lt;p&gt;I usually train barefoot, but am getting old and have 1st MTPJ arthritis.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is getting sore doing reverse punches / round house kicks.  I really need to start wearing a shoe that will support the joint.  I don't need arch support per se; just something to support the forefoot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any shoes that fit the bill - but otherwise minimalist as possible?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9340" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-06-14T12:10:06.417" LastActivityDate="2018-07-14T16:31:41.953" Title="Shoes for 1st metatarsal phalangeal joint arthritis" Tags="|training|kicking|shoes|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8377" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8373" CreationDate="2018-06-13T19:09:09.743" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer is simple, and I'll quote a familiar phrase to illustrate:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring (I mean, technique) passed out of all knowledge.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And therein lies your answer: Children.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Children&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Children are not taught such bunkai because it was not part of their curriculum, or, the concept is too difficult for them to grasp.  So, a question arose: &quot;If we're not going to teach them true bunkai, what will we teach them?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is taught is a &quot;visual&quot;.  With a visual, we can get a student to turn into an incoming roundhouse or front kick coming at us from the side, and &quot;block&quot; it.  Without this visualization, it's nearly impossible to get a child to remember the proper execution of the actual bunkai or of the technique in the kata.  In this phase of his training, you get the kid to DO the technique, and next phase of his training is to get him to UNDERSTAND the technique.  And therein lies the catch-22.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Japanese have terms for this concept: &quot;Bunkai Omote&quot; (obvious), and &quot;Bunkai Ura&quot; (hidden, secret, or alternative).  What we start out teaching children (and perhaps beginner adults) is the bunkai omote, because it's obvious and simple.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Back to the Lord of the Rings...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That child you just taught was a turn into a kick and block.  At some point in his life, someone is going to have to explain to him that all that he thinks he knows just isn't true.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the case of fanciful bunkai, that child grows up never being taught the true bunkai, either his school does not have the bulk of instructors who can pass on that knowledge, or, it has already become a bulk of instructors who were that kid who was taught the visualization.  What the kid knows becomes myth, and that myth becomes legend, and like any good legend, it gets passed on.  It makes sense, after all, yes?  &quot;My instructor taught me that, so that must be the case, yes?&quot;  He will eventually will become an instructor who believes that is what the bunkai is all about, and thus perpetuates this myth and legend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some schools, kids may be taught that visualization and later, if he sticks around, will be taught the ura bunkai.  &quot;IF&quot;.  And if he doesn't, he loses out on that knowledge, or, he perpetuates it by starting his own school, or joins with another with the same background.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This explains why there are some schools that teach it properly, and why there are some schools that just don't get it.  And such fanciful legends, like the colors of the belt, the spearhand, the crane stance, the do-not-let-the-uniform-touch-the-floor, these become rules of the style, and everyone subscribes to them - not realizing they're all just stories we teach kids because they're good visual aids.  Haven't we all &quot;lied&quot; to a kid in order to effect a benevolent moral concept, or to explain a difficult concept?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question Authority&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And, the explanation doesn't end there, either.  This will continue until the student questions what he is taught.  This will happen as soon as he realizes &quot;something ain't right&quot;.  But in many dojos (I can tell you this is rampant in Taekwondo), it is taboo to question the instructor, and so, that student doesn't always get that chance to question what he is taught, thus cementing this legend's fate.  Luckily, there is the Internet, and everything becomes exposed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a surprising example of how this legend propagates from child to instructor to grandmaster.  One need only read a copy of Gen Choi's Taekwondo Encyclopedia.  In it contains many fanciful explanations of kata (therein called hyung, or tul), some so implausible as to be a comical farce.  And that is ITF, a very different branch of Taekwondo than Kukkiwon style Taekwondo, and, Kukkiwon is not immune from this, either.  Such has an entire university, a vast library, and pushers and movers of the style, some with doctorates to their credit.  And guess what?  &quot;That there is a turn to the left, block a kick, step and punch&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And then the next reason why we teach this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It's irrelevant&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, it's useless and irrelevant.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking to Taekwondo, it is a simple idea that we will need to block a kick more than we will need to perform a grappling technique, because, in the style, there is no self-defense application.  (Go ahead, read the Kukkiwon Textbook or Gen Choi's Encyclopedia... there is scant details about specific self-defense functions in most of the techniques, and much of it is fanciful).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking to Karate, I wouldn't say it's useless unless the school focuses mainly on competition and sparring, because without a self-defense curriculum or a curriculum which places emphasis on grappling, the bunkai omote is all that you get.  And for those in that style or brand of school, that is all that they need to know.  They'll never apply any kind of bunkai - omote or ura - because it's just not part of their curriculum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-06-13T19:09:09.743" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8378" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8376" CreationDate="2018-06-14T15:51:46.123" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Too long for a comment, but perhaps not really an answer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The science of shoes is not as advanced as you might expect, and certainly not for martial arts. For running, which is practiced much more widely than martial arts, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2010/01/shocking-truth-about-running-shoes&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;it's not clear that decades of shoe development has improved matters, especially in terms of injuries&lt;/a&gt;. &quot;Normal&quot; shoes change the way people run, usually with heel striking (weight comes down first on heel when running) instead of mid-foot or forefoot striking. It's not clear that cushioning and support added to shoes improve injuries overall because the body develops differently under the changed forces, which may end up leading to more injuries. It was very surprising to me that this question remains rather open for running, and you can expect activities like martial arts are less understood. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not clear to me what it means to give more forefoot support, or whether that is something you would want anyway given the above context. What kind of shoe does not give forefoot support? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are satisfied with the results of wearing your current walking shoes, then I am still less sure what you are asking. Are you just looking for shoes with no arches? There is currently a market for &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.runnersworld.com/minimalist-shoes/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;minimalist shoes&lt;/a&gt; that do not have arch support. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the body ages, it takes longer to recover and cannot tolerate the same physical punishment as when you were younger. You have not indicated at all what you are kicking; if you are solid surfaces like walls or tree trunks you should switch to something with some give. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-06-14T15:51:46.123" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8379" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8380" CreationDate="2018-06-14T18:45:56.470" Score="8" ViewCount="2970" Body="&lt;p&gt;The federschwert, often called a &lt;em&gt;feder&lt;/em&gt; is the training weapon for the longsword - in the same way that the foil is the training weapon for the smallsword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/I0aQp.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/I0aQp.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The feder has a small, wide section of blade just in front of the hilt known as the &lt;em&gt;schilt&lt;/em&gt;, but longswords generally did not have these. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given that training weapons are generally supposed to be as close as possible to the real thing, why do federschwerten have the schilt when longswords don't?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9342" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-07-06T13:37:07.323" LastActivityDate="2020-07-06T14:09:00.060" Title="Why do federschwerten have a schilt, when longswords don't?" Tags="|sword|historic-european|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8380" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8379" CreationDate="2018-06-15T01:17:12.710" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.keithfarrell.net/blog/2017/05/safe-training-swords-part-3-schilt-ricasso/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this site&lt;/a&gt;, the &lt;em&gt;schilt&lt;/em&gt; is a safety thing, to route a blocked blade away from the fingers. Non-training weapons generally don't have them because, being larger and heavier, they already have a wider base.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The purpose seems to be additional protection of the hand and fingers at the crossguard, mainly by widening the base of the blade. The schilt could perhaps prevent an opponent’s blade from sliding down your blade onto your fingers, but the purpose does not seem to be to stop the opponent’s blade in front of your fingers; rather, the purpose seems to be ensuring that the blade is appropriately wide at the base, beside the crossguard. The wider the blade at the base, at the crossguard, the safer your fingers will be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The swords used for real fighting tended to be slightly broader than this for training purposes or for decoration. Slim swords look very nice, but they do not tend to have the best geometry for cutting and doing their work effectively. A broader blade carries more mass, tends to be slightly more rigid, and will often cut much better than a blade might light and slim for aesthetics. “Feder” style training swords depicted in Germanic artwork from the 15th and 16th centuries often have slim blades (presumably for ease and safety of training), and a broad schilt at the base of the blade.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A broader blade at the crossguard means that the opponent’s sword has to travel much further over the crossguard to hit your fingers, or must be wound to a sgnificantly greater angle in order to threaten the hand. A slimmer blade requires much less effort from the attacker to reach your fingers in the bind, meaning that hits to the fingers can be incidental rather than deliberate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, the broader the base of the blade at the crossguard, the safer the sword for your hand and fingers. This can be achieved by having a broad blade with no schilt, or by having a slim blade for most of the length combined with a broad schilt at the base of the blade. The purpose of the schilt here is to broaden the blade where it matters most. A schilt that is slim at the crossguard, that flares out in a spiky fashion somewhere further along the blade, does not actually provide any protection where it matters most; a good schilt must provide breadth at the base of the blade, if we want it to be a useful and functional piece of protection for the hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-07-06T14:09:00.060" LastActivityDate="2020-07-06T14:09:00.060" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8382" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-06-16T10:19:44.377" Score="-1" ViewCount="208" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there an &quot;ideology&quot; in martial arts that would question/not abide to hierarchical and authoritarian martial arts organizations/cultures?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Particularly, I've been thinking of starting a martial arts hobby, but I don't like to subscribe to authoritarian, hierarchical organizations. Because I think they're unnecessary power relations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, wouldn't it be perfectly valid to be able to practice martial arts without such organizations? And still be &quot;licensed&quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9359" LastActivityDate="2018-06-16T17:26:28.400" Title="Is there an &quot;ideology&quot; in martial arts that would question/not abide to hierarchical and authoritarian martial arts organizations/cultures?" Tags="|philosophy|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ClosedDate="2018-06-19T08:45:10.727" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8383" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8382" CreationDate="2018-06-16T17:26:28.400" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR -&lt;/strong&gt; Martial arts organizations are generally a form of quality control that will rarely, if ever, interfere with your learning experience outside of a few specific occasions such as grading for higher ranks and establishing competitive rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd like to start with the last part of your question :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Wouldn't it be perfectly valid to be able to practice martial arts without such organizations? And still be &quot;licensed&quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, it is. And for the most part, that's (paradoxically) exactly what training under such an organization should look like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No one is forcing you to join such an organization. Unaffiliated schools are everywhere. Some of them even have legitimately skilled instructors! But that's the thing, really. Unless the instructor in question is famous for being a former champion or something, how do you know if he's actually good? And even then, how do you know if he's a good instructor? Sure, you can go to his school and take a few trial classes. Maybe he's a great teacher, but maybe he also doesn't know much about martial arts. And if you don't either, how will you tell?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess that's my main point. Generally speaking, martial arts organization will keep public records of their members, or at least their higher ranked ones. So if you see a school that's affiliated with, for example, the International Traditional Karate Federation (ITKF), you can contact your local ITKF chapter and ask them about this school. They should be able to tell you if the school is indeed affiliated with them, as well as give you minimal information about the head instructor there (like his officially recognized rank and when he was promoted to black belt, for instance). You can then compare this information with the instructor's claims. That way, you have some assurance that your instructor knows martial arts, and now you can focus on the teaching aspect during your trial classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that's basically what being &quot;licensed&quot; means: there is someone out there willing to vouch for your qualifications and that will recognize your rank, as well as those of your students. So if you ever move away from your school, you should be able to integrate pretty seamlessly in any other school affiliated to the same organization.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unless your school is near the association's headquarters (or &quot;worse&quot;, is the flagship dojo), the odds of someone from the association actually dropping in and taking over the class are pretty much inexistant. In fact, if someone actually drops in like that, it's likely to be planned long in advance, with your instructor inviting a higher ranked guest instructor for a few classes or seminars. Outside of that, the only time you're likely to even hear about such an organization is when you are up for a promotion at a higher rank (such as black belt or higher). Because that's how you get your own &quot;license&quot;, and the association will want to maintain a certain quality level and award these higher ranks themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My old karate school would actually only require you to officially become a member of it's parent organization when you reached ikkyu, as you were required to be a registered ikkyu for at least one year before becoming eligible for the shodan exam. Even then, outside of the examination committee, you'd never actually interact with the organization. In essence, it was functionally identical to being unaffiliated until you were ready for your black belt exam. Also saved you a few dollars per year in membership fees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now... do these conditions affect your training at your local gym/club/dojo? they shouldn't. Your local instructor is the one planning the lessons, he's the one doing the teaching and he's the one awarding ranks (up to a certain point). He might have to teach a specific curriculum for each rank, but that's a normal part of pretty much every education system known to mankind. He might have a few assistant instructors coming from the higher ranked students, but that's often a necessity with larger classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Instructor, assistant instructors and students, that's the extent of the hierarchy you will personally deal with, at least until you reach much higher levels or if you compete in the parent organization's events.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2018-06-16T17:26:28.400" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8384" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-06-18T04:31:44.547" Score="3" ViewCount="190" Body="&lt;p&gt;What limits the number of quick punches a boxer is able to throw in a combo (eg. a 1-2-1-2... or 1-2-3-2... combo)? Is it related to breathing and cardiovascular ability, muscular strength, weight or something else?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not necessarily referring to a combat situation, where other factors (the opponent for example) will have an influence. Even while punching a bag or pads, or even shadowboxing, some people seem comfortable throwing 15-20 punch combos, while others struggle with more than 4.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT : (1) The punches in question are full-effort, with proper form, how they would (should?) be in an actual fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(2) '15-20 punch combos' may be misleading, I actually mean a string of combos without 're-setting'. A simple example being 1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2, (1-jab, 2-cross) which is the ending of &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/1Muumhhk4IA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this workout&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While experience, conditioning, practice etc. will surely play a role, that is not what I'm looking for here; I'm trying to understand what specific body factors make one stop (and therefore, need to be worked upon).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Background: Boxing novice, no real-life combat experience, not overweight, distance-runner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9305" LastEditorUserId="9305" LastEditDate="2018-06-19T05:24:11.920" LastActivityDate="2018-06-19T05:24:11.920" Title="What body factors limit the number of punches in a combo?" Tags="|boxing|punching|breathing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8385" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8384" CreationDate="2018-06-18T13:35:39.387" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Even someone with very basic ability should be able to alternate left and right punch punches indefinitely &lt;em&gt;at some speed and intensity level&lt;/em&gt;, and they could trivially add some variety and footwork and call it a combination.  Still, if you're just bouncing off the target rather than slamming into it, it doesn't mean much.  What varies considerably though is the speed and intensity the proponent can manage; factors affecting that include balance, stance, footwork, hip and shoulder rotation, and - generally - the punching technique itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At one extreme, if your back foot points out too much to the side, you're very side on, and your feet are almost on a line to the target, you'll find it hard to throw a decent cross and will tend to lose balance, and if you throw weight behind your jab it will tend to lunge into the target and be slow and clumsy to recover from.  After a few &quot;effort-full&quot; punches you'll feel like you need time to &quot;reset&quot; and recover your position.  Even someone who's quite successful and superficially looks formidable may exhibit this type of problem - e.g. here's &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZkEgqzn2os&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a youtube video&lt;/a&gt; where the back foot doesn't rotate well and the back leg isn't adding much power to the hit - consequently the back hand isn't driven through the target powerfully (see &quot;power shots&quot; from 3:12): rather, it's thrown with an expectation that it won't move the bag and pulled short without the back hip ever rotating to the front.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That contrasts with a good stance where your body and back foot are rotated perhaps 45 degrees from a line to your target, and when you go to cross there's plenty of room for your hips to turn (your back knee should rotate downwards and forwards rather than staying pointing out sideways), so the shoulders can square up during the cross.  If your stance is just the right width and depth and you're turning the right way at the right time, you'll find it possible to use both hands and throw hard and fast combinations.  He's not doing much, but look carefully at the direction faced by Tyson's shoulders, hips, knees and feet as he just moves around the bag in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PgRIzwEhX4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this youtube clip&lt;/a&gt;.  He's balanced and ready to mix it up with both hands with real power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With good technique, you can develop a feel for how your movement will be resisted by the target so you can factor that in to keep balanced and well positioned at the end of each individual technique, which allows you to chain them freely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2018-06-18T13:35:39.387" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8386" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-06-19T20:01:35.273" Score="6" ViewCount="577" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to practice a martial art full time for the sake of getting fit and dealing with my personal issues, but the problem is that I don't have much coordination with my body, and I can't repeat peoples' movements with my body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel like I get lost and I can't replicate the movement. I took Judo as a sport on my college. I want to keep practicing, but I need to know if there is a way for me to do it in spite of my disability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have dyspraxia to some degree.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9364" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-06T17:45:49.457" LastActivityDate="2019-09-09T17:53:46.090" Title="How can I practice any martial art if I have difficulty with motor and coordination skills?" Tags="|training|judo|mentality|disability|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8387" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8367" CreationDate="2018-06-19T21:33:08.277" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Caveat: I do not know much about cerebral palsy, particularly with regards to what is possible with hard work, and what simply cannot be expected. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Be realistic about self defense&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have to be realistic about self-defense goals with forearm crutches; there is a huge difference in physical capability between a person with normal use of their body and someone who needs a forearm crutch on each arm to walk. Without mobility, it may not be possible to reach a reasonable level of self-defense proficiency. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some years ago, I met a man with very limited use of his legs who could stand on his own but not walk. He had studied judo long enough to earn a brown belt, which was at least a couple years. His instructor did a reasonable job adapting judo to his limitations, and the man demonstrated sacrifice throws and mat techniques reasonably within these limitations. This man was not, however, capable of defending himself effectively because he had no mobility. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There may be plenty of other good reasons for practicing martial arts: physical challenge, coordination, exercise, mental training, social factors, etc., but self defense may not be a realistic goal. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Body training&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self-defense aside, the body training from martial arts may be helpful to you. In the Chinese internal martial arts, all practitioners are basically retrained how to stand and walk. Taiji walking, for example, is: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shifting weight completely onto one foot&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;With weight on first foot, reach out the second foot&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Place the second foot on the ground, heel first&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Start to transfer weight&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Doing this slowly and in a reversible way is hard and not flashy. It's more thought than most people put into walking. It might be useful for you if you think you can improve your leg strength and control. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It should be reasonably easy to find an instructor who can teach you taiji walking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-06-19T21:33:08.277" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8388" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-06-20T06:10:39.123" Score="4" ViewCount="2727" Body="&lt;p&gt;So here's the issue: I love kickboxing, but I absolutely detest being barefoot. I hardly ever walk barefoot around my own (clean) home, let alone the (relatively dirty) mats at a gym.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's probably not normal, I get it, but having my feet look &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JmuRh.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;like this&lt;/a&gt; disgusts me immensely. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm trying to just &quot;get over it&quot; but it's not working. I refuse to let this issue discourage me from training kick-boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Are there any footwear options available that could help mitigate this issue?&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Such footwear would have to be:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Soft enough on the top so as to be safe for light kicks against a partner during training.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Soft enough on the bottom so as to not damage the mats.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Be grippy enough to prevent slipping.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Socks seem like they address #1 and #2, but I suspect they'll slip and fail on #3. Perhaps there's something like a rubber-soled sock? A sock that's just the minimal amount of fabric necessary to attach the thinnest possible rubber sole.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9365" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-06-20T06:56:25.083" LastActivityDate="2019-11-12T10:28:27.230" Title="How can I keep my feet clean during training?" Tags="|training|recommendation|equipment|shoes|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8389" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8388" CreationDate="2018-06-20T07:15:48.100" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you go to a trampoline park in the UK you have to wear &quot;grip socks&quot; - a sock with little rubber grips embedded in them.&#xA;Searching on sites such as Amazon for &quot;grip socks&quot; they are readily available in a variety of colours/sizes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have in my classes allowed students with foot injuries to train in these socks to protect plasters/bandaging and give a little more support - I would not usually expect someone to wear them full time though. Check with your instructors if they are happy with you wearing them before spending any money.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On safety - The amount of grip offered by these socks will be different to being barefoot, this may mean you slip when others don't or that you find your feet &quot;sticking&quot; when trying to rotate them on the mats both of these options increase your risk of injury (failing to twist your foot on the floor means that twist happens elsewhere in your leg - ankle/knee/hip - any of these can be a long time out)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2018-06-20T07:15:48.100" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8390" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8386" CreationDate="2018-06-20T10:22:23.150" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started judo for that very same reason. It's a great sport to learn spatial perception of your own body. 13 years later I can see a huge improvement in coordination and balance. You'll see the results in a few months.   Try it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I just enrolled in karate :) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As &lt;a href=&quot;https://history.stackexchange.com/q/46825/103&quot;&gt;Jigoro Kano is rumoured to have once said, or maybe not&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It is not important to be better than someone else, but to be better than you were yesterday.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9366" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-09-09T07:20:00.730" LastActivityDate="2019-09-09T07:20:00.730" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8391" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8386" CreationDate="2018-06-20T10:44:35.687" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial arts are a journey on your own path, at your own time and speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have (or have had) a number of students with wide ranging issues with co-ordination, flexibility and movement. As an instructor it is very important for me to take these things into consideration when running the class - perhaps demonstrating things more slowly - or giving alternate exercises where the remainder of the class are doing something not (currently) possible for a particular student. If your instructor does not alter their teaching to your needs &lt;em&gt;find a new instructor&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I commend you on choosing martial arts - they will test your movement, co-ordination, balance and mind (and much much more). This is fantastic if you struggle with these things - you will learn to cope, gain resilience to failure, your balance and co-ordination will improve. You might never reach the highest levels of ability in your art - but &lt;strong&gt;you will get better than the you are today&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So train hard, grade when you are ready and look back at how far you have come/how much you have improved every once in a while - you may surprise yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2018-06-20T10:44:35.687" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8392" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="898" CreationDate="2018-06-20T13:59:59.020" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know that the querent will probably never see this since this is a question migrated from a now-defunct Stack Exchange site, but if you live in a large city, there's a decent chance that you can find a facility that offers classes with scenarios for combat shooting. I know that they exist in the Pittsburgh area, where I currently reside. Ultimately, the best way to learn is by doing, and this provides a safe space to experiment and to practice. And, as with any martial art, the only way to be effective in combat is to practice in a combat situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2018-06-20T13:59:59.020" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8393" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8388" CreationDate="2018-06-20T14:22:55.683" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I infer from your tone that you consider this repulsion towards dirt slightly irrational, but are unable to overcome it. If that is indeed true, you may like to try these minimalistic options, which I have &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.livestrong.com/article/554661-wrapping-feet-for-barefoot-running/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;adopted&lt;/a&gt; from barefoot running considering the similar spread of foot:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Elastic bandage&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crepe bandage&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Duct tape&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They are cheap, no-frills and easily replaceable. I believe these may also serve as a gateway to make you comfortable with the ground. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they don't work out, the shoe suggestions by Daniel Reiss and Collett89 seem great!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9305" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-06-22T10:34:41.210" LastActivityDate="2018-06-22T10:34:41.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8395" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8388" CreationDate="2018-06-21T16:52:05.693" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;For kickboxing, the main concern is that you don't want the shoe to be used to hit the other person. It can make the impact stronger and can really do damage. So it's usually forbidden, during sparring at least.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During normal gym activity (not sparring), it might be okay to wear shoes. I recommend wrestling shoes, because they stay on tight, aren't bulky, and allow for flexing the ankle. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A second possibility is to use Vibram 5 Fingers shoes. These are about as skin-tight and lightweight as you can get. They're grippy, and they don't cushion your feet at all. But you have to find the right size for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another possibility is something like this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B075D7BLVW&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.amazon.com/ecseo-Barefoot-Invisible-Anti-slip-Waterproof/dp/B075D7BLVW&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a stick-on sole that you attach to the bottom of your foot. Neat, but you have to test it to see if it comes off easily. And you might find that it doesn't stick well after the first time you wear it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for things like arch support wraps, if you use those, you should look into coating the bottom with something like Plastidip. That will keep you from slipping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of this depends on your gym's policies. Usually being barefoot is required for safety reasons. But that doesn't mean you have to walk on dirty floors. If you think your gym floors are overly dirty, maybe you can nudge your gym's owner into cleaning them better and more frequently. Enforcing a strict policy of not allowing shoes that were worn outside on the gym floor will also help (so you must take off your normal shoes at the entrance to the gym).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2018-06-21T16:52:05.693" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8397" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8413" CreationDate="2018-06-23T11:40:07.950" Score="5" ViewCount="904" Body="&lt;p&gt;When putting your opponent  into the position for a rear naked choke it is common practice to open up the submission by bending the opponents  spine backwards. Is there any realistic possibility of injury to the spine from this technique?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5578" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-06-26T02:29:15.570" LastActivityDate="2021-06-05T02:27:13.290" Title="Can spinal injury occur from rear naked choke" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|injury|chokes|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8398" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8400" CreationDate="2018-06-24T18:03:56.510" Score="2" ViewCount="2370" Body="&lt;p&gt;There seems to be a pride in using a beaten up belt. Isn't a belt cheap, shouldn't a MA practitioner be in clean and well maintained attire ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9366" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-06-26T03:04:25.590" LastActivityDate="2018-06-27T10:49:05.313" Title="Why do people wear frayed black belts?" Tags="|karate|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|belt|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ClosedDate="2018-06-27T18:36:30.627" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8400" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8398" CreationDate="2018-06-25T00:27:33.400" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;People actually sell belts that have been distressed, especially black belts that have their color faded so much that they can almost pass for a dirty white belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many martial artists distress their belts themselves as soon as they get them. There are recipes for doing this online.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While this is done on purpose nowadays, in the past it was just something that happened over time and with a lot of experience. Belts faded in color and became frayed. That's how you knew someone was a really experienced black belt, as opposed to a new black belt. The more experience someone had, the more distressed their belts looked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the past it was almost a matter of pride to have a faded black belt. It showed their dedication, time, and effort they put into practicing their art. But nowadays, many people just go out and get pre-faded belts. So you can't judge anything by the condition of a belt nowadays.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it right? Does it mean anything?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, to me it seems fake, vain, and pointless. I would never do that. But in many schools, this is the norm. It's just part of their school's culture. From that perspective, it then becomes a &quot;when in Rome&quot; kind of thing. You do what everyone else there does.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2018-06-25T00:27:33.400" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8402" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-06-25T23:32:06.397" Score="4" ViewCount="216" Body="&lt;p&gt;I apologize in advance for my english if it may sometimes seem a little unintelligible (it is not my first language).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am experiencing difficulty improving my endurance for a kicking routine that is part of the belt testing. The kicking routine consists of 3000 kicks (a variety of kicks, 100 kicks per leg. For example, 100 side kicks per leg, etc.) in at most an hour. Kicks are either to pads or a bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best I have done is 2000 kicks in 1:11 and 2700 in around 1:50. I had been training consistently for about 15 months and saw virtually no improvement with my time (for example, the time for the 2000 kicks fluctuates between around 1:21 and 1:15 on average, best time is 1:11). I used to run to help my endurance (best times are 6 miles in 52:04, and 3 miles in 22:46) when I was training more seriously. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before I started on martial arts I trained as a (sort of) powerlifter for about 7 years, so I suppose my current strength is ok (around 240 bench, 275 squat, 385 deadlift, 135+Bw pull up). I want to get back to training, but most of all I want to improve and stop spinning my wheels. Hopefully half the information here helps provide some background. I can give more details if they are required, thank you for your time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9377" LastEditorUserId="8701" LastEditDate="2018-06-26T15:24:24.513" LastActivityDate="2018-06-28T02:40:25.823" Title="improving endurance for martial arts kicking routines" Tags="|training|kicking|endurance|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8403" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8397" CreationDate="2018-06-26T04:17:09.540" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are uncomfortable with something that is happening to you, then tap. If your partner taps, then stop and let go with no questions asked. All questions wait until after disengagement. This is basic safety. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Crazy things happen. I have seen something done safely 10,000 times, but also one time that resulted in a significant injury. If pain is telling you that the low probability event may be occurring, then tap and stop. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do NOT mess around with spine injuries. These can result in permanent paralysis. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would guess if there is uncomfortable pressure on your spine from a rear naked choke, then you are face down. In this position, some of your vertebrae may be restricted in movement, and force can be concentrated a few joints. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-06-26T04:17:09.540" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8404" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8402" CreationDate="2018-06-26T10:24:00.987" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is commonly touted on my circuits that being &lt;em&gt;too muscular&lt;/em&gt; is bad for kicking martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think of it this way - if your leg has an extra 1kg of muscle on it - thats 1kg you have to lift and propel with every kick - that is going to be much more effort even thinking of that weight just as being strapped to your ankle. Extra muscle can be even worse though - if not built in the right way the muscle can actually inhibit your joints ability to move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this is the problem - what do you do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice kicking (in a kicking martial art that is basically always the answer)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Run/Cycle/Swim - build some leg endurance with an endurance sport, double benefit here 1) you will build fitness/endurance 2) your legs will slim down to suit the exercise - making them lighter for kicking with. &lt;strong&gt;Make sure you stretch LOTS after endurance training&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Small tip - As you are aiming to hit a target in an hour - try to keep your endurance training to around that length and aim to be fairly tired out at the end maintaining consistent effort throughout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately your powerlifting past is probably battling against you right now - it is a different kind of fitness to the one you are trying to achieve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2018-06-26T10:24:00.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8405" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-06-26T21:43:19.617" Score="4" ViewCount="883" Body="&lt;p&gt;When performing the long stance (&lt;em&gt;ap kubi&lt;/em&gt; in Taekwondo), sometimes there is a tendency to lean the hip forward, causing a pronounced S on your spine, where the glutes stick out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, even if your legs are properly positioned, your overall stance is not satisfactory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What could be done the avoid this bad posture of the upper body?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For more context on the anterior pelvic tilt (APT):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While the spine is not straight, and naturally has a slight S shape, some people have more pronounced curves, causing the glutes to stick back and the bellybutton and chest to stick forward. In some cases this can come from the person's physiology, but it is also known to be a bad posture problem, that can be caused by is prolonged sitting in a bad position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The natural position:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/b8Z3Z.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/b8Z3Z.png&quot; alt=&quot;Normal stance&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The APT position:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/g2iy1.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/g2iy1.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=28&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;(source)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a pathology, there are specific exercises to treat it, but question here is rather about that how to counter this exaggeration in the spine curvature when doing the long stance. Also, the same issue can come up on the horseback riding stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2018-06-27T08:51:54.160" LastActivityDate="2019-03-21T16:09:55.187" Title="Avoid anterior pelvic tilt on the long stance" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|stance|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8406" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-06-27T09:11:45.797" Score="7" ViewCount="967" Body="&lt;p&gt;Recently our intructor had to leave early from practice, and I was left in charge and the most graduate (and only) adult, with a workout plan for the remaining practice time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The group was not that large (less than ten), there was no significant problems with anyone, and work plan was followed. Still, I felt uncomfortable with the way I commanded the activities, felt to be barely in control, and very far from the level of discipline our instructor achieves. Things seemed to get out of track quickly and frequently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe it was lack of experience in this role, and resulting lack of confidence. Maybe there is a &quot;voice of command&quot; skill to be better developed?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How could I improve this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;(Maybe relevant context: I'm over 40, parent of two kids, and the class was composed of a kid and teens, boys and girls).&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastActivityDate="2018-06-28T08:49:12.003" Title="Developing voice of command" Tags="|teaching|training|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8407" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8406" CreationDate="2018-06-27T10:40:30.747" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;You should (read: must) not teach children alone.&lt;/em&gt; That opens you up for all sorts of bad allegations that could tarnish your name forever and end you on certain registers you cannot get off. &#xA;There should be at least one (or better two) other adults present in addition to the main instructor at all classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Usual disclaimer: I am not a lawyer nor do I play one on TV. I do teach children in my club so I am aware of the law in my local. Yours might vary… This is not legal advise.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Respect is earned, never given.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kids/Teenagers are no different. You have to earn their respect. Thankfully, kids and teenagers are easier than adults in that respect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At 40 you should not be training in a kids class so you should already be seen as an instructor by them all. Ideally, your main instructor should have you run warm up, cool downs, and teach segments of class while they are there. This makes the transition easier and you get respect reflected from the main instructor as you build your own. Also, they can police the class behind your back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kids are there to play. They want to have fun. Let them play games and have fun while trying to gloss over bad behaviour and be really vocal and supportive of good behaviour: positive reinforcement works best. Stop and shout only if they do something dangerous. Otherwise, keep your calm and cool just give your attention to those that do the correct thing. Kids do pick up on that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Teenagers still like to play but want to be adults more. Let them. Give then room to take responsibilities for themselves. Ask them for help to get the kids under control. Again, positive reinforcement works best but teenagers are starting to see past that so you need to be a little more careful of big exaggerated praises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, show no fear: When I ask kids to do something there is no doubt in my mind, voice, and posture that &lt;em&gt;it will happen&lt;/em&gt;. First sign of dissent gets put down fast in the most calm and gentle way possible! No violence obviously ☺. I find that just looking at a kid misbehaving and waiting for the to stop does the trick -- especially if the rest ask why nothing is happen. Of course, make sure you praise something worthy that said kid does later on. You want them to feel good even though you shouted at them five minutes ago. Then, let them all have a win: let them pick a game, a technique to practice, whatever.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to command voice… Make sure you project your voice instead of shouting. Like any good tools, use sparingly it is great. Used too often and it becomes background noise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;[…] there was no significant problems with anyone, and work plan was followed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yeah, that's what we call a successful kids class. You did nothing wrong there. It's all good. If all your kids classes end up like that, you'll be a terrific teacher. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/1159/mike-p&quot;&gt;Mike P&lt;/a&gt; in his &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/8422/82&quot;&gt;answer&lt;/a&gt; has some great advise as to how to improve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Things seemed to get out of track quickly and frequently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course they do. Kids have no attention spam to speak of. That's normal. Letting them go off track for a bit then reigning them in is how you get them to actually do something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL:DR&lt;/strong&gt; Your monsters are making you feel like you did not do well. You did.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LuvA7m.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LuvA7m.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Monsters do not sleep under your bed, they sleep inside your head&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-06-28T08:49:12.003" LastActivityDate="2018-06-28T08:49:12.003" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8408" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8398" CreationDate="2018-06-27T10:49:05.313" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;My Sensei gets a new black belt every ten years so they become frayed as you can tell. But he actually gives those belts to the students that he has trained for the longest and he considers close friends . So to have a frayed black belt for this reason is something good in our dojo but nobody frayes them on purpose .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9379" LastActivityDate="2018-06-27T10:49:05.313" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8409" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8427" CreationDate="2018-06-27T12:40:56.247" Score="6" ViewCount="2843" Body="&lt;p&gt;In traditional karate (not kumite competition) performing mawashi-geri (roundhouse kick) such that one strikes the target with the ball of the foot is preferred over striking with the top of the foot as in sports karate or with the lower shin as in Muay Thai or kickboxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A similar phenomenon seems to exist regarding ura/ushiro mawashi-geri striking with the heel versus the ball of the foot. Why is this the case and is one style definitively superior for full contact fighting?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9320" LastActivityDate="2020-03-03T14:28:31.750" Title="Why do round kicks use the ball of the foot?" Tags="|karate|kicking|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8410" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8409" CreationDate="2018-06-27T13:03:59.803" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The usual answer to this is &lt;em&gt;conditioning&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The bottom of the foot/ball of the foot supports our weight all day long, it is naturally designed to take the harder impacts resulting from kicking something hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The instep is not designed for this impact - and an injury (bending of the ankle - simple bruising - or even a broken meta-tarsal) much easier to obtain without care/conditioning and good technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A couple of other considerations &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The ball of the foot gives additional range over the shin as well as being a smaller point allowing for attacks to smaller areas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&quot;round&quot; house kicks in many arts should actually travel in a straight line - the body rotates forcing the knee forward and then the lower leg extends. Meaning the foot travels in a straight line from floor to target (where the target would be at an angle to the attacker) - performing this version of the kick correctly means that pointing the toes will result in them striking first and pulling the toes up whilst pointing the foot (much like a front kick) strikes with the ball. With this kick neither the shin or top of the foot are really viable.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Reverse&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pointing the toes to strike with the ball of the foot will give a bit more range - but the ball of the foot is using muscle strength to stay there and will just bend back if any serious impact is tried. The heel doesn't have this issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is common to see good sparrers fail to break because they naturally point the toes for range with the reverse - giving the breaking boards a slap instead of striking with any force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2018-06-27T13:03:59.803" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8411" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8406" CreationDate="2018-06-27T13:41:22.590" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is definitively a &quot;voice of command&quot; skill that can be mastered. But it is not so much about shouting like a drill sergeant as there are many other subtle variations you can change. You want to communicate &lt;strong&gt;assertively&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Language&lt;/strong&gt; - when you want to be assertive, you use the imperative. *Settle down, please&quot; as opposed to &quot;Please settle down&quot; - is a major difference in how you will be perceived, even while being polite and using &quot;please&quot;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Body language&lt;/strong&gt; - slightly forward leaning, no fidgeting with hands (keep them still, if that is a problem, physically hold one hand with the other and keep them still). Use your hands when giving orders. Go there, Fetch that... point and give direction. Make yourself as big as you can be, when you are pointing somewhere, extend your arm fully.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Positioning&lt;/strong&gt; - Not in the corner. Use space. Use elevation.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Uncomfortable silence is your friend&lt;/strong&gt; Think it makes you uncomfortable? It makes everyone uncomfortable. Use it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don't back down from a challenge&lt;/strong&gt; - I don't mean counterargue every single point. But when someone questions something, take the initiative. &lt;em&gt;&quot;Good question, Charlie!&quot;&lt;/em&gt; - you can buy yourself time with repeating the question to the class &lt;em&gt;&quot;Did everyone get that?&quot;&lt;/em&gt; and then just make a decision. Either &quot;We'll do it like this anyway&quot; or &quot;That is a fair point, we will do it like that&quot;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Invade people's personal space&lt;/strong&gt; - No, don't go all #metoo. But put your face half an inch closer than what you think is proper when challenging someone that is being disruptive. Then use the #4, silence, if it isn't enough. Uncomfortable = good.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make eye contact&lt;/strong&gt; - Again, keep the eye contact half a second longer than what you think is comfortable.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Behave like a leader&lt;/strong&gt; - Lead the way. Don't expect anyone else to put in effort, if you are not. Don't expect everyone else to be serious, if you are not. Lead with example. Lift those who are being too silent, reward effort with praise, interrupt those who are being too loud, discipline if necessary with #4, #6 and #7.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since it is a MA class, you can even do the oldest trick in the book and hand out pushups as discipline or make the class do another repetition of something difficult / strenuous as collective punishment - but now we are moving into drill sergeant territory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;edit: As a #9: Teach yourself the stone face. It really works.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9380" LastActivityDate="2018-06-27T13:41:22.590" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8412" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6731" CreationDate="2018-06-27T16:48:02.853" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Grand Master&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Headmaster 5th Degree Black Belt or above &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Master or Teacher&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Skill level required to teach students&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A novice seeks to become a Grand Master&#xA;A Grand Master seeks to become a novice&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each branch has it's variation on the theme&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9381" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2018-06-28T17:47:45.320" LastActivityDate="2018-06-28T17:47:45.320" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8413" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8397" CreationDate="2018-06-27T19:31:50.597" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, it is common to bend the spine backwards. It's called &quot;hipping in.&quot; You pull their lower body down with your legs (your &quot;hooks&quot;), and pull their neck backward, forcing them to bend backward. This opens the person's neck up even more, and makes them extremely uncomfortable, increasing the likelihood of getting the tap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A couple bonuses to make your RNC extra deadly: go belly down. There's no escaping a belly down RNC one you hip in! And of course, wear a cup. Few things feel worse than a cup digging in to your spine while you're already being choked to death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for a spinal injury, I've never heard of spine injuries from a RNC, but anything is possible! If you're just training in the gym and something doesn't feel right, tap! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastActivityDate="2018-06-27T19:31:50.597" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8414" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4890" CreationDate="2018-06-27T20:46:53.977" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had this problem as well, but I found an easy fix. When you wrap your hands, there is usually a little bit left over once you complete the default wrap. If you wrap the fingers that are getting scrapes once or twice, it prevents the rubbing that leads to the scrapes. If you do not have enough extra wrap, I would recommend getting some longer wraps. This was a problem for me as well, but I didn't want to spend money on special gloves. I too enjoy bare knuckle boxing, as I can deliver more power and my punches become more accurate. So I am very glad that I was able to find a cheap and easy solution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9382" LastEditorDisplayName="user5562" LastEditDate="2019-01-20T20:34:57.213" LastActivityDate="2019-01-20T20:34:57.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8415" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-06-27T23:07:18.297" Score="10" ViewCount="3029" Body="&lt;p&gt;I hear some self defense experts claim that blocks you see in many martial arts, such as Karate or Taekwondo, are unrealistic and should not be used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main justification given is that no professional fighters use blocks. Think of boxing, kickboxing, or MMA. Instead, you either dodge, or cover yourself using your arms to protect your head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;If these guys make a living fighting , and they don't use blocks, why should you?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another argument used is that the opponent's attack won't be a single punch, like &quot;traditional MAs&quot; practice against, but a combination, and it won't be necessarily a straight punch, but could be a hook, an uppercut, or something else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this wrong, or are blocks really ineffective? What about the professional sports fighter &quot;evidence&quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastActivityDate="2021-07-10T00:16:05.203" Title="Are blocks unrealistic?" Tags="|technique|blocking|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8417" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8402" CreationDate="2018-06-28T02:40:25.823" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Thank you all for giving me some of your time and answering my question. I saw questions, maybe some (&quot;doubts&quot;?), so I'll try to clear them up a bit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Its not really a karate belt test, however, I suppose it guards some relation, since the teacher used to teach kenpo karate. But for kenpo karate the tests were at least longer (more kicks, not sure if time requirement was the same). That was decades ago, as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kicks shouldn't be sloppy. For the first few belt tests the instructors or the teacher might cut you some slack, but from brown belt onwards kicks have to be good or they don't count. From the brown belt onwards, i've never heard of kicking tests being done on bags, everything is on pads. I suppose its to see if you are slacking at any point during the test.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On sparring its kind of point based. The fight doesn't stop after someone gets hit, but those hits add up to a score. Some count more than others, say you managed to intercept a strike and counter-attack, that would count more than a &quot;simple&quot; strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good point on being too muscular (not that I am, though). But I remember going down from 190 something lbs to ~175 lbs (currently here) a few years ago and saw some improvement. Maybe losing some more weight would help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks again for all the responses, cheers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9378" LastActivityDate="2018-06-28T02:40:25.823" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8418" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8415" CreationDate="2018-06-28T03:57:49.227" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;You're asking the right questions. And you answer them, too. If you're looking for a defense of the use of the traditional &quot;blocks&quot; in karate, you're going to be disappointed with my reply.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The blocks you do in karate, Taekwondo, and even kung-fu arts, are based on the forms you've learned. That's where they come from. And the forms are not teaching you how to block. Those aren't blocks. So what's going on?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I go over it in detail in my answer in the following link:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8373/why-do-we-teach-unrealistic-bunkai/8374#8374&quot;&gt;Why do we teach unrealistic bunkai?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't learn to block from forms. It's really ludicrous when you think about it. It's a little like trying to learn how to ride a bike by sitting on a chair and pretending to peddle in the air. No matter how correct your peddling form is, no matter how awesome your instructor tells you he is at riding a bike, it will be woefully inadequate for preparing you to ride a bike. The first time you try to ride a bike for real, you'll just instantly fall over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That just wasn't what forms were supposed to teach. It's obvious, because it doesn't work when you put it to the test, as your question implies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And while you can take &quot;blocks&quot; out of your form and practice them with others, you're merely drilling your incorrect interpretation of that movement. If you see a block in the form, that's how you're going to practice it. And if you do it repeatedly and start to get &quot;good&quot; at it (fast, accurate, and powerful), what you've really accomplished is just reinforcing your own misinterpretation of the form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing you can do to prove this is to take your blocking based sparring style to a western boxing gym and spar with a boxer. I can spare you the effort and tell you how it will go. You'll start off trying to block the punches coming at you, and you might be successful once or twice. But pretty much all of the other punches are going to get through to you. You're going to then find yourself completely unprepared for it and will devolve into a pseudo-boxing style. You'll keep your arms way up high to cover your head. You'll stop trying to block at all. And you'll perform really bad boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you'll very quickly find that the blocking strategy you've learned won't protect you. And your only solution will be to cover your head and move. You'll try to look like a boxer, and you'll fail miserably. You'll just be a fish out of water.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But it's an interesting experiment to do. And you'll note that your primary instinct is to cover up and start doing things that look eerily similar to what actual boxers do. Only, you'll be bad it, because you've never trained in boxing. But the interesting thing is the realization that boxers are doing things the way boxers do because that's what works. Not karate, TKD, or kung-fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So then, what are those &quot;blocks&quot; you see in the forms if the forms really don't teach you blocks? Read the link I gave above. I go over that pretty well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2018-06-28T03:57:49.227" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8419" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8415" CreationDate="2018-06-28T04:17:26.983" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Basic blocks shown in martial arts tend to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;use large arm motions&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;whack the opponent's attacking limb&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;leave feet relatively static &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The respective problems with these elements:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Large motions are slow. You want to minimize how far you need to move to defend yourself. Getting into a race every time an attack comes in will get you hit often. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your defending limb has momentum. This momentum makes it harder to react to additional attacks. An easy way to hit someone who tries to whack every strike that comes at them is to bait them with a feint, then hit them through the large opening their defensive reaction leaves. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Defending combinations, even something as simple as a basic 1-2 punch combination, is much easier if you move the target. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I would still call covering your head with your hands blocking. You are putting your hands up in a guard position and staying in the way, and perhaps moving a bit to intercept attacks with your arms and move your body out of the way. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-06-28T04:17:26.983" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8420" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8405" CreationDate="2018-06-28T04:40:40.870" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Actually Yoga is probably your best option.  There are a wide variety of focuses, but one focused on your lower back and posture would help strengthen those muscles as well as make you muscle memory more likely to maintain posture during martial arts maneuvers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No silver bullet here except training muscle memory, but anything that helps you maintain body dynamics and helps you move the way your body is meant to will help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S. If your spine is out of alignment see a chiropractor.  I find the activator method best, but find one that truely is helpful...it does make a huge difference with skeletal alignment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8108" LastActivityDate="2018-06-28T04:40:40.870" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8421" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8415" CreationDate="2018-06-28T06:57:51.167" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;This answer is from a karate perspective:  The word &quot;Uke&quot;, traditionally translated as &quot;block&quot;, is actually a short form of the verb &quot;ukeru&quot;, meaning &quot;to receive&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Very&lt;/em&gt; few of the &quot;blocks&quot; are designed to stop a technique head-on, and using them like that is not going to work properly.  The problem is, these self-defense guys hear the word &quot;block&quot;, and then use it like solid wall, or whack their opponent's arm/leg.  Due to using the technique wrong, they receive an injury, and decry the technique as &quot;unrealistic&quot;, or &quot;not useable&quot;.  Well, a hammer's also pretty unrealistic and unusable if you're working with screws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most (but not &lt;em&gt;all&lt;/em&gt;) karate &quot;blocks&quot; are primarily about redirecting your opponent's attack and shifting your body - not to &lt;strong&gt;stop&lt;/strong&gt; their attack, but to ensure that it &lt;strong&gt;misses&lt;/strong&gt;.  This also ties into the fact that &quot;Sport Karate&quot; has had most of the follow-up locks, throws and grappling techniques removed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally:  when performing kihon (basics / line-work) you perform the block with big, exaggerated movements.  This has several purposes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It allows the instructor to more easily observer and correct your technique&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It helps to build up the correct muscle groups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;By practicing the kihon technique with increasing speed, you learn to perform the kumite technique even faster&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wait - that last point?  About &quot;kihon&quot; (basic) technique and &quot;kumite&quot; (fighting) technique?  That's &lt;strong&gt;important&lt;/strong&gt;.  When performing a Soto Uke (&quot;closing block&quot;/&quot;Outside reception&quot;) in Kihon, I start by putting my blocking fist behind my head, swing the arm and elbow in a large circle, following a path over 2' long, and finish with a twist to the forearm.  This all takes about a second.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In kumite, with my guard up in front of me?  My arm twitches across by about 3&quot;, and the forearm rotates - this takes less than a sixth of a second.  But by practicing the &quot;full&quot; form, I know how to maximise the effectiveness and power of the &quot;short form&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9212" LastActivityDate="2018-06-28T06:57:51.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8422" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8406" CreationDate="2018-06-28T08:32:52.783" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Along with the points from the other answers, the ability to project your voice is key.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, the hall where I train and teach is often shared with some very noisy badminton players; if I can't project my voice over their noise, my students will struggle!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being able to project your voice also helps students feel confident about you as an instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have ever done any singing (not just in the shower!), or any acting, or public speaking, you probably know about projecting your voice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If not, signing lessons and acting are a great way to learn! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've included some links for reference:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.slidegenius.com/blog/presentation-tip-the-power-of-voice-projection/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.slidegenius.com/blog/presentation-tip-the-power-of-voice-projection/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.speakschmeak.com/2010/07/four-tips-for-better-vocal-projection.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.speakschmeak.com/2010/07/four-tips-for-better-vocal-projection.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2018-06-28T08:32:52.783" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8423" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8415" CreationDate="2018-06-28T19:38:41.460" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Blocks are called blocks because they provide a good visual for the technique.  But like many things in life, if you give it a name, it will be used according to that name.  So, blocks became just that - blocks.  And for many people, they do not use their brain to inquire further, trusting that because it's a block, that's all it's for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Techniques in kata fall into two general categories.  In Japanese, we call them &quot;bunkai omote&quot; (omote means &quot;in front&quot;, and this phrase means &quot;obvious bunkai&quot;), and &quot;bunkai ura&quot; (ura means &quot;behind&quot;, and this phrase means &quot;hidden (some say 'secret') bunkai&quot;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We in Karate and Taekwondo are often taught the bunkai omote because it is the easiest for us to understand, but a good instructor will tell us that there are many interpretations of a movement, and these are what are defined in the bunkai ura.  In the bunkai ura, there is an entire world - right under our own noses, and we'd never be the wiser without a good instructor - that teaches us about throws, pins, locks, strikes, and a good many things other than what the technique is named.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even our strikes are not always that: a clenched fist may be reminiscent of a punch; hands returning to the hip may be reminiscent of a chamber; and things like crane and tiger stances, spearhands, punches, knifehands, and other techniques have completely new meaning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in a sense, yes - blocks are unrealistic.  &lt;em&gt;Can&lt;/em&gt; you block?  Of course.  But in most cases, a technique named as a block does not work well as a true block.  Perhaps in some bunkai ura, a block is a block if you can make the correct oyo; but in reality, such techniques are just placeholder (and given an unfortunate name) and it is up to us to find an application that fits the given scenario in the kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And often, even if you do come up with a good application as a block, you have explaining to do about what the other hand is doing, or what the stance is for, or why the movement is fast or slow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take, for example, a &quot;double forearm block&quot; (sometimes called an &quot;assisted outside block&quot;).  What's the other hand really doing?  Why might we be in a back stance in one case, but a forward stance in another?  Clue: it's not even a block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And what about a spearhand?  This is famously expressed as a means to get inside the armpit or the throat.  Or the solar plexus.  Go ahead and give it a try, let us know how that's working for ya.  In the meantime, accept it as a throw or a preparation for a throw or lock.  Yes: it's no strike at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And what of the famous palm block?  You know, the one which has you pushing down on an incoming punch, only to aim it at - guess what? - the groin??  Oof.  Sacrifice the groin for the stomach and not even move out of the way.  Got it.  Or maybe it isn't blocking anything at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will often find it more mind-opening to look for bunkai and reference the technique by movement (kinesthetics) rather than by the way it is spoken (&quot;block&quot;).  That frees up the mind to understand more about what you're doing, so that you can account for the other hand, the stance, and the previous and next technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2018-06-29T15:40:45.170" LastActivityDate="2018-06-29T15:40:45.170" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8424" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-06-28T21:32:20.423" Score="0" ViewCount="247" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm interested in studying grappling, locks, throws. Basically using my size (6'4&quot;, 280 lbs, no fat) to my advantage. I already hold a 3rd dan black belt in Goju karate, but karate in general does not make use of a person's size and weight. And too many street fights end up on the floor, so I'd like to know how to fight effectively on the floor. BJJ seems to stress floor grappling more than traditional jujutsu. Can anyone shed some light on the difference between the two?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9385" LastActivityDate="2018-07-01T09:42:53.770" Title="How does BJJ differ from classic jujutsu?" Tags="|karate|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2018-07-01T17:53:18.933" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8425" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8415" CreationDate="2018-06-28T21:53:51.643" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a (slightly) different perspective on this to the others so I thought I would add my own answer.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have trained a little in Karate, Aikido, Judo and Japanese Jujitsu.  However, my main training is in Shorinji Kempo.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shorinji Kempo has great blocks.  We spend about 50% of each lesson (and more like 80% for beginners) learning to punch, kick and block.  However, we never block head-on.  Like a boxer, we dodge and deflect.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first two techniques we learn have no block.  You dodge instead and counter.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The next two have a tiny block that is just a cover against the (straight punch) attack being redirected.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Others have larger blocks for blocking curving downwards upwards or sideways attacks.  But again these are not actually 'blocks' instead you spiral your wrist, deflect and take the opponent off balance.  If done really really well your first block should leave the attacker off balance enough to not be able to throw a second attack.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/HCsE5.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/HCsE5.png&quot; alt=&quot;Incorrect Block&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Correct:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8diQX.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8diQX.png&quot; alt=&quot;Correct Block&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;So, in other words, BIG body movements, big foot movements, big weight shift.  The arms, though, are an afterthought.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the Jujitsu class, they did not teach blocks.  I was appalled.  By the time I had attended 6 classes, I had seen at least one injury and usually two in every class.  Basically, they did not train blocks so they hit each other in the face.  Even knowing the attack. Even with space to spare.  They literally did not know how to deal with a fast punch.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the Aikido class, they did not teach blocks.  Instead they just never allowed anyone to punch properly.  Attacks had to be telegraphed, had to hold the fist at an unusual angle and had to be slow most of the time too.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate was interesting though.  Because they had moves that they said were blocks, that were clearly not going to function as blocks, and which they never used as blocks.  I understand that this is largely due to strange forms or kata but at the same time, I was very bemused as to why they never even tried to use them in sparing.  (presumably, because they would not work)  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo, much to my surprise, DID teach blocks; they were just the same as shorinji kempo.  We didn't spend much time on them; they were part of pair form drills and never used in sparing.  But still, they were there.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion, I would say most Japanese martial arts do not teach good blocks if they teach any at all.  But Judo does (though you won't spend much time on them) and shorinji kempo does too.  Unfortunately, though, there aren't many places you can learn shorinji kempo outside of japan.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And good blocks are not really blocks.  As noted in the other answers you dodge instead.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I would say is that if you are not wearing gloves then blocking or rather deflecting comes into its own.  You don't want to try to hide for long behind an ungloved fist.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-06-29T07:51:16.087" LastActivityDate="2018-06-29T07:51:16.087" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8426" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8424" CreationDate="2018-06-29T08:35:00.370" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are many classic styles, so you might check out what the locally available styles do. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The japanese jiu-jitsu style in which i train focuses on standup grappling and controlling or pinning an opponent afterwards on the ground. &#xA;We do almost no takedowns but a lot of stand-up locks and throws. Because of that our ground-training is mostly with us on top in a better position. &#xA;So if you realy want to grapple and be good on the ground, i suppose you better go for BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please note, that my traininggroup is located in an police-facility and therefore probably focuses more on pinning/handcuffing somebody than other styles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another difference between japanese and brasilian jiujitsu is that strikes are incorparated in the japanese style. But as a boxer i also have to say, that only teachers with an additional striking background (have seen many masters, with black belts in karate) do incorparate decent strikes. The thing with the striking is, that there are are many jiujitsu people, who can't strike well and you may have to train with them. So take the additional striking with a grain of salt and lookup your local people. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As in most cases, the people and teachers matter more than style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9386" LastActivityDate="2018-06-29T08:35:00.370" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8427" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8409" CreationDate="2018-06-29T19:55:31.167" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not sure if this truly answers your question, but I'll give an answer from a Taekwondo point of view.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In our kata (we call them poomsae, hyung, or tul), we were once taught to use ball of foot.  And when we sparred, we did the same.  In self-defense context, we assume we don't have complete mobility with the ankle, such as the case when wearing boots for example.  So we learn in self-defense to kick with ball of foot (or even toes, depending on the rare application).  In sport, we kicked with the ball of toes to get around the guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nowadays, while it ultimately depends on the school, Taekwondo-in can choose ball of foot or instep as they deem.  In WT poomsae competition and in Kukkiwon grading, we are given the leeway to choose, so long as we are consistent.  Don't use ball of foot in one technique, then change to instep in another.  In poomsae, we never kick with shin, because we never strike a target, so this is moot.  But in sparring competition, kickers almost universally use the instep for two very practical reasons.  In WT competition, they never use the shin, because that would be an illegal technique (only the part of the foot below the ankle is a valid striking weapon).  Using the shin, if accidental, will go unnoticed.  Deliberately or repeatedly using the shin or knee will garner a warning for use of an illegal technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to the two reasons, the first is range: you are given a few free inches of distance.  In competition, you generally need not worry about damage to the instep, because (1) the foot is protected; (2), you want to score points, not KO's; and (3) your opponent also has padded protection (but only on the hands, head, and trunk; not the legs or arms, and while these are illegal striking weapons, accidents can and do occur.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second reason has to do with electronic scoring - the sensors in the padding.  In the &quot;old&quot; days (even as recently as Rio Olympics), the chest protectors had known bare spots - places where you could strike but there were no sensors, or the sensors didn't read well.  Using the instep gives more surface area to contact more sensors, thereby gaining advantage when these sensors were not present or malfunctioning because there would be a chance of a nearby sensor that could pick up on the strike.  The sensor thing was not a game-changer for those fighters choosing to use ball of foot; most (if not all) had been using insteps for years.  But the sensor issues definitely placed more nails in the ball-of-toe's coffin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may note that throwing the round kick feels differently between the two options.  With the ball of toes, you have less distance (the radius of the kick goes from the knee to ankle) and so you may find you turn faster.  With the instep, the length of radius is slightly longer, thereby potentially slowing the kick ever so slightly.  Also, the muscles needed to pull the toes back (ball-of-toes) are different than the muscles necessary to push them forward (instep), and that has effect on the rest of the leg's coordination of the kick.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've discovered that kickers who are used to kicking with ball-of-toes tend to adapt well to instep, but the same could not be said of kickers used to instep and try to use ball of toes.  This has effect on breaking.  For one or two boards, I'll easily use an instep.  For more than that, I'll defer to the ball-of-toe.  But others cringe at breaking even the measliest 1/4&quot; boards with insteps (despite sparring with instep) and completely bungle the break because of balance when they defer to ball of toes.  I don't understand why, it's just what I observe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I offer a guess, even if probably not related to your question (feel free to call me out on it!  lol)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To use the instep, the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles (ie, the calf) must contract.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To use the ball of toes, the anterior tibialis muscle (ie, the instep) must contract.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Larger muscles tend to be more easily contracted than small muscles, so in this case, it takes more work (and skill?) to effectively use the ball of toe than it does the instep.  Perhaps not surprisingly, when neither muscle is contracted, the foot will tend to flop, as anyone who watches young children try to throw a roundhouse will attest is very common.  And in this case, the foot's instep will naturally open (perhaps also aided by the circular movement of the shin and centrifugal force?) the instep is the result, however unintended.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I doubt any of this was factored into the use of either method, though maybe it explains why some people choose instep over ball-of-toe when given a choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-06-29T19:55:31.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8428" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8409" CreationDate="2018-06-30T01:17:12.290" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Compared to the instep, the ball of the foot can take more impact without injury (though it's easier to injure your toes by accident), and having the impact focused in a smaller area of the target means much more localised penetration and damage: you have a better chance of e.g. breaking some ribs or penetrating over the liver enough to drop an opponent.  When kicking with the ball of the foot, you also reach in sideways from any block at the shin by ~20cm, which means you may still get a good hit on someone who just wraps their arms around their head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A conditioned shin is very strong though, great for low kicks while standing around the edge of or inside punching range.  Have to be &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; flexible and close in to kick head high on a similar-height opponent with the shin though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, for the first decade or more of my training I only kicked with the ball, but now I'm equally comfortable with shin / ball / instep.  It's good to select based on the target, distances, whether you're really trying to injure someone....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For ura/ushiro - the back of the heel can be conditioned to be very, very strong, and as it's very hard the impact to the target is very sudden and destructive.  Kicking with the sole of the foot gets a smidge extra reach but is far weaker.  If you strike nearer the ball you've only got the calf muscle to keep the foot extended: it will produce a much softer impact spread over much more time, with far less breaking potential.  If you strike near the heel anyway, your more likely to injure your ankle joint, though the bottom of the heel doesn't need the conditioning effort that the back of the heel does: we walk around on it all day anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2018-06-30T01:17:12.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8430" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8432" CreationDate="2018-07-01T08:18:57.280" Score="1" ViewCount="133" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know that police, security guards and other special forces learn how to fight and control people so that if they are videoed it would not look brutal. Where can I find these types of hits and control methods? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2018-07-02T20:10:05.980" Title="Hidden hits in fight and control" Tags="|technique|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2018-07-05T14:22:06.730" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8431" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8424" CreationDate="2018-07-01T09:42:53.770" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can only compare JUDO with bjj.  there are handicaps on both for your intended purpose, bjj stresses a lot on groundwork it has great locks and submission techniques but is somewhat lack in on the transition from  standing to groundwork. JUDO on the other hand has lots of standing to ground transitions that by themselves will put the opponent out . in the ground however bjj has more solutions and many JUDO practitioners are easyly surprised with locks to joints other than the elbow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9366" LastActivityDate="2018-07-01T09:42:53.770" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8432" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8430" CreationDate="2018-07-02T20:10:05.980" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;That is a fallacy.  I am SORA trained, and my police friends concur from their own training, that as a profession we/they are not trained to fight and control so that a video tape would seem unlike IRL.  That would be anti-ethical, and anyone who sought such training in these professions should not be trusted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also agree that there is a good question here, but as worded, makes bad assumptions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the better spirit of your question, though, there is always pressure points - tuite.  These don't work unless you spend a great deal of time working with it and martial arts in general.  But pressure points do offer many subtle means of strike and control than what might be seen in person or on camera.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-07-02T20:10:05.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8433" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8434" CreationDate="2018-07-03T16:36:41.830" Score="3" ViewCount="254" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a way to practice yourself for defending non-telegraphed punches or kicks? Protecting yourself from non-telegraphed strikes is difficult because there is less time to see and react. However, is there a way to defend yourself from such attack?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-07-06T12:40:58.773" LastActivityDate="2020-06-15T15:07:15.523" Title="Defending non-telegraphed strikes" Tags="|self-defense|self-training|exercise|defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8434" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8433" CreationDate="2018-07-03T17:27:53.573" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes!  The trick is to actually make the non telegraphed attack into a telegraphed one.  How?  You practice maintaining a one-step distance.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the distance at which your attacker must make a single step before striking you (with kick or punch).  This way however good they are at not telegraphing they have no choice: The telegraph is now a single step forward.  The moment they step you prepare to defend or make a pre-emptive strike (if no other option is possible).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way you practice this is to start at the correct distance.  To find this distance you and your training partner outstretch your fists.  Touch fists and then step back.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then one of you will play the role of the attacker.  you will advance, retreat sidestep and circle and try to close the distance.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other plays the role of defender.  you will watch the attackers movements and try to maintain the starting distance.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any time the attacker feels he can do so launch a single random attack (or combination for advanced students).  The defender must either block, dodge or counter with moves from the style they are most familiar with.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After this to make the self defence nature of the drill obvious the defender should retreat.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2018-07-03T17:27:53.573" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8435" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7008" CreationDate="2018-07-03T21:41:17.667" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The entire 2nd half of Heian/Pinan Sandan (from the turn, position 11 in the diagram) is a single application.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The drill (kata applications are drills) is approximately as follows:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The turn 180 indicates the opponent is behind you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hands on hips pushing outwards you are pushing against a bear hug from the rear.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The low stance, kiba dachi steps are you using your weight to manipulate the opponents body to make space, enough to free your arms.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The uraken-uchi's are simply you freeing your arms from the bear hug. They go back to the hip because once free'd you get hold of the opponent's arms.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The final step and uraken in the sequence is you attacking the hands of the opponent and removing their grip on you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The position at this point is that you are now free of the bear hug, but with the opponent still positioned behind you. His left arm is in your left grip, his right in your right.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The lunge forward oi-tsuki pulls the opponent round to your left side, again, you still have his left hand/arm in your left (thrusting) arm.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Next move rotates away from him, pulling his left arm across in front of you. The positioning now is you behind him, with him facing away from you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The punch over the shoulder is in fact you applying a choke to the opponent in front of you, actually grabbing his left jacket lapel with your right hand.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The little shuffle and switch of the arm positions, with pull to the hip and punching over the right shoulder is the actual application of the choke. In Judo it's called okuri-eri-jime - sliding lapel choke.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This description explains every single movement for the entire second half of Pinan Sandan. There are a number of takeaways from it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;First is that kata applications are not meant to be applied rote. They are teaching tools (drills) which teach techniques. Once you can do the drill with a partner you're supposed to then practice components of it in kumite until you can apply them for real.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The various components include;&#xA;a. Getting out of a rear bear hug.&#xA;b. Using body weight to manipulate an opponent.&#xA;c. Turning the tables, gaining advantageous positioning.&#xA;d. Applying a choke hold.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kata applications (drills) aren't always short.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;No strikes. Not a punch in sight -&gt; Closed hands in shuri based kata represent a grip, which explains some of the history of karate; Higaonna for example changing the kata he was taught to make use of a closed fist.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2018-07-03T21:41:17.667" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8436" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8415" CreationDate="2018-07-03T22:24:51.827" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;No, they are not wrong, they are correct. There are no blocks in karate (also TKD)... In fact I'm relatively sure about virtually all Chinese derived systems which make use of solo forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The movements have been taken out of context and misinterpreted one way or another. Attempting to use the full movement of a &quot;block&quot; against someone trying to hit you will fail miserably.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you look at how &quot;blocks&quot; are used in the context of kata which they originated from, the reality is that they are not being used as blocks defending against strikes &lt;em&gt;at all&lt;/em&gt;. The reality is that &quot;blocks&quot; are universally as far as i can see, grappling techniques which are used to manipulate opponent body positioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The word &quot;block&quot; is a poor translation of &quot;uke&quot;. It really doesn't mean block. A better translation would have been &quot;defence&quot;. To successfully understand kata, and &quot;blocks&quot; you have to lose some of your mistraining.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A closed hand in Okinawan kata (excluding uechi, who use an open hand convention) typically means a grip, holding, not a fist punching. e.g. A tsuki is not a punch but a grab &amp;amp; push or pull.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Karate kata evolved from Kung-fu forms (taolu), and kung-fu forms were created from &quot;sparring sets&quot; (dui-da or dui-lian). Dui-da were paired practice drills. So a form or kata is made up of sequences of drills, one after another. There's really no sense attempting to record sequences of striking techniques in a drill and then putting it in something as static as a kata or form.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;∴ Virtually all the methods in kata and forms are close range grappling techniques and the closed hand in the &quot;block&quot; is holding something; a hand, an arm, an elbow, a leg, a foot, a knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2018-07-03T22:24:51.827" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8437" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8229" CreationDate="2018-07-06T22:42:46.197" Score="0" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;'I'm interested in studying this primarily for fitness and physical&#xA;  discipline and combat skills.'&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend you pass on anything derived from Chinese arts which make use of solo forms. The problem as &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/1555/steve-weigand&quot;&gt;Steve Weigand&lt;/a&gt; has pointed out, and you may have experienced yourself within TKD is that the level of understanding of the forms is generally very very poor and the resulting understanding of the art itself and it's practical use is equally poor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sadly with TKD a number of modern forms were created in the 1950s, so it's not at all clear if the creators understood what they were creating, or which of them, or if any of them contain anything useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finding a school (of any chinese derived style) which does a good job of teaching the art, as well as applying the methods practically, is going to be excruciatingly difficult. I put it around the 5% range. Your time may be better spent elsewhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6808" LastActivityDate="2018-07-06T22:42:46.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8439" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1575" CreationDate="2018-07-09T02:18:34.777" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been doing it for a school term and I'm already a yellow belt. It really does depend on the skill level of the person and how much they go out of there way to learn. If you wanted to, you could just double grade your way through the first I'd say 5-6 gups, but it does depend on skill level and the teachers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9396" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-07-09T03:29:58.900" LastActivityDate="2018-07-09T03:29:58.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8440" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8443" CreationDate="2018-07-10T16:34:06.803" Score="-3" ViewCount="735" Body="&lt;p&gt;I watched action movies, Bruce Lee's movies, Steven Seagal's movies and realize that while fighting, they (or their enemy) just stop punching and stand and sustain the other's attack. Why is that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9397" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T14:55:56.957" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T14:55:56.957" Title="Sometimes while fighting, people stand still and let their enemy attack. Why?" Tags="|defense|entertainment|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8441" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8440" CreationDate="2018-07-10T17:23:50.887" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's basically for dramatic effect.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any fight be it competition or self defence or anything else you never stand still.  This is to showing to the audience that they can block without moving and so must be much better at fighting than whoever they are facing... which is the point of most of these action films.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes it also drives the plot as in some films they want to show that the hero has some other motive than killing his opponent.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In either case it has little to do with regular martial arts teaching or with self defence and everything about showmanship.  Stage martial arts are a skill in themselves but only sometimes transferable to actually fighting.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2018-07-10T17:23:50.887" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8442" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8440" CreationDate="2018-07-10T17:54:55.910" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Without knowing the exact situations you're citing, one possibility is that someone is doing a &quot;rope-a-dope&quot;, using a strong defense and letting their opponent wear themselves out before starting their counter-attack. Fighting is hard, and someone constantly on the attack can wear out quickly. If you're in a situation where you can minimize damage (the classic boxing case is either just barely dodging out of the way, or backing into the ropes and letting the ropes take some of the force of the blows as you block), it might be worthwhile to let your opponent wear down and then make a comeback. If you're not actually in the midst of the combat, and just standing there while your opponent circles you, you're also potentially coming out ahead on energy spent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's a brief pause, they may be attempting to throw off their opponent's rhythm to create an opening. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVoFtlvdTvc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Fighting is about patterns, and disrupting the pattern can be effective&lt;/a&gt;. if it's a longer one, they might be more confident in their counter-attacking skills. By forcing the other person to approach, they're controlling the situation. In addition, it dovetails with what Huw Evans stated above about superior ability. Someone willing to stand still and act is suggesting they don't need to move, which could provide a psychological edge if they convince the other person that they're just that good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And yes, some of it will be cinematics. It makes a person look good if they don't even have to move to fight. It makes the camera work easier. And it avoids some potentially fight-ending accidental injuries like sidestepping the attack and putting your foot down on a slick spot on the floor, or a prop, and turning an ankle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-09-10T11:42:06.663" LastActivityDate="2018-09-10T11:42:06.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8443" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8440" CreationDate="2018-07-10T20:41:20.940" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know about the movies, the reason has more to do with the plot than an actual answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the real world, people exhibit one or more of six responses to an attack: fight, flight, freeze, negotiate, capitulate, and contemplate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In your question, those who &quot;just stand there&quot; are either contemplating their move, which isn't an unreasonable response if the victim was not yet being struck and had time to ponder options; or could be freezing, an subconscious result of fear and not knowing what to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in the movies, the tactic is more likely a result of the antagonist trying to scare the protagonist by making the protagonist think the antagonist has no fear.  If the antagonist is not affected by the protagonist's strikes, this is more likely to be effective.  I'm thinking this was the case in the movie &quot;The Punisher&quot; when Frank Castle was fighting The Russian.  The Russian was a huge monster who was impervious to anything that could be delivered (except for a pot of hot water, LOL!) and in several strikes just stood there when Castle delivered several (ineffective) blows.  Rope-a-dope, as Muhammad Ali was famous for using, was also used by Rocky Balboa in several of the movies, but rope-a-dope isn't quite the same as the behavior you describe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-07-10T20:41:20.940" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8446" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8440" CreationDate="2018-07-13T03:17:56.180" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sadly, this happens in most martial arts schools in real life, too. The instructor typically has his partner do something to him, and his partner will just stop immediately afterward. Then the instructor does a bunch of other things to him in rapid succession.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The purpose is obvious. It's to make the instructor look like a martial arts god. The same thing is done in movies for the same reason. It's to make the main character look super-human.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, I want to clear something up. This is something that actually took me a while to figure out and to solidify in my brain. So I want to pass it on:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Whenever you see anyone stop after doing something, and his instructor is just doing a bunch of things to him in rapid succession, that's fraud.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's okay to demonstrate what to do immediately after the punch comes, for example. But instructors cross the line when they continue doing a bunch of other things after that to an opponent who's just letting him do it. When they do that, it's just fraud. And it's BS.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only time it's acceptable is in movies, or for entertainment purposes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you belong to a school where this happens a lot, especially if it's the primary way you're being taught, then it's time to wake up and realize that you're being misled. The stuff you're learning doesn't work like it's being taught. It probably wouldn't work at all. And in the end, your false confidence might get you in a lot of trouble should you try using it for real.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just wanted to pass that on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2018-07-13T11:39:09.897" LastActivityDate="2018-07-13T11:39:09.897" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8447" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1805" CreationDate="2018-07-13T08:42:19.113" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends you could pull a muscle if you don't stretch right, if you do sparring you could get hit accidentally. But all i can say is that if you do a type of martial art there is no way to avoid getting an injury, it's just what comes with doing martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9403" LastActivityDate="2018-07-13T08:42:19.113" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8448" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-07-13T15:02:12.817" Score="4" ViewCount="289" Body="&lt;p&gt;I train in MMA (Mixed Martial Arts).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;About 3 weeks back, I got my ear in a bind (headlock, probably, but it wasn't traumatic enough to make me think about it).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I went to a dermatologist, but they were not really sure what to do about this. My ear was drained, and I was given 10 days of antibiotics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The ear is still sore and fills with fluid once a day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I use a 22-gauge needle to pierce the skin once a day, and I draw out about 3cc of a blood/puss mixture like what they show in the video link (do not watch if you are squeamish): &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9093SAO13I&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9093SAO13I&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking up the treatment online, it just says to drain the ear:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.medicinenet.com/cauliflower_ear/article.htm#what_is_the_treatment_for_cauliflower_ear&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.medicinenet.com/cauliflower_ear/article.htm#what_is_the_treatment_for_cauliflower_ear&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there nothing else I can do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the pic below, I'm in the green shirt. You can see the swelling in my ear. It isn't huge, but it's there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Qk1un.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Qk1un.png&quot; alt=&quot;mma cauliflower ear&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9404" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-07-13T15:59:03.223" LastActivityDate="2018-07-15T03:10:07.280" Title="Help for Cauliflower Ear" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|injury|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8449" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8448" CreationDate="2018-07-13T16:33:23.807" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the US, the proper doctor to see is an Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT) specialist. I went to a regular primary care physician with the suspicion of cauliflower ear, and they sent me away because they did not recognize early stages of cauliflower ear, despite it being very painful. Several days later, I went to an ENT, who recognized it immediately and knew what to do. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The ENT's advice on cauliflower ear was:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;See ENT specialist immediately! Delay complicates treatment. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do not touch your ear or put pressure on your ear. This includes doing things like sleeping on the ear or wearing hats that cover the ear. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not remember exactly what the ENT did. It involved multiple visits and a bandage temporarily sewn into the ear. Under no circumstances would I attempt to self-treat. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-07-13T16:33:23.807" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8450" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-07-15T02:59:00.570" Score="9" ViewCount="1039" Body="&lt;p&gt;Another question for move names, sorry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This time I've failed to Google up / Wikipedia up a name for a move when a fighter dodges and counter-strikes at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know there is such a thing as &quot;parry&quot; - when a fighter blocks and counter-strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But what about dodge and strike?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suppose instances of this must've been happening on rings / octagons? If so, is there any name for this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9326" LastActivityDate="2018-10-17T15:58:56.987" Title="Is there any specific name for a move when a fighter dodges their opponent's punch and counter-punches at the same time?" Tags="|terminology|striking|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8451" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8448" CreationDate="2018-07-15T03:10:07.280" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a common injury in Rugby Union for the players who play hooker, prop and lock in the scrums - their ears are continually being squished and munged under huge pressure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some players choose to wear head gear - a full head cap made from synthetic material padded in the appropriate places, available in most sport shops. This won't totally fix the problem but will mitigate it. Others will use a combination of tape and padding specifically applied to the ears to reduce the impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many articles on this, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/asked-expert-rugby-players-wear-12645467&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt; has some great photos of the problem and what some players do to deal with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd suggest you buy some rugby headgear and give it a go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2018-07-15T03:10:07.280" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8452" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8450" CreationDate="2018-07-15T11:02:40.333" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know about in English, but there certainly is in Japanese.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Shorinji Kempo we have different words for every kind of time difference between the attacker moving and the defender moving.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Go no sen:&lt;/strong&gt;  If you wait for the attack, then block or dodge, then counter after the attack has finished.  (hard initiative or machi no sen waiting initiative)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tai no sen:&lt;/strong&gt; If you wait for the attack, then block or dodge and counter all at once as the attacker moves.  (Opposing or mutual initiative)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sensen no sen:&lt;/strong&gt; If you see the opponent twitch or tell and then seeing their intent strike pre-emptively.  (literally taking the initiative before the initiative)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We also have one more method of sen: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ki no sen:&lt;/strong&gt; This is where you avoid the fight altogether.  It includes things like walking the other side of the street to the violent drunk man or talking someone out of attacking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that Ki no sen does not mean that you use a no-touch technique.  we are martial artists not con artists.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="6503" LastEditDate="2018-08-08T15:21:51.050" LastActivityDate="2018-08-08T15:21:51.050" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8453" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8450" CreationDate="2018-07-17T15:05:52.460" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As of the movement itself, this can be the outcome of several mindsets and tactics. Therefore, I will use the Japanese terms that describe a certain tactics/mindset while fighting rather than the relative movements of the opponents as they appear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;In contemporary Japanese martial arts, it is &quot;sen&quot; (or &quot;sen no sen&quot;).&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From Tadao Otaki &amp;amp; Donn F. Draeger (2001) &lt;em&gt;Formal Techniques: A Complete Guide to Kodokan Randori no Kata&lt;/em&gt;, Tokyo: Tuttling, p.78:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Kano recognized three levels of combative initiative (&lt;em&gt;sen&lt;/em&gt;): ( I) &lt;em&gt;go no sen&lt;/em&gt;, the &quot;late&quot; form &#xA;  of attack initiative, usually characterized as a defensive move or counteraction; &lt;strong&gt;(2) &lt;em&gt;sen&lt;/em&gt;, &#xA;  the attack initiative that is also defensive but launched simultaneously with the aggressor's &#xA;  attack;&lt;/strong&gt; (3) &lt;em&gt;sen-sen no sen&lt;/em&gt;, a supraliminal attack initiative, also defensive but appearing &#xA;  to be offensive, through which the aggressor's attack is anticipated and &quot;beaten to &#xA;  the punch&quot; by an appropriate action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the variant &quot;sen-no-sen&quot;, see Lowry, Dave (2017): &lt;em&gt;Traditions: Essays on the Japanese Martial Arts and Ways&lt;/em&gt;, Tokyo: Tuttling, chapter 36 (&quot;Sen (Taking the Initiative)&quot;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;In older Japanese (military tactics), it is &quot;tai no sen&quot;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is hard to apply as it is about troop movements and actual attack movements of opposing armies instead of 1 on 1, hand to hand fights. This becomes apparent in the longer descriptions of the principles given, especially in the German edition that used the original manuscript to correct the English version (and which I cannot cite here for obvious reasons). Thus, these terms and descriptions are to be taken metaphorically, not literally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the classic &lt;em&gt;The Book of Five Rings&lt;/em&gt; by&#xA;Miyamoto Musashi (1645):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Three Methods to Forestall the Enemy&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The first is to forestall him by attacking. This is called &lt;em&gt;Ken No Sen&lt;/em&gt; (to set him up).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Another method is to forestall him as he attacks. This is called &lt;em&gt;Tai No Sen&lt;/em&gt; (to wait for the initiative).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The other method is when you and the enemy attack together. This is called &lt;em&gt;Tai Tai No Sen&lt;/em&gt; (to accompany &#xA;  him and forestall him).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;There are no methods of taking the lead other than these three. Because you can win quickly by taking the &#xA;  lead, it is one of the most important things in strategy. There are several things involved in taking the lead. &#xA;  You must make the best of the situation, see through the enemy's spirit so that you grasp his strategy and &#xA;  defeat him. It is impossible to write about this in detail.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remark: I'd say it is rather &quot;tai no sen&quot; than &quot;tai tai no sen&quot; because it is about dodge and attack in one move, i.e. the initiative of the opponent is part of my course of action through which I &quot;forestall&quot; his initiative.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are ambiguities that may not even be visible to the untrained eye, i.e. a dodge can be preemptive (reacting on telegraphing) coupled with a counter or an adaption of a striking initiative that was there before (both attacking at the same time), which may make the difference between tai no sen and tai tai no sen and look the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The longer descriptions given are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;When the enemy attacks, remain undisturbed but feign weakness. As the enemy reaches you, suddenly &#xA;  move away indicating that you intend to jump aside, then dash in attacking strongly as soon as you see the &#xA;  enemy relax. This is one way.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Or, as the enemy attacks, attack more strongly, taking advantage of the resulting disorder in his timing to &#xA;  win.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;This is the Tai No Sen principle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;When the enemy makes a quick attack, you must attack strongly and calmly, aim for his weak point as he &#xA;  draws near, and strongly defeat him.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Or, if the enemy attacks calmly, you must observe his movement and, with your body rather floating, join &#xA;  in with his movements as he draws near. Move quickly and cut him strongly.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;This is Tai Tai No Sen  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2018-07-17T16:26:08.077" LastActivityDate="2018-07-17T16:26:08.077" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8454" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="787" CreationDate="2018-07-19T13:02:55.527" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;From an exercise science standpoint, we're looking at a few factors: muscle contraction, breathing efficiency, and metabolic function.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The body works better when only contracting or only stretching, not a mix. (The name of this principle escapes me.) So, when you are striking, you are contracting muscles to provide the force of impact, so you want to make sure you are also contracting your breathing muscles at that time (diaphragm, intercostals). You could also take advantage of this by inhaling as you engage the stretch reflex for power, and exhaling on strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now in terms of breathing efficiency, you can change the type of exhalation based on the level of power you want to produce. For moderated power: use more chest for less, more abdominal for more. For full power, you'll combine chest and abdominal breathing, contracting more muscles to take advantage of the body's contraction mechanics. (Hell, if you really wanted to go for broke you could even cough, getting some of your tidal volume loose. This kind of relates to 'k' sound in various kiai, such as the word &quot;kiai&quot; itself. [Though please don't use &quot;kiai&quot;...you might as well say &quot;punch&quot; when you punch. ;) ])&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Metabolic function is tied in very closely with the lungs of course, so as we exhale, we pour out some of the carbon dioxide in our lungs also. This helps to remove lactic acid and restore energy via the Cori cycle. If you're already hitting some fatigue, larger breaths per strike can be helpful, but the larger energy expenditure for the forced breath may be counter-productive. And knowing yourself as far as light-headedness goes (oxygen:carbon dioxide ratio) will ensure you'll still be standing to attack. ;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9409" LastActivityDate="2018-07-19T13:02:55.527" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8455" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7330" CreationDate="2018-07-19T13:11:48.360" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In &lt;em&gt;The New Rules of Posture&lt;/em&gt;, Mary Bond suggests two modifications to seiza if this position causes strain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If kneeling causes strain in your knees, put a cushion between your thighs and buttocks and sit on the cushion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The accompanying illustration suggests this cushion should actually be separate the buttocks from the ankles and the thighs from the calves. If your quads are tight, this will reduce the demand on them by increasing the angle at your knee joint. This is in contrast with trying to keep your legs on the ground and lean back to stretch starting from seiza, which is more demanding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the position strains your ankles and feet, place a rolled towel under your ankles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly to 1, this will allow you to start from a less demanding position by reducing the required angle at your ankles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The section on seiza is very meager; most of the book is not about this particular position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Presumably if you have strain in both your knees and your ankles, then you can use the cushioning in both areas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not have personal experience with these methods.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-07-19T13:11:48.360" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8457" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="787" CreationDate="2018-07-20T04:50:36.823" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on the breathing examples provided, I assume this is primarily a &#xA;question about Daoist breathing and I will answer in that context. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Which kind of breath allows one to generate the most power for striking?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the breathing techniques you have enumerated are stages in the Daoist progressive process of deepening, lengthening, and relaxing your breathing. Chest breathing is a description of the normal state of breathing in Western cultures today, where the desired ideal body has a taut six-pack abdomen and large chest. Belly/diaphragm breathing is contrasted with chest breathing by emphasizing the effect of the diaphragm dropping on the belly moving. You train to make this reflexive; it becomes your new normal breathing. Once this happens, you do not switch back and forth between chest and belly/diaphragm breathing, you simply breathe. Back breathing is  a similar step, where deeper breathing also begins to visibly moves the lower back. Again, it is a retraining of your breathing to a new normal; you do not switch back to chest or belly breathing. If you succeed in continuing this process to embryonic breathing, you should be the one answering questions rather than asking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reverse breathing is complementary to this process. At whatever your current stage of progression, you reverse the normal bellows action of your torso to, for example, expand while exhaling. This creates tension in your torso in contrast to the normal relaxation, which is often useful for striking, depending on the particular strike motion. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary, your breathing when striking should be normal, plus often reverse breathing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;At which point in this cycle can I generate the most power for a strike?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The end of the exhalation. During exhalation your body is most relaxed which allows you to generate speed, and it is natural to add more tension as exhalation switches to inhalation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-07-20T04:50:36.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8458" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8450" CreationDate="2018-07-20T07:29:46.340" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would suggest you to look into a fencing book or the www and the terms &lt;code&gt;parry&lt;/code&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;code&gt;riposte&lt;/code&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A parry is a fencing bladework maneuver intended to deflect or block&#xA;  an incoming attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(from &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parry_(fencing)&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;wiki&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Riposte is an offensive action with the intent of hitting one's&#xA;  opponent, made by the fencer who has just parried an attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(from &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riposte&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;wiki&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may name it &lt;code&gt;parry-riposte&lt;/code&gt; technique, as you do both at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may also have a look at &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fencing_tactics&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;fencing tactics&lt;/a&gt; or on &lt;a href=&quot;https://fencing.berkeley.edu/foil/parries.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; page.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9020" LastActivityDate="2018-07-20T07:29:46.340" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8459" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="787" CreationDate="2018-07-20T15:24:18.863" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For striking power, it is always on the exhale (option 2), and always about mid-way or more of exhale, but never at the tail end of exhale (which is option 4).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although you didn't ask, some things should be done close to the apex of your inhale, just before exhale (meaning, combination of options 1 and 3).  If you are shooting a gun or a bow, your aim is most stable at the point you are slightly more than fully naturally inhaled (but not at maximum inhale).  In other words, if your natural inhale fills up 30% of your lung capacity, your best aim is when you inhale at closer to 50% of lung capacity, and your aim tends to degrade when you fill up more than that.  Each person is different, and has a different sweet spot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So since you asked about striking, my answer would be &quot;2&quot; - strike on the midway of full exhalation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your strike is at full exhale (option 4) you will be completely gassed out and will be robbed of strength and possibly aim.  If you strike on inhale, your body must handle two different direction of forces, a very difficult thing to do.  It is possible, and those with capabilities of reverse breathing can do this.  But it isn't natural and has to be worked at, and - to me - there doesn't seem to be must justification to switch from the natural way to do this.  Perhaps others with differing opinion might offer a good reason to do it this way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-07-20T15:24:18.863" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8460" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8405" CreationDate="2018-07-20T19:12:05.190" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is not a problem to be addressed by the stance itself.  First off, stances (despite their name) are not static things: they facilitate movement from one place to another.  In actual application, stances may be prolonged for the sole purpose of keeping balance, keeping still, changing a technique, holding a person (eg, joint lock), using a weapon, etc.  But rarely will you be expected to remain in that position for any length of time longer than a moment.  In context of training, your instructor might have you stand in front stance for a prolonged period of time, perhaps s/he gets carried away while monologuing.  Or perhaps it is a stamina building or condition exercise?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But by and large, the problem you speak of is not caused by the stance itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are to avoid the tilt, perhaps it is best to address the nature of the cause to begin with.  Your doctor may tell you that you have an injury; fixing the front stance isn't going to help the injury.  You may be told that your bed is malformed and is causing you back problems.  But fixing the stance isn't going to fix your bed, and further, if you sleep for 8 hours, that will likely undo-undo anything you try to undo in fixing your stance (unless you happen to remain in a front stance fixing your posture for 9 hours, every day, for the rest of your life?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that is the point: it is your doctor who should be telling you how and what to fix.  Not to be cute, but remember the song &quot;Dem Bones&quot;?  (That song tells is the toe bone connected to the foot bone; the foot bone connected to the heel bone; the heel bone connected to the ankle bone; the ankle bone connected to the shin bone; the shin bone connected to the knee bone; the knee bone connected to the thigh bone; the thigh bone connected to the hip bone...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that's where your problems might lie: problem with a broken toe can reverberate through the foot, heel, ankle, shin, knee, thigh, and hip.  Or any problem between the toe and hip can affect the hip.  Fixing the hip instead of the problem's source isn't going to help you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now that I've said all that, I'll say this: work on Kegel exercises.  That can help with a multitude of problems, and hip flexion is what it addresses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/kegel-exercises/art-20045283&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kegel exercises: A how-to guide for women&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-07-20T19:12:05.190" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8461" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8405" CreationDate="2018-07-20T23:44:18.513" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, even if your legs are properly positioned, your overall stance is not satisfactory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What could be done the avoid this bad posture of the upper body?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Firstly, I'm not a sports doctor and wouldn't presume to understand the health consequences here, but what's good and bad posture from a general health perspective seems quite a different concern to what's desirable from a martial arts efficacy perspective.  I'm not sure of your priorities, and why you think anterior pelvic tilt is a problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just taking a martial arts perspective, this kind of stance is most useful for:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;delivering a powerful reverse hand technique,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a front-hand outwardly-rotating block, or&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;occasionally transiently to create space for the hips to turn as you pursue an opponent with a back leg kick.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For those reverse hand techniques, having the spine under some tension due to APT is deliberately used in some arts (/ by some practitioners) believing it allows the striking arm to sling-shot past the torso without the torso yielding backwards in the process: seeking to transfer more power from hip rotation into the shoulders.  That said, what's (arguably) better for power generation may also be worse in other ways - mobility, vulnerability if struck first, range of techniques that can be deployed from the preparatory position, self-damage during years of practice etc..  There's also an argument for keeping the body inclined forwards (put quite well in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUYx-H0nV3E&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; - if you consider sliding forwards from the inclined position while preparing a reverse punch - or even to use body arms to shove someone, the forward incline of the pelvis and rearward pressure on the shoulders will tend to create that kind of S shaped spine position just before you snap into the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, the single mention of &lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;ap kubi&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;taekwondo&lt;/em&gt; may or may not be intended to restrict the conversation.  In a given school of taekwondo, there may be a highly prescriptive definition of good form that's not easily changed, and practitioners may choose to adhere to that if they care about being &lt;em&gt;deemed&lt;/em&gt; to have good technique, scores in competition etc..  I'll leave this consideration with you as taekwondo spread so widely and fast and there's a plethora of variations out there with vastly different techniques.  That said, looking beyond a single school's requirements there are basic functional factors that I believe should be used to analyse and refine technique.  For instance, I'd say both the photos in the question show people with overly long stances, as their back leg is already straight and their back foot is so far to the rear that the hip of their back leg can't rotate as far forward as (let alone slightly past) the hip of the front leg: consequently, they can't possibly deliver a decent reverse-hand technique from that stance, which is one of the very few reasons to use the stance at all.  The best online illustration of how hip rotation should work that I'm aware of is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a7AW-AxBlI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; - if you consider that kind of rotation and make sure your stance is the right length to allow it powerfully, that will inform the length and width of the stance better than the guidelines for beginners bandied about in most taekwondo schools - e.g. 30 degree angles of back feet, front knee either just so it covers the toes or so the shin's vertical depending on whom you ask, one-and-a-half shoulder widths long, a shoulder width or a fist-width width between ankles etc. - such guidelines help beginners get ballpark-right stances that give them a chance of realising ok rotation during delivery of techniques from the stance, and hopefully over time that feedback will let the student refine their stance as a useful position during fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-07-21T00:18:36.607" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8463" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-07-22T14:56:41.450" Score="1" ViewCount="1810" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am 17 years old and i am a girl. I really want to be a good taekwondo fighter, but not only a fighter. I love doing it more than I can say even if i am not that good. My left knee is so weak and painful when I do things like sitting, running, and kicks. I am having a hard time. Can any one please tell me what to do rather than stop doing it? I am really scared I do not want to stop doing taekwondo please. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9417" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-07-23T01:47:55.227" LastActivityDate="2018-07-23T01:47:55.227" Title="What can I do about taekwondo knee pain?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|kicking|injury|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2018-07-23T14:33:08.547" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8464" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8463" CreationDate="2018-07-22T22:45:42.883" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First off, I hear you. I was in your position once after my knee locked up in excruciating pain while running one day in my early 30's. I was training for a marathon. I went to see a medical doctor who specialized in sports medicine. I was really upset that I might be essentially cripple, and I really wanted to be able to run that marathon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He diagnosed me with patellofemoral pain syndrome. And I was prescribed exercises to do at home to rehab and strengthen the knee. They really did help, but my knee will never be as good as it was in my teens. I'll never run a marathon, I don't think, but I can run a 10k just fine. There are limits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point is this: 1) See a medical doctor to get examined and diagnosed. 2) Get treatment and/or rehab. 3) You will probably realize that you will always have issues with your knees, but you'll be able to avoid the worst of the problems so long as you're careful and are aware of your limitations. Your doctor and/or rehab specialists will help you figure that out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, Taekwondo is particularly bad for knees. I have a black belt in TKD, by the way. And I actually blame my knee problems on my TKD training back in my teens. In particular, watch out for how far you extend your knees. You don't ever want to hyper-extend the knees (going further than lock position).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pay attention to any slight pain your knees are feeling, and if you feel any, that's when you need to take a break immediately and have ice packs standing by (bring an insulated freezer bag with ice packs in it to every class). Your instructor will need to be told of your condition, and he/she has to be okay with you stepping out immediately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also recommend taking a week or two off whenever you feel pain, even if it's small, starting immediately after you feel it. Ice it up immediately. Give it rest. Don't go back the next day. Don't go back for at least one whole week. And don't practice kicks at home when you're supposed to be resting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your doctor and/or physical therapist will likely prescribe exercises you need to do at home. These will help strengthen your knee. You're going to need to do these exercises religiously, every day or every other day as is prescribed. And do them right before class. They'll provide a certain degree of immunity to most problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The exercises won't work perfectly. You'll still get knee problems if you go too hard or too long. That's okay. It's just about knowing your limitations, that's all. And at first, you won't know, so you're going to feel pain again. That's normal. That's just finding your limits. It takes time to figure those limits out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are so many conditions of the knee that you can have, by the way. Some are treatable with strengthening exercises like I mentioned. Others may require surgery. Others may require certain medications. You won't know until you're diagnosed. So you need to see an actual medical doctor who specializes in this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Usually this would be under Sports Medicine or orthopedic medicine. You can also find doctors who specialize as knee surgeons. Any of those 3 specializations will work fine. Your family doctor can also do some basic tests, x-rays, and so forth, before referring you to a specialist. Ask your parents to set up an appointment as soon as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't be scared. Worst thing that will happen is you find out what is going on and how it can be treated. You get to decide what to do after that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Back to Taekwondo... After treatment, you'll be able to test your limits at home, practicing your kicks and such. And you can return to class and see how it goes. You'll know after that whether or not you can really keep on doing TKD or not. If you find that you're still feeling pain in TKD, my recommendation is to find another martial art to do, or find another sport or physical activity to do. It's not the end of the world, and you'll probably be just as into whatever you decide to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2018-07-22T22:45:42.883" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8465" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2913" CreationDate="2018-07-23T08:04:53.877" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will just quote Kano:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Generally speaking, if we look at sports we find that their strong point is that because they are competitive they are interesting, and young people are likely to be attracted to them. No matter how valuable the method of physical education, if it is not put into practice, it will serve no purpose — therein lies the advantage of sports. But, in this regard there are matters to which we must also give a great deal of consideration. First, so-called sports were not created for the purpose of physical education; one competes for another purpose, namely, to win. Accordingly, the muscles are not necessarily developed in a balanced way, and &lt;strong&gt;in some cases the body is pushed too far or even injured&lt;/strong&gt;. For that reason, while there is no doubt that &lt;strong&gt;sports are a good thing&lt;/strong&gt;, serious consideration must be given to the selection of the sport and the training method. &lt;strong&gt;Sports must not be undertaken carelessly&lt;/strong&gt;, over-zealously, or without restraint. However, it is safe to say that competitive sports are a form of physical education that should be promoted with this advice in mind. The reason I have worked to popularize sports for more than twenty years and that I have strived to bring the Olympic Games to Japan is entirely because I recognize these merits. However, in times like these, when many people are enthusiastic about sports, I would like to &lt;strong&gt;remind them of the adverse effects of sports&lt;/strong&gt; as well. I also urge them to keep in mind the goals of physical education—to develop a sound body that is useful to you in your daily life — and be sure to consider whether or not the method of training is in keeping with the concept of seiryoku zenyo&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kan%C5%8D_Jigor%C5%8D&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kanō Jigorō quotes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6488" LastActivityDate="2018-07-23T08:04:53.877" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8467" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8468" CreationDate="2018-07-24T13:41:36.187" Score="5" ViewCount="1438" Body="&lt;p&gt;In a recent sparring practice, one of the practitioners used a jump side kick against the adversary, that was dodging and stepping back from the other attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It was a surprisingly effective move, since it was a quick advance and hard to block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was left wondering, we never see jump kicks in sparring competitions.&#xA;Why is this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastActivityDate="2018-07-25T09:20:04.227" Title="Using jump kicks in Olympic style sparring" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|jump-kick|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8468" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8467" CreationDate="2018-07-24T14:09:20.757" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Yes, it's a good move&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First off, yes, this can be a good move for TKD sparring. It's fast, covers distance, and it's very visible (important if you don't have the money for sensors and rely on judges).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;But there are sacrifices&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As one of my fellow Capoeira students keeps re-iterating, the moment you leave the ground, you lose control. There's very little you can do to change direction. You are pretty much fully committed. And all it takes is someone blocking, or even advancing at the wrong time, and you're off balance and falling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;However, for Olympic-style sparring, falling might not be so bad&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unless the rules have changed since the last time I read them, points are awarded for counterattacks, but you aren't allowed to strike an opponent who's &amp;quot;fallen&amp;quot;, so there was at one time a strategy of kicking and then falling over which exposed the sport to much ridicule when video of it started going around. But, as with any sport, there are rules, and the way to win is to be good at playing by the rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-07-24T19:49:53.313" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8469" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8467" CreationDate="2018-07-24T14:16:52.187" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a few reasons why jumping &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; be bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Once you leave the floor you are a passenger; you can't change direction until you have landed. If your opponent is wise to it, they know exactly where you are going, allowing for a side step and counter. This can make the attacker look quite foolish (I love jumping and had this happen to me a lot when I was a colour belt).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You land heavily, compromising movement for a split second then. What goes up, has to come down, and that is all of your weight at once. Your legs are busy absorbing the impact and trying to get back on the move again is tough. Another opportunity for your opponent to move and strike.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It takes energy to lift yourself and all your gear off the floor. Usually, your jump will be presaged by a bending of the legs and obvious tension. It is very hard to jump anywhere without this tell and it just gives the opponent more time to counter.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you add these together, a wary opponent will be able to capitalise on you jumping because they have a good idea where you will be and what you will be doing for that entire length of time. A short jump to gain height or distance away is a different matter entirely (and regularly used in Olympic style sparring).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You still see the occasional jump and I will never stop doing them. Its a good test of the opponent's mettle if you throw yourself at them leg first, high in the air; if they flinch the game is up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-07-25T09:20:04.227" LastActivityDate="2018-07-25T09:20:04.227" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8470" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8467" CreationDate="2018-07-24T15:54:15.100" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;On one hand, you do not get any more points for a jumping kick than you do for any other kind of kick.  However, there are times when a jump is better than a standard kick, you just have to be good at not telegraphing your intentions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The side kick is a good example.  Assuming you decided to throw the side kick instead of any other, then you want to kick with the lead foot - it's closer, quicker, and harder to see coming.  You could shift your weight back and throw a standing front leg kick, but that will rob you of distance.  The only other alternative is to jump.  (Technically, you want to hop or gallop; a jump implies throwing your rear knee forward.  That's not what you want, that's too slow and easily countered.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, you did say &quot;jumping side kick&quot;, but you didn't mention whether or not a turn was involved.  Turns make the kicks more risky (because physically, they strain the ankle and knee; and technically, you're vulnerable to a counter).  But the rewards are much higher: you get one or two more points for a turning kick than you do for a non-turning variant.  See the rules on points here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;One (1) point for a valid punch to the trunk protector&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Two (2) points for a valid kick to the trunk protector&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Four (4) points for a valid turning kick to the trunk protector&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Three (3) points for a valid kick to the head&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Five (5) points for a valid turning kick to the head&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;One (1) point awarded for every one “Gam-jeom” given to the opponent contestant&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can find these points listing here in the current World Taekwondo rules, these are published April this year.  Jump to page 25, under &quot;Article 12&quot;, section &quot;3&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Revision-WT-Competition-Rules-Interpretation-Hammamet-040520181.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Taekwondo Rules - April 2018&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-07-24T15:54:15.100" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8471" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4732" CreationDate="2018-07-25T17:57:26.303" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think a lot of people take Aikido out of context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido is constantly belittled for the &quot;here grab my wrist&quot; thing, which is admittedly ubiquitous, but it is not the style to blame - it's the instruction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly, the &quot;compliance&quot; thing is often tagged to Aikido too, and this is another area where there is nothing inherently defined in the style that suggests compliance is a requirement.  Indeed, this is also an instructor problem.  I assume those who discuss this particular topic are referring to advanced students: beginners, of course, need a degree of compliance so that they learn the movement.  In time, the attacks they defend against ought to be more realistic.  If advanced students are still relying on compliance, that's an instructional problem not a style problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And then there's this thing about no striking, which I find striking, given that striking is an integral part of Aikido defense.  That is what &lt;strong&gt;atemi&lt;/strong&gt; is.  Atemi is the strike for the purpose to distract or offbalance.  Just because Aikido-ka don't use striking to immobilize or to kill does not mean there is no striking.  The style defines it, the style encourages it, and so, it's definitely there.  You may not see beginners using it, and there's a reason for that: they're focusing on getting the technique down.  When they get more experienced, the strikes become real.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aiki&lt;/strong&gt; is a concept of harmonizing with the adversary.  Aikido applies this concept of Aiki to jujitsu  (lending to &quot;aikijitsu&quot; which is the fighting aspects of jujitsu with aiki applied; and lending to &quot;aikido&quot; which is also a blend of aiki and jujitsu but also with philosophy (a way of life) added in), but aiki can be applied to anything - taekwondo, tai chi, boxing, hockey, football, office management, customer management, shotgun shooting, and bonzai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido can be summed up in several neatly-wrapped mantras, like &quot;it is control through flow&quot;.  Or philosophically it is the &quot;intent to change the adversary's intention&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Detractors always look to the Aikido-ka who is lying on the ground getting pummeled: what's he gonna do now?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that is where your question begins and my original postulation starts: what part of Aikido can be used in real life without taking Aikido out of context?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The guy getting pummeled on the ground has no hope except for a good constitution, some luck, a friend, or some extraordinary strength.  In any case, Aikido isn't going to help him, he has already failed to use it, so it's not going to help him now.  Perhaps, the jujitsu part of Aikido (you know, the thing that Aiki was applied to) might help.  But in this case, there is no flow or harmonization, he'll have to find something else to use.  It is like asking a police officer who's being pummeled to the ground how is his service weapon going to help now?  It isn't.  He'll need a good constitution, some luck, a backup officer, or extraordinary strength to get him out of that pickle.  (He could reach for his service weapon, but the perp would try to stop that by grabbing his wrist; the problem is, all of the Aikido detractors say that the wrist grabbing is a farce, so, that would never, ever happen in real life  ;-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is like the difference between tact and diplomacy.  Diplomacy gets you out of situations that tact would have kept you out.  Aiki / Aikido is like the tact.  The rest of your self-defense capabilities is the diplomacy.  If you fail to use tact, you will rely on diplomacy.  Don't blame tact for the problem: you failed to use it.  If you fail to use Aikido, don't blame Aikido, you failed to use it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some mentions were made about the wrist grab (as did I in my snarky comment), an unfair but very common complaint about Aikido.  A good instructor will explain that such attacks are not inherently natural, and usually come followed up with something else, since that is the attacker's intention.  Who, after all, just grabs at a wrist without a backup plan?  But in reality, another aspect of Aikido - changing the adversary's intention (and control through motion) - is the invitation to attack.  A generally accepted attack would be a rush (to a bear hug, or a punch, or a kick, or a thrust of a knife, etc) and in that rush, the Aikido-ka OFFERS the wrist.  Well, not really an offer, but he does it in such a way that causes the opponent to instinctively grab at it.  For instance, sticking up the hand as if to poke the eyes.  The attacker will either rush through with the attack (and get poked in the eyes), or will instinctively grab at the poking hand to protect his eyes.  To offer the wrist and threaten to poke the guy in the stomach isn't going to help.  The attacker will instinctively sacrifice a poke to the belly - unless that &quot;poke&quot; is a knife.  Now he has reason to change his intention.  &lt;strong&gt;THIS&lt;/strong&gt; is the wrist grab.  &lt;strong&gt;THIS&lt;/strong&gt; is the change in intention.  The change in intention went from a rush to a bear hug to a grab of the thing that's going to blind him.  &lt;strong&gt;THIS&lt;/strong&gt; is control through motion.  &lt;strong&gt;THIS&lt;/strong&gt; is changing the opponent's intention.  This does not work when being pummeled on the ground.  To blame this on Aikido is to take Aikido completely out of context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does your style have atemi?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing does, it's called a fake, fein, and a jab.  Karate and Taekwondo have it.  Wrestling has it.  Aikido hasn't by any means cornered the market on changing the opponent's intention, or controlling someone through their motions.  What it has done is capitalized on the concept, codified it, and said &quot;this is how you do it.  Apply it to your style how you wish&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aiki was never meant to be a complete self-defense system out of the box.  But Aikido was.  And it is a very viable means of self defense, particularly when you adopt all of the philosophies it encompasses (no winners no losers, for example) as it is compatible with self-defense to children, adjunct training for law enforcement, and so on.  But if you take it as a rigid square peg and try to jam it into the proverbial round hole, you're not understanding what Aikido is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido's main uses are to change the opponent's intention, and to control his motion through flow.  If your opponent has you on the ground and is opening a can of ground-and-pound on you, you are going to need a miracle to give him something else to worry about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2018-07-25T20:54:38.317" LastActivityDate="2018-07-25T20:54:38.317" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8472" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4732" CreationDate="2018-07-25T18:37:21.453" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have any statistics, but my personal experience with Aikido as self-defense is that it's best used in situations which have not yet turned violent, but involve attacks, where you don't want to cause lasting damage. The classic example which my teacher used was an unwanted admirer trying to slip an arm around you, or a relative deciding to &quot;show you kung fu doesn't compare to fisticuffs&quot; at the family barbecue. I have had the opportunity to use self-defense in that sort of situation and it does a pretty good job of avoiding the confrontation turning violent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Simply put, a wrist-lock dissuades a person without having to strike them, or even knock them to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do, however, note that I never got very far in Aikido, so I may not be fully informed on its use in more combative scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2018-07-25T18:37:21.453" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8473" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2018-07-25T19:20:40.697" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2018-07-25T19:20:40.697" LastActivityDate="2018-07-25T19:20:40.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8474" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2018-07-25T19:20:40.697" Score="0" Body="For questions about words, phrases and definitions that are specific to martial arts." OwnerUserId="7808" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2018-08-05T02:59:07.777" LastActivityDate="2018-08-05T02:59:07.777" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8475" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8484" CreationDate="2018-07-26T13:15:02.950" Score="-1" ViewCount="228" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am good with Kata, but still I am not able to figure out in particular situation. How I use any particular move from Kata like Juji-Uke or Sukui-Uke, etc..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any basic principles to apply specific moves of Kata?&#xA;How to react efficiently by having Kata in mind?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8501" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-07-26T21:06:56.380" LastActivityDate="2018-07-28T18:12:53.347" Title="How to create a Bunkai of Karate?" Tags="|karate|forms|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8476" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8475" CreationDate="2018-07-27T01:34:53.600" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I highly recommend reading a book called &quot;The Way of Kata&quot;, by Kris Wilder and Lawrence Kane.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you understand the principles within the book, you should have enough information to tell a good instructor from the bad (because either they will teach those principles or they won't.) and your next move should be to find an instructor who can teach you the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no single technique to derive from a given movement or set of movements within a kata.  A good instructor should be able to keep you busy for a year or more on your very first kata.  While that usually won't happen, it should be understood that the knowledge built within the kata is endless.  You simply need the tools to help unlock it - that's where the book and your instructor comes in.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you learn how to decode the kata, next is to derive the techniques - that is called oyo.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you come up with the oyo, you can build the applications - that is called bunkai.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you come up with the bunkai, you can apply it in sparring - that is called kumite.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-07-27T01:34:53.600" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8477" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8479" CreationDate="2018-07-27T03:25:21.547" Score="3" ViewCount="1776" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am new to Kyokushin karate, and I am trying to learn how to do a &quot;proper&quot; &lt;em&gt;mawashi geri&lt;/em&gt;. I have read through several posts on this site, in regards to this issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &quot;proper&quot; karate form for &lt;em&gt;mawashi geri&lt;/em&gt; involves what seems to be an impossible motion where your knee goes to the side and such, where I feel like my femoral head is hitting my pelvis. I can maybe kick as high as someone's pelvis. To emphasize, I don't feel tightness (i.e. stretching issue), I feel like it's an unnatural motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, when watching full contact karate &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu9BH2oM9as&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;tournaments&lt;/a&gt;, the kick most often performed (what I believe to be mawashi geri) is a combination of a &lt;em&gt;mae geri&lt;/em&gt; (front kick) and &lt;em&gt;mawashi geri&lt;/em&gt;. Performing this kick, I can strike my opponents head no problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially, I am confused as to what I should be practicing? I suppose for grading purposes, I should practice the &quot;proper&quot; form?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9435" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2018-07-31T13:20:51.830" LastActivityDate="2023-05-12T18:34:58.187" Title="Hip issue with Mawashi Geri (Roundhouse Kick)" Tags="|kicking|flexibility|stretching|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8478" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4653" CreationDate="2018-07-27T08:38:50.383" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;One point not mentioned here is that Gi collars are usually very stiff, to protect from chokes. Various chokes are actually a lot easier to perform on garments not specifically designed to make choking hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7286" LastActivityDate="2018-07-27T08:38:50.383" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8479" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8477" CreationDate="2018-07-27T11:22:22.933" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience (~5 years of Shin Kyokushin in Tokyo - after ~25 years of other arts), Kyokushin tends to accept whatever you can make work in sparring, and doesn't care too much whether your mawashi geri has a healthy dose of maegeri in there, even in gradings.  But individual instructors and examiners may vary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of the kicks in the video you link, several are impressive in their minimalism and effectiveness, but the kick at 1:59 stands out as a great example of what's possible if you have great flexibility: he's rotated the hips over a bit more than most of the kickers, so the top hip is close to the top of its arc and moving closer to horizontally at impact.  If you can do something like that, it's easier to clear the opponent's guard and shoulder, and he's completely messed with the timing of the attempted block.  (Kyokushin fighter Glaube Feitosa does something similar in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cNUkGhV2q4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; - the slow motion at 0:54 is worth watching).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's something to aspire to.  I wouldn't worry about it too much though - just keep stretching and kicking high and relaxed at least a few times a week, and see what happens for you.  During pad and bag work, make sure your kicks are making reasonably impact, even if not at the ideal horizontal angle, and let that improve over time.  For the low kicks where you don't have to compromise, make sure they're rock solid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An even fuller rotation - where the toes of the back foot end up pointing backwards before impact and the kicking hip has rotated over and past the supporting leg's hip, with the body linear and top shoulder rotated over - is used in some arts (e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtqNOsmVEug&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;short slow demo execution&lt;/a&gt;).  That's rarely seen in kyokushin, as kyokushin tends to be keeping the body squarer to facilitate recovery into a fighting stance, using the kicking leg to kick again or block a low counter-kick, and follow up with hand techniques.  In Kyokushin you will see a looser kick that rolls right over and is fairly often followed by &lt;em&gt;ushiro mawashi geri&lt;/em&gt; (or the threat thereof), normally employed at more of a distance when the opponent's already backpedalling so is unlikely to be able to close the gap during the much longer recovery period wherein it's relatively difficult for you to defend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2018-08-04T02:35:35.527" LastActivityDate="2018-08-04T02:35:35.527" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8480" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8481" CreationDate="2018-07-27T13:33:02.110" Score="11" ViewCount="7563" Body="&lt;p&gt;Defences against a standing strangle with the hands AKA 'rape choke' are very commonly practised in self-defence classes yet when I roll with people in BJJ classes nobody ever seems to try it on me. Why is this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9320" LastActivityDate="2018-07-30T15:49:12.593" Title="Why don't we strangle with the hands in BJJ" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|chokes|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8481" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8480" CreationDate="2018-07-27T14:35:08.740" Score="12" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Choking with hands wrapped around the throat is not efficient&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The goal of chokes in BJJ and judo is to cut off blood to the head at the carotid arteries and jugular veins, which can render a person unconscious in seconds. Cutting off air takes much longer, so blood is strongly preferred. If you are trying to do this with each hand squeezing on both sides of the neck, you have two problems:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You are relying on your hand strength only to apply force to the blood vessels. Direct force from the arms will be into the windpipe, which is not where you want it. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The force applied by your hands is spread over your fingers, reducing pressure on the blood vessels. It does not help to cut off the blood in more than one place; to cut off blood, it is sufficient to have maximum pressure in one place. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Choking with your hands wrapped around the throat is not efficient because your hands are weaker than your arms and body. There are much better options like cross chokes, the rear naked choke, or even choking with knuckles directly on the blood vessels. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Contrast choking with hands wrapped around the throat with:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A gi cross choke. You apply pressure to the blood vessels with the small area of your wrist or forearm. You get leverage from scissoring your arms when applying the choke. Your arms are much stronger than your hands. All of this adds up to much stronger choke. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Choking with knuckles directly on blood vessels (&lt;em&gt;ryote jime&lt;/em&gt;)[thanks to Philip Klöcking]. By using the knuckles instead of the surface of the fingers, the pressure on the blood vessels increases. You can adjust the angle of your arms to directly apply pressure on the blood vessels, either with your arms, or ideally with your body weight. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-07-30T15:49:12.593" LastActivityDate="2018-07-30T15:49:12.593" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8482" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8480" CreationDate="2018-07-27T14:40:18.427" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;(A bit of a frame-inversion here - I'm answering &quot;why do we learn this if it's not useful when we roll&quot; instead of &quot;why don't people do this when we roll&quot;)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is &lt;em&gt;typically&lt;/em&gt; not being taught as a defense against a &quot;trained&quot; opponent, nor a &quot;sports&quot; defense for rolling with people in class or tournaments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is often being taught as &quot;combat&quot; self-defense against an opponent (usually untrained) who is intending you serious harm.  For example, as you said, &quot;&lt;strong&gt;rape&lt;/strong&gt; choke&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial Arts originated as self-defense, not as a sport, and as such some techniques you learn will fit in one of those buckets but scarcely feature in the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9212" LastActivityDate="2018-07-27T14:40:18.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8483" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8477" CreationDate="2018-07-27T14:58:59.463" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This &lt;em&gt;could&lt;/em&gt; be a ligament-stretching issue rather than a muscle-stretching issue, which is why it doesn't feel like stiffness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are 2 stretches that can help with this:  One is a partnered-stretch, the other you can do on your own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the partnered stretch:  kneel down, knees and feel apart, with your body and arms out in front.  Your partner puts their feet on the inside of you knees, and uses them to push your knees out and applies (gentle!) pressure down on your hips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the solo stretch:  Stand on one leg, with the other one folded.  Hold the middle of the shin, and pull the leg out sideways (with the shin &lt;strong&gt;parallel&lt;/strong&gt; to the ground) Early days, focus on pulling the leg up - ideally, once you get used to it, you want to be trying to keep the body as upright as possible at the same time&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for &quot;which to practice&quot;: using the full version when performing kihon is better for building up the muscles to make &lt;em&gt;both&lt;/em&gt; versions of the kick stronger and faster.  Using the fast version for renraku and kumite is, well, faster.  After all, when sparring, you don't pull your fist all the way behind your head before using Soto Uke!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9212" LastActivityDate="2018-07-27T14:58:59.463" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8484" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8475" CreationDate="2018-07-28T18:12:53.347" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR -&lt;/strong&gt; It is the kata that is derived from the bunkai, not the bunkai that are derived from the kata. In fact, kata are mnemonic tools intended for advanced students to remember the bunkai and eventually transmit the art. If you do not know the bunkai for your kata, the best way to reconstruct them would be to cross-train in jujutsu, judo or other stand-up grappling art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To properly answer this question, one must first ask &quot;what are kata?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One &quot;popular&quot; opinion would have you believe that &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Zc3rkmaoSi0?t=2m5s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kata are nothing more than choreographic exercises meant to keep students involved in the classes prior to the now mainstream belt system&lt;/a&gt; (thanks, Judo!). While I agree with the expressed sentiment that modern martial arts classes are too focused on forms and kata rather than on practical application, this opinion is very limited. In Okinawan karate, at least, kata are so much more than just a lazy teaching gimmick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Individual schools did not teach dozens of kata&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okinawan karate used to be a somewhat &quot;secret&quot; thing. Meant as a complement to folk wrestling (mutou or tegumi, depending on the region), it was mostly a family affair in how it spread and evolved. A master would go on to teach to his sons, and perhaps to those of close friends that were unfit to teach for various reasons (such as never mastering their own father's style before he died). While people would fight and train with each other, the original kata didn't spread much outside of their local circles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each of these family schools had maybe one to three katas, and they contained most of what made the style &quot;unique&quot;. These kata were jealously guarded, only taught to loyal students and trusted friends. With time, however, karate became less popular and the number of qualified masters dropped. To further develop their art, students eventually had to study with various masters, learning their respective kata. This is why modern styles such as Shotokan and Kyokushin teach so many kata. More doesn't necessarily equates to better, however, as the advanced techniques contained within were often diluted as each kata was practiced less and less (because more katas).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kata are mnemonic tools&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Historically speaking, basic karate techniques are very similar from one style to another. Considering the human body is built in a specific way, the number of possible punches and kicks is somewhat limited, which in turn influences the number of effective blocking techniques. However, one needs to consider the fact that early karateka pretty much all cross-trained in wrestling arts. Individual styles thus emerged by focusing on how to switch from striking to grappling, or how to use grappling to gain an advantageous position to strike from.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do you teach these transitions? Continuously practicing them seems like a decent solution. But when all of your reputation is built on the strength of your style, how do you ensure that it gets fully transmitted to your martial heirs? You could write it down, of course, but then you'd risk it being copied and/or stolen. This is where kata truly shine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kata are built upon layers. The first layer is what you see: a combination of punches, kicks, and blocks. This layer is intended for beginners, where they can practice their basics using an exaggerated stance (to develop muscle and muscle memory for maximum efficiency) before moving on to sparring where the stance is much more relaxed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second layer is what most people would nowadays call &quot;kihon&quot;. Using the first layer's techniques, you now train them outside of the kata in short combinations (like gedan barai followed by a gyaku tsuki counter), usually with a partner. Again, the kata serves as a practice tool to develop muscle memory, but it now becomes a greater teaching tool, in that in gives a structure to the techniques and organizes them in short sequences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The third layer is intended for more advanced students. Once one truly understands the fundamentals, as well as having a decent understanding of grappling, the order in which the techniques are presented in the kata indicate transition points where grappling is involved. What initially looked like a uchi ude uke followed by a step forward and punch now becomes a leg grab followed by a takedown, with both push and sweep variations (represented by the punch and the forward step, respectively).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this point, having practiced kata for years, students are unlikely to forget them. This is what makes kata such interesting teaching tools: by the time the students truly master the techniques within, they have already practiced the kata so many times that they will never forget it, meaning that the style should never be &quot;lost&quot;. Sadly, that's not what happened...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess my point here is that kata are much more than a collection of basic techniques. They are instructions, or perhaps blueprints, on how to reconstruct the more advanced techniques of the style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How do you create bunkai for a specific kata?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To put it bluntly, you don't. Kata were not created according to some fleeting whim; they were carefully crafted in order to maximize the training benefits for students as they progressed in their mastery of the style. In fact, the bunkai came before the kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the masters' styles evolved, they drilled their students on the techniques that were deemed most effective at the time. These drills eventually became the core of their kata, which was to be used by later generations of masters to remember the original drills. But these drills could not be too obvious, otherwise anybody watching you perform a kata could instantly decode your prized techniques, so they were &quot;approximated&quot; using basic punches, kicks, and blocks. That way, only someone trained in your style, or someone that had a profound understanding of both karate and wrestling, could make use of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sadly, as martial arts in general became less and less popular, much of the hidden meaning of these kata was forgotten. Instead of figuring out all of the knowledge in their own style's kata, many practitioners traveled and learned other styles' kata to complement their training. Indeed, as different styles focus on different techniques, their respective kata will have different more &quot;obvious&quot; bunkai. Quantity is now used as a substitute for quality when it comes to kata and, from my experience, around 75% of the bunkai for each kata that were taught to me were recent fabrication because the original meaning was long lost.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What can I do, then, if I wasn't taught the original bunkai for my kata?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My best suggestion to you would be to learn classical jujutsu, judo, or other Japanese grappling art that have a good stand-up game, and try to reconstruct the bunkai that were lost. While your reverse-engineering might not look at all like the original creator of the kata intended it, it will likely be closer to his original intent than simply practicing combinations of kicks and punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2018-07-28T18:12:53.347" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8487" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8495" CreationDate="2018-08-03T05:04:01.317" Score="-3" ViewCount="251" Body="&lt;p&gt;As can be seen in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mf2ua6PGdk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; there are invisible strikes. I would like to know where can I find more like those. In addition, I would like to know what is the idea and the tricks that stand beyond the invisible strikes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2018-08-05T02:14:06.003" Title="Where can I find a good source for invisible strike" Tags="|punching|striking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8488" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7312" CreationDate="2018-08-03T15:00:32.230" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/capoeira/comments/92ckp9/miudinho_cordao_de_ouro_sequencia/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;asked this question on Reddit&lt;/a&gt; and got an answer that this is actually several &lt;em&gt;Cordão de Ouro&lt;/em&gt; sequences. There is no written version. The app just broke it down into the individual sequences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It looks like &lt;a href=&quot;https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appsolutegroup.cdo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;it's now available for Android&lt;/a&gt;, but as per the Reddit thread, there's no textual description and, honestly, the low framerate for the sections is mildly nauseating, at least for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My transcript:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Capoeiristra A&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Capoeiristra B&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Begin in cocorinha&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Same&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Negativa, right&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Negativa, left&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Rolê right&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Rolê left&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Troca, rolê left&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Rolê left&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Aú fechado left&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Same&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Land negativa left&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Same&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Aú fechado left, land legs straight, feet together&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Same&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Aú fechado right, land legs straight, feet together&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Same&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Aú fechado left, land legs straight, feet together&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Same&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Rolê right to queda de quatro&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Same&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Aú de cabeça right&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Same&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Aú de cabeça left&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Same&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Meia lua de compasso right, stop at contact&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Same&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Brief bananeira with legs at waist height&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Same&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Land on right foot, extend left foot to circle opponent with back to them&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Same&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Stand and turn to partner&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Same&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Resistencia, right hand down&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Bênção right&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Turn to tesoura de angola, begin standing up&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Queda de tres  under rising partner&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Turn left, raising right leg over partner&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Turn to prone position, and slide under partner&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Land with right leg back, shift right leg forward while blocking kick with both hands&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Escorpiao left&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Turn to the right and place hands on the ground, tesoura de Angola&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Stand, aú right&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Meia lua de compasso left&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Negativa da Regional left&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Meia lua de compasso right&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Rolê left&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Resistencia to rolê right&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Meia lua de compasso left&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Tesoura de Angola&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Jump to QDR right&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Stand, jump to QDR right&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Tesoura de Angola&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Tesoura de Angola&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Stand, roll over back, land standing&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Shoot left leg to back, rolê right to standing&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Ginga to face partner&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-11-13T07:48:49.200" LastActivityDate="2022-11-13T07:48:49.200" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8489" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8490" CreationDate="2018-08-03T15:41:53.563" Score="1" ViewCount="186" Body="&lt;p&gt;As can be seen in &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/fYE8r1g2rmY?t=128&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; he does push ups with the Tonfa. If you do it on floor at home it slides. What is the right way and technique to do it? Is it better than regular push ups? Does it have any additional benefits?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2018-08-03T16:18:01.643" Title="How can we do push ups with Tonfa?" Tags="|short-stick|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8490" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8489" CreationDate="2018-08-03T16:11:59.160" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Against sliding, I would use a yoga mat or, even better, a rubber mat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The right way is probably the right technique for push-ups in general: Hands under shoulders when the arms are straight, shoulders should not drop below the hands, make sure to keep a straight back and hip. For more chest, the hands are more to the outside, but the chest and shoulder are trained with the normal form as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Benefits? Well, same as with all exercises with balance e.g. squats on a balance board: The corrective twitches train the small diagonal muscle fibres in addition to the &quot;big players&quot; of the exercise, i.e. you gain more stability and train supplementary muscles. Plus, in this case, grip and wrist strength (direction towards the thumb).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would consider it a pretty advanced variant of push-ups, but it is a nice use of the tonfa (which is considered a weapon and forbidden as open-carry in many countries).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2018-08-03T16:11:59.160" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8491" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8489" CreationDate="2018-08-03T16:18:01.643" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Technique&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a few things that I can think of that could help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Work on your posture.&lt;/strong&gt; A proper push-up exerts almost no lateral forces on your hands, only vertical. Notice how the forearms of the person in your video remain almost immobile. This helps tremendously. Your hands are likely too far to the sides. You want your hands to be like 2-3 inches wider than shoulder width, your feet together (or shoulder width for exercises where you lift a hand off the floor) and your back straight. How straight? Most people usually have a slight dip or an upper bend to their push-up posture for comfort reasons. The most uncomfortable position is likely the straighter one. While a proper posture will not guarantee success, it will definitely help.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Get something that has a little grip to it.&lt;/strong&gt; In the video, he's doing it on a wooden patio, which probably gives in a bit to the localized pressure. It makes a small groove which keeps the tonfa in place. If you're trying to replicate this on a hardwood floor, you might not get similar results. At the dollar store (or any hardware store), you can likely find drawer or shelf grip liners. This will protect your flooring, but also give you a bit more grip. Alternatively, you could use rubber coasters or trivets to achieve the same results.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is it better than regular push-ups?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not really, no. There are already dozens of push up variations, each of them designed to target specific muscle groups, engage your core more, etc. What he's doing is a variation of a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP7eLsSDymA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;standard dumbbell push-up&lt;/a&gt;. If you combine them with one-armed rows, you get more arm and chest activation during your workout, which will make &quot;regular&quot; push-ups slightly easier. Some people skip these in favor of knuckle push-ups, which use a similar posture and strengthen your knuckles at the same time (this is a nice benefit if you're practicing a striking art like boxing or karate).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But while it's nothing new in and of itself, the added difficulty of having a contact area less than a square inch shows off his technique, despite having no real additional benefits when compared to a dumbbell push-up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2018-08-03T16:18:01.643" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8493" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8494" CreationDate="2018-08-04T19:44:42.203" Score="-2" ViewCount="196" Body="&lt;p&gt;As far as I know &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnPPQRWDNfE&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=150&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; is the popular defense against stick in Krav Maga. Are there any better alternatives for protecting yourself from stick attack. Is the defense in the video is relevant for defense from Tonfa as well?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2018-08-07T15:31:47.470" Title="Is there a better way defend from stick and Tonfa" Tags="|self-defense|tonfa|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8494" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8493" CreationDate="2018-08-05T02:02:33.230" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You've shown a drill that demonstrates a theory. You should check out the Dog Brothers. They have a bunch of videos online. They have been very seriously training stick fighting for decades now. They go at full speed and power, sometimes without any protective equipment whatsoever. So if you see them doing it, it's probably safe to say it's effective and realistic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't see them using this particular technique, but I could be wrong. They do have some stuff that's similar, but significantly different in many ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From my perspective, the technique shown in the video is unrealistic, because it relies on you rushing in quick enough not to get hit with a powerful Caveman strike. And you have to be quick enough that he doesn't see you coming and take a step back or step out of the way so that he can swing at you a different way, which is what he's instinctively going to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other thing I noticed about the demonstration in the video is that the one who's attacking with the stick is going fairly slow and light. Yet, the defender must go at full speed in order to be successful. That should raise suspicion that maybe this won't work if an attacker is going at full speed and power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, the angle of the swing used in the video is a bit too horizontal compared with a true Caveman strike. I would think it's more realistic for an attacker to use a more diagonal, almost straight up and down strike to club someone on the head. Such a strike would be more powerful than the one shown in the video, and more importantly, it would be harder to defend against.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And finally, the reason why most martial arts tell you not to attack his swinging arm directly (with both of your hands and with all of your focus) is that it's a very fast moving target that can be taken away very quickly. So for example, he might see you going for his arm, and all he has to do is pivot 90 degrees to get his stick away from you so you can't grab it or the arm that is controlling it. And at the moment he does that, you're now in a more vulnerable position with both of your hands now away from your center line, no longer protecting your head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My instinct (and this is just me) in this situation as a defender would be to step in diagonally towards his left side. This is towards his weak and open side, in other words. This angle immediately gets me out of the way of his Caveman strike. He might still be able to tag me, but not as powerfully. I would keep my left arm high to defend my head and be able to grab his right arm if he tries to swing at me from this position. That leaves my right arm free to connect with him in some way. Connection will allow me to keep the distance so that he doesn't get a chance to do a powerful swing (it's still likely I'll be hit, but not as bad). I might then try to grab around his back with my right hand and try for an o-goshi nage, or I might go low for a single leg take-down grabbing his left leg. When he's unbalanced, he can't use that stick very effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A few rounds of pretend stick fighting will tell you if this drill shown in the video works or not. I highly recommend it. Three minutes of this is worth more than 3 decades of theory and drills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can use padded sticks for this experiment. No need to go to the level that the Dog Brothers go to. You just have to tell your partner to actively try to hit you at full speed and power. And he's allowed to change up his technique however he wants. He can even kick or punch you if he wants. He just has to start by doing the preparation for a Caveman strike (which is what this is). If he sees you coming and is unable to do the Caveman strike, then he should either move to a position where he can complete the strike or change to another kind of strike and really try to nail you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And to make it more interesting, don't tell him what you plan to do. Simply tell him his goal is to hit you and stop you from doing whatever you want to do. He should not try to move in a compliant, accommodating way. He should be resisting you fully and using his brain and his instincts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I'm getting at is this. You have a video showing a drill. It's a theory. It looks neat and effective. But you won't know if it's really effective until you try it in sparring or real life. And I suspect you're going to find that you can't make it work in those scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You asked if there was anything else to use in this situation to defend yourself from a Caveman strike. Yeah, of course there is. But that's a very open ended question. There are literally thousands of different things you can do. And all of those will just be theories as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why don't you explore some of your own ideas in the sparring experiment I've outlined above? Think of other things you can do from this position. You're going to get a lot out of that I think. Let that be your teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the use of the Tonfa (side handle baton) instead of the stick, there are lots of different swings and holds you can use. So again, the question is too open ended here. I will just say see if you can find the answers on your own through the sparring practice I outlined above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2018-08-07T15:31:47.470" LastActivityDate="2018-08-07T15:31:47.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8495" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8487" CreationDate="2018-08-05T02:14:06.003" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The stuff shown in the video is nonsense that only works because of auto-suggestion or a kind of hypnosis. These students are not just moving in an accommodating, compliant way. They have been &quot;programmed&quot; (hypnotized essentially) to feel as if a powerful, invisible force is being used against themselves. It won't work on people who aren't that guy's students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are lots of examples of this happening in martial arts. Some would even go so far as to say it's cult-like. I get sick of seeing it. And my heart goes out to anyone who has been suckered into believing in this stuff. None of it is real. It's all in your head. And it's completely unreliable for martial arts. I just wish the martial arts community would spread the word and make sure to smack this down wherever and whenever it comes up again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2018-08-05T02:14:06.003" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8496" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="656" CreationDate="2018-08-05T13:25:29.510" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some of it is just good marketing, and strong organization, which helps prevent one school from undercutting the price with the others. The other part is that more might be offered in a manner of speaking. The school that I lived down the road from in New Jersey offered self-defense against a number of weapons, as well as live drills for things like getting attacked when exiting or entering a car. Among other school assets, they boasted having the door, and space, to drive said car into the school to practice. That level of props, both initial purchase and maintenance, could definitely demand a higher price.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2018-08-05T13:25:29.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8498" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="656" CreationDate="2018-08-07T10:05:21.080" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga is generally run as a business on a for profit basis. Many martial arts are basically social clubs so far as their legal status is concerned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It's not about popularity&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tae Kwon Do schools karate schools and so on can all have huge numbers of students. I usually only see a dozen members at the local Krav Maga club when I pass by.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It's not about effectiveness&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I disagree that it indicates a better or more effective method.  I have never seen anything ever to indicate Krav Maga is 'better' than say karate. Studies of this kind are hard to find.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The percieved efectiveness is largely based on good marketing that comes from being a business.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It has much more to do with corporate Vs amateur dynamics.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A sports club just has to cover hiring a room and insurance. A business has to pay wages. That is why the cost is higher. Successful business spend on advertising and on their own venues. All this costs money and so they charge the students more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2018-08-07T10:05:21.080" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8499" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-08-07T18:40:20.733" Score="2" ViewCount="552" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the many benefits that martial arts schools (including my own) claim to have is 'self-defense'.  In fact just about every martial art claims that this is a benefit.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the spirit of this question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://health.stackexchange.com/questions/3905/lifetime-cancer-risk-for-people-with-healthy-lifestyle/3977#3977&quot;&gt;https://health.stackexchange.com/questions/3905/lifetime-cancer-risk-for-people-with-healthy-lifestyle/3977#3977&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How much of a risk is assault occasioning actual bodily harm (or assault and battery if you are American)?  Obviously, if you work as a bouncer or in the police or army or as a paramedic, this will increase. I'm not interested in gun violence for this question; I have yet to see a plausible gun disarm technique (yes, I have heard of krav maga and systema).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But for an average person going about their everyday life &lt;strong&gt;what is the probability&lt;/strong&gt; of being assaulted?  This can be Domestic Violence, bar fights, anything.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I asked before about comparing martial arts injuries to injuries from Assault both in terms of statistics:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7114/for-what-martial-arts-is-the-chance-of-being-injured-while-training-less-than-th&quot;&gt;For what martial arts is the chance of being injured while training less than the chance of being injured by assault?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And severity: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7123/are-injuries-from-assault-more-severe-than-those-sustained-during-martial-arts-p&quot;&gt;Are injuries from Assault more Severe than those Sustained During Martial arts Practice?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No-one here really seems willing to think about this, let alone answer numerically.  However, I feel the question is important enough to warrant an answer.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So let's break it down and take the sports injuries element out entirely.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-08-08T07:52:13.980" LastActivityDate="2018-08-15T22:53:21.850" Title="Suppose you know a martial art. How likely are you to get a chance to use it for self defense?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8500" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8499" CreationDate="2018-08-07T20:28:54.650" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm sure you could crunch numbers with a very in-depth research, but if you want a rough estimate of your odds of being assaulted over a 12 month period, you can check the following link for a crime risk calculator from BBC working with the Office for National Statistics in the UK.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-41178903&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Crime: How at risk are you?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This question has too many variables to be properly answered, but that calculator should give you a decent approximation as working with the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/crime-statistics&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Office for National Statistics&lt;/a&gt;. They have a good pool of data to work with considering age, sex, habitation status and employment status.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the USA, there is the &lt;a href=&quot;https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2017/preliminary-report&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;FBI Universal Crime Report &lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that all countries will have such statistical data available. Local police offices might have the same information available for where you live.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9394" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-08-08T08:46:01.730" LastActivityDate="2018-08-08T08:46:01.730" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8501" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8499" CreationDate="2018-08-08T14:51:47.010" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The statistics in Louis' answer will be an undercount because it will not count situations where self-defense training results in avoidance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If, like &lt;a href=&quot;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/&lt;/a&gt;, you define &quot;self defense&quot; as not just fighting, but also...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Avoidance of dangerous situations through awareness,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Avoiding looking like a potential victimizable pushover,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Defusing confrontations,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Appearing self-confident and fit enough that your confronter reconsiders, or even just being fit enough to run fast and far,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...then I think that your training would be a lot more likely to be useful to avoid bodily harm. &quot;Avoiding dangerous situations in the first place&quot; is an element of self-defense that is frequently taught alongside the more obvious physical elements of a martial art. It may not be as cinematic as bravely grappling an attacker, but using what you learned in your martial arts school to avoid situations where you'd have to do that is still a valid application of what you have learned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-08-09T08:11:27.480" LastActivityDate="2018-08-09T08:11:27.480" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8504" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2068" CreationDate="2018-08-10T11:55:59.327" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is hard to do, especially against a younger or more experienced adversary.  I am 60 plus and not as fast as I used to be but in my dojo I tend to wait for my opponent’s move and then counter attack to break in.  It’s hard, no doubt about it but timing is the key. When he goes, you block and go like hell. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9465" LastActivityDate="2018-08-10T11:55:59.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8505" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="308" CreationDate="2018-08-10T18:44:13.250" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Posture matters&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have poor posture such as hunched shoulders, you will have more tension and worse range of motion. This is most obvious among the elderly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fixing your posture requires relearning how to use your body, which is slow. It's not something you can fix by trying to relax in a particular moment or during short office visits; it requires sustained attention over months to the way you sit, stand, and move. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Weigtlifting strength is not enough&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I dispute this statement:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;there's no such thing as a relaxed shoulder when you're holding your arms up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Holding your arm up requires contraction of a muscle, but it is quite easy to hold your arm up using more tension than required. For example, if you lift your shoulder towards your ear while holding your arm up, it is more difficult than if your shoulder remains down. This kind of tension is visibly apparent. Less obviously, you can practice holding your arm up until you can comfortably sustain holding it up, for say, 10 minutes. This training makes you stronger in some sense, but not in the weightlifting sense where you can lift a heavier weight. Once you can hold your arm up for a long time, you are more relaxed with your arm up than before. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-08-10T18:44:13.250" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8506" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1366" CreationDate="2018-08-11T00:34:12.220" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I began studies in 1973 at &quot;LINS KUNG FU&quot; in Bethesda Maryland. My Sifu Mr Huang as we called him then, was a partner of Willy Lin the owner whose brother is Tony Lin a well renowned student who has eclipsed even his older brother.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tien Sun Pai is the style and as far as I know has no illustrious background  going back &quot;X&quot; number of generations and I could care less, what matters most to me, is that &quot;your teacher is your teacher&quot; and I thank God I have a good one. &quot;LOYALTY&quot; above all things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Northern Kick- Southern Fist&quot; is the age old saying...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The North was more wide open less crowded, so long sweeping gestures with both hands and feet was more common, and YES the people are BIGGER in the North. In addition as one here noted, many of the Southern styles were taught on Junks/boats and a strong Mabu was necessary as a result for balance on these boats and fancy high and/or spinning kicks often deemed impractical &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;HOWEVER, many Southern styles DO include intricate leg work and kicks and many Northern styles have incorporate &quot;Fist&quot;/punching that one could also associate w/ their Southern counterparts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I thank God I walked into LINS KUNG FU&quot; that day back in 73, the gift my Sifu gave me and the subsequent foundation for life it implies changed me forever and forever.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Great is the teaching of the Sifus and great also is the fortune of the Disciple &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9468" LastActivityDate="2018-08-11T00:34:12.220" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8507" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8499" CreationDate="2018-08-13T13:06:10.487" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You make a mistake thinking that martial arts is equivalent to actual self-defense.  Martial arts usually has some self -defense aspects to them but they do more that self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most martial arts have some pure formal aspects: others have some sport aspect which differs than if done on concrete.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kata is a formal part of many martial arts.  This is controversial because the old school swears by them and the modern school thinks nobody truly fights that way.  This is not self-defense, although many moves in a kata can be utilized for self-defense if one is sharp enough and skilled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sport techniques is another aspect of many martial arts. When the term sport technique is used it generally means or implies that such a technique is risky or dangerous to do on concrete or risky to use in a real fight against a seasoned opponent.  You may end up getting knocked out for not knowing the difference.  BJJ in particular is famous for this.  The same goes for MMA and also competition sport fighting found in Karate and Taekwondo tournaments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self-defense is only a part of martial arts training and not the whole.  Self defense has a goal of not getting into a physical match if it can be avoided.  Furthermore self-defense does not focus on winning a match but going home safely: i.e., you hit me more than I hit you before I escaped the confrontation. I made it home without getting killed or serious injury.  That is self defense as opposed to hunting for a victory.  You should notice the mind set is distinct from each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8964" LastActivityDate="2018-08-13T13:06:10.487" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8508" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-08-14T16:59:11.647" Score="3" ViewCount="186" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I break boards using my right knife-hand or elbow &quot;from outside to inside&quot; (using a counter-clockwise motion when seen from above), I've always put my right foot forward, which allows for more shoulder &amp;amp; hip rotation thru the target. In the last several years at my dojang, I've noticed multiple people with their right foot back, and several of the lower ranks I've advised to switch their stance have said &quot;so and so upper belt told me to do it this way&quot;. Is there some advantage to having the &quot;opposite&quot; foot forward that I'm not thinking of?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2019-02-26T16:30:28.107" LastActivityDate="2019-02-26T16:30:28.107" Title="Which foot forward when breaking boards with hand/elbow?" Tags="|stance|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8510" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8508" CreationDate="2018-08-14T19:08:02.817" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;A lot of the power in a board break comes from the rotation/torque of the hips and legs to drive through the target. When you start with the same side forward, you have already eliminated most (if not all) of the hip rotation, unless you artificially rotate opposite your stance to then drive through.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you switch to the opposite foot forward, this gives you the opportunity to step slightly out and past the target, and drive through. Most of the time your impact point will be when the hips are only partway through their arc, which gives you opportunity to drive through past contact point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is just a much more powerful strike opportunity when you go opposite foot versus same foot, just because of hip and body alignment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Example as requested:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Say I am breaking with a straight rear punch, right hand. I want my shoulder in line with my target, and I will step slightly past and out to the left side with my lead left leg. That way my arm is not not fully extended at the contact point, and by stepping slightly out (left), I am pre loading my hips. I step out on the toes, and plant my foot as I shift weight and torque hips  The technique is almost a wave of motion starting with foot and traveling through hips to upper body/technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2018-08-14T21:40:04.723" LastActivityDate="2018-08-14T21:40:04.723" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8511" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8508" CreationDate="2018-08-14T22:03:43.537" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Seriously: it does not matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What does matter is the intent of the strike and the capability of the student.  And as to the intent of the strike, remember, not all &quot;striking techniques&quot; are meant for striking - like the spearhand, for example.  While I do break with the spearhand, that is solely for show and points, not for actual usage in combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While hip rotation is important in some breaks, it is less important in others (eg, some downward or low strikes).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nevertheless, we need to remember what it is that we are breaking for.  If for power or speed demonstrations, then by all means, choose the method that will allow to build up potential energy in the torque of the hip twist (so, usually same-side foot forward).  Just remember that the follow through won't have that opposite side foot forward - that can throw you off balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if the purpose of the break is to demonstrate balance, technique, and accuracy, then think about it: the technique you're using for the break applies to the technique you'll use in self-defense.  And in self-defense, do you think you will adjust your stance to the technique you're going to use?  No, you're going to use the technique in any stance you happen to be in - that is the ultimate goal, isn't it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In that case, it does not matter the stance.  Show you can issue the technique in any stance - even a crane stance if you want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on the break, for example when I use a downward inside knifehand (ridgehand), I might use same side foot forward - not because I need the twist of the hip, but because the other way I can't easily follow through. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If instead, I were throwing a horizontal ridgehand (so, out-to-in x-axis technique) then I'd want to stand reverse foot forward.  Yes, I lose out on the twist, but I don't need that much twist to go through 2 or 3 boards - and any more boards is dangerous (and useless) for a ridgehand.  So, with my opposite foot forward, that helps me keep my balance through the break.  With same side foot forward, and if I have a clean break through, there could be a tendency to fall forward and not have that foot forward to break that fall.  I might even opt for a horse stance, balancing the need for torque vs maintaining balance.  Which I choose might depend on my mood.  For a beginner, I'd probably have them use a horse stance, since they probably won't be piling up the boards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With punching - a Z-axis technique - the reverse punch allows the rear foot to absorb the equal-and-opposite force the board imparts on the fist, and with the foot firmly planted on the floor, the result is a much better break for the breaker.  I would recommend this method for the competing power breaker, or for the beginner who is nervous about breaking on his or her first rank test.  The forward punch is, to me, much less stable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, it depends on the student.  I don't have students doing power breaks as a means for demonstrating the balance, speed, accuracy, etc part of their techniques, because it detracts from what the techniques can be used for.  For junior students, I don't encourage power breaking.  For advanced students, I let them do what they want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-08-14T22:03:43.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8512" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8508" CreationDate="2018-08-15T00:00:32.377" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Rotating/thrusting the back hip forwards is - when done properly - a stronger movement than rotating the front hip inwards.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a7AW-AxBlI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This video&lt;/a&gt; of Kagawa-Sensei explaining how to get proper hip rotation shows how the full strength of the back leg's quadriceps and glutes directly thrusting against the ground produces a strong, snappy forwards motion of the back hip: that explosive power can be used in a reverse elbow or reverse inward knife hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you use the front hand, your rotation is powered by a much weaker hamstring contraction in the front leg, and can be further restricted by the friction between the front foot and floor, which when dragging the front hip inward for an obverse strike is more prone to slip than the reverse technique where the back leg thrusts at a greater angle down against the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.livestrong.com/article/442551-hamstrings-vs-quads/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;LiveStrong website&lt;/a&gt; explains:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The normal hamstring to quadriceps strength ratio is between 50 and 80 percent, with 100 percent being equal strength, according to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC155432/pdf/attr_36_04_0378.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;research&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Of course the amount of weight the muscles can lift isn't directly correlated to the amount they can contribute to an explosive strike, but the above fits in with the quads being much stronger generally.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;OP's commented on John's answer: &lt;em&gt;&quot;...[I] notice a slowing down of the rotation by the time I get much past 45 degrees past the board.&quot;&lt;/em&gt;  Once the board is broken, it doesn't matter if you slow down.  Each technique has a depth range at which it's focused and powerful; you want to hit the target while inside that range.  The upset punch (fist pointing upwards and travelling horizontally into the opponent's mid section) is a great example of a technique with very limited range: if you're over-extended - too far from the target - say your elbow is already passing your hip at the time you make contact - your technique will be ineffectual.  You need to hit with it cleanly inside the range and then should be recovering balance and position for further defence or attack, not following through for the sake of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2018-08-15T08:33:33.747" LastActivityDate="2018-08-15T08:33:33.747" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8513" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8499" CreationDate="2018-08-15T22:53:21.850" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm sorry, I must admit to not being able to answer your question, except to say &quot;it's not possible to answer your question&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, there is no formal definition of martial arts.  In my book, MA involves M-16's, throwing hand grenades, driving tanks, and battlefield management - not self defense.  But others don gloves and get in a roped-off ring; or don a singlet and go mano-a-mano without hitting the other guy, or maybe get onto a mat and only kick the other guy - and they all call it &quot;martial arts&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are those who take one- or two-day women's self-defense classes offered by a church and are given a myriad of lifestyle changes they can do to mitigate becoming a victim.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are those who &quot;say&quot; they know a martial art and are complete charlatans.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are those who &quot;knew&quot; a martial art, but gave it up decades ago.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are those who are linebackers or bodybuilders and have the physique alone which can make potential perpetrators think about another mark.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A runner might be able to outrun an attacker.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An untrained mother defending her children is an absolutely formidable opponent to tangle with.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A Medieval Times performer deft with a lance, sword, and mace could make mincemeat out of a perpetrator with a rake handle, a baseball bat, or a length of chain (and who, in my opinion, are more of a martial artist than anyone in a dojo, dojang, kwoon, or gym even though their martial arts study is limited to historical context).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What about someone only trained to use a rifle or handgun?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What about someone who is an expert in ancient medieval or feudal-era weaponry?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What about any common soldier or officer?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What about any police officer?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of these kinds of people (except the mother) have been trained in some way to deal with adversarial antagonists.  The definition of martial arts is so overly broad that each of these groups of people, by someone's definition, are considered a &quot;martial artist&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Along a different vein, much of what the self-defense community teaches is avoidance and managing lifestyle changes - that is often more important than managing a situation in which all of that is ignored or couldn't be avoided which necessitates a physical response.  And here, how can you know you avoided a situation just because you took that advice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My point is that every term in your question is so broadly defined and subjective, it is not possible to answer it:  &quot;suppose&quot;, &quot;you&quot;, &quot;know&quot;, &quot;martial art&quot;, &quot;how likely&quot;, &quot;get a chance to use it&quot;, and &quot;self defense&quot; all mean different things to different people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-08-15T22:53:21.850" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8514" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7650" CreationDate="2018-08-16T15:22:38.843" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrestling is a martial art for sure. I think people are just caught up with the Chinese/Japanese movies as opposed to real life combat&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9481" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-08-17T07:55:49.540" LastActivityDate="2018-08-17T07:55:49.540" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8516" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="869" CreationDate="2018-08-17T04:48:43.010" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Look here, they have perfect explanation how to improve karate speed:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://karate-training.net/train-improve-karate-speed/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://karate-training.net/train-improve-karate-speed/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lift weights&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Develop maximal strength&lt;/strong&gt; (80-95% of 1 repetition maximum) and moderate to high volumes (2-3 sets and 2-6 repetition).  3-4 minutes pause&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Develop power&lt;/strong&gt; (Rate of force development) low to high loads (30-80% of 1RM), and low volumes (2-5sets and 2-5 repetitions)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9483" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-08-21T13:16:44.760" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8517" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8523" CreationDate="2018-08-17T14:13:26.047" Score="3" ViewCount="2049" Body="&lt;h3&gt;Intro&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Following a bit of studying, I have found that I am interested in learning &lt;strong&gt;Judo&lt;/strong&gt;, as it matches my life philosophies of being gentle but not defenseless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However the schools of Judo accessible to me focus mainly on the Olympic sport of Judo, which in turn focuses mostly on throws, rather than balance striking, throwing and grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Question&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am looking for another martial art that is known to synergize well with Judo in it's stances, philosophies and general approach to reach a well-balanced, adaptable fighting style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Goals&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Balance and adaptability&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Self-defense&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Proficiency in striking, grappling and throwing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mastery of hand-to-hand, mostly defensive combat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Note&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Striking is important to integrate in the suggestion as unfortunately, some situations are better suited to offensive defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Time I can invest in the martial art&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can invest several hour per week for an unlimited time, as long as I enjoy myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9394" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-09-24T15:57:11.440" Title="Are there martial arts known to synergize with Judo?" Tags="|judo|recommendation|schools|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8518" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6805" CreationDate="2018-08-17T15:58:01.077" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you want to counter the karambit, you need to know its strength and weaknesses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strength: It's really powerful and can easily cut through thick fabric in close range. (Some police forces are armed with cut-proof or slash-proof vests, which will be useless against a karambit)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Weakness: It's really short, obviously. But more importantly, the user must put one of their finger in the loop.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, first, clearly, don't get in close range, even if you're a police officer with the best bullet proof/knife proof vest, because they can cut your joints. Use anything that is long, like a chair, a long stick, etc, to keep the attacker away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, unlike usual knives and especially balisong, karambit cannot (or really difficult) turn during a fight. Sometimes, when fighting a balisong user, you think you got their arm, but they can turn the balisong around and stab you unexpectedly. This could not be done with a karambit. There's an arm grabbing technique in boxing that could be used really effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, that's pretty much it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bonus: if anyone watched &lt;em&gt;The Karate Kid&lt;/em&gt; (the 2010 one with Jackie Chan), he used a wrist twisting technique (which you should recheck with a friend), which could loosen the tension of the fingers and make your opponent drop &lt;em&gt;any&lt;/em&gt; knife.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9484" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-08-17T23:51:44.303" LastActivityDate="2018-08-17T23:51:44.303" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8519" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-08-18T21:13:51.473" Score="2" ViewCount="202" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm trying to remember the name of a technique, if it even had one, and would welcome suggestions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Uke and Tori stand facing each other, stance is unimportant. Uke attacks Tori with a tanto; its a straight lunge towards the abdomen - chudan tsuki.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tori blends with the attack, at the last fraction of a second stepping to the left with the left foot, pivoting on the right, and raising his hands&#xA;such that both elbows are above the incoming attack arm and lower slightly to trap it. Uke is now to Tori's left at about 10 o'clock.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(this can be done either side; example only).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tori keeps uke's arm trapped with right hand, and pushes to Uke's neck with his left elbow, grinding it into pressure point (or shoulder bone).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tori then drops left elbow down and slightly backwards, while simultaneously bending both knees, dropping to a half kneeling position. This downward pressure causes uke to collapse backwards and downwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tori finishes the technique half kneeling, left knee is upwards, right leg, per seiza.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Uke's arm remains stretched from his shoulder (on the floor, now pinned by Tori's hand) upwards and across Tori's knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(The point of this is to disarm and disable Uke and quickly return to a fight. The &quot;unkind&quot; version of this would result in an arm break, around the elbow).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So any ideas? More than 1 technique?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Background: I trained for about 4 years at a 'hard' school, before switching to 8 months at a 'soft' school (Ki Aikido), after which I was no longer able to practice following a car accident (17 years ago). I have a hazy memory of many of the things I was taught.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9486" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-08-19T03:20:38.483" LastActivityDate="2018-08-20T10:17:30.933" Title="Name this technique against Chudan tsuki ('knife' to the abdomen)" Tags="|aikido|technique|identification|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8520" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8517" CreationDate="2018-08-18T22:48:56.127" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Olympic Judo is very throw-centric. Ground fighting is almost an afterthought and not nearly as developed as their throws are. And many of the most useful throws (for fighting) have been gradually removed from the style over time. All of this follows naturally from their sport rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not wrong to say Olympic Judo has been seriously compromised as a martial art. That is why BJJ has thrived in recent years and Judo has almost vanished relatively speaking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are different styles of Judo out there, though, besides Olympic style Judo. They don't have the sport emphasis, and certainly not Olympic Judo rules. If I were you, I'd look into: Brazilian Jiujitsu, Sambo, Freestyle Judo, and Kosen Judo. If you really want to branch out, you might check out Hapkido, Shuai-Jiao, or Catch Wrestling as well. One of these should give you what you want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's nothing wrong with Olympic style for what it gives you, if you understand why you're doing it that way. They develop the stand-up game to a high level. Their throws are the most developed of any other martial art, due to the level of competition and popularity of the art. BJJ schools often invite Judo players to come in and teach throws. So there is value in it for martial arts and learning how to fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2018-08-18T22:48:56.127" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8521" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8450" CreationDate="2018-08-20T01:35:57.093" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In boxing, I think the term you want is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-techniques/defense-techniques/how-to-slip-punches-in-boxing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;slip and counterpunch&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpt0G_QjuTU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;YouTube highlight reel&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-08-20T01:35:57.093" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8522" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8519" CreationDate="2018-08-20T06:57:04.783" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This sounds like a variation on &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/w3ZuJak1qwQ?t=67&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;gyaku gamae ate&lt;/a&gt; where instead of a throw, tori controls and &quot;pins&quot; uke. &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Sjh-Mz-fhbw?t=122&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here is another example from grips&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyKVulDleCg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kokyunage&lt;/a&gt; is the more traditional name of the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;The links will no doubt rot soon. However, the name of the techniques should be enough to look it up on whatever favourite search engine the reader uses&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-08-20T10:17:30.933" LastActivityDate="2018-08-20T10:17:30.933" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8523" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8517" CreationDate="2018-08-21T03:39:58.447" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Judo is about liveness&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo's success is due to its free-play (randori) training model, where partners practice with each other in a non-prearranged manner with varying levels of resistance up to full force. Judo dominated the contemporary jujutsu because randori was more effective than the prearranged form (kata) exercises that were then common. Judo's selection of competition techniques was originally for techniques that could be trained with full force safely. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regardless of whether you compete in the official sport competition (shiai) aspect, randori is an essential judo training element. Competition can be useful as an official, organized way of training with partners outside your school/club. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Judo standing/groundwork ratio is instructor dependent&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although I agree with the stereotype that judo ignores groundwork in favor of throwing, this is just a stereotype. My personal experience is that the ratio ranges from 90% standing/10% groundwork to 50% standing/50% groundwork. I argue that it is far easier to find a teacher with a 50%/50% mix than either a Freestyle judo or Kosen judo instructor. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Judo is nominally supposed to train striking&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Striking (atemi) is part of judo kata training. The thinking was basically that a complete system needs striking, but striking is too dangerous to practice full force in randori. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/7122/5961&quot;&gt;Tadao Otaki and Donn Draeger described the relation of shiai, randori, and kata over time in &lt;em&gt;Judo Formal Techniques&lt;/em&gt;, which is covered in this answer by Philip Klöcking.&lt;/a&gt; Sport competition was never intended to be the central element of training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My opinion is judo's striking training is mostly useless for the following reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kata is already secondary within judo training&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kata attacks are large and telegraphed&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;No one spends any time improving these attacks&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even in clubs where kata is practiced frequently, I think the quality of attacks is far below what you would expect from someone trained in striking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Combining martial arts is non-trivial&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notionally, it makes sense to take a throwing art and a striking art and stick them together to get the best of both worlds. The problem is that martial arts disagree about things like:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How do you generate force? For example, do you shift your weight forward while striking? Striking-only martial arts can do this without penalty, but this invites throws. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How much injury risk is acceptable? Getting hit in the head regularly is well determined to put you at risk for brain injury. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What should the fighting stance look like?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mixed-martial arts has been successful combining the ground work of Brazilian jiu jitsu with the stand-up elements of Muay Thai and boxing. I argue this is because BJJ basically has no standing game and Muay Thai and boxing officially have no ground game. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo has overlap with both ground and standing techniques, so it's more complicated to integrate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Things judo does not do well&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;striking&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;solo practice&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;some elements of body development: flexibility, breathing, and mobility in the spine to improve posture&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal choice for covering these elements and &quot;physical mastery&quot; is bagua, but I started this after many years of judo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Advice&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just start with something. Learn some, then adjust once you know more. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-08-22T03:47:43.363" LastActivityDate="2018-08-22T03:47:43.363" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8525" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5825" CreationDate="2018-08-22T21:55:56.887" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://streamable.com/px6kh&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://streamable.com/px6kh&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is not an aikidoka, but the technique &quot;feels like&quot; aikido, in that wrist control and impeccable timing only leads to a throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6532" LastEditorUserId="6532" LastEditDate="2018-08-26T18:38:49.760" LastActivityDate="2018-08-26T18:38:49.760" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8526" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8631" CreationDate="2018-08-24T01:57:51.480" Score="1" ViewCount="432" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've recently started stufdying Goju Ryu. I have some training and a black belt in a few other styles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the things that I miss with some masters here is their lack of historical and philosophical knowledge of the discipline they teach. I'd like to read up on the techniques that I'm studying to place them in their historical context and to understand what the underlying philosophy is in doing things the way I am. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm on the lookout for some good books on the art that I can read and digest as I learn it. There are several ones on Amazon but I'm not sure which ones are really good and which are just fluff. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1965" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-17T14:53:38.533" LastActivityDate="2019-04-17T14:53:38.533" Title="Philosphy and history of Okinawan Karate" Tags="|karate|history|philosophy|books|okinawa|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8529" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7841" CreationDate="2018-08-29T11:13:01.083" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ra lost the concept of harmony as in aikido, harmony is the main thing or main core.. real aikido punches the enemy but aikido doesnt use any punch instead of reflect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9502" LastActivityDate="2018-08-29T11:13:01.083" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8530" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4614" CreationDate="2018-08-31T01:42:39.080" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Shihan Shivaji  Ganguly was the direct disciple and branch chief of Sosai Mas Oyama . He was the only Indian to recieve 5th dan from Sosai . He was the only Indian to attend Uchideshi Camp Of Sosai Mas Oyama in its true sense .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mr Santanu Ganguly was the student of Shihan Ganguly only &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9506" LastActivityDate="2018-08-31T01:42:39.080" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8533" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8240" CreationDate="2018-09-01T05:48:32.900" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Obi-tori-gaeshi &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/news/2017/04/names-of-judo-technique/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;is&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; a Kodokan recognised technique. It is a &lt;em&gt;te-waza&lt;/em&gt; (hand technique). You grasp uke's belt and leg and rotate towards the belt-hand side (clockwise if you're right-handed) while lifting uke's leg. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hikikomi-gaeshi is a &lt;em&gt;ma-sutemi-waza&lt;/em&gt; (forward sacrifice technique). There are two variants: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;one where you roll backwards &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;and one where you twist underneath&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/VhH3rXs6cdE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this clip&lt;/a&gt; from the Kodokan Judo Throwing Techniques video on the difference between the two.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9510" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-11T13:06:21.930" LastActivityDate="2019-09-11T13:06:21.930" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8534" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8535" CreationDate="2018-09-01T12:39:20.727" Score="5" ViewCount="731" Body="&lt;p&gt;Toshiro Daigo's book &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt; published by Kodanasha International, Tokyo 2005 lists 67 throwing techniques. As Daigo is the chief instructor at the Kodokan, I took this as the authoritative source on throw classification. &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/waza/list/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Kodokan website now lists 68 throwing techniques&lt;/a&gt;. The changes appear to be:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;+Obi-tori-gaeshi was added&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;-daki age was removed&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;+kouchi makikomi was added&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the first change I am aware of in my lifetime. Out of curiosity, what prompted this set of changes? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-08T23:58:08.913" LastActivityDate="2019-12-29T13:51:05.383" Title="When/why was the list of Kodokan Judo throws and ground techniques recently expanded?" Tags="|judo|technique|throwing|pins|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8535" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8534" CreationDate="2018-09-01T13:07:53.630" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;As of &lt;em&gt;when&lt;/em&gt;, this can be found &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/news/2017/04/names-of-judo-technique/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;: April 1st, 2017 (and it's not been an April's fool!):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The Kodokan has used official technique names consisting of 67 Nage-waza and 29 Katame-waza in the past.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;After giving further consideration, two techniques of Nage-waza, Obi-tori-gaeshi (Te-waza) and Kouchi-maki-komi (Yoko-sutemi-waza), and three Osaekomi techniques of Katame-waza, Ushiro-kesa-gatame, Uki-gatame and Ura-gatame were added to the existing official technique names as of April 1, 2017. One technique, Daki-age (Koshi-waza) was deleted from Nage-waza.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Accordingly, 100 technique names consisting of 68 Nage-waza and 32 Katame-waza are recognized as official technique names.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As of why, there is not much more to be found than the opaque &quot;considerations&quot; mentioned in the news itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Addendum: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/judo/comments/6401cr/kodokan_recognize_2_new_throws_and_3_new_pins/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This reddit thread&lt;/a&gt; discusses (and I think rightfully so) at least regarding Obi-tori-gaeshi and Ko-uchi-maki-komi that it is basically the recognition of distinct techniques successful in sports Judo (Obi-tori-gaeshi is basically a Khabarelli) as such.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2018-09-01T13:18:54.857" LastActivityDate="2018-09-01T13:18:54.857" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8537" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8538" CreationDate="2018-09-03T21:38:40.330" Score="1" ViewCount="218" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just had another calf injury a couple of weeks ago. I am turning 60 this month. I want to keep trainning and practicing my forms, up to and including Koryo. I have been trainning with 54 year old folks and younger. I love the school, and I am very comfortable with my TKD family, but my body just cannot take a beating anymore. I need to train at my pace. I have been feeling like a good bad example at the school.&#xA;Any routines you recommend for at-home trainning?&#xA;Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9516" LastActivityDate="2018-09-04T14:22:31.933" Title="TKD routines at home for a 60 year old male" Tags="|training|tae-kwon-do|injury|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2018-09-05T15:27:02.563" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8538" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8537" CreationDate="2018-09-04T14:22:31.933" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would see a cardiologist and your own doctor, since each person might have unique things that you might not have mentioned, but which are important to consider.  For example, do you have arthritis, plantar faciitis, heart or breathing problems, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if you are in generally good health, and doc says it's okay, then the best you can do is maintain a daily regimen of aerobic (not anaerobic) cardio exercises - so daily brisk walking, with periodic changeups to biking, swimming, hiking, or whatever the season allows for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would recommend taking one day out of a month (or more, if you can spare the time) and take a hike along some wooded trails - quiet, peaceful, and spiritually healthful, and take along a book, particularly one which relates to your style, and read it during the rest stops.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, make some changes in your overall lifestyle, if you haven't done that already.  For instance, take up classes in tai chi or yoga.  Join a gym, like a YMCA.  Learn how to make - and thrive - on juiced or blended meals or otherwise get creative on making healthy meals.  Participate in a community group which supports that kind of lifestyle - like a senior's walking group (not that you're senior - but you might have the skills to lead them).  You might volunteer with community events which help to get the blood circulating and the lungs pumping.  So, join an active Elk's lodge, church group, community clean up group, auxilliary police or firemen's group, join the EMT squad, and so on.  What this does is inject an active daily routine in your life, without you having to do that - which is a common reason why exercise regimens fail - people get bored and lost interest or don't have the means or ideas to change things up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are they TKD routines?  Well... yes and no.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are things which are necessary for overall health, which contributes to your success in the dojang.  Often, I see people doing things like forms in their basement - but few people can maintain that for more than a few weeks.  It's easy to learn the movements in a form, you can do that in a day or two.  What you can do at home is to polish it up, but without an instructor with you, bad habits could settle in, so unless you head to the dojang several times a week, that might not be the best advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are well-versed in your poomsae, as I suspect since you indicate you know Koryo, you might change up your forms so that you introduce dynamic tension, slow breathing exercises, or exaggerated movements for the purpose of stretching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have the means, get a kicking bag.  Either a free-standing or a free-hanging bag, or mount a kicking pad to a wall.  Whatever works for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want, buy a couple of rebreakable boards, line them up on stacked cinder blocks, and practice some breaking techniques for conditioning.  Along these lines, join a breaking club, like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.usbawba.org/about/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;US and World Breaking Association&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might even have a friend who takes up another style of martial arts; in this case, exchange ideas - see what is similar, see what is different between your styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do try to research seminars - any style - and attend them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The idea is to get a flood of ideas of things to do, mostly to ward off boredom, but also so that you have things you can do if you are injured and can't train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, with doctor's okay, get books on stretching.  My favorite is &quot;Secrets of Stretching&quot; and &quot;Scientific Stretching&quot; by Tom Kurz &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.stadion.com/books-and-dvds-on-sports-training-and-fitness/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;(Stadion Books)&lt;/a&gt;.  Many Taekwondo schools focus a lot on stretching, a curse for us older folks when training in a school of young kids, whom you may think view us as old curmudgeons slowing down the class.  While that is not your problem - that's something that those kids have to deal with as well as the instructor - that instills no confidence in you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Along these lines of books (Stadion also has DVDs which I recommend), you may find that the YouTube channel of Elastic Steel may be more suitable to your lifestyle.  The videos can be haphazard if you don't know where to start, but, if you have the time and patience, that would be an excellent way to get ideas on maintaining your flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-09-04T14:22:31.933" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8539" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8306" CreationDate="2018-09-07T06:05:47.423" Score="-6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think some European and South American countries are not good at wrestling; they don't get medals in Olympic games. Also, the Olympic committee members are not aware of wrestling's sport value so they take the decision to remove wrestling from the Olympic games for another sport. In the same Games, they have taken so many events.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9519" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-09-07T08:49:42.027" LastActivityDate="2018-09-07T08:49:42.027" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8540" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8544" CreationDate="2018-09-07T10:52:38.870" Score="8" ViewCount="5061" Body="&lt;p&gt;Presumably people in Okinawa didn't walk around barefoot. If the original purpose of karate is self-defense, wouldn't it make more sense to train in similar clothing to what you'd be wearing if you were attacked?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9320" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-09-07T13:23:59.767" LastActivityDate="2019-02-01T19:44:55.270" Title="Why don't we wear shoes in karate?" Tags="|karate|self-defense|shoes|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8541" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8540" CreationDate="2018-09-07T11:42:25.477" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whilst I cannot answer the origins, there are many reasons why I still instruct barefoot to a barefoot class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Safety - when we involve blocks of kicks - any design in the shoes worn, hard plastics or metal especially, could damage the blocker in an inconsistent way (making it harder for the blocker to build confidence)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Grip is consistent - whilst shoes could be soled with any material - the sole of my foot is the same material as all my students - this means the floor is slippery to everyone or no-one&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Weight - swinging your foot around - especially high from the ground - requires strength and flexibility, add the weight of a shoe and you increase the likelihood of loss of control. I have seen many people tear muscles whilst warming up wearing ankle weights or similar.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fashion - not seriously - but part of martial arts is looking and acting as a group - we all wear the same outfit as we don our 'soldier' mentality. Shoes would be an individual distraction unless they became part of the attire (like sparring kit sort of has).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suspect many of the safety aspects from above are why barefoot training is so wide spread in the MA community.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In response to training in attire similar to when you would need to defend yourself - this is also difficult - it is probably most likely we get attacked at night, in an unlit area, in the rain, on gravel. &#xA;It would be practically impossible to teach a class in those conditions - we make it safe before we make it real.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2018-09-07T11:42:25.477" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8542" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8540" CreationDate="2018-09-07T13:23:17.827" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This answer does not directly address the karate aspect, but I think it is still relevant, as Collett89 has pointed out in his comment. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The development of your feet and legs depends upon the environment you put them in. Training barefoot forces you to use your feet to a greater degree than when in shoes. For some people and their shoes, this is a much greater degree. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This excerpt is from &lt;em&gt;Higher Judo: Ground Work&lt;/em&gt; by Moshe Feldenkrais published by Frederick Warne &amp;amp; Co., Ltd. London, 1952, p18. Feldenkrais trained with Jigaro Kano, the founder of judo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;First of all Judo is practised with bare feet. Many&#xA;  people have never made any but the most primitive use&#xA;  of their feet, with the result that the only use and idea&#xA;  associated with them, is that of a plate-like support&#xA;  to the body. This being the only use made of the feet&#xA;  for many years on end, the muscles are most of the time&#xA;  maintained in a fixed state of contraction-precisely&#xA;  the one that makes the feet fit for the service demanded&#xA;  of them. In extreme cases the exclusion of other patterns is so complete, that the feet become frozen in the&#xA;  flat, plate-like position and are almost useless for any&#xA;  other purpose than motionless standing. When required&#xA;  to change shape, that is, to alter the pattern of contraction of the different muscles and consequently the relative&#xA;  configuration of the numerous bones of the feet, some&#xA;  muscles are too weak and do not contract powerfully&#xA;  enough, other muscles and ligaments are too short and&#xA;  their stretching to the unaccustomed length is painful.&#xA;  Such persons are forced to assume queer positions of&#xA;  the legs, pelvis and the rest of the body to make movement possible while maintaining the feet in the accustomed way. They tire more quickly than other people,&#xA;  become irritable, their movements lack swing and ease&#xA;  and they are peculiar in many other ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have personally met people who use their feet as &quot;plate-like support to the body&quot;. I find this description still apt today. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-09-07T13:23:17.827" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8543" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8540" CreationDate="2018-09-07T14:20:11.640" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some kicking styles do use shoes: in &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savate&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Savate&lt;/a&gt;, shoes are worn in training and sparing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Japanese culture, wearing shoes indoor is considered impolite and dirty. Thus, shoes are taken off at the front door. All dojo are indoor buildings thus I can safely assume that shoes would not be worn there. An array of socks and indoor slippers do exists but they are not terribly practical for physical activities. They do not drain sweat very well becoming slippery and dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I like the primary sources to say this is the reasons most Japanese martial arts train bare foot, it is a possible explanation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, dogi are under vestments worn as &quot;exercise cloths&quot;. We rarely, if ever, train in street cloths. Maybe we should but generally sport wear is just more practical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-09-07T14:25:12.517" LastActivityDate="2018-09-07T14:25:12.517" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8544" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8540" CreationDate="2018-09-07T17:22:19.687" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Japanese styles, it is unquestionably about cleanliness.  They don't wear outside shoes in one's home, and zori are used for that purpose.  But zori make it somewhat difficult to train in, and as well, expensive tatami mats do not wear well with shoes worn.  So, they train barefoot.  I've seen many a Japanese instructor painstakingly give the hairy eyeball to a repairman walking over the tatami mat with his boots on to fix the plumbing, a ceiling leak, or some electrical thing; and when the ordeal was over, have students wash down the mat whereupon the miserable heathen stepped.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Korean styles, there's several answers.  One answer is that they don't train barefoot - they wear light sneakers built for the purpose of training.  However, with many taekwondo schools, they do lots of jump and spin kicks, and so, a mat is needed to protect the students from hard landings; these mats do not wear well when shoes are worn.  As a result, instructors are usually the ones who wear the training sneakers - not the students.  However, those training sneakers are made so as not to be so &quot;grabby&quot; to the mats, and occasionally, you find students training in them.  But most mats are made for the human foot - not shoes - and so, the grabbiness of a mat is reduced when barefoot compared to shoes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other Korean styles, such as Yudo and Kumdo, and derivatives, their customs come directly from their Japanese style counterparts - Judo and Kendo, respectively, and so, they're barefoot.  It seems curious to me that Kendo/Kumdo students do not wear shoes, despite that they rarely ever lift the foot off the floor, and, they usually compete on bare wood flooring - perfect for shoes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In styles where head kicks are allowed, no one wants to get a face full of shoe (not that a sweaty sole is any better).  But there is a safety and/or a comfort issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can also say this, having competed in many a tournament hosted in a high school gymnasium.  Such places are ripe for dust balls, dirt, parking lot pebbles, and the occasional spilled orange soda and dropped hot dog - none of which is comfortable to step in.  Trying to compete on such a gymnasium floor is very difficult - the dust can create a slippery surface; conversely, a well-managed floor which has just been lacquered can be very grabby on the foot.  Training shoes can meet the middle ground.  Also, I've competed in hotels.  They have carpets, but you never know if the wedding party the night before had a mishap whereupon someone broke a champagne glass.  I always make it a practice to wear training shoes on hotel flooring for just this reason.  As a result, for me and may like me, training for a tournament on a gym floor or a hotel means wearing shoes, so for tournament season, always train with shoes in the dojang.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind that we train for what we expect to encounter.  If we are training for sport, then we have different expectations than for practicing for self-defense.  In practicing for self-defense, I think it unconscionable not to practice with street shoes at least once in a while - noting the wear and tear on a training mat, there can always be occasional practice on a grass, beach, or asphalt surface.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2019-02-01T19:44:55.270" LastActivityDate="2019-02-01T19:44:55.270" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8545" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8547" CreationDate="2018-09-08T14:43:12.670" Score="4" ViewCount="450" Body="&lt;p&gt;A little backstory: I'm a relatively lightweight guy (126 lbs) and have been training BJJ for almost a year now. I tend to struggle in a few departments, and the second most terrible one is when I have my opponent in some form of control (usually closed guard or side control) and:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;They break right out of the closed guard, either by pushing down on my knees ferociously or stacking me&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;They simply push me off or quickly shrimp out of side control.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been told that my technique for holding my opponents down isn't exactly the best; for side control I need to apply a lot more pressure with my chest and the closed guard requires the breaking of posture. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, I know that having a good posture means that you are strong even in a neutral/weak position i.e. keeping your spine in good orientation and your limbs close means that you still have tons of strength with which to break out of side control. My problem lies in not being able to correctly neutralize my opponent's strength through posture by breaking said posture. I have done some asking around and found a couple of ways to do so:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the closed guard, grab your opponent's gi/neck with one hand, pull it down aggressively and raise your legs higher towards his head.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;For positions like side control, the best bet is to flatten your opponent, using your chest to apply lots of pressure and shoulder driving into his chin.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Despite me doing my best to implement these techniques into my game, I still don't seem to be able to maintain any form of control on my opponent for too long. I try to focus more on technique without using too much strength, so I don't want to just go berserk and try to keep them in control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9531" LastActivityDate="2018-09-10T22:23:35.700" Title="What are some fundamental yet highly effective ways to break your opponent's posture?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|closed-guard|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8546" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8545" CreationDate="2018-09-08T16:13:59.960" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Taking a step back, the main issue you're facing is that your skill level is probably the same as everyone else who you started out with, but they're heavier and stronger than you are, so you're struggling to do things that they can do. This makes you understandably frustrated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you need to start realizing something important right now. Those guys in your class that are frustrating you are relying on their body weight and strength a lot more than you can. In the short-term, it's going to frustrate you a lot. But in the long-term, you're going to learn the right technique a lot more quickly than they will, because you have to. They don't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can tell based on your question and the way you emphasized learning correct technique over strength that you understand this. You're reaching out to others with questions on how to improve your technique, because you know that's what you need to do at this point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My high school judo instructor was a 5th dan woman. She and I chatted from time to time, and she used to tell me that females learn judo much more quickly than males do. Whereas the males can compensate for a lack of skill by using their size and strength, females have to invest in their loss and learn the proper skill immediately if they want to get better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So instead of thinking of your losses as a bad thing, think of them as getting you closer and closer each time to figuring it out. It's a positive thing. Don't let it frustrate you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're probably not going to get better by asking your classmates. I think this is something you need to work on in private lessons with your instructor, if possible. Or at least, pull him aside from time to time to work on it with you. Keep asking questions. And keep your focus on trying to learn the proper technique over size and strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And by the way, just to clarify: You must still use strength and whatever body weight you have. But you must use it with the proper technique. Don't just try to force things. That won't work for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice to you right now is that if something isn't working, rapidly switch to something else. Don't sit there trying to force it. Speed is something you can work on right now. But while you're working on speed, don't get sloppy. Your transitions have to be smooth and can't give your opponent an opening. That's something you'll need to work on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think I answered your question directly. I'll leave that up to someone who knows BJJ better than I do. And I kind of think you will only get some ideas from others here, but the best thing for you to do right now is to go to your instructor and explain your situation, asking him to take you aside and really work on improving your technique. We can't see what you're doing, so it's hard to judge from behind a computer screen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2018-09-08T16:13:59.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8547" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8545" CreationDate="2018-09-09T10:58:30.693" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think in what you have written there are fundamental errors and/or misconceptions. We cannot tell whether this is because of what you understood from what you have been told or what you actually have been told, but that is that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Closed guard&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key to control and breaking the posture in a way you can profit from in closed/half guard is not necessarily about hips - and certainly not the neck - but about wrist control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think about it: How are you supposed to yank down an opponent by grabbing his neck - working against the biggest and strongest muscle in all the body (back) -  with your arm and a bit of weight (the upper body is not that heavy, really)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you want to get somebody close, you will have to get hold of their means to keep distance - the arms. As long as the opponent is able to push with their hands from the hips into your abdomen, you cannot possibly break posture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hence, the first step is to control the part of the arms that you can move the easiest - because it is the farthest away from the big muscles in the torso: the wrists. Fighting for wrist control is fighting for control in this case. If you do not fight for the opponents' wrists, they will use their back and their weight to retain posture and eventually get one of your knees to the ground to escape. Having the wrists (and hence arms) out of the way, you will see that the rest is fairly easy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether you achieve that by actively meeting the grip fight before your opponent gets hold of you or e.g. by turning your hip/shrimping so that you can move the grabbed hand from your abdomen to the side of your hip/torso is situational. There are many situations and possibilities. But &lt;em&gt;the&lt;/em&gt; fundamental is to clear the way first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One last point: Fighting for the wrists is fighting for the centerline. That's where arms and grips are dangerous - holds true for standup game as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Side control&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key to control in any control/mount position is not actively producing pressure by tension, but passively by relaxation and restriction of movement through strategic positioning of limbs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To clarify: The most common mistake is full body tension. If you do this, your &lt;em&gt;weight&lt;/em&gt; - which is the one resource you do not have to use energy for - is distributed &lt;strong&gt;away&lt;/strong&gt; from the opponent's torso by your effort, i.e. you effectively &lt;em&gt;use&lt;/em&gt; energy to &lt;em&gt;lose&lt;/em&gt; control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your hip should always have (slight) contact to the mat. Your active pressure does not come from above, but from the side (hey, &lt;em&gt;side&lt;/em&gt; control?!), i.e. you keep your toes on the mat and push sidewards into the ribs of your opponent with your torso fairly relaxed - that way your weight works where it is: On the opponent's ribs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, your arms should not be overly tensed. They are locked, yes (and this means hands locked, elbows close and turned inwards - ideally &lt;em&gt;under&lt;/em&gt; the opponent's shoulder, i.e. close to your belly button), but the shoulder-into-neck magic should come from your &lt;em&gt;body&lt;/em&gt;/feet, i.e. &amp;quot;forwards&amp;quot; pressure of all your body into the opponent's, so that as soon as you shift your shoulder forwards, there automatically is pressure where it ought to be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The bridging/shrimping escapes then are countered with a) turning of hips (so that the weight is on your attacked side and it is impossible to slip under your body) and b) following the shrimping direction by pressure from your feet/legs. If the opponent moves, you have to move as well. It does not make any sense to try to retain the &lt;strong&gt;exact&lt;/strong&gt; position by use of force since it only leads to the expenditure of energy you so desperately need in the ground game. But this is active interplay and cannot be grasped by words/explanations so much as by experience/feeling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Ground game in general&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your main goal is control, i.e. shaping the situation so that the opponent has (a lot) fewer options than you for moving. Lying flat on your back in the closed guard is obviously not a good position with that in mind, closed guard has to be a transitional state with a lot of movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;High-level grappling consists in shaping the options of your opponent so that whatever option is taken, it leads to even fewer options and eventually to submission. The main component of this is gradually getting hold of more parts of the opponent's body or at least to a stronger grip on the ones you have, i.e. usually starting with wrists and ankles/knees, aiming for one shoulder plus neck (the magic triangles from where you can do most submissions, regardless whether with leg- or arm-control).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Controlling the hip, in particular, is very hard as it is the centre of mass, the place where the biggest muscles come together, and hence the place where the most momentum can be generated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-09-09T12:39:17.423" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8548" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8545" CreationDate="2018-09-09T14:53:18.147" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Never underestimate the power of pressure points.  Knowing where the points are and how they are activated can give you an edge.  They are usually activated by striking, rubbing, or pressing.  You need not always use your hands to do this: fingers, knuckles, chin, forehead, elbow, and knee can be used to activate some points.  You can also use your opponent's own body to activate them depending on the position you are in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, there is a distinction between &quot;pressure points&quot; and &quot;vital areas&quot;.  Vital areas are probably verboten in sport - understandably so.  They cover areas like the throat, solar plexus, groin, and eyes.  However, that doesn't mean all are verboten.  For example, you mention driving your opponent's chin upward.  The chin is near the neck - a vital area - so I assume the chin is a legal target.  In this case, you can drive the chin straight up and back as you mention - but a strong opponent might resist this.  Instead, push up and to the side: this is much harder to control.  And rather than pushing on the chin with the center of your palm, use the small bone in the lower outside of your wrist to push about 1/2 the way from the tip of the chin to the back, where there is a pressure point activated by the sharpest part of your palm (that would be the small bone in the wrist.  Maybe you can use a fist's knuckles if allowed - but the idea is to know where the targets are (that part of the chin) and what you have to activate it (a sharp bone in your hand).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Such details take lots of study and practice, and do not always work.  They generally require great knowledge of neuromechanics, muscle physiology, and even some osteology.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you use pressure points, vital areas, and joint bending, you create a distraction - sometimes a shock - to the opponent which can give you enough time to anticipate and react to that shock and reverse his hold on you.  This isn't a new technology in the martial arts world, we've known about this science for millennia.  It's just that strength is easier to use, and requires a lot less discipline to know about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-09-09T14:53:18.147" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8549" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8108" CreationDate="2018-09-10T04:50:30.903" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes! If you go to the Google Play Store and simply enter 'Mudras' into the Search field, you will see, most likely, 'Mudras Apps' appear as one of the choices: that is what you want to click on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are, I think and hope, going to be very pleased to find &lt;em&gt;several&lt;/em&gt; apps! Oh, and make sure, before you install any of the apps, to click on the green 'Read More' link for more information. With several million apps on thousands of subjects, you can easily understand the sad fact that with that many apps, they can't all be good or even exactly what you are looking for sometimes. However, you did mention that you were wanting a record or detailed list of Mudras.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can tell you with confidence that you will be able to find at least a couple of apps with clear visual and written techniques on several different ones [Mudras], and even cross-referenced into, for example, desired effect or unblocking of a particular energy flow, or even by ailments. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally have installed, and used 3 different apps. Two of the 3 exceeded my expectations, and the third one was mediocre, though I was still able to glean a fair amount of information for my needs at the time. I am sorry to say I am terrible at remembering the exact names of the apps. As I said before, though: Read the finer details to ensure that the apps or apps you install meet your needs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am sorry to say that I am not familiar enough with Mudras to quite understand what you meant by an Official Record of any of the Mudras that I have ever seen and/or tried.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9533" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-09-10T07:34:40.470" LastActivityDate="2018-09-10T07:34:40.470" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8550" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8440" CreationDate="2018-09-10T05:14:06.790" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suppose the quickest or shortest answer (IMO), is that you don't want to waste YOUR energy while your opponent seems to be perfectly fine with wearing themselves out, wasting their own energy. The &quot;What-Ifs&quot; are numerous. They could have friends who may want to fight with you, your opponent could grab/find a weapon to all of a sudden tip the odds in their favor a little bit, or a huge amount.&#xA;  So, maybe an even better (and shorter) answer is so that YOU can remain &quot;ready for anything&quot; that is within your control.&#xA; - Michael &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9533" LastEditorUserId="8701" LastEditDate="2018-09-30T13:05:22.627" LastActivityDate="2018-09-30T13:05:22.627" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8551" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8386" CreationDate="2018-09-10T06:19:00.400" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some people, myself included (for reasons similar to yours), believe that Tai Chi is just a much slower version, or pace, of Kung Fu (for the most part) for balance. There are many other benefits, such as improving and maintaining balance and flexibility. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have spinal stenosis (cervical), degenerated disks and a couple of fusions. On top of that, I have Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia; I've had nearly all of these for almost 21 years and I'm not even 48 years old. If I were to skip my morning Tai Chi + stretch routine for any reason, which gets oxygen to more muscle tissues and promotes regrowth of nerve and brain cells, then I would be in too much pain to eat, sleep, smile, socialize or laugh. This makes me hurt even more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yoda said; &quot;There is no 'try.' Only DO, or DO NOT!&quot; Yoda only said DO. He never said to hurry up. I am already on disability. I am not going to let that own me.&#xA;I have some disabilities; they don't have me. I am not &quot;DIS-ABLED&quot;! I am Michael. I am not as fast, strong, or agile as I was at one time. I can WALK and TALK! I can still LAUGH, LOVE, ENCOURAGE, LEARN FOR FREE, AND SO MUCH More!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I could also be angry, hateful, spiteful, and blame others for reasons that not even my doctors have figured out. I could waste my time with negative, hurtful, useless feelings. I could. But I don't want to and I REFUSE TO! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts is more than just physical movements to be memorized. In fact, the mental and spiritual, the Chi (Qi), that is the hard part. You want to see what is after 1st and 2nd grade? A ton of &quot;Internal&quot; that is not easily taught and is even harder to learn. You, I, we. We are more. So? Do, Be, Become MORE.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9533" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-12-04T14:49:59.553" LastActivityDate="2018-12-04T14:49:59.553" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8552" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6369" CreationDate="2018-09-10T11:30:31.703" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've had the opportunity to work out with Vasiliev and Ryabko about a decade. I've since retired, not for lack of satisfaction, but was sidelined by a skiing injury, after which I focused more on career and family.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;WRT psychic energy, as explained to me (and I was practicing during the time that video was made in Toronto), it's pretty much anything that will make you move or manipulate someone that doesn't involve physical contact. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of that work is pretty straight forward : for example, once people get a taste of Ryabko in sparring, they can get a hypervigilance effect out of fear/respect/bafflement, because his strikes have almost no telegraph and are very hard. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can make them hypersensitive to feints, dive to the floor instead of take a perceived strike threat (not necessarily a bad option in systema where we don't keep score). On the other end of that his advanced students may react to tells that the outsider won't recognize. Ryabko maybe has some tells but you gotta figure that out yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other concept to exploit hyperagression, present a vulnerability with a counter technique or evasion in mind. Example, Vasiliev exposed his groin to me, then kicked me in the groin as soon as I thought to kick him. (Vasiliev is very good at reading tells). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There was some &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Men_Who_Stare_at_Goats&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Men Who Stare at Goats&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; type stuff Vasiliev talked about in this book, but it wasn't about him, just research he'd heard of during the cold war. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then there is breath manipulation, using the same sort of herd instinct we use for contagious yawning. I won't get too specific because it costs money (buy the vid).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the video he emphatically claims not to speak to ghosts or do Jedi tricks, it's all manipulation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now as far as internal energy, having done some tjq and a some yoga in equal measure (I now just do yoga) I would say systema equivalent to chi study is the study of breathing. There is a yoga like subset of systema (some might argue appropriated by the Soviets) around this. I got as far as being able to manipulate my heart rate with breathing (they have this in yoga too) but there is likely more. It was around here that we parted, for previously mentioned life reasons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9534" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-09-10T21:28:57.500" LastActivityDate="2018-09-10T21:28:57.500" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8553" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8545" CreationDate="2018-09-10T22:23:35.700" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This answer addresses strategy for side control only. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Resist the first move with structure&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When your opponent makes their first move (for example, bridging or shrimping), your control needs to be both strong enough that you can resist without having to reposition your limbs. For example, if your opponent bridges away from you, you need to be able to defend this initial bridge without having to move an arm. Your control also needs to be balanced; it does no good to defend exclusively against the opponent turning/bridging into you if it leaves turning/bridging away open. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This constraint means that some side control variations may not be available to you as a smaller person. For example, a larger person can take a side control position with an arm through the legs to pull and bow the opponent's spine, but this will not work well for a smaller armspan against a larger torso. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a smaller person, my personal preference for arm placement is one arm by the head, and the other arm with elbow on the far side of the opponent's body near the hip with hand extended away to brace for a bridge away. I find this maximizes resistance to the first escape attempt while maintaining adaptability for your own movements. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Move to improve your position&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Side control is a dynamic position. Your objective should not be to maintain this position, but to gradually improve it. It does not matter if your opponent forces you out of side control, so long as you maintain control. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let your opponent break their own posture; when you can defend the first move, it is much safer this way. When they bridge away from you, slip a knee to wedge underneath them. When they shrimp into you, step your leg over to transition to mount. Transitioning effectively is tricky and takes practice; you have to understand when your opponent has expended their strength to time your move. Excess movement on your part makes escape easier. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This kind of transition is the point of &quot;around the world&quot; pinning drills. You practice moving quickly and efficiently from one control position to another, first without resistance, and then with resistance (partner trying to escape). With resistance, you look to exploit vulnerabilities presented by the escape actions, either with a tighter hold or submission. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My preferred analogy is to be like a constrictor snake. The snake wraps up its prey, then waits for the prey to move or breathe. Every time the prey moves or breathes out, the snake shifts and constricts to take away space. The constrictor succeeds not by crushing its prey directly, but by removing empty space. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-09-10T22:23:35.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8554" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-09-11T11:02:58.803" Score="2" ViewCount="269" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have issues with my nasal breathing; I had an operation, which didn't work.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been experimenting with nasal dilators for running and cycling and find them to be quite helpful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.amazon.co.uk/Airmax-Anti-Snoring-Nasal-Dilator/dp/B00STPNB90&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.amazon.co.uk/Airmax-Anti-Snoring-Nasal-Dilator/dp/B00STPNB90&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would it be safe to use them in sparring?  They are very soft rubber.  I doubt getting punched while wearing one would be any different from being punched without.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would they be legal in kickboxing competitions? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9340" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-09-12T17:49:16.763" LastActivityDate="2018-09-12T17:49:16.763" Title="Nasal dilators in martial arts" Tags="|equipment|kickboxing|safety|breathing|sport|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8555" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8554" CreationDate="2018-09-11T15:19:35.280" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You will need to get medical clearance from your doctor, and, since you mentioned competition, you will need to get clearance from the competition's directors, who will only clear you once your doctor does so.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason you need that secondary tournament clearance is because it could be seen as cheating if used for other than medically-necessary purposes.  Think steroids.  As you enter your bouts, be sure you or your coach has the signed forms from the medical staff to show the referees who may ask and might not be aware of your situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-09-11T15:19:35.280" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8556" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-09-12T14:55:54.147" Score="5" ViewCount="5072" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been reading about the old days of UFC and came across a fighter named Joe Son. If you look at his MMA record on his &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Son#Mixed_martial_arts_record&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia page&lt;/a&gt;, you'll notice that listed under method for his losses are: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;TKO (Shoulder injury)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;submission (terror)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;submission (elbow injury)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;submission (blood choke)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I go to the Wikipedia page of his opponent, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Moreira#Mixed_martial_arts_record&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Joe Moreira&lt;/a&gt;, and see his MMA record, you'll also see he won his fight against Joe Son by &quot;Submission (terror)&quot;. You can see that, in both cases, the defeat/win occurred in round 1 and the time given is N/A. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is really making me wonder what happened. The only way a time of N/A could be right is if the match never even started, yet Round 1 is given as the Round in which the defeat/win occurred, so I have no idea what's happened. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I searched around, but couldn't come up with an answer; I only came across a forum containing unsubstantiated stories about what happened, with some interesting ones, as this Joe Son guy was convicted of a number of crimes and is currently in prison.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Videos of other matches Joe Son competed in can be found, such as this one titled &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&amp;amp;v=57Mva-3n7TY&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;UFC4 Legal groin shots&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;Note: It's a bit graphic&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9544" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-09-12T15:14:37.110" LastActivityDate="2018-09-12T15:33:32.213" Title="What does &quot;submission (terror)&quot; mean as method of winning or losing a fight in MMA?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|ufc|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8557" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8556" CreationDate="2018-09-12T15:33:32.213" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think the answer can be found in the Wikipedia page you linked to, in the section &quot;Mixed Martial Arts Career&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;On April 12, 2002, Son also took part in Xtreme Pankration 2, wherein he faced Joe Moreira. After a brief exchange of strikes, Moreira landed a hit which drew blood, and Son then refused to continue fighting, and the fight was called. The result was officially listed as &quot;submission (terror)&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I shall point out that this is marked with &quot;citation needed&quot; in the Wikipedia article; I can't find any other evidence either way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2018-09-12T15:33:32.213" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8558" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6369" CreationDate="2018-09-13T22:29:20.630" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ok, I'll try to answer from perspective of a similar style, Aikido.  The concept you mention is similarly defined in both styles - although to be honest, this exists in all styles.  Let me explain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It all has to do with &quot;atemi&quot;.  In Aikido, atemi is the act of creating a diversion.  This diversion is used in order to get the attacker to do something else - usually, something expected so that the defender can defend against the known response.  It has other purposes, but for now, I'll just focus on this part.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So imagine your opponent is coming at you (a bear hug, or is reaching for your throat with one hand and in the other he's got a fist or a knife he wants to introduce to your face.)  Your atemi is to throw up a strike to the eyes, for example.  The idea is to get him to flinch, and even to grab at your hand.  (Off topic, but this is where the &quot;here, grab my wrist&quot; syndrome begins.  It's legitimate, but there's more.  Read on.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So let's say he flinches, and to avoid having his eyes poked out, he jerks his head backward - to the point he falls down.  All because the defender stuck his fingers up toward the attacker's eyes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's the theory, anyway.  But let's look at what happened.  First of all, such a scenario is unlikely to succeed all the time.  The attacker is probably pumped with adrenaline, and is not likely to notice your fingers poking toward his eyes; that would require a micro-focus on a relatively little detail that would, in practice, go unnoticed were the esteemed attacker is drunk, high, on roids, mentally unhinged, uber-angered, injured, or overconfident in his size/strength/speed is better than the defenders.  Whatever the case, it is likely that this maneuver won't work.  At least, not for this specific purpose.  It can work, but it's not likely.  It is more likely to work in a controlled environment where said alcohol, drugs, steroids, etc is not a factor.  In other words, where the pretend-attacker is probably competently protective of his eyes or throat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What's more is what the outside observer sees.  The observer notices that the defender stuck his hand out, and the attacker backed off.  (Also off-topic, but this is where the famous no-touch knockout charlatans capitalize and over-dramatize this effect).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What the outside observer has noticed is that the defender used some sort of internal energy to ward off the attack.  It's like the shell game which has the observer thinking the defender has this power, when in reality, it is mildly retained in the attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking at this objectively, we can readily see that there is no outside force or internal force or whathaveyou.  Do you believe that such Jedi mind tricks and dark forces work?  Well, don't let me be the one to keep you from your journey to explore that.  But I can say that in this scenario, the mistake (remember, there are many, but I focus on the one related to your question) is to attach a wrong explanation of what is seen, and not use one's intelligence to see the situation for what it is: no transferal of energy, but rather, cause one to use his own energy (and fear!) to ward off an attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Did I mention this exists in other styles?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, we see this in boxing.  It's called a jab, feint, or fake.  You know, to get the opponent to lift his guard so that you can get around it.  We have the exact same thing in taekwondo, kickboxing, karate, muay thai... it's ubiquitous.  We just don't call it &quot;atemi&quot; all the time, and for the most part, it seems only the Japanese have turned the concept into a science.  But it is there.  Even Sun Tzu talks of it in The Art of War (see examples in chapter 3, &quot;Attack By Stratagem&quot;); and so does Bruce Lee in his Tao of Jeet Kune Do (“Pretend that you are weak, that he may grow arrogant.”)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't fall for the invisible force crap.  It doesn't exist.  Do you believe what you see whenever a magician gets up on stage?  That there is a life force somewhere that lifts the assistant in the air without strings?  Of course not.  Every magician relies on deception.  Physical mechanics hidden in plain sight to make you think there is magic.  Of course, even the most intellectual among us like to see a good magic act, and know full well that there is no magic.  We like to be fooled, knowing we're being fooled.  And because our lives (and eyesight) is not in jeopardy, we gladly accept it.  But it is no different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I said all that to say this: the internal force you talk of is not possessed by &lt;strong&gt;YOU&lt;/strong&gt;.  Rather, it is possessed by &lt;strong&gt;HIM&lt;/strong&gt;.  It is the no-touch-knockout guy (the magician) that tries to convince you that he's the one with the power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You utilize that internal force by creating a diversion (atemi, fake, fein, etc).  If he were dead, unconscious, blind, or unaware of your presence, then none of this would work, because he cannot see your diversion.  If he were high, drunk, or enraged, this would not work, because he does not have the mental faculties to react in a predictable way, or even understand the diversion you've placed before him.  Ever try to create a diversion for a dog throwing him a ball?  An astute dog doesn't fall for the diversion.  A stupid dog falls for it every time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ah, and then you mention something about relaxed power generation.  The Chinese have turned this into a science, they call it &lt;em&gt;fa-jing&lt;/em&gt;.  I believe you asked not to discuss this, as it relates to something physical (an explosive state made more strong because the whole of the body can focus all of the momentum in one direction; were the body to be moving, or be stiff or similarly hindered, fa-jing cannot work because the momentum is not channeled into one direction - it is scattered.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nevertheless, there are some (the charlatans and magicians) who tout this as some mystical energy created from being relaxed.  It isn't.  It's the explosive movement from muscles at relax suddenly being directed into one direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-09-13T22:29:20.630" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8560" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8561" CreationDate="2018-09-18T17:41:17.583" Score="6" ViewCount="182" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background&lt;/strong&gt;: I am a teenage white-belt 2nd stripe training in BJJ for almost a year now. I feel like I have some fundamental errors in my overall game and am seeking to remedy them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question&lt;/strong&gt;: One of the most commonly taught sweeps to beginner is the scissor sweep from closed guard. One of the most common mistakes that coaches point out is this: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Hey man, you aren't facilitating the sweep with your hips, you're just muscling through the whole thing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact of the matter is that I &lt;strong&gt;don't know how to generate strength with my hips&lt;/strong&gt;. This applies to a broad spectrum of techniques, from controlling my opponent to using my hips to try and sweep them instead of strength (Mind you I am ~127 lbs, so I lack in that department as well). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To summarize:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;How can one effectively use their hips to generate strength for any given technique that requires it (not including bridging unless there is some concept in there)?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Research I Have Done&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I have looked around Google for this problem, but I have mostly found drills for shrimping and whatnot. That's why I came here. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I was able to get in contact with my coach at today's class (I don't have a phone). When I presented him the question, he mentioned that &quot;generating strength with hips&quot; is actually creating an angle and using that to upset your opponent's center of gravity (base) in order to facilitate a sweep with minimal effort. This certainly was useful during the training session, although I would still like more feedback for this answer so that I can see the other perspectives that practitioners have on this topic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9531" LastEditorUserId="9531" LastEditDate="2018-09-19T15:05:55.317" LastActivityDate="2018-09-19T21:26:25.680" Title="How can one effectively use their hips to generate strength for any given technique that requires it?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|technique|strength|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8561" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8560" CreationDate="2018-09-18T21:32:17.387" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Force and efficiency are different&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two separate issues: how to generate strength (force) and how to use it efficiently. I think the scissor sweep is not a great example of how to generate strength; your coach is pointing you in the direction of how to use strength efficiently, while your question seems more focused on generating force. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Generate force by using big muscles together&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whenever possible, you want to use your body's largest muscles to do work, and you want them to assist each other in doing so. The human body's largest muscles attach to the pelvis (hips).  This is the opposite principle of exercises that isolate muscle groups like leg extensions or leg curls. This is true regardless of whether you are punching, throwing, sweeping, or whatever. This is also called &quot;using the whole body&quot; because the common mistake is to focus on the limb directly in contact with the opponent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally for standing techniques, you generate strength for the technique with the hips by swinging. The hips rotate, and this momentum is applied to a limb to attack. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the scissor sweep specifically (not a personal specialty), I am unsure what &quot;facilitating the sweep with your hips&quot; means. My guess is this is an instruction to supplement the leg scissor action with the strength of the torso, combining the twisting motion to achieve the mount position with the leg action in the scissor sweep. In other words, you should use your whole body and not just your legs. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Apply force efficiently&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reduce your opponent's base and off-balance them. Borrow momentum to attack. This is the context where I most frequently see the muscling critique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Case studies&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Bridging&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bridging is one of the few techniques where you hit someone directly with your hips. In this respect, it is easier to understand the role of the hips in bridging than in punching, for example. Punching is more difficult because you have to transmit force from your hips through your torso and arms to a hand. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Cross body arm lock (juji gatame)&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suggest the arm lock is a better technique to illustrate how to generate strength from the hips. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The naive way of applying this arm lock is to squeeze the opponent's arm between your legs, then pull down on the opponent's wrist with your arms. Assuming you have sat in deep to your opponent with their elbow closer than your hips, you have leverage to make this movement efficient, but this will not help you generate more force. If your hip placement is suboptimal, you may not have sufficient leverage and force to finish the submission. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A better way to apply the lock is to sit up and wrap up the opponent's wrist into your chest using your arms. Then perform a back extension (reverse motion of sit-up) holding the opponent's arm and arch your hips up. The efficiency element is the same because your hips and wrist control are in the same places to give you the same lever. The force generated by your hips and back are much greater than the force from just your arms, giving you the ability to apply the lock more slowly, with more control. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-09-19T21:26:25.680" LastActivityDate="2018-09-19T21:26:25.680" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8562" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8564" CreationDate="2018-09-20T05:42:20.977" Score="5" ViewCount="146" Body="&lt;p&gt;While learning Kalaripayattu in a city, it was not done in a traditional mud-based basement, but in a school hall. So there were fans available. When we used to perspire profusely from an intense warm-up, we would ask the guru if we could turn on the fan; he advised us not to, saying it would negate all the effort we put into the warm-up because the fan would cool down the body.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although it initially seemed to make sense, I later found it hard to believe, since the fan couldn't possibly reduce blood circulation, body temperature, muscle and joint mobility, to such an extent that it could make the warm-up pointless. I felt that as long as we continued with our exercises, it would be fine to leave the fan switched on at medium speed just to evaporate the perspiration and the stink it creates.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this an accurate assumption?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6623" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-09-20T08:53:55.217" LastActivityDate="2018-09-20T15:08:30.273" Title="Does leaving the fan switched on in the dojo reverse the effect of warm up exercises?" Tags="|exercise|flexibility|dojo|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8563" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8562" CreationDate="2018-09-20T06:45:45.910" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, you are correct. Having fans (or air conditioning) will do nothing to either help or hinder. Although, it will make you more comfortable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A warm up is designed to stretch muscles and increase joint mobility. These are  somewhat affected by temperatures as the hotter it is the less one needs to warm up. However, unless at an extreme range (anything between around 30 and 10 degrees is just fine), a normal warm up should be fine. Whatever the temperature, if you spend 5/10 minutes doing nothing, you might want to have a quick warm up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In hot climates, you are better off staying well hydrated which means drinking during the session.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2018-09-20T06:45:45.910" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8564" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8562" CreationDate="2018-09-20T15:08:30.273" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, your assumption is correct.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your body sweats in an effort to cool itself, due to either an elevated outside temperature, elevated internal temperature, or both. If you switch on a fan, all you do is assist the body in maintaining a normal operating temperature.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In fact, it would actually probably be more on the beneficial side, since if your core temperature remains elevated, you put more effort into cooling than you might otherwise, and your performance will be impacted as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training in the heat, no cooling, no water is very old school thinking. At the best it slightly hinders training capacity, at the worst it can be hospital level dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2018-09-20T15:08:30.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8565" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8566" CreationDate="2018-09-21T17:47:02.787" Score="2" ViewCount="182" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am looking for some shin guards and gloves for full contact (Kyokushin) sparring. Is there anything I should be looking for / avoid when buying these pieces of equipment?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9435" LastActivityDate="2018-09-22T05:27:37.830" Title="Kyokushin Sparring Gear" Tags="|karate|sparring|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8566" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8565" CreationDate="2018-09-22T05:27:37.830" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you train with an instructor, I'd suggest checking in with him or her - it makes sense for everyone to use the same gear, and there might even be some constraints imposed by any insurance policy or local laws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're mucking around with friends, and you haven't trained in a class enough to know what kind of protective gear works (most of the time), then someone's likely to get hurt anyway....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If none of that deters you, get something you can wash and dry out easily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.smai.com.au/collections/martial-arts-boxing-mma-gloves/products/gloves-tournament?variant=17258267009&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;These gloves&lt;/a&gt; look generally similar to what I use (and used in Kyokushin classes in Tokyo / different brand though), and for gloves I think it's important you can tuck your thumb in hard into your fist, and still open the hand to use the palm and what little grasping's allowed under Kyokushin rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.smai.com.au/collections/martial-arts-shin-guards/products/shin-instep-elastic?variant=17258377665&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;These shin / instep guards&lt;/a&gt; are similar to the ones I've used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've still broken bones on both ends of such gloves, and a kick to knee can still screw you up regardless of the shin pads.  The ball and heel of the foot aren't covered by such pads so you &quot;take full damage&quot; if kicked with those.  For junior belts at grading competitions people still wear head gear and mouth guards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2018-09-22T05:27:37.830" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8568" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8056" CreationDate="2018-09-25T16:48:31.550" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are several possible terminologies, depending on the lingua franca of your dojo.  Here are a few possibilities:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Direct terms:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kiba dachi suburi (squats)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kiza (a form of squat)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Possible related terms:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shisei (body posture)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;which lends to two kinds of postures:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;shizentai - normal&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;jigotai - defensive or applied&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;General terms&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Keiko (practice)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Moto-waza (basic techniques)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Junbi undo (preparatory exercises)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Miscellaneous terms:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tandoku renshu (solo practice, like kata)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my Aikido dojo (and again in my Kumdo dojang), we use more formal squat exercises and perform them in this order (and with or without a bokken in hand, depending on what we're doing; I'll leave out the bokken here).  We just called them &quot;kiba dachi suburi&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here, heels touch each other throughout the exercise:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stand normal, with toes outward&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lift body onto toes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Squat down with buttocks on heels, and remaining on toes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lift to complete standing position, and remaining on toes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Return to normal (resting on whole foot)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;This is one full count&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Repeat per instructor's command&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-09-25T16:48:31.550" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8569" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8238" CreationDate="2018-09-26T17:58:24.187" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where Does &quot;Martial Arts&quot; Come From?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm from a camp that believes that martial arts is just that: study and practice of battlefield tactics.  Think military.  So, modern martial arts would involve throwing hand grenades, bivouac, first aid, placing mines, using a LAW, and all of the support behind such things, like command structure, fitness, eating, hygiene and sanitation, and religion.  Many &quot;martial arts&quot; we see today were just that long ago.  Karate and Kung Fu are good examples - but they are now only a snapshot in time.  Today's practice of strict Okinawan Karate, for example, is practiced only from historical context, not applicable modern context.  As such, there is very little modern military application.  The styles were not watered down, they simply didn't adapt to new military practices.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo was built for a small, singular purpose: to survive on the battlefield.  Historically, it would come close to a martial art, but only a portion of it.  Taekwondo does not (and never did) concern itself with weapons, first aid, religion, etc.  But there are shadows of martial similarities: there is a command structure in many taekwondo schools - some are very strict.  Lots of &quot;Yes, SIR!&quot; in most schools.  Religion may be out, but there are several character-building tenets built within.  (Chung Do Kwan Taekwondo, for example, has an oath that is recited before each class.  This oath is not unlike the Boy Scout's scout oath and scout law.  It may not be religious, but it is all about character building.)  And Taekwondo aims to keep the body physically fit, just as a soldier would expect to do the same on the battlefield.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But today, only the military practices true martial arts.  The rest of us practice a (very) cherry-picked subset of martial arts.  On a broad front, we have all adopted the combat fighting parts.  From there, we diverge into grappling only, striking only, weapons only, wellness only, and hybrids.  Some styles are for the individual, while others are for a team, and yet others are suitable for a family (eg, ATA Taekwondo).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is There a Difference Between 'Less Effective' and 'Adapted'?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is where your answer lies: that which we often refer to as &quot;martial arts&quot; hasn't necessarily been reduced in effectiveness, they simply adapted to today's purposes.  None of them are effective on the battlefield, so in that sense, yes, they've all been made less effective for the battlefield.  So maybe, it begs a question to your question &quot;what do you mean by effectiveness?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If by effective, you mean, can you use it on the battlefield?  No, there is no combat fighting system which is suitable for the battlefield.  Generally, the sport styles teach one-on-one only, with no weapons, and a limited set of techniques and targets that can be used.  The self-defense styles teach only survival against non-military adversaries with knives and fists, although some will dabble in gun disabling.  Today's wars are fought with long range projectile weapons; aerial combat; computer, chemical, biological, and nuclear warfare; and other tactics.  No style of modern &quot;martial arts&quot; covers any of this in any dojang or dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the only possible definition you could possibly infer &quot;effectiveness&quot; would have to be either sport, self-defense, or personal wellness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to sport, each style has evolved into what it is today because of the nuances of sport.  Taekwondo moved from the battlefield into street shops teaching fighting skills, and evolved into competition.  You see the evolution as some techniques (like the crescent kick) are falling out of favor, while new techniques (like aerial spinning kicks) are introduced.  Technology and customs change, too: there's specially trained referees, specialized mats, e-scoring systems, new forms developed for the sole purpose of competition.  So, I would say effectiveness in sport has improved: each style is a niche sport, and every evolutionary change is made to make the sport more effective for that sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to self-defense, this is where the arguments begin.  It's also what most people are referring to, or infer, when they use or hear the phrase &quot;effective&quot;.  But reference to self-defense can be misplaced.  Taekwondo (today) is a sport, it is not meant for self-defense.  Like boxing, wrestling, BJJ, muay thai - there is only single-opponent, no weapons, and controlled environment practice.  Can you use any of these styles for self-defense?  Of course you can, just like you can use a wrench to hammer in a nail.  But you might as well lump football and rugby players here, too: they may not be fighting, but they sure know how to take someone down - and sometimes, that's just what you need.  But they will all struggle hard against someone with a weapon, or against multiple someones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as to wellness... well, Taekwondo is horrible.  Yes, there's lots of cardio in most schools.  But really, the risk to the knees and ankles isn't worth it - you'd be better off in a gym.  Many places do not warm up or stretch a student properly.  So use a hammer (ie, go to a gym), not a wrench, because it's more versatile and can handle most kinds of things needing hammering.  Aikido is also horrible.  Many places won't have your pulse elevating that much, but there is good stretching of the spine and neck.  But if that's what you want, maybe best to go to a gym for the cardio and a chiropractor for the neck and spine.  Again, use a hammer, not a wrench.  MMA?  Good for cardio, good for overall body workout.  But like all other martial styles, it's not there for your wellness, it's there for competition.  Use a hammer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Can a Style Both Adapt and be Made Less Effective?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You brought up another point.  Watered down techniques (ie, &quot;made less effective&quot;) for the purpose of bringing the stuff into schools.  Jigoro Kano and Ginchen Funakoshi were noted for doing just this.  Schools can't have their students running around putting people in rear naked chokes, or throwing each other, now, can they?  They need to come back the next day for more learning, and not in bandages and casts.  Yes, the styles' techniques were &quot;refocused&quot;.  I'm shying away from saying &quot;watered down&quot; because in truth, nothing changed - only the &lt;strong&gt;explanations&lt;/strong&gt; changed.  What became watered down was when those kids - not having learned anything else - grew up and themselves became instructors.  A good example is Gen Choi when he developed his version of Taekwondo.  You can read the absurdities of kata application when he wrote and described his new kata (and called them hyung and tul).  Even the pushers and movers of the opposing trending Taekwondo style (what would eventually become Kukkiwon, aka WTF Taekwondo), there, the textbook has just as laughable applications for poomsae (kata).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The water down was evolutionary: those kids being taught that spearhands were pokes to the stomach, and chambering hands were readying for a punch, and the like, they grew up to be instructors themselves, and they knew no better.  THAT is where the water down happened.  No one said &quot;let's take this out of the style because it's too dangerous&quot;, they said &quot;Let's rename this technique so it won't seem so dangerous and they won't go around using the technique as it was intended&quot;.  A spearhand to the belly is benign compared to the throw it is meant to be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Can Neglect Make a Style Less Effective?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More water down: read Choi's encyclopedia, or Kukkiwon's textbook (although, I will add that the newer edition of the Kukkiwon textbook shows more competency in applications than either its predecessor or its ITF compliment).  The water down occurred when an authority (Choi, Kukkiwon) passed on misinformation - the same information the kids were taught.  In bolstering this, neither side made any attempt to include application in their curricula.  There is neither official ITF or Kukkiwon/WTF requirement to advance in rank by showing competency in self-defense, nor knowledge of application in their poomsae/hyung except to demonstrate proficiency in performing the hyung's movements only.  This stands in contrast to good Karate schools (notably from Okinawan heritage) where demonstration of application is the requisite.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you were a student of ITF or Kukkiwon/WTF Taekwondo, and steadfastly subscribed to the tenets of application as described in the styles' respective tomes without question, then you yourself are contributing to the watering down of the style.  You could, of course, be studying it for the historical context - many ITF students do this - but I don't think Choi would want students to not grow intellectually and technically by not studying more about the style outside the encyclopedia.  Whether either author placed the absurd bunhae as a means for the reader to do some real research is debatable.  The books are, after all, a definitive reference for their respective styles.  So to me, the authors take some blame for this watering down by way of students adhering to dogma and not thinking for themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Deliberately?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But did Choi and Kukkiwon do it deliberately?  Nothing about the character of the founders suggests so (indeed, Dr Lee Kyu Hyung has a doctorate in physical education, has authored several books (including the textbook), and served as president in several organizations, and is highly regarded for his character and achievements.  He didn't found the style, but he is instrumental in its evolution).  And as to Choi, he had a lot of faults, but deliberately watering down his style would not be one of them.  So it stands to reason that the inclusion of strange bunhae was meant to be what the Japanese call &quot;omote bunkai&quot; - or &quot;obvious bunkai&quot;, and left as an exercise for &quot;better reading&quot;.  That students were not encouraged to do that better reading, that could be blamed on Choi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are those who completely subscribe to the limited bunkai (bunhae) in Taekwondo's poomsae as described in their tomes, and refuse to consider all other possibilities.  I know, I occasionally work out with some of them, and occasionally compete against them.  They are, or will be, instructors themselves, and they will perpetuate that watering down of the style.  That there is deliberately watering down the style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is curious to me that Kukkiwon - a predominantly sport-oriented style - has updated their textbook to show more realistic self-defense applications for their poomsae (and as well, gone deeper into competition techniques).  Of course, Choi is dead, but none of the &quot;official&quot; ITF federations has done anything about adjusting or clarifying Choi's bunhae either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Book&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the record, the book you mention is an excellent book.  They focus on the ITF style of Taekwondo (the Chang Hon set of forms).  They go into summary detail about real applications for most of the unusual movements in ALL forms.  Conversely, Choi's encyclopedia covers only a fraction of the movements in all of the forms, and, what he did cover is not true bunhae - it's awful.  Some of it is comical.  And as we should know, there are many - dozens - of techniques that can be drawn from any given movement in kata, but this book presents only one.  That's a great start, and it shortcuts the research someone familiar with ITF Taekwondo, but not Karate, must do in order to find competent applications.  For those studying Kukkiwon/WTF Taekwondo, the forms (taeguek, palgwe, or yudanja) there aren't covered, but, there are many similar techniques, and there still exists some value to those practitioners.  So it is an excellent start for those Taekwondo-in searching for competent bunhae in their forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This book, therefore, serves as an excellent first step in de-watering down, or revitalizing the style's effectiveness for self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2018-09-26T19:32:43.043" LastActivityDate="2018-09-26T19:32:43.043" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8571" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="577" CreationDate="2018-09-30T17:30:45.287" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I’ve been introduced to misogi at my dojo during the first classes I ever took. We practise misogi at the beginning of each class. We sit down or stand during this exercise. Sensei recommends us to close our eyes. Everyone becomes silent and still. We take a few minites to breath deeply.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On my first class I was guided during our misogi exercise. I was told to allow the day to pass and leave the weight of my day off the mat. I was told to empty my head, release my thoughts and create an open space for the very fast paced, rewarding and demanding practiss we are about to undertake. Full focus is achieved by this exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9578" LastActivityDate="2018-09-30T17:30:45.287" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8573" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1009" CreationDate="2018-10-02T14:41:10.070" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;First we might want to define 'root'. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Db0nU.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Db0nU.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;'Root' is simply the ability to resist a push. &#xA;This is most often done in &quot;internal arts&quot; as a 'relaxed' manner and paired with the not loosing of one's balance when/if the other quickly withdraws their pushing force. The Tai Chi Classics (TCC) say &quot;Rooted in the feet&quot; to express the idea that the feet are the base, and our ability to produce resistance comes from that friction with the ground. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;'Uproot' in Taiji is defined as &quot;alternating pushing and pulling [at 4oz] to sever their root so the other can be thrown out decisively&quot; — &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrLZI4peNR4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;TCC&lt;/a&gt;.&#xA;In traditional usage, uproot, is typically used to refer to either: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The initial withdraw-and-join of off-balancing (Ti of Ti-Fang); or,   &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;it is used to refer to the entire Ti-Fang process (T'ai Chi, Tuttle, 2004, Cheng/Smith pg 88).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When the other is send out with an accelerating push their inability to resist the push and their knee-jerk reflex cause both their feet to leave the ground. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fairtradetaichi.org/additional-info&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;More information here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, 'root' is to resist, 'uproot' is to sever the root so they are overwhelmed by a light push.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In modern parlance 'uprooting' is (incorrectly) used to talk about any throwing of another. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leuf-5pZaaw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Video here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some sources:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T&amp;#39;ai_chi_classics&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;TCC&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fairtradetaichi.org/news/2015/12/8/notes-on-the-tai-chi-training-method-called-ti-fang&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;TiFang&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9584" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2018-10-10T17:42:39.067" LastActivityDate="2018-10-10T17:42:39.067" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8575" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8576" CreationDate="2018-10-03T18:43:44.360" Score="5" ViewCount="734" Body="&lt;p&gt;After more than a year and half of use my shin guard are becoming smelly.&#xA;I let them dry out and never keep them in my bag but now they begin to stink.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't put them on the wash machine as they are half in leather. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://fightstoredublin.ie/product/adidas-heavy-duty-pu-shin-instep-protectors/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt; the exact product I have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any advices ? Thanks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9591" LastActivityDate="2018-10-05T18:15:40.480" Title="How to wash leather shin guard?" Tags="|muay-thai|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8576" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8575" CreationDate="2018-10-03T19:59:22.857" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Like with all leather items, you just wash them by hand with dish soap and water. Don't immerse them in water, just use a washcloth. Then wipe them dry and hang them out to dry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they're still stinky after that, you can try using a diluted solution of bleach (read the label on the bleach bottle to know how diluted). Apply the diluted bleach, leave for about 5 minutes, and then wipe off with a wet washcloth. You can also try covering them with baking soda overnight and just shake out the powder when done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In your case, you should probably spray them with diluted bleach even if they're no longer stinky after hand washing them. After a year and a half of exposure to sweat and skin, you probably have a bunch of pathogens on the surface of the pads. The diluted bleach will kill whatever little critters are on there still.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One bit of warning about leather and bleach: Bleach can damage the finish on leather products. Whatever you do, make sure you test it on a small spot first. If you don't see any problems there, you can use it on the whole thing. Pay attention to the dilution amount and the time needed. Too little, and you won't kill germs. Too much, and your leather will be discolored and may become damaged.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideally you should wash every piece of clothing (including pads and belt) after every use. It's a pain, but it can prevent all kinds of health problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a good video on the subject:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/JlEJvLLo6Po&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/JlEJvLLo6Po&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2018-10-05T18:15:40.480" LastActivityDate="2018-10-05T18:15:40.480" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8577" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-10-04T00:57:53.000" Score="10" ViewCount="2260" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've never been in a fight in my life and never had interest in any form of contact sports before. Something about BJJ really interests me. Maybe it's the self-defense aspect, or making myself mentally and physically stronger. I'm out of shape, so it would be a great way to get started. I'm interested in the game/puzzle aspect of BJJ. I can see me really getting into it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My biggest fear in BJJ is not broken bones, not ring worm or MRSA, it's bloodborne diseases that can't be cured. I'm not looking to compete professionally. I just wanted to train and join a great gym. There's some really great ones by me including one taught by Jean Kleber who I've read good things about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this is a major fear of mine, should I just move on and practice something else? I know there is constant skin contact, there are cuts, bleeds and nails digging into each other. This is holding me back from going to a trial class. I have no idea what diseases the person I'd be eventually rolling with has or doesn't have. This isn't a professional tournament where you have to come in with paperwork.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would love any advice from someone who has some insight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9593" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-10-04T04:36:01.280" LastActivityDate="2020-01-05T02:33:18.270" Title="BJJ bloodborne diseases" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|health|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8578" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-10-04T03:23:42.897" Score="4" ViewCount="874" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are you allowed or permitted to have a black belt at an ITF affiliated school, and also train for a black belt with a WTF affiliated school?&#xA;With the differences l have read on this site between ITF and WTF l can see the advantage of having both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9594" LastActivityDate="2018-10-04T15:10:57.190" Title="ITF and WTF Black belts" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8579" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8577" CreationDate="2018-10-04T04:16:47.333" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Worry about blood-borne diseases is overblown. I practice judo, which has very similar training practices to BJJ. Over the years, I have seen many injuries and even a death by heart attack, but I am not aware of any transmission of a blood-borne disease. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bleeding is not an everyday occurrence. And you should certainly not be in the position where both you and your partner are trading fluids with exposed wounds that are vulnerable to infection. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is expected that you and your training partners will practice good hygiene. This includes bathing, laundering your clothing, and keeping your fingernails and toenails trimmed. You may get incidental cuts and scrapes, but it is not normal to have &quot;nails digging into each other&quot;. If someone is bleeding, then you stop, clean up the blood, apply bandages, and disinfect uniforms and mat surfaces. When you get home after training, shower and disinfect any cuts or broken skin. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are worried about blood and diseases, I recommend gi training because the uniform provides an additional barrier. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-10-04T04:16:47.333" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8580" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-10-04T12:34:53.157" Score="10" ViewCount="344" Body="&lt;p&gt;My son attends a taekwondo school, who in my opinion is a diploma mill. I have seen many students with black belts who are lacking skills that are fundamental to earning a black belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The dilemma is, at this school my son is almost ready to test for his black belt, and so are a few of his school friends. So as to keep up with his school friends, and not face teasing (which has already started sadly) do I let him do his black belt?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In parallel l have him into a new school where the instruction is much better and more aligned with proper WTF proficiency for black belt.&#xA;Is this allowed? To get a black belt from one school and with another school, all registered through the WTF?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9594" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-06-28T18:40:09.437" LastActivityDate="2019-06-28T18:40:09.437" Title="Black Belt - 2 Schools" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|belt|grading|social|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8581" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8578" CreationDate="2018-10-04T13:33:39.547" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;They are separate federations, and neither federation has a rule against training in a different style, even if they the same basic art (tae kwon do).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It would be a courtesy to the instructor (And also possibly enhance the training and approach), that you let them know that your son is also training in another style. Be prepared, however, in that some instructors will request that your son choose one style or the other. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only thing that I would caution, however, is that your son is still a colored belt, and as such, learning the basics. There is a possibility that minor changes in techniques from one to the other may muddle his training and leave him with a technique that is somewhat in the middle of each style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2018-10-04T13:33:39.547" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8582" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8577" CreationDate="2018-10-04T13:45:55.210" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;As @mattm states, the risk of transmission is low. This does not mean that it doesn't exist, but the likelihood of it happening is actually very low.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just from a knowledge standpoint, you are much more likely to contract a bloodborne pathogen (BBP) other than HIV. HIV is actually somewhat low on the virulence scale, in that you need more exposure than other pathogens to contract it. It also requires direct blood contact to open wounds or mucousal tissue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This has been studied quite a bit, and the general stance is that this is a low transmission risk. Here are a couple of references to start research (The second is a stub, but has links to the cited studies which you can usually find on google scholar): &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/104/6/1400&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Other Blood–borne Viral Pathogens in the Athletic Setting&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.uptodate.com/contents/bloodborne-pathogens-and-sports&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Blood borne pathogens in sports&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&amp;amp;as_sdt=0%2C3&amp;amp;q=blood%20borne%20pathogens%20and%20sports&amp;amp;btnG=&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Google Scholar studies/articles&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2018-10-04T14:54:47.483" LastActivityDate="2018-10-04T14:54:47.483" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8584" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8580" CreationDate="2018-10-04T14:45:02.000" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Special thanks to @JohnP and @Fuzzyboots for an interesting discussion in the chat (&lt;a href=&quot;https://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/47028933#47028933&quot;&gt;Link to the Open Roda discussion&lt;/a&gt;). The answer is, for me anyway, is IF there is any doubt that your child is not receiving all he/she can from a Taekwondo school, pull them out and send them to another school. Do not get caught up in the titles, belt levels etc. Do what is best for them in the longer term. Taekwondo is not a race to black belt, but a journey to build confidence and respect that lasts a life time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9594" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2018-10-04T14:46:52.953" LastActivityDate="2018-10-04T14:46:52.953" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8585" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8578" CreationDate="2018-10-04T15:05:41.567" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As to schools, the only rule against it would come from the individual &lt;strong&gt;school&lt;/strong&gt;.  But as to &lt;strong&gt;events&lt;/strong&gt;, if it's WTF-sanctioned, and you've gone through a conversion process, it's perfectly allowed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not uncommon for ITF students to compete in WTF events, and they occasionally train at ITF-friendly WTF schools.  In addition, the USA-Taekwondo has opened membership to both ITF and ATA students, and until those students normalize themselves with WTF rules and practices, you'll see those students applying for membership at WTF schools as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to Kukkiwon, the actual style that most WTF competitors hail from, they will recognize your dan and extend you basic courtesies.  However, you would not be permitted to officially teach Kukkiwon curriculum or recommend for grading any student for the Kukkiwon dan process, nor would you be permitted to be a coach.  To do any of these, you'd have to go through a formal conversion process, which up until recently was a fairly expensive process, but now is trivial.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, I concurrently train in two schools - one Kukkiwon (WTF) and one ITF.  Both are aware of the other, and even extend me the courtesy to allow me to cross-teach poomsae to the other.  Although they can't technically stop me, getting the instructors' blessings goes a long way, since the Taekwondo community is small, and, occasionally, I need resources from one school or the other.  and if they didn't approve, they could also stall my own instruction and dan grading process.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Taekwondo/Features/2016/July/22/USA-Taekwondo-Announces-New-National-Dan-Program&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;US National Dan Program&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2018-10-04T15:10:57.190" LastActivityDate="2018-10-04T15:10:57.190" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8586" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8580" CreationDate="2018-10-04T15:19:26.203" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Be very careful, I would not take him to two WTF schools at the same time.  Here's why:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most &quot;WTF&quot; schools are actually Kukkiwon schools - Kukkiwon is the authority which issues dan certificates.  In this case, your two schools are teaching your son the same curriculum, except one accelerates its students to dan certification faster than the other.  The better school would no doubt raise Cain over this, and you might get kicked out.  They will likely see your son going to the belt mill just to get black belt faster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This would be absolutely insulting to that instructor.  Had you sought training in a different style, that would be a different story, since you don't bring in certifications/uniforms/belts issued by a different authority.  But in this case, the authority is the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you achieve a dan grade in one school, any other Kukkiwon/WTF school is obligated to keep you at that level, since when you test, you can only test for the next dan.  At the very least, that school could allow you entry at any level (including underbelt), but for any dan grading testing, you'd have to test for your next actual dan grade.  If a WTF school is not Kukkiwon certified for instruction and dan grading, and instead issues its own black belts, then all of this goes out the window, and they can do pretty much whatever they want, since they're not obligated to take anyone in at any level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2018-10-05T20:11:50.417" LastActivityDate="2018-10-05T20:11:50.417" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8587" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8577" CreationDate="2018-10-05T15:10:14.990" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think you're a little over-worried (though I won't say paranoid) about it.  However, I think your biggest worries aren't in blood-born disease, but rather, parasites and bacteria.  Yes, you'll get colds and the like, but meningitis would be my biggest fear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In anything you do, you rely on the sanitary habits of each and every person you come in contact with, as well as anyone who has been in your physical location in as far back in the past as a few hours, to keep you from getting sick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's a lot of people!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This morning, I watched a clerk cook someone's breakfast burrito: she pulled out a baggie from the fridge, opened it with bare hands, pulled out raw chicken, placed it on the griddle.  She then grabbed a spice container and spiced up the chicken.  Then she opened the fridge again pulled out a baggie of prepared shrimp, opened it, and placed it on the griddle.  Another spice can.  And a spatula.  Then she grabbed onions and peppers from an open can and cooked them with the chicken and shrimp.  She cooked eggs.  She reached for a cheese slice.  Then she finally reached for a tortilla shell - still all bare hands - wrapped it all up, and handed it to the customer, who gave her a $20 bill, and she returned cash for change.  Next customer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With hygiene like that, I have strong doubt she was conscientious enough to wash her hands after using the bathroom, but that is a strong assumption I'm making.  Then again, all of the customers there were day laborers from a very poor country.  It is likely their bodies' immune systems were already on high alert, and these guys weren't going to get sick from eating a full tablespoon of raw E Coli bacteria.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everything you touch, you are at the mercy of someone else's hygiene.  The lettuce in that salad you're eating?  The birds overhead.  The moles, voles, skunks, groundhogs, and squirrels.  None of them have formal bathrooms, and a head of lettuce is just as comfortable to them as a rock.  The lettuce pickers.  The handlers on the assembly line.  The baggers.  The shelvers.  The customer in the store who picked up the bag (and who is pushing a supermarket cart with bare hands), looked at the price, and decided to put it back down.  You sure they ALL washed their hands and didn't cough over the assembly line?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point is, the more exposure you have to microorganism, the less likely you are to become sick from it.  Some microorganisms, like meningitis, are things I would be in absolute fear of; but with a body immune system on high alert from other microorganisms, I think that is less likely an issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With martial arts, there are many diseases and sicknesses you are exposed to - and blood-borne are but a few of them, and the most feared ones aren't blood-borne.  Even people who ARE hygienic enough to wash their hands, they can still be carriers and not even know it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You - everyone - should take reasonable steps to maintain good hygiene, like keeping clothes, uniforms, duffel bags, shoes, and training equipment clean; as well as regular showering, keeping nails short, etc.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the same time, the place you train at - no matter the sport - needs to have good hygienic practices as well: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It needs to periodically sterilize mats, floors, and other commonly accessed surfaces&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It needs to have a process in place for spilled blood, saliva, and vomit&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It needs to have an accessible first aid kit (which itself needs to be washed periodically), and that first aid kit needs to be accessible and stocked, but also, must not allow access to its contents to be contaminated from the very reason people go in there.  So, band aids and sterile wipes should be loose, there should be gloves, and people need to be trained to use it properly.  (That is to say, things within to be dispensed should be dispensed by someone who is not injured).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, the place you train at needs to understand its role in the microbial ecosystem, as it is a new vector for people to become sick.  It should encourage people to maintain hygienic practices through the use of signs, soap, disposable towels or air dryers, garbage bins next to the bathroom door, first aid kits, and a staff which sets good examples.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(ICYWW, I'll be back at the restaurant tomorrow.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/fulltext/2011/03000/Infectious_Disease_in_Athletes.9.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Infectious Disease in Athletes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2017/09/21/peds.2017-2477&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Infectious Diseases Associated With Organized Sports and Outbreak Control&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.orthobullets.com/knee-and-sports/3124/infectious-diseases-in-athletes&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Infectious Diseases in Athletes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21623289&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Infectious disease in athletes&lt;/a&gt; (you'll need to be registered to read the full article)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4009082/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Common Sports-Related Infections: A Review on Clinical Pictures, Management and Time to Return to Sports&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-10-05T15:10:14.990" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8588" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8580" CreationDate="2018-10-05T16:09:30.637" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As per my input in the chat, I think the answer really depends on your goals and whether you feel it's worth the cost. If your concern is competence and a &quot;legitimate&quot; belt, then you may want to look at another school. If you're just looking for your child to have a fun time with his friends, the cost is reasonable, and they're not actually being unsafe, you might just write it off as &quot;entertainment&quot;. I know that's how I pursued sports as a child (and still do them today), not worrying too much about getting better at them, but just enjoying the experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I actually speak on this from a bit of experience. When I was in elementary to middle school, my mother got me into classes at a local Tang Soo Do academy and she picked up the &quot;black belt&quot; package where we paid for three years of tuition at a discount with a statement that after three years, I would be a black belt in the style. Yes, this is a belt factory tactic. That said, they had enough integrity that, when I failed my black belt test (I wasn't that good of a student), they did not promote me, although I think they came to regret that because my mother pointed out that their contract read as that the initial payment was valid until the later of the two conditions, three years or my black belt, so I got an extra year of classes out of it before I failed the exam again and we came to a mutual agreement that I was not black belt material and therefore the contract would never really terminate except by agreeing to let it lapse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, also as I stated in chat, if you do decide to remove your child from the &quot;diploma mill&quot; school, make it explicitly evident that this is not their fault, that it's not a punishment, and that you're doing this because the school itself doesn't do what they are being paid to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2018-10-05T16:09:30.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8590" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8591" CreationDate="2018-10-06T04:54:32.877" Score="4" ViewCount="479" Body="&lt;p&gt;In forms of Taekwondo, for example the 1st form, when the &lt;strong&gt;left&lt;/strong&gt; foot is stepping forward, i.e. Wen-Ab-Sugi, and the &lt;strong&gt;left&lt;/strong&gt; hand is punching, i.e. Mumtung-Jirugi, the movement is named:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wen-Ab-Sugi-Mumtung-&lt;strong&gt;Bande&lt;/strong&gt;(reverse)-Jirugi&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bande&lt;/strong&gt; means reverse, right? For example in &lt;strong&gt;Bunde&lt;/strong&gt;-Dollyo-Chagi, or Hook kick, it means &lt;strong&gt;reverse&lt;/strong&gt;-Dollyo-Chagi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now my confusion is this: when the &lt;strong&gt;left&lt;/strong&gt; foot is stepping forward and &lt;strong&gt;left&lt;/strong&gt; hand is punching, why is it named Wen-Ab-Sugi-Mumtung-Bande(reverse)-Jirugi? Why reverse? I'm using my &lt;strong&gt;left&lt;/strong&gt; foot and &lt;strong&gt;left&lt;/strong&gt; hand!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My confusion is also true for this movement:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oren-Ab-Sugi-Mumtung-&lt;strong&gt;Bande&lt;/strong&gt;(reverse)-Jirugi&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When &lt;strong&gt;right&lt;/strong&gt; foot is stepping forward and &lt;strong&gt;right&lt;/strong&gt; hand is punching. I'm using both my &lt;strong&gt;right&lt;/strong&gt; foot and hand, so why reverse?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9518" LastEditorUserId="9518" LastEditDate="2018-10-06T08:19:37.400" LastActivityDate="2018-10-18T09:53:22.573" Title="Confusion with the word &quot;bande&quot; meaning reverse in Taekwondo" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8591" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8590" CreationDate="2018-10-06T10:32:57.620" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the great mysteries of language translation.  I looked up Taeguek 1 in the Kukkiwon textbook (2006 edition), and you are indeed correct - and although you may not be aware of it, the problem is more pervasive than you think.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than type-os, &quot;bandae&quot; means &quot;opposite&quot;, where we refer to it as &quot;reverse&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All punches issued with the same hand and same foot forward are indeed labelled &quot;bandae&quot; - or opposite.  There are some exceptions, which I think might be type-o errors.  Movement 6 is a left foot forward / right hand punch, and is labelled as &quot;bandaejireugi&quot;.  The English is just a right punch, so here I think a type-o.  All other same-foot-same-hand punches are labelled &quot;bandae&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The rule is this: all &quot;normal&quot; punches are issued with the other foot forward (left-hand-right-foot, and vice-versa) and is called barojireugi.  When this is reversed, it is &quot;bandaejireugi&quot;.  In English, nearly any style, we always refer to &quot;reverse punch&quot; as that issued with the other foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is curious still, is I looked up a more recent posting on Kukkiwon's website, and they make no mention at all of either punch; indeed, if you look at generic &quot;jireugi&quot;, they discuss geumgang-jireugi (geumgang punch), naeryeo-jireugi (downward punch), digeutja-jireugi (C punch), danggyeo-jireugi (pulling and punching), dollyeo-jireugi (turning punch), dwi-jireugi (punch to the rear), sewo-jiruegi (vertical punch), yeop-jireugi (side punch), jeocheo-jireugi (turn-over punch), chetdar-jireugi (fork punch), chi-jireugi (lift punch), and pyojeok-jireugi (target punch).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But nowhere do they discuss bandae- or baro-jireugi.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(And some of those punches aren't even used in any of their forms - like the C punch!  Argh!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last, I watched later official videos, and, in them, they do not mention baro- or bandae-jireugi.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfO_UUc32dc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;See here&lt;/a&gt; and go to frame at 1:46.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So it seems Kukkiwon may be trying to reverse the reverse, and normalize with the rest of the world.  Time will tell.  I recommend, do as they do, not as they say.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You really want your head to spin?  I just checked Gen Choi's encyclopedia to see what the ITF folks call it.  Volume 3, page 31 says &quot;Gunnun So Baro Jireugi&quot; is &quot;Walking stance obverse punch is delivered from the same side of the leg that is bent fully&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So here, they call a &quot;barojireugi&quot; what the rest of the world expects a regular front punch to be - left hand punch / left foot forward, and they call it &quot;obverse&quot;.  On page 29, they say &quot;All punches throughout the book are considered front punches unless special directive is given&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And yet, when a punch with other foot forward is called for, no mention about name of the technique is give.  See Vol 8, p234.  I guess this falls under the &quot;unless special directive is given&quot; mentioned earlier?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kukkiwon.or.kr/front/pageView.action?cmd=/eng/information/taekwondoSkill2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Official Kukkiwon Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To navigate properly is confusing: From main page, choose InformationSection -&gt; TaekwondoTechniques -&gt; Basics -&gt; Jireugi, then scroll through all the jireugi punch variations.  They no longer post details of poomsae on their website.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2018-10-06T11:15:27.383" LastActivityDate="2018-10-06T11:15:27.383" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8592" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-10-06T18:45:06.483" Score="2" ViewCount="194" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've spent a some time searching for a manuscript that covers things like fighting with large shields like kite, heaters, tower, etc., but I can't find anything. Where can I learn about HEMA shields?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9602" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-12-20T12:42:44.443" LastActivityDate="2020-07-07T02:51:07.157" Title="Where can I learn about HEMA shields?" Tags="|historic-european|shield|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8593" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8601" CreationDate="2018-10-07T02:44:34.103" Score="2" ViewCount="235" Body="&lt;p&gt;Have been training Muay Thai for about 4 months, yet I still find myself struggling with almost all the Muay Thai kicks - especially the low and body kick. My kicks happen to be weak as I often lose balance while trying to pivot my foot while kicking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are some ways I can focus exclusively on improving my Muay Thai kick technique? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9604" LastActivityDate="2018-11-20T16:32:52.163" Title="Learning to throw a proper Muay Thai low and body kick" Tags="|muay-thai|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8594" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-10-07T11:53:51.283" Score="-4" ViewCount="413" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrestling is a self defence martial art and also an (Olympic) game which audiences sit and watch. Other martial arts like karate are the same - with a martial/self-defence and sport component, so why is e.g. karate only considered a martial art and not also an Olympic sport?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9579" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-22T15:44:34.973" LastActivityDate="2021-01-02T07:37:06.010" Title="Why is wrestling considered an Olympic sport whereas karate and kung fu are just considered martial arts?" Tags="|karate|kung-fu|wrestling|sport|olympics|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8595" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8593" CreationDate="2018-10-07T13:56:12.443" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kicks of this kind can usually be performed by setting the foot first.  So you step towards the opponent, placing one foot at a pre-twisted angle and then raise the other knee and twist the hip to kick round.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not saying this is the best way to kick but it's certainly helpful for beginners to learn to balance.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another tip is to keep whatever leg you are standing on bent slightly.  It make balancing while kicking a whole lot easier.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2018-10-07T13:56:12.443" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8596" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5734" CreationDate="2018-10-08T01:10:44.817" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There was this mid-90's PPV MA show called &quot;Fight Zone.&quot;  It appears to be choreographed 1 vs. 1 fighting ... but the blood and no-holds-barred style appear real.  So, I'm not 100% sure what to make of it.  Anyhow, they had this &quot;Badd Karma&quot; challenge.  This &quot;Badd Karma&quot; fighter was not big at all but was undefeated.  They would pick all kinds of fighters around the world with varying concentrations and Badd Karma would defeat them all and make it look easy.  His opponents appeared to not be able to handle Badd Karma's Aikido throw and lock techniques.  He would wait for his opponent to attack and then parry/catch/throw his opponents to the floor rather hard.  His defense was at an incredible advanced level.  Then when his opponents weakened from all the throws or holds, then he could strike weakened opponents with great force.  His opponents seemed ill-prepared for the defense of Aikido.  They were surprised with Badd Karma's defensive techniques.  Perhaps they should have studied Aikido to prepare for the Badd Karma challenge.  He claimed to be an &quot;underground&quot; fighter who never lost a match.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9609" LastActivityDate="2018-10-08T01:10:44.817" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8599" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2498" CreationDate="2018-10-09T04:20:43.140" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I cannot provide historical information, only that karate originated taekwondo to response to necessity of military training. Thus, taekwondo was based on karate.&#xA;But by simply practicing both fights I learned there are many similarities in the stances, patters, and many knocks are equal or a variation of those used in karate. At least at a basic level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Karate practitioners tend to practice forms or kata. In that sense, it is similar to taekwondo.&quot; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thoughtco.com/taekwondo-vs-karate-2308292&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.thoughtco.com/taekwondo-vs-karate-2308292&lt;/a&gt; &quot;[1]&quot;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Karate and taekwondo both start with beginners learning fundamental rules and basic moves. These form the foundation for learning the more advanced moves. In each martial art form, you’ll learn different “stances” and ways to punch, kick, and block an opponent.&quot; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/karate-vs-taekwondo#history&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/karate-vs-taekwondo#history&lt;/a&gt; &quot;[2]&quot;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9611" LastActivityDate="2018-10-09T04:20:43.140" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8600" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8628" CreationDate="2018-10-09T05:20:28.207" Score="4" ViewCount="209" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why do some handheld target pads have a double-layer design?  I remember using a single layer pad when I was a kid.  Since then, the double layer design has been introduced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At best I can tell, it makes a louder noise when you hit it, but that's it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9613" LastActivityDate="2018-10-23T01:52:53.410" Title="Target pad design" Tags="|equipment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8601" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8593" CreationDate="2018-10-09T07:42:41.413" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The first and most important part is: Ask your instructor. I know that there are plenty of martial arts instructors out there that are not as able as they should be in helping their students and addressing the particular problems and needs they have. This is actually quite common. But obviously, we cannot possibly give personalised advice here, not only because this has to happen on a personal basis, but also because StackExchange forbids that as off-topic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said: You speak of losing your balance. Losing the balance while kicking (or throwing) is very common among people that are in their first steps of experiencing martial arts. Actually, the later they start without former training in martial arts or e.g. gymnastics, the worse these problems are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason for this problem is indeed one you can work on without much risk by yourself, at home: your muscular frame is unstable. This will not change fast, it will take time. And you can shorten this time by doing the exercises suggested below.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This stability, built from the feet upwards, relies on small, diagonal muscle fibres (as opposed to the &quot;big players&quot; like the quadriceps). To train them and gain stability, there are some simple exercises you can do which will not take you more than quarter an hour, done 3 days a week (for regeneration/buildng up, thus ideally coinciding with your training days). These exercises have the advantage that they a) can be done without much risk of harming you (IF you follow the steps one by one, do not proceed until you can do three sets over 90 seconds each!) and b) will not interfere with the &lt;em&gt;dynamic movement patterns&lt;/em&gt; you aim to learn in your martial arts training and which should only be trained under the guidance of a correcting coach, they are supplementary:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Standing on one leg: All these things are done as long as you can or, if you make it, up to 90 seconds, with three sets per leg. The first step is being able to stand on one leg for extensive amounts of time (more than one minute) at all. Untrained persons will feel the muscles in their lower leg quite fast. If that does not pose a problem anymore, additionally move your lifted foot &lt;em&gt;slowly&lt;/em&gt; from as far to the front as you can to as far to the back as you can. Next step would be &lt;em&gt;slowly&lt;/em&gt; drawing &quot;eights&quot; (circle in front, transitioning to circle in back) in both directions, changing the direction after about half the time. If you can make three sets à 90 seconds per leg with this, you could add one-legged squatting and start the steps all over again. But you should already be much more stable at that time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Static &quot;kicking&quot; (not before stable standing on one leg!): turn your foot &lt;em&gt;before&lt;/em&gt; lifting the leg to the point where it should be turned &lt;em&gt;during&lt;/em&gt; a kick, lift and hold the leg to &lt;em&gt;the side&lt;/em&gt; as far up as you can. If you can do this without problems through all three sets, you can start to pivot your foot from normal to kicking direction and back while holding your foot still up. Supplementarily, you can use a rubber band (low resistance) between your legs if the lifting and holding as such do not pose a problem to you anymore as a second step, but this is not essential. As with the first exercise, up to 90 seconds per leg, three sets each.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Doing this on a regular basis, you should feel a betterment in your stability within a few months. I know practitioners that have these problems after &lt;em&gt;years&lt;/em&gt; because either their coaches do not even realise the causing problem (muscular instability) or the practitioners do not have the time or will to work on that. Given stability, you will see that your head and body can concentrate on coordinating the muscles for more powerful kicks much easier. Without a stable basis, your body will be occupied with regaining balance more than with the actual kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2018-10-09T07:54:12.207" LastActivityDate="2018-10-09T07:54:12.207" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8602" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7719" CreationDate="2018-10-09T10:29:41.007" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not AT the Temple, but actually it is possible to become a ‘layman warrior monk’, which is the same title as a warrior monk who has left the Temple to teach, become a business person, or attempt to be in movie (most commonly, they CAN of course do other things as well). &#xA;It is however very rare and usually takes extreme dedication and over a lot of time. You have to find a Warrior Monk who teaches foreigners and accepts disciples, though of course becoming a disciple is never guaranteed. &#xA;For very traditional Masters who do not just accept disciples because it’s financially beneficial, a good spirit and natural moral discipline is extremely important; your skill level is still important, but second to that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I’ve not trained at the schools that accept foreigners within the Shaolin Temple grounds itself, but I would imagine the Monks there who accept foreigners would not also be issuing Warrior Monk Identifications to foreigners; as mentioned by someone else, it is usually the junior monks who are assigned to teach foreigners there. &#xA;There are however schools that maturer monks have started at various locations in China that also teach foreigners. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In all honesty, if you set out on the Kung Fu path and want to travel to China, but you do it with the sole intention of becoming and achieving the status of ‘layman warrior monk’ I think it’s worth acknowledging your true motive and accepting that it may not happen. &#xA;If you have a true interest and passion in Chinese Kung Fu, then you can still accomplish a great deal by following that path. Whether you achieve the desired status or not, should be a second focus than acquiring the skill and harnessing your inner potential. &#xA;Going out with that one dream in mind that could make or break your ‘happiness’ about the time you dedicate to the art, misses what training Kung Fu is truly about. &#xA;I hope this helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9615" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-10-09T11:58:47.077" LastActivityDate="2018-10-09T11:58:47.077" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8603" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8594" CreationDate="2018-10-09T14:29:30.917" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;TL; DR: It has to do with the fact that they have separate international governing bodies (see breakdown below).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Olympics have a tiered classification system, that can be a bit confusing if you look at each different thing as a &quot;sport&quot;, like you would for general consideration. These tiers are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sport&lt;/strong&gt; - Top tier, and there are limitations on the number of sports that can be in an Olympics. A sport is governed by a single international federation.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Discipline&lt;/strong&gt; - A classification underneath a sport.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Event&lt;/strong&gt; - Competition that leads to awarding of medals.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, for example, take the sport of Cycling. It is structured as follows:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cycling &#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Top level sport, governed by the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale, or International Cycling Union), which governs all cycling worldwide. The sport of cycling includes 4 disciplines:&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Disciplines &#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Track cycling (Men and Women)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mountain Biking (Men/Women)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Road cycling (Men/Women)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;BMX (Men/Women)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Individual races in these disciplines are events:&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Events &#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Road race&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Road Time Trial&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;3000m pursuit etc etc.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Each of these events will lead to a medal ceremony.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key points of the above, is that &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;every&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; aspect of the above is governed by the UCI. There are individual governing bodies within the nations (USA Cycling for the USA in this example), but they all are under the umbrella of the UCI.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If martial arts wanted to be listed as a sport, and encompass wrestling, boxing, karate, tae kwon do, etc., then the governing bodies for these would need to either dissolve and reform or otherwise belong to a single international governing body. This in fact is how snowboarding was included in the Olympics, the Olympic Committee mandated that their international governing body dissolve and become part of the FIS, so that adding snowboarding would not increase the number of sports, just the number of disciplines.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-22T18:28:16.257" LastActivityDate="2019-06-22T18:28:16.257" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8604" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8594" CreationDate="2018-10-09T20:09:01.960" Score="-5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrestling is a game because it is a competitive sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to karate, there are two kinds:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One kind of karate is a martial art - and such styles and schools which teach this kind do not focus on the competition - they focus on self-defense (occasionally, they may use sport as a means to that end).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another kind of karate is purely a sport - a game.  Just like wrestling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And like karate, the same is true with Kung Fu.  Some is sport, some is not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as has been pointed out, karate enters its Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2020.  So, that kind of karate is probably sport.  It remains to be seen what that will look like, but if it looks like a lot of flashy stuff, doesn't incorporate weapons, and its sparring looks more like a match than a self-defense exhibition, then it won't be applicable to self-defense, making it a game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-10-09T20:09:01.960" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8605" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8609" CreationDate="2018-10-10T00:16:10.097" Score="6" ViewCount="1117" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am new here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I am working on the heavy bag (hangs from the ceiling) I find it incredibly hard to throw my kicks after punches. My kicks get jammed up. Say, I throw a Jab, Cross, LHook and then I want to throw a RLeg kick. I find that I am too close to the bag to hit it with my mid/lower shin. Its my upper shin that makes the contact or my knee. My kicking technique is the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;After the LHook, I take a small step with my left leg a bit forward and outward so my Lfeet is already pivoted (my toes point 11 o' clock). I do this to open up my hips. And then I kick while my left foot pivots (from 11 to 9 o' clock) on the ground. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this video &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HOUGhau4UA&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HOUGhau4UA&lt;/a&gt; at 0:52 seconds, Damien Trainor throws his RLeg kick after the LHook to the body. He steps in for the punches, and after his Lhook, he repositions his Lfoot backwards before throwing the kick. Its almost like if you play it real slow, for a split of second, both his legs are on air: the left (pivot) foot coming a bit backwards and the right leg on its kicking trajectory. He does not plant the Lfoot rather he picks it up and places it backwards. That seems to give him room to land his RLeg kick. Is that the right way to throw the kick? And he does that in many of his tutorial videos. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My sensei taught me to either place my Left (pivot) foot a bit out and forward to open the hips and then kick after the LHook, or just keep it on the same spot after the LHook and just pivot on it. I remember him telling the class not to pick the Left (pivot) foot up and put it backwards: that throws us off balance and reduces the kicking power.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastActivityDate="2018-10-15T10:07:39.377" Title="How to correctly throw the leg kick so that it does not get jammed up after punches?" Tags="|kicking|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8606" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-10-10T09:11:33.053" Score="-1" ViewCount="641" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to study Shaolin kung fu in China after i finished my school. My first choice is inside the Shaolin temple, but I don't know if that's possible as a foreigner. I would also like to know on what site I can give myself up because I heard that there are a lot of fake sites who say they teach kung fu inside the temple but actually don't. &#xA;Ps. Sorry for my bad english : )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9617" LastActivityDate="2018-10-10T14:14:03.247" Title="Can a foreigner train shaolin kung fu inside the shaolin temple?" Tags="|kung-fu|shaolin|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2018-10-11T10:47:37.000" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8607" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7660" CreationDate="2018-10-10T12:41:50.520" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The great advantage of boxing and wrestling is that boxers and wrestlers practice actual fighting, with all other elements of their training - weights, bag work, jumping rope - in support of improving them as fighters. Even when practicing a constrained format a boxer's conditioning, strength and (most importantly) familiarity with hard contact will invariably see them roll over the top of more esoteric fighting methods. Regardless of the style, the single greatest determinant of effectiveness is hard, realistic sparring. If you want to learn how to fight, practice fighting. It's a no brainer&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9618" LastActivityDate="2018-10-10T12:41:50.520" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8608" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8606" CreationDate="2018-10-10T14:14:03.247" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, see &quot;American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China&quot; by Matthew Polly - an interesting read.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2018-10-10T14:14:03.247" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8609" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8605" CreationDate="2018-10-10T14:36:40.137" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think you are missing the &quot;why&quot;. Ask yourself why you want to throw the kick. Is it just because you were taught a jab/cross/round kick combo in class? If you can answer the why behind it, then you can figure out what you to do to accomplish the kick, and what the effect of that kick will be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, your main problems are going to be distance and flexibility. For a kick to be TKO type effective, you need distance from your opponent, or flexibility to elevate it over things in the way (like limbs/torso). If you are in close enough for a jab/cross/hook, then you are already in too close to effectively use a kick. You then state the following: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;After the LHook, I take a small step with my left leg a bit forward and outward so my Lfeet is already pivoted (my toes point 11 o' clock). I do this to open up my hips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you are in close, and then you step closer. If I am doing the combo as you describe, I am not looking to kick. I am looking to strike with the knee, either into the femoral or common peroneal pressure points. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to kick, then you need to step back to create that distance, not forward. You can still pre-pivot, although I personally would not do that, I think it causes you to lose some tension in the kick. Then you can either do a front push kick (again creating distance), or a round kick, or possibly a straight kick to a shin/calf pressure point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would caution against wanting to do a high (above the waist) kick in an actual fight situation (As opposed to a point sparring type thing which is different application). You aren't likely to strike well enough to end the fight, and an elevated leg is an attack point for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It goes back to the &quot;why&quot;. If I actually get in a fight, I am not looking to pound a guy into paste. I am looking to get enough distance away that I can get away from the situation. If I can't do that, then I want to disable my opponent as quickly as possible, and very often, a high kick is not the best way to do that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2018-10-10T15:54:44.380" LastActivityDate="2018-10-10T15:54:44.380" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8610" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="948" CreationDate="2018-10-11T14:24:20.463" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Refer to the Tai Chi Classics, the modern oral tradition is 'all over the shop'. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are the Original 13 Postures: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt; Ward Off, Rollback, Press, Push, &#xA; Pull, Split, Elbow, Shoulder, &#xA; Advance, Retreat, Look-left, Look-right, and Central Equilibrium.&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are the three two-person exercises: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt; Push Hands, Dalu, and SanShou.&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Push Hands uses:  Ward Off, Rollback, Press, and Push.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dalu uses: Pull, Split, Elbow, and Shoulder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;SanShou uses: Advance, Retreat, Look-left, Look-right, and Central Equilibrium.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most folks skip Dalu and never study the cross substantiality of SanShou's five steps. But you need as much Dalu practice as you do Push Hands training. Why? because Dalu is where you see your first real force coming at you. In Push Hands your attachment must be at 4 ounces because your goal is to learn to 'listen' and 'hear' changes in pressure above, or below, 4 ounces so you can Ti Fang. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Dalu this restriction is removed for the attacks. You and your partner go back and forth playing attacker and defender.  When defending, you simply step out of the way of the attack and reconnect with 4 ounces. If their attack is real and they land on nothing, and if their momentum pulls them them ever-so-slightly off balance, and if your four-ounce touch can detect their change in pressure of them leaning on you, or retreating from you, you can Ti Fang. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Split, Shoulder and Pull are all attacks that will increase in intensity until they are done at full force. The response to them is always to step, causing have the other's force to fall into emptiness. If they are off balance and they change the pressure that you attached to them with——then join, and discharge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding San Shou, the instructions are in the Song of Hitting Hands. &quot;Let him attack with great force, draw-in and touch, using four ounces to deflect 1000 lbs. Attract into emptiness, join and discharge.&quot; Start slowly with the attacks and increase the sincerity of the attacks until your 'partner' becomes your 'opponent'. You should do as much San Shou as you do Dalu. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, the progression from Push Hands to Free Fighting is to follow Tai Chi's 13 Posture curriculum: Push Hands, Dalu, San Shou.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0938190458&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;For further reading, Chapter 11 &amp;amp; Section 2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9585" LastActivityDate="2018-10-11T14:24:20.463" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8611" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8605" CreationDate="2018-10-15T10:07:39.377" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is really no hard and fast rule that says when you do A and B, it must be followed by C.&#xA;Regarding your question, how do you throw a leg kick that is not jammed up by punches. The answer to this depends on so many variables:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;How flexible are you? (that determines what kick you can throw from punching distance)&#xA;Some people can throw high turning kicks without pivoting their supporting foot. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Is this for competition? self defense? practice? What is your martial art?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Where is the target area that you want to hit with your kick?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now here are some variations you can try, with the assumption your last technique was the left hook and now you want to perform a kick with your right foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;as your sensei said: pivot outwards&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;what Damian Trainor did (rotate the hips in mid air, so you land with left leg back)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;same side shuffle back to create distance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;push the sandbag back before kicking (realistically the left hook should encourage the opponent backward to setup for your kick)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2018-10-15T10:07:39.377" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8612" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="949" CreationDate="2018-10-15T17:03:15.053" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrLZI4peNR4&amp;amp;t=69s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Grasp Sparrows Tail/Push Hands&lt;/a&gt;: &quot;is like two man sawing&quot;, four postures going back and forth, round and round at four ounces. Push is neutralized by Rollback, Press is neutralized by Ward Off. Listening for changes to that four ounce touch in oder to appply &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ragf-te3oDA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;TiFang&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fairtradetaichi.org/news/2015/12/8/the-five-principles-of-competition-push-hands&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Five Principles of Competition Push Hands&lt;/a&gt;: Not really Push Hands as it uses &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leuf-5pZaaw&amp;amp;t=472s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;speed and strength&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9585" LastActivityDate="2018-10-15T17:03:15.053" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8613" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6808" CreationDate="2018-10-16T03:39:51.620" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I use this&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://piq.com/boxing&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;the EVERLAST PIQ TRAINER&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It measures power in G-forces, speed in km/h and is quite accurate (I've let various students try it)&#xA;It's a good activity tracker for punches as it can differentiate hook, jabs and crosses.&#xA;I find this tracker improved my speed and power in the long run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please avoid the arcade boxing machine, it damages your hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2018-10-16T03:39:51.620" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8614" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8450" CreationDate="2018-10-16T14:28:29.690" Score="4" Body="&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Counter attack&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the glossary of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://static.fie.org/uploads/4/24222-glossaires%20escrime%20ANG.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;International Fencing Federation&lt;/a&gt; :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Counter-attack&lt;/strong&gt; : A simple or coumpound counter-offensive action on an opponents&#xA;  attack. It is sometimes executed while stepping forward, sometimes by retreating or by&#xA;  ducking, sometimes with a half-lunge or an extension of the guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_fencing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia's Glossary of Fencing&lt;/a&gt; :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Counter-Attack&lt;/strong&gt; : An attack made against, or into, an attack initiated by the opponent. In foil and sabre, a counter-attack does not have the right-of-way against the opponent’s initiated attack. Counter-attacking is a common tactic in épée, where one may gain a touch by hitting first, and avoiding the opponent’s attack. Counter-attacks, especially in épée, are often accompanied by an action on the blade (beat, opposition, prise-de-fer, transfer).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In modern fencing, we differentiate :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Parade, Riposte&lt;/strong&gt; (Parry &amp;amp; Riposte), which tells quite acurately what it is, but can also sometimes be a dodge &amp;amp; riposte, the main point here being that &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;the opponent had the time to perform his attack fully&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; (and failing) &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;before being hit&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Contre-attaque&lt;/strong&gt; (Counter attack) : which is, I think, what you're looking for. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;You interrupt an already launched attack by striking really fast, managing not to get hit&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. It often is a strike at the face, ideally the eyes, in the hope of &quot;staggering&quot; your opponent.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Attaque sur la préparation&lt;/strong&gt; (Stop Hit) : Playing on range and perception, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;you attack an opponent who's walking towards you but did not attack yet&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. It's basically a counter-attack on an opponent that hesitated.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The choice between these three terms depends a lot more on &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;when&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; you touched your opponent than on &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;how&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; you managed not being hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9626" LastEditorUserId="9626" LastEditDate="2018-10-17T15:58:56.987" LastActivityDate="2018-10-17T15:58:56.987" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8615" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8618" CreationDate="2018-10-16T22:45:29.420" Score="4" ViewCount="298" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am 28 years old. It is embarrassing and very demoralizing that I can't jump-rope. I see all the boxers in my gym do that. I also cannot swim, ride a bicycle, or run more than a mile continuously (I start getting cramps below my right rib area). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you can tell I don't fit the description of a fighter from any angle. I used to play basketball a lot; I could play 3 full court games one after another. Then I tore my ACL, followed by my meniscus. There was no sports surgeon in my country and I could not afford one abroad. So I sat on my couch and grew into a potato over the next two years. Now I can barely run a mile. I have been doing MT for a bit more than a year now. And I love it and I want to compete in the rings sometime down the line. I study the sport, I watch videos and I like learning about it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring someone on my skill level, I perform great in the first round, but then I am just a walking heavy bag. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what is it that I need to do before all else? Learn to skip? focus on running? Take private swimming lessons?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have seen &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5314/what-is-the-best-way-to-improve-my-conditioning-for-martial-arts&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; and most answers suggest skipping and running. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-10-19T15:34:21.210" LastActivityDate="2018-10-19T15:34:21.210" Title="Can one be a formidable MT fighter, if they are unable to jump-rope, swim, cycle, or run long distances?" Tags="|boxing|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8617" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8615" CreationDate="2018-10-17T07:42:59.583" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As you have already had issues with your knee - check with your doctor/physician on a regular basis and heed their advice when it comes to the aches and pains you are suffering. Also seek help on your rib issue - training through an injury/problem rarely (read never) makes it better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Currently your fitness is fairly poor (we have all been there - I was 20kg heavier than I am now only a few years ago), so whilst going out running would be a boost it does nothing towards your other aim of competing at a high level in your MA. So I suggest attending more sessions - as many as you can find - the nature of a session should be physically intense enough to improve your fitness as well as your technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once your fitness has improved and you are nearing that high level of performance it will be about time to look at boosting it further through other training methods. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2018-10-17T07:42:59.583" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8618" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8615" CreationDate="2018-10-17T14:21:21.327" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;The only thing wrong is that you are currently out of shape and really have presented no evidence that you are doing anything to get back into shape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I used to play basketball a lot, I could play 3 full court games one after another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, you had a really decent baseline fitness level, in a short burst/long duration type activity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;So I sat on my couch and grew into a potato over the next two years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Translation: I got completely out of shape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The good news is, the fitness is there and can be regained. You just need to start slow. However, at the moment you are a walking time bomb. By your admission, you have a torn ACL and meniscus that have never been corrected. The ACL is one of the ligaments that keeps your upper leg connected to the lower leg, and stabilizes the area. Right now, every time you walk, &lt;em&gt;especially&lt;/em&gt; every time you do Muay Thai, you are at risk of tearing the other ligaments that are doing the work to support the missing one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you need to do before anything, is have an assessment by a sports doctor, and see what they recommend. Work with them, figure out safe ways for you to exercise, and simply work towards getting back in shape. Couch to 5k, today jump rope for 10 seconds, next week 30 seconds, etc etc. Progress slow. You didn't get out of shape overnight, you won't get in shape over night. You can do this, however!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2018-10-17T14:21:21.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8619" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8590" CreationDate="2018-10-18T09:53:22.573" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From when we have asked about this at Kukkiwon on one of the master courses the answer given was that punches like this are labelled that way because of the way we walk. Generally when walking the hands swing in the opposite direction to the foot going forward (so left foot forward and at the same time right hand swings forward). So Koreans felt that this was natural (and modern Taekwondo is all about being natural) so labelled a &quot;natural&quot; (opposite hand-foot) punch as barojireugi and the opposite to that natural one (same hand-foot) as bandaejireugi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, for all other movements it's as we would expect!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(and don't even get me started on how the Korean equivalent for yes/no can mean the opposite to what we'd expect in one particular situation; hint: negative questions)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2018-10-18T09:53:22.573" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8620" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8615" CreationDate="2018-10-18T16:39:52.013" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;So what is it that I need to do before all else? Learn to skip? focus on running? Take private swimming lessons?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is actually a simple one: &lt;strong&gt;Spar more rounds.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fighting is the best possible way to get in shape for fighting. Doing extra forms of cardio are fun, and good on occasion to break things up, but you will gain your fighting stamina (and most importantly, skill) from doing tons of rounds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You say you're tired after the first round. That's because you're being lazy after the first, and probably quitting shortly after that. Push through it. The more rounds you do, more often, the easier those later rounds will get. If you're only doing rounds twice a week, ramp that up to four times a week. If you're planning on fighting you will need to do rounds at least 5 times a week. Another important note is to make sure you're sparring with people better than you. You won't get truly tired if you're just beating someone down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source: Modern MMA. I only know a couple of guys that still run, and they just do it for fun. I pride myself in my excellent gas tank, and I haven't ran, swam, biked, etc. in many years. I just do TONS of rounds. The only non-fighting training I do is weight lifting to maintain muscle mass. At the end of my fights I feel like I could keep going, no problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2018-10-19T14:18:42.137" LastActivityDate="2018-10-19T14:18:42.137" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8621" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8580" CreationDate="2018-10-20T12:18:42.600" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think the belt progression should be an issue. Is the teaching good? Does he learn and keep learning there? Is he enjoying it? Sure there are standards to keep the belt levels comparable, but in the end it's just a belt and motivation tool for kids and adults. (And a safety feature when sparring)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7286" LastActivityDate="2018-10-20T12:18:42.600" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8622" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-10-20T14:58:33.773" Score="5" ViewCount="2050" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to train in the Shaolin Temple for a year, but I'm afraid I won't be able to communicate there. So, are there a lot of foreigners training in the Shaolin Temple who speak English, Dutch, or German?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9617" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-06-29T23:11:20.250" LastActivityDate="2020-06-29T23:11:20.250" Title="Translators at the Shaolin Temple" Tags="|kung-fu|shaolin|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8624" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8622" CreationDate="2018-10-21T16:31:08.847" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I went to train at Shaolin temple (Songshan mountain), I was with a group of English speakers. Our monk grew up in the temple and had moved to the U.S. to teach there, so he understood English. Most of the monks who never left the temple do not understand English.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We were trained by several junior monks. They didn't understand English. But as it turned out, they didn't need to. We understood what they were trying to get us to do. They would demonstrate a technique, and we'd do it. They would correct us, and we generally understood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Communicating major things was not a problem. Communicating minor things and subtle corrections was more of an issue, and you could see some frustration on the faces of the monks as they tried to correct us. But it all worked out in the end. Everyone had a good time, and the monks were satisfied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a side note, the monks all know that the foreigners that come to train there basically suck. Haha. We're way out of shape compared with them. They're not expecting you to be awesome. The best you can hope to do is to be better than they were expecting. Keep in mind, they have trained non-stop at Shaolin since 5 or 6 years old. They train starting at 5AM and often go to 10PM. It's not uncommon to find them sleeping in the gyms on the floors after practicing all night long.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So don't worry about doing everything right and understanding all the nuances that your monks are trying to communicate. Communication will be rough at first. Eventually, if you train there long enough, you'll get it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many of the junior monks actually do know a little English and want to learn more. One of them that trained us kept asking us what certain English words meant, and he had a pocket translating dictionary with him. I guess nowadays that would be replaced by smart phone app.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be open to teaching English to the monks, by the way. Many of them are trying to learn and would love it if you were enthusiastic about teaching them. This is an exchange of knowledge. They're teaching you martial arts, and you can teach them English and western culture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of the members of our English speaking group were learning Mandarin as well. So that sometimes helped, because they could do some minor translation (usually picking out one or two words in a sentence). But they were far from fluency.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Our monk did arrange for us to have a translator / tour guide during our times as tourists in Beijing and around Deng Feng. Most of our time at the temple, we didn't have translators around. But translators are fairly cheap by Western standards and can be arranged for as long as you need them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can train at the temple itself, inside the temple grounds. That is highly dependent on your monk. Often times foreigners do not get the chance to actually train in the temple itself. Usually they train at the nearest school that's just down the road to Shaolin which is run by the monks. It's just a 10 minute walk to get there from the temple. It's more modern looking and has a hotel attached to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There and at the temple, &lt;b&gt;you'll find dozens of foreigners, many of which speak English&lt;/b&gt;. They come from all over the world. We saw Russians, Kenyans, Spaniards, French, etc. And yet, most of them did speak some English.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my advice is that you make it a point to reach out and talk with other foreigners training there. If you find some that speak English, get to know them. Ask them to dinner. Hang out after training with them. You won't be alone very long if you do that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And by the way, it was very cool to train at the temple. But I think the facilities at the temple were not as good as the ones at the school down the road. When you're there, arrange to train in both places if you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice is to bring your smart phone, and have it installed with many different translation apps and dictionaries. Do a little studying of Mandarin before you leave. Understand numbers in particular, so you can pay for things. Understand common phrases like &quot;Bu yao, xie xie.&quot; Especially that phrase, since you'll be hounded by street merchants from the moment you step off the plane. Haha.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for written Chinese, I would spend a little time understanding the most basic 100 or so characters. You'll want to understand the difference between men's and women's bathrooms, for example. You'll want to know common highway street signs like &quot;exit&quot;. And numbers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have dietary restrictions, make sure you do a little research about what to say in Mandarin before you go. Print out the Chinese characters that describe what you want, also. Often times, though, I found that the waitresses were not literate and could not read the Chinese characters. So be prepared to speak what you want, not just point to stuff written on a piece of paper.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be aware that there's a difference between mainland Chinese (&quot;simplified&quot; Chinese) characters and traditional Chinese characters which are often used in Taiwan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, that's all I can offer you for advice. I don't think you should be overly anxious about this. If you can go with or meet up with a group of English speakers, that's probably ideal. But even if you go alone, I still think you'll be just fine. You'll find it a little frustrating at times, but whomever is arranging everything for you will already know what to do and will have it all planned out for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't worry! Just have a good time and realize this is an experience of a lifetime, something you can tell your grandkids about someday.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll leave you with a link to one of my answers that discusses a little more about the Shaolin temple trip that I took:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7719/could-a-non-buddhist-person-become-a-monk-master-at-shao-lin-temple/7720#7720&quot;&gt;Could a non-Buddhist person become a monk/master at Shao-lin temple?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2018-10-21T16:31:08.847" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8625" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8600" CreationDate="2018-10-22T04:22:05.507" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;With the double layer, the pad will last twice as long, when one side tears, you still have another side to use&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2018-10-22T04:22:05.507" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8626" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8386" CreationDate="2018-10-22T04:50:42.900" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a question for you: can you do a proper star jump/jumping jack?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can, then you are facing a difficulty in your mind. Forget about the Dyspraxia. Don't call it a disability. You must accept the fact that you will need to work harder than others to learn skills that are easy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you learn any martial art, you learn single techniques first. For example, a block. Then you repeat that block a few thousand times in every class. Practice that block at home until you can do it in your sleep without conscious thought. When that happens, learn another single technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With the single technique as your building block, add on top of it. My personal view is that combinations are endless (you can't memorize them all), you need to come up with your personal system/keyword to repeat the combination that your sensei (during that class) is doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using karate as an example, there are 4 main blocks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;OUTER block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;INNER block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;UPPER block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;LOWER block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I use internal keyword prompts for myself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;up, inside, outside, down&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For left and right hand, it becomes &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;right, other hand&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for repeating people's movements, you have to approach it another way.&#xA;Don't struggle to mirror the movement; name the technique that is shown  (internally) and do your version of the technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-10-22T10:29:00.353" LastActivityDate="2018-10-22T10:29:00.353" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8627" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="61" CreationDate="2018-10-22T19:03:44.167" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Looks like it's been another four or five years. Since this thread started. It's still got SEO dominance. I've found some stuff at U of M and researched the links in this thread. I've been skimming orthography and language philosophy. I think most (not all) concerns can be addressed through the development of a pictorial character development on a staff like the music developed in the thread example above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There seems to be a collapse around orientation. Perhaps the language should be heliocentric rather than person oriented? Maybe that should be addressed by the author - like music is written in a key..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I practice Tai Chi, the orientation seems more grounded in union, Ju jitsu the same, boxing seems less related.. But maybe I'm doing it wrong. I'd need to consult Grandmasters in those areas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are linguists who could help design this..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And there seems to be pieces missing. When Grandmaster says, &quot;White Crane Spreads it's Wings,&quot; he relates differently. His first language is not English. I'm hearing it as a process. He's speaking it as an event resulting from a depth of something I can't access yet. Maybe historical context? I still see myself as me born in this time. He sees himself as part of a continuation stretching behind and in front of him beyond and including his reach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9644" LastActivityDate="2018-10-22T19:03:44.167" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8628" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8600" CreationDate="2018-10-23T01:52:53.410" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have my own guesses, but I wanted to check with manufacturers first to see why they designed them that way.  Sadly, after checking 7 different manufacturers at Amazon, I am convinced they are all the same manufacturer, because the product descriptions were suspiciously similar - and suspiciously inaccurate.  Nevertheless, I did also check a name-brand manufacturer (Century Martial Arts; Everlast does not carry one), and they provided a better explanation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They all say &quot;This double sides target is ideal design for practicing high and low kicks, Enhance your speed, accuracy and strength&quot;, or &quot;You can use this to enhance your speed, accuracy and strength&quot;, or similar.  Century says the clap provides better audio feedback.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my experience, single-ear target paddles don't last as long as double-ear targets.  My reasoning is a guess, but I'd say that the design has to do with lessening the impact on the trainer holding the pad, and as well, reducing the damage to the pad.  Here is my reasoning:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you kick the target, your foot imparts a force onto the pad.  The pad imparts an equal and opposite force upon the foot.  In a single ear, there is less mass in the target, and so, the target takes more wear and tear.  When the target contains more ears, then there is more mass, and the target can more easily absorb some of the force imparted upon it by the foot.  This should reduce the force imparted upon the trainer, who will notice less fatigue in the wrist and arm as he holds the target.  Also, the double ear targets seems to be replaced less often than single ears.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And why not one gynormous elephant ear target, rather than two smaller ones?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My guess has to do with more physics: when the first pad is kicked, it absorbs some of the kick, and allows its own momentum to be thrust into the second ear of the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For practical reasons, the double ear target does make a loud clap when struck appropriately; this, the manufacturers all say, can aid in developing kicks - the louder the noise, supposedly the better the kick.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me, though, this is not the ideal training purpose; if the kick was sufficiently loud, it means a full kick was issued - and at some point that kick must be stopped, or else the kicker will develop knee problems.  The heavier kicking pad will help reduce that, making for a safer kick.  Air kicking (or kicking against a flimsy target) is fine for light kicks.  But when kicking fast and hard, I would recommend the safe way and kick a kicking bag which will absorb the kick enough to save the knee (whether the kick is a round, front, push, or side kick).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Conversely, when a trainer wants to work in fast combinations, a lightweight target will more easily allow the trainer to position the target.  Again, it's all physics.  In this case, less mass means it can be positioned much more quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-10-23T01:52:53.410" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8629" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8526" CreationDate="2018-10-24T04:36:45.177" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I hope that your sensei has told you a part of this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is in abbreviated form. Read it and use the names as cues to further reading. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;The roots of martial arts&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bodhidharma (Daruma) in Japanese traveled from India to a monastery in what we call the shaolin district of China and was met with monks who were in no physical condition to sit and meditate for the eight hours they were supposed to be meditating each day. Bodhidharma studied different animals, and created a training regimen based on their movements, to improve the condition of the monks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the root of Tai chi, chi gong, yoga, and Kung fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Okinawa connection&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Higaonna Kanryu sensei went to (I believe) fushau district, where Ryu Ryu kyu taught him Kung fu, more specifically the white crane (and maybe a little tiger) style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The katas from saifa and onwards as well as sanchin (with turn, which is for sandan) and tensho can all be directly attributed hereto.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;The Japanese spinoff&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll come back to this... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;The refinement&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chojun Miyagi sensei (the guy who was the inspiration of the original karate kid movies) refined sanchin and eliminated the turn, and also created geki Sai Dai ichi &amp;amp; geki Sai Dai ni (CA 1942), in order to have easier katas for beginners, and enabling teaching of bigger classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Book&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a book of the story of Chojun Miyagi sensei (written by him, if I am not mistaken) but I have not been able to find it myself, at a reasonable price... It has not been reprinted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;my recommendation to a fellow student&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Talk to your sensei it is great that you want to read more and immerse yourself, but the tradition is that this is mainly retained and passed on mouth to mouth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I normally tell. My students part of these things at the beginning or end of a lesson. It is part of the required knowledge for the theoretical part of the black belt exam, after all…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5848" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-10-24T07:02:58.980" LastActivityDate="2018-10-24T07:02:58.980" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8630" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7265" CreationDate="2018-10-24T15:07:03.607" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The above answer doesn't actually make sense in Korean (and I can't comment so...), so I'll break it down here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;옆/yop = side&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;차/cha = kick (verb stem/verb - depending on context)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;지르/jiru = &quot;To nudge, kick, poke, etc., a person or object forcefully with one's arms, legs, a stick, etc&quot; (verb stem, dictionary definition)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;기/gi = the korean equivalent of a gerund/&quot;ing&quot; (ie. it turns a verb into a noun)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;so, 옆 차 지르기, yop cha jirugi = side + kick (verb) + kick forcefully + noun modification, it literally means &quot;kicking sharply to the side&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;옆 차기, yop chagi = side + kick (verb stem) + noun modification, it simply means &quot;kicking to the side&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess it's up to you which of the two you want to use, I don't quite understand why there's two. Korean's would typically use just yop chagi though so there's that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(on that note, dwitcha jirugi, if you come across that, is incorrect, it's dwi cha jirugi - dwit modifies nouns, and cha is a verb)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source: I've been learning Korean for a good 6-7 years now, have spent a year living there, and would consider myself semi-fluent&#xA;I hope that made sense :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9647" LastActivityDate="2018-10-24T15:07:03.607" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8631" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8526" CreationDate="2018-10-24T17:21:01.463" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is one main source you can base your knowledge about the art on:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Higaonna, M. (2001). &lt;em&gt;The History of Karate: Okinawan Goju-ryu&lt;/em&gt;. Dragon Books.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Morio Higaonna is the current epitome of Goju Ryu, head instructor for decades, the highest-ranking practitioner, and a third generation student, taught by the students of the style's founder, Chojun Miyagi. If anyone knows about the philosophy and core principles of Goju-ryu today, it is him. This book &lt;em&gt;includes&lt;/em&gt; the core text written by the founder of Goju-ryu:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Miyagi, Chojun (1934). &quot;Karate-Do Gaisetsu. Outline of Karate-Do&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He also wrote four volumes on the fundamental techniques and all aspects of the kata of Goju-ryu between 1985 and 1990, called &lt;em&gt;Traditional Karate-do: Okinawa Goju Ryu&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another (obviously authoritative) source is the following, written by Morio Higaonna's &lt;em&gt;teacher&lt;/em&gt; (and thus a first-generation student of Goju-ryu, Miyagi's senior student) in 1978:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Miyazato, E. (1978): Okinawa Den Goju Ryu Karate-Do (&lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.org/details/75627653OkinawaDenGojuRyuKaratedoSenseiEiichiMiyazatoJune1978/page/n0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;link to full text&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are even more historically inclined, there is also&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;RAVIGNAT, M. (2004). The history of Goju-ryu karate: New ideas on Goju-ryu’s direct Chinese ancestors (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nsvk.nl/downloads/meibukanmagazineno2.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;link&lt;/a&gt;, pp. 6-10)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2018-10-24T18:11:58.277" LastActivityDate="2018-10-24T18:11:58.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8632" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8238" CreationDate="2018-10-24T18:07:13.700" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to add yet another (exclusively Japanese) perspective, with reference to sources written by people that lived exactly through the times when the transition took place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Short answer&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Intentionally not, but there have been two factors historically which lead to this apparent deterioration of martial arts in general:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Firstly, martial arts got popular. So much so that there was no way to maintain the time and quality needed to properly teach the more advanced and dangerous techniques in depth, not to speak of the necessity of comparatively inexperienced students having to help out at teaching and not developing their own skill as much as they used to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, WWII led to weariness regarding violence and a rather pacifist approach. This in turn led people to turn away so that martial arts had to turn into more sports oriented endeavors if they wanted to survive and further spread the cultural heritage and health benefits ingrained into their very core. This obviously involved getting rid of violent or dangerous techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Long answer&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, let me introduce Eiichi Miyazato, who was a first-generation student of the founder of Goju-ryu Karate-do and wrote the following lines in 1978 (source: &lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.org/details/75627653OkinawaDenGojuRyuKaratedoSenseiEiichiMiyazatoJune1978/page/n0&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Okinawa den Goju Ryu Karate-do&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, preface):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now that karate has crossed borders and has spread to every corner of the globe, the number of practitioners has increased enormously. I'm sure I am not the only one who questions whether or not letting the art spread so readily is necessarily a good thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a number of problems that arise with the spread of karate. The sudden increase in student numbers inevitably results in a lack of trained instructors. With this, the quality of the instruction decreases, and the art is transformed into a sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Such a transformation entails the loss of the very essence of karate as both the mental and physical aspects of the art are distorted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If karate continues to spread as it has, there will almost certainly come a time in the future when such distortions will be cause for concern.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Goju Ryu Karate has its roots in the Nanpa Shorinji style of China's Fujian Province and therefore, the techniques of the style are very difficult. This is sometimes an obstacle that stands in the way of the instruction and learning of less advanced practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long story short: The mere fact that there was a sudden jump in student numbers necessarily involved a &amp;quot;watering down&amp;quot; of the styles as there was no way of providing proper instructor-student ratios. Presumably, this involves dropping dangerous, more time-intensive (instruction-wise) techniques from the curriculum &lt;strong&gt;and in addition&lt;/strong&gt; people starting to instruct others prematurely in what are mere preliminary steps towards learning the technique proper, thus a loss of the true meaning of the moves (i.e. the technique they are meant to lead to).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, there is Kenji Tomiki, 6th Dan Kodokan Judo, first generation student of Morihei Ueshiba's in what formed to Aikido, founder of Shodokan Aikido (the only form that involves randori):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me start with my conclusion first. In Japan our budo of the past was something extremely bloody, vicious, and completely without bounds as to what methods or tricks one could resort to. Therefore, in viewing our present peaceful society and looking forward to a peaceful future, I think that “sportification” (kyogika), the conversion to competitive sport, is the best way to spread the outstanding points and the benefits of budo to the world. (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tomikiaikido.ie/Interview-with-Kenji-Tomiki-2&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;link&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words: Especially in Japan, the sportification and omission of violent and deadly techniques of martial arts was an active post-war endeavour, both to preserve budo as a cultural element within the now heavily pacifistic society at all and to allow for the benefits preserved to further spread across Japan and the rest of the world.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This clearly is a post-war development, as Tomiki was highly critical of the &amp;quot;sportification&amp;quot; of budo in 1924 (&lt;a href=&quot;https://aikidojournal.com/2018/03/18/the-inspiration-of-o-senseis-jujutsu-a-letter-by-kenji-tomiki/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;link&lt;/a&gt;) that already was going on, sparked by the success of Kodokan Judo [I guess Shotokan Karate should be mentioned here, too, but was still in formation by then].&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Considering the bloody history of mid-19th century wars throughout the world, it would not surprise me to see the same arguments hold true for other martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-06-02T07:21:40.320" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8633" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-10-25T05:50:22.637" Score="0" ViewCount="149" Body="&lt;p&gt;What stretches are the best for being able to do the split and the side split? I'm already very close.(like 170°-165°)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9617" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-10-28T12:31:12.427" LastActivityDate="2018-10-28T12:31:12.427" Title="Stretching for the split" Tags="|flexibility|stretching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2018-10-28T12:16:40.303" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8634" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8633" CreationDate="2018-10-25T13:51:45.190" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You are at an advanced stage of stretching, given the numbers you provide.  However, stretching does not increase your capability to stretch!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think of your muscles like putty.  When you roll it so that it gets longer and longer, what happens to the mass of putty?  Yes: it thins out.  This is not good for martial arts.  As an example of what I'm saying, try to throw a kick as high as you can - but hold it for 5 seconds.  If you can hold it for 5 seconds at exactly the same height the moment you threw it, then you have good strength.  But if your foot drops a few inches, that means, you have the flexibility to reach that high, but you do not have the strength to control it.  This is an extremely common problem that martial artists have: great flexibility, horrible control.  I don't know your situation, so, I don't know if this describes you.  If it does, read on.  But if not, then keep doing what you're doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you stretch, you need to add bulk to your muscles.  This not only gives you the basis for control over your kicks, but it also reduces the chance for injury.  PNF (or isometric) exercises are what is needed here.  Such exercises typically require a partner, and you need to engage a wide variety of exercises to build up bulk in your adductors, abductors, glutes, and - very important - your lower back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't like PNF/isometrics, you can do dynamic stretches, but you'll need to implement weightlifting to get that bulk.  Dynamic stretches can be done any time without warmup (they can be your warmup for many exercises).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since I lot of people have different ideas as to what means &quot;dynamic stretches&quot;, I recommend following principles of experts, such as &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.stadion.com&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tom Kurz&lt;/a&gt;.  You can also follow &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/Elasticsteel&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Elastic Steel&lt;/a&gt; on YouTube channels.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a martial arts perspective, it's important to have good control over your kicks.  Without it, you can seriously injure yourself, or a partner or competitor - or both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-10-25T13:51:45.190" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8635" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8636" CreationDate="2018-10-26T06:39:21.810" Score="6" ViewCount="532" Body="&lt;p&gt;Might be irrelevant but I don't know where to ask other than here. What is the name of this temple and the mountain behind it on Taekwondo forms educational videos:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7fm2x.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7fm2x.png&quot; alt=&quot;Temple and mountain on Taekwondo educational videos&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this temple of any importance regarding Martial arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9518" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-10-30T17:22:59.360" LastActivityDate="2018-10-30T17:22:59.360" Title="What is the name of this temple on Taekwondo educational videos" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|identification|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8636" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8635" CreationDate="2018-10-26T07:08:46.963" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;This appears to be &lt;strong&gt;Gyeongbokgung&lt;/strong&gt; in Seoul&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than being the Royal residence during the Joseon dynasty (original palace destroyed by the Japanese and rebuilt recently) it doesn't particularly have any martial arts importance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;see &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyeongbokgung&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot; title=&quot;wiki page&quot;&gt;wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264337&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot; title=&quot;visit korea&quot;&gt;Visit Korea website&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2018-10-26T07:08:46.963" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8637" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4973" CreationDate="2018-10-28T11:04:39.130" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Dental trauma is a rare occurence. I only see mouth guards on kids with braces or people with some kind of prostetics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9366" LastActivityDate="2018-10-28T11:04:39.130" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8638" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1284" CreationDate="2018-10-29T11:09:13.277" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As requested on another thread - commonly used techniques that should be avoided/the methods of old.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DO NOT DO THESE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tearing the muscles and holding them out to heal &quot;in place&quot; - several ageing instructors I know were subjected to this treatment in the 60s and 70s, tie one leg to a wall bar, someone grabs the other leg, pulls it round into the splits position and ties it to another wall bar. Untie at the end of the session.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;similar to above - push to the floor by being stood on - there are many variations of this - in a standing box split get someone (heavy) to stand on your thighs to push the stretch further - or in ground based stretches standing on the knees or back to &quot;enhance&quot; a stretch.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DO NOT DO THESE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are relaxed versions of these which may be &quot;okay&quot; - but as flexibility and the long term effects of these practices are better known these days there are much better ways to go (covered in the other answers here).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2018-10-29T11:09:13.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8639" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7916" CreationDate="2018-10-30T05:12:48.817" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Those two were my first martial arts, but not trained together. They are compatible at the same time because they are so different, you can be resting by training. Your legs tired, go do jujitsu. Body feels broken do tkd that night. Now if you've never practiced a martial art before, stick to just one for the first two years. Beyond the styles, you need to learn your body and how to train yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For everyone else who was talking smack about tkd having no real purpose on the street because of the Olympic style rules, there's military tkd and it's all groin, eye and throat strikes. Works way better against multiple attackers than jujitsu. And even more so for MMA look at all the champs, they are wrestlers not jujitsu guys. So if you want the best martial art for MMA go with American wrestling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9657" LastActivityDate="2018-10-30T05:12:48.817" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8640" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="56" CreationDate="2018-10-31T07:42:45.017" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a long time practitioner, I've transferred from ITF to WTF and received Dans in both forms. It's true what's said about one form is geared for sport sparring while the other is geared towards self defense. ITF became the Norths when the founder went there, but it started in the South. We want our art to spread all over the world, whether WTF or ITF, it's still Taekwondo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice for young children: they'll pick up on it quite well, but having knowledge in both makes them complete. They'll be fine, both World and International taekwondo federations have excellent instructors. Changing over won't gonna hurt them at all. Last but not least, learn the history of your art, don't just agree with what everyone tells you, cause they're gonna tell you what makes their art stand out more. I've studied both, I back them both up, but taekwondo is taekwondo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9660" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-10-31T20:59:53.800" LastActivityDate="2018-10-31T20:59:53.800" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8641" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-11-01T21:11:54.397" Score="8" ViewCount="943" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, I'm a beginner. White belt (not even a month of practice). At wikipedia, they said &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Judo&lt;/a&gt; literally is &quot;gentle way&quot;. My sensei told me so too...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I do randori with higher rank, they don't pressure me to the point I can't even try to execute the move I'm trying to learn. But there is this other white belt guy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That trainee, in my view, is annoying. Physically speaking, I have very very much less strength. But he's not &quot;gentle&quot; (Judo). So the dude, not only he's also a white belt, but he's acting so &quot;brutal&quot;, I can't even learn moves. I even started do push ups so I get more strength ha ha ha ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Brief, I would you deal with such a person ? I started just giving up on him. When we try rendori, I resist 5 to 10 seconds and just tap to give up. Really boring to train with him. I was think about &quot;breaking&quot; his habit psychologically i.e letting him know I'm weaker and he's not &quot;gentle&quot; and tap my way out 5 seconds... I think doing that will make him distaste doing rendori with me until he changes his approach... (in the back of my mind I'm also thinking, hmmm... maybe I'm acting like a sissy lol...)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What do you think of that ? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9665" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-11-01T22:31:33.930" LastActivityDate="2018-12-20T16:18:07.427" Title="How to deal with a judoka who is not gentle?" Tags="|judo|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8642" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8641" CreationDate="2018-11-01T22:12:10.253" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Gentle is a relative term. Judo is gentle relative to martial arts where the goal is to hit people in the head, but it is not gentle in the sense of massage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Prefer experienced partners&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have a choice of training partners, you should always opt for the most skilled and experienced available. If there are only other beginners, then you work with beginners, but your preference should always be for more skill and experience. This is true independent of problem partners like yours. You will learn much faster training with more experienced partners. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you become more experienced, you get less choice. There are fewer more experienced players, and you also acquire more responsibility to help others. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a beginner tendency to gravitate to training with other beginners. Resist this; take initiative and seek out more advanced partners. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Problem partners&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Safety comes first. If you cannot train safely with a partner, then you refuse. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be polite, you should try not to refuse training partners. The way around getting stuck working with problem partners is to ask someone else first. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So suppose you are now working with the problem partner. Have you already tried talking to them? Some partners simply don't realize you are uncomfortable, and they won't figure this out unaided. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Randori v. technique training&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In randori (free play), you expect both resistance and cooperation. You cooperate by playing at an intensity level where you are both benefiting. For example, as an adult playing with a child, you should not be using all of your strength to overpower them, but should instead focus on elements like timing. But you should not have the expectation that your partner will simply let you work your moves without resistance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For technique training where only one partner is actively working, much of the time there should be no active resistance, especially as a beginner. If your problem partner is resisting in this non-randori training, there is a problem. Seek instructor help. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-11-01T22:12:10.253" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8643" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8641" CreationDate="2018-11-02T09:18:36.910" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Resolve it by being the adult in the room.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, find said person out of class and politely tell them that you find a little too rough and hard to train with. Explain that you have no problems with them but that they apply strength too much. Most of the time and most people will apologize and try to come up with a solution. Try to think of how you and they can get back to training and helping each other. Mention the risk of injury as well. Mention that you want to train with them and for both of you to have fun and learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are both white belts who know nothing (that's normal!) so you cannot be expected to do full on resistance. That comes at the end of the road. You both need to learn how to walk first before you can run. It is normal to be rough and incompetent when you are starting out. Seeking to better yourself is the goal here. Mention that to them as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that does not work, have a quiet word with your teacher/coach about them and let them sort it out. This is a second option because it escalates the problem. However, your teacher should sort it out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the teacher does not sort it out: &lt;em&gt;walk away from this toxic dojo!&lt;/em&gt; It is not place you want to train at for your well being and safety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-11-02T15:52:04.033" LastActivityDate="2018-11-02T15:52:04.033" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8644" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8641" CreationDate="2018-11-02T18:52:41.210" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The good news is that if you are finding it's not a problem with the advanced students, then it's probably not that the instructor or the school as a whole is problematic, but just that one other beginner doesn't know their own strength and doesn't yet know how to be a good training partner. It might be as simple as speaking up for yourself in unambiguous terms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Time to be assertive for your own safety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To the brutal beginner: &quot;Please tone down the intensity, Bob. Maybe you're just a lot better than me and I'll eventually catch up, but right now I find that when we're paired together, you go so hard that I'm not really getting the opportunity to learn the techniques.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that doesn't immediately get the desired effect, then...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To the instructor: &quot;Bob is going so hard with me that I'm not really learning anything and am worried about safety. Can you please either help him adjust his technique or ensure I'm not paired with him?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that doesn't immediately get the desired effect, find a different school that prioritizes good instruction and student safety (especially for beginners).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="698" LastActivityDate="2018-11-02T18:52:41.210" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8645" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8641" CreationDate="2018-11-02T21:37:32.773" Score="9" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Judo has two basic principles&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both principles are what makes Judo &amp;quot;gentle&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The first one is the &lt;em&gt;technical&lt;/em&gt; principle: seiryoku zen'yō (精力善用, maximum efficiency, minimum effort).&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This one makes Judo &amp;quot;gentle&amp;quot; in the sense that you do not waste any strength and effort with overly aggressive and brutal moves that do not contribute to your main goal: Defeating the opponent. Thus, every ounce of strength you use unnecessarily violates this principle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The second one is often called &lt;em&gt;moral&lt;/em&gt; principle: jita kyōei (自他共栄, mutual welfare and benefit).&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This one makes Judo &amp;quot;gentle&amp;quot; in the sense that not only in your martial arts practice, but also your everyday life, you are supposed to focus your actions on joint goals and consider the needs and interests of others. This also applies to &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; and technical training and means that you should always support and help your fellow students and move and fight in a way so that both can learn as much as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Physically strong beginners&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let us be honest: What you describe does violate &lt;em&gt;both&lt;/em&gt; principles profoundly. This actually is a very common occurrence, not only in Judo, but also in BJJ. It often takes a long time for older beginners to reach the point where they relax enough to be able to actually execute techniques correctly. For good technique, you need a mix between relaxation and explosiveness, while the former enables you to fast and fluid movements in the first place. Tension is your enemy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two things to be said:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First: Using strength hinders not only your advancement but also his own technical development.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the documentary 'Be strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful', Keiko Fukuda - first woman ever to be awarded the 10th dan - theorised about women often being better Judoka technically speaking. Not because of their gender as such, but because they tend to simply not have the strength to power against a partner and therefore have to learn efficiency early in their career.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And she has got a point there: The smaller and weaker beginners comparatively are, the faster they &lt;em&gt;tend&lt;/em&gt; to advance technically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Second: This type of student repels other students.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen it a thousand times: Newbies come, have fun, and are pounded by an over-motivated training partner. That hurts group dynamics and makes you lose (potential) members. I've been in your shoes as well. It took me like three years to finally be at a technical level that allowed me to beat my former nemesis (a level he never achieved). But had it not been for the rest of the group, I would not have continued to go there. In the end, nobody will want to train with him, even less like him. That cannot be in his interest either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;What you can do&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think there are four main strategies that can be applied subsequently&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Speak to him. I gave you some solid arguments here that many reasonable people can accept. It may also help to point out the moment he uses strength like in &amp;quot;Hey, you are tensed all over again, how am I supposed to learn anything that way?&amp;quot; If he is reasonable, he will try to work on that. If not, proceed to&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Speak to your instructor. He is aware of Judo being supposed to be gentle? Well, all these arguments should appeal to him as well. It is in his best interest that the spirit of the art and the interests of his students are realised by his example and actions. Nevertheless, it may be that he does not care enough to actually &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; anything about it or his actions are fruitless. If so, proceed to&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Avoid any training with this guy. It is true that you can learn most from advanced partners anyway (rightfully pointed out in the answer of @mattm). And it is even positive for them as well, as you sometimes are really baffled by how beginners are moving and reacting if you are advanced and only train with advanced students. Also, trying to help you improves their understanding of the technique (remember: mutual benefit!). But &lt;em&gt;rejecting&lt;/em&gt; to train with another student is rude and against the etiquette. Therefore, it may happen that this guy (and/or others) still overshadows your experience. If so, try&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sometimes it is part of the culture of a club or training group that they are brutal and stretch &amp;quot;gentleness&amp;quot; to the point where it simply is not gentle and in accord with the above-mentioned principles anymore. Sometimes they do not care if members do that. If the training with this group remains unsatisfactory, sometimes the best solution is to go to another club and try them.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-11-02T21:54:44.567" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8647" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-11-09T12:17:48.073" Score="2" ViewCount="661" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the game &lt;em&gt;Mirror's Edge Catalyst&lt;/em&gt;, there are opponents called Sentinels; they are an elite type of enemy in this game. They rely on hand-to-hand combat to beat the player. Most of their techniques (if not all) are from real life, like the superman punch. But they have a stance that I have never seen before. Does anyone know what is it called, and what is good for? (providing that something like this even exists in real life)&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Bn555.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Bn555.png&quot; alt=&quot;The arms are in strange position&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9679" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-11-11T17:40:09.947" LastActivityDate="2018-11-11T18:33:56.010" Title="Does a stance like this have any application in real life?" Tags="|stance|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8648" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8647" CreationDate="2018-11-09T12:48:27.040" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This looks like a general point sparring stance found in Tae Kwon Do, often called &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/dyqo4kb1veg?t=11&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kyorumsae&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kyorumsae means &amp;quot;standard fighting stance.&amp;quot; This is called the front fighting stance. Position your feet at one and a half to two times your regular stride. Turn your body approximately 45 degrees to the side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ryurvm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ryurvm.png&quot; alt=&quot;Kyorumsae stance&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not a TKD expert, but I believe the idea behind it is that the front hand can be used to deflect incoming attacks while the rear hand is ready for a quick counter-attack. Due to the nature of point-sparring, the emphasis is on a small profile presented to your opponent, thus the very sideways stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.sherdog.com/posts/8151205/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This post&lt;/a&gt; elaborates on the low hand in the front:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason for the low hands stance is simply in the WTF sparring format. There are no punches to the face, and 95% of all kicks go to the body. With your hands high, it's possible to slip round kicks under the elbow and score points. If your hands are hanging by the side, they block the whole trunk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, TKD fighters tend to drop the hands when they are out of range (and TKD is a long-range game, so most of the time, you are out of range, until one of you makes a move), and raise them when they enter kicking range. Watch top TKD matches and you'll see this. This is for conserving energy, but also for inviting juicy head kicks which are easily countered. N00bs often leave their hands down all the time because they are lazy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a point-sparring stance, it probably would not make sense in a self-defense context like this one, but it looks kind of cool.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-11-11T18:33:56.010" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8649" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8647" CreationDate="2018-11-09T14:41:37.980" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It could, maybe, be a Jeet Kune Do posture. However, the back hand being behind, instead of in front of, the face does not fit; especially as seen &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGgCHQZ_RTE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. Here is an example of how it looks. The Mirror Edge character is using a left stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zYjPl.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zYjPl.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;jeet kwon do posture&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-11-11T17:41:38.823" LastActivityDate="2018-11-11T17:41:38.823" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8650" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8654" CreationDate="2018-11-12T00:18:25.270" Score="4" ViewCount="479" Body="&lt;p&gt;I kind of hate holding the Muay Thai style kicking pads that most people seem to use for training punching and kicking combos. I much prefer the boxing style focus mitts with an open hand like these&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GL656.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GL656.png&quot; alt=&quot;Focus Mitts&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;but I recognize that the longer MT style pads are better for kicks. Every once in a while I see training footage of someone using a pad that seems like the perfect combination of the two. Here's Dominick Cruz's trainer using some.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp-bzaEnqUP/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp-bzaEnqUP/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's exactly what I want, but I no amount of googling ever turns them up. Does anyone know what they're called or where I might buy some?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3105" LastActivityDate="2018-12-14T23:25:39.607" Title="Long Focus Mitts for Punching and Kicking" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8652" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-11-13T06:48:58.603" Score="7" ViewCount="1778" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is in regards to boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Height: 5.9 | Build: Fat | Fitness: Poor | Stance: Orthodox&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am working on my fitness. I used to be fit but I got out of sports for a while due to ACL and meniscus tear. But I am doing MT, Boxing, weight training, and a bit of basketball (getting back into it slowly).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like many, I love Cus D'Amato's Peek-a-boo style of boxing. I have been trying to emulate Tyson's style for sometime now. And it is not because of the &amp;quot;wow&amp;quot; factor that I want to learn it, but because I truly feel that that posture/style of boxing reflects who I am. I want to be a pressure fighter. I spent most of my life playing as a forward in basketball and I particularly enjoyed getting low and posting up. I enjoyed the contact rather than getting open or playing like a slasher. When I see Tyson, or try emulating his movements, it brings me the same joy as when I play basketball. I emulated Hakeem, Jordan and Kobe. They were crafty, skilled with footwork, and relentless. When I look at Boxing I see Tyson having a similar mentality and craft. I really, really need to and want to learn this style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Concern/Question:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most tutorials on YouTube teach slipping this way: For an incoming Jab, slip to my right, transferring a bit of weight on my back leg (right leg). Concurrently, the head slips out right as the left shoulder rolls down a bit diagonally to the right as well. My right hand is then loaded for a hook to the body or an uppercut. The same technique applies for an incoming Right Cross. In that case my left hand is loaded for the Hooks and the uppercut.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Slipping in &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/d_kbC36JESs?t=27&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Peekaboo&lt;/a&gt; is more from side to side. The following are my concerns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;After working on my side to side slipping for a while, my lower back gets weak and I don't feel like doing it anymore. It starts to feel like the way one would naturally feel after 5 sets of Deadlifts. Has this happened to others? No one at my gym does peekaboo style so I can't talk to anyone about this.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally feel that our spinal cord is not suppose to move side to side with such speed. Like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yAytKmknUk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt;. I don't want to get injured, if it is the case that the basic anatomy of out body is not built to work that way. Can someone with knowledge in physiology clear this for me? Or anyone?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I talked about it with my boxing head coach, he said that the Peekaboo compromises one's balance when they slip side to side and the head goes too far to the side. If the head goes beyond the centerline too much (which is the case in peekaboo) then that affects balance adversely. He said the head must never cross the blade of either feet. But Tyson's did go over the blade of the feet some times. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yAytKmknUk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt; when he is working on the slip bag. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AyfA_jRDog&amp;amp;list=PL8X0r7gNiWN3KpIIeuoEeW_KlA-tVcDmp&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This&lt;/a&gt; is another channel for peekaboo boxing. He too advocates going all the way down on the slips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I had a light sparring session with my trainer. He lit me up. He was right in front of me. And when I ducked and slipped he was gone. He was moving around me that fast. He threw a barrage of punches from outside and my peekaboo went out of the window. Uppercuts! I caught him with a good hook one time. I looked at his feet as I was crouching down and covering up to protect against his thousand punches. So I desperately leaped and let go of that hook and it landed. But it was a terrible shot because I threw it blindly. It's what you would call a fluke in basketball. After the session, he told me that had he wanted he could have taken advantage of my poor form, but he didn't and he wants me to correct it. As in, not do peekaboo. My trainer is a great boxer. But he fights on the outside. He is more like a long range shooter, more like fast guards like Curry/Kyrie/Klay. In and out. But that is not who I am. And I can't emulate my trainers style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is so much more to peekaboo than just slipping side to side. The side steps and angles. I am working on them and I can do them much more comfortably than the slipping. I can slide too. I am working on strength training-Squats, Deadlifts, Lunges to build up my legs. But without the proper slipping I can't get inside. Can anyone help me with my concerns? I know its a long post but I don't have any other source of help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T22:29:31.260" LastActivityDate="2020-10-14T14:13:10.643" Title="Is Peek-a-boo Boxing bad for the lower back?" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8653" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8652" CreationDate="2018-11-13T16:30:32.840" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't box, but I do Capoeira, which involves a similar kind of lateral movement both in dodges and in the general movement of the &lt;em&gt;ginga&lt;/em&gt;. I, too, am prone to back pain if I'm not careful, but in my case, it's not so much the lateral movement as the lean. If you are leaning forward at the waist when you do the lateral movement, you put additional strain on the muscles of the lower back because they kind of have to curl up in the course of the movement. I wish I could give a more technical description, but that's how it feels for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try doing a series of lateral movements with your torso completely upright. See if that provides less strain. Yes, you probably won't be able to maintain that in a sparring match where you have to lean into the punches to reduce your attack profile, but being able to do the movement without pain will help you to break your brain's insistence that the movement causes pain, and you can gradually increase your lean as you get stronger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a slight follow-up to this, I've realized some years later that my issue is less general tilt (although there is an aspect to that) and more lumbar spine tilt. If I bend at my waist, or along the upper spine (such as the traditional &amp;quot;crouching over&amp;quot; pose), it's not as bad, but I have come to realize I have a bit of a tendency, when leaning forward, to arch my lumbar spine up and back in the process of lifting my head to continue looking forward. I don't know if this might be factoring into your lower back pain, but the general cure for it, for me, is to always be aware of my lower back when leaving forward, generally ensuring a gentle curve forward there if I'm leaning forward, and when I feel like I have to curve up to see my opponent, I consider that I may be leaning too far forward (in general, in Capoeira, an extreme forward lean is being done as part of an active movement rather than the general &lt;em&gt;ginga&lt;/em&gt;, so there are other ways to keep one's eyes on the opponent).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-10-14T14:13:10.643" LastActivityDate="2020-10-14T14:13:10.643" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8654" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8650" CreationDate="2018-11-14T06:39:44.117" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I provided some links to websites where you can get them. Ordering from Thailand will cost you shipping as well as customs if you are in USA or Canada. But you can look at them and order from mma stores in your country. I think most good stores will have these.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Here at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.muaythaistuff.com/thai-pads.html?p=2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;muaythaistuff.com&lt;/a&gt; you will find the Top King and Fairtex ones. These are great. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ngsp2s.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ngsp2s.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7E9V9s.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7E9V9s.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pvoOMs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pvoOMs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;At &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.muaythaifactory.com/muay-thai-training-gear.asp?page=2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;muaythaifactory.com&lt;/a&gt; you will find Top King, Fairtex, and Thaismai.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.venum.com/venum-elite-big-focus-mitts.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Venum&lt;/a&gt; has good ones too.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4edTSs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4edTSs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.twinsfightgear.com/TWINS-FOCUS-MITTS&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;And here is another&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2018-11-14T09:13:08.990" LastActivityDate="2018-11-14T09:13:08.990" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8655" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9151" CreationDate="2018-11-14T15:14:14.470" Score="4" ViewCount="2376" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently passed a Dan exam and would like to get rid of my old, cheap belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like to buy a higher grade belt and have some inscriptions on it.&#xA;I plan to take a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.kusakurashop.com/collections/judo-black-belts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kusakura obi&lt;/a&gt; with the Kodokan emblem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wanted to write 柔道 (Judo) on the side with the emblem and my name パスカル (Pascal) on the other side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9686" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-05-30T20:22:05.523" LastActivityDate="2019-05-30T20:22:05.523" Title="What is traditionally written on a judo belt?" Tags="|judo|history|equipment|belt|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8656" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8655" CreationDate="2018-11-14T17:25:37.527" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well the most traditional thing to write is nothing. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recall my Judo teacher just had a plain black belt when she was teaching. In fact, I didn't even know what dan ranking she was, because she didn't put any stripes on it. It was only after my second school year with her (this was in high school as an after-school club) that I saw her wearing a belt with stripes on it. And to my astonishment after counting the stripes, I realized she was a godan. My jaw just dropped. In none of the time she taught and in none of her class information sheets did she mention her rank. I just assumed she was 1st dan the entire time. Haha.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, it's fine to be proud of your school and your status as a black belt. Just be humble about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it were me, I would have two belts. The first belt would be the belt I wear in class. It would just have tape for the stripes and nothing else, no embroidery. I figure this one is going to be destroyed over time, so there's no point to having it embroidered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For your second belt, that's where you might want to get fancy. You can have embroidered stripes on the left side and your name embroidered on the right side. If it were me, I'd just use English characters for my name, because I have an English name. That's a very popular thing to do, instead of using katakana. I think the Japanese would actually think it's &quot;cool&quot; to do that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Leave room for more stripes to be embroidered on later. You might add the kanji for &quot;judo&quot; somewhere on it. You can also put your school's name on it somewhere, maybe the part of the belt that would go along your back. Or you can write your school's main organization (BJA for example).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people embroider a motto of some sort, sometimes with small kanji font in two rows. Just pick one that suits your personality. You can put this on the same side as where your name goes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This fancy belt you only use on special occasions, and never during training, randori, or competition. It's just for show.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2018-11-14T17:25:37.527" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8657" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7592" CreationDate="2018-11-15T13:55:21.723" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You may want to gravitate to Tai Chi and slowly work on Chin Na techniques. The healing effects of Tai Chi will help strengthen internally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9693" LastActivityDate="2018-11-15T13:55:21.723" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8658" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8655" CreationDate="2018-11-15T15:29:07.390" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Congrats on passing your exam.  I think the best person to answer your question would be your Judo instructor.   Each instructor has his or her own idea about what is appropriate.  What we tell you may not be appropriate for your school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my case I belong to two schools, and in one of them, for competition purposes, we are required wear bars on the end of the belt on one side, with the name of the school on the other side.  The other school I'm with doesn't compete, and they do not adorn their belts at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do like steve weigand's idea of having two belts, one for show (I guess, hanging up on a wall or a window box?) and the other for practice and competition, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do recall my last Taekwondo school was funny, and I think this is fairly common.  All the incoming Korean instructors, coaches, assistants - they liked having their belts embroidered in English.  English names are a thing in Korea.  Here in the US, most people like to see Korean writing.  I guess it's a thing here, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether you have yours in Japanese or English is up to you (you might even do both).  But it seems everyone likes to use &quot;foreign&quot; lettering.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-11-15T15:29:07.390" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8659" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6599" CreationDate="2018-11-16T19:33:14.920" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Please,  allow me to correct on sensei surveyCorps' interpretation of Aikido.  YES,  there are throwings on the ground, but the first thing you learn in Aikido is how to fall + there's the tatami protection.  Second,  throwings are done gently,  as there's no &quot;winner&quot; or &quot;loser&quot; in this art: it is not competitive.  Only thing  that could be threatening is back problems (my condition) ,  OR,  if you haven't overcome the joint pain. And,  of course you should skip some of the drills involving joint's unusual rotation angles, which shouldn't be a problem, Aikido is one of the &quot;kinder&quot;,  so-to-say arts. But you should most of all, try and see for yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I agree  that Tai-chi might be an even better option,  would like to try it,  but unfortunately, no classes in my town&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9696" LastActivityDate="2018-11-16T19:33:14.920" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8660" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8674" CreationDate="2018-11-17T06:38:04.103" Score="4" ViewCount="523" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is an extremely educational, humbling and interesting MT fight/technique breakdown &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AIM6Rih0RI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;.  It shows the ferocity of Samkor Kiatmontep's Left Roundhouse Kick from the southpaw stance against Satoshi (a formidable fighter known for his punch combos). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick Question:&lt;/strong&gt; How would you counter or fight Samkor and neutralize his Left Roundhouse?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Details:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had seen this video many times, and tried to go into southpaw (I am orthodox) when I sparred someone with good punching skill or a high guard. But I could never stay on a southpaw stance for long as nothing seemed to flow naturally for me except the left roundhouse kick. I was getting off-balanced to my right-side. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Recently, I sparred with a much advanced MT practitioner, who is old but had been a champion in his young days. He is naturally southpaw. While sparring he kept moving forward Jabbing and then throwing the Lead Roundhouse kick (for southpaw it is the Right leg). Given he was a champion, I have a feeling he just did not want to hurt me with the Rear Roundhouse. While throwing the Lead Roundhouse, he kept swinging his Lead hand down leaving his face open. Twice, when he kicked, I countered with my left hook, given the Lead Roundhouse is not as damaging.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't imagine what I would do if he used his Rear Roundhouse like Samkor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question:&lt;/strong&gt; What are possible counters to (or techniques to capitalize on) the Left Roundhouse Kick (from a Southpaw) that are thrown to destroy not only the Liver but also the hands?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Research:&lt;/strong&gt; This &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rHo5gwQShs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; shows some counters to Southpaws in general but its not specific to great kickers like Samkor. Also this is very &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZidXOBI-TSk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;generic&lt;/a&gt;. This &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkmsIg9P-Sw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;shows&lt;/a&gt; a good body shot option as the liver side is on the front. Joe, as always, has some good advice &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7NvQ9uyx9U&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. He says to dominate the lead foot and control the lead hand to stay outside their centerline.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2018-11-17T09:29:11.843" LastActivityDate="2018-11-20T17:51:12.407" Title="How to counter a powerful Left Roundhouse Kick from a Southpaw in MT?" Tags="|technique|muay-thai|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8661" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-11-19T02:57:52.083" Score="0" ViewCount="69" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been researching several martial arts facilities in my area. I am looking for something that will help me in real life situations, become more disciplined mentally and psychologically, get into shape, and to be a tool for de-stressing after a hard day's work. I’m a 43-year-old man and weigh approximately 310. I do have some arthritis in both knees, but not to the point where I can’t walk. I’m not really interested in kicking a banana tree in half, picking a fight with a brick wall, or tearing wood planks apart with my hands. Only in part because I don’t see any real reason why breaking a brick with my head helps me find inner zen. I have read about Jeet Kune Do, Vovinam Viet Vo Dao, and several others. Any advice on which one or ones would be a great start? Oh, btw, I have never had any martial arts training and can’t jump kick to save my life. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9698" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-11-19T15:36:35.483" LastActivityDate="2018-11-19T15:36:35.483" Title="Looking at martial arts" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2018-11-19T18:55:29.403" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8662" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8661" CreationDate="2018-11-19T10:39:00.813" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well, I personally think that any single martial art cannot fulfill all your specific needs. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I am looking for something that will help me in real life situations&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For real life self-defence, I would recommend Krav Maga. It teaches you the best ways to avoid a fight all-together, neutralize your attacker and flee the scene, or as a last resort, use deadly striking and grappling to finish your opponent. This is not as taxing on the body (knees, wrists, lower back) as is Boxing or Muay Thai. If you want to be really really good in grappling (submissions, arms/legs/head locks, chokes etc,), then go to a gym that has a separate jujitsu class (not those that teach mma, everything in one class).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...become more disciplined mentally and psychologically&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any martial art at a good gym will help you with discipline. If the trainer is anything like the head master of Cobra Kai from the movie Karate Kid, then it won't matter what martial art you choose, it will not fulfill your desire to become &quot;disciplined mentally and psychologically&quot;. So pick your gym wisely. Look at the people who go there. Are there people in the gym who is close to your age? Talk to them. How do they feel? You will also need a trainer who you will admire and respect. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...helps me find and inner zen&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suppose others can explain this better. I feel that modern MMA gyms lack that Ying &amp;amp; Yang concept of martial arts. Given you are new to it, the striking (hitting the bags, sparring, pad work) can be a bit overwhelming at first. Also, most people in the gym will be talking about martial arts which can be daunting for beginners. If you want zen I would suggest don't go for boxing. Karate, Kung Fu, Taekwondo are all great arts with both the fighting part as well as the spiritual part. Muay thai too but only if you are in Thailand. If you don't find those, you can take up a beginners kickboxing class with yoga on the side for mental and spiritual relaxation.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastActivityDate="2018-11-19T10:39:00.813" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8663" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8592" CreationDate="2018-11-19T16:18:02.053" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some books discussing Long Shield are &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Codex_Wallerstein_(Cod.I.6.4%C2%BA.2)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Codex Wallerstein&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Die_Blume_des_Kampfes#Longshield&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Die Blume des Kampfes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Peter_Falkner#Longshield&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kunste Zu Ritterlicher Were&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Paulus_Kal#Longshield&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Paulus Kal's fencing manual&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Paulus_Hector_Mair#Sword.2C_Speard.2C_and_Longshield&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Paulus Hector Mair's compilation&lt;/a&gt; (largely re-illustrations of early fencing manuals), and Hans Talhoffer's &lt;a href=&quot;https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Talhoffer_Fechtbuch_(MS_Thott.290.2%C2%BA)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;MS Thott.290.2º&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Hans_Talhoffer/K%C3%B6nigsegg#Longshield&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;MS XIX.17-3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those links will bring you to illustrations and translations of the text, but admittedly, a lot of them are from an era where an illustration and a sentence or two was provided. I don't know any of the more modern treatises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2018-11-19T16:18:02.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8664" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8667" CreationDate="2018-11-19T20:21:55.070" Score="4" ViewCount="2073" Body="&lt;p&gt;Last week, I started to go to a new BJJ academy after a while without any training. When we started rolling, I asked to the guy that was rolling against me for how much time he was training. Since he is a white-belt with no stripes, I was expecting an answer like 3, 6 or 9 months. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, the guy answered &lt;strong&gt;3 years&lt;/strong&gt;! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was a bit surprised with this answer! Then I asked why he was training for so much time as a white belt and he answered that he is training to compete in tournaments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think this is a bit &lt;em&gt;unfair&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously it is going to be much easier for a guy that has the knowledge of a blue belt to win against a real white belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I always read about the minimum time to stay training in a belt, but what about the maximum time? Is there a maximum time one can be training in a belt?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5606" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2018-11-20T15:17:20.730" LastActivityDate="2019-06-28T14:07:46.943" Title="Is there any maximum time for staying in a belt in BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|competition|grading|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8665" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8664" CreationDate="2018-11-19T20:43:46.480" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.usgrappling.com/rules/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;US Grappling rules&lt;/a&gt;, the only time &quot;time in belt&quot; counts is in No-Gi competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Adult and 30+ No Gi Skill Levels&#xA;  Skill levels are determined by time spent training in any comparable grappling art. Any wrestler with extensive experience (3 or more years in high school, or any collegiate experience) must enter at least intermediate no-gi. Judo, Sambo, and MMA experience count the same as BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Adult Divisions (Men and Women)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Novice: Up to 9 months (white belts only).&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Beginner: Up to 2 years (white belts only).&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Intermediate: 2 – 5 years, or blue belt.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Advanced: Over 5 years, or purple belt and above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;30+ Men&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Beginner: Up to 2 years (white belts only).&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Intermediate: 2 – 5 years, or blue belt.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Advanced: Over 5 years, or purple belt and above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Juvenile (ages 4-17) Weight Classes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Brackets for competitors aged 4-17 are made using the Madison Bracketing System. There are no preset weight classes for children and teens.  At the end of weigh ins, the children and teens will be sorted by weight.  Brackets will then be made by grouping them into sets of 4 or 8 (depending on turnout).  Juveniles will be divided by weight, experience, and age (whenever possible). Using the Madison system means children and teens will no longer cut weight since they won’t know the weight classes in advance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Juvenile (ages 4-17) Skill Levels&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Beginners: Up to one year of training any grappling art.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Intermediate: Up to three years of training any grappling art.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Advanced: Over three years training any grappling art.       &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Any Juvenile that has been awarded a blue belt (adult level) must compete in the Juvenile Advanced skill level, regardless of time training.  Juvenile blue belts can also compete in the adult blue belt and adult intermediate or advanced no gi divisions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Juvenile division skill levels are commonly combined.  US Grappling manually creates juvenile divisions, and sorts competitors by age and weight, and then by skill to ensure that matches are safe for all competitors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, the techniques that can be used are limited by belt. For example, for BJJ Gi competition:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;The only submission below the waist that is legal for white, blue, and purple belts are straight ankle locks (AKA straight footlock).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Kneebars, figure-four toeholds, and compression locks (AKA “slicers”, “crushers”) are legal in brown and black belt divisions only.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2018-11-19T20:43:46.480" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8666" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7614" CreationDate="2018-11-19T20:56:02.463" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun, if it hasn't already been suggested. It doesn't focus on the head, the closest it gets is the neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9700" LastActivityDate="2018-11-19T20:56:02.463" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8667" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8664" CreationDate="2018-11-19T21:58:49.163" Score="6" Body="&lt;h2&gt;No, there is no maximum or minimum time limit.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are several organizations that claim to be the governing body of BJJ, but none of them are official. (One overbearing organization, the IBJJF,  actually tries to force people to pay them for belt registration!) There are countless tournaments and pro invitationals with different rule sets (legal submissions, points, round time, etc.) Many have their own belt time and age requirements, but few of these &quot;official requirements&quot; are actually respected by BJJ or MMA gyms. &lt;strong&gt;The decision to promote someone is 100% up to the coach, regardless of time.&lt;/strong&gt; One of my favorite examples of this is when BJ Penn was promoted from white belt to black belt in 3 years. The IBJJF threw a huge fit because it didn't fit their criteria. BJ Penn went on to win a world championship.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Someone that claims they are purposely staying at white belt is likely making excuses for their lack of training.&lt;/strong&gt; Their coach probably just doesn't think they're ready to be promoted. I would immediately question his &quot;training to do tournaments&quot; reason. White belts can start competing almost immediately. Since YOU PAY to enter the tournament, and don't win any money at white belt, there is no incentive to &quot;sandbag&quot; at white belt. Not to mention the fact that crushing people at a white belt tournament makes everyone roll their eyes. You pretty much get to do that once, and your coach needs to make a decision about promoting you. Every BJJ coach I know would be embarrassed to have one of their white belts continue to win gold medals for an extended period of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the case you're talking about, 3 years isn't at all uncommon. 2 years is a normal time from white to blue when you're training about 3-4 days per week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2019-06-28T14:07:46.943" LastActivityDate="2019-06-28T14:07:46.943" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8669" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8660" CreationDate="2018-11-20T16:27:10.497" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Open up with uppercut after uppercut and aim for their pelvis area or jaw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9702" LastEditorUserId="9702" LastEditDate="2018-11-20T17:51:12.407" LastActivityDate="2018-11-20T17:51:12.407" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8670" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8593" CreationDate="2018-11-20T16:32:52.163" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Practice lifting your knee to your chest twisting your bottom half of your body to the side and kicking up while keeping your fist and arms balanced to your front.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9702" LastActivityDate="2018-11-20T16:32:52.163" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8672" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8409" CreationDate="2018-11-20T16:40:08.187" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Because the ball of our foot is considered the hardest and thickest bone that deals the most damage to opponent's during fight. Take a look at a human skeleton to see for yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9702" LastActivityDate="2018-11-20T16:40:08.187" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8674" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8660" CreationDate="2018-11-20T17:40:39.470" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How would you counter or fight Samkor and neutralize his Left Roundhouse?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He looks like a formidable fighter!  Not only does he kick very hard, but also very explosively - without much telegraphing.  There are a number of ways I'd &lt;em&gt;try&lt;/em&gt; to restrict his use of that kick, but obviously you need to be better than him at something to have any hope...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;spend more time just outside the reach of the kick, then close very suddenly and selectively into striking range yourself while keeping him busy - attacking repeatedly, using your footwork, and closing to clinch if advantageous or if it offers some respite; if he starts to re-establish kicking range and you can't stay in close don't be shy about slipping back out of range completely; making an opponent &quot;chase&quot; after you a little then suddenly closing distance is a core skill, needing better timing and footwork than him or for him to fail to register the importance of outclassing you at this; use a mixture of forward/back and side-to-side circling footwork to make it harder for him to line up his kicks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;when you close distance, sometimes slip towards him initially then arc away from (or sometimes into) any back leg roundhouse kick as you get close: if you've circled even 20 degrees around him and he doesn't dynamically adjust the focus of his kick, he'll lose most of the power and even if there's contact you should hopefully be able to counter more quickly and powerfully than you can otherwise&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;having a good stance is really important for closing the gap suddenly, and delivering a powerful technique in the process; make sure you back foot is facing more forwards than sideways: if there was an arrow through the back of your knee and out your patela, it should only be about 30 degrees outwards from a line to your opponent, so you can straighten that back leg and have it thrust you fairly directly forwards&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;try to kick him first, but if you're over-reaching he'll probably stay out of range then kick you as you fall into range, so it's a cat-and-mouse game...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;if you can read the timing of his kicks well enough, use your &quot;teep&quot; to prevent him getting close, and to jam the rotation of his hips powering the kick, or possibly use a front leg side kick if you know how to deliver one well (it has long range and lots of power if you're good at it, but it isn't traditionally used in MT)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;mix in your own back-leg kicks into the inner thigh of his supporting leg; even if you're kicking with half his power, if you can make contact even a smidge before him it should compromise his balance and body mechanics and ultimately the power in his kick&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;if you're going to have to check or block the kick, do everything you can to fire off a counter simultaneously or immediately afterwards: for example if you can check with your leg fire off a punch concurrently or push/fall through into an elbow, or if you block with your forearms throw a front leg front-, roundhouse- or side-kick&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, it's good to have a few ideas to try, but you'll need lots of practice and experience too to pull anything off, and what makes sense to try depends both on what you're good at and what your opponent's good at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2018-11-20T17:40:39.470" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8675" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-11-21T07:06:00.760" Score="0" ViewCount="6092" Body="&lt;p&gt;So I've been trying to strengthen my tibia by round house kicking heavy bags really hard without shin guards, but I've always been getting huge bruises on both of my legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think something is wrong because when I kick the bag, mainly my muscle/flesh have been hitting the bag, and I feel like my leg's being skinned away by the bag. I can't feel anything on the tibia at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only way that works, which I usually do, is something like a roundhouse kick but angled such that the inside of my leg hits the bag (kind of like mixed with an outside to inside crescent kick). However, this is not at all a normal kick from what I know, but it seems it's the only way to train the tibia on a heavy bag. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this all normal? Don't get why it's my flesh that's absorbing most of everything in a regular kick that I do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7756" LastActivityDate="2018-12-24T19:24:16.543" Title="Huge bruises on shin from heavy bag leg kicks?" Tags="|training|technique|kicking|muay-thai|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8676" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8664" CreationDate="2018-11-21T11:21:20.010" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;We train Royce Gracie style BJJ (non-competitive, self-defense oriented, with a mix of MMA), and out of respect to him the organization heads decided to only hold promotions when he comes to the country to hold a training seminar once a year.  The flip side is, if you don't go (and it is expensive and a couple hours' drive away), you don't get promoted.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We have plenty of 2, 3, or even 4 year white belts because of this.  It's a decision I personally disagree with, and I think eventually the organizers will have to move to promoting at different points, but it does take the focus off of belts and stripes and means that people are really evaluated on their skill and experience alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So at least in our organization, the answer is there is no time limit at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9704" LastEditorUserId="9704" LastEditDate="2018-11-21T11:31:10.497" LastActivityDate="2018-11-21T11:31:10.497" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8677" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8679" CreationDate="2018-11-21T17:12:50.670" Score="3" ViewCount="158" Body="&lt;p&gt;Really... how do you know when to call it quits?  How to recognize in someone else that they should see a doctor and consider the rest of their life before something bad happens?  Is there a set number of concussions?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My assumption is that coaches, instructors, and doctors are less likely to see changes, since the changes are evolutionary, and becomes problematic when a fighter changes schools or doctors.  Is that a wrong assumption?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider Gary Goodridge: &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mmafighting.com/2012/3/13/2867460/the-fighter-who-stayed-too-long&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Fighter Who Stayed Too Long&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T20:33:30.173" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T20:33:30.173" Title="Dementia Pugilistica and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: How to know when to call it quits?" Tags="|injury|sport|brain-injury|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8678" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5728" CreationDate="2018-11-21T21:48:46.047" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ignoring the answer that links to a completely irrelevant topic of fractures, rather than micro fractures (which is the equivalent of comparing bicep tears to tears in muscle fibers that cause muscle growth) it’s quite obvious that research shows bones do strengthen overtime from high impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just think of it from a logical perspective. If you ever watch UFC or any type of kickboxing or Muay Thai there are vicious kicks and leg checks. Having experienced that, I can tell you that it’s extremely painful and it’s certainly possible to break your legs from a check. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So is it true that all kickboxers are naturally born with unbreakable legs? I guarantee you an average joe will snap their tibia in half of they kicked someone’s leg with a kickboxers amount of force. Obviously the kickboxers strengthened their shins over time. And I can also tell you I can kick harder objects with significantly more force than I could before I started training my shins. Five years ago I would’ve broken my leg on a heavy bag kick that I do now daily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7756" LastActivityDate="2018-11-21T21:48:46.047" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8679" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8677" CreationDate="2018-11-22T01:51:57.780" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Currently there's no diagnostic assay for CTE. There's no treatment, nor is there any cure, either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to Alzheimer's Association, the symptoms of CTE include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Memory loss.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Confusion.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Personality changes (including depression and suicidal thoughts).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Erratic behavior (including aggression).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Problems paying attention and organizing thoughts.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Difficulty with balance and motor skills.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia/related_conditions/chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy-(cte)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia/related_conditions/chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy-(cte)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That link goes on to say that there's no evidence that any particular concussion increases the risk of CTE. It could be lots of low intensity trauma, or it might be due to a small number of high intensity traumas. It's still being studied, so we don't know much about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this point in time, you will get no authoritative answers. The only thing you can do is use your intuition. If you're seeing one or more of the symptoms listed above when they didn't exist before, that's something that should make you worried.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yeah, people close to the person in question are going to be the first ones to notice something. So if you're a fighter, enlist your friends and family. Ask them to tell you if you're acting weird, and list off the symptoms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are written and neurological tests that can be taken to evaluate mental function (memory, math, language, common sense, problem solving, speech, vision, hearing, reflexes, etc.). Specifically, tests for Alzheimer's and Dementia. It's not the same as a test specifically for CTE, but a doctor can still use them. You get a score from that, and I suppose the score can be used later on to see if you're going downhill. I don't know if it can be used that way, I'm just speculating. The tests themselves are standardized, so the results shouldn't change when switching to a new doctor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2018-11-22T01:51:57.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8681" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8675" CreationDate="2018-11-22T06:36:27.820" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your flesh is not absorbing most of the impact. I believe you have sensitive skin on your shin. If your preferred method of training is kicking bags, then I suggest you start with shin pads (the thick kind), then gradually decreasing the thickness to almost none (shin pad compression sleeves)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively for faster results, I'd recommend training using a makiwara (Japanese striking post, wrapped in coarse rope). Try hitting different areas of the shin when you train this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2018-11-22T06:36:27.820" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8682" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8694" CreationDate="2018-11-22T14:45:49.080" Score="2" ViewCount="423" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have just started learning Tai Chi as my first martial art. &#xA;I’m following group lessons so the instructor cannot always follow everyone’s doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Could you please suggest a good book for a beginner studying Chen style tai chi? In particular I’m looking for a book on&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;philosophy, story, and theory&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;exercises and movement explained thoroughly&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9709" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-11-25T23:19:54.363" LastActivityDate="2018-11-25T23:19:54.363" Title="Tai Chi reference for beginner studying Chen style" Tags="|training|technique|self-training|forms|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="16" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8683" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-11-23T13:45:26.687" Score="-4" ViewCount="135" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know a self-defense fighter who broke both fists fighting. What self-defense techniques would everyone recommend to a fighter forced to fight with two broken fists?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9702" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2018-11-26T12:43:32.660" LastActivityDate="2018-11-26T12:43:32.660" Title="What self defense would everyone recommend to a fighter forced to fight with two broken fist?" Tags="|injury|recommendation|fist|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8684" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-11-23T11:55:33.790" Score="4" ViewCount="347" Body="&lt;p&gt;Recently I started fighting with a group of people every weekend, it's been a few months. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I learned a lot and my pain tolerance and flexibility but more importantly speed increased immensely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But what I don't get is how to defend when someone taller/heavier kicks you, and I'm not talking about low kicks.. there are quite a few guys, heavy too and they are quick and flexible, Most times they kick me on the shoulders/neck and I parry the block... some times they kicked me in the head, but what hurts the most is kicks to the side of the torso. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every time they kick, my serratus anterior and lats hurt incredibly for days, this is the third time and the worst one, the last two lasted for 1 or 2 days at most but this one hasn't gone for almost the entire week. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So how and what techniques can one use to better defend the side of the torso area without leaving open new vulnerable spots, specially against kicks? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user29173" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2018-12-05T16:23:10.040" LastActivityDate="2018-12-26T03:55:36.090" Title="How to reduce damage/protect the chest" Tags="|training|sparring|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8685" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8683" CreationDate="2018-11-23T14:56:04.567" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Before getting to your question, I'd recommend an art and practice routine that teaches how to form a proper fist and condition it so it won't break easily during a fight.  IMHO, practice with heavy gloves tends to teach people bad habits, such that they easily injure their hands in a fight.  Conditioning using some moderately hard target like a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makiwara&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;makiwara&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is a good idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not clear whether you mean someone's injured their fists, and then wants to find a martial arts training routine in case they have to fight one day, or they unexpectedly injure their fists during or immediately before a fight and want to be able to continue regardless.  I'll assume the latter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If the fists are injured, the more alternative tools you can still use well the better.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ARMS&lt;/strong&gt;: you may or may not be able to use the palm to strike, but you should be able to use forearms and elbows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Arts like Muay Thai and karate train to throw elbows.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Many arts use palms - particularly Chinese systems.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A few arts use forearms - some kung fu styles and I suspect some Indian martial arts, but I've not trained in any myself.  That said, karate (and derivatives like taekwondo) have &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/wAaZailBD1A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;haito uchi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (&quot;ridge hand&quot; or &quot;reverse knife hand&quot; strikes), and the mechanics can be used for forearm strikes: you just need to be 10cm closer.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LEGS&lt;/strong&gt;: clearly two broken fists is a much bigger problem for a boxer than a kick-boxer: anyone trained in kicking and kneeing can rely more heavily on those as needed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;HEAD&lt;/strong&gt;: A very few arts actively train headbutting - Myanmar's &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethwei&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lethwei&lt;/a&gt; is very strong in this regard, and is otherwise generally similar to Muay Thai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;THROWS/GRAPPLING/JOINT-LOCKING ETC&lt;/strong&gt;: There are still take downs and ground fighting moves that don't require use of the hands, but it'd probably be difficult to spontaneously fight when your training habits involved grabs and holds if you'd no prior practice restricting yourself to the subset you could manage with seriously injured hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2018-11-26T05:49:38.300" LastActivityDate="2018-11-26T05:49:38.300" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8686" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8684" CreationDate="2018-11-23T14:56:15.860" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;You're being dumb. Go get training and stop yard fighting.&lt;/em&gt; -- &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/548/johnp&quot;&gt;JohnP&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/VS2Vqs.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/VS2Vqs.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;stop and think sign&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;STOP … JUST STOP!&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is &lt;em&gt;nothing good down the road you are travelling&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You &lt;em&gt;are&lt;/em&gt; going to hurt yourself physically and mentally. You &lt;em&gt;are&lt;/em&gt; going to hurt others and not just the one your beat up. You are opening yourself to horrendous legal consequences. Fight Club is a great movie but it is fiction. Living the life of thugs has very negative consequences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, go see a doctor about your pains. Hopefully, you did minor damage that will heal with no long term effects. &lt;em&gt;Hopefully…&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, ditch those friends. They are toxic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, go and join a martial art class: boxing, MMA, BJJ, whatever… It does not matter. Go train a few times at each clubs around where you live and pick the one you had most fun with: teacher matters more than style. There you (should) get proper tuition in a save environment with professionals looking after you. If you then want to fight in the ring, they will be able to let you do so safely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2018-11-23T14:56:15.860" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8688" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8684" CreationDate="2018-11-23T23:17:39.290" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with the other answer and commentary; but to directly answer your question, the way you protect your chest is to spar under the tutelage of a qualified instructor, who will no doubt teach you mechanics first, then have you try them on an opponent.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You mentioned blocking, but there is so much to blocking that it's not possible to help you troubleshoot.  Your stance, your eyeline, your speed, your power, your aim, your technique, your hips, your hands... all of that contributes to what your opponents are taking advantage of if you do them improperly, and if any one of them is wrong, you end up with where you are at now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then you mention fighting taller/heavier, and getting injured for days.  Well, in sport fighting, that would suggest you're fighting outside your weight and skill class.  Don't do this - there's no advantage for you or for your opponent.  Again, a good instructor will help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-11-23T23:17:39.290" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8689" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8692" CreationDate="2018-11-25T04:18:23.920" Score="7" ViewCount="1772" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am new to boxing and my instructor tells me to keep my hands high near my cheekbones at all times, but I've noticed that many boxers keep them lower. Is this just something that all newbies must do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8912" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2022-12-20T19:40:05.337" LastActivityDate="2022-12-20T19:40:05.337" Title="Should a boxing beginner always keep his/her hands up high?" Tags="|boxing|defense|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8690" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-11-25T18:35:43.357" Score="5" ViewCount="199" Body="&lt;p&gt;When throwing a jab is it necessary to step with the lead leg to add some power? I personally step with both feet for the sake of a strong base, also not to be vulnerable for an inside leg sweep to the lead leg. Should this be done?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9716" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-15T03:27:41.867" LastActivityDate="2020-03-15T03:27:41.867" Title="Concerns with lead leg while throwing a jab" Tags="|boxing|muay-thai|mixed-martial-arts|punching|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8691" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8689" CreationDate="2018-11-25T18:38:45.580" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes. When you start out, you haven't built up the right reflexes yet, so it's better to have your hands protecting your face. More advanced boxers adopt a lower placement because they're confident in their ability to raise them quickly, and lower placement grants better visibility and ability to protect against body blows. Since brains don't heal, it's best to start out focusing on protecting your head. As you get better, you'll be able to lower your hands more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-12-20T11:24:47.187" LastActivityDate="2022-12-20T11:24:47.187" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8692" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8689" CreationDate="2018-11-25T18:53:05.383" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's keeping your hands up high, and then there's covering up completely. Usually the one leads to the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A high guard allows you to transition to a cover-up real quickly. It also keeps your opponent completely visible. And it lets you punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Covering up is where you put your hands on top of your head or just in front of your head, completely covering your face with your arms, elbows close together. Covering up is 100% defensive. It just protects your head. You won't be able to punch at all. And it makes you vulnerable to punches to your body, so you often see people bending forward to move their torso back away from their opponent when they do this. It can really obstruct your vision, so you might find it hard to see what's going on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a novice boxer, these two positions are going to be your bread and butter. You don't have much else in your arsenal, yet. So you'll need a strong defense. And the high guard to cover-up gives you that. You can return to the high guard after you've gotten away from your opponent enough that you don't need to cover up anymore.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why not block instead of covering up? The answer is that actively blocking a punch takes time. By the time you see a punch coming, it's already too late to block. The only time you have left is to quickly raise your hands from the high guard position to the cover position. You'll figure this out soon enough through sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's what tends to happen with people who have absolutely no training in boxing when they go to spar a boxer for the first time. If they have some martial arts training (karate, TKD, etc.), they might begin with a large stance and their arms extended outwards pretty far. And they might be able block a punch or two, at first. Then what happens is they just keep getting hit in the head over and over again. After the first 5 times they get hit in the head, they decide to just cover up their head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People will ultimately end up covering up just like boxing teaches. It's interesting that people find this out all on their own without any instruction whatsoever.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So that's the first realization. Without training and experience in boxing, your best bet is to protect your head and try to move a lot. Otherwise you will get pummeled, and you're not going to like it. Therefore, this must be the first thing you learn how to do in boxing. It is the most fundamental technique to learn in the beginning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Later on, you'll get more training and experience. Gradually you'll have more in your arsenal. You'll be able to read your opponent better and to know when you're safe. You won't need to keep your hands so glued high near your head. But at first, it's going to be necessary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And by the way, even the best boxers sometimes / often have to cover-up. You see it a lot in professional boxing. It happens when they're getting pummeled, and they don't have the ability to move out of the way and counter-strike. It happens when boxers are hurt or are just out of energy and need to relax and let their opponent use their energy. And it happens when boxers need to get in close to their opponent. These are times when they need a shield around their head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may not see others in your gym doing the high guard or the cover-up very often. There are reasons for that. First, they may only have to use it very quickly before transitioning to something else. It's easy to miss. Second, they only need to do it if they're worried about keeping their head defended. That usually only happens if they're facing an opponent who has much more skill or if they're in a heavy hitting match, both of which typically don't happen in sparring sessions. Third, in sparring they're attempting to practice new ideas and new strategies. Sticking with the high guard doesn't let them do that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2018-11-25T18:53:05.383" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8693" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8690" CreationDate="2018-11-25T22:41:15.373" Score="5" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;do we need to step with the lead leg while throwing a jab to add some power?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No.  A step is useful to get an opponent in range, but if they're already comfortably in range there's no need to step, and power comes from the legs twisting your hips and torso/shoulders into the punch - if you use some of that energy to move your whole body forward, and the body mechanics have to be compromised to power that move, it doesn't make the punch itself stronger - it makes it weaker than when the whole movement is dedicated to generating power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I personally step with both feet for the sake of a strong base, also not to be vulnerable for an inside leg sweep to the lead leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When stepping, you do want to move both legs, but they might not move at exactly the same time.  My Muay Thai school teaches to step the front foot first then slide the back foot in behind it.  If that's done fast enough that you're not over-committing weight to the front foot, you avoid being particularly vulnerable to the front leg being swept, or worse perhaps - the front knee being kicked as it lands.  The front foot should be kept light so you can kick or check/jam with it if needed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2018-11-25T22:41:15.373" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8694" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8682" CreationDate="2018-11-25T23:12:31.540" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recommend &lt;em&gt;The Complete Book of Tai Chi Chuan&lt;/em&gt; by Wong Kiew Kit. Take my advice with a grain of salt; although I studied tai chi for a couple years, I never made progress beyond the beginner stage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the back cover:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It includes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;The history and development of various styles&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;The basic set of movements&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;The physical and mental benefits of Tai Chi Chuan&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;The relationship of Tai Chi to Taoism&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The history of tai chi is debated. The Chinese martial arts tend to embellish their origin stories with elements of ancestors and the fantastic. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The usual caveats for martial arts book resources apply:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It is not easy for beginners to learn any martial art from a book; it is even harder to learn internal arts like Tai Chi Chuan&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The description of movements covers common fundamental movements and forms from multiple styles of tai chi, including a Chen style form. I don't know whether this will match what you are learning. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The study of tai chi is not for the short term:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In my opinion, the practising Tomoi or Siamese Boxing is probably the fastest way one can learn to fight&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my personal opinion, the portions of the preface are most useful to understand the book's contents:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Nevertheless, practising patiently does not mean following a method blindly. If a student who has patiently practised Tai Chi Chuan for many years still remains sickly, weak, or emotionally unstable or mentally dull, then he or she has not been judicious or wise. Such a person should either turn to something else, or seek more information from masters or books to improve his or her practice. Generally, people who have correctly practised an established method for a year should reap the benefits that method is reputed to bring. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Although Tai Chi Chuan has a rich philosophy, usually recorded in poetic language, and some examples are found in this book, it is geared towards practical use in combat, and more significantly, in our daily life. In other words, if you have practised Tai Chi Chuan for 20 years, but cannot yet defend yourself when an assailant attacks you, or are still prone to anger or nervousness, or lack the energy to run and jump irrespective of how old you are, you have wasted your time. This book explains why and how Tai Chi Chuan enhances your health, work, and play. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-11-25T23:12:31.540" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8695" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-11-26T21:34:32.373" Score="7" ViewCount="370" Body="&lt;p&gt;I remember reading somewhere that, way down the line, the Kodokan offered Hélio Gracie a high dan ranking, and to absorb what had become BJJ back into the world of Judo. Hélio refused, presumably because he did not want to place himself under the authority of another organisation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't seem to find a source for this story, now. Does anyone know where I might have heard this, and have any comment on its veracity?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9718" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-26T11:00:16.767" LastActivityDate="2019-07-26T11:00:16.767" Title="Source: Hélio Gracie being offered a Kodokan Belt and refusing?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|history|belt|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8696" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2013" CreationDate="2018-11-26T21:39:57.133" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have high ranks in and teach both, and have traveled throughout the western world training both, and competed in both broadly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What you describe is perfectly common for both&lt;/strong&gt;--many bjj schools do no standing practice, many judo schools do no ground practice. Those that do either, do them sparingly, and usually somewhat poorly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I fully advocate cross training. The nice thing for anyone that cross trains is that they get the experience of study with others who heavily specialize--I don't want the half-assed Judo techniques at a BJJ school, I want the high quality ones I learn from people that do it constantly, not a couple times a year at most.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In reality, I consider them two sides of the same coin. BJJ really is just Judo (I say this as a BJJ brown belt who started BJJ before Judo) that evolved down a different path and from early students (the infamous Gracies) that never seemed to have learned the standup portion of Judo well, honestly. Therefore the rules they made did not reward that part of the art, therefore those techniques weren't passed down deeply.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Likewise in Judo, the rules have been deliberately bent to ensure Judo's throws remain its specialization. So, few schools have meaningful newaza curricula, in spite of the early Judo scene being a massive hotbed of &lt;em&gt;newaza&lt;/em&gt; innovation, including the seeming invention of the triangle, possibly the only truly known novel groundwork technique of the recent times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9718" LastEditorUserId="9718" LastEditDate="2018-12-09T03:05:43.380" LastActivityDate="2018-12-09T03:05:43.380" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8697" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8695" CreationDate="2018-11-27T13:29:13.680" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;You may be considering one aspect of the story of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masahiko_Kimura_vs._H%C3%A9lio_Gracie&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;the match between Helio and Masahiko Kimura&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/kimura4/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kimura identified Helio as being a 6th dan in Judo&lt;/a&gt; in his biography and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/9/25/3350134/gods-of-war-masahiko-kimura-UFC-history-Helio-Gracie-judo-mma-history&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;some accounts&lt;/a&gt; describe it as him having accorded that rank after the match. Robert Hill, in his book, &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.com/books?id=1Ze0-x2ROuQC&amp;amp;pg=PT121&amp;amp;dq=%22My%20Judo%22%20Kimura&amp;amp;cd=5#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=%22My%20Judo%22%20Kimura&amp;amp;f=false&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;World of Martial Arts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, states that Helio's official ranking was only 3rd dan, but also stated that foreign practitioners sometimes have their ranking reported as less when the organization is asked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than that account, I have not found any indication that the Kodokan offered him a higher ranking, with or without the purpose of a bribe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2018-11-27T13:29:13.680" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8698" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8700" CreationDate="2018-11-27T22:19:44.370" Score="8" ViewCount="354" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is a good way to stop people from talking to me &amp;amp; correcting little flaws in my technique when I'm trying to concentrate on fixing larger flaws in my technique?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that some gyms don't allow talking. &amp;amp; instructors can do a pretty good job of keeping those who like to chat in line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should I not talk back to the talkative partner?&#xA;Ask them to not talk?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to say &quot;Please be quiet, I've got this &amp;amp; your interruptions are making me lose my concentration.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some training partners are great, &amp;amp; know &lt;em&gt;when&lt;/em&gt; to interject. But I feel like some are trying to show off their knowledge at an inopportune time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This might be a little opinion-based, but I'd really like some input from others who have been in the same situation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;For the record, I genuinely enjoy the conversation of my training partners. I don't want anyone reading this &amp;amp; thinking I don't want their input.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9638" LastEditorUserId="9638" LastEditDate="2019-02-21T07:34:38.713" LastActivityDate="2020-03-18T03:19:20.390" Title="How to Deal with Talkative Training Partner" Tags="|etiquette|social|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8699" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8240" CreationDate="2018-11-27T22:30:27.300" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you want to improve this kind of throws, have a look at the book Fighting Judo by Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki (no longer in print and it's a second-hand collector book now but you can find it online). I am sure you will love it as a BJJer. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kashiwazaki is a lightweight judoka, 1981 judo world champion &amp;amp; 1975 sambo world champion (!) and technical beast on the ground. So his repertoire is pretty about throws with easy transition into ground techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Russian&quot; judo is (was because of rules changes) a lot about wrestling moves and sacrifice throws and its no coincidence if sambo is very much alike (after all, it's another sport that is 80% old judo and some Russian judo champions are samboists wearing a judogi ;) ). So have a look at sambo too!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9720" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-11T13:07:31.790" LastActivityDate="2019-09-11T13:07:31.790" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8700" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8698" CreationDate="2018-11-28T03:04:22.620" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Quite frankly, yes, that's basically exactly what you do, ask them to stop giving you advice. If you want to be nice about it, thank them, but say that you really need to concentrate, and the talking is distracting you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2018-11-28T03:04:22.620" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8701" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-11-28T20:36:49.977" Score="6" ViewCount="1265" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have Bruce Lee's book, so maybe I just need more context about what he meant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But as both a student and instructor, I'm bemused by the possibilities from this oft-quoted saying.  What does it mean, and when is it intended to be used?  Or should it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me, it would seem a student new to the arts should not be distracted by the outlet of &quot;discard what is not useful / add what is your own&quot; as a means to justify adding something not intended to be part of the style, or to allow bad habits to creep in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unless... that is exactly what was meant?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I often see students give up on a technique they get confounded on; rather than plow through, it seems they take the easier path to discard it as not being useful (to them).  This sounds wrong for many reasons, but it surely can't be for the purpose of &quot;adding what is uniquely your own&quot; or &quot;it's just not useful&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also note that some styles - notably Kukkiwon Taekwondo (see: Olympics) and many Karate styles are so uber-focused on their forms (kata) that there never appears to be room for adding what is your own.  Indeed, a foot turned this way or that is grounds for losing points - so there is no apparent room for what is uniquely your own.  Perhaps, this is not area where such philosophy was intended?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-12-03T00:55:56.373" Title="What is meant by &quot;Absorb what is useful. Discard what is not. Add what is uniquely your own.&quot;" Tags="|philosophy|bruce-lee|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8702" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8701" CreationDate="2018-11-29T02:04:11.983" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Fighting Specialization: Everyone cannot excel at everything&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, you do not need many techniques to win a fight.&#xA;What is the point of studying all of the kicks if you only need a handful, and learning all of them distracts from becoming good at a few? You are better off specializing in the handful of techniques and becoming proficient in them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Transmission v. origination&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some martial artists follow the model that the founder has gifted a unique, complete system that must be studied in perpetuity to understand its nuance and perfection.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Transmission is never perfect. Your teacher probably did not master all techniques equally, and now they have the task of transmitting this knowledge to you. You will also not master everything your teacher did. And likewise, your students won't either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do we ever make collective progress instead of failing to live up to the standards of the last generation? You have to perform your own research and contribute something your own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Bruce Lee was not a fan of forms&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee felt forms were too restrictive, and there were better ways to learn. He discarded forms because he did not find them useful and his system Jeet Kune Do was intentionally designed without forms. Bruce Lee's approach to martial arts is similarly followed by mixed-martial arts today: take the best elements you can find from different sources and put them together to (what is useful), discard what is not (forms, dead techniques), and make a new system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;In/out of style&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think Bruce Lee would answer that useful things are in the style, and non-useful things are not. The hangup of whether things are in the style or not mean you are already constricted by form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee developed Jeet Kune Do&#xA;but wished&#xA;he didn't have a name for it!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because the very words, Jeet Kune Do,&#xA;already indicate&#xA;that it's another martial arts form&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any form or style does restrict&#xA;and his belief is now in conflict&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From &lt;em&gt;Bruce Lee's Fighting Method: Advanced Techniques&lt;/em&gt; by Bruce Lee and M. Uyehara, Ohara Publications, Santa Clarita, California 1977.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Training for beginners&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know how beginners were supposed to be trained under this philosophy. My guess is students are basically supposed to try many things and see what sticks. Teachers need to have studied sufficiently broadly to have many things for the students to try out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-11-29T02:27:20.340" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8703" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8701" CreationDate="2018-11-29T05:34:57.323" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think what Bruce Lee and those who have said similar things both before and after him are getting at is that it's a process, not a set product. Through this process, you take what seems to work &quot;better&quot; at the time you're testing it, and you discard the &quot;worse&quot; which came before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At any point in that journey, you can never say you've found the ultimate set of techniques which are the best in absolute terms, because it necessarily depends on you as an individual and everything you've experienced prior to arriving at this point in time. And it's also because you're limited as a human being. You can't explore everything there is. Your knowledge will never be complete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's what Jeet Kune Do is supposed to be. It's a process. It's not a rigid set of techniques culled from Bruce Lee's investigation into martial arts. Or at least, it shouldn't be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee famously began with Wing Chun kung-fu as his foundation, but gradually, as he learned more about other fighting styles, little by little he put each piece under the microscope and determined that there were better techniques and strategies for dealing with fighting in different scenarios. He held on to the last tiny pieces of Wing Chun until there was nothing left to hold. He simply found better answers than Wing Chun offered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun, on the other hand, was someone else's answer at some point in their martial arts journey. It was simply better than what came before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now on to your question about how this philosophy fits in with beginners and not just people who are already quite skilled. The answer is hopefully a little more clear now. To a beginner, everything seems better. They begin with whatever style they want. But if they apply the philosophy of Jeet Kune Do, they will grow beyond the bounds of that first style they learned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eventually, after a lot of experience and careful analysis, an individual who goes through this process may come to realize that there is no style which has all the answers and which is best at everything. Because after all, what is a style but a collection of techniques, ideas, and strategies that someone put together? We're all finite and therefore limited. So styles should also be limited.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for MMA, it is perhaps the best example of Jeet Kune Do in practice today, albeit with a focus on sport instead of survival. Anyone who has watched it progress from UFC 1 to today has seen a real evolution at work. At first, anyone who knew ground fighting could win. Since then we've seen fighters being able to dominate using a striking style derived from traditional martial arts. We've seen the rise of wrestling's influence. We've seen boxing's influence. We've seen muay thai's influence. We've seen some Capoeira. We've seen San Da kung-fu. We've seen Judo. We've even seen some practical use of Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each fighter is taking bits and pieces of other things they've learned and putting it to the test in MMA. Sometimes it catches on, and for a while everyone seems to go out and learn those techniques. It's because people see how it can give them an advantage in some circumstances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What can we say about techniques in absolute terms? Must we always speak of a particular individual's use of the technique, rather than considering the merits of the technique on its own? In other words, can we say there are better techniques and worse techniques?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is yes, we can say some techniques are better than others on their own merits, but let's qualify that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We know from MMA that there are &quot;low percentage&quot; techniques. These are techniques that are seldomly used in MMA and do not score very reliably. But that in and of itself doesn't mean that they're inferior techniques. It could just mean that nobody is skilled enough in those techniques to be able to use them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes and no. There are reasons why you don't see, for example, a lot of people doing the outer-wrist throw, and it's not because there are no former black belt Aikido practitioners doing MMA. There are. It's just that this particular technique first requires that you catch someone's hand while they aren't tensed up, while they aren't flailing said hand, and while they aren't doing something to you which requires your attention, all while letting you do the throw instead of attacking you or tensing up their arm. Needless to say, this is completely unrealistic and unlikely to occur in a real MMA fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But don't take my word or anyone's word for that matter. Put it to the test yourself. That's what Bruce Lee did. You have to actively try it on live, fully resisting opponents. The more the better. This is called &quot;pressure testing&quot;. You'll learn quickly if it works or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There just aren't a lot of &lt;b&gt;opportunities&lt;/b&gt; that come up in a fight whereby the outer-wrist throw can be used successfully.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo has something similar to say about this. The way Judo organizes its throws in terms of which ones you learn first is very practical. They teach the most effective throws first. What does that mean? Are some throws more powerful than others? No. That's not what they mean by &quot;effective&quot; in this case. Instead, they mean that the throws you learn first are the ones that apply in the most situations you'll encounter in real life. The throws you learn last will be throws that you can only use in special, less frequent circumstances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, it's about opportunity. Which is another way of saying probability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So this all comes down to what is &quot;probably&quot; going to be the most effective way of spending our time, given that we all have a limited amount of time to live our lives. We will never know for certain what's best in absolute terms, but we can use our intuition, experience, and reasoning skills to determine what makes the most sense for our own selves at any given moment in our lives.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2018-11-29T05:34:57.323" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8704" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8701" CreationDate="2018-11-29T08:23:35.870" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;While Steve and Mattm's answer are excellent and do a great job of putting the quote into the context of Bruce Lee's life, I would like to add my take on it.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee's quote is not aimed at beginners (aka 2/3 years of training) but at those that already learned the basics of an art (whatever that art is, shodan or 3/4 years of training) and are now branching outwards. It is about about shuhari (守破離), mostly the later parts of ha (破) detach/digress and ri (離) leave/separate. It is about yourself finding your own way and incorporating into your repertoire of weapons. It is not to be shackled by the dogma of the art but keep it efficient and useful for yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Shodokan Aikido, we have randori-ho which is a training method leading from very easy avoidance to full on competition through many stages. It is there to teach students what of the many kata techniques they know (and must learn rigidly) work for them. Some chose one over an other because it feels right. Because one is practising with increasing resistance, one must get better at understanding what the technique is about which is what kata teaches. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee would advise to take what works and leave the rest -- as per the quote. He would probably advise to look for weaknesses in Aikido and find an art that complement it: kicks, punches, elbows, ground work, knife work, whatever… &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2018-11-29T08:23:35.870" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8705" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-11-29T09:03:26.727" Score="1" ViewCount="254" Body="&lt;p&gt;Mandatory disclaimer: I know, and respect, that martial arts are not about just stepping into a fight and that there's a lot more to it. On the other hand, I know pretty much nothing about the topic, so asking here seems to be the less worse solution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd like to do some &quot;fighting&quot;, because I'd like to move a little more, because I'd like to discharge some anger and frustration, and because I need to let it go a bit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, avoiding picking up a fight on the streets, is there any form of martial arts where beginners can just step on a ring and go for it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9723" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-03-15T11:26:34.577" LastActivityDate="2020-03-15T11:26:34.577" Title="Closest discipline to &quot;just beating each other&quot;?" Tags="|recommendation|streetfight|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8706" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8705" CreationDate="2018-11-29T11:59:35.573" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whilst there might be some art out there that is a &quot;walk in and fight&quot; scenario&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It is a sure fire way to get badly hurt or killed!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An actual martial art will get you moving and improve your fitness, but more importantly will teach you to &lt;em&gt;release your anger and frustration in a controlled and civilised way&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my own classes I let angry/frustrated students smack the bags (or heavy kick shields if bags not available). They quickly tire themselves out hitting as hard as they like and get back to a state where they can deal with the cause of the these emotions. No student takes out their frustration on another person, they would be removed from my class for even trying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;frustration and anger lead to rash actions - ANY experienced martial artist will read these easily - in my younger and less experienced days I'd lose my cool on the mats occasionally - and be annihilated on the score cards for it&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Find a real martial art&lt;/strong&gt; - you not only learn to fight - but learn that for most of life you don't have to (what good could possibly come of it anyway?).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastEditorUserId="5926" LastEditDate="2018-11-29T12:05:47.140" LastActivityDate="2018-11-29T12:05:47.140" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8707" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8705" CreationDate="2018-11-29T19:11:59.177" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;With striking&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As Collett89 has pointed out, jumping into a ring and wailing on each other is a guaranteed way to get hurt. Most martial arts don't do this precisely because of the injury problems. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/23659183/world-cup-2018-russia-new-school-hooligan-culture&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Russian hooliganism&lt;/a&gt; seems to fit your criteria, though it's legality is questionable and fights often take place in the woods to avoid authorities. I hesitate to call it a martial art or discipline, but they apparently now have organized training sessions in gyms and rudimentary rules (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/28/sports/soccer/russian-hooligans-toughest-opponents-russias-police.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;no weapons, stop at referee instruction according to NYTimes&lt;/a&gt;). I have no first-hand experience. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Without striking&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grappling groundwork in judo or BJJ is relatively safe and has a low barrier to entry. You can play live with a minimal amount of instruction, but you can't pummel the other person. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-11-29T19:11:59.177" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8708" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8705" CreationDate="2018-11-29T20:19:29.213" Score="7" Body="&lt;h2&gt;MMA&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go to your local MMA gym's sparring sessions. We have beginners come in all the time that just want to fight and not learn technique. They get absolutely destroyed and never come back, but whatever, if that's what they want. Remember to tap early, even to strikes. You're going to get hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Answering your question aside, you should instead sign up for that MMA gym. It's much more fun to beat people up when you know what you're doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2018-11-29T21:28:33.617" LastActivityDate="2018-11-29T21:28:33.617" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8709" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8698" CreationDate="2018-11-30T08:42:41.830" Score="-4" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;He might suffer from ADHD syndrom. You need talk with him after coffee.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If not, he may lack daily default conversation. Men's daily required talking volume is A4 7 pages.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you want to talk with him seriously, please meet in the late afternoon and after  a few cups of coffee break.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9726" LastActivityDate="2018-11-30T08:42:41.830" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8711" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8701" CreationDate="2018-12-03T00:55:56.373" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Absord means to use a martial art block what is useful means to use that martial art block to open up with counter attack. Just like using forced moves in a chess game...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9702" LastActivityDate="2018-12-03T00:55:56.373" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8713" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8714" CreationDate="2018-12-03T18:05:25.573" Score="1" ViewCount="411" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hello martial artists from all around the world! I am training in Kickboxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a problem with my front leg and my kicks, for which I would like to get your help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Two months ago or so, my coach told me to work kicks with a guy who was the same age as me, but a lot shorter. This meant I couldn't really practice my kicks(he was very short, that my high kick became in between a middle and a low kick in order to hit him properly). Can you come up with some tips? I have a very good mobility. I can do the splits with no problem. But somehow I'm feeling like it's difficult to raise my leg.I'm also not very good at setting the distance for a kick, and I'm either extending it too late or too soon.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I also need to improve my balance on my front leg. I am an orthodox, so I keep my left leg forward. The idea is that when I get a low kick, and I don't check it, I need my leg to be stable, and not to flinch.Should I put my weight on it?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9735" LastEditorUserId="9735" LastEditDate="2018-12-03T20:56:00.803" LastActivityDate="2018-12-04T00:37:11.157" Title="Problem with kicks and legs" Tags="|training|kicking|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8714" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8713" CreationDate="2018-12-03T21:46:02.027" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A recurring theme in martial arts (and really, in life) is that whatever you train to do is what you're going to fall back on. If you only trained with this shorter fellow for a brief time and have since experienced a greater variety of training partners, it is unlikely that he is the source of your problem. In fact, it is a good idea to train against a wide variety of sizes of opponents so that you learn to adapt. The principle is the same, but the practice always varies a bit. This includes sparring against people shorter than you. After all, you don't want to wind up in a fight with a shorter person, and have your reflexes whiff the kick above head level. In the absence of a partner, you can always practice kicking drills against marks on a heavy bag. For more advanced practice, some gyms have training dummies with arm extensions to get you used to striking outside of guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As regards leg stability, it basically comes down to, well, making it stable. That involves putting enough weight on the supporting leg, pivoting it to fit the kick in question, and not introducing instabilities by doing things like keeping the supporting leg completely straight, or going up on your toes. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson234.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This site&lt;/a&gt; has some solid advice:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fighting stances vary among the different martial arts, but there are certain principals that need to be applied regardless. Usually, a fighting stance involves placing the kicking leg behind the leading leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The leading leg serves to support the kicking leg and is often used to block, or for executing kicks off the front foot. Keeping the supporting leg slightly bent and springy, with the supporting foot firmly on the ground, is important if you are to exert maximal power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rather than being rigid, the supporting leg must be soft and supple in order to allow the supporting foot to pivot effectively, to enable the fighter to move forwards and backwards with relative ease. Since a large percentage of kicking power originates from the hips and pelvis, it is important to keep this area stable when standing in fighting stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Developing strong abdominal muscles through the various crunch variations will help in this regard. Keeping the supporting leg too straight or rigid will restrict ones ability to exert power and kick freely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, you indicate in your comments that your teacher can't describe what you're doing wrong, but simply says that &amp;quot;You are not good enough&amp;quot;. Frankly, he doesn't sound like a very good teacher. Unless I'm missing some way in which he is imparting greater knowledge to you, you should probably try to find a teacher and school that actually tries to help you more in your journey to become a martial artist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-12-03T21:46:02.027" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8716" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2830" CreationDate="2018-12-03T23:14:04.970" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Its not an actual traditional martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This style is an amalgamation of the japanese styles that the founder seems to have some experience in, Namely Akido, but the actual founding location and headquarters of this &quot;martial art&quot; is in Phoenix, Arizona.&#xA;A quick google search attempting to find any background info on this Bushin Ryu shows me that Capcom video game classic, Street Fighter,  is the oldest and only record of Bushin Ryu, the name Ryu sound familar? &#xA;Every style of martial art has an easy and transparent lineage through its history of masters.&#xA;The founder of this particular martial art is only 35 and already an 8th Dan?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9738" LastActivityDate="2018-12-03T23:14:04.970" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8717" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8713" CreationDate="2018-12-04T00:37:11.157" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It'd be nice if the question actually said, but I'll assume you're struggling with roundhouse kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;But somehow I'm feeling like it's difficult to raise my leg.I'm also not very good at setting the distance for a kick, and I'm either extending it too late or too soon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think you should take a good look at your stance.  You want the stance to be reasonably square on (so you can comfortably rotate your back hip past the front hip when throwing a cross/reverse punch, and rotate the hips back for a jab, without losing balance). The back foot should be facing about 30 degrees clockwise from a straight line to the target (NOT sideways, which tends to leave the hips too side-on to the target).  You want your weight settled downwards with knees bent.  When you raise your kicking leg, the knee should be able to arc comfortably towards the target as the hips rotate.  Think about that knee arc into the target, not just lifting the leg for its own sake: you should &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; be lifting the knee vertically behind you &lt;em&gt;then&lt;/em&gt; trying to rotate the hips.  It's perfectly fine (even encouraged in many kickboxing / MT schools when kicking for power), to step the front foot slightly forwards and out (say 20cm, 45 degrees counterclockwise from a line to the target) before starting the kick, which creates some momentum to drag the hips and kick through (this does telegraph your kick though).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With all those things in mind, turn to Sean Duggan's advice and find a heavy bag.  Make sure you're making solid contact through the bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More generally, in martial arts/sports it's an oft-useful practice to consider how you want a technique to land, and work backwards from there to understand how the stance should be to comfortably launch you into the correct motion.  You can do this quite literally (start with the striking limb out and return to the fighting stance).  Keep the movement minimal, strong and balanced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't get fixated with this training partner.  The problem is obviously with your technique, not him.  If anything, it's probably good that he's forcing you to work on the body mechanics for the lower kicks, because all this &quot;I can easily do the splits thing&quot; suggests you might be more inclined to focus on high kicks and ignore the lower ones.  Given your flexibility is already good, you should work on your strength and stamina - try to get comfortable throwing say 20 kicks into the bag in rapid succession (then do the other leg, rinse and repeat).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sean's also right that your instructor's &lt;em&gt;&quot;you are not good enough&quot;&lt;/em&gt; is a huge red flag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I also need to improve my balance on my front leg. I am an orthodox, so I keep my left leg forward. The idea is that when I get a low kick, and I don't check it, I need my leg to be stable, and not to flinch.Should I put my weight on it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most martial arts similar to kickboxing recommend somewhere between a 40/60 and 20/80 split between front and back leg, so yes there should be weight on the front leg, but not so much you can't lift it easily to check or kick.  You should make sure it's comfortable to quickly thrust into the ground to drive your body backwards too.  (In MT in particular, you will sometimes see fighters put less weight on their front foot - bouncing that leg up and down as they consider throwing a teep or front leg roundhouse to an opponent on the edge of kicking range, but that's movement's not used once the opponent's closer).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2018-12-04T00:37:11.157" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8718" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-12-04T05:31:56.797" Score="1" ViewCount="208" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am 17 and I do Karate. My knee keeps buckling whenever I am in horse stance, or doing a front thrust kick. It is almost like it's going backwards. My instructors ask us to go as low and wide as we can in our stance. They want me to exaggerate distance. We do single, triple and punches in threes while in horse stance, and that is when it usually buckles. My feet are always pointed forward, I try not to lean. We do this for a good minute, maybe a little less. I am 90% sure that weight is distributed correctly. I started stretching every other day and running backwards as well doing wall squats, also just stretching more before practicing at the dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should I wrap my knee and wear a knee brace while I do karate?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9739" LastEditorUserId="7526" LastEditDate="2018-12-14T12:37:36.073" LastActivityDate="2018-12-14T12:37:36.073" Title="My knee keeps buckling when I am in horse stance or preparing for kicks" Tags="|karate|stance|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="17" ClosedDate="2018-12-13T22:38:13.587" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8721" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8684" CreationDate="2018-12-04T20:07:58.930" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;All the cautions above are good. I'd also recommend using some sort of shield (protective vest) when sparring, as well. These come in various thicknesses, coverages, etc. If you're taking real hits as a beginner, this should actually be mandatory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, I'd also be extremely cautious about participating in an environment where beginners (unproven students) are taking actual hits, with or without protective gear. That's not an &quot;if&quot; someone is going to get seriously hurt, but &quot;when&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9743" LastActivityDate="2018-12-04T20:07:58.930" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8722" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8386" CreationDate="2018-12-05T05:43:36.490" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Going slow is one of the best recommendations I could give you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While many techniques are done &quot;in an instant&quot; it's important to slow them down to a snail's pace once in a while &amp;amp; figure out all of the body mechanics (of yourself when executing a technique and your opponent as you apply a technique). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That &amp;amp; practice physical literacy, &amp;amp; improving your coordination with balance &amp;amp; hand-eye coordination exercises. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Coordination can be learned just like reading or arithmetic. It's just a matter of creating those neural pathways through repetition so that your body can complete the maneuvers without you thinking about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9638" LastEditorUserId="9638" LastEditDate="2019-09-09T17:53:46.090" LastActivityDate="2019-09-09T17:53:46.090" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8723" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8388" CreationDate="2018-12-05T06:03:40.397" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Even if you wear some kind of socks they're going to absorb sweat &amp;amp; grime.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I clean my feet (&amp;amp; entire body) thoroughly, using a bristles brush and scrub with pumice. I've found that preventing callus buildup between the toes to be crucial to preventing athelete's foot (a hot soak to soften up the hard tissue will help when removing it, I like to add epson salts and apple-cider vinegar to my foot-soaks).  I also use foot lotion, to prevent dry skin. Clotrimazole cream between my toes &amp;amp; behind my ears to prevent athlete's foot / yeast infection. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same goes for the rest of your body. I've found that using a strong anti-dandruff shampoo (containing ketoconazole) mixed in with my normal bodywash is a great antifungal and helps fight ringwork. &amp;amp; as an antimicrobial, I use a salicylic acid acne-treatment bodywash. I figure between the two they do what any brand of fighers'/defense soap would do. You don't want to wash these down the drain. Turn the shower off, lather up &amp;amp; let them soak in for a minute, then rinse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This may all seem a tad extreme, but keeping your skin healthy is important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9638" LastEditorUserId="9638" LastEditDate="2019-11-10T02:55:28.327" LastActivityDate="2019-11-10T02:55:28.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8724" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8725" CreationDate="2018-12-05T20:03:19.977" Score="6" ViewCount="333" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've recently taken up goju-ryu karate. In sparring, I'm often matched up with someone significantly taller than myself (by a foot or more), and find that I have trouble finding openings due to their relatively easy access to striking (oftentimes hammer strike) at my head when I close the distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may simply be due to my having less experience, but are there any strategies I can use to close the distance without making it easy for my taller opponents to strike my head? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9725" LastActivityDate="2019-06-19T18:48:10.110" Title="How do I close the distance with taller opponents during sparring in karate?" Tags="|karate|sparring|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8725" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8724" CreationDate="2018-12-06T06:03:34.323" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Much of sparring is a cat-and-mouse game.  If something is working for them, try to get them to rely on it and do it when it's not quite an ideal distance/time/angle.  Just knowing they're likely to try it means you don't need to be as spontaneously creative and can plan and practice some counter measures.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some things to try:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;feint closing (and maybe pull back your front hand a little as if you'll slide into a jab or whatever), wait for their technique while out of range, then close&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;feint closing, if they look to use a hand technique then kick under their arms from the edge of their reach: front leg front and side kicks are good options&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;feint closing, if they use a linear punch or hook, grasp their attacking arm and pull them/you together as you deliver a front leg kick&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;when you do close, make it explosive and initially towards them, but arc increasingly sideways as you get close (this way you close fast and it's less obvious that you'll be moving sideways when they notice you start to move, so it's harder for them to stay facing you or line up a counter at the right angle)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;think about how they're striking and choosing footwork and blocks that make it easy to deal with the strike and will leave you in a good position: e.g. if the strike is a right downward hammerfist with a very vertical descent, you would ideally deflect from your left to right (closing their striking arm across their body) with your right forearm while sliding your body to your left (so you get &quot;blind side&quot; advantage at or behind their right shoulder); if it's a jab a simple palm block while sliding forwards past it should work well too - basically, try to integrate a deflection with the distance-closing footwork&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;work on timing: back away so they're having to chase you a little - make them not only over-reach with their attacks, but plonk their feet forwards with larger, cruder steps: try to time an attack or close as their weight's settling onto a foot they're moving forwards - it may be momentarily hard for them to use the back leg/arm (if they've been drawn a little more side-on during the step), and they can't kick with that front leg unless they have very good balance and haven't stepped too far past their back leg; that means you should have free use of all four of your limbs to deal with mainly their jab (but always keep your front shin ready to jam any front-leg kick they might deliver as you close); consider e.g. gliding side kick into their ribs as you close&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;use low kicks to unbalance and distract them as or before you close (they may well do it back to you, then it's up to you to use distancing, checks, footwork etc to outclass them)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2018-12-06T06:03:34.323" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8726" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8655" CreationDate="2018-12-09T03:00:45.173" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have read that at the Kodokan, it is traditional just to have your name embroidered. This is a matter of practicality--everyone in many classes wears a black belt, so you just need to be able to find yours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the US, this is not typically a problem--one rarely finds a class that has so many black belts that you could lose yours. Most Judo black belts here have nothing on theirs, and I associate highly decorative belts with so-called &quot;Traditional Martial Arts&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind that the design of the white judogi by Kano in part represents the values of simplicity and lack of ego... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because, as I said, it is typical to have your name on the belt at the Kodokan, I have softened in my view towards doing so. But I still feel mixed about it at best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If anything else was going to go on the belt, I would say having 'judo' in kanji would probably be the one thing that is ok.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I might contrast this with BJJ, where I feel no qualms about self-expression through 'loud' gear... Also, when I had looked into a nice belt, I was leaning towards kataaro over kusakura. I don't remember why, exactly, but you may look into that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, it's your life and your journey, so enjoy the belt you've earned however you see fit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9718" LastActivityDate="2018-12-09T03:00:45.173" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8728" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="697" CreationDate="2018-12-12T19:02:44.710" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Invest in loss.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My opinion may be of marginal value because I'm coming from a different art, but for what it is worth, I'd advise you invest in loss. When I push hands, I'm regularly working against people senior to me - people who have devoted a week to this art for every hour that I've practiced.  I'm not there to win, I'm there to learn.   I know I'm going to lose almost every time I line up.  That doesn't mean I can't learn.  By studying how they disrupt me. When do they control my center? How? Did it happen the same way twice?  When did I lose control of my structure?  What happened immediately before I lost?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In response to a comment, I'm making the assumption that what is engaging your emotion is the prospect of loss.  If I am wrong, then my advice is off base, and should be ignored.  For me, loss is frustrating because I expect/want to win.  Once I shift that to no expectation of winning, I can disengage from that trap.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What do I do if I am invested in loss but am still frustrated?  First step is to reset my investment - &quot;I will count this match a success if I can keep my elbows below my shoulders&quot;   Narrow my investment to something that I can achieve.  If I still get frustrated, then I'm going to step out for a day.  In 20 years of training I've only been that frustrated once, but if I feel that I  can't manage my emotions, then I have no business on the mat.  Those are my rules for me - you have your own rules for you and I'm not going to judge them.  But if I can't have fun on the mat (where &quot;fun&quot; is completely incompatible with &quot;anger&quot;), then I don't belong on the mat.  The mat is where my friends and I refine one another's techniques; if &quot;friendship&quot; doesn't dominate any other emotion, then &lt;em&gt;I&lt;/em&gt; need to leave.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of those are probably particular to Taiji and push hands, but I'm confident that you can translate them to investments you can make in your loss.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Loss is a dialogue with your bad habits, and your sparring partners are (or should be) helping you to attend to that dialogue.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2018-12-13T16:02:32.670" LastActivityDate="2018-12-13T16:02:32.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8729" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-12-14T06:27:47.793" Score="4" ViewCount="298" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Gareth Evans-directed movie &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raid_(2011_film)#Accolades&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Raid&lt;/a&gt;, alternatively titled The Raid: Redemption in the US, is about a young Indonesian cop who fights his way out of a criminal complex, relying strongly on his practice of Pencak Silat. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How accurate is the practice of Penkat Silat shown in the movie? How much liberties were taken with it, if any?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7526" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2018-12-14T10:28:30.717" LastActivityDate="2018-12-14T10:28:30.717" Title="How accurate is the Pencak Silat in The Raid: Redemption?" Tags="|pencak-silat|entertainment|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8730" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2018-12-14T08:40:33.317" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Pencak Silat is the term given to a number of related Indonesian martial arts. It is a full-body fighting form in which every part of the body is used to attack, incorporating striking, grappling and throwing in addition to the use of weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7526" LastEditorUserId="7526" LastEditDate="2018-12-17T02:40:34.347" LastActivityDate="2018-12-17T02:40:34.347" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8731" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2018-12-14T08:40:33.317" Score="0" Body="Pencak Silat is the term given to a number of related Indonesian martial arts. It is a full-body fighting form in which every part of the body is used to attack, incorporating striking, grappling and throwing in addition to the use of weapons." OwnerUserId="7526" LastEditorUserId="7526" LastEditDate="2018-12-14T12:35:58.993" LastActivityDate="2018-12-14T12:35:58.993" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8732" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2018-12-14T09:46:23.537" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2018-12-14T09:46:23.537" LastActivityDate="2018-12-14T09:46:23.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8733" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2018-12-14T09:46:23.537" Score="0" Body="For questions about the realism of martial arts as depicted in movies" OwnerUserId="7526" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-12-14T16:42:48.190" LastActivityDate="2018-12-14T16:42:48.190" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8734" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8781" CreationDate="2018-12-14T11:55:28.870" Score="4" ViewCount="689" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there any company that specialized on this? My main belt is rather heavy, would be great to get a lighter one to wear during competitions, so that I'll have to cut a little less weight :D&#xA;Any website that compares belt manufacturers? I think it's quite a niche product, although everyone needs a belt to keep their gi together :D&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How much does a lightweight belt weigh, to be able to identify one?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9690" LastActivityDate="2019-01-10T18:21:14.250" Title="Where to get lightweight belts for bjj competitions from?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|belt|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8735" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8650" CreationDate="2018-12-14T23:25:39.607" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just in case it's helpful to others, Triumph United just released some of these.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.triumphunited.com/equipment/tu-hybrid-focus-mitts-black.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.triumphunited.com/equipment/tu-hybrid-focus-mitts-black.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3105" LastActivityDate="2018-12-14T23:25:39.607" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8736" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8737" CreationDate="2018-12-16T11:00:41.217" Score="3" ViewCount="817" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm really struggling to perform a yoko geri. My hips and flexibility simply don't allow my legs to kick sideways. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any tips to improve my position and flexibility ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9366" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-12-17T16:09:47.667" LastActivityDate="2018-12-20T15:04:10.653" Title="How to do a good yoko geri (side kick)" Tags="|karate|kicking|flexibility|shotokan|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8737" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8736" CreationDate="2018-12-17T15:02:08.267" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;You didn't give a specific problem you're having, so, it's hard to say what might be the problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two primary elements to the kick: the chamber and the thrust.  There is your starting position, but, there can be many.  Do you kick with the front leg or the back?  Is it a stepping behind or a stepping ahead?  Is it a standing front leg kick?  Are you turning backwards?  Forwards?  Jumping?  There are many variations.  But in all of them, the position just before the thrust is the chamber.  Since you're asking, I'll assume you're a beginner, and therefore, won't need to concern with nuances of jumping, turning, and other complex movements in the more difficult variations of the kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chamber&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been to many a school who teaches the chamber different - even within a style, so, I would forego any corrections or tips on chambers.  Whether you point your knee toward your target, or completely away from it depends on application and instructor - but there's a case for both methods, as well as pointing anywhere in between.  I would only say that whatever method you use, you ought to be consistent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And in the chamber, no matter the style, you need to keep the toes &quot;alive&quot; - that is, pulled back such that your ankle is stiff at 90 degrees, and your toes bent backward also close to 90 degrees as you can get.  If your foot is limp, you could injure it through whiplash if you do air kicking; or you could sprain it if you strike a target.  Thus, keep the ankle stiff, strong, and bent as far as you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to your standing leg, preference governs here too.  You can keep your standing foot at 90 degree angle from your target, or you can push it at 180 degrees away from the target.  The closer to 90 degrees you keep your standing foot, the less you'll be able to lift the kicking leg - but you will generally have the best balance.  The closer to 180 degrees, the higher the kick will result at the expense of less balance.  I try to get beginners up into the 120 degree range when kicking high.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need not start out at 120 or 180 degrees; indeed, while chambering, it is common to see people chambering at 90 degrees.  It is entirely up to you how you want to do this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Thrust&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By now, you ought to be thinking where your standing foot should be facing.  If you started chambering at close to 90 degrees, then, during your thrust, you'll want to pivot more so that the standing foot turns to the 120 - 180 degree angle from your target, and this is done as the kicking leg is thrusting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to the kicking leg, the ankle remains rigid and bent, as are the toes.  As you thrust, extend the foot as far as you can, as quickly as you can, and (during practice) as high as you can.  At the final inch of your thrust should come in synch with the final degree of standing foot rotation: they should essentially be moving at the same time.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to the target, this depends on your instruction and preference.  Some will have you kick the target with the heel, others with the knifeblade of the foot.  There is no best way, only a best preference, so I'll leave that out here.  Whichever you decide to use, be consistent.  As for me, my decision is based on this: If I'm kicking to break boards, I use the heel.  There is less springy action on the foot, which can absorb some of the power.  Also, the power is more focused in a 3cm x 3cm area.  However, if I'm sparring, i'm not looking to kill someone, so a gentler kick is warranted by using the knifeblade.  This increases the surface area to around 8-10cm, which means the force is disbursed over a larger area.  This will come across as less painful to the receiver.  In addition, if I'm sparring with electronic sensors, I'm increasing the chances to hit more sensors with larger surface area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;To lock the knee or not lock the knee?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, if you like to hear that fancy snap as the kick is extended, you'll want to lock that knee.  There's no better sound than the uniform's reaction to that snap.  However, keep your orthopedist on speed-dial, because you'll screw up your knees in no time.  To avoid that, you'll want to extend to up to 1&quot; of your final extension, preventing your knee from absorbing too much force.  If you suffer from back knee (genu recurvatum) then, you should allow for several more inches before full extension.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What to do with the hands?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is big in some schools.  Heated (useless) arguments over what to do with the hands.  As a beginner, just keep your guard up and don't worry about anything else, or anybody else.  There's a reason for keeping the hands in guard, and that's to protect you.  So that is a valid justification.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, some forms call for a &quot;punch&quot; with the top/leading hand toward the target.  Others might have you swing the rear hand backward - like a tail to help you keep balance.  You can do this, but it represents that you're relying on that to keep balance, rather than tweaking the nuances of your kicking and standing legs to maintain balance.  I never swing my hand back - that robs me of protection I might need.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to the leading hand punch, though, that's another matter.  You'll see this mechanism in some forms, and there's bunkai for that.  One of which is that it's not technically a punch, but a reach-and-pull.  Here, you're intending to do as much damage to your opponent as you can, and so, you're reaching for hair or clothing, pulling them close to you as you extend a kick.  It's easy to do in forms, but try putting an opponent in front of you and try it out, you'll find it's a very difficult thing to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's one more variation of that leading hand.  And that is a motion of punching downward along the standing foot (rear hip).  Here, it's not really punching so much as the person is trying to maintain balance.  I would stay away from this method as much as possible.  There is no protection as keeping guard would do; and there's no pull of the opponent.  You're simply giving your opponent an opening.  In addition, there's the inevitable roll of the torso; this keeps the head from seeing the target.  This can rob you of aim and balance.  In short: it's poor form, so watch out for this.  Beginners do this all the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What to do with the head?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is easy: keep looking at the target.  It's easy to see a beginner kick in the northern direction, but project the head in the southern direction.  The body follows the head, so, if the head is moving away from the target, so too will much of the force needed to go toward the target.  You can easily miss the target because of this error in technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Strength in the legs&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kick straight out, as high as you can - and hold it for 4 or 5 seconds, then retract.  If you can keep your leg as high after the 4 second mark as you did in the first half second, then that means you have strong muscles - specifically, the abductor muscles.  With weak abductors, then, your kicking leg will drop several inches.  This suggests you have the flexibility to get as high as you started, but you don't have the strength to keep it there.  You can become injured if you kick at that height, because you have few muscles to control your kick.  Either you or your opponent could get hurt - possibly both.  Therefore, your side kicks should include abductor exercises and flexibility routines.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Flexibility building&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I mentioned before about the abductor muscles.  To increase mobility, flexibility, and strength, PNF and isometric exercises are important here.  Use a partner or ankle weights to lift and build strength.  Also, to build up that speed and snap, you want to also incorporate plyometric exercises.  You can do that with very heavy ankle weights:  Lift as high as you can go as quickly as you can, and do that as many times as you can in, say, 30 seconds.  Give yourself a 1-minute rest, then repeat for another 30 seconds, then again for a 3rd set.  For each set, your goal is to repeat the same number of exercises in each set as you did for the first set.  If you find that easy, increase the set duration to 45 seconds, or maybe a minute.  Or shorten the time between each set.  Or add one or more sets.  This develops the fast-twitch muscles, thereby improving speed of execution of the kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use your partner and targets properly&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When using a heavy bag, your goal is power and precision.  Kick a logo or tape or some marking on the bag, and kick that as hard as you can.  At first, start slowly as you build technique, then slowly increase the speed.  Kick through the target.  Be sure you aren't &quot;pushing&quot;, but rather, kicking through.  When you have a partner, your goal is speed and precision.  Get in under or over his guard; or kick through the guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Other tips&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Breathing.  Side kicks are power kicks.  As such, you want the full force of you - your spirit, your passion, your intent - to be concentrated at the moment of impact.  To support that, you need to be expelling air, and should be at less than 50% lung capacity of air.  If you fill up, it'll be like carrying around a stability ball.  You'll just bounce backwards at every kick you throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your eyes.  Keep your eye on the target, never veer off to the mirror, the clock on the wall, or even the instructor.  Keep your eyes fixed on the target.  The body follows the head, the head follows the eyes, the eyes follow the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your retraction.  After you kick and hold, retract it back to chamber.  From there, you can issue another kick, or you can step down to do something else.  This shows control.  What you don't want to do is leave your kick extended and then you &quot;fall&quot; into a step on the floor.  Retract, then step forward, or wherever you want to go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-12-17T15:02:08.267" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8738" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8705" CreationDate="2018-12-19T14:36:17.007" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you want to take out anger and frustration, do it to a bag. Your training partners deserve better than that.  It has no place in martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if you can convert that energy in to a drive to excel, perfect your technique, etc., that can be very good for training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of what to train that you might enjoy if that's how you're feeling:&#xA;If you want something high impact that will make you move, tire you out, and let you &quot;let go&quot;, and also teach you that going for broke against someone who knows what they're doing is completely useless, I recommend Judo and/or BJJ, in a gym that does allow beginners to spar (my BJJ place made me wait a few months before I could roll).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo focuses on throws and some grappling, BJJ focuses on grappling with some throws.  They evolved from each other and they both put emphasis on live sparring.  Those are real, intense fights, not a scripted exchange of strikes.  You're throwing and being thrown, choking and being choked, as if you and the other person are really trying to kill each other - but you should both be in control of yourselves and trying to do it in the best way possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck! You'll learn a ton and have fun and hey maybe you won't be so angry and frustrated.  I know having that training in my life made me a happier person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9704" LastActivityDate="2018-12-19T14:36:17.007" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8739" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2018-12-19T22:55:03.940" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-12-19T22:55:03.940" LastActivityDate="2018-12-19T22:55:03.940" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8740" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2018-12-19T22:55:03.940" Score="0" Body="Throwing of people or weapons" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-12-19T22:55:03.940" LastActivityDate="2018-12-19T22:55:03.940" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8741" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8577" CreationDate="2018-12-20T10:13:56.150" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I also had this kind of worry. You can't eliminate the risk but you can mitigate it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;do not roll too hard, especially if you are a beginner; try to use more technique instead. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;if there is a cut on your skin, cover it; if you got a nasty mat burn on the back of your hand in a class, wear a glove on that hand in subsequent classes (until it's healed).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;always maintain good hygiene; wash every part of your gi after each session, including the belt. Wash your hands, feet, etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;get a Hep B jab, or refresh it if needed. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;trim your nails regularly; fingers &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; toes. (This helps however very little if others don't do the same.) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;wear a tight-fitting garment under your gi, like a rashguard.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope this helps. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9778" LastEditorUserId="9778" LastEditDate="2018-12-20T14:39:32.017" LastActivityDate="2018-12-20T14:39:32.017" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8742" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6001" CreationDate="2018-12-20T11:41:34.143" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a former 'offender' myself I hope I can offer some insight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TL;DR: do not allow them to do &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; until they do at least several thousand throws. Let them build up confidence in falling first. When I say 'confidence' I do not mean the fake confidence that serves you only with no opponent. I mean real confidence that makes me believe that I'll be OK even after you tossed me on the mat.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I started judo I obviously know nothing about it, but due to years of serious weight and kettlebell training I had physical strength that exceeded that of most people including my fellow &lt;em&gt;judokas&lt;/em&gt;. (As a sidenote, I am sorry to say that many martial artist are terrible athletes)  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess judo throws are the most complex movements that the human body capable of. There is so much that needs to be just right: the movement, position, stance, dynamic, and timing, timing , timing. Any throw needs to be practiced a gazillion times to get familiar with it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They however just showed me the throw but they failed to allocate &lt;strong&gt;enough time to practice and digest&lt;/strong&gt; it.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;As if it had been a crash course we just ran through a bunch of throws but I &lt;strong&gt;digested&lt;/strong&gt; none. It is not that they did not try to explain it to me, there was no shortage of explanation. I just lacked the time to &lt;strong&gt;absorb&lt;/strong&gt; the technique. As I said these judo throws are tremendously complex movements especially if you come from pure strength training background where something like a proper deadlift is considered technically complex. After that I 'learned' some throws and some basic breakfalls I was said to be ready to do free &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; with a guy who actually had 10+ years to master that throw. I lacked the confidence, but I trusted their judgement. And I was thrown and that did not feel as a play. So consequently I decided not to be thrown again. (actually I voiced my concerns about the lack of practicing, but that was somehow misunderstood as if I needed more explanation. When I say I needed more practice I did not mean that I needed to do &lt;em&gt;seoie nage&lt;/em&gt; ten more times. I needed to do &lt;em&gt;seoie nage&lt;/em&gt; as long as it takes to absorb the technique including the role of the &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;. Hundreds of times over and over again. I suspect they wanted to keep the whole class somewhat consistent so I did not get the opportunity to work on the basics. As a result I did not really learned them.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I was asked to do &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; again I did not decline it. But in order to reduce my discomfort I resorted to what I was good at: brute, physical strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I train at a different &lt;em&gt;dojo&lt;/em&gt;. Here I do not want to practice anything other than the basics. But I want to practice the basics over and over again. Until I develop real mastery. This way I'll build up enough confidence in throwing and in falling that make a playful &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; possible. And hopefully I won't be forced to use brute strength as a last resort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope it helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9778" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-01-02T03:33:36.170" LastActivityDate="2019-01-02T03:33:36.170" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8743" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8736" CreationDate="2018-12-20T15:04:10.653" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Without knowing what art you're practicing or your goal for the kick (look good/classically proper technique vs. power/practicality?), I would blindly advise you to turn your hips more. You can get a lot out of a side kick with relatively inflexible hips by turning your pelvis enough to make it a kind of side-back kick. Speaking from experience. My hips are super stiff, but I can land a mean side kick if I turn my hips a little extra.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I'm more into krav/MMA type of stuff, so if you're trying to perfect your technique for a kata, this might not be the best choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9779" LastActivityDate="2018-12-20T15:04:10.653" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8744" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8405" CreationDate="2018-12-20T15:14:58.690" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I second yoga practice, provided you have a teacher that focuses on the pelvic floor. Also &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kegel_exercise&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kegel exercises&lt;/a&gt;, which strengthen the pelvic floor. In my experience it's more about mindfulness than needing to actually strengthen the muscles, but deliberate exercises focusing on those muscles and holding the posture you are looking for will help with both mindfulness and strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9779" LastActivityDate="2018-12-20T15:14:58.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8745" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8641" CreationDate="2018-12-20T16:18:07.427" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;On and off the mat for several years I feel your pain.&#xA;One thing to start with I have never really got the idea of the 'gentle way'. &#xA;I did randori with a wide variety of people and out of those only a very small percentage did the 'gentle' judo. To my personal experience it is more likely that they will talk about 'gentleness' and they will even tell you that it's wrong to use force. The very same people will later pull and push and twist and jerk and do whatever if you resist during randori. (Don't get me wrong:I am not saying that the 'gentle' way does not exist, but I do say that many people only preach about 'gentleness' rather applying it. Which is quite understandable since application of 'gentleness' requires very advanced technical skills.)&#xA;So what can you do? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the short term you need to avoid the guy if you don't feel safe. Getting injured serves nobody. Talk to him once but avoid him if a second talk is needed. Find different training partners if it not possible find a different dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the long run however here is what you can do:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;if you find a person who does know how to play 'gentle' judo with you, do not let him go. Try to do randori with him as much as possible. There is simply no better way to learn judo than this. The more you learn the more competent you will be. And there is nothing that protects you better from problem partners as competence.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Insist to learn the basics well. I mean really well. Do not waste time on variations or fancy stuff as long you don't know the basics. Learn ukemi well. When can you say that 'I know ukemi'? When you are not afraid of being thrown. That should be your goal. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Get strong. Don't believe or even spread the BS which is: &lt;em&gt;it's all about technique&lt;/em&gt;. Watch any youtube video about any high level judoka and show me one single weakling there... show me one single Olympic level male judoka who can not squat with at least 200 kg-s or do several weighted pull-ups. Strength is also something that can and will protect you from Mr Problem. Judo is not only a martial art but also a combat sport. Combat sports inherently require strength and endurance. Get strong.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9778" LastActivityDate="2018-12-20T16:18:07.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8746" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="207" CreationDate="2018-12-23T00:47:14.673" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This happened to me a few days ago. I grabbed the barrel of a rifle as it was fired. My hand throbbed in pain for several hours. The fingers were bruised, swollen, and stiff. But no severe damage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9782" LastActivityDate="2018-12-23T00:47:14.673" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8748" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8675" CreationDate="2018-12-24T19:24:16.543" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is normal. When I use to do muay Thai I would get bruises all the time on my shins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eventually the skin covering the shin bone gets use to the kick impact and becomes tougher, as such less bruising. However you can’t really prevent bruising when your smashing the heavy bag for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice would be to apply tiger balm before your training sessions to loosen the muscle and just carry on doing kick on a solid heavy bag to condition your shins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you kick the heavy bag this produces micro fractures on the shin bone. When these micro fractures heal the shin bone becomes stronger. Eventually the nerves in your shin bones will die and you won’t feel pain in your shins when you kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9784" LastActivityDate="2018-12-24T19:24:16.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8749" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8684" CreationDate="2018-12-24T19:38:16.067" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well firstly to prevent injury during sparring I would use a head guard, mouth shield, body pad and shin guards , as well as a groin guard if your a male.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zkQEH.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zkQEH.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2vQW2.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2vQW2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/L4xbw.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/L4xbw.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/WbGzv.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/WbGzv.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now in terms of techniques to block kicks, this depends on the martial art being used. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;in Muay Thai to block a low kick you could take a step back, or could block with the outside of your shin but ensure that you point your toes down when you do this as your opponent can sweep you from underneath.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For mid body kicks again you could take a step back or you could block with your shin but this time raising your leg higher. &#xA;Also, you could side step and catch your opponents leg taking making them lose there balance and sweep them or simply catch the leg and throw it to the side allowing you to react with a low leg kick&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For front kicks to the torso or teep (in Muay Thai) the only way really to block this is to use your arms to push the kick to the side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For head kicks, make sure your guard is always up so that your gloves take the impact of the kick rather than your face. Also, again here you could take a step back and avoid the kick altogether. Also make sure your guard is tight otherwise when a kick hits your hand and your guard is loose then the kick will simply follow through and cause your fist to hit your own face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9784" LastEditorUserId="9784" LastEditDate="2018-12-25T15:48:54.903" LastActivityDate="2018-12-25T15:48:54.903" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8751" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="207" CreationDate="2018-12-25T16:05:30.153" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You could burn your skin as the barrel will still be hot. Also the friction created as the gun rubs against your hand can also cause burns and skin tear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on the power of the gun you could also break some bones in your hand as the jolt impact may cause some weaker bones to easily snap or break.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When defending yourself you are most likely going to obtain some sort of injury’s.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally I would rather have these minor injury’s rather than being shot :) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9784" LastActivityDate="2018-12-25T16:05:30.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8752" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8755" CreationDate="2018-12-25T16:17:24.250" Score="-1" ViewCount="297" Body="&lt;p&gt;Today’s Muay Thai focuses mainly on training for ring fights so is seen rather as a sport than a form of self defence. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ancient Muay Thai however, such as Muay boran focused mainly on self defence and was used by Siam warriors in the battle field when they had to drop their weapons and result in hand to hand combat. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although modern day Muay Thai and ancient Muay Thai have similar moves such as punch, kick, Elbow, knee; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These moves are mainly taught in a ring fight scenario rather than in a street fight for self defence for example. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So would modern day Muay Thai be sufficient enough for self defence or has it adapted over time to be more of a sport ? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9784" LastActivityDate="2018-12-27T23:16:56.987" Title="Modern day Muay Thai useful for self defence" Tags="|self-defense|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8753" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6773" CreationDate="2018-12-25T19:28:47.813" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a godan (5th degree black belt) in Judo and nidan (2nd degree black belt) in Shukokai Karate. and I have trained in both for a lot of years. In Karate, there are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;atemi waza (striking techniques)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;nage waza (throwing techniques)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kansetsuwasa (joint locking techniques)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;shimewaza (strangle techniques)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;ukemi waza (break-falling techniques)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I have trained Karate for years and have seen a lot of bull---t, I found that Judo mixed with the Karate made me a more complete martial artist. For example, I can see more realistic answers to the questions around the bunkai in the Karate katas, not just the usual kicking/punching/lame take downs and made-up techniques that wouldn't work. All of the above waza (techniques) are in there and you need to know and understand a throwing art to see them. Most karate instructors can't, so they don't teach them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knowing and understanding a throwing art has improved my all round Karate and made me a more complete martial artist. I would recommend cross training for everyone, but get your grounding in one art before cross training because it would be confusing to start both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user9785" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-12-31T01:47:36.333" LastActivityDate="2018-12-31T01:47:36.333" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8754" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8684" CreationDate="2018-12-26T03:55:36.090" Score="1" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Distance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To reduce your chances of getting kicked in the head, stay close. Everytime their knee rises up, a quick forward motion with your whole body, with hands up at chest level should throw them off balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For torso kicks, there's no need for fancy blocking, pivot down your guard at the elbow  and any kicks will be cushioned by your hand. Disclaimer: you must not be static when you deflect or block any kicks with your hands. They might get broken. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fortify your arsenal of close range striking techniques like hooks and uppercuts, and heel kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rhythm&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I assume you are fighting the same group of people. So learn their rhythm. Everybody has a tell before starting a technique. The guy who always kicks the side of your body? It's probably the same dominant leg. So switch your stance to the other side. Or when that kick comes, step in, instead of stepping out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2018-12-26T03:55:36.090" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8755" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8752" CreationDate="2018-12-27T13:02:54.530" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;So would modern day Muay Thai be sufficient enough for self defence or has it adapted over time to be more of a sport ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Amongst the martial arts, MT is still widely considered one of the most practical for self defence, and if combined with some form of jujitsu or wrestling (whether premixed in an MMA class or studied by you separately) the combination's especially highly respected, even by most of those studying martial arts (as distinct from sports).  That's not to say you couldn't find martial artists of other backgrounds who'd back themselves (realistically or otherwise) against a well trained MT, MT+wrestling or MMA fighter, but they'd probably take the challenge seriously. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a more conceptual level, consider:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;if you learnt MT to a high standard, then considered/studied (on your own or by looking at other arts) what else you might want to do in a self-defence situation and adopted a good way to practice it enough to get proficient, then obviously you're better prepared for a self-defence situation that you used to be&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;in practicing something for sports, you might form &lt;em&gt;some&lt;/em&gt; bad habits that will make it harder for you later to adapt to good self-defence (e.g. the sparring in most schools of kyokushin karate doesn't engender good habits for protecting the head from hand/elbow attacks, as they're not allowed under the rules)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;counter balancing that, if you try to build a foundation specifically for self defence and never find a good reasonably-safe way to practice a core subset of your skills hands-on with a competitive, resisting opponent, then you're unlikely to ever become great at many of your moves, and therefore not great at self defence&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key point: &lt;em&gt;someone else who's practising in a very practical, hands-on way with a genuinely resistive, competitive opponent/partner - even though their techniques may be limited to a safe-enough subset - can sometimes become better overall through the extra hands-on experience they acquire&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my opinion, a mix of training is best: practice what's safe under some set of rules, find various other sets of rules to practice the rest of the moves you think you need to know for self defence.  Some of those &quot;rules&quot; might be &quot;the opponent will wear &lt;em&gt;this&lt;/em&gt; protective gear&quot;, other times it might be some other gear, or different moves being allowed, or the &quot;opponent&quot; will be a punching bag, pad or even completely imaginary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, you're unlikely to find everything optimally handed to you in one practice environment, and picking an optimal mix of places and arts to train in is a bit of an art and a huge investment in time and effort (and often money).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, it's better to be on some trajectory than none at all.  If you want to learn self defence, I wouldn't worry about picking MT versus Muay Boran - just start training and if/when you're an advanced student you can learn some extra techniques yourself if you feel the need.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, when I started in what I'd call a &quot;bastardised karate&quot; form of taekwondo I wasn't taught good body mechanics in many moves - my punch, ridge hand, side piercing kick, roundhouse, front kick, elbows, knees, and many blocks are all fundamentally different and IMO superior now - but I found it easy enough to retrofit improvements as I've learnt them from other arts and lots of practice, experimentation and reasoning - it's not the end of the world.  It's nicer not to have to revisit old habits, but if I hadn't learnt &lt;em&gt;something&lt;/em&gt; I wouldn't have recognised other things as being superior.  Doing anything reasonable (i.e. perhaps not at a McDojo) earnestly is much better than pondering some intangible ideal from a position of ignorance.  Knowing what's actually important takes insights that only come with &lt;em&gt;lots&lt;/em&gt; of practice, study and hands-on experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2018-12-27T13:02:54.530" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8756" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8752" CreationDate="2018-12-27T23:16:56.987" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The style makes no difference.  You can be in the best MT school in the world, but if they don't teach you self defense, then whatever you learn isn't going to help you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, the style has evolved into a sport as you noted.  Much of what is practiced today will only go so far.  The problem with niche sports today is that they are not well-rounded, that by definition makes them niche.  That means, a typical competitor will be like the proverbial hammer as the only tool in the carpenter's toolbox, and what happens is that all of the carpenter's problems will be handled as if they were nails.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way to tell if your school teaches self defense is to just ask them.  Some will be upfront and say &quot;no, we teach for the ring, not the street&quot;.  Others will say &quot;yes&quot;, and then let you figure out for yourself whether what you're learning is helpful on the street.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some things I would look for are: are you being taught weapons use and disarm?  Multiple foes?  Multiple friends?  Striking (including hands, elbows, head, knees, feet) and grappling (including locks, bars, chokes, trips, sweeps, throws)?  Are you taught how to fall?  How to get up?  Are you taught to use your environment?  Do you get to practice in different environments - asphalt, grass, etc?  Do you practice in street clothes - including shoes?  What about non-fighting techniques, such as verbal de-escalation, and changes in lifestyle?  So, like, walking alone, driving, being in a bar, or being at a party; your choice of clothes and shoes; how to use everyday items as weapons; keeping your home safe.  What about using a hand gun?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you even get a primer on what self-defense is?  Many people have this idea that self-defense is all about a mugging.  Any date rape victim can easily set the record straight.  What will you do in defense of others - like your spouse or child?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point is, things you learn to use in the ring are only a subset of what real self-defense is all about.  It's not just about a mugging, or a one-on-one thing.  Sometimes, it's about looking for escape routes, or talking your way out.  Sure, there are overlaps.  But self-defense is self-defense, and sport is sport.  They are not the same.  A hammer should only be used for some circumstances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So it doesn't matter what Muay Thai used to be about.  What matters is what your instructor will teach you today.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2018-12-27T23:16:56.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8757" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2013" CreationDate="2018-12-28T19:51:42.523" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I train in Judo and achieved a 5 Dan. I have been training for 38 years. I have done a lot of travelling to different clubs, most of them do 50/50 standing &amp;amp; ground. Most of the judoka I have trained with are excellent on the ground, but training at BJJ as well as Judo can only benefit you as a martial artist because they specialise in ground work. Judo has a great transition from standing to ground, but remember an experienced judoka can put someone on there back fast and hard, but if they wish to can just as easily put you on your head. If it all goes wrong, as it is not a perfect world, the ground work is there. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user9785" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-12-29T00:07:44.900" LastActivityDate="2018-12-29T00:07:44.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8758" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7156" CreationDate="2018-12-30T00:19:41.957" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;By searching for &quot;Aikido film&quot; on Google I found this one from 1975: &lt;a href=&quot;https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0165296/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Defensive Power of Aikido&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; not sure if this meets your requirements though, since it's about the actual founder, Morihei Ueshiba.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="831" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2018-12-30T01:49:27.797" LastActivityDate="2018-12-30T01:49:27.797" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8759" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6773" CreationDate="2018-12-30T15:50:42.410" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would imagine very well, since there exists a hybrid martial art &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%ABd%C5%8D&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kūdō&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; which takes its techniques from both Karate and Judo:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kudo is a martial art created by Azuma Takashi in 1981. Azuma was a black belt in &lt;strong&gt;Kyokushin Karate and Judo, saw the potential for a hybrid martial art which was not limited by styles. He decided to merge the two martial arts he knew, and made Daido Juku, where striking and grappling was allowed.&lt;/strong&gt; Slowly, various other martial arts like Muay Thai, Boxing, Jiu-Jitsu and various other martial arts were incorporated, and fine-tuned to work well in the style. The martial art was renamed as Kudo in 2001, and is accepted as a Budo sport in Japan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://combatkinetics.com/kudo-daido-juku/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://combatkinetics.com/kudo-daido-juku/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2018-12-30T15:50:42.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8760" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2018-12-30T18:34:23.280" Score="-4" ViewCount="113" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does a person with a rugged look and bold voice not fail in a fight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9793" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-12-31T01:56:03.917" LastActivityDate="2018-12-31T02:15:42.327" Title="Does a person with a rugged look and bold voice not fail in a fight?" Tags="|streetfight|attack|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2019-01-12T00:38:25.143" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8761" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8517" CreationDate="2018-12-30T19:20:08.203" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Shukokai Karate is a great mix with Judo. The Karate stances are short compared to most other Karate styles so it fit well with the Judo stance. I have trained in both for 35 years and I teach self-defence using techniques for mixing both arts. I started in Judo and achieved my first Dan before starting Karate. I think to start both at the same time would be to confusing. The hardest thing to work out is distances and when and where to use kicking, striking, and grappling. Judo also helped unlock some of the joint locks and throwing techniques in the karate kata that have not been passed down over the years. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user9785" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2018-12-31T01:36:31.060" LastActivityDate="2018-12-31T01:36:31.060" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8762" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8760" CreationDate="2018-12-31T02:15:42.327" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;No. Appearances do not determine who wins (does not fail) in a fight. There are other factors including speed, bravery, cunning, and deception that may determine the outcome. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A famous story where the apparent stronger (rugged with strong voice) fighter loses is the Biblical story of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;David and Goliath&lt;/a&gt;. Goliath is the much larger and stronger individual, but he is killed by David, a smaller, cunning opponent, who slings a stone into Goliath's head. David enters combat without armor or a sword, choosing a staff and sling as his weapons. The expected result of combat between a larger, stronger fighter with superior armor and weapons and a smaller, weaker fighter is that the larger fighter wins. In this case, the smaller fighter prevails using his skill with a projectile. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2018-12-31T02:15:42.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8765" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2913" CreationDate="2018-12-31T17:46:06.100" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Doing Judo for about 40 years competed at good level for 25 years. I don't have any problems. I am now 59 and still training in Judo, Karate and Yoga,(not at a high level anymore lol). I am getting the normal pains here and there, not a lot to worry about, but that's an age thing I guess. &#xA;I think a lot of luck comes in to play. I know some younger people who do suffer with the training involved in Judo, but training regular in any martial art or sport will have wear and tear in the long term.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user9785" LastEditorDisplayName="user9785" LastEditDate="2018-12-31T19:08:20.843" LastActivityDate="2018-12-31T19:08:20.843" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8766" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6001" CreationDate="2019-01-01T19:54:48.240" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If a judoka is using excessive force, it would be better to have a quiet word with your sensei or instructor. He can monitor the judoka in question. If there is a problem the sensei should give a lesson explaining in the club you are here to practice, not for medals or street fighting. The judoka you are practicing with more than likely has work in the morning and doesn't want an injury. Throws known to give hard landings should be practiced on the crash mat for lower grades. In randori (free practice) throws should be taken to point of throw but Uke (defender) must respect the fact that Tori (attacker) has stop the throw knowing the throw would have been executed to the finish and does not counter attack when Tori stops the throw. For experienced judoka, randori (free practice) means free practice so throws at this level would be allowed because the Judoka would have the experience in ukemi waza and have the experience not to keep using heavy throwing techniques in every practice with every Judoka.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user9785" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-01-01T21:26:57.597" LastActivityDate="2019-01-01T21:26:57.597" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8767" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6415" CreationDate="2019-01-01T20:20:39.870" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not familiar with Ingle but in general: &lt;strong&gt;Yes, fighters who are trained explicitly with defense and mobility in mind will keep their health longer.&lt;/strong&gt; Examples include Floyd Mayweather and many Cuban style boxers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As dangerous as striking arts are - if you decide for yourself that defense and long term health are your priority, you &lt;em&gt;will&lt;/em&gt; stay healthier than 90% of fighters out there. You'll make better choices in sparring partners, gyms and styles. You'll outdo everyone who's in there with the &quot;brain damage is part of the package, oh well&quot; mindset.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My favorite is Mike Tyson who, when he had Teddy Atlas yelling &quot;move to their side! Get beside em!&quot; would show amazing defensive footwork and head movement, proving that great defense doesn't exclude offense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stay safe!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9800" LastActivityDate="2019-01-01T20:20:39.870" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8768" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4536" CreationDate="2019-01-01T20:45:18.097" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The science is not clear on this yet, no one knows 'how much is too much'. However:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Plenty of legends without (noticeable) brain damage&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing, kickboxing and judo all have old, wise, super-fit legends hobbling around. This shows that it's atleast &lt;em&gt;possible&lt;/em&gt; to scrap all your life and come out nice and shiny. More recently Saenchai (muai thai) is looking very good for late forties, and so is Mayweather (boxing). Footage of these recent legends shows how their technical, elusive, defensive styles contribute to their long term health.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;You've got the right mindset&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider how many of your training partners are more 'lax' than you when it comes to brain damage. Many have accepted it as a fact of training; they go into sparring ready for whatever beating and rocking in order to 'build experience'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You've kept track of every stiff punch and every slight rock. You've been very mindful of your defense. You're way ahead of the curve and, with continued effort, &lt;strong&gt;you will get touched less and less&lt;/strong&gt; as you develop.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Your choice&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have already thought hard about this. You know you love this sport, but you love your brain more. Prove to yourself that you can protect your brain - continue keeping score, set goals like e.g. &quot;I will take 20% fewer significant strikes to the head this month, or I'll quit&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stay safe!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9800" LastActivityDate="2019-01-01T20:45:18.097" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8769" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8009" CreationDate="2019-01-01T20:45:51.863" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If the throw is executed by an experienced judoka, the weight would not be a problem. A smaller build judoka can throw a very heavy judoka using judo scientific principles: movement, balance, and leverage. Using the attackers aggression to your advantage, you should only feel the weight if you stop the throwing movement in the middle of the throw. If a throw is executed correctly, you wouldn't feel any weight, so if you are feeling the weight  when throwing uke, go back and look at your throwing technique. Rebuild your throw and practice, you will know when you have got it right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user9785" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-01-02T04:10:46.557" LastActivityDate="2019-01-02T04:10:46.557" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8770" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="998" CreationDate="2019-01-01T21:07:49.250" Score="2" Body="&lt;h1&gt;You should stop training IMMEDIATELY&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I mean, is it something that always occurs, or is it incidental? Sometimes when I'm hit well (about 2 - 3 times every training), I see stars and feel a little lightheaded. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are getting hit too hard too frequently. This is not normal or acceptable, neither for casual nor professional athletes. Also it is not necessary for your personal goals of getting fit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Reconsider your training&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You mention that kickboxing is great for getting you in shape fast. Bag and pads training sessions are great for this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring is not for 'getting fit' or athletic performance. It's seriously dangerous (if you're seeing stars). It's a testing ground for your technical skills and combat mentality - if you are interested in developing technical combat skills, you may try sparring again once you feel ready.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sorry this is like 6 years late, but I hope some people in a similar situation read this. Stay safe!!!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9800" LastActivityDate="2019-01-01T21:07:49.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8771" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8772" CreationDate="2019-01-02T19:58:07.320" Score="0" ViewCount="215" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have trained in Judo and Karate for a lot of years. I have studied kata bunkai for a long time. I'm now moving into Karate weapons training and would like to start with Tonfa. I don't have time in the Karate lesson to start learning something new. The class can't run around me; the students come first. I have looked at Tonfa Kata on YouTube, but don't know if they are made up or not. I would like to learn an original Tonfa Kata if anyone would know one.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user9785" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-01-02T21:33:16.273" LastActivityDate="2019-01-02T21:33:16.273" Title="Karate Tonfa Kata" Tags="|karate|weapons|forms|tonfa|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8772" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8771" CreationDate="2019-01-02T20:53:02.430" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I strongly recommend learning weapons in person. It's hard to learn anything over video alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your karate instructor doesn't teach weapons, then find someone in your area who does. And you might want to expand your choices beyond that of typical weapons found in karate schools. For example, you might consider Kali/escrima or Silat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to consider is the fact that karate does not officially teach weapons. At least that's how most karate schools are (both Japanese and Okinawan karate). If they are taught, they are part of that particular school's syllabus, but not part of the larger ryu/federation's syllabus, usually. It's usually only taught at a karate school if the instructor went out and learned the weapons on his/her own and teaches them along with karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As such, there is little, if any, standardization. The weapon kata that one karate group practices may be different from the kata that another group practices, even within the same style of karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Okinawan karate, the practice of weapons is actually called &quot;kobudo&quot; (roughly translated as &quot;classical/ancient martial arts&quot;). And kobudo is not karate. They are thought of as separate practices, but are often taught together in the same school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll see more weapons training in Okinawan karate schools than you will Japanese karate schools, by the way. It used to be that most Okinawan karate schools taught weapons alongside karate, but that is slowly changing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Japanese karate, typically an instructor will learn some Okinawan kobudo weapons and then brings them into his/her own school. It's supplemental training that's not part of the official curriculum of the larger ryu/federation. And it depends entirely on the instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can often see classical samurai ryu weapons being taught in Japanese karate, also. So this will be sword, staff, spear, and other weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your style of karate teaches tonfa, or if there are well known instructors within your branch of karate who do, your best bet is to visit one of these teachers and ask him to teach it to you. You can probably learn it over a weekend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, you should consider having a workshop in your school. You would ask someone who teaches tonfa to come and teach a workshop over a weekend. You pay for his air travel, hotel, food, and transportation. If you get enough people to attend the workshop, it will pay for itself. Meanwhile, you can drive him around and get private instruction. If it goes well, then you can invite him back for another workshop every now and then.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you go with youtube videos, then look at videos that are showing well respected karate instructors. Like I said, the tonfa kata themselves will differ between styles and even within the same style. What matters is that you're training from someone who knows what he's doing, someone well respected. The kata doesn't matter as much as the basic ideas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2019-01-02T20:53:02.430" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8773" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6001" CreationDate="2019-01-03T18:49:10.653" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;One thing that can keep sparring safe is &quot;positional sparring&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rather than have the two contenders face off in a mock bout... Start with something simpler, like competing to see who can get their opponent onto one leg, or who can maneuver their opponent across a line or outside of the ring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will help students develop an understanding of body mechanics, balance, etc, without dropping each other on their heads. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We often do this in novice BJJ classes, where we compete to see who can get to a slightly better position, rather than who can submit the other. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also good to practice catching your opponent. You don't need to throw them across the room, just take their balance &amp;amp; hang on to their gi so they don't hit the floor too hard until they know their breakfalls.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9638" LastActivityDate="2019-01-03T18:49:10.653" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8774" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2013" CreationDate="2019-01-05T01:51:20.647" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my opinion, it's because most judo people look at judo from the standpoint that judo is an Olympic sport and governed by the International Olympic Committee. So when you are on the ground in judo, you have a short time to make it happen before they stand you up. Just like all the sports like this in the Olympics, the sport has its particular rules. &lt;em&gt;Jujitsu&lt;/em&gt; is a grappling art. &lt;em&gt;Judo&lt;/em&gt; is a throwing art with time limits on ground grappling, then we stand and try to win by &lt;em&gt;ippon&lt;/em&gt;. For you own interest, you would pick a school that does what you want. Judo grappling is based on a missed throw, to choke, pin, or submission. It seems jujitsu is all 100% win by grappling and no point for a throw. This is only my opinion with 5 years judo, 4 years karate, 5 years boxing, and 7 jujitsu lessons. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9803" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-01-07T20:07:45.097" LastActivityDate="2019-01-07T20:07:45.097" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8776" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-01-09T00:19:15.217" Score="1" ViewCount="326" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been training Southern Mantis Kung Fu for around 20 years. I started Hsing I Quan about 8 years ago. I was thinking of adding some throwing game, grappling etc but didn't want to go to BJJ. Something to bridge the gap so to speak. Shiao Jiao isn't offered where I am at. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was looking for suggestions. A few things have caught my interest as far as cross training has gone. JJJ, Baji/Piqua, Eagle Claw, Muay Boran and Northern Mantis. Would any of these make a significant improvement? Or is there something else that would?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9811" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2019-01-09T07:28:06.473" LastActivityDate="2019-01-09T18:06:58.367" Title="Which style to cross train with Southern Mantis Kung Fu?" Tags="|kung-fu|jujutsu|japanese|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8777" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8776" CreationDate="2019-01-09T06:02:49.740" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think this comes down to a question about what you really want. Do you want to really understand grappling, or do you want to be shown how to see the grappling within what you've already learned from kung-fu?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to understand grappling, do a style that focuses on grappling. Those styles include, but are not limited to: Brazilian Jiujitsu, Judo, Sambo, Wrestling, classical Japanese jujitsu, Bujinkan, and Shuai-jiao.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eagle claw, hsing-yi, northern mantis, etc. are not going to give you a well rounded understanding in grappling. These styles all have joint manipulation and throws in them, but it's going to be pretty limited in scope. More importantly, it's how they train that really matters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's simple to see for yourself. If you go to one of those kung-fu schools and observe a class or two, you're going to see that they devote just a small percentage of their time to grappling. And when they do any sort of grappling, chances are it will be with compliant partners all the time. Compliant partners do not give you the skill needed to apply grappling techniques under pressure, such as in a real fight. Observe also the types of grappling techniques being taught. Are the techniques against a broad range of realistic attacks? Or do they seem to concentrate on standing arm-bars and wrist locks? Do you see any realistic take-down defense? Do you see any realistic ground fighting?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are chin-na and throws in just about every form of kung-fu. Bagua is a very throw-oriented form of kung-fu, for example. Taiji is filled with throws and chin-na. Hsing-Yi has it, too. Southern Mantis has a lot of standing arm-bars, arm-breaks, and sweep throws. But all of these are going to be pretty superficial and incomplete, even with an instructor who can show you it. It's not going to be pressure tested, either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may be able to find an instructor who can show you where it's at in all the forms you've learned and have fun that way. It doesn't even have to be an instructor within your style, because grappling is fairly universal. It sounds like that may be what you really want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is a very enlightening and cerebral thing to do. I should know, because I went through that phase myself. But I personally learned to see it in my kung-fu forms only after learning classical Japanese Jujitsu. After that, things became pretty obvious, because there's only so many ways the body can move. And function dictates form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there's still the matter of being able to use it under stress, if that matters to you. That depends on how you train. Again, if you have compliant partners who stop and let you do stuff to them, that's fairly useless to you for self-defense. If, on the other hand, your training partners actively resist everything you do, then you have a chance. Figuring that out on your own is hard, though. You're better off doing BJJ, Judo, Sambo, Wrestling, or Shuai-Jiao, because they already practice this way. (And FYI, classical Japanese jujitsu and Bujinkan do not train this way, at least not very often.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-01-09T18:06:58.367" LastActivityDate="2019-01-09T18:06:58.367" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8780" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7916" CreationDate="2019-01-09T20:32:06.543" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Taekwondo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are two very different forms of martial arts that make it easy for most to train at the same time.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning striking and movement in Taekwondo while learning the grappling and submissions of BJJ at the same time would not be confusing to most students. Their nature is very different and wouldn't be easy to confuse. If the student was learning Wrestling, Judo, and/or BJJ at the same time that would be confusing. Taekwondo, Kung Fu, and/or Muay Thai at the same time I'd also say these could be conflicting learning them simultaneously (At least for most people).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The two arts are different enough to stimulate the student in different areas and provides a well rounded platform for them to grow as martial artists. I would highly recommend a well focused student train both of these disciplines at the same time. Someone who lacks focus may want to start off in Taekwondo in order to build that focus first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4410" LastEditorUserId="4410" LastEditDate="2019-01-09T20:44:19.040" LastActivityDate="2019-01-09T20:44:19.040" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8781" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8734" CreationDate="2019-01-10T18:21:14.250" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From the Reddit link provided in the comments, I have found these two companies that have lighter weight belts. You can see from the image of all of these belts that they are not as thick as your normal BJJ belt. They appear to be made more similarly to a Taekwondo belt. These are the best ones I found:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://isami-kimonos.com/index.php?genre_id=27&amp;amp;htpl_id=8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ASAMI Jiu Jitsu Belts:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.jiujitsuprogear.com/category-s/56.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Howard Combat BJJ ProGear Belt&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (Not the Venom Belt)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://onthemat.myshopify.com/collections/bjj-belts/products/vulkan-gi-belt&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;OTM Vulkan Gui Belt&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;This Killer Bee appears the lightest from the material it's made of&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.killerbeegi.com/killerbeegi-bjj-weave-belts/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Killer Bee BJJ Weave Belt:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4410" LastActivityDate="2019-01-10T18:21:14.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8782" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-01-11T10:13:17.350" Score="5" ViewCount="258" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was under the impression that in hasso-no-kamae, the sword should be forward of the face, facing the right shoulder. I cannot remember who taught me this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, Sakai-sensei has his sword behind his head but still facing his right shoulder, as can be seen &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/VsToSNMo9N8?t=79&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;in this clip&lt;/a&gt;; Sakai-sensei is the one on the left, doing the hasso-no-kamae. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, Dave Fielding (with Mike McCavish) &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/s8radonxxvQ?t=177&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;does it how I think it should be done&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which is the correct one? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does it even matter? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there some cross-contamination from different kenjutsu styles getting mixed in here?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;The question seeks clarification on an Aikido kata which roots in kenjutsu as that is where the sword work comes from. Kendo uses hasso-no-kamae as well therefore it makes sense to have experts from there aware of the question.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-01-11T11:40:53.530" LastActivityDate="2020-04-28T20:25:06.247" Title="kumitachi, hasso-no-kamae, and hand positions" Tags="|aikido|sword|kendo|kenjutsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8783" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-01-12T12:53:14.607" Score="4" ViewCount="1712" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR&lt;/strong&gt;: I think I'm viciously / discreetly getting bullied at judo by my sensei and higher ranked (sensei is Japanese so I'm pretty shocked about it). Also, I was hit, he discreetly asked other students to throw me hard on the mat (so that I &quot;wake up&quot;). So I'm thinking of quitting. Though I like the sport, I really suck at it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do all beginners go though such an experience? I think last training really broke me mentally so I'm thinking of quitting. How would you deal with that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For starters, let's be clear: I'm a white belt in judo (started 3 months ago). I have a feeling the sensei (he's Japanese by the way) is trying to break me (psychologically speaking). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, he's always screaming my name when I do something wrong. &quot;You did this. You did that. Move here. Move there.&quot; Worst he talks about me to other high ranked belts like in &quot;dumb and dumber&quot; movie (lol), with a retarded talk, caveman talk like &quot;can you duhhhh show move to him duuuhhh he (i.e me) not duhhh gets it duhhhh&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also he sometimes asked others to throw me harder on the tatami so that I &quot;wake up&quot; (I don't know in which sense. I wake up and realize I should quit or should train better? Only he knows that.)&#xA;So now it has, I think, broken me. Like I don't find mental strength to do the moves and all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, beside the vicious bullying, I know I suck at judo pretty bad. But I did not think I'd get such an attitude from people there. Some students are grumble-gasping when we do randori, some not even trying, some show openly they are exasperated, some have the mocking smirk on their face. Do all beginners go through this? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is that a way for them to kicking me out of the dojo? Hoping I'll understand I'm not welcomed?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I really suck at judo but I kept going till now because I like it. Now I'm thinking about quitting really soon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Did you guys go through such an experience during your learning?&#xA;I won't change dojo because lets face it, people are what they are so since I really suck at it, I bet I will encounter the same bullying somewhere else...so..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9665" LastEditorUserId="7900" LastEditDate="2019-01-15T13:11:29.567" LastActivityDate="2019-01-27T23:19:23.330" Title="Is there such a thing as a toxic sensei? How to deal with one like that?" Tags="|judo|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8784" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8783" CreationDate="2019-01-12T15:07:46.603" Score="14" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Toxic people&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, there are toxic people in the martial arts world. Martial artists are human, and although martial training can improve character, martial artists are just as capable at being terrible people as any other person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Feeling like you suck&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's perfectly normal to feel like you suck. This is after all, why you go to class; you are trying to get better at something you don't already know. Even after getting your black belt, you may continue having this feeling: why are there so many people who are still better than I am? Why has it taken me so long?, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Communication&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As with many interpersonal problems, communication is key. You cannot expect people to mind read; you don't know what your sensei is thinking, and we don't know what your sensei is thinking. You can find out what your sensei is thinking by asking. If you are considering quitting, you don't have anything to lose by asking, though you should speak up anyway if you feel significantly about anything. If you don't like your sensei's answer, that sounds like your cue to leave and look elsewhere. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Switching schools&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I wont change dojo because lets face...people are what they are so since I really suck at it, I bet I will encounter the same bullying somewhere else...so..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I disagree strongly with this sentiment. If you date one person and it doesn't work out, does that mean you shouldn't date anyone? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-01-12T15:07:46.603" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8785" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8783" CreationDate="2019-01-12T22:13:40.577" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just saw someone I knew lamenting that he had a white belt in his BJJ school who was causing trouble. The white belt was rolling too hard with others. People were getting injured. People were feeling bullied and intimidated by him. Apparently he was a pretty muscular dude and had a very competitive and aggressive nature.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the instructor secretly asked his blue belts to go hard on him. Really hard. And they did. They humbled him. And apparently the white belt hasn't returned, yet. Now the instructor is wondering if he did the right thing by asking his blue belts to go hard on him, since this white belt may never return to BJJ ever again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I'm not saying you were like that white belt. But I am saying that this does happen whereby an instructor asks his students to essentially pound some humility into a troublesome student.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Quick question: Do you recall ever being told not to hurt someone or not to use as much muscle? Do you recall ever one of your partners getting frustrated by you or telling you to go easy on them? Have you felt like your partners in class have dreaded being paired up with you for some reason?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the answer is yes to those questions, you might be the troublemaker in class that they're trying to deal with. You can ask your instructor if that's the case, or ask some of the higher ranked students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because, a lot of times when this happens, it's because the troublemaker has no idea that he's doing this. He needs to be told.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the answer is no, then you just have an asshole for a teacher. Sorry. If you're putting up with psychological and emotional abuse, then you're a victim. Don't be a victim. Get out of there and don't look back. Trust me, you'll be a better person by getting out of there. If you stay, your self-esteem will take a nosedive, and over time you'll probably find yourself becoming just as mean to others in your school as your instructor is to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good instructor should be overjoyed mostly by the fact that you're coming consistently to practice. They want to see you growing and getting better, of course, but they know that everyone is going to progress at their own rate. And someone who's taking longer to improve might merely be taking time to process everything and form the mental connections that will later cause them to surpass all others. Every good instructor knows this and is patient with all their students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So please consider what I've said here. I think you need to take your instructor aside and ask him if you're doing something particularly wrong, or if he's like that with everyone. If you don't get a good answer from this, just don't come back. Cancel your membership and move on. Life is too short.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2019-01-12T22:13:40.577" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8786" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8783" CreationDate="2019-01-14T14:38:46.633" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It sounds like you are being bullied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You should not stand for it.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you were charitable, you could bring your concern to the club welfare officer, if it has one. If not, you could try to speak to the main teacher asking if you are reading the situation wrong. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;You might want to report such abuse.&lt;/em&gt; You could contact the club's association welfare officer and report the abuse to them. To do that, your case would be greatly enhanced by a detailed description of situations, witness account, and even by video evidence. A friend watching session could fulfil both witness and cameraman roles.&#xA;Sadly, victims are rarely believed. You could bring such evidence to a lawyer who might suggest contacting the Police. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Do not talk to the police on your own&lt;/a&gt;. Whether you take legal actions against the club is between yourself and your lawyer to decide.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether or not you go follow any of the above, do be assured that not all judo clubs are filled with hateful idiots. &lt;em&gt;Find another club and train there.&lt;/em&gt; I hope it will be more accommodating and will treat you with the respect you deserve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a side note, in the past there was a &quot;break them so they gain spirit&quot; mentality in martial arts. Some of it still exists now a days where some macho idiots think that since they were abused, it is fine for them to abuse others. Your sensei might be one of those who like to &quot;forge their students to reveal and enhance their mettle&quot;…&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2019-01-14T14:38:46.633" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8787" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8788" CreationDate="2019-01-15T00:38:21.753" Score="4" ViewCount="460" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm recovering from a very tenacious back injury and the martial arts I usually do (MMA and BJJ) hurt too much. I've had this injury for 2 years and whenever I think I'm healed enough to restart martial arts training, I damage it again. It is improving slowly (I've been able to restart bouldering and weightlifting, if I go easy), but I expect my normal martial arts will stay a no-go for a while longer. I have consulted physiotherapists and other specialists for my injury, but the recovery remains extremely slow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I've tried finding a martial art that's less intense but still effective for actual hand-to-hand combat; so far I've come up empty handed. I've been to a few aikido, aiki-jj, japanese-jj dojos, but I've found most of the techniques they teach are not very practical; they are over-complicated and even the most advanced practitioners cannot pull them off against an MMA fighter (i.e. me) who isn't cooperating. I went to a ninjutsu dojo and they were very rigid in their thinking and wanted me to completely forget everything I had ever learned in other martial arts. Krav-maga seemed like a good bet, but the local school focuses only on self-defense (against knives, muggers, terrorists, etc.) and almost never on symmetric combat. I'm also a bit worried about the potential for brain damage from practicing styles that involve too much boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, could anyone recommend a martial art that is useful for MMA but less likely to delay my recovery? I'm in Montreal (Canada), if someone local knows a good dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: the movements that hurt my back are mainly spinal flexion and extension beyond the &quot;usual&quot; range of motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9821" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-11-20T16:12:38.133" LastActivityDate="2019-11-20T16:12:38.133" Title="&quot;Lighter&quot; but effective martial art" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|injury|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8788" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8787" CreationDate="2019-01-15T03:21:49.743" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;So you have two qualities you're looking for in a martial art:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It shouldn't put you in a position where you have to really fight your way out (because you have an injured back that won't be able to heal unless you lay off it).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It should be effective against someone who doesn't cooperate - i.e. someone who actually fights back.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem, as you saw for yourself, was that styles that are good with #1 are never going to be good at #2, because they never actually try to spar against people who aren't cooperating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And vice-versa, styles that are good with #2 are never going to be good at #1, because those style necessarily have to put people in positions where they have to struggle to get out of holds and such.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most but not all styles like Bujinkan ninjutsu, classical jujitsu, aiki-jujitsu, aikido, etc. do not practice with non-cooperating partners. They like to think they do, but they don't. Their version of non-cooperation involves partners who stand there letting you do an armbar on them, but maybe they'll keep their arm tense until you strike them in the lower ribs or something, and then they'll let you have the armbar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's not the same as someone who's going to prevent you from even getting close to being able to apply that armbar. And when you do, they'll just do a level change on you to get a single leg take-down while you're doing it. That's a completely different ballgame.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, that choice is what you're up against. You can have one but not the other at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And by the way, you could suspend your judgment for a while and do a classical jujitsu school to learn their techniques. If you go into it with the mindset that you know this isn't going to work for real against struggling opponents, and that you're just there to learn something new, then you might find that it can be very enjoyable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may even find a hidden gem that you can take back into your BJJ / MMA practice when you return to it someday. It's not the techniques that are the problem. It's the way they train that matters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One word of caution, though: Classical jujitsu styles, Bujinkan, aikido, etc. are not gentle arts (haha). They can involve back-wrenching practice. So you have to be careful even with them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which brings me to another question: Why not try going back into BJJ/MMA, but make sure your instructor and partners all know you can't go all out and may need to tap instantly if your back is being put in a bad position?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess you're not confident that you can do that with BJJ/MMA, but you're okay with classical jujitsu. That's fine. Just throwing out the possibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe, though, the best thing is to just let your back recover and not risk doing anything to harm it for a while. It sucks to realize that, but this might only keep you out for a year or two. You have the rest of your life to do martial arts. Spend that time maybe working on basic exercises like weightlifting and running. It won't be wasted time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And heck, if you really want to do something that's still a martial art but is good exercise and actually can be useful for self-defense in a limited way, try Chen style Taichi. Look up videos of Chen style taiji push-hands competition. Also look up videos of Chen style taiji vs. judo. You'll find that the best practitioners of that style can actually hold their own in grappling competition. But those are the best, mind you. You'll probably never get to that level. Still, it's fairly easy on the back, it's good at keeping the whole body toned, and it gives you a way of moving (&quot;internal mechanics&quot;) that might give you an edge later on in your BJJ/MMA practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-01-15T07:40:43.093" LastActivityDate="2019-01-15T07:40:43.093" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8789" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8787" CreationDate="2019-01-15T07:54:31.140" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your two goals are (almost) anathema to each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, there are a few martial arts that would help if you can find them where you live: anything that uses weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fencing, kendo/kenjutsu/Iaido, and HEMA will provide you with some interesting self defence skills. Although, wandering around with a sword is generally frowned upon; a cane is not especially odd, since you have a bad back. If you can find anyone teaching &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartitsu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bartitsu&lt;/a&gt;, there are many techniques for the gentleman with a cane.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knife fighting will end up with you in jail if you ever use it in real life so I would not advise it. &lt;em&gt;I am not a lawyer nor do I play one on TV, please seek legal advice from professionals.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Guns are your last port of call. Whether it is shooting air guns in competition or actual modern or historical firearms, you might find something worthwhile there. Clearly, carrying a gun unless you are in a war zone or America is frowned upon but the skills you will learn are somewhat transferable to tazers which are less frowned upon, although possibly not legal where you live.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, your best bet is to learn/practice distance running -- &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Rule one: Cardio&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. However, a bad back is not ideal for running either, so you should seek professional medical help before doing any physical exercise whatsoever.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;I know that OP is living in Canada but I strived to make my answer applicable beyond that one locale.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-01-18T09:38:09.403" LastActivityDate="2019-01-18T09:38:09.403" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8790" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8783" CreationDate="2019-01-16T14:18:34.487" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;You are not meant to be there.  Sometimes, the instructor wants only a certain kind of student.  It sounds like yours is a kind of Cobra Kai dojo.  You are not the kind of person they want.  Perhaps they wanted someone with more experience, a different personality, or something altogether different.  Maybe the instructor is racist.  Maybe he wants only men. &#xA; Maybe only Christian.  Maybe he's an egomaniac, or has an emotional difficulty connecting with people.  Maybe it's not about you, but rather, about the instructor.  It's hard to tell without knowing more about the instructor.  Nevertheless, finding out why is probably not going to help you here; I'd move on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an aside, I have a personal trainer.  He makes me do things beyond what I think I can do: one more repetition, 10 more seconds, etc.  But that is not because of some masochistic tendency he has; it's for my benefit.  In your case, there is masochism, hatred, racism, or some underlying abnormal emotional, mental, or social issue going on.  You cannot fix that, it is something the instructor must fix, or he must accept others refuse to be bullied and will leave.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will say there are instructors who are jerks - and they know it, and they thrive on it.  Some are very good at what they do, and they only want those who can tolerate what they deliver.  There is one notable Aikido instructor known for testy comments, giving the students the middle finger, and outright abusive handling.  He's good at what he does, and people know him for this behavior, and they pay to go to his seminars nevertheless.  He will not change.  Others will not change him.  Either you accept it or you take your business elsewhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is up to you if you see value in being bullied and want to stay.  I don't find value in it, and I won't tolerate that; as a result, I'd go somewhere else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2019-01-16T14:18:34.487" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8792" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-01-18T15:52:48.750" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In contrast with sport fighting, a streetfight has no rules or referees. There are no safety precautions such as gloves or mats. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-01-18T15:52:48.750" LastActivityDate="2019-01-18T15:52:48.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8793" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-01-18T15:52:48.750" Score="0" Body="Non-sport fighting without rules" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-01-18T15:52:48.750" LastActivityDate="2019-01-18T15:52:48.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8794" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10363" CreationDate="2019-01-18T22:09:35.977" Score="3" ViewCount="196" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have heard a lot about Bruce Lee and how he put nutrition and protein intake in his diet plan, but there are too many unreliable sources that pretend to be truthful. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;I want to know how he managed to be able to perform at the peak stage and still be disciplined towards his diet and training, and what was his regimen?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9387" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-01-19T17:15:51.567" LastActivityDate="2021-01-13T20:06:39.960" Title="What were Bruce Lee diet plans and training schedule?" Tags="|self-training|jeet-kune-do|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8795" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-01-21T14:47:08.177" Score="7" ViewCount="2402" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have heard a number of judoka promote &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=30542&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;gripping with only the lower three fingers&lt;/a&gt; (pinky, ring, middle) as opposed to all five. I've sometimes heard this referred to as the 'Japanese grip'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is there any evidence to support this grip being more effective in judo than grips where all fingers are engaged?&lt;/strong&gt; Or is this just a stylistic choice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-10T17:48:46.390" LastActivityDate="2019-08-10T17:48:46.390" Title="Why grip with only three fingers?" Tags="|judo|grips|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8796" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8795" CreationDate="2019-01-21T17:06:50.067" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;The consensus of opinion on this, based on a brief survey of forums discussing it, is that the 3 finger grip is done for 2 reasons primarily:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It reduces fatigue in the forearm muscles. If you're gripping using the middle, ring, and pinky fingers only, then you're not engaging your forearm muscles as much. Instead, you'll be using your wrist muscles primarily. That should reduce muscular fatigue.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Reducing forearm muscle involvement increases range of motion in the wrist, making it easier and quicker to adapt to changes in grip. By not engaging your forearm muscles as much, you'll find that you can flick your wrist upwards more quickly. Otherwise you'll be struggling against your own forearm muscles to release your grip, what's known as &quot;antagonistic muscle reflex&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many grapplers (BJJ, Judo, etc.) readily switch between 3 and 4 finger grips. They might use a 3 finger grip on the lower sleeve, but switch to a 4 finger grip when they move to the lapel. Using a 4 finger grip on the sleeve makes it harder for them to adapt and change to a more secure grip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While the 3 finger grip is more flexible, the 4 finger grip is more solid. The 4 finger grip can provide a connection with the rest of your body that the 3 finger grip can not. That's useful for getting the weight of your whole body behind your throw or take-down. It can also keep your opponent more immobilized, and therefore keeps you more stable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some think that the 3 finger grip makes you less susceptible to finger sprains and breaks. This sort of makes sense, because you can't sprain a finger that isn't involved in the grip. But it may have more to do with the fact that a 3 finger grip simply makes your grip more flexible, so you don't channel all of the torque in the finger tips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One caveat to the 3 finger grip is that leaving the index finger out and loose is inviting someone to grab it and twist, at least in a real life street fighting situation. And unlike pressure point strikes, this is actually very easy to pull off against even experienced grapplers. Most mainstream BJJ and MMA competitions forbid small joint manipulation for that reason, which means that it doesn't get sufficient attention in training and can leave a hole in your defense. It's debatable how frequent this would happen in MMA / no-holds-barred competition if it was allowed, but there are examples of this in venues where the rules were less restrictive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-01-21T17:34:40.840" LastActivityDate="2019-01-21T17:34:40.840" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8797" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5867" CreationDate="2019-01-22T08:05:17.987" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is a good goal to train for (nationals).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only way you can overcome panic, freezing when sparring is to spar more. The more you spar, the more natural you will be. Fact is, even sparring in training center will be different when  competing in arena with opponents that you don't know. That is why some people do so well in their own centers, but freeze or underperform in tournaments. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might be panicking because you feel you are not as good as the others. And spend too much time ruminating on that. Try this: at least for one class, let everything go. There is nothing to lose, there is no one to disappoint. Live in the moment. There is only you and that opening in your opponent's vest and headgear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this level and age, you are probably still finding your own sparring style. Watch and observe styles that you think are effective, try them out. The style might suit your physical build and skill, or they might not. If it suits you, drill the style many times until it becomes second nature. If it doesn't suit you, keep on searching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And another word for the road, not only applied to Taekwondo. There will always be people in life who will dislike you, and it's not your fault and it's out of your control. So what if they dislike you. Keep your head down and train. You're not there to make friends (if they don't want to). You don't have to please anybody. Be accountable only to yourself. Strive each day to be a better version of yourself  (in Taekwondo and other aspects) than yesterday. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2019-01-22T08:05:17.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8798" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8795" CreationDate="2019-01-22T21:02:53.863" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two primary muscle groups at work.  The ones which control the 2 larger fingers, the 1st and 2nd phalanges (thumb and index) are controlled with the larger thenar muscles, called the flexor pollicis brevis, abductor pollicis brevis, and opponens pollicis muscles - collectively, I'll call them the thenar muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The 3rd, 4th, and 5th phalanges (middle, ring, pinky) are controlled by a different muscle group which includes the abductor digiti quinti, flexor digiti quinti brevis, and the lumbricals of their respective fingers (I'll call this group the  hypothenar muscles).  Note that the middle finger only is controlled by a lumbrical and not of any of the hypothenar or thenar muscles.  Therefore, it doesn't matter whether or not you use the middle finger with the sword.  The same is technically true for the ring finger, but many people have difficulty independently controlling the ring from the pinky, and so the two tend to move together.  You could, theoretically, control a sword with only a pinky grip, but I suspect only a good pianist or guitarist could do this, as they have trained to be able to independently control their ring from the pinky sufficiently.  Nevertheless, you do want &lt;em&gt;some&lt;/em&gt; control over the thing you're holding.  Read on:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, when you are gripping a sword, you want your hand to be as flexible as possible.  That cannot happen when the thenar muscles are tensed and in contraction.  You want as much free wrist flexion as you can get, while still holding onto (and controlling) the sword.  When the thenar muscles are tensed, they are said to be &quot;in contraction&quot; (that's how all muscles do work: they contract).  And in contraction, you may note your wrist loses some flexion.  You don't want that when you need your wrist to flex with an object where precision control is needed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason for this is that when both muscle groups are activated, both are contracting, and are controlling the object being held.  In order for you to precisely control the sword, you need to dexterously contract and relax the thenar muscles, and time it properly with the desired action you want.  This is extremely difficult to do, and what's more, this contributes to fatigue.  Ever use a sword for a long period of time and your hand gets tired?  Try not to squeeze with the thenar muscles next time, and see if you are thus fatigued in the same way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you want rigidity and absolute control, then you need to engage the thenar muscles.  This tenses and strengthens the whole hand, and flexion is more limited.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, fencers, swordsmen, golfers, baseball players, writers (pen/pencil) all need more flexion in the wrist, and are taught many methods to not tense the thenar muscles.  In fact, some people have difficulty independently controlling these muscles.  Children, for example, often have difficulty, and it is evidenced in their handwriting.  Once they learn how to independently control these muscle groups, their handwriting and stamina improves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And when strong grip is needed, such as when grappling, lifting weights, shooting a gun, using some tools, skiing, hiking (with a pole), or using a knife (eg, for kitchen, butchery, or self-defense), then you tend to want the whole hand as rigid as you can get.  Stability is important here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is some more information on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thenar_eminence&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Thenar eminence&lt;/a&gt;, which describes how the thenar muscles work and are enervated.  It might suprise you to know that not everyone has the same nerve control over these muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may also find information in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothenar_eminence&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hypothenar eminence&lt;/a&gt;, which describes the other side of the hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2019-01-23T01:31:15.970" LastActivityDate="2019-01-23T01:31:15.970" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8800" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8811" CreationDate="2019-01-24T04:15:06.557" Score="1" ViewCount="784" Body="&lt;p&gt;I hear people on LSD can see movements in slower frame rates. Looks like very helpful in martial arts! Do you suggest doing martial arts on LSD? Any experience?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9518" LastActivityDate="2019-02-07T17:21:14.433" Title="Doing martial arts on LSD" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8801" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8803" CreationDate="2019-01-24T04:30:13.543" Score="18" ViewCount="7103" Body="&lt;p&gt;My sensei says while sparring you should express your inner tiger. My understanding is that I should be savage and angry. But I don't like being angry! Is it possible to be good at sparring without anger impulses?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9518" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-01-24T22:11:13.117" LastActivityDate="2019-01-28T07:48:48.730" Title="Is being angry a prerequisite for sparring?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|mentality|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8802" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8801" CreationDate="2019-01-24T04:40:24.890" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;What works for your sensei might not work from you. He is teaching you, what had worked for him. For some, they use anger for the aggressiveness it brings. Anger dominates certain opponents. And in the case of draw, the more aggressive fighter that attacks more (whether contact or not) is usually declared the winner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But anger does not work for everyone. It results in your judgment being clouded, tunnel vision, rash decisions leading to mistakes, disqualifications due to fouls, not to mention raising your blood pressure and heart rate for the wrong reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I prefer teaching students to fight with a cool head, but maintaining an 'afraid-to-lose' mentality. As in, never let the other guy score more points than you. And reactive fighting. Seeing an opening results in automatic launching of a kick to that area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastEditorUserId="8980" LastEditDate="2019-01-24T07:18:56.340" LastActivityDate="2019-01-24T07:18:56.340" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8803" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8801" CreationDate="2019-01-24T09:19:07.423" Score="33" Body="&lt;p&gt;Emotions in general are detrimental to your sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Usually when I have seen this said to a student it is not because we want you to get angry, but that you are sparring as if you are afraid. If you are afraid of striking your opponent you become SLOW and hesitant. Remember here that you should only ever spar willingly (never spar if you don't want to) and also that your partner is in the same position.&#xA;Hitting your partner (or at least trying in earnest to do so) is actually beneficial to them, if you don't hit them (by reacting calmly to the openings they present) then they will have a false sense of security/confidence going into other bouts and wind up getting hit more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring 'Angry' is usually an attempt by your opponent to intimidate you into losing confidence and not trying hard. Many people will try this tactic, learn to deal with it and keep your calm as they are using that instead of skill to try to win. Once you have dealt with people sparring this way a couple of times you will learn to cherish new opponents that try it as they are easy to pick apart and usually don't have any other tactic to fall back on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8801/is-being-angry-a-prerequisite-for-sparring/8802#8802&quot;&gt;As @Kristina Lex says&lt;/a&gt; - reacting to the situation and putting a hand or foot to any target that presents itself is key - and much easier if you aren't angry/afraid/flustered - &lt;em&gt;leave emotions at the door of the Dojang or on the pads/bags&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastEditorUserId="1312" LastEditDate="2019-01-28T07:48:48.730" LastActivityDate="2019-01-28T07:48:48.730" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8804" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8801" CreationDate="2019-01-24T12:31:39.503" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;Anger is definitely not a prerequisite for sparring, specially since angry people tend to neglect their technique, but I think that you might have misinterpreted what your sensei told you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A tiger hunts with everything it has, full concentration, full physical force and deadly precision, since they hunt completely alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keeping this in mind and the fact that you yourself said that you don't like being angry, he might have ment that you should try to be less timid in sparring and go for it with more &quot;power&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's about focus, not anger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user9842" LastActivityDate="2019-01-24T12:31:39.503" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8805" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7065" CreationDate="2019-01-24T14:08:48.667" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Esquiva part of Queixada is called &quot;Finta de Queixada&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Queixada is a two stages capoeira kick :&#xA;- First we do a &quot;esquiva de lado&quot;&#xA;- Then we do the kick&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if you're only doing the &quot;esquiva de lado&quot; part of the Queixada, you are not trying to do an &lt;strong&gt;esquiva&lt;/strong&gt; but a &lt;strong&gt;finta&lt;/strong&gt; (making one thinking you're about to do the kick, but transform and do something else).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's why this movement is called &quot;Finta de Queixada&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9843" LastEditorUserId="9843" LastEditDate="2019-01-24T14:27:38.977" LastActivityDate="2019-01-24T14:27:38.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8807" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8801" CreationDate="2019-01-24T15:53:17.613" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;While tigers can be considered savage in some sense, as in &quot;uncivilized&quot; or &quot;fierce&quot;, they certainly don't get angry. When they are attacking, they have a goal in mind (&quot;kill this prey to satisfy my hunger&quot;) and they use their instinct and physical might to reach that goal, there is no emotion. When they are defending themselves, they again use their instinct and physical abilities to save their lives, whether it's fighting back or running away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think that is what your sensei may have meant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9845" LastActivityDate="2019-01-24T15:53:17.613" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8808" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8810" CreationDate="2019-01-24T16:14:51.160" Score="1" ViewCount="400" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does anyone know if there's any scientific evidence of this? I couldn't find any, but found lots of claims. I wanted to know specifically if protective gear (gloves and headgear) was enough to not get negative consequences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9847" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T20:33:37.960" LastActivityDate="2019-06-04T19:58:55.823" Title="Scientific evidence that punches to the head is harmful in boxing? (Even with protective gear)" Tags="|boxing|protective-equipment|brain-injury|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8809" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8801" CreationDate="2019-01-24T17:08:08.317" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;No, anger is not a prerequisite for sparring. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is more than one school of thought for what your mental state should be to spar/fight. This list is not meant to be exhaustive:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fight without emotion. Buddhist or Daoist training for a state where thought is stopped (&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushin_(mental_state)&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;mushin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;) also means that your emotions do not disturb your mental state and create thoughts. You can act decisively and without hesitation if you are mentally unencumbered. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Harness emotion for strength. This sounds like what your instructor is suggesting. Many athletes use music to prime themselves before competition to improve performance. A snarling animal can be intimidating and cause an opponent to think twice before engaging. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Crazy. Examples are &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berserker&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Viking berserkers&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juramentado&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Moro rebels&lt;/a&gt; in the Philippines. This mental state is for killing without worrying about getting killed. The US Army switched to using higher caliber (larger) bullets with more &quot;stopping power&quot; to fight the Moro rebels because they would keep fighting even after being shot. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a range of possibilities. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-01-24T17:08:08.317" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8810" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8808" CreationDate="2019-01-24T17:57:28.807" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, there is scientific evidence that boxing is harmful to the head - &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0033606&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Amateur/Olympic boxers show cerebrospinal fluid changes indicative of neural injury&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/792347&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Neurochemical aftermath of boxing&lt;/a&gt; (Note - Some same authors)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Barry_Jordan/publication/12373530_Chronic_Traumatic_Brain_Injury_Associated_with_Boxing/links/55c8863008aebc967df8caeb.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Seminar on boxing damage, recognition and intervention&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://n.neurology.org/content/76/17/1456.short&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Abstract only - K-D test for head trauma in boxers/mma&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given the spotlight shined on this because of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) and the associated lawsuits related to professional American football players, this is getting more and more attention. WTF recently changed their rules to de-emphasize powerful head contact, and more and more youth leagues are changing/adapting rules to help prevent this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Google has a search engine specifically devoted to scientific studies. I did a &lt;a href=&quot;https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&amp;amp;as_sdt=0%2C3&amp;amp;q=head%20trauma%20boxing&amp;amp;btnG=&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;search there for &quot;head trauma boxing&quot;&lt;/a&gt;, you can also search for CTE boxing to get different studies. Many are unfortunately behind paywalls or academia restricted sites, but you can usually still get the purpose and conclusions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2019-01-24T17:57:28.807" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8811" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8800" CreationDate="2019-01-24T19:11:06.587" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yeah, go ahead and put a sword in the hand of someone who sees dragons guarding the refrigerator.  What could go wrong?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll say this about any drug, alcohol, or medication for anyone in martial arts.  When your audio, visual, or tactile senses are compromised, you run the risk of injuring yourself (eg, you don't know when to tap out), or you can injure someone else (because you apply too much pressure or you do not recognize the signal to stop).  Also, you are not training realistically, unless you happen to take LSD during your competition bouts, or in your daily life.  Even if you did, as you can see some of the realities of psychotropics, there is loss of wisdom and muscle memory, since all of that development is based on a trip, and not from any particular reality.  Will you ignore the perpetrator who has a knife, being perceived as an unnecessary stimuli?  In other words, your training should match your reality.  If your training includes LSD, your reality needs to include it.  Except that with a psychotropic, nothing is real, so, you are - literally - training to fight what you perceive.  We all do, really.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, there are those who are on pot or steroids or cocaine, and seem to do well.  But the danger is present nevertheless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But to take an illegal hallucinogen is reckless.  Suppose you survive the dragon during your training session; how will you get yourself home?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm well aware that you can take microdoses of LSD and other hallucinogens, but the warning is still everpresent: you need to get yourself home.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm also aware that there are off-label uses for LSD, but your question and commentary did not hint that was the case.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anecdotal studies have shown several medicinal effects of LSD, leading to subjective results:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Patients with anxiety associated with life-threatening disease saw reduced anxiety for 2 months after only 2 doses of LSD.  Maybe this is why you're asking?  If so, be careful if you have a life-threatening illness, and you're engaged in martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;LSD acutely induces bliss, audiovisual synesthesia, altered meaning of perceptions, derealization, depersonalization, and mystical experiences.  This is where the dragons come from.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;LSD impairs the recognition of sad and fearful faces, reduced left amygdala reactivity to fearful faces, and enhanced emotional empathy.  This can effect your sparring or some practice drills in recognizing when to stop, slow down, or release a hold.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;LSD acutely produced deficits in sensorimotor gating, similar to observations in schizophrenia.  What this means is that the brain has less of a tendency to filter out repetitive or unnecessary stimuli.  So, fakes and feints are unrealistically ignored, for example; or your tactile sense of where your opponent is is perceived more irrelevant to you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;LSD has weak autonomic stimulant effects and elevated plasma cortisol, prolactin, and oxytocin levels.  Ok, this means a lot of things, most of which is irrelevant to martial arts.  Oxytocin applies to womb contraction and lactation in pregnant women.  If you are pregnant, LSD can affect that in that manner; but this has no martial applicability.  As to prolactin, that's another hormone which is released to enhance breast development and initiate lactation .  Ok, not relevant to martial arts here either.  But as to plasma cortisol, that's another matter.  A raised plasma cortisol hormone can induce flushed face, muscle weakness and easy bruising, which have direct martial implications.  Other effects of increased cortisol is weight gain, acne, thinning skin, and slowed healing, which are not really martially related.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Resting-state functional magnetic resonance studies showed that LSD acutely reduced the integrity of functional brain networks and increased connectivity between networks that normally are more dissociated.  Yeah...  got nothing here.  I'll include the links if you want to try to decipher this.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;LSD increased functional thalamocortical connectivity and functional connectivity of the primary visual cortex with other brain areas.  Ie, your hallucinations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;LSD increases feelings of closeness to others, openness, trust, and suggestibility.  Think hippie movement, particularly at Woodstock.  Yeah, really.  See Wiki link.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As with any medication - psychotropic or otherwise - be sure you talk to a doctor about the wisdom of doing so in a martial arts context.  Yeah, they won't prescribe it for you, but you can tell doc you've got a &quot;pharmacy&quot; that will &quot;dispense without a prescription&quot;.  He or she can give you the rundown on the effects.  Your instructor/coach, on the other hand, has a vested interest in telling you to go away.  The liability for injury to you or someone else because they allowed you to show up tripping is huge.  Expect to be told to leave.  Even taking cold medicine is grounds for being told to come back later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sources:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5603820/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Neuropsychopharmacology&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(18)30241-1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Functional Brain Networks Are Dominated by Stable Group and Individual Factors, Not Cognitive or Daily Variation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_history_of_the_United_States_in_the_1960s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Music history of the United States in the 1960s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2019-01-25T22:14:02.210" LastActivityDate="2019-01-25T22:14:02.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8812" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-01-25T16:02:19.177" Score="8" ViewCount="276" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been studying Shaolin Kempo for a while now.  In the dojo, we train a wide variety of hand-based strikes: various punches, &lt;em&gt;shuto&lt;/em&gt; strikes (aka &quot;karate chops&quot;), hammer fist, tiger claw, grabs, palm strikes, etc, as well as an assortment of kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recently advanced far enough to begin going to sparring as well, which is held as a separate class for (the advanced subset of) the same students at the same dojo.  For sparring class, we're issued an assortment of protective gear we're expected to wear... including gloves.  They're not as big and bulky as what you see boxers wearing on TV, but they're basically boxing gloves' little brothers: red, padded leather mittens permanently curled into fist shapes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As near as I can tell, all boxing gloves are good for is punching.  This severely restricts what I'm able to do with my hands, rendering the majority of the hand-strike training I've had completely useless in sparring.  Everyone in sparring class even stands in a boxing stance (both fists up near the head) which is quite different from the Kempo fighting stance we train during the normal lessons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We're told that sparring is supposed to help us develop further in our training by giving us an experience of using our skills in conditions approximating a real fight.  But the gloves turn the experience into something that feels more like kickboxing, and impose a limitation that definitely would not be present in a real-life self-defense situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What could I do to benefit from sparring class under these conditions?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9854" LastActivityDate="2019-02-07T17:13:08.130" Title="How to benefit from sparring that is a very poor match for my training?" Tags="|sparring|equipment|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8813" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8812" CreationDate="2019-01-25T20:09:35.527" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think I understand what you're trying to communicate. Let me see if I can clarify for you, and hopefully I'm right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is actually a more general issue that people have. This isn't limited to Chinese Kempo. Most forms of karate and kung-fu have the same issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just to summarize, you're learning a style of kempo that involves a combination of karate and shaolin kung-fu techniques. And now you've started sparring. But you were surprised and maybe dismayed to discover that the sparring doesn't really look anything like what you learned so far in your kata (forms) and drills classes. What gives?!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I gave a good foundation in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7006/why-is-more-time-dedicated-to-exercises-and-very-less-for-sparring-is-it-for-th/7007#7007&quot;&gt;one of my other answers&lt;/a&gt;. Please read that link before continuing. That discusses the difference between sparring and traditional karate / kung-fu forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The forms and self-defense drills you do in class have a completely different purpose in mind than the sparring you do. Different purposes means they can look completely different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In sparring, you're free to move around. Nobody is holding on to one another. So there's no grappling involved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In katas (forms) and self-defense drills, the purpose is to deal with self-defense situations. These situations might involve attackers grabbing you or using a weapon against you. It's not the same situation as sparring. And so the techniques will look different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may also have drills that are actually for sparring. These sparring drills should directly apply to a sparring situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in your case, you've seen that the drills you do in class look very different than the sparring you do. So that says that the drills you're doing are probably for self-defense, rather than for sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What should sparring look like&lt;/strong&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer to that question lies in understanding the rules of the sport. The rules determine everything. And your style itself (Shaolin Kempo) might not be for sport. That's fine. But there are always rules. The rules in your case might be there just to prevent injuries. And another thing to keep in mind is that the rules can change to become more permissive as you progress through to more advanced levels, for example allowing punches to the face or allowing foot sweeps only after you get to black belt level in some martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the rules say you can't punch to the face, you're going to practice mostly kicks, and it might look like Taekwondo. Your hands will be low and might even be left dangling at your sides. Your stances will be long and side-facing. The side-facing stance means you take your target areas away from the direct line of fire.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the rules say you can take down your opponent, you're going to use a bent-forward stance that's wider than a shoulder's width apart, like Brazilian Jiujitsu or MMA. You won't use a side-facing stance in this case, because that would just make it easier to take you down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the rules say you can only punch, your stance will be upright and should stand about a shoulder's width apart, like western boxing. Your hands will be kept on guard at your head level, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The rules determine everything. Stances and techniques evolve to fit the rules.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In your case, you're seeing a western boxing or kick-boxing style for free-sparring. Hands are kept high to guard the face. That's a good thing, in my opinion. That says their rules allow strikes to the head, the body, and maybe the legs. They're using their hands and feet. They may not care about grappling, at least at this stage in your training, because the stance isn't wider and isn't bent-forward slightly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're ever curious about why something is done the way it is, ask your instructors. Chances are, they themselves asked the same question and have a pretty good answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you think they're wrong, the best thing to do is try sparring a different way in your school and see what happens to you. After each time you lose, ask yourself why you lost. Be honest with yourself. Win or lose, bring it up with your instructors and tell them what you did and what happened. See what they think.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course you can also ask why your sparring doesn't allow you to perform the self-defense drills you learned, or anything other than punch/kick/block kinds of things. For example, one of your drills might be to throw someone to the ground and stomp on their head. The problem is your sparring class has rules that don't permit you to grab and throw someone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might be wondering if something isn't allowed, then how do you get good at it? When you're in a real-life situation where you have to use that technique, will you be able to?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is: You're right. Pressure testing is absolutely a requirement for being able to successfully apply what you've learned in class to self-defense. And the best way to pressure test something is, generally, against a live, non-compliant partner, such as during sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So why doesn't your school permit these techniques in sparring? And are there other ways of making sure the drills you learn are pressure tested enough to give you confidence that you can use them for real? You'll have to ask your instructor that question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-01-25T22:56:13.613" LastActivityDate="2019-01-25T22:56:13.613" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8814" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8812" CreationDate="2019-01-26T02:34:59.610" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...feels more like kickboxing...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yeah, that's a common issue with full-contact practice of striking arts.  Basically, the protective gear is needed if head strikes are allowed; kyokushin is an example of an art practiced (at higher competition levels) without the protective gear, but then it's wildly unrealistic for self defence because hand/elbow strikes to the head are banned.  You can't win either way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice is just make the most of it.  Keep your sparring as true to your other training as you can, and if you find yourself &lt;em&gt;having&lt;/em&gt; to make compromises like &lt;em&gt;&quot;stand in a boxing stance (both fists up near the head)&quot;&lt;/em&gt; you can ask yourself why you're having to do that and whether it's:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;indicative of a flaw in your system,&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;a side effect of the gloves,&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;a side effect of the number of interactions / probabilities, or&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;a result of consideration for your training partner in friendly-ish intra-dojo sparring. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For 2. - as well as limiting the techniques you can use, they dilute force applied and don't forget they can be used defensively to obstruct and pad incoming impacts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For 3. - in a real fight you'd hopefully drop any significantly less skilled opponent with a few techniques and then get a chance to relax a bit physically, while in sparring it can be pretty relentless for tens of minutes at a time, even if you're &quot;dominating&quot; but being considerate enough of your training partner (4.) not to leave them less able to continue to spar.  You can find situations where e.g. you pull or slow down a punch that you know could have dropped your training partner but does leave you out of position, then they immediately whack you around the head; it's annoying and unrealistic on their part and you might hit them harder next time, but it's just practical to cover up more in future - you might try to use your style's defensive techniques, or just cover up boxing style because it's easier and sufficient in the circumstances. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whatever the reasons you have to adapt, recognise them but don't get too worked up.  If you think the sparring could be done in a way truer to your style, ask around about it or practice/experiment a bit with a like-minded peer; if you're an instructor one day you can try to incorporate changes in the way your students spar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For now, just think about what you're seeing in the sparring classes, try to understand the reasons, and get what you can out of it.  It's probably much better than not sparring, and the compromises may already be practical.  If necessary, try to get some other practice/exercises to develop the skills that you can't practice with the gloves on, e.g. some non-contact sparring, or pulled strikes with resistive grappling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2019-01-26T03:24:05.603" LastActivityDate="2019-01-26T03:24:05.603" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8815" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8783" CreationDate="2019-01-27T23:19:23.330" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Definitely leave the dojo.  There are plenty of other dojos (well, depending on where you live) where they are welcoming and helpful to new people. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And yes, there are &lt;em&gt;definitely&lt;/em&gt; toxic teachers.  I briefly took karate classes from a guy who loved nothing more than making fools out of students who had previous martial arts experience.  He was impressively fast and powerful and really good at karate...but he was also an extremely cocky &amp;lt; expletive deleted &gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As long as you are respectful and putting in effort, there's no reason for the teacher to berate you and make you feel small, especially as a beginner. Some teachers will be hard on you if they think you should know something or be better at your particular rank (for example a black belt), but not as a white belt. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8354" LastActivityDate="2019-01-27T23:19:23.330" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8816" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8812" CreationDate="2019-01-28T12:41:21.943" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;While I feel Steve and Tony have some good advice in how the general rules of sparring or fights will determine what techniques you will encounter, I was asked to expand a bit on my comment above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if the techniques are very different, training to spar with the gloves will allow you to practice hitting and being hit. Most schools, at least here in the United States, tend to practice with light contact or even no contact. If you're lucky, they have you at least practicing your strikes against pads and heavy bags, but often it's against air. It's hard to blame them for it, frankly, because insurance is expensive, but it removes an important part of the fight. Basically, as humans, we're hardwired with certain instincts in a fight. When you get hit, which you almost inevitably will be even if only because someone might not inform you you're in a fight until they've sucker-punched you, your reaction is likely to be either to freeze up, or to strike blindly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may have already experienced this in class before, a case where someone didn't do a technique the way you expected, did it faster than expected, caught you when you were surprised, or just plain decided they wanted to hit you. The odds are that, unless it was a really glancing blow, you found yourself again, either freezing up (and possibly angrily protesting they're &quot;not doing it right&quot;, which they probably weren't), or you react by breaking technique and swinging blindly at them (generally if it made you more angry than startled). Even if you're modifying your technique, learning to take hits in a relatively safe manner (some padding to cushion the blow and prevent cutting the skin) teaches you to react in a more measured manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from learning to cope with getting hit, it's also important to train actually hitting the other person. An opponent will be moving, often in very unexpected ways, so the sparring will help teach you to use proper technique to avoid sprained wrists or broken fingers. It will also just plain get you use to reflexively striking with full force in an actual threatening situation. It may sound silly, but if you always train pulling the punch, the odds are pretty decent you'll pull it in a fight when you're operating on reflex (especially if you have already gotten hit one or more times in a fight).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5325/modern-boxing-gloves-punching-technique/5419#5419&quot;&gt;the choice of gloves can definitely influence the fighting&lt;/a&gt;. Boxing, and kick-boxing, gloves were not designed to protect the other person. They were designed in part to protect the hands of the fighter (the padding helps spread out the force of striking the hard and sharp surface of the face and head) and in part to prevent grappling and eye-gouging. As a result, they will not necessarily mesh with your particular style. There are gloves built to allow grappling (often informally called &quot;MMA gloves&quot;) and just taping your fists will do a lot to prevent you accidentally breaking your hands in the fight. However, this may mean more injuries, something which may be contraindicated by insurance concerns or a need to avoid injuries (for example, my primary job is as a computer programmer with my hobby being theatre. I'm not planning to do full-contact sparring work any time in the near future because I really need my brain in top shape for my job, and I can't afford to sustain too much cosmetic damage when I might need to do a show the following weekend).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, ultimately, I'd suggest considering this sparring as a supplement to your traditional martial arts training, something useful for if you wind up in a fight, for the conditioning if nothing else, but that it is training something different from your traditional style, and will not quite be the same thing. I wish I had time to look up the exact video, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/balletman&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ramsey Dewey&lt;/a&gt; has some good videos about the pitfalls of trying to use traditional martial arts in a fight and how to cover those holes. He's someone who has trained in a variety of traditional styles (and has great respect for some of the fighters in those styles), and currently works as an MMA coach. It basically boils down to that to be able to fight with your style, you need to train fighting itself, which includes learning how to handle hitting and getting hit, and to constantly test your techniques against resisting opponents, preferably one who don't know what you're doing and will therefore react honestly rather than falling into how they &quot;know&quot; the technique should work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-01-28T12:41:21.943" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8817" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-01-31T09:21:00.587" Score="11" ViewCount="2705" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many years ago, around 15 or a little bit more, I practised karate.&#xA;I was a child and reached 9th kyu. Now I want to come back to the karate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should I start from 9th kyu or I should start from the beginning?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9872" LastEditorUserId="9450" LastEditDate="2019-01-31T17:53:35.377" LastActivityDate="2019-02-06T14:48:38.903" Title="Keep old rank or start afresh?" Tags="|karate|belt|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8818" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8817" CreationDate="2019-01-31T09:47:51.257" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Firstly, whatever you learned fifteen years ago might be muddled by age and memory lose. I would not rely on it. Secondly, since it was a child's rank and not adult, the syllabus might have been radically different. Finally, after any long break period, it is advisable to start again as a beginner. If it all comes back, you can wear your old coloured belt. If it all comes back, any good teacher should see it and promote you to where they think you should be. Besides, whatever your belt colour is matter less than what you know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Start from the beginning again and enjoy the journey.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2019-01-31T09:47:51.257" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8819" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8817" CreationDate="2019-01-31T10:55:31.790" Score="18" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your kyu rank is relative to the style (and dojo) that you practiced at when you were 15. Realistically, no matter what the style 9th kyu is barely more than beginner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd suggest you start again from white belt (whatever kyu that happens to be in the dojo you'll be attending). If you remember stuff then you should be able to advance fairly quickly. I've trained at other dojos as a white belt even once I had my black, it can be enlightening getting back in at that level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2019-01-31T10:55:31.790" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8820" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8808" CreationDate="2019-01-31T19:39:57.607" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm curious as to how you didn't manage to find studies.  I did a standard Google search and came up with reputable organizations dedicated to the study and treatment of &lt;em&gt;Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Dementia Pugilistica&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia/related_conditions/traumatic-brain-injury&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Traumatic Brain Injury&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5676846/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Dementia Pugilistica Revisited&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.protectthebrain.org/Brain-Injury-Research/Dementia-Pugilistica.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Dementia Pugilistica&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bu.edu/cte/about/frequently-asked-questions/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Frequently Asked Questions about CTE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.protectthebrain.org/Brain-Injury-Research/What-is-CTE-.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;What Is CTE?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2945234/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Athletes: Progressive Tauopathy following Repetitive Head Injury&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://diagnosecte.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Diagnostics, Imaging, and Genetics Network for the Objective Study and Evaluatio of CTE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I agree with JohnP's answer, it is fast becoming popular in the news.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a soccer and baseball coach, I am mandated by law to take concussion awareness and prevention courses before getting onto the field with my players.  As a Taekwondo instructor and coach, I also take courses in concussions from Safesport.  My league requires my players and their parents to review concussion materials before they begin play.  Several of my friends are hockey and lacrosse coaches as well - they are all mandated to take these courses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In each of these courses, they cite claims and studies on the effects of CTE and DP.  And by the time symptoms set it, it is sadly irreversible.  The afflicted do not know they are descending to the depths of Hell, and thus continue with the activities which cause their conditions, which in turn makes the problem worse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are interested, you might want to take one of the online courses and links offered for free by the CDC, see these links:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/youthsports/training/index.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;CDC Concussions&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://headsup.cdc.gov/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;CDC Concussions Course&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/schools/teachers.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;CDC Concussions For Teachers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/highschoolsports/training/index.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;CDC Concussions For High School Sports&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...ad nauseum - there's a ton of Head's Up courses offered by the CDC&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's one from the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nays.org/resources/more/free-concussion-training/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA1sriBRD-ARIsABYdwwEoKnmf8TCCSTjRsUwgCg-0yhLNOo6W0CW0hHCHH9WW1-rsCZaFP7gaAjiXEALw_wcB&amp;amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiA1sriBRD-ARIsABYdwwEoKnmf8TCCSTjRsUwgCg-0yhLNOo6W0CW0hHCHH9WW1-rsCZaFP7gaAjiXEALw_wcB&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Concussions in Sports&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most schools, leagues, and clubs in the US require coaches, and sometimes players and parents, of any sport to take these very courses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You mentioned in commentary whether protective gear can reduce or prevent TBI (traumatic brain injury).  The answer is there is no conclusive study.  Partly because concussion theory is an evolutionary topic, and we learn new things every so often, so what we once ignored we now know to be a concussion.  Also, we know a lot more about how concussions affect the brain than we did in the past.  finally, each sport has different protection methods.  American football has hard helmets, Taekwondo has soft ones.  Some sports remove the action which can cause concussions, like soccer (in many leagues, heading the ball is no longer allowed, or they limit the number of headers).  And in all sports, we report reduced concussions over time.  This suggests that their methods are working.  For an indepth read, these articles may also be of help:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2987604/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Helmets and Mouth Guards: The Role of Personal Equipment in Preventing Sport-Related Concussions&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://rethinkconcussions.upmc.com/2018/04/protective-gear/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;PLAYING IT SAFE: CAN PROTECTIVE GEAR PREVENT CONCUSSIONS?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2019-02-01T15:53:51.653" LastActivityDate="2019-02-01T15:53:51.653" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8822" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8808" CreationDate="2019-02-01T22:52:43.733" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Getting hit in the head is definitely bad&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people are worried about &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_traumatic_encephalopathy&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;chronic traumatic encephalopathy&lt;/a&gt; (CTE), which can bring terrible things including loss of coordination, memory loss, depression, and dementia. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;CTE was described as &lt;a href=&quot;https://doi.org/10.1001%2Fjama.1928.02700150029009&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;dementia pugilistica&lt;/a&gt; in boxers in 1928, well after gloves were introduced. &lt;a href=&quot;https://alzres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/alzrt177&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Boxing in the UK from 1929-1955 had a reported rate of CTE of 17% among professional boxers&lt;/a&gt;, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1725298/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;boxers now fight less&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other sports including American football and hockey are also informative on CTE. What's scary is that damage may not be apparent until years after the initial injuries occur. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Measuring CTE is hard&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To the best of my knowledge, the only definitive diagnosis for CTE is a post-mortem examination of brain tissue. If you have to wait for people to die, it's obviously difficult to run scientific experiments. It's also difficult to do any measurements at all because you need permission in an emotionally fraught time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/8810/5961&quot;&gt;JohnP's answer&lt;/a&gt; lists several papers trying to establish links between things you can measure with live patients and CTE. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4324991/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This survey counts the neuropathologically confirmed cases of CTE in the medical literature from the first published case in 1954 to August 1, 2013 at n = 153.&lt;/a&gt; Although the rate of new case discoveries has increased dramatically since 2013, there is no statistical power to answer many questions, like:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Is getting hit in the head when wearing headgear worse than without headgear?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/08/15/the-olympics-banned-headgear-for-male-boxers-but-not-women-stoking-a-debate-on-safety-and-sexism/?noredirect=on&amp;amp;utm_term=.ce37235df252&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This news article reports the International Boxing Association has decided that men will compete without headgear because there is a higher rate of concussions with headgear than without, though women will still continue to compete with headgear.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not clear whether this change is helpful when measuring CTE because there is not enough data. It may be that many blows to the head that do not cause concussions add up to more damage than concussions. It's also not clear why there is a no-headgear policy for men, but not women. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-02-01T22:52:43.733" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8823" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8829" CreationDate="2019-02-03T07:29:35.063" Score="-2" ViewCount="189" Body="&lt;p&gt;An assailant with a gun is threatening someone from a distance. You are behind the assailant. What is the best way to use Krav Maga techniques to control and disarm him so that he won't harm you and his intended target? I would appreciate it if you could add videos.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-08-20T12:10:24.230" LastActivityDate="2019-08-20T12:10:24.230" Title="Best way to control a gun holder from his back" Tags="|self-defense|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ClosedDate="2019-02-06T13:52:01.053" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8824" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8825" CreationDate="2019-02-04T13:40:34.143" Score="7" ViewCount="3167" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been practicing BJJ for quite some time now. Recently, in sparring sessions, I think I've hurt one of my ears. It pains a lot and now that ear has turned red. I've read in many sites that practicing BJJ can cause cauliflower ears. So, can someone help me with information to avoid cauliflower ears while practicing my regular classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9885" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2019-02-04T16:10:51.983" LastActivityDate="2019-02-04T22:05:50.973" Title="How do I avoid getting a cauliflower ear while practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|mixed-martial-arts|injury|wrestling|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8825" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8824" CreationDate="2019-02-04T13:51:25.603" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;A common precaution is to wear &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/search?q=wrestling%20headgear&amp;amp;tbm=isch&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;wrestling headgear&lt;/a&gt;, which is designed to protect the ears, while practicing. Cauliflower ear is caused by impacts or rubbing on the ear. Headgear will reduce both of these. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-02-04T13:51:25.603" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8827" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8824" CreationDate="2019-02-04T20:05:29.953" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ramsey Dewey had a video on this very topic that I thought was pretty good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/EpWhhm_K4h8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/EpWhhm_K4h8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially he thought that genetics played a large role in getting cauliflower ears.  Regardless - you need to protect your ears.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9889" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-02-04T22:05:50.973" LastActivityDate="2019-02-04T22:05:50.973" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8829" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8823" CreationDate="2019-02-05T14:18:49.043" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Thanks to all the commenters.&#xA;I can offer the following solutions: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU4uOjsr81g&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqgSaopbTvo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2&lt;/a&gt; for the required scenario. The principles as shown consist of side step to the shooting hand. Lowering your body and coming as close as possible to the assailant body. Then catching the gun (depends on the gun size) by both hands for full control of the hand. Afterwards release of the gun and full control of the assailant by hitting while the releasing the gun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="6750" LastEditDate="2019-02-05T14:25:24.410" LastActivityDate="2019-02-05T14:25:24.410" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8830" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-02-05T22:37:46.060" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-02-05T22:37:46.060" LastActivityDate="2019-02-05T22:37:46.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8831" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-02-05T22:37:46.060" Score="0" Body="Training or competition without a gi" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-02-05T22:37:46.060" LastActivityDate="2019-02-05T22:37:46.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8832" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-02-05T22:43:45.033" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-02-05T22:43:45.033" LastActivityDate="2019-02-05T22:43:45.033" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8833" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-02-05T22:43:45.033" Score="0" Body="Ultimate Fighting Championship, a mixed martial arts company " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-02-05T22:43:45.033" LastActivityDate="2019-02-05T22:43:45.033" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8834" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-02-05T22:45:37.327" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-02-05T22:45:37.327" LastActivityDate="2019-02-05T22:45:37.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8835" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-02-05T22:45:37.327" Score="0" Body="Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative neural disease caused by head injuries. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-02-05T22:45:37.327" LastActivityDate="2019-02-05T22:45:37.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8836" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-02-05T22:52:15.253" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-02-05T22:52:15.253" LastActivityDate="2019-02-05T22:52:15.253" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8837" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-02-05T22:52:15.253" Score="0" Body="&quot;The way of the intercepting fist&quot;, a style of martial arts founded by Bruce Lee" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-02-05T22:52:15.253" LastActivityDate="2019-02-05T22:52:15.253" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8838" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8817" CreationDate="2019-02-06T14:48:38.903" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In addition to the points made above, as someone who has found himself in this situation before, your teachers may decide to promote you more than one rank at a time (less of an issue at 9th kyu, but something to keep in mind). In that situation, I'd advise pushing back if they try to charge you multiples of the testing fee. The purpose of testing fees is to cover expenses, and testing you once to advance you three belts doesn't cost any more than testing you once to advance one belt. This is especially the case if you don't receive the intermediate belts (something I've occasionally rued with a bit of humor, as one of the Tae Kwan Do schools I was fastracked in had the famed &quot;camo belt&quot;, although I know I could readily enough just buy one of my own).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-02-06T14:48:38.903" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8839" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8812" CreationDate="2019-02-07T17:13:08.130" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sparring is designed to train you to learn to &lt;strong&gt;see oncoming attacks&lt;/strong&gt;, and to develop &lt;strong&gt;reflexes to respond&lt;/strong&gt; to those attacks. Ideally, those responses include performing the techniques you learned in class. It also helps you overcome your natural fear of physical confrontation, especially if you are a smaller person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's why sparring is better training for real-world competition, self-defense, and combat situations than simply training in the techniques with a partner, or against a bag, or even against empty air. Sparring is the closest you get to realistically applying the techniques you learn in class. Any martial art that does not include some form of sparring in its regime cannot claim to prepare you to use its techniques in real-world situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, not all sparring fits the techniques you are learning, like you said. I would say that you should try to at least hone your ability to see and sense oncoming attacks, even if you cannot hone your reflexive responses within the limitations of the sparring environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7848" LastActivityDate="2019-02-07T17:13:08.130" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8840" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8800" CreationDate="2019-02-07T17:21:14.433" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;How does training while on drugs help a person in a real-world attack? Should we assume that the person will be high when he is actually attacked on the street?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a recent movement in the US to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/search?q=marijuana%20martial%20arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;smoke pot while training in martial arts&lt;/a&gt;. This may be the dumbest thing I've even heard of. Not just because it impairs your physical ability and your learning, but also because it goes against the &lt;em&gt;pure mind / pure body&lt;/em&gt; philosophy of all martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7848" LastActivityDate="2019-02-07T17:21:14.433" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8841" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8787" CreationDate="2019-02-07T17:46:27.197" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since I am over 40 (over 50) now, I can no longer endure the typical Taekwondo work-outs. I don't mind the cardio, it's just that my joints and muscles are not those of a 20 or 30-year old any more. I also reached my peak in Taekwondo training, and realized that I would not be learning anything new or different from it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I switched to learning Hapkido (part of the Aiki-Juijitsu family of MA styles). The physical requirements are far less rigorous, and the techniques are far more useful for real-world self-defense situations. The work-out it entails is about one-half or one-third as rigorous as my old TKD work-out, but it provides sufficient stretching and cardio for me at my age.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the drawbacks of intense martial arts training is the physical toll that it takes on your body, especially on your joints. You hear about most of the well-known martial artists undergoing hip, knee, shoulder, and back surgeries, and not being able to do any of the spectacular stunts they could do in their younger days.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would much prefer a reasonable cardio work-out combined with learning practical but low-energy self-defense techniques. I do not really have any need for competition or sport styles. That's why Hapkido is a good fit for me and my needs. (But your needs and desires may be different.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xA;As for your finding the hand-to-hand combat techniques ineffective, all I can say is that the Hapkido techniques (old-style, pre-war) I am learning are quite practical and effective (and they even work against MMA fighters)*. It sounds like you need to find a better style and a better instructor, preferably someone who has had actual combat experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[*] &lt;em&gt;Most of our Hapkido techniques are disallowed in MMA competitions, since they are designed to disable and injure the attacker.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7848" LastEditorUserId="7848" LastEditDate="2019-11-15T20:57:11.283" LastActivityDate="2019-11-15T20:57:11.283" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8842" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-02-08T08:10:39.407" Score="2" ViewCount="2692" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been training on and off in various martial arts since I was a teenager; now I'm nearing 50 and my body is certainly not what it used to be. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I trained for over 10 years in tae kwon do and I've done a little judo and Brazilian jujitsu; loved them all but they are pretty tough on an aging body! I also deal with vertigo which makes it difficult to train in throwing and grappling arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I have decided I need to find another art that is more suitable for me now. I don't really have any interest in tai chi and I love weapons training but I'll consider any style. I'm searching for an art that will keep me active, and I've always enjoyed the camaraderie that can be found in martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: Thanks for all the suggestions so far! Just for clarification on my vertigo. I have positional vertigo, which means I'm usually fine standing up, even with a lot of movement. But laying down or similar positions can trigger it. so grappling, being thrown or rolls may trigger it. Now if I have a bad episode of vertigo, I could be slightly dizzy and unstable on my feet for days or even weeks. But I've never had vertigo start while I'm on my feet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9900" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-09-19T15:52:20.440" LastActivityDate="2019-09-19T15:52:20.440" Title="What are some good low impact martial arts?" Tags="|weapons|recommendation|style|aging|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8843" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8842" CreationDate="2019-02-08T14:40:34.157" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As someone who's fast approaching forty, I'm running into a similar problem. I'm in good shape, and I've maintained my strength, endurance, and flexibility, but it's getting harder to recover, especially when I experience injury. I'm going to suggest to you my current chosen art, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capoeira&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Capoeira&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This may seem like an odd fit given when most people think of Capoeira, they think of flashy flips and handstands, but there's another level of the game, which is about strategy and slow stable movements. Capoeira Angola, in particular, tends to focus on this, as compared to Regional or Contemporânea. I gave this as an answer at &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7808/old-student-looking-for-a-new-style/7809#7809&quot;&gt;Old student looking for a new style&lt;/a&gt; as well, where I noted that &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK87KR4s2Hc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;some of the &lt;em&gt;mestres&lt;/em&gt; were practicing capoeira well into their 80s&lt;/a&gt;. As regards your vertigo, the low slow game involves fewer of the flashier spinning kicks that might antagonize your condition, although if inversion triggers your symptoms, that may be more of an issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-02-08T16:37:49.670" LastActivityDate="2019-02-08T16:37:49.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8844" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8842" CreationDate="2019-02-08T15:53:30.190" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been In a similar situation after 13+ years of judo. I'm a fan of more formal training so I choose shotokan karate due mainly to the before mentioned formal part and positions that will improve my my posture, also the kumite is very controlled. Make sure you explain you situation to the instructors and choose a nice dojo. Dojos are a reflexion of the people, you may find more competitive Dojos, more formal ones or if you are lucky ones that may incorporate all sorts of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck and keep training &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9366" LastEditorUserId="9366" LastEditDate="2019-02-09T20:30:03.117" LastActivityDate="2019-02-09T20:30:03.117" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8845" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8842" CreationDate="2019-02-08T16:43:42.853" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, let's talk about your vertigo issue. Vertigo means you lose your balance and can fall down during spells of vertigo. It can be triggered by some types of exercise, but in many cases it comes seemingly at random times. Sometimes it lasts just a few seconds. Other times it can be ongoing for hours or even days. When that happens, you pretty much can't do anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So vertigo can mean that you have issues with pretty much any martial art, standing or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you might not realize is that the more head movement you do in the vertical plane (going from being upright to being bent over), will &lt;a href=&quot;https://aaptiv.com/magazine/vertigo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;increase the likelihood of having an episode of vertigo&lt;/a&gt;. And so, I think that rules out ground-based grappling arts such as Judo, BJJ, wrestling, Sambo, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So above all else with vertigo, you want to minimize your head movement, particularly in the vertical plane. That means that styles like Capoeira, wushu kung-fu, and Taekwondo are probably out. They do a lot of spinning techniques like the tornado kick, and they also do some quick, bending over techniques like the butterfly kick. Capoeira spends a lot of time going from high to low and back again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You've also stated that grappling arts like BJJ and Judo are too hard on your body. I think what you're getting at is that you don't want to have to struggle too much, exhausting yourself against an opponent who's grappling with you. That requires a lot of strenuous, muscle fatiguing exercise. And that's not what you want at your age. Fine for when you were younger, but now it's just not what you're looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You indicated a preference for weapons based styles. Let me focus on that. For weapons, you might consider one of the following: Filipino martial arts (escrima / kali), silat, kung-fu, kendo, fencing, archery, kobudo, classical jujitsu (samurai ryu with weapons training), and bujinkan ninjutsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of those, I think FMA (escrima / kali) might be the right fit for you. Yes, you'll be standing, so your vertigo can kick in at any moment. But all of them are standing, so you're going to run into the same issues with any of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for head movement, FMA doesn't actually have a lot of head movement in general. There's a lot less than many other styles. At advanced levels, you can see FMA people doing &quot;level changes&quot; (essentially going from completely standing to almost squatting), but it's usually while keeping the head upright, not bending over. I think this is generally favorable for vertigo, or at least more favorable than most martial arts that employ level changes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;FMA starts you off with weapons from day one, usually with a pair of escrima. The techniques you learn will work interchangeably with knives, machete, and unarmed combat. That makes it fairly useful and realistic for modern self-defense, particularly for older people who can't rely on their muscles and athleticism like they used to. Yes, you will use your arms a lot in FMA, but it's nothing like BJJ or wrestling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;FMA systems are generally designed to give you quick, linear progression. There are generally no belts or rank. This can be very appealing to someone who's older. You don't care about rank, and you just want someone to bring you up to speed on something really quickly without a lot of BS.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In about 3 to 6 months of training 2 to 3 days a week, you'll be able to defend yourself quite well with a knife on the street. At least against unarmed assailants. The rest of your time after that will be mostly preparing you for fighting people who are armed with weapons also. That takes the most time to master. Sparring with practice knives (rubber) or with escrima will show you how hard it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Something else you might be interested in would be either Wing Chun kung-fu or Southern Praying Mantis kung-fu. Both those styles have a very stable head that doesn't bob around a lot. The stances are meant to be more or less stationary, perfect for when you're in enclosed areas without a lot of room to move around. And they have weapons training. Of those two, my preference would be for Wing Chun, because SPM requires years of doing essentially one basic, solo form over and over again until your instructor says you're ready to move on. Whereas Wing Chun progresses you much more quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As always, don't begin any new exercise regimen without first consulting your doctor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-02-08T17:12:39.667" LastActivityDate="2019-02-08T17:12:39.667" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8846" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8842" CreationDate="2019-02-08T23:55:32.463" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm with Steve on this matter (nice post btw).&#xA;The only thing I might add is Aikido as it is (especially in beginning stages) a more slow and fluent way of martial arts. But as for the vertigo you might have to consider the fact that there will be some falling involved.&#xA;I'm practicing traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu and it's not that physically demanding as well (until let's say a blue belt).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my opinion the most important thing is to find a club where teachers and members respect each other's limitations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9901" LastActivityDate="2019-02-08T23:55:32.463" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8847" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8842" CreationDate="2019-02-10T14:39:08.607" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a corollary to Steve's answer, mentioning fencing, you might take a look at whether there is a Society of Creative Anachronism (SCA) group in your area. It would have the weapon work you are looking for, it's mostly upright, and there's generally a substantial community feeling with a lot of non-martial arts options such as heraldry and the like for days when you just want to hang out with your new friends instead of fighting. As a bonus, from my experience, there's an older population involved in general, so you won't feel out of place. I will warn you, though, that the politics can get a bit ridiculous. Because people often roleplay medieval hierarchy in a lot of the organizations, it slips into general practice, so you actually have to worry about who you're friends with, or you may find that people just don't keep you abreast of what's going on in the organization.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternately, if you want to avoid some of the politics, there are always &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_European_martial_arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Historical European martial arts&lt;/a&gt; (HEMA) groups out there. Again, the focus is on being upright (while the armor they wore back then was easier to move in than the common culture depicts it as, you still weren't likely to just be kipping back up on the battlefield), and it has the weaponry you're looking at. It does tend to be a bit more martial, so keep that in mind when considering wear and tear on your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-04-22T01:27:03.117" LastActivityDate="2019-04-22T01:27:03.117" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8848" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-02-10T21:52:29.587" Score="5" ViewCount="69" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have an old chest protector from years ago that the surface is peeling  off. It's in good physical shape just the surface is beading off. Is there a way to resurface them, or should I just buy a new one? I just didn't know if there were some sort of spray i could put on it to seal it or not. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9906" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-02-10T23:37:33.210" LastActivityDate="2019-02-11T21:49:14.160" Title="Surface of chest protector is coming off" Tags="|equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8849" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8842" CreationDate="2019-02-10T22:38:42.467" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm past that age; I've had brushed with BPV (Benign Postural Vertigo), but training partners have had it worse.   Most of my time I spend in Aikido (but we're an aging dojo and we accommodate a variety of physical challenges.  Those with BPV don't take falls, ), and practicing Taiji (Tai Chi). Taiji push hands can range from very gentle to very athletic, and can adapt to most physical challenges.&#xA; I can also recommend weapons based forms (jodo, kendo, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2019-02-10T22:38:42.467" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8850" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8848" CreationDate="2019-02-11T21:49:14.160" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends on what you mean by beading off:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you mean that there are holes, it will compromise safety, a toe could get caught in the hole.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you mean that the coloring is wearing away, it's still sound - but maybe not be for competition.  You might train with it, but a protector that is discolored can be a problem for refereeing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you mean that the outer shell is coming away from the undershell, forming bubbles, then you should be fine - although it will not likely last long.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, there are no resurfacing options that I'm aware of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2019-02-11T21:49:14.160" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8851" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-02-12T13:54:24.983" Score="4" ViewCount="70" Body="&lt;p&gt;I regularly scan through google scholar for papers and training studies related to TKD, and I came &lt;a href=&quot;https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2009/07000/Taekwondo__Physiological_Responses_and_Match.9.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;across this study&lt;/a&gt; on physiological responses and other correlations in STF (Songahm TKD Federation, which used to be the designation for the South American branch of the ATA).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They don't say the event, but label it as a &quot;Major event&quot; for Brazil, which probably means our Pan American tournament. Speaking from experience at Worlds, the SA contingent comes to play, and they play hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was looking at some of the kick correlations and counts between the &quot;winners and non-winners&quot; as they label them, and it's labeled as 19, +/- 10. So as low as 9 and as high as 29. With two minutes per match (And I believe all matches went to time rather than the 5 point limit), isn't that a range that is so wide as to be statistically meaningless? Or is there some other interpretation that I'm missing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2019-02-12T20:41:48.083" Title="Study on Songahm TKD sparring matches - Wide count ranges?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8852" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8853" CreationDate="2019-02-12T15:17:37.343" Score="2" ViewCount="254" Body="&lt;p&gt;I figured a very effective workout for punching muscles is elevated pushups which strengthens chest and arms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Elevated pushups don't require any equipment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for a similar workout regarding leg/kicking muscles which is very &lt;strong&gt;effective&lt;/strong&gt; and doesn't require any &lt;strong&gt;equipment&lt;/strong&gt;. Can anybody help?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9518" LastActivityDate="2019-02-13T15:14:33.847" Title="Simple workout for kicking/leg muscles" Tags="|kicking|exercise|footwork|anatomy|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8853" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8852" CreationDate="2019-02-12T16:46:46.167" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kicking is more than just strength. There's speed also. Combining both gives you power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But since you asked just about the strength aspect, that's what I'll respond to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With barbells or dumbbells: Deadlift, Squat, Bulgarian Split Squats, Lunges, Step-Ups. That works the entire muscle stack. Of those, the Split Squats are probably your best bet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without any weights, the Bulgarian Split Squat. But if you have no dumbbells you can use (buy them used, they're cheap!), you can just grab stuff in your environment. Consider loading books into two different bags and hold the bags one in each hand as you do the split squat. Or hold something with both hands out in front of you or over you with arms fully extended as you do the squat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing about the Bulgarian Split Squat is that it's pretty hard even without added weight. It works not just the major muscles like quads, glutes, and hamstrings, it also works the stabilizer muscles that are important for kicking. And to some degree, it also works the torso, traps, and shoulders (depending on what you're doing with your upper body).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are different types of single leg squats that you can do to increase the level of difficulty. Watch this video to get some ideas:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UJLJl3qUaU&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UJLJl3qUaU&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-02-12T17:44:26.147" LastActivityDate="2019-02-12T17:44:26.147" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8854" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8851" CreationDate="2019-02-12T20:35:07.207" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question is with regards to a table of statistics in the article:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/sUmAZ.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/sUmAZ.png&quot; alt=&quot;TKD winning vs. losing technique count&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This table is derived by looking at the winners and losers of events. Each winner is analyzed to determine which techniques they used to score and their count. So for example, a winner might have scored 3 points by round kick, one point by side kick, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then for all the winners, they look at the distribution of points scored just using the round kick. And they then derive the median and standard deviation. Those are the numbers you see in the table, I believe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They do the same for each type of kick in the table. And then they do that for losers as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Totals are shown also. In that case, it's lumping both the winners and losers together and doing the same analysis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, don't confuse &lt;strong&gt;error margin&lt;/strong&gt; with standard deviation. The two are not the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The median values are what you should probably take away from this. If you do that, you'll see that &lt;strong&gt;round kicks win at a rate of almost 3 times that of side kicks&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to glean from the data is that the point count is actually less with the winners than the losers. That means that &lt;strong&gt;winners are more precise, throwing less techniques but scoring more&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And finally, you can also see that the winners almost never use anything other than round kick and side kick. Whereas the &lt;strong&gt;losers are throwing a larger variation of different kicks&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This data confirms what I've said before: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4764/what-is-the-best-point-scoring-technique/4768#4768&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4763/how-to-defeat-a-much-stronger-and-bigger-opponent/4769#4769&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, if you want to win, &lt;strong&gt;you should focus your training on the fastest, simplest, most direct techniques you have&lt;/strong&gt;. These are techniques that can be used in the most situations and which can be done quickly and with the least risk should things go wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For Taekwondo, that means round kick, front kick, and side kick. (It's weird that they didn't show the stats for front kicks, since that has traditionally been a high percentage technique in TKD.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You do not want to use techniques that aren't direct, leave you in jeopardy, or take extra time to execute. For example, the butterfly kick requires time to setup and execute, resulting in telegraphing what you're doing. It also puts you in jeopardy, because your head is brought down low into the path of kicks, while your hands are nowhere near your head to block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any sort of spinning kick qualifies here as well. You're taking your eyes off your opponent, even if it's just for a moment. You're unbalancing yourself and possibly making yourself dizzy and disoriented. And you're taking extra time to do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fatigue is also something to consider. The techniques that have a lot of superfluous movement (aren't simple, quick, and direct) will cause you to use the most energy. That can increase muscle fatigue which reduces accuracy, speed, and power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other thing. The kicks listed in the table are merely a description of what happened and shouldn't serve as a prescription for what you should train. It's just one particular event, so it may not be representative of TKD as a whole. Also, it looks like the table is not complete. In particular, the front kick is missing from the data. Did nobody win any points by front kick? I'm pretty sure they did, but the table just doesn't list it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bottom line: What's most important is the general concept I laid out above: &lt;strong&gt;Stick to simple, quick, direct techniques if you want to win&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-02-12T20:41:48.083" LastActivityDate="2019-02-12T20:41:48.083" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8855" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8851" CreationDate="2019-02-12T20:35:28.333" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The high variance is not an issue for determining that winners use fewer techniques than non-winners. This difference is reported as statistically significant (p &amp;lt; 0.05); there are enough observations to make the this claim. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Match winners use a mean of 19 techniques, with a standard deviation of 10. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Match non-winners (their term) use a mean of 35 techniques, with a standard deviation of 10. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because +/- term is in standard deviations, there may be matches where a winner uses fewer than 9 techniques or more than 29 techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would also call the difference of 16 techniques between winners and losers practically significant. It isn't the case that the difference is small and statistical significance is achieved by making a huge number of observations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-02-12T20:35:28.333" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8856" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8863" CreationDate="2019-02-12T23:38:26.300" Score="1" ViewCount="322" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been going to weekly (group) lessons of Tai Chi (Chen style) for 3 months; in the last month or so, I have found I get an overwhelming wave of negative energy, starting about 5 minutes after the session ends.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel oppressed by a need for violence, almost a killer instinct (general, not directed toward a specific person or target), self-disruptive thoughts alternating with inward depressive feelings. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is something I have never experienced before in my life; even if I have had very low moments in the past, I can say I am quite fine right now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The negative wave lasts for about 2 hours after the session has ended, and I am left with a sense of puzzlement and confusion. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why is this happening?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Am I doing something wrong during my exercises? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thank you for your help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9709" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-02-14T09:08:43.277" LastActivityDate="2019-02-16T14:34:03.243" Title="Why am I overwhelmed by negative energy after training?" Tags="|training|self-training|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="15" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8857" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-02-13T02:57:11.373" Score="1" ViewCount="188" Body="&lt;p&gt;As the title mentions. I want to learn serious self defense skills while taking into consideration my arthritic knees.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TY&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9911" LastActivityDate="2019-02-13T02:57:11.373" Title="I am 41 yrs old with no martial arts training suffering with osteoarthritis of the knees. Which martial art is best suited for me?" Tags="|training|self-training|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2019-02-16T23:38:39.763" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8858" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8856" CreationDate="2019-02-13T11:17:36.507" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Note that I am answering this from a &lt;strong&gt;traditional martial arts&lt;/strong&gt; viewpoint, there can be many reasons why you are feeling the way you do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you are experiencing would likely be described as &lt;em&gt;&quot;an excess of energy in the fire meridians&quot;&lt;/em&gt; (the pericardium, triple warmer, heart and small intestine meridians). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not familiar with Chen style Tai Chi so I can't comment on what components of your exercises would be causing it. It could also be caused by a blockage in other meridians that follow (stomach, spleen, or the governing and conception meridians). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the karate world, the Heian/Pinan katas are known for being effective in dissipating fire energy. I suggest you first discuss this with your instructor, but a traditional Chinese doctor or acupuncturist may also be able to help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2019-02-13T11:17:36.507" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8859" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8852" CreationDate="2019-02-13T12:36:56.823" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've found that the same exercises that basketball players use to improve their jump shots are very effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Explosive power&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You tend to want explosive power.  Most of what we do is kick fast (not just repetitions, but a single kick itself needs to be fast).  We need to build fast twitch muscles, that aids in fast contracting of the muscles needed for the kick.  We tend to be less concerned with the slow twitch muscles, which is what is needed for gripping power.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So when we want to throw a round house or front kick, we want to activate the Rectus femoris - the front muscles of the upper leg.  That opens the knee joint, and we want to do that so quickly as to snap the foot forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When we want to issue a hook kick, then the upper rear leg muscles, the Semitendinosus and Biceps femoris, will help bring the lower leg back - the opposite of the front and round kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When we want to throw a crescent kick or an axe kick, then the abductors and adductors (adductor magnus and adductor longus, the lats, etc) all work to contract the muscles to effect this kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so the way to develop these muscles is through plyometric exercises.  These are timed and repeated sets of strength and flexibility exercises.  You do one set with as many reps as you can properly do, then you repeat that number in repeated sets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, there are many other supporting muscles, and so there are many exercises you can do.  But here's an example of a simple exercise - you'll repeat for multiple sets, and adjust the reps to suit you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Standing leg lift.  Stand feet parallel; lift left leg straight up to the side as explosively as possible.  You can add foot weights or use bands to make it more difficult.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Repeat for a full set, then repeat for 2 or 3 sets.  You do this for 5 directions: left leg directions are 2:00, 12:00, 10:00, 9:00, and 6:00 positions; right leg is 10:00, 12:00, 2:00, 3:00, and 6:00.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You've lifted 10 reps * 3 sets * 5 directions, or 150 lifts, for the left leg, and similarly for the right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technique is extremely important, so be sure your lifts are not swings - you're not using momentum to lift; rather, you're using the leg muscles to lift.  Also, maintain your posture - keep the back straight, and don't use the arms to help swing.  You can brace yourself against a wall or chair to keep balance.  Also, be sure you breathe out on the explosive lift, and breathe in when you return to starting position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is but one exercise.  You want to find similar exercises for the glutes, the lower abdominals, and lower legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conditioning the leg and foot&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ok, so your kicks are fast.  What's going to happen when you kick something?  If you're not careful, you'll hurt yourself, whether your kicks are blocked or you kick a kicking bag.  So you need to condition the kicking surfaces of the foot and leg.  You can do those extreme exercises of kicking trees and flag poles, but in my opinion, those are too extreme and too dangerous.  If you're going pro, a trainer will help you here.  But for most people, you don't need or want that kind of training.  So, you kick heavy bags - nothing more is needed.  Here, repetition is key, as well as rest and recovery.  Building mild calluses and desensitizing the contact areas is the goal here.  Remember, extreme conditioning is going to hurt you in the long run, so don't overdo it.  Kicking until you're bleeding only serves to hold you back on the healing, plus you have a lot of cleanup to do.  Take it easy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Developing technique&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, none of this is going to help your technique, so, a 3rd exercise is the kicks themselves.  Practice your various kicks in different contexts: slow and dynamic, fast and repetitive, and for power.  Change it up often.  Here, a trainer helps.  Every single kick ought to be critiqued for technique, no matter how tiny the correction needs to be.  Here, you focus on all the supporting body parts that go into the kick: breathing, balance, arms, head, torso, standing leg, etc.  Here, everything counts.  You may want to develop exercises for these parts of the body as well.  For example, if you issue a roundhouse, but your head dips too far back, then you need to look at why your torso is falling back.  So, the lower abs would be the first thing to look at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;About pushups&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, pushups are fine - but the right ones are better.  Those that are done with plyometrics in mind are best for Taekwondo, kickboxing, and boxing, because there is no grappling here.  So clapping pushups are better than standard pushups, because they are plyometric in nature.  That explosive movement is what you need.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, if you were a grappler, then you want to develop the slow-twitch muscle fibers because you want gripping power, so, standard pushups are better.  For MMA fighters, you want to develop both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We in Taekwondo don't do grappling, so, we tend to not want to do regular pushups.  The clapping pushups are better because we prefer to punch.  (And, if you really want snappy forms/poomsae/hyung, nothing except plyometric pushups will do.  Go for the 100 Pushup Challenge - just do clapping pushups instead.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pushups in any of their variants (clapping, knuckle, diamond, one handed, fingertip, wrist, etc) are fine, but you can change it up with different techniques.  Have a partner (preferably a lighter child!) stand on your shoulders as you do the pushups.  Or do them on a decline.  Do them to someone's count - but make the count vary widely in tempo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We make it fun on occasion, working toward the 100 Pushup Challenge.  In this case, the stronger students get into pushup position, but then get their children to do the same - except the kids start out on dad's back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said that, a pushup is not the end-all-be-all for upper arm strength; that's because the arms are not fully developed.  Pushups primarily develop shoulders and chest, but you'll want something for arms.  Nevertheless, this is out of scope of the question, so I'll leave it there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://hundredpushups.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Hundred Pushup Challenge&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://hundredpushups.com/hpu_pocket.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Hundred Pushup Challenge Pocket Reference&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2019-02-13T15:14:33.847" LastActivityDate="2019-02-13T15:14:33.847" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8860" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8861" CreationDate="2019-02-13T18:10:38.633" Score="3" ViewCount="158" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the following &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_OSjcI0dDY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;, we see several techniques for disarming a knife-wielding assailant. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are the techniques effective and realistic? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there other techniques? Is there a way to get close to the other side of the assailant and to control the knife?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-02-14T09:04:15.473" LastActivityDate="2019-02-14T14:12:16.567" Title="Third Party Defence from Knife" Tags="|krav-maga|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8861" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8860" CreationDate="2019-02-14T14:12:16.567" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;My problem with these internet demonstration videos is that they always feature at least semi-willing accomplices, who know that the purpose of the video is to demonstrate how effective the technique being used actually is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, the techniques shown &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; be effective, but they assume a couple of things:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Proximity - The technique presumes that you are allowed to get into a position close enough to be able to actually &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; the technique.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Grip and strength - The technique also assumes that your strength and surprise is enough to overcome his strength and tension, as well as your grip being strong enough to control the arm.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What happens if the knife holder is significantly stronger than you? What happens if your grip slips off during the grab? (Hint, the reflexive tightening of the forearm will drive the knife back up towards the throat, you do the math). What happens if you can't get close enough, or the knife holder moves away as you approach? What if it's raining and/or the guy is wearing thick clothing? There are too many variables to simply say &quot;Yeah, that's effective&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For your other question, yes, there are myriad ways to approach someone, move around them, grab/control the knife hand, disarms, etc. Almost every art out there has some form of blade related defense. I'm trained in the Human Factors Research Group variants, PPCT, gun disarms, etc. The system is great (IMHO), but am &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;I&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; good enough to apply them in a stress situation? I don't know, never had to use it yet, thankfully.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So yes, the techniques &lt;em&gt;could&lt;/em&gt; be effective depending on the conditions and skill of the practitioner, but like everything, it could also go horribly wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2019-02-14T14:12:16.567" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8862" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8856" CreationDate="2019-02-14T17:37:17.337" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two aspects to what you describe, and I'll address both separately and then together.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first aspect is just feeling &lt;strong&gt;stimulated and energetic&lt;/strong&gt; after Taiji practice. That's actually normal. This same stimulated feeling can happen when you're just interacting with a bunch of people socially. After the meeting, you just feel happy, alive, and energetic. You might be more talkative. Your mind will be racing with all kinds of thoughts. And you might feel that you need to move your body a lot more than normal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This stimulated effect does wear off on its own. It can take some people hours to come down from this. If you're taking martial arts classes at night, it can actually cause you to lose sleep, because you feel so stimulated that you can't fall asleep at your regular time. I know that's true for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hypothesize that what's actually happening physiologically is that your adrenal glands are more active and your brain is releasing a lot of dopamine. In other words, you're feeling stimulated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, all of that is pretty normal. Most people will feel that way for some time after martial arts practice or even just any kind of positive social interaction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other aspect you mentioned is that you feel &lt;strong&gt;overwhelmed by negative, self-destructive, and depressed feelings&lt;/strong&gt; after Taiji practice. And this disturbs you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So here's the thing. Martial arts practice will evoke violent thoughts, even if they're only in the subconscious. That's just because you're doing things like punching and kicking. You're imagining a fight. And for some people, this can trigger negative psychological states.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a reason for your particular psychological reaction. You might not be aware of it, though. And I could only guess at it here. (Could be PTSD from being bullied or previous military experience, could be seeing your parents fight, could be due to being an HSP - highly sensitive personality, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To help figure it out, if it is something that concerns you (and it sounds like it does), you should consider making an appointment with a psychologist. A qualified psychologist can help you realize what's behind the negative thoughts and why they're triggered by martial arts practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The stimulated state is, I believe, combining with and amplifying the negative psychological reaction you're having.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One way you can come down off of the stimulated state faster is to do &lt;strong&gt;high intensity exercise&lt;/strong&gt; after Taiji class. You want to get that excess energy out of your system. Exercise yourself to exhaustion. If you do it with high intensity, it might only take 10 to 30 minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try sprinting, jumping rope, punching a punching bag, doing burpees, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you're exhausted, you'll probably find it easier to relax and fall asleep at night.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that still doesn't address the negative psychological state you mentioned. Since you mentioned depression and self-destructive thoughts, I highly recommend seeing a psychologist who can figure out what the cause is. It could be an indication of something you never knew you had. If left to its own, other things in your life might trigger this, or it might become worse. This can result in manic outbursts that hurt you or others around you, emotionally and/or physically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other thing that occurred to me was that you mentioned you only experience the negative psychological state 5 minutes after class, not during class. This can have a number of explanations. Some are psychological, as I mentioned before. Some are neurological.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The neurological component may be due to a sudden drop-off of dopamine or other kinds of neurotransmitters after the class ends. So you're feeling high and then all of the sudden it goes away, and so now you're experiencing the rebound effect. This neurological effect has been known to trigger depression and self-destructive thoughts in people before. It almost sounds like a minor case of acute manic depression (bipolar disorder), but I'm definitely not qualified to make a diagnosis like that, so take what I say with a huge grain of salt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you might benefit from seeing a psychiatrist in addition to your psychologist. They can often prescribe medication to help regulate these sorts of things going on in the brain. If I were you, I'd first see a psychologist and talk about what's happening and ask if a psychiatrist might be a better choice for this issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, try the high intensity exercise trick I mentioned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2019-02-14T17:37:17.337" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8863" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8856" CreationDate="2019-02-16T14:34:03.243" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Exercise affects how you feel. Whether you describe this feeling in terms of meridians or dopamine is immaterial; you personally have no objective way to measure either of these things. You can think of taiji as an experiment where your variable is the exercises you perform and the observations are the feelings after training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Exhausting yourself after taiji practice is counterproductive. One goal of taiji training is to become more sensitive and aware of your body; exercising to exhaustion after taiji practice will work directly against this goal. A major part of training is learning not just how to use muscles but how not to use muscles, which includes how to relax and eliminate tension, which is the opposite of exercising to exhaustion. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not clear at all what you are doing in training, and specifically whether you have changed your training in some way that might be expected to be detrimental. Your teacher is supposed to be your guide in this respect. Feeling depression,  anger, or aggression is not what I usually associate with taiji training; I would consider this to be problem requiring correction. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two distinct possibilities that require different actions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You are inducing the feelings of depression and anger through your exercise. &#xA;If you are inducing these feelings, change your selection or emphasis of exercises. Especially if your training did not formerly cause these feelings, adjust. This is one of the reasons internal training is not suited to group classes; your body may need different adjustments than others. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You body is in a poor state, and you are now becoming aware of this. In this case further training should move you past this hump. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-02-16T14:34:03.243" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8864" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8187" CreationDate="2019-02-17T19:36:52.833" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;As in all Tai Chi postures, the knees should point in the direction of the toes. As the angle between the feet can vary from 90° to 135° in this posture, the knees should be very open. Only like this can you achieve a stable posture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the knees are pointing inward, not only will your posture not be stable, you'll overly strain your knee joints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why do people often turn the knees inside? Because it is easier to squat low like this. If you do it with the correct knee alignment, it is much harder to squat low, but you will have  very good stability, you can even withstand a lot of pressure from the side in this position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With &quot;bend the left foot almost straight&quot; I presume you mean bending the left leg almost straight. Don't do it. It might look cool but not only is it unstable, it also makes the front knee very vulnerable to kicking attacks: if the joint is locked (straight), it can easily be broken. In this way, you will have less discomfort in your right knee, because you do the posture with both legs, as you should (of course most of the weight ist still on the hind leg).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice: begin by practicing the posture with the upper body completely straight and don't squat down lower than you can with the knees open (pointing to the toes). With time you will be able to go lower and lower. In the end you can bend forward with a straight back and if you have practiced diligently, you might be able to pick up a coin with your mouth like Yang Lu Chan and Yang Pan Hou. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9829" LastActivityDate="2019-02-17T19:36:52.833" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8865" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5100" CreationDate="2019-02-17T19:51:05.553" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Slow down the movements if you're practicing alone. Adjust the breath to the movements if you're doing applications or partner exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the beginning it is better not to worry about the synchronization between breath and the movements, it is better to just breathe naturally. After a while you are taught the logic that links the movements to the breathing and you can coordinate them. Don't do this too early! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you have learned the position-breath coordination, the breathing should be even, with succeeding inhalations and exhalations lasting the same amount of time. The Tai Chi movements are designed to accomodate this, but you might have to do some slight adjustments compared to your earlier training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are training within a group or with a video, it's probably better to follow your own breathing pattern than trying to do it in coordination with the movements, otherwise you can end up out of breath or experiencing some discomfort. Of course if the speed of the group suits your breathing pattern, you can coordinate your breathing with the other practicioners!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9829" LastActivityDate="2019-02-17T19:51:05.553" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8866" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1009" CreationDate="2019-02-18T10:56:22.630" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Having a root means being able to redirect any incoming force into the ground. In Tai Chi, learning to root yourself is a very important part of the training. The method is not to just lower the center of gravity, but to activate the spirals in your limbs and body, so that force from any direction can be redirected to the ground. To achieve this, the joints must be open and the muscles shouldn't be stiff. At a higher level, it seems almost miraculous, but this level is rarely seen, although there are some people good at it and not only from Tai Chi, but also from other internal arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To uproot means to break this connection to the ground in your adversary or practice-partner. Uprooting is a fundamental element in any Tai Chi application, there is never an action without prior uprooting. While uprooting normal adversaries is quite easy, trying to uproot an experienced Tai Chi practicioner (or someone from an other art with experience in rooting) is another matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tai Chi has very special strategies to uproot an adversary, which can seem &quot;magical&quot;, as they do not use linear strength. As uprooting is always done &lt;strong&gt;before&lt;/strong&gt; the application, it is not done with a visible movement but with the ominous &quot;Chi&quot;-energy. As there is a lot of scepticism about &quot;Chi&quot;, I propose to use the term &quot;Chi&quot; as a working assumption for the fine-grained mechanisms used, whatever they might be. In authentic Yang style Tai Chi Chuan, the breathing plays a major role in these uprooting strategies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tai Chi is very famous for its uprooting prowesses and there are numerous stories from the Yang family about sending people flying away without any visible movement involved. Don't dismiss these stories too easily! Unfortunately there are not many people left who can demonstrate this authoritatively but sadly there are many trying to mimic those effects using levers and force-redirection which in Tai Chi are only beginner's methods. The few genuine masters demonstrating this skill are ridiculed because it looks even faker than the fakes, notably because it cannot be understood from an oversimplified physical perspective (although I'm certainly not saying that there are no physics involved). Even for knowledgeable people it is not easy to discern the real deal from the fake stuff, but if you ever get the chance to touch hands with such a person, you will know! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9829" LastActivityDate="2019-02-18T10:56:22.630" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8867" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2370" CreationDate="2019-02-18T11:13:02.783" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your teacher is right, as ist the classic text you cited.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Doing it the opposite way isn't necessarily wrong. In the beginning, it seems more &quot;natural&quot; to inhale while rising the arms and to exhale while lowering the arms. Nothing wrong with that, it is a good exercise for your diaphragm and for learning to breathe deeply.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, when you begin to test the actions of the movements, you'll notice that you get stuck if you inhale while raising the arms, especially against a resisting training partner. Lowering the arms with your training partner pulling can be done while inhaling, although exhaling is also possible (the principles are not that simple! :D ).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on the teacher, you'll learn the breathing coordinated with the action right away (breathing out while raising the arms, breathing in while lowering the arms) or at a more advanced stage only (so you might begin training breathing the &quot;natural&quot; way first).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the applications, inhaling has a special purpose (prior to the action), all actions are done while exhaling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9829" LastActivityDate="2019-02-18T11:13:02.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8869" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1269" CreationDate="2019-02-19T07:58:37.997" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;If you got into a fight, your training already failed you&quot;. It's easy to object to this sentence, because obviously it isn't true and can't be. As other people's answers already pointed out, you may end up in a fight without any fault on your part. But still there is also some wisdom in this statement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The meaning behind this assertion is that your training aims at building up your confidence, which translates into &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;having a confident demeanor, a body-language which reflects self-assurance in a non-aggressive way&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;being able to remain calm in situations where you are confronted with aggressiveness&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;being polite and humble, so you don't unnecessarily provoke negative reactions in others&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These qualities will prevent &lt;strong&gt;most&lt;/strong&gt; situations where you might end up in a physical altercation. A fight is a situation where a lot of things already went wrong. Even in the animal world, fights over territory or females are often avoided, when the balance of power can be evaluated beforehand. That's the meaning of this statement and of course there can be situations where you have to fight, where you can't back down, when you have to protect someone for example or when a situation gets out of hand without you being involved in the escalation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have also to keep in mind that this kind of assertion probably comes from an Asian background and is not meant to be bullet-proof true from a purely logical point of view. It is a saying that aims to convey a certain wisdom and mindset not to be clung to in every situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9829" LastEditorUserId="9829" LastEditDate="2019-02-19T12:25:44.210" LastActivityDate="2019-02-19T12:25:44.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8870" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-02-19T09:47:13.733" Score="3" ViewCount="543" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many times, when my sensei teaches me a technique, he takes reference from either wrestling or grappling. I always thought the two are different terms for the same art until the master told me that it's not the case and wrestling is different grappling. But, I still couldn't understand the difference between the two. Can someone help me understand it clearly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9885" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-02-21T15:02:05.780" LastActivityDate="2019-02-22T02:29:53.643" Title="Difference between wrestling and grappling" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|mixed-martial-arts|grappling|terminology|wrestling|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8871" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8870" CreationDate="2019-02-19T11:41:11.793" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Quite frankly, there is no objective difference between the two, so it's more likely simply a distinction created by your teacher. Most likely, he's differentiating between Western techniques one might see in amateur Greco-Roman wrestling, and grappling techniques seen in something like Brazilian Jujitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-02-19T11:41:11.793" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8872" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6923" CreationDate="2019-02-19T13:18:16.077" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately there is no such measurement. Although I don't think it's impossible, one would have to take the following things into consideration:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts are usually created for a certain purpose in a specific context. Thus, to compare two arts you'd have to compare them in a specific context, otherwise it makes no sense. One of these special contexts is MMA with its specific ruleset and other situational components, like a certain number of rounds, an octagon and so on. If you want to know which art fares best under these circumstances, you can test them against each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does that mean these arts are also the best in another context, for example military missions, street-fighting, fighting against multiple adversaries? Likely not. While grappling is great against an adversary who is not versed in grappling himself in a one-to-one confrontation, it may be a bad idea to roll on the ground with someone who has a knife or his friends standing by.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also important to note that each rule in a fight profoundly influences the way techniques are done and how one protects itself. If head butts are encouraged, like in Lethwei (Burmese bareknuckle boxing), fighters adopt different stances than, say, in Muay Thai where these techniques are forbidden. The same applies to attacks to the groin: if they are forbidden by the rules, there is no more need to protect oneself against them. This gives the fighter new opportunities in a competition but may prove a problem in a fight with no such rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One could argue that death matches as they have been common in Asia and also in Europe some 100+ years ago are way more &quot;realistic&quot; than MMA and that's probably true, but even these are situations where you need different skills than in the midst of the chaos of a battlefield or fighting in a crowd.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many martial arts have evolved (or devolved, depending on the point of view) from a self-defense centered-training to a competition-centered training. Some call this &quot;watered-down&quot;, but in fact it's the adaptation to another environment. You lose some self-defense-skills and you gain skills in the specific circumstances of a competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, many arts have lost their edge because they didn't have to stand any real tests or challenges for a long time. They just &quot;believed&quot; in their deadliness and didn't bother come out of their comfort zone anymore. Some have lost their inner secrets, some have just neglected the practical side of training: sparring. No wonder their proponents fail miserably when challenged by modern MMA fighters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nonetheless I think it would be great to define certain circumstances (such as a knife attack in the street, fighting in narrow space or in the dark, fighting against multiple armed or unarmed attackers, etc...) and evaluate what different arts have to offer and which one fares best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9829" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-03-20T10:38:27.877" LastActivityDate="2019-03-20T10:38:27.877" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8873" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-02-19T16:30:04.547" Score="2" ViewCount="339" Body="&lt;p&gt;It took me nearly four years to get a black belt in Taekwondo but it ultimately still felt like I'd achieved nothing. Yeah, I can fight against people my age, but I still felt a little overwhelmed by people larger than me. I want to learn something like Krav Maga but I'm afraid that my age and weight will ostracize me. I have severe social anxiety and depression, and I'm fine with people yelling at me, but I'm not fine with people talking down to me. I'm on the low end of obesity, and I have been trying to eat better but I want to do something more &quot;stimulating,&quot; because I have ADHD and exercise makes me want to run into oncoming traffic. How tolerant is the community? Will I do okay? I just don't want to be a burden on anyone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9918" LastActivityDate="2019-02-26T13:20:53.410" Title="I'm overweight and rather young, and I want to lose a bit. What should I do?" Tags="|krav-maga|weight|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8874" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8873" CreationDate="2019-02-19T19:49:10.453" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think your anxiety and self-esteem are your primary enemies. This is a very real thing for you, I know. I get it. And it's not something you can just snap your fingers and get over. You're a highly sensitive person (HSP) from what it sounds like, and your low self-esteem is probably contributing to your social anxiety, self-consciousness about your weight, and your depression.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may already be seeing a psychologist for these issues. If not, I highly recommend it. A qualified psychologist can figure out what the underlying issues are and can give you evidence-based treatment that will actually address them head-on. Psychologists don't treat mental health issues with drugs, by the way. That's what psychiatrists do. (Although, your psychologist may refer you to one if he/she sees that it could help.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, I don't think martial arts alone will be able to solve these kinds of issues. It can help in limited ways. Yes, you'll be stronger, maybe thinner and more muscular. Yes, the right choice in martial art will allow you to be able to actually fight well. But in the end, you'll still have all or most of these issues you mentioned, believe it or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So do both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, that aside, what martial art would allow you to lose weight, gain muscle, and get better at actually being able to fight while keeping your attention from wandering during class and while not bullying you?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga is a martial art you mentioned specifically. I'm going to steer you towards something else, because I don't like the idea of young people learning Krav Maga. I explain this at &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6895/am-i-allowed-to-start-krav-maga-training-at-14/6897#6897&quot;&gt;my answer here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe your best bet is to learn Brazilian Jiujitsu or Judo. Both styles are going to teach you how to actually fight, although I think BJJ has the edge due to its emphasis on having a complete self-defense strategy, especially involving submissions, punch/kick defense, take-down defense, and ground fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Right now I believe you're cringing at the thought of doing BJJ. You've seen BJJ schools, and they look really competitive and filled with aggressive guys trying to dominate their opponent. It's performance based, and you're worried you're going to do poorly and make a spectacle of yourself, where everyone will make fun of you and call you names. You're worried that you're not strong enough and not athletic enough. You feel like you need to first get in shape before ever even thinking about joining a BJJ school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, you don't think you're cut out for that kind of a school. You don't think you're the right fit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You know what? That's your anxiety talking. It's keeping you back. None of that is going to happen. Your first day of BJJ class, you're going to paired either with the instructor or one of the senior students who will take you aside and teach you the ropes. They want you to succeed. They don't care if you can't do a single sit-up, for example. That's okay. They won't call you names or laugh at you. &lt;strong&gt;All they expect of you is that you come to class regularly and work at it from whatever starting point you're at.&lt;/strong&gt; Put in the time and effort, and you'll get better. Each of them were beginners at one point themselves, and they all got better. You will, too. Trust in that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And one other thing. Resist the temptation to compare yourself with others. You should only look at yourself and your own progress over time. That's what your teachers are looking at, not how you're doing compared with others who started at the same time. They know it's different for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some BJJ schools are better than others for this, by the way. Use yelp reviews to help you. Some schools will be more aggressive and more competition based. Others will focus on the fundamentals of self-defense at least until blue belt. I recommend the latter for you. The Gracie Barra schools don't even have you do sport-based anything until blue belt. Until then, they're all about self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most BJJ schools have kids and teen classes. At around 16 years old is when they transition students into the adult classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Visit some schools near you. And before you start looking, make a commitment to joining a school by some date, say 3 months from now. Write it down on your calendar. When that date arrives, you must make a choice and sign up for your first class by the end of that day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I mentioned Judo also. Judo has a lot going for it as well. One thing you'll notice is that it tends to have an emphasis on throws instead of ground fighting. That's useful for self-defense, too. And I think most people notice that Judo schools tend to be less aggressive and competitive than BJJ schools are. Judo schools are very kids and family oriented as well. So visit some Judo schools near you, also. See the difference for yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for physical fitness and losing weight, BJJ and Judo both give you a good workout. But I think the edge goes to BJJ from what I've seen. It depends on the school, but BJJ classes can be quite physically challenging.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How physically challenging it is for you depends on you. You'll hear stories about how new students on their first day of BJJ class had to throw up in a bucket it was so hard for them. Yeah, it's because those students really overdid it. Don't do that. Know your limits. Put in good effort, but don't kill yourself. You'll see everyone doing stuff, and you're going to keep trying hard and failing at first. Don't worry. That's normal. You'll get better over time. You don't have to rise to their level the first day. Or even the first year. You'll get there in your own time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-02-19T22:09:09.960" LastActivityDate="2019-02-19T22:09:09.960" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8875" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-02-19T20:49:15.090" Score="4" ViewCount="208" Body="&lt;p&gt;From what I see some Sambo fighters practice BJJ too, Khabib Nurmagomedov for example. Why would they do that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9919" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-24T11:42:10.493" LastActivityDate="2020-02-24T11:42:10.493" Title="Why do Sambo fighters practice BJJ as well?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|sambo|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8876" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8875" CreationDate="2019-02-19T21:20:46.640" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Presumably, they do so for the same reason most MMA fighters cross-train, to increase their breadth of techniques and to get practice fighting against other styles. For example, an often under-appreciated benefit to cross-training with other styles is that it gets you to try techniques against people who don't know how the technique is &quot;supposed&quot; to work, which can help eliminate magical thinking about the efficacy of a given technique. The classic example is people practicing &quot;no touch&quot; martial arts whose powers only really work against their own students, but even in more practical styles, students who had an initially painful response to a particular technique are more likely to tap out early or not look for counters, because they really don't want their elbow dislocated again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-04-22T01:28:10.477" LastActivityDate="2019-04-22T01:28:10.477" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8877" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-02-19T23:15:10.500" Score="3" ViewCount="279" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a martial art that has &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IkNAYp3HCw&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=67&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tekken 2's Lee's &quot;back flip kick&quot;&lt;/a&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9359" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-02-20T07:39:20.590" LastActivityDate="2020-05-31T17:33:02.007" Title="Is there a martial art that has Tekken 2's Lee's &quot;back flip kick&quot;?" Tags="|jump-kick|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8878" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7382" CreationDate="2019-02-20T01:08:10.327" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As an Isshin-ryū practitioner I know sensei Shimabuku had trained Japanese officers during WW2, so the infusion of a large amount of Jujitsu in Isshin-ryū wouldn't be alarming to say the least. Not to mention he was very fond of Kumite and Kobudo, so if the vertical fist was stronger/faster for him, I would not doubt one bit he built upon what worked well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9920" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2019-02-20T08:13:41.623" LastActivityDate="2019-02-20T08:13:41.623" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8879" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8875" CreationDate="2019-02-20T06:40:17.503" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a lot of crossover between the different grappling arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp; when people fight, they more often than naught have a specific &quot;game&quot; they play. Some prefer leglocks, and some go more for chokes. Some play defense, others... you get the idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By training in different styles of grappling, practitioners can expose themselves to different techniques which they can then add to their own specific style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ever person fights a little differently depending on their body-types &amp;amp; experience level; as well as, who they're fighting. Cross training is a great way to pick up new tricks that are outside of (and even complimentary to) what you'd normally practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9638" LastActivityDate="2019-02-20T06:40:17.503" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8880" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8877" CreationDate="2019-02-20T07:38:54.223" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think you are looking at &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capoeira&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;capoeira&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2019-02-20T07:38:54.223" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8881" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8882" CreationDate="2019-02-20T14:46:09.803" Score="3" ViewCount="117" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a woman in its late 20s and I practice &lt;code&gt;TKD WTF&lt;/code&gt;. However despite that I can kick to the head, my kicks do not have &lt;code&gt;strength&lt;/code&gt; in them and I hit with my toes instead of my instep. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;How can I improve both the strength and precision of my kicks?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I talked to my Sabomin but he thinks it is only a matter of &lt;code&gt;distance&lt;/code&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to improve both characteristics, but I need to have more strength, so I am searching for exercises to improve it. I know the hips had to do with it, but I don't know what to do to make them generate more &lt;em&gt;force&lt;/em&gt; when kicking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I kick to the pads, I don't have problems kicking with my instep but in sparring I have trouble with it. What I can do to improve &lt;code&gt;precision&lt;/code&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6665" LastEditorUserId="457" LastEditDate="2019-02-20T15:34:37.200" LastActivityDate="2019-02-20T18:32:28.960" Title="Improving kick strength and precision" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|kicking|strength|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8882" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8881" CreationDate="2019-02-20T18:32:28.960" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You may have two problems.  Your sabumnim identified that you need to close your distance more; yet you felt that you lack strength.  I can say that strength is not the reason you hit with toes instead of instep - that is definitely an issue of distance, so I do agree with sabumnim.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, you might have other manifest problems that have much to do with strength at your ranges of motion.  To resolve this, you need to work on isometric exercises.  These both increase your flexibility as well give you strength at your extreme ranges of motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an example of one exercise, and there are many, see how this works, and then apply it to different kinds of kicks:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stand with your right hand against a wall, elbow slightly bent.  Normally, I'd have feet parallel; but in this case, since we're working on strength at greatest range of motion, I'd suggest opening the foot more to allow greater height.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, lift your left leg to the side (9:00 direction) as high as you can.  With a partner, have the person retract your foot while you resist that retraction.  They need only retract about 6 inches or so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly, do the reverse: at the greatest range of your motion, have the person resist your attempt to bring the leg back down to standing position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can repeat this with a lift in the 12:00 position, and at the oblique directions (10:30 and 7:30 positions).  Similarly, do this for the other side as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Repeat these sets several times; be careful, these muscles are already compromised, and you can easily hurt yourself.  Take it easy at first, and then increase the resistance as you feel comfortable.  If you are young, give a day or so rest before trying again.  If you are older, give yourself another day's rest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a way to change things up, you can use bands or ankle weights.  I'm not a real fan of these only because the bands can snap (as has happened to me for the umpteenth time just yesterday), and when it snaps, that potential energy gets quickly converted into kinetic energy, and you can seriously injure yourself there.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And my problem with the ankle weights is this: if you can lift over 120 degrees standing, that is, just over your shoulder, then those weights are not offering any resistance as the downward force is being absorbed by your skeletal system.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if you can lift no more than 120 degrees, and more than 45 degrees, then you're getting best benefit using the ankle weights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, if you're &lt;strong&gt;really&lt;/strong&gt; out of shape, and cannot lift more then 45 degrees, then ankle weights are absorbed by gravity and are not providing any resistance at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2019-02-20T18:32:28.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8884" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8870" CreationDate="2019-02-22T02:29:53.643" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Grappling is a more generic, umbrella term than wrestling. Striking from a Muay Thai clinch, for example, is part grappling but not wrestling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Standard disclaimers apply, however, that people use words differently and in ways that disagree. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-02-22T02:29:53.643" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8885" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7258" CreationDate="2019-02-22T09:28:30.973" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;From a Judo perspective, the answer is &quot;it depends&quot;. The yellow belt is next to the white belt, so it's very probable you could achieve the yellow belt in a short period of time, &lt;strong&gt;if and only if&lt;/strong&gt; you practice and learn the basics of the sport in the short period of time. It all depends the amount of time you dedicate to the practice. A recommended amount of time for somebody that practices Judo as recreational sport is &lt;strong&gt;2 or 3 times a week&lt;/strong&gt;. Also, your sensei makes the ultimate decision whether you progress from one belt to the next. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I used to practice in Chile, where if you practice 2 or 3 times a week and compete in some tournaments in a year, the average time to progress between grades was 1 or 2 years per belt, so from white to yellow it could take you at least 1 year. But if you barely train, don't expect to be yellow in the short term. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary, if you are 12 and you train 2 or 3 times a week, it is very possible that at 13 or almost 14 years old, you will be a yellow belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, the belt is only to hold your judogi closed. The important thing is the path, the things that you learn, not the color of your belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9926" LastEditorUserId="9926" LastEditDate="2019-02-26T16:33:02.450" LastActivityDate="2019-02-26T16:33:02.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8886" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-02-22T14:50:23.503" Score="5" ViewCount="589" Body="&lt;p&gt;I love sparring but really worried about CTE from repeated head strikes and been thinking a lot about how to reduce risk. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am trying to just lightly tag partners with head strikes.  This is working to some extent - but it does inhibit the speed of my punches as it is hard to punch fast but also pull it with enough accuracy not to cause damage.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I saw a video with Ramsey Dewey where he mentioned that in light contact sparring he adopts an unclenched fist within his gloves for strikes. So these aren't palm strikes or anything - he is literally doing normal hooks and jabs but with an unclenched fist. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This sounds like quite an appealing way of approaching sparring if it is safe.  It would automatically inhibit the fighters from hitting too hard - but needs less conscious effort than trying to pull punches at the last second.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What do experts think?  Good way to spar?  Safe enough for the hands?  Likely to help reduce CTE? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously you need to practice proper punching as well - anything on pads or bags you would want to go full force. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9340" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T20:28:40.483" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T20:28:40.483" Title="Reducing brain damage in sparring" Tags="|sparring|kickboxing|brain-injury|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8887" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8886" CreationDate="2019-02-22T15:18:51.463" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Deliberately avoiding CTE issue - I will let someone else find/do the studies&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking at your own sparring - &lt;em&gt;learn your distance!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are sparring light/touch contact then yes you need to control techniques (not just to the head).&#xA;This does &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; mean attacking slower - you want to still move at full speed - just retract the hand/foot at the point of impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practice your techniques to a target - keep them full speed - but edge yourself closer over time - start so that your technique finishes an inch or so away - then 1cm - then 5mm - then touching (but not hurting you or the target).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is important for all aspects of striking martial arts - training safely in sparring / making decent contact on the bags/pads without pushing them (you can push me all day - a good strike will kill me). Self defence - its the technique that you are practising on the pads - or the technique you use in sparring but an inch or two closer - those techniques should be &lt;strong&gt;the same&lt;/strong&gt; (otherwise why practise something on the pad at all?).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;unclenched fists&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will hurt your hands if you strike like this  - but being relaxed through the movement will allow you to move &lt;em&gt;faster&lt;/em&gt; - tighten up on the finish to form a weapon (and to protect your hand from damage). In light/touch contact sparring it is fine to not clench at all - you aren't aiming to hit hard - but its a bad habit if you are doing the MA for self defence - so that is up to you&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2019-02-22T15:18:51.463" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8888" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8873" CreationDate="2019-02-26T13:20:53.410" Score="0" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Motivation and Weight Loss&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find an activity that you enjoy. It's unclear what exercising means to you in &quot;exercise makes me want to run into oncoming traffic&quot;, but anything you feel that way about is not something you will actually do regularly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Mental training&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meditation training, whether sitting, standing, or moving, is part of some martial arts' training. Although it has the potential to profoundly change your mental state, it is also something most people do not have the inclination or patience for. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/07/some_people_prefer_electric_shocks_to_thinking_quietly_by_themselves.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;There was a recent study that showed that many people preferred to shock themselves over sitting quietly&lt;/a&gt;. When you can stand it, I recommend it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Being an adult&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no reason why being young or overweight should inhibit you; it is important that you motivate yourself and show up, have a good attitude, and play well with others. Being an adult is about taking responsibility for yourself and others and not expecting others to do things for you. If you act like an adult, most people will treat you like one. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-02-26T13:20:53.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8889" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8898" CreationDate="2019-02-26T19:41:51.400" Score="-2" ViewCount="1766" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a style of Martial Arts that requires a person to be double-jointed or is performed better if double-jointed?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/N6XSr.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/N6XSr.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njWL8woekB8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njWL8woekB8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;You must watch to get the range of mobility possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lockration&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;Ronda Rousey in the process of making Sarah Kauffman double-jointed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This commentary remark suggest that the fighter on her back is being put into a hold that over extends her joint.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would double-jointed ability make a person immune to certain holds or perform holds that others cannot?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(fcfighting.com) &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lockration.blogspot.com/2013/02/looking-for-fight-ufc-157.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://lockration.blogspot.com/2013/02/looking-for-fight-ufc-157.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9934" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-03-01T18:48:46.717" LastActivityDate="2020-10-02T14:38:53.117" Title="Double jointed martial arts?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|grappling|flexibility|style|identification|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8890" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8894" CreationDate="2019-02-27T07:15:56.940" Score="4" ViewCount="1469" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is this an effective art for self-defense? I've been doing it for fun and recreation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm thinking for actual self-defense, I should learn catch wrestling and Brazilian jujitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9936" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-10-14T11:39:13.870" LastActivityDate="2021-11-22T18:35:16.280" Title="Danzan Ryu Jiu-Jitsu for self defense?" Tags="|self-defense|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8891" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8892" CreationDate="2019-02-27T10:23:22.113" Score="5" ViewCount="200" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been a fan of martial arts since I was a kid. I begged my father when I was a teen to register me into a martial art school, like Aikido, but he never actually did it. I was frustrated, and learned boohoo moves from movies (Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Delon Tam, Meng Fei, you name it. I watched every kungfu movie there is, imitate the moves and back when I was a teenager I called it martial art of my own, lmao!). I had a fare share of my addiction to those wing chun and snake moves, ya know. Thought I was some sort of Kung Fu master back then.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, getting to the point. I was thinking of doing martial arts, but I am already 26, and I believe my body is not anymore ready as my joints might be stiff (such as doing splits and all that).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Inspired from watching Cobra Kai, at this time, I want to learn Karate, and probably entering a dojo in our town nearby. My question is: do you think I can still learn the moves and kicking techniques in my age? I maybe able to do the blocking and punching, but I fear doing all the other kicking skills won't apply.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9937" LastActivityDate="2019-03-05T04:13:25.010" Title="Age and Restrictions, Learning Karate" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8892" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8891" CreationDate="2019-02-27T10:37:53.093" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;26? Oh, you sweet summer child… &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;You are absolutely fine.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, if you are unfit and stiff, it will take time to get get fit and more flexible. Take it slow and steady. Do not over do it. Listen to your body and allow time to heal if/when you over do it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you were really concern, review your diet to eat better and more healthily, look at your sleep routines to get enough rest, and avoid all SCAM. You might even join a gym to increase your fitness. Just careful not to over do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2019-02-27T10:37:53.093" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8894" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8890" CreationDate="2019-02-27T16:45:40.920" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Classical jujitsu (such as Danzan Ryu) is an encyclopedia of techniques for grappling, striking, and weapons. How it is trained is typically by memorizing kata and performing it with a partner. Each kata is done in some formal, concrete way. That's usually thought of as the &quot;demo&quot; version of the technique. It usually doesn't work very well in most situations. Later on, the practitioner learns variations (henka) of it for each different situation. There can be a dozen variations for the same technique. This means that a kata syllabus of just 100 techniques can easily turn into thousands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Partnered exercise in classical jujitsu typically happens with compliant partners who will do their part, stop, and let you do any number of things to him with little resistance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In MMA, Brazilian Jiujitsu, wrestling of all kinds, sambo, judo, etc., it begins much the same way. You will have a partner and a technique you are learning to apply. Your partner will, at first, let you do the technique to him. This is just to learn the technique. Pretty soon after that, your partner will add resistance. When you can deal with added resistance, partners then try to do other things to you to make you aware of where you're vulnerable. They won't tell you what they're going to do. And finally, there's sparring (also known as &quot;rolling&quot;) where you and your partner are doing things completely spontaneously, with neither of you knowing what's coming next.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to realize about classical jujitsu is that the kata were arranged into sections, but the sections were not necessarily organized in the most practical way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo was an advancement over classical jujitsu. When you look at Judo, you'll see that they organize their throws into a taxonomy. In Judo, you learn each technique in a predetermined order. The order is important. The first handful of throws you learn will apply broadly in the most situations. The last throws you learn will apply in more specific situations. And so, a beginner in Judo can gain broadly practical skill in very little time. That was the idea anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Brazilian Jiujitsu also organizes its techniques in a practical way, by the way. The things you learn in white belt are 90% of the techniques that you'll see in competition. It's because those techniques are the ones that have the highest rate of success in competition and which apply most broadly. They're considered &quot;fundamental&quot;, because without them, you can't apply the techniques you learn later on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to consider is safety. You can't do sparring if you've got broken fingers, you've got a crushed trachea, or your eyes have been poked out, etc. So there must be rules when sparring that everyone agrees to, and the rules should be there only to prevent injuries, rather than limiting what kinds of techniques can be done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Classical jujitsu doesn't do sparring at all, because they have no rules set up to prevent injury. They believe that adding rules would hinder them from using techniques such as eye gouging that they consider too important not to practice. And so, they don't spar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But without sparring, can anyone expect to learn reliable self-defense? The answer is no, and this has been proven many times before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can still learn the eye gouge, the fish hook, the trachea poke, etc. They're not exactly secret knowledge. But those techniques are far less important than the fundamental skills needed to be able to apply those techniques on a struggling opponent who's trying to do the same to you. You can't get those fundamental skills without sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The biggest realization that came out of the UFC and similar MMA venues is that you perform the way you train. People that didn't train with others who were trying to grab them, throw them to the ground, wrestle, and choke them out were completely unprepared for it when it happened to them in competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's been observed many times that even black belts in styles like karate, taekwondo, aikido, etc. often lose in fights in real life. It's because when they actually have to fight for real, they realize that none of their training prepared them for it. They're like a fish out of water. They don't know what to do. They can even freeze up in the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bottom line: It's how you train that matters, not the style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So let me get back to your main question. You want practical self-defense and are trying to decide between classical jujitsu and BJJ or catch wrestling. The answer should be clear now. While classical jujitsu will give you a lot of interesting techniques, how they train is inferior to modern MMA, BJJ, and catch wrestling for the purpose of giving you a reliable means of defending yourself in real life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-02-27T20:40:05.687" LastActivityDate="2019-02-27T20:40:05.687" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8895" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7916" CreationDate="2019-02-28T14:43:48.247" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I’ve been training in taekwondo for five years. I am currently taking both taekwondo and BJJ, and I love doing both. Taekwondo and BJJ work very well being trained together for me. BJJ gives me a very good upper body workout and TKD gives me a great lower body workout. And the strong hips that I gained from TKD translated well into BJJ . Also I learned a lot about distance in TKD and BJJ is there for if the distance is closed.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9942" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-02-28T16:22:36.580" LastActivityDate="2019-02-28T16:22:36.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8896" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8889" CreationDate="2019-03-01T05:19:49.743" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If by &quot;double jointed&quot;, you mean hyper-mobility, or hyper-flexion, which is characterized by abnormal joints which flex further than normal, then no.  I've done some research and could find no martial art which requires such skill or curse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to whether there is a style where you might perform better by being hyper-mobile, then no, I could find no such style here, either, despite that some schools can encourage it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a note, I would say most styles - be it martial, aesthetic, or spiritual - do not require hyper-mobility, but some strive for ultra flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, some styles of yoga have hyper-mobility as a goal.  Nonetheless, such capability is not required, and usually, is not beneficial.  In combat styles like Taekwondo, such flexibility is occasionally desired, but it is not a requisite.  In fact it can be detrimental.  Being hyper-mobile doesn't necessarily mean &quot;strong&quot;, and often, one is very weak (and very compromised) at these extreme ranges of motion.  Were you to shore up that weakness, you lose flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So it is a trade-off: what are your goals?  If for aesthetics, then by all means, go for hyper-mobility.  Go to extreme yoga classes, buy Chuck Norris' stretch machine, or straddle across two chairs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if you are looking for sport competition or self-defense, then such mobility can be harmful to your goals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2019-03-01T05:19:49.743" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8897" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8889" CreationDate="2019-03-01T16:33:25.917" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hyper mobility in an arm will not protect it from extension arm locks. Everyone's elbow joint has a limited range of motion; levering the arm past that range of motion will break something in the elbow joint. It doesn't matter whether the arm's range of motion is 180 degrees, 150 degrees, or 200 degrees; something will still break past the end of the range. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-03-01T16:33:25.917" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8898" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8889" CreationDate="2019-03-02T15:12:14.437" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermobility_(joints)&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Double-jointedness&lt;/a&gt;, as a physical condition, is neither desirable nor of advantage in martial arts, and I speak here both from a medical and a first-hand experience perspective. And I clearly distinguish here between what is achieved by flexibility exercises and what is an unusual physical condition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It does in no way &lt;em&gt;prevent&lt;/em&gt; you from being submitted in joint locks. It may enable you to escape in cases others cannot - given a lack of control. You have somewhat more of a leeway, especially in MMA, where you cannot exercise additional control by means of a jacket. But this does not make up for the negative aspects of it. You feel pain and your flexibility is not endless. Submission techniques are designed so that they can accommodate hyper-flexibility quite well, so well-applied techniques will result in submission nevertheless.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It is often accompanied (or even caused) by connective tissue defects, meaning that your &lt;em&gt;muscles have to compensate&lt;/em&gt; for your weaker connective tissue (including ligaments) to reach the same level of stability in your joints and spine. Common results are sprains, back pain and prolapsed discs, and (very early) osteoarthritis where other people do not have the same problems given the same muscular structure and strain. In other words: Your body ages comparatively faster with regard to joints. This is clearly a negative implication in the context of martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;One of the few upsides is that you less often have ruptures of ligaments since they are often &quot;just&quot; overextended instead, but this does not really help you in any way in martial arts apart from when something that should not go wrong does go wrong, i.e. by not having to go through lengthy chirurgical and rehabilitation procedures as often as others do.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words: As a physical condition proper (i.e. not simply in form of flexibility achieved by exercise), it is a pathological condition you have to make up for by more muscular stability. In a world of weight-classes, this is mostly a &lt;em&gt;disadvantage&lt;/em&gt; both in weight and training time. Additionally, your physical ageing is faster than usual due to regular joint strains and the accompanying small inflammations in the joints, especially the finger joints. Thickened joints with osteoarthritis and prolapsed discs as early as in their twenties or thirties are not uncommon among grapplers with this physical condition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2019-03-02T15:12:14.437" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8899" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8891" CreationDate="2019-03-05T04:13:25.010" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your motivations for learning karate is wrong and will not sustain you through the learning process. Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Cobra Kai.... these are all fantasy.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your age (26) will not be the deterrent, but your reasons for joining, yes. You will sign up for class and realize in disappointment that traditional martial art classes are boring. Some do punches for 2 hours, others practice the same kata over and over and over and over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've had parents who try to sign up their kids after watching Karate Kid (old/new) and I politely turn them away. Experience has proven these children quit after 1 month.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's time to ask yourself this question. What do you expect to get out of it?&#xA;Do you want to be like Jackie Chan or Jet Li? Then I suggest you take up 'tricking'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you want to learn self defence ? (somebody answered that above)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you want to train martial arts to challenge your mind and body and integrate the budo philosophy in your life?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2019-03-05T04:13:25.010" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8900" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-03-05T07:47:19.263" Score="8" ViewCount="1923" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a 16 year old beginner in taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you can tell I'm taller than most people, I'm actually 193 cm. &#xA;I weigh around 80 kilos so that isn't that heavy for my height.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm wondering if I'm in the wrong sport; don't get me wrong I love taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm worried I won't be able to progress beyond a certain point of skill because of my height, thanks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9947" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-03-05T16:25:12.377" LastActivityDate="2019-03-08T19:07:43.477" Title="Does being OVERLY tall affect taekwondo?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8901" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8900" CreationDate="2019-03-05T08:45:54.147" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;As with everything in life, size matters :-D ... all jokes aside.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For ranged styles like taekwondo being big is beneficial, because of the longer attack distance/range. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For close-in fighting and throwing/clinching styles, shorter arms/legs are better, because of the better leverage effect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I see no reason why you should not train taekwondo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also there really is no martial art that is &quot;wrong&quot;; all of them are designed from human beings for human beings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So just train what you love and everything will be fine. Wish you all the best!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9020" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-03-05T16:35:27.440" LastActivityDate="2019-03-05T16:35:27.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8902" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8900" CreationDate="2019-03-05T14:09:30.143" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You are certainly not too tall, I might actually argue that you might be overweight for elite TKD competition. Steven Lopez (2 time Olympic champion) is approximately your same height (6'3&quot; for our US folks), and he fought in the 68 kilo weight class for his first medal, 80 kg for his second.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any martial art that depends on reach for sparring/scoring, you are going to be at an advantage, provided that you have the flexibility to take advantage of your height. If you don't have that flexibility, the height won't hinder, but it won't necessarily help either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So go ahead and train TKD, you actually have a very desirable body shape/style for the sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2019-03-05T14:09:30.143" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8903" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8900" CreationDate="2019-03-05T16:15:49.153" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with the others that having long legs can be an advantage in TKD. The extra reach will allow you to score from the long range while your opponents will be too far away to score on you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What this means is that your opponents will have to use a strategy whereby they will use off-beat rhythm to time their attacks relative to yours. That will cause you to have to recalculate what you're doing mid-way into whatever your attack is. That will buy them the time needed to get in on you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So as part of your training, you must work on your mobility, combinations, speed, and non-telegraphing. They're counting on you being slower because of your extra mass and longer reach. And they're going to be looking for openings which they can predict ahead of time based on your habits and repetitive movements. You'll have to be spontaneous and try not to do the same things over and over again. You need to be fast and use non-repetitive combinations to keep them guessing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for aesthetics, the longer your legs, the worse you will look in TKD. The reason is that the longer legs will require a very low stance in order to make it conform to the standard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, a front stance will require your front leg to be parallel with the ground. To do that, you'll be very far out, almost lunging forward. That causes a lot of strain on your quad muscles. Your hip will also be strained due to lack of flexibility. It's going to feel very awkward and will hurt your mobility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shorter people have a much easier time of this. People with long legs tend to have shorter looking / more upright stances compared with shorter people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means you'll probably never feel fully comfortable conforming to the standard shape of any of the stances. You certainly won't be sparring that low to the ground. But when you do forms or drills in class, you might find that your instructor continuously criticizes you for not being low enough. They simply don't understand what it feels like to have long legs. It is much harder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think this is an insurmountable problem, but it will cause some friction in your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for sparring, like I said, you're probably going to be better off having longer legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2019-03-05T16:15:49.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8905" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-03-06T08:52:03.587" Score="-2" ViewCount="268" Body="&lt;p&gt;We have two scientifically proven facts that seem to contradict: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Amateur bouts (where they wear headgear) have fewer knockouts than professional bouts (where they don't wear headgear)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Amateur bouts without headgear had fewer concussions than amateur bouts with headgear. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure what the best theory is for explaining the discrepancy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Possible theories:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Professional rules just incentivize knockouts more, so headgear is still bad&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Professionals are just disproportionately better at knocking people out than defending, so headgear is still bad&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;False sense of security is the reason for brain damage, so if people are still as paranoid as before then headgear can still be good&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Headgear decreases knockouts, but increases brain damage?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any other ideas?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside: I happen to believe headgear is probably bad, but I have a theory that goes way beyond false sense of security or decreased vision: Increased torque/leverage where extensions on your head mimic the effect of getting hit in the chin. I never see anyone mention this but I think it's the main reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9949" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T20:34:26.887" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T20:34:26.887" Title="Possible explanations for contradictory facts on headgear and brain damage?" Tags="|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|brain-injury|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8906" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8900" CreationDate="2019-03-06T18:03:56.320" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a bit taller than you (and used to weigh as little as you).&#xA;I'm a second dan, ITF.&#xA;The answer above about flexibility is spot-on - everything is so much easier (and more fun) when you're flexible, and, for me, at least, can outweigh other factors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, my opinions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think height will negatively affect your style or aptitude for doing things right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suppose that with longer legs, jump spin heel kicks &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; not &lt;em&gt;look&lt;/em&gt; as &quot;perfect&quot; as someone of more average height... but who cares? Do the best you can in whichever discipline you follow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me, lack of killer instinct and lack of ability to do much thinking &quot;on my feet&quot; or respond all that well instinctively to my sparring opponents' moves, has always been my main limiting factor, far outweighing any disadvantages of having my shorter-limbed opponent in &quot;too close&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One advantage is that you have a longer time to see kicks coming up to your head... but don't let that lull you into a false sense of security.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2019-03-06T18:03:56.320" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8907" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8905" CreationDate="2019-03-06T22:37:06.380" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Headgear prevents cuts, not concussions&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://journals.lww.com/cjsportsmed/Fulltext/2017/01000/Use_of_Head_Guards_in_AIBA_Boxing_Tournaments_A.13.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;study of AIBA headgear in tournaments&lt;/a&gt; is useful to you. The story according to this paper is that headgear increases referee stoppages (paper's proxy for concussion) but is useful for preventing cuts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Headgear was apparently designed for preventing cuts. From the introduction:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;These head guards were never designed to protect from head injury but were designed to reduce the incidence of cuts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the abstract:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Both studies show that the number of stoppages due to head blows was significantly decreased without head guards. The studies also showed that there was a notable increase in cuts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the discussion section, it is apparent your torque idea is known:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It is hypothesized that head guards, by increasing the diameter and surface area of the head, will lead to increased rotational force and subsequent stoppage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;No contradiction&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I see no inherent contradiction in your two facts (first is not confirmed, yet). You have two variables:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;headgear v. no headgear&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;professional v. amateur&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are changing two variables in comparing amateurs with headgear to professionals without headgear. Whether a boxer is a professional simply matters more than whether they have headgear for the knockouts/stoppages. You seem to assume that headgear should be the dominant factor when declaring a contradiction. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It would be more perplexing if headgear had an opposite effect in professionals than in amateurs, but there is no evidence of that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-03-06T22:37:06.380" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8908" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6053" CreationDate="2019-03-07T17:25:33.233" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I took the question &quot;What happens to a person being choked&quot; a bit more physiologically. From what I understand (from a 'straight dope' posting almost 20 years ago), a properly applied &quot;blood choke&quot; (as opposed to an &quot;air choke), fools the body's defense mechanism into thinking that the brain is suddenly receiving a spike in blood pressure - which can be damaging. Along the arteries in the sides of the neck, there are these sensors called &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.datasci.com/solutions/cardiovascular/baroreceptor-sensitivity-(brs)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;baroreceptors&lt;/a&gt; which sense pressure via deformation/bulging of the arteries. Normally, these provide feedback to modulate the heartrate in small steps, but if the baroreceptor suddenly detects an apparent spike in blood pressure, it signals the heart to quickly 'slow down', while trying to regulate the amount of blood in the head by diverting blood to other areas. This sudden lack of blood to the brain usually causes you to 'lie down' by passing out. Supposedly, based on personal experience leading up to (but not past the point) of passing out, the literature, videos, interviews, talks, lectures, etc., a properly applied blood choke will lead to unconciousness in 5 seconds or less. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7393" LastActivityDate="2019-03-07T17:25:33.233" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8909" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-03-08T14:42:15.447" Score="3" ViewCount="162" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a basic qi'gong form which goes with four-square breathing. Practitioners will recognize it: standing with feet shoulder width apart, hands held out front; on inhale hands are raised from ~hip high to shoulder high with arms extended and relaxed; then hold breath in and drag hands ~shoulder high closer to body; exhale and lower hands closer to body from shoulder high to hip high; hold breath out and drag hands forward away from body; all with 4 even time periods for each movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When doing four-square breathing, the circulation of hands is in the opposite direction as the usual microcosmic orbit circulation. Microcosmic orbit goes from base of spine up to head on inhale, circulating down one's front on exhale. While doing four-square breathing, is there a recommendation on what to visualize? The square circulated by the hands along with the microcosmic orbit come together to form a sort of infinity sign, but it feels strange to have two opposite direction cycles going on at once. Maybe that is the point! I'm looking for guidance from someone familiar with the exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6396" LastActivityDate="2019-07-10T16:12:25.293" Title="When doing qi'gong form of four-square breathing, does one visualize the microcosmic orbit or something else?" Tags="|kung-fu|breathing|internal|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8910" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8905" CreationDate="2019-03-08T18:39:25.597" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Possible explanations:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your source did not do a study&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your source did not cite a study&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your source's studies were not peer reviewed&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your sources compared different styles and rules&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your sources referenced studies done in different time periods, between which the understanding of head injury had changed&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You misinterpreted the source(s)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your source misinterpreted the study&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The study was biased&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The source was biased&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The source was incompetent&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The study was incompetent&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You are incompetent (or rather, you do not possess the skills to interpret the study's or source's findings)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not directly relevant to your question, but as you can see, there is a strong relationship between you, your source, and your source's studies.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without a study, then your source is an opinion - not a fact.  If your source's study was not peer reviewed, then the study could be flawed through incomplete information, wrong assumptions, incorrect conclusion, improper environment...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your studies were proper, but compared different styles, the conclusion could be that one style does not focus on the head shots as much as the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your studies spanned a significant amount of time, the interpretation of &quot;head injury&quot; can be very different.  What we know about concussions today is different than what we knew 2 years ago.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe you didn't understand what the source was saying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe you didn't understand what the study's conclusions were all about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe the study was commissioned by someone with a financial stake in the eventual outcome, and purposefully discounted some observations while not taking into account others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe the source was similarly biased for the purpose of selling a product or showing a competing product was more dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe the source and/or the study made wild scientific hypothesis, or discounted scientific testing methods, or maybe did not perform basic functions like properly calibrating devices used, or failed to eliminate (or acknowledge or understand) standards of deviation, or failed to repeat an observed test.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2019-03-08T18:39:25.597" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8911" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8900" CreationDate="2019-03-08T19:07:43.477" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm curious about what you mean by &quot;taekwondo&quot;.  As a beginner, you might not be aware that there are 3 main disciplines within Taekwondo.  They are sparring, forms, and breaking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your height matters in each discipline.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In sparring, height can give you advantage of reach, but only if you are otherwise strong.  Longer legs will require different body mechanics than short legs: just ask anyone who is proficient at golf.  A 9-iron is significantly shorter than a 3-iron, and the difference is that when the body moves at the same speed when swinging either club, the speed of the club head is very different (as is the angle of the club's face).  This has effect on the height, speed, and distance of the ball's trajectory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is the same with Taekwondo, specifically kicking.  A smaller person can probably kick faster with less effort due to the less weight of the leg/foot having to be moved, compared to you.  Also, you have to be careful about conditioning your muscles for better control.  On one hand, with inexperience, you are significantly disadvantaged in terms of speed, strength, and reach.  But with experience and proper conditioning, you become more advantaged.  The caveat is that you have to work at it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to forms (poomsae, or hyung, we call them; or kata as the Japanese refer to them).  In Taekwondo, it is required to judge a competitor's skill in terms of body positioning, among many other criteria.  A forward step/stance, for example, in some styles should be 1.5 shoulder-widths apart from front foot's heel to rear foot's toe.  This stance looks very different between two people who perform this movement as prescribed, but the taller person will appear as not looking correct.  Tall people have always made this complaint.  Their front stances can look like a shorter person's walking stance.  Thus, they are judged more critically.  I know, I'm a judge, and I see this all the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When we factor out the competition of a form, and replace it with the utility of applying what we're taught in forms to self-defense, we are much more free to adapt the concepts taught in the form.  So a tall person's front stance need not be so rigid at 1.5 shoulder-widths apart, and rather, what is more comfortable for the person to use the stance and not be easily unbalanced by its use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And then there's breaking, the other main discipline.  The issues here are similar in sparring.  Longer legs means more distance to travel, and therefore, you are more susceptible to minor under- or over-corrections or minute performance in technique.  A shorter person might get away with lifting the knee but not come to a full chamber for a side kick, the taller person can't always get away with that as they need the proper chamber to provide the potential energy to throw the same kick.  The shorter person can't hope to garner power with poor technique, but with lesser boards, that's not a problem.  A taller person can persevere later when technique is more mature.  Spin kicks deliver faster foot-speeds, and axe kicks are more able to convert potential energy into kinetic energy.  And then there's jumping.  A shorter person generally has to work much harder to jump higher than a taller person, but the taller person has a harder landing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So there pros and cons to being tall and short.  It's up to you to capitalize on your physique and make the best of it.  You can't change your physique, you can only work with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2019-03-08T19:07:43.477" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8912" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6734" CreationDate="2019-03-11T05:39:05.427" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience burn out or boredom happens to most people at some point in their training. First thing to always be encouraged is talk to your instructor, odds are they have felt the same way at some point and could offer some helpful advice. Personally I found that trying a totally new martial art in conjunction with karate is a good way for me at least to alleviate some of the boredom. It lets you go to a class and learn totally new things and it helps you stay focused and ready when you train karate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that isn't possible or you really want to focus on karate then talk to your instructor about really focusing your training on very specific things once you get shodan. For example once I got shodan I talked to my instructor and said I really want to focus on sparring and how grappling interacts with karate. Since then I have been training BJJ for only a couple weeks and already I am looking at things in a new light, eg) using a low block to peel a grip off of one of your hands. My instructor always encouraged this since it brings new and different information to your dojo and develops your skill personally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope what information I could offer helps. And glad on your shodan grading.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9956" LastActivityDate="2019-03-11T05:39:05.427" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8913" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6734" CreationDate="2019-03-11T18:32:08.590" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Heresy, but... take a break and do something else.&#xA;I used to do TKD during the winter months and bicycle 2000+ miles in the warmer half of the year. If your instructor/master takes exception to breaks, you'd have to decide what's more important... I would have started over somewhere else rather than stick with something that cost $ and which I didn't enjoy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2019-03-11T18:32:08.590" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8914" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4243" CreationDate="2019-03-11T19:07:16.897" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tao of JKD is just his notes. While it's good to have as a reference, you would be better off with something more practical. Check Sifu Kevin Seaman's books or Sifu Lamar Davis' books. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9958" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-03-11T19:15:55.320" LastActivityDate="2019-03-11T19:15:55.320" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8915" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8916" CreationDate="2019-03-12T22:06:27.783" Score="8" ViewCount="734" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm trying to figure out what, precisely, Kiai means.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've done some reading, and am aware that the Kiai is supposed to come from the Hara, or Dantian - the stomach area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Literally Kiai, means 'join energy', but Ki can refer to the mystical energy force from Chinese medicine as well as just 'energy' in the western context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reason this is interesting is that the Dantian is the 'Sea of Ki', presumably a reservoir of it - so is there some deeper meaning to this? Is there some mystical connection, with the kiai bringing forth one's Ki up and out of the body? Or is it just an etymological coincidence? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9959" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-20T16:58:45.373" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T16:58:45.373" Title="Kiai, the Hara and Dantian (etymology and philosophy)" Tags="|technique|karate|terminology|breathing|kiai|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8916" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8915" CreationDate="2019-03-13T01:54:46.563" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ki&lt;/em&gt; (気) does mean &quot;energy&quot; or &quot;mood&quot;, but the &lt;em&gt;A&lt;/em&gt; (合) is just a shout of enthusiasm (Korean does use the energy+join setup with &lt;em&gt;K'ihap&lt;/em&gt;), so no, there's nothing mystical about it any more than a sports team breaking their huddle by shouting something like, &quot;go team!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-03-13T11:26:59.840" LastActivityDate="2019-03-13T11:26:59.840" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8917" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8367" CreationDate="2019-03-13T04:44:15.460" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know this is a late answer, but I thought I'd add my two cents.&#xA;I'm not a martial artist, but I'm interested in martial arts and self-defense. &#xA;I think while a martial art for you will be a challenge, it won't be impossible - as long as you find/develop one which suits your nature.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I mean is that because of the nature as cerebral palsy, it will be relatively more difficult for you to move your legs in time, and you don't have free movement of your arms because you are on crutches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This seems like a liability. It may not be one necessarily. Here are my thoughts from an open mind. Again, I am not a martial artist. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since realistically movement is unreliable and punches are suicidal (you drop the crutches), it seems to me you have two primary modes of combat. One you stand still on your feet, and actually use your crutches as weapons. That is, you have larger range due to the crutches, so you can try to end fights before an opponent gets too close to you. This will depend on how stable you can stand still on two legs, while moving your upper body. The other mode of combat, is forcing fights to the ground as soon as possible. That is, get really good at forcing yourself and your opponent to the ground, in positions of power/leverage which don't require you to move your legs fast. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think your biggest asset frankly are your crutches. They are essentially added tools, which can be a sort of skilled weapon if you invest in them. And since most opponents will assume you are weaker then them, they may not expect your crutches to be utilized as weapons.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are truly serious about a martial art for you, you will likely have to develop one through consistent trial and error, which will likely be really hard. But it may be worth it. I hope you do try and develop one. It would be really awesome for you to not only develop a martial art suited for you but also to help others who experience different physical conditions develop better techniques for self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9960" LastActivityDate="2019-03-13T04:44:15.460" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8918" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-03-13T10:52:43.770" Score="2" ViewCount="234" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Was it often in the historical dueling with rapiers and small swords, that after receiving the fatal thrust, the mortally wounded swordsman would step further and deliberately impale himself deeper on the opponent’s blade, in order to close the distance, fix the hostile sword in his own chest, and deliver after blow in the last effort?&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would underline: I do not consider here the mutual kill (&quot;ai uchi&quot;) attitude adopted from the start, but &lt;strong&gt;a reaction of the wounded fencer, who wants to return blow before bleeding death&lt;/strong&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Did many fencers adopt such a tactic, when they realised they were already dying? I read about the similar case in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.trovaredispada.com/blog/2015/4/12/dubious-quick-kill-part-three&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Dubious quick kill - three&lt;/a&gt;, where the mortally wounded Duke continued fighting with the hostile blade in his chest, and finally he impaled his opponent, so both were transfixed by each other swords.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The desperate struggle of these fencers may seem odd. However sometimes such reation makes sense: &lt;em&gt;If you are already mortally hit, you do not need to be afraid of your opponent's sword any more, so you can charge at him without any reservation. You do not care about any hurt. The adrenaline help you to cope with pain, and let you boldly take a step forward when cold steel is piercing deeply your chest, but at this cost you can hit your adversary in turn.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Was it difficult for the wounded fencer to block the opponent's sword in his chest? And then, was it easy for him to return blow if he was not taking aslo a dagger?&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;On which factors the success of such tictic could depend on?&lt;/strong&gt;     &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9961" LastEditorUserId="9961" LastEditDate="2019-03-15T17:28:52.340" LastActivityDate="2019-03-15T17:28:52.340" Title="After receiving the mortal thrust, a swordsman deliberately impales himself on hostile blade, to return a blow (historical duels, small sword)" Tags="|sword|fencing|rapier|combat|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8919" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4788" CreationDate="2019-03-13T15:07:23.197" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It seems that the mutual death was much more probable result of the combat with small swords or rapier, than with saber...&lt;/strong&gt; The thrust usually did not have an immediate effect, so often the mortally wounded fencer had enough time and force to stab his opponent in turn, before falling on the ground due to loss of blood. The simultaneous, or almost simultaneous, mortal thrusts with piercing arms also took place quite often.     &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's see: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.trovaredispada.com/blog/2015/3/29/dubious-quick-kill-part-one&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.trovaredispada.com/blog/2015/3/29/dubious-quick-kill-part-one&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mutual death could be often caused by the spontaneous furry of the fatally wounded fencer, who has a natural desire to deliver after-blow. Many fencers, however, when already mortally hit, more counciously aimed at mutual kill or made it a point of honor to achieve such outcome of the combat (and sometimes deliberately took another thrust, to stab their opponent in turn, what was more possible with piercing swords). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The natural strive for after-blow, however, is something different from accepting in advance the mutual-death tactic (analogical to &lt;em&gt;ai-uchi&lt;/em&gt; concept)&lt;/strong&gt;. Nevertheless, also Europeans – especially when were fighting with small sword or rapier, and unarmored – &lt;strong&gt;sometimes entered to the duel considering the mutual death as the best possible result if were involved in affair with incomparably better fencers.&lt;/strong&gt; The same could take place in the battle if one noticed the unmatched superiority of the foe.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Such attitude was referred to in the relation about the duel with small swords which took place in the 1st half of the XIX century. See in the book &lt;em&gt;The Art of Duelling by a Traveller&lt;/em&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.pl/books?id=Yd4wAQAAMAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://books.google.pl/books?id=Yd4wAQAAMAAJ&lt;/a&gt;), where &lt;strong&gt;the inferior fencer was &quot;&lt;em&gt;determined, as his mind was made up to die, to sell his life as dearly as possible&lt;/em&gt;&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; (p. 30) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S. I also asked the question concerning the issue of the mutual kill: &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8918/receiving-the-mortal-thrust-a-swordsman-deliberately-impales-himself-on-hostile&quot;&gt;After receiving the mortal thrust, a swordsman deliberately impales himself on hostile blade, to return a blow (historical duels, small sword)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9961" LastEditorUserId="9961" LastEditDate="2019-03-15T22:13:46.977" LastActivityDate="2019-03-15T22:13:46.977" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8920" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8915" CreationDate="2019-03-13T15:29:44.140" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kiai means merging your energy. (Ki = energy, Ai = merge/join/blend/combine.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The short story is that what you're attempting to do is, in the moment that you shout, you merge the ki throughout the body. In kiko (chi-kung) practice, this means circulating the energy from the dantien through the governing and conception vessels and out through to your limbs and back again. This is supposed to be done in a fraction of a second and completes when your fist strikes your opponent. At the end of the execution, you have ki being shot through your entire body, establishing a path from your fist down through your dantien and down through your feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a sudden release of energy which flows through and therefore joins the entire body together. Once the ki is connected throughout your body, the internal &quot;pressure&quot; of the ki is high, and the pressure is used to reinforce your strike. It's sort of like when you turn on the water through a fireman's hose. The hose will go from being limp and loose to being completely firm and immovable. That's what you're trying to do with your ki in your body in that exact moment your strike reaches its target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So that's the meaning behind the the &quot;ai&quot; part (merging / blending).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of shouting, this comes from Chinese martial arts, which in turn comes from Indian martial arts and healing practices (we're talking transmission between 600 and 1500 AD).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Chinese martial arts, the yell is done to aid the sudden shooting of ki throughout the body. And different forms of Chinese martial arts do it differently, both in terms of what they imagine they're doing with the ki in their body and the sound they make. Different sounds have different purposes. There's even a different sound for each of the 5 elements of traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts. There are books written on this subject, and it can get fairly involved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't get me wrong, though. I'm not promoting the theory. In fact, I don't believe in any of it personally. I just wanted to share what I've picked up over the years. The rabbit hole goes down pretty far, if you want to follow it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-03-13T22:32:24.767" LastActivityDate="2019-03-13T22:32:24.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8921" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8918" CreationDate="2019-03-13T16:02:14.150" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can't answer this is in the realm of dueling and fencing, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moro_Rebellion#Juramentados_and_stopping_power&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the experience of the US military fighting Moro rebels in the Philippines&lt;/a&gt; is relevant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In the Moro Rebellion, Moro Muslim Juramentados in suicide attacks continued to charge against American soldiers even after being shot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Soldiers would shoot the Moros and mortally wound them, but this would not stop them from attacking with kris (knives) and other short range weapons. This prompted the US to develop a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1911_pistol&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;new pistol&lt;/a&gt; with greater &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stopping_power&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;stopping power&lt;/a&gt;. Mortally wounding the attacker is not enough against the highly motivated; weapons need to physically stop the attacker. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for how often this happens: it tells you something that weapons with high stopping power were not considered necessary until encountering certain opponents, but that experience changed the US standard issue pistols. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have met one veteran who carries around a table of expected time to bleed out from different wounds, which he considered useful knowledge on either the giving or receiving end of wounds. I think it was an US Army table, but I don't know enough about it to locate it right now. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Literary license aside, this is a real phenomenon. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-03-13T16:02:14.150" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8922" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8915" CreationDate="2019-03-14T08:13:19.293" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;You are mixing world religions and confusing Chinese chi with Japanese ki. This is problematic. They are different interpretations of mystical force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since you used the term &quot;kiai&quot; I will speak from the Japanese interpretation since kiai is a Japanese word. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The usage and meaning of kiai varies depending on context and origin. The Japanese have many thoughts on kiai and it is represented mostly in martial arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In martial arts you either have physical styles that focus and destroying the opponent or you have spiritual styles that focus on metaphysical analysis of phemenoma that can not be explained readily in western scientific terms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Physical styles vary in their approach but depending on level of eliteness, ki starts with a physical change in physiological structures that can be measured scientifically i.e. punching harder. Proper biomechanics through breath control allows muscles to tighten in the diaphragm allowing a more rigid body allowing more force to travel through targets. This is similar to specialized breathing done during bench pressing weights or rowing where the breathing action is coordinated with the movement and breath is held so that the body is harder allowing more weight to be moved. This is superficial ki but beneficial to fighters. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Spiritual styles more or less worship ki as a connection to the divine and use meditative measures to establish a connection with the divine. They are trying to tap into that reservoir you referred to. Kiai is used in all Japanese martial arts not just striking based ones like karate, but it is also used outside martial arts and can indeed be found pretty much in all areas of Japanese life, especially those that are greater influenced by Shinto Buddhism. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate and jujitsu are heavily influenced by zen and buddhism. In Sanchin kata you are training to be centered and have a connection to the ground. You picture a &quot;ball&quot; in the middle of your body just below the navel and this is attached to the core of the earth thus making you &quot;rooted&quot;. This &quot;rootedness&quot; shares likeness with seiza or zazen, there is this idea that when in seated position you are bound to the earth. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a martial arts perspective mixing highly specialized arts with each other leads to compatibility issues and creates weaker arts. They become too esoteric. It is like mixing world religions and then claiming you have the best religion. It is just too agnostic. Chinese chi or qi is not ki and hara is not dantien. It would be like calling mormons baptists or protestants. Yes there are similar generalities but you would not consider them to be interchangeable terms as they have different pedigrees and take views and practice far apart from each other despite having common roots in a parent system. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What does kiai mean? The meaning of kiai has no formal definition. It's exact meaning is based on individual personal views. You can not &quot;codify&quot; kiai. In Japanese culture learning travels in a circles where when you master something you end at square 1 the beginning, a take on rebirth and starting anew. From not knowing what kiai is you will learn and that experience will shape your definition. When you have mastered what kiai means to you will be at step 1 supposedly ready to take in new knowledge (from the universe).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Dantian is the 'Sea of Ki'&quot; does not exist, you mean to say Dantian is the 'Sea of qi'. This is not appropriate to switch in an out of Chinese to Japanese as they are separate cultures with their own formalized opinions. It is like speaking &quot;Spanglish&quot;. You are botching both systems and lacks harmony and misrepresents each separate style as one. Kung fu is not karate but mixing them and calling it &quot;karate fu&quot; is sure to raise eyebrows since this portmanteau would be seen as comical wordplay and nothing else. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Raising one's ki out of the body refers to Aikido and that is called bugei or &quot;ghost technique&quot;. To take aikido and make it practiced in a physical way implies breath power or dragon power but there is no kiai To practice it in a spiritual way is more philosophical and more like a religious cult with meditation and ceremony. Taking this ceremony and habitual ritualistic repetition and combining it with tai chi it for entertainment purposes only. This would be similar to televangelism, you are commercialing the concepts for a broader mass appeal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Etymological coincidence? No. More like etymological error. The Japanese took their alphabet from China. The two languages have similar sounds and words but vastly different meanings. The two share no connection except a distant past. Research how the Emperor of Japan created the Japanese language and how the Chinese misunderstand each other through speaking Mandarin and Cantonese. These three languages are not transferable in meaning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kiai on a basic level is yelling when punching in karate and karate only (maybe judo when throwing). It exists nowhere else (except maybe grunting while swinging a tennis racket or lifting heavy objects). Karate is dense and obtuse and does not go in for Chinese medicine. It is too simple and pragmatic to deal with fancy notions like that. Upper class sophisticated types are more into philosophy and drawing conclusions of the metaphysical with the physical world but do not engage with manual training and practical application of karate. Ki exists in kiai as energy but there is no kiai in ki. Qi is not ki and definitely does not have kiai in it or anything like it. Saying it does is a poor representation of our current understanding of physics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are intent on creating a agnostic one world religion then the kiai is the third chakra, which is associated with sexual organs the loins and intestines, and to be conscious or aware you need insight from shape shifting reptiles would will teach you forbidden knowledge. The legendary Musashi is said to have defeated these creatures. The only battle he ever lost is said to be by the inventor of the jo (aikido weapon) who learned how to make it from the same creatures who come from the abyss (abyss means portal to another dimension but is represented as a whirlpool or other body of water). Physics cannot find these portals. As such demonology and spirit worship comes into play along with themes of lgbt. See  wikipedia &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_(folklore)&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_(folklore)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9963" LastActivityDate="2019-03-14T08:13:19.293" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8923" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8915" CreationDate="2019-03-14T17:26:14.153" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;From a purely mechanical perspective, the purpose of a kiai in a punch is to force the abdominal muscles to engage, allowing for the transfer of effort (kinetic &lt;em&gt;energy&lt;/em&gt;) from the legs and hips to the chest and arms in event of a punch (providing a backstop in accordance with Newton's Third Law of Motion), allowing more of this power to be delivered to the target (instead of pushing &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt; backwards)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For a kick, you are using the abdominal muscles to help lift or swing the leg, using your torso as a counterweight (for an extreme example of the principle, consider how a cat is able to rotate mid-air to land on its feet) - done correctly, this replaces and supplants any benefit that styles such as Muay Thai get from swinging the guard-hand behind them as a counterweight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/8922/9212&quot;&gt;Joseph Malone mentioned&lt;/a&gt;, this is like the special breathing exercises done in things like weightlifting or rowing - using your abdominal muscles to &lt;em&gt;join&lt;/em&gt; the kinetic &lt;em&gt;energy&lt;/em&gt; generated from your upper and lower body.  The word &quot;ki&quot;, left untranslated, has picked up unwarranted mystical connotations, due to it being a homophone for the unrelated Chinese concept of &quot;Qi&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9212" LastActivityDate="2019-03-14T17:26:14.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8924" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8915" CreationDate="2019-03-15T05:44:39.653" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;From &lt;em&gt;Hapkido  by Marc Tedeschi&lt;/em&gt; while interviewing Grandmaster Han-Jae Ji, &quot;&lt;em&gt;Ki-power is adrenaline only?&lt;/em&gt; Yes. Adrenaline only. &lt;em&gt;There is no energy out there in the universe that we bring into our bodies?&lt;/em&gt; No. &lt;em&gt;Why does virtually every book written on Eastern thought state something quite different-energy is absorbed from nature, the body possesses three tanjon regions,etc?&lt;/em&gt; I don't know. The human body has everything inside it to make Ki-power. It's not from the outside. It all comes from the inside.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I misspoke earlier. When Japan conquered Korea native arts were banned. Koreans copied shotokhan military karate and it helped influence tae kwon do's development. This mixing of styles lead from a departure of internal martial arts to more external martial arts, the hard styles. Koreans favor defense over offense while Japanese favor offense. The Japanese train to be invaders. The Koreans started emphasizing defense since they felt insufficient in that area because of being invaded. They wanted to be prepared next time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The idea of mixing world religions ties into ki as a western occultic practice. It is not martial science. Occultic practices, like voodoo, say that energy comes from god or a balance between god and the devil. The story of the kappa inspired a real assassination of a Japanese lord who was sitting on his toilet and was stabbed in the anus by a spear. The assassin came from the abyss.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chronocidal is right when he says there is an overlap. Styles were overlapped because Koreans choose to copy the style that had defeated them but they took their training to weird places because they had to train in secrecy. As a result there understanding of kiai is not accurate and kiai only exists in Karate. Ki as a generic term for energy is universal but &quot;kiai&quot; only exists in karate. In that sense &quot;hapkido&quot; and &quot;aikido&quot; as eclectic blended styles share the same parental roots in daito-ryu aikijutsu, there are similarities. For etymology I do not know how accurate you want to be. If you want to study history then etymology matters. If you want better martial arts then you should focus on physical training as too much talking interferes with that. Most students undertrain. Deeply researching history as a librarian comes when you are too old to fight. At that point you become a war and history buff.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are using the term kiai then you are claiming to be a Japanese karate student or at the very least you are paying homage to Japanese styles. Ki'hap is not kiai. It would be inappropriate to use the term to refer to Korean styles. It is confusing world cultures and is insensitive but more over it misrepresents the martial art styles and tries to draw comparisons where there isn't any. Most of it is political but the rest deals with combating fraud. If I made a style I would not want someone teaching incorrectly and embarrassing me and making me look bad. Sometimes pedigree matters. I'm sure American Tae kwon do schools use the term kiai. In a mixed martial arts world where everything is homogenized cultural subtlety is lost. If you just wanted to fight then just mix it up. If you wanted historical accuracy and preservation of the truth then that would affect time spent on learning to fight and ability but you would be telling the truth. Qi versus ki and kiai versus ki'hap almost boils down to quibbling over semantics. These are arguments I wish to avoid however is should be stated that the terms are different and should not be interchangeable. It is like using an ordinal indicator as a degree symbol just because it looks similar. It is similar in cosmetics only but it's function differs. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes all styles may use ki as adrenaline to move harder or faster. I am unsure how ki'hap generates force but it is different than kiai. It is lower. Kiai is faster and lighter. &quot;Kiai&quot; means speed and power and you are trying to blend, roughly, kizamitsuki and gyakutsuki together. This makes a speedy jab and a strong cross combo. This is repeated and you get sanbon, yonbon,gobon which is 3,4,5 hit combos. Koreans do not punch like this at all and do not think like this at all. Their thinking is entirely different and does not focus on this strategy or method of producing force. That is not how they fight nor their views on the martial arts. I do karate and do not want to speak for them as it would marginize them.      &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On another note there is the western concept of the alpha zone or &quot;being in the zone&quot;. This refers to increased levels of alpha waves produced by the brain causing increased focus and mental acuity. Alpha waves differ from beta waves and delta waves. Alpha waves are rare. These are naturally occurring metrics that can be measured by science and have although research is quite limited on the subject.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Professional athletes and martial arts claim to benefit from these alpha waves and that time slows down allowing them to make quicker moves or decisions. They can act without thinking and things happen automatically. This is related to the samurai concept of &quot;mushin&quot; or &quot;no mind&quot; where they react on their training and honed instincts instead of thinking about it.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please forgive any oversights. This is a complex issue. I can not explain everything in such a short space.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9963" LastActivityDate="2019-03-15T05:44:39.653" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8925" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8915" CreationDate="2019-03-15T16:14:19.870" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt; comes from the &lt;em&gt;hara&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;dantian&lt;/em&gt; in the same way that a singer projects using their diaphragm. You can point to a physical place on your body and say this is where the &lt;em&gt;hara&lt;/em&gt; is, or this is where the &lt;em&gt;dantian&lt;/em&gt; is, and this place is roughly where you feel pressure when your diaphragm pushes down into your abdomen as you inhale deeply. In this limited sense, a &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt; comes from the &lt;em&gt;dantian&lt;/em&gt; because it comes from the lower belly area. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;em&gt;dantian&lt;/em&gt; is primarily an energetic concept, not a physical one. The location does correspond roughly the center of mass, but the basic idea is that once your body and mind are sufficiently relaxed and concentrated, you will feel the &lt;em&gt;dantian&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The martial arts I have encountered (&lt;em&gt;taiji&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;xing yi&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;bagua&lt;/em&gt;; the so called internal arts) that believe a direct experience of the &lt;em&gt;dantian&lt;/em&gt; is important do not use a &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt;. Let me try to explain why the loud, explosive &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt; does not make sense in the internal arts context. There is a &lt;em&gt;taiji&lt;/em&gt; concept that you should attack when your opponent has spent their old strength and not gathered new strength, for example when they have punched, but not yet reset their arm or stance. Conversely, when you attack, you want to minimize (ideally eliminate) the window between when you attack and are ready to attack again. A person executing a &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt; enlarges this window and provides an unmistakable verbal cue for when they are expending their strength. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-03-15T16:14:19.870" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8931" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8405" CreationDate="2019-03-21T16:09:55.187" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is why basic workout and stretching exercise is a must for martial art practice. Anterior Pelvic Tilt can occur when certain muscles are strengthened but the supporting muscles on opposite side are weak. To fix this, some muscles need strengthening and some muscles need stretch. It need to strengthen the abdominal muscles (it seems people with weak abdominal muscle are more likely to developer anterior pelvic tilt). and the muscle hip flexor need stretch. These are some example. There are other muscles also. Search more about it. Basic workout and stretching exercises must be part of martial art practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9972" LastActivityDate="2019-03-21T16:09:55.187" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8932" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8934" CreationDate="2019-03-21T21:15:43.500" Score="4" ViewCount="139" Body="&lt;p&gt;Related (on a different site): &lt;a href=&quot;https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/280563/how-does-one-typically-determine-the-energy-and-force-in-a-foot-stomp&quot;&gt;How does one typically determine the energy and force in a foot stomp?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recently got a knee injury and was trying to understand when it was safe to continue to practice. Disconcertingly enough, my doctors and physical therapist seemed to have only a vague idea of what kind of stress martial arts apply on the body or exactly how much force kicks apply to the knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do realize that this is a weird thing to know, but it seems like it would be very hard to know exactly when it was safe to go back without knowing that. Indeed, the assessment to decide whether or not to discharge me from physical therapy was heavily oriented towards non-martial-arts activities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a mathematical model of some kind that shows exactly what kind of force is applied by various activities? For example, during a spinning hook kick, how much lateral force is applied to the planted foot?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How would I calculate something like this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note:&lt;/strong&gt; I'm not soliciting medical advice, as I do realize that that is off-topic here. Rather, I'm asking about the mechanical force involved &quot;in general.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8276" LastActivityDate="2019-03-22T17:58:43.407" Title="Is there a mathematical model of how much force is applied to joints during various tae kwon do activities?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|kicking|injury|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8933" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8877" CreationDate="2019-03-22T14:25:12.257" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;To flesh out Sardathrion's answer, there isn't a martial art where you will find it as a serious maneuver used in a fight. Jumping kicks in general are risky business, since you are surrendering a great deal of control by leaving the ground, and actually hitting your opponent will bleed off a great deal of momentum, which is hazardous when you're inverting your body with the head to the ground. This is assuming that you either hit, or miss. It's also quite possible that your opponent will catch or otherwise deflect your kick in a way that you don't expect, which may further negatively impact your trajectory. And honestly, you're not going to get that much impact, particularly if you want to still have enough momentum to land on your feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, there are two martial arts that use such flip kicks in a more ritualized manner as a display of athletic skill that could theoretically be used offensively. As Sardathrion notes, a back-flip with a kick does exist in Capoeira, the back flip being refered to as a &lt;em&gt;salto mortal&lt;/em&gt; and adding a kick sometimes being referred to as a &quot;salto mortal com chapa*, literally &quot;back flip with strike&quot;. You will also occasionally see this move in professional wrestling. In both cases, it is expected that there will be no contact, although in wrestling, the target is expected to act as if they were hit most of the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And, as noted in the comments, this is a common move in tricking, either with legs together in a layout, or with split legs as a &quot;flash kick&quot;, although almost never being performed in a martial manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, while it doesn't actually apply directly to your question, since you're asking about Marshall Law, Bruce Lee didn't do the flip kick in &lt;em&gt;Enter the Dragon&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wingchunnews.ca/bruce-lees-stunt-double-yuen-wah-talks-about-doing-his-backflip-kick-in-enter-the-dragon/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;It was his stunt double, Yuen Wah&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;So… he wanted me to double him for a back-flip. But, he actually knows how though… What does he know? Cartwheel. I would double him for the back-flip. So… when flipping over the monks, over their sleeves… I doubled him there. After passing them… flipping and landing, even his backside is me doubling Bruce walking like this. Doubled his backside walking too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-05-31T17:33:02.007" LastActivityDate="2020-05-31T17:33:02.007" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8934" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8932" CreationDate="2019-03-22T17:58:43.407" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you want mathematical models for forces on human joints, I think the place to look is biomedical engineering. I doubt they have models specifically for tae kwon do, but they should have validated models for forces on joints, and perhaps even instrumentation on joint replacements. It should give you a place to start. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In your linked question, there is actually no modeling of forces for striking. I suspect this is because it is very hard to instrument someone's joints, so the best you can do is instrument externally on the striking surface. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think you overestimate how much is known about recovery from knee injuries. &lt;a href=&quot;https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/13/a-surprising-discovery-a-new-knee-ligament/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;In 2013, a new knee ligament was discovered&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Last month, knee surgeons from the University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium announced that they had found a new knee ligament, one that had not previously been specifically identified despite untold numbers of past knee dissections and scans.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-03-22T17:58:43.407" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8935" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-03-25T11:02:38.087" Score="5" ViewCount="2521" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to know applications of meditation for martial arts. Specifically, I am asking if meditation can help me to enter a flow state (be in the zone).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9976" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-03-25T11:14:02.957" LastActivityDate="2019-03-25T22:16:19.487" Title="Can meditation improve someone's reaction time?" Tags="|meditation|reaction|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8936" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8935" CreationDate="2019-03-25T16:29:55.347" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's an interesting question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are lots of different kinds of meditation. The kind that keeps your mind in the here and now is what might benefit reaction times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main thing to realize about reaction times is that you will be slower if you're relaxed, stressed / anxious, not paying attention, or not interested in what's going on. You want to be in the zone where you're not stressed, not thinking about anything other than what's going on right now, and you're not overly relaxed either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This kind of meditation can help you manage your mind's proclivity to wander, rather than focusing on what's going on right here and now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meditation will never be able to prevent the thoughts from coming into your mind in the first place. It's mostly just going to give you some skill at recognizing when stray thoughts are coming in, acknowledging them, and then getting rid of them quickly so that you can go back to the here and now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this going to give you an edge over those who don't meditate? Maybe. But the more you do athletics of any kind, the more likely you'll be able to do this on your own without ever meditating at all. It will come as you realize that your mind was wandering when you should have been paying attention. In martial arts, that means you learn real quickly to pay attention after the first few times you get hit or get distracted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, there's nothing &quot;magical&quot; about meditation that will improve your reaction times beyond this. People think it can give them some kind of a super-human ability to think much faster or to allow the answers to come more quickly, without having to consciously think about them. It's not true. It's just going to help keep your mind from wandering.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &quot;super-human&quot; kinds of things that you might have heard about has more to do with listening to your intuition, what your gut is telling you. You just have a feeling that something is the right choice of action, but if you're asked to explain it and defend that choice from a rational perspective, you can't even begin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This might seem obvious to someone who has a very intuitive personality. Intuitive types don't spend a lot of time thinking about choices and making sure it makes sense. They just act on their gut, because their personality type prefers to do that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But to non-intuitive types, this ability is elusive. It's not in their nature. So those kinds of people would benefit a lot from learning about intuition and how to cultivate it and use it as a tool. It's a skill, basically. It can be learned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I mention intuition, because that's what will improve reaction times the most. If you have to think about what to do next while sparring someone, it's going to be too late. You'll get hit before the answer comes to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In fact, a study that I read showed that the more you learn, the slower your reaction times will be. That was with regards to athletes, especially boxers. That seems counter-intuitive, so why is that? It's because there are more variables to consider. If you've never learned about those variables, your brain won't take any time to consider them. So it's a weird fact that the more skilled a fighter becomes, the slower his reaction time will be. They make up for this a number of other ways, though. For example, by rehearsing and visualizing their strategy ahead of time so that they don't have to think about it when the time comes. They become more intuitive fighters over time as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I talk about reaction times a bit more at my answer &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6498/defence-in-martial-arts-in-general/6501#6501&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2019-03-25T16:29:55.347" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8937" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8935" CreationDate="2019-03-25T22:16:19.487" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, meditation can improve reaction time. This has been directly studied scientifically. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(91)90543-W&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Effect of buddhist meditation on serum cortisol and total protein levels, blood pressure, pulse rate, lung volume and reaction time&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;There were also significant decreases in reaction time after meditation practice. The percentage decrease in reaction time during meditation was 22%, while in subjects untrained in meditation, the percentage decrease was only 7%. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2919439/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Meditation acutely improves psychomotor vigilance, and may decrease sleep need&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Novice meditators were tested on the PVT before each activity, 10 minutes after each activity and one hour later. All ten novice meditators improved their PVT reaction times immediately following periods of meditation, and all but one got worse immediately following naps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mum.edu/assets/collected_papers/shaw1971r1coll1-45.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Reaction time following the Transcendental Meditation technique&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Two groups, each composed of 25 college students matched for age and sex, were compared on their performance on a&#xA;  reaction time test. The experimental group (meditators) and the control group (nonmeditators) initially responded 100&#xA;  times to a light stimulus and then either meditated for 20 minutes (experimental group) or rested with eyes closed for 20&#xA;  minutes (control group). After the 20-minute interval, 100 more trials were presented. On the first set of trials the&#xA;  meditators showed lower reaction time than the nonmeditators. Results on the second set of trials showed an increase in&#xA;  the speed of performance in the meditators and a deterioration of performance in the control group. The implications of&#xA;  this finding of improved reaction time in meditators are discussed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-03-25T22:16:19.487" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8938" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8795" CreationDate="2019-03-27T14:35:17.543" Score="3" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Scientific modelling of judo grips&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The book &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Attilio_Sacripanti/publication/312026674_Kumi_Kata_from_dojo_to_high_level_competition/links/586b842a08aebf17d3a58d0c.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kumi Kata&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; goes into detail about the mechanics of judo grips in Part I &lt;em&gt;Kumi Kata Biomechanics and a survey of related researches&lt;/em&gt;, noting:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Kumi Kata is an essential part of Judo fight, but very few scientific approaches to this problem are born in this field. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Part I Section 2: &lt;em&gt;Basic Biomechanics of Grips&lt;/em&gt;, it describes the strongest form of the most common type of grip as involving the thumb in a constricted enclosed grasp:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;According to German Sports Scientist Jurgen Weinick,  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;    &lt;p&gt;“the characteristic structure of the hand is related to its function as a grasping tool. Grasping ability is made possible by the fact that the thumb can be opposed to the fingers. The fingers and the thumb act as a versatile pair of pliers. They need the palm of the hand as a flat base, on which the object grasped can be held.”  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;From this statement, it can be concluded that the anatomy of the hand is more geared toward flexion than extension. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QQJThm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QQJThm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Fig.1 The Three Types of Power Grips: and judo examples&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;From the previous figure we understand that in judo &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Cylindrical power grip (a) is the most common. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Round power grip (b) is applied by Russian style on the back, or during Sode Tsuri Throws,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;And Lifting power grip (c) is applied during the obi grip. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A recent study on the torque and grip forces on male and female cylindrical power grip, has shown that maximum grip forces is applied with minimum cylinder diameter. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UjOOE.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UjOOE.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Fig.2 different diameters forces applied&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Three finger grips in historical Japanese martial arts&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I first heard this recommended it reminded me of a passage in Musashi Miyamoto's &lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.org/stream/MiyamotoMusashi-BookOfFiveRingsgoRinNoSho/Book_of_Five_Rings_djvu.txt&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Book of Five Rings&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Holding the Long Sword&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Grip the long sword with a rather floating feeling in your thumb and forefinger, with the middle finger neither tight nor slack, and with the last two fingers tight. It is bad to have play in your hands. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;When you take up a sword, you must feel intent on cutting the enemy. As you cut an enemy you must not change your grip, and your hands must not &quot;cower&quot;. When you dash the enemy's sword aside, or ward it off, or force it down, you must slightly change the feeling in your thumb and forefinger. Above all, you must be intent on cutting the enemy in the way you grip the sword. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The grip for combat and for sword-testing is the same. There is no such thing as a &quot;man-cutting grip&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Generally, I dislike fixedness in both long swords and hands. Fixedness means a dead hand. Pliability is a living hand. You must bear this in mind. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In principle this advice seems sound - reducing fixedness and use of strength in your hand seems to imply having greater [wrist] flexibility and less fatigue - though I am yet to read any evidence that it is more effective and is as applicable in gripping a gi as it is believed to be in holding a sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Kimura: 5 finger grip&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A three finger grip wasn't used by all historic high level Japanese judoka. Masahiko Kimura advocated a 5 finger grip on the basis of engaging the thumb making the grip more secure, and notes that most judoka of his time in fact used a 4 finger grip:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In judo, when one grabs the opponent's sleeve or lapel, one uses 4 fingers of each hand extending the thumbs. Whether one pushes or pulls the opponent, without pressing the thumbs hard, one cannot grab firmly and the speed is reduced. Moreover, the opponent can easily cut off your hold on the sleeve or lapel. The 4 fingers generate an inward force, and the thumb creates the opposing force, creating a firm grip. Therefore, not using the thumb goes against the principle of dynamics. Even though I knew the efficacy of using the thumb, it was not easy for me to actually master it. Today, no matter what judo practice or bout I see, I do not see anyone grabbing with 5 fingers, which is disappointing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/kimura2/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;My Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-18T12:36:26.513" LastActivityDate="2019-06-18T12:36:26.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8939" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8973" CreationDate="2019-03-27T16:24:22.647" Score="8" ViewCount="1943" Body="&lt;p&gt;So I've been getting interested in TKD sparring, but I'm still murky on some things. I am going to get everything else, but I am still trying to decide if I should get a groin protector. I am a girl, so I don't know if there is really a need for it like there is for they guys.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would probably be starting a lot older than the other people practicing around my age, so I'd be taller then them I'd imagine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9983" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-21T00:11:47.027" LastActivityDate="2020-12-02T16:33:22.120" Title="Should I wear a groin protector?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|protective-equipment|women|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8940" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8939" CreationDate="2019-03-27T16:47:18.090" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would rate this a matter of personal choice. Getting hit in the groin is intensely painful, no matter what you have between your legs. Men have it a bit worse, due to the external bits having a better chance of actually getting badly damaged (and a burst testicle is no joke). On the flip side, cups are generally a bit awkward to wear, and can cause chafing at the least, and the edges can bruise and cut, even on an impact that would not have actually hit the groin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a female, you might want to look into a chest protector to avoid a pain point that most guys don't have to worry about as much. Also, as &lt;em&gt;Amorphous Blob&lt;/em&gt; noted in the comments, get a mouthguard and properly fit it. Replacement and repair of teeth is expensive. Mouthguards are relatively cheap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-03-27T18:28:44.983" LastActivityDate="2019-03-27T18:28:44.983" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8941" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-03-27T21:15:38.277" Score="1" ViewCount="762" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a 43 years old software developer in vaguely reasonable shape (can do 20-ish pushups, can run 5km in 30min and not grossly overweight).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My long term fitness goal is to be able to say in a job interview, when I will be 60 years old:&#xA;I can code circles around juniors, if they refuse to listen I can definitely beat them up, and failing that I can easily outrun them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is that a reasonable long term goal? &#xA;What martial arts should I train and what kind of training should I avoid as I am getting older?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am comparing myself against young office workers not trained fighters :-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8388" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-03-28T19:14:29.550" LastActivityDate="2019-09-06T10:15:04.447" Title="Can a trained 60 year-old outfight an untrained 20 year-old?" Tags="|training|recommendation|strength|aging|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8942" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-03-28T06:51:00.680" Score="8" ViewCount="1864" Body="&lt;p&gt;Currently, I am working on understanding the rhythm of movement of opponents so I can counter it efficiently. Could learning dancing help me to understand the rhythm of an opponent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any other benefits of learning dancing for martial artists, like improving footwork? The other day, I was watching some matches of Vasyl Lomachenko (a champion boxer). I was falling love with his footwork. Then, I learned about his background and I came to know that, before starting boxing, his father (who is also his coach) forced him to learn some form of dancing, so can I assume that dancing is one of reasons for his better footwork?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9976" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-03-28T19:21:50.027" LastActivityDate="2024-01-23T04:05:32.043" Title="Is learning some form of dancing beneficial to martial artists?" Tags="|training|footwork|cross-training|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8943" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8942" CreationDate="2019-03-28T11:46:44.893" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Fair warning, this is largely anecdotal, but I think that dancing is useful for most martial artists. Frankly, I think it's useful for most athletes. Dancing teaches you to move in a very precise measured manner, so it definitely improves your smoothness and precision of movement. I also think dancing is good because, frankly, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4_L7cK1YZ8&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;martial artists are often bad athletes&lt;/a&gt;. We tend to have a degree of disdain for calisthenics and cardio, seeing it as something we're forced to do at the beginning of class. Doing a proper dance class, you're going to be moving constantly for an hour or two, and it's going to be good for your muscles, heart, and lungs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As regards footwork and coordinating with your opponent, my experience is that it's not directly applicable generally, as above, it does help with your precision. And if you do a partner dance, such as swing dancing or other ballroom, you get a lot of training in sensing changes in body weight and automatically reacting to them. The flip side of it is that you are also training how to signal such changes, which might make you more transparent to an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Either way, I highly recommend trying a dancing class or two, and to see if it works for you. In most major cities, you can find a group you can drop in on without having to buy up a contract of classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-03-28T11:46:44.893" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8944" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8941" CreationDate="2019-03-28T19:08:35.863" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, a trained 60 year-old can outfight an untrained 20 year-old, provided they maintain a healthy body. The average 60 year-old has already lost joint flexibility and mobility, which causes the body to start to become decrepit. A decrepit 60 year-old will always lose, even with training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should have no illusions that this is easy. You are probably not willing to put in the work this requires. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You must assume that others will be faster and stronger. Everyone's body will decline with age; you will not have the same strength or speed potential as your younger self. Honestly, I think everyone should train with this mentality, but I find this is frequently not the case. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some martial arts encourage reliance upon strength and speed. Weight classes, for example, explicitly put you near strength parity. If you cannot get your techniques to work on people who are bigger and stronger when you are not old, you will not be able to get them to work on people who are bigger and stronger when you are old. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the opponent is faster and stronger (and younger), how do you defeat them? You must move and fight efficiently. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use techniques that use the power of your whole body&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Apply force in ways the opponent cannot resist. Contrast force-on-force arm wrestling with foot sweeps, where the opponent's weight is suddenly unsupported by their legs. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Apply force at optimal angles so less force is required. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Find ways to move less distance so that even though your opponent moves faster, you arrive sooner. If you can strike at short distances with significant power, you have an enormous advantage over an opponent who needs space to windup, even if that opponent is stronger and faster. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For older martial artists:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Train with someone older, who has been forced to understand the limitations of age&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Improve posture. This is about efficiency; poor posture has trained the body to work inefficiently throughout life, and you want to feel how sitting, standing, or moving efficiently feels. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Improve joint flexibility. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learn to use your whole body. Some yogis can articulate each vertebrae in their back. This kind of control may be excessive, but it illustrates how a trained person has more control of their body than the untrained. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't get hurt. I have had people tell me, &quot;people can get really good at this throw, but they will probably damage their shoulder doing it&quot;. Find something else. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-03-28T19:08:35.863" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8945" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8942" CreationDate="2019-03-28T19:51:52.960" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've done ballroom dancing and many martial arts. While I did find some things that I could take from one to apply to the other, generally I concluded that they're fundamentally different. Let me explain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In ballroom dancing, a male lead needs to be able to signal to his partner what he's about to do. The signal comes from a solid frame that provides pressure that ones partner can pick up on and use to know what they're supposed to do next. The goal is to communicate intent in order to synchronize movement between two people. One is the leader. The other is the follower. And the follower needs to understand what the leader wants to do, so the communication from the leader of his intent must be strong and unambiguous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In (most*) martial arts, on the other hand, you have two competing individuals. Their goals are the exact opposite of that of dancing. They are trying their best to hide their intent from their opponent, unlike dancing which tries to make it clear and obvious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In both martial arts and dancing, timing is indeed everything. But instead of working with your opponent's timing and synchronizing each others movements, the opposite is required in martial arts. You're trying to disrupt your opponent's rhythm or use it against him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So instead of your opponent doing something, then you do something, and so on back and forth, the rhythm in martial arts is such that if your opponent begins to punch, just as he starts, you begin your counter attack with a step to the side and a strike of your own that's timed to land before he completes his strike. That's called &quot;off-beat timing&quot; or &quot;half-beat timing&quot;. In other words, it's working against the rhythm, not with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In martial arts, you don't want to get in the mode of your opponent doing something, then you do something, then he does something, and so on. That's wrong. You want to become unpredictable and time your techniques in such a way that causes him to have to stop what he's doing and recalculate. Never become predictable or telegraph what you intend to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*I said &quot;most&quot; martial arts. There are some that don't do competition at all (aikido for example), where the goal is to work with each other, blending in and working with the rhythm of your opponent. There are some that are performance based (contemporary wushu for example), where the goal is to sort of do a hybrid of martial arts and dance. In these cases, ballroom dance training can actually have a positive influence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now that being said, I have heard on multiple occasions dance instructors saying that their students who came from a martial arts background were generally better. And their reasons have to do with being able to understand body movement in general. Martial artists are more aware of what their bodies are doing, spatially. They're more aware of their &quot;frame&quot; and whether their partner is getting a strong or weak connection to it. They understand the importance of keeping their form and not forming bad habits like looking down at the dance floor or slouching their shoulders. They come in more disciplined, more focused, and ready to learn. Stuff like that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The biggest problem for me coming from an extensive martial arts background into beginning ballroom dance classes was the way dance is taught compared with the way martial arts is taught. That's going to cause martial artists the most frustration, I think. It did for me, anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In martial arts, you're typically given a partner who already knows what to do and can teach you. If you're struggling, the instructor comes around and makes sure you know what you're doing. You get continuously corrected, whether you want it or not. Very rarely do you ever feel like you don't know what's going on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In dance class, your partners are the followers, and you're a leader. (Or vice-versa.) They know their part, but they can't tell you your part. They don't know that. So you're on your own. The instructor will demonstrate something for the whole class, and then you just have to remember it all from memory and not screw up. It's especially important if you're a leader, because leaders need to start each movement and signal it to their partner unambiguously. If you're having trouble with it, or if you can't remember what to do, you literally can't continue. You just have to stand there and hope the instructor will be around to fix you. But the instructors don't typically make the rounds to correct you. You can raise your hand and hope the instructor will come to you to help you out, but that's not guaranteed. And if you don't get correction on this step you're learning now, you can't continue with the rest of the class, because the next step you learn builds on the current step.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is so inferior to the way martial arts classes are taught that you'll wonder how anyone ever learns dance this way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I later realized that &quot;group&quot; dance classes were only there to practice what you already know, with different partners that rotate from one person to the next. Some/many people actually do learn it that way, but pretty much everyone would be far better off booking time with a private dance instructor instead in order to learn it. Then when you're ready, you can do the group classes and social dances to get better at it with lots of other partners. Then you find out for real if you know it or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Contrast that with martial arts classes. We don't need private lessons at all, for the most part. The regular classes go over everything really well. You're going to get correction and feedback all the time. And your partners can teach you, even if they themselves just learned it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, I could go on about the differences between dance and martial arts. But suffice it to say, there's not a lot that I think one can benefit from the other. My best advice is to go into each with an empty cup. You'll be better off in the long run. And do get a private dance instructor at first. You'll save yourself months of agony and frustration. My advice for what it's worth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2019-03-28T19:51:52.960" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8946" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8942" CreationDate="2019-03-28T20:03:58.013" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sure, learning to dance can be beneficial to martial artists. Anything where you learn to use your body better is beneficial. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had a judo instructor who thought dancing was an easy way to improve footwork. He especially encouraged those with uncoordinated feet to learn to dance. Judo, however, does not spend a lot of time on footwork. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On another level, it is strange to outsource footwork training to non-martial sources, where the motivations for movements are completely different. Footwork in dancing is primarily to look good while martial footwork optimizes speed, stability, and power, without a need for aesthetics. In dance, you need to maintain your balance by yourself or in cooperation with a partner. In martial arts, you need to maintain your balance while someone is actively trying to disrupt it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The utility of dancing will also depend on the system you train. In bagua, there is a HUGE emphasis placed on footwork; it is the foundational skill practiced in particular ways to achieve specific training goals. Walking exercises are part of every training session, forever. A bagua teacher will not send you to a dance instructor to get better footwork because that is the bagua teacher's responsibility. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-03-28T20:03:58.013" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8947" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8942" CreationDate="2019-03-29T02:32:43.470" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Very thought-provoking question.  I would say yes, dancing can help.  But truly, some forms of dance are out of place in any martial context, and in other cases, dance's benefit is brief or superficial.  Other times, it's hugely beneficial.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First off, the intention of dance is not at all relevant.  Dance is done to convey emotion, while in martial arts, the purpose is for self-defense.  But there are elements to dancing which can be very much relevant to martial arts.  One may argue that some tribal forms of martial arts - like Capoeira - &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; a dance, and whose martial movements are hidden in the dance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any kind of dancing where one's body positioning relative to another would be useful resources for a martial arts.  Tango, for example, requires both participants to be always acutely aware of each other's position.  Square dancing, on the other hand, does not.  Neither does any kind of one-person dancing, such as tap, line, step, or krumping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some forms of dance, such as break, popping, and maybe locking might have applications in regards to improved balance, feints, and evading movements from your opponent - but these are techniques already taught in styles, but they can be complimentary.  Capoeira, XMA, and perhaps even some Taekwondo could surely benefit from any of these backgrounds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tango, waltz, and ballet would unquestionably compliment Aikido. (Ever watch Christian Tissier or Bruno Gonzalez?)  Here, balance, distance, timing, and breathing are all important - and very much relevant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT - I hope I'm not breaking the rules here, but I do want to add another important difference between dance and martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In 2-person dance, there is the absolute required element of working together, in unison, with rhythm, and with compliance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In martial arts, it's the exact opposite.  While your training requires that you &quot;work together&quot;, your techniques specifically take advantage of spaces in your opponent's position and timing.  Each looks for these holes in the other person's movements.  There's absolutely no rhythm, no compliance (other than to stop when the other person capitulates in agreement that you've got 'em).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dance, therefore, can be a dangerous tool to train with.  You expect your partner to move with you, but your opponent to move against you.  In every way possible.  Nothing is expected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nevertheless, all functions of dance as it relates to balance, breathing, stepping, and turning are all relevant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2019-04-05T21:17:20.953" LastActivityDate="2019-04-05T21:17:20.953" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8949" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4865" CreationDate="2019-03-29T08:45:27.187" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;My son is learning both and is coping well. I should say that he's only 6 years old. So that could be a factor in his ability to absorb and distinguish the two. My son is now at 5th kup in Kukki Taekwondo and recently graded for 10th in Kyokushin. I attended all his training sessions and would say that Kukki and Kyokushin compliment one another. With Kyokushin you'll learn how to take blows and at the same time deliver powerful blows. Kukki is about speed and different types of kicks to KO the opponent. Last year, he won gold in an all schools Taekwondo tournament. When he started in Kyokushin,  he was the most powerful kicker in his class. The difference I observed, is that Taekwondo students are scared of getting hit. Whereas, the Kyokushin students cannot kick fast and they're scared of being kicked in the head. I suspect most of the respondents don't actually have experience in both Taekwondo and Kyokushin because if they did, they would say that they compliment one another. You won't get confused or anything as suggested above. You'll be really dumb if you get confused by learning both at the same time. My son does Kyokushin 3 times a week and Taekwondo 2 times a week. Oh, another thing I discovered is that you'll get to black belt faster in Taekwondo and your actual lessons on tornado kicks and fighting skills begin there. Whereas, Kyokushin teaches you to fight from white belt. You won't pass your grading if you can't fight. BTW, the rules are pretty similar. Taekwondo = kicks allowed on body and head but no punching on head. Kyokushin = kicks allowed on body and head but punching allowed only on body. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9988" LastEditorUserId="9988" LastEditDate="2019-03-29T22:36:09.520" LastActivityDate="2019-03-29T22:36:09.520" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8950" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-03-29T12:08:53.137" Score="0" ViewCount="1692" Body="&lt;p&gt;What I do know about pressure points are some points of body where vital attack could break the nerve system and make human less conscious about surrounding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;but most of them are very behind of strong muscle to apply that much pressure practice of gripping is required deliberately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like to know that are there any pressure points exists that easily could be attack without that much gripping practice.&#xA;I mean of course some level of gripping practice needed &lt;code&gt;kiss of the dragon&lt;/code&gt; like move can't be possible. but not grip like eagle is needed.     &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8501" LastActivityDate="2019-04-04T12:01:21.507" Title="Which pressure points are easy reachable for attack?" Tags="|karate|aikido|kung-fu|pressure-points|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8951" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8950" CreationDate="2019-03-29T12:27:53.400" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Pressure points, in general, vary a lot from person to person for location, how covered they are, and how vulnerable that person is to them. The closest ones to &quot;universal&quot; that I can think of almost fall under the &quot;very obvious&quot; category such as the testicles in males (squeeze those with moderate pressure, and they will become much less aware of anything else).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Under somewhat less obvious ones, the web between the thumb and forefinger tends to be pretty widely sensitive (albeit primarily if the hand is largely relaxed) and will definitely distract a person. Just inside the collar-bone, pressing down elicits a pretty universal reaction of knees buckling to reduce pressure. Applying pressure to the nose tends to focus the person's attention on just that, and can provoke tearing in the eyes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-03-29T12:27:53.400" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8952" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8950" CreationDate="2019-03-29T14:43:11.690" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You are confusing &quot;vital areas&quot; and &quot;pressure points&quot; - they are very different things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Vital areas are larger in scope, since they involve several/many nerves at once, and can have the effect on consciousness as you pointed out.  So, the eyes, nose, ears, face, neck, solar plexus, stomach, and groin are commonly accessed (attacked) areas in martial arts.  You attack them in some way, say, covering, squeezing, or striking, then they will have varying results - some up to and including loss of consciousness and death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pressure points are much smaller in scope and generally involve one nerve point, and can have the effect on a particular body part.  And they are attacked either by strike, rub, or squeeze for the particular effect desired; and sometimes, several areas need to be attacked for a desired effect.  If you want to release a grip, you hit one area.  You want to cause the person to be unable to kick, you attack another area.  The problem with pressure points, as mentioned by Sean Duggan, is that effectiveness can vary from person to person, and from time to time, and from condition to condition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your knowledge, your strength; the opponent's ability to resist; the opponent being under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or medication; the opponent is mentally unstable, angry, or injured, or is protected (eg, leather jacket); and the opponent's body physiology.  Any of this can change the effectiveness of the desired effect when a pressure point is attacked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a pressure point, the desired effect is almost always pain.  That pain is used as a distraction, a means to release a grip, prevent further attack, etc.  But a vital area need not involve pain.  Of course it can induce pain (eyes, testicles), but it can also render unconsciousness (neck).  Sometimes, a vital area need not be struck: the eyes, for example, can be covered.  So can the mouth.  You know, like with a cloth.  The person can't see or breathe: that's huge.  The mouth and chest can be squeezed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, you ask if they are &quot;easily reachable&quot;.  That always depends on context.  For example, you are in a head lock, so your body positioning might be such that the groin or knee is closer than the eyes, and so the eyes are out of reach.  You may have your opponent in a head lock, and so the eyes and neck are more reachable than the groin or knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You also asked if there are any that don't require much gripping power.  As I mentioned, pressure points are attacked solely by strike, rub, or squeeze.  Here, power is usually expected; slight strikes/rubs/squeezes will usually not have the desired effect.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But with vital areas, generally, very little gripping is needed, and for cover, squeeze, or strike, little is also needed as well.  A poke to the eyes can be very effective, even if you have an injured finger.  Any male can tell you that the slightest strike, rub, or squeeze on the testes can induce excruciating pain.  The solar plexus is also another area which does not need a tremendous amount of strength to attack.  An arm lock needs very little gripping strength; in fact, if you get the opportunity, you can even do it without gripping at all - just use open hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would bet that the gold medal award for the one vital area requiring least amount of power to attack it would be the thumb lock.  (I'm not sure the thumb qualifies as a vital area, although it is a surprisingly vulnerable thing)  It is versatile, because it's usually more accessible than the eyes (to which I might award the silver medal) only because it's the one body part that extends from the body, and thus allows you more distance to issue than the eyes; and also, it can be used in many instances: weapon disarm, grip release, and other situations might just present itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you manage to get someone in a thumb lock, you can get most people to cry &quot;Uncle!&quot;, shine your shoes, and sing Twinkle Little Star with nothing more then your thumb and index finger, all the while using your other hand to play solitaire on your smartphone.  Here, of course, virtually no gripping power is needed at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nevertheless, when you train in martial arts, it does well to train and condition the whole body, even small joints.  For example, I regularly compete or participate in demos.  And in them, I break boards with fingertip.  Is it needed?  No, not really.  But, my hands become very rigid, and an eyeball or throat for a target is easily dispatched, because I train to break boards with the fingertips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT, To clarify: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pressure point effectiveness varies from person to person, because some people are able to withstand the effects of PP.  Also, some people's nerves are not unlike veins and arteries: they move.  So if you apply a PP to an area, if that person's nerves or skin moves, you will have a harder time applying the PP.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to condition to condition, if someone is injured and a nerve is cut off from the brain (eg, a deep laceration), or the area is significantly traumatized through blunt force, then that person's ability to sense the PP effectiveness is significantly weakened.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as to time to time, there are times you simply cannot apply that PP.  Perhaps you are too fatigued, or maybe you distracted.  Maybe a PP requires a rub, but that PP lies beneath a jacket - that would give protection to the PP area.  Maybe you are wearing gloves or have your hands otherwise occupied (with a grip, a weapon, or your own hands are injured).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many who doubt the efficacy of PP.  Perhaps they've never felt them being applied real time.  Perhaps they've seen too many charlatan videos on YouTube.  Perhaps they've not been taught properly or have not had much experience.  Maybe they're not aware that they are already using PP.  Any time you apply a lock, you often attack a PP or VA.  Or perhaps they have a body mechanic that makes them more resistant to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The study of PP is not something that can be done in a class, or a couple of classes, or even a couple of weeks of dedicated practice.  Once you understand how the nervous system works, you begin to understand how to apply pressure points - and that can take years of study and earnest practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While you study pressure points, be sure not to forego all of your other training.  Pressure points - like any technique you are taught - should always present themselves; you should not go looking for them.  You may live an entire lifetime of fighting and never once have a situation present itself with a juicy pressure point handed to you on a silver platter.  The study of pressure points should lead to many discoveries about how the body works, so even if pressure points don't work well for you or don't seem to yield the results you were expecting, you still should have learned a great deal about other aspects of the body mechanics that are useful in a martial arts (or healing) context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2019-04-04T12:01:21.507" LastActivityDate="2019-04-04T12:01:21.507" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8957" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7390" CreationDate="2019-04-02T15:09:38.510" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes some styles of fighting go well together. I mix boxing with tai-chi and jujitsu. But it might also make different openings or weaknesses, but increase and make new strengths.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9997" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-03T02:30:48.980" LastActivityDate="2019-04-03T02:30:48.980" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8958" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-04-03T19:19:34.813" Score="2" ViewCount="2787" Body="&lt;p&gt;I primarily fight in the southpaw stance. I fight like a southpaw, throwing the left cross, and lead with my right. Here is where it gets weird: I’m right handed. I fight like a natural southpaw, but I’m right handed; is this normal? I’ve tried fighting in an orthodox stance, but it feels so uncomfortable and unbalanced. I am working in both stances, but I never heard of anyone who is right handed and fights like they are left handed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9998" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-03T20:17:32.770" LastActivityDate="2019-04-04T14:33:47.937" Title="Right handed southpaw" Tags="|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|stance|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8959" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8958" CreationDate="2019-04-03T20:31:22.540" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is unusual, but it happens. Just because most left-handers fight in a southpaw stance and most right-handers fight in an orthodox stance does not mean that anyone must. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southpaw_stance&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southpaw_stance&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A skilled right-hander, such as Roy Jones Jr., Terence Crawford or Marvin Hagler, may switch to the left-handed (southpaw) stance to take advantage of the fact that most fighters lack experience against lefties. In addition, a right-hander in southpaw with a powerful left cross obtains an explosively different combination. The converted southpaw may use a right jab followed by a left cross, with the intention of making the opponent slip to the outside of their left side. Then the converted right-hander can simply turn their body left and face their opponent, placing them in orthodox, and follow up with an unexpected right cross. If the southpaw fighter is right-hand dominant with a strong left cross, this puts the opponent in danger of knockout from each punch in the combination, as jabs with the power hand can stun or knock out (KO) in heavier weight classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-04-03T20:31:22.540" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8960" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8958" CreationDate="2019-04-04T08:48:31.650" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;From a boxing perspective &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/8959/5926&quot;&gt;mattm's answer&lt;/a&gt; is spot on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a kicking based martial arts perspective this is much more common - if sparring is light/touch contact then the tendency is to have the dominant &lt;strong&gt;leg&lt;/strong&gt; at the front - which for most people would put the dominant hand at the front also (not everyone is right/right or left/left when it comes to hands/feet). If the sparring is full contact then the dominant leg will tend to be at the back (usually putting the dominant hand at the back).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I see a lot of people from a touch contact sparring art, starting in the &quot;wrong&quot; stance when they try boxing and depending on how long they trained it can be very difficult for them to correct. I also find that those coming to my classes (where we do touch contact) from boxing will usually have their weak leg at the front and be quite clumsy and slow until they have adapted their sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Should I worry about it?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Probably not &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;if you are aiming to become a professional boxer - then look for instances of people making it to the level you hope to reach - it may be that the coaching for someone that fights the way you do is not available to get you there.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you are just doing this for recreation/self defence - then its absolutely fine to keep going the way you are. New sparring partners will have a hard time figuring you out and that may give you the edge, you will have a slightly different set of weapons to the average fighter and that could be a blessing and a curse - it will certainly make it interesting &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;you may also find yourself falling into the default way of sparring as you hone your skills (there is a reason most people fight that way) - and there is nothing wrong with that either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastEditorUserId="5926" LastEditDate="2019-04-04T14:33:47.937" LastActivityDate="2019-04-04T14:33:47.937" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8961" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8966" CreationDate="2019-04-07T04:55:59.810" Score="3" ViewCount="226" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are numerous seminars, YouTube videos, books, etc. breaking down the &quot;correct&quot; way to perform different tae kwon do poomsae in great detail.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been curious as to where all this material comes from in the first place. Is there an actual, &quot;official&quot; standards document somewhere describing this, or has this just been passed along from one instructor to another?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8276" LastActivityDate="2019-08-28T06:59:52.763" Title="Is there an actual standards document for poomsae?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|forms|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8962" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-04-07T05:22:00.450" Score="3" ViewCount="1039" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kicks and body kicks would be OK, but I am not OK with taking punches to the head. Is this unavoidable in all arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10005" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-07T11:39:06.753" LastActivityDate="2019-04-07T23:42:30.137" Title="Is there any sparring that doesn't involve punches to the head?" Tags="|sparring|safety|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8963" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8962" CreationDate="2019-04-07T11:39:17.677" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;No, it's not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could pick up something that does not involve kicks or punches at all, like Judo or Sambo. Other alternatives are arts that typically do not involve actual hard sparring, like many styles of Kung Fu, Aikido or Karate. Jiu-Jitsu (not the Brazilian one) is usually pretty light on the sparring as well while still teaching you plenty of useful kicks and punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Apart from this: Sparring in MA is usually not all that painful and you will not suffer regular brain concussion or anything, unless you go to a crazy gym. Also you will wear protective gear at pretty much any point in sparring where head strikes happen and usually in competitions on amateur level as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take a look at what happens at your local gyms and find something you are comfortable with. Personally I have gone through 20 years of various martial arts and suffered zero brain concussions and very little headaches so this stuff is definitely not mandatory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9955" LastEditorUserId="9955" LastEditDate="2019-04-07T12:18:06.503" LastActivityDate="2019-04-07T12:18:06.503" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8964" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8962" CreationDate="2019-04-07T11:45:47.083" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are striking arts with precisely the rule set you describe. World Taekwondo allows kicks to the head but not punches to the head. Punches to the body are legal. This is the competition rules used in the Olympics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/rules/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Taekwondo rules&lt;/a&gt; document &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Revision-WT-Competition-Rules-Interpretation-Hammamet-040520181.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;WT Competition Rules &amp;amp; Interpretation (Hammamet 04052018)&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Article 14 Prohibited acts and Penalties&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4 Prohibited acts&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4.1.8 Hitting the opponent’s head with the hand&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-04-07T11:59:34.200" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8965" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8962" CreationDate="2019-04-07T19:11:01.807" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyokushin&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kyokushin Karate&lt;/a&gt; is also well known for forbidding head punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In most Kyokushin organizations, hand and elbow strikes to the head or neck are prohibited. However, kicks to the head, knee strikes, punches to the upper body, and kicks to the inner and outer leg are permitted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-04-07T19:11:01.807" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8966" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8961" CreationDate="2019-04-07T21:03:25.683" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;These are official videos.  There are also coach's documents available you can get from TeamUSA, or from your country's Olympic site.  The coach's document specifies competition-specific details, such as timing, height of kicks, placement of feet, and other nuances that are completely irrelevant when you need the forms for advancement or local competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The coach's document is updated periodically, if I get a chance to find it, I'll update my answer.  But this should get you going.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are right to ask for official references, there are some people out there with some very strange ideas about what's going on in poomsae, even by high ranking instructors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This set is produced by Kukkiwon, and features none other than Dr Lee Kyu-Hyung, and there should be no other source you should get your instructor from.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This set DOES come from a DVD set, and I do not know of its legality to be on YouTube, though they've been up for a few years. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BTW, there are some videos out there with these same videos, and they contain English subtitles.  You may find them helpful when you get to the instruction parts.  However, you can figure things out a little bit just by watching, even if you can't understand Korean.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: This is the coach's document I mentioned, and comes directly from World Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WTF-Poomsae-Competition-Rules-Interpretation-March-19-2014.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;WT Poomsae Competition Rules &amp;amp; Interpretation (March 19, 2014)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this document gets stale, you might be able to find a link &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/rules/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfO_UUc32dc&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Taeguek Il Jang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0oo0SsS29U&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Taeguek Ee Jang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2ofJsatGGg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Taeguek Sam Jang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSVIFCKH8EA&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Taeguek Sa Jang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APu5dDLg6Uc&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Taeguek Oh Jang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSUnv5b06gY&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Taeguek Yuk Jang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jewGP4sEFv0&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Taeguek Chil Jang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tsVR4cJvRU&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Taeguek Pal Jang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxJPw8z3aAI&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Koryo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcJrZerev4E&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Keumgang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEnI_urP8O4&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Taebaek&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHAJCSoZGJA&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Pyonwon&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhXPzBhdwtU&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sipjin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiidzNlj2NY&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jitae&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYI_EWIqI18&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chonkwon&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmpX7C0nwvU&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hansu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMqB-098i2s&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ilyeo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2019-04-07T21:10:30.403" LastActivityDate="2019-04-07T21:10:30.403" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8967" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8972" CreationDate="2019-04-07T21:35:53.250" Score="3" ViewCount="349" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is this a standard technique to avoid being hit in the head (from a counter punch) or am I seeing things? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they duck, why can't the other fighter anticipate their move and kick or aim punch at a downward angle so they land?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10005" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-04-08T09:28:17.840" LastActivityDate="2019-04-09T17:47:44.397" Title="Why do MMA fighters seem to duck down before they throw a right hand?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8968" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8962" CreationDate="2019-04-07T23:42:30.137" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;With all things, it depends. Even in the arts above, and other arts that forbid punches to the head in a competitive aspect (ATA TKD also forbids hands to the head in competition, but allows kicks), many of them still teach hands to the head in self defense training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a difference between competition rules, and self defense instruction. By definition, almost any modern competition will restrict moves to some degree (Such as groin kicks. That is a near universal no-no). Self defense rules should really have no restrictions, other than what is needed to practice them safely. And, there are many schools that teach competition style only, and do not teach beyond that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So your best bet is to talk with your instructor about your concerns. However, even if it is allowed in training, it should be done in such a manner that it isn't a future health concern.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2019-04-07T23:42:30.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8972" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8967" CreationDate="2019-04-09T15:10:37.547" Score="4" Body="&lt;h2&gt;That technique is called an &quot;&lt;strong&gt;Overhand Right&lt;/strong&gt;&quot;.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more common right (assuming an orthodox stance) is just a &quot;straight right&quot;. Both punches have their advantages and disadvantages. One advantage to the straight right is maintaining your position. You don't need to put yourself out there and risk counters. Your right shoulder blocks your right cheek, and your left hand can stay up to block your left cheek. Very safe technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main advantage for the overhand right is power and distance. You can generate a ton of power and distance on an overhand right that can't be matched by a straight punch. The reason you see the head ducking down is to get that distance, but more so to protect your face. You're opening yourself up more throwing a more arcing punch, so you duck your face down to hide your jaw/face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second big advantage of the overhand right is it's deceptive. It's harder to see coming than a straight right because you're leading with your head/left shoulder. It also arcs in a way that's harder to see than a straight punch. A common setup is faking a jab into an overhand right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another advantage of the overhand right is shooting! My personal favorite shot is off an overhand right. You throw a big ol' wild one, but you don't care if it connects or not, because your head isn't coming back up. You're shooting in on the legs for a single leg, double leg, high crotch, or other takedown attempts. This technique is used at high level MMA by some of the best. Georges St-Pierre used this technique. Chris Weidman uses this. Dan Henderson probably did this technique every fight of his life, and got a few knockouts from it! It's arguably the most dangerous move in a &quot;wrestleboxer&quot; style fighter's arsenal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And lastly, yes, the other fighter could anticipate this. New guys try to counter with an uppercut, which rarely works. The best counter is a knee to the face. The problem is you better get a KO out of it, or the guy is almost certainly getting in on your legs. The safer &quot;counter&quot; is to jump back for a &quot;crack back&quot;, or if you know your opponent is a wrestler, get a head start on your sprawl.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's an instructional video on the last technique I mentioned. This guy doesn't stress ducking the head that much, but you can see it's still part of the technique that leads to the takedown.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbmp8FmQuEQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbmp8FmQuEQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's the man himself pulling off one of the most famous overhands in MMA history:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh7F4HXH8uA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh7F4HXH8uA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2019-04-09T17:47:44.397" LastActivityDate="2019-04-09T17:47:44.397" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8973" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8939" CreationDate="2019-04-10T14:09:35.660" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;When it comes to Taekwondo, as a female, wearing a groin protector is more annoying than being kicked in the private parts. The groin protector scrapes the sides of your legs and more often than not causes more damage from the impact than the kick itself would. Kicks hurt, that's normal. But being kicked in the privates as a female does not really add pain, unlike as a male. I'd personally recommend against a groin protector.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1395" LastActivityDate="2019-04-10T14:09:35.660" CommentCount="14" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8974" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-04-10T15:43:47.693" Score="3" ViewCount="111" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recall reading many years ago about an attempt to organize a martial art where, for example, a team of (say) five members would fight a similar team, with all members participating in the battle at the same time. Each team was expected to use &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_unit_tactics&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;small unit tactics&lt;/a&gt; such as cover and flanking, and also take advantage of each team member's particular strengths and weaknesses (e.g. small and nimble dodgers versus &quot;tanky&quot; blockers). In retrospect, it was fairly reminiscent of a kind of crossover between paintball and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_action_role-playing_game&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a LARP&lt;/a&gt;, but it had several aspects that seemed to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/5803/9676&quot;&gt;paint it specifically as a &lt;em&gt;martial art&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, rather than a sport or an RPG:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The physical fitness requirements were somewhat modest, similar to boffer LARP (with judges calling critical hits from plastic and rubber &quot;swords&quot;), &lt;em&gt;but without the associated fantasy roleplaying&lt;/em&gt;. Grips, throws, take-downs, and pins were disallowed.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's progression/ranking system was based on mastering &lt;em&gt;specific&lt;/em&gt; techniques and passing exams in them, rather than on amassing tournament &quot;wins&quot; as would be typical in a &lt;em&gt;sport&lt;/em&gt;. That is, being at &quot;Teamwork Level 5&quot; and &quot;Sword Blocks Level 3&quot; was more important than being in top bracket for this year's championship.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It emphasized internal discipline and self-sacrifice &lt;em&gt;for the team&lt;/em&gt;. That is, teamwork wasn't simply a practical requirement, &lt;em&gt;being an effective team member&lt;/em&gt; was &lt;em&gt;part of the art&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, it was kind of a &quot;fencing with teams&quot; with a heavy dose of 21st century white-collar &quot;soft skills&quot; teamwork lessons (supporting strengths, being both a leader and a follower, taking turns, not always having to be &quot;the hero&quot;, etc.).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, I can find no record of what it was I found, or of anything resembling it. &lt;strong&gt;Is there a martial art that focuses on fighting as part of a small team and being effective within that team?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be clear, I'm not asking for an identification of the exact art or program that I'm remembering (it might not exist anymore, or it could be a false-memory synthesis of various combat sports and role playing games that I've encountered in the past), but asking whether something like this &lt;em&gt;exists at all&lt;/em&gt; in martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9676" LastEditorUserId="9676" LastEditDate="2019-04-10T19:31:44.103" LastActivityDate="2019-04-10T19:31:44.103" Title="Is there a martial art that emphasizes small unit tactics?" Tags="|recommendation|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8975" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8974" CreationDate="2019-04-10T16:44:01.260" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There have been a few formal attempts at a competition like this, such as &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://teamsfight.com&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Team Fighting Championship&lt;/a&gt;&quot; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/GixDXD44_yA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;) or &lt;em&gt;Hip Show: Arena Combat&lt;/em&gt;, which added obstacles.  So far, they've been little more than novelties in part to the difficulty of following the action, and the increased risk of injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source:  &lt;a href=&quot;https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2781001-when-mma-gets-weird-the-strangest-combat-sports-events&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;When MMA Gets Weird&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're asking about an actual style, you'd probably be looking at something like HEMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-04-10T16:49:23.383" LastActivityDate="2019-04-10T16:49:23.383" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8976" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8983" CreationDate="2019-04-10T19:33:17.370" Score="7" ViewCount="188" Body="&lt;p&gt;Related: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8932/is-there-a-mathematical-model-of-how-much-force-is-applied-to-joints-during-vari&quot;&gt;Is there a mathematical model of how much force is applied to joints during various tae kwon do activities?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recently got a fairly serious knee injury (fully torn ACL which will require surgical repair). One rather alarming aspect of the recovery process for me is the fact that none of the medical professionals I've seen (orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, etc.) seem to have any particular knowledge of martial arts or the specific demands they put on the body. That being the case, I'm seriously concerned about whether I can trust their recommendations on what kind of a treatment plan is appropriate, and when it's safe for me to go back to martial arts (tae kwon do in my case).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being the case, how can I help to ensure that my treatment providers' recommendations and treatment plan are suitable for martial arts? Are there resources that I can point them to?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, if I wanted to just find a physical therapist who was familiar with martial arts to begin with, how would I go about doing so? Where could I look?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8276" LastActivityDate="2019-05-06T02:18:12.243" Title="How do you interact with treatment providers who are unfamiliar with martial arts following an injury?" Tags="|injury|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8977" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8976" CreationDate="2019-04-10T22:14:56.467" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;ACL tears can end athletic careers. Although treatment has improved over the years, there is no guarantee that you can fully recover from an ACL tear. In your previous question, I linked a news article about how the medical field discovered a new ligament in the knee in 2013, which partly explained why some ACL surgeries are successful and some are not. There is still much to learn about ACL recovery; &lt;a href=&quot;https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-019-01093-x&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this recent study&lt;/a&gt; about return-to-sport testing indicates that current methods do relatively well for in the knee in question, but are correlated with increases in injury to the other knee! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With the severity of this injury, the first job of the medical professionals is to make sure you can perform basic activities such as walking or running. I have personally had only minor knee injuries (grade 1 sprain), but even the minor sprain could create enough instability to make walking difficult. I have friends with ACL tears whose knees can dislocate during physical activity. Restoring a basic level of usage is obviously necessary to practicing tae kwon do. In this context, I don't understand why you are concerned about whether the treatment plans are specifically tailored to martial arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After you finish with the non-athlete version of recovery, you can start to worry about tae kwon do. It's possible it is never safe for you to return to tae kwon do, or at least not as you were practicing it before. Jumping, spinning techniques tend to be bad for knees. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for finding martial-arts-specific physical therapy expertise, I suggest:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ask in your martial arts community for recommendations. You are not the first person to get hurt, and this should give you pointers for whom to (not) see. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Call some physical therapists and just ask. Physical therapists know other physical therapists, and unsurprisingly they tend to be an active bunch. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-05-01T14:10:49.947" LastActivityDate="2019-05-01T14:10:49.947" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8978" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="8979" CreationDate="2019-04-11T09:49:06.173" Score="6" ViewCount="251" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Kalaripayattu, students begin their warm-up routine by running for some time. While they are still panting for breath, they are then asked to stand in line and hold their breath for 10 seconds. Then slowly breathe out, breathe in and hold their breath for 20 seconds and so on until 60 seconds.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One beginner student fainted. Another beginner student temporarily lost vision, describing it as a phase where he was standing upright, his eyes were open, but he could see only grey all around him (probably a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyout&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;greyout&lt;/a&gt; due to cells in the eye not receiving enough blood/oxygen). After around 30 seconds the master asked him what was wrong, he said he couldn't see anything, and the master said a knowing &quot;Ah&quot;. The student was asked to close his eyes and lie down on the floor. When he opened his eyes in around a minute, his vision was back to normal and he had no problems in subsequent classes while holding his breath.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A physical trainer friend of mine told me it's a sign that the master doesn't have sufficient knowledge about onboarding beginners.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the long-term, does such an exercise of holding breath after intense warm-up actually help a martial artist? I saw a &lt;a href=&quot;https://yogasynergy.com/holding-your-breath-for-increased-strength-flexibility-healthier-digestion-and-to-eat-less-food/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;yoga explanation&lt;/a&gt; to it, but it didn't seem logical. There are &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15521565&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;some experiments&lt;/a&gt; done on lung capacity of Kalari students, but I guess that'd apply to any martial art even if holding the breath exercises aren't practiced.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does it really help? Are there other martial arts where this is practiced?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6623" LastActivityDate="2019-05-01T00:10:14.253" Title="How is it helpful during training, to hold ones breath after intense warm-up?" Tags="|breathing|kalaripayattu|warm-up|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8979" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8978" CreationDate="2019-04-11T14:41:53.673" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Controlling breath is important in martial arts, and all exercise in general. Holding your breath is the opposite of that.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The short answer is; holding your breath would result in erratic breath to recover. This sounds ridiculous. No fighter would do this.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The yoga website explanation is nonsense. It's not a coincidence that they didn't post any scientific sources to back up their claims, but rather posted links to buy their DVDs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second website you posted is an extremely narrow study, where it compares people involved in athletics to people that we have no idea of their athletic involvement. So sure, people that exercise will have a higher lung capacity than people that might not exercise. That study is worthless without athletically comparable control cases. For example, one group should do their program with the breathing stuff, and one group should do their program without it. There are several other issues with that study, but we can throw it out based on that lack of control alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: This is pseudoscience with no backing. Anecdotal evidence would say this specific practice might even be detrimental.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8174" LastEditorUserId="8174" LastEditDate="2019-04-11T17:19:42.130" LastActivityDate="2019-04-11T17:19:42.130" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8980" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8978" CreationDate="2019-04-11T16:03:01.560" Score="4" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Breathing slowly is trained in Daoist-influenced martial arts&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts with a Daoist influence (&lt;em&gt;bagua, xing yi, taiji&lt;/em&gt;) train breathing to be relaxed, continuous, deep, and even. Training for these elements has the effect of slowing your breathing rate. Note that you cannot hold your breath while keeping it continuous and even. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This training results in increased breathing efficiency; you need fewer breaths in any time period. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/6114/5961&quot;&gt;You do not starve your body of oxygen&lt;/a&gt;, you learn to need less breathing as measured by breath frequency. This breathing is sustainable indefinitely. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have no idea whether this results in increased carbon dioxide in the body, or whether that is something you want. I do know that freediving has examined breathing and carbon dioxide, where mistakes can result in drowning. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Holding your breath to breathe slowly is questionable&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would rate this practice similarly to withholding water from athletes; it's a silly risk to take to &quot;toughen&quot; athletes. You can achieve the desired effects in much safer and more efficient ways. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The benefits from breathing better accrue over time; the 4 breaths or whatever you skip after a warmup has immediate negative short-term repercussions (passing out or losing eyesight), but the long-term effect will be negligible because you take thousands of breaths per day. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-04-11T16:03:01.560" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8981" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6330" CreationDate="2019-04-11T18:27:58.350" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The differences between Krav Maga (KM) and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_Krav_Maga&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Urban Krav Maga&lt;/a&gt; (UKM) are probably moot if you are training to be effective at self defense in general. I trained in Urban Krav Maga (North America) in Madison, WI for 4 years before a job moved relocated me to Chicago, where I now train at a Krav Maga Alliance school (&lt;a href=&quot;http://kmfchicago.com/?utm_source=TPA%20On%20Google%20Search&amp;amp;utm_campaign=TPA%C2%AE%20Brand&amp;amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;amp;utm_term=Krav%20Maga%20Force&amp;amp;utm_content=Google%20Search%20Text%20Ads&amp;amp;keyword=krav%20maga%20force&amp;amp;matchtype=e&amp;amp;adposition=1t1&amp;amp;device=c&amp;amp;loc_physical_ms=9060146&amp;amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwy7vlBRACEiwAZvdx9hGCdntlCs-yYm4-GjGJi8mSmZvn7UaCpnQaqUQ2Tlb2dojTPT27WBoCPHQQAvD_BwE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Krav Maga Force&lt;/a&gt;). I also spent 3 weeks at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.kmasandiego.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Krav Maga Academy&lt;/a&gt; in San Diego training with them a few years back - so it seems fair to say I can provide some perspective. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like many other answers to similar questions, the training depends heavily on the instructors priorities and their backgrounds. The affiliation (e.g. KM Alliance, KMWW, etc.)provides some guidance to the scheduling, techniques needed to pass testing, and how students increase in rank. Urban Krav Maga was, as I learned, originally affiliated with Commando Krav Maga (CKM). When the CKM founder, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moni_Aizik&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Moni Aizik&lt;/a&gt;, was discovered to have &lt;a href=&quot;https://britishkravmagaassociation.co.uk/krav-magakrav-maga-articles75-commandokravmagasucks-html.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;embellished his credentials&lt;/a&gt;, there was a bit of an uproar and some distancing from his CKM school. His techniques were not necessarily bad, but the name had been socially 'poisoned' to some extent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How UKM-North America (UKM-NA) and UKM-UK might differ is less clear to me. We followed the same basic curriculum with perhaps more emphasis on the types of knife attacks, and attacks in crowded spaces (such as trains and buses) in the UK, and more emphasis on gun defense in the US. Testing up a level had the blessing of UKM founder Stewart McGill (with his signature on the certificate). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Minor differences between UKM and KM I have observed include: UKM-North America emphasized the palm strikes and (vertical) stacked knuckle punch form, whereas the Krav Maga Alliance instructs their students to follow a 45 degree punch (they say it is closer to the relaxed position and thus more 'normal') to minimize metacarpal damage; there seemed to be more emphasis an precision and technique (with more practice dedicated to building muscle memory) with regard to wrist locks at UKM-NA, and less of that at the current KM school; more aggression at the KM school compared to UKM-NA. The gun defense at the current KM school follows the traditional KM techniques, but at UKM-NA there was more emphasis on getting two hands on the weapon hand quickly. KM has more light sparring with 16 oz gloves whereas UKM-NA had occasional light sparring without gloves. So overall - there are small differences which allow the more experienced practitioner to easily adjust and accommodate changes - but there are no major differences as far as I can see. From my latest information, UKM-NA will shut its doors at the end of April, 2019 - due to retirement of the lead instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've benefited from seeing how different instructors and schools approach the 'self defense problem'. People often get taken in by their instructors approach, but it's good to expand your perceptions and accommodate new approaches. I'd advise others to try the same!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7393" LastEditorUserId="7393" LastEditDate="2019-04-11T21:00:19.447" LastActivityDate="2019-04-11T21:00:19.447" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8982" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1504" CreationDate="2019-04-11T19:19:01.733" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some things I've noticed, that led me to walk out on a couple of schools: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Teacher singles you out and calls you out in front of the class. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Other student(s) actually laughs/snickers when that happens. and the Instructor allows that! &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Teacher physically injures you. Could be to make an example of you. You notice the pinches are hard, the take downs are harder. Or the workouts are VERY strenuous before the actual practicing of forms and techniques. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Instructor actually makes lesser instructors micromanage you. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sensei tells you that &quot;just b/c you said that...re: what is needed to advance, you get to wait another month before I test you.&quot; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Instructor bullies you, whether physically or mentally/emotionally. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mats are hardly ever used, and gym space is pretty dirty from other classes. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You and your head instructor have a clear personality conflict. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The head instructor and owner actually have drinks together after class! &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The owner puts down the instructor, but actually lets the instructor do as he pleases as &quot;he knows his stuff&quot;, etc... &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The instructor says sexist, racist things at class level. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;On some level, regardless of what you did, he/she just does not like you as a person, and is easily annoyed by your presence. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So these are things that I've noticed, esp. in my last class. If you see them, you need to really walk on. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user10014" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-04-11T20:00:32.163" LastActivityDate="2019-04-11T20:00:32.163" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8983" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8976" CreationDate="2019-04-12T14:06:22.387" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was in a similar situation a few years ago, when I had a complete rupture of my right Achilles tendon. I was fairly lucky in that I had a medical group on my insurance plan that also caters to the local professional sports teams, so they had a really good grasp on what might be needed for that kind of a repair on an athlete other than an average joe. It starts with the surgeon, so if you can find one that consults/works with local sports teams, that is a big step.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My first visit with the physical therapist, I took videos of my form and sparring, and showed them to him. While they are not familiar with martial arts, they have extensive training on body mechanics, and they can look at the movements and know what kind of stresses they will create. In my case, part of the form involves jumping backwards from the front foot landing on the back while executing a kick. He looked at the landing and said &quot;Yeah, you won't be doing that move for at least a year.&quot; Knew nothing about the form, but could tell what kind of stress would be on the area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Show the therapists your form (Even if it is instructional videos), show them sparring, whatever you compete/practice, give them as much information as you can. They can look at the mechanics, the stresses, and work towards a full recovery goal with that in mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2019-04-12T14:06:22.387" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8984" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-12T18:22:36.423" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-12T18:22:36.423" LastActivityDate="2019-04-12T18:22:36.423" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8985" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-12T18:22:36.423" Score="0" Body="When you have an example, and you want its name. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-03-30T13:33:57.973" LastActivityDate="2021-03-30T13:33:57.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8986" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-12T19:33:31.187" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-12T19:33:31.187" LastActivityDate="2019-04-12T19:33:31.187" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8987" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-12T19:33:31.187" Score="0" Body="Safety equipment, whether worn (gloves, chest protectors, headgear, mouthguards) or not (floor mats, padded walls)" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-12T19:33:31.187" LastActivityDate="2019-04-12T19:33:31.187" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8988" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-12T19:44:41.837" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-12T19:44:41.837" LastActivityDate="2019-04-12T19:44:41.837" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8989" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-12T19:44:41.837" Score="0" Body="How to move faster or act in less time " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-12T19:44:41.837" LastActivityDate="2019-04-12T19:44:41.837" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8990" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-12T19:56:49.023" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-12T19:56:49.023" LastActivityDate="2019-04-12T19:56:49.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8991" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-12T19:56:49.023" Score="0" Body="Defense prevents attacks from being effective. Examples are evasion, blocking, redirection, and counterattacking. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-12T19:56:49.023" LastActivityDate="2019-04-12T19:56:49.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8992" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-12T20:06:01.897" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-12T20:06:01.897" LastActivityDate="2019-04-12T20:06:01.897" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8993" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-12T20:06:01.897" Score="0" Body="Chokes incapacitate an opponent by constricting blood or air to induce unconsciousness. They are normally applied to the neck but can also be applied to the body. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-12T20:06:01.897" LastActivityDate="2019-04-12T20:06:01.897" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8994" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-12T20:40:32.180" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-12T20:40:32.180" LastActivityDate="2019-04-12T20:40:32.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8995" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-12T20:40:32.180" Score="0" Body="Balance allows a person to maintain position and act. Disrupting balance is a primary method of reducing an opponent's available strength and ability to act. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-12T20:40:32.180" LastActivityDate="2019-04-12T20:40:32.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8996" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-12T21:14:49.847" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-12T21:14:49.847" LastActivityDate="2019-04-12T21:14:49.847" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8997" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-12T21:14:49.847" Score="0" Body="Martial systems are frequently categorized as different styles to contrast their distinctive features. Styles may focus on different techniques: kicking, punching, throwing, or groundfighting. Or they may have different strategies: hit and run, counterattacking, or brawling. Use this tag to ask about differences in styles. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-12T21:14:49.847" LastActivityDate="2019-04-12T21:14:49.847" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8998" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-12T23:29:11.690" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-12T23:29:11.690" LastActivityDate="2019-04-12T23:29:11.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="8999" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-12T23:29:11.690" Score="0" Body="Exercises to improve flexibility" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-12T23:29:11.690" LastActivityDate="2019-04-12T23:29:11.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9000" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-13T01:44:01.470" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-13T01:44:01.470" LastActivityDate="2019-04-13T01:44:01.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9001" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-13T01:44:01.470" Score="0" Body="Relating to the Japanese language or martial arts originating in Japan such as aikido, judo, kendo, or jujutsu" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-13T01:44:01.470" LastActivityDate="2019-04-13T01:44:01.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9002" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-04-13T06:54:05.640" Score="5" ViewCount="207" Body="&lt;p&gt;In three months I'll be going abroad for master studies. I have left my job in order to prepare somewhat for the course in the three months before I leave. This gives me time for some extra activities to try on. I have started with swimming, but apart from that I want to start some martial arts training, which has been something I have been interested and wanted to start for the longest of time from my childhood but could not because it was not affordable. Now from working for the past 3 years and earning myself, I want to start with martial arts no matter what.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am very certain that I won't master any martial arts in 3 months, that is not my intention either, my question is if I enroll for the three months will it be a waste? I plan to continue abroad as well, and after I settle in a new place and with my masters I will want to continue it, not really sure how much of a gap that will bring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have from my childhood heard of Karate, Taekwondo only, was planning to enroll in them but then I heard of Muai Thai, I felt very curious about it and now am very interested in it. I play football(soccer) 3 days a week, I have a pretty strong legs I feel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I opt for Muai Thai for the three months, will it be worth it for me, will the coming gap after it affect me for my future classes, should I go for something else ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am sorry if I made mistakes in some terms, I have had no training in no activity before in my life, I want to start with this as soon as I can.&#xA;Hopefully my question makes sense, Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10015" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-13T11:22:51.870" LastActivityDate="2019-09-10T04:04:53.040" Title="Will three months of Muai Thai help?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9003" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9002" CreationDate="2019-04-13T10:56:55.710" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;No waste at all. Go for it, train hard then find another club where you can continue. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2019-04-13T10:56:55.710" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9004" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9002" CreationDate="2019-04-13T11:02:37.510" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Three months of Muai Thai can give you some basic knowledge of defending yourself. Once you learn it, you will automatically use it when under threat. Knowing how to raise your hands and knees to protect your groin, chest, face and solar plexus are by themselves very valuable pieces of knowledge.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;I'm not sure how you'd be able to cope while simultaneously practicing swimming and soccer (muscles being tired) on the same day, but it's something you'd have to experiment with...perhaps alternate days. Don't push yourself too hard and make sure you get the necessary amount of protein in your diet. If you are already tired from swimming and soccer, don't go for Muai Thai.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Three months of this training is very unlikely to give you any special consideration when you join Muai Thai classes elsewhere after 6 months or a year. You'll be treated as a new student.  I don't see any other disadvantage of doing a 3 month stint. Just make sure the institute will allow you to join for just 3 months. Tell them upfront. You can say you want to try Muai Thai for few months to see if it's right for you.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6623" LastActivityDate="2019-04-13T11:02:37.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9005" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-13T12:40:34.737" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-13T12:40:34.737" LastActivityDate="2019-04-13T12:40:34.737" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9006" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-13T12:40:34.737" Score="0" Body="Use for martial arts events in the Olympics, both ancient and modern" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-13T12:40:34.737" LastActivityDate="2019-04-13T12:40:34.737" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9007" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-13T12:44:24.040" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-13T12:44:24.040" LastActivityDate="2019-04-13T12:44:24.040" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9008" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-13T12:44:24.040" Score="0" Body="Striking with a closed fist" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-13T12:44:24.040" LastActivityDate="2019-04-13T12:44:24.040" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9009" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-13T12:49:50.883" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-13T12:49:50.883" LastActivityDate="2019-04-13T12:49:50.883" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9010" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-13T12:49:50.883" Score="0" Body="Mental training exercises, whether lying down, sitting, standing, or moving" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-13T12:49:50.883" LastActivityDate="2019-04-13T12:49:50.883" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9011" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-13T13:08:07.540" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-13T13:08:07.540" LastActivityDate="2019-04-13T13:08:07.540" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9012" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-13T13:08:07.540" Score="0" Body="Martial arts may be divided into weight classes. Use this tag for questions about weight classes or differences in mass. For questions about lifting weights, use weight-lifting. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-14T03:19:20.223" LastActivityDate="2019-04-14T03:19:20.223" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9013" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-13T13:09:14.497" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-13T13:09:14.497" LastActivityDate="2019-04-13T13:09:14.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9014" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-13T13:09:14.497" Score="0" Body="For kicks where both feet leave the ground" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-13T13:09:14.497" LastActivityDate="2019-04-13T13:09:14.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9015" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-13T13:16:33.673" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-13T13:16:33.673" LastActivityDate="2019-04-13T13:16:33.673" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9016" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-13T13:16:33.673" Score="0" Body="For questions on the etiquette of bowing" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-13T13:16:33.673" LastActivityDate="2019-04-13T13:16:33.673" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9017" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-14T03:09:21.593" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-14T03:09:21.593" LastActivityDate="2019-04-14T03:09:21.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9018" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-14T03:09:21.593" Score="0" Body="Style of karate founded by Gichin Funakoshi. Use for questions particular to the Shotokan style of karate. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-14T03:26:34.677" LastActivityDate="2019-04-14T03:26:34.677" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9019" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-14T03:29:57.407" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-14T03:29:57.407" LastActivityDate="2019-04-14T03:29:57.407" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9020" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-14T03:29:57.407" Score="0" Body="How to improve disadvantageous positions where an opponent has control" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-14T03:29:57.407" LastActivityDate="2019-04-14T03:29:57.407" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9021" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-14T03:43:41.293" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-14T03:43:41.293" LastActivityDate="2019-04-14T03:43:41.293" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9022" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-14T03:43:41.293" Score="0" Body="Kicks with &gt;180 degrees of rotation" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-14T03:43:41.293" LastActivityDate="2019-04-14T03:43:41.293" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9023" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-04-14T21:19:38.777" Score="5" ViewCount="183" Body="&lt;p&gt;For example I'd much rather take a kick to the leg than to the head, or even to the body. Is there a way I can incorporate this into my style to minimize risk of damaging head shots?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10005" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T20:25:27.193" LastActivityDate="2023-12-14T12:12:05.617" Title="How can you take steps to decrease risk of brain damage during Thai sparring?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|striking|brain-injury|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9024" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-04-15T01:00:19.787" Score="-2" ViewCount="148" Body="&lt;p&gt;because they're just too dangerous to the public or for public consumption? I assume they'd be slight modifications of the more dangerous moves that would be the ones actually taught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10005" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T14:13:59.793" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T14:13:59.793" Title="Are there moves that would never be taught or talked about in an MMA gym?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9025" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9024" CreationDate="2019-04-15T01:57:18.390" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a list of illegal moves in MMA. People do not teach them because they are illegal. For example, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ufc.com/unified-rules-mixed-martial-arts&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;the UFC rules list&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Butting with the head&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Eye gouging of any kind&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Biting or spitting at an opponent&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fish hooking (act of inserting a finger or fingers or one or both hands into the mouth or nostrils or a person, pulling away from the centerline of the body)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hair pulling&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Strikes to the spine or the back of the head.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Throat strikes of any kind, and/or grabbing the trachea&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fingers outstretched toward an opponent’s face/eyes&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Downward pointing elbow strike (’12 to ‘6 strike)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Groin attacks of any kind&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kneeing and/or kicking the head of a grounded opponent&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Stomping a grounded opponent&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Holding opponent’s gloves or shorts&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Holding or grabbing the fence or ropes with fingers or toes&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Small joint manipulation&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many of these do not have modifications to make them less dangerous; there are no slight modifications of small joint manipulation, stomping grounded opponents, groin attacks, or strikes to the back of the head. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T01:57:18.390" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9026" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-15T20:31:33.670" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T20:31:33.670" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T20:31:33.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9027" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-15T20:31:33.670" Score="0" Body="Use for concussions, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), or other forms of brain damage. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T20:31:33.670" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T20:31:33.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9028" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-15T21:03:57.097" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T21:03:57.097" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T21:03:57.097" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9029" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-15T21:03:57.097" Score="0" Body="Increasing or maintaining range of motion in joints" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T21:03:57.097" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T21:03:57.097" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9030" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-15T21:09:33.483" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T21:09:33.483" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T21:09:33.483" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9031" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-15T21:09:33.483" Score="0" Body="Training uniforms or other clothing" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T21:09:33.483" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T21:09:33.483" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9032" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-15T21:10:56.593" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T21:10:56.593" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T21:10:56.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9033" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-15T21:10:56.593" Score="0" Body="Defense through obstruction rather than evasion" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T21:10:56.593" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T21:10:56.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9034" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-15T21:34:04.077" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T21:34:04.077" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T21:34:04.077" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9035" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-15T21:34:04.077" Score="0" Body="Wrestling is a grappling martial art. Use for any varieties of sport (Greco-Roman, freestyle, sumo), traditional, or entertainment wrestling (WWE)." OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T21:34:04.077" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T21:34:04.077" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9036" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-15T21:56:23.493" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T21:56:23.493" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T21:56:23.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9037" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-15T21:56:23.493" Score="0" Body="Through breathing, the human body absorbs oxygen from the air to produce energy. Use for questions about breathing training or practices. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T21:56:23.493" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T21:56:23.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9038" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-15T22:07:40.213" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T22:07:40.213" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T22:07:40.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9039" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-15T22:07:40.213" Score="0" Body="For questions about the physical decline of the body over time" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-15T22:07:40.213" LastActivityDate="2019-04-15T22:07:40.213" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9040" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T03:06:28.140" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bagua zhang (八卦掌) or Pakua Chang, literally eight trigram palm, is normally classified as one of the Chinese internal martial arts. It combines striking and throwing techniques and is distinctive for its circle walking training methods. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bagua zhang is generally attributed to Dong Haiquan, who taught openly in Beijing from ~1865 until his death in 1882. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Fundamentals of Pa Kua Chang&lt;/em&gt; by&#xA;Park Bok Nam and Dan Miller published by&#xA;Unique Publications, 1999.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T03:06:28.140" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T03:06:28.140" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9041" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T03:06:28.140" Score="0" Body="Bagua zhang (八卦掌), literally &quot;eight trigram palm&quot;, is normally classified as one of the Chinese internal martial arts. It combines striking and throwing techniques and is distinctive for its circle walking training methods. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T03:06:28.140" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T03:06:28.140" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9042" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T03:27:04.767" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T03:27:04.767" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T03:27:04.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9043" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T03:27:04.767" Score="0" Body="Submission technique involving immobilization and mechanical advantage to apply overwhelming force to a joint. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T03:27:04.767" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T03:27:04.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9044" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T03:31:28.463" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T03:31:28.463" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T03:31:28.463" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9045" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T03:31:28.463" Score="0" Body="Kung fu associated with the Shaolin monastery in China" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T03:31:28.463" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T03:31:28.463" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9046" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T14:54:43.410" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T14:54:43.410" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T14:54:43.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9047" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T14:54:43.410" Score="0" Body="Energy delivered per unit time, or the ability to deliver such power. All techniques require some power to be effective. Contributing to power are elements of speed, coordination, and strength (the ability to generate force). " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T14:54:43.410" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T14:54:43.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9048" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:18:29.313" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:18:29.313" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:18:29.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9049" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:18:29.313" Score="0" Body="Relaxation reduces physical and mental tension in the body. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:18:29.313" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:18:29.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9050" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:21:39.753" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:21:39.753" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:21:39.753" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9051" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:21:39.753" Score="0" Body="Japanese martial art focusing on drawing a sword" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:21:39.753" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:21:39.753" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9052" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:24:10.060" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:24:10.060" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:24:10.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9053" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:24:10.060" Score="0" Body="The ability to move the body with agility. For questions about range of motion in particular joints, use the tag flexibility. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:24:10.060" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:24:10.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9054" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:29:16.350" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:29:16.350" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:29:16.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9055" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:29:16.350" Score="0" Body="The ability to detect or perceive environmental changes and potential dangers. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:29:16.350" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:29:16.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9056" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:30:14.373" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:30:14.373" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:30:14.373" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9057" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:30:14.373" Score="0" Body="The ability to sustain physical or mental exertion over time. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:30:14.373" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:30:14.373" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9058" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:32:50.517" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:32:50.517" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:32:50.517" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9059" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:32:50.517" Score="0" Body="The care of the knee joint or its use as a weapon or target. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:32:50.517" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:32:50.517" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9060" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:34:35.543" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:34:35.543" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:34:35.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9061" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:34:35.543" Score="0" Body="For use of short sticks as weapons" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:34:35.543" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:34:35.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9062" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:36:00.703" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:36:00.703" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:36:00.703" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9063" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:36:00.703" Score="0" Body="Famous as a movie star and founder of Jeet Kune Do, a formless martial art inspired from Wing Chun and other martial arts training" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:36:00.703" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:36:00.703" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9064" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:37:52.690" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:37:52.690" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:37:52.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9065" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:37:52.690" Score="0" Body="Vulnerable targets on the human body" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:37:52.690" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:37:52.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9066" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:40:11.087" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:40:11.087" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:40:11.087" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9067" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:40:11.087" Score="0" Body="For questions about martial arts originating from Okinawa, or the Okinawan language" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:40:11.087" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:40:11.087" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9068" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:41:57.467" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:41:57.467" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:41:57.467" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9069" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:41:57.467" Score="0" Body="Physical shields used as armor for blocking or attacking" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:41:57.467" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:41:57.467" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9070" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:43:26.937" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:43:26.937" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:43:26.937" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9071" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:43:26.937" Score="0" Body="Demonstration of power by breaking targets such as wooden boards, bricks, or blocks" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:43:26.937" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:43:26.937" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9072" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:45:41.420" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:45:41.420" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:45:41.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9073" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:45:41.420" Score="0" Body="Martial arts movements are often abstracted in forms (kata). Use this tag for questions about how to use abstract movements in concrete applications. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:45:41.420" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:45:41.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9074" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:57:56.537" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:57:56.537" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:57:56.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9075" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T15:57:56.537" Score="0" Body="Use for questions about the mental state, emotions, or motivation. See also meditation." OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T15:57:56.537" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T15:57:56.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9076" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T17:36:02.883" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T17:36:02.883" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T17:36:02.883" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9077" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T17:36:02.883" Score="0" Body="Deception as used in parlor tricks. For acrobatic tricking, use the tricking tag. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T17:36:02.883" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T17:36:02.883" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9078" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T17:36:59.580" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T17:36:59.580" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T17:36:59.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9079" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T17:36:59.580" Score="0" Body="Joint lock applied to the wrist joint" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T17:36:59.580" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T17:36:59.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9080" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-16T17:49:23.887" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T17:49:23.887" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T17:49:23.887" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9081" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-16T17:49:23.887" Score="0" Body="Voluntary or involuntary action in response to another's action" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-16T17:49:23.887" LastActivityDate="2019-04-16T17:49:23.887" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9082" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-04-17T22:55:21.683" Score="6" ViewCount="491" Body="&lt;p&gt;Joint locks in judo must nominally be on the elbow joint only. &lt;em&gt;Ude garami&lt;/em&gt;, translated as the entangled arm lock and with variants are known as the Kimura or Americana in BJJ, often affects the shoulder joint. This also seems to depend upon the flexibility of the person on the receiving end. &lt;em&gt;Ude garami&lt;/em&gt; is a legal technique even if it affects only the shoulder because referees cannot tell which joint is being affected.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a way to perform &lt;em&gt;ude garami&lt;/em&gt; against a bent arm such that it reliably affects only the elbow joint and not the shoulder? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-15T11:01:53.593" LastActivityDate="2022-05-04T14:51:47.720" Title="Is there a way to reliably attack only a bent elbow joint with ude garami (Kimura, Americana)?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|technique|joint-lock|anatomy|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9083" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9082" CreationDate="2019-04-18T14:55:25.697" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, there is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ude garami is a commonly misunderstood technique. Mainly because most people in western countries get taught that it &lt;strong&gt;has&lt;/strong&gt; to be performed with uke's arm being bent. There is even a mistranslation in German where its called &lt;em&gt;Armbeugehebel&lt;/em&gt; (&quot;arm bend lever&quot;), making this even more confusing. This is likely the case in other languages as well. In English it is thankfully called &quot;&lt;strong&gt;entangled&lt;/strong&gt; arm lock&quot; which is closer to the actual meaning of &lt;em&gt;garami&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Characteristic of ude garami is the way tori's arms are placed, not the way uke's arm is bent. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z67tCt3b00&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This video&lt;/a&gt; shows a variety of ways to perform ude garami. I want to point out that at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z67tCt3b00&amp;amp;t=71&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1:10&lt;/a&gt; the arm of uke is fully straight, however tori is still able to perform the joint-lock. This kind of ude garami will not put pressure on the shoulder and only affects the elbow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said all the other variants are definitely not wrong but just other viable ways of performing this technique. Focusing on pulling uke's arm really close to his body can in my experience ease the stress on the shoulder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9955" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-01T12:10:59.110" LastActivityDate="2019-06-01T12:10:59.110" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9084" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-04-18T19:05:48.667" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-18T19:05:48.667" LastActivityDate="2019-04-18T19:05:48.667" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9085" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-04-18T19:05:48.667" Score="0" Body="For concerns specific to the female gender" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-18T19:05:48.667" LastActivityDate="2019-04-18T19:05:48.667" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9086" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9133" CreationDate="2019-04-18T22:48:10.783" Score="5" ViewCount="324" Body="&lt;p&gt;For throws, I use Toshiro Daigo's book &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt; published by Kodanasha International, Tokyo 2005. It specifically addresses some of the arcane points of Kodokan classification that distinguish what is considered one throw versus another. This book is &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/8534/5961&quot;&gt;mostly up to date&lt;/a&gt;. Is there a similar canonical resource that covers mat (pins, chokes, armlocks) techniques? For example, I was just informed that &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/9083/5961&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;ude garami&lt;/em&gt; can be done against a straight arm&lt;/a&gt;. I previously would have called that an &lt;em&gt;ude hishigi ude gatame&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-09-13T15:51:22.820" Title="Is there a canonical resource for the classification of Judo mat techniques?" Tags="|technique|judo|grappling|terminology|identification|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9088" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="578" CreationDate="2019-04-23T20:20:07.763" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Simply put: because the mat isn't that pretty. In my experience in Aikido, lifting the leg high will only set yourself up for a leg sweep or joint lock. When you are allowed to grab your opponent's kicking leg and sweep the knee, most people won't risk it. It's a good way to end your time in the ring for good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10030" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-23T22:02:53.617" LastActivityDate="2019-04-23T22:02:53.617" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9089" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9082" CreationDate="2019-04-26T20:45:29.150" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;While &quot;reliably&quot; may be disputable, the main means to make the bent-arm variant (from mune-gatame, i.e. not the classic kimura with uke's wrist behind her back, although the principles mostly apply) work on the elbow is torque:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, pull the arm (elbow and wrist) as close to yourself (uke's hip and shoulder respectively) as possible. This indeed is the &quot;locking&quot; part.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, twist uke's forearm by bending your wrist &quot;away&quot; from you as far as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this point, many people will already have tapped because the tendons in the elbow are overextended due to the combination of maximally bending uke's elbow plus twisting the bones of her forearm against each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Only if these two steps do not suffice, slowly changing the angle so that the elbow gradually moves towards the (center of the) hip should be done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Caveat: Depending on individual flexibility, this still might result in straining the shoulder before anything else. But the point is that you are securing the shoulder joint so that you will not pop it out of its socket if uke is a bit slow with her tap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2019-04-26T21:00:29.687" LastActivityDate="2019-04-26T21:00:29.687" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9091" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9100" CreationDate="2019-04-29T03:29:05.810" Score="1" ViewCount="432" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does anyone where there is a collection of Oscar Ratti's Aikido drawings? Most notably those in &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido_and_the_Dynamic_Sphere&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere&lt;/a&gt;&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/M6xdK.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/M6xdK.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;midway through kotegeashi&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find them piecemeal &lt;a href=&quot;https://llanafanaikido.wordpress.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;all&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://budova.blogspot.com/2008/03/tcnicas-bsicas-de-aikido.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;over&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://itunes.apple.com/at/app/made-easy-aikido/id1113500744?l=en&amp;amp;mt=12&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://infoaikido.blogspot.com/2013/04/aikido-dibujos.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;internet&lt;/a&gt; for pretty much any kind of Aikido search. Some have even been spliced into &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/nT63s.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;animations&lt;/a&gt;, a creative reboot into a new media type. I've yet to find them in one place though. (Pinterest doesn't count. That's just a hodgepodge, useful for discovery sometimes but not for reference.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Update&lt;/strong&gt; from comments: My purpose in asking the question is that I'm putting together a personal study guide. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="349" LastEditorUserId="349" LastEditDate="2019-05-11T16:59:01.103" LastActivityDate="2019-05-11T16:59:01.103" Title="Collection of O.Ratti Aikido illustrations?" Tags="|aikido|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9092" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9091" CreationDate="2019-04-29T07:13:57.840" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Those are all copyrighted drawings made by Oscar Ratti. You should contact his estate (as he died in 2005), via his publisher the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_E._Tuttle_Company&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Charles E. Tuttle Company&lt;/a&gt; and ask for permission to do whatever you wish to do. You should direct all questions to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In additions, those drawings are nice but show the understanding of a shodan of some techniques. As such some of those drawings leave much to be desired and should be taken with a grain of salt despite their visual appeal. As to which illustration are questionable, I do not think there is a list or if such exists, I do not know of it. I would be surprise if any did exist. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mostly, books on Aikido contain pictures of people doing techniques as those are far easier to get rather than illustrations. Static content is only so much help and you would be better served looking at videos. The only real way to learn is actually training in a dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-04-29T13:15:33.620" LastActivityDate="2019-04-29T13:15:33.620" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9093" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9132" CreationDate="2019-04-30T08:54:53.550" Score="7" ViewCount="4209" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrestling involves pinning, choking, and making someone fall to the ground. The same features are involved in judo. What is the difference between judo and wrestling?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9579" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-04-30T15:27:55.007" LastActivityDate="2023-12-16T03:41:10.763" Title="What is the difference between judo and wrestling?" Tags="|judo|wrestling|style|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9094" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9093" CreationDate="2019-04-30T10:05:31.270" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Fundamentally, they are both combat sports that involve grappling and pinning. However, the rules result in different focuses in technique. In Judo, your points are based on the performance of a throw from a specified list of allowable techniques, and of subsequent control of your opponent. In Wrestling, you win by pinning your opponent, or forcing them out of the ring. Thus, Judo tends to be more upright, so as to demonstrate the throw, and tends to show a very specific action and response; Wrestling involves going to ground much more rapidly to avoid being forced out of bounds, and involves a more fluid exchange of holds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond that, you also have other cosmetic differences, which also affect technique, such as the choice of outfits (gis versus singlets).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-04-30T11:30:16.467" LastActivityDate="2019-04-30T11:30:16.467" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9095" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9093" CreationDate="2019-04-30T15:26:51.680" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrestling may be one of many forms of wrestling: folk, Greco-Roman, freestyle, catch, submission, sumo, etc. Because there are so many styles of wrestling, it's difficult to make blanket statements about them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo refers to Kodokan Judo, which was founded in Japan by Jigaro Kano in the late 1800's. I am not aware of any other system that uses the word judo. Even Brazilian jiu jitsu, though descended from judo, does not call itself judo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are four ways to win a judo match:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;pin (currently 20 seconds)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;choke&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;arm lock&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Throw&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To score in judo, you must land the opponent on the side or back. If they land on their stomach, you get nothing. In wrestling, a takedown is usually scored if you get behind the opponent on the mat. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In current competition judo, you cannot grab the opponent's legs. Shooting in to grab a leg is a common wrestling attack in many styles. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Throwing in judo ends matches quickly. Under current rules, you can win in one throw, and two throws ends a match. In many forms of wrestling, the match will continue to the ground after a throw. Although this can also happen in judo, throws will often end matches before contestants can continue to the ground. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Pin&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A judo pin must currently be 20 seconds to end a match. The pin need only have one shoulder on the mat, in contrast to some forms of wrestling where both shoulders must be on the mat. Many judo pins would score wrestling points for back exposure but not qualify as wrestling pins because both shoulders are not on the mat. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In judo, there must also be control; it is not sufficient to have the opponent's shoulders on the mat. This allows you to fight safely from the guard position in judo, where you may have back exposure that would result in your opponent scoring in wrestling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;20 seconds is a long time compared to only a few seconds in folk, freestyle, or Greco-Roman wrestling. This gives judo players more incentive to learn to escape from pin or near-pin positions rather than only on not getting into them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Matwork in judo continues only as long as the referee determines a player is making progress. You will often see judo players stall in the turtle position (all fours with head down facing the mat) after a failed throw attempt, with the expectation that the referee will stand them back up. I have never seen a style of wrestling that willingly gives the opponent back control in this position. A major part of some forms of wrestling is getting out of this kind of position, after the opponent has scored a takedown. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Choke&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many forms of wrestling do not allow chokes. The judo gi also can be used to apply chokes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Arm lock&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many forms of wrestling do not allow arm locks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-04-30T15:26:51.680" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9097" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1425" CreationDate="2019-04-30T23:55:36.887" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the Chow Gar spear set, we use full force on both thrusts and strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The picture from our NY 2019 demos was taken at the end of a horizontal strike down, sitting back into horse stance after a thrust. It's a block dropping the tip of the spear from about mid-chest height and rotating the arms to put in the &lt;strong&gt;ging&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/oMTzl.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/oMTzl.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Waxwood spear bending at end of strike&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; a bendy piece of bamboo. To bend the waxwood shaft that much under static load I would have to lean my entire weight on it and would have been a bit worried about it breaking. I was very impressed with this shot when I saw it, and, yeah, fairly proud of my technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, as Roland says, this spear is a very fast weapon used in an extremely relaxed style. The set has a lot of jumps and rotations with the spear being spun, pulled in and used with two hands moving it. I also practise straight sword (Tai Chi gim), single and double broadswords. The spear darting in and out feels just as fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="179" LastActivityDate="2019-04-30T23:55:36.887" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9098" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8978" CreationDate="2019-05-01T00:10:14.253" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've an alternate theory based not only on my 35 years of Chow Gar kung fu but also many years of figure skating. It may be about neurological conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We don't explicitly do any breath training in our style because, for most people, it causes more problem with tension in the body than just letting breathing happen. We do train to shout at some points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More from my figure skating training, one of the hardest things is to cope with dizziness during spins and immediately after. You have to train to proceed regardless of the residual spin your inner ear is still registering.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wonder if this Kalaripayattu training approach is not just about rapidly stabilising breathing but also about learning to ignore distractions from low oxygenation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a fairly low heart rate and low-medium blood pressure. Chow Gar includes a lot of rapid rises and jumps from kneeling positions so one of the things I've had to learn over the years has been to ignore sudden drops in BP and oxygen. One of the common reactions to those is to stiffen-up which is the opposite of what you want to do in the middle of a form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="179" LastActivityDate="2019-05-01T00:10:14.253" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9099" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8976" CreationDate="2019-05-01T00:25:51.960" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ouch. I've been nursing a knee injury the last 30 years which was never treated properly and I'm not able to run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I agree about being able to show them the form, consider getting a friend to come along to demonstrate something rather than just using video, as that lets the provider move around them and repeat the move with variations to judge fully how the body moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think surgical and neurological specialists don't need to be expert in the field but can evaluate from seeing the range of movement (more below).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For physiotherapy, I would urge you to get someone familiar with treating athletes. I have been lucky enough to find one who is a regular traveling physio for tri-athletes. So, when asking about their experience, ask if they have regular teams or particular clients. Physio knowledge of how people respond when healing and particularly safe ranges of movement is more dependent on experience. It's not just about understanding the anatomy but from a lot of experience on how people react to different treatment and a longer-term view of wellness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend taking up Tai Chi as soon as you can move enough to do it. Not only will the gentle loading help, it may dramatically improve your healing (I've actually healed a minor torn meniscus which at the age of 55 was told I was too old to expect to heal and that surgical repair wouldn't be attempted).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;My woeful hand story&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many years ago I started learning double broadsword. That includes a figure-8 &lt;em&gt;twirling&lt;/em&gt; move which I couldn't sustain for more than a couple of minutes with my left hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was &lt;strong&gt;extremely lucky&lt;/strong&gt; that the instructor was a qualified doctor who, on examining my hand, diagnosed ulnar nerve problems based on the loss of sensation and particularly the withering of the muscles around the thumb. She had a list of four neurologists for me within a week and a warning to treat it as urgent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The neurologist walked me through a long description of habits (sitting with head propped up on hand and elbow fully bent being a bad one) and especially training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I demonstrated for him one of the quarterstaff drills I used to repeat 200 times every morning and he went noticeably pale. He said &lt;em&gt;if you were trying to design an exercise to damage the ulnar nerve it would look just like that&lt;/em&gt;. The combination of twisting motion as  you fully close the arm (dropped elbow) and pulling the hand back to the shoulder is like putting a couple of vice grips on the nerve either side of the elbow and stretching it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oh, and also doing heavy weight curls all the way to the shoulder is nearly as bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the combination of experience and observation paid off!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="179" LastActivityDate="2019-05-01T00:25:51.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9100" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9091" CreationDate="2019-05-02T03:39:44.137" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Buy the ebook version from Amazon, use Calibre ebook library software in combination with Kindle for PC or Mac software and a DeDRM plugin to convert the ebook to &lt;em&gt;htmlz&lt;/em&gt; format. Open the .htmlz file with 7zip or other archive program and put the image folder where it's useful to you. Some homework will be needed to configure Calibre, DeDRM, and Kindle to work with each other. Follow the guide on Calibre's website; go slow to move fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The images aren't the best resolution, a single figure like the one in the question is only 200 pixels to a side. You'll also need to rename the files manually as they're sequentially numbered, but not in the same order as they appear in the book.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a hassle but not too bad of a time and money investment (for me). Less than $20 for the book and a couple hours research and computer futzing. Beats taking the paperback book and cutting the illustrations out, which is what I was going to do if I didn't find a digital solution. (As others have noted, the text is less accurate than the illustrations.) Now I have pictures I can easily re-arrange into a personal study guide in a way that makes sense to me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: breaking digital rights management (copy protection) isn't piracy when it's for personal use. It &lt;em&gt;would&lt;/em&gt; be if I turned around and put the results up on an web site for others to download. That's not what's being advocated here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="349" LastEditorUserId="349" LastEditDate="2019-05-02T15:47:26.973" LastActivityDate="2019-05-02T15:47:26.973" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9101" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-05-04T15:50:30.893" Score="3" ViewCount="360" Body="&lt;p&gt;For later Kups, one of the belt test items is sparring against two opponents at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is being tested with this, and what would be a proper tactic to pass it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-05-04T22:11:27.623" LastActivityDate="2019-05-05T15:23:50.977" Title="Sparring against two opponents test" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|grading|multiple-attackers|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9102" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9101" CreationDate="2019-05-04T17:01:07.023" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;When there are two or more opponents to fight, they will easily win if they can gang up on you and take you on all at the same time. They want to overwhelm you by striking you from all directions, making it impossible for you to defend yourself. So that's their primary strategy and what you must avoid letting them do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your training must involve learning to move in such a way that prevents more than one person from engaging you at any given moment. Don't let more than one person get within striking distance of you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The primary way of accomplishing this is to move such that your opponents are arranged in a line, with one of them in front, and the rest in back. You'll have to move very quickly and be able to see not just the person that's in front of you but everyone else as well at the same time. That's really what this is about: situational awareness and strategic maneuvering.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you get too focused on the opponent in front of you, you can lose sight of what's going on around you. Another opponent can then use that to his advantage. So don't become too invested in the person you're fighting at any given moment. This isn't about winning. This is about surviving.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be quick to change from one opponent to another. The group will try to outflank you from both sides. Quickly run to the opponent on the outside of one of the flanks. As the group sees your pattern, they might adjust to other strategies. Be ready to adapt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to consider is who you engage. The worst opponent to engage is the one that's the strongest. Doing so will take more effort to deal with than any of the others, and that puts you at greater risk of not being able to adapt to the group's movements. So you strategize and try to target the weakest opponents first, and use them as shields from the strongest ones. There will be times you have to take on the strongest one, but you can minimize that time and quickly change to one of the other opponent's when an opportunity presents itself. Don't wait for the opportunity. Make one yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It forces you to remain on your toes, always moving and adapting to the group's movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to consider your surroundings as well. This is your school, of course. But you have walls. You have posts that go from floor to ceiling. I wouldn't expect other things like chairs, tables, doors, and so on. But if you ever were to take this practice to another level, it would be to add these kinds of objects into your practice environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These obstacles can be used to your advantage. You can put yourself up against a wall, for example, to ensure that nobody can get behind you. It limits how many people can engage you at the same time. And it limits your opponent's mobility and maneuverability. Of course, it also limits what you can do as well, but maybe you can practice that particular scenario ahead of time and get very good at it. When it happens in real life, you might be able to use that skill to your advantage. People that practice close-range fighting, such as Wing Chun, are much better at this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In real life, tables and chairs can be moved around and toppled to block your opponent's path. You can pick up objects and throw them at your opponents in order to cause them to stop and move in the other direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The primary goal in real life should be to maneuver yourself and your opponents such that you have a safe way to exit the scene. If you're in a bar, for example, and your opponents block the way to the only exit, then you need to move them around to the opposite side of you. Use the tables. Have them come to you, then circle around the tables, and once you have a clear path to the exit, run away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some martial arts practice a kind of play acting whereby if your opponent gets hit, they might pretend to be hurt and drop to the floor temporarily. But in styles like Taekwondo, which is what I think you're talking about, opponents don't stop. They just keep coming. This is maybe a bit more practical and realistic, because in real life, you risk being overtaken by the horde of people if you get into a scuffle with any one of them. Your best bet is to limit your contact and maximize your maneuvering. Only go for a KO strike if it doesn't put you at risk of someone grabbing you and holding on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which brings me to the next issue: Grappling. If someone gets a hold of you, your mobility is seriously compromised. There are things you need to know how to do in this scenario. You can still move yourself and use your opponent as a shield. Your primary goal should be to escape the hold and regain your mobility as quickly as possible. The only way to do that is to understand and be good at grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, I just want to say that nobody is particularly good at fighting more than one person at a time for real. If you were to practice it &quot;realistically&quot;, you'd see even your best, highest ranked fighters in your style fail at it more often than not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can manage to convince yourself that you're good at it, because you do well in class against your fellow students. But your classmates are being sort of nice to you. They're not really attacking you like you'd see in real life. If you really asked them to go all out and do anything, even stuff that's against the &quot;rules&quot; in your martial art, you'd be in for a surprise. Better yet, get some MMA guys to fight you at the same time. It's really going to be enlightening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that doesn't mean it's useless. It's just there to give you the fundamental concepts of positional strategy and maneuvering. Hopefully you can use it to survive, even if you don't come out unscathed. If you increase the realism level of your practice over time, when you're ready for it, you'll be better prepared for it if it happens in real life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-05-05T15:23:50.977" LastActivityDate="2019-05-05T15:23:50.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9103" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9101" CreationDate="2019-05-04T18:42:17.233" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There can be many purposes, it depends on the instructor's plan at the moment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, your goal is to position yourself so that you spar/fight only one person at a time.  That is the most efficient way to handle multiple opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your instructor may not like how you manage your footwork and positioning with a single opponent.  Perhaps, you don't move; or maybe you only move back and forth.  By having additional opponents, you are forced to move laterally in all of the 8 primary directions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe the instructor is wary that you are getting used to your opponents, and so, by adding an additional, you are forced to not depend on the uniqueness of any one person in a class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe the instructor doesn't like how you block or parry where you could be exposed to the effects of a follow-up, a combination, or a feint.  If there are no advanced students who can aggressively issue the follow-up, combo, or feint, that can artificially be done with a second opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe the instructor is conditioning you up for tougher opponents.  By pairing you off, you both equally expend energy; by introducing a second opponent, the two opponents can tag-team each other so that one can get a break while the other takes over.  You, on the other hand, must always be ready no matter which one is sparring with you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe you are far superior to your classmates; in this case, adding more lesser experienced opponents sort of evens out the level of quality somewhat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As mentioned, you should not expect to be victorious.  Your goal is to survive - not win.  It's not particularly fair to pair 2v1, and so, those in the team should be aware that no matter the instructor's goals, it is a training exercise.  They should be training you, not pummeling you.  Such sparring can be extremely dangerous.  Two opponents attacking at exactly the same time is not realistic in a sport context, so, if sport is the context, then the opponents must be careful to issue tactics that approximate that.  One who strikes at the abdomen while the other strikes moments later at the head can be a simulation of a double kick - one mid level, the other high level.  However, both striking simultaneously to the head is not realistic in a sport context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2019-05-04T18:42:17.233" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9104" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="761" CreationDate="2019-05-05T23:34:19.483" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been doing kyokushin for about 11 years and jiujitsu about 2 years, last year I went through inguinal hernia mesh repair, I was back to light training in a month. Now I train regularly, though you need to listen to your body and stop whenever you feel pain. The nerves around those areas are very sensitive and the mesh can aggravate its sensitivity. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found static chi kung to be very soothing for this healing process.&#xA;However, I strongly recommmend no-mesh hernia repair.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So yes, training is no problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10042" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-05-07T15:52:03.753" LastActivityDate="2019-05-07T15:52:03.753" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9105" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8976" CreationDate="2019-05-06T02:18:12.243" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Speaking from personal experience (I had a right ACL tear from &gt;10 years ago)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Medical professionals differ in opinion. I've had orthos tell me to give up martial arts; strengthen other muscles to compensate; and surgery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I went the surgery method (but it was delayed for 2 years as I was too young and there was just not enough information back then)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That 2 years delay cost me in terms of competitiveness advantage as I was at my peak (21 years old). I also gained almost 10 kg after the injury as there were not many sports you can do with an unstable knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice to you is, have the surgery. Even if you don't recover 100%, whatever you gain is still more than if you were just going to go the non-surgery method. I couldn't go back to Taekwondo after the surgery, and I changed my style to Kyokushin Karate (it had high kicks too). The knee was good for at least another 10 years after my surgery, but in the past 1 year, both knees are showing signs of wear and tear. But the surgery got me another 10 good years. Now I'm 40 and I can't really train as hard even if I had good knees. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a brighter side, one of my students recently tore his ACL too and he took the surgery option. The method used has changed since I last did it, and his recovery period (up and walking about with no limp) was only 1 month vs my 6 months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You've got to depend really on yourself for treatment plans and recovery options. The therapists are there to guide you on proper form, but there's really nothing they can teach you that you cannot look up on the internet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also get a good brace and knee guard even when the knee feels good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2019-05-06T02:18:12.243" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9106" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9108" CreationDate="2019-05-08T20:10:05.143" Score="6" ViewCount="658" Body="&lt;p&gt;So I just started studying Wushu (more specifically I think it's Bagua). The teacher seems very qualified and I really like her, she is from China originally, a 6th degree black belt and has studied since she was a child. She also has a bachelors degree in coaching. I told her I wanted to learn Wushu. She asked me if I wanted to learn Tai Chi or empty hand? I said empty hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since then she has only trained me in weapons. We started with the staff, covering basics and performing drills. Now we are onto the whip chain. She told me we are doing the whip chain because it will help you keep your lines straight with the staff. So far I have had a blast learning how to use different weapons and all in all I am improving.&#xA;However I can’t wait to learn empty hand forms (if that is correct terminology). I can’t carry a staff around with me everywhere I go after all, but I always have my hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is, is it typical to start students with weapons training first and how does that transfer to empty hand? In any case I trust my teacher. I am curious though as to why you don’t start empty hand first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10044" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-12-09T03:29:49.707" LastActivityDate="2019-12-09T03:29:49.707" Title="How does weapons training transfer to empty hand?" Tags="|weapons|wushu|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9107" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9106" CreationDate="2019-05-08T20:29:31.797" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can't speak to Wu Shu, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnis&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Arnis/Escrima&lt;/a&gt; starts off with weapons (batons, knives, and swords) from the beginning because you should expect to encounter armed opponents, an unarmed person will generally lose to an armed person, and this will teach you to deal with armed attackers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Arnis students start their instruction by learning to fight with weapons, and only advance to empty-hand training once the stick and knife techniques have been sufficiently mastered. This is in contrast to most other well-known Asian martial arts but it is justified by the principle that bare-handed moves are acquired naturally through the same exercises as the weapon techniques, making muscle memory an important aspect of the teaching. It is also based on the obvious fact that an armed person who is trained has the advantage over a trained unarmed person, and serves to condition students to fight against armed assailants. Most systems of Arnis apply a single set of techniques for the stick, knife, and empty hands, a concept sometimes referred to as motion grouping. Since the weapon is seen as simply an extension of the body, the same angles and footwork are used either with or without a weapon. The reason for this is probably historical, because tribal warriors went into battle armed and only resorted to bare-handed fighting after losing their weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-05-08T20:29:31.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9108" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9106" CreationDate="2019-05-08T21:58:02.183" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It sounds like you're learning contemporary wushu kung-fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In contemporary and traditional wushu, most teachers will start you off with empty-hand training before moving on to weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just so we're clear on the terminology, &quot;empty hand&quot; refers to bare handed, without any weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What puzzles me is that you said your teacher gave you a choice between &quot;taiji&quot; and &quot;empty hand&quot;. You chose empty hand, but your teacher started you with weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First of all, Taiji is done both with and without weapons. It tends to start you out without weapons and then adds the pole, straight sword, and other weapons later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what really happened was that your instructor was giving you a choice between Taiji and Wushu. You chose Wushu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both contemporary and traditional wushu are typically taught by first learning the basic stances, then learning basic punching, kicking, and blocking techniques. Then you move on to drills that have you moving while doing those and conditioning your body. Then you move on to memorizing empty handed forms (no weapons).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After that, wushu typically adds weapons. Contemporary wushu adds them fairly quickly compared with traditional wushu. The time varies by instructor, but it's very common to start training in weapons after 2-3 years of doing traditional wushu and after the first 3-6 months of doing contemporary wushu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason why empty hand stuff is trained first in wushu is that it's much easier to learn the basics that way. Then when weapons training is added, that helps you with your strength, balance, and full body coordination. It can magnify problems particularly in your frame and balance that empty handed training didn't reveal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people also find weapons training more intuitive. For example, if you're swinging a sword, you can see the sword and have a goal for that particular movement (for example, to thrust the tip straight forward or to drag the blade edge across horizontally). It's easier to see when you make a mistake. But in empty handed training, the goal of the technique is sometimes not easily understood. So it can be harder to know when you've made a mistake with empty handed training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What's the right way to learn? Meh. It doesn't matter. Eventually if you keep going and learning stuff, you'll be fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might want to ask your instructor, though, why she started you with weapons instead of empty-hand. It's possible it was a miscommunication to begin with. She might have thought you wanted to avoid empty-hand training and stick with weapons, instead. Ask her.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2019-05-08T21:58:02.183" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9109" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9106" CreationDate="2019-05-08T21:58:37.140" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First your actual question: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;is it typical to start students with weapons training first and how does that transfer to empty hand?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For wushu and Chinese martial arts, I would say no, it is not typical to start with weapons. Generally, basics like stances, punching drills, and kicking drills are taught first. Then there is basic barehand/empty hand forms training, then weapons training. If you are training frequently, weapons training may start after a few months. While unusual, I would not say starting with weapons is wrong. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other observations about your question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Chinese martial arts historically do not use black belt rankings. The black belt rank system is a Japanese influence from judo, which has spread to other systems including karate and tae kwon do. A &quot;6th degree black belt&quot; designation in wushu, taiji  (tai chi), or bagua is a generally meaningless title. Furthermore, it's also quite possible to have fantastic wushu but terrible taiji or bagua; skill in one does not equate to skill in the other. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The Chinese government outlawed the practice of traditional martial arts during the Cultural Revolution before reviving them as wushu, which can be studied as a major in Chinese universities. The core of wushu as I have seen it is usually long fist (changquan) and southern fist (nanquan) forms. My understanding (2nd hand only) is that bagua is studied like an elective course in wushu. I have studied bagua in a traditional school, and the opinion of bagua from wushu sources is very low. Modern wushu tends towards &quot;flowery fists&quot; with lots of jumping and spinning, which is basically opposed to the economy of movement in bagua or taiji. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bagua is distinct from taiji. Although Sun Lu Tang advocated the idea that bagua, xingyi and taiji are highly related systems, and practitioners often train across systems, these systems look quite different. Circle walking is a universal bagua training element that is not present in taiji. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Taiji or empty hand is a false choice. I have always seen taiji training start with empty hand training before progressing to weapons like straight sword or staff. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would wager that you are studying wushu, not bagua. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-05-08T21:58:37.140" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9110" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9112" CreationDate="2019-05-09T05:49:58.727" Score="4" ViewCount="260" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been searching for information for the past five years on what kind of gloves that the close combat assassin is wearing in the following pics from the digitalized novel &lt;em&gt;Phantom of Inferno&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've noticed that this particular kind of glove is often used by knife wielders; such as Kuro from the &lt;em&gt;Fate/Stay Illya&lt;/em&gt; series, Chloe from &lt;em&gt;Noir&lt;/em&gt;; Yuna's sprite in the free SAO:IF app; and the Prince character in the manga &lt;em&gt;Snow White with the Red Hair&lt;/em&gt;, just to name a few. I have more pictures that I can upload if that would aid anyone in recognizing what kind of glove she is wearing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've already tried google searching several images in my research-glove-comparison folder, but the only thing that comes close would be a middle-loop finger glove, which lacks the single, solid loop seen in the first and second images.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To boil this all down: what specific kind of glove is she wearing in the images below, and Why is this particular type of glove -to the point of synonymous association in my eyes- used by close-combat knife wielders? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;(I apologize if this kind of question does not belong on this site. As far as I'm aware, my topic only vaguely associates with the stack exchange subject of Martial Arts, and as such I will remove it if asked to do so in a comment.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;First pic is to show what the glove would look like from the view of the palm, and while holding a knife. (in the knifeless hand, you can see the loop part of her other glove)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7ms0u.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7ms0u.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Second pic is to give a close up, side view of the glove.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/sTWUP.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/sTWUP.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Bottom picture is to show how the glove fits around the middle finger, as also shown in the top picture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LLfRO.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LLfRO.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10048" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-05-09T21:42:33.060" LastActivityDate="2020-03-06T20:12:12.187" Title="What kind of glove is being shown in the following pictures, and why is it nearly always a knife user who wear this style of gloves?" Tags="|equipment|protective-equipment|identification|combat|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="6" FavoriteCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9111" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9106" CreationDate="2019-05-09T10:50:15.473" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is HUGE in aikido.  Many of the movements with the katana, jo, and tanto are modeled into regular throws and empty hand techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, with sword, the lift over the head, step forward, turn around, lower the sword - that's classic shihonage, a kind of technique which throws the opponent via the shoulder.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHmWmNJOnRU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here's&lt;/a&gt; an example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As there are hundreds of examples, it's impossible to mention them all.  But, weapon techniques are everpresent in empty hands, and not just in the hand movements, but the hands, feet, head, back, and even timing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So an instructor has a decision to make: teach the weapons first so that they can learn the &quot;why&quot; of the empty hands?  Or do I teach them the empty hands, unencumbered with a weapon, and then once they understand the empty hands we can insert the weapon?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think there's a right or wrong way here.  Each of my instructors has a different philosophy, so, IMHO, it doesn't matter - as long as the understanding and the instruction will eventually come.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do agree that some people learn faster with weapon in hand, while others practice without even knowing there's an underlying weapons movement.  No instructor can satisfy both, but what is commonly done is to offer weapons instruction as an adjunct class, and those who want to learn weapons can go to those classes.  If resources (time and instruction) allow, this is probably the best way to reach more students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2019-05-09T10:50:15.473" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9112" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9110" CreationDate="2019-05-09T13:23:18.573" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is shown is a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vambrace&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;vambrace&lt;/a&gt;, or possibly a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;bracer&lt;/a&gt; repurposed to be more armor. A vambrace is a tube of armor, anything from metal to leather, used to protect the forearm. A bracer is intended only to protect the inside of the arm of an archer. What is shown in the image looks more like a bracer, but seems to be intended for use as armor, much like the confusion engendered by early D&amp;amp;D, which listed bracers as armor, confusing them with vambraces (which are properly part of a more complete set of armor).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to why you would see this on a knife-fighter, knife-fighting is a very close form of combat, requiring you to move your hand and arm into the opponent's space to be able to do damage. Thus, against an opponent with any sort of blade, you run a high risk of getting your arm cut up, reducing your combat efficacy. It doesn't take much. They sell &quot;cut-resistant sleeves&quot;, but a couple of YouTube personalities who research close weaponry have demonstrated that just about any thick fabric works as well. Knives don't cut with a great deal of force, just sharpness. If the vambrace is made out of a more rigid material, such as cured leather or metal, it may also help to protect against impact, since one of the advantages of swords over blunt objects is that they deliver an equivalent force over a much smaller area (even if the blade of a sword doesn't cut through thick cloth, it's still hitting with a comparable force as a club of the same weight).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-03-06T20:12:12.187" LastActivityDate="2020-03-06T20:12:12.187" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9113" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-05-10T15:10:26.130" Score="0" ViewCount="74" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are the rankings of the 6 taekwondo belts and how long does it take to get those belts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10050" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-05-12T14:52:59.420" LastActivityDate="2019-05-12T14:52:59.420" Title="Taekwondo belts and their rankings" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|belt|grading|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="5" ClosedDate="2019-05-12T14:59:44.180" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9115" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9116" CreationDate="2019-05-10T22:43:16.413" Score="2" ViewCount="1472" Body="&lt;p&gt;I use the classic one knot belt tie, but the tied belt is quite long (almost touches the knees), and I’m wondering if I could use two knots.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I tried doing it, but the result was too “bulky” and I gave up on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Searching the web I only find references to the classic single knot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this something that I can use? If so, how could the double knot be done?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It was earned in a belt test, so I prefer to not replace it with a bought one. In case it may be relevant, this is a Taekwondo belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-05-12T16:53:07.783" LastActivityDate="2019-05-12T16:53:07.783" Title="Belt too long, tie with two knots?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|belt|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9116" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9115" CreationDate="2019-05-11T18:16:49.887" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming that just requesting another belt at your school (they often have a closet full of them) isn't viable, and you don't want to buy another one, the other two options I've seen is to loop it a third time (the traditional method for TKD belts wrapping twice) or tying the second knot as per &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/martialarts/comments/1bsg26/any_good_methods_to_shorten_a_belt/c99mgvz?utm_source=share&amp;amp;utm_medium=web2x&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;these instructions&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I tinkered around with this for a few minutes and this is what I came up with. Just when you are about to pull the ends of your belt to tighten it, take the end on your right (if you're looking down at your belt) and bring it back up and &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.imgur.com/16bLBD5&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;through the loop at the top&lt;/a&gt;. Then take the other end and put it through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.imgur.com/gi2cWtO&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;loop you just created&lt;/a&gt;. This creates a bigger knot, and just might be a pain in the ass to workout with, but it will reduce the length of the ends by about 4 inches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-05-11T18:16:49.887" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9117" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9115" CreationDate="2019-05-12T15:45:29.217" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is common to see very long belts in Taekwondo, not sure why.  However, double knot is probably not what you want; rather, try an extra wrap around the waist.  I haven't seen the double knot, but I doubt it would be enough to deal with belt at the knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Failing that, you'll need to ask for, or buy, another belt.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2019-05-12T15:45:29.217" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9119" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9124" CreationDate="2019-05-20T22:50:33.713" Score="7" ViewCount="3778" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started training at Muay Thai 2 years ago and got into my first fight only to run out of breath in the second round. &#xA;I started stepping out of the office during lunch time for a jog every 2 days and I tried two different techniques but I'm not sure which one works:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Running at a 10kph pace for 5km with a couple of breaks&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Running at a 15kph pace for 800m and resting for the next 200m and doing so for 5km&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find that with the first one I'm able to keep running longer while with the second one I run out of breath quickly and find it hard to continue the jog.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which one would give me that bit of stamina that I need to keep going in a fight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10063" LastEditorUserId="10063" LastEditDate="2019-05-21T04:50:41.537" LastActivityDate="2019-05-23T13:12:42.853" Title="Cardio work for Muay Thai fighters" Tags="|muay-thai|exercise|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9120" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9119" CreationDate="2019-05-21T02:03:10.087" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;To quote &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/U4mhYkXh0BM?t=55&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ramsey Dewey&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;So the best movement that you can do for&#xA;  cardio in Jiu Jitsu is Jiu Jitsu. Do more&#xA;  rolling, for example, do more drills and&#xA;  by drills I don't just mean going&#xA;  through the motions. I mean, you know, a&#xA;  drill with&#xA;  actual resistance with a specific&#xA;  objective and the same thing with Muay&#xA;  Thai. One of the best cardio drills from&#xA;  Muay Thai or muscle adaptation drills is&#xA;  heavy bag work. Make sure you're getting&#xA;  your rounds on the bag every single day.&#xA;  Three rounds on the bag is a good&#xA;  benchmark. if you're not doing that then&#xA;  do it&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He talks a bit more at length about having previously done running, but having to quit in part due to his joints, and in part because he found that it just wasn't translating to more endurance during a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In your case, you don't have a heavy bag over your lunch time, most likely, but you probably can shadowbox. He goes on more at length about the value of shadowboxing in some of his other videos, but a quick summary is that it's valuable, because you're training the same moves that you're going to be doing in the fight, but you need to train with intensity, and mindfulness. Don't just run through drills, but rather do the drills as if you're actually striking the target or dodging the blow, at speed and with power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I haven't had a chance to track down one of his talks specifically on shadowboxing (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXNvreGF-vI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt; works by title, but is largely about improving one's fighting through observation and shadowboxing), but from his entry on junk training:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Shadowboxing without visualization is junk training. Shadowboxing with proper visualization is game changing good stuff. In fact, shadowboxing is so important that Jack Dempsey considered it second only to actual sparring in terms of importance for fighters. But how often do you see people shadow boxing at that level, as opposed to simply working up a sweat before doing their bag work?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If 30 minutes shadowboxing doesn't wear you out, but 15 minutes of fighting does, well, that tells you something about relative effort. Some factors are very difficult to reproduce, like the lack of predictability that you'd get with an actual opponent forcing you to reverse directions in mid-swing, or the force of impact, but just consciously throwing the techniques at full force (obviously, you have to pull those punches in the end to avoid damaging your body, but in an actual fight, you'd be doing the same thing for missed blows), and building in &quot;sprint&quot; movements where you don't just duck, but actually drop as fast as you can, as you would under a real strike, will help you to bring realistic tension and strain into the shadowboxing. And, of course, make it dynamic. Don't just go through a strike combination over and over again, but start to interrupt it with a dodge from an imagined incoming attack (again, doing it with purpose, as if someone actually were striking at you) before resuming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-05-23T12:12:35.227" LastActivityDate="2019-05-23T12:12:35.227" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9121" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9119" CreationDate="2019-05-21T03:48:25.670" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suggest investigating &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_training&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;interval training&lt;/a&gt;, which would be your option 2. Fighting requires high intensity and may not actually last that long; a low intensity jog will not put your body under the same strain. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/1/10/18148463/high-intensity-interval-training-hiit-orangetheory&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Vox has a recent update to an article explaining some of the science relating to particular workout routines and VO2 max measurements.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also not necessary for the distances for your low and high intensity training to match. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-05-23T13:12:42.853" LastActivityDate="2019-05-23T13:12:42.853" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9122" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9119" CreationDate="2019-05-21T04:00:57.010" Score="5" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...while with the [interval training] I run out of break quickly and find it hard to continue the jog.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which one would give me that bit of stamina that I need to keep going in a fight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you've seen - interval training is more tiring, and will help more.  But, as Sean says neither will contribute very directly to MT performance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I train MT now but earlier trained in Kyokushin karate for many years in Japan - the best workout I've seen for building endurance for fights is the &amp;quot;big mitt&amp;quot; Kyokushin guys use - random googled indicative video: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8CQ4ZLMSaQ&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8CQ4ZLMSaQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;might be hard to do at lunch time though - you need a pad holder, and a bit of space - preferably private&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;having someone's body weight behind the pad encourages you to hit hard to actually move them, so front kicks, punches, knees and elbows, side and back kicks, can do a lot of hard work through the target,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;you can attack full speed and power (given a similar strength/size mitt holder) in your own rhythms (vs thai pads where you're waiting for your partner to move them around, which has pros and cons but tends to give less workout intensity)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;you can throw in low turning kicks more freely and harder than with thai pads.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;unlike a heavy bag, the big mitt holder can be moving towards you, circling, backing away, or some combination thereof which affects your technique selection, e.g. you might prefer elbows and knees to break their forward momentum if they close suddenly, and low turning kicks or spinning back/heel kicks if they're circling, gliding side kicks to chase a retreating opponent, stepping-in front kicks or jabs to catch them as they start to close etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;sometimes we'd do several 2 or 3 minute &amp;quot;rounds&amp;quot; with ~15 second rests, other times we'd do 20-seconds-on / 20-seconds-off high-intensity rounds&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;big mitts can be hard to find (in Australia at least) and expensive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, if you're serious about building stamina for fighting, and can find a mitt and partner, I'd definitely give it a go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-05-21T04:00:57.010" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9123" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9119" CreationDate="2019-05-21T10:22:06.587" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Man I didn't saw the other answers but the first most important thing is to run (that you already do) your second option is the best suited for the subject, but if you want to put your stamina on steroids I recomend you to go for sprints in at least 10/20° angle, between 150/200mt give everything while you sprint and came in a slow pace, repeat 7/10 times. You will notice that even if you are training or sparring or doing plastron you get very less tired if you explode than if you do things slowly or without strenght. The routine I recomend you is to do 2x week your longer runs and (different days) 2x the sprints, well implemented with your fight training, hear your own body because with experience you will be your best doctor, trainer and fighter.&#xA;Obs. I fighted a lot of muay thai and k1, whon a ton of competition a represented my country in some international events (IFMA).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10066" LastActivityDate="2019-05-21T10:22:06.587" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9124" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9119" CreationDate="2019-05-21T12:26:57.690" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Beside increasing your stamina, one important thing is learning to pace yourself in a fight, so you can keep your energy while driving your opponent into losing his, in 1st and 2nd round, so you will be able to finishing the job in the last rounds. (it will depend on how many rounds and how many minutes you are fighting for)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eventually your exhausted opponent will start to make mistakes like dropping down his hands, giving you lot of opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, any interval training like @mattm suggested or heavy bag workout is a good thing, but in a fight remember that every time you've been hit, your breath is taken away (hits to the core or liver are the worst), and hit after hit, it's this irregular breathing that will make you exhausted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I suggest you to also focus training on your core/abs so in a fight you'll be able to better handle taking those hits to the body contracting your abdominal muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm only a amateur muay thai practitioner, but I suggest you to watch that video called &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvggGZJ7dP8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&quot;How to Pace Yourself in a Fight&quot;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10068" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-05-21T12:47:29.460" LastActivityDate="2019-05-21T12:47:29.460" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9125" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9119" CreationDate="2019-05-21T12:55:49.253" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is more than one way to build endurance, and like some people have already said, do not stop running. This is one of Bruce Lees methods of building endurance; he ran about 6 miles a day, and he would time himself. When he didn’t have time to run 6 miles he would run 2 miles at a more intense pace. At his peak fitness level he averaged about 7 minutes a mile. His goal wasn’t simply to run long distances, rather it was to run an allotted distance in a shorter amount of time. When he was running an allotted distance efficiently he started adding weights to his body. He started with 10 lbs. and would run until he averaged 7 minutes a mile. After he reached efficiency with 10 lbs., he added another 5lbs and continued doing this until he was running with 25lbs on his body. He stopped adding weight to his body when he reached 25lbs. &#xA;You can increase the intensity by running hills as well. You can get very creative with running. You can occasionally run backwards and sideward, which will only increase the pace of your footwork in a fight. I’m not saying you have to run the same distances as Bruce. Take it as an example and figure out what works for you. I think all in all, it’s important to have the big picture in mind and ensure your workouts are well rounded. Running should be the fundamental cardio workout, supplemented with other exercises. You want to be as well rounded out as possible. After all, the ability to not get winded is real world power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10044" LastActivityDate="2019-05-21T12:55:49.253" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9126" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9119" CreationDate="2019-05-21T13:20:41.370" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;To answer your question directly, I think that the second would give you greater stamina in the context of a Muay Thai contest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately you want to simulate the intensity and time frame of a Muay Thai fight as closely as possible. Thus, running at a high pace for the length of a round, then resting for the length of your rests between rounds is going to be as close as you can get with running.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in my opinion, there is no substitute for doing the activity that sport requires. So padwork/heavy bag work are both good options, and don't forget about sparring!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One last thing I'll add, as I don't think it's been previously mentioned, but I believe is a huge factor when competing (as you said you did). The effects of an adrenaline dump can impact your cardio, and isn't something you can train away with further cardio. Learning to manage this comes with time and experience, but is something to be mindful of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10072" LastActivityDate="2019-05-21T13:20:41.370" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9127" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9130" CreationDate="2019-05-21T13:25:02.940" Score="5" ViewCount="353" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to buy a nunchaku. I saw some of them had one or two rings on the cord. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why purpose does it server?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Examples:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/n9Kgim.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/n9Kgim.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Nunchaku with rings&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hdlkvm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hdlkvm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Another nunchaku with rings&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10070" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-05-21T13:40:53.437" LastActivityDate="2019-05-22T14:23:36.193" Title="Why do some nunchakus have one or two rings?" Tags="|weapons|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9128" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9136" CreationDate="2019-05-21T14:55:12.763" Score="1" ViewCount="203" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am new to martial arts. I started taking Wushu about a month ago. My long term goal is to compete in the U.S. Open World Martial Arts Wushu competition. Is it possible for me to get to that level in one years’ time?  If so, what amount of training needs to be done? Also, I’m currently 29 years old and in good shape, am I starting too late? In general I still feel pretty athletic, but will that limit my capabilities in a professional competition?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10044" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-12-09T03:28:27.033" LastActivityDate="2019-12-09T03:28:27.033" Title="What Does it take to Compete at Competition Level in Wushu?" Tags="|competition|wushu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9129" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2358" CreationDate="2019-05-21T17:11:26.743" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;To add one more point of information, it might strictly be a matter of insurance. I'm able to offer martial arts classes at work, but their insurance specifically forbids takedowns and free-sparring unless you have certain certifications. Frankly, it's an arbitrary rule, but it's one that us teachers have to hold to because that's how the agreement is phrased.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-05-21T17:11:26.743" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9130" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9127" CreationDate="2019-05-21T17:15:31.917" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just to quote &lt;a href=&quot;http://nunchaku-sfw.com/index.php?tab=dossiers&amp;amp;page=styles_trad&amp;amp;art=style_chinese&amp;amp;lang=en&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;one of the sources JohnP might be referring to&lt;/a&gt; (bolding mine):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Traditional Chinese Nunchakus are used to be made of wood and linked by a rope, but they’ve also been caught up by metal chucks linked by a chain which turned out to have better abilities. Nowadays, it is really hard to found such wooden Nunchakus.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Chinese Nunchakus have specifics features in comparison with common Nunchaku well known in the other part of the world:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Their chain is longer: it is about 15 to 20 centimeters.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Their weight is also higher: it is worth 350 grams.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;They are well balanced: the weight is more focused on the top of each stick (near the chain) instead of their bottom.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;They make sound: free metal parts or simply extra links inside the sticks make noise varying along performed moves.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Some of them have two free rings round the chain&lt;/strong&gt;: on part of theses Chinese Nunchaku, we can found two little rings able to move freely along the rope. Theses rings have two main uses: they first lightly modify the gravity centre of the Nunchaku while performing moves making it more stable and, secondly, they allow performing specific moves only available with that kind of Nunchaku.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, that particular site doesn't go into details on how those rings might make things more stable, or what moves are only available with the rings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On nunchaku with chain links, they have been noted to create an additional jingle as they travel up and down the chain. Lastly, I could see the use of a single ring to create a method for hanging the nunchaku off of a hook or nail that does not add additional wear to the cord.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, I have a sneaking suspicion that, whatever purpose they might have served before, they're added because some people believe it's necessary for them to be there, or feel that they may distinguish the product, rather than any functional use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-05-22T14:23:36.193" LastActivityDate="2019-05-22T14:23:36.193" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9131" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9128" CreationDate="2019-05-22T01:53:11.823" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let me first caveat this answer with the fact I have not been involved in wushu competition for a long time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming you are entering a forms event and not a fighting one, you can compete if you pay the entry fee and are willing to put your pride on the line. Lack of preparation is not going to result in a fighting injury. You can compete with whatever preparation you have. Wushu competitions usually include experience levels as well; you will be judged against other competitors in your experience level. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding age: 29 is probably too old to compete at an international level unless you were a gymnast in your younger years. Don't let this stop you from learning and enjoying the experience. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-05-22T01:53:11.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9132" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9093" CreationDate="2019-05-22T10:49:27.660" Score="5" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Jacketed vs jacketless wrestling&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other answers detail the differences in legal techniques, rules, and scoring and how these explicitly and more subtly influence the style of the sports, but one neglected point is the effect of attire.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo is jacketed, whereas most other forms of wrestling wear limited or skin-tight outfits. Ability to grip their clothing vastly changes the opportunities for and most efficient means of controlling your opponent. As such, in judo a lot of focus is spent on getting a good grip on your opponent's jacket (while standing, and also their trousers while in &lt;em&gt;ne-waza&lt;/em&gt;) and preventing them from having a controlling grip on your own, as this is the starting point for setting up a technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The traditional judo grip for executing a technique is gripping the collar/lapel and sleeve, but many others are common:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Grip&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Example&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;collar/lapel and sleeve&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/yR9Lxm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/yR9Lxm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;belt&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/eLyxYm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/eLyxYm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;both sleeves&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZjtXGm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZjtXGm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;the back of the jacket (either over or under the arm)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/l0tLgm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/l0tLgm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;same-side grip&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fZYDOm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fZYDOm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In contrast, in order to throw your opponent in non-jacketed wrestling, you generally need to control their arms and upper body via under- or over-hooks:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/XIJQpm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/XIJQpm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Shared techniques&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that in grips that do not require you to hold the opponent's clothing, there is significant overlap in techniques, e.g&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Judo&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Wrestling&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;ura-nage&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GfvHbm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GfvHbm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;suplex&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ciPMSm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ciPMSm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;morote-gari&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9Wcpcm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9Wcpcm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;double-leg takedown&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YSeJRm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YSeJRm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h1&gt;Wrestling disciplines by uniform&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is something of a gradient in terms of attire in different forms of grappling:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Uniform&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Martial Art&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Jacket, belt (and trousers)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Judo&lt;br&gt; Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu&lt;br&gt; Sambo&lt;br&gt; Shuai jiao&lt;br&gt; Central Asian Folk Wrestling (Alysh, Kurash, etc.)&lt;br&gt; Gouren&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Partial jackets&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Collar and elbow&lt;br&gt; Cornish wrestling &lt;br&gt; Chidaoba&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Belt/loincloth&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Mongolian belt wrestling&lt;br&gt; Ssireum &lt;br&gt; Sumo&lt;br&gt; Pehlwani&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Trousers&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Oil wrestling&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Skin-tight clothing&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Greco-Roman wrestling&lt;br&gt; Freestyle wrestling&lt;br&gt; Collegiate wrestling&lt;br&gt; Catch wrestling&lt;br&gt; No-gi BJJ&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-12-16T03:41:10.763" LastActivityDate="2023-12-16T03:41:10.763" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9133" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9086" CreationDate="2019-05-22T13:50:05.603" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Of the materials published by the Kodokan, the two which describe the classification of Katame-waza in most detail are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Kodokan_Judo.html?id=AVn9nQEACAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo: The Essential Guide to Judo by Its Founder Jigoro Kano&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1997) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFMgFnvHZMs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Katame Waza: Various techniques and their names&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1994) (video)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both works demonstrate and list the points of distinction of each technique and their common variations. The video series demonstrates the straight arm variant of &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt;. While Kano's book includes examples of three variations of &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt;, it unfortunately does not include the straight arm variant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note however that Kano doesn't claim that the examples in this text are exhaustive, making the following caveat:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The katame waza introduced here are the ones &lt;strong&gt;most frequently used&lt;/strong&gt; in randori and competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;History of Kodokan Katame-waza classification:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;01/02/1985:&lt;/strong&gt; Adds classifications for&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;     • &lt;em&gt;Sode-guruma-jime, Kata-te-jime, Ryo-te-jime, Tsukkomi-jime, Sankaku-jime&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;     • &lt;em&gt;Ude-hishigi-ashi-gatame, Ude-hishigi-te-gatame, Ude-hishigi-sankaku-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;01/04/1997:&lt;/strong&gt; Renames &lt;em&gt;hon-kesa-gatame&lt;/em&gt; to &lt;em&gt;kesa-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;01/04/2017:&lt;/strong&gt; Adds classifications &lt;em&gt;Ushiro-kesa-gatame, Uki-gatame, Ura-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-13T15:51:22.820" LastActivityDate="2019-09-13T15:51:22.820" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9135" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9137" CreationDate="2019-05-22T18:27:49.317" Score="0" ViewCount="511" Body="&lt;p&gt;Would a Pankration fighter be allowed in the UFC? If so, how would he be able to fend off other foes who use Karate, Muay Thai and Krav maga?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10081" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-16T02:36:03.610" LastActivityDate="2024-01-31T01:42:19.237" Title="Would a Pankration Fighter be allowed in UFC?" Tags="|karate|muay-thai|krav-maga|ufc|pankration|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9136" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9128" CreationDate="2019-05-22T19:09:49.310" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You're asking the wrong question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should be asking if there's strong enough competition out there for you to begin taking it seriously, not whether you're good enough. Let me explain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I introduced my then girlfriend, who was 23 at the time, to contemporary wushu. She did that along with adult gymnastics probably until about age 30. I watched her compete. I watched her older friends compete as well. And I'll talk about that in a bit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;She took it seriously. But she realized there was only so much time she could devote to it, since she had a career job during the day. And so she decided early on that when she trained, everything had to be done correctly. It fit with her personality. She didn't like being told to &quot;play&quot; with anything. She wanted to be shown the right way to do it, and every attempt she made, she tried to get closer and closer to the right way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;She made sure to seek out the best teachers she could find and not stick with just the one she found locally. Her local teacher was good, but his focus wasn't on contemporary wushu. When she was at his school, she rejected repeated attempts by him to steer her towards traditional wushu. This was actually quite rude of her, because she actually refused to join in and do the exercises that all the other students were doing, because they weren't going to help her learn contemporary wushu. I'm sure all the other students thought she had a bad attitude. But her teacher tolerated it, because she was very honest and direct from the beginning about what she wanted to learn. Still, I know for a fact that he was irritated by it at times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;She would go away for a weekend every month to train with a more contemporary wushu oriented instructor in a city 150 miles away. Then she'd go away for a week every 4 months or so to study with an elite level contemporary wushu instructor 500 miles away. She would frequently meet up with other competitors (not teachers) who were at a higher level than she was, and she'd ask them to teach her stuff (often for a fee or for dinner or something).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So for her, she never lost sight of her main goal, which was to get better at contemporary wushu. She wasn't loyal to a particular instructor, school, or style. She was in it for herself and had her own goals. If something wasn't helping her achieve those goals, she wouldn't do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;She started adult gymnastics not too long after starting contemporary Wushu. She realized that some of the more acrobatic things in wushu were better learned from gymnastics coaches than from wushu people, or at least the local wushu teacher she had. Gymnastics teaches everything with very detailed focus on correct form. Martial arts teaches it often the wrong way, often with bad form. And gymnastics schools have better equipment and safer ways of practicing, with spotters, soft foam pits, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind the local wushu teacher she had only did it a couple times a week, and his time was shared with traditional kung-fu. His school was run out of a middle school gymnasium, so the facilities weren't there for safely learning acrobatic kinds of things like the aerial, the back hand-spring, the back flip, the butterfly twist, etc. For those things, she rightly concluded that she needed to go to an actual gymnastics school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many of the gymnastics schools don't really have a decent adult gymnastics program. If you do manage to find one, they often only have a few adults in it. Good for you, because it means more one-on-one time with the coach. But it's also bad, because there might be days with just one student. When that happens often, the coach may decide to just shut it down due to lack of interest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what she often did was to do private lessons with gymnastics coaches once a week. And then she would also go to &quot;open gym&quot; for an hour or so every weekend. Open gym is for anyone for just $5 or $10 per hour typically, and it gives you access to all the equipment and the floor. It usually has enough skilled people to spot you as well. She made heavy use of the foam pits in particular, probably for the b-twist, aerials, and back flips. And she used a lot of the foam blocks to help her with her back hand-spring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, as for actual Wushu competition, she went to various tournaments, but because of her age, there were usually just one or two others besides herself in her division. There were competitions which only had her and nobody else in the division. She won by default in those cases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It was a bit of a let-down for her. She trained so hard and took it so seriously, but there just weren't many women her age competing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;She decided to do some national level competitions as well, thinking they would attract a larger number of competitors her age. And once again, the number of women competing in this age group was kind of pathetic. Once again, it was a let down. For example, one time it was just her and one other competitor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I don't know that she went to any of the really big tournaments. I forget.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing I noticed was that in these competitions, because of the small number of women competing in this age group, they often just lumped together all the styles into one division. With the teen divisions, there's enough people to have just the northern styles or just the southern styles competing against each other, for example. In the biggest tournaments, they break each division down even further. That makes it more fair, because judges tend to be either from a northern style or a southern style. But in a mixed division with northern and southern competitors, the judges can often be biased towards a particular style. When you win in divisions that are mixed, you often wonder if you won on merit or just because the judges understood what you were doing more than the other people with other styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, her experience is for someone who's not in a big city. She was in Austin, Texas. If you're in, say, Los Angeles or New York City, you'll probably be able to find more competition. You never know. I'm just telling you about one person. It would be good for you to connect with a large community of people online who compete in wushu as adults your age, if such a forum exists. See what they have to say.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, though, the number of competitors doesn't really matter. If you have just one person you know that's better than you, that might be enough to motivate you to push your own limits. Or maybe just the &quot;idea&quot; that you might have to compete against someone who's much better, that might be what really motivates you. Or maybe you're not super interested in competition anyway. You might be the type that can be satisfied with seeing yourself on video and comparing it with others who are top competitors. When you get close to their level of performance, maybe that's enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So now getting back to your original question. You're worried you won't be good enough to compete. That's the wrong way to look at it. You should be worried there won't be good enough competition for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend going to the tournament and preparing as seriously as you can for it. Then after you've competed, reassess. Ask yourself then if you need to work harder, or if you need to seek out better competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2019-05-22T19:09:49.310" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9137" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9135" CreationDate="2019-05-22T19:21:41.573" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://ancientolympics.arts.kuleuven.be/eng/TC007cEN.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://ancientolympics.arts.kuleuven.be/eng/TC007cEN.html&lt;/a&gt; claims of Pankration:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;everything was permitted except biting, gouging (stabbing with your finger in your opponent's eye, nose or mouth) and attacking the genitals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that's accurate, then you couldn't compete in the UFC and use the full set of pankration techniques.  There are other questions listing the rules for UFC, or google turns it up easily. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, anyone from any style who abides by the UFC rules should be able to compete in UFC with the subset of their techniques that are legal.  (You're not going to get straight into a major event without some kind of fame or qualifying success though.)  And, if some technique that wasn't explicitly banned before proved crazily injurious, they &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; ban it too.  There's plenty of scope to argue about which techniques &lt;em&gt;should&lt;/em&gt; be banned... just as one example - I think if people run at you with their head down wanting to take you down, they're inviting a downward elbow to the back of the head, neck or spine, and a set of rules that artificially protects them from those strikes while they have a crack at a takedown undermines the whole claim of UFC to be a more realistic way to see how striking and grappling interact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="10072" LastEditDate="2019-05-24T11:20:38.077" LastActivityDate="2019-05-24T11:20:38.077" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9138" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-05-22T22:41:26.937" Score="4" ViewCount="222" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to know the name of the maker of this bokken, which I purchased in France some years ago:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5sD7U.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5sD7U.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Bokken&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To make it easier to read the characters, I have traced them (correctly this time):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4a0TW.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4a0TW.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Characters&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10082" LastEditorUserId="10082" LastEditDate="2019-05-23T15:39:21.383" LastActivityDate="2019-06-03T10:02:03.627" Title="What is the name of the maker of this bokken?" Tags="|bokken|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9140" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5153" CreationDate="2019-05-23T09:24:49.200" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to the following paper, &lt;a href=&quot;https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/47/18/1139.full&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Injuries in judo: a systematic literature review including suggestions for prevention&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;severe injuries in judo are rare, but when they do occur they are mostly to the brain and spine, mostly occur during throws (as opposed to chokes), and mostly occur due to 'bad falling'&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;repeatedly being thrown (as a competitive judoka) &lt;strong&gt;does not&lt;/strong&gt; result in chronic brain injuries&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;1. Severe brain injuries in Judo&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Severe injuries were quite rare and usually affected the brain and spine, whereas chronic injuries typically affected the finger joints, lower back and ears. The most common types of injuries in young judo athletes were contusions/abrasions, fractures and sprains/strains. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;Severe injuries&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The main locations of catastrophic injuries in judo are the brain and the cervical spine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Kamitani et al&lt;sup&gt;35&lt;/sup&gt; reported being thrown as the leading injury mechanism of severe head injuries (70%) among judo practitioners, who were mainly younger than 20 years (90%) and practicing judo for less than 3 years (60%).&lt;sup&gt;35&lt;/sup&gt; The authors assumed lack of falling skills as the prominent cause for severe head injuries among inexperienced judokas.&lt;sup&gt;35&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Generally, choking in judo induces only subclinical electroencephalographic perturbations,&lt;sup&gt;53&lt;/sup&gt; but could also lead to brain damage when the ‘choker’ maintains the pressure on the opponent's neck, with blood flow interruption lasting a sufficient time to be harmful to the central nervous system&lt;sup&gt;54&lt;/sup&gt;; in the worst case, this could lead to death.&lt;sup&gt;34&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In Japan, 26 judokas sustained a spinal cord injury during a 3-year period&lt;sup&gt;55&lt;/sup&gt; and 19 a neck injury in 8 years.&lt;sup&gt;35&lt;/sup&gt; Sixty-three per cent of neck injuries occurred while performing a throwing technique, for example, Uchi Mata.&lt;sup&gt;35&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that severe head/spine throwing injuries tend to be the result of single incidents (non-chronic), and that risk of injury is associated with lack of falling skills:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;Injury causes&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Being thrown seems to be the most frequent situation leading to judo injuries, comprising about 70% (range 42–90%) of cases,&lt;sup&gt;3 ,25&lt;/sup&gt; including also a few severe and catastrophic injuries&lt;sup&gt;34 ,35&lt;/sup&gt; (see online supplementary table S5). Additionally, it was indicated that the lack in falling skills is also associated with injuries,&lt;sup&gt;36&lt;/sup&gt; including acute as well as chronic ones.&lt;sup&gt;3 ,34&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;2. Effect of repeated throwing and choking&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;Chronic injuries&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Rodriguez &lt;em&gt;et al&lt;/em&gt;&lt;sup&gt;58&lt;/sup&gt; found competitive active judokas having no chronic brain damage induced by the repetitive application of judo-specific throwing and choking techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Citations from review:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt; &lt;strong&gt;3.&lt;/strong&gt; Epidemiology of injury in Olympic Sports. Oxford, UK: Wiley-Backwell, 2010:161–75.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;25.&lt;/strong&gt; Pediatric martial arts injuries presenting to emergency departments, United States 1990-2003. J Sci Med Sport 2007;10:219–26.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;26.&lt;/strong&gt; Causes and injuries during ippon-seoi-nage throw. Arch Budo 2011;7:17–19.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;34.&lt;/strong&gt; Deaths during the judo classes and activities conducted under the supervision of schools in Japan; from 1983 to 2009. All cases listed and analyzed. Aichi University of Education.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;35.&lt;/strong&gt; Catastrophic head and neck injuries in judo players in Japan from 2003 to 2010. Am J Sports Med 2013;41: 1915–21.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;55.&lt;/strong&gt; Sports-related spinal cord injury in Japan (from the nationwide spinal cord injury registry between 1990 and 1992). Spinal Cord 1996;34:416–21.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;58.&lt;/strong&gt; Long term effects of boxing &amp;amp; judo-choking on brain. Ital J Neurol Sci 1998;19:367–72.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Supplementary tables:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/AnuzU.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/AnuzU.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/b41S9.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/b41S9.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-05-23T14:41:30.103" LastActivityDate="2019-05-23T14:41:30.103" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9141" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3033" CreationDate="2019-05-23T10:43:30.710" Score="5" Body="&lt;h1&gt;9th-10th &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; red belts&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The colour of belt associated with each &lt;em&gt;kyu / dan&lt;/em&gt; grade depends on the organisation awarding the grades, which differs from country to country. However, it is generally standard across all organisations that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Belt colour&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Grade&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QfcZM.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QfcZM.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1st - 5th &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/N9yHR.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/N9yHR.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;6th - 8th &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/44hCU.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/44hCU.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;9th - 10th &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Though the latter two are optional and often &lt;em&gt;dans&lt;/em&gt; of any grade wear solid black belts in regular training.&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;6th &lt;em&gt;kyū&lt;/em&gt; red belt&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that in e.g. the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/my-judo/grading/grades/kyu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;BJA's grading system&lt;/a&gt; in the UK, a red belt is also awarded to 6th &lt;em&gt;kyū&lt;/em&gt; (級) (i.e. the lowest grade). Equivalent beginner grades are normally awarded a white or yellow belt in other organisations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I presume the introduction of the 6th &lt;em&gt;kyū&lt;/em&gt; red belt was to mirror Kano's zen/&amp;quot;beginner's mind&amp;quot; like remarks on those that may progress beyond 10th &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;... when one reaches this stage, one transcends such things as colours and grades and therefore returns to a white belt, thereby completing the full circle of Judo, as of life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tqMrAQAAMAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Illustrated Kodokan Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.32) (1955)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;12th &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; white belt&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The full quote above implies that the (currently hypothetical) rank of 12th dan would receive a white belt from the Kōdōkan, but twice as wide as an ordinary belt to avoid confusion with a &lt;em&gt;mudansha&lt;/em&gt; (無段者):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If he should be of such mettle as to deserve further recognition he would be raised to 12th Dan and given the title of Shihan, which until now has only been applied to our founder... For the purposes of recognition, however, it has been decided that the white belt worn by a Shihan should be about twice as wide as the ordinary belt, so that there is no chance of a beginner, for example, making a terrible mistake.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ibid.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, according to &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rank_in_Judo#cite_note-3&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; the Kōdōkan have since stated that the dan hierarchy now effectively stops at 10, and that they do not envisage any nominations above this.&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Historical development of grading systems&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Year&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Development&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1883&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kano awards &lt;em&gt;shodan&lt;/em&gt; (初段) &amp;quot;first degree&amp;quot; rank to Shiro Saigo and Tsunejiro Tomita.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1886&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kano starts tradition of &lt;em&gt;yūdansha&lt;/em&gt; (有段者) &amp;quot;person who has dan&amp;quot; wearing black &lt;em&gt;obi&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1907&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kano develops modern style judogi/belts (as opposed to kimono/obi)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1920 c.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Aikido, Karate etc start adopting judo style clothing and belts for training.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1930 c.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kano introduces optional &lt;em&gt;kōhaku&lt;/em&gt; (紅白) &amp;quot;red and white&amp;quot; belt for 6th-8th dan.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1935&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Mikonosuke Kawaishi introduces coloured belts in Paris.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1943&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kano introduces optional red belt for 9th, 10th dan.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;• &lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/obi/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;The Judo Rank System&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Neil Ohlenkamp&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;• &lt;a href=&quot;https://hokoh.fr/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/HistoireDuJudo.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Histoire de Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Judo Kodokan Review, Vol.XII No.5, (Nov. 1962)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;1. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Dan-Grade-Promotion-Syllabus-05.2016.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;BJA Dan Grade Promotion Syllabus&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Promotion with the Dan Grades does not carry a change of designated colour until 6th Dan is reached. Even then it is customary for the holder to continue wearing a black belt in everyday practice, reserving the official colour for instructing, coaching, presentations and ceremonial occasions&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2. &amp;quot;Do the 11th and 12th Dan really exist?&amp;quot;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/activity/magazine/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Jūdō&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.livre-rare-book.com/st/Titre/mise%2Bau%2Bpoint%2Bsur%2Bles%2Btraitements%2Bde%2Bla%2Bcolonne%2Bvertebrale&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Vol.XIII, No.5&lt;/a&gt; (Nov. 1963)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-01-22T01:39:09.300" LastActivityDate="2021-01-22T01:39:09.300" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9142" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9138" CreationDate="2019-05-23T11:14:00.363" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your tracing isn't quite right: the bokken has a short down stroke at the top of the left character.  The correct kanji is shown below, is pronounced &quot;shin&quot; or &quot;arata&quot;, and means &quot;new&quot; in English.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;新&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, it's such a ubiquitous kanji that I haven't been able to narrow search matches down to anything useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2019-05-23T20:29:32.187" LastActivityDate="2019-05-23T20:29:32.187" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9143" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2209" CreationDate="2019-05-24T14:27:07.770" Score="10" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Roosevelt's Judo experience&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Roosevelt trained judo under two instructors (John O'Brien, and Yoshiaki Yamashita) for a period of around a few months each in 1902 and 1904. He maintained an interest in the art after this, corresponding and reading on it, and may have continued to sporadically train with wrestling partners, but by his own autobiography's account he only trained for a few years at most:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Accordingly I thought it better to acknowledge that I had become an elderly man and would have to stop boxing. I then took up jiu-jitsu for a year or two.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3335&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;An Autobiography by Theodore Roosevelt&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, 1913&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No contemporary records indicate he was awarded any grade during this time, and as such the oft-quoted brown belt remark appears to be a later invention, possibly based off of seemingly speculative newspaper remarks of the time e.g.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are seven degrees in jiu-jitsu. The President's instructions are proficient in five degrees and Mr. Roosevelt Intends to have all five of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://newspapers.library.in.gov/cgi-bin/indiana?a=d&amp;amp;d=IJ19040314.1.4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Indianapolis Journal, Volume 54, Number 74&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, 14 March 1904&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The earliest reference to any belt/grade conferred to Roosevelt appears to be from 1966:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yamashita did not create a rage for judo there, but he did have some prominent pupils, including Teddy Roosevelt. The president practised three times a week and qualified for a brown belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=eK9XAAAAMAAJ&amp;amp;q=%22brown+belt%22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Penthouse, Volumes 1-2&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, 1966&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, the USJA in 2007 posthumously awarded Roosevelt an honorary 8th &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; grade for his contribution to introducing the art to America:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The United States Judo Association (USJA) posthumously presented 26th President Theodore Roosevelt with an honorary black belt for embracing the sport of Judo at a special ceremony at Sagamore Hill in Cove Neck on Saturday, November 17th. TR admired judo’s ability to build character, promote confidence and teach fair play and sportsmanship.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://goltzjudo.com/roosevelt.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;USJA Honors Theodore Roosevelt with Black Belt&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Oyster Bay Guardian (November 23, 2007)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mVIdC.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mVIdC.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Timeline&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;1902: Training under O'Brien&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Year | Info&#xA;----:|-----&#xA;&lt;strong&gt;Jan 3, 1902&lt;/strong&gt; | Roosevelt's interest first sparked by &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o36595&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a letter from William Sturgis Bigelow&lt;/a&gt;, in which he described jiu-jitsu and provided him with the contact details of John J. O'Brien.&#xA;&lt;strong&gt;Feb, 1902&lt;/strong&gt; | O'brien &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o36954&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;suggests&lt;/a&gt; a course of 8 weeks.&#xA;&lt;strong&gt;Mar, 1902&lt;/strong&gt; | Roosevelt &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o181654&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;writes&lt;/a&gt; to O'Brien inviting him to instruct him.&#xA;&lt;strong&gt;Mar 1902&lt;/strong&gt; | Roosevelt begins lessons with O'Brien.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o181776&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;0&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;strong&gt;c. May, 1902&lt;/strong&gt; | Roosevelt ceases lessons with O'Brien.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o38139&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o266054&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It appears O'Brien taught Roosevelt in hour long lessons 1 or more times a week:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second Sunday that I was in Washington when I was giving the President his lesson between 9 + 10 a.m...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o44615&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Letter from John J. O'Brien to William Loeb&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, March 14, 1904&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;1904: Training under Yamashita&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Year&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Info&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dec 3, 1903&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Roosevelt is introduced to Yamashita and Kawaguchi.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o42947&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;9&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;c. 1904&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Roosevelt begins lessons with Yamashita:&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o290769&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;3&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o187993&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;4&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o44615&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;5&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Feb 2, 1904&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Bigelow sends Roosevelt a book on jiu jitsu from Tokyo.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o43996&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;5&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;April 26, 1904&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Roosevelt discusses his lessons with Yamashita to Secretary of State, John Hay.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.org/stream/lifelettersofjoh02inthay/lifelettersofjoh02inthay_djvu.txt&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;10&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;c. May, 1904&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Roosevelt ceases lessons with Yamashita&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o290769&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;5&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o187997&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;6&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;1905 - 1906: Roosevelt's opinions on Judo&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Year&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Info&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;c. 1905&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Roosevelt instigates judo training at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, taught by Yamashita.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Feb 24, 1905&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Yamashita is invited to the White House for an exhibition match, Roosevelt makes some remarks on the difference between Judo and American style Wrestling, and the role of strength in combat: &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;em&gt;Yesterday afternoon we had Professor Yamashita up here to wrestle with Grant. It was very interesting, but of course jiu jitsu end our wrestling are so far apart that it is difficult to make any comparison between them. wrestling is simply a sport with rules almost as conventional as those of tennis, while jiujitsu is really meant for practice in killing or disabling your adversary. In consequence, Grant did not know what to do except to put Yamashita on his back, and Yamashita was perfectly content to be on his back. Inside of a minute Yamashita had choked Grant and inside of two minutes more he got an elbow hold on him that would have enabled him to break his arm; so that there is no question but that he could have put Grant out. So far this made it evident that the jiu jitsu man could handle the ordinary wrestler. But Grant, in the actual wrestling and throwing was about as good as the Japanese, and he was so much stronger that he evidently hurt and wore out the Japanese. With a little practice in the art I am sure that one of our big wrestlers or boxers, simply because of his greatly superior strength, would be able to &lt;s&gt;throw&lt;/s&gt; kill any of those Japanese, who though very good men for their inches and pounds are altogether too small to hold their own against big, powerful,quick men who are as well trained.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;br&gt; - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o280546&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Kermit Roosevelt&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, February 24, 1905&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Feb 17, 1906&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;I am not satisfied about the giving up of the judo or jujitsu at the Naval Academy. &lt;strong&gt;It is not physical exercise so much as it is an extraordinarily successful means of self-defense and training in dexterity and decision.&lt;/strong&gt; Naturally, elderly men of a routine habit of mind who have known nothing whatever of it are against it; but &lt;strong&gt;I know enough of boxing, wrestling, rough-and-tumble fighting, and of the very art in question to be absolutely certain that it is of real and on occasions may be of great use to any man whose duties are such as a naval officer's may at any time become.&lt;/strong&gt; I should like to have it continued next year at the Naval Academy.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;br&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.188427/2015.188427.The-Letters-Of-Theodore-Roo-Volume-V-The-Big-Stick_djvu.txt&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Letter to Bonaparte&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, February 17, 1906&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mar 3, 1906&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Bonaparte, in a memorandum of March 3, 1906, to the Bureau of Navigation, ordered judo to be continued at Annapolis.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;May 4, 1906&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Yamashita rehired, judo taught for 6 months at the Naval Academy.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aug 15, 1906&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Bigelow sends Roosevelt 6 &lt;em&gt;uwagi&lt;/em&gt; (上着) (judo jackets), suggesting family disputes may be resolved by a bit of weekly judo.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o53832&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;7&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Further Reading&lt;/strong&gt; | &lt;a href=&quot;https://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_svinth1_1000.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Professor Yamashita Goes to Washington&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1998)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-12-18T23:11:41.373" LastActivityDate="2020-12-18T23:11:41.373" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9144" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9145" CreationDate="2019-05-25T10:10:57.190" Score="4" ViewCount="1977" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo and BJJ both stem from early 20th century judo, but over time have focused on different aspects of the martial art - broadly &lt;em&gt;tachi-waza&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;ne-waza&lt;/em&gt; respectively. Additionally, they are mostly taught nowadays as a sport, and the difference in point-scoring of the two has further contributed to an emphasis on different techniques and styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a number of BJJ techniques which are not legal in judo (e.g. wristlocks, leglocks, &lt;em&gt;dō-jime&lt;/em&gt;, neck cranks).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And a few traditional techniques which are banned in both:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;kani-basami&lt;/em&gt; (scissor takedown)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;daki-age&lt;/em&gt; (slam)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any techniques that are legal&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; in judo but not in BJJ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/documents&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://ibjjf.com/rules/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IBJJF&lt;/a&gt; rules respectively.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-18T14:04:31.723" LastActivityDate="2019-09-18T14:04:31.723" Title="Are there any Judo techniques which are illegal in BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|technique|sport|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9145" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9144" CreationDate="2019-05-25T11:47:38.437" Score="4" Body="&lt;h2&gt;&lt;em&gt;Daki Age&lt;/em&gt; (High Lift, Slam)&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In judo, to escape from your opponent's guard position, you can stand up and pick them up off the mat. Once you have them off the mat, a referee will call &lt;em&gt;matte&lt;/em&gt; and reset the match from standing. In a self-defense situation, the technique you would actually apply is &lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/dakiage/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;daki age&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; where you slam the opponent into the ground. This is very dangerous because the impact is often on the head or spine, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bjjee.com/articles/young-jiu-jitsu-fighter-who-was-gravely-injured-in-competition-recovers-use-of-arms-my-dream-is-to-come-back-to-jiu-jitsu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;which can result in paralysis even without significant elevation&lt;/a&gt;. In judo, this danger is recognized as ending the matwork situation without the technique actually being applied. In &lt;a href=&quot;https://ibjjf.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/RulesIBJJF_v4_en-US.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IBJJF rules&lt;/a&gt;, this is a slam and illegal. See TABLE: Technical Fouls – Illegal Moves #16 Slam. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not personally train BJJ, but when rolling with BJJ players who cross train in judo, I have experienced that they just continue playing as normal when picked up in the guard or sankaku (triangle) positions. For safety, I just tap and talk about it afterward. In contrast, judo players will stop once elevated. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-05-28T17:00:01.263" LastActivityDate="2019-05-28T17:00:01.263" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9146" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9144" CreationDate="2019-05-28T09:32:01.800" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The IBJJF specifically bans&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; two judo-throws where uke lands on their head/neck. Despite the IJF prohibiting throws which &quot;may endanger or injure the opponent especially the opponent’s neck or spinal vertebrae&quot;, there are a number of throws where it is not uncommon&lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt; in competition for uke to hit the mat first with their head, or impact with it after falling, and which seem to fall under another clause in the IJF's rules where 'involuntarily' impacting the mat with uke's head does not incur a penalty for either party.&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As such, theoretically the set of legal judo techniques appears to be a subset of the set of legal BJJ techniques, but in practice the following two throws are permitted in judo even with uke impacting the mat with their neck/head:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Ura-nage (suplex)&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Prohibited:&lt;/strong&gt; ... Suplex takedown technique, landing with the opponent’s head or neck on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The use of this technique is still permitted provided that the movement does not force the opponent’s head or neck into the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Hikikomi-gaeshi (&quot;Khabarelli&quot;)&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8240/sumi-gaeshi-or-obi-tori-gaeshi&quot;&gt;Hikikomi-gaeshi&lt;/a&gt; when used to defend against a single leg takedown (sukui-nage, kibisu-gaeshi, kuchiki-taoshi) is illegal in BJJ if the uke lands on their head:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Prohibited:&lt;/strong&gt; ... Grab the opponents belt and throws him to the floor on his head when defending a single leg situation while his opponents head is on the outside of his body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While leg grabs are no longer legal in judo under IJF rules, the counter hikikomi-gaeshi itself can still be performed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://ibjjf.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/RulesIBJJF_v4_en-US.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;IBJJF Rule Book&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; - 6.3.2 Technical Fouls (Version 4.0, Feb. 2015)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Special attention will be given to situations where tori attempts to throw his opponent during tachi-waza with, for example, seoi-otoshi (drop seoi-nage), sodetsurikomi-goshi with the grip on both sleeves and koshi-guruma with both grips on the collar and uke makes an involuntary head defence. These are examples and this situation can occur with other throwing techniques. In this situation there is no penalty for either tori or uke.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt; • &lt;a href=&quot;http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2018/10/IJF_Sport_and_Organisation_Rul-1539980456.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sport and Organization Rules of the IJF&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (version 13 October 2018) (p.123, 2.)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt; • &lt;a href=&quot;http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2019/01/Explanatory_guide_of_the_judo_-1547390614.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Explanatory guide of the judo refereeing rules&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (9 March 2018) (p.17-21)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3.&lt;/strong&gt; Note: there are two groups of similar throws often called &quot;Khabarelli&quot;. One, where tori &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzh9QXtgBcs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;grabs and lifts uke's leg&lt;/a&gt; in addition to the belt (&lt;em&gt;obi-tori-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;, no longer legal under IJF rules), and one where &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvKZh81t-0Q&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the leg is not grabbed&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;em&gt;hikikomi-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;, similar to &lt;em&gt;sumi-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt; with a belt grip)&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;4. &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HGpbICBZdGwC&amp;amp;pg=PA222&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo: Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.218-223)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;5. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYekeDRoFC4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ura nage compilation video&lt;/a&gt; (times: 0.27, 0.42, 1.05, 2.36, 3.32, 3.52)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-18T14:01:44.260" LastActivityDate="2019-09-18T14:01:44.260" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9147" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-05-29T02:27:08.277" Score="3" ViewCount="784" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the world of Karate competitions, what are some technical rules that can disqualify a kata? For example, if the stance is too deep and Zenkutsu dachi has its front knee, well before the toe, will it be considered for disqualification?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7120" LastEditorUserId="88" LastEditDate="2019-05-29T07:52:59.683" LastActivityDate="2019-05-29T07:52:59.683" Title="Reasons for a Karate Kata disqualification?" Tags="|karate|forms|competition|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9148" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9147" CreationDate="2019-05-29T03:36:25.133" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wkf.net/pdf/WKFCompetitionRules2018.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;WKF 2018 competition rules document&lt;/a&gt;, the following are considered valid reasons for disqualification during a kata competition :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Not presenting yourself when called&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Performing the wrong kata or announcing the wrong kata&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Failing to bow at the beginning and completion of the kata performance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A distinct pause or stop in the performance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Interference with the function of the judges&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Belt falling off during the performance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Failure to follow the instructions of the Chief Judge or other misconduct&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In Team Kata &amp;amp; Bunkai, exceeding 6 minutes for the demonstration&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In Team Kata &amp;amp; Bunkai, using weapons or ancillary equipment&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In Team Kata &amp;amp; Bunkai, performing a scissor takedown technique to the neck area&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Concerning technical mistakes like incorrect stances, those are considered in the final evaluation and the competitor will be deducted points accordingly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastEditorUserId="557" LastEditDate="2019-05-29T03:59:36.013" LastActivityDate="2019-05-29T03:59:36.013" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9149" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9150" CreationDate="2019-05-29T07:31:16.433" Score="1" ViewCount="125" Body="&lt;p&gt;As can be seen in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/martialxwomen/videos/2273199179595823/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;, the girl used armbar for counter the kick defense. I would like to ask if there is a tutorial of how to do it? Are there any other ways to counter the leg catch defense?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2019-05-30T13:47:23.860" Title="Counter kick defence" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|technique|kicking|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9150" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9149" CreationDate="2019-05-29T13:06:15.317" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The flying armbar to counter a single leg attack should not be expected to work outside of demonstration. Notice for example, how the receiver helpfully presents their arm to be locked while holding the leg up. If they don't, you need to find another option. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-05-29T13:06:15.317" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9151" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8655" CreationDate="2019-05-29T18:33:04.030" Score="5" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Name&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Originally, judo belts carried no adornment:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/q0yj1m.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/q0yj1m.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, embroidery is a long established textile art in Japan, and as judo became more popular it was common for students to embroider their name on their judogi and belts to distinguish them at training:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It is ideal to carry the Judo-Gi in a bag, folded properly. To preclude loss, use small lettering or printing to mark your name on the lower left side lapel, upper trousers and belt. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=J_G1AAAAIAAJ&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;to+preclude+loss&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Born for the Mat: A Kodokan Kata Textbook for Women&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.29) (1973)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This practice became something of a tradition in Japan, and hence was passed on to western students who trained there:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;She was also presented with a handmade judogi from her principal teacher, Umetsu; Noritomi gave her a judo belt with her name embroidered upon it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ctYDAAAAMBAJ&amp;amp;q=umetsu&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Black Belt&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (Vol. 9, No.6) (Jun. 1971)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eventually becoming something of a trend in western dojos also:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/oggjb.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/oggjb.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=09cDAAAAMBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PA67&amp;amp;dq=&amp;quot;judo&amp;quot;+belt+embroidered&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Black Belt&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (Mar. 1975)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It has become popular to wear a belt with your name embroidered down one side and the organisation (judo, karate and so on) down the other. There are some firms that ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=oDLwAAAAMAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Aikido: Traditional Art &amp;amp; Modern Sport&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.123) (1992)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Dojo&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/doctrine/palace/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;not uncommon&lt;/a&gt; to see on belts with embroidered names the person's club/dojo's name also (on the opposite end). This is often more dependent on the tradition of the dojo itself however:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;There is further use of the uniform to express group membership, especially in arts like judo and kendo, where large groups of practitioners get together for tournaments. Patches bearing the name of the dojo are frequently sewn onto uniforms and are both an expression of pride and membership. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Such patches are important expressions of allegiance even within the &lt;em&gt;dojo&lt;/em&gt; itself. In my study, I noticed that new students generally did not wear such patches, while senior students did. Only when beginners became more involved with the &lt;em&gt;dojo&lt;/em&gt;, grew more skillful, [sic] and in fact became more well integrated into the fabric of &lt;em&gt;dojo&lt;/em&gt; society, did they generally opt to wear these badges of social identity. In the judo &lt;em&gt;dojo&lt;/em&gt; I studied, for instance, it was really only after the first &lt;em&gt;kyu&lt;/em&gt; promotion, when the student could exchange the white belt of a novice for a colored one, that he really began to feel an accepted part of the &lt;em&gt;dojo&lt;/em&gt;. A short time after many students donned their first colored belt, they also began to proudly wear an embroidered patch whose Japanese characters spelled out the name of the &lt;em&gt;dojo&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6dF-AAAAMAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Anthropos&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (Vol. 85, Issues 1-6) (p.60) (1990)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Grade&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/activity/grade/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;traditionally&lt;/a&gt; dan grades were not distinguished by belt (asides from the black/red-white/red colour), tabs are sometimes added to signify the level of &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; grade in Japan (similar to how &lt;em&gt;mon&lt;/em&gt; are used in e.g. the British system for juniors). I suspect this is due to influence from Karate where this kind of marking is common.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Slightly before we start seeing names embroidered on belts in the west, we start seeing belts with the kanji for the dan grade embroidered on them (as opposed to a number of tabs):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/B8wFrm.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/B8wFrm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=js4DAAAAMBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PA63&amp;amp;dq=&amp;quot;embroidered+dan&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Black Belt&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (Oct. 1966)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Competition legality&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to current regulations, in IJF competitions belts (in addition to the mandatory &quot;IJF Approved&quot; logo) may &lt;strong&gt;only&lt;/strong&gt; include one instance of the athlete's name on a 20x4cm patch at one end of the belt:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/e1NTO.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/e1NTO.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2017/03/Guidance_of_judogi_control_dur-1489772806.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Guidance of judogi control during IJF competitions&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (03.2017)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-05-29T20:02:17.657" LastActivityDate="2019-05-29T20:02:17.657" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9152" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7762" CreationDate="2019-05-29T18:59:20.783" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The earliest reference I can find to this quote is from the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Three types of attitude are discussed next: training attitude. competitive attitude, and personal attitude. First, training attitude refers to your willingness to train and the work ethic that you develop through regular practice. Second, a competitive attitude&#xA;  refers to your psychological makeup before, during, and after a competition. And third, your personal attitude is the overall attitude you develop, which is a reflection of you as a person both on and off the mat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qZrXwJCXOuEC&amp;amp;pg=PA24&amp;amp;dq=&amp;quot;three+types+of&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mastering Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Masao Takahashi (p.24) (2005)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However the idea of a distinction between hypercompetitiveness and personal development competitiveness in sports psychology has been generally discussed since at least the 30's (&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Horney&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Horney&lt;/a&gt;, 1937):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OeuBAAAAMAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;International Journal of Sport Psychology: Official Journal of the International Society of Sports Psychology&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (Volume 23) (p.151)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2019-05-29T18:59:20.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9153" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2263" CreationDate="2019-05-29T23:19:52.073" Score="5" Body="&lt;h1&gt;1. Seiza gender differences&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The prescribed gender differences in &lt;em&gt;seiza&lt;/em&gt; one sometimes hears stem from traditional Japanese seating etiquette, analogous to sitting sidesaddle/astride in equestrianism, or with legs crossed/spread on a chair.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These differences are echoed in texts on other traditional Japanese practices which involve seiza e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=nqveBgAAQBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PA35&amp;amp;dq=&amp;quot;seiza&amp;quot;+&amp;quot;women&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;buddhism&lt;/a&gt;, chado, shodo, ikebana, &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IbENAQAAMAAJ&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;seiza&amp;quot;+&amp;quot;women&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kabuki&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=u2DKesPhsxgC&amp;amp;pg=PA107&amp;amp;dq=&amp;quot;seiza&amp;quot;+&amp;quot;women&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kyudo&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GaVTAgAAQBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PA11&amp;amp;dq=&amp;quot;seiza&amp;quot;+&amp;quot;women&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;aikido&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=huTtAAAAMAAJ&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;seiza&amp;quot;+&amp;quot;women&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kendo&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wrNAfgmdcRkC&amp;amp;pg=PT23&amp;amp;dq=&amp;quot;seiza&amp;quot;+&amp;quot;women&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;karate&lt;/a&gt; and appears to have been the norm in the Kodokan from its earliest days to the present:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_mayer1_0400.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZdSzcm.png&quot; alt=&quot;Kodokan&amp;#39;s women&amp;#39;s section, 1934-1935&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/news/2018/08/-824-a-b/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9hYrom.png&quot; alt=&quot;Summer Course for Women, 2018&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, with the rise of feminism in the 20th century, discriminatory practices in judo have been abandoned in many societies (e.g. gender-segregated training, &lt;a href=&quot;https://theolympians.co/2017/03/22/keiko-fukuda-and-the-white-stripe-in-the-black-belt-a-symbol-of-gender-discrimination-in-judo-fades-to-black/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;striped belts&lt;/a&gt; for women etc), and as such nowadays few dojos outside of Japan expect women to sit differently from men in seiza during judo sessions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This was not always the case, something which many people took umbridge with in the past:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;These are the male sensei who seem to have the knack of teaching women, especially those women who have strong feminist consciousnesses--the women who resent striped belts and sitting with their knees modestly pressed together in seiza.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=aNcDAAAAMBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PA22&amp;amp;dq=&amp;quot;seiza&amp;quot;+&amp;quot;women&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Black Belt&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &quot;What do these women want?&quot; (Apr. 1975) (p.22)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In Joshi or Woman’s Judo, persons who hold a blackbelt rank are awarded a special black belt that has a white stripe down the center. This belt is only awarded to a woman. And represents the Pure form of Judo as they do not rely on strength like most men do. However most woman prefer a normal black belt like men.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pottstownjudo.com/my_first_class.shtml&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.pottstownjudo.com/my_first_class.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1937/who-was-the-first-female-judoka/9156#9156&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Reinterpreting the History of Women's Judo in Japan&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that in Japan there is also traditionally a proscription against women sitting cross-legged (&lt;em&gt;agura&lt;/em&gt;):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The &lt;em&gt;Seiza&lt;/em&gt; (formal sitting) should be the rule of the &lt;em&gt;Dojo&lt;/em&gt;. Women are not allowed to sit cross-legged at any time. Even when resting during the session, you must maintain good deportment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=J_G1AAAAIAAJ&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;Dojo.+Women&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Born for the Mat: A Kodokan Kata Textbook for Women&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.27)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;2. Hand placement in seiza&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditionally in seiza, there is no gender difference in the placement of the hands on the thighs:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;[The bows are performed] in the same way, in both men and women, except for the difference in the opening of the knees...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://hac.cside.com/manner/6shou/2setu.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;和式作法: 座　礼 (&quot;Japanese Etiquette: Zarei&quot;)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for where exactly to place them, long as your hands are resting on your thighs there should be no qualms. Different texts sometimes state different specific positions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The upper body should be straight, the shoulders not square but in a natural manner and the hands placed on mid-thighs. This is called the Seiza.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=J_G1AAAAIAAJ&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;called+the+seiza&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Born for the Mat: A Kodokan Kata Textbook for Women&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.27)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Rest your hands lightly on your thighs at the place where they join your hips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=DhF4prvzzNAC&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;Judo+for+Young+Men,+Basic+and+Intermediate&amp;quot;+&amp;quot;+rest+your+hands+lightly+on+your+thighs&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Judo for Young Men, Basic and Intermediate: An Interscholastic and Intercollegiate Standard&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.57) (1965)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But many don't specify at all:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=rVqYEnE73FsC&amp;amp;pg=PA13&amp;amp;dq=judo+seiza&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Best Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.13)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.org/details/TadaoOtakiDonnF.DraegerJudoFormalTechniquesACompleteGuideToKodokanRandoriNoKata/page/n439&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Judo - Formal Techniques. A Complete Guide to Kodokan Randori No Kata&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;3. Hand placement in zarei&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditionally in &lt;em&gt;zarei&lt;/em&gt; there is a slight difference in the position of hands between men and women when performing the more casual version of the bow (&lt;em&gt;senrei&lt;/em&gt;), but it is generally something more akin to &lt;em&gt;futsūrei&lt;/em&gt; which is performed in judo, with the hands forming a triangle in front of the knees:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;And, in the case of a woman, align both hands at the kneecaps and attach it to the floor as shown below.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7gdL2.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7gdL2.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In the case of men, the position at which they put their hands when bent is different from that of women.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Men stand parallel to each other in front of their knees, keeping their hands apart.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  The other points are the same as women.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/WZonH.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/WZonH.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://hac.cside.com/manner/6shou/2setu.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;和式作法: 座　礼 (&quot;Japanese Etiquette: Zarei&quot;)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-05-30T14:00:24.383" LastActivityDate="2019-05-30T14:00:24.383" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9154" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2716" CreationDate="2019-05-30T10:03:17.853" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Guruma&lt;/em&gt; refers to the rotation of uke's body around tori's leg:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Difference between osoto-guruma and osoto-otoshi&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These techniques are very similar. Their fundamental&#xA;differences are therefore described in the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Osoto-guruma&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Tori puts his right leg diagonally across the back of both&#xA;of uke’s legs (or the left leg), &lt;strong&gt;and, using it as the fulcrum,&#xA;throws uke backward in a rotating motion.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Osoto-otoshi&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Tori slides his right leg down the back of uke’s right leg,&#xA;and, stepping it onto the mat. throws uke backward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HGpbICBZdGwC&amp;amp;q=osoto+guruma&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo: Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.174)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This rotation of uke's body is the commonality among techniques with &lt;em&gt;guruma&lt;/em&gt; in the name:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Technique&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Point of rotation&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Example&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;hiza-guruma&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;uke rotated over their knee&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/dK1dA.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/dK1dA.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;ashi-guruma&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;uke rotated over fulcrum of tori's lower leg (contact with uke's knee)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iisx5.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iisx5.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;o-guruma&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;uke rotated over fulcrum of tori's leg (contact with uke's lower abdomen)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/OpZq9.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/OpZq9.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;koshi-guruma&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;uke thrown in a circle around the fulcrum of tori's torso&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JrQBs.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JrQBs.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;kata-guruma&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;uke rotated over tori's shoulders&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/t0Rn6.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/t0Rn6.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;yoko-guruma&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;uke thrown forward in a rotating movement&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9OjdJ.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9OjdJ.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-12-29T00:46:48.387" LastActivityDate="2020-12-29T00:46:48.387" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9155" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9149" CreationDate="2019-05-30T11:24:14.500" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;ask if there is a tutorial of how to do it&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not that I know of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Are there any other ways to counter the leg catch defense?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't even call the way in the video a valid way.  As mattm and JohnP say, that armbar is impractical without a cooperative partner in a scripted demonstration.  And not just in the &quot;oh, it'd be so hard to pull off&quot; - it's actually fundamentally flawed in a self defence sense, because the kicker makes themselves even more vulnerable than they need to be long before they can counter.  If you watch in slow motion - or pause at the right point - you'll see that when she kicks her upper body is quite upright but at least her head is outside the reach of his jab, but after her leg is caught she actually squares up and leans in towards him while grabbing his uniform with her right hand - that means she's going out of her way to get into his punching range, and her right arm's busy and unable to move to deflect any punch he might throw.  Her left arm's way out to her left for balance, and consequently useless for defending herself, and he's free to reach in and grab her shoulder, which means he could equally have punched her in the head / fight over.  Practising or planning moves that involve transitioning through such total vulnerability and hoping your attacker won't do the obvious thing is suicide in a real fight.  You may also observe that he's leaning his upper body forward as he attempts to throw her, rather than maintaining an upright balance and shoving her with his right arm - that's because he's anticipating and cooperating with the throw, and wants to roll safely into position for her.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, &quot;any other ways&quot;.  If we take a figurative step back, the first problem was that the leg got grabbed.  First, if you kick with proper technique and focus, they're more likely to be knocked sideways, injured, and without getting a useful hold on your leg.  But, if they've read your intentions perfectly and moved sideways at just the right time to catch your kicking leg as it loses focus, then yeah - you may need to defend.  Options include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;rotating your torso and hips further away from the grabber while dipping the kicking leg's knee towards the floor, while dragging the leg down and through the grabber's hold&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;leaning in as she does in the video, but with &lt;em&gt;both arms up in front and protecting you&lt;/em&gt; from any punch or grab he might attempt, leaning your body weight over your trapped leg: that means his grabbing arm will be dragged downwards and his body trapped under your weight, flat-footed.  You can then throw hand/arm strikes to his head: in particular, a right-arm armbar / ridge-hand strike or hook punch to the left side of his head will be very hard for him to defend against while his left arm is busy lower down holding your leg&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;if you can anticipate the grab, you can be moving in ready to strike his head even as your half-hearted kick - your bait - is being caught &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;after your leg is trapped, bend it again and slide your kicking leg's knee across towards their back hip, leaning in with your shin across their waist: that's a standard distance-preserving position used in Thai Boxing that will stop the grabber getting close enough to pummel you; they won't have too many good options and you can pick your moment to shove them away and disengage&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you notice someone is looking to grab you but they haven't done it yet, you can:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;throw in some feints such as seeming mid-section kicks that change last minute to attack the head or thigh instead, or&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;both Thai boxing and Kyokushin karate commonly feint a kick then throw a teep / front kick, or&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;there's the &lt;a href=&quot;https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/the-correct-term-for-the-brazilian-kick.2329187/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;mawashi kubi geri&lt;/a&gt; (roundhouse neck kick, aka question-mark kick, Brazilian kick, ...), or&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;swing the knee across without extending the lower leg for them to grab, then throw some other kick (side kick, hooking kick with the heel, vertical/slapping kick &quot;uchi mawashi geri&quot;...) or hand technique, or&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;just kick really, really hard and be ready to focus the kick a bit to the side of where they are when you start the kick, so even if they slip a little sideways you'll hit full power.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2019-05-30T13:47:23.860" LastActivityDate="2019-05-30T13:47:23.860" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9156" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1937" CreationDate="2019-05-30T13:37:02.277" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The paper &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51630849_Reinterpreting_the_History_of_Women&amp;#39;s_Judo_in_Japan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Reinterpreting the history of women's judo in Japan&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (2011) discusses in detail the history of women's involvement in judo from its earliest years, and how its style, purpose, and training differed from that taught to men at the time. It notes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The ﬁrst female judo student seems to have been Sueko Ashiya, arranged by appointment in 1893, therefore 11 years after the establishment of Kodokan. She and all the following female students, including Kano’s wife, Sumako, would learn judo in private, at Kano’s house. The then current concerns with female health are explicit in the story of another student, Kinko Yasuda, who had ill health while young, but allegedly became sturdy and healthy with judo practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The author cites Cunningham's &lt;em&gt;Joshi Judo&lt;/em&gt; for the claim of Sueka's first pupilage, but notes that there is a paucity of information regarding the early years of women's judo, and that Cunningham's work in particular is non-academic.&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cunningham's claim is uncited,&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt; however the earliest reference I was able to locate to this is from Keiko Fukuda in 1973:&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In 1893, Miss Sueko Ashiya, a woman of excellent insight, contacted Professor Kano to request Judo lessons. She was his first female student. At this time, Professor Kano first began to investigate Judo for women.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=J_G1AAAAIAAJ&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;sueko+ashiya&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Born for the Mat: A Kodokan Kata Textbook for Women&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Keiko Fukuda (p.15) (1973)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that though Fukuda was born 20 years after the date Ashiya purportedly began studying judo, she was a direct student of Kano and thus likely learned this information from him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;There are very few known documents on the history of women’s judo in pre-war Japan, a situation that calls for further research in the archives at the Kodokan and local judo clubs.&lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;For judo studies about women, the standard references, Svinth, ‘The Evolution of Women’s Judo, 1900–1945’, and Cunningham, ‘Joshi Judo: Origins and Early Years’, are not academic.&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;This claim was repeated a year later in an interview with Fukuda: &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=fNYDAAAAMBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PA29&amp;amp;dq=sueko+ashiya&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Black Belt&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &quot;A Single Reed that Bends Gracefully in the Wind&quot; (p.29) (Jun. 1974)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carl_De_Cree/publication/260249384_Kodokan_judo&amp;#39;s_inauspicious_ninth_kata_The_Joshi_goshinho_-_Self-defense_methods_for_females_Part_2/links/56b4e27a08ae3c1b79aafbda.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kōdōkan Jūdō’s&lt;/em&gt; Inauspicious Ninth &lt;em&gt;Kata&lt;/em&gt;: The &lt;em&gt;Joshi goshinhō&lt;/em&gt; – “Self-Defense Methods for Women”&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Kano accepted his first female student, Sueko Ashiya, after she arranged an introduction in 1893. Kano's openness was not shared in the male-dominated society of Japan, so he taught Miss Ashiya at his home along with his wife, Sumako, and some of her friends. (Sumako gave birth that same year to their daughter Noriko.)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;• &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20051214013429/http://www.judo1.net/ju01010.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Joshi Judo: Origins and Early Years&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1996)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-05-30T13:56:14.663" LastActivityDate="2019-05-30T13:56:14.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9157" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1372" CreationDate="2019-05-30T15:09:11.447" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1371/judo-gis-for-lanky-players/13294#13294&quot;&gt;Slim Fit gis&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judogis are generally unisex. Finding one which best suits your body type/you find most comfortable may be a case of trial and error, since different brands use slightly different cuts and sizings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However some manufacturers offer slimmer, tighter fitting versions of their gis, sometimes marketed towards women:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mizuno &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20150725051613/http://www.mizuno.eu/sports/judo/apparel/33610/nippon-women#cY12101-01&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nippon Women&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Competition judogi specifically designed for women and smaller judokas looking for a judogi closer to the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fuji &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hatashita.com/collections/fuij-mizuno/products/fuji-tokai-nippon-judogi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tokai Nippon&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Best suited for lean to muscular body types, the aggressive cut mirrors your frame without binding in the shoulders or leaving baggy material across your back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Adidas Champion and Champion II &amp;quot;Slim Fit&amp;quot; versions, with adjusted jacket girth. The below charts detail the differences:&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vMBjDm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vMBjDm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/g1oN9m.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/g1oN9m.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Modifications&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note if you wish to tailor your gi, there are strict regulations on material and dimensions for IJF competition gis:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2017/03/Guidance_of_judogi_control_dur-1489772806.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Guidance of judogi control during IJF competitions (03.2017)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2016/08/DOC_JUDOGI_ENG_24_10_2014-1470-1470138545.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Judogi Manufacture Regulation (version 24.10.2014)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2016/09/New_JUDOGI_regulation_ENG-1473-1473769970.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Judogi regulation (version 01.01.2014)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;T-shirts&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that the IJF &lt;strong&gt;requires&lt;/strong&gt; women to wear a white t-shirt in competition:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Female athletes must wear a white non- transparent round neck tee-shirt under their judogi jacket.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2016/08/Judogi_used_during_2016_OG_ENG-1470138505.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt; Judogi used during the 2016 Olympic Games (version 08.07.2016)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-04-22T13:36:35.287" LastActivityDate="2022-04-22T13:36:35.287" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9158" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5172" CreationDate="2019-06-01T11:29:23.123" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The tabs at the end of BJJ belts have not historically been worn on one side in particular. Some schools may have a style they prefer, with possible rationalizations for them (e.g. following on from the &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1926/why-is-a-gi-worn-left-side-over-right&quot;&gt;left-over-right positioning of the kimono jacket&lt;/a&gt;), but this will be a recently invented tradition and is not consistent between schools nor even individual practitioners, e.g:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Hélio Gracie:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/b6jelm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/b6jelm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/1QRicm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/1QRicm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Carlos Gracie:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2CmR0m.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2CmR0m.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hvVWLm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hvVWLm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Likewise &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLGaxZvHQIw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; is a video of Rickson Gracie specifically demonstrating tying one's belt, with the tabs on the right hand side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-09-24T10:23:12.263" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9159" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6277" CreationDate="2019-06-01T12:36:56.823" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the following report from the Martial Arts Studies Research Network &lt;a href=&quot;https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6e09/c25dc2640be270b5baa7f79d02fdecaf8f20.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Engaging Women and Girls in Martial Arts and Combat Sports: Theoretical Issues and their Implications for Practice&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (2016), the issue of female-exclusive classes is discussed. They note primarily that many women find training with men intimidating, and that providing such classes can provide a more welcoming environment:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;3 – Segregation and Integration&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Building from the questions raised over differentiated coaching, the seminar delegates questioned the relative merits of ‘women-only’ training sessions. A common feature of some MACS clubs’ programmes, as well as a regular element in many fitness centres and sports clubs, it was argued that &lt;strong&gt;creating the kind of welcoming, inclusive, safe spaces discussed earlier could be handily accomplished by providing exclusive places for women and girls to train.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;While it is tempting to write off such an idea as a kind of ‘reverse sexism’ because it excludes men and boys&lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;the fact that many women find physical training in the presence of men to be intimidating needs to be seriously addressed. In so far as this form of provision does not significantly impact others’ access to clubs, it can be a positive means of securing wider engagement.&lt;/strong&gt; Furthermore, it was noted by one group of delegates that a sex-segregated environment can be particularly beneficial for women who take up training after having suffered from male abuse, as close physical contact and the experience of sparring a male partner might be potentially traumatic in such cases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;hr&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;5. &#xA;  In our experience, this is a common complaint from (some) men whenever female-only spaces are created – either in sports or elsewhere. What this criticism fails to register is that far greater opportunities exist for men in spheres where female-only spaces are needed, most often shaped by intangible cultural forces as identified earlier in this piece. As such, we reject the majority of these claims over their limited appreciation of the wider realities of gender-based exclusion at work today.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They specifically address your concern of women-only classes reinforcing negative stereotypes, recommending that they be used &lt;strong&gt;alongside&lt;/strong&gt; regular integrated lessons, and that the way female-exclusive lessons are marketed be carefully considered:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;However, some meaningful criticism of this kind of provision emerged around the notion that women-only sessions risks creating a condescending atmosphere, with the implicit status of being ‘second class’ club members becoming attached to it. While by no means a guaranteed outcome, this possibility nevertheless raises the question of how steps taken to ease the process of inclusion might backfire in certain ways. &lt;strong&gt;As such, those in favour of women-only sessions argued that they are best used alongside regular, sex-integrated training sessions, to ensure that women still retain access to all of the same benefits enjoyed by their male club mates whilst also providing the aforementioned ‘safe space’ to ease their entry into participation.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A similar, connected issue arose towards the close of the plenary session, concerning the tendency for MACS to be marketed to women in specific, supposedly ‘female-friendly’ ways. Several delegates were particularly critical of the assumption that, as women, they must train for reasons connected either to self-defence or aesthetic, fitness-related goals – such as weight loss. While there is certainly no reason to disparage purposeful self-defence training or exercising for body management, women who want to become competitive athletes, or train for any other reason within their respective disciplines, are not well-served by the assumption that these reasons alone are why women train. Simply put, this feeds the belief that certain types of engagement (i.e., competitive fighting) are only for men, thereby silently working to deter women from the full range of participation options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In this respect, it was suggested that &lt;strong&gt;marketing efforts aimed at attracting women into clubs should not disproportionately emphasise self-defence or fitness management, but also highlight other reasons for training and/or draw attention to the competitive achievements of women fighters in high-profile competitions. This was thought to be a positive step in challenging persistent stereotypes that place limits on how women and girls think about what is and isn’t appropriate for them within MACS.&lt;/strong&gt; While common-sense beliefs about apparently ‘feminised’ forms of practice being the best way to recruit female members to clubs may endure, it is important that instructors consider their impact on women whose goals and ambitions extend beyond them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They additionally recommend a number of resources, the final one being particularly relevant to the issue of women-exclusive classes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;... we conclude this report by pointing towards several useful sources that can expand upon this discussion and open further important topics of debate. These are likely to be of interest to instructors and practitioners, and also academics and students, for whom improving or simply better understanding women’s and girls’ engagement in MACS is of interest:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Martha McCaughey’s book, &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Real_Knockouts.html?id=oqlZMqMVW7gC&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Real Knockouts: The Physical Feminism of Women’s Self-Defense&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, is an excellent starting point for researching this phenomenon. Her ideas are frequently used by other researchers in this field, and her blog (with Jill Cermele), &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Real_Knockouts.html?id=oqlZMqMVW7gC&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;See Jane Fight Back&lt;/a&gt;, offers frequent commentary on the politics of women’s self-defence training.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Kai Morgan’s blog, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.budo-inochi.com/women/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Budo Inochi&lt;/a&gt;, includes several thought-provoking posts and helpful resources related to women in martial arts. Her ebook, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.budo-inochi.com/femalefriendlydojo/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;How to make your Dojo more Female-Friendly&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, is free to access online and provides more depth on many of the practical points that are touched on here, addressing several more besides.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;L.A. Jennings’s recent book, &lt;a href=&quot;https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442236448/She&amp;#39;s-a-Knockout!-A-History-of-Women-in-Fighting-Sports&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;She’s a Knockout! A History of Women in Fighting Sports&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, tells a detailed story of women’s competitive involvement in boxing, wrestling, MMA, and other combat sports. Her blog &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.totalknockout.style/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Total Knockout&lt;/a&gt; (with Alissa Rudloe) discusses fitness, fighting, fashion and feminism.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Our own most recent contribution to work in this area can be found in the edited book, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.palgrave.com/gb/book/9781137439352&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Global Perspectives on Women in Combat Sports: Women Warriors around the World&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. Many of the individual essays can be sourced for free from the authors with a little online searching (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.academia.edu/16392403/Approaching_the_gendered_phenomenon_of_Women_Warriors&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;our introductory chapter sits here&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Eileen McDonagh and Laura Papanno’s book, &lt;a href=&quot;https://global.oup.com/academic/product/playing-with-the-boys-9780195167566?cc=gb&amp;amp;lang=en&amp;amp;&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Playing with the Boys: Why Separate is not Equal in Sports&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;discusses issues around integration and segregation in sports in much detail. While not concerned strictly with MACS, their arguments are well worth reading to follow up on the topics touched on briefly here.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the wider issue of engagement with women in martial arts generally, note that the full report goes into detail about multiple additional approaches to increasing inclusivity and engagement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-01T12:53:54.730" LastActivityDate="2019-06-01T12:53:54.730" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9160" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9161" CreationDate="2019-06-02T23:09:35.623" Score="4" ViewCount="341" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had always thought that the distinction between &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;ude-hishigi-...-gatame&lt;/em&gt; was that the former referred to bent arm figure-four elbow/shoulder locks and the latter referred to armbars (applied in various ways).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Katame-Waza Techniques&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; video demonstrates multiple examples of armbars (that I would previously have called &lt;em&gt;ude-hishigi-ude-gatame&lt;/em&gt;) in its section on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=100&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BhIRym.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BhIRym.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KD7SOm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KD7SOm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems that it is implying the defining point of ude-garami is the figure-four position of &lt;em&gt;tori's&lt;/em&gt; arms, not the mechanics of the pressure applied to uke's joints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this accurate? If not, how are armlocks categorised?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9086/is-there-a-canonical-resource-for-the-classification-of-judo-mat-techniques&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9082/is-there-a-way-to-reliably-attack-only-a-bent-elbow-joint-with-ude-garami-kimur/&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-25T19:31:40.850" LastActivityDate="2020-03-25T19:31:40.850" Title="How are armlocks categorised in Judo?" Tags="|judo|terminology|joint-lock|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9161" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9160" CreationDate="2019-06-02T23:09:35.623" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;The Kodokan classifies armlocks according to the position &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt; adopts while applying them.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As such this lock (sometimes called &lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/kansetsuwaza/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;kannuki-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;) is indeed a variant of &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt;, since tori holds uke's arm in place with an &amp;quot;entangled&amp;quot; figure-four position.&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This methodology for classifying armlocks can be seen in the other examples in the same video:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;1. Same biomechanics, different names&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Kodokan gives different names to an armbar&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; depending on which part of the body tori uses as a fulcrum/to secure the lock, despite them all attacking the same joint in the same direction:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;ude-hishigi-juji-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;ude-hishigi-ude-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;ude-hishigi-hiza-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;ude-hishigi-waki-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;2. Different biomechanics, same name&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Contrastingly, the Kodokan gives multiple different types of joint-lock (e.g. hyper-extending the elbow, abducting the bent elbow, hyper-rotating the shoulder) the same name, determined by the body parts tori uses to control uke's arm/as a fulcrum for the lock:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Te-gatame&lt;/em&gt; refers to:&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=1280&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;armbars&lt;/a&gt;, where uke's arm is held in position with both hands&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=1381&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;hammerlocks&lt;/a&gt;, where the shoulder joint is hyper-rotated by holding uke's arm bent against their back with the hands&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=1406&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;bent elbow-locks&lt;/a&gt;, secured with only one hand (instead of two in a figure-four position as in &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ude-hishigi-hiza-gatame&lt;/em&gt; refers to both:&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;armbars secured with tori's knee&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=849&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;bent elbow-locks&lt;/a&gt; (hyper-abduction) using the knee as a fulcrum&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ude-hishigi-hara-gatame&lt;/em&gt; refers to both:&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;armbars applied at the waist&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=1093&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;bent elbow-locks&lt;/a&gt; using the waist to trap the joint/as a fulcrum&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ude-hishigi-sankaku-gatame&lt;/em&gt; refers to both:&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;armbars applied from a triangle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=1490&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;bent elbow-locks&lt;/a&gt; applied from a triangle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1. armbar  = straight elbow-lock = hyper-extension of the elbow-joint&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2. Given the wide array of joint-locks which fall under the blanket of &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt;, one may wish to distinguish the variants further with more specific (non-Kodokan) names:&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;• normal ude-garami (&lt;strong&gt;ab&lt;/strong&gt;ducts elbow, laterally hyperrotates shoulder)&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;• reverse ude-garami (&lt;strong&gt;ad&lt;/strong&gt;ducts elbow, medially hyperrotates shoulder)&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;• kannuki-gatame (hyperextends elbow)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-06-03T08:44:14.600" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9162" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9138" CreationDate="2019-06-03T10:02:03.627" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe I have an answer for you about the manufacturer.&#xA;There is a circle around the character, which is common in Japanese for use in brand names, logos, indicating special meanings, and so on. In this usage circle is &quot;maru&quot; so I searched for 丸新 (Marushin) and found &lt;a href=&quot;http://zenbukyo.jp/company.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this company&lt;/a&gt; (#14 of the last section, same information as below).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;新留木刀製作所    Niidome Bokutou Seisakujo&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  新留　義昭            Niidome Yoshiaki&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  〒885-0017         〒 indicates zipcode&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  宮崎県都城市年見町10街区8号    Miyazaki-ken Miyakonojo-shi Toshimi-cho 10-gaiku 8-go&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  tel:0986-23-1098&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  fax:0986-23-1098&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  木刀製造業     Manufacturer of bokutou&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Their &lt;a href=&quot;https://niidomebokutou.info/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;website&lt;/a&gt;. The representative's name is 新留　義昭 (Niidome Yoshiaki. 新 is read nii [like knee] in some names). It looks like the symbol comes from the first character of their last name, but there was no image of such a mark on their website. So while it's possible this is where it came from, I can't guarantee it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10101" LastActivityDate="2019-06-03T10:02:03.627" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9163" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1309" CreationDate="2019-06-03T10:46:22.907" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://78884ca60822a34fb0e6-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2019/07/IJF_Sport_and_Organisation_Rul-1564071708.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sport and Organization Rules of the IJF&lt;/a&gt; (2019), the following applications of katame-waza are illegal:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Kansetsu-waza&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Joint-locks applied anywhere other than the elbow (i.e. neck, spine,&lt;sup&gt;17&lt;/sup&gt; wrist, hip, knee, ankle, finger,&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt; toe locks etc).&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The leg-lock &lt;em&gt;ashi-garami&lt;/em&gt; is explicitly illegal.&lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Exception:&lt;/strong&gt; The twisting lock &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt; (i.e. Americanas and Kimuras) are explicitly permitted.&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Joint-locks applied when both uke and tori are in tachi-waza.&lt;sup&gt;2 3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Throws which may place the elbow joint in danger where tori deliberately falls face-down.&lt;sup&gt;4 5 18&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kansetsu-waza where uke's leg is stretched.&lt;sup&gt;6 7&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Shime-waza&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to the situations already mentioned (e.g. double-tachi-waza, stretched uke's leg), the following shime-waza are also banned:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Strangles using just the fingers&lt;sup&gt;9 10&lt;/sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Exception:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;Ryo-te-jime&lt;/em&gt; is explicitly allowed.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Strangles using the belt&lt;sup&gt;9 10&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Strangles using the skirt of the gi-jacket&lt;sup&gt;9 10&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do-jime&lt;sup&gt;11 15&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;'Leg scissor' chokes applied to the neck or head&lt;sup&gt;11&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shime-waza with the legs &amp;quot;assisting the grip&amp;quot; (e.g. in &lt;em&gt;ryo-te-jime&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;sup&gt;11&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Strangles which may endanger the neck/spine (e.g. those involving neck cranks).&lt;sup&gt;12&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Osaekomi-waza&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&amp;quot;It is never allowed to hold an osaekomi just around the head/neck without control of at least one arm.&amp;quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Citations from IJF SOR:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Direct hansoku-make for acts against the spirit of judo: NOT allowed to continue to the next contest, out of competition... To apply kansetsu-waza anywhere other than to the elbow joint.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;A1. Exceptions&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;Situations that are not allowed during tachi-waza&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;a) To apply kansetu-waza or shime-waza (alone or combined with a judo throwing&#xA;technique) when both athletes are in a standing position or move with this&#xA;technique from tachi-waza to newaza (See Article 18).&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;29. If both of the athletes are in a tachi-waza (standing position) and one or both apply kansetsu-waza or shime-waza. Mate and shido should be announced.&#xA;However, if the action is dangerous or can injure the opponent, it will be hansokumake.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;To attempt such throws as harai-goshi, uchi-mata, etc., with only one hand gripping the opponent’s lapel from a position resembling ude-hishigi-waki-gatame (in which the wrist of the opponent is trapped beneath the thrower’s armpit) and deliberately falling, face down, onto the tatami is likely to cause injury and will be penalised. No intent to throw an opponent cleanly onto his back is a dangerous action and will be treated in the same way as ude-hishigi-waki-gatame.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;3. To fall directly to the tatami while applying or attempting to apply techniques such as ude-hishigi-waki-gatame (see point 2 above).&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Situations where the referee shall announce mate: [...]&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;j) When tori applies shime-waza or kansetsu-waza by stretching uke’s leg.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;25. In shime-waza or kansetsu-waza while over-stretching the leg is forbidden: the referee will announce mate immediately and sanction the contestant with shido.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;If a contestant (blue) commits a slight infringement and throws his opponent (white) but the latter (white) takes advantage of the situation to continue in ne-waza, the referee must announce the penalty for blue and at the same time allow the action to continue in favour of white until it reaches a conclusion either or score or mate. If blue counterattacks (e.g. breaks the osaekomi-waza and takes over the control, breaks the osaekomi-waza by applying shime-waza or kansetsu-waza) the referee must announce Mate!.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Shido is given to any contestant who has committed a slight infringement:&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;...&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;To apply shime-waza using either your own or your opponent’s belt or bottom of the jacket or using only the fingers.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/s1PsN.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/s1PsN.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Shime-waza is not allowed with either your own or your opponent’s belt or bottom of the jacket, or using only the fingers. [S]hime-waza while over-stretching a straight leg is forbidden. Special attention will be given to situations: where tori, whilst applying a shime-waza, also over-stretches and straightens uke’s leg. Mate must be called immediately and a shido given.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;To apply leg scissors to the opponent’s trunk (dojime), neck or head (scissor with crossed feet, while stretching out the legs). In shime-waza (e.g. ryote -jime) it is forbidden to use the legs to assist the grip.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;5. To make any action this [sic] may endanger or injure the opponent especially the opponent’s neck or spinal vertebrae or may be against the spirit of judo.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NrKVX.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NrKVX.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;H1.2 Names of Judo Techniques, &lt;code&gt;UGR&lt;/code&gt;, &lt;code&gt;TGT&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;H1.3 Penalties, &lt;code&gt;AGR/P04&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;H1.3 Penalties, &lt;code&gt;DOJ/P08&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;H1.3 Penalties, &lt;code&gt;P05&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;H1.3 Penalties, &lt;code&gt;P38&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;H1.3 Penalties, &lt;code&gt;P41&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-22T11:40:55.530" LastActivityDate="2022-03-22T11:40:55.530" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9164" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7386" CreationDate="2019-06-03T12:53:44.870" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kōichi Tōhei in his &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-dQnAQAAIAAJ&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;seiza&amp;quot;+&amp;quot;toe&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Book of Ki: Co-Ordinating Mind and Body in Daily Life&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1976) states only: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;rest one big toe on top of the other&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;when describing exercises from &lt;em&gt;seiza&lt;/em&gt; position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%AD%A3%E5%BA%A7#%E4%BD%9C%E6%B3%95&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Historically&lt;/a&gt; in Japan, there was a formal prescription that if big toes overlapped, men sat with the left over the right, and women vice versa, but this is not followed nowadays, and those who sit with one toe over the other in &lt;em&gt;seiza&lt;/em&gt; do so &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.humanergology.com/old/jhe2005p/p13~23-Demura2.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;arbitrarily&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So it seems that any schools' preferences for left-over-right are either later arbitrary traditions, or stem from a codification of the historical 'male' position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that some martial arts schools (e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%AD%A3%E5%BA%A7#%E4%BD%9C%E6%B3%95&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;iaidō&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;) specifically practise &lt;em&gt;seiza&lt;/em&gt; &lt;strong&gt;without&lt;/strong&gt; toes overlapping since this is a more expedient position to return to one-knee-up position from.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-03T13:55:57.140" LastActivityDate="2019-06-03T13:55:57.140" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9165" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9166" CreationDate="2019-06-04T12:55:26.127" Score="12" ViewCount="1587" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen 出足払 (&quot;advancing foot sweep&quot;) written two ways by the Kodokan, with the 払 part transcribed as '&lt;strong&gt;ha&lt;/strong&gt;rai' (は)&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; or '&lt;strong&gt;ba&lt;/strong&gt;rai' (ば).&lt;sup&gt;2 3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How is the name of this technique pronounced in Japanese? With an unvoiced [h], a voiced [b], or are both acceptable?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1. &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/waza/list/#a1-4&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Names of Judo Techniques&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/news/docs/Names-of-Judo-techniques.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;(pdf)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;2. &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/learn/kodokan/training/boys/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Judo practice at the Kodokan: Boys and Girls Class&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;3. &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/docs/14/06.Nakamura.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;An Analysis of Winning Trends in the World Championships: A Comparison of the 2003, 2007, and 2011 World Championships&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;   &lt;/sup&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-11T14:34:12.830" LastActivityDate="2020-12-15T18:23:48.690" Title="De-ashi-harai or De-ashi-barai?" Tags="|judo|terminology|japanese|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9166" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9165" CreationDate="2019-06-04T12:55:26.127" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Japanese, some&lt;sup&gt;6&lt;/sup&gt; initial consonants become voiced when they occur internal to some&lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt; compound words, e.g:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;(unvoiced)&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;(voiced)&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;k&lt;/strong&gt;imono&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;judo-&lt;strong&gt;g&lt;/strong&gt;i&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;k&lt;/strong&gt;oshi-guruma&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;o-&lt;strong&gt;g&lt;/strong&gt;oshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;k&lt;/strong&gt;atame-waza&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;kesa-&lt;strong&gt;g&lt;/strong&gt;atame&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;sh&lt;/strong&gt;ime-waza&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;hadaka-&lt;strong&gt;j&lt;/strong&gt;ime&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;t&lt;/strong&gt;ori&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;kata-ashi-&lt;strong&gt;d&lt;/strong&gt;ori&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;h&lt;/strong&gt;on-kesa-gatamae&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;i&lt;strong&gt;pp&lt;/strong&gt;on&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;h&lt;/strong&gt;asami-jime&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;kani-&lt;strong&gt;b&lt;/strong&gt;asami&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This process is called &lt;em&gt;rendaku&lt;/em&gt;, and the conditions under which it applies are &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendaku&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;complicated&lt;/a&gt;, not being entirely predictable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This topic is further complicated in that rendaku can be dialect dependent, and its prevalence has evolved over time. As such, early 20th century romanisations of technical martial arts terms may not reflect the common pronunciation in many contemporary Japanese dialects.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This survey by the NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute specifically notes a compound word involving 払 as being 'unstable' in pronunciation, with 68% of those surveyed now pronouncing this word as &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ba&lt;/strong&gt;rai&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The target words have been chosen from vocabulary that are unstable on word-form and controversial when they are pronounced on broadcasting, including voiced-form and unvoiced-form on Rendaku.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;...&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;未払い&lt;sup&gt;c&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;em&gt;mi -Harai&lt;/em&gt;(30) / &lt;em&gt;-Barai&lt;/em&gt;(68) 【c: 1,307 persons, 2007 Mar】&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://pj.ninjal.ac.jp/phonology/Shioda-abstract.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Age Difference of Rendaku on Nationwide Surveys&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (2011)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As this is only a poster presentation, I don't have access to the complete data, but it implies that the difference is age-specific:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this presentation, the item which shows the age difference will be taken up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since multiple Japanese dictionary sites&lt;sup&gt;1 2 3&lt;/sup&gt; list both pronunciations&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt; in their entries for 出足払, it appears that either is acceptable (with the possibility that &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ba&lt;/strong&gt;rai&lt;/em&gt; is more common among younger generations).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1. &lt;a href=&quot;https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%87%BA%E8%B6%B3%E6%89%95&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/出足払&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;2. &lt;a href=&quot;https://jisho.org/word/%E5%87%BA%E8%B6%B3%E6%89%95%E3%81%84&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://jisho.org/word/出足払い&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;3. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E5%87%BA%E8%B6%B3%E6%89%95%E3%81%84&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.weblio.jp/content/出足払い&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;4. であし&lt;strong&gt;ば&lt;/strong&gt;らい、であし&lt;strong&gt;は&lt;/strong&gt;らい&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;5. E.g. &lt;em&gt;kata-ashi-&lt;strong&gt;d&lt;/strong&gt;ori&lt;/em&gt;, but &lt;em&gt;obi-&lt;strong&gt;t&lt;/strong&gt;ori-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;6. &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2FYQhm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2FYQhm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-12-15T18:23:48.690" LastActivityDate="2020-12-15T18:23:48.690" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9168" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8808" CreationDate="2019-06-04T19:46:48.313" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is Scientific evidence that punches to the head are harmful in boxing:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3296090&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3296090&lt;/a&gt; Guterman, A. and Robert W. Smith. &quot;Neurological Sequalae of Boxing.&quot; Sports Medicine, Sports Med. 1987 May-Jun;4(3):194-210.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Blunt trauma to the head results in acceleration of the brain within the skull. This takes 2 forms: linear or translational acceleration which produces focal lesions, and rotational acceleration which results in 'sheering stresses' with stretching of nerves and bridging veins. Deceleration of the brain within the skull occurs when the head strikes a stationary object (e.g. floor, ring post).&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9585" LastEditorUserId="9585" LastEditDate="2019-06-04T19:58:55.823" LastActivityDate="2019-06-04T19:58:55.823" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9170" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1307" CreationDate="2019-06-05T10:01:46.657" Score="2" Body="&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;h1&gt;Disclaimer:&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;Since this question was asked the IJF scoring rules have changed multiple times e.g:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Koka, Yuko no longer exist&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Chui, keikoku no longer exist&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;h3&gt;2 waza-ari = waza-ari awasete ippon&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;h3&gt;3 shido = hansoku-make&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;The following information is current as of 2019.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;1. Default board&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Neither White nor Blue have scored any points (score shows &lt;code&gt;0&lt;/code&gt;).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Neither have any penalties (no card icons).&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MNmCim.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MNmCim.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;2. Waza-ari&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;White has scored one waza-ari (score shows &lt;code&gt;1&lt;/code&gt;) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Neither have any penalties&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CIGGIm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CIGGIm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;3. Ippon&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;White has scored ippon (&lt;strong&gt;or&lt;/strong&gt; scored two waza-ari = ippon) and won (score shows &lt;code&gt;Ippon&lt;/code&gt;)   &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Neither have any penalties&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KaINUm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KaINUm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;4. Shido&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;White has one shido, blue has two shido (minor penalties, yellow-card icons ) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Neither have scored any points&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xbKUtm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xbKUtm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;5. Hansoku-make&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Blue has been disqualified (hansoku-make - 1 severe penalty &lt;strong&gt;or&lt;/strong&gt; 3 shido, red-card icon )&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;White wins by default&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iYSwTm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iYSwTm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Source:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2018/10/IJF_Sport_and_Organisation_Rul-1539980456.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sport and Organization Rules of the IJF&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (2018)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-05T12:15:58.637" LastActivityDate="2019-06-05T12:15:58.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9171" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9172" CreationDate="2019-06-05T21:24:21.630" Score="8" ViewCount="285" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice and instruct judo, where my advice to beginners is to seek the most experienced and skilled practice partners available. My experience is the normal beginner tendency is to train with partners of the same skill level. Unless players are adhering to a rigorous competition training program or there is a safety issue, the expectation is you practice with people who ask. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was recently informed by a BJJ practitioner cross-training in judo that she was explicitly discouraged in BJJ from asking experienced (brown? and black belts) to practice together during a training session. The expectation was the more experienced practitioners would choose their partners. Is this normal procedure in BJJ or a local quirk? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-11-19T17:42:18.030" Title="What is the etiquette for practicing with more experienced partners in BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|etiquette|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9172" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9171" CreationDate="2019-06-06T17:47:24.427" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a nuance in the question as posted.  Ultimately, this practice may have to do with cultural differences between Brazilians who are more loyally subservient to a team, dojo and instructor, while Americans tend to be more centered on personal achievements and accomplishments as evidenced by some &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/a5pdjw/never_ask_a_higher_belt_to_spar_with_you_it_is/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;discussions on Reddit&lt;/a&gt; about this issue. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cross-training is absolutely encouraged and required at our dojo because, as with any other sport, you get better by challenging yourself against those who are where you aspire to be.  As a lower belt, I was bigger and stronger than most of my peers, so it was the upper belts that gave me humble pie, especially those not as strong or big.  Its very important to experience similar techniques from different BJJ belt levels.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, some jiu-jitsu instructors or academies discourage a lower belt from calling out black belts, as a form of respect.  I didn't agree with this rule as a lower belt but now I understand as a black belt instructor.  Instructors teach many classes daily and can roll 10-20 times in a day as well.  We are focused on marketing, membership, long time injuries, etc. and do not always have the energy to deal with the killer purple belt walking in the dojo fresh. The custom I have experienced is that you can make yourself available to the black belt but ultimately the invitation to roll comes from the black belt.  This is not always the case and some students have personal relationships that bypass this formality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, this should not be an excuse for instructors not to roll with their students.  Unfortunately, some BJJ instructors will not roll with certain students merely out of fear of embarrassment.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10109" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-06-07T06:54:48.083" LastActivityDate="2019-06-07T06:54:48.083" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9173" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6277" CreationDate="2019-06-06T19:27:15.227" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Women's only classes are a fantastic tool for recruiting women and girls in jiu jitsu, for many of the reasons already discussed in detail.  In this case, where the school has 2/3 girls and 1/3 women, recruitment is not as critical for you.  Most schools have a drastically different ratio as &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/6ukrri/why_is_the_female_to_male_ratio_always_fucked_up/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;per this discussion&lt;/a&gt;.  BJJ also has unique problems as an engaging grappling sport (grabbing, squeezing) compared to martial arts without as much engagement (karate, TKD).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At my school &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ralphgraciesj.com&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ralph Gracie BJJ San Jose&lt;/a&gt;, we are hosting a monthly seminar/ open mat for women to increase membership.  This even starts with some men filling up spaces, with the goal of having only women at some point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10109" LastActivityDate="2019-06-06T19:27:15.227" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9174" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-06-06T22:10:27.647" Score="3" ViewCount="985" Body="&lt;p&gt;What does the term &quot;smash&quot; mean in a BJJ context? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Examples:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I had to get beaten up by better guys to get good and the current whitebelts deserve to get smashed too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The upper belts I rolled with have all tried to smash me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I'm delighted when a lower belt asks me to roll, I'll never be offended by it, and I won't smash them for their audacity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/8221/5961&quot;&gt;Just remember not to constantly smash them. If you've already tapped them a couple times in a round, let them work their stuff for the rest of the time!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/5291/5961&quot;&gt;Smash me! Smash me!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Some people will have tantrums if you destroy them, others will be fine with it so long as you're nice about it and don't do it all the time. I was the happiest camper in the world the first time one of our smaller guys said &quot;I'm competing this weekend, do you mind if I turn up the intensity this roll, I really want to work on getting my submissions nice and crisp&quot;. Maybe I'm just crazy, but it was pretty fun to get tapped fifteen times in ten minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can infer smashing is done while rolling and full-speed in some sense. Is smashing simply quickly defeating an opponent? Is it mean? Does smashing imply a skill gap, or do you smash someone of equal skill as well? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-06-09T14:33:29.737" Title="What does &quot;smash&quot; mean in BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|sparring|terminology|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9175" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9174" CreationDate="2019-06-07T13:14:16.530" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've seen two contexts for &quot;smash&quot; in BJJ. One is the context you have above where it's used as a synonym for &quot;overwhelm&quot; or &quot;dominate&quot; or, more colloquially, &quot;crush&quot; as in &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/alt.english.usage/0CQzk5CTOQI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;crush the competition&lt;/a&gt;&quot;. That usage does not indicate a lack of skill, but maybe a slight lack in sportsmanship, although &lt;a href=&quot;https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/the-bjj-beatdown-when-and-how-to-smash-a-newbie&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;it can be a legit way to disabuse someone of false notions, or to get them to chill out&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other usage I've seen is in context of a &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bjjfanatics.com/blogs/news/benefits-of-smash-passing#&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;smash pass&lt;/a&gt;&quot;, &quot;the strategical implementation of pressure and weight to pass the guard&quot;, i.e. finding a position to employ your full strength and weight against an opponent rather than trying for more fine manipulation. Because of the use of weight and strength, it's sometimes used to hint at someone &quot;powering through&quot; a technique through superior size, but really, it's about using your weight efficiently to apply it to its full purpose to break through a guard, to slow the pace, or to conserve energy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-06-09T14:33:29.737" LastActivityDate="2019-06-09T14:33:29.737" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9176" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8534" CreationDate="2019-06-07T13:39:46.570" Score="3" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Reasons for changes&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To expand on Philip's answer, the &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/news/2017/04/epost-133/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Japanese report&lt;/a&gt; from the Kodokan states the change is in response to the increased prevalence of these techniques in the previous 3 years:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;平成26（2014）年から多彩化を続ける技術に対応するため、講道館技研究部で、技名称の再検討を行ってきた。&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In order to respond to the ever-diversifying techniques from 2014, the Kodokan's Waza Research Department has re-examined its technique classification.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is similar to their reasoning for historically adding the shin-meishō-no-waza:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;講道館では、これら48本の投技名称を正式のものとしてきたが、ここにある技法以外の技が用いられるようになった状況を鑑み、新たな技名称の制定について慎重に検討を重ね&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Kodokan made these 48 nage-waza names official, but in view of the situation where techniques other than the ones in this category have been used, the establishment of new technique names has been carefully examined...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The specific recognition of the katame-waza was probably in part motivated by the IJF's &lt;a href=&quot;http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2016/09/IJF_refereing_rules_explanator-1473863720.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;recognition of&lt;/a&gt; &lt;em&gt;ura-gatame&lt;/em&gt; in 2013 as a valid osaekomi-waza for point scoring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-12-29T13:51:05.383" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9182" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-06-08T09:40:04.687" Score="4" ViewCount="3340" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen films in which a martial artist thrusts his fingers into hot sand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the name of this exercise and what are its benefits?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10117" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-18T20:20:59.633" LastActivityDate="2019-11-02T10:03:56.553" Title="How do martial artists make stronger fingers via hot sand?" Tags="|kung-fu|muay-thai|conditioning|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9183" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-06-08T10:56:16.847" Score="1" ViewCount="26545" Body="&lt;p&gt;In this picture:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gnYto.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gnYto.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee's knuckles are very big.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;How to make big knuckles?&lt;/em&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which exercises do I need to do and how many times to achieve this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: &lt;strong&gt;knuckles push-ups&lt;/strong&gt; doesn't help to make bigger knuckles. I don't know: I do badly &lt;strong&gt;knuckles push-ups&lt;/strong&gt; or something else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10117" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-06-11T06:58:13.683" LastActivityDate="2019-06-19T18:09:45.900" Title="How to make knuckles bigger like Bruce Lee's knuckles?" Tags="|kung-fu|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9184" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9183" CreationDate="2019-06-08T12:27:59.617" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suggest you do not actually want big knuckles. The enlargement of the knuckles may be &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/hand-osteoarthritis-degenerative-arthritis-of-the-hand#1&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;osteoarthritis&lt;/a&gt;, a painful, degenerative condition where your hands will stiffen over time. Although it may serve as an external indicator that you have trained martial arts, once you have it, you would ask how to get rid of it. This is similar to grapplers trying to give themselves cauliflower ear; they want to look like their idols by intentionally damaging the body. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you do this kind of damage to your body, it may be irreversible. You can exercise your joints to retain range of motion and reduce pain, improve diet or take supplements (efficacy questioned), and see your doctor; but there are no guarantees your body can repair the damage. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/hand-osteoarthritis-degenerative-arthritis-of-the-hand#1&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;WebMD&lt;/a&gt; link above outlines treatment options. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Intelligent training avoids unnecessary injuries. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-06-10T14:24:51.413" LastActivityDate="2019-06-10T14:24:51.413" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9185" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9182" CreationDate="2019-06-08T12:58:51.303" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is &lt;a href=&quot;https://blackbeltwiki.com/sand-bucket-hand-exercises&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;a traditional toughening exercise in some martial arts&lt;/a&gt;, sometimes referred to in Japanese martial arts as &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hojo_und%C5%8D#Jari_bako&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jari Bako&lt;/a&gt;. The long and short of it is that it works by traumatizing your hands, causing them to scar up to become tougher. Side effects may include cosmetic damage, loss of sensitivity, and loss of mobility in your fingers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Steve Weigand added in the comments:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I’d add that practitioners of this kind of toughening exercise never attain the abilities that are promised to them, the biggest one being that you will be able to pierce the flesh of your opponent like a dagger. That stuff is for the movies. This is one practice that should be thrown in the dust bin of flawed martial theories. I trained this way in my teen years, btw. It will rip apart your nail cuticles and can leave you with arthritis in your fingers. Adding herbal jows is pretty useless. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-06-10T02:44:30.947" LastActivityDate="2019-06-10T02:44:30.947" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9186" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9183" CreationDate="2019-06-11T09:16:16.983" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The knuckles become bigger or thicker because of multiple abrasion and injury to the bone and tissue surrounding the bone. To have bigger knuckles, you need to train to the point that the bone breaks. But what's the point to doing that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also have thicker knuckles, by abrading the skin covering the knuckles over and over again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bigger knuckles should be a byproduct of training and not the ultimate goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Use the makiwara. It is a Japanese striking post where you strike it repeatedly, injuring and bruising the knuckles until a thicker &amp;amp; rougher layer of skin forms.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://iainabernethy.co.uk/article/makiwara-training-time-honoured-way-develop-fight-ending-power&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://iainabernethy.co.uk/article/makiwara-training-time-honoured-way-develop-fight-ending-power&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do the gorilla walk. &#xA;Make like a gorilla, put your body weight on your front 2 knuckles and just walk forward.&#xA;Do enough laps that your knuckles are all sweaty then continue anyway. It is a guaranteed way to abrade the skin. Give it a week to heal and repeat&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I myself have bigger knuckles than I was born with due to the exercises 1 and 2.&#xA;So far there are no degenerative conditions in my knuckles after 20 years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2019-06-11T09:16:16.983" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9187" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9188" CreationDate="2019-06-12T15:35:06.220" Score="4" ViewCount="81" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/mDu7CNKUbc0?t=643&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;watched&lt;/a&gt; some Taekwondo practitioners resting their legs inside ice cold water for a specific amount of time:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SGl0v.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SGl0v.png&quot; alt=&quot;Resting legs in ice cold water&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, I noticed &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/jOXNpIsE-Hs?t=361&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Cryotherapy devices&lt;/a&gt; being used:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Mqoxa.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Mqoxa.png&quot; alt=&quot;Cryotherapy device&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the effect of low temperature on muscles? What is the science behind it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9518" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-06-12T15:59:49.477" LastActivityDate="2019-06-12T18:34:09.790" Title="Resting leg muscles in cold water and temperature" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|flexibility|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9188" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9187" CreationDate="2019-06-12T18:34:09.790" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;TL;DR: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.verywellfit.com/after-exercise-does-an-ice-water-bath-speed-recovery-3120571&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Results are mixed&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The theory behind ice baths is related to the fact that intense exercise causes microtrauma, which is tiny tears in your muscle fibers. This microscopic muscle damage is actually a goal of exercise as it stimulates muscle cell activity and helps repair the damage and strengthen the muscles (muscle hypertrophy). But it is also linked with delayed onset muscle pain and soreness (DOMS), which occurs between 24 and 72 hours after exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The ice bath was believed to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Constrict blood vessels and flush waste products, like lactic acid, out of the affected tissues&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Decrease metabolic activity and slow down physiological processes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Reduce swelling and tissue breakdown&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Then, with rewarming, the increased blood flow was believed to speed up circulation, and in turn, improve the healing process.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4706272/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Effects of Cold Water Immersion on Muscle Oxygenation During Repeated Bouts of Fatiguing Exercise&lt;/a&gt;&quot; published in January 2016:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;As the results show that cold water immersion attenuated decreased tissue oxygenation in subsequent exercise performance, the metabolic response to exercise after cold water immersion is worthy of further exploration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5285720/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;The effects of cold water immersion and active recovery on inflammation and cell stress responses in human skeletal muscle after resistance exercise&lt;/a&gt;&quot; published in November 2016:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;These findings indicate that cold water immersion is no more effective than active recovery for reducing inflammation or cellular stress in muscle after a bout of resistance exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-06-12T18:34:09.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9189" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12748" CreationDate="2019-06-13T14:59:27.080" Score="4" ViewCount="210" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm rather flexible, but still cannot do the splits. I'm trying to do a static stretching about three times a week, and about 30-60 minutes every time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I noticed, that when I'm trying to stretch with my body parallel to floor - holding body on my arms and legs on sides, stretching - after it I feel uncomfortable in my knees. When I'm stretching with my body upright, leaning back on the wall, and my knees looking up, all is good - no pain in the knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is first way harmful? Or just my knees are still not ready?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to @JohnP comment: good highkicks in my understanding are highkicks I can manage without body incline, with light warming, on a heihgt about 200cm(I'm 186cm), striking with my shin - not with foot lift. Splits will make it real. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Along with splits stretching, I'm trying to stretch splits-transfers - to move from right split to horizontal, and then to left - that helps heavily while turning leg for striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2019-07-04T08:12:44.877" LastActivityDate="2021-09-04T02:40:49.613" Title="Stretching advices for kicking" Tags="|kicking|exercise|stretching|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9190" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9191" CreationDate="2019-06-13T15:57:46.747" Score="4" ViewCount="633" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tomoe-nage is often translated as &quot;stomach throw&quot; or &quot;circle throw&quot;, but these are not direct translations. What does &lt;em&gt;tomoe&lt;/em&gt; mean, and why is the throw called this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2019-06-14T08:29:05.640" Title="Etymology of tomoe-nage?" Tags="|judo|terminology|japanese|throwing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9191" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9190" CreationDate="2019-06-13T15:57:46.747" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tomoe&lt;/em&gt; (巴) refers to a circular anti-symmetric symbol commonly found in Japanese heraldry. The usage in the judo throw specifically refers to the two-tailed version, &lt;em&gt;futatsu-domoe&lt;/em&gt;: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/toelBs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/toelBs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is very similar to the Chinese taijitu (&quot;yin-yang&quot; symbol) ☯, or Korean taegeuk (famously appearing on South Korea's flag) .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tomoe-nage&lt;/em&gt; is named as such because Kano thought the positioning/movement of tori and uke's bodies resembled this symbol during the throw:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;The origin of tomoe-nage&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Randori techniques resembling tomoe-nage are found in the jujutsu textbook &lt;em&gt;Shikatsu Jizai, Sekkotsu Ryoho, Jujutsu Seirisho&lt;/em&gt; as sutemi-tori and tachi-sutemi-tori.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Master Kano bestowed this technique with the name tomoe-nage. In &lt;em&gt;Judokai chabanashi&lt;/em&gt; (from &lt;em&gt;Judo&lt;/em&gt;, published by Judo Kai Honbu, 1916), it says:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;    &lt;p&gt;&quot;Master Kano was an expert at tomoe-nage. This was originally a Tenjin Shinyo-ryu technique named Ando-gaeshi, after an certain Ando who was skilled in the&#xA;    technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;    &#xA;    &lt;p&gt;It was at that time probably named along with uki-waza, or called Kano-nage or Kano-gaeshi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;    &#xA;    &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Master Kano once said that he named this technique after its resemblance to two objects moving in a circular form&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?redir_esc=y&amp;amp;id=HGpbICBZdGwC&amp;amp;q=tomoe+nage&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo: Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JDtw3m.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JDtw3m.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YdLlkm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YdLlkm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-14T08:29:05.640" LastActivityDate="2019-06-14T08:29:05.640" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9192" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7408" CreationDate="2019-06-13T16:10:55.543" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hsing I (Xing Yi) is a direct and to the point efficient kung fu system not overly dependent on muscular strength. Its goal is to close the gap and seize the opponent's ground. It is an internal art. I Liq Chuan is also a very interesting art with sticky hands practice. These would be my choices in addition to Wing Chun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10121" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-14T13:30:19.987" LastActivityDate="2019-06-14T13:30:19.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9193" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1843" CreationDate="2019-06-13T19:05:35.283" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have noticed one benefit of the Seiza position today: It stops legs jerking (because legs then just cannot move at all), and reduces the accompanying anxiety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When in a period of stress, I tend to have jerking legs. A bit too much. Even for a little stress only. I have noticed that this very leg movement is also feeding the anxiety state of mind. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Today the experience was striking: When legs are stopped I do sense a stronger calm in me. Really enjoyable. I will keep this position for working (I have a large chair without back that allows this posture).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And when the legs starts feeling pins and needles, I can put them back to normal, and they are just like asleep.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10122" LastActivityDate="2019-06-13T19:05:35.283" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9195" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9196" CreationDate="2019-06-17T09:57:07.197" Score="6" ViewCount="1642" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kosoto-gari&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;kosoto-gake&lt;/em&gt; are superficially similar techniques. I have seen many high level judoka call what I would have called &lt;em&gt;-gari&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;-gake&lt;/em&gt; and vice versa - what distinguishes these techniques?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2019-06-17T11:26:10.167" Title="What is the difference between kosoto-gari and kosoto-gake?" Tags="|judo|technique|terminology|throwing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9196" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9195" CreationDate="2019-06-17T11:26:10.167" Score="7" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Excerpt of Canonical Answer&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This quotation is attributed to Kyuzo Mifune on page 162 of &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo: Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt; by Toshiro Daigo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sweeping is similar to brushing an extremely light object away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When hooking, you execute the technique as if pulling a rooted plant out from the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reaping is similar to the movement of reaping and cutting off a plant at its root with a sickle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A &lt;em&gt;kosoto gari&lt;/em&gt; is reap, where the side of &lt;em&gt;tori's&lt;/em&gt; foot maintains contact with the mat. A &lt;em&gt;kosoto gake&lt;/em&gt; is a hooking, where &lt;em&gt;tori's&lt;/em&gt; leg bends and &lt;em&gt;tori's&lt;/em&gt; foot comes off the mat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a strict classification issue, the key point is the action of &lt;em&gt;tori's&lt;/em&gt; attacking leg. Does it leave the mat? Then it's a &lt;em&gt;gake&lt;/em&gt;. Otherwise it's a &lt;em&gt;gari&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Personal thoughts&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find &lt;em&gt;kosoto gake&lt;/em&gt; to be most effective as a counter technique. The opponent enters for a throw where they are turning their back and standing on one leg (for example: &lt;em&gt;harai goshi&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;hane goshi&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;uchi mata&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;ashi guruma&lt;/em&gt;), and you disrupt their balance and attack the far leg. As a strict Kodokan classification, this throwing action may unfortunately be classified as a &lt;em&gt;harai goshi gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;hane goshi gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;, or &lt;em&gt;uchi mata gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;. Note that this does not apply to all throws, only these three. A counter to &lt;em&gt;ashi guruma&lt;/em&gt; is not an &lt;em&gt;ashi guruma gaeshi&lt;/em&gt; because this is not recognized as a distinct throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the close distance for the counter and &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; weight firmly on the supporting foot, I find timing of &lt;em&gt;kuzushi&lt;/em&gt; with the body and a strong hooking action necessary to successfully counter. For &lt;em&gt;kosoto gari&lt;/em&gt;, the action of the hands becomes more important to break &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; balance over the heels to setup the reap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-06-17T11:26:10.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9197" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7544" CreationDate="2019-06-18T14:55:03.510" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The prevailing wisdom seems to be to utilise your longer reach by taking a dominant high grip, and using throws which primarily involve the legs (e.g. tai-otoshi, uchi-mata, hiza-guruma):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;For example, a judoka who is tall can use reach and the leverage created in throws such as tai-otoshi and uchi-mata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;High Lapel Grip&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Grip high but not around the collar. Make quick adjustments with your hand so that you can switch from controlling your opponent's head to a lower basic grip position. The high lapel grip and the behind the neck grip are used by uchi-mata specialists. They are often used by taller opponents. A shorter person using these grips would be stretched out and therefore vulnerable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qZrXwJCXOuEC&amp;amp;pg=PA160&amp;amp;lpg=PA160&amp;amp;dq=tall&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Masteing Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Masao Takahashi (p.94, 160)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;TIPS FOR TALL MEN&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Until fairly recently, judo was taught primarily by short men who did not fully appreciate the style of play which tall men could use to their advantage. A tall player who has long legs could use leg throws against a shorter opponent, gaining a simultaneous defensive/offensive advantage. Long-legged tori can apply leg throws without becoming vulnerable to uke's defensive actions or counter-throwing attempts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;There are tactical actions which a tall man can use in contest, provided that they are applied with skill and in conjunction with a good throw. If the following actions are applied with force, they might invalidate an otherwise point-winning throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ol start=&quot;178&quot;&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;A tall player puts his shorter opponent into awkward balance by lifting up at the back belt. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Against the opponent working in a low crouch, grip the pant leg and pull him up into poor balance. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;A taller man can grip the opponent player at the back of the collar and pull up and forward. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Grip the opponent player's belt at the front and pull up and forward. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jBPYAAAAMAAJ&amp;amp;dq=&amp;quot;tips%20for%20tall%20men&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Judo: Sport Techniques for Physical Fitness &amp;amp; Tournament&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.78)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Hiza-guruma is a technique for throwing shorter people. When I was learning we practiced the standard hiza-guruma in the approved manner, and although we tried to learn it, it would not work properly however much we tried. After a lot of research, we found that hiza-guruma is a technique best executed by a tall person on a shorter person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Judo&lt;/em&gt;, Kodokan, July 1940 - &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HGpbICBZdGwC&amp;amp;pg=PA124&amp;amp;lpg=PA124&amp;amp;dq=momo+guruma&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;'Tokui waza kokai—an explanation of momo-guruma'&lt;/a&gt;, Kiyoichi Takagi, 7th dan (later 9th dan)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A taller judoka will naturally tend to grip higher up on the jacket. If, however, this difference in height is substantial, tori may find it extremely awkward to lower his body sufficiently to utilize the orthodox form. In this event, he may compromise by gripping the jacket at the side of or even behind the neck, and drawing directly forward with the right hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9YcKAQAAIAAJ&amp;amp;q=tall&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Mechanics of Judo: Analytical Studies of Selected Standing Techniques&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-17T11:05:01.890" LastActivityDate="2020-02-17T11:05:01.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9198" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9213" CreationDate="2019-06-18T15:09:11.240" Score="5" ViewCount="734" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the 90's the IJF introduced a requirement for one competitor to wear a blue gi, and the other a traditional white gi, in order to better distinguish them during high level competitions.&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Was there any reason the colour blue was specifically chosen? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Historically in Japan a red sash was added to one competitor's belt for the same purpose, and darker indigo has more traditional history in Japanese arts than the Pantone 285M - 286M &lt;a href=&quot;http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2016/08/Judogi_used_during_2016_OG_ENG-1470138505.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;specified by the IJF&lt;/a&gt; (and is indeed used in e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6dF-AAAAMAAJ&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;judogi&amp;quot;+&amp;quot;blue&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kendo and Aikido&lt;/a&gt;), so I'm curious if there was any specific reason a lighter blue was chosen.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1. &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20070912214517/http://www.judoontario.ca/events/articles/bluejudogi.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Introduction of the Blue Judogi, the New Tradition&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-21T13:31:57.077" LastActivityDate="2019-06-22T13:47:11.537" Title="Why was blue chosen to distinguish competitors' judo-gis?" Tags="|judo|gi|sport|uniform|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9199" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9182" CreationDate="2019-06-18T15:37:53.660" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Famous judoka Masahiko Kimura adopted this practice (historically used in striking arts) ostensibly with the intention of &amp;quot;strengthening&amp;quot; his hands and fingers (desensitizing them to pain), to allow him to grip his opponents with more force for longer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had thought that those who are trained in judo have strong finger tips, elbow, wrists, and fists. But, when I actually struck the Makiwara, my finger tips, elbow, wrists, and fists all hurt numbingly. Such weak finger tips, elbow, wrists, and fists are useless in pulling the opponent or controlling the opponent using elbows or wrists. I therefore slammed these weak parts onto Makiwara and strengthened them in preparation for bouts. I struck Makiwara with knife hand, backhand, &lt;strong&gt;and thrust 4 fingers into a sand box.&lt;/strong&gt; I did this 1000 times a day. In this way, I developed steel-like strong hands. Later on, I got interested in karate, and learned Shorinji-ryu (Note: today's Shotokan karate) under the guidance of Master Funakoshi for a little over 2 years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/kimura2/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;My Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-06-19T20:07:14.143" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9200" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-06-19T10:36:05.887" Score="6" ViewCount="291" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo has a &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/waza/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;standardised syllabus&lt;/a&gt; of techniques maintained and occasionally revised by the Kodokan, divided into throwing and grappling (pins, joint-locks, strangles) techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most national organisations maintain a list of techniques based on this syllabus which a student is required to demonstrate some degree of proficiency in as a component of each grading.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does a similar standardised syllabus exist for BJJ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2023-04-02T15:34:49.250" Title="Does BJJ have a standardised syllabus?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|technique|teaching|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9201" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-06-19T16:27:14.637" Score="9" ViewCount="265" Body="&lt;p&gt;In &lt;em&gt;Master Cheng's New Method of Taichi Ch'uan Self-Cultivation&lt;/em&gt; Master Cheng states:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;The four secret words for proper breathing are: fine, long, calm, and slow.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please help to correct my misunderstandings in my following description.  I assume that these four words are a translation of a teaching that from Master Yang or his readings of Chang San Feng.  If this is the case then any help in understanding the original meaning would be very helpful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Long:&lt;/strong&gt; Extending the breath is a great way to increase relaxation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Calm:&lt;/strong&gt; You should allow the breath to come with ease.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Slow:&lt;/strong&gt; Unhurried, in it's own time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fine:&lt;/strong&gt; This is where I have difficulty differentiating.  Most of what I could say about my understanding of how you would breathe 'finely' would be a reiteration of the above.  It would seem to be important, though, as he states this as the first of the 'four secret words'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Google gives back 精细 Jīngxì.  The closest I can find to this in my dictionary is jīngzhìde which uses the same character '精' for jīng but has a different second character.  The second character xì '细' is used in the same block, and appear to mean a fine distinction.  There are probably many different translations it could have given, though, and this seems to be the wrong track.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does he mean a thin stream?  With my low level of skill in Mandarin I fear that I'm hopelessly stuck trying to understand beyond this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10128" LastEditorUserId="10128" LastEditDate="2019-06-24T15:41:16.327" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T02:10:48.350" Title="Cheng Man-Ch'ing advises that breath should be: Fine, Long, Calm, and Slow. What does this mean?" Tags="|tai-chi|breathing|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9202" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9183" CreationDate="2019-06-19T18:09:45.900" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hand conditioning on punching bag made with old iron car parts. In a documentary I viewed a few days ago bruce Lee had used iron car parts because using normal punching bags he destroyed them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9702" LastActivityDate="2019-06-19T18:09:45.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9204" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9201" CreationDate="2019-06-19T18:32:07.747" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do not think it is necessary to seek out and translate primary sources for breathing. My understanding is that taiji, bagua, and xing yi share Daoist qi gong breathing; guidance from any of these sources should be in agreement. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Root of Chinese Qigong&lt;/em&gt; by Yang Jwing-Ming uses alternate words (p124) to describe breathing: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In the first stage of regulating your breath, it becomes calm, smooth, and peaceful. Once you have have reached this point, the next step is to make your breathing deep, slender, long, and soft. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would understand this &quot;fine&quot; as a combination of peaceful, smooth, slender, and soft. You should not hold your breath. You should not change the rate of air moving by pulsing your breathing. Your interpretation of a thin stream is good under this description. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I advise not getting too caught up on the precise words. The meaning becomes more clear as you practice and develop. The most important points are: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;breathing is very important&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you need to practice breathing consistently with these goals in mind&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-06-20T01:05:00.230" LastActivityDate="2019-06-20T01:05:00.230" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9205" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8724" CreationDate="2019-06-19T18:48:10.110" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Their knees. Taller opponent's are forced to protect their lower extremities from smaller opponents who make themselves smaller to attack further below themselves especially when smaller opponents begin to circle around them to attack them behind. Be careful this type of attack can put you in more dangerous fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9702" LastActivityDate="2019-06-19T18:48:10.110" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9206" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8267" CreationDate="2019-06-19T18:51:33.207" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recommend wing chun to every older martial artist. Wing chun in my own opinion is a very beautiful art as you begin to open up as a new student to these full contact sports.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9702" LastActivityDate="2019-06-19T18:51:33.207" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9207" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9201" CreationDate="2019-06-19T20:06:32.367" Score="-5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This martial art philosophy means Empty your mind and stand with no form or stance.&#xA;And in that empty place in your imagination make your opponent that wing chun wooden dummy trying to grab you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9702" LastActivityDate="2019-06-19T20:06:32.367" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9208" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-06-19T20:34:11.570" Score="-4" ViewCount="98" Body="&lt;p&gt;I understand how conditioning our fists and shins against wood, concrete, and wood harden our martial art training for higher impact and force in our punches and kicks, but how will water, especially ocean waves harden our martial art?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9702" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-06-19T21:23:20.523" LastActivityDate="2019-06-20T15:26:46.723" Title="How will full contact fighting against ocean waves harden all forms of combat training?" Tags="|conditioning|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2019-06-20T11:44:09.193" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9209" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9208" CreationDate="2019-06-19T21:32:13.000" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Short answer, it won't do much for physical conditioning of your limbs as would striking something solid since you are not likely to be creating the same microstresses that result in stronger bones. Also, it won't really do anything to improve your technique unless you're training to fight in the waves, and if so, you're better off actually training to fight another person instead of striking at the waves. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where it might build some dividends is in mental endurance and balance recovery. Fighting to stay upright in crashing waves and shifting shore will provide an additional workout and help you to maintain your form in unpredictable circumstances. As a bonus, the cold water, likely salt-laden waves, and the force of them striking you, will help with mental fortitude, fighting even when you're uncomfortable. To some degree, it's the same reason some forms of meditation require you to meditate under a waterfall, to learn to shut out that discomfort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, I suspect that, if this was ever commonly used, it was more in the spirit of military basic training, to break you down as a human being so that your instructor can assert dominance and rebuild you as a weapon. And today, it's likely used for marketing, an exotic training method available for extra fees or for those who have shown their loyalty.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-06-20T15:26:46.723" LastActivityDate="2019-06-20T15:26:46.723" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9211" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9212" CreationDate="2019-06-21T04:36:20.850" Score="-5" ViewCount="110" Body="&lt;p&gt;The screenshot beneath hails from &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/6_4-g8t-P6s?t=39&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a brief fight&lt;/a&gt; from the 2007 film &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shake_Hands_with_the_Devil_(2007_film)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Shake Hands with the Devil&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you can see, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thirdagebarrie.ca/bio/major-retired-brent-beardsley/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Maj  Brent Beardsley&lt;/a&gt; (portrayed by James Gallanders who uploaded this video) is about to punch the African with the machete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I disbelieved this attack when I first saw it. Is it realistic for an unarmed man to punch someone with a machete who was standing in their way, in the context of the screenshot? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;What kind of punch did Beardsley throw? If you watch the YouTube video, that one punch wholly overpowered the African that fell to the ground. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/egr68.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/egr68.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thesimonsfoundation.ca/peace-leaders/lgen-ret-hon-romeo-dallaire-oc-cmm-goc-msc-cd&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;LGen (ret) the Hon. Roméo A. Dallaire&lt;/a&gt; approved it, but not &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/12/29/romeo-dallaire-hotel-rwanda_n_1174607.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the 2004 movie &lt;em&gt;Hotel Rwanda&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;But by movies, he sure doesn’t mean the Oscar-nominated &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395169/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hotel Rwanda&lt;/a&gt;.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;While he’s proud of both &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424435/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the documentary&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;[Emmy-winning TV-movie] (imdb.com/title/tt0472562/)&lt;/strong&gt; based on &quot;Shake Hands With The Devil&quot; he is no fan of the most famous film to emerge from the carnage, despite inspiring the character in it played by Nick Nolte.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user10129" LastEditorDisplayName="user10129" LastEditDate="2019-06-24T10:02:41.757" LastActivityDate="2019-06-24T10:02:41.757" Title="How can just one punch subdue an opponent with a machete?" Tags="|punching|identification|entertainment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9212" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9211" CreationDate="2019-06-21T13:04:05.643" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I disbelieved this attack when I first saw it. Is it realistic for an unarmed man to punch someone with a machete who was standing in their way, in the context of the screenshot?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Holding, as opposed to using, a machete provides no protection to punches. There is no difference between punching the man with the machete who is standing and doing nothing from punching anyone else in the scene. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;What kind of punch did Beardsley throw? If you watch the YouTube video, that one punch wholly overpowered the African that fell to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can only describe this as a bad movie punch. The distance appears wrong for the punch to land with any power, and from the screenshot the windup is needlessly large. I would call it a body hook. Do not assume anything about this punch is realistic. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-06-21T13:04:05.643" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9213" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9198" CreationDate="2019-06-21T13:29:59.193" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;One major reason for the change (in addition to making refereeing easier) was to make judo more appealing to TV audiences, and in this the IJF explicitly disavows any responsibility to adhere to Japanese aesthetic or traditional values (and hence no pressure to consider e.g. indigo):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;As the birthplace of judo is Japan, the techniques and spirit of judo are qualities which we should strive to develop as members of the judo community, however it is not the responsibility of the judo community to spread the Japanese culture through promotion of its traditions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Introduction of the Blue Judogi, the New Tradition&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Early reports of the blue judogi's use pre-adoption by the IJF make note of it specifically being chosen for its 'dazzling' effect on TV, and hence would explain why a &lt;em&gt;bright&lt;/em&gt; blue was chosen:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;Television turns judo blue&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;From next January 1, the judo competitions at European level will be held with one competitor wearing the standard uniform and his opponent wearing a striking blue jacket and trousers which should dazzle television viewers. One thing will remain the same for both fighters, however - the traditional black belt. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7McKAQAAMAAJ&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;judo&amp;quot;+&amp;quot;blue&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;IPI Report&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Vol. 36-37 (p.71) (1987)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;Judo traditionalists singing the blues&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In certain respects&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;, it is like the process of liberalization of agricultural imports. Pressured by judo circles in Europe, Japan will likely have no choice but to approve the use of color uniforms in the ancient sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;One competitor would wear a traditional white uniform, as in the past, while the opponent would don a blue outfit&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;. With such a color distinction, it would be easier for the referee to make decisions and also help the audience understand the match. Besides&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;, color uniforms look better on TV. Citing such reasons, Anton Geesink of Holland, who won a gold medal in the open&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt; weight division in the Tokyo Olympic Games, and others have promoted color uniforms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;As for [the Japanese argument&lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt; against the trend that the white uniform is the symbol of a pure heart and should be preserved as a tradition], Geesink has said that the Japanese are free to be sticklers for white and stick to tradition, but that it will not pass muster&lt;sup&gt;6&lt;/sup&gt; in the international arena. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=j-FUAAAAMAAJ&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;traditional+white+uniform,+as+in+the+past,+while+the+opponent+would+don+a+blue+outfit2.&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Vox populi, vox dei&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Volume 107, 原書房 (1996) (p.138)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for why blue itself was chosen, as opposed to e.g. red (as in the red/blue uniforms in taekwondo, wrestling, boxing etc), Geesink  himself did consider red judogis early on:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/HWtPQm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/HWtPQm.png&quot; alt=&quot;Anton Geesink in red judogi in 1972&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Though I presume they were ultimately discarded in favour of blue to ensure any cuts were quickly noticed, since blood would not show as clearly on a red uniform (as indeed is the rationale of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judoblackbelt.com/Freestyle_Judo_Handbook_and_Judo_Black_Belt_Association_Technical_Syllabus.docx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;JBBA&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The following report makes the curious claim that the contrasting colours have greater symbolic implications, though I'm not certain what the explicit meaning is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Although it used to be the tradition for practitioners of judo to wear a “judogi” that consisted of a loose-fitting jacket and trousers in white cotton, the International Judo Federation (IJF) decided at a general session held in 1997 to introduce blue cotton judogi as a sign of the international status of the sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=NDG9azXv6lIC&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;judogi&amp;quot;+&amp;quot;blue&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;アクティブ英語会話表現辞典&lt;/a&gt;, 旺文社 (2000) (p.212)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-22T13:47:11.537" LastActivityDate="2019-06-22T13:47:11.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9214" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7948" CreationDate="2019-06-21T14:49:18.370" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;None of the 27 Shotokan kata include a go board, or anything similar in their applied applications. I've seen many Wado Ryu versions of the same kata and they do not include boards. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8408" LastActivityDate="2019-06-21T14:49:18.370" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9216" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8939" CreationDate="2019-06-21T18:44:06.263" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should always wear groin guard when sparring no doubt ! Does not matter if you are male or female. Proper back kick that lands lower than it should WILL burst you bladder. It is required for all WT tournaments. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10130" LastActivityDate="2019-06-21T18:44:06.263" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9217" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4818" CreationDate="2019-06-22T11:25:36.527" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2019/06/IJF_Sport_and_Organisation_Rul-1559822605.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF criteria&lt;/a&gt; for osaekomi-waza are thus (emphasis mine):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The referee shall announce osaekomi for an applied technique &lt;strong&gt;when the&#xA;contestant being held is controlled from every direction (from the side, rear or on&#xA;top) by his opponent and must have his full back or complete upper back (scapular&#xA;region) in contact with the tatami.&lt;/strong&gt; The contestant applying the hold must not have&#xA;his leg(s) or body controlled by his opponent’s legs. The contestant applying&#xA;osaekomi must have his body on and over opponent’s body in covering it to holds&#xA;opponent down underneath his body, with applying pressure onto opponent’s front&#xA;upper body with his front upper body in either the kesa, the shiho or ura position,&#xA;&lt;strong&gt;i.e. similar to&lt;/strong&gt; the techniques kesa-kami-shiho-ura-gatame and sankaku-waza.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note however:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is never allowed to hold an osaekomi just around the head/neck without control of at&#xA;least one arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your specific example is in fact almost identical to the first variation of kesa-gatame described in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCDo1fEIFS0&amp;amp;t=53&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kodokan Judo Osaekomi-Waza video&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's look at some of the variations of kesa-gatame. Clasping your hands together will help tighten your hold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CnabJ.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CnabJ.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-06-22T11:25:36.527" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9218" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8594" CreationDate="2019-06-22T13:01:05.060" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note:&lt;/strong&gt; As of Tokyo 2020, karate &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; an Olympic sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether a sport is recognised as an Olympic sport is ultimately up to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). To qualify, a sport must necessarily:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;conform to the terms of the Olympic Charter&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;have an international governing body recognised by the IOC&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;file an application for inclusion through the IOC&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The application process for inclusion in future Olympic games involves &amp;quot;a recommendation by the IOC Olympic Programme Commission, followed by a decision of the IOC Executive Board and a vote of the IOC Session&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note:&lt;/strong&gt; JohnP explains the IOC's distinction between &amp;quot;sports&amp;quot; (e.g. wrestling) and &amp;quot;disciplines&amp;quot; (e.g. freestyle wrestling, greco-roman wrestling) in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/8603/8910&quot;&gt;his answer&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Current Olympic combat sports&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Sport&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Disciplines&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/J8BZ7.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/J8BZ7.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; boxing&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CDPd7.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CDPd7.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; fencing&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2zyZC.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2zyZC.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; judo&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/B5Tpp.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/B5Tpp.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; karate&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zbQWs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zbQWs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; taekwondo&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;wrestling&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CmrEP.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CmrEP.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Greco-Roman&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xfDY4.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xfDY4.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; freestyle&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally there are the non-combat but still martial-derived target sports:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jfWdQ.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jfWdQ.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; archery&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/s0lVJ.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/s0lVJ.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;shooting&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Demonstration summer sports&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Year&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Sport&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Disciplines&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1912&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kEp79.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kEp79.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Glima&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1924&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Savate&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SGXPx.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SGXPx.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Savate&lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mWxor.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mWxor.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; La canne&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1964&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Budo&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/n8h5F.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/n8h5F.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Kendo&lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/35Mbw.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/35Mbw.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Kyudo&lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YVFjP.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YVFjP.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Sumo&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h1&gt;Non-Olympic combat sports with governing bodies recognised by the IOC&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.arisf.sport/members.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;following combat sports&lt;/a&gt; (if eligible under the terms of the Olympic Charter) may apply for future inclusion in the Olympic games (as happened with Karate for Tokyo 2020):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5gPO5.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5gPO5.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Kickboxing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/g3iAC.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/g3iAC.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Muay Thai&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hXy0r.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hXy0r.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Sambo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KIN3v.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KIN3v.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Sumo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vtfF6.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vtfF6.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Wushu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Historic Olympic combat-related sports&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The following sports were historically included in Olympic games, but are not currently recognised:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hoplitodromos &amp;quot;armoured foot race&amp;quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;pankration (- 1900)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;singlestick (- 1904)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-12-29T19:11:28.830" LastActivityDate="2020-12-29T19:11:28.830" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9219" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8118" CreationDate="2019-06-24T12:50:22.367" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the 1st things I learnt in MA (Martial Arts) is respect; respect for fellow practitioners, respect for other arts, respect for your teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This person is certainly not showing you respect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are 2 ways to sort this out, the MA way, and the 'other' way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The MA way is to get/win his respect. This depends on your actual skills and capability. You do JuJitsu, he does TKD. I could safely say that most striking arts do not know how to deal with a grappling art like JJ/Judo where throws and locks are used, unless they have trained for it. If you have the skill (obviously you have, as you have thrown him), evade the strikes , step in and deliver a throw that causes a hard landing. For someone not trained in breaking a fall, this will take the wind out of him (or worse), then quickly follow with a lock to submit him. At that point ask for an apology, or continue to apply pressure and show that you're in control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should be able to win his respect or that of the rest of the dojo.  What happens next depends that person and the instructor. If the person is a true MA, he would show respect and stop the harassment. The instructor should also have a word with him to this effect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this doesn't happen, then as others has said, leave this dojo/class. It's obvious that the instructor is not a Martial Artist,.. and they are discrediting the art of TKD.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The non-Martial way, and the more common sense way, is to leave the class for the same reasons above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10135" LastEditorUserId="10135" LastEditDate="2019-06-26T23:12:48.257" LastActivityDate="2019-06-26T23:12:48.257" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9220" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9221" CreationDate="2019-06-24T19:47:50.103" Score="7" ViewCount="181" Body="&lt;p&gt;In addition to sparring with practitioners of my own school/style, I’d like to spar with practitioners of different styles, as I feel this would benefit my fighting ability in the long run. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;How should this be done in terms of etiquette?&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Initially the idea of showing up at different dojos/gyms for the purpose of sparring a lone might come across as some outsider presenting themselves to “practice”, aka. challenge. Which is reminiscent of Kung Fu movies in general. I don’t want to be “that guy”. I just want to practice with other stylist without having to sign up for their school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10044" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-06-25T08:30:52.613" LastActivityDate="2019-06-27T10:34:00.077" Title="What Etiquette Should be Followed When Sparring at Another School?" Tags="|sparring|etiquette|schools|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9221" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9220" CreationDate="2019-06-24T21:21:13.090" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yeah, don't be that guy. You don't want to show up at a school asking for a fight. Even if you make it perfectly clear it's &quot;just sparring&quot;, many people will see it as a challenge, and you're going to get a lot of angry looks and possibly get hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I understand it, you're interested in an exchange of knowledge. You're not looking for a fight. You're looking for like-minded people who want to share what they know and see what others know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people are not as open minded as you. And most instructors won't care to teach you anything, because they're busy with their paying students. But there should be a good amount of interest out there for exactly what you're interested in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I was a university student, some of the black belts from various martial arts clubs would get together once a month or so outside of their regular classes to put on a little mini workshop for each other. We called it, &quot;Black Belt Club&quot;. Haha.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The topic could be anything. For example, I once instructed a class on Judo breakfalls. We would rotate through different people (all black belts in different styles). Each month, someone else would be the instructor. Everyone got to try a sample of what the other martial arts were doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So that's what I recommend. Find a bunch of advanced level students or instructors in different martial arts. Meet at a neutral place on some set schedule. Emphasize that the purpose of this is to exchange ideas and learn. Make it free, unless you have to pay to use the facilities somewhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your main problem will be finding a location that has mats, if you need them. We would meet at our university's wrestling room, which had mats already in there. You can try renting out floor space at a gymnastics school during off-peak hours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd look into getting some legal waivers ahead of time, by the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2019-06-24T21:21:13.090" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9222" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-06-26T06:19:21.370" Score="1" ViewCount="37" Body="&lt;p&gt;I got a soft tissue injury in my left ribs at a fight two months ago, I gave it some time to heal and I did sparring again when I stopped feeling pain but a few days ago I was clinching without any knee pads or anything around the body and I felt that injury popping up again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a way for me to cover it without having to wear the big body padding so I can keep training with it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also is there a way to get it healing quicker?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10063" LastActivityDate="2019-06-26T06:19:21.370" Title="How to protect (or pad up) injured side?" Tags="|muay-thai|injury|safety|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2019-06-26T13:15:57.760" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9223" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-06-26T23:16:57.987" Score="0" ViewCount="92" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's standard in most arts that access to rank/belt exams is restricted in some way. In many cases, there are minimum waiting periods between exams, and in some dojos, an exam can only be attempted with an instructor's recommendation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a style or system in which anyone (or, at least, any paying student) may test for the next (or perhaps even any) rank whenever they reasonably wish to do so?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the academic world, this kind of concept is becoming more and more a thing, with some universities offering course credit (or even entire degrees) for passing challenge exams that can be taken &quot;anytime&quot;, but I admit I've never heard of any dojo that would grant a belt to someone who just showed up, paid a fee, and passed a test (or even a battery of tests).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the answer is no, is such an arrangement inherently inimical to the spirit of martial arts (i.e. even if you can pass all the tests, you aren't really a Master until you have spent X years sweating and socializing in the dojo), or is this more of a practical matter in that very few students have what it takes to go any faster than normally allowed, so instructors tend not to encourage it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9676" LastActivityDate="2019-06-27T07:28:29.930" Title="Is there a martial art where exams can be taken at will?" Tags="|recommendation|belt|grading|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9224" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9223" CreationDate="2019-06-27T07:28:29.930" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;DISCLAIMER - This answer comes almost entirely from an ITF TKD perspective and my own personal experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the first few grades then maybe &gt;&gt; or perhaps it is more acceptable. This is because we are looking for the beginnings of the art, stances, breath control etc. these are things that &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;could be learned relatively quickly if someone was studying hard&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;could be learned at home (and should have been practised at home)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in the first few tests we are looking at &quot;can the student do XYZ&quot; - so someone turning up able to do those things - wouldn't be too much of an issue and we could pass them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As things get higher up we start to muddy the waters,&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Progression relies on more than just - can you do X? - but also have you experienced enough?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Can you call yourself a blackbelt if you have never seen a competition?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Can you call yourself a blackbelt if you have only ever trained with one instructor?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;the list is endless and individual, but there are some basics that must be done for my association (and likely most association). So without proof of this criteria being met, it would be a &quot;no&quot; to grading.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At higher grades it is also about knowledge &lt;strong&gt;and experience&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For Example: I know that X move requires I chamber in Y way, but without practising it many times my body won't naturally do it, so that knowledge won't save my life under pressure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What this means for higher grades is sure - I could show you all the moves and you could repeat them - but without the mind and muscle memory to back you up - you aren't that grade yet. So a &quot;test&quot; is more a formality of - you have done the relevant training (quantity and quality) - perform what you have practised under a little pressure and here is the next certificate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One final point - as @mattm said in the comments - &quot;Not every martial art has belts&quot; - I ask many students why they do martial arts, if they answer &quot;to get a black belt&quot; I tell them to go to the shop and buy one. Passing a test ONLY proves that you can pass a test - for a martial arts test to really test your martial arts knowledge it would last a few hours a week for months (or in many cases years). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2019-06-27T07:28:29.930" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9225" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1772" CreationDate="2019-06-27T09:30:33.937" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started training Taekwon-Do in 1986 in South Australia under Rhee Taekwon-Do (CC Rhee the father of Australian Taekwon-do) and a pupil of Gen Choi.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In those days we did not do a sine wave, power was generated through speed and the use of the large muscles groups.  On my return to the UK, I was taught the sine wave in the ITF style - thus I deduce that the sine wave must have been introduced by the mid 1980's.  I do not know if Rhee TKD (Aus) now incorporates the sine wave.  Interestingly the TAGB does not use the sine wave and stays with the more traditional practices which it used when they split from the ITF.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10141" LastActivityDate="2019-06-27T09:30:33.937" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9226" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8580" CreationDate="2019-06-27T09:49:58.447" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is not a complex question.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The testing criteria are determined at a higher level than the school, and the grading takes place under a High Level practitioner who has earned the right to grade and has gained the respect of his pupils and peers over many years.  Whether a student is allowed to grade is up to the instructor, but the result of the grading is up to the examiner.  An Instructor should never grade their own students as this would demonstrate a lack of Integrity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the Instructor is also the Examiner this will present doubts about the value of the grade.  In my 30 years of Martial Arts I have never been examined by my instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally - why is your son &quot;doing&quot; Taekwon-Do? If it is for the belt, then he is likely to give up when he gets the Black Belt; if it is for him to be the best he can be, then the belt does not matter the challenge comes from within.  I am a Black Belt, and I have had to work much harder to get here than many of my contemporaries who are more talented, can jump higher, kick and punch more rapidly and frankly scored higher at gradings but I am the best Martial Artist I can make myself and that's what matters.  I started in 1986!  Belts are less important to me than to others, but that is fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10141" LastActivityDate="2019-06-27T09:49:58.447" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9227" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9220" CreationDate="2019-06-27T10:34:00.077" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my job I have travelled a lot both in Britain and Overseas and I have found 2 things which run through Martial Arts schools when I have visited; welcoming and competitive.  I always present myself to the Instructor, give my credentials and ask if they mind if I join their class.  They have always said yes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Welcoming - I have been made feel very welcome in every class I have taken with some pupils being immediately friendly and some more reserved but not unfriendly (their instructor has shown the way)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Competitive - I have been told (after the class) that the training sessions were harder than normal.  When sparring was done, my partners were always keen to show their skills and so I had to work very hard, no cruising just full on.  It was/is challenging and fun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in conclusion, introduce yourself to the Instructor and be prepared to work harder than normal.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10141" LastActivityDate="2019-06-27T10:34:00.077" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9228" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8329" CreationDate="2019-06-27T14:50:52.893" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;To elaborate a little, the term &quot;&lt;em&gt;Sandan&lt;/em&gt;&quot; is written in Chinese characters as 三段 (&lt;em&gt;Sān duàn&lt;/em&gt;, while &lt;em&gt;Sandan&lt;/em&gt; would be the Japanese reading), or Korean as 삼단 (&lt;em&gt;samdan&lt;/em&gt;). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;三/삼 is the number &lt;strong&gt;Three&lt;/strong&gt; (3);&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;段/단 refers to  &lt;strong&gt;grades&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;steps&lt;/strong&gt;, or &lt;strong&gt;stairs&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As such this term refers to something like the &lt;strong&gt;third grade&lt;/strong&gt;, and refers to the third grade or degree of black belt in most modern Asian martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Prior to this system the closest there was to a grading system was a certificate system).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10142" LastActivityDate="2019-06-27T14:50:52.893" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9229" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2360" CreationDate="2019-06-27T15:36:19.117" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Karate adopted the white uniforms of judo in the early 20th century for two complementary reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;to increase its appeal to mainland Japan already familiar with its use in Judo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;as part of the requirements to be recognised as an official martial art by the Dai-Nippon Butokukai, an umbrella organisation seeking to regularise martial arts licencing and practice in Japan&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In 1895, the Japanese Government sanctioned the formation of the first Martial Arts&#xA;  association, The Dai Nippon Butokukai (Japan Great Martial Virtues Association).&#xA;  This was formed to oversee, standardise and promote the various Martial Arts&#xA;  traditions of Japan. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The Judo practice uniform, Judogi, and Kyu / Dan belt system eventually spread to&#xA;  many of the other modern Martial Arts, such as Aikido and Okinawa’s Karate, which&#xA;  adapted them for their own purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Karate practitioners in Okinawa didn't use any sort of practice uniform at all. The Kyu&#xA;  / Dan ranking system, and the Karategi (a modified Judogi) were first adopted by&#xA;  Gichin Funakoshi, in an effort to encourage Karate's acceptance by the Japanese&#xA;  people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Funakoshi awarded the first Shodan ranks given in Karate, to Tokuda, Otsuka, Akiba,&#xA;  Shimizu, Hirose, Gima, and Kasuya on April 10, 1924. The adoption of the Kyu / Dan&#xA;  system and the standard uniform based on the Judogi, were 2 of the 4 conditions&#xA;  which the Dai-Nippon Butokukai required before recognizing Karate as a &quot;real&quot;&#xA;  Martial Art. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.abergavennyjudo.co.uk/originsofjudosgradingsystem.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Origins Of Judo’s Kyu / Dan Grading System&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;,  Phil Morris (2005)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The author of this article claims that any philosophical implications of the karategi's colour in karate are ad hoc rationalisations, having originally just the colour of unbleached cotton:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The traditional karate gi however, was designed by Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Japanese &lt;em&gt;shotokan&lt;/em&gt; karate. Consisting of a &lt;em&gt;uwagi&lt;/em&gt; (jacket) and &lt;em&gt;zubon&lt;/em&gt; (trousers), the uniform was patterned after the clothing of the &lt;em&gt;judoka&lt;/em&gt; (judo stylist). but was a lighter fabric. It can be seamed, since the cloth is not pulled in karate, and is of a slightly different design. &quot;When Funakoshi designed the karate uniform.” says Dave Lowry, noted karate historian, black belt, and author of BLACK BELT's Karate Way column, &quot;Japan was under a great deal of Western Influence; so for reasons of modesty, he made the sleeves and trousers a little longer.&quot; The karate gi also has ties to keep the uwagi from coming undone. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The first gi were beige, simply because of the kind of cloth being used. White became the traditional color, but its spiritual significance probably fol- lowed after the white gi was standardized. “A lot of people attach some sort of philosophical significance to the color,&quot; notes Lowry, “but there wasn't really any reason for it to be white.&quot;   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=PdYDAAAAMBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PA26&amp;amp;dq=Karate+gi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&quot;You are what you wear: Origin and Meaning of Martial Arts Uniforms&quot; - &lt;em&gt;Black Belt&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, (1988)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-08T13:08:23.793" LastActivityDate="2019-08-08T13:08:23.793" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9230" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="512" CreationDate="2019-06-27T16:26:48.573" Score="1" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Origin of Kyu/Dan grades in Judo&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While the kyu/dan ranking itself stems from Go, it had already been in use in a number of other disciplines by the time Kano adopted it for martial arts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The majority of people believe that Jigoro Kano was the founder the Kyu / Dan grade&#xA;  system, this is untrue. However, he is recognised as the first person to use this grading&#xA;  system within the Martial Arts. The idea of the Kyu / Dan grade system, or Dan-I,&#xA;  was in fact “borrowed” from other sources of Japanese culture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The Kyu / Dan system was first introduced in the 17th century by Honinbo Dosaku, a&#xA;  grandmaster of the Japanese 2 player logical board game “Go”. He introduced the&#xA;  system, as a method of handicapping the game. Honinbo itself, was the name of one&#xA;  of the four famous major schools of “Go” in Japan, the head of the school was given&#xA;  the schools title.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.abergavennyjudo.co.uk/originsofjudosgradingsystem.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Origins Of Judo’s Kyu / Dan Grading System&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Phil Morris (2005)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Origin of black belts to reflect grade&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The use of a black belt to distinguish advanced students from beginners appears to have been inspired by the wearing of black ribbons by advanced athletes in public school competitions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Later the Japanese public schools were using the Kyu / Dan system as a means to rank&#xA;  ability throughout the different athletic departments. These departments were using&#xA;  belts or ribbons to identify ranking ability, most notably within swimming, where&#xA;  advanced swimmers wore a black ribbon around their waist to separate them from&#xA;  beginners in swimming tournaments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Many other areas of Japanese culture had also adopted this system, i.e. Chado (Tea&#xA;  Ceremony), Ikebana (Flower Arranging), Shogi (Japanese Chess), Renju (Connect&#xA;  Five), Calligraphy, to name just a few, etc, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Spread of grades and belts from Judo to other martial arts&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shortly after Kano's adoptions in judo, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department instigated the use of &lt;em&gt;kyu&lt;/em&gt; (and later &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt;) grades in Kendo:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;dan-to-kyu&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The system for indicating one's understanding of &lt;em&gt;kendo&lt;/em&gt; and the level of one's skill. The &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; was originally adopted in Kodo-kan Judo, with the first &lt;em&gt;sho-dan&lt;/em&gt; (first dan) being issued in 1883 (Meiji 16). The &lt;em&gt;kyu&lt;/em&gt; system was used in &lt;em&gt;kendo&lt;/em&gt; mainly by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and was systematized in 1885 (Meiji18). In &lt;em&gt;kendo&lt;/em&gt;, the Tokyo Higher Normal School first used &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; in 1908 (Meiji 41). The &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;kyu&lt;/em&gt; system was standardized throughout the country after the Dai-Nippon Butoku-kai adopted this system in 1917 (Taisho 6). at that time &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; ranged from &lt;em&gt;sho-dan&lt;/em&gt; (first dan) to &lt;em&gt;ju-dan&lt;/em&gt; (tenth dan), and &lt;em&gt;kyu&lt;/em&gt; ranged from 1 &lt;em&gt;kyu&lt;/em&gt; (which is just below sho-dan) down to 6 &lt;em&gt;kyu&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20111105113204/http://www.kendo-usa.org/rank.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Japanese-English Kendo Dictionary&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, All Japan Kendo Federation&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;before being adopted generally by Japanese martial arts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In 1895, the Japanese Government sanctioned the formation of the first Martial Arts&#xA;  association, The Dai Nippon Butokukai (Japan Great Martial Virtues Association).&#xA;  This was formed to oversee, standardise and promote the various Martial Arts&#xA;  traditions of Japan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;As a result, Kano’s Judo Kyu / Dan system was given a mighty boost, as the&#xA;  committee set up to oversee the Dai Nippon Butokukai, adopted Kano’s innovative&#xA;  grading system to grant Budo / Bujutsu martial rank certification (Budo / Bujutsu&#xA;  Menjo) and to grant teaching licences (Shihan Menjo).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The Butokukai, revolutionised the practice of Budo and Bujutsu in Japan and a&#xA;  common system of uniforms, ranking, belts and promotions was adopted. Even&#xA;  Jujutsu practice methods were to become standardised along the lines of Kano’s Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The Butokukai promoted the practice of Budo training to the nation and the teachings&#xA;  of Bushido (The Warriors Code Of Ethics). Judo and Kendo were promoted as sports.&#xA;  The Judo practice uniform, Judogi, and Kyu / Dan belt system eventually spread to&#xA;  many of the other modern Martial Arts, such as Aikido and Okinawa’s Karate, which&#xA;  adapted them for their own purpose. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Further coloured belts&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kano later modified his belt system, adopting further divisions of colour:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Red-white and red belts for senior &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Purple/brown belts for advanced junior/adult &lt;em&gt;kyu&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Purple belts were supposedly first introduced for more advanced juniors:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;“The colour of the belt varies according to the rank of the person. 1st dan to 5th dan is black. 6th dan to 9th dan is red and white. 10th dan and higher is red. For all kyu grades, it is white. Children who have more than 3rd kyu may wear purple.”   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Jigoro Kano, 1931 (&lt;a href=&quot;https://iainabernethy.co.uk/content/belts-colour-musing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;attrib.&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before later adding brown belts for the same purpose in adult grades:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Beginning with a white belt, the pupil, on attaining what is called &lt;em&gt;sankyu&lt;/em&gt;, or third class, dons a brown belt, which he retains up to &lt;em&gt;ikkyu&lt;/em&gt;, or first class, only to change it for a black belt on promotion to  the lowest teaching &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; or grade called &lt;em&gt;shodan&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=V_ufAAAAMAAJ&amp;amp;q=judo+&amp;quot;brown+belt&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mind and Body&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;,  Vol. 32 (p.543) (1925)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Green belts for mid-level &lt;em&gt;kyu&lt;/em&gt;, blue as alternative to brown&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;All beginners start as white belts. After showing some ability to execute a few basic throws both in form and in free play, after 6 months or one year the player is promoted to the next belt, which is green. This promotion, of course, depends on the club, as some will promote players to green after but a few months. The next promotion, again after about 6 months or a year, is to either a blue belt or the brown belt. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JUEOAQAAIAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Modern Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Vol.1 (p.5), Charles Yerkow (1958)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Further colours outside of Japan&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Several clubs experimented with the use of coloured belts in the 20's:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;However Kawaishi cannot be granted the original idea of using coloured belts,&#xA;  information as to the actual individual does not seem to be known. However, the&#xA;  London Budokwai, formed in 1918, began using forms of coloured belts to&#xA;  distinguish Kyu levels as early as 1922. Again the Seattle Nisei Judo Club, the oldest Judo club in the west, began using forms of coloured belts in the late 1920’s.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.abergavennyjudo.co.uk/judoarticles/judoskyusystem.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Judo’s Kyu Grade System&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, The Introduction of Coloured Belts, Phil Morris (2005)  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Becoming something of a standard by the 40's:  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In Europe the clubs promote as follows: white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown, black. In Hawaii the yellow and orange belts are eliminated. In some clubs there are either three or two classes in the brown belt, the Kodokan holding to three classes.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JUEOAQAAIAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Modern Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Vol.1 (p.5), Charles Yerkow (1958)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2019-06-27T16:26:48.573" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9231" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-06-27T16:34:49.640" Score="1" ViewCount="305" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm  a 17 year old male, reasonably fit, recently got into weight training. Last year I had this knee issue called Osgood Schlatter disease. I don't have any cracks or tears, but my knee isn't quite 100% it's a little crackly and weak (especially right knee). I've met a sports physio, and he says I can start MMA. Just wanted your opinion on this, what are things I can do to prevent injury or degradation of the knee, help with rehabbing, etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS. My knee has gotten better with strengthening the knee and the area around it. Physio has also given me stretches to build strength in hips, quads, hamstrings, and calf's.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10143" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-06-27T19:34:21.417" LastActivityDate="2019-11-25T15:03:10.710" Title="MMA with a knee issue?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|injury|safety|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9232" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-06-27T16:35:56.707" Score="9" ViewCount="904" Body="&lt;p&gt;Subsequent &lt;em&gt;dan&lt;/em&gt; grades in judo are named numerically &lt;em&gt;nidan&lt;/em&gt; (二段), &lt;em&gt;sandan&lt;/em&gt; (三段) etc, but the first grade is called &lt;em&gt;shodan&lt;/em&gt; (初段) &quot;beginning grade&quot;. Is there a particular reason for this as opposed to the expected &lt;em&gt;ichidan&lt;/em&gt; (一段) &quot;first grade&quot;? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-09T16:02:28.293" LastActivityDate="2020-02-16T22:52:35.260" Title="Why is the first dan called shodan, as opposed to ichidan?" Tags="|judo|terminology|japanese|grading|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9233" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9245" CreationDate="2019-06-28T04:45:39.157" Score="5" ViewCount="120" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a beginner and have a question that may be basic. I figured out when you hit left I can feel my body loading up on the right side so my combos tend to be left right left right left right so they 'flow'&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also realized if I strike and I'm not very quick (which I'm not), I'll likely be hit so I want to anticipate this and side step away before a low kick. For example, left hook, side step to left and then low kick with back leg (right side).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Am I correct in thinking this is a general pattern, where I want to step away on the same side as I hit when I want to evade the counter and set up the next blow? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It definitely feels awkward to me to say do a cross (as an orthodox fighter) and then step to the left which would I assume leave me open to a counter cross. But it also 'feels' like it flows better to step to same side. Is this correct? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10145" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-06-28T11:21:50.303" LastActivityDate="2019-07-03T12:47:25.497" Title="am I thinking about this correctly? (deciding whether to move left or right after a strike)" Tags="|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9234" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9232" CreationDate="2019-06-28T08:46:59.600" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;初 can also be pronounced &quot;hatsu&quot;, which is used interchangeably to mean &quot;start&quot;, &quot;beginning&quot; or &quot;first&quot;. For example, hatsutanjō is a baby's &quot;first birthday&quot; and hatsuyuki is the winter's first snow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technically speaking, &quot;sho&quot; is the kan-on reading of the Chinese character 初, while &quot;hatsu&quot; is the kun-yomi reading of the same kanji. The kan-on reading is generally a Japanese approximation of how the Chinese would pronounce the character (in this case, &quot;chu&quot;), while the kun-yomi reading is how Japanese speakers would natively pronounce the same kanji. Even in Chinese, however, one of 初's main definitions is &quot;first&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is also good to note that &quot;ichidan&quot; does not mean &quot;first dan&quot;, but rather &quot;one dan&quot;, just like &quot;nidan&quot; means &quot;two dan&quot; and so on. This is because the Japanese numbers used in this context are numerals, and not ordinal numbers. Ordinal numbers in Japanese use the traditional Japanese numbers (hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu, etc.) as a base, to which the suffix &quot;-me&quot; is added. In Japanese, thus, you are not a first/second/third/etc. degree black belt, but rather a black belt that has 1/2/3/etc. degrees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why is &quot;ichidan&quot; not used for the first degree? I'm afraid I have no other answer than what my former karate sensei told me. According to him, you don't actually need to count the degrees if you only have one, and insisting on counting your single degree could be interpreted as bragging. In this context, &quot;shodan&quot; conveys more meaning, as it can both mean &quot;first degree&quot; and &quot;beginning degree&quot;. Thus, it marks the start of a journey towards mastery rather than mechanically counting the single degree you hold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now as to why &quot;shodan&quot; instead of &quot;hatsudan&quot; (hatsu being more frequently used in compound words meaning &quot;first something&quot; than sho) or even &quot;hitotsume dan&quot;, I have no idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2019-06-28T08:46:59.600" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9235" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9231" CreationDate="2019-06-28T13:50:26.197" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a couple items of really good news in your description -&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Osgood-Schlatter is pretty much an adolescent thing, that happens during growth spurts or high stress in the knee area (athletes). It basically causes inflammation where the patellar tendon inserts onto the tibia.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's generally not permanent, and can be fixed with rest, over the counter meds and strengthening and stretching&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You're already working with a physio (awesome!) and they have given you clearance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So at this time, I would go back to MMA. However, I would also recommend that you discuss your condition, what your physio has said (A letter stating it's ok to return to MMA activity might help), and the steps you are taking to keep it under control with your instructor/coach. If they let you back into class, then I would continue to take precautions and be aware that it may flare up again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other good bit of news is that it generally goes away once growing is done or slows down. Just be aware, and step back and get rest if it flares up again. Also keep working the strengthening and stretching that your physio gave you. That will help the OS as well as the MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2019-06-28T13:50:26.197" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9236" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9237" CreationDate="2019-06-29T06:21:00.877" Score="-3" ViewCount="166" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have never done martial arts. I have never done self defence. But I have a long list of things that I WISH you would teach. This is one:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Suppose that you are attacked in the street and you run away. You keep running. But the attacker keeps following. You start running around in circles; you don't know the area well. The attacker knows it better. You're starting to tire; running away isn't working. Also you are not Bear Grylls so doing various acrobatic jumps over fences is more likely to bust your ankle than get distance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you have to do something. I would suggest this: partly turning round and extending an elbow backwards into the attacker as he runs behind you, followed by your fist coming over your own elbow with your momentum. That way you have two chances to wallop your chaser: elbow and fist. Sure. This has risk. Your elbow could hit him somewhere hard and break your arm. But there's more risk if you keep running. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I am an idiot then I'm fine to be an idiot. If I am wrong then truly show me something better. But my question is: when you attack while running as above what should you do? This is why I will never go to a self defence class. Because you don't teach real world self defence. This is real world. A guy was killed in Melbourne, Australia where I live; the CC footage showed him running away from the attacker and he was caught up and fatally hit. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not trying to sound trollish or provocative. But the whole self defence industry needs to get its act together. The street is not a Dojo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10146" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-06-29T13:27:51.707" LastActivityDate="2019-06-29T14:12:44.237" Title="What's a strong attack to use when running away?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="6" ClosedDate="2019-07-01T11:20:41.553" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9237" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9236" CreationDate="2019-06-29T14:12:44.237" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is indeed a matter that many/most martial arts systems focused on self defense tend to ignore, or seem to figure that the answer is common sense. It's like how in my karate days the teacher always said that it's best to run away, yet we never discussed things like parkour, or strategy for escaping, escape paths, or hiding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, classical paramilitary traditions (such as those found in Japan) occasionally have teachings on exactly this. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/tenshinryuhyouho&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tenshin-ryu&lt;/a&gt; is a tradition known for it's stylized swordsmanship, though it also includes spear, halberd, and several other disciplines. They have several techniques that reflect exactly this matter - how to counterattack while being pursued. You can see some of it on their YouTube channel, and perhaps extrapolate an answer from that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my own practice, which is the nine traditions found in the Bujinkan organization, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsdvqbPkJ34&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;one tradition in particular&lt;/a&gt; is almost entirely dedicated to this matter in it's fighting techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many of the techniques can be split into three stages:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Being attacked (struck, grabbed, or attacked with a weapon);&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Doing something to discourage further pursuit;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Getting to safety (fleeing and hiding).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first stage is in regards to angles, positioning, etc. the usual martial artsy stuff with damaging the articulations, percussion, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second stage is things like throwing something in the pursuers eyes (I once did this with fresh coffee), ear clapping, groin strikes, attacking the legs, etc. A broken nose tends to be disorienting, stunning, and makes the eyes water; making pursuit difficult.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The third stage focuses on flight paths (preferably with knowledge of the area), doubling back, and finding suitable hiding positions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So all that is to say that there are various systems out there that consider this sort of thing, however, it's a pretty adverse situation that would make it quite difficult to consider what a strong defense would be without looking at specific scenarios. I would be inclined to say that you would want range above all else: thrown objects (sand and things that can scatter would be good), kicks, and weapons, preferably things that can temporarily incapacitate and less likely to kill for legal concerns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10142" LastActivityDate="2019-06-29T14:12:44.237" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9238" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-06-29T16:14:23.320" Score="8" ViewCount="487" Body="&lt;p&gt;There have been multiple proposed etymologies for the judo throw &lt;em&gt;kawazu-gake&lt;/em&gt; (河津掛):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Named after a famed sumo wrestler, Kawazu Saburo Sukeyasu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Named after &amp;quot;frog&amp;quot; (蛙 old japanese &lt;em&gt;kawazu&lt;/em&gt;, modern japanese &lt;em&gt;kaeru&lt;/em&gt;), and the kanji getting confused along the line&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which (if any) of these is the true origin of the throw's name?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Ref.&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Quote&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;IMG&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;sup&gt;... famous as Kawazu used a new sumo hold wrapping a foot around his opponent’s leg and encircling the neck with one arm, a manoeuvre that became known as the Kawazu hold. The event took place in 1176 before Shogun Minamoto Yoritomo where Kawazu defeats the popular bully Matano.&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;sup&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.artic.edu/artworks/34428/kawazu-saburo-sukemichi-wrestling-matano-goro-kagehisa-from-the-series-illustrated-tale-of-the-soga-brothers-soga-monogatari-zue&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kawazu Saburo Sukemichi wrestling Matano Goro Kagehisa, from the series “Illustrated Tale of the Soga Brothers (Soga monogatari zue)”&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QNNuX.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QNNuX.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;sup&gt;There are many theories concerning the origin of the name of this technique. One of the most interesting is that the name of another technique - kawazu-gake (frog-entanglement) - was misused, because the pronunciation is the same. The 12th century &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kokingumi.com/ChojuGiga/ChojuGigaScroll.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Choju giga&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (Scrolls of the Frolicking Animals) contains a picture of a rabbit and a frog wrestling. The frog in this picture is actually applying kosoto-gake.&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;sup&gt;- &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt; (p.284)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xWhWn.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xWhWn.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-01-04T19:44:57.663" LastActivityDate="2021-10-26T15:07:14.550" Title="Origin of kawazu-gake?" Tags="|judo|history|terminology|japanese|throwing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9239" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-06-30T11:24:30.893" Score="2" ViewCount="364" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the best fighting stance for &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.effectivemuaythai.com/dutch-style-kickboxing.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kickboxing Dutch style&lt;/a&gt;? I'm new to kickboxing K-1, and I'm wondering if keeping your back straight with the core tensed and raising your shoulders to protect your chin is a proper form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10148" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-07-02T14:44:59.440" LastActivityDate="2019-07-02T14:44:59.440" Title="Fighting stance" Tags="|muay-thai|mixed-martial-arts|kickboxing|stance|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9240" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5605" CreationDate="2019-06-30T18:03:24.403" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the Takagi-ryū of classical jūjutsu this could be considered a variation of &quot;Ōgyaku dori&quot;. Some variants include having the arm collapsed behind the back like in the presented image and GIF. While other versions keep the arm streight or only slightly bent in order to initiate an elbow lock or even a throw. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pretty much every tradition or practice will have either a similar name or it's own name altogether. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10142" LastActivityDate="2019-06-30T18:03:24.403" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9241" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9239" CreationDate="2019-07-01T12:29:48.943" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can't provide any personal input on this, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/Kickboxing/comments/acuail/dutch_kickboxing_stance/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this Reddit topic&lt;/a&gt; discusses a good stance for Dutch-style kickboxing:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lead foot forward, rear foot 90 degrees out to your side. Dutch style usually involves &amp;quot;lighter&amp;quot; and more boxing/karate styled footwork rather than the Muay Thai &amp;quot;march&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lead foot is more planted than in Muay Thai, guard styles vary a lot. It superficially looks a lot like an intermediate between the Muay Thai stance (narrow, rear foot more forward angled and lead foot straight to check kicks) and boxing (usually wide, rear foot sometimes pointing away, lead foot pointing in).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Focus in Dutch style is entering with rapid and powerful hand strikes and then finishing with a crouched &amp;quot;stepping&amp;quot; low kick compared to MT where singular power shots and (usually &amp;quot;pivoted on toes&amp;quot;) kicks on the &amp;quot;open&amp;quot; side is much more valuable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I specifically asked about the shoulders/core bit and he replied:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Haha, weird that you look up a 5 month old post for a question but I'll try to answer it. Nah you don't raise your shoulders or tense your core all the time when you're in your usual stance, if the guy asking the question does some more training he'll realise how quickly you grow tired (&amp;quot;gas out&amp;quot;) from doing that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You shrug your shoulders as a last ditch effort to help reduce the impact of a blow, and you do the same when you tense your core for body shots. Some guys like to &amp;quot;shoulder roll&amp;quot; which also involves raising the shoulder to block incoming strikes, but it's also something you only do temporarily. You want to be relaxed, but ready, when you're in your normal stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-07-01T12:54:47.247" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9242" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5825" CreationDate="2019-07-01T15:08:42.717" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here are three videos showing aikido techniques performed against non-cooperating non-aikidokas, ordered from friendliest to least friendly:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) Watch here from 7:00: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYA6q0gRYOY&amp;amp;t=420s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYA6q0gRYOY&amp;amp;t=420s&lt;/a&gt; This showcases a set of clean techniques against (apparently) defined attacks.  A Karateka TV host wanted to know if aikido works, and found that it does.  You'll see a variety of kokyu nage techniques, shomen irimi nage, shiho nage, ikkajo, and some playful stuff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) A bunch of comedians went to a dojo and tried to take on sensei.  This includes a few fun things, including atemi waza and defense against sucker punches.  I don't think there are many other TV shows where the hosts end up taking high backfalls on a wooden floor. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQoDqPAKvB8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQoDqPAKvB8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) and finally, if you want something where there's a ring, where the guy doesn't do a proper breakfall and where there's Kote Gaeshi, watch 2:54 in this video &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj8xH_aiCtg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj8xH_aiCtg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10149" LastEditorUserId="10149" LastEditDate="2019-07-07T01:21:23.360" LastActivityDate="2019-07-07T01:21:23.360" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9243" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4514" CreationDate="2019-07-02T01:42:33.017" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've applied Yonkajo (Yonkyo) in fights.  Especially the lock in the end is really convenient because you can apply it standing up so you can easily get away and, if done correctly, it will only hurt when the adversary tries to get out, which is psychologically useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my opinion the thing to get about Yonkajo is that while you can add a little bit of pain here and there, if you apply it properly and match uke's speed correctly, there's no pain.  It's all about balance and correct positioning.  Other people see this differently and I won't say they're wrong, it's a matter of emphasis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for &quot;the&quot; point.  There isn't.  If you're in the right position you can have the same control with the force passing through all of your palm instead of just that point.  So don't focus on it too much.  Focus on controlling uke's elbow.  What you want to do is you want to end up in a position where your own wrist has maximal stability and where you can keep uke's elbow on the palm side of your own forearm (I hope that explanation makes sense).  You apply it in any way where you can reach that position, and that depends on uke's balance.  If, say, you apply it in the most common way, i.e. to the inside of the arm, you want to bend their elbow in a direction where they cannot resist (upwards or sideways, sometimes forward, always away from uke's body), and then once they have to move to adjust for that, you push their elbow further in the direction they're moving towards while turning your hands over and bending your wrist slightly in the direction of the palm in order to reach the control position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Variations of that concept can be applied on both sides of the arm, but also to the ankles.  I was looking for something different, but this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBsK3SSpoe4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video shows nicely how the concept can be applied to the outside of the arms&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnoEloSog64&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video maybe illustrates how it's much more about balance than anything else.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10149" LastEditorUserId="10149" LastEditDate="2019-07-06T10:09:12.683" LastActivityDate="2019-07-06T10:09:12.683" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9244" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7386" CreationDate="2019-07-02T15:14:52.040" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just went through my bookshelf and the first book I found which talks about this is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%81%AF%E3%81%98%E3%82%81%E3%81%A6%E3%81%AE%E5%90%88%E6%B0%97%E9%81%93-%E8%87%AA%E5%88%86%E3%82%92%E5%AE%88%E3%82%8B%E5%8A%9B%E3%81%8C%E8%BA%AB%E3%81%AB%E3%81%A4%E3%81%8F%E3%80%82%E5%BF%83%E3%81%A8%E4%BD%93%E3%82%92%E9%8D%9B%E3%81%88%E3%81%A6%E5%81%A5%E5%BA%B7%E3%81%AB%E3%81%AA%E3%82%8B-%E5%8D%83%E9%87%8E-%E9%80%B2/dp/4416315317/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_ja_JP=%E3%82%AB%E3%82%BF%E3%82%AB%E3%83%8A&amp;amp;keywords=%E3%81%AF%E3%81%98%E3%82%81%E3%81%A6%E5%90%88%E6%B0%97%E9%81%93&amp;amp;qid=1562080101&amp;amp;s=gateway&amp;amp;sr=8-1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chino Susumu's はじめての合気道&lt;/a&gt;, which says:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Point! 両足裏は親指が軽く触れる程度にして座る&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Important: place the front of your feet such that the big toes can touch each other lightly&quot; (my translation).  The photo this goes with shows the toes next to each other.  This matches the instruction I received.  We are also instructed to keep our feet close together and aligned when moving in shikko ho, additionally in some techniques we put the heels together before we raise to our toes.  Both seem to work better if the feet aren't overlapping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: skipping through Gozo Shioda's Dynamic Aikido I found mention of this when he comes to suwari waza, where he says without further explanation &quot;the big toes overlap.&quot;  No mention of left or right toes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's maybe worth pointing out that when we talk about traditional rules, we are talking about people who wore very different shoes, if any at all. Traditional Japanese shoes have a string crossing between the big toe and the next toe.  Therefore it might well be that the Japanese of yore had their big toes in the natural alignment that modern shoes make us lose early in life, i.e, the big toe continues along the line of the bones in the foot, pointing away from the other toes as on the left side &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot#/media/File:(Left)_(B)_Adult_foot_that_has_never_worn_shoes,_(Right)_(A)_Foot_of_a_boy_who_has_worn_shoes_for_just_a_few_weeks._Plaster_casts.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;of this picture&lt;/a&gt;.  This might be the simplest explanation why old texts refer to how to overlap the toes — there simply was no way to sit in seiza with toes not crossed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10149" LastEditorUserId="10149" LastEditDate="2019-07-14T14:03:35.827" LastActivityDate="2019-07-14T14:03:35.827" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9245" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9233" CreationDate="2019-07-03T11:56:56.097" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It may be sometimes dangerous to do it - I think it should not be a usual pattern. In general, it's preferable to outflank opponent from its front-hand side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While doing a jab, you are commonly doing it in the same moment as stepping with front leg - and weighting it for a moment. You may change this move - and not only do a step, but turn your body - and do a side-step - as you described it - with circulating on the moment-weighted front-leg. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In both moves, you are weighting your front leg for a moment - and it is too easy (but without side-step - far less easy - your jab is faster) to counter you with a right(assuming, that your front hand is left) lowkick. Jabs are usually light, so your opponent surely prefer to block or absorb it, and make a lowkick to your weighted leg. And when doing a side-step such lowkick may check your balance - because it will interrupt your move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Side-steps are good when you catched your opponent's middle or high-kick move, and you are side-stepping to the opposite side - you evading kick and flanking your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As variant, you may try to do a right(asuming your opponent front hand is left) side-step and do a right hook to counter his jab. But I think, that lowkick is preferable - you are spending less energy and, I think, you have better chances to land a hit - it is more fast to do. And after a successfull right lowkick, you may continue with left middlekick, shortening the distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;About crosses. When you are crossing - if I'm understanding terms correctly - you are doing high amplitude punch - and you are weighting opposite leg, sometimes after a step with it.  If you are feeling to step to another side - than you are doing a side-step, not a cross.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But maybe I misunderstood your second question. Please, note me, if it is so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2019-07-03T12:47:25.497" LastActivityDate="2019-07-03T12:47:25.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9247" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9189" CreationDate="2019-07-04T07:15:49.963" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can do the splits if you warm up enough. Exercising enough will allow you to do the splits easily. Warm up with a long jog on a treadmill then try stretching into the splits. Just be careful: jogging is not best exercise (hard on the body and can put fluid in the lungs making you sick).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10151" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-05T12:39:00.993" LastActivityDate="2019-07-05T12:39:00.993" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9249" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5605" CreationDate="2019-07-04T13:34:01.527" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;This appears to be a hammerlock or &amp;quot;chicken wing&amp;quot;, held with only one hand for ostensibly artistic purposes i.e. to imply Sherlock is so skilled he only needs to utilise a very small amount of movement/control to subdue an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In reality, such a hold is relatively insecure since Sherlock is not controlling Mycroft's arm/body in any way (other than pushing the wrist up); with no 'grip' to speak of, Mycroft could theoretically just turn clockwise and be free.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most martial arts which teach joint locks teach similar techniques (hyper-rotating the shoulder joint by winding the arm up the back) but with much more stable control of the arm, either by using both arms to control the lock in a figure-four hold, or by using the other arm to control the opponent's body to some degree, preventing them from escaping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Below are the names of some similar techniques (or techniques with one or more similar variations) in various disciplines:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Martial Art&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Name&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Example&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Judo&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9391/are-hammerlocks-te-gatame-legal-in-judo-competition&quot;&gt;ude-hishigi-te-gatame&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/b5WaWm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/b5WaWm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BJJ&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kimura&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jPRxsm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jPRxsm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Catch Wrestling&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://gnarlmaster.tripod.com/gnarlmaster/Hammerlock.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hammerlock&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NMxE9m.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NMxE9m.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aikido&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;hiji-garami&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uUhhdm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uUhhdm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And here are the names of some techniques which can attack the same joint (hyper-rotating the shoulder backwards), but are generally characterised by very different grips than one handed control of the arm (e.g. a figure-four hold):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Martial Art&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Name&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Judo&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;ude-garami&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BJJ&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kimura, Americana&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Catch Wrestling&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Double wristlock/Chickenwing&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aikido&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;ude-gaeshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And the following describe a similar lock secured with the legs:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Martial Art&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Name&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Judo&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9414/are-omoplatas-legal-in-judo/&quot;&gt;ude-hishigi-ashi-gatame&lt;/a&gt;, ude-hishigi-hiza-gatame&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BJJ&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Omoplata&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Catch Wrestling&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Coil lock&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Note that in both the Judo and catch-wrestling variations above, when only one hand is being used to apply the lock the other hand is very purposefully being used to restrain the opponent's body. If the other arm is not engaged as such, it is much more sensible to attempt to secure the lock with both available hands:&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CKw5Wm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CKw5Wm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Te-gatame, double hand variant&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/TrGSJm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/TrGSJm.png&quot; alt=&quot;Hammerlock with arm up the back with a bar (a Forbidden Hold)&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-12-15T18:37:21.690" LastActivityDate="2020-12-15T18:37:21.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9250" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8890" CreationDate="2019-07-05T21:40:24.943" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am tired of reading, &quot;it won't work in real situations.&quot; If you are talking about rolling or competing, yes, it won't work. In fact nothing really works in a street fight. Pure anger, aggression, absolute craziness, added with the ability to psych the other guy is what will work. I've had real fights with other Marines, homeless guys with knives, gang bangers in jail, drunken guys, and even against a guy that threatened me with his BJJ. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is the absolute truth. If you fight, and the other guy happens to fight back, and your adrenaline and crazy factor has kicked in, no strikes against the head will hurt. If you scare him enough, typically, he won't fight. And when the blows start, adrenaline slows everything down. You will see his punch coming and if you have had training, your training will come to you. If your training is BJJ, great, you will take him to the ground, choke him out, etc. I got a black belt in hapkido and taekwondo. Even while I trained in it, I knew it &quot;wouldn't work.&quot; In fact it did work twice. The first time I was in a shoving match against a bigger guy. He lifted me off my feet in a classic shirt grab. I froze, but when I finally gathered my composure, I twisted his head with a pressure point applied, and it ended the fight- that surprised the shit out of me.  Another time, someone charged me, and I did a classic step out of the way, driving his head into a wall. Again, I was surprised the shit worked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also bitten, stuck a finger into an eye socket, grabbed balls, and that shit worked too. I've kicked a homeless guys thight twice with my boot while he was holding a big kitchen knife. That shit worked too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, if I now want to learn an art for its art's sake, and learn how to cleanly throw a guy, or lock him into compliance and look good doing it, dont complain. In all my fights they were a bad asses, but I doubt they had any training. And that is the theory behind classical jujitsu- tricking. If a bjj guy is wanting to fight me, then he will know the tricks, but again, I doubt he would want to fight for bad reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The BJJ guy who threatened me? He was just as scared as I was to make the first move. he was much bigger than me. I ended up throat striking him, and he called the cops. They dropped the charges, but tried to charge me for a police baton they found in my car, which was also dismissed. At the time, I was a green belt in a Japanese combat jujitsu (that rolled) and was prepared to roll, but he didn't react. Again, my psych out was scarier than his. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So again, let guys learn what they want. If street situations scare you, pull aside a guy that has really scrapped and ask him how these techniques could be applied. Learn to harness the adrenaline. Get over the fear factor. Remember that a strike won't hurt.  And in jail? I've been jumped, I've had fight matches, they are different. Two guys jumping you is to try and scare you. You fight back and you get respect. Take a beating and it will be constant. In fight matches, they are not trying to kill you, just mutual combat for sport. Break his arm, or choke him out, and you better have back up or his gang will try and stab you when you aren't looking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like Danzan Ryu for all its throws, locks, pencak silat. Is it totally realistic? Nothing is.  As for joint locks? It won't work against a guy that knows the escapes. Case in point, I laughed at cops trying to &quot;tie me up.&quot; I'd tell them they were doing it wrong. But again, that was me. It worked fine on others. Secondly, they dont get trained on a weekly., daily routine. I had a cop try and sweep me and I just kept jumping out of the way, he ended up trying to tackle me. Without thinking, I grabbed his trachea. I only let go because I surrendered after his buddies were kicking me in the head. So yeah, nothing truly works, but will in the right situations &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10154" LastEditorUserId="10154" LastEditDate="2019-07-05T21:49:56.680" LastActivityDate="2019-07-05T21:49:56.680" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9251" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5825" CreationDate="2019-07-06T14:03:05.250" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will say that no martial art - including Aikido - corners the market on a technique.  Techniques generally exist in many styles, so it is not proper to label something as &quot;aikido&quot;, except in cases where a technique simply does not exist anywhere else, and isn't martial in nature.  For example, Taekwondo has a dazzling array of useless spinning aerial kicks, which are impressive on their own merit - but they are relegated to the nuances of the niche that Taekwondo has made for itself.  Aikido's techniques are largely based on jujitsu, and you'll find most aikido techniques also featured in jujitsu, judo, karate, and other styles - and not all Japanese styles, either, such as kung fu, hapkido, wrestling, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said that, some will look at one or two of these throws and say that the uke did not resist (eg, hostage situations) or that nage used a lot of strength (some of the &quot;judo throws&quot;).  Know that Aikido does not forbid the use of force, nor does it require uke to be aware of what is about to happen to him.  It capitalizes on uke's intent and movement, but how that breaks down IRL requires careful study and practice, and not to relegate one's training to the vacuum of a clean dojo.  One must train hard and realistic if one is to test one's learning.  If uke is unaware of nage's presence, as is the case in a few hostage stand-offs, nage has advantage and can stage any technique it wants.  You don't get that option in sport, but that doesn't mean you cannot capitalize on your environment - and that is exactly what we try to teach in any self-defense situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to the ones issuing the techniques, I cannot state their martial arts background, although I fail to see any reason why that would be important.  If we as an audience are aware of someone's martial art background, that increases the likelihood that the video is staged.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, you wanted footage, here's a few clips.  I duplicated one or two clips in attempt to mitigate link decay.  Also, some clips are compilations, and so I used the same video under different categories, in order to focus on the technique, rather than the style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shihonage&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(0:47) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83d-16REC40&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83d-16REC40&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(0:04 - duplicate) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_s2rZR7IkQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_s2rZR7IkQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Koshinage&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFoZ3f6wLvE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFoZ3f6wLvE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(0:00) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuppbmFphOg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuppbmFphOg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Iriminage&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(2:27) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7YpLEyfBMI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7YpLEyfBMI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(0:42) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuppbmFphOg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuppbmFphOg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(0:15 and 1:27) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrFLUnKg1f0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrFLUnKg1f0&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kaitenage&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(0:28) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuppbmFphOg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuppbmFphOg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Yonkyo and Ikkyo&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(2:07) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrFLUnKg1f0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrFLUnKg1f0&lt;/a&gt; (Note the douchebag tries to tap out @ 2:23)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Various examples of Aikido used in MMA&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Hoeb7sBqRc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Hoeb7sBqRc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This video is spectacular in its analysis and comparison to Aikido, MMA, and Karate&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDs7RPboEO8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDs7RPboEO8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some interesting takedowns (sorry, not Aikido, but impressive or funny nevertheless)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;American Football&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(0:44) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuppbmFphOg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuppbmFphOg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Parking Meter Take Down&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(3:22) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuppbmFphOg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuppbmFphOg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vulcan Nerve Pinch&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(1:32) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrFLUnKg1f0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrFLUnKg1f0&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2019-07-08T14:41:32.687" LastActivityDate="2019-07-08T14:41:32.687" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9252" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6079" CreationDate="2019-07-06T22:03:41.497" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will give a bit of a different opinion here even though this already has an accepted answer pointing in the other direction. I think this is &lt;strong&gt;wrong&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not so much in the legal sense as Sean Duggan already covered that part. However I think the child's reaction to quit is very much understandable and at the age of 12 I might have done the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is common practice in many martial arts schools to discipline students with individual punishments, e.g. extra push-ups. Speaking from personal experience this helps short-term as it will usually get the children to be more quiet and obedient for the reason of the lesson. However it dies not fundamentally change the behaviour of the children. Problematic kids that get punished remain problematic. This is due to how punishment &lt;em&gt;feels&lt;/em&gt; for children.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most kids that are problematic to train get told exactly that a lot. At home, at school and also at their hobbies. As a result their self esteem is low and they start to think of themselves as problematic. This leads to them putting even less effort into fitting in as they get so used to being punished that this occurring again and again seems only natural to them. Punishment does &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; give the child an easy way to improve it just shuts them down short time and makes them feel bad about themselves. For a more literate view of this please read the books from Thomas Gordon &lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/0452266432&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;book link&lt;/a&gt; (or this article about his view on discipline: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.gordontraining.com/parenting/crippling-children-discipline/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;article link&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What effective parenting does (and we as instructors basically take over the parent role for a short time) is it influences the child to become a better human. However not by forcing them to obey but by developing their own personality and helping them understand why doing what they do is wrong. Severe punishments such as taking away a hard earned belt do not help with this goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So yeah this gets done a lot in martial arts and has a long standing tradition. But I do not think this is enough to justify this behaviour.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9955" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-07-07T02:11:04.837" LastActivityDate="2019-07-07T02:11:04.837" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9253" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6079" CreationDate="2019-07-07T17:45:59.133" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been in your instructor's position a few times, and I've threatened to demote.  But I recognize that taking away a belt can be detrimental in several ways (call me a snowflake if you want).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, a kid works hard for the belt.  Then you take it away (or prevent him from wearing it).  That's embarrassing.  And what have you done?  You've let a single incident (of typical behavior for that age) take precedence over a few years of otherwise hard work.  Bottom line: not really that fair.  You focused on the negative, and no so much on the positive.  I know the counter argument: I didn't really take it away - the kid caused it to be taken away.  But that's a nuance lost on 12 year olds, I think.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, you run the real prospect of losing that student, who will then turn around and bad-mouth you to his friends.  Then you have a reputation to deal with.  For some instructors, not a big deal, especially in a large town or city.  But for others, that reaction is cause for reconsideration, if it causes you loss in business.  I don't teach for a living, so, they can bad-mouth me all they want, it's not going to change me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, what have you taught?  I mean really: what have you taught?  Say you taught them a form/kata.  Now you demote them.  Think about what the belt really means.  To them, it's a marker of achievement.  But to you, it's a means to divide up a class:  White belts in that corner, green belts in this corner, and red belts go over there.  You've just made your teaching structure that much harder by removing your tool to measure who needs to learn what.  Maybe you can deal with a single student with the off-belt (do you really have dozens of students with demotions, even in the largest schools I think probably not.  LOL).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fourth, who are these kids?  In my case, I have many a student who, shall we say, &quot;don't fit in a box&quot;.  They have issues.  Because of the environment my school is in, most have behavioral issues.  Others come from broken families.  Others have issues only they would know.  For better or worse, my classes are my classes.  That is the hand I am dealt.  I can kick them out, expel them, or I can suspend them.  Or I could make them a better person for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me, I have a rigid set of standards of behavior I expect of all my students and instructors.  But they are never threatened with expulsion (except in obvious egregious cases, which I've never had to do).  I have special tasks they have to volunteer to do, such as cleaning the dojang floor, putting away the equipment, washing down the mirrors.  Those with behavior issues are &quot;voluntold&quot; ahead of those who volunteer.  In one case, I had a student mouth off to one of my assistants.  His &quot;punishment&quot; was to come to classes early or stay late to read a book.  During class, he participated as if nothing happened.  When he was done with the book, he and his mother came to class, and he had to explain his behavior, and why he read the book.  He also had to explain what he read.  Of course, he had a sit-down with the assistant and me, and we discussed why it's wrong to mouth off the way he did.  Sometimes, the instructor is wrong, or doesn't know how best to deal with emotional-needs students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have kids in class who constantly use colorful vernacular to each other.  I accept that it is cultural, and not of my own culture.  But if I demoted or expelled every kid who used the n-word, I wouldn't have a class at all.  Indeed, for some I also have their parents as students: do you think I'm going to teach an old dog new tricks?  Instead, I make it a point to teach them about respect for each other, and to be considerate of those who may overhear.  This is a constant battle, and therefore, is a significant part of my teaching.  In fact, it's a subject I begin and end nearly every single class.  Usually, I begin each class with a short dialog on respect for others, hoping that will rub off during class.  And I end a class with a short dialog on respect for themselves, hoping that will rub off at home.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can you demote?  Sure.  But before you go down that road, remember there are several stakeholders in that student.  There is the student of course, but there's also the (paying) parent.  By working with the parents, you can safeguard against the quitter, who ultimately is the loser because he didn't get a chance to reflect, to learn, and to improve.  That quitting student might have quit at the behest of the parents, who didn't feel the need to pay for a student to be demoted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, I think positive discipline begets more respect in the long run.  It may take awhile for some.  I have many kids with many issues, and they all know each other and each sees each other making mistakes.  Dumb mistakes.  But they also see that I try to help them, guide them, and mentor them.  I respect them, I do not bully them or judge them.  And I accept them.  By demoting them, that (to me) is demeaning.  I would rather be more constructive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I said all that to say this to answer your question.  Is it ever appropriate?  In my book, no.  I think there are always better methods.  I think that everyone loses in a demotion, and no one learns.  IMHO, the teachable moments are much more desirable rather than the punitive moments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2019-07-07T17:45:59.133" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9255" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-07-08T17:33:19.007" Score="2" ViewCount="685" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hwang_Kee&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; mentions the name as Yang Kuk Jin. I assume that this is some member of the Yang-style taichi. The best family tree I've been able to find for that is &lt;a href=&quot;https://yangfamilytaichi.com/yang-family-tai-chi-chuan/yang-family-tree/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/aSJ8X.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/aSJ8X.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I don't see any cognates of that name. Is this even the correct martial arts style? Is Hwang's teacher in this family tree, or some cousin that isn't listed in it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10157" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-10T15:02:33.407" LastActivityDate="2021-03-18T17:06:07.947" Title="Under which Chinese teacher did Tang Soo Do's founder (Hwang Kee) study?" Tags="|history|tai-chi|style|tang-soo-do|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9256" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9259" CreationDate="2019-07-08T18:57:47.167" Score="7" ViewCount="547" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was recently inspired by this question: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4818/do-pins-in-judo-have-to-be-standard-pins&quot;&gt;Do pins in judo have to be standard pins?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answers given are obviously correct as the Judo definition of a pin is a lot more loose than what the question suggests. However it made me wonder:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I cannot remember ever having seen a pin in Judo that was so unconventional that I was unable to classify it as one of the standard pins. Does anyone of you know of such a technique (preferably one that could reasonably used in randori or shiai)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9955" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-12-29T16:16:39.233" LastActivityDate="2023-03-27T10:14:57.660" Title="Is there a pin in Judo that cannot be classified as a standard pin?" Tags="|judo|technique|sport|pins|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9257" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9255" CreationDate="2019-07-08T20:00:52.607" Score="0" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is this even the correct martial arts style?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, I think it is extremely unlikely that the founder of Tang Soo Do trained primarily under a taiji master from the Yang lineage. Tang Soo Do bears little resemblance to taiji. The approaches to fighting and training are completely different; taiji fighting techniques are based around the ability to absorb, redirect, and express power at touch, while Tang Soo Do is based around more conventional ideas of speed and power. Yang style taiji is well known for its very slow moving training, which is not typical of Tang Soo Do. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not assume people in the martial arts with the same surname are related. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-07-08T20:00:52.607" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9258" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9255" CreationDate="2019-07-08T20:38:25.487" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to the book, &lt;em&gt;Tang Soo Do History&lt;/em&gt; by Dan Segarra:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://ia802901.us.archive.org/3/items/TangSooDoHISTORYV15b_201808/TangSooDo_HISTORY_V15b.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://ia802901.us.archive.org/3/items/TangSooDoHISTORYV15b_201808/TangSooDo_HISTORY_V15b.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;In 1936 Master Yang Kuk Jin (楊鞠振/楊麴震) was a well-known master of northern Kung Fu particularly Tai Chi and Tan Tui... Master Yang trained them in Bo Bup (stepping methods), Ryun Bup (conditioning methods), Dam Toi Ship Ee Ro (twelve longfist forms), and Tae Kuk Kwon (Tai Chi).&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Back to me...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So for those of you who don't know, northern shaolin long-fist (Chang Chuan) kung-fu is a kicking oriented, long range style. The reference to Tan Tui means &quot;springing legs&quot;, which is a kind of sub-style of long-fist kung-fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tan Tui may be a complete style in and of itself (or a number of styles), but it's usually known as a collection of drills (like miniature forms) typically taught as basic exercises prior to learning the main long-fist forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I practiced the Tan-Tui drills as part of my long-fist training. It's quite common to see as part of long-fist training. It was commonly taught in the Jing Wu (Chin Woo) schools (sort of like a Chinese version of the YMCA) and is probably still taught in their basic curriculum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether Yang, Kuk Jin taught Yang style taiji (Tai Chi) or not is unknown. I'm not sure anyone knows the lineage of the styles he taught. My guess is that it would be Yang style, since it's very common to see it taught along with Long-Fist kung-fu in the same school. Yang style taiji is the most popular form of taiji as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Incidentally, Yang is a very common Chinese name. There's probably no link between Yang, Kuk Jin and the founders of Yang style Taiji.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's hard to see how any kung-fu or taiji made it into Tangsoodo. But maybe there are people out there who have studied that question and can give you a definitive answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-07-08T20:48:04.057" LastActivityDate="2019-07-08T20:48:04.057" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9259" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9256" CreationDate="2019-07-08T21:37:48.440" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most legally scoring pins come under one of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9611/how-are-pins-classified-in-judo/9612&quot;&gt;10 osaekomi-waza classifications&lt;/a&gt;. However, I have seen a couple of unconventional pins which do not obviously appear to fall under any of these:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Unconventional &lt;em&gt;osaekomi-waza&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What differentiates these from traditional pins is that tori is controlling uke from &lt;em&gt;behind&lt;/em&gt;, holding from behind their head and using tension in the gi (or an inverted headlock) to pin them, as opposed to using their bodyweight on top of uke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;SRT / Funakubo-gatame&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A technique favoured by Matsumoto Kaori and Funakubo Haruka, a variation of the &amp;quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16-LQNgTnSY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Super Rolling Thunder&lt;/a&gt;&amp;quot; (SRT) / stomach wrap turnover. Here tori usually prevents rotation in the other direction by also holding the belt/pants of the opposite side of uke:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Example Image&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Examples&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MhzTc.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MhzTc.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErSlsJX9oBc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;WC Seniors 2015&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; - WC Juniors 2015: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX4h8mUvw-c&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD0jif_hqTk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj6o9Dhm0dY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/POx0hm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/POx0hm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;A similar technique from An Baul&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Matsumoto headlock / Wrestling's &amp;quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Sports/Wrestling/Assassin-pic-text-final.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Assassin&lt;/a&gt;&amp;quot;&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When going for an anaconda choke, instead of rolling to finish the submission tori can push uke back or step over them to end in a pin:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Example Image&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Examples&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8235Lm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8235Lm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHclPZLceHo&amp;amp;t=162&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Dusseldorf GP 2016&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Sankaku holds&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some variants of pinning &lt;em&gt;sankaku&lt;/em&gt; positions are (to my knowledge) not covered under the standard pin classifications, but still qualify as osaekomi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Example Image&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Examples&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JdBVkm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JdBVkm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;https://www.judoinside.com/judovideo/79875/Daria_BILODID_UKR_Urantsetseg_MUNKHBAT_MGL_U48_World_Championships_Tokyo_2019&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.judoinside.com/judovideo/79875/Daria_BILODID_UKR_Urantsetseg_MUNKHBAT_MGL_U48_World_Championships_Tokyo_2019&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Championships Tokyo 2019 | Bilodid vs Munkhbat | 48kg&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is-Q09GcUJc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Championship Juniors 2017 | Zenker vs Son | 78kg&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5DLWX4IDbc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Championship Juniors 2017 | Olarte vs Kolmodinova | 70kg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Wrestling's &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQsC5D2q8f4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;Bow &amp;amp; Arrow&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJRVTPtEozE&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=1132&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;&lt;em&gt;Ashi-sankaku&lt;/em&gt;&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a pin which seems to be inspired by wrestling's &amp;quot;Bow and Arrow&amp;quot; but with control of both legs with a triangle instead of just one (necessarily because of judo rules regarding limb control by uke in &lt;em&gt;osaekomi&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is taught by &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJN7Wm4JMeI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Koji Komuro&lt;/a&gt; and has been used to success multiple times by Miku Tashiro involving trapping uke's legs with a leg-triangle, and then controlling their upper body from the outside by holding either an arm or their neck/collar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Example Image&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Examples&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xTT5Wm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xTT5Wm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmbYZEImEMI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Paris 2014 | Kido vs Mushkiyev&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmbYZEImEMI&amp;amp;t=35&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kuwait 2015&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.judoinside.com/judovideo/29840/Shinji_KIDO_JPN_Dmitriy_KULIKOV_RUS_Grand_Slam_Tyumen_2015&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Grand Slam Tyumen 2015 | Kido vs Kulikov&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmbYZEImEMI&amp;amp;t=110&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Grand Slam Ekaterinburg 2017&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmbYZEImEMI&amp;amp;t=146&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hohhot 2017&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmbYZEImEMI&amp;amp;t=180&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Championships Chelyabinsk 2014 | Tashiro vs Gwend&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h1&gt;Non-scoring pins&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a number of unconventional pins which are unclassified but are non-scoring or illegal. These also are differentiated from usual pins in that control comes from &lt;em&gt;behind&lt;/em&gt; uke's body:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Seated on side-ribs&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This pin is no longer considered valid for scoring since uke's arm is not between the legs, and thus no control over it (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLy8ggzTWpw&amp;amp;t=26470&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF Referee &amp;amp; Coach Seminar 2016 - Part 1 (7:20:10)&lt;/a&gt;).:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Example Image&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Description&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/noqklm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/noqklm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&amp;quot;This kind of osaekomi-waza is not valid and the referee must call mate if there is no progression in the action.&amp;quot; &lt;br&gt; - &lt;a href=&quot;http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2019/06/IJF_Sport_and_Organisation_Rul-1559822605.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF Sport and Organisation Rules (SOR, version 5 June 2019) (Sport Commission)&lt;/a&gt; (p.117)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;&amp;quot;Crucifix&amp;quot;&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Example Image&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Description&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/q8LKqm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/q8LKqm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;There is also the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucifix_position&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;crucifix hold&lt;/a&gt;, which as far as I'm aware does not come under any of the official Kodokan pin groupings. &lt;br&gt; Note: the Kodokan used to designate the collar choke executed from this position as &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kHjF5OkwMs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;jigoku-jime&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, but I believe it is now officially considered a variant of &lt;em&gt;okuri-eri-jime&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/AA9gLm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/AA9gLm.png&quot; alt=&quot;...&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Mifune's &lt;em&gt;ura-gatame&lt;/em&gt; (&amp;quot;Crucifix&amp;quot;) &lt;br&gt; This pin is considered non-scoring since tori's body is underneath uke's.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Headlock (without arm)&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally there are headlock pins which are illegal due to potential danger to the neck:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Example Image&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Description&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BsrZnm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BsrZnm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&amp;quot;This kind of osaekomi-waza is not valid and the referee must call mate immediately.&amp;quot; &lt;br&gt; &amp;quot;It is never allowed to hold an osaekomi just around the head/neck without control of at least one arm.&amp;quot; &lt;br&gt;- Ibid.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-03-27T10:14:57.660" LastActivityDate="2023-03-27T10:14:57.660" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9260" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9262" CreationDate="2019-07-09T09:21:02.457" Score="2" ViewCount="139" Body="&lt;p&gt;I met a young girl (19 years old at the time of writing) the other day who told me she had been sexually assaulted in the past. This made me very angry because she's a wonderful girl; for that to happen to her or anyone, for that matter, is despicable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, I wondered if martial arts be applied in these situations to combat sexual assault?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance if an assailant is on top of you holding you down, what can you do to get them off you? What about how to disarm someone threatening you with a weapon?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10162" LastEditorUserId="10162" LastEditDate="2019-07-10T12:12:13.797" LastActivityDate="2019-07-10T16:31:54.370" Title="Are there personal defense moves that a woman can learn to defend against sexual assault?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2019-07-15T22:42:08.330" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9261" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9256" CreationDate="2019-07-09T17:40:34.723" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/waza/list/#a2-2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Uki gatame&lt;/em&gt; is a Kodokan-classified pin&lt;/a&gt; that is neither a &lt;em&gt;shiho&lt;/em&gt; nor a &lt;em&gt;kesa&lt;/em&gt; type hold.  This pin is most common from the position where &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt; is attempting &lt;em&gt;ude-hishigi-juji-gatame&lt;/em&gt; with both legs over &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; and decides to change from the arm lock to a pin. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/iQMvn-WbWg0?t=20&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/P3Gj2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;uki gatame&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I would also argue that pins from a sankaku position are also not shiho holds, but the Kodokan says otherwise. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-07-09T17:40:34.723" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9262" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9260" CreationDate="2019-07-09T18:08:50.340" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;EDIT: The original question didn't mention the age of the &quot;young girl&quot;, so my answer assumes this could be a young child, and then later a young adult.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Assuming this young girl you speak of is a child&lt;/strong&gt;, then there's very little that can be done by the girl in terms of martial arts during the assault. She can yell &quot;no&quot;, kick, bite, scream, and run away. That's about it. Martial arts training generally won't do much to help her, not even Brazilian Jiujitsu. That's not just because of the size difference. It's also and primarily because of the psychology of the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what I've read on this subject, children that are raped are often the victims of relatives, authorities, and other people they know. They're usually groomed to accept these situations, so they're not going to even think about screaming. Even without grooming, they may not understand what's happening to them and won't know how to react. It may never occur to them to yell &quot;no&quot;, scream, get away, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's an entire line of psychology devoted to understanding this subject, with many books and research papers written about it. Suffice it to say, it's complicated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Probably the only thing you can do as a parent or teacher of a young child is to teach them where the boundaries are, what is good touching and bad touching, who can do the touching, etc. And then give them a very simple set of instructions for what to do when they suspect something bad is happening. They also need to be taught to recognize when they're being manipulated into keeping silent after the fact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts training is relatively unimportant compared with those other things, at least for young children.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;As for girls who are older and have more body weight and maturity (say, 11 years old and up)&lt;/strong&gt;, then martial arts training might help them get out of situations where a man is on top of them, pinning them down on the ground. In that scenario, Brazilian Jiujitsu is one of the best, if not the best, martial arts to know. They need to understand that their goal is to try to get out of there as quickly as possible. Chokes and other submissions should be a distant second.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind, women's &quot;self-defense training&quot; doesn't generally work. This is typically taught as a single day or a few days of training, whereby women are taught all kinds of ridiculously ineffective things to do in rape situations. There are videos online debunking them. (Look up Ramsey Dewey's videos, for example.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So this requires signing up and actually learning Brazilian Jiujitsu, and doing it for a couple years in order for your skills to become good enough to be reliable. Don't fall for self-defense courses. They're useless wastes of time, in general.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in addition to that and perhaps more importantly, young ladies have to be taught how to recognize when boundaries have been crossed and to bring it to the attention of their parents and other authorities. Once again, most of the time it's a relative, a friend of the family, or someone else they know that attempts to rape them. And they might have groomed them ahead of time to accept it. Girls have to be taught to recognize patterns of behavior and then speak up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's going to prevent the vast majority of bad situations from happening in the first place. For all other situations, BJJ is probably the way to go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-07-10T16:31:54.370" LastActivityDate="2019-07-10T16:31:54.370" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9264" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4284" CreationDate="2019-07-10T14:59:47.463" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Taijiquan regardless of style requires that the way you wish to practice, requires the shifu who teaches that way. No style when taught through the greater heavenly principles is easy, when training in the full syllabus taiji just gets harder and harder and more complex as time goes by. Old chinese saying &quot;do xing yi for a year to fight do taiji for 10 years to fight&quot;. Point of note if you study in a full syllabus style even for health and mental fitness you will have studied a full martial art,  to fight only requires the YI, intention.&#xA;PS their is nothing in the taiji styles syllabus that is different from each other, basic forms are different due to history and development, a full syllabus contains all taiji styles, Look at 2nd generation Yang shi it is very close in movement to the  chen style because thats  where it can from.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10165" LastEditorUserId="10165" LastEditDate="2019-07-10T15:36:39.067" LastActivityDate="2019-07-10T15:36:39.067" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9265" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6191" CreationDate="2019-07-10T15:19:40.837" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In a beginner class the average time would be 4'. In an experienced health and functional fitness target class the time would be 5,' but the form would be repeated 2-3 times in a row. &#xA;The taiji music from the parks in china run for 6:34 ish. To express the full internal the teacher will require 20'+ , this tudi would have trained full time for 15 + years.&#xA;Doing the yang 24 5 times in a row would be near a intermediate level yang long form, either 2nd or 3rd generation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10165" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-07-10T15:36:43.820" LastActivityDate="2019-07-10T15:36:43.820" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9266" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8909" CreationDate="2019-07-10T16:12:25.293" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The breath is a aid to drawing Qi, when thinking about the breath you are focusing on the internal movement of Qi. The movements work better with the greater heavenly orbit, also called the macrocosmic orbit. Visualisation is fundamental to Qigong but not necessary for exercising.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10165" LastActivityDate="2019-07-10T16:12:25.293" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9268" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5605" CreationDate="2019-07-10T18:17:29.617" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is demonstrated by the clip is not a martial art technique.  I would say it's a street technique for some dude who wants to be a make shift wrestler or martial artist.  You know the tough guy who thinks he is the big kid on campus but has NO LEGIT TRAINING.  I say this because almost ANY LEGIT martial artist would escape this bs &quot;lock&quot; as you called it in seconds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8964" LastActivityDate="2019-07-10T18:17:29.617" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9269" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9271" CreationDate="2019-07-11T04:42:59.537" Score="4" ViewCount="874" Body="&lt;p&gt;Intuitively I know faster punches = more speed is better. But also mass is important for generating force as well as energy. In high school physics we learn E = 1/2 mv^2 so energy is proportional to speed of punch squared. But also Force = mass x acceleration and acceleration is (speed - 0) / time of punch so there's that speed term again (this time it isn't squared).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'm wondering is it true that if I double the speed of my punch, itd have 2^2 = 4 times the knockout power? (assuming energy is what does the damage). Or would it only have twice the knock out power (twice the acceleration from 0).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10145" LastActivityDate="2019-07-11T13:52:14.143" Title="What knocks a person out: Is it energy or force?" Tags="|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|punching|striking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9270" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9273" CreationDate="2019-07-11T05:35:56.513" Score="1" ViewCount="163" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know BJJ is complicated, ground fighting in general has pins, reversals, a multitude of positions and movements / transitions between these positions, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Striking to a layman like myself seems to be 'less complex' but I know this is not true I just haven't understood it on as deep a level as I understand groundfighting. I'm wondering what's something that I can look into to help me understand striking on a deeper level? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I already understand some concepts like distance vs range, rhythm breaking etc. These are deep concepts and I don't fully grasp them (obviously) but wondering, is there more?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10145" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-11T12:17:43.890" LastActivityDate="2019-07-31T20:59:19.860" Title="What are the major tactical concepts of striking martial arts asides from the strike techniques themselves?" Tags="|muay-thai|style|striking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9271" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9269" CreationDate="2019-07-11T07:33:27.223" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Generally it is the &lt;strong&gt;force&lt;/strong&gt; that is important - not the energy but.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a simple misunderstanding here, in that looking at E = 1/2 mv&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's carefully look at the units - mass * velocity * velocity&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now velocity is distance / time&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So we end up with (mass * distance&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;)/time&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So we can see that by halving the time it takes to deliver a technique - we get 4 times the energy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now lets look at F = MA&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is mass * acceleration &gt;&gt; acceleration being distance / time&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So (mass * distance)/time&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meaning once again if we half the time taken to deliver the technique we get 4 times the force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main difference between the two is that for Energy we want &lt;em&gt;as much mass as possible travelling as fast as possible&lt;/em&gt;, for Force we want &lt;em&gt;as much mass as possible travelling as fast as possible &lt;strong&gt;to stop as quickly as possible&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If we look at modern cars - they travel the same speed as old cars - but have crumple zones at the front so that when they hit something they slow down more gently. The energy involved is the same - but the force is lower because the acceleration is more spread out - making it more survivable. So in general it is the &lt;strong&gt;force&lt;/strong&gt; that matters. &lt;em&gt;Humans can travel very quickly indeed (kinetic energy) its the sudden stop that kills you (force).&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now when it comes to knocking someone out - there are so many more variables than energy and/or force - (such as the location and direction that that force/energy is applied). The main thing to realise is that the defender wants to minimise the force and energy that they receive - either by dodging the attacks entirely - or reducing the speed with which a technique hits (thus reducing energy equation directly and the acceleration/deceleration part of F=MA)  - or lengthening the time over which the technique hits (again similar effect to both equations - a lesser deceleration).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-11T10:54:37.733" LastActivityDate="2019-07-11T10:54:37.733" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9272" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9269" CreationDate="2019-07-11T09:00:16.850" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer from @Collett89 is a good one. However, there are some other aspects which should also be considered for a KO. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, delivering a punch with constant speed would give you the momentum p = mv, which represents the start energy given to the punch. And it is difficult to keep this energy through a long distance, as there are other forces working on it like gravity, the damping effect of your muscles, friction, etc. Therefore, it would be better to start the punch with a velocity which is comfortable for you, and accelerate it to full speed shortly before the contact. This is the idea of the exploding energy &lt;code&gt;Fajin&lt;/code&gt; in tai chi chuan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And the second thing is that all these forces are vectors. Which means they have a direction. If you don't hit the punch with the correct angle to the surface, you will deliver only a part of your energy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And the last thing I would mention is the pressure. Pressure is the P=Force/Area, which plays a big role in this regard. If you minimize the contact area of your punch, it will be much more effective. But don't forget, all these forces affect on both sides. Maybe hitting with the tip of a finger with an enormous force would be very effective, but it would also break your finger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There can also be some other physical parameters, which I may not know. But I am only an engineer, not a physician.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6654" LastEditorUserId="6654" LastEditDate="2019-07-11T13:52:14.143" LastActivityDate="2019-07-11T13:52:14.143" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9273" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9270" CreationDate="2019-07-11T15:30:09.170" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think one thing that most people do not understand at the beginning, and might not realize for years in some Traditional Martial Arts, is that striking requires energy and will wear you out, even more so in a scenario where uncertainty means you can't set yourself to do one technique over and over again. A classic example in popular culture is Muhammad Ali's &quot;rope-a-dope&quot; defense where he let attackers wear themselves out while he found ways to absorb their blows with less damage. More often, I've seen TMA practitioners learn that lesson when pointed to a heavy bag and told to just attack it continuously for a few minutes. It does wear you out, and in an actual fight scenario, the added required strain of being prepared to dodge, block, or strike at a moment's notice just adds to it. And, not always obvious to people, missed or pulled strikes are almost as exhausting as ones that you land &quot;with full force&quot; because you need to exert just as much force, just in different ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even in MMA circles, it's not uncommon, especially at the heavier weights, to see new participants &quot;gassing out&quot; pretty quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Truthfully, this is as much a matter of cardio as tactics, but learning to strike selectively, to husband your energy for when you need to throw that flurry of blows, and how to recover while still defending yourself if that flurry doesn't work, is something you need to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-07-31T20:59:19.860" LastActivityDate="2019-07-31T20:59:19.860" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9274" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8961" CreationDate="2019-07-11T22:17:43.940" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The problem is, if there was a written standard it would likely be in Korean. Also, these poomsae tend to have minor tweaks over time. The closest you can get to a written standard is either the Official Kukkiwon Textbook published by Osung Publishing, or the Master Instructor Course Textbook obtained by attending the Kukkiwon's Master Instructor Course. Those are as definitively official as you get. The courses are well worth attending and I have blog posts (google for the links) with diaries of my experiences on them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I would say the best books on poomsae are Grandmaster Kang, Ik-pil's &quot;Explanation of Taekwondo poomsae&quot;, full of little tips and details (and GM Kang is one of the demonstrators in the official DVDs).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I can be of any more help, please let me know - I'm a 3rd and 2nd Class Kukkiwon-certified International Master and a 3rd Class Kukkiwon-certified Poom/Dan Examiner (and KKW 6th Dan)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4385" LastActivityDate="2019-07-11T22:17:43.940" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9275" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9287" CreationDate="2019-07-12T12:40:44.490" Score="1" ViewCount="4564" Body="&lt;p&gt;Basically, the counter involves the target of the spear thrust to stomp onto of the spear with their foot as can be shown in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ2YHCWfurE&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=124&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video clip from an old movie&lt;/a&gt;. This is described as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://sekiroshadowsdietwice.wiki.fextralife.com/Mikiri+Counter&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&quot;mikiri counter&quot;&lt;/a&gt; in Sekiro, Shadows Die Twice game parlance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously these two are from speculative media which allow for a heavy dose of &quot;magical&quot; abilities. However, &lt;em&gt;does this counter have a basis in real life? How effective at stopping a spear thrust would it be?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My gut feeling is that it is magical thinking but I am quiet happy to be proven wrong by any yari expert here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2019-07-21T19:00:11.443" Title="Stepping on a spear as a counter, aka &quot;mikiri&quot; counter" Tags="|technique|identification|fiction|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9276" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-07-12T18:05:11.623" Score="6" ViewCount="1682" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on my extensive experience watching some UFC fights on YouTube, this hand movement seems very common. All I can think of is it at least partially to keep the limbs moving and making it easier to make sudden movements, while getting the the opponent a bit desensitized to hands coming towards their faces.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Follow-up - so why don't boxers seem to do this as much?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2021-01-14T00:44:34.937" Title="What is the purpose of UFC fighters extending and retracting their lead hand? Why don't boxers do so, at least as much?" Tags="|boxing|ufc|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9277" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8001" CreationDate="2019-07-12T19:07:51.433" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This particular hand position, I couldn't say. But in Wushu (don't know if you had a specific &quot;Chinese sword form&quot; in mind), many of the positions and movements are not purely for martial purposes. They hold some symbolic or spiritual significance. Remember, though used in combat, the training was a spiritual practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10170" LastActivityDate="2019-07-12T19:07:51.433" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9278" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9276" CreationDate="2019-07-13T05:16:00.973" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is not my area of expertise, but there's a fairly lengthy exploration of it &lt;a href=&quot;https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/keeping-lead-hand-in-sticking-out-in-front.3525925/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. Some of the reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You use the arm as a antenna. as long as the opponent are outside of your reach you are safe. The oppnent have to lauch his attacks from slightly longer range than he is used to and it drives them insane. Sometimes I just move out of the way when they try to go in, sometimes I keep the arm rigid and use bodyweight shift to meet them half way and push them off ballance. sometimes, once the opponet has understood that they need to get inside the arm length to attack, I move the shoulder back and shorten the distance without them noticing it, and then launch an attack when they think they are safe.It is a very defensive stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Opponents tend to be frustrated and become focused on he hand as they cannot grasp that it really is not a threat in itself, and that you really give upp that hand as a effective offensive weapon. It is weak against good kickers (especially front kicks/teeps).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Plenty of fighters use it, it can obstruct the opponent's view, it can check their jab (assuming southpaw) and so on. It's also very common in Muay Thai which tends to have a longer guard than boxing. I've used it pretty much for as long as I've been training and I was taught with it - and honestly I've never had any problems, you've just got to understand WHY you use it - as opposed to just doing it because you've seen other fighters do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You move it in and out because, well, keeping any limb outstretched is practically begging for it to be struck or grappled. You don't see this as much in boxing because boxing tends to be an arm-reach sport while MMA has closer (grappling) and further (kicking) ranges to worry about, making gauging the distance all the more important. Also, if you're within striking range, it may be illegal. Apparently, the term for this is &amp;quot;posting&amp;quot; and it's meant to refer to pushing your opponent away or stiff-arming them instead of punching them, but it basically makes an extended arm potentially illegal if within range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-07-13T16:16:40.733" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9280" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9284" CreationDate="2019-07-13T23:40:23.540" Score="6" ViewCount="1930" Body="&lt;p&gt;And if so how far into human anatomy should you go? I know obviously aim for the jaw or back of the ear, and know certain spots on the body like the liver and solar plexus for winding the person. Does it get much deeper than this? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of the tradeoff between practical usefulness (once mastered so you could accurately hit a given pressure point) vs time to spend practising, what is the optimum amount of pressure point training you'd want to have to be confident you can defend yourself?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it good for multiple attackers?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10145" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-14T11:42:25.330" LastActivityDate="2019-07-15T14:37:54.740" Title="Is 'pressure point' striking a useful skill to know in a street fight?" Tags="|self-defense|mixed-martial-arts|streetfight|pressure-points|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9281" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9280" CreationDate="2019-07-14T00:57:32.827" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have an answer that I wrote which goes over the pressure point &quot;knock out&quot; phenomenon:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7752/how-do-you-knock-someone-out-using-pressure-points/7754#7754&quot;&gt;How do you knock someone out using pressure points?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary, &lt;strong&gt;the pressure point knock-out stuff is either over-hyped or outright nonsense&lt;/strong&gt;. There are only a few areas on the body which when hit will produce a knock-out. But all of the complicated TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) / acupuncture / kyusho-jitsu / dim-mak theory is a useless waste of time trying to understand. And getting a KO from these points isn't easy or reliable, as I explained in my answer at the link above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course there are more sensitive places (so called &quot;&lt;strong&gt;weak points&lt;/strong&gt;&quot;) on the body that hurt a lot more when you hit there. So you'll target those areas when boxing, kick-boxing, doing karate, etc. There's nothing mystical about it. They're places like the floating ribs, the solar plexus, the groin, the back of the knee, the jaw, the nose, etc. These targets are completely incorporated into most percussive martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pressure points are also used in &quot;&lt;strong&gt;pain compliance techniques&lt;/strong&gt;&quot;. For example, you can jam your thumb in the hollow behind the ear near the jawbone. It causes pain, which can make someone stop what they're doing and switch to something else. Same with wrist locks, whereby you can press on sensitive areas in the wrist to cause them to release their grip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pain compliance techniques are, like percussive martial arts, built into the techniques in grappling based arts. They aren't often the focus of the technique, and so you might not even be told to target these points. There are more important mechanical things you have to be doing correctly first before you can refine it so that you're also getting the pressure points along with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will say this about pain compliance techniques, though: &lt;strong&gt;You really can't rely on them one bit&lt;/strong&gt;. When you're in class with a partner, they work well. But when fighting for real with people that are experiencing adrenaline rushes as a result of the fight-or-flight physiological reaction, it doesn't generally work at all. The reason is that people in this state often don't feel pain. Or it might be very reduced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not to mention that in class, people let you do these pain compliance techniques on them, but in real life people don't sit there letting you do stuff to them. They're going to flail around. And while you're trying to crank with one hand on their wrist's pressure points and the other hand on their hand, they have one hand free to pop you in the nose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The focus, therefore, can't be on those pressure points. &lt;strong&gt;What you're doing has to work by itself anyway&lt;/strong&gt;. The pain compliance stuff comes in only as a refinement if it doesn't jeopardize the original technique in any way. That way, if it works, great. If it doesn't, nothing is lost.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But to answer the question of how much time you should spend in your martial arts practice on studying and targeting pressure points, the answer is &lt;strong&gt;zero&lt;/strong&gt;. That's because your martial art already targets those areas. And so you don't have to spend any extra time isolating that aspect of your training and really drilling it. It should already be a part of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't go down the wrong path of thinking you're going to go out and learn pressure point striking more seriously so that you'll have some kind of advantage over everyone else in your style. You might be thinking that if you could just pull these techniques out of your tool chest in sparring, you'll be unstoppable. The reality is that if your martial art doesn't already focus on this and doesn't already give you these tools, it's probably because those tools aren't important. Or I should say, they aren't the most important thing you should be learning right now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The topic of what works for self-defense is much more broad. Targeting weak points on the body is part of the full picture, but a small part, and one of many. Primarily, what works for self-defense is to train in such a way that you are able to test what you know on live, non-compliant partners that are trying all they can to resist you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's called &quot;&lt;strong&gt;pressure testing&lt;/strong&gt;&quot;, and a good example of this is how MMA people train. If you can make that way of training your foundation, you'll be able to see that targeting pressure points / weak points is more of a refinement of existing methods rather than a supplemental thing you have to go out and learn separately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if by some chance you practice a martial art that really doesn't address weak points on the body, they probably have a reason for that. For example, in Judo you don't see a lot of people doing an uchi-mata nage, for example, with the intent of smashing their opponent's groin &quot;by accident&quot; as they're doing it. They're not landing people on the back of their heads to get a knock-out, either. Getting knock-outs and hurting people isn't the goal of Judo. Their goal is to unbalance while standing, to throw, and to control on the ground. If something isn't helping them achieve that goal, they don't spend any time on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But Judo does have chokes, they have techniques such as kesa-gatame that restrict breathing, some of their holds can snap the spine with the slightest pressure, etc. Those techniques actually rely on weak points on the body. So even in Judo, these weak areas of the body are incorporated into what they do. But they're not going to spend time isolating them and going over all the ways of utilizing them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion, knowing how to utilize pressure points isn't going to give you much. You can study them intellectually, as that might interest you. But there are a lot of other things more important that you need to get first. And even after that, hitting on pressure points will never be your actual goal. You'll still use them, but only if it assists what you're already doing. And when you do use them, you won't even think about it, because it's already incorporated into your technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-07-15T01:54:31.817" LastActivityDate="2019-07-15T01:54:31.817" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9283" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9280" CreationDate="2019-07-14T17:11:43.110" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It gets deeper... but the obvious ones are still the best.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I learn a style called Shorinji Kempo.  This style is famous/notorious for it's use of 'vital point' techniques.  We use 'vital points' in every single technique.  But the thing about these is they are not exactly 'pressure points' more just weak points on the body.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now when we teach a beginner we teach them a specialised flicking technique that uses the fingers in a whipping action called the maeuchi for hitting the eyes (or sometimes in grappling the testicles).  Its very painful.  Doesn't take long to learn, but is a basic technique for causing just enough pain to allow you to either:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Get Away&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hit them again&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Start a grapple with a significant advantage.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This technique is great.  It's simple to learn, very effective and crucially it generally is unlikely to kill someone except in some kind of freak accident.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the other extreme... I was once taught one of the dim-mak (delayed death touch techniques).  It's really really simple.  You hit the person in the temple, cause damage to the blood vessels and eventually they die (medical attention asside from a phenomenon known as 'cerebral compression).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So basically it's useless to most civilians.  You have to hit a small target, from the side and it's likely to get you in a lot of legal trouble if you manage to pull it off whatever else was going on.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Needless to say it's also useless for the military or police.  Far too unreliable.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For this reason, so far as striking for self defence is concerned... Just stick with the obvious ones.  I see no reason to attempt anything too fancy: eye strikes, neck strikes and if you are able to cause a concussion so much the better.  The solar plexus isn't a bad shout either... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grappling however is where the advanced 'vital points' come in.  This is really pressure point stuff.  There are about 5 points on the arm that can be used for joint locks.  This is not pain compliance.  Rather you use these to cause a spinal reflex. (similar to if the doctor hits your knee with a hammer) Pain is entirely secondary to getting this hard wired 'flinch'.  In shorinji kempo you use it to throw people... Breaking joints is more likely if you did it in any pressured situation but is frowned upon in training for obvious reasons.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Competitions wise...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's possible to apply pressure to the carotid artery on one side of the neck for an effect similar to a strangle.  I once did this in a judo class and got a tap out.  The instructor wasn't familiar with this method and thought my opponent had tapped out for no reason so asked 'why did you tap out'?  My opponent replied 'he was strangling me'.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Vital points other than the obvious ones are little more than party tricks on their own.  You have to use them in combination with an actual physical technique.  They can enhance the effectiveness of both grappling and striking techniques... but you have to learn the technique with the use of the points built in otherwise you will waste time trying to use them.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2019-07-14T17:11:43.110" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9284" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9280" CreationDate="2019-07-15T14:37:54.740" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a debatable subject.  Some discount it, some swear by it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the long run, it is important to know.  If you want to knock someone out, you're supposed to know to hit them in the head.  And there are specific places and angles which will optimally land the KO.  Without such knowledge, your chances of achieving a KO are fairly slim.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said that, your adversary may not react to your striking those areas.  Psychosis, drugs, alcohol, injury, physique, adrenaline, and your experience all play an important role in their efficacy.  You generally don't train when your opponent is under psychosis, drugs, or alcohol; and when you and/or your training partner are fatigued or injured, you usually stop.  As a result, your only real training experience with pressure points and vital areas is when you are under optimal situations favorable to YOU.  This is where a lot of people stop - especially if they're just reading a book.  And they stop because they think they've learned all that they need to know to use them, which could be dangerous if they don't have a full understanding of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So knowing where to attack is important, but knowing that the intended result of striking the pressure point may not be realized is just as important.  Whether you realize it or not, you employ vital area / pressure point attacks all the time.  Doesn't your instructor tell you what part of your leg/foot to strike, and where to strike the opponent?  Isn't this something you work on all the time?  Of course, it's because of the tiny targets (pressure points and vital areas).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are you told to punch someone in the stomach, or is it better to slap them in the stomach?  Why?  It's because of the way that the vital areas work.  The stomach is soft, and so the optimal weapon is hard - like a fist.  (soft-to-hard, and hard-to-soft).  Some pressure points and vital areas are engaged with a strike, some with a rub, some with a squeeze, and some with a cover.  Squeezing the solar plexus isn't going to do much.  Rubbing the forearm isn't going to secure a joint lock.  Rubbing the eyes isn't nearly as useful as covering or poking the eyes.  You can repeatedly strike or rub someone in the mouth without much effect, but cover their mouth and it's lights out fairly quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So don't discount the science, and know that the effects are not 100% reliable.  Always have a backup plan in case your opponent isn't affected by it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rest assured, this isn't something you learn in a few months or a few years.  Studying and practicing pressure points takes a painstaking amount of time to understand and to get right, and training with different people who have different thresholds of pain and different physiques.  If you short cut this process, you become the example that the detractors use to explain why the techniques are useless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2019-07-15T14:37:54.740" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9285" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9288" CreationDate="2019-07-16T05:21:56.247" Score="2" ViewCount="239" Body="&lt;p&gt;while for others it looks so awkward. I understand basic footwork like the step shuffle and have heard of some 'advanced' techniques like the blitz step that somehow involve shifting your weight quickly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I watch someone like Bruce lee in the movies or Mohammad Ali they seem to move to effortlessly and elegantly and yet sometimes on the other end of the spectrum when I watch MMA it looks like 2 people have a brawl. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it possible for a very large person to move like this, does it have more to do with skill and practice of the basics or is there a trick to it? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10145" LastActivityDate="2019-07-18T12:18:11.310" Title="how come some people are able to move around the ring like they're skating or floating?" Tags="|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|footwork|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9286" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9285" CreationDate="2019-07-16T14:56:09.043" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Train hard. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from the mistakes of others. Keep at it. Over time you will improve. There are a million ways you can improve. The qualities of motion exhibited by Bruce Lee and Muhammad Ali are just some of them. And if that's what you desire, there's a path you can follow to acquire those attributes. And yes, anyone can do that. Life is short. Pick a small number of goals you want to achieve, and make serious effort towards them. That's all you can do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2019-07-16T14:56:09.043" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9287" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9275" CreationDate="2019-07-17T01:57:46.483" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I unfortunately do not have a very complete answer, but partial answers are worth something, I suppose. There's some discussion &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/martialarts/comments/osu9p/sword_vs_spear/c3juzsa/?utm_source=share&amp;amp;utm_medium=web2x&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; about a sword vs. spear bout that reminds us that, outside of movies, it's not that easy to just knock a spear down and keep it there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the hard part is actually grabbing the spear without getting impaled on it. Look at the ranges they stand in: for the most part, it's the point of the sword to the point of the spear, and that's for good reason. The spear guy can easily plunger the spear forward, so by the time your hand is in range of the spear, you're probably fucked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Batting the spear down is not an easy task either. There's not much of an angle to do this at all, and even if somehow you got it down, he can draw the spear back rather quickly. In a lot of these bouts, the spear guy gets 2-3 solid hits in before the kendo guy can even get in range to do his one hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is further reinforced in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afqhBODc_8U&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the test that Lindybeige did at a HEMA event&lt;/a&gt; where you can repeatedly see that the stabs are quick and high. Deflecting them is less a matter of &amp;quot;drive them into the ground or into the air&amp;quot; and more &amp;quot;move them enough that they barely miss you&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We did do a step disarm when I was studying &lt;em&gt;Bujinkan&lt;/em&gt; in Dayton, OH, but it was in staff vs. staff combat, and was intended to be done after grappling with the person and more or less immobilizing the spear before stepping on it. It was difficult to target the spear with your foot without looking and was tricky balance-wise, but indeed, it didn't take much weight to rip the staff out of the other person's hand, essentially doing a third-degree lever effect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-07-21T19:00:11.443" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9288" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9285" CreationDate="2019-07-17T14:32:49.460" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since  you referenced Bruce Lee I will comment on what I know about his training on footwork; here are some things he did to improve his footwork:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jump Roping was part of his routine. Boxers also use this to help with footwork. It helps you to be lighter on your feet.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bruce would run backwards during his jogging sessions to increase his back pedaling speed, which you often use during a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bruce also studied the footwork in fencing and incorporated that into his overall style (Jeet kune Do). Although this may have less to do with his finesse and more to do with strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bruce used to study Muhammad Ali’s footwork and then mimic it in a mirror. He was very impressed with Ali.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from those things I’m sure his light feet were more or less a result of his workout routine. I would imagine that a strong core and good muscle dexterity in your legs are necessary for such a performance. A strong core increases your balance, and good muscle dexterity in your legs and feet will give you more power and springiness in each step you take. If you’re looking for results like that,  I would look into Bruce’s workout routine honestly. Take a look at a book called “The Art of Expressing the Human Body”. It outlines his workout routine in detail.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don’t know much about Ali’s training so I can’t comment on how he developed his footwork.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What Steve said is quite true. Pick what you want to be really good at and go for it. People who study Jeet Kune Do are often surprised at the number of strikes/techniques there are too learn. Bruce limited the number of techniques employed because he would rather be really good at a smaller variety of techniques rather than be mediocre at a lot. Footwork was one of those things he really focused on. There is only so much time you can devote to training after all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10044" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2019-07-18T00:44:36.967" LastActivityDate="2019-07-18T00:44:36.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9289" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9285" CreationDate="2019-07-18T12:18:11.310" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Following up on junfanbl's answer, the key to moving smoothly like that, no matter your size, is efficiency. Doing specific footwork drills, such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agility_drill#Ladders,_hurdles_and_cones&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;agility ladders&lt;/a&gt; is important to give you building blocks to work from, but ultimately, the key is to become comfortable with your own body, and the only way to do that is to practice movement over and over again, both static drills and dynamic drills reacting to a partner. Initially, you will probably feel like you're lumbering around, but in time, you'll get accustomed to the movement and it will get baked into your muscle memory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing that you might want to look into, if you want to emulate Bruce Lee, is dance. Bruce Lee was a champion Cha-Cha dancer. Obviously, the dance patterns aren't generally directly applicable to fighting, but dancing teaches you to isolate your leg movement from your upper body when you want to, to confidently move your feet without looking, and to recover from minor stumbles without appearing to have stumbled at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-07-18T12:18:11.310" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9290" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5689" CreationDate="2019-07-19T00:35:43.740" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I feel really afraid to kick using the shin because I think the shin will break if someone blocked it using, for example, a knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are far more likely to break one or more of the many, many little bones in your foot than a big shin bone. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a real world example, kick something hard like some furniture, lightly of course, with your foot and then your shin. If you had to kick harder, which would you prefer to use?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, both hurt, but that big shin bone is much tougher than you think.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10181" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-07-19T10:22:28.720" LastActivityDate="2019-07-19T10:22:28.720" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9291" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9304" CreationDate="2019-07-19T04:40:45.060" Score="3" ViewCount="194" Body="&lt;p&gt;I only fought once but I have been sparring regularly on a weekly basis. Yesterday our coach made one of us stay in the ring and the rest would take turns fighting with them for 1 round, then when the whole class has fought that person he'd go out and someone else would jump into the ring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even though I am used to sparring with my gym colleagues, jumping into that ring while everyone is watching felt different and i suddenly was aware of every move i make and couldn't be relaxed and at ease, I wasn't doing my best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just want to know from those who fight often, did you go through the same thing and how do you overcome it? &#xA;I know that it may come with experience (more fights) but i'm wondering if there are other ways to get trained in that physiology piece of being on the spot&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10063" LastActivityDate="2019-07-27T18:10:36.173" Title="What kind of mentality do you have going into a fight vs sparring?" Tags="|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9292" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5689" CreationDate="2019-07-19T06:28:09.353" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As already mentioned above: shin conditioning. Let me add some words, too. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should start on a soft bag, then continue with hard bag, and then - with roped logs (you may see it in your gim - roped log, wrapped with rope). Roped logs are also differ - usually, the thinner is wrapping rope, the harder is to kick it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key points in conditioning - regularity and amount of kicks, hardness will come later. You should not kick with all your power. Soft kicks, but with big amount. You may start with, for example, one hundred kicks for each leg once a day. Then increase amount, and when you reach 5 hundreds, you surely may move to the next bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me also give you some warn. Please, don't use common trees/wall corners as a bag alternative. You may see in some movies, that real thai fighters (or Jan-Claud Van-Damm) do exercises with palms. The fact is, that they do it on special palms - their softness is close to wrapped logs in your gym. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;General rule is to use things, that are not more solid than your leg. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For shin kicking vs foot lift kicking - as mentioned above - shin kicking is much less trauma-causes - just because there are much less bones.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck and make your shins metal!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2019-07-19T08:48:31.660" LastActivityDate="2019-07-19T08:48:31.660" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9293" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9291" CreationDate="2019-07-19T07:38:53.573" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;You fight how you train, so train how you want to fight&lt;/em&gt; AKA &lt;em&gt;we all fall to the level of our training.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When sparring, you are learning two things. The first is how to amalgamate/internalize techniques so that they work for you. The second is how to cope with the unexpected. Both, in conjuncture, make you a better fighter. Sparring can be less or more intense as you (and your opponent) set the pace and practice different things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, the one thing lacking in sparring is an audience which will accentuate your innate fear of failure. It is a self confidence thing. You only get than by doing it whatever it is and &lt;em&gt;faking it&lt;/em&gt; till it's natural.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In class, no one is going to care if you fail. You are expected to fail. That is how we learn, from our (and others) mistakes. You should embrace this instead of fighting it. All that matters is that you learnt something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2019-07-19T07:38:53.573" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9294" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9295" CreationDate="2019-07-19T14:45:54.060" Score="6" ViewCount="949" Body="&lt;p&gt;Early judo contained (in addition to strangles and arm-locks) various types of &lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/leglocks/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;leg-lock&lt;/a&gt;. At some point in the early 20th century all leg-locks were banned in both randori and competition, and removed from the kodokan's syllabus (with the sole exception of &lt;em&gt;ashi-garami&lt;/em&gt; which remains as part of the katame-no-kata).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When and why did this happen?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-19T20:23:14.937" LastActivityDate="2019-07-22T15:40:33.407" Title="Why were leg-locks removed from Judo?" Tags="|judo|history|safety|joint-lock|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9295" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9294" CreationDate="2019-07-19T14:45:54.060" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Leg-locks were banned shortly after an 1899 exhibition match in Kyoto (held before Emperor Taishō) between Kodokan 3rd dan Yuji Hirooka and Fusen-ryū master &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mataemon_Tanabe&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mataemon Tanabe&lt;/a&gt;. During the match Tanabe performed a throw and subsequently applied a leg-lock, breaking Hirooka's leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the next meeting of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai_Nippon_Butoku_Kai&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Butoku Kai&lt;/a&gt; that year, Kano proposed banning leg-locks from regular jujutsu/judo competitions due to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the possibility of injury to the legs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;concerns over the 'interestingness' of leglocks from a physical education perspective&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tanabe objected, noting that other aspects of judo were equally dangerous. However of those present only Kaisuke Masuda (Shinnuki-ryū) supported Tanabe, and thus the ban was decided by majority.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In spite of this, due to petition from Tanabe, one of his favourite leglocks &lt;em&gt;ashi-garami&lt;/em&gt; was included in the Kodokan &lt;em&gt;katame-no-kata&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Some years ago I came across an account of a match held in 1899/1900 which was attended by the Emperor. This account was either in the Kodokan’s monthly Judo magazine or it was in the Judo International which was a joint French-Japanese project. The match took the best part of thirty minutes and eventually the Kodokan man succumbed to an &lt;em&gt;ashigarami&lt;/em&gt; leg lock. As I recall one of the competitors was Tanabe Mataemon. It was felt at the time that this was a messy match and should not have been held before the Emperor. Rule changes were mooted. I am still looking for that account.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;• &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20130212104354/http://sydhoare.com/FUSEN.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tanabe Mataemon Talks About His Fusen-Ryu JuJitsu&lt;/a&gt;, translated from the Dai-Nippon Judo-Shi (Great Japan Judo History), 1939&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Changes to match rules and the controversial &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajime_Isogai&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Isogai&lt;/a&gt; match&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;In May, 1899, prior to the fifth Enbu Taikai of the Butoku Kai, an umpire conference was held, chaired by Jigoro Kano. I will pick it up from the memoirs of Mr. Sanzo Maruyama.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;At the opening of the event, Chairman Kano said:&lt;/sup&gt;   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;    &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&quot;During shiai &lt;em&gt;'ashi-hishigi'&lt;/em&gt; have the potential to damage the nerves of the legs, and I wish to abolish it because it is not very interesting in physical education.&quot; &lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Needless to say, Tanabe rebutted the argument, arguing that:&lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;    &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&quot;&lt;em&gt;Ashi-hishigi&lt;/em&gt; have never taken a human life, and there are some dangers in both the Shin-ryū  (Kodokan style) and the Ko-ryū. Banning &lt;em&gt;ashi-hishigi&lt;/em&gt; is a great blow for the Koryū.&quot;&lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;However, when Kano asked the participants, &quot;Those in favour of Tanabe's proposal,&quot; only Kaisuke Masuda &lt;s&gt;of Hiroshima&lt;/s&gt; (correction: Shinnuki-ryū) agreed. And since Hoshino Kumon, the head of the Shiten school in Kumamoto, represented Ko-ryū and agreed to the abolition, Tanabe had to concede.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt;...&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;strong&gt;Supplementary note&lt;/strong&gt;   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Let us examine a little the &lt;em&gt;ashi-hishigi&lt;/em&gt; used by Tanabe. Maruyama describes the injury in the previous bout as &quot;knee joint&quot;. Since the historical &lt;em&gt;ashi-hishigi&lt;/em&gt; refers to the current Achilles-heel-gatame, naturally, the point of pressure is the Achilles tendon, and it seems that Tanabe used tomoe-nage as an entry into ashi-hishigi (generally, the right foot of the opponent is placed on the right side, and the left foot is held on the left side, and it is sandwiched between both legs). Another entry was to pass the foot outside from the inside of both feet of the uke and to turn it outward, as such it may have been closer to &quot;ashi-garami&quot;.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;hr&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;試合規定の変更と疑惑の磯貝戦&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;　明治三十二年五月、武徳会第五回演武大会の前に、嘉納治五郎を委員長として審判協議が行われた。これも丸山三造氏の回顧録から拾ってみる。&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt;　開口一番、嘉納委員長より「このたびの試合から固技中『足挫』は足の神経を害する恐れがあり、体育的にも甚だ面白くないから廃止したい」という申出があった。当然のことながら田邊から反論が出た。田邊は「足挫は人命に及んだことは無く、多少の危険は新流（講道館流）にも古流にもある。足挫を禁止することは古流にとって非常な打撃だ」と反論意見をしている。&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt;　これに対して嘉納は「田邊論に賛成のお方は」と、参加者に聞くと広島の松田魁輔（訂正、真貫流）だけが賛同するのみであった。そして、熊本の四天流家元の星野九門が古流を代表して廃止論に賛同を示したので、田邊も意見を引かなくてはならなかった。&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt;...&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;strong&gt;補記&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt;　ここで少し田邊が使った足挫について検証してみよう。先に書いた廣岡戦での怪我の箇所を丸山氏は「膝関節」と書いている。足挫はご存知のように現在のアキレス腱固なので、当然、痛む箇所はアキレス腱であるが、田邊は巴投げからかける順手の足挫（一般的には相手の右足を右脇に、左足は左脇に抱えて両足で挟む）であったようだ。それも外になる足を相手の両足の内側から通し大きく外側にまわすようにする入り方で、「足緘」に近い入り方であったといえるだろう。&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;• &lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.is/20071018025211/http://www.bokuden.or.jp/~bunbkan/page239.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;外編２−古流と講道館流&lt;/a&gt; - &lt;em&gt;Koryu and Kodokan style&lt;/em&gt; (archive: bokuden.or.jp)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-22T15:40:33.407" LastActivityDate="2019-07-22T15:40:33.407" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9297" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7255" CreationDate="2019-07-21T16:58:48.747" Score="3" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Brazil&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;1997&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A &lt;a href=&quot;http://super.abril.com.br/esporte/golpes-mestres-437257.shtml&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1997 article&lt;/a&gt; on the number of martial arts practitioners in Brazil claimed that there were 100,000 BJJ practitioners:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jiu-jitsu - 100,000&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Tae Kwon Do - 150,000&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Kung Fu - 330,000&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Karate - 1,000,000&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Judo - 2,000,000&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;2012&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20160322103627/http://esporte.esp.br/os-10-esportes-mais-praticados-no-brasil/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2012 article&lt;/a&gt; on the top ten sports in Brazil quoted Judo at number 9 with 2.2 million practitioners, and running at number 10 with 2.1 million practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since Jiu-Jitsu was not among the top 10 (and assuming the number of practitioners had increased since 1997) the 2012 figure would have been &lt;strong&gt;between 100,000 and 2.1 million.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;2013&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A survey from 2013 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics reported the number of Jiu-jitsu practitioners at 1.3% of respondents, approximately 2.5 million scaled to the total population:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Esta pesquisa envolveu 8.902 entrevistas com brasileiros de várias idades e regiões, e o Jiu-Jitsu foi citado como esporte de 1,3% dos brasileiros – algo em torno de &lt;strong&gt;2,5 milhões de praticantes.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.graciemag.com/2019/04/15/quantas-pessoas-praticam-jiu-jitsu-e-esportes-de-luta-no-brasil-pesquisa-da-estimativa/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.graciemag.com/2019/04/15/quantas-pessoas-praticam-jiu-jitsu-e-esportes-de-luta-no-brasil-pesquisa-da-estimativa/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;2015&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The following site claims that there are almost 200,000 practitioners in the major cities of Brazil:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Sem dúvida, o Jiu-Jitsu é o esporte individual que mais cresce no país, com &lt;strong&gt;quase 200.000 praticantes em&lt;/strong&gt; 13.000 salas de ensino, considerando somente &lt;strong&gt;as grandes capitais&lt;/strong&gt; - Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, São Paulo, Fortaleza, Recife e Brasília.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20140512205445/http://www.abilitysports.com.br/delariva/historia.asp&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.abilitysports.com.br/delariva/historia.asp&lt;/a&gt; (archived)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;2018&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The following site claims that as of 2018 BJJ has grown in popularity to become the sport with the second largest number of practitioners in Brazil (after football):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;En la actualidad se le considera uno de los deportes del mundo con mayor crecimiento y en Brasil &lt;strong&gt;es el segundo deporte, detrás del fútbol, con mayor número de practicantes.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://as.com/ascolor/2018/07/08/reportajes/1531085965_547902.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://as.com/ascolor/2018/07/08/reportajes/1531085965_547902.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.graciemag.com/2019/04/15/quantas-pessoas-praticam-jiu-jitsu-e-esportes-de-luta-no-brasil-pesquisa-da-estimativa/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;late 2018 survey&lt;/a&gt; by the Brazilian Ministry of Health reported that almost 5 million Brazilians practise some form of combat sport (note this includes capoeira, muay thai, judo etc):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Pesquisa divulgada no fim de 2018, pelo Ministério da Saúde, indica que os esportes de combate estão de fato em alta... De acordo com a pesquisa do governo, cerca de 5 milhões de brasileiros praticam lutas hoje. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;US&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Gracie academies&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The following marketing analysis from 2015 quotes the number of students at the then 1,400 Gracie academies in the US at 35,000, and claims it is the 4th most popular sport in the US after football, baseball and basketball among young adult men:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The number of Gracie academies in the U.S. has doubled to about 1,400 since 2006, and there is at least one in every state, according to Rener Gracie. More than half of &lt;strong&gt;the network’s 35,000 students&lt;/strong&gt; are middle-aged; of these, a third are white-collar professionals. In Chicago, at least 20 schools, including five Gracie-affiliates, offer instruction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Experts credit BJJ’s popularity to the rise of mixed martial arts, which is now &lt;strong&gt;the number four most popular sport in the U.S. among the coveted demographic of men, ages 18 to 34;&lt;/strong&gt; it trails only football, baseball and basketball, according to research by Scarborough Sports Marketing in New York. The annual pay-per-view audience for the UFC first exceeded boxing and professional wrestling in 2006, and two years ago, the promotion signed a lucrative seven-year deal with Fox for cable and broadcast rights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://finalstepmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/BJJ-REPORT-2.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Market Research, BJJ Industry&lt;/a&gt; (finalstepmarketing.com)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;IBJJF academies&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note the IBJJF recorded 304 registered BJJ academies in the US total in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/12ljgb/are_there_any_statistics_to_show_the_rise_in/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2012&lt;/a&gt;, and as of &lt;a href=&quot;https://ibjjf.com/registered/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2019&lt;/a&gt; records 1,324 registered academies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The IBJJF page contains the following footnote:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;The information herein is made available to the public by the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) and simply lists academies that are certified by the IBJJF. To be a certified academy simply means that:The academy has a head professor who is a member of IBJJF with the rank of black belt and that the academy’s students are able to participate in IBJJF events. Although care has been taken to ensure the accuracy, completeness and reliability of the information provided,the IBJJF assumes no responsibility therefore.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;UAE&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In 2008 BJJ became a school-curriculum sport in the UAE (much like Judo in Japan). In 2013 the number of students was &lt;a href=&quot;https://forums.sherdog.com/posts/83905873/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;over 20,000&lt;/a&gt;, and by 2016 the number of students had almost quadrupled to over 76,000:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In 2008, the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) adopted the sport of Jiu-Jitsu in the curriculum of public schools in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region. This initiative was initially implemented in 14 schools, but the overwhelming success was way beyond expectations, prompting the initiative to be expanded to 46 schools in 2012. The number of schools that have adopted the Jiu-Jitsu program in the emirate surpassed 130 in 2016, with &lt;strong&gt;over 76,000 students&lt;/strong&gt; participating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sportsjournal.ae/youth/introduction-to-uae-jiu-jitsu-school-program/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.sportsjournal.ae/youth/introduction-to-uae-jiu-jitsu-school-program/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;UK&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is also the following blog's 2011 estimation based on a sample of 30 UK clubs:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The range of values I arrived at was from &lt;strong&gt;a minimum of 2,048 to a maximum of 3,206 practitioners.&lt;/strong&gt; [...]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;To put it differently, out of every 100,000 people randomly selected in the UK you should meet no more than 3-5 people who do BJJ once per week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://parttimegrappler.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-many-people-train-brazilian-jiu.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://parttimegrappler.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-many-people-train-brazilian-jiu.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Further discussions:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/41xgrg/need_some_statistics_on_bjj/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/41xgrg/need_some_statistics_on_bjj/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/how-many-people-currently-train-bjj-in-the-us-worldwide.2488859/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/how-many-people-currently-train-bjj-in-the-us-worldwide.2488859/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-22T15:19:32.860" LastActivityDate="2019-07-22T15:19:32.860" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9298" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9299" CreationDate="2019-07-22T23:57:51.380" Score="3" ViewCount="2993" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/CRSldaaVJRk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This Youtube&lt;/a&gt; shows this strike at the 1:28 mark, and the striked man just topples. Obviously I don't want to toppple or cause any pain to myself. I just want to feel  the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peroneal_strike&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peroneal_strike&lt;/a&gt; a little.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I followed these instructions on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.quora.com/How-do-you-give-someone-a-dead-leg/answer/Rick-Hamilton&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Quora&lt;/a&gt;, but didn't feel the peroneal nerve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, learn to locate the target nerves. Stand erect, and relaxed, with your hands hanging at your sides and your thumbs resting along the side seam of your trouser legs. Press inward, against your thighbone, with the middle fingers of each hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The spots where your fingers are pressing will correspond to the area circled in the drawing below. That is your target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Within the circle are the femoral, perineal, and sciatic nerves. Striking any or both with a hard penetrating blow will cause sharp pain, then numbness in the thigh, and the leg will buckle. Your opponent will have great difficulty walking, or even standing, for a minute or so, then the discomfort will begin to dissipate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/rKD04.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/rKD04.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user10129" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-07-23T02:25:58.317" Title="How can I gently test the Peroneal Strike on myself?" Tags="|striking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9299" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9298" CreationDate="2019-07-23T02:25:58.317" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The effect of the spot you indicate is known colloquially as a &quot;dead leg&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can strike this spot without any great danger, it simply induces a throbbing pain and a temporary loss of control to the muscles in the area. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The description in Quora: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Stand erect, and relaxed, with your hands hanging at your sides and your thumbs resting along the side seam of your trouser legs. Press inward, against your thighbone, with the middle fingers of each hand.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;is correct, but you won't feel anything with your fingers - that point is well protected by muscle and you cannot reasonably access it just by pressing with your fingers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to strike it yourself, use your thumb knuckle (and remember to go a little lower - your thumb is naturally a bit higher than that point when your arm is fully extended).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However you can only hit it yourself with limited force. If you really want to experience it properly, have someone kick you on that spot - it won't take much force to experience the full sensation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2019-07-23T02:25:58.317" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9300" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9305" CreationDate="2019-07-23T06:12:09.700" Score="5" ViewCount="2226" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some eastern martial arts (such as karate, taekwondo) prohibit straight boxing-style strikes/punches to the head in their sports rules:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A punch that makes strong contact with the opponent's hogu scores 1 point. The punch must be a straight punch with arm extended; jabs, hooks, uppercuts, etc. are permitted but do not score. &lt;strong&gt;Punches to the head are not allowed.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo#World_Taekwondo_(WT)_Competition&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo#World_Taekwondo_(WT)_Competition&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Punches to the face&lt;/strong&gt;, groin, and joint &lt;strong&gt;are prohibited&lt;/strong&gt; but all bare-knuckle and elbow strikes to the body and limbs (with the exception of joints), and kicks (including kicks with the knee) against legs, arms, body, head and face are permitted, as are sweeps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_contact_karate#Different_formats&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_contact_karate#Different_formats&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But why, historically? With respect to these arts, it seems somewhat impractical - these arts have large amount of possible moves, why are such punches prohibited?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is absolutely not an attempt to belittle eastern martial arts, but mainly, to ask &lt;strong&gt;why&lt;/strong&gt;. A lack of these strikes influences style and moves - you cannot (in general) afford such a degree of complex kicks in kickboxing (or muai-thai, for example) - you sometimes just don't have time for it - as your opponent is coming close, within knee/fist striking distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-23T16:42:16.320" LastActivityDate="2023-06-03T08:32:57.167" Title="Why are punches to the head prohibited in some Eastern striking martial arts?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|history|punching|style|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9301" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9302" CreationDate="2019-07-23T21:22:50.037" Score="3" ViewCount="515" Body="&lt;p&gt;My children are learning Karate right now and they are much smaller than other children their age. I was thinking maybe they can do some kind of exercise that would help them grow taller. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However we go to a lot of Karate competitions, and I also have observed athletes in their Dojo, and I noticed that the taller people are generally slower in movements due to their sheer size. I understand in &lt;em&gt;Kumite&lt;/em&gt; (sparring) taller people are at an advantage because their shorter opponents cannot reach in to them easily, but for &lt;em&gt;Kata&lt;/em&gt; you need quick and strong movements. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my question is for a professional Karate champion, does being taller mean he/she is getting slower in their &lt;em&gt;Katas&lt;/em&gt;? Or in other words, are there a lot of famous Karate champions who are tall?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10187" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-07-24T01:52:16.260" LastActivityDate="2019-07-27T18:22:36.463" Title="Karate - Does being tall make you slow in Kata?" Tags="|karate|sparring|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9302" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9301" CreationDate="2019-07-24T01:57:36.290" Score="5" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I was thinking may be they can do some kind of exercise that would help them grow taller.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stop now - there are no exercises that will accelerate vertical growth. Your kids will grow at the rate that they are genetically predisposed to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;But for Kata you need quick and strong movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not always - in some traditional katas there are slow moves. You probably haven't seen them yet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;i also notice athletes in their Dojo and i observed that the taller people are generally slower in movements due to their sheer size.... does being taller mean he/she getting slower in their Katas&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We should differentiate between &lt;em&gt;tallness&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;sheer size&lt;/em&gt; - they are two different things. &lt;em&gt;Sheer size&lt;/em&gt; would imply that the person is physically bigger rather than just taller. People who are large can be slower but that is not a rule - they can also be just as quick as anyone else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When we think about height (tallness), it becomes interesting. Being taller will usually mean you also have longer limbs, and based purely on physics this means your strike can take longer to get to its full extent (i.e. it takes longer for a tall person's punch to reach its limit when compared to a shorter person). However that assertion is also arguable - when it comes to a fight or sparring the combatants are standing at the same distance from each other so your techniques both have the same distance to travel. In this scenario speed is based purely on a person's training and physical capability rather than their physical attributes.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2019-07-24T01:57:36.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9303" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9301" CreationDate="2019-07-24T01:59:52.797" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;To answer the second sentence in your first paragraph, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.livestrong.com/article/385798-exercises-that-make-you-grow-taller/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;there is no exercise that will make you taller&lt;/a&gt;, although there are exercises that will improve posture. For children, the primary factor is avoiding malnourishment, but that's difficult to do in this modern time, so you should be good. As regards taller martial artists, it's a mixed bag. They have greater reach, but they generally have more mass to move over a longer distance than someone shorter. On the other hand, once they start moving, that greater force means they're likely hitting harder and the reach, of course, is important when fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt;, I'd say that that there should really be no difference. Theoretically, a taller person might have a slight balance disadvantage due to a higher center of gravity, but the odds are that this is not a major factor. Otherwise, &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; emphasizes good solid controlled techniques, so speed is not as important, and the inherent control and designated movements means that the taller martial artist's reduced ability to slow their blows is not as much of an issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-07-24T01:59:52.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9304" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9291" CreationDate="2019-07-24T04:26:56.737" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Actually, no. When I was a beginner, even with others watching, I am too busy being focused on the person in front of me, to think of the audience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd like to introduce you to the concept of Zanshin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Zanshin is a word used commonly throughout Japanese martial arts to refer to a state of relaxed alertness. Literally translated, zanshin means “the mind with no remainder.” In other words, the mind completely focused on action and fixated on the task at hand. Zanshin is being constantly aware of your body, mind, and surroundings without stressing yourself. It is an effortless vigilance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taken from &lt;a href=&quot;https://jamesclear.com/zanshin&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Western context, it's what they call being in the zone, whether it is sparring or working on a project. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For starters, to overcome this, you need to enter fighting/sparring with a goal in mind. Not anything grandiose, like today, I want to knock him down. Perhaps, today, I will watch his hands, and for every punch he gives me, I punch back twice. Only one goal at a time. You'd find that you are so occupied to achieve this goal, that everything else is just background noise. When  you've accomplish this, gradually build up with more goals/objectives.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2019-07-24T04:26:56.737" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9305" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9300" CreationDate="2019-07-24T04:33:58.040" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;As per what was mentioned in the comments, these are competition rules. But these arts do teach and practice face punches/strikes in their syllabus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd like to draw an example from my style: Kyokushin karate. It did have a category for bare knuckle face punches for awhile, but it was messy, it was bloody, and because the head (especially the face area) can be punched easily fighters only focused on the face and disregarded all other less damaging techniques like body shots and kicks. This turned into a boxing match with fighters wearing karate gis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It made competition uninteresting and dangerous and participation was lacking after the first 2 years. As for Taekwondo, they will never allow head punches with fists for safety reasons, as it is an Olympic requirement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-24T07:15:11.443" LastActivityDate="2019-07-24T07:15:11.443" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9306" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9300" CreationDate="2019-07-24T14:18:21.350" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The reason for the no-punch-to-the-head is to encourage the kicking aspect of the style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Punches are easier, kicks are far more difficult.  Therefore, to encourage use of kicks, there are more point options with kicks: standing kicks, turning kicks, and standing and turning kicks to the head garner more and more points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo needs to ensure that it is distinct from other sports in the Olympics, as well.  To ensure a stronger delineation between it and boxing, punches to the head are eliminated.  Now that Karate is coming to the Olympics, they, too have the burden of creating a ruleset which distinguishes itself from wrestling, boxing, and taekwondo.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It should also be noted that while official WT-sanctioned events will formally use no-head-punch rules, local competitions that are not WT-sanctioned (eg, open tournaments) can (and often do) allow head punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So bottom line, head-punching is disallowed to encourage more dynamic movement with high kicks, and to distance itself from other sports (karate, kickboxing, boxing, etc).  While you may be asking about head-punches, you could just as easily have asked about grappling, too.  It's for the same reason: to encourage use of kicks in competition.  Grappling is a part of taekwondo as evidenced by examination of your poomsae/hyung.  But only in the Olympics is this generally enforced: local competitions are free to establish whatever rules they want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2019-07-24T14:18:21.350" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9307" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8695" CreationDate="2019-07-26T10:53:12.847" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A 1947 newspaper report claimed Hélio had been awarded an unspecified grade by an unspecified Japanese judo academy:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The headline on &lt;strong&gt;page 10 of the Friday June 6, 1947 edition of &lt;em&gt;A Noite&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; proclaimed &quot;&lt;em&gt;Helio Gracie oferece 16 mil dolares para luitar com Joe Louis!!&lt;/em&gt; [&quot;Helio Gracie offers 16, 000 dollars to fight Joe Louis!&quot;]. &quot;I will give Joe Louis 16, 000 $ to fight me&quot; Helio promised [&quot;&lt;em&gt;Darei 16,000 dolares a Joe Louis para lutar comigo&lt;/em&gt;&quot;].&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;He was confident that jiu-jitsu was superior to boxing [&quot;&lt;em&gt;O jiu-jitsu é superior ao box&lt;/em&gt;&quot;]. Helio Gracie was qualified to act as self-appointed representative of jiu-jitsu because, &lt;strong&gt;according to the article, Helio was the only Brazilian with a title conferred by a Japanese academy&lt;/strong&gt; [&lt;em&gt;o unico brasileiro que possui titulo concedido por uma academia japonesa&lt;/em&gt;].&lt;sup&gt;32&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;32. If it was true that a Japanese academy certified Helio prior to June 1947, it was not reported before or since.&lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.global-training-report.com/myths6_hist.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Choque: The Untold Story of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazi, Volume 1: 1856-1949&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Chapter 24 (&quot;1947&quot;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As Sean Duggan notes, there are conflicting later reports of Hélio's grade post-1947:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;One day, Helio Gracie, judo 6th dan, issued a challenge to us. The rule of the bout was different from that of judo or pro wrestling. The winner was decided by submission only. No matter how cleanly a throw is executed or how long Osaekomi lasts, it does not count. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/kimura4/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;My Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Masahiko Kimura (1951)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Hélio Gracie himself had already risen to the rank of 6th dan in judo by the time of his fight against Kimura in 1951. According to Masahiko Kimura in his book &quot;My Judo&quot;. Kodokan records have Hélio Gracie recorded as a 3rd dan in judo, but it is not unusual for a foreign judoka's actual grade to be higher than that officially ranted and recorded by the Kodokan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1Ze0-x2ROuQC&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;3rd+dan_in_judo&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;World of Martial Arts !&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Robert Hill&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2019-07-26T10:53:12.847" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9308" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9291" CreationDate="2019-07-27T18:10:36.173" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Training is everything... the feelings don't totally leave you just learn to rely on your training. The minute you hear the bell or your sensei call out that is when the training takes over. &#xA;I would practice two other things 1 my Kata's and 2 Meditation with proper breathing. Once i had these two items focused the peacefulness and focus takes over.&#xA;Yamatai..   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10190" LastActivityDate="2019-07-27T18:10:36.173" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9309" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9301" CreationDate="2019-07-27T18:22:36.463" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer about being Tall is NO... i am currently 6'5&quot; tall and have won several Kata competitions, the awkwardness or the difficulty with being taller is training yourself to shorten your moves and still show the quickness and crispness in your movement. The other questions about exercising to get taller is none.. also just to comment height has it advantages but being tall or short doesnt matter you just need to understand your approach and understand your opponent and their moves. Remember a boxer is as good as his/her jab.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10190" LastActivityDate="2019-07-27T18:22:36.463" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9310" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4457" CreationDate="2019-07-27T18:41:48.417" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Originally all gis were &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2360/why-are-traditional-karate-gis-white&quot;&gt;white&lt;/a&gt;, having been adopted from those used in Judo. According to Reila Gracie’s biography of Carlos Gracie, the first coloured jiu-jitsu uniforms were introduced by Reylson Gracie during the '70s as part of various developments to better market BJJ:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Em 1976... Com sua visão comercial, Reylson seria o pioneiro numa estratégia de marketing para explorar o jiu-jítsu: foi dele a idéia de criar uma grife de roupas que incluía quimonos coloridos.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=uJ8TAQAAIAAJ&amp;amp;dq=quimonos+coloridos&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Carlos Gracie - o criador de uma dinastia&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, 2008 (p.414)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is around the same time coloured gis first saw experimentation in Judo globally, before settling on &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9198/why-was-blue-chosen-to-distinguish-competitors-judo-gis&quot;&gt;blue&lt;/a&gt; to distinguish competitors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-02-05T13:38:57.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9311" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-07-27T22:09:54.527" Score="5" ViewCount="1970" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently started training BJJ and after certain classes I've felt light-headed, mentally slow and will sometimes even have a headache. These symptoms can sometimes span a couple of days. This led me to have a few questions I couldn't find answers for online.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Firstly, what, if any, research is there on cognitive damage from training BJJ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, is it possible to be losing brain cells simply by having a lot of pressure being applied to your neck or head from a choke?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And lastly, are there any practices within BJJ that are known to be riskier with respect to brain damage that should be watched out for? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10191" LastEditorUserId="10191" LastEditDate="2019-07-28T16:46:19.333" LastActivityDate="2019-07-31T09:42:49.187" Title="Risk of head injuries or cognitive impairment from training BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|brain-injury|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9312" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9311" CreationDate="2019-07-28T09:09:22.083" Score="8" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Head injuries in Judo and possible differences between Judo and BJJ&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The studies&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; quoted in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/9140/8910&quot;&gt;this answer&lt;/a&gt; about head and neck injuries in judo come to the conclusion that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;severe injuries in judo are rare, but when they do occur they are mostly to the brain and spine, mostly occur during throws (as opposed to chokes), and mostly occur due to 'bad falling'&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;repeatedly being thrown or choked (as a competitive judoka) does not result in chronic brain injuries&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Two differences between BJJ and Judo which may make contribute to higher injury rates in BJJ:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;neck cranks are permitted in BJJ&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;in many clubs breakfalling is not practised to the same extent as in judo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since the authors of the above study explicitly cite &quot;lack of falling skills&quot; among &quot;inexperienced&quot; judoka (those practising &amp;lt; 3 years) as the most prominent cause for head injuries in judo, this last point seems particularly pertinent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Choke induced injuries in BJJ&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A study of injuries in BJJ&lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt; reported only one injury from choking techniques, being a neck strain:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;There was 1 neck injury, a cervical strain, caused by the BJJ “triangle” technique, a type of choke (Figure 2). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is also a single case study&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt; of a person suffering a carotid dissection and subsequent permanent weakness on the right side of their body, forcing their retirement. The author of the case study notes that though such arterial dissections have been noted before in other martial arts, they are usually the result of strikes, not chokes. As such, they hypothesize the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;... this particular dissection involved the origin of internal carotid artery, suggesting the following biomechanical sequence: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;carotid artery compression, creating a point of fixation and &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;subsequent hyperextension of the neck, with contralateral head rotation.&lt;sup&gt;22)&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The resultant traction would suffice to stretch and rupture the intimal layer of carotid artery distal to its point of fixation (Fig. 3).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/b2I8am.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/b2I8am.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Fig. 3&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt;Artistic rendering of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu maneuver known as Rear Naked Choke or Lion Killer: combined neck extension and head rotation (as a defense measure) stretches the compressed internal carotid artery at its origin, causing dissection.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Take-down/strike induced head injuries in BJJ&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A second study&lt;sup&gt;22&lt;/sup&gt; found that a quarter of BJJ practitioners reported concussion as a result of practice:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;This study provides an initial examination of sports-related concussion in BJJ practitioners. Through retrospective surveys, we have shown that 25.2% of BJJ practitioners reported having a concussion while engaging in BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Comprehensive analysis of injury rates, types, and causes in BJJ&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A more comprehensive study&lt;sup&gt;19&lt;/sup&gt; of injuries in BJJ vs Judo and MMA finds head injuries to be more prevalent than in Judo, and that the majority of injuries in BJJ were sustained via being struck or take-downs:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;From 2008 through 2015, U.S. EDs saw an estimated 12,538 injuries resulting from BJJ participation, and the head (21%) and trunk (20%) were the most commonly injured body regions. Judo participation resulted in an estimated 10,102 injuries nationally, and the leg (21%) and the shoulder (20%) regions were injured most often. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Lastly, among the sub-sample with sufficient data to determine what events lead up to the injury—47% for BJJ and 48% for Judo—a majority of individuals were injured from being struck or landing (BJJ 65% and Judo 57%).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The study reports that the most common head injury in BJJ was lacerations:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Concussions were the most commonly occurring head injuries for MMA (38%) and Judo (37%); lacerations were the most common head injury for BJJ (25%).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Our study found striking to be a leading cause of injury for both the striking&#xA;  sport, MMA, and non-striking sports, BJJ and Judo. This finding may indicate that&#xA;  the rules prohibiting striking in BJJ and Judo are not sufficient or require better&#xA;  monitoring or enforcement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that injuries more often occur in training than in competition:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The majority of BJJ (9390 [95% CI 4961, 13,820]) and Judo (5771 [95% CI 4334, 7207]) injuries occurred during non-competitive grappling, while the majority of MMA injuries (9086 [95% CI 4325, 13,848]) occurred during competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The study comes to the conclusion that many injuries could be avoided in BJJ by increased training in ukemi:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;BJJ&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The most frequently injured body parts for BJJ that we found were the head, neck&#xA;  and trunk, which is inconsistent with prior research showing the knee and elbow&#xA;  were injured most often (Kreiswirth et al., 2014; Scoggin III et al., 2014), but may be explained by the wider variety of takedowns permitted and the dynamic use of one’s core. However, the most injured body parts in BJJ competitions were the arm and shoulder, which may be due to the use of joint locks, but remains ambiguous; most narratives mentioned the patient feeling a ‘‘pop’’ before their injury and only one narrative mentioned a ‘‘wrist bar’’ maneuver contributing to injury. Lastly, a large proportion of competitors’ injuries to the head, neck, and trunk in BJJ were a result of their opponent landing on them or accidently striking them. &lt;strong&gt;Our findings indicate that numerous injuries could potentially be avoided by increased training in proper falling techniques as is frequently taught in Judo (Pocecco et al., 2013), as well as protective gear that better absorbs the impact of accidental strikes.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sources&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Training&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;9. &lt;a href=&quot;http://joper.org/JOPER/JOPERVolume3_Issue4_10_12_2016_97.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Common Injuries of Recreational Jiu-Jitsu&lt;/a&gt;, 2016&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;12. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/5/2/39&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Prevalence of Injuries during Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Training&lt;/a&gt;, 2017&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;25. &lt;a href=&quot;https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1941738119849112&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Injury in Training Survey&lt;/a&gt;, 2019&lt;/sup&gt;   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Competition&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;3. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/929/92923617012.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;The prevalence of injuries in Jiu-Jitsu according to the report of the athletes participating in 2006 world...&lt;/a&gt;, 2012&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;5. &lt;a href=&quot;https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2325967114522184&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Assessment of Injuries During Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Competition&lt;/a&gt;, 2014&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;6. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.natajournals.org/doi/abs/10.4085/1062-6050-49.1.11&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Incidence of Injury Among Male Brazilian Jiujitsu Fighters at the World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2009&lt;/a&gt;, 2014&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;11. &lt;a href=&quot;https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000072?cpetoc=&amp;amp;utm_source=trendmd&amp;amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;amp;utm_campaign=bmjosem&amp;amp;utm_content=consumer&amp;amp;utm_term=0-A&amp;amp;int_source=trendmd&amp;amp;int_medium=trendmd&amp;amp;int_campaign=trendmd&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sports injuries and ill-health episodes in the Cali 2013 World Games&lt;/a&gt;, 2016&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;20. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1980-00372018000300280&amp;amp;script=sci_arttext&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Injury prevalence in Brazilian jiu-jitsu athletes: comparison between different competitive levels&lt;/a&gt;, 2018&lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Specific injuries&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;7. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1466853X15000115?via%3Dihub&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chronic low back pain and disability in Brazilian jiu-jitsu athletes&lt;/a&gt;, 2015&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;8. &lt;a href=&quot;https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00256-015-2108-6&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Isolated lateral collateral ligament complex injury in rock climbing and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu&lt;/a&gt;, 2015&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;16. &lt;a href=&quot;https://synapse.koreamed.org/search.php?where=aview&amp;amp;id=10.7461/jcen.2017.19.2.111&amp;amp;code=2098JCEN&amp;amp;vmode=FULL&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Internal Carotid Artery Dissection in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu&lt;/a&gt;, 2017&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;18. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alexandre_Nishimi/publication/320160824_Analysis_of_the_pattern_and_mechanism_of_elbow_injuries_related_to_armbar-type_armlocks_in_Jiu-Jitsu_fighters/links/59db6ecea6fdcc0ffd1a9f73/Analysis-of-the-pattern-and-mechanism-of-elbow-injuries-related-to-armbar-type-armlocks-in-Jiu-Jitsu-fighters.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Analysis of the Pattern and Mechanism of Elbow Injuries Related to Armbar-Type Armlocks in Jiu-Jitsu Fighters&lt;/a&gt;, 2017&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;21. &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&amp;amp;lr=&amp;amp;id=L_hyDwAAQBAJ&amp;amp;oi=fnd&amp;amp;pg=PA109&amp;amp;dq=jiujitsu+injuries&amp;amp;ots=cuIxpEKb7t&amp;amp;sig=LKjAn5M53jzWffeGvCoTTFG4DVY#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=jiujitsu%20injuries&amp;amp;f=false&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Degenerative Changing in Digits of Brazilian Jiujitsu Fighter&lt;/a&gt;, 2018&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;22. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/7/2/53/htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Epidemiology of Sports Related Concussion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: A Cross-Sectional Study&lt;/a&gt;, 2019&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;24. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44598-1&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Injuries to the Stomatognathic System in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Athletes&lt;/a&gt;, 2019&lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;General&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;1. &lt;a href=&quot;https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/47/18/1139.full&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Injuries in judo: a systematic literature review including suggestions for prevention&lt;/a&gt;, 2013&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;2. &lt;a href=&quot;https://repositorio.ufsc.br/bitstream/handle/123456789/117984/201686.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lesões no jiu-jitsu: estudo em 78 atletas&lt;/a&gt;, 2004&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;4. &lt;a href=&quot;https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/468/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Gi or No-Gi? – An analysis of injury trends in Gi and No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu&lt;/a&gt;, 2013&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;10. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Beatriz_Minghelli/publication/304911158_Prevalence_of_Injuries_in_Jiu-Jitsu_and_Judo_Athletes_of_Portugal_South_Associated_Injury_Mechanisms/links/577d045008aef26c3b8098b5/Prevalence-of-Injuries-in-Jiu-Jitsu-and-Judo-Athletes-of-Portugal-South-Associated-Injury-Mechanisms.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Prevalence of Injuries in Jiu-Jitsu and Judo Athletes of Portugal South: Associated Injury Mechanisms&lt;/a&gt;, 2016&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;13. &lt;a href=&quot;https://bmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13102-017-0080-2&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Could current factors be associated with retrospective sports injuries in Brazilian jiu-jitsu? A cross-sectional study&lt;/a&gt;, 2017&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;14. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.asep.org/asep/asep/JEPonlineAPRIL2017_Barreto.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Evaluation of Mechanisms and Types of Injuries in Jiu-Jitsu Athletes&lt;/a&gt;, 2017&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;15. &lt;a href=&quot;https://search.proquest.com/openview/158eeabb6ad7591d91e8883bc0442c6c/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&amp;amp;cbl=47878&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Injury History, Severity, and Medical Care for Athletes Participating in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu&lt;/a&gt;, 2017&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;17. &lt;a href=&quot;https://search.proquest.com/openview/91af138222126fcead9c15baac55a09b/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&amp;amp;cbl=616555&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Assessment of Brazilian jiu-jitsu related injuries by severity, type and area&lt;/a&gt;, 2017&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;19. &lt;a href=&quot;https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10935-018-0518-7&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, and Mixed Martial Arts Injuries Presenting to US Emergency Departments, 2008–2015&lt;/a&gt;, 2018&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;23. &lt;a href=&quot;https://actascientific.com/ASOR/pdf/ASOR-02-0073.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Epidemiological Study of Brazilian Judo Injuries&lt;/a&gt;, 2019&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;26. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1466853X19301117&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Injury rate and pattern among Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners: A survey study&lt;/a&gt;, 2019&lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tables from study:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/w6GSlm.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/w6GSlm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qk8Rsm.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qk8Rsm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-31T09:42:49.187" LastActivityDate="2019-07-31T09:42:49.187" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9313" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-07-29T21:05:14.533" Score="5" ViewCount="1672" Body="&lt;p&gt;My hands have been sore after dozens of punches with MMA-style light gloves on a heavy-bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm wondering if many strikes to a heavy-bag (many of which likely land on the proximal (third from end of fingers) phalange bones rather than being &quot;good&quot; 2-knuckle-punches) over a long period of time could lead to arthritis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BCBHzm.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BCBHzm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-07-31T12:35:09.710" LastActivityDate="2023-05-05T07:12:59.093" Title="Can hitting a heavy bag lead to wrist or finger arthritis?" Tags="|injury|punching|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9314" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-07-30T06:49:44.117" Score="6" ViewCount="7839" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm in my 29s now. In a few months, I am going to marry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have recently joined a martial arts course (Kalari) in my village. Actually, I am a bit lazy to exercise and now I am in under the weight. So I think I can improve my physical fitness in a 6-months Kalari class. I already completed the 1-month classes in kalarippayattu. It's very nice and I am feeling new energy in my body and mind. Everything going fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I am practicing 'Gaja Vadivu' step. But recently I heard my friend (he is an experienced person in kalarippayattu) about if its semen retention is really required in the period of attending martial arts class. I am really afraid about this, because I don't want professional 'kalarippayattu' training, and another reason is I am a family person and going to marry soon. If I am controlling the sexual matters in this period, do you think will affect my personal life?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't ask these question to my classmates because all others are younger than me, and I didn't ask this question to my master.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9979" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-08-01T08:11:00.143" LastActivityDate="2019-08-01T08:11:00.143" Title="Is semen retention an important thing in martial arts?" Tags="|exercise|fitness|kalaripayattu|warm-up|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9316" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9314" CreationDate="2019-07-30T09:50:35.310" Score="19" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is no scientific evidence that sex (or no sex) before competition affects performance whatsoever. &lt;a href=&quot;http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3555734.stm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;BBC&lt;/a&gt;, again the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-27734048&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;BBC&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cnn.com/2012/08/10/health/sex-athletes/index.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;CNN&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://duckduckgo.com/?q=skeptic+sex+before+competition&amp;amp;t=ffab&amp;amp;ia=web&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a general search&lt;/a&gt;. Therefore, &quot;semen retention&quot; is nothing more than mythical mumbo jumbo which is safe to utterly ignore.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="10219" LastEditDate="2019-07-31T17:50:08.583" LastActivityDate="2019-07-31T17:50:08.583" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9317" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9314" CreationDate="2019-07-30T13:58:51.673" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are many weird claims and customs in traditional martial arts. I've never heard about this one, but for example in aikido we have people talking about &quot;centering their ki&quot; which is like an invisible force that you can use to anchor yourself to the ground so your partner won't be able to move you no matter how hard he pushes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since you plan to practice it only for a short time, I'd suggest you be polite to that person and others who may claim some weird stuff, but don't care much about it ;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10195" LastActivityDate="2019-07-30T13:58:51.673" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9318" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9314" CreationDate="2019-07-30T15:48:51.273" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would write this as a comment, but I don't have the reputation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/12659241/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Abstaining from ejaculating has been shown to increase testosterone when over a period of 7 days.&lt;/a&gt; I'm not sure how long &quot;semen retention&quot; is supposed to be for your martial art, but an increase in testosterone will almost certainly improve your physical performance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10197" LastActivityDate="2019-07-30T15:48:51.273" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9320" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9313" CreationDate="2019-07-31T14:14:34.863" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;MMA style gloves (and boxing gloves) do not provide adequate protection for your hands.  You need hand wraps under the gloves.  You are damaging your hands - specifically the connective tissue and it will get worse as you continue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10210" LastActivityDate="2019-07-31T14:14:34.863" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9322" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9323" CreationDate="2019-08-01T15:11:10.173" Score="4" ViewCount="200" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ebmp_Xa82ZM&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=36s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Laats' Dive-in&lt;/a&gt;&quot; (named after its use by Johan Laats) is often described as a variant of kata-guruma avoiding grabbing the leg. However, I have seen some debate as to how the throw should actually be classified, with some instead calling it an uki-waza variant.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://old.reddit.com/r/judo/comments/2xdni0/new_odd_crazy_throws_video_list/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How does the Kodokan classify this throw?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2019-08-01T15:11:10.173" Title="What type of throw is the Laats' Dive-In?" Tags="|judo|technique|throwing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9323" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9322" CreationDate="2019-08-01T15:11:10.173" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Nage Waza - Various techniques and their names&lt;/em&gt; in its section on sutemi-waza explicitly describes a throw which starts off in a kata-guruma position but is executed by sacrificing one's balance to the ground as &lt;em&gt;uki-waza&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tGmpq.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tGmpq.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a technique of following on from kata-guruma to uki-waza. In this technique, &lt;strong&gt;as you are sacrificing yourself and making the throw, it is not kata-guruma.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0q9WKNZMrU&amp;amp;t=548&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Nage Waza - Ma-sutemi-waza - Uki-waza&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-08-01T15:11:10.173" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9324" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8941" CreationDate="2019-08-01T20:01:31.143" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have had the occasion to spar with a national senior champion in karate (the guy is a little over 60). I am 30 years old and reasonnably fit as well, and I have 10+ years of practice of light contact karate (and a few in full contact).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't have been surprised for the guy to beat me because of superior sense of distance, timing, etc., but to my honest surprise he was just plain faster than me. Also he was fit enough to throw good high kicks, even to a taller opponent (me), and had good cardio.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So yes, a 60 year old can absolutely beat untrained 20 year olds. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10222" LastActivityDate="2019-08-01T20:01:31.143" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9325" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-08-05T10:41:05.910" Score="7" ViewCount="1040" Body="&lt;p&gt;As of 2010&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; the IJF made it illegal to grab the legs or trousers during direct attacks in tachi-waza, and as of 2013 it is illegal to touch the legs whatsoever during tachi-waza. I have heard multiple possible reasons for this rule introduction:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;to distinguish judo more clearly from &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/judo/comments/6cuoe1/whats_the_real_reason_leg_grabs_got_limited_then/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;freestyle wrestling&lt;/a&gt; as an Olympic sport&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;to reduce the opportunity for &lt;a href=&quot;https://theartofbalancedojo.com/blogs/news/why-are-there-no-leg-grabs-in-judo-and-why-they-arent-coming-back&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;counter-throws&lt;/a&gt;, and so encourage more direct throwing attempts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;to penalise a style of judo favoured by athletes from &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judolink.club/2010-2016-IJF-no-leg-grab-rules.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Russia, Mongolia etc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;to penalise a tactic of attempting a low-scoring technique using a leg grab, and acting defensively from then on&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I haven't seen any direct explanation from the IJF as to what influenced this decision. Which, if any, was the real motivation for this change?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1. &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20150924042953/http://www.intjudo.eu/editor_up/up/IJF%20REF%20RULES_Final%20print%20vers_2011-12_ENG_Final_amended.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF Refereeing Rules 2011-2012&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2019-09-12T13:04:33.403" Title="Why were leg grabs removed from competitive judo?" Tags="|judo|throwing|sport|olympics|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9327" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9325" CreationDate="2019-08-06T03:52:32.567" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen no official documentation for this decision, so I can only relay what I have heard from international referees on this subject.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Olympics&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The word in US referee clinics at this time was that judo was in danger of being removed from the Olympics because it was too easily confused with existing wrestling events. Remaining in the Olympics was seen as an imperative, and rule changes were made to ensure this. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.espn.com/olympics/wrestling/story/_/id/8939185/ioc-drops-wrestling-2020-olympics&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wrestling, however, also had difficulties remaining in the Olympics&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Counters were not motivation&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the first rule changes, you could touch the legs sometimes, for counters and attack continuations. This was very complicated for officials, as is discussed in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judolink.club/2010-2016-IJF-no-leg-grab-rules.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;your link&lt;/a&gt;. As an occasional referee, I was glad that the rules were simplified to no leg grabs. [As a competitor, I would prefer all leg grabs be legal, which would be equally easy to referee.] Removing certain counters as a goal for removing leg grabs makes no sense to me because we tried leg grabs for counters, but it was too hard to distinguish what attacks were direct. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Handicapping a style&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as I know, this is a side-effect and not the motivation, but that is taking the first-hand explanations from IJF-A referees at face value. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Koka judo&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other rule changes continue to address negative tactics where players make one small score, then ride out the rest of the match while perhaps accumulating some penalties. Leg grabs were certainly not the only way to do this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-08-06T03:52:32.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9328" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9330" CreationDate="2019-08-07T03:45:44.537" Score="5" ViewCount="230" Body="&lt;p&gt;In our class we get long combos thrown at us, something like e.g. jab cross jab switch kick &lt;strong&gt;then&lt;/strong&gt; body hook head hook right. I can &lt;em&gt;never&lt;/em&gt; remember when they're said in class. I can do OK when it's my turn to do the drill (taking cues from my partner who most of the time ends up being a good pad holder).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When it's my turn to be the pad holder I often need it repeated to me about 5 times before I can &quot;get it&quot;. Once it's muscle memory I'm okay (although still not the fastest).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know the &quot;basics&quot; (I think) like jab cross hook. I understand it goes left right left right most of the time and body head body head. I understand a &quot;kick&quot; often ends the combo. I don't know if it's just a memory problem or something else but I seem to be the worst at this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any way to get better besides just trying to practice in front of people and likely fail? It seems I'm not improving and it's been months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10145" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-07T13:55:20.373" LastActivityDate="2019-11-28T10:57:48.187" Title="I still look like a complete &quot;noob&quot; during drills with long combos I've never practiced before hand" Tags="|boxing|muay-thai|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9329" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-08-07T13:38:16.573" Score="3" ViewCount="745" Body="&lt;p&gt;In an interview with Torahei Ochiai in the 1920's, Jigoro Kano states that he adopted kata-guruma from wrestling's fireman's carry.&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; However, the Kodokan Judo Throwing Techniques book posits a different origin, an adaptation of a koryu jujutsu throw (ostensibly via &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/search?q=Ky%C5%ABtar%C5%8D+Kanda&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kyutaro Kanda&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;sup&gt;2 3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do we know &lt;strong&gt;which of these is the true origin of the throw as practised in judo?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sources&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recall another anecdote from my days at the Fukuda dojo. Normally, I did not have a particularly hard time when practicing with Aoki and the other trainees. In the case of Fukushima, however, it was a completely different story. I could not overcome the strength nor disturb the balance of Kanekichi Fukushima no matter how hard or how often I tried. Finally, I resolved that I would learn to throw him somehow or other. After giving the matter a great deal of thought, I decided that a sumo technique might be effective against him. Upon hearing that a former sumo man, Kisoemon Uchiyama, worked at my university dormitory, I requested him to teach me sumo techniques. The sumo throws that I learned from him, however, proved to be totally ineffective against Fukushima. &lt;strong&gt;It then occurred to me to research books on western style wrestling, so I went to my local public library in Yushima, Bunkyo Ward. Unfortunately from among the wrestling books available, there did not seem to be any throw that I could use on Fukushima, except one that I thought just might be effective against him since Fukushima was taller than I. This throw was a shoulder wheel or &lt;em&gt;kata-guruma&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt; I experimented with it on one of my student friends soon after reading about it and succeeded in throwing him. I also tried it on Aoki with the same result. On my next visit to the dojo, therefore, I challenged Fukushima to a practice, and for the first time in my life I successfully threw him with my newly acquired technique. After many months of trying, I had finally managed to down him. I was overjoyed and felt a great sense of achievement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Evjhhr2OsC0C&amp;amp;q=kata-guruma&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kano&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There appears to have been a prototype of kata-guruma in koryu jujutsu.&#xA;Kyutaro Kanda, 9th dan, is widely known as the master of kata-guruma and is thought to have developed the original kata-guruma from kinu-katsugi of the Yoshin-ryu Totsuka school.&#xA;There is also a similar technique in Yoshin-ryu, called hankai-garami. However it is unclear if it has any relation to kata-guruma.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/93mDy.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/93mDy.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;There exists a further technique in sumo wrestling known as &lt;a href=&quot;https://sumo.sports.smt.docomo.ne.jp/kimarite/sorite.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;sori-te&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;em&gt;Sumo wa koshite miru no ga tanoshii&lt;/em&gt;, published by Baseball Magazine Co., 1992).&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Awje2.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Awje2.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?redir_esc=y&amp;amp;id=HGpbICBZdGwC&amp;amp;q=kata-guruma&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.36-37)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;That the throw was introduced to judo via Kanda seems obviously false given kata-guruma was part of the original gokyo-no-waza, standardised in 1895, two years before Kanda's birth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-30T15:21:54.157" LastActivityDate="2021-04-30T15:21:54.157" Title="Origin of kata-guruma?" Tags="|judo|history|wrestling|throwing|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9330" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9328" CreationDate="2019-08-07T13:51:43.753" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You are basically the same as everyone else. Everyone learns in different ways, and will always have the same type of struggles as you learn. Don't worry about how well everyone else is doing, do the practice that you need to do to learn it for yourself. If that's slower than most, it's nothing to worry about it. There's always someone that is first to &quot;get it&quot;, and someone that is last. It's not a sign of deficiency.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The good news is, eventually it will become at least somewhat easier. A few things that I've found that have helped are having my partner name the move in sequence as I am going, so the aural cue lets me focus on doing the physical. I also mentally break it up into sets of 2-4 moves. So if my sequence is jab/cross/hook/cross/back leg front kick/reverse side kick, I would say in my head &quot;jab cross! hook cross! kick turn kick!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find whatever works for you, but always remember it's ok to do it slowly at first. If you can't do it slow, you can't do it fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2019-08-07T13:51:43.753" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9331" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-08-07T17:28:01.223" Score="-6" ViewCount="141" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is a high level black belt MORALLY OBLIGATED to accept an attacker's surrender (aka tap out) in a real world street fight? Let me clarify with a senario.  Imagine this condition:  I attack you with a butcher knife &amp;amp; you being the high level black belt EASILY disarm me. I tap my leg three times and bow to you as a form of surrender.  Do you respect that or no? Do you kill me anyway,  hold me until the police arrive, accept the surrender and just walk away, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8964" LastActivityDate="2019-08-07T20:39:59.483" Title="Black belt protocol" Tags="|streetfight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" FavoriteCount="0" ClosedDate="2019-08-16T08:37:05.243" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9332" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-08-07T20:03:10.327" Score="-2" ViewCount="1070" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/VyMHs.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do you get a hand like this?&#xA;How do you achieve this goal?&#xA;Which exercises do I need to do for making my hand like this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thank you in advance! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10117" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-02-12T15:34:21.680" LastActivityDate="2020-02-12T15:34:21.680" Title="Iron palm monster hand training" Tags="|training|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9333" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9331" CreationDate="2019-08-07T20:39:59.483" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A little clarification seems to be in order.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Morality has nothing to do with a street fight. Morality is the recognition of right and wrong and their application in every day life. A street fight has already started with the rejection of right (using the common societal definition, I don't want to get into a philosophy discussion) by at least one person, so why would you expect the outcome to follow ring style or other idealistic system rules?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A second point: If you are the black belt in this scenario, and you follow through on the disarm and kill them scenario, then at least in the United States, you can (and probably will) be charged with murder. As soon as you are at a point where you can safely disengage and don't, then you become the aggressor in the scenario and can be charged accordingly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So to answer your base question, there is no obligation on either party in a street fight. This isn't feudal Japan or anything close to it, there are no liege lords, etc. It is a street fight, plain and simple. Do what you have to in order to get out of it with the least injury, and be prepared to legally defend your actions if need be. That's about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2019-08-07T20:39:59.483" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9334" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-08-07T20:46:27.503" Score="-2" ViewCount="617" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/HB6LY.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Master Gu Ru Zhang&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Master Gu Ru Zhang was also known as the “King of Iron Palm”.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the name of this martial art style?&#xA;Where do I get information about this man and his style?&#xA;How do I achieve the goal of having hands like this?&#xA;Which exercises do I need to do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10117" LastEditorUserId="10117" LastEditDate="2019-08-08T18:48:37.790" LastActivityDate="2019-08-08T20:06:47.737" Title="King of Iron Palm Training" Tags="|training|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9335" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9334" CreationDate="2019-08-08T20:01:00.683" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As per Steve's comment, it's not difficult to find information on &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gu_Ruzhang&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Gu Ruzhang&lt;/a&gt;. He practiced &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Shaolin_(martial_art)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Northern Shaolin Boxing School&lt;/a&gt; (北少林拳門).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Northern Shaolin style of kung fu is one of the most prominent traditional northern styles of Chinese martial arts. The northern styles of kung-fu generally emphasize long range techniques, quick advances and retreats, wide stances, kicking and leaping techniques, whirling circular blocks, quickness, agility, and aggressive attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The system teaches empty-hand techniques and weaponry through predetermined combinations, known as forms, routines, or movement of sets. The students learn the basics by practicing the routines until the movements in the routines can be executed naturally based on instinct. Then, two or multiple man sets are practiced to train responses and applications of techniques learned from the sets. The practice sets/routines are not only practical in applications but are also graceful and artistic in nature. The fluidness of the movements combined with acrobatic techniques are trademarks of the Northern Shaolin sets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.pathsatlanta.org/programs/northern-shaolin/curriculum/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The curriculum&lt;/a&gt; is fairly well-documented and the forms are available online as YouTube videos. Oddly enough, I haven't found much evidence for a governing body or a form of licensing, so be wary and do your research on any teachers or schools you find to determine whether they have the knowledge and experience they claim.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for hand conditioning, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/8075/1780&quot;&gt;the general consensus is to not do it&lt;/a&gt;. At a time when a man's life might have depended on winning multiple fights in a life-or-death situation, it might have made sense to damage one's body, sacrificing joint mobility and hand sensitivity, to have a better weapon at the end of one's arm. We no longer live in that time period. Most of us will never fight for our life, and in cases where we do, we're much better off learning to run better, as it's got a better chance of increasing our survival.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-08-08T20:06:47.737" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9336" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9340" CreationDate="2019-08-08T23:35:23.410" Score="6" ViewCount="798" Body="&lt;p&gt;When holding an opponent in &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kata_gatame&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kata-gatame&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/c4yTY.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/c4yTY.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;by applying pressure to one side of their neck with their trapped shoulder, and the other side with your enclosed arms, you can apply an &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arm_triangle_choke&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;arm triangle choke&lt;/a&gt;, mechanically similar to sankaku-jime, but utilising your arms instead of your legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this submission legal in judo randori/competition?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-24T18:04:39.813" LastActivityDate="2022-03-24T18:04:39.813" Title="Are arm-triangle chokes legal in Judo?" Tags="|judo|sport|chokes|pins|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9337" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-08-08T23:36:19.433" Score="6" ViewCount="275" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ok I tried to find the 'chess boxing' subforum here and one doesn't exist, but I'm not surprised it's not by any means mainstream. Hopefully there's someone here that is knowledgeable and I'd appreciate it if you could answer this even theoretically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have 2 questions&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do I even have the skills necessary to think about competing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If I do how would I get into it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To expand on 1)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For boxing:&lt;/strong&gt; I'm quite heavyset, I'm over 250 lbs easily and would definitely be competing at heavyweight. I could possibly get my weight down to&#xA;200 but I'd be throwing knockout punches, I'm far more of a slugger/brawler than a technical boxer unfortunately. I have very little experience in pure boxing but train muay thai a few times a week. It should also be noted that I'm not that young early 30s and there are many many people that are far better at boxing than I am. In fact I just do some sparring at my gym that's about my level NEVER have I stepped in a ring or actually competed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For chess:&lt;/strong&gt; As far as chess skills go, I LOVE chess I'm about 1400 FIDE and used to be a member of various chess clubs (university and high school) but by no means would I consider myself an expert and 1600 level which if the chess boxing websites are to be believed is the minimum rating to compete. I have competed in MANY chess tournaments but by no means would I consider myself the 1600 level FIDE that is listed which imo is someone that has extensive experience with openings and theory and is very talented.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would I even have a chance as a very big dude with a knockout punch that loves chess but is by no means an expert in boxing nor chess?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10145" LastEditorUserId="11892" LastEditDate="2021-08-25T04:17:40.653" LastActivityDate="2021-08-25T04:17:40.653" Title="Chess Boxing - Wondering how I would do / how I'd get into it" Tags="|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9338" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-08-08T23:55:00.297" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In grappling, restraining an opponent with their shoulders pinned to the ground. Also known as hold-downs or osaekomi-waza.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-09T19:30:15.820" LastActivityDate="2019-08-09T19:30:15.820" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9339" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-08-08T23:55:00.297" Score="0" Body="In grappling, restraining an opponent with their shoulders pinned to the ground. Also known as hold-downs or osaekomi-waza." OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-09T02:59:56.047" LastActivityDate="2019-08-09T02:59:56.047" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9340" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9336" CreationDate="2019-08-09T02:59:30.050" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, arm triangles are legal provided you trap one of uke's arms with their head. According to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHM_5SThkBM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF Refereeing Seminar 2018&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;An action like kata-sankaku (sankaku done with the arms) is allowed in a newaza situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some examples of its use in international competition: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;World U21 Championships 2015 (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.judoinside.com/judovideo/35138/Jorre_VERSTRAETEN_BEL_Ahmed_ELFIKY_EGY_U55_World_U21_Championships_Abu_Dhabi_2015&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jorre Verstraeten&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jigoro Kano Cup Tokyo 2007 (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poAK4iFBMjQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Masahiko Tomouchi&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;World Championships 2007 (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.judoinside.com/judovideo/522/Matthieu_BATAILLE_FRA_Daniel_Andrey_HERNANDES_BRA_World_Championships_Rio_de_Janeiro_2007&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Matthieu Bataille&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pan American Championships 2000 (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.judoinside.com/news/1473/Report_of_the_Pan_American_Judo_Championships_2000_in_Orlando_Day_2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Katherine Ensler&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Grand Prix 2013 (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.judoinside.com/judovideo/14243/Assmaa_NIANG_MAR_Sally_CONWAY_GBR_Grand_Prix_Samsun_2013&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sally Conway&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Grand Prix 2017 (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.judoinside.com/judovideo/54133/Andrey_VOLKOV_RUS_Anton_KRIVOBOKOV_RUS_O100_Grand_Prix_Hohhot_2017&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Andrey Volkov&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And here it is being demonstrated in various seminars:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBkS5OI7Css&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;George Ku&lt;/a&gt; (8th dan)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbdG4cbZenk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Steve Scott&lt;/a&gt; (8th dan)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLvUBJJHRWM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Adam Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlSmenjni7o&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kyuzo Mifune&lt;/a&gt; demonstrating it in &quot;The Essence of Judo&quot;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-10T10:25:40.230" LastActivityDate="2019-09-10T10:25:40.230" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9341" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9232" CreationDate="2019-08-09T14:54:24.843" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have no explicit evidence to back this up, but I suspect this was to avoid:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;ambiguity with the homonymous superlative adverb &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9pFLAQAAMAAJ&amp;amp;dq=ichidan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;一段&lt;/a&gt; (いちだん)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;analogy with the highest kyū grade, 1st kyū (&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ky%C5%AB&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;一級&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;em&gt;ikkyū&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;either of which might lead people to assume 1st dan is the highest dan grade, as opposed to the starting one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that the use of &lt;em&gt;shodan&lt;/em&gt; predates judo and is terminology inherited from Go.&lt;sup&gt;1 2&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1. &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kwd90s_PZ_MC&amp;amp;q=%22Ein+Sho-dan+ist+schon+einsehrguterSpieler+sogul+dass%22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Das &quot;go&quot; - spiel&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1880)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;2. &lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.org/details/cu31924082117288/page/n193&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;An unabridged Japanese-English dictionary, with copious illustrations&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (Dan; Shodan) (1896)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-16T22:52:35.260" LastActivityDate="2020-02-16T22:52:35.260" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9342" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-08-09T16:15:09.977" Score="1" ViewCount="108" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am 6”3 and 256 pounds, I played sports my whole life so I’m not fat but I do have a few extra pounds on right now that I just started working on losing again. After I get down to 230-240 I wanted to start working on a martial art that would fit my body type. When I was 315 I was still able to duck and weave punches when sparing and return combos back. I bench around 325 and squat 585 so strength and speed for my size isn’t a problem. I just would like to start getting some ideas of styles to look into. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10254" LastActivityDate="2019-08-09T16:15:09.977" Title="What would be the best form of martial arts for a bigger guy?" Tags="|training|mixed-martial-arts|weight|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2019-08-18T16:43:10.280" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9343" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9399" CreationDate="2019-08-10T16:02:50.067" Score="0" ViewCount="115" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm learning boxing combos. I want to copy his combo in this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/p/B0_I8p_hbaU/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;, but my brain is too slow to see it. Can you tell me the complete sequence in that video?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5964" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-10T10:15:55.927" LastActivityDate="2019-09-10T10:31:47.447" Title="What is the combo in this bag-work video?" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9344" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-08-10T17:56:35.790" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;For questions regarding gripping, i.e. grabbing, holding, and manipulating clothes, limbs, weapons etc. with the hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-11T02:51:41.493" LastActivityDate="2019-08-11T02:51:41.493" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9345" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-08-10T17:56:35.790" Score="0" Body="Gripping and manipulating clothes, limbs, weapons etc. with the hands." OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-11T02:51:45.030" LastActivityDate="2019-08-11T02:51:45.030" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9347" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8200" CreationDate="2019-08-11T07:50:14.663" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;When &lt;em&gt;startled&lt;/em&gt; a typical thoughtless reaction would be a falling step to gain distance with one hand high and one low for cover. Alternatively, a more aggressive character might do as in Biu-Zee form and throw a maan-sau (asking-hand) to search for contact. Only after recognising the incoming threat is a car would they be able to make a more intelligent response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The falling step would be backwards and to one side, he'd step into whichever ready stance the lineage use, typically one foot in front of the other. The hands would then go to most likely to a bong-sau (wing-arm) and tan-sau (palm-up hand) position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10257" LastActivityDate="2019-08-11T07:50:14.663" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9348" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9357" CreationDate="2019-08-11T10:43:25.157" Score="6" ViewCount="640" Body="&lt;p&gt;The IJF in &lt;a href=&quot;http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2016/09/IJF_refereing_rules_explanator-1473863720.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2013&lt;/a&gt; (and the Kodokan in &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/news/2017/04/names-of-judo-technique/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2017&lt;/a&gt;) recognised two new pins as valid &lt;em&gt;osaekomi-waz&lt;/em&gt;a in competition: &lt;em&gt;uki-gatame&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;ura-gatame&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have seen the term &lt;em&gt;ura-gatame&lt;/em&gt; refer to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ-BPrqhW9s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;two distinct positions&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;1. &lt;em&gt;ushiro-kesa-gatame&lt;/em&gt; style pins controlling the near leg&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;2. a crucifix-like pin&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/documents&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xKhmQm.png&quot; alt=&quot;IJF SOR Explanatory notes: Osaekomi-waza&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXvCi_rWXXk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/AA9gLm.png&quot; alt=&quot;Kyuzo Mifune &amp;quot;The Essence of Judo&amp;quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In its &lt;a href=&quot;http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2019/01/Explanatory_guide_of_the_judo_-1547390614.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;explanatory notes&lt;/a&gt;, the IJF only includes example images of the former style hold, and hence it seems that the crucifix-like position from &lt;em&gt;jigoku-jime&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/is-crucifix-jigoku-jime-now-considered-a-pin-in-judo.3703187/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;may now&lt;/a&gt; be considered a pin for uke:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvOMQl1Qmow&amp;amp;t=582&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jFxFGm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Jigoku-jime&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is a crucifix also a valid osaekomi-waza in judo?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Either in the standard &lt;em&gt;jigoku-jime&lt;/em&gt; position or the rotated version demonstrated by Mifune.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-10T16:14:21.400" LastActivityDate="2022-03-10T16:14:21.400" Title="Is the crucifix a valid osaekomi-waza?" Tags="|judo|technique|sport|pins|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9349" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9337" CreationDate="2019-08-12T15:31:20.667" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Working off of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/E7OFJjhGSX4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;information here&lt;/a&gt;, it looks like the two gateway requirements are a minimum of 50 boxing club fights and a minimum ELO rating of 800-1200 (possibly contradicting that, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.rulesofsport.com/sports/chess-boxing.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;these rules&lt;/a&gt; state a minimum rating of 1800). Honestly, based upon the higher rating I found online, and a possible requirement for having actually competed, you may not be qualified. On the other hand, &lt;a href=&quot;http://worldchessboxing.com/contact/wcba-chessboxing-faq/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Chess Boxing Association&lt;/a&gt; rules do not have a minimum rating, so you may be able to compete with them, although their last listed &quot;upcoming event&quot; was in 2018.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-08-13T08:31:26.200" LastActivityDate="2019-08-13T08:31:26.200" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9351" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4395" CreationDate="2019-08-14T15:59:02.307" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I did some Arnis some years ago. The self-defense drills we did also included a lot of working with everyday items as weapons so that you don't have to use your hands. Depending on the trainer and style, hits on your hands in training are a real possibility. But for hand protection I still think this idea holds some merit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said martial arts doesn't equal self-defense or self-protection. &#xA;Take a look at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/bestMA.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/bestMA.htm&lt;/a&gt; and read at least until &quot;Why is this bad&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of people get into dangerous situations after a little bit of training since they now believe they can protect themselves and don't have to worry about avoiding dangerous situations. In my opinion, every martial art that doesn't entirely focuses on street-fighting crosses that line after about 10 years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'd be probably served better with some self-defense classes where the focus lies more on situational awareness than on kicking punching and screaming.&#xA;You might also consider taking up running. If you can run faster than your opponent, your hands will be fine (no sarcasm - I really encourage running over fighting) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10261" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-08-22T09:25:17.780" LastActivityDate="2019-08-22T09:25:17.780" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9352" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-08-14T16:11:25.397" Score="4" ViewCount="1889" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since &lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/rules2/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1925&lt;/a&gt;, judo competitions have nominally banned all joint-locks applied &amp;quot;anywhere other than to the elbow joint&amp;quot;. Since its inception in 1951, the IJF has also adopted this rule.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In spite of this, the shoulder-joint rotating armlock &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt; has remained a staple of kansetsu-waza for the past century, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Ajudoinside.com+%22ude+garami%22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;not uncommon&lt;/a&gt; at the highest levels of competition and consistently appearing in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://78884ca60822a34fb0e6-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2019/07/IJF_Sport_and_Organisation_Rul-1564071983.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF's list&lt;/a&gt; of recognised techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given the rules seem to prohibit shoulder locks, why is &amp;quot;bent-arm&amp;quot; ude-garami explicitly permitted?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-23T14:50:48.743" LastActivityDate="2022-03-23T14:50:48.743" Title="Why is ude-garami legal if it is effectively a shoulder lock?" Tags="|judo|sport|joint-lock|anatomy|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9354" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9573" CreationDate="2019-08-15T14:33:18.490" Score="4" ViewCount="559" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodokan_Goshin_Jutsu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kodokan goshin-jutsu&lt;/a&gt; kata as well as several 20th century judo texts&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; demonstrate various wristlocks as a self defence technique, similar to the teaching of atemi. However since at least &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/9401/8910&quot;&gt;1900&lt;/a&gt;, they appear to have been barred from use in randori or competition.&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Were wristlocks ever permitted before this?&lt;/strong&gt;   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since BJJ notably allows wristlocks as submissions, I had assumed that they were permitted in early judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7zIDY.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7zIDY.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt;• &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judokai.net/Documents/My_Method_of_Self_Defense%20-%20Kawaishi.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;My Method Of Self-Defence&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Mikinosuke Kawaishi&lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Even those above &lt;em&gt;shodan&lt;/em&gt; rank are not permitted to perform the &lt;em&gt;kwansetsuwaza&lt;/em&gt; on a finger-joint or wrist, while playing the &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; contest.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt;• &lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/rules3/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Judo: Japanese Physical Culture&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Sumitomo Arima (1908)&lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-12-10T22:04:06.237" LastActivityDate="2019-12-10T22:04:06.237" Title="Were wristlocks ever part of Judo randori?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|sport|joint-lock|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9355" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9352" CreationDate="2019-08-15T15:42:44.687" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think you have mostly answered your own question. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ude-garami&lt;/em&gt; can affect both the shoulder and the elbow joint. As an official, it is not possible to tell whether the shoulder is being affected. All you can tell is that a nominally legal technique is being applied, and &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; either taps or they do not. The same technique motion applied to a different &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; could result in a different joint being affected depending on flexibility. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While it is illegal to attack the shoulder joint intentionally, it is considered legal to affect the shoulder joint with &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt; because the intention is to attack the elbow joint. This is non-ideal, but honestly I do not know how you could enforce &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt; strictly against the elbow joint. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-08-15T15:42:44.687" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9356" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1926" CreationDate="2019-08-17T10:00:53.013" Score="6" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Origin of keikogi, and Japanese left-over-right dress tradition&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The uniforms of karate, aikido, kendo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, sambo etc are &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2360/why-are-traditional-karate-gis-white&quot;&gt;derived from the uniforms of judo&lt;/a&gt;, which were themselves based off of everyday Japanese clothing. As such, the tradition of wearing keikogi jackets left-side over right was likewise adopted from the traditional way to wear clothes generally. This tradition, like &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_influence_on_Japanese_culture&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;many&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Japan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Japanese cultural artefacts&lt;/a&gt;, was imported from China:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Yо̄rо̄ Clothing Code of 718 marked a high point of Chinese-influenced politics for the early Japanese state.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The code specified that all robes should be crossed left side over right in Chinese fashion.&lt;/strong&gt; Such &amp;quot;sidedness&amp;quot; of clothing is important in many cultures. Precisely because of the natural arbitrariness of left and right, sides can be used to express cultural differences of great import. A garment's sidedness is not something to be reversed lightly. The Chinese considered right-over-left a mark of barbarism. This explains the Japanese decision to abandon their traditional mode. All Japanese robes, including kimono, have wrapped left over right since the Yо̄rо̄ Clothing Code demanded it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?redir_esc=y&amp;amp;id=qyIO9kJ5fIgC&amp;amp;q=%22natural+arbitrariness%22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kimono: Fashioning Culture&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Liza Dalby&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being civilised in the eighth century meant being like the Chinese... Following the relocation of the Japanese Imperial Court to Nara in 710, many other Chinese-instituted reforms took  place, including the adoption of the courtly dress code, which was sanctioned by the Tang dynasty. Significantly, the Yoro Clothing Code, instituted in 718, stipulated that all robes be overlapped frontally from left to right in typical Chinese fashion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;8. Izutsu, &lt;em&gt;Nihon josei fukushokushi,&lt;/em&gt; 31. See discussion of the Yoro Clothing Code, the &lt;em&gt;Yoro ritsuryо̄&lt;/em&gt;, 31.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GLsbxozhjV8C&amp;amp;pg=PA133&amp;amp;lpg=PA133&amp;amp;dq=yoro+clothing+code&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Kimono Inspiration: Art and Art-to-wear in America&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (Part 3) The Textile Museum, Washington D.C.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Other keikogi variations&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whilst most Japanese-related martial arts still use a style of gi not substantially different from the 1907 judo design, some have notably redesigned the jacket:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo's &lt;em&gt;dobok&lt;/em&gt; (cf. &amp;quot;dōgi&amp;quot;). While traditionally was modelled after the Japanese judogi, a newer ITDF style modelled after the traditional Korean dress hanbok (with a closed v-neck jecket) is now common.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sambo's kurtka has epilettes and belt loops.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iDdgW.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iDdgW.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-03-12T17:54:12.937" LastActivityDate="2021-03-12T17:54:12.937" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9357" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9348" CreationDate="2019-08-18T15:58:08.700" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do not know exactly what &quot;crucifix&quot; means to you, but will try to explain how I have seen this term used and how your examples relate. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Judo rule change&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My understanding of the rule change you have illustrated is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The left position was a pin before, and is a pin now (&lt;em&gt;ushiro kesa gatame&lt;/em&gt;). &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The right position was not a pin before, but is a pin now (&lt;em&gt;ura gatame&lt;/em&gt;). The objection seems to have been that the right position is not a &lt;em&gt;kesa&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;shiho&lt;/em&gt; like position because &lt;em&gt;tori's&lt;/em&gt; back was to &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt;. I always thought this point was silly and I am glad this was changed; &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt; has no substantial improvement in position simply by turning their hips to the side. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Crucifix&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is not a position I have studied formally, but when I have previously heard about this, it refers to an attacking position similar to blue's position in your right image. From this position, white's arms are tied up, and blue can strike with the free hand. This is not a judo pinning position for blue, but for white. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the &lt;em&gt;jigoku jime&lt;/em&gt; position, the choker definitely does not have &#xA;a pin (&lt;em&gt;osaekomi&lt;/em&gt;) because they are underneath. The person being choked may have &lt;em&gt;osaekomi&lt;/em&gt; depending on the situation. In your third picture, the person being choked is not in control and would not have a pin. It's possible, however, to have a &lt;em&gt;ura gatame&lt;/em&gt; pin and be choked by the opponent in the pin, as in the right-hand example in your first image. The situation of one player having a pin and the other choking is also possible in &lt;em&gt;kesa gatame&lt;/em&gt;, for example. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ura gatame&lt;/em&gt; demonstrated by Mifune&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXvCi_rWXXk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wJFecm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;your example&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Upon reconsideration, I think this is not a pin. From Article 17 - Osaekomi-waza of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/documents&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF SOR&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The contestant applying osaekomi must have his body on and over opponent’s body in covering it to holds opponent down underneath his body, with applying pressure onto opponent’s front upper body with his front upper body in either the kesa, the shiho or ura position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Uke&lt;/em&gt; is not underneath &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-12-29T12:52:38.473" LastActivityDate="2019-12-29T12:52:38.473" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9358" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-08-20T12:57:31.257" Score="11" ViewCount="565" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo contains a number of rituals inherited from Japanese culture, one example being the codification of bowing to your opponent before and after competing.&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However bowing doesn't carry the same obvious connotations of respect to many non-Japanese judoka, and so there is a tendency to shake hands/embrace after a match as well, this being a more natural gesture of respect/camaraderie for many people.&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems that hand-shaking/embracing after bowing has been the standard in international competition since its earliest days: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhUBGcf1XII&amp;amp;t=150&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Geesink vs Kaminaga, Tokyo Olympics 1964&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjei0xO00ro&amp;amp;list=PLkKD69LOrziEsfzuqBsrUbC6y6VYkznJC&amp;amp;t=190&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tokyo World Championships 1961&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But this doesn't seem to be universal between Japanese competitors themselves, e.g:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ao9lPimMUs&amp;amp;t=15&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Muneta vs Shoda, All Japan 2008&lt;/a&gt; (bow only)  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuASoiljbkE&amp;amp;t=715&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Inoue  vs Muneta, All Japan 2002&lt;/a&gt; (bow and embrace)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it bad etiquette/frowned upon to additionally shake hands/embrace after a judo match in Japan?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.&lt;/strong&gt; The &lt;a href=&quot;https://78884ca60822a34fb0e6-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2019/07/IJF_Sport_and_Organisation_Rul-1564071983.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF rules&lt;/a&gt; specify that contestants must bow to eachother when indicated by the referee before and after competing, but only &quot;The contestants must NOT shake hands before the start of the contest.&quot;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.&lt;/strong&gt; So much so that refusing to shake hands with a competitor is grounds for &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-rio-judo-egypt-israel-idUSKCN10Q1WC&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;disqualification from the Olympics by the IOC&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-25T15:19:29.823" LastActivityDate="2021-06-30T21:39:31.977" Title="Is shaking hands after a judo competition bad etiquette in Japan?" Tags="|judo|competition|japanese|etiquette|bowing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9359" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9358" CreationDate="2019-08-20T17:31:39.780" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I feel that this question can be split in two sub-questions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is shaking hands bad etiquette in Japan?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Does this apply to (Japanese) Judo?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I have trained in Judo for a few years, my best insight for this question comes from my current training at a Kyokushin dojo. As such, I feel like I can readily answer (1), but probably not (2).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Kyokushin karate, it is customary, after each partnered drill or bout of sparring, to bow (&quot;rei&quot;) and shake hands (&quot;akushu&quot;). As far as I know, this practice is common in International events as well as in Japan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a reference, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk9ydXy95s8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; shows Japanese karateka performing light randori at a seminar. After each bout, upon the instructor's call of &quot;otagai ni rei&quot; (bow to each other), students bow and shake hands before finding a new partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This &quot;bow and shake hands&quot; greeting is also very common in the corporate sector, and most people establishing new business relations will exchange a similar greeting right after exchanging business cards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consequently, I do not think that shaking hands itself constitutes a breach of etiquette in Japanese martial arts. &quot;Akushu&quot; is generally considered a sign of acknowledgement and respect, though perhaps the original trappings of Judo did not include it.  I was previously training at a fairly traditional Canadian dojo (white gi only, lots of bowing, lots of mokuso, etc.), and we'd normally bow and shake hands after randori as well. I can't, however, say if that was something specific to our dojo (or even to western Judo in general) or if it was the normal Japanese thing to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2019-08-20T17:31:39.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9360" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5422" CreationDate="2019-08-22T01:07:09.763" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have a dummy, so I use doors as the pretend arms. I can still practice distance and stepping with them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The three main forms are great. Positioning is key.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10283" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-08-22T09:18:59.367" LastActivityDate="2019-08-22T09:18:59.367" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9361" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-08-22T15:32:54.437" Score="3" ViewCount="527" Body="&lt;p&gt;For instance, why are there no MMA guys over 62 that can win championships? Is it that MMA techniques no longer work once you reach a certain age when fighting a competitive opponent? What is the deal? For example should MMA schools post a disclaimer that these skill wear off after a few years?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8964" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-08-22T16:00:46.267" LastActivityDate="2019-08-24T04:58:40.613" Title="Why are there no competitive martial art champions aged 62 or above?" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|aging|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9362" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9361" CreationDate="2019-08-22T16:06:25.023" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial arts school attendance in general peaks sometime around age 17 or 18. Then it falls off. By the time you reach age 62, you'll be lucky to find even a single competitor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This has to do with the fact that, for most people, their life changes when they head off to college or enter the workforce. They can no longer prioritize martial arts highly. Then when they get married and have kids, only a vanishingly small percentage of people still pursue martial arts training. The demands of their lives as well as their interests change over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That doesn't say anything about MMA not being effective for older people, or that older people don't retain skills learned in MMA practice. That's certainly not the case. There are a number of older MMA competitors that have higher skill level than much younger practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, older MMA practitioners will not have the same level of physical ability that much younger students have. And that's just because of what happens naturally as we age. We become more susceptible to bruising. We don't recover as quickly. We can't exert ourselves as much. We have joint pain and tendonitis as a result of years of damage and simply getting older. Our backs, elbows, shoulders, and knees give out on us. We don't put on muscle as fast or as much. We have higher levels of body fat. All of this is normal as we age, and it all works against us when compared against younger practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It takes a special kind of person to stick around into their 60's in MMA. Most will drop out long before that. Again, it has to do with changing life priorities, but also because it's hard on an older person's body. There are more gentle ways of staying in shape as we age. And the motivation to be a fighter fades over time due to a number of factors, some social / psychological, and some biological.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But aging effects are largely irrelevant in MMA competition, because of age brackets. Presumably your competition is in the same age category as you are. So that's not a big factor. It only becomes a big factor if a 62 year old is fighting a 25 year old.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2019-08-22T16:06:25.023" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9363" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9361" CreationDate="2019-08-22T19:20:19.690" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you compete in MMA for long enough you will get hurt.  Every time  you are gambling with your health.  If you start competing young you won't get to be good when you are old.  Or rather, you may be a good instructor or a good coach but you will never be a good competitor with the damage.  If you start competing old, you may struggle to learn the techniques.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You do get plenty of older martial artist in the traditional styles.  I have had instructors in their 30s 40s 50s and yes even in their 60s.  One instructor is able to to axe kicks at 70... Why he does axe kicks I have no idea as no-one else in the style does but I digress.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another way of looking at it is this:  How many 61 year old soccer players are there?  Why should martial arts be any different?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2019-08-22T19:20:19.690" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9364" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9392" CreationDate="2019-08-23T10:51:12.653" Score="3" ViewCount="615" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk1lzkH-e4U&amp;amp;t=574&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&quot;lost interview&quot;&lt;/a&gt; of Bruce Lee with Pierre Berton (1971) he says &quot;Tai Chi Chuan&quot; is Mandarin, but I don't fully get the Cantonese version when he tells it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hear &quot;Tai te kuen&quot; ... but I'm not sure at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9020" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-09T13:40:22.823" LastActivityDate="2019-09-09T13:40:22.823" Title="How is &quot;Tai Chi Chuan&quot; pronounced in Cantonese?" Tags="|terminology|tai-chi|bruce-lee|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9366" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9361" CreationDate="2019-08-23T13:58:22.060" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is also a simple fact of aging. You could look at any sport, and see the same thing. Champions in any sport at extended ages are outliers. Some examples of these outliers would be:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Al Oerter - Olympic Champion in track and field, winning medals in events into his mid 40's&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Gordie Howe - NHL player, played in 5 decades, last game at 52 (All Star electee that year as well)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;George Blanda - 26 NFL seasons, last season at age 48&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many more examples in various sports (Ken Shamrock), but at some point, everyone starts losing muscle mass, reaction times slow down, etc. For a sport like MMA where there is a lot of reaction/reflex activity, that is a critical point. If you take a 50 year old and a 24 year old of equal ability and statistics (height/weight/reach, and so on), the 24 year old will win the majority of the time simply due to the fact of being younger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also senior competitions, and age graded competitions where you compete against people of similar rank and age. In these you will find champions of all ages, it's up to you to decide if they have validity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2019-08-23T14:57:16.197" LastActivityDate="2019-08-23T14:57:16.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9367" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9370" CreationDate="2019-08-23T17:44:51.487" Score="2" ViewCount="197" Body="&lt;p&gt;We strongly associate a boxer training in front of a punching bag, and a karateka breaking boards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would the boxer or the karateka benefit from cross training, that is, boxer breaking boards, karateka punching punching bag? Is it common to cross train?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1811" LastActivityDate="2019-12-10T18:17:20.147" Title="Boxer breaking boards, karateka punching punching bag" Tags="|punching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9368" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9364" CreationDate="2019-08-24T02:38:44.387" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The site mdbg has audio of native Mandarin and Cantonese speakers. See the entry for &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&amp;amp;wdrst=0&amp;amp;wdqb=taiji#&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;taijiquan&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. You need to click on the characters for &lt;em&gt;taijiquan&lt;/em&gt; as below in the screenshot to access the audio, which is circled for Cantonese in red. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&amp;amp;wdrst=0&amp;amp;wdqb=taiji#&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/HGJrB.png&quot; alt=&quot;mdbg.net&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, the middle word is missing Cantonese audio. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-08-24T02:38:44.387" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9369" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9361" CreationDate="2019-08-24T04:58:40.613" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Techniques require speed and power (some more than others)&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take a technique like a straight punch at range to the face. To land this punch, the attacker  need speeds to move across distance to reach the target before defense can be employed. As a younger person, it may be sufficient to increase speed and power to be successful. If you are faster than everyone else, you can defeat defenses and be successful with punches at distance. As speed declines with age, a simple attack strategy built around the straight punch at range fails because defenses can react in time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Strategy must be different with strength or speed deficiencies&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are stronger and faster than your opponents, your fighting strategy can be simple and direct like the straight punch at range to the face. If not, you need different strategies. For example, the opponent may focus on attacking your face, but you attack the hands, which require you to cover less distance. Or you focus on redirecting an initial attack to close and attack with combinations that rely more on thought speed than physical speed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Body maintenance is essential&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be able to fight into old age, it is essential that the body be maintained. If you shuffle around like a crippled old man, no fighting techniques you have learned will be of use to you because you will not have the power to apply them anymore. Note especially that practices that were successful in developing strength or speed in youth may be detrimental in the long term if they result in damage. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Championship capability in old age&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal experience is that yes, martial ability can be maintained into old age. I have had instructors in their late 70's who were completely capable of defeating much younger and physically stronger fighters.  But even these people think their younger selves were more capable than their older selves. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-08-24T04:58:40.613" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9370" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9367" CreationDate="2019-08-24T14:30:55.193" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Part of the issue is that &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_(martial_arts)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;board breaking&lt;/a&gt; is not generally training. It is a form of demonstration. Its practice is basically tied to showing strength and speed of a single strike in a measurable form at a time when we didn't have accelerometers and high-speed cameras. Today, boxers often do something very similar to a board break in purpose where they're shown delivering a punch to a punching bag, and the audience is then shown the measured speed and force of the punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What may be a more interesting question is looking at breaking training versus bag work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Generally, a martial artist engaged in breaking will practice by repeatedly hitting hard surfaces. Masutatsu Oyama, a famous breaker who was known for breaking the horns off bulls, would use trees. In karate, a device called a makiwara is used; this device has found more popular use by practitioners of other martial arts today. In the past, Shaolin and other earlier martial artists would use many different types of devices in order to condition themselves, not always for simply breaking, but using the same concepts used today. For instance, there is Iron Palm, Iron Shin, Iron Shirt, Iron Head, and other types of training which center around conditioning various parts of the body so they could withstand or give blows such as what is seen today in martial arts breaking. Many Chinese systems also are of the school of thought that &quot;internal energy&quot; or Chi is used when breaking, which is not dependent upon muscle strength and body weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Namely, part of breaking training involves barehanded, or lightly clad, strikes against unyielding surfaces to make the skin tougher and the bones more dense, and enforcing proper striking technique with barehanded blows to avoid injury. If a boxer plans to fight without gloves, and strike with their full force, then yes, they may benefit from breaking training to build up their endurance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As regards general bag-work, striking takes energy, obviously, and any fight that doesn't end quickly is going to require you to have a fair amount of endurance. Punching, or kicking, repeatedly at a target like a bag is a good way to build up that endurance. My understanding is that this is the common purpose for boxers striking a heavy bag, that it's not as much about getting their punches stronger, as rather about learning to punch over and over again in quick succession against resistance, so that you can similarly maintain that endurance in the ring. And yes, that is something that &lt;em&gt;karatekas&lt;/em&gt; do with their training. Although I'd argue that there's some difference in philosophies between the two styles, boxing focusing on multiple strikes, only sometimes leading to a definite &quot;knockout blow&quot;, versus Karate, which tends to be a bit more about delivering that one perfect blow to disable an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-12-10T18:17:20.147" LastActivityDate="2019-12-10T18:17:20.147" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9371" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="694" CreationDate="2019-08-26T04:48:19.693" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stance: Kukkiwon, as mentioned, favors sparring, and so speed and dexterity are favored over power and balance. Therefore, their stances are considerably narrower and shorter. Some schools with Shotokan-influenced instructors (eg: Kukkiwon schools practicing Palgwe forms, Tang Soo Do schools, and some kwan schools identifying little or no affiliation to Kukkiwon) will show very long and wide stances: very powerful, but with a drag on speed and mobility. I can't say for sure, but Karate has a &quot;one strike, one kill&quot; mantra for each of its techniques, and I surmise the exaggerated stance is a nod toward this mantra.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the &quot;tul&quot; crowd is much more moderate, where they do not emphasize the lock to the floor with an extended stance, and yet still retains enough so that mobility and speed aren't sacrificed; this is all wrong because taekwondo came from the kwan styles (all taekwondo  styles come from the kwans). They started  merging in 1955. And continued without 1972.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10292" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-08-27T08:13:44.843" LastActivityDate="2019-08-27T08:13:44.843" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9372" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9364" CreationDate="2019-08-26T07:47:55.477" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm cantonese&lt;br&gt;&#xA;It's pronounced: Tai 'cake' kuen&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Taichi chuen is mandarin&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2019-08-26T07:47:55.477" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9373" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5422" CreationDate="2019-08-27T07:33:25.440" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You may not believe it, but there exist studies where pure mental training had the same effects than physical training with a partner. So if you don't have a partner you can practice &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadowboxing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;shadowboxing&lt;/a&gt;. Shadowboxing is also very advisable even if you have a partner, as it is a fundamental part of every martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As already answered by user5645, this is only one side of the coin. Without a proper partner/teacher (especially for Chi-Sao) you will hardly master the style in its whole definition by your own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But don't let this get you down, even if you can &quot;only&quot; train solo drills, this does not mean you can't get a good Wing Chun fighter. The great advantage with partners is that you always have some form of &quot;feedback&quot; ... you know if you hit the rights spot, you can &quot;feel&quot; your partner, ask him questions, discuss about correct angles, etc., etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also partner-training has a huge philosophical part, that is, it teaches you empathy and respect for the people opposite of you. You train with a partner, but don't try to hurt him ... you together grow and get better martial artists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A complete martial art is always about people ... life, death, love. This is also the main difference of a true martial art and MMA. MMA is sport ... it is designed to hurt people ... not to respect or love them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I encourage you to continue your martial art studies, even if you don't have a partner for training ... read books, watch movies/tutorials, practise forms/katas, drills, stay fit, eath healthy, respect people, pray/meditate, etc. ... everything in life is part of a true martial artisan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9020" LastActivityDate="2019-08-27T07:33:25.440" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9374" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9375" CreationDate="2019-08-27T14:11:18.797" Score="3" ViewCount="389" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the Kodokan Goshin-jutsu kata, a variation of osoto-gari grabbing uke's neck (as opposed to their collar) is taught as a defence from a punch/strike by uke (&lt;em&gt;naname-uchi&lt;/em&gt;):&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8MlGidQY-4&amp;amp;t=213&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/WHajL.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One can also perform osoto-gari by grabbing the uke's hair to break their balance backwards:&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/PpTHX.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/PpTHX.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Are such grips legal in competition?&lt;/strong&gt; Though they seem intuitively to be 'against the spirit of judo', the only explicit references in the IJF rules to similar grips is prohibiting touching the face,&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; and enforcing that long hair be tied up so as not to inconvenience the opponent.&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qZrXwJCXOuEC&amp;amp;dq=&amp;quot;grab+uke%27s+throat&amp;quot;&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;grab+uke%27s+throat&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mastering Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Masao Takahashi (p.55, table 4.3.ii.1.); Kodokan Goshin-jutsu&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=125&amp;amp;v=tooukDFJwYQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;WC Tokyo 2019 | Women | U48 | Bilodid vs. Martinez Abelenda&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3.&lt;/strong&gt; IJF SOR: Article 18.5 - Prohibited Acts and Penalties&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;To put a hand, arm, foot or leg directly on the opponent’s face. The face means the area within the line bordered by the forehead, the front of the ears and the jawline. &lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4.&lt;/strong&gt; IJF SOR: C1.1.4.10 Judogi Control Procedure&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Long hair must be tied up out of the way and not prevent the grip of the opponent.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2019-08-27T15:39:55.127" Title="Osoto-gari grabbing uke's neck or hair" Tags="|judo|competition|throwing|sport|grips|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9375" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9374" CreationDate="2019-08-27T15:39:55.127" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Grabbing neck to throw&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is illegal. Judo kata has many techniques that are forbidden in sport judo because it is only safe to practice them in controlled situations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a referee I would call &lt;em&gt;hansoku-make&lt;/em&gt; for IJF SOR: Article 18.5 (hansoku-make) - Prohibited Acts and Penalties&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ol start=&quot;5&quot;&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;To make any action this may endanger or injure the opponent especially the opponent’s neck or spinal vertebrae or may be against the spirit of judo.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This situation is also covered by IJF SOR: Article 18.29 - Prohibited Acts and Penalties, which also mentions &lt;em&gt;hansoku-make&lt;/em&gt; for dangerous actions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ol start=&quot;29&quot;&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;If both of the athletes are in a tachi-shisei (standing position) and one or both apply kansetsu-waza or shime-waza, mate and shido should be announced. However, if the action is dangerous or can injure the opponent, it will be hansokumake.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Grabbing hair to throw&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would call this a &lt;em&gt;hansoku make&lt;/em&gt; according to IJF SOR: Article 18.11 (hansoku-make) - Prohibited Acts and Penalties&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ol start=&quot;11&quot;&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Any action against the spirit of judo (this includes anything that can be described as anti-judo) may be punished by a direct hansoku-make at any time in the contest.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This rule I believe is purposefully vague to avoid having to enumerate all possible illegal activities. Punching the opponent, for example, would fall under this rule as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As explained to me orally, the following rule means that you can grip the hair incidentally when gripping normally. You cannot grab the hair directly, but if in gripping the lapel or collar you also happen to grip hair (because it has not been tied up out of the way), that is legal. &lt;strong&gt;This rule only makes sense if grabbing hair directly is illegal.&lt;/strong&gt; Otherwise you could always grab long hair. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Long hair must be tied up out of the way and not prevent the grip of the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-08-27T15:39:55.127" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9378" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4395" CreationDate="2019-08-30T12:00:12.763" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Maybe Jiu Jitsu would suit you. It is usually used to contain opponents and punches are not really utilized. Look for Jean Jacques Machado. He is a wizard at this martial art and his one hand is missing fingers (born like that).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga can be another option. It is self-defense used by the Israeli police and army. They also avoid using fists, since this is a common way to injure yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10308" LastEditorUserId="10308" LastEditDate="2019-08-30T14:05:14.377" LastActivityDate="2019-08-30T14:05:14.377" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9379" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-09-02T14:16:31.733" Score="3" ViewCount="661" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a number of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compression_lock&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;compression locks&lt;/a&gt; in grappling, which function with tori placing a limb (acting as a fulcrum) in the crook of one of uke's joints, and applying pressure to flex the joint over the limb, simultaneously crushing the muscles/ligaments either side of it and hyper-flexing the joint around it. While&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Achilles Locks (&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashi-Hishigi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;ashi-hishigi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, targetting the ankle joint)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Calf/Thigh Slicers (&lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/leglocks/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;hiza-hishigi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; etc, targeting the knee joint)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;and even Neck Locks (&lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/kubiwaza/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;kubi-hishigi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; etc)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;are historic judo techniques (if banned in randori/competition for over a century), I have never seen the Biceps Slicer described as an explicit technique in any Kodokan material.&lt;sup&gt;1 2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/nHeCJ.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/nHeCJ.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is a biceps slicer a legal technique&lt;/strong&gt; (since it is a joint lock targeting the elbow), &lt;strong&gt;and if not, was it ever taught in judo?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvLKfeSeOpw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt; it is being demonstrated in a Kosen Judo club however, using pressure from a leg triangle to apply the lock.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9E0z5fJGuWk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt; being demonstrated by John Anderson (Kodokan 8th Dan), using pressure from the other arm.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/sup&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-31T12:06:25.040" LastActivityDate="2022-03-31T12:06:25.040" Title="Are Biceps Slicers legal in judo?" Tags="|judo|history|sport|joint-lock|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9380" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9379" CreationDate="2019-09-03T16:08:47.357" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was taught a compression armlock by a US national referee. I am not formally familiar with the term bicep slicer, but your description of the armlock matches exactly what I learned. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a joint lock on the elbow that can be performed in a controlled manner, so there is nothing to make it illegal. It's legal. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't recall whether I have seen this armlock in judo publications. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The compression armlock is not one of my competition techniques, so I have never  tested whether it is allowed in competition. I personally find it only works roughly half the time, mostly based on the partner. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-09-03T16:08:47.357" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9381" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9382" CreationDate="2019-09-04T06:04:43.127" Score="5" ViewCount="143" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my first match I was doing pretty good in clinching but my knees were too frequent and not powerful. I've been working on a bag pretty much every chance i get and do about 50-100 knees after every training but I wanted to know if there's any other kind of training that would help me improve the impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10063" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-09-04T17:15:03.650" LastActivityDate="2019-11-27T18:34:22.370" Title="How to improve my knee impact in clinching" Tags="|kicking|muay-thai|striking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9382" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9381" CreationDate="2019-09-05T07:16:46.110" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;As long as everyone is silent, I'll add my two cents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When using your knees to hit your opponent's body, you may go in two ways:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Your opponent is much stronger than you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You cannot pull his body towards you to make it more vulnerable to your knees. In such situations, frequent and light hits may be an option - at least it will complicate your opponent's attacks. But in general, it is a very bad situation (i.e., clinching with a much stronger opponent) - try to avoid it at any cost.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Your opponent is as strong as you, or less stronger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can pull his body towards you while clinching. In this case, you may use a two-step tactic (this is only a single example from the hoard of other moves).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Step-back with back-leg, then step-side with front-leg and turn - you may know this move as &quot;twister&quot;. With the second step you should pull your opponent, using both your strength and move.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;As your opponent is bent forward (remember your front-leg is now on the side and has good amplitude potential?), incline your body back with your front-leg kneeing your opponent. Inclining your body back matters - in fact, you shouldn't bend a hitting leg much - the main point here is your upper body move. Along with this move, try to grab your opponent closer to you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Main point in heavy knees - inclining (or pulling) your upper-body back along with throwing the knee using your weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-11-25T14:24:26.120" LastActivityDate="2019-11-25T14:24:26.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9383" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-09-05T19:59:14.313" Score="4" ViewCount="478" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 43 and got myself a spinal cord injury 16 years ago that keeps me in a wheelchair most of the time. I can stand and walk with crutches and have some decent (for a quadriplegic) upper body mobility but definitely impaired strength, balance and function to say the least.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pre-injury I was a relatively fit and athletic person and always interested in martial arts. With the rising popularity of BJJ, and my need/want to continue to build strength and coordination (lest I lose it quicker than you can bat an eye) as well as participate in physical activity other than the gym is drawing me in that direction. I've spoken to people/practitioners in person and even an instructor at a friend's school way way out who have said, seemingly patronisingly, &quot;go for it buddy&quot;, but I've never felt enough sincerity in that to believe that it would actually be something feasible to learn, much less something a school would be willing to take on, or even how that would work. My suspicion is that in person, people are trying to sugarcoat (not my style), but in reality it might not be feasible. Hence my presence here. It's no secret that people feel more comfortable setting the sugarcoating aside with the anonymity of the interwebs... this time it's working in my favor, I hope.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I haven't been able to find much info online and getting it straight from the horses mouth is always better anyway. But all this is to say, is BJJ something someone in my position could pursue in a manner more less of that of an able-bodied person? I know I can pay anyone to do anything (rather people can be paid to do anything), but between physical therapists, recreational therapists and the general population, I get enough of that. My question is: is it worth inquiring with some local schools to find what I'm looking for? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the general consensus is &quot;probably not&quot;, it's not some obstacle I have an undying drive to overcome. I'd rather save everyone the time and awkwardness and continue weights, swimming, skiing and the rest of the stuff I've been doing, if that makes any sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sorry for the extra-long post. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10325" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-07T13:31:48.500" LastActivityDate="2019-09-07T13:31:48.500" Title="Disabled BJJ - worth a try?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|injury|recommendation|disability|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9384" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9383" CreationDate="2019-09-05T21:06:59.837" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think we can tell you whether or not you're able to do a BJJ class. I think that's something you're going to have to try and see for yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I were you, I'd call up a BJJ school I like, and I'd ask to talk with the head instructor. On the phone, I'd explain the situation and ask if it would be possible to meet with him or one of his assistant instructors sometime to see if my disabilities really would exclude me from BJJ altogether or not. Then when you meet, they're going to see where you're at and whether you have something you can work with. They'll explain what you will and won't be able to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to consider is joining Facebook groups and attending meet-ups where you can ask this question of people with similar disabilities near your location. Ask them if they know of anyone doing BJJ. If so, you can go check out that school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the logistics of having to be in the regular BJJ class don't work well, or if you become too self-conscious or get tired of people holding back when they're partnering with you, you might consider starting up a weekly group lesson for others with disabilities. You just need one or more others who are interested. Private lessons are expensive, but if you get a few guys like yourself to split the cost, it's going to much more cost effective. You might do this in addition to the regular class, also.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also stick with private lessons only for a while, until you've gotten to the point where you can hold your own. And then you might feel better entering the regular class. That way, the instructor can also get to know you and your limitations and can tailor your training to fit you better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind that physical attributes do matter in fights and in competition. For example, a black belt who weighs 100 pounds will find it's hard to win against a white belt who weighs 250 pounds. Anyone with disabilities is going to find themselves in a similar situation. But that just means you're going to have to work harder and longer than people who don't have disabilities just to match them. It might be a long time before you can win against white belts who have no disabilities. You'll need to go into this with that understanding. You will lose a lot, maybe even all the time for a year, two years, etc. Instead of feeling bad about it, you'll need to see each loss as getting one step closer to the day that you start to win.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2019-09-05T21:06:59.837" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9385" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9383" CreationDate="2019-09-06T06:53:42.370" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I trained with disabled people: missing arms; wheel chair bound ME; and blind. Any good instructor will modify what they teach to suit your condition. With that in mind, go find a good school (not style), and try a few sessions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not limit yourself to BJJ; look at all the martial arts clubs close to you, regardless of style, since a good instructor is what you are looking for. Do not limit yourself to Asian styles/arts; look up HEMA, bows, and even axe throwing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case, you will not be able to do all the things that a non-quadriplegic person can do. However, it means nothing about what you can achieve. I can say with 100% certainty that anyone who competes in the Paralympics or the Invictus Games is much better than me at what they do with very little chance of me coming even close to their performance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As they say in Japanese: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.livinglanguage.com/community/discussion/262/what-is-gannbatte&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;頑張ってください&lt;/a&gt; “Do your best”.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Get medical advice&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; as well. You do not want to make it worst. Medical advice is off topic here, so I'll leave it at that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-09-06T14:57:07.730" LastActivityDate="2019-09-06T14:57:07.730" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9386" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8941" CreationDate="2019-09-06T10:15:04.447" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes. If you want evidence of this, get an untrained 20 year old (plenty of white-belts that age kicking around) and watch them spar with Rickson Gracie, Chris Hauter etc. Again, plenty of videos of that online.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10194" LastActivityDate="2019-09-06T10:15:04.447" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9387" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9383" CreationDate="2019-09-06T17:35:10.913" Score="5" Body="&lt;h3&gt;Adaptive Jiu Jitsu&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is definitely possible to train and progress in BJJ with a spinal cord injury. Pete McGregor has the following advice when looking for a place to train:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will note that my disability is a spinal cord injury. I am a complete T-7 paraplegic so all of my jiujitsu is done without the use of my legs. [...]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Before we even get to the jiujitsu part, let’s talk accessibility... Before you go to an academy, phone over there and introduce yourself, ask to speak to the instructor. Explain a little about yourself and your disability and that you’re interested in giving jiujitsu a try. They should give you an immediate vibe of whether or not it’s for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The instructor should be warm and inviting and pleased to try and help&lt;/strong&gt; someone who may give them a challenge. If you get a bad vibe, move on, it’s not worth the time or the money to find out something bad. Also, make sure you ask if the WHOLE facility is accessible. Sometimes the mats are but the changing rooms/showers, parking stalls, and access points aren’t. You should know these things before you show up so there’s no confusion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dirtywhitebelt.com/2018/06/14/interested-in-adaptive-grappling-heres-what-you-need-to-know/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Interested in adaptive grappling? Here’s what you need to know.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Para-Jiu-Jitsu World Champion (2017) Sean Fong (leg, arm amputee) has given a number of interviews in the past few years. In one &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.jiujitsutimes.com/fighting-the-odds-down-under/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;he describes&lt;/a&gt; how he initially opted for private lessons in BJJ since he was self-conscious about what he could and couldn't do, but he quickly found a very welcoming environment in the regular group classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you live near one however, note that in the US there there are several programs specifically catering to adaptive jiu-jitsu e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bjjdc.com/adaptive-bjj&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yamasaki's DC's Adaptive Jiu-Jitsu Program&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is even a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/TwoFeetShorter/playlists?view=50&amp;amp;sort=dd&amp;amp;shelf_id=10&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;YouTube series&lt;/a&gt; demonstrating adaptive Jiu-Jitsu techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Adaptive Jiu-Jitsu Competitions&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a number of national and international level adaptive Jiu jitsu competitions, including:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.grapplershearttournament.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Grappler's Heart Tournament&lt;/a&gt; (2015-present)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;UAEJJF Abu Dhabi &lt;a href=&quot;https://events.uaejjf.org/en/event/187&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;International Parajiu-Jitsu&lt;/a&gt; (2017-present)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://sjjif.com/public/eventInfo/536&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;SIJJF World Parajiu-Jitsu Championship&lt;/a&gt; (2018?-present) &lt;sub&gt;(also has &lt;a href=&quot;https://sjjif.com/public/eventInfo/541&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Deaf&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://sjjif.com/public/eventInfo/538&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Special&lt;/a&gt; Jiu Jitsu events)&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Other Adaptive Grappling Sports&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have trained with a number of judoka with various physical disabilities and in all cases the clubs and coaches have been more than happy to accommodate. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/gb-judo/gb-adaptive-judo/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Many countries&lt;/a&gt; have Adaptive Judo competitions specifically for such competitors, and training courses for coaches to accommodate students of various abilities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This may serve more as an inspirational point than any concrete advice about the feasibility of training, but there are exceptional grapplers who have reached the highest levels of competition against able-bodied competitors, e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Robles&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Anthony Robles&lt;/a&gt;, 2010–11 NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Champion (125lb) (born with one leg).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-09-06T18:14:39.980" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9388" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-09-06T17:47:54.913" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2019-09-06T17:47:54.913" LastActivityDate="2019-09-06T17:47:54.913" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9389" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-09-06T17:47:54.913" Score="0" Body="For questions relating to adapting martial arts to those with disabilities (physical, mental, temporary, permanent etc)." OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-06T17:49:30.353" LastActivityDate="2019-09-06T17:49:30.353" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9390" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="499" CreationDate="2019-09-07T00:08:37.653" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here, by means of example, are the guidelines for examination of disabled judoka entering a Dan grading in the British Judo Association (BJA):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;h2&gt;TECHNICAL EXAMINATION FOR DISABLED PLAYERS&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The purpose of the grading syllabus is to help coaches provide a safe, fun and stimulating learning environment where all people with special needs feel confident and motivated to reach their individual &#xA;  potential as a judoka. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The coach, examiner and judoka should work together and in the practical section where a Waza is not possible due to any type of restriction or limitation by the judoka, then the Waza should be &#xA;  substituted for a Waza more appropriate but within the grading criteria. For any verbal part of the exam, the judoka can by any appropriate means, pass on the information required to the examiner.&lt;/strong&gt; &#xA;  There is no pass or fail and the examination process has no time limit. When the examiner is satisfied that the candidate has completed the requirements for the module, this is recorded in the candidate’s exam sheet and when all required modules are complete the candidate registers the application for promotion with the NDGA, submitting exam sheet together with Record Book, Technical Dan Grade record card, current licence and fee of £40. &lt;strong&gt;Where techniques are substituted to demonstrate their understanding and knowledge, the intention is that the same standard is reached, by alternative equivalent means. The purpose is not to lower the standard to be demonstrated, but to allow some flexibility in reaching the standard indicated by the grade the judoka is aiming to achieve.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A great amount of discretion is given to the examiner, with the grading scheme being very flexible in dealing with all needs and all mainstream documentation should be utilised. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;&lt;em&gt;Important Note:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Each candidate taking part in an examination should be relaxed with no tension or stress. It is acknowledged that the candidates own coach is best placed to determine the ability and best time to &#xA;  carry out the exam and therefore can assist the examiner during the process. &lt;strong&gt;If the candidate is unable to complete any section of the examination, the examiner will either adapt or replace the Waza with &#xA;  one that the candidate is able to complete. The aim is to challenge players according to their individual abilities so that each player is fully able to reach their potential.&lt;/strong&gt; The candidate should be given the &#xA;  opportunity to develop and demonstrate their skills and understanding of judo and therefore qualify and progress through the higher grades by virtue of their personal efforts. This grading process is a working partnership between coaches, examiners, players and parents/carers. Naturally it has to be &#xA;  accepted, that in the same way as mainstream judoka, there will eventually be a point in the disabled &#xA;  judokas chosen pathway where it is not possible to progress any further, in exactly the same way that &#xA;  all judoka, at some stage reach their limit of progression.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/my-judo/grading/grading-resources/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Dan Grade Promotion Syllabus 09.2017&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The kyū and Mon grade syllabuses have similar guidelines, though with an illustrative example of how techniques may be substituted:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;e.g. If the exam states two throws and two hold-downs it may be more appropriate only to have four hold-downs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2019-09-07T00:08:37.653" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9391" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-09-09T09:33:41.163" Score="6" ViewCount="904" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=homdlRgWbbs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kodokan Kansetsu-Waza&lt;/a&gt; video demonstrates a number of variations of &lt;em&gt;te-gatame&lt;/em&gt; where uke's arm is pulled up their back, applying a hyper-rotational lock to the shoulder (sometimes called a hammerlock or chickenwing). In fact, &lt;strong&gt;all&lt;/strong&gt; variants it describes (except for the first performed from standing) appear to be shoulder locks:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/TUuBa.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/TUuBa.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unlike with other explicitly banned techniques demonstrated in the video (e.g. &lt;em&gt;ryote-jime&lt;/em&gt; with the legs, &lt;em&gt;ashi-garami, do-jime, daki-age&lt;/em&gt;), the commentary makes no mention that these locks are illegal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Such techniques have occasionally been used in high level competition, but there seems to be inconsistency on whether hansoku-make is given.&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Are these variants of &lt;em&gt;te-gatame&lt;/em&gt; legal?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had always assumed not, since they seem to be explicitly targeting the shoulder joint, but the ban on joint-locks anywhere other than the elbow was in place long before this video was published, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9352/why-is-ude-garami-permitted-in-judo-if-it-often-targets-the-shoulder-joint&quot;&gt;ude-garami is permitted&lt;/a&gt; as a long-established judo armlock despite also targeting the shoulder. Note also that the IJF &lt;a href=&quot;https://78884ca60822a34fb0e6-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2019/07/IJF_Sport_and_Organisation_Rul-1564071983.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;explicitly lists&lt;/a&gt; te-gatame among their recognised techniques (code &lt;code&gt;TGT&lt;/code&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;code&gt;Hansoku-make&lt;/code&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o2pjT9XnUc&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=1h52m&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;GP Düsseldorf 2017 | Heinle vs Khammo | 100+&lt;/a&gt; (switch camera to &amp;quot;Tatami 1&amp;quot;)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-23T14:23:57.040" LastActivityDate="2022-04-27T12:17:11.807" Title="Are Hammerlocks legal in judo?" Tags="|judo|sport|joint-lock|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9392" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9364" CreationDate="2019-09-09T12:58:33.530" Score="1" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hanzi:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%A4%AA%E6%A5%B5%E6%8B%B3#Chinese&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;太極拳&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cantonese:&lt;/strong&gt; taai&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; gik&lt;sup&gt;6&lt;/sup&gt; kyun&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;sub&gt;(&lt;em&gt;Jyutping&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Cantonese&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IPA&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/strong&gt; /tʰāːi. kìk̚. kʰy̭ːn/&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;IPA:&lt;/strong&gt; /tʰaːi. kik̚. kʰyːn/ &lt;sub&gt;(without tone diacritics)&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2019-09-09T12:58:33.530" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9393" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8386" CreationDate="2019-09-09T13:00:18.090" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer to your question is that you need to find a dojo/club/class where you feel comfortable.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the reasons I do martial arts is because I'm bad at it and I'm allowed to be bad at it.  If I make a mistake in my work life, people suffer. If I make a mistake in my family/interpersonal life, there are consequences.  But if I make a mistake on the practice floor, we get up, laugh heartily and try again.  Modern martial arts is structured to privilege safety over effectiveness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like you, I'm not the most coordinated person in the world. I don't have a diagnosis of dyspraxia, but I'm somewhere on that spectrum. I have to work harder to learn physical skills.  I've practiced martial arts for decades now and I've learned enough that I have overcome some of the issue, but I still have to think it through slowly, and sometimes I  have to break it down differently. (The secret is that everyone has to do that; for you and I it is merely a bit more evident).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find an instructor who cares more about teaching people than about teaching the curriculum.  Find a class that welcomes, encourages and accepts the student, not the belt.  When you're looking, look for white belts with grey hair.  Talk to the students and ask how they feel about their next promotion. Listen for &quot;I don't really care; I'm having fun learning&quot;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside: Like many martial arts questions, the corollary is that some instructors are right for some people and some instructors are wrong for others. There was a famous instructor in my area who was exceptionally demanding of his students - like drill sergeant demanding - very popular with his students, but he would have been a horrible fit for me.  Don't get distracted; find the instructor who will instruct &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="457" LastActivityDate="2019-09-09T13:00:18.090" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9394" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-09-09T17:25:42.133" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2019-09-09T17:25:42.133" LastActivityDate="2019-09-09T17:25:42.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9395" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-09-09T17:25:42.133" Score="0" Body="Techniques used with the intention of forcing the opponent to submit (via tapping, verbally, etc). Includes chokeholds, joint-locks, and other pain-compliance techniques." OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-09T18:17:44.633" LastActivityDate="2019-09-09T18:17:44.633" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9396" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9391" CreationDate="2019-09-10T02:45:51.060" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will answer as best I can, but I expect more experienced referees may disagree. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is an example of when the Kodokan classification is not very useful given the very different applications it covers. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First the Kodokan video:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Legal. This is a straightforward hyperextension armlock with &lt;em&gt;tori's&lt;/em&gt; arm as the fulcrum.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Fyyql.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Fyyql.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;te gatame&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Unsure. I am not familiar with this armlock, and the video is also not particularly illuminating either. Best guess is illegal because of the shoulder. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/T3vkT.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/T3vkT.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;guard stack&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Illegal. I would call a hansoku-make on the armlock shown in the gif on the basis that it affects the shoulder and not the elbow. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/TUuBa.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/TUuBa.gif&quot; alt=&quot;behind back&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Legal. This is basically an ude garami with applied only one hand, which is legal because it can affect the elbow. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/PtJoo.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/PtJoo.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;entanglement&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And the video link:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Illegal. I think this is the Kodokan #3 from above, so illegal. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As demonstrated by the referee seminar, decisions can be very difficult, even with slow motion and instant replay. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-13T08:47:55.373" LastActivityDate="2019-09-13T08:47:55.373" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9397" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9002" CreationDate="2019-09-10T04:04:53.040" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In martial arts training, every little bit helps. Since you have 0 martial arts knowledge and plan to have a few months gap after that, learn up the basics of the straight punch and kick. Nothing too fancy. Let your teacher know you might be training solo after the 3 months and ask him for pointers and ideas on what to do and what mistakes to watch out for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In that gap time, you could do solo training like bagwork, shadow box, fitness and coordination drills. The list of solo training workouts for martial arts are only limited by your imagination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2019-09-10T04:04:53.040" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9398" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-09-10T07:47:20.827" Score="1" ViewCount="62" Body="&lt;p&gt;It doesn't make sense to me. What do you think?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10330" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-11T10:32:13.793" LastActivityDate="2019-09-11T10:32:13.793" Title="Why is it permitted to kick (but not punch) someone in the face in Kyokushin tournaments?" Tags="|karate|competition|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2019-09-10T14:13:10.667" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9399" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9343" CreationDate="2019-09-10T09:20:54.747" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is my take on it might not be 100%&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;lj=left jab, rc=right cross, lh=left hook&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(lj,rc) x3 (coming forward)  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(step back) lj, rc  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(lj,rc) x6 (coming forward)  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(coming forward) (lj,rc) x3, rc  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;step back (lj, rc)  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;lh x3 (body)  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;step back big wind up  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;lh (body)  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(rc,lj) x2, rc (defensive)  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;double jab  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;lj,rc,lj,  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;retreating jab  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He's pretty fast and getting a good workout but you might think about his lack of head movement.  If I soak up a left hook, I'm straight back with my right hand so he should think about head movement and keeping that left hand up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like bag work and getting good combos going, but it depends on where the bag ends up, whether it's swung away from you or is moving laterally so trying to memorise combos more than about 5-7 moves is not really practical, and you'll just be repeating other shorter combos. While I'm here, my favorite combos on the bag:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;jab, cross, lh, rc&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;jab,cross, lh (body), lh(head), rc (stepping back)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;trying to get a perfect jab cross (so elusive, as I do mean perfect)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;jab, massive swinging haymaker for the sheer fun of it&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;jab, cross, jab, spinning backfist (because I'm not a boxer) :) &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9881" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-10T10:31:47.447" LastActivityDate="2019-09-10T10:31:47.447" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9400" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9402" CreationDate="2019-09-10T13:27:27.493" Score="4" ViewCount="179" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo shime-waza comprises three types of technique:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;blood-chokes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;air-chokes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;body constrictions&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most famous of the third type is the (competition-banned) &lt;em&gt;do-jime&lt;/em&gt;, but it is also possible to submit an opponent via a similar mechanism in a &lt;em&gt;kesa-gatame&lt;/em&gt; hold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Apart from these two shime-waza, are there any other body constriction techniques in judo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-10T23:10:48.060" LastActivityDate="2023-04-24T11:08:58.243" Title="Body constriction techniques" Tags="|judo|chokes|pins|submissions|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9401" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9352" CreationDate="2019-09-10T15:42:40.107" Score="8" Body="&lt;h3&gt;Original intent of rule&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The phrasing &amp;quot;kansetsu-waza applied to the elbow joint&amp;quot;&lt;sup&gt;b&lt;/sup&gt; is used by the Kodokan to describe joint-locks which achieve their effect by:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;straightening or bending the elbow joint (&amp;quot;locking&amp;quot; it in place), and&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;stretching, bending, or twisting the arm to submit the opponent&lt;sup&gt;1 2 3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The defining point is the manipulation of the elbow joint, not the location of pain in uke's arm.&lt;sup&gt;3 6&lt;/sup&gt; As such, &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt;, as well as other bent-elbow, twisting armlocks (e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9391/are-hammerlocks-te-gatame-legal-in-judo-competition&quot;&gt;hammerlocks&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9414/are-omoplatas-legal-in-judo/9415&quot;&gt;omoplatas&lt;/a&gt;), have consistently been included in Kodokan and IJF descriptions of legal &lt;em&gt;kansetsu-waza&lt;/em&gt; since the rule was last modified in 1925.&lt;sup&gt;a&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Later confusion&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Likely due to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the rarity of non-&lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt; rotational locks&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the fact that certain applications of &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; cause pain to the elbow joint&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the ambiguity of the phrase &amp;quot;locks applied &lt;em&gt;to&lt;/em&gt; the elbow joint&amp;quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;it has become common outside of Japan to believe only locks which cause &lt;em&gt;pain&lt;/em&gt; to the elbow (of which &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt; is nominally included) are permitted. The Kodokan consider this a misinterpretation:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, Tori who was trying to apply Ude-hishigi-te-gatame was given penalty as it was considered as an attack to Uke’s shoulder, with the current tendency of overreacting to hazardous actions. These seem to be caused by lack of knowledge rather than insufficient referee skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/2019/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Year Beginning Impressions&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (Jan 2019) Haruki Uemura, President of the Kodokan (original)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This has lead to the strange scenario where the hammerlock and kimura have been respectively labelled illegal and legal by Neil Adams when asked about this rule in &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Sn49VGowpr4?t=10724&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;JudoFest 2020&lt;/a&gt; (2:58:44):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is ude-garami allowed behind the back?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Referee Supervisors: Twisting up towards the back and head with a twist of the wrist as well will apply pressure to the shoulder and the wrist. This is not allowed. The general arm entanglement, the normal movement, is encouraged.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/news/show/judofest-2020-refereeing-rules&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.ijf.org/news/show/judofest-2020-refereeing-rules&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lock the elbow by straightening, twisting, or bending the arm... Straighten out or twist the arm to lock the elbow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Katame-Waza: Various Techniques and their Names&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1994)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Joint locks are directed against the opponent's joints, which are twisted, stretched or bent with the hands, arms or legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Kodokan_Judo.html?id=e6wUXRgLEfYC&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo: The Essential Guide to Judo by Its Founder Jigoro Kano&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1997)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ude-garami&lt;/strong&gt;... use both arms to entangle one of your opponent's arms while twisting it to the outside our inside &lt;em&gt;to control his elbow joint.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;te-gatame&lt;/strong&gt;... Alternatively use one or both hands to grip your opponent's wrist and twist it around behind him &lt;em&gt;to control his elbow joint.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/waza/dictionary/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Kodokan New Japanese-English Dictionary of Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (2000)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note:- In the event of a disagreement between the original Japanese text of these rules and any translation thereof, regardless of the languages used, or any ambiguity in any such translation, the Japanese text shall prevail.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://3yryua3n3eu3i4gih2iopzph-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/pdf/Contest%20Rules-55.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Contest Rules of The Kodokan Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1955)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Though to my knowledge never performed in international competition or demonstrated in any Kodokan material, this definition &lt;em&gt;may&lt;/em&gt; also include hyper-flexing elbow-locks (i.e. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9379/is-the-biceps-slicer-a-legal-technique-in-judo&quot;&gt;Biceps slicers&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/judo/comments/9qw8ej/is_the_kimura_submission_legal_in_judo/e8d4sj0/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;/r/judo US Referee comment&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/rules3/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Judo: Japanese Physical Culture&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Sumitomo Arima (1908)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/rules2/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Contest Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Roy Inman (1987)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.worldcat.org/title/jigoro-kano-and-the-kodokan-an-innovative-response-to-modernisation/oclc/756742110&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Jigoro Kano and the Kodokan: An Innovative Response to Modernisation&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;http://judo.forumotion.com/t2111-kosen-judo-rules&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;p.109-111&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sydhoare.com/development.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Development of Judo Competition Rules&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Syd Hoare&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;a. Twisting locks as demonstrated by the Kodokan&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Kansetsu-waza&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Twisting examples&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Americana &lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=38&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;from top&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;/&lt;sub&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=148&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;guard&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br&gt; Kimura &lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=63&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;from top&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;/&lt;sub&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=138&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;guard&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;te-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=1405&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Americana&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=1330&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hammerlock&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;hara-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=1093&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Americana&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;sankaku-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=1515&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kimura&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;ashi-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=1240&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;omoplata&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=1170&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;reverse omoplata&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; Huizinga roll&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;hiza-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=866&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;omoplata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=850&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;reverse omoplata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt; Huizinga roll&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;b. History of &lt;em&gt;kansetsu-waza&lt;/em&gt; restrictions&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Year&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Rule change&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Notes&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1899&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Finger, toe, and ankle locks (&lt;em&gt;ashi-hishigi&lt;/em&gt;) banned.&lt;sup&gt;7 10&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Inaugural jujutsu competition rules drafted by Kano for the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1900&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Wrist locks banned.&lt;sup&gt;8 10&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kodokan competition rules&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1916&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Finger-locks (again), &lt;em&gt;ashi-garami,&lt;/em&gt; neck-locks banned.&lt;sup&gt;8 10&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;Do-jime&lt;/em&gt; also banned&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1925&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Restrictions simplified to one rule prohibiting kansetsu-waza applied anywhere other than to the elbow.&lt;sup&gt;8 9 10&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Also restriction on techniques which may endanger the spine or neck.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When the IJF was founded in 1951, it adopted the English translation of the Kodokan's competition rules for the first 3 decades of its existence (explicitly deferring to the Kodokan interpretation of these rules in any case of translation ambiguity):&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Applying &amp;quot;Kansetsu-waza&amp;quot; (Bonelocks) on joints other than the elbow ;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Contest Rules of the Kodokan Judo&lt;/em&gt; (1948, 1951, &lt;a href=&quot;https://3yryua3n3eu3i4gih2iopzph-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/pdf/Contest%20Rules-55.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1955&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://3yryua3n3eu3i4gih2iopzph-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/pdf/Contest%20Rules-61.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1961&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From  1983  onwards, the IJF published its own separate ruleset, updating it periodically. However the original kansetsu-waza rule has remained &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ejudo.info/rule/compare2.php&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;aligned with the Kodokan rule to this day&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To apply kansetsu-waza (joint locks) anywhere other than to the elbow joint.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;English Contest Rules of the IJF&lt;/em&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://3yryua3n3eu3i4gih2iopzph-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/pdf/Contest%20Rules-83.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1983&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://3yryua3n3eu3i4gih2iopzph-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/pdf/Contest%20Rules-85.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1985&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To apply Kansetsu-waza anywhere other than to the elbow joint.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;IJF Refereeing Rules&lt;/em&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20010503002314/http://www.ijf.org/rules/html/refree-eng/center.htm#ARTICLE%2027%20-%20Prohibited%20acts%20and%20penalties&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1999&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://3yryua3n3eu3i4gih2iopzph-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/pdf/Contest%20Rules-03.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2003&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://meltonsjudo.com/uploads/3/5/4/8/35480431/ijf_ref_rules.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2011&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20160427055015/http://www.intjudo.eu/upload/2014_11/22/141664994165105156/ref_rules.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2014&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20170110144925/http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2016/09/2015_ijf_refereing_rules_engli-1473326071.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2015&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.judobund.de/fileadmin/_horusdam/10682-IJF-Refereeing_Rules_Juli_2018.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2018&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;IJF Sport and Organization Rules&lt;/em&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20180516220711/http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2017/03/2017_IJF_SOR_version_19-03-201-1490788080.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2017&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://78884ca60822a34fb0e6-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2019/07/IJF_Sport_and_Organisation_Rul-1564071708.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2019&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/sup&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-23T14:47:00.670" LastActivityDate="2022-03-23T14:47:00.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9402" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9400" CreationDate="2019-09-10T15:44:27.503" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, there are other constriction techniques. These are a few examples, not meant to be exhaustive. As a philosophical matter, I think you should always be looking to further break &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; structure and constrict their movement and breathing; this is maximum efficiency. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;yoko shiho gatame&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; is on the side with extended legs, one arm around the head, and the other arm through &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; legs high on the thigh grabbing &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; belt. &lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; presses down with the chest on &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; chest while pulling both arms toward's &lt;em&gt;tori's&lt;/em&gt; hips. The dual action increases pressure on &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; chest. This arm action is a common warmup drill where you lie face down on the mat and pull yourself across the mat using your arms but not legs, sometimes called chest pulls or &lt;em&gt;Mat putzen&lt;/em&gt; (mat cleaning because it has the effect of sweeping the mat area). &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;kuzure tate shiho gatame&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; ends up on top, with &lt;em&gt;tori's&lt;/em&gt; left arm between &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; left arm and head, grabbing &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; belt behind &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; back. &lt;em&gt;Tori's&lt;/em&gt; head helps to control &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; left arm and &lt;em&gt;tori's&lt;/em&gt; right hand is free to brace against bridging. Constriction is most effective when &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt; traps &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; right arm across &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; body between &lt;em&gt;tori's&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; bodies. From this position, &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt; presses down with their chest while simultaneously pulling with the left hand belt grip. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; can achieve this position by transitioning from a &lt;em&gt;kami shiho gatame&lt;/em&gt; with both arms underneath &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; arms grabbing &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; belt. &lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; then sits their left leg through on the right side and then steps over &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; body with the right leg to end up astride, maintaining the belt grip with their left hand throughout. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;ushiro kesa gatame&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/strong&gt; this is very similar to &lt;em&gt;kesa gatame&lt;/em&gt; in application, but I think this is even more effective in the reverse position. &lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; twists while winding &lt;em&gt;uke's&lt;/em&gt; arm and body to constrict. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not expect these constrictions to result in a submission or unconsciousness; they are more demoralizing and uncomfortable. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-10T22:54:32.067" LastActivityDate="2019-09-10T22:54:32.067" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9403" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4715" CreationDate="2019-09-11T11:34:50.687" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You looking a martial art for self defense purposes. Self defense can be life and death, it's not about scoring points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having hemiplegia is a major issue. We talk self-defense,so which moves can be utilized to neutralize, or even scare an opponent? Just doing a technique won't do the trick. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, let's say you can punch really hard with your healthy hand, still, you need to get into position to do that. This is a HUGE challenge to any trainer (my mind is blowing, just thinking about it).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, bear in mind, that we assume that the student is defender, not the aggressor, possibly also caught by surprise, which means that he takes the first hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Few points that come to my mind:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) Whatever system you choose, it's private lessons for you. The moves are to be tailored and costumed especially for you. Public class would be a waste of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) Work the surprise factor. No one expects retaliation from hemiplegic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) When working with a partner, he should give you no considerations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) Concealed [legal!!] self-defense tool definitely come into mind (@Bankuei). Do you walk with a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XsB5l49P7s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;cane&lt;/a&gt;?? Even if you don't need one, no one will suspect you going with one for other purpose! (hence, &lt;em&gt;surprise factor&lt;/em&gt;). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10293" LastActivityDate="2019-09-11T11:34:50.687" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9404" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9391" CreationDate="2019-09-11T13:27:26.943" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Kodokan&lt;/strong&gt; considers both armbar and bent arm arm-locks &amp;quot;locks applied to the elbow joint&amp;quot;, since both involve locking the elbow joint to achieve their effect (locked straight and inverted, or locked bent and twisted), regardless of the point of pain/hyper-mobility exercised on uke itself.&lt;sup&gt;1 2 3 4&lt;/sup&gt; This includes hammerlock &lt;em&gt;te-gatame&lt;/em&gt;, as well as omoplata style &lt;em&gt;ashi-gatame&lt;/em&gt; and kimura &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, hammerlock &lt;em&gt;te-gatame&lt;/em&gt; is considered illegal by some &lt;strong&gt;IJF&lt;/strong&gt; referees. The Kodokan consider this a &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9352/why-is-ude-garami-legal-if-it-is-effectively-a-shoulder-lock&quot;&gt;misunderstanding&lt;/a&gt;&lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt; of the rules on &lt;em&gt;kansetsu-waza&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, Tori who was trying to apply Ude-hishigi-te-gatame was given penalty as it was considered as an attack to Uke’s shoulder, with the current tendency of overreacting to hazardous actions. These seem to be caused by lack of knowledge rather than insufficient referee skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/2019/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Year Beginning Impressions&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (Jan 2019)&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Haruki Uemura, President of the Kodokan (&lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/words/20191/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;original&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While it has been awarded ippon in 6/7 occasions I can locate of it being used in IJF competition (with 3 of these appearing on the IJF's own technique example page):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Event&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Decision&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://judo.ijf.org/competition/2018/202&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Dusseldorf Grand Slam 2020 | Lkhagvasuren vs Keldiyorova&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ippon&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/209/videos?currentContestCodeLong=wc_sen2019_w_0048_0055&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Championships 2019 | 48kg | Munkhbat vs Ungureanu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ippon&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://judo.ijf.org/competition/1748/202&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Zagreb Grand Prix 2019 | Zupancic vs Prokopenko&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ippon&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/6692/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gp_geo2018_w_0052_0017&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tbilsi Grand Prix 2018 | 52kg | Babamuratova vs Delgado&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ippon&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://judo.ijf.org/competition/1658/202&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Guangzhou Masters 2018 | Tamaoki vs Roper&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ippon&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o2pjT9XnUc&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=1h52m&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;GP Düsseldorf 2017 | 100kg+ | Heinle vs Khammo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Hansoku make&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.judoinside.com/judovideo/32053/Miku_TASHIRO_JPN_Marian_URDABAYEVA_KAZ_U63_World_Championships_Astana_2015&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Championships Astana  2015 | 63kg | Tashiro vs Urdabayeva&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ippon&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Recently, Neil Adams during &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn49VGowpr4&amp;amp;t=10724s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;an IJF event&lt;/a&gt; demonstrated that under his understanding of the rules, a kimura &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt; is legal, and a hammerlock &lt;em&gt;te-gatame&lt;/em&gt; is illegal, the distinguishing point being whether tori has an arm entanglement grip:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt; is allowed if it's an entanglement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that the IJF Referee Commission consider hammerlock style &lt;em&gt;te-gatame&lt;/em&gt; (as well as omoplata style &lt;em&gt;ashi-/hiza-gatame&lt;/em&gt;) permissible as &lt;em&gt;turnovers&lt;/em&gt; in ne-waza:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVGZTua49Xs&amp;amp;t=11650&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF Refereeing &amp;amp; Coaching Seminar  2018: Day 2&lt;/a&gt; (3:14:10)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;te-gatame&lt;/strong&gt;... Alternatively use one or both hands to grip your opponent's wrist and twist it around behind him &lt;em&gt;to control his elbow joint.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/waza/dictionary/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan New Japanese-English Dictionary of Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ude-hishigi-te-gatame&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; &lt;strong&gt;| Hand armlock&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;... It is also possible to grasp his wrist with one or both hands and apply a lock to his elbow by twisting his arm behind his back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Kodokan_Judo.html?id=e6wUXRgLEfYC&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo: The Essential Guide to Judo by Its Founder Jigoro Kano&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1997)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/i0VLiYjmbzY?t=4507&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Katame-Waza: Various Techniques and their Names&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1994) (1:15:05)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ejudo.info/rule/compare2.php&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kodokan vs IJF rulesets&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Japanese&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Translation&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;「腕緘」や「腕挫腋固」などで肘を攻撃していても、肩関節に影響を与える場合がある。明らかに肩が攻撃されて、相手が試合をする能力を失った場合は、負傷させた方の試合者が「反則負け」となる。&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Even if the elbow is attacked with &amp;quot;Ude garami&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;Ude hishigi waki gatame&amp;quot;, the shoulder joint may be affected. If the shoulder is clearly attacked and the opponent loses the ability to play the match, &lt;strong&gt;the injured player&lt;/strong&gt; receives &amp;quot;hansoku-make&amp;quot;.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is perhaps understandable given the inconsistent way in which the term 'joint-lock' is used in different martial arts and languages, sometimes referring to the action of 'locking' a position, and sometimes the point of pain inflicted in the locked position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition to the general issues in translating technical and anatomical terminology from Japanese to English, I suspect the confusion is in part also due to the ambiguity of terminology for individual joint-lock names, referring variously to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the point of articulation/pain in uke when applied (&lt;em&gt;Achilles-lock, wristlock, biceps slicer, omoplata&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the articulation/movement of tori when applying (&lt;em&gt;ude-garami, double wristlock&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the articulation/movement of uke when applied (&lt;em&gt;armbar, chicken-wing&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;or a combination of the above (&lt;em&gt;ude-hishigi-hiza-gatame, knee-bar, toe-hold&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/sup&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-04-27T12:17:11.807" LastActivityDate="2022-04-27T12:17:11.807" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9405" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9406" CreationDate="2019-09-11T14:08:00.943" Score="3" ViewCount="183" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo's &lt;em&gt;kesa-gatame&lt;/em&gt; is often translated as &quot;scarf hold&quot;, but the technique is defined by wrapping your arms and upper body around uke's neck and arm, more like a seatbelt, as opposed to wrapping around just their neck, like a scarf. Why is it called this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2022-06-29T15:17:07.643" Title="Why is a &quot;scarf hold&quot; so-named if you don't wrap around the opponent's neck (like a scarf)?" Tags="|judo|terminology|japanese|uniform|pins|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9406" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9405" CreationDate="2019-09-11T14:08:00.943" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;When translating foreign technique names, sometimes there isn't a perfect analogue in the target language e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9190/etymology-of-tomoe-nage/9191&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;tomoe&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt; in &lt;em&gt;tomoe-nage&lt;/em&gt; translated as 'circle'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &amp;quot;kesa&amp;quot; (袈裟) in &lt;em&gt;kesa-gatame&lt;/em&gt; in fact refers to a type of buddhist robe, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasaya_(clothing)#Kesa_in_Japanese_Buddhism&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kāṣāya&lt;/a&gt;. While historically it was worn covering both shoulders, in current Japanese Buddhist style it is &lt;strong&gt;wrapped across the body with the right shoulder exposed&lt;/strong&gt;, as is the style in which the Buddha is traditionally depicted:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/AkNfjm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/AkNfjm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/U7AWIm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/U7AWIm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Kesa&lt;/strong&gt; means the cope or surplice of a Buddhist priest. This vestment has very large lapels which are crossed diagonally on the chest. Hence the name of the 1st Immobilization.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt; • &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=a_G1AAAAIAAJ&amp;amp;q=%22kesa+gatame%22+buddhist&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;My method of judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Mikinosuke Kawaishi (1955)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-06-29T15:17:07.643" LastActivityDate="2022-06-29T15:17:07.643" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9407" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6599" CreationDate="2019-09-11T15:59:07.827" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I thought people may find it interesting to see what I actually ended up doing, so here's an update:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My friend was interested in BJJ and so was I and we were going to join together, but he joined when I was on holiday but I decided to go a few weeks after. I spoke to the coach who didn't think my concerns were much of an issue (of course I am aware he may just want money, but I'd like to think there is more respect than that - but he did own the business) and made a point that everyone is there to help each other and if something hurts just tap - don't try be tough etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway - to cut a long story short and I guess against the advice of some posts I have now been doing BJJ for about 5 months. Amazingly, compared to other sports (even swimming) I am finding less issues with BJJ than anything else I have tried. I can't really explain why, I do get thrown about (and now likewise do the throwing to a degree) and yes it can ache but hey, I'm still okay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For someone who may be reading this it really is as my coach said to begin with - I had visions I'll get thrown to the floor and then arm-barred. In reality, you drill and it's far more relaxed, we focus on technique. When we partner up, with new partners, I make them clear from the off I can't fully kneel down or straighten my arm and they respect that and we practice. Sure if it was a competition it'd be different but I don't plan to enter competitions. I hope this gives someone else the confidence if they question themselves - also there are others in the class each with their own limitations, whether it's bandy knees, wrists or arms etc. You learn to adapt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7245" LastActivityDate="2019-09-11T15:59:07.827" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9408" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1919" CreationDate="2019-09-12T01:06:51.910" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In New York state you do not have a right to self defense under the law&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10331" LastActivityDate="2019-09-12T01:06:51.910" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9409" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-09-12T05:56:35.937" Score="4" ViewCount="540" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've trained at a couple of &quot;traditional Jujutsu&quot; clubs, but as far as I can tell their syllabuses seem to have been inspired by early 20th century judo, perhaps with a bit of aikido thrown in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any schools of Jujutsu still around today that can trace their roots/teaching to one of the actual Japanese Jujutsu schools pre-judo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Excluding the obvious examples of aikido and judo themselves (and those derived from them, i.e. bjj, sambo etc).)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10088" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-12T06:52:07.853" LastActivityDate="2019-09-16T09:51:25.750" Title="Are there any still surviving schools of Jujutsu?" Tags="|history|recommendation|jujutsu|schools|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9410" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="19" CreationDate="2019-09-12T07:20:55.793" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Roberto Pedreira's &lt;em&gt;Choque: The Untold Story of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil 1856-1949: Volume 1&lt;/em&gt; in one of its appendices contains a reconstructed hypothetical tree of the distinct lineages of judo/jiu-jitsu instructors in Brazil in the early 20th century, with a few caveats on reliability of information:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Appendix 3&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;h2&gt;Lineages&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The evidence for a lineage varied from reliable to questionable. Reliable evidence would be (authenticated) diplomas, photographs, and the like, and testimony from the teacher himself or his students based on their own first-hand experience. Questionable evidence would be self-promoting and uncorroborated or contested claims made many years after the alleged relationship, particularly when the individual had a documented history of lying. In short, the quality of evidence varied and in most cases lineages should be considered possible rather than certain. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;Kodokan Graduates in Brazil&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Conde Koma 前田光世 (1878-1941). Conde Koma’s main teacher was Sakujiro Yokoyama (who also taught Ito, Ono, and Satake). According to myth, Conde Koma’s style of fighting was aggressive. He would use kicks and punches to bring the opponent to the ground and then quickly finish with a “lock” or choke.&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; However, all of the available evidence clearly indicates that Conde Koma’s fights in Brazil were conducted strictly according to conventional jiu-jitsu rules. Kimonos were always worn and striking was never permitted (see main text for details). Conde Koma declined to fight capoeiras, whose game was striking. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Geo Omori 大森瀼冶 (1892-1938). Earned his black belt [&lt;em&gt;faixa negra&lt;/em&gt;] in 1909, when he was 17 from Kodokan, which he entered when he was 13, (1905). Omori’s main teacher was Conde Koma’s classmate Tokugoro Ito (whose teacher was also Conde Koma’s teacher, Sakujiro Yokoyama). Unlike Conde Koma, Geo Omori fought capoeiras and engaged in vale tudo fights. He also fought without kimono. However, he avoided boxers. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Yassuiti Ono 小野安一 (1910-?). Ono’s main teacher was Kanemitsu Yaichibei ( 金光弥一市兵 衛 ) in 1922. Ono immigrated to Brazil in 1929, when he was 19. Originally from Kumamoto, Japan. Ono fought with and without kimono. He did not fight strikers. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Takeo Yano 矢野武雄 (1909-?).&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; Like Yassuiti Ono and Masahiko Kimura, Yano was originally from Kumamoto, Japan (in fact, he attended the same middle school as Kimura). Yano fought with and without kimono. He did not fight strikers, although he challenged at least one boxer, and he fought numerous fake vale tudo “catch” fights. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sada Miyako&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Mario Aleixo &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conde Koma&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Bianor de Oliveira (Recife)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Donato Pires dos Reis (Belém)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Jacyntho Ferro (Belém)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Takeo Yano (Belém)&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Donato Pires dos Reis&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Carlos Gracie&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  George Gracie  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Geo Omori&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Saburo Senda&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Abrahão Gazal&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Albino da Costa&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Arthur Riquetto&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Vincente Martins (student of Riquetto)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Carlos Equido&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Gatti  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jose Barbosa&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Alberto Torre La Faria (Al Faria)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Roberto Coelho&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Carlos Gracie&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Benedicto Peres Campos&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Arthur Miele (student of Peres)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Jose Cayat&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Manoel Azevedo Maia&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Ary Martini&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Helio Gracie&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Carlos Pereira&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Adão Mayer&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Antonio Marques  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Oswaldo Gracie&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Mirando Neto&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Jorge Saldanha&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Dante Carvalho&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Euripedes Dornelo  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;George Gracie&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Ricardo Nibbon&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Camillo Hollanda  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Takeo Yano&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Odemar Figueiredo&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Eguti&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Vincente Marques&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Pinochio&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Inhesil Marinho&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Herminio de Oliveira&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Antonio Marques&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Waldyr Corbo  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gastão Gracie Filho&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Ennio Voss&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Dr. Adhemar Barbosa  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Yassuiti Ono&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Oninho (Naoiti Ono)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Luiz Tambucci&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Braz Gomes I&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Mazuko Tossio&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Milton Ferreira&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Udu Dorn&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Vincente Lacerva&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Jose Roberto Macedo Soares&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Mario Shymada&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Batiste Sarty&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Salvador Cardia&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Casimiro Tronscoco  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It is likely that all of the fighters who participated in preliminaries to Ono’s fights were his own students (refer to appendix 2).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Augusto Cordeiro&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Antonio Alfonso Alves&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Floriano Cadeco&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Luiz Alberto Moreira &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Appendix 3 Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;[“&lt;em&gt;Seu estilo ao lutar era agressivo―usava chutes e soccos para lever o adversario ao solo, onde rapidamente o finalizava com uma chave ou um estrangulamento&lt;/em&gt;”] (Gracie 2008, p. 37). &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;According to Nunes (2011, p. 62) Yano died in Belo Horizonte sometime in the 1980’s. Regrettably the sources Nunes cites do not seem to provide the relevant information about Yano. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;In addition to the above, Carlos Gracie claimed to have learned from Conde Koma. H[is] claim was doubted by journalists who cared enough to have an opinion, and was denied by Koma’s student Donato Pires dos Reis. Oswaldo Gracie also claimed, although not often, to have learned directly from Conde Koma. Koma taught for many years in Belém. There is at least one photograph of him with seven students wearing modern judo &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt;s. A fact easily forgotten is that a Conde Koma lineage was not of any particular value until Rorion Gracie made it the starting point of his story in 1988. Before that, it is likely that anyone descending from Conde Koma would have sought affiliation within the judo community.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Takeo Yano spent some time with Conde Koma in Belém and was described as a “&lt;em&gt;discipulo&lt;/em&gt;” implying that he was student of sorts. Yano had already graduated at the 3-dan level (after only one year) from the Kodokan before coming to Brazil [“&lt;em&gt;gradou-se, em doze mezes, com a titulo de faixa preta, 3. 0 grau&lt;/em&gt;”] (&lt;em&gt;Correio Paulistano&lt;/em&gt; 6-10-39).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Collapsing some of the connected trees, we have the following lineages for the Gracies:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conde Koma&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;  &#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Donato Pires dos Reis (Belém)  &#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Carlos Gracie &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;George Gracie &#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ricardo Nibbon  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Camillo Hollanda  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jose Barbosa&lt;/strong&gt;  &#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Carlos Gracie &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Helio Gracie  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Oswaldo Gracie&lt;/strong&gt;  &#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mirando Neto  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jorge Saldanha  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dante Carvalho  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Euripedes Dornelo  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gastão Gracie Filho&lt;/strong&gt;  &#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ennio Voss  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dr. Adhemar Barbosa  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-12T07:41:01.673" LastActivityDate="2019-09-12T07:41:01.673" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9411" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9325" CreationDate="2019-09-12T13:04:33.403" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is the justification given by the IJF in their notification of amendments to the Refereeing Rules from 2010 which introduced the ban on leg-grabs:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;&lt;em&gt;Introduction&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The IJF's wish is to defend fundamental judo values.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;em&gt;Within this scope IJF particularly devotes itself to preserve and develop education, physic and mental &#xA;  trumps of Judo.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;« Judo is a physic and mental education system ».&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;From the other side, IJF would like to change Refereeing rules during Olympic qualification period. For this reason it has proceed to experimentations and decided new rules for the period from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2012.&lt;/em&gt;   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20110812215505/http://www.intjudo.eu/pictures/static/41_1_1.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF REFEREEING&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  New rules for the period from 1/01/2010 to 31/12/2012&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2019-09-12T13:04:33.403" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9412" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9409" CreationDate="2019-09-12T15:17:43.923" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not a definitive answer, but for historical context: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kano (founder of Judo) states in &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo&lt;/em&gt;, published by Kodansha International Ltd., 1986, p. 19:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Eventually judo displaced jujutsu in Japan, and no one speaks of jujutsu as a contemporary art in Japan, although the word has survived overseas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kano died in 1938. I think you can safely interpret that pre-judo jujutsu has not been popular in Japan for quite some time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-09-12T15:17:43.923" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9413" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9409" CreationDate="2019-09-16T09:51:25.750" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are some schools that pride themselves on keeping alive the original, pre-Meiji restoration martial arts of Japan. (From what I gathered from heated discussions on various boards, these claims and the documents supporting them are not always undisputed, and authentic schools may be hard to come by especially for non-Japanese, but that's another matter.) The keyword you want to search for is &quot;koryū&quot; (&quot;old school&quot;), which leads, for example, to &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_kory%C5%AB_schools_of_martial_arts#Grappling/close-quarters_ryu_(armoured,_unarmoured)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia's link of koryu schools&lt;/a&gt;. This also includes various unarmed (i.e., jujutsu) styles, plus some schools with a jujutsu component.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9630" LastActivityDate="2019-09-16T09:51:25.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9414" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9415" CreationDate="2019-09-16T11:38:18.723" Score="8" ViewCount="1099" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are omoplatas legal in judo? Though they cause pain to the shoulder joint, they &quot;lock&quot; the elbow joint (in a bent position) to achieve this (as in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9352/why-is-ude-garami-legal-if-it-is-effectively-a-shoulder-lock&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9391/are-hammerlocks-te-gatame-legal-in-judo-competition&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;te-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-23T14:32:30.867" LastActivityDate="2022-03-23T14:32:30.867" Title="Are Omoplatas legal in judo?" Tags="|judo|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|sport|anatomy|joint-lock|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9415" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9414" CreationDate="2019-09-16T11:38:18.723" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, omoplatas are considered a variant of &lt;em&gt;ashi-gatame&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;hiza-gatame&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;sup&gt;1 3&lt;/sup&gt; The IJF Referee Commission has confirmed their legality on multiple occasions,&lt;sup&gt;1 2&lt;/sup&gt; both as a submission, and as a  turnover:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLy8ggzTWpw&amp;amp;t=25200&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/q9WYS.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lascau:&lt;/strong&gt; Osaekomi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Demonstrator:&lt;/strong&gt; *uke taps, tori points at armlock*&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lascau:&lt;/strong&gt; Ippon. Ippon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Demonstrator:&lt;/strong&gt; [With this movement,] making the kansetsu-waza? [It's ok?]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lascau:&lt;/strong&gt; Ippon. No problem. Ashi-gatame. Ashi-gatame, combination with rolling, and then osaekomi or ashi-/hiza-gatame, depending how is the hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They are occasionally seen in competition, and are the signature techniques of some high level judoka (e.g. Huizinga, Munkhbat):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Submission (&lt;em&gt;ashi-/hiza-gatame&lt;/em&gt;)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&amp;quot;Huizinga roll&amp;quot;⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;• &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/xkVhWiAWkAs?t=319&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Düsseldorf Grand Prix 2020 | 73kg | An vs Sterpu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/j61-3Pad-ao&amp;amp;t=351&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Osaka Grand Slam 2019 | 57kg | Klimkait vs Tamaoki&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/19347/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gp_tur2017_w_0052_0017&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Antalya Grand Prix 2017 | 52kg | Azizova vs Tas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/28720/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gs_jpn2015_m_0060_0062&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tokyo Grand Slam 2015 | 60kg | Aoki vs Chammartin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/209/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gp_chn2017_w_0052_0033&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hohhot Grand Prix 2017 | 48kg | Munkhbat vs Wang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZxY8xXeuJM&amp;amp;t=50&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Baku Grand Slam  2014 | 48kg | Munkhbat vs Rosseneu&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/209/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gs_fra2018_w_0048_0017&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Paris Grand Slam  2018  | 48kg | Munkhbat vs Guan&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh0ZcFvH4-0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Paris Grand Slam  2017 | 48kg | Munkhbat vs Mosdier&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/209/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gs_fra2016_w_0048_0025&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Paris Grand Slam 2016 | 48kg | Munkhbat vs Nikolic&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/209/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gp_uzb2017_w_0048_0009&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tashkent Grand Prix 2017 | 48kg | Munkhbat vs Pavlenko&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.judoinside.com/judovideo/25756/Urantsetseg_MUNKHBAT_MGL_Paula_PARETO_ARG_IJF_World_Masters_Rabat_2015&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Masters Rabat  2015 | 48kg | Munkhbat vs Pareto&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/209/videos?currentContestCodeLong=wc_sen2018_w_0048_0057&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Championships Baku 2018 | 48kg | Munkhbat vs Costa&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.judoinside.com/judovideo/67448/Duurenbayar_ULZIIBAYAR_MGL_Pedro_PINEDA_VEN_O100_World_Championships_Baku_2018&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Championships Baku 2018 | 100kg+ | Durlenbayar vs Pineda&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87thuSVewPw&amp;amp;t=315&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Championships Seoul 1985 | 100kg | Saito vs. Cohen&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;• &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCZ0Be0e4v4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2007 Tournois de Paris | 90kg | Huizinga vs Dafreville&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGi8zG0p2QQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2010 World Cup Lisbon | 81kg | Canto vs Stevens&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD_RZkMMSzQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Grand Prix Agadir  2018  | 57kg | Harachi vs Iraoui&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jWzBVyOdk4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Havana Grand Prix  2016  | 57kg | Harachi vs David&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.judoinside.com/judovideo/47306/Otar_BESTAEV_KGZ_Dai_AOKI_JPN_U60_Final_Grand_Prix_Budapest_2016&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Grand Prix Budapest 2016 | 60kg | Aoki vs Bestaev&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;br&gt;•  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.judoinside.com/judovideo/55085/Jeffrey_RUIZ_PUR_Miklos_UNGVARI_HUN_U73_World_Championships_Budapest_2017&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;World Championships Budapest  2017  | 73kg | Ungvári vs Ruiz&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLy8ggzTWpw&amp;amp;t=25200&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF Refereeing &amp;amp; Coaching Seminar  2016: Day 1&lt;/a&gt; (6:59:55)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;2. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVGZTua49Xs&amp;amp;t=10760&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF Refereeing &amp;amp; Coaching Seminar  2018: Day 2&lt;/a&gt; (2:59:20)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;3. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=850&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Katame-Waza: Various Techniques and their Names&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1994) &lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-21T19:08:21.910" LastActivityDate="2022-03-21T19:08:21.910" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9416" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9417" CreationDate="2019-09-16T14:50:52.547" Score="3" ViewCount="297" Body="&lt;p&gt;In a judo context, &quot;elbow-lock&quot; has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9352/why-is-ude-garami-legal-if-it-is-effectively-a-shoulder-lock&quot;&gt;broader definition&lt;/a&gt; than in other martial arts, referring to both armbars and bent-arm rotational locks (since both manipulate the elbow joint for effect, regardless of the point of pain).&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9391/are-hammerlocks-te-gatame-legal-in-judo-competition&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9414/are-omoplatas-legal-in-judo/9415&quot;&gt;2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given this, what &lt;em&gt;does&lt;/em&gt; a shoulder lock refer to in judo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2021-04-02T16:23:03.627" Title="What is a &quot;shoulder lock&quot; in Judo terminology?" Tags="|judo|terminology|joint-lock|anatomy|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9417" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9416" CreationDate="2019-09-16T14:50:52.547" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Judo texts which use &amp;quot;elbow lock&amp;quot; to refer to bent-arm locks, the term &amp;quot;shoulder lock&amp;quot; appears in two contexts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;kata-gatame&lt;/em&gt; (&amp;quot;shoulder hold&amp;quot;, &lt;em&gt;osaekomi-waza&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;sup&gt;1 2 3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;kata-ha-jime&lt;/em&gt; (&amp;quot;single wing choke&amp;quot;, &lt;em&gt;shime-waza&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here, &amp;quot;lock&amp;quot; appears to be a translation of &amp;quot;katame&amp;quot; - i.e. while these &amp;quot;lock&amp;quot; the shoulder in place, they are not &lt;em&gt;kansetsu-waza&lt;/em&gt; since they do not cause pain to the arm by stretching, bending, or twisting it (i.e. they are &lt;em&gt;katame&lt;/em&gt; but not &lt;em&gt;ude-hishigi&lt;/em&gt;). As such they are legal, as incorporated in the above techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=a_G1AAAAIAAJ&amp;amp;q=%22shoulder+lock%22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;My Method of Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Mikinosuke Kawaishi (1955)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qBcLAAAAIAAJ&amp;amp;q=%22shoulder+lock%22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Jūdō&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Sakujirō Yokoyama, ‎Eisuké Ōshima (1915)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=DhF4prvzzNAC&amp;amp;dq=%22shoulder+lock%22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Judo for Young Men&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Tadao Ōtaki, Donn F. Draeger (1965)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=G6gif_EMVNEC&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Higher Judo - Groundwork&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.173) (1952)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Figs. &lt;strong&gt;193&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;194&lt;/strong&gt; show a strangle-hold combined with a shoulder-lock.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pJRENm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pJRENm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-02T16:23:03.627" LastActivityDate="2021-04-02T16:23:03.627" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9418" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-09-16T20:56:03.460" Score="6" ViewCount="372" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have read that in Japan there was a general system called jujitsu. However there were hundreds of branches of jujitsu. Most samurai were trained in different branches of jujitsu. Basically any martial artist in Japan had some form of jujitsu training. It was even implemented into some karate-do. They did not specify it as jujitsu inside karate-do. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway I read Kano himself had licences to teach various branches of jujitsu which he later combined and removed the deadly techniques from in order to train at full speed and power. He called this Judo. This license system was before the belt system was created by Kano himself for Judo. No system had a belt ranking before Judo. I think Kano had about five styles he used techniques from. Anyone else heard of this or can confirm about Kano's training before he implemented judo in Japan?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8964" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-17T14:51:41.163" LastActivityDate="2019-12-25T13:19:18.753" Title="What style(s) of Jujitsu did Jigoro Kano study?" Tags="|judo|history|jujutsu|style|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9419" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9418" CreationDate="2019-09-16T22:55:17.090" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kano's memoirs describe his jujutsu training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tenjin Shinyo Ryu under Hachinosuke Fukuda and Masatomo Iso&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kito Ryu under Tsunetoshi Iikubo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;the Kito style was very different from the Tenjin Shinyo style jujutsu to which I had by then become well-accustomed. In Tenjin Shinyo, there are a range of strangulation techniques and groundwork hold-downs. On the other hand, the Kito style, rather than hold-downs, comprises a wide range of effective throwing techniques. There are a number of sacrifice throws together with several foot and several hip throws I had never seen before. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Evjhhr2OsC0C&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;the+Kito+style&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kano&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; by Brian N. Watson, Trafford, 2014 p.11-12&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Besides the Tenjin Shinyo and Kito styles, I studied the techniques of other schools of jujutsu. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ibid&lt;/em&gt; p.15&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no indication of what the other schools were. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-17T14:51:12.957" LastActivityDate="2019-09-17T14:51:12.957" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9420" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9421" CreationDate="2019-09-17T16:24:58.253" Score="6" ViewCount="677" Body="&lt;p&gt;I keep my boxing gloves (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ringside.com/ringside-apex-bag-gloves.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ringside Apex&lt;/a&gt;, some sort of synthetic material) in a wicker basket near my training equipment at the house. Long story short, my cat used the basket instead of her litter box and peed on the gloves. I searched around and found &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6/proper-way-to-take-care-of-boxing-gloves-and-wrist-wraps-after-use&quot;&gt;some answers on maintenance&lt;/a&gt;, but nothing on cleaning gloves to this extent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As pointed out in the comments, there is a &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8575&quot;&gt;similar question&lt;/a&gt; addressing leather equipment, but I'm specifically looking for non-leather/synthetic cleaning instruction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there anyway to clean the gloves thoroughly enough to get the smell out without damaging the gloves?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9427" LastEditorUserId="9427" LastEditDate="2019-09-17T19:05:37.310" LastActivityDate="2021-12-15T16:23:56.230" Title="How to thoroughly clean synthetic boxing gloves?" Tags="|equipment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9421" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9420" CreationDate="2019-09-17T19:22:06.283" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I answered a similar question on leather products here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8575/how-to-wash-leather-shin-guard/8576#8576&quot;&gt;How to wash leather shin guard?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can apply the same formula to vinyl/PU synthetic material. If anything, leather is much more fragile to wash than vinyl/PU, so with leather you have to make sure you dry it immediately. Submerging leather in soapy water is generally only done if the foam inside is soiled (and you can't remove the leather shell in order to wash separately). And with leather, you really have to be careful to dry it well afterward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For vinyl/PU, you can submerge with impunity! Just squish it out dry and then hang up to air dry afterward. Unlike leather, vinyl/PU material is fine with water. If you let it air dry, it won't get moldy. And vinyl/PU won't crack and degrade with exposure to water like leather products can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's been in contact with animal feces or urine, after submerging in soapy water and rinsing it out with clean water, submerge it again in a diluted bleach solution. Leave it in there for 5 minutes. Then rinse again several times in clean water. Squish it out inside of dry towel. Then hang up to air dry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As always with diluted bleach, test on a small area first. And follow the instructions for dilution on the bottle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your gear permits removing the outer shell, remove it and wash the shell and foam insulation separately. Usually the foam is glued to the inside, however.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One final thought: There are alternatives to bleach, but bleach is best. Diluted hydrogen peroxide is another thing you can try. And while vinegar is often recommended as a way to cut down on odors, it's not a very good disinfectant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-09-17T19:34:14.253" LastActivityDate="2019-09-17T19:34:14.253" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9423" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9082" CreationDate="2019-09-18T09:06:08.197" Score="4" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Attacking the muscles and tendons connecting the elbow&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/9089/8910&quot;&gt;Philip says&lt;/a&gt;, Americana style &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhh4W24rwrw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt; from &lt;em&gt;mune-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; can be used to cause pain to the elbow joint and/or connecting muscles/tendons by:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Secure an &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt; grip with your entangled arm&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; parallel to uke's forearm&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pull uke's forearm in towards to their own body&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Twist your wrists outwards (like braking on a motorcycle)&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;(twisting uke's forearm and leveraging their elbow)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pull uke's elbow down towards their hips&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on uke's flexibility, they may tap at points 3. or 4. If not, you can then apply rotational force by:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;5&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Raising uke's elbow up towards their head&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Attacking the elbow joint - perpendicular &amp;quot;armbars&amp;quot;&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;h4&gt;*(not &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/h4&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While these are not technically &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt; according to Kodokan classification (since they do not use a figure-four grip), similar techniques in Judo can be applied to cause pain to a bent elbow-joint more directly than the kata forms of &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The mechanics of these &lt;em&gt;kansetsu-waza&lt;/em&gt; is to &amp;quot;lock&amp;quot; the upper arm in a fixed position against your own body (preventing rotation of the shoulder), and applying pressure to the wrist, abduct or adduct the elbow joint, causing it to bend perpendicular to the normal direction of elbow flexion.&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They can be applied from a variety of positions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=1093&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7Y6SJ.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Hara-gatame&quot; title=&quot;Hara-gatame&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ1M3htDnM&amp;amp;t=1490&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/OJQlM.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Sankaku-gatame&quot; title=&quot;Sankaku-gatame&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Hara-gatame&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Sankaku-gatame&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Note, as with most bent armlocks, these may also cause pain to the shoulder joint depending on the specific angle of application and flexibility of uke.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;As opposed to the usual mechanics of &lt;em&gt;ude-garami&lt;/em&gt;, where the elbow is lifted/rotated in either direction to rotate the shoulder.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;i.e. the arm gripping your own wrist.&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-05-04T14:51:47.720" LastActivityDate="2022-05-04T14:51:47.720" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9424" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9426" CreationDate="2019-09-18T13:07:32.160" Score="9" ViewCount="476" Body="&lt;p&gt;Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has its roots in early 20th century Judo, but has developed independently as a distinct martial art focused on groundwork in the century since then.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It maintains a number of historical techniques which have long been removed from competitive judo for injury concerns (e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9294/why-were-leg-locks-removed-from-judo&quot;&gt;leglocks&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9354/were-wristlocks-ever-part-of-judo-randori&quot;&gt;wristlocks&lt;/a&gt;, necklocks (&amp;quot;neck cranks&amp;quot;), leg-scissors (&lt;em&gt;do-jime&lt;/em&gt;)).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However a number of techniques which I had assumed were BJJ innovations also appear to have judo roots:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Technique&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Example⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlFJuYEw-Hw&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;amp;t=30&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;basic guard passes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/7725/8910&quot;&gt;basic sweeps&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;gogoplata &lt;br&gt;(&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvOMQl1Qmow&amp;amp;t=369&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;hadaka-&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; / &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhxfk5GW9BY&amp;amp;t=2660&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;hasami-&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; / &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gogoplata#History&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;kagato-jime&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;omoplata &lt;br&gt;(&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsgGOnCi2vU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;ashi-&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; / &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC8Gm0l7EZw&amp;amp;t=558&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;hiza-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SuxAN.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SuxAN.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Dk3wd.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Dk3wd.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;loop choke &lt;br&gt;(&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/SogoKempo/photos/a.418156891573884/1669692743086953/?type=3&amp;amp;theater&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;ude-shibori&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; / &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxcAhrd4lJM&amp;amp;t=1078&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;kote-jime&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/bOwkk.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/bOwkk.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GeGO9.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GeGO9.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What are the major ways in which BJJ has innovated since departing from Judo?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;In terms of techniques and/or strategy etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-08-14T23:56:29.857" LastActivityDate="2022-08-14T23:56:29.857" Title="How has BJJ innovated since diverging from Judo?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|judo|technique|history|style|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9425" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-09-18T21:22:51.260" Score="6" ViewCount="201" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen a couple of texts referring to what appears to be the Heimlich Manoeuvre among the methods of resuscitation* taught in some schools of jujutsu (and consequently, judo).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is surprising is that these descriptions are from over 80 years prior to Heimlich's first description of the technique:&lt;sup&gt;†&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The simplest method of resuscitating a man who had been choked was to embrace the patient from the back, and, placing those edges of the palms of both hands which are opposite the thumb to the lower part of the abdomen, to push it up towards the operator's own body with those edges.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Another plan was to place the patient on the ground and push up the abdomen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_burgin_1203.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Japanese Fighting: Self-Defence By Sleight Of Body&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, G. B. Burgin (1892)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This quote seems to imply that there were distinct techniques similar to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the Heimlich manoeuvre (abdominal thrusts) &lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/chokes/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;sasoi katsu&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;CPR (chest compressions) &lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/chokes/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;eri katsu / so katsu&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Were abdominal thrusts used for resuscitation in jujutsu? If so, when was this technique invented?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;* Known as &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;活法&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;em&gt;kappō&lt;/em&gt;) or simply &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.annemergmed.com/article/S0196-0644(84)80382-0/fulltext&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;活&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;em&gt;katsu&lt;/em&gt;, historically spelled &lt;em&gt;kuatsu&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;†&lt;/sup&gt; Additional contemporary references:&lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;The operator kneels on one knee immediately behind the patient, whom he lifts to a semi-sitting posture, placing his (the operator's) knee between and slightly below the patient's shoulder blades in the cardiac region, then brings his hands forward over the patient's chest, and then gives them a powerful jerk backward.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt;• &lt;a href=&quot;https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1910/09/04/105089392.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Revived by Jiu-Jitsu&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, The New York Times (1910)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;The Japanese during their course in Jiu-jitsu are taught eleven different methods of resuscitating the fainting. Apparently part of their methods are based upon compression of the abdomen.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt;• &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GxSgAAAAMAAJ&amp;amp;q=resuscitation+jiu+jitsu&amp;amp;dq=resuscitation&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;American Physical Education Review&lt;/em&gt;, Volume 12, Issue 1&lt;/a&gt; (1907)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;... placing the base of the operator's thumbs against the lower part of the abdomen and vigorously pushing upward a number of times.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt;• &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=BbyfAAAAMAAJ&amp;amp;q=&amp;quot;placing+the+base+of+the+operator%27s+thumbs+against+the+lower+part+of+the+abdomen+and+vigorously+pushing+upward+a+number+of+times&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Outing: Sport, Adventure, Travel, Fiction, Volume 41&lt;/a&gt; (1903)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-19T12:11:19.390" LastActivityDate="2020-01-05T08:15:10.407" Title="Did Jujutsu invent the Heimlich Manoeuvre? If so, when?" Tags="|history|jujutsu|safety|chokes|medical-advice|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9426" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9424" CreationDate="2019-09-19T07:08:35.010" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think it's important to make a distinction between &quot;someone, somewhere in the Judo community has used this at some point&quot; and &quot;this is widely known and used in mainstream or competition Judo&quot;. There have been Judo practitioners and training groups that focused heavily on groundwork - in particular, the Kosen Judo substyle. Just through convergent evolution, you can expect them to have come up with many of the same techniques and approaches that BJJ players use. That doesn't necessarily mean that one copied directly from the other, and it doesn't mean that you can expect to learn that stuff if you walk into your local Judo dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, as far as I see, the approach to groundwork is different in the following aspects:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Judo focuses on pins. That doesn't exist as a concept in BJJ - the concepts there are control and positional dominance. The back mount is seen as the pinnacle of control and dominance in BJJ, and it's worth squat under Judo rules, so techniques for taking the back and attacking from there are underdeveloped. Also, in BJJ, there's a greater urgency to keep looking for submissions when you have something that would just start the pin clock in a judo match.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;BJJ focuses on the guard a lot more than Judo, and has much greater depth when it comes to chaining submission attempts with sweeps, even from positions that would be considered purely defensive, like halfguard. Owing to the rules, &quot;open guard&quot; (one standing, one on his back) is not really a thing in Judo, and a huge field in BJJ. Funky positions like upside-down guard, 50/50 guard etc are likewise developments that arose from sports BJJ, as are the ways to deal with them (Berimbolos etc).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;BJJ has a ton of variations on choking techniques that are either frowned upon or outright banned in Judo. Guillotines in all their variations, triangle finishes that involve pulling the head, Peruvian neckties etc..&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9630" LastActivityDate="2019-09-19T07:08:35.010" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9427" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-09-19T16:26:12.047" Score="3" ViewCount="860" Body="&lt;p&gt;So for example, if someone is a blue belt and has been for years, but travels around a lot, has no regular club (and so can't get promoted presently) and has won many gold medals at blue belt, could they sign up for a competition at purple belt (whilst still wearing their blue belt)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please note this refers to gi competition only and I'm generally referring to competitions/tournaments that follow IBJJF rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10194" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-19T17:43:32.653" LastActivityDate="2019-09-19T17:44:29.170" Title="Can someone enter a BJJ competition one belt higher than their current rank?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|belt|competition|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9428" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9427" CreationDate="2019-09-19T16:49:36.563" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since you mentioned IBJJF rules, this is in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://ibjjf.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/IBJJF_Rules_Book_v5.1.1_en-US.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;current rule book&lt;/a&gt; (v5.1.1).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See &quot;Article 5: Registration&quot;, page 43.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;5.8 The athlete may only compete as the belt they are registered under with the IBJJF (or its affiliates). If the athlete is promoted by his/her teacher before the minimum time spent in the previous belt requirement is met or minimum age, he/she cannot compete in this current belt nor the previous one.&#xA;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&#xA;5.9 Once an athlete’s gradation occurs, he can not compete in his previous belt anymore. If he gets promoted during a competition after his division is done, he will be forbidden from competing in the open class. &#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the answer is that you have to be registered under the IBJJF with that rank, and there's a certification process to make sure you really qualify as having that rank.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-19T17:44:29.170" LastActivityDate="2019-09-19T17:44:29.170" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9429" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9425" CreationDate="2019-09-19T20:28:52.237" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can't answer fully but a few points.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&quot;The Heimlich maneuver, or Heimlich manoeuvre, is a first aid procedure used to treat upper airway obstructions by foreign objects.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a somewhat different situation to someone who has been choked.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;CPR is not remotely the similar to any of the techniques described.  It's basically about artificially keeping blood flowing around the body by manipulating the heart through the rib cage.  It also involves breathing into the patient's lungs at varying intervals depending on what version you are doing.  Very practical, very scientific... Not invented by Jujutsu.  Also... it's great first aid but won't necessarily bring the patient to consciousness.  It's about keeping people alive who are seriously injured not the kind of 'light' unconsciousness likely to be caused by strangles.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But yes, Abdominal thrusts were indeed used in Jujutsu for chokes, and also I believe for 'winding' (paralyzation of the diaphragm from a strike to the solar plexus 'suigetzu').  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So were strikes to the back just below the shoulder blade for strangles (restriction of the carotid arteries)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The hitting of the foot is usually used to treat kicks to the testicles (after using the toes to uncurl the body).  But is also sometimes used to treat damage caused by striking 'vital points' on the head.  I would still advocate this in the case resuscitating someone who has been hit in the testicles  as the heart and lungs are presumably still functioning (if by any chance they aren't after checking pulse etc. go back to CPR it works for sure and is less likely to be frowned upon by actual medical professionals)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="6503" LastEditDate="2019-09-19T20:34:34.590" LastActivityDate="2019-09-19T20:34:34.590" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9430" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7114" CreationDate="2019-09-20T15:05:53.950" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The following study compared injury rates between 5 different martial arts (Shotokan karate, Olympic style tae kwon do, aikido, kung fu, and tai chi). Risk of injury in those studied may be drastically different depending on style, age, and length of training (but not gender):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CONCLUSIONS&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a threefold greater risk of injury in tae kwon do than in Shotokan karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Injury rates and types of injury in Shotokan karate and kung fu are similar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Different martial arts have different distributions of injury by body region.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are no significant differences in injuries between sexes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial artists under 18 years of age are at significantly lower risk of injury than older athletes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Athletes ⩾18 years with at least three years of experience are at greatest risk of sustaining major injuries (35%) and multiple injuries (35%).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Athletes &amp;lt;18 years old with &amp;lt;3 years of experience have a low risk of multiple injuries (5%) and an extremely low risk of major injuries (&amp;lt;1%).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/39/1/29&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Injuries in martial arts: a comparison of five styles&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;em&gt;British Journal of Sports Medicine&lt;/em&gt; (2005)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-09-20T15:05:53.950" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9431" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7981" CreationDate="2019-09-20T23:58:46.550" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know in some schools they teach that the transitional stance before/after a kick is neko-dachi (the cat stance). I remember being quized on this very question in class once and that was the answer. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10142" LastActivityDate="2019-09-20T23:58:46.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9432" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-09-21T16:55:16.720" Score="5" ViewCount="190" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many years ago, at a university club, an instructor said that some standards group studying the mechanics of shotokan were recommending a change in the augmented block (morote-uke).  Instead of placing the knuckle surface of the supporting hand against the inner elbow of the blocking hand, one should place the hammer fist striking surface aginst the inner elbow.  I have not seen this anywhere else, but both alternatives seem to help.  Was discussion of this a thing at one time, and it just didn't get traction?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10351" LastEditorUserId="10351" LastEditDate="2019-09-21T22:55:47.633" LastActivityDate="2020-01-21T09:16:50.337" Title="Shotokan morote uke: Use hammer fist surface of supporting hand?" Tags="|karate|technique|blocking|shotokan|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9433" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9434" CreationDate="2019-09-21T17:41:45.873" Score="5" ViewCount="262" Body="&lt;p&gt;The final two punches in Jion are described as straight punches out to the side.  With very little exception, however, videos show people doing a cross between a straight punch and a hammer.  Some bunkai interpretations explicitly turn this into a hammer fist.  Since everyone is doing it, I'm wondering if it might make sense to give up on the straight punch interpretation and just think hammer fist at the end of the kata?  Any pro's/cons in joining the hordes, abandoning the straight punch explanation, and doing the hammer fist that everyone else does, as opposed to what they say?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10351" LastEditorUserId="10351" LastEditDate="2019-09-22T01:50:57.110" LastActivityDate="2019-09-25T18:26:30.013" Title="Final punches in Shotokan's Jion kata: Straight punch or hammer fist?" Tags="|karate|forms|shotokan|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9434" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9433" CreationDate="2019-09-22T04:44:55.877" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;That weird looking hammer-fist / straight punch combination is done for a reason and should remain that way in order for the bunkai to work. I'll explain below.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just to preface this, so you know where I'm coming from, I discuss the purpose of karate kata in depth in my answer in the following link, which I recommend reading:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7006/why-is-more-time-dedicated-to-exercises-and-very-less-for-sparring-is-it-for-th/7007#7007&quot;&gt;Why is more time dedicated to exercises and very less for sparring? Is it for the fee?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also wrote a bunkai for a movement in Heian Shodan at the following link, which you might want to read first in order to get a feel for kata bunkai:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7008/name-and-meaning-of-stance-where-you-stand-with-fists-on-hips/7010#7010&quot;&gt;Name and meaning of stance where you stand with fists on hips?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, as for this technique you've spotlighted in the kata Jion, it seems to me this section of the kata is about &lt;strong&gt;take-downs using an opponent's extended arm as leverage&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The movements preceding this show stomping out and hammer-fisting downwards. I'll dispense with a huge description like I normally do, and I'll just say what's happening there is pretty obvious if you've been exposed to any form of grappling. This is an arm bar and simultaneous elbow break. The stomp that you do with it is to sweep / kick his leg. If you do this all at the same time, you're pulling his arm towards you (that's what your chambered hand is doing), you're unbalancing him so that you can easily bend him over, and you're breaking his elbow (or at least putting pressure on it). You're also sending him face first into the floor at the end of this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the &quot;feel&quot; of that bunkai is that you're using his arm, extending it towards you while breaking his balance. From there, you use it like a lever to bring him down to the ground, face first. The elbow break you could get is optional, and pretty easy to do with that hammer fist strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The next movements after that are the techniques you're interested in. Here, you begin by opening up your hand, sweeping it up and then down. Then it turns into a fist as you pull it from a forward position to a chambered position ending with your fist close to your nipple and with its palm facing down. Your feet are close together here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then as you're changing from an open hand to a fist with that one hand, you're extending your other arm outward to your side. When you do this, it seems weird, because it's a combination of a straight punch and a hammer fist strike. And you're stepping out with one leg, often shown with a slight hop or slide.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What's actually going on?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember when I said this section of Jion is concerned with take-downs utilizing your opponent's extended arm? That's what's happening here. Except, instead of sending him face first to the floor, you're now sending him backwards to the floor. In both cases, you're using his extended arm as leverage. In both cases, there is an optional elbow break that's possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The application I have in mind is similar to the one shown in the following video at 1:40 (his fifth elbow break), except he doesn't show the throw:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/mgkL8y5DryQ?t=99&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/mgkL8y5DryQ?t=99&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice on the video that he's holding the guy's wrist up high on his chest while his other hand snakes outward in front of the opponent's chest. This puts pressure on his elbow and locks him at his shoulders as well. Notice where his legs are in relation to the legs of his opponent. The throw I'll eventually describe happens easily from here, if you just push him backwards, which is what the hammer-fist component of this technique does in the kata Jion. Your legs will be right behind him, and he trips right over them. I'll explain this in detail now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Let me give you a self-defense scenario to go along with it.&lt;/strong&gt; Suppose someone is standing face to face with you. He grabs your right lapel with his left hand. As he does that, he twists your lapel. His left elbow is now bent and pointed straight down. His left fist has its palm facing upwards. He's pulling you closer and is about to punch you in your face with his right hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This scenario comes up quite often in typical bar room scenarios, muggings, and whenever things get out of control between two people arguing. It would have been seen back in ancient times just the same as it is today. Nothing has changed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's what this last part of the kata is for. You first turn your body sideways to him, pivoting 90 degrees counter-clockwise on your right foot. That takes your left side out of the direct line of fire from his right hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, you lift your left hand up, coming over the top of his left hand, grabbing his left hand's wrist from the inside on top of it. Your left hand will grab his left wrist at the underside of it, but your left hand is above his wrist. Then you pull that wrist straight across your chest, slightly twisting it outward to release his hold on your lapel (it's not imperative that he releases, however). That looks exactly like what's happening in the kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the same time, you're snaking your right arm upwards and outwards, looking like a weird combination of a punch and a hammer fist strike. And you're taking a step out (or a slight hop) to your right side while you do this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you're actually doing is extending his arm out, elbow facing down, while gluing it to your chest. It locks his elbow and his shoulders. You accomplish this by pushing forward into him with your right hand while pulling his arm to your left with your left hand. You're kind of stretching his arm out. This has the side-effect of twisting his body 90 degrees to face the same direction as you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's what you're doing with this straight-punch / hammer-fist combination technique. You're snaking your hand up and through the hole between your opponent's bent elbow and his torso. &lt;strong&gt;That's why you can't just hammer fist here.&lt;/strong&gt; If you try to use a pure hammer fist, it will not be able to connect, because his bent elbow prevents you from getting through to his torso! So the pure hammer-fist strike can not work in this scenario.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While you're extending out his arm, you're stepping slightly behind him at the exact same time. Now you're in a good position to push him backwards over your legs, sending him to the ground behind him. That's what you're doing with the hammer-fist component of this technique. It's pushing him backwards over your feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember that you extended his elbow into a locked position doing this. By shooting your right hand upwards and outwards at the same time, while pivoting your body 90 degrees, while pulling his arm with your left hand, you can get an elbow break here if you want. Do it quickly and with power, and it can snap that elbow. Do it more gently, and it will merely lock the elbow and shoulder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason why you're pulling his hand to your nipple and not downwards to your waist like we see so often in karate kata is because you can't. His grip on your lapel is strong, and you would have no leverage to be able to pull it to your waist. It wouldn't work. But you can pull it straight across your chest, just like we see in the kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By locking his arm out in this position and turning his body to a side-by-side position, you prevent him from being able to move. You're in control of his body movement now. You've locked both his elbow and shoulders at the same time. He can not avoid what you're about to do next: You push him backwards over your legs which are behind him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice also that, because you've forced his body to turn 90 degrees, he's already moving in the direction you want him to go. He's already going to trip over your legs. There's little effort needed to push him over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;So the hammer-fist / straight-punch combination technique has a very specific purpose here.&lt;/strong&gt; It won't work if you turn it into a pure hammer-fist strike, because you haven't extended his arm in order to get his elbow out of the way. You haven't turned his body to a side-by-side position, either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What about making this a pure straight punch, instead? In that case, you would have to target his face, because it's the only thing open on your right side. But that does nothing about his lapel hold, and it does nothing to protect you from his punch he's about to do. It's not very smart.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This technique would work pretty much the same way if your opponent was behind you, also. Suppose he was behind and to the right of you, grabbing you with his left hand. He's about to tug at your shoulder so you'll turn to face him. Once you turn to face him, he'll punch you in your face with his right hand. This is known as a &quot;sucker punch&quot;, and it would have been as common back in ancient times as it is today.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In that scenario, you reach over his left hand to grab him at his left wrist from the upper side of his wrist instead of the lower side like before. Then you pull it across your chest as you release his hold with a slight twist outward. You elongate his arm this way and by stepping behind and towards him while extending your right arm out in the straight-punch / hammer-fist combination technique. Now his elbow is once again in a position to be broken as you send him toppling over your legs backwards to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once again, if you tried to pull his left hand down to your waist instead of your nipple, it would have caused him to bend forward. That would cause him to step forward and would allow him to bend his elbow and turn towards you, avoiding the take-down and getting into position to grab or strike you again. So that won't work. You definitely need to chamber his hand high up on your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So we saw in Jion that there were two ways to utilize leverage by extending your opponent's arm from a side-by-side position. The first is to send him forward, getting an optional elbow break at the same time. The second is to send him backward with an optional elbow break. Both techniques also employ a sweep or trip to help unbalance him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now consider the possibility that you first tried one of them, and it didn't work. &lt;strong&gt;Then you can immediately adapt to it by changing to the other technique.&lt;/strong&gt; So if you're attempting to send him to the floor face first, but he straightens up and avoids the take-down, you can immediately switch to the technique that pushes him backward over your leg. Or, if you're attempting to send him backwards to the floor, but he manages to avoid it, you still have that arm, and you can sweep his leg out and hammer-fist strike downwards on his arm to get him to go to the ground face-first instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, what if he grabbed you with his other hand instead (the &quot;wrong&quot; hand)? Well, give it a try. It changes the technique, but that's for you to figure out, because it's not shown in the kata. And keep in mind, if you end up in trouble by trying it on the wrong hand, you can switch to the other technique to save you, though it will cost you some valuable time. You should play around with making this &quot;mistake&quot; and figure out the right thing to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both of these movements shown at the end of Jion can be used with either attacker's hands for different effect, and either movement can be used to &lt;strong&gt;back the other movement up in case something goes wrong&lt;/strong&gt;. If you play around with all these different scenarios with a partner, you can drill this into muscle memory so that you don't have to think about it in a real fight. Make it a flow drill if you want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I mentioned, hidden (or not-so hidden) in each of these two movements are elbow breaks. Elbow breaking is one of karate's hallmarks. It's done throughout karate kata, but often as an optional technique. It's not required, but it's there if you need it. Why would you need it? Maybe if your opponent had a knife in his hand. The elbow break is shocking and will probably cause the attacker to release his knife automatically. If you don't break that elbow, then you have to disarm that knife after you throw him to the ground, which isn't karate's forte.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This is why you really need to be careful when practicing this on a partner. Go slowly and gently.&lt;/strong&gt; Torquing the elbow and rotator cuffs are so easy to do with the leverage these techniques apply. Adding speed increases the likelihood of a serious injury by accident.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's what I saw. I could be wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;One final thought...&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not knowing the bunkai for kata means that &lt;strong&gt;errors will be introduced into the form over time&lt;/strong&gt; as people try to guess at what the movements are supposed to be doing. Notice how in this case, the original poster was not sure if it was a straight punch or a hammer-fist strike. It's neither, and so it seemed sort  of weak and imperfect to him. He was going to go ahead and fix it by substituting it with a pure hammer-fist strike instead. That's what he saw others doing in their interpretations of it, so naturally why not make it official and change the kata itself?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This is why variations in kata exist today.&lt;/strong&gt; When you don't know the original bunkai, then the form becomes an inkblot test. You will see whatever is familiar to you. And that will lead to mangling the form over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The truly frustrating thing about this is that there is no &quot;official&quot; bunkai for karate kata at all. That's because no karate organization has attempted it, at least not to my knowledge. And perhaps that's because nobody can really say what the original bunkai was for each kata. It wasn't written down. Typically it was only taught to high level, trusted students, if at all. With each new generation, there would be less and less people who actually knew the bunkai. So transmission is nearly completely broken at this point. I don't think anyone alive today can definitively trace their bunkai back to the founders of their kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And this is not just karate. Many if not most kung-fu styles have the same problem. FYI.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Form dictates function, and vice-versa. Looking at this technique from the kata Jion, it seems pretty likely that my bunkai was the original one. Why? Because if you study classical jujitsu or any grappling art, you will recognize the motion. There aren't many possible things it could be doing, given the mechanics of the technique. So it's likely this was the original bunkai, or at least the main part of the technique (the creator of the kata probably had his own variations and subtle details that made it more effective).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For other movements in kata, it's not so obvious. You see a lot of down-blocks in karate kata, and those can have dozens of interpretations. You have to look at the movements immediately before and after them to get a feel for what might be going on. But even then, it's not so clear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-09-25T18:26:30.013" LastActivityDate="2019-09-25T18:26:30.013" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9435" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6053" CreationDate="2019-09-24T09:18:23.103" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The following study by the American Neurological Association observed the effects of cerebral hypoxia on 42/59 test subjects who completely lost consciousness:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Complete &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syncope_(medicine)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;syncope&lt;/a&gt; with falling and loss of consciousness was observed in 42 subjects, lasting 12.1 ± 4.4 seconds. Myoclonic activity occurred in 38 of these 42 episodes (90%). The predominant movement pattern consisted of multifocal arrhythmic jerks both in proximal and distal muscles. Superposition of generalized myoclonus was common. Additional movements such as head turns, oral automatisms, and righting movements occurred in 79%. Eyes remained open throughout syncope in most subjects and initial&#xA;  upward deviation was common. Sixty percent reported visual and auditory hallucinations. Thirteen subjects had incomplete syncope with falls but partially preserved consciousness. These episodes were shorter and usually not accompanied by myoclonus and hallucinations. Transient amnesia and unresponsiveness without falling occurred in 1 subject.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8053660&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Syncope: A videometric analysis of 56 episodes of transient cerebral hypoxia&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Annals of Neurology&lt;/em&gt; (1994)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note the method for inducing cerebral hypoxia was not manual choking, but &quot;a sequence of hyperventilation, orthostasis, and Valsalva maneuver&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2019-09-24T09:18:23.103" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9436" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5897" CreationDate="2019-09-24T09:42:47.867" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The following study (on &lt;em&gt;hadaka-jime&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;nami-juji-jime&lt;/em&gt;) supports the claim that &lt;strong&gt;compression of the carotid (and vertebral) arteries&lt;/strong&gt; is associated with loss of consciousness in judo-style chokes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;By means of continuous wave doppler the effect of two choke holds (Carotid sleeper, Nami-juji-jime) on the carotid and vertebral arteries was investigated. For both choke holds, which are characterized by pressure on lateral parts of the neck, we found an obstruction up to a complete stop of flow. The degree of obstruction depended on the direction of force. The vertebral artery can be compressed between the subclavian artery and the foramina transversaria, therefore it was most effective to press on the lower neck. Tensing the neck muscles can reduce the effect of choking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2192520&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Carotid and vertebral artery circulation in forearm choke holds in Doppler sonography&lt;/a&gt; (1990)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;16 of the 24 officers lost consciousness in 7-10 seconds with only 84% compression of the carotids. Four tapped out before unconsciousness and four managed to maintain consciousness - but had significantly less carotid compression.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00592.2011&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mechanism of loss of consciousness during vascular neck restraint&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Journal of Applied Physiology&lt;/em&gt; (2012)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While &lt;strong&gt;venous compression&lt;/strong&gt; is normally also present in these chokes (and is noted to be responsible for the initial flushed face etc), reduced venous flow alone does not normally cause unconsciousness, and it is not until considerable pressure is applied to the arteries that this generally occurs:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Reduced venous return sharply lowers SV and blood pressure during Phase II of a Valsalva maneuver (5). Although most normal subjects do not lose consciousness during a Valsalva maneuver, decreased blood pressure could contribute to a loss of consciousness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Ibid.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;You lock the choke, compressing venous outflow. The face gets flushed. The choke tightens down, the opponent’s carotids narrow, blood flow falls below a critical level, the vision closes in, and consciousness is lost.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/the-physiology-of-a-rear-naked-choke-or-what-happens-when-you-get-choked-out&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Physiology Of A Rear Naked Choke, Or: What Happens When You Get Choked Out&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (Interview with Dr. Charlie Moore, emergency medicine/trauma doctor)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However it is noted that investigation of the mechanism underlying this phenomenon is understudied and that &lt;strong&gt;it may be more complex than mere arterial constriction:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Vascular neck restraint (VNR), an effective technique practiced within police and military combatives and in mixed martial arts and grappling sports, is of both interest and controversy. In any context the goal of VNR (referred to as a choke within combat sports) is to restrict brain blood flow enough to threaten or result in unconsciousness. The physiologic basis for the resultant unconsciousness has been depicted as being solely because of restriction of carotid blood flow due to direct external compression. This view is likely simpler than what is actually going on, but it's an area not well explored in the medical literature... &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Most studies have looked at this essentially to the exclusion of two other contributing entities: jugular compression resulting in increased [inter-cranial pressure] from reduction of outflow, and reduction of actual whole body MAP due to reduced cardiac output from vagal stimulation coming from a pressure affected carotid body. This article fleshes out some of these physiologic variables and discusses the related available literature.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31487214/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;There is more to the mechanism of unconsciousness from vascular neck restraint than simply carotid compression.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (2019)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-12-23T21:22:24.900" LastActivityDate="2019-12-23T21:22:24.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9437" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9438" CreationDate="2019-09-24T10:51:08.933" Score="3" ViewCount="1433" Body="&lt;p&gt;In martial arts which permit submissions, a distinction is sometimes made between &quot;chokes&quot; and &quot;strangles&quot;, however in my experience these terms are not used consistently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the difference between these?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-24T12:27:43.370" LastActivityDate="2021-04-02T16:20:32.293" Title="What is the difference between a choke and a strangle?" Tags="|technique|terminology|chokes|anatomy|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9438" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9437" CreationDate="2019-09-24T10:51:08.933" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The three main mechanisms of choking technique are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Choke&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Mechanism&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Synonyms&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5897/how-do-blood-chokes-actually-work&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;blood&amp;quot; choke&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;compresses the sides of the neck, restricting blood flow to head&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;sleeper hold, carotid restraint, vascular neck restraint&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chokehold#Air_choke&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;air&amp;quot; choke&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;compresses the throat (trachea), restricting breathing&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;tracheal choke, throttle&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9400/body-constriction-techniques&quot;&gt;body constriction&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;compresses the chest and/or abdomen, restricting breathing&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;body crush, body compression, body scissors, positional asphyxiation&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However the terminology for the first two mechanisms is inconsistent and often ambiguous, differing between dialects (e.g. British vs American English) and contexts (different martial arts, forensics, law enforcement etc). As such, various terms refer to techniques using either or both mechanism:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;e.g. choke, choke hold, strangle, strangle hold, strangulation, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.charlydmiller.com/LIB/1982neckholds.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;neck hold&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This ambiguity is perhaps due to the nature of strangulation techniques - given resistance from the defender, different angles of application, and the variant sizes of people's forearms and necks, any particular technique may constrict either or both the carotids and trachea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-02T16:20:32.293" LastActivityDate="2021-04-02T16:20:32.293" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9439" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8031" CreationDate="2019-09-24T11:17:19.947" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to the following paper, tensing the neck muscles can indeed reduce pressure on the carotid arteries during a judo style choke:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tensing the neck muscles can reduce the effect of choking. [...]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ein Anspannen der Halsmuskulatur sowie Abwehrgriffe können aber einen Gefäßverschluß verhindern (Missliwetz und Denk 1990).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2192520&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Carotid and vertebral artery circulation in forearm choke holds in Doppler sonography&lt;/a&gt; (1990)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Citing: &lt;a href=&quot;https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-642-75757-0_6&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Obstruktive Asphyxie in Kampfsportarten&lt;/a&gt;, Missliwetz J, Denk W (1990).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given that the amount of pressure required for unconsciousness-inducing arterial compression is relatively low however, it seems that a relatively strong or determined person would be able to overcome any resistance by increasing the force of the chokehold in response (assuming the position of the choke has been &amp;quot;locked&amp;quot;, and the defender does not use the time gained by resisting to lessen the pressure, position etc of the chokehold).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-09-24T13:58:06.583" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9440" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5383" CreationDate="2019-09-24T19:27:41.287" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This would be within the realms of possibility. I would not rule out the existence of some kata for this, because there are hundreds of Japanese sword schools. But, it is unlikely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To understand why, you need to know what a katana is. It is not a general term for a Japanese sword. It is not a weapon designed for the battlefield. A katana was one of the  swords carried as a marker of social privilege (and responsibility) by the members of the Military Government. The other was the wakizashi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They form a pair, because the katana is a long sword for two hands which is not suitable for all occasions. Indoors for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, there are some techniques for dual wielding katana and wakizashi. But not very many. Situations where it might be useful include corridors and when surrounded.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But since people did not carry two long swords, there is no reason for there to be techniques for fighting with two long swords.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;History aside, there are also mechanical problems. If you really want to use both hands, it would be far better two use two one-handed swords.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7543" LastActivityDate="2019-09-24T19:27:41.287" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9441" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5383" CreationDate="2019-09-24T21:31:02.700" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_wield&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Dual wielding&lt;/a&gt; of equal weapons is relatively rare in warfare historically. Wielding a smaller secondary weapon is much more common (e.g. rapier + parrying dagger, katana + wakizashi, tomahawk + longknife). However, there are a few cases (though all of these are 'small' weapons, none the size of katanas):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dual sai (Okinawan martial arts)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dual butterfly swords / dual hook swords (Chinese martial arts)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dual siccae / dual gladius (dimachaerus)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-24T22:00:52.000" LastActivityDate="2019-09-24T22:00:52.000" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9442" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2730" CreationDate="2019-09-25T09:57:05.297" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Depending on your definition of &quot;immunity&quot;, some people do indeed appear to be more resistant to chokeholds than others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the study &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00592.2011&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mechanism of loss of consciousness during vascular neck restraint&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Journal of Applied Physiology&lt;/em&gt; (2012), a rear-naked choke hold was applied to 24 participants until they passed out, submitted, or 23 seconds had passed:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;16/24 participants passed out&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;4/24 participants tapped out&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;4/24 participants did not pass out or tap out after ~23 seconds of applied chokehold&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those that passed out had roughly 80% reduction in arterial flow in both sides, whilst those 4 that did not pass out (or tap out) had on average 74% reduction in right-hand side flow and only 40% reduction in left-hand side flow:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In our study, 16 subjects (Ocular Fixation Group) were rendered unconscious with an 83% and 80% reduction in R and L MCAVmean, respectively. The four subjects who did not lose consciousness (Instructor Stop Group), had a 74% reduction of R MCAVmean, but only a 40% reduction in L MCAVmean. Thus our data support the findings of Njemanze (13) in that the critical lower limit of MCAVmean of 50% below baseline must be met bilaterally to induce unconsciousness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As such, it appears that physiological differences may account for the same style and strength of chokehold compressing both arteries substantially in most people, but less than 50% compression in one side in a minority (the hypothesized threshold required to induce unconsciousness).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Such persons may still be vulnerable to a much stronger applied chokehold than required to induce unconsciousness in most people, however this was not tested in the study.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-09-25T10:15:12.953" LastActivityDate="2019-09-25T10:15:12.953" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9443" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5383" CreationDate="2019-09-25T19:12:30.547" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Five_Rings&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;book of five rings&lt;/a&gt;, written by Miyamoto Musashi around 1645, advocates two-sword fencing style (nitōjutsu): that is, wielding both katana and wakizashi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He does, however, states that you should use two &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;long swords&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; while training!!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10293" LastActivityDate="2019-09-25T19:12:30.547" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9444" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7114" CreationDate="2019-09-26T12:56:44.033" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to know just what people are calling &quot;injuries&quot;. Maybe it's just because I'm in an overly polite Midwestern area where people like each other and don't actually want to go full contact on each other during class, but in 30 years of ITF Taekwondo, I've seen one case of broken ribs, one fractured forearm from a kick, and one bad concussion from a guy tripping and hitting his head on the wall. Admittedly, we don't punch to the face, but where there are 3 or 4 rounds of sparring each class. Maybe the various types of karate around are more hard-core than we are, but there are definitely guys in class that you wouldn't want to be in a real fight with. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: I don't do my grandmaster's Hapkido classes, so I didn't think of it right away, but there was a guy who got his shoulder separated there, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case, in class you can be kicked in the head, or get a very painful shin-to-shin contact, or in imagined harder-core classes have painful punches. If you're in a real street fight, you can die, get a fractured jaw or orbital bone, get gang-stomped, or get stabbed or even shot. I don't hang around places where this is at all likely, myself, and don't know why others do. But basic awareness of your surroundings, basic fitness to fight or run, the training to throw a few basic punches and kicks, and the gradual loss of fear of getting hit, can of course be of great value for avoiding a fight, or avoiding  getting hurt if a confrontation arises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So it seems to me that we're comparing apple-y bruises and crunched toes with orangey injuries from muggings and assaults.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastEditorUserId="6769" LastEditDate="2019-09-26T17:13:32.353" LastActivityDate="2019-09-26T17:13:32.353" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9446" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-09-30T08:25:46.023" Score="12" ViewCount="2191" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am currently 15, live in a small town in Switzerland and have a green belt. There is a small, local Judo community that mostly trains young children from white to orange belt. There are currently three masters that lead all groups. I do not plan to become a great fight winner, my plans are more about being someone who helps young people at the very beginning of their path.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How far do I need to proceed within the rank system before being allowed to train others? Apart from simply training and moving ahead with the belt color, should I do something more to fulfill my plans?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10362" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-09-30T11:57:30.123" LastActivityDate="2021-01-13T14:20:37.170" Title="What is the good path to become a Judo teacher?" Tags="|judo|teaching|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9447" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9446" CreationDate="2019-09-30T09:31:32.520" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Generally the way to become a good instructor is &lt;em&gt;experience&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instruct at your club whenever you have the opportunity - get better at dealing with students and explaining things in a way that they understand - watch your instructor teach, how do they make it simpler for those that are struggling etc. (or maybe - how would you explain/demonstrate it differently if you can see people struggling)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Attend everything - not only will this help your ability/technique - but your eyes will be opened to the different worlds of Judo out there. You don't need to win tournaments to know &quot;how&quot; to win, but if your future students are interested in competition, how do you lead them confidently if you didn't enter them yourself?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Seminars with high ranking instructors are also a great way of improving your technique as well as picking up new ways of teaching old moves. (Almost none of my teaching is my original creation - it's all stuff I have picked up from my instructors and seminars I have attended)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also &lt;em&gt;Talk to your instructor about your desire to be an instructor&lt;/em&gt;, there is no shortage of martial arts instructors - but there is a huge shortage of good martial arts instructors - who teach good applicable technique and want the best for their students. Your instructor will likely be thrilled with your desire to teach and will guide you down the correct channels for your particular art/association. (there may be age restrictions on you becoming an official instructor - but i'd still advise helping out as much as possible and getting prepared for the day you are old enough)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2019-09-30T09:31:32.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9448" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9446" CreationDate="2019-09-30T09:59:13.420" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are really two skill sets you need. First, is a good understanding (both physical and theoretical) of Judo. Second, is a good understand of teaching physical activities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For Judo specific knowledge, getting through the grades and doing some competition is essential. After all, first dan is knowing the basics; second dan is being able to do the basics; third dan is understanding the basics; and fourth dan is being able to teach the basics. However, you should be able to assist teaching at first/second dan and do your own classes at third/fourth. Of course, nothing whatsoever stops you from teaching earlier. Most organisation can certainly train assistant and full instructors at whatever rank they chose to. I have seen great teachers that were shodan and garbage ones that were rokudan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Going competitions is essential as it will not only improve your understanding of kata but will give you experience of using your skills against resisting opponents. This is essential in understanding how to apply kata. Clearly, you should be able to perform the techniques adequately for your grade, although being a competition winner is not required provided that you did do some competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Teaching physical activities is a vast topic. There are whole university courses for this and while they are useful unless you wanted to become a physical activities coach professionally you do not need that level of details. However, you need to know how to coach people and I am sure Switzerland's Judo association will be running course for that. I would check those out in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, you will need a first aid certificate. You should get one anyway. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Everyone&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; should get one. 'nuff said.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you teach children (aka under 18), there are a myriad of regulations you need to follow. Again, your parent organisation should know all that. The law is quiet complex in that respect. You can get into a heap of trouble there without even realising you are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, since you are 15, I would strongly recommend learning and practising as much as you can. In ten years, you will be a third dan and in a perfect position to start your own club. In the mean time, ask your instructors what you can do to help. I am sure they will appreciate the help!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-10-04T10:28:18.493" LastActivityDate="2019-10-04T10:28:18.493" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9449" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9446" CreationDate="2019-09-30T19:44:45.217" Score="8" Body="&lt;h2&gt;What rank to help teach?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no minimum rank. The head instructor must have confidence in your abilities and have a need for assistance. In smaller clubs, you may be one of the most advanced students as a &lt;em&gt;sankyu&lt;/em&gt;, and the instructor may request that you sometimes assist instructing junior students. At large clubs, this may be the role of a higher rank such as a &lt;em&gt;nidan&lt;/em&gt;. You will probably be asked to help with basic skills like falling before more difficult skills. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Breadth&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a competitor, you can specialize in a handful of techniques suited to your own body and affinities and then mostly ignore other techniques. As a teacher, you must have sufficient breadth that your students can find their own specializations from your instruction. It's not sufficient to have one amazing &lt;em&gt;tokui waza&lt;/em&gt; (favorite technique) because your students may not be able to reproduce the same technique with their bodies. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Organization&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not sufficient to be able to teach techniques; you must organize them in a coherent way for students. For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Drop &lt;em&gt;seoi nage&lt;/em&gt; is not a good first technique to teach because it is not suited to building combinations. Although a competitor can learn it first and go win competitions, it may restrict their future development. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Harai goshi&lt;/em&gt; is harder than &lt;em&gt;tsurikomi goshi&lt;/em&gt;. If you cannot throw a hip throw standing on two feet, than throwing while standing on one foot will be harder. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Clear ideas&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a student, think about what makes judo hard to learn. For me, this includes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;conflicting instruction about how to perform nominally the same thing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;rote memorization of directions without understanding why&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hazy instructions&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fix these things in your own instruction. If this means you need to do more independent study or consult other teachers or resources, do it before you pass confusion on to your students. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Resources&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a decent book &lt;a href=&quot;https://play.google.com/store/books/details/The_Teaching_of_Judo_An_Instructor_s_Handbook?id=GhiNCwAAQBAJ&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Teaching of Judo&lt;/em&gt; by Mark Roosa&lt;/a&gt; that I recommend because it is precisely about teaching, not competition. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-09-30T19:44:45.217" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9450" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9446" CreationDate="2019-10-01T11:39:38.447" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would argue, &quot;wait and move to a bigger city&quot;. A small town doesn't have enough kids to sustain a good club of any sport, unless there's a particular interest in that sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Moving between countries and clubs over several decades, I've seen many clubs. In 500K+ cities you may find 5--10 adult clubs with two clubs training at the same time, one competition-oriented one more recreational; the same club can have a technique-oriented training one set day and another more fitness and randori-oriented. My favourite club had a good level recreational training (7th dan sensei, 4th dan assistent and several more temporary 2--4th dan, mostly university students) with a specific classes for autistic children and a strong social focus (hah, so many house moves followed by beer!). Your club needs a good mix of fresh blood and experienced older people, bulky strong and wiry fast, overenergetic bears and deliberate pythons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Teaching kids 3--6 is VERY different from teaching young adults 18--25. For one, they're differently motivated (parents sent them vs. self-entered; though both may be hanging with mates more than learning), different attention spans, and in the adult group there will be many skilled ones showing beginners how it's done while with the kids they're essentially all beginners. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have always the feeling when you're a teenager that you want 2 trainings/week to stay at the same level, 3 to progress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10367" LastActivityDate="2019-10-01T11:39:38.447" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9451" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9453" CreationDate="2019-10-01T18:37:32.153" Score="11" ViewCount="2488" Body="&lt;p&gt;Numerous countries make it illegal to be in possession of nunchaku because they are claimed to be a weapon designed for choking. When I practiced Matayoshi kobudo in the WOF (admittedly for a relatively short time), the length of the rope or chain on our nunchaku was supposed to be one palm width. I'm having a hard time imagining wrapping a rope of that length around the average person's neck and getting a more effective choke hold than, say, using a stick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there choking techniques that are significantly easier with nunchaku than with common objects? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10371" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-10-01T19:43:47.153" LastActivityDate="2019-10-02T10:15:25.133" Title="How effective are nunchaku as a choking weapon?" Tags="|technique|weapons|chokes|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9452" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-10-01T20:10:06.970" Score="3" ViewCount="1478" Body="&lt;p&gt;What's the difference between Haiashi-Ha Shito-Ryu and traditional Shito-Ryu? What does Hayashi-Ha have that Shito-Ryu don't have? And what does Shito-Ryu have that Hayashi-Ha does not?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10345" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-05-09T22:16:54.153" LastActivityDate="2020-05-09T22:16:54.153" Title="Whats the difference between Hayashi-Ha and traditional Shito-Ryu style?" Tags="|karate|style|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9453" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9451" CreationDate="2019-10-01T20:31:05.913" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your confusion may be that you're thinking of the nunchaku chain wrapping around the neck, as a choke to cut off air, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.com/books?id=GvZkCwAAQBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PA201&amp;amp;lpg=PA201&amp;amp;dq=nunchaku%20choke&amp;amp;source=bl&amp;amp;ots=ozToMFsWHS&amp;amp;sig=ACfU3U2fQCpslvgH9nz5CL0C4rPB6zSs9A&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;ved=2ahUKEwiNspuN8_vkAhURhOAKHVjACrcQ6AEwB3oECAIQAQ#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=nunchaku%20choke&amp;amp;f=false&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;the proper technique uses the sticks to apply pressure to the carotid arteries&lt;/a&gt; on either side at once, using the target's neck as the fulcrum for the levers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jmIK7.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jmIK7.png&quot; alt=&quot;illustration of a nunchaku choke from *Techniques of Vigilance: A Textbook for Police Self Defense*&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-10-01T20:36:12.010" LastActivityDate="2019-10-01T20:36:12.010" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9454" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9452" CreationDate="2019-10-02T03:30:20.663" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not an expert on the style, but based on a bit of poking around on the internet, it seems Hiyashi-Hai Shito-Ryu incorporates some forms from &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%ABei-ry%C5%AB&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ryūei-ryū&lt;/a&gt;, which was itself influenced heavily by Chinese Boxing, which are not in traditional &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shit%C5%8D-ry%C5%AB&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Shitō-ryū&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-10-02T03:30:20.663" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9455" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9451" CreationDate="2019-10-02T10:15:25.133" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;For the practical part, first see Sean Duggan's answer. Then consider the fact that even though it is not technically &quot;choking&quot;, the nunchaku will work the other way around as choking instrument perfectly fine, too. What you basically have is two levers that allow you to exercise a large amount of force (roughly 1:10) on what's wrapped in the chain. That &lt;em&gt;may be&lt;/em&gt; the windpipe and/or carotids, or it &lt;em&gt;may be&lt;/em&gt; something different.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Such as the upper part of the Trapezius muscle together with several not-entirely-unimportant cranial nerves and mid-sized arteries, and finally, depending on how much force you excercise, the vertebrae and the medulla.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrap the nunchaku around your calf to get an impression of how much damage you can &lt;em&gt;easily&lt;/em&gt; achieve with this instrument (even if it's technically rather &quot;crushing&quot; than &quot;choking&quot;). That's definitively a no-fun experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the legal aspect, what decides on whether an item is outlawed usually depends on whether there is a legitimate use, where &quot;injure and kill&quot; does not count as legitimate use. The appearance of words such as &quot;choking device&quot; is secondary, it's merely a safeguard to include as many modifications as possible and make it harder to circumvent the law and weasel your way out. Think of the half-legal drug scene where this exact thing happens every week. At least here, the law is worded in a pretty stupid way such as to forbid rather than explicitly allow substances. A small, pharmacologically insignificant modification to an illegal substance, and it is not illegal any more (though, the same thing). So you can sell it for a couple of months until it is explicitly forbidden. Not so with a nunchaku because of &quot;choking device&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &quot;legitimate use&quot; aspect is also the reason why e.g. some knives are perfectly allowable to be owned &lt;em&gt;and carried&lt;/em&gt;, some are allowable to be owned, and some are illegal to even be owned or traded. Also, the &quot;general use&quot; may come into play, which may not always make sense. For example, butterfly knives are outlawed here because of their specific use by a particular group of people, not because they're particularly dangerous (if anything, they're a danger for the wannabe wielder's fingers).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the most part, however, it's all about whether an item has a legitimate purpose or is &quot;designed for harm&quot;. For example, in my jurisdiction, you may carry a knife (with the exception of public events) provided that it isn't sharpened on both sides, isn't springloaded, or can at the same time be opened with one hand and locks in place, and has a blade shorter than 7cm (12cm for not foldable). Because, well, that's a knife which you can arguably use for a lawful purpose, so in the sense of self-fulfillment of the individual, it is your right to have it. At the same time, you may not even &lt;em&gt;possess&lt;/em&gt; a springloaded knife if the blade comes out at the front, or a fist-knife which has its blade perpendicular to the handle as these are considered &quot;insidious assault weapons&quot;, which they probably are, too. It's hard to come up with a good explanation for a legitmate use other than attacking a person when the blade is formed in a way so it's quite impossible to e.g. cut a piece of bread.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Similarly, you may not even possess throwing stars at all as they have no known legitimate purpose (can opener?!). Which is funny because when I was 14 years old, &quot;Ninja&quot; was totally &lt;em&gt;en vogue&lt;/em&gt;, so everybody and their little brother, me included, had them. These were sold over the counter to 14 year olds no problem. Today they're &quot;illegal weapons&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="559" LastActivityDate="2019-10-02T10:15:25.133" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9456" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9446" CreationDate="2019-10-02T13:31:28.513" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I completely agree with what collett89 replied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And since I don't have the ability to comment an answer I'll write this one to add two little things since you are in Switzerland:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This one kind of certification you can get to teach&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.jugendundsport.ch/de/sportarten/judo-uebersicht.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.jugendundsport.ch/de/sportarten/judo-uebersicht.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the agenda of the Swiss federation, check the seminars&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://sjv.ch/agenda&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://sjv.ch/agenda&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9686" LastActivityDate="2019-10-02T13:31:28.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9457" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5535" CreationDate="2019-10-06T20:26:32.433" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The most powerful punchers in the world are boxers. They do not seem to use sine wave; I've never really noticed Mike Tyson or George Foreman using sine wave. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;MMA fighters who have experience in many martial arts, such as TKD, Karate, Muay-Thai, or boxing, do not seem to use sine wave, when it is all on the line (i.e. knock the other guy out while being at risk of being knocked out). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No doubt some will try to stretch the idea of stepping into a punch as sine wave, but it is not really sine wave in the context of what we are seeing in ITF TKD. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Observations based on reality are your best bet for a correct answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10387" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-10-09T15:28:35.623" LastActivityDate="2019-10-09T15:28:35.623" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9458" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9459" CreationDate="2019-10-06T21:30:45.793" Score="8" ViewCount="1798" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have occasionally seen a throw called &lt;em&gt;kubi-nage&lt;/em&gt; (&quot;neck throw&quot;) referenced in Judo. This isn't a &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/waza/list/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kodokan-recognised&lt;/a&gt; name, but the throws I have seen described as it appear to be very similar to &lt;em&gt;koshi-guruma&lt;/em&gt; (some variations looking identical, others having a 'wide' stance as in &lt;em&gt;tai-otoshi&lt;/em&gt; etc).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the origin of this throw, and how is it performed?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-10-06T21:36:02.203" LastActivityDate="2021-03-20T14:07:17.587" Title="What is kubi-nage?" Tags="|judo|technique|history|terminology|throwing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9459" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9458" CreationDate="2019-10-06T23:31:27.433" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kubi-nage&lt;/em&gt; appears to have been coined by Mikinosuke Kawaishi, as the earliest references to judo throws by this name appear in his works.&lt;sup&gt;2 3&lt;/sup&gt; He describes it as a hip-throw with the arm wrapped around uke's neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is in contrast to his description of &lt;em&gt;koshi-guruma&lt;/em&gt;, which uses a standard collar grip &lt;em&gt;without&lt;/em&gt; the arm wrapped around the neck. He does note the similarity of the two techniques however, mentioning the grip and exact position of legs as a distinguishing point:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2Cszz.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2Cszz.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/k9zhY.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/k9zhY.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;Kubi-nage&amp;quot; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;Koshi-guruma&amp;quot; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;sup&gt;Note that the technique described here seems more akin to the modern &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcEYbCP5jpA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;tai-otoshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; than modern &lt;em&gt;koshi-guruma&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Due to Kawaishi's influence in the early spread of judo in Europe, a distinction has remained in some organisations between &lt;em&gt;koshi-guruma&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;kubi-nage&lt;/em&gt;, but the point of distinction is inconsistent e.g. the BJA describes &lt;em&gt;kubi-nage&lt;/em&gt; as:&lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;... any form of hip throw with the arm of tori (inside of elbow joint) around the back of Uke's neck and throwing Uke without the separation of tori’s arm and uke's neck before impact on the tatami.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd4E-83I0qU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;other groups&lt;/a&gt; describe it as similar to modern &lt;em&gt;koshi-guruma&lt;/em&gt; but with an outstretched leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However the Kodokan does not recognise &lt;em&gt;kubi-nage&lt;/em&gt; as a waza name, and explicitly describes &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZYgQ0TxwOw&amp;amp;t=475&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;koshi-guruma&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; as involving holding uke's neck, in all variations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;- Some organisations have historically banned techniques similar to &lt;em&gt;koshi-guruma/kubi-nage&lt;/em&gt; in junior competitions.&lt;sup&gt;5 6 7&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;- &lt;em&gt;Kubi-nage&lt;/em&gt; is used in sumo to describe a similar technique to &lt;em&gt;koshi-guruma&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=K5TTAgAAQBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PT63&amp;amp;dq=%22kubi-nage%22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Techniques of Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Shinzo Takagaki, Harold E. Sharp, 1998&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=a_G1AAAAIAAJ&amp;amp;q=%22kubi-nage%22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;My Method of Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Mikinosuke Kawaishi, 1955&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tLpeF2sjMLIC&amp;amp;q=%22kubi-nage%22+%22koshi-guruma%22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Standing Judo: The Combinations and Counter-attacks&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Mikinosuke Kawaishi, 1963&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=UNmCAAAAMAAJ&amp;amp;q=%22kubi-nage%22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sumo: the sport and the tradition&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, 1959&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/BJA-Refereeing-Rules-2014-Version-1.1.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;BJA Refereeing Rules 2014&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;6.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://assets.sportstg.com/assets/console/document/documents/DCDD6DD3-5056-BD5F-F86B498B64D46819.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;JFA Referee Committee Policy 2018&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;7.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/SANCTIONING-POLICY-_EN_-August-_2017_FINAL.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Judo Canada Sanctioning Policy &amp;amp; Tournament Standards&lt;/a&gt;, 2017&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-03-20T14:07:17.587" LastActivityDate="2021-03-20T14:07:17.587" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9460" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-10-08T13:41:34.050" Score="7" ViewCount="152" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a stance first discussed in the Agni Purāna on the subject of Dhanurveda (archery).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best description (and really only, outside of the Agni Purāna itself) that &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/compilation/puranic-encyclopaedia/d/doc241540.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;I've been able to find is&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Keep your knees thirty six inches apart and stand in the shape of a&#xA;  haṃsapaṅkti and this position is called Maṇḍala.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that the units of distance are suspect (there are conversion issues).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Agni Purāna itself has to say:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It is known as maṇḍala if the two knees look like a row of ham̀sas and (the feet are) four vitastis apart&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Probably key to understanding this passage is the word (sanskrit/prakrit) &quot;haṃsa&quot; which appears in both. Wikitionary suggests that this is some sort of aquatic bird, but offers a list ranging from a swan to goose to flamingo. There are also other definitions for the word that seem irrelevant (a mystical text, a man with supernatural qualities, etc).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've found many other resources that suggest that 4 vistastis would be roughly equal to 80cm or 30 inches, probably putting the 36 inches at the far end of a range for this position. This seems to be fairly extreme, at my height it's a difficult pose and seems to have limited utility for archery especially for bows as tall as those which Indians favored.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone have any insight into just what this position looked like or how it would be used in the context of archery?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please also consider any imagery/descriptions from Hindu religious iconography or dance, as these have been useful in helping me understand other stances described within the Agni Purāna.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;New information&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.payer.de/amarakosa6/amara2142f.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This page&lt;/a&gt; (in the 2.142.152 section) that the hamsa/bird is the goose. And that the stance itself has the knees like a &quot;flock of geese&quot; instead of &quot;rows&quot; of them. This give me a better idea of what is intended, but I still find it insufficient. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10157" LastEditorUserId="10157" LastEditDate="2019-10-10T15:00:40.007" LastActivityDate="2019-10-16T21:11:08.443" Title="What is the Maṇḍala stance/posture in Dhanurveda?" Tags="|stance|archery|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9462" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-10-10T15:29:53.703" Score="3" ViewCount="315" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to practice a sword kata indoors. I have a bokken, but my ceiling is too low for me to use it indoors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because of this, I am considering acquiring a &lt;em&gt;wakizashi bo&lt;/em&gt;. From this point, I see two options: I could practice the basic iaido kata, which is intended for katana/bokken, or I could practice a kata specific to wakizashi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have tried searching Youtube for katas, but I only find wazas (with an opponent).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Is there any video demonstrating a wakizashi kata (solo technique)&#xA;that you could recommend or equivalent in any Eastern martial art?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If I were to practice a katana-jutsu, such as the basic iaido form, with the wakizashi, for transfering the skill to katana/bokken (when I can train outdoors in the summer), what should I consider?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10397" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-10-11T10:38:15.343" LastActivityDate="2019-10-11T10:38:15.343" Title="Japanese Short Sword Kata" Tags="|aikido|forms|sword|kendo|iaido|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9463" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9462" CreationDate="2019-10-10T17:10:28.430" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, don't drill anything you haven't been taught in person by a good teacher. You can learn a lot watching videos, but videos don't give you feedback and correction. I'm worried that you'll be drilling the wrong movement, and that will make it hard to undo later on. Drilling should only be done when you're getting feedback and are actively making improvements to your form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without that feedback, without a teacher actively giving you correction, you will not be able to refine your movement (at least not very well). With kenjutsu / iaido in particular, it's all about refinement of physical movement and working on very fine details and subtle, hard to see qualities. You're not going to help yourself by drilling anything new on your own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can still drill what you've already been taught by your teacher, so as to not lose it. For that, you should consider practicing somewhere else, somewhere with a higher ceiling, or outdoors. Yes, you can use a smaller sword if you need to. It doesn't change much having a smaller sword. Mostly you're just using it to visualize the technique. Consider the change you're making using a bokken instead of a real sword, for example. It's just for visualization. The actual feel of the sword, its weight and center of balance, will change when you use a real sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider also using this time to work on things that don't actively involve sword practice but which support it. Work on your strength and your ability to calm your mind. These complementary exercises are a completely different subject that I won't get into here. But if it were me, I'd be working on these exercises 75% of my time while I don't have a teacher actively teaching me. The other 25% of my time would be spent on retaining what I already know, but not drilling it too hard (because drilling bad habits and mistakes will not do me any good in the long run).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2019-10-10T17:10:28.430" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9464" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9468" CreationDate="2019-10-14T21:40:07.070" Score="6" ViewCount="1165" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm particularly interested in which forms (hyung?) are taught, and for which ranks they are required. I've clicked through most (but not all) of the schools listed on the UFAF page. Half of the links are dead, the other half are just full of poor web design without much in the way of helpful information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd assume a largely TSD-based syllabus, but the various pages about Chuck Norris suggest that he's incorporated techniques and &quot;wisdom&quot; from many other martial arts (particularly Okinawan and Japanese originated styles, but also BJJ and several others besides). I have no idea if this would include forms as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm starting to wonder if the syllabus itself is guarded with NDAs and legal documents. Other websites for more mainstream styles regularly include various charts and other information to let Suzy Soccermon know just what's needed for Timmy to get his belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyone have any insight on this paticular style/system?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS I don't have enough rep points to create relevant tags for this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10157" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-10-15T16:39:08.593" LastActivityDate="2023-01-12T12:38:03.463" Title="Is there a publicly available syllabus of the Chuck Norris System (formerly Chun Kuk Do)?" Tags="|forms|tang-soo-do|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9465" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-10-15T11:34:10.900" Score="4" ViewCount="995" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;“You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a&#xA;  cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes&#xA;  the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot.&#xA;  Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend.” ― Bruce&#xA;  Lee&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do you become like water? What are the advantages of such a practice in martial arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10404" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-10-15T11:59:34.323" LastActivityDate="2019-10-16T20:00:02.727" Title="How does one &quot;become like water&quot;?" Tags="|kung-fu|jeet-kune-do|bruce-lee|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9466" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9465" CreationDate="2019-10-15T12:21:42.930" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Fundamentally, Bruce Lee was discussing being flexible in one's training and practice of the martial arts. It's not a specific technique, but rather always being willing to consider the situation, to choose the right approach for every situation rather than to decide on a best approach and then apply it everywhere. Specifically within martial arts, this involves training multiple methods to deal with a given attack, or to deliver an attack, and to adapt your style in practice based on changing circumstances. To give a concrete example from my own martial art, Capoeira, I might train a defense against an incoming &lt;em&gt;meia lua&lt;/em&gt; (inside crescent kick) by doing a side dodge, or I might drop into a crouch and turn away from the kick to start my own. I might just step out of range, or step forward to rob the kick of its power. Those are all ways I might train the movement, by myself or with a partner. When actually sparring, I might do any one of those things depending on how I'm feeling and how my opponent is reacting. I might even do something completely different, like miming actually being hit in an exaggerated fashion, in an effort to change the game to a more playful one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly, one might train a simple technique like a front kick in various ways, from changing the target (striking at different heights or to one side or the other) to changing the stance it's delivered from (from a traditional back-leg technique from a front stance to a quick teep off the front leg to delivering it from less stable positions like as you're standing from a lying position). And similarly, when in sparring or a fight, you might choose to deliver it in different ways based upon how the situation evolves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Honestly, it's never going to be possible to be entirely &quot;like water&quot;. As is often pointed out, what you practice, what you drill, is what you will likely do when under pressure, and that reflexive action is necessary to be able to fight with any degree of success. But the more you practice different reactions, the more likely it is that you can pick an appropriate one for the situation, even in reflex.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-10-15T12:21:42.930" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9467" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9465" CreationDate="2019-10-15T13:09:11.717" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;On the mental side, I always interpreted the quote as &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.learnreligions.com/empty-your-cup-3976934&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;empty your cup&lt;/a&gt; metaphor. In effect, it suggests one should abandon one's preconceptions and &quot;just&quot; train what is shown. Many times, whoever teaches shows something that seems to be pointless, unnecessary, and even a hindrance. However, generally there is a set of reasons why a student should do this. Those might not be apparent straight away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee was interested in many martial arts of different origins (e.g. boxing) which were a great change from the arts he learned in his youth. It does take mental flexibility to adapt to new art, new teaching methods, and new philosophies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The physical side is that one should not have a preconception of how the fight will happen: &quot;Be fluid&quot; kinda fits well. In the Aikido world, we have &lt;em&gt;Mushin Mugamae&lt;/em&gt; (No mind, no posture) which &lt;a href=&quot;https://markshraga.wordpress.com/2018/07/01/mushin-mugamae/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;hints at the same thing&lt;/a&gt; and is a key concept behind the &lt;em&gt;randori-ho&lt;/em&gt; training method. The latter is designed to take formal kata and shape them so one can learn to use them against increasing resisting partners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="10404" LastEditDate="2019-10-16T07:16:49.507" LastActivityDate="2019-10-16T07:16:49.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9468" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9464" CreationDate="2019-10-15T14:38:16.613" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This information may be out-of-date, as I completed my training around 1996 or so, but as of the last time I trained, the manual states the adult curriculum:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kam Sah (white belt)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Giecho Hyung Il Bu (yellow Belt)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Giecho Hyung Yi Bu Sang Gup (purple belt)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Giecho Hyung Sahm Bu (orange belt)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;UFAF 1 (blue belt)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;UFAF 2 and Mohammed Bastone Ana-Isa [bo form] (green belt)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;UFAF 3 (green belt stripe)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pyong-an Sahm Dan (brown belt)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pyong-an Sa Dan (brown belt stripe)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pyong-an Oh Dan (red belt)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bassai (red belt stripe)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bassai (black belt)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Design Form (black belt 1st degree)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;AFAF 1 (black belt 2nd degree)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This largely gibes with &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.taekwondonation.com/chun-kuk-do/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;other sources online&lt;/a&gt;, which state that &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.defend.net/deluxeforums/forum/martial-arts/korean-martial-arts/13640-chuck-norris-chun-kuk-do-system?p=242243#post242243&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the Chuck Norris System adheres to the American Tang Soo Do forms except for the UFAF forms&lt;/a&gt;. I sent a query out to my old school to see what might have changed, and the head instructor said that the form names are correct except that UFAF 1 and UFAF 2 were merged and UFAF 3 became UFAF 2. I vaguely remember that name change, with the two parts basically linking together. Kong Sang Koon, Jion, and a UFAF Bo Staff form also show up on lists, but I don't remember us ever doing them. My manual has an explanation listing Koon Sahm Goon as also being titled UFAF 4.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also remember learning two weapons forms, only one of which seems to be required for testing. There was a nunchaku kata, Ni Da Buda Itchi, and a bo-staff kata named Mohammed Bastone Ana Isa, the latter of which is listed in the testing requirements for the first green belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am in the process of scanning in my &amp;quot;Black Belt Society&amp;quot; manual from 1992 (it was a privilege of signing up for the three year contract, having all of the material in one place), but the testing requirements can be found &lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.org/details/1541-001&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2023-01-12T12:38:03.463" LastActivityDate="2023-01-12T12:38:03.463" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9469" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-10-15T17:07:40.527" Score="8" ViewCount="968" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen the throw &lt;em&gt;yama-arashi&lt;/em&gt; done in multiple ways:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/DOKXdMSgiZU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;10 dan Mifune&lt;/a&gt; performs it without sweeping uke's leg.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/fM2Kjq4Ec2c&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kodokan training video&lt;/a&gt; tori performs &lt;em&gt;yama arashi&lt;/em&gt; with an obvious leg sweep (seemingly as a close variation of &lt;em&gt;harai-goshi&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I was shown the the throw by a 6 dan in Judo with no leg sweep. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the deal here? Why the differences in teaching a technique with the same name? Why is the name not different by adding the leg sweep?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8964" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-12-15T11:28:26.447" LastActivityDate="2020-12-15T18:32:00.940" Title="What is the difference between Yama-arashi and Harai-goshi?" Tags="|judo|technique|throwing|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9470" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9465" CreationDate="2019-10-15T20:07:03.553" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee's training partner, Dan Inosanto, gives some insight in an &lt;a href=&quot;http://martialartsdigital.com/articles/dan-inosanto-the-eternal-master-and-the-forever-student/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;interview&lt;/a&gt; for the book &lt;em&gt;The Masters Speak&lt;/em&gt; in regards to forms (emphasis mine):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Q: What do you think about forms?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A: I have to say that Bruce was not anti-form and neither am I. Forms or katas are a way to learning proper body mechanics. &lt;strong&gt;Forms can be a part of your training, but your entire training shouldn’t be based on them. They can be useful to structure certain knowledge so you can preserve it, but once you understand it you should freelance. You don’t have to follow any particular sequence – you can flow.&lt;/strong&gt; But as far as teaching is concerned, the instructor needs to have a format, a structure, and a technical progression in order to pass-on knowledge – even if later he discards that structure and mixes the material. &lt;strong&gt;The key is not to be bound by the form, but to learn from the form.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you view the cup, the bottle, or the teapot as an experience in martial arts (whether it's a new kata, a different martial art, or combat situation), you should adapt and react to what you're presented with instead of strictly following how you have trained before: when you're in the cup, fit the cup. Don't try to fit the bottle in the cup.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A personal example was my transition from Taekwondo, which I learned as a kid, to MMA when I was in college. Most of my Taekwondo training was form-based, and the few sparring tournaments I participated in were point-based. If I had restricted myself to only my Taekwondo knowledge and habits going into MMA, I would have been destroyed. I had to adapt and learn new techniques or modify old ones to fit into the form that I was entering. However, occasionally I'd see the &quot;cup of Taekwondo&quot; appear in MMA and be able to flow back into a good side kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9427" LastEditorUserId="9427" LastEditDate="2019-10-15T22:17:35.500" LastActivityDate="2019-10-15T22:17:35.500" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9471" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9465" CreationDate="2019-10-15T20:54:18.220" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Strengthen your will to pay attention to your observing eye like  Miyamoto Mushashi says in the 5 rings and be critical of your perceiving eye, that way all your perceptions and emotions come from a place and truth and objective reality rather than a emotion and some subjective reality your mind may try to concoct to cope with unfortunate circumstance. Do that with everything constantly that way you can adapt to your environment similar to how water adapts the constraints imposed on it by its environment. Water has no perceiving eye, only an observing eye, always bending and conforming to its container, there's nowhere it won't fit since it doesn't try to take a shape reality will not allow. Be like water, adapt to your environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10406" LastActivityDate="2019-10-15T20:54:18.220" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9472" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9460" CreationDate="2019-10-16T00:47:46.467" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is lot's of information about Vedic archery on &lt;a href=&quot;http://atarn.org/india/dhanurveda_eng.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this webpage&lt;/a&gt;. One chapter is completely dedicated to stances:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;h2&gt;The Position (Sthanas):&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ol start=&quot;76&quot;&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If the left leg of an archer is stretched in front and the right leg is contracted at the knee and their distance measures two hand&#xA;  lengths (cubits), such posture of the archer is known by the term&#xA;  ‘Alidham’.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;By stretching the right leg forward and contracting the left leg, the arrow goes far on release. This foot position of the archer is&#xA;  thought to be very special (or praiseworthy) and is known as&#xA;  ‘Pratyalidham’.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If the archer extends his legs equally and their distance is one cubit apart, he assumes the position known as ‘visakhasthana’, a&#xA;  position for shooting a difficult target.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If the place on which the archer stands is not too uneven, his legs are to be placed at equal distance (for keeping balance) without&#xA;  making any movement, and fixing them in an uniform position. The body&#xA;  should be made bent to the left at least one cubit down.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If the archer kneels down and his thighs are contracted, his position is known by the name ‘Dardur akramam’, meaning ‘the movement&#xA;  of the frog’. This is a position by which an archer is sure to hit a&#xA;  difficult target.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The stance or movement of an archer is compared to that of Garuda. When he moves forward by touching his left knee on the ground and then&#xA;  he contracts his right knee, and this is called the ‘Garuda Kraman’&#xA;  position.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A well-known position of sitting (cross-legged), known as ‘padmasana,’ is very auspicious for an archer.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;UPDATE&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sorry for not providing any information for Maṇḍala stance. Dhanurveda d&lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.382701/page/n54&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;oesn't describe&lt;/a&gt; Maṇḍala but it does refer to Agni Purana (AP) as a source of information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Agni Purana, Maṇḍala is a &lt;strong&gt;type of &lt;em&gt;sampada&lt;/em&gt; position&lt;/strong&gt;. Sampada is defined as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;If the thumbs, calves, palms and feet are kept closely pressed&#xA;  against each other, the position (is said to be) &lt;em&gt;samapada&lt;/em&gt; from it's&#xA;  characteristic feature.&quot; -- &lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.org/details/AgniPuranaUnabridgedEnglishMotilal/page/n655&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;AP2.9-19&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, this position is called maṇḍala if two feet look like a row of hamsas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It i known as maṇḍala if the two knees look like a row of hamsas and&#xA;  (the feet are) four &lt;em&gt;vithasis&lt;/em&gt; apart. -- &lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.org/details/AgniPuranaUnabridgedEnglishMotilal/page/n655&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;AP2.9-19&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Maṇḍala movements are also explained in detail in Vidic text &lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.org/details/NatyaShastra&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nāṭya Śāstra&lt;/a&gt; (NS). However, this scripture is devoted to arts of dance and drama. Newetherless, the authentic war poses are mimiced in dancing. Read chapters 11 and 12.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maṇḍala is a complex movement composed of 3-4 Khaṇḍas. Khaṇḍa is a combination of three Karuṇas. Karuṇa is defined as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;The two feet moving [together]&quot;. -- &lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.org/details/NatyaShastra/page/n283&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;NS11.2-3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Maṇḍala Sthāna (posture) is defined as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;It relates to Indra (i.e. its presiding deity is Indra). In it the&#xA;  feet are four Talas apart and they are obliquely placed and turned&#xA;  sideways, the waist and the knee are in the natural position.&quot; --&#xA;  &lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.org/details/NatyaShastra/page/n287&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;NS11.64-65&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10404" LastEditorUserId="10404" LastEditDate="2019-10-16T21:11:08.443" LastActivityDate="2019-10-16T21:11:08.443" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9473" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9474" CreationDate="2019-10-16T15:15:26.913" Score="7" ViewCount="198" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do boxing for several years in a gym. Besides physical training, it also includes sparring with an opponent. Since boxing, like most martial arts, relies on quick reflexes rather than thinking, I would like to automate my movements, in order to immediately react during sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was wondering, if I could train the sparring part at home, without any opponents, simply by visualization or mental practice.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;By repeatedly mentally rehearsing the required movements for a given situation. This could mean working on how to defend a certain punch or combination, it could mean rehearsing ways to counter, or how to move before or after an attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any studies about that form of practice?&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;How could that kind of training look like?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="330" LastEditorUserId="330" LastEditDate="2021-04-25T12:26:06.140" LastActivityDate="2021-04-25T12:26:06.140" Title="Improving Skills with Mental Training" Tags="|training|technique|boxing|self-training|mentality|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9474" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9473" CreationDate="2019-10-16T16:23:04.287" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are numerous studies showing that visualization improves performance, often nearly as well as actually doing the thing in question. It never gets better results by itself, but in practice you'd be adding visualization to your normal activity, not replacing your activity with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can read more about this here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/8531/is-visualisation-almost-as-effective-as-practice&quot;&gt;https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/8531/is-visualisation-almost-as-effective-as-practice&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I think is lacking is a proper understanding about the limitations of visualization and how it can be used most effectively. If you have no experience with the thing you're visualizing, for example, it won't do you much good. The more experience you have with it, the more vivid your visualization of it will be. The more vivid your visualization is, the better your results will be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, if the activity you're trying to visualize has a lot of dynamic variables, visualizing is going to be much less effective, because it requires a lot more brain power. So when you visualize something, you should be isolating it to just a very simple part, and something you have a good amount of experience with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, with the 3-point throw from basketball, there aren't many variables which significantly effect your throw. It's just you, the ball, and the basket.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For kickboxing, you can take that idea and work on small pieces of your game. And I would specifically look at things that occur frequently, because those are the things you're going to be able to visualize most effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Combinations are okay to work on. They're small enough that you can visualize them. But I'd say chop them up even smaller. Ask what the most important thing is about that movement. Usually it's what happens before you throw the first punch. You're looking at subtle &quot;tells&quot; from your opponent's body language and movement to determine how to move, and then the combo technique follows from there. So concentrate your visualization on this part. It will cue your subconscious muscle memory to react more quickly. That's going to give you the biggest bang for your buck as far as visualization is concerned, in my opinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another question that hasn't really been answered by the research is whether or not visualization combined with doing the thing you're visualizing will make more improvements than either alone. I would imagine it's not going to hurt and probably would help, but I can't say for sure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2019-10-16T16:23:04.287" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9475" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9465" CreationDate="2019-10-16T19:55:16.657" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;To put it simply, be flexible and adapt in all things. First, have the flexibility to do the techniques you learn. Secondly, when you learn something, don't just learn it but be able to adapt it to the situations at hand. A lot of instructors teach katas all day long but never have you use them. As the old saying goes you learn by doing. That kata is nice to know and can make a pretty dance but if you can't adapt it to actual combat, it's nothing more then a dance. So if you go to a school, try to get one that lets you actually use what you learn. Talk to someone that does taekwondo and puts it to use. You will see that even though they learn fancy kicks they have to adapt their techniques a lot in actual combat, especially in quarter situations with stuff in the way or in clothing that makes it impossible to do those flexible kicks. No matter what you learn in life, learn to adapt it and make it truly your own. Only then do you master it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10409" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-10-16T20:00:02.727" LastActivityDate="2019-10-16T20:00:02.727" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9476" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-10-16T21:23:01.403" Score="5" ViewCount="1085" Body="&lt;p&gt;Standard procedure for most right-hand dominant fighters would suggest that they adopt an &quot;orthodox&quot; stance where their dominant hand is typically &quot;in the back&quot;. But what if that same fighter is blind in their right eye? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems that a disadvantage to an orthodox stance would put their healthy eye closest to their opponent whereas a disadvantage to south-paw style would mean the fighter would need to tuck their chin into their shoulder more dramatically to get full view of their opponent. Maybe the chin-tucking isn't necessarily a con and could actually promote good defensive posture?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10410" LastActivityDate="2019-10-23T12:32:29.623" Title="Should eyesight factor into the boxing stance a fighter chooses?" Tags="|technique|boxing|kickboxing|stance|disability|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9477" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9476" CreationDate="2019-10-17T11:11:36.700" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I prefer to be left hand forward, if I am hit in the right eye (and it swells/vision blurred etc.) I feel able to carry on. If I lose some vision in my left eye, I struggle much more, I have to turn my head to favour the right eye or even switch stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now given that the way I spar encourages kicks from the front leg and the jab, this all ties in heavily to dominant side at the front. Styles that prefer kicks from the back leg and the cross will prefer dominant side at the back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what determines which is our dominant side?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my teaching experience the weaker eye has generally been on the weaker side of the body -&gt; which I have assumed is down to the ability to see and practice that side (and thus confidence). So I have only dealt with one scenario - dominant side having the better eye - and I always teach that dominant side to the front (because I'd do that anyway). So after giving it some thought on other styles:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What about severe sight loss/blindness in one eye?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cover your left eye - how far to the left can you now see? - if your good eye is at the back - a small step to the backside of you and you wont be able to see your opponent anymore (limit of back eye peripheral and neck turn). This is obviously very dangerous to you and also not the case with your good eye at the front.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in that instance I say good eye at the front always.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;As Ali said &quot;the hands can't hit what the eyes can't see&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2019-10-17T11:11:36.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9478" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9480" CreationDate="2019-10-17T20:22:53.250" Score="4" ViewCount="7087" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ignoring footwork (supposing it is present), what are the primary differences in these combos? Are there any significant differences between the ideal versions of these punches? I'm looking for differences in the range of motion, the acceleration of the motion, the parts of the body that are moving, or even the intended target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it fair to consider these merely different labels for what would be essentially the same technique?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Differences in the starting (guard) position can be considered too supposing those are relevant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10157" LastActivityDate="2021-10-05T00:26:14.350" Title="What are the differences between TKD's backfist/reverse and boxing's jab/cross?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|boxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9479" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9473" CreationDate="2019-10-18T00:39:56.863" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't try to automate your movements. You will never be able to perform spontaneous actions by becoming an automaton (even though such 'movements' may look automatic). Read Bruce Lee's teaching of water and Intercepting Fist. He knew how to immediately intercept the opponent's attack. He did it with sharp intelligence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In mental training, it is assumed that one can perform &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britannica.com/science/Gedankenexperiment&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;thought experiments&lt;/a&gt;. Only experienced martial artists can do good quality mental training. Why? Thought experiments are only possible after you ammas a large number of real-life experiences. After years of real-life impressions, you can start to visualize realistic scenarios. Moriji Mochida could do such visualizations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;... it took me 50 years to learn the basics of kendo using my body.&#xA;  After I turned 50, I started the real discipline. I wanted to perform&#xA;  kendo using my mind and spirit. When you reach 60 your lower body&#xA;  weakens. I used my mind to try to reverse the drawbacks. When you're&#xA;  70 your whole body weakens. That's when I trained my mind to be&#xA;  imperturbable. With a still mind, the mirror inside you reflects the&#xA;  opponent's mind&quot; - Moriji Mochida&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Source: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm3CmNE72Bw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;YouTube&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10404" LastActivityDate="2019-10-18T00:39:56.863" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9480" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9478" CreationDate="2019-10-18T07:42:27.167" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;So Reverse and Cross are usually just different names for the same thing - so I will ignore the second move in the combination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jab vs Back fist (outwards)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rotation - a jab will start with the thumb up (or to the outside for full rotation) and rotate so that the thumb is to the inside as with a normal punch - backfist will start with the thumb to the side (or even down) and rotate to thumb up.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Start position - the jab will be fired straight from a guard (usually in front of the face and between the two fighters) - backfist will be fired from further back (the hand at least) with the elbow used to guard instead (in the case of a weak jab-like backfist)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Movement of technique - jab moves in a straight line to the target - backfist moves in an arc away from the attackers centre line.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tool (more obvious when not in gloves) - the jab is with the forefist - the backfist is with the backfist (same knuckles but the top rather than the front).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Body Motion - if you are from the school of hip twist for power - the jab will be powered by rotating the front of your body away from the opponent - the backfist will be powered by rotating the front of your body toward the opponent.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the jab and backfist are very different - which changes the overall combination somewhat - jab/cross comes slightly from the jabbing hand side - then the cross hand side (so that familiar head bob defense is often used). The backfist/reverse both travel from the cross hand side - so general defense is to commit to movement to one side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or looking at it from a bag work perspective - jab and cross hit the same part of the bag directly infront of you (at the point you fire the techniques - you may side step etc first). The backfist will hit the opposite side of the bag to the starting hand and the reverse will be between that and the front (near where the cross would have hit in jab/cross - but the bag will have been pushed to the side by the backfist so it will feel more to the side)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What about a downwards backfist?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tool is the same as the outwards backfist - the rotation will be the same way too - but the fist rotates so the backfist is pointing down instead of out. The Direction is an arc downwards instead of an arc down and the start position will be close to the body with the elbow raised.&#xA;I will omit much of the talk on this technique because raising the elbows is a good way of inviting body shots.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2019-10-18T07:42:27.167" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9481" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9469" CreationDate="2019-10-18T13:45:28.400" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The name is different with the leg sweep. Historically, &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yama_arashi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;yama arashi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; is catagorized as a &quot;hand throw&quot;. The fundamental impulse comes from the arms as you lift your &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; over your hip. You do unbalance them through the hip, but the primary force is through the arms. Compare that to &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harai_goshi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;harai goshi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, which is classified as a &quot;hip throw&quot; and the primary impulse is being delivered via the hip, while the arms are being used to unbalance. In practice, of course, the throws are kind of on a continuum based on where you split the most effort, but the pure forms are &quot;hand&quot; and &quot;hip&quot; respectively. You might further compare with &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osotogari&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;osotogari&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, which is a similar technique, but is a &quot;foot throw&quot; with a clear sweep.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-10-18T14:21:42.980" LastActivityDate="2019-10-18T14:21:42.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9482" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9483" CreationDate="2019-10-18T20:20:51.037" Score="-3" ViewCount="240" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was looking for a martial arts move that uses most of your body energy to knock down your enemy or even break a wall with it; I have heard that if you use only a few muscles of your body to attack, you use less energy therefore less force, but if you use almost all of your muscles in one move you will be able to generate much more force. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any move that engages almost all of your muscles to generate the most force? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10413" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-10-22T09:47:12.070" LastActivityDate="2020-01-06T17:29:26.143" Title="Is there a move that engages almost all muscles in the body to be able to attack with the most energy?" Tags="|attack|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9483" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9482" CreationDate="2019-10-18T23:46:06.697" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You're probably looking for &lt;em&gt;chapéu de couro&lt;/em&gt; in Capoeira. It's a Roundhouse Kick from sitting position. I'll try to describe it, but I'll link you a video as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You start in a position with 1 foot on the ground, your other leg stretch leaning on the heel. The side of the leg that is stretched has your hand on the ground next to your body.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;From there you push your body up with the foot that's on the ground and rotate, leaning on your hand, kick your leg towards the side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KDyNbFgqEI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KDyNbFgqEI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This move has proven to be the most powerful kick by 2 Martial Arts Science researchers.&#xA;It uses your entire kinetic energy to perform a kick, resulting in a lot of power and not only a hard impact, but also a hard pushthrough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1395" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-12-24T16:57:11.343" LastActivityDate="2019-12-24T16:57:11.343" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9484" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9469" CreationDate="2019-10-18T23:51:38.597" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a very good video on youtube which explains the difference between Yama Arashi and Harai Goshi. Harai Goshi doesn't require you to lift your opponent up. Whereas the Yama Arashi uses an arm throw with your opponent in a lifted position. From there your leg is only used to keep their foot from being planted forward. Where the Harai Goshi uses the leg rotate your opponent, rather than using your arms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM2Kjq4Ec2c&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM2Kjq4Ec2c&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1395" LastActivityDate="2019-10-18T23:51:38.597" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9485" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9469" CreationDate="2019-10-19T02:29:36.363" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;&lt;em&gt;Yama arashi&lt;/em&gt; examples from &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt; show sweep&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Toshiro Daigo's book &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt; published by Kodansha International in 2005, which I consider the best canonical source for throw classification, there are two examples of &lt;em&gt;yama arashi&lt;/em&gt; and two examples of throws that are explicitly not &lt;em&gt;yama arashi&lt;/em&gt;. All of these have tori's right leg very close to or in contact with uke's right leg. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is Daigo's description of what makes &lt;em&gt;yama arashi&lt;/em&gt; distinct from page 77: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Tori places his right calf over uke's right shin and wraps the tip of his right foot around uke's right ankle. In the unique feature of this technique, tori then sweeps up with his right leg placed tight against uke's right leg. This sweeping technique is different from the method employed in harai-goshi. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both examples of &lt;em&gt;yama arashi&lt;/em&gt; involve a leg sweep. The examples are distinguished by tori's right arm position when tori's left hand is on uke's right sleeve. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tori's right arm on uke's right chest area&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;tori's right elbow inserted under uke's right armpit (as in a &lt;em&gt;morote seoi nage&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The examples of throws that are &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;yama arashi&lt;/em&gt; have the same hand positions as the &lt;em&gt;yama arashi&lt;/em&gt; examples, but with no mention of a sweep:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;tai otoshi&lt;/em&gt; where tori's hands are on one side of uke, on the sleeve and the lapel&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;seoi nage&lt;/em&gt; with the same hand position as the &lt;em&gt;tai otoshi&lt;/em&gt; but with tori's elbow into uke's armpit as in a &lt;em&gt;morote seoi nage&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My interpretation is that &lt;em&gt;yama arashi&lt;/em&gt; requires a sweep under current Kodokan classification. If there is no sweep, it is not a &lt;em&gt;yama arashi&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM2Kjq4Ec2c&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;In the video referred to by Sjana&lt;/a&gt;, the throw shown by Mifune would not be considered a &lt;em&gt;yama arashi&lt;/em&gt; but a &lt;em&gt;tai otoshi&lt;/em&gt; under Daigo's description. Based on Daigo's explicit counterexample, I suspect the throw in the video may have been considered a &lt;em&gt;yama arashi&lt;/em&gt; by some practitioners before, but should not be now. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kodokan judo throw classification is messy, changes with time, and is not always understandable. Unless you are working for an official exam, it is frequently not worth expending the effort to understand the minutiae. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-10-19T02:29:36.363" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9487" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9488" CreationDate="2019-10-21T17:21:29.703" Score="2" ViewCount="210" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the various listings I can find online, this move is described as &quot;spear hand&quot;. But as I've seen it taught, it also involves moving the left hand downward with the palm facing the ground before the right hand &quot;spears&quot; over the top of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is, of course, different than I've seen spearhand taught during drills, where only the striking hand itself is moving forward, there is no accompanying block of any sort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it best to think of these as two discrete techniques performed simultaneously, or is it a single technique involving both arms? If it is two techniques together, which block is being performed?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the school I've observed at, this technique(s) is named &quot;kwan soo&quot; when it is named at all. I am unsure if it refers only to the striking hand or to both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10157" LastActivityDate="2019-11-12T02:59:37.630" Title="The sixth step in ITF TKD's Do-San form" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|forms|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9488" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9487" CreationDate="2019-10-21T20:53:41.837" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's important to realize where these forms came from and what the original purpose was. ITF Taekwondo forms are known affectionately as the &quot;blender&quot; forms, because they take fragments of shotokan karate kata consisting of 1 to 3 moves and rearrange them into the various hyung of ITF Taekwondo. The origin of Taekwondo forms is, therefore, shotokan karate kata, with some stylization that's unique to Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, Shotokan karate kata come from Okinawan karate kata. And Okinawan karate kata are done for a reason. There's a self-defense purpose for each movement in their kata. Okinawan karate calls this &quot;bunkai&quot;, which is their word for the analysis of kata for their self-defense applications. But that purpose has been mostly lost in transmission to Shotokan karate. And so it is also completely lost in transmission to Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can read more about this in my explanations in the following links:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7006/why-is-more-time-dedicated-to-exercises-and-very-less-for-sparring-is-it-for-th/7007#7007&quot;&gt;Why is more time dedicated to exercises and very less for sparring? Is it for the fee?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8373/why-do-we-teach-unrealistic-bunkai/8374#8374&quot;&gt;Why do we teach unrealistic bunkai?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Read those links first. And then continue reading here...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So then, the spear-hand technique has a self-defense purpose originating in Okinawan karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To answer your question: &lt;strong&gt;We need to know what that original purpose was.&lt;/strong&gt; Then you'll know whether the first part (the looping block with palm facing downward) should come first or as the spear-hand thrust is being executed, or not at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Were you taught that the spear-hand thrust was a strike to the gut or solar-plexus with the finger tips? Were you taught that if you got really good, this was penetrating the flesh so that you could maybe rip out their intestines? That was the interpretation that I was actually taught in my ITF Taekwondo school (and I have a black belt in it).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you use the spear-hand thrust on someone intending to penetrate their abdomen, your fingers will break, and the worst your opponent is going to get is a little bruising, or maybe a scratch. Don't even think of using it that way. No, it's not the fact that you just haven't gotten good enough at it. This technique simply should not be used that way, because that was never its original purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what is actually going on with the spear-hand thrust?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first part of the technique involves taking your left hand and looping it out and then in, ending with it bent at the elbow and palm facing down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second part is stepping forward into a right leg forward front stance, while doing the spear-hand thrust with the right hand over the top of the left hand which just stays where it was.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first part has a purpose. It's to snake your arm around your opponent's arm, creating a standing arm-bar. The effect is to create what's known as a &quot;&lt;strong&gt;chicken wing arm-bar&lt;/strong&gt;&quot;. Your left palm will apply downward pressure while you trap his lower forearm in the crook of your left elbow. The effect is to bend him over forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then the second part is the spear-hand thrust. That is actually striking with the knife-edge side of the right hand against your opponent's neck where it meets the base of the skull. &lt;strong&gt;The effect is a knock-out and possibly a neck break.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note that you are not attacking your opponent with your finger tips.&lt;/strong&gt; That would just break your fingers. Don't do that! It's an attack with the base part of your knife-hand. Your fingers will thank you. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact that your right knee is now right below your opponent's head gives you an opportunity to shove his head into it, or raise your knee directly up to strike his head. You can easily grab his head with your spear-hand, pushing his head down, while pulling up on your chicken wing arm-bar to provide extra leverage. This allows you to lock his head in place and keep pressure on it to allow you to do a knee strike to his face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For visualization, see the chicken-wing arm-bar in this video at 1:10:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/JqHYUPK5z0Q?t=70&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/JqHYUPK5z0Q?t=70&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice in the video, you lead into it by circling your arm from the inside to the outside, raising up over your opponent's arm, and then back down and to the inside, hooking your opponent's arm. It ends with your palm facing down and your elbow is bent at a 90 degree angle. Your opponent's arm is trapped. &lt;strong&gt;This is the same exact motion of the spear-hand thrust's first step.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice also in the video, the opponent will naturally bend forward. See where the back of his head is? Notice how easy it is to attack it? That's the spear-hand technique's primary target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, you can think of the spear-hand thrust as a grab instead. You're reaching forward for something. The grab can happen after the strike to the back of the head, or instead of it. If you continue to think of the first part as a chicken wing arm-bar, then the reach forward might be to grab the hair at the back of the head, the throat, or the forehead of your opponent. Some interpretations could make this into a rear-naked-choke, instead, while moving the chicken-wing hold to his back. There's the possibility of turning it into a guillotine choke as well. There's the knee to the head strike as well. Plenty of possibilities here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So there you have it. Now you know what this technique's original purpose was. And with that, you can now answer how you should do it. First, you should not do both parts of the technique all at once. You definitely need to do the first part first, then step forward, then do your spear-hand thrust last. Second, you now know that you can't just spear-hand thrust without doing the first part, because you need your opponent bent over before you can do that spear-hand thrust to the back of his head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-10-22T21:24:18.430" LastActivityDate="2019-10-22T21:24:18.430" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9489" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9491" CreationDate="2019-10-21T21:16:18.777" Score="4" ViewCount="982" Body="&lt;p&gt;By &quot;many thousands&quot; I mean 10,000. &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido_techniques#Techniques&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia says the same&lt;/a&gt;, though likely is using some other source for that number.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It specifically calls them &quot;nameable techniques&quot;. I assume that there is a naming system that allows for that many combinations of sub-techniques or something of that nature. Now, I understand that an exhaustive list is out of the question for an answer to this. But is this a reasonable estimate of the number of techniques for Aikido? Is it within even an order of magnitude (that there are 4000 or 5000, but not 10,000)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is the answer any different for Hapkido?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems like this number is unrealistic in that it wouldn't be fully transmissible within a human lifetime, supposing that each technique requires mastery in isolation to the rest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10157" LastActivityDate="2019-11-19T23:19:46.793" Title="I've seen it repeated several times now that both Aikido and Hapkido have many thousands of techniques, is it true?" Tags="|aikido|hapkido|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9490" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9489" CreationDate="2019-10-21T22:26:43.473" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aikido is actually quite limited in its scope. There aren't many kinds of strikes, take-downs, and throws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hapkido has a lot more striking than Aikido does, and a lot more types of throws. But it, too, is limited.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When someone says there are thousands of techniques, what they're referring to are variations and combinations. But to get to that high count, you start with a small collection of basic techniques, and then you change the way they're done using one or more different concepts or principles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Taekwondo, for example, you have an inside-to-outside crescent kick. If you spin around and then do that kick, it's called a spinning, inside-to-outside crescent kick. If you hop forward while doing it, it's called a hopping, spinning, inside-to-outside crescent kick. If you jump while doing that, it's called a flying, spinning, inside-to-outside crescent kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could take any kick and do the same thing. The kick is the basic technique, while the spinning, hopping, and jumping are concepts that change the way that kick is used or expressed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my answer at the following link, I calculated 1344 different kick variations in Taekwondo for just 8 basic kicks:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2935/how-does-one-train-for-a-spinning-reverse-kick/2937#2937&quot;&gt;How does one train for a spinning reverse kick?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly, in Aikido or Hapkido, there are plenty of variations for each technique. Are you standing or sitting? Are you sinking down to rising up, internally? Will your opponent grab the arm on his same side or across to the other side? Is your opponent in front of you or behind you? Do you have one opponent or more? Do you atemi (strike) first? Can you turn this hand technique into a knife, jo staff, or sword technique? Do you send your opponent down to the ground face first or back first, to the left or to the right? Do you change levels (sit down) while performing the throw, or do you stay at the same height?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You get the idea. Every basic technique can have many variations. In the end, there might be thousands of unique techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What matters is that you understand the finite and small number of basic techniques, plus the small number of concepts or principles that can be applied to change the way those basic techniques are expressed. That makes it easy to learn. You don't have to be shown each one of those thousands of techniques in order to know them all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With Taekwondo kicks, there are only 8 basic kicks and maybe 6 different concepts that you can use to apply to each. The combination gives you 1344 unique kicks. Learning those 8 kicks is easy. Learning each of the 6 concepts is easy. And once you've done that, you can fairly easily come up with each and every one of those 1344 kicks on your own, even if you weren't taught most of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And we haven't even gotten into combinations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's the same way with any martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-10-22T02:40:44.827" LastActivityDate="2019-10-22T02:40:44.827" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9491" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9489" CreationDate="2019-10-22T02:38:53.963" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indefinite_and_fictitious_numbers&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Large indefinite numbers (a zillion!) are a quirk of language&lt;/a&gt;. Ten thousand (myriad) techniques is simply a place holder for all the many techniques. There are not exactly 10,000 techniques as opposed to 10,001. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The largest Chinese number grouping used to be wan, 10,000. [20,000 is two wan, not 20 thousands]. &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_numerals&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Japanese also used this number grouping, and the Japanese numerals Wikipedia page notes that 10,000&lt;/a&gt; is &quot;Often used to mean many&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-10-22T02:38:53.963" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9492" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9489" CreationDate="2019-10-22T07:18:59.867" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends on your definition of technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY14FXM6L3o&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;oshi taoshi&lt;/a&gt; (or ikkajo or ikkyo or whatever it's called in your style of Aikido) as a technique. You can do it standing up with your left arm grabbed (straight and reversed) and your right arm grabbed(straight and reversed) with one hand, then with two hands. That's eight techniques right? Okay, now against a punch, a hook, and uppercut, an elbow both right and left. We are up to sixteen techniques. All those, you (as tori) can pivot left or right or go straight so that's forty eight techniques. You can do those kneeling as well, so we are up to nearly a hundred. I could go on but to easy the calculations, I shall stop here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Shodokan, there are seventeen basic techniques one learns. In addition, there are another dozen or so others balance breakers of various types. However, we do say that there are hundreds of applications of those.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-10-22T14:20:02.170" LastActivityDate="2019-10-22T14:20:02.170" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9493" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9482" CreationDate="2019-10-22T07:50:08.937" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Craig Pumphrey's &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFeDE5VsQsQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;brick breaking ram technique&lt;/a&gt; is very impressive, and definitely utilize many muscles to create impact.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Also, it can be used to break a wall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10293" LastEditorUserId="10293" LastEditDate="2019-10-22T08:45:27.680" LastActivityDate="2019-10-22T08:45:27.680" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9494" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9476" CreationDate="2019-10-23T12:32:29.623" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Now this is a very interesting question that I personally have experience with.&#xA;As I have a large cutting scar on my left eye, I can't open my left eye. The eye works, but I can't open the eyelid. I use a left forward stance, even though I am left handed. However, I don't do boxing. But it doesn't matter. The eyesight isn't that much different when 1 eye is closed. It just needs a bit more adjustment. If you look at the range of sight 1 eye has, you will notice that a big portion overlaps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now keep in mind, you don't have one eye at the back. You face your opponent, no matter which of your hands or legs is in front. Rather than adjusting your stance based on your own sight, adjust it based on your opponent's quirks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, if your opponent is likely to use right hooks, and your left eye is bad or blind, you might benefit from changing your stance. But in a different way than you might expect. It's not as simple as changing which leg or hand is in front. When I fight, even though my left eye isn't able to see, I put my left leg in front as well as my left hand. This allows me to make up for the lack of eyesight by shortening the distance to the opponent's attack. This works especially well if the opponent is right handed. If my opponent is also left handed, I switch to something more orthodox. I do keep my left leg and left hand in front, but I angle myself differently. Instead of facing my opponent directly, I angle myself more towards their dominant hand. Yes, this creates a bit of a blind spot to my entire left. But this is where mind games come into play. Fighting isn't purely strength, technique and reflexes. It's also mind games.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They see a very easy to strike area for their right hand. But since their stance is right foot front and dominant hand back, they can't utilize it properly. In the time they use to decide whether to take the chance or not, I strike. Confuse your enemy with your stance. Don't change it to benefit yourself, but to disadvantage your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1395" LastActivityDate="2019-10-23T12:32:29.623" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9495" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-10-24T19:22:09.227" Score="2" ViewCount="159" Body="&lt;p&gt;I almost asked a duplicate question earlier:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/61/what-martial-notation-systems-exist-for-describing-techniques-in-writing&quot;&gt;What martial notation systems exist for describing techniques in writing?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It asked the question that I wanted to ask, and its answers were disappointing. They were correct, of course (there is no such system), but still disappointing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, bringing me to this question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it possible to compile a comprehensive list of (arm/hand) striking techniques that wouldn't exclude or discriminate against the many styles and arts out there? What does that list have to include?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing only has four or five punches itself, if we ignore left/right and where those punches target/land (possibly with other parameters). Karate and TKD add a few, plus several open-handed strikes. I am not very knowledgeable on what seems like must be at least several hundred extant martial arts, but I have trouble imagining that there are thousands of punches/slaps/chops. I've had trouble coming up with even twenty so far.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The list that I have so far looks something like this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jab&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cross&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hook&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Uppercut&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Backfist&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ridge hand&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knifehand/Chop&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Spear hand&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Slap&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Open-handed backfist/slap&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Palm strike&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Haymaker&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, tentatively:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Side punch (this seems like it's not only a targeting difference, the punch is thrown distinctively)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Vertical punch (the fist not rotating to horizontal when connecting)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Elbow strikes (unclear if this is a single technique or multiple)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Three Stooge's style eyepoke (with forked fingers?)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been watching videos of various East Asian martial arts (kata and other demonstrations), and there doesn't appear to my relatively untrained eye any significant variation in technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good answer will not be a complete list, but rather an explanation of how this is either a fool's errand or a solvable problem. If the number of techniques/strikes were in the dozens-to-hundreds range, this is likely a solvable problem, but if it exceeds this it probably isn't a solvable problem even though the number must be finite (whatever it actually is).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS Please help me edit this question to comply with the rules if it is salvageable. Also keep in mind that if this question is answered, I don't intend to return with a dozen other questions of the &quot;is it possible to compile a list of X-type techniques&quot; sort, as I believe that the answer will remain the same for those questions as for this one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10157" LastActivityDate="2019-10-25T12:18:18.237" Title="Is it possible to compile a list of discrete/distinct striking techniques (hands/arms)?" Tags="|punching|striking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9496" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9495" CreationDate="2019-10-24T22:04:14.403" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can make such a list, but there will always be nontrivial disagreements about what the list excludes and whether things on the list are the same. You could imagine making a list by taking the union of every martial art's striking technique set and then eliminating duplicates. But no one would agree on what the duplicates are, or what the criteria for determining duplicates should be. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Kodokan has compiled such a list for (judo) throws. The trouble is that given the compiled list of techniques, you are presented with a video to identify, and different people identify the same video as different techniques. The canonical answers are decided by a committee decision, but these decisions do not always make sense. When someone develops a potentially novel technique, there is always a debate about whether this technique is a variation of a list technique or something new. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your list current seems very weapon-centric (what does the hand look like when it lands?). Here are other considerations for classifying techniques on your list:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Striking is not like shooting bullets, where you have a ballistic projectile that impacts the opponent. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/7885/5961&quot;&gt;The striker can control how force is applied over time, which can change whether the strike penetrates or only impacts on the surface&lt;/a&gt;. Depending on your immediate objective, you may want to strike to deflect an attack (speed required, power not so much), or knock someone out (speed and power required). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming your stance has one foot forward, delivering power is different for a front-hand strike versus a rear-hand strike. I think boxing tends to jab with the front and throw the power cross from the rear, but you can throw power techniques from the front, and teaching this is not so simple as to assume you can throw power techniques both left and right. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Footwork matters. Many people think of striking only from a static foot position, but you can strike while moving. This is not only in sense of the moving the feet quickly, setting, and then striking, where you could still analyze techniques from the final static foot position. You can use the force from stepping as part of the strike itself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do short power techniques (most famously, Bruce Lee's one-inch punch) fit into this list? Does it matter what your hand looks like? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The idea of what constitutes a technique in one system does not map easily to a technique in another system. &lt;em&gt;Xing yi (hsing i)&lt;/em&gt; has a technique called &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HNML_k9a-s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;pi quan&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (splitting), which involves both hands. It is not trained in a one hand for one strike manner. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR&lt;/strong&gt; In trying to compile the list, you will discover you need to study extensively, and your list will not match others' lists, depending on what you study and your understanding. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-10-25T12:18:18.237" LastActivityDate="2019-10-25T12:18:18.237" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9497" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9499" CreationDate="2019-10-26T13:50:06.823" Score="5" ViewCount="2981" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Posted as part of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/598/challenge-post-questions-about-an-aspect-of-an-art-weve-always-been-curious-a&quot;&gt;Martial Arts SE post challenge&lt;/a&gt; about things about the martial arts you've always been curious about&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9495/is-it-possible-to-compile-a-list-of-discrete-distinct-striking-techniques-hands&quot;&gt;Is it possible to compile a list of discrete/distinct striking techniques (hands/arms)?&lt;/a&gt; made me think of a diagram that either showed up in a martial arts book I read as a child, or on a chart that I saw when I was taking classes in the Chuck Norris System, then known either as &quot;Chuck Norris-style Tang Soo Do&quot; or Chun Kuk Do. It involved a strike with the top of the wrist with the hand cocked down as per the following picture:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/OHBFA.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/OHBFAm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Demonstrating what I remembered of the strike with an arrow indicating where I remembered them stating the point of impact was&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (click to embiggen)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I chiefly remember it because one of the lists we were tested on was striking areas of the hand, and I remember using the wrist as one of the answers (which it was not for our style), and using the chart, or the book, as justification later. What would the purpose for this sort of strike be? It seems like the small bones of the wrist would make it a bad choice for impact, and it requires some effort to contort the fist out of the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-12-10T18:52:19.327" Title="What is the purpose of the &quot;ox fist&quot;, a strike with the top of the wrist?" Tags="|striking|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9498" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9497" CreationDate="2019-10-26T14:48:16.333" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe this is intended to strengthen the wrist against wrist manipulation.  Some people also do push-ups on this part of the wrist.  The lock in question pushes the wrist into this position with the arm straight and the hand pointing upwards.  It is very painful unless you have already experienced it and stretched in this way.  Striking with this part may condition the wrist against being locked.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise that hand position is used in my style to jab with the fingers towards the eye.  Possibly the arrow is in the wrong place?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2019-10-26T14:48:16.333" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9499" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9497" CreationDate="2019-10-26T16:38:22.827" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ah, I found my likely reference, this poster of &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialartssupermarket.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/8484.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Karate Striking Points&lt;/a&gt;, and the strike I'm thinking of is apparently &lt;em&gt;Koken&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;Kakuto&lt;/em&gt;, sometimes called an &amp;quot;Oxjaw&amp;quot; strike. There's a discussion of it &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.martialtalk.com/threads/strike-with-top-of-wrist-koken-uchi.46328/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Actually, this is standard fare in the Shaolin Kempo I studied. Called oxjaw strike, and it definitely is with the end of the forearm bone, not the wrist (as flashlock said, fingertips are pinched together--as a crane's beak--and pointed away from strike). This is a powerful strike. Some good targets already mentioned, but there are many. I've found it's good to any soft target: abdomen and trunk (especially as you're stepping past /countering), even good as horizontal strike to arms, legs, and works well as, with bent elbow, you go up and quickly circle back down straight onto collar bone or shoulder (or nose, of course)--hard to block for boxer/street fighter types because they really aren't expecting a quick blow from above. If you get a chance to try this, let me know if it works as well for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A slightly better image from here, with the technique circled:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/bDBDv.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/bDBDv.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-12-10T18:52:19.327" LastActivityDate="2021-12-10T18:52:19.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9501" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-10-27T23:40:07.100" Score="0" ViewCount="47" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have started training at a Martial Arts place, about 20 minutes away from my house. They offer Taekwondo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Japanese Jiu Jitsu, Judo, and &lt;strong&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/strong&gt;. I've done MMA for about 2 years, at another place; I also did Taekwondo at another place when I was 7, and I've moved to this one not that long ago. I'm currently doing Japanese Jiu Jitsu, and I've been taking an interest in Krav Maga for a while. I've wanted to start Training in Krav Maga, but I'm only &lt;strong&gt;12&lt;/strong&gt;. Would Krav Maga be appropriate for me?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user10435" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-10-29T09:26:35.887" LastActivityDate="2019-10-29T09:26:35.887" Title="Can I start training Krav Maga at 12?" Tags="|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2019-10-28T23:46:37.563" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9502" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-10-29T15:16:04.447" Score="4" ViewCount="138" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have read about the naming changes in Japanese martial arts, with a shift from &lt;em&gt;jutsu&lt;/em&gt; (術) to &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; (道) reflecting a supposed shift in emphasis from fighting techniques to a quest for mental and physical perfection. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Kano followed the lead of the founder of the Jikishin Ryu in making the transition from &lt;em&gt;jutsu&lt;/em&gt; form, primarily concerned with martial matters, to a &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; form, where emphasis is on character development and the perfection of the individual. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From p. 21 of &lt;em&gt;Judo Formal Techniques&lt;/em&gt; by Tadao Otaki and Donn F. Draeger, Tuttle Publishing, Boston, 1983. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;jujutsu -&gt; judo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kenjutsu -&gt; kendo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;aikijutsu -&gt; aikido&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Asian-influenced martial arts today commonly share this mindset that martial arts are not solely about fighting. Included are styles that definitely predate the Japanese naming shift, such as &lt;em&gt;taijiquan&lt;/em&gt;, which claims &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Daoist&lt;/a&gt; (道) influence. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is the Japanese name shift also a Daoist influence? If so, why does this Daoist influence in the martial arts take so long to reach Japan? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-10-30T03:57:30.570" LastActivityDate="2019-10-30T03:57:30.570" Title="Does &quot;do&quot; v. &quot;jutsu&quot; naming reflect Daoist influence?" Tags="|history|style|japanese|mentality|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9503" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9511" CreationDate="2019-10-29T17:19:34.993" Score="5" ViewCount="88" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently picked up a book out of a bargain bin:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B0006Z08YM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Knife-Throwing-Guide-Hibben/dp/B0006Z08YM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm curious what the significant differences are between this and shurikenjutsu as it was (and may still be) taught in Japan. Please exclude purely cultural differences for the purpose of this question and focus on techniques, hardware, and drills/practice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If, as I suspect, shurikenjutsu was only part of a curriculum for some Japanese school that focused on swordsmanship or archery, please ignore those elements as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10157" LastEditorUserId="10157" LastEditDate="2019-10-30T14:55:08.257" LastActivityDate="2019-10-31T11:54:21.867" Title="What are the differences between traditional shurikenjutsu and more generic knife throwing (i.e. Gil Hibben)?" Tags="|shuriken|knife-throwing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9504" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9515" CreationDate="2019-10-29T21:19:25.030" Score="4" ViewCount="120" Body="&lt;p&gt;I remember reading an article a while back that said something along the lines of, &quot;traditional Okinawan Kobudo derived a lot of power form the hips. Modern fighters use lighter bos, and especially when it is a male practitioner, rely on the shoulders for fast strikes.&quot; It then suggested using heavier weapons to try to force yourself into using the hips (as well as actually practicing doing so, duh).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using the hips/whole body seem to line up with other parts of our style (Shorin-ryu), and I can see small hints of it done occasionally (i.e., a few strikes or when the higher-ups are really concentrating), however there's little to no emphasis placed on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question can really be broken down into two parts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) Is deriving force form the hips really some lost or deemphasized feature in Okinawan kobudo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) Are heavy weapons a good way to try to cultivate this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10153" LastActivityDate="2019-11-01T20:07:04.113" Title="Heavy weapons training in Okinawan Kobudo for hip emphasis?" Tags="|weapons|okinawa|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9505" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9487" CreationDate="2019-10-30T02:37:40.310" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I, too, was taught the strange stab into the belly, which could then be used to rip out the spleen, kidney, or whatever else you might find in the gut.  And for a long time, I never thought to ask what if the guy is wearing a leather jacket.  And so, for years, we practiced the spearheand - always in the air, never against a target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do agree with Steve Weigand's explanation, there are grappling applications for the spearhand.  I'm not sure the other hand's position is easily explained; however, that doesn't discount the grappling application.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I will offer another explanation that does take the other hand into consideration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take a look at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM9XKVAX1TQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; video.  In it, Chiba demonstrates iriminage, which is a throw by entering into your opponent's space.  If you look real closely, you'll see Chiba, at :52 is throwing his opponent.  Look at the &quot;spearhand&quot;.  And note where his other hand is: he's guiding his opponent, just like in the form!  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, a huge difference in this throw and the spearhand in most TKD forms that use a spearhand is that the thumb is up.  But Chiba's thumb is down - a very important, but subtle difference.  With the thumb down, that allows the arm to roll into the opponent.  Keeping the thumb up, per the TKD form, allows the opponent to more easily roll out of the technique before the throw is applied - an escape or reversal.  So to mitigate that, we throw with the thumb down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there are viable applications where the thumb can be up (and the other arm still in place per the many TKD spearhands in many of the forms).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take a look at a completely different kind of throw &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jujinage&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.  In this throw, Yamada is performing a cross-throw, or X throw - jujinage.  It is also an entering throw, but note that the thumb is upwards - and the other hand is used to effect the X in the throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More subtle observations: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you issue a strike in TKD, note it's almost always via a fist.  And half our blocks are done with a fist, and others are done with an open hand.  What's up with that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well again, not all is as they appear.  A &quot;fist&quot; has many representations.  Of course, you can punch.  But why do we block with a fist, and then not even use the fist as part of the block (eg, momtong makki, a middle block, where the &quot;blocking&quot; surface is just below the fist).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is that many of our techniques - strikes and blocks - are grappling maneuvers.  A fist usually is representative of grabbing something, whereas an open hand (knifehand, or sonnal makki) is not grabbing anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the spearhand is not a fist - it's an open hand.  And if you look at the two videos, you'll note there's no closed fist - nothing to grab!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You didn't ask, but there's more.  Note the stances.  Have you ever thrown a spearhand with the opposite foot forward?  Probably not.  There's a reason for that.  In these two throws, you are inserting yourself into your opponent's space - especially the jujinage/x-throw.  And when you do that, your opponent is on one side of you or the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Chiba, at :53, note his right foot is forward, and he's using his right hand (thumb down).  In Yamada, at about :10, you see his left foot forward and he's using his left hand for the primary throw.  Also note these two throws are &quot;entering&quot; throws: the opponent is more or less in front, and is being turned back to the direction from whence they came.  Although not a strict rule here, it's more of a guideline, but the stance to use for entering throws is always a front stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And a front stance, with its stability, and the foot alongside the opponent, allows to assist in a trip or sweep, and offers more stability for the thrower (the issuer of the spearhand).  That's why spearhands are almost always thrown with the same foot forward: stability, control of the opponent, and to better effect a sweep or trip.  Try doing these throws with the other foot forward, and you will feel much less stable, and an opponent on his way to the ground can more easily pull you down with him if he gets ahold of you or your clothing.  This is much harder to do with same hand/same foot forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But wait!  There's more!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that in Do-San, after you issue the spearhand, you do that funky turn with the hand behind your back.  What's that all about?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's a handshake throw (aka wrist throw... this has many names).  IMHO, this is a parlour trick - something fun to show the kids or at parties.  I've never really seen it used IRL, although all of the principals are there.  But &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSfvIraXICs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; is the throw.  Note that you are engaged in the handshake, your turn is the throw.  One thing that should be glaring at you is that in this video, defender is extending the same hand as you do in Do-San, but he's turning in the opposite direction.  There are several variants to the handshake throw, and this is just one of them.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZdREznibnU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This&lt;/a&gt; video shows a few others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2019-10-30T02:37:40.310" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9506" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-10-30T08:02:48.357" Score="2" ViewCount="138" Body="&lt;p&gt;During the Hell Dojo times of Ueshiba, he was known to teach shuriken throwing. After a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikidofaq.com/stories/sensei.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;famous incident&lt;/a&gt;, this stopped.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any records of how this was taught? What style of shuriken was thrown? I assume the long bladed ones but confirmation would be nice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="9" LastEditDate="2019-11-19T15:52:18.153" LastActivityDate="2019-11-19T15:52:18.153" Title="Shuriken in Aikido" Tags="|aikido|shuriken|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9507" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-10-30T14:38:19.700" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This tag is a broad one going from historical weapons to the fabulous weapons of anime ninja.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-10-30T14:38:19.700" LastActivityDate="2019-10-30T14:38:19.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9508" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-10-30T14:38:19.700" Score="0" Body="A shuriken (Japanese: 手裏剣; literally: &quot;hidden hand blade&quot;) is a Japanese concealed weapon that was used as a hidden dagger to distract or misdirect." OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-10-30T14:38:19.700" LastActivityDate="2019-10-30T14:38:19.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9509" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-10-30T14:59:49.287" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Knife throwing is the un-systematized martial art of throwing knives, daggers, and other small bladed weapons. In modern times it is often a circus or carnival act.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10157" LastEditorUserId="10157" LastEditDate="2019-10-30T15:43:16.813" LastActivityDate="2019-10-30T15:43:16.813" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9510" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-10-30T14:59:49.287" Score="0" Body="Knife throwing is the un-systematized martial art of throwing knives, daggers, and other small bladed weapons. In modern times it is often a circus or carnival act." OwnerUserId="10157" LastEditorUserId="10157" LastEditDate="2019-10-30T15:43:22.693" LastActivityDate="2019-10-30T15:43:22.693" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9511" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9503" CreationDate="2019-10-31T11:48:32.647" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm still looking through the various books in my house for a better description (funnily enough, I've got two books discussing &lt;em&gt;shuriken-jutsu&lt;/em&gt;, but what I have for knife-throwing more or less boils down to &quot;throw it&quot;), but one major difference I've encountered is that &lt;em&gt;shuriken-jutsu&lt;/em&gt; is more likely to use a non-vertical angle. For example, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bujinkanprague.com/?page_id=6580&amp;amp;lang=en&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;these examples from a Prague Bujinkan school&lt;/a&gt; all have a diagonal throw between the shoulder and the opposite hip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;h2&gt;Jōdan uchi 上段打ち – vertical throw from top to bottom&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;We start in Shizentai 自然体 or Shinzen no kamae 自然の構え position, that means from a common stance. We have a Shuriken 手裏剣 prepared in our right palm, point facing forward. We continue with a left step forward and simultaneously move our right hand to the side of the head in such a way that the blade cannot be seen from a front view. With a rapid twist of right hip forward we swing our right arm diagonally in front of our body so that the right arm “falls” down to the left hip. In such movement the shuriken is released from our hand due to the centrifugal force and flies to its target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;h2&gt;Gyaku uchi 逆打ち – diagonal and horizontal throw&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;We start in Shinzen no kamae 自然の構え position. We have a Shuriken 手裏剣 prepared in our right palm, point facing forward. We continue with right step forward and simultaneously move our right hand in front of our body over our left shoulder. We rotate the palm outside and with a rapid twist in hips we swing our right hand so that it “falls” down to the right hip. In such movement the shuriken is released from our hand due to the centrifugal force and flies to its target.&#xA;  A student should always follow the basics which are built upon taijutsu movements. The right hand uses the same movement as during Ura shutō ken 裏手刀拳 punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;h2&gt;Age uchi 上げ打ち – throw from bottom to top&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In this technique, we start in Shinzen no kamae 自然の構え position with a Shuriken 手裏剣 prepared in our right palm, point facing forward. We continue with a right step backward to Shōshin no kamae 初心の構え position where the left arm is stretched in front of the body and the right hand with shuriken is down next to the right hip. Then there is a right step forward with a rapid swing of the right hand diagonally upward to the left shoulder. In such movement the shuriken is released from our hand due to the centrifugal force and flies to its target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykOFEwrdrOg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this Togakure Ryu video&lt;/a&gt; demonstrates more of a frisbee movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In comparison, most Western knife-throwing technique that I've seen involves a vertical top-to-bottom movement, done from head to shoulder height (Gil Hibben's style is demonstrated in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKkTRKd1PZ4&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;). This is a technique also seen when throwing shuriken, but not as the prevalent method.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, and this might be more a matter of scale and a difference in intent (shuriken generally being smaller, lighter, and more of a distraction technique, versus knife-throwing where you're looking for more significant penetration with a heavier weapon), but I haven't really seen a knife-throwing demonstration where the motion is primarily a flick of the wrist (versus a full arm movement) whereas that seems to be an accepted technique for shuriken, particularly when throwing several in rapid succession.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-10-31T11:54:21.867" LastActivityDate="2019-10-31T11:54:21.867" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9512" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-10-31T20:55:48.320" Score="-3" ViewCount="235" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, let me define hard style. So, most martial arts have a soft and hard version of practicing them. Soft style would be doing the minimal harm to get out of a situation; while hard style is maximizing harm to make sure you remain safe. So, soft style you'd toss some in an arm bar and then run away; while hard style you arm bar, dislocate at the elbow, maybe damage the shoulder, and then run away. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a difference behind the philosophy. Essentially, Hard style practitioners view maximizing harm to the assailant reduces their risk of receiving harm back. If you make sure the assaulter's arms are broken he's probably not going to get back up and chase you down. I don't want to get into a debate about self defense philosophy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga seems ideal. With a few huge caveats most schools are basically Tai Bo, and not the same martial art being taught to the Israeli Defense Force. Conditioning is great and all, but not what I'm looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm mostly looking for umbrella organizations that would vouch for the quality of a school by membership. I have no interest in competing in a sport, and would prefer a style designed for real world combat. I believe those techniques would be more ideal when you don't have the limitations designed into the UFC in terms of strikes and holds. I do have experience in Kendo, Hapkido, Taekwondo, Karate, and Jujitsu; it has just been years since I practiced. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which styles / schools are known for this hard style philosophy in their training? How might I decipher whether a Krav Maga school follows this &quot;Hard style&quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10259" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-05-11T16:17:38.463" LastActivityDate="2020-05-11T16:17:38.463" Title="Styles associated with Hard style martial arts?" Tags="|self-defense|recommendation|krav-maga|style|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9513" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9512" CreationDate="2019-10-31T22:05:33.980" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;For you, rule out sport-based instruction. Sports are preoccupied with safety issues, which you obviously are not. Otherwise, I am not sure style-based pointers will be useful; what you are really looking for is a fighting instructor independent of style. As you have pointed out, this is difficult even if you identify a style with desired philosophy like Krav Maga. Sorry, I do not know enough about Krav Maga to be more helpful. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I studied at one kung fu school where the fighting philosophy was of the grab the opponent's ear, rip it off, then hit them with it variety. Despite this, most practice sessions were skill and body development oriented, and sparring was infrequent. I suspect this is not what you are looking for; I think you may have additional unstated criteria. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practicing with liveness is always an issue at this aggression level. You can't practice with badly injured partners. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-10-31T22:05:33.980" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9515" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9504" CreationDate="2019-11-01T20:07:04.113" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Force and power from hips&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Deriving force or power from the hips is common to basically all martial arts that rely on human power. This includes boxing, taiji, karate, judo, BJJ, tae kwon do, kung fu, aikido, and others but excludes shooting, archery, and similar arts where weapons reduce the need for human power. When someone talks about &quot;moving from the center&quot; or the dantien, this is about deriving force and power from the hips, at least in part. Everyone pays at least lip service to the idea of using whole body power. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As universal is the beginner tendency to generate force from a striking limb rather than the hips. The observation about males using primarily their shoulders basically describes every martial art; this problem is very common. In my experience, this problem may persist into low dan ranks or their equivalent. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Heavy weapons for hip usage&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think this is a matter of opinion. This idea is plausible, but I personally think the modern tendency is for weightlifting to contribute to the problem of emphasizing limbs over whole body power. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-11-01T20:07:04.113" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9516" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9182" CreationDate="2019-11-02T10:03:56.553" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The “piercing the flesh of your opponents” thing only works if you keep your nails just short enough. The nails break the skin and the hand does the rest. Also you want to work with loose sand and let it do its work gradually. The ones who mess up their hands are the ones who don’t understand that this is a thing that is developed over time and that you shouldn’t over do it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10448" LastActivityDate="2019-11-02T10:03:56.553" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9517" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9518" CreationDate="2019-11-03T19:31:35.563" Score="5" ViewCount="181" Body="&lt;p&gt;For the most part I read that the primary way to protect the hands, especially from deflected strikes that slide along the shaft, when wielding a pole weapon is gauntlets; any sort of guard as you may find on a sword would sacrifice your ability to slide your own hands along the shaft.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, there are illustrations from old textbooks and videos of people sparring with staffs with no hand protection. Some such videos show them wearing helmets, so they clearly expect strikes capable of injury. Does this mean there were techniques to minimize strikes to the hand, or are these just depictions of people accepting a risk?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10450" LastActivityDate="2019-11-04T05:15:48.450" Title="How do polearm wielders protect unarmored hands?" Tags="|sparring|weapons|safety|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9518" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9517" CreationDate="2019-11-03T23:43:55.143" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Truthfully, I suspect that some of it is artistic license, especially in illustrations. It's easier to show hand positions if you're showing hands not encased in thick gloves or armor. In modern HEMA, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sword-point.com/article/hema-spears-halberds-polehammers&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;they definitely recommend hand protection&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Remember to protect your hands. Any good longsword practicioner will know the importance of protecting your hands and how bad it hurts to get hit on the fingers. The same applies to polearms. Instead of being smashed by steel, you’ll be smashed AND pinched by wood -- and trust me -- it sucks. Hand injuries are always a risk when you do historical european martial arts, and polearms are no exception...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To give a counter-example for manuals, &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thearma.org/spotlight/NotesLEJEUDELAHACHE.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Le Jeu de la Hache&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, one of the more respected manuals on historical poleaxe fighting, shows most of the combatants in full armor including gauntlets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="557" LastEditDate="2019-11-04T05:15:48.450" LastActivityDate="2019-11-04T05:15:48.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9519" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9497" CreationDate="2019-11-07T14:08:04.130" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;First off, that image is a bad example of the technique:  When using this (which karate would call &quot;koken&quot;), my wrist is bent at about 90°, instead of the 60° shown - the hand needs to be pulled further out of the way, which will require further stretching.  One of my students (a somewhat hyperactive 6th kyu) is able to get the wrist bent past 100°!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The strike is performed with the end of the radius (the forearm bone closest to the thumb - the ulna is mostly out of the way), not with the wrist.  This is similar to how a palm-strike (shotei) is performed with the heel of the palm (sending the force directly into the radius) instead of with the centre of the hand - an excessive moment/torque applied to the wrist will break it!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the most common uses for this hand position is when you &lt;strong&gt;can't make a solid fist&lt;/strong&gt;.  This could range from the mundane (your hand is open, and a koken strike is &lt;em&gt;faster&lt;/em&gt; than reliably closing the fist for seiken), to the more extreme (your fingers or palm are damaged or non-functional for some reason - broken, cut, or just the colloquial &quot;morning hands&quot;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a fellow karateka who makes &lt;strong&gt;extensive&lt;/strong&gt; use of koken in competition and demonstrations (including tameshiwari / board breaking), for the simple reason that he was only born with one hand - his other arm ends in a blob just past the wrist, with which making a fist is impossible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9212" LastActivityDate="2019-11-07T14:08:04.130" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9520" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7275" CreationDate="2019-11-09T21:54:42.750" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In addition to the well informed comments above I can add that I definitely recognised a number of throws transitioning into locks from Judo, some very elegant, as always, wrist lock throws from Aikido along with a good variety of ground work from both Brazilian and Japanese Jujitsu and more Judo. Some of the punches, elbows and open handed striking looked to be from more modern eclectic systems, targeting vulnerable areas (I'm not so familiar with these). A lot of the kicks to the legs were very similar to the street fighting form of Kick/Thai boxing that I studied quite a few years ago where we had it drummed into us that any kick above thigh level is likely to end up with you on your back after getting your leg caught. &#xA;I may have missed some techniques, misinterpreted others, and attributed some to a particular system where they are common amongst a number of systems. &#xA;My background was with Judo, mostly Japanese Jujitsu (a little Brazilian), kick and Thai boxing - with direction to what is practical in a street fight (though we did study the full plethora of techniques), a lesser amount of Aikido, Western boxing and a few years of eclectic techniques involving stick and knife fighting and the most useful techniques borrowed from numerous styles. Sadly, these days, my back and neck are so damaged from the stresses I put them through in my youth that my only contact with martial arts and combat sports is through John Wick, Jason Bourne etc!!!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10463" LastActivityDate="2019-11-09T21:54:42.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9521" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8388" CreationDate="2019-11-11T14:27:10.383" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I use sambo-shoes which are made for use on mats. They are pretty much the only type of shoe that is allowed in the place I train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They are soft and therefore OK for kicks like sidekicks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only problem for kickboxing may be that headkicks are not a good idea, because of the shoestrings; this can be overcome by using foot protection such as a large shin pad, which not only covers the shin, but also the top of the foot (and therefore also the shoestrings).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend putting the shoestrings into the shoe and then covering up the top with extra protection from a shin pad. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case, talk to your instructor first and ask for their advice and/or permission.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10467" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2019-11-12T10:28:27.230" LastActivityDate="2019-11-12T10:28:27.230" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9522" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-11-10T10:06:21.890" Score="6" ViewCount="139" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a hypothesis that damage resistance (ability to handle destructive impact without damage) is not related to the ability to deliver destructive damage (as a function of body mass) in ratio 1:1 (i.e. your capability to deliver damage is not equal to your ability with withstand damage).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, I guess that if you gain 10% of body weight, that increment of your power in % is not the same as the increment of your damage resistance in % and vice versa.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this hypothesis is valid, then some weight classes should be safer than others. However, I have a hard time googling any related study or statistics (because of the massive flood of information about weight cutting in a combat sport - this topic is completely occupying the keywords I search for).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I ask you for help:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are there any studies on this topic?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What accessible statistics should be used to run this test?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, please avoid zero-experience opinions. I have already acquired a bunch of them and they are not really helping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10468" OwnerDisplayName="matousc" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-11-11T15:02:00.617" LastActivityDate="2019-11-11T15:57:12.947" Title="Is weight class related to injury risk in combat sports like MMA or boxing?" Tags="|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|injury|power|weight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9523" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9522" CreationDate="2019-11-11T15:57:12.947" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This appears true as measured by brain damage in boxers. The following is the excerpt from the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8556585&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&quot;A neurologist's reflections on boxing. V. Conclude remarks.&quot; by Unterharnscheidt F&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Clinical and morphological publications have shown convincingly, that participation in boxing leads to a severe permanent brain damage. The extent of the brain damage is correlated to the number of bouts fought, which correspondents [sic] in a certain way how many blows against his head a boxer received and to his weight class. The intensity of a boxing blow of a heavyweight is much more severe than those achieved by boxers of lighter weight classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&amp;amp;lr=&amp;amp;id=-Vk9C_Cgo20C&amp;amp;oi=fnd&amp;amp;pg=PP1&amp;amp;dq=Unterharnscheidt%20&amp;amp;ots=W0gO6UDbnX&amp;amp;sig=iwoklDYgPf5Pyohfx88Jjvrp4ow#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=Unterharnscheidt&amp;amp;f=false&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Boxing: Medical Aspects&lt;/a&gt; coauthored by the above author appears to be a good place to start. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-11-11T15:57:12.947" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9524" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9487" CreationDate="2019-11-12T02:59:37.630" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a much simpler answer to this question.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The left hand is trapping: pulling down his guard, or redirecting his arm.  The right hand is indeed striking with the fingertips, but to the throat or eyes, where it will do some damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The solar plexus target comes from Funakoshi's &lt;em&gt;Karate do Kyohan&lt;/em&gt;.  There are several places in that book where he gives unrealistic applications or targets for techniques, I believe in order to disguise the damaging techniques karate actually teaches.  Fingertip stabs to the throat and eyes are completely mainstream in CMA ... Bruce Lee used them all the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10470" LastActivityDate="2019-11-12T02:59:37.630" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9526" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-11-12T08:10:50.297" Score="1" ViewCount="741" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am thinking about learning boxing for punching, TKD for kicking, and wing chun for flashy moves, jabs including eye jabs, and center line theory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Will that be effective?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10471" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-11-13T22:28:14.050" LastActivityDate="2019-11-15T17:49:23.150" Title="Will mixing wing chun, boxing and TKD be effective?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|boxing|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9527" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9497" CreationDate="2019-11-12T18:12:08.793" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrist strikes are used frequently in northern praying mantis kung fu, with the hand held in the &quot;praying mantis claw&quot; position. The attacks are generally against softer targets and move in a lateral or upward direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="337" LastActivityDate="2019-11-12T18:12:08.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9528" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9526" CreationDate="2019-11-12T23:40:20.507" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, review my answers at the following links:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4561/doing-mma-or-a-doing-multiple-individual-martial-arts-which-is-more-effective/4567#4567&quot;&gt;Doing MMA or a doing multiple individual martial arts, which is more effective?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7916/can-i-do-brazilian-jiu-jitsu-and-tae-kwon-do-at-the-same-time/7917#7917&quot;&gt;Can I do Brazilian jiu jitsu and Tae Kwon Do at the same time&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4865/pursuing-tae-kwon-do-and-karate-at-same-time/4867#4867&quot;&gt;Pursuing Tae Kwon Do and Karate at same time&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those links go over the same material that I'd just be reiterating here. So please review them first before moving on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The more dissimilar two styles are, the easier and less confusing they are to learn at the same time, but the harder it is for them to be integrated into a single, cohesive style.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you're already advanced in one, then even a similar looking style is far less confusing to learn, because the differences would be more obvious to you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The way a style looks is because it is optimized for a particular set of rules.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Combining two martial arts means changing the rules to accommodate both.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The combination may not be optimal for the new rules, however. This realization would lead to either changes in the combined style or changes in the rules, or both.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Integrating two martial arts means dealing with compatibility problems. Incompatibility of techniques, stances, and strategies leads to sub-optimal performance. This means the style would undergo refinement until the performance is optimal. In the end, the new style might look very different from the styles from which they were derived.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&quot;Effectiveness&quot; has multiple definitions. Effectiveness for self-defense or fighting is one thing. Effectiveness in terms of how easily they can be integrated without a lengthy period of refinement is another thing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for Wing Chun and Taekwondo in particular, both styles are, in my opinion, different enough that combining them will cause only &lt;b&gt;minor confusion&lt;/b&gt;. And ostensibly, they both complement each other. Wing Chun closes a hole that Taekwondo has in the close range. And Taekwondo allows you to fight at a distance that Wing Chun isn't good at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main problem you're going to face is that &lt;b&gt;you can't integrate them very well&lt;/b&gt;, since they have very different stances and methods of power generation. Moving from a Taekwondo stance to a Wing Chun stance and back will be difficult, involving a lot of moving parts. That will waste time and will make you vulnerable to getting hit in between.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might consider keeping both styles more or less separate in your new combined style. You would then only switch to Wing Chun when the range was closed (either by you or by your opponent). You would use Taekwondo only when the range was far apart. That leaves transitioning from one to the next as your biggest challenge and probably the weakest link.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider that in most branches of Wing Chun, you are leaning back slightly. In Taekwondo, you are upright. So to move from one to the other, you have a lot of motion you need to do with your spine, which causes you to have to reconfigure your shoulders, hips, and knees. It can be done, but it does create a lot of motion, which could make your movement less efficient and therefore sub-optimal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're fine with that, no problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise, what you might try doing is seeing how other styles have handled this. Muay Thai, for example, has an effective answer in the close range, the kicking range, and everything between. They do not change their stance or methods of power generation in transitioning from one range to the other. &lt;b&gt;There is consistency of movement throughout.&lt;/b&gt; Ask yourself if they've lost anything in order to gain that consistency. And then direct that insight into the task of integrating Wing Chun and Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for &lt;b&gt;effectiveness for self-defense&lt;/b&gt;, MMA is now considered kind of the gold standard for effective fighting. That's because of the way it is trained, not so much that its techniques are &quot;better&quot;. They practice with &quot;live&quot; partners that are actively trying to resist and defeat their opponents. There's no compliance involved, your partner will keep going, and you don't know what's coming ahead of time. It's what is known as &quot;pressure testing&quot;. Without that, the effectiveness of a martial art for fighting and self-defense is minimal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pressure testing that can only be done once isn't very useful to you. You need to be able to do it again and again, day after day. That means you can't keep getting injured. If you do, you will quickly quit and go do something else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So that means you need some rules to prevent injuries. Once those rules are established, and the risk of injury is minimal, then you can train hard on the core techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I talk about this more at my answers in the following links:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4806/are-there-any-effective-kung-fu-fighters-in-mma/4807#4807&quot;&gt;Are there any effective Kung Fu fighters in MMA?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6361/wing-chun-for-practical-close-in-defense/6364#6364&quot;&gt;Wing Chun for practical, close in defense&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That understood, how does Wing Chun's eye jab come into play here? To answer that, ask yourself: Can it be pressure tested without injury? The answer is generally no.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I would ask if the Wing Chun eye gouge is a core technique that deserves practicing. There have been UFC-like competitions where eye gouging was either allowed or was merely fined by a trivial amount of money. And yet, the traditional stylists found they were not able to deliver their eye gouges to fully resisting opponents. They simply lacked a set of core skills needed to be able to carry it out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I'm getting at is that &lt;b&gt;eye gouging isn't a core skill&lt;/b&gt;. And, if you do have a core set of skills which allow you to be in a position to be able to use the eye gouge, you're probably going to find that a punch, an armbar, or a choke would be better in almost all situations. And those are techniques that you can practice and get good at, whereas the eye gouge isn't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eye gouges also put you at considerable risk for breaking fingers, because it's really hard to 1) target the eyes as your opponent's head is moving, and 2) use enough force that you don't hurt yourself. Even in Wing Chun, it is stressed that these are techniques of last resort, when everything goes wrong. They should be given nearly no practice time. You instinctively know how to do them already, just like you know how to bite. Biting isn't a core skill that you need to practice, either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are ways to do eye gouges without the risk to your own fingers, by the way. We've seen this in MMA competition. It's typically done by accident by pushing your palm out towards your opponent's face, keeping your fingers slightly bent. Here, you're not leading with locked, straight fingers pointing at your opponent's eyes. Instead, you're almost slapping very lightly. Even a light eye poke can blur your opponent's vision. This is done so often in MMA by accident that it effectively does cause people to become better at defending against it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I think I would take from Wing Chun more than anything else would be two things: 1) The offensive blast of chain punches, and 2) the basic concept of the chi-sao sticking hand technique. Wing Chun fighters do sometimes win against people who are not expecting someone to just keep punching right at their face. I've seen this many times before. They take the first two hits and back up, expecting their opponent to let them gather themselves. But instead, the Wing Chun stylist follows them and keeps punching at their face. It can be very frustrating to someone who has poor head defense and defensive mobility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas, the sensitivity that chi-sao gives you can be useful in a variety of ways. Mostly I wouldn't worry about the techniques themselves (bong-sao, lop-sao, etc.). The thing to take is the idea of connecting and being sensitive to your opponent's force when in grappling range. This concept can be used in fighting, but in my experience, it should only be used momentarily. You shouldn't go down the line of thinking that the goal is to remain connected. That's not the goal. The goal is to win the fight. The connection is just a momentary tool to get you further along in that goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But while we're talking about limitations of Wing Chun, Wing Chun has holes in its defense also. In particular it's susceptible to hook punches from boxing. It's better than nothing. But you might want to consider something like muay thai or boxing to deal with the short and mid ranges.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember when I talked about pressure testing, rules, and how the style itself will need to be modified if it performs sub-optimally given those rules? Wing Chun has no &quot;rules&quot; and no standard way of pressure testing the art safely and repeatedly. As such, it remains a conceptual / theoretical style, as do most kung-fu styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some Wing Chun schools have some form of sparring. But it often ends up looking like sloppy boxing, not Wing Chun. Or if it does look like Wing Chun, it's usually because the teacher enforces adherence to Wing Chun principles for both fighters (they won't generally do sparring vs. non-Wing Chun people). It's not the same as pressure testing, because in pressure testing, you take your results and figure out what needs to change about the style. With Wing Chun, the style itself is taken as untouchable, so it must be the fault of the student that he/she wasn't able to make it work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, I mention that, because if you're interested in adding Wing Chun to your fighting style, you need to understand that it is theoretical and may not work when pressure tested.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I talk about this to some degree in the following link:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2802/defence-against-wing-chun/2809#2809&quot;&gt;Defence against Wing Chun&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My thoughts anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-11-15T17:49:23.150" LastActivityDate="2019-11-15T17:49:23.150" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9529" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-11-13T15:52:06.283" Score="5" ViewCount="862" Body="&lt;p&gt;Looking over the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimarite&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;wikipedia list&lt;/a&gt;, it seems like some of the kakete techniques might be near or even pure analogs of judo throws. Kekaeshi for instance, would be a good candidate. But others involve grabbing the legs/ankles/feet and would be forbidden. The Nagete also seem like good candidates.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What would be the best way to compare these carefully to determine which are identical, which are similar but still significantly different, and which have no analog in the other art? I am moderately familiar with Judo, but unfamiliar with Sumo (don't exactly get NHK on basic cable here, nor do you see honbasho summaries in the sports section of the local paper).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10157" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-12-02T15:25:59.047" LastActivityDate="2022-04-08T20:59:40.390" Title="Are there any overlaps between the Judo kodokan techniques and Sumo's kimarite?" Tags="|judo|technique|sumo|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9530" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2019-11-13T15:54:01.040" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sumo (相撲) is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a rikishi (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (dohyō) or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by throwing, shoving or pushing him down). The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practised professionally. It is considered a gendai budō, which refers to modern Japanese martial art, but the sport has a history spanning many centuries. Many ancient traditions have been preserved in sumo, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt purification, from Shinto.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10157" LastEditorUserId="10157" LastEditDate="2019-11-13T16:36:11.390" LastActivityDate="2019-11-13T16:36:11.390" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9531" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2019-11-13T15:54:01.040" Score="0" Body="Sumo (相撲) is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a wrestler attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by throwing, shoving or pushing him down)." OwnerUserId="10157" LastEditorUserId="10157" LastEditDate="2019-11-13T16:36:00.790" LastActivityDate="2019-11-13T16:36:00.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9532" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9529" CreationDate="2019-11-13T22:26:46.930" Score="4" Body="&lt;h2&gt;If you throw, there is a name&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, there are overlaps. If you throw someone on their back, judo will have a name for it, and sumo will have a name for it. I imagine the classifiers will force throws into one category or another, even if they are sufficiently distant from the canonical versions that non-experts may not be able to identify them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I am more knowledgable of judo, my strategy would be to take sumo techniques and map them to judo ones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some examples:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Sumo&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Judo&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDsqMQeSUiA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;ipponzeoi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;ippon seoi nage&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQn06JwLaWc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kakenage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;uchi mata&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/sumo/techniques/72/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;koshinage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;ogoshi, uki goshi, tsuri goshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/sumo/techniques/60/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kubinage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;koshi guruma / &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/9458/5961&quot;&gt;kubi nage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/sumo/techniques/74/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;tsukaminage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;tsuri goshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo classified throws while touching the legs was legal, so even if a throw may not be competition-legal now, it will still have a name.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will not pretend to understand how sumo classifies its techniques, so I can't do the reverse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;In judo, not in sumo&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sacrifice techniques will generally not be in sumo because of the danger of touching non-foot parts before the opponent lands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;In sumo, not judo&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anything where you win by pushing out or down without a throwing action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-12-28T15:48:20.510" LastActivityDate="2020-12-28T15:48:20.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9533" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9497" CreationDate="2019-11-14T17:18:25.303" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wongsacademy.com/chow-gar-kung-fu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chow Gar style&lt;/a&gt; (aka Jowga or Zhoujia) this fist is used striking diagonally upwards from the waist. It's only in one form that I know, Lok Gok Jong &lt;em&gt;Six Countries Fist&lt;/em&gt;  and my understanding in that context was that it was a blow under the jaw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="179" LastActivityDate="2019-11-14T17:18:25.303" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9534" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-11-15T09:00:39.220" Score="0" ViewCount="55" Body="&lt;p&gt;Recently, I've seen a short story on TV about training with mask - to reduce breath. There was a guy, punching the bag for rounds, with mask on his face. Mask looked like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXr2kaCk3EU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I said OK, and replaced some of my running with running breathing only with nose - and it was much more harder of course. However, after about a month, I didn't notice any boost.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are those masks really effective?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastActivityDate="2019-11-15T09:00:39.220" Title="Breath reducing while training - is it effective?" Tags="|training|exercise|breathing|endurance|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="6" ClosedDate="2019-11-15T13:22:08.500" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9535" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9489" CreationDate="2019-11-15T20:48:24.000" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are only so many ways to manipulate the joints, and there are a finite number of joints. So logically, &lt;strong&gt;there are only a few basic joint manipulation techniques to begin with&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Adding in different ways that the attacker can attack, and the multiple ways that the attack can be blocked and redirected into a joint lock, simply multiplies those basic techniques into dozens or hundreds of variations. But they are all still based on the same set of basic joint manipulations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Combine two or more basic techniques in succession (e.g., moving from one wrist lock to a different wrist lock and then to a take-down), and you have again multiplied the number of possibilities. But you are still using the same small set of basic joint manipulations in all of these combinations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In reality, you probably will not find any Hapkido/Aikido master who could show you a few hundred different 'official' techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7848" LastEditorUserId="7848" LastEditDate="2019-11-19T23:19:46.793" LastActivityDate="2019-11-19T23:19:46.793" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9536" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9458" CreationDate="2019-11-16T17:48:54.327" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Because I assume you are French and because I am too, I will try to respond.&#xA;Forty years ago, French senseis used to teach rotational &lt;a href=&quot;http://thedifficultway.blogspot.com/2011/09/tsugi-ashi.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;tsugi-ashi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; to beginners with &lt;em&gt;kubi-nage&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, since &lt;em&gt;kubi-nage&lt;/em&gt; is more efficient if tori is taller and stronger than uke, inside the same weight category (in competition) this technique is rarely seen due to the risk of being countered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hence, &lt;em&gt;kubi-nage&lt;/em&gt; is a learning technique whereas &lt;em&gt;koshi-guruma&lt;/em&gt; is back as competition technique thanks to new rules (closer to Japanese university style judo). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Koshi-guruma&lt;/em&gt; is particularly efficient with an adversary with a steep stance, then you can throw &lt;em&gt;koshi-guruma&lt;/em&gt; to exploit his forward-leaning balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7114" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-12-02T15:23:04.723" LastActivityDate="2019-12-02T15:23:04.723" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9537" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9469" CreationDate="2019-11-16T18:19:24.430" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Roughly, Yama-arashi could be classified as a variation of harai-goshi on the same basis that eri-seoi-nage is a variation of morote-seoi-nage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Attention: according to IJF rules once you have both hands on the same side, you just have few seconds to throw with Yama-arashi, otherwise you will receive a shido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7114" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-12-01T00:52:53.697" LastActivityDate="2019-12-01T00:52:53.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9538" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7826" CreationDate="2019-11-17T01:35:02.830" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice TKD, and 17 days ago, doing a roundhouse kick to my sparing opponents ribs, I managed to rip my big toe nail out of the cuticle of my right big toe.  Bled like mad, and I also popped two holes in the ball of my big toe, which also bled.  After 17 days, the toe is still quite sore on the bottom.  My guess is that the bone in there is bruised.  Its healing, slowly.  My solution is to buy and wear appropriate shoes and not kick or practice barefooted.  My leg strength for kicking is quite strong, but as was noted by someone here already, the tops of the feet are not for kicking.  So wear shoes.  They're cheap and effective protection for you.  My left big toe is also black from bleeding under the nail.  Its the impact of the kicks, which our nails are not meant to deal with.  The guy commenting on the superiority of the shin strike is correct, and fighting for points as in WTF point fighting is a bad idea.  Forget points and go for wins in actual fighting.  Shin strikes are far superior.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10479" LastActivityDate="2019-11-17T01:35:02.830" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9539" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9171" CreationDate="2019-11-19T17:42:18.030" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I train BJJ in Brazil and this behavior is pretty normal here. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are not encouraged to call higher graduated people and you should accept high graduated calls. This is not a &lt;code&gt;formal&lt;/code&gt; rule, but since the first train session the white belt practitioner will notice that the respect over belts (experience) is highly followed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing to notice is that the instructor (or the most experienced person in the training session) uses to match the rolls partners. So, in a regular training day, everyone waits for the instructor to match the roll and then everyone starts together. Every BJJ venue I trained or visited followed this implicit &quot;rule&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, considering this, if some white belt calls a purple belt to roll, for example, it would &lt;em&gt;sound&lt;/em&gt; very bad, because It would disrespect the instructor, who are supposed to match the rolls, and the purple belt practitioner, who is more experienced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sure you can call someone to roll. It just depends on the way you do it. There would be no problem to call someone in private, or even ask to the instructor that you want to train with more experienced guys to develop yourself. But it would &lt;em&gt;sound&lt;/em&gt; disrespectful to call someone in front of other people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course this is my own BJJ training experience. This answer may not reflect all training academies and/or practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10486" LastActivityDate="2019-11-19T17:42:18.030" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9540" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9545" CreationDate="2019-11-22T07:13:24.237" Score="5" ViewCount="484" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have noticed a problem with my right punch: I do not turn my shoulders fully, so my right punch doesn't go as far as I expected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've tried training with dumbbells, trying to make a full turn with my shoulders and straightening my arm every time, which has helped; now it is, not absolutely OK, but definitely better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Are there other, better ways to improve my punch without a bag?&lt;/strong&gt; Without a bag matters - if there is a bag, the problem becomes simpler.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think this right punch problem may be widespread. If you are trying to do a right punch very-very fast, to evade a possible counter (even on a long distance), there is a huge temptation not to throw it at a full length.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2019-11-22T13:01:36.593" LastActivityDate="2019-11-25T04:44:39.750" Title="Boxing, right punch - how to improve shoulders full turning?" Tags="|technique|boxing|punching|exercise|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9541" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9540" CreationDate="2019-11-23T00:52:49.897" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Under the heading of providing a viable answer rather than a comment, the chief solution is providing yourself a target that requires you to turn your shoulder fully to create the full extension. You note that you can't hang a bag, but for the sake of providing a target, you don't need something that extensive. All you need is a point to strike. I personally recommend hanging a towel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It does not have to be a towel specifically, but what you're providing is a flexible target that does not impart a great deal of stress on what you're mooring it on, and towels are very accessible. The concept is that it's a lightweight object that can be suspended from a wide variety of fixtures such as a thumbtack or a clothesline. The suspended item provides a target area that's a pretty fixed distance from where you are standing. The light weight, and the yielding nature, means that it will move away from your strike, while providing tactile feedback that you've made contact. There are several possibilities, but I like hanging a towel because it has a bit more surface area, which means it's less likely to tangle up in the striking limb, and it has a fairly uniform mass, which means it's less likely to swing away than a target pad on a rope.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unlike a target on the wall, you don't have to worry about hurting yourself, or damaging the drywall, by projecting too far. There is a minor risk of doing damage if you do catch the suspended material with sufficient force to pull it from where you're suspending it, but again, the towel provides a good middle ground such that there's unlikely to be sufficient force to do much damage other than possibly unmooring your target and requiring you to hang it again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-11-23T00:52:49.897" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9542" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9540" CreationDate="2019-11-23T14:50:32.010" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some people train with elastic bands - the fisted hand holds onto one end of it, I don't know what it's anchored to - but at the end of the punch you actually need more force to extend the punch fully. The benefit is it teaches you to have power at the end of the punch where it's needed, but should also get you in the habit of punching further.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2019-11-23T14:50:32.010" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9543" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-11-23T18:30:03.550" Score="3" ViewCount="132" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some of the countermeasures I can typically think of include gaining distance as much as possible. But this is the most naive thing to carry out. Even employing modifications to the grip and practicing disarms with a prop and friend would benefit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;How should you prevent an attacker from trying to push the gun out the way if you are cornered? What to do if the attacker tries to &quot;dis-chamber&quot; the round?&lt;/em&gt; (or hold the slide and push it out the way while you fire)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10495" LastEditorUserId="10495" LastEditDate="2019-11-23T18:37:43.920" LastActivityDate="2019-11-27T13:32:51.160" Title="Countermeasures against firearm disarms" Tags="|firearms|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9544" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9543" CreationDate="2019-11-24T10:28:58.347" Score="3" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hold the gun with two hands, not one hand-gangster-style.  &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Gain some distance if possible. Don't get close to him until you -&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Order him to turn around and sit, with his hands on his head. Shoot the ground or his leg if necessary and possible, If you can't - &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Be ready to kick him away from you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10293" LastEditorUserId="10293" LastEditDate="2019-11-25T13:35:01.780" LastActivityDate="2019-11-25T13:35:01.780" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9545" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9540" CreationDate="2019-11-25T02:25:26.137" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I think this right punch problem may be widespread. If you are trying to do a right punch very-very fast, to evade a possible counter (even on a long distance), there is a huge temptation not to throw it at a full length.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is indeed a widespread problem&amp;mdash;particularly in Muay Thai (MT) or Kick Boxing (KB). In boxing, you can make up for the distance by getting low, widening your stance, or bending forward. Doing so is usually not a good idea in MT/KB seeing how such an attempt can be met with a devastating knee to the face/head. I faced the same problem&amp;mdash;I couldn't land my &lt;em&gt;cross/straight right&lt;/em&gt; from a safe distance. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that may not be the only problem. If you don't get sufficient rotation to land your &lt;em&gt;cross/straight right&lt;/em&gt;, then chances are you may not be able to land the following &lt;em&gt;left hook&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Are there other, better ways to improve my punch without a bag?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think Sean Duggan and Amorphous Blob have given you great pointers&amp;mdash;those are things that worked for me when I was working to solve the problem. I simply stood in front of my closet and threw 50 &lt;em&gt;straight rights&lt;/em&gt; at the already hanging shirts and jackets. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is one other thing that helped me immensely&amp;mdash;thanks to Youtube. Most beginners (not saying that you are one) think that they have to roll their right shoulder forward when throwing the &lt;em&gt;cross/straight right&lt;/em&gt;. While that is true, it is just half the story. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you throw the &lt;em&gt;cross/straight right&lt;/em&gt;, three things need to happen. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;You turn or roll your right shoulder forward.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;You need to make sure that you are turning your right hip towards the punchline (this is the the most important part).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;You need to turn or roll your right side lat muscle towards the punch line. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I started focusing on fueling the &lt;em&gt;cross/straight right&lt;/em&gt; by turning my hip and the right lat muscle. I stopped being conscious of rolling or turning my right shoulder. It happened automatically when I practiced focusing on turning my hip and my lat towards the punchline (don't over commit though).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I worked on my &quot;hip turning&quot; for the cross (as well as for the left hook) using a resistance band (as Amorphous Blob mentions). See image below (ignore the poor drawing). But instead of attaching it to my arm, I tied it to my waist. I made sure I stood correctly in my orthodox stance, and that the knot was on my right hip (and not on the center of my lower back). I did a number of sets and reps throwing the &lt;em&gt;cross&lt;/em&gt; focusing on the turning of my right hip and lat muscle. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/yes1l.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/yes1l.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The idea is essentially the same as training your punches with a band or a dumbbell. It teaches your hips to always turn or rotate with the &lt;em&gt;cross/straight right&lt;/em&gt; - even when fatigued. This way you still hit the mark when you are tired and won't fall short. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other technical things that may help closing the distance for the &lt;em&gt;cross/straight right&lt;/em&gt; are getting low and taking a small step with the jab and bringing the back leg a little forward when throwing the &lt;em&gt;cross/straight right&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2019-11-25T04:44:39.750" LastActivityDate="2019-11-25T04:44:39.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9546" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9543" CreationDate="2019-11-25T08:59:11.237" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;If someone pointed a firearm at a target, they should be fully prepared to fire upon said target.&lt;/em&gt; This renders any martial disarm imporbable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any offensive move from the target would be met by a round, generally aimed at the centre of mass. Shooting limbs is much harder and can lead to unwanted collateral damage as the round has to go somewhere behind the target. Note that different rules of engagements (ROE) do exist: LEO, special forces on missions, sicarios, … which will reflect what the shooter does from trying to prevent lose of life to &quot;I was told to kill you, bye&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial art disarms are either play fighting or lucky breaks. In a few edge cases, where the ROE allow it, it is easier for a good martial artist to disarm/kill someone with a gun: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwCl9bfz-8Y&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;We have all seen Dan Inosanto's video&lt;/a&gt;. Now, I would like to see the same video with Clint Eastwood (or any other &lt;a href=&quot;https://truewestmagazine.com/fastest-gun-hollywood/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;fast draw chapion&lt;/a&gt; vs a noob in knife fighting: can a noob cover 21 feet in under .8 of a second? … &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an example of an actual fight of guns vs unarmed: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.michaelyon-online.com/gates-of-fire.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Gates Of Fire&lt;/a&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;⚠ Graphic content&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Where a squad of marines get ambushed by some insurgents in Iraq. One of the marines ends up having to fight an armed insurgent without a firearm. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote class=&quot;spoiler&quot;&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt; The marine wins due to luck and much better training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastActivityDate="2019-11-25T08:59:11.237" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9547" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9548" CreationDate="2019-11-26T03:37:09.543" Score="8" ViewCount="270" Body="&lt;p&gt;Years ago, I was looking for blocks to work into to shadow boxing (yeah, I know that you need a real attacker, but I don't seriously train).  One that I came across was &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU2zEDeSsr4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Wall&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems to me that it is very much geared to sports in that the cushioning of the strike depends on a cushy glove, and the probability of not having the punch slip through depends on the large cross section of the glove.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without gloves, the probability of blocking decreases, and the kinetic energy dissipation is also much less.  From a self-defence perspective, would you consider it practical?  Or would time spent condition on this be better spent on parrying and/or slipping?  (Links&#xA;to parrying drills welcome)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S. It also seems to manifest as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaGDRvmLXEM&amp;amp;t=1m30s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;High Guard&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10351" LastEditorUserId="10351" LastEditDate="2020-10-15T00:33:55.550" LastActivityDate="2020-10-15T00:33:55.550" Title="Blocking straight punches with &quot;The Wall&quot;?" Tags="|blocking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9548" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9547" CreationDate="2019-11-26T07:01:53.060" Score="6" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It seems to me that it is very much geared to sports in that the cushioning of the strike depends on a cushy glove, and the probability of not having the punch slip through depends on the large cross section of the glove.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think you are right, and that you are being very polite. If you watch the video carefully, you will see the guy (the drill partner) with the red gloves is rocking his head back and forth into the &lt;em&gt;cross/straight right&lt;/em&gt;. You should bring your hand back to your face to cover up from straight punches; you &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;never&lt;/strong&gt; take your head forward to your hand to give your hand the support to block a punch&lt;/em&gt;. I personally think you should never look at that video again. It's awful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Without gloves, the probability of blocking decreases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, you are right. That is why you almost never see such terrible Wall blocks in MMA. If you want to watch good blocks or effective covering up with both hands, then watch real Muay Thai (MT) or Kick Boxing (KB) fight videos. I don't mention boxing because in  boxing you can bounce around, slip punches, bob and weave, shoulder-roll, and duck under to avoid punches. Most of those things can't be done in MT/KB due to the threat of head kicks, knees, and elbows. But note that in MT/KB, they still do use gloves which have some thickness that helps to fully cover up the face when both hands are used. Here is a Glory 13 fight between &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-7ZubdQmp4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nieky Holzken and Joe Valtellini&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; that displays some fantastic defense (proper fundamental blocking and parrying).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Blocking or covering up (see image) protects your face from a barrage of straight punches. But it also leaves you vulnerable to hooks, especially if you cover up with both hands and close your eyes when getting bombarded with punches. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/c6SSzm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/c6SSzm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;From a self-defense perspective, would you consider it practical?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you are in the gym or in the ring, you know your opponent wont pull out a knife and stab you, so you are free to block and cover up. That is not a good idea on the streets. One of the most important thing to make sure out on the streets is that you should never impair your vision. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only time a block is warranted is when your opponent throws a &lt;em&gt;haymaker&lt;/em&gt; (the first strike). When you instantly know that it is going down and you see that shoulder pull back, you can either choose to block or get into your own offense (which depends on what you train for - takedowns, MT tips, sprint, etc.). See the following videos:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjG4bfovk4o&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Helmet Guard and Parrying - FightTips&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;,&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_q5L4rWPiI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3 Ways to Defend against a Haymaker Punch&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr0VW-V0LcY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Sucker Punch Defense&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6344FL3T-bU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sport Jiu-Jitsu in a Street Fight! (Gracie Breakdown&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/a&gt; (From 4:00 mins),&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jdF8nAfWPk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Why Blocking Punches Doesn’t Work in Street Fights&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVCsZ3PNaww&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How to Block a Punch&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that in the street, unless you are highly trained in boxing, BJJ, or krav maga, you may not see the punch coming to actually defend it with a block. See the linked videos - how unpredictable situations can be. Blocking can be counterproductive in the streets. If you block the first punch, you may resort to blocking the second. If you are not highly trained in boxing, your reaction time of going into offense from blocking or covering will be very long. And naturally you will keep covering up while the other guy annihilates you. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That Wall block you saw in the video will get you killed. I personally will not try to block a punch when I am on the streets - defensively, I will just step back and go into my fighting stance. I will always try to walk away or de-escalate things. If push comes to shove, I will always go on the offensive - to survive, you have to match the level of aggressiveness. As of now, I don't know BJJ, so I will do what I know, which is to box. When I learn BJJ, I will train to do what the Gracie brothers were doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Or would time spent condition on this be better spent on parrying and/or slipping?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Parrying is super effective. It keeps your hands light and lose, it helps you deflect punches, and slip in your own punches after parrying off your opponent's (see FightTips). But to actually get good at parrying, you need a partner. Unless you are a boxer, slipping may be counter productive in the streets. You may not be able to hold your position or balance if you slip - there are just too many things that may go wrong. If you train boxing regularly, then you know how to maintain balance when slipping. Then that's fine. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2019-11-27T03:10:26.750" LastActivityDate="2019-11-27T03:10:26.750" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9549" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9381" CreationDate="2019-11-26T17:33:20.740" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd work on two areas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;explosiveness&lt;/strong&gt; of the knee during the kick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How hard you can knee someone depends on how strong your oblique muscles are, and how well they work with your hip rotation.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do a lot of crunches either with bodyweight or with resistance bands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead of usual knee kicks on the sandbag, practice jumping knee kicks, focusing on contracting your obliques and exploding upwards and outwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;target&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people knee with the front of the knee, with the patella. I find using the side of the knee to be more effective. Instead of aiming for the opponent's stomach, go for a more vulnerable spot. That's the floating rib. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-11-27T18:34:22.370" LastActivityDate="2019-11-27T18:34:22.370" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9550" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9328" CreationDate="2019-11-27T07:09:35.837" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Short answer:&lt;/strong&gt; You are approaching your problem the wrong way. Don't try to memorize the combos, try to understand them. Deconstruct the combos. Make the combo personal - ask &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;Why?&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; for every strike. And then, when you know the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;Why?&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, drill the combos again and again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Long answer:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I can never remember when they're said in class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, first of all, you should know that (almost) nobody can remember long combos the first few times they do it. We start to get the hang of it after may be the 3rd time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem is, many students try these combos in the class and forget about them once they step outside the gym. If you are serious about your art, note them down after the class and look at them before going to bed. That is what I do. I try to visualize every combo in my head when I am in the bus, having a coffee, walking, or before going to bed. If you feel writing it down is pretentious, turn on your recording app on your phone, and go &lt;em&gt;&quot;Combo 1 Jab, Slip left, Shovel hook to the body, Overhand right, ...&quot;&lt;/em&gt;. Later, just put your headphones on and start visualizing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I know the &quot;basics&quot; (I think) like jab cross hook. I understand it &lt;strong&gt;goes left right left right most of the time and body head body head&lt;/strong&gt; ... I don't know if it's just a memory problem or &lt;strong&gt;something else&lt;/strong&gt; but I seem to be the worst at this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't say if this is a competitive MT/KB class or one of those cardio KB classes. If its a cardio KB class, then just keep doing what you are doing and with time you will be able to get the combos down. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are doing competitive MT/KB - meaning that you want to improve in the art, you &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;truly love&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; it, and you want to keep doing it for as long as you can - then please take a moment and read this. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I understand it &lt;strong&gt;goes left right left right most of the time and body head body head&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No, that is wrong&lt;/strong&gt; (of course, in my humble opinion). &lt;strong&gt;Why are you doing combos?&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;What is the purpose of a particular combo?&lt;/strong&gt; Before you do a combo, you need to know what each strike does. You have to genuinely understand what you are doing and what each movement accomplishes. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many people don't understand this. You can have a great fighter, a champion, as your coach, but if they don't &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;explain&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; to you &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;why&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; you are doing a particular thing (e.g., a combo, a movement, a drill, etc.), then there is no use for that combo, and you are likely to never succeed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A good teacher will always make the effort to explain why you are doing something, and won't just tell you to memorize a long combo&lt;/strong&gt;. Often, in a class full of 40 students, coaches will not explain things in detail, because not many are really interested in knowing the art by heart. Most students are there to just get a good cardio session in, but it's these guys who make up the bulk of the fees. I digress. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes it is up to you to find out why you are doing a particular combo. Study the art, ask your coach, and look at Youtube videos. &lt;strong&gt;When you truly understand the basics of small combos, the long combos in the class will start to make sense.&lt;/strong&gt; Even before you do it the first time, you will know - why, for example, the Overhand right follows the Left Hook to the body. When you learn to put a reason behind a strike, everything will become simpler.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, let's talk about some combos and try and understand the reason behind each strike. Assume both you and your opponent, Arnold, are orthodox. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Combo 1&lt;/strong&gt;: Jab, Cross (Straight right), Left Hook to the head, Right Leg Kick (using your back leg to his front leg).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the goal of this combo? To me, and to many, it's the finishing Leg kick (chopping down the tree!). What is the purpose of the Jab + Cross? What is the purpose of the Left Hook to the head?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Jab + Cross gets Arnold to parry or cover up to protect their face. Parrying the straight punches or covering up makes Arnold vulnerable/open to a powerful Left Hook to the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether the Left Hook to the head lands flush or gets blocked (Arnold brings his right hand up on the side) is not important. If it lands flush, excellent. If not, then the Left Hook serves a very important purpose. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Left Hook to the head dramatically shifts Arnold's body weight on his left side - on his left leg. When Arnold's weight is on his left leg, that is when your Right Leg Kick is the most lethal and does the most damage. Therefore, its not just a mere left right left combo that you memorize, but its a very important foundation of many other combos that you need to understand. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Combo 2&lt;/strong&gt;: Jab, Cross, Left Hook to the head, Cross + Switch stance to southpaw (don't skip but slide your back leg past your front), Left Body Kick - Double up (using your Left leg which is now the back leg).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After the first combo (Combo 1), an average Joe will think that when you do the Jab + Cross + Left Hook to the head, you are going to throw in the Right Leg Kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But this time, you are going to follow up the Left Hook to the head with the Cross, going straight through Arnold's high guard. The goal here is to land at least one Left Body Kick to the liver.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Left Hook to the head followed by the Cross will automatically cause Arnold to put more tension on his guard and get him to think about the &quot;head hunting&quot;. He will leave his liver open for your devastating Left Body kicks. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your second Cross also serves another purpose. It hides your stance switch and allows you to close the distance to land your shin to Arnold's liver area. Why then switch the stance? Why not just throw a Right Body Kick? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, the Left Body Kick is more effective if you can land it in the liver area. It can completely shut your opponent down if landed correctly. The doubling up will have to be fast. If landed correctly, the first kick will shut their body down (freezing them), the second should knock them down. Of course, that is the basic theory.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Your example Combo:&lt;/strong&gt; Jab, Cross, Jab, Switch kick, then Body Hook, Head Hook right&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't understand your combo fully. But let's give it a try.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Jab + Cross gets their guard up high. The second Jab hides the stance switch and keeps pressure on his right hand so he keeps that side of the liver open. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Left Body Kick (switch kick) hits Arnold in the liver. You follow this up with an enormous Left Hook to the body. Wait, why the switch kick and the Left Hook to the body you ask?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you throw the Left Body Kick, your Left leg lands in front in this case (you are back to your orthodox position). If you simply bend your body to your left a little while bringing down your Left leg (after the kick) with that momentum, you are now loaded up for a devastating Left Hook to the body. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This Left Hook to the body is so painful that Arnold brings his hands down to cover his body. This makes an opening for the goal: the Overhand right (or the Right Hook to the head). This last strike is often hard to see coming because your opponent is too caught up with the major power shots going on in his left side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While this might be overwhelming to understand in the beginning, it will make a lot of difference in your training. Think of a combo this way: Jab + Cross occupies his hands, Left Hook to the Head gets him to shift his weight on his left leg. Left Hook to the body brings his hands down leaving his head open for a Left Hook to the head, any Right Hand strikes, or a Right Head Kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watch lots of fight breakdown videos on Youtube. Once you start visualizing how your opponent reacts to your strikes, long combos will start making sense. You won't really struggle that bad with them in the class. You will be able to distinguish between good, effective combos and really bad ones that serve no purpose. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2019-11-27T10:59:53.020" LastActivityDate="2019-11-27T10:59:53.020" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9552" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-11-28T09:22:44.647" Score="4" ViewCount="641" Body="&lt;p&gt;Preparing for black belt test, one of the items I'm worried about are jump kicks.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;I'm a heavier person, and it's harder to stay up in the air compared with the young kids, so less time to perform the kick well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As expected at this point, I have a good level of technique executing the basic kicks: front, roundhouse, side kick, back kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What kind of practice would help me improve the jump version of these kicks?&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Maybe exercises to improve jumping capabilities would be part of this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, the goal would be to perform well at a belt test.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-11-28T19:20:06.290" LastActivityDate="2019-11-28T19:20:06.290" Title="Practice advice for jump kicks" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|training|jump-kick|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9553" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9552" CreationDate="2019-11-28T10:22:55.477" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The dreaded jumping kicks, here are some tips from my own experience and teaching club members:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Look after yourself first&lt;/strong&gt;. If you feel any pain in practice &lt;strong&gt;STOP&lt;/strong&gt;, take the necessary rest and doctor/physio advice before continuing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Protect your joints - If you can get access to a softly sprung floor (like what is used for beginner gymnastics or freerunning studios) fantastic (just be aware your feet will &quot;stick&quot; in this a little so be careful on rotation). Otherwise practice in well cushioned shoes - some running shoes are ideal for this.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Break down the techniques.&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;most jump techniques require a cycle motion, practice jumping as high as you can by throwing the non kicking leg in the air.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;pay attention to the way you move in the air and land - for high kicks and twist kicks keep your body straight and land the way you were moving. Turning kicks make sure you get that hip over (throw the non kicking leg slightly outward to aid rotation)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Once happy with the motion in the air - do the same jumps but add a tuck (still not actually kicking). This will make your kicks look more tidy - help you get over people/obstacles (if that is required) - and make you feel like you have more time in the air.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Build up the height and distance as required - My height record is 230cm for jump front/high - that was one afternoon building it up a couple of cm at a time, my warm ups were at 180cm (barely above my head). There is some part of the brain that makes it seem a few cm suddenly feels like a chasm away from what you can do - tackle in as smaller leaps as necessary.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are lots of little bits of technique that can help - but honestly repetition by making it safe for your body brings the biggest gains in the least time. As for strength and explosiveness for the jumps themselves - variations of squats are the way to go, squat jumps, weighted squats or just a plain leg press at the gym.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly - as you get older these jumps become more hazardous - if you have injuries that can make them worse too - if they are really an issue - focus on the other aspects of the grading and make sure they are strong enough to compensate this part. If you have a medical reason for not being able to jump (bad back?) then write to your examination board - they may allow you an alternative (I had to break more boards with a different kick when I was unable to do long distance side due to a back injury) YMMV.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2019-11-28T10:22:55.477" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9554" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9328" CreationDate="2019-11-28T10:57:48.187" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are executing the technique, you break down the combination into sets. Meaning mentally; you have left jab, right cross as 1 technique and not two. Let's name it combo 1&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's say: L jab, R cross, R cross, L hook, L jab&#xA;So this translates to Combo 1, same hand cross, other hand hook and jab&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Memorizing left and right will only confuse yourself. Mentally, I have front kick, high turning kick combined as one technique. So when the drill is&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;L front kick, R high turning kick&#xA;in my mind it's : leg combo-&gt; front leg then other leg&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;or&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;L front kick, L high turning kick&#xA;in my mind it's : leg combo with same leg&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are the pad holder, if it takes you 5 tries to hold the pad right, it isn't that bad if the combination has more than 5 techniques. You just need to memorize the pad position, no need to imagine or anticipate which technique is coming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;L jab, R cross, R cross, L hook, L jab&#xA;so hold the R pad to the front,&#xA;then other hand to the side (for cross) x 2, &#xA;change hand to the side, and same hand facing front&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2019-11-28T10:57:48.187" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9557" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-12-02T17:29:55.430" Score="3" ViewCount="890" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been practicing Wushu for almost a year now. I love it. I feel that I am doing well in most areas (as my coach tells me). However, one thing I always get critiqued on is my horse stance, which is in-fact a fundamental thing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When taking the horse stance, your feet should be straight. They should point forward. My feet naturally point outwards. It takes a conscious effort to straighten them out, and even then it’s hard. I don’t know why this is. In any other position I have no trouble keeping my feet straight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this a common beginner mistake? If so, any recommendations on how to work toward a solution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I’m actually testing for advancement in 2 weeks. If I can work toward improvements before then it would be nice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10044" LastEditorUserId="7900" LastEditDate="2019-12-03T12:01:16.910" LastActivityDate="2019-12-03T12:01:16.910" Title="How to Correct Horse Stance?" Tags="|stance|wushu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9558" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9557" CreationDate="2019-12-02T18:08:21.197" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's worth considering what the purpose of pointing the toes forward is. I'm not familiar with Wushu, but in Tang Soo Do, letting the toes point out predisposes you to sitting back in the stance, which greatly reduces mobility, and makes it harder to twist at the hip to defend yourself by shifting your torso. By consciously not sitting as much in the stance (which may make it less deep than you're used to doing, and/or the stance less wide), you might make it easier to have your toes pointed forward, whereupon you can start with &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9557/how-to-correct-horse-stance#comment19544_9557&quot;&gt;the practice that John O suggests&lt;/a&gt;, of sitting deeper with the toes forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-12-02T22:08:40.940" LastActivityDate="2019-12-02T22:08:40.940" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9559" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9557" CreationDate="2019-12-02T23:10:31.900" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stance training in wushu or kung fu is meant to remake your body. This process is expected to take many months or years. It is normal to have problems with the horse stance. I would characterize this as an indication of where you should focus training efforts rather than a mistake; the word mistake suggests you can currently correct the perceived stance deficiency, while your description hints at a need for new capability to perform the correction. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your current approach seems to be:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Get in low horse stance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fix outward pointing feet to point forward. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The wushu style horse stance is low, with the thighs parallel to the ground. This version (there are different versions) emphasizes leg strength development. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To work on foot alignment, I suggest:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Plant feet facing forward with horse stance width but straight legs. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bend your legs until you cannot go lower. I expect this will be before you reach your desired horse stance level due to tightness around your knees or ankles. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is less of a leg workout, but will allow you to focus on other elements while starting from your desired foot position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-12-02T23:10:31.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9560" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9562" CreationDate="2019-12-03T06:52:12.740" Score="3" ViewCount="453" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm aware of the belt system and patch system used. The only problem is that so far I have not found a school that specifically lists Imi Lichtenfeld's colored belt system or Eyal Yanilov's patch system. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know a lot of the programs are just conditioning classes along the lines of Tae Bo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How might I distinguish between a school offering self defense vs fitness classes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10259" LastEditorUserId="7900" LastEditDate="2019-12-03T16:21:02.320" LastActivityDate="2019-12-03T17:35:41.647" Title="How to select a Krav Maga dojo?" Tags="|krav-maga|dojo|schools|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9561" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9560" CreationDate="2019-12-03T08:17:01.763" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Fitness &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; self defence. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4smD0xy6w08&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Rule one: CARDIO&lt;/a&gt; is relevant even outside of a Zombie Apocalypse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By being unfit, you are lowering your survival rates. Your chances of surviving a fight are much lower. You will feel worst mentally. You will be more prone to diseases. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;You will get fat and gain associated health problems&lt;/a&gt;. Taking good care of your body will serve you much more than a hypothetical &quot;self defence&quot; fantasy of someone attacking you in a dark alley.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/dvc432/content.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;What are your risks of being a victim of crime in the UK.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;No nonsense self defense&lt;/a&gt; should dispel many of your misconceptions about self defence -- I use the UK spelling in preference. Learning krav maga (or any other martial art whatsoever) will not make you proficient at defending yourself although it will help &lt;em&gt;as part of your arsenal&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/97/82&quot;&gt;This answer about Aikido dojo remains relevant&lt;/a&gt;, so I encourage you to read it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="82" LastEditorUserId="82" LastEditDate="2019-12-03T14:13:37.730" LastActivityDate="2019-12-03T14:13:37.730" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9562" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9560" CreationDate="2019-12-03T17:35:41.647" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Attend a class&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As inconvenient as it may be, your best bet is to show up and observe or participate in a class. Almost every legitimate martial arts school I've visited has allowed new students to try out at least one class for free, and all of them allow you to observe general sessions with very little hassle. We are not in the era of &quot;secret dojo techniques&quot; anymore, and you should be wary of any school that claims the same. Observing a class will let you know what the focus of the school is, and what you might expect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Caveats to that statement&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some schools do not allow you to jump into a general class for liability or safety reasons. If you show up on the day that the class is practicing neck cranks, the instructor probably will not want to risk a new student injuring themselves, or someone else, by reacting the wrong way to a technique. If it is a weapons class, they may not want to put a blade or chain weapon in the hands of someone who may injure themselves or others. Many schools will give you a one-on-one training of basics instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Individual instruction is different from group instruction&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having an instructor show you the techniques one-on-one can make things seem really easy, and engenders a feeling that the teacher truly cares for you as an individual. In actuality, you will likely be one among many, which is why you will want to insist on at least viewing a group class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Watch the instructors, not the techniques&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know you probably want to see all of the whiz-bang things that you'll be learning, but more important for now is to see how the instructors comport themselves. Are they noticing when a student has trouble? How do they go about correcting an error? Are the students treated with dignity? Is training by instructors or by senior students? And, for your case, does it look like they're teaching practical self-defense? Is it fanciful movements that only work with a willing partner, or just calisthenics?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Above all, ask questions&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This applies whether you see things you like or you don't like. Maybe you walked in on the day when they're doing conditioning for the upcoming tournament (as Sardathrion notes, conditioning is important for general health). Maybe the parent organization just changed syllabi, and that's why the instructor seemed uncertain of what technique came next. Maybe some other red flag came up for you and you want to ask a student or instructor whether this was a typical class. If people are wary to answer questions, be wary of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-12-03T17:35:41.647" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9563" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9565" CreationDate="2019-12-05T08:22:53.240" Score="6" ViewCount="950" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit 2: More information in the linked video:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTqMxgkD4Hg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;How To Beat Karate/Taekwondo Fighters&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, keep your hands up to block the hook kick and the spinning side kick. And don't focus on catching the side kicks, instead take them and then counter with leg kicks. Leg kicks are the key. When you get up close, alternate between punches to the head and the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is about sparring. There are a few guys in my gym (Muay Thai/Kick Boxing) who have Taekwondo/Karate backgrounds. They have a Bruce-Lee-type stance. Their front hand is low and legs are wide apart. I have a more Dutch Kickboxing style stance with my right hand glued to my chin and my left hand slightly out to throw fast jabs and to parry (see image). My legs are a bit more wide apart and angled than traditional thai stance (sort of like a boxer).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/DpKq0m.png&quot; width=&quot;300&quot; height=&quot;300&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iSGoGm.png&quot; width=&quot;330&quot; height=&quot;300&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When we spar during the class, they keep throwing these hook kicks with their front leg. This is quite annoying. I am a pressure fighter, so I can't really move around like a Muay Femur. These guys are very light on their feet and they have an &amp;quot;in-and-out&amp;quot; fighting strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I march forward they create distance by throwing their side kicks. When a kickboxer with a traditional style throws side kicks, I can usually spot it and react to it (e.g., I can move away, catch it, or jam it). After catching their side kicks and tripping them over a few times, they started faking them. When I tried catching them (with my left hand), they turned those side kicks into hook kicks - tagging me with my left arm low.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also can't get to my combos. They are a bit too far to throw and properly connect with punches. It is really annoying. They are in range for throwing their side kicks at me; but I can't throw tips (front kicks) with power given the surface area on their body that is facing me is very small. Also, tips are not very effective since they keep moving backwards. If my tip (front kicks) slips off their body, I would be severely off balanced and vulnerable to other strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I can see their roundhouse from a mile away - that is not a problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Problem:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Their hook kicks and sidekicks are very tricky to understand. It's almost like long range jabs - hundreds of them. It's hard to close the distance to work the body with these guys. They keep moving around so much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a done a &lt;strong&gt;few&lt;/strong&gt; things, which I learnt from the fight between &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lW0ZSyI0CM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Joe Valtellini and Raymond Daniels&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;that have worked for me to a limited extent&lt;/strong&gt; (see &lt;strong&gt;Edit&lt;/strong&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How do you beat a Kickboxer with a Bruce-Lee-type stance and a Taekwondo/Karate background that keeps throwing side kicks and hook kicks with the front leg?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am wondering if any of you can share your experiences and what worked for you. I really want to know other ways to handle the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to know other effective striking combinations (apart from resorting to leg kicks to their front leg) and ways to defend those pestering hook kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit 1: Here is what I am working on right now.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It goes without saying that for a Bruce-Lee-type stance in kickboxing, the most lethal weapon is a good leg kick combo - I believe have got this. But it's difficult to use it. In the fight video I posted, you will see that Valtellini did terribly against Daniels and his sidekicks to Valtellini's thigh and knee areas in the first round. Daniels has a Karate background.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Daniels was moving like a butterfly and stinging like a bee. But once Valtellini started connecting a few leg kicks, Daniels got slower. He couldn't move as swiftly as he did in the first round. Valtellini was able to figure this out because he comes from a Taekwondo background - perhaps he knew very well how to counter Daniels' style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I have no experience fighting someone with that kind of style. And it takes a lot of persistence and footwork to cut off angles. Usually, the front leg in that wide stance is vulnerable. A deadly counter is to set up a combination of Left hook to the body (which is open) and then throwing a heavy leg kick. And then repeat. The goal here is to attack the front leg. I am working on this at the moment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I can't keep this up for long, and I can't do this effectively. I can't seem to be able to cut the distance for their side kicks and hook kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2021-04-22T07:03:34.247" LastActivityDate="2021-04-22T07:03:34.247" Title="How to beat a Kickboxer with a Bruce-Lee-type stance and a Taekwondo/Karate background?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|muay-thai|sparring|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9565" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9563" CreationDate="2019-12-05T09:08:57.047" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are getting caught by front leg side kicks then this means you are putting yourself in the way of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A couple of rules of thumb against leggy people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Don't change stance in range unless they are retreating/on the back foot&lt;/em&gt; - you are simply giving them a massive target. Using the back leg (or a large rotation with the back hand) causes your body to open up - if briefly - from side on to full facing to side on the other side. A well practiced kicker will nail you in that time where you are full facing (stood sideways-on the targets for a side kick are ribs and jaw which are both easily covered by a guard, face on there are too many targets to cover).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Don't approach in a straight line&lt;/em&gt;. This is the hardest to coach out of people, but if my opponents body is consistently moving in towards me - and the attacks they throw are coming off that - then I can kick in a straight line and stop the attacks and chop the body away.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So how do I attack that leggy person? Well there are two options here&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;if I am confident I am better than them at close range - I move on the angle to bring myself into range - then cut back towards them and keep myself in close with constant attacks (not winding up in a clinch here can be difficult).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;if I think they may be handy at close range, move on the angle to get just into range, then continue in a straight line so I end up almost behind them but away or cut my angle the other way and continue past that way instead (Which is better depends on the way they turn)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The trick here is to get into range without it being totally obvious to the opponent that that is what you are doing, constant footwork can disguise the moves that bring you into range. Also consider where you are on your opponent - You don't need to be able to see a target to hit it - if you get to the back of someone their options become very limited and you can still land scoring points to the front (this is very rule-set dependent of course) if they turn around to face you with you close - then you can pick them off easily as they turn&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastEditorUserId="5926" LastEditDate="2019-12-06T08:08:16.007" LastActivityDate="2019-12-06T08:08:16.007" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9566" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-12-06T08:46:35.480" Score="3" ViewCount="505" Body="&lt;p&gt;Won’t it hit/stab the wielder if knocked/pushed in?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;i know potentially it can be a handguard/armguard protection but so far as i see, most of this also sharpened or very pointy. (correct me if iam wrong, especially the historical or authentic one)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;here example image, imagine if the staff wielder or the person that push it is stronger, wont that end up badly if the deerhorn knife part stab the wielder instead ? (i mean in a fighting situation, and even if that part is not sharpened it probably can hurt or even break a rib of the wielder)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;from:&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wutangcenter.com/wt/photos/YUEPIX/YUEPIX.HTM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.wutangcenter.com/wt/photos/YUEPIX/YUEPIX.HTM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JYgot.jpgck?&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JYgot.jpgck?&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;from:&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/search?q=Deerhorn%20Knives%20%7C%20Nei%20Gong,%20Taijiquan%20%7C%20Canada,%20USA,%20UK%20%7C%20Taiji%20Online&amp;amp;safe=strict&amp;amp;client=firefox-b&amp;amp;biw=1357&amp;amp;bih=631&amp;amp;sxsrf=ACYBGNSbi_86be2Q0_5oiW_F960c0jRvLA:1575628420827&amp;amp;source=lnms&amp;amp;tbm=isch&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;ved=2ahUKEwjb3Mii6aDmAhVafisKHV2eD_EQ_AUoAXoECAsQAw#imgrc=VBhYCHYWMbZKsM:&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Deerhorn Knives | Nei Gong, Taijiquan | Canada, USA, UK | Taiji Online&lt;/a&gt; its from taiji-online.co.uk (due to my country blocking the site i cant check the link myself, so i direct it to the google one instead)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MDgHR.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MDgHR.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;feel free to edit the tag to the appropriate one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10509" LastEditorUserId="10509" LastEditDate="2019-12-06T10:36:33.897" LastActivityDate="2019-12-06T22:08:08.570" Title="What is the purpose of Baguazhang deerhorn knife having some of its blade protruding/pointing inside?" Tags="|kung-fu|history|weapons|knife-fighting|bagua|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9567" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9566" CreationDate="2019-12-06T14:27:00.990" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Won’t it hit/stab the wielder if knocked/pushed in?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are engaging force-on-force, you are making a fundamental bagua error. Circle walking and palm change training is all about changing these fighting angles so you do not have to oppose force with force directly. For the situation above, one example of applying this principle would be to slide a knife along the opponent's staff to attack the opponent's fingers. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Defense has multiple elements: footwork, body, and hand movement. Combining these elements allows you to both improve your chance of successfully defending an attack. If an attacker swings at you with a bat, you don't stand in one place and block with a knife. This would be a hand-only defense. You move to evade the attack and use your body and hand movement to deflect the attack, or you move and counterattack directly. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2-wYkT4XY4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This instructional video with a baseball bat attacker&lt;/a&gt; should give you an idea. Don't block the massive weapon. Evade and attack. With weapons of your own, obviously your attack will be different, but the footwork to close and avoid the weapon will be the same. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fight choreography has actors do many inadvisable things to dramatize entertainment. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have not learned these weapons, so I cannot comment more on their design. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-12-06T20:59:34.347" LastActivityDate="2019-12-06T20:59:34.347" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9568" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9566" CreationDate="2019-12-06T22:08:08.570" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As I noted above, I'm not a practitioner of Chinese martial arts, so feel free to take this with a grain of salt, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://tplafightingwords.com/2019/04/12/liujiao-dao-%E9%B9%BF%E8%A7%92%E5%88%80-the-deer-horn-knives/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this fellow&lt;/a&gt; has a treatise on using the weapons that suggests they're not that dangerous to the user.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most common complaint about these blades is that they are more dangerous to you than your opponent. The danger of cutting yourself on these seems like an inherent risk. To discern if this is an actual danger, two things need to be looked at; the ease or difficulty one has wielding the weapons without touching themselves in a way that would allow for a cut, and how sharp does the weapon need to be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Through all of my time using these in solo forms and sparring, I have never had a problem with hitting myself or delivering cuts to my own body accidentally. Even the points of the weapon don’t do much more than limit your movement in order to avoid them. So, even if these had a razor’s edge on them, (which I do not think is necessary for this weapon to be effective) the danger of cutting one’s self would seem to be limited to the non-combat time handling of the weapon (cleaning, transporting, concealing etc.).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They do not do much discussing of the inner prongs for attacking, but they do allude to using those points to dissuade attempts to disarm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One very interesting thing that we have stumbled upon recently is that they are very difficult to disarm. The position of the blades, their curvature, and the size of the weapon make it very easy to poke at the hand of and other wise dissuade the opponent from grabbing on to your hand or the weapon. If the blades are sharp, it can also cut someone who tried to grab at the hand or wrist. But even here, the blades do not have to be sharp to stab the hand enough to get them to let go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-12-06T22:08:08.570" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9569" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9354" CreationDate="2019-12-07T09:49:08.303" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Nowadays only Elbowlock is &lt;strong&gt;officially&lt;/strong&gt; permitted in judo competitions.&#xA;Nevertheless, National federation (french judo federation in particular) has set up for 5 years Newaza competitions where ankle-knee-shoulder-wristlock are authorized.&#xA;You could remark that sometimes udegarami turns out to be shoulderlock even in international slam.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But let's come back to wristlock and modern judo. Actualy, when tori in competion (even Paris or Duseledorf) try to do jujigatame, he practices a hidden wristlock to free uke's hand from his judogi. That's the reason why Judo french team trains to avoid wristlock by leaving no room between the harm and chest when defending jujigatame. I talk about hidden wristlock because if you practice with your right handle a wristlock on the right wrist of your oponent, you can hide this bad gesture (from the eyes of referee) thanks to your left handle. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7114" LastActivityDate="2019-12-07T09:49:08.303" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9571" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9572" CreationDate="2019-12-08T12:48:19.927" Score="4" ViewCount="645" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since at least &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20010503002314/http://www.ijf.org/rules/html/refree-eng/center.htm#ARTICLE%2027%20-%20Prohibited%20acts%20and%20penalties&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1999&lt;/a&gt; judo has banned any chokes applied using the skirt of the jacket. This rule was re-emphasised  in &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20160427055015/http://www.intjudo.eu/upload/2014_11/22/141664994165105156/ref_rules.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2014&lt;/a&gt; after a variant of &lt;em&gt;suso-jime&lt;/em&gt; was used to success multiple times by &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.patreon.com/posts/evolution-of-22292882&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yarden Gerbi&lt;/a&gt;, and it is indeed this style of choke that is used in the example images in the current ruleset.&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is the baseball choke legal in judo?&lt;/strong&gt; It does 'use' the skirt of the gi, in that tori grips it with both hands, but the actual pressure applied to the neck for the choke is done purely with the forearms as in &lt;em&gt;sode-guruma-jime&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JRUlM.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JRUlM.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;To apply shime-waza using either your own or your opponent’s belt or bottom of the jacket or using only the fingers.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/cUseqm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/cUseqm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://78884ca60822a34fb0e6-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2019/10/IJF_Sport_and_Organisation_Rul-1571921763.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF SOR 2019&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9isJu.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Example of choke&lt;/a&gt; in Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki's  &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Fighting_Judo.html?id=iD6nAAAACAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Fighting Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1985) under the name &lt;em&gt;suso-jime&lt;/em&gt; (裾絞 &quot;apron choke&quot;) &lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Note the term &lt;em&gt;suso-jime&lt;/em&gt; seems to be an umbrella term describing &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/search?q=suso+jime&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a number of different chokes&lt;/a&gt; involving grabbing the bottom of the gi, including the &quot;Gerbi choke&quot; and variants of &lt;em&gt;okuri-eri-jime&lt;/em&gt; with a low grip.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-11T16:48:05.443" LastActivityDate="2020-03-11T16:48:05.443" Title="Is the &quot;baseball choke&quot; legal in Judo?" Tags="|judo|sport|chokes|gi|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9572" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9571" CreationDate="2019-12-08T22:53:25.087" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Legal&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal understanding (sorry, no official guidance) is this use of the skirt portion of the jacket is legal. This is basically the same use of the opponent's gi as in &lt;em&gt;kata juji jime&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The rules are imprecisely written, which is very annoying. &quot;Using only the fingers&quot; would also seem to preclude &lt;em&gt;ryote jime&lt;/em&gt;, but &lt;em&gt;ryote jime&lt;/em&gt; is legal. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using a belt or the bottom of the jacket as a &lt;strong&gt;garrote&lt;/strong&gt; is illegal. This is how the gi was employed in the Gerbi Peruvian necktie variation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-12-09T12:32:56.007" LastActivityDate="2019-12-09T12:32:56.007" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9573" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9354" CreationDate="2019-12-10T14:57:11.967" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Syd Hoare (8th Dan) in a lecture given to the EJU Foundation Degree Course at Bath University in Aug 2005 said the following with respect to his research on the inclusion of wrist locks in early judo:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Let us now look at the new 13 Article Butokukai Jujitsu Competition Rules which&#xA;  were completed in &lt;strong&gt;1899&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;em&gt;nage-waza&lt;/em&gt; included sutemiwaza (sacrifice throws) as happens today and&#xA;  the katamewaza included strangles, joint-locks and hold-downs. &lt;strong&gt;However the&#xA;  allowed locks must have included all sorts of locks such as leg-locks and wrist&#xA;  locks&lt;/strong&gt; and shoulder locks. Note that osae-waza (restraints/hold-downs) were&#xA;  not defined.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Finger, toe and ankle locks were not allowed probably because they were seen&#xA;  as prone to injury but knee, shoulder, &lt;strong&gt;wrist, neck and spine locks were not&#xA;  specifically banned.&lt;/strong&gt; Knee locks occurred in competition in the very early&#xA;  Kodokan days so perhaps these other locks were allowed as well.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;Kodokan Competition and Randori Rules&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Within one year of the formulation of the Butokukai competition rules the Kodokan&#xA;  produced its own rules (Kodokan Judo Randori Shobu Shimpan-ho) in &lt;strong&gt;1900&lt;/strong&gt;. Note&#xA;  that these were randori and competition rules. They were identical to the Butokukai&#xA;  ones but with three small changes which were... the (3rd) difference was in article 13 which was changed to read, &lt;strong&gt;“Even 1st Dan and above are not allowed to use toe and finger locks or ankle and wrist locks.” Maybe the wrist-lock inclusion here was because of a typo/omission in the earlier Butokukai rules.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judo-snijders.nl/download-judo/Development%20of%20competition%20rules.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Development Of Judo Competition Rules&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Syd Hoare (2005)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2019-12-10T14:57:11.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9575" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-12-11T08:23:34.617" Score="5" ViewCount="366" Body="&lt;p&gt;In this fight between &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/x_NllRoL10E?t=60&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Damien Trainor and Tawatchai Budsadee&lt;/a&gt;, both fighters keep using these jumping/flying attacks without really setting them up with fakes or combos. Either that or I am actually missing something here. They seem to land most of the time. See two of these back to back at &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/x_NllRoL10E?t=278&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;4:38&lt;/a&gt;. The first is a jumping vertical/downward elbow to the head by Damien, and the second is a long jumping superman cross by Tawatchai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Damien Trainor is one of the greatest in MT in recent history. He is a skilled technical fighter. I would expect him to counter Tawatchai's flying attacks while he is in the air (possibly with a sidekick or a front kick). Tawatchai's wind up in &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/x_NllRoL10E?t=283&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;4:43&lt;/a&gt; is hard to miss. There is a flying knee at &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/x_NllRoL10E?t=503&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;8:23&lt;/a&gt; which missed Damien's head. However, it did make contact with the body. Also, while landing Tawatchai grabbed Damien's head with both hands pulling it down. Damien missed a jumping elbow at &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/x_NllRoL10E?t=558&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;9:18&lt;/a&gt;, but then landed the next one at &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/x_NllRoL10E?t=762&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;12:42&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are more of those. Some are evaded, true, but none are countered. There has to be a reason. Usually, it's impossible to counter a well-timed strike. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;How are they setting these up? I can't figure out the fakes and feints. Is there any special body movement or footwork (used as fakes or feints) that I can't distinguish? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I tried the jumping elbow a number of times in the gym (of course just tagged the head gently). When I did it with people who don't study the art, I landed flush. When they saw me jump they instantly covered up, which allowed me to land the strike safely. But when I did it with people who are at my level or better, every single time they either threw a tip (front kick) or just moved away. I fell on my face twice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastActivityDate="2022-01-12T03:04:40.377" Title="How are they able to land these jumping/flying attacks without properly setting them up?" Tags="|muay-thai|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9576" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="912" CreationDate="2019-12-11T13:56:58.013" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Really good questions above... especially in a perfect world :-).  IMO teaching should include posing these questions to students as they come up through the ranks, for their own benefit and so that they're not caught off-guard and give lame answers (embarrassing to them and irritating to the judges).&#xA;I don't know how hard-core your dojo is and whether teens can earn black belts, but for a lot of the kids at my dojang... oy.  Trying to get them to pay attention and focus and actually try to do techniques well and reasonably hard, is quite a challenge, so I could see a lot of them just regurgitating a couple of 3/4-remembered answers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2019-12-11T13:56:58.013" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9577" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="912" CreationDate="2019-12-11T15:35:19.317" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are going to be a lot of different suggestions to this, a few that we use at our testings:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Number of moves, kihaps, meaning and philosophy of colored belt ranks&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What is the hardest challenge you overcame on your way to black belt?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What would you say to a brand new white belt just starting in class?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Who has helped you the most along the journey?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's a small sample size, really almost anything that addresses knowledge of the art, and an awareness of both the journey past and what lies ahead makes a good foundational question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2019-12-11T15:35:19.317" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9578" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9579" CreationDate="2019-12-11T20:37:53.443" Score="8" ViewCount="411" Body="&lt;p&gt;What did Judo change/innovate from Jujutsu?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that Kano, the inventor of Judo, borrowed from Jujutsu, and his style was originally called Kano Jujutsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And I understand that he removed some weapons from Jujutsu when forming his own art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that modern judo focuses on takedowns, because of the Olympics and the rules made for television, but I'm not asking about modern judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have heard that Kano made some of the Jujutsu moves more efficient, but I'm not sure about this because I'm sure that Jujutsu also had an aim of efficiency. It's not clear to me what moves Kano came up with that weren't in the original Jujutsu?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;some discussion from comment, &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20200325212851/http://www.zen76171.zen.co.uk/gg.txt&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8624" LastEditorUserId="8624" LastEditDate="2020-03-25T21:30:40.937" LastActivityDate="2021-07-20T10:02:16.373" Title="What did Judo change/innovate when it branched from Jujutsu?" Tags="|judo|history|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9579" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9578" CreationDate="2019-12-11T22:32:19.690" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo's initial innovations were not in techniques, but in the manner of training them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;em&gt;Randori&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kano emphasized the use of &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; (free practice) in training. This contrasted with many jujutsu schools that focused on &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt;, or prearranged exercises. The tradeoff is that more dangerous techniques such as striking were removed from &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt;; these remain in judo &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; practice but are not part of &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;shiai&lt;/em&gt; (competition). &lt;em&gt;Randori&lt;/em&gt; allows development with non-cooperative partners where both partners can adapt and learn. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo&lt;/em&gt; by Jigaro Kano, published by Kodansha International Ltd., 1986, p. 141:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;One reason judo has evolved into an international sport is that its two forms of practice, randori and kata, are ideal ways of training. This was not the case with jujutsu, which was learned almost exclusively through the practice of kata. In those schools that emphasized randori, such as the Kito and Tenshin Shin'yo schools, practice in randori came only after attaining proficiency in kata. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Principles&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From &lt;em&gt;Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kano&lt;/em&gt; by Brian N. Watson, Trafford, 2014 p.37&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;When one makes a detailed comparative study of traditional jujutsu with Kodokan judo, big differences between the two system soon become apparent... The essential point of difference though, is mainly in the methods of upsetting the opponent's balance. These tactics are unique to Kodokan judo. No matter what technique is to be applied, only after successfully disturbing the opponent's balance should one pursue one's attack. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This particular principle is &lt;em&gt;kuzushi&lt;/em&gt; or off-balancing. Kano took existing techniques and refined them in light of studying &lt;em&gt;kuzushi&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo&lt;/em&gt; by Jigaro Kano, published by Kodansha International Ltd., 1986, p. 16:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In my youth I studied jujutsu under many eminent masters. Their vast knowledge, the fruit of years of diligent research and rich experience, was of great value to me. At that time, each man presented his art as a collection of techniques. None perceived the guiding principle behind jujutsu. When I encountered differences in the teaching of techniques, I often found myself at a loss to know which was correct. This led me to look for an underlying principle in jujutsu, one that applied when one hit an opponent as well as when one threw him. After a thorough study of the subject, I discerned an all-pervasive principle: to make the most efficient use of mental and physical energy. With this principle in mind, I again reviewed all the methods of attack and defense I had learned, retaining only those that were in accordance with the principle. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Philosophy&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kano believed in the use of judo as physical education, cooperation, character development, and self-perfection. This is departure from the view that martial arts are only about fighting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodokan%E2%80%93Totsuka_rivalry&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;One validation of the judo approach was the results of competition between the Kodokan and the Totsuka Jujutsu School.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also keep in mind that when you encounter jujutsu today, it is not the jujutsu of Kano's time, but influenced by judo. Also from &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo&lt;/em&gt;, p. 19:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Eventually judo displaced jujutsu in Japan, and no one speaks of jujutsu as a contemporary art in Japan, although the word has survived overseas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2019-12-12T04:15:08.710" LastActivityDate="2019-12-12T04:15:08.710" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9580" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-12-14T02:32:47.883" Score="4" ViewCount="284" Body="&lt;p&gt;I mean like a stance or something without grasping an object like a rope or other solid object to not sweep away. When I mean armed I mean something like a sword, spear, or other melee weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The example that I found regarding armed fighting on ship is from another SE, but I can't read or get the context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the Royal Museums Greenwich &lt;a href=&quot;https://images.rmg.co.uk/search/?searchQuery=william+pringle+green&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Instructions for training a ships crew in the use of arms in attack and defence&lt;/a&gt; by Lieutenant William Pringle Green and another for unarmed from Savate/Chausson/French KickBoxing, but I don't get the context or the application to stay balanced while fighting on ship.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what I get, it is more about disrupting the opponent's balance technique without context to counter enemy's attempt in disrupting the person's balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The image is from: &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20210506180641/http://www.thesnowtiger.com/2012/08/savate_12.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;History of Savate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wSJsF.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wSJsF.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Brevet de buxe et de Chausson&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this is considered too broad then just focus on the armed technique or trick. I am more curious regarding armed fighting on a ship, minus knife fighting though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10509" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2023-02-27T03:56:15.527" LastActivityDate="2023-02-27T03:56:15.527" Title="Is there a technique/trick to maintain balance when fighting in close combat on a ship, armed or unarmed?" Tags="|technique|kung-fu|weapons|stance|historic-european|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9581" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9585" CreationDate="2019-12-15T03:14:30.097" Score="3" ViewCount="272" Body="&lt;h3&gt;How do I set up a sliding/hopping power sidekick?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/IcBBO4L6xGE?t=38&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ulnfy76VHg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; videos, you can see Scott Adkins demonstrate the sliding/hopping power sidekick. I have been trying to do this, but every time I do it, my opponent just moves out of the way - and then smiles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I watch a lot of Kickboxing/Muay Thai videos on Youtube, and I have almost never seen anyone successfully pull off the sliding/hopping power sidekick. I have seen many successful turning/spinning back/side kicks as opposed to the one in question, perhaps because the distance covered in a turning/spinning back/side kick is much less than the sliding/hopping power sidekick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The closest kick to the sliding/hopping power sidekick is the hopping tip/front kick with the back leg (this is done by Saenchai all the time - see &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djQiBvQ8aKk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;). It is usually set up by a tip/front kick from the front leg, and then when the opponent starts to move forward after getting hit, they immediately do a hopping tip (raise the front leg, slide forward pushing off with the back leg, and then throw a power tip with the back leg). In this case, the first left leg tip/front kick is the set up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What kind of setup is needed to do one of these kicks?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-03-25T02:06:26.533" Title="How do I set up a sliding/hopping power sidekick?" Tags="|kicking|muay-thai|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9582" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9469" CreationDate="2019-12-15T11:55:29.187" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just to add to MattM's answer, here is how the Kodokan Throwing Techniques video illustrates the difference in the sweeps in the two throws:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Technique&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Characteristics&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Example&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Yama-arashi&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- same side eri grip&lt;br&gt;- off-balancing uke forwards&lt;br&gt;- standing directly in front of uke, sweeping upwards&lt;br&gt;- leg parallel to uke's&lt;br&gt;- legs almost fully in contact&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM2Kjq4Ec2c&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uJylW.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Harai-goshi&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- standard collar grip / under-arm grip&lt;br&gt;- off-balancing uke sidewards&lt;br&gt;- standing across uke, sweeping across leg&lt;br&gt;- leg almost perpendicular to uke's&lt;br&gt;- legs in contact only at one point&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKkDMj8Vgxc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pPPM0.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-12-15T18:32:00.940" LastActivityDate="2020-12-15T18:32:00.940" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9583" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-12-15T23:09:42.667" Score="4" ViewCount="232" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is an extention of my other question: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9581/how-to-set-up-a-sliding-hopping-power-sidekick&quot;&gt;How to set up a sliding/hopping power sidekick?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Why can't I throw sidekicks with my left leg? Is that normal for all orthodox fighters? How can I improve my left sidekick?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am an orthodox fighter. A huge problem is I can't throw a sidekick, or a turning/spinning back/side kick with my left (front) leg. It feels weak and it doesn't come naturally in a fight. I can throw strong ones with my right leg (back leg). I get off-balanced when I try sidekicks with my left leg. I talk about how Scott Adkins is throwing the sidekicks (in the videos) with his left leg in my other question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I want to do a sidekick, I have to actually turn around 120 degrees (i.e., I have to bring my right leg - the back leg - forward to throw the sidekicks). My opponents see that (the stance change from A to B) and move away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UxuQe.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UxuQe.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To throw the sidekick, I have to go from orthodox stance (A) to a Southpaw stance (B) to be able to throw the kick with my right leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-12-16T19:27:02.900" Title="How to effectively throw sidekicks with my left (front) leg?" Tags="|technique|kicking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9584" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9583" CreationDate="2019-12-16T14:54:41.147" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hopefully, I'm not misunderstanding what technique you're trying to throw. Based on your other question, you want to be able to throw a sidekick off of your front leg, possibly first involving a slide or a hop off your back leg. Based on your description of having to turn 120 degrees, I suspect that you're chambering the kick sideways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take a look at &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/NbF7qEynZrU?t=58&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video of a sidekick as a &quot;teep&quot;&lt;/a&gt;. Notice that, entering into it, you have the same chamber as a front kick, with the knee raised. It's in the kicking that you're turning it over into a side-kick. Learn to keep your balance from a standing position first, practicing against a heavy bag, and then add the additional instability to trying to skip into it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-12-16T14:54:41.147" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9585" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9581" CreationDate="2019-12-16T15:08:41.897" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Forgive me for stating the obvious, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Adkins&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Scott Adkins is an actor&lt;/a&gt;. The closest I've found to him being in a prizefight is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VY68ta1aYo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, which is pretty obviously a staged/choreographed fight. The videos in class are him kicking someone who is standing in one place to let him kick them. Front-leg side kicks are used in kick-boxing, and a bit less often in MMA, but the most common use is as a way of keeping distance, pushing the advancing opponent away, and often with the chambered kick acting as a threat, forcing the opponent to break their rhythm as they anticipate the incoming kick, and allowing the kicker to change the direction more readily when an opponent side-steps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you wanted to land this kick in the ring, I suspect that you will have to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Chamber it the same as a front teep, with the knee up, only twisting into the side kick as you kick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Be able to transition into another technique and/or re-target your kick if your opponent moves&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice other moves with a similar slide-in step so that your opponent doesn't have a clear signal of what technique you're about to launch&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can find some discussion of how to set up a sliding side-kick &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twf28sna0r0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, apparently involving Jamie Faulding and a match where he pulled it off. To summarize the narrative, Faulding demonstrated several times in the match that he could fire off a quick front-leg side kick, and he noted that his opponent started backing up when he started throwing the kick. He then did several fakes in succession, sliding forward each time, to back his opponent up to the cage wall. He then fired off a final higher sidekick. His opponent obligingly backed up, hit the cage wall, and rebounded into the kick, lowering his guard to absorb the expected side kick to the midsection, only to instead take it to the face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-03-24T15:24:59.223" LastActivityDate="2020-03-24T15:24:59.223" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9586" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-12-17T11:37:31.657" Score="5" ViewCount="601" Body="&lt;p&gt;As the title states, I want to know if there is a martial arts technique with a manuscript record (preferably in English with an image or a video explanation) that uses a glaive type sword while on horseback, such as Guan Dao, Sovnya etc. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is an image of the Ming Dynasty Cavalry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;from : &lt;a href=&quot;https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guandao_horsemen.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guandao_horsemen.jpg&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gqXge.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gqXge.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Guandao Horseman&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From : &lt;a href=&quot;https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ming_lamellar_coat_cavalry.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ming_lamellar_coat_cavalry.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UrLFS.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UrLFS.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Ming lamellar Coat Cavalry&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;and for sovnya: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovnya&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovnya&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/EHC91.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/EHC91.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Sovnya&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/amEmg.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/amEmg.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Sovnya&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Uxw89.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Uxw89.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Sovnya&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Kibgw.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Kibgw.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Sovnya&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know there is a heavy Guan Dao which was just used for testing troop strength in military exams, or just like European glaives /other cultures that have designs meant to be used by infantry as an anti-cavalry weapon like Pu Dao. I know that some Wudang or Shaolin techniques use this weapon, but so far I have only found recorded uses on foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to know the technique used by cavalry for this type of weapon, because I haven't found any uses/applications or technique explanations for cavalry use other than paintings of Chinese cavalry and Russian Muscovite cavalry using this kind of weapon on horse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's another image of someone that used Guan Dao on horse; it only shows the exercise for the horse to get used to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.binhdinh-salongcuong.org/GB_EQUESTRIAN%20ART_Military%20Horse%20Riding_Exercices.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bình-Định SA-LONG-CƯƠNG - EQUESTRIAN ART - Military Horse Riding&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Y5oXk.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Y5oXk.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/F2pzR.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/F2pzR.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am curious to know how the Guan Dao was used in battle; I tried googling some names in there which seems like a technique name, but I didn't have any luck other than glaive use on foot techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I saw some videos like this ones, but I am not convinced with them since it looked like it was for show, and it didn't explain much, other than normal swings or slashes on bamboo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV1h6qkVeUE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Korea Horseback moon sword 5bamboo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/q6d-DTNTRlA?t=99&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;마상무예공연Horseback martial arts show &quot;여명&quot; 제2회 새만금전국지구력승마대회 행사 - MK미디어[무칸]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10509" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2020-03-24T16:45:13.967" LastActivityDate="2022-07-04T02:34:04.643" Title="Is there a martial arts manuscript/record or technique using a glaive while on horseback?" Tags="|kung-fu|history|weapons|historic-european|shaolin|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9587" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-12-17T11:45:50.247" Score="3" ViewCount="324" Body="&lt;p&gt;My question comes from this video(link provided below). I am not convinced that the person in the video who used dual swords on a horse to cut some tatami was faking it or not, but I ask anyway because maybe it was real. Or there's some martial arts that actually do that, and I don't mean acrobatic, but real use for battle or fighting technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/q6d-DTNTRlA?t=85&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;마상무예공연Horseback martial arts show &quot;여명&quot; 제2회 새만금전국지구력승마대회 행사 - MK미디어[무칸]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10509" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-02-05T01:19:36.857" LastActivityDate="2022-04-24T14:39:03.440" Title="Is there a legitimate fighting technique using dual sword on horse?" Tags="|kung-fu|history|weapons|sword|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9588" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9580" CreationDate="2019-12-17T18:56:53.070" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the absence of other responses, I will give a kung fu perspective. I have no personal experience with savate, so I cannot productively comment on it or your reference. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your normal fighting stance should be flexible and adaptive to allow movement in multiple directions and stability from force in multiple directions. You can train this by maintaining your stance somewhere that subjects you to unexpected forces. This does not need to be a ship; a bus or train will allow you space to stand up and practice at maintaining your stance while subject to bumps (on buses), acceleration, braking, and forces from turning. In any of these situations, you practice supporting yourself using your legs, absorbing forces and trying not to step. You need to find the right combination of strength and relaxation to do this without relying on hand supports. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not think it matters whether you have a weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2019-12-17T20:15:54.367" LastActivityDate="2019-12-17T20:15:54.367" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9589" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-12-18T18:16:32.723" Score="5" ViewCount="3626" Body="&lt;p&gt;Soo... I don't have a big chest. But all the girls I've known with them complain about this or that pain :-/. It's normal to see ladies with remarkable structure going kung-fu crazy and being totally badass in pop culture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But... would they actually be able to fight? Wouldn't back pain and balance be a problem? You can only wear so many sports bras. Wouldn't they get in the way of certain punches too?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10526" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2019-12-19T15:53:11.483" LastActivityDate="2021-07-01T14:19:10.507" Title="Would women with large breasts be able to fight?" Tags="|self-defense|anatomy|balance|women|entertainment|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9590" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9589" CreationDate="2019-12-18T20:27:41.760" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not entirely sure this question is serious, but what the heck. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've known female classmates in styles like Taekwondo and Kung-fu. They generally said that getting punched in the breast was annoying, because it's a sensitive part of the body. They did not quit because of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many men, when sparring with women, will deliberately avoid punching or kicking to a woman's breasts, but they can't avoid it completely. I can't say if women do the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, they won't get back pain any more than normal. And no, it won't get in the way of punching, though I suppose that does depend on whether their breasts are freakishly big or not. Haha.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like what Collett89 wrote in the comments on this subject:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;Martial arts are meant to extract the most from YOUR body - so if certain techniques are prohibited by your body - you adjust. I have students with hip problems - they don't kick as much as those without - but their hands are much more honed - everyone will have stuff they excel at - and in a fight that is what you use.&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think all of those kinds of worries would be put aside by simply trying a free class or two somewhere. Then they can see immediately whether or not the &quot;girls&quot; are getting in the way of punching or maybe just not playing well with the uniform, etc. All of those kinds of issues have solutions, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice is to look for schools with a number of women already attending. Then ask them your questions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And lastly, they should consider getting a chest protector. They're made out of plastic and cover the nipples. It goes underneath clothing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B01MRXLS5F&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Karate-Approved-Protector-Wesing/dp/B01MRXLS5F/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2019-12-19T20:55:47.617" LastActivityDate="2019-12-19T20:55:47.617" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9592" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10277" CreationDate="2019-12-19T18:31:28.177" Score="4" ViewCount="460" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can provide a descriptive image if necessary, but it seems reasonably evident to me. Normally, roundhouse kicks deliver a more lateral blow, generally striking and then pulling the leg back whether impact was made or not. However, if your kick is higher than your target, it's also possible to continue the arc of the kick into a downward strike (or at least a more downward diagonal), possibly evading a person's guard by going over it. The strike as with a regular roundhouse, it's still with the instep, the ball of the foot, or the shin. In Capoeira, it becomes more common for people ducking the roundhouse and the attacker continuing to strike down at the dodging opponent (also because the rules of engagement in Capoeira make fully rotating kicks safer since you don't have to worry as much about being struck in the back).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a variant of this that you sometimes see as a more acrobatic move in Capoeira or in Kung Fu-inspired martial arts films where it's done as a jumping technique, making a horizontal rotation to land a spinning kick that's lateral compared to your orientation, but vertical in respect to the target. Jackie Chan seemed fond of using it to strike an opponent kneeling or lying on the ground to finish them off. You can see it (briefly) at about 1:34 of &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/4YjGxNDPLJA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/4YjGxNDPLJA&lt;/a&gt;. I feel like that would be a separate technique, but mentioning it on the off chance that having a name for the jumping version might lead to the base technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-12-06T01:24:07.873" LastActivityDate="2020-12-20T14:41:30.510" Title="Is there a specific name for a downward-smashing roundhouse kick in Capoeira or other arts?" Tags="|kicking|terminology|capoeira|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9593" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9589" CreationDate="2019-12-20T07:41:18.503" Score="5" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;would they actually be able to fight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is going to stop them? Among other things, fighters can be male, female, young, old, short, fat, skinny, tall, missing limbs, or blind. You cannot tell who can fight just by looking at someone's body. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Wouldn't back pain and balance be a problem?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Two things:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Back pain and balance are problems in the same way that having inflexible legs is a problem. Sure, you would prefer things to be different, but these are surmountable obstacles. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learning martial arts is a way both to improve your body and learn to use it better. You learn better balance by learning to fight; this is not something you are expected to have before showing up for training. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Wouldn't they get in the way of certain punches too?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, it hurts to get hit in the breast, more so than a man getting hit in the chest. However, normally you train to not get hit, so having large breasts is not going to adversely affect fighting strategy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-12-20T07:41:18.503" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9594" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9598" CreationDate="2019-12-23T12:56:17.427" Score="3" ViewCount="186" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is oft claimed that one of the distinguishing points between Kano's Judo and the schools of Jujutsu that came before was that he introduced the concept of &lt;em&gt;kuzushi&lt;/em&gt; (&amp;quot;balance breaking&amp;quot;) into throwing techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However the following quote from Kano seems to suggest this was already a concept in pre-judo jujutsu:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A main feature of the art is the application of the principles of nonresistance and taking advantage of the opponent's loss of equilibrium; hence the name jujutsu (literally soft or gentle art), or Judo (doctrine of softness or gentleness).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/kano2/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Jiudo: The Japanese Art of Self Defense&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Living Age, 314, pp. 724–731 (1922)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Did Kano invent this concept as applied in Japanese martial arts, or was it a pre-existing one he adopted?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2019-12-25T18:45:59.070" Title="Did Jigoro Kano invent the concept of Kuzushi in judo?" Tags="|judo|history|jujutsu|teaching|throwing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9595" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9594" CreationDate="2019-12-24T10:33:23.797" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Jigoro Kano did not &quot;invent&quot; the concept of Kuzushi.&#xA;The concept of Kuzushi existed long before Judo split off from Jiu Jitsu.&#xA;What Jigoro Kano did do is create a Martial Art that focused on certain parts of Jiu Jitsu and enhanced them. The result is having a lot fewer techniques than Jiu Jitsu, but all of them being applicable by anyone of any stature.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jiu Jitsu focuses on takedowns and the ground fight is the core.&#xA;Judo focuses more getting your opponent cleanly on the ground without using your own strength. Jiu Jitsu has these as well, but that's not where the focus of Jiu Jitsu lies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in short, Jigoro Kano did not invent Kuzushi as a concept, he mainly named it and focused on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To avoid hearsay, here are some links to martial arts that predate Judo by an entire time period that incorporate Kuzushi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kogusoku:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/-nfufg3Fh_U?t=347&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/-nfufg3Fh_U?t=347&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;It's an Ippon Seoinage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kumiuchi:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M75YHIvTJ0I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M75YHIvTJ0I&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;This is very similar to Jujutsu, but predates it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nihon Koryu Jujutsu, or Japanese Old Jujutsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Japanese old style Jujutsu, or Nihon koryu jujutsu, dates back to the Muromachi period in Japan between 1333 and 1573. This old style of martial arts training was focused on teaching the unarmed or very lightly armed warrior to fight a heavily armed warrior.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fighting a heavily armed warrior, including heavy armour, requires not strength, but Kuzushi. This was applied in Nihon Koryu Jujutsu in the Muromachi time period.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo on the other hand was founded in 1882. As such, the concept of Kuzushi, which by definition is also used in Kumiuchi, Kogusoku and Nihon Koryu Jujutsu, was not &quot;invented&quot; by Jogoro Kano. It was however given a name by Jigoro Kano.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1395" LastEditorUserId="1395" LastEditDate="2019-12-24T17:59:51.427" LastActivityDate="2019-12-24T17:59:51.427" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9596" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9592" CreationDate="2019-12-24T10:45:16.897" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From what I read in your post, you might be talking about the Axe Kick.&#xA;It's a kick where you swing your leg up as far as possible and then kick the opponents head or chest from above with your heel. It is technically possible to turn a roundhouse kick into an axe kick to surprise your opponent, although a lot of the initial energy of the kick will be lost. That said, if your intent was to fake a roundhouse kick, you can slightly change your foot pivot to change direction more gradually mid air.&#xA;If your opponent has good sight and observation, this won't work. He or she will notice the change in pivot. Pivoting the foot has one very distinct function, that is to change the arc of your kick. For example, facing your toes to the side means you're going for a very horizontal kick. Moving 1 pivot foot backwards before jumping signals at a roundhouse kick. In this move, your foot will be put behind you on the front of your foot, and then using the momentum of the bounce, you jump a little and rotate your front foot during the swing of your leg. If you are truly going for a roundhouse, your front foot will rotate around 270 degrees and then stop with your toes facing outwards, because that allows you to extend your other leg back the furthest. When you change your pivot to have your toes face forward, and swinging your leg closer to your body, you can use less force to get your foot above your opponent quicker, and then use gravity and your muscles to slam your heel down on your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sorry for the messy explanation, but try to envision it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1395" LastActivityDate="2019-12-24T10:45:16.897" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9597" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9418" CreationDate="2019-12-24T23:10:28.263" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;To complement mattm's answer, Kano elaborates slightly on the other schools he may have studied in another quote:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I first studied Tenjin Shinyo-ryu jujutsu With Fukuda Hachinosuke. After his death, I continued my studies with Iso Masatomo in the same school ofj ujutsu, and after his death I learned Kito-ryu from Iikubo Tsunetoshi. &lt;strong&gt;I subsequently studied all the other schools.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7NUw4CLby9YC&amp;amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;amp;dq=%22schools%20of%20jujutsu%22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mind Over Muscle: Writings from the Founder of Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Kano Jigoro &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for what these schools were, a quote from a few paragraphs earlier appears to shed some light:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Prior to the Meiji era the schools of jujutsu numbered as many as a hundred, but among these only &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Kito-ryu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Kyushin-ryu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Sekiguchi-ryu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Shibukawa-ryu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Yoshin-ryu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Shin no Shinto-ryu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Tenjin Shinyo-ryu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Yagyu-ryu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;Takenouchi-ryu &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;were widely practiced. The others were limited to only a few practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-12-25T13:19:18.753" LastActivityDate="2019-12-25T13:19:18.753" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9598" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9594" CreationDate="2019-12-25T18:45:59.070" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kano by Brian N. Watson, Trafford, 2014 p.37&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;When one makes a detailed comparative study of traditional jujutsu with Kodokan judo, big differences between the two system soon become apparent... The essential point of difference though, is mainly in the methods of upsetting the opponent's balance. These tactics are unique to Kodokan judo. No matter what technique is to be applied, only after successfully disturbing the opponent's balance should one pursue one's attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether you think this qualifies as inventing is debatable. It is clear that Kano thought his interpretation was significantly different. The trouble answering this question is that existing jujutsu today is influenced by judo; the jujutsu of today is not the same as the jujutsu Kano studied.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From personal experience, it's common for judo practitioners to ignore the kuzushi element if a throw is good enough to successfully put the opponent on the ground.  I imagine this situation is similar to how jujutsu was before judo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2019-12-25T18:45:59.070" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9599" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9482" CreationDate="2019-12-25T21:10:10.030" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience, maneuvers that require a switch in stance can generate a lot of energy by utilizing the rotational muscles in the legs and core. Leading a switch maneuver in to an attack like a straight punch, cross, elbow, hook or a round house kick will further generate more energy. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have spent a lot of time training the concept and I've arrived at a few fundamental conclusions. There is a ratio of energy input into muscles which corresponds to the size and function of the muscle. You can train the maneuver via mediation whereby you focus your muscles (flex) to the point of tension just before motion is generated. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you hold your limbs in the center of their range of motion and slowly increase the amount of tension being applied, it will train the first few stages (for lack of a better term) of the muscle's activation, which starts off as a sugar being burned. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muscles doing what muscles do starts genetically with the warping of a DNA strand which binds chemicals and forces molecules closer together. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LDU9o.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LDU9o.png&quot; alt=&quot;A detailed structure of striated muscle&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This image is the 3rd stage in a muscle's contraction in which the bio-chemical processes have already happened and the cellular structure of the muscle is starting to contract. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now about the misconception of power; training in this manner via mediation greatly increases reaction speed. Many people misconstrue weight and mass with power, but &quot;power&quot;, as it were, is mass moving at a velocity. Literally a fractional e=mc2 equation (energy = mass x the speed of light squared).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like to think about it like DragonBall. Carry weight constantly like a backpack full of books; this will train your body to be adaptive to external pressures being applied and strengthen the legs and core in which most internal energy is generated and channelled. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ON1Pwn_p8s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ON1Pwn_p8s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meditation couldn't be more important; a well trained mediation skill will grant access to the body's &quot;Operation System&quot;, which in turn will allow you to utilize all of the muscles in your body to preform tasks more efficiently. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, the warning no one ever gives; training can cause serious injury, so proceed with caution and care.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10536" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2020-01-06T17:29:26.143" LastActivityDate="2020-01-06T17:29:26.143" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9600" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9601" CreationDate="2019-12-27T20:12:25.793" Score="3" ViewCount="242" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is argued that the best training regimen includes (1) Sparring, (2) Shadow Boxing, (3) Heavy Bag Work, and (4) Pad Work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And then there is the, often overlooked, most important element (5) Studying (watching fight videos, fight breakdowns, and tutorials).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am wondering what are the benefits of (4) Pad Work when you are able to do (3) Heavy Bag Work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there anything I get from doing Pad Work that I can't get from Heavy Bag Work? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know Pad Work is fun when you do it with a friend. But what if you don't have someone like that around? I won't be going to the gym for a while, and so I am thinking if I will be losing out much from not doing Pad Work. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I used to do Pad Work once a week. I used to work on the Heavy Bag 5 days a week. When I am working on the Heavy Bag, I am not just hitting it like a robot. I am moving around, mixing up my combinations, pushing the bag around, changing levels, and always hitting hard. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I train MT/KB.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastActivityDate="2019-12-27T20:48:17.930" Title="Is there anything I get from doing Pad Work that I can't get from Heavy Bag Work?" Tags="|training|muay-thai|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9601" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9600" CreationDate="2019-12-27T20:48:17.930" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;A few things that you get from pad work vs bag work (I'm proceeding from an assumption of smaller handheld pads vs a larger &quot;kick&quot; pad):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Smaller targets&lt;/strong&gt; - Arguably, you can designate parts of the heavy bag, and target your strikes there, but you get less immediate feedback on whether you've hit it or not (hitting just a bit off-target with a pad feels different as it tips)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dynamic movement&lt;/strong&gt; - A partner can move the targets on you to get you to switch targets, including on the fly, and since they can move around the room, you get to practice footwork, and on how to deal with advancing, retreating, and side-stepping opponents.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Different angles&lt;/strong&gt; - Heavy bags basically have one vertical surface to hit. Pads can be angled for strikes that don't come in on the horizontal, including training attacks that come from below or above.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lighter contact&lt;/strong&gt; - You're not always training for full power and/or follow-through, particularly with kicks, and pads allow you repeatedly throw the kick without fatiguing yourself as rapidly. It also reduces the chance of injury if, when you throw your kick, you manage to jam yourself up in a way that would hurt you on impact. Yes, you can use lighter bags, but that leads to the next point.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Potentially more rapid response&lt;/strong&gt; - Because your partner is able to move the target with the strike and then back pretty immediately, you can train several attacks in a row, unlike the potential situation with a lighter heavy bag where you may have to wait for it to stop swinging.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2019-12-27T20:48:17.930" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9602" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-12-27T22:58:54.713" Score="4" ViewCount="261" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are there any techniques developed independently in BJJ since it branched off from judo which have hence been incorporated into Judo to success?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;E.g. a novel type of armlock/strangle/pin, a non-Kodokan throw etc&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-09T13:32:11.310" LastActivityDate="2022-03-31T00:21:22.233" Title="Judo techniques with their origin in BJJ?" Tags="|judo|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|technique|history|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9604" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9379" CreationDate="2019-12-28T12:26:46.907" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As always, it depends on the rule set your training is targeting; but with that being said...the bicep slicer is legal accoring to the current IJF, and Free-Style Judo competition rule-sets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7790" LastActivityDate="2019-12-28T12:26:46.907" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9605" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1352" CreationDate="2019-12-28T13:57:53.863" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The difference between &lt;em&gt;iaido&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;iaijutsu&lt;/em&gt; is analogous to the difference between &lt;em&gt;judo&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;jujutsu&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Iaidō derives from older Japanese martial traditions and has historically been referred to as “iaijutsu.” While “iaijutsu” continues to be used today, the term now refers to more traditional practices rooted in martial applications, while “iaidō” refers to its modern equivalent, with greater emphasis on self-development rather than combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IkLYDgTnMxEC&amp;amp;pg=PA226&amp;amp;dq=iaido+iaijutsu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sports Around the World: History, Culture, and Practice, Volume 2&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Further reading: &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=fG07AQAAIAAJ&amp;amp;q=iaido+iaijutsu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The development of judo in Britain: a sociological study&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Volume 1981, Part 1 (p.27):&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Martial Arts and Ways in the Broader Social Context&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt;The most obvious point to be made here is that the&#xA;  'pure' form of classical bujutsu arose within a society&#xA;  where lethal combat was a regular occurrence and that,&#xA;  taking the form (bujutsu) overall, it was 'diluted' under&#xA;  general conditions of peace. Classical bujutsu forms&#xA;  thus became one element in a picture which came to include&#xA;  budo systems with significant differences in character&#xA;  from bujutsu. The rise of classical budo within the&#xA;  generally peaceful setting of the Tokugawa regime would&#xA;  seem to suggest support for the Elias 'civilisation'&#xA;  thesis (27) in that, &lt;strong&gt;over time, these forms steadily&#xA;  shifted in emphasis away from techniques for killing an&#xA;  opponent and further towards aims of spiritual development&#xA;  with the eventual goal of self-perfection.&lt;/strong&gt; As Draeger&#xA;  has stressed, budo disciplines came increasingly to&#xA;  incorporate 'unrealistic' and 'combatively inane' elements&#xA;  of technique (28). Such developments should be looked at&#xA;  in forms central to classical bujutsu, on their shift to&#xA;  budo form. Changes may be looked at specifically in&#xA;  kenjutsu and iaijutsu, in their development as 'do' forms,&#xA;  since they involve the sword, which may be taken as&#xA;  having been the supreme weapon in the classical bujutsu.&#xA;  A number of points may be made to illustrate the&#xA;  combatively impractical nature of kendo and Iaido practice&#xA;  in comparison with kenjutsu and Iaijutsu (29).&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Iaido:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;the kneeling posture (seiza) often used as&#xA;  the starting-point for iaido techniques is a 'dead'&#xA;  posture; Draeger states that the classical warrior&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;    &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&quot;...much preferred iai-goshi, a low crouching&#xA;    posture in which his right knee was raised;&#xA;    this kept him off damp or soiled surfaces and&#xA;    afforded him instant mobility and great speed&#xA;    in drawing his sword to meet an emergency&quot; (30),&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;but he sees seiza as a posture&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;    &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&quot;...well-suited to an urban, peaceful way of life&quot; (31),&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;used frequently in ordinary life in the Tokugawa period.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;this involves the actual action of drawing the sword, which, in Iaido&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;    &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&quot;...is generally done far too slowly, and in&#xA;    a manner that withdraws as much as eighty&#xA;    percent of the blade from the scabbard before&#xA;    any appreciable speed of action occurs&quot; (32).&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;the action of 'chiburi', that is 'shaking&#xA;  blood off the blade' is done in an 'inefficient' way,&#xA;  bearing in mind that a classical warrior would have&#xA;  cleaned his blade with a cloth or piece of paper.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;the final act of returning the blade to &#xA;  the scabbard ('noto') is made quickly, as a demonstration&#xA;  of skill. The classical warrior would have returned the&#xA;  sword slowly and carefully, manifesting&#xA;  (continued alertness and concentration) in relation to&#xA;  his surroundings, but in the case of iaido the swift&#xA;  return of the blade to the scabbard is positively valued&#xA;  as a test of concentration and 'feel' in the technique,&#xA;  the blade passing close to the fingers of the left hand,&#xA;  which is holding the scabbard.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;a more general point is made by Draeger about&#xA;  the understanding, or lack of it, of the classical warrior's&#xA;  customs or 'manners' on the part of iaido exponents.&#xA;  One manifestation of a lack of understanding is the&#xA;  condition of a swordsman's koiguchi (the open end of the&#xA;  scabbard). Draeger quoted Taisaburo Nakamura, a 'master&#xA;  technician' of martial studies and one devoted to&#xA;  'practical realism':&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;    &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&quot;I have carefully examined many hundreds of&#xA;    swords belonging to modern swordsmen, and&#xA;    scarcely have I found one of which the koiguchi&#xA;    ...was unscarred&quot; (33).&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;The significance of this point is that the classical&#xA;  warrior evaluated skill-levels by the condition of the&#xA;  koiguchi, which would only be damaged if the return of&#xA;  the sword to the scabbard was not done correctly.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-12-28T14:10:18.107" LastActivityDate="2019-12-28T14:10:18.107" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9606" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2019-12-28T15:11:34.677" Score="5" ViewCount="631" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are various styles of choke involving an arm-triangle:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Uke supine&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QousPm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QousPm.png&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9336/is-an-arm-triangle-choke-from-kata-gatame-a-legal-submission&quot;&gt;Kata-gatame choke&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/izTs4m.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/izTs4m.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9607/is-the-north-south-choke-legal-in-judo&quot;&gt;North-South choke&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt;(&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W182KibtP0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;with arm in&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/K2vSOm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/K2vSOm.png&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt;Von Flue choke&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;From sprawl&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BqiUum.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BqiUum.png&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; D'Arce choke&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vyQ8Dm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vyQ8Dm.png&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; Anaconda choke&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mnKWKm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mnKWKm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Peruvian necktie&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How are these chokes classified by the Kodokan?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-06-23T10:05:21.940" LastActivityDate="2022-11-18T04:40:56.570" Title="How are arm-triangle chokes classified in Judo?" Tags="|judo|technique|chokes|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9607" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9615" CreationDate="2019-12-28T16:43:03.157" Score="3" ViewCount="316" Body="&lt;p&gt;From a &lt;em&gt;kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame&lt;/em&gt; position one can apply the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North%E2%80%93south_choke&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;North-South choke&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can be finished with the arm in the hold (as in an arm-triangle position), but I have most often seen it demonstrated in BJJ without the arm.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyqluZ0CAXI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AyReBI9c6U&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;3&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkFHJHC58qc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;4&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this choke legal in Judo? Or does it fall afoul of the prohibition against pins which do not trap an arm when controlling the head?&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;It is never allowed to hold an osaekomi just around the head/neck without control of at least one arm.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;sup&gt; • &lt;a href=&quot;https://78884ca60822a34fb0e6-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2019/10/IJF_Sport_and_Organisation_Rul-1571922448.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sport and Organisation Rules of the IJF&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (Article 17)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2020-01-02T23:03:58.900" Title="Is the North-South choke legal in Judo?" Tags="|judo|sport|chokes|pins|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9609" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9610" CreationDate="2019-12-29T14:33:12.797" Score="3" ViewCount="179" Body="&lt;p&gt;Over the years several new techniques have been added to the Kodokan judo syllabus, and some variants of existing techniques have since gained their own official names.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How has technique classification evolved over the years?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2022-03-21T11:01:43.067" Title="How has Kodokan technique classification changed over the years?" Tags="|judo|technique|history|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9610" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9609" CreationDate="2019-12-29T14:33:12.797" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The original 41 throwing techniques (Gokyō no waza) were compiled in 1895:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Group&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Waza&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Dai Ikkyō&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;Hiza Guruma, Sasae Tsurikomi Ashi, Uki Goshi, Tai Otoshi, Ō Soto Gari, De Ashi Barai, Yoko Otoshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Dai Nikkyō&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sumi Gaeshi, Ō Goshi, Ko Soto Gari, Koshi Guruma, Seoi Nage, Tomoe Nage, Tani Otoshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Dai Sankyō&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;Okuri Ashi Barai, Harai Goshi, Ushiro Goshi, Ura Nage, Uchi Mata, Obi Otoshi, Hane Goshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Dai Yonkyō&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;Uki Otoshi, Uki Waza, Daki Wakare, Kata Guruma, Hikkomi Gaeshi, Soto Makikomi, Tsuri Goshi, Utsuri Goshi, Ō Soto Otoshi, Tawara Gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Dai Gokyō&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;Yoko Guruma, Yoko Wakare, Uchi Makikomi, Ko Uchi Gari, Ashi Guruma, Seoi Otoshi, Yoko Gake, Harai Tsurikomi Ashi, Yama Arashi, Ō Soto Guruma&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After this many new techniques were added to the recognized list of kodokan waza:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Year&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Te-waza⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Koshi-waza⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Ashi-waza⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Sutemi-waza⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Kansetsu-waza⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Shime-waza⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Osaekomi-waza⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1911&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Tsurikomi-goshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1920&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Sukui-nage&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;O-guruma&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Ko-soto-gake&lt;br&gt; O-uchi-gari&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Hane-makikomi&lt;br&gt; Sumi-otoshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ashi-garami⚠️&lt;br&gt; Ude-garami&lt;br&gt; Ude-hishigi-juji-gatame&lt;br&gt; Ude-hishigi-ude-gatame&lt;br&gt; Ude-hishigi-waki-gatame&lt;br&gt; Ude-hishigi-hara-gatame&lt;br&gt; Ude-hishigi-hiza-gatame&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Nami-juji-jime&lt;br&gt; Gyaku-juji-jime&lt;br&gt; Kata-juji-jime&lt;br&gt; Hadaka-jime&lt;br&gt; Okuri-eri-jime&lt;br&gt; Kata-ha-jime&lt;br&gt; ⚠️Do-jime&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Hon-kesa-gatame&lt;br&gt; Kuzure-kesa-gatame&lt;br&gt; Kata-gatame&lt;br&gt; Kami-shiho-gatame&lt;br&gt; Kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame&lt;br&gt; Yoko-shiho-gatame&lt;br&gt; Tate-shiho-gatame&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1982&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Morote-gari&lt;br&gt; Kuchiki-taoshi &lt;br&gt; Kibisu-gaeshi&lt;br&gt; Kouchi-gaeshi&lt;br&gt; Uchi-mata-sukashi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;⚠️Daki-age&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Osoto-gaeshi&lt;br&gt; Ouchi-gaeshi&lt;br&gt; Tsubame-gaeshi&lt;br&gt; Uchi-mata-gaeshi&lt;br&gt; Hane-goshi-gaeshi&lt;br&gt; Harai-goshi-gaeshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;⚠️Kani-basami&lt;br&gt; ⚠️Kawazu-gake&lt;br&gt; Harai-makikomi&lt;br&gt; Osoto-makikomi&lt;br&gt; Uchi-mata-makikomi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1985&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ude-hishigi-te-gatame&lt;br&gt; Ude-hishigi-ashi-gatame&lt;br&gt; Ude-hishigi-sankaku-gatame&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Sode-guruma-jime&lt;br&gt; Kata-te-jime&lt;br&gt; Ryo-te-jime&lt;br&gt; Tsukkomi-jime&lt;br&gt; Sankaku-jime&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;1997&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Ippon-seoi-nage&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Sode-tsurikomi-goshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;(✒️ Hon-kesa-gatame renamed Kesa-gatame)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;2017&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Obi-tori-gaeshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;❌&lt;s&gt;Daki-age&lt;/s&gt;&lt;br&gt;(&lt;em&gt;Technique removed)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Kouchi-makikomi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot;&gt;Ushiro-kesa-gatame&lt;br&gt; Uki-gatame&lt;br&gt; Ura-gatame&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;• &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/news/2017/04/epost-133/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;柔道の技名称について&lt;/a&gt; (kodokanjudoinstitute.org)&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;• &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20130317215001/http://www.kodokan.org/j_waza/index.html#kansetsuwaza&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;講道館柔道　技名称一覧&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20130501155952/http://kodokan.org/e_waza/index.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;English&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;• &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=4iTrCgAAQBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PA213&amp;amp;lpg=PA213&amp;amp;dq=%221997%22+katame+waza&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Creatividad y deporte: Consideraciones teóricas e investigaciones breves&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;• &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kanosociety.org/Bulletins/pdf%20bulletins/Bulletinx38.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Principles of Osaekomi in Kodokan Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, The Kano Society Bulletin (2019)&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;• &lt;a href=&quot;http://99e89a50309ad79ff91d-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2016/09/IJF_refereing_rules_explanator-1473863720.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;IJF referee Seminar Malaga 2014, Rules presentation&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-21T11:01:43.067" LastActivityDate="2022-03-21T11:01:43.067" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9611" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9612" CreationDate="2019-12-29T18:04:37.890" Score="2" ViewCount="254" Body="&lt;p&gt;A number of changes have been made to Kodokan &lt;em&gt;osaekomi-waza&lt;/em&gt; classification over the years; how are different pins distinguished in Judo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2019-12-29T18:09:42.477" LastActivityDate="2021-03-20T14:03:23.250" Title="How are pins classified in Judo?" Tags="|judo|technique|pins|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9612" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9611" CreationDate="2019-12-29T18:04:37.890" Score="2" Body="&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Katame-waza&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Variants&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Examples&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;kesa-gatame&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;any hold where tori holds uke diagonally controlling their head and one arm, facing uke's head&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/IqRHSs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/IqRHSs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5ZGTUs.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5ZGTUs.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/713aQs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/713aQs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SpCLls.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SpCLls.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/TegRMs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/TegRMs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;kuzure-kesa-gatame&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;any variant of kesa-gatame where the hold is under both arms, not diagonally across the shoulder and under one arm &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; makura-kesa-gatame&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/acJpMs.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/acJpMs.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2DCeps.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2DCeps.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/RNpjgs.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/RNpjgs.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;  &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QkEOzs.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QkEOzs.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ushiro-kesa-gatame&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;any variant of kesa-gatame where you are facing the direction of uke's legs &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; short-arm scissors hold&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/rSc9Ls.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/rSc9Ls.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Pg9oDs.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Pg9oDs.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fzK7Ws.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fzK7Ws.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/VabTrs.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/VabTrs.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zHtLqs.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zHtLqs.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;kata-gatame&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;pin similar to kesa-gatame but with uke's arm trapped against their neck by tori's shoulder in an arm triangle (as opposed to trapped under tori's armpit)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/G1ZQ7s.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/G1ZQ7s.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fkkBis.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fkkBis.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CuMvps.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CuMvps.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/WlLuos.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/WlLuos.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UsAIGs.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UsAIGs.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;kami-shiho-gatame&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;any hold where tori holds uke facing them head on, with both arms under or over uke's arms: &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; also includes transitions from yoko-sankaku-jime:&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/lmuOys.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/lmuOys.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/o8bGss.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/o8bGss.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/aL4kMs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/aL4kMs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0kYODs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0kYODs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/R64ros.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/R64ros.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wPlIns.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wPlIns.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/S4C1ns.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/S4C1ns.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;variant of kami-shiho-gatame with one of uke's arms trapped:&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xdnWJs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xdnWJs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ojt3ts.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ojt3ts.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jHADps.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jHADps.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9RBO2s.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9RBO2s.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Kif0us.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Kif0us.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;yoko-shiho-gatame&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;any hold where you face uke perpendicularly, controlling a leg and the head/far arm: &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; mune-gatame:&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qdbkfs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qdbkfs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/HG1wRs.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/HG1wRs.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/L1ioOs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/L1ioOs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/L4MPks.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/L4MPks.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kjBshs.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kjBshs.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/EpOHis.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/EpOHis.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/83HVps.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/83HVps.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;tate-shiho-gatame&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;any hold where you are seated over uke's abdomen/chest controlling their head/arm(s) &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; also includes sankaku-holds from this position&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/HVUyls.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/HVUyls.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8OLJ0s.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8OLJ0s.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/PqX4Ss.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/PqX4Ss.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SiQFls.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SiQFls.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wRyqUs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wRyqUs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/x4z84s.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/x4z84s.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Grabbing own collar&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;uki-gatame&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;any hold from a juji-gatame-like position &lt;br&gt;  any hold where you are restraining uke by putting weight on their abdomen through your knee/shin&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ura-gatame&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;pins similar to &lt;em&gt;ushiro-kesa-gatame&lt;/em&gt; but with control of the near leg/back facing uke&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/W6rP9s.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/W6rP9s.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qdhxys.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qdhxys.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-03-20T14:03:23.250" LastActivityDate="2021-03-20T14:03:23.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9613" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9606" CreationDate="2019-12-31T08:55:46.717" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kata-gatame is classified as an &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxzmtydEt-0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;osaekomi-waza technique&lt;/a&gt; in Kodokan judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Often this osaekomi-waza appears as a european shime-waza when tori is very strong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even hon-gesa-gatame could also be seen as a shime-waza when uke is under very strong judoka. That’s the reason why opponents often submit under Teddy Riner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Von Flue choke doesn’t exist in judo because as you can see in your last picture, this MMA technique is a counter choke against a guillotine, and the guillotine is hansoku-make.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7114" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-01-05T16:05:15.183" LastActivityDate="2020-01-05T16:05:15.183" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9614" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9655" CreationDate="2019-12-31T22:29:15.833" Score="6" ViewCount="872" Body="&lt;p&gt;In 2017 the Kodokan recognised 3 new osaekomi-waza classifications:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Osaekomi-waza&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Notes&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9348/is-the-crucifix-a-valid-osaekomi-waza&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ura-gatame&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Historically has referred to multiple pins, but in modern use refers to a hold with &lt;em&gt;tori&lt;/em&gt;'s back to &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; and control of the near arm and leg.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9611/how-are-pins-classified-in-judo/9612#9612&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ushiro-kesa-gatame&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Long established variant of &lt;em&gt;kesa-gatame&lt;/em&gt;, demonstrated in numerous Kodokan materials.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;uki-gatame&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However I have not encountered any official materials actually defining &lt;em&gt;uki-gatame&lt;/em&gt;. Mikinosuke Kawaishi historically used the term to refer to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knee-on-stomach&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;knee on belly&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt; position,&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; but numerous modern judo videos&lt;sup&gt; 2 3&lt;/sup&gt; demonstrate the &lt;a href=&quot;https://howtheyplay.com/individual-sports/How-to-Establish-S-Mount-a-BJJ-Tutorial&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;S-mount&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How do the Kodokan (and/or IJF) define &lt;em&gt;uki-gatame&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1. &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=a_G1AAAAIAAJ&amp;amp;q=uki-gatame&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;My Method of Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.154) (1955)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;2. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWI6s_2Bnmw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWI6s_2Bnmw&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;3. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQMvn-WbWg0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQMvn-WbWg0&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-09T13:43:38.350" LastActivityDate="2022-03-09T13:43:38.350" Title="What is Uki-gatame?" Tags="|judo|technique|terminology|identification|pins|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9615" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9607" CreationDate="2020-01-02T23:03:58.900" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am only a low-level referee, but here is my best interpretation of the rules for this choke. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would call this version legal. Although uke's left arm is separated from uke's head, tori has control of uke's left shoulder and arm, either with an overhook or underhook grip. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/39O4A.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/39O4A.png&quot; alt=&quot;legal&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would call this version illegal. This version actively isolates pressure only on the neck area. Tori is actively disengaging from uke's left arm. I have not studied this choke and do not understand the instructor's preference for giving up control of uke's left arm. If instead tori overhooks left uke's arm and moves into this same relative body position, I would call this legal. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/eL38d.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/eL38d.png&quot; alt=&quot;illegal&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-01-02T23:03:58.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9616" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9614" CreationDate="2020-01-03T15:25:14.727" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Uki-gatame&lt;/em&gt; is an osaekomi-wasa technique, you shift into it from &lt;em&gt;juji-gatame&lt;/em&gt; when your opponent is too strong to be arm-locked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beginners sometimes regard uki-gatame as a submission because of its variation where tori presses their knee into the chest of uke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think this variation is drawn and clearly explained in your picture by sensei Shozo Awazu: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;« le genou droit plié de tori appui fortment sur la poitrine de uke »&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shozo Awazu was the disciple of Kawaishi specialized in ne-waza who spent 80% of his life building the French judo school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7114" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-01-29T17:08:20.287" LastActivityDate="2020-01-29T17:08:20.287" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9618" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9606" CreationDate="2020-01-04T22:30:40.630" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;As of Germany, all of these would be considered a form of hadaka jime since every choke that is not with the legs and not executed using the gi is classified as such.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, we do have strange classifications at times (Hofmann, not Kodokan), so that one may be off as well. I, personally, think it makes a lot of sense here, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For what it's worth, Mifune calls it hadaka jime in his Canon of Judo as well (p.137)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2020-01-04T22:36:26.573" LastActivityDate="2020-01-04T22:36:26.573" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9619" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7916" CreationDate="2020-01-05T02:22:32.377" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The problem wouldn't be whether or not they work together, but whether the two would overlap and cause problems. It all depends on the way that you learn and intake new information, so I can't tell you for sure. My best guess is that they would not be problematic because of how different they are. BJJ is mostly about grappling, submissions, and joint locks, whereas Taekwando is mostly about kicking and striking. If you are worried about your reflexes built up from one showing while you are practicing the other, which could be problematic (people that practice Taekwando tend to not be accustomed to leg triangles, ashi garamis etc.), then talk to your coach. The reason I believe that it shouldn't be a problem is that Taekwando and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu work together very well, especially in street fights or free fighting matches; Kaekwando takes the offense and Jiu Jitsu takes them to the ground and finishes them. It is necessary to learn multiple martial arts if you want to compete, and most likely won't hurt to at least try multi-arting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2020-01-05T02:22:32.377" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9620" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8577" CreationDate="2020-01-05T02:33:18.270" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't worry about it. I've been practicing BJJ for over two years and have never gotten cut or have my training partner bleed on me. This is because BJJ is a grappling art, so unlike striking arts like Kaekwando or Muay Thai, bleeding is very rare, with the exceptions of bloody noses from an accidental hit. If you do end up bleeding or being bled on, just make sure to clean it off yourself and/or the floor with a sterilizer, and make sure that your training partner does the same. Of the risks that BJJ poses, blood borne diseases are the least to worry about. BJJ is definitely worth learning, and you shouldn't worry about blood borne diseases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2020-01-05T02:33:18.270" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9621" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7521" CreationDate="2020-01-05T03:14:16.037" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been training in BJJ for more than two years, and I can tell you that body triangles should be the least of your worries. If you want to prevent one you can turn onto your side and trap your opponent's leg to prevent a body triangle. There is no submission directly from body triangle, so it's not much of a problem. To escape, follow these steps, QUICKLY:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1: If the triangle is not facing up (because most people in back control fall to one side), use your leg as a pendulum and swing so that the triangle is on the top side and your body weight is on the bottom leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2: Shuffle your legs so that they are directly under the figure-4. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3: Wrap your outside leg around the leg that isn't wrapped around your body so that their calf lies in the crook of your knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4: Position your body so that their leg is parallel with your center line. This is important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;5: Lay the foot of your unused leg on top of the other foot to form a sturdy post.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;6: This is where it gets painful for your opponent. Drive your hips straight up towards the sky, while at the same time driving your feet into the ground. This should get your opponent to tap out very quickly.      &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2020-01-05T03:14:16.037" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9622" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9425" CreationDate="2020-01-05T08:15:10.407" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Jujutsu Schools all have a Kyusho &quot;striking point&quot; chart.  You would aim for these points when attacking in order to do the most damage i.e. the solar plexus.  Some of those points were used for resuscitation as well.  Pressure was applied in various combinations to revive people who had passed out (during training, due to heat,) drowned or fallen from a great height.  Having read several such books in Japanese I would say that &quot;Heimlich-like procedures&quot; existed but they varied by Jujutsu school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10557" LastActivityDate="2020-01-05T08:15:10.407" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9623" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="294" CreationDate="2020-01-05T20:16:52.880" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have never thought of using one for BJJ grip strength before today, but a finger strengthener could do the trick. They are sold mainly for the purposes of strengthening your fingers in order to play an instrument better, but they could also be used to practice better grips. They are relatively cheap($2-6), and definitely make your fingers stronger. Mine has worked for me for the past two-and-a-half years, and now my fingers are at least 75% stronger than they were previously.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2020-01-05T20:16:52.880" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9626" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9627" CreationDate="2020-01-07T23:20:42.117" Score="3" ViewCount="245" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been doing BJJ for about 2 years, and I've started thinking about its role in self defense. Could it be used by itself for self defense against a single attacker without any other forms of fighting/defense? What I mean is, hypothetically, if I was randomly attacked by one unarmed person, with no clear motive, would BJJ be an effective tool without the help of any other martial arts, or would the attacker gain victory. I am of course, under the expectation that I carry out each technique accurately.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2020-01-08T03:40:04.873" Title="Could BJJ be used by itself as self defense?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|self-defense|streetfight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9627" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9626" CreationDate="2020-01-08T03:40:04.873" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are essentially two types of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu schools today:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) Self-defense first, sport later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) Sport first, self-defense is an afterthought.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knowing which type of BJJ school you attend will help you answer this question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of the Gracie schools of BJJ generally teach with the same principle: Everything in the white belt phase is for self-defense. They call this their &quot;Combatives&quot; curriculum. Blue belt starts going over the sport aspects. Some Gracie JJ schools won't even let you roll until after white belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But not all schools have this approach. They might be heavily focused from day one on the sport of BJJ, instead. Or they might want a mix from the beginning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason why Gracie Jiu Jitsu always starts with a focus entirely on self-defense is because they say it will allow you to recognize when a sport adaptation won't work for self-defense later on when you start into the sport side of things. The danger in not focusing on self-defense from the beginning is that many sport techniques and strategies will only end up getting you hurt in a real fight. If you don't know how to differentiate between a sport-optimized technique and a self-defense based technique, you could be in for a surprise if you have to use it in a fight for real.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the real question is: How do you recognize what's good for fighting vs. what's adapted for sport? And the answer to that is that you have to be taught it. Someone has to show it to you. When you're shown something that's dangerous for real fights, your teacher needs to show you why it's just for sport and not for self-defense. Doing this enough times will give you an intuitive understanding of what not to do in a real fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of what you're going to learn about fighting vs. sport is going to seem like common sense. Other stuff won't be so obvious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, you definitely can use BJJ for self-defense on its own with no other styles added to it. That's why it was created in the first place. And by the way, Gracie JJ has in its curriculum from day one strategies for dealing with strikes. Later on, you learn how to strike as well. It was influenced by boxing and kick-boxing. Gracie JJ even has a lot of classical jujitsu self-defense drills in it, including small-circle (joint locking) techniques. Some call Gracie JJ a type of MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See this video to see some of the self-defense drills Gracie JJ has in its curriculum:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aeg926nPCGQ&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aeg926nPCGQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're not getting any of that from your BJJ school, it's probably a sport-based school. Nothing wrong with that, if that's what you thought it was. If you want to know the self-defense side as well, you might have to start looking into instructional videos and workshops, or start considering cross-training in another school to fill in the gaps in your understanding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-01-08T03:40:04.873" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9628" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2020-01-13T03:20:59.513" Score="0" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NOTE:&lt;/strong&gt; These scenarios I speak of are for BJJ, but that does not mean that they can't be applied to other martial arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe that it is important to train both sides equally whether you are learning martial arts for sport or for self defense, simply because it makes you more prepared for any scenario. For instance:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In competition:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your opponent attempts to pass your guard on your non-dominant side, forcing you to either defend on that side or give them a dominant position.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You have the opportunity to submit your opponent, but it's on the opposite side that you normally work with.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Etc&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In street fight/self defense situation:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Your attacker throws a punch on the opposite side that you are used to blocking with, so yo must block with the other side or get knocked out.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It isn't necessarily bad(and could be a good thing) to get &quot;used to&quot; working specific techniques on one side, just make sure that you also have knowledge of how to work it on the other, too. This way, you won't be unprepared for surprises like these, and it could save you from losing(competition) or death/impairment(self defense). Just think about it. While only working with your right arm may make you right sided skills extremely effective, your left side would be a weakness and a burden. Training on both sides, however, will take away that weakness, and literally make your techniques twice as effective. But don't take it from me, take it from the pros. I guarantee that all the world champion boxers, for instance, practiced on both sides, or they wouldn't be world champions. If they only trained on one side, then they would only effectively punch on one side, and only effectively block on that same side. So their opponent could easily block their punch, and easily knock them out on the other side. It's sort of a &quot;natural selection&quot;. All in all, don't neglect one side, because that side will become weaker than the other and less effective, but don't overuse your non-dominant side because you are worried you are neglecting it, either. Just don't use one side more than 50-60% more than the other. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2020-01-13T03:20:59.513" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9630" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-01-16T18:36:39.610" Score="0" ViewCount="178" Body="&lt;p&gt;I’m 61 yo. I’m training for my 1st dan TKD test in May. I am focusing on cardio for endurance, I also review my forms at least once a day even if just in my head... I try to watch what I eat, sleep adequately...  Do you have Any suggestions on how to train on days with no class?&#xA;Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9516" LastEditorUserId="9516" LastEditDate="2020-01-17T00:29:49.173" LastActivityDate="2020-01-17T00:29:49.173" Title="How to train for 1st Dan Blackbelt testing in Taekwondo" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|self-training|grading|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2020-01-16T20:41:42.310" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9631" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9630" CreationDate="2020-01-16T20:41:46.453" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll relate my experience testing for black belt in Taekwondo. This was ages ago when I was just 17 years old, but I think the lessons I learned apply universally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I was a brown belt one stripe testing for brown belt with 2 or 3 stripes (in our system we had brown belt 3 stripes before black belt), I had been given a single board speed break with a spinning heel kick. The board holder holds this dangling from two fingers, not supported by his weight. And you're supposed to have enough speed and targeting ability to break it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wasn't able to break it. This wasn't a kick I did in sparring a lot, and so I rarely practiced it. I &quot;knew&quot; I wasn't good at it. It totally took me by surprise that I'd be asked to do this particular kick. Also, I had never done a speed break before. So I was very nervous going into it, and I simply didn't kick the board with the confidence needed. I hit the board in the right spot, but it wasn't fast enough to break it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fortunately, I did well in the rest of my test, so my instructor awarded me with 3 stripes on my brown belt. But I felt like I didn't deserve it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Soon after that, I was told to prepare for another test, this time for black belt. But, I knew I wasn't ready to test for black belt. I panicked a little and asked if I could leave to train on my own and come back when I was ready. My instructor said yes, and that's when I took it upon myself to work on that spinning heel kick, among everything else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I went to a park near where I lived and did tons and tons of spinning heel kicks. So many! And I practiced my forms and one-steps. I practiced everything I had learned to date. All on my own. But especially those spinning heel kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had also begun practicing the jump spinning heel kick, since it was actually something that was just taught to me a few months prior to this. But it was mostly an afterthought. I didn't spend much time practicing it. I was primarily interested in correcting my basic spinning heel kick. And I figured they'd never give me this jumping spinning heel kick for my black belt test, since it was so new. As you'll read later, I couldn't have been more wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After I think 2 or maybe 3 months of training on my own, I returned to regular class. And the first thing I heard after my class was over was my instructor approaching me and saying, &quot;You're testing for black belt next month.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I said okay, even though I still had my doubts that I was ready for the test. Still, I was much more confident now that I had a chance to work on my own for a while.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The day of my black belt test arrives, and I show up with a fierce look in my eyes, ready for whatever they throw at me. My sparring goes well. I was able to defeat all the colored belts and all of the 1st dan black belts. There was one 2nd dan black belt and one 3rd dan black belt that really kicked my ass, one I remember using a hop reverse side kick to pick me up and throw me 6 feet back onto the wall. They didn't hold back. Loved it! Made me smile.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My forms were flawless, for the most part. My one steps went well. Then came the board breaking, the thing I was dreading.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They gave me some multi-board combination breaks to do, which I did perfectly. They gave me a couple power breaks to do against 4 boards, no spacers. Did that perfectly. Awesome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then came the speed break. They had me do a jump spinning heel kick speed break to two boards this time. Wow! So, now I have to do it while jumping, and it's two boards instead of just one. Yet, I had mostly been practicing the non-jumping version of the kick, with just a little time spent on the jumping version. I never in a million years thought they would have given me the jumping version of the kick to do. And I thought it was just going to be one board, not two. Uh-oh!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, I was a bit nervous the first attempt at it and only broke one board, sending the other board flying off into the drywall. Seeing the one board broken gave me confidence that I could do it. So I asked to let me try it again, and they said yes. This time I just went for it. I wasn't nervous. I knew I could do it. And blam! Both boards broke. Both boards went flying into the drywall. I think I did a little jump for joy afterward. Haha. It was exhilarating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The final break was to be whatever I wanted. They said choose any technique, and they get to choose the type of break and how many boards to use. I then said spinning heel kick. They said okay, and asked me to do a 5 board power break. Nailed it, easily! I looked at the broken boards after that, and I just smiled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And with that, I was awarded my 1st dan black belt. They really tested me that day. And I nailed it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking back on it, here are some lessons I learned:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1) You will never feel you're ready to test for black belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2) Spend time going over all your material from white belt to now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;3) Practice especially anything you have doubts about, especially the most recent things you've been given, even if you were just given them a day ago.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4) If you have doubts, they will show. Believe in yourself and your abilities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, nobody ever feels they're ready to test for black belt. Your instructor knows when you're ready. If he asks you to test, you're probably ready. Even if you fail the test, or you pass but make lots of mistakes, don't worry about it. That's going to tell you what you need to work on, that's all. The experience and the knowledge you gain from it is what you're taking from it, not the belt. The belt itself is pretty worthless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-01-16T20:41:46.453" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9632" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-01-17T20:35:17.690" Score="5" ViewCount="178" Body="&lt;p&gt;While instructing a throwing technique in a small adult judo class, I encountered the situation where the most inexperienced (~6 months training) student was by far the most successful in absorbing the lesson. The far more advanced (&gt; 4 years) students kept trying to make their familiar throwing techniques superficially resemble the new throwing technique, but without learning the new technique. The novice student was able to absorb the positive (do this) technique instruction, while the advanced students absorbed neither the positive nor negative (don't do that) instruction. I explained how the principle of the throwing technique works, how this principle differs from other techniques, and a simple way to check whether the principle of the day is being applied. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everyone successfully threw their partner with something consistently, so to the students there was no obvious error. Everyone appeared to make a good faith effort to reproduce the new throwing technique; no one was intentionally ignoring the lesson. The problem is that the advanced students are getting by on what they already know, and not learning something new. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the instructor perspective, I think the technical instruction is sound because at least one one student understands after the class who did not before. Normally, however, I would expect this to be an advanced student and not a novice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How does an instructor help the advanced students out of this rut? Is there a way to encourage or trick them to see a technique as new, rather than incorrectly as a variation of something they already know? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although inspired by judo, I do not think anything about this question is inherent to judo. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-01-22T14:41:28.697" Title="How do you help students &quot;empty their cup&quot; to learn a new technique?" Tags="|technique|teaching|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9633" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9632" CreationDate="2020-01-17T21:19:22.713" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've experienced this first-hand quite a lot. For example, while taking a classical jujitsu class, the instructor demonstrated a half-twisting punch. To me, it resembled my kung-fu half-twisting punch, so that's what I did. When my instructor asked me to show it to him, he said, &quot;No, that's not correct.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I carefully watched what he did and then tried it again. He said no. I did this over and over again, all the time with him saying no, and all the time with the intent of copying him precisely. It was very frustrating, and I couldn't figure out what he was doing differently. He was having trouble spotting it, also. But he knew it wasn't right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, I had to slow down a lot and go through it a little at a time with him watching and pointing out the mistake as it was happening. I mean, this was as slow as Tai Chi. Then we sped it up a little, and then a little more, etc. It turned out that I was doing it more or less right until we sped it up. Then that's where I started adding the snap at the end, which was the incorrect part.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Apparently, strikes in that style were not done with a snap at the end like every style I've ever trained in. Instead, they begin slow and then smoothly accelerate with all of the body behind it at all times. There's no snap at the end, because the feeling is like getting hit with a wave.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I saw this way of striking as inferior, but he said back when it was designed, it had to work with the armor they wore on the battlefield in Japan. You couldn't snap your kicks and punches while wearing armor. Instead, you had to smoothly accelerate like a wave, with your whole body behind it at all times. In some sense, it's like a very forceful push. That also works better against people wearing armor. And it's better defensively, because it results in fewer balance problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think this sort of deconstruction of technique is required whenever you have people doing the wrong thing. Start from the beginning, go slow, and go through everything like it was a Tai Chi form. Then speed it up a little each time. Correct it at all speeds, as you go faster. If needed, step back to a slower speed. As an instructor, you have to do this side-by-side with your student. Say, &quot;freeze!&quot; any time you want to show something that's wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, you'll figure out why their minds were so stuck on doing it some other way. Usually it's because they have an intuitive model in their heads based on everything they've seen so far. When you introduce something that goes against that model, they may not even see what you're showing them. It's because they just assume everything should conform to that model. When they become aware that the model they have in their brains is actually not universal and there are circumstances where it doesn't apply, you'll see them light up. Their heads just explode. It will be a big &quot;Aha!&quot; moment for them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2020-01-22T14:41:28.697" LastActivityDate="2020-01-22T14:41:28.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9635" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5280" CreationDate="2020-01-18T01:19:41.047" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;To add on to @AFetter 's answer, the reason that they probably won't effect each other is because they are so different. BJJ is a grappling art, and MT is a striking art. Since there are no similarities whatsoever, they shouldn't cross over. It's like learning bagpipe and then piano and worrying that they will overlap(which they won't). There is nothing to worry about. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2020-01-18T01:19:41.047" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9636" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9632" CreationDate="2020-01-18T21:08:20.347" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Generally, adapting/changing a well-known pattern is hard. Very hard. And it takes a lot of time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As of the particular problem  my experience is that the following elements work best:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Slow down&lt;/strong&gt;: Make your students do the exact movement very slowly.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use Uke&lt;/strong&gt;: Make the partner look for and correct any deviations. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use special situations&lt;/strong&gt;: Depending on the technique, it may be possible and useful to introduce it starting from a different movement/combination, stance, grip, posture etc. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use special language&lt;/strong&gt;: In order not to get things confused in your student's heads, it can be useful to bind techniques to unique stories, figures, or words. Works with kids but also with adults.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Focus on differences, not similarities&lt;/strong&gt;: If differences are marginal (arguably: harai-maki-komi, hane-maki-komi, caveat see below), your explanation should not refer to other techniques ('just like in...'), but rather focus on the particularities (contact points, force directions, axes of movement when throwing, grip, direction and/or method of kuzushi,...)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A last point: Ask yourself and try to answer the question why this technique, rather than sticking to the other one, had been developed in the first place. If hane-goshi was like harai-goshi, but with your leg being funny, why not simply throwing harai-goshi? Well, because hane-goshi has a whole other direction of uke's movement involved (pulling/evading backwards as opposed to pushing/evading sidewards). This may involve some effort with research of historical developments. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2020-01-18T21:08:20.347" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9637" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="81" CreationDate="2020-01-19T01:05:45.403" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I find that you can practice foot work and here your arms would be on your own but I would recommend doing it in front of a full length mirror so that you know if it looks the same as when your sensei does it (if you have one) if you know what muscles you need to work on for a move or throw then you can try and train them in other methods for example pull ups or push ups or squats. I find this is useful from personal experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10586" LastActivityDate="2020-01-19T01:05:45.403" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9638" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9432" CreationDate="2020-01-20T10:48:39.127" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;but both alternatives seem to help&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It depends on the application of the &quot;block&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you take a technique out of a kata, you also remove the context of its intended use. In general, I would take a look at how other styles perform the same kata; usually there is a reason that a particular body shape is used and without reference to what it's for, it's very easy to come to spurious conclusions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My recommendation is to look at the kata you find the block in and the surrounding techniques to understand how the movement is really being used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, context matters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you consider uchi-uke and morote-uke as arm manipulation techniques then the closed fist of the supporting hand may just be holding uke's wrist, and knuckles to elbow would more closely resemble reality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suspect this is why it hasn't really spread.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10587" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2020-01-21T09:16:50.337" LastActivityDate="2020-01-21T09:16:50.337" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9639" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7719" CreationDate="2020-01-22T12:30:28.850" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The true shaolin temple was destroyed in the 17th century; monasteries today just call themselves shaolin without any real connection to the original (authentic) shaolin. If you want to learn shaolin kung fu, you have to learn hung ga, lau ga, choi ga, li ga, mok ga, wing chun and hap ga. Those are the authentic shaolin styles passed on to laymen before the temple was destroyed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Today's &quot;shaolin&quot; temple does have its own martial arts, but it is not the legendary shaolin kung fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10593" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2020-01-22T14:34:36.510" LastActivityDate="2020-01-22T14:34:36.510" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9640" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9659" CreationDate="2020-01-23T23:32:05.867" Score="2" ViewCount="303" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my 2 years of BJJ, I have had mouth guards come and go. They were always the ones that came as a flat sheet of plastic and you are supposed to soak it in hot water to fit your mouth. They look like this before they are molded:&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Lr7MV.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Lr7MV.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;They look like this after they are molded:&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/WhuGP.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/WhuGP.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Recently, after I've worn mine for several minutes and I take it out, my teeth feel like there has been a lot of pressure put on them. I've tried remolding it several times, but I either feel that it doesn't fit or it is crushing and misaligning my teeth. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is this normal? &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What can I do about it without changing the mouth guard? &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is there a possibility that the mouth guard is actually misaligning my teeth?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-02-17T02:58:59.527" LastActivityDate="2020-02-17T02:58:59.527" Title="Is my mouth guard ruining my teeth?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|injury|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9641" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9640" CreationDate="2020-01-24T10:50:31.217" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a really difficult question to answer because it takes into account multiple things from the brand of mouthguard, the product they're made from, and most importantly your own teeth. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I gave up on mouthguards on my second pair; it not only felt weird to use during rolls, it actually felt like it obstructed my breathing, so I stopped using them even though I still frequently bite myself while rolling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice: if you feel discomfort while using different mouthguards, first talk to your dentist to check there is no damage to your teeth; then ask your colleagues about brands they use and their experience. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or try to roll without one. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8369" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2020-01-27T13:33:42.693" LastActivityDate="2020-01-27T13:33:42.693" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9642" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9452" CreationDate="2020-01-24T15:05:05.137" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Shito-ryu isn't exactly traditional. It was created by Mabuni during the 1920s in Japan. He based it on a formalisation of Okinawan kata. Mabuni was a kata collector, even more so than Funakoshi. If you do any shito-ryu, Haiashi-Ha or not, you will be learning a &lt;em&gt;lot&lt;/em&gt; of kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Haiashi-Ha is a more recent organisation still and could be thought of as the more sporting version of Shito-ryu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could say Haiashi-Ha is to Shito-ryu what Shotokan is to Shotokai. It's more sporty, competitive, less application based and very much more popular because it was spread widely. If you do Haiashi-Ha, you will &lt;em&gt;probably&lt;/em&gt; be doing more competition based practice. if you do the &quot;traditional&quot; shito-ryu it's likely you'll be taught more application based practice, but the more traditional schools may be harder to find.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What does each have that the other does not... Nothing in a practical sense for a student. It's all &lt;em&gt;potentially&lt;/em&gt; there. The differences are a matter of emphasis, and like all styles it's going to depend &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; much more on an individual sensei than on anything else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10587" LastActivityDate="2020-01-24T15:05:05.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9643" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5153" CreationDate="2020-01-26T16:31:04.073" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a sankyu in Judo and absolutely love the sport. I've been been doing it since I was 5 years old. However, I've seen a lot; I can tell you for sure in Judo there are a lot of undiagnosed concussions. I've probably had more than a few. Judo can possibly cause brain injuries in the long term. If it can cause physical ailments, it can cause neurological ailments also.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10600" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2020-01-28T14:56:57.297" LastActivityDate="2020-01-28T14:56:57.297" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9644" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9332" CreationDate="2020-01-27T11:53:12.867" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is abnormal iron palm. Hand should still appear soft and supple. Best method is internal method.  gradual striking of things with give. Slap river rocks. increase incrementally.Use a linament or blood moving exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10603" LastActivityDate="2020-01-27T11:53:12.867" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9645" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-01-28T09:14:38.547" Score="5" ViewCount="824" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm motivated to improve my jumping kick technique, within my weight and age limitations. I feel that it's a great way to improve strength, balance and proper kicking technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, jump kicks are not advised for people older than 40, and I did feel some mild pain on my knees on the days following a jump kick practice session.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm considering using elastic bands to protect my knees.&#xA;Is this a good idea? What type of band would suit better martial arts, or Taekwondo in particular? Would it be adequate to use it in all kinds of practice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-01-30T15:53:30.337" LastActivityDate="2020-01-30T18:01:53.040" Title="How to protect knees on jump kick techniques" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|safety|protective-equipment|jump-kick|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9646" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9645" CreationDate="2020-01-28T11:09:43.627" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have no experience with elastic bands - so hopefully someone else will pick up on those.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have tried Knee braces - but they often restrict the jump motion and the less restrictive ones are more prone to moving and less useful in protecting the knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my tips for practicing those jumps are as follows&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Find a sprung floor&lt;/strong&gt; - this will allow you to practice barefoot with less pain/risk of injury. If that can't be done (or you want to practice in more accessible areas) -&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wear Soft soled shoes&lt;/strong&gt; - Cushioned running shoes are ideal, these will soften the impacts but beware of the weight of them, for practicing kicks they will act similar to ankle weights (though usually very light by ankle weight standards).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Strengthen the legs&lt;/strong&gt; - Squats and weighted squats will help with jumping power, the leg press in the gym is also useful, all without the hard impact of falling back to earth.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are all sorts of different knee-aides available these days, but I'd be dubious about wearing them for a taekwondo class. Will they push my knee straight with additional force? (which for front kicks/turning kicks could cause an over-extension). Will they take the impacts of kicking pads? Will they cause me additional injury (or injure someone else) in a leg clash in sparring?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do try anything please check with your instructor before wearing it in class - and report the results here!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2020-01-28T11:09:43.627" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9647" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9645" CreationDate="2020-01-28T15:12:48.240" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm over 40 and train in taekwondo; I've never been advised not to do jumps or jumping kicks! I train with a gentleman who doesn't jump (for patterns or sparring), but he is nearly 80 and has arthritis!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's not to say my knees don't hurt at times. Some years ago, I had a problem with my knee called &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chondromalacia_patellae&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;chondromalacia patella&lt;/a&gt;, which is caused by an imbalance in the ligaments and muscles around the knee. I spoke to my GP (doctor) and was given physiotherapy exercises to correct the imbalance, which made a huge difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As @collet89 said, braces and other supports can restrict motion; they can also lead to a false sense of security about the injury, ultimately making it worse. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As @steve-weigand commented, I recommend you &lt;strong&gt;contact your GP/physician or a sports physiotherapist&lt;/strong&gt; for advice. They will assess what is actually wrong with your knees and prescribe and appropriate treatment regimen (which may include braces or supports, and exercises similar to those suggested by @Collet89). You really should get this advice &lt;strong&gt;before&lt;/strong&gt; starting any treatment!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2020-01-28T15:12:48.240" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9648" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9649" CreationDate="2020-01-29T11:36:48.057" Score="7" ViewCount="1656" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the main difference between Osoto-Otoshi and Osoto-Gari?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am beginner, and I know that the movement of the right leg is different. But what is the difference of the arms movement and body movement and direction?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10607" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-01-29T15:26:43.033" LastActivityDate="2023-04-04T14:31:51.240" Title="What is the difference between Osoto-Otoshi and Osoto-Gari?" Tags="|judo|technique|throwing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9649" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9648" CreationDate="2020-01-29T12:40:33.043" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do not have the Daigo at hand, so I will answer from my experience as a licensed instructor:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;O-soto-otoshi&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an otoshi technique, the force applied does almost solely go towards the ground; all your body works to break the balance towards one or both heels and your body works from the top down. In my opinion, this includes the arm being pushed down in front of you rather than being pulled across your chest, but this is rather a thing of personal preference. In any case, the lapel grip is used to push with your forearm into the chest, elbow close and in front of your body, driving uke's upper body directly downwards onto the mat. Accordingly, you do not do much of a twisting movement around the side of your body. The direction of the throw is mainly front- and downwards. The leg is mainly to prevent evasion and block a backwards step, even though there are variants where there is an active step backwards into the partner's back of the leg. In any case, you end up with standing on both feet, the weight roughly evenly distributed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;O-soto-gari&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kuzushi is clearly to the side and heels of your partner's foot, putting all weight on the attacked leg. This involves the force being applied horizontally much more than it is the case in O-soto-otoshi. The arm is pulled across your chest, the grip at the lapel is used to push up- and sideways &lt;em&gt;over uke's shoulder/into uke's neck&lt;/em&gt;. The direction of the throw is decisively sideways, at least diagonal, with a pronounced tilt &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; twist, standing on only one leg (the body mechanics are exactly the same as in Harai-goshi, only the contact points and directions are different). The other leg is actively reaping the weighed foot of the partner, leaving him lifting off the ground with both feet (which is not necessarily the case in O-soto-otoshi) and you standing on one leg. Indeed, it is the student's task to show their proceedings by being able to throw standing on one leg, thus being able to demonstrate the difference O-soto-otoshi/O-Soto-gari and O-goshi/Harai-goshi respectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Caveat&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are countless variations out there and the more competitive O-soto-otoshi is thrown, the more the boundaries become blurry. The proposed versions are basically standard forms which are there to pronounce the differences most clearly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-01-29T14:58:07.127" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9650" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9648" CreationDate="2020-01-29T12:58:50.783" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4epusuxhxB0&amp;amp;t=43&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kodokan Judo Nage-waza&lt;/a&gt; video illustrates the differences in its section on &lt;em&gt;Osoto-otoshi&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ajWZZ.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ajWZZ.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZmlV7.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZmlV7.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's look at the differences between &lt;em&gt;osoto-gari&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;osoto-otoshi&lt;/em&gt;. If your opponent's foot goes up in the air, it's &lt;em&gt;osoto-gari&lt;/em&gt;. If your opponent's foot remains on the matting as you sweep and he goes down, it's an &lt;em&gt;osoto-otoshi&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?redir_esc=y&amp;amp;id=HGpbICBZdGwC&amp;amp;q=osoto+otoshi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kodokan Judo Throwing Techniques&lt;/a&gt; book goes into further depth on these differences in its section on &lt;em&gt;Osoto-otoshi, Key Points to the Technique&lt;/em&gt;, (p.168-169):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The tsukuri in this technique is similar to that in osoto-gari, but the kake is very different. The concept of kake in this technique has been explained in many books, their key points expressed with expertise and insight:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;I raise my right leg, and when I step in behind his right leg, I put it on the back of his thigh and slide it down to the mat. When I step down with my right foot, I lower my body slightly, and throw my opponent straight down.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(&lt;em&gt;Tsuzoku Judo Zukai&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;I step my left leg forward to the right side of his right leg, and lean on him, bending back slightly. I raise the right leg while bending the knee and stick it out in front of me from his right side, (see diagram). I straighten the knee and with the feeling of bringing my knee back, I slide the back of my thigh down back of his right thigh, and at the same time push him down with both hands&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(&lt;em&gt;Judo Kyohan&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;I raise the right leg, and step it down to the mat to the area behind the middle of his feet, by stepping it down the outside of his right thigh. I pull down with the left hand, and when I push with the right hand, which is holding his collar. The opponent is pulled in one direction and pushed in the other, and he falls backwards because he has no other option&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(&lt;em&gt;Judo Tebiki Gusa&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Step both feet further than the center line of uke's feet&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(&lt;em&gt;Judo&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Straighten your knee using the strength in your hips, slide your leg down, and, at the moment it touches the mat, quickly pull him down with your left hand towards his right rear side, and push him away with the right hand. He will fall down onto his back&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;(&lt;a href=&quot;https://ironwolf008.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/canon-of-judo-by-k-mifune.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Canon of Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-04-04T14:31:51.240" LastActivityDate="2023-04-04T14:31:51.240" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9651" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-01-30T13:18:06.913" Score="3" ViewCount="159" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was wondering what kind of exercise would be good to introduce a few Taekwondo techniques to other people, for example, colleagues during a company annual meeting, or similar conferences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a comparison, I've seen facilitators have a short session of simple exercises, before starting the afternoon sessions. I'm told there are business schools teaching that practice, to help raise people's attention level for the remaining sessions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm thinking of short sessions of 10-15 minutes, not more than 20 minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, adapting this to Taekwondo, what kind kind of exercises we could introduce? Some ideas I have at the moment are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Warn up joints: neck, shoulder, elbow, wrists, hips, knees, feet.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Basic kick: &lt;em&gt;ap chagui&lt;/em&gt; / front kick, maybe &lt;em&gt;bandal chagui&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Basic wrist escapes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any ideas or advice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="8387" LastEditDate="2020-01-30T13:34:43.933" LastActivityDate="2020-06-20T14:04:35.850" Title="Soft Taekwondo introduction for other people" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|teaching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9652" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9645" CreationDate="2020-01-30T18:01:53.040" Score="1" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Land softly and work up&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For those with the patience, I advise starting from a soft landing and working up from there. When you land, you reduce the forces on your joints by decelerating over distance. Land starting with bent legs and decelerate as your legs bend more. This is similar to catching an egg; you give to prevent shatter upon impact. I normally hear this described as landing like a cat rather than an elephant, though sometimes I wonder if this unfairly maligns the elephant when the humans are the bigger offenders. The sound of your landing should be soft rather than clomping. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The normal way of thinking about jumping techniques is to focus on the aerial portion: what the kicking leg is doing, or how much the body is rotating. The young and invincible types are not worried about how their landing is affecting their joints while attempting their 540 degree jump kicks; they are trying to increase height and rotation. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You do not need to kick or spin to practice jumping and landing softly. Once you can land softly without kicking, then you can start adding the aerial features while trying to maintain the same manner of landing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-01-30T18:01:53.040" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9653" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9738" CreationDate="2020-02-01T21:28:31.167" Score="2" ViewCount="1311" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been doing BJJ for a while, but I wanted to further improve my self defense   skills. I started learning Krav Maga, which is part of the Israeli Combat System (ICS). A big part of ICS is Israeli Jiu Jitsu. Can anybody tell me what the difference is between BJJ and IJJ, because they look pretty much the same from what I can tell.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are two sites that provide data on IJJ:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijjko.com/en/israeli-organization&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.ijjko.com/en/israeli-organization&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-02T09:18:12.647" LastActivityDate="2020-03-02T09:18:12.647" Title="Difference between Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Israeli Jiu Jitsu" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|krav-maga|style|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9654" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9651" CreationDate="2020-02-02T10:25:52.233" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Teach exercises that build into small sequence, that two participants can work together.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Example exercises:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1)Round-house kick&lt;br&gt;&#xA;2)Jab-cross combo&lt;br&gt;&#xA;3)Kick block&lt;br&gt;&#xA;4)high punch guard  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;sequence:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1st person perform 1-2, 2nd person reacts with 3-4 and adds a push, then they switch roles - 2nd  person perform 1-2, 1st person reacts with 3-4 and adds a push, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Safety is above everything. build it so untrained person will not injure his training partner. You can tell them to kick low, and use open palms instead of punches because &quot;they are not trained yet&quot;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10293" LastActivityDate="2020-02-02T10:25:52.233" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9655" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9614" CreationDate="2020-02-02T16:18:16.873" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;&amp;quot;S-mount&amp;quot;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kano's &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/docs/16_p143-156.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Judo Zakki&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (c.1888) makes reference to two variants of &lt;em&gt;uki-gatame&lt;/em&gt; (浮固). These are described in the &lt;em&gt;Kodokan New Japanese-English Dictionary of Judo&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;uki gatame&lt;/strong&gt; (&lt;strong&gt;floating hold&lt;/strong&gt;) A hold down. When your supine opponent attempts to prevent your juji-gatame (cross armlock) by locking his arms together, remove your leg nearest his head and bend it behind you, then use both legs as if applying kesa gatame and raise your upper body to face your opponent. Or, place your left leg across your opponent's neck and under his arm while your hold his right arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first version appears to be the &lt;em&gt;S-mount&lt;/em&gt;, and is demonstrated in the following Kodokan/IJF Academy &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_lAjik1SUM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;technique video&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KCeIf.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KCeIf.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&amp;quot;Knee-on-belly&amp;quot;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It appears that &lt;em&gt;uki-gatame&lt;/em&gt; has historically also been used to refer to the &amp;quot;knee on belly&amp;quot; position:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/N3Qnc.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/N3Qnc.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JOWzK.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JOWzK.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=K5TTAgAAQBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PT12&amp;amp;dq=%22uki+gatame%22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Techniques of Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Shinzo Takagaki, Harold E. Sharp&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=a_G1AAAAIAAJ&amp;amp;q=uki-gatame&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;My Method of Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.154) (1955)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-03-25T15:01:24.527" LastActivityDate="2021-03-25T15:01:24.527" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9656" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6524" CreationDate="2020-02-03T11:16:32.857" Score="1" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Parry /catch on same side&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Parry opposite side&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Slip outside&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Slip inside&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bob/duck/change levels&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step back/rock back&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10621" LastActivityDate="2020-02-03T11:16:32.857" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9657" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-02-04T23:56:24.553" Score="2" ViewCount="1405" Body="&lt;p&gt;The freestanding punching bag. At my studio it’s situation on a rubber mat, and we need to move it around to the middle of the mat for drills. I’ve seen a few instructors stand on it and somehow tip it over on its round base and then move it, but I can’t seem to semi tip it over. How do you move it around?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/nogOe.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Examples of Wavemaster bags&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10626" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-02-05T22:56:21.427" LastActivityDate="2020-02-08T18:49:17.703" Title="How do you move a wavemaster bag around?" Tags="|karate|mixed-martial-arts|equipment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9658" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9657" CreationDate="2020-02-05T00:25:07.207" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The key thing to remember is that all of the weight is at the bottom, so much like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weeble&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Weeble&lt;/a&gt;, they're meant to wobble and not fall down. The description from &lt;a href=&quot;https://howtheyplay.com/misc/Wave-Master-Free-Standing-Punching-Bag-with-Stand&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; is almost certainly what your teacher is doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Basically, you tip the base at a 45 degree angle so that the edge of the bottom is on the floor, and roll the bag to where you want it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, it's not quite as easy as that, depending on how much you weigh. If you're not strong enough to just tip it, what you need to do is grab as high up on the bag as you can, and then let your weight pull it back. One method I've seen used to good effect for people who don't have a lot of body weight is to step onto the base with one foot, grab the top of the bag, and then step backwards and to the floor, letting your extended arm and body weight pull the bag down as you use the other hand to keep it from falling. One you get it to that 45 degree angle, the weight of the bag is on the edge, which means you can roll it wherever you need it without too much trouble.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can't manage to tip it, you're going to want to push low, like you where doing a tackle drill. Once you get the bag moving, try to keep moving because you're dealing with the classic physics problem of static friction (what keeps the bag from moving from a standstill) generally being a bit higher than dynamic friction (the resistance to moving once you get something started).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-02-05T00:25:07.207" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9659" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9640" CreationDate="2020-02-05T15:41:54.690" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;They were always the ones that came as a flat sheet of plastic and you are supposed to soak it in hot water to fit your mouth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not familiar with mouth guards that come as flat sheets of plastic. All of the ones I have used come shaped like this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/F9MfD.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/F9MfD.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;mouthguard&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You boil it, which makes it pliable, then bite into it to set for your mouth/teeth. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Is there a possibility that the mouth guard is actually misaligning my teeth?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes. Dental appliances are simply things you put in your mouth to apply force to your teeth. By doing this over time, a dentist (orthodontist) changes the alignment of your teeth. If you have ever had this done, it hurts enough that you may avoid chewing for a day or two after adjustments. If you were only using a mouth guard for ~10 hours a week, I would be surprised if it did much, but if your mouth guard is causing pain, I would stop using it and talk to a dentist. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-02-05T15:41:54.690" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9660" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9200" CreationDate="2020-02-05T15:54:32.880" Score="1" Body="&lt;h1&gt;IBJJF referenced techniques&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BJJ does not have a canonical list of techniques, however, the IBJJF makes reference to a number of techniques in its &lt;a href=&quot;https://ibjjf.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/IBJJF_Rules_Book_v5.1.1_en-US.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;rules&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Group&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Techniques&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Takedown&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Single or double-leg takedown, Suplex, Scissor takedown**&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Positions&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Side-control, North-south, Knee on belly, Mount, Side-mount, Sideways mount, Technical mount,  Back mount, Back control, Hooks, Ground fighting&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Guard&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Closed guard, Half-guard, Reverse half-guard, guard pull&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Guard pass&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Sweep&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Submission&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;• Triangle, Flying Triangle, Arm triangle, Choke with spinal lock, Forearm choke, Ezequiel choke, Frontal guillotine choke &lt;br&gt;• Do-jime* &lt;br&gt;• Armbar, Flying Armbars, Omoplata, Wristlock &lt;br&gt;• Bicep slicer, Calf slicer &lt;br&gt;• Straight foot lock,  Toe hold, Knee bar, Heel hook,** Lock twisting the knees,** Knee reaping** &lt;br&gt;• Triangle (pulling head), Spinal lock**&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;References: (1.3.8), (2.5.2), (4.1.7), (4.1.8), (4.2), (4.4), (4.4.1), (4.5), (6.2.2 W), (6.2.3 L), (6.2.3 M)&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;* &amp;quot;Lock inside the closed guard with legs compressing kidneys or ribs&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;** banned in competition&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Common techniques&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The following is a (non-exhaustive) list of techniques generally recognized in the BJJ community:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Positions&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Group&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Techniques&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Takedowns&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9609/how-has-kodokan-technique-classification-changed-over-the-years&quot;&gt;Judo throws&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;sup&gt;(Tomoe-nage, Sumi-gaeshi, O-soto-gari, Tani-otoshi, Seoi-nage)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt; Wrestling takedowns &lt;sup&gt;(Single leg, Double leg, Ankle pick, Fireman's carry, Suplex, Knee tap, Arm drag)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt; Guard pull&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Guards&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Closed guard &lt;br&gt;  Half guard (Quarter guard, Lockdown, Z-guard) &lt;br&gt; Open guard (X, De la Riva, Spider, Butterfly, Rubber, 50/50)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Guard passes&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Simple guard pass &lt;br&gt; Stacking guard pass &lt;br&gt; Near knee guard pass&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7723/whats-the-name-of-this-sweep-and-where-did-it-originate/7724&quot;&gt;Guard sweeps&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Closed guard: &lt;br&gt;⠀⠀Scissor sweep &lt;br&gt; ⠀⠀Push sweep &lt;br&gt; ⠀⠀Xande sweep &lt;br&gt; ⠀⠀Flower sweep &lt;br&gt; Half guard: &lt;br&gt;⠀⠀Old school sweep &lt;br&gt;⠀⠀John Wayne sweep &lt;br&gt;⠀⠀Pendulum sweep &lt;br&gt; Open guard: &lt;br&gt;⠀⠀Butterfly sweep&lt;br&gt;⠀⠀De La Riva sweep&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Pins&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Side control &lt;br&gt; Scarf hold &lt;br&gt; Mount (Full, Seated, Technical, Back) &lt;br&gt; Back control &lt;br&gt; Knee on belly &lt;br&gt; North-South &lt;br&gt; Crucifix&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Submissions&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Joint-locks&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Group&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Techniques&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Armlocks&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Wristlocks (flexing, supinating, abducting) &lt;br&gt; Armbar (straight, inverted) &lt;br&gt; Biceps slicer &lt;br&gt; Shoulder lock: &lt;br&gt; ⠀⠀Americana, Kimura, Hammerlock  &lt;br&gt; ⠀⠀Omoplata, Baratoplata, Monoplata/Marceloplata&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Leglocks&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ankle-locks (Straight, Toe hold)  &lt;br&gt; Kneebar &lt;br&gt; Calf slicer &lt;br&gt; Heel hook* (inside, outside) &lt;br&gt; Banana split&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Neck cranks&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(Can opener, Cattle catch, Crucifix, Twister, Guillotine)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Chokes/Strangles&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Group&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Techniques&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Gi chokes&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Baseball choke  &lt;br&gt; Cross choke (Palm up/palm down, Palm up/palm up, Arm and collar) &lt;br&gt; Breadcutter/Papercutter &lt;br&gt; Thrust choke &lt;br&gt; Loop choke &lt;br&gt; Ezequiel &lt;br&gt; Bow and Arrow, Clock choke, Crucifix&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;No-gi chokes&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;RNC (Biceps grip, Gable grip) &lt;br&gt; Guillotine &lt;br&gt; North South Choke &lt;br&gt; Gogoplata &lt;br&gt; Triangle &lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9606/how-are-arm-triangle-chokes-classified-in-judo&quot;&gt;Arm triangle&lt;/a&gt;: &lt;br&gt; ⠀⠀(Kata-gatame choke, Von Flue) &lt;br&gt; ⠀⠀(Anaconda, Peruvian necktie, D'Arce/Brabo/Japanese necktie)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Pressure submissions&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Body-scissors  &lt;br&gt; Knee on belly&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-03-28T13:28:28.027" LastActivityDate="2023-03-28T13:28:28.027" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9661" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8939" CreationDate="2020-02-05T16:42:40.563" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Quite a long time ago I did fracture another girl's pelvis by accident when sparing. I know she was not wearing a groin protector. I did wear one off and on but I remember it being extremely large, uncomfortable, and it really hindered my range of motion.  It was like walking around with one of those pool noodles between your legs. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Im thinking about getting back into competative sparring and that is my one major concerns. I have been out looking at a lot of research and testimonials and all I hear is that they do more damage than good. This has lead me to look into different protective gear. I'm now considering one used by female Muay Thai fighters called &quot;Lo'Bloo&quot;  its much smaller and many say its comfortable. I just can not find if it is approved for use in WT Tournaments.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would be interested to know if it is approved for use.  Its looks so much more reasonable than the &quot;Pool Noodles&quot; that most are using.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10628" LastActivityDate="2020-02-05T16:42:40.563" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9662" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-02-07T22:32:04.817" Score="0" ViewCount="141" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a way to make my knuckles harder, so if I punch someone I get less hurt and they get more hurt. Or if I miss and hit a rock the odds of breaking my knuckles is decreased? Is this possible, and if so, what exercises can I do to make them like this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user10633" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-02-08T21:53:39.673" LastActivityDate="2020-02-10T09:21:14.123" Title="How can I make my knuckles harder?" Tags="|punching|exercise|conditioning|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2020-02-10T21:57:01.940" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9663" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9657" CreationDate="2020-02-07T22:32:48.843" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You tilt it, and roll it. That is how I do it. It is much easier than pushing it. How do you tilt it over? Try pulling on the top of the bag. Use your body weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user10633" LastEditorDisplayName="user10633" LastEditDate="2020-02-08T18:49:17.703" LastActivityDate="2020-02-08T18:49:17.703" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9664" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9602" CreationDate="2020-02-08T22:18:06.040" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some potential candidates:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Group&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Techniques&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gi chokes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=iD6nAAAACAAJ&amp;amp;dq=fighting+judo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;suso-jime&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.patreon.com/posts/evolution-of-22292882&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Gerbi choke&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=iD6nAAAACAAJ&amp;amp;dq=fighting+judo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;suso-jime&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;  (Brabo choke) &lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vsXLqkIc2dAC&amp;amp;q=%22morote+jime%22&amp;amp;dq=%22morote+jime%22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;morote-jime&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/judo/comments/3zvufk/is_there_a_baseball_choke_in_judo/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;ude-jime&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Baseball choke) &lt;br&gt; Collar and arm choke&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Arm-triangles&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Peruvian necktie &lt;br&gt; Anaconda &lt;br&gt; Ungvári (d'Arce, Brabo, Japanese necktie)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Armlocks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Huizinga roll (Omoplata) &lt;br&gt; Biceps slicer*&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-31T00:21:22.233" LastActivityDate="2022-03-31T00:21:22.233" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9665" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9667" CreationDate="2020-02-09T17:17:26.893" Score="3" ViewCount="187" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are similar questions to this one across the web, but I think the problem I have is specific enough that it deserves its own question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm an amateur welterweight fighting at 69kg and 1.78m.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've had 3 amateur fights, that went the following way:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;1st fight: win by TKO on the second round, caught my opponent with a right cross&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;2nd fight: win by KO on the opening seconds of the first round, got him with a leaping left hook&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;3rd fight: loss by TKO in the third round, ref stopped it when I could barely stand&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Quite the violent experience, especially for an amateur welterweight. This is because for many years before joining the gym I train at, I always trained in this Mike Tyson-esque style which made me develop above average power for my weight class (that also contributed to me gassing out and getting stopped on my 3rd fight). Despite all this, I have never felt nervous or held back in the ring. And that is where my issue begins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I'm at the gym, I'm always scared to spar. My most valuable assets are explosiveness and power, which I obviously can't use in sparring. That means that whenever I spar, I barely hit my opponent because I'm doing movements that aren't really natural to me. I am also, for some reason, almost always scared during sparring, and that's not the case in the fights I had at all - which is weird, because my sparring partners aren't trying to hurt me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question then is: given the whole situation, how can I feel more comfortable in sparring?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thank you in advance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10634" LastActivityDate="2020-02-10T03:53:38.677" Title="Feeling comfortable in sparring" Tags="|boxing|sparring|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9667" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9665" CreationDate="2020-02-10T03:53:38.677" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Honestly, your only recourse is to spar. If you're worried about hurting your opponent, ask someone if they'll be willing to wear the full protective gear for a match so that you can practice counter-punching at force. You need to get used to getting hit and then striking back, and one way to avoid being worried about hurting your opponents is to pad them up (and, of course, train with someone who's skilled enough that they know how to roll with the blows so that they're not relying on that padding, which tends to do badly in preventing head injuries). If you're still worried about sparring even with your partner being better protected, you might try running punching drills where the other guy stands near padding or a heavy bag and you practice defense, absorbing, blocking, or dodging blows, and then when you unload your punch, the other guy steps aside enough for you to hit the bag as if they'd dodged the other direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-02-10T03:53:38.677" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9668" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9662" CreationDate="2020-02-10T09:21:14.123" Score="1" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Knuckle pushups. Do it the correct way with only the first two knuckles in contact with the floor. If it's too difficult, start by maintaining a static push up 'up' position. This conditions your knuckles and your wrists.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Classic makiwara (Japanese striking post) training. It's basically a flat plank wrapped in coarse rope and bolted to the floor. Punch it repeatedly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2020-02-10T09:21:14.123" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9669" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-02-11T13:02:22.150" Score="1" ViewCount="53" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have an odd request that I believe only people who train in martial arts or boxing might be able to answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I climb the stairs in my highrise, going through either a jab or cross motion with each step.  It's not a snappy jab/cross, it's more to condition the body, but it helps when shadow boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To add weight to my stair climbing, mostly for the lower limbs, I wear a backpack. But the shoulder straps aggravate bursitis or tendonitis (not sure which) on the shoulders.  You get old enough and you get those things.  Even the cross strap that pulls the shoulder straps inward, away from the tip of the collar bone, doesn't help much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a commercially available weight harness for this purpose?  It should be easy to hang up and air out, and it should consume little space when stored.  And it should be able to carry an adjustable amount of weight (I'm guessing that the back is where the weight would be).  The weights should be easy to tuck away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I imagine that it might look a bit like an S&amp;amp;M contraption, but hopefully not.  I don't need to attract attention going to the stairwell.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10351" LastActivityDate="2020-02-11T13:02:22.150" Title="Wearing weights while climbing stairs with jab &amp; cross motions?" Tags="|conditioning|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9670" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5728" CreationDate="2020-02-11T13:58:43.247" Score="1" Body="&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Meta:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/591/definitive-hand-conditioning-answer&quot;&gt;Definitive hand conditioning answer?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to the following study, practice of karate-style conditioning does lead to increased size of the metacarpals and hypertrophy of the skin over the knuckles, but it is also heavily associated with decreased wrist mobility and blood flow:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kicking and Striking Objects&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Roback&lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt; studied 16 male and 4 female karateists and found that few injuries were reported from breaking objects, However, he found beneficial adaptive changes, such as enlargement of the second (35%), third (45%), and fourth (15%) metacarpals. Twenty percent also had thickening of the soft tissue of the little finger border of the palm and hypertrophy of the skin over the knuckles. Forty percent of the hands had mild  abnormalities, 66% had decreased movement of the wrist, and 48% had decreased blood flow of the artery on the little finger side of the palm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;5. &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=QNQDAAAAMBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PA38&amp;amp;lpg=PA38&amp;amp;dq=Roback+MD:+The+injury+debate&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Roback MD: The injury debate.&lt;/a&gt; Black Belt Magazine. January 1979. pp 38-40&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00913847.1980.11948652?journalCode=ipsm20&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Injuries in Karate&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, The Physician and&#xA;  Sportsmedicine (1980)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note however that though it is oft-claimed that the bone which replaces micro-fractured bone in the body is 'stronger/harder/tougher' than healthy bone, this is not the case - it is only stronger than the &lt;em&gt;damaged&lt;/em&gt; bone:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Bone constantly undergoes modeling (reshaping) during life to help it&#xA;  adapt to changing biomechanical forces, as well as remodeling to remove old, microdamaged bone and replace it with new, mechanically stronger bone to help &lt;strong&gt;preserve&lt;/strong&gt; bone strength. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.springer.com/cda/content/document/cda_downloaddocument/9783642023996-c1.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Physiology of Bone Formation, Remodeling, and Metabolism&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Further reading:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Karate Hand-conditioning&lt;/em&gt;, Medicine &amp;amp; Science in Sports (1969)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.lume.ufrgs.br/handle/10183/3462&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Análise de impacto e risco de lesões no segmento superior associadas a execução da técnica de gyaku tsuki sobre makiwara por praticantes de karate do estilo shotokan&lt;/a&gt; (2002)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-11T15:30:42.350" LastActivityDate="2020-02-11T15:30:42.350" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9671" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6701" CreationDate="2020-02-12T00:41:09.187" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Shotokan karate, the stance is known as kokustu-dachi. It is a defensive stance that keeps the target area farther away from the opponent, yet easily shifts into a front stance/lunge (zenkustu-dachi) when an opponent leaves an opening. I assume it is the same with fencing.  The back foot, at a right angle to the front (which is pointed at the opponent), provides a great deal of stability and support to a  subsequent attack. As with fencing, modern karate competitors often bounce, with the back foot angled more forward.  This toe-bounce gives a bit more directional flexibility, quick acceleration, and helps to keep the body loose and relaxed during a match. There is a sacrifice in power, as the acceleration from a toe bounce comes primarily from the gastrocnemius (calf) muscles first as opposed to a traditional lunge which is initiated in the biceps femoris muscle and the gluteus maximus.  In fencing, I assume the overall power of strike is less important than the sheer speed of a strike. Anyway, dynamic fighting typically includes both bouncing and set feet (think of boxing, where the fighters bounce, but also set their feet for a power stroke).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10637" LastActivityDate="2020-02-12T00:41:09.187" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9672" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-02-13T10:06:10.777" Score="3" ViewCount="448" Body="&lt;p&gt;Usually Doboks for Gup grades will have a white collar, and Dan grades (black belts) will wear a black collar Dobok (not sure if there are any rules about this, but this is what I see as the common practice).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there practical ways to convert a white collar to a black collar?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This would allow newly promoted black belts to reuse their existing Doboks, that might still be in good shape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-02-24T23:05:55.620" LastActivityDate="2020-02-24T23:05:55.620" Title="Convert white collar Dobok to black collar" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|gi|uniform|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9673" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9672" CreationDate="2020-02-13T14:12:45.347" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Our system does this, in that we have one collar that denotes Leadership students, which is a 1&quot; wide ribbon sewn around the edging of the dobok (Not to include the bottom hem). For students that are in the instructor path, there are red/black (1st level certification), black/red/black (2nd level certification), and full black (fully certified instructor).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The type of ribbon that we use is called grosgrain ribbon, and is usually found commonly at fabric stores. As long as it matches your current ribbon, any local tailor/seamstress shop should easily be able to take off the old ribbon and put on the new one seamlessly (har har! :p). If your ribbon is a specialty type, inquire if you can get some of the ribbons by themselves and repeat the process with the seamstress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only difference being is if the new ribbon is narrower, you run the risk of the old seam pattern showing, but if your instructor is ok with that in class, go for it. I currently have class/school uniforms, and then a tournament/dress uniform that only gets worn for those occasions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2020-02-13T14:21:06.293" LastActivityDate="2020-02-13T14:21:06.293" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9674" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9672" CreationDate="2020-02-13T14:13:10.607" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Once I bought some black fabric and gave a tailor exact instructions on what to do, so that's doable. But that only saved a few dollars over ordering a ready-made black-trimmed top from the place my Grand Master uses for uniforms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2020-02-13T14:13:10.607" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9675" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9672" CreationDate="2020-02-13T18:34:35.583" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't see why you can't just use a fabric dye. Plenty of options for that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a type of dye I've seen in other threads that people use on their uniforms:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dharmatrading.com/dyes/dharma-fiber-reactive-procion-dyes.html?lnav=dyes.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.dharmatrading.com/dyes/dharma-fiber-reactive-procion-dyes.html?lnav=dyes.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's called &quot;Dharma Fiber Reactive Procion Dye&quot;. They have it in multiple shades of black.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many choices for fabric dyes, though. That was just one. Amazon will have plenty. I think you could even use tie-dye dyes, if they have one in just black.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've never done this, so it would be interesting to see how it turned out for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main caveat to doing this is that you have to be careful not to let the dye spread across the line of the collar. To ensure that, I think you're going to have to paint it on by hand using a small paintbrush, at least at that line. The rest you can just soak a little (not too much, or it will bleed across the edge).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's going to take some experimentation. Start on the back inside collar area, and close to the middle of the collar where a mistake won't matter too much. Put a dab on and leave it there for an hour to see how far it spreads. From that, you can get an idea of what it will do. Then do it for real. It might require multiple coats.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively - and I don't recommend this - see if you can use a Sharpie marker pen. Put a dab on somewhere, let it dry, come back and reapply a couple times, and wash your uniform a few times to see if stays on. I doubt it will produce a very deep black color, and it will probably fade over multiple washings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-02-13T18:34:35.583" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9676" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-02-13T21:00:59.917" Score="1" ViewCount="45" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a highschool girl, and I need to learn how to defend myself. I’ve looked into Muay Thai but I want to find something fit for me: I’m small - skinny and short. I am very agile but I lack strength. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to be able to defend myself and put my (larger male) opponents on the ground (or at least so that they will stop harassing and hurting me...).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the best martial art for self defence for a smaller woman?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10642" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-13T23:50:44.593" LastActivityDate="2020-02-13T23:50:44.593" Title="Best self defence Martial Art for small woman?" Tags="|judo|self-defense|gender|multiple-attackers|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2020-02-14T18:57:48.780" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9677" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-02-14T08:42:40.420" Score="5" ViewCount="1525" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently started my three and a half year old at karate, because he had a great time at a bring a friend day. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel that I have an active child, but he seems to be no more active than other little boys his age. His class is for 3 to 5-year-olds. Today in class the instructor had to speak to him several times about playing. The second time he spoke to my child he gave him a choice of sitting out on the side or saying that he would not play again. My child agreed not to do it again. But, as some 3-year-olds do, he forgot pretty quickly. The third time he took his belt away. My child cried just a little bit and wiped his tears away. He looked at me in sadness to tell me his belt was taken away. It was hard to watch. I would have preferred for him to maybe sit out a few minutes instead of having his belt removed. The instructor said that he could earn it back next time, which will be next week. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We have had a different instructor teach the class before as a sub and there was a difference between their teaching styles. The substitute instructor did a great job of keeping the kids active throughout the entire class. Today's instructor had a lot more down time. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What I'm really trying to determine here is if the expectations and consequences for behavior are developmentally appropriate for this age.&lt;/strong&gt; &#xA;And I'm also waiting for your advises about whether or not to continue karate classes versus trying other sports at this time in his life. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know I could shop around for other centers or work with the other instructor. But I'm also considering other sports that may have more activity and less downtime.  But if anyone out there can tell me what appropriate expectations and consequences might be for behavior for an almost 4-year-old in karate classes, I would really appreciate it. I would love to know some specifics about what you would expect during a 30-minute period in the way of self-control and activity. Thanks &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A quick update: my husband took our son to class today and he earned his belt back. My husband did get a minute to touch base with the instructor to get his assessment on how our kiddo is doing, and he said he's doing as expected for his age. Thank you everyone for sharing your experience and insight. It helped me understand everything better. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10643" LastEditorUserId="10643" LastEditDate="2020-02-16T01:32:04.740" LastActivityDate="2020-02-16T01:32:04.740" Title="Is my 3 year's old reprimand experience in karate today par for the course?" Tags="|training|karate|children|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9678" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9677" CreationDate="2020-02-14T14:31:01.633" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to preface anything that I say with the caveat that we are not present in your school, and we don't know the policy of the head instructor/school owner when it comes to things like taking away belts and other disciplinary actions. I am also speaking as a high ranking black belt, and a father of two boys (5 1/2 and 4 years old) that are in classes as well (I don't teach them).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Class management for this age is hard, as they have a limited attention span, and like to move from activity to activity with little down time. However, this is also a great age to start teaching and managing expectations. Our classes have them starting out by sitting on their dots, from whenever they get in class until it starts. There is a monitoring instructor/helper assisting in managing this, with gentle reminders and encouragement. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Classes have some downtime, and there are points where they are expected to sit for a minute or two while another group/child demonstrates something. And, kids being kids, this doesn't always go smooth. The discipline escalates from gentle reminders, to having to sit to the side of the class, or (and we are lucky in that we have a lot of staff/assistants) an instructor sitting with them being an example. I can think of only a couple instances in the last couple of years where anyone has had a belt taken away. We also give out attitude slips for kids that are doing the things they should when they should.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think it is unreasonable to ask a child in this age group to be able to pay attention or sit quietly through a 30 minute class (Heh, my kids would sit all day watching Wild Kratts if I let them). The trick is to make it enjoyable for them, even when they are sitting, and to manage it so that there is not much down/sitting time as can be arranged.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It does sound like the instructor needs a little more practice managing time, and/or doesn't quite know how to reinforce correct behavior. I (personally) don't like taking away a belt, especially from a new student, as much of their martial arts identity is tied up (no pun intended) in that belt. You take it away, you take away their identity essentially. However, if that is a consequence that is explained to them ahead of time, it's a little easier to manage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is very important, is how YOU handle this as well. I would not put any blame on the instructor. Yes, he may have been preemptive or arbitrary, but it was the behavior of your boy that prompted it. Be understanding, but also make it clear that it was HIS choices and HIS actions that caused the belt to be taken away, but it's also HIS actions that can earn it back. Kids that age are exploring and trying to exert their own control over things (&quot;NO!&quot;, &quot;I do it&quot;, &quot;I wanna do that&quot;), so letting him know that he can control this himself will be a big boost.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be supportive, ride the inevitable rocky patches at the beginning, and if you have concerns, ask to speak privately with the head instructor or school owner. Explain your concerns and listen to what they have to say. This may be normal discipline progression at the school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2020-02-14T14:31:01.633" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9680" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9677" CreationDate="2020-02-14T20:25:44.337" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll answer this question from the perspective of a dad and a former martial arts instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your kid is like a lot of other kids it sounds like. It's normal at this age (3 years old) for kids to not be able to concentrate and do what they're told for extended periods of time. A good teacher has to be able to get the kids interested in what he/she is doing. They need to make it fun. They can't spend too much time on any one thing, or else the kids will get bored. And they can't expect kids to pay attention perfectly. They have to go into it knowing that kids at this age are just trying to have fun, and if they can get one or two kids to be able to do what they're being shown every now and then, that's a success. Their expectations must be pretty low.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;That being said, it sounds to me like your kid's karate instructor did the right thing.&lt;/strong&gt; Actually, he was probably a little light if all he did was remove your kid's belt. The best thing he could have done would have been to take your child off the floor and have him sit it out on the side - with you, of course, not alone. My guess is he was being nice and reserving that for the future.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other thing to note is that the instructor did this right away in the first class. If he avoided it until several classes had gone by, your child would have been confused, because this was inconsistent with all of the other times your child was not disciplined. And that would have made it harder for your child to learn. The fact that the instructor did this right away is a point in his favor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your child had a typical reaction, which was to be upset and cry. From this, he'll learn that if he disobeys the instructor again, the same thing will happen, or worse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kids at this age don't understand the boundaries and what they can and can not do. So they test. They goof off. You can tell them not to do stuff, but you can't reason with them at this age. That's not going to be very effective. Instead, it takes some kind of disciplinary &lt;strong&gt;action&lt;/strong&gt; to get them to realize there are &lt;strong&gt;consequences&lt;/strong&gt; to bad behavior. Actions are a lot more effective than words.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We do a disservice to children by not giving them proper boundaries. That goes for parents and for teachers. In most martial arts classes teaching children, you're going to see some really bad behavior going on with the kids. They're going to be goofing off, playing with other kids, talking while the instructor is talking, running around the class, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are the teachers doing? If you watch any of these kinds of classes, you'll commonly see the same thing. The teachers are ignoring the kids that aren't paying attention, and they only care about the kids that are giving them attention. They tell the misbehaving kids to not misbehave, but those kids just laugh and keep misbehaving. And the cycle continues.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is generally how teachers cope with it. They know parents don't want their kids to be &quot;disciplined&quot;. Parents want their kids to have a good time. They don't want it to be &quot;too serious&quot;. But let me ask you, if your kid is one of the ones misbehaving, aren't you upset that the teacher isn't giving them any attention? Aren't you upset they're not improving? You should be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And by &quot;improving&quot;, I don't mean at karate. I think expecting a 3 year old to be improving at karate is misguided. Instead, improving in this context means being able to follow along in class with the rest of the students and to keep his attention on the teacher. That's going to pay off in all aspects of his life, especially academics later on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you need to be on-board with the teacher disciplining your child when it is necessary. Otherwise don't pretend it's anything but a babysitting class. Because, they're getting nothing out of it otherwise. They're not improving.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This idea extends into parenting as well. In fact, it starts and ends at home with the parents. Parents that do not tell their kids &quot;No&quot; a lot and frequently are doing a disservice to their kids. They need to set those boundaries, and the way to do that isn't by talking and hoping their kids will eventually get better. The way to do it is by taking their children out of the situation forcefully if they're not obeying right away. They need to make sure their kids know that if they don't obey without delay, there will be consequences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me give you an example from my life as a dad. My 4 year old daughter and I drove to a nearby park to play. I parked the car and told her to put on her coat, because it was too cold outside to be without it. She refused. I told her that she had to, because it was too cold. She said no again. Rather than argue with her about it, as I did in the past without success, I said, &quot;Okay then. No park today.&quot; And I quickly drove back home.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the car, she said &quot;okay&quot;, she would put her coat on. But it was too late. It wasn't about the coat, but about her refusing to do what she was told. So I kept driving home. And she cried some more. It hurt me, too, because I love her to death. But this is what a real parent has to do. Actions speak louder than words. Knowing there are consequences to bad behavior is really important for young children ages 2 and up. It establishes boundaries and guides them towards making better choices in life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other thing I do when my daughter misbehaves is I tell her what I saw her do from my perspective and how it made me feel, and how it made others feel. We have a conversation about it when some time has passed and she's not too upset anymore. Being able to see things from someone else's perspective is a huge part of their development. It helps them figure out what went wrong. Otherwise it can seem pretty arbitrary and trivial to them, which just makes them angry and resentful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And keep loving your child. Changing your parenting style does not change how often you hug and kiss your kid and tell him how much you love him. Keep doing that. He's going to hate you and cry after you discipline him, but it will be short lived. And you should always tell him you love him, even as you're disciplining.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And by the way, I don't recommend spanking or hitting your child, either. That's not what I mean by disciplinary action. Spanking just breaks his trust of you and creates hatred and resentment. It drives him away from you. That's not what you want. You want open lines of communication. You want him to go to you and tell you things without fear. You want him to feel comfortable enough around you to express his feelings. Spanking will poison all of that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, getting back to the incident with the karate instructor, once again I think what he did was the right thing to do. The fact that he did this immediately on day one helps, also. Without proper boundaries, your kid probably will not improve. And that goes for parenting and for regular academic classes as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2020-02-14T20:31:39.013" LastActivityDate="2020-02-14T20:31:39.013" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9681" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9682" CreationDate="2020-02-16T14:52:24.593" Score="2" ViewCount="181" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; Kodokan judo techniques are named in a somewhat systematised way, describing the major visual/mechanical components of the technique (e.g. &lt;em&gt;koshi-guruma&lt;/em&gt; &quot;hip wheel&quot;, &lt;em&gt;o-soto-gari&lt;/em&gt; &quot;major outer reap&quot;).  This is in contrast to the various impressionistic names of apocryphal techniques (e.g. &lt;em&gt;jigoku-jime, chōchin-datami, tama-guruma&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Yama-arashi&lt;/em&gt; (山嵐, &quot;mountain storm&quot;) then seems something of an obtuse anomaly in the Kodokan syllabus.&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What is the etymology behind &lt;em&gt;Yama-arashi&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does it have anything to do with porcupines (also called &lt;a href=&quot;https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%A4%E3%83%9E%E3%82%A2%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B7&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;yama-arashi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, ヤマアラシ, 山荒 in Japanese)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1. There are other more metaphorical, yet still penetrable, names: &lt;em&gt;tawara-gaeshi, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9190/etymology-of-tomoe-nage&quot;&gt;tomoe-nage&lt;/a&gt;, kani-basami, tani-otoshi, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9405/why-is-a-scarf-hold-so-named-if-you-dont-wrap-around-the-opponents-neck-lik&quot;&gt;kesa-gatame&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;2. Along with a couple of others: &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9684/etymology-of-tsubame-gaeshi/&quot;&gt;tsubame-gaeshi&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9238/origin-of-kawazu-gake&quot;&gt;kawazu-gake&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;3. With some being named for famous practitioners: &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9683/what-throw-is-tengu-nage&quot;&gt;tengu-nage&lt;/a&gt;, nanma-otoshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-17T12:04:01.813" LastActivityDate="2020-03-18T14:02:15.310" Title="Etymology of Yama-Arashi?" Tags="|judo|history|terminology|throwing|japanese|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9682" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9681" CreationDate="2020-02-16T14:52:24.593" Score="1" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Yama-otoshi → Yama-arashi&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Yama-arashi&lt;/em&gt; derives from an earlier jūjutsu throw &lt;em&gt;yama-otoshi&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yama-arashi is recorded in Sekiguchi-ryu (the old style of jujutsu) as yama-otoshi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?redir_esc=y&amp;amp;id=HGpbICBZdGwC&amp;amp;q=yama-otoshi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.78)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus it seems to have had an etymology similar to &lt;em&gt;tani-otoshi&lt;/em&gt; originally, and given some added 'flair' at some point during its adoption into the go-kyo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Porcupines&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Though the Japanese word for porcupine predates the judo throw by around two centuries,&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; the word was fairly obscure and (though pronounced the same) uses a different character for &lt;em&gt;arashi&lt;/em&gt;,&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; hence the similarity is likely coincidental.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1. &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=KkGjDQAAQBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PT24&amp;amp;lpg=PT24&amp;amp;dq=why+are+porcupines+called+yama-arashi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Japandemonium Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.298)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;2. Although 嵐 is indeed &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%B5%90#Etymology_1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;hypothesised to&lt;/a&gt; derive from 荒らし etymologically.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-02-16T19:23:01.540" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9683" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-02-16T15:48:53.533" Score="2" ViewCount="480" Body="&lt;p&gt;Famous judoka Yokoyama Sakujirō was known by the nickname &lt;em&gt;Tengu&lt;/em&gt;, and his &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sportsdefinitions.com/judo/Tokui-waza.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;tokui-waza&lt;/a&gt; was hence named &lt;em&gt;tengu-nage&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Yokoyama's specialty was &lt;em&gt;tengu-nage&lt;/em&gt; (&quot;mountain-devil throw&quot;), said to be nearly on a par with Saigo's yama-arashi. It is not certain exactly what tengu-nage entailed. The name of the technique may be partly ascribed to Yokoyama's other nickname, &quot;Tengu.&quot; Once, Yokoyama was traveling in the rural Hakone area. He met up with some rowdy porters and a fight ensued. Yokoyama thrashed them all so badly that they said to him, &quot;What are you, some kind of tengu?&quot; Yokoyama replied, &quot;Yes, and I will be back if you don't behave yourselves!&quot; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=L13P2hF33PUC&amp;amp;dq=&amp;quot;tengu-nage&amp;quot;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Way of Judo: A Portrait of Jigoro Kano and His Students&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What throw was this? Was it a novel throw he devised/adapted, or was it just a synonym for an existing throw he favoured?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-17T11:06:00.933" LastActivityDate="2020-02-18T17:25:43.313" Title="What is &quot;Tengu-nage&quot;?" Tags="|judo|history|terminology|throwing|identification|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9684" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9685" CreationDate="2020-02-16T23:31:34.217" Score="2" ViewCount="898" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why is &lt;em&gt;tsubame-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt; (&quot;swallow reversal&quot;) thus named? Wouldn't it have been more natural to name it &lt;em&gt;deashi-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt; in line with the other &lt;em&gt;kaeshi&lt;/em&gt; counter-throws?&lt;sup&gt;*&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;* &lt;em&gt;Osoto-gaeshi, ouchi-gaeshi, uchi-mata-gaeshi, hane-goshi-gaeshi, harai-goshi-gaeshi, kouchi-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-17T11:24:57.497" LastActivityDate="2020-03-18T12:01:45.337" Title="Etymology of Tsubame-gaeshi?" Tags="|judo|history|terminology|throwing|japanese|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9685" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9684" CreationDate="2020-02-16T23:31:34.217" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tsubame-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt; is named after a famous sword cut in kenjutsu (defined by its swift change of direction),&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; itself supposedly named for the motion of a swallow in flight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Kodokan chose the rather impressionistic name for this throw &quot;to reflect its unique qualities&quot;, and because the name was already well established:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;h3&gt;The meaning of tsubame-gaeshi&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The famous Japanese dictionary &lt;em&gt;Kojien&lt;/em&gt; explains the meaning of tsubame-gaeshi as coming from &quot;a swallow flying, to-ing and fro-ing quickly through the air.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ol&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;A technique in kenjutsu. A technique in which one holds a sword with the tip pointing in one direction. This is then reversed very quickly to cut.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;To turn the body around very quickly.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In accordance with the explanation above, this technique has been called &quot;tsubame-gaeshi&quot; for a long time because of its similarity to the quickly changing flight path of the swallow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;It was formally named by the Kodokan Waza Research Institute to reflect its unique qualities (October 1982).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?redir_esc=y&amp;amp;id=HGpbICBZdGwC&amp;amp;q=tsubame-gaeshi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.142)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;His favorite technique was both respected and feared throughout feudal Japan. It was called the &quot;Turning Swallow Cut&quot; or &lt;em&gt;Tsubame Gaeshi&lt;/em&gt; (燕返し, &quot;Swallow Reversal / Return&quot;), and was so named because it mimicked the motion of a swallow's tail during flight as observed at Kintaibashi Bridge in Iwakuni. This cut was reputedly so quick and precise that it could strike down a bird in mid-flight. There are no direct descriptions of the technique, but it was compared to two other techniques current at the time: the Ittō-ryū's &lt;em&gt;Kinshi Cho Ōken&lt;/em&gt; and the Ganryū &lt;em&gt;Kosetsu To&lt;/em&gt;; respectively the two involved fierce and swift cuts downward and then immediately upwards. Hence, the &quot;Turning Swallow Cut&quot; has been reconstructed as a technique involving striking downward from above and then instantly striking again in an upward motion from below. The strike's second phase could be from below toward the rear and then upward at an angle, like an eagle climbing again after swooping down on its prey. Sasaki created this technique around 1605.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasaki_Kojir%C5%8D#Swallow_cut&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sasaki Kojirō - Swallow cut&lt;/a&gt; (wikipedia.org)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2020-02-16T23:31:34.217" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9686" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9687" CreationDate="2020-02-17T11:20:56.183" Score="1" ViewCount="226" Body="&lt;p&gt;What kind of judo throw is &lt;em&gt;momo-guruma&lt;/em&gt;? It doesn't appear to be recognised by the Kodokan by this name, how is it performed and/or classified?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2023-03-29T13:25:04.480" Title="What is &quot;momo-guruma&quot;?" Tags="|judo|technique|terminology|identification|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9687" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9686" CreationDate="2020-02-17T11:20:56.183" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Momo-guruma&lt;/em&gt; (股車 &amp;quot;thigh wheel&amp;quot;) is a throw similar to &lt;em&gt;sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;hiza-&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/9154/8910&quot;&gt;guruma&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, where tori uses their foot as a fulcrum on uke's upper outer thigh to wheel them over. The Kodokan officially classifies it as a variant of &lt;em&gt;hiza-guruma&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Hiza-guruma - with the sole of the right foot supporting uke's left upper thigh&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both sides grapple in right natural posture. Similar to Application 1 (sono ichi), at the moment uke moves his left foot, tori changes his right grip to the outside of uke’s left middle sleeve, advances his left foot in front of uke's right foot (along the central line), and supports uke's body with his right foot by curving the toes of his right foot and placing the big-toe side on the outside of uke's left upper thigh (so that it touches his buttock) (photo 30). Tori opens his body to the right and pulls uke round with both hands to throw him down (photo 31).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The particular feature of this technique is that tori places the sole of his right foot on the outside of uke's left upper thigh. The area that he supports is different from that in the normal hiza-guruma but the concept is the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kiyoichi Takagi, 7th dan, (later 9th clan), an expert in this technique, restyled his own version as momo-guruma. He gives an explanation of its most important points in &lt;em&gt;Judo&lt;/em&gt; (published by Kodokan, July 1940 issue, 'Tokui waza kokai—an explanation of momo-guruma').&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hiza-guruma is a technique for throwing shorter people. When I was learning we practiced the standard hiza-guruma in the approved manner, and although we tried to learn it, it would not work properly however much we tried. After a lot of research, we found that hiza-guruma is a technique best executed by a tall person on a shorter person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wanted to create a set form to throw a short person with hiza-guruma and I came up with momo-guruma (as described here), which is for me the most suitable hiza-guruma. Momo-guruma is pretty much self-explanatory, you execute the technique on the outside of the thigh. I, however, go further and execute the technique on the opponent's buttock.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/XrhvA.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/XrhvA.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HGpbICBZdGwC&amp;amp;pg=PA124&amp;amp;lpg=PA124&amp;amp;dq=momo+guruma&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.123)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that though &lt;em&gt;momo&lt;/em&gt; uses the same character as &lt;em&gt;mata&lt;/em&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://jisho.org/search/%E8%82%A1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;股&lt;/a&gt; cf. &lt;em&gt;uchi-mata&lt;/em&gt;), the former pronunciation refers to the thigh generally and the latter the crotch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-03-29T13:25:04.480" LastActivityDate="2023-03-29T13:25:04.480" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9688" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9683" CreationDate="2020-02-17T13:17:59.997" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Before entering the Kodokan, Yokoyama Sakujirō trained in &lt;em&gt;Tenjin Shin'yō-ryū&lt;/em&gt; jūjutsu (as well as &lt;em&gt;Kitō-ryū&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This school of jūjutsu taught a tachi-waza technique by the name of &lt;em&gt;tengu-shō&lt;/em&gt;: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The next listing is of a very famous similar school, the &lt;em&gt;Tenjin Shinyō Ryu&lt;/em&gt; (天神真楊流). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;h2&gt;天狗勝&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tengu Sho&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  (Tengu No Kachi)&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Goblin Victory&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://jtweymo.angelfire.com/YOSHIN_SHINTO_KORYU.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Translation and Transcription of the Yōshin Shintō Koryū no Densho&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.46, p.51)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Several Portuguese sites&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://sinesiorgomes.blogspot.com/2009/07/nage-waza-tecnicas-de-arremesso-aula-11_10.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://judomododeusar.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/harai-goshi/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt; claim that &lt;em&gt;tengu-nage&lt;/em&gt; was a synonym for &lt;em&gt;tengu-shō&lt;/em&gt;, and that this technique was the progenitor of &lt;em&gt;harai-goshi&lt;/em&gt;, introduced to the Kodokan by Yokoyama:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Há duas versões sobre a origem desta técnica [&lt;em&gt;harai-goshi&lt;/em&gt;]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;A primeira diz que Sakujiro Yokoyama tinha essa como seu golpe favorito, que era conhecido no jiu-jitsu como como tengu-nage ou tengu-shô, originária do estilo Tenjin-Shinyôryu, o qual estudava antes de entrar para o Kodokan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As such, if this is indeed the origin of the throw, it would seem that Yokohama received his nickname for his use of it, and not vice versa, and that the story about him accosting some porters is apocryphal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-18T17:25:43.313" LastActivityDate="2020-02-18T17:25:43.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9689" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2942" CreationDate="2020-02-17T17:44:31.947" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is how the relevant terms are defined in the &lt;em&gt;Kodokan New Japanese-English Dictionary of Judo&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;uke&lt;/strong&gt; (&lt;strong&gt;&amp;quot;receiver&amp;quot;; the thrown; uke&lt;/strong&gt;) The person who receives a technique during repetition (uchikomi) or controlled (yakusoku) practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ukemi&lt;/strong&gt; (&lt;strong&gt;breakfall&lt;/strong&gt;) General term for breakfalls designed to protect the body when thrown.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ukeru&lt;/strong&gt; (&lt;strong&gt;to receive&lt;/strong&gt;) To receive a technique or attack from your opponent, or to have a technique applied to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that these are the definitions of these terms in a judo context, and 受け身 (&lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt;) and 受ける (&lt;em&gt;ukeru&lt;/em&gt;) more generally mean &amp;quot;passive one&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;to receive&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-02-17T17:44:31.947" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9690" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9692" CreationDate="2020-02-17T23:39:24.947" Score="4" ViewCount="376" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is something that has been on my mind for quite awhile now, so I'm hoping I can get a clear answer. Say that I was getting attacked by more that one person and I know BJJ, would it be my best bet to use it? The techniques seem great for one person, but not really two or more. My question is&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Should I use BJJ if defending against multiple attackers, especially if I don't know any other martial arts or fighting styles?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are there any styles of BJJ or any BJJ techniques that were made specifically for this purpose? &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-02-26T03:45:20.440" LastActivityDate="2020-02-26T03:45:20.440" Title="Brazilian Jiu Jitsu against multiple attackers" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|self-defense|streetfight|multiple-attackers|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9691" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9690" CreationDate="2020-02-18T03:39:11.087" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to high-level BJJ practitioners, dealing with multiple attackers is outside the system. This quotation is from &lt;em&gt;Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique&lt;/em&gt; by Renzo Gracie and Royler Gracie, p. 7:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Grappling skills will not allow you to destroy several attackers at once. Brazilian jiu-jitsu makes no claim to teach a method of overwhelming mass attacks. Should you be heaviliy outnumbered, Brazilian jiu-jitsu will not save you. &lt;em&gt;It is the contention of the authors that no other style of empty-hand fighting will save you either.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Emphasis is by the original authors. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-02-18T04:02:15.547" LastActivityDate="2020-02-18T04:02:15.547" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9692" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9690" CreationDate="2020-02-18T04:32:00.887" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question asks if Brazilian Jiujitsu is appropriate for defending against multiple attackers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, just so we're clear, no martial art is good at defending against multiple attackers. That's because it's hard enough to fight one person. When fighting two or more people at the same time, you're probably going to lose. That goes for the best trained people in any martial art, period. So it's a complete myth that any martial art is actually good at fighting multiple attackers. Don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, which martial art do you think would give you the best ability to get back up on your feet if you were in a scuffle, fell down, and found yourself with some guy on your chest ready to rain down punches while another guy was getting ready to kick your head in? The answer is Brazilian Jiujitsu. That's the martial art you want to have if you ever find yourself needing to get someone off of you and get back on your feet the fastest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BJJ also gives you take-down defense that most non-grappling arts don't have. You need to train in a martial art that tries to take people to the ground, because only in that martial art will you learn the best ways to resist getting taken to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if you're taking a non-sport based BJJ such as Gracie Jiujitsu, you'll probably have learned how to punch and kick as well as how to avoid punches and kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In BJJ, you can also use your skill in grappling to maneuver your opponent in order to shield you from other people trying to kick or punch you. If you have no grappling skill, you won't have this ability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a similar vein, a BJJ fighter has more of a choice when to get up more quickly and easily. Whereas, people who don't train in ground grappling do not have that choice at all. And it's usually not by choice that people end up on the ground in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are plenty of non-grappling based martial arts, such as Karate, Kung-Fu, Wing-Chun, Taekwondo, etc. which all claim to have the &quot;multiple attacker&quot; problem solved in their own ways. The problem is the fine print. It only works in very unrealistic conditions. For Taekwondo to work, for example, you need to be able to move around freely and quickly so that nobody can grab a hold of you, which rules out most situations that don't involve wide open spaces. And if you do allow someone to grab you, it's considered your fault, not the martial art itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most martial arts don't actually train for multiple attackers, either. If you've never had to spar two or more people at the same time, you simply won't be prepared for it when it comes up in real life. You need partners who are really trying to punch you, kick you, grab you, choke you, throw you down to the ground, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I tend to see in a lot of martial arts such as Karate, Taekwondo, and Aikido, is that they pretend to spar in multiple attacker scenarios. But the attackers tend to attack one at a time. Or they limit it to one strike, and then they'll stop and let you do whatever you want to them. That sort of drill really doesn't prepare you at all for a real life encounter with multiple attackers. It's worse than useless, because it gives students false confidence, which could end up getting them killed in real life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have seen some BJJ schools practicing with two people against one, but unless there's a significant size or skill advantage, the defender will almost certainly lose. That's how you can tell that they're doing this kind of training right. Any other outcome would be unrealistic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of that understood, if you really have to fight more than one person in real life, there are two things that you can do that work more reliably. First is to run. Second is to carry a weapon, such as a knife or a gun. A weapon would help even the odds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-02-18T04:32:00.887" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9693" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-02-18T21:35:24.670" Score="3" ViewCount="166" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a system to the way judo techniques are named? Many techniques seem to share components of names (&lt;em&gt;harai, guruma, gaeshi&lt;/em&gt; etc) - is there a standard uniform way these words should be interpreted as describing these techniques, or are they context dependent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2022-03-31T12:29:32.770" Title="Naming system of Judo techniques" Tags="|judo|technique|terminology|japanese|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9694" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9693" CreationDate="2020-02-18T21:35:24.670" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;em&gt;Kodokan New Japanese-English Dictionary of Judo&lt;/em&gt; has entries on most verbs used in technique names:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Word&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Definition&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Examples&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;haneru&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;to spring/jump&lt;/strong&gt;) A situation in which the powerful effect of a hane goshi or uchimata sends your opponent's body high into the air.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;hane-goshi, hane-makikomi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;harau&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;to sweep&lt;/strong&gt;) To throw by acting on your opponent's feet, legs, or trunk with a sweeping type motion.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;harai-goshi, harai-tsumikomi-ashi, de-ashi-barai, okuri-ashi-barai&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;hikikomu&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;to pull into&lt;/strong&gt;) To pull your opponent into a particular position, particularly as a way of moving into mat-work (newaza).&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;hikikomi-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;kaesu&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;to reverse; to counterattack&lt;/strong&gt;) To stop an opponent's attack and then execute an attack or counterattack of your own.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;osoto-gaeshi, ouchi-gaeshi, kouchi-gaeshi, tsubame-gaeshi, hane-goshi-gaeshi, harai-goshi-gaeshi, uchi-mata-gaeshi &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; kibisu-gaeshi, obi-tori-gaeshi, sumi-gaeshi, hikikomi-gaeshi, tawara-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;karu&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;to reap&lt;/strong&gt;) To sweep your opponent's feet, legs, or hips out from under him using reaping motions of your feet and legs.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;osoto-gari, kosoto-gari, &lt;br&gt;ouchi-gari, kouchi-gari&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;katameru&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;to pin; to hold down&lt;/strong&gt;) To use a hold-down technique to pin your opponent's body, or a portion of his body, in such a way that his freedom of movement is controlled and he is unable to move.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;katame-waza&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;makikomu&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;to wrap&lt;/strong&gt;) To throw in such a way that part of your opponent's body wraps around yours as part of your technique, a common element in many sacrifice techniques.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;osoto-makikomi, hane-makikomi, harai-makikomi, uchi-mata-makikomi, kouchi-makikomi, soto-makikomi, uchi-makikomi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;nageru&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;to throw&lt;/strong&gt;) In judo the use of the hands, hips, feet and legs in a coordinated fashion and in accordance with the principles of physics in such a way that you cause your opponent to fall or roll forward, backward, or to the side.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;nage-waza, &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; seoi-nage, sukui-nage, ura-nage, tomoe-nage&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;osaekomu&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;to hold down&lt;/strong&gt;) To hold your opponent down on the mat from above so as to render him unable to move.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;osaekomi-waza&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;osaeru&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;to hold down&lt;/strong&gt;) To face your opponent and hold him down on the mat so as to render him unable to move.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;sasaeru&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;to support; to block&lt;/strong&gt;) To use your feet, legs, or hips to block an opponent's attempts to move his body or a part of his body freely.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;sasae-tsurikomi-ashi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;seou&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;to load something onto your back&lt;/strong&gt;) To load your opponent onto your hips and/or back.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;ipponzeoi-nage, seoi-nage, seoi-otoshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;shimeru&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;to strangle; to choke&lt;/strong&gt;) To apply pressure to your opponent's neck using your hands, arms, legs, or by manipulating his collar or lapel.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;shime-waza, hadaka-jime&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;taosu&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;to throw down&lt;/strong&gt;) To throw down or otherwise defeat your opponent.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;kuchiki-taoshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;tsurikomu&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;to lift and pull&lt;/strong&gt;) To use lifting and pulling movements of the sleeve hand (hikite) and collar hand (tsurite) in order to &amp;quot;float&amp;quot; your opponent forward.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;tsurikomi-goshi, sode-tsurikomi-goshi, sasae-tsurikomi-ashi, harai-tsurikomi-ashi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;ukasu&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;to float something upwards&lt;/strong&gt;) To lift and pull your own body or your opponent's body in a way that it becomes nearly weightless for an instant.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;em&gt;uki-goshi, uki-otoshi, uki-waza, uki-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that technique names usually employ the continuative tense of the verb (ending &lt;em&gt;-i / -e&lt;/em&gt;), but the infinitive (generally in &lt;em&gt;-u&lt;/em&gt;) is listed here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-31T12:29:32.770" LastActivityDate="2022-03-31T12:29:32.770" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9696" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-02-19T19:37:29.073" Score="6" ViewCount="372" Body="&lt;p&gt;My 9 year old grandson has a brown belt for around 7 months now. Usually he goes to regular class where all the color belts are put into their own groups. He hasn’t practiced some of the earlier katas as the chance doesn’t present itself often the way the classes are. Last night he went to a late class and was the only brown belt so he was separated and worked with a black belt on a kata he hadn’t done in some time. Sensei threatened to demote him because he didn’t remember the kata (he did, but was a little hesitant).  This little boy loves karate and takes it seriously and has no behavior issues at all. It broke his heart and when we got to the car he asked, &quot;How did I do, Gramma? I tried my best, but I haven't done that kata in a long time,&quot; and told me what sensei said. Is this ok? Am I just being over sensitive? I am not one of those people that thinks my child (grandchild) is perfect, and if he deserved it I would understand. But instead I feel like this was not motivating. He has enough troubles at home and he does do his best every time he goes. Any thoughts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10656" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-20T21:52:17.183" LastActivityDate="2021-04-25T08:23:58.490" Title="Child belt demotion for forgetting kata" Tags="|training|karate|teaching|children|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9697" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9696" CreationDate="2020-02-19T20:53:15.613" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Please see this other question which asks something similar, but with a 3 year old:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9677/is-my-3-years-old-reprimand-experience-in-karate-today-par-for-the-course&quot;&gt;Is my 3 year&amp;#39;s old reprimand experience in karate today par for the course?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now as for your 9 year old grandson not remembering kata as a brown belt...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Brown belt in most karate systems is right before black belt or nearly before black belt. This is considered an advanced rank which is getting your grandson ready, especially mentally, for his black belt test.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is absolutely a requirement in all forms of Karate, Taekwondo, Kung-fu, etc. to remember all forms (kata) learned in the past as well as the current one being worked on. Class time is not enough, as you noted. So the kids need to practice forms at home on their own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How often and how long they should practice their forms depends on them and their rank. At white belt, they only know one kata. So they can repeat it on their own 10 to 20 times every few days, and that should be sufficient to remember it. At brown belt, they know probably 7 different kata or so. In advanced ranks, it's expected that they refine their kata performance to a much higher level. That requires daily or every other day practice of all kata, for 10 to 20 reps each. This can take up about an hour of time. And it's expected they do this on their own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's a tough requirement for kids this age. And it's not usually spelled out for them. Usually kids pick this up on their own after being embarrassed by not remembering a kata in class. The embarrassment is usually pretty good motivation to go home and practice more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for threatening to demote him, that usually is a disciplinary action reserved for misbehaving kids. Forgetting kata doesn't qualify. Repeatedly forgetting kata after being told over and over again to practice at home does qualify. I'm not sure if that was the case with your grandson, however.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In most cases, though, demotions are rarely given. It's just a threat meant to motivate. And yes, there are plenty of other / better ways of motivating children.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When a kid forgets a kata, instructors need to impress upon them that it's their responsibility to know all the katas previously learned all the way from white belt on. When testing for a belt promotion, they may be asked to perform earlier kata, and their performance of those kata needs to be at the level for which they are testing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So as for you and your grandson, my recommendation is to make sure your grandson is handling it constructively. Instead of feeling ashamed, he should become more determined. You need to sit with him and work out a plan to solve the problem. That might mean you find 30 minutes every two days for him to work on it. Help him stick to that schedule. If a fixed schedule isn't possible, get him to work on it whenever time presents itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so long as he's doing that, he'll be fine. He won't be demoted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-02-19T20:53:15.613" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9699" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9700" CreationDate="2020-02-20T15:20:24.523" Score="0" ViewCount="570" Body="&lt;p&gt;I hear a lot of people asking why kids seem to have different belts than adults do (specifically 16 and up). The adult belts go white, blue, purple, brown, and black. The kids belt go white, grey, yellow, orange, green. Each of the kids belts (besides white) usually have a white stripe variation and a black stripe variation. Why do kids get different belts? What is the thinking, especially because people often get confused when it comes to conversion?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-03-25T21:39:48.000" LastActivityDate="2021-10-05T09:49:51.170" Title="Why do kids have different belts in BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|belt|grading|children|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9700" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9699" CreationDate="2020-02-20T15:20:24.523" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are actually a few reasons that kids get different belts. Here are a few:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You are supposed to have the body of an adult before you are able to get your blue belt or anything higher.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kids classes are often shorter, and since BJJ promotes based on time, there needs to be a way to make up for the extra time that they would have to put in if they were an adult&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kids classes often have more &quot;messing around&quot; than adult classes, so less technique is sometimes learned.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It gives an easy chance for kids to show their exact skill level by the time they turn 16.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kids are often more likely to lose interest in the martial art if they are not frequently receiving promotions, that's why the first two belts (white and grey-white) take less that 6 months each, and then they start to take about a year each.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-02-22T00:01:26.960" LastActivityDate="2020-02-22T00:01:26.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9701" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6025" CreationDate="2020-02-20T15:40:18.437" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have to disagree with &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/347/dave-liepmann&quot;&gt;Dave&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keeping the bottom leg mostly straight is good for stopping the roll&#xA;and distributing the impact, but definitely suboptimal for rolling to&#xA;stand up&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhfhV4Yf1rA&amp;amp;t=3m03s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; shows how to stand while maintaining a straight bottom leg, which is a proper breakfall position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is how I teach people. I suspect that the bent leg version exists because someone used it as a shortcut to get back to a standing position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I cringe every time I'm on a Judo mat and see people bending that leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[Edit]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also have to disagree with &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/6440/philip-kl%C3%B6cking&quot;&gt;Philip&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like to add that tucking for a roll makes more sense if you&#xA;intend to turn while standing up, ie. to face a person standing behind&#xA;you after your roll. That's impossible to do fluently without tucking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The video that I've linked shows that you end up looking behind yourself at the end of the roll with your leg straight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10658" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-02-20T23:23:46.473" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9702" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9699" CreationDate="2020-02-20T16:04:56.780" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo also has a different system for kids. I think it's because kids lose interest if they aren't getting promotions frequently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10658" LastActivityDate="2020-02-20T16:04:56.780" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9703" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9690" CreationDate="2020-02-20T16:28:01.790" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;BJJ does not cover multiple attackers, and that's one big reason why I don't train it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll take my chances trying to throw the first guy on his head. If I succeed in that, the other guys will probably run away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10658" LastActivityDate="2020-02-20T16:28:01.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9704" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-02-20T21:02:06.007" Score="2" ViewCount="456" Body="&lt;p&gt;The canonical form of &lt;em&gt;okuri-eri-jime&lt;/em&gt; refers to chokes where one lapel is held with the inside of the wrist against uke's neck, and the other is pulled taught to apply the strangle. The canonical &lt;em&gt;kata-te-jime&lt;/em&gt; is applied using only one hand holding the collar applying pressure to the trachea with the outside of the wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However I'm unsure how certain competitive chokes should be classified (e.g. clock choke, bow-and-arrow choke) - they are blood chokes using the inside of the wrist grabbing the lapel (like in &lt;em&gt;okuri-eri-jime&lt;/em&gt;), but they are applied holding only one lapel (like &lt;em&gt;kata-te-jime&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The kodokan considers &lt;em&gt;jigoku-jime&lt;/em&gt; a variant fo &lt;em&gt;okuri-eri-jime&lt;/em&gt;, which would seem to imply these other chokes are too, since they are mechanically similar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How does the kodokan classify these techniques?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-21T09:50:39.170" LastActivityDate="2020-02-24T07:42:49.043" Title="How are the clock choke and bow-and-arrow choke classified in Judo?" Tags="|judo|technique|chokes|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9705" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9704" CreationDate="2020-02-21T09:56:34.287" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;What the second hand in okuri-eri-jime does is securing the shoulder, even if it does so holding the lapel. That is why jigoku-jime is considered okuri-eri: one limb is securing the shoulder, one hand is closing around the neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since clock choke (or koshi-jime) does the same, it has to be considered a variant of okuri-eri-jime.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding bow-and-arrow, it's the same: since the shoulder is the fixed counter-point, it is okuri-eri-jime.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kata-te-jime is without active fixation, it can basically only be performed against the ground from above, or against a &lt;em&gt;passive&lt;/em&gt; part of the body behind uke's neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Official classifications are hard to find, therefore this is derived purely from the underlying principles of the chokes as demonstrated in katame-no-kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2020-02-24T07:42:49.043" LastActivityDate="2020-02-24T07:42:49.043" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9706" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9704" CreationDate="2020-02-21T11:41:48.487" Score="1" Body="&lt;h1&gt;&lt;em&gt;Koshi-jime&lt;/em&gt; (okuri-eri-jime)&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to the &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Video Series&lt;/em&gt;, Vol. 3 - &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/yvOMQl1Qmow?t=487&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Katame Waza: Various Techniques and their Names&lt;/a&gt;, the &amp;quot;clock choke&amp;quot; is considered a variant of &lt;em&gt;okuri-eri-jime&lt;/em&gt;, irrespective of whether the second lapel is held.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is affirmed in &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/%E6%9F%94%E9%81%93%E5%A4%A7%E4%BA%8B%E5%85%B8.html?id=TkS_AAAACAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;柔道大事典&lt;/a&gt; (p.173), where this choke is referred to as &lt;em&gt;koshi-jime&lt;/em&gt;. It also known as &lt;em&gt;yoko-jime&lt;/em&gt;, or &lt;em&gt;yoko-okuri-eri-jime&lt;/em&gt;. In 1995, the IJF classified &lt;em&gt;koshi-jime&lt;/em&gt; as a distinct technique, but in 1998 ammended its classification to align with the Kodokan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;Bow-and-arrow choke&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt; (okuri-eri-jime / kata-te-jime)&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When used in competition, the &amp;quot;bow-and-arrow choke&amp;quot; is consistently classified as &lt;em&gt;okuri-eri-jime&lt;/em&gt; by the IJF:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judo.or.jp/p/32969&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2014 Asian Games | 52kg | Nakamura vs Jung&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/15144/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gp_chn2018_m_0066_0050&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2018 Grand Prix | 66kg | Maruyama vs Jurakik&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/15144/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gs_ger2019_m_0066_0063&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2019 Grand Slam | 66kg | JoShiro vs Biel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While the AJJF coincided with the IJF in the above, they/the Kodokan Cup differed in the following examples, classifying them &lt;em&gt;kata-te-jime&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/3637/videos?currentContestCodeLong=wc_sen2018_w_0063_0055&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2018 World Championships | 63kg | Tashiro vs Tremblay&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/1787/videos?currentContestCodeLong=wc_sen2015_m_0066_0013&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2015 World Championships | 66kg | Ebinuma vs Cesar&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://seikosportslink.com/dev/judo/results.html?i=12018012&amp;amp;s=JU&amp;amp;d=JU&amp;amp;g=W&amp;amp;e=048&amp;amp;c=01&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2018 Kodokan Cup | 48kg | Koga vs Yamazaki&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/1787/videos?currentContestCodeLong=wc_sen2015_m_0066_0013&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2017 Grand Prix | 100kg Wolf vs Nikiforofu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So it seems that this style of choke is indeed ambiguous, at least in Japan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;Canto choke&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt; (Kata-te-kata-ashi-jime)&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This ambiguity can also be seen in the &amp;quot;Canto choke&amp;quot;, which in Japan appears to generally be considered a variant of &lt;em&gt;kata-te-jime&lt;/em&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.apple.com/gb/book/%E5%B0%8F%E5%AE%A4%E5%AE%8F%E4%BA%8C-%E6%9F%94%E9%81%93%E5%9B%BA%E6%8A%80%E6%95%99%E6%9C%AC/id986257130&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;柔道 固技教本&lt;/a&gt;), but has been labelled &lt;em&gt;okuri-eri-jime&lt;/em&gt; by the IJF in competition:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/13608/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gs_ger2018_w_0078_0024&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2018 Grand Slam | 78kg | Apotekaru vs Cardenas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-02-21T18:23:52.463" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9707" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9708" CreationDate="2020-02-21T23:56:02.380" Score="3" ViewCount="789" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started taking Kuk Sool Won a few weeks ago. Kuk Sool Won is a Korean martial art that is basically a collection of older, traditional Korean martial arts. I found out about it because it is the art that was done by Gary Goodridge, a UFC champion from way back when. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kuk Sool Won (also referred to as Kuk Sool) includes many techniques, such as punches, kicks, hand strikes, weapons works, animal fighting styles, and throws. While doing research on it, I was unable to find the names of the old Korean martial arts that it is based on. Could anybody help me out with this one? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-22T17:36:19.550" LastActivityDate="2020-02-22T19:25:40.900" Title="What martial arts are part of Kuk Sool Won?" Tags="|history|style|identification|kuk-sool-won|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9708" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9707" CreationDate="2020-02-22T18:05:56.673" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question asks about the origins and lineage of Kuk Sool Won.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the past, I once had an interest in KSW as well. At various times, I've looked for this information, hoping that something authoritative would appear. To date, I have not found it. My tentative conclusion is that &lt;strong&gt;there is no widely accepted and verifiable source of historical documentation for Kuk Sool Won&lt;/strong&gt; which would prove its claims of origin and lineage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, if you enjoy practicing KSW, that's all that really matters. Even if its history of transmission turns out to be fictitious in part or in whole, that shouldn't stop you from enjoying it for what it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond KSW, most Korean martial arts have a tumultuous relationship with the truth with regards to their origins and lineage. I attribute this to the Japanese occupation of Korea 1910-1945. For 35 years, Korean culture and especially their practice of Korean martial arts was suppressed. For two generations, young Koreans were forced into the Japanese military, brought to Japan, and were exposed to Japanese martial arts. The biggest influences were Shotokan Karate, Judo, Kendo, and Daito Ryu Aikijujitsu. If you compare those martial arts with Taekwondo, Hapikido, and Kuk-Sool-Won, you'll see a lot of the same elements. To some degree, these elements are universal, and so you'll expect to see some similarity. But there are things that were simply copied wholesale that can not be anything but a copy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, in early Taekwondo, they did the exact same forms (hyung) that Shotokan karate did. They might have Koreanized some of the names, but the forms were more or less identical. That's documented and completely verifiable. Later on, Taekwondo developed its own forms, rearranging patterns from Shotokan karate forms into new forms. Those were affectionately referred to as the &quot;blender&quot; forms. And that's documented as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo has been evolving away from its Shotokan origins ever since, but the influence is unmistakable. Taekwondo today is still a derivative of Shotokan karate. And yet, you will scarcely read about or hear about the Japanese origin of Taekwondo from any Taekwondo source.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a black belt in Taekwondo, and yet I didn't know about its origin in Shotokan karate until after I looked into it myself, well after I had received my black belt. There was so much anti-Japanese sentiment in Taekwondo that I just didn't think such a connection was possible. Even the ITF Taekwondo forms were sometimes named after Koreans who killed Japanese people during the occupation. And we had to recite their history: &quot;Joong-Gun: Named after the patriot, Ahn Joong-Gun, who assassinated Hiro Bumi Ito, the first Japanese Governor General of Korea, in the year 1909.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://taekwondo.fandom.com/wiki/Joong-Gun&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://taekwondo.fandom.com/wiki/Joong-Gun&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.taekwondopatterns.info/joong-gun&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.taekwondopatterns.info/joong-gun&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll find this anti-Japanese sentiment in a lot of Korean martial arts. It's because Koreans hated the Japanese for invading and occupying them for over 35 years. The Japanese suppressed all things Korean, especially their native martial arts. After two generations passed, hardly anyone remembered Korean martial arts. Fragments, blurry memories, and concepts survived and influenced contemporary Korean martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whenever we hear about &quot;pure&quot; Korean martial arts today which supposedly did not derive from Japanese martial arts, it's met with a great deal of skepticism. Usually, claims of pure Korean origin and lineage do not come with any form of verifiable documentation to confirm those claims. The Koreans will argue that such paper documents were destroyed or lost during the occupation, which sounds plausible but still leaves the question unanswered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So nowadays, Korean martial arts don't often mention their Japanese roots. And indeed, they often are guilty of revisionist history, claiming that most of their curriculum comes from ancient Korean sources, prior to the Japanese occupation. When martial scholars have analyzed these sorts of claims, they tend to come up short. And usually they conclude the opposite, that there is almost no direct transmission from those older Korean arts to the newer ones. There is definitely some influence there, but not much direct transmission.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kuk Sool Won was created, in part, to give Korean people their own martial art. Its name even means, &quot;National Martial Art&quot;. Many other Korean martial arts practitioners wanted the same thing after the Japanese occupation had ended. They saw that Korean culture had been destroyed by the Japanese, and they wanted some martial art that Koreans could call their own. They absolutely wanted nothing to do with the Japanese. So you will find nothing but denial of any claims of non-Korean and especially Japanese derivation from within the style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion, I think you should be skeptical of any claims about Kuk Sool Won's origin and derivation. But don't let that get in the way of enjoying it if it's something you want to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2020-02-22T19:25:40.900" LastActivityDate="2020-02-22T19:25:40.900" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9709" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-02-24T08:30:29.940" Score="6" ViewCount="529" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Kodokan has numerous materials detailing the canonical versions of their shime-waza along with several variations. However, there are a large number of competition chokes (and novel chokes imported from BJJ) which are not covered. How are these classified?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2022-03-17T14:29:30.920" Title="How are chokes/strangles classified in Judo?" Tags="|judo|technique|chokes|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9710" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9709" CreationDate="2020-02-24T08:30:29.940" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Below is a list of chokes and how they fall into the 12 current Kodokan shime-waza classifications. Note that like with certain throws, there is often debate as to whether certain choke applications fall into one category or another (e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9704/how-are-the-clock-choke-and-bow-and-arrow-choke-classified-in-judo&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;okuri-eri-jime&lt;/em&gt; vs &lt;em&gt;kata-te-jime&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Techniques denoted with an asterisk are not competition legal (* &lt;sup&gt;† ‡&lt;/sup&gt;).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Letter superscripts represent examples in competition ( &lt;sup&gt;a b c&lt;/sup&gt; ).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Number superscripts represent referenced materials ( &lt;sup&gt;1 2 3&lt;/sup&gt; ).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;code&gt;code&lt;/code&gt; denote positions technique is applied from.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Kodokan shime-waza and their variations&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Arm chokes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Kodokan name&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Variations&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sode-guruma-jime&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- Standard &lt;sub&gt;(Ezequiel choke)&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br&gt; - Arm in Ezequiel&lt;br&gt; - Baseball choke with sleeve grip&lt;br&gt; - No-gi Ezequiel&lt;br&gt; - Wrist-control no-gi Ezequiel&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hadaka-jime&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;code&gt;from behind&lt;/code&gt;&lt;br&gt; - Short wrist choke &lt;sub&gt;&lt;code&gt;Gable grip&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br&gt;- Rear Naked Choke &lt;sub&gt;&lt;code&gt;Biceps grip&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;code&gt;from sprawl&lt;/code&gt;&lt;br&gt;- Mae-hadaka-jime &lt;sub&gt;(Guillotine)&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;code&gt;from pin&lt;/code&gt;&lt;br&gt;- North South choke*&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;code&gt;using leg&lt;/code&gt;&lt;br&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/yvOMQl1Qmow?t=369&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kagato-jime&lt;/a&gt;   &lt;sub&gt;(Pillory choke / Heel choke)&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br&gt;- Ashikubi-jime &lt;sub&gt;(Gogoplata / Ankle choke)&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Leg chokes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Kodokan name&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Variations&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dō-jime&lt;/strong&gt;*&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sankaku-jime&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- Omote-sankaku &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/tLe86Qiea6U?t=5064&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yoko-sankaku&lt;/a&gt; &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;- Inverted triangle&lt;br&gt;- Back Triangle&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cross-collar chokes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Kodokan name&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Variations&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nami-jūji-jime&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gyaku-jūji-jime&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- Standard &lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/23306/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gs_rus2016_m_0100_0002&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;br&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgEIQCHFM8M&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;With leg assist&lt;/a&gt; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/379/videos?currentContestCodeLong=wc_sen2019_m_0090_0113&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kata-jūji-jime&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- Standard&lt;br&gt; - Baseball choke &lt;sub&gt;(&amp;quot;Batto&amp;quot; jime / Ura-juji-jime)&lt;/sub&gt; &lt;br&gt; - Brabo choke &lt;br&gt;- Tomoe-jime &lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt; - Collar and arm choke&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Collar chokes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Kodokan name&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Variations&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Okuri-eri-jime&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/41546/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gp_hun2018_w_0057_0060&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;code&gt;from behind&lt;/code&gt; &lt;br&gt;- okuri-eri-jime&lt;br&gt;- Collar and arm choke &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;code&gt;from sprawl&lt;/code&gt;&lt;br&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj1GkwERb6w&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tawara-jime&lt;/a&gt; &lt;sup&gt;11&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;sub&gt;(Inverted)&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br&gt; - Koshi-jime &lt;sub&gt;(Yoko-jime / Clock choke)&lt;/sub&gt; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/7355/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gs_aze2019_w_0048_0017&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt; - Bow-and-Arrow choke &lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.judo.or.jp/p/32969&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/15144/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gp_chn2018_m_0066_0050&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;b&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/15144/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gs_ger2019_m_0066_0063&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;c&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/3637/videos?currentContestCodeLong=wc_sen2018_w_0063_0055&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;d&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt; → (with leg assist)&lt;br&gt; → (Rolling entry) &lt;sub&gt;(Kaiten- / Oten- / British choke)&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/1787/videos?currentContestCodeLong=wc_sen2015_m_0066_0013&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://seikosportslink.com/dev/judo/results.html?i=12018012&amp;amp;s=JU&amp;amp;d=JU&amp;amp;g=W&amp;amp;e=048&amp;amp;c=01&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;b&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/1787/videos?currentContestCodeLong=wc_sen2015_m_0066_0013&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;c&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;code&gt;from pin&lt;/code&gt;&lt;br&gt; - Jigoku-jime → Ashi-kake-jigoku-jime &lt;sub&gt;(with leg assist)&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;code&gt;Loop chokes&lt;/code&gt;&lt;br&gt;- Kote-jime &lt;sup&gt;2 4 &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/3787/videos?currentContestCodeLong=wc_sen2017_w_0057_0055&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;sub&gt;(Kote- / Ude-shibori / Ushiro-kata-ha-jime)&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkfGAyBXsCY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nezumi-tori&lt;/a&gt; &lt;sub&gt;(Loop choke grabbing leg)&lt;/sub&gt; &lt;br&gt;→ Gator roll &lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGHIKLC7Spk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kata-te-jime&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- Kyo-jime &lt;sub&gt;(Breadcutter choke holding belt)&lt;/sub&gt; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/9383/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gp_hun2018_w_0078_0007&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/13218/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gs_ger2019_w_0052_0049&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;b&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/13218/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gp_hun2019_w_0052_0019&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;c&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;- Itachi-jime &lt;sub&gt;(Loop choke holding belt)&lt;/sub&gt; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/240/videos?currentContestCodeLong=wc_sen_teams2017_m_0073_0019&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;code&gt;Leg/collar choke&lt;/code&gt;&lt;br&gt;- Kata-te-kata-ashi-jime &lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/judoka/13608/videos?currentContestCodeLong=gs_ger2018_w_0078_0024&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;- Ashi-jime &lt;sub&gt;(Canto choke)&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tsukkomi-jime&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- Thrust choke&lt;br&gt; - Necktie-jime&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kata-ha-jime&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- Standard &lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.judoinside.com/judovideo/72680/Musa_MOGUSHKOV_RUS_Masashi_EBINUMA_JPN_U73_Grand_Slam_Dusseldorf_2019&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;br&gt; - &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/yvOMQl1Qmow?t=819&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Inverted&lt;/a&gt; &lt;sub&gt;(from sprawl)&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br&gt; - Ōten-jime &lt;sub&gt;(Rolling entry)&lt;/sub&gt; &lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ryo-te-jime&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- Standard &lt;br&gt; - Kani-jime &lt;sup&gt;‡&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;sub&gt;(with leg assist)&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Non-Kodokan chokes&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Technique&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Variations&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9606/how-are-arm-triangle-chokes-classified-in-judo&quot;&gt;Arm triangle&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;code&gt;From sprawl&lt;/code&gt; &lt;br&gt;- D'Arce choke → Ungvári turnover &lt;br&gt;- Anaconda choke → Gator roll &lt;br&gt;- Peruvian necktie‡ &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;code&gt;From pin&lt;/code&gt;&lt;br&gt;- Kata-gatame&lt;br&gt;- North-South choke &lt;sub&gt;&lt;code&gt;Arm in&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br&gt;- Von Flue choke&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Body compressions&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- Kesa-gatame &lt;br&gt;- Uki-gatame / Knee on belly&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ashi-jime&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- Kagato-jime &lt;sub&gt;&lt;code&gt;pulling lapels&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; &lt;br&gt;- Neck scissors&lt;sup&gt;‡&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;br&gt;- Shin choke&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Suso-jime&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;- Gerbi choke† &lt;br&gt;- Baseball choke&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Obi-jime†&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.&lt;/strong&gt; Rolling entry sometimes referred to as &lt;em&gt;kaiten-jime / oten-jime&lt;/em&gt;. Often misspelled &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=cSVcUJI98CIC&amp;amp;pg=PA61&amp;amp;dq=%22othen+jime%22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;othen-jime&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt;, presumably from misreading &amp;quot;oh-ten&amp;quot; (大転, &amp;quot;big turn&amp;quot;) as &amp;quot;o-then&amp;quot;.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;Ude-shibori&lt;/em&gt; seems to be just an alternate reading of the same characters for &lt;em&gt;ude-jime&lt;/em&gt; (reading 絞 as &lt;em&gt;shiboru&lt;/em&gt; as opposed to &lt;em&gt;shimeru&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=xL2ROQAACAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Jiu-Jitsu University&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Saulo Ribeiro (2008)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;Fighting Judo&lt;/em&gt;, Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki (1984)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;Ma méthode de judo&lt;/em&gt;, Mikonosuke Kawaishi (1952)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;6.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.apple.com/gb/book/%E5%B0%8F%E5%AE%A4%E5%AE%8F%E4%BA%8C-%E6%9F%94%E9%81%93%E5%9B%BA%E6%8A%80%E6%95%99%E6%9C%AC/id986257130&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Komlock! Judo newaza of Koji Komuro&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (2012) (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAPF531hFgI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video series&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;7.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/%E6%9F%94%E9%81%93%E5%A4%A7%E4%BA%8B%E5%85%B8.html?id=TkS_AAAACAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Judo Encyclopedia&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1999)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;8.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/yvOMQl1Qmow&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Video Series Vol. 3 - Katame-waza: Various Techniques and their Names&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1994)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;9.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.e-hon.ne.jp/bec/SA/Detail?refShinCode=0100000000000032468579&amp;amp;Action_id=121&amp;amp;Sza_id=F3&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;Introduction to Judo Shime-Waza&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; - Baseball Magazine, Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki, Koji Komuro (2010)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;10.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;Newaza of Kashiwazaki&lt;/em&gt; (1998) (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLe86Qiea6U&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video series&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;11.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://ironwolf008.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/canon-of-judo-by-k-mifune.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Canon of Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Kyuzo Mifune (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKBQXrICfrE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;-&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%B5%9E%E3%82%81%E6%8A%80&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/絞め技&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fouls:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*&lt;/strong&gt; It is never allowed to hold an osaekomi just around the head/neck without control of at least one arm.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;†&lt;/strong&gt; To apply shime-waza using either your own or your opponent’s belt or bottom of the jacket or using only the fingers.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;‡&lt;/strong&gt; To apply leg scissors to the opponent’s trunk (dojime), neck or head (scissor with crossed feet, while stretching out the legs). In shime-waza (e.g. ryote -jime) it is forbidden to use the legs to assist the grip.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/documents&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF Sport and Organisation Rules&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-17T14:29:30.920" LastActivityDate="2022-03-17T14:29:30.920" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9711" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-02-24T11:00:00.163" Score="1" ViewCount="39" Body="&lt;p&gt;I like Sambo but unfortunately in my location I haven't found any available classes.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can someone advise an (affordable) seminar (week or week-end long) for all levels that is run somewhere in Europe?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10650" LastEditorUserId="10650" LastEditDate="2020-02-25T11:23:47.243" LastActivityDate="2020-02-25T11:23:47.243" Title="Advice on finding Sambo seminars?" Tags="|recommendation|sambo|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="5" ClosedDate="2020-02-24T23:06:44.450" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9712" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9714" CreationDate="2020-02-25T01:58:06.017" Score="5" ViewCount="8350" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it solely a matter of duration or not? Why is a pillow deadlier than a simple MMA choke (BJJ, whatever)? How does it work?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10664" LastActivityDate="2021-11-10T00:48:37.507" Title="What is the difference between choking somebody to death and choking them to unconsciousness (technique-wise)?" Tags="|chokes|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9713" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="81" CreationDate="2020-02-25T02:17:20.017" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can practise Judo at home if you have a good grappling dummy that consists of a whole body such as torso, head, arms, and legs. The only issue you will have is the resistance because in real life when you go to execute a Judo throw on someone you will be met with some resistance. Still, learning the Judo throws at home and using a grappling dummy will help you when or if you join a Judo school. Also, if you want to add more to the Judo techniques such as knives, guns, etc then practising them at home on a grappling dummy would be more beneficial as in MMA, Jujitsu, and Judo schools will not add the weapons to the techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10665" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-25T13:35:06.247" LastActivityDate="2020-02-25T13:35:06.247" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9714" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9712" CreationDate="2020-02-25T05:24:16.910" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;The two basic mechanisms when choking are &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/5897/5961&quot;&gt;blood&lt;/a&gt; and air. A skillful blood choke will knock someone out within seconds, say 2-20. A pillow choke blocks air, which takes much longer ~2? minutes. Death basically occurs when the brain has been deprived of oxygen for minutes. With a pillow, the person's brain is already oxygen starved when they pass out. If you hold a blood choke for minutes after the person goes unconscious, the expectation is this will result in death. This is why you let go. The person is still breathing with a heartbeat and will wake up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a martial matter, you always want to cut off blood. This will cause the opponent to go unconscious much faster than if you cut off air, when they will fight back with vigor to restore airflow. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-02-25T18:45:39.950" LastActivityDate="2020-02-25T18:45:39.950" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9715" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="81" CreationDate="2020-02-25T16:23:58.270" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can't. Not effectively that is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other answers are telling you to simulate static throws. I avoid teaching static throws, generally. Moving drills are the most effective in my experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Timing is crucial. Reap the foot just as he is placing his weight on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ko Uchi Gari&lt;/em&gt;, Kodokan Judo, page 69 &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can't do a proper Ko Uchi Gari without having the proper timing. You cannot develop this timing when training by yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of your technique should have a timing element.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[Edit]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We once had a guy come in and tell one of our teachers that he was a black belt. This dude had never taken a Judo class before. I don't know what books he had read or drills that he had done (if any).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self-taught self-trained Judo black belts don't exist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10658" LastEditorUserId="10658" LastEditDate="2020-02-25T18:14:53.783" LastActivityDate="2020-02-25T18:14:53.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9717" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9718" CreationDate="2020-02-25T23:19:23.510" Score="6" ViewCount="320" Body="&lt;p&gt;Throws seem mysterious to me. Just the idea of being able to move your body in such a way that you are able to physically pick someone up without your hands and land them on their back seems like a &quot;how did anybody ever come up with that&quot; kind of thing. The earliest I know of throws existing is the samurai learning Jujutsu, but I'm not sure if that was the first use.  I have even learned a few throws in my time doing BJJ, but I still have questions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Who invented the concept of body throwing and when?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What gave them this idea?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that the second question may be harder to answer, so at least try to answer just the first, the second is bonus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-03-09T02:22:53.493" LastActivityDate="2021-05-02T10:33:44.723" Title="When was throwing introduced to martial arts?" Tags="|history|jujutsu|style|throwing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9718" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9717" CreationDate="2020-02-26T00:05:23.230" Score="15" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Earliest examples of wrestling&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestling has been a part of most societies since time-immemorial:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/HRS1Jm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/HRS1Jm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;Fresco in tomb 15 at Beni Hasan, Egypt ca. 2,000 BC.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The earliest known historical European descriptions of wrestling techniques are from classical antiquity: &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papyrus_Oxyrhynchus_466&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 466&lt;/a&gt; (c. 200 CE, Greece).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And the earliest known manuals are from Chinese classics:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wrestling how-to manuals of the Western Han (2nd Century BCE)&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Six Chapters of Hand Fighting, Book of Han (1st Century BCE)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However there are illustrations of and references to existing traditions dating much much earlier, with the oldest recorded example of Chinese wrestling (&lt;em&gt;jǐao dǐ&lt;/em&gt;) from a military clash in 2679 BCE.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Convergent techniques in independent styles&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are only so many ways one can off-balance and throw an opponent, and so there is a lot of overlap in techniques in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9093/what-is-the-difference-between-judo-and-wrestling&quot;&gt;various independent styles of folk wrestling&lt;/a&gt; and martial grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, there are many throws similar to judo/jujutsu techniques in Historical European Martial Arts &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_arts_manual&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;manuals&lt;/a&gt;. Below are some examples from a German grappling (&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringen&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ringen&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;) manual:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Judo Technique&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Talhoffer_Fechtbuch_(MS_Thott.290.2%C2%BA)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS Thott.290.2º)&lt;/a&gt;, 1459&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&amp;quot;Koshi-guruma&amp;quot;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Gjsy1m.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Gjsy1m.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/AEUOdm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/AEUOdm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&amp;quot;Tomoe-nage&amp;quot;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Hk059m.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Hk059m.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gs9xlm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gs9xlm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Referenced in &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Records_of_the_Grand_Historian&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Records of the Grand Historian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, c. 100 BCE&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_arts_manual&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_arts_manual&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_martial_arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_martial_arts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_wrestling&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_wrestling&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuai_jiao#History&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuai_jiao#History&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_wrestling&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_wrestling&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/sup&gt; &#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-05-02T10:33:44.723" LastActivityDate="2021-05-02T10:33:44.723" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9719" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2020-02-26T03:40:10.287" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kuk Sool Won was founded in 1958 by Hyuk Suh. Kuk Sool Won is sometimes called &quot;the Kung-fu of Korea&quot;. It is said to be based off of old, traditional Korean martial arts, but it was invented partially to give Korea a national martial art. Kuk Sool Won translates roughly to &quot;National Korean Martial Art&quot;. Hand strikes include palm, fist, finger, and pressure point strikes. Leg techniques include front, site, inside, outside, double leg, jumping, and spinning kicks. Throws and pressure point grappling make up a part of Kuk Sool won, as well as joint locks. Traditional Korean weapons, such as sword, spear, fan, and bow and arrow, are taught in Kuk Sool Won. Conditioning of the body, including stretching and muscle toning, is a large aspect of the martial art, which is considered the most important part.&#xA;Attacks and defence isn't the only aspect of Kuk Sool Won, though. Meditation, healing and breathing, and formality plays a huge role in becoming a KSW master. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This tag should be used just as any other martial art tag. It should be used in questions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;About Kuk Sool Won (directly or indirectly) or traning in KSW&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Questions that refer to Kuk Sool Won&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This tag should not be used when asking about other Korean arts that may be related to Kuk Sool Won.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Information about Kuk Sool Won:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kuksoolwon.com&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.kuksoolwon.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC3fMvbc8qY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC3fMvbc8qY&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuk_Sool_Won&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuk_Sool_Won&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-02-26T08:40:35.997" LastActivityDate="2020-02-26T08:40:35.997" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9720" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2020-02-26T03:40:10.287" Score="0" Body="A Korean martial art created in 1958, based off of older Korean arts. Techniques include throws, pins, hand and finger strikes, kicks, joint locks, and animal-style techniques. Meditation and stretching are also a large part of Kuk Sool Won." OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-02-27T16:34:33.177" LastActivityDate="2020-02-27T16:34:33.177" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9721" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9799" CreationDate="2020-02-26T15:20:26.290" Score="5" ViewCount="459" Body="&lt;p&gt;I realize that this is similar to other questions, but this isn't the same. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This new guy just joined my gym, and was already a purple belt when he joined. Since I always try to roll with everyone at some point, I give him a try. I was expecting that since he was a higher belt than me, he would easily submit me. But instead I was able to submit him something like five times withing a five minute period. This seemed a bit strange to me, seeing that he had about three times more experience than me. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;About a week later, I rolled with him again. This time he still didn't put any effort, but actually coached me through my technique, which I am still sure I was doing correctly in the first place. This annoyed me, since this is specifically against rolling etiquette. It seems to me that he was sending me the &quot;you aren't good at Jiu Jitsu, so I won't try in order to give you an advantage&quot; message, since he didn't seem to be trying to even consolidate any positions. In fact, it was more like rolling with a sock than a person. How do I deal with people like this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-03-19T21:30:33.033" LastActivityDate="2020-03-20T12:39:25.177" Title="How to deal with a rolling partner who doesn't try" Tags="|training|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|sparring|social|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9723" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9721" CreationDate="2020-02-26T18:30:33.000" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is this guy older than you? I roll this way because I am a solid 10-15 years older than most people in my gym. Rolling hard tends to injure people more quickly, and I suspect this person may have had enough of that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also started working with a defensive mindset years ago. I let people pass my guard and attempt submissions, because I find the experience valuable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't get upset with the guy over this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10658" LastActivityDate="2020-02-26T18:30:33.000" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9724" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9725" CreationDate="2020-02-27T04:33:56.460" Score="3" ViewCount="477" Body="&lt;p&gt;After a good warm-up, I can perform a high &lt;em&gt;mawashi geri&lt;/em&gt; pretty easily. Without a warm-up, however, I can barely lift my leg higher than belt level. In a real-life situation, you won't have any time to stretch your ligaments (notwithstanding clothing limitations related to your clothes, etc.). So what's the point in practising high kicks if you can't use them in real life for self defense?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10664" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-03T16:53:05.257" LastActivityDate="2020-03-05T13:02:10.383" Title="Is there any practical use for high kicks (e.g. Jodan Mawashi Geri)?" Tags="|karate|self-defense|kicking|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9725" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9724" CreationDate="2020-02-27T04:50:27.177" Score="7" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;what's the point in high kicks if you can't use them in real life&quot;&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just because you can't - currently - doesn't mean others can't, or that you couldn't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It can vary a lot by kick - for example, some people (me for example) find mae geri (front kick) much easier to deliver high and &quot;cold&quot; than mawashi geri, or even uchi and/or soto geri, or ushiro mawashi geri.  Others are just fine with mawashi geri.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More generally, there are lots of moves in karate that you can't use properly if you don't put the time in maintaining your preparedness - e.g. you can't punch harder targets full power if you haven't conditioned your knuckles.  Should we stop punching?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For high kicks in particular, you may be able to find a routine that loosens you up throughout the day, such as some static then dynamic stretching when you hop out of bed in the mornings, but not saying what works for some others will be exactly what you need.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether you can stay limber throughout the day may also depend on lots of factors.  If you're a desk worker it's less likely that if you're say a gardener, dancer, delivery person - where you can probably either find ways to integrate some stretching into your work, or do some in what you're working between bits of work without drawing too much attention.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-03T18:21:31.863" LastActivityDate="2020-03-03T18:21:31.863" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9726" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9724" CreationDate="2020-02-27T15:19:33.220" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have this problem. Sometimes my legs get sore, but that goes away after a couple of days. If you stretch every day, and even do maybe ten high kicks with each leg in the morning, and if you can, after lunch, that should be enough to use them whenever you want. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember, self defense isn't the only purpose for martial arts. There are several techniques in many different arts that might score points in competition but wouldn't help you in real life. It's your job to decide whether or not something would be useful in a self defense situation. If you think that your high kicks wouldn't be useful for self defense, then resort to something else that you are more comfortable doing at any time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do still believe, however, that stretching daily will eventually lead to being able to high kick whenever you want. Here are some stretches that will help you get higher kicks:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Butterfly stretch(sit with your legs in the shape of a diamond, then bring your chest to the floor.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Touch your toes while standing up(without bending your knee.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Touch your toes while sitting down and your legs together.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Spread your legs apart while sitting down and lean to the middle, then each side.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These should be done for about 10-20 seconds each, with small movements each second to prevent cramps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All in all, if you keep up a daily stretching routine, you should be able to use high kicks at any time you like. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-02-27T21:49:54.987" LastActivityDate="2020-02-27T21:49:54.987" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9727" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9721" CreationDate="2020-02-27T21:13:38.420" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Rather than engage in mind reading, I suggest you simply talk with this person and ask them to give more resistance. Mutually negotiate some level of resistance and intensity that is beneficial to both. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-02-27T21:13:38.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9729" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9724" CreationDate="2020-02-28T13:10:55.587" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming you don't need convincing that high kicks are useful (and watching an MMA bout does show that they can be fight-enders, although they also can be very risky outside of the ring and its rules), if you can kick after stretching, the odds are you can kick in a crisis, although you may regret it the next morning. Adrenaline is a hell of a drug, and half of martial arts training is removing mental blocks by virtue of performing a movement slowly in a controlled scenario to convince your body you can handle it. Most people can physically kick over their head. But, without training, you have more difficulty slowing it before your muscles and tendons strain, so your brain clamps down on the movement. In a crisis, and/or with training, those blocks go away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-02-28T18:58:02.960" LastActivityDate="2020-02-28T18:58:02.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9730" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9731" CreationDate="2020-02-28T15:30:27.310" Score="6" ViewCount="430" Body="&lt;p&gt;A few days ago I got to my gym early, so I decided to look around a bit. There are many pictures of famous BJJ practitioners quotes from them that are framed and hanging on the wall. I usually never payed attention to what they said, but I now had a chance to look at them more closely. They were all pretty interesting, but there was one that grabbed my attention:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Jiu Jitsu is for the protection of the individual: the older man, the weak, the child, the lady and the young woman.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;-Helio Gracie&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This made me wonder more about the self defense aspect of BJJ. I know that some gyms that teach &quot;Gracie Jiu Jitsu&quot; also teach basic kicks and punches. If BJJ was made for the purpose of self defense, then how come strikes aren't legal during competition? I have never heard of an experienced BJJ practitioner punching someone in the face while rolling. Why are strikes against rolling etiquette? If it really is for self defense, why isn't it practiced that way anymore? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;NOTE: The gym that I go to claims to teach Gracie Jiu Jitsu, yet never teaches any strikes and barely ever teaches defenses to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-02-28T21:00:13.307" LastActivityDate="2023-05-10T15:32:57.277" Title="Why isn't striking part of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|striking|etiquette|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9731" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9730" CreationDate="2020-02-28T16:49:02.777" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;BJJ inherits this treatment of striking in rolling from judo. Strikes were removed from judo &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; (free play) because Kano could not figure out a way to train them safely. Only relatively safe techniques were used in &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; to allow full-force practice. Striking and defending against striking were relegated to &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; (prearranged exercises). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The basic theory: it is more important to practice with liveness than it is to favor the most dangerous techniques. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-02-28T16:49:02.777" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9732" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2470" CreationDate="2020-02-29T20:32:07.933" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I belong to an ATF style program and have been active for just one year now. I just received my Orange/Black belt last night after successfully completing my test. The test that I took consists of performing 3 fighting forms, and the first traditional form, Taegeuk Il Jang. Then I performed a back step side kick break of 4 boards. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My next opportunity to test for Green Belt would be in 3 months, if prepared and approved by my instructor. At this rate the closest time frame I would be able to test for Black Belt would be April, 2025. And that is if everything goes perfectly from now till than. So the bottom line is, in order to &lt;strong&gt;earn&lt;/strong&gt; an accredited black belt, it will probably take about 5 years (depending on progression and if your dojo has any associations).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10679" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-02T11:37:04.247" LastActivityDate="2020-03-02T11:37:04.247" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9733" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2508" CreationDate="2020-03-01T00:44:20.430" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Gi&amp;quot; refers to the uniform that is worn during most martial arts practice. Nogi means that you do not wear one, and instead wear shorts or spats and a rash guard or you are shirtless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a few differences when talking about gi vs. nogi when executing techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;For gi:&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Gis provide friction that may make it easier &lt;strong&gt;OR&lt;/strong&gt; harder to escape or change positions.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Gis give you the opportunity to grab onto you opponent or yourself with stronger grips.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wearing a gi lets you show off you belt(seriously though, your belt/opponent's belt can be used as a handle)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;For nogi:&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Give's you the opportunity to practice grips for self defense situations(most likely your attacker will not be wearing a gi. If you see someone get mugged by someone who is wearing a gi, tell me!)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Rash guards/bare skin provide less friction than gis do and can actually be slippery, which may help with some escapes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When referring to competition, there are a few variations between gi and nogi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Some submissions or sweeps/throws may not be legal for &lt;strong&gt;gi&lt;/strong&gt; but will be &lt;strong&gt;nogi&lt;/strong&gt; (i.e. scissor takedown, heel hook).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It is against the rules to grab onto clothing in &lt;strong&gt;nogi&lt;/strong&gt;, whereas &lt;strong&gt;nogi&lt;/strong&gt; grips are still legal in &lt;strong&gt;gi&lt;/strong&gt; competition.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gi&lt;/strong&gt; competitors are divided based on belt, &lt;strong&gt;nogi&lt;/strong&gt; competitors are divided based on what belt they &lt;em&gt;would&lt;/em&gt; be wearing,, or how long they have been doing BJJ.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All in all, nogi tends to be harder in general, because your opponent is slippery and hard to grab. However, nogi concepts translate better into self defense, since it gives a more realistic representation of what people outside the gym might wear. Also, nogi techniques can always be done with a gi on, whereas vice-versa is not true. If you are starting out BJJ, try to pick one or the other and then transition to both later on. I do believe that it will only be beneficial to your BJJ skills to train in gi and nogi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-03-25T21:09:40.653" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9734" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9742" CreationDate="2020-03-01T01:39:51.067" Score="5" ViewCount="251" Body="&lt;p&gt;Seeing that I am a newbie when it comes to kicks, and I have a BJJ mindset, this question should be relatively easy to answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I see people doing these spinning roundhouse kicks, and me, thinking like a BJJ practitioner, am concerned about giving up your back when you turn around. I understand that these are done fairly quickly, so there might not be time to grab the back. However, does this mean that they shouldn't be used for self defense or MMA until you've mastered them?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-03-02T15:15:39.243" LastActivityDate="2020-03-02T21:31:52.110" Title="Do spinning kicks present a risk of getting your back taken?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|kicking|spinning-kicks|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9735" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9739" CreationDate="2020-03-01T15:45:59.637" Score="9" ViewCount="5182" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm pretty sure the name of this throw is called &lt;em&gt;Ippon Seoi Nage&lt;/em&gt;. It looks like this:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/RnR1K.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/RnR1K.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &#xA;I would say that it is fairly simple and it was one of the first ones I learned. It happens when someone takes your back from standing and you throw them over your shoulder using a two-on-one grip on their arm. Since it is such a powerful throw, I would really like to use it in competition (BJJ, not Judo), but I'm not sure whether or not it's worth giving up my back for. What if it fails? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-04-23T20:19:46.913" LastActivityDate="2022-01-28T21:48:22.617" Title="Should I give up my back on purpose so that I can do this throw?" Tags="|judo|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|throwing|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9736" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9735" CreationDate="2020-03-01T16:02:16.403" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You absolutely should NOT give up your back in attempt to bait someone into getting in position for a shoulder throw (&lt;em&gt;seoi nage&lt;/em&gt;, in judo terms). A competent opponent will break your balance while they are behind you, put you on the ground, and then apply a rear-naked choke (&lt;em&gt;hadaka jime&lt;/em&gt;). If your balance is broken, you will not be able to throw. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to throw someone, you need to put yourself in an advantageous position and your opponent in a disadvantageous position. This means that when you turn your back to throw them, you should have put them off-balance; you cannot expect your opponent to helpfully jump on your back after you turn.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-03-01T16:02:16.403" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9737" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9735" CreationDate="2020-03-01T16:57:31.127" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;DO NOT GIVE UP YOUR BACK.  Not only is this bad habit in competition, but this can become a bad habit in the case of a real altercation, which could cause serious harm.  In competition, as the other answers illustrate, you are very susceptible to a rear-naked choke, and if you would ever develop a habit of that in a real fight situation, you could be hit with a blunt object, knife, etc.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously you need to drill the technique, in case you end up in a bad position, just don't purposely put yourself there. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10681" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-03T16:12:19.997" LastActivityDate="2020-03-03T16:12:19.997" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9738" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9653" CreationDate="2020-03-02T00:33:27.090" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&quot;Israeli Jiu-Jitsu&quot; seems to appear in two contexts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Describing BJJ and/or Japanese Jujutsu techniques as adapted and incorporated into some styles of Krav Maga (which has its &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;origins&lt;/a&gt; in incorporating techniques from a variety of older martial arts: boxing, wrestling, judo etc), e.g. as taught by &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ-IUd3IQMI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Roy Elghanayan&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Describing Jiu-Jitsu organisations/schools/practitioners that are Israeli (as in your first link). This is similar to e.g. the British Judo Association, which doesn't purport to teach a distinct martial art from Judo taught elsewhere, only denoting the nationality of the organisation.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2020-03-02T00:33:27.090" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9739" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9735" CreationDate="2020-03-02T09:56:44.380" Score="12" Body="&lt;p&gt;You do &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; purposefully give your back. You do not &quot;give&quot; anything. Applied correctly, your back is safe. There are some misconceptions here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You do not simply &quot;give your back&quot;. Throwing is something you should only do when you are in control of your own and your opponent's balance. It is fast, it is powerful, and it may well break your opponent's hip when thrown on concrete. It is hard to impossible to hook in when this throw is executed fast and low with an upright posture (hip low against opponent's thighs or drop version).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Since we are not speaking about Judo but BJJ, you should totally control the &lt;em&gt;inside&lt;/em&gt; of your opponent's arm, may it be as per gripping into the crook of the arm (gi) or overhooking (no gi). This means that there is no way for your opponent to choke you right away.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Something most people forget is that this throw should involve &lt;em&gt;some&lt;/em&gt; level of control of the &quot;free&quot; arm of the opponent in competition (see also 4.). Obviously not during the execution, but beforehand: if it is pushed away or pulled across just before the entrance, it is immeasurably harder for them to cling to you with their free hand and pull you around.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You can modify the execution and throw a &lt;em&gt;morote&lt;/em&gt; seoi nage instead. This gives you more control over both sides of your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some pages on the internet that go over how to apply a shoulder throw in BJJ without your back being taken:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ey3VCTdxBYU&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/ey3VCTdxBYU&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bjj-world.com/bjj-throws-drop-seoi-nage/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://bjj-world.com/bjj-throws-drop-seoi-nage/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bjjfanatics.com/blogs/news/kneeling-ippon-seoi-nage-for-the-win&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://bjjfanatics.com/blogs/news/kneeling-ippon-seoi-nage-for-the-win&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.graciemag.com/en/2014/12/18/learn-10-ways-to-do-a-ippon-seoi-nage-and-throw-every-opponent-in-jiu-jitsu/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.graciemag.com/en/2014/12/18/learn-10-ways-to-do-a-ippon-seoi-nage-and-throw-every-opponent-in-jiu-jitsu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2020-03-02T10:42:39.707" LastActivityDate="2020-03-02T10:42:39.707" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9740" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="918" CreationDate="2020-03-02T10:18:00.517" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga has indeed incorporated techniques from Aikido since the 1970's:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In 1968 Eli Avikzar began learning Aikido underneath the guidance of an Englishman named Mike and became his coaching partner after a year. Mike was astounded by Eli’s fast progress and allowed him to go abroad for his Black Belt training in Aikido. Following mike’s advice, Eli left for France in 1971, passed the test and received a brown belt in Aikido. Before his tour, Eli received his Black Belt in Judo, additionally to the first Black Belt ever given in Krav Maga, which he got from “Imi” in 1971. Upon his return, Eli started working alongside “Imi” in Netanya and Tel-Aviv training centers. Furthermore, they trained Soldiers and volunteer units. In 1977 Eli went to Germany and received a Black Belt level in Aikido from the European Federation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;About the Founder - Eli Avikzar&lt;/em&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://kravmagen.ca/founder-of-israeli-martial-arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kravmagen.ca&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-03-02T11:19:13.677" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9741" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9744" CreationDate="2020-03-02T15:41:26.630" Score="1" ViewCount="299" Body="&lt;p&gt;A practitioner of any martial art that has a black belt deserves great respect. However, I see all these dojos and gyms of non-BJJ martial arts, and they have multiple instructors. These instructors are all black belts, some of them having multiple/several degrees. At my BJJ gym, there are also several instructors, but only one of them is a black belt. I know that it takes longer to get a BJJ black belt, but not &lt;em&gt;that&lt;/em&gt; much longer. Is there something that makes people quit BJJ sooner than other martial arts? If there wasn't, then why aren't there more black belts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2020-03-02T19:30:16.783" Title="Why aren't there more BJJ black belts?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|belt|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9742" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9734" CreationDate="2020-03-02T16:17:03.760" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;While my background is Karate, rather than BJJ, hopefully this answers at least part of your question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first thing to remember is that this is a &lt;em&gt;specialised&lt;/em&gt; technique.  As I tell my students: 90% of the time, you'll be using the first 10% of the syllabus.  That is, after all, why we teach those techniques &lt;strong&gt;first&lt;/strong&gt; - they are relatively simple to learn and use, and widely applicable to most situations.  Spinning kicks are not part of that 10%, and most of the time you won't (or shouldn't) use them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, since they &quot;look impressive&quot;, they are frequently given disproportionate prominence during demonstrations and showcases.  Usually, you will be using this to improve or demonstrate your control, flexibility and skill, rather than as an actual attack.  That said, this &lt;em&gt;isn't&lt;/em&gt; purely an exercise - it does have practical applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second thing to remember is that (outside of basic training) techniques do not exist in &lt;em&gt;isolation&lt;/em&gt;.  A spinning kick is rarely something to lead with - it is, however, something to lead &lt;em&gt;into&lt;/em&gt;, or to follow up with.  Here's a very basic scenario:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;You throw a straight kick forwards, but your opponent steps back out of range.  As your foot comes down - and while &lt;em&gt;their&lt;/em&gt; momentum is still &quot;away&quot; from you - you push it slightly across your body, then twist &lt;em&gt;your&lt;/em&gt; momentum into a spinning roundhouse kick&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, because your opponent is still reacting to your previous (failed) attack, they are unable to change direction fast enough to capitalise on the brief opening.  In addition, the reach of the roundhouse kick means that they are not longer - as they had thought - at a safe distance, but completely within your range.  And, by folding the momentum from the previous kick into the spin, you make the entire move faster.  This isn't just a case of learning to throw the spinning kick correctly, there are several secondary skills involved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a number of movements that can &quot;lead into&quot; a spinning kick - even a simple block across the body with the opposite hand - but you need to be able to judge both how fast you can land the kick, as well as how long your opponent will be open or unable to counteract it for.  As with anything, you have to both spot an opening, and recognise which moves can exploit it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a &quot;self defence&quot; situation, you generally won't have either the &lt;em&gt;need&lt;/em&gt; or the &lt;em&gt;occasion&lt;/em&gt; to use a spinning kick - keep it fast, simple, straightforward, and maintain solid footing.  Similarly, MMA fighting spends most of the bout at a range which is unsuitable to apply this technique.  However, when the opportunity presents itself, these techniques &lt;em&gt;are&lt;/em&gt; effective - for example, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgB2pltH5lk&amp;amp;t=275&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;the 2004 Olympic Taekwondo Heavyweight final&lt;/a&gt;, which was won by knockout.  (The technique there isn't actually a good 'clean' example, as the kicker didn't manage to land properly.  On the other hand, they hit the floor conscious, unlike their opponent - which one-on-one is of greater &lt;em&gt;practical&lt;/em&gt; benefit)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I &lt;em&gt;could&lt;/em&gt; go into far more detail about when spinning &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; be good (and not just for kicks - remember, a spin doesn't have to be on the spot, you can travel at the same time), versus when it should &lt;em&gt;absolutely&lt;/em&gt; be avoided (hint: this category is &lt;strong&gt;a lot&lt;/strong&gt; larger than the other!), the best way is for you to learn is to &lt;em&gt;practice&lt;/em&gt; - at first against the air, and then say to your sparring partner &quot;I want to try something, could you please come in with &lt;em&gt;this&lt;/em&gt; for me to counter&quot;.  You'll get a feel for &quot;this won't ever work&quot; versus &quot;I'm not yet fast enough for that&quot; or even &quot;I want to try that in a normal spar&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, even once you've &quot;mastered&quot; them (and isn't &lt;em&gt;that&lt;/em&gt; a loaded term - say perhaps instead &quot;learned the basic form&quot;) you should only use them sparingly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9212" LastEditorUserId="9212" LastEditDate="2020-03-02T16:23:19.197" LastActivityDate="2020-03-02T16:23:19.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9743" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9735" CreationDate="2020-03-02T17:46:28.977" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I went to a Judo seminar 6 years ago where one of the instructors encouraged me to give up turning 180° when doing hip/shoulder throws. I now do them turning 90°.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzrOoETH6Vs&amp;amp;t=28m17s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This&lt;/a&gt; is the entry I use for Seoi Nage. On shorter people, I turn that into O Soto Gari.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll teach people the classic entries for hip/shoulder throws, but I will have them drill these alternate entries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[Edit]&lt;br&gt;&#xA;I'll add that if you can find someone skilled in Judo to teach you Seoi Nage, ask them to help you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10658" LastEditorUserId="10658" LastEditDate="2020-03-03T23:11:54.890" LastActivityDate="2020-03-03T23:11:54.890" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9744" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9741" CreationDate="2020-03-02T19:30:16.783" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer is that it does take a lot longer for BJJ to reach black belt. Typically you can get a black belt in under 4 years for karate, taekwondo, and kung-fu styles. To get a black belt in BJJ, it takes about 10 years. It depends on how often you go, too, and how good of a teacher your instructor is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Time on the mat is one criteria for BJJ rank advancement. Other criteria are: minimum age, ability to know and use required techniques for that rank, and the ability to win consistently in rolling against those in your rank and some wins against those in higher ranks. You have to have all of those, not just most.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas something like Taekwondo may not have a minimum time in class requirement. Some do, most don't. So long as you've learned your forms, your single-step drills, terminology, techniques, sparring, and board breaking, then you're fine to test for the next rank.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Children are able to become black belts in TKD, not in BJJ. And in TKD, you don't generally have to be able to win in sparring consistently, so long as you're &quot;okay&quot; at it and have okay forms, one-steps, etc. In other words, you don't have to be good at everything, just 50% or more. The bar is definitely lower in most TKD schools than it is in BJJ schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And from a sales and marketing perspective, there's a reason why it takes just 4 years to become a black belt in those styles. It's because it's a goal that's within their reach. It's something they think they can achieve, and they like the status that &quot;black belt&quot; gives them. The longer it takes to achieve, the less people are going to sign up to begin with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Taekwondo, karate, and kung-fu styles, most people drop out after white belt, right after their short term (2-6 month) contract ends. They realize it's just not something they like doing. Then following that, you'll see a drop out around the 2-3 year mark, because that's when things shift from having fun to getting serious. Then the next drop out phase happens right after they get their black belt, because it was a goal that they achieved, and now they feel they've done enough and want to move on. They don't even stick around for their first stripe on their black belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being able to stick to something for 10 years consistently is hard for most people. If you start as an adult at age 23, for example, that's age 23 to 33. During that period of time, you're starting your career, so it's expected you'll put in huge hours to learn that. Which means you might have to skip BJJ class a lot. Then you're dating, because you want to eventually get married. Dating sometimes means giving up nights and weekends at BJJ class. And then later on by age 30 or so, you're getting married. Soon after that, you're having your first kid, which takes 100% of your time for at least 3 months if not the entire year. And two years later, you'll have your second kid and will repeat your hiatus from BJJ just when you're getting back into it again after the first kid. You're getting older, too, and your body is not as quick and nimble as it was before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each of these things will cause interruptions in your BJJ training. Sometimes the interruptions mean skipping a class here and there. Other times it will mean taking a break from BJJ for several months or even years. That 10 year black belt time easily turns into 15 or 20 years. For most, it's unreachable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But a 4 year black belt? Much easier to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What does take 4 years in BJJ is a blue belt. Just consider blue belt in BJJ to be &quot;equivalent&quot; to a black belt in most other arts. Then do your comparison. That's more apples-to-apples. I think most people suggest doing that, also.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-03-02T19:30:16.783" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9745" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9734" CreationDate="2020-03-02T21:31:52.110" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&quot;However, does this mean that they shouldn't be used for self defense or MMA until you've mastered them?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many techniques that involve putting yourself in a &quot;weak&quot; position to execute it. You have interest in BJJ; if you try to do a triangle choke to defend yourself but you're not 100% comfortable with it, you'll probably get some punches to the head before you can execute your technique. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same goes for many martial arts techniques. Kicks put you in an unbalanced position; throws and locks aren't effective if they aren't executed properly and you end up in punching distance of your opponent with your arms busy trying to execute your technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My point is : Whatever the technique you're looking to use in self defense, you'll want to have mastered it beforehand otherwise things will probably get bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With experience, you'll learn when is the right time to use a certain technique without giving your opponent a chance to react. That's why you don't see many fancy things in MMA even though these guys are pros. But once in a while, you'll see a KO fron a fancy kick or a grappling technique that's out of the ordinary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, yeah, spinning kicks may open your back the same way trying to throw a punch might expose your legs to a takedown or the same way a triangle choke exposes you to getting punched in the face. It's all about when to use a technique you're comfortable with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2041" LastActivityDate="2020-03-02T21:31:52.110" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9746" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9724" CreationDate="2020-03-03T11:00:20.457" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;So what's the point in high kicks &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They are sport only, and if you can do a high kick well, you can do a low one well. Don't use high kicks outside a sporting environment, poor surfaces will eliminate your grip and you'll end up on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pre ~1950s nearly all kicks were low. Most around knee level, and primarily for manipulating the opponent's body than trying to cause impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're looking at kata, imagine the same kick at knee level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10587" LastEditorUserId="10587" LastEditDate="2020-03-05T13:02:10.383" LastActivityDate="2020-03-05T13:02:10.383" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9747" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8409" CreationDate="2020-03-03T14:28:31.750" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In reality, a lot of &quot;kicks&quot; were &lt;em&gt;pushes&lt;/em&gt; when used within the context of original applications from which the &quot;kick&quot; was taken, they were not kicks at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this context the use of the ball of the foot for most kicks makes perfect sense, and it continues to make sense when used with additional force as impact delivering kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In traditional karate (not kumite competition) performing mawashi-geri&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no mawashi-geri in traditional karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is a relatively recent development as far as kicking goes, and was introduced along with other kicks like ushiro-geri by the JKA post WWII as karate fighting range increased from around 12-18 inches to 3-5 feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you investigate traditional karate kata you aren't going to find mawashi-geri. You'll find that the more traditional styles use a front kick in it's place and you also won't find it in early editions of karate books which enumerate techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think when they added it as a technique they retained the requirement for the use of the ball of the foot because of the mechanics of the use of the ball of the foot in front kicks. However. It doesn't entirely make sense in this context due to the risk to the toes, and so the top of the foot or shin is often used instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, mawashi-geri, along with some others is a sporting karate technique, not a traditional karate one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10587" LastActivityDate="2020-03-03T14:28:31.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9748" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8346" CreationDate="2020-03-03T15:02:23.857" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;and can be found in several kata&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tsuki doesn't mean punch. It means thrust.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you consider that a closed fist in a kata is likely to represent a grip on something, circular movements found in kata then may not be punches at all, but manipulations of your opponents limbs. i.e. arm locks or similar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Heian Godan, the circular movement at the beginning of the kata you're interpreting as a punch, dislocates your opponent's shoulder when applied as an arm lock.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Tekki Shodan / Naihanchi, the movement positions the opponents arm into a &quot;chicken wing&quot; position up his back, which the subsequent foot stamp and uchi-uke turns into a  a similar joint attack to the Godan one. In fact it attacks all 3 arm joints simultaneously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ok so why &lt;em&gt;are&lt;/em&gt; hook punches commonly used by boxers?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gloves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are 2 aspects to this. The protection that gloves give to the small and delicate bones in the hand, in particular the 4th and 5th metacarpals which are commonly broken.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxer's fractures require the use of gloves in sport, and the large gloves make hook punches necessary in order to get round them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sporting karate doesn't allow full contact to the head, and so gloves don't have to be so large to protect the hands, and so hook punches are less useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10587" LastActivityDate="2020-03-03T15:02:23.857" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9749" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9750" CreationDate="2020-03-03T16:47:39.263" Score="4" ViewCount="498" Body="&lt;p&gt;For those of you who don't know, a McDojo is a dojo or gym that operates more like an assembly line and only exists for the purpose of &quot;fast-food belts&quot;. If you want more information about McDojos, check this out: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6739/what-are-the-signs-that-a-dojo-could-be-classed-as-a-mcdojo&quot;&gt;What are the signs that a dojo could be classed as a McDojo?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lately I have been thinking a lot about BJJ and its belts. I was wondering if it is even possible for there to be a BJJ McDojo, because of the minimum time for each belt requirement. I have never heard of one, so is it safe to say that BJJ is a &quot;McDojo-proof&quot; martial art? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2020-03-04T15:19:40.600" Title="Is there such thing as a BJJ McDojo?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|belt|dojo|schools|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9750" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9749" CreationDate="2020-03-03T17:42:42.283" Score="3" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Why couldn't it be?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The question you cite has a long list of characteristics of a McDojo, only one of which is abnormally fast progression. At that, neither &quot;Brazilian Jiu Jitsu&quot; nor even &quot;Gracie Jiu Jitsu&quot; (due to a legal suit within the family) are trademarked terms, so I could run a &quot;BJJ&quot; school with whatever testing requirements I want. In actuality, I'd probably be barred from their tournaments, but why would that bother me? After all, external tournament fees are going to external people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;A potential example&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just to add another data point, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.gracieuniversity.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Gracie University Online&lt;/a&gt; has been accused on being a BJJ McDojo. Initially, they allowed online certification of a BJJ black belt and then changed their policy to only allow you to get an online blue belt. Last I heard, the belt they send you is a &quot;technical&quot; blue belt and that it's not real until you visit them in person. And there are people who have received said belts online and are teaching under the auspices of their online belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ramsey Dewey has &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7WyscN3nZo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a video with his thoughts on the matter&lt;/a&gt; which basically comes down to that it's a good thing to get the training out there, especially for people who don't have access to a school in their area, but that he dislikes the idea of a &quot;technical&quot; belt because he feels that belts either mean something or they don't, and that he feels you can't evaluate someone online, so this one doesn't mean anything (it's worth mentioning a caveat that Dewey isn't a huge fan of belts in general, as he feels people put too much stock on them compared to actual skill levels).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Just for fun&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/6HhCajvimEw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Example of what a BJJ McDojo might look like&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-03-04T15:19:40.600" LastActivityDate="2020-03-04T15:19:40.600" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9752" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8346" CreationDate="2020-03-04T04:41:56.113" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For me, I don't tend to use hook punches because they just aren't - on balance - particularly good.  I've trained in muay thai and threw a lot at the pads in the school's standard combinations - so I'm quite capable - but I find them slow, clumsy, weak, telegraphed and easily blocked compared to a haito uchi (aka ridge hand, reverse knife hand) strike.  Hooks also leave you more exposed before, during and after.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are different ways to deliver the haito uchi strike though - with various pros and cons - and I'd probably been a black belt for 10 or 15 years before I arrived at what I now do.  I guess what I do is not common, because I can't find a youtube video demonstrating it the way I deliver it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kagawa-sensei demonstrates one version at &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/wAaZailBD1A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/wAaZailBD1A&lt;/a&gt; - more using the inner forearm.  Make of that what you will.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I extend the hand more linearly - very much like a punch - to the side of the target, then the back and arm muscles sync with the hip rotation and drag/snap the strike viciously sideways.  It's &lt;em&gt;staggeringly&lt;/em&gt; strong - even with the hundred kg bags at my old gym, this would lift them into the air and snap them sideways like no other hand technique.  It's basically the power of &quot;clothesline&quot; inner forearm swing (like you might see a Rugby player use illegally, or Bas Rutten's &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Gm0SyEqc7ns&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, drilled to utilise fuller leg strength, explosive hip rotation, combined with plyometric principles to engage more muscles more fully.  It's &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; strong even thrown with the front hand like a jab, and usefully strong even thrown from an already-extended position just 5 or 10cms to the side of the target.  Because it starts linearly, you can needle it inside a wide guard and still strike the head sideways, or you can make a bigger arc around a guard - it'll happily rip through most traditional martial artists' guards where the hands are held forwards towards you, but tends to jar bone-on-bone if smashed into arms held about the head in a boxing style - won't be fun for them, but not much fun for you either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2020-03-04T04:41:56.113" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9753" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9755" CreationDate="2020-03-06T13:47:28.793" Score="4" ViewCount="5969" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a lot of mixed feeling online whether ninjutsu would work well in a street fight or a self-defence scenario. Ninjutsu is a very unconventional form of martial arts; it's ancient and outdated techniques may not be 100% practical, but that doesn't mean it can't be applied. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like someone who has some experience either positive or negative with Bujinkan to share their experience of Bujinkan..   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10669" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-08-23T03:38:26.453" LastActivityDate="2024-03-30T23:05:25.827" Title="Effectiveness of Bujinkan Ninjutsu" Tags="|training|self-defense|streetfight|ninjutsu|bujinkan|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9754" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9753" CreationDate="2020-03-06T14:40:07.067" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ninjutsu is nearly never something with a heritage from the former ninja / shinobi.&#xA;This would be rather infiltration / survival training, or special ops training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bujinkan Ninjutsu has a rather good mixture, mostly coming from the classic Japanese Jujutsu. It has a higher focus on live sparring and applying techniques to an 'unwilling' partner. The sports aspect is far lesser than Judo, for example. The higher you get, the more 'realistic' it may be.&#xA;You can only get realistic to one point, anything further would harm your partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As always, it depends much on your teachers, your commitment and toughness, your class and other facts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't like the 'ninja' story about it, but this may be good for marketing.&#xA;Living more rural, I don't have the option anymore.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'm doing German JuJutsu here. This is a mixture of several classic fighting systems, and gets updated now and then. It also has association wide classes,  e.g. defense against attackers with guns. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;P.S.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Following the comments and the other answer, I just want to mention the demand of being 100% realistic isn't realistic. Not even in military training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your partner has only two eyes. After taking both out / squeezing them there are no more to train on. Broken bones and torn joints take several months to heal, if at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10685" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-03-09T20:54:12.323" LastActivityDate="2020-03-09T20:54:12.323" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9755" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9753" CreationDate="2020-03-06T17:47:48.660" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;I trained in Bujinkan for less than a year, but it was a very rewarding experience which informs my martial arts to this very day. It is a library of classical jujitsu technique. Virtually anything you can think of is in there. Whenever I analyze karate and kung-fu forms (&quot;kata bunkai&quot; to Okinawan karate), I often use my understanding of classical jujitsu to ascertain what the purpose of the motions are. And Bujinkan gave me a big leg up with that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, &lt;strong&gt;I think it's a dead end in terms of being able to fight well in real life&lt;/strong&gt;. I say that, because it has an old and flawed understanding of how to train. What MMA / no-holds-barred competition has taught us over and over again is that it's how you train that matters, not what style you train in. I'll explain...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In order to perform well under the pressure of fighting for real, you need to prepare yourself for that by training much the same way&lt;/strong&gt;. You perform the way you are trained. If you don't train by having someone resisting everything you do, punching you in the face, kicking you in the legs, trying to grab a hold of you and take you to the ground, trying to pummel you once you're on the ground, trying to choke you out, etc. then you simply won't know what to do when you find yourself in that situation for real.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you want to train with partners who aren't letting you get away with anything. Their job is to win against you. They will stop you from doing anything to them. They will use force. They will not let you do anything. You will feel like it's a fight or a struggle at least.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, here's the most important factor: &lt;strong&gt;You need to train safely&lt;/strong&gt;. Because if you don't have rules in place to keep each other safe, neither you nor your partner will be able to come back tomorrow and train. You'll be too injured. So it's vital that you have a reasonable set of rules in place to keep everyone safe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a point of contention with Bujinkan and many other traditional styles. They would argue that they can't do sparring and other kinds of training with people actively trying to &quot;win&quot; against each other, because their techniques would seriously injure or kill themselves if they did. They argue that their stuff isn't a &quot;sport&quot;, and so there are no sport rules and no sparring allowed. They say that everything they do is deadly, so there's no way to spar safely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The counter-argument is that if you don't train with resistance, pressure, and liveness, your skill at actually fighting will be quite low. You will never develop your ability to handle a fully resisting opponent. You won't have any reliable skill at fighting. And when you find yourself in a real fight, you won't know what to do. You'll be a deer in headlights. You might freeze up. Or you might present a laughable defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what MMA and other modern martial arts do is to create a limited set of rules to keep everyone safe, and nothing more. That generally means no eye gouging, no strikes to the throat, and a small number of other obvious rules. But everything else is fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When training in MMA, of course, you won't go all out like you would do in a competitive MMA fight. Your goal isn't to destroy your partner. Your goal is to learn from your partner, and he'll learn from you. You don't want to hurt each other. But at the same time, you don't want to go easy on each other, because that wouldn't help anyone. There's a balancing act you need to do. You'll figure it out when you go train at an MMA gym.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While it has gotten more rules over time, the original UFC #1 had almost no rules: no biting, no eye gouging, and no groin shots. This was only enforced by a $1500 fine. Seriously, that's pretty limited!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bujinkan does involve a lot of resistance, don't get me wrong. In class, your partner will not just let you do stuff to him. If you have to take him to the ground by applying leverage on a standing arm-bar, for example, your opponent won't just fall to the ground when you press lightly on his arm. Instead, he'll wait until you show a strike to his face and until you press firmly on his arm and drag him outwards using the weight of your whole body. Then he'll act the part. He'll let you take him down to the ground. And he'll stop resisting you from this point forward, usually.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Acting is very important in Bujinkan.&lt;/strong&gt; Without it, partners would have to hurt each other to get the desired response, which nobody wants. So that means you show a strike to the solar plexus instead of actually doing it. And then your partner bends over to show that he would be in pain if he was hit there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But this kind of resistance and play acting isn't very useful for preparing you for a real fight. You know your partner will always comply if you're doing the technique the way he expects. You just have to use the right amount of force and do the right thing. Your opponent won't struggle against you. He's not going to throw you if you're off balance. He's not going to punch you in the face if you're not defending your head. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And in real life, your opponent won't often respond to pain in the way it's presented in an ideal way by your partners in a Bujinkan class. You'll be surprised in real life when you punch someone's solar plexus, and yet he doesn't bend forward and stop resisting you like your partners do in class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bottom line is that this way of training gives you a false sense of confidence. And the moment you do get into a real fight and things aren't working out like you expect, you simply won't know what to do. You'll freeze. You won't be prepared for someone who's truly fighting back, because that's not part of the training in Bujinkan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, another argument you'll hear from Bujinkan and other traditional martial arts is that if they can't do their eye gouges and death strikes to the throat in training or competition, then it's no longer representative of their art. They're saying that they must have all of those techniques in order to make it work for real. These are apparently fundamental / core techniques in their perspective. Or if they're not fundamental, they're arguing that taking away anything from their art makes it impossible for them to fully express their art, so it's like it's no longer their art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas the counter-argument is that eye gouges simply aren't core techniques, therefore aren't necessary for sparring. What are core techniques? Core techniques will allow you to get into a position to reliably deliver that eye gouge. If you have a strong core foundation, then eye gouging in real life is a trivial thing to be able to do, because you should be able to get in close enough and control your opponent well enough to be able to apply the eye gouge while your opponent is struggling against you. Whereas, if you have no core foundation, you have no reliable way of getting into a position to be able to apply the eye gouge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What MMA and other resistance based training methods give you is a core foundation that you can use as a framework for reliably getting in and out of positions while someone is fully resisting and struggling against you.&lt;/strong&gt; Eye gouges, throat strikes, ear claps, fish hooks, testicle grabs, pressure points / dim-mak, etc. are all secondary techniques that can only be done reliably if you already have a core foundation. Without that core foundation, these secondary techniques are pretty ineffective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another argument against things like eye gouges is that, once you have the skills that MMA training gives you, you don't need to do eye gouges. You have lots of other options. And frankly, blinding someone is rarely appropriate. If you're in a war, sure. But if this is a self-defense situation against a bully at school, you have no business doing something like that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's get back to Bujinkan. Like I said, it has a huge collection of classical jujitsu techniques. If that's all you want, it's a great choice. Bujinkan's teaching style is less structured than most other jujitsu styles. White/green belts often learn the same techniques that black belts are doing. And depending on your instructor, it can feel like having ADHD, because they'll cover so many techniques in each class. They don't hold anything back from beginners. That means after just a year of training, you'll have been exposed to techniques that might have taken you a decade before you were shown them in other styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But it's a double-edged sword. Bujinkan's training style isn't for people looking to get really polished and refined really quickly. It's a breadth-first method of learning. They don't spend time repeating the same technique over and over again until you're perfect at it. There's no rote memorization. You learn a technique, do it several times, and then move on to something else. You might not come back to that until two or three months have passed. And all the while, they're modifying the technique and changing it into another technique, something they call &quot;henka&quot; (variations). They do this so that your subconscious will just figure out what's common, what the underlying principle is behind the techniques. They won't tell you that. You're just supposed to figure it out on your own over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So again, Bujinkan is great for learning lots of classical jujitsu. One of the best styles there is for that if you want to learn lots of stuff really fast. But it's not great for those wanting to get really good at a small number of things before moving on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as for fighting, like I said, Bujinkan is a dead end. You won't learn how to fight in Bujinkan. You'll learn a lot of techniques, but not how to use them reliably in a fight. For that, you'll need to train in a manner similar to MMA. Which gives you maybe a plan of action: First train in Bujinkan for a while, and then go train in MMA. See if you can bring your Bujinkan techniques into your MMA training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a number of high ranking Bujinkan people who train in MMA, BJJ, and Muay Thai. You'll want to do some research and read what they wrote about the subject. You'll find a lot of agreement with what I just said. And you should read rebuttals on the web from Bujinkan purists, too. See what everyone says. And in the end, make your own educated judgment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2020-03-27T14:41:19.553" LastActivityDate="2020-03-27T14:41:19.553" CommentCount="16" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9756" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9336" CreationDate="2020-03-09T11:39:32.560" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just to add to mattm's answer - the IJF has now codified its position in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/ijf/documents/5&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;current ruleset&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/A4jX2.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/A4jX2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&amp;quot;The kata-sankaku grip in ne-waza action is allowed (picture 1). It is prohibited to block the opponents body with the legs and must be mate (picture 2). If the katasankaku grip is used in tachi-waza mate will be called (picture 3).&amp;quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in short, the following submissions are/aren't legal:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Technique&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Legal&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Anaconda&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;✅&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kata-gatame&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;✅&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;D'arce&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;✅&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Peruvian necktie&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;✅&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Arm triangle from closed guard&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;❌&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Standing arm triangles&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;❌&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;AKA Ungvari / Brabo choke / Japanese necktie&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/sup&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-21T19:15:03.487" LastActivityDate="2022-03-21T19:15:03.487" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9757" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9758" CreationDate="2020-03-10T14:16:39.167" Score="7" ViewCount="3802" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know if people that practice other martial arts have this problem, but I know people that practice BJJ have this problem a lot. I guess it is because of all the friction, but no one can seem to keep their belt on. It's like the belts are &quot;doing more escapes than I am&quot;. I have heard instructors talking about &quot;the Hollywood knot&quot;, which is supposed to stay on. I have looked everywhere, but I can't find how to tie it this way. Can anybody find a way to tie a BJJ belt so that it both stays on and doesn't get in the way of training? Try to find either an illustrated web page or a video.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;EDIT:&lt;/strong&gt; I have been using some of the ones in the answers. They all work great, but I still have to re-tie my belt after each time I roll.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-04-23T17:47:21.447" LastActivityDate="2023-03-13T13:38:33.437" Title="How can I tie my belt so that it doesn't come off during rolling/sparring?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|belt|gi|uniform|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9758" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9757" CreationDate="2020-03-10T15:23:46.093" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Standard knot&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The standard way to tie one's belt in Karate and Judo is a traditional Japanese knot known as &lt;a href=&quot;https://karakuri.gr.jp/en/products/rf-30/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;chiyo-musubi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (千代結び &amp;quot;eternal knot&amp;quot;). In my experience this is pretty stable during rolling/randori. Here is a diagram from the IJF detailing how to tie it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/d2qX8.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/d2qX8.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See also the following &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_OvdcQHe54&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;instructional video&lt;/a&gt; from the IJF.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Simple knot&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also tie a simple granny knot with the ends (as opposed to slipping them through the belt before/after tying):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/cFb4d.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/cFb4d.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However in my experience this style is prone to coming loose, especially in BJJ and ne-waza. This is sometimes called a &amp;quot;competition knot&amp;quot;, since it coming loose affords you a bit of a breather while fixing up your gi when the referee resets a match.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-03-13T13:38:33.437" LastActivityDate="2023-03-13T13:38:33.437" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9759" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9763" CreationDate="2020-03-11T11:52:32.817" Score="2" ViewCount="384" Body="&lt;p&gt;After its use to success by &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.patreon.com/posts/evolution-of-22292882&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yarden Gerbi&lt;/a&gt; in 2014, the IJF clarified that the &quot;Gerbi choke&quot; (&lt;em&gt;suso-jime&lt;/em&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;) is illegal in judo:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shime-waza - forbidden&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  Shime-waza is not allowed with either your own or your opponents belt or bottom of the jacket, or using only the fingers.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;  &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/cUseqm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/cUseqm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;ul&gt;&#xA;  &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://78884ca60822a34fb0e6-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2019/10/IJF_Sport_and_Organisation_Rul-1571921763.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF SOR 2019&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;  &lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is the Gerbi choke legal if you use your &lt;em&gt;opponent's&lt;/em&gt; jacket?&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had assumed not, given the wording of the rules, but my coach demonstrated it recently and said it was legal and he had personally used it/seen it used multiple times in competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there some subtlety between applying the choke with your wrist/the skirt itself (similar to the justification for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/9571/8910&quot;&gt;baseball choke&lt;/a&gt; being legal), or between using the 'bottom' of the skirt or a portion higher up while just gripping the bottom?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1. &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Fighting_Judo.html?id=iD6nAAAACAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Fighting Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki (1985) (47. &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7Af9f.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Suso-jime&lt;/a&gt; (裾絞 &quot;apron choke&quot;))&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-11T15:35:17.273" LastActivityDate="2020-03-12T10:31:51.660" Title="Is the &quot;Gerbi choke&quot; legal using your opponent's jacket?" Tags="|judo|sport|chokes|gi|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9761" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9757" CreationDate="2020-03-11T13:18:39.063" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not a knot style answer, but once you've tied the knot, rather than just pulling the loose ends, grasp the ENDS of the belt firmly, bring your hands together, then pull apart as hard as you can. This creates a tighter and more secure knot.&#xA;Source - retying belts for kids just about every class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2020-03-11T13:18:39.063" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9762" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9757" CreationDate="2020-03-11T14:27:01.790" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Instead of doing a 'simple' belt knot, I use a variant where you put the ends of the belt between the two layers of the belt while doing the knot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.pinterest.at/pin/29906785009911943/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;This picture&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.pinimg.com/originals/22/90/29/229029d37a6911c363983582975e85b2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;shows how to do it starting with the upper end, I prefer starting with the one coming from below, but it does not make much of a difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been introduced to this method as 'kata-knot' in Judo, probably because the one thing you do not want to happen in kata is your belt falling off. Spares a lot of nerves when training children as well. Never failed me during the last 15ish years I am using it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point made by @AmorphousBlob stands regardless of the method, of course.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-11T14:31:33.127" LastActivityDate="2020-03-11T14:31:33.127" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9763" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9759" CreationDate="2020-03-11T20:53:36.423" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I assume that you refer to the technique where you pull uke's lapel under his armpit, diagonally across their upper back and around their neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The rule says clearly that we are not supposed to apply the choke with the belt or bottom of the jacket, which is different from &lt;em&gt;using&lt;/em&gt; them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The essential thing here is how far around uke's neck you go: if you grab the lapel at the same side where it is coming to the neck (side opposed to the armpit the lapel is pulled hnder) and having your own arm/wrist at uke's trachea, no harm done. If you grab the lapel on the other side, pulling it across the trachea, you are using it as a garotte and no matter how you do it, I'd consider it basically the same as shown in the pictures. The rules say your own &lt;strong&gt;or&lt;/strong&gt; your opponent's jacket, so applying the same thing with a different jacket does not change anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The tricky part here is that it is really hard to make out from the outside what you do exactly, especially in real-time. It is only some inches (or one inch even) between legal and illegal. Additionally, your body covers the whole thing almost completely so that there are few angles from where you would even have a chance to see a violation of rules. This makes it hard for a referee to sanction in this particular case if it is not very obvious, eg. someone violently pulling with a grip at the very end of or extremely low at the lapel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said: One may well encounter techniques many times that are technically illegal since there are levels of competitions where the referees are not exactly high level and only visit one seminar every few years (if they are licensed at all).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2020-03-12T10:31:51.660" LastActivityDate="2020-03-12T10:31:51.660" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9769" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9753" CreationDate="2020-03-14T21:47:18.087" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not only for Bujinkan but for most martial arts, I'd add to the other answers that not only the effectiveness of techniques is important, but also the mental (&lt;em&gt;or spiritual if you will&lt;/em&gt;) preparation is key.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Fear, stress, anxiety, all will affect how you fight, often being fearless or calm will work against a rival with better technique but that's not &lt;em&gt;in the zone&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Having faced realistic combat will definitely let you know if your mind and attitude will play for you or against you on a real fight.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;In my experience, I learned way more of martial arts and fighting while getting punched in the face than from repeating kata or kicking a padded focus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10701" LastActivityDate="2020-03-14T21:47:18.087" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9772" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2073" CreationDate="2020-03-15T12:18:32.053" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Southern Shaolin Monastery or Nan-Shaolin is the name of a Buddhist monastery whose existence and location are both disputed although associated ruins have been identified. By tradition, it is considered a source of Nanquan. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Address: Fengze District, Quanzhou, Fujian, China&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Shaolin Monastery, also known as the Shaolin Temple, is a Chan Buddhist temple in Dengfeng County, Henan Province, China. Believed to have been founded in the fifth century, the Shaolin Temple is the main temple of the Shaolin school of Buddhism to this day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Address: Dengfeng Ave, Dengfeng, Zhengzhou, Henan, China&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10702" LastActivityDate="2020-03-15T12:18:32.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9774" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-03-15T17:14:20.537" Score="5" ViewCount="588" Body="&lt;p&gt;BJJ is a great martial arts for MMA, but unlike other arts, BJJ often sells itself as being particularly focused on &quot;self-defense&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If that is the case, why does the art not allow slams?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that the founders of BJJ sold it as a &quot;weak man's martial art&quot;, where even a small person could use BJJ techniques on a bigger opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, sure, in an octagon on a nice, comfortable mat. But on the street, the bigger opponent is just going to grab you and slam you into the pavement. Even if your head somehow escapes getting busted open, the back and glute pain alone would be excruciating. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So allowing slams (and hence teaching DEFENSE against slams) seems to be a crucial part of BJJ. But not only don't they train that, they actively encourage falling into a slam, due to the notion of &quot;pulling guard&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10703" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-03-25T21:22:34.383" LastActivityDate="2020-06-16T16:48:43.483" Title="Why is BJJ sold as a &quot;self-defense&quot; art when it does not allow slams?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|self-defense|streetfight|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9775" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9774" CreationDate="2020-03-15T19:12:46.043" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, there are two main kinds of BJJ. There is sport BJJ and there is self defense BJJ. There are many BJJ moves that would be great for tournaments but would be horrible for self defense (e.g. collar and sleeve/arm grips, they leave your face vulnerable). There are also some moves that are great for self defense that might get you disqualified in competition (e.g. scissor take down). Just because you have not learned any slams does not mean that they aren't part of BJJ. They just aren't part of &lt;em&gt;SPORT&lt;/em&gt; BJJ. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have actually learned a few slams during my time doing BJJ. For example, if someone puts you in a headlock, you can pry their face to the sky and reach under their leg to pick them up. Since this has no use in competition, it was made for the purpose of self defense. We practiced &quot;slow-dropping&quot; them, which is to help teach us to just drop your attacker onto the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And remember, there is a large difference between sport and self defense BJJ. Just because a move isn't legal in competition doesn't mean that it isn't part of BJJ (for example, the scissor take down). You can also turn many techniques into slams. For example, a basic hip throw can be done with extreme force to &quot;slam&quot; your attacker's back onto the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When people say that Jiu Jitsu is great for self defense, I would argue that they are right. No one ever claimed it to be a comprehensive all-inclusive self defense system, but it is probably THE most helpful grappling art for self defense (just my opinion, of course). For more backup, look at one of my previous questions: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9730/why-isnt-striking-part-of-brazilian-jiu-jitsu&quot;&gt;Why isn&amp;#39;t striking part of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt; But not only don't they train that, they actively encourage falling into a slam, due to the notion of &quot;pulling guard&quot;.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Guard is a great position, although it does come with some risks: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8067/groin-attack-danger-in-full-guard-especially-stages-3-4&quot;&gt;Groin attack danger in full guard (especially stages 3, 4)?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have your attacker in your guard and they start to pick you up, LET GO WITH YOUR LEGS. Nothing good will happen to you if you stay attached to them. There are several sweeps that you can do once you let go, including the overhead sweep and the Omoplata sweep.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-03-16T00:26:57.737" LastActivityDate="2020-03-16T00:26:57.737" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9776" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9774" CreationDate="2020-03-15T20:03:26.880" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Coaches focusing on training world champions is my guess as to why they don't teach slam defense. Why slamming was ever banned, I have no idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BJJ schools should stop advertising self defense when they hardly ever teach it. The focus tends to be on &lt;em&gt;sport BJJ&lt;/em&gt;, which has some bizarre rules (one of which you have pointed out).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bjjee.com/articles/rickson-influences-huge-changes-to-gracie-university-2/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Rickson Gracie&lt;/a&gt; believes that BJJ schools need to change and refocus on self defense. Back when MMA started in the US, BJJ schools (specifically Gracie JJ) were teaching technique for Vale Tudo (fighting without many rules), which is much closer to self defense. I've only seen striking defense taught if you go to a self-defense lesson instead of a &quot;normal&quot; class (at a place where I trained briefly).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If Rickson's efforts succeed, then we might see schools focus on strike defense, slam prevention, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10658" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-06-16T16:48:43.483" LastActivityDate="2020-06-16T16:48:43.483" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9777" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-03-16T01:54:06.573" Score="5" ViewCount="401" Body="&lt;p&gt;I saw this throw demonstrated earlier today in a children's judo class. The tori starts in a headlock (or perhaps puts their own head into one), pushes their inside arm through to grab at the back of the uke, and then steps through to catch their ankle. As the uke goes over backwards, the tori does a breakfall over the top of the uke (or to the side of their head if they're trying to be gentle).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The teacher didn't know the name of this throw, and said that it wasn't in the Kodokan set. He was unsure if there is a formal name for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does this have a name? Most of the headlock throws I've found on Youtube look very different and have the person performing the headlock completing the throw. It seems like it should be sutemi waza, but the lists of sutemi I can find don't have anything that sounds/looks like it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tWW4l.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tWW4l.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Tori (red) is in headlock (or allows himself to be put in one) by uke (blue). Tori is facing away from camera, uke facing camera. Tori's right leg will step between uke's legs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Tori's right arm is still in front of uke, but tori shoots (squirms?) his right arm through to grab uke behind his back (or in the judo-illegal version, grabbing at the uke's right leg).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Tori's right foot shoots through and catches uke's right foot. At the same time, tori pushes forward so uke falls backwards, balance having been broken. Uke lands on back, and tori breakfall/rolls either to the side of his head (or in the mean version), right over the uke.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10157" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-26T19:32:50.060" LastActivityDate="2020-05-06T05:21:28.980" Title="The name of a throw where the tori starts from a headlock" Tags="|judo|throwing|defense|identification|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9778" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-03-16T16:57:25.693" Score="2" ViewCount="246" Body="&lt;p&gt;My new &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt; trousers have sides with splits to allow the person to get in and out easily. I am too thin for this &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt; but I have to use it as I am very tall. is it ok to sew these sides up so that my &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt; does not fall off or should I just search for a new &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, for any people with good domestic sewing skills, what is the best stitch and thread for sewing patches onto my &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt;, as the material is too thick for my usual needle and thread or sewing machine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10706" LastEditorUserId="10830" LastEditDate="2020-06-03T17:01:04.733" LastActivityDate="2020-06-03T17:01:04.733" Title="Is it ok to sew the sides of my Judo gi?" Tags="|judo|gi|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9779" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9774" CreationDate="2020-03-16T18:41:30.357" Score="7" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Allowing slams (and hence teaching DEFENSE against slams) seems to be a crucial part of BJJ. But [they] don't they train that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every BJJ gym I've trained at for more than a couple months has taught me how to prevent and defend against slams. Techniques to prevent being slammed were in three of the first BJJ instructional videos I watched. Most BJJ purple belts and above know how to prevent getting picked up and slammed. I know this because when I try to stand up against them in training, they knock me over, catch me in an armlock or choke, or just stop me from standing up using one of several basic BJJ techniques that we learn for this purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In sport BJJ competition, we don't slam because it's too likely to hurt people. I'd like to modify the rules similar to the old judo rule for &lt;em&gt;daki age&lt;/em&gt;, where picking someone up for a slam (but not finishing it) was a scoring technique. But banning a dangerous technique to avoid injury is a reasonable choice. Those who want to accept more risk and train with slams can do MMA. That's a reasonable trade-off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-03-16T18:41:30.357" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9780" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9790" CreationDate="2020-03-16T22:41:37.890" Score="2" ViewCount="199" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do BJJ, &lt;em&gt;NOT&lt;/em&gt; Hapkido or other martial arts that teach wrist locks. Sometimes when I am rolling, my opponent will grab a single wrist lock, not because they are trying to submit me or anything, but just because they grant control to the person who applies them. The kind that I usually get stuck in is where they grab halfway on my hand, halfway on my wrist and sort of twist it. Anyone who has had this wrist lock applied to them should know that it is fairly uncomfortable and strictly limits mobility. Because this is for rolling, what are some counters that won't injure them. That doesn't mean that it can't be uncomfortable, I just wan't something other than punching them in the face or anything of the striking nature. Is there any kind of BJJ specific counter (Such as an armbar, triangle etc.)? What about a throw if I am standing up? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-03-17T20:35:39.097" LastActivityDate="2020-03-19T06:24:31.637" Title="Wrist lock counter attacks that won't injure my opponent" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|defense|escapes|wrist-lock|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9781" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-03-17T04:12:14.327" Score="7" ViewCount="3975" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am nervous that my BJJ training is negatively affecting my MMA skills (which is what my priority is).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many of the positions we are drilling in my BJJ class would be a bad idea in an MMA fight, since the BJJ techniques aren't taking into account that your opponent is trying to hit your face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Simple example: today we focused on some details of escaping mount. This involves controlling the opponent's hips with your arms. Good luck doing that in a MMA fight when your head is being caved in with punches. The technique we learned simply isn't useful for MMA, since your arms need to protect your face. Instead, you need to use your legs to push off into a bridge or get into guard recovery position. The classical BJJ approach simply doesn't work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And this is just one example; in my opinion this applies to many aspects of BJJ. The positional play simply doesn't take into account that in an MMA fight, you have to protect your face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The submissions are great though; that is the one area that BJJ can help me with. But everything else is the problem. Am I correct in assuming that it is bad for MMA to drill one's body to react in the ways BJJ teaches? It does not seem suitable for MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am considering dropping BJJ, and doing wrestling instead, and only practicing BJJ submissions on the side. Does this seem more suitable for MMA?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10703" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-18T17:46:01.683" LastActivityDate="2021-02-08T08:42:35.000" Title="Does BJJ adequately train defence against &quot;ground and pound&quot; situations?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|mixed-martial-arts|wrestling|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9782" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-03-17T05:38:35.540" Score="3" ViewCount="165" Body="&lt;p&gt;I remember there's an Asian martial arts technique (especially China, and I believe India also has it but I don't know which tag to use for that) that solely uses their forearms for strikes and blocks as their primary technique. Usually wearing &lt;a href=&quot;https://acc-cdn.azureedge.net/mrl-live-media-file/0000089_steel-vambraces_550.jpeg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;vambrace&lt;/a&gt;/bracelet as their weapons, here is the &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b0/55/ac/b055ace1452899cd76becb6a1c67c227.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Asian military bronze vambrace&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I remember that a historical artifact also has protruding spikes, probably used by this martial arts duelist, but I can't find it on the web.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10509" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2020-05-09T21:56:10.160" LastActivityDate="2020-05-09T21:59:10.487" Title="What martial art uses vambrace/bracelet or forearms for a fighting technique?" Tags="|kung-fu|style|identification|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9783" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9781" CreationDate="2020-03-17T10:00:31.077" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;It is much easier to learn a proper technique to get out of mount in the first place and adapting it to MMA environment afterwards. One shouldn't learn things doing it in half-measures.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems you have not yet understood the main premises of BJJ, which hold in MMA as well:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;1. Position before submission&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you are in a weak position - like being mounted - you have to fear that you are subject to ground and pound, yes. But it is not the ground and pound which should be your &lt;strong&gt;main&lt;/strong&gt; concern, it should be your weak position. It does not matter what you do or what your opponent does. As long as you stay in that position, it is much easier for your opponent both to hurt and to capitalize from mistakes than it is for you. That is why your main concern is and has to be getting out of that position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;2. No compromises - effective technique or nothing&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One may well think about a thousand possibilities and try to embrace and secure oneself against all possible kinds of attacks, but truth be told: you can't. Think about knife defense as an analogous example: Yes, you could think about a gazillion ways of effectively warding off the weapon and disarming the aggressor, truth be told, that is not your main goal: that is surviving. And the best way to ensure survival is disabling the aggressor as fast as possible. Yes, you try to block, sure. You prevent and mitigate as much damage as possible. But you will be cut or stabbed anyway and you will survive most of it for long enough to get help, but if you don't stop the attack, you will accumulate wounds until they become lethal. Therefore, you accept that you will get hurt because you are in a bad situation and carry on with getting out of it. It may sound paradoxical, but attack is your main focus here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same is true for mount: Yes, they will try to beat the sh*t out of you &lt;strong&gt;and you will not be able to fend off all of these attacks anyway even though you certainly try to roll punches and block them as much as possible&lt;/strong&gt;. Therefore, the sensible thing to do is to use the most effective way to end this problematic situation with all your focus and strength, and as fast as possible. The most &lt;strong&gt;effective&lt;/strong&gt; way to do so is what you learn in BJJ (and wrestling, and Judo, and Sambo, ...&lt;em&gt;because it works&lt;/em&gt;). Starting to learn the technique, it will take you what feels like ages and you will not be able to manage strikes at the same time, but with experience and body development, you will see that it becomes much faster. Even if you get hit a few times, it will still be less damage than what you have to expect if you just defend or try other (less decisive and effective) ways to get the hell out of there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;3. On the reality of fights&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Disadvantageous positions like the ones you describe do not come out of thin air: they are a consequence of you having made a mistake, being outplayed, or generally inferior. You probably already took a hit at that moment and are dizzy. All that can possibly be of help now are automatic response patterns like rolling the punches and escape techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said this, you oversaw a major point here: Once the balance of your opponent is compromised, they cannot possibly do any effective ground and pound. Even if they hit you, it won't hurt that much, since they cannot generate power. And one of the first steps of any defense/escape will be compromising the balance of your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This holds true for probably any problematic aspect you made out. In every other one, either adding a guard is no problem, or your opponent is in a compromised position from which there are no powerful blows possible and they would risk counters which bring them in peril themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;TL;DR&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is helpful to train the situations and techniques with strikes allowed &lt;em&gt;as soon as you gained some proficiency in applying them&lt;/em&gt;. That's what your MMA sparring sessions are for. This includes how to roll punches and protect your head as much as possible &lt;em&gt;while escaping the position with the best possible technique&lt;/em&gt;. But without a clear plan to get out of that inferior position in the first place, you will continue to be in a disadvantageous position. And the longer this happens, the lower your chances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not focusing on learning the proper technique for this first but trying to learn &lt;em&gt;everything at once&lt;/em&gt; means that it takes you longer to become proficient as a complete fighter compared to problem-specific drills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-02-08T08:42:35.000" LastActivityDate="2021-02-08T08:42:35.000" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9784" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9781" CreationDate="2020-03-17T10:39:49.277" Score="11" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Today we focused on some details of escaping mount. This involves controlling the opponent's hips with your arms. Good luck doing that in a MMA fight when your head is being caved in with ground and pound. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being under mount is bad. There's no rule that says that you can escape without exposing yourself to strikes or submissions. Saying &quot;I want to escape this really tight bad position but not expose myself in any way&quot; is as childish as asking for a unicorn for your birthday.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If wrestling has better escapes from mount, then use those. I don't think it does. If you pay attention to MMA matches, even the best grapplers have to expose themselves to strikes in order to try to escape from the bottom. Usually the two choices are to turn your back to a &quot;quarter&quot; or &quot;turtle&quot; position, risking strikes, mat returns, and submissions, or to work towards and then use the guard, which risks pins and strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there is some truth to your concern. Pure BJJ is as useful to MMA or fighting as pure boxing. That is to say, it's &lt;em&gt;extremely&lt;/em&gt; useful, but should also be recognized as what it is: a domain to practice a subset of fighting in order to get better at some important aspect of fighting. You have to be wary of tricks that work in the subset that won't work when you put it all together. This is true of &lt;em&gt;any and all&lt;/em&gt; of the subsets: pure wrestling teaches bad habits, just like pure boxing or BJJ. But they also develop important skills. One comes with the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also important to understand that you'll learn those specialized skills (whether grappling, striking) faster in an isolated environment than you would if you tried to do everything at once. In other words, you'll develop slower trying to learn how to punch if every time you punch you have to worry about takedowns. Similarly, it will take you longer to get good at escaping bad positions on the ground if you're worried about being punched in the head every time you practice. Learn the skills on their own first (always prioritizing generally-applicable skills rather than sport-specific skills) and integrate them into your MMA practice later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2020-03-18T18:34:43.440" LastActivityDate="2020-03-18T18:34:43.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9785" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9781" CreationDate="2020-03-17T13:14:08.817" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.10thplanetjj.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Eddie Bravo&lt;/a&gt; created his own Jiu Jitsu system because he doesn't feel like the classic approach is working well for MMA. You can find many BJJ champions who aren't doing so hot in their transition to MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your example for the mount escape isn't as bad as an example as ground and pound from the top in guard. I would love to hear why this isn't addressed in typical BJJ classes. MMA fighters have basically 0 interest in passing your guard like Sport BJJ people do; they will hang in your guard to punch you in the face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not sure I would flat out quit, since you need ground skills for MMA. Ask questions during your class, and maybe they can help you tweak the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10658" LastActivityDate="2020-03-17T13:14:08.817" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9786" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-03-17T15:11:44.413" Score="-4" ViewCount="889" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrestling is about pinning the body of your opponent into an inferior position where they are left immobile. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BJJ is about surviving positions, setting up other positions, with the final goal of submitting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okay, great.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But Sambo and Catch-Wrestling incorporate &lt;strong&gt;both&lt;/strong&gt; these things. So why would anyone pick those two arts over Sambo or catch-wrestling, if the goal is to be a complete martial artist?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The number one reason why people practise martial arts is self-defence, and no matter who you are, going up against a Sambo guy or a catch-wrestler in the street is going to be twice as hard as taking on a BJJ guy or a wrestler.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10703" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-18T21:41:20.537" LastActivityDate="2020-03-18T21:41:20.537" Title="Why do Wrestling and BJJ exist when Sambo and catch-wrestling are more complete arts?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|wrestling|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9787" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9786" CreationDate="2020-03-17T16:22:01.263" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question asks why some martial arts exist when others are more complete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is: The rule set. It always goes back to the rules. Why something looks the way it does depends on the rule set. Change the rules even a little, and the way a martial art looks can change quite a lot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do the rules require a gi? Big difference between that style and one that doesn't. Are chokes allowed? Are strikes allowed? What about throws and sweeps? What about small circle joint manipulation? Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even in martial arts which have no competitive rules and never spar, there are rules. These rules just reinforce their conceptual framework. For example, in many forms of kung-fu, wrestling on the ground is considered either wrong or a form of fighting that's lower class and therefore not worth training. In classical Japanese Jujitsu, you won't see a lot of high kicks or snapping punches. The reason is because it was made for use on the battlefield where people were expected to wear armor which made those techniques impractical or impossible to do without risk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, maybe in the larger sense, two different martial arts may have the same goal, which in this case might be to pin someone to the ground for X amount of seconds or to submit them. But the rules dictate how you can get to those outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't see a lot of different looking MMA fighters, for example. Oh, they all have their unique style, but the variation in the way they actually move and look is very small when compared against people from a traditional martial art such as Aikido or Wing Chun. It's because the rules of MMA dictate everything. If an MMA stylist tried to suddenly switch to a traditional martial art style while in an MMA style fight, they'd lose. So they'd learn really quickly not to do that. That's why they all look very similar. They are moving in a way that's optimal for the rules of MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, the next question you'll want to ask is whether the rules should or shouldn't be the way they are. You might ask why one martial art allows chokes and the other doesn't, for example. That sort of question, highly focused on one aspect of a particular martial art's rule set, can lead you to a much greater understanding of that style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo, for example, never allowed striking, even though it's in some of their kata (yes, they have kata!). If you investigate this, you'll find that it goes all the way back to its founder, Jiguro Kano, who when asked about this said that he did not know how to incorporate striking into randori in a safe manner. And one of the main concepts of Judo is that it exists primarily as a way of physical and moral improvement. Its purpose was not to make a well-rounded fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so the &lt;strong&gt;higher&lt;/strong&gt; answer to the main question is not about the rules. It's about the core philosophy behind the art. The rules are merely the manifestation of that philosophy. Asking why the rules are the way they are will lead you to understanding why that martial art exists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2020-03-17T20:52:29.603" LastActivityDate="2020-03-17T20:52:29.603" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9788" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9781" CreationDate="2020-03-17T18:38:08.860" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Indeed, actually in the UFC, 1,2 and 4 Royce Gracie showed to everyone how  all these Jiu-Jitsu basic fundamentals does not work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe you need to ask your self why great jiu-jitsu and fighters like Demian Maia, Gilbert Burns, Ronaldo Jacaré, Charles do Bronks, Roger Gracie, Nate Diaz, who successfully adapted their Jiu-Jitsu for MMA,  consider essential to train jiu-jitsu with GI in every camp.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your argument is so absurd as saying that pure wrestling is not effective because when training single and double legs, they do not take into account flying knee on the face...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend you to watch the fight: Minotauro vs Bob Sapp. In this fight, Minotauro use the most basic jiu-jitsu to defeat Bob Sapp who outweighed Minotauro by 127 pounds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10708" LastEditorUserId="10708" LastEditDate="2021-02-06T22:13:17.877" LastActivityDate="2021-02-06T22:13:17.877" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9789" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9780" CreationDate="2020-03-17T23:56:20.937" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my 5 years of experience in BJJ, I learn that to avoid wrist locks is a matter of experience and reflex well developed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;About the counter is not so simple, in most of the situations in order of your opponent catches you in a wristlock,  you must commit a mistake, give him some opportunity. I think very difficult to counterattack from a  disadvantage position,  especially if this situation is a mão de vaca since it hurts a lot ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my advice is, develop your roll reflexes in order to avoid putting your self in a  favorable position to your opponent to apply you a mão de vaca.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Example. I like to apply wristlock from the side mount position, works like that: the most common reaction of the dude who is receiving the side mount position is to do a hip escape putting one hand in my hip and the other hand inmy chest. That hand in my chest is asking me for a wristlock. So you must educate your self to when doing a hip escape do not put your hand in your opponent's chest. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10708" LastEditorUserId="10708" LastEditDate="2020-03-18T00:48:46.633" LastActivityDate="2020-03-18T00:48:46.633" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9790" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9780" CreationDate="2020-03-18T02:45:23.060" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming you have a free hand you can create some leverage by counter-gripping your opponent's forearm and twisting from your shoulder/core to pressure the lock and hopefully release it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How you do that, is going to depend on the angle of the lock, but it might involve reaching far-side of the lock &amp;amp; getting a grip, then using your shoulder/torso leverage to break the locking grip. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course there's all sorts of things you can do if you can thread a leg into the knot/lock to pry it apart.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grab their wrist and cause leverage to pry it apart. &amp;amp; if you're on the ground don't forget you can use your feet too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp; when breaking a grip that there's a good grip on either side of the palm-heel of the hand where you can twist outward with leverage through the wrist into the forearm that can be applied slowly rather than forcibly to break the grip &amp;amp; levering your forearms together (using one to fulcrum the other) can be a great tool when grip-breaking. If you can get the base of your thumb into the palm and fingers wrapped around either side of the tarsals you've got the grip&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9638" LastEditorUserId="9638" LastEditDate="2020-03-19T06:24:31.637" LastActivityDate="2020-03-19T06:24:31.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9792" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8698" CreationDate="2020-03-18T03:19:20.390" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have training BJJ over the last five years. In this period I have met all kinds of personalities on the mats. That is part of it, deal with cool people, deal with unpleasant people. It is like that in all parts of life. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10708" LastActivityDate="2020-03-18T03:19:20.390" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9793" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9786" CreationDate="2020-03-18T03:56:28.577" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;No one sets out to create an &quot;art&quot;. Some of the arts that you're talking about weren't even invented/created (at least by no single individual) and have evolved over centuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And I'd argue that &quot;art&quot; isn't even the atomic unit for martial arts. Rather, the technique is. Arts, where they exist, are nothing more than the accumulation of practiced techniques that either seem to go well together, or that someone a long time ago found interesting and &lt;em&gt;put&lt;/em&gt; together.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And with no one and nothing to force arts to be &quot;complete&quot; many just never became complete (or maybe they will be someday, but currently aren't). This could certainly change, we're seeing quite a few shake-ups of orthodoxy in the last 20 years or so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10157" LastActivityDate="2020-03-18T03:56:28.577" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9794" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9777" CreationDate="2020-03-18T04:09:48.303" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;This looks like a &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/9XheHBOJEdo&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;kouchi-makikomi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. In this video's variation, tori is first entering for a &lt;em&gt;sode-tsurikomi-goshi&lt;/em&gt;, and tori's head ends up in a similar position to a front headlock. There is no requirement that uke have a front headlock hold for the throw to be classified as a &lt;em&gt;kouchi-makikomi&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key classification elements to a &lt;em&gt;kouchi-makikomi&lt;/em&gt; are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;reaping of uke's leg from the inside, with a small leg motion (&lt;em&gt;kouchi&lt;/em&gt;, as opposed to &lt;em&gt;ouchi&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;wrapping and falling&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/8535/5961&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kouchi-makikomi&lt;/em&gt; is on the Kodokan list of techniques, as of 2017&lt;/a&gt;. Before that time it would just have been called a sacrifice version of &lt;em&gt;kouchi gari&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-03-18T04:28:29.883" LastActivityDate="2020-03-18T04:28:29.883" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9795" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9786" CreationDate="2020-03-18T07:58:18.547" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The premise of the question is either incomprehensible or flat wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BJJ purple+ belts can pin and immobilize just about any untrained person. In the other direction, it's been shown time and again that you can show any accomplished wrestler a guillotine and rear naked choke and a month later they're submission machines.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grappling arts are not so distinct as is assumed by the question. The phrasing of the question also suggests a belief that grappling works like D&amp;amp;D, with stats and XP:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;no matter who you are, going up against a Sambo guy or a catch-wrestler in the street is going to be twice as hard as taking on a BJJ guy or a wrestler.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts are not a video game. A catch wrestler is not just a regular wrestler &quot;plus&quot; the submission power-up. Sambo is not BJJ but if you press &lt;kbd&gt;A B A B [UP] [DOWN] [SELECT] [START]&lt;/kbd&gt; you do a special move. There are no power-ups or character classes. Stop thinking of them this way. That's not how any of this works.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-03-18T07:58:18.547" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9796" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9812" CreationDate="2020-03-18T19:23:37.300" Score="1" ViewCount="1724" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DISCLAIMER&lt;/strong&gt;: I realize that this question is similar to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8339/punch-bags-in-a-rental-apartment&quot;&gt;Punch bags in a rental apartment&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, this does NOT answer my question. While both ask about punching bags in an apartment, that question asks about space and where to put it, and this one asks about noise levels for different punching bags. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I live in an apartment. I have been thinking about getting a punching bag, but because the walls are very thin, my neighbors would be able to hear it every time I hit it. I have heard that it can shake the entire building, because of the internal structure. I have also looked into standing bags, such as a Wavemaster, but neighbors have complained that they slide across the floor and make noise. What kind of bag makes the least noise possible?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-03-23T17:13:18.607" LastActivityDate="2020-03-23T18:31:33.650" Title="Recommendations for quiet punching/kickboxing bags" Tags="|recommendation|equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9797" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9798" CreationDate="2020-03-19T17:44:26.633" Score="0" ViewCount="593" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since BJJ primarily works on pins, escapes, takedowns, and submissions, and not much on throws, I thought that I could start learning throws to make my knowledge a little more &quot;complete&quot;. Although I have learned many takedowns, I have only been taught one throw in BJJ, and it wasn't really effective. So now that I started learning some Judo techniques, I have been trying to apply them into my BJJ game. But one of three things usually happen:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I go for the throw and I get taken down instead&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I go for the throw but I am forced to do a takedown/sweep instead because of their posture&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I am able to pull off the throw but they land in a strange way that further limits my ability to attack them&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even though BJJ is derived from Judo, it seems like they aren't very compatible, because BJJ is all about &quot;closing  the distance&quot; and throwing creates distance. Is the problem most likely that I'm executing the throw wrong or that throws just don't work well against a BJJ practitioner?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-03-21T16:29:26.570" LastActivityDate="2020-03-21T17:38:52.517" Title="To what extent can (and should) throws be used in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?" Tags="|judo|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|technique|throwing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9798" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9797" CreationDate="2020-03-20T03:54:29.077" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Spend time wisely&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, a general note is important. The strategic problem with judo throws for BJJ is that they require a major time investment to learn, and the payoff in BJJ competition is low. According to the BJJ rules, you can drop right to the ground and avoid situations where throwing is practical. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that in mind, we'll look at your three situations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I go for the throw and I get taken down instead&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Practice more&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In order for throws to work, you need to practice them to competence. This is no different from shooting a single leg takedown but being sprawled on. Every attack (strike, throw, takedown, etc.) can be blocked/countered. Judo is built around being able to execute throws fast/efficiently enough that those counter movements create other openings, which brings us to your second point. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I go for the throw but I am forced to do a takedown/sweep instead because of their posture&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Exploit openings&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What's wrong with this? If the threat of a throw provides an opening to otherwise attain a superior position, then just take it. There is always some kind of opening; the difficulty is when the opening becomes illegal under whatever ruleset you are using. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I am able to pull off the throw but they land in a strange way that further limits my ability to attack them&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Throw with real control&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The ideal judo training throw looks something like this &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/gbcRlZgDSwo?t=57&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;seoi nage&lt;/em&gt; (shoulder throw)&lt;/a&gt;. There are four elements that are nominally considered for scoring in competition:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;speed&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;force&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;control&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;uke falling largely on the back&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A further element that is demonstrated in the video but not considered for judo competition scoring is the finishing position. In judo competition, you can roll through to roll uke across their back and score an ippon to end the match, but this is not useful in the BJJ setting because throws don't end the match, and you end up in an inferior position. In this demonstration, tori finishes in a standing position where &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Uke's fall is supported and they are not dropped on their spine&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Uke's legs are already passed &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tori has structure to prevent uke from being able to pull them down to the ground after the throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tori can continue to groundwork if desired, with the obvious continuation being a &lt;em&gt;juji gatame&lt;/em&gt; (cross body armlock). &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In a self-defense situation, tori would be able to disengage at this point, or stomp on the grounded opponent. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-03-20T03:54:29.077" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9799" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9721" CreationDate="2020-03-20T12:39:25.177" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If a much higher belt gives you opportunities during free rolling, then you take those opportunities as best you can. Don't go easy. &lt;strong&gt;Force them&lt;/strong&gt; to dial up their intensity because you're passing their guard, crushing them in a pin, squeezing them out of air with a body triangle from the back, and choking them unconscious. Or, try to get them to submit from knee on belly. That usually makes someone defend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't have to listen to their advice -- if they start talking, keep doing what you're doing. If they say &quot;whoa, hold up, let me show you&quot; then you can either take instruction or respond &quot;I'd rather just roll. Could we just roll?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;FYI, as a purple belt, one reason I'll dial down my resistance with a white belt is if they're sloppy. It's counterproductive to defend if your passes and pins are too loose; it'll dull my reflexes against competent passers. So if they're letting you pass, then maybe after you pass get TIGHT and work carefully instead of quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-03-20T12:39:25.177" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9800" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9797" CreationDate="2020-03-20T12:46:47.487" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;I have only been taught one throw in BJJ, and it wasn't really effective. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's be careful with our language. It's not that the throw was ineffective, but that &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt; are ineffective at the technique &lt;em&gt;so far&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Expect to take at least a year of regular clinch practice, more likely three, for your stand-up grappling to get good enough to execute throws reliably. They're harder than takedowns. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, remember that wrestling is often a better complement to BJJ than judo. For instance, Marcelo Garcia, one of the all-time greats, has said many times that he prefers &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/2tjRZwdGm-M&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;wrestling over judo for BJJ&lt;/a&gt;. Judo is still great and worthwhile, but it is harder to integrate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-03-20T12:46:47.487" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9801" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9797" CreationDate="2020-03-21T17:38:52.517" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo throws are &lt;strong&gt;HARD&lt;/strong&gt; to do! You cannot dabble in them. It takes a lot time and patience to develop functional throwing technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestling is easier to pick up in a shorter amount of time. It's also not good for aging players.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo is a lifetime sport where your throws can get better with age. I've seen 60 year old folks with amazing throws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to get into it, find a Judo class and split your training time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;throws just don't work well against a BJJ practitioner?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They don't work against &lt;em&gt;resistant opponents&lt;/em&gt; until you've gotten a LOT of practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10658" LastActivityDate="2020-03-21T17:38:52.517" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9802" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9805" CreationDate="2020-03-21T18:37:20.580" Score="2" ViewCount="305" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a foot-sweep technique in Judo known as &quot;the sticker&quot;, &lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jynx3OQhfGo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IDUg5O_J-o&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ-DDTNHzbY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;3&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evu8TXoaSaE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;4&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExAvD7EjgLs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;5&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt; though it is variously described as a variant of &lt;a href=&quot;https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rktH5Wgx6Yc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;kosoto-gari&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; / &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/judo/comments/bttkp5/the_use_of_movement_and_ashi_waza_to_set_up_throws/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;gake,&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evu8TXoaSaE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;de-ashi-barai&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How does the Kodokan classify this technique?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-21T19:10:11.957" LastActivityDate="2020-03-27T12:02:33.520" Title="Is the 'sticker' a kosoto-gake, or de-ashi-barai?" Tags="|judo|technique|terminology|throwing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9803" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9804" CreationDate="2020-03-22T00:25:47.630" Score="3" ViewCount="373" Body="&lt;p&gt;I, like many people, want to be as prepared as possible for the possibility of getting attacked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming that most people do NOT know how to fight, what kind of strikes and blocks could I expect a random attacker to use against me? Should I expect mostly punches, or is there a possibility of kicks and other attacks, too? I always learned to be prepared for anything. But wouldn't that be a waist of my self defense training if the reality is that they will use a limited number of attacks? What kind punches/strikes are most common? Can I expect for them to try to take me down?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that this may be a hard question to answer, so do your best. Try to cite studies, similar to the ones used to answer &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1342/is-it-true-that-most-fights-end-on-the-ground-what-is-the-evidence&quot;&gt;this question&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-03-24T20:02:34.990" LastActivityDate="2020-03-24T20:02:34.990" Title="What kind of moves can you expect a &quot;streetfighter&quot; to use?" Tags="|style|streetfight|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9804" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9803" CreationDate="2020-03-22T04:54:01.860" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, the science:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rollingaroundbjj.com/fights-end-up-on-ground/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://rollingaroundbjj.com/fights-end-up-on-ground/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That article looked at 383 street fights which were available on Youtube. Never mind the fact that in order to make it onto Youtube in the first place, maybe something spectacular had to happen, or maybe it was just a stupid looking fight. Who knows. So the data set might be a tad skewed. Still, with just Youtube to go by, the results are shown in the article.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They concluded:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;Summary:&#xA;&lt;OL&gt;&#xA;&lt;LI&gt;Most fights start with someone who’s unprepared getting punched in the face… even though there‘s lots of indicators it’s about to happen.&#xA;&lt;LI&gt;The aggressor then gains the initiative with a flurry of punches… and often wins within seconds.&#xA;&lt;LI&gt;Most losses were a result of not having a basic boxing protective stance or guard… and getting hit in the face by an unskilled opponent.&#xA;&lt;LI&gt;Less than 1/3 of fights end up on the ground in a way that grappling would be useful.&#xA;&lt;LI&gt;When used, takedowns were one of the most effective street fighting techniques because they either end the fight or put you in a dominant position.&#xA;&lt;LI&gt;Grappling styles like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are very effective in street fights… especially for gaining and maintaining a dominant position.&#xA;&lt;LI&gt;Multiple attackers are more likely to be an issue if you are in a striking-only fight and get knocked down.&#xA;&lt;/OL&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And for the record, I agreed with the conclusions of the article. It jibed with what I've concluded on my own after watching Youtube videos and a small number of real life fights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main thing I'll observe as it pertains to this question is that it's not that you're going to encounter a particular technique the most. That's not what you should concern yourself most with. Instead, it's the attitude, for lack of a better word. Yours and theirs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you watch some Youtube videos of street fights, you're going to start seeing a pattern. The pattern is that the guy that looks unwilling to engage is going to get hit first and will probably lose. He's an easy target, because he simply doesn't want to fight and isn't mentally prepared for it. Mentally, he's not in the game. He has already lost the fight in his head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This typically takes two forms. First is the guy who's posturing up, sticking his chest out and stepping towards the other guy. He's the aggressor. The other guy takes a step back, looks around, looks down, and often tries to avoid eye contact. He's using his voice and body language to indicate that he does not want to fight. He's backing down before anything happens. And in his head, he has no intention of fighting. Then the first guy throws a punch at his face, and it connects. After that, there's not enough time for the defender to switch &quot;on&quot; mentally in order to have a fighting mentality. He loses easily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second form is where you have a loud mouth guy who gets up into another guy's face screaming and generally trying to make the other guy back down. After a while of this with no strikes thrown, the guy who simply stood there and did nothing throws the first strike and knocks the loud mouth down. This seems like the exact opposite situation as the first one, but what's common is that the ones that lost the fight were the ones that proved from the very beginning that they did not want to fight. By spending a lot of time yelling and posturing instead of throwing a punch or even just shoving, the loud mouth guy indicates to his opponent that he doesn't intend to fight for real. If he did, he would have already done so. The other guy merely stood there unflinching, mentally preparing himself to strike when he saw the opportunity. And he took it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key appears to be attitude. If you show you're unwilling to fight, the other person will realize it on some level and may throw the first punch. It's like there's a switch you have to turn on in your mind that says you're fighting, and there's no backing down from this point on. It's a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And while the winner generally is the one that throws the first punch, you don't have to be that guy in order to win the fight. You just have to be ready for his first punch. By the time it starts, you need to have yourself mentally prepared for it. You'll lose otherwise. You may still lose even if you're mentally prepared, but you will definitely lose if you're not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Getting back to the technique, again that is far less important than what's going on in your head and what you're telling your opponent with your voice and body language. The fight is over already before it begins unless you're on top of it mentally. But what about the techniques you're likely to encounter?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is that you're going to get mostly the same sorts of techniques thrown at you in the first moments of the fight: Guy looks away, pauses for a second, and then turns and immediately throws a haymaker punch at your head. Guy starts shoving you on the chest and pushes you back, sees that you're not retaliating, and then punches you in the face. Guy puts his hands up in a boxing guard and begins to dance around, sees you're not defending yourself, and then throws a bunch of strikes to your face, following up with strikes as you're falling to the ground. Guy grabs your shirt and wads it up in his fist as he tries an overhand right to your nose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There won't be a lot of body shots. There won't be a lot of kicks or grappling. In the first moments of the fight, it's going to be mostly punches aimed at your head for a knock-out. I've seen some headbutts, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which is why the article above concluded that one of the worst things you can do as a defender is to not know basic boxing technique. You have to guard your head. You have to be able to switch it on immediately. You have to be able to read your opponent and time it. You'll need to be mobile and ready to move, ready especially to move your head, because that's their primary target. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What happens after those first few moments of the fight is anything goes. It could devolve into a wrestling contest. Ladies like to grab each others hair. Sometimes you'll see kicks, especially if someone falls down to the ground. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the most important thing is what happens before the first punch is thrown. That's what determines who wins and who loses, generally. You have to be prepared for it on a mental level. If you're not, that punch will land on you. And you'll just be dazed and confused. You won't know what's happening. And when you're not defending yourself, he's just going to take advantage of that and throw a flurry of strikes at you. All of them will connect. And one is going to knock you out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-03-22T04:54:01.860" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9805" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9802" CreationDate="2020-03-22T14:45:48.613" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Timing v. structure (&lt;em&gt;deashi-harai&lt;/em&gt; v. &lt;em&gt;kosoto-gari&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would guess that the 'sticker' label is applied to a throw where tori's leg/foot starts in contact with uke's leg, but I think these variations would not be classified as the same Kodokan technique. The key distinguishing feature between a &lt;em&gt;kosoto-gari&lt;/em&gt; and a &lt;em&gt;deashi-harai&lt;/em&gt; is whether uke has weight on the leg under attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt; by Toshiro Daigo p. 157, this difference in uke's weight is described:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Differences between kosoto-gari and deashi-harai&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kosoto-gari&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the moment uke steps his right foot forward onto the mat and transfers his body weight onto it, tori pushes him towards his right heel (or both heels) to break his balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Deashi-harai&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The tsukuri is performed at the moment uke steps his right foot forward and begins to transfer his weight (before it is completely transferred).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My interpretation is that &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evu8TXoaSaE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;4&lt;/a&gt; is really a &lt;em&gt;kosoto-gari&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;kosoto-gake&lt;/em&gt;. The slow-motion version at the very beginning shows tori disrupting uke's structure by moving uke's weight to the ball of the foot and toes only, which is analagous to the way the traditional &lt;em&gt;kosoto-gari&lt;/em&gt; shifts the weight to the heel. The attack is on a leg that is weighted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExAvD7EjgLs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;5&lt;/a&gt; is a &lt;em&gt;deashi-harai&lt;/em&gt;. Uke's foot is unweighted as tori lifts it, and pulling towards the rear corner forces uke to try to weight the foot in the air, and uke falls when they cannot put the foot down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the other versions, the distinction is less obvious. You can throw this as a &lt;em&gt;deashi-harai&lt;/em&gt; by making contact then forcing uke to step and sweeping immediately, in which case uke's leg will not be obviously elevated before the throwing action. If forced to guess I would say &lt;em&gt;deashi-harai&lt;/em&gt; for &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jynx3OQhfGo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;kosoto-gari&lt;/em&gt; for &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IDUg5O_J-o&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ-DDTNHzbY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;3&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;em&gt;kosoto-gari&lt;/em&gt; v. &lt;em&gt;kosoto-gake&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I confess that I do not understand &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9195/what-is-the-difference-between-kosoto-gari-and-kosoto-gake&quot;&gt;this distinction&lt;/a&gt; well. From &lt;em&gt;Ibid&lt;/em&gt;, p. 162:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kosoto-gari&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The opponent steps his right foot onto the mat, shifts his balance, and, at the right moment his weight falls over both heels, tori reaps from behind his right heel wit h the left foot shaped like a sickle (the toes bent inwards) toward the direction his toes are pointing, reaping by sliding the foot across the mat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kosoto-gake&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially, at the moment the opponent's balance falls over his right foot, put the sole of the left foot onto the back of his heel, and scoop him up by sliding the left foot upwards, synchronizing this with the movement of both hands. These techniques should not be confused.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In an explanation of deashi-harai of &lt;em&gt;Waza no Kaisetsu-- deashi-harai&lt;/em&gt;, Mifune, 10th dan explains the subtle differences between sweeping hooking, and reaping:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;There are three movements in ashi-waza, 'sweeping', 'hooking', and 'reaping.'&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sweeping is similar to brushing an extremely light object away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When hooking, you execute the technique as if pulling a rooted plant out from the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reaping is similar to the movement of reaping and cutting off a plant at its root with a sickle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what is a sickle motion that scoops? I'm not sure, but I do not find this distinction nearly so important as whether a throw requires timing or disruption of structure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-03-27T12:02:33.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9806" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9802" CreationDate="2020-03-22T18:32:47.953" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would classify it as a variant of kosoto-gari, kosoto-gake, or de-ashi-barai, depending on the particulars. Teaching it as &quot;the sticker&quot; rather than one of those looks like a valid choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't worry too much about which bucket it goes in. Judo's taxonomy of techniques is a pedagogical framework with clear distinctions imposed onto the reality of a smooth continuous space. Focusing on the framework rather than the reality is looking at the finger rather than the moon. It's okay for techniques to exist outside of the classification scheme.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shintaro Higashi seems to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evu8TXoaSaE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;call it a deashibarai&lt;/a&gt; based on it being a kind of sweep from the outside of the foot. This is defensible. But judo throws are officially classified, technically, by the kind of motion they use, and this doesn't look like a barai to me--it's closer to a hook or &lt;em&gt;gake&lt;/em&gt;. There's the heart of the problem: the taxonomy is really using multiple criteria, cutting across different dimensions in different contexts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2020-03-22T19:28:58.850" LastActivityDate="2020-03-22T19:28:58.850" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9807" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9803" CreationDate="2020-03-22T19:12:30.593" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;One useful approach to this problem comes from Patrick McCarthy, who (as far as I know) coined the term &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.koryu-uchinadi.org/KU_HAPV.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&quot;habitual acts of physical violence&quot;&lt;/a&gt; (HAPV). This was a good tool for him to persuade practitioners of Japanese, Okinawan, and Korean karate that stepping-lunge reverse punches are a unrealistic and unproductive way to train. McCarthy lists 36 such HAPVs, not all of which I find particularly useful. But the idea of focusing on the most likely attacks is compelling. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When critiquing his list I consider the most common and concerning situations to be (in rough order) wide punches (&quot;haymakers&quot;), getting grabbed by the shirt and punched with the other hand, tackles, finding myself on the ground (for whatever reason) with my opponent standing, finding myself on the ground with and underneath my opponent (i.e. mounted, or with a guard, or turtled, under some variant of side control, or even prone), being grabbed by the wrist, throat, or clothing while standing, and being struck with a weapon. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I base this list on a general sense gained from watching amateur violence. This has to suffice because I don't believe a more comprehensive source exists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond those high-frequency attacks I don't see a good reason to try to enumerate the possibilities in a self-defense context. My goal is competence in these situations if they do arise. Knowing what kind of bad situation is most probable is useful to keep in mind possibly-surprising attacks like headbutts, being spat on, or the good ol' grab-and-punch, but it's only useful to a point because reality is unpredictably chaotic. Over-preparing for specific situations takes time away from general strength, conditioning, mobility, and technique training, all of which are more important than drilling low-probability situations. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Listing everything past the top handful is a moot point anyway because a good training program will involve enough striking and grappling training that one will &quot;just know&quot; how to handle the low-probability situations without needing to drill them explicitly. Someone who can box will be able to handle unpredictable striking situations, just like a competent jiujitsiero will not be surprised by almost any way an untrained person tries to wrestle. Best just to train what we know matters, and works on everyone: wrestling, jiujitsu, and kickboxing with knees and elbows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-03-22T19:12:30.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9809" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9717" CreationDate="2020-03-22T20:09:26.610" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Re-calibrate your expectations. Nobody invented throwing. Wrestling is pre-human. Mammals wrestle as both bonding and male-dominance-hierarchy behavior. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxgrHg71WYM&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Monkeys&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcJcjYH6sJA&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;wrestle&lt;/a&gt;. Lions wrestle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The codification of wrestling and throwing is human, but still pre-historic. From the indigenous wrestling cultures that still exist we can infer that prehistoric people wrestled casually in jackets on grass plains like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/p/B6qOHgwpKj9/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mongolian Bökh&lt;/a&gt;, in manicured indoor dirt pits like &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/wwOg9tx1hsU&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;traditional Indian wrestling&lt;/a&gt;, in rings with lots of ceremony (and a little striking) like &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/OkUHsHhxNZg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;sumo&lt;/a&gt;, covered in olive oil and grabbing inside each other's leather breeches as in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2keIfaPHgw&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Turkish oil wrestling&lt;/a&gt;, and certainly in many more variations. Getting acquainted with the variety in ancient wrestling traditions is a good way to expand one's understanding of humanity's relationship to combat sports.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-03-22T20:09:26.610" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9810" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-03-23T16:24:11.063" Score="0" ViewCount="858" Body="&lt;p&gt;In which conditions can a foreigner reach the title Shaolin monk?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should they go to an institute, being in homeland and training at age 4-5?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this title reserved for a dedicated group of people?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10716" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-03-23T22:01:34.023" LastActivityDate="2020-03-23T22:01:34.023" Title="In which conditions can a foreigner be a Shaolin monk?" Tags="|kung-fu|shaolin|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9811" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-03-23T17:52:25.690" Score="3" ViewCount="114" Body="&lt;p&gt;The triangle choke as used in Judo and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu has its origins in early 20th century Judo:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Original&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Translation&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Photograph from article&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;この技法は大正十一年の高専柔道大会で六高柔道部生徒達によって初めて繰り出され、それ以降... &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; この技は岡山六高の柔道教師であった故金光弥一兵衛九段（起倒流）と同校の選手であった早川勝（後、八段）の二人によって編み出され、さらに同校の大山省三によって改良がほどこされ完成に至った。&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;This technique was first introduced by the students of the Rokuko Judo Club at the Kosen Judo [tournament] in 1911... &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;This technique was developed by two people, the late Judo teacher at Rokutaka Okayama, Yaichibei Kanemitsu 9th-dan (Kitō-ryū) and the player at the school, Masaru Hayakawa (later 8th-dan), and Oyama at the school. The improvements were made by Shozo and completed.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QXVBV.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QXVBV.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://web.archive.org/web/20071017065235/http://bokuden.or.jp/%7Ebunbkan/page286.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;乱取外編・三角絞め&lt;/a&gt; (bokuden.or.jp/~bunbkan)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, most grappling techniques &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9717/when-was-throwing-introduced-to-martial-arts/9718#9718&quot;&gt;have much older origins&lt;/a&gt; (e.g. takedowns, joint-locks, rear naked chokes) in earlier forms of martial art, and many have developed parallelly in different arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any records of triangle chokes being used prior to its introduction to Judo? E.g. in ko-ryu jujutsu, HEMA, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-05-02T10:37:33.700" LastActivityDate="2021-05-02T10:37:33.700" Title="Origin of the triangle choke?" Tags="|judo|history|chokes|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9812" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9796" CreationDate="2020-03-23T18:31:33.650" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question asks what can be done if you want to use a punching bag in an apartment. What would that look like?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem with using a punching bag in an apartment is that you'll create a lot of loud pounding noises and vibrations. Even if your neighbors are not trying to sleep and it's the middle of the day, it will feel to them like it's an intrusion into their lives. It will feel like you're doing something to them. They're going to be irate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'm sorry, if you have an apartment, you just can't use a heavy punching bag there. Find a gym that has them. Boxing gyms sometimes have an &quot;open gym&quot; policy at certain times of the day or week, where you pay only something like $5 to $10 to use all the facilities. Look into that first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, if you really wanted to use a punching bag of some sort in an apartment, what kind of punching bag could you use to minimize noise and vibration?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is a speed bag attached by bungee cords. These kind of bags are only meant for focus, timing, and combinations. It's not meant for power. The more you put power into it, the more likely it will be that it causes noise and vibration. You can experiment with different types of bungee. The more tension they have, the more power you can use. So you're looking for a pretty loose setup that lets the bag swing more easily. That way you won't be tempted to do power punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How you mount it is up to you. You'll find some of them are designed to be used on door frames. But that means you won't be able to do some types of training, due to the reduced angle of attack. Probably the best as far as anti-vibration and freedom of movement is concerned is to get a bag stand that's specifically for speed bags. If you can't find one, it's easy enough to make one if you're handy. Then to dampen noise transfer to the floor, you'll want to put thick foam under the bag stand. Make sure you have carpeting on your floor, also, because that will help dampen noise as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-03-23T18:31:33.650" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9813" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-03-23T19:42:27.620" Score="2" ViewCount="600" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am starting to get interested in martial arts. BJJ is by far the most popular in my area, but I looked into judo, and it seems to me that judo is the more complete martial art than bjj.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Am I correct in this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because it seems that judo combines takedowns + submissions, whereas BJJ is mostly about submissions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since my interest is self-defense, it also seems to me that judo is more practical in that sense. If you end up in a fight on the street, do you really want to start rolling on the floor for 5+ minutes working on a triangle choke? It seems dangerous, firstly because you're on pavement so if you pull guard, you might get your head smashed, and even if that doesn't happen, why would you even want to be on the floor in a street fight situation: somebody might intervene and kick you in the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In contrast, judo seems more mobile, since you are trying to get the takedown yourself, and hurt your opponent in doing so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, it seems that judo is the more overall practical and complete martial arts, while BJJ is specifically a sports-art focused on getting a submission in a long fight that is uninterrupted and is happening on a comfortable mat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So is Judo better for self-defense while BJJ is better for a controlled sports-setting?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10717" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-03-23T20:56:32.220" LastActivityDate="2020-03-23T22:23:33.217" Title="Judo vs bjj confusion" Tags="|judo|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|self-defense|style|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9814" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9813" CreationDate="2020-03-23T22:00:23.667" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, I practice judo and not BJJ, so understand what I can and cannot answer with knowledge and where my potential biases may be. &#xA;Second, this is a common way to start an internet flame war. &#xA;With that in mind, I will still try to answer this objectively. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;So is Judo better for self-defense while BJJ is better for a controlled sports-setting?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Modern judo is sport first&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Modern judo is definitely a sport first, and self defense second at best. Judo was organized with two primary forms of training: &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; (free play) and &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; (forms). Relatively safe techniques were practiced in &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; with full speed and force while striking was relegated to &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt;. Even in &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt;, however, the striking elements are represented in caricature form; they represent an abstraction of how one should deal with strikes telegraphed well in advance, and you should not be under any delusions that judo &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; trains for performing strikes. In modern judo, it's not really until the dan-ranks (black belt) that some judo players start worrying about &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; anyway. Even then, mostly no one cares if you are a &lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt; champion, but people care if you are a competition champion. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Modern judo practitioners start from the mindset of competition. Some never leave that mindset, and some even consider judo to be purely sport. While Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo, was still alive, he lamented the overemphasis on &lt;em&gt;shiai&lt;/em&gt; (contest judo). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Sport rules protect poor self-defense strategies&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sport fighting will always be a poor approximation of real fighting, but strategies that optimize for sport rules may leave obvious holes in self-defense situations. Examples:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;judo: attempting to throw, failing, and turtling. In judo, this frequently employed sequence usually results in a referee stopping the match and restarting from the standing position. In a self-defense situation, this would result in getting your head kicked in. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;BJJ: pulling guard and fighting exclusively on the ground&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can train either judo or BJJ while avoiding these and other poor self-defense strategies, but this is not inherent to either system. And within the modern sport-centric cultures, it is probably difficult to avoid the sport-centric approaches. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Takedowns + submissions is poor model for understanding judo v. BJJ&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are four ways to win in judo:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;pin&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;choke&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;armlock&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My understanding is that BJJ matches are basically won only by submissions, which includes judo chokes and armlocks, but also leg locks, ankle locks, wrist locks, and some chokes that would be illegal in judo. From one perspective, judo has more ways to win, but from another BJJ is more specialized. You expect the specialists to be better in their specialties. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Judo emphasizes stand-up more&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In judo you can win from stand up. In BJJ as far as I know, you cannot. So yes, I would agree that judo is more mobile as a result of training more from a standing position. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-03-23T22:00:23.667" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9815" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9813" CreationDate="2020-03-23T22:19:42.633" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/5961/mattm&quot;&gt;mattm&lt;/a&gt; when he says that sport Judo is taught most commonly and that it will teach you poor habits for the street.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was fortunate enough to study under someone with good skills who teaches Judo for practical application. The stupid thing is: practical Judo can work in sport Judo, but not the other way around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would research the Judo schools in your area and see if they are sport-focused. Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;somebody might intervene and kick you in the head&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Agreed. I object to the notion of takedown to control position because of this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10658" LastActivityDate="2020-03-23T22:19:42.633" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9816" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9813" CreationDate="2020-03-23T22:23:33.217" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a very subjective question, so I'll do my best to answer it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you end up in a fight on the street, do you really want to start rolling on the floor for 5+ minutes working on a triangle choke?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This all depends of course. If you look at &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9690/brazilian-jiu-jitsu-against-multiple-attackers&quot;&gt;this question&lt;/a&gt; that I asked a while ago, it shows that BJJ is GREAT for self defense against one opponent but not against multiple. If you practice enough, a triangle can take &amp;lt;15 seconds. It takes time. They key for using BJJ in self defense is being able to control the distance between you and your opponent. If you are standing up, keep a far distance until you feel you can do a takedown, and when you do, do it &lt;em&gt;FAST&lt;/em&gt;. If you pull guard on them, you can knee pull them into you and then lock their head with our arm. This will make it very hard for them to strike you at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, back to your main question. We aren't here to tell you which martial art is better, so it's all about your opinion. Both are extremely useful for self defense. If you have doubts about BJJ's effectiveness, find a school that specifically teaches self defense BJJ and take a tour (eg. any Gracie JJ school). Remember, BJJ was invented FOR THE PURPOSE of self defense. It wasn't until more recently that BJJ as a sport became popular. I suggest you decide whether you want to focus on primarily groundwork or primarily throwing. Look into each one a little more before you make any decisions. When I started BJJ, I thought that it could never be useful for self defense, but now I come to realize how useful it is. There are pros and cons to both. Here are some:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Judo&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Pros&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Works primarily from a position (standing) that is common in fights&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Can end a fight very quickly if a throw is applied&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Teaches negligible grappling techniques, enough to get by if you got taken down&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Cons&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Many throws and other techniques rely on the opponent to be wearing a shirt, which in a fight is often taken off&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It can sometimes be hard to get in position for a throw against an opponent who is punching you in the face, especially if you aren't very experienced.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;BJJ&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Pros&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Teaches very detailed grappling techniques that would certainly help you if you got taken down.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Teaches takedowns(just as helpful as throws, and takedowns often aren't even taught in Judo)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Literally teaches you how to break people's limbs!(Actually, Judo does too, but not to the extent that BJJ does)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Teaches incites that will help you escape from non-specific pins.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Cons&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Techniques often require a gi-like uniform to be worn. Note that this is only for gi-BJJ, however.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A lot of the times techniques are taught only for sport and not for self defense(eg. De la riva, inverted guard etc)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They actually overlap each other because BJJ is descended from Judo. Many techniques will look the same, many won't. I hope you make the choice that suits you best!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-03-23T22:23:33.217" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9817" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9802" CreationDate="2020-03-23T22:39:55.357" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;1 looks like my grand-sensei's De Ashi Harai. 4 looks like Ko Soto Gama.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, when uke is stepping at you and you time your attack to when the foot touches, but move it before the weight transfers onto it, they fall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When uke is moving away from you, capture the foot and hold. If he's trying to move his foot back, why let him? You'll notice the kuzushi if you try this. I use &quot;sticky&quot; Ko Uchi Gari when chaining it with O Uchi Gari. I hold until uke pulls his foot out (if he's able to do so without falling) then as he's moving that foot, I move both my feet, and switch my attack to the other leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I really don't like to go for a foot sweep when my uke isn't moving, and most of these videos are showing that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10658" LastActivityDate="2020-03-23T22:39:55.357" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9818" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9819" CreationDate="2020-03-24T00:31:13.420" Score="1" ViewCount="60" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been messing around a bit with the Eddie Bravo twister &quot;banana split&quot; and calf slicer, and the majority of the time I attempt the calf slicer, I come across the same problem . I have everything locked in correctly, but when I pull down on their leg down, it actually hurts me more than it hurts my opponent. The reason for this is that since my legs are figure-foured, I am actually applying the calf slicer on myself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I asked this same question to Kristian Woodmansee at one of his clinics. His answer was to &quot;pretend that their leg is like the lever on a nut cracker&quot;. I have tried this, but it doesn't solve my problem. I have seen other people have this same problem, so I assume that there is an easy solution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-24T17:41:39.627" LastActivityDate="2020-03-24T17:47:02.080" Title="How to correctly apply a calf slicer" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|technique|joint-lock|submissions|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9819" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9818" CreationDate="2020-03-24T17:47:02.080" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;While the nutcracker analogy is useful, there is a subtle difference:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;with a nutcracker, the stress is applied to the nut&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;with a compression lock, the 'nut' (limb you are using as a fulcrum) is supposed to sustain the stress and redirect it to the 'axle' (the opponent's joint)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some basic newtonian concepts for improving the efficiency of your compression lock:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Push your limb as far into the crook of their joint as possible&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use the bony part of your lower shin/ankle (will sustain stress better than the fleshy part of your calf)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hold as far up their limb as possible when pulling down and applying the pressure (i.e. pull on the toes, not the ankle)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on your position, if the pain is coming from the figure-4 leg position, you may instead press down on your foot with your other foot to maintain pressure in the crook of the knee:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/2ZLh7ETdDAU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Calf Slicer / Calf Crusher / Leg Slicer | MMA Submissions&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2020-03-24T17:47:02.080" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9820" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9827" CreationDate="2020-03-24T22:20:47.123" Score="3" ViewCount="176" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am trying to keep this question as &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic&quot;&gt;on-topic&lt;/a&gt; as possible, so please comment anything that you think would improve it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The number of people learning martial arts around the world is growing. Not at the same rate as before. The rate of the rate at which people are learning martial arts is going up too. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;This means that if the cycle continues, eventually everyone will have at least some martial arts experience.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If most people had martial arts experience, would martial arts become less effective for self defense? Or does the rule &quot;in martial arts, you are not only trained how to fight, but not to fight&quot; cancel out this idea? There are definitely some schools that don't teach that (my only reference is &quot;Karate Kid&quot;, but I know for a fact that many don't). I realize that some people would still be better than others, but is my logic correct? Just to be clear, my logic is that if you were attacked, the chances of your attacker knowing martial arts would become higher and higher as time passes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-03-25T19:44:16.910" LastActivityDate="2020-03-26T18:18:41.933" Title="With more and more people learning martial arts, will they eventually lose their effectiveness for self defense?" Tags="|training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9821" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9820" CreationDate="2020-03-25T08:06:04.170" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The number of people learning martial arts around the world is growing. Not at the same rate as before. The rate of the rate at which people are learning martial arts is going up too. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure why you believe this. I'm willing to be convinced, but my prior and current understanding is that martial arts participation has remained at approximately 1 or 2% for several decades. The kind of martial art has changed, but overall participation is relatively constant as far as I know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;This means that if the cycle continues, eventually everyone will have at least some martial arts experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if the proportion of the population practicing martial arts multiplied by ten, which would be an enormous, mind-bogglingly improbable increase, that would still be a relatively small minority of everyone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it is true that popularization of martial arts in movies and televised matches makes a difference. Now that the UFC has made BJJ and MMA into mass media, it's much more likely that some random untrained jerk will try to pull off a guillotine or leglock rather than a flying kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-03-25T08:06:04.170" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9822" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9757" CreationDate="2020-03-26T05:48:51.347" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just use a belt fastener. If you can't buy them, just make one with an elastic velcro. A belt coming loose is a distraction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/g7tfv.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/g7tfv.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2020-03-26T05:48:51.347" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9823" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7913" CreationDate="2020-03-26T12:28:51.833" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;For Southpaw stance, the boxer puts his right leg into the front, consequently, the right hand will become jab hand and left-hand will become power shot hand. The orthodox stance is reversed, he puts his left leg into the front, making the left hand the jab hand and right hand the power shot hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10721" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2020-03-30T09:12:50.433" LastActivityDate="2020-03-30T09:12:50.433" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9824" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9831" CreationDate="2020-03-26T13:19:59.333" Score="2" ViewCount="213" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've heard a lot of people say that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has become more sport-focused over the years and less about self defense. I understand where that's coming from, because there are so many moves taught today that could get you seriously injured in a streetfight (De La Riva guard, collar + sleeve/arm grips [leaves your face open] etc). And I also know a few moves that are only for self defense and wouldn't be practical/would get you disqualified in a tournament(standing headlock pickup escape, knee on belly slam etc). &#xA;What are some moves that wouldn't be a good idea for self defense? What are some moves that would be? Is there any kind of formula for telling if a move would work for self defense?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-03-29T14:48:37.230" LastActivityDate="2020-08-19T02:15:49.790" Title="Is there a way to tell which BJJ techniques should be used for self defense?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|technique|self-defense|streetfight|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9825" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9826" CreationDate="2020-03-26T17:36:39.650" Score="4" ViewCount="505" Body="&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ECBlj3DG5pQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;, a bully throws a punch at a student. They go out of frame for a second, and when they come back the bully has wrapped an arm around the student's head as if he were going for a guillotine choke (a.k.a. front headlock). The student throws the bully using the arm wrapped around his neck. I want to learn how to do this throw, but I don't know what it's called. What is its name, and what art is it most likely from? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Related:&lt;/strong&gt; another front headlock counter throw: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9777/the-name-of-a-throw-where-the-tori-starts-from-a-headlock&quot;&gt;The name of a throw where the tori starts from a headlock&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-27T18:47:08.557" LastActivityDate="2020-03-27T18:47:08.557" Title="What is the name of this throw that starts from a failed guillotine?" Tags="|throwing|identification|defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9826" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9825" CreationDate="2020-03-26T17:47:00.993" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's a suplex (&lt;em&gt;ura-nage&lt;/em&gt; in judo terminology). Since standing headlocks are illegal in judo, it is rarely taught from this position, but here is an example of a mechanically similar belly-to-belly version from a bear-hug:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://www.gifgen.com/gif/GqSCY5Wf.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_lg31MrUps&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Front Ura nage - Shintaro Higashi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note a front headlock/standing guillotine is generally a &lt;strong&gt;very weak position&lt;/strong&gt; to be in, and while this counter is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypewy56gUoM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;occasionally&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbgyoCqhAzE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;seen&lt;/a&gt; in MMA matches, the person performing the front headlock will in most cases be the one controlling any takedowns e.g:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE6zUCwtw5Q&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wrestling front headlock to suplex&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-03-27T12:31:31.477" LastActivityDate="2020-03-27T12:31:31.477" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9827" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9820" CreationDate="2020-03-26T18:18:41.933" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming that a larger fraction of the world's population is learning 'martial arts', you speculate that the base-level of 'expertise' will go up, perhaps nullifying basic strategies and tactics for self defense. &lt;strong&gt;I'm inclined to disagree with this statement for the various reasons.&lt;/strong&gt; The context of what you mean by 'martial arts' is important. There are, roughly speaking, three facets to 'martial arts' - an aesthetic side, a sporting side, and a more practical, fighting side. If we limit our context to the last option only with heavy emphasis on 'self-defense' aspects, I will attempt to convince you that 'effectiveness' will not change much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;'Self-defense' consists of different levels/layers, with decreasing efficacy as we go down the steps in this list. These are 'situational awareness', de-escalation, altercation, and escape. Without going into the details of each, let's say that you've somehow failed at the first two steps, and are in a sharp, confrontational incident with aggressive tactics. If you've been 'properly' trained (as in striking, grappling, and escape against non-compliant opponents with the possibility of weapons deployment and multiple-opponents), you'll know that a lot of these concepts are optimized only if you get the first strike in - i.e. by surprise. Once your opponent realizes that you intend to retaliate, it's a very different, and complex game, logistically, and legally. It matters less that your opponent may be a black belt in some martial art if you surprise them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, if they have any serious training and don't let their ego into the picture, most of the time, they will know that a 'street-fight' is very unpredictable and best to be avoided. The most effective martial-art techniques will be simple, quick, and brutal - with a focus on robustness (does it matter if they are bloody, sweaty; or does it use only gross motor movements, do you attack until they are structurally damaged so they can't/won't want to chase you, is your technique sufficiently practiced that you can free up some brain cycles to look of other attackers or deployment of weapons during your attack, etc.). These tactics mentioned here (e.g. surprise first strike, attack until they are structurally damaged, escape) are probably 'future-proofed' in the sense that they are independent of their training. &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WCwzwwXFWYJ8sjTOYMR1yM7aYUR48Jctv0fmAcIgWZ0/edit?usp=sharing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;A more comprehensive primer&lt;/a&gt; that has a lot more references can describe in more depth some of the concepts described here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7393" LastActivityDate="2020-03-26T18:18:41.933" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9828" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9829" CreationDate="2020-03-29T16:15:48.973" Score="3" ViewCount="411" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am in the process of building some kind of martial arts room in my basement. I also want to practice on the ground (and practice some falls) and might do some fitness inside the room too. Also, I don't have a high ceiling (2.2 m high). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was thinking about getting &lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B07XS2539V&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this kind of mat&lt;/a&gt; (60 cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;, 1.2 cm thick), as I see them to be the cheapest solution:   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone have experience with these kinds of mats? What are the pros and cons of EVA mats for Martial Arts training (specifically falling)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS: I also thought 1.2 cm was the right width for my mats as I don't have a high ceiling, but I'm a bit worried because Taekwondo mats have 2.5 cm more width&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10727" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2020-03-30T08:06:11.947" LastActivityDate="2020-03-30T08:06:11.947" Title="Are EVA foam mats good for training?" Tags="|training|equipment|safety|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9829" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9828" CreationDate="2020-03-29T17:19:50.653" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a little experience with these mats. Specifically, I've trained at places that use them. Here is what I can gather:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Pros&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;They are easily transportable&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;They can be disassembled and reassembled very quickly&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Can be a great surface to practice kicking on because they provide a semi-soft landing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Cons&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;They aren't soft enough to safely practice falling on unless you have built up your endurance&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Their rough texture makes grappling difficult and uncomfortable&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Can cause bruises if you fall incorrectly onto them&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Here's my suggestion:&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Get a fold out mat like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.greatmats.com/images/custom-gym-mats/custom-gym-mats-v2-8ft-purple-fold.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt;. They are great for falling onto. If you also want to practice kicking, then you should buy the EVA mats, but also buy one of two of the fold outs. Again, they aren't the best for falling on unless you've mastered falling onto something a little softer. Eventually, if you keep increasing the hardess of the surfaces that you fall on, you will be able to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpTk_PpSHso&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;safely fall on concrete&lt;/a&gt;. So if you've practiced on softer surfaces and got that down, then these would be a great idea. If you haven't, then start out with something softer, like a fold out mat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-03-29T17:19:50.653" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9831" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9824" CreationDate="2020-03-30T11:42:36.413" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Curriculum&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many BJJ schools have a self-defense curriculum tied into no-holds-barred or MMA competition techniques. This should involve learning how to safely stand up, specialized escapes, and how to protect against various strikes, and then training those techniques in modified BJJ sparring (as in, with light slaps) or in something closer to MMA sparring. Experiment often uncovers techniques that work unexpectedly well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also some concepts that any BJJ curriculum should include, such as distance management (very close and very far are best; medium distance very bad), and the importance of clinch skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyone interested in BJJ for self-defense should start rolls from standing frequently, drill standing punch defenses, and roll with slaps or strikes at least occasionally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Evidence&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the best sources of information in the video-driven golden age of martial arts is to watch MMA fights and street fight videos. However one cannot simply see someone getting beat up in some position and conclude that the technique that got them there, or the technique that failed to let them escape, is useless. Too many people's jiujitsu skills are flawed, or simply inferior to the top fighter's grappling skills. You need to be critical and technically proficient enough to see &lt;em&gt;why&lt;/em&gt; a technique failed in a particular instance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyone interested in BJJ for self-defense should be familiar with the grappling habits of the most successful MMA grapplers (Maia, Nogueira, GSP, Mir, Werdum, and many more) as well as the most common habitual acts of physical violence outside of sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-03-30T11:42:36.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9836" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-04-09T22:14:59.713" Score="7" ViewCount="261" Body="&lt;p&gt;This quotation is from &lt;em&gt;Dynamic Judo Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt; by Kazuzo Kudo (9th dan), p. 27&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Seizing your opponent's practice suit&lt;/em&gt;—whatever part of his suit&#xA;  you grab, remember to do so using your little finger and ring&#xA;  finger together. If you are taking hold of his jacket, thrust your little&#xA;  and ring fingers in, and then catch the material and pull. At the same&#xA;  time add your index finger, and relax your thumb. Let your thumb&#xA;  lightly rest on the cloth of his jacket, because if you tense your thumb&#xA;  you will spoil the movements of your feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The author suggests that tensing the thumb hinders foot movements. How is this? What foot movement is more difficult when the thumb is used to grip? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is also curious that this author suggests three fingers be used: pinky, ring, and index. This is contrary to the modern advice I hear to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/8795/5961&quot;&gt;grip using the lower three fingers: pinky, ring, and middle&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-06-17T01:26:48.403" Title="How does gripping with the thumb spoil foot movements?" Tags="|judo|footwork|grips|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9837" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9836" CreationDate="2020-04-10T10:26:57.707" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Gripping daintily with only a few fingers is a &lt;strong&gt;drill&lt;/strong&gt; my judo coach utilized to de-emphasize straight-arming and other gripping strategies as a defensive tactic, so one could focus on evasive footwork and hip blocks instead. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another contributing idea is that a tense grip encourages static, in-place judo, because one tries to control the opponent (through the grip) every time they move. Intentionally loosening the grip helps relax your entire style of play. Gripping hard was seen as occasionally necessary but something to minimize, especially in training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-04-10T10:26:57.707" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9838" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="917" CreationDate="2020-04-12T02:17:27.377" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ephraim has it 100% correct. Number one rule is to keep your balls inside the cup and the cup tight to your groin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I typically wear boxer brief underwear with a pouch and a 3” athletic supporter with knit pouch (traditional jockstrap) and shorts on top. I use hard contoured athletic cups, often referred to as a ‘banana cup’. Five minutes before Krav Maga class starts, I find a quiet corner, turn my back, and insert the cup between my underwear and jockstrap.  The boxer briefs protect inner legs from cup rash and wick away moisture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I agree, you should check your cup regularly by slightly squeezing on the sides to check for cracks before wearing the cup. I also recommend cleaning the cup with antibacterial soap in the sink and drying it with a paper towel weekly to eliminate bacterial growth. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My only other added advice is to check and adjust cup as needed in training. If you are doing side kicks, or a lot of high front kicks, your cup can move.  If a MLB baseball player can adjust his cup after every pitch, a Krav Maga student should have the confidence to check their cup 4-6 times in a 90 minute class.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stay safe&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10752" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-04-15T12:06:28.860" LastActivityDate="2020-04-15T12:06:28.860" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9840" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9841" CreationDate="2020-04-13T00:16:37.393" Score="2" ViewCount="121" Body="&lt;p&gt;During a brief interaction with a former Shoalin Kung Fu instructor, he told me some concepts about kicking in general that could help me improve them. He said that many Chinese martial arts teach you to keep three feet on the ground when kicking (one of yours and two of your opponent's). This can be done by controlling their arms or wrists during a kick. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although I haven't got to try it on a training partner because of lock-down, I have been imagining doing it. It seems like this greatly reduces the range of the kick, making awkward and hard to do. From someone who has practiced kicks while controlling the person's arms, how are you able to get your leg between you and them? It appears to me that even if you did manage to get your leg there, that the power and control would be greatly reduced. Does anyone have a solution?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please understand that I am unable to practice it in person, so I may be way off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2020-04-13T02:35:16.893" Title="How can you keep &quot;three feet on the ground&quot; and still perform an effective kick?" Tags="|kicking|kung-fu|shaolin|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9841" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9840" CreationDate="2020-04-13T02:35:16.893" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think Thai boxers, Taekwondo fighters, Capoeiristas, and Savate fighters - all of which specialize in kicking - would disagree with the Shaolin kung-fu instructor on this as a general tactic. They have no problem kicking an opponent who is free to move around. Which is why you really have to nail down the underlying principle behind the statement first before assessing its merits and practicality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You mentioned two details that I'll focus on:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1 - Your opponent's feet are both on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2 - You are manipulating your opponent by way of the arms and wrists and possibly other methods.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This paints a picture of seizing your opponent's arm, possibly elongating it or pressing down on it. The goal is to get your opponent to become immobile in order to deal with the fact that you're doing something to his arm. That's the underlying principle here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I picture him being pulled diagonally towards you, putting him into a lunge position, over-extended in one direction. I also picture him in a horse stance, with you performing a standing arm-bar on his shoulder/elbow, bending him forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This immobilizes your opponent while making him deal with a decoy attack. The decoy is you seizing and controlling his arm. You actually don't care about his arm, but he doesn't know that. His attention is all on that. The real attack is whatever else you want to do. But given that you're probably using your arms to control your opponent, that leaves your legs as the only weapon you can use. Maybe also a headbutt or a quick transition to an elbow or knee, depending on range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Range was specifically a concern in the original question. Kicking range is typically long distance while not holding onto your opponent. But think about angles here if you do have control over your opponent. If you're holding onto your opponent by way of his wrist, you can lean back and use a high round kick to his head. You can perform a front or side kick to his torso. You can do a low-angle kick to the inside knee of the leg furthest away from you. You can sweep the leg closest to you. You can knee to his head, if he's in the bent-over position. Plenty of possibilities. The fact that you're close to your opponent and controlling his arm doesn't mean you can't kick him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other element of this is your physical connection with your opponent. You've grabbed his wrist or arm. That can communicate any changes in your opponent's movement instantly. This sensitivity is a soft-style skill that takes some time to get good at, but is pretty easy to understand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You want him immobilized so you can land those kicks accurately. If he's moving around, you'll have to recalculate your attack, which takes time and generally involves a lot of error. Kicks are generally slower than punches and more telegraphed. They're easier to dodge. Which is why you need to pin his feet to the ground. You do that by seizing his arm or shoulder. And the sensitivity you have to his movement, communicated through that connection, will tell you when he's about to move. So you'll have a small window of time to kick and get out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most kung-fu styles utilize this strategy to some degree. One style that comes to mind most is Northern Praying Mantis. Other styles include Northern Longfist, White Crane, Hung-Gar, Choy Li Fut, and Mitsung Lohan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other thing to note. As a martial concept, it's fine. But don't try to generalize this into thinking you should limit your kicking to only when you've controlled someone's arms and immobilized him. That's not the intent of this. Instead, it's telling you there's a scenario where you can get a small, fleeting advantage if you're fast enough. That's all. Don't broaden its meaning any further than that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And it's questionable how realistic this is. My advice is try it while sparring. Try to find an MMA or Sanda guy to try it on. See if you can make it work for you. A lot of martial concepts are nice ideas, but just don't work very well when you put them to the test. In this case, speed and control are the main weak points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-04-13T02:35:16.893" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9842" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9845" CreationDate="2020-04-15T23:35:23.287" Score="0" ViewCount="407" Body="&lt;p&gt;In BJJ and other martial arts, I've seen people with black belts that have been customized, like having words written on them, etc. I was wondering if it is okay for someone who has a color belt to get a custom one? For instance, if someone just got their purple belt, would it be okay for them to order a new one before they get any stripes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-04-16T02:56:10.497" LastActivityDate="2020-04-24T07:00:37.463" Title="Is it okay to get a custom belt if you're not a black belt?" Tags="|belt|etiquette|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9843" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9842" CreationDate="2020-04-16T04:42:46.537" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;For this question there is only one person to ask:&#xA;Your trainer(s).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it okay for them or not?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it is okay for them, always have a normal belt, just in case you do classes or training somewhere else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have a look at the class.&#xA;Do they all wear traditional white gis and plain belts, some kids maybe striped belts? Then the answer will be rather negative. Or something like &quot;If you need it urgendly, you may do it.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do they wear anything and it doesn't look traditional, then better still ask.&#xA;The answer will be rather: &quot;It's ok.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10685" LastEditorUserId="10685" LastEditDate="2020-04-24T07:00:37.463" LastActivityDate="2020-04-24T07:00:37.463" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9844" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9846" CreationDate="2020-04-17T08:03:03.797" Score="3" ViewCount="462" Body="&lt;p&gt;I stand southpaw, with my less flexible right foot in front. To throw a roundhouse kick, my Kyokushin training makes it feel natural for me to plant my left foot solid on the ground to kick with the right. Maybe occasionally I will slightly rotate the standing (non-kicking) foot, if I am going for a Thai style roundhouse. Is it OK to plant the standing foot, or should I rotate the standing foot to throw a roundhouse kick?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10707" LastEditorUserId="10707" LastEditDate="2020-04-20T14:41:53.933" LastActivityDate="2020-06-10T14:56:01.983" Title="Should I rotate the standing foot to throw a roundhouse kick?" Tags="|karate|kicking|muay-thai|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9845" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9842" CreationDate="2020-04-17T14:38:37.393" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would be &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; wary with this:  Some styles, rather than having a stripe across the belt at one end, have a stripe along the entire length of the belt.  If you get your belt &quot;customised&quot;, you may be seen as trying to pretend a higher grade than you actually have.  Even if not, it may be regarded as egotistical or disrespectful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More importantly: Where I live, there are a number of different martial arts clubs.  Different clubs and styles get together occasionally for training sessions on &quot;common-ground&quot; - stuff like free-sparring, or street-based self defence (recognising potential situations, staying within bounds of law, et cetera) - which is style-agnostic, or benefits from exposure to an unfamiliar style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On thing common to &lt;em&gt;all&lt;/em&gt; of these clubs is:  People very rarely buy their own decorated belts.  They are (with one, notable, exception) a gift from the club or instructors, as a sign of respect or recognition of skill and accomplishment.  Self-bought belts, even black, tend to be unadorned aside from stripes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As said, there is one club who are an exception to this rule.  Their Dan grades (black belts) are not distinguished by a gold bar / stripe on the end of the belt until 4th-Dan.  For the first 3 degrees of black belt, they have the Club and Style name embroidered on their belt in Blue, Red, or Green.  This is &lt;em&gt;their&lt;/em&gt; equivalent to a plain, undecorated black belt with stripes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At 4th-Dan (instructor grade, requires coaching certificate), they are presented with a belt which has the Club name, &lt;em&gt;their&lt;/em&gt; name, and 4 bars, all embroidered in gold thread.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9212" LastEditorUserId="9212" LastEditDate="2020-04-17T14:44:47.557" LastActivityDate="2020-04-17T14:44:47.557" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9846" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9844" CreationDate="2020-04-19T00:19:51.743" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In general, the more power you want to put in a roundhouse kick, and the more you want it to penetrate the target, the more you should pivot that supporting foot (and possibly start by stepping to the side of the kick). The reason why is fairly obvious in that you need to be able to deliver the full power of the kick close to the center of your body and, without pivoting the support leg, that means you're essentially either not using your hips as much (a common situation for snap roundhouses in Tae Kwan Do, especially to the head) or your supporting leg is essentially being forced to rotate heavily in the other direction (since the rest of your body is rotating).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-06-10T14:56:01.983" LastActivityDate="2020-06-10T14:56:01.983" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9847" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8291" CreationDate="2020-04-21T07:39:33.713" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think this really really relies on your neck. My dad has been hit with baseball bats, crowbars, over thousands of times punched right in the head and has never not once been knocked out. He has the biggest neck you would ever see. Also genes might also play a role in it to. Like how most explain, that liquid that keeps your brain from getting knocked out every time you move, might just be significantly more than the average person. But if you're like me and have half the family being tough fighters, remember that the other half could be dominant in your body so your neck and &quot;brain protect liquid&quot; might not be as good as you’d think.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10773" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-04-22T04:11:31.873" LastActivityDate="2020-04-22T04:11:31.873" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9848" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9853" CreationDate="2020-04-21T10:43:35.883" Score="3" ViewCount="585" Body="&lt;p&gt;This September I will be going away to university and currently, I am dealing with a dilemma of signing up for either a Wing Chun or Bujinkan ninjutsu club, along with my MMA training. Now, I have been wanting to join a Bujinkan dojo for a while now and just recently got interested in wing chun. Ultimately, I am thing of acquiring knowledge from the arts I am interested in and apply it to MMA. I was thinking, if anyone had experiences with applying Bujinkan techniques or wing chun techniques in MMA and if they found them effective. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The techniques I have seen in Bujinkan, particularly in taijutsu (Ninjutsu's hand to hand combat) and kaiten (rolling) caught my idea, that I think would be beneficial in MMA. That's why I prompted the question to know if anyone has used Bujinkan techniques in MMA and whether it worked or not. Furthermore, I had a very keen interest in weapons training, which I think would be beneficial for in the street where anything can go down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for wing Chun, I haven't done much research on it yet, but the techniques I have heard have been used and proved to be useful in the UFC. The flowing motion of wing Chun caught my eye a lot and how they try to defend while attacking really made me think it's usefulness. Now bear in mind, I want to try to become a better mixed martial artist as I have a strong belief in bruce lee's philosophy of the &quot;formless art&quot;...but it certainly doesn't hurt to learn different techniques and use them properly in a mixed form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These arts don't practice a lotta a live sparing and pressure testing, hence inductively deemed unfit in MMA. But until or unless someone uses them, at least parts of them in MMA, no one would really know if these techniques actually work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another art, that I have studied a while back and am still interested in is Kyokushin Karate, which I reckon would be very applicable to MMA. However my university doesn't cater to that style, hence I am stuck with wing chun and ninjutsu. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, what do you guys think? Which one, should I focus more towards?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS: I won't be able to focus on both given there's a strong factor of money and time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10707" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-08-23T03:39:07.010" LastActivityDate="2020-08-31T22:01:48.323" Title="Help me make a choice: Wing Chun or Bujinkan Ninjutsu" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|wing-chun|ninjutsu|bujinkan|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9849" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9848" CreationDate="2020-04-21T19:03:16.790" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The vast majority of wing chun and bujinkan schools would be more likely to have a net negative effect on your MMA training than a net positive effect. You're better off spending your time doing strength and conditioning, or looking for a school that spars.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-04-21T19:03:16.790" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9850" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4515" CreationDate="2020-04-22T21:09:41.660" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will suggest you to have gloves that have a lot of wrist support and does not break upon impact. For that you may read other answers, but Hayabusa &lt;a href=&quot;https://boxingcrunch.com/best-boxing-gloves/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;pro gloves&lt;/a&gt; could be the best fit for your needs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10777" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-04-23T12:02:59.770" LastActivityDate="2020-04-23T12:02:59.770" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9853" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9848" CreationDate="2020-04-23T13:54:15.360" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the things that is present in Steve's answers that he linked in his comments is that neither style is going to do much to prepare you for MMA due to a lack of active resistance. I've done a bit of Bujinkan and Wing Chun (more of the former) as well as several other styles, and they don't really do the sort of free-sparring that happens in MMA where your opponent is not following a script. Wing Chun has push-hands, which has some free-form aspects, and we did some &lt;em&gt;Kumite&lt;/em&gt; setups in the Bujinkan system where you entered a circle, and had random attacks from people around you but they were only allowed a single attack and then they &amp;quot;acted&amp;quot; out your pulled strikes and moved along with the throws. Yes, MMA has rules that are followed as well, but you face a situation where you don't know what strike your opponent will throw, they won't necessarily go down in one hit, they might keep hitting you, and you need to keep fighting as you're being hit. You perform how you train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now what you might be able to gain MMA-wise from this sort of cross-training is new techniques to try out. Anderson Silva is notorious (not always in a good way) for how he'd see a particular technique in a martial art and then try to use it in MMA. He'd also then drill that movement in the ring with an opponent who would feel free to counter and hit back, and keep hitting back. Overall, I suspect Bujinkan would be a bit more useful for your purposes here, as there was an emphasis on learning a technique and then training it in different circumstances, so it was a bit more grounded in learning to do it under pressure and when the opponent doesn't stand in the right place. Heck, there have even been &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TfjtihLiQA&amp;amp;feature=emb_title&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;some Capoeira techniques&lt;/a&gt; that have been used in MMA (possibly not as surprising when you look at historical Capoeira, which was often trained alongside &lt;em&gt;Luta Libre&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fundamentally, most Traditional Martial Arts, which include Wing Chun and the Bujinkan styles, aren't really taught in a way that fits actual application in a fight. That's not to say that they're fraudulent, or worthless. Many of them were originally built for very specific circumstances, such as how Wu Shu was a way of quickly training people to fight other Chinese martial arts, or how some of the Bujinkan techniques are based on how to hurt someone who's wearing traditional Japanese armor. And, since then, they've been adapted to more study the theory and culture of the style than to actually train to fight. And if you enjoy doing them, that's great. I don't expect my Capoeira skills to ever be how I win a fight. I know from experience that they've helped me in other ways, such as catching myself when slipping or falling, or not falling apart after I take a blow to the head, but what I train there exists under a set of formalized rules that approach combat, but comfortably stop before that so that it can be enjoyed as a musical and cultural experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, ultimately, Bujinkan is probably your better bet in my opinion, but as Dave says, if you want to fight in MMA, you train in MMA. And if you want to use other styles in the MMA ring, you take them to the MMA ring and try them out and see how they work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-08-31T22:01:48.323" LastActivityDate="2020-08-31T22:01:48.323" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9854" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9856" CreationDate="2020-04-23T14:37:08.753" Score="5" ViewCount="298" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most people that have been practicing BJJ or most other grappling arts for a while know that it can be hard to maintain position while finishing a submission. This is why BJJ often has &quot;backup&quot; submissions or techniques in case the first one fails. For example, people that fail to finish a triangle choke (or lose the position ) often transition to an armbar and finish that way. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But what I want to know is whether or not there are any existing submissions/positions in any martial art where you can actually finish two or more submissions at once without sacrificing dominance or giving up control. Something that I'm thinking of is some kind of armbar from a scissor choke, or just an armbar that is also Kimura or Americana(for those who don't know, those are both examples of powerful shoulder submissions). The reason that I'm asking is that if there is such a position, this could raise the finishing rate of myself and my classmates during rolling/sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-04-23T14:58:57.960" LastActivityDate="2020-10-03T12:11:52.783" Title="Are there any positions where you can finish multiple submissions at once?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|submissions|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9855" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9854" CreationDate="2020-04-23T15:01:43.027" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes. From triangle (&lt;em&gt;sankaku&lt;/em&gt;) positions, there is the standard choke with the legs as well as the option to apply armbars. For example, from this side triangle position, if the choke fails, you can either cross body armbar (&lt;em&gt;juji gatame&lt;/em&gt;) the near arm, or Kimura (&lt;em&gt;ude garami&lt;/em&gt;) the far arm. &#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/UZacCpEGQrg?t=72&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/rfUoP.png&quot; alt=&quot;sankaku&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-04-23T15:01:43.027" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9856" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9854" CreationDate="2020-04-23T15:10:10.970" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a few positions where you can finish multiple submissions simultaneously or nearly so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Triangle&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you look at the triangle as a position, then a lot of other submissions present themselves as co-attacks. The triangle-armbar is the classic; it's often unclear which one does the most work in any given case. The triangle-Kimura is also great fun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;S-mount&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The S-mount is basically an almost-armbar plus an opportunity for a bunch of other attacks: collar chokes, an omoplata, a triangle transition, or taking the back. But I don't think I use it to finish multiple attacks &lt;em&gt;simultaneously&lt;/em&gt;. Maybe once after passing the arm to the hip side for the armbar while hitting a bow-and-arrow choke? That's feasible but getting into Harlem Globetrotters territory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Omoplata&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find a double-attack position challenging to find here, but I chalk that up to my skill deficiencies, not the position. For the more dextrous, the omoplata provides several multiple-threat possibilities, because it's such a controlling position while also being its own submission. Consider the toe hold (a la Frank Mir vs. Tank Abott), the collar choke, the wristlock on the near arm, and pulling the far arm straight like a lever. Some of these can be done fairly simultaneously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Back control&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes a choke from back control isn't really about the choke, but an excuse for someone to tap out to the nasty body triangle you've slowly been crushing them in for minutes, like a constricting python.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Crucifix&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like to get an armbar with my lower body (triangle on the forearm, extend hip into the elbow) while finishing a sliding collar choke (&lt;em&gt;okuri-eri-jime&lt;/em&gt;). There are some other options from here, such as a Kimura. These are true simultaneous submissions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-04-23T15:10:10.970" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9857" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9859" CreationDate="2020-04-24T14:38:55.607" Score="8" ViewCount="2160" Body="&lt;p&gt;I found &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpTk_PpSHso&amp;amp;t=1s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; where a black belt shows you how to safely fall on concrete and why you should practice ukemi this way. The main reason that people learn ukemi is to be able to take a fall in real life without getting seriously injured.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The person in the video said to build up the hardness of the materials you fall onto until you reach concrete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is this actually necessary? Shouldn't learning how to fall on a mat theoretically be enough for you to safely fall on concrete?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Almost no matter how much you practice beforehand, you are going to get scrapes and cuts when you fall onto concrete. Notice that the guy in the video was wearing a thick gi (even when on concrete) which most likely protected him from the majority of those scratches. But who walks around in a gi?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So is it even necessary to practice ukemi on concrete? Shouldn't practicing on a mat be enough?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-07-13T16:11:51.903" LastActivityDate="2022-01-06T14:22:34.380" Title="Is it necessary to practice falling on concrete to help prepare for a real life situation and build up endurance?" Tags="|training|safety|falling|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9858" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9857" CreationDate="2020-04-24T15:29:52.550" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Practicing on a mat is not sufficient.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do not progress to harder materials you will not have the feedback benefit harder surfaces provide. You might &lt;em&gt;think&lt;/em&gt; you're doing well because it's (relatively) comfortable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The phrase &quot;safely fall&quot; is nebulous. Will practicing breakfalls on forgiving surfaces transfer to concrete? Of course--you're learning how to fall well. Can you learn to fall &lt;em&gt;better&lt;/em&gt; by progressing to harder surfaces? IMO yes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, the potential for &quot;scrapes and cuts&quot; is much higher--this is obvious. Of course, you're in a &lt;em&gt;fight&lt;/em&gt;, so injuries are essentially unavoidable at that point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2020-04-24T15:29:52.550" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9859" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9857" CreationDate="2020-04-24T16:26:08.240" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;No, falling on concrete is not necessary, provided you train with mats as a safety mechanism and you do not rely on mats to protect you from unrealistic techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Use mats for extra safety for techniques that work without mats&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mats provide an extra margin of error while you are learning but should not be used to protect you from bad technique. When you fall, you should be executing proper falling technique by supporting your head while trying to reduce pressure, impact, and the energy absorbed by your body. If you train like this on mats, practicing these elements carries directly into falls on concrete. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/uXuQ_ERGiX4&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Drop knee &lt;em&gt;seoi nage&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is an example of a technique that only works with mats. The thrower in this technique drops their knees directly into the ground while attempting to throw. While this may not injure the thrower on a mat surface, this is totally inadvisable for the thrower on concrete. The mat is protecting against behavior that relies upon the ground being soft. This should be obvious from using your imagination; no one should need to test this on concrete. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can choose to train techniques like this in the sport context, but personally I think the punishment your body takes is too much even with mat protection. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;You can see how well a person falls on any flat surface&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Head hitting the ground is an automatic failure. Do not allow the person anywhere near hard surfaces&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is the impact spread over a large area?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is the impact over the large area at the same time?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is force directed into the joints (for example, bracing with a straight arm? This one is bad.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If the fall allows it, is energy directed away from impact? This could be rolling, where you preserve kinetic energy rather than take it as impact, or raising the legs during a rear breakfall to convert the energy of the fall into potential energy. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If there is a roll, how much energy does the person need to return to standing? If they exert their legs significantly to get up, this tells you they have absorbed the potential energy in their body when falling. It is obviously preferable to avoid absorbing more energy. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Proper falling practice reduces forces regardless of surface&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regardless of training surface, you should be continually trying to improve your falls. You cannot restrict yourself to thinking, &quot;I don't get hurt on the mat, so I won't get hurt on concrete.&quot; This is also a general problem with training mindless repetitions, if you never think about what you are doing, especially &quot;the basics&quot;, you will not get better. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may be useful to fall on hard surfaces occasionally to give yourself feedback, but this really should not be necessary. You can feel how you make contact with the ground on a mat surface and adjust to improve your falling technique to support your head, reduce pressure, or keep your frame from collapsing. You still get this sensory feedback while falling on mat surfaces. Did your head hit the ground? Are you concentrating force in your shoulder that makes you uncomfortable? Is a roll continuous? Unlike getting punched in the face, which is very different from not getting punched in the face, falling on mats is very similar to falling on concrete. If you compare two ways of falling on the mat, and one reduces the forces on your body, this will continue to be true on harder surfaces. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Good falling technique works on hard surfaces&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is definitely worthwhile to know you can take a controlled fall on concrete without getting hurt. Some people get the idea that mats are necessary to fall safely. Malicious opponents are, of course, a different story. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, I have taken unplanned falls (solo) on concrete with only superficial injuries. Yes, you will get scrapes from little pebbles on the ground. No, falling on concrete beforehand was not necessary to prepare. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-04-25T03:57:05.883" LastActivityDate="2020-04-25T03:57:05.883" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9860" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7789" CreationDate="2020-04-24T16:53:24.347" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As suggested by an answer that was flagged as spam for excessive promotion and a comment, &lt;em&gt;Jiu Jitsu University&lt;/em&gt; by Saulo Ribeiro is a solid choice. The book is organized around a progression of techniques:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;survival&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;escapes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;guard&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;guard passing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;submissions&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This viewpoint emphasizes, for example, that the first thing you should learn from the position where the opponent has your back is to defend against getting choked, and not escaping. This strategic choice is different from how I thought about this position before reading this book. My general thinking was to escape first because if the opponent cannot control your body, they cannot submit you. However, the act of trying to escape too early opens up choke opportunities for the opponent and does not yield position improvement fast enough to prevent the choke. Surviving by defending first, then and inching out to escape does indeed seem to be a better strategic choice. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-04-24T16:53:24.347" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9861" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9857" CreationDate="2020-04-24T19:59:03.047" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Training on firm mats is probably sufficient for learning how to take a fall. There's a slight risk of picking up bad habits, not removing small inefficiencies in the fall (I know that I used to be bad about not distributing my impact along my side in situations where I knew I could fall flat without injury, whereas on wood or concrete, the point of my hip or elbow would be more likely to cause an injury on impact). But, on the other hand, it's usually enough that you'll only come away from a fall with bruises when, with perfect technique, you might avoid any injury, and without any training, you might have broken bones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fighting, in general, will be a rare thing. Falling happens more often, but you have to keep in mind that training can lead to more injuries than the average person will ever experience in a fight. I do feel that people ought to try occasional controlled rolls on harder surfaces so that they get used to avoiding pressure points on the surface, but consistently training on a hard surface is bound to create more injuries in the long run than it will save. While it's not a rigorous study, I have anecdotal evidence from some friends who work in professional wrestling, and take repeated impacts on hard surfaces over the course of years (the rings are a little springy, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/7hhh6i/how_hard_is_the_ring_mat/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;are otherwise essentially plywood over a steel frame with a thin layer of canvas&lt;/a&gt;, since wrestlers have to be able to move and maintain stability on it) that the damage adds up over time and eventually leads to arthritis and nerve damage. Excellent technique decreases the damage, but does not prevent it entirely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-01-06T14:22:34.380" LastActivityDate="2022-01-06T14:22:34.380" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9862" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9857" CreationDate="2020-04-28T11:13:28.403" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience, doing simple Ukemi over hard surfaces provides important feedback about any problems with your technique. You will boldly notice if your head, shoulder, arm, elbow, hip, knees, or ankles are hitting the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's no need to roll over concrete, though. The ground under a park's grass is hard enough, and a beach provides several densities of sand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yet as other's have said, it's best to polish your technique on the mat first. The fall should &quot;spread&quot; over the surface, with &lt;em&gt;no&lt;/em&gt; impact to the head or joints. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're used to hitting the mat hard with your arm to take energy out of the fall, you probably need to find a different way, as any form of hitting a concrete floor is sure to cause injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7943" LastActivityDate="2020-04-28T11:13:28.403" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9864" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8782" CreationDate="2020-04-28T18:12:37.113" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I couldn't find a reference for aikiken, but for aikijo Saito sensei shows the  hasso no kame with the jo behind his head as can be seen in &lt;a href=&quot;https://photos.app.goo.gl/Xk4CpRh6k5cn8F75A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; from one of his books. If we assume the stance is the same for jo and bokuto, then I would say that the form in the first video should be the correct one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7765" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-04-28T20:25:06.247" LastActivityDate="2020-04-28T20:25:06.247" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9865" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2020-04-30T02:00:25.920" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-04-30T02:00:25.920" LastActivityDate="2020-04-30T02:00:25.920" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9866" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2020-04-30T02:00:25.920" Score="0" Body="Techniques or practice involving falling safely, including breakfalls and rolling. Known in Japanese martial arts as ukemi. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-04-30T02:00:25.920" LastActivityDate="2020-04-30T02:00:25.920" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9867" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9879" CreationDate="2020-04-30T12:59:27.830" Score="2" ViewCount="246" Body="&lt;p&gt;During the quarantine I have started doing some Tai Chi before going to bed. It really helps as a form of meditation and I love that it has a fighting aspect to it as I am fascinated by the parallels and differences in martial arts. However, since the effectiveness of Tai Chi in a real fight is limited, I was wondering if there are other more effective martial arts that also focus on meditation and where the movements are slow and require balance. Maybe something more modern that focuses on real fighting situations. Preferably a martial art that is famous enough, such that I can easily find basic forms on Youtube. Is there anything that matches this description?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, to summarize in order of priority:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Meditative with slow movements requiring balance, like Thai Chi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Easily accesible beginner forms on Youtube or comparable medium&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Effective martial art with real life applications, like Krav Maga&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10800" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-05-06T03:52:47.860" LastActivityDate="2020-05-12T08:34:32.357" Title="Meditative yet effective martial art" Tags="|recommendation|tai-chi|meditation|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9868" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="535" CreationDate="2020-04-30T20:19:00.157" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In some ways, I see this as similar to the argument about flips in Parkour. Since the basis of Parkour is the most efficient movement that you can accomplish to get from Point A to Point B, flips are sometimes seen as antithetical to proper Parkour, something to be relegated to &quot;Freerunning&quot; or &quot;Tricking&quot; where your goal is as much about presentation as it is about movement. However, as Amos Rendao has pointed out in his Parkour Ukemi (how to fall when things don't go right) videos, practicing flips teaches you what to do instinctively when you are inverted, say because you missed your landing, or you over-rotated on another movement. Similarly, even if you never plan on throwing a spinning kick in a fight, in the scenario where you are forced into a rotational movement (say, you hve to dodge away from an incoming kick, or get pushed off-line), you will have learned how to continue your rotation and how to accurately throw out a kick or strike from that rotation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-04-30T20:19:00.157" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9870" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9452" CreationDate="2020-05-03T08:08:19.473" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I follow Hayashi ha shito ryu and did classical shito ryu for a long time.&#xA;Sensei Hayashi studied with Mabuni himself, but also went to Okinawa to study traditional styles. He studied matsubayashi shorin ryu under Shoshin Nagamine and also learned ryuei ryu directly from the Nakaima family.&#xA;In Hayashi ha we have many katas from the shorin ryu school, which are different from what the Mabuni shito ryu has; ,examples would be Rohai and Chatan Yara Kushanku which are very different to the shitokai versions. Our Matsumura Bassai is shorin ryu based as well, with notable differences to the shito kai version. &#xA;There's also specific information about hayashi ha shito ryu that you'll likely find if you attend one 8f their schools. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10807" LastActivityDate="2020-05-03T08:08:19.473" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9871" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9512" CreationDate="2020-05-04T09:37:10.740" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've just read about Jeet Kune Do. It's definitely a hard style martial art. There are lead finger jabs, and focus has been on hitting soft spots like ribs, solar plexus, neck, groin, eyes, knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce believed in no rule fighting and he maintains the philosophy of not fighting for fun like today's events. It is definitely oriented towards killing. He also didn't use to participate in martial art events.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't know about verifying authenticity of Krav Maga.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10457" LastActivityDate="2020-05-04T09:37:10.740" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9872" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-05-04T13:32:26.833" Score="4" ViewCount="222" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pehlwani&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;, in (some rulesets of) the Indian grappling sport Pehlwani, one can win with locks and submissions. However, English language &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9882/pehlwani-manuals-technique-descriptions&quot;&gt;resources&lt;/a&gt; on the techniques of Pehlwani are very limited.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What submissions are allowed/taught in Pehlwani?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-14T18:55:44.280" LastActivityDate="2021-05-18T09:02:45.497" Title="Submissions in Pehlwani?" Tags="|grappling|wrestling|submissions|pehlwani|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9873" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9512" CreationDate="2020-05-05T10:30:45.667" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is not a question of style, but of human decency and staying within the bounds of law. Maximum damage instead of necessary force only is both immoral and illegal. Every responsible instructor will tell you that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Apart from that, it is impossible to design a useful training when focusing on maximal damage only. Either it will lack resistance or produce too many injuries even with protective gear, which leads to either a lack of viability or a lack of partners respectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taking your definitions, everyone has to train 'soft' (yet alive, against full resistance, with protective gear) and then will be able to escalate appropriate to the level of threat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overall, Krav Maga is the closest here, given good instructors. Yet, even they will know and tell you that a maxim of 'maximum damage only' will eventually get you killed or into jail if you ever face a situation where you have to defend yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are very few situations where you are legally allowed not to care about the appropriateness of your defense. They all involve an obvious and imminent threat to your very survival. Training only for these is for the battlefield. Otherwise, it has to be considered either sadistic or paranoid. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2020-05-05T10:30:45.667" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9874" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9777" CreationDate="2020-05-05T12:49:42.260" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If the uke go first on his butt and then flat on his back (rear ward) it is sutemi waza (Ko uchi makikomi).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10811" LastEditorUserId="10811" LastEditDate="2020-05-06T05:21:28.980" LastActivityDate="2020-05-06T05:21:28.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9875" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9877" CreationDate="2020-05-05T14:15:08.853" Score="4" ViewCount="1609" Body="&lt;p&gt;I saw that at some schools of some martial arts many of the students wear headbands. They seem to only be in certain martial arts (like Karate), and I would almost never see it in others (like BJJ or Judo). Do these headbands have a historical or contextual meaning? If so, what do the different colors/patterns mean? Also, why are they worn in the first place? My first assumption was that they are there to soak up sweat, but then why aren't they worn in most martial arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2020-05-05T14:39:49.293" Title="Why do some students wear headbands during practice?" Tags="|etiquette|uniform|tradition|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9876" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8889" CreationDate="2020-05-05T14:25:04.483" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The joint on final travel is very weak so mechanical advantage of above the average person is useless .The pain tolerance maybe it's higher because of this ability but if you twist the trapped arm or feet the pain will come . Because immobilisation came before applying the pain techniques this double joint feature is no guarantee  to escape but will probably have some degrees of freedom and more time to think to tapp. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/p/CFzfLJ9jeGv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/p/CFzfLJ9jeGv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10811" LastEditorUserId="10811" LastEditDate="2020-10-02T14:38:53.117" LastActivityDate="2020-10-02T14:38:53.117" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9877" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9875" CreationDate="2020-05-05T14:39:49.293" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming you're talking about Japanese martial arts and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachimaki&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hachimaki&lt;/a&gt;, it's basically a matter of tradition that might be based off of samurai helmets and padding against cuts. These days, it's more ceremonial, and sometimes a method of advertising (hachimaki with slogans are passed out at trade shows), but they do still work to keep sweat out of your eyes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The origin of hachimaki is uncertain. The most common theory states that they originated as headbands worn by samurai to line their heads with cloth. This was to stop cuts from the helmet and make wearing the helmet more comfortable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Muay Thai, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://grantmma.ca/why-do-muay-thai-fighters-wear-headbands/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;mongkoi&lt;/a&gt; is entirely ceremonial, and is basically a sign of rank, much like belts are in many styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have not found any reliable material on why some &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pencak_silat#Bali&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Pencak Silat&lt;/a&gt; fighters have it as part of the their uniform other than tradition. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-05-05T14:39:49.293" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9878" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9693" CreationDate="2020-05-05T17:57:55.710" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In judo the application of the techniques is done with a preponderance of one limb. That is clear. The classification of the techniques accounts for that. So there are groups of main activity of applying &lt;em&gt;fulcrums&lt;/em&gt; like: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Te waza, Ashi waza, koshi waza&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;or  after the &lt;em&gt;direction&lt;/em&gt; of falls:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sutemi waza, uki waza, makikomi waza &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10811" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-05-06T16:57:14.743" LastActivityDate="2020-05-06T16:57:14.743" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9879" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9867" CreationDate="2020-05-06T03:50:13.543" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Meditative with slow movements requiring balance&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Qi gong (chi kung) exercises from many Chinese martial arts have these elements, but taiji uses this style of exercise more than any other system I am aware of. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Self learning a martial art over the Internet&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Forget about being able to do this. Success is not guaranteed even with a teacher in person for meditative martial arts such as taiji. Without instruction this will fail. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Effectiveness, time to effectiveness, duration of effectiveness&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although the prevailing sentiment on this site is that you should select a martial art based on the teacher and not the art, this cannot be the whole story. When a teacher knows multiple martial arts, which art do they choose to teach their students? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you need to learn to fight quickly, taiji is not for you. This quotation is from &lt;em&gt;The Complete Book of Tai Chi Chuan&lt;/em&gt; by Wong Kiew Kit suggests that Thai boxing is a much faster way to learn fighting. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;In my opinion, practising Tomoi or Siamese boxing is probably the fastest way one can learn to fight, but I nevertheless prefer Tai Chi Chuan to any other martial arts except Shaolin Kungfu because of the many other wonderful benefits it brings. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taiji is very difficult to learn, requiring many years of dedicated practice. If a teacher is not experienced in fighting, do not expect that their students will be able to fight, but success is not guaranteed even with such a teacher. The tradeoff is that it's possible to retain fighting effectiveness for a long time; it's an experience to meet masters in their 70's and 80's who are physically weaker but can control you easily. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/5938/5961&quot;&gt;Taiji's health benefits are more accessible than its fighting skills, which is why it is so popular today.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-05-06T03:50:13.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9880" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-05-07T19:23:12.993" Score="6" ViewCount="318" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've trained HEMA for a while (mostly Lichtenauer, some Fiore) and am comfortable with synthetic and steel feders. I'm looking to buy my own steel (blunted of course) and I've found that sites like Kult Of Athena have a category of &amp;quot;stage combat&amp;quot; swords, which it says have slightly thicker-than-average blades (so as to be more durable when taking a beating). I've also noticed that these stage combat swords are often priced a bit lower than feders or other tournament steel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm considering buying a one of these stage combat blades (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bytheswordinc.com/p-42297-15th-century-ring-hilt-longsword-stage-combat-version.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt;, if you're curious) to train HEMA. It's a few inches shorter and a few ounces heavier than the feders I've used, but otherwise seems decent (EN45 is acceptable steel, right?) I would mostly use it for solo drills and possibly some light partner drills, but I would NOT be doing full bouting or tournaments with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People who have done HEMA longer than me, is this a decent sword, or should I really stick to feders?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10815" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-11-10T15:05:22.703" Title="Are &quot;stage combat&quot; swords fine for HEMA training/bouting?" Tags="|equipment|sword|historic-european|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9881" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6403" CreationDate="2020-05-09T03:56:01.313" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Indeed he is a unique fighter. Roy Jones Jr is the closest fighter to Prince Naz in terms of boxing style. IMO, Roy and Naz are undefeated in their prime but got carried away with their success.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10817" LastActivityDate="2020-05-09T03:56:01.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9882" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10440" CreationDate="2020-05-11T17:35:59.403" Score="4" ViewCount="237" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are there any manuals or similar resources describing Pehlwani techniques (preferably in English or Hindi)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-14T21:49:59.190" LastActivityDate="2021-04-14T21:49:59.190" Title="Manual of Pehlwani techniques?" Tags="|technique|books|pehlwani|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9883" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9867" CreationDate="2020-05-12T05:27:03.677" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You really do not really need to choose a different style of martial art for gaining martial effectiveness. What you generally need is a different way to practice Taijiquan. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The big mistake is that most people unfamiliar with Taijiquan blindly believe half-truths, lies and fairytales of those practitioners of Taijiquan who have not either due to lack of training or character learned the martial aspects of Taijiquan. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes they are not to blame for they’ve themselves fallen for the same fairytales by their teachers and now perpetuate the lie that Taijiquan is not a fighting art. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, since the focus on softness and meditative aspects are easy to teach and do not require any physical exertion, it has become rather popular form of the art to only focus on meditative, medicinal and choreographic aspects of the training, ignoring everything else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In truth, Taijiquan is and can very well be just as effective as any other martial art so long as you put in the training necessary to develop martial skill. This means including practice of martial applications and free sparring and some general body strengthening and endurance building exercises in the curriculum. It also means learning to use proper amounts of softness and hardness, generating power when necessary and letting go of tension when tension is not needed. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also means you need a teacher who can set you on your path and correct your mistakes and a partner to practice those things with and offer you a proper resistance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also means they you need to test your martial skill with other martial artists regularly. Preferably against representatives outside your immediate training group. You need this because they give you important feedback that your group can not. And you need to learn from your mistakes and integrate this into your Taijiquan. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is possible and getting some basic level of martial effectiveness does not take years or decades as the popular legend around Taijiquan seems to suggest. Sure, you won’t reach a master level effectiveness in years to come, but same is true for any other martial art, so why would Taijiquan be any different. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastActivityDate="2020-05-12T05:27:03.677" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9884" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-05-12T17:46:01.840" Score="2" ViewCount="268" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have always like to use kunai and katana, but now I finally want to learn how to use the katana properly. Are there any that would be able to pair it with hand and feet fighting as well?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10820" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-05-12T19:12:22.307" LastActivityDate="2020-05-14T09:09:27.403" Title="What style should I study to learn to fight with a katana?" Tags="|style|sword|katana|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9885" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9884" CreationDate="2020-05-12T19:15:08.693" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are several different martial arts styles the practice swordwork with the katana. If you're looking to do sports sparring, I'd advise &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kendo&lt;/a&gt;. If you're looking for something closer to historical teaching, and with unarmed combat mixed in, you're looking for &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenjutsu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kenjutsu&lt;/a&gt;. That is sometimes taught on its own, and is sometimes part of another style such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jujutsu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jujitsu&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bujinkan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bujinkan&lt;/a&gt;. Lastly, as Philip Klöcking pointed out in the comments, there is also &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iaido&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Iaidō&lt;/a&gt;, which is essentially the art of drawing the sword, striking, and then resheathing it in one fluid movement. However, it is very tightly focused on just that practice, so I would probably not include it in a list for sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In all counts, you are likely to face one of the pitfalls of Traditional Martial Arts in general, that what you are being taught is largely traditional movements that are not tested at speed or with a resisting opponent, or if they are, it is generally within a rigid set of guidelines (Kendo, I believe, has a limited set of &quot;valid&quot; strikes that will count toward your score) and only against people who train the same style. If that's enough for you, that's perfectly fine. The odds of you having to use a sword in real-life are miniscule.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-05-12T20:07:22.090" LastActivityDate="2020-05-12T20:07:22.090" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9886" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9887" CreationDate="2020-05-13T14:59:20.950" Score="1" ViewCount="109" Body="&lt;p&gt;For most strikes, it's easy to practice safely with a partner. Usually your training partner would just wear padding and a safety helmet. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But with strikes to the &lt;strong&gt;neck&lt;/strong&gt;, it's a little different. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, if I want to practice kicks aimed at my opponent's neck, it would be hard to do accurately if my partner is wearing all that bulky safety equipment covering up their neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I could use a standing bag, but that doesn't replicate the fact, that the neck is inward from the rest of the body. I expect an answer from someone who has little more experience with this than me. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How can I practice strikes towards the neck with a partner without sacrificing safety or accuracy?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-05-14T12:20:46.070" LastActivityDate="2020-05-14T12:20:46.070" Title="How can you safely practice strikes aimed towards the neck with a partner" Tags="|kicking|safety|training|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9887" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9886" CreationDate="2020-05-13T15:30:57.477" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Side-kicks:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why not use a boxing paw? In a similar way you may use it to throw a hook or high-kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is enough soft from the opposite side to prevent damage to the head of your partner (especially if he is in a helmet) - and enough big to protect the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, your target is small enough - as you want to target a neck, you may strike to the bottom of paw - but that is!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Front-kicks:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For front-kicks to the neck - the general approach for kicks may be applied. As all what you want is to kick into a generally small target - just try to aim and hit. The problem you specified is the distance - as long as neck is a bit inward, kick distance should obviously be a bit more longer. But.. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If your problem is in distance measuring - then try to train with a rope&lt;/strong&gt;. Really, that helps me - especially with roundhouse kicks (ushira-geri, if more concretely). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rope judges you realy well. In both distance and targeting (for targeting, you may just mark rope at some height with some another, colored small rope). In fact, it is an ultimate judge (and that is cool!). When training with a bag, you may hit it only a bit, or just touch it and not really hit. But for the rope - there are only two options - you hit or you miss. So, rope prevents anybody from freebie-training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, general answer, I think is to improve your distance sence - and for that - &lt;strong&gt;rope&lt;/strong&gt; is really best you may do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2020-05-13T15:49:26.070" LastActivityDate="2020-05-13T15:49:26.070" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9888" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6191" CreationDate="2020-05-13T20:05:00.470" Score="1" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Beijing 24 Form Taijiquan should take anywhere from 4:30 - 5 minutes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you want to lengthen the routine then do Brush Knee 5x, and Wave hands 5x, that would get the form to 5:30-6 minutes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Add the warm up for 10min and range of movement exercises, then your session will be about 1hr per day, or every other day for the rest of your life.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The typical 'workout session&quot; for 'traditional' taijiquan training is as follows:&#xA;a. Zhanzhuang (post standing) / taijizhuang 15-30min&#xA;b. Warmup 15min&#xA;c. Actual routine (24 Form) 4-6 min&#xA;d. Cool down with shougong (ending routine)&#xA;Total time = 1hr 15min&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6403" LastActivityDate="2020-05-13T20:05:00.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9889" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9884" CreationDate="2020-05-14T09:09:27.403" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This should just be a comment under Macaco Brancos answer, but my reputation is to low. So I write it as a full answer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In your own comment, you write that you think about learning Ju Jutsu. It will probably depend on the style and your teacher, but in 3 years of training I never even held a sword. When using weapons we never even consider anything beyond sticks and knifes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10821" LastActivityDate="2020-05-14T09:09:27.403" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9890" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7939" CreationDate="2020-05-15T00:05:54.967" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm Brazilian and a purple belt in BJJ. What I would say it that it's about experience and some reading. &quot;Oss&quot; or &quot;Ossu&quot; its a Japanese word meaning understood or agreed. The history of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is quite interesting because of it's being an improvement of a Japanese martial art and it has a lot in common with judo and other Japanese martial arts. So beside it being Brazilian, we do have a lot of Japanese elements. I can't speak for all academies, but for sure, most of the academies here in Brazil do say &quot;Oss&quot; as a sign of respect of their roots. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10824" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-05-15T14:13:31.130" LastActivityDate="2020-05-15T14:13:31.130" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9891" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9836" CreationDate="2020-05-15T06:04:10.217" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;My answer is that if you put thumbs in grips then you couldn't rotating inward the wrist  more than other gripping style. Also the gripping power is in little finger and not in the index. As for the knees I believe it is about different distances ( To-ma) to be able to get the hips in front if you have opportunities&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10811" LastEditorUserId="10811" LastEditDate="2020-06-17T01:26:48.403" LastActivityDate="2020-06-17T01:26:48.403" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9892" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1447" CreationDate="2020-05-19T23:49:44.843" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hold up your hand as if you are clenching around a 25mm (1&quot;) to 20mm (1 1/4&quot;) stick/bo, look onto your thumb knuckle! (down the 'virtual' axis of the stick/bo!) &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What do you see?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I see at least six, near straight bones! (plus a gap!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My thourghts are 'ergonoics' (confort/grip!) + maximum stiffness (maximum distance = &quot;1 sun&quot; ~30mm for point to point on the hexagon or octagon!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10828" LastActivityDate="2020-05-19T23:49:44.843" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9893" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7939" CreationDate="2020-05-20T17:53:36.807" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my BJJ school, we said, &quot;Oss!&quot; with a bow to the teacher and moved our elbows backwards with fists clenched to signify readiness to move on to practice the move after instruction. It's a cool way to have everyone speak in unison and to signify a shift in the action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I never thought about the origin of the word. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Outside of class, I've said &quot;oss!&quot; to people I meet who practice jiu jitsu and they sometimes give me a funny look. Now, I know why. I thought all BJJ practitioners did it. But, apparently not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No surprise to find jiu jitsu people being so wordy and nerdy. Lol! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10830" LastActivityDate="2020-05-20T17:53:36.807" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9894" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9896" CreationDate="2020-05-20T18:18:59.827" Score="2" ViewCount="186" Body="&lt;p&gt;Mentor vs Cornerman: What are the major differences between these roles?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Trust level&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Confidence in advice given&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Formal vs informal relationship&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Things you talk about&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And is your cornerman only useful for combat sports or do you rely on him (or her) to give advice / listen to problems that you have in other areas of your life?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10830" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-05-24T18:18:06.310" LastActivityDate="2020-05-24T18:18:06.310" Title="What are the major differences between a mentor and a cornerman, and why would one be preferable to the other?" Tags="|judo|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9895" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9894" CreationDate="2020-05-22T18:55:04.190" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Mentors talk about the question. Cornermen answer the question and solve the problem. Thank you for making that so clear. I prefer a cornerman.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10830" LastActivityDate="2020-05-22T18:55:04.190" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9896" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9894" CreationDate="2020-05-24T17:56:15.320" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a judo version of this question about the difference between a sensei (mentor) and coach (cornerman). &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.usjf.com/public/17DefinitionSenseiCoach1s080719.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;The United States Judo Federation has a long answer to this question that considers the cultural history and etymology of these words, what functions they perform, and how the roles may overlap, but basically comes to the conclusion that the difference is about winning in sports.&lt;/a&gt; The concept of a coach or cornerman is sport-based, while other terms for instructors are not. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are basically interested in sport, find an instructor who specializes in sport (a coach or cornerman). If you have interests beyond sport (learning to teach, health, life advice, etc.), find an instructor who does not focus exclusively on sport. Winning in sport is a specialization with its own skill set. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In reality, you have to choose from among the instructors you have available, and the spectrum of available skills and strengths does not separate into neat categories. As with any relationship, you have to work out with the other party what the parameters of yours will be. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-05-24T17:56:15.320" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9898" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9857" CreationDate="2020-05-26T01:38:12.573" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Training on mats is great as it may allow less risk of injury. However, it may not suffice to your needs of a real situation. For example, when you fall down on a surface that is concrete, you feel a hard impact unlike a mat that suppresses the fall because of the cushion that it has. You may even want to practice the impact of a fall that a concrete gives such as shock. A concrete impact is a shock to the body. It surprises you when you fall down because your brain and blood move out of place. To train for shock-like experience, be very attentive. React to your target practice as soon as possible. This will gain your ability to push through that shock of the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10841" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-07-14T11:49:27.947" LastActivityDate="2020-07-14T11:49:27.947" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9899" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6498" CreationDate="2020-05-26T02:34:44.683" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, because you have not trained the technique enough. For example, check out Grand Masters and notice them. How are they able to block and attack correctly and fast on point. They may have fast reflexes; of course, you may think. These fast reflexes are from training as a white belt or at a lower level. They train it as much as they can until you see their ability. Now, you see their fast reflex.   &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10841" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-05-26T15:16:02.990" LastActivityDate="2020-05-26T15:16:02.990" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9900" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9906" CreationDate="2020-05-27T15:34:23.727" Score="6" ViewCount="728" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Short problem description:&lt;/strong&gt; Sometimes, while boxing (after some rounds have passed) I find myself in a wide stance &amp;mdash; with legs wider than shoulders. Of course, it gives me some advantages, but I definitely think that penalties are too bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While working with on a heavy bag or pads, all is okay. Even in kickboxing sparring, all is generally good. But while boxing &amp;mdash; no.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Has anyone faced the same problem? How did you solve it? Any ideas are welcome.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question is about what to do (no matter how painful/hard it would be) to remove wide stance from leg reflexes; remove it as completely as possible.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And according to comments:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Long problem description:&lt;/strong&gt; Why I consider wide stance as bad at all? Because of a lack of mobility  (&lt;em&gt;it is just my opinion, which caused me to ask this question&lt;/em&gt;). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Imagine a situation: You have long arms and are sitting in a wide stance, ready to evade with your upper body and immediately counter. What would your opponent do (just a pair of options):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step forward.&lt;/strong&gt; So, now all your evading is gone &amp;mdash; that is, he is too close for effectively evading in a wide stance. And it is much worse if you have long arms &amp;mdash; on short distances you are loosing in speed. You may ask, &lt;em&gt;&quot;But what if I would also step backwards?&quot;&lt;/em&gt;. Answer is &quot;you may try&quot; &amp;mdash; just because moving in a wide stance is &lt;em&gt;much&lt;/em&gt; slower than in normal stance. You may try, but your opponent would be faster. If you are unlucky &amp;mdash; &lt;em&gt;much&lt;/em&gt; faster. Of course, you may try to change your stance &amp;mdash; stepping back only with your front-leg. Problem is, that when you are &quot;grounded&quot; you usually have weight on &lt;em&gt;both&lt;/em&gt; legs. So, it would also be not quick enough.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Circle above your front-hand, flanking you from outer side.&lt;/strong&gt; Of course, you may circle too &amp;mdash; around your front-leg - but another time: you would be &lt;em&gt;much&lt;/em&gt; slower.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may ask, &lt;em&gt;&quot;Then for what it is needed at all, that wide stance?&quot;&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And it is obvious: when your opponent can't step forward or circle, or when he is in a corner. Then &amp;mdash; YES, you may afford to get into a wide stance, and then you could deliver a bit more force while punching from the wide stance, which is also profitable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;P.s&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My possible decision:&#xA;I'll try to fix it, binding my legs together with elastic band, but I'm not sure if it would help. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-05-31T16:49:36.790" LastActivityDate="2021-08-09T15:27:42.643" Title="Boxing: how to effectively fix too wide stance?" Tags="|training|boxing|self-training|stance|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9901" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9902" CreationDate="2020-05-27T21:42:32.453" Score="4" ViewCount="4308" Body="&lt;p&gt;What martial art uses &quot;knee on neck&quot; to subdue an opponent, and where would you find a training partner to let you practice such a deadly move?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[Update] This is not a move that I would ever practice. Nor would I expect someone to pull this move on me when rolling. Probably, that would result in someone being banished from ever training or sparring with me again. If you need to use that level of force, you probably muscle your training partners to ensure you &quot;win&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basic self-defense requires &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/96374-i-fear-not-the-man-who-has-practiced-10-000-kicks&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;effective and well-practiced techniques&lt;/a&gt;, not  ridiculous use-of-force tactics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5wGp1.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5wGp1.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe these moves would be taught to higher belt levels who have respect and understanding for how vulnerable the neck area is. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10830" LastEditorUserId="10830" LastEditDate="2020-06-03T17:07:21.603" LastActivityDate="2021-04-29T00:28:19.787" Title="Which martial art uses &quot;knee on neck&quot; to subdue an opponent?" Tags="|technique|self-defense|identification|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9902" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9901" CreationDate="2020-05-27T23:14:30.223" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;So I'm assuming that you mean someone sitting on another person putting pressure on their neck via their knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find this to be interesting timing for this question, because a few days ago a man was killed in Minnesota after a police officer sat on his neck using his knee for more than 8 minutes. So that brings us to our first example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Police Training&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because it's hard to pinpoint exactly what martial arts police train in, I'm calling it police training. Usually (at least in the US) it consists of elements from Krav Maga, Hapkido, Judo, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It's not common for a police officer to do this, although it does happen occasionally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Krav Maga&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have a little bit of experience with Krav Maga, enough to recognize this as a possible option. The reason is that Krav Maga is taught specifically for self defense and combat, so your opponents' well being is not usually much of an issue. When I've trained, we practice groin strikes, eye jabs, and other very dangerous techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;where would you find a training partner to let you practice such a deadly move?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, in Krav Maga we don't practice the techniques with 100% intention, which is why you should be able to practice this on a Krav Maga partner. My guess is that you would get your opponent to the ground and set your knee on their neck, but not apply pressure. However, I'm not sure that this would be used in KM because it doesn't really give a tactical advantage. It leaves your stomach, face, and groin open for strikes. And something like that would most likely not be taught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to practice this really badly, then attend a Krav Maga class and try it out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion, my best guess would be that it's some mixture of various arts, along with just &amp;quot;regular fighting&amp;quot; techniques (or in this case, not techniques).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-06-03T18:01:46.310" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9903" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6498" CreationDate="2020-05-28T11:51:36.487" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It all comes down to two things Timing and Distance.  Timing has been touched upon already.  I'll talk about it here again for the sake of completeness, but Distance has not yet been mentioned.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wrote a very short essay on this a few years ago for a grading in a somewhat esoteric martial art called Shorinji Kempo.  I'll reproduce that here and then expand upon it.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ma’ai and Opportunity for Offence and Defence&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;During a fight, the distance between a fighter and his opponent&#xA;  (ma’ai) is crucial to the effective use of techniques. Shorinji Kempo&#xA;  uses three terms to describe the different spacings between two&#xA;  fighters. If one of the two fighters cannot attack the other without&#xA;  first stepping more than once the ma’ai is called &lt;strong&gt;toma&lt;/strong&gt; (defensive&#xA;  ma’ai). If the distance between the fighters is small enough that one&#xA;  of the attackers can attack without stepping at all then the distance&#xA;  is called &lt;strong&gt;chikama&lt;/strong&gt;, in the situation where neither fighter can&#xA;  attack the other without first stepping but both fighters can attack&#xA;  if they first make a single step then the ma’ai is called &lt;strong&gt;kihon&#xA;  ma’ai&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;All Shorinji Kempo techniques begin from kihon ma’ai as this allows&#xA;  time for the defender to react to the attacker without the attacker&#xA;  having to walk forwards first. This is of course a situation that will&#xA;  not always be the case in a real fight however it is a good distance&#xA;  to strive for as it will make it easier for a kenshi to use many Kempo&#xA;  techniques. Likewise kihon ma’ai is a useful distance to maintain in&#xA;  randori between attacks although for obvious reasons it is invariably&#xA;  necessary to close the distance to chikama in order to score a hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;For an atemi (strike) to be effective it is necessary for it to strike&#xA;  the opponent and not be deflected. For a throw to be effective the&#xA;  attacker must be caught off balance. To do either of these things&#xA;  requiresa kenshi to see and exploit an opening (suki) in an attacker’s&#xA;  stance. This suki will usually be fleeting during an attack, during a&#xA;  change in the opponent’s stance or when an opponent’s attack has&#xA;  finished an attack. In any of these cases there may be an opening for&#xA;  either a hard or soft technique to be used depending on whether the&#xA;  stance lacks balance or merely the ability to defend a vital point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;  &#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Linked in with this form of opportunity is the concept of Sen&#xA;  (initiative or timing) as an attacker chooses an attack, steps&#xA;  forwards and delivers the blow the ma’ai and the stance of the&#xA;  attacker changes. As it does various opportunities to counter attack&#xA;  present themselves and just as quickly disappear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This sounds very technical and forign.  However the principle here is the same as in Boxing.  So lets look at a boxing match and see how this is applied.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLv6sZlY2Sw&amp;amp;list=PLEFHqrWG1Pbc3oZWvDiD4TAzlSz7BIlWH&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLv6sZlY2Sw&amp;amp;list=PLEFHqrWG1Pbc3oZWvDiD4TAzlSz7BIlWH&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will use this match as an example, chosen pretty much at random from youtube.  I am watching it at half speed to demonstrate and pin down the distinct distance and timing used.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Match Starts &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/rLv6sZlY2Sw?t=206&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/rLv6sZlY2Sw?t=206&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Within 1 second the boxers have moved to kihon ma'ai (may as well use the japanese terms, there are no english words for them) &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/rLv6sZlY2Sw?t=207&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/rLv6sZlY2Sw?t=207&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A punch is thrown by Bruno.  This is clearly a range tester as they are too far away to hit each other.  Tyson leans to his left (screen right) to set up his left punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tyson Throws a left punch while advancing... &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/rLv6sZlY2Sw?t=209&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/rLv6sZlY2Sw?t=209&lt;/a&gt; This is to break open Bruno's guard.  Notice the punch goes between and under Bruno's mitts.  The fighters are now in Chikama.  Tyson has the advantage already because of his positioning.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruno then throws a left and circles left away from the Tyson's left punch... &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/rLv6sZlY2Sw?t=209&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/rLv6sZlY2Sw?t=209&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The boxers then move to grappling range... But they can't grapple because of the mitts.  I believe this is known as a clinch in English.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/rLv6sZlY2Sw?t=212&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/rLv6sZlY2Sw?t=212&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No blocks then happen at clinch range, The boxers are just too close.  But then the puches aren't great when they hit.  Again too close.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/rLv6sZlY2Sw?t=215&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/rLv6sZlY2Sw?t=215&lt;/a&gt; The fighters retreat.  They make space... moving to Kihon-Maia&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/rLv6sZlY2Sw?t=216&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/rLv6sZlY2Sw?t=216&lt;/a&gt; Tyson throws a left while attacking.  Only this time the ropes are in the way so Bruno cannot retreat.  He follows through with a right punch as bruno hits the ropes.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So we can clearly see here the characteristics of different ranges.  at kihon maia you cannot hit the opponent as they are too far away but you can test their tracking by seeing if they dodge anyway.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At Chikama you are at the ideal distance for strking.  This is where the strikes do the most damage and are still hard to dodge.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At Clinch you can throw strikes and will hit more often than at chikama but you will be too close to throw a punch that will do a lot of damage.  If you are not wearing gloves or wearing mma style gloves this is where you grapple.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a martial art that specialises in making effective strikes and blocks while staying practically all the time at Chikama-Clinch ranges.  It is called Wing Chun... It does this by keeping the arms in contact with the opponent at all times and focusing on a 'centre line' between yourself and the opponent.  This eliminates the need for visual tracking to a large extent.  However wile this style has its merits it tends to do badly against actual grappling specialists (Judo, Bazilian Ju Jitusu) and does not teach the control of distance in two dimentions (forward/back and right/left) to the same extent as other styles.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unless this is your training your best strategy is usually to stay at the range at which you can see the opponent's attacks while having time to avoid them. that is to say kihon Mai.  After the first attack is thrown it's basically down to your drills how well you can block and dodge punches at chikama.  But most drills won't teach you to stay at this range for a long time... It's high risk for both of you.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So after a few strikes, move back to kihon mai if you favour striking, or if you are good at grappling move to clinch.  But don't do what Bruno does here and back yourself into a corner.  You have to control the space.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now if kicks are permitted or if a weapon is in play there are &lt;em&gt;several different versions of each distance&lt;/em&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kicking Kihon Mai is a longer distance than punching Kihon Mai.  Knife Kihon Mai depends on the size of the blade.  Gun Kihon Mai.... Well you have to be out of range.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you can be in range of an enemies knife (their chikama) while you are still at your Kihon Mai.  Just one of the things that makes weapons so useful/dangerous in self defence situations.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This question has been answered long ago but I hope that someone online will find this useful.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2020-05-28T11:51:36.487" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9904" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9900" CreationDate="2020-05-29T03:32:01.280" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I took boxing classes at Peter Welch's gym in South Boston. Seemed like in every class, he said, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/141945942831645/videos/640786266504106/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&quot;smart feet, smart fighter&quot;&lt;/a&gt;. Actually, it sounded like &quot;smarht feet, smarht fighter&quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Footwork&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He drilled into us that foot placement was critical for getting the most power out of a punch with the correct amount of effort. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To change having a wide stance all the time, I practiced keeping my feet at the right distance. Then, I did the boxer bounce all around the gym making sure that my feet landed in the same, well-balanced, place with each bounce. I drilled it every time I went to the gym.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/RtU_aX7wLdk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Boxing Footwork Drills for Creating Angles - YouTube&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wide Stance&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;Widen your stance to be more defensive...With this wide stance your upper body will be a small target...This stance is not wrong. This stance would be more for the jabbing range, long range. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wikihow.com/Get-in-a-Proper-Boxing-Stance&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;WikiHow, How to Get in a Proper Boxing Stance&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the wide stance works for me since I have a long reach and I am a defensive fighter, a counter-striker. But in sparring, it's important to mix it up, to prevent your opponent from clocking your patterns. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10830" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-05-29T14:32:00.963" LastActivityDate="2020-05-29T14:32:00.963" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9906" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9900" CreationDate="2020-05-30T09:22:40.560" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Don't use bands:&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whatever you do, I suggest you &lt;strong&gt;don't&lt;/strong&gt; use any bands. If your body mechanics work a certain way, you need to &lt;strong&gt;consciously&lt;/strong&gt; work on it if you want to change it. &lt;strong&gt;Artificially restricting your legs&lt;/strong&gt; to move a certain way is likely to cause injuries and unnecessary strain on the joints. When you shadowbox, go hard and fast so you get tired, and then keep shadowboxing while only focusing on your stance and legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes, while boxing, &lt;strong&gt;after some part of round passes&lt;/strong&gt;, I find myself in a wide stance - with legs wider than shoulders.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are asking the wrong question. Before asking &amp;quot;How can I fix the problem?&amp;quot;, you need to ask &amp;quot;Why am I doing this all the time in boxing sparring, and not when I am doing bag work or pad work?&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To cure a disease, you need to find its source; you need to understand what is causing it, right?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are at least two reasons why you might be going into a wider stance during your boxing sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Offense:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After a few rounds, you are &lt;strong&gt;fatigued&lt;/strong&gt;. Your technique is no longer giving you the results you want. Your hands are worn out, and so are your legs. Your punches don't have the &amp;quot;snap&amp;quot; anymore. You are keeping your punches tight and clean, but you feel they are no longer doing damage. They don't have the speed to make that damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;So. what do you do to get the same strength or power behind your punches that you had in the first two rounds (when your punches were snappy and clean)?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You compensate. You widen your stance and draw the force from the ground. In simple words, you are loading up; widening your stance adds power to your shots.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Why you don't see this bad habit when you do your pad or bag work?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;That is because the pad holder adjusts the pads for you — you are always able to hit the target, and the noise feedback tells you your punches are landing (you don't need power to hear those snaps with the pads). When you are sparring, the clean techniques in the later rounds (when you are fatigued) may not elicit any reaction from your sparring partner. This may make you feel that you need to hit that dude harder, harder, harder. With the pads and the heavy bag, you don't need that, the sound feedback is readily available.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Defense:&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the first two rounds, you are moving like a butterfly, using that great footwork of yours! But in the later rounds, your legs are worn out. You are not able to move around that swiftly anymore. And once your opponent starts throwing punches in bunches and you can't get out of that exchange, your body natural reacts by widening your stance. If you are being hit by a barrage of punches (or even a few strong ones) your natural tendency would be to widen your stance to brace against those hits. Your body does that so that you don't fall over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing that happens when we are getting hit by combos is that we tend to close our eyes, and when that happens, we often widen our stance and plant our feet firmly to the ground. What we should do is parry and roll with the punches, and not &amp;quot;shell up&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember that at this point you are not able to move as swiftly as you were able to in the first two rounds. May be (1) your legs are not conditioned enough, (2) you are gassed, (3) your muscles are too tight and tensed, (4) you are not breathing, (5) you are feeling dizzzzzy and having difficulty maintaining balance, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Why you don't see this bad habit when you do your pad or bag work?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Because they don't hit back! And so your body does not need to brace against any thing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I presume that &lt;strong&gt;a combination of these factors&lt;/strong&gt; (both offense and defense) and others that I have not considered and don't know are what is causing you to go into that wide stance a few rounds in to the session.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Kickboxing:&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;So why am I not doing this wide stance in my kickboxing sessions?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;That is because &lt;strong&gt;in kickboxing (KB) or Muay Thai (MT), we are specifically paying attention to our lower body which in boxing we are not.&lt;/strong&gt; We are concerned about blocking low kicks with our shins, we are concerned about devastating inside low kicks if we were to get into a wide stance, we are concerned our opponent might get into a better clinch position if we are too wide and low. Our minds are more active in KB/MT (there are more sources and varieties of attacks - punches, kicks, knees, elbows, clinch). We are paying attention to all our limbs. Then there is the offense part. We want to be able to throw those round house kicks, teeps, spinning side sides, knees, etc. We can't do any of those from a wide stance. Because we are so much concerned about and focused on our lower body in KB/MT, it keeps us from getting into poor, wide stances.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;So, how do I fix it?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know. I am not an expert or a coach. This happens to me as well. When I am in the 3rd round, I am being a warrior and I want to hit my opponent hard. In the first two rounds I am having fun focusing on footwork and movement. Everything I mentioned applies to me as well. Overtime, I was able to work on the problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is what worked for me. &lt;strong&gt;Bend more at your knees&lt;/strong&gt;, instead of widening your stance too much. The extra &lt;em&gt;bent knees&lt;/em&gt; allows you to quickly &lt;strong&gt;spring inside&lt;/strong&gt; the pocket (i.e., close the distance and get in range to unleash havoc on the body) with the gazelle punch or the long lead uppercut. It helps you to &lt;strong&gt;spring out&lt;/strong&gt; and escape when your opponent starts a combo. Basically, bending your knees a bit more from time to time helps with quick bursts. And you are able to move more swiftly when your opponent throws a barrage of punches (contrary to how we freeze with a wider stance when being hit by punches). So, bend your knees to stay low instead of widening your stance to stay low.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I learnt the hard way in KB. I was testing for a third grade belt, and I had to spar with one of the black belts (they are the 8th grade belts) in my gym. This was after a grueling session of 2.5 hours of combos and partner drills, pad work, kick shields, and 7 rounds of serious sparring with other test takers. The black belts are judges and they come in fresh to spar with those testing for third grade and above. I was dead tired and I resorted to widening my stance as he unleashed a fury of punches that I could barely see. I was dizzy and my head was spinning. I was gassed out. When I went back to the gym, I asked my mentor what I could have done to not get stuck in that compromised position in the corner. He said never try to brace against punches with a wider stance - you might think that the combo will end and you will soon be able to throw yours and get out - but you won't. Once you get into that wider stance while being hit by combo after combo, a great fighter will finish you off. So when you feel you are going to get stuck, raise your guard and move the hell out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-05-31T17:43:21.247" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9907" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-05-30T17:07:32.940" Score="3" ViewCount="487" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been doing Taekwondo for years. Now I'm looking for a martial art that doesn't do jump kicks. Regular kicks are fine. I have problems with my knees so anything with jump kicks, low knee bends, kneeling to the ground, etc are painful. I love doing forms so I want a style that has a lot of form work, just without so much jumping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10851" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-05-30T18:29:06.127" LastActivityDate="2020-05-30T22:16:05.610" Title="Martial Arts without jump kicks" Tags="|forms|style|jump-kick|knees|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9908" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9907" CreationDate="2020-05-30T19:10:43.603" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think Tai Chi has many of these.  It does have a few low knee bends but even these seem to be comparatively rare.  It is also very form based.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2020-05-30T19:10:43.603" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9909" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9907" CreationDate="2020-05-30T19:41:08.720" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here are a small list of styles to look into. They're all hand dominated and have forms:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wing Chun kung-fu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Southern Praying Mantis kung-fu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hung Gar kung-fu&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pentjak Silat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Taiji (Tai Chi)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many other styles would qualify.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, I listed a few southern styles of kung-fu up there. There are a lot more southern styles than that. And they do tend to be more hand-dominated than the northern ones. Northern kung-fu styles tend to be longer in range and utilize kicking to a much larger degree.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might want to reconsider your requirement that it must be a style with forms. Maybe take this opportunity to pursue something completely different from what you're used to. In that case, you might consider doing Brazilian Jiu-jitsu or Judo. Just a suggestion. You might discover that you like it even more than your original martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider also Kali / Escrima. It's a stick and knife based martial art from the Philippines. There's very little emphasis on kicking. You probably won't be shown forms, but there will be two-person drills that involve multiple steps. I mention this, because it's very practical and opens the door to a whole knew world of weapons based martial arts that you're probably not familiar with. This martial art is mostly stand-up and upright, but there are some drills and techniques within it that are practiced in very low stances that could be hard on your knees. For those occasions, rare as they are, you can easily just sit it out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to think about is that if your knees are seriously screwed up and getting worse, most of these martial arts will still require you to go deep into stances and put a lot of force on those knees. Sometimes they require you to really torque the knees or bend them in weird, unnatural ways. In that case, you might want to go into Taiji. And if you do, consider Wu style taiji, as its stances tend to be higher and shorter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2020-05-30T22:16:05.610" LastActivityDate="2020-05-30T22:16:05.610" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9910" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9911" CreationDate="2020-06-01T05:46:41.157" Score="2" ViewCount="241" Body="&lt;p&gt;Thanks to the lockdown, my sensei is planning to move all our classes online. We are aware that some things are not possible online (e.g. contact moves etc.). However, fine tuning kata and kihon might be possible with proper instruction. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Doing this live is hard since the sensei cannot handle the large number of students that come so we're thinking of doing it asynchronously with recorded videos and having people respond with recorded videos of their own and occasional live classes. I wanted to know if anyone here has experience doing this and what platforms/tools they'd recommend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are my specific problems&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;We're planning to use recorded videos and would like to keep them private rather than put them on a public site like Youtube. I want to know if anyone has done this and if so, what platforms worked for them.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;We'd also like to have a smaller set of live classes where the sensei can evaluate individual students. Zoom is what we're planning to use here but if there are people with other experiences, it would be useful.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1965" LastEditorUserId="1965" LastEditDate="2020-06-01T15:40:51.167" LastActivityDate="2020-06-01T15:40:51.167" Title="Teaching martial arts online" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="11" ClosedDate="2020-06-01T15:54:34.380" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9911" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9910" CreationDate="2020-06-01T10:11:08.510" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;My instructor has been running classes using Zoom since the lockdown began in the UK (late March 2020). The classes haven't been that large (no more than 20 people per session) and have been successful. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, they aren't as good as a real class (he can only see our upper-body, most of the time), but it does help keep things ticking over. The main problems we have had are sound related; initially, my instructor was hard to hear until he used a bluetooth headset. Equally, if everyone is unmuted and talks at the same time, it is difficult to hear important things. The meeting host has the ability to mute everyone, which is handy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're worried about the class sizes, you could always split them into several classes. In normal circumstances, we have separate classes for juniors and adults; no reason why this should be the case for online classes, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your asynchronous idea has merit, though I wouldn't use it for everything. If a student has a specific question, they could take a video and submit it for review; otherwise, your sensei may become equally overloaded watching hours of student videos!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Zoom has worked quite well for us, though any well-known video conferencing tool should be equally capable. I'm also involved in Scouting in the UK and several groups are running online scouting using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Webex, for instance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me, it looks like you and your instructor already have the right ideas and thoughts about online training; try something, get feedback, change something, try again. Repeat until normal training resumes!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2020-06-01T10:11:08.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9912" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8238" CreationDate="2020-06-01T12:37:46.467" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;China has a historic pattern of suppressing effective martial arts, and sponsoring less combat-effective ones. For example, &lt;a href=&quot;https://roadsandkingdoms.com/2014/kung-fus-identity-crisis/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;from this article&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;But the Emei Style was already dead by the time the Red Guards showed up. Throughout Chinese history, governments have routinely supported, and then cracked-down upon, martial arts. In times of war, martial artists can be useful, but in times of peace, a powerful kung fu clan can be a liability. In the 17th century, as victorious Qing soldiers chased Ming dynasty sympathizers—mostly Han nobleman, Taoists, Buddhists, and martial artists—across the land, entire towns and traditions were uprooted and destroyed. Thousands of martial artists fled to Emei Mountain, deep in the interior of the country, and hid out in the folds of the mountains.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The article goes on to point out that the &quot;official&quot; martial arts in China are Tai Chi, Sanda, and Wu Shu, and they are being taught either as exercise or as a sport, and that the ability to open an official martial arts school involves getting approval from the government that sponsors those official schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Furthermore, you can see the pattern in the Chinese government's &lt;a href=&quot;https://qz.com/1628238/mixed-martial-arts-vs-tai-chi-case-settled-by-court-in-china/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;targeting of Xu Xiaodong&lt;/a&gt; where he is being harassed for challenging masters of non-combat-effective arts and winning his fights with them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The outspoken Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong—also known as “Mad Dog”—was recently ordered by a Chinese court to pay 400,000 yuan (nearly $58,000) in fines and publicly apologize on social media—seven days consecutively—for insulting tai chi grandmaster Chen Xiaowang. His social credit score has been lowered, and the South China Morning Post reports that Xu also faces travel restrictions for accusing Chen of being a fake master. As a result, Xu can’t ride in second class or above on planes or sleeper trains, and cannot ride high-speed trains at all (and if he had kids they’d face prohibitions, too).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;That is precisely what concerns traditional martial artists and Chinese authorities.  The ancient forms that Mad Dog is taking on are widely celebrated and essential to China’s “soft power.” A fascination with the culture’s old fighting styles brings tourists, fuels the local film industry, and sends a message about China’s strength and skills around the world. Xu’s determination to expose what he calls fake masters threatens much more than the culture’s ego then—it also endangers lucrative businesses and undermines a message that the government wants to continue to send.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether the Chinese government is focused on tradition and image, or prefers their citizenry to not be trained how to actually fight when Chinese history is rife with citizens getting the upper hand over military forces, it's pretty inarguable that China is not intentionally reducing the effectiveness of their martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-06-01T12:37:46.467" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9913" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8238" CreationDate="2020-06-01T14:39:29.777" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two different schools of thought on each of two subjects in martial arts.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first subject is &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;To what Extent do we allow out practitioners to be Injured?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some styles such as Maui Thai are happy for every practitioner's career to be short.  They fight a few times, generally get badly injured one way or another and then become coaches for the next generation of fighters.  UFC style martial artists, SAMBA fighters and Boxers also fall into this category.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other styles prefer to 'tone it down' a bit and focus on say 'self defence' or 'personal discipline' or 'sport' with stricter rules.  So then you have Krav Maga and Shorinji Kempo largely focused on self defence.  Aikido, and Iado focused entirely on personal improvement.  Olympic Karate, Olympic Taikwondo, Brazilian Jui Jitsu and Olympic Judo focused on sport.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second subject is&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do we focus on the more dangerous techniques that are hard to train live or the less dangerous techniques that can be practised hard?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga and Shorinji Kempo focus largely on highly dangerous techniques and making them safer to train.  So instead of actually hitting the neck hard you do a combination of necks very lightly, hitting shoulders instead of necks, hitting pads at neck height hard and with correct angle and so on.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They then train finger locks and wrist locks, but very carefully, usually starting slowly and almost always with compliant partners.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo and Brazilian Jui Jitsu focus on techniques that are easy to train hard without injury.  So we see big throws and slow locks generally to the elbow and shoulder only.  These can be done with fully resisting partners sooner than the techniques preferd by shorinji kempo or krav maga.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With this in mind lets attempt to answer your question...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo took out leg locks... Because they were too dangerous.  (oh and they weren't able to practice Jui Jitsu on prisoners of war anymore... which is a good thing)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shorinji kempo took out hard sparing competitions unless armour was used.  Again too dangerous.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;UFC left in hard sparing but banned eye strikes... because too dangerous.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maui Thai... Well they crossed this bridge a long time ago...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not that individual martial arts are becoming less effective.  What is happening is that they are changing focus to allow them to be practised for longer before injury occurs.  Each martial art or competition system has it's own way of doing this and we could and most of us have had long debates about which system is the 'best'.  Generally speaking, it's a question of risk vs payoff.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Exceptions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Effective martial arts are discouraged in China.  The Shaolin and Wu Mountain centres of martial arts now teach little more than acrobatics and parlour tricks (like bending a spear against your neck).  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Anyone who challenges a Chinese traditional martial artist get's quickly deported and banned from entering the country.  So in this case, yes, it's deliberate.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some schools usually of Karate or Taekwondo often refered to as Mcdojo's are taught by teachers of questionable skill and usually even more questionable lineage.  In this case... not deliberate, but certainly less effective.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2020-06-01T14:39:29.777" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9915" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9778" CreationDate="2020-06-03T16:44:31.657" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sewing machines won't work for sewing patches on your &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt;. I use a straight running stitch (basting) starting with the knot coming through the back of the material. That way, your thread stays inside the outer ridge of the patch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YJCFj.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YJCFj.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;basting stitch example&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or you can use the overlap stitch (overcast) to keep the patch from curling and pulling away from your &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt; when you wash it. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can use both &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.creativesewingtips.com/basic-sewing-stitches.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;basting and overcast stitches&lt;/a&gt; to make sure the patch stays secure.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iodsv.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iodsv.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;overcast stitch example&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll need a thick needle and thick thread. Or you could take it to a seamstress and have her do it for you. That can get expensive though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as your trousers falling down, that is a common occurrence for all practitioners wearing a &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have your trousers on, pull the drawstrings at the sides FIRST. Then tie a double knot with a bow. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a 37 second video deomonstrating how a thin man ties his trousers to make sure they stay up. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fUbJYkzghU&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;HOW TO TIE YOUR GI PANTS 37 seconds&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10830" LastActivityDate="2020-06-03T16:44:31.657" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9916" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-06-04T16:06:11.437" Score="3" ViewCount="133" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm in the unfortunate position that I'm interested in Japanese martial arts employing weapons, but there aren't any teachers/dojos in my are that I can go to. And the ones that are far away aren't affordable enough to me (and despite possible advice, I don't want to drive an hour+ away for lessons). However, I don't have much interest in &quot;empty hand&quot; martial arts. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't have too much martial art background. I took escrima lessons for about 3 or 4 months and learned a few of the basics with the rattan weapons there. However, since I'm a Buddhist, I'm particularly interested in more of the meditative weapon arts, such as Iaido and Kyudo. &#xA;Having said that I have an immense interest in Sojutsu (spear) and Naginatajtsu as well. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am well aware that having a teacher is always the most preferable path. But are there any options available to me to learn any other of these arts? If so, which art form would be the most plausible to being self-taught? As of now, I'm not too interested in competing and this is purely for my own self-practice. I enjoy the &quot;solitary&quot; martial arts very much.  Any advice? &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10859" LastActivityDate="2020-06-07T15:13:39.053" Title="Help learning Japanese Weapon Martial Arts?" Tags="|weapons|self-training|japanese|iaido|meditation|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9919" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9916" CreationDate="2020-06-07T15:13:39.053" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't practice Iaido or Kendo myself, but I will have a stab at answering this.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As Iaido is often practised Solo this is perhaps one of the few styles that could be learned with minimal input from an instructor.  Kendo would be much harder to learn in this way as it is a pair form style with blunt sword substitutes and is designed for competition in pairs.    &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For this reason I recommend learning movements from Iaido and similar styles (maybe bits of Katori Shinto Ryu?) from videos and then practising in front of a mirror.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively Aikido is a lot more sword oriented than is commonly believed.  Many of the foot movements are more suited to sword use than to unarmed combat.  This may be a good choice as a way of learning the basic foot movements.  You could move on to the sword afterwards.  Bear in mind though that Aikido is a Shinto Martial art and not a Buddhist one.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may find the following resources useful, there are many others though.  The bottom one is free and others are available for purchase.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.emptymindfilms.com/product/warriors-of-budo-episode-five/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.emptymindfilms.com/product/warriors-of-budo-episode-five/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.emptymindfilms.com/product/warriors-of-budo-episode-six/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.emptymindfilms.com/product/warriors-of-budo-episode-six/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.emptymindfilms.com/product/art-of-the-japanese-sword/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.emptymindfilms.com/product/art-of-the-japanese-sword/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on98wYpoovU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on98wYpoovU&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for a meditation focus, there may be an advantage to learning &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ky%C5%ABd%C5%8D&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ky%C5%ABd%C5%8D&lt;/a&gt;.  This is a Zen Buddhist martial arts style focused almost entirely on reaching progressive states of enlightenment through focusing on loosing arrows from a bow.  (hitting a target is not required)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2020-06-07T15:13:39.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9920" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-06-08T11:10:36.683" Score="13" ViewCount="8850" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a 14 year old female and I've always wanted to try taekwondo, however I am not the most flexible of people, and I am concerned to whether that will affect learning the sport in any way. I've also seen that the best people start at the ages under 10 years old, is it too late to start at the age of 14?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10865" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-06-08T13:52:38.157" LastActivityDate="2020-06-10T13:23:34.340" Title="Is it ok to start taekwondo at the age of 14?" Tags="|training|tae-kwon-do|flexibility|beginner|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9921" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9920" CreationDate="2020-06-08T12:04:40.687" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not involved in Taekwondo (so, answer from Taekwondo master should definitely be the best and accepted here), but the question is a bit wider, I think.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Short answer&lt;/strong&gt;: from my opinion it is OK.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Results you gain depend on your amount of hard work and believing in yourself, not your age. Of course, it is easier to learn in your early ages - because of that many people consider, that it is &quot;too late&quot; for them. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Youngers may overwhelm you (at the start, at least) with their experience, but you would definitely suppress them with amount of hard work you do - just if you wish.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2020-06-10T13:23:34.340" LastActivityDate="2020-06-10T13:23:34.340" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9922" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9920" CreationDate="2020-06-08T12:29:05.727" Score="17" Body="&lt;p&gt;Absolutely. I was 27ish when I took my first lessons, and was so inflexible that when I sat on the floor and stretched my leg out I could only reach halfway down my shin towards my foot. And the splits? Fuhgeddaboutit. At 14 you'll also have an inclination towards trying hard and doing your best, unlike, sadly, many kids under 12.&#xA;TKD, probably like any other martial art or recreational activity, or learning a musical instrument, is a lot more fun the better you get at it. And if my dojang (Korean for &quot;dojo&quot; or school) is any indication, there is extremely little of the usual casual teen meanness, and a lot of supportive higher-rank students and instructors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go sit in the back of a few classes at various dojangs to get an idea of what they do. Choose a dojang that has been there for awhile, doesn't seem overwhelmed with the number of smaller unruly kids, keeps everybody on target, and has a level of sparring you're comfortable with. (Although it can be intimidating at first, sparring can become a lot of fun, so I'd advise you to push yourself a bit here.)  Ask senior belts for advice on things you're having trouble with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your homework, which pays off bigtime, is 15 minutes of stretching... sit on the floor with one leg out straight, grab your ankle, and try to touch your forehead to your knee. Pull gently, but hold it. Do the other leg, stand up, walk around for a minute, and repeat - you'll go farther. For splits, it's easier if you have the leg of a sturdy dresser, or the edge of a doorframe, to pull yourself forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2020-06-08T12:29:05.727" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9923" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9920" CreationDate="2020-06-08T13:51:12.970" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, it's fine (good, even!) to start at age 14. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a common concern from beginners that they do not have enough strength or fitness or flexibility to start martial arts. Do not worry about this; you train  martial arts to acquire these attributes and improve yourself. It's never too late to train to improve yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-06-08T13:51:12.970" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9924" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9920" CreationDate="2020-06-08T14:14:26.320" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yep!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm going to back this up with a few points:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learning anything, not only martial arts, is always best to be started at a young age. 14 is the age that many people would consider to be one of the best times to start because your brain is still in development.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It doesn't matter what martial art your talking about, I have met sever people that started when they were 40+ years old and still got their black belt. Especially impressive was a 70 year old man who got his BJJ black belt (getting a BJJ black belt takes significantly longer than other martial arts) and had started when he was 56.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Because you're young - even if you're 14 - Your brain will still be able to learn quicker than if you start when you're 25, so now is a better time to learn than later.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to learn Taekwando, then by all means you should learn it! There are so many benefits (fitness, self defense training, confidence etc), and just because you didn't start when you were in 2nd grade does &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; mean that you won't be able to take advantage of them. I'm actually surprised that the person to ask a question about starting late would be a 14-year-old. Usually people who worry about that kind of thing are in their 40-50s.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To sum it up, you don't need to worry about being to old to learn something because you aren't, and really there's no such thing. Now go learn some kicks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2020-06-08T14:14:26.320" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9925" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9920" CreationDate="2020-06-08T20:53:59.157" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can start Taekwondo at 14 or like me at 28. Your flexibility will improve with time and it will depend on your work not your age. Have seen people in their 60s being better than someone in their 10s or 20 not because they have been practicing for a long time but because of their commitment to improve a little every time. You will see the benefits and will be able to grasp them better than a 10yo kid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7539" LastActivityDate="2020-06-08T20:53:59.157" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9926" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9920" CreationDate="2020-06-08T23:07:30.447" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started at 13. I got reasonably good before I gave it up around 16. So yes, you absolutely can. You might not be able to do the splits like the little kids can, but it won't stop you getting good, and you're still young enough that you can easily build decent flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, our instructor was female, and she was awesome. Some people are just inspirational teachers, and us kids loved her. (Shout out to Christine who used to teach at the YMCA in Lytham St Annes, 30 years ago!) If you were hesitating because you're female, really don't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6517" LastActivityDate="2020-06-08T23:07:30.447" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9927" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9920" CreationDate="2020-06-09T01:02:42.247" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Absolutely! I was 14 when I started martial arts. Originally, I trained in karate for three years, but I moved to Taekwondo at 17 and earned my 1st Dan at 21.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That was some 30 years ago now, and I still train. My eldest daughter started at age 12.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What really matters is your attitude and commitment rather than your age.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10870" LastActivityDate="2020-06-09T01:02:42.247" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9929" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9920" CreationDate="2020-06-09T04:14:45.373" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started at 14 and continued throughout high school. I don't know how much it helped me learn to fight, but it started me in a habit of being physically active that's lasted me into my 30s and served me well. Plus it's cool to be able to say I'm a black belt, even if I probably can't kick past my waist anymore :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10872" LastActivityDate="2020-06-09T04:14:45.373" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9930" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9920" CreationDate="2020-06-09T08:28:33.207" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes. Without a question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm a Taekwon-Do instructor, and we have students join us from 5 years old through to 40/50+. It's a bit clichéd but you're really never too old to start, like some others have said as long as you're eager to learn and you try hard, you'll do fine. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I started Karate in my late teens when I joined university, and then Taekwondo in my mid twenties, so later than a lot of people. I may never go to the Olympics or anything of that level, but I've competed nationally and won plenty of medals, I've been able to take what I know and teach new students, and most importantly, I'm confident that I am able to defend myself and my loved ones should the situation ever occur.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't recommend starting enough, go along to your local class and give it a try! &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10876" LastActivityDate="2020-06-09T08:28:33.207" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9931" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2577" CreationDate="2020-06-09T08:31:27.650" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Definitely give it a go, if you enjoy it and you're willing to work, you can do well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I started in my mid twenties and I've competed in patterns, sparring and breaking at countless competitions, winning plenty of medals along the way. I'm also now an instructor at my local club so I can help teach the new students coming through.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are never too old, ever. If you want to give it a go, do it! :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10876" LastActivityDate="2020-06-09T08:31:27.650" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9932" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2359" CreationDate="2020-06-09T14:03:39.740" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let yourself and your participants rest. Consecutive training isn't healthy. Remember what happened to Bruce Lee. You must rest, eat, relax for a day or two. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-06-11T12:25:20.343" LastActivityDate="2020-06-11T12:25:20.343" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9933" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1753" CreationDate="2020-06-09T14:07:41.817" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Odd, martial arts courses are widely available. However in the absense of conventional teachers, the greatest source of knowledge, Books. Martial arts manuals and training videos. While this is NOT a recommened course compared to a real teacher. On the other A private instructor?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're a novice, it couldn't hurt to begin a exercise regimen first, then learn how to fight. Less chance you'll hurt yourself&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastEditorUserId="10877" LastEditDate="2020-06-14T20:40:39.860" LastActivityDate="2020-06-14T20:40:39.860" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9935" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-06-10T09:17:03.963" Score="3" ViewCount="709" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been quite a fan of Bujinkan Ninjutsu for a while now and in fact, been researching quite a lot about Ninjutsu and its history. Unfortunately, as I started researching more into Ninjutsu, I discovered some interesting views from people regarding Bujinkan and to my surprise most of them were negative, calling Bujinkan Ninjutsu fake and ineffective. To some extent, I do believe that Bujinkan Ninjutsu as a whole, completely and absolutely, can't be a guaranteed form of self-defence, especially due to their lack of pressure testing. However, there are certain gems in this art form that I believe can be used practically and on a resisting opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From my research of what the critic says about Bujinkan, I have &lt;strong&gt;understood&lt;/strong&gt; this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ninjutsu itself is not a martial art but rather an art of espionage, spying, stealth and all things unconventional in warfare. But they did have to go through some martial arts training, as plan B to say protect themselves if they were caught from their covert operations. Given there wasn't any record of any special martial arts attributed to ninjas or that they focused more on the stealth and the espionage, they really didn't care to make their own form of martial arts but instead, dealt with the martial arts everyone was dealing with at the time. Which includes classical jiujitsu, swordsmanship, etc etc. While Bujinkan claims their form of martial arts was undergone by the ninjas of feudal Japan and that it is a special form devised by the ninjas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10707" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-08-23T03:38:34.807" LastActivityDate="2020-08-23T03:38:34.807" Title="Was Bujinkan Ninjutsu practiced by ninjas in feudal Japan?" Tags="|history|ninjutsu|research|bujinkan|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9936" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9937" CreationDate="2020-06-10T16:47:58.070" Score="2" ViewCount="816" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am playing Judo for over 20 years now and I have a little bit experience in BJJ. &#xA;Yesterday I was at my first Kickboxing training and I was surprised that the majority of students were female. I googled throw clubs in my area (Vienna, Austria) and found that many of them are female dominated/only. What is the reason/What are the reasons for this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10814" LastEditorUserId="10814" LastEditDate="2020-06-10T16:55:41.420" LastActivityDate="2020-06-11T00:12:55.277" Title="Why is kickboxing so popular for women?" Tags="|kickboxing|women|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9937" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9936" CreationDate="2020-06-11T00:12:55.277" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This answer is the viewpoint of one woman. I cannot speak for all women who love kickboxing. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I trained Muay Thai kickboxing for around three years. Basically, it's good for losing weight, staying in shape and forgetting about problems for an hour. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The short answer, kickboxing is fun! It reminds me of dancing because there are patterns, combinations, techniques and the need to follow (pay close attention to) your sparring or training partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you follow a training partner, you are working together on drills to perfect your technique. And when you are sparring, you are either fighting free style or focusing on improving an aspect of your offense or defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the most interesting things I learned is how to control the power in my punch. Using excellent technique to throw a well-aimed punch-kick-punch combination beats throwing haymakers with lazy kicks that your opponent can see coming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sparring&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might be wondering if women only spar with women. That wasn't true at my school. I sparred with men because, often, no other women were in class with me. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe the school you visited attracts women who only want to spar with other women.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As my skill level increased, men increased their speed, power, and feints. They expected me to respond with appropriate defenses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eventually, new students (men) would have to spar with me. Guys got weird until they saw me sparring with my classmates. Technique requires time to develop. Respect builds over time too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some guys have trouble understanding how to control the power in their punch -- meaning, you throw harder at men larger than you and not as hard at women. Those men had to make an agreement with me before our sparring session. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they shot heavy punches at me (and missed), I would return fire by aiming too high with an inside leg kick. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After a couple of yelps from the guy and some angry looks from me, we generally got things sorted out and found the right zone to spar with each other. I guess that's why they call it training. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Times have changed. It's no longer unusual to watch women fight in big promotions. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10830" LastActivityDate="2020-06-11T00:12:55.277" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9938" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-06-11T06:54:50.817" Score="3" ViewCount="3791" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you have dentures for all your teeth, do you fit/make the mouthguard over/on your dentures or over your gums? Meaning you take out the dentures when you spar or fight. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that there are fighters with a few false teeth and they have them either drilled in or out when they fight. But I'm talking about those dentures that you take out at night. Because it seems safer to only wear a mouthguard over the gums but I might be wrong. Hope someone can help. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10879" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-06-11T12:21:15.217" LastActivityDate="2020-06-12T15:32:00.200" Title="Do you take out full dentures when fighting or sparring?" Tags="|sparring|safety|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2020-06-12T16:04:37.783" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9939" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8156" CreationDate="2020-06-11T08:33:05.390" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You not only need flexibility but muscle strength. In order to practice this, you can do following exercises: &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hold straight as high as you can then swing it higher, do this 50 times each leg.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hold straight for 10 seconds each leg, once you get better, 20 seconds and so on.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kick as high as you can then hold 3 seconds, and this 10 times (or more if you can)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;just lift knee as high as you can and then push knee higher, don't ever put your knee don't. Do this 100 times each leg. &lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These exercises will help develop the muscles of your upper thigh which are needed to help keep your front kick for a few seconds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10887" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2020-06-11T12:15:15.107" LastActivityDate="2020-06-11T12:15:15.107" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9940" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9938" CreationDate="2020-06-12T15:32:00.200" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As per the answer to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/5891/1780&quot;&gt;I have full dentures top and bottom... should I fit my mouthguard to my dentures or directly to my gums?&lt;/a&gt;, and to a degree the answers at &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5504/how-to-fit-a-gumshield-it-some-teeth-are-missing&quot;&gt;How to fit a gumshield it some teeth are missing&lt;/a&gt;, you will want to consult with your dentist, but the general consensus is that you probably do not want to wear your dentures into the fight as there is a high risk of them being dislodged and/or breaking, even with a mouthguard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-06-12T15:32:00.200" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9941" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-06-12T16:35:20.360" Score="9" ViewCount="948" Body="&lt;p&gt;In fighting movies occasionally you will see a device to practice defense while attacking. For example this puppet in Kungu Panda:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/kungfupanda/images/3/35/Adversary.png&quot; alt=&quot;&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However I remember there is another one, which can rotate around with vertical sticks. If you attack the top then it will rotate the bottom stick to attack you. What is that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8476" LastActivityDate="2020-06-13T15:00:20.473" Title="Is there any device to practice defense while attacking?" Tags="|training|equipment|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9942" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9941" CreationDate="2020-06-12T16:42:35.653" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You may be thinking of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu_ren_zhuang#Sui_Sau_Jong&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sui Sau Jong&lt;/a&gt; version of the &quot;wooden man&quot; dummy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/S0ruX.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/S0ruX.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Image of a Sui Sau Jong dummy&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;The sui sau jong (breaking hand dummy) features a swinging arm around the shoulder level, hanging sandbags, as well as a rotor-like arm at the top, located at head height. The arms are coordinated so that striking the swinging arm causes the rotation of the helicopter arm, and vice versa. The main aim of this dummy is to train quick reactions for counterattacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY5ngVNwRq4&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt; is a video of it in action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-06-12T16:42:35.653" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9943" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9941" CreationDate="2020-06-12T17:51:11.590" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;While I don't think it's what you're looking for, technically another correct answer would be a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintain_(jousting)#Offham_Quintain&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;quintain&lt;/a&gt; of the style found in Offham where the jousting target has a sandbag on the other end of a rotating arm so that the jouster would have to dodge it or get hit across the back of the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;On Offham green there stands a Quintain, a thing now rarely to be met with, being a machine much used in former times by youth, as well to try their own activity as the swiftness of their horses in running at it. The cross piece of it is broad at one end, and pierced full of holes; and a bag of sand is hung at the other and swings round, on being moved with any blow. The pastime was for the youth on horseback to run at it as fast as possible, and hit the broad part in his career with much force. He that by chance hit it not at all, was treated with loud peals of derision; and he who did hit it, made the best use of his swiftness, least he should have a sound blow on his neck from the bag of sand, which instantly swang round from the other end of the quintain. The great design of this sport was, to try the agility both of horse and man, and to break the board, which whoever did, he was accounted chief of the day’s sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-06-13T15:00:20.473" LastActivityDate="2020-06-13T15:00:20.473" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9945" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9941" CreationDate="2020-06-12T23:23:58.053" Score="6" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;  &lt;p&gt;If you attack the top then it will rotate the bottom stick to attack you. What is that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not really sure if I have ever come across something like that. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I think this is what you are looking for: the &quot;spar bar&quot;. To get the bar to &quot;attack&quot; you, you actually have to hit it so it spins and come back for your head (you can then hit it back, block it, or go under it).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/bPPiK.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/bPPiK.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Uet9dm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Uet9dm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a wall-mount version too (but there is no &quot;head&quot; in this one). &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8u81n.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8u81n.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wgz0wm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wgz0wm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Title boxing makes some of these equipment: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.titleboxing.com/punching-bags/reflex-bags/title-rapid-reflex-boxing-bar-tri-bag&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;TITLE Rapid-Reflex Boxing Bar Tri-Bag&lt;/a&gt; They have a few different things in their website like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.titleboxing.com/punching-bags/reflex-bags/title-deluxe-king-cobra-reflex-bag&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;King Cobra Reflex Bag&lt;/a&gt;, which can be used for training defensive moves too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But they are all a bit expensive. So may be look at craigslist or something like that first if you don't want to spend that much.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sup&gt;*All images and gifs are from google. And I am not a sales person for any of these brands.&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-06-13T14:41:09.087" LastActivityDate="2020-06-13T14:41:09.087" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9946" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-06-14T17:57:31.353" Score="4" ViewCount="355" Body="&lt;p&gt;We can get instruction from online videos and can practice forms and basic strikes easily enough.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Partners for pair work are hard to substitute though. Partners for grappling even more so.  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the best way to compensate for this lack of resisting (or even non-resisting) training partners?  &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-06-16T10:49:45.953" LastActivityDate="2020-06-16T10:49:45.953" Title="What is the best way to compensate for lack of training partners when training at home?" Tags="|training|sparring|grappling|wrist-lock|groundwork|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9947" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9946" CreationDate="2020-06-15T09:30:14.913" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not sure if this answer will help you; it is focused on boxing and kickboxing. But I do think that this is a good question, particularly because access to gyms (and partners) are limited due to social distancing. A lot of people may have this question and may benefit from this answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, there is absolutely no equivalent of &amp;quot;partner work&amp;quot; (i.e., pad work, drills, sparring, etc.). But there &lt;em&gt;is something&lt;/em&gt; more we can do other than shadowboxing (and bag work for those who have a heavy bag at home) to improve our skills, speed, technique, endurance, vision, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Virtual Pad Work and Virtual Sparring&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been following a Youtube Channel called &amp;quot;Precision Striking&amp;quot; by Jason Van Veldhuysen (= the coach) for a long time. This guy is just unbelievable; he is a great martial artist and a phenomenal coach. He has these virtual training videos where he will hold pads and call out combos that you need to throw. Basically, you stand in front of your computer and do very creative virtual drills. There are three types of virtual training videos: Pad work, Defense drills, and Sparring. The &amp;quot;defense&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;sparring&amp;quot; videos will help a lot with head movement, blocking, parrying, counter punching, and seeing more punches — of course, you have to do it seriously like you would with a real partner. There is music and sound effects to help you with your combo-timing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is a simple combo: Jab, Cross, Hook, Cross (1-2-3-2)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/h8N2L.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/h8N2L.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is something from one of his virtual sparring videos. Note how his camera moves too when he attacks and moves — so you have to move too during the exchange (it will help with movement and footwork).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MFXRr.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MFXRr.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Source:&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4Mb5fp5ywgI8IC9WI67NLEbk4LeCtM3h&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Precision Striking: Virtual Boxing Simulation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a bunch of these virtual training videos in that link. Here are some that I have used:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/odwYhqk_Qdw?t=472&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Interactive Boxing Home Workout #1 (Pad Work)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/oLusQGcYdi8?t=329&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Defending the Right Hand | Visual Reaction | Virtual Sparring&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/WpQ9b8MyzTo?t=135&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Virtual Boxing Sparring in 4K&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a few other things you can takeaway from this. You can record yourself (or ask a friend to record themselves) holding pads for kickboxing and calling out some interesting combos. This will allow you do add in elbows, knees, and kicks. You can then use that recording in the same way. You can also do this over Skype/Zoom with a friend in real time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-06-18T08:34:54.897" LastActivityDate="2020-06-15T09:30:14.913" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9948" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-06-18T06:43:43.820" Score="4" ViewCount="677" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does spinning around yourself&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;help reduce the dizziness from a punch on the jaw, and&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;prevent getting knocked out easily?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10899" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-06-19T15:49:25.380" LastActivityDate="2020-06-20T13:57:48.127" Title="Does spinning around yourself help reduce the dizziness from a punch on the jaw?" Tags="|boxing|punching|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9949" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9948" CreationDate="2020-06-18T10:38:49.833" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Dizziness is usually associated with spinning the body, and this is caused by upsetting the balance detectors inside the ears.  This can be relieved to some extent by spinning the other way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The effect of being punched in the jaw is not the same although it may feel similar.  It is called Concussion and is caused by the brain hitting the side of the skull.  This condition is much more serious (it's literally brain damage).  The brain can usually recover, but any brain cell loss is permanent so recovery is not guaranteed.  Spinning will not help with this condition.  Medical assistance should be found.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2020-06-18T10:38:49.833" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9950" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9935" CreationDate="2020-06-18T22:12:34.873" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Outside of the question of efficacy, the authenticity of the Bujinkan system is indeed disputed. &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masaaki_Hatsumi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Masaaki Hatsumi&lt;/a&gt; claims to have received the teachings directly from &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshitsugu_Takamatsu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Toshitsugu Takamatsu&lt;/a&gt;, who claimed to be heir to ninja traditions. However, as per Wikipedia:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The 1963 version of the Bugei Ryūha Daijiten indicates of Takamatsu's Togakure-ryu: &amp;quot;this genealogy refers to various written records and oral transmissions and there are many points/places where embellishments have been added and people appearing in the genealogy are also made older than they actually are. Thus the genealogy can be considered to be something that [Takamatsu's teacher Toda] Shinryūken newly arranged around the end of the Tokugawa shōgunate.&amp;quot; The Iga-ryū Ninja Museum lists as the only legitimate inheritor of authentic ninjutsu as Jinichi Kawakami, although this is likely to be a biased opinion as Jinichi Kawakami is also the honorary director of the Iga-ryū Ninja Museum, a commercial enterprise and tourist attraction. In the words of martial arts author Donn Draeger: &amp;quot;The late Fujita Seiko was the last of the living ninja, having served in assignments for the Imperial Government during the Taisho and Showa eras. Modern authorities such as T. Hatsumi are responsible for most research being done on ninjutsu.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may be worth noting that, of the nine traditions, or &lt;em&gt;ryū&lt;/em&gt; that comprise Bujinkan teachins, only three are claimed to be ninja arts with the other six being claimed to be from samurai teaching. This does not preclude ninja from having learned such arts, especially since, as you note, ninjutsu is primarily about espionage and stealth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-06-18T22:12:34.873" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9951" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9948" CreationDate="2020-06-18T22:25:04.817" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;On the off chance that the question is not about training to deal with a knockout punch by practicing spinning to get used to the feeling of a knockout blow, spinning with the blow is something you will sometimes see people when struck on the jaw because moving with the blow &lt;a href=&quot;https://expertboxing.com/how-to-take-punches-better#:%7E:text=ROLL%20WITH%20THE%20PUNCHES&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;helps to reduce the force&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you’ve ever sparred a pro before, you’ll find that it’s nearly impossible to ever hit them square. Even clean punches to their head don’t feel clean. They have mastered the art of spinning their head or body away from your punch to decrease the damage. Easier said than done, of course. Here’s how it works: if you’re getting punched to the head, turn your head and flick your head away from the punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have heard of people training dizzy in an effort to be better prepared to continue fighting when they get their bell rung, but I'm honestly somewhat skeptical. My impression is that most fighters continue fighting when dizzy entirely due to their drilling making the act of fighting reflexive, to the point where there have been fights where someone has scored a knockout blow only to collapse shortly thereafter, them having been unconscious on their feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-06-18T22:25:04.817" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9952" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9948" CreationDate="2020-06-19T05:03:31.353" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Not &amp;quot;spinning around&amp;quot;, but &amp;quot;Rolling with the Punches&amp;quot;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the term you are looking for is &amp;quot;rolling with the punches&amp;quot; (widely known as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/r9mU2XM_oQY?t=69&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;shoulder roll&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/a6E8A.gif&quot; width=&quot;300&quot;&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/g5WGW.gif&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/g5WGW.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you roll with the punches, you effectively reduce the impact of those punches by a decent amount. But note that you cannot just stand there and roll (or &lt;em&gt;spin&lt;/em&gt;) your head from side to side with incoming punches — you must roll your shoulder too to make this defensive maneuver effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you roll with the punches, the chance of a knock-out is reduced (but I don't have a study to cite on this):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;First, you have seen or anticipated the punch. This means that your neck, jaw, and shoulder muscles are all bracing for an impact. In this case, a knockout is unlikely. It is usually the punch that you don't see, or you don't anticipate, that knocks you out. It doesn't have to be the strongest punch; it can be a short, quick left hook — one that you didn't see.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Second, if you roll correctly, the punches are likely to hit your upper shoulder and get deflected. This means you don't get hit directly in your chin with the full force. The power of the punch is reduced and it is deflected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember, your eyes play an important part in this. You should keep your eyes on your opponent even when you roll, otherwise you will soon find your head spinning like crazy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To answer your question (assuming I understand it correctly), rolling with the punches, or using the shoulder roll, effectively reduces the damage. Without the full sting behind the punches, you are likely to feel less dizzy. You also need to pay attention to your stance. If you have a solid stance, your body will brace some of the hard punches when they land. But if your fighting stance is poor, every shot that lands will make you feel dizzy; your head will be spinning out of control and you won't be able to get your offense going.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;The Art of Rolling: Turning Defense into Offense&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Boxing:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The shoulder roll can be effectively used to turn a defensive position into an offensive move. Look at the first gif of Floyd. He rolls with the right cross. Floyd's shoulder deflects the punch, making his opponent's weight and momentum go further than was intended. This left a big opening in his opponent's guard, which Floyd brilliantly exploits and lands a clean right cross. There are many, many other instances of getting brilliant counter attacks off the shoulder roll; see YouTube.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kickboxing:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Kickboxing/Muay Thai, we don't use the shoulder roll like this. In kickboxing, a roll like this would mean a devastating follow-up roundhouse kick to the face. A shoulder roll would also leave many other spots vulnerable to kicks (e.g., the front leg and the ribs). Instead, in kickboxing, what we do is we absorb the punch in two different ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;First, we take the punch and simultaneously step or hop backwards. It is extremely difficult to do. I have seen only a few people who are able to do it. Saenchai is one of them. You need a lot of experience to make that quick split-second decision to move back upon realizing your face has made contact with a punch. You have absolutely no time to &amp;quot;think&amp;quot; of doing this move. You just do it: instinct. I guess this is one of the things Bruce Lee meant by &amp;quot;Don't think! Feel.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Second, we spin full 360 degrees when hit by a hook. Not all the time. Only when we anticipated it or when the hook isn't strong enough to shake our equilibrium. Let's assume both you and your opponent are orthodox fighters (left leg forward). Now he hit you with right hook (or a right cross). The punch lands on the left side of your face. You absorb it and instantly spin/rotate clockwise with some force and counter with a right-hand spinning back-fist. This will oftentimes shake your opponent to the core. They won't see this coming. They will also have their hands low after hitting you (like in the first gif), which means the spinning back-fist is likely to do a lot of damage if you were in the right range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that this is all just &amp;quot;what it should be like&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;how it is supposed to work&amp;quot;. This is not a bicep curl or a squat. These defensive moves only work when you truly perfect them, and more importantly, it depends on the situation and on your opponent. I am by no means anywhere close to even moderately perfecting it. I remember using the spinning back-fist off a left-hook twice; you can't use it all the time or people will make you pay, as they would with any spinning moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastActivityDate="2020-06-19T05:03:31.353" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9955" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9956" CreationDate="2020-06-22T19:53:48.917" Score="3" ViewCount="938" Body="&lt;p&gt;This may sound silly, but I'm wondering if it's possible to use your hair as a weapon in a self defense situation. Perhaps as a hair-whip?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that long hair is often a liability in a fight, but has a trained martial artist ever used it to their advantage?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10910" LastEditorUserId="10830" LastEditDate="2020-06-23T04:27:11.763" LastActivityDate="2020-06-23T04:27:11.763" Title="Has a trained martial artist ever used their hair to gain advantage or attack opponents?" Tags="|technique|self-defense|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9956" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9955" CreationDate="2020-06-23T04:12:13.563" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your question reminded me of a Chinese Buddhist Nun, who is also a Kung Fu Master.  She pulled eight (8) cars with her hair. True story! It was reported by both &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8221933.stm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;BBCNews&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/weirdnewsvideo/6098670/Video-Buddhist-pulls-cars-with-her-hair.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Telegraph&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Zhang believes her hair is instilled with special powers, giving her the ability to not only slice through paper with her plait [braid], but also support great weights.&amp;quot; &lt;em&gt;The Telegraph&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/VuKck9f521U&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;youtube video&lt;/a&gt; (in Dutch and Chinese without English translation), where you can see her pulling the cars in her last performance, before having her head shaved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the video, Zhang Tingting is 52 years of age. If she worked out how to pull cars with her long braid, I'm sure she figured out how to use her hair as a weapon too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sorry to disappoint, Grasshopper, but I couldn't find any video of Zhang Tingting practicing Kung Fu hair-slicing moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10830" LastActivityDate="2020-06-23T04:12:13.563" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9958" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-06-27T11:48:19.137" Score="1" ViewCount="129" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am amateur who basically only uses my fists and I want learn a foot work (note: currently I don't know any footwork) so please recommend a footwork which helps me become swift&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10916" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-06-27T14:51:10.787" LastActivityDate="2020-06-27T16:09:45.403" Title="How do I choose a suitable footwork for me?" Tags="|self-training|recommendation|footwork|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9959" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9958" CreationDate="2020-06-27T16:09:45.403" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question is pretty broad, but I think I understand what you're asking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main thing to realize is that footwork is absolutely essential to a good defense. Why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the complete answer, read my answer at the following link first:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6498/defence-in-martial-arts-in-general/6501#6501&quot;&gt;Defence in martial arts in general&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The gist of that answer is that it takes time for people to react to anything happening. As much as a whole second. That's an eternity in a fight. So if you move, it takes time for your opponent to react to that change. If you stand still, he can target you perfectly. But as soon as you move, it forces him to recalculate where the target is and how to get there. That can stop his attack in mid-flight. Great news for you!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's why body movement is the most crucial aspect of defense. And notice I said &amp;quot;body movement&amp;quot;. That doesn't necessarily mean you have to take a step. You just have to move your main targets in unpredictable, hard to track ways. There's plenty of things you can do besides step.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So that's the principle. As for the techniques themselves, you have a vast library of information available to you: videos of prize fighting champions. People like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, George Foreman, Manny Pacquiao, Joe Lewis, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go ahead and study their footwork / body movement carefully. And in your sparring, see if you can make it work for you. If after several attempts you're not getting good results, move on to another style of footwork. Do this until you've found something that matches your personality and physical attributes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee is said to have done just that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.quora.com/Did-Bruce-Lee-studied-the-footwork-of-Muhammad-Ali-and-Sugar-Ray-Robinson-and-incorporate-within-his-own-style-of-Martial-arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.quora.com/Did-Bruce-Lee-studied-the-footwork-of-Muhammad-Ali-and-Sugar-Ray-Robinson-and-incorporate-within-his-own-style-of-Martial-arts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't have to do this on your own. A good coach / instructor has mastered a bunch of different styles of footwork and can work with you to refine yours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you do find the movement style that suits you, it helps finding lots of different sparring partners, each with a different style. That way, you'll expose your weaknesses. And from that, you'll adapt to it and get better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-06-27T16:09:45.403" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9960" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9963" CreationDate="2020-06-28T21:53:40.010" Score="14" ViewCount="9726" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;How do I find the balance between being a jerk (i.e., one who is &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5398/men-hitting-women-too-hard-in-martial-arts/5406#5406&quot;&gt;hitting too hard&lt;/a&gt;) and being someone who is doing a disservice to female sparring partners (i.e., one who avoids hitting and mostly just defends and evades)?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is an acceptable level of intensity when sparring with female partners? How hard should one hit? Which strikes should be reduced in power, and which strikes should be thrown like one would against a male partner?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This should be a no-brainer: Be respectful and courteous. Be gentle, and always pull back your strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, sometimes the situation can be a little difficult to navigate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Sparring:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my gym, when we spar during our class, we change partners every round. So, one almost never fights the same person twice in a row.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I am sparring with a female partner, I often spend first half of the round (~ 1 min 30 sec) just blocking, parrying, pushing, and evading strikes. Two reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;First, I need a few seconds to adjust and change my style of fighting. When I am sparring with men, we are often testing our endurance and strength (everything goes - hooks, uppercuts, hard knees to the body, hard leg kicks, etc.). And of course, sometimes when I am sparring with a guy at the same level, the ego thing comes in (which is bad, I know, but it happens) and all strikes get harder and meaner. And so, when I spar with women, I want to take a few seconds to change my style and be more technical in my sparring (keep it playful, no knees, no body shots, no hard strikes to the face/head).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Second, I want to give them some time to get into their rhythm and to get their offense going. I also want them to have some fun throwing their combos. I want them to get comfortable and know that I won't do something crazy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I almost never throw proper punches to their face/head (I just lightly tap on their forehead). Even a punch at 40% power from someone who weighs more than them can be painful. I happily throw leg kicks though, and I clinch and trip them (which is much safer than hitting them with punches). When I throw roundhouse kicks to the head or the body, I absolutely use no power (I just gently touch or push them with my leg/feet). I never use &lt;em&gt;teeps&lt;/em&gt; (front kicks) when sparring with a female partner (I remember reading somewhere that repeated hits on the stomach can permanently damage organs/parts necessary for giving birth).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Here is the problem:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a few occasions, I have been told &lt;strong&gt;&amp;quot;You can hit me, it's okay.&amp;quot;&lt;/strong&gt; This made me realize that at times, I have done a disservice to them by not bringing in the right intensity. Half of the round, I have really not given them much to defend or worry about. I haven't done the right thing as a training/sparring partner. I would never want anyone to go easy one me. Ideally, this is what I would want: if I spar at 50%, then my male opponent too should spar at &lt;em&gt;their&lt;/em&gt; 50% (even if their 50% is much stronger than mine). I think I am not really helping my female partners by going light on them; I might be giving them a false sense of what to expect. Out there on the streets, the men will not care about going easy on them, they will be vicious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do I find the balance between being a jerk and being someone who is doing a disservice to them? I need to make sure I don't treat them like children, and that I do right by them and don't waste their time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Edit/Clarification:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Allow me to clarify a few things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I hold back fully on &lt;strong&gt;certain&lt;/strong&gt; strikes (mostly power punches [= body shots, uppercuts, right hands], teeps, and knees). I throw the roundhouse to the head and the body very, very gently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I throw other strikes, such as &lt;strong&gt;the inside and outside leg kicks&lt;/strong&gt;, with some good power behind them. If I throw leg kicks with 70% power at a male partner, I will throw them with 60% power at my female partners. There is no chance of any kind of bleeding here!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I &lt;strong&gt;clinch and throw&lt;/strong&gt; them down at a decent enough power, which replicates the level they would encounter in the ring. There is a lot of technique involved in clinching, a lot of footwork goes into it. And it is safe to use some power for the dumps because the floor has rubber mats. I have been told that they appreciate the clinch work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, I am aware that my approach is wrong, and that is the reason I asked this question here - to know how to find the right balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-06-29T19:30:45.960" LastActivityDate="2020-07-04T02:56:14.023" Title="Etiquette for sparring with women - How to find the balance and not do disservice?" Tags="|muay-thai|sparring|kickboxing|etiquette|women|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9961" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9960" CreationDate="2020-06-28T23:57:37.707" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will present a judo view of sparring, which will be partially applicable to a kickboxing situation. Judo has two key principles:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;mutual welfare and benefit&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;maximum efficiency&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As applied to sparring, the first principle means that you both need to get something out of your time practicing together. If there is a large strength or size disparity (adult v. child, large v. small, strong v. weak, etc.), it does not make sense for the partner with the advantage to simply overpower the other because likely neither partner will benefit. Neither does it make sense to simply allow the disadvantaged partner to work all their moves because that means they get no resistance and the other partner gets no benefit either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you work on efficiency and skills you may not otherwise, like say fighting on your opposite side, focusing on counterattacking, timing, or footwork. This skillwork makes you more efficient and carries over to other partners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-06-29T01:10:07.613" LastActivityDate="2020-06-29T01:10:07.613" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9962" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-06-29T00:50:06.080" Score="5" ViewCount="162" Body="&lt;p&gt;The first two kata taught in judo are &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/YOcVfmmMBLY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nage no Kata (throwing forms)&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Rs34kU-ngOs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Katame no Kata (grappling forms)&lt;/a&gt;. Here is also a &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LZlGWrL6ceQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;second Katame no Kata video with different escapes for the first pin &lt;em&gt;kuzure kesa gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are excerpts describing Katame no Kata from &lt;em&gt;Judo Formal Techniques&lt;/em&gt; by Tadao Otaki and Donn Draeger published by Tuttle Publishing, Boston, 2001 p. 130-131:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Uke has the role of honestly trying to esacpe from Tori's applications of grappling techniques... These escape actions are not defined as only certain correct methods. Such rigidity is not required by this kata; in this respect this kata is more &amp;quot;real&amp;quot; than the Nage no Kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practicing this kata with reliance on certain prescribed escape actions by Uke, and only those actions, gives it an unnatural flavor. The kata is thereby reduced to an exercise in purely anticipated movements and subsequently has less training value than intended by the founder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In correct practice, Tori does not necessarily know what precise methods of escape Uke will attempt. While the avenues of escape are commonly more or less expected by Tori, and there are some escape actions that are best, they are not stereotyped and prearranged as to their identity or the order in which they will be attempted by Uke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Nage no Kata, the movements of both partners are precisely prearranged and anticipated, including how grips should be held, the number of steps that should be taken, which foot moves first, and uke's reactions. Why is this level of prescription avoided in Katame no Kata? Or why could not Nage no Kata be similarly free-form?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-07-01T03:14:29.243" LastActivityDate="2020-07-01T03:14:29.243" Title="Why is judo's Katame-no-Kata so free-form relative to Nage-no-Kata?" Tags="|judo|history|forms|research|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9963" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9960" CreationDate="2020-06-29T04:12:05.527" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;As a short answer, I'd say that it comes down to trust and pattern recognition.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Respect the level of experience. During sparring, if the woman recognizes the patterns in your attack and defends with the right moves, then you can increase your intensity. If she's lobbing punches and kicking when there's no chance of connecting, ease up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't want a woman as a training partner, say so. Don't suffer through a round and ruin the mood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I ended up as the odd (wo)man out when choosing partners, I didn't care. I went and kicked the bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eventually, one of my teachers would work a round with me or someone would get tired and choose me for their last sparring round. Yup! That didn't bother me either. I appreciated that someone had knocked some of the starch out of my partner before he got to me. Speaking for myself, as one woman's opinion, of course.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sparring with Men&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I reviewed some old training videos I posted on Youtube back in 2011. I watched myself sparring with a training partner, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/NKjeymZf0yI&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kenny Tudo&lt;/a&gt;. We started our martial arts journey when our Academy opened. We took all the same classes and learned all the same moves. There's a bond between us that will never break because I learned how to fight with him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Over time, we developed deep trust with each other. He knew exactly how much power to put into every kick or punch when we sparred together. We were intentional, technical and working to improve. We never once hurt each other. We trained together for more than four years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sparring with Someone Who is Better (Heavier) than You.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I haven't sparred with many women. Maybe two or three. One of the women is a professional MMA fighter, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Danielle-West-9630&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Danielle West&lt;/a&gt;. My experience sparring with her will help me answer this question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I met Danielle on Facebook and invited her to visit my Academy. She wanted to train with the guys because she was preparing for an MMA fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I sparred with her, a short round. I was nervous. All the guys were leaning on the cage, watching. But she fought at my level (thank goodness) and everything turned out fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was more nervous to spar with her than with any of my classmates. And that's chiefly because we didn't know each other. There was no trust, built up over time. I didn't know how she'd react if I found my rhythm and landed some sweet shots.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During our 2 minute sparring session, I clocked her rhythm and started to loosen up. I landed a good shot and then instantly regretted it. Oh no! Is she going to kill me? I pulled back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've never regretted that decision because I didn't have anything to prove and I just wanted to have fun with a professional female MMA fighter. If I got overly confident, she might have hit me too hard and that would have spoiled the afternoon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Danielle was heavier than me. She went three rounds with &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Rin-Nakai-18887#!&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Rin Nakai&lt;/a&gt;, once to a draw and the second time, a loss by decision. Rin Nakai made it to the UFC, but lost both her fights -- one to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Miesha-Tate-26252&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Meisha Tate&lt;/a&gt; and one to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Leslie-Smith-46542&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Leslie Smith&lt;/a&gt;. Meisha fought Ronda Rousey twice and lost. Leslie fought Cris Cyborg and lost (of course).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The afternoon was fun. And I loved watching &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/m2ROdiLDMUE&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;the video&lt;/a&gt; again. Plus, I know that my guy friends were watching to make sure that the roughness was kept in check.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;So, what does that have to do with a woman sparring with a man?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Specifically, if you want to wallop someone around, find some dude who's in the same mood as you and do that. If you want to develop sensitivity as a fighter, train with a woman (or someone smaller than you).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Excellent technique doesn't require power. Well thrown punches and kicks hurt. You must control how much power you're using.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ask the woman how she wants to train. Is there something specific that she wants to work on? The same goes for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pattern Recognition&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring became super-fun once I started recognizing patterns and learning how to respond to them. Because women aren't throwing heavy strikes, you can watch how they set things up. You can see opportunities or create them yourself. That skill practice will come in handy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Watch the woman spar with someone else.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had the same training partners for four years. We got better together and our training sessions got more intense. But as a woman (speaking for myself), I'm not fighting like that with some dude coming to the gym for the first time. It gets weird. Too much ego! No thanks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I agree with the judo answer. Practice your skills. Adjust to your sparring partner's size, experience and ability. Have fun!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And yes, it is entirely possible that a woman might be more skillful than you. Excellent training partners are hard to find. Treat them like gold. You'll earn their trust, loyalty and respect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10830" LastActivityDate="2020-06-29T04:12:05.527" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9964" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9962" CreationDate="2020-06-29T12:17:33.700" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Throwing someone is difficult and depends on particular openings, balance, and grips; staying standing is the easier &amp;quot;default&amp;quot;. In contrast, pins are the opposite: the &lt;em&gt;escape&lt;/em&gt; is difficult and depends on particular openings, weight distributions, and grips; staying on top of someone who has already been pinned is the easier default.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Standing opponents, by default, stay up&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Throws, such as in nage-no-kata, are contingent on uke's specific actions to provide a set-up. If my opponent is pulling their arm back and sitting into their heels, I need to kouchigari rather than seoinage; if they are on their toes pushing into me with an extended arm I cannot force the kouchigari but must seoinage. Their attacking action determines my throwing action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Pinned opponents, by default, stay down&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pins, such as in katame-no-kata, are largely indifferent to uke's actions. Mostly because pinning techniques are effective and get to be established first, it is difficult to counter them. Once tori has a pin in place, it should be effective without respect to uke's escape attempts, because they were designed to handle bridging, shrimping, sitting up, and attempts to establish frames.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We are of course discussing the ideal case. No pin is dependably reliable against diligent escape attempts, just like no throw can be relied on to work simply because the set-up has been given. Advanced pinning strategy means switching between pinning techniques as uke resists, and elite throwers can insist on using a particular technique even without the necessary opening. But we do know that these two classes of technique are on opposite sides of a spectrum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2020-06-29T12:25:20.523" LastActivityDate="2020-06-29T12:25:20.523" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9965" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9960" CreationDate="2020-06-29T17:26:10.593" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Women are not children. You can use proper technique when sparring them. Lighten up according to their size and how seriously they train. A good rule of thumb is to hit them as hard as they hit you. Use all techniques, just lighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watch sparring between high level people to get a sense for how they tone down intensity while still being technical with an opponent who is not on their level physically or skill-wise. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnkV-8gnlRg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Muay Thai legend Saenchai working with women's MMA champion Zhang Weili&lt;/a&gt; is one example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Specifics&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;when I spar with women, I want to take a few seconds to change my style and be more technical in my sparring (keep it playful, no knees, no body shots, no hard strikes to the face/head)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you're describing is not technical. It is not sparring--you're not striking the head...or the body...or using any of your striking tools. Technical sparring is throwing techniques, including body shots and knees, at close to full speed but pulling most of the force just before impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I almost never throw proper punches to their face/head (I just lightly tap on their forehead). Even a punch at 40% power from someone who weighs more than them can be painful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is neither technical nor helpful. You have to throw real strikes, even if you don't hit with full power. A true jab at 20% power (but as much speed as possible until just before impact) is 100x more helpful to your partner than babying them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I throw roundhouse kicks to the head or the body, I absolutely use no power&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This sounds fine, but if they tell you to hit harder, then you should use a little power with those.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I never use teeps (front kicks) when sparring with a female partner (I remember reading somewhere that repeated hits on the stomach can permanently damage organs/parts necessary for giving birth).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is dumb and almost certainly false. Did you go impotent and sterile after getting kicked in the balls? Do your intestines not digest food because you got teeped in sparring? Teep the women you train with. They will thank you for it...if you have the skill to throw the strike with control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-06-29T17:26:10.593" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9966" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9960" CreationDate="2020-06-29T21:35:03.023" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure why you feel the need to adapt your sparring to &lt;em&gt;women&lt;/em&gt; specifically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I always try to adapt my sparring to the person I'm sparring with: make it interesting and challenging for them if I can, and let them do the same for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Always agree on the level of power (which can be implicit with people you know, but with smaller/less powerful people than you, make sure they're ok with what you throw)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I spar, I pay attention to the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The size and weight of my opponent.&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I'm 135 lb, so I spar with people ranging from much lighter than me to much, &lt;em&gt;much&lt;/em&gt; heavier than me.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't throw hard on lighter opponent. Don't put your weight as much behind, e.g., your teeps&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't put all your weight on them in clinch&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The technique they have.&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I'll go faster with more experienced partners, slower with other people.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I'll be more technical (fakes, more complex combinations ...) if needed, or more basic (simple strikes, short combos)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I'll refrain from using techniques that my partner doesn't know yet&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What they are working on.&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If my sparring partner is preparing a fight, I might go faster/harder, but also I'll observe the rules of their fight, and possibly work on some weakness they are trying to fix&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If it's a beginner, what strikes/defenses they have seen so far, so I can put them in a position to practice that&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Any feedback&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If the head jerks back, if my partner suddenly grabs their side, if the knee buckles, they make a painful face and stop, or simply if my partner tells me to take it easy, I immediately stop, apologize and take it down a few notches when/if they are ready to continue.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It has happened to me a couple of times, and yes, usually on smaller partners than me. It takes practice to find the right balance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, if I spar with a lighter person who is also less experienced than me, I'll go more slowly, be more obvious, use simpler strikes, possibly avoid clinching if that's not something they want to work on yet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With a partner preparing a fight, I'll go harder, I'll take instructions from the coach on what they should be working, and I'll try to make it as challenging as I humbly can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In both cases, that's regardless of the partner's gender, because I don't see how that's relevant. The only difference is that the breast is a forbidden target for women.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10339" LastActivityDate="2020-06-29T21:35:03.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9967" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2470" CreationDate="2020-06-29T21:56:00.187" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Work, work, and work.&#xA;As also a software engineer I can tell you have to be dedicated to learn and practice to get your black belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7539" LastActivityDate="2020-06-29T21:56:00.187" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9968" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9960" CreationDate="2020-07-01T08:26:30.737" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;At my school (karate), we're taught to tell our partners if we want less power (or more). And if someone asks, then we change what we're doing immediately. We also don't use techniques our partners don't have the curriculum for, especially if there's a big experience gap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I regulate my sparring based on size and experience of my opponent, not gender.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd say most of our women who spar wear breast protectors so targeting the chest isn't a big deal. But, if you're training somewhere where it's not as common, it's probably a good idea to check in with your partner about what they're comfortable with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I (a woman) tend to spar harder than some of the men my rank because I'm bigger than them and don't register the hits as much - it just depends on the person you're sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10929" LastEditorUserId="10830" LastEditDate="2020-07-04T02:56:14.023" LastActivityDate="2020-07-04T02:56:14.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9969" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-07-01T14:27:57.727" Score="6" ViewCount="311" Body="&lt;p&gt;In &lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo&lt;/em&gt; by Jigoro Kano (the founder of judo), chapter 19 &lt;em&gt;Seiryoku Zen'yo Kokumin Taiiku&lt;/em&gt; contains a catalogue of individual striking exercises called &lt;em&gt;Tandoku Renshu&lt;/em&gt; and partner exercises called &lt;em&gt;Sotai Renshu&lt;/em&gt;. This is Kano's description:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;a system of physical education ideally possesses three characteristics: it promotes the development of strong, healthy minds and bodies, is interesting, and is useful. Not only does &lt;em&gt;Seiryoku Zen'yo Kokumin Taiiku&lt;/em&gt; meet all three requirements admirably, it goes well beyond being merely gymnastics or simply a martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This kata consists of two groups of exercises. One is practiced alone, the other with a partner. All but one of the exercises have direct applications in self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kpABs.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kpABs.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Example individual exercise&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The seven partner kata are all present in the promotion requirements for dan ranks, but &lt;em&gt;Seiryoku Zen'yo Kokumin Taiiku&lt;/em&gt; is not. I have never seen it practiced in a judo context, either for physical development or martial purposes. Aside from the &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt; (falling) exercises, the &lt;em&gt;Tandoku Renshu&lt;/em&gt; are the only solo exercises in the book, which presumably would make them valuable during times when partners are not available.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why is this original content from the founder ignored, despite it being in one of the most popular judo books available?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2024-03-27T06:20:26.613" Title="Why are Judo's Seiryoku Zen'yo Kokumin Taiiku exercises seldomly practiced?" Tags="|judo|history|self-training|exercise|books|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9970" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-07-01T16:51:12.973" Score="2" ViewCount="290" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yesterday, I saw a woman and a young boy sporting their TKD gear, shopping after class. I wondered what their school was doing to meet social distancing guidelines.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wear a mask? Probably, not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stand six feet apart. Wash your hands. Don't touch people or your own face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With Covid-19 cases increasing, I don't feel comfortable going to a gym or martial arts class yet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;UPDATE on July 4th, Independence Day:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;The answers provided to this question helped with my internal dissonance regarding returning to martial arts training. I will wait.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On Facebook, I found photos from two well-known, local jiu jitsu schools showing students and teachers training pre-Covid style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The photos were posted in June, some a week before masks became mandatory in my city. I understand the need to avoid bankruptcy. I even understand the disagreement about wearing masks and social distancing. But how are they getting away with this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hSKJk.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hSKJk.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/AtgmM.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/AtgmM.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/d3hlD.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/d3hlD.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6aXV3.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6aXV3.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beaches are closed in some areas. Restaurants and bars are heavily restricted and carefully monitored. Some have gone out of business because they can't operate effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel sick to my stomach looking at these images. I know how much fun training is. Yet, if the health advisors are right, then training jiu jitsu -- without a mask is wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The dissonance is back. Reckless disregard makes it hard for me to trust the leaders of these schools. I'm pulling my weight, wearing a mask for the last three months, to help fight Covid. And yes, my disagreement is my business. Their lives. Their risk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10830" LastEditorUserId="10830" LastEditDate="2020-07-04T15:47:24.213" LastActivityDate="2020-07-04T15:47:24.213" Title="Which martial arts styles work best with social distancing?" Tags="|training|health|etiquette|schools|covid-19|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9971" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9970" CreationDate="2020-07-01T18:21:03.067" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The only martial arts training that makes sense if social distancing is a priority is &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/1756/347&quot;&gt;getting strong and fit in your home gym&lt;/a&gt;. Make of your body the strongest, fittest, fastest, most agile, flexible, and powerful version of itself it can be. When we have coronavirus treatments and vaccines so we can do contact training again, do that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-07-01T18:21:03.067" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9972" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7423" CreationDate="2020-07-01T18:58:48.283" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are no specific physical requirements for sumo. The rules and culture of sumo reward being as big and strong as possible. There is no benefit to being lean or cutting body fat, so rikishi (sumo wrestlers) simply don't. They get brutally strong, and have simply enormous muscles hidden under their fat. Many pro sumo wrestlers match or exceed the muscle mass of pro bodybuilders; you just can't see it because they don't go through the extreme and frankly insane fat- and water-cutting processes that bodybuilders do to prepare for a show.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What happens in sumo is what happens in other strength and power sports: in lower weight classes, athletes are lean in order to be as strong (and big) as possible while remaining within the upper bound of their weight class. Surplus fat is extremely rare. For instance, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/bodybuilding/comments/5qgqre/chinese_olympic_weightlifters_lu_xiaojun_77kg/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chinese olympic weightlifters&lt;/a&gt; Lu Xiaojun (77kg), Tian Tao (85kg), Liao Hui (69kg) all stay lean while getting very strong:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6qqut.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6qqut.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Lu Xiaojun, Tian Tao, Liao Hui&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But at the highest weight class, or in sports like American football where there are no weight classes, the drive to be as strong as possible is not restricted by mass, and so athletes are quite large and have plenty of excess fat. (This proves how this is not an east/west phenomenon; NFL linebackers are not known for being lean, but athletes in running positions can be quite lean.) This is simply because there is no benefit to losing the fat, and plenty of drawbacks: it would take time and training effort, and would interfere (even if only slightly) with maximum muscle gain. So superheavyweight fighters and Olympic lifters are often chubby, even fat, such as the incredibly strong Olympic lifter Chingiz Mogushkov, seen here not having time to worry about visible abs because he's about to lift 250+ kilograms over his head:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LBPMu.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LBPMu.png&quot; alt=&quot;Chingiz Mogushkov&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or heavyweight MMA fighter Roy Nelson, who likes to eat and punch people really hard:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7Qhib.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7Qhib.png&quot; alt=&quot;Roy Nelson&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, the fact that sumo rewards being as strong as possible--and even as big as possible, because it makes the athlete hard to push or move--does &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; mean that sumo wrestlers are uniformly fat. Some of the best rikishi of all time have been incredibly strong but also agile and relatively lean. My favorite is &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiyonofuji_Mitsugu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chiyonofuji&lt;/a&gt;, who reached the rareified top rank of yokozuna:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xU1BL.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xU1BL.png&quot; alt=&quot;Chiyonofuji&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2MOEs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2MOEs.png&quot; alt=&quot;Chiyonofuji rear view&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you think this wrestler is not muscular, please remember that he was 127kg and 183cm. That is a very, very muscular athlete; he is simply at a healthy and strong body fat percentage. (For those not used to recognizing muscular builds outside of bodybuilding, it helps to look for trapezius muscles between the shoulders and neck, or at the back and glutes.) Chiyonofuji was an incredible champion who looks even more jacked &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOfMtyGShPA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;on video&lt;/a&gt; in action than he comes across in pictures.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-07-01T18:58:48.283" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9973" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9970" CreationDate="2020-07-02T01:56:22.617" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which martial arts styles work best with &lt;strong&gt;social distancing&lt;/strong&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;I will talk about &lt;em&gt;the striking arts&lt;/em&gt; (e.g., boxing, kickboxing, taekwondo, karate, etc.).&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Working with non-humans:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Heavy bags are your best option now (from your YouTube channel, it seems you have some decent experience in striking). Most gyms where I am have opened with the policy that students will book sessions in advance to come in and work on the bags (heavy bags, speed bags, double-end bags, bobs, and other stationary striking dummies). This makes sense because each student is given a bucket with some cleaning agents and towels to wipe off the bags before and after use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some gyms have done an excellent job of creating &amp;quot;work pods&amp;quot; — square shaped designated working spaces marked with colored tapes around heavy bags. There is decent amount of space to work around a bag. Depending on your gym, you &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; book your session in splits; for example, a 30-30-30 split, where you work on a specific &amp;quot;working pod&amp;quot; for 30 minutes before moving on to a different one. Note that there are other students who are also working on the bags. So, the designated working areas ensure that everyone follows &amp;quot;social distancing&amp;quot; guidelines, and that all students have a safe working environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Working with humans:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a little complicated. In my region, some gyms have started classes (boxing/kickboxing). Again, the number of students per session/class has been reduced, and each student has their own &amp;quot;work pod&amp;quot; for that class. The classes mostly include&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;some high intensity cardio and stretching,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;fast paced combo work (which the instructor calls out),&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;fight breakdown on a projector once a week (this is new, never done before) where the instructor explains techniques and strategies from classic fights,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;and finally, some pad work only for advanced level students (consider them regulars, have been coming to the gym for a long time, are matured enough to understand the well-being of others).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But this is very rare. In my region, there has been very few COVID19 cases so far, and gyms are strictly following rules and regulations outlined by the local government. These policies are not recommended for all places.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wear a mask? Probably, not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; irritating to do martial arts wearing a mask at a high pace. However, I have seen students wearing masks made of very thin and light material in the gym. I will say this though, with the cloth mask on, you can still shadowbox at 100%, maybe for fewer rounds. And if you are working with a partner, having the mask on is a good idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you know and have people you trust to work with, people who take precautions with utmost care, you can do some &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LI9CpkbHqpM?t=32&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;long distance pad work with &lt;strong&gt;foam pool noodles&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. But really, this is up to you; you will have to make that decision along with your peers. Anyways, note that in the video, they are standing quite close to each other, and Shane is  not holding the noodles at the end. If you hold the noodles at the end, you can increase the distance between you and your partner. Also, you can use longer noodles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NPZVt.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NPZVt.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For kicking, you can use the taekwondo kick pads. These should allow you to have some space between you and your partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/rVIoGm.jpg&quot; height=&quot;200&quot;&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/XzBrmm.jpg&quot; height=&quot;200&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastActivityDate="2020-07-02T01:56:22.617" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9974" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9970" CreationDate="2020-07-03T00:46:49.467" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The two sports which come to mind are &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvQUttWLVWc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chinese Tai Chi&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb6CimOoAVE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Brazilian Capoeira&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both of them are &lt;strong&gt;non contact&lt;/strong&gt; sports. I think first one is like a gymnastics and second one is like a dance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But they still widely considered by me as a form of martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10934" LastActivityDate="2020-07-03T00:46:49.467" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9975" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9970" CreationDate="2020-07-03T05:07:03.020" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the era of COVID-19, partner training is a bad idea. You do not want to spend extended periods of time breathing heavily in the same space, and especially not indoors. Grappling is particularly risky.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many martial arts already include social-distancing-ready methods in their standard training that can fill your social-distancing training hours. Many of these methods are not suitable for partner training, so now is the ideal time to get full use of them. They do not substitute for the fighting skills you acquire sparring and partner training, but those are not available right now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will avoid evaluating styles and instead point out elements that can/should be practiced with social distancing. Lots of styles have these elements, so I will point out a few examples and leave evaluation to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Forms&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Forms training is the foundation of many martial arts body development. Forms usually combine elements of speed, balance, leg strength and flexibility, coordination, mental focus, and prototypes of martial techniques together in one package. Styles using forms include kung fu (in all its flavors), karate, and tae kwon do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on your social distancing risk tolerance, you may be comfortable having a masked instructor stop you periodically and make physically adjust your body. The time they need to be near you is short and they can otherwise be at a distance. Otherwise, the instructor can demonstrate at a distance and provide feedback. Outdoor forms practice would be preferable to indoor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The general problem with forms is that styles can have them without being able to fight. But you should be able to imagine that someone able to fight can give you sequences of movements to work on, and those sequences can be called forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Basics - Footwork as an example&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people are not willing to invest the time in learning &amp;quot;basics&amp;quot; that they could because sparring and other exercises are more fun. Now is the perfect time to focus basics you can practice alone because your partners are not available. This analysis is based on my study of bagua, but I expect you will find it applies to boxing, kickboxing, MMA, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's assume your style has a fighting stance that you use. Enter your fighting stance, then take a step forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/9900/5961&quot;&gt;Are you immediately in your fighting stance again? Or is your spacing off?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are you immediately balanced, or do you need a moment to regain your balance?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are you on balance as you move? If someone were to grab your belt (something around your waist) and then you step, would you be leaning to move forward?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do your legs drive your movement when you step? Or do you fall into your step?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is your step fast, or is this a great time for a sparring partner to sweep your feet?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Now that you have tried to fix several different things, are the earlier ones still fixed?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;OK, so now that you have fixed all of these things, you can add steps in other directions. You probably at least want to also step angled to the left, step angled to the right, and backwards possibly also to the side. Presumably you started facing an opponent, so as you move to the side angles, you will want to turn towards your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Check all of the above items again for each direction&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Now that you are turning as you are stepping, are you leaning as if banking into a turn on a bicycle? Do not lean because this puts you off balance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now you can step in multiple directions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Can you react from your fighting stance to move in each direction equally well? If not, why is this your fighting stance?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Can you move in any direction at reflex fighting speed, or do you stop to think about it?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What happens when you practice stepping in a field where the ground is not perfectly flat? Are you tripping over the little divots animals have dug?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can practice all the footwork alone, although it can be helpful to have partners provide moving resistance or other feedback. It takes a surprisingly long time to learn footwork, and honestly the training can become a slog, but really at some point the footwork becomes advanced and not basic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We have not even started on the hands yet, but this is enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-07-03T05:07:03.020" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9978" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10026" CreationDate="2020-07-05T04:29:07.893" Score="8" ViewCount="189" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am trying to understand how often playing opponents as one-sided may backfire. If an opponent is right-handed only, you would prioitize preventing the right hand from gripping and not worry so much about the left. If the opponent is a significant threat with either handedness grip, sacrificing a grip to one hand to prevent the other is probably not a good strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;ambidextrously here means the competitor is a significant throwing threat both from a right-handed grip (right hand on lapel or over back) and a left-handed grip. The throws used from a right-handed grip do not need to be those used from the left-handed grip; the competitor just has to be a significant threat with either handedness grip.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I am looking for rough proportion (1%?, 5%?, 10%?), not exact numbers&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;international Grand Prix/Slam or similar events&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-07-05T17:38:57.563" LastActivityDate="2020-07-23T15:10:31.980" Title="How many international judo competitors throw ambidextrously?" Tags="|judo|throwing|competition|sport|grips|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9979" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="9980" CreationDate="2020-07-05T18:50:03.363" Score="3" ViewCount="860" Body="&lt;p&gt;Something like 12 years ago I participated in tournaments for fighting. After many years I learned that one can get killed by getting hit in the liver area and so on... I don't know if this depression or overthinking thing has ever made you suffer or not so I want to know if my hopping side kicks to the opponents has done them damage. I was 57 kilogram and highly trained with great flexibility. In one occasion I knocked down a karate artist who had a black belt by kicking around right part of belly and the other time I threw a hopping side kick to my opponent but he wasn't knocked down and he decided not to continue the fight after it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10939" LastActivityDate="2020-07-05T19:42:00.107" Title="How likely is it to get killed by a hopping side kick?" Tags="|kicking|injury|jump-kick|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9980" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9979" CreationDate="2020-07-05T19:42:00.107" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Lots of people fight full contact (muay thai, kickboxing, and full-contact karate systems like kyokushin) for years and take blows like this regularly - if the guys got up at the time and seemed ok, the chances that your blows had any significant long-term effect is incredibly small.  That one of the guys was still standing suggests you didn't get a particularly solid liver shot in that time anyway.  How badly they'll have been effected depends a lot on whether the attack caught them unprepared - with muscles relaxed, especially when inhaling - the attack can more easily penetrate to compress the liver.  You were light weight, and - no offence intended but in my experience - that you mentioned flexibility as if it was of any real significance suggests you don't understand body mechanics terribly well, which means you've probably never employed them terribly well, so just more reasons to think the strike was unlikely to have had a lasting effect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2020-07-05T19:42:00.107" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9981" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9880" CreationDate="2020-07-06T10:43:56.120" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;The reason steel feders are so widely used in HEMA is due to them being able to be used safely in partner drills, especially at higher intensity .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stage combat swords miss the rolled tip and bending in the thrust, instead many of them have rather pointy tips. This makes them really unsafe for partner drills and there have been a number of accidents where people ended up with stage combat swords penetrating their body in very unpleasent ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be totally frank there have been instances of even feders stabbing through hands with open palm gloves, but considering their widespread use and the oftentimes higher level of force when used, those instances are much much rarer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also stage combat swords are balanced for stage combat and not for fencing and while some of them have decent balance and handling qualities, many of them don't.&#xA;Add to this that most people like to use the same sword for solo drilling that they use for partner drills or don't want to buy a second sword for the same purpose / weapon system, it becomes clear why feder use is so widespread.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;tl;dr As long as you're only doing solo drill its okay to use a stage combat sword &lt;em&gt;if&lt;/em&gt; you like it's handling and you have the money to spare for the luxury of having two swords filling a similar niche.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10940" LastActivityDate="2020-07-06T10:43:56.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9982" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5772" CreationDate="2020-07-06T12:04:11.463" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Red Dragon Gloves are rubbish for steel longsword. Here in germany, switzerland and austria they used to be tournament legal together with lacrosse gloves (in some places they still are) and they had widespread use 5+ years ago.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To make a long story short people broke their hands and fingers alot and most people reevaluate quickly if 150€ for a glove is too steep a price after they damage their own hand or see someone elses getting damaged.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also red dragon has horrible quality control. We ordered a dozen pairs of gloves for club usage and about half of them had parts flying around (I'm not exaggerating) after some very light steel feder sparring in the first class.&#xA;We complained to Red Dragon, but since we used them for steel sparring (which they explicitly state is not their intended use) they wouldn't replace them. Just for comparison our actual lacrosse gloves with similar protection levels were holding out for 5+ years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other half of the batch was okayish, but there's not much of a price advantage if you need on average two pairs of red dagon gloves to get one decent one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So people wisely started to buy sparring gloves or spes heavys which are the defacto standard for steel longsword and both of those companies have decent customer support.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10940" LastActivityDate="2020-07-06T12:04:11.463" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9983" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8379" CreationDate="2020-07-06T13:22:20.613" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, this isn't universal: there are sharp swords with a flared ricasso (schilt) and feders without.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://regenyei.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/RA_schiltless_img01.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;regenyei schiltless feder&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Feder&amp;quot; is very much a modern term, and broadly just means a longsword foil specifically modified for sparring. Characteristic features include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;flared points&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;wide edges&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;additional flex&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;blade shape that brings the weight closer to the hilt (thinner across)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;schilt / flared ricasso&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Longsword &amp;quot;blunts&amp;quot; tend to lack multiple of these features, largely because it is impossible to have thick edges with a blade geometry matching a sharp without dangerously increasing the weight. But a sword with a schilt that lacked the other features would not be a feder either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now on to the schilt specifically.... There are basically two things it does.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As others have mentioned it can add a small amount of protection to the hands  by preventing the opponents blade from reaching the crossguard, or changing where it strikes it (Which of these it does depends on the shape of the schilt). Personally, I think the benefits of this are over sold when using decent hema gloves. The draw back of this is that, in changing where the swords end up, it also changes the dynamics of certain techniques, most notably grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second is that it allows you to put weight in the blade without adding it to the parts that will strike the opponent, allowing for handling and weight similar to a real sword without increasing danger to your training partners. As a result,, it helps create realistic feel without also creating realistic damage. This is to my mind the stronger argument for them, although there are other techniques that can achieve the same goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10941" LastEditorUserId="10941" LastEditDate="2020-07-06T14:07:04.727" LastActivityDate="2020-07-06T14:07:04.727" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9984" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-07-06T15:02:37.287" Score="1" ViewCount="100" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I studied shorinji kempo one of my instructors (now passed away) taught me a 'yin' style of performing the Soto-Oshi-Uke Block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This block for those unaware is against a curved Fri-zuki attack.  The beginner way of doing this block is to meet the force at right angles as shown in figure 1.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/3vUYD.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/3vUYD.png&quot; alt=&quot;Figure 1&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However the more advanced 'yin' version of this block involves contacting the incoming blow at a different angle. Figure 2 &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YkBgv.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YkBgv.png&quot; alt=&quot;Figure 2&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The result of this small change in angle is that the attacker (Tori) will come to kesushi and sometimes topple.  Alternatively they will have to step.  This superior blocking method allows a more time for the counter attack so makes your subsequent attack more effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is: Is there a way in which Uwa-Uke, (the upwards block usually used against downwards or straight attacks) can be performed in this 'Yin' style to have the same effect?  Will this work on both gyaku-zuki and shito-zuki attacks or only one or the other?&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Similarly will it work on both advancing forms of the block (as in Uwa-Uke-Zuki) or only in retreating forms (as in Uwa-Uke-Geri Omotte)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: I have realised a video might be helpful.  This shows the yin block.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Z8WSpU8lM3I?t=63&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/Z8WSpU8lM3I?t=63&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And here is the beginner 'yang' block &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soasaSCrR_I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soasaSCrR_I&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="6503" LastEditDate="2020-07-07T17:39:22.103" LastActivityDate="2020-07-07T17:39:22.103" Title="Can Shorinji Kempo's Uwa-Uke Block be performed in a Yin Manner?" Tags="|shorinji-kempo|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="16" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9985" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-07-06T15:17:21.577" Score="2" ViewCount="66" Body="&lt;p&gt;When performing the Hokai (pair form) Drills of Shorinji Kempo we are often taught that the two kenshi should remain along the same line on which they began.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this possible to do correctly if the two kenshi are of different reaches/heights?  I would have thought that because the Kihon Ma'ai (optimal striking distance) for a kick from a taller person is much greater than the Kihon Ma'ai for the punch from a shorter person this Hokai could not be performed correctly on a line at all in this situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said I have seen instructors criticise kenshi who end the Hokai clockwise or anticlockwise of their starting position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="6503" LastEditDate="2022-07-30T17:47:04.923" LastActivityDate="2022-07-30T17:47:04.923" Title="Maintaining distance in Shorinji Kempo's Tenchiken Dai Ichi Hokai" Tags="|shorinji-kempo|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9986" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-07-06T15:54:32.713" Score="3" ViewCount="242" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial arts is often linked with self defence and the ability to fight people for good, especially in movies .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This made me wonder if there exists some kind of martial arts placebo, such as a kind of pressure point knockout that only works on believers of a martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knowledge of these could be of great use if somehow we are involved in street fights. Does anyone know of such a placebo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10944" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2020-07-08T07:46:07.337" LastActivityDate="2020-12-23T03:48:52.760" Title="Placebo in Martial Arts" Tags="|self-defense|streetfight|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9987" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9986" CreationDate="2020-07-06T16:00:53.610" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Pressure points exist... But they are basically just parts of the body that you would expect to be fragile and crucial to the bodies correct functioning anyway.  Parts of the neck for example or the eyes.  Placebo doesn't really come into this.  An attacker is generally full of adrenaline that will prevent anything too subtle from working.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You just get the whole 'no touch knockout' nonsense when you make someone believe in something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2020-07-06T16:00:53.610" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9988" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9986" CreationDate="2020-07-06T16:21:16.097" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A standard safety/etiquette practice in martial arts with submissions is to surrender by tapping on the partner multiple times. This is &amp;quot;tapping out&amp;quot;. For safety in training at all but elite levels, practitioners are trained to release you immediately and without question if you tap out. This becomes reflex for many practitioners; if the partner taps, they let go. In training, this is the desired behavior so people do not get injured. Non-practitioners will not have this trained behavior.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At elite levels, competitors will wait for the referee to signal before releasing. Instructors may also push trainees beyond their comfort zones if the instructor believes the trainee is submitting too early.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you signal surrender by tapping out and then continue fighting, do not expect to receive any further positive consideration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-12-23T03:48:52.760" LastActivityDate="2020-12-23T03:48:52.760" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9989" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8592" CreationDate="2020-07-06T17:15:41.193" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Bolognese sources (1500s) contain information on fighting with both buckler and larger shields, but more importantly, cape. &lt;a href=&quot;https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Achille_Marozzo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Achille Marozzo&lt;/a&gt; has large sections on both. Antonio Manciolino mainly deals with buckler. Giovanni dall'Agocchie is a good read too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have a look at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wiktenauer.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;wiktenauer&lt;/a&gt;, several translations can be found for free.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10945" LastEditorUserId="10830" LastEditDate="2020-07-07T02:51:07.157" LastActivityDate="2020-07-07T02:51:07.157" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9990" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7781" CreationDate="2020-07-06T18:09:50.120" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;If we think about things completely in the abstract, slipping the leg while striking the head is a better option: because you're attacking and defending in the same motion it is virtually impossible for your opponent to react and counter your strike. By targeting your leg, your opponent has robbed themselves of a lot of reach, meaning you can usually easily strike the head while keeping your leg safe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, this answer ignores certain practicalities. Firstly, measure will have an effect on whether this is an effective defence. The reach of the fighters, distance between them and tricks fighters can use to increase their reach might make a leg slip inappropriate. If you are very close (which often happens if the strike to the leg is not the first strike) you may not be able to keep the leg safe by slipping it. Some fighters like to throw in a low strike after performing several high strikes so you are not expecting it.  Likewise, if your opponent has a large reach advantage - from being bigger, by using a one-handed strike to gain extra reach (the infamous geyslen) or maybe both - they might be able to strike your leg while you can't strike back in the head. If you have to slip the leg and &lt;em&gt;then&lt;/em&gt; go for a strike, it is much harder to land your counter attack as you will need to close distance rapidly. Parrying in this situations is better defensively, but also better sets up a counter attack as it doesn't leave your opponent's sword free to strike you again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, your stance and weighting might make slipping your leg challenging. If you have a very wide base, it will be much harder to quickly slip your front leg (nb. also: it reduces the reach your opponent needs to hit it, as above). Likewise, if your weight is mostly on your front foot, slipping your leg will be much harder. These two tend to go hand in hand. If either of them is true, you will likely need to parry to keep your leg secure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of historical context, almost no longsword texts discuss attacks to the leg in detail, as well as your quoted passage Fiore only considers a leg slip with a counter attack to the head as an appropriate response. Vadi doesn't deal with it explicitly, but always prefers using a &amp;quot;crossing&amp;quot; to defend (i.e. defending with the blade), and shows appropriate guards for parrying a leg strike. Pagano provides a very detailed description of a bout between two of his students: in this, there are frequent parries against strikes to the leg, and the fighters are seemingly fighting at close distance. (this is a relatively rarely studied text. You can find the translation of that section at the end of this article: &lt;a href=&quot;https://hroarr.com/article/the-south-italian-longsword-of-marcantonio-pagano-1553/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://hroarr.com/article/the-south-italian-longsword-of-marcantonio-pagano-1553/&lt;/a&gt; )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10941" LastActivityDate="2020-07-06T18:09:50.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9991" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9986" CreationDate="2020-07-06T22:22:31.640" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You will find small subgroups in the martial arts that have been trained to be suggestible to bogus knockouts or other techniques that would be ineffective against anyone outside the group.  George Dillman was famous for this, but there are many other examples.  Back when at least his own followers took him seriously, then perhaps you could have mimicked his theatrics and got a similar reaction out of one of his own followers....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another example - an 8th dan in Aikido I trained with (briefly) in Japan would get his students to fall over without touching them - all quite ridiculous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2020-07-06T22:22:31.640" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9992" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-07-07T03:32:59.750" Score="6" ViewCount="2726" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many questions about aikido and judo refer to partners as &lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Uke&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/9777/5961&quot;&gt;The name of a throw where the tori starts from a headlock&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/2942/5961&quot;&gt;Etymology and meaning of ukemi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/8519/5961&quot;&gt;Name this technique against Chudan tsuki (&amp;#39;knife&amp;#39; to the abdomen)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/5849/5961&quot;&gt;Where to focus to develop a better sense of balance?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/922/5961&quot;&gt;What makes this seated Daito-ryu technique work?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What do these terms mean?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-07-08T19:17:54.970" Title="Who are Tori and Uke?" Tags="|terminology|japanese|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9993" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9992" CreationDate="2020-07-07T03:32:59.750" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Uke&lt;/em&gt; are roles defined relative to a technique. These terms quickly indicate who is doing what.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; is the performer of the technique.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Uke&lt;/em&gt; is the receiver of the technique.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take the straight punch technique. &lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; punches. &lt;em&gt;Uke&lt;/em&gt; is punched.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now take a headlock throw counter to a straight punch. In this case, &lt;em&gt;Uke&lt;/em&gt;, who receives the headlock throw counter, performs the punch. Although &lt;em&gt;Uke&lt;/em&gt; is performing the punch, we indicate the receiver of the throw, not the punch. &lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; evades the punch by turning with it and performs the headlock throw counter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-07-07T03:32:59.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9994" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9992" CreationDate="2020-07-07T04:24:43.150" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Adding to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/9993/1780&quot;&gt;mattm's answer&lt;/a&gt;, in addition to &lt;em&gt;Tori&lt;/em&gt; (&amp;quot;taker&amp;quot;) for the attacker, Aikido also uses &lt;em&gt;Nage&lt;/em&gt; (thrower) or &lt;em&gt;Shite&lt;/em&gt; (&amp;quot;performing hand&amp;quot;). Other styles, such as Karate and Kendo, may also refer to the attacker as the &lt;em&gt;Seme&lt;/em&gt; (&amp;quot;Attacker&amp;quot;). &lt;em&gt;Uke&lt;/em&gt; (&amp;quot;receiver&amp;quot;) generally is always used as the term of the person receiving the technique, even if they are the one who initiates the attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Seme&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Uke&lt;/em&gt; are &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaoi#Seme_and_uke&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;also used in the context of &lt;em&gt;yaoi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, fictional material about male homosexual behavior, indicating &amp;quot;active&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;passive&amp;quot; roles in the act, as a parallel to the martial arts usage of one person performing the technique and the other receiving.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-07-07T04:24:43.150" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9995" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9992" CreationDate="2020-07-07T10:03:15.577" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The literal translations...Tori = attacker/performer Uke= reciever are used completely differently across different martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In shorinji kempo Tori is always the 'attacker' and Uke is always the 'defender'. In aikido Tori is the performer of the technique and Uke is the receiver of the technique. So a SK kenshi and an Aikidoka will see the same technique and disagree about which is Tori and which is Uke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So really we need a different definition for each style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo/Aikido/AikiJujutsu:- Tori: performer of technique Uke: receiver of technique&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shorinji Kempo/Iaido:- Tori: attacker Uke: reciever of the attack&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit. Kendo prefers Uchidachi and Shidachi as attack and defence are very similar movements in this style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=V8GJDwAAQBAJ&amp;amp;pg=PT68&amp;amp;lpg=PT68&amp;amp;dq=kendo%20tori%20uke&amp;amp;source=bl&amp;amp;ots=jheqLywix1&amp;amp;sig=ACfU3U1p3Gxm7VuuZ3L-9zwuMBv1nqEuWQ&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;ved=2ahUKEwjumsSL8brqAhXNasAKHR2bAqwQ6AEwAXoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=kendo%20tori%20uke&amp;amp;f=false&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Eg this book&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="6503" LastEditDate="2020-07-08T19:17:54.970" LastActivityDate="2020-07-08T19:17:54.970" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9996" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10001" CreationDate="2020-07-07T12:14:41.837" Score="2" ViewCount="212" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming you successfully applied scissor leg tip, and now your opponent is on his back, with your legs around him, like on the image:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2m6PK.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2m6PK.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;leg trip&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What move will you recommend afterwards?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10293" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2020-07-07T12:42:43.647" LastActivityDate="2020-08-12T22:49:34.717" Title="Advice: what move will you chain after scissor leg trip?" Tags="|wrestling|groundwork|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9997" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9996" CreationDate="2020-07-07T12:29:43.983" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two main followups one for each of two separate situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Competition:  You move to a pin or a &amp;quot;ground and pound&amp;quot; position taking advantage of the fact that you can move on top of your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Everywhere else:  Roll away and stand up quick.  You don't want to be on the ground when his friends show up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In situation 2 you actually probably did the variant where you are already prone at the start as opposed to choosing to go to ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2020-07-07T12:29:43.983" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="9998" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9996" CreationDate="2020-07-07T15:58:39.527" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The scissors-kick or Kani Basami (judo) is often done in case one of the throws you tried failed. If you don't succeed, you'll end up falling to the ground in a potentially vulnerable position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And a quick warning: Kani Basami has been banned in competition Judo. There is an elevated risk of knee injury to the one receiving the throw. You can google to read more about that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Probably the quickest grappling maneuver to achieve from this position is a knee bar or a heel hook. Again, you can look them up on google to find videos showing the techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My preferred follow-up to this technique is to sit up towards him while leaving my right leg on top of him. As I'm doing this, I slide my left leg out from under his legs. I then reach a kneeling position with my right knee on his stomach or chest. That allows me to put all my weight down on that right knee while I lift my left leg up and over his legs to come to rest at my left side. This is the knee-on-chest position from the side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you do this, you'll find it's a pretty fluid transition. Your knee is right there. All you're doing is keeping it there while rolling that knee from the side of the knee to the knee cap, and sitting up while you're doing this. You have to make sure not to lean forward when you do this, because you can easily be unbalanced and pulled forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've got a number of things I can do from this position (knee-on-chest). One is to get in some quick punches to his face. I can also get to my feet real quickly in order to run or deal with other attackers. I can drop into a juji gatame (arm bar). I can get mount. If he rolls over to his side to try to get my knee off of him, I can get a rear naked choke. Or if he rolls over to his stomach, I can re-place my knee onto the hollow under his shoulder blades (painful) while extending his arm out for an elbow lock. Plenty of options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knee-on-chest prevents him from reaching my head with his punches. It's good for defense. But it's a transitional position, because it's not likely that you'll be able to stay in it. Your opponent feels a lot of pain from your knee pressing into him. He's going to panic and will do everything he can to get you off of him. When that happens, you have to move to a better position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So think of it as a mobile position. You need to be able to quickly move from it to something else. This is an important position for consideration for practical street self-defense, because your opponent may have a knife. You'll be in a better position to deal with a knife here than in many other ones. That's because you can see what's going on, first of all. Secondly, you can control his arms. And thirdly, you can very quickly disengage and run away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't think you can transition to knee-on-chest from kani basami, you might be able to transition quickly to side control. You sit up as quickly as possible and put your chest on top of his chest. While you're doing this, you can throw your legs out behind you. Consider judo's yoko-shiho-gatame hold here. And then once you have that, you might be able to quickly disengage if needed and get to your feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you manage to get kani basami, but he gets up before you can get to a decent position, you can try transitioning to guard. Or you can try an oma plata by angling your body so that you're in a side by side position. As soon as he starts to sit up, you need to get your top leg out of there. Otherwise he can turn you over and take your back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just throwing out some ideas. Everyone has their own favorite techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2020-07-07T20:34:27.250" LastActivityDate="2020-07-07T20:34:27.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10000" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-07-08T04:47:03.730" Score="4" ViewCount="149" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been trying to practice the Hojo Undo exercises as part of my karate training. I've been following a book (Art of Hojo Undo) for this and have found it useful especially the makiwara and nigiri game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had a question about the chi ishi (weighted levers). The book recommends building them using cement and a wooden dowel. However, I found that using an adjustable dumbbell with weights only on one side was a simpler construction. The difference I can think of is that dowel (which in this case would be a dumbbell bar) would be heavy itself. This would change the weight distribution of the tool.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wanted to know if people here use this and whether my concern about the weight distribution is genuine or whether I can just go ahead and continue using this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1965" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-07-08T12:03:32.393" LastActivityDate="2020-07-08T12:03:32.393" Title="Adjustable dumbells instead of Chi Ishi" Tags="|karate|strength|weight-lifting|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10001" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9996" CreationDate="2020-07-08T12:08:47.127" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I usually choose between the following options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Extract the leg&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taking back your top leg is the most obvious but most complex follow-up to kani-basami. It requires some flexibility and dexterity, and your opponent can make it difficult, especially if they can grab your pant leg or shoe. But if they don't, it's feasible to pull your top knee to the mat as you turn and face the opponent chest-to-chest. From there you play your normal top game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Reverse mount&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After finishing the throw, it's possible (as long as your bottom leg can be freed) to come up to this odd top position directly. A foot-facing mount offers some submission and transition options. I find it primarily useful as a temporary pin to make sure they don't scramble away after the throw. My other main choice from this position is to not stop here at all, but immediately transition to a kneebar on their near leg after I've come up on top.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Attack the near leg&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The simplest option leaves your legs mostly in place, and because it requires the least additional movement it is often the fastest choice. The idea is to keep your legs mostly where they are, possibly upgrading to the most over-named position in BJJ: the leg entanglement known variously as the saddle, honey hole, 411 (four-eleven), cross-ashi-garami, or inside-sankaku. Whatever you call it, it should be quite near from where you find yourself after executing a leg scissor throw. One solid option from the saddle (etc.) or even just the finished-kani-basami position itself is to immediately attack the legs with a heel hook or toe hold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Done after the throw&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It doesn't always matter what happens after you finish throwing with kani basami. In judo, the match is hopefully over with an ippon. (If not, you can turtle up and defend until the ref stands you up.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-07-08T12:08:47.127" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10002" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9996" CreationDate="2020-07-08T12:53:27.387" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;From the perspective of Capoeira (my current style), during a typical exchange in the &lt;em&gt;roda&lt;/em&gt;, if you've dumped the other person to the ground without touching it yourself with anything other than the allowed hands, feet, and head, you've already won the exchange, so you will typically either just extract yourself and help your opponent up, or mock a &amp;quot;ground and pound&amp;quot; attack against your &amp;quot;fallen&amp;quot; opponent. Some players will show a strike with the top leg to the head to indicate that they could continue capitalizing on the position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the case where they have caught themselves on the way down, and have landed in some sort of bridge or &lt;em&gt;queda de quatro&lt;/em&gt; (&amp;quot;fall onto four&amp;quot;, basically a crabwalk position), you typically either disengage, allowing your opponent to rise, indicating that you acknowledge that they caught themselves acceptably and that you want to return the game to a more upright position where you're not stuck in a test of strength (Capoeira, in general, discourages a lot of wrestling, and prefers moving to something new if the takedown doesn't work immediately), or you try to transition to another movement. From that position, the two most common continuations I've seen are to either twist the torso and then the legs to continue the rolling back, forcing the other player to try to do something to either reinforce their bridge or to continue to roll with the movement, or to extricate the bottom leg and to continue rolling into a shown kick to the head. I have, on occasion, seen someone instead going the other direction, kicking the leg underneath out to sweep the defending player's legs out to compromise their bridge in that direction, but at that point, you're also compromising your own balance, so it's more risky, plus you need to be careful about who you do it to, because if their shoulders are at an awkward angle, you can cause injury when they suddenly have their bodyweight solely on their hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-07-08T12:53:27.387" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10003" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10005" CreationDate="2020-07-10T04:55:09.587" Score="5" ViewCount="320" Body="&lt;p&gt;You see your opponent do something unexpected and weird. You don't quite understand it, but you know something is going to happen. The next thing you know — you are on the canvas/mat. You have been knocked down. All that — happened in less than a second.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You got caught with a heavy overhand right. He hurt you. You got back up. But now you see him charge towards you, bringing in the heat, and unloading the bombs. But you are not ready yet. Your ears are still buzzing, your head is spinning, and your knees are buckling. Your coach is yelling something but you can't figure out what language he is speaking in. You are trying your best to not fall down while your opponent is hitting you with a barrage of combos.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;What do you do to recover quickly after getting knocked down? How do you get rid of the dizziness as fast as possible? How do you prepare for a knockdown (e.g., if I get knocked down, the first thing I need to do is ... )?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like answerers to consider both cases. You get knocked down after&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;getting hit in the &lt;strong&gt;head/face&lt;/strong&gt; (e.g., with an overhand right that lands flush or a roundhouse kick)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;getting hit in the &lt;strong&gt;liver&lt;/strong&gt; (e.g., with a strong left hook to the body, a left roundhouse kick, or a spinning side kick)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are sparring hard and you get hit, you don't have the time to pause and call your family doctor. I want to know how experts (i.e., those who have serious sparring experience) deal with this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there techniques that can speed up the recovery (e.g., fall back to the corner, shell up, stay tight, defend the face and the body, and brace against incoming strikes — this should give you some time to get back to equilibrium)? Does focusing on anything particular help the recovery?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is moving around and throwing jabs better? Will it stop the opponent from coming in hot? After getting knocked down, some fighters get back up and go hard to keep their opponent from getting into that offensive momentum (e.g., Joshua vs. Ruiz I). This can often hide the fact that you are actually hurt and give you time to recover while your jabs and other less powerful strikes keep your opponent at bay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-07-11T07:26:28.157" LastActivityDate="2020-07-13T10:10:06.760" Title="Getting back up after getting knocked down: How to recover quickly and get rid of the dizziness?" Tags="|boxing|sparring|injury|kickboxing|competition|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10004" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9986" CreationDate="2020-07-12T19:06:04.820" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a Dillman pressure point book and many if not all the points correlate with acupuncture points.&#xA;As an acupuncturist I view it as a possibly a type of placebo but as for interrupting chi/ki I am a little sceptical.&#xA;There are some pressure points that cause severe pain but the only pressure Point I know that can cause loss of consciousness is a double chop to the side of the neck.&#xA;This area has the barorecptors in the Carotid Artery and monitor blood pressure. Hitting these sends nerve impulses to the CVS area of the brain stem indicating that blood pressure is high. The brain stems response is to slow the heart rate and dilate the arteries leading to a sudden drop in blood pressure and blood flow to the brain causing unconsciousness. Supposedly causes the same effect as a guillotine stranglehold but in a shorter time period&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10955" LastActivityDate="2020-07-12T19:06:04.820" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10005" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10003" CreationDate="2020-07-13T01:20:21.303" Score="6" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are sparring hard and you get hit, you don't have the time to pause and call your family doctor. I want to know how experts (i.e., those who have serious sparring experience) deal with this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm an advocate for training hard, sometimes &lt;em&gt;really&lt;/em&gt; hard. But in doing so you shouldn't lose perspective - there is no point continuing the hard training if it is going to result in semi-permanent damage or an injury that is going to take a long time to recover from. There is no shame in taking a knee (or staying down) in training, even the best athletes can get hurt. You and your coach are both the best judges of when to pause that hard training, and the coach should be watching and listening to you carefully. Even if you have a death wish your coach has a duty of care they should be observing.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;If you are training for the ring then this hard full contact training should be gradual, and your sparring partner should be aware if they've hurt you. If this training is not for the ring then you have to question exactly how hard you need to go - it is questionable how much you need to be smashed over in the dojo to prepare you for real life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there techniques that can speed up the recovery?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fundamentally, &lt;strong&gt;no&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;You can delay getting hit again, but you cannot speed up the recovery time, and that recovery time will differ for each person and each blow received (this is part of what makes some fighters better or more resilient than others).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is moving around and throwing jabs better? Will it stop the opponent from coming in hot?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This depends on the experience (and intellect?) of your opponent. If they're good then they'll know that they've hurt you, and their coach/corner person should also know. To delay you can use as much of the count time as practical, you can evade, you can cover, you can spit your mouthguard, you can do a bunch of little things to delay getting hit again. None of these techniques are new, they've all been used a billion times before so judges and opponents know what to watch out for. But if you're good at it it's possible that your opponent won't know - essentially you need to be good at acting. If I knock someone down and they get back up and continue as they were then I'm more likely to think they're okay, but if they get up and then go hyper I'm more inclined to think they're covering for something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2020-07-13T10:10:06.760" LastActivityDate="2020-07-13T10:10:06.760" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10006" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-07-14T18:31:06.990" Score="4" ViewCount="165" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I look at a Japanese martial art I can tell the proficiency level of an individual by looking for clean movements that look the same each time they are performed.  I can also look out for 'focus points' or 'kime' at the end of a strike.  In other words the movements are precise with sharp strikes and flowing throwing movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have heard that a good kung fu instructor will have 'messy' movements.  I assume this to hide their intention and make their strikes harder to read.  Indeed I have never seen kung fu performed with any degree of precision.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This being the case how can I spot a good practitioner from a beginner?  What does an instructor look for in a basic technique to say 'that student does it well'?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2020-07-15T16:18:04.163" Title="What do Chinese Kung Fu Instructors Look for in a Good Display?" Tags="|kung-fu|wing-chun|jeet-kune-do|shaolin|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10007" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10006" CreationDate="2020-07-15T16:18:04.163" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is good kung-fu and bad kung-fu. The same is true with all martial arts. You can spot the difference when you have enough experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I disagree that kung-fu in general is messy or sloppy. If you're seeing unfocused strikes and movement that seems like it's weak and uncoordinated, then you're probably watching poorly done kung-fu. And there is a lot of that! I could mention one particular popular chain of Shaolin kung-fu schools that come to mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each style of kung-fu has its own standards about what passes for good technique and what does not. In Southern styles, there's a slight lean forward in most stances. But in Northern styles, it is stressed that one must remain upright and not lean forward. But both systems say that looking down at the ground is bad form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the most technically well documented styles of kung-fu is Contemporary Wushu, which is broken into two main sub-categories: Northern and Southern. There are very precise standards developed for each sub-style, and judges need to have a good eye for these details. To get some idea of what I'm talking about, you can watch this video:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSyamyooEvE&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSyamyooEvE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The IWUF has a number of videos teaching Wushu technique:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iwuf.org/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.iwuf.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a book you can get that goes over Wushu Taolu:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/1430318201&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.amazon.com/dp/1430318201&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So suffice it to say, kung-fu is highly technical and involves very precise, coordinated, refined, full body movement. At least when done well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing you might be picking up on as a student of Japanese karate (Shorinji Kempo) is that there is a fundamental difference between karate and kung-fu in the way they are performed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To many karate students, kung-fu looks unfocused and not very powerful. That's because in karate, your movement is often relatively simplified and done in short, focused, choppy bursts of power. In kung-fu, the motion is more complex and much smoother. Most kung-fu techniques do not involve sudden bursts of power. Techniques are often circular, more graceful, and more complex or complicated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why is that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well the reason is obvious if you understand what's going on in your forms. In both karate and kung-fu forms, the techniques are all self-defense techniques. In other words, this is what you do if someone grabs your lapel, puts you in a side head-lock, grabs your wrist, holds a knife to your throat, grabs you in a bear hug, etc. These are answers to common self-defense situations that are still valid today. It's mostly grappling technique, not striking, even though everything looks like blocks and strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I go over this more in my answers here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7008/name-and-meaning-of-stance-where-you-stand-with-fists-on-hips/7010#7010&quot;&gt;Name and meaning of stance where you stand with fists on hips?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7006/why-is-more-time-dedicated-to-exercises-and-very-less-for-sparring-is-it-for-th/7007#7007&quot;&gt;Why is more time dedicated to exercises and very less for sparring? Is it for the fee?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, if you've ever seen Brazilian Jiujitsu, Judo, or Wrestling, do you see them using sudden bursts of power every two seconds like you see in karate? No. Things are more smooth and coordinated with the entire body. Leverage is the key. When you're trying to put someone in a Kimura lock or trying to throw someone using seoi-nage, it's not going to look like a sudden choppy motion. It will look smooth and continuous, often involving circular motion. This is a dead give-away that grappling is happening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate is done the way it is done for stylistic and cultural reasons. But it came from kung-fu. Because it is done with sudden, choppy motions in short bursts of power, everything looks like a strike or a block. Everything looks powerful and focused, short, simple, and direct. And so to a karate practitioner, kung-fu looks kind of weak and unfocused. It's hard to even tell where one technique begins and one ends. Perhaps this is what you're noticing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But make no mistake. What is going on in kung-fu forms is the same thing that's going on in karate forms. Except, in kung-fu they make it much more obvious that something besides blocking and striking is going on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In kung-fu, kicks and punches are practiced on punching bags and focus pads. The same is true of karate. If someone has a weak punch or kick, it means they're not doing this training. You don't learn to strike by practicing forms and kicking and punching to the air, in other words.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In kung-fu, sparring looks similar to karate sparring. That's because in both cases, you're doing the same thing. There's no grappling going on. If grappling is allowed, then you're going to start seeing movements that resemble what is done in the forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-07-15T16:18:04.163" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10009" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10010" CreationDate="2020-07-17T16:26:27.623" Score="-1" ViewCount="5300" Body="&lt;p&gt;In some anime or manga, characters have powers like berserk or the exceptionally strong will to fight even after he or she fainted. For example, Rock Lee from anime Naruto can do it with his muscle memory. Is this possible in reality? And if yes, how can we train our muscle memory so well?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-07-18T11:22:02.383" LastActivityDate="2022-09-19T17:47:58.630" Title="Is it possible to fight while unconscious?" Tags="|self-defense|self-training|streetfight|mentality|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10010" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10009" CreationDate="2020-07-17T17:23:37.340" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm generally opposed to anime questions, but there are a significant handful of MMA fights where one fighter is known to be semi-conscious yet still fighting. Edgar/Maynard 2 is my go-to example: Edgar is clearly concussed early, and has said on the record that he has no memory of multiple rounds, but he fought to a split draw nevertheless. He picked Maynard up and slammed him while in some sense &amp;quot;he&amp;quot; was not present.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We see this to varying degrees in other fights. Several fighters have been knocked out, then sluggishly, blindly, wrestle the referee who saved them. It's akin to sleep-walking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-07-17T17:23:37.340" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10011" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7330" CreationDate="2020-07-17T17:28:05.453" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recommend picking up a yoga block and placing it between the legs so that it supports the butt. Start with the block in the highest position, then after you get comfortable in this height (could be a few months) then move to the medium height until comfortable, then the smallest height until you get comfortable and finally remove the block. Wishing you all the best in your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10962" LastActivityDate="2020-07-17T17:28:05.453" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10012" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="625" CreationDate="2020-07-20T03:23:10.123" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have had every pressure point on my body hit, and none of them have ever worked on me. I've had multiple people who were trained in pressure point techniques try to use them on me on several occasions, and then they usually freak out when none of them work on me. I actually find it a really cool fact about myself, though I suspect mine is likely from trauma or some other physical issue (I have a lot of medical problems).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10965" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-07-22T23:44:16.477" LastActivityDate="2020-07-22T23:44:16.477" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10013" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-07-21T11:39:03.933" Score="8" ViewCount="780" Body="&lt;p&gt;An orthodox (right-handed) boxer fights with their left foot forward so they can throw a strong right-handed punch with hip rotation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A right-handed judoka has their right foot forward so their stronger right hand can grip close to the opponent's body to off-balance for throws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How does a mixed martial artist reconcile this conflict? Do they simply favor striking or throwing and choose their stance accordingly? Do they learn to strike or throw on their non-dominant side?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-07-22T02:04:42.570" Title="How do mixed martial artists select their stance lead foot?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|stance|throwing|striking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10014" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10028" CreationDate="2020-07-21T15:10:27.427" Score="5" ViewCount="484" Body="&lt;p&gt;While I am shadow boxing, I always wonder if it's necessary to protect your chin while you throw your punch combinations, as in tucking in your chin behind your shoulders. Often times, this whole idea goes out the window when say you're mixing up your kicks with some boxing or when you're just practicing your boxing with multiple punch combinations and head movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since I am a self-taught martial artist and have not sparred with anyone, I may not understand the context tucking in your chin or protecting it under the shoulder when it comes to pressure testing your skills. So when I shadowbox, the context doesn't add up. If anyone could shed some light into this very situation, it would be helpful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10707" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-07-21T21:06:06.127" LastActivityDate="2020-07-25T13:14:46.037" Title="Should you throw your crosses, jabs, uppercuts and hooks while tucking in your chin or cheek at the shoulder?" Tags="|boxing|kicking|mixed-martial-arts|self-training|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10015" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10013" CreationDate="2020-07-21T15:18:31.187" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;People who become MMA fighters usually start out learning one style first. As the sport has progressed over the years, teaching people how to mix different styles together has changed. Now, with more experienced teachers, students benefit as techniques and teaching methods evolve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Boxing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My first combat style was boxing. I was trained to fight with left foot forward, to pop the jab and throw a hard, straight right. Plus, other combinations, of course.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jiu Jitsu&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jiu jitsu was next. I didn't think about which side to use, I automatically followed my boxing stance. Most of my moves start on the left in order for me to follow through with my stronger right side. We were encouraged to drill both sides to develop body memory when you get caught in a bad position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kickboxing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kick-boxing classes allowed me to practice throwing kicks, knees and elbows. I still favored the orthodox stance, even though, by that time, my teachers were encouraging me to practice switching stance. This complicated things because defense has to switch to accommodate where my opponent is standing. We either both fight lefty or both orthodox or a mix of the two. That makes a huge difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first time I tried drilling punches as a lefty against a training partner in orthodox stance, I was alarmed at how close my opponent was to me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My coach explained the difference in positioning and we drilled offensive and defensive moves to handle fighters who switch stance as the fight progresses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wrestlers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestlers approach straight forward. That scary speed and heavy pressure happens too fast for a person to choose a side, left or right. You have to rely on body memory and hope your choice allows you to maintain a strong base and stay standing. Or else, hit the mat and work your jiu jitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My wrestling single-leg or double-leg take downs are always going to favor my strong, right side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Patterns&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, that's my pattern. If we ever spar together, you'll figure out which side I favor. On your side, if I see elements of other fighting styles, then I either stick to what I know or relish the opportunity to practice switching from right to left, just to see what happens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate, Kung Fu and TKD fighters use both stances to throw strikes wtih ease and speed. There's always something new to learn when you spar with someone who has different training from you. That's what makes it fun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Related Question: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7913/is-the-differentiation-between-southpaw-and-orthodox-stance-useful&quot;&gt;Is the differentiation between southpaw and orthodox stance useful?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10830" LastEditorUserId="10830" LastEditDate="2020-07-22T02:04:42.570" LastActivityDate="2020-07-22T02:04:42.570" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10016" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10019" CreationDate="2020-07-22T17:05:18.963" Score="4" ViewCount="132" Body="&lt;p&gt;In real life, when you need to fight you have no gloves. How can I train my hands for real life punching in fight. I read articles that claim that when working with punching/ boxing bag you have to use gloves, otherwise you will injure yourself. What is the solution on one hand not to injure yourself and on the other hand to prepare your hands to real life punching with no gloves while using punching/ boxing bag?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-07-22T17:30:30.890" LastActivityDate="2020-07-23T00:21:29.277" Title="How to train your hands while working with punching/ boxing bag" Tags="|boxing|punching|conditioning|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10017" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10018" CreationDate="2020-07-22T17:08:28.650" Score="5" ViewCount="2732" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to know if training with a laundry punching bag such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ebay.com/itm/Punch-Bag-Laundry-Bag-Punching-Washing-Exercise-Home-Novelty-Gift-Basket-Storage/391895913024?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&amp;amp;_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; is equivalent to using a real punching bag?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2020-07-23T23:22:45.907" LastActivityDate="2020-09-27T14:14:22.437" Title="Is laundry punching bag the same as regular punching bag?" Tags="|boxing|punching|self-training|equipment|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10018" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10017" CreationDate="2020-07-22T17:21:54.423" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's hard to tell without examining or testing the actual item, but I'm skeptical that they would be the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's marketed as a &amp;quot;novelty&amp;quot;, which is often used as shorthand for &amp;quot;not intended for regular use&amp;quot;, and which suggests that the straps and sides of the bag probably aren't engineered to actually hold the weight of a properly loaded bag and/or handle the forces of the punch.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The weight of dry laundry is likely not enough to create enough resistance for most training. And if the laundry is wet, it's going to create additional strain on the bag's straps.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overall, I think this is meant to be a hanging laundry bag that resembles a punching bag, not something meant to be used as a punching bag, and it will likely break quickly if used as one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-07-22T17:30:50.787" LastActivityDate="2020-07-22T17:30:50.787" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10019" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10016" CreationDate="2020-07-22T17:28:20.000" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Touching back on &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8065/how-to-condition-knuckles?noredirect=1&amp;amp;lq=1&quot;&gt;earlier questions about conditioning&lt;/a&gt;, there really is no need to do extensive hand conditioning in preparation for fighting. The fact of the matter is that you're not likely to ever be in a fight, the fight will likely last less than a minute, and if you do have to fight, you'll have bigger concerns than split knuckles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, the key is to go progressively. Initially, you're going to want to wear padded gloves and striking more slightly while learning proper technique so that you don't injure your fingers and wrists. You then move on to lighter gloves that don't reduce impact forces as much, but reduce scraping and still distribute the force of the punch by a bit. Then, you move on to cloth wraps or gloves, which still help reduce the scraping, but don't do as much to distribute the force. Lastly, you start doing bag work with bare hands. That, by itself, will gradually weather your hands to the point where you are not likely to hurt yourself punching with your bare hands without damaging the skin and nerves permanently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And even then, if you punch someone, you're probably going to bruise/split your knuckles (if nothing else, they're likely to be moving as you're punching, creating additional friction), but you're much less likely to break anything, and you're more able to throw a few defensive punches, to prove yourself not an easy target, without injuring your hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-07-23T00:21:29.277" LastActivityDate="2020-07-23T00:21:29.277" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10020" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10051" CreationDate="2020-07-22T23:42:33.280" Score="2" ViewCount="152" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I took Kuk Sool Won trial classes, we learned how to &amp;quot;correctly kihap&amp;quot; when kicking/striking. According to the instructor the best time is the instant before your hand/foot hits the target. However, I was recently watching videos of practitioners of different arts perform the same technique to see how they varied from art-to-art. I got to a video of &amp;quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98boTtEjgfw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;how to do a Taekwando side kick&lt;/a&gt;&amp;quot;, and noticed that the instructor kihaped far after his foot hits the target and as he is bringing it back down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If kihaping is meant to give more power to a strike, is it more powerful to do it as you are initiating, right before you hit the target, or directly after? It seems to me by instinct that it would be most powerful right before you hit the target but I could be wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-20T16:58:23.230" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T16:58:23.230" Title="When is the best time to kihap while executing a strike?" Tags="|technique|striking|power|breathing|kiai|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10021" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10020" CreationDate="2020-07-23T00:29:07.803" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;kihap&lt;/em&gt;, or &amp;quot;shout&amp;quot; serves many different purposes. It can help provide focus by association (you shout when you strike in practice, so shouting in combat helps you land that prototype strike). It can help provide power (I don't know the mechanism exactly, but shouting or grunting often helps people exert more effort, something to do with activating your abdominal muscles). It can startle or intimidate your enemy before, during, or even after the strike. And I've had a few people say that forcefully exhaling like that helps you expel carbon dioxide from your body in preparation to breathe deeply and reduces your chance of getting the wind knocked out of you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I usually do my &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt; either right before the strike to startle an opponent (it provokes a startle reaction in a surprising number of people, even the trained ones, that can disrupt their guard and leave them flat-footed, or swinging early before you're in range) or during to increase the power and disrupt my opponent's concentration on their defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After actually watching the video (sorry...), I've seen examples of all three. The kicker gives an abbreviated &lt;em&gt;kihap&lt;/em&gt; right before kicking, often used to firm up the stance/chamber before kicking or to startle the opponent. They also sometimes do the &lt;em&gt;kihap&lt;/em&gt; during the kick or at the time of impact to increase the power of the kick. And yes, a few times, he says the &lt;em&gt;kihap&lt;/em&gt; after the kick, which I believe is him trying to indicate that it's part of the impact, but due to the slow demonstration speed of the kick, it's delayed, much like how in a demonstration an instructor might place their strike, then say &amp;quot;strike&amp;quot; before moving to the next move in the sequence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-07-23T16:45:08.713" LastActivityDate="2020-07-23T16:45:08.713" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10022" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10017" CreationDate="2020-07-23T02:50:48.200" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think it depends on what you expect to train.&#xA;If you want to train impact, you need something firm and heavy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you just need a surface with a little resistance and some heft to practice&#xA;learning what it feels like to make impact, it doesn't matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What matters about any tool, in any craft or discipline, is what results you expect it to produce.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10969" LastEditorUserId="10969" LastEditDate="2020-07-23T07:22:15.020" LastActivityDate="2020-07-23T07:22:15.020" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10023" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10017" CreationDate="2020-07-23T06:48:10.270" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's definitely not the same.  But that doesn't mean it's bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many punching bags are much too soft or hard for certain types of training.  Similarly, many are too light or heavy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are training to box, you need to match your bag to the weight class of your opponents.  During training, you can use bags of different weights, densities, and styles to help develop different skills.  For example, uppercut training bags are very different from speed bags.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are just starting, the most important bag to have is one that you will actually use and one that won't cause injury.  Many years ago, I learned that lesson the hard way which resulted in me being in a cast with a bone fracture for weeks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, if you are strong, or use it a lot, I doubt the particular bag you found will last very long as a punching bag.  The seams or material may likely tear very soon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whenever hitting any bag, make sure you properly protect your wrists, knuckles, and fingers.  Wraps are mandatory if you want to reduce the chance of broken bones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6354" LastActivityDate="2020-07-23T06:48:10.270" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10024" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6642" CreationDate="2020-07-23T12:23:15.397" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think I know what you are asking about. I recommend long range (10-feet plus) telescopic selfie stick. Aluminium, not fancy hi-tech materials. When folded down it amounts to 20-30 inches, and it feels sturdy enough for rough treatment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10973" LastActivityDate="2020-07-23T12:23:15.397" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10025" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8225" CreationDate="2020-07-23T12:45:58.217" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As long as I understood for 20+ years in Capoeira, it primarily is a socializing art. The apt playing in the &lt;em&gt;roda&lt;/em&gt; (circle) is the utmost goal of training the art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most wonderful aspect of Capoeira is: you can throw kicks full speed in quick succession with minimal risk to harm your (trained) opponent or yourself. You couldn't find this in any other martial art.&#xA;As for self defence. A powerful kick is a powerful kick. In street situation one quick kick can decide the outcome. You rarely have the opportunity to apply some complicated sparring strategy and tactic up there. So, don't mess with soccer players, and capoeiras.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10973" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-07-23T13:26:09.777" LastActivityDate="2020-07-23T13:26:09.777" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10026" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9978" CreationDate="2020-07-23T15:10:31.980" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;From the Judo Chop Suey Podcast, &lt;a href=&quot;https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/judochopsuey?selected=AOR3810322012&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Episode 26: Interview with&#xA;Christopher Round at ~49:18&lt;/a&gt;, the interviewee Christopher Round, a former US Olympic hopeful, addresses this point while discussing where he reached his competitive ceiling:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I started running into players who were ambidextrous. And it's very rare for a player to be very good who is ambidextrous...[indistinct]. A lot of high level players, they'll have attacks that are both sided, but to be a true ambidextrous player, I can count on one hand the number of people I knew who did that at a world level. Won Hee Lee was an example of someone who could do that. Won Hee Lee for those that don't remember him, he was a very, very good player from South Korea. He won the world championships in '03. He was a guy who beat Jimmy [Pedro] in the third round of Athens [Olympics]. And I actually, my brain would just like, malfunction when I would handle those players. I was used to very disciplined judo players. And I realized, and once some of the people I fought realized that if they kept throwing different looks at me, I would have trouble keeping track. I started running into stuff that people could do that I just kinda couldn't keep up with. And that's not to say that I couldn't keep up with, to a large extent, a lot of very good judo players.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It appears very few players are ambidextrous, but being ambidextrous is an advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-07-23T15:10:31.980" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10027" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7653" CreationDate="2020-07-23T15:27:51.807" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just watched a &lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/av_r3uI_HBg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; to see Glima wrestling in action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looks like it requires a lot of upper body strength and more time standing than in ground control. Plus, at least one big difference. No pin or tap. Just escape to win. Interesting. I learned something new today.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's an article with more information, &lt;a href=&quot;http://ejmas.com/jwma/articles/2000/jwmaart_kautz_0100.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Gripping History of Glima&lt;/a&gt;, featuring an old web page showing how the internet looked in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10830" LastActivityDate="2020-07-23T15:27:51.807" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10028" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10014" CreationDate="2020-07-25T13:14:46.037" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Apologies for the late answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I am shadow boxing, I always wonder if it's &lt;strong&gt;necessary&lt;/strong&gt; to ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes. It is absolutely &lt;strong&gt;necessary&lt;/strong&gt; that you do everything in your shadowboxing that you would do in your sparring sessions or fights. If you like throwing the spinning side kick when you are sparring, you must throw hundreds of them when you are shadowboxing. The idea here is simple: drill the movement, build muscle memory, and make it automatic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now ask yourself this: Do I need to keep my hands up and my chin tucked during sparring? If your answer is &amp;quot;No.&amp;quot; then ask &amp;quot;Why?&amp;quot; in a new MA.SE question. If your answer is &amp;quot;Yes!&amp;quot; then you know &amp;quot;Why?&amp;quot; and hence you should absolutely ensure of it when you are shadowboxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Protect your chin at all times by tucking it in behind your shoulders (at least one),  keeping your hands up (at least one) to cover your chin, or both.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I always wonder if it's necessary to protect your chin while you throw your punch combinations ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am going to assume you are a beginner given you state that you have not sparred with anyone until now. The answer to your question is [generally] YES! Now, you should always be conscious about &lt;strong&gt;protecting&lt;/strong&gt; your chin. However, tucking in your chin behind your shoulder/s might not be suitable or appropriate at all times; doing so may adversely impact your form and power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, let's say you are throwing a right uppercut (i.e., with your rear hand). When you are coming up with the right uppercut, your chin should be protected by your left arm/fist/glove. You can't tuck in your chin behind your left shoulder because it is actually pulling back (or opening up like a lever). You also can't tuck in your chin behind your right shoulder because the punch is coming from below (as opposed to the straight right/cross).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;When throwing combinations, always expect the unexpected counter.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you expect the counter, you will automatically start protecting your chin in the ways I mentioned above. You will be conscious about it, and that will help keeping you safe. You may feel that since you are throwing combinations, your opponent might not throw anything and just defend and block. But that is when you get hit by an unexpected strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's say you throw four punches (1-2-3-2); your opponent shells up and takes them. Next time you start the same combo with the Jab-Cross- ... he comes down with an over-hand right. And since you did not tuck in your chin while throwing your left hook, your third punch, you are now caught flush with that counter over-hand right and knocked out. If you tucked in your chin while throwing the left hook, that over-hand right would have grazed your head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Tucking in your chin behind your shoulders, or keeping your hands glued to your chin is quite difficult to do when you are tired (i.e., after a few rounds of hot exchanges)!&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that is exactly why you should consciously make the effort to do it at all times during your shadowboxing. This way you train your shoulder and back muscles to be able to keep those shoulders and hands high, especially when fatigued. When you are tired, you won't have those slick head movements. Your slipping and bobbing will be much slower, and you will have to rely on the very basic defense mechanism: protect the chin with your hands and shoulders.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;When certain moves don't allow you to tuck in your chin behind your shoulder/s, just consciously make the effort to protect your chin by moving your head, or by bringing your arms across your face.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is not always possible to tuck in your chin when you are sparring/fighting. For example, let's say you throw a Jab-Cross-Left Hook-Right Body kick combo. When you throw the right body kick, your right hand should be slicing the air downwards in an angle. So you don't have your right shoulder &amp;quot;raised&amp;quot; to protect your chin as much as when you are just in your stationary fighting stance. Your left shoulder (and your left side of your whole body) is moving or turning backwards to give you the turning power for the kick. So you also don't have the left shoulder to protect your chin. What you do is bring your left arm across your face and dip your head to avoid a potential counter straight right hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Incorporate defense in your shadowboxing.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Often times, this whole idea goes out the window when say you're mixing up your kicks with some boxing or when you're just practicing your boxing with multiple punch combinations and head movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me, it seems like when the &amp;quot;whole idea goes out the window&amp;quot; you are essentially focusing on your offense. You need to &lt;strong&gt;actively&lt;/strong&gt; think about your opponent &lt;strong&gt;interrupting&lt;/strong&gt; your combos and your moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many beginners make the mistake of turning the shadowboxing session into a turn-based exercise. &lt;em&gt;Now it's my turn to do offense {does offense for 2:30 min}; oh, well, now it's time for defense {does some parrying and blocking for 30 sec}&lt;/em&gt;. You need to imagine him coming at you. Mix up your offense and defense. And you will realize that you are now actively protecting your chin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a better way to shadowbox: Okay, I am going to hit him with a Jab-Cross-Jab-Cross-Left Hook. Start the combo. After the first three punches your opponent moves out of the way and hits you. You raise your guard, tuck in your chin, and go back to work. Imagine your opponent interrupting your offense, and then you will automatically protect your chin, in whatever way is possible then.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastActivityDate="2020-07-25T13:14:46.037" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10030" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10032" CreationDate="2020-07-28T08:56:30.917" Score="6" ViewCount="623" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Bear in mind I only very recently started watching combat sports, so I'm still unfamiliar with many techniques and the history of the various sports. Explain it like I'm 5 if you must.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Judo and BJJ, there are specific techniques that are banned in tournaments, sometimes depending on skill level, due to the risk of crippling injuries. Two examples are jumping to closed guard and a scissor takedown (&lt;em&gt;kani basami&lt;/em&gt;). Add your victim's unfortunate footwork to your body weight and momentum of these techniques, and you might accidentally inflict gruesome leg injuries (there ARE videos of this, if you're curious). Awareness and adjusting footwork seems to be the main way to avoid those injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My intuition is that the striking aspect of MMA keeps fighters at a distance where these moves are less practical to attempt, but closing that distance to clinch and grapple happens quite often. So why weren't these techniques attempted more and cause accidents in MMA as they had in Judo/BJJ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10450" LastEditorUserId="10450" LastEditDate="2020-07-29T08:39:35.397" LastActivityDate="2020-11-07T06:32:21.743" Title="Why aren't forbidden moves in grappling sports like Judo and BJJ also a problem in MMA?" Tags="|judo|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|mixed-martial-arts|sport|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10031" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10034" CreationDate="2020-07-28T11:56:57.713" Score="4" ViewCount="458" Body="&lt;p&gt;I learnt this phrase from @Philip Klöcking. He explained:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;hit hard targets soft and soft targets hard, ie. slaps to the head, punches to the torso, kicks to the thighs. Same goes for blocks/parries. Blocking a shin with your forearm will probably have unwanted consequences, while meeting it with the side of your calf or a soft hand prevents injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a list of rules what parts of the body can be used to attack or block the other fighter's parts? In addition, is there a body chart that shows what parts are soft and hard? Is there any book, video or other source that explains it? What is the best way to train using this maxim? Is there a way to solo train this technique i.e. self training or punching bag?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-07-28T13:31:32.377" LastActivityDate="2024-02-04T06:44:47.180" Title="What is the best way to &quot;Hit hard targets soft and soft targets hard&quot; (in order to avoid injury in fight)?" Tags="|training|self-defense|self-training|striking|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10032" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10030" CreationDate="2020-07-29T09:52:19.150" Score="7" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Usefulness of &amp;quot;dangerous&amp;quot; moves&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;why haven't we seen more people landing badly (or purposefully) on legs and breaking them?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because it's actually really hard to cause damage with these moves, and a lot of that is just luck. They're banned because a small but significant percentage of attempts will, due to a the opponent's split-section reaction but also chance, cause serious injury. But it's not like they're &amp;quot;overpowered&amp;quot; moves in a videogame. The majority of scissor takedowns result in no injury. Checking a kick results in a broken leg maybe one time out of a thousand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another aspect is that both of your examples, the scissor takedown and jumping guard (which is, I note, only banned at white belt), have major drawbacks in MMA. The scissor takedown is quite hard to set up from striking range, and if it fails you've pulled a bad guard. Both pulling and jumping guard put you underneath someone who would love to hold you down and hit you until the end of the round while you squirm to get back to your feet – tactically, it is a choice riddled with problems. Jumping guard is worse, because it gives your opponent the opportunity to slam you. Few MMA fighters want to take the risk to &lt;em&gt;themselves&lt;/em&gt; that these techniques present.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Different risk/reward profiles&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any sport that involves getting punched full force in the face is, by nature, going to attract people more willing to be injured. Grappling sports are intended to be easier to take part in without serious or permanent injury. Therefore more techniques are banned in grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Striking sports like boxing, kickboxing, and MMA involve more infrequent competition and much more acceptance of risk than grappling. (This is somewhat less true in a Thai context, and lower-contact striking sports like tae kwon do are somewhat of an exception, but overall this is overwhelmingly true in the West.) The sport is designed for participants who want to trade safety for freedom and realism.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Expected competition participation&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo rules are intended to be universal, used almost identically from community tournaments all the way through to the Olympics. The only difference between a white belt adult competing in my region and the world championships was that armbars weren't allowed until sankyu. Global consistency is highly valued.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another core value of judo is safety for the &lt;em&gt;massive&lt;/em&gt; volume of participants. Judo is almost as popular across the world as soccer, and it's expected that judoka will compete often and at all ages. The rules have to take this into consideration. Therefore jointlocks are limited to the absolute safest--those attacking the elbow, which come on the slowest and do the least long-term damage--to minimize the number of life-altering injuries caused by the sport. Similarly, many throws like kawazu gake which endanger joints are banned, because the large number of worldwide judo competitors would cause a large number of risky throws to be attempted, and thus a non-negligible number of long-term crippling injuries. Allowing the technique would make judo much more of a niche sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At a guess, MMA has 1/1000th the number of participating competitors per year, maybe fewer. The number of people put at risk is almost not comparable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2020-07-29T12:38:29.503" LastActivityDate="2020-07-29T12:38:29.503" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10033" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7123" CreationDate="2020-07-29T14:58:26.630" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;First off, I'd like to see the link providing proof of this statement:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to the UK Police, less than 50% of assaults actually caused&#xA;injury at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, assault is unfriendly, angry and criminal. If you are injured in your dojo, hopefully, you are friends or in some kind of agreeable relationship with the person you are sparring or training with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be specific, I would say that yes, in the UK, injuries from assault are traumatizing and more severe than injuries that occur in the dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, I do not have a link proving that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10830" LastActivityDate="2020-07-29T14:58:26.630" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10034" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10031" CreationDate="2020-07-30T15:53:14.807" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Traditionally, the information on where to strike with what has been conveyed via charts, today often available in &lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B008AUXMA2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;poster form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/3W3Yi.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/3W3Yi.png&quot; alt=&quot;Poster showing strike points with suggested attack modality&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As regards training, I've usually experienced it via my teacher watching me execute strikes, either halted ones on a living target, or more deliberate ones on &lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B00329TVEM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a humanoid dummy&lt;/a&gt; and critiquing me. I could see virtue in labeling such a humanoid target and/or providing feedback from the strikes, whether it's making parts of it hard or soft (hit the jaw with your fist and your hand will hurt from the edges. Slap the belly and you can feel where it doesn't do much) or embedding sensors (too high-tech, really, but I'm sure it will eventually get easy enough to be common).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Honestly, most people just learn from experience in training with less than full-force blows, and then working their way up in actual fight scenarios where a mistake would cause more damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-07-30T15:53:14.807" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10035" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-08-02T11:02:15.003" Score="5" ViewCount="144" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Shorinji Kempo we make a point of learning to use different hip positions.  I forget the exact Japanese names but basically we have hip forwards and hip backwards stances that we use in different situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shorinji Kempo has an unusual herritage that is a mixture of Japanese Jujitsu and Chinese Qi Na (from Northern Shaolin style).  For this reason I don't know what the origin of this emphasis on hip position actually is.  It might even be a kenjutsu type skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-08-04T03:07:18.270" LastActivityDate="2020-10-01T17:14:15.100" Title="Are there striking or weapon styles that use hip tilt?" Tags="|kung-fu|jujutsu|striking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10036" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7939" CreationDate="2020-08-02T13:50:28.660" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's a blanket term for anything ranging from &amp;quot;ok&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;thanks&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;I understand&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;goodbye&amp;quot; and what not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can have a look here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://bjjbear.com/meaning-of-oss-osu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://bjjbear.com/meaning-of-oss-osu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10987" LastActivityDate="2020-08-02T13:50:28.660" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10037" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7948" CreationDate="2020-08-03T02:37:04.077" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chess Boxing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gcvKX.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gcvKX.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The sport of chess boxing is a martial art combined with the game of chess.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing skills wear down your opponent and make it difficult for him or her to concentrate on the mental challenge of speed chess. Players must make a chess move within 10 seconds. The match can be won in any round by a knockout or a checkmate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;No, you are not allowed to hit your opponent with the chess board.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chess Boxing Rules&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Since 1992 the sport has gone global with countries including England, Germany, Netherlands, France, Russia and Japan all embracing the new sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Players have to be skilled in both boxing and chess to compete at the highest level...Players go head to head in chess boxing and the match starts with a four minute round of chess.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The players then go into the ring for a three minute round of boxing before again returning to the chess board.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The match consists of 11 rounds in all (6 rounds of chess and 5 rounds of boxing) with 1 minute intervals between rounds.&amp;quot; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.rulesofsport.com/sports/chess-boxing.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chess Boxing Rules&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Introduction to Iepe Rudingh, Inventor of Chess Boxing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;ESPN Video: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZGHrzE8bqc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;What is chess boxing, and how did it become a sport?&lt;/a&gt; Chess boxing inventor Iepe Rubingh explains the origins and rules of his quirky sport, which was inspired in part by a comic.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It's London vs Berlin:&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;quot;...and please don't mention the war.&amp;quot; Chess Boxing founder and President of the Chess Boxing Club Berlin, Iepe Rubingh, a Dutchman, talking trash to the Brits preparing to engage in chess boxing battle with Germany. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlxDQl0IxkI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Video: Chess Boxing Message from Berlin for London&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sadly, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iepe_Rubingh&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Iepe passed away&lt;/a&gt; at the age of 45 (17 August 1974 to 8 May 2020).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Photo Credit: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wired.com/2013/03/laurra-pannack-chess-boxers/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chess Boxing Demands a Rare Breed of Human: The 'Nerdlete'&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10830" LastEditorUserId="10830" LastEditDate="2020-08-03T02:48:39.050" LastActivityDate="2020-08-03T02:48:39.050" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10038" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10035" CreationDate="2020-08-04T03:04:07.597" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;One principle applied in bagua striking is to use the spine as a whip to transmit power. The whipping motion starts as a wave in the hips; any strike using this principle works through a range of hip pitch angles. &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/We7jTGkyD84?t=100&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This video&lt;/a&gt; is a sufficient example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-08-04T03:04:07.597" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10039" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9529" CreationDate="2020-08-04T11:08:58.853" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes some tehnique  like the uchi mata is the same for judo and sumo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10811" LastActivityDate="2020-08-04T11:08:58.853" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10040" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10045" CreationDate="2020-08-05T10:59:44.723" Score="5" ViewCount="443" Body="&lt;p&gt;As someone who plans on studying at university, it might be quite difficult to find part-time jobs that are similar to my chosen area of study. Other than my subject of study; theoretical physics, I have quite a passion for martial arts and I would love to consider teaching or being a trainer, as a part-time income alongside my study.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Currently, I have not yet joined a gym, but I do plan on joining a MMA club at my university. As of now, I have been self-training kickboxing for a couple of years and have trained in Kyokushin karate for some time when I was around 11 years old.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was wondering if there's any certification or qualification that would be required to be a part-time kickboxing coach/trainer. Would I need a blackbelt in particular martial arts? In other words, what does it take to be a coach?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit:&lt;/strong&gt; A little context....let's say that I am talking from a point where I am not some elite athlete, who fought professionally. Say that I am just looking for a gig in an MMA gym where I can do part-time mentoring/coaching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10707" LastEditorUserId="10707" LastEditDate="2020-08-06T11:04:22.253" LastActivityDate="2020-08-08T10:11:58.740" Title="What does it take to be a part-time kickboxing or MMA coach?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|kickboxing|teaching|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10041" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10040" CreationDate="2020-08-05T11:22:35.947" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Requirements -  this is more about local laws/business question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it is for money - then it is more about your business/marketing/communication skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it is about sports/MA spirit - it depends.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Coaching is not just a work - it is a great responsibility. It is like being a teacher. You're responsible for the things you teach your students. And HOW you teach them. If you are teaching them bad - then you're not just giving them invalid skills - you're ruining the value of what you teach in their eyes. Because bad-educated students, who cannot effectively use what you teach them, starts believing, that the subject itself is bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good coach is not only about a very high level of skills - it is about ability to TEACH that skills. Which is generally other, than ability to USE skills&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If you are sure in all that, and ready to take responsibilty - then I wish you good luck and good students from the whole heart!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PS&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;Point about competing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you are competing (not just sparring with your partners in your home jym) - that is very different. At your first fight, million things may go wrong - not the way you expect. Ability to suppress your adrenaline, keep your mind cold, and your body to remember what to do.. and ability to TEACH that, are, from my opinion absolute requirements for a good coach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And, at last, when your student is in the ring, you have to advise him what to do - in the way he understood it in his current condition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should watch what your student do, and, at the same time, what his opponent do, or trying to do. You should summarize all your information during the round, and then guide your student with a couple (3 at maximum) very short phrases, and repeat them during the break. For example &amp;quot;counter his start with right cross&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;more jabs&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;try left-left-right&amp;quot;, and so on. Your student may be concussed, he(she) may be wavering, or catching breath - so phrases &lt;strong&gt;must&lt;/strong&gt; be short and easy to understand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, that is somewhat ideal situation, when you can do all of it - but without your own experience it is just unreachable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2020-08-06T07:59:42.623" LastActivityDate="2020-08-06T07:59:42.623" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10042" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10040" CreationDate="2020-08-05T17:53:00.630" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been self-training kickboxing for a couple of years and have trained in Kyokushin karate for some time when I was around 11 years old.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For someone with this background, the first step to becoming a coach would be to start training. After that you should compete, preferably more than once. Then you would have to help other trainees compete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is not likely that this process will be complete -- to the extent that it would be ethical for someone to pay you for your services -- before you finish university. You don't even know if you &lt;em&gt;like&lt;/em&gt; kickboxing with other adults yet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do have a very good basis on kickboxing, that I have taught myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of people who self-train think this. Very few are correct. Most are wrong. The way to find out is to compete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2020-08-06T14:03:58.143" LastActivityDate="2020-08-06T14:03:58.143" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10043" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10040" CreationDate="2020-08-06T13:05:38.500" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It does not make much of a difference whether you aspire to train the next champion full-time or just want to help some people having some fun with martial arts: you will need the ability, dedication, and ideally a license to have something worth offering.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Ability&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having some training does not suffice. You need to have the technical ability to demonstrate, the understanding to explain, and both to be able to spot and correct mistakes made.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When it comes to competition, you additionally would have to have at least some extent of experience as a competitor, although technical expertise and understanding and a good eye can make up for some of it if they are extraordinary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, you would need to have some basis in training science and nutrition and pedagogy or you will inevitably make mistakes that hamper the development of your students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Dedication&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being a coach costs a lot of time and nerves, especially when it comes to competitions. There is no such thing as free weekends but for very few exceptions (Christmas and summer holidays, basically). The administrative part is extensive as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;License&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is actually about insurance, really. If you want to profit from cheap insurance schemes, you need to have a license and, linked to that, some grading in your sport. Sure, you can offer training and open a school making up belts etc., but if sh*t hits the fan, things can get really messy financially.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This put aside, it ensures for yourself that you have the required knowledge and are kept up to date through seminars etc. I would highly recommend it in any form of organised martial art. And both kickboxing and MMA have established federations in most countries. Look for the biggest, there is fraud everywhere in the martial arts world.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many competitions require being part in a given organisation as well, and they often check credentials when you register. If they don't, they're probably rubbish.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2020-08-06T20:17:42.540" LastActivityDate="2020-08-06T20:17:42.540" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10044" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="578" CreationDate="2020-08-07T08:12:20.120" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There ARE kicks in Aikido. The most common reasons it is believed there are no kicks or even kick defenses in Aikido by aikidoka, by other martial artists or the public are as follows:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a student hasn't trained long enough to be shown the kicks or has not progressed far enough within Aikido to have been taught them&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the instructor teaching them does not know any of them and quite possibly for the same reasons as cited. They never learned kicks themselves.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the Grand Masters of Aikido knew kicks and kick defenses and freely taught them to their students. However as the generations pass, much knowledge is lost.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido kicks, as an attack, certainly exist and are effective. Kicking techniques are taught and they range from front kicks to round house kicks, short snappy  kicks and great thudding kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same fundamental movement principles govern how and when kicks are to be performed. Though admittedly, kicks tend not to be used to learn to be defended against, but the opposite, used as attacks when doing the techniques of Aikido (as in nage/tori of aikido) to clarify correct distancing, angles and timing - Ma-ai much as the same way atemi strikes are used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Relative to the importance of what is to be learned and understood within Aikido, kicking as a traditional attack, does not occur often in Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some reasons cited are valid, as in the balance argument, aikido techniques usually nullify kicks (when waza is performed well and at tempo by a competent exponent of aikido) and for minor cultural reasons also.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, I think the most common perception of why there seems to be no kicking in Aikido, falls upon the practitioners and teachers themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many aikidoka hide behind the &amp;quot;harmony&amp;quot; aspect of the philosophy, meaning they never have to challenge themselves to dive into the depths of Budo to discover anything profound about themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They explain it away in one sweeping statement as in, &amp;quot;Aikido is about peace and non conflict&amp;quot;. I find this to be false. It fails the most common &amp;quot;Heroes Story&amp;quot; of finding light in the darkest places.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido itself is a journey of self-discovery and one must search long and hard for one's self. Only a Master of Aikido who truly understands and has experienced conflict can explain away conflict and teach peace. This was the ultimate philosophy of O'Sensei Ueshiba Morihei, Founder of Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10997" LastEditorUserId="10830" LastEditDate="2020-08-13T01:27:06.597" LastActivityDate="2020-08-13T01:27:06.597" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10045" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10040" CreationDate="2020-08-08T10:05:32.377" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Hey. Don’t ever let somebody tell you ... You can’t do something ... You got a dream. You gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.&amp;quot; - Will Smith, Pursuit of Happiness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That quote should tell you that you can do this. But there is a process. And it will take some time. Take this answer constructively. Use it as a guideline. This is a long answer, so read it when you have some time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Part-time income while studying full-time at a university.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are a few lines I want to address first before getting into the MA coaching part.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;As someone who plans on studying at university, &lt;strong&gt;it might be quite difficult to find part-time jobs that are similar to my chosen area of study&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I would love to consider teaching or being a trainer, a&lt;strong&gt;s a part-time income&lt;/strong&gt; alongside my study&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Say that I am just looking for a &lt;strong&gt;gig&lt;/strong&gt; in an MMA gym where I can do part-time mentoring/coaching.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You say that it might be quite difficult to find a part-time job that is similar to your area of study, which is theoretical physics. You mention that you &amp;quot;plan&amp;quot; on studying at a university, which tells me you aren't there yet. So, I think your assumption about getting a part-time job in that area is a bit too narrow, given you haven't had the chance to search for any yet while studying at the university. Once you make it to your 2nd year, you can apply for Teaching Assistant positions in your department. A part-time MA coaching too won't be related to your academic field. So, why not get a part-time job that is less stressful and that requires less effort?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you get into university, you can tutor students privately (teach O-levels, A-levels, or high-school physics, chemistry, or math — I see from your profile you are in these SE sites). If your primary goal is to find an earning source, then a part-time job — no matter doing what — will work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember, college is hard. That is why a lot of people drop out, because they are not able to handle the pressure. You will have it easy at the start (the first two years), and that is when you can score your best GPA. If your initial GPA is low (despite having easy 100 and 200 level courses), it will be crazy hard to bring that GPA up later in your 3rd and 4th year. So, I would say don't worry about a part-time job now. Get used to college first, that pressure and insane amount of load. Find a part-time job that is not taxing, that does not require you to think much. You will already be overwhelmed with studies, exams, family, girls, and what not. So the part-time job should be something very easy, requiring minimal effort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;But why not Martial Arts coaching then?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See, if you said you want to coach because that fascinates you more than anything, then I would say, go for it. But it seems to me that your main concern here is the part-time income. Martial Arts coaching is a very, very difficult thing to do. It isn't just being athletic and knowing how to do some punching and kicking. It is being responsible for your students. How do you know you can take this responsibility, if you haven't yet experienced and managed your own responsibilities at the university yet?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;What does it take to be a coach?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;1. Passion.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It takes a lot. There are people who skip college, train and compete their whole lives, and still make horrible, horrible mentors. Teaching not just martial arts, but almost anything properly and effectively requires passion. Have you ever taught anyone anything? If you did, did you like it? How did you react when they asked the same question again and again. How did you feel when they kept making the same mistakes after you had explained something for hours? Do you enjoy teaching in general? Do you like helping others overcome their problems?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;2. Fighting or sparring experience.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You say that you have no experience in actually practicing your craft in a MA gym.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Currently, I have not yet joined a gym, but I do plan on joining a MMA club at my university. As of now, I have been self-training kickboxing for a couple of years and have trained in Kyokushin karate for some time when I was around 11 years old.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First of all, you need to go join a gym. No amount of self-training will ever prepare you for being a coach. You have to get to a gym, train there, get to know people, spar with them, and then, train with them some more. What you learnt when you were 11 means nothing. I have seen people — who did some sort of traditional striking for years when they were teenagers — get annihilated when they sparred against Kickboxers who have been training and &lt;strong&gt;sparring&lt;/strong&gt; for a year. You need to be able to do partner drills, bag work, and sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me ask you this: Why would I pick you as my MA coach? You don't have a base gym where you train. You don't have fighting/sparring experience. You don't have a mentor. If you are going to teach your student a Jab-Cross-Hook combo, for example, how do you know it will be effective? Have you landed that combo on a heavy bag? Have you caught someone with that combo in sparring? How do you know what you are going to teach is actually going to work? Do you see where I am going with this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;To be able to teach someone something, you have to first learn it yourself. Lead by example!&lt;/strong&gt; You need to test your skills. You have to be battle-tested if you are going to prepare and train others for their own battles in MA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;3. Facing your fear: Walking into the ring, with hundreds of people watching you and booing you!&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Competing is essential. At least one win is preferred. It is not the trophy or the certificate that makes you qualified to be a coach. But it is the courage, the training, the hard-work, the faith that got you up there in the ring that separates you from hundreds of other MA practitioners. How are you going to train me for a fight, if you have never stepped into the ring yourself? How will you motivate me, inspire me, and tell me to face my fears, if you have never faced that yourself? How will you tell me to get up, if you have never fallen down?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It takes a lot of courage and heart to be able to get into the ring. From the time you tell your coach that you want to fight in the ring, you step inside a whole new battle that only ends after the fight. You must have this experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And no, you don't need a black belt in anything to compete — just a good coach and a base gym.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;4. Maturity, patience, empathy, discipline, and mental toughness.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You absolutely need the above qualities to be a decent coach and not do disservice to your students. Are you a leader? Can you lead? Can you understand when someone is in emotional pain or distress? Can you be patient with someone who is quite annoying and irritating? What life-advice would you give to your 28 year old student who has just been dumped by his girlfriend? How would you help him if you see him all heartbroken and unfocused, or worse, really, really angry? How would you comfort someone who is having an emotional breakdown? How would you train someone who had a bad knee injury and is now afraid to put in their 100%? How would you help someone break that mental barrier? How would you use Martial Arts to help a student who have lost everything, got into drugs and alcohol, but wants to change now? How would you help someone who is getting bullied at college everyday? A coach doesn't have to be a psychologist, but a coach needs to be someone who has gone through these ups and downs, and can say a few words just to make the students life and training a little better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How will you handle coaching when you are going to have your term final exams? A coach needs to be there all the time, even if that job is part-time. Are you tough enough to keep going when the going gets hard? Can you grind? You have to ask yourself these questions and then answer them as honestly as possible. Be real with yourself. This isn't just a hobby. This is real responsibility. You are responsible for your students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, you can't learn these things in one day. It takes time. By the time you finish college, you will learn many things. You will know what it is actually like to handle pressure. So, I would say, instead of thinking about coaching now, use these next 3 to 4 years to train in a MA gym. That way, you will gain many of the qualities I mentioned above, and you will have a lot of life-experience that will shape you into a much better you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Here is what you can do.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be an assistant to your coach/mentor. Join a MA gym and work hard. Advance to the advanced classes. Talk to your coach, engage with other senior students. Do some sparring. If possible complete in some local friendly tournaments. When you get really good at throwing combos and holding pads, your coach may use you to demonstrate combos and moves to the class. Take advantage of this. All coaches and mentors need someone to help them demonstrate the moves. In my gym, my mentor will ask one or more of the better students to help him with the demonstrations. Hold pads for your mentor when he teaches the class. Tell him you are interested in doing that. Do this for sometime, then he will tell you one day to do the basic warm-up for the class. And then one day when you have had a fight or two, ask him if he can send some private session students your way so you can make some money. Ask him if you can teach the kids class. And there you go. I have seen this happen in my gym. And this is the best way to go about it. Use your mentor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This way, you don't have to worry about getting your own place to do the coaching, expenses and fees, paperwork, insurance, and all other logistics. If you train and you improve, and if you have a good relationship with your mentor, the door to coaching will open. If you do this right and from now on, you will be able to teach your own class in your base gym when you finish your degree.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-08-08T10:11:58.740" LastActivityDate="2020-08-08T10:11:58.740" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10046" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10047" CreationDate="2020-08-09T10:05:56.483" Score="9" ViewCount="1225" Body="&lt;p&gt;I started to watch Muay Thai recently, and something I can't really wrap my head around is exactly what throws are illegal. Muay Thai abstains from many throws and takedowns you'd find in grappling sports, but it still has leg sweeps and throws from the clinch. I know that Muay Thai does not allow groundfighting, but I never even see a shoulder or hip throw. Rules aside, those seem like good options in a clinch and can put an opponent on the ground as you remain standing, just like leg sweeps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what's the rule-of-thumb for a legal throw in Muay Thai and what's the motivation for it? I have considered if throws were just historically unused, but apparently the martial arts (Muay Boran) that formed the basis of Muay Thai had grappling and groundfighting. I have also wondered if it has to do with a history of safety regulations, but I only found information about fighting equipment, weight classes, banning groin strikes, the usual stuff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10450" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-08-09T11:23:34.197" LastActivityDate="2020-08-09T21:57:56.673" Title="What sort of throws are illegal in Muay Thai and why?" Tags="|history|muay-thai|throwing|competition|sport|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10047" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10046" CreationDate="2020-08-09T21:57:56.673" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think Sylvie conveys the right feeling in &lt;a href=&quot;https://8limbsus.com/blog/illegal-throws-in-muay-thai-sweeps-cant-do&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this article&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I’ve fought over 100 times in Thailand and honestly I have never had a completely clear picture of what &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;is not&lt;/em&gt; a legal throw in Muay Thai.  There are some very obvious fouls, but others seem a gray area. I’ve had a vague sense that you cannot lift an opponent, or that you can’t “back break”, or use the calf or “hooking” with feet to trip, but it seemed that some of the more effective throws that [other fighters] do in training were often in the gray area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;She ends the article with a supposedly complete, rulebook-based list of illegal moves, but it's important to keep in mind how little the sport approaches it in that lawyerly way. This is to be expected in &lt;em&gt;any&lt;/em&gt; sport where you're allowed to clinch for a prolonged period of time, and where you can kick the legs and knock your opponent to the ground, but you aren't supposed to wrestle for takedowns or focus on big throws. That combination of factors creates a fundamentally fuzzy border between good technique and fouls.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(This is true in the other direction, too: the instructions for a driving &lt;em&gt;kouchigari&lt;/em&gt; trip in one of the best judo tomes reads &amp;quot;you must strike him with your elbow slightly inward of his diaphragm.&amp;quot; Strikes are forbidden, but it would be ludicrous to try to codify the difference between a strike-to-do-damage and the necessary strike involved in knocking someone down.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-08-09T21:57:56.673" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10048" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-08-10T13:39:46.017" Score="6" ViewCount="176" Body="&lt;p&gt;I used to learn Olympic Fencing.  In this sport the Piste was very narrow compared with it's length.  (2 metres by 10 metres).  Because the swords are over half a metre long this eliminates any possibility of circling or using footwork in any non-linear manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why is this?  is it because the sport often uses wires to connect the swords to the scoring machine?  OR did the piste shape predate this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2021-08-19T12:14:20.387" Title="In Olympic fencing, why is the Piste so narrow?" Tags="|sport|fencing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10049" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10050" CreationDate="2020-08-11T01:02:51.880" Score="5" ViewCount="460" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I attempt to go into a horse stance my form breaks down after just a couple inches of depth. I cannot go lower than this and begin to lean significantly if I go any lower. I'd estimate my thigh angle to be only be 15 degrees before form breakdown.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am unsure of what the problem might be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone have any ideas of the potential limiting factor? If it helps I've always had similar issues with an olympic back squat and have always had to go low bar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should I just keep training the stance in the hopes it will improve?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11006" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-08-16T02:39:29.693" LastActivityDate="2020-11-18T23:13:25.193" Title="Very high horse stance" Tags="|karate|kung-fu|stance|flexibility|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10050" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10049" CreationDate="2020-08-11T07:56:28.263" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am unsure of what the problem might be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's almost always tight glutes, hamstrings, adductors, and hip flexors. Basically very few people these days have sufficient mobility anywhere in the hips to do a proper horse stance. Your difficulty staying upright in a back squat reinforces this belief. I found that stretching my anterior hip gave me the most immediate improvement in staying upright, but to really dial it all in, I had to improve everything around the hips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should I just keep training the stance in the hopes it will improve?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes you should train the stance, but not by doing only the stance. Frequent (daily or more) stretching (including glutes, lunges, butterfly, pigeon, etc), variations of the stance, and weighted stance training are all called for. Thomas Kurz has some extremely relevant materials for martial-arts-related stretching, especially Flexibility Express and Stretching Scientifically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-08-11T07:56:28.263" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10051" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10020" CreationDate="2020-08-12T22:36:19.823" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;For the sake of answering, I'm going to assume you're asking &amp;quot;When is the best time to kiai &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;in order to maximize effect&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;?&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Leaving aside any psychological benefit, the physiological effect of kiaiing is to tense the diaphragm and firm up the connection between the upper and lower body.  Simply put, if there's &amp;quot;wiggle&amp;quot; in your core, a punch relies (primarily) on upper-body mass.  If your entire body is one tight unit, more of your lower-body mass comes into play.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Imagine a knight on horseback, striking a jousting target with a lance at full gallop.  If the knight is riding bareback, with only a loose connection to the horse, then very little of the horse's mass comes into play on impact (and the knight has a pretty good chance of flying backwards off the horse).  However, if the knight has a modern saddle with stirrups, and is thus well-connected to the horse, then more of the horse's mass is behind the lance strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being the case, I'd say your kiai needs to be happening at the moment of impact (which means starting it a smidgen before and ending a bit after).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11007" LastActivityDate="2020-08-12T22:36:19.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10052" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9996" CreationDate="2020-08-12T22:49:34.717" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends on context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The question is tagged &amp;quot;wrestling&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;groundwork&amp;quot; but, as others have pointed out, this move may not be &amp;quot;competition legal&amp;quot;, depending on your rule set.  By contrast, it &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; legal in many karate rule sets and, using your picture as the model, a left-legged kakato-geri (heel kick) would be an obvious choice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11007" LastActivityDate="2020-08-12T22:49:34.717" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10053" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="293" CreationDate="2020-08-13T12:35:11.560" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I did Taekwondo for 6 years, and yes I love the sport, but it did have lasting effects on my body. Ever since I was around 12 or 13, I’ve had problems with my feet. My bones grind and pop causing a lot of pain sometimes. I didn’t have the problem before starting Taekwondo back in 4th grade. Eventually I quit after getting my black belt because of the effects the sport had on me. I went to a foot specialist and they said I had really weak ankles and that I needed a lot of support in my shoes. Now at the age of 23, I have problems with my sciatic nerve, my hands and fingers, and my feet. I wish my instructor had been better at teaching us the proper way to stretch and to avoid injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11009" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-08-14T01:56:21.577" LastActivityDate="2020-08-14T01:56:21.577" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10054" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10049" CreationDate="2020-08-16T02:39:15.180" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This sounds like a straightforward flexibility problem, which is normal for beginners. Stance training requires body use in ways that are generally unfamiliar to the untrained.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Should I just keep training the stance in the hopes it will improve?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The purpose of the horse stance is to train your strength, flexibility, and structure. The horse stance is a tool; it is a training stance and not a fighting stance. It is not suitable for fighting because moving in a horse stance is slow and it completely exposes the groin. Standard kung fu stance training chains movements combining the horse stance with other stances (front, drop, cross, etc.) to increase flexibility and agility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Joints have opposing muscle groups that move bones in opposite directions. A significant factor in flexibility is your ability to relax the muscle group that is opposing your desired motion. Although this is intellectually simple to understand, achieving this with your body is difficult. Although you might expect that your muscles are relaxed until you intentionally activate them, many are in fact habitually tensed. Your muscles are unconsciously tensed while sitting or standing to prevent you from collapsing in a heap, and this tension can be carried even after the muscles are not needed, such as when you are lying on the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-08-16T02:39:15.180" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10055" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9497" CreationDate="2020-08-17T21:25:19.053" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've used this technique for a long time and did not know where it came from. I just knew how to use it and stance-wise too, and have not been injured at all in practice or otherwise. I had wondered what it was; it was just natural to me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm in Arlington, TX. I do not practice one style. I box, used to kickbox, but after a knee injury that I fixed by pushing liquid out from cartilage and pushed it back on years ago, I stopped that. When I hit with my fist, the power was more than the fist could take, so this just came natural to me. I can show you how. I used to do it at 24hr Fitness and a fighter who does competitions asked me if he could use it in competition. I told him yes. That was a few years ago now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do meditate daily and also this style does not need alot of power to hit with and the speed is faster with less effort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11014" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-08-18T18:51:01.127" LastActivityDate="2020-08-18T18:51:01.127" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10056" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10057" CreationDate="2020-08-17T21:29:13.797" Score="4" ViewCount="339" Body="&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfpIwjtJL0I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;, the tested person has to foresee a sword attack from their back and evade it. Are there any ways to train yourself for such a test? Can a human-being &amp;quot;feel&amp;quot; and foresee something that threatens him from behind?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-08-22T21:45:17.700" LastActivityDate="2020-08-22T21:45:17.700" Title="Is there a realistic way to prepare yourself for the Bujinkan Ninjutsu Godan Test?" Tags="|training|grading|bujinkan|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10057" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10056" CreationDate="2020-08-17T21:48:44.000" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;To a certain degree, yes you can prepare yourself for the godan test in Bujinkan. Although you'll hear a lot of talk within Bujinkan about supernatural abilities to sense &amp;quot;killer intent&amp;quot; (saki) telepathically, &lt;strong&gt;humans are incapable of telepathy&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So something else is going on. What is it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well if you can't read minds, what else do you have? The answer is that &lt;strong&gt;you're picking up signals from your real senses&lt;/strong&gt;, feeling and hearing primarily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you're supposed to do in the godan test is to sit in seiza posture and let your mind go blank. Move when you sense something. And someone behind you is there to do a sword attack on your head real quick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Someone behind you moving a sword can be heard. You hear the ruffling of their clothes. You hear the way the sounds in the room change. You hear their breathing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Someone behind you can also be felt. A sudden shift of weight from one foot to the next, or pushing down into the floor can be felt as a vibration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, the purpose of meditating while doing this is to &lt;strong&gt;reduce the time needed to react&lt;/strong&gt;. You are listening to your subconscious mind (your intuition). Your subconscious is picking up all these signals from all of your senses, and that giant neural network in your head is able to process it immediately, without your conscious mind knowing about it until a second later. So your conscious mind needs to just get out of the way and just let your subconscious tell you when something different is happening. And that's the goal of this exercise, to test whether you've learned how to do this when you want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your subconscious mind isn't perfect, though. There are &lt;strong&gt;many false triggers&lt;/strong&gt;. A lot of people fail this test.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's another way of passing: Random chance. Take this test enough times, and chances are you will pass eventually. And in Bujinkan circles, there is a lot of gossiping about how so-n-so shihan had to take the godan test a dozen times before passing, and he only did so by random chance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for what you can do to train this, every now and then in your regular training, let your conscious mind &lt;strong&gt;relax and just listen to your gut&lt;/strong&gt; (your intuition). That doesn't mean not allowing yourself to think or letting your mind go blank. That means go with your gut. Relax more. Don't plan anything. &lt;strong&gt;Don't analyze&lt;/strong&gt;. Just be in the moment listening to the feelings you get. Over time, you'll learn to trust this more as you start to have successes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I did this the first time in class, my Booj instructor congratulated me for taking a step into a much bigger world. Indeed, it suddenly made sense to me. &lt;strong&gt;It is transformational&lt;/strong&gt;. A lot of it comes down to allowing yourself to relax and sense rather than actively thinking, analyzing, and over-analyzing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I mean it when I say &amp;quot;don't plan anything&amp;quot;. Like you might be in Bujinkan class, and someone does a stomp front kick to you when you weren't expecting it, and you react by side-stepping and grabbing it. Now you have his leg captured in your hand. What do you do with it? Well, normally you would be thinking real hard about it. You're thinking, &amp;quot;Oh wow, I have to do something really fast before he does something! What do I do?!&amp;quot; And you go through your list of favorite techniques to try. And you might try something, only for it to fail. So you try something else, and it fails, too. Then blam! Your opponent throws you to the ground hard, and you're left thinking you just suck and need to train more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, that's not why you failed. You failed, because you did the wrong technique (of course). But why? You relied on a list of favorite techniques and tried to match one to the situation in less than a second. Of course you failed, because you had only one second to perform this super complex analysis. The smartest person on earth won't do much better at it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead of doing that, imagine you caught that kick. Now, just relax and listen to your gut. Don't plan. Don't freak out about having to do something. Whatever comes to you from nowhere, do it. Do it even if it seems wrong or stupid. You can't rely on your analytic mind when you need to make a split second decision.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I finally &amp;quot;let go&amp;quot; (of wanting to analyze everything) and did this in class in this exact same situation, I just relaxed and stepped with my entire body into his leg. And down he went. It was so simple and obvious. And I did it without stressing out about what to do. It just happened all on its own without thinking about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Quite a transformational moment when you do this for the first time!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to add a video I saw recently of someone who described this very same thing in his own Brazilian Jiujitsu training. He said it was transformational for him as well. In his description, he said very briefly that what allowed him to suddenly make progress was when he just stopped trying to think ahead and just tried to &amp;quot;hold on for dear life&amp;quot; and wait. Then he said that things would just come to him without much thought, and he would gradually do better and better over time. It's the same thing as what I described. This just goes to show you that &lt;strong&gt;this is not just a Bujinkan thing&lt;/strong&gt; or some weird, esoteric nonsense that modern martial arts don't think is useful. It's useful. In fact, I would say everyone eventually realizes the same thing, if they train long enough:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_oB5vvhQw8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_oB5vvhQw8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2020-08-18T15:03:55.677" LastActivityDate="2020-08-18T15:03:55.677" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10060" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9824" CreationDate="2020-08-19T02:15:49.790" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What are some moves that wouldn't be a good idea for self defense?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Inverted guard &amp;amp; any of the new stuff you see in sport BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What are some moves that would be?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Scissor sweep sequence. Virtually any sweep that'll get you back on top. Try anything that gives you incredible control &amp;amp; can remain on top. For example: the mounted triangle. Crucifix position is quite nice. Kimuras &amp;amp; Americannas. Watch more no-gi Jits. However, I will say if they are wearing decent clothes, then one of the most powerful chokes is the bow &amp;amp; arrow. Tons of control, many options to transition, &amp;amp; the guy is helpless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is there any kind of formula for telling if a move would work for self defense?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;None I've heard of. But here's some solid advice...&#xA;If there are multiple people, then don't stay on the ground long. Try to avoid it. Use throws &amp;amp; make distance. Try a standing guillotine. Quickly switch to Muy Thai grip &amp;amp; knees if he doesn't go out &amp;amp; his buddies are near. If you must lock a submission while on the ground, then don't submit him. Once you're there, instantly break his joint &amp;amp; move on to the next position or threat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11019" LastActivityDate="2020-08-19T02:15:49.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10061" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4470" CreationDate="2020-08-22T10:53:42.383" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;At it's most basic it is a strike to the groin, but, probably not with the fingers. It's probably a slap to the groin whilst protecting your face/ body with the other hand. Imagine someone has thrown a straight punch at you (R Hand) or has tried to grab you. You might step forward with your left foot, whilst slipping the punch or grab. So your left hand is guiding their right hand away from you whilst you are moving into them. Almost, simultaneously, you are striking upward from below, to their groin. In my view, you use a hard, sharp, slap and not a fingertip thrust which is very likely to miss. So you are parrying with the left hand whilst slipping and striking the groin with the right. Then, you grab the clothing or hair, tie or face and pull downward while tripping your enemy by moving their leg out from under them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That in my view is why you are dragging your leg in slow motion. It's a trip. That's why you extend your hand  downward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are pulling someone down by grabbing some part of them. The hand that's held high is either protecting your face or is actively pulling your opponent's hand (this may be the striking hand or the other hand) to aid the trip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's like the trips boys do to each other in school. That's why your body is turning. You've got to do the turn to unbalance them while you kick their leg out from under them and are pulling them down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's the groin strike and the resulting shock and disorientation that follows it, that allows you to do the throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a bit of rough and tumble there, in my opinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So it's a slip, parry and slap to the groin, followed, by a schoolboy trip/throw, in the event of a straight punch. In the event of a hook, it's a block, or cover, protecting the head, followed by a straight attack up the center. I think a cross would be best, in that case. I do not think you'd be able to do the follow up throw in that situation. You've got to the adapt the idea of the pattern to real world self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Update: I've been wondering why we do a back fist to something behind us in that technique? In my opinion it's a modification of a similar technique that's part of Southern Shaolin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;NOTE: In this update I describe a Chinese martial arts stance that I call the 'Empty Stance'. I think that is NOT it's true name. But I've NO idea what it's really called. So, I created a description of it and left a link to a video of someone performing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I thought the stance in the video, below, was called 'EMPTY STANCE'.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LBi4VWwx5EM?t=22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/LBi4VWwx5EM?t=22&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I thought I heard it called &amp;quot;The empty stance&amp;quot; and I thought that was the correct name for it. Anyway I created a description so you can know what I'm talking about when I use the term 'empty stance'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;DESCRIPTION OF THE 'EMPTY STANCE'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The feet are pressed together. One foot has only the ball of the foot touching the ground and the other is flat on the ground. The foot that is on the ball is positioned beside the other foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The side of the foot that is on the ball will be touching the side of the foot that is flat and it will be touching the ground at a position that is halfway up the length of the other foot. The martial artist then squats down.  The martial artist will squat like a weight lifter, glutes first, with a straight back. The martial artist will NOT lean over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the right leg is on the ball of the foot then the right arm will be extended down and resting on the right side of the martial artist and vice versa.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other arm will be bent sharply. The bottom of it's fist will face the martial artist's shoulder and that left arm which is bent sharply upward will be held tightly to the martial artist's left side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;END OF DESCRIPTION OF THE 'EMPTY STANCE'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;NOW back to the update.&#xA;In the Shaolin technique I'm talking about they also slap to the groin in left walking stance BUT then they reach in with the slapping arm (their right arm here) and wrap it around the right arm of our enemy.  Their left arm has pushed their opponent's face or other arm away.&#xA;They then pull the enemy's arm, whilst stepping out into the empty stance.&#xA;Whilst keeping the enemy's wrapped arm stretched tight and in close to their body. They pull away while still stretching and twisting the enemy's arm. They then drop their body into the empty stance. The enemy is somewhat compliant in all this because they've just been hit, hard, in the groin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;IMO, this is an attempt to separate the shoulder as well as being an arm break and take-down, in one.&#xA;IMO, this is the purpose of the exchange motion Toi-Gye, as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some Okinawan or Japanese masters, most likely, changed this movement. They took out the empty stance. They replaced it with closed stance (BTW, The empty stance is used as a vehicle for moving your mass around. In this application it's used to move your mass vertically down to apply pressure to an arm bar).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See: &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LBi4VWwx5EM?t=732&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/LBi4VWwx5EM?t=732&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;so, IMO, in Kwang-Gae the empty stance was replaced by walking stance (The upward position of the circular movement in those twin upset punches is a deflection to a strike or grab to your upper body and the stamp motion helps transfer your mass horizontally just as the steeping of say the left leg and then the right leg, into empty stance with twin angle punches, in Shaolin Kung Fu, originally did).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the masters changed the stance because they felt it didn't suit their purposes, for reasons.  That means the Tkd application that uses the closed stance, instead, requires you to reach in further whilst wrapping the enemy's arm, perhaps almost to the armpit of that arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After reaching in, you will push their face (or pull their hair) away, whilst, drawing your left leg away. So you're pulling on their arm, pushing their face whilst tripping them trying to effect a separation of their shoulder. At the same time you angle your body away in closed stance so YOU cannot get struck in the groin. The hair pull/ face push of your left arm protects your own face from being struck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then you twist your right wrist so your back fist will face behind you. This is done in order to put even more stress on the stretched arm of the enemy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We should, IMO, not looking directly at the enemy because that may expose our own vital areas to risk, our eyes, groin, etc.  We should be facing parallel to the enemy or even slightly away, in order to protect our own vital spots and in order to properly stress their arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's what I think is happening in Toi-Gye. Who knows maybe the principles of that technique can even be applied to a rear naked choke?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As in, you strike to the groin..maybe hit the face after...curl your right hand around their neck..then put your left hand on their shoulder, then squeeze whilst pushing their head to the left with your left palm. You might turn your body counterclockwise so as to protect your groin from any possible his as they struggle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Different technique but identical principles perhaps?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's the origin of the circular movement in twin upset punch.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ddqzRD2GnWA?t=1018&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/ddqzRD2GnWA?t=1018&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See that it's an attempt to protect your head? You ONLY apply it when someone is trying to grab you or attack your head!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Out of context...but look at this..I'm certain I've seen a black belt pattern with right rear foot stance, left low reverse hand block with the right fist by the left shoulder. Well..here is it's application. &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ddqzRD2GnWA?t=1558&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/ddqzRD2GnWA?t=1558&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also out of context but here's an applcation of knifehand guarding block in rear foot stance as seen in Kwang Gae&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/oL7cNpVnM2M?t=760&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/oL7cNpVnM2M?t=760&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11025" LastEditorUserId="11025" LastEditDate="2020-09-23T05:47:17.537" LastActivityDate="2020-09-23T05:47:17.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10062" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10063" CreationDate="2020-08-23T20:07:36.873" Score="2" ViewCount="4768" Body="&lt;p&gt;Following &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y6Qe34P-lY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it effective to carry and use a carabiner as self defense in real fight? Does it endanger your knuckles and could it break them when you hit your opponent? If it is recommended, what are the recommended characteristics and dimensions of that carabiner? (i.e. what material does it have to be made of? What is the recommended KN - kilo newton that it is designed to carry? What is the thickness and the size?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-08-24T17:50:38.723" LastActivityDate="2020-11-18T23:02:51.433" Title="Is it effective to use a carabiner as tool in real fight?" Tags="|self-defense|weapons|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10063" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10062" CreationDate="2020-08-23T22:40:35.683" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;As you suspect, using a carabiner like this will only damage your hand. Even brass knuckles are bad for your hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if you want to find out for yourself, you can just try it on a punching bag. Go very light and then gradually increase the power. You probably won't get very far before you realize that the carabiner will just rotate in your hand, causing it to crash against the bones of your fingers upon impact. Instead of having a nice soft target you're striking your hand against, suddenly the metal carabiner becomes part of the punching bag you're punching. Imagine just winding up and punching a carabiner taped to a punching bag. That's basically what you're doing. It's not going to feel too good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some places will make custom brass knuckles specifically for your hand. Supposedly it means there will be less chance of slipping. But they still slip, and when they do, you will be in intense pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of people think using a roll of quarters or something will make their punch much more powerful. It does, but it also makes the bones of your fingers much more likely to break upon impact on someone's head or jaw. It can also throw off your balance, as you're not used to punching with a weighted hand. And in some cases, it has caused people to have elbow and shoulder injuries, because the repetitive nature of the practice causes stress and damages tendons over time. Bad idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my opinion, your best bet is to carry something to wrap around and protect your hands. Something like a punching bag glove. You can use a sock, too. Or you can cut out a section of denim from an old pair of jeans you're going to throw out, and just use that to wrap around your fist. It will allow your fist to be tighter and more solid. And it will help protect your hand's bones from breaking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everything else (brass knuckles, rolls of quarters, carabiners, kubotan key chains, etc.) just end up getting you hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-08-23T22:40:35.683" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10064" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10062" CreationDate="2020-08-24T12:21:47.380" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Steve Weigand pretty much nailed the important bits about potentially damaging your own hand with something like this, but here's a little addition: in an actual street fight/self-defense situation, you REALLY, really, don't want to essentially tie your four, non-thumb fingers together. Not all bad guys are going to stand face to face with you and exchange punches like a boxing match. You'll most certainly want to forego the additional pain you can inflict with a small metal object wrapped around your fingers for the freedom to move your fingers individually, grab on to a fence, plant your hand on the ground for stability, grab someone's hair, grab on to someone's free arm while they're on top of you so they can't forearm smash your nose, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most street scuffles quickly devolve from a punching match, to a grappling, wrestling, choking, overall messy situation, and I'd rather be able to splay my fingers apart for various reasons than try to throw around a few grams worth of metal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a reason why almost all MMA fighters use the same style of open-finger/&amp;quot;half-finger&amp;quot; glove:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;MMA gloves or grappling gloves are small, open-fingered gloves used in mixed martial arts bouts. They usually have around 4–6 oz of padding and are designed to provide some protection to the person wearing the glove, &lt;strong&gt;but leave the fingers available for grappling maneuvers such as clinch fighting and submissions.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11031" LastEditorUserId="11031" LastEditDate="2020-08-24T12:27:58.957" LastActivityDate="2020-08-24T12:27:58.957" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10065" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2020-08-24T13:43:04.490" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu is a Japanese combat system often associated with ninjutsu, although its teachings, promulgated by founder Masaaki Hatsumi, are also drawn from Samurai instruction. The style is overseen by the organization named The Bujinkan (武神館).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-08-24T13:43:04.490" LastActivityDate="2020-08-24T13:43:04.490" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10066" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2020-08-24T13:43:04.490" Score="0" Body="Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu is a Japanese combat system often associated with ninjutsu, although its teachings, promulgated by founder Masaaki Hatsumi, are also drawn from Samurai instruction. The style is overseen by the organization named The Bujinkan (武神館)." OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-08-24T13:43:04.490" LastActivityDate="2020-08-24T13:43:04.490" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10067" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4185" CreationDate="2020-08-26T00:56:24.837" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree about slowing down. Also, pay attention to what you are doing. If you do any move that would not work on somebody twice your size and strength, then let it go. When with a tiny partner, never crush them with more than a similar body weight to their own. It takes practice, but it makes it more fun. I have never been prouder than when some smaller partner tells me that it felt like we were the same size. I also like rolling with bigger stronger folks, and never try and match their muscle, as I am usually two or three times their age. It still goes fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11039" LastActivityDate="2020-08-26T00:56:24.837" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10068" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10062" CreationDate="2020-08-27T06:22:36.063" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It makes little sense to use a carabiner as illustrated in the video, as explained in existing answers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may occasionally make some sense to hold and use one in another way: placing it in your palm and wrapping the fingers and thumbs over it, such that the &amp;quot;fat end&amp;quot; projects slightly from the little-finger side of the palm.  This will give you a steel striking surface, and the rest of the carabiner will rest against a large surface area of relatively fleshy palm and fingers, spreading the impact to your own hand and minimising the risk of damage.  The grip would be largely similar to using the base of a torch or keyholder:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Id1LE.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Id1LE.png&quot; alt=&quot;gripping a metal object for striking hammerfist style&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;(image copied to illustrate the kind of grip I describe above, turned up by a google image search from a website titled &lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;Gentleman Warrior Self Defense System Volume 3, Kubotan&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt; that I otherwise have no connection with or knowledge of).&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(If you instead have the smaller end projecting, you'll get more localised pressure for the strike, but may have more localised pressure inside your own hand: you'll be supporting all the force of the strike along the far, fat edge of the carabiner where your thumb is, rather than all around the sides.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having that hard surface to strike with - hammerfist style - may help a weaker person inflict significant damage on a stronger person - evening things up a bit.  A strike to sensitive targets such as the nose, teeth, temple, knee-cap or collar bone may be made more effective.  I'd only suggest considering it (or more generally, grabbing anything similar to fight with) if you felt you otherwise weren't able to defend yourself, felt this might tip the balance in your favour (and not just make the other person angrier and more vindictive), and the fight itself was unavoidable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hammerfist style strikes are often easy to block though - your striking arm can be easily grabbed, so this will work best with the benefit of surprise, when dark, or when combined with a feint or combination attack.  Once you strike and they're aware of the carabiner, if they're still a threat and you still can't run/escape, then you'd want to get as many follow up strikes in as fast as possible before they can adjust their defensive tactics.  If your arm does get caught and they're much stronger, and you don't know &amp;quot;escapes&amp;quot; to twist your arm out of their hold, then instead of struggling uselessly - hit quickly with a still-free limb (palm, elbow, knee, foot) to another vulnerable target and hopefully they'll let go of the hand they've grabbed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A skillfull but weaker person could also use the carabiner to inflict damage whilst blocking - striking shins or instep or the ulner or radius bones in the forearm, or even at the wrist.  An untrained person has neglegible chance of lining up their hand with a particular point in the attacking limb and blocking effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that said, if you're planning to explore this, do follow Steve's advice and try hitting a punching bag or similar target that way - gently at first - so you can learn the best grip and whether it'll hurt your hand.  Further, JJC8008 has a good point, and you should be prepared to pocket, drop or throw the carabiner at some stage during a fight if it becomes a net liability and you need to grab something / wrestle etc..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2020-08-27T06:22:36.063" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10069" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10082" CreationDate="2020-08-27T18:20:20.267" Score="5" ViewCount="2377" Body="&lt;p&gt;Context: I've been boxing for a few years now and decided with my coaches (a bit before the pandemic hit) that I would move up a weight class. As I was confined and didn't have access to the gym, most of what I did for exercising was running, shadowboxing and some weightlifting (squats, push-ups and bicep curls).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a result of the latter, my biceps developed a bit. I've been back to the gym for a bit over a week now and I feel like my punching power is greater, most noticeably in the right cross/overhand (I'm right-handed). That doesn't make much sense to me because I don't see how either head of the &lt;em&gt;biceps brachii&lt;/em&gt;  contributes to the kinetic chain involved with punching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Question: does bicep development affect punching power? If so, what is the physiological explanation for that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thank you in advance!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10634" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2020-09-10T11:22:32.690" LastActivityDate="2021-03-29T15:49:33.917" Title="Does bicep development affect punching power?" Tags="|boxing|punching|power|anatomy|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10070" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10009" CreationDate="2020-08-27T20:59:51.347" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It happened to me this weekend... yes I trained when young (16years old now 51years old) with Robert and Danny Williams, Ti crane in High Point NC.&#xA;I got sucker punched and was knocked out...I hit the concrete floor, back of my skull lumped up.&#xA;When I got my sight and hearing back I was being tackled...&#xA;When I asked why I was being punched and beat up by my close friends...&#xA;They told me what had just happened in the last couple minutes.&#xA;They said “you got knocked out, hit the floor, then got up and squared off and knocked out the person that sucker punched you! But you didn’t have to keep beating him because he was out cold, I proceeded to curb stop him while he and myself were both unconscious&#xA;He now has a broken jaw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11043" LastActivityDate="2020-08-27T20:59:51.347" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10071" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4197" CreationDate="2020-08-28T04:25:49.300" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;No. Nope. Definitely not. No. No. Just.... No. If you're going to dual wield anything in your off-hand, use a buckler. Manga, anime, movies and video game tropes are worthless in actual combat. Every warrior culture wielding melee arms throughout history have always, without fail gravitated to pole-arms (re: spears) and shields. The republic Roman army did indeed use the Gladius (shortsword), however the Pilum (javelin) was still prevalent, and the Hasta (lance) would return to prominence later on. Swords are sidearms. Back up for when your pole-arm is lost. Best used with a shield or two handed in the case of longswords, zweihanders, montantes, no daichi, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11044" LastActivityDate="2020-08-28T04:25:49.300" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10072" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10069" CreationDate="2020-08-28T15:31:02.343" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Muscles operate by contractings, so... it's hard to imagine. I can't visualize a punch that changes the lower-to-upper arm angle from a larger to a smaller angle unless it's an awkward sucker-punch haymaker from down at your side to head height.  For me, at least, a twisty hook/uppercut to the abdomen leaves the angle about the same. There are lots of other factors that go into a good punch (speed, practice for good technique, mental breakthroughs as to how to do it &amp;quot;right&amp;quot;, twisting the upper body, foot position), but the only one I can think of that could result from lifting would be some upper-chest / shoulder muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2020-08-28T15:31:02.343" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10073" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8291" CreationDate="2020-09-01T06:34:55.137" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I read why you get knocked out from a punch: its because of the twisting motion that disrupts a link in the brain. The twist is in your brain stem, that is why when you get hit in the corner of your jaw, your head twist along with the brain stem and the lights go out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I couldn't find anything on why some seem immune to being knocked out and some have a glass jaw. It probably has something to do with seeing it coming: you turn your head in a certain way, making the twist not as much. I have never been knocked out either and I crashed a 3-wheeler, landed on my head and broke my jaw. Didn't even phase me. I'm sure I can, just hasn't found the spot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think there has to be something physical also. Some MMA guys don't lose very often and some can't make it thru the first round and the ones with good records defiantly eat their share of punches. I have seen some eat a sucker punch and all it did was piss him off and others take the lightest hit and the lights are out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11049" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2021-04-11T16:39:56.717" LastActivityDate="2021-04-11T16:39:56.717" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10074" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10069" CreationDate="2020-09-03T09:20:46.127" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was experimenting on that for some time, and, from my opinion - NO, biceps generally does not affect punching power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What biceps decreases - your punching speed (&lt;em&gt;if you do not do stretching exercises for your arms!&lt;/em&gt; As Philip mentioned in comments, that can give you both strength and speed) - just because with increased biceps it's harder(and so, consuming some more time) to straighten your arm at full length.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What biceps increases - your speed while returning hand back after the punch - just because arm flexing is fully biceps work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In fact, your question contains part of the answer - you noticed, that your crosses/overhands become more powerful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That &lt;strong&gt;may&lt;/strong&gt; be a result of your arm angle decreased - biceps eats arm straightening (if I'm right, you may also notice some distance decreasing on such strikes), but also make your flexed(while throwing cross) hand more solid - and delivering more power as a result.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2020-09-15T04:38:28.663" LastActivityDate="2020-09-15T04:38:28.663" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10075" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-09-08T15:22:45.717" Score="2" ViewCount="362" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to learn how to defend myself in real-life scenarios. In order to do that, I decided to learn the following martial arts in the order I outlined. I would like these martial arts to be ordered in a way such that the most useful martial arts for self defense are on the top of the list, with the latter ones being less and less useful (because I already know the skills from the previous martial arts on the list).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is the list:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Judo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Boxing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (note: I may exchange Boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu because I will potentially wear braces)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Muay Thai&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wrestling&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Krav Maga (weapons and multiple attackers parts)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's relevant, I'm probably going to be 24 or 25 years old when starting this training. I am around 6' 0&amp;quot; tall and weigh about 180 lbs. I intend to do each one of these martial arts for a year, then go train the next one on the list while dropping the previous one. I think that it won't be realistic for me, given my life circumstances, to train multiple martial arts at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like you to critique my plan. &lt;strong&gt;Is the ordering of the martial arts suboptimal (based on the fact that the most useful martial arts for self defense should be on the top of the list)? If yes, how would you order them? More generally, should I do martial arts separately or train in a self-defense system (such as Krav Maga) from the start?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most likely scenario I see myself getting in physical altercations is in nightclubs, although I am a pretty level-headed guy and avoid trouble. But that is the most likely scenario I see myself getting into a physical altercation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11053" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-09-09T16:10:53.630" LastActivityDate="2020-09-09T16:10:53.630" Title="What would be the set of martial arts that would be most useful for self defense (and in what sequence)?" Tags="|self-defense|recommendation|style|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10076" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10075" CreationDate="2020-09-09T15:19:57.960" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I usually don't like to answer questions like these, because they are mostly opinion based, but for the sake of giving you the information that you need, I will answer with as little opinion as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, let me start of with &lt;a href=&quot;https://rollingaroundbjj.com/fights-end-up-on-ground/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt;. It is a resource that was provided to me in an answer to one of my questions. Essentially, it is a study of hundreds of different recorded &amp;quot;street fights&amp;quot;, showing how they ended, how they started, and stuff like that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, to critique your list, I'm going to re-create it &lt;strong&gt;solely based&lt;/strong&gt; on which martial arts were made for self defense, and which ones have the highest success-rate,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga&#xA;Krav Maga was made for the single intention of self defense. After just a few classes you have enough training to properly defend against a common attacker (please, do not try to start a fight with someone in order to test out your training). You will also learn that the techniques you learn should not be used unless absolutely necessary. First you try to de-escalate the situation, if that doesn't work, get away, and if they start attacking you and you have no place to go, &lt;strong&gt;that&lt;/strong&gt; is when you use your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;BJJ&#xA;While Krav Maga will teach you how to get an attacker crying for mercy on the ground, it doesn't really go into depth for what to do once you have done that. BJJ is about 95% grappling, so this pairs really well with Krav Maga. If you want to only learn the self defense aspect of BJJ, your best bet is to enroll in a Gracie BJJ school. Another plus to learning this paired with KM is that many techniques in KM aren't taught until advanced levels (I believe you don't learn how to escape a rear-naked choke until you are E1, which takes about as long as a second degree black belt). A rear-naked choke escape is one of the first things you will learn in BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since this is an opinionated question, I will say that those two is probably all you are going to need for self defense. Muy Thai and Judo are very competition-based arts, thus many of the things you learn in them will put you in a bad position in a real fight. Boxing is great for self defense, although Krav Maga pretty much covers everything you learn in boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want my opinion, you should learn KM and BJJ, but don't only spend a month or two on each. If I were you, I would use the time that i was going to use learning other arts to perfect and master skills in those two. Learning and mastering one art is about 100 times more effective than spending a few months on 10 different arts. A few months usually isn't enough time to develop muscle memory, so chances are that you will lose all proficiency earned in the last art once you move on to the next. However, if you would like to base your life on martial arts and become a black belt or even a master in many different arts, that is a different story. I know many people who have done that, I think even a few people on this site have done that. But be warned, learning multiple arts can cause problems, and some things may overlap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember, using your training in a real life situation can and will get you into legal trouble, so only use it as a last resort option.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2020-09-09T15:19:57.960" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10077" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10075" CreationDate="2020-09-09T16:08:31.033" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your plan does not account for messy realities of life, anyone you may meet, or anything you will learn along the way. Although most everyone has a preconceived idea of what training martials arts will do for them, these ideas often do not match up with reality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Arbitrary time scales&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although you can request to be taught in a shortened one-year period, this may not be compatible with the martial art or the instructor. I suspect training in this manner will simply inform you about all the skills you will not be able to reproduce. At a minimum, I suggest having a milestone based on skills rather than time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Instructor interpretations of martial arts are different&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Sport&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two opposing ideas about martial arts sport training and self-defense. These are not straw man ideas; I personally know people who advocate these positions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;X is simply a sport.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;X as a sport is a tool for teaching you other lessons such as how to deal with others and defend yourself.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you learn from instructors advocating these ideas will be different. Do you exploit protections from the sport rules to win, or do you use competitions to train fighting patterns?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Cross training&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every generation has cross-trained martial arts. Learn from those who have already done some of this work for you. Combining martial arts is not as simple as taking punching from boxing and mixing it with throwing from judo. The footwork and positions you take to set these up are not the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My first judo instructor was also a wrestler who emphasized groundwork. You can learn a lot more from someone like this than dabbling in both judo and wrestling on your own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Advice&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I advocate a simple approach:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Start training something&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Be receptive to what your instructors have to teach you, especially when you do not expect it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Adjust if/when circumstances change and you learn more. Either something else becomes available, or you decide you want something different.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-09-09T16:08:31.033" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10078" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10079" CreationDate="2020-09-10T05:34:20.657" Score="5" ViewCount="696" Body="&lt;p&gt;While sparring, sometimes I unintentionally use my legs and knees to defend against opponent's kicks. I know it is wrong. I'm just curious why there is &lt;em&gt;no&lt;/em&gt; &lt;code&gt;leg&lt;/code&gt; defense in Teakwondo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9518" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-09-10T11:45:06.727" LastActivityDate="2023-05-28T17:06:33.497" Title="Defend with leg and knee" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|defense|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10079" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10078" CreationDate="2020-09-10T17:45:07.617" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;The topic pertains to an obscure rule in World Taekwondo rules regarding checking kicks with the knee. The rules state:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://worldtaekwondo.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/WT-Competition-Rules-Interpretation-Manchester-May-15-2019.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://worldtaekwondo.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/WT-Competition-Rules-Interpretation-Manchester-May-15-2019.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Article 14 (&amp;quot;Prohibited acts and penalties&amp;quot;)&#xA;Section 4.1.9 (&amp;quot;Butting or attacking with the knee&amp;quot;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Butting or attacking with the knee: This article relates to an&#xA;intentional butting or attacking with the knee when in close proximity&#xA;to the opponent. However, contact with the knee that happens in the&#xA;following situations cannot be punished by this article. - When the&#xA;opponent rushes in abrupt lyat the moment a kick is being executed. -&#xA;Inadvertently, or as the result of a discrepancy in distance in&#xA;attacking.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to rumor, this rule was put in place as a result of Steven Lopez's use of the technique. He was very successful using it, so the rumor was that the rule was added to prevent him and others gaining such an advantage in competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I imagine they also saw that this technique would make competitors much more cautious about kicking, which would make sparring look less exciting. It can also cause injuries, particularly broken bones in the foot and leg. So they might have wanted to prevent these injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for this technique being &amp;quot;wrong&amp;quot;, I think others might interpret that word to mean morally wrong. Whereas the original poster probably meant it to mean &amp;quot;against the rules&amp;quot;. It is against the rules. Is it morally wrong? No. This is a technique that is used throughout martial arts for defensive purposes. There's nothing wrong about it. It was one of my favorite techniques. I used to do it all the time in Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The next question is why there is no leg defense in Taekwondo. The answer is that there is leg defense. It just can't be checking with the knee. You can still use your shin. You can still use blocks with your hands. And you can still use your feet to block kicks. And of course, you can move your body and get out of the way. Plenty of options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are World Taekwondo's rules. I looked but did not see that ITF Taekwondo had this rule. Likely, ITF is more permissive about what you can do in sparring competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, these are competition rules. Keep in mind that there's a difference between competition and self-defense. While this technique may be banned in competition for the reasons I listed above, it should not be seen as a barrier to using it in self-defense. The problem, though, with that statement is that if you're not practicing it in class, you're probably just going to drop it altogether and will not have it ready for use in self-defense. Mind you, it's not likely you will need it in self-defense, anyway, because not many people square off with you at a distance and throw kicks at you. But who knows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Competitive martial arts in general is filled with banned techniques that raise the ire of many serious martial artists. Judo, for example, famously banned Kani Basami (the &amp;quot;scissors kick&amp;quot;) from competition. This is a beloved technique that many martial arts practice. Many Judo practitioners balked at its removal. It's basically the death knell for the technique, since it won't be practiced anymore. The reason it was banned was because it has a habit of causing crippling knee injuries in competition. But is it good for self-defense? Yes! Many people have made Kani Basami one of their core self-defense techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-09-10T17:45:07.617" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10080" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-09-11T12:52:34.613" Score="5" ViewCount="101" Body="&lt;p&gt;In almost all the MMA fights I've watched, nobody seemed happy on their backs. Being good at BJJ can turn this into a plus if the opponent is a lot worse at groundfighting and is trapped in your guard, but even then, other positions seem preferable. If your opponent &lt;em&gt;isn't&lt;/em&gt; trapped in your guard, god help you on your trip to ground-and-pound town. So to this day I don't really know why Kazushi Sakuraba was so afraid of pouncing on people on their backs. Hell, he wasn't afraid to ground-and-pound in their guards, but the moment they need a breather they knew to flop on their backs at a distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do have &lt;em&gt;guesses.&lt;/em&gt; People on their backs still have options: 1) upward kicks with knockout power, 2) legs to control the opponent's hips and legs in a variety of guards, 3) arms to grab their legs and trip them into nasty submissions. That last one seems to be what Sakuraba was most afraid of, judging from his frantic leaps out of his grounded opponent's arms and range. Ultimately, he would somewhat conquer this problem by spamming brutal kicks to his opponent's legs, but it would take a long time to do damage that way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not really satisfied with this explanation because I don't see other fighters have any issues pouncing on opponents who had fallen on their back. If it is actually an effective stalling tactic, I'd have expected to see it used more. Was Kazushi Sakuraba just an anomaly?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10450" LastActivityDate="2020-09-11T12:52:34.613" Title="Is getting on your back a good stalling tactic or was Kazushi Sakuraba an anomaly?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|mixed-martial-arts|groundwork|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10081" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10078" CreationDate="2020-09-11T16:19:37.423" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whys is it wrong? Allot of it depends on how strict your school is. I did tkd and did a 50 50 ratio of kicking/striking which is unorthodox but we are not in the Olympics&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11056" LastActivityDate="2020-09-11T16:19:37.423" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10082" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10069" CreationDate="2020-09-13T08:23:02.730" Score="2" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does bicep development affect punching power?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, it does. I can't give you an explanation based on physics or biology; I will try to explain this in simple terms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Here is how bicep development can affect punching power&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where do you punch from? Are your hands inside your jacket pockets before you take them out and punch? No. Your hands are up high! They are around your face/neck, guarding your chin. Which muscle groups help keep your hands glued to your face? &lt;strong&gt;Your biceps and front delts (i.e., the anterior deltoids) are the main set of muscles that help you keep your hands up.&lt;/strong&gt; This is important because when you keep your hands up, you are essentially always using your biceps (i.e., through contraction). And don't forget that your biceps are constantly holding up some additional weight (e.g., ~ 17 ounce = wraps + 16 ounce bag gloves).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As we go through the rounds, our biceps get tired from the constant contraction; that is when our hands come down from our chins (and the coach yells &lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;Oye, keep those hands up!&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt;). This is also when we can't throw strong punches - the cross is strongest when it travels in a straight line. If you can't keep your right hand at chin-level, your cross won't travel in a straight line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Here is an example:&lt;/strong&gt; Let's say you could throw a maximum of 5 rear-straight punches &lt;em&gt;before&lt;/em&gt; the Covid19-training. Your fifth punch was the weakest of the five because by this time, your hands were fully tired.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During your Covid19-training, you did some from of weight training that increased your strength. Both Bicep Curls and Push-ups strengthen your biceps. Now &lt;em&gt;after&lt;/em&gt; the Covid19-training, you can throw a maximum of 8 rear-straight punches. The eight punch is your weakest now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So it is quite possible that your &lt;strong&gt;post&lt;/strong&gt;-Covid19-training &lt;em&gt;fifth&lt;/em&gt; punch is stronger than your &lt;strong&gt;pre&lt;/strong&gt;-Covid19-training &lt;em&gt;fifth&lt;/em&gt; punch. This is because your biceps are now stronger than before, and they can keep your hands up high for much longer. &lt;strong&gt;So after the Covid19-training, at your fifth punch, your biceps are not fully tired&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think about it this way. A beginner cannot bicep curl 40 lbs (i.e., a single dumbbell) on the first day. He is probably going to start with 25 lbs. But after 6 months, he will be able to curl dumbbells weighing 40 lbs. At this time, 25-pound dumbbells will feel much lighter and easier to curl. WHY? Because his biceps have grown stronger, they can easily handle 25 lbs. Similarly, your biceps have grown stronger. They can now easily keep your hands up high along with the weight of the gloves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Stronger muscles last longer. It takes longer before they get tired because every movement takes less effort than before.&amp;quot; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://stronglifts.com/5x5/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Stronglifts - see Endurance&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Other factors that improved your punching power&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;... most of what I did for exercising was running, shadowboxing and some weightlifting (squats, push-ups and bicep curls)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, let's look at the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bespoketreatments.com/2017/09/29/the-anatomy-of-a-punch/#:%7E:text=the%20complete%20breakdown.-,Upper%20Body,arm%20out%20towards%20your%20target.&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Anatomy of a Punch&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The force used to deliver a powerful punch begins from the feet – when we push into the ground, the ground pushes back into us, followed by a sequence of muscular contractions that transfers force up our kinetic chain until our fist hits our target. &lt;strong&gt;The transfer of force happens quickly through a series of rotations and torques from the foot, up the legs and thighs, through the trunk and core, and finally out through the shoulders and arms.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;...&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;The muscles of the shoulder are key players that deliver the punch, but also for taking the brunt of the impact. The anterior deltoid along with the pectoralis major, the muscles of your chest and shoulder, project your arm out towards your target.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;...&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;The internal and external obliques are responsible for transferring rotational force without any energy leaks by having the rib cage and pelvis turn as a unit.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;...&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;The quads and hamstrings help transfer force from the knee to the hips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;There are many factors that make a punch stronger. When you throw the right cross, you engage several things - your core, your hips (the turn), your lats, your biceps and triceps, your shoulders, and your chest.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Push-ups strengthen your triceps, your shoulders, and your chest muscles (i.e., the pectorals). Together, they all made your punches stronger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Running may have helped with over all endurance. And squats do work your core in addition to your legs, both of which are massive contributors to effective punching. Even bicep curls, when done standing up, engage the core. Your squats made your legs stronger, which means you can go for more powerful bursts of flurries now (power transfers through the kinetic chain), and more often than before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Add your shadowboxing to these, and you have a good explanation for why your punches are stronger now. Your core, shoulders &amp;amp; chest (which are mainly responsible for shooting/projecting out your hands), biceps (partly responsible for keeping your hands up and cocking your hands back), and your triceps (mainly responsible for extension or straightening of the arms) have all become stronger. Your push-ups clearly worked your triceps. This means more faster and snappy punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-09-15T05:08:51.930" LastActivityDate="2020-09-15T05:08:51.930" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10083" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10084" CreationDate="2020-09-17T14:31:02.097" Score="3" ViewCount="160" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been practicing Taekwondo from 2011 to 2017-2018 and then I stopped.&#xA;I am wondering how I can regain my muscle memory and flexibility as soon as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also I have been doing gym for a year and gained muscles so will that muscle gain affect my flexibility and speed ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11065" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-09-17T15:16:59.483" LastActivityDate="2020-11-18T22:41:19.210" Title="How to gain back my flexibility and muscle memory fast?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|flexibility|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10084" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10083" CreationDate="2020-09-17T16:17:47.927" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question asks what's the best way to get back into shape for Taekwondo after an extended period of inactivity in Taekwondo. Also, what to do about muscle that has been gained since then.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While I do think some people benefit from working by themselves to get themselves back in shape before returning to active classes, I think it's almost always better to just dive right back in to regular classes. That goes for pretty much all martial arts. You'll make better progress by not delaying and just getting back into class. You can always do stuff outside of classes, too. So you can do both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's no reason to delay returning to class. And I find that people who do delay often never go back, just because they make such a big deal out of trying to be as good as they used to be before going back. They put such a high bar on their return that they never make it back. The ironic thing is that they'll actually return to their original condition faster if they go back to class and go through the normal training like they used to do. It will all come back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Part of this is having a teacher or multiple teachers and students who will give you feedback. They'll see what you need to work on, and they'll work on it with you in a way that makes sense for Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact that you gained muscle is not a big deal. Your body is different now. You can't go back to the body you once had. You have to go forward with the body you do have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strength does not make you slower. That's a myth. It's actually the opposite. You will be faster. But you need to train to be faster. You do that by going to class and working on increasing your fast twitch muscle response. Don't know what that is? Don't worry about it, because it's built into Taekwondo training. Taekwondo relies on this quite a bit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some down-sides to having extra muscle mass. It will reduce stamina. That means that your body will be using more oxygen and blowing through more muscle glycogen (fuel) than before. You'll feel like you tire a bit faster now. And then you can slow down as a result.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To a certain degree, having more muscle mass is generally a net benefit in most martial arts. Taekwondo relies a lot on cardio endurance and stamina, however. So you're going to have to work harder to condition yourself for cardio stamina with more muscle mass than with less muscle mass. It is perhaps why most Taekwondo black belts are skinny looking and have less muscle mass relative to many other martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Outside of class, to get flexibility back, you know what to do. You have high kicks, leg raises, splits, and so on. Practice those 3 times a day. Do it 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes in the afternoon, and 15 minutes at night.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for muscle memory and regaining proper technique, I'd say don't bother with training on your own for that. You're going to want to work on that in class under the watchful eye of a good instructor. They'll be able to notice things about your technique that you can't see. If you drill bad technique, you're just going to have to work harder to undo that training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bottom line: Get back to class. Take 6 months to get back into the swing of things. Don't judge yourself too harshly during this time. After that, you can work on pushing yourself further and working on the things you need work on. Don't compare yourself to the way you were in the past. Your body has changed. You've gotten more muscle, and you're older now. It's not healthy to hold yourself up to the way you once were. Work with what you have now and go from there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-09-17T16:17:47.927" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10086" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-09-19T05:27:20.970" Score="2" ViewCount="259" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to know why martial artists who believe in their training and technique still have a deep fear of engaging in a fight, or losing a match.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11071" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-09-24T21:30:01.377" LastActivityDate="2020-11-03T08:36:36.053" Title="why a perfect expert and trained taekwondo player or martial artist fear fights?" Tags="|streetfight|mentality|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10087" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10086" CreationDate="2020-09-19T09:20:18.270" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Thanks for this question. It's a subject that's near and dear to me. And I think I understand what you're asking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I was a brown belt in Taekwondo, I was 17 years old, and I remember having an encounter with a drunk, crazy guy on the lawn of someone's home on Halloween night. A smaller friend of mine was with me, and I think we were going to a party or something. Well, this crazy guy starts picking a fight with my friend for no good reason other than he was much smaller and an easy target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, it didn't help that this friend of mine was not backing down and was actively engaging the drunk, crazy guy. I just kind of stood there, motioning for my friend to come and get out of there. When the crazy guy really started getting physical with my friend, I froze. I wanted to go over and rescue my friend, but in that instant, I felt that I had nothing I could do. I was imagining what I would do, but I just didn't think any of it would work reliably, and the situation was totally unlike anything I prepared for in Taekwondo. I felt completely out of my element and just froze.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After that, I did go on to get my black belt several months later. So I was almost a black belt when this happened. After getting my black belt in Taekwondo, I graduated high school and went to college. And in college, I went on to study a bunch of other martial arts. I was never satisfied, though. I was always looking for new systems that could take me further and give me more realistic fighting tools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Over the decades since then, the rise of the UFC and MMA happened. The martial arts community in general has become a lot more knowledgeable about fighting. And we know now why practicing MMA leads to more successful outcomes in sport-based fighting as well as real life fighting than, say, Taekwondo or Aikido. The reason is simple: It's not the style, it's the way you train that matters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I go over this more at my answers in the following links:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6923/measurement-of-the-practicality-of-a-martial-art/6926#6926&quot;&gt;Measurement of the practicality of a martial art&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/3029/is-jun-chong-tkd-a-legitimate-tkd-dojo-for-self-defense/3030#3030&quot;&gt;is Jun Chong TKD a legitimate TKD dojo for self defense?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially, it comes down to being confident. And I don't mean having a false sense of confidence, like many martial arts give students. Real confidence in fighting means you recognize the situation and are comfortable with it. You don't gain confidence in fighting without realistic training. Realism means that you have someone who's kicking you, punching you, grabbing you, throwing you to the ground, wrestling you, choking you, etc. And he's not letting you go. He's actively resisting you all he can in order to &amp;quot;win&amp;quot; against you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're just doing a very small subset of those things - like Taekwondo does - or you're doing it, but without a partner who's putting pressure on you and really trying to win against you, then you're going to freeze in a real life fight like I did. You will realize in that instant that you don't really know how to fight, and this situation you're in bears no resemblance to anything you did in class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have to train for fighting as realistically as possible. There should be very little rules, except to prevent injuries. You need to train safely so that you can come back day after day and get better and better. If you don't have any rules, injuries are guaranteed to happen, and you won't be making any progress. In fact, you'll quit after the first day. So you need to look at the way MMA trains. They take a very minimal approach to the rules and allow pretty much any technique. And most important, they will keep the pressure on you. They won't just let you do things and get away with it. You'll find out really quickly whether you can handle yourself or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people freeze when, deep down, they realize they don't know how to fight. Others just know to avoid situations like this. Avoiding fights when possible is what you should always do, if you can. But if you need to fight, you want to be confident that you can handle yourself. Otherwise you're going to freeze or do something foolish that will only get you hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being afraid to fight is fine. That doesn't mean you lack ability and confidence. Everyone should be afraid to fight, because there's no telling what will happen in a fight. The guy could take out a knife or a gun when you're not expecting it. Or one of his friends could come out of nowhere and hit you over the head with a big rock or something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But letting your fear paralyze you from acting and doing the right thing is not okay. Usually it means you just don't know how to fight, and you know it's true at a deep level even if you don't realize it consciously. You can get over it with the proper training method. It's how you train that matters, not the style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-09-19T09:20:18.270" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10088" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-09-20T21:16:13.007" Score="3" ViewCount="68" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm asking because I noticed this technique in Wu Mei that looks exactly like it.&#xA;I'd like to see the Shorin bunkai for this technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Qwhqp0eJhDw?t=1115&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/Qwhqp0eJhDw?t=1115&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11025" LastActivityDate="2020-09-20T21:16:13.007" Title="What's the name of the Shorin Ryu technique that's most like upward palm block?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10089" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6818" CreationDate="2020-09-21T03:42:46.887" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm using Master Nardizzi's video on palm upward block as reference&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAry_mw9Mvo&amp;amp;t=1s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAry_mw9Mvo&amp;amp;t=1s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the block is a circular block as it says and also, possibly, a joint lock as well.&#xA;My explanation follows:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, I'm assuming that we're executing the circular block with the left hand in right rear foot stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I begin blocking with the left hand, i'll have my right hand halfway extended.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the right hand can be a parry or cover in the case of a hand attack or it can be a gauge in the case of a kick or long, weapon, attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The defender is meant to move/shift offline when executing the block ( in practical application) even though, in the pattern, it's executed to something occurring directly in front of the defender.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no way, in my opinion,  it could be applied to something happening directly in front. The defender HAS to move out of the line of the incoming attack. The right hand, as I've said, is in my opinion, used to a parry/cover from the incoming attack. It may also be used to gauge distance between the attacker and defender. It may also have a distraction function.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It will attract the attacker's eyes whilst the blocking hand's circular motion takes it out of the attacker's field of vision.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case once the defender is out of the way they can easily spring the attacking arm/foot up by using the palm to hit it upwards, from underneath.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's much easier to do this to an enemy's attacking limb when you're at an angle to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The defender also grabs the attacker's foot or arm, with their non blocking arm, maybe, by the ankle or the wrist. Then they will pull and twist the attacking limb to break the attacker's balance and body structure as they shift and drop their weight into rear foot stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my opinion, rear foot is used so as to most efficiently shift body weight into the hand executing the circular block. It makes the blocking hand a VERY 'heavy hand' as Chinese martial artists say.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This will, in my opinion, also make it easy to transition, via shifting, into a counter-attacking technique ( Because 90% of the weight is on the back right leg in the case of a, right, rear stance. So the right leg is loaded and thus can be used to power a left pressing kick, or left low side piercing kick or shifting left outward vertical kick or shifting back piercing kick, with the right leg).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact that the attacking limb is being held and twisted should aid us in pulling the attacker off balance. So we should be able to easily effect take-downs as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may actually be an effective and relatively, easy technique to apply. But, only if it is applied at the right angle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's the angle of execution that matters most, if this block is to actually be successful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's what I think anyways. That's my two cents. What do y'alls think? Do you think I'm right?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11025" LastEditorUserId="11025" LastEditDate="2020-09-21T04:59:16.070" LastActivityDate="2020-09-21T04:59:16.070" CommentCount="0" CommunityOwnedDate="2020-09-21T03:42:46.887" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10090" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10078" CreationDate="2020-09-21T04:28:57.650" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Leg defenses DO exist in Taekwon Do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/IXIzWaQpRlQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/IXIzWaQpRlQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, why don't people commonly use them in sparring or self defense? That's a question that deserves an answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BTW Side rising AND front rising kick are also blocks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my case, I don't use leg defenses, simply because, I wasn't taught how to use them in sparring or self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They were taught, almost as an after thought in my dojang. That, even though we were expected to know how to do them as yellow belts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They were taught as conceptual techniques and not as fighting or self defense techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think any of the Masters in my dojang in Jamaica are even aware that the rising kicks are also blocking/ defensive techniques as well as dynamic stretching exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've yet to see videos of anyone applying the side rising and front rising kicks defensively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd love to see that. I'll probably have to figure it out and post it myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I do, I'll leave the post here so y'alls can critique me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11025" LastEditorUserId="11025" LastEditDate="2020-09-23T05:50:46.357" LastActivityDate="2020-09-23T05:50:46.357" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10091" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1772" CreationDate="2020-09-21T05:07:05.807" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sine wave is the movement of all OFFICIAL ITF schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, Sine wave looks something like the expansion and contraction in Bak Mei, except that the knee spring replaces the contraction and expansion of the spine and abdomen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think it does add power to a strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See Bak Mei strategy below:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tojJBiXRKrI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tojJBiXRKrI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11025" LastActivityDate="2020-09-21T05:07:05.807" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10092" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10094" CreationDate="2020-09-21T10:05:05.507" Score="4" ViewCount="1393" Body="&lt;p&gt;As I understand one of the ways of using Kubotan is wrapping it with your fingers, wrapping it like a fist. If you use your fist while holding the Kubotan, do you endanger your hand and fingers? On impact, can the Kubotan fall down or move? Is a regular fist more effective than a fist holding Kubotan?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2020-09-22T16:33:51.577" LastActivityDate="2020-11-19T18:24:19.610" Title="Is a fist with a kubotan effective and does it endanger the user's hand?" Tags="|self-defense|weapons|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10093" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10092" CreationDate="2020-09-21T11:21:30.733" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;@Avi I think training with a Kubotan would be a big factor and technique used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similar to people who throw a punch and not &amp;quot;tucking&amp;quot; their thumb underneath the fist but having it on the side and risking injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1300" LastActivityDate="2020-09-21T11:21:30.733" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10094" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10092" CreationDate="2020-09-21T17:06:17.150" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I talked about these kinds of things and briefly referred to kubotan keychains in my answer below:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/10062/is-it-effective-to-use-a-carabiner-as-tool-in-real-fight/10063#10063&quot;&gt;Is it effective to use a carabiner as tool in real fight?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That question specifically asked about using a carabiner. I also talked about brass knuckles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My overall opinion of these kinds of self-defense weapons is that they're nearly useless and often do either injure your hand or give you an unrealistic expectation of their effectiveness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kubotan keychains are light weight and portable. You can put them in your pocket and carry them with your keys. That's why people like them. You'll always have it on you, so the theory goes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem is that if you're going to have a weapon, it better be effective. Part of that effectiveness comes from knowing how to use it properly. Part of it comes from the weapon design itself. The fact that the kubotan is so light in weight means that it's also not going to add significant power to your punch, if that's what you want to do with it. Some people use a roll of quarters, and actually that's more weighty than a kubotan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But as I mentioned in my previous answer, you don't want it to be weighty and to use it like a roll of quarters. Using it in your punch will merely increase the chance of you breaking a finger. So you wouldn't use it that way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kubotans are supposed to be used in a thrusting or stabbing motion. You want to hit the other person with the pointy end. But think about that. How effective is that going to be vs. just punching someone? Not very. Yes, it concentrates force in a small area. That can hurt. The most damage it might do is to break a rib, but that is pretty unlikely. It's definitely not going to end the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another way kubotans are taught to be used is in grappling. You can press against someone's wrist with it while using it for leverage, and it works like a pain compliance technique to release your opponent's grip. But once again, how effective is that going to be vs. knowing how to grapple? If you're spending time trying to position it just right, and you're using two hands to release someone's grip, then you're opening yourself up for being attacked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice: Keep it in your pocket. Take it out only as a last resort when you're wrestling with someone and he has you in a lock you can't get out of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A small pocket knife will always be much more effective. Granted there are laws against those in many countries and cities. In the U.S., it depends on the state, but generally pocket knives a few inches long are legal to carry. You can still lose in court by using a knife in self-defense, because even if it's legal, there is a bias against people who use knives. The general public perceives knife violence as being something only &amp;quot;thugs&amp;quot; do. But perhaps it's better to lose in court than to die or get seriously injured in a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The question also asks how easy is it to lose the kubotan during the fight? I guess the worry is that your opponent will pick it up and use it against you. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. It's unlikely they will know how to use it against you. They probably will try to use it to make their punch stronger, but as I said, it's useless for that purpose. Just don't take it out unless it's a last resort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember when I said that the effectiveness of a weapon depends on you knowing how to use it? That means you need to train to use it, and train often. It also means that part of your training will be against someone armed with a kubotan in case they get a hold of yours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems entirely realistic that if you do take out and use your kubotan during a fight, you will want to get rid of it at some point. It's only useful in niche situations (like the grappling one I mentioned). You will not want to use it for the entire fight. You'll have things you want to do that will only be hindered if you have anything in your hands. So you're going to want to discard that kubotan at some point. Maybe you'll throw it at your opponent, or you'll toss it to the side. By the way, if it does have your keys on it, too bad. You just lost your keys! Bad idea to put your keys on a self-defense weapon, no matter how enticing the marketing pitch is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-09-21T17:06:17.150" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10095" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6818" CreationDate="2020-09-22T00:58:46.810" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ok, I added my own attempt at Bunkai earlier..but...I think.i prefer this one.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Oekt93vyn5M&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/Oekt93vyn5M&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;OK let me attempt to describe what's happening in the video and then show how it applies to patterns like Joong-Gun that have BOTH palm upward blocks and pressing blocks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Application 1:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, this video ALSO suggests that recent changes to the alignment of the palms in BOTH palm upward block and pressing block with the palms (we're now using straight wrists as opposed to the bent wrists of the past) are in fact WRONG.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway I'll do a quick synopsis of palm upward block as described by Grand Master Nardizzi and then work that description into the Empi Kata Bunkai video above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;GM Nardizzi says the palm upward block technique starts from a relaxed position with bent knees, one foot in front of the other. Then, as you raise your body to wind up for the block, you circle your blocking arm around whilst extending the other arm in front of you. By the time you've finished raising your body your palm will be at it's lowest point and your other arm almost fully extended. Then you drop sharply into rear foot stance, twisting and retracting the other hand to the hip whilst springing up the palm of the blocking hand using the sharp drop in the body mass and and action from the elbow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now that's the block, but, how does all that apply to the bunkai video?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;OK in Sensei John Burke's video, he's imagining two people facing each other having words. They're in angry disagreement and then one person is tries to leave.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That person is grabbed in their right, upper arm, about bicep level, by the other the other person, using their right arm, in an attempt to prevent the other person from leaving.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The grabbed person is going to do apply a palm upward block with their grabbed right arm. They are going to apply it as a joint lock.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's how. First, Sensei Burke extends his non blocking arm by turning the right side of his waist back. This is a natural response to someone grabbing your arm. You will naturally pull away. But this serves a practical purpose of extending the arm of the person grabbing. It helps to stretch their arm out and this makes the enemy's arm pliable. By the way, it's not a sudden jerk. That would make them stiffen their arm. It's a relaxed turn that will allow you to work your enemy's arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sensei Burke's opposite arm is extended naturally (it also serves to push the attacker away if he comes too close and guard from any oncoming punches)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then Sensei Burke cuts through the grabbing arm by placing his arm under and around it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;NOTE: In order to pull this off your arm MUST be in close contact with your attackers arm as you circle under and around. Your palm MUST be right between his forearm and elbow joint as it goes under and around.&#xA;If your palm is not in that position, you'll lose leverage and you'll have to apply leverage and brute force via the non blocking arm in order to apply the lock.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if you do manage to apply the lock. When the lock is complete his upper arm and forearm will be at 90 degrees to each other and your palm should be hooked over the back of his upper arm by virtue of it's being bent over his bicep. Then you drop your body weight into the block thus stressing your enemy's shoulder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The older way of doing this 'block', with a bent wrist, really does suit this particular application better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So now you've locked up the enemy with your right arm and he is bent over with back to you. Now, what was your left arm doing whilst all this was going on?&#xA;Well, it switched from it's initial roles as distraction, maintainer of distance and guard, to it's final role. It's grabbed the attackers left arm or the back of his collar or his hair or the back of shirt sleeve (where the shirt sleeve is sewed onto the rest of his shirt and twisted and pulled HARD as you dropped your weight into the 'block'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This must just put TREMENDOUS pressure on your attacker's elbow joint, shoulder, back, neck, hips, etc. It probably applies great strain to his entire body.&#xA;Note if your palm isn't bent backward to hook over his shoulder the 'block'/ shoulder lock is less secure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So NOW we understand that a palm upward block is most likely a shoulder lock with a highly misleading name.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But WAIT there's more!!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With your enemy bent over like that it's to easy how you may step forward into walking stance or low stance (achieved by stepping forward with your right leg and sliding your left back a little more than usual) and apply a palm strike to your enemy's kidney or the back of his head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'd drop your entire weight into his kidney or the back of his head via your left palm whilst holding him in a shoulder lock with your hooked right palm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The palm strike is best executed with a bent palm as the straight palm is less likely to allow you to efficiently send your weight into your enemy's kidney or the back of his head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, there you go. Both upward palm 'block' and palm pressing block are best explained as parts of grappling moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't go...there's still more!!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Application 2:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Palm pressing block can also be quite helpful in removing grabs to the arm and the palm facing up underneath the elbow of the grabbing arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your body should be at an angle to your attacker, say 30 degrees to him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, you press down with the palm facing down and press up with the palm facing up.  NOTE: You would not be pressing STRAIGHT DOWN with the palm facing down nor STRAIGHT UP with the palm facing up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Imagine you are turning a steering wheel clockwise if your right palm is facing down and anti clockwise if your left palm is facing down. You are turning the steering wheel into the palm facing down. It's an old steering system that has no power steering so you'll have to  use your body mass to steer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;NOW, quickly, reverse your hand positions. Your right palm will placed under the elbow and face UP and your left palm will be put inside the crook of the elbow and face DOWN.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now you're turning the steering wheel the other way!!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;NOTE the angle of your body will have changed to the mirror of it's previous angle to your opponent, in order to better apply mass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You achieve all these changes in position via simple body shifting and changes in hand position. You'll find that you'll definitely be able to get your enemy to release you after the change in position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But WHY?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It works because you used your opponent's strength against him. When you pressed down with your right palm he resisted by forcing his left arm up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you quickly switched positions you surprised him.&#xA;His left arm was still trying to go upward and your right palm which is now below his left elbow and pressing upward assisted in that motion. Your right palm will help his left palm to go up and away from you. Your enemy will be forced to release you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So that's it. That's my two cents on the use of palm upward block and palm pressing block. So, I've presented my interpretation of pressing block and palm upward block and their likely functions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But based on my interpretation, I believe that the original bent wrist positions in those blocks are actually MORE functional than the new straight wrist positions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's because I think the bent wrist positions serve a 'hooking' function when applied in a joint lock and a vehicle for effectively delivering mass in a strike or when applying pressure to a hold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think I'd use the bent wrist position when actually applying the 'blocks' but what is 'most efficient', for the individual, can be best determined via applying the blocks in 2 person exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What do you think?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11025" LastEditorUserId="11025" LastEditDate="2020-09-26T02:33:00.657" LastActivityDate="2020-09-26T02:33:00.657" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10096" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4515" CreationDate="2020-09-23T14:23:05.657" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would suggest using gloves that have a great deal of wrist support and don't break upon sway. You may receive different answers on that, however, Hayabusa Gloves &lt;a href=&quot;https://nerdboxing.com/boxing-gloves-for-professionals/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Best Boxing Gloves For Professionals&lt;/a&gt; could be the best match for your requirements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11077" LastEditorUserId="1395" LastEditDate="2020-09-24T21:12:14.347" LastActivityDate="2020-09-24T21:12:14.347" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10097" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8517" CreationDate="2020-09-23T21:50:30.183" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Karate, Muay Thai, Boxing, Wing Chun, Jeet Kune Do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11079" LastEditorUserId="1395" LastEditDate="2020-09-24T15:57:11.440" LastActivityDate="2020-09-24T15:57:11.440" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10098" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10086" CreationDate="2020-09-24T19:44:48.763" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Q: why a perfect expert and trained taekwondo player or martial artist fear fights?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A: Have you heard of the saying that the more you learn about something, the more you realize how much more there is to learn? The same thing is relevant in martial arts. For a novice, the &amp;quot;experts&amp;quot; seem to know &lt;em&gt;everything&lt;/em&gt; and can handle any attacker. The &amp;quot;experts&amp;quot; walk with presence, and seem to have an &amp;quot;air of confidence&amp;quot; that the novice aspires to have. This is typically seen in a controlled environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What Steve Weigand mentioned about 'confidence' is absolutely true. You gain true confidence by building it up in many 'fights' - the less rules the better for your confidence. Unfortunately, there is a high correlation with fight experience and a greater chance of being injured or killed. Training in a safer environment is great and also build confidence but you also begin to acutely realize your distinct deficiencies. You also are comforted by the fact that if you do get injured, your opponent (usually) doesn't keep attacking - there is a pretty definite stopping point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't train sufficiently realistically, you gain a false sense of confidence. This means that your moves all work when your opponents are compliant and know how to react. You feel like a badass who can win any fight, however, in a spontaneous fight, your opponent will not be compliant - at all. To make things worse, your opponent could pull out a weapon, or have friends nearby. Despite what movies might suggest, coming out unscathed against a weapon wielding attacker is very difficult (even for trained martial artists), and multiple attackers significantly reduces your chances of 'winning'. Even if you do 'win' in some way by injuring your attacker(s) to the point where they stop attacking you, now you may face legal repercussions - even for a self defense scenario - and that is just the start of your problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does any of this mean that martial arts are useless? Not at all. But have some expertise in a martial art can get you out of a bad situation, make you aware of your limitations, and teach you that avoiding a fight is almost always your best option. To summarize, a &amp;quot;streetfight&amp;quot; has too many uncontrolled variables even for a very experienced martial artist to guarantee that they will be successful. Any martial artist with robust training knows this, and this is why they fear fights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're still curious about this, I've put together a longish document based on my experiences and what I've seen: &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WCwzwwXFWYJ8sjTOYMR1yM7aYUR48Jctv0fmAcIgWZ0/edit?usp=sharing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;A primer on effective self-defense&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7393" LastActivityDate="2020-09-24T19:44:48.763" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10100" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4553" CreationDate="2020-09-26T18:48:12.623" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The wrapping motion and the crossing of forearms preparatory to blocking in karate and ITF TaeKwon-Do have the SAME purpose. They are flinch responses. They are our natural responses to threats.  Those responses come in many forms but two are very common.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In those two responses we may either(a) wrap our arms about ourselves as a shield or we may (b) raise our arms up and attempt to form a covering barrier for ourselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I said, those natural response have been taken and adapted to martial arts.&#xA;In the case of Shotokan Karate, at least, we use (a), that is, we hug ourselves, to protect our face, neck and body, whilst extending a hand to ward of the danger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Following that, we may strike the source of our discomfort ( in the case of the most obvious Bunkai) on the wrist or ankle or some other vital spot whilst pulling them to break their structure.&#xA;That's our counterattack which is normally considered the entire 'block' whilst the protective, guarding, wrapping movement and warding hand are considered, useless, traditional, nonsense, by the ill-informed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, that's it, the wrapping motion in Karate has three functions, one, a defensive guard, two, it contains a hand used to do the actual blocking, by deflecting or covering against the attack and finally, three, it puts the counter-attacking hand in a position in which we can put the entire body mass behind it's strike to a vital area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This, three-in-one, logic is exactly the same for the crossed forearms used in the 'blocking preparation' applied in ITF TaeKwon-Do. ITF Tkd uses the (b) strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The crossing of forearms in ITF Tkd, functions in exactly the same manner as the Karate wrapping motion, except that guard is more like a regular boxing guard, protecting the ribs, chest, face, etc, with the warding, non blocking hand not extended as far forward as in the karate version of that guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps it serves to keeps the hands more free whilst handling things like modern firearms? We have to remember that Gen Choi was a Major General in the South Korean Army.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyways ITF's crossed forearms blocking preparation is a modern interpretation of the older wrapping guard posture. This and the flow of movements in the ITF patterns assures me that Gen Choi DID know at least some of the Bunkai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;His guard posture would neither be practical or logical if he did not, on some level, understand what he was doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11025" LastEditorUserId="11025" LastEditDate="2020-09-26T19:03:15.450" LastActivityDate="2020-09-26T19:03:15.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10101" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10104" CreationDate="2020-09-27T03:31:52.337" Score="2" ViewCount="77" Body="&lt;p&gt;My lifestyle these days don't allow me to train in a club, but I do try to recall drills from college kickboxing class.  I recall 2 ways of doing the shuffle roundhouse.  I'm trying to choose the right one to fit into a combination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assume an orthodox stance.  After a jab and a cross, the front left leg gets shuffled to be come the back leg (for an instant) so that it can throw a powerful roundhouse.  The two ways that I recall shuffling the left leg back are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(1) &lt;em&gt;Slide&lt;/em&gt; the left foot back to approximately the level of the right foot, or maybe a bit behind it, then step forward with the right foot.  The left foot is now well behind, and immediately throws a roundhouse.  I guess the stepping forward of the right leg generates power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(2) Just hop into a southpaw stance and bounce the rear left leg into a roundhouse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideally, one would practice &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6R0_IXoDro&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;many different variations of a shuffle roundhouse&lt;/a&gt;, but if time is lacking, which one would be better to favour in drills?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10351" LastActivityDate="2020-09-27T13:13:36.017" Title="Which of these 2 shuffle roundhouse kicks is preferrable?" Tags="|kicking|muay-thai|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10102" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10108" CreationDate="2020-09-27T03:33:36.767" Score="4" ViewCount="216" Body="&lt;p&gt;From college kickboxing class, I'm trying to recall the details of the lead roundhouse kick to an opponent's inner thigh.  Assuming orthodox stance for both people, it would be a lead round-house to the opponent's lead inner thigh.  However, I'm specifically considering the case where this is thrown after a jab and a cross.  The lead left foot is loaded up for the round house, which would be swinging rightward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it better to step to the right to generate more momentum, or would that &lt;em&gt;typically&lt;/em&gt; be too slow?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10351" LastActivityDate="2020-09-28T08:30:06.500" Title="Step in direction of roundhouse kick to inner thigh?" Tags="|kicking|muay-thai|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10103" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10102" CreationDate="2020-09-27T11:44:56.900" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Especially given you're having to rotate back from the cross, I think that the extra step is, indeed, generally too much. It, of course, may be useful if you need a little extra distance, or a pause to throw off your opponent's timing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-09-27T11:44:56.900" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10104" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10101" CreationDate="2020-09-27T13:13:36.017" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are training for explosive power, I'd prefer the shuffle step, the second one, as it's a more dynamic move with more sudden movement. Of course, if you're having trouble controlling the roundhouse afterwards, you may want to use the first movement as it's easier to do slowly until you can get a consistent smoothness. Also, if you're unstable after the switch, you might practice just the switch, each time to ensure you're landing in a stable position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-09-27T13:13:36.017" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10105" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10017" CreationDate="2020-09-27T14:14:22.437" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I was looking for bag options long ago, I found that they are easy to get, but a main limiting factor was finding somewhere to hang the bag where it won't cause damage in the long term.  Finding somewhere with enough clearance is a second factor.  Any ground-based hanging frame gets deformed, and the design of the base sometimes limits the amount of moving around you can do.  For that reason, I doubt that novelty laundry bag is meant for actual use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The college I went to had buildings with cement posts.  I would use gi belts to wrap training mats around them.  If they weren't available, I'd just use a gloved hand.  You then have to make the punches light and snappy rather than following through.  The posts had a square cross section that was too big to do upper cuts or hooks, so those movements end up just scraping the surface.  And, of course, the cement posts were stationary, which means that you don't get any exercise in real time adaption.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10351" LastActivityDate="2020-09-27T14:14:22.437" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10106" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13573" CreationDate="2020-09-27T15:36:09.430" Score="3" ViewCount="394" Body="&lt;p&gt;I studied Chun Kuk Do (formerly Chuck Norris Tang Soo Do) in the 1990s in Kentucky. One of the forms that we were required to learn (I think for my green or brown belt) was a staff form. I don't know if it was actually part of the normal Chun Kuk Do or Tang Soo Do curriculum because my teacher liked to add forms and techniques from other styles. I remember the name being something like &amp;quot;Muhammed Basto Ana Isa&amp;quot;. The form was at least largely done with a mixed grip (right hand underhand, left hand overhand). We would start out in &lt;em&gt;Jun Bi&lt;/em&gt;, the ready stance with legs shoulder-width part, and the staff held about waist level with the arms straight. We would then twirl the staff with the right hand to being tucked under the right armpit vertically, and bow before returning to the ready stance. I don't remember exactly how it starts, but there's an early sequence (referred to as Sequence A in the written instructions. I think there was a Sequence B as well although I don't remember the details) involving a horizontal strike with the right side at shoulder-height followed by a strike with the other side, also horizontal at shoulder-height, then a downward strike and a reversed upward strike with the other side, followed by that first horizontal strike. That sequence was repeated several times in the form. The only other bits I remember is that at one point, we did a two-handed upward block followed by a two-handed low block, at one point we did a &lt;a href=&quot;https://blackbeltwiki.com/bo-staff-how-to-do-a-figure-eight&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;figure-8 spin&lt;/a&gt; for two rotations (of course, sliding the hands together in the center), and I think there was a part where we slid the left hand closer to the end of the staff and did a low movement as if to hook a leg, followed by a thrust.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oof... this looks ugly watching myself, but I quickly filmed the beginning twirl and bow, and an example of Sequence A&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Opening&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LpKaTvatr_A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/LpKaTvatr_A&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Sequence A&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/RJXTa9iszRY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/RJXTa9iszRY&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've looked at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jo9CQ7pJVQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Bong Hyung Cho Dan&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, but it doesn't match my memories. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=585zkKi1Uls&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;UFAF Bo Form&lt;/a&gt; looks more complicated than what we learned (which would make sense for it being required for a third degree black belt) although I can see the &amp;quot;Sequence A&amp;quot; I mentioned above in it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-09-30T13:11:36.340" LastActivityDate="2022-12-27T14:48:06.963" Title="What is this bo staff form, possibly from Tang Soo Do?" Tags="|forms|identification|bo-staff|tang-soo-do|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10107" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10102" CreationDate="2020-09-28T03:28:46.230" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;After the jab-cross, I'd almost always throw another jab as I rotate back, and if the distances are all fine as is, kick without moving the back foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you've shifted the front foot across to make room for the back hip to rotate through to power the cross, then you'll tend to be inside the line of their front foot (so if they lifted that foot straight up they can't just front-kick you - they'll need to swivel their hips and front foot towards you before or during their front-leg roundhouse - either way it'll be more telegraphed and easier to defend against.  Anyway - if they haven't been driven back and moved their front leg during your jab-cross[-jab], then your front-leg roundhouse will be kicking into the fleshy side or underside of their front leg.  That can be less conditioned in some people, and disrupts their balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, if you do shift the back foot forward and to the right - across the line of their front foot, they can quickly lift that front foot and snap out a front kick.  Your groin is exposed - whether they target it deliberately or accidentally.  If you then kick, you'll have a slightly more awkward angle to kick from - takes more time and care to lift your leg higher and bring it down powerfully into their thigh.  Still, kicking down into the top of their thigh means their leg isn't just lifted and pushed sideways - the full force of the kick has to be absorbed into the muscle, but the kicks likely to still be considerably weaker, riskier and slower over-all than a jab-cross with a back-leg roundhouse kick to the top of the thigh, though if they're blocking those it's not a bad idea to mix it up with a front leg kick or something else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's another situation when you'd step the back foot, and that's when you're chasing slightly and want to step the back foot in closer to the front foot before delivering your kick.  That way, you're still lining up to kick from a similar angle as the no-step kick: you're inside the line of their front foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2020-09-28T03:28:46.230" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10108" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10102" CreationDate="2020-09-28T04:20:17.367" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it better to step to the right to generate more momentum, or would that typically be too slow?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For purposes of easing exposition, I will use &lt;em&gt;basic-lead-snap-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt; (= no stepping to the right) and &lt;em&gt;step-right-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt; (= step to the right with your right leg and kick with the left leg) to differentiate between the two.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Context is King!&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no way to tell whether one is better than the other without taking into consideration what your opponent is doing while you are kicking. There is always a trade-off. You &lt;strong&gt;must&lt;/strong&gt; think about the effectiveness of a given strike/move by factoring in how your opponent might react.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What if you stepped to your right to generate more momentum for the lead inside roundhouse, but your opponent actually beat you to it and shuffled (or switched stance) to his right? This means you would fail to make any contact with his lead leg, and your momentum would carry through, making you off-balance. The momentum of your &lt;em&gt;step-right-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt; would open your back to your opponent who will be in the perfect spot for his power shots!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;em&gt;step-right-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt; is more powerful than the &lt;em&gt;basic-lead-snap-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt;. But the latter is faster. An additional advantage of the &lt;em&gt;step-right-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt; (besides power) is that it pushes your head much to the right, meaning that your head will now be outside the center line of fire. And this is a great way to not get countered by the Cross or the Overhand Right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;When to use the &lt;em&gt;basic-lead-snap-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, here are some reasons to use the &lt;em&gt;basic-lead-snap-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's a quick snappy kick to the inside leg.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Takes minimal effort and energy.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Does not require swinging of lead arm to generate momentum - because&#xA;&amp;quot;being powerful&amp;quot; is not the purpose of this kick.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Does not require turning of the upper body like a fully committed switch kick.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some situations when you should use the &lt;em&gt;basic-lead-snap-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. Use it to test the waters.&lt;/strong&gt; Does he bring his leg up to check your kick? Does he bounce back to avoid it? Does it throw a counter kick or a punch? His reaction gives you an idea about what to expect from him when you actually throw the more powerful, fully committed, &lt;em&gt;step-right-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. Use it when your opponent takes a step with his lead leg towards you.&lt;/strong&gt; This will annoy him to his core. It will prevent him from getting into proper position to throw his combos.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3. Use it when your opponent throws a Jab-Cross combo.&lt;/strong&gt; The Jab might graze your face, but if you land the &lt;em&gt;basic-lead-snap-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt; to the inside of your opponents lead leg, your strike and his momentum from the Cross (which requires one to put weight on the lead leg) will throw him off this balance and open him to your follow-ups.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4. Use it if your opponent has good footwork and is able to move quickly.&lt;/strong&gt; Since the &lt;em&gt;basic-lead-snap-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt; does not require much energy, effort, momentum, or upper-body commitment, you can expect to throw it and quickly move out of the exchange. Use it like an &lt;em&gt;in-and-out Jab&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;When to use the &lt;em&gt;step-right-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some reasons to use the &lt;em&gt;step-right-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's more powerful than the &lt;em&gt;basic-lead-snap-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt;, because you put momentum and weight behind the kick.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If landed in succession, the kicks can severely impair movement and cause instability in the lead leg; it will be hard for your opponent to actually plant his lead foot and throw the rear-legged power roundhouse effectively.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When you step to the right for the kick, you also effectively get your head out of the center line of fire. This protects you from any counter straight punches.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stepping to the side to throw the kick also means you are &lt;em&gt;kicking through your opponent's leg&lt;/em&gt;; naturally, any strike thrown to go past the target will hurt more than snappy strikes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are some situations when you should use the &lt;em&gt;step-right-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. Use it when your opponent has his hands up high guarding/covering his face.&lt;/strong&gt; Most of the time, when someone covers up with both hands, they are bracing themselves for impact, or they are coming forward with a traditional Muay Thai march (trying to close the gap for clinching). They are heavy on their legs. It is difficult to move around, react to strikes, or step to the sides when both hands are up high covering the face. When you see this happen, use the &lt;em&gt;step-right-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt;. Destroy that lead leg. It is hard to throw proper, effective counter shots from a guard position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. Use it when your opponent is backing down or stuck in the corner.&lt;/strong&gt; When you see your opponent moving back (e.g., say, after a teep or a body shot), use the space, close the space with a step to the right, and throw the &lt;em&gt;step-right-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt;. You will be in perfect position to generate the most momentum and power behind that kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3. Use it when your opponent is tired and is unlikely to be able to move quickly to avoid it.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4. [Advanced] Use it when your opponent throws a rear-legged body or head roundhouse kick.&lt;/strong&gt; The key to this is to be good at spotting and reacting. When you see your opponent take a step to the left with their lead leg, chances are he is throwing a rear-legged-roundhouse-kick. If you are able to time this correctly, your &lt;em&gt;step-right-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt; will be a destructive counter. You will not only cause damage by kicking the standing/supporting/pivoting lead leg, but also move your head and body out of the way to avoid or reduce impact of his rear-legged-roundhouse-kick. Watch the demonstration here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/nP6DN2h2XNI?t=39&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Inside leg kick techniques&lt;/a&gt;. Here is something similar; the stances are different, but you get the idea: &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/imHajzoVNDU?t=161&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Fedor Emelianenko vs Mirko Cro Cop&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Jab + Cross + Inside Leg Kick: Which one and when?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everything I mentioned above applies here. Your Jab + Cross, if thrown effectively a few times, will most surely warrant respect from the opponent. This means when you throw the Jab + Cross, he will cover up or parry (if he doesn't slip the punches or move out). This is a good time to throw the &lt;em&gt;step-right-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt;. He will be heavy on his legs, focusing on your straight punches, and this gives you a good opportunity to land the kick with some momentum. Your punches don't have to be strong, they are there just to occupy your opponents hands and get them to brace for the shots, which makes it easier to kick their lead leg. Also note that you can take your step to the right at the same time as the Cross. This will make this technique faster than if you were to bring back the Cross and then stepped to your right. Since the Cross is not the weapon in this technique, you don't have to throw it with commitment. So throw the Jab, and when you throw the Cross, step to the right at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your Jab + Cross might also drive them back, which is even better because you can now take a slightly longer right-step and release the &lt;em&gt;step-right-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt; with more momentum and power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your opponent simultaneously throws his punches when you throw your Jab + Cross, or if he slips your punches to the left to throw his left hooks, use the faster &lt;em&gt;basic-lead-snap-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt;. This will instantly throw them off-balance and give you the time to follow up. Throwing the &lt;em&gt;step-right-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt; will work against you in this situation. He is slipping your punches to his left, closing the distance with a forward left step while slipping, and throwing the left hook. If you throw the &lt;em&gt;step-right-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt;, you will be much closer to your opponent and will risk getting badly hit by his left hook. Even if you both connect, his is the strike that will decide the round.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Note:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was taught three ways to do the inside leg kick. These are as follows, starting with the quickest and least strong to the slowest and most strong. Note that the difference in speed is actually very small.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;basic-lead-snap-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt; - as discussed above.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;slide-rear-leg-forward-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt; - see 3rd kick in video below.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;step-right-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt; - as discussed above.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The difference between 2 and 3 is that in &lt;em&gt;slide-rear-leg-forward-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt; you don't step to the right with your back leg, but you slide your back leg forward while simultaneously throwing the lead roundhouse. This is faster and more powerful than 3.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See this video - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yqb3lwnRBz4&amp;amp;ab_channel=JosephValtellini&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Joseph Valtellini Inside Low Kick&lt;/a&gt; - for the &lt;em&gt;slide-rear-leg-forward-lead-roundhouse&lt;/em&gt;. I never did the 2nd variation Joe shows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9515" LastEditorUserId="9515" LastEditDate="2020-09-28T08:30:06.500" LastActivityDate="2020-09-28T08:30:06.500" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10109" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10111" CreationDate="2020-09-30T04:49:32.587" Score="2" ViewCount="204" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is MUA method or &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/DxSF2u33R8g&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;manipulation under anesthesia&lt;/a&gt;. I was wondering if such a method would help increase flexibility like achieving a front or side split? Did anybody try it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9518" LastActivityDate="2021-07-22T07:41:01.400" Title="Increase flexibility by manipulation under anesthesia (MUA)" Tags="|flexibility|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10110" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10109" CreationDate="2020-09-30T06:17:07.633" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think it is VERY dangerous, because you can injure or break your ligaments - and that would ruin everything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And, from the other side, it is a misrespect to other students, detracting their work, because (if you succeed) reduces your amount of pain and hard work, gaining the same result in a more easy way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, it strongly contradicts with the spirit of MA, for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2020-09-30T07:19:10.327" LastActivityDate="2020-09-30T07:19:10.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10111" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10109" CreationDate="2020-09-30T11:34:10.997" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it were a reasonable way to gain flexibility, it would be common practice.&#xA;A lot of people dream doing splits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The pain is annoying, also for me, but it indicates how far you can go savely.&#xA;Again and again bit more increases the flexibility. Muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints need time to adjust.&#xA;Breaking one of these makes you more flexible, but more in a wobbly way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10685" LastEditorUserId="10685" LastEditDate="2021-07-22T07:41:01.400" LastActivityDate="2021-07-22T07:41:01.400" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10113" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10035" CreationDate="2020-10-01T17:14:15.100" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a slightly iffy answer in that it's basically drawing in individual techniques from two different styles (and maybe a non-MMA movement), but boxing has the &lt;a href=&quot;https://blackbeltwiki.com/bolo-punch&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;bolo punch&lt;/a&gt;, which was introduced by Filipino workers who sourced the movement from a combination of their &lt;a href=&quot;https://stickfightingsport.com/kali/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;native styles&lt;/a&gt; and the machete movement used to cut sugar cane. While most people think of the circular movement of the arm as the fundamental part of it, the starting location by the hips is actually to use the hip movement to drive the cut without having to rely on arm strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-10-01T17:14:15.100" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10114" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-10-01T22:01:51.360" Score="-1" ViewCount="106" Body="&lt;p&gt;How should a martial arts instructor go about assessing their students from a remote setting? Are there any core metrics they could use to review a students self-training from within a app?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My original question was deemed a &amp;quot;polling&amp;quot; question. As I am not an instructor, I wanted the valuable point of views from martial arts instructors. Basically I want to build an app, I have the core app idea, my core customer are instructors, and I want to include additional features that an instructor would deem necessary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I ultimately want to know, what would an instructor deem vital in a self-training app for their students? Including but not limited to analytics, but what kind of analytics would be of interest to an instructor?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But to ask this type of question, I have been told to join other websites.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I left my original question in place as guidance to the problem I was trying to solve but that was removed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;@Macaco Branco has stated its difficult to correct an individual student in an online group session. Therefore I can pull this out as a requirement. &amp;quot;add a feature to select and ping a student privately during a session&amp;quot; This could work that their screen shakes, plays a noise, flashing color boarders or all three. Something like that&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10041" LastEditorUserId="10041" LastEditDate="2020-10-05T12:07:22.360" LastActivityDate="2020-10-05T12:07:22.360" Title="How should a martial arts instructor assess remote students?" Tags="|self-training|covid-19|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="8" ClosedDate="2020-10-05T14:14:13.067" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10115" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9854" CreationDate="2020-10-02T19:27:48.590" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;jigoku jime (hell strangle). Start with Hassami jime then jigoku jime. Ashi gatame - ude garami,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10811" LastEditorUserId="10811" LastEditDate="2020-10-03T12:11:52.783" LastActivityDate="2020-10-03T12:11:52.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10116" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10114" CreationDate="2020-10-03T15:23:13.373" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;To some degree, there is no real difference between observing a student via a Zoom session and observing them in-person from a judging table, as is generally done for testing. You only have a single point of view, but you can more or less watch them real-time. If you're having difficulty observing fluidity of movement due to transmission issues, you could go with a video submission.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As regards observation during class, I'll admit that that is an issue, and something I've been thinking about in the process of my remote Capoeira classes. Typically, you have X different windows for the different students, which makes it harder to look at the overall picture and note when someone isn't getting it right, made slightly harder by that the issues in synchronization of video feeds means everyone's moving at a slightly different rhythm, eliminating the &amp;quot;one of these things is not like the others&amp;quot; metric. The only concrete observation I've gotten out of it is you generally need to set up a situation where they'll do X repetitions of the movement, where X is some multiple of the number of students, and you spread your attention from one student to the next to see if they're getting it right. That also means that teaching a class starts to lose the exercise benefit of doing the class yourself, since if you're doing the movement, you often can't divide your attention to observe everyone else. Add to that that you often don't have the benefit of assistant instructors since you're managing a limited number of seats in the video sessions, and it does get more difficult.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other issue I've seen is that it's much harder to privately call people out. In general, everyone hears everything, and your students are unlikely to notice a chat message in the midst of movements. This may be something that you'll just discuss with your students, that corrections in class are generally not criticisms, and make sure that you also call out affirmations for people getting it right so that they know that they're not being ignored. Really, it's the same sort of thing as in public sessions where you're yelling out from the front of class rather than walking amidst the drilling students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-10-03T15:23:13.373" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10117" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-10-07T18:23:12.893" Score="4" ViewCount="223" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm about 30 years old, out of shape, and stressed out. I always liked martial arts, but never really practiced one. I'm now looking for an art to help me get into good shape, get some exercise, relax, and focus myself. I'm not interested in competitions and self-defence, and I don't really want to take strikes on my head (for the risk of concussion and long term damages). I'd like to experience more the &amp;quot;art&amp;quot; than the &amp;quot;martial&amp;quot; side; a bit of &amp;quot;alone&amp;quot; training is appreciated. Which martial art do you suggest?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did some Tai Chi years ago, and while it was relaxing, it was too slow for me as I need something more active. I was looking at Karate and some &amp;quot;no head contact&amp;quot; styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11102" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-10-07T23:45:20.060" LastActivityDate="2020-10-16T21:21:00.907" Title="Suggestions on martial art choosing" Tags="|karate|recommendation|style|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10118" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10117" CreationDate="2020-10-07T20:18:16.830" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would personally recommend boxing kickboxing or muay thai, as you can practice on a bag it is a great form of cardio. However, in my experience, they do not highlight the &amp;quot;art&amp;quot; aspect of it as much as they do the sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido is something that you can look into as it is more spiritual that boxing but faster paced than tai chi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, consider training in a weapons fighting like a Bo staff, HEMA, or Kendo. These are great workouts, usually you will find something that really fits in your hand and a style you enjoy. Plus they look cool, and always have a historical and cultural significance attached to them&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11094" LastActivityDate="2020-10-07T20:18:16.830" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10119" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10117" CreationDate="2020-10-07T23:51:48.330" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know I always throw it out as a suggestion when people are looking for martial arts, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capoeira&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Capoeira&lt;/a&gt; fits what you are looking for. While individual schools vary, in general it is very much about the art and culture (and music!) as it is martial movements. It's definitely good exercise, although it's also possible to do it more slowly, especially as you're getting the hang of it. Lastly, the &amp;quot;sparring&amp;quot;, the &lt;em&gt;jogo&lt;/em&gt; (game), is expressly done as light to no contact in most schools since the goal is, as one &lt;em&gt;mestre&lt;/em&gt; put it, not to kick the other person in the face, but rather to make them move their face into your foot. It's very strategic, almost like chess.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Caveats are that it's still relatively obscure (not every city has a school), it can be very intimidating with the flips and inversions (it's worth noting that most of the recorded demonstrations are the best of the best, from people who have trained for decades, and that it's very much possible to play without the acrobatics), and while there is a lot that you can practice on your own, it is essentially a cooperative and social art, so in this current time of pandemic, you're going to be getting a partial experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ah, and because it often comes up, I do not recommend learning Capoeira, or any other martial art, on your own or from YouTube tutorials. You will miss crucial aspects that a teacher would be able to impart to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-10-07T23:51:48.330" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10120" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10117" CreationDate="2020-10-08T15:44:51.853" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I like the previous suggestion of Capoeira, because it does emphasize physical fitness, does not involve contact during sparring, and can be practiced alone. But as I said in one of the comments, I think it can be pretty intimidating for a beginner to begin taking Capoeira classes, because it does involve a lot of techniques that seem advanced. To someone coming in with poor physical fitness and someone who is a bit older, the emphasis on acrobatic / gymnastic skill may seem a bit off-putting. Worth checking out, though, if you can find it near you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kickboxing wouldn't work. It involves punches and kicks to the head, which the original poster said he didn't want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cardio kickboxing may work, though. In cardio kickboxing, the classes are all about getting your heart rate up while performing kickboxing techniques. It's aerobics but with martial arts techniques. There's no contact. And there's usually no pretense about it being good for practical self-defense. You can find cardio kickboxing classes taught in all kinds of martial arts schools and boxing/kickboxing/mma gyms as a separate class. Many Krav Maga schools also have a cardio kickboxing class. And it might be called something other than &amp;quot;cardio kickboxing&amp;quot;. So you do have to look around, go to the web sites of different schools near you and see what they offer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also regular boxing classes, but with no contact. Many boxing gyms do offer a no-contact version of boxing training. It might be called &amp;quot;boxing basics&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;boxing conditioning&amp;quot;. They may even have a requirement that you take this class to begin with for a few months before moving on to sparring classes. But a lot of people just do the conditioning classes and don't bother with sparring at all. A good boxing coach can tailor your conditioning to your body type and where you're at in your current conditioning level. You can also pay for private boxing coaching however many times a week, so you get the coach's undivided attention.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of the things they'll have you do in boxing conditioning classes or private coaching include: jumping rope, learning the basic punches and stances, learning combinations, practicing punches and combinations on the bag and speed bag, practicing with focus mitts, non-contact or very light sparring, weight training, the weighted sled, tire rolling, the battle rope, running, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, etc. You'll start getting a fighter's physique after a year of doing this 3 times a week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another possibility I think might work is Contemporary Wushu. Wushu is a sport that involves repeating very intricate and difficult martial arts choreography (forms / taolu). There's no contact and no sparring. The emphasis is on performance, not on self-defense. And the forms are generally practiced alone. The physical requirements are higher as you get more advanced, so there's a gradual progression. And there aren't many fat people you'll see in Contemporary Wushu, because it does cultivate physical fitness. This satisfies all of the original poster's requirements. And having already done Taiji, this may feel familiar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finding a competent Wushu instructor may be difficult, depending on where you live. But if you can get to one, it might be worth checking out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can read up about and watch videos on Wushu at:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iwuf.org/sport-wushu/taolu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.iwuf.org/sport-wushu/taolu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be careful, though. Contemporary Wushu (usually called &amp;quot;Wushu&amp;quot; in the West) is not the same as Traditional Wushu (which in the West is usually called &amp;quot;kung-fu&amp;quot;). Traditional Wushu also involves forms, but often the emphasis is less on performance and more on self-defense. Since the original poster did not care for self-defense, I recommend sticking with Contemporary Wushu instead of Traditional.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those are my top 3 picks: Cardio kickboxing, boxing conditioning, or Contemporary Wushu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-10-08T15:44:51.853" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10122" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5383" CreationDate="2020-10-09T14:47:23.073" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes.  Contrary to what the average &amp;quot;expert&amp;quot; on swords and Japanese swordsmanship will tell you online (along with their obligatory mentions to Miyamoto Musashi who everyone obligatorily must mention whenever dual-wielding Japanese swords is discussed even though in his own book he clearly states using two swords is nothing new in Japan and there are many styles predating Musashi's Niten-Ichi Ryu that show katana and wakizashi being used like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://pic4.zhimg.com/80/v2-cc7da60bf8d180641022c667be397f8b_1440w.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yagyu Shinkage Ryu&lt;/a&gt; note: that image is from a Yagyu Shinkage Ryu scroll that dates to about 1601 when Musashi was only 17 and only just starting to get into dueling), it is possible to fence with two full length katana/uchigatana at once and there is historical evidence showing that it was done.&#xA;Chinese and Korean depictions of Japanese pirates i.e. Wokou(倭寇) clearly depict them using two swords of identical size that don't seem to be any sort of wakizashi/kodachi:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YG8E2.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YG8E2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4tsQ7.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4tsQ7.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;In addition, &lt;a href=&quot;https://webarchives.tnm.jp/imgsearch/show/C0083304&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;the Aizu Kage Ryu Densho (dated to the Late Muromachi Period - Azuchi-Momoyama Period) housed in the Tokyo National Museum&lt;/a&gt; clearly shows techniques with two full length katana in addition to techniques with two wakizashi/kodachi.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/1ChUA.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/1ChUA.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/e8QkP.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/e8QkP.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;So, yes.  Dual wielding katanas is historical and doable and you don't have to be Miyamoto Musashi, Deadpool, or a Ninja Turtle to do it! :P&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: Just to add a bit to the answer, while not strictly &amp;quot;katana&amp;quot; if you mean that word to apply to ONLY Japanese swords, the historical Korean manual Muyedobotongji/무예도보통지/武藝圖譜通志 does show dual wielding a pair of katana-like swords in it.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7sWJ8.gif&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7sWJ8.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11107" LastEditorUserId="11107" LastEditDate="2022-06-18T23:05:25.043" LastActivityDate="2022-06-18T23:05:25.043" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10124" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-10-09T19:28:42.830" Score="5" ViewCount="135" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the name of this ne waza? &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/VfI22dZ979A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/VfI22dZ979A&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/RAtXs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/RAtXs.png&quot; alt=&quot;mystery technique&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Youtube transcript from commentator:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The attacker drops down to a drop [knee] &lt;em&gt;seoi&lt;/em&gt;. It fails, keeps pulling his opponent down. Once it going to &lt;em&gt;ne waza&lt;/em&gt;, pulls&#xA;down on the lapel, cross grips, pulls down,&#xA;then catches the sleeve. Swings&#xA;underneath him, tries to turn him over&#xA;with his foot. That doesn't work, brings&#xA;the foot behind the back and gets a coil&#xA;lock on the opponent's right arm. Pushes&#xA;the opponent's right arm with his foot&#xA;in hand and now his left foot comes in,&#xA;hooks by the elbow, catches by the top,&#xA;near the head, starts to pull the&#xA;opponent over on his back. Still has his&#xA;right arm locked, swings over the top,&#xA;comes across the neck, controlling with&#xA;his left foot, brings the arm tight&#xA;behind the back so he has two arm locks.&#xA;Swings over the top, the opponent starts&#xA;to give up. See, he's tapping just with his&#xA;fingers; that's all he could move. Referee&#xA;goes &lt;em&gt;osaekomi&lt;/em&gt;, sees the hand, goes &lt;em&gt;ippon&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10811" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-10-12T12:54:21.160" LastActivityDate="2022-06-30T13:13:58.710" Title="What is the name of this ne waza?" Tags="|judo|jujutsu|identification|submissions|groundwork|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10125" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10124" CreationDate="2020-10-09T23:57:20.327" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the YouTube comments, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfI22dZ979A&amp;amp;lc=UgwQHQqBJM23-IjBlTJ4AaABAg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;someone points out&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Commenter &amp;quot;Gerijima&amp;quot; below says in japanese that the technique is called &amp;quot;itotoushi&amp;quot; (phonetically: ee-TOW TOW-oo-she) which in japanese means &amp;quot;thread pass through&amp;quot; as in the action of threading a needle. And he says this technique is in Shinya Aoki's book.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/judo/comments/w4le9/ito_toushi_thread_the_needle/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Discussed a little further&lt;/a&gt; in the Judo Reddit forum, but no real new information added other than a bit of commentary on how it might have been escaped.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All the guy on top had to do was swim his left hand to the inside, most likely isn't familiar with anything spider guard resembling and was expecting a quick stand up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-10-09T23:57:20.327" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10126" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4788" CreationDate="2020-10-10T04:16:13.610" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's an interesting question, and derives from ideas like Musashi's &amp;quot;The warrior is already dead.&amp;quot;  In the context of an honor/shame society, death is not the issue, but the manner of one's death.  Presumably, two peerless Samurai of equal skill would have no choice but to see the duel to its conclusion.  But this does suggest an emphasis on death, compared to the Chinese tradition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both cultures featured suicide as a form of protest, but Chinese Taoist mythology involves physical immortality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the perspective Chinese fencing, and wuxia mythology, two swordsmen of superlative skill would be considered to be evenly matched, such that neither can overcome the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Advanced Chinese fencing is based on the idea of &amp;quot;countering&amp;quot; to gain advantage, as opposed to blocking, but every counter has a counter.  This results in a high art form of Chinese fight choreography, originally in Chinese Opera, but now chiefly seen in film. Chinese practice also involves what are typically called &amp;quot;two man sets&amp;quot; which display the range of available techniques.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the Chinese classics &lt;em&gt;Romance of The Three Kingdoms&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Journey to the West&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;Outlaws of the Marsh&lt;/em&gt;, there are a staggering number of peerless warriors, and fighting to a draw is a regular feature.  (This can often lead to boon friendship per mutual respect, an idea that is as old as Gilgamesh and Enkidu.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This may also be a reflection of Sun Tzu, where an outcome of mutual annihilation would be avoided unless there is no alternative—the very basis of military strategy, as opposed to rushing in headlong. If avoiding dying oneself by not overextending to strike the enemy is the price for not dying, that is the strategy, except in extreme circumstances.  (Wuxia certainly would have examples of sacrificing oneself to kill one's nemesis.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This idea of mutual annihilation can be found in the Iliad, in that Achilles understands that killing Hector will result in is own death, as prophesied.  Thus, it requires an extraordinary circumstance, the death of Patroclus, for him to commit to that outcome.  A matter of honor but also a matter of love—vengeance in the context of self-sacrifice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Homeric Greece was also an honor/shame society, so this comments on the Japanese warrior ideal.  Agamemnon annihilates Priam &amp;amp; Troy, but is himself destroyed by what he did to achieve it—his wife murders him for sacrificing their daughter to raise the wind to sail to Troy.  Unlike Achilles, the peerless warrior, and Hector, who died for his people, Agamemnon's death is dishonorable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Spartan maxim of &amp;quot;Come home with your shield or on it&amp;quot; is a famous historical example of the principle.  The Latin form, &amp;quot;morte prima di disonore&amp;quot;, survives today in military culture: &amp;quot;Death before dishonor&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding Japanese fencing specifically, the Seven Samurai may actually be instructive here.  In the opening, the peerless Samurai fights a duel with wooden swords, and though both contenders display mortal strikes, the peerless Samurai declares that he wins.  His opponent demands a rematch with real swords and is cut down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since it's been a few hundred years since people killed each other in duels, it's unclear how common was mutual death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A film that comments directly on &lt;em&gt;ai uchi&lt;/em&gt; is &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sword_of_Doom&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Sword of Doom&lt;/a&gt; (aka 大菩薩峠, Dai-bosatsu Tōge, &amp;quot;Great Bodhisattva Pass&amp;quot;).  Here, the villain uses an &amp;quot;evil sword style&amp;quot; style the cannot be overcome.  The hero is instructed that cannot kill him, and attain vengeance, except with a thrust, with means leaving himself exposed and certain death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also consider that mutual death could be a function of both swordsmen being equally &lt;em&gt;unskilled&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-10-10T07:32:11.713" LastActivityDate="2020-10-10T07:32:11.713" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10128" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10129" CreationDate="2020-10-11T01:18:36.467" Score="2" ViewCount="119" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hey guy so I'm pretty young as of now and I'm planning to learn some martial arts in the future so I need some help choosing the first one to start with. I plan on learning Southpaw boxing, Taekwondo, and Judo but which should I start with? I want to learn something that'll help me if I end up getting in a fight. I heard that for defense purposes that Judo is a good martial art, but I'm not sure if I should start with it or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11113" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-10-11T12:01:20.803" LastActivityDate="2020-10-11T20:12:49.440" Title="Which Style out of the 3 should I start with" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|judo|boxing|recommendation|style|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10129" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10128" CreationDate="2020-10-11T17:47:07.677" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The questions asks which martial art to start with if the focus is on self-defense: Boxing, Taekwondo, or Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well first, I'd like you to read what I wrote in my answer at the following link:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/10086/why-a-perfect-expert-and-trained-taekwondo-player-or-martial-artist-fear-fights/10087#10087&quot;&gt;why a perfect expert and trained taekwondo player or martial artist fear fights?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Read that answer and read the links that it also listed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might also want to look at this one, which restates the issues:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9753/effectiveness-of-bujinkan-ninjutsu/9755#9755&quot;&gt;Effectiveness of Bujinkan Ninjutsu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I won't repeat much of what I wrote already. Suffice it to say, for self-defense you want to feel like all situations are already familiar to you. So you want to choose martial arts that cover the full range of fighting, from stand-up free fighting (no grappling at all) to the clinch to take-downs to ground fighting. And probably also add to that some training with knives, sticks, and guns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Besides those ranges of fighting, however, what is even more important is the way you train. You perform the way you're trained. If you don't train realistically, you will not be prepared for a real fight. You could freeze. Or if you do fight, whatever you do won't work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And you need to train safely, so there must be a minimal set of rules which prevent injuries and allow you to keep coming back to class and get better over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo covers a very small subset of fighting scenarios. It only practices free-fighting (no holding on to one another, you're free to move around). And of that range, it prefers to spend its time at kicking distance. It offers almost no training in close-in fighting, the clinch, take-downs, and ground grappling. All of its strategies, stances, and style emerge from its rule set, which forbids all of those other things. It also emphasizes points over damage, and most TKD training will even disallow any real damage or hard contact. As a result, it is a poor style in which to use as a base of practical self-defense. You'd need to modify a lot of it to use it for real.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which brings me to another one of my answers where I described what you'd have to do in order to make a style such as Taekwondo more realistic for practical self-defense. Please read the following link:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4561/doing-mma-or-a-doing-multiple-individual-martial-arts-which-is-more-effective/4567#4567&quot;&gt;Doing MMA or a doing multiple individual martial arts, which is more effective?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for Judo, it's actually not a bad style in and of itself for fighting. In Judo, you learn to deal with someone who is resisting you with all his might. And it covers the clinch, take-down, and ground fighting. It does not cover any free fighting and striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could combine boxing and Judo fairly well to cover almost the full range of fighting scenarios. You'd be lacking kicks and defense against kicks. But it's probably going to be better than combining Taekwondo with Judo, because boxing teaches you defense against proper hits to the face and body at full force. It also teaches you how to punch with power, something Taekwondo often doesn't allow in sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo does have less emphasis on ground fighting and more of an emphasis on throws. It's debatable which is better for practical self-defense. Throws are actually very effective in self-defense when used properly and cleanly. The problem is that you often won't complete a throw cleanly, and that will cause you to get pulled to the ground with your opponent. And on the ground, Judo gives you some ability to fight, but it's not generally as effective as Brazilian Jiujitsu's ground fighting style would be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in Judo, you do have to be much more experienced to make it work reliably for self-defense than you would if you trained in BJJ. Which is why you probably want to look at doing something like Gracie Jiujitsu instead of Judo, at least at first. Most of your time in Judo will be spent repeating throws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing is great. But like I mentioned in the links above, you will need to modify your boxing style if the &amp;quot;rules&amp;quot; allow grappling. This is already something they figured out in MMA. Which is why I recommend just doing MMA and be done with it. MMA would give you everything, and it would bring you up to speed pretty fast. One year of MMA training will give you the fighting skill you're looking for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also supplement your MMA training with BJJ, judo, boxing, and muay thai. This is something already part of most MMA gyms. They either make it part of their MMA training to go over techniques from those styles, or they teach additional classes which encourage you to focus just on those styles in isolation. But the MMA class is there to bring everything together in a cohesive fighting strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So that's my recommendation. Take MMA. If you're still only going to look at the three styles you mentioned, I recommend taking boxing first, because it's the most useful for self-defense. Following that, Judo. And I recommend skipping Taekwondo altogether.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-10-11T17:47:07.677" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10130" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10128" CreationDate="2020-10-11T20:12:49.440" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The only criterion you've given us is &amp;quot;help me if I end up getting in a fight&amp;quot;.  It's also useful to know in what circumstances you might get in a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're say a high school student and there's sometimes a bit of push and shove on the playground, and some bullies tend to trip or headlock people or similar, then judo's an obvious choice - you should learn to control those kind of wrestling-like interactions, and you won't often break anyone's nose, knock teeth out, or give black eyes - things that obviously suggest excessive force and can get you into trouble with teachers or the law.  Other students would also want to avoid that kind of trouble, so it's more likely they'll limit themselves to the areas where judo works.  They might attack 2 or 3 on 1, but it probably wouldn't do their reputation any good, so hopefully they wouldn't....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that's where boxing comes in: if you're concerned about attacks on the street, then 1) your opponents aren't likely to limit their techniques to avoid obvious damage to you, and 2) there could be several people attack you at once.  For this, you want to be able to cover up and avoid taking a punch to the nose or jaw.  You want to have a fair chance to drop an opponent in a fraction of a second, so you can put them out of play while you deal with others.  Striking is better for that.    And, boxing is about the fastest way to achieve practical striking skills.  If you go up against a couple untrained, unarmed people with say 6 months of 3-times-a-week boxing behind you, at least you'll have a chance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo - as someone who started in taekwondo and finished as a 3rd dan instructor (would have been a lot more if I'd &amp;quot;played ball&amp;quot; in one of the big organisations), I'd just say avoid it... there's only a couple percent of people teaching taekwondo in a way suitable for self defence, and the big organisations - WTF, ITF - teach ridiculous body mechanics with little self defence utility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo - even if you start with boxing because it addresses the self-defence situations you're concerned about, I'd suggest you add or switch to judo after 6-12 months of boxing, when the self-defence benefits from boxing will be accumulating more slowly, and you'll get more bang-for-your-buck covering other situations that arise during fighting by learning judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After maybe 2 years, you might want to learn a more complete striking style - Muay Thai is a good choice.  That will teach you to deal with kicks, knees, elbows....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2020-10-11T20:12:49.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10131" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-10-13T13:10:29.460" Score="4" ViewCount="496" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had recently seen two examples of a foot sweep (&lt;em&gt;de ashi barai&lt;/em&gt;) used in a kendo match to fell an opponent before striking them:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/3sBQEMulkAM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iXNUM.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Maeda senshu does ashi-barai to Tanaka senshu at the final of 2018 All Japan Police Team Championship Final (Osaka vs. Kanagawa)&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuW3Fy1MAaE&amp;amp;t=29&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Xv8Og.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;sub&gt;2018 All Japan Police Team Championship Final&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;sub&gt;2014 National Police Kendo Tournament (First Division)&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this a legal move? If so, what other types of throw are legal?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-14T18:34:59.917" LastActivityDate="2022-03-19T20:00:52.700" Title="Are foot sweeps legal in kendo competition?" Tags="|throwing|sport|kendo|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10132" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10131" CreationDate="2020-10-13T14:19:23.383" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have not found an authoritative set of rules for Kendo (odd, to me, but maybe I'm using the wrong search terms) other than &lt;a href=&quot;https://kendo.supplies/kendo-rules/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this brief set&lt;/a&gt; that mention no tripping or shoving opponents out of bounds, but the footage your provide is from a &amp;quot;Police Kendo&amp;quot; match, where they apparently specifically allow a broader variety of techniques. This &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/martialarts/comments/5o4cw5/footage_of_a_kendo_match_before_foot_sweeps_were/dch40b7?utm_source=share&amp;amp;utm_medium=web2x&amp;amp;context=3&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;discussion on Reddit&lt;/a&gt; claims that body checks and striking a downed opponent are legal in regular Kendo, and that the Police and Imperial Guard (I think they call it &lt;a href=&quot;https://kenshi247.net/blog/2018/06/15/kendotokuren/#:%7E:text=Acceptance%20into%20the%20kendo%20and,other%20aspects%20of%20police%20work.&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;tokuren&lt;/a&gt;) run their own competitions with foot sweeps being legal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-10-13T14:19:23.383" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10133" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10131" CreationDate="2020-10-14T13:46:19.937" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Just to add some sources:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't find a freely accessible copy of the FIK's &lt;em&gt;Regulations Of Kendo Shiai and Shinpan&lt;/em&gt;, but it appears most local rulesets based off of this&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.oxfordkendo.com/DOCS/Kendo_Regulations.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kendoaustralia.asn.au/publicdocs/referee_booklet_2011_edition3.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kendo.lv/documents/regulations_of_kendo_shiai_and_shinpan.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt; prohibit foot sweeps (though body checks appear to be permitted under some rules if performed to instigate a technique):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;(Miscellaneous and Prohibitive acts)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;...&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;2. Tripping up or sweeping the opponent’s legs from under them&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;3. Unfairly shoving or pushing an opponent outside the court with no attempt to preform a technique;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-19T20:00:52.700" LastActivityDate="2022-03-19T20:00:52.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10134" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-10-15T03:00:05.903" Score="6" ViewCount="1687" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is how it was explained to me years ago by a practitioner of the various arts emphasized in MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially, in Judo competitions, it’s not as easy to take the opponent to the ground b/c there is more room to back up and circle, and judoka can go out of bounds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In MMA cage fighting, matches seem to pivot on one competitor being forced against the cage, with typically results in the fight moving to the ground, and decided by definitive locks or holds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While it's true that real world fight situations can often take place indoors, lack of rules in those contexts also open up use of objects as weapons, and techniques illegal in sport such as gouges and strikes to soft tissue, including the throat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good footwork can make it difficult for an opponent to take a defender to the ground, where space is not restricted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-07T03:22:46.907" Title="Is the predominance of grappling in MMA prizefighting primarily a function of the small ring and cage?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|competition|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10135" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10134" CreationDate="2020-10-15T10:33:36.770" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Grappling is not predominant in modern MMA, and hasn't been for a decade or two, so the &amp;quot;matches seem to pivot on one competitor being forced against the cage...moving to the ground, and decided by definitive locks or holds&amp;quot; premise of the question is invalid. MMA matches are overwhelmingly striking contests.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Professional competitors in the modern era, particularly at the elite level, rely less on grappling than striking. Just look at the current champions and challengers, almost all pure strikers: Israel Adesanya, Paulo Costa, Dustin Poirier, Marlon Moraes, Amanda Nunes, Zhang Weili, Stipe Miocic...it's true of the last generation too: Anderson Silva, Mighty Mouse, Jose Aldo, Conor McGregor, Alexander Gustafson...the list goes on. Even incredible and decorated wrestlers like Daniel Cormier, Jon Jones, Yoel Romero, Henry Cejudo, and Justin Gaethje almost always use their wrestling solely to buttress their striking. Fighters like Khabib and Usman who prioritize wrestling are the exception, not the rule.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Closing the distance in order to grapple &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; one valid tactic of many, as we see with Aljamain Sterling's recent victory over Corey Sandhagen, or with the beat-you-anywhere versatility of fighters like Chris Weidman, Rose Namajunas, or GSP. But grappling is more commonly used as one tool of many, rather than as a primary strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good footwork can make it difficult for an opponent to take a defender to the ground&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is absolutely a major strategy used effectively at all levels of MMA. It works just fine in a cage, though it is true that a smaller cage makes it more difficult. But unless you expect to fight on a football field, fighting in an enclosed space is more analogous to self-defense than not. I note that in judo, it is a &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.usajudo.net/referees/2020/IJF%202020%20Explanatory_guide_of_the_judo.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;penalty&lt;/a&gt; to avoid engagement or to play over-defensively (called &amp;quot;negative judo&amp;quot;), as is stepping outside the contest area without immediately attacking or stepping back in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In fact, the comparison with judo is instructive in a different way: it is easier to retreat than to engage. In this you are correct: if a competitor knows proper footwork and defensive grappling, then on an equal playing field, it is easier to avoid fighting (especially grappling) than to fight. That is why wrestling, BJJ, judo, sumo, boxing, kickboxing, MMA, and all other grappling and fighting sports have systems to force competitors to engage. In MMA, this imperative to engage doesn't much encourage grappling, since a fighter can choose a Robbie Lawler-style strategy to only strike, and if a shot is made or clinch occurs, to respond with defensive wrestling. You are right that against such an unwilling opponent, takedowns in the open are more difficult than against a cage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just like defensive footwork is a valid strategy, grappling itself is a valid strategy. It works because clinching up is a natural consequence of fighting, and because grappling is a major element of fighting. Relying on eye gouges and so on to defend against grappling is indicative that someone has decided they don't &lt;em&gt;want&lt;/em&gt; to train grappling, and so invented reasons not to get good at it. It is a cultural or aesthetic choice, not a practical or strategic one. I also remind people making such claims that the superior grappler will also have those options available to them, and will be better able to apply or defend against such tactics. This is proven repeatedly when a newcomer takes an illegal grip on a skilled jiujitsiero, wrestler, or judoka -- in my experience, most will throw or pin you before or instead of calling out the rules violation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2020-10-15T11:12:22.037" LastActivityDate="2020-10-15T11:12:22.037" CommentCount="14" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10136" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10134" CreationDate="2020-10-15T15:53:41.933" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;For a contrary opinion on &amp;quot;real world fight situations&amp;quot;, those often aren't one-on-one.  They often devolve into one person grappling the other, and then his friends joining in to beat on their opponent whilst he's held down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Historically that's the purpose of grappling as an unarmed battlefield technique too.  If you've lost your weapon (and swords and spears do break), you may find it hard to get a killing blow in, especially if your opponent is wearing armour.  Unarmed striking is 100% ineffective against an armoured opponent, and hanging around in range of their weapon trying to punch or kick is just going to get you stabbed.  But if you can get past their weapon and grapple them, their weapon becomes (mostly) ineffective, and they may need to let go of it to counter whatever you're doing to them.  And whether you both stay on your feet or go to the floor, one of your friends can then stab them while you've got them occupied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not very Marquess of Queensbury, but it's how real world fights tend to go, unfortunately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6517" LastActivityDate="2020-10-15T15:53:41.933" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10137" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10117" CreationDate="2020-10-16T06:23:12.293" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would recommend going for FMA (Filipino Martial Arts) like Kali/Arnis/Escrima . This art is is very interesting . Initially it starts with a weapon based training (sticks primarily to start with )and then this goes for Empty hand.  You will feel a flow of your body with weapon and start enjoying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11121" LastActivityDate="2020-10-16T06:23:12.293" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10139" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2020-10-16T21:09:28.790" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-10-16T21:09:28.790" LastActivityDate="2020-10-16T21:09:28.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10140" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2020-10-16T21:09:28.790" Score="0" Body="For questions related to combat strategy as opposed to specific techniques." OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-10-17T12:24:51.863" LastActivityDate="2020-10-17T12:24:51.863" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10141" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2020-10-16T21:11:09.807" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-10-16T21:11:09.807" LastActivityDate="2020-10-16T21:11:09.807" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10142" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2020-10-16T21:11:09.807" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-10-16T21:11:09.807" LastActivityDate="2020-10-16T21:11:09.807" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10143" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10117" CreationDate="2020-10-16T21:21:00.907" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You're at the age when you're going to start getting injuries from hard styles.  Here I'm not talking about sparring, but muscle pulls, joint problems, etc.  (For this reason, hard styles are usually emphasized for younger practitioners.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're still open to Chinese internal styles, you might see if there's a good &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagua&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bagua&lt;/a&gt; instructor in your area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Same principles as Tai Chi, but practiced faster, and more overtly physically demanding, while avoiding tendon and joint trauma, if practiced correctly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many Bagua systems, all good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-10-16T21:21:00.907" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10144" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8195" CreationDate="2020-10-16T21:26:00.430" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kicks yes, but nothing above the waist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Focus on the knee joint and stomping the arch of the foot if you can. (However, if the boxer had good footwork, the stomps likely won't land, but the knees should still be viable.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kicks to the groin can also be effective, but higher likelihood of your leg being caught, so you'd only want to try that if you have clear advantage, or if their guard is high, and you're potentially distracting them to believe you're going to strike high.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here the strategy would be to defeat the opponent by taking away their mobility, such that your strategy is to dislocate the kneecap or break the arch of the foot, without necessarily letting the opponent know that is your goal, if possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali_vs._Antonio_Inoki&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ali/Inoki fight is illustrative&lt;/a&gt;, and Inoki was able to do some damage to Ali's legs.  However, Inoki stayed on the ground the entire fight, which is pretty extreme, and indicated he believed there was a real threat of a single punch knockout by Ali, which could be a very real possibility if you're facing a skilled boxer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Feinting at the throat or eyes is a good way to distract from the true targets, and I use feint here b/c there is less chance you being struck if you don't commit.  Even going for the groin would not be the finishing move, but merely to gain a moment of advantage or anger the opponent, and hopefully open up the foot &amp;amp; knee for a decisive strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-11-06T01:03:27.293" LastActivityDate="2020-11-06T01:03:27.293" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10146" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2020-10-17T04:40:49.183" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-10-17T04:40:49.183" LastActivityDate="2020-10-17T04:40:49.183" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10147" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2020-10-17T04:40:49.183" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-10-17T04:40:49.183" LastActivityDate="2020-10-17T04:40:49.183" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10148" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-10-17T13:31:14.160" Score="4" ViewCount="161" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been searching for the meaning of the pseudonym Eui-Am.  I know the definition, but what does it mean.  This is the most I can find &amp;quot;The Taekwondo pattern Eui-Am was named in honor of Son Byong-Hi after his respectful title of Eui-am Seong-sa&amp;quot;.  But I am unable to find more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11125" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-10-17T13:51:22.057" LastActivityDate="2020-10-19T21:43:31.553" Title="What is the meaning of the pseudonym Eui-Am in TaeKwon-Do?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|forms|terminology|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10149" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10148" CreationDate="2020-10-18T01:27:53.733" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to this link, &amp;quot;seong-sa&amp;quot; breaks down into &amp;quot;sage&amp;quot; (seong) and &amp;quot;teacher&amp;quot; (sa). Although it's usually translated as a &amp;quot;grandmaster&amp;quot;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://sooshimkwan.blogspot.com/2011/01/instructor-master-and-grandmaster.html?m=1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://sooshimkwan.blogspot.com/2011/01/instructor-master-and-grandmaster.html?m=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And according to everything else I've read, it appears that &amp;quot;Eui-Am&amp;quot; is just a pen name to conceal his true identity. It probably means something, but I can't tell what.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-10-18T01:27:53.733" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10150" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10148" CreationDate="2020-10-18T13:29:54.523" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;When joining a religious movement or sect in certain east Asian cultures it is common for acolytes to receive a new religious name. 의암 (&amp;quot;Eui-Am&amp;quot;, lit. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.jinju.go.kr/05209/05220/05251.web&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;Righteous Rock&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt;) appears to have been such a name given to Son Byong-Hi when he joined the Donghak movement, either when he was initiated or possibly when he was ordained as the 3rd Great Leader in 1897.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He appears to have maintained and was commonly known by this pseudonym during his years in the Korean independence movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2020-10-19T21:43:31.553" LastActivityDate="2020-10-19T21:43:31.553" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10151" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10134" CreationDate="2020-10-18T15:29:10.400" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;BJJ and MMA have relatively more groundwork than judo because of rule differences unrelated to the combat area size and cage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In judo, throws are nominally scored with four criteria: speed, force, control, and back exposure. If all of these criteria are met, the thrower is declared the winner so there is no continuation into groundwork.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Judo groundwork is time-limited by a fuzzy rule where groundwork continues only until the referee determines neither player is making progress, which may only be a few seconds.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you change these rules, the sport changes dramatically and becomes more like BJJ. After you throw, you continue, and if kicking/stomping is forbidden, then the continuation is groundwork. If the referee does not intervene, this groundwork may continue for a long time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-10-18T15:29:10.400" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10153" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10154" CreationDate="2020-10-20T09:53:05.357" Score="5" ViewCount="866" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was watching some MMA and grapplers like Khabib are incredibly fast and efficient in launching on the opponent. But it seems to me compared to the other reactions like dodging when being kicked at, that there is time for the opposite fighter to knee him to head or punch him behind his head as grappler launches on him. And even if grappler is on him, there seems to be little windows where fighter might strike him for example with a fist to grappler's face. Don't get me wrong its still super fast and hard and I don't want to sound claiming that I would do better job, but considered their reactions in other situations, it seems to me it's manageable for them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my question is, are there any rules that prohibits reactions as described which would render grappling unusable in the real world scenario? In my limited real world experience it seemed to me very hard to successfully grapple somebody and I would often get hit trying to do so. Also when controlling other person I would sometimes get punched in that little window I described. I certainly have zero technique whatsoever, those were situations I got in unwillingly, but I wonder if that is all about my lack of technique or if MMA rules actually helps grappling to be more effective?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11131" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-10-20T12:36:12.617" LastActivityDate="2021-04-13T05:06:53.583" Title="Are there MMA rules that prohibits reactions which would render grappling unusable in a real world scenario?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|grappling|streetfight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10154" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10153" CreationDate="2020-10-20T11:49:02.793" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's certainly possible to hit someone while they work on a takedown. It sounds like you're asking specifically about countering wrestling &lt;em&gt;shots&lt;/em&gt;, where the grappler attacks the hips and legs, rather than clinch takedowns generally, so I'll focus on that. (Nevertheless, remember that upper-body clinch takedowns are common and effective as well.) Punishing wrestling shots with knees is a good but not foolproof strategy that requires practice both on the counter and on what to do when it fails. The success rate is below 50%.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Striking an opponent as they shoot is absolutely allowed in MMA, except for a narrow rule against targeting the two-inch strip at the back of the head and the spine. All other targets are legal, and striking an opponent as they try to take you down is definitely allowed. Sometimes it works spectacularly, such as when &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/MMA/comments/ei4rb1/jorge_street_jesus_masvidal_baptizes_ben_askren/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jorge Masvidal made Ben Askren stiff as a board with a flying knee&lt;/a&gt;, or when Travis Browne knocked out several opponents &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/MMA/comments/7m2h09/travis_browne_knocks_out_gabriel_gonzaga_and_josh/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;with elbow strikes&lt;/a&gt; while they worked to secure a double-leg grip against the cage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's another rule to be aware of, which both helps and hinders grapplers. In most modern MMA rulesets, it's illegal to knee or kick the head of an opponent on the ground. (This wasn't true in the now-defunct Pride organization, so watch those old Japanese fights to see how MMA worked without this ban.) This means that if a fighter shoots for your legs and finds themself in a turtle because they can't finish the takedown, they don't have to worry about the obvious counter from their sprawled opponent: knees to the head. However, this rule also punishes good wrestlers and grapplers, because if they are able to finish their takedown, they can't take advantage of one of the most powerful ground attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes—usually—it doesn't work. One of the best examples of what a good-but-not-good-enough knee-strike counter looks like comes from when Conor McGregor &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/MMA/comments/c9b51q/alternate_angle_of_khabib_shooting_for_the_first/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;tried to catch Khabib Nurmagomedov&lt;/a&gt; as the Dagestani wrestler shot in for a single leg takedown. Another example is when Rafael dos Anjos expended a lot of energy to &lt;a href=&quot;https://streamable.com/rtdf58&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;miss&lt;/a&gt; a flying knee on the clinching Colby Covington. And don't forget that Masvidal was far from the first to &lt;a href=&quot;https://gfycat.com/allinnocentanglerfish-andrey-koreshkov-ben-askren-mma-ufc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;try to catch Askren on the way in&lt;/a&gt; — and that knee even connects, flush, hard! It's just not enough. There are many, many more examples where one fighter planned on such a knee counter and couldn't get it off, because the footwork and timing is actually quite difficult. And when it fails, then you're in the wrestler's world. This is why MMA fighters train grappling even if they would prefer to avoid it: you can't always dictate where the fight happens, so you have to prepare. You have to be familiar with the various takedowns, counters, counters to the counters, techniques for standing up once the takedown works, and techniques for defending yourself when the stand-ups don't work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are no techniques that render grappling unusable in real world scenarios, because grappling is an ever-present part of fighting. Clinches and wrestling occur naturally in any fight, which is why all striking sports have extensive rules dealing with it as an inevitability. If grappling doesn't work for you in sparring it's probably because you're not &lt;strong&gt;yet&lt;/strong&gt; very good at takedowns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2021-04-13T05:06:53.583" LastActivityDate="2021-04-13T05:06:53.583" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10156" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-10-20T15:12:01.070" Score="1" ViewCount="112" Body="&lt;p&gt;With the current pandemic, my Capoeira classes have moved to online. I was practicing outdoors, but the dropping temperatures and earlier sunset has put the kibosh on that. The only room in the house that currently has sufficient floor space and not too many things that might get kicked over is a guest room upstairs with a wood floor (I don't know enough about flooring to describe it properly, but it's slats of wood that have been nailed down, I think. At the least, they don't seem to shift underfoot as have some wooden floors I've encountered that are more loosely fastened). My problem is that I sweat a lot, and while I've been wiping the floor down with towels during class, and going over it weekly with a wet towel followed by a dry one, part of the room is starting to developing white stains from the salt in my perspiration (or at least I assume that's the source. They're roughly circular, like salt drop splashes). Using the wet towels to clean the area makes it disappear while wet, but it reappears once the wood is fully dry. Is there any trick to fixing this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recognize that this is somewhat peripherally about martial arts, but given how common wood floors are at the schools I've been to, and how much sweating goes on, I suspect there's some wisdom I am unaware of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-10-20T18:00:31.940" LastActivityDate="2020-10-20T18:00:31.940" Title="Handling salt stains on a wood floor" Tags="|capoeira|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10157" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-10-21T11:20:46.053" Score="7" ViewCount="1046" Body="&lt;p&gt;Appreciate it's a fairly superficial question but I am only 4th kyu and most of the people I train with are shodan or above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Something I've noticed is when we are performing Kihon drills, their gis all make like a whipping sound where as mine is pretty silent, regardless of which form we are going for. Is this simply because I have a cheaper softer gi or is there something I'm not doing right?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11134" LastActivityDate="2020-10-21T17:28:01.107" Title="How do I achieve &quot;gi whip&quot;" Tags="|technique|karate|drills|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10158" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10157" CreationDate="2020-10-21T16:23:47.700" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two factors to that sound. One is rapid acceleration and deceleration of the limb in question (the sound is from the gi &amp;quot;catching up&amp;quot; and landing on the stopped limb). The other is the stiffness of the fabric, which creates the distinctive rustle of the gi as you are moving through the strike. The former is basically technique. The latter is usually more an artifact of starching the gi. Using a more heavyweight fabric aids in both (and, in fact, my teacher advised people doing competitions to have a heavy starched gi for forms, and a lightweight supple one for sparring).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-10-21T16:23:47.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10159" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10157" CreationDate="2020-10-21T17:28:01.107" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;One important thing, at least for arm movement whips, is proper technique, namely rotating your forearm. For example, one of the first things that new students get taught is the &amp;quot;rising block&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;high block&amp;quot;, protecting your head from an descending strike. Say your right hand is &amp;quot;chambered&amp;quot; at your right hip. If your movement is mainly your upper arm rising straight up and your forearm just &amp;quot;coming along for the ride&amp;quot;, that's slower and hence weaker. If your fist travels a slight arc from your hip, like an opening parenthesis (, it's smoother and faster. When your forearm snaps into its final pinky-finger-up position at the end of its arc, there'll be some snap of your sleeve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2020-10-21T17:28:01.107" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10161" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-10-24T00:28:48.377" Score="6" ViewCount="241" Body="&lt;p&gt;It seems obvious that punches would be far riskier without hand protection designed specifically to cushion the knuckles and stabilize the hand, but I don't have any idea how much it would change the sport. To be clear, I am talking about a change to the unified rules of MMA, not a complete change to &amp;quot;anything goes in the streets.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am hoping to get more practical evidence, and online searches aren't helping. The closest sport I could find was the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, but it disallows almost everything except boxing and still uses hand wraps. Warfare has always been primarily armed and armored, so that's no help. There are endless self-defense resources, but the takes are often conflicting, undemonstrated, or untested (to get a sense of how much BS there is, look up knife defense tests).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for historical sports that approximate MMA minus hand protection (allow striking and grappling that target most of body) and an overview of their techniques, or personal knowledge from sparring and unarmed combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10450" LastActivityDate="2020-10-26T12:55:01.947" Title="How much would MMA change if gloves and wraps were banned?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10163" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10161" CreationDate="2020-10-25T14:51:19.220" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;One change, relatively minor, but important individually, is that it might further reduce the risk of injuries due to hidden weapons. Aside from the stereotypical weighted gloves sometimes seen in media for boxing, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWDl-DZxVEo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;some MMA competitions have problems with loaded hand wraps&lt;/a&gt; and the consequences can be career ending (the linked video is Ramsey Dewey recounting how this is what led to his retirement, as well as to his characteristic speech patterns resulting from how he compensates for the brain injury he sustained). The less covering you have, the harder it is to hide such weaponry, pro wrestling shenanigans aside.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-10-25T14:51:19.220" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10164" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10161" CreationDate="2020-10-26T10:30:32.973" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my experience in sparring without a gi both with and without gloves/wraps, there will be two main differences:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some submissions, like straight armbars, might become more difficult since it is easier to slip out (or retain control) when the arm doesn't get stuck at the wrist due to the glove. To talk more generally, things get more slippery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Due to slippery grappling, it's not like there would open up a whole new world of new techniques. Basically yes, one would be able to attack the wrist. And you see some wrist locks in no-gi BJJ, i.e. highly controlled groundwork. So there's that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As of standing fights, I would not expect too much of a difference regarding the grappling itself, since due to the lack of clothing, there simply isn't much there which is hindered by MMA gloves. Mind, the reason they feature open fingers basically is to enable grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What will probably happen are the occurrence of more blood and maybe less ruthless punching. There is quite the possibility to cut or break your hand if you just punch like you are used doing with gloves, not what professionals whose bodies are their capital love to see. This may - and I am theorising at that point - lead to a shift towards elbows, kicks (including knees), and grappling. No idea how much of a shift, but a shift. It becomes exceedingly more difficult to check and keep your distance with jabs and the threat of a follow-up punch to the head when the other one knows how to move the hard parts of their head into the way of the punch and you cannot risk ending the fight by breaking your hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-10-26T12:55:01.947" LastActivityDate="2020-10-26T12:55:01.947" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10165" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-10-27T00:08:05.293" Score="10" ViewCount="719" Body="&lt;p&gt;Back when I started learning Chinese straight sword, tassels were almost universally utilized, but my sense is that in recent years, there has been movement away from using it, partly in service of conveying a more serious martial approach that dispenses with that which is not seen as essential.  But plenty of practitioner still use tassel.  Is this simply tradition, or are there valid reasons to employ it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What is the function of tassel in Chinese jian?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2022-12-03T03:56:29.003" Title="Function of tassel in Chinese straight sword?" Tags="|kung-fu|wushu|jian|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10166" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2020-10-27T00:08:59.140" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-10-27T00:08:59.140" LastActivityDate="2020-10-27T00:08:59.140" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10167" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2020-10-27T00:08:59.140" Score="0" Body="For questions about Chinese straight-sword, &quot;jian&quot; 剑" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-10-29T23:27:46.363" LastActivityDate="2020-10-29T23:27:46.363" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10168" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="968" CreationDate="2020-10-27T00:46:34.117" Score="0" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;At a beginning level, isometrics, such as holding stances, are critical for building basic strength and allowing relaxation in those stances when practicing forms.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At a higher level, this becomes less necessary as the practitioner is getting the same benefits in practicing forms and movements with a high degree of relaxation.  However, it can still be rewarding and fun to hold stances as low and relaxed as possible until you feel what I like to call &amp;quot;that golden burn&amp;quot;.  But it's critical to be relaxed or you'll damage your knees and have persistent issues.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chen style is particularly good in focusing on lower stances and more strenuous practice, although any style can be practiced in this manner.  (Typically, stances get higher as one ages due to both knee problems and reduced need for low stances when real technique starts to kick in.  Higher stances have the benefit of lighter footwork and better mobility.  Once an opponent is uprooted, very little focus is required to push them with surprising force.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Traditional Tai Chi teachers typically teach external styles to younger students in conjunction with, or prior to internal styles, specifically to strengthen the body and reinforce precision in movement.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One has to be careful here in that external arts can harm the bodies of older practitioners.  I still do certain external styles, such as jian, for the richness of the techniques, but started practicing them &amp;quot;old man style&amp;quot; after 40, more internally than externally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Waist turning is potentially the most critical strengthening practice for Tai Chi because all movement and focusing comes from the waist.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is essentially &amp;quot;embracing the ball&amp;quot; while going through all of the stances and circling as far back and as far forward as possible, dependent on age and fitness.  This should also be practiced in one legged-stances, and in my school the teacher did 5x the number of turns in one-legged stances. Certain styles of Bagua also have waist turning exercises.  Can be done with stone balls or weights, although be careful as it's easy to injure the back if not relaxed or if you push too far, too fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Weapons practice is useful in developing upper body strength&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditional schools will typically teach all 4 major weapons (sword, cutlass, staff, spear) as well as various other weapons.  Typically the weapons are very light, but I've personally had good results with heavy weapons, including iron pipe for staff, but one needs to be quite careful not to injure oneself.  (Most practitioner I talk to eschew heavy weapons for the toll they take on joints, but, using the waist to generate movements, I've never had any problems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Walking the circle and stance work with stone balls&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is very old-school.  (Walking the circle refers to Bagua practice of circling with the waist twisted toward the opponent.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A few pushups&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Never a bad thing, but always be aware that the more brute strength one has, the more difficult to stay relaxed and be internal.  (There are some theories that Tai Chi utilizes tendon and connective tissue to generate power more than muscles.)  I typically do pushups slowly with fists on pavement or hard floor, to gently harden without joint damage.  Also rewarding to do fingertip, but I personally disagree with the hyperextened manner this is usually practiced.  (I've found having the fingers curved inward, in the manner of a &amp;quot;dragon holding a ball&amp;quot; to be much more difficult, without the joint stress of hyperextension.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-10-27T00:55:38.823" LastActivityDate="2020-10-27T00:55:38.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10169" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8171" CreationDate="2020-10-28T01:44:48.510" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There was a movement in the mid-20th Century to use the term &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wushu_(sport)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wushu (武术 &amp;quot;War Arts&amp;quot;)&lt;/a&gt; as an umbrella term for the entire body of Chinese martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This included work to create standardized forms with an emphasis on promoting the sport. (Standardized forms are easier to judge for a variety of reasons, although most tournaments also have events for traditional forms.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Where &amp;quot;Kung Fu&amp;quot; was a euphemism applied to any and all Chinese Martial arts in the West, Wushu is today generally acknowledged as the formal term.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are the entries from the Oxford English Dictionary on early English usages:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1966   Punch 14 Sept. 388/3   Kung-fu is here. &lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1968   Clarendonian XXII. 270   Chinese Kung-fu is still taught&#xA;today—but only as a Martial Art to a very select, carefully chosen&#xA;few.  &lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1970   K. Platt Pushbutton Butterfly i. 9   The Chinese now call their&#xA;form of karate Kung Fu... It's mostly leg-fighting.  &lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1971   ‘A. Hall’ Warsaw Document xvii. 213   It was probably kaminari,&#xA;a bastardized form of kung fu.   &lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1974   Listener 17 Jan. 93/3   The plot..hinges on Lee wiping out an&#xA;ex-monk, Kung-fu (martial arts) vice chief.  &lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1974   Bookseller 13 Apr. 1961/1   There has been a great upsurge of&#xA;popular interest recently in kung fu, the ancient Chinese art of&#xA;self-defence, encouraged by the films of Bruce Lee..and the television&#xA;series Kung Fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not unlikely that Bruce Lee himself was the original driver of this term, in that he was famously teaching in the Bay Area right around the time the term started popping up. (This makes sense as Master Lee was a Hong Kong resident, as opposed to the mainland, such that there may have been numerous reasons for his use of an alternative term to Wushu.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lee was also surely using the term per it's actual Chinese meaning, well translated as &amp;quot;skill obtained through hard work and diligent study&amp;quot;, as opposed to referring to a specific martial arts style in that he was developing &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeet_Kune_Do&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jeet Kune Do&lt;/a&gt; at this time, based on the idea that true combat can have no limitations, and not be bound by adherence to a particular style or system.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-10-28T02:28:13.050" LastActivityDate="2020-10-28T02:28:13.050" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10170" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4743" CreationDate="2020-10-28T01:59:08.960" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The problem is that without a skilled instructor and regular classes, what you'll learn won't be worth much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People sometimes talk about &amp;quot;direct transmission&amp;quot;—here the idea that you need that close interaction with a master as their disciple to truly grasp the essence of the art.  This relationship often extends for many decades, or even a lifetime, with the disciple typically receiving special instruction.  (In China, these are sometimes referred to as &amp;quot;indoor students&amp;quot;.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Teacher typically also tailor their teachings to an individual student's needs, aptitudes, and even body-type (everyone is different.)  The founder of Bagua is said taught each of his disciples different things, resulting in numerous schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Books and videos can't really convey the practice of the arts b/c it is non-linguistic.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If one already has expertise, one can discern things from watching videos, but only because they eyes had been trained by years of instruction and correct practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More importantly:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;High quality practice requires &lt;strong&gt;constant correction&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One is more likely to be doing things incorrectly than correctly, especially at the beginning. (For internal arts this can be decades as opposed to years with external styles.)  You can tell which students a teacher believes are promising by who the critique the most—they tend not to waste time on those will less potential.  I've had student where it took me 10 years or harping on them to correct their shoulder alignment and get them to sink them properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My teacher produced many books, and didn't discourage reading, but made the point it's not something one can learn from a book.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Better to find a solid teacher of &lt;em&gt;any&lt;/em&gt; martial art than to learn a specific art from books and videos.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a saying that &amp;quot;It's not the art but the artist.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-10-28T02:06:38.947" LastActivityDate="2020-10-28T02:06:38.947" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10171" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-10-28T02:38:40.873" Score="2" ViewCount="615" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a basic, but critical question.  I've noticed some variation among practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What is the proper grip for Chinese straight sword?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-06T03:54:32.780" Title="Proper grip for Chinese straight sword (Jian 剑)" Tags="|grips|jian|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10172" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7650" CreationDate="2020-10-31T10:08:52.543" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes it is a martial art and yes u do train for it, problem is people don't see tv wrestling as a mma cuz it's a sport or entertainment but yes real grapple real wrestling is a MA. It is a form of war and was used as war tactics in older countries for many centuries. It doesn't matter if 2 guys r training or hundreds vs hundreds, u still train and combat each other...most mas know wrestling and most mma champs know wrestling...it don't matter if u use weapons or not, for example kung fu is a martial art to...example of MA without weapons and used as defense is wing chun, ever heard of ip man? Exactly!! Martial means a war or combat involving 2 or more people that train for it, it can be with weapons, without, solely just defensive, or whatever, I wrestled for years, won gold and state, parents knew karate and boxing and have vets in the family..and technically any military vet or current is a martial artist and some r even trained in fighting!! This comes from facts, history and tons of experience in family...now y'all know the truth!! Lmao&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11143" LastActivityDate="2020-10-31T10:08:52.543" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10173" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-10-31T23:41:52.813" Score="3" ViewCount="113" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am an adult interested in reaching a personal high level in wushu. I realize that some of the most difficult techniques come in the acrobatics elements. I figure that it would help to get a head start on learning the skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you have any techniques or can recommend a resource where I can find a list with all of wushu acrobatic techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thank you&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11145" LastActivityDate="2022-07-17T11:02:25.197" Title="Wushu: Jumps, Falls, Acrobatics" Tags="|training|kung-fu|forms|competition|wushu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10175" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10184" CreationDate="2020-11-03T03:21:16.673" Score="0" ViewCount="294" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 17 years old in Australia and I want to dedicate myself to a shaolin Buddhist who`ll teach me the true way of a human, I do want to do some sort of kung Fu but I want to look up to a teacher that would make me into a teacher myself, also I want to see if I can stay for a couple of years is that possible?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11148" LastActivityDate="2020-11-03T18:02:54.190" Title="a foreigner like myself would like to be a disciple of a shaolin teacher?" Tags="|kung-fu|shaolin|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10176" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10165" CreationDate="2020-11-03T03:23:47.490" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;This answer relates to a tassel of sufficient length to wrap the wielder's wrist.  I typically use one with a string length 9 inches, but prefer 12&amp;quot;, which are harder to find, but, perhaps counter-intuitively, allow better control.  Tassels with no string attached directly to the pommel have no function beyond aesthetics.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Distract an opponent&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is typically the generic given answer, the idea that the moving tassel can draw the eye and distract a competitor.  However, as serious practitioners must train their gaze to be cognizant of all details of the opponent and surroundings, and is mostly concerned with the opponent's blade, stance, and orientation, this distraction function is only likely to be a factor against a novice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Flick the eyes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is another common explanation, and has some utility.  There are certain counters that allow for the tassel to directed at an opponent's eyes, which, if it makes contact, will result in some stinging and tearing up. &amp;quot;Sparrow carries the soil&amp;quot; from Tai Chi sword is another technique can be executed such that the tassel leads into the face of an opponent.  As these techniques can only be utilized at extremely close range, it can be advantageous if executed successfully since the opponent is well within range of a finishing cut.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Provide counter-balance for certain strikes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For some techniques, putting energy into the tassel can provide a counterbalance for a cut, &amp;quot;spreading wings&amp;quot; as an example, which perhaps provides some small advantage.  This is because, although the tassel is typically light, sufficient inertia can be generated to balance against a light, flexible blade.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Defense against blades&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Loose fabric is well known for its ability to snag the point of blades. Tassels can be used in a similar manner, as even edges don't do well against loose fabric.  Where a tassel is controlled properly such that the string is rarely entirely taut, it can redirect an opponent's blade out of the intended attack vector. (If entirely taut, the tassel string can be cut.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wrapping a pole-based weapon to set up a cut&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is something I was not taught, but validated in research.  The tassel can wrap a weapon like a spear, and the fencer, having superior leverage, can simultaneously redirect the pole weapon while making a decisive cut. (In this case, the tassel must be attached around bottom of the handle, above the pommel, not the weak fastener at the end of modern screw-based &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_(tools)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;tangs&lt;/a&gt;, or it will be ripped off.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wrapping one's own wrist intentionally to provide stronger grip.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is something you see rarely, likely because it also has the effect of reducing wrist mobility, and wrist flexibility is arguably the primary requirement of Chinese straight sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DEEPER PURPOSE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Using a tassel makes the practice significantly more difficult&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is because the practitioner can no longer focus only on movement of and energy to the blade, but must also precisely control the movement of the pommel, avoiding allowing too much energy into the tassel.  Failure to properly control the tassel can result in wrapping the wrist (although even high-level masters can have this happen on occasion. In this instance, the practitioner takes it as an opportunity to naturally unwrap the tassel in subsequent movements, without compromising martial technique.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Demonstrates level of control&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the same way looking at a practitioner's off-hand in weapons forms is a simple way to gauge their skill, observing a the tassel reveals the level of control. Nearly all of the energy should be in the blade—if the tassel has too much movement, it indicates energy bleed to the wrong place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even in energetic cuts, one avoids the tassel spinning like a propeller, and seeks to direct that energy in a line, such that the tassel bounces once rather than spins.  At a very high level, a master can execute a cut with great focus &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa_jin&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;(&lt;em&gt;fa jin&lt;/em&gt; 發勁)&lt;/a&gt; where the tassel only expresses a minimal bounce, with no linear extension of the string at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gauge one's own level of calm in internal styles&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not uncommon for the mind not to be clear during practice, which can result in insufficient calm for Tai Chi and Wudang sword.  Seeing one's tassel bouncing around in a poorly controlled manner is a clear signal to the practitioner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Note that calm doesn't necessarily mean slow movement at a steady pace throughout—although internal sword is often practiced this way. Real fencing involves tempo, such that an advanced Wudang practitioner will vary pacing in both practice and exhibition—some movements slow, some quick and lively.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long tassel sword is a special case.  In contemporary Wushu, this refers to a string+tassel fringe longer than the blade, but the traditional form I was taught utilizes a string that is itself significantly longer than the blade, typically more than twice as long, and this informs my understanding of tassel in general.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-11-13T23:51:46.923" LastActivityDate="2020-11-13T23:51:46.923" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10177" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4532" CreationDate="2020-11-03T04:27:34.740" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've adapted the external forms I enjoy to &amp;quot;old man style&amp;quot; over 40, practiced with higher stances and less focusing.  (Low stances are great for training, especially in youth, but have the downside of less mobility, both in the lower and upper body.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is because in middle age, I've practiced sufficiently that I don't need to execute full power strikes or stomps in practice, with assurance I can rely on them if ever needed in a real world situation.  (I've never been fond of striking except into joints or soft tissue, and prefer palm strikes wherever possible.  That said, nothing like a quick throat punch with the middle knuckles to let an attacker know you are serious:)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although I practice Chinese boxing, with focus on internal styles, I once saw a gray haired Karate master who greatly impressed me, b/c he practiced the art elegantly, with no excess power.  Rather than going directly into an attacker with maximum brutality, like all of the other karate masters in the exhibition, this grey haired master would adjust his position so that when the attacker was committed, the master would be positioned to neutralize them with minimal effort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know far too many practitoners over 60 who have not sufficiently adapted their practice, and end up having to get knee &amp;amp; hip replacements, and eventually cripple themselves.  Note that professional athletes in high impact sports such as football tend not to move well in their advancing years, and are typically plagued by constant pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some sense you might say that my middle-aged practice is mostly concerned with executing the techniques properly, exerting minimal required energy, with the underlying intent of avoiding injury without compromising the martial applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think it's fair to say, watching the Ueshiba films from the end of his life, that an older practitioner can still be entirely effective, just that they can no longer rely on brute force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-11-03T04:33:57.297" LastActivityDate="2020-11-03T04:33:57.297" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10178" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7109" CreationDate="2020-11-03T04:48:39.627" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You might try &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagua&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bagua&lt;/a&gt;.  Although it's not specifically based on throws, it has plenty of them, just that it avoids going to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The great advantage is that it's an internal martial arts style, where we talk about &amp;quot;play&amp;quot; with the the sparring partner as opposed to fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because it's internal, it can be practiced gently.  You might throw someone, but hold them or let them grab onto you do they don't impact the ground or a wall.  (Similar to pushing someone with great energy in Tai Chi practice, where you give them your arms to grab onto so that they don't go flying back and potentially injure themselves.  In my experience, this does not diminish the instinct of &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; giving someone your arms to grip when in an adversarial situation where the animal instincts take over, and which instincts are then merely guided by the training.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds like your doctor is telling you that you have to give up hard sparring or any sport where you are routinely subjected to strong impacts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bagua also contains joint locks that can be used for breaking, and many brutal strikes to soft tissue, but uses the palms and fingers as opposed to the fists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-03T04:48:39.627" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10179" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-11-03T05:12:06.313" Score="2" ViewCount="123" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's today well known that Bruce Lee was a close student of Ip Man, widely considered one of the great teachers in the 20th Century.  Although it's been many years since I studied Bruce Lee's films, it occurs to me that Wing Chun is not the dominant style of fighting Lee employs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is likely because Lee, like all of the great fight choreographers, adapted the arts for the lens, because real-world techniques don't often translate as visually interesting on film.  (A parallel to this is Dustin Hoffman talking about acting for the camera, film acting widely regarded as the art of the closeup, where the hands often need to be raised very close to the face b/c the shot is tight.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lee also make other changes such as maximum muscle flex during fight sequences, not because this is how one fights in the ring or on the streets, but b/c it had a tremendous effect on audiences and created a Kung Fu craze.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's notable that Lee, the son of an actor, was involved in film his entire life, starting as a child actor.  It's often said that this can result in a deep, instinctual feel for the medium.  (Examples range from artists like Ron Howard to actors like Shannen Doherty knowing when to demand lighting be reset to make them look good.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore it's a natural assumption that what Lee employed on-screen was different that what he would have employed in the ring or on the rooftops of Kowloon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What was the dominant martial style Bruce Lee used for his on-screen fighting?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-12-06T17:06:05.603" Title="What is the dominant martial arts style in Bruce Lee's on-screen fighting?" Tags="|entertainment|bruce-lee|choreography|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10180" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2020-11-03T05:23:32.373" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the West, this arose in the form of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_combat&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Stage Combat&lt;/a&gt;, separate from real martial arts, but in the East there was never such a hard separation because aesthetics form a part of many Eastern Traditions.  This influences everything from &lt;em&gt;Seven Samurai&lt;/em&gt; to the contemporary martial choreography that arose out of the Shanghai, and later, Hong Kong film studios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts choreographers must have a sufficient degree of mastery to translate the arts to film, and are real martial artists, as are the stunt people who perform the choreography.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(In the Chinese art, there is, for example, a direct line of transmission from the legendary martial artist &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wong_Fei-hung&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wong Fei-Hung&lt;/a&gt; to &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lau_Kar-leung&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lau Kar-leung&lt;/a&gt; through Lau's father, Lau Cham, one of the early fight choreographers &amp;amp; stuntmen, and a student of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lam_Sai-wing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lam Sai-Wing&lt;/a&gt;.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts choreography has undergone a renaissance in recent decades, and has never been more widely employed and featured in popular cinema.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See Also:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuen_Woo-ping&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yuen Woo-ping&lt;/a&gt; (Yuen clan, incl. &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuen_Siu-tien&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yuen Siu-tien&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Anderson_(fencer)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bob Anderson&lt;/a&gt; (Olympic fencing gold medalist), &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hobbs_(choreographer)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;William Hobbs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshio_Sugino&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yoshio Sugino&lt;/a&gt; (Choreographer of &lt;em&gt;Seven Samurai&lt;/em&gt; &amp;amp; noted kenjutsu, aikido, judo and naginatajutsu instructor.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Urquidez&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Benny Urquidez&lt;/a&gt; (Renowned kickboxer)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Lee&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bruce Lee&lt;/a&gt; (Student of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ip_Man&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ip Man&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Chiba&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sonny Chiba&lt;/a&gt; (Student of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mas_Oyama&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Oyama&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Chan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jackie Chan&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammo_Hung&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sammo Hung&lt;/a&gt; son of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chin_Tsi-ang&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chin Tsi-ang&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peking_Opera_School#China_Drama_Academy&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;et al.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donnie_Yen&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Donnie Yen&lt;/a&gt; (Son of Tai Chi master &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow-sim_Mark&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bow Sim Mark&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yayan_Ruhian&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yayan Ruhian&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iko_Uwais&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Iko Uwais&lt;/a&gt; (Grandson of Silat master H. Achmad Bunawar)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panna_Rittikrai&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Panna Rittikrai&lt;/a&gt; (Muay Thai)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-02-14T08:12:48.823" LastActivityDate="2021-02-14T08:12:48.823" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10181" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2020-11-03T05:23:32.373" Score="0" Body="For technical questions about martial arts choreography from films like Atomic Blonde &amp; John Wick to 1929's Red Heroine.  Topics can range from techniques to martial styles, but must be focused on the art itself and its application, whether in sport, the real world, or as a performing art." OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-23T03:44:07.767" LastActivityDate="2020-12-23T03:44:07.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10182" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10086" CreationDate="2020-11-03T07:28:23.997" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Thankyou everybody above here ,matte here poor english i write.&lt;/em&gt;&#xA;But the most important thing that i actually intrinsically feel is that it's the character and the tendency to protect your self respect or so called ego (by people).&#xA;You practice hard and can fight in a match in stadium but obviously when you are in real life situation, &lt;strong&gt;your thoughts about tom cruise and action and missions and adventure gets descendingly diffused in atmosphere.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whenever we are in such a situation, according to me and whole lot buddies around the world ,&lt;strong&gt;you feel a strange and alternatiing current evading whole of your body like pure current is just moving in your nerves causing throbbing of heart that can be listened through your throat (indeed ).&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;trained and muscular female or male martial artist needs to understand that wrong is happening with them and they as a human is human and that after that situation they  would  necessarily  &lt;strong&gt;getting excruciating pain of mental stress that they being a trained player were defeated by assholes.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also i wants to share an advice that if something wrong happens, eg:stalking , teasing, confronts or street assholes fights,,&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;strong&gt;respond very quickly&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;lt;&amp;lt;&amp;lt;, respond should be spontaneous in every situation , &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;the senses should work in miliseconds so that your whole lot self won't get enough time to think or feel  current movement in your tissues and throbbing of the heart and body.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;matte&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11071" LastActivityDate="2020-11-03T07:28:23.997" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10183" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10086" CreationDate="2020-11-03T08:23:55.967" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to add yet another perspective which kind of repeats points of the other answers, but in a different guise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main point we have to keep in mind here is psychologically: Fear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, even if it is a highly specialised martial art like TKD, it's not like they would have nothing to offer in real fights. They know how to keep their distance, read movements, and kick really hard. But the question comes down to: Why can't they get into their game at least and stick to their bread and butter? It &lt;strong&gt;is&lt;/strong&gt; fighting, after all?!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But one thing you have to keep in mind here is that most widespread martial arts are advertised and trained as &lt;strong&gt;sports&lt;/strong&gt; these days. This has great advantages, e.g. more people who like to try the style and more active training time due to less injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that's the main point: sports are generally designed to lessen the chance of injuries in a given aspect of human physical activity. In the case of martial arts, you have rules and cushions that put you into a bubble.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means that deep down, you &lt;strong&gt;know that there's not much that could happen to you which you don't expect and have trained for&lt;/strong&gt;. Even if a kick hits you, they either are not allowed to kick with full force (karate's &amp;quot;lack of control&amp;quot;) or you have a cushioning vest. Sure, it still hurts. But it's not like you would end up in hospital or in an urn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or, taking the example of a boxer, you know no matter how hard you hit or where you hit, you will not break your hand. And you won't get kicked into the genitals or kneed into the floating ribs. So you can simply forget about a lot of problems that are there as soon as you get into a real fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When a real fight begins, most martial artists do not know what to expect&lt;/strong&gt;. They do not know how fast or strong their opponent is. Or how they will engage (kicks, punches, grappling, all of them?). Or how it feels to get hit by a fist or shin with full force. Or whether it isn't too risky to kick or punch the way you trained because it may break your bones. That is &lt;strong&gt;very&lt;/strong&gt; different from a sparring situation where you know exactly what to expect. And even if these thoughts are not explicit, this triggers a subconscious response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The natural reaction to a threatening situation where you do not know what will happen is &lt;strong&gt;fear&lt;/strong&gt;. You freeze, you run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That does not mean that you are a bad player in your sport, nor that you are a bad martial artist. It just means that you have to realise that this is not what you have trained for. If you want martial arts training for being able to defend yourself, you have to train self-defense. There's no magical transition from a to b. Some people are psychologically more resilient (or generally more aggressive) and will overcome their fears and be able to apply what they've learned. But that is not the norm for people who have not trained self-defense under extreme physical and psychological stress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, this of course holds true for tournaments, albeit to a lesser degree: You are in an uncontrollable situation where a split second can mean defeat and you are not in your usual training mode. This triggers fear. It's all about being in a situation you are not used to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2020-11-03T08:36:36.053" LastActivityDate="2020-11-03T08:36:36.053" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10184" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10175" CreationDate="2020-11-03T17:00:01.563" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was going to leave this as a comment, but I had more to say on the subject.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, you'll want to look at my two answers to similar questions here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7719/could-a-non-buddhist-person-become-a-monk-master-at-shao-lin-temple/7720#7720&quot;&gt;Could a non-Buddhist person become a monk/master at Shao-lin temple?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4528/training-martial-arts-in-china/4535#4535&quot;&gt;Training martial arts in china&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, yes you can go to Shaolin temple and train there with the monks. A junior monk will be assigned to teach you. And depending on who you arrange all of this with, you can have where you stay, transportation, food, clothing, translators, tour guides, etc. all picked out and ready for you. You just have to pay them, and in China things are much cheaper. So two years there could easily be done on the cheap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once there, you will be asked what you want to train in. Your senior monk will assess your interests and where you are physically, and then he'll assign you to junior monks who work on specific things with you. So what you'll want to do ahead of time is research what they teach at Shaolin. If something catches your eye, then mention it to your senior monk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The training will be hard. You can read about it in my links above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are so many forms that you can learn at Shaolin. By the end of the year, you could have over 100 forms. You won't remember them, though. So record everything you do (after class when you're by yourself).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I want to talk about the other aspect you mentioned. You seem to have the wrong impression of Shaolin temple and what is taught there. You want them to show you the &amp;quot;true way of a human&amp;quot;. That implies you expect them to teach you spiritually, with all kinds of Eastern wisdom, Buddhism, and mysticism. That is what you learned by watching movies. Unfortunately, it's not something you'll learn at Shaolin temple. Not really.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some spiritual monks there at Shaolin. They see the world in unusual ways. They've taken to Shaolin's form of Buddhism. But they probably worked that out by themselves, by reading, not by being taught it at Shaolin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shaolin monks are there to learn wushu. That's it. They also have to know Buddhist rituals. But most don't particularly care about Buddhism. Most are not &amp;quot;spiritual&amp;quot;. In fact, most of them have worldly aspirations. They want to either become movie stars, or they want to be the head of many kung-fu schools. In exchange for a kung-fu school being able to use their name as the head of their school, they get a certain percentage of the school's income. They may never even step inside those schools, by the way. They all have cell phones and computers. They all have electronic bank accounts and can receive money electronically. To most monks, they're there to learn wushu and dream of a life where it makes them rich and famous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Monks all train super hard, way harder than you'll ever train probably. It's not unusual to find them in the gym working on their form until late at night, then falling asleep there, and waking up early to repeat it. They go to extremes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that doesn't make them spiritual or wise. It makes them strong physically and mentally. There's a difference. They will be stronger than you, in terms of their body conditioning and their mental resolve. You won't be able to catch up with them no matter how hard you train, because they've been doing it their entire lives.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My point is, go because you want to learn kung-fu and get fairly good at it in a short period of time. Go because you want to enrich yourself in another culture. Go because you want to make new friends who all share the same interest. Go because this is such a unique experience that will give you an amazing story to tell. But don't go if you expect it to teach you how to be a good person, how to be wise, and how to see the world in the most beneficial way. That's just not something you'll get there, for the most part.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-11-03T17:00:01.563" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10185" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10175" CreationDate="2020-11-03T18:02:54.190" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In his entertaining book &amp;quot;American Shaolin&amp;quot;, David Polly describes studying at the Shaolin temple. So yes, it's possible, but the book also mentions, as @Steve Weigand says, that not a few monks were there to try to catch a break to become famous and escape poverty.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2020-11-03T18:02:54.190" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10186" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7650" CreationDate="2020-11-04T23:36:33.100" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As South Park illustrating &amp;quot;Wrastling&amp;quot; Entertainment wrestling has usurped popularity to actual grappling wrestling. Never the less. Wrestling, including those that even teach lethal finishing moves is a martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2020-11-04T23:36:33.100" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10187" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10134" CreationDate="2020-11-05T00:27:38.610" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali_vs._Antonio_Inoki&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ali/Innoki debacle&lt;/a&gt; might provide some insight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this match, held in a traditional boxing ring, Innoki was unable to keep Ali on the ground and engage him in a wrestling match.  And, b/c Innoki stayed on the ground the entire fight, Ali was able to, at one point, jump up on the ropes to avoid the kicks to his legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I’ve been doing a little research and found an argument that the cage is merely for safety, since players can get thrown out of a boxing ring, which is dangerous, and boxing mats are too bouncy.  But this doesn’t hold up—MMA could take place on mats like in the old days, when Gracie took on Kimura.  (In that match the opponents had essentially agreed to engage—the would have been no question of either fighter seeking a draw.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not claiming to be an MMA expert but it surely seems that a great deal of ground fighting in MMA is facilitated by the cage, in that a lot of it takes place up against the cage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It seems a not unreasonable assumption that the introduction of the cage creates a condition where, if a striker or grappler is unwilling to engage, there is a greater chance they can be taken to the ground—the aggressor can rush them and there is no going out of bounds.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For grapplers forced to face a striker, they likewise have a greater chance to get inside and take the fight to the ground, gaining advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The cage also seems to facilitate certain grappling techniques, such as chokes, where the aggressor can use the wall as leverage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the same token, an octagon has no sharp corners, so it’s more difficult to trap an opponent in the corner, which is a strategy of boxers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It’s difficult to imagine that the modern octagon is merely a random aesthetic choice or utilized primarily for safety.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-11-07T03:22:46.907" LastActivityDate="2020-11-07T03:22:46.907" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10188" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-11-05T00:56:05.347" Score="4" ViewCount="584" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is some difference between older, traditional forms and the contemporary sport of Wushu, and there has been a great deal of evolution of the modern sport since the mid 20th century.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are the main differences between contemporary competition Wushu and traditional Wushu?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Interested in the characteristics of each, and also rationale behind the evolution to the contemporary sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-17T00:29:57.000" Title="Contemporary Wushu vs. Traditional Wushu" Tags="|competition|sport|wushu|application|tradition|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10189" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5925" CreationDate="2020-11-05T01:19:04.613" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Asia was doing martial arts in war, well into the 19th century. Western martial arts died out with the advent of the ever improving gun. The biggest misconception of martial arts is that it only stemmed from Asia. Unarmed martial arts is attributed to Asia, but there are some, albeit fewer, less unarmed, styles out of Europe than in Asia. The thing about combat/warfare, once you add a force multiplier into the mix it changes everything. Take a person whose trained all their life in martial arts fighting, capable of beating most people. Once you add a force multiplier, you're more lethal and efficient than the guy who spent all of his years punching/kicking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think of it this way, Knife fighting is notoriously dangerous to do and study/practice. Even a someone Well trained in martial arts is not stupid enough to get into a fight with a guy with a knife. Don't believe me? Get a marker, take the cap off, give it to a child and tell him to pretend it's a knife. NOW try and take it from him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unarmed martial arts proliferated in peasant societies where weapons were prohibited; they developed arts that require no weapon or that focus on weapons based on tools/farming implements. Europe on the other hand recognized force multiplication early on. Weaponry was more popular in Europe especially where peasants in Europe were often incorporated to fight in armies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Germany; Two major fighting styles emerged.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ringen: A school of grappling, punching the universal language of fights.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The German school of Fencing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JNbuZ.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JNbuZ.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;page of Mscr. Dresd. C 93 by Paulus Hector Mair (1540s)&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastEditorUserId="10877" LastEditDate="2020-11-10T03:31:38.700" LastActivityDate="2020-11-10T03:31:38.700" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10190" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10188" CreationDate="2020-11-05T02:43:43.463" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Contemporary wushu focuses on performance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditional wushu focuses on self-defense theory and application (or at least it should).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in contemporary wushu, every movement is &amp;quot;flashy&amp;quot; to improve its appearance and level of difficulty. While the techniques themselves are taken from traditional wushu, the emphasis is on getting more air, more rotations, more extension, more distance, etc. That's because more points are awarded to more difficult motions. The actual form may have no real martial content. It ceases to be a collection of techniques that are put together in a very deliberate sequence for some self-defense scenario. Instead, it's a collection of techniques to maximize competition point count.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I hinted at, traditional wushu forms are put together in a specific sequence in order to deal with some kind of self-defense situation. There may be 1 to 3 techniques in a form that, when strung together in that order, make a single self-defense scenario. Contemporary wushu will extract one of those techniques and puts it in a new form with any number of non-related techniques. In doing so, it loses that original self-defense purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What makes contemporary wushu look like contemporary wushu is just a matter of evolution over time. The art has been evolving and will continue to evolve. What looks cool and is in fashion today may change in several years. The rules and the standardization of the point system and techniques have caused it to look the way it does. The IWUF has a series of videos on its web site that every judge must see. It shows what a butterfly-twist, for example, should look like, as well as how many points to award or deduct for different ways it is performed. It's all standardized.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas, there is nothing analogous for traditional wushu. Each traditional style of kung-fu will have its own criteria for what constitutes good or bad form. For example, it's considered bad form to lean forward if you're doing a traditional northern style, but it's considered good form if you're doing a traditional southern style. Within traditional styles, though, there is room for flashiness, but that's not the focus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditional wushu often has with it a breakdown of the self-defense techniques within the forms as well as a separate study of sparring and chin-na. There may also be chi-kung added as well. And there may be bag work and strength training. These don't tend to be taught in contemporary wushu. Stance training is also emphasized in traditional wushu to a much higher degree, because it's thought to be the foundation of self-defense skill, which is not the focus of contemporary wushu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's all I really wanted to say. As for the specific ways contemporary wushu has evolved over the years, that's a much broader topic. I think that deserves its own question, and maybe someone with a much better understanding of its history can answer that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2020-11-05T03:01:52.913" LastActivityDate="2020-11-05T03:01:52.913" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10191" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10188" CreationDate="2020-11-05T04:50:21.333" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The differences are due to reforms made during and after the Cultural Revolution in China. During this period militant efforts to purge &amp;quot;traditional Chinese&amp;quot; culture to reinforce Maoism, which led to the destruction of a lot of martial arts manuals, documents, and treatises. Three million people were subject to be killed specifically because they were well known teachers of traditional Chinese culture, and this included well known martial art practitioners. That's not mentioning its anti-Buddhist purges that targeted many Buddhists (and martial practitioners).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the 70s, interest in martial arts from movies made in Hong Kong by Ip Man and Bruce Lee rekindled interest in kung fu/Wushu practices. In the 80s, kung fu movies took off successfully in the US home video market. And new actors Jet Li and Jackie Chan also help rekindled interest in kung fu/wushu as a practice. Monks would travel the world.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nevertheless it's a shell of its former self. Masters struggled to exploit new teaching tools and rediscover what they knew. The Chinese government used martial arts as a tourist draw, to market their teaching styles, and prospective students are being lured away by the draw of mixed martial arts (MMA), a combat sport that is exploding in popularity and requires no standard technique to implement. As a result, few fighters think of kung fu as a legitimate martial art any longer. Today, kung fu is a blend of martial technique and various isometric exercise, stretching, and elaborate gymnastics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-11-10T03:03:22.217" LastActivityDate="2020-11-10T03:03:22.217" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10192" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="293" CreationDate="2020-11-05T18:54:56.077" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is such a complex subject and my intuition is that even experts in medicine, kinesiology, etc. don't have many answers proven with science. My intuition is that even if there are &amp;quot;answers&amp;quot; it is not certain if they &amp;quot;work&amp;quot; on any individual person. I have been practicing martial arts for more than 40 years and have suffered from back problems. I cannot be certain the problems would not have occurred sans martial arts. My intuition tells me, if you are interested in a life-long training in martial arts, that you should build your training up slowly and steadily. Stop if there is any sign of pain. Work technique over power. Substitute techniques with ones that don't cause problems if your body. Consider water training to offload your joints from stresses on land. I have trained Korean &amp;quot;Kwon Do&amp;quot;, Muay Thai, BJJ, &amp;quot;JKD&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;kali&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11151" LastActivityDate="2020-11-05T18:54:56.077" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10193" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10171" CreationDate="2020-11-06T01:41:17.507" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm going to use &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Major_Methods_of_Wudang_Sword.html?id=uP1ZnSTsVCEC&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Major Methods of Wudang Sword&lt;/a&gt; as the reference, as the information comes from the last generation of Chinese fighters who used swords in combat and duels.  In a sense, everything after this generation is somewhat academic, and purely in the realm of sport and performing art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the chapter &lt;em&gt;Shou Fa&lt;/em&gt; (Hand Techniques) The book describes two grips:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Normally people hold the sword very firmly which is called &lt;em&gt;Si Ba Jian&lt;/em&gt; (Dead-grip Sword). The advantage is that it is not easy for the sword to be knocked from your hand.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the way one is taught at the beginning, typically in regard to &amp;quot;external&amp;quot; sword form.  Here a teacher would simply tell the student to hold the sword in their fist, and not change that grip.  However, the book notes that &amp;quot;The disadvantage to [dead-grip sword] is that you cannot use the sword in a flexible manner.&amp;quot;  This leads to the more advanced method:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;In Wudang Sword, you hold the sword loosely, which is called Huo Ba Jian (Live-grip Sword).  The good thing about Hua Ba Jian is that you can manipulate the sword freely.  However, if you have not practiced long enough to learn the ways of doing so, it might be easy for your opponent to strike your sword down [and disarm you].&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This reinforces why this grip should only be used after significant practice.  My own teacher would say &amp;quot;The sword should be wielded lightly, with two fingers.&amp;quot;  In response to question for more detail, the reply was always &amp;quot;research&amp;quot; i.e. practice, with the idea it would become evident with enough diligent work.  &lt;em&gt;(Some of us even speculated this cpould mean &amp;quot;ideally the thumb and any remaining finger&amp;quot; in the spirit of Musashi;)&lt;/em&gt; Luckily, this is explicated in Major Methods, such that one has a guide:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;The way to hold [the sword] is that you use your thumb, middle finger, and ring finger to hold the sword while keeping your index finger and little finger relaxed and separate, making the shape of the palm like a container that could hold something within it.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The note on the shape of the palm reflects the inclusion of Bagua in the Wudang system, where an empty, concave palm is standard across styles.  It's important not to be too rigid in adhering to that until it becomes natural, because the had does need to be relaxed. The book makes the point: &amp;quot;It takes quite a long time to train to the extent of mastering [live-grip], and this can be taken to mean decades as opposed to years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Tai Chi practitioners will also notice a similarity of dead-grip and live-grip to how one makes a fist in external styles and internal styles respectively—in internal styles the fist is not tight but empty.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Relaxation is key b/c &amp;quot;when practicing, &lt;em&gt;Jing&lt;/em&gt; (focusing) originates from the &lt;em&gt;Dantian&lt;/em&gt;, issued by &lt;em&gt;Yao Ji&lt;/em&gt; (waist and spine), and reaches the [end] of the sword through the arm.&amp;quot;  If not relaxed, the power gets blocked by ones own body, but the book makes the point that &amp;quot;This type of Gong Fu requires both internal and external training&amp;quot; b/c one needs a baseline of strength to wield the sword in a relaxed manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrist flexibility is essential and also takes years to attain.  Typically beginning student will cheat the grip to get extra range on certain downward cuts, but this leaves the wielder open to disarmament.  One might see practitioners with the index finger hooked over the guard, but this is not recommended for obvious reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My own teacher also added that the grip should be about 1 inch below the guard, although this may have been in service of the the draw from and return of the sword to the left hand in the standard &amp;quot;attention&amp;quot; grip (backhanded, blade controlled by the elbow) that many modern practitioners use at the opening and closing of the form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-06T01:41:17.507" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10194" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-11-06T02:19:04.847" Score="5" ViewCount="166" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've noticed in a lot of kick-boxing, competitors often make certain kicks, such as the roundhouse, while the ground foot is up on the toes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I ask b/c in the systems I trained, teachers always required students to keep the ground foot fully flat while executing kicks.  (Students will often go up on the toes to get a little extra height.)  While there are certain strikes and kicks in these systems that take place from a jump, using the force of the jump to add power, my sense is that can't generate as much power as a strike with the foot fully rooted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is going up on the toes to make a kick correct or a bad habit?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, is there a sound martial, strategic, or competitive reason for going up on the toes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-06T15:29:36.943" Title="Kicking while standing on the toes?" Tags="|technique|kicking|kickboxing|footwork|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10195" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-11-06T02:40:41.010" Score="2" ViewCount="167" Body="&lt;p&gt;I ask this question b/c my recollection of early matches in the modern sport is that there were no weight classes, which I believe to be a reflection of the old days of no-holds barred competitions.  But it's undeniable that the sport has blossomed in recent decades, becoming arguably the predominant combat sport worldwide.  It occurs to me that the rule changes during this period may be a factor that has allowed it to flourish.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How has the introduction of weight classes influenced the modern sport of Mixed Martial Arts?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-07T01:15:47.197" Title="Effect of weight classes on MMA?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10196" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10171" CreationDate="2020-11-06T03:54:32.780" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Typical Jian have a one hand, handle, thus the overall design means there's only two ways to hold it, forward grip blade facing up or backhanded with the blade upside down.&#xA;Some martial manuals depict the use of &lt;em&gt;Shuangshou&lt;/em&gt; jian or two handed sword.&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7Sa96.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7Sa96.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2020-11-06T03:54:32.780" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10197" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10188" CreationDate="2020-11-06T05:35:56.510" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Practitioners of traditional wushu, as a modern person would interpret this term,  probably do not call what they practice traditional wushu but something more specific. Traditional wushu is basically a catch-all category for Chinese martial arts that are not contemporary wushu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Traditional&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditional martial arts were suppressed in Communist China during the Cultural Revolution for years. It became illegal to teach martial arts, and many people were shipped off to the countryside to do manual labor. Due to this environment and its lasting effects, the best places to study traditional Chinese martial arts can counterintuitively be outside mainland China, in places where continuous practice and instruction was available.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditional Chinese martial arts are decentralized.  Each instructor can basically graduate whomever they choose, and graduates can do the same for any of their own students. There are no form standards or rules to follow beyond your teacher's instruction. Combine this decentralization with times when transportation was difficult, literacy rates were relatively low, and video was not available, and you can get a high diversity of styles of varying quality. There is often no sport format for traditional Chinese martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Contemporary wushu&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Contemporary wushu is the result of a Chinese government initiative to revive martial arts and is highly centralized. There are national training programs, and you can study wushu at university.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The simplest way to understand contemporary wushu is as martially-inspired gymnastics. There is a regulation-sized floor area where competitors perform routines  (forms). There are judges who score these routines with skills rated by difficulty and execution. There is an outsized emphasis on adding combinations and more degrees of rotation to jumping moves. There are different events such as long fist (changquan), southern fist (nanquan), staff, straight sword, taiji, xingyi, etc. Although the events may match the names and general appearance of traditional styles, the goal of wushu is to have good-looking forms, not to have forms that teach you to fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-11-06T05:35:56.510" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10198" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10194" CreationDate="2020-11-06T15:29:36.943" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a general rule, the higher you go up on your toes (well, really, the ball of the foot unless you're doing ballet), the more you reduce stability and power, but conversely you gain a bit in height/distance and increased flexibility/mobility. If that inch makes the difference between hitting your opponent or not (particularly if they've opted to try to just dodge out of the way without raising their hands), it may very well be worthwhile to hit a little bit softer just so that you &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; hit. And if your ankles or knees aren't flexible enough to complete a kick, going up on the ball of your foot, even lifting the heel half an inch, makes pivoting easier, which may protect your joints on hits or misses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One possible exception (which I don't think is what you're going for, is when you're on the ball of the foot because you're getting a little bit of extra distance/bracing kicking forward, like stepping into a hard front push kick so that your bracing foot is behind you and your hips and torso are driving forward with the kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One caveat to that is that you should keep your weight on your foot. A bad habit to fall into when going up on the ball of your foot is letting that momentum lift you up, which greatly reduces stability and increases the chance of being swept or otherwise knocked down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, in some styles, the instability can be useful, particularly if competitors are not allowed to strike a downed opponent. I know Tae Kwan Do is a frequent whipping boy here, but their rules at one point incentivized kicking and then falling because it prevented counter-attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-11-06T15:29:36.943" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10199" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10179" CreationDate="2020-11-06T16:13:14.407" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;To be fair, you would have to catalog every technique from every movie (3, I think) and assign them to a &amp;quot;style&amp;quot; (but what's the point?). My immediate response, though, is that Lee's predominant techniques came from Wing Chun (trapping, straight blast) and boxing (obviously NOT Wing Chun, refer to Muhammad Ali). His kicking is harder to place, doesn't appear like Muay Thai exactly, very snappy kicks and also many spin kicks. A little grapping shown but hardly as much as striking, that's for sure! Dramatic gestures taken from Kung Fu forms. Oh, I studied a bit of &amp;quot;JKD&amp;quot; back in the 80's :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11151" LastActivityDate="2020-11-06T16:13:14.407" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10200" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10195" CreationDate="2020-11-06T22:14:39.777" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;While in MMA training, people have to rotate partners, and the weight, sizes, and genders are all going to be different. During training is where you learn to deal with bigger opponents. It's actually encouraged in order to motivate you to become more skilled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's well known that weight and reach makes a big difference in outcomes of fights of all kinds, including MMA. The UFC and other MMA venues originally had no weight classes, and it wasn't so much because it was trying to be &amp;quot;pure&amp;quot;. It was mostly because there weren't enough competitors to have weight classes. As the number of competitors increased, weight classes emerged. And the weight classes themselves can change over time because of increased competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that really doesn't change how MMA is trained. You'll still need to train with partners of all different body types.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A question one might have is: Would MMA's techniques or strategies no longer work if the opponent was much larger?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is NO. MMA techniques and strategies aren't optimized just to fight people of the same weight class. They have to work no matter what.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, if you want to win against a much larger opponent, you're going to have to be much more skilled than your opponent is. That general rule holds for fighting in general, not just MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;MMA doesn't have rank, so I'll use BJJ as an example. A 100 pound woman who's a black belt in BJJ will have difficulty fighting a 250 pound muscle-bound man who's a white belt in BJJ. She may even lose. She needs to be much more skilled than he is in order to win. Her techniques won't change. Her strategies won't change. But she needs to have trained so much that her movements are smooth, fast, and correct. She gets that over time by continuously pressure testing her skills against larger opponents. And that's something that's encouraged in BJJ training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are other topics to consider when discussing weight classes. By reducing the amount of weight between weight classes, it can make it easier for fighters of one weight class go down or up a weight class. And almost invariably, fighters will weigh one or two weight classes higher during training. They have to lose a lot of water weight and fat to cut weight for the weigh-in. Some cut too much and end up hurting their performance on the day of the fight. Those that don't do this cutting and just fight at their natural weight will end up fighting someone who's naturally much heavier. These issues can greatly effect outcomes of fights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-11-06T22:14:39.777" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10201" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-11-06T23:36:50.580" Score="5" ViewCount="85" Body="&lt;p&gt;Did she focus on learning BJJ, or stick more with and Judo and Japanese Jujitsu?  Does her MMA style reflect Brazilian influence, or is it still predominantly Japanese?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(My sense of Judo is that it is a more complete grappling art than is reflected in pure Judo competition, and found this &lt;a href=&quot;https://judoinfo.com/techdrw/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;site which lists a number of pins, chokes and locks&lt;/a&gt;.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-08T17:31:44.333" Title="How did Kayla Harrison supplement her Judo for grappling &amp; ground fighting in MMA?" Tags="|judo|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|mixed-martial-arts|jujutsu|grappling|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10202" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-11-06T23:45:14.510" Score="2" ViewCount="53" Body="&lt;p&gt;Did it remove an advantage for BJJ and Judo players?  If so, can it be said to have beneficial for those arts, forcing the competitors to do what they do with having a tool?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-06T23:45:14.510" Title="How did removal of the gi affect contemporary MMA?" Tags="|judo|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|mixed-martial-arts|gi|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10203" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10188" CreationDate="2020-11-07T00:47:16.607" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are some very good answers and I want to supplement with some historical perspective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After Communism, there was a goal of creating a national sport by standardizing Chinese martial arts in the form of Wushu.  This did indeed result in oppression of traditional schools, but it's also important to note that the group who created the first generation of standardized form all came from traditional lineages.  (The 67 combined Tai Chi form is a good example of integrating core techniques from most of the major styles of Tai Chi.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The original standardized forms were still focused on martial application, as opposed to &amp;quot;flash&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also important to recognize that Chinese martial arts were never separate from performing arts, as &amp;quot;medicine shows&amp;quot;, where practitioners would perform in the streets for coins, were common.  Thus flashy, crowd-pleasing tricks have a long history that predates modern Wushu, and it's doubtful that serious practitioner didn't recognize the difference between these and practical techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After the initial period in the 1950's, contemporary Wushu evolved further, with the goal of becoming an Olympic sport.  My understanding that this is the main driver of what mattm astutely described as &amp;quot;martially-inspired gymnastics&amp;quot;.  And it's not that those practitioners are not strong, just that the contemporary art is not combat-optimized, but optimized for judging in routine-based competition, like ice skating and gymnastics.  (Even the early standardization facilitated judging by introducing compulsory forms.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tai Chi is an instructive a good example in that, at a certain point, competitors were required to make their back straight, which is antithetical to the martial practice of tai chi, to facilitate judging—specifically determining that the weight is definitively on the proper foot.  (This was the point when my own teacher, a top competitor in their own right stopped having students participate in competition.) High-level &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xing_Yi_Quan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hsing-yi&lt;/a&gt; often involves concealing where the weight is, and this obviously presents problems from a judging standpoint.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also notable that KungFu movies goes back to at least the 1920's.  The original stuntpeople came out of traditional schools, and later the Chinese studio system set up its own schools to train actors.  During the Jet Li era, the Beijing Wushu team became a feeder into the Chinese action-film industry.  (The original &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaolin_Temple_(1982_film)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Shaolin Temple&lt;/a&gt; features the best competitors and teachers from that era, and led to Li becoming an international star.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Most contemporary Wushu is entirely within the performing arts tradition of Chinese Martial arts, which have a long history in Chinese Opera and &amp;quot;sword dances&amp;quot;, even prior to action cinema.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;But it's also important to recognize:&lt;/strong&gt; top contemporary wushu competitors, like gymnasts, have &lt;em&gt;exceptional&lt;/em&gt; core strength, are incredibly fast such that it’s unlikely that they can be engaged if they choose not to engage, are exceptionally flexible and train in a range of movements which allow them of get out of locks, and, if thrown, are arguably the most likely to land on their feet, which also has application in getting out of some locks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;While contemporary Wushu (routines) are not combat oriented, it’s still a form of martial arts in that it can work well for self defense when young.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The exception is &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanda_(sport)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sanshou/Sanda&lt;/a&gt;, and you &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/5114/7644&quot;&gt;do seem some Chinese Sanshou champions in MMA&lt;/a&gt;.  But my sense is it's not as emphasized because there is not the national goal of Sanda becoming an Olympic sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And, again, Chinese practitioners, both performers and fighters, have an historical pathway into stuntwork and film, which is typically less punishing than prizefighting.  (Jackie Chan, trained in an opera school, is famous partly for having broken most of the bones in his body, but avoided traumatic brain injury. Chan has had a significantly longer career than any modern prizefighter, and remains one of the wealthiest martial artists in history.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-11-17T00:29:57.000" LastActivityDate="2020-11-17T00:29:57.000" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10204" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10195" CreationDate="2020-11-07T01:15:47.197" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think it's not an unreasonable assumption that the introduction of weight classes, and movement away from old-school no-holds barred and Gracie Rules has greatly facilitated the contemporary sport of Mixed Martial Arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(This should in no way be taken as disrespect toward Brazilian Jujitsu and the Gracie family, as they were the original drivers of the modern sport.  But there was also an element of hype and self-promotion in promoting the idea of an &amp;quot;ultimate martial art&amp;quot;, which again, should not be taken as a slight in that the greatest fighters, from Muhammad Ali to Connor McGregor, understood that promotion is an important part of the sport, and used it as effectively as their in-ring skills.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's facilitated the sport by creating a &amp;quot;level playing field&amp;quot; where weight differential is no longer a factor, bringing the focus back the relative skill of equally matched competitors.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This brought MMA more into line with the most prestigious combat sports, such as Boxing and Olympic Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's likely made the sport of Mixed Martial Arts safer, which also facilitates the sport.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There was a period when it was difficult to find places in the USA to hold competitions b/c the sport was considered too dangerous, and the response to that were rule changes that in no way diminished the sport, but allowed it to flourish and extend it's popularity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also ask yourself, while it's probably true that McGregor could take most fighters of any weight class, is it in McGregor's interest to fight heavyweights?  Is it best for the sport to have McGregor, already considered one of the all-time greats, fighting heavyweights or having the longest possible career?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-07T01:15:47.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10205" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10030" CreationDate="2020-11-07T06:32:21.743" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;MMA has less restrictions on what's acceptable, as it is a combative sport where fighting is the purpose. Conventional martial arts sparring is a demonstration of skill and discipline.&#xA;Never the less, certain....rules do apply even in MMA. Martial arts, lethal finishing moves are taught, But not encouraged. MMA rules prohibit..&#xA;Groin attacks, kneeing the head on a grounded opponent, strikes to the back of the head or the spine, head butts. (Sorry, soccer fans.), eye gouging, fish hooking (Mouth/lip grabbing), No fingers in an opponent’s orifices. (Eww!), biting (Sorry Holyfield), hair pulling (though many shave/cut their hair), striking or grabbing of the throat.&#xA;REAL self defensive or militant martial arts teach these techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2020-11-07T06:32:21.743" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10207" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4197" CreationDate="2020-11-07T19:28:59.273" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;HOW strong are your teeth you can hold a sword in your mouth to successfully use. Even worse, holding a sword with your mouth means bringing your head in close proximity to an opponent.&#xA;Here's the most basic thing about swords, ANY SWORD, no matter the culture. When they hit too many hard things, they stop being sharp. In movies, those photogenic edge-to-edge sword fights make swords appear indestructable, it's good drama.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/giV3l.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/giV3l.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;IN Reality a fight with blade on blade action quickly turn any razor-sharp blades into nothing more than a glorified stick. After a few sword strikes, chips and damage will occur and ruin the blade.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tGiOR.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tGiOR.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;That's why japanese sword smiths devote especially extra attention to sharpening blades. But if the sword cracks extend past the core, if the cracks are sufficiently deep the sword is ruined forever and typically has to be reworked or recycled.&#xA;Real sword fights focus on parrying, diverting or stopping blade strikes or with the non-sharp end being struck. Holding swordwith your mouth.......break your teeth...with a sword strike&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2020-11-07T19:28:59.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10208" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10201" CreationDate="2020-11-08T15:41:00.730" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Did [Kayla Harrison] focus on learning BJJ [as she pivoted to MMA], or stick more with and Judo and Japanese Jujitsu?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Neither. As far as I can tell she took the correct approach and switched to wrestling-for-MMA and how to specifically adapt her judo to gloved, caged, no-gi situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can tell because her MMA strategy demonstrates specific techniques and tactics for the sport. It stands in contrast to former champion Ronda Rousey's extremely judo-like fighting style, which featured a strong reliance on &lt;em&gt;raw aggression&lt;/em&gt; to find (judo-like) upper-body clinches.  Instead, you see Harrison use &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/yW5dYvp6f0U?t=80&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;level changes&lt;/a&gt; to get the fight to the ground, where a skilled eye can see she uses orthodox MMA techniques for circumstances like throwing punches from inside the opponent's guard, which Rousey mostly eschewed in favor of &lt;em&gt;scrambling&lt;/em&gt; to find opportunities for her well-honed armbar. You can also see Harrison use wrestling-for-MMA skills like &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/jr09iXG8-do?t=91&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;rides&lt;/a&gt; from which one can land strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does her MMA style reflect Brazilian influence, or is it still predominantly Japanese?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All modern MMA has some Brazilian jiujitsu influence, but I would say she has adapted a more global or American approach rather than a Brazilian one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2020-11-08T17:31:44.333" LastActivityDate="2020-11-08T17:31:44.333" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10209" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5647" CreationDate="2020-11-08T22:26:11.563" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;What style of swordsman ship are you studying?&#xA;If you're into fencing, A rapier is more your circumstance.&#xA;If you're into brutal sword play, a bastard sword, longsword is more the emphasis.&#xA;The fact is the Oakeshot typology leaves a Wide diversity of swords for Europe. Even hand and a half types have a very wide diversity.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/A7wvg.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/A7wvg.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastEditorUserId="10877" LastEditDate="2020-11-10T03:27:53.580" LastActivityDate="2020-11-10T03:27:53.580" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10210" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9880" CreationDate="2020-11-10T15:05:22.703" Score="3" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Stage Weapons Should Not Be Used In Sparring.&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Their construction and materials are generally less damage tolerant than their &amp;quot;battle ready&amp;quot; equivalents. This runs the risk of several bad things:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The stage sword breaking, possibly harming you or your sparring partner.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lack some safety features (rolled tips, increased flexibility, etc.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, they lack veracity. They are too light, have an odd center of balance, and only look the part. &lt;em&gt;Don't use these for sparring!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastActivityDate="2020-11-10T15:05:22.703" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10211" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10213" CreationDate="2020-11-10T23:55:11.007" Score="4" ViewCount="1803" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is taking off your jacket still recommended as the go-to strategy for knife defense?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I’ve had many martial uncles &amp;amp;  brothers, including several with not insignificant real-world combat experience, and, although they are all quite competent at knife disarming techniques taught in various modern systems, nearly all have advised “taking off your jacket” to use in trying to snag the knife point, and proceeding from there as is expedient.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using loose fabric against a knife is time-honored, old school technique, but is it still relevant?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is “taking off your jacket” still recommended as the go-to strategize for unarmed knife defense in contemporary martial arts?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternately, are some of the modern defenses realistic against an &lt;em&gt;unskilled&lt;/em&gt; attacker?  And, if so, are they truly better (i.e. less perilous) than using loose fabric?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-12T00:37:41.417" Title="Is &quot;taking off your jacket&quot; still recommended as the go-to strategy for knife defense?" Tags="|self-defense|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10212" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12834" CreationDate="2020-11-11T00:02:22.340" Score="4" ViewCount="387" Body="&lt;p&gt;Akido has a well known technique of &amp;quot;sword-taking&amp;quot; (太刀取り, tachitori), where an unarmed defender disarms an attacker with a katana. This technique surely has utility against an incompetent swordsman, incompetent in the sense of telegraphing the strike by raising the arms before making a downward cut that is easily sidestepped.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I've never heard of such a technique in regard to an opponent with straight sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do any techniques exist for an unarmed defender disarming an opponent with a straight sword, and if not, why?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm especially interested in what western fencers have to say on the subject, since they're the most specialized at point-fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-09-30T18:12:51.370" Title="Unarmed defender disarming an opponent with a straight sword?" Tags="|fencing|jian|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10213" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10211" CreationDate="2020-11-11T10:40:25.350" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have not encountered this strategy in seminars or regular training of Krav Maga. This involved personnel with extensive experience in law enforcement and military training as well as bouncers who actually have been stabbed. Therefore, I would say that it cannot be counted as &amp;quot;relevant strategy&amp;quot; taught in contemporary self-defence as far as my experience goes. The probable reason is that modern self-defence focuses on keeping it simple and using as few reaction patterns as possible for a great variety of applications, ie. the same basic approach to all weapon attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An additional rationale which explains the omission of this particular strategy is the experience that for basically every relevant situation where knives come into play, you simply will not have the time to take your jacket off. It's just not happening that people who want to kill you will take their knives out, shout &amp;quot;I'll kill you&amp;quot; and make circles around you flailing around. Ok, maybe this happens, too, but these are not the people you really have to worry about since they probably are drunk and lack real intent to kill - show-offs and bigmouths, basically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the dangerous truth is that if people mean it, you either are stabbed before you even notice it or the attack is immediate the moment you notice that they have a knife in their hands. That is the nature of the reality of knife attacks. Additionally, the common &amp;quot;sewing machine&amp;quot; stabbing from close range makes it very hard to apply such things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, disarming techniques are not reliable. Everyone who is not delusional and has some real-life experience will admit that. Without breaking bones or at least hits to the body and/or head which disorient or incapacitate the attacker, you will not get that knife out of their hands. It is the centre of their attention and efforts, the focus of their intent. It also does not matter whether the attacker is skilled or unskilled since a knife is more or less a natural instrument when it comes to hurting and killing others, it is a direct extension of the hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, it is all about mitigating damage while going all-out versus your attacker, both physically and psychologically. This is knife-defence. As it basically is the defence strategy against any weapon. It is just harder against knives since they are so elusive and getting hold of them involves serious endangerment like deep cuts or losing a finger or two. So what you learn in modern self-defence are ways to take as little damage as possible while freaking out and hurting the other one under extreme stress levels, as well as awareness and identification of incoming attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, if you have the time and ability to use loose clothing for damage mitigation, it will surely help. But I would not make my bets on that chance, nor should it be the focus and centre of training knife-defence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2020-11-11T18:34:36.310" LastActivityDate="2020-11-11T18:34:36.310" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10214" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-11-11T17:40:13.707" Score="1" ViewCount="258" Body="&lt;p&gt;What techniques would you choose to train if your goal is self-defense and you have limited training time? Which would be the most effective techniques from any striking or grappling martial art?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11151" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-11-12T19:39:38.043" LastActivityDate="2021-06-18T05:07:47.043" Title="What techniques would you select if you want to train by yourself only 45 minutes per day and your priority is self defense?" Tags="|training|self-defense|self-training|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10215" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10219" CreationDate="2020-11-12T00:15:13.637" Score="6" ViewCount="240" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm quite interested in the conversation between Judo &amp;amp; Jujutsu, and Judo and BJJ, and was inspired by &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9424/how-has-bjj-innovated-since-diverging-from-judo&quot;&gt;this question&lt;/a&gt; to inquire about the contemporary Kodokan curriculum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What is the scope of the contemporary Kodokan curriculum?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it purely focused on competition Judo, or does it include techniques not utilized or allowed in the modern sport, and which pre-date Olympic Judo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, is there a division between Judo schools in general re: focus on competition vs. focus on real world combat?  I'm not a judoka but have always loved the art, love watching it, and was advised that it is a &amp;quot;complete martial art&amp;quot; in the sense of having applications for any situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-11-14T01:59:45.127" LastActivityDate="2022-03-31T12:12:46.477" Title="Contemporary Kodokan curriculum?" Tags="|judo|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10216" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10211" CreationDate="2020-11-12T00:37:41.417" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;ANY level of protection in a knife fight is more apparent. Because those cuts hurt.&#xA;If you ever saw the movie &amp;quot;Under Siege&amp;quot; Tommy Lee Jones and Steven Seagal enage in a knife fight, Jones' character sustains many cuts but a leather jacket kept serious damage at bay.&#xA;A hard metal watch, jewelry, gauntlets, anything that can protect you&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2020-11-12T00:37:41.417" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10218" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5834" CreationDate="2020-11-12T04:47:51.340" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;No, it's financially motivated now. History of Kung Fu post 19th century is a sad one. Due in large part to reforms made during and after the Cultural Revolution in China. During this period militant efforts to purge &amp;quot;traditional Chinese&amp;quot; culture to reinforce Maoism, led to the destruction of a lot of martial arts manuals, documents, and treatises as well as the extermination of many practitioners. Three million people were subject to be killed specifically because they were well known teachers of traditional Chinese culture, and this included well known martial artist. That's not mentioning the anti-Buddhist purges that targeted many Buddhists (and martial practitioners).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the 60s and 70s, interest in martial arts from movies made in Hong Kong by Ip Man and Bruce Lee rekindled interest in kung fu/Wushu practices. Martial artists who escaped China went to Hong Kong, Japan, the US and Taiwan where they did their best to rebuild the schools of instructions with what little reference material they had available. In the 80s, kung fu movies took off successfully in the US home video market. And new actors Jet Li and Jackie Chan also help rekindle greater interest in westerners wanting to learn kung fu/wushu as a practice. VHS tapes of martial arts became amateur practice references, LONG before Billy Blanks and Tae Bo in the 90's.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Chinese government used martial arts as a tourist draw, to market their teaching styles, and prospective students are being lured away by the draw of mixed martial arts (MMA), a combat sport that is exploding in popularity and requires no standard technique to implement. As a result, few fighters think of kung fu as a legitimate martial art any longer. Today, kung fu is a blend of martial technique and various isometric exercise, stretching, and elaborate gymnastics. You can learn martial arts at a temple, but be prepared to pony up the cash. You can learn outside China, if people are still around to teach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2020-11-12T04:47:51.340" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10219" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10215" CreationDate="2020-11-12T04:51:09.443" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Kodokan curriculum is not purely focused on sport competition, but modern practitioners frequently ignore non-sport elements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Kodokan Judo curriculum includes basics, techniques, and kata. These are internationally standardized, and rank is determined based on evaluation of these skills. Everyone studies basics and techniques. Competitors frequently ignore kata, while those who believe in judo as a martial art often study some kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Basics&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;postures&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;falling&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;walking movements&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;turning movements&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Techniques&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;throws (&lt;em&gt;nage&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;pins (&lt;em&gt;osaekomi&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;chokes (&lt;em&gt;shime&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;joint-locks (&lt;em&gt;kansetsu&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Throws are also studied with counters (&lt;em&gt;gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;) and combinations (&lt;em&gt;renraku&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judoka spend an inordinate amount of time distinguishing between techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Kata&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Nage no Kata (throwing)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Katame no Kata (ground grappling)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kime no Kata (traditional self-defense)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Goshin Jutsu (modern self-defense)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ju no Kata (gentleness/flexibility)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Itsutsu no Kata (principles of the flow of forces, from traditional Tenjin Shinyō-ryū jujutsu, preserving one root of Kano's system)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Koshiki no Kata (also known as Kito-ryu no Kata, just a set of core techniques, preserving the other strand of origin of Kano's system)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As originally designed by the founder, techniques which are too dangerous to practice in randori are preserved and practiced in kata. These techniques include striking, responses to striking, joint locks against joints other than the elbow, and defending weapons including knives, swords, and pistols.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal view is that judo kata is a poor preparation for striking. Many attacks are cariactures; practicing them does not make you a better striker, and opponents should not be expected to be so generous in telegraphing their attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Proficiency in kata is nominally required to advance in rank, though in practice I think this rarely happens. A great premium is placed on competition record for promotion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Safety and Combat Training&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo's contribution to martial arts according to the founder was it's emphasis on &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; training, where practitioners train in a non-cooperative but relatively safe manner. The set of permitted techniques is intentionally restricted to balance safety with the liveness of full-force techniques. This contrasts with kata, where safety is achieved through prearranged sequences, which was dominant at the time of judo's founding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No obviously superior method has been developed to improve judo &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt;'s mix of safety and liveness. Other systems (BJJ) believe the set of relatively safe techniques is slightly different, but no method of training unrestricted full force striking on partners exists where the injury rates are acceptable. Attempting to train &amp;quot;street&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;real world&amp;quot; combat necessarily generates more injury risk. Application to combat obviously requires extrapolation, but judo's conclusion to this problem is that it is better to actually train full-force with a restricted set of techniques than it is to simulate using all techniques. Judo displaced its contemporary jujutsu because the &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; training method was superior to the alternative&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have never seen a judo school focus on street combat (&amp;quot;real world&amp;quot; combat). There is a division between practitioners who believe judo is purely a sport versus a martial art, but this is at the individual level. &lt;em&gt;Randori&lt;/em&gt; is a foundational judo training element due to the injury concerns, even if your intention is to train judo for combat rather than sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way techniques are practiced in their formal setting often differs substantially from the way they are performed in competition. In Nage no Kata, for example, throws finish with the thrower in a superior position: standing, balanced, and with control of the partner's arm to guide their fall and control their movements afterward. To succeed in competition, as long as a throw is scored as an ippon, the match ends. You will often see the thrower roll through and end up in an inferior position, but because the throw is scored an ippon, this inferior position does not matter in the sport setting. This difference is important for self-defense considerations but is not related to the curriculum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Types of Judo Competition&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The dominant form of judo competition is governed by the International Judo Federation (IJF). This &lt;em&gt;shiai&lt;/em&gt; competition is the international sport you see at the world championships and Olympics. The rules for IJF judo change every few years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other types of judo competition exist:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kata - Pairs perform for judges and are scored.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kosen - this alternate rule set results in substantially more groundwork and is practiced at some Japanese universities&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Freestyle - Another alternate rule set with different scoring, similar to previous versions of IJF rules where grips on legs were allowed.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;groundwork only - appears in local competitions&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-11-15T12:56:50.383" LastActivityDate="2020-11-15T12:56:50.383" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10221" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10214" CreationDate="2020-11-13T16:25:28.327" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The highest priority for self-defense is strength &amp;amp; conditioning. This is 10x more true if you do not have a training partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideal S&amp;amp;C techniques for limited training time would include deadlifts, chin-ups, barbell squats, overhead press, distance running (by distance, between 1 mile and 5km; by time, up to an hour at a steady pace or fartleking), sprints (normal or up a hill), lunges, kettlebell or dumbbell swings and cleans, and yoga or mobility work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If any of these are contraindicated by health, then eliminate them from the list and spend more time on the rest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If, after some months, I had squeezed the juice thoroughly out of those, I would hit a heavy bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-11-13T16:25:28.327" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10222" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-11-14T04:19:19.973" Score="3" ViewCount="725" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you've ever seen a kung fu fan form, you probably came a way with the impression that it's a pretty dance, with no real martial application (and, quite frankly, searching recently for videos online, I couldn't find anything remotely convincing.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there actually are solid martial techniques, some quite brutal, and several dimensions to how it can be applied in combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My teacher made me learn fan to facilitate my straight sword practice (and for teaching kids classes;) and a closed fan is actually an excellent tool to practice jian waist and wrist techniques in a small space.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(It should also be noted that fan a weapon you &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; bring on an airplane, because it's not perceived as a weapon, and I suspect most martial artists would take a shallow cut with a boxcutter in exchange for a crushing strike to the opponent's larynx.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are the martial techniques of Chinese fan?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-23T00:30:42.683" Title="Martial applications of Chinese fan" Tags="|kung-fu|wushu|application|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10223" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10222" CreationDate="2020-11-14T20:18:27.067" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Who else landed here trying to see the practicality of Kitana's fan in Mortal Kombat?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BH49g.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BH49g.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Image of Kitana, holding two open fans with blades on them&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Tessen-jutsu is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd-ZsveduHY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;actually a Japanese art&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In essence the war fan is a &amp;quot;Club&amp;quot; when folded and a catchment system for blades when closing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Strike the wrist bone or between the ulna and radius, near pressure points&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Divert the attacker's weapon, and drive the fan folded and stab the person in the eyes, throat or cheek bones.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Contrary to popular culture, trying to catch a blade or weapon with a war fan, though doable is dangerous. Tessenjutsu prefer avoidance of the primary adversary weapon, THEN ATTACK. Throwing the weapon, is equally stupid, because now you have NO WEAPON.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If, say, I come at you with a knife, you can dodge the knife attack, swat the knife with the iron tessen and strike the face/hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-11-17T04:13:10.520" LastActivityDate="2020-11-17T04:13:10.520" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10224" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10214" CreationDate="2020-11-15T01:53:39.447" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Self-defense doesn't mean fighting. Self-defense means techniques to ensure your safety/survival in a situation where someone/unknown may want/try to harm you. The first two major lessons in self-defense are awareness and situational capacity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Avoid locations you know to be dangerous, best as possible&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Arm yourself&#xA;Buy a gun.....If you ever have to use violent physical force on another person, shoot em, the legal and ethical ramifications are easier to deal with.&#xA;Like 90% of the shit you are taught in martial arts class doesn't work. Has never worked, and will never work. If gun laws suck in your state; Learn to knife fight and get a knife with utility appearance. don't buy a tactical looking knife.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2020-11-15T01:53:39.447" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10226" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10214" CreationDate="2020-11-15T17:07:40.343" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I’m not sure of your context.  If this is temporary, your instructor is your best bet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in the complete absence of an instructor, then the way I’m reading your question is “how do I learn self defense by myself”.  In which case, there’s not a whole lot you can do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strength and conditioning are useless, IMHO, because such does not teach self defense concepts.  If you already have SD training, perhaps that can help.  But with none, forget that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could practice sprinting, running is a good form of self defense.  But if you don’t know how to run, you’ll need a coach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could practice firearms, but without an instructor, you’re just firing bullets without any guidance on improvement and technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could work on some conditioning, such as aerobics, like running, biking, hiking, etc.  there’s no martial applicability here, but it is nevertheless good for overall health.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You mentioned a hanging bag.  That’s fine if you have an instructor to help; barring that you’re just solidifying bad technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There’s no shortcut for self defense.  If you don’t have an instructor, your self defense capabilities are suspect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;About the only thing you might do is read.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Read about self defense technique, concepts, styles.  Learn about lifestyle changes you could do, such as your clothing, your route to school or work, your landscaping, your car, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2020-11-15T17:07:40.343" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10228" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9753" CreationDate="2020-11-16T22:40:11.887" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;People who train for many years in samuraijutsu and ninjutsu of the Bujinkan in-person with a Dai Shihan will definitely be good at many real street fight or self defense situations against different opponents. There is so much about the skills of a Bujinkan practitioner that is not apparent to other fighters. Don’t believe all the fake news about the Bujinkan. Don’t believe what those who misunderstand it say about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11166" LastEditorUserId="11166" LastEditDate="2020-11-16T22:49:23.283" LastActivityDate="2020-11-16T22:49:23.283" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10229" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10212" CreationDate="2020-11-17T00:45:55.877" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Since this question hasn't yet generated an answer, here's my guess:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There has been much discussion on the deficiencies of disarming technique against even an unskilled knife wielder, and swords are exponentially more dangerous, both for their range and versatility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Slapping away the attackers blade is the only defense I know of that has been proposed, and that was still considered dangerous even with a leather glove.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;[See also: &lt;a href=&quot;https://web.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-101313-104620/unrestricted/IQP_History_of_the_Rapier.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The History of the Rapier (2013)&#xA;p.15]&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pure thrusting swords, such as late rapiers and poniards are so light and quick, a slap is unlikely to make contact.  The blade can be thrust and withdrawn in a fraction of a second, the &amp;quot;sewing machine&amp;quot; technique can be utilized, and fencers can change the angle of attack, thrusting from almost any angle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The torso (typically abdomen to avoid bones) is a prime target, but a fencer can also stab at the face, legs, and even the arms, making defending one area of the body insufficient.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cut and thrust blades, such as early rapiers, basket hilt claymores, and chinese jian, can additionally cut into a slap, which would be grievous, due to the amount of momentum that can be generated in a very short distance, and microscopic surface area in which the force is concentrated on contact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, good fencers can put the point of rotation pretty much anywhere along the blade, such that even cut and thrust swords have a high probability of avoiding a slap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;An expert knife fighter can kill with single thrust, but a merely competent fencer, if uncertain of those specific targets, can impale.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, impaling is contraindicated as it can cause the fencer to lose control fo the blade, but in a one-on-one match, this is acceptable.  Regardless, &lt;em&gt;any&lt;/em&gt; puncture wound received from a sword anywhere on the body is likely to be non-trivial.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Post-medieval cut and thrust swords used for fencing are also quite capable of executing a &amp;quot;sewing machine technique&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Advancing obliquely, as seen in in katana disarming techniques won't work, as fencers are quite capable of circling&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here the intent to to maximize the target area of the opponent's torso.  While western sport fencing is entirely linear, free form fencing does not have such restrictions—in Chinese fencing, circling and changing direction is common.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;There is no way for an unarmed defender to disarm a competent fencer&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only strategy is to stay out of range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;[You can test whether this seems correct by simply by facing a fencer holding even an unwieldy wooden practice sword with a point, and evaluating whether that's a bet you want to take—here I don't even mean that the wooden sword is lethal, just that the amount of force which will be concentrated into a point is, in an of itself, strongly disincentivizing, and still quite dangerous.]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-17T00:45:55.877" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10230" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-11-17T00:50:22.777" Score="2" ViewCount="66" Body="&lt;p&gt;I thought this would be a good application to ask about, because, while it looks like a simple strike, the deeper application is less apparent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What is the application for the Chen Tai Chi technique &amp;quot;Red Fist&amp;quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-11-19T01:47:56.780" LastActivityDate="2020-11-19T01:47:56.780" Title="Chen Style &quot;Red Fist&quot; application" Tags="|tai-chi|application|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10231" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-11-17T00:53:19.090" Score="4" ViewCount="398" Body="&lt;p&gt;I ask because the movement is practiced in a way that does not reveal alternate, practical applications, as related to me by my teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(If I recall correctly, this application was used in &amp;quot;Drunken Tai Chi&amp;quot;, Donnie Yen's first film, and in that choreography, the application did reflect the way the movement is often practiced, where the needle hand goes almost all the way down to the ground.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But even the main technique is too subtle for newer practitioners to discern without explication.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What is the major application of the Tai Chi technique &amp;quot;Needle to Sea Bottom&amp;quot;?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, what are alternate applications?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-11-18T02:36:56.633" LastActivityDate="2020-12-10T04:32:14.163" Title="Applications of &quot;Needle to Sea Bottom&quot;" Tags="|tai-chi|application|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10232" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10222" CreationDate="2020-11-17T02:59:50.510" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I’m going to focus on the applications that &lt;em&gt;any&lt;/em&gt; trained martial artist with a little weapons training can execute, beginning with the finishing moves. Bamboo wushu fans are more than sufficient.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Striking with the butt of the fan into the solar plexus or kidneys&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These strikes are very similar to how one uses a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubotan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kubotan&lt;/a&gt;, and can end a conflict if applied well.  Essentially, the fan is closed, the wielder has left about an inch of space between the bottom of the palm and butt of the weapon.   This techniques can also be used to strike the temple.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Thrusting the closed fan into the throat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is obviously a potentially fatal strike if executed with sufficient force, damaging the trachea, so use caution.   This can be applied even with very little training, due to the shortness and lightness of a bamboo fan, compared to the skill required for sword or spear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Strike the wrist joint&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This was a great answer by LazyReader, &amp;quot;wrist bone or between the ulna and radius, near pressure points&amp;quot; and I will only elaborate that it should be effective against a knife, because of the number of nerves, which, if applied correctly can cause spasm or loss of feeling.  (It also hurts like a [redacted], speaking from personal experience;)  Here the bamboo is arguably ideal because of the quickness—metal fans that sometimes appear on the market can be overly heavy, and could even present a disadvantage against a knife for this reason.  Bamboo also seems to distribute force in an optimal way to affect the nerves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Thrusting into the pelvic joint&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe it's the periformis muscle and surrounding nerves.  Regardless, &lt;em&gt;man&lt;/em&gt; is it nasty, and it will definitely cause spasming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Striking into the face with the tines of the open fan.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This was another application LazyReader astutely referenced, and I'll only add it's plenty nasty even with a bamboo fan.  The bamboo tines are strong enough to break the skin, and, if they make contact with the eyes, cause significant trauma.  (Forget a sharp stick in the eye—getting poked with &lt;em&gt;any&lt;/em&gt; stick in the eye is terrible, and there's also the possibility that the bamboo breaks and splinters, which could cause puncture wounds.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Striking/pushing up under the chin with the open fan&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This one gets forgotten, but there is soft tissue under under the chin, glands at the side, and it's not a strike most people will expect.  Pushing up this way can force the opponent's head up, which has multiple advantages (potential to unbalance, reduced visibility.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Subtler Techniques&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are the techniques that require significant training, because they involve opening and using the opened fan in a less direct manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cutting the eyes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This applies to fan with fabric connecting the tines—in the bamboo wushu fans would will notice about an inch of extra fabric at the ends. &amp;quot;Shooting&amp;quot; the fan (snapping it while open) across an opponents eyes will cause them to tear up, and there is also the possibility of cutting the cornea (think paper cuts.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Strumming/opening the fan&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is where you snap the fan open, or &amp;quot;strum&amp;quot; it in an in-between state.  It's pure distraction and effective b/c it's [redacted] LOUD as [redacted] with a bamboo fan, painful on the eardrums when applied correctly close to the head, and it's unlikely anyone is not startled—even people who are used to it don't enjoy it. One would use this to distract before applying a strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Using the fan to obstruct the vision&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is my favorite, and it was years before I even realized what was going on.  Essentially, the wielder can open the fan with the palm downward at a ~45 degree angle so that it blocks opponent's view of the wielder's feet, such that the wielder can connect with a heel kick to the inside of the opposite knee, stomp to the bridge of the foot, or, if being gentle, simply control the opponent's knee with the instep, forcing them to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[The fan can also be used in joint locks, but these techniques are more complex, and therefore more risky, and require significant training and two person practice.  An open fan can indeed also be used to redirect a weapon, but requires significant training, finger strength, and is still quite risky against an edged weapon b/c the fingers are exposed.]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-11-17T08:45:13.987" LastActivityDate="2020-11-17T08:45:13.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10233" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10231" CreationDate="2020-11-17T16:03:36.823" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;My instructor taught us the historical application (as the move is done in the Yang 24 step) is rooted in the fact that soldiers used to carry a dagger on their right hip. By this interpretation, the move brings the right hand to the hip, grabs the knife, raises it, and brings it down on top of the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: By request, a video showing the move as done in the Yang 24. Relevant part at about 4:50.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4VIw41R-PU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4VIw41R-PU&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9368" LastEditorUserId="9368" LastEditDate="2020-11-18T04:31:18.337" LastActivityDate="2020-11-18T04:31:18.337" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10234" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10214" CreationDate="2020-11-17T19:17:11.720" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Fighting techniques are a small part of self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just a few other parts: Situational awareness, good safety habits, staying out of rough areas at the wrong times, the ability to defuse situations, the realization that in heated arguments YOU'RE being an a-hole just as much as the other guy, the willingness to leave a bar or area when someone gets in your face, carrying a small flashlight to check out dark parking lots and corners before you approach your car, carrying an old wallet with some cash in it to give to muggers, and the ability to run faster and farther than your assailants and sometimes a bullet or two.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See &lt;a href=&quot;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/&lt;/a&gt; - lots and lots of great information that takes several read-thru's to absorb.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A gun is the best self-defense tool, but if you use it you'll probably go to jail, maybe for a few hours, maybe for months until you go to trial for assault or manslaughter or third-degree murder, in which latter case you'll lose your job and have to spend tens of thousands of dollars on lawyers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;About actual fighting techniques - there are dozens of scenarios. Against a single opponent...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrestling / ground fighting? Training by yourself, you can probably only watch videos and mentally practice over and over what you'd do if someone grabs your leg or grabs your jacket and trips you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Striking - Watch videos for tips, then spend lots of time working on a bag, and maybe you'll be able to punch without breaking your hand and not be heaving for breath after 30 seconds. To the head, use palm-strikes to the nose or chin rather than punching. Don't kick above the waist, and only kick above the knees unless you can do so very quickly and powerfully.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without a coach or training partners, your footwork will be amateurish, you'll be off-balance to some extent without recognizing it because you don't have a partner to take advantage of it, you'll have only makeshift and artificial experience in moving in and out, you'll probably hold your breath too much, and you won't keep your guard up and use head movement consistently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I enjoy the YouTube channel &amp;quot;How to Defeat Dudes&amp;quot; - seems like sensible self-defense combinations and is entertaining.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2020-11-17T19:17:11.720" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10235" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10214" CreationDate="2020-11-18T03:07:21.480" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;fwiw, alternate answer to Dave Liepmann's—work up to a thousand pushups a day on your fists on a hard surface.  Will harden your fists without damaging the joints, &amp;amp; strengthen your wrists for punching.  If you get attacked, you'll have explosive power and good conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(This worked for me very well before I started training in martial arts, and I was 110 lbs. at the time.  If you don't have solid training, and I'm talking 3 to 4 hours per day for at least a few years, pure viciousness is your only avenue to prevail. Fight like an animal, but have the strength and conditioning to back it up.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also read &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Five_Rings&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Book of Five Rings&lt;/a&gt;, the supreme strategy manual for understanding the warrior mindset, regardless of whether your weapon is a fist or a sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-11-18T03:12:45.287" LastActivityDate="2020-11-18T03:12:45.287" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10236" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10249" CreationDate="2020-11-18T03:45:12.560" Score="3" ViewCount="709" Body="&lt;p&gt;People with extensive street fighting experience typically recommend putting an attacker on the ground, either with strikes or a throw, and then kicking them until they can't get up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was advised that toe kicks are optimal, because it concentrates force in the smallest area, and they can be executed quicker than stomps with less commitment of the body, so less chance of the foot being grabbed.  The caveat the here I'm taking about a shoe with a heavy enough sole that it's the sole, not the toes, making contact.  (Recommended targets are the head and kidneys.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, I'd be very interested in what Karate and TKD practitioners in particular would recommend, both for specialists in kicking, and those who don't specialize.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What is the optimal way to kick an opponent on the ground?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-20T12:51:52.983" Title="Best way to kick an opponent on the ground?" Tags="|kicking|streetfight|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10237" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-11-18T03:55:44.830" Score="2" ViewCount="42" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's often overlooked that competitors in sport and prize fighting have a limited span of time in which they are competitive.  This can be important, because, for people who do it professionally, they only have a certain number of peak earning years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for an answer that covers a wide range of combat sports, including Olympic sports and prize-fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What is the average career span for an elite fighter?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Answers that include discussion of outliers with longer than usual careers is also welcome, both those who decline and those who maintain dominance.  Breakdowns for various combat sports are also welcome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-18T03:55:44.830" Title="What is the average career span for competition fighters at the elite level?" Tags="|competition|sport|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10238" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7689" CreationDate="2020-11-18T18:43:47.550" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are four types of Side kick in ITF Tkd:-&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1 ) Side PIERCING kick: executed whilst rotating the FOOTSWORD, the heel portion of the blade of the foot, on the enemy's body upon impact. The rotation is what makes it a 'piercing' kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Side THRUSTING kick: executed using the ball of the foot and NO rotation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Side PUSHING kick: Executed using the footsword, no acceleration and no rotation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Side RISING kick: Executed using the footsword. It is both a dynamic stretch and a blocking technique to an enemy that is offline, at an angle to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The difference between the PUSHING side kick and PIERCING side kick IS mentioned by Gen Choi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He said the PUSHING kick, &amp;quot;uses only weight WITHOUT acceleration and power, losing piercing force and naturally rapid withdrawal of foot becomes less important&amp;quot;. He also said, &amp;quot;be sure to cross the other foot rapidly past where the kicking foot had been placed while KICKING AND PUSH the target momentarily &amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now those words ARE kind of cryptic. What do they mean?&#xA;Here's my two cents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gen Choi meant that the kicking foot, in a side PUSHING kick, would NOT apply impulse in the same way as it does in a side PIERCING kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means, that large amounts of force would NOT be applied to the enemy in a short period of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's what he meant by NO acceleration. Rather, you're pushing your enemy via translation of your own body mass and the use of your contacting bent leg as a vehicle, a conduit, for transfer of YOUR body's momentum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The kicking leg in the SIDE pushing kick does NOT move. It is placed whilst halfway extended, onto the enemy's body side.&#xA;It is placed like that in order to facilitate momentum transfer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To repeat, the kicking leg, itself, is NOT going to be moving, independently, hence Gen Choi's use of the term , &amp;quot;NO acceleration&amp;quot;. Also the kicking foot will not turning on the enemy's body hence Gen Choi pointed out that side PUSHING kicks have NO &amp;quot;piercing action&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Piercing action, of course, is that turning motion of the foot that is done ON the opponent's body whilst executing side piercing kick. Analogous to the twisting of the arm ON the enemy's body whilst punching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;NO piercing action means that the kicking foot in a side PUSHING kick will NEVER rotate on the enemy's body. It's function is NOT to destroy the enemy. It simply attempts to push them away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, to paraphrase Gen Choi, assuming a side pushing kick done with the left leg:-&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[&amp;quot;You must quickly cross your right leg in FRONT of your left to bring your body in range to your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, very shortly thereafter, apply your halfway extended left leg, via the footsword, to your enemy's side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then,push hard with your RIGHT leg and pivot that RIGHT leg against the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your RIGHT leg, thus, becomes the source of momentum/mass transfer and NOT your LEFT 'KICKING' leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, we see that, the LEFT 'kicking' leg is just a vehicle for transfer of the momentum generated by the right leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, we can see, that the LEFT PUSHING side kick is actually done with the RIGHT, supporting leg.&amp;quot;]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's what is going on with that kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;THAT is the reason he said ZERO acceleration. Because the 'KICKING' leg in a side PUSHING kick does NOT accelerate AT ALL. It is just a vehicle for the transfer of momentum from the TKD player to the enemy that he does NOT, at that point, wish to destroy&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11025" LastActivityDate="2020-11-18T18:43:47.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10240" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10092" CreationDate="2020-11-18T22:21:40.547" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A kubotan can be hugely effective, but punching with it in the manner of a roll of quarters is not recommended because you're likely to hurt your hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kubotans are effective because of physics—puts all the force into a small surface area capable of delivering a definitive strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The best method to use a kubotan practically is to use a backhanded grip, a form of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strike_(attack)#Closed-fist&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;hammer fist&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here, you're not generally hammering down, but in a horizontal manner.  The main targets are the kidneys, the throat, the solar plexus, and the temples, but any strike anywhere on the body in the manner will be painful, and certainly give you a moment of advantage for followup strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The caveat here is that it's a close-range weapon, so if you don't have the defensive skills and footwork to get inside and stay balanced, you're unlikely to be able to wield it effectively.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Another advantage to kubotan is it carries less potential legal liability than a knife if you seriously injure or kill your opponent, and, typically, you don't want the blood of the type of person who attacks people in the street getting on you, especially if you get cut.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have sufficient training in any martial art from a good instructor, and are worried about defending against a bigger, stronger, or more skilled opponent, kubotan is a &lt;em&gt;great&lt;/em&gt; street weapon b/c it fits in your pocket.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There are also versions that include two blunt finger spikes, and those do facilitate punching b/c all the force is concentrated in the spikes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Doesn't protect your fist in the manner of brass knuckles, but concentrates force in a smaller area, reducing impact to the knuckles.  These types of kubotans also allows the hammer fist in addition to the punch, without changing grip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A skilled practitioner can also use it for a thrusting strike from the top of the fist, such as under the chin where the glands are, or into the ears or temple, but it's more difficult and so not recommended as the go-to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Never underestimate the utility of blunt-force trauma.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-11-18T22:26:56.963" LastActivityDate="2020-11-18T22:26:56.963" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10241" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10083" CreationDate="2020-11-18T22:41:19.210" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Speaking generally, from personal experience, the muscle memory comes back quick, but it's the conditioning which creates the hump one must get over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(I've take two periods of hiatus in 30 years of practice to fully heal from injuries.  It was definitely worth taking the time b/c we tend to return to practice too soon and only exacerbate and extend the damage.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you've trained hard for an extended period, your skills never left you&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I trained ~4 hours per day during the week, and longer on weekends, including teaching.  I've was astonished after both hiatuses that my body naturally remembered how to do the movements correctly, without having to think about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to strength and speed, that naturally diminishes over time.  One has to start adjusting their practice over 40 to avoid training injuries, and adjust again over 50 or 60.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your TKD skills &amp;amp; experience also provide a great basis should you decide to transition to a softer art once you get older.  The ideal is to maintain martial practice over the entire span of one's life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-18T22:41:19.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10242" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10062" CreationDate="2020-11-18T22:56:25.743" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Any equalizer is typically better than no equalizer, but I would not personally use a carabiner because it's not made for this purpose, and you can't grip it effectively:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The caribiner will rotate forward or backward, and will likely damage your knuckles when you strike by smashing back against them.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This also means that the force going into the opponent is diminished, reducing the effectiveness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the hand is sweaty, this deficiency is exacerbated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It's also quite telling that the linked video recommends it, but doesn't demonstrate actually punching anything with it.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;(I'd much prefer a sturdy U-shaped bike lock, or a bike chain with a heavy padlock attached to the end.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-11-18T23:02:51.433" LastActivityDate="2020-11-18T23:02:51.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10243" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10049" CreationDate="2020-11-18T23:13:25.193" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Low stances can injure the knees in particular if you're not doing them exactly right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Being tense, and clenching the muscles around the knees can cause injury&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Improper alignment of the knees in any stance can cause injury&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Age is also an important factor.  If you're older, and haven't trained for many years, you're unlikely to be able to attain low stances of any type past your 20's without joint injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, while low stances in general are great for building strength, and can be used for more powerful strikes when one is less experienced, or for leverage, sinking into a lower stance after body to body contact has been made, &lt;em&gt;high stances afford more upper body mobility,&lt;/em&gt; which is important for avoiding punches to the face, and allows a greater range of offensive techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Low stances also reduce mobility in general, which is why you don't see them in combat sports or streetfighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Note that boxers do not need low stances to knock an opponent out—they know how to use the body frame to root the feet and strike with maximum force from a high stance, and they're the best at that particular thing.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-18T23:13:25.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10244" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10031" CreationDate="2020-11-18T23:29:37.800" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Slaps can be devastating if the full body is behind it.  I watched a friend use it to the side of the head against the leader of a group that was considering a brawl, and he followed through, slamming the opponent to the ground, and startling and demoralizing the group.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Slaps the fave can also be applied more quickly than most punches, and cause the eyes to tear up.  Hard slaps to the inside of a punching arm can actually be effective blocks, and even confer advantage for a followup center-line strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not like punching &lt;em&gt;anything&lt;/em&gt; hard with my knuckles under any circumstances, and use palm strikes (or forearm strikes for targets like the collarbone.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, aspects wudang striking are widely misunderstood.  There, I'm countering the opponent such that my fist or plam or fingers make contact, then &amp;quot;focus&amp;quot;, putting all of the force into the body.  (Typically solar plexus, hip or shoulder joints, or kidneys.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wudang also has strikes that have power/speed &lt;em&gt;before&lt;/em&gt; making contact, but almost no one can really do it because it requires being totally relaxed except at the moment of contact, and typically people don't have the requisite level of relaxation until their mid-30's and beyond, specifically after the body starts to weaken such that brute force is increasingly less effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've &lt;em&gt;had&lt;/em&gt; to focus on soft targets b/c I was 110 lbs. in my teens, 120 in my 20's, 130 in my 30's, and it was only over 40 I increased in weight up to ~165.  (I don't lift weights, just pushups, pullups, handstands, stone balls and heavy weapons.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Main Soft Targets:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Eyes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finger flicks to cause them to tear, pokes to disable to organ, or thumb gouges to pop out the eye or cause significant trauma&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Throat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A quick, light strike is sufficient.  Less power typically means more speed.  Horizontal &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_Kung_Fu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;leopard fist&lt;/a&gt; is optimal, but you should train your knuckles punching a bag similar surface, and pressing into things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Groin&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously better against males.  But people defend this area, so use only if they leave it open, or in conjunction with an upper body feint.  (There are some techniques where you make both a groin &amp;amp; upper body strike, such that even if one is blocked, the other can connect.)  Quick and light is sufficient to gain a moment of advantage, hard as you can if you already have advantage.  Also a stomp target if the opponent is on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ears&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tear if desperate, but it takes a lot of finger strength.  Quick, light strikes to the ears can be effective because painful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cavity between the shoulder blade and pectoral, cavity between the the hip joint and groin&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are often overlooked, but a major target of bagua palm and finger strikes.  The hip cavity, in particular, has a lot of nerves, so the strike doesn't even have to be very hard, especially with finger strikes.  (The hip cavity is also a phenomenal location to push into to control that joint, and force the opponent into an unbalanced or disadvantaged position, similar in spirit to stepping down into the back of the knee.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cavity between the edges of the jaw and the neck&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is often overlooked, but there are a lot of nerves in that area.  It's no so much a place you strike as push your thumbs into.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Abdomen&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, unless the opponent has well developed abdominal muscles, or is fat.  (Many brawlers have &amp;quot;hard fat&amp;quot; and the gut protects them.)  All fighters have strong abdominal muscles, so this is more of a target against an out of shape attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kidneys&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here we mean around towards the back of the abdomen, which doesn't have the muscle protection of the front.  Hard enough strikes can cause organ damages, but lighter, quicker punches also hurt, and can be part of a larger overall strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_(anatomy)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Atlas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here I'm not talking about the bone, but the cavity between back of the skull and neck.  This is a target for &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baton_(law_enforcement)#Blackjacks_and_saps&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;saps&lt;/a&gt;, and although striking there seem ineffective in MMA b/c the striker are usually being grappled and off balance, but I've seen a spinning back elbow knock someone out with this in the octagon.  I'd personally treat it as a hard target &amp;amp; use a chop b/c the skull is, but punching into the area potentially more devastating.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Septum&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Soft target b/c it's mostly cartilage and easily broken bone, but semi-hard because the skull is behind it.  Punching to this with this area should be ok, especially if it's more of a pop than a full power-though, but the septum can also be smashed with the palm.  Not generally decisive, but will make the eyes tear up, and can inhibit the breathing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as hard targets, anywhere with bone.  Only use palm strikes unless you're willing to take knuckle damage.  The jaw is an optimal hard target, where an uppercut or hook can knock a person out.  Temples are also a hard target, but clearly effective, many systems utilize both palm and knuckle strikes to that area.  Also solar-plexus, but you've got to be able to hit really hard for this to be disabling.  Tai Chi uses the &amp;quot;press&amp;quot; move to push into this area, but that press can also be a sufficiently powerful strike, and, at a high level, they say one can focus after initial contact into the solar plexus to cause the heart to fibrillate.  (Experience tells me this is possible, but there are likely very few people alive at any given time who can do it, by which I intentionally exclude most masters and practitioners, including myself.) Even a non-disabling blow to the solar plexus hurts.  Collarbone we'll call a hard target b/c it's a bone, but one of the most easily broken (designed by nature to break to make falls more survivable.)  I train to break it with the forearms, sort of a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongbeiquan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;windmilling motion with the full force of the body behind it&lt;/a&gt;, or from a vertical bagua spin, but these takes significant internal training to generate real power and speed, so I'm not the best person to recommend external techniques for that target, though many exist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-11-19T02:51:41.393" LastActivityDate="2020-11-19T02:51:41.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10245" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10273" CreationDate="2020-11-19T03:24:27.943" Score="4" ViewCount="2941" Body="&lt;p&gt;Collarbone is a desirable target because it's designed by nature to break easy.  (Absorb impact and make falls more survivable.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I practice a few techniques pakua and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongbeiquan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;tongbeiquan&lt;/a&gt; that utilize the forearms, but these styles require extensive internal training, such that they're not practical for most, or in a general sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are the most practical ways to break the collarbone, ideally not requiring specialization?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The accepted answer should focus on the applications are most practical and reliable for martial artists in general, but discussion of any techniques are welcome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-09-16T03:38:52.413" Title="Breaking the collarbone" Tags="|technique|striking|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10246" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="953" CreationDate="2020-11-19T05:05:23.703" Score="-1" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;10,000+ hours for basic competency&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This you can accomplish with ~3 hours of training daily for about ten years.  Here I'm talking about internal &lt;em&gt;technique&lt;/em&gt;, as opposed to being able to do forms well and properly, or beat non-masters at push hands via brute strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Even the push hands competitors aren't quite yet doing it internally b/c they're just too young—it's grappling using Tai Chi movements as opposed to Tai Chi &lt;em&gt;technique&lt;/em&gt;.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why traditional Chinese schools start with external arts, to provide something serviceable in addition to the baseline strength required to practice internal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can teach internal forms to kids, but there's really no point until &lt;em&gt;at least&lt;/em&gt; the late teens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most practitioners are unable to even relax enough until the body starts to decline in the mid-30's, such that brute force is increasingly less effective.  (My sense is that true masters, even in external styles such as Karate, naturally become &amp;quot;internal&amp;quot; after a sufficient number of years.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lifting weights is not generally recommended, although old school training involves brutal &amp;quot;basic training&amp;quot; (calisthenics), and can involve extensive isometrics, heavy stone balls and heavy weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;10,000&amp;quot; is about where you can start to so &lt;em&gt;some&lt;/em&gt; stuff using real technique, but any believing they can &amp;quot;guarantee everything 100%&amp;quot; is fooling themselves.  It typically requires training with a high level master to understand this, i.e. someone who can &amp;quot;set the student straight&amp;quot;, because serious students are strong, fast, and know a lot of applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My teacher's generic answer for how many repetitions were necessary to master a single given technique was &amp;quot;a thousand thousand times&amp;quot; and this was to be taken literally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;30,000+ hours for a basic level of mastery&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My teacher did this in the first ten years, &amp;quot;ten years, ten hours of day&amp;quot;. This is literal, because it's all they ever did from early childhood, although training in the internal arts only began in the late teens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This was the interior of China, where there was no television, limited access to electricity, and very little else to do except hard labor.  The teaching involved living with the master of a top lineage.  This was ~4 hours in the morning, ~4 hours in the early evening, including teaching &amp;quot;outdoor students&amp;quot;, and private &amp;quot;midnight practice&amp;quot; with the master every night.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My teacher didn't even have hobbies until later in life, and still trained 4-5 hours per day, with the rest of the time teaching private lessons, and pretty much only thought of that.  (I had the privilege of meeting Jimmy Pedro, and it was refreshing to meet a martial artist who had never even heard of my teacher.  Pedro explained it &amp;quot;I only know Judo&amp;quot; i.e. &amp;quot;I only think about Judo. I only care about Judo.&amp;quot;  Malcolm Gladwell has written about Wayne Gretzky being similar.)  I suspect that first ten years for my own teacher included many days closer to 12 hours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(It took me 30 years to get close to that number of hours, and I still don't call myself a master, because I'm comparing myself to the best of the best of the old school. I had a career outside of martial arts, so I trained ~4 hours per night when not traveling, plus short morning practice, with up to ten hours and teaching on weekends.  When traveling I'd utilize empty hotel conference and ballrooms, around hotel pools late at night, and sometimes in parks, or, when not available, in the hotel room itself, tailoring practice to available space.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;60,000+ hours for a high level of mastery&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That covers the 30's and 40's for an old-school, full-time practitioner, such that, by 50, one who has devoted their entire life to it is usually at their peak in the middle of life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Over 50, it is recommended to pull back on intensive &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa_jin&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;fa jin&lt;/a&gt;, extreme backbends, and holding extreme balance positions, or risk suffering the late life complications not uncommon for athletes at the highest level who sacrifice their bodies for their sports.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s5AXn9AUUo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This is a good video&lt;/a&gt; of what a high-level, old school master is capable of in old age.  He was trained by &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fu_Zhensong&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;his father&lt;/a&gt;, who was extraordinarily strict.  Take special note of some of the leg techniques, balance, footwork and focusing, and compare it to videos of most masters much younger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-11-19T19:12:58.310" LastActivityDate="2020-11-19T19:12:58.310" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10247" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10236" CreationDate="2020-11-19T05:24:40.360" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've studied a variety of arts, but mainly an old style of taekwondo / tangsoodo (~20 years), hapkido (3), and kyokushin karate (6).  The only techniques I've seen in TKD that are specifically intended for hitting opponents on the ground are a few stomping kicks - and they tend to be mixed in with step-sparring exercises and appear in a couple patterns, but not be used in sparring (i.e. read as &amp;quot;we don't practice them enough to use them reliably in chaotic situations&amp;quot;).  People also sometimes practice using turning/roundhouse kicks, front kicks, side kicks, pick kicks from the ground to another grounded opponent - sometimes in a downward direction - but again in pre-arranged sequences and demonstrations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the older forms of taekwondo - closer to the predominantly Shotokan origins of the art - the ball of the foot was generally used, rather than the instep.  I don't recall any mention of kicking with the toes in General Choi's encyclopaedia, though I haven't looked at it for a few years, and I've never seen anyone do it or suggest it in training.  Whether you use the ball or toes makes little difference to the chance of having the leg grabbed, and both have relatively small surface area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd say the general attitude / strategy in TKD is that if you've knocked someone down, you expect to have done it well enough that they stay there, and if they don't - when they get up you knock them down again.  If you see you need to do more while they're on the ground, you wing it - but there isn't much training for it.  Given the increased likelihood of getting caught up and/or taken down yourself, being on your feet and mobile isn't such a bad idea, but it does potentially give them a reprieve and second chance.  If you're skillfull it won't be much of a chance though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's common to kick with the toes in some Okinawan Uechi-Ryu karate ( see &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/HWOn0ZY4ev8?t=44&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/HWOn0ZY4ev8?t=44&lt;/a&gt; ), and there's a lot of tough conditioning done to make sure that's practical.  I'm not sure if they do anything specific to practice kicks to opponents on the ground though.  The whole toe-kick thing hasn't been brought across to mainland Japan in Shotokan or Kyokushin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hapkido mixes in more kicks with the takedowns and throws, and you do practice kicks from the ground and to the ground in sparring (if your school spars - not all do) but it definitely suffers from the jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none problem.    Often sweeps, joint lock takedowns and throws and are done in such a way to set the opponent up for a kick, or to hold them prone on the ground.  If the opponent is moving freely on the ground though, it's kind of up to each person to get the hang of it, rather than there being particular kicks or strategies I've heard enumerated for that situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2020-11-19T05:24:40.360" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10248" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10092" CreationDate="2020-11-19T18:24:19.610" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my expertise derived from watching the kubotan-related &amp;quot;Hard to Hurt&amp;quot; channel's videos on YouTube, not very effective. Yes, conceivably you could hit an exact point with it and do some damage. Much more likely, you and the bad guy will be flailing and grappling, and you'll be adrenalized and losing your fine motor skills, and you won't have a chance to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As Mike says in those videos, if you don't know how to move and protect your head and strike with no kubotan, what makes you think that you're going to be able to thrust or hammer or punch with one in your hand? If you're not already trained up in joint locks, what makes you think that you'll be able to use it to do a joint lock with it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Besides which, small kubotons with no &amp;quot;finger depressions&amp;quot; and no &amp;quot;stop&amp;quot; on either end will slide through your hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2020-11-19T18:24:19.610" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10249" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10236" CreationDate="2020-11-20T04:20:57.033" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A judo perspective: if you throw an opponent, you want to finish in a standing position with control of an arm. This gives you options: you can disengage, you can continue into more grappling, or you can kick/stomp the opponent from this position. There is not much the person on the ground can do at this point; you have giant lever to control their movement and can kick them much quicker than they can readjust position. You can certainly kick or stomp without the opponent catching your feet effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From this position, I would stomp on either the head or armpit area. You can combine an upward pull of the arm to maximize impact. I would also expect a serious chance of killing or maiming the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/rBtGn.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/rBtGn.png&quot; alt=&quot;end throwing position of seoi nage in Nage no Kata&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a still from &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/T0pOY9FYNxg?t=69&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nage No Kata&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-11-20T04:20:57.033" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10250" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10236" CreationDate="2020-11-20T11:31:17.283" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have mainly learned Shorinji Kempo.  This style has a great many kicks and punches to people who are pinned to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The general rule is that you hit wherever you can reach from the pin, but pick weak points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just like any other kick you don't want to hit with the toe (unless you are wearing steel toe caps or similar).  Kick with the ball of the foot or with the heel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other thing that you can sometimes do is use the fact that you have pinned your opponent to your advantage in the strike: For example if you are locking a wrist with the elbow against the ground your opponent's stomach will rise above the ground as they try to unwind the pin.  This is an excellent time to strike the solar plexus as it becomes exposed and unprotected by stomach muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are similar examples that apply to kicks.  for example if you have pinned someone face down and the threat of a second attacker is preventing you from keeping that position you can adjust the pin as you move to allow a kick, again to the solar plexus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your opponent is not pinned you will often find it very hard to kick as they will put their feat towards you to fend you off.  It's a drill in it'self to learn to do this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-11-20T12:51:52.983" LastActivityDate="2020-11-20T12:51:52.983" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10251" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-11-21T23:53:06.797" Score="2" ViewCount="83" Body="&lt;p&gt;I ask because my understanding is that &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gozo_Shioda&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Shioda&lt;/a&gt;'s &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshinkan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yoshinkan&lt;/a&gt; school of Aikido was considered controversial in that it recognized the brutality of combat, when one is fighting for one's life, and emphasized techniques such as strikes, which can be said to go against Ueshiba's principle of peace.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is well known that &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masahiko_Kimura&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kimura&lt;/a&gt; was &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mas_Oyama&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Oyama&lt;/a&gt;'s good friend and sparring partner, but all three masters were at Takushoku University at the same time, and Shioda took Judo classes with them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where is there is a confluence of three great masters at one time and place, it seems likely that they exchanged ideas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shioda viewed aikido as being &amp;quot;not a sport but a budo. Either you defeat your opponent or he defeats you. You cannot complain that he did not follow the rules. You have to overcome your opponent in a way appropriate to each situation.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-11-22T03:38:54.963" LastActivityDate="2020-11-22T03:38:54.963" Title="Was Gozo Shioda influenced by Kimura &amp; Oyama?" Tags="|aikido|history|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10252" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10245" CreationDate="2020-11-22T00:57:42.463" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm going to get the ball rolling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;T'ai chi ch'üan has a technique called &amp;quot;back fist chop&amp;quot;, which is usually thought of as a strike to the face with the back of the fist, but can be used, via the back of the forearm, as a collarbone strike.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But it would be hard to do that without significant internal technique, or unless the practitioner is very strong.  (Also note that it doesn't work from the outside—the move typically begins from an &amp;quot;embrace ball&amp;quot;, where the off-hand has countered a strike or push, and pulls the opponent's arm down while executing the back fist chop.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xing_Yi_Quan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hsing I Ch'üan&lt;/a&gt; has many strikes that can be used to break the collarbone&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Including moves that are similar to back fist chop—fast counter, pull/strike with maximum focusing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Xing Yi Quan is more practical for most practitioners b/c it works pretty well even without a high level of internal technique.  (It's sometimes called the easiest and the hardest internal art—easier to use for fighting earlier, but the high-level &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa_jin&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;fa jin&lt;/a&gt; typically takes the longest to attain.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A collarbone break would typically be &lt;em&gt;Pi Quan&lt;/em&gt;, which is often described as chopping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Pi Quan belongs to Metal... because the movement of the hand is like an ax chopping.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;[Trans: Yang Jwing-Ming, Liang Shou-Yu, &lt;em&gt;Xingyiquan Theory, Applications, Fighting Tactics and Spirit&lt;/em&gt; ]&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It can also be done with a Pao Quan like motion and stance, moving and striking obliquely with the bottom side of the forearm, where the fist is a hammer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Side of the forearm is ideal for bone-to-bone contact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An advantage to the forearms is it &lt;em&gt;increases likelihood of contact with the target&lt;/em&gt;—extending in front of and behind the target area.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here, the striker can follow-up by grabbing the back of the opponent's head, and smashing it into a knee strike, or simply putting the on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-09T23:47:00.940" LastActivityDate="2020-12-09T23:47:00.940" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10253" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2617" CreationDate="2020-11-22T04:39:27.133" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Anyone with more mass than you has more momentum in a charge. If he's taller but lighter, he's more lanky and is less likely to knock you down. There are better ways to stop a charging opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;dodge him (most obvious)then attack from behind&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Leap frog over his head (Place your hands out, to catch his shoulders or head and push off the ground, like the iron horse)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Knee run him (if the opponent you notice his knee first, run to step on his approaching knee and spring step off him)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Get down (drop to the ground in a defense position using your elbows as a Point, and break his stance at the knees or groin)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Run away (simplest thing to do)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Punch the head (if his head is the first in the Imaginary finish line of perception, ATTACK the head Quickly)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Catch: Put your hands/fists out and press the charging opponent&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stomach kick (brace yourself if behind something, like a mail box, street lamp, car, concrete bollard)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dive between the legs&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2020-11-22T04:39:27.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10254" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10222" CreationDate="2020-11-23T00:30:42.683" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bladed Fan&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a number of strikes in forms that likely only work with a bladed fan, which is an unlikely real-world weapon, but I'm going to list them to give people an idea of how something that looks so pretty as a fan form is actually as vicious as it gets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The blades are probably leaf-shaped like some throwing daggers (I've seen a picture somewhere,) ideally light steel, probably with some springiness (ideal for not breaking when redirecting weapons such as spear or sword.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The form has numerous blocks/counters with the fan, and includes palm strikes after changing the fan to the off-hand (done this way per the element of surprise.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Blade techniques include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Shooting&amp;quot; (Snapping the fan open horizontally with focus, palm up)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cutting the ankle (tendons)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cutting the throat or eyes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first is done in &amp;quot;sit step&amp;quot;, the second in &amp;quot;bow step&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even missing the eyes and cutting the forehead is advantageous b/c the forehead bleeds profusely into the eyes—this is an old fencing/knife fighting trick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The following strikes are all applied with the open fan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Horizontal Thrusting (palm down):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stabbing into the belly&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stabbing into the knee/calf/thigh&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first is typically done with a cross step with provides strong root, advancing backwards to the enemy, and the second optimally with a slide step.  (Advancing backwards with a cross step is also advantageous b/c the followup can be a wheeling strike from above, simply by turning the body.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Vertical Thrusting (vertical palm inward):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Swinging the open fan back behind you to stab an opponent in the groin&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Vertical Thrusting (palm up):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stabbing up under the chin&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stabbing up into an extended arm&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Upper arm would probably be optimal—more meat and damage the bicep or tricep.  These applications are typically applied with pakau walking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Horizontal Thrusting (palm up):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stabbing into the heart or abdomen with root against an advancing opponent&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This movement is done in the spirit of a fencing lunge, with the knee of the back leg &amp;amp; instep touching the ground. Split is optimal for women, because it's an instant level change with even more root than the lunge. The level change is to drop out of the path of the attach, and the extra rooting b/c it's meant to respond to a lunge or charge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meant as a finishing move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The the following move is interesting—shifting back to the back foot to a standing position, &lt;em&gt;both&lt;/em&gt; feet rooted, which is &lt;em&gt;rare&lt;/em&gt; in wudang, or, even better, from the split popping back up without backing up, striking forcefully in the direction of the attacker with the empty knife palm to push the body away as you withdraw the blades from it, all power from turning and snapping the waist.  (The fan ends up open in an &amp;quot;embrace position&amp;quot;, palm up and inward at the waist, such that the elbow makes a powerful strike to the rear, balancing the force.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cutting (palm downward, right to left if wielding right handed)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sweep the open fan across the throat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This last is in many ways my favorite b/c the follow-through is flipping the fan around to fan yourself and smile, which is cheeky (to piss an opponent off), badass and also a guard position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[These all come from Tai Chi Dragon Fan, which is more of a pakua form, containing palm strikes, wheeling, coiling, and very difficult pakua walking b/c the changes are on the 5th step instead of the 8th, which involve changing the hand holding the fan, and one group of which should technically be done sunk lower than regular pakua walking because the first 5 steps involve cutting the ankles. (This is the form I practice to remind myself I'm not as good as I think b/c it's the most difficult to do well from a martial perspective;) Some of the applications show up in regular tai chi fan &amp;amp; shaolin fan.]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-11-23T00:30:42.683" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10255" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-11-23T00:35:16.307" Score="7" ViewCount="1435" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm asking b/c, to an outsider, they can appear similar.  But, clearly, there are key distinctions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are the distinctions between Karate and Taekwondo&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good answer should touch on similarities, distinctions, focuses, philosophy, and what each art is optimized for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-11-23T04:00:04.277" LastActivityDate="2021-06-12T00:07:34.017" Title="Main differences of Karate &amp; Taekwondo" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|style|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10256" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10255" CreationDate="2020-11-23T03:11:33.723" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;I won't get too academic about it, so I'll give you the layman's summary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And for the purpose of comparison, I'll emphasize the difference between Shotokan karate and Taekwondo, since Taekwondo derives from Shotokan directly. The differences increase greatly if you're talking about all of karate vs. Taekwondo. There are just too many branches of karate to really do that kind of a comparison well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945), Koreans were forbidden to practice traditional Korean martial arts. The Japanese drafted young Korean men into the Japanese military. In Japan, these Korean soldiers - most of whom had no prior training in martial arts - would be exposed to Japanese martial arts such as Shotokan Karate, Daito Ryu Aikijujitsu, Judo, classical Jujitsu, and Kendo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After the occupation ended, there was lingering resentment and anger towards the Japanese by the Koreans. They wanted to remove all aspects of Japanese culture from Korea and restore Korea's culture to the pre-occupation days.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only problem was that 35 years was a long time. That meant 2 whole generations of people grew up in Korea never having been exposed to pre-occupation Korean culture. You can't bring something back if nobody remembers what that something was.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The martial arts, in particular, were suppressed to such a high degree in Korea that only a handful of older people carried on the traditions in secret. And they were old. Most who remembered it didn't really want to teach it or didn't feel they had sufficiently remembered it. Whole styles just vanished forever. Today, older Korean martial arts such as Taekkyon barely exist, and what is there is likely incomplete. Some of these styles were restored based only on photos, drawings, and oral history.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Koreans were feeling understandably dejected. In order to restore pride to Korea, there was a push to come up with a national Korean martial art and sport that could rally everyone together. Without traditional Korean martial arts teachers to teach the new post-occupation Korea, the Korean martial artists that returned from Japan did what any good Korean would do: They Koreanized their Japanese martial arts and pretended or made it appear that they were Korean in origin. They simply couldn't call them Japanese martial arts, because the Koreans hated anything associated with the Japanese.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo came from Shotokan karate and would become the national sport and martial art of Korea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hapkido came from Daito Ryu Aikijujitsu. Yudo came from Judo. Kumdo came from Kendo. These styles haven't achieved the popularity and significance that Taekwondo has for the Korean people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most schools of Taekwondo no longer practice the original Shotokan karate forms, although you can still find it in a few schools. ITF Taekwondo was the first federation of Taekwondo, and most of its forms were created by General Choi Hong Hi and contemporaries. These forms were the first generation of non-Japanese Taekwondo forms. They had names like &amp;quot;chon-ji&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;dan-gun&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;do-san&amp;quot;, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These ITF forms were affectionately referred to as &amp;quot;blender forms&amp;quot;, because they just took the original Shotokan karate kata, jumbled them up in a blender, and pulled out seemingly random moves to place in the new Taekwondo form. Actually, it was more complicated than that and definitely not random. But you get the idea. Typically, you might see 3 movements strung together in a Taekwondo form that came from a Shotokan karate form in the same order. So they weren't completely random, in other words. And probably the original authors of those Taekwondo forms thought those movements had some significance in order to keep them together like that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Later, WTF Taekwondo would break off from ITF to form its own federation. And in doing so, they took those first generation ITF forms and attempted to Koreanize them even further. These second generation forms were named &amp;quot;taeguk 1&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;taeguk 2&amp;quot;, etc. These forms had higher kicks and more of them. In addition, the forms appear to have been constructed based on a cohesive philosophy separate from what they perceived as the original Shotokan karate philosophy. But that's a separate discussion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And there have been many other Taekwondo federations and organizations breaking off from both ITF and WTF. Literally there have been thousands. These gave rise to the McDojo phenomenon of the 1980's. It seemed everyone was an 8th, 9th, or 10th degree black belt in their own style. Each one inventing their own forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo comes directly from Shotokan karate. And Shotokan karate comes directly from Okinawan Shorin Ryu karate. Okinawan karate practices kata bunkai, which is a self-defense analysis for all of the kata in karate. In short, the karate kata encapsulate stand-up grappling based self-defense techniques for common everyday scenarios that are still applicable today. It's basically similar to classical jujitsu, with bone breaking added. The blocks in these forms aren't really blocks. You don't learn how to block by doing solo forms. You learn blocking from sparring. You learn self-defense grappling from kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas, Shotokan karate does not practice bunkai, and so this self-defense meaning of the kata was not transmitted to Shotokan karate. And if it wasn't transmitted to Shotokan, it definitely wasn't transmitted to Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the forms in Taekwondo (and to a large degree, Shotokan also) are basically meaningless. That allowed people to create new forms however they wanted. It's all pretty worthless as far as self-defense is concerned. But it is cool to practice for its own sake. It gives practitioners a challenge and a sense of growth when they learn and perfect new forms. In many ways, it's similar to contemporary wushu in that respect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;ITF and WTF Taekwondo differ in lots of other ways besides forms. In sparring, WTF has rules which forbid excessive force and punching to the face. People in WTF tournaments wear a lot more protective gear, too. Whereas in ITF, punching to the face is allowed, and harder contact is allowed. You can knock someone out in ITF, but it's not allowed in WTF. There's less protective gear in ITF.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's much greater emphasis on defense in ITF than in WTF. In WTF, blocking is considered a waste of energy, which is why you often will see WTF fighters with their hands permanently down. In WTF, getting points wins, and you don't get points by blocking. So their strategy is to always be on the attack and be aggressive. In ITF, the motivation for blocking is to not get hurt (harder contact, and punches to the face are allowed). And so most people see ITF as more practical and realistic when compared with WTF.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both ITF and WTF do continuous sparring, where nobody stops the fight when a point is scored. In addition to continuous sparring, there's also 3-point sparring, which is more popular in ITF schools. In 3-point sparring, the first one to reach 3 points wins. After scoring a point, the action is stopped and both players are centered up again. This 3-point sparring emphasizes defense, strategy (seeing patterns and predicting an opponent's next move), and split second timing / accuracy to a much greater degree than continuous sparring does. That's because you can only allow your opponent to hit you 3 times before you lose, so you have to play a more defensive game. And because the motion is stopped and players are returned to the center, it gives them the ability to focus and read their opponent. Whereas in continuous sparring, you can risk more to gain more points, and there is less time to think and focus on timing and strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for Shotokan karate, sparring is more like ITF Taekwondo's continuous sparring. There's less emphasis on protective gear. Punching and kicking to the face is allowed, although KO's and excessive force can cause disqualification in most cases. Shotokan also allows for punches to a downed opponent, something Taekwondo does not permit. And Shotokan allows for throws and sweeps, something that Taekwondo also does not permit. There's a lot greater emphasis on &amp;quot;cleaner&amp;quot; execution in order to get a point in Shotokan than in Taekwondo as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for stances, Taekwondo in general has a much higher stance than Shotokan karate does. The center of gravity in a Taekwondo practitioner is much higher and tends to bob up and down. It's because it's much easier to perform high, snappy kicks that way. And you're more mobile with shorter, higher stances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas, in Shotokan karate, the center of gravity is low (at the hara / tanden / dantien), and stays there throughout. That is due in part to the greater emphasis on keeping balanced and preventing falls. Shotokan has deeper and longer stances than the Okinawan karate it came from. That's because of Shotokan's emphasis on physical fitness and away from practical self-defense. (Shotokan was brought to Japan by Gichin Funakoshi who adapted it for use in Japan's physical education programs for school children.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, if you look at the level of the top of the head of a Taekwondo practitioner and trace it out, you'll see it goes up and down, especially for people doing ITF Taekwondo (which bases its movement on &amp;quot;sine wave&amp;quot; theory). Whereas in Shotokan, the head stays at the same level throughout. Power generation in Shotokan focuses more on the hips, rooted in a deep stance. Whereas, power generation in Taekwondo is more dynamic and depends on motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of physical fitness, both Shotokan karate and Taekwondo will give you a good workout. But Taekwondo tends to be much more athletic. The emphasis in Taekwondo is on cardio stamina. There's a lot more movement in class. Whereas there is more emphasis in Shotokan karate on focus and meditation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of power, Taekwondo develops powerful kicks, but its punches are often much less developed. In Shotokan karate, it's the reverse: punching power is emphasized. Although, you could say that it's much more balanced for Shotokan karate than for Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a lot more to this topic, obviously. But I'll wrap it up here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2020-11-23T21:32:13.713" LastActivityDate="2020-11-23T21:32:13.713" CommentCount="16" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10257" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10271" CreationDate="2020-11-23T03:25:46.687" Score="6" ViewCount="270" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've read that the original mats were tatami on hard floor, and I have to wonder if people also trained outdoors on dirt.  There's obviously a greater chance of injury, compared to modern mats.  Do modern mats facilitate the teaching, and, if so, why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-11-23T03:58:30.787" LastActivityDate="2020-12-03T04:56:17.510" Title="When were modern mats introduced into Judo, and did it change the way the art could be taught?" Tags="|judo|equipment|safety|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10258" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10257" CreationDate="2020-11-24T04:49:59.247" Score="-3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;public gymnasiums started to appear in the US in the early 1800’s,Inspired by early health/vitality philosophies of various cultural movements. Eventually, gyms made their way into schools and universities, and even became large independent organizations, like the YMCA and such. Gym mats evolved in the late 1800's;the desire to have surfaces you could fall or land on, and soon wood floors; were replaced by soft surfaces like cotton stuffed pads and mattresses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rubberflooringexperts.com/gym-buyers-guide/flooring-mat-history/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Source&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-11-26T19:29:42.370" LastActivityDate="2020-11-26T19:29:42.370" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10259" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-11-27T13:15:08.570" Score="5" ViewCount="174" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Japanese police have their own version of kendo that incorporates Judo moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any other place, other than the Japanese police academies that teaches a similar version of kendo or a similar competition style with another name?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(just think this style looks cool and would like to learn if I ever travel to Japan)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2020-11-27T13:15:08.570" Title="What Dojos Teach 'Police' Kendo?" Tags="|judo|kendo|kenjutsu|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10260" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-01T22:29:33.437" Score="1" ViewCount="528" Body="&lt;p&gt;This maxim was made famous by Cheng Man-ch’ing, and may even have earlier origins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What did Master Cheng mean by &amp;quot;Invest in Loss&amp;quot; in relation to Tai Chi?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was taught that it is an extremely important principle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-12-14T23:44:56.533" Title="What is the meaning of &quot;Invest in Loss&quot; in regard to Tai Chi?" Tags="|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10261" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1009" CreationDate="2020-12-01T22:37:49.597" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many excellent technical answers, so this answer is merely corollary:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Uprooting can be described and creating a moment of unbalance in the opponent, in which the mind shuts down for an instant, allowing the practitioner to do whatever they want in followup.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This was described to me by a Japanese practitioner (Judo, Jujutsu, Karate, Aikido, Ninjutsu) as the &amp;quot;ultimate martial art&amp;quot; because of that moment of &amp;quot;short circuiting the computer&amp;quot; (i.e. the brain.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Its surprising how little force may be necessary, even in regard to a strong opponent, when &amp;quot;pushing into their center.&amp;quot;  There are many methods of uprooting, and, informally, this is a basic technique of all forms of grappling, though perhaps only tai chi might be said to utilize it for pushing as opposed to throws exclusively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-04-29T01:55:31.017" LastActivityDate="2021-04-29T01:55:31.017" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10262" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10231" CreationDate="2020-12-01T23:04:43.110" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although the chin-na application is generally regarded as the primary application, per placing the palm/fingers of the off-hand on the wrist joint of the main hand, when I first asked my teacher, this was the application I was given.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Needle to Sea bottom is a very effective finger strike into the cavity between the hip and groin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It also works as a push to displace the hip joint to disrupt the opponent's root and control their body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If one does not have sufficient &lt;em&gt;fa jin&lt;/em&gt; for the finger strike, the push is the alternative.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This target is part of the reason the movement is generally practiced by bending the waist such that the main hand goes almost to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(I started practicing it in the manner of the application, countering and pushing the fingers forward at hip level, as my teacher demonstrated, but not when practicing as part of a group on in group exhibition, b/c my teacher didn't do it that way in those contexts.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The strike involves pushing into the joint and then downward, focusing only at the end of the technique, into the downward diagonal vector.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You also see that technique in some pakua strikes to the hip.  (Supposedly these pakua strikes can be used to dislocate the hip with sufficient focusing, but I haven't validated this personally.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Can also be applied to the front of the shoulder joint.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this case, trapping the opponent's hand on the wrist, and lifting up to disrupt their balance, sets them up for the finger strike or push into the shoulder joint.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-01T23:14:18.793" LastActivityDate="2020-12-01T23:14:18.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10263" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2617" CreationDate="2020-12-01T23:18:26.673" Score="0" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Back up if possible, and side step to trip or throw&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Typically a simple hip throw, but tripping is optimal because you might not be able to pull off that throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Back up and push them by the shoulders face forward into the ground&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If movement is restricted, these application may not be possible, so getting rushed by a bigger opponent in many situations can be &amp;quot;unwinnable&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why &amp;quot;choosing the ground&amp;quot; for combat is so important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If on the street, use the curb to disrupt the rushing attack&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can mean being on the sidewalk when the attacker is on the street, visa versa, or straddling the curb.  But only attempt this if you have the requisite footwork not to be tripped up by the curb yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Putting objects like a bike rack, mailbox, lamppost, etc. is also effective at forestalling a rush.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having a concrete or brick wall behind you can also be a devastating weapon if you can guide the attacker into that wall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(I once saw a streetfight that ended when a larger, stronger opponent rushed a smaller, quite strong defender, who put the attacker into a headlock, then rammed the top of their skull into a concrete lamppost.  No permanent injuries, thankfully, but an ambulance had to be called.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-12-01T23:18:26.673" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10264" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-01T23:27:07.043" Score="1" ViewCount="153" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Has anyone else every heard this maxim in any form?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was taught by an experienced combatant that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Killing is the lowest level of skill.  The ability to incapacitate without killing is a higher level.  But the highest level is to subdue the opponent without harming them.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This could even be applied to dueling with weapons, whereby a non-fatal strike can be used to incapacitate, but the highest degree of skill is simply disarming the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note also that &amp;quot;come along quietly&amp;quot; is the primary objective of bouncers, for a variety of reasons, which is why they tend to be bigger and stronger than most. Even where the troublemaker is a skilled combatant, it typically only results in additional bouncers joining to mob the attacker, keeping them from being able to do anything, and removing them from the premises.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-03T02:03:04.240" LastActivityDate="2020-12-04T05:45:49.807" Title="&quot;Kill, incapacitate, or come along quietly?&quot;" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="13" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10265" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10260" CreationDate="2020-12-01T23:42:05.710" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This was explained to me in a simple way by my teacher and many advanced practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Better to lose than to use brute force if the goal is internal technique&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This carries the strong qualification that it refers to what was called a &amp;quot;friendly match&amp;quot;, push hands and free sparring, where the goal is to validate techniques, to see what works and what doesn't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(In a real fight &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/10251/was-gozo-shioda-influenced-by-kimura-oyama&quot;&gt;Gozo Shioda is a good guide&lt;/a&gt;—there the defender must prevail by any means, according to the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In training, there will initially be applications (all/most) that have been validated by masters per inclusion in the forms, but that student can't pull off, as they are still lacking the requisite internal technique.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Using brute force to make the applications work trains practitioner to rely on brute force, and can prevent development of internal technique.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa_jin&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;Focusing&amp;quot; (fa jing)&lt;/a&gt; is used to refer to generating force, which should come entirely from the waist, typically using the ground for resistance (root), to make the distinction with leg, arm and &amp;amp; hand strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is hard to do and takes many years b/c tai chi is a method of movement, not sets of forms and applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In advanced free sparring, a pakua practitioner will need to put themselves into to bad positions, such as in a corner, or, for certain styles of tai chi, bent back on one foot, to test the techniques optimized for these situations.  Initially, the student may not be able to make these applications work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-10T00:30:27.977" LastActivityDate="2020-12-10T00:30:27.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10266" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="948" CreationDate="2020-12-01T23:51:20.277" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;What has worked for me:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find sparring partners you trust&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which means they have the necessary control not to damage you, and understand that free sparring is an exercise to validate techniques, such that, when an opponent yields (here used in the sense of acknowledging they have been bested in that round), the partner doesn't continue to apply force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Choosing a poor partner can be dangerous, b/c many, when frustrated, will &amp;quot;go for broke&amp;quot; to try to score &amp;quot;points&amp;quot;, which crosses the line into a real fight.  Particularly dangerous because going for broke, throwing haymakers and such, implies giving up control of the strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Control is especially important b/c tai chi, pakua and hsing yi rely heavily on breaks (including the neck &amp;amp; collarbone), potentially fatal strikes (heavy emphasis on the throat), striking into organs (including eyes and ears), striking the joints, and foot stomps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You needs to be able to &amp;quot;show&amp;quot; these techniques without applying them.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(A simple example is a kick to the groin while your opponent's arms are occupied.  Should only be the lightest of taps to let them know they left themselves open.  This is still consistent with real world usage b/c groin kicks are not generally finishing moves, but setups for something more definitive.  In some styles, for instance when &amp;quot;step back and repulse monkey&amp;quot; starts with a kick, these groin strikes become reflexive, and it takes control to do them gently:)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(A personal example is I was taught snake hsing yi in detail b/c I had to teach it to kids.  The only technique I use in free sparring is circle in with the fingers, palm downward, to strike the throat, where the focus only comes after contact.  I love it b/c I have yet to meet anyone who can keep me from doing that, but you clearly can't apply that strike in free sparring.  So what I do instead is put the fingers on the sternum (not solar plexus) and use it to uproot and pushback larger, even much heavier opponents.  Knowing that I can do that validates that I can use the throat strike if I ever had to.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mats can be used for tai chi &amp;amp; hsing yi free sparring, but not pakua which requires spinning.  So you may find you need to spar on dirt, pavement, or flagstone, where taking care not to harm your partner, or be harmed, is critical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Sparring on a hard surfaces has a way of clarifying the mind.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Free sparring can be essential b/c you need to get used to being rushed, being boxed, being kicked at, and ideally you want to validate your techniques against the widest range of styles and systems, not just Chinese systems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Two person sets&amp;quot; are not sufficient to prepare for the range of striking techniques one can face in the real world.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is different from practicing tai chi for health, with some self defense benefits, which benefits accrue over decades.  (For instance, the old lady who makes the purse snatcher fall down, without really knowing what she did, except to practice tai chi every day:)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I come from a fighting lineage which my teacher moved away from, preferring health and performing art, but had still learned free sparring as an important part of their training.  (Thus, I had to go outside the school for free sparring, which had many benefits.)  When my teacher initially began teaching in the US in the 1970s, challengers would regularly come to the school to &amp;quot;test them&amp;quot;, and not by pushing hands, so they had to be able to back up their status as a master.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Luckily, many in the first generation of students had boxing and karate backgrounds, such that they began to be able to take the challenger outside of the school and &amp;quot;set them straight&amp;quot; within a couple years.  But these students' involvement in street fighting to test the hsing yi was a factor in moving away from teaching fighting, and instead focusing purely on internal technique.  The rationale is that, in a fight, you just react, such that free sparring is not essential.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-03T01:22:10.203" LastActivityDate="2020-12-03T01:22:10.203" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10267" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-02T02:07:44.780" Score="0" ViewCount="280" Body="&lt;p&gt;Nearly every tai chi movement contains multiple techniques and applications, in that every given movement can be broken down into a set of &amp;quot;steps&amp;quot;, each requiring a different usage of waist technique, sinking the joints, and emptying the chest/expanding the upper back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grasping the Birds Tail is considered the complete movement, because it contains the &amp;quot;13 Postures&amp;quot;, sometimes described as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Peng (ward-off) &lt;br&gt;&#xA;Lu (roll-back) &lt;br&gt;&#xA;Chi (press) &lt;br&gt;&#xA;An (push) &lt;br&gt;&#xA;Tsai (pull-down) &lt;br&gt;&#xA;Lieh (split) &lt;br&gt;&#xA;Chou (elbow strike) &lt;br&gt;&#xA;Kao (shoulder strike) &lt;br&gt;&#xA;Chin (advance) &lt;br&gt;&#xA;Tui (retreat) &lt;br&gt;&#xA;Ku (look left) &lt;br&gt;&#xA;Pan (look right) &lt;br&gt;&#xA;Ting (center)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;[&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.taichiandqigong.com/articles/the-13-postures-and-13-principles-in-tai-chi-chuan/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Source&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's fairly easy to extrapolate the single techniques, for instance, discerning an elbow strike from the off-arm during rollback, or from the lead arm after ward-off, and the ward-off even used as a linear elbow strike, but these are all single techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Individually, ward-off, rollback, push &amp;amp; press have application in push hands and sparring, but the complete movement also contains combinations of applications, the same way boxing involves combinations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are combinations in Grasping the Bird's Tail?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-15T00:09:18.910" LastActivityDate="2021-05-14T03:09:35.670" Title="Combinations in Grasping the Birds Tail" Tags="|tai-chi|application|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10268" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10264" CreationDate="2020-12-02T09:40:27.683" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Demian Maia, Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion and one of the best exponents of BJJ in MMA, said this after defeating perennial title challenger Chael Sonnen with a lateral drop to triangle choke:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;“I want to show jiu-jitsu to the world,” Maia said to Joe Rogan as cornerman Wanderlei Silva implored the crowd to cheer, “and show to the people that &lt;strong&gt;you can win the fight without hurting your opponent&lt;/strong&gt;.”&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Emphasis mine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All the so-called &amp;quot;gentle&amp;quot; arts — BJJ, judo, taiji, aikido, aikijujutsu — attempt to optimize for this approach to winning. Strength and violence are always part of fighting, but some arts emphasize surviving and dominating through subtle technique (almost always grappling) that inflicts minimal harm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-12-02T09:40:27.683" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10270" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10245" CreationDate="2020-12-03T04:19:10.420" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have no idea of its practicality, as I've never practiced it in a real-life way, but way back when in my Chuck-Norris-style Tang Soo Do classes (later, Chun Kuk Do), our teacher told us the best way was a double-chop, or double hammer fist, to the collarbone in the front on both sides, with the bonus being that you might disrupt the carotid flow enough to cause someone to suffer a brief blackout. In retrospect, it feels more like the description of what an actor might do in a film to signify breaking a collarbone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've only ever broken one collarbone in my life, and it was by regrettable accident. Another student and I were messing around. They were wearing an exercise band around their ankles (it was used to improve abductor strength through leg raises) and they were showing off how they could hop over leg sweeps. I purposefully feinted one, and then carried through, sweeping both legs (possible in part due to the exercise band) and they landed on their side. They seemed OK at first, but I later learned that their collarbone had indeed snapped. I felt incredibly guilty, particularly since the student, while a higher rank, was younger than I was. That said, it was exactly the sort of freak accident that leads to most collarbone injuries, and the fact that he didn't realize until much later that it had broken indicates that this is not generally a fight-ending injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-12-04T19:05:28.763" LastActivityDate="2020-12-04T19:05:28.763" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10271" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10257" CreationDate="2020-12-03T04:56:17.510" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo has always used mats. In &lt;em&gt;Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kano&lt;/em&gt;, Kano (the founder of judo), measured practice spaces by the number of tatami mats.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The warehouse afforded a practice area of only ten tamami mats, and there were square pillars here and there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The primary protection against injuries is technique and cooperation, not mats. The beginning lessons of judo focus on the practice of falling (&lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt;) and throwing for safety. Falling training aims to either roll out of falls or spread impact over a large area (arms, legs, back/side) and to protect the head, spine, and other joints. Throw training aims to put the partner onto their back, but not the head or the spine. There are no points for throwing someone on their head, and trying to land on your head to avoid giving up a score will disqualify you. In training two partners each try to throw the other, but not in injurious ways. Although mats provide some protection against head and other injuries, if you land on your head with any regularity, you will get badly injured.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Competition judo mats are not plush. There are &amp;quot;crash pads&amp;quot;, which are significantly thicker (~15cm) and softer mats that inhibit movement because they are so soft. You can't really have matches on top of them because you sink into them too much while trying to move. Some practictioners like to use crash pads for heavy throwing practice, but crash pads are not necessary and not all facilities have them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in my opinion, modern mats have not greatly affected the practice of judo. Judo has always used mats to improve safety, but the primary safety features of judo are inherent in its design and not in mats.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-12-03T04:56:17.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10272" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10264" CreationDate="2020-12-04T05:45:49.807" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let’s look at the four types of violent conflict, and their prime objectives:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Self defence: Keep yourself or someone else alive&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Warfare: Make sure your team destroys the other sides will to continue the conflict&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hunting. Kill for sport or to feed.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Domination. Be seen, by as many as possible to achieve physical superiority to the other&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why we kill, if to defend ourselves from bodily harm.........&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2020-12-04T05:45:49.807" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10273" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10245" CreationDate="2020-12-04T15:36:41.670" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;OK, lets get a little science-y.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to a study on &lt;a href=&quot;https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10932494/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;biomechanics of the collarbone fracture&lt;/a&gt;, average axial (along the length) load before fracture was slightly over 1500 newtons. For reference, 9000 newtons is roughly equal to the downward pull of 1 ton. According to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.livescience.com/6040-brute-force-humans-punch.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this article on Livescience&lt;/a&gt;, a human can generate ~ 5000 newtons with a punch, 9000N with a kick. (Just a note: I was not able to find corresponding newtons for a non axial load. As the collarbone acts as a shock absorber to break on point falls, most are concerned with said axial load before compromise).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So then, why aren't we breaking bones left and right?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muscle, position, sharpness of the blow and resistance/lack of anticipation all play a factor. So look at the position of the clavicle, it's at the top of the chest. Any punch coming in would have to be extremely focused so as not to spread the technique against a broad area. A downward angle would give you the best chance, so that limits the techniques. Downward hammer fist, downward knife hand, downward elbow, downward axe kick are about the only really practical techniques to use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now that we've identified angle and technique, look at application. You are still aiming at a very small target, if you are too far in front you will miss (and now be in close range), if you are too close you either hit the neck muscles or miss entirely. You really are aiming at a point at most two inches square, which is very hard to hit in a moving fight situation. If you are in close for whatever reason, a downward elbow might work, but you stand a much better chance using that elbow across the face. Orbital fractures, nasal fractures, or just plain stunning are all much more likely outcomes than aiming for a small target that won't incapacitate anyone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So while it's possible to do, it takes specific techniques aimed at a small target, and if you are actually able to break the collarbone, it is far from incapacitating. There are bigger, squishier targets that will inflict much more damage than a fairly inconsequential bone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2020-12-04T20:10:13.423" LastActivityDate="2020-12-04T20:10:13.423" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10274" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-04T22:48:09.917" Score="2" ViewCount="210" Body="&lt;p&gt;Distinctions are important in any field, and modern martial arts have a variety of functions, including exercise, meditation, learning discipline and physical and mental toughness, sport, performing arts, and self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The degree of nuance, and variation in quality in teaching, can often lead to ambiguity and confusion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self-defense and real-world combat were the primary drivers of martial arts, which includes not just training &amp;amp; techniques, but strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How are martial sports different from self-defense?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-04T22:54:00.923" LastActivityDate="2020-12-11T22:07:58.807" Title="How does competition fighting differ from self-defense?" Tags="|self-defense|competition|sport|combat|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10275" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10274" CreationDate="2020-12-04T22:48:35.693" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been interested in strategy since early childhood, which led to game theory, which led to AI theory.  AI theory is useful in general, and taught me that the best way to think about dimensionality is &amp;quot;degrees of freedom&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Algorithms can think in n-dimensions, 800 dimensions as a example.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the lovely things about the &amp;quot;sweet science&amp;quot; of boxing is that it has very few degrees of freedom—using the fists only to attack the brain or wind (body blows.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kick-boxing adds another dimension—striking with the legs and feet!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;MMA adds two more dimensions—grappling and &amp;quot;ground &amp;amp; pound&amp;quot;.  (Leagues that allow elbow strikes add another dimension.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Prize fighting &amp;amp; amateur fighting competitions also include a psychological dimension, which the best competitors utilize both in the ring and prior to the match.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;An easy way to understand the distinction between sports and self-defense/combat is that the latter have many more degrees of freedom.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In real-world combat, there are no rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In real-world combat, weapons may be used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In real-world combat, hard surfaces can be used as weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In real-world combat, the combatants can often &amp;quot;choose their ground&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In real-world combat, surfaces can be irregular or slippery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Military strategists have understood terrain and its utilization to be essential for millennia.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In real-world combat, there may be lulls, but there are no water breaks.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus one must be prepared for continuous engagement of unlimited duration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's important that martial artists don't conflate martial sports with real world self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training for and engaging in martial sports has utility in regard to self-defense, but they truly only cover a small number of the degrees of freedom of real world combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training for martial sports is good for conditioning, and for getting used to physical contact, but too much can be detrimental, as it can result in injuries, which can inhibit capability and interrupt training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Taking too many blows to the head has been know to be detrimental, being &amp;quot;punchy&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;punch drunk&amp;quot;, even before this was validated by empirical analysis.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is even an argument that training for sports competition is not ideal for real world combat because it limits the thinking, and potentially the training, to an insufficient number of dimensions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In combat, the concept of a fair fight does not apply.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a self-defense perspective, &amp;quot;fair fights&amp;quot; can occur if, by chance, the opponents are equally matched. (The size, strength and skill differential can be a factor in what strategies a defender adopts.  Attackers can be significantly less skilled than the target of violence, in which case the defender may opt to be gentle, but in situations where this is reversed, defenders have no choice to by inflict maximum harm by any means.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Miyamoto Musashi is a good real world example, a duelist in the most lethal domain where a single mistake is fatal.  In an honor/shame society, Musashi was willing to break convention as necessary in order to assure victory.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Either you defeat your opponent or [they] defeat you. You cannot complain that [they] did not follow the rules. You have to overcome your opponent(s) in a way appropriate to each situation.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Real world combat can involve multiple attackers.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many schools train for this, but one of the potential problems of prizefighting at the highest level is it requires sole focus on single-opponent training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Multiple opponent situations are the most dangerous for obvious reasons, so martial artists must be able to execute multi-opponent strategies without thought, and engage in some degree of training for this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-10T00:57:35.203" LastActivityDate="2020-12-10T00:57:35.203" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10276" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10274" CreationDate="2020-12-05T17:14:51.163" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whether it's sport or &amp;quot;real&amp;quot;, fighting is different from self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Self-defense&lt;/strong&gt; is about dealing with common, everyday scenarios that you might find yourself in. It is &amp;quot;do this if he does that&amp;quot;. For example, he puts you in a side head-lock, so you need to hammer strike to his groin, then reach down to his ankle and lift his leg up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But knowing a ton of self-defense techniques doesn't actually tell you how to fight. &lt;strong&gt;Fighting&lt;/strong&gt; is squaring up and punching, kicking, grabbing, throwing, locking, choking, taking down to the ground, wrestling, and so on. Being able to fight is a much broader topic than self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might want to see self-defense as a still-frame photograph, whereas fighting is a movie. But that's incorrect. Self-defense practice is missing virtually everything that fight training has: non-compliant partners actively resisting everything you do and able to do anything spontaneously in order to defeat you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In self-defense training, you're typically partnered with someone who does something to you, stops, and waits for you to do whatever you're going to do. But he'll let you do that. He won't stop you. And he'll go along with whatever you do to him. He won't try to actively resist you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self-defense training is very static. It's looking just at a particular scenario in isolation of everything else. It doesn't prepare you for a dynamic, changing situation. And a fight is more or less completely described as the latter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A self-defense situation in real life lasts a second or two. Immediately after you perform the self-defense technique, successfully or not, the fight begins. And it's a fight from that point on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for &amp;quot;sport&amp;quot; vs. &amp;quot;real&amp;quot; fighting, that's a separate and very broad topic. I won't get into that here. It deserves its own separate question. Yes, there are rules to sport fighting. Depending on which form of sport fighting you're talking about (kickboxing, muay thai, boxing, judo, BJJ, MMA, savate, etc.), the rules may or may not make that form of sport fighting dangerous to use in real fights for a number of reasons usually having to do with how that form of sport fighting optimizes its techniques and strategies for the rules. It depends a lot on what the rules are. And yes, real life fighting can be done anywhere, which definitely has an impact on the fight itself... But again, that's a much more involved discussion that I think deserves its own question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2020-12-05T17:14:51.163" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10277" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9592" CreationDate="2020-12-06T15:08:27.707" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have not found a Capoeira name for this, but when I &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/capoeira/comments/k7k4h4/is_there_a_specific_name_for_a_downwardsmashing/?utm_medium=android_app&amp;amp;utm_source=share&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;posted on Reddit&lt;/a&gt; and got &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/capoeira/comments/k7k4h4/is_there_a_specific_name_for_a_downwardsmashing/getaxwm?utm_medium=android_app&amp;amp;utm_source=share&amp;amp;context=3&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;an answer&lt;/a&gt; pointing me to the &amp;quot;Brazilian kick&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;question mark kick&amp;quot;. It's not quite what I'm thinking (less rotation) but it's the closest I've found.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise, it seems this is just a variation of &lt;em&gt;martelo rodado&lt;/em&gt;, a spinning roundhouse kick with the torso dipping as the leg comes up and continuing the rotation around rather than retracting the leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-12-20T14:41:30.510" LastActivityDate="2020-12-20T14:41:30.510" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10278" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-08T21:00:29.353" Score="5" ViewCount="170" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been toying with an airsoft pistol. The mental context is reacting to a home invasion a la &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209144/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Memento&lt;/a&gt;: multiple armed but misinformed that the flat is going to be empty assailants, very aggressive for fear of leaving alive witnesses*.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is my observation that in close quarters (&amp;lt; 5m) a knife is superior to a gun because it is drawn a little quicker and is somewhat more useful halfway drawn (hammer strikes to the temples, arm hooking, jabs to the face)**.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another observation is that a gun can be drawn from a holster or from the table in various ways. One of them is to draw it close to the body and THEN, IF some clearance is guaranteed, aim and brace for the recoil.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How does this fit into the paradigm of dynamic shooting? What are some sources to get educated on it? What is the fastest way to draw upon someone at 9 o'clock***?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;* - who needs computer games when you can play them in your head&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sub&gt;** - knife == switchblade here; halfway drawn == in your hand but the blade has not been deployed&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sub&gt;*** - directly to your left&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="485" LastEditorUserId="485" LastEditDate="2020-12-16T08:43:03.150" LastActivityDate="2023-05-24T10:48:29.480" Title="What is the proper technique to draw a gun?" Tags="|self-defense|firearms|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10279" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10278" CreationDate="2020-12-09T12:14:01.400" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I attended last year a training defence against weapons.&#xA;Guns are here restricted, so this it isn't trained often.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We started with the course with the use of guns. One had it, the other one closed in, step by step. Not everyone had been in the military.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the training everyone aimed with long arms while the opponent had distance.&#xA;At one point all took the gun to the side of the body, to keep it out of reach of the opponent. At that distance there is no need to aim carefully, you hit anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep this in mind for your case of 'home invasion'.&#xA;Keep the gun out of reach, because you have not the distance to aim.&#xA;To draw a gun fast, you have to have it always prepared and in reach.&#xA;That means, it is also in reach for children or silly friends.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sure, the danger of 'home invasion' is far lower than the danger of fatal accidents. Prepare for more likely situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the way, a gun isn't the tool of choice.&#xA;The distance between 'death' to 'no effect for the next five minutes' is to close.&#xA;A Stick or a heavy bible is more likely in reach.&#xA;'Environment use' training helps you more likely. Early Jackie Chan movies show what I mean.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10685" LastActivityDate="2020-12-09T12:14:01.400" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10280" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10267" CreationDate="2020-12-09T23:42:27.647" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is how it was taught in my school, where it was always the first application taught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ward-off is to get the leading arm under the opponent's upper arm, and make forearm-to-forearm contact with that same arm with your off-arm. Rollback is used to turn the shoulder in a lock, controlling the elbow, to &amp;quot;drag&amp;quot; the opponent towards you down and to the side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideally this lock is done using only the forearms, but off-hand can grip instead. The front knee of the bow step is ideally used used to control the opponent's knee and decrease their leverage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Drag can be used to put the opponent's face into the ground, damage or dislocate the shoulder, or hyper-extend the opponent's elbow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, every Chinese martial arts practitioner should know the counter to this, both traditional Shaolin &amp;amp; internal.  Essentially you unroll the shoulder into the opponent, and displace/uproot them with a shoulder push. (There is also a nasty liang yi stepping counter that controls the dragger's arms and finishes with an throat strike they can't block from that grapple.) Thus:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You let the opponent get out of the lock by drawing back, and, maintaining body-to-body contact (stickiness), make the press&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot; Press&amp;quot; is focused two-handed push with outer palm inward &amp;amp; inner palm outward,&#xA;where the palms are touching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This press can be used to push an opponent with a great deal of power. The arms move only a small amount, as the power must be generated by emptying the chest, combined with a little forward waist movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Press can also be used as a powerful strike against the solar-plexus.  Again, the extension of the arms derives from sinking the joints and emptying the chest and this cannot be over-stressed—using brute force for this technique is particularly ineffective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like drag, the counter to this is to rotate the body toward the presser, emptying the chest in case of strike, and to neutralize the power of the press.  This body-turning makes a linear counter-strike impossible, such that the expected response is a hook punch, or, if a Chinese boxing practitioner, potentially &amp;quot;strike ears with fists&amp;quot;, which is a double temple strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Split is used to counter the strikers arms, outward and downward in a circle, trapping the elbows, and moving forward into a push.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tai Chi push is 99% waist.  The arms should form a stable, rounded structure, and not move—all power comes from the waist, using the oppositional anchors of the ground and opponent's body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stickiness is essential for high-level Tai Chi technique, thus &amp;quot;relaxed, calm, continuous, with intent and energy&amp;quot;.  (My teacher called this developing &amp;quot;feeling&amp;quot;, and, in this case we use energy to connote momentum.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The ideal push first uproots the opponent, pushes lightly to get the opponent moving, then pushes powerfully into that motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-15T02:15:26.390" LastActivityDate="2020-12-15T02:15:26.390" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10281" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10260" CreationDate="2020-12-10T00:30:00.423" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've also found this maxim useful in terms of partner encouragement in free sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideally, you don't want to win every round in a friendly free sparring match where the goal is research, as opposed to &amp;quot;winning&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Partners can get frustrated if they lose every time, and might come with too much force, which can result in a counter strike with more force than you were intending.  (Many internal applications use the power of the opponent's strike, via the counter, to put energy into the counter-strike.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Only really serious Chess players are happy to lose every time, b/c they understand you learn the most from a stronger player.  &lt;em&gt;Sometimes casual practitioner can be useful sparring partners.&lt;/em&gt; A casual practitioner may not want future sessions with a stronger competitor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not so much about letting the opponent win, but giving them opportunities, which, if they take, will afford them victory in that round.  This is important for training people to exploit opportunities and advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here it's a student vs. student scenario, where there is a skill imbalance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(True masters must be able to &amp;quot;guarantee 100%&amp;quot;, and can't be seen to lose in sparring for obvious reasons.  If pressed, they might have to report to techniques they'd rather not have used to prevail.  Friendly matches between masters in the old days were usually conducted privately for &amp;quot;research&amp;quot;.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can only guarantee victory 99/100, you're not a true master yet.  Thus it can be useful to seek a win ratio of 2/3, 3/5, 4/7, 5/9, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Even for a true master, attaining victory is not essential—merely achieving stalemate is satisfactory, and even optimal.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Optimal because it allows the partner to &amp;quot;save face&amp;quot; if one master exceeds the other, keeping relations friendly via mutual respect (the Ip Man films are a very good explication of this principle,) or merely optimal b/c it's a friendly exercise, and victory was never the goal:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Victory is not essential b/c the goal was only ever to be able to practice technique at the highest level&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The greater the skill of your opponent, the more fully you can express your own technique.  (This acts as a &amp;quot;force multiplier&amp;quot; for improvement.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The few times I've seen legitimately high-level tai chi masters push with each other, they've had huge grins on their faces: &amp;quot;Finally, someone I can truly push with!&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-14T23:44:56.533" LastActivityDate="2020-12-14T23:44:56.533" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10282" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="949" CreationDate="2020-12-10T01:27:01.543" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Control the elbows&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can be done to spin an attacker around and grip them by the throat with the other hand controlling base of the spine, either gently or to crush the windpipe, but can also be used to initiate a chokehold.  Many practitioners are sloppy about sinking the elbows, and thus trivially unbalanced in fixed-foot pushing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Trapping the elbows&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the setup to the main push of tai chi, and is usually done with dual, outward to downward circular counters. If you can trap the elbows, you have complete advantage for the followup push.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Important to use rooting, where the forearms are &amp;quot;heavy&amp;quot; such that the opponent can't kick the knees in free stepping pushing.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Controlling the hip or knee&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Controlling hip disrupts the root, and can be used to spin the opponent (though less optimal than using the elbow b/c the hands are not as well positioned for followup.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Controlling the knee disrupts the root, focus can be applied to bend it the wrong way (ungentle-using instep in a cross step/kick to the opposite knee), or the back of the knee can be stepped into to force it to the ground.  In Grasping Bird's Tail, the knee can also be used to push the opponents knee while applying the drag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Controlling the joints in general is the primary objective&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No matter how big or strong the opponent, they can't do anything if you take away their leverage by controlling the joints, and controlling the joints doesn't require much force,  b/c you're never going force-against-force in wudang, rather continually adapting to counter any force from any direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finding the center and pushing into it&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every push, well executed, is done in this manner, whatever the application.  This is also how one uproots, and is the reason tai chi must be practiced in a relaxed, calm manner, so the practitioner can &amp;quot;feel&amp;quot; the opponent's center.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The core techniques are using the waist, sinking the joints and emptying—everything else is corollary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially, this or that application must arise naturally, without thought, which is why so much emphasis is placed on repetition of forms and applications, even though Tai Chi is a method of movement, &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; a set of forms and applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's ideal to make contact with middle of the forearms, as opposed to the wrist, because wrist-to-wrist opens up wristlocks.  By contrast, where you stick to an opponent's arm with your forearm, your hand is free to flick (eyes), push (torso or hip) and control the elbow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In bagua push hands, which is a form of arm coiling, striking is expected.  Here, use of the forearms is equally advantageous—you're already inside your opponent's guard when you gain advantage for a strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-14T22:55:27.950" LastActivityDate="2020-12-14T22:55:27.950" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10283" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10231" CreationDate="2020-12-10T04:32:14.163" Score="0" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pulling an opponent off balance and pushing them into the ground.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This video &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/x_luDzL03vw?t=205&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Fu Wing-fei Applications @ 3:25&lt;/a&gt; shows Needle to Sea Bottom in the traditional use, pulling an opponent off-balance to push, and using the off-hand to support the main hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This application demonstrates why the movement is practiced bending all the way down in the forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-12-10T04:32:14.163" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10284" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10274" CreationDate="2020-12-10T20:25:46.457" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Q: How does competition fighting differ from self-defense?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A: The other answers here round out this answer as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Competition fighting is usually done in a well-controlled environment. The opponents are commonly &amp;quot;fairly&amp;quot; matched by experience and weight, and they are aware that of the intentions of the opposing party.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self-defense relies strongly on the element of surprise (from the hostile party's point of view), tends to be very one-sided in favor of a properly trained defender, can involved the surprise appearance of weapons, third parties, and usually occur in an uncontrolled environment. Arguably, the main goal in self-defense is to end the fight as quickly as possible for self preservation purposes. &amp;quot;Fighting&amp;quot; occurs when the element of surprise is lost before the defender can disable their opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, this has been mentioned before in other contexts, but holistically, the &amp;quot;self-defense&amp;quot; mentioned above is just a small part of the overall strategy. &amp;quot;Self-defense&amp;quot; starts with situational awareness, degrades into avoidance, de-escalation, and if absolutely necessary, into a surprise and pre-emptive attack. With all that being said, even with the element of surprise, and even if you survive and escape, there may be serious legal repercussions at the end of the tunnel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7393" LastActivityDate="2020-12-10T20:25:46.457" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10285" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10274" CreationDate="2020-12-11T22:07:58.807" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I feel there's more fairness, safety, yet conflict in competition than self-defense. In competition, it's a consensual, bare-handed, one-on-one fight in a limited space managed by a referee whose job is to prevent serious injuries and deaths. Fighting skills are still useful in self-defense, but since you can't assume many of those conditions, fighting is only one aspect of self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When it's possible to be taken by surprise, outnumbered, or out-weaponed (not sure if this is a word like outgunned, but I mean you have inferior weapons), you have to start thinking about weapon preparation, situational awareness, having backup, weapon improvisation, escape, and the legality of your approach. It's much more complicated than just knowing how to fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, fighting skills are very important, even if they may not be your go-to strategy in self-defense. Just look up MMA fighters fighting random strangers: their superior skills, oftentimes in wrestling, lets them completely control the situation against unarmed opponents. More important than their fighting skills, though, is their situational awareness; when they notice the other person is shouting insults and approaching in a threatening way, they will throw the first punch or tackle. Surprise is one way of defending against surprise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10450" LastActivityDate="2020-12-11T22:07:58.807" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10286" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10287" CreationDate="2020-12-11T22:21:48.560" Score="5" ViewCount="210" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's rare to see but some MMA fights end with a rear naked choke where the victim is standing. What really stood out to me was how helpless they seemed once their opponent locked in a hook with one or both of their legs. I was able to find BJJ videos about rear mount escapes on the ground (though they will usually admit this is hard to pull off), but every video about standing rear naked chokes uses a hip throw that assumes the opponent isn't even attempting hooks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there examples (especially fights) of people having a strategy to escape a rear mount while standing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10450" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2020-12-14T17:59:11.983" LastActivityDate="2020-12-14T17:59:11.983" Title="Escapes from standing rear mount" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|mixed-martial-arts|throwing|chokes|escapes|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10287" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10286" CreationDate="2020-12-12T07:36:01.720" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The orthodox BJJ response to someone on your back with hooks is to first strip the hooks then shuck them off, while protecting the neck. One can do this by standing upright and pushing the hooks down, but the more orthodox method is to bend forward to touch the ground, keeping the hips high, in order to make them slip forward over your shoulders once they lose their foot grip on your hips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The bending-forward option has become more difficult with the recent realization that the Suloev stretch and other leg entanglements can be high-percentage attacks from this high-hips-and-four-points-of-contact position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It has become common, especially in MMA where wrestling skills are more developed and walls/fences are involved, to see back control using a seatbelt with the arms and a &amp;quot;broomstick&amp;quot; with the legs, forcing the opponent to fall rather than climbing on their back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-12-12T07:36:01.720" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10288" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10286" CreationDate="2020-12-14T05:47:52.643" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First off, I'm going to make it clear that just because there are escapes from this position, does not mean that you would EVER want to end up here. Escaping, especially in realistic conditions requires both patience and the ability to act fast and decisively. So, I'll walk through some scenarios:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It doesn't matter how you ended up there, but you find yourself victim to a standing backtake. Now you need to escape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;If they have your back, but have not yet applied any kind of choke yet&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your priority here is to protect your neck at all costs. You are lucky that they have not yet wrapped their arms around your neck, so use the opportunity to prevent them from doing so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;If they have your back AND have started to apply the choke&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are in immediate danger of being submitted. If it's a real fight, we're talking about your life. Pry away their arm(s) from your neck and start to protect it by wedging a hand or forearm between their arm and your neck. Once you have isolated one of their arms, you can start to work towards a hip/shoulder throw, like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSHmiEShYeI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;seoi nage&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Hooks?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not really able to picture standing back control that involves hooks with the legs. Since I am currently unable to try it out myself, the best I can do is imagine this. It seems logical to just spiral your legs to the outside to escape their hooks, but they will just put them back in. So, if you find yourself with an opponent who has your back from standing, with two hooks in, simply fall backwards. If they try to post with one of their legs to prevent themselves from falling, they have to remove one of their hooks, freeing your leg. If they do no post, the will fall backwards into a traditional back control (back mount) position. It's not a great position to be in by any means, but it's better than being stuck standing with a choke being applied. From the ground, you can start to run through your back escape sequence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's a real fight, this comes with some bonus, as slamming their back to a hard surface like pavement WILL injure the opponent, giving you the upper hand. However, that falls into the realm of can/should. If your life is in danger, that could be your best option.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Opinion&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Coming from a heavily BJJ background, I believe that you are better off taking a fight to the ground than staying standing. So, using that idea, purposely dropping to the the ground when put in this position is very tactical if you have any sort of grappling training whatsoever. I also do not watch MMA, so it's hard for me to put a lot of this into context. I am going to go out on a limb and say the reason that this is such a rare ending to a fight in MMA is because it is hard to get to and it is most likely not going to be a fighter's objective to take the back from standing. I can only think of two scenarios where this could happen, one being the defender isn't quick enough or fails to put up proper defenses in time, leaving their back exposed, the other is a backtake from a standing headlock escape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope I answered your question, or if not at least helped answer it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2020-12-14T05:47:52.643" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10289" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-14T18:09:59.317" Score="2" ViewCount="201" Body="&lt;p&gt;There was a guy in highschool got into a lot of fights and almost every time he hit someone he knocked them out.  As I got into shotokan and bjj, I started wondering is it not the matter of how hard you hit but more of where you hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is knocking an opponent out more a matter of strength or choice of target?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11213" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-15T02:29:20.733" LastActivityDate="2021-03-23T05:33:02.240" Title="One punch knockout" Tags="|karate|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|kickboxing|striking|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10290" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10289" CreationDate="2020-12-15T07:44:01.203" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As always, it depends.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some points on the body may cause knock out if you hit them.&#xA;The more precise you hit, the less power you need.&#xA;Knock out is often a matter of nerve strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So your highschool guy had some experience hitting them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you hit someone away from these points, it hurts, it may break bones or rip tissue.&#xA;So the pain makes them more or less stunned, but mostly not knocked out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10685" LastActivityDate="2020-12-15T07:44:01.203" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10291" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-15T18:23:56.683" Score="5" ViewCount="219" Body="&lt;p&gt;I ask b/c while the Shaw Era was the golden age of kung fu movies, the period from 2000 onward is definitely the renaissance.  As a comparison, I recently re-watched Crouching Tiger, and noted that the sword style is real wudang, and that the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuen_Woo-ping&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yuen clan&lt;/a&gt; definitely understands swordplay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donnie_Yen&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Donnie Yen&lt;/a&gt; didn't train in Wing Chun growing up, rather Northern Shaolin &amp;amp; contemporary wushu under a celebrated tai chi master, and arguably has the best on-screen waist technique since Jackie Chan. This would have prepared him for applications like the &amp;quot;one inch punch&amp;quot;, and prolonged flurries of strikes per northern mantis. His prior celebrated scenes involved his long weapons—&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9rTP6Bz80k&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;staff and flexible weapon vs. Jet Li&lt;/a&gt;, and spear in &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/AeeoEpmyb2Y&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hero&lt;/a&gt;, such that there would have been little doubt about his ability to handle a long staff properly. He also co-starred in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_Chun_(film)&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;1994 Michelle Yeoh Wing Chun&lt;/a&gt;.  (Comments on the choreography in this film also welcome for comparison, as it was directed by Yuen Wo-ping.) Yen even modeled himself on Bruce Lee early in his career and played &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chen_Zhen_(character)&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chen Zhen&lt;/a&gt; in a remake of Fist of Fury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My sense is this prepared Yen to adapt to Wing Chung, and use it convincingly on-screen after only 9 months of training, but was the choreography in the films faithful?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How authentic is the Wing Chun in the Ip Man films?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, is it true Master Ip was criticized for making changes, and, if he did make changes, is that part of why he is celebrated as a true master who continued the work of adapting &amp;amp; advancing the style?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Extra points for commentary on the different styles of performed by Yen as Ip and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Jin_(actor)&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Zhang Jin&lt;/a&gt; as &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sum_Nung#In_popular_culture&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sum Nung&lt;/a&gt; in &lt;em&gt;Ip Man 3&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-15T18:35:43.053" LastActivityDate="2022-01-22T20:15:06.323" Title="How authentic is the Wing Chun in the Ip Man films?" Tags="|wing-chun|entertainment|choreography|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10292" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5605" CreationDate="2020-12-15T22:46:15.283" Score="1" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It's a fake lock but meant to imply use of pressure points by Sherlock's thumb and first knuckle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Likely Aikido inspired, as there are legends of masters being able to submit foes by placing pressure on a single point, for instance with the big toe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Choreography, not real joint locking, but meant to convey a martial ideal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-12-15T22:46:15.283" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10293" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-15T23:05:33.080" Score="2" ViewCount="69" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hung_Ga&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hung Gar&lt;/a&gt; is legendary in the Chinese systems, and I'm interested in the major contemporary schools, and how much variation as arisen across them in the past 5 generations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are the major lineages of Hung Gar?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Characteristics of each requested.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wong_Fei-hung&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wong Fei-hung&lt;/a&gt; is the most famous practitioner, due in part to his early mythologization in cinema.  In the early films, Lau Cham plays his teacher, Wong's disciple &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lam_Sai-wing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lam Sai-wing&lt;/a&gt;, and Lau's son is the legendary martial director &amp;amp; choreographer, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lau_Kar-leung&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lau Kar-leung&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Liu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Gordon Liu&lt;/a&gt;, one of the top golden era kung fu stars is also famous for his on-screen Hung Gar, which came from the Laus.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2020-12-23T04:01:24.320" LastActivityDate="2020-12-23T04:01:24.320" Title="What are the major lineages of Hung Gar?" Tags="|southern-shaolin|hung-gar|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10294" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-15T23:19:13.733" Score="4" ViewCount="182" Body="&lt;p&gt;I ask because &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/10293/7644&quot;&gt;Wong Fei-hung is a legendary martial artist&lt;/a&gt;, portrayed by such kung fu movie stars as &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwan_Tak-hing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kwan Tak-hing&lt;/a&gt; (known to you through his nemesis in those films, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shih_Kien#Career&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mr. Han from Enter the Dragon&lt;/a&gt;;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the most recognizable films for contemporary viewers are &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_Li&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jet Li&lt;/a&gt;'s &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_Li#Early_life_and_martial_arts_career&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Once Upon A Time In China&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; films, and Li was not study &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanquan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nanquan&lt;/a&gt;, which includes Wong's &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hung_Ga&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hung style&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What styles did Jet Li use in &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsui_Hark&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tsui Hark&lt;/a&gt;'s Wong Fei-Hong films?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-12-15T23:19:13.733" Title="What styles did Jet Li use in the &quot;Once Upon a Time in China&quot; films?" Tags="|entertainment|choreography|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10295" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-16T00:03:09.073" Score="4" ViewCount="132" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know as much about Kendo as I'd like, but I've studied Chinese saber and straight sword, both of which include disemboweling techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the case of wudang fencing, techniques which require penetration are not utilized (for obvious reasons;) but saber methods I know do not require penetration to exhibit, just continuous blade-to-body contact, because you can press the curved blade into the body with the off hand. However, you don't have a highly developed wushu saber sparring sport like &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendo&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kendo&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus I'm wondering if Kendo discards these techniques to focus on clean hits in the competition sport, or if they have a place in the sport and practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Does &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendo&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kendo&lt;/a&gt; include disemboweling techniques or are these strictly &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenjutsu&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;kenjutsu&lt;/a&gt;?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Information on the practice and techniques in kenjutsu also welcome for historical perspective.  My understanding is that such techniques were utilized in the past.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-02-02T17:02:25.250" Title="Does Kendo include disemboweling techniques?" Tags="|technique|sword|sport|kendo|kenjutsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10297" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-16T00:11:45.920" Score="3" ViewCount="468" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are there throws in Judo or other grappling styles that involve gripping (encircling) the neck to make the throw, and, if so, how dangerous are they?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Alternately, are they impractical, unlikely, easy to counter, or inadvisable as lower percentage?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are there throwing techniques that utilize the opponent's neck?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've never been thrown by the neck but I've been set up for it by expert grapplers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-16T01:27:28.303" LastActivityDate="2020-12-30T04:41:10.807" Title="Types of neck throws?" Tags="|judo|grappling|safety|throwing|bagua|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10298" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10419" CreationDate="2020-12-16T01:01:51.953" Score="3" ViewCount="114" Body="&lt;p&gt;We think about the fists but not as much about the other aspects, such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/457ezBDaRUY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;footwork&lt;/a&gt; and dodging.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I think of waist in boxing, I think of Ali with his arms limp, leaning back just enough for his opponent's strikes to fall just short as a taunt. &lt;em&gt;(Here's &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxZ-J7xit5Y&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a less refined, but more humorous version&lt;/a&gt;.)&lt;/em&gt;  Ali would also lean into long light jabs, and McGreggor's style of Irish pugilism seems to me exemplified by a strong, flexible waist and love of leaning. McGreggor and St-Pierre are adept at pummeling an opponent as they sink to the mat, which is at least as old as &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankration#/media/File:Pankration_panathenaic_amphora_BM_VaseB610.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Pankration&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Xq7ibY2sp_Q&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Pacquiao&lt;/a&gt; is another example of using the waist to lean, and today you sometimes see fighters striking from extreme angles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How important is leaning in Boxing?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How much training goes into this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-16T02:00:41.680" LastActivityDate="2021-03-23T06:17:29.517" Title="How important is leaning in Boxing?" Tags="|training|technique|boxing|pankration|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10299" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-16T01:15:21.030" Score="2" ViewCount="62" Body="&lt;p&gt;Jujutsu, Chin-na, and Aikido all have excellent finger locks.  Which are the most effective?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are most reliable finger locks?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also interested in &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_finger&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;pinky&lt;/a&gt; locks specifically b/c that's the weakest finger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that finger locking in martial arts is very ancient:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beside Sostratus is a statue of Leontiscus, a man wrestler, a native of Sicily from Messene on the Strait. He was crowned, they say, by the Amphictyons and twice by the Eleans, and his mode of wrestling was similar to the pancratium of Sostratus the Sicyonian. For they say that Leontiscus did not know how to throw his opponents, but won by bending their fingers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;Source: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160%3Abook%3D6%3Achapter%3D4%3Asection%3D3&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Pausanias, &lt;em&gt;Description of Greece&lt;/em&gt;, 6.4.3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-22T23:09:56.517" LastActivityDate="2020-12-22T23:09:56.517" Title="Most reliable/effective finger locks?" Tags="|aikido|jujutsu|pankration|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10300" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2020-12-16T01:40:36.017" Score="0" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Greek mythology, it was said that the heroes Heracles and Theseus invented pankration as a result of using both wrestling and boxing in their confrontations with opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The athletes used boxing and wrestling techniques, but also others, such as kicking and holds, joint-locks and chokes on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankration&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The term come from the Greek  πᾶν (pan) &amp;quot;all&amp;quot; and κράτος (kratos) &amp;quot;powerful/mighty/strength&amp;quot;, similar to the Chinese &amp;quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiji_(philosophy)#Etymology&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;supreme ultimate&lt;/a&gt;&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-18T15:28:05.870" LastActivityDate="2020-12-18T15:28:05.870" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10301" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2020-12-16T01:40:36.017" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2020-12-16T01:40:36.017" LastActivityDate="2020-12-16T01:40:36.017" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10302" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9135" CreationDate="2020-12-16T02:42:26.900" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Basically, yes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pankration was a sporting event introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC and was an empty-hand submission sport with scarcely any rules. The athletes used boxing and wrestling techniques, but also others, such as kicking and holds, joint-locks and chokes on the ground making it similar to modern MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;[&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankration&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;wiki&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just that they'd be subject to the same rules as any other UFC fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, when I watch McGreggor &amp;amp; St-Pierre, I see pankration roots in their striking in particular.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Comparison is &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankration&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;vase paintings&lt;/a&gt;, which can have surprising level of detail, but it's a good bet that boxing, grappling, and other techniques have been practiced in some form continuously in Europe since at least the Greek and Roman era.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-16T03:02:35.757" LastActivityDate="2020-12-16T03:02:35.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10303" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12607" CreationDate="2020-12-16T04:10:50.557" Score="3" ViewCount="165" Body="&lt;p&gt;In this ancient European form of MMA, maiming and fatalities were not unheard of, likely because many forms of the sport had so few rules, and it arose as a sport in a warrior culture, when people warred with spear and sword.  One of the most famous examples of fatality comes from the historian Pausanias, where it is the victor who expires:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For when he was contending for the wild olive with the last remaining competitor, whoever he was, the latter got a grip first, and held Arrhachion, hugging him with his legs, and at the same time he squeezed his neck with his hands. Arrhachion dislocated his opponent's toe, but expired owing to suffocation; but he who suffocated Arrhachion was forced to give in at the same time because of the pain in his toe. The Eleans crowned and proclaimed victor the corpse of Arrhachion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;[Source: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160%3Abook%3D8%3Achapter%3D40%3Asection%3D2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Pausanias, &lt;em&gt;Description of Greece&lt;/em&gt;, 8.40.2]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-07-02T10:09:55.373" Title="How dangerous was ancient Pankration?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|safety|pankration|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10304" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8942" CreationDate="2020-12-16T04:38:36.187" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Absolutely.  1000%&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Timing is essential in martial arts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is true nowhere more than in fencing, where experts will tell you &amp;quot;it's all about tempo&amp;quot;.  Miyamoto Musashi wrote about timing in his strategy manual, Book Of Five Rings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Distance is essential in martial arts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the second part of the equation, along with tempo.  I've heard it said that martial arts are &amp;quot;all timing and distance.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Controlling an opponent's body is the primary objective of grappling&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Partner dancing, such as ballroom, is a form of controlling a partner's body.  Even where not directly applicable, it informs grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Traditional cultures utilized war dancing for training and intimidation&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Among the most famous is the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haka&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Maori&lt;/a&gt; war dance, and, if you've ever experienced it first-hand, it's incredibly intimidating.  (Psychology is an important element of martial strategy, both in combat and prize-fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capoeira&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Capoeira&lt;/a&gt;, which you now seen used on occasion in MMA, is part dance and the kicks can be highly effective and difficult to block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Flexibility &amp;amp; grace can be excellently exploited in a wide range of martial arts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've personally found that people with ballet backgrounds have high aptitude for &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wudang_Sword&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;wudang fencing &amp;amp; forms&lt;/a&gt;, in that it makes ideal use of flexibility, balance, and grace. Chinese straight sword in particular is often subtle and indirect, with wudang avoiding force-against-force entirely.  (This is why &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Ziyi#Early_life&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Zhang Ziyi&lt;/a&gt;'s swordplay looked so good in &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf2gMoHEFME&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Crouching Tiger&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;. Straight sword was the primary weapon of &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Sword_Or_the_Needle.html?id=jvihHb4qBTMC&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;women warriors in nüxia&lt;/a&gt;, with an extant literary tradition going back at least to the 8th century CE, the ballad of Mulan ~2,500 years old, and women practicing &amp;quot;sword dances&amp;quot; into modern times.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this video of a real internal swordplay &amp;quot;sticking&amp;quot; exercise directed by &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheng_Man-ch%27ing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Cheng Man-ch'ing&lt;/a&gt;, the female student is a former ballet dancer, and so is able to &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/DwFTHa_TtlE?t=18&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;effortlessly use her feet, including skips, which Ali also used to gain range&lt;/a&gt;. The tai chi skill differential between she and Cheng is extreme, yet she is the student most able to hold her own.  Her skills, like Ali's, also work for offense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Also worth noting that Muhammad Ali not just one of the greatest boxers of all time (Ali himself said Sugar Ray Robinson;) but also one of the quickest and most graceful—&lt;strong&gt;&amp;quot;float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.&amp;quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Good posture is extremely important in martial arts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's all about physics and physiology so having a good framework is essential.  This has everything to do with generating momentum &amp;amp; power.  Type of ideal posture can vary from art to art, but it is always important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Footwork is the most essential element of martial arts&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is said truly that no matter how strong you can punch, it's nothing without good footwork, and the same applies to grappling.  In swordplay, footwork is even more essential because a duel can be ended in the blink of an eye.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee was a Cha Cha champion, and, in the words of the greatest of all time:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;quot;Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the regular dance I use just before the shuffle. I'm movin' and I'm movin' and I'm jumpin' around and just before you know it...&amp;quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;[Demonstrates the Ali shuffle to the side and front]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;quot;...and as soon as you do that shuffle, a split second after that shuffle, is a &lt;em&gt;good punch&lt;/em&gt;.&amp;quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;sub&gt;[Source: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvFix9gioDU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Muhammad Ali showing the Ali Shuffle (youtube, 2011/11/10)]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ali used this regularly in matches against &lt;em&gt;formidable&lt;/em&gt; opponents, as both a technical and psychological weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Any&lt;/em&gt; form of dancing enhances capability in martial arts.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hand-to-hand combat has often been described as a dance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-23T00:02:27.890" LastActivityDate="2020-12-23T00:02:27.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10305" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10297" CreationDate="2020-12-16T05:10:44.530" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Judo, the basic throw with the arm around the neck is normally called &lt;em&gt;koshi guruma&lt;/em&gt;, which translates to hip wheel. This is basically equivalent to a headlock throw in wrestling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In your &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClkSYVSL50A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;kubi nage&lt;/em&gt; video&lt;/a&gt;, the instructor calls &lt;em&gt;kubi nage&lt;/em&gt; a cross between &lt;em&gt;tai otoshi&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;koshi guruma&lt;/em&gt;. The judo pedant in me would simply call the demonstrated throw a &lt;em&gt;koshi guruma&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The hip wheel (headlock throw) is a very powerful throw, but it can be difficult to adapt to other techniques if it does not work. Beginners tend to like this throw because success comes early, but it's not easy to build fighting strategy around it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being thrown with this neck grip is not inherently more/less dangerous than being from other grips such as sleeve-lapel, over the back, around the waist, or under/over hooks. If the person thrown is spiked on their head, it's very dangerous. If the thrower lands on the person thrown, it's dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo and wrestling do not teach neck throws that manipulate the neck. The grip around the neck is simply used to transfer force, and the presence of the head makes it difficult to slip out. In contrast, there are neck throws where the thrower's palm turns the opponents head from the chin. This kind of neck manipulation increases danger substantially.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2020-12-16T05:10:44.530" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10307" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10310" CreationDate="2020-12-16T07:30:39.500" Score="4" ViewCount="227" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is question that I have been meaning to ask for a while.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last November, I competed at a tournament, along with some of the others from my gym. After I left, I was informed that one of the fellow students had broken his arm during a match. I watched the video, and what happened was that both his legs were trapped and he tripped. He posted out with his arm to stop the fall, and his arm broke. This is the human body's natural reflex to falling, so was this the safest course of action he could have taken? And if I were to find myself in that situation, what could I do instead of posting that would prevent me from being injured?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2020-12-17T16:02:27.620" Title="Alternatives to posting with your arms while grappling" Tags="|training|safety|falling|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10308" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10307" CreationDate="2020-12-16T12:59:17.830" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The two alternatives to posting with your arms are to execute the appropriate break-fall (as in orthodox judo/jujutsu &lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt;) or to execute the appropriate turnout (as in modern &lt;a href=&quot;http://betterjudo.com/articles/turnouts-unorthodox-ukemi/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;unorthodox competitive ukemi&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, one of the most common arm-snapping posts comes from being thrown forward and over the thrower's shoulders, such as in a &lt;em&gt;seoinage&lt;/em&gt; (shoulder or back throw). In this scenario either option (traditional ukemi or modern turn-out) is possible, depending on the precise circumstances. A traditional break-fall would look like a forward roll followed by a side breakfall (&lt;em&gt;zenpo kaiten&lt;/em&gt; to &lt;em&gt;yoko ukemi&lt;/em&gt;), which is a core tumbling skill for any judoka or jiujitsiero. A modern turn-out might be a one-handed handstand or an over-rotation, landing on one's feet or on all fours. Another unorthodox approach is to hip-block and sidestep the shoulder throw, thus under-rotating and landing on one's chest and shoulder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2020-12-16T13:35:06.260" LastActivityDate="2020-12-16T13:35:06.260" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10309" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10297" CreationDate="2020-12-16T13:14:47.897" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Contact sports involve risk of injury. This is more true for people who are weak. This is more true for grappling combat sports, where the explicit goal is to move the other person in a way they don't want to be moved. Both thrower and throwee need to take care to avoid injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Neck-grip throws include snap-downs from the front headlock or tie-up, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG_LmEDmE8I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;chest lock&lt;/a&gt; throws (which I've also seen executed in an MMA fight with a guillotine-choke grip, albeit with an extreme athletic advantage), kubi nage, koshi guruma, and the baseball-bat choke sacrifice throw. I would say that of those, the only one that is noticeably riskier than the rest of grappling would be the chest locks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A powerful collar drag or drop-seoinage doesn't use a neck grip but may involve a bit of whiplash.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-12-16T13:14:47.897" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10310" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10307" CreationDate="2020-12-17T11:00:47.830" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;When both legs are trapped, there are two relatively safe breakfall options left: onto the side of your body, if you can twist your upper body 90 degrees, or forwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Forward breakfall (Mae ukemi):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/OegVa1MjMO8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/OegVa1MjMO8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sidewards breakfall (Yoko ukemi:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/gEdtaj5Mbmk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/gEdtaj5Mbmk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If possible, I'd always prefer the sidewards option over the forwards one with regards to safety, but properly trained, you can do the latter as well without much of a risk for injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another point to consider is vulnerability after you took the fall: falling frontwards leaves your back open, so you would like to fall sidewards and shrimp whenever possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2020-12-17T16:02:27.620" LastActivityDate="2020-12-17T16:02:27.620" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10311" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-17T18:21:07.910" Score="4" ViewCount="159" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a couple of wildly different use cases for this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;home invasion, pistol at the hip, purpose of the guard is to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/10278/what-is-the-proper-technique-to-draw-a-gun/10279#10279&quot;&gt;make space and prevent punching and grappling&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;street assault, purpose of the guard is to give time to draw pistol/knife/kubotan/whatever&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;gloved fun fight with someone much smaller, purpose of the guard is to punch but at reduced efficiency (1-handed)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those are on my mind. We can contrive situations like how they teach the military to cope with a shot/broken limb - the instructor tapes it tight and you are supposed to operate your assault rifle without it. Not of interest here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the above, I try to generalize thus:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;only one healthy hand available&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;primary purpose is to not get your teeth knocked out in the next 0.4 seconds&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;secondary purpose is to enable punching(mostly eye jabs) with the sole intent of distracting an attacker.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what is a proper guard stance for such situations? Long or short? Palm or fist? Body weight back, centered or forward? Twitchy or static?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="485" LastEditorUserId="485" LastEditDate="2020-12-17T19:34:33.283" LastActivityDate="2021-06-03T23:03:04.500" Title="One-handed guard?" Tags="|self-defense|knife-fighting|multiple-attackers|firearms|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10312" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-18T11:48:06.407" Score="1" ViewCount="51" Body="&lt;p&gt;What permanent hearing loss results from shooting indoors (2-3 shots)? Pistol, revolver, SMG, carabine, hunting rifle? No ear protection.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="485" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-12-20T14:39:31.030" LastActivityDate="2020-12-20T14:39:31.030" Title="Indoors firearms permanent hearing damage" Tags="|self-defense|firearms|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="8" ClosedDate="2020-12-18T14:19:59.543" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10313" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-19T01:59:54.973" Score="6" ViewCount="618" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it ever known to happen that someone will promote themselves to a higher rank?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;e.g. if there is an exceptional student, but a stubborn/arrogant teacher who doesn't want to promote them, they can just decide that they are a master and put on a different color belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, the (probably-former) teacher wouldn't be happy about this, but what's to stop the former-student from declaring themselves a master (other than a significant probability of getting their ass kicked in a competition)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11237" LastActivityDate="2022-08-30T16:54:14.253" Title="Do people self-promote?" Tags="|belt|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10314" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-19T10:01:39.890" Score="7" ViewCount="137" Body="&lt;p&gt;A narrative I commonly see is that grappling was only widely appreciated in America due to the success of Gracie Jiujitsu in the first few UFCs of the 1990s. Supposedly, people expected boxing, kickboxing, and similar striking sports to dominate because these sports had bigger audiences and more cultural significance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it occurred to me that wrestling became widely practiced as a school sport throughout the 20th century, and people must've at least been generally aware of wrestling's merits considering the cultural significance of the Olympic games.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So where does the truth lie? Was wrestling really regarded as &amp;quot;just a sport&amp;quot; that couldn't stand up to the &amp;quot;real fighting&amp;quot; in striking sports? Did people respect grappling but simply had no idea how foundational it is to unarmed combat? Or was this narrative made up?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10450" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T19:33:54.197" Title="Was grappling actually underappreciated in the USA before the UFC?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|history|wrestling|ufc|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10315" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10313" CreationDate="2020-12-19T15:40:38.117" Score="6" Body="&lt;h3&gt;They do, and it is mostly fraud.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most common way of self-promotion is founding a &amp;quot;new&amp;quot; martial art (or governing body) and claim to be e.g. 10th dan in that martial art or governing body respectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of these guys do gather people who have no idea about martial arts around them and promote their nonsense as secret art or whatever. If they are called out and not stupid enough to believe their own delusions, they simply avoid any confrontation with valid fighters. See Frank Dux.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another possibility is that this happens due to &lt;em&gt;politics&lt;/em&gt;, i.e. like you suggest, some teacher (or federation) is not promoting due to personal or political reasons and at some point, people start promoting themselves. I think that this is equally invalid in most cases. There is the possibility to change affiliations and get an orderly promotion by higher ranks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, as many high-ranked judokas in Germany hold, the belt is there to hold the gi; one should never put too much importance on rank, really. So even if there is only one unified governing body available and one has the feeling a promotion or the possibility to do higher grades were due, one should simply not think in terms of &amp;quot;deserving&amp;quot; a higher rank. This whole mindset of having one stripe more or less on one's belt being of importance is problematic in and of itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is at least one notable exception, though:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ben Askren, a horrific wrestler and prolific wrestling coach, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;amp;source=web&amp;amp;rct=j&amp;amp;url=https://www.bjjee.com/bjj-news/self-promoted-bjj-black-belt-ben-askren-bjj-schools-wrong/&amp;amp;ved=2ahUKEwj4ufPwrtrtAhVMwAIHHRvfCdYQFjAAegQIARAB&amp;amp;usg=AOvVaw2qn38y10aZb4vdbGXJiXGu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;declared himself a BJJ black belt&lt;/a&gt; without ever having held a rank in BJJ. He challenged anyone who dared to question this rank to take the belt from him by beating him in a match. Nobody did. That highlights the same point as the last paragraph: Does the fact that nobody would ever have &lt;em&gt;awarded&lt;/em&gt; this grade to Ben Askren really mean anything? Not really, it is all about skill. So what he did was to ridicule the whole system of BJJ (especially based on training methodology) by pointing out that through his methodology, he got more proficient in everything that is important for a BJJ black belt than (most) BJJ black belts. Since this belt is not awarded by a higher rank, it is not worth anything formally, still. It is a &lt;em&gt;statement&lt;/em&gt;, nothing more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the end, it does not really matter which rank one holds according to whom. My first Judo teacher was a 4th dan according to the official governing body and was as proud as one can be as he was awarded 5th dan by the older (Budo) organisation of all budo black belts. It was not officially acknowledged, but it was mere politics that he was withheld the official promotion and everyone knew he deserved it. But still, he would never have promoted &lt;em&gt;himself&lt;/em&gt;. After all, there hadn't been a rank system until quite recently (~150 years) compared to the history of systemized martial arts training (probably thousands of years), after all. What matters is one's ability as a martial artist and an instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2020-12-21T17:51:43.020" LastActivityDate="2020-12-21T17:51:43.020" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10316" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10313" CreationDate="2020-12-19T20:29:45.217" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;It happens, and it's not always completely unreasonable.  In the first taekwondo school I joined, for example, the 8th dan Korean master deliberately kept the western students at no more than 2nd or 3rd dan even after they'd been chief instructor for their territory or state for years, so it'd be very hard for them to branch off and create their own school.  His own sons were quickly 6th and 7th dans despite having less years of training.  When the 2nd dan chief instructor in our school eventually got tired of it (after 10 or 15 years as a full-time professional taekwondo instructor, with 500-600 students in our group), and did branch off, he disappeared for a couple weeks - supposedly to Korea - and came back with a 4th dan or 5th dan - I don't remember which now.  No explanation was given, no certificates displayed, no new affiliations mentioned, no changes to the curriculum.  But, even in hindsight having seen taekwondo schools around the world, he was a &lt;em&gt;lot&lt;/em&gt; better than many who've received legit 5th dans from ITF or WTF.  Not saying he couldn't have created some more legitimate relationship with a bigger school, but I think he was tired of being a money funnel to someone else's organisation, and our school was stuck in what might be most easily described as a 1960s style of taekwondo - showing more of the Shotokan roots / similar to Tang Soo Do - so there were few big organisations whose &amp;quot;(d)evolution&amp;quot; we wanted to partake in.  But, you'd get some guy who'd been a 2nd dan in Korea who'd agree to open a school in the west and get auto-promoted to 4th dan (a common practice to reward expansionism), with WTF backing, and it'd be hard for a far more experienced and capable local with only a 2nd dan to attract students attention as they browsed through the yellow pages for a school to visit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He was also a pretty unfortunate sort, so when some of the instructors forked off again, we reached out to a 9th dan in WTF, but his style was very different and the group was too small to afford to fly him in for gradings.  They ended up in a situation where a committee of instructors set a test program for the most senior one to grade, and just did that internally... still only to 4th dan despite decades of constant training and instructing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The big &amp;quot;legit&amp;quot; organisations - there's so much politics.  You see how long someone like Tsukamoto-sensei in Shin Kyokushin was at 2nd dan despite being a full time instructor and multiple times All Japan and World champion... it's some strange reverse-boasting thing for the school to say &amp;quot;even our 2nd dans are this good&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not defending the practice - just explaining some of the factors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2020-12-20T14:36:36.017" LastActivityDate="2020-12-20T14:36:36.017" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10317" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10311" CreationDate="2020-12-19T22:04:53.667" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You might also guard with only one hand when:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;you're wanting to use your other hand for other purposes no directly involved with fighting: getting out identification or money or whatever might help de-escalate a situation, removing some kind of restraint, taking of a belt to use as a deterrent / weapon, restricting a drunk aggressive friend from stepping into the fight etc., getting out a phone to call the police, take a photo/video as evidence etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;you have two opponents on different sides of you, and you effectively take on a one-handed guard against each (this is a passive thing to do; if you go on the offensive, you'd shift towards one opponent and use both arms to overpower them whilst staying out of reach of the other opponent)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't consider punching a &lt;em&gt;secondary&lt;/em&gt; purpose: a skillful person can hit extremely hard with a jab, and it doesn't have to be an &amp;quot;eye jab&amp;quot; - using your fingers has more risk of injury to yourself and is easier for them to flinch away from, and the arm tends to be extended then the fingers snapped forward at the wrist (much less likely to break your fingers than trying to keep the fingers in line with the forearm and rigid throughout) so the arm stays out a little longer than for a punch leaving it more vulnerable to being grabbed or a counter underneath to the ribs; a closed-fist punch towards the nose is a better choice in my opinion; and don't forget the front hand can deliver a very powerful ridge-hand strike, an elbow (if you're closing distance - especially useful if they block near your wrist as you close), backfist, uppercut; you can also e.g. grab someone's under the elbow or the back of their neck, and pull yourselves together for a knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, being able to block effectively is equally important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're using just one hand, you'll find it much more effective if you're able to burst forwards and close the gap unexpectedly; then if your timing is good you should get a free hit in on anyone trying to get close to hit you.  A good jab should knock them down.  To get that kind of explosiveness when the front hand is reaching, you've got to have your stance just right.  I looked through hundreds of google image matches on fighting stances and didn't find anything that was both good and not cropped hiding the feet), but basically you want a half-side-on back stance, where the back foot is tucked under you a bit more than usual with the foot flat and facing almost forwards, knee bent and weight settled down but not excessively, so you can get a thrusting feeling by straightening the back leg - much like pushing off the starter block for a sprint - that will launch you explosively forwards. The front leg should be bent too.  As you jab, you'll snap the hips from that half-frontal position to a more side-on position, helping you cover distance and increase reach.  So, it's a fairly short and narrow stance that should expand and &amp;quot;unwind&amp;quot; as the hips rotate, giving you good, explosive reach.  Body weight distribution starts around 60/40 back/front, but the back foot is aligned more front-to-back, so it can take more weight towards the ball without steeping first; it's very important to be light enough on the front foot to pick it up to teep/front-kick/side-kick or jam an incoming kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have multiple opponents, you clearly can't &amp;quot;aim&amp;quot; such a back stance so you can burst forwards towards any of them, so you're either orienting towards the dominant or closest opponent, or adopt a lighter more upright stance - more like normal standing - in which case your jab will be more telegraphed and have much less explosive reach, but you'll be able to move more freely in any direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If someone doesn't have conditioned knuckles, a palm strike isn't a bad idea, but then you've really only got the chin and nose as targets.  If you're trying to delay the fighting whilst you get something with your other hand, it's psychologically less aggressive to raise an open hand though, compared to a closed fist....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Static or twitchy&amp;quot; is orthogonal to the use of one hand - do whatever you've trained to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2020-12-19T22:04:53.667" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10318" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10319" CreationDate="2020-12-20T06:31:54.100" Score="11" ViewCount="1322" Body="&lt;p&gt;Basically, if you work on a technique of your own (and it does not involve arm or leg locks, or submission tactics etc) i.e. if it is a basic &amp;quot;throw&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;takedown&amp;quot;, are they legal to use in competition?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11239" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-05-27T19:47:17.130" LastActivityDate="2023-05-30T19:57:46.417" Title="In competition Judo can you use improvised techniques or throws that are not &quot;officially&quot; named?" Tags="|judo|competition|throwing|sport|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10319" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10318" CreationDate="2020-12-20T07:39:32.837" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo competition is not graded on the name of the technique you do. It's graded on whether you throw the opponent on their back, pin them, strangle them, put them in an armlock, or break the rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So yes, you can use improvised or &amp;quot;unnamed&amp;quot; throws, or &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/4818/347&quot;&gt;non-standard pins&lt;/a&gt; and so on, as long as it's not specifically forbidden.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if you've never trained judo, nor wrestling, nor Brazilian jiu-jitsu or shuai jiao or Bokh, then it's unlikely (but not impossible) that your self-trained technique is as unique or effective as you think it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2020-12-21T09:08:56.953" LastActivityDate="2020-12-21T09:08:56.953" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10320" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="964" CreationDate="2020-12-20T20:57:08.557" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The correct term is actually 'Ping-An', which means 'Safety' in Chinese. They are from original Karate (China Hand), and were part of a larger form. In the late 1800's, Anko Itosu broke the form down into smaller subsets and branded them with the name 'Ping-An'. Students of his, such as Funakoshi, learned these and incorporated them into their arts later on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Kempo (Kenpo), they were originally included in the Kajukenbo training regimen. Later in the late '50s, George Pesare brought Kempo from his training in California (with Sonny Gascon) to the east coast. It would seem that he got the training mixed up a bit, because he apparently only taught the Katas, but called them 'Pinions'. To this day, his direct students still do this. Following this, one of his students, Prof. Cerio, went back to Hawaii to train and I suppose that he was then shown or informed that the Pinions were a thing, and as he also did Karate prior, he reincorporated the forms into the system restoring the names Pinion and Kata to their proper places. Fred Villari as did Uechi Ryu KLarate and learned Kempo from Nick Cerio, but the Americanized lingo of pinion stuck.&#xA;This is merely a general overview of the history, there are others who can expound on the details more thoroughly.&#xA;for more detailed info, you can always contact Kenpo Joe. He is literally the library of congress on anything Kenpo related.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11245" LastActivityDate="2020-12-20T20:57:08.557" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10321" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6734" CreationDate="2020-12-21T02:26:43.183" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hi everybody my name is jcondo81 i’m a big fan of martial arts just like the next guy. I train martial arts at home because I have to I don’t make a lot of money I can’t afford to run to class run here run there it’s just a waste of time so and let’s face it we all have really busy lives I found the best answer for me Is to either train online or on DVDs all you need is a tv and a DVD player a bubba dummy wing Chung wall Mount dummy and Floor mats for your training room and if you have a learning disability like myself I have to train that way because I know what I need to train on you see if you have a learning disability and if you can do martial arts in my personal experience you do not need an instructor tell you and what you need to work on but you have to be true to yourself and it takes a lot to swallow that bitter pill I do it every day it takes a lot to look inside yourself to see what you need to work on some people may need an instructor and that’s fine too but an instructor points out what you need to work on but what do you feel you need to work on that’s my point you’re basically becoming your own teacher and there’s nothing wrong with that just like all martial arts we have to develop our own martial arts anyway so why not just do it yourself anyway I know a lot of people are going to say you don’t know what you’re talking about but on every DVD I’ve ever watched and believe me I’ve watched a lot of them they always say you have to develop your own style but you’re learning from the DVDs and your Learning from your instructor anyway later on the martial art is going to become your own style I never understood that and I know they say you can’t learn The material off a DVDs well I’m here to tell you yes you can just like now there is a world-famous instructor out there he put out his own personal DVD collection belt ranking I am not going to tell you guys who it is you will have to find that out for yourself just like I did if somebody or a good instructor makes DVDs and these are world class instructors they make all this material for someone to study it but then they say it’s just for instructions only OK then why make the DVD it doesn’t make any sense if someone is studying the material day after day week after week month after month year after year then overtime you’re going to get good then some people out there are going to say what’s not real training why isn’t it the person has  to let you put on the technique it’s the same way with a real person that person is letting you putting on the technique on them anyway I’ve waited for just the right moment to read this article with Covid 19 out there we’ve had to train different many ways and now is the perfect time to write this article because let’s face it guys we’ve all had to have trained different ways in our lifetime and now we all had to train at home we’ve all had to find new ways&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11247" LastActivityDate="2020-12-21T02:26:43.183" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10322" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10289" CreationDate="2020-12-22T11:56:37.747" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all to answer this we need to think about what a knockout is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A Knockout is &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; a medical term.  It is a competition term.  The term's use varies between competition styles, but basically it amounts to this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A Knockout is when your opponent can no longer continue to fight you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So while your opponent may be unconscious they don't have to be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example in Thai Boxing: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10PTzrbWLe0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;lower leg knockouts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now that we have established what we mean by a &amp;quot;knockout&amp;quot; let's think about your question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We can achieve a knockout by disabling the leg or legs, we can achieve a knockout by causing a concussion (Which involves hitting the head)... but would you expect that hitting someone's arm could cause them to give fighting?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Probably not right?  Even if you are able to disable an arm they might be able to fight on with the other.  Some people might fight on even with a broken arm!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So we have an answer, if you can hit someone on the head or leg and possibly get a knockout but never on the arm then it definitely matters 'where you hit' more than 'how hard you hit'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now although the question is answered you probably want to know where you can hit someone to expect a knockout.  Let's cover these roughly in order of how conventional they are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Concussion.  This is probably the most common type of knockout.  Your opponent suffers brain damage from concussion because their brain hits the side of their skull.  You usually achieve this by hitting the jaw and causing the head to rotate.  The referee will check your opponent's eyes to make sure you have not caused:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Compression.  This is where you actually damage the skull enough to cause damage to the brain.  It's much easier than you might think and will typically cause opponents eyes to have pupils of different sizes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Winding.  This is where you paralyze your opponent's diaphragm so they can't breath.  If this lasts long enough you will be awarded a win.  You strike to the solar plexus to achieve this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Leg paralysation.  Strikes to the thigh can cause the leg to be paralyzed.  You may need to strike one or both legs before your opponent will give up or be unable to continue.  The exact target is about two thirds of the way up the thigh.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Carotid artery damage.  We are getting on to methods now that are less conventional. A strike to the carotid artery or better still the vegus nerve on the carotid artery will cause extreme light-headedness or unconsciousness similar to a strangle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Spinal compression.  Not legal in most competition but included for completeness the easiest way to cause this is to strike to the back of the head.  It causes a similar symptom to a concussion but is much more dangerous as you run the risk of breaking the neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Neural/Acupressure/Appo.  No everyone accepts this one as existing and I have never personally seen it done.  But some martial arts traditions hold that damage to certain points on the head will be painful enough to cause a knockout.  The one typically given as an example is to hit under both ears at once with the knuckles on each of the thumbs.  Note that the angle of attack would have to be correct for this to work.  In this case it is towards the centre of the forehead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also worth noting of course but omitted here because we are talking about knockouts and not submissions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;8&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The strangle and the choke.  I don't think I need to explain these.  One blocks the air to the lungs, the other the blood to the brain but since no-one really agrees which is which it gets confusing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2020-12-22T11:56:37.747" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10323" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-23T00:27:20.677" Score="5" ViewCount="697" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know of this concept mostly from &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enter_the_Dragon#Legacy&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Enter the Dragon&lt;/a&gt;, the film that opened up the door to Chinese boxing in the West.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;LEE: What was that? An exhibition?  We need &lt;em&gt;emotional content.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;Source: &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/QU9SsTwY5nU?t=7&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Enter the Dragon (1973)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's an extraordinarily famous line, but is it purely movie hooey, or did Lee truly mean something by this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What did Bruce Lee mean by &amp;quot;emotional content&amp;quot;?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-23T02:14:33.640" LastActivityDate="2020-12-24T14:02:13.017" Title="What did Bruce Lee mean by &quot;emotional content&quot;?" Tags="|bruce-lee|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10324" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10313" CreationDate="2020-12-23T00:45:07.593" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my style of karate, promotion is based not only on skill but character as well. When a student is exceptional, but it looks as if he is being held back, there might be some other hidden factor in the equation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also those who cannot withstand the hard grading requirement or refuse to endure the required hours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To answer your question, these type of students do not self promote. There are plenty of bogus and formal associations out there that accept leap froggers just to plant a flag and have presence in countries. Dans are given as rewards for joining the said associations then after a year, they jump again to another and gain a few stripes on their belt. What I personally saw was an ambitious black belt obtaining the status of Shihan and 4 dans in a span of  2 years. How? By awarding black belts to over 20 friends to prove to the association that he has students. These frauds then self perpetuate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2020-12-23T00:45:07.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10325" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9986" CreationDate="2020-12-23T01:36:39.313" Score="1" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There is definite fraud in teaching of the arts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sham videos of a supposed &amp;quot;tai chi master&amp;quot; pushing someone using only their &amp;quot;chi&amp;quot;, never touching them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had a friend who was part of a cult in college, and the leader would hold karate demonstrations where he would stop a group of student attackers just with his magic powers.  (In that case, I suspect the students being stopped by the magic actually believed it, but it may well also be true for the students of the magical tai chi wizard.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pressure points do, however exist—think &amp;quot;hitting your funny bone.&amp;quot;  And it's possible to press down on the main artery that delivers oxygen to the brain with the thumb, although most people effect this with chokeholds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any situation where a product or service is being sold, there is chance of embellishment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-12-23T01:36:39.313" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10326" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10343" CreationDate="2020-12-23T01:42:59.643" Score="6" ViewCount="242" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's well understood that you need some carbon to get well tempered steel, and put flex into the blade for durability. (Brittle swords break easily.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But is there any use of the flexibility inherent in swords?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Does blade flex have any function beyond durability?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-02-10T18:18:47.847" Title="Does blade flex have any function beyond durability?" Tags="|weapons|sword|historic-european|fencing|jian|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10327" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7589" CreationDate="2020-12-23T01:59:14.823" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wouldn't say advantage but my experience is that women have greater aptitude for Wudang sword which is often subtle and indirect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(For this reason it is also important to train in Shaolin sword if starting young enough, for its emphasis on building physical strength, and techniques such as aggressive thrusts and lunges, even if lunges are not recommended for historical fencing.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wudang fencing heavily relies on the concept of &amp;quot;inviting your opponent's blade&amp;quot; by letting it get within a few inches of your body.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This allows more decisive counters, and the best strike in swordplay is the safest—not an initial thrust, hoping to hit before your opponent reacts, but having countered definitively, such that a riposte can be delivered with no possibility of reply.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As footwork and posture can be said to be even more crucial in wudang sparring than other internal arts b/c swords can be instantly fatal, having more grace, lower risk tolerance, and even some dance training, is a huge asset, speaking as a teacher, both in terms of poise and flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Women have been shown to be slightly more risk-averse on average, which is a huge advantage in any contest that can be instantaneously lethal.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Sometimes women students have trouble making cuts like they mean it, but they typically have better basics than the guys.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a video of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwFTHa_TtlE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Cheng Man-Ching doing an internal fencing exercise designed to develop &amp;quot;sticky&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt; (maintaining contact with the opponent's blade to control it and counter decisively) and teaching intention (swordplay is the channeling of intention through body and blade.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although sword sparring comes mostly to wrist cuts, point fighting, and occasional wave counters, having developed the stickiness and intention shown in the wudang fencing video is ever more essential.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;FIE fencing, because of the use of non-combat weight weapons, and lack of consequences for getting hit, clearly makes pure speed definitive in competition, but HEMA longsword suggest that historical weight weapons can mitigate that advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wudang is advantageous here because it utilizes the waist, not arms, to make &amp;quot;drawing&amp;quot; cuts, thus lower strength shouldn't be a factor.  Waist is also use to power and enhance the power of a variety of cuts and thrusts and counters, pretty much everything.  As for cuts which purely rely on wrist strength, it doesn't require all that much to slice into skin and flesh with a sharp edge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Speaking as someone who trained under a master 5' tall, lower center of gravity is &lt;em&gt;definitely&lt;/em&gt; an advantage is countering (deflecting to gain advantage)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At least in this style, which is close fighting, and, aside from the primary technique of wrist cuts, prefers to attack from inside.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the recent HEMA program, Knight Fight, which featured armored melee, hip throws were a regularly applied technique, and lower center of gravity can be definitively advantageous in grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I lock blades with someone down by the guard, putting them on the ground is my goto.  (Wudang fencers typically spend as much or more time practicing grappling in the form of tai chi &amp;amp; bagua as they do on blade training.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2020-12-23T02:25:16.263" LastActivityDate="2020-12-23T02:25:16.263" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10328" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-23T02:31:50.820" Score="1" ViewCount="173" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wudang_Sword&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wudang sword&lt;/a&gt; is famed in China and has been preserved as an extant practice since swordfighting days.  But when I watch web videos on the art, I sometimes get unreliable information about what it constitutes, and what is even meant by &amp;quot;fencing&amp;quot; in this context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(As an example, it's common to see two-person free stepping exercises, designed to teach sticking to and controlling the opponent's blade, but this is just part of the art, and not sword fighting.  The next level of practice is sometimes referred to as &amp;quot;sword sparring&amp;quot;, and is much more dangerous and closer to combat, but you see less of that, and rarely/never done well.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What is the primary technique of Wudang sword?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Comprising several dozen to hundreds of individual techniques, can it even be said to have a primary technique?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-01-22T03:07:15.777" Title="What is the primary technique of Wudang sword?" Tags="|history|sparring|sword|fencing|jian|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10329" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10328" CreationDate="2020-12-23T02:32:39.440" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can only comment definitively on the dan pai wudang system, as opposed to fu pai or chou pai, which was passed to me from my teacher via two students of Li Jing Lin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I was taught it is the wrist cut.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wrists are the closest target&#xA;Slicing the tendons ends combat&#xA;Minimal contact with bone to preserve the edge&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In wudang we use the waist and much of the practice, both forms and two-person sets involves drawing cuts, such that many consider these cuts the essence of the art, but these all require being inside the opponent's guard.  Even though wudang is also the art of close fighting, the wrist is the first target b/c it can end combat before even getting close.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Major Methods of Wudang Sword confirm this--of the Thirteen Basic Techniques, the majority are wrist cuts, and several others can be used to target the wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chou (Draw) You draw from left to right to cut the opponent's wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is upward and downward draw, and it can also be directed at the tendons in the leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dai (Carry) [Vertical] Follow the momentum coming from the opponent to carry their wrist toward you while slicing it. [Horizontal] You carry the sword from right to left, following the momentum of your opponent and cut his or her wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ti (Lift) The tip of the sword faces downward... against the opponent's wrist.  You slice the same way as when lifting an object.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ge (Parry) ...attack and move the sword upward... in a diagonal direction to cut your opponent's wrist.  The turning around Ge is used to evade a close-range attack... You turn your sword around your opponent's sword to cut their wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ji (Strike) The sword is flat, moving straight forward to strike at the opponent's wrist... use the reverse Ji to strike at an opponent's wrist&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reverse Ji can also be used to cut the ear&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ci (Stab) [the fencer turns] the wrist around doing Ci at the opponent's wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Primary use to stab the abdomen, etc., after a definitive counter, but notable that pricking the wrist is mentioned, because we don't always think of that option.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dian (Point) Neither the arm or the body moves. You use the strength of the wrist and palm to make the tip of the sword point down to stab at the opponent's wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beng (making the tip of the sword go upward by pressing the wrist down abruptly)  When using regular Beng... the body and arm do not move.  Hold the handle of the sword and make the tip come straight up to stab at the opponent's wrist.  With Turn-Over Beng, you turn your wrist over to stab at the opponent's wrist from a lower position to a higher position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;In picture 31 both people are using Turn-Over Beng, trying to continue with the Dian technique to strike at the opponent's wrist.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jie (Intercept) Flat Jie uses ... while you step forward to intercept the opponent's wrist.  In Left Jie you evade the stab [targeting your wrist].  In Right Jie you evage the opponent's attack on your wrist and body. [In] Reverse Jie [you turn your] wrist over to intercept the opponent's wrist from the upper position to the lower position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jiao (Stir) ...after circling the sword around the opponent', steps forward using the tip of the sword to stir upward and cut the opponent's wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the counter, &amp;quot;the wrist should move around the tip of the opponent's sword to avoid being cut.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[The remaining basic techniques are Pi (Split), Ya (Press) &amp;amp; Xi (Slice)]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;9 out of 13 basic techniques are wrist cuts or can be used as wrist cuts.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are far from the only techniques, as Li Jing Lin studied many styles of sword in addition to traditional dan pai, and was pre-eminent in dueling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Wrist cuts would be more difficult against a basket hilt, and can be avoided by a fencer with sufficient skill, thus one cannot exclusively rely on them.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal experience of wudang free fencing is that it primarily involves wrist cuts, stirring (jiao), and point fighting, and looks more like western historical fencing than people realize, since the art is ultimately governed by the tool and the objective.  (In western historical, it has been said that thrust ultimately prevails over cut.)  The beautiful drawing cuts we associate with wudang sword and the accompanying waist technique are much more rare.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-12-23T02:32:39.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10331" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-23T02:44:26.967" Score="1" ViewCount="47" Body="&lt;p&gt;We often think of Mantis as external, deriving from Shaolin, and regularly teach it to kids and teens, b/c it's both fun and has some useful techniques, and trains in both strength, speed and flexibility.  But &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=688&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yu Hai&lt;/a&gt;'s &lt;em&gt;Tong Long&lt;/em&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Praying_Mantis&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Northern Mantis&lt;/a&gt;) looks more internal than external:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/gqagZNrKSgs?t=1101&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yu Hai in the film &lt;em&gt;Shaolin Temple&lt;/em&gt; (1982)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/yWSVNblqH-o?t=4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wushu Classics Master Yu Hai Tang Lang Quan (Praying Mantis) 1977 于海武术螳螂拳&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is Is Yu Hai's Praying Mantis internal?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-12-23T02:44:26.967" Title="Is Yu Hai's Praying Mantis Internal?" Tags="|tai-chi|wushu|internal|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10332" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-23T02:59:07.610" Score="2" ViewCount="112" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is well known that the original lightsaber duels in Star Wars were based on kendo, and the choreography became increasingly sophisticated, especially in the second trilogy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The technique I am specifically asking about occurs at 13:08 in this video &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/esnMDtMysHo?t=788&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Every Lightsaber Duel from Star Wars (Episodes 1-6), Youtube, 2015/4/26&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In it, Christopher Lee counters while turning his back, but unlike the unsatisfactory turning the back moments in prior lightsaber duels, in this Lee keeps his sword oriented on the opponent throughout the turn, which develops into a set of coiling thrusts to the face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Musashi wrote about thrusting at the face as a strategy to keep the opponent at bay or unnerve them.  This beautiful expression of the body turn is my single favorite moment in all of Star Wars:)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More optimal examples are at &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/esnMDtMysHo?t=1052&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;17:32 &amp;amp; 34&lt;/a&gt;, where blade-to-blade contact is maintained throughout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Does this body-turning technique derive from kenjutsu and does it have a name?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that I'm not asking if these techniques are recommended for dueling, merely if they are taught and practiced, and if so, how to refer to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other reasonably acceptable body turns in Star Wars are at &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/esnMDtMysHo?t=934&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;15:36 ff.&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/esnMDtMysHo?t=953&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;15:53&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-01-02T07:52:38.817" Title="Is this lightsaber body-turning move in Star Wars from Kenjutsu?" Tags="|kendo|entertainment|kenjutsu|choreography|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10333" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10339" CreationDate="2020-12-23T03:20:14.160" Score="2" ViewCount="116" Body="&lt;p&gt;In popular culture in the West, &amp;quot;karate chop&amp;quot; became a meme, probably because it looked so exotic to people used to Western boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My understanding that that the proper name for the technique is &amp;quot;knifehand&amp;quot;, and Chinese styles also employ them.  But what are they good for?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How are knifehand strikes used in Karate and are they practical?  What are the main targets?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are they considered &amp;quot;meat and potatoes&amp;quot; or more like the sauce?  Have these technique been used in MMA?  How often do they show up in sparring?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-12-23T15:53:14.607" Title="Karate Chops? (Uses and practicality of knifehand techniques)" Tags="|technique|karate|application|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10334" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-23T03:27:28.910" Score="4" ViewCount="514" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm interested in kicks to the knee joint in particular from a self-defense standpoint, with the goal of removing mobility and ending combat, and interested in the number of applications for this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because karate has the ideal of single strike victory, I'm interested in attacks targeting the knees in this system specifically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are the types of kicks in karate that target the knees?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are they purely snapping kicks, or are there cross-kicks that target the inside of the opposite knee?  If not, are other types of heel kicks utilized?  Are they allowed in competition?  Sparring?  Are there instances of this being used successfully in MMA?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;(My experience of this technique in MMA is that they are often essentially feints/probes from the outside with little effect, as opposed to powerful, disabling strikes.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-12-27T07:06:53.987" Title="Kicking the knees in karate" Tags="|karate|kicking|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10335" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10338" CreationDate="2020-12-23T03:33:19.317" Score="1" ViewCount="158" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here I'm asking about Western boxing specifically, both in terms of the modern &amp;amp; contemporary sport, and historical European boxing (&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_L._Sullivan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;John L. Sullivan&lt;/a&gt; and earlier.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is the hammer fist used in &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Western Boxing&lt;/a&gt;?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2020-12-23T15:27:27.040" Title="Have hammer fists been used in Boxing?" Tags="|boxing|historic-european|pankration|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10336" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2020-12-23T05:24:03.840" Score="2" ViewCount="202" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the effective range of a 9mm semiautomatic pistol?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How does recoil affect time/accuracy of subsequent shots?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Interested in:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Range of untrained person&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Range of average marksman&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Range of expert marksman&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Range of world class marksman&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wiki says &amp;quot;The accurate range of pistols generally does not exceed 100 metres (110 yd; 330 ft)&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This seems extremely unlikely to me in regard to the average person, and enthusiasts have suggested the effective range for most.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What is the effective range of pistols in reality?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do magnum loads/long barrels increase the effective range?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="485" LastEditDate="2021-01-01T17:50:17.013" LastActivityDate="2021-01-28T19:04:43.500" Title="Effective range of pistols?" Tags="|firearms|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10337" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10336" CreationDate="2020-12-23T07:28:29.623" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The effective range is not defined by the distance the round may travel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The effective range is defined by the distance you have a fair chance hitting the target with kinetic effect.&#xA;Having the short barrel and no resting points for your weapon or body, it is hard to point it to the right point to hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Group&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Range (m)&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Normal&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;30&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Police&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;30-50&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;SWAT like police&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;50-100&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is nothing scientific. It's just voice of experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10685" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-01-28T19:04:43.500" LastActivityDate="2021-01-28T19:04:43.500" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10338" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10335" CreationDate="2020-12-23T15:27:27.040" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;No&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing rules require striking with the knuckles, which will render illegal both hammerfists and backfists. More specifically, from the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.teamusa.org/usa-boxing/usa-boxing-national-rule-book&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;USA Boxing National Rule Book&lt;/a&gt;, and their list of boxing fouls (emphasis mine):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hitting with open glove, the inside of the glove, wrist or &lt;strong&gt;side of the hand&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, if you go back far enough, I'm sure there have been versions of boxing where hammerfists have been legal and have been used, especially in early barehanded bouts before they decided to introduce gloves to eliminate grabs in boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-12-23T15:27:27.040" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10339" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10333" CreationDate="2020-12-23T15:53:14.607" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think other people will be able to provide better answers, as most of my experience is in other styles, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ju-sports.de/gym-dojo-ausstattung/accessoires/poster-deko/poster-karate-striking-points&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this poster&lt;/a&gt;, which has been on the walls of almost every Karate-based school I've ever attended, gives a list of targets for the knifehand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/IW2pr.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/IW2prm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Karate Striking Points poster&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (click to enlarge)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Namely, they match the knifehand with:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;inner forearm&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;inside and outside elbow&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;side of neck&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;clavicle&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;vastus externas&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;groin&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That list does not include the windpipe and back of the neck, both targets that were suggested to me when doing Shotokan Karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-12-23T15:53:14.607" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10340" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10334" CreationDate="2020-12-24T02:33:39.537" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kicks that target the knees - kansetsu geri. It's a direct kick to the joint with the blade of the foot. No, not allowed in competition. Karate and Taekwondo do not allow it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However since the knee is close to the outer thigh, it is a grey area. You could be aiming for the outer thigh and if your opponent moves, you unintentionally kicked his knee. Even then, you would only be doing a turning kick or mawashi geri so the damage is not as great compared to if you were to use direct kick to the knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8980" LastActivityDate="2020-12-24T02:33:39.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10341" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10323" CreationDate="2020-12-24T14:02:13.017" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to the Bruce Lee Family website (run by his daughter, Shannon Lee), &lt;a href=&quot;https://brucelee.com/podcast-blog/2016/8/24/7-emotional-content&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Emotional Content&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What did Bruce Lee mean by “Emotional Content?” He was describing the feeling of being totally present in your body and connected to your own life force. A spiritual life force that is the energy of creation. This force helps you become a human being from moment to moment. When you are creating emotional content, you are creating in awareness, openness and receptivity to everything around you. You are in a state of relating to your surroundings. You are not in isolation—you are connected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Don’t think, FEEL.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don’t pull yourself out of a real moment by thinking and intellectualizing. Stay in the moment and be totally present for the total experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Emotional content is also about the creation of art. Art is the communication of authentic feelings. We are all artists of our own lives. Bruce Lee believed that art is the work of enlightenment. And the origin of enlightenment comes from understating your own heart and living whole-heartedly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2020-12-24T14:02:13.017" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10342" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10334" CreationDate="2020-12-24T16:06:50.660" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A kick or stomp to the knee is a devastating fight ending move if you get it right.  It causes permanent damage and it will generally require surgery to get the injured person even walking again.  &lt;em&gt;If&lt;/em&gt; they ever walk again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said this is probably my least favourite technique ever because there is no good way to train it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way I look at it there are three schools of thought about how to train martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;train the techniques that can be pressure tested.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;train any technique, but in a way that is safe.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;train any technique and don't worry about safety.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This technique does not come under 1.  There is no real way to make it come under 2 while learning the proper timing.  And the problem with 3 is that you get to do the technique exactly once per victim and they will never walk again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can practice kicking or stomping single form but that won't teach you the timing required to actually pull of this technique under pressure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are an lot of techniques out there that can be practiced using method 1.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;There are even more that can be practiced under 2.  So why learn a technique that requires method 3?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may try to pull this off while holding your enemy by their clothing in a manner similar to a sacrifice throw.  ie. you pull them onto their front leg and then stamp to their kneecap.  However there are so many other techniques you could be doing from this position I see no reason to use this one ever.  It will never be a technique you know well  (unless you work in a concentration camp perhaps) and a technique you don't know well puts you in danger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2020-12-24T16:06:50.660" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10343" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10326" CreationDate="2020-12-24T16:52:53.113" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;In most cases, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuZwgqI06Qk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;sword flex is only for the sake of durability&lt;/a&gt; and excessive flexibility is likely to interfere with doing proper damage with your blade. A major exception is the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urumi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;urumi&lt;/a&gt;, or &amp;quot;whip blade&amp;quot;, where that flexibility is used to use it as more of a &amp;quot;soft weapon&amp;quot;, able to make more use of centrifugal momentum and to curve around defenses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As discussed &lt;a href=&quot;https://movies.stackexchange.com/questions/43090/whats-with-the-wobbly-swords-in-chinese-martial-arts-movies&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and in other parts of the Internet, the flexible blades you see in Chinese martial arts demonstrations and in movies are not historically correct, and are built that way entirely for visual appeal and for a lighter blade for faster movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/c7FbabtAPbM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here's a video&lt;/a&gt; where Ramsey Dewey expounds a bit more on the subject.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, while it's a bit of an edge case, fencing foils are relatively flexible compared to most sword blades. This is primarily for the sake of durability and safety, but since all that is required is a touch (legacy of when this was an honor duel), the &amp;quot;flick&amp;quot; method is sometimes used to let the flexing tip strike around a guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-02-09T19:17:20.320" LastActivityDate="2021-02-09T19:17:20.320" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10345" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10356" CreationDate="2020-12-25T04:39:25.970" Score="-3" ViewCount="148" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ylB5EXnT3SA?t=182&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/ylB5EXnT3SA?t=182&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please see &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/10344&quot;&gt;the context here&lt;/a&gt;. Paige starts elbowing her dad's abdomen, presumably at full force, for 12 seconds — at 3:02 until 3:14 when Philip Jennings releases Paige. Is this realistic?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11257" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-07-02T16:16:35.493" LastActivityDate="2021-07-02T16:16:35.493" Title="Can an adult male martial arts expert withstand elbowing into his abdomen into his left arm for 6 seconds?" Tags="|striking|entertainment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10346" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10334" CreationDate="2020-12-27T07:06:53.987" Score="1" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Kicking the knee in karate: mostly a joke&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I taught Isshinryu karate we talked a lot about kicking the knee. We didn't practice it much, however, because it was against our sparring rules. When we did practice kicks to the knee it was in slow, choreographed, dead patterns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Issinryu's knee-targeting kicks include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a low side kick (internally called a &amp;quot;45-degree side blade kick&amp;quot;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a front snap kick (internally called a &amp;quot;straight forward kick&amp;quot;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a crossing-over stomp (from Naihanchi)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;low round kick (not indigenous to karate; stolen from muay Thai)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since I'm interested in learning to do things and doing them rather than talking about things and then kind-of-miming them, the way karate &amp;quot;taught&amp;quot; these kicks frustrated me. How could I trust them? However lapsed my affiliation as a skeptic, I eventually noticed the lack of any evidence whatsoever that these techniques worked as advertised. After this slow realization, I came to see that all this tough talk about how devastating these kicks are is central to the delusional &amp;quot;we are so deadly!&amp;quot; belief that non-contact martial arts rely on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate is wrong that kicking the knee is a reliable way to disable the opponent. It can, but not reliably and not the way nearly every karate school practices them. The &amp;quot;single strike victory&amp;quot; philosophy (&lt;em&gt;ikken hissatsu&lt;/em&gt;) -- always more aspirational than true -- distorts clear thinking on this issue. Each of the kicks listed can be effective, but only if trained in an alive manner and without fantasy thinking about knee ligaments spontaneously exploding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Kicking the knee: how it really works&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To properly understand kicks to the knee in real fighting, I recommend a deep understanding of sports which allow full-contact strikes to the knee, such as muay Thai, some sorts of kickboxing, and mixed martial arts. Many thousands of people kick the legs full force in those sports, in both training and competition. They kick the knee as hard as they can, with the goal of rendering the opponent unable to continue. If there were a way to reliably kick the knee so it stops functioning, they would know, and they would do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What we find in those sports is a fairly clear and nuanced view of kicks to the thigh (inside and outside), calf (and peroneal nerve), and knee (including the oblique kick) — how damaging they are, how reliable, and so on. These kicks work, but not in the fantasy sense that karate and RBSD teachers say they do. The knee can be damaged, even severely, but not usually with one kick and not reliably. On the other hand, they are not only probes; there are plenty of victories or significant advantage by leg kick in each category:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jose Aldo's early career is full of decisive leg kicks (see &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mmafighting.com/2015/11/27/9798748/the-night-we-faced-jose-aldo-ufc-194-conor-mcgregor&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Night We Faced Aldo&lt;/a&gt;); his bout with Urijah Faber is merely the most obvious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The low outside calf kick recently became quite popular when fighters noticed it introduced the possibility of temporary loss of limb control. From most to least successful, here are three examples: Chito Vera defeated O'Malley with it, Primus beat Chandler (notice that the loser scored a knockdown while fighting on one leg!), and DJ &amp;quot;Mighty Mouse&amp;quot; Johnson turned off Henry Cejudo's leg but couldn't close the deal&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stomping oblique kicks to the knee are a staple of Jon Jones and the Jackson/Wink fight team. Jones had the most success with them against Rampage. See also Whittaker/Romero and Whittaker/Romero II.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A mature view of kicking the knee shows that it is effective, but not disproportionately so. Like a right straight punch, we know it can end the fight on its own, but few fighters have the incredible athleticism and skill to lean heavily on it as a single skill. It's important to avoid a mythological or video-game conception of such skills unless you are definitely one of those rare, ridiculously talented people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2020-12-27T07:06:53.987" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10347" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10348" CreationDate="2020-12-27T11:46:12.283" Score="4" ViewCount="353" Body="&lt;p&gt;Any time you see a World Karate Federation Kumite competition the competitors constantly jump up and down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why do they do this?  They are not dodging any incoming attacks.  It will certainly slow their reactions, because people can't manoeuvre well while in the air.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2020-12-31T13:16:05.620" Title="Jumping in Karate Kumite" Tags="|karate|sparring|competition|shotokan|kumite|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10348" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10347" CreationDate="2020-12-28T08:39:01.073" Score="7" Body="&lt;h2&gt;You will not telegraph the moment of your attack&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the same reason for Taekwondo, western boxing (think Ali), or karate. If you are in a static stance, you have to shift weight before being able to gain momentum and cover distance. If you bounce, you can subtly change your stance and attack each moment you are on the way down as soon as you touch the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Especially in point fighting, there are milliseconds that decide whether you make a point or not. When bouncing, you are highly agile and able to move across greater distances with each bounce compared to a shift from a static stance. That way, you can get into reach virtually every bounce and are a constant danger to your opponent. The only alternative is a combination, which inadvertently will leave you open to a well-timed counter-attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In higher level competitions, that looks rather silly because they bounce around all the time without anything happening, but what really happens is a constant play of (breaking the) rhythm and setting the distance. The goal is to hit the ground in a moment when you are both in striking distance and your opponent is already on his way up again, so that they cannot react and evade your attack in time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you think it through, it is really similar to Judo's struggle for the grip: In higher levels, it looks like nothing is happening to the outsider, but they are constantly doing subtle pulls and pushes and shift their weight to gain a superior position. And then, suddenly, they explode into motion. It is the same for karate point fighting: Since all that matters is that one point you are trying to get (and avoid), you try to move yourself into the optimal position before going for it. If you'd be static, your bouncing opponent would have an advantage at that, given he knows his attack distance and is able to read your posture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sweeping a fast karateka is really hard since it is hard to get hold of their arm and without it, you will never move your back leg fast enough (or shift weight on that leg to use the forward one) to sweep that foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And they do avoid attacks by bouncing. All the time. It's when they bounce backwards a bit more than usual, which means they are leaving the striking distance of their opponent again who just covered some ground. By adding these few inches to their usual bounce, they avoid an imminent attack. So it is really easy to miss that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a judoka by heart and constitution, I always thought it silly to bounce and never got used to it. But I have to acknowledge its merits when it comes to hit-and-run games in point fighting. Generally, the harder the style (and rules), the less people bound. Since stability and grounding becomes relatively more important than a one-off hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2020-12-31T13:16:05.620" LastActivityDate="2020-12-31T13:16:05.620" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10349" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10297" CreationDate="2020-12-28T11:06:13.920" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A throw that encircles the neck would likely be koshi guruma, but for me, I've found it is more unsafe when performed in uchikomi, rather than nagekomi (throwing). I had whiplash from someone doing the uchikomi part of koshi Guruma, as they had no idea what they were going &amp;amp; whacked me hard around the neck &amp;amp; head, my neck made popping noises &amp;amp; I had nausea/headache. It is unsafe if tori doesn't understand the importance to utilise kuzushi, as the neck is vulnerable to aggressive headlocks. I've found when they use kuzushi with koshi guruma uchikomi, there is no pain or nausea. Conversely, in nagekomi, headlock throws (e.g koshi guruma) do no hurt for me. Koshi guruma in randori would be difficult,if you do not use kuzushi to pull uke off balance or rotate fully to commit to the throw, or you could headlock partner &amp;amp; muscle them over, using strength, but there is the risk of injury to the neck. For me, neck based throws are either safe or unsafe depending on whether tori uses kuzushi &amp;amp; rotates properly to throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they rotate properly with the throw, you're more likely to land on your back so you can breakfall, or you may fall badly, if they don't use kuzushi &amp;amp; turn properly. If tori lands on uke completing the throw, it is more dangerous if there wasn't kuzushi (more likely to land on your head, as throw may not be completed fully). Additionally, I've never done kubi nage, although I probably should have learnt it, however my neck would likely get hurt being thrown in it, as it is still bad from being headlocked in koshi guruma, like my neck became hypermobile from the whiplash,&amp;amp; now headlocks can make it spasm &amp;amp; lock up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kubi nage sort of reminds me of either harai makikomi or soto makikomi, but with a neck grip as it seems like a heavyweight throw, done when someone can't get kuzushi or lift uke's weight, so they muscle them over instead, &amp;amp; they're more likely to fall on you.&#xA;Overall, in my opinion, koshi guruma is unsafe in uchikomi (e.g whiplash if they whack you around neck &amp;amp; forget to use kuzushi).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In nagekomi or randori, kubi nage would be more dangerous as it seems to be a throw that uses both weight &amp;amp; momentum to pull uke over instead of throwing them over hip, e.g koshi guruma. It also depends on whether they are experienced enough to practice neck throws safely, neck throws in uchikomi can make me have pain in my neck &amp;amp; nausea, if they rush &amp;amp; I get whacked around my head instead of being pulled off balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11261" LastActivityDate="2020-12-28T11:06:13.920" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10350" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9529" CreationDate="2020-12-28T16:49:15.280" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;NHK has video examples of sumo's kimarite &lt;a href=&quot;https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/sumo/techniques/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Main differences&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In judo the aim of throws is to put the opponent flat on their back, with control and speed. In sumo however, the aim is to have any part of the opponent's body touch the ground / step out of the contest bounds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As such:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;throws forcing the opponent to fall forwards&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;lifting/pushing/slapping/forcing the opponent out of the arena&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;do not have judo analogues.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, the presence of a jacket in judo presents &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9093/what-is-the-difference-between-judo-and-wrestling/9132#9132&quot;&gt;a greater variety of throwing techniques&lt;/a&gt; not possible in sumo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Shared techniques&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Kihonwaza (basic techniques)&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are basic sumo techniques, where the main mechanic is forcing your opponent out of the bounds of the ring. These have no analogue in judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Nagete (throws)&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of these are also found in judo:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Sumo&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Judo&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ipponzeoi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ippon-seoi-nage&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kakenage&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Uchi-mata&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Koshinage&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;O-goshi&lt;br&gt;Uki-goshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kotenage&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ude-hishigi-waki-gatame&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kubinage&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Koshi-guruma&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Nichonage&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Osoto-gari&lt;br&gt;Osoto-otoshi&lt;br&gt;Ashi-guruma&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Tsukaminage&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Tsuri-goshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Yaguranage&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Hane-goshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Kakete (Leg trips)&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, most of these have a judo equivalent:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Sumo&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Judo&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ashitori&lt;br&gt;Watashikomi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kuchiki-taoshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Chongake&lt;br&gt;Mitokorozeme&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kouchi-makikomi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kawazugake&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kawazu-gake&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kekaeshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kouchi-gari&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kirikaeshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Tani-otoshi (with block)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Komatasukui&lt;br&gt;Omata&lt;br&gt;Sotokomata&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Sukui-nage&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kozumatori&lt;br&gt;Susotori&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kibisu-gaeshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Nimaigeri&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Harai-tsuri-komi-ashi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Sotogake&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ko-soto-gake&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Susoharai&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ko-soto-gari&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Uchigake&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;O-uchi-gari&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Sorite (Backwards body drops)&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Sumo&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Judo&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Izori&lt;br&gt;Shumoku-zori&lt;br&gt;Tasuki-zori&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kata-guruma&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kake-zori&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Tani-otoshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Hinerite (Twists)&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of these throws involve either forcing the opponent onto their front, or twisting them on their back by means of an armlock. Neither of these have clear judo equivalents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Tokushuwaza  (Special techniques)&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of these involve lifting/forcing the opponent out of the contest area, or pushing them face forward onto the ground, but a couple are similar to some judo throws:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Sumo&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Judo&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Yobimodoshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Sumi-otoshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Utchari&lt;br&gt;Tsuriotoshi&lt;br&gt;Okuri-tsuri-otoshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ura-nage&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A note on technique categorisation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sumo organises throws by their main mechanic (pushing, tripping, throwing etc), whereas judo organises them traditionally by the key body part utilised in the throw (hands, legs, hip, or sacrifice throws).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sumo throw names were standardised after the Judo syllabus (1935), and has likewise gone under a number of revisions since. Additionally, there is a lot of cross-over in techniques post-WWII when a number of prominent judoka transferred to Sumo (considered a sport) after &lt;a href=&quot;https://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_svinth_1202.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;martial arts (budo) practice was banned&lt;/a&gt;.&#xA;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-04-08T20:59:40.390" LastActivityDate="2022-04-08T20:59:40.390" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10351" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1182" CreationDate="2020-12-28T22:11:43.193" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had strained my left Achilles back in 2004 it took over 6-8 months to heal. As it was healing, my calf was itching under the skin (very irritating). After a couple of years, It didn't hurt anymore to do normal activities like walking or swimming. Kicking doesn't hurt at all. But any running, jumping, bouncing makes it flare up. There's a lot of bouncing in sparring. I've been swimming the past year or so to keep my weight in check.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11264" LastActivityDate="2020-12-28T22:11:43.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10353" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8594" CreationDate="2021-01-02T07:37:06.010" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martial arts, the goal is to enforce submission, even pain to enforce compliance&#xA;Wrestling, as a sport, injury is very rare except in exertion, but the main emphasis is legal submission by the rules contested by the referee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2021-01-02T07:37:06.010" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10354" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10326" CreationDate="2021-01-02T07:46:52.657" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two types of steel, hard steel and soft steel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The purpose of hard steel is edge retention. The purpose of soft steel is absorbing shock. The purpose of blade flex is so the sword does not shatter on the first strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's the most basic thing about swords, ANY SWORD, no matter the culture. When they hit too many hard things, they stop being sharp. In movies, those photogenic edge-to-edge sword fights make swords appear indestructible, it's good drama. IN Reality a fight with blade on blade action quickly turn any razor-sharp blades into nothing more than a glorified stick. After a few sword strikes, chips and damage will occur and ruin the blade. That's why Japanese sword smiths devote especially extra attention to sharpening blades. But if the sword cracks extend past the core, if the cracks are sufficiently deep the sword is ruined forever and typically has to be reworked or recycled. Real sword fights focus on parrying, diverting or stopping blade strikes or with the non-sharp end being struck. Lots of antique samurai swords have strike marks on the opposite side. European sword fighting focus on thrusting, rarely slashing (less the opponents are unarmored), by the 14th Century AD, Plate armor was abundant on the battlefield rendering slashing techniques largely outmoded without heavier swords (falchions, etc)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Modern manufacturing and steel made from billet, has taken most of the guess work out of sword making. Making a sword from scratch is difficult. Making a sword from billet, is a lot easier. The Laminate sword making is the art of folding layers to make an intermixed series of layers of hard and soft steels offering flexibility and edge retention. The Japanese did sword folding by virtue of their terrible furnaces. They used smithing, because they could not achieve the temperatures needed to purify the steel to desired characteristics so they beat it into submission. If you have good quality steel, you don't have to fold anything. Japans first steel swords go back to the 5th century AD, Europe had steel for 1100 years prior, they used laminate folding six centuries before Japan. Then abandoned the technology for a better process, &amp;quot;Spring Tempering&amp;quot; which produced &amp;quot;Spring steel&amp;quot; which is phenomenally better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-01-06T18:02:57.413" LastActivityDate="2021-01-06T18:02:57.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10355" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10332" CreationDate="2021-01-02T07:52:38.817" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here's the thing about real sword fights, Spinning and acrobatic tricks are largely useless because they waste energy. At 13:09 Dooku was using a divert blade maneuver then spin, to place a blade tip thrust. taking ones eyes off an opponent During a clash is very likely to leave the spinning fighter dead with a blade through their back.. Granted the addition of Force senses help with this fact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2021-01-02T07:52:38.817" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10356" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10345" CreationDate="2021-01-02T08:16:39.643" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Those elbows wouldn't have done anything much at all, even to an untrained person.  Most of the time the camera was too high to show her actual elbow, but she seemed too close to hit with the actual point of her elbow anyway, which is the only way the elbow would have even been painful.  If it's just the back of her tricep making contact it's very unfocused in space and time and totally meaningless.  She wasn't able to rotate her shoulders to generate meaningful power anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(In case you're curious - if she wanted to escape, she could have tried to mix up a few other moves until one worked.  Lifting a leg and kicking back at his kneecap might worry him enough to loosen or release his grip, wrapping one leg around the outside of his leg and behind his knee, then pushing off the wall with her other leg might have made him fall over.  If she's wearing shoes with a hard heel, kicking backwards into his shins or down onto his toes or instep might have have helped too.  Reaching up with her arm and clawing across his face and eyes might have helped (in a street self defence situation that also has the benefit of very obviously marking the attacker: they'll immediately know they're more likely to be caught by the police and maybe shouldn't make it any worse than it already is by continuing the assault).  Clasping hands together or wrapping the elbowing arm's fist in the palm of the other hand can also allow the non-elbowing arm to contribute something to the power of an elbow, and might help a girl in that situation.  Anything that can create a little space could help her then place a more meaningful elbow, strike to the groin etc..  But there's nothing in the video to suggest she knew what she was doing.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2021-01-02T18:51:20.103" LastActivityDate="2021-01-02T18:51:20.103" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10357" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10359" CreationDate="2021-01-02T21:59:56.017" Score="4" ViewCount="948" Body="&lt;p&gt;This week, in the fighting session, I'm going to spar with the blue fighter in the linked video below:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://kapwi.ng/c/6DK9Gm0E&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://kapwi.ng/c/6DK9Gm0E&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is very aggressive&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is heavier&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Makes heavy use of Kihap i.e. shouting&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;He corners the opponent and won't give much opportunity to fight back&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;He doesn't let the opponent to hesitate&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What would be a good strategy to spar with such fighter? I'm afraid I'm going to be embarrassed!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;UPDATE&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now is one week later. I fought with the blue fighter. I mostly employed these strategies among @SteveWeigand suggestions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Diagonal side-stepping into the opponent weak spot&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Being active and moving, not being a locked target&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Using combinations, like following spin kick with front, round and side kick&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Decoy: faking my previous combinations and following up with something else&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shouting (Kihap), mostly just responsively&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I couldn't do:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Half-beat timing: the fight speed was so high for me that I was &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; able to think about half-beat timing. Actually, I don't know it. I need to learn.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Reading the opponent: I could guess how he's going to attack, but other than basic defense with hand, I wasn't skilled enough to know what else I can do.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Separating properly from the opponent when sticks himself to me&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Managing the fight when I ran out of breath.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel pretty competitive and feel like a real contender =)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, I'm thinking about the next week fighting session and my to-learn priorities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9518" LastEditorUserId="9518" LastEditDate="2021-01-06T19:58:58.123" LastActivityDate="2021-01-06T19:58:58.123" Title="How to spar an aggressive fighter shown in the shared video" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10358" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10357" CreationDate="2021-01-02T22:35:21.543" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;He is moving quite slowly and favours a front kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can bet he will use a front kick against you.  So train to deal with that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2021-01-02T22:35:21.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10359" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10357" CreationDate="2021-01-03T01:03:56.143" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is normal for Taekwondo. Aggression is far preferred to defense. You don't get points by waiting for them to come to you. And you don't get points for blocks. So TKD's main game is to always be on the attack. At least when continuous sparring, not when 3 point limit sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I talked a little about this in some of my previous answers. First, in the following link I talk about the difference between &amp;quot;high percentage&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;low percentage&amp;quot; techniques:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4764/what-is-the-best-point-scoring-technique/4768#4768&quot;&gt;What is the best point-scoring technique?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That answer talks about Taekwondo in particular and points to statistics about which techniques actually win points in TKD sparring. The primary take-away from it is this quote:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general the highest percentage techniques and strategies are the ones that can be done safely, effectively, quickly, and in the most number of situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For Taekwondo that would be simple, linear, direct, quick techniques. That would be: the round kick, front kick, and side-kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo's spinning kicks are an exception, which TKD people use quite a lot. They're done because of two reasons: 1) they effectively close distance, thereby setting up a combination which follows from it. And 2) if it goes badly and results in falling, the TKD player is simply asked to get back up. The rules in TKD make it so that spin-kicks are not as risky as they ought to be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I talked about those statistics more in the following answer as well:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8851/study-on-songahm-tkd-sparring-matches-wide-count-ranges/8854#8854&quot;&gt;Study on Songahm TKD sparring matches - Wide count ranges?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And then there's my next answer to read:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4763/how-to-defeat-a-much-stronger-and-bigger-opponent/4769#4769&quot;&gt;How to defeat a much stronger and bigger opponent?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In that answer, the question was how to deal with bigger, stronger opponents in TKD. And my main take-away is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So your main focus for preparing for this tournament should be on basic techniques - the ones you learned in white belt. That would be the basic jab punch, the reverse punch, the round kick, the front kick, and the side kick. Keep your kicks to the mid-section, rather than aiming high.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I talked briefly about half-beat timing in order to neutralize his leg reach advantage, if he's bigger than you. You would do well to add that to your own training. It will take you to the next level if you haven't already figured it out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for dealing with aggression, and someone who is always coming at you and pressing forward into you, you must not step backwards, because that makes it much easier for him to target you. You have to side-step. Step towards his weak side. For most people, that's their left side (your right side). I would also encourage you to step not just sideways but also diagonally either towards or away from your opponent. Diagonal stepping is harder for the eyes to track, and so it makes you less of a target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another piece of advice I'll give you is to always keep moving. Don't stand still. But move in unpredictable ways. Don't just keep circling around him counter-clockwise. Don't keep doing the same strikes and combinations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's an answer I wrote describing why you want to always keep moving. I discuss tracking a target and how the human brain has to juggle variables and make guesses about where the target will be:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6498/defence-in-martial-arts-in-general/6501#6501&quot;&gt;Defence in martial arts in general&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, always keep moving. Don't make it easy for your opponent to track you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And finally, learn to read and to decoy. You probably already are working on these skills. Reading your opponent will tell you what he's probably going to do next. If he has a habit of leading with a front leg front kick, for example, then that's excellent news for you. That means you can take advantage of that knowledge and prepare ahead of time for it. Step diagonally in towards him on his left side, and then throw a round kick or a front kick to his face or body. But you need to time this so that you begin right as he's starting his technique (for half-beat timing).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for decoying, it works on the same principle as reading. You're going to let your opponent see you performing some combo technique over and over again. Do it 3 times at least while protecting yourself. Make sure he has it figured out and is able to block it or counter it. Then do it again, but this time change the combo mid-stream into something that hits him and gives you a point. He thinks you're doing X, but you're actually doing Y.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stick with your basics, nothing fancy.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice half-beat timing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Practice side-stepping, especially on diagonals.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Always keep moving, in unpredictable ways.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learn to read and to decoy.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-01-03T04:26:38.153" LastActivityDate="2021-01-03T04:26:38.153" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10360" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10295" CreationDate="2021-01-03T16:13:23.347" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The straigt answer is : no, there are no disembowelling techniques in Kendo. Today's Kendo is detached from its original martial purpose (which is nodawady found partially in the Kenju-tsu practice). A reminescence from such a technique is the &amp;quot;Do&amp;quot; strike which is intended to cut you in half.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The modern Kendo is the fruit of the principles established in the foundation of The All Japan Kendo Federation (All Japan Kendo Federation or Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei) which was done in 1952 when the ban on martial arts (particularly Kendo) in Japan was lifted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It was agreed then that Kendo si no longer to be considered as a martial art, but as educational discipline and it has continued to be practiced as such to this day. Therefore it is much more refined and limited as set of techniques, focusing on the &amp;quot;Do&amp;quot; (the Way) aspect. Nevertheless it requires a great concentration and observation capacities as well as intense physical training. Kendokas develop with time great abilities to launch lightining fast attacks on ther adversaries, using fondamental sabre cutting techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kendo gi-geiko (the combat sessions) are sometimes commented to be &amp;quot;unrealistic&amp;quot; by  practionners from other sabre disciplines but you can be 100% assured that a trained kendoka is the most dangerous opponent you can ever meet regarding sabre combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For more information you can have a look at : &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Kendo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Kendo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11276" LastActivityDate="2021-01-03T16:13:23.347" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10362" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9446" CreationDate="2021-01-13T14:20:37.170" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I found that my club actually does not have an official status. The initial teacher who once had all black belts required to start the club is now retired. One of the remaining teachers in the team has the black belt first dan and another only has brown.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Still, both black and brown belts have been earned in officially recognized clubs by these teachers. After realizing this, I joined the officially recognized club and - it took two years - managed to get green belt from them. They say I am formally going right from white to green during my exam even if I, well, had some understanding when I came. I got also official document, not just a belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This raised my status in my initial &amp;quot;unofficial&amp;quot; club significantly. Now I can learn here also to train others (low levels but not beginners).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10362" LastActivityDate="2021-01-13T14:20:37.170" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10363" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8794" CreationDate="2021-01-13T20:06:39.960" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bruce liked Chinese food and used to have a lot of variety in his food. I don't know much about the specifics of his diet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;His fitness recommendation from the Tao of Jeet Kune Do is as follows:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Monday, Wednesday, Friday&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Skipping &lt;br&gt;&#xA;Forward Bend&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Dand&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Jumping Jack&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Squat&lt;br&gt;&#xA;High Kick&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Waist Twisting&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Palm-Up Curl&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Roman Chair&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Knee Drawing &lt;br&gt;&#xA;Side Bend&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Palm-Down Curl&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Groin Stretch&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Side Leg Raise&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Jumping Squat&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Shoulder circling&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Alternate splits&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Leg stretch&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Leg Raises&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Reverse Curl&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Sit-up Twist&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Leverage Bar Twist&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Alternate Leg Raise&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Wrist Roller&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Power Training&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Press Lockout&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Press Start&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Rise on Toes&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Pull&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Squat&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Shrug&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Deadlift&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Quarter Squat&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Frog Kick&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He used to warm up a particular part before intense exercise on that part and stretch it later. He used to exercise twice a day, more on which is written in the book.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think he did all exercises mentioned above in a day. He used to vary them according to his mood. I have no idea about the power workout. He also believed that Indian wrestler workout of dand and baithak is quite complete as influenced by an Indian wrestler.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally do 2+2 of the above workouts 3 sets a day.&#xA;Eg. Monday&#xA;Skips (3x3 min)&#xA;Forward bend (Stretching :once)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Waist Twisting (Stretch)&#xA;Palm Up Curl (3 sets)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S. I highly recommend &amp;quot;The Tao of JKD&amp;quot;. It's a beautiful book!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10457" LastActivityDate="2021-01-13T20:06:39.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10365" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10367" CreationDate="2021-01-14T10:05:49.090" Score="8" ViewCount="217" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to know what is the best way to evade a punch in MMA: dodging, parrying, blocking or stepping back (so that you are out of reach)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Specifically I am looking for a way to evade a punch such that&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I will be able to react as fast as possible even to the fastest punch like the jab&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I will take the minimum amount of damage (if any)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Be in a position to react fast to a counter strike (or attack simultaneously with opponent's strike if possible)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11304" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-01-15T15:39:48.337" LastActivityDate="2021-01-16T01:12:04.157" Title="What is an optimal way to evade a punch?" Tags="|technique|punching|defense|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10366" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10365" CreationDate="2021-01-15T15:38:30.473" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Distance&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are human limitations on reaction time (a few tenths of a second) due to the human visual system. If the opponent is close enough to hit you within this time, you will not be able to react on sight. If you want to avoid getting hit, maintain distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maintaining distance obviously is in conflict with counterattacking; presumably you do not want to remain far away where no one can be attacked. The critical distance is where an attack is both possible and avoidable (otherwise why haven't you attacked already?).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Fighting is more than one attack&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most anyone can block or evade one attack. The real issue is whether the second or third attack gets you before you can respond effectively. A good way to avoid this is to move so the opponent is forced to adjust. You may be too slow with footwork alone, so use your hands too to block/parry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stepping straight back is the worst direction you can move. The opponent will basically always be moving towards you when attacking, and they can just continue moving towards you to press their attack. If you move both back and to the outside, for example, the second punch of a 1-2 punch combination will be misplaced to hit you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Summary&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Move and block/parry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-01-15T20:02:48.517" LastActivityDate="2021-01-15T20:02:48.517" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10367" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10365" CreationDate="2021-01-16T01:12:04.157" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your assessment criteria:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I will be able to react as fast as possible even to the fastest punch like the jab&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I will take the minimum amount of damage (if any)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Be in a position to react fast to a counter strike (or attack simultaneously with opponent's strike if possible)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And your defensive options:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;dodging, parrying, blocking or stepping back (so that you are out of reach)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;dodging&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; works great if you can do it successfully, but it tends to require more gross movement of the body which means you have to have better timing and anticipation of the attack than the attacker had of your moves; i.e. it only works well if you're a better fighter anyway, and a skillful opponent will make it hard by mixing in feints&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;parrying/blocking&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; this is easier because your arms and legs are designed to move around your centre of mass faster and more freely - and reach further - than your torso and head and groin (all targets that are hard to get out of the way by dodging); further - if they're trying to have the attack focus at your groin/torso/head and you're meeting it 30/40/50cms away, it probably won't have focus yet: it won't be at maximum force, and the stabilising muscles that keep it on track to the target can't be clenched too hard without slowing down the attack, so it's easier to deflect and pull off course.  If your block is predictable and straight into the attack, the attacker may focus there instead of do more damage to your blocking limb.  Another problem with blocking is that after contact you may be grabbed or pushed in an unexpected way.  For example, one trick is to deliver a low roundhouse kick to get the opponent to lift their leg to jam it, but then you can slow down the kick at the end and pull their jamming leg in an unexpected direction while they're standing on one foot, for example, pulling them across to your open side so you can close the gap and push their blind side (over/behind their shoulders).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;stepping back&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; generally makes it harder to counter - you have to have great timing to be just out of reach then return to strike; it can work very well though - many fighters do have that timing.  Still, someone may feign and if you lean or slide back and immediately pop back, time a real attack to hit you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, dodging under to to the side is perhaps the hardest thing to make great use of, and you may have to compromise your position when doing it, making the counter harder to pull off or less powerful.  The other two have elements of cat and mouse, where feints and mixing up the attacks and timing become very important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing that shifts the balance of all this - in my opinion - is the preparation that happens before the attack.  If you have a good guard the opponent won't be able to throw an attack straights at you along the shortest/fastest/most explosive path - they'll have to attack around your guard, and you won't have to move your guard much to block or deflect or counter afterwards.  Indeed, a good guard should make the threat of your attack a disincentive for them to attack - as when they're trying to go around your guard you can often strike so fast and hard into them that they can't complete a meaningful attack.  Further, the footwork you use before they attack should keep you at an awkward angle for them to attack to, so they can't attack properly without first taking a step or rotating their body towards you or whatever - that's more telegraphing and time for you to exploit whatever openings they create and consolidate your own defence, moving somewhere that will require them to make yet another adjustment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Summarily, active footwork and an active, forward guard that continuously threatens counter strikes and is ready to block minimally in any direction is the most effective defence.  By an active guard, I mean you're tracking the position of their limbs and the threats they pose and keeping your guard in the optimal position.  So, it's not really any of your options alone, but blocking is part of it and the most versatile, effective option on your list.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2021-01-16T01:12:04.157" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10368" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="618" CreationDate="2021-01-17T21:35:16.893" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes. There are variations in the way forms are executed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The TKD Encylopedia has been modified several times. Some schools did not incorporate these changes in the way forms were executed. WHY those changes were not incorporated is a question for your instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &amp;quot;correct&amp;quot; way to execute a form is the way your instructor teaches the form. If there is a reason to execute a form in a different manner, say for a competition, execute a form in the manner the competition calls for. Otherwise, follow your instructor's teaching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you change schools, your new instructor will advise you about performing forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11301" LastActivityDate="2021-01-17T21:35:16.893" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10369" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="618" CreationDate="2021-01-17T22:05:44.260" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yul-Gok as taught by General Hong Hi and in the ITF's that follow his teachings, perform the golcho makgi or hooking block for moves 15-16, and 18-19. This is what's stated in both the Condensed Encyclopedia and in the 15 volume. So within ITF it ought to be hooking block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Though those that practice the Chang Hong forms may change individual moves though strictly speaking this wouldn't be correct in the eyes of ITF practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11302" LastActivityDate="2021-01-17T22:05:44.260" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10370" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-01-19T18:55:56.883" Score="2" ViewCount="135" Body="&lt;p&gt;Nunchaku are an iconic martial arts weapon, but I see some discrepancy about how to use them amongst martial artists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some styles prefer to hold them at the end of the stick and to swap which hand holds the weapon.  This looks sensible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other styles seem to teach holding two pairs of nunchaku.  They often hold the stick close to the chain.  This looks odd, but is it actually wrong?  I have never trained with this weapon.  But I'm curious as to what the go to forms actually are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2021-01-20T00:15:03.923" Title="How should nunchaku be used?" Tags="|weapons|forms|nunchaku|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10371" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10370" CreationDate="2021-01-20T00:15:03.923" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is &amp;quot;right&amp;quot; will depend on how you're using the nunchaku. When I was taught basic usage in &lt;em&gt;Chun Kuk Do&lt;/em&gt;, we gripped the nunchaku about one fist width from the top. Being close to the chain reduces the &amp;quot;wobble&amp;quot; of the top of the stick you're holding and reduces the chance of the the stick getting slick with sweat and sliding out of your hand to turn into an accidental projectile. The fist's width from the chain helps protect you from pinching your hand in the chain. I think the only time we grasped lower was for the throat-strike part of our kata, where we doubled the nunchaku, grasped it close to the bottom, and then jabbed the top chain part (which often had eyelets at the top) into where the throat of an opponent would be. We never did any of the grappling with nunchaku, so I can't comment on that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For juggling with nunchaku, the grip tends to be lower because it creates larger, flashier, movements. Juggling, and the flashy demonstrations, are also the only places I've seen double nunchaku. In general, unless &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7790/any-tricks-to-help-with-two-hand-wielding-dual-weilding?rq=1&quot;&gt;you specifically train for dual-wielding&lt;/a&gt;, it tends to be unwieldy, and I imagine the situation would be worse with a &amp;quot;soft&amp;quot; weapon like nunchaku which tend to be less predictable, and more likely to accidentally injure the user.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-01-20T00:15:03.923" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10372" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-01-20T07:14:44.533" Score="5" ViewCount="181" Body="&lt;p&gt;The nature of teaching is that the student trusts the teacher to have the skill that the teacher teaches. This is usually proved by the teacher being authenticated, probably by having reputation or a certification. However, sometimes the student want to verify the teacher's ability by themselves, and I think it's a reasonable request. Trusts and beliefs should be challenged before they are trusted and believed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Asking to fight directly is a way, but it will miss the case whether the teacher can react quick with unexpected situation. However, setting up situation just to test feels like very disrespectful. Even asking to fight directly, though felt like more acceptable, is still felt disrespectful to me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a way for a student to be able to put their trust on the teacher completely, without being perceived as disrespectful?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8476" LastActivityDate="2021-01-20T18:48:14.640" Title="How to test teacher's ability?" Tags="|etiquette|grading|reaction|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10373" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-01-20T17:26:06.553" Score="4" ViewCount="1068" Body="&lt;p&gt;I’ve done research and a bunch of other people start at around 6 years old. I want to start it and hopefully make it to the Olympics and I’m willing to train every single day by myself. If I start taekwondo and want to compete in the olympics is it too late? BTW I am being trained by a current National Team Member. More info: I’ve done about 4 years of Karate since I was little.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11308" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-01-27T14:33:33.267" LastActivityDate="2021-01-28T14:17:45.657" Title="Taekwondo: Is it too late to start TKD at 14 and still become an Olympian?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|olympics|beginner|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10374" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10372" CreationDate="2021-01-20T18:01:41.060" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;At my kyokushin karate dojo, one of the instructors is nearly 80. He's physically incapable of performing most of the techniques he teaches. Like, one of his knees doesn't really bend anymore, so he can't even kick at all. But he still knows what a proper kick should look like. And he was an actual school teacher for ~50 years, so he's very good at explaining stuff. But he never competed himself. Nevertheless, he'll spot minute mistakes in your technique, then figure out a way to make it intelligible to you, and finally guide you into the correct way to perform it. All while being unable to actually perform the technique himself. He's a wizard, basically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We have another instructor who is younger, and who used to be a very serious national-level competitor. His physical ability and general martial arts skills are superior to those of the 80 years-old instructor (don't get me wrong, the older instructor is still very skilled, just much older and now physically frail). But students are often at a loss when training under him, because his go-to strategy to correct their mistakes is to flawlessly execute the technique in front of them after saying &amp;quot;No, no! You need to do it like this!&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Despite being able to demonstrate stuff at a very high-level, he lacks the ability to properly transmit his knowledge. He's basically Superman, but can't understand that you're not superhuman yourself. So unless you are yourself at a very high level, or at least at a high enough level that you can easily spot by yourself what makes his technique better than yours, learning under this instructor is much harder. In my experience, thus, being good at martial arts doesn't necessarily make you good at teaching martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming both of these instructors taught at different schools and you went on to test them with a trial fight as you suggested, you'd probably pick Superman. And I'd say you were missing out, as the Wizard has trained many full-contact karate champions beyond his own abilities, including Superman himself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess what I'm saying is that you're approaching this problem from the wrong angle. Instead of figuring out a way to test instructors to know which is the best individual martial artist, you should be trying to figure out which instructor will be the best at unlocking their students' potential at a given point in time. In my previous examples, the best way to success would probably be to start training under Wizard, then &amp;quot;graduate&amp;quot; to Superman once you've reached a certain skill level. You'd reach the same potential, just faster than starting straight under Superman.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastEditorUserId="557" LastEditDate="2021-01-20T18:48:14.640" LastActivityDate="2021-01-20T18:48:14.640" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10375" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10373" CreationDate="2021-01-20T18:23:54.590" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The average age of medalists in Olympic Taekwondo is 24 years old for males, 23 years old for females. The medalists go up to over age 30.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3863920/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3863920/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The average age of the Olympic Taekwondo team for the U.S. is 27.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are competitors and medalists who are over age 30.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, you don't need to have started Taekwondo at age 6 in order to reach that level. Starting at age 14 is a little late, but not an insurmountable issue. The fact that you did karate for 4 years already says that you're already well on track. But even if you started with absolutely no experience whatsoever at age 14, you still have a chance to reach the national team level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you need to do is to find a coach that has reliably produced Taekwondo players that have gone on to the nationals. Without that, you probably won't get to that level. They can also listen to what your goals are and advise you after a short period of time training there as to whether or not you have what it takes. They can tell you what it takes to get there, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The truth is, the right coach can take someone with your experience level right now and train them up in just a few years to be nearly Olympic level. To get the extra 5% of performance that gets you to Olympic level, you'll take probably 4-6 more years after that. And if you do the math, that would put you right at the average age level of medalists in Olympic TKD.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But again, it's the coach that makes all the difference. If you want to reach Olympic level, you need the best trainer. You can't do it by yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll also need to dedicate your life to that pursuit, which for most people isn't realistic. At age 18, you'll be off to college (hopefully). And that's going to take up a ton of your time. You have 4 years to go before you reach that point. A lot can change in that time. So don't worry too much about it. Do what you want to do. Life is short, and you don't get too many chances to pursue your dreams as an adult.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do have one-on-one meetings with your coach on a regular basis, maybe once a week or once a month. It will be to go over what you need to work on individually. Always begin discussions by stating your goal and asking how to get there from here. You would definitely benefit from taking private lessons with your coach once a week or once every other week. More often if you can afford it. And you need to get out and do tournaments and make sure you're gaining a lot of experience. Pay close attention to your losses and what the other person did to win against you. Enlist other peoples perspectives, too. They will often see something you can't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And finally, I just want to add that there's a pretty big difference between what a 6 year old trains like and what a 14 year old trains like. Starting at age 6 doesn't mean much, really. At that age, they're not that serious about training. And their bodies are vastly different from a 14 year old's. They spar with other children, and competition at those ages is pretty weak. What you'll find if you start out as a 6 year old and continue with it until you're an adult is that the things you did as a kid don't really work as an adult. You'll realize you weren't so hot after all when you move on to the adult class. For you that means you can actually catch up with them, even starting at age 14, so long as you're highly motivated, train hard, and get the right coach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2021-01-21T16:04:03.157" LastActivityDate="2021-01-21T16:04:03.157" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10376" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-01-21T00:01:08.443" Score="-1" ViewCount="187" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are there Dance communities intent mostly on fitness within the martial arts spectrum that might be there to join and socialize within peaceful means instead of defense tactics?Are there links to persons that I could Martial Arts Dance with?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm 39 years old and have specialized in Martial Arts since the age of 7.  I trained and worked with some pretty big names in Martial Arts through the years and grew to hate the big screen because of the social implications fame has in 'entertainment' based Martial Arts.  I found a lot of peace in dance when I got upset about those Guardianship issues I get to deal with when someone famous is in on Martial Arts Security.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As things go I ran into a captivity situation about two and a half years ago where self defense tactic was a little useless because of the weopons used to threaten in the issue.  After then I have gotten into staying as calm and peaceful as I can and realize I like the fast pace of Martial Arts I just care to avoid absolutely the full sum of hand to hand defense tactic as a means to keep my mind set on peace.  When I thought on this I thought back to when I used to dance because of the fame issues, and later in life I used to Dance a lot with security teams and in one on one team based OVE joinings.  Since then the work is so much more built up on tactic, and there was a Dance movement of one kind I saw in the work processes of security I got going on still I don't have those communications now.  I'm looking to find OVE ones in Martial Arts style Dance because I need the heightened rate of intensity and bond of OVE of that kind of joining, in some way you could say as council after what I went through in the captivity issue.  Are there links to those that might could help me find a Martial Arts Dance community in my Home Area?...  ;I'm looking as in a Creator to establish full OVE based peace with no more involvement in situations that might include defense at all.  I've danced martial arts style dancing before still I have no one to dance with, and need to get in shape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11309" LastEditorUserId="11309" LastEditDate="2021-01-22T00:34:03.203" LastActivityDate="2021-02-21T02:07:00.663" Title="Is there Peace based Martial Arts style dance council and teamwork readily working?" Tags="|exercise|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10377" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-01-21T00:06:51.713" Score="1" ViewCount="204" Body="&lt;p&gt;as the title, i want to know the safety movements in using the forearms to attack, especially the one with the forearms weapon like in hung gar, i am not knowledgeable in unarmed fighting but i believe it risky in damaging the wrist or the forearms if not done right, or maybe correct me if i am mistaken, and if theres any difference in using pure metal bracelet (not the ring one, i remember the original or historical one is made from bronze with spike) rather than leather?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;here some forearms weapon example i can found.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;from: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.webmartial.com/en/martial-arts/wing-chun-jeet-kune-do/wing-chun-rings/metal-bracelet-nan-quan-hong-jia-quan-tie-xian-quan-3-sizes.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.webmartial.com/en/martial-arts/wing-chun-jeet-kune-do/wing-chun-rings/metal-bracelet-nan-quan-hong-jia-quan-tie-xian-quan-3-sizes.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/FchoA.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/FchoA.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;from:&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dragonsports.eu/en/11760-nan-quan-wrist-2.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.dragonsports.eu/en/11760-nan-quan-wrist-2.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/sPIS6.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/sPIS6.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;feel free to correct my grammar and the tag to be appropriate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10509" LastEditorUserId="10509" LastEditDate="2021-01-21T08:02:51.477" LastActivityDate="2021-01-21T08:02:51.477" Title="what are the safety movements/measures when using forearms to attack?" Tags="|kung-fu|safety|wing-chun|hung-gar|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10378" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10336" CreationDate="2021-01-21T19:44:49.377" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a somewhat ill-posed question, but I will try to frame it in a self-defense perspective. Disclaimer: I would consider myself an average marksman, not an expert by any means, but also an enthusiast in the limits of aspects of self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First of all, if we define the &amp;quot;effective range&amp;quot; of a pistol as the distance that can still injure a person, I have no reason to doubt &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the wiki entry&lt;/a&gt;. Of course, hitting the target is a strong function of experience and tools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, if the relative size of your front sight is reasonably smaller than or at worst, comparable to the size of your target, your sights are properly zeroed, you can hold the firearm sufficiently steady, and your action of pulling the trigger doesn't pull the sight away from the target, you have a good chance or hitting your target. This means that the longer the barrel, the more &lt;a href=&quot;https://eley.co.uk/precision-vs-accuracy-in-target-shooting/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;accurate&lt;/a&gt; you can be within reason. This is also a function of the burn time of the round inside the barrel, meaning that pistols, with their relatively short barrels won't typically achieve the maximum velocity and therefore range. I don't know if the amount of propellant in a 'typical' 9 mm round (for example) is matched to the burn time corresponding to the 'typical' barrel length? Perhaps someone can chime in about that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, from a self-defense perspective, effective range is coupled with how you behave when you get an adrenaline dump, how your weapon is stored/holstered and drawn, and how practiced you are at these motions with different types of clothing, as well as other potential environmental factors. I can speak from experience at a range when I was first starting to shoot, that picking up the gun from the table in front of me and firing one shot as quickly as possible at a target -- even only ~10 feet away, at least half the shots completely missed the paper.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Talking with more experienced shooters (i.e. law enforcement, and &amp;quot;gun people&amp;quot;) about effective distances with pistols, you essentially converge on a rough distance of ~20 yards (60 feet) - or the distance across a full volleyball court (lengthwise). Now, if you have the luxury of time in taking the shot, you can of course be much more accurate and precise at longer distances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7393" LastEditorUserId="7393" LastEditDate="2021-01-28T18:49:30.857" LastActivityDate="2021-01-28T18:49:30.857" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10379" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10326" CreationDate="2021-01-21T20:12:37.440" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although blade flex's primary role is durability, preventing the sword from bending/shattering/otherwise breaking...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;There is another benefit&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A certain degree of blade flex will also make cutting &lt;em&gt;easier,&lt;/em&gt; because your blade alignment doesn't have to be &lt;em&gt;perfect&lt;/em&gt;. This can be seen in test cutting, especially in slow-motion. More flexible swords (like tulwars/pulwar, Grosses Messer, etc.) are generally easier to cut with than stiffer ones (like a Katana).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As with everything everything, there is a happy medium to this property. To illustrate this, think of a sword coming down at some angle (not 90 deg) at a surface.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Too much flex causes the edge to flex when encountering a surface. The out-of-cutting-plane forces bend the blade (so it is no longer aligned with the force of the cut) and results in a shallow or no cut. Think about trying to cut with a piece of paper held on the far edge. It bends before it can do any damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Too much stiffness and your entire blade turns as it cuts. Those out-of-plane forces have to go somewhere: the stiffness means the forces result in movement, turning direction of the cut. You'll need to apply a counter force (specifically, a &lt;em&gt;torque&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;moment&lt;/em&gt;, but let's not be pedantic here) or the blade will be stuck, deformed, or deliver a shallow cut. This just makes cutting harder- more force needed or smaller acceptable cut angle!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So having a happy medium is important here. The correct degree of flex allows the out-of-plane forces to bend the blade, allowing the blade continue in the direction of the cut, while minimizing the twist from an off-nominal cut. This happy medium means it's easier to deliver a good cut.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As always, &lt;em&gt;other factors apply&lt;/em&gt;, including edge geometry, sharpness, blade cross-section, force applied (drawing/pushing/hewing), and the target itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2021-02-10T18:18:47.847" LastActivityDate="2021-02-10T18:18:47.847" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10380" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10376" CreationDate="2021-01-22T01:19:14.983" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hmm... some schools of Capoeira would fit the bill for you. Most of them still do the martial aspect, or at least teach you how to perform the movements martially, but the emphasis is not on striking the other person, or even on defeating them, but rather crafting a narrative with them, suiting your movements to there, trying to intermesh and create something greater than the sum of the parts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note, of course, that not all Capoeira schools practice non-competitive non-striking playing in the &lt;em&gt;roda&lt;/em&gt;. Some of them practice a very martial variant of it, and many have a very strong focus on showing off and gaining a high degree of athleticism. If you have a choice of schools, I would recommend focusing on &lt;em&gt;Angola&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;Benguela&lt;/em&gt; version &lt;em&gt;Regional&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;Contemporanea&lt;/em&gt; which tend to be faster and more martial.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-01-22T01:19:14.983" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10381" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-01-22T03:57:25.410" Score="6" ViewCount="1696" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm really interested in training Muay Thai, but I really want to avoid any brain trauma. If I spar only lightly (to the head) once a week, will I be able to train for years while staying healthy as I age?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11312" LastActivityDate="2021-03-29T03:09:42.173" Title="Is there a risk of brain trauma in light sparring Muay Thai?" Tags="|muay-thai|sparring|brain-injury|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10382" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10381" CreationDate="2021-01-22T11:18:47.410" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is an old russian wisdom - &amp;quot;who don't take risks would not drink champaign&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are aware of brain trauma, maybe it would be better to pick something other - without intensive full-contact punches to the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muay-Thai (along with boxing and KB) do allow strict strikes to the head with arms. And that work is usually very intensive. And, as long as head is a vulnerable part of body, most of punches are aimed to it. For me, working in M-T class without full head punching is like sitting in a car without starting engine. You may learn what is car as whole, but is it enough?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe you should pick up Taekwondo, or Karate - there are plenty of kicks and punches, which are, along with its effectiveness, just beautiful.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PS&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;If you still decide to get in - beware of &amp;quot;light sparring&amp;quot; - always be prepared that your sparring turn into a fight-till-ko, because both of you may engage and start hitting hard.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2021-01-22T11:38:38.850" LastActivityDate="2021-01-22T11:38:38.850" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10383" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10384" CreationDate="2021-01-22T12:32:31.180" Score="4" ViewCount="289" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am trying to better understand what usually happens from a medical stand point when a fighter (MMA, boxer or otherwise) is rendered unconscious during a bout. Although unrealistic, to simplify things and keep this question focused, let's assume that the fighter has no other injuries and has only been rendered unconscious eg. via a sleeper hold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this point what usually happens to them as they lay there? For example, if they do not regain consciousness on their own I would assume a medical team will start trying to resuscitate them immediately, or is that up to the fighter's team to have someone that can do that onboard? Once successfully resuscitating them, does the fighter then have to spend some mandatory time in a hospital or in the care of some other physician to make sure they're ok, or are they free to head on home straight after the bout?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been watching a few greatest MMA knockouts videos and it has made me wonder how on Earth some of those guys get home afterwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastActivityDate="2021-01-22T15:31:32.767" Title="When a fighter becomes unconscious in competition, what usually happens to them before they are medically clear to train and fight again?" Tags="|injury|safety|medical-advice|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10384" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10383" CreationDate="2021-01-22T15:31:32.767" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Any sanctioned event will have event medical staff on hand to revive competitors immediately if they do not regain consciousness on their own. Medical staff may recommend hospital treatment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two distinct cases for restricting activities afterward depending on how one becomes unconscious. I don't know what the guidelines are for MMA specifically, but here is what happens in boxing and judo:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;striking&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is what the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.englandboxing.org/rules-regs-resources/medical-guidelines/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;England boxing association says&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If a boxer suffers a knockout with [sic]&#xA;as a result of blows to the head or if the bout is stopped by the&#xA;referee because the boxer has received heavy blows to the head,&#xA;then the boxer may not take part in boxing or sparring for a period&#xA;of at least 30 days afterward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;choke&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/documents&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;International Judo Federation Sport and Organization Rules say&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If a cadet loses consciousness during shime-waza they are no longer able to&#xA;continue in the competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shime-waza are choking techniques, for example the sleeper hold, also known as the rear naked choke. Most competitions are one day only for competitors, and for most high level tournaments, if you lose once you are probably eliminated anyway (repechage starting from quarterfinals only).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As indicated by the difference in treatment, strikes to the head are considered very serious, while chokes are not as much. For a more complete discussion of choking and safety, see &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/33/5961&quot;&gt;How dangerous is it to choke someone unconscious or to be choked unconscious?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-01-22T15:31:32.767" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10385" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5203" CreationDate="2021-01-23T23:25:11.170" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;FALSE!&#xA;Yagyu Shinkage Ryu's living traditions do practice &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p70tobm4sA0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;left-handed techniques with the katana&lt;/a&gt;, including &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD105VjJpOA&amp;amp;t=44s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;left-handed iai&lt;/a&gt;.&#xA;In addition, &lt;a href=&quot;http://mahoroba.lib.nara-wu.ac.jp/y01/yagyu/index_eng.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the historical mokuroku/technique catalogues of the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu housed in Nara's Ikomayama Houzanji Temple dated to 1601&lt;/a&gt; clearly depicts the katana being held in two hands with left hand leading for the techniques 添截乱截/Tensetsu Ransetsu/&amp;quot;Concomitant Cutting, Riotous Cutting&amp;quot; and Mu-ni-ken/無二剣/&amp;quot;Matchless Sword&amp;quot; as well as a technique depicting katana and wakizashi with katana held in the left hand, 火乱房/Karanbo&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MDfPn.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MDfPn.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6Ww49.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6Ww49.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GrUu3.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GrUu3.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: Apparently this isn't just a Yagyu Shinkage Ryu thing; it is shown in earlier styles of kenjutsu.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://webarchives.tnm.jp/imgsearch/show/E0032812&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Some densho&lt;/a&gt;/&lt;a href=&quot;https://webarchives.tnm.jp/imgsearch/show/E0032842&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;technique catalogues&lt;/a&gt; housed in the Tokyo National Museum dated to the Azuchi-Momoyama period/Tensho 4-10/1576-1582 and attributed to the Aizu Kage Ryu, the Shinkage Ryu's predecessor style, also seems to show two techniques where an individual holds the sword in two hands with left hand leading:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/c6Sku.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/c6Sku.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/a2L5G.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/a2L5G.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11107" LastEditorUserId="11107" LastEditDate="2021-02-09T07:29:15.420" LastActivityDate="2021-02-09T07:29:15.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10386" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10389" CreationDate="2021-01-24T13:08:13.257" Score="2" ViewCount="219" Body="&lt;p&gt;I understand there are professional fights in which one of the fighters may suffer an injury but they continue to fight on and may even win the fight in the end. However at the same time, there is also a medical clearance process which checks if a fighter is medically fit (not injured) to take part in an upcoming bout. In MMA, my understanding is that there is a comprehensive physical done along with scans, x-rays etc, so the physician doing the check will have a very good idea of the fighter's health before making a decision.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like to know if there is a general threshold deemed acceptable for medical clearance, when a fighter has some injuries but is still able to fight? For example, if the physician knows/finds that a fighter has fractures or a recent dislocation that are still healing, would that generally be considered a no go for clearing them? Or are there circumstances where this kind of injury would be considered ok? Of course there would be a certain amount of pressure on the physician, especially if they are looking after someone famous, to provide the medical clearance, but I am looking at more of a perfect world scenario. This also assumes that the fighter themselves accepts the limitations that the injuries may put on them but still wants to go ahead anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastActivityDate="2021-01-26T11:06:08.720" Title="Can a fighter with a healing fracture or dislocation get medically cleared to fight?" Tags="|injury|safety|medical-advice|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10387" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4515" CreationDate="2021-01-25T01:17:09.160" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recommend you use proper fitting gloves which will help to reduce pain and injury while boxing. Don’t rush out and buy the first pair of &lt;a href=&quot;https://anyboxinggloves.com/best-boxing-gloves-for-training/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;boxing gloves&lt;/a&gt; you can find. A well-fitting glove can go a long way towards preventing injuries and keeping your hands safe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11318" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2021-01-25T12:19:28.763" LastActivityDate="2021-01-25T12:19:28.763" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10388" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-01-26T09:16:04.743" Score="3" ViewCount="212" Body="&lt;p&gt;How effective is it to do daily stretching for the legs in order to get a better foot technique for kicking, like in Karate or Taekwondo. Let's say, I am stretching my legs three times a day for about 5 minutes. Will this help me to improve my foot technique or is it even harmful for the tendons and muscles to do so? I'd love to hear some experiences people made.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11319" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-02-07T17:14:48.760" LastActivityDate="2021-02-07T17:14:48.760" Title="Better foot technique with daily stretching" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|kicking|stretching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10389" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10386" CreationDate="2021-01-26T11:06:08.720" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is my attempt at answering this question based on the research I have done, happy for others to comment or add another better answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.iscfmma.com/ISCFRules15.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this website&lt;/a&gt;, fractures incur a 180 day medical suspension, and joint injuries 60 day medical suspensions. Therefore the logical answer would be that clearance wouldn't be given until this period has lapsed, although the physician does still have the ability to clear a fighter before this time period.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mmamania.com/ufc-medical-suspensions-and-injuries&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This website&lt;/a&gt; is also a good reference as it has a list of recent medical suspensions and the injuries they are related to, including dislocations and fractures.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastActivityDate="2021-01-26T11:06:08.720" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10391" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10373" CreationDate="2021-01-28T14:17:45.657" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can assure you that it's definitely not to late to start with 14. Just one small example I know: We had a guy doing karate since he was 8. But he was really bad and didn't even fight at tournaments, because he was just to bad to compete with the others. Suddenly at age 14, everythnig changed. Suddenly, in a short time, he became one of the best fighters in the club and after one year, he was in the national team.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can be similar to your case, because you already have some martial arts skills and want to switch from karate to taekwondo. If you are talented and have a good instructor in a good club, which can offer you such things like attending at tournaments and more, then the only things you need are will, a lot of endurance and of course patience. If you have all of these things, then you also are able to reach such a goal like attending at the Olympics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wish you all the best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11319" LastActivityDate="2021-01-28T14:17:45.657" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10393" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10394" CreationDate="2021-02-02T17:20:24.103" Score="6" ViewCount="288" Body="&lt;p&gt;A few years ago my kung fu school developed a relationship with a local and well-regarded WTF Olympic Style Tae Kwon Do school and we initiated a technique-exchange of sorts. A technique we learned from them that got a lot of traction in our school is a short, quick roundhouse-style kick aimed near-exclusively at the midsection that you throw without the full rotation of the hips that accompanies a traditional roundhouse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The name I learned for this kick was something like &amp;quot;Pe Chagi.&amp;quot; The reason I say &amp;quot;something like&amp;quot; is because I am slightly hard of hearing and their instructor has a notable accent, so it's entirely possible that I was mishearing him. I can not find anything like this kick on any list of TKD kicks and my attempts to Google it by name have been entirely unsuccessful. It seems unlikely to me that this is something unique to this particular instructor as their school trains explicitly and successfully for international WTF competition. I'm hoping someone here can help me identify it and spell it correctly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="3105" LastActivityDate="2021-02-02T18:33:47.027" Title="Identify Mystery WTF TKD Kick" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|kicking|identification|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10394" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10393" CreationDate="2021-02-02T17:41:24.160" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You're probably referring to the &amp;quot;half turning kick&amp;quot; (sometimes called just the &amp;quot;turning kick&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;twisting kick&amp;quot;, or &amp;quot;45 degree kick&amp;quot;) which goes by various Korean names, depending on your organization: &amp;quot;bit chagi&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;paldung chagi&amp;quot;, or a &amp;quot;bandal chagi&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can see it here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su7NcOEiRgY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su7NcOEiRgY&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if that video doesn't exist anymore, here's another one showing this kick and some different ways to perform it and train for it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEiyiZZDrCU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEiyiZZDrCU&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The bit chagi is a cross between a front kick and a round kick. Instead of the full hip rotation, you're performing a half rotation. The kick lands on a 45 degree angle instead of a 90 degree angle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason why this kick exists is because it's faster and less telegraphed than the regular round kick. But the downside is that it's not as powerful. Less hip rotation means less power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as for pronunciation, you can hear it here on Google Translate:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://translate.google.com/?sl=ko&amp;amp;tl=en&amp;amp;text=%EB%B9%84%ED%8B%80%EC%96%B4&amp;amp;op=translate&amp;amp;hl=en&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://translate.google.com/?sl=ko&amp;amp;tl=en&amp;amp;text=%EB%B9%84%ED%8B%80%EC%96%B4&amp;amp;op=translate&amp;amp;hl=en&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is for the word &amp;quot;biteul-eo&amp;quot;, which translates for &amp;quot;twist&amp;quot;. The first part of the word sounds a bit like the English way of saying &amp;quot;peed&amp;quot;. You almost don't hear the &amp;quot;t&amp;quot; sound at the end, and so yes, it can easily be mistaken for &amp;quot;Pee&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2021-02-02T18:33:47.027" LastActivityDate="2021-02-02T18:33:47.027" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10395" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10388" CreationDate="2021-02-07T15:01:14.567" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would say there is a difference between good technique and properly performing high kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can develop good technique practicing with lower kicks.&#xA;For example, a side kick involves specific movements, from chambering to the final leg extension.&#xA;These technical movement can be trained at the height your comfortable with. That could be at knee height.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stretching will &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; improve your technique.&#xA;It will improve performing these techniques as high kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stretching alone is not enough enough for good high kicks.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;You need the proper muscles to be developed, and much of that happens while working on the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you need both if you want to develop good high kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Will stretching be harmful?&#xA;No if you don't overdo it.&#xA;Don't over value it, you don't have to do the splits for good high kicks.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;It reduces resistance slowing down the movement, but technique and all the necessary tiny muscles are more important in my experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-02-07T17:11:35.180" LastActivityDate="2021-02-07T17:11:35.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10396" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="207" CreationDate="2021-02-09T14:30:41.240" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;My dad injured his finger while firing from my sig mpx k. His finger accidentally went below the muzzle. It injured his finger and needed stitches. Good thing no tendons or nerves were damaged.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11364" LastActivityDate="2021-02-09T14:30:41.240" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10397" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10399" CreationDate="2021-02-13T22:42:50.577" Score="-2" ViewCount="842" Body="&lt;p&gt;If someone attacks you with nunchaku, what is the best way to defend yourself?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2021-02-14T18:17:49.003" Title="Is there an effective way to defend from a nunchaku?" Tags="|self-defense|nunchaku|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10398" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10397" CreationDate="2021-02-14T02:04:18.033" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just to get the obvious out of the way, your best defense against most attacks is to run and get help, maybe preceding it by delaying the other person by throwing something at them before running.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Outside of that, a lot of the defense will depend on the flexible nature of the nunchaku.  I'd say that your first priority is to have something other than your bare hands. Even something flexible like a belt or a scarf held between your hands gives you something to block with. As a flexible weapon, when blocked, the wielder loses some degree of control as it bounces back. If you have a longer weapon, like a broomstick, you can similarly take advantage of the flexible nature of the weapon by going on the attack. It's more difficult to generate enough energy to deflect (and again, upon using the nunchaku to deflect, you lose some control of the weapon for a time).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-02-14T02:04:18.033" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10399" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10397" CreationDate="2021-02-14T18:17:49.003" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with Macaco's answer. Just wanted to chime in with my own thoughts as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are generally five ways to use a nunchuck:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;For intimidation. Twirling any weapon around is scary to your opponent.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Flailing it around. The end of the nunchuck is used to strike your&#xA;opponent.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Using it as a solid stick instead of a flexible weapon. Usually you grab both sticks and use it like a short baton to thrust, smack, or use in grappling as leverage.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Using the chain part to wrap around wrists, ankles, and necks for various effects.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Throwing the nunchuck at someone to hurt or distract.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each of those tactics requires a response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But assuming we're in the free fighting range (nobody is grappling), and assuming he's flailing it around at you or intends to do so, and assuming you can't or don't want to run, you've got some options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One counter to a flailing nunchuck is to time the strikes. Nunchuck &amp;quot;twirling&amp;quot; is fast, but like with regular sparring, people are often repetitive. You can see their pattern and time a counter to it. &lt;b&gt;Half-beat timing&lt;/b&gt; is preferred. That means when you see him start to move, you move to counter. You want to connect with him at a time when he's vulnerable. That would be when he's past half-way into his technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So timing is very important, as always, in self-defense. It is perhaps the most important thing. In order to learn the timing, &lt;b&gt;you have to spar&lt;/b&gt;. There's no way around it. You can't learn timing while doing kata. You have to have someone in front of you actively trying to use that nunchuck on you. For that, you'll want to use practice chucks, which have foam padding. And you yourself should wear goggles and head/face/ear protection. Maybe add some MMA gloves as well, because you can still break fingers even on foam padded chucks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other thing to realize about nunchuck fighting is that their power greatly decreases the closer you become to your opponent. So if your timing fails, keep moving towards your opponent and stick to his torso. If he's smart, he'll stop flailing and then will switch to using the chain to wrap around your neck or putting both sticks together and using them like a solid baton to smash down on your head. This is where your grappling skill needs to come in. You need to neutralize the threat of that nunchuck. Don't let go, because as soon as you give him some space, he's going to go back to flailing. And if he's on the ground, your ankles are right there for him to attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's the thing, though, about grappling someone who has nunchucks: &lt;b&gt;They also have a knife hidden away.&lt;/b&gt; Or at least, that should be the assumption. You figure if he's so nonchalant about twirling around nunchucks in public, he's got a knife hidden on him. So if you do grapple with him, you're risking him tossing his nunchuck away or letting go of one stick, quickly grabbing out his knife, and stabbing you with it. So that's the risk of grappling in this situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, you'll need to incorporate this in your sparring to make sure you're aware of this problem and can address it. I can cut to the chase (no pun intended), and say: You will get cut a lot in sparring. It's going to become obvious that you're not very good at this. But the training can still save your life if you ever encounter this situation for real, so keep trying. You may get cut, but maybe the sparring will train you not to get cut in the worst ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of that is for unarmed self-defense against someone with a nunchuck when you can't run away. As always, if you're fighting unarmed against someone who is armed, you may need to improvise a weapon to neutralize his advantage. A shield is appropriate. Pick up a trash can lid or take off your jacket and use it. A long weapon is good to keep him away. Throw stuff at him to disrupt his flow and then rush him. Knives are always good to have on you if you end up grappling. Obviously, a gun is probably the most effective weapon to have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is all hypothetical. I don't hear of a lot of nunchuck fights out there. If anything, I sometimes hear about machetes. Sometimes I hear about some crazy guy with a sword, but nunchuck fights are even more rare than that. I think the reason for that is because most people can't use nunchucks effectively. When deciding how to prioritize your training time, this should be pretty low!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2021-02-14T18:17:49.003" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10400" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3004" CreationDate="2021-02-17T02:29:31.183" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my opinion to improve your jiu jitsu you need to train more jiu jitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can se  just  a few cases in which I think that  a parallel train could be indicated  for beginners in order to drsticaly improve its game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are a sedentary person, overweight or underweight person. The train should be focused on strengthening, in order to avoid injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your strength and conditioning are ok,  you will evolve much faster, if you focus on training jiu jitsu. (GI and no GI).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disclaimer&lt;/strong&gt;: I'm not telling you not to do a parallel strength and conditioning workout. I'am just saing that in my opinion if you are a beginner, I believe that if you force your energy just in jiu jitsu it will help you evolve much faster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In practice: if your strength and conditioning are ok, it is better to choose to train BJJ 5 times a week than just 3 in exchange for 2 strength and conditioning sections.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When is strength and conditioning training welcome?&lt;/strong&gt;: Im my  opinion if you are up to purple belt and you’re a competitor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To finish, some quotes:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Carson gracie trainer of great BJJ fighters&#xA;used to say: If you want conditioning for BJJ then  roll with all of your training buddies in every session .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Victor Doria a great BJJ champion (actually living in the USA) usually says:&#xA;if you want to become strong in BJJ then you have to do strength during training.&#xA;(In a technical way)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10708" LastEditorUserId="10708" LastEditDate="2021-02-17T15:21:33.137" LastActivityDate="2021-02-17T15:21:33.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10401" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1731" CreationDate="2021-02-18T01:50:14.817" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is a design I created in the 1990s using CAD software. I have used it for decades to break 1x12 common pine boards in stacks of 1 to 10.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Enjoy,&#xA;-Peter&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;http://world.std.com/%7Epce/holder1a.ps&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://world.std.com/~pce/holder1a.ps&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11373" LastActivityDate="2021-02-18T01:50:14.817" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10402" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-02-19T20:21:03.253" Score="3" ViewCount="148" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since the start of the pandemic, I have had a lack of people to fight. In any case, those that do want to fight don't want to come within 6 feet of me. :D&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Additionally, pole-arms are not as studied as I wish and can quickly become deadly!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So this leaves me to train on my own. I am aware and use the &lt;a href=&quot;https://lansinglongsword.wixsite.com/website/single-post/2018/03/22/using-the-meyer-square&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Meyer Square&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://swordschool.com/wiki/index.php/Farfalle_di_Ferro&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Farfalle di Ferro&lt;/a&gt;, but I am looking to make a pell and give myself something else to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any known historic documents/treatises on training with a pell or other self-training techniques?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastActivityDate="2021-02-19T20:21:03.253" Title="HEMA Pells and Self-Training" Tags="|self-training|historic-european|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10404" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1317" CreationDate="2021-02-23T01:01:45.243" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Traditional TKD is very different than Olympic TKD. I started when I was 5 and am 35 now. The last time I competed in competition TKD was 2014. I tore my ACL and planned to come back to compete but when I saw what Olympic style had turned in to, I realized it wasn’t worth it. Olympic style TKD is HORRENDOUS now bc of the scoring system, it’s truly awful to watch. And that’s the main reason TKD gets such a bad rep when it comes to whether it’s good for self defense. I trained at a school that taught both styles and was exposed to copious striking, grappling, and submissions. I wouldn’t seek out an MMA fighter but if I found myself in a fight with one, I would be better equipped than someone who only knows the competition style. Money has completely ruined Olympic style TKD and it deserves to be ridiculed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11389" LastActivityDate="2021-02-23T01:01:45.243" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10405" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-02-25T17:56:12.533" Score="1" ViewCount="658" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a mild case of flat feet (like, I reckon, 1 on the picture below). I'm also often kind of awkward in my movements when performing high kicks and occasionally have balance issues (I don't fall to the ground altogether but sometimes fail to complete the movements smoothly). Come to think of it, not only high kicks. When I perform ushiro geri, I notice that my supporting foot often tilts onto the outer edge making my stance less stable (I'm not sure whether it has anything to do with my flat feet or is a separate condition). Since I've had years of practice (including the fact that I've been practicing at home on my own for just about the last four years), I've started to think that it's not my fault, and the two problems, flat feet and the described flaws in my technique, are connected. Are they? I shouldn't blame myself, should I? I'll never achieve really good results without treatment, shall I?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9rxza.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9rxza.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10664" LastActivityDate="2021-03-01T10:15:38.107" Title="Can flat feet hinder my performance in martial arts?" Tags="|karate|kicking|balance|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10407" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10405" CreationDate="2021-02-26T11:26:59.097" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This has nothing to do with flat feet. If it would, you would tilt your ankle &lt;strong&gt;inwards&lt;/strong&gt; since flat feet are about a lack of supportive structures on the inner side of your feet. What you experience is a tilt &lt;strong&gt;outwards&lt;/strong&gt;, which does tell me that you actually &lt;strong&gt;lack&lt;/strong&gt; weight on your foot and, thus, it is about your technique and not your medical condition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, if you have problems with ushiro geri like the ones you describe, this is either due to bad technique because you do not set the foot correctly and move weight on it to have proper grounding and hip rotation, resulting in balance issues, or it is due to bad technique coming from focusing on height instead of technique but not supported by the flexibility needed. Probably a bit of both factors. Proper technique is much more important than height.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have flat feet, I used to lack flexibility (especially in the hip), I had similar problems. What you need for a good ushiro geri is an instructor who improves your technique and constantly reminds you of your faults, and a stretching regimen. Having trained bad habits for four years on your own means you will need &lt;strong&gt;lots&lt;/strong&gt; of training time to get rid of them. Training science assumes 2-4 times as many repetitions as you did incorrectly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said: You can do something about flat feet and strengthen the arch of your foot and the ankle as well, even if it will not better your technique as such. It can support proper technique later, though. Balance boards (used on one leg) or simply standing on a soft surface on one leg for extended periods of time (until you can make ~60-90 seconds, 3-5 sets), at first statically and later with moving the other leg around slowly into all directions (keeping the upper body upright, shoulders horizontally, going down into the knee but not below 90 degrees if possible), helps to train the muscular structure that stabilises the foot and ankle, up to your hip. Bobbing on the ball of the foot (soft surface, heel not touching the surface, make sure you do not make evasion movements to the outer edge of the foot and distribute weight equally across the front of the foot) strengthens the muscular structures of your midfoot and stabilisation by the toes and ankle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-03-01T10:15:38.107" LastActivityDate="2021-03-01T10:15:38.107" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10411" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-03-04T04:35:19.833" Score="2" ViewCount="129" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have ordered 200 kg density judo mats with standard specification of 2X1meterX50MM. But I am confused if the material is ideal, and I am confused whether density depends upon weight? Or does it depend upon the foam?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please help me understand this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11409" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2021-03-04T14:46:35.633" LastActivityDate="2021-03-04T16:22:48.457" Title="How to identify density" Tags="|training|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10412" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10411" CreationDate="2021-03-04T15:59:54.413" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martial-mats.co.uk/density/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;it's part marketing and part science&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The foam density is not in fact a weight but a measurement of mass per unit of volume and it is measured in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m3)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, the higher the density of foam, the greater level of impact resistance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The impact resistance is the ability to push back against weight and prevent the foam from bottoming out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the surface, it seems straightforward. Higher density mats would resist stronger forces. However, this measurement is actually of the mat density, not of the forces that it opposes. A slab of granite will resist a lot of weight before bending, but does not make the best mat. More important, as also covered on that page, is elasticity/hardness, which appears to be measured in degrees, probably &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shore_durometer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Shore hardness&lt;/a&gt; although they don't specify which scale is being used. That will measure how deep the mat will bend before resisting the full weight. Apparently, a good mat is somewhere in between 35 and 45 degrees. That creates a firm surface that is safe to walk on, but one that is yielding enough that it will reduce the force of impact when you fall on the mat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TL;DR, measuring density is just a matter of dividing the mass by volume, but will probably not tell you all that much about mat suitability, and measuring Shore Hardness requires specialized instruments.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-03-04T16:22:48.457" LastActivityDate="2021-03-04T16:22:48.457" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10414" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9255" CreationDate="2021-03-18T17:06:07.947" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The only person who can answer this question is Grandmaster who is no longer with us. But his son is. Also, anyone who has practiced Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan for 10 years or more can explain the connect between Tai Chi and Tang Soo Do. I will leave you with this - It very important to understand the underlining philosophy of any martial art style in order to see its roots. Tang So Do or Soo Buk Do is based on the theory of Yin – Yang. To express this philosophy in your movement, it takes many years of training and a ponderance of this theory. No way around it - time in study and practice opens your understanding of how all things work together.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11440" LastActivityDate="2021-03-18T17:06:07.947" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10415" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9589" CreationDate="2021-03-19T16:21:36.310" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Giving an Honest opinion I would say, yes, big boobs will prevent a person from fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boobs are practically testicles on a female chest.  If you hit it hard enough, it will stop a woman entirely. Women who undergo breast modifications have often reported to have increased sensitivity in the area or reduced to none.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the balance, they spent their entire life having to balance with extra weight and it would but no different as training with a weighted vest.  However, grappling becomes an issue because the person has spent their entire life reaching over to avoid the breasts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Big boobs reduces fighting capability and becomes an easy target of pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11442" LastActivityDate="2021-03-19T16:21:36.310" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10416" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9589" CreationDate="2021-03-19T16:48:34.420" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think there are bunch of ways to handle this kind of 'problem'. I know some girls use elastic band to make their trainings comfortable&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11443" LastActivityDate="2021-03-19T16:48:34.420" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10417" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="61" CreationDate="2021-03-21T08:50:03.377" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am the Author of the Martial Arts Notation series of e-books available at Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes and Noble... et cetera... I have invented a cheap, easy to read and write notation system that will teach you to play your body to the notes as if it were a musical instrument. With my system you can become more ambidextrous, learn the rudiments of percussion, odd time signatures and syncopation to surprise your opponent with off time combinations... and of course you can write down your moves for posterity. Just look for Martial Arts Notation, Book 1 to get started, cheers!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/t5ORZ.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/t5ORZ.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Sample of Martial Arts Notation , Copyright M.A.S.MEDIA INC. 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B08WL7XTM2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WL7XTM2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It will teach you to read and write body movement sequences while becoming as ambidextrous as a jazz drummer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11445" LastEditorUserId="11450" LastEditDate="2021-04-01T14:22:36.027" LastActivityDate="2021-04-01T14:22:36.027" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10418" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10289" CreationDate="2021-03-23T05:33:02.240" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If there's one thing I've learned from watching lots of UFC/MMA - it's that it is one of the most exciting sports &lt;em&gt;because anyone can beat anyone&lt;/em&gt;. Why? knocking someone out is just one good punch away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this guy had a natural talent for clocking people on exactly right spot: on their jaw line with a great straight striking technique or accurate haymaker, or temple again with a swinging haymaker: then of course he could floor people in an instant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Power, size and weight count for sure. But great technique can also surpass any of these.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strength generally isn't a factor, but &lt;strong&gt;weight&lt;/strong&gt; can be. And everyone has a different &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mmahive.com/best-body-type-for-mma/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;body type&lt;/a&gt; which changes their weight transfer. When you swing a limb you simply have more weight force behind it due to the weight of the rest of your body. If you can even half throw a punch properly, that weight is transferring through the fist/hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Precision and accuracy matter a lot! Getting someone in those right spots can floor someone in an instant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They stop fights as soon as this happens because that person is in an incredibly vulnerable position as soon as they get knocked down. Their brain has switched off for a moment to protect itself, and now they have no control for protection (even some flailing arms in the way can counter a lot more damage) and their brain state is also just very vulnerable to more permanent damages.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have sparred opponents in training MMA/boxing and there is a very different feeling between taking heavy shots in areas that can take it (arms, chest, stomach to a degree) if you're protecting properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But whenever I've been cracked on the chin in the right way, even without much power and just good timing, I've been literally spun around in place from the effect. You notice exactly what its like to get caught right on the chin just once vs receiving a lot of blows whilst hands up and protected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11449" LastActivityDate="2021-03-23T05:33:02.240" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10419" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10298" CreationDate="2021-03-23T06:17:29.517" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Been training MMA, boxing, Muay Thai for a couple years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel like leaning is an extension of hip flexibility, power and (for lack of a better word) &lt;em&gt;snappiness&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Great dodge is a combination of: head movement, footwork and the hip lean that you seem to be describing. I think that it all comes together.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Moving your head out of the way seems like a head movement, when in fact a slip or a roll &lt;strong&gt;is all in the hips&lt;/strong&gt;. Everything else just moves along with it or gets out of the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think about pivoting on your front foot, or stepping into a 90 turn - there's a lot of hip focus particularly in the latter. The rear leg steps out to one side and slightly forward to make the turn. You turn with your hips, which brings your entire body into a new advantageous position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The slip is a bend in the knees and a slight twist to one side from the hips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In boxing training, everything you do from footwork to the perfect strike - it's all in the hips. Turn the hip just enough to maximise the reach and power of the jab, turn the other hip more into the straight right to generate maximum output with minimum force required.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are practicing the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mmahive.com/how-to-become-a-better-fighter/#keys-to-being-a-good-fighter&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;keys to be a good fighter&lt;/a&gt; like proper hip movement in all these things, then you are training the stamina, strength, burst and flexibility of your hip muscles. I know this because mine still burn like hell to this day if I have been going hard at perfecting a striking or footwork drill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11449" LastActivityDate="2021-03-23T06:17:29.517" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10421" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10423" CreationDate="2021-03-24T13:51:36.893" Score="5" ViewCount="3038" Body="&lt;p&gt;I just had a weird thought... We now have a kind of technology that cushions impacts called non Newtonian fluids.  Is there a reason we are not yet making judo mats using these materials?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They have been used for helmets and military body armour so why not judo mats?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-03-25T02:36:19.800" LastActivityDate="2021-03-25T02:36:19.800" Title="Could Non Newtonian fluids make better judo mats?" Tags="|judo|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10422" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10421" CreationDate="2021-03-24T14:37:34.623" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Those of you who aren't familiar with the concept of Non-Newtonian Fluids, the thing to realize is that they are fluid or solid depending on the stress exerted on them. If you fill a swimming pool with a non-Newtonian fluid, you'll be able to walk right across it. So long as you remain in motion, it will support your weight. As soon as you stop, however, you'll sink. It's a bizarre property of matter that's usually outside of our own everyday experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so a non-Newtonian fluid will act solid or liquid depending on the forces exerted on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can see a good demonstration in the video below:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIUEZ3AhrVE&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIUEZ3AhrVE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Could you use it as a cushion in the same way foam rubber sheeting is used in Judo mats? I don't think it has ever been done, but I can guess as to why that may be. If you think about it, you don't want something that feels solid when you're impacting on it. You want to feel some give. A non-Newtonian fluid would react to a falling judoka by feeling as hard as a brick at first. Then a few seconds later, it will feel squishy and will displace around the judoka.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So for padding impacts, it fails.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, if you're just walking across a hypothetical mat filled with a non-Newtoninan fluid, it's going to be fine. You'll feel like there's solid ground under you. But as soon as you stop, your feet will squish in to the mat, leaving your feet in a 2 inch depression. That's a tripping hazard and a good way to stub your toe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, foam rubber is dry. If you puncture or rip that judo mat, the worst that happens is you expose some of the foam rubber material inside. There are vinyl repair kits that easily seal that hole. But if it's filled with a non-Newtonian fluid, it will just leak right out with the first tiny puncture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So to answer the question, no, I don't believe this could be used in judo mats very effectively. You could try to do a kind of hybrid material of some sort which combines a foam scaffolding with some kind of non-Newtonian fluid. But it's hard to see how that would be an improvement over what already exists. And you would still have problems with leaks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2021-03-24T14:37:34.623" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10423" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10421" CreationDate="2021-03-25T00:33:52.497" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are non-Newtonian fluids that get harder when stressed (like cornflour and water), and there are others that get softer when stressed (like tomato ketchup, that acts solid until you apply stress by shaking it when it turns liquid and runny). There may be potential in filling a judo mat with the latter type of fluid, in that it will be a hard and solid surface when walked on, but will soften if hit with a hard impact. The big problem with fluids is that they can be slow to return to their original shape, and they're messy if they leak.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A better option is nonlinear elasticity in solids. A linear solid follows Hooke's law and stretches or compresses in proportion to the force applied, but then returns to its original shape when the force is removed. A nonlinear spring can be either hardening (it gets stiffer the more it is stretched or compressed) or softening (it gets less stiff the more it is stretched or compressed). A mat made of softening springs could be hard when walked on, but would soften when hit by a large force. And when the force was removed, it would spring back into shape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They can be constructed using various combinations of rigid and elastic materials. For example, if you consider a rigid rod and push inwards along its length, it is stiff, but if you rotate it and push inwards, it rotates further and is increasingly easy to push. Connect it with elastic to top and bottom surfaces, and you can see that at the start a small downward compression stretches the elastic a lot, but as the rigid rod approaches horizontal, the elastic hardly changes in length any more, and doesn't require much extra force. Theoretically possible, but I'd guess is probably more complicated and expensive to manufacture than it is worth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GloJE.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GloJE.png&quot; alt=&quot;Soft spring mechanism&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11457" LastActivityDate="2021-03-25T00:33:52.497" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10424" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10069" CreationDate="2021-03-29T02:49:55.260" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I people don't mind an answer from a college A&amp;amp;P professor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First thing to know is that there are two parts to answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are asking if the biceps Brachi is used by the punching hand when the punch is going out then the answer is no. Think of the exercises that make your biceps sore, they are pulling in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the size in general does aid in power because of the idea of Kinetic energy.  If you keep the same velocity in your punch, and a stronger biceps is bigger (not always the case) then, as the punch carries more weight, it will have more energy behind it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope this helps&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11473" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2021-03-29T15:49:33.917" LastActivityDate="2021-03-29T15:49:33.917" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10425" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10381" CreationDate="2021-03-29T03:09:42.173" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you read the more recent studies (which the NFL hid for a long time) they find that head trauma is additive and even mild hits can lead to damage.  If you go to pubmed.gov and look up Mild traumatic head injuries you will get many peer-reviewed articles on that.  hope this helps&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11473" LastActivityDate="2021-03-29T03:09:42.173" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10426" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10428" CreationDate="2021-03-30T02:30:32.263" Score="3" ViewCount="118" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recall learning a bit of kung fu as a kid, and each of the forms starting with an introductory motion with at least one hand making a circle and the body ending up at something like this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/1DKjb.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/1DKjb.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is from an online modeling app that I found, but it lacked certain features to get it totally right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The fist should be turned sideways.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The palm should face the direction of the fist.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The head should face the direction of the fist.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Legs and feet together, standing straight.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's possible I'm misremembering some details.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone know what style of kung fu forms these were?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11475" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-03-30T13:22:43.817" LastActivityDate="2021-03-30T21:08:37.590" Title="What style of kung fu forms begin with legs straight, a fist in a fully extended sidepunch, and the other hand in an open palm by the shoulder?" Tags="|kung-fu|forms|identification|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10427" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10426" CreationDate="2021-03-30T13:32:46.537" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;My first reaction is &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changquan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;long fist (&lt;em&gt;chang quan&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/a&gt;, which is generally taught first in modern wushu. This position is not exclusive, however, so there are other possibilities as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-03-30T21:08:37.590" LastActivityDate="2021-03-30T21:08:37.590" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10428" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10426" CreationDate="2021-03-30T14:20:56.947" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Given how common Tan Tui drills are, that's probably what you were doing. It's from the Long Fist (chang quan) lineage:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fict-rt_a1I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fict-rt_a1I&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tan Tui sets are used to teach basic footwork, stances, and strikes. It's given to beginner students usually before moving on to full forms. There are typically 12 of these that are performed, with movement usually on a straight line across the floor. You'll see these sets in styles founded on the Jing Wu curriculum. You'll see it in Chang Quan. I learned it while studying Mi Tsung Lo Han kung-fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2021-03-30T14:26:49.237" LastActivityDate="2021-03-30T14:26:49.237" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10434" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9201" CreationDate="2021-04-04T10:07:20.133" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tai Chi uses the old taoist method of &amp;quot;turtle-breathing&amp;quot;. This breathing method embodies the named qualities. The turtle was considered a sacred animal in ancient China, notably because of its longevity. The taoists thought of the turtle's special slow breathing as its secret to its longevity:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;fine&lt;/strong&gt;: don't breathe large amounts of air, breathe like through a straw.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;long&lt;/strong&gt;: the stream of air should be continuous over a long time (a specific number of seconds).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;calm&lt;/strong&gt;: the state of mind should be calm, so should the breathing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;slow&lt;/strong&gt;: the breathing should be slower than &amp;quot;natural&amp;quot; breathing. One wants to slow down the breathing intentionally to get the desired effect and mental state.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not read Chinese, so I don't know exactly what the distinction between the four terms are in the Chinese original. As you can see, with the English terms the meaning overlaps, with an understanding of the Chinese terms I could probably give a more precise answer. But you get the idea, we don't need to split hairs to understand the right way to practice!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9829" LastActivityDate="2021-04-04T10:07:20.133" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10435" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6296" CreationDate="2021-04-04T10:20:33.257" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is not harmful to close your eyes when you train!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, traditionally one should train with the eyes open (I speak of the Yang-Style, I don't really know about Chen-Style but I presume it's the same). This has to do with Yee (awkwardly translated to &amp;quot;intention&amp;quot;) and Yee is closely related to the eyes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In sitting meditation, most of the perception and concentration goes to the inside, so it's ok to close the eyes. In standing or moving meditation, there should be an increasing amount of awareness (for Chi, breathing and internal connections) on the inside but never as much as in sitting meditation, for this reason, the eyes should stay open.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might also notice that in standing meditation or doing the form, the postures tend to lose their frame with the eyes closed. You don't notice this yourself, you have to have someone watching you or recording yourself on camera.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With this in mind, there is a valid reason to train with closed eyes: to get a good sense of balance without the help of the eye-sight. Normally we use reference points we see to adjust our balance. But our body also has its own balance receptors, in the ears but also the proprioception in the joints. You can train these in doing the form or other exercises with the eyes closed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9829" LastActivityDate="2021-04-04T10:20:33.257" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10436" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10439" CreationDate="2021-04-04T14:34:43.667" Score="8" ViewCount="568" Body="&lt;p&gt;In our class, the benefits of yelling/shouting, i.e. Kihap, in sparring are sometimes pointed out. If yelling is so beneficial, why MMA fighters don't yell often? Or do they?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9518" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-20T16:57:07.530" LastActivityDate="2021-11-18T14:24:28.753" Title="If yelling is so good, why MMA fighters don't yell often" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|mixed-martial-arts|sparring|breathing|kiai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10438" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10314" CreationDate="2021-04-05T06:08:39.223" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrestling and judo were not unknown, but particularly outside of Olympic season generally weren't featured much.  Pancrase, shootwrestling etc. were largely a curiosity among pro wrestling enthusiasts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BJJ was featured in movies like Lethal Weapon but exploded after UFC1.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11340" LastActivityDate="2021-04-05T06:08:39.223" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10439" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10436" CreationDate="2021-04-05T23:58:59.107" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;As per &lt;a href=&quot;https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/why-no-karate-kiai-in-mma.2231409/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the provided link&lt;/a&gt;, there's a number of factors going on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;First of all, a &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt; is as much about a forceful exhalation and a focus of purpose as it is actually yelling. Many of the fighters do just that, grunting or exhaling on a heavy strike without actually yelling.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;One of the other purposes of a &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt; is to startle the opponent. In the Octagon, most fighters are prepared for battle, so to speak, so there are less likely to startle if someone yells.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There is also the cultural difference that many people get into MMA from boxing, which doesn't tend to do the yelling thing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt; is often done on a single decisive strike, something that a TMA like Karate tends to emphasize whereas MMA tends to focus on multiple successive blows.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lastly, the traditional &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt; in martial arts, especially during forms, is often used as much to synchronize movements (or to indicate such precision) as to actually generate power to attack.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-11-18T14:24:28.753" LastActivityDate="2021-11-18T14:24:28.753" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10440" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9882" CreationDate="2021-04-14T18:53:17.083" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The most comprehensive manual seems to be &lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.org/details/dli.csl.6009&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Science of Wrestling, Vol. 1&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (1927). It details throws, pins, chokes, joint locks, counters, combinations, and entries:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/DgFfR.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QC3En.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/24W8f.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/j88x5.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Further resources are detailed below:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Textbooks&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pehlwani: Identity, Ideology and the Body of the Indian Wrestler, &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6ZRHAQAAMAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Vol. 1&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=nZRHAQAAMAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Vol. 2&lt;/a&gt; (1989)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Wrestling_in_Indi.html?id=tBuySgAACAAJ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wrestling in Indi: Indian Wrestlers, Indian Wrestling Coaches, Pehlwani&lt;/a&gt; (2010)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft6n39p104;brand=eschol&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Wrestler's body: Identity and Ideology in North India&lt;/a&gt; (1992)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Documentaries&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.panjabiwrestling.org.uk/film.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Punjabi Wrestling&lt;/a&gt; (2019)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-14T20:33:36.330" LastActivityDate="2021-04-14T20:33:36.330" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10441" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9872" CreationDate="2021-04-14T19:10:41.273" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, both strangles and joint-locks are traditional techniques in various schools of Indian wrestling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, in some schools there are restrictions on their use and they may only be employed as compliance techniques to manipulate the opponent into a pin (as in collegiate wrestling), as opposed to submitting outright (like in judo, bjj):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We find four principle schools of Wrestling viz:-&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hanumanti ,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jambuwanti,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jarasandhi and&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bhimseni.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The holds referred to in this volume belong to the last school. The feature of the branch concerned in this book is the entire absence of the old 'fury' element as its code strictly prohibits foul holds, butting, picking, &lt;strong&gt;strangling, bone-breaking&lt;/strong&gt; and deliberate attempts to disable an opponent (when a fall could under no circumstances be secured.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.org/details/dli.csl.6009/page/n9/mode/2up&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Science of Wrestling, Vol. 1&lt;/a&gt; (1927).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nonetheless the above volume details several strangle and joint-lock techniques:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/dU2Lr.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/dU2Lr.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xCAy4.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xCAy4.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zEvLA.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zEvLA.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/XmnmH.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/XmnmH.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/RpmTW.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/RpmTW.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/hvsj6d/rnc_in_a_kushti_book_of_techniques_from_1927/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Rear naked choke&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Rear Naked choke&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.grapplearts.com/the-ancient-vale-tudo-of-india-vajramushti/#&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Omoplata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Triangle&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-18T08:17:33.430" LastActivityDate="2021-04-18T08:17:33.430" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10442" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2021-04-15T05:10:27.973" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pehlwani&lt;/strong&gt;, also known as &lt;strong&gt;kushti&lt;/strong&gt;, is a form of wrestling contested in the Indian subcontinent. It migrated to Indian subcontinent from Western Asia with Parsi refugees in 7th century, and again more impactfully with the Mughals who conquered parts of India. In Indian subcontinent these Persian wrestling traditions mixed with the older native Indian malla-yuddha fighting style, forming the current style of Pehlwani wrestling. The words pehlwani and kushti derive from the Persian terms &lt;em&gt;pahlavani&lt;/em&gt; (heroic) and &lt;em&gt;koshti&lt;/em&gt; (wrestling, lit. killing) respectively, meaning Heroic wrestling. It is likely that the word derives from the Iranian word &amp;quot;Pehalavi&amp;quot; denoting to people of Iranian descent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-15T05:10:27.973" LastActivityDate="2021-04-15T05:10:27.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10443" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2021-04-15T05:10:27.973" Score="0" Body="Indian grappling art. Also known as kushti." OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-15T05:10:27.973" LastActivityDate="2021-04-15T05:10:27.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10447" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10449" CreationDate="2021-04-15T22:07:40.407" Score="4" ViewCount="124" Body="&lt;p&gt;It’s well known that having a full stomach, or worse being bloated, can impact coordination, balance, posture, response times, etc... in a wide range of activities. So I’m curious as to how the opposite condition would affect martial arts activities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would it even be noticeable to someone trained or under duress?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11238" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T01:07:50.107" Title="How important is an empty stomach?" Tags="|training|safety|balance|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10448" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10450" CreationDate="2021-04-15T23:35:55.193" Score="6" ViewCount="18148" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am working on a piece of fiction with a knife fight and I would like the action to slowly escalate rather than the first stab ending everything, even though that is most likely in real life. Therefore I would like to get a general idea of areas of the body where a knife stab would allow the injured to keep on fighting. The knives would be small knives if that helps eg. like a standard steak knife. I am guessing it would be important to avoid all the major arteries and organs, but looking at the diagram below I cannot see much &amp;quot;real estate&amp;quot; to work with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I look forward to your suggestions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6zz0d.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6zz0d.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastActivityDate="2024-03-31T03:19:51.653" Title="What are generally non-lethal stab areas on the body?" Tags="|injury|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10449" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10447" CreationDate="2021-04-16T01:31:51.940" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer should be pretty obvious to anyone who's had bloating. Yes, it does affect your martial arts performance. It would affect your performance in class as well as in a real fight or self-defense situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bloating is caused by gas that's trapped in your intestines. The gas is generated by bacteria consuming your poop. It can last hours, until the bacteria run out of whatever they're eating, or until you get rid of the solid waste.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because the gas irritates the walls of your intestines, it triggers your intestines to secrete mucous and water. That, in turn, causes more bacteria to grow, more gas, and more pain. Worse, it can cause acute diarrhea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in the worst case, you will not be able to move. Your gut will hurt too much, or you're going to fear having an accident in your pants.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A full stomach, however, is a much different situation. You're just feeling stuff sloshing around in your stomach. It goes away within an hour as your stomach partially empties into your small intestines. No big deal. But some have been known to vomit if they get kicked in the stomach too hard right after a big meal. Or if they go too hard on their own selves in training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have painful bloating after meals, see a gastroenterologist to help you diagnose the issue. It's not normal. And the cause can vary. The obvious way to mitigate it is just to avoid eating 3-6 hours before training. And continue to drink water.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2021-04-16T01:31:51.940" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10450" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10448" CreationDate="2021-04-16T10:00:35.080" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Erm...it is &lt;strong&gt;really&lt;/strong&gt; hard to stab someone once so that it is lethal within, say, 30 Minutes. People can go on fighting with 10+ stab wounds for quite some time and the rib cage is quite a good protection.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words: Your assumption is flawed. It is hard to stab deeply in a fight. It is hard to get by the ribs. It is hard to inflict a lethal injury. Stabs generally are not used to end a fight with a knife instantly. If you want to end it fast, you stab, turn, and rip the knife out at very specific areas in very specific ways and angles. Seriously, it is quite common that people go on fighting and &lt;em&gt;realise&lt;/em&gt; they have been stabbed only after the adrenaline levels go down and the shock sets in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That does in no way mean that stab wounds are to be taken lightly, they will require medical attention as fast as possible. And there can be cases where, say, the liver or kidneys are ruptured or lungs, heart, or major blood vessels are punctured. This can lead to unconsciousness or death within minutes due to &lt;strong&gt;massive&lt;/strong&gt; internal bleeding and asphyxiation. This is more common when using a relatively thin, yet stable and long knife like a filleting knife, not so much when using standard pocket or steak knives. In any case, it's not like in the movies where a single stab with a small knife will cause people to stop fighting, make a surprised expression, and go down dying. Just like people won't die because of 10 or even 30 seconds of strangulation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said: Don't even think about using a knife in a fight. It will cause legal problems. It will cause others to use knives and guns. It will escalate towards lethal violence. There is no rational reason I can think of to carry a knife for self-defense purposes. Whenever you get yourself into a knife fight, you basically have to accept that you will end up in a hospital or a grave. A knife is a &lt;em&gt;tool&lt;/em&gt;, even if a comparatively dangerous and naturally handled one. But since they are also widespread, they seldom give a significant &lt;em&gt;advantage&lt;/em&gt;.&#xA;Swords, spears, bows, and guns are &lt;em&gt;weapons&lt;/em&gt; which give you a significant advantage in combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As of a story telling perspective, I recommend starting with swinging motions, ie. cutting. Cuts rarely go through simple shirts, but feeling the pressure of the edge can be pretty intimidating. Followed be superficial, bleeding (but relatively harmless) cuts on exposed body parts like the arms, this can be a mess without being even remotely lethal. Only after that I would recommend alternating cutting and stabbing patterns which lead to deeper wounds which eventually wear out the physical abilities of the fighters. Maybe even with severing eg. a shoulder or chest tendon/muscle which renders an arm useless and forces the fighter to change the hand etc. Depending on whether one outskills the other or they are evenly matched this opens more than enough time and escalation steps for storytelling like inner or open dialogue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-04-16T13:36:17.290" LastActivityDate="2021-04-16T13:36:17.290" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10451" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10454" CreationDate="2021-04-16T21:07:27.427" Score="3" ViewCount="221" Body="&lt;p&gt;Watching the TV show, The Boondocks, I came across this character by the name of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Boondocks_characters&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bushido Brown&lt;/a&gt;.  Doing a little research on him they state that he is based upon the deceased movie actor and martial artist, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Kelly_(martial_artist)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jim Kelly&lt;/a&gt;, specifically his character renditions in Black Belt Jones and Enter the Dragon respectively. Mr.Kelly trained in the art of Okinawan-Te.  I am no Martial Artist expert (practitioner or historian) however I thought the fighting was pretty interesting and wondered if anyone familiar with or has an idea of what the particular fighting style(s) this character could possibly using (if any at all).  Thank you &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkODztZebJc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Video 1&lt;/a&gt; (Graphic Language), &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdof-S7iUX4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Video 2&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11534" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-04-20T00:28:58.567" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T00:53:34.220" Title="What fighting style is this particular cartoon character utilizing in the television show, &quot;The Boondocks&quot;?" Tags="|technique|identification|choreography|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10452" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-04-18T09:05:47.937" Score="3" ViewCount="167" Body="&lt;p&gt;Suppose my opponent is constantly guarding his face during an mma fight and let's say that it is easy for him to block mid body punches and can easily evade low kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What options do I have to land a knock out strike?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of my options would be to land hooks and uppercuts, but those punches are very risky since I need to be very close to him to hit him, making me vulnerable for counter attacks if I miss.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also I don't believe in grappling in general (perhaps you can change my mind) since I think that going for a grapple will make me again vulnerable for attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what other options do I have?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11304" LastActivityDate="2021-04-19T08:17:17.797" Title="How to fight an opponent who's always guarding his face in mma?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|striking|blocking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10453" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10452" CreationDate="2021-04-19T07:22:00.727" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let's analyze situation:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&amp;quot;constantly guarding his face&amp;quot; + &amp;quot;block mid punches&amp;quot; - it seems, that your opponent has good reaction and definitely would block single punches/middles.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&amp;quot;can easily evade low-kicks&amp;quot; - that is a sign of good &amp;quot;leg performance&amp;quot; - your opponent is light on his legs, not grounded.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, what we can assume:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;your opponent is more skilled, than you&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;he/she is very light on his legs, not grounded&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;he/she prefers distant combat&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you can do for complicating your opponent's live?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He/she prefers distant combat =&amp;gt; cut the distance (that would also remove his/her bonus from being light on legs). Of course, that may be expensive, but that is the only way I see to change the situation. Try to cut angles, to make your opponent stand near the wall, preventing him from stepping back. Don't surrender/step back (it's important!) - make your opponent think, that he may break his knuckles hitting your head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And then, after cutting the distance - go in exchange with &lt;strong&gt;series&lt;/strong&gt; of punches. Changing levels, mixing with knees, elbows, clinching. Of course, you would definitely accept serious damage, but you have a chance to &amp;quot;outpunch&amp;quot; your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;That is a costy way&lt;/strong&gt;(so you should weigh the risks!), but as long as you are loosing in long-range strikes, I don't see any other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This is not a silver-bullet in any way.&lt;/strong&gt; Your opponent definitely may not allow you to close the distance, bring you a concussion with straigt punches (as long as you are approaching, these ones would be even harder, than normal) or knees. But you have a chance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And also, while cutting the distance, you are gaining initiative. Judges usually like it.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PS&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's assume, that you've tried all, and not succeeded. Your opponent not allowing you to trap him in a corner, keeping you at a distance with straight punches/kicks, and you're finally tired. Then you should wait for a small handicap, a small slack. Catch it and use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, your opponent may put down his left hand when doing a straight right (that's a common, usual mistake, which is rather widespread). Eat some such punches to make him sure in its dominance, and then throw a sudden right cross (in this particular example). Of course, you are likely to eat that straight right, but suddence you use may be decisive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's even more risky way - because, along with eating punches, you are loosing initiative and may be punished by judge for a passive fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2021-04-19T08:17:17.797" LastActivityDate="2021-04-19T08:17:17.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10454" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10451" CreationDate="2021-04-20T00:53:34.220" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee is what I most see.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the &lt;strong&gt;video 1&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/JkODztZebJc?t=22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;At 0:22&lt;/a&gt; the character does Bruce Lee movie vocalization&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although the loose hands are not exclusively from Lee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/JkODztZebJc?t=32&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;At 0:32&lt;/a&gt; the character does Muhammad Ali footwork which Lee was famous for incorporating&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/JkODztZebJc?t=63&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;At 1:03&lt;/a&gt; the character jumps onto a felled opponent with both heels, which Lee definitely utilized in film&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The dodging is also reminiscent of Lee when unarmed against a weapon, but you see this in a lot of Shaw era kung fu films.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Beheading at the end is a nod to &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_the_Flying_Guillotine&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Master of the Flying Guillotine&lt;/a&gt;—in flying guillotine films the weapon is often wielded by a &amp;quot;white eyebrow&amp;quot; master, connoting advanced age.  In the cartoon, it is the old man who defeats the youngblood with this weapon:)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In spirit, I think Jim Kelley is a good call, but the flavor is definitely Bruce Lee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;strong&gt;video 2&lt;/strong&gt;, the style is less overt, but you still have the Lee vocalizations, and the racing stripe on the &lt;em&gt;gi&lt;/em&gt; is a nod to Lee famous jumpsuit.  There, because the opponent is depicted as very tall (compared to the kid facing him) it makes me think more of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who famously fought Lee in &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/GU5eMtZ647o?t=162&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Game of Death&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, using those long legs to great advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T00:53:34.220" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10455" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-04-20T01:01:53.900" Score="0" ViewCount="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm stuck in my small apartment these days (Covid + there's a lot of snow outside), and I'd like to find a way to set up a punching bag, but I don't have much space and the ceiling doesn't have any mounting points. Can someone recommend a good way to do this? I'm a heavyweight and I punch and kick fairly hard, so it can't be too flimsy either...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Up to now I've been moving the furniture to get a bit of temporary shadow boxing space in my living room, but that doesn't really satisfy my needs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11537" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T01:01:53.900" Title="Punching bag or cramped space" Tags="|training|self-defense|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2021-04-20T02:02:52.287" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10456" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10447" CreationDate="2021-04-20T01:07:50.107" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stuffing yourself to bursting is no kind of preparation for a fight, but in the Chinese Classic &amp;quot;Outlaws of the Marsh&amp;quot;, characters routinely do this we beef and wine before leveling opponents. In reality:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;blood &amp;amp; energy going to digestion is going to take those resources away from attacking/defending.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Tai Chi, it is usually recommended to do morning practice especially before eating, so the body is &amp;quot;light&amp;quot;, and I've found it improves practice.  (My own teacher would generally not eat a full meal throughout the entire day of teaching and practicing, and only do so at the end of the night.)  But you need to have at least a little fat to burn if you're not going to eat a sufficient meal, and nutrition is important between training to allow the body to heal and strengthen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, we always used to hold that bagua, and walking the circle especially, is a great remedy for an overfull stomach, and my personal experience is that pans out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a real world self-defense situation, you don't have the luxury of knowing when an attack is coming, and you may have just eaten a large meal, so you must be capable of prevailing regardless of the specifics of your present condition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Many martial arts masters however, in my experience, tend to eat sparingly in general—I don't know if this is strategic or a function of expending energy more efficiently such that less food is required.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's only in competition fighting that one can determine when one eats in relation to combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T01:07:50.107" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10457" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10314" CreationDate="2021-04-20T01:19:05.577" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;No American won gold in Olympic Judo prior to MMA, but this is unlikely to be related to MMA, and more to multiple generations of training, Jimmy Pedro's silver and then the two gold medals of his student, Kayla Harrison.  By contrast, Americans have performed well in Olympic wrestling, likely because the art has been a fixture in Western culture for longer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People don't like me suggesting this, but my understanding is that the sport of MMA became viable when the Gracies realized you need to put it in a cage to give grappling equal viability.  (You'll notice that a lot of takedowns and ground fighting takes place against the cage.)  Compare that to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali_vs._Antonio_Inoki&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ali vs. Innoki exhibition match&lt;/a&gt; in a boxing ring where Inoki wouldn't stand up the entire fight, presumably b/c of the possibility of being knocked out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a great thing that grappling is now fully integrated into contemporary martial practice, but the efficacy in unrestricted spaces seems overstated, and utilization in a street combat scenario where there may be multiple attackers is not a good strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the benefits of grappling is that it allows competitors to &amp;quot;fight&amp;quot; to a determinative conclusion (pin or submission) without serious injury.  Peter Lorge suggested in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/books/edition/Chinese_Martial_Arts/Nzjv0uPqUyMC?hl=en&amp;amp;gbpv=1&amp;amp;bsq=wrestling&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century&lt;/a&gt; that Mongolian wrestling was promoted among Chinese troops from the early Qing to allow fighting without diminishing combat readiness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-04-20T19:33:54.197" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T19:33:54.197" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10458" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9201" CreationDate="2021-04-20T01:36:49.033" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a corollary answer, as the Dr. Yang and turtle breathing answers are good, but I'd strongly reinforce relaxed. Specifically:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the throat should not be constricted&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's good to practice steady airflow during training techniques where the breathing would naturally be disrupted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(At one point, my teacher, a master of some note, had the student sing a single note during training to convey that the throat remained relaxed.  It was a very effective training method.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most important thing is to no allow your breathing to make you body unrelaxed during tai chi practice.  As you gain proficiency and abdominal strength, you'll have greater and greater control over your breath in practice.  Breaking out breathing training from forms in the beginning is also useful for this reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is even said that a high-level tai chi master can do a form in a single breath, one long, relaxed exhalation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strategic Application: The advantage to controlling breathing is that one can then conceal their breath patterns from an opponent. If an opponent is breathing heavily, once can time ones attack to the beginning of exhalation, which seems to confer some advantage.  Heavy breathing can also indicate diminishing energy reserves, a potential indicator of when to switch from defense to attack against a more powerful opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-04-20T02:10:48.350" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T02:10:48.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10459" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12610" CreationDate="2021-04-20T02:19:46.360" Score="2" ViewCount="140" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Is&lt;/em&gt; exhalation strongly associated with striking, or is this just a perception?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it is the default for striking, what physiological principles make it optimal during strikes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this is a general principle, does it also apply to throwing, and, if so, is the physiological benefit derived differently than in striking?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2021-07-04T21:39:09.083" LastActivityDate="2021-07-05T10:11:11.333" Title="Why is exhalation so strongly associated with striking in martial arts?" Tags="|throwing|striking|breathing|kiai|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10460" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10463" CreationDate="2021-04-20T04:24:23.910" Score="5" ViewCount="663" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am doing a lot of research on Tai Chi as a martial art and specifically trying to find out more about its application in a self defense/combat context (whether sparring or street). Watching &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_bTr-aPnKY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;demonstrations&lt;/a&gt;, the style doesn't appear to be unlike some styles of Kung Fu, so I am curious as to how practitioners of either would differ in their application? &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/950/what-differentiates-the-major-styles-of-tai-chi&quot;&gt;This excellent answer&lt;/a&gt; breaks down the various styles of Tai Chi but I would like to focus deeper than this with some specific areas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Overall: Firstly what are the general characteristics eg. in Boxing&#xA;you can expect closed fist, knuckle up body and head punching, a lot of&#xA;footwork and torso and head movement; Tae Kwon Do stances are generally&#xA;longer and the focus is on kicking; Judo is more concerned with&#xA;throwing and leverage as oppose to striking etc etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Aim/Philosophy: From what I've read Tai Chi seems to be referred to as a soft style, compared to other martial arts such as Kyokushin Karate which do not shy away from 'taking the fight to their opponent'. Is this the case, and what else is specific to Tai Chi?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Tools: What is commonly the focus when attacking/defending eg. punching, kicking, throwing, joint locks, ground grappling etc?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Punching: Closed or open fist (palm, knife/ridge hand, leopard paw etc), knuckle up or side, short movements or more flowing and circular, use of elbows?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kicking: Waist and below only (eg. Kung Fu) or body and head kicking as well, standard or more complex (eg. Karate vs TKD's more fancy jumping and spinning kicks), parts of leg used (eg. foot only or shin and knee as well such as Muay Thai)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Throwing, Locks &amp;amp; Grappling: Is this more similar to Judo's style (standing throws), Aikido (joint locks) or Wrestling (ground grappling)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Anything else I may have missed that is unique or characteristic of Tai Chi compared to other styles?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-04-20T13:48:23.307" LastActivityDate="2021-04-23T03:43:37.457" Title="How is Tai Chi different as a martial art in terms of self defense/combat?" Tags="|self-defense|tai-chi|streetfight|combat|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10461" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2021-04-20T17:00:40.567" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kiai&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; (Japanese: 気合, /ˈkiːaɪ/) is a Japanese term used in martial arts for the short shout uttered when performing an attacking move. Also known as &lt;em&gt;kihap&lt;/em&gt; in Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-20T17:00:40.567" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T17:00:40.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10462" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2021-04-20T17:00:40.567" Score="0" Body="A Japanese term used in martial arts for the short shout uttered when performing an attacking move. Known as kihap in Taekwondo." OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-04-20T17:00:40.567" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T17:00:40.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10463" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10460" CreationDate="2021-04-20T18:56:00.377" Score="3" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Overall&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sinking of the joints is one of the core techniques, and a method of directing/re-directing force. It allows directing force even in unexpected directions.  Sinking of the joints (wrists, elbows, knees, hips) makes it difficult for an opponent to lock you. &amp;quot;Emptying&amp;quot; is another pillar, and is used both to mitigate impact of strikes, and put force into the limbs and extremities. In Chinese internal martial arts, movement is initiated from the waist, both for upper and lower body.  As the primary objective is redirecting force, movement initiated from the waist gives the advantage of greater strength in redirection as opposed to primarily using the arm or leg muscles. Waist can also be used to generate power for close strikes sometimes referred to as &amp;quot;one inch punches&amp;quot;. These strikes typically won't have the same force as punches where the striker throws their whole body's momentum, but have other advantages. There's also a theory that the main power comes from the connective tissue as opposed to the muscles, because muscles of high-level practitioners seem to remain relaxed, even when striking.  Footwork is as critical as in any martial art—mobility is the first requirement of combat. I was taught to break each step down into all of the component steps.  Stance work &amp;amp; waist training are also essential, as you need a strong base and core. Silk reeling is most well known, but waist turning, which might originally derive from soft drunken styles, is also recommended. &amp;quot;Tai Chi &lt;em&gt;Chuan&lt;/em&gt;&amp;quot; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_chi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;拳&lt;/a&gt; fist) reinforces that striking is an essential part of this ideally gentle internal system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Philosophy&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;My sense is that it's a fundamentally different approach.  In tai chi the primary objective is preserving my health—disabling an attacker is corollary, although it may be necessary to preserve one's own health.&lt;/strong&gt;  This leads the tai chi practitioner to prefer responding to and countering an attack, as opposed to initiating.  (It's similar to how I was taught western fencing—step back and parry so that you can riposte—maintain distance and defend until you can exploit openings.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Caveat is that a tai chi practitioner can also initiate an attack, which can be optimal, but creates legal jeopardy in a real world situation if the opponent is injured, and it's always better to be able to gauge an opponent's skill prior to committing, where possible.  (Here you can think about things like throat strikes in Musashi's &amp;quot;timing of one&amp;quot;, where you don't telegraph prior to the strike.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tools&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pushing can be said to be the primary technique b/c it's actually effective in this system—push to uproot, push the uprooted opponent to get them moving, and then push into that momentum with great focus. It's also a way of disincentivizing without escalating.  Controlling the joints is another primary tool—it doesn't matter how strong an opponent is if they can't align their joints.  Tai Chi is a form of standing grappling, so throwing or making the opponent fall down is always an option. You'll see advanced practitioners using hand locks to throw, similar to some techniques in jujitsu or aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Striking is considered less optimal because it is ungentle, but you practice it as much as everything else in case you need it.  Typically you want to strike into soft tissue, pressure points, or vulnerable areas such as joints. At a high level, you aim is to put all of the force into the opponent's body, so a true tai chi strike doesn't focus until &lt;em&gt;after&lt;/em&gt; contact has been made with the body, but that's really hard to do, and requires strong &amp;quot;root&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;waist&amp;quot;, and &amp;quot;emptying&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Palms, fingers, fists, elbows, knees, hips, shoulders, can all be used to push, counter, or strike, depending on need and personal preference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Striking&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every form is utilized.  The closed fist &amp;quot;chuan&amp;quot; and open palm, both of which can also be used to push.  Knife palm, hammer fist are also used, and some practitioners also train to strike with fingers, similar to &lt;em&gt;dim mak&lt;/em&gt;. You don't typically see leopard fist, but many Chinese martial arts practitioners practice leopard fist for throat strikes.  The most characteristic tai chi punch spirals in to make contact with the abdomen or sternum, but all forms of strikes are utilized.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;(My teacher loved to emphasize elbow strikes, including linear elbow strikes from pakua and hsingyi, which one applies from inside an opponent's guard—they're actually much easier to focus into using root and emptying than fist strikes:)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hsing-yi is almost entirely stiking—even the &amp;quot;blocks&amp;quot; and counters are strikes!  Many tai chi teachers will teach their younger adult students hsing-yi specifically to give them something serviceable in that first decade before they have any real internal technique.  External styles are typically taught to the teens and kids because most teachers hold there's little value in teaching kids internal, but the external Chinese arts trains them in the stances, alignment, and basic techniques should they continue their studies into adulthood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bagua also has many strikes, nearly all of them palm strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;5&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kicking&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In forms you see high kicks for flexibility and strengthening, but I've never had a serious tai chi practitioner recommend kicking above the waist b/c there's too great a possibility of having your leg trapped. In my experience, must useful are quick groin kicks, since so many leave that area open, and kicks to the knee. Forms also contain most forms of kicks, including side kick. For instance, a practitioner might exhibit a knife edge side kick at throat level, but I'd only ever use that kick to push or focus into an opponents knee joint from an oblique angle.  You do tend to see a lot of fast snapping heel kicks to the front and side, and occasionally back kicks.&#xA;Hsing-yi animal forms such as dragon include cross stepping heel kicks to the opposite knee, which also can be used to stomp the instep.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many of the kicks translate to sweeps from a high or medium stance, and that can be emphasized instead of showing proper kicks.  Ideally, the practitioner should be able to do powerful sweeps in a high or medium stance with every step, but this relies on initiating movement with the waist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;6&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Throwing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tai chi is a form of standing grappling, but you don't see many proper throws.  As I mentioned earlier, hand and wrist locks can be effectively utilized for tai chi throws because pushing hands make the opponent's wrists an accessible target.  Bagua, a closely related internal art, is full of throws of all kind from every position, although they can be difficult to discern initially.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;7&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Other&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Circular is critical b/c that's how you counter and redirect expending the minimum of force, to preserve your own energy levels.  &amp;quot;4 ounces deflect a thousand pounds&amp;quot; is the maxim that arise out of circular countering.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Relaxed &amp;amp; calm b/c you might need to &amp;quot;go the distance&amp;quot; against a stronger attacker or a group, and wear them down.  Adrenaline spikes during combat, so mitigating the effect over the duration of the fight has a profound advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Controlling ones breathing is a major aspect, to avoid getting &amp;quot;gassed out&amp;quot; and having muscles fail.  Being able to hide your breathing from an opponent also confers a strategic advantage, such that they can't initiate an attack a the beginning of an inhale, or gauge when the tai chi practitioner is tiring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When training, you're typically looking to practice continually for hours without taking a break, and it's not uncommon to see a middle aged teacher barely sweating as the younger students get quickly exhausted because they expend too much energy with every movement.  The goal is to expend only the minimum energy necessary, but that takes decades of assiduous training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you need to be able to fight proficiently within a few years, MMA is my current recommendation. But if you don't perceive direct immediate threats and can &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s5AXn9AUUo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;invest in the long term over decades&lt;/a&gt;, tai chi with &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_luDzL03vw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a teacher who knows and can demonstrate the martial applications&lt;/a&gt; is my recommendation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-04-23T03:43:37.457" LastActivityDate="2021-04-23T03:43:37.457" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10464" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10460" CreationDate="2021-04-20T19:06:45.507" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question asks for a detailed analysis of Taiji as it compares and contrasts with other martial arts. Looking beyond the specifics, there's an underlying question here about how Taiji is different from other martial arts. If we understand that, maybe it will help answer the specific questions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first thing to realize about Taiji is that it's an &amp;quot;internal&amp;quot; martial art. What does that mean? It refers to something called, &amp;quot;internal mechanics&amp;quot;. No, it's not some mystical &amp;quot;chi&amp;quot; kind of thing, although a lot of people make it out to be that. Instead, internal mechanics refers to a way of moving the body that's different from normal, external means. Internal mechanics is mechanical and physical. It has nothing to do with chi and some mysterious energy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Taiji, there are the &amp;quot;jing&amp;quot;. The jing can be defined as &amp;quot;qualities of motion&amp;quot;. There are many jing in Taiji, as many as 20 of them from what I gather. Some say the count is 36. I don't think most people learn more than a dozen of them, if they're lucky.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most famous 4 jing are: P'eng, Lu, Ji, and An. Those are the 4 primary jing practiced during silk reeling exercises from Chen style Taiji. They're also referred to as the 4 &amp;quot;main directional&amp;quot; jing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then there 4 other jing that are called the &amp;quot;corner directional&amp;quot; jing which combine with those to form 8 primary jing: cai, lie, zhou, kao.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't get too caught up in why they're called the &amp;quot;main directional&amp;quot; vs. the &amp;quot;corner direction&amp;quot;, etc. Mostly they just mean &amp;quot;qualities of motion&amp;quot;. Don't worry too much about how they're grouped and why, at least for now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond the basic 8 jing, there are more advanced jing. For example, fa-jing, which is the explosive force. You'll also learn coiling jing and bounce jing. And many others. They each have a different quality to their motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why is it called internal, then?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's &amp;quot;internal&amp;quot; because motion in Taiji is defined by what's going on inside of the body. It's not easy to see from the outside. Specifically, how the bones are aligned, how the tendons and muscles are pulled tight to support the bones, how movement occurs, storing and emitting power, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A Taiji punch can look the same as a karate punch from the outside, but inside of the body, different things are going on in each case. In external arts such as karate, the parameters of a punch are defined by how it looks from the outside. But in internal martial arts, the parameters of the punch not only depend on how it looks externally but also what is going on internally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Take for example, p'eng jing. It's the most basic of all the jing. You need to understand that before moving on to any of the other jing. P'eng jing is the foundation for everything else. You can think of it as the &amp;quot;ground force&amp;quot;, but in practice it's about aligning your bones from your feet to your knees, to your hips, to your shoulders, to your elbows, and to your palms. If the bones all along that path are pulled tightly and supported by your muscles and tendons, then pushing on the palms of your hands will, to the person doing the pushing, feel like he's pushing against solid rock. That's because the force of the push is channeled down your bones into the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some call p'eng jing an upward force from the ground. And in Newtonian physics, that's basically what it is. But the upward force is only enough to neutralize the force of the push and no more. Furthermore, it's not you using your muscles to push against the push. It's more like you aligning your bones and making sure they don't move when the push happens. You still use your muscles, not in actively resisting the push itself, but in making sure your bones don't come out of alignment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P'eng jing doesn't end there. You have to be able to use it while dealing with someone pushing at you from all directions. So how you move dynamically with p'eng jing is part of Taiji training. One clue is how you never want to be extended too much in one direction in Taiji. If you look at a joint like the knee, you don't want it in a locked position, fully extended. And you don't want it in the opposite extreme, either, where it is fully tucked so that your heels are now touching your butt. Instead, you want it somewhere in the middle. Why? Because then when you are pushed, you have the ability to move to adapt to the incoming forces. If you're extended too much in any direction, you can't adapt, and your structure and balance will be compromised. You must do this with each joint dynamically while maintaining p'eng: knee, hip, shoulder, and elbow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that's just one jing. There are 7 more primary jing. And then another dozen or so after that. Each one has very precise qualities of motion that require a high degree of attention and repetition. You can't just do it quickly. You have to do them each slowly, because while you're doing them, you're constantly going down a list of parameters in your mind, correcting yourself as you go. It is hard! And it's why the movement in Taiji must be done slowly at first. Later on, it is sped up as you become more advanced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So that's why people doing Taiji forms are doing them so slowly. At least ostensibly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people who do Taiji never learn anything about internal mechanics, or they'll learn the wrong things about them. They don't have teachers who know it, basically. Only about 1% or less of people doing Taiji actually understand internal mechanics. And it's because it's mostly practiced as a health exercise. The martial aspects have been lost in a lot of lineages. So you have to find a teacher who knows it and can teach it. I learned more in 30 minutes from one of my Taiji instructors than in the 3 years I trained with other instructors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The forms are there for you to practice internal mechanics while doing something martial. That's it. To some, the forms are a library of fighting and self-defense techniques. They are, but if that's all you're exposed to, you're pretty limited in terms of your techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So at some point in Taiji training, you start to learn push-hands. Push-hands is an exercise, not the same as sparring. It's just to let you work on some of the jing with a live opponent. At first you're standing still. Later on, you'll move around. And there are even push-hands competitions where it almost looks like sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring is the final thing Taiji trains. In sparring, you're exposed to punches, kicks, blocks, and throws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While you're practicing Taiji, you're supposed to move in a Taiji way. In other words, a way that still conforms to the parameters of the different jing. It's very difficult. It requires a good instructor and a student willing to work hard for years, maybe even decades.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now to answer some specific questions. Taiji is neither hard nor soft. It can be one or the other. It just depends on how you're using it. The principle of yielding to strength, redirecting it, following it, and overcoming it is inherent in push-hands practice. But then, when you can feel your opponent's center, you can emit explosive force (fa-jing) suddenly to cause your opponent to go flying. That's not soft! Although, some might say that the sensing aspect of it is what makes it soft, and then the emitting is what makes it hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Closed fist, opened fist... It doesn't matter. Taiji does both. What matters is how you're using them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are high kicks in Taiji. But pay attention to the body's structure when they do that. They're not doing contemporary wushu style kicks. They're having to rock their hips forward and bend at the knees somewhat. They don't want their body vulnerable to pushing during a kick. They have to be able to adapt and recover when things go wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The focus of Taiji is not necessarily on grappling, but that is a big part of it. They still do free sparring, so they know how to punch, kick, and block. But Taiji is most comfortable in close, making connection with their opponent. Once they're connected, they can sense (through touch alone) what their opponent is doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the primary goals of grappling in general is to unbalance your opponent and make him fall to the ground. They can die from impacting their heads on the ground. If they don't fall, it takes time for them to recover their balance, and meanwhile you can hit them while they're distracted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are plenty of similarities between Taiji and grappling styles like wrestling, Judo, and Aikido. Taiji practices throws, standing joint locks, ankle and wrist locks, chokes, etc. But they'll do them in a way that conforms to the parameters of the jing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many Taiji instructors simply don't know much grappling, because to learn it, they really have to get with other people that know it. And typically in Taiji, you need to spend at least 10 years doing the basics before you branch out and start learning all about wrestling, throws, and so on. It's very common for Taiji instructors to also study other martial arts and then take that back into their Taiji training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure if I answered all your questions. I think these questions are pretty common ones that people ask whenever approaching a new martial art. They want to compare what one style does with another style. In the case of Taiji, you really can't compare too much without first trying to understand internal mechanics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll just end this by saying that Taiji is very principled. It requires rigid adherence to the parameters of the jing at all times. It takes decades to reach a point where you have actual fighting skill. If you have an excellent instructor, you can make rapid progress and actually reach a point where you have some fighting ability in just 10 years. Some never reach that point. So if you're interested in Taiji, keep that in mind. There are quicker ways of getting good at fighting. Each style has its positives and negatives.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2021-04-20T22:07:23.563" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T22:07:23.563" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10465" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="359" CreationDate="2021-04-20T19:26:41.413" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If one has sufficient vocal training, and can project ones voice, this technique can indeed be used to disrupt the concentration of a many opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here what I mean is being able to vocalize with sufficient direction and volume that the opponent can feel it in their inner ear.  This is particularly effective in a closed space, which creates resonance at certain frequencies—trained actors know how to &amp;quot;tune their pitch&amp;quot; to a given room for maximum resonance, and it becomes an unconscious reflex.  (In my school, because of my vocal training, my shouts were acknowledged as being more effective than that of other students.  When we had a strong fighter who also studied opera, he was likewise able to disrupt attention with a shout, which provided some validation.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've never seen value in using with with a strike, but instead, before a strike because you can often get people to wince, which creates an exploitable advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can compound this effect by sometimes striking after a shout, sometimes not, to mentally unbalance the opponent, since deception is the core of strategy!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-04-20T19:26:41.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10466" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8206" CreationDate="2021-04-21T06:38:00.523" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not exactly grappling technique. If you see anime, this technique is mostly used in bajiquan/hakkyokuken, like akira yuki, negi springfield, or neji hyuga. It is a technique that heavily emphasize breathing and hand motion to make an explosive hit by utilizing opponent's opening when they get flinched by a small hit before this tecnique is used. Even in dragonballz, goku and kuririn learn kamehameha by doing breathing training and initially it is used to move a mountain&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11556" LastActivityDate="2021-04-21T06:38:00.523" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10467" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10469" CreationDate="2021-04-21T14:09:39.093" Score="5" ViewCount="785" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been watching quite a bit of footage of the 15th World Wushu Championships and I was quite surprised with how much there appeared to be a difference between the techniques demonstrated in &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/25fS1Bt5v_Y?t=2112&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;taolu&lt;/a&gt; (forms) vs in &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/OmnWJeamDro?t=248&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;sanda&lt;/a&gt; (combat). In taolu the techniques are very flowing and acrobatic which is what I would expect, however in sanda it looks more like kickboxing combined with grappling. I am curious if this is just something that appears this way to me, having never practiced Wushu myself, or if a practitioner who competes primarily in sanda trains in more sanda focused techniques as opposed to those shown in taolu?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In TKD for example, the techniques used in competition sparring are also very different to anything practiced in forms, and a sparring competitor will undergo sparring specific training and unless they want to increase their belt rank may not practice forms at all after black belt. Is this similar in Wushu?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastActivityDate="2021-04-21T16:43:06.403" Title="In Wushu competitions, why is taolu (forms) technique so different to sanda (combat) technique?" Tags="|technique|forms|competition|wushu|combat|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10468" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10467" CreationDate="2021-04-21T16:19:43.937" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Modern wushu forms and sanda are basically different styles entirely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my now dated experience with wushu competitions, they have many separate events where the overlap between athletes may be close to zero, especially between forms and fighting. This is true in other ways as well; for example, traditional and modern forms events, and almost everyone competes in only one of these categories. This is analogous to a track-and-field meet; the javelin and 1500m events are at the same competition, but if you compete in one of these events you probably do not compete in the other. Events are at the same competition because it's more fun that way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My understanding of TKD is that the curriculum includes both forms and sparring for everyone. In wushu, this is not the case. At the wushu school where I trained, training was almost exclusively forms. Forms classes were daily, but sparring training was only intermittently on Saturdays for one hour and contact was basically on pads only. There was no requirement or encouragement to undertake sparring training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-04-21T16:19:43.937" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10469" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10467" CreationDate="2021-04-21T16:43:06.403" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Taolu (forms) are for a different purpose than Sanda.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sanda and other forms of &amp;quot;free sparring&amp;quot; are centered on the notion that both opponents are free to move around and fight each other using kicking, punching, and blocks, and occasionally also sweeps, throws, and some standing holds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Forms are encapsulations of self-defense techniques, or they were originally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what are self-defense techniques? They're what to do when someone gets you in a bear hug. Or someone in a bar grabs your lapel with one hand and raises his other hand to punch you in the face. Or someone is threatening you with a knife in his hand. These are typical scenarios that have occurred for thousands of years and are still happening today.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The techniques in forms are for these particular self-defense situations, for the most part. (Other forms do exist for other purposes, but self-defense is the primary purpose.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Contemporary wushu has forms which derive from traditional kung-fu forms. Traditional kung-fu forms are generally all about self-defense. However, contemporary wushu has taken most of the self-defense meaning out of the forms in an attempt to emphasize the athletic components of the art. Though it still contains techniques that are taken directly from traditional kung-fu, they're usually taken out of order and treated individually, whereas those techniques may have occurred in the traditional form along with other techniques in a very specific order for a specific self-defense purpose. Individually, the techniques may not mean much, but in the context of 3 or 4 other techniques that come before or after them, they have self-defense applications. By taking a single technique out of here and putting in there, it loses that original self-defense context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, what is free sparring and how does it differ from self-defense techniques?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is that free sparring is &amp;quot;free&amp;quot;. The two people are free to move around. They're not holding onto one another. There's no grappling. It's composed of punches, kicks, and blocks. Some rules (particularly those under Sanda's rule set) allow for sweeps and throws as well, but nothing like grappling found in Brazilian Jiujitsu, for example. Even in Sanda, people are mostly free to move around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The goals, rules, and contexts of both self-defense and free sparring are different, and so their expression is going to look different as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People look the way they do in Sanda, because that's what you expect people to do while under Sanda's rules. It won't look like forms. It's going to look like kickboxing for the most part.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same is true of Karate, Taekwondo, and other forms-based martial arts. The forms will generally look very different from the sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People do attempt to make their sparring look more like their forms, because they simply misunderstand what I've just explained. They think sparring and forms are both for fighting, and so they should look the same. They really just don't know what their forms are for. They don't know how to interpret them, and their teachers haven't told them the self-defense meaning. To most people, forms are just punches, kicks, and blocks. But that's generally wrong (with some exceptions like two-man sets). And so if everything in the form is punching, kicking, and blocking, then why wouldn't you think you should apply that to free sparring? But most of what's in a form is grappling based self-defense, not punching, kicking, and blocking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2021-04-21T16:43:06.403" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10470" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-04-23T04:44:10.247" Score="5" ViewCount="429" Body="&lt;p&gt;We often think about self defense in terms of a single opponent, but, as anyone who has ever been &amp;quot;jumped&amp;quot; knows, real world situations can easily include multiple opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are there systems particularly well suited to multiple opponents?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Answers ideally would include some detail on systems that adapt well to multiple opponent situations, on how choice of techniques and the way they are applied might differ from single opponent scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because this is a broad question with many valid answers, a formally accepted answer should discuss the basic strategic principles and adaptation, with examples from striking, grappling and potentially even weapons systems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;Note: Although multiple attacker defense can be considered non-viable, there are historical examples, both empty hand and with weapons. &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Five_Rings&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Of Five Rings&lt;/a&gt; specifically discusses multiple opponent strategy, and it's a reasonable assumption that advice was based on experience.  It is assumed that success in the endeavor would require some kind of definitive advantage, including, but not restricted to, sufficient size or skill differential. I've personally seen two street fights in which a single fighter prevailed against at least three.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-05-10T02:22:37.783" Title="Multi-opponent martial arts systems and strategies?" Tags="|self-defense|weapons|grappling|striking|multiple-attackers|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10471" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10472" CreationDate="2021-04-23T13:50:48.300" Score="5" ViewCount="1329" Body="&lt;p&gt;Out of these two techniques which will do generally more damage to an opponent? My understanding is that since the nerves are more exposed in the calf it takes fewer calf kicks to cripple the leg, but are there other considerations as well? Is one better than the other in certain situations and if so how.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastActivityDate="2021-04-26T10:54:08.940" Title="Thigh kicks vs calf kicks, which are more dangerous?" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|injury|streetfight|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10472" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10471" CreationDate="2021-04-23T15:29:08.723" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kicks to the calf aren't generally going to do as much damage as kicks to the thigh. That's because of two reasons: 1) The thigh is less mobile. And 2) The thigh has more mass and is a bigger target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most trained fighters will lift up their leg when they see a kick coming to their calf. It's quick and easy to do. But it's not easy to get out of the way of a thigh kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if you don't lift up your leg in defense of a calf kick, if the kick has a lot of force behind it, what will generally happen is your leg will get pushed to the side. You'll become unbalanced as a result, but your calf will be fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only times a calf kick can really do much damage to the calf itself is if that foot is pinned to the ground with all the person's weight over it so that the leg can't slide out of the way. In that case, kicks to the calf can result in broken bones. It's very rare to see in martial arts. It's much more likely that the leg will simply be swept instead of broken. Stomp kicks might work better than round kicks would, but the angle you'd need to have makes it very difficult in practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2021-04-23T15:29:08.723" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10473" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10470" CreationDate="2021-04-23T22:24:20.710" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question asks if there are martial arts that do better at multiple opponent fights than other martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My simple answer is: No.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more nuanced answer is: There is some truth in what many martial arts teach for multiple attacker situations, but it's generally unrealistic and not very practical. I'll explain why in a moment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's hard enough fighting one person. Most of the time, even trained martial artists, black belts, come out poorly in actual street fights involving just a single opponent. The idea that they're going to be so good at fighting that they can essentially take on 2, 3, 4, or more opponents at the same time is ludicrous. If any martial artist thinks their martial art does this well, they are delusional.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recently saw an interesting take on this in the video I link to below by a guy (Christopher Hein) who came to realize that his Aikido doesn't generally work as a fighting art, but as a way of actively avoiding the fight. He's an interesting guy. He spent years trying to prove Aikido can work as a fighting art, putting it to the test, and ending up losing a lot. Then he had a full contact fight at a Dog Brothers meet-up, and he found something in Aikido that seemed to work for him when he was using a Jo staff. He thought about it and had an epiphany of sorts about the true nature of Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He argues that the way to deal with multiple attackers is to avoid having to square up and trade punches, avoid having to grab on to each other, and avoid having to wrestle. The more time you're spending engaging one opponent, the less able you are to deal with the other opponents. So his strategy is to engage only to the point where he can neutralize the attack, break it off, and get some distance. He also makes the argument that it's ridiculous to think you can take on multiple attackers without a weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See if you can follow his theory on this 20 minute video:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On5uSjhy7Sw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On5uSjhy7Sw&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He makes the multiple opponent argument in particular between 9:20 and 12:00.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Christopher Hein's argument is about as plausible as I've ever encountered for a claim of dealing better with multiple opponents than other styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He admits that his Aikido style is not good as a fighting art. He's applying it in a kind of middle ground between fight and flight. He calls it the &amp;quot;negotiation&amp;quot; stage. The goal is to just stop the fight from happening in the first place. He calls it getting back to the point at which you can have a &amp;quot;conversation&amp;quot; with your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main argument against this is that you still need to know how to fight when that doesn't work. And he admits it on video that when it turns into a boxing match or a wrestling match, his style simply doesn't apply in that context. So you better train in boxing and wrestling separately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas Brazilian Jiujitsu people generally argue: If the goal is to remain mobile in order to defend against multiple attackers, who's better equipped to break out of a hold or avoid going to the ground: people who don't know grappling, or people who do? The answer is that people who train in styles with live, fully resisting opponents such as BJJ will be the best at remaining mobile if they don't want others to grapple with them. Those that don't do this kind of training are often defenseless when it happens for real.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so I expect that an Aikidoka who doesn't practice with live, fully resisting opponents is not going to be able to apply Christopher Hein's strategy very well. That's because the first time someone attempts to square up and punch or take them down, they're going to be in unfamiliar territory and won't be able to apply Aikido techniques without getting caught. Which is why Christopher Hein actually does do live, resistance based training to put things to the test as part of his own flavor of Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And I would extend this to any martial art trying to utilize the same strategy. It will require a lot of practice with fully resisting partners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only problem with styles like BJJ and such (with live, fully resisting partners) is that if sports-based training is the focus, they might reflexively do something that makes them more vulnerable in a street fight as they may forget that what they do for sport may not be optimal for the street and multiple attacker scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I would take all of what was just said and conclude: You can practice this active fight avoidance method from the Aikido guy above by adapting it as a strategy in whatever martial art you know. But do so with fully resisting partners. And at the same time, train in something like BJJ, Muay Thai, or MMA for when things go wrong. You still need to know how to fight when avoidance doesn't work. And before all of that, carry a weapon. Without a weapon, even the best trained martial artists usually end up losing in multiple attacker situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2021-04-24T04:40:36.647" LastActivityDate="2021-04-24T04:40:36.647" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10474" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10470" CreationDate="2021-04-24T10:22:48.193" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Steve's answer raises a bunch of good points which already cover a lot what I would have to say on martial arts as well, so I would like to have this answer to be understood as complementary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;About multiple opponents in martial arts&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, martial arts rarely train multi-opponent situations. Aikido does so on higher levels, but as already said, this is rather about tai-sabaki for evasion and strategic positioning rather than actual engagement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a few systems which to train multi-opponent situations with full contact under pressure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some jiu jitsu schools do have this as &amp;quot;randori&amp;quot; form with multiple attackers so that you never know from where and how (including weapons) you are attacked, even as part of higher belt gradings. That is great for training attention, positioning, and doing techniques under stress without prior notice. But as far as I have encountered that kind of test, people never attack coordinated but still one after another there. So quite unrealistic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A bit higher up the scale of realism, Krav Maga (good schools, not McDojo style) adds constant stress and attacks with pads, kicks and fists from all sides (if you let them) &lt;em&gt;plus&lt;/em&gt; above-described attacks with grappling and weapons. This makes you realise that you really cannot win, only hope to survive long enough. If you make it three minutes, you're a real badass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same probably applies to all viable self-defence systems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;How to train&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, if you want to be able to handle these situations, you have to train them. Full contact, without body armor (maybe head), under stress, no holds barred. When adding weapons, cushioned bats, shock knives and soft air guns should be used - no serious injuries, but you will feel mistakes nevertheless. If you ever did that, you realise that there is no magical key to win. It is a lot about attentiveness, movement, positioning, and distance. Sometimes, you can grab someone and use them as a shield. You can use any object as an obstacle. But it wears you out fast physically &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; mentally, no matter how well-trained you are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;The psychology of street fights&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As often in street fights, psychology is a major factor: Finish the first encounters fast and brutally, don't let them see any pain or doubt, focus on those who seem to be group-leaders, and maybe the rest will run rather that get their ass kicked as well, or at least hesitate long enough to open up an opportunity for a run or finishing them off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Assessing the amount of intent is very important in order to choose appropriate means and, maybe more importantly, &lt;em&gt;targets&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. Street fights are all about &lt;strong&gt;a display of power&lt;/strong&gt;, so one should use the least severe means necessary to unambiguously make clear that you are more powerful than they are. This begins with body language. Calmness, relaxation, focus, absolute sovereignty is what one should show.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, if the situation is really threatening your physical health, &lt;strong&gt;you have to incite fear in the group&lt;/strong&gt;, so once the fight begins - which you should only do if you know it is inevitable - tearing (ears and piercings bleed like hell if torn out), biting, screaming, scratching...if they believe you are a devil/dragon, most aggressors keep distance. The particular technique does not matter here. If you do a elbow, grab/ear-rip, knee, elbow combo and finish the boss in two seconds, fine. If you throw in one fluid attack and break their hip (and maybe arm for good measure) so that they scream in pain, great either. But you have to be fast and mobile either way, so do never engage for more than, say, two seconds. Otherwise, you will be cornered and attacked from behind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Still, if you have two or more equally trained opponents between them who coordinate and attack with the intention to hurt you, there is no way you can do &lt;em&gt;anything&lt;/em&gt; except running. Playing safe is no shame. And there is only so much you can do if they have real intent to hurt you personally as opposed to like to be  violent and hit random people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another important psychological aspect is that even if you &lt;em&gt;are&lt;/em&gt; the superior fighter and could more or less easily dispatch them in hand-to-hand, &lt;strong&gt;do never corner opponents to the point were they feel they cannot escape&lt;/strong&gt;! The reason is twofold: Firstly, you will activate the full hormonal reaction, which gives them far higher strength and pain tolerance than normal. Secondly, even if they would not do so in normal circumstances, if they get the chance, they will use lethal force out of sheer fear (weapons, mostly). Thus, you make them a more serious threat without need. Thing is, in many countries this would legally count as self-defence in their favour since you used excessive violence and went beyond reasonable force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Real world example: There has been an encounter here in Berlin, Germany where a full-contact karate competitor was attacked by a group of ten. He dispatched five fast and brutally. The rest ran. He ran behind and cornered one guy. This guy &lt;strong&gt;only then&lt;/strong&gt; pulled a gun and shot him lethally. Even though the gun and carrying it was illegal, it was judged as appropriate self-defence (rightfully so, my two years of studying law tell me), so the guy was only sentenced for illegal gun possession and attempted robbery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;On using weapons&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having a jo makes things considerably easier if you know how to use it, bats or knives don't help much. But you don't walk around with a 6ft staff all the time. And as soon as you are circled and they are trained and &lt;em&gt;want&lt;/em&gt; to get you, you're still done. Generally, the above points about psychology apply here as well: If you use weapons, you both seem less of a deamon (more insecure, normal) &lt;strong&gt;and&lt;/strong&gt; make the use of lethal force on their side more probable. Looking very cold-blooded with a gun in your hand counting people (by aiming) you can get down before having to reload (given that is allowed in your place) does help to intimidate people as well. A good, but again not exactly viable (due to it being forbidden to carry it in most places) choice of weapon would be a sharp sword, since it is good for distance, fast enough, and intimidating/dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Weapons are the point where the difference between martial arts and self-defence becomes most obvious, IMHO. Most of the martial arts weapons training is either useless because you are not carrying these weapons (it is WAR - thus &lt;em&gt;martial&lt;/em&gt; arts - where you always carry weapons proper, not civil life), or because it is a step of escalation one would rarely take, or the techniques are actually only effective in a specific ruleset or situation, eg. a single opponent with the same weapon (think Kali).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Summary&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hit fast, hard, and brutally. Target those most intent/powerful first in order to break down their morale and chain of power. Keep moving. Use obstacles (people can be obstacles as well, especially frightened offenders). Do not corner people. Don't let yourself be cornered. Do not use weapons (unless your local law allows to shoot all attackers before they can do anything and you know you can pull that feat off maybe).  If you get the chance, always choose to get the hell out of there before anything else. One never knows what will happen and a single mistake/hit may end your health or your life. Only life itself is worth risking one's life in the streets, no property, &amp;quot;honour&amp;quot;, or pride is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-05-01T07:32:11.210" LastActivityDate="2021-05-01T07:32:11.210" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10475" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10470" CreationDate="2021-04-24T16:07:47.263" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The bagua strategy outline for fighting multiple opponents:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fight standing up.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Always move, forwardish. Your back is hardest to defend, and against multiple opponents it is not possible to always face all opponents. Make it more difficult by not presenting a stationary target. Don't expect to be able to stand in one place and turn around without getting hit.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Engage an opponent and move on within seconds. Once you make contact, you are either moving to the outside and behind where they cannot defend, creating significant separation by pushing away, or hazarding closing to the inside. At close range with options to strike, elbow, kick, and throw, the fight with this opponent should be over in a few seconds, one way or the other.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use opponents' bodies to your create separation with other opponents. Push, knock, or throw them into each other.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Against a single opponent, you can afford to back up, and you do not need to hazard pressing to the inside without advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, there are no guarantees in life and having a strategy does not mean you can implement it successfully.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-04-24T16:07:47.263" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10476" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6856" CreationDate="2021-04-25T06:53:18.413" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This may require a discussion between the instructor and your son, but try gently incorporating live resistance. A compliant partner just going through the motions of a choreographed sequence will fall at the wave of a hand. But overcoming resistance requires the application of power and technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11564" LastActivityDate="2021-04-25T06:53:18.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10477" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6079" CreationDate="2021-04-25T07:27:07.020" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think you can categorically judge taking a belt away in response to a behavioral situation as appropriate or not, anymore than you can judge throwing a roundhouse kick in response to a combat situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Execution matters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Intent matters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many people have pointed out that doling out punishment in order to curb undesirable behavior is ineffective. But what about creating an ephemeral goal in order inspire desirable behavior?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead of saying &amp;quot;I'm taking this away because you keep horsing around&amp;quot;, say &amp;quot;I'm taking this away because I know you can behave better, I've seen you behave better. I want you to remember and find the part of you that gave 100% each second of every class, and if that's who I see next time you come to class, you'll get your belt back.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11564" LastEditorUserId="11564" LastEditDate="2021-04-26T22:39:58.497" LastActivityDate="2021-04-26T22:39:58.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10478" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9696" CreationDate="2021-04-25T07:53:27.947" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The implicit question is: is your grandson's punishment disproportionate to his mistake?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, consider that if you're not seeing eye-to-eye with the instructor, one possibility is that your perception of the punishment is higher than the instructor's, another is that your perception of you grandson's mistake is lower than the instructor's.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For starters, let's look at the mistake. In east asian education systems, rote memorization is given MUCH higher importance. What in the west we would think of as something you could just look up in a book, Japanese and Korean schoolchildren would be expected to memorize. So for instance, while we usually memorize the multiplication table up to 12 x 12, they go up to 20 x 20. A common theory is that this stems from the Chinese language not having an alphabet and hence requiring brute force memorization of thousands of characters as part of basic education, even in Japan and Korea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point is, in any Asian education system (of which a dojo certainly is one), the expectation of committing a large corpus to memory is not unreasonable. So your kid did the equivalent of forgetting what comes after PQRS.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I get that might be incongruous with western values (&amp;quot;yeah but I can just google it!&amp;quot;) but the culture of a dojo is inextricable from the art. And more importantly, learning to adapt oneself to another culture's norms is an extremely valuable skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11564" LastEditorUserId="11564" LastEditDate="2021-04-25T08:23:58.490" LastActivityDate="2021-04-25T08:23:58.490" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10479" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10471" CreationDate="2021-04-26T08:51:03.567" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Adding my two cents to very good Steve's answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some additional points for being thigh kicks more dangerous:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;calf can be (and usually is) conditioned much better, than thigh.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hitting thigh with your shin is generally better, because your shin is obviously more solid - here you are hitting-soft-with-hardness&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hitting thigh injures your opponent's muscles nearly directly. Some such hits may &amp;quot;weigh&amp;quot; leg considerably&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Calf kicks would be effective if there would be a huge gap in leg conditioning between you and your opponent. Then, yes - you would definitely hit his leg out with calf kicks rather quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PS&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Adding to mentioned above, there is some &lt;em&gt;other&lt;/em&gt; way to not block, but absorb some damage from thigh kicks. If you don't have time to lift up your leg, try to turn your leg under hit more frontally, towards hit - to prevent your leg being hit from the side - which is more painful and more dengerous for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2021-04-26T10:54:08.940" LastActivityDate="2021-04-26T10:54:08.940" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10480" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10503" CreationDate="2021-04-26T12:24:46.740" Score="7" ViewCount="925" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have found &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;amp;rct=j&amp;amp;q=&amp;amp;esrc=s&amp;amp;source=web&amp;amp;cd=&amp;amp;cad=rja&amp;amp;uact=8&amp;amp;ved=2ahUKEwi1jqqr76_wAhVOzzgGHR_YB1AQFjAEegQIAxAD&amp;amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.quora.com%2FIs-it-safe-to-bob-and-weave-in-MMA&amp;amp;usg=AOvVaw2lYQVEtGqoiKVOhOW_ha89&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a few&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;amp;rct=j&amp;amp;q=&amp;amp;esrc=s&amp;amp;source=web&amp;amp;cd=&amp;amp;cad=rja&amp;amp;uact=8&amp;amp;ved=2ahUKEwi1jqqr76_wAhVOzzgGHR_YB1AQwqsBMAB6BAgGEAM&amp;amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D13AM1N57JcI&amp;amp;usg=AOvVaw2nRjWY8djih34bPw6baln4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;examples&lt;/a&gt; detailing that bobbing and weaving is not as (if at all) effective outside of boxing, in scenarios where especially knees, kicks and elbows are involved. I understand landing an elbow, knee or kick to the head can end a fight but so can a well timed punch, so I am curious what is it about these striking surfaces that make bob and weaving so risky? Also I am curious if there are still situations where this technique can be effective assuming it is used smartly and while being aware of the additional dangers when doing this in an mma, muay thai or street context?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One example I was considering was where an opponent's hand striking is faster and overwhelmingly better than your own, using a bob and weave to bait them into kicking or kneeing to create better opportunities for yourself to counter against and be able to launch your own offensive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastEditorUserId="6502" LastEditDate="2021-05-04T11:01:22.027" LastActivityDate="2023-12-29T07:06:31.533" Title="Why is the bob and weave not used much in MMA &amp; Muay Thai or outside of boxing in general?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|striking|streetfight|defense|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10481" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5726" CreationDate="2021-04-27T13:11:03.533" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There’s enough there to answer the question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Get a custom mouth guard (try gladiator elite)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Fit it to go directly on your gums (dentures removed at fitting).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wear it directly on your gums (dentures removed) when engaging in martial arts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Consult your dentist.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;“Marquis of Queensberrry Rules! Marquis of Queensberrry Rules!“&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11575" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2021-04-28T20:13:16.370" LastActivityDate="2021-04-28T20:13:16.370" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10483" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9901" CreationDate="2021-04-29T00:28:19.787" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This has an accepted answer, so this is purely a supplementary answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There are numerous ways to control an opponent's body. Among all of them, only those which employ the neck are potentially lethal.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reasons are obvious—restriction of breath and potential damage to the spinal cord.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-04-29T00:28:19.787" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10485" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-04-29T01:59:50.647" Score="2" ViewCount="221" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sun Tzu is famous for his strategy manual &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Tzu#The_Art_of_War&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Art of War&lt;/a&gt;.  In modern times this manual has been applied to domains such as business, but has it been applied to martial arts?  Can Art of War be applied to martial arts?  Are there aspects that are particularly applicable?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Can strategies described in the Art of War be applied to martial arts?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-05-19T01:14:28.220" Title="Sun Tzu as applied to martial arts?" Tags="|history|combat|strategy|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10486" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2021-04-29T02:01:16.893" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2021-04-29T02:01:16.893" LastActivityDate="2021-04-29T02:01:16.893" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10487" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2021-04-29T02:01:16.893" Score="0" Body="For questions about the strategic aspects of self defense and martial sport." OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-05-22T18:31:51.587" LastActivityDate="2021-05-22T18:31:51.587" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10488" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-04-29T09:26:27.927" Score="2" ViewCount="63" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since sport club are closed, I would like to get some suggestion for training on my punching bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like something that trains the whole body since I was practicing Muay Thaï and Taekwondo, but with a bit more of kicking practice. But it is hard for me to practice Taekwondo tricky kicks with bag, so I want to improve in power and precision, and learn easy and effectives combo that I can apply against opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What exercises/combos can you suggest for me? And what about training/rest timing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11583" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-04-29T11:12:30.280" LastActivityDate="2021-05-03T14:32:11.507" Title="Punching bag training kicks/punches" Tags="|training|tae-kwon-do|kicking|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2021-05-10T13:55:22.623" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10489" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10495" CreationDate="2021-04-30T02:17:26.743" Score="2" ViewCount="108" Body="&lt;p&gt;Instructor behavior observed:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Comparing students with each other&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Blaming students&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Insulting students&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Impulsive decisions&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lack of discipline in teaching martial arts&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Going mostly spontaneous and with the flow&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;...&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, an instructor with decades of martial arts experience might have some unfavorable traits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This behavior might result in student mind noise. It takes lots of meditation to fend off the noise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How to deal with it? If it's not possible to change the place you go to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9518" LastActivityDate="2021-05-03T14:42:16.083" Title="How to deal with a judgmental instructor" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|teaching|etiquette|social|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10490" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10491" CreationDate="2021-05-01T17:14:30.627" Score="4" ViewCount="227" Body="&lt;p&gt;Coming from a more traditional/striking focused background, I always struggle with the advice of not staying so upright in order to be better positioned to defend takedowns (single or double leg). I recently watched &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEeC2RO3JDk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; about using knees to counter takedowns and it really spoke to my style, since it allows me to maintain a stance better suited to striking and use striking to defend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This made me wonder though since from the UFC matches that I have watched, the more common strategy against takedowns seems to be the sprawl rather than using knees, in fact I'd say I've seen the flying knee used more often against a takedown attempt than a stand up knee, but of course I could be wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question than is, generally is a sprawl or knee more effective against takedowns? Or at least which should I focus more on when practicing? I understand that knowing both is better, but if I needed to choose one over the other which would it be? If it is the sprawl still I would appreciate some insight into why this is generally more effective, especially considering that as a striker I would think using what I'm best at (striking), would be more effective than trying to improve at sprawling since any grappler will always be better at this than me, including getting past my sprawls.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastActivityDate="2021-05-03T19:04:01.690" Title="Is a sprawl or knee generally more effective against takedowns?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|grappling|striking|defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10491" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10490" CreationDate="2021-05-02T14:53:30.187" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is nothing special about the knees. If you want to defend leg shots, I do not think the choice between knees and sprawls makes sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The wrestling view of defense has multiple layers:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hands&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;elbows&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;head&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;hips&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your defense starts with the hands. If you can defend with those, you do not need the later layers. Likewise if you can defend with the elbows, you don't need your head (probably not a good idea if striking anyway) or hips. Sprawling is done with the hips, once you have failed to defend with the hands, elbows, and head. You can maintain distance using your hands and elbows the same way you do with your knees. If you would normally use your hands against grapplers, then just use your hands. I suspect the reason the Muay Thai fighter prefers knees against low attacks is because he wants to keep his hands high in his normal fighting stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I say defense starts with the hands, I do not mean you are trying to punch someone in the head in respose to them are shooting in on your legs. I mean that you put your hand between yourself and the opponent to maintain distance. If you can reliably hit someone as they are changing levels and moving in, you certainly should do that, but most fighters do not have this level of coordination or reflexes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, for you on the knees versus sprawl question, I recommend learning to sprawl, simply because I think it would teach you more in a &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/10485/5961&quot;&gt;know your enemy&lt;/a&gt; sense and provide a different perspective even if you don't end up using it. Leg shots and sprawls are the basics of wrestling; you should at least get some practical experience so you can judge for yourself whether your reflexes are fast enough to defend a leg shot with whatever your preferred techniques are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-05-03T19:04:01.690" LastActivityDate="2021-05-03T19:04:01.690" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10492" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-05-03T12:19:11.510" Score="2" ViewCount="120" Body="&lt;p&gt;Consider the situation where a psychiatric nurse or perhaps a paramedic needs to assist in sedating someone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally they have several staff restrain the patient pretty much one on each limb.  I know this from speaking to psychiatric nurses that I used to train with.  But is there a way that one person could do this on their own?  The sedative usually is administrated by a Doctor if I recall correctly who needs to be called from their office which may take several minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good solution will need to restrain but not risk injury to the patient.  The patient may or may not be in a state where they can feel pain.  It might be that there is not a better way to do this than the current methods described above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2021-07-01T19:25:59.720" Title="What are the most suitable methods for a medical practitioner to use to restrain someone who needs to be treated/sedated?" Tags="|self-defense|grappling|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10493" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10470" CreationDate="2021-05-03T14:15:11.680" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just wanted to preface this, I've been sparring since around age 6, and all testings require a 1v2 to 1v5 versus the national team members, so please take what I say with a grain of salt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whenever you're attacked on the street, your first priority should be getting out of there. Most attacks can be random, after provoking some drunk guy, but practice fight avoidance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Have you ever been punched in the nose? That hurts. Keeping this in mind, punch to the nose, knee, groin, throat, stomach, or solar plexus. Keep your fists curled tight and use your knuckles. Please don't break your hand. Run and call for help (obviously) but in cases you can't, or really feel like ending up in the police station or with a black eye, here's what you can do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keep moving. Rotate, and watch your back. Don't get too close for too long, or you'll probably just get knocked in the back of the head and end up with a concussion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In cases you have height/weight/speed advantage, try to use one of them as a human shield.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Avoid hitting them until you assess their threat level. Two drunk guys have a low threat level. Three guys who each weight a hundred pounds more than you and have guns are high threat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;As far as weapons go, I learned numchuks and staff, and if you really want, bring batons or numchuks to a street fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Above people are talking about those getting a crazed look in their eyes. Stay calm and focused, any trained martial artist should be able to fend off the crazed guys.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You read the psychological stuff above, right? So keep that in mind, I got jumped by three guys at night and just ended up with punch to the nose, ducked behind the other while the third tried to hit me, and went back to my hotel. I'm 5'2 (that's stretching it) and I don't have a lot of muscle. Speed is more important than heavy punches that can get intercepted. Use wrist locks accordingly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;But, in truth, just run. Punch and run, kick and run, getting away is your number one priority.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Goodluck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11597" LastActivityDate="2021-05-03T14:15:11.680" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10494" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10488" CreationDate="2021-05-03T14:32:11.507" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Cut kicks are great, as well as all sorts of spin kicks, back kick, etc because it helps with upper body control and balance. I actually don't know what this is called, but the kicks where you kick low and then high, and repeat. Cutkicks and pi chagi with a hand against the wall, 30 on each side 5 reps is also good. The most important one is step back counter (step back, back leg pi chagi) as well as cut kick -&amp;gt; hook kick, that's my personal favorite. anything that starts with cut kick is good. focus on speed. foot placement. and goodluck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11597" LastActivityDate="2021-05-03T14:32:11.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10495" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10489" CreationDate="2021-05-03T14:42:16.083" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Switch instructors. Unless this instructor is like... an Olympic level coach with decades of experience and you really love the sport, just go look for other instructors. We had a ton of kids from Korea switch over to here a couple years ago because there were a couple younger instructors (my coach likes to call them 21 year old hotshot who thinks they know everything). Martial arts is about disciplining yourself and growing as a person. The comment above pretty sums it up well. I guess you could bring this up with your instructor with a bunch of other students if you want? I'd switch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Goodluck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11597" LastActivityDate="2021-05-03T14:42:16.083" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10496" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10492" CreationDate="2021-05-03T22:45:30.243" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have no experience with psychiatric patients, but assuming I want to restrain someone by myself without anyone getting hurt, my position of choice would be the wrestling hammerlock position with the other person face down. In this position, you have control of the near side arm with it behind the back and your weight on top. You have one hand free.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/h-bxU-9ZcyA?t=7&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CkcPZ.png&quot; alt=&quot;Hammerlock position&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From behind with your weight on top controlling the near arm and body, you can hold the person down without them being able to attack you effectively with hands, arms, legs, or teeth. You can see what the other person is doing with their hands in case they have a weapon. You can put your knees on the ground to lessen the pressure if desired.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hammerlock is a wrestling term, not a judo or BJJ one. The wrestling hammerlock is not about putting the joint in a position where leverage will damage the joint. It is simply about putting the person's arm behind them where you can control it and they cannot use it effectively. If you want to lock the joint in the sense that additional motion can cause damage, you take the wrist and walk it up the back, pulling the elbow along with it. For control alone without a shoulder lock, you can pin the hand behind the waist, well within normal range of motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Contrast this with what can happen in a judo kesa gatame position. The person on the bottom has an arm free with you in front of them; they can grab your ears or hair, poke you in the eyes, and grab things that you cannot see behind you. Since there are no points for controlling the person on their back versus their front, put them on their front and remain behind them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-05-05T22:48:57.867" LastActivityDate="2021-05-05T22:48:57.867" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10499" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-05-08T02:22:26.527" Score="2" ViewCount="76" Body="&lt;p&gt;There have been a lot of skeptics around this, but I am not asking for opinions, but strictly facts.&#xA;With Bruce Lee's small frame but speed, he has received a lot of praise from renown fighters like Connor Mcgreggor. Due to his smaller size however, how can he fare against such strong fighters?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11634" LastEditorUserId="11634" LastEditDate="2021-05-09T14:54:44.120" LastActivityDate="2021-05-09T14:54:44.120" Title="Statistical Knowledge (not opinion based ) on how Bruce Lee compared to current MMA fighters?" Tags="|bruce-lee|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="8" ClosedDate="2021-05-08T11:00:04.057" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10500" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10499" CreationDate="2021-05-08T04:13:31.840" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most martial arts are not based on size, but are based on skill. And many put heavy focus on agility over strength, which tends to even disfavor people with larger builds. Don't get me wrong - strength does play an important role in fighting arts, but so do a lot of other things: agility, reflexives, explosiveness, flexibility and much more. The amount of experience one person has will ultimately dictate who has the advantage in a fight, more so than any of the things I just listed. What good is it to be flexible and strong and agile if you don't know how to use it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So to sum it up, the reason Bruce Lee was able to go against and win to opponents double or tipple his size is because size and strength is only one of many factors that goes into winning a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2021-05-08T04:13:31.840" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10501" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10470" CreationDate="2021-05-10T02:22:37.783" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was always taught &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongbeiquan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tongbeiquan (通背拳)&lt;/a&gt; is effective for multi-opponent situations, although the wiki only mentions two person sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Tong Bei&amp;quot; is considered exotic, even in Chinese wushu because the techniques are highly unique, distinct from the contemporary core of Shaolin (here &amp;quot;northern boxing&amp;quot;) and Hun Ga (&amp;quot;southern boxing&amp;quot;) and internal, although like Mantis, Tong Bei can be a mix of internal or external.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The name can mean &amp;quot;Long Armed Ape&amp;quot;, which connotes the characteristic movements—big, wheeling strikes with the forearms, arms fully extended.  The art contains special toughening exercises for forearms and other body parts, in that much of the training involves slapping one's own body as opposed to not expressing the power of the strikes against a target.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/G6NgXoti0v0?t=6&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;A classic Tong Bei form is demonstrated here by Xu Dezheng&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The form includes running. A single combination of blows can include three quick 180 direction changes.  Many movements involve quick succession of strikes in multiple directions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My favorite strike from a variant of the linked video is a dual front and back extended groin strike—the front strike with the back of the hook hand, and the back strike with the fingers of the hook hand, applied with a level change, practiced as a deep lunge that puts on knee on the ground, although in sparring one avoids the deep lunge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tongbeiquan forms include simultaneous strikes in two directions, extensive quick direction changes, running, and the flailing strikes would have utility in a mob situation.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have watched the video you'll understand why Tong Bei is considered exotic, and only a few masters pursue the style exclusively.  However it has many useful techniques that can be incorporated with other styles in free sparring, and provides excellent stance and waist training, even including silk reeling strikes and counters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note: There are many videoa circulating of traditional Shaolin Fist labeled as Tongbeiquan.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-05-10T02:22:37.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10502" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-05-10T20:22:46.003" Score="2" ViewCount="109" Body="&lt;p&gt;Recently, after having had a drink at a restaurant, and realizing that I was feeling a bit woozy from it, I found myself pondering what exactly would be the best approach if I did get someone picking a fight when I've been out after a few drinks. Fortunately, I've never been in that scenario before, having been in few actual fights, none intoxicated, with the closest cases I've been in involving de-escalating situations by offering to buy spilled drinks with my best act of contrition, but I'm well aware that it only takes a few drinks before one's reflexes suffer, you're more likely to injure yourself by missing cues your body gives you to avoid movements that will damage your muscles, tendons, and joints, and you're likely to miss the cues for your opponent's reactions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, it feels like this is probably something which has been addressed in the texts of thousands of years of people studying martial arts, and I'm curious as to what solid advice has been rendered. I'm well aware that the various &amp;quot;drunken&amp;quot; kung fu styles involve no actual drinking, just seemingly uncoordinated movement that's actually carefully planned. Is it recommended that one go on the offensive since your reflexes are likely shot? Begin retreating in hopes that something else will end the fight like having a bouncer intervene? How should I modify my self-defense strategy if I know I am impaired?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This question could be considered a bit of a flip-side to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7139/attacks-against-intoxicated-individual-with-high-pain-tolerance&quot;&gt;Attacks against intoxicated individual with high pain tolerance&lt;/a&gt;, although I don't believe the answers there are directly applicable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-08-19T12:32:05.407" Title="How should I modify my self-defense strategy if I know I am impaired?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10503" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10480" CreationDate="2021-05-12T06:52:05.817" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;As long as all are silent, I'll add my two cents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Legs&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you are weaving with amplitude, you usually ground yourself - obviously to prevent falling. It's generally ok in boxing, but such grounding is dangerous when kicks are involved - just because you are cutting your mobility. Also, while lowering your head, you place it near to your opponent front knee - which usually is charged for quick shield/check-kick and surely can be used for striking your head. Adding weave motion here may lead things go bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, comparing to hand striking, some kicks have more &amp;quot;attacking surface&amp;quot;. For example, when you are throwing a middle kick with front leg (say, as a counter to your opponent's weaving to his back-leg) - it's a &lt;em&gt;side&lt;/em&gt; kick - weaving won't help here - because, since middle is usually going from bottom to up, it's just impossible to evade it in such way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In boxing it is effective, because hand strikes are usually &amp;quot;piercing&amp;quot; or thrown high - you can effectively evade them with bob-and-weave approach. But while kicking is involved, you also involve &amp;quot;non-piercing&amp;quot; kicks - which are generally unaffected by such evading.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In kicks-involved activity it can be used if you are rushing to cut the distance and want to prevent(or, at least, complicate) your opponent from landing a heavy stopping punch. As long as cutting distance effectively lightens damage from most kicks (of course, you still can potentially ate front-kick or ushira-geri to your body), that is the best usage for it here, from my point of view.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elbows&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some points about elbows. Generally, it's for very close distance, in fact - clinching distance. Comparing to boxing uppercuts/hooks, elbows have some advance - they are not suffering from clinch distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, if your opponent is weaving to the front leg - you may (especially if you are taller), ground him with your right elbow, doing side-step with your back-leg. As long as in such upper-to-down elbows you can include your weight, and the distance is very close - result may satisfy you. Also, don't forget down-to-up elbows - also very useful as very-close-distance-uppercoat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Difference from boxing is huge here. What you may do in boxing, when the opponent is too close? Clinching, and then referee stopping and placing both of you at a distance. In MT/MMA there is no stopping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All examples above are describing situations, when both of you have the left hand as front-hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PS&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not a grappler, not at all, but maybe you are also more vulnerable to takedowns/throws, if grounded and placing your head low.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2023-12-13T18:06:32.523" LastActivityDate="2023-12-13T18:06:32.523" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10504" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-05-14T15:28:21.923" Score="4" ViewCount="283" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been preparing for the summer, I plan to do Karate at home, and I have been wondering if I can cross-train Judo afterwards. Since there's a global pandemic going around, I don't necessarily want to go to a martial arts dojo, so I've given thought to making one myself. If I wanted to make one, say, in my yard, how much would it cost, including tatami floors and walls, and what would be the best material to make it out of, say, wood or concrete, as an example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming this can be answered here, thanks in advance!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11650" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-05-14T18:03:05.377" LastActivityDate="2021-05-14T18:03:05.377" Title="Can you make a home dojo with tatami by yourself?" Tags="|safety|protective-equipment|dojo|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10505" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10504" CreationDate="2021-05-14T17:53:48.313" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Costs for materials vary wildly from one place to another, as well as depending on the size you want, so I'll mostly give you options for construction and you can check on local availability and costs according to your personal requirements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whatever you're going to be using, you'll need a flat base. A concrete slab would work, but so would a well crafted wooden platform raised on pier blocks. The most important part is how you make your sub-floor springy before putting in the tatami. Tatami is great, but with the high impacts certain throws can generate, extra spring is never bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, it's usually cheaper to design your sub-floor with extra spring and use cheaper tatami mats than it would be to use high-end tatami mats by themselves. Of course, if your budget allows, spring floor + high end tatami is the best option. Either way, there are two main options to go with for the springy sub-floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recycled tires&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, you find as many tires of the same width as possible and spread them evenly on your training area. Then you put a layer of plywood, which you then cover with thick puzzle mats (the really thick ones made for martial arts, not the thin ones for kiddy play).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68PiUYWA6qs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here's an example of such a construction&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;High density foam blocks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A more &amp;quot;standard&amp;quot; approach would be to use blocks of high density foam instead of tires. They are easy to manipulate and work with, and are probably more uniform in nature than a bunch of random tires. However, they likely can't be sourced for free. Most Judo and BJJ gyms will use something like that, however.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2R35OPQaQ4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here's an example of such a construction&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Finishing touches&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the tatami mats themselves, if you get a decent subfloor going on, you can probably use generic martial arts foam puzzle mats such as those you would find in most karate places. The thicker ones (like, 2 inches thick) are great, and still cost much less than an actual tatami would cost (like 25% of the price, really).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen some people use &lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B072BN45BW&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;gymnastic mats&lt;/a&gt; to great effect, but most dojos will use specialized 2in thick puzzle mats (or 2 layers of 1in thick ones, sometimes). Combined with the spring floor, you should be safe enough for judo, and definitely overprotected for karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastActivityDate="2021-05-14T17:53:48.313" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10506" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10507" CreationDate="2021-05-15T04:32:26.350" Score="2" ViewCount="609" Body="&lt;p&gt;How could've the naïve deputy in &lt;em&gt;No Country For Old Men&lt;/em&gt; (a 2007 film)  escaped or saved himself? Apprise me if you know of any source, but this attack appears realistic and must've been tried in real life? &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_9KNP9I6YA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here's a 3 minute video clip&lt;/a&gt;. Kindly see the GIF below.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://thumbs.gfycat.com/MajesticExaltedAmericantoad-size_restricted.gif&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11653" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-05-15T15:39:56.950" LastActivityDate="2021-08-02T14:19:06.560" Title="How can you escape a man strangling your neck from behind, on the floor?" Tags="|self-defense|chokes|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10507" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10506" CreationDate="2021-05-15T15:27:20.497" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A strangle or choke requires pressure on the blood vessels and/or windpipe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Move to reduce, not increase pressure. Pulling away and sitting up will increase pressure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Get your chin underneath the choke, which will relieve the pressure on the blood vessels and windpipe. Push the opponents hands down towards your feet and move your body up towards their head, then drop your chin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Turn in and face the opponent, so you can use your own weapons (whether actual weapons, punches, or other techniques you would use to attack someone in front of you).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are the choker, you restrict movement using your legs. I would expect that a trained person would escape this entertainment version of a choke easily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This position is quite similar to a collar choke (&lt;em&gt;okuri eri jime&lt;/em&gt;) in judo or BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-05-16T02:50:20.863" LastActivityDate="2021-05-16T02:50:20.863" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10508" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10517" CreationDate="2021-05-16T02:05:26.517" Score="3" ViewCount="164" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Is there a technical term for this counter-attack, where the defender uses the attacker's own knife against the attacker?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;How exactly do you subvert the attacker who's obviously applying force against you? Do you have to counter with even more force? Or do you just have to re-direct the attacker's force at the attacker?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first video clip is from &lt;em&gt;Harry Brown&lt;/em&gt;, a 2009 British vigilante film. Michael Caine  flips the knife back onto the attacker much faster, at much closer range, than Keri Russell in the second video clip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/cRa_1KwO3IY?t=40&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/cRa_1KwO3IY?t=40&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This second clip is from Season 4, Episode 11, of the TV series &lt;em&gt;The Americans&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/AZUPArAPZjg?t=22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/AZUPArAPZjg?t=22&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11653" LastActivityDate="2021-05-19T15:52:40.827" Title="How do you turn a knife attack back onto the attacker?" Tags="|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10509" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10510" CreationDate="2021-05-16T05:27:56.273" Score="6" ViewCount="189" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've seen &amp;quot;create a frame&amp;quot; on many martial arts websites, but what does this signify?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/the-tripod-position-a-tool-to-help-any-athlete-move-better&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Tripod Position: A Tool to Help Any Athlete Move Better | Breaking Muscle&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The working concept is that you can &lt;strong&gt;create a frame&lt;/strong&gt; with your arms and use the strength of your legs to press or support your body weight to such a position where your free leg can move forward and backward and your free arm can reach, push, pull, or manipulate an object. In a way, this mimics the architecture of a swing set on a playground in that there is a supporting structure in place to allow mobility within the structure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://faviana.com/blog/wof-self-defense&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Women of Faviana: Self Defense | Glam &amp;amp; Gowns Blog&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Front Choke&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The two handed front choke attack is a very dangerous attack, especially if you are caught off guard by someone who is much bigger and stronger than you. If you are in this position, the first thing you are going to do is step back and clap your hands to create a wedge with your arms. You are then going to use the power from your &lt;a href=&quot;https://faviana.com/blog/beauty-week-prep-guide&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;legs&lt;/a&gt; to break their arms free from your neck. Clear their hands and then grab their shoulder and elbow with your back arm and grab them with both hands to &lt;strong&gt;create a frame&lt;/strong&gt; and knee them anywhere on their center line i.e. chest, stomach, groin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://old.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/3mhn6i/common_self_defence_situations_and_escapes/cvf11md/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Reddit r/bjj comment&lt;/a&gt;/&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The guy will hold the headlock but if you create a frame with your hands on his chin or throat and push, he will let go and you have side control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11653" LastActivityDate="2021-05-25T04:11:54.767" Title="What does &quot;create a frame&quot; mean?" Tags="|terminology|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10510" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10509" CreationDate="2021-05-16T08:34:40.130" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;It means to create a rigid posture with your limbs against the opponent so that when they push against you your arms/legs do not collapse, closing the distance, but remain straight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is analogous to the &amp;quot;frame&amp;quot; of e.g. the legs of a table, which support the weight above it not through active effort ('strength'), but by their inherent rigid structure and positioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.imgur.com/hRHL9t6_d.webp?maxwidth=640&amp;amp;shape=thumb&amp;amp;fidelity=medium&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://www.grapplearts.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Double-Biceps-Spider-Guard.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Frame with arms&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Frame with leg&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-05-24T10:11:59.833" LastActivityDate="2021-05-24T10:11:59.833" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10511" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10512" CreationDate="2021-05-16T14:01:40.853" Score="4" ViewCount="410" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LP-bV81DcU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;, Tekki Shodan starts from a guard position pronounced &amp;quot;kamai&amp;quot;.  I'm not sure what the actual spelling is, but a google search shows that &amp;quot;kamae&amp;quot; means posture.  To me, it sounds too general to mean specifically guard position, and even more specifically, Tekki Shodan's opening posture (hands open, palms down, left on top of right).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the actual name for this specific position, and how is it spelt in English?  What is this position meant to train?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10351" LastActivityDate="2021-05-17T01:55:47.560" Title="Starting position in Shotokan's Tekki Shodan" Tags="|shotokan|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10512" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10511" CreationDate="2021-05-16T20:53:03.267" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question is: What is the purpose of the hand salutation at the beginning of Tekki 1 (Naihanchi 1)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a video showing the whole form:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAkA5zAosC4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAkA5zAosC4&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One possible answer is: &lt;strong&gt;It's a bear hug defense.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are other interpretations (bunkai) for this movement, but that one makes the most sense to me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're new to kata bunkai, you should look at some of my other answers to explain what bunkai is in general, and why Shotokan might not teach it as it was taught in Okinawan karate:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7006/why-is-more-time-dedicated-to-exercises-and-very-less-for-sparring-is-it-for-th/7007#7007&quot;&gt;Why is more time dedicated to exercises and very less for sparring? Is it for the fee?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7008/name-and-meaning-of-stance-where-you-stand-with-fists-on-hips/7010#7010&quot;&gt;Name and meaning of stance where you stand with fists on hips?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8229/styles-of-karate/8231#8231&quot;&gt;Styles of Karate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Getting back to the first position of Tekki 1:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How is this a bear hug defense?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Imagine someone is behind you giving you a bear hug. He has pinned your arms to your body. What do you do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first movement of the kata is the &amp;quot;salute&amp;quot; position where you have both hands open, palms facing down, one on top of the other. You're holding your hands out on a diagonal angle away from your body here. That's the first position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In styles of karate that derive from Tomari-te lineages, such as Wado-ryu, you can see an extra flourish on this salute:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mps0gJ8w8iE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mps0gJ8w8iE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In that version, you'll see there's a lot more going on here. There's a big circle you complete with your arms. And you perform the hands together motion (the salute) not just low but &lt;strong&gt;high first before going low&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Furthermore, notice how his elbows go upwards in the next movement after that, &lt;strong&gt;shrugging&lt;/strong&gt; as he's stepping out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These movements imply this bear hug defense a lot more strongly than Tekki 1 does.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The motion you make with your hands pressing down in Tekki 1 is the end of a motion that's used to break the bear hug hold, or at least in order to free your arms from being pinned. It has been simplified in Tekki 1 to the point where it's completely hidden.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll explain...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Imagine you're being held in a bear hug. Your arms are pinned tightly to your body. What do you do? Bring your hands together and slide them up your belly, under his grip. Breathe out. You're trying to move your hands upwards along your center line, wedging them under his arms. Once you get your hands above his arms, you can push down on his grip at his wrists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By pushing your elbows outwards and upwards (shrugging), you are applying leverage against his hold, making it harder for him to maintain it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this point, your hands go back down. They will land on top of his wrists, your left hand on the top of his left wrist. Your right hand on top of his right wrist. Now, push straight down. It is designed to break his hold and open up his arms, thereby releasing you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some versions of this kata, your butt shoves backwards as you do this, and you lean slightly forwards. That is done to give you even more leverage against his bear hug grip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I didn't describe what that big circle motion was at the beginning of Wado-ryu's kata version. It's not in most other styles of karate. I think it was added on to the tomari-te version only, but I could be wrong. And my opinion is that it is also concerned with bear hug defense, but clearly your arms aren't pinned here, because they can make that sweeping circle motion. That means it was probably done to prevent the bear hug in the first place, when you first start to feel him reaching around you. And then you grab onto his wrists and bring them down low. Either that or the bear hug was done without pinning your arms, and then you're going to take your hands and place them on top of his wrists, which gives you the same starting position as before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So getting back to Tekki 1, that opening salute is really an encoded technique for dealing with a bear hug. You're pushing down on his wrists after getting your hands up and out of being pinned against your body. That will break his grip, opening up his arms. From there, you step out to the side. That frees you from the bear hug.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you've used leverage to break his grip at its weakest point. Then you've created an opening. Then you're stepping through the opening to avoid his bear hug.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, Tekki and Naihanchi are all done on a line with the horse stance. That doesn't mean your applications will all be in a line just like that. Your opponent is not always to the side of you. But in order to get to an opponent, it's just assumed you will turn to face them and then do the technique that's shown in the kata. The kata isn't doing that for you. It was designed to teach, not to be a perfect representation of reality. It shows you the bare technique and nothing more. Then a good teacher would tell you how to interpret it and apply it in the real world.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so when you step out to the side in the first step you take in the kata, the guy is still behind you. So you're going to pivot and turn around to face him as you do this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now you are facing him and have your right forearm checking (pressing against) his right forearm. That allows you to sense what he's doing and to prevent him from attacking you with his right arm. Your next technique is an elbow strike with your left arm, slapping it into your right hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where does that elbow strike hit? Whenever you slap a strike into a hand, it typically means that the open hand is grabbing something and holding it there for you to hit with the other hand. In this case, you're reaching up to grab his head. Then you're slamming it with your elbow. Ouch!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where you target on the head is up to you. Pretty much anywhere is going to hurt. Think about the nose, the temple, the jaw, or the base of the spine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is one of the most highly revered kata in shorin-ryu. It contains one nasty move after another. Almost everything here is designed for maximal impact. Bone breaking is a central theme. There are stories of karate masters who only practiced Naihanchi and nothing else, for decades. To them, these kata encapsulate the essence of karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2021-05-16T22:52:47.230" LastActivityDate="2021-05-16T22:52:47.230" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10513" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10511" CreationDate="2021-05-17T00:37:00.420" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to broadly endorse Steve's answer, but also add some possible context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The kata actually starts at what the instructor calls &amp;quot;the oi&amp;quot;, which is the ready posture referred to by Dungarth &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/10511/starting-position-in-shotokans-tekki-shodan#comment21682_10511&quot;&gt;in the comments&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, what is this a guard against? To give a somewhat zen answer: everything and nothing. Or in other words, nothing specific. In this position you are ready to move into any position that is necessary to counter the incoming attack. I think this really helps to emphasise the point that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a kata is simply a set of predetermined moves that maps out a series of individual attacks/defenses (with the defence actually being an attack)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;any part of a kata should be able to be used in isolation&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many other traditional kata start from the attention position - this helps emphasize their opening move. I'd also suggest that the reason why this kata doesn't start from that position is because it's origins are older.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;not an ideal position for receiving a low kick or low punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are right, but keep in mind that you would never stay in that position as the attack comes in - you would shift into and use one of the moves from the kata. From an historical perspective, when that kata was invented there was little evidence that high kicks were used, you could argue that the practitioners only ever encountered low kicks - yet they still started in that position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2021-05-17T01:55:47.560" LastActivityDate="2021-05-17T01:55:47.560" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10514" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10485" CreationDate="2021-05-17T03:09:07.497" Score="1" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Know your enemy and know yourself&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Understanding how an opponent thinks and their available weapons can determine the best strategy to engage them using your own strengths. For example, fighting a boxer at close range where you can grapple but they cannot punch you effectively may be a better alternative than engaging at punching distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Psychology&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Modern martial arts is not so concerned with the morale and motivation of conscripts, but the behavior of the opponent is critical. Annoying is a simple tactic that can cause a poor temperment to become impatient and make mistakes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Deception&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many possibilities:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Present an apparent hole in your defense as bait&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Feign injury/weakness&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Present as having opposite handedness&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fighting always has risks, and achieving your goals without fighting is best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-05-17T03:09:07.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10515" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10485" CreationDate="2021-05-19T01:14:28.220" Score="0" Body="&lt;h2&gt;6. Weak Points And Strong&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sun Tzu said: Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Conserve your energy.  Make the opponent exert more energy. Don't fully commit until their energy is flagging.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Therefore the clever combatant imposes their will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on them.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You define the arena.  &amp;quot;Don't box a boxer.  Don't wrestle a wrestler.&amp;quot;  This is a common strategy in MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;By holding out advantages to themselves, they can cause the enemy to approach of its own accord; or, by inflicting damage, they can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't charge in, make the opponent initiate so you can riposte cleanly.  If they're crowding you, strike at grievous targets, such as the knees or eyes.  (Musashi talked about stabbing at the face, which is not an optimal choice, except to deter or unsettle your opponent.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If the enemy is taking his ease, they can can harass him;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A common strategy—throwing feints and weak strikes to annoy and force the opponent to defend.  Don't let them rest, and try to piss them off to degrade their decision-making.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended.  You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No brainer—attack openings—people often drop their guard. Don't drop your guard—be conservative and disciplined.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Attack openings, but then quickly attack new openings when they move to defend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You may advance and be absolutely irresistible, if you make for the enemy's weak points; you may retire and be safe from pursuit if your movements are more rapid than those of the enemy.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is actually a fairly good description of the tai chi notion of &amp;quot;pushing toward the center&amp;quot;, but it has general applicability.  Also explicates the tai chi notion of already moving force into the next vector &amp;quot;before the opponent&amp;quot; when countering.  More concretely, even if you begin to step back just after an opponent steps forward, you can arrive at your new position more quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be flexible!  Be able to do a little of everything.  (It is said of GTA that it is not the best FPS, or the best driving game, or the best flying game, but is has all three, and thereby dominates:)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-05-19T01:14:28.220" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10516" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10508" CreationDate="2021-05-19T10:11:37.687" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Maybe this has a name in some martial art, but to me, this is pure Hollywood fantasy with no real-life value as a technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just consider what is needed for that to function:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You have to bend the offender's arm towards their body.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Without you getting cut.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Without them simply moving back..or turning.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I see no way for that to happen. You would have to be able to grab their neck in order to hinder them from going back and to support breaking their frame. Stiffening the arm is a natural behavior when you hold a knife, ie. you would have to bend their arm with force, which is impossible without having a hold (or wall) to push against. It is possible to hit into the crook of the arm for support, but other than the knee, it has no bending reflex if hit there, so the effect will be limited against an equally strong or stronger opponent. Additionally, I see no reason why the offender would...like...NEVER turn their wrist or their body at any point, making the whole thing useless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just compare to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/CujcdaQpYWE?t=129&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;knife fight in John Wick 2&lt;/a&gt; (a movie which generally is...at least more realistic when it comes to martial arts). It shows just how much force it takes even with pushing against an obstacle. And this man has a back-hand grip, which makes it actually harder to push back for him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What's worse: You would put yourself into the danger zone. One flick of the wrist and it's you on the receiving end. Not worth it. Ever. If you can hold that knife away from you while getting within distance - which would use a stiff arm as a frame holding the knife down - you punch and knee until the offender has other things to do rather than concentrating on the pointy thing in their hands. I see no reason why one should try to move that knife in such a way since it keeps the offender's focus on that knife, where it was all the time. A main aspect of knife defense involves &lt;em&gt;using the fact that they concentrate on the knife&lt;/em&gt; and attacking the offender directly, only to use disorientation and pain to disarm afterward, if at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reasons I presented in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/10213/6440&quot;&gt;this answer of mine&lt;/a&gt; hold here as well: When it comes to knife fight, what we have is fast and messy and you would never EVER train once in a lifetime moves like this one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-05-19T10:49:43.570" LastActivityDate="2021-05-19T10:49:43.570" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10517" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10508" CreationDate="2021-05-19T15:52:40.827" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A similar move is possible, but neither video shows the correct techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The trick here is to actually pull the arm holding the knife past you as though you are attempting a standing arm bar.  Both hands should be holding the opponent's knife hand at this point, (although you may wish to hit them  with one hand first).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then as the attacker withdraws their arm to prevent a standing arm bar you move to a wrist lock.  The wrist lock is the one called kote-gaeshi in aikido or gyaku-gote in shorinji kempo.  By changing the direction slightly of this from the normal wrist lock you can cut the opponent's neck with a slashing movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that this is practically impossible if the aggressor is doing anything other than just waving the knife at you.  It only works because the knife is being held away from the body in the first place and only then in a 'hammer' grip (ie blade upwards).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can see the move at the start of this video... &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGcxtaLO4Bg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ando and Nick Drossos&lt;/a&gt; but then they immediately say why it's not realistic... And I agree, most of the time it isn't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyone proficient in knife use will not hold the knife at arms length and wave it around in front of you.  More likely they will hold it close to the body and reach with it only when they strike.  This move also won't work against a concealed knife for obvious reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if the opportunity to use this move does arise (so again, you see the knife, it's away from the body, they haven't attacked you yet) I would advise against trying it.  Any and all encounters with knives are matters of life an death and not worth the contents of your wallet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2021-05-19T15:52:40.827" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10518" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-05-20T07:59:04.603" Score="8" ViewCount="1144" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen many incidents in MMA and similar martial arts where a fighter who throws a roundhouse kick, usually towards the opponent's legs, breaks their own leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That makes me wonder if this kick directed to opponent's legs is useless, because what's the point if it hurts the attacker more?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However I am not sure why this happens, it could be just a mistake by the attacker, it could be that the opponent's bones are naturally harder, it could be a technical issue, or perhaps the move is useless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I want to ask, what exactly is their mistake and they hurt themselves rather than the opponent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11536" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2022-01-12T16:15:14.223" LastActivityDate="2022-01-12T16:15:14.223" Title="Why numerous martial artists break their legs while throwing roundhouse kicks to opponent's legs?" Tags="|kicking|injury|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10519" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-05-20T11:07:05.190" Score="3" ViewCount="220" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know my question is pretty common but I'd like to choose the best martial art for me. I'm a 20 yo guy, not too fit or flexible (I'm working on it tho). I prefer strike-based styles over grappling that I really don't like. I'm not necessarily looking for a style which is great for self-defense, rather for a style that is great for improving myself but doesn't take forever to improve in it.&#xA;Here are the ones I can choose from and are taught in my vicinity:&#xA;Taekwondo,&#xA;Wing Chun,&#xA;Boxing,&#xA;Kickboxing,&#xA;Ninjutsu,&#xA;Aikido,&#xA;Wado-ryu,&#xA;Kyokushin,&#xA;Nanbudo,&#xA;Hapkido,&#xA;Kendo&#xA;So I have some good options but I can't really decide which one would be good for me. There are also some Muay Thai gyms near me but I'm kinda afraid of that style.&#xA;I hope I didn't ask a stupid question or something.&#xA;TIA&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11668" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-05-20T11:23:12.683" LastActivityDate="2021-06-04T07:50:42.230" Title="Choosing a martial art" Tags="|recommendation|style|striking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10520" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10519" CreationDate="2021-05-20T13:16:30.280" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll go through the styles in order to give you an idea of what to expect.  I would recommend trying several styles before choosing one so you find the right fit for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Taekwondo&lt;/strong&gt;: This style is a Korean offshoot of Japanese karate (Shotokan I believe?).   It is famous for its high kicks.  You will need to be flexible to do well in competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wing Chun:&lt;/strong&gt; Made famous by Bruce Lee this is a Chinese style that specialises in very close quarter punches and low kicks.  Like all Chinese styles the lineage of any particular school of wing chun is likely to be worth looking into as different schools with the same style name can teach very differently and have little to do with each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Boxing:&lt;/strong&gt;  This is of course a western style.  Largely competition based although many gyms offer fitness based classes too.  Competitions are generally won by causing severe injuries so not to be undertaken lightly.  Definitely practical, but perhaps only while wearing gloves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kickboxing:&lt;/strong&gt;  Basically boxing but with kicks as well.  Generally less impressive looking than Taekwondo but still requiring significant flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ninjutsu:&lt;/strong&gt;  largely weapon based and unclear in origin.  There is basically about one guy in japan and his students that claim to know original Ninjutsu.  They certainly practice something, but whether it's actually linked to the Shinobi/Ninja's of fuedal japan is doubtful.  Anyone else claiming to teach actual Ninjutsu rather than just using the name is unlikely to have any Japanese connections other than this.  I would be very wary of this school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aikido:&lt;/strong&gt;  A light grappling style.  They specialise in joint locks and takedowns.  They also tend to train swords, knives and staffs.  Exactly what the training will look like depends on which of Mori Ushiba's student's teachings the school follows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wado-ryu:&lt;/strong&gt; A traditional Karate style.  This school will teach strikes and kicks but in a more stylised way than say boxing or kickboxing.  That said it's still more likely to be more practical and self defence based than say taekwondo.  They will likely also teach traditional japanese weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kyokushin:&lt;/strong&gt; A much less traditional Karate style.  This style is known for their full contact, no gloves sparing.  Anything goes apart from punches or elbows to the head.  Their kata (solo forms) are also different to more traditional styles such as Wado-ryu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(I will omit nanbudo as I am not familiar with this style and don't want to mislead you)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hapkido:&lt;/strong&gt; This is largely a mixture of Taekwondo and Aikido.  It's very impressive to watch.  They teach punches, but prefer to showcase their flying takedowns, high kicks and joint locks.  If you want to fight like 'Black Widow' in the marvel films go with this one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kendo:&lt;/strong&gt; This is a sport based on older Japanese sword styles.  They train with wooded blades and lacquered wooden armour.  Its like a Japanese version of European fencing, some way from actual swordsmanship but a serious discipline in its own right.  The equipment is expensive, so I would recommend asking about this on your first lesson.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muay Thai:&lt;/strong&gt;  This can be anything from virtually the same as kickboxing to the original Thai Buddhist honour sport.  The way to work out what to expect would be to ask whether kicks to the head are allowed.  If not it is likely to be a more traditional school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2021-05-20T13:16:30.280" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10521" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10518" CreationDate="2021-05-20T20:24:41.103" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;So far, doing a casual check, I've found two cases of MMA fighters breaking their leg on a checked leg kick, and at least two of people having their legs broken by receiving a leg kick, so the record seem reasonably even, not counting the non-fracture results of leg kicks slowing people down, putting them in pain, etc, so I think there might be more of an observer effect going on where the times it happens stick out in our head more than when it doesn't happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2 id=&quot;so-why-does-it-happen-h1cv&quot;&gt;So why does it happen?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll prefix this by saying I am neither a medical professional nor a professional fighter, so I am not an expert. That said, I think a lot of it comes down to bad luck and the fact that the human body, no matter how well conditioned, can still wear down and break. Ideally, when aiming a strike, the goal is to strike the target in a way that maximizes damage to the target while minimizing damage to yourself. There are all sorts of aphorisms and techniques involved, but it basically comes down to that you want to hit the weaker part of their body with the stronger part of yours. If you are off-target, you may wind up striking with a weaker part of your body or against a harder surface. A classic case is punching without proper bracing or hitting bone, resulting in things like wrist sprains or broken fingers. Or, in the case of kicking, breaking your toes by having them be the point of impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Complicating this, of course, is that fighters don't strike in pristine condition. Even aside from damage taken during the fight (say, the previous strikes), they may be carrying injuries from prior fights, training, or even just day to day life. All of that can add up to introduce damage that will make a limb more likely to break. While the bromide is that that which does not kill you only makes you stronger, microfractures in the bone can compound and lead to the bone becoming more fragile. Dr. Chris Raynor &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/509AoxQRD_M&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;has suggested&lt;/a&gt; that this was likely a major factor behind MacGregor's broken leg in his July 10, 2021 fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2 id=&quot;so-why-do-leg-kicks-d9qt&quot;&gt;So why do leg kicks?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, as noted above, these injuries, while gruesome, are fairly rare. A fighter might throw hundreds of leg kicks without a severe injury like this. Compare that to the amount of broken fingers in boxing or grappling And leg kicks, while seldom enough to end a fight, can significantly reduce a fighter's mobility, and in a self-defense situation, may cripple an opponent long enough to make a run for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-07-16T18:22:30.577" LastActivityDate="2021-07-16T18:22:30.577" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10522" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10518" CreationDate="2021-05-21T15:03:30.940" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There isn't really a &amp;quot;mistake&amp;quot;, it's more of an unfortunate confluence of events. Any site that claims it takes X lbs of pressure to break a bone are sort of misleading. There are differences in bone structure from person to person, and it very much depends on the angle, load, time and other factors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The tibia (shinbone) is sort of prism shaped, which is to say triangular with one of the edges being the leading part of the shin. If you can hit with that leading edge directly, it reduces the surface area of the impact, which in turn increases the amount of pressure/force over the surface area of the strike. The flatter the surface, the more area and the force is lesser. (Think of an axe, if you hit with it flat, not much happens. If you hit with the back of the axe, you dent the wood. You hit with the edge you cut the wood, even if it is dull.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the kicking leg needs to have that shin bone angle hitting almost directly into the opponents leg, at a 90 degreeish angle. Any upward or downward angle/deflection will reduce the force applied. The same goes for the blocking leg, it needs to be at the perfect angle, any movement upward/laterally reduces the impact of the strike. If you get both legs at the &amp;quot;correct&amp;quot; angle with sufficient force (And most trained martial artists can easily produce that force with a kick), you run the risk of fracture. Then you start looking at bone health, age of the participant and other factors as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now as for the question of why, most kicks are not directed at the shin. Rather they are aimed at the calf or thigh muscles, so as to deaden them, reduce their effectiveness and/or hit a nerve center to produce a temporary paralysis. You see this when someone gets an effective leg kick and they sort of limp around for a few seconds. Nobody goes into the fight wanting to go shin to shin. Krav Maga calls this &amp;quot;hard on soft, soft on hard&amp;quot;, or hard (shin) to hit soft (muscle) targets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2021-05-21T15:03:30.940" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10523" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-05-22T07:53:12.587" Score="6" ViewCount="246" Body="&lt;p&gt;A few weeks ago I watched a YouTube video about disarming someone holding a pistol and decided to give the technique a try with my sparring partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The technique was the most common we see in movies, if the opponent holds a gun with his right arm, you place your right arm on the outer side of your opponents arm and using your left arm you grab the gun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So for a few weeks me and my partner were trying to learn this with some toy pistol, we followed the instructions precisely and having about four years experience in martial arts, we expected to be able to do this, but the truth is that it wasn't possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The ones suggesting the technique assumed that the opponent will hold the pistol extremely lightly, this was the only case the technique worked, generally with a more natural grip it was just impossible to get the gun out of the opponent's arm no matter how hard we tried (it is worth mentioning that my sparring partner has been a powerlifter for quite some time and he still wasn't able to get the gun out of my hand despite being way stronger than me), in fact I believe attempting the technique in a real situation could get you killed and I would never recommend it, the best thing one should do if someone is trying to rob him is cooperate since your life is worth more than a few bucks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyway, my question is, is this technique useless or it was our fault that we couldn't make it work (perhaps due to lack of experience)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11579" LastEditorUserId="11579" LastEditDate="2021-05-22T10:08:56.560" LastActivityDate="2021-06-16T13:59:59.767" Title="Do pistol disarming techniques work?" Tags="|self-defense|firearms|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10524" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10525" CreationDate="2021-05-22T17:27:23.540" Score="8" ViewCount="576" Body="&lt;p&gt;I and a few other Black Belts are the last generation of a martial arts system. The founder was a Grandmaster who created his system that took roughly 40 plus years to create. However, he passed away and his students have continued teaching the system. Last year when COVID hit, we had to close down the dojo. I hold the rank 3rd dan and want to bring the school back to life. I don't want go the route of self promotion because it is not honorable. However I would like the opportunity to be able to achieve a higher dan. What is a good method of making this happen?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;note: I am currently the highest rank Black Belt that is still active in the system. All other Black Belts that hold a higher rank have left the system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11673" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-05-23T12:08:10.843" LastActivityDate="2021-05-25T04:52:56.037" Title="Founder of a martial arts system passed away. How can current Black Belts move up in the system?" Tags="|recommendation|belt|grading|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10525" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10524" CreationDate="2021-05-22T21:30:51.293" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;This actually happens quite a bit. I don't have statistics on how often it happens, but there are a ton of martial arts schools headed by people who essentially started their own school and declared themselves a 10th dan grandmaster. They may have something worthwhile to teach, or not. But because of the competitive nature of martial arts schools, few of these systems continue running long enough to train someone to head the system after the original founder retires or passes away. When that happens, the systems just sort of fade away. Students move on to other systems.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another aspect of this is that systems like this are often headed by the kind of person who thinks he/she has some profound and special insight into martial arts, or they just want to feel important. It appeals to narcissists, in other words. They like having people looking up to them. And to keep it that way, they hand out rank at a snail's pace and change the goal posts over time. They want to ensure that they are the big boss forever, so they don't want any of their students to reach their level. They'll make up new stuff over time to make sure nobody can catch up to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not saying that's what happened in your case. I'm just saying this is pretty typical in the martial arts world.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regardless, what is needed in order to pass a martial art down to a new grandmaster is either: 1) The old grandmaster formally declaring it, in writing or verbally in front of all senior students. Or 2) If the old grandmaster didn't pass it down officially, then the senior students must vote to determine who becomes the next grandmaster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In each case, there can be schisms. Some students reject the new grandmaster and start new schools with themselves as the grandmaster. This happens a lot. It's upsetting, but it's all part of life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When a new grandmaster is declared, then that person typically becomes a 10th dan. Yup, he could be a 3rd dan today, and tomorrow he's a 10th dan after he becomes a grandmaster officially.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing is, though, chances are pretty good that the original grandmaster who started the style wasn't a 10th dan, either. Many of them just achieved low dan ranks (1st, 2nd, and 3rd dan) in one or more other martial arts before forming their own system and declaring themselves as 10th dans. It's the rule, not the exception.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's really nothing stopping anyone from declaring themselves as grandmaster of their own system, by the way. You don't even have to wait for the previous grandmaster to hand it down to you. And you don't even need any martial arts training!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for your particular case, first I would declare myself &amp;quot;acting head instructor&amp;quot; of the style if there was nobody higher ranked than you. And I would continue teaching the school that was left behind. Find all the former students and invite them back to train with you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You mentioned there were previous students of your grandmaster who have since left the system but were higher in rank than you. If I were you, I would write to them all, tell them what happened, and ask if they would meet with you to teach you whatever was next in the system. Gain as much as you can from them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your grandmaster had a family, I would approach them and ask if you could have any of the notes, drawings, videos, etc. They would probably just throw them out and would love that you're willing to take the collection and continue his legacy. Absorb whatever you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, after some time has passed, maybe a year or two, ask all your grandmaster's previous senior students and immediate family to submit their nominations for the new grandmaster. After all nominations are in, hold a vote. Maybe have a run-off election between the two with the most votes. And then you have your new grandmaster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That will probably be you if you're the acting head of the system now. But you never know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The new grandmaster gets 10th dan. There should be a big ceremony and banquet with every student invited and especially the family of the previous grandmaster. That will be when the new grandmaster is officially declared. A local news reporter should be invited as well, to document it in the newspaper.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're the new grandmaster, it means you have some work to do to take the style further than what you learned. You should make it your life's work to go out and learn what else is out there, whatever can advance your understanding. An obvious direction to take is to study from your grandmaster's instructors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your grandmaster is no longer here. It's no longer his system. It belongs to the next grandmaster. And yes, that means it might go in a totally different direction. That's okay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2021-05-22T21:37:53.383" LastActivityDate="2021-05-22T21:37:53.383" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10526" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10524" CreationDate="2021-05-23T03:17:32.100" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Honestly, you can do whatever you want. Your system attaches meaning to a rank. Outside your system, this rank is meaningless. Systems commonly assign rank by dictator or committee. You could do it by drawing of lots, popular voting, or who can pass a standardized test.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The dan system is a simply a parallel to the common structure of education. Just as in grade school, you spend some time in 1st grade, and at some point you graduate to 2nd grade. Students in 2nd grade should know more than those in 1st grade. Although 10 is a popular number of grades to have in martial arts, you could equally well have 4, 11, 12, or 100.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could also use an alternative to the grade ranking system. You could switch to a merit badge system where you award a badge based on your ability to demonstrate a particular skill like the Boy Scouts. You could award degrees with different majors like universities. You could flatten the ranks and just have students and instructors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-05-23T03:17:32.100" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10527" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-05-24T08:22:17.773" Score="3" ViewCount="392" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Vr3hE.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Vr3hE.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's say I came across this kind of situation. What do I do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11677" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-05-24T12:24:04.810" LastActivityDate="2023-02-24T01:39:51.113" Title="How to escape from a rear headlock while held at gunpoint?" Tags="|self-defense|firearms|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10528" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10527" CreationDate="2021-05-24T10:28:08.543" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;You comply with whatever you are being asked to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are not going to escape that without being shot but on the other hand you have not been shot yet.  That means that your captor wants you alive at least for now.  So do what they say and stay alert for a better time to try to escape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2021-05-24T10:28:08.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10529" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10524" CreationDate="2021-05-24T13:27:12.820" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I meant to reply to this before. I think most of the details have been covered, but I just wanted to posit two possibilities for a &amp;quot;legit&amp;quot; method of promotion for you:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Promotion after testing by your relative peers&lt;/strong&gt; - While generally a higher rank is bestowed by someone of a higher rank than yourself, once you hit the upper dan levels of a martial art, you know the fundamentals, and often have your own areas of expertise. Those people at your level, and even a bit below, have likely trained with former high-ranking members of your system, and have an idea of what is entailed. Thus, them signing off on you being a 4th dan black belt provides a sense of legitimacy and contuity.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Promotion after testing by peers in similar arts&lt;/strong&gt; - While there may not be someone of a higher rank than yours in your current art, odds are that you can tap someone in a very similar art, possibly someone who used to train with your Founder, who will be able to provide the honest assessment of whether you have reached the proper level, and to sign off.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-05-24T13:27:12.820" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10530" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="40" CreationDate="2021-05-25T03:39:16.757" Score="0" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I train weapons left handed as much as right handed because the weaker capability of my off-hand elucidates fundamental challenges of a given technique, which deepens my understanding of the technique, and improves my right handed work.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Chinese arts, I find the difference is native capability most pronounced in straight sword in my experience, because it tends to have the greatest number and variety of techniques per the versatility of the weapon.  Staff, by contrast, is typically trivial to practice off-handed because the weapons two handed, and has few thrusts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also useful for teaching, so you can face your students and mirror the right-handed movement.  Ideally, the teacher's left handed work is more adept than the students' right handed, certainly up to advanced beginner (analogous to first black belt.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-05-25T03:39:16.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10531" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10524" CreationDate="2021-05-25T04:01:43.740" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had a similar situation with 20, 30 and 40 years students of a significant master.  When the master retired, no one was qualified in the entire scope of the art possessed by the teacher, who had done it full time from the age of 5, such that different advanced students had different specializations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those students sought out the &amp;quot;martial uncles and aunts&amp;quot; who were peers of the master, and had trained under the same main teacher, each having their own specializations.  This is because these students' goal was increasing their knowledge in the specific system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of the former students teach, some don't, some take the moniker of Sifu with the teacher's blessing, some who to teach prefer consider themselves eternal students and avoid the label of master, even where others apply that label to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Politics can get weird with martial arts, so diplomacy is always best.  My sense is that you can probably claim the lineage in honor of your teacher, since more advanced practitioners have left the system.  But your peers still in the system may resent this and undermine you, even unintentionally.  You'll always have to contend with the opinions of higher degree blackbelts who have left the system, although you should view these practitioners as a resource, since they advanced farther than you.  They will always be your elder martial siblings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think personally that reviving the school would be noble, a way of honoring your teacher, and that your teacher would be pleased, unless they specifically didn't want that particular school to continue after their time.  If you're unclear on the masters wishes, start a new school and make sure people know your lineage, as a &lt;em&gt;direct student&lt;/em&gt; of the founder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(My understanding is informed by the Chinese perspective, which brings at the very least a long history of dealing with exactly these situations, which situations are often mythologized in modern action cinema, arising out of even earlier wuxia treatments of the subject.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morihei_Ueshiba&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ueshiba&lt;/a&gt; had many prominent students who founded their own sub-lineages, but all are in the lineage of Ushiba, the founder of Aikido.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-05-25T04:52:56.037" LastActivityDate="2021-05-25T04:52:56.037" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10532" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10527" CreationDate="2021-05-25T04:08:31.677" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are techniques to do so, and why not learn them, but understand the math on not getting shot is very pessimistic, such that if you try to apply them in real life, you almost certainly get shot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The movies show such techniques routinely, and it's a major part of serious &amp;quot;gun fu&amp;quot; fight choreography, but remember they're doing things like disassembling a loaded pistol held by the opponent, and so alway should be taken with a grain of salt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I was a significantly more proficient grappler than the assailant, and assumed they were going to kill me anyway, I would wait until the muzzle is off target and move in a manner so as to control their wrist, keeping the muzzle off-target, and removing it from their hand by whatever method was most expedient, but &lt;strong&gt;I'd still assume I was going to die.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-05-25T04:08:31.677" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10533" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10509" CreationDate="2021-05-25T04:11:54.767" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Brazo's explication is similar to how tai chi is applied while standing.  Sinking of the joints, &amp;quot;emptying&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;rooting&amp;quot; (stances) is how this is effected in that system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You see the general concept across martial arts because all genuine martial arts reduce to &amp;quot;physics and physiology&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-05-25T04:11:54.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10534" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10523" CreationDate="2021-05-25T04:18:04.550" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Only military and police trainers can likely comment on the utility of such techniques—my guess is that they are not focused on due to the low probability of success, and that strategy with firearms is to fell the opponent from a distance, ideally from cover.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However these techniques are a major part of serious contemporary &amp;quot;gun fu&amp;quot; choreography, which is a thriving art form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do gun disarming techniques work on camera.  Hard yes!&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do gun disarming techniques work in real life—the best answer would likely come from Vegas bookmakers.  (Odds on the unarmed individual will be astronomical, but still almost certainly a losing bet.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't even know how such an opportunity would come into play outside of a movie, tbh.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-05-25T04:18:04.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10535" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10527" CreationDate="2021-05-25T04:22:08.180" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;One possible option, if you just want to avoid being a hostage, is to make yourself an inconvenient hostage. Faint (or fake doing so) when the gun isn't pointed at your head. Vomit in fear. Lose control of your bowels. Unless you're the only option, the criminal isn't going to want to drag dead weight along, or deal with the smell. And most hostage takers really don't want to shoot someone. They want to get away, preferably with their loot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-06-28T18:06:11.840" LastActivityDate="2021-06-28T18:06:11.840" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10536" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10519" CreationDate="2021-05-25T04:44:55.557" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Honestly, I recommend tai chi (no impact, lifelong applicability), bagua (super fun, good in crowds) and hsingyi (pure striking, equal training of left and right), all of which can be learned in the Chinese system at a single school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Best part is that much of the practice involves forms, so you can train wherever you are, whenever you feel like it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tai chi also sets you up to counter grappling, so you don't have to focus on the ground work you don't find appealing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chinese schools nearly always also teach weapons, which are super fun, and provide some weight training, often in range of movement that far exceed any traditional weight training.  (I work out with a 3.5 lb straight sword for hours at a time, and it keeps me toned.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can find Chinese schools that teach free sparring even at the beginner level today, with the rise in the popularity of MMA.  (This aspect that used to be reserved only for advanced students per the old country traditions.) Push hands is a mellow counterpoint to sparring, and is more mellow and arguably even more challenging than striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't care about being a formidable fighter, quickly or ever, and your primary goal is health and self-improvement, tai chi is best because you won't get injuries training and sparring, and it won't leave your joints or back messed up as you age.  And you can keep improving your entire life, into old age:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s5AXn9AUUo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s5AXn9AUUo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note the balance in the above video—falls are a major killer of old people.  The one clinically validated benefits of tai chi is reducing falls in elders.  (Also works on slippery floors and ice;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's another example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGzBITVQVEE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Pretty good&lt;/a&gt; vs. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8YzALcGMuQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Real mastery&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Same practitioner, just a couple decades older.  This master was famous for being un-athletic and sickly, and became one of the most revered and influential masters of his generation, because, in his own words, he proved that &amp;quot;anybody can do it&amp;quot; if he could do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-05-25T04:50:09.697" LastActivityDate="2021-05-25T04:50:09.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10537" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10311" CreationDate="2021-05-25T05:01:56.407" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It also works in two-attacker situations, although it typically requires keeping distance with one of the two attackers at any given time.  I very often use a single handed guard in free sparring when the sparring partner is not challenging me, as a way of taunting them to commit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chinese system are great for this, because common guards involve one hand at shoulder level, and the other hand closer to the waist to defend the lower body.  Such a guard doesn't work against a boxer though, with a few rare exceptions in more exotic styles which use leaning.  Typically this guard had the shoulder level hand more extended, and the waist level hand closer to the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have to practice the &amp;quot;warrior gaze&amp;quot; of not focusing on any specific body part, but take in the entire picture with peripheral vision to be effective in even a single opponent situation, but it is a fundamental requirement in a two-opponent situation.  (In two opponent situation, mobility and maintaining the initiative is critical.  If you get trapped you'll go down.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-06-03T23:03:04.500" LastActivityDate="2021-06-03T23:03:04.500" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10538" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10539" CreationDate="2021-05-25T05:13:22.117" Score="4" ViewCount="201" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was taught to practice what was termed the &amp;quot;warrior gaze&amp;quot; by a martial uncle.  This is described as how to look when in hand to hand combat.  Essentially, I was advised not to focus on any specific part of my opponent, but to not focus on anything specifically, and take in all visual data, including peripheral. This has served me well in sparring and in life. It also conforms to the hunter's gaze which I learned in Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival when I was a lad, where the unfocused gaze allows the hunter to see slight movements of prey, where prey cannot be discerned except by moving.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do martial arts systems teach a special way of using the eyes for self defense?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-05-25T11:38:35.747" Title="&quot;Warrior Gaze&quot;? Where to look when training and fighting?" Tags="|training|self-defense|sparring|sport|combat|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10539" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10538" CreationDate="2021-05-25T11:38:35.747" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;As far as I am aware, all martial arts systems that teach about the eyes use this practice. This practice corresponds to the use of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral_vision&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;peripheral vision&lt;/a&gt;, as opposed to foveal vision. Foveal vision is more sensitive and allows discernment or color and fine detail in a small area for tasks such as reading, while peripheral vision covers a wide area and specializes in detecting movement over color or detail. The human brain cannot visually process both fine detail and the whole field of vision at once; use of foveal vision can result in tunnel vision, where the brain starts to ignore things happening outside the small area concentrated on by the fovea. When fighting, you want to use your peripheral vision; movement in your peripheral vision comes from things trying to hit you, which you obviously do not want to ignore.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-05-25T11:38:35.747" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10540" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="10541" CreationDate="2021-05-25T17:48:08.300" Score="7" ViewCount="237" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;I'm not interested in the pointing system or competition and what not.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;But I want to know what skills are required for each rank? (approximately)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that there are a couple of techniques in judo.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Including throws, grappling, strikes, break fall, ...&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;// I know that some of these are not permitted in competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;So, are some of these techniques only performed by one rank?&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;And if someone can perform every technique clearly does that mean he has a high rank?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or is rank dictated by other stuff, like experience and problem solving,...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wanna know what is expected from each belt exactly.&#xA;Like if you are studying Japanese, they will tell you N5 knows this much vocab and kanji and grammar and can understand this x level of conversation. Is there something like this for JUDO?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11684" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2021-05-29T09:06:16.497" LastActivityDate="2021-05-29T09:06:16.497" Title="Skills required for each belt?" Tags="|judo|technique|belt|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10541" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10540" CreationDate="2021-05-25T19:42:11.023" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The U.S. Judo Federation has a document which goes over rank requirements in fine detail:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.usjf.com/public/rank_requirement.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.usjf.com/public/rank_requirement.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's just one example from one Judo association that I got from a quick Google just now. There are many other examples.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each particular school you go to has its own requirements for each belt. They may belong to a national or international judo organization. But there's still room for them to change the syllabus around. It just depends on the instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are typically these requirements for each rank:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Minimum age.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Minimum time spent at the current rank.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Being able to demonstrate clean throwing, holding (including pins, joint locks, and chokes), and breakfalling techniques.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Randori.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kata (albeit typically an after-thought in Judo).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Japanese terminology.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Jumping over Bruce Lee's nunchucks. Just kidding. :)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And in some associations, you may be required to win in tournaments. There may be less time needed in your current rank if you are actively engaged in competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of your time in Judo will be spent learning throws and being thrown. Following that will be holds and groundwork. Following that will be randori. In later ranks, randori and scenario-based randori / drills will probably become the dominant percentage of time you spend in class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each rank has a list of new techniques to learn and perform cleanly. At first they will be in isolation, but later on you'll be asked to integrate them in combinations. For example, you might have to demonstrate Osoto Gari followed by Kesa Gatame. And you might already know a technique from a previous rank, but you'll be asked to show more advanced variations of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's not a lot of material in Judo compared with many other martial arts. There's the Go Kyo No Waza, which is the 5 levels / groups of throws you have to know. That totals just 65 throws, more or less, depending on your school's curriculum. Most of the throws you perform in competition will be a handful of maybe 8 throws that you learn in the first couple years. There aren't a lot of holds, either. Most of the learning you'll do, therefore, will be how you deal with a resisting opponent and still be able to perform these techniques. That comes over time with experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing is the same way. In boxing, there really aren't that many actual techniques. You got the jab, the upper cut, the cross, the hook, maybe the corkscrew punch, and not a whole lot else. But in order to make those techniques work on a resisting opponent, you're going to have to learn all about timing, distancing, strategy, decoying, level changing, bobbing and weaving, covering, advanced step work, and so on. Add to that the athleticism and conditioning you need in order to keep going multiple rounds. It's deceptively complex.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Getting back to Judo... I think you need to go to your particular Judo school of interest and ask for their belt requirements if you really want to be exact. When I trained in Judo back in high school, I was given an information packet that outlined all of the requirements for each rank up to 1st dan. That was thanks to a good teacher who cared enough to write it up. I would imagine many other schools do that as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Suffice it to say, though, it's not going to seem like an overwhelming amount of material to learn at each rank. Rather, Judo is all about repetition. You will learn just one or two throws to begin with, and you're going to repeat those throws with a partner thousands of times before learning the next throw. So I wouldn't worry about the amount of material to learn. You can definitely handle it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for rushing through the ranks, you're limited by the minimum amount of time you need at each rank. So my advice is not to worry about rushing through the ranks. Just show up to all your classes and really make everything you do count. Really work at it. Your hard work is what will pay off later on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2021-05-26T15:44:49.423" LastActivityDate="2021-05-26T15:44:49.423" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10542" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2217" CreationDate="2021-05-27T02:23:37.253" Score="1" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wudang sword&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Never goes force against force, and works in an armored or unarmored context, against single opponent or multiple opponents.  Gives greater extension for a wider array of techniques, plus extensive level changes, and even utilization of one-legged stances in proper context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Best of all—its the only sword art I've learned that formalizes edge preservation, when taught correctly, by always aspiring to counter/control the opponents blade with the flat of the blade.  Edge to edge contact will only occur in blocks, where blocks are considered a failure—the inability to counter (parry) and riposte.  Many wudang sword are only meant to be sharpened for the last couple inches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(I've seen HEMA longsword parry/ripostes that look quit similar to wudang techniques, since the tool and context guides the technique.  You may also want to check out this choreography, where &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/GaPxUv9FsVY?t=246&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;one combatant takes up a Chinese longsword&lt;/a&gt;.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since Wudang, like tai chi, is ultimately a system of movement, as opposed to a given set of forms or techniques, I find the training to be more optimal.  It does include practice of forms, but with the caveat that all movement is generated by the waist.  This allows me to work out with a 3.5 lb blade for hours at a time, without exhaustion, and no tendon damage to the wrist. The arms and legs merely follow the waist, and the arms are extended, circular (joints sunk) and relaxed.  The framework this creates is very firm.  Grip is strong/firm but not tight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The practice of forms is also rewarding. Aesthetically pleasing, strengthens the core profoundly, and a high level of technique is so difficult to achieve, no intellectually honest practitioner ever considers themselves to have &lt;em&gt;fully&lt;/em&gt; mastered anything.  My technique at 50 is significantly better than at 20 or 30 or 40.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A caution is that many modern wudang practitionars seem to conflating armored combat with unarmored, via protective equipment in a sport analog, which seems to incentivize unsafe strategies.  By unsafe I mean striking without clear advantage, which leaves the attacker exposed, and can easily lead to death in a real sword fight.  (Academic, however, as no one really swordfights anymore.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wudang also adapts to modern fencing (duelling/unarmored combat) via &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/10329/7644&quot;&gt;Dan Pai&lt;/a&gt;, which allows for lighter blades. There you will see significantly more point work, like western rapier, and an emphasis on wrist cuts because Chinese swords do not employ basket hilts, which can inhibit versatility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Heavier wudang blade weights seem to be for the purpose of cleaving, where the combatant need to be able to guarantee felling an opponent with a single stroke, and cannot depend on thrusts because multiple attacker situations is assumed.  Because Daoist swordsmen and swordswomen travelled extensively, the blades had to be durable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-05-27T02:41:35.220" LastActivityDate="2021-05-27T02:41:35.220" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10543" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-05-27T02:50:27.307" Score="5" ViewCount="529" Body="&lt;p&gt;I ask because it is commonly regarded as having the exact sense of Sensei, of Master, or Teacher, but these don't convey the full meaning.  Sensei, for instance, shares the same characters as the Chinese xiānshēng &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%85%88%E7%94%9F&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;先生&lt;/a&gt;, which is distinct from the two sets of characters used for Shifu, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%B8%88%E7%88%B6&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;师父&lt;/a&gt; &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%B8%88%E5%82%85&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;师傅&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wikipedia gives the facts, I'm looking for the context, to better understand the Chinese tradition, and how it is expressed in the contemporary generations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are the meanings and connotations of the term Shifu?  What is implied?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chinese martial arts were not really taught to westerners in the US prior to the late 1960's, so this may be the first generation in the west fully separate from the old country.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are contemporary Chinese martial arts teachers using different terms based on the different dynamics in contemporary and western culture?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, in a modern wushu context, a teacher may be a coach to generations wushu competitors, but only Shifu to a small number of students.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Bin_(wushu_coach)&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wu Bin&lt;/a&gt; is famous example—his status comes as a coach specifically, not a shifu of a lineage &lt;em&gt;per se&lt;/em&gt;.  (He is the Chinese equivalent of Bill Belichick:)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2022-07-04T01:49:26.490" Title="Meaning of the Chinese Sifu? (Shifu)" Tags="|kung-fu|terminology|wushu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10544" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10165" CreationDate="2021-05-27T04:11:58.750" Score="0" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Simple answer — Easy to validate&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a technique &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%B5%9E&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;絞&lt;/a&gt; that is sometimes referred to as &amp;quot;swirling&amp;quot; the sword, though the common usage is to &amp;quot;wind&amp;quot; in the sense of &amp;quot;wrap&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;intertwine&amp;quot;.  [Literally &amp;quot;silk + crossing&amp;quot;; the technique is a form of silk reeling, where the waist is used to put continual momentum into the blade via a chosen axis, where small circles are most desirable.]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's an on-guard position where you trace the point of the straight sword in small circles.  I was taught had at waist level, palm up blade pointing into the opponent's eyes, which results in protecting the torso, the primary defensive requirement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Typically, one walks the circle while practicing this technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The tassel of a practitioner with sufficient technique will have minimal bounce, and always remain in a generally downward position below the pommel a the end of the string, because the momentum into the tassel is directed downward.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The utility of this technique is it is an on-guard position with constant momentum, circular, out of which the counter (parry) to any given attack, cut or thrust, can be developed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The utility of practicing this technique with the tassel is that it forces the practitioner to think of the axis as fulcrum, controlling and thinking about the tip and pommel simultaneously, even when executing techniques with the end of the blade.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Use of tassel reinforces the high level of control needed in swordplay, reinforces what is sometimes referred to as the &amp;quot;action&amp;quot; of the sword via the axis/fulcrum, and alerts the practitioner that energy is not being directed in the proper vectors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-05-27T04:11:58.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10546" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-05-28T20:51:45.337" Score="6" ViewCount="801" Body="&lt;p&gt;Every boxing coach in the existence of time says the same thing: TUCK YOUR ELBOWS IN.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When they demonstrate it, they put their elbows close in to their body, touching their ribs, and their arms almost perpendicular to the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a picture of it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2IWW3.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2IWW3.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Except here's my issue .... I'VE LITERALLY NEVER SEEN A PRO FIGHTER, MMA OR BOXING, STAND LIKE THIS.  WHY DOES EVERYBODY RECOMMEND THEN WHEN NOBODY DOES THIS?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a video of Conor McGregor showcasing some striking (I know he's MMA, but he went 10 rounds with Floyd, so I think he knows a thing or two about boxing). At not a SINGLE point in this video are his elbows tucked in and his arms straight, not ONCE. You can watch any video of boxers, and they don't stand like that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pCeF_oA1DQ&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pCeF_oA1DQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What am I missing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11692" LastActivityDate="2021-06-17T07:59:21.670" Title="Why does every boxing coach recommend this stance that nobody actually uses?" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10547" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="759" CreationDate="2021-05-28T20:58:41.153" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Being able to know when, where and for how long does not guarantee that the teacher is a highly qualified individual.  However, like any other organization, it cuts down on the false individuals.  I read all the critical comments.  None gave a solution.  It is worth having a lineage that you can trace and confirm qualification.  I am more weary of here today, gone tomorrow American organizations.  It is important if the organization is linked to a respected organization in Okinawa or Japan.  Do your homework.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11693" LastActivityDate="2021-05-28T20:58:41.153" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10548" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10546" CreationDate="2021-05-29T00:29:10.687" Score="8" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What am I missing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're not watching boxers train, you're watching them fight, and at a high level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watch amateur and olympic boxing, rather than solely pro-level fighters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When learning to box, the traditional boxing stance (as depicted in your image) is the most well rounded stance, with balanced offense, defense, and movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning from a traditional stance sets a baseline for new fighters to build upon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also bears mentioning that over-emphasizing keeping your elbows tucked while training reduces the likelihood that a boxer will learn to throw punches with their elbows flared up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2021-06-02T11:46:16.150" LastActivityDate="2021-06-02T11:46:16.150" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10549" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-05-31T19:37:58.397" Score="4" ViewCount="1347" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to learn a martial art that can help me learn to defend myself against singular and potentially multiple opponents. I was going for Krav Magar but I realized that I was taking it too far. I am 6&amp;quot; 4, I run half marathons and I'm working up to full marathons. I'm getting into doing half Ironman's(the iron man triathlons), and I've been gymming for a while. I'm also 16 in about two weeks. I have been through extensive physical and mental bullying and school (when I was shorter and unfit) and I have a mindset of needing to defend myself against everyone and I have realized because of that, going and doing Krav Magar probably isn't a good idea. I live in New Zealand and I need a martial art I can do that will let me defend myself without going too far. It can't have elements of spirituality in it (like karate) because my parents are Christian and I'm not allowed to do stuff like that.&#xA;Thanks in advance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11697" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-06-01T12:17:09.340" LastActivityDate="2021-06-01T16:56:53.433" Title="I need a good martial art I can learn (non spiritual)" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|recommendation|style|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10551" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10549" CreationDate="2021-06-01T02:04:26.907" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You are a 16 year old male, tall, and physically in very good shape and improving all the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your primary motivation for training in a martial art is to gain practical skill at defending yourself against bullies in your neighborhood and at school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And pretty much any Eastern martial art is out of the question, because your parents might see it as threatening to your Christian upbringing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think based on all of what you said, I would recommend you look at 4 styles: Brazilian Jiujitsu, MMA, Boxing, and Muay Thai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any martial art can give you self-defense skills. But self-defense isn't fighting. Self-defense is about dealing with common scenarios that happen, such as someone getting you in bear hug, someone getting you in a side head-lock, someone grabbing your lapel and cocking back his other hand's fist ready to punch you, etc. These are techniques that are used to get you out of those situations, usually so you can run away immediately afterwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas, fighting is the entire struggle from beginning to end. It's not just a collection of self-defense techniques that you string together to make a fight. Most of the fight has nothing to do with those techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing is, you can learn hundreds of self-defense techniques and still not be prepared to fight. Learning to fight for real requires a different method of training, one in which you are forced to deal with someone who is not letting you do things to him and who fights back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which is why I gave you those 4 martial arts. Those styles have a proven track record for making skilled fighters, not just martial artists and theoreticians. Those styles all incorporate 1) liveness, and 2) resistance / pressure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Liveness means that your partner in class is someone who won't just do the technique and stop, as if he's a robot. He's going to keep going. If he sees you are unbalanced, he's going to kick your legs out. If he sees you left your guard down, he's going to show a jab to your face. If you're doing something that begins with a wrist lock on him, he's going to pull his wrist out of the lock when he sees you don't really have it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go on YouTube and watch some martial arts demonstrations. Notice how after the one guy throws his punch or does whatever, he just stops. Then the instructor does one thing after the next, with his partner just doing nothing. It makes the instructor look like a god. Yet, anyone can look awesome when their partner has stopped moving and is just letting them do stuff. Instructors get a pass when they do this, because they can just say it was a demonstration, not real fighting. But these same instructors often don't go further than this in their classes. So it leaves students with an unrealistic expectation about the effectiveness of those techniques in actual fights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Resistance and pressure testing is the second requirement. You need a partner who's going to use speed and force against you. They're going to really work at it to try to overcome you and win against you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Putting both liveness and resistance together, what it will look like is your partner will not let you get away with anything and will keep coming at you relentlessly. You'll feel like it's a fight. If your stuff doesn't really work, you'll find out real quick. That will force you to get better. And when it does work, you will gain real confidence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In martial arts that do not train this way, practitioners sometimes report getting into real fights and losing because they just froze. In that moment, they realized nothing has prepared them to actually fight. They know a lot, but there's a difference. They felt confident in their abilities going into this situation, but it suddenly vanishes the instant they realize they're lost. That's due to false confidence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The next thing you'll notice about those 4 styles is that they're all sports. That may set off alarm bells in you. You don't want just a sport. You want a real fighting style. The thing is, these styles all have a set of rules mostly there to keep you from getting seriously hurt during training or competition. The idea is that you want to be able to go all out without hurting each other so much that you can't come back tomorrow. Because, if you're so hurt that you can't train for another 3 months due to broken bones or something, you won't be able to learn. The more training you get, the better off you'll be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if you wanted just one style that had the least set of rules and most freedom to do whatever you wanted (kick, punch, throw, choke, etc.), then that would be MMA. Muay Thai limits you to punches, kicks, elbows, knees, and a Thai clinch. Boxing limits you to just punches. BJJ limits you to grappling, no punches or kicks. But MMA lets you do everything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;MMA has rules, too. They're there to make sure people don't get seriously hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And these days, you can find schools that just teach you MMA. Though, they may have classes in BJJ, Muay Thai, and Boxing separately, or they may try to incorporate drills from each of those other styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the religious / spiritual aspect, the only one of those 4 that might have some of that is Muay Thai. But it's very minimal and can easily be seen as ceremonial and not really required at all. You can meet with the instructor and just tell him what your situation is and ask if his style is compatible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BJJ also has bowing, which many Christians frown against. But it's just there to show respect and for tradition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're absolutely safe with MMA and Boxing. There is no spiritual / religious component or aspect to these at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for multiple attackers, just realize that you're not going to find any style that deals with those particularly well. Usually fighting one person is hard enough. Fighting 2, 3, or more is unrealistic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do end up in a fight with more than one person, you'll want to make sure you take the approach of keeping distance from everyone. The moment someone forces you into fighting them, do whatever is necessary to extricate yourself and get back to being able to distance yourself. Then when you have distance, look for a way out and run. You don't need to fight to win. You need to fight only in order to get away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most would also suggest carrying a weapon as a &amp;quot;force multiplier&amp;quot; when things go badly, since you're outnumbered in a multiple attacker scenario. But at your age and in the scenario of bully defense, you're just going to end up expelled from school and thrown in juvenile detention if you even just show a knife in a fight on school grounds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, let me put this in perspective for you from someone who was in a similar situation in my high school years: You've got 2 or 3 more years of school before you're out of there. It seems like an eternity now, but when you're 30, you'll remember what you were thinking and how short-sighted it was.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These guys who are in your world right now are going to vanish the moment you graduate. You'll never see them again. Then you're going to be in a new environment with new friends who are actually nice to you and who come get you whenever they're going to do something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The situation you're in now sucks. But it's not forever. Avoid the a-holes in your life. Devote all your mental real estate to improving yourself and being the kind of guy you would like others to be. If you do that, you'll be so much more successful in life than any of those guys who are mean to you now. In the end, you'll win.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2021-06-01T02:11:14.963" LastActivityDate="2021-06-01T02:11:14.963" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10552" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10549" CreationDate="2021-06-01T08:21:51.900" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer to &amp;quot;I need a martial art for self-defense&amp;quot; is usually &amp;quot;take a look at what's available and go for the one that spars the hardest&amp;quot;. Without knowing what's available in your area, it's hard to provide proper counsel. Some style do have better track records than others, though, so we can make general suggestions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, you mention that you might not be allowed to train in the &amp;quot;best&amp;quot; martial art if it includes spiritual or religious elements. So let's look at the most recommended arts for self-defense, and eliminate the ones with these components.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Striking arts&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally speaking, the most recommended striking arts for self-defense are going to be boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai, with various branches of knockdown karate (such as kyokushin and all its derivatives) coming to a close second.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of these, knockdown karate is often the most available but, as you've said, the &lt;em&gt;mokuso&lt;/em&gt; (meditation) and the bowing present in karate are interpreted by your parents as being religious rituals. So, for the sake of this argument, we'll disqualify karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muay Thai is a modern crowd favourite. It's efficient, it's powerful, and it looks cool. No one is doubting its effectiveness for self-defense. There is, however, the notion of the &lt;em&gt;Wai Khru Ram Muay&lt;/em&gt;, a traditional dance meant to show respect to the teachers and the ancestors, and whose movements are heavily influenced by Buddhist faith. In pretty much every Muay Thai gym, this isn't going to be an issue. But if your parents want to be very strict about it and do some research, they might learn about it and come to the conclusion that Muay Thai has spiritual aspects (though that would be, in my humble opinion, just as nonsensical as interpreting the bowing and &lt;em&gt;mokuso&lt;/em&gt; of karate as religious rituals).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you want to be extra safe, &lt;strong&gt;the best striking arts &lt;em&gt;-for you-&lt;/em&gt; are probably going to be boxing and kickboxing&lt;/strong&gt;. Both generally have great quality control, spar hard, allow you to compete to validate your training, and will teach you how to fight. If you can find a gym that trains one (or both) of those, you're set for striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Grappling arts&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the early UFC has taught us anything, it's that a trained grappler will generally have the upper hand in a fight against an opponent that doesn't know how to grapple. As such, I'd definitely advise you to take up a grappling art at some point if self-defense is your main objective. And as far as grappling goes, the traditional recommendations are wrestling, BJJ, and judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Considering your spirituality requirements, I would probably disqualify judo and BJJ, for the same reasons as karate would be disqualified. Well, if BJJ is available to you, I'd probably take a look first, as there is currently a trend to evacuate some of the Japanese rituals that remain in the art. So you might be lucky and find a BJJ gym that won't infringe on your parent's faith. I've personally never seen a judo club that didn't bow and meditate, however.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So given the circumstances, I'd say your best bet would be, as far as grappling goes, &lt;strong&gt;wrestling&lt;/strong&gt;. If you were in America, it would likely be available freely to your school but, sadly, it can be hard to find elsewhere (though it must obviously exist, seeing as most countries will send wrestlers to compete in the Olympics, but that's another story). If you can find it near you, do try it out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Special mention to Sambo as well: it's basically Russian Judo, and it was developed on orders from Lenin, so you can generally be sure that there is nothing religious or spiritual left in there. I've never trained it myself, but I've sparred against sambo guys (I train Judo) and they were legit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mixed Martial Arts&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mixed martial arts are defined by their integration of techniques from different arts, and governed by a specific set of competition rules. There are many flavours of mixed martial arts going around, and some are more well known than others. There's UFC-style MMA, of course, which most people are familiar with. But then there's also stuff like sanda, shootboxing, combat sambo, kudo daido juku, gongkwon yusul, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of all of these, I'd say kudo daido juku and gongkwon yusul are the most likely to incorporate spiritual aspects (being derived from karate and hapkido respectively they involve the usual culprits: bowing and meditation). So let's disqualify them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;UFC-style MMA is often split into striking and grappling classes, with some &amp;quot;MMA&amp;quot; sparring sessions thrown in the mix. What is actually taught in most gyms will vary immensely from one instructor to another. Some gyms will focus on boxing/kickboxing for striking, others on muay thai, etc. For grappling, it's mostly BJJ and wrestling. Luckily, however, unless it's an actual BJJ/muay thai class, there isn't going to be any spirituality involved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Combat sambo does seem like it could be interesting, as it's basically sambo with striking allowed, though I have absolutely no experience with it to form a proper recommendation considering your needs. I'd say try it out if it's available.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Seeing as you're in New Zealand, and thus closer to Asia, you might be lucky enough to have an easier time finding shootboxing gyms. Shootboxing is basically MMA without ground and pound (no striking once you hit the ground). It's very popular in Japan (though &amp;quot;niche&amp;quot;, maybe), but very little elsewhere. If you can find it, it might work out very well for you. I do not believe there are spiritual elements involved here, either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sanda is what MMA could've been if it evolved mostly through Chinese Kung Fu. It's a combat sport that generally has a great reputation as far as effectiveness for fighting and self-defense goes. There is very little ritual involved (minimal bowing and salutes, basically the Chinese version of shaking hands), so I'd feel safe recommending it to you given your constraints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary, if you can find &lt;strong&gt;UFC-style MMA&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;combat sambo&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;shootboxing&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;strong&gt;sanda&lt;/strong&gt;, they are probably safe bets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Other considerations&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can only afford to train a single art, mixed martial arts are definitely the way to go, as they will teach you the basics of both striking and wrestling. If, however, money isn't an issue, picking one recommended striking art as well as one recommended grappling art will result in basically the same skill set, though you might have less opportunities to spar using both at the same time. Depending on availability and pricing, however, it's sometimes easier to train grappling and striking in separate schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do, however, want you to consider that there are likely other means for you to solve your current issues. Let's be honest... of all the people that take martial arts for self-defense, only a tiny minority of them ever actually use it for that purpose. De-escalation tactics, situational awareness and better decision making will get you out of more fights than martial arts ever will. And it those fail, running and cardio will probably get you out of there with less risks to your health than martial arts. In fact, one could certainly argue that you are more likely to get injured while practicing martial arts than in a street fight, and they'd probably be right, statistically speaking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As someone who trains for Ironman triathlons, odds are that you can outrun anyone that's big enough to feel like they could intimidate you (you are pretty tall, after all). &lt;strong&gt;If running was considered a martial art, it would literally be my #1 recommendation to you&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="557" LastEditorUserId="557" LastEditDate="2021-06-01T16:56:53.433" LastActivityDate="2021-06-01T16:56:53.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10553" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2021-06-04T00:10:06.870" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2021-06-04T00:10:06.870" LastActivityDate="2021-06-04T00:10:06.870" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="10554" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2021-06-04T00:10:06.870" Score="0" Body="Positions are relative to another person, as opposed to single-person stances. " OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-06-11T16:01:34.763" LastActivityDate="2021-06-11T16:01:34.763" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="11553" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-06-04T00:33:55.403" Score="3" ViewCount="95" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the benefits of experience, and even age, is familiarity with the types of attacks, the real world situations in which they arise, and how to forestall, defend, and counter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What information can be intuited by how a potential opponent stands? Are there other physical indicators?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How to predict the type of attack?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-06-12T09:33:47.850" Title="How to intuit an expected imminent move or strategy prior to an attack?" Tags="|self-defense|stance|positions|strategy|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12554" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="11553" CreationDate="2021-06-04T17:11:48.000" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Upright sideways stance outside of punching range, they might be going to attempt some kicks they learned in Taekwondo class.&#xA;In a &amp;quot;front stance&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;walking stance&amp;quot;, hands in front of them, they're more likely to punch.&#xA;In your face, chest-to-chest, then they look around a bit, they might be preparing to come back around with a surprise haymaker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2021-06-04T17:11:48.000" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12555" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-06-05T00:05:03.943" Score="5" ViewCount="341" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a basic piece of advice I was given early on, especially regarding boxers, who are particularly dangerous because they attack the brain and can end it in one, combination or blow.  Essentially:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Watch the shoulder not the hands, because they can't punch without moving the shoulder, and the shoulder is going to move before the fist.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I asked another question about the &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/10538/warrior-gaze-where-to-look-when-training-and-fighting&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;warrior gaze&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt;, which renders this partially moot, in that one is taking in the whole frame of reference, but there is still an element of enhanced awareness.  For instance, special note of the opponents footing so one can maintain a viable counter stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the same way, I have found heightened attention on the shoulders is useful in practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is &amp;quot;watch the shoulders&amp;quot; solid advice?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-08-07T11:03:49.690" Title="&quot;Watch the shoulder&quot;?" Tags="|strategy|physiology|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12556" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2021-06-05T00:09:14.073" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Physiology is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muscle, tendon, bone, eyes, ears, circulation, breathing—their mechanisms and capabilities.  Martial arts has been called &amp;quot;physics and physiology.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physiology&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physiology&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-06-15T14:04:41.457" LastActivityDate="2021-06-15T14:04:41.457" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12557" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2021-06-05T00:09:14.073" Score="0" Body="For questions related to how physiology relates to practice of martial arts, which is the practice of using ones body to attack and defend. " OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-06-15T14:04:50.077" LastActivityDate="2021-06-15T14:04:50.077" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12559" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12555" CreationDate="2021-06-05T12:35:19.640" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes and No.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I am close enough to you I can move my shoulder and punch you long before you can dodge or block.  If I am far enough away I couldn't possibly hit you without your reactions giving you a good chance to evade my strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition many styles, boxing included, will teach ways to hide shoulder movement with foot movements and clever steps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, what are the alternatives?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they are bare handed then you can watch the forearm and judge the position of the fist that way.  But if your opponent is wearing gloves you are not going to be able to judge the position of the hand easily because the glove will hide the forearm so in this case watching the shoulder might be a good plan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternatively if you are really good at pushing-hands type drills you might be able to maintain contact with your opponent's arms at close range.  That way you don't rely on sight at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In all of the above you have to consider the context of where you are fighting.  If you are in a self defence situation of some kind it probably doesn't matter if you watch the shoulder or not so much.  After all your goal should be survival not killing anyone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As soon as you know that your enemy is trying to harm you you should be trying to think about exit routes and if they are close enough to punch you at all you have already failed in your best line of defence.  In other words, watch for the monkey dance and the shouting not the first punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are in a ring watching the shoulder is more relevant.  You are going to fight the guy, probably to unconsciousness.  So this is where you actually have to think about their 'tells'.  In this situation you should have watched videos of their fights and know what to look for anyway.  The shoulders yes, but often also the mouth, the eyebrows etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion, reading a fighter is a skill in itself.  There are no shortcuts, but watching the shoulder is one option.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2021-06-05T12:35:19.640" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12560" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10523" CreationDate="2021-06-06T06:05:25.460" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, if someone has a handgun pointed at you and they are close enough that you can reach the firearm you are in a heap of do do, probably less than 50-50. We train Krav style and on the street it could go something like this. Once I am convinced this guy is seriously going to harm me. First, act frightened, shouldn't be to hard, say things like &amp;quot;Please don't shoot me&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;I'll give you my money, keys..&amp;quot;. My hands would be moving like I'm freaking out terrified. The attack would be something like this, get off the line, block the weapon then attack the gun. Once the gun is in my control I DO NOT release it. Then Eyes, Nuts, Nose, Knees, did I say Nuts. Once the gun is no longer in the attacker hands and you miraculously survived the ordeal, run like hell.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11705" LastActivityDate="2021-06-06T06:05:25.460" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12561" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12555" CreationDate="2021-06-06T06:17:01.923" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can't say I've ever heard that one &amp;quot;Watch the shoulders&amp;quot;. The guys we train with are typically fast enough that once you realize the shoulder is moving they have already made contact, not to mention, once they figure out your watching their shoulders they'll use shoulder motion against you. We look towards the chest, that way we can see both hands and peripherally both knees. With a little bit of experience you may find that your defensive reaction time get's better and your offense improves,.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11705" LastActivityDate="2021-06-06T06:17:01.923" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12562" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-06-07T10:11:50.160" Score="6" ViewCount="1068" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many people claim that grappling martial arts like judo and jiu jitsu are very useful in a street fight but I don't think this is true for the following two reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, in a street fight you want to hit your opponent as fast as possible and then be on your way, you definitely don't want to take the fight to the ground as this will increase your chances of getting injured, you just want to stun your opponent for a few seconds so you can run away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And second, a lot of people seem to have assumed that in a street fight, your opponent will try to counter your grapples in a fair way like an mma match, but this is not not actually true, your opponent will try to pull your hair, thumb your eyes, pinch you, bite you, kick your groin, etc.&#xA;For example as you go for a shoot, he can pull your hair, or kick your groin if he is fast enough, etc.&#xA;In a street fight grappling has no winner, both lose, you may be able to get your opponent to the ground but he could just bite your ear and rip it off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having said that, are my arguments correct?&#xA;Is there any way that grappling can work in a street fight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11304" LastEditorDisplayName="user11304" LastEditDate="2021-06-07T10:19:32.547" LastActivityDate="2021-06-11T15:13:02.843" Title="How can grappling martial arts work in a street fight?" Tags="|grappling|streetfight|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12563" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12562" CreationDate="2021-06-07T13:34:41.363" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well, this question does ask for a lot of opinion and I'd like to prevent accidentally starting a heated debate over what type of martial art is better. Instead, I will show you how grappling is and isn't useful in a street fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;How it's useful in street fight&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grappling's main strength in real life fights is that you are able to have a huge amount of control over your opponent. If you get them to the ground and you are able to secure a good lock, you probably don't have to worry about them pulling your hair or trying to bite your ear off. And if you are able to control them well, you won't even have to worry about them striking you, even small amounts. Here's an &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxyMK1cXo9A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;example&lt;/a&gt;. It's also easier to walk away from a fight after you have submitted them than after you have struck them, unless you are able to knock them out. If you punch them in the face and then try to walk away, they may very well just get back up and start attacking you again. But if you take them to the ground and break their arm or choke them unconscious, you impair their ability to fight back while you run away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;How it's not useful in a street fight&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, the first thing, is that if you are being attacked by multiple people, most grappling arts are unlikely to be effective. Secondly, if you you miss your opportunity to gain control of your opponent and take them to the ground and they have started raining strikes upon you, it can be very hard to start applying grappling techniques right then. That's why if you intend to use grappling, you should manage your distance from your opponent: Always either be too far away for them to touch you, or close enough that their strikes become weak and you are able to gain grips and take them to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;My Opinion&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether others agree with it for the most part or not, this is a fairly opinionated question, so it is only reasonable that I share my opinion, built on experience, or course.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My opinion is that if you want to learn self defense, grappling is an essential skill to learn. It is extremely effective against one opponent and gives you the ability to control their entire body while  simultaneously attacking them. However, I also believe that the best thing for self defense is being well-rounded in multiple styles. Punching, kicking, grappling, throwing, submitting, are all skills that one way or another will be useful for self defense in their own ways. Each has strengths and weaknesses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are looking to learn martial arts for self defense, a some popular choices are&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Muay Thai and BJJ (Gracie schools will be most likely to teach self defense-oriented curriculum, instead of competition-oriented)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;BJJ and Taekwando&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mixed styles of Kung Fu like Wing Chun and Tai Chi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Krav Maga and BJJ or Wrestling (any kind)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do BJJ and Krav Maga because BJJ gives you the knowledge necessary to win fights on the ground, while KM teaches you all-around self defense from standing, including against multiple opponents. I'm not by any means saying that this is the best combo, but I do find it extremely effective. I have no doubt that the other combos are extremely effective as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10555" LastActivityDate="2021-06-07T13:34:41.363" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12564" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12562" CreationDate="2021-06-07T18:05:14.613" Score="4" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, in a street fight you want to hit your opponent as fast as possible and then be on your way&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have decided to get in a boxing match. As in many boxing matches, it's difficult to land a knockout blow, and someone closes to clinch to avoid getting punched. Now you have entered a grappling position, and there is no referee to separate you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;you definitely don't want to take the fight to the ground&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then throw them and stay standing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;your opponent will try to pull your hair, thumb your eyes, pinch you, bite you, kick your groin&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I assume you are picturing a ground situation. The basic wrestling strategy starts with getting behind someone and on top. From this position, the person on the bottom will not be able to pull hair, gouge eyes, bite, or groin kick effectively. They will still be able to pinch, but the person on top can pound their head into the pavement, so I don't see why you would be worried about this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, there are plenty of sport fighting positions that are unadviseable in a streetfight. No one says you have to use them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example as you go for a shoot, he can pull your hair, or kick your groin if he is fast enough&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why cannot this opponent do the same thing if you are trying to punch them? Shooting for the leg, like punching, relies partly on speed. The faster fighter will win this exchange.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-06-07T18:05:14.613" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12565" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12562" CreationDate="2021-06-08T14:58:55.440" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your arguments are standard, and I will give standard answers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Yes, if you are up against a formidable striker, you will have problems getting into distance. You will probably eat some hits getting there. But it does not take long to learn basic protection against strikes, which every grappler interested in self-defence will. Knock-outs against prepared opponents are extremely rare, so it's not improbable to be able to use your skillset.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Grappling is a lot more than cuddling on the ground. There is a huge amount of standing techniques (throws, locks, strangles). Also, when offenders are alone, there is a number of techniques which allow you to keep them on the ground, pull your phone, call the police, and wait for their arrival. If you happen to be a lot lighter, this option is not viable, but breaking bones and dislocating joints before making the run can still be done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Grappling is all about superior positions. Yes, the other one can/will try to bite, scratch, gouge, etc. But truth be told: &lt;strong&gt;I can as well.&lt;/strong&gt; From a superior position. My defense AND offense will be better. And I did allow stronger and heavier opponents to do &lt;strong&gt;whatever they like&lt;/strong&gt; in grappling situations in self-defence seminars. Turns out they realise fast that I can hurt them more than they can hurt me. Turns out what you mention is an annoyance, but no vital damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Generally, it is assumed that opponents do have a technical disadvantage compared to trained martial artists in self-defence. From experience, I can tell you that allowing the average bloke, even physically stronger ones, to do what they like does help them nothing. Yes, you could design a million what-ifs. But reality looks different. All the arguments you bring forward are clearly theoretical in nature, made by people who do not know self-defence, or grappling, or both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Short comment on knives&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knives are obviously a problem. But control of the opponent's limbs and balance is at the center of every grappling martial art. And unarmed fight against an armed opponent is obviously problematic for all people and styles. You know what's funny? Every viable weapon defense involves &lt;em&gt;grabbing&lt;/em&gt; the opponent's weapon/hand/wrist. Think about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2021-06-10T19:07:03.047" LastActivityDate="2021-06-10T19:07:03.047" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12566" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12562" CreationDate="2021-06-09T11:56:48.030" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrestling and Sambo is a completely different issue though. Watch Khabib Nurmagomedov in the UFC. You think any of his opponent had any chance at grabbing his groin or poking his eyes? He dominates them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the answer to your question would be: yes, SOME grappling is very good for self-defense. But not Brazillian jiu-jitsu. Hell, jiu-jitsu isn't even all that in MMA anymore. Oliveira is the only champion for specializes in jiu-jitsu, and everyone expects him to lose the belt soon anyways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Striking (boxing, kickboxing, muay thai) + wrestling (sambo, freestyle, greco-roman) is the best combo, mix in some judo throws. Do look up some basic jiu-jitsu subs and defense methods, but don't seek a black belt in it, it's worthless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11692" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2021-06-11T15:13:02.843" LastActivityDate="2021-06-11T15:13:02.843" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12567" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12555" CreationDate="2021-06-09T17:07:42.903" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The shoulders are about half a meter away from each other, so if you're focused on one the other could be comin' for ya. And I agree with @dawgdeelux, especially with the jab.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was originally taught to look at the center of the chest, where your peripheral vision can see all 4 limbs to some extent and where you're not going to be eye-faked or intimidated by the guy's &amp;quot;THUG LIFE&amp;quot; neck tattoo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2021-06-09T17:07:42.903" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12568" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10255" CreationDate="2021-06-12T00:00:10.073" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;اصلی ترین تفاوت آنها در زدن ضربات پای آنهاست.&#xA;بطور کلی یک تکواندوکار در زدن ضربه پا لگن پای خود،را روبداخل،اما کاراته کاردرضربه پا، لگن پایش رو به بیرون می‌باشد واین برای یک تکواندوکار پوئن بزرگیست چون از فاصلهٔ دورتری برحریفش مسلط می‌‌شود&#xA;بعنوان مثال،یته پرنده یا تیپ یوپ چاگی درتکواندو بسیار از کاراته قویتر وموثرتر میباشد!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Translation:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main difference between them is their kicks.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;In general, a taekwondo fighter kicks his pelvis in the kick, but karate kicks his pelvis outwards at the foot of the foot, and this is a big point for a taekwondo fighter because he dominates his opponent from a distance, for example, a flying yet or a very &lt;em&gt;yup chap&lt;/em&gt;. It is stronger and more effective than karate&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/v2DZt.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/v2DZt.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Image of a person doing a flying kick with the text of &amp;quot;Arash&amp;quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11718" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-06-12T00:07:34.017" LastActivityDate="2021-06-12T00:07:34.017" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12569" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="11553" CreationDate="2021-06-12T09:33:47.850" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The stance isn't a real predictor of attack. Street fights are more about psychological advantage than skill. Showmanship can also work in some cases. I have stopped attackers quickly because one, they did not expect me to fight, and second, because I stood in a  particular karate stance. My experience also shows hitting first gives you a psychological advantage. Make sure you can follow it up :-)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have also seen absolute fools who couldn't land a single punch but simply because they put up a 'strong front'... That was one of the stupidest fights I've seen. Anyway, it worked against their opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11730" LastActivityDate="2021-06-12T09:33:47.850" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12570" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12572" CreationDate="2021-06-13T11:19:17.827" Score="5" ViewCount="567" Body="&lt;p&gt;I found, in practice, that using something called a Millwall Brick boosts efficiency and effectiveness in striking, and I am thinking about the practicability of its implementation in actual street fights (as a hypothesis).&#xA;But...First things first, this is basically what a Millwall Brick is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/r865m.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/r865m.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you make it with the right materials using the right method one end of it is supposed to be as solid as a rock.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you do is hold it like that in the picture and use a stabbing motion to the nose, neck, temple or other vital areas, or you could hold it the other way around and stick it in the assailant's abdomen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another advantage is that it's made of paper, so it won't really appear as a threat untill your opponent is hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it advisable? Or are there dangers I did not foresee?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastEditorUserId="11576" LastEditDate="2021-06-13T11:27:45.007" LastActivityDate="2021-06-15T13:48:01.517" Title="Is using the Millwall Brick in a street fight advisable?" Tags="|self-defense|weapons|striking|streetfight|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12572" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12570" CreationDate="2021-06-14T12:43:13.107" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;While &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5rwjz4LjlY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;it only takes a few seconds to roll the newspaper to make the weapon&lt;/a&gt;, it does take time and attention to do so, so you're unlikely to be able to do it on the spot, in a crisis situation. Once rolled up, it has to either have constant pressure put on it to stay in shape, or needs to have some sort of fixative like tape used to keep it in shape, so the odds aren't great for preparing it in advance, pretending it's not a weapon, and then using it. Once assembled, it's basically just a stick, used for attacking in the same way as a stick. Ultimately, its intended use is for creating a sneak attack attack weapon in a situation where you've decided on a target, and have a few seconds to prepare to attack them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you plan on self-defense, you're better off just carrying a stick. You're probably not going to be able to fashion it after being attacked, and you're not going to be able to prepare it in advance in any way that maintains the property of not appearing to be a weapon while making it still suitable for use as a weapon. And if you are planning malice aforethought, other than the obligatory note that this is almost certainly illegal, and we advise you against it, you're still basically just beating someone with a stick, so afterwards, there will be the same sort of forensic evidence left behind, so the &amp;quot;concealed nature&amp;quot; of the weapon won't help you there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only case where I could maybe see this as a useful skill to learn for self defense, is if you're in a situation where you are under imminent threat, but have a bit of time to prepare to attack back, but even then, I suspect you'll find better weapons on-hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-06-14T12:43:13.107" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12573" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12570" CreationDate="2021-06-15T13:48:01.517" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There have been similar questions on this forum relating to improvised weapons (e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/3082/1159&quot;&gt;To punch with keys or without?&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the time of writing my answer, there isn't anything to suggest location (tag or otherwise). I'm in the UK and it is my understanding that using an object as a weapon, regardless of the intended purpose of the object, will negatively impact any subsequent legal process (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.haymanssolicitors.co.uk/section-18-assault-grievous-bodily-harm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.haymanssolicitors.co.uk/section-18-assault-grievous-bodily-harm&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't get into sticky situations in the first place and you won't need an improvised weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1159" LastActivityDate="2021-06-15T13:48:01.517" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12574" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-06-15T21:31:48.373" Score="7" ViewCount="246" Body="&lt;p&gt;Watching the Mayweather vs Paul fight, and even the TikTok vs YouTubers fight, I noticed they always grab each other by the head or the waist when they get close. Is this to reset the match, or even just part of a tactic?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11634" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-06-24T11:38:01.780" LastActivityDate="2021-06-24T11:38:01.780" Title="Why do Boxers always grab each other mid match?" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12575" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12574" CreationDate="2021-06-16T11:52:43.503" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Put simply, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wbcme.co.uk/ringside/why-do-boxers-hug/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;the clinch&lt;/a&gt; is a defensive tactic that is pretty effective in reducing the amount that you are being punched for a low expenditure of energy that is largely permissible in the rules. By &amp;quot;hugging&amp;quot; the opponent (and the article goes into a bit more detail of the technique of it), you're reducing their ability to punch you with any force while getting a chance to relax and regain energy. As a bonus, it tends to frustrate the opponent, and if they get angry and attempt to still throw punches, they're expending a great deal of effort to do only a little damage (their arms are weighed down by yours, the close counters means they can't get much more distance to generate force, and their only viable target is the torso rather than the head).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are, of course, not allowed to maintain a clinch indefinitely, which is why, as you say, it tends to lead to a reset, which can also be advantageous if you were in a bad position. Lastly, if a boxer keeps clinching, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6447/if-clinching-is-technically-illegal-why-does-it-almost-always-go-unpunished&quot;&gt;it is technically against the rules&lt;/a&gt;, so they risk having penalties assigned, or even a judgment that they have lost the match due to being outclassed. That said, as the linked question notes, it's rare for this to be penalized in that manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-06-16T14:15:10.983" LastActivityDate="2021-06-16T14:15:10.983" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12576" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10523" CreationDate="2021-06-16T13:59:59.767" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Gun Fu workes only on camera.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gun disable works in life, if you are near enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grab the pistol slide, pull it back, never let it go.&#xA;Better to point the gun away from you, if in any case the chambered projectile is fired.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The one who wins the grappling, that one has the gun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10685" LastActivityDate="2021-06-16T13:59:59.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12577" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12574" CreationDate="2021-06-16T14:16:51.443" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Adding some point to very good Macaco Branco answer. Particularly about this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;grab each other by the head&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes, starting with such grabbing, you may catch your opponent's glove to lower it, and then immediately hit him in this newly-created gap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may be called &amp;quot;dirty boxing&amp;quot; and is usually done carefully, without referree watching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastActivityDate="2021-06-16T14:16:51.443" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12579" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10546" CreationDate="2021-06-17T07:59:21.670" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Professional fighters developed from basic stances. They modified this stance to accommodate their individual strengths and weaknesses, that's how they evolved to pro fighters. They are outliers by definition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words: It does not make sense to copy others on this level. It would not allow you to develop your own strengths and weaknesses. Yes, if you reach a very high level, you would eventually give up this &lt;em&gt;exact&lt;/em&gt; stance, but it is the well-balanced bread and butter and should only be modified if one knows what you gain and what you give up by doing so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, if what you ask is about learning how to box: Get a good coach and they will let you train exactly this stance, because it is the perfect compromise between offense and defense and trains a lot of things you tend to forget in the heat of a fight, which means you lose strength or speed in your feet and punches (knees bent, weight on balls of the feet and centered, shoulders relaxed) or open up for hits to the ribs (tucking the elbows in!) or head (hands up!).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A last word on McGregor: He is not a boxer. Mayflower played with him because it was a promotional fight. Would not have looked good if it lasted only for one or two rounds. And he is an extreme show-off, ie. he purposely shows an open stance and gives up defence to demonstrage just how &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; he is (as very good boxers sometimes do). But what you do not see is that they read the distances and only do so when they &lt;em&gt;know&lt;/em&gt; they are out of range for the opponent. That is not what you should take as a blueprint for your boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2021-06-17T07:59:21.670" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12580" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1649" CreationDate="2021-06-17T18:40:57.013" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Q: What are the advantages of using a vertical fist for punching?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of insightful and informative answers here. Glancing through the responses, my initial thoughts are that most of these are focusing on &amp;quot;higher order effects&amp;quot; (in technical parlance), and may or may not be useful - of course, depending on your level of dedication. Ephraim's answer from a Krav Maga perspective is closest to my understanding, but I wanted to share &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.quora.com/profile/Chris-Price-69?q=chris%20price&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chris Price's answers from Quora&lt;/a&gt; with his decades of insight from a boxing and bare-knuckle fighting perspective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &amp;quot;advantages of a vertical fist&amp;quot;, imply a disadvantage with a horizontal fist. To echo Ephraim's answer, a vertical fist minimizes the probability that you suffer a boxer's fracture. This assumes that the person you are punching is prone to move sideways more than vertically. Vertical movement downward of the target (as in them bobbing or ducking as a trained fighter might do) would also tend to increase the chances of a boxer's fracture.  Another advantage of a vertical fist is its geometry. The narrower vertical profile means that, at least in theory, you have an increased probability of getting through arms in a vertical position (as in a defensive position). In practice, it is unclear to me that this has significant meaningful repercussions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The horizontal position, as is implied from the previous paragraph, suffers from a higher probability of fracture of the smaller bones in the hand. Interestingly, according to Chris Price, the popularity of horizontal position came about after the introduction of boxing gloves as a way to increase damage to the opponents face - not by virtue of being horizontal, but by the twist from a vertical position. This caused the skin around the eyes to be torn or cut, causing bleeding and impairing the vision of the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have serious doubts about the argument that the twist provides extra force to the punch. Certainly, you are imparting extra rotational energy, but the timing matters significantly, and that rotational energy doesn't really add to the direct force of the punch in the simple models of thinking about this. This seems like a folk tale told by teachers to students, who then go on repeating misinformation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good reads on Quota related to this question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://qr.ae/TW28Oc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;When the vertical fist is used to punch, which knuckles should be used? The bottom knuckles like in Wing Chun?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://qr.ae/pGF7F3&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Punching Basics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://qr.ae/pGF7PC&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Why is a vertical fist more stable compared to a horizontal fist? What is the science behind it?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://qr.ae/pGF74K&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Do any modern boxers use vertical fist jabs or crosses? (palm medial/facing towards the body) Why or why not? Is it correct to say that, if you are wearing a boxing glove, then the horizontal fist (palm down) is a superior strike? Why or why not?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKpEG1f2l5Q&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Another place where the twist is mentioned with respect to boxing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7393" LastEditorUserId="7393" LastEditDate="2021-07-06T17:20:26.393" LastActivityDate="2021-07-06T17:20:26.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12581" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1649" CreationDate="2021-06-18T00:32:37.080" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was taught vertical fist as the main chu'an (拳 &amp;quot;fist&amp;quot;) in tai chi chu'an.  It seems to come from the Yang style, although I have it through Fu, as &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yang_Chengfu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yang&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fu_Zhensong&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Fu&lt;/a&gt; &amp;quot;traded ideas&amp;quot; (pushed hands with each other:)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a video of a Yang stylist that shows the general combination, although the practitioner here is too tight and doesn't leave the open &amp;quot;intercept&amp;quot; hand extended, which would be controlling the opponents arm or shoulder so the punch can coil in.  The deflect fist doesn't have to be that downward, and I find it more effective to keep it largely horizontal. (Fu style tends to be more extended and circular than Yang because Fu was mainly known for Bagua, but Yang Chengfu was the real deal.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/gp-Z5Iq_5a4?t=47&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/gp-Z5Iq_5a4?t=47&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is, in my experience, the best punch.  Punching like &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xing_Yi_Quan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;hsing yi&lt;/a&gt; typically  means your tai chi technique isn't yet good enough (which is partly why you learn hsing yi!), and even backfist chops in tai chi aren't close to the best strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If used as a true tai chi punch, where there is no focus until after the fist contacts the torso, it's ideal because the combination leaves you inside in a &lt;em&gt;rooted&lt;/em&gt; position, so you can use your waist to &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa_jin&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;focus&lt;/a&gt; (put force directly into the opponent's body.)  That's very difficult to do, but less difficult with this technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideal target is the kidney, and the with the possibility of rupturing it and ending combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Most people probably cannot rupture organs with a tai chi punch—I've never had a chance to validate it in actual combat, only sparring, where the combination overall is &lt;em&gt;incredibly&lt;/em&gt; effective, because the setup fully neutralizes the opponent.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But this punch can be used as powerful push also, or a less powerful strike to severely disincentivize without trying to do serious damage.  It is certainly not pleasant, even with very little focus, if you're focusing into the top two knuckles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You also see this in Hsing-yi &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beng_Quan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Beng Quan&lt;/a&gt;, which is the most linear hsing-yi strike, described as an &amp;quot;arrow&amp;quot; that has smashing power.  From the wiki:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The strikes or blows are driven up in a diagonal from the muscles of the rear foot, through the muscles of the torso and out the striking arm. This all combines to give Beng Quan a simple and straightforward power which utilises the entire body's momentum and mass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You also see it in Pao Quan (cannon fist), but there it is typically less powerful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me the ultimate advantage of horizontal fist for internal arts specifically is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Horizontal allows you to put forward and then downward, directly into an opponents body, via the first two knuckles, by rolling the top of the fist downward after contact.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This works even if you only focus after contact with the body, and it does not take much power to damage the tissue when it's focused with the down-and-in via the first two knuckles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even where it's not a KO move, it is highly disincentivizing, which can be validated by doing to &lt;em&gt;gently&lt;/em&gt; against a sparring partner, or have it done to you.  The biggest &amp;quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;ouch&lt;/a&gt;&amp;quot; factor seems to come from compacting the soft tissue into the ribs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-06-19T23:56:07.667" LastActivityDate="2021-06-19T23:56:07.667" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12582" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10214" CreationDate="2021-06-18T05:07:47.043" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Time under the bar is certainly important and helpful, in a self defense situation you may need to use muscle to survive so don't ignore that. Alone, with no instructor, I would go with heavy bag. Strikes and kicks. You may not gain the best techniques but you will gain some coordination, speed and ability to actually hit a target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11705" LastActivityDate="2021-06-18T05:07:47.043" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12583" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9606" CreationDate="2021-06-18T10:00:31.873" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I still haven't found any info on the Kodokan's position, but the IJF seems to classify such techniques as &lt;a href=&quot;https://judo.ijf.org/competition/1463/222&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;hadaka-jime&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; when they occur in competition e.g:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Technique&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;IJF Hadaka-jime examples&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;D'arce choke&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://judo.ijf.org/competition/1463/222&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2017 Budapest WC | Kukolj v Safguliyev&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Peruvian Necktie&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhQm2mU0vmc&amp;amp;t=43s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2021 Hungary WC | Agbegnenou vs Vermeer&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://judo.ijf.org/competition/2017/222&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2020 Paris Grand Slam | Van T End v Aminot&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://judo.ijf.org/competition/1587/222&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2018 Zagreb Grand Prix | Buchard v Stangar&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://judo.ijf.org/competition/1463/222&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2017 Budapest WC | Shemesh v Valkova&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In its &lt;a href=&quot;https://78884ca60822a34fb0e6-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2019/10/IJF_Sport_and_Organisation_Rul-1571922448.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sports Regulations&lt;/a&gt; the IJF refers to these positions as a &amp;quot;kata-sankaku grip&amp;quot; (with example images of anaconda-style triangles):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7rh7T.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7rh7T.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-11-18T04:40:56.570" LastActivityDate="2022-11-18T04:40:56.570" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12584" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12612" CreationDate="2021-06-19T05:52:21.250" Score="6" ViewCount="242" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have practiced TKD for a while and I am wondering at what point are kicks too slow. Let me give an example below:&#xA;My height is around 176 cm at the moment and I timed both my roundhouse kicks and side kicks to the waist level, done 75~90 cm from the target (a B.O.B the same height as me, in this case). They average around 0.32 seconds from the beginning of movement to the point of impact before warm-up and 0.24 seconds after warm-up. Does this seem a bit slow in real life combat? Or how fast should kicks usually be?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastEditorDisplayName="user11733" LastEditDate="2021-06-19T08:25:38.203" LastActivityDate="2021-07-06T11:32:01.593" Title="How fast should you be able to kick?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|self-defense|kicking|streetfight|speed|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12585" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-06-20T00:13:02.340" Score="5" ViewCount="227" Body="&lt;p&gt;Practice forms, which ideally take the fencer through a large set of core techniques, are typically broken up into sections. You see this forward extension of the offhand &lt;em&gt;toward&lt;/em&gt; the opponent most typically at the end of sections, but also at the end of many combinations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This seems to make no sense martially, especially facing a blade.  Is it just a flourish?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Why does the off-hand extend toward the opponent at the end of many many combinations in Chinese straight sword?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-06-23T15:11:26.723" Title="Why does the offhand extend forward in Chinese straight sword combinations?" Tags="|technique|kung-fu|sword|wushu|jian|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12586" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12585" CreationDate="2021-06-20T02:02:01.903" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think this question is referring to the &amp;quot;sword fingers&amp;quot; seen in most Chinese straight sword forms. Sword fingers are simply the index and middle fingers pointing out while the rest of the fingers are held in. There's no actual sword held by the sword fingers, so they just kind of look weird, like they have no legitimate purpose. Sword fingers are used throughout the form and would seem to be endangering the fingers and hand of the sword practitioner if he is facing an opponent who also has a sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on the instructor, you'll hear different explanations for sword fingers. Most will seem pretty bogus. For example, that they're there for balance or for focusing Qi energy. Some say it's for muscle memory. Others say it's to make sure your left and right sides of your body are doing the same thing, because you don't want your brain to &amp;quot;glitch&amp;quot; by accident while having to perform different things with different hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those all sound plausible, but you're probably still thinking they don't quite seem right. That's because the sword fingers actually seem to be doing stuff that contradicts those explanations at times in the forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only answer that seems to make sense for real is this: The sword fingers are showing what you would do if you held the sheath (scabbard) with your left hand. The sheath is typically supposed to be held in ice-pick formation (projecting down instead of up).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now picture yourself holding that sheath in your empty hand while doing the motion the form you're thinking of. Now it might make sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, the beginning of most jian forms start with the sword in the left hand before switching it off to the right hand. And the end of most jian forms switch the sword back, from the right hand to the left. These hand changes are to simulate you taking the sword out of its sheath in the beginning and returning the sword to its sheath at the end.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what is the sheath actually good for? The answer is, you can use it to prevent, block, or deflect attacks to your open areas. You can use it to decoy. You can use it to distract and confuse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chinese jian sheaths were not very strong. They didn't have to be. If they could prevent the full force of a sword slash from getting through, that could mean the difference between life and death. A skilled martial artist may also be able to feel the hit to his sheath and adjust his body as he angled the sheath to deflect the attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2021-06-22T17:37:42.340" LastActivityDate="2021-06-22T17:37:42.340" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12587" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12588" CreationDate="2021-06-20T22:36:12.570" Score="4" ViewCount="106" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's lots of literature, advice, and hearsay out there on muscle strength, flexibility, etc., Comparatively little is available for the tendons in regards to martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knowing more about their importance and special characteristics, as well as any precautions would be helpful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example:&#xA;Intuitively, having strong muscles but weak tendons seems like a more dangerous situation to be in than vice versa, since tendons take longer to heal when damaged. Is that in fact the case?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11238" LastActivityDate="2021-06-21T14:25:04.447" Title="How critical is tendon strength?" Tags="|training|injury|flexibility|physiology|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12588" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12587" CreationDate="2021-06-21T14:25:04.447" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tendons are a 3d lattice structure, and generally fairly strong. They are strengthened in the same way that muscles are, however where a muscle will recover in 24-48 hours from a training session, tendons take 48-72 hours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a &lt;a href=&quot;https://physivantage.com/blogs/news/stronger-tendons-ligaments-supercharged-collagen&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;good breakdown here&lt;/a&gt; with some referenced studies on how to make them stronger with supplementation and training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as flexibility, the greater danger in having inflexible muscles in regards to tendons, is the stretch reflex. Each tendon has one (think of when the doctor whacks your knee with a hammer, that twitch is the tendon reflex), and when the tendon is suddenly stretched it causes the muscle to tighten momentarily as a protection mechanism. If you are in the middle of a kick and that happens, you can possibly tear the muscle or the tendon. That's basically what flexibility training is, not so much training the muscle but training the mind to accept greater stretch before the receptors in the muscle say &amp;quot;enough&amp;quot;. (An unconscious person can be stretched way beyond their normal limits when awake).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ligaments anchor bone to bone, and they are not intended to stretch. If you remember the old click pens with springs in them, if you stretch out the spring it doesn't go back. Same with ligaments, so if you stretch a ligament it stays stretched, hence some shoulder ligaments basically get a &amp;quot;tuck&amp;quot; to help alleviate chronic separated shoulders.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tendons anchor muscle to bone, and the three main injuries due to tendon issues are torn muscles, ruptured tendons, or avulsion fractures (Where the tendon tears away a piece of bone).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regular resistance training, sleep/recovery, nutrition and hydration are your best bets. As shown in the study, there are some advantages to supplementation. You may also benefit from flexibility or yoga training, depending on your current level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2021-06-21T14:25:04.447" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12589" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12594" CreationDate="2021-06-22T12:38:57.967" Score="5" ViewCount="83" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am practicing hand knife strikes (e.g. Brachial stun, strike to pectoral muscle, etc.) on a body opponent bag and the bones of my fingers hurt after practice. Should I just keep on doing this (as hand conditioning?) or is my technique wrong (sometimes I hit with the area around the place where finger and palm connect)? Would it be better or worse in real life (combat)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2021-06-24T06:50:33.383" Title="Is it common for your fingers to hurt when practicing hand knife?" Tags="|training|self-defense|streetfight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12590" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12585" CreationDate="2021-06-22T18:36:21.313" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let me preface my answer with the fact that I’ve been practicing Chinese swordsmanship for decade and a half now and free swordplay is an integral part of our practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To answer your question about the “talisman hand” (as its called in our school), there is no single blanket explanation that would cover all possible uses for the talisman hand positioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be honest, the answer probably depends on the movement and the position itself and can vary from application to application.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some situations, the talisman hand counterbalances the force of the cut, giving it more power, sometimes one moves talisman hand back, just to keep it safe from being targeted by an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given that your question was mostly about positioning the talisman hand pointing forwards towards  the opponent, there are a few possibilities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When the talisman hand fingers brush against the wrist of the sword hand, they may be either checking the distance of the sword hand, making sure you do not over extend your sword hand; or they might be there for nominal wrist support.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general though, the talisman hand should always be behind your own blade. In few cases it isn’t, it is quite possible it is either a flowery flourish for the sake of showmanship. There are few cases though in our swordsmanship system that extend the talisman hand in front of the blade where this odd positioning has a fairly plausible application.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In one case, the hand is used to push an opponent out of the grappling range and into the sword cutting range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In another case there is an argument made for using a throwing knife.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A third case is purely for balance in a difficult acrobatic move that is most likely just a good gymnastics and balance training rather than a serious application.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Few forward pointing talisman hand positions I’ve seen in other forms could be construed as offering a bait for the opponent — making them take the “cheap cut” at your off-hand and so getting them moving in ways that can be taken advantage of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There’s always a chance that one might use the off-hand to bind opponents sword arm in close quarters fight, but those moments are rarely clearly exposed in forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In all honesty, all the ways one would use forward pointing talisman fingers I mentioned here were taken from the applications of our Chinese swordsmanship system and would only apply in the context of those applications I was thinking of when describing possible uses for the talisman hand. Without seeing the exact form and relative position of the talisman hand and sword arm and without seeing the full context of this position in the form, no one can really say what is he application of the hand position. It may be different for each stance or it may be there just for the flourish.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastActivityDate="2021-06-22T18:36:21.313" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12591" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12585" CreationDate="2021-06-22T23:07:20.980" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Roland's answer covers some bases, with a few critical omissions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pushing the body of the opponent away after a definitive stroke, to clear the space&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fundamentally, you don't want the opponent falling in a way that could tangle up your legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You see this mostly clearly when the forms are practiced in the Wudang, as opposed to contemporary external style, because Wudang is typically demonstrated in a less phrenetic manner than contemporary wushu, more consistent with conflict where there is a chance of instantaneous death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The techniques derive from the use of the system for individual dueling and multi-opponent combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you analyze certain cuts, you will see the push emerges just as the cut finishes.  An example is a classic uppercut that ends with the sword fingers extended forward and the blade in a high guard position, sword wrist over head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You see it most clearly in Wudang because wudang fencing &amp;quot;invites&amp;quot; the opponent's blade, letting it get very close to the body, such that the famous &amp;quot;drawing&amp;quot; cuts, side to side or upward, are applied from inside the guard, at face-to-face range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It probably continues to exist in the practice because Chinese fencing in an extant system, not reconstructed.  (About 4 generations back from the teachers of my generation, there was still some dueling going on.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Striking the opponent from inside the guard&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fist can be used in place of sword fingers to make such a strike, but this overlooks the goal and function—the poke is ideal because all you're looking to do get the opponent to react (wince) slightly to create an opening to insert the sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, you need to be controlling the opponent's blade with your blade before attempting an off-hand strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will notice that in many of these moves, the blade is in a guard position, for instance, drawn back and protecting the thigh.  Here, this sword position connotes a successful counter, controlling the opponent's blade by having parried it off-line, and &amp;quot;sticking&amp;quot; to it while making the finger strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wiping the blood off the blade&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Few practitioners seem to demonstrate this, but I always do—it shows a higher level of skill, and would have had a practical use on the battlefield.  Even using gloves, blood on the handle makes it first slick, then stick, neither optimal for fencing, because both conditions inhibit the blade's action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I mention this last one because the end of the movement leaves the sword fingers extended ahead of the sword's point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Typically, but not exclusively, sword fingers forward, pointing up connote a push, and sword fingers pointing forward connote a finger strike&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, finger strikes don't need to be hard, just draw the opponent's attention for an instant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Wiping the blood&amp;quot; typically ends with the sword fingers pointed inward, in the position used to draw them along the flat of the blade, away from the crossguard.  (You also see this &amp;quot;inward&amp;quot; orientation at the beginning or end of forms, where a push to the side is generally optimal with the palm out, thumbs down, as practiced in bagua. &amp;quot;Inward&amp;quot; sword fingers also connotes blocking/countering with the off-hand.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As my teacher used to say &amp;quot;If it doesn't have a martial function, it's not martial art.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good forms contain no techniques that do not have at least one martial function.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-06-23T15:11:26.723" LastActivityDate="2021-06-23T15:11:26.723" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12592" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12593" CreationDate="2021-06-23T10:31:54.113" Score="6" ViewCount="560" Body="&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Peruvian Necktie&amp;quot; refers to an arm triangle choke from the sprawl position, with one leg over uke's head and the other over their back:&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bjj-world.com/bjj-necktie-variations/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fLVPV.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/9756/8910&quot;&gt;The IJF rules&lt;/a&gt; ban arm-triangles which &amp;quot;block the opponent's body with the legs&amp;quot;, and alhough the example picture&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; for this rule shows a do-jime/closed guard position (as opposed to the Peruvian necktie 'side-on' position), the wording is a big vague.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is the Peruvian necktie competition legal?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;This term is also sometimes used to refer to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9759/is-the-gerbi-choke-legal-using-your-opponents-jacket&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;Gerbi&amp;quot; choke&lt;/a&gt;, a similar choke applied with tori's gi-skirt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/olxZms.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/olxZms.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kata-sankaku grip situation in ne-waza: it is prohibited to block the opponent's body with the legs and mate must be announced (picture 2).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/sup&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-08-03T14:29:55.673" LastActivityDate="2022-08-03T14:29:55.673" Title="Is the &quot;Peruvian Necktie&quot; legal in Judo?" Tags="|judo|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|sport|chokes|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12593" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12592" CreationDate="2021-06-23T15:03:50.647" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The kata-sankaku prohibition is about danger to the neck joints in my understanding. In the guillotine position (your footnote #2 with the yellow background), you threaten the neck joints, while you can apply the Peruvian necktie variant without threatening the neck joints even while blocking with the legs. As long as you do not crank the neck down, I expect this is legal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Peruvian necktie may refer to variants that straddle the judo rules; some may be legal while others are not. The Gerbi choke runs afoul of the rule against using the jacket skirt or belt as a garrote (rule is not in those exact words).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-06-23T15:03:50.647" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12594" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12589" CreationDate="2021-06-24T06:50:33.383" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your technique may be correct, it may be not perfect.&#xA;I can't tell you by your question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The hand, wrist etc need conditioning.&#xA;For the spear hand, make sure the fingers are a unit, otherwise the middle finger takes all the thrust. Normally it can't take it.&#xA;Align the three fingers will help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To train your wrist you could do push-up on the fist.&#xA;So very shortly you have the wrist in the correct position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the hand knife position, do you hit with the fingers, or with the side of your palm?&#xA;I do the second. So I can bend my fingers, giving me the chance to tighten the meat on the hitting edge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10685" LastActivityDate="2021-06-24T06:50:33.383" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12595" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-06-26T05:29:51.847" Score="4" ViewCount="96" Body="&lt;p&gt;The book &lt;em&gt;Karate Science&lt;/em&gt; includes the statement that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the main goals of karate is to have the body postured in such a way as to allow a direct connection from the floor to the striking limb at the point of impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is accompanied by the following diagram (with numbers rather clumsily added by me for clarity in the question):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/h134a.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/h134a.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I don't understand how any of these represent a &amp;quot;direct connection.&amp;quot; Line 2 goes to the center of the body and only connects to the ground indirectly via 3, 4, and 5.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also don't see how line 1 exists at all (except as an &amp;quot;imaginary line&amp;quot; brought about by the alignment of the arm and front leg).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can someone explain this diagram to me? In particular, where the &amp;quot;direct connection&amp;quot; with the floor?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8276" LastActivityDate="2021-07-01T15:11:33.233" Title="How is the &quot;direct connection from fist to floor&quot; refered to in &quot;Karate Science&quot; achieved?" Tags="|karate|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12596" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12595" CreationDate="2021-06-26T14:27:55.473" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;With the caveat that I only have a year or two experience in Karate (albeit four years in Tang Soo Do), I was taught that the key lines are 2 and 4, ideally forming a straight line from the bracing/pushing back leg to the fist. Line 3 is showing the spine, which connects the two since we humans don't have arms connected to our legs directly. Line 5 is what keeps you from falling as you throw your body weight forward. Line 1 shows that your force is over that front knee so that, ideally, you are never off-balance, and that balancing leg isn't holding back any of the force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-06-26T14:27:55.473" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12597" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9358" CreationDate="2021-06-30T21:39:31.977" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some info from the IJF regarding what they consider appropriate bowing etiquette during matches:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;RESPECT FOR THE FIGHT CEREMONY&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The ceremony of the bow was formalized by the IJF Education Commission. It must be scrupulously observed.&#xA;The bows and particularly the bow to the opponent at the beginning of the fight must be respected rigorously and &lt;strong&gt;it is prohibited to use bows or ceremonies from other combat sports or disciplines.&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;It is, of course permissible to congratulate the opponent at the end of the fight or apologize for an awkward gesture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://78884ca60822a34fb0e6-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2019/09/IJF_Code_of_Ethics_22_08_2019_-1568280473.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF Code of Ethics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2021-06-30T21:39:31.977" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12598" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-06-30T22:41:15.993" Score="2" ViewCount="75" Body="&lt;p&gt;Peace, Love, and Divine Blessings to all.  I'm 6'0Ft, 150 lbs, not very flexible, and have not worked out consistently in a long period of time but always desired to learn self-defense.  My goal is not necessarily to be a master or the greatest ever but for practical self-defense purposes (protection for myself, my loved ones, and anyone else who I may assist in a time of need).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have never really been into weight lifting and very much into just being strictly calisthenics, cardio, and stretching.  If you can assist in those areas that would be truly helpful.  I'm not trying to regulate any wisdom that is shared with me but that's just my preference. I ask this question in all humility seeking to expand and grow in my livelihood.  Thank you very much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11534" LastActivityDate="2021-06-30T22:41:15.993" Title="What would be a good training regiment/exercises for BJJ beginner?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|exercise|strength|flexibility|fitness|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12599" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12601" CreationDate="2021-07-01T06:13:53.103" Score="-1" ViewCount="193" Body="&lt;p&gt;Please watch &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ylB5EXnT3SA?t=174&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/ylB5EXnT3SA?t=174&lt;/a&gt;. This is from the TV series &lt;em&gt;The Americans&lt;/em&gt;, Season 6 Episode 5.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Paige starts biting — forcefully, it appears — into her dad's arm at &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ylB5EXnT3SA?t=175&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2:55&lt;/a&gt; until &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ylB5EXnT3SA?t=181&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;3.01&lt;/a&gt;. In this total of 6 seconds. you can see that Philip feels her bite, but he doesn't even try to stop her biting until the 6 seconds pass. Is this realistic? How can an martial arts expert train to withstand this bite?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unquestionably, most untrained adults would flinch as soon as they're bitten so forcefully! They couldn't withstand a second of the bite!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user10129" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-07-09T21:14:22.650" LastActivityDate="2021-07-10T03:40:27.570" Title="How can you withstand a female college student forcefully biting into your arm for 6 seconds?" Tags="|self-defense|grappling|choreography|entertainment|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12600" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10492" CreationDate="2021-07-01T12:30:18.263" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As someone who's worked in law enforcement and forensic mental health settings, the key element is to get the person on their back as soon as possible. Most deaths in custody/restraint result from positional asphyxia which is far less likely when supine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From here, control of the extremities without pressure on the joints is the safest option, so to control the legs you would control just above or below the knee (although many places now use thick mats which you cover the person's legs with and then lie on top of to allow weight to be used but direct pressure to be reduced).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Seated is then a better position than prone, however this requires minimum 3 people to achieve safely to get the person off the floor - one on each arm and a head person. In seated you would control the persons arms with a double handed grip (on their wrist with their elbows close to you is best) and would put your foot on top of and inside their leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The exact techniques used would be determined by your place of work and they would then bear the responsibility for any incidents provided you followed the training given. There are no bad techniques, only bad applications and it's incumbent on an employer expecting you to use force to weigh those risks and rewards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's important to note that drugs change this hugely - the number of people needed will increase and the likelihood of death increases massively too - don't do drugs kids.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11766" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-07-01T19:25:59.720" LastActivityDate="2021-07-01T19:25:59.720" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12601" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12599" CreationDate="2021-07-01T14:15:31.910" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you've watched some, for example, MMA fights, you may notice that fighters are generally tolerant to pain and injures got in process. And yes, it's really so - just because high adrenaline levels do suppress pain.&#xA;Level of suppression depends on genetics and hoard of other things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But what you've described is a &amp;quot;sudden bite&amp;quot;. No previous adrenaline. In such situation, you feel it as you feel it - as a bite. Of course, some people may have more &lt;em&gt;natural&lt;/em&gt; pain tolerance - but it's natural, not trained. Of course, you &lt;em&gt;may&lt;/em&gt; try to train it a bit, in some obvious way - like hardening shins with a wooden makivara.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Generally, I don't think that you would succeed in such training - just because bite is too piercing to just suppress it with your skin.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;PS&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may think, that doing thinks like a chemical scorch on your hand will make you more tolerant to pain - but your question is asking about &lt;strong&gt;sudden&lt;/strong&gt; pain - where you don't have time to concentrate and prepare.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorDisplayName="user10129" LastEditDate="2021-07-02T05:57:00.837" LastActivityDate="2021-07-02T05:57:00.837" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12602" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10459" CreationDate="2021-07-01T14:17:22.487" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is similar to the effect when forcefully exhaling during weightlifting - the forceful exhalation (different to the Valsalva manoeuvre, which is also employed in some situations) creates not only a rigidity in the abdomen which allows for more efficient force transfer, but also increases muscle tension globally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is useful for the martial arts because exhaling forcefully at point of impact will improve our force transfer and also tighten the muscle in our striking limb to mitigate injury risk (for example through having a more stable wrist).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It should apply to throwing equally well (as well as attempting to prevent being thrown) as it also applies to throwing events in strength sports (shot, weight over bar, etc.). This relates to non-throwing takedowns too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think part of the association comes from kata like sanchin and hangetsu, as well as the specific breathing associated with many Chinese martial arts - I've not seen as much of an emphasis on it in western boxing, but that may be just me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My anecdotal perception is also that people will naturally fall into this pattern without coaching as breathing out while exerting is a natural biological response (watch someone lift a sofa and they'll do the same).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would wager the breathing will remain in more advanced fighters, but become less pronounced as they develop the ability to time their breathing better with their strikes, and loosen up only needing to tense at point of impact (beginners tend to be tense all the way through a technique), but I have no evidence for this position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hopefully that helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11766" LastActivityDate="2021-07-01T14:17:22.487" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12603" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9589" CreationDate="2021-07-01T14:19:10.507" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here's my issue, the stance and guard for Muay Thai and for boxing. Guarding my ribs is really weird, cause my chest gets in the way of keeping my elbows tucked close to the body. So I have to choose to protect my head and face more than my torso. Getting punched in the breasts sucks, so do kicks and elbows, but I haven't died yet ‍♀️&#xA;I try to make sure that I do chest day before a rest day, because If I have to go running after a chest day, all the bouncing is very painful to all the sore chest muscles.&#xA;I actually came here hoping to find an answer to keepin a proper guard up while having big boobs, so if anyone has any ideas that would be great. I do Muay Thai and I'm shy to ask my trainer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11767" LastActivityDate="2021-07-01T14:19:10.507" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12604" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12595" CreationDate="2021-07-01T14:52:38.847" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;From a non-karate perspective: the direct connection is better defined by force transfer than stance geometry. Imagine someone pushing back into your punching arm. If you maintain your shape and balance as this force is applied, either the force will get transferred instantaneously into the ground or you will slide. When you remain in place (don't slide), this is a direct connection, at least in my mind. Contrast this with what happens when a joint collapses (whether arm, leg, back, etc.); now a segment of your body is moving and the force transfer is not direct.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't speak to what is happening in the diagram.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-07-01T15:11:33.233" LastActivityDate="2021-07-01T15:11:33.233" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12605" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10459" CreationDate="2021-07-01T19:39:05.143" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can state that it is not a universal principle in martial arts. In both &lt;em&gt;Doce Pares&lt;/em&gt; Escrima and Capoeira, I was specifically told not to tie my breaths to strikes, but rather to focus on breathing evenly and naturally during the movement. This is basically because, in both styles, you're expected to be blending strikes into fluid sequences rather than a set of distinct strikes. Completing one strike is tied to starting another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to why forceful exhalation is strongly associated with strike in martial arts, it's likely for a lot of the same reasons covered in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/359/why-do-martial-artists-shout-in-the-execution-of-a-technique?rq=1&quot;&gt;Why do martial artists &amp;quot;shout&amp;quot; in the execution of a technique?&lt;/a&gt;, namely the physiological benefits of focus, coordination, and possibly distracting the opponent by cueing them into an attack coming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And, again from my experiences in Escrima and Capoeira, you may still get the occasional shout for emphasis or to startle an opponent, the same way that a tennis player will yell or grunt on a particularly hard volley, but is unlikely to do it on routine swats.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-07-01T19:39:05.143" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12606" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6642" CreationDate="2021-07-01T23:13:25.253" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why not using an expandable baton as selfie stock rather than using a selfie stick as an expandable baton ? It'll be heavier and less handy for a selfie use than a real selfie stick but that'll do the job for that AND for self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11768" LastActivityDate="2021-07-01T23:13:25.253" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12607" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10303" CreationDate="2021-07-02T10:09:55.373" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The only confirmed death is Arrhichion of Phigalia who died whilst winning his 3rd championship. It is difficult to ascertain directly the number of deaths as the historical record simply doesn't (as far as I can see) exist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, we can draw parallels to similar events in more recent history and infer from those how likely death would be in pankration. The largest and most recent is obviously modern MMA, which while it has some restrictions which pankration wouldn't have had, is similar in many aspects.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Officially there have been 16 deaths in MMA - 7 in sanctioned bouts, 9 in unsanctioned bouts, and 0 in the UFC which is the largest promoter. In Vale Tudo - one of the progenitors of modern MMA, the official death record is 0. For MMA this results in about 0.6 deaths/year since UFC 1.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Greek Olympics ran through about 76 iterations (every 4 years from 776-393BC), so a reasonable assumption if we say it's as dangerous as modern MMA is there would be 57 deaths over the nearly 400 years of the Olympics assuming a similar number of fights/year.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not unreasonable to assume fewer deaths than this, however, given that the death rate in bare-knuckle boxing and Vale Tudo are much lower per number of fights than modern MMA. It is well recorded that the introduction of gloves increases risk as head strike frequency increases, so this would definitely change the number down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When we move on from the Greeks, the brutality of the games increased under the Romans, with the introduction of the Cestus - metal studded leather gloves which essentially weaponised the fist, along with other additions which made the games more lethal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11766" LastActivityDate="2021-07-02T10:09:55.373" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12608" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2021-07-02T14:49:07.050" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-07-02T14:49:07.050" LastActivityDate="2021-07-02T14:49:07.050" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12609" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2021-07-02T14:49:07.050" Score="0" Body="For questions about the realism of martial arts as depicted in popular entertainment such as television, movies, graphic novels, etc. " OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-07-02T14:49:07.050" LastActivityDate="2021-07-02T14:49:07.050" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12610" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10459" CreationDate="2021-07-05T08:55:06.007" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The exhalation is not linked to any particular sports, but a rather profane mechanism: Tensioning of the abdominal muscles reduces the volume of your lower abdomen and thus pushes your diaphragm upwards, which in turn reduces the volume of your lungs so that the air has to go somewhere, voluntarily or not. &lt;em&gt;Any kind&lt;/em&gt; of lifting, crunching, or torsion movement will involve the muscle belt between hips and ribs which is the actor in said mechanism. So this definitely holds for throws as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have breathed in and close your windpipe consciously when making these movements - especially against resistance as opposed to fluid movements - you will notice a strong pressure in your throat and abdomen because of compressed air excerting pressure from within your lungs, effectively resisting the compression from the outside. This pressure can become high enough to make your alveoli pop and hurt your lungs. Before that happens, your body automatically loosens muscle tension to protect your lungs from injury. This involuntary relaxation, in turn, will inadvertently lessen the power of your move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why we train relaxation and breath flow in martial arts: To train not to have so much tension that we close our windpipe, ie. &amp;quot;hold our breath&amp;quot;, when we actually should not. Breathing in and/or stopping the free flow of air is a natural mechanism for &amp;quot;bracing&amp;quot; for some kind of force, but it is detrimental to the outcome in all martial arts situations, may it be striking, throwing, falling, or being hit. A secondary effect is that if you &lt;em&gt;consciously&lt;/em&gt; breathe out forcefully, you engage exactly the muscles you need for the proper transfer of force through a stiffened frame.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, regardless of the level of the practitioner or the sport, if you do not exhale (or have exhaled) in powerful movements, you make your body work against itself, no matter how you describe the mechanism (ie. in terms of physiology and physics, or qi, or whatever). The reason why doing a pronounced exhalation at this moment exactly is optimal is that you support the tensioning needed and &lt;strong&gt;lose less time with air inhaled&lt;/strong&gt;, ie. you can generate more energy over time. Especially the latter is a very important factor in fights, which extend over time, as opposed to one-off movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words: The more power you generate through your abdomen and the more powerful and longer the engagement is, the more important it is to exhale consciously. In any case, you will want the air in your lungs to be able to get out when you need tension in your abdomen. Since powerful striking and throwing which does not rely on fluent full-body movement but acceleration from a stance instead generates a lot of its power through the abdomen, you will want to exhale doing it. This will not be similarly pronounced when generating force through bigger and/or more fluent movements, but for the moment of contact or final acceleration, it should and  - if executed properly and with great power - still will be there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-07-05T10:11:11.333" LastActivityDate="2021-07-05T10:11:11.333" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12611" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-07-06T10:41:31.063" Score="7" ViewCount="694" Body="&lt;p&gt;In most martial arts there are two types of steps as far as I know, the first is the shuffle step when a fighter moves his rear leg back first and then the lead leg follows and there is the pendulum step where the fighter moves his lead leg back first replacing his rear leg which in turn is placed further back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I don't understand is why would someone use a shuffle step to move backwards, the pendulum step makes more sense to be always used since by first moving his lead leg back, he is protected from incoming low kicks, however in the shuffle step, the lead leg stays in place while the rear is moving leaving the lead leg vulnerable to attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to ask why would anyone want to shuffle step backwards instead of pendulum step.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11535" LastActivityDate="2021-07-09T12:58:45.023" Title="Why would anyone want to use a shuffle backwards step instead of a pendulum step?" Tags="|footwork|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12612" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12584" CreationDate="2021-07-06T11:32:01.593" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From a TKD specific position, as it's an Olympic sport, we can look at the studies which have been carried out about it from a sport's performance perspective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The primary test of TKD specific ability is the Frequency Speed of Kick Test, which is carried out over a single 10 second bout, and then repeated 10 second efforts. This was developed by the Spanish National Team (and has been restudied on others), and is essentially the most kicks you can complete in the 10 second periods.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;National level competitors managed about 20 kicks in the single bout, dropping to 16 by the 5th repeated bout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regional competitors managed about 16 or 17 kicks in the individual 10 second bout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From working as an S&amp;amp;C coach with a national level youth athlete, she achieved 18 kicks in the individual 10 second bout, and only dropped down to 16 by the end of the repeated efforts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is with bandal chagi (excuse Korean spelling) or a crescent kick, but similar numbers of kicks can be achieved with mawashigeri/roundhouse kick (sorry, I don't know the Korean) - this is however based off of my anecdotal experience as an S&amp;amp;C coach and karate instructor, not any studies done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This would give us a kicking speed for most National level athletes of around 1 kick every 0.55s from floor to floor - assuming that due to the rebound from a heavy bag the return is slightly faster than the first portion of the kick your times of 0.25-0.32s for the first portion are definitely quick enough from a sporting perspective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Due to the shorter path I would expect straight kicks (particularly front kicks) to be quicker, but can't locate any studies on this at this point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As kicks generally - and high kicks particularly - are less tactically sound for self-defence situations, I wouldn't worry over much about the raw speed of a technique for this situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11766" LastActivityDate="2021-07-06T11:32:01.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12613" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12611" CreationDate="2021-07-06T11:37:42.247" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The reaction time to shuffle step is quicker than the reaction time to pendulum step. If you are trying to avoid being hit in the face by a punch, for example, it's easier to evade by shuffle stepping than pendulum stepping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-07-06T12:06:09.157" LastActivityDate="2021-07-06T12:06:09.157" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12614" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12611" CreationDate="2021-07-06T11:42:30.837" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stability may be an issue. An opponent who robbed your step currently gets a chance to try to sweep your feet or trip you up while your legs are together. Doing the stutter step means they can't get to both legs at once (although there are potential issues with having your weight distributed over a larger distance of one leg gets swept).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another possibility is flexibility of choices. Your choice of which leg status determined which legs are available for an immediate striker or counterstrike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may also come down to personal choice or wanting to vary your movement to keep your opponent off-guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-07-06T11:42:30.837" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12615" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12611" CreationDate="2021-07-06T21:21:55.697" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In boxing it's common to shuffle back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the first step, you plant your back leg into the ground, which gives a good opportunity to send a cross to your opponent, who is probably following you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also common because wider stance gives more stability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In kickboxing it's also the case if you want to avoid having a narrow stance where both legs can be swept in one move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Moving the back leg first also frees the front leg for a front push kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10339" LastActivityDate="2021-07-06T21:21:55.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12617" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="759" CreationDate="2021-07-08T23:38:24.340" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It really depends on the system.  In Chinese straight sword, there is a some difference in the range of techniques practiced, which are handed down from teacher to student, from an extant system, and the practice of straight sword for competition sparring in reconstructed systems.  This is partly due to the range of techniques that can be applied in a given sport, vs. the real world combat these sports emulate to some degree.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chinese straight sword transformed into a non-military sport/exercise only in the 20th century, when swords were used less and less in combat, before disappearing entirely from the battlefield.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think lineage would be a major factor in sports like MMA or boxing—only results in the ring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An archaic martial art like straight sword in the contemporary era is mostly about preserving the tradition and knowledge, even as it no longer has realistic, direct practical application in any likely scenario.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One clear advantage to studying within a validated lineage in this regard is there is generally &lt;em&gt;rigorous&lt;/em&gt; training in the basics, because those basics have been reinforced and refined for several generations.  Additionally, the teacher may still be receiving instruction and correction from their teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By contrast, a boxer with a good coach is going to get this without a martial lineage, and this also seems the case for judo and MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the wider martial arts it's more of a crapshoot, such that you see a lot of sloppy practice, which can derive from inadequate instruction.  A validated lineage can reduce the chances of this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lineage does not guarantee quality&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts is also a business, and, like any franchise, as the number of schools rise, the quality of any given school can vary.  (Ideally, branch schools are connected to parent schools, such that newer teachers can themselves receive correction over decades.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Much of the martial arts knowledge is passed down directly, or as part of an oral tradition, such that, prior to the 20th century, documentary evidence to validate claims is scant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This isn't a &lt;em&gt;major&lt;/em&gt; problem, as any given martial art must be continuously tested, these days typically in a sport context.  But it is a potential pitfall for those starting out in the martial arts, before they have the experience to evaluate what is high quality and reliable, and what is not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lineage can be an important consideration, depending on goals, or not a consideration at all&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lineage seems to be most important in Chinese martial arts, where tracing the history and a given style or movement, as they evolve, is valued.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chinese martial arts potentially give highest weight to the &amp;quot;art&amp;quot; dimension, where there was never a real separation from performing arts.  (&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_opera&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chinese Opera&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_dance#China_and_Vietnam&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;sword dancing&lt;/a&gt;, originally military training exercise, known today as &amp;quot;wushu forms&amp;quot;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Hong_Kong#Pioneers_from_the_stage&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;directly leads to Kung Fu movies&lt;/a&gt;, starting in the 1920's.  Most contemporary fight choreography derives from this form, and most of the action direction and editing related to complex fight scenes in the visual medium in general, because most of the early technical cinematographic work was done in &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Hong_Kong#1980s_%E2%80%93_early_1990s:_the_boom_years&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hong Kong in more recent decades&lt;/a&gt;.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even Chinese martial choreography has lineages, most famously the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuen_Woo-ping&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yuen Clan&lt;/a&gt; and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lau_Kar-leung&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lau&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lau_Kar-leung&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lau Kar-leung&lt;/a&gt; traces his martial lineage directly to &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wong_Fei-hung&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wong Fei-Hung&lt;/a&gt; through his father Lau Cham, student of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lam_Sai-wing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lam Sai-wing&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Liu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Gordon Liu&lt;/a&gt; learned &lt;a href=&quot;http://Hung_Ga&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hung Ga&lt;/a&gt; from the Lau.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Tai Chi, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chen-style_taijiquan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chen style&lt;/a&gt; is though to be the oldest, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yang-style_t%27ai_chi_ch%27uan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yang style&lt;/a&gt; the most widely practiced, with at least 6 or 7 other major styles.  It's useful to know where an application comes from, and why it may be practiced differently in different styles (most tai chi movements have multiple applications.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lineage in the Chinese sense doesn't seem to be a factor in the highest prestige modern martial sports—boxing, judo and MMA—with perhaps a caveat for BJJ, which is the product of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_jiu-jitsu#Origins&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;multiple lineages over multiple generations&lt;/a&gt;, leading to modern MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have heard the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodokan_Judo_Institute&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kodokan&lt;/a&gt; spoken of as a gold standard, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Pedro&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jimmy Pedro&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayla_Harrison&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kayla Harrison&lt;/a&gt; talk about the value of this resource and connection for US judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BJJ itself arises out of the Kodokan, via &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsuyo_Maeda&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mitsuyo Maeda&lt;/a&gt; through &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Gracie&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Carlos Gracie&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali#Early_career&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Muhammad Ali&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_Ray_Leonard#Amateur_career&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sugar Ray Leonard&lt;/a&gt; would probably say they are &amp;quot;students&amp;quot; of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_Ray_Robinson&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sugar Ray Robinson&lt;/a&gt;, as scholars of the &amp;quot;sweet science&amp;quot;, meaning he was potentially their greatest influence, as both on on record that Robinson was the greatest of all time. Both  credit Robinson for providing the platform they themselves stood on to continue advancing the art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-07-09T20:53:48.427" LastActivityDate="2021-07-09T20:53:48.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12618" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-07-09T03:53:14.363" Score="2" ViewCount="242" Body="&lt;p&gt;Interested mainly in medieval era heavy armored combat, and the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two classes of weapon, both on horseback and on foot. Valid topics include application, quality/cost and maintenance, weight, learning curve, etc.  Considerations vs other expected weapon types, wielded by mounted and unmounted opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-07-19T12:22:17.720" Title="Sword vs. Mace in armored mounted combat" Tags="|historic-european|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12619" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12611" CreationDate="2021-07-09T09:08:56.430" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is your background? This seems to stem from limited experience. The question should rather be: Why would anyone use the pendular step instead of a shuffle for dodging punches and low kicks? Here are some reasons in favour of shuffle already mentioned, others that are not:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;You don't change your stance&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With a pendulum step, you change your stance and need to readjust cover and possible combinations accordingly. No problem if you are ambidextrous, but this is not the norm and on a higher level, you effectively lose training time when trying to up two games at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;It is faster&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;May it be boxing, kickboxing, karate, you name it: You are moving in shuffles all the time. It is much faster to drop a bit lower on the next contact and use the additional grounding for a bigger shuffle than to introduce a turning movement which involves many more muscles than just the front leg for acceleration. Even worse, these muscles cannot work in a direct line with the movement like in shuffles where you simply get your whole body behind your foot and knee. The quadriceps is &lt;strong&gt;designed&lt;/strong&gt; to accelerate your whole body, and can easily do so when aligned accordingly. Thus, shuffles are faster because they make ideal use of muscles with minimal consumption of energy due to not making unnecessary additional movements. These are clear biomechanical reasons against pendular steps if you need to get back fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;It goes further&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With a pendular step, you cannot cover nearly as much ground. It is limited to half of the stance's depth. I have seen karateka cover several metres within the blink of an eye with shuffles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;You can chain shuffles much easier and faster&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since you have a linear movement in the direction you want to go, there is no additional acceleration needed for another step. You just move on. With pendular steps, you have to stop your turning movement and start it in the opposite direction. This means you have to work against your body's momentum if you want to do additional steps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;You are faster with counters&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly, as a combination of two reasons mentioned above, you have a harder time moving back frontwards: Not only you need to stop and restart two different directions of momentum (turning plus linear movement back/front), but you have to do so with more muscles that are also out of alignment with your direction of movement and frame. This costs both more energy and means you lose more time. Energy efficiency is very important in martial art bouts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;You are always stable and in balance, with very short contact necessary on a given leg&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pendular steps mean that for the time you are turning, you have to have weight on the back leg, as opposed to a fast push and being able to hover back. This gives a trained opponent plenty of time to take advantage of it, may it be in the form of sweeps or shooting for the leg after using a feint. Yes, in both cases the center of balance remains between the feet. But that is not the point. It is how evenly the weight is distributed between your feet and how long they need to be in contact with the ground. And here, we have major differences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;One last point&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being protected from low kicks is a strong assumption. Low kicks to the inside of the thigh generally hurt a lot more since you cannot mitigate with muscles as well. And if they learn that I do pendular steps to avoid low kicks to the front leg, they will fastly adapt to cover a tad more distance when they start the attack and go for the inner thigh of the other leg next time. At least that's what I would do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-07-09T12:58:45.023" LastActivityDate="2021-07-09T12:58:45.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12620" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-07-09T20:01:34.253" Score="4" ViewCount="255" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've gotten interested in the metallurgy of blades, and been watching a lot of early &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forged_in_Fire_(TV_series)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Forged in Fire&lt;/a&gt;.  It's interesting to see basic applications with different blades by people who handle a lot of blades.  There are fundamental similarities between blades of all types with the same primary functions, for instance, many of the knives and swords the smiths are challenged to create are used for hacking/chopping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Length is the obvious answer, but here I'm asking about the physics of application—how are knife strikes mechanically different from sword strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And length alone may not be the determining factor because a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris#Description&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kris (dagger)&lt;/a&gt; can be up to 50 centimeters in length, which is within range of the Roman gladius and Ancient Greek &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiphos&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;xiphos (sword)&lt;/a&gt;.  The Spartan xiphos had even shorter blades of 30 cm (12 in), analogous to a long &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowie_knife&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;bowie knife&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Weight may be a factor, but not all the sources I'm using list blade weights, and this factor seems also omitted from FOF.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-08-17T13:13:05.497" LastActivityDate="2021-08-17T13:13:05.497" Title="What is the difference between a sword and a knife? Which are machetes?" Tags="|terminology|sword|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12621" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-07-09T21:03:14.917" Score="5" ViewCount="91" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many boys grow up wrestling and fighting—brothers are notorious for this—although it is not gender exclusive.  As one gets older, what was a safe activity becomes increasingly perilous for a number of reasons.  My experience of masculine behavior is that physical intimidation is often part of the male &amp;quot;vocabulary&amp;quot;, likely arising from basic primate behavior, where stronger primates seek to establish dominance over competitors they perceive to be weaker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But not all individuals who are smaller and weaker are bullied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How to navigate being bullied in the teenage years?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What are strategies, practices, and attitudes that can help teens mitigate, disincentivize, and forestall attack, ideally without recourse to authorities, in that many social situations occur outside of school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-08-09T06:13:26.763" Title="How to shut down bullies? (Teenagers)" Tags="|self-defense|bullying|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12622" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12599" CreationDate="2021-07-09T21:13:53.043" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not unrealistic at all, imho, in that Philip is highly trained fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The bite Paige delivers is not determinative.  Only pain is inflicted.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no serious risk of loss of function of limb, nor of death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sometimes you have to take a hit to prevail, or other types of damage to prevail&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a knife fight, I'd trade a wicked gash to my forearm in exchange for being able to penetrate the opponent's abdomen with my own blade.  (I don't carry a knife for precisely this reason—better not to engage in a knife fight:)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Philip has Paige in a chokehold, an advantaged submission position&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strategically, Philip is correct to maintain the hold despite any potential damage from the bite.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To make that bite work against a serious fighter, you'd probably have to tear out a chunk of flesh, and even that likely wouldn't stop them, or a guarantee they would give up the hold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only possible way for Paige to prevail with a bite in that situation would be to sever the tendons inside the elbow, which is extremely unlikely, if even possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may not be a question so much of &amp;quot;How can you withstand a forceful bite&amp;quot; but &amp;quot;Must a martial artist be able to withstand a forceful bite, and when is it advantageous to do so?&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-07-09T21:20:23.640" LastActivityDate="2021-07-09T21:20:23.640" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12623" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6642" CreationDate="2021-07-09T22:19:45.230" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This Quora answer on collapsible batons is actually good: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.quora.com/Are-police-batons-an-effective-weapon&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.quora.com/Are-police-batons-an-effective-weapon&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Collapsible batons, such as those used by police are not effective weapons&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Quora answer suggest police are trained to think of them more as body-control tools as opposed to weapons.  (Compare to earlier wood and even metal truncheons, aka &amp;quot;billy clubs&amp;quot; aka &amp;quot;fixed batons&amp;quot;, which can break skulls.  When riot police use collapsible batons, you'll see footage of them hitting rioters repeatedly in the skull, usually with little to no visual effect on the rioter.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the selfie stick is going to snap, even if it's fake &amp;quot;tactical&amp;quot;, because the who fake &amp;quot;tactical&amp;quot; product marketing movement is mostly a scam, for people who engage in militia cosplay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[Note: Carbon fiber is here meaningless because the selfie stick will snap at the connection points, regardless of the material.  This is what distinguishes the selfie stick from the collapsible baton, which is made to withstand those forces.  Even well tempered swords can snap because of the slightest flaws when meeting strong resistance.]&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm also a Chinese practitioner who can use any object effectively as a weapon, but the only realistic use I'd see for something as flimsy as any selfie-stick is likely to be is whipping it at the attackers eyes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Marcao's video link to Master Ken show use similar certain &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilt#Pommel&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;pommel&lt;/a&gt; strikes with sword, but the selfie stick lacks the weight of the sword, so the force generated will be more akin to a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubotan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kubotan&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But you'd better have a followup to that, because it's only going to provide a little bit of temporary advantage, if any advantage at all, depending on the attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-07-09T22:54:42.063" LastActivityDate="2021-07-09T22:54:42.063" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12624" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5926" CreationDate="2021-07-09T23:47:44.100" Score="1" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There is no way to wield a proper basket hilt sword two-handed.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is because the enclosure of the basket shape is specifically designed to protect the sword hand by covering as much of the area around the and as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When wielding two-handed, such as with a longsword, the forearms come in from different angles.  The most coverage you could get would be 180 degrees to the front, if that, and it would still limit a range of potential techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only thing I've seen proposed is the two-handed &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_saber&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Swiss saber&lt;/a&gt;,but I wouldn't categorize that limited hand guard as a basket hilt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact that some Swiss sabers have such guards reinforces the vulnerability of the hands in combat with long blades, where the hands/wrists are usually the most accessible target at range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The introduction of some form of hand protection may relate to transition from &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauntlet_(glove)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;steel gauntlets&lt;/a&gt; to leather gloves around that general time period, but the design doesn't seem to have caught on, and the use of the Swiss saber was probably specialized.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The lack of steel gauntlets in the basket-hilt era would make &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-sword&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;half-swording&lt;/a&gt; too risky, and there's not much reason to do it with a single-handed sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See also: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.quora.com/Are-there-any-historical-two-handed-basket-hilt-swords&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Are there any historical two-handed basket-hilt swords?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uvdUE.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uvdUE.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-07-09T23:53:41.033" LastActivityDate="2021-07-09T23:53:41.033" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12625" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8415" CreationDate="2021-07-10T00:08:54.357" Score="1" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Speaking from the standpoint of Tai Chi and Wudang sword, blocks represent failures because they confer no advantage.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In both arts the goal is to control the opponent's body or limbs, specifically by not going &amp;quot;force against force&amp;quot;.  Resistance is used, but only the minimal amount necessary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Blocks represent stopping a single attack, but do nothing to stop the followup attacks, and most good striking attacks with the fist are combinations, especially in traditional western boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The goal is to counter (parry) such that the defender gains advantage to strike (riposte) without the possibility of reply.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is less dire in hand-to-hand, where, although a single punch can be determinative, clean knockout are still rare.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By contrast, modern sword dueling (post armor era) carries the possibility of instant death, such that attacking without definitive advantage conferred by a parry/counter could be fatal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Blocking with a sword puts stress on the blade, which can result in the sword snapping&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why battlefield blades intended for use in armored combat, used primarily for hacking and bashing, are heavier.  Single-edged tend to be even more durable, because only one side requires a hardened edge, and the back of the blade can be thicker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Blocking with the flat of the sword seems less effective than blocking with the edge (ideally using the ricasso—blocks closer to the tip will be ineffective.)  But edge-to-edge blocks will typically damage the blade, and reduce its cutting capability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the goals of wudang fencing is to control the opponent's blade with the flat of the sword (more contact surface area, and preserves the edge.)  This is what is meant by &amp;quot;countering&amp;quot;, analogous to the western &amp;quot;parry&amp;quot;.&#xA;Wudang places more emphasis on maintaining &amp;quot;stickiness&amp;quot; with the opponent's blade via minimal resistance to guide it off line, and gain advantage to riposte safely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Sport fencing/sword sparring is misleading, even in HEMA, because there are no consequences, unlike real world dueling and combat.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-07-10T00:16:05.203" LastActivityDate="2021-07-10T00:16:05.203" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12626" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12599" CreationDate="2021-07-10T03:40:27.570" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've watched this scene a few more times, and it's very good choreography, representative of the better work over the past few decades.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice how relaxed Philip is during the grappling—Royce Gracie had a similar looseness, usually used to supreme effect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My guess is they brought in a stunt coordinator or choreographer or consultant with some military experience, familiar with Spetsnaz training and Russian wrestling, because that's Philip's background.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fight sequence also has a narrative arc for Paige in particular, a hallmark of high level fight choreography, where it's part of her character development, and she gains a realization over the course of the fight, broken up into &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dramatic_beat&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;dramatic beats&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way Philip anticipates Paige's movements, such as when she tries to kick back into his foot and he's already moving his leg back indicates the character has done this a million times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When Philip realizes Paige is biting his arm, he looks more annoyed than anything, and conveys with his face that he's just going to have to suffer it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Releasing the grip would be arguably more unrealistic, especially in context of Philip's background.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pressure of the rear naked choke would likely also diminish potential bite strength, and jamming the muscle even tighter into the mouth would be potentially advantageous. [This part just speculation, based on physiological assumptions.]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-07-10T03:40:27.570" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12627" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12632" CreationDate="2021-07-10T17:26:19.113" Score="3" ViewCount="113" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;I have seen that some fights are marked as &amp;quot;3 Rnd + OT (5-5-5-5)&amp;quot;. Does someone know what does it mean? It occurs only in some fights of the &amp;quot;The Ultimate Fighter&amp;quot; show e.g. in Andrew Sanchez fight in 2016. Standard notation &amp;quot;3 Rnd (5-5-5)&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;5 Rnd (5-5-5-5-5)&amp;quot; is pretty clear but here is an additional five in brackets and phrase &amp;quot;+ OT&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11790" LastActivityDate="2021-07-13T03:54:48.227" Title="UFC fight rounds/distance" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|ufc|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12628" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2553" CreationDate="2021-07-11T05:16:12.237" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's all about where the 3rd law of motion takes place. I got punched in the face and my face exerted a force equal in magnitude and in the opposite direction of the force of the fist. Why I ended up on the ground I'll have to ask Newton.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Same technique for checking. The checker uses parts of his leg that can tolerate an incoming force and hopes the kickers leg is not positioned correctly when receiving the opposing force so that it can hurt the kicker more than the kicker expected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11791" LastActivityDate="2021-07-11T05:16:12.237" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12629" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-07-11T11:05:20.937" Score="1" ViewCount="596" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it more beneficial to kick with the front leg or the back leg while on a normal fighting stance (e.g. boxing, taekwondo, etc.)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have practiced tkd for some time and I decided to quit practicing back leg kicks due to the time required for delivery. I feel that it is possible to deliver front leg kicks (to the waist/abdomen/ribs) that causes a meaningful impact while preserving the speed needed to cause impact before the opponent blocks it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it cost effective to exchange speed for power by using back leg kicks (like some MMA matches)? Will that extra power be necessary?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's keep the discussion limited to real life combat senarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2021-09-19T01:27:57.257" Title="Kick with front leg vs. back leg" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|self-defense|kicking|streetfight|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12630" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12635" CreationDate="2021-07-12T03:59:23.733" Score="1" ViewCount="115" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does strong gluteus muscle strength give the pro athletes an edge out there? Maybe I can rearrange my training schedule for the next karate competition.And I had an injury before and had to work my gluteus muscles. Perhaps there is a distinct advantage to having strong glutes or glutes over the competition. Maybe this also motivates me to train harder. I want to focus on agility and speed. Maybe in the future when I want to try other martial arts this knowledge will be very useful for my performance as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11792" LastEditorUserId="11792" LastEditDate="2021-07-12T09:08:15.267" LastActivityDate="2021-07-14T22:15:12.520" Title="what are the advantages of having strong gluteus muscles in martial arts?" Tags="|training|karate|mixed-martial-arts|kumite|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12631" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12629" CreationDate="2021-07-12T16:48:34.183" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In real-life fights, your assailant is almost certainly not going to stand back in kickboxing range looking for an opening. I suppose they might just still be posturing, so if you kick first YOU'RE the attacker and subject to criminal prosecution. (And no, the court is not going to take your &amp;quot;He was threatening me&amp;quot; as a reason for you to avoid doing jail time for assault and battery.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, given that it probably has happened at some point in history, I'd guess that it's more likely the guy has probably trained in martial arts, in which case he'll guard against kicks to some extent. If not, then front leg kicks are faster but weaker, while back leg kicks take longer to develop but hit harder. So, &amp;quot;It depends&amp;quot; (tm).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2021-07-12T16:48:34.183" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12632" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12627" CreationDate="2021-07-12T19:47:48.947" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The most probable option is that OT stands for &amp;quot;overtime&amp;quot;. Overtime means that if fight ends with draw, there will be fourth round. That's why there is additional five in brackets meaning time of last &amp;quot;overtime&amp;quot; round. This is a guess coming from wrestling. Term OT exists there and means exactly that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11790" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-07-13T03:54:48.227" LastActivityDate="2021-07-13T03:54:48.227" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12635" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12630" CreationDate="2021-07-14T22:15:12.520" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For karate, important uses of the gluteus muscles include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;explosively closing distance, particularly when the back leg is bent and the knee&#xA;is turned forward, so you can think of the back leg contributing&#xA;something akin to a sprinter pushing over the starting block,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;delivering a strong, explosive jab or reverse punch (the glutes will&#xA;tend to contract on the same side as the punching arm), and&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;any kick&#xA;that drags the leg from the open/chest side of the body towards your&#xA;back, such as a downward or sideways heel or hooking kick (kake geri, ura mawashi geri, kakato geri),&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;one type of side thrusting kick - &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/uTtyTOLqnoc?t=262&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/uTtyTOLqnoc?t=262&lt;/a&gt; - (which is not done much in traditional karate, but involves the kicking leg's knee extending linearly from somewhere near the chest towards the target); by way of contrast - the yoko geri kekomi I practiced as part of kyokushin karate has completely different knee preparation and the hip rotating in the opposite direction - like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pye797lkisI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pye797lkisI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2021-07-14T22:15:12.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12636" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7597" CreationDate="2021-07-18T08:27:26.603" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Since you mentioned pro boxers, I recommend styles that specialize on kicking. It will prevent boxers from getting in range to fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2021-07-18T08:27:26.603" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12637" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12647" CreationDate="2021-07-19T03:39:55.270" Score="3" ViewCount="186" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been studying a few movie scenes with kali style knife fighting, where the combatants appear to use a forward grip when wanting to get more range and a reverse grip for power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am curious if having a smaller blade (eg. push dagger or improvised weapon like small scissors) against a standard sized knife would change which grip to use to defend yourself against the larger weapon? Would you try to maximise range by using a forward grip, focus on power with a reverse grip, or simply hold it between your fingers like a push dagger and punch with it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastActivityDate="2021-07-22T09:01:00.940" Title="Recommended grip for a small knife vs a standard knife" Tags="|defense|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12638" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12618" CreationDate="2021-07-19T12:22:17.720" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A sword was much more expensive than a mace. A simple mace is a lump of iron strapped to the end of a stick. A sword needs high quality steel tempered competently. That's why longswords emerged only at late Medieval period - steelworking needed to be sufficiently advanced so they don't snap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A mace is designed to combat armor - chainmail without gambeson is useless and even a fine fullhelm can't protect from knocking the person out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A sword is lighter thus can be made longer - awesome for slaughtering villagers and archers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A mace is clumsy to fence with thus to block another horseman's blow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As always in war, a spear would defeat both in a duel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;I have obviously never tried to kill people with a mace while on horseback. But have 2 years of Filipino stick fighting and half an year of German sword fencing.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="485" LastActivityDate="2021-07-19T12:22:17.720" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12639" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12675" CreationDate="2021-07-20T05:55:33.743" Score="4" ViewCount="87" Body="&lt;p&gt;I did some kickboxing drills in college club. We did slips, but I'm trying to incorporate head rolls from YouTube into my home regimen.  To me, it seems that one has to be superhumanly fast to see a strike being initiated and respond appropriately with a head roll.  Does one really roll the head in &lt;em&gt;after&lt;/em&gt; seeing an incoming strike?  Or does one simply do the rolls as &amp;quot;evasive manuvering&amp;quot;, hoping to be hard to hit?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10351" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-07-20T11:17:10.343" LastActivityDate="2021-08-10T04:40:34.293" Title="Head roll evades strike pre-emptively or after seeing it?" Tags="|boxing|defense|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12640" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9578" CreationDate="2021-07-20T10:02:16.373" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my opinion, after splitting from the jujitsu schools, judo was  softener, by eliminating the need to use of the aggressive approach to learn techniques.After that, many children's here allowed by their parents to go to the judo school. Even though the change of the name from jiu-jitsu to judo has done to eliminate all the confusion about this new soft art approach&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10811" LastActivityDate="2021-07-20T10:02:16.373" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12641" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12639" CreationDate="2021-07-20T18:39:53.070" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question is whether head rolling in boxing is something done in response to seeing the strike coming or just done preemptively, without knowing there's a strike coming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is both. It's actually pretty fast and natural to see something coming and turn your head the other way. This is the way people react even without any boxing training whatsoever. It's like flinching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But usually reaction times are on the order of a half a second to 3/4 of a second for most people when it comes to blocking a strike. Whereas a head roll might take a quarter of a second to a half a second to perform as a reaction. There are many punchers that can reach your head before that time runs out. But, chances are good that if you're the type of person that takes a whole second to react to a punch, you're not going to appear on TV or in any boxing matches. Why? You'll be washed out before you start. You just aren't elite enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So when you see boxers on TV, know that these guys are already kind of super human. They have very low reaction times. The sport has selected them. Only the top 0.01% are going to reach that level. (I just made that statistic up, but you get what I mean.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also preemptive head rolling. If you can read your opponent well enough and have studied his patterns, you can guess what he's going to do next, before he does it. That gives you a head start (no pun intended). You can begin doing a head roll and evasion before or just as he starts to strike. It looks like they have almost no reaction time whatsoever. But in truth, they're just good at this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To improve reaction times, you can pre-load this technique in your mind, so it's ready to use. The more you have to think about what to do, the more time it takes to react. So having it right on the tip of your brain will help your reaction time. Just be careful not to start doing it too often, because your opponent can see that you're doing that and may use that against you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2021-07-20T18:39:53.070" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12642" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12643" CreationDate="2021-07-21T14:34:55.073" Score="-3" ViewCount="85" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note: This question is based on a very specific senario, therefore not a duplicate of any questions currently on site.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some brief background: Over a decade ago there were an illegal organization using Electroconvulsive Therapy without anesthesia and muscle relaxant to &amp;quot;cure&amp;quot; internet addicts (mostly teens) in China. Long story short, you enter a room (Room 13) and...suffer things worse than death. The culprit is still at large and have attained polictical status since 2018. This question seeks to recreate and deal with the situation people face in Room 13.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The actual situation:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Place: A normal hospital room with a bed and a &lt;strong&gt;electro pulse stimulator&lt;/strong&gt; (primary tool of torture). There is (assumed) no windows and one locked door that will take at least a kick to break down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Opponents: 7~8 teens, mostly underfed, possibly with PTSD / Paranoia due to the suffering, assuming that less than 3 people have a martial arts background, but will simultaneously try to take you down and press you on the bed at all costs. You have the option of fighting with your back against 1~2 walls at once to decrease the total number of attackers coming at you at once.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Primary objective: To escape through the door or hold an important adult (head of conspiracy) as hostage. Killing him would also be an option since it is legally justified under the circumstances, but will possibly lessen chances of escape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondary objective: To gather information and evidence useful in legal prosecution of the adult above, only possible when all opponents are incapacitated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any tactics to maximize success of reaching the primary objective? What fighting strategy should one use in this situation?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One last note: Your life will be at risk by that time since the electric current would be beyond safety limits, so legal consequences could be considered later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2021-07-21T15:22:16.910" Title="Room 13 (SPECIFIC SENARIO) - How to face multiple attackers simultaneously" Tags="|self-defense|streetfight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12643" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12642" CreationDate="2021-07-21T15:22:16.910" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll pretend you're asking &amp;quot;tips for fighting multiple people at once?&amp;quot;.&#xA;99% of it would be to avoid going to rough bars where something like this would happen; but if you do, recognize the situation and avoid it; or if you can't, apologize and grovel your way out of it; but if you can't, run; but if your avenue of escape is cut off...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have to keep moving, to present a moving target, and if there's room to line up your opponents so that only one can attack you at a time. Strike first, strike hard, no mercy. Use any hard objects at hand. (But if you make them mad they'll maim you the way you tried to maim them.)&#xA;But nobody in the world is Donnie Yen IRL, so good luck, heh.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2021-07-21T15:22:16.910" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12644" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12646" CreationDate="2021-07-21T19:28:02.600" Score="6" ViewCount="929" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is this person talking about on the relationship between judo and BJJ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;https://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/102138/discussion-on-question-by-barlop-what-did-judo-change-innovate-when-it-branched&quot;&gt;this chat&lt;/a&gt; a person writing what to me looks like a very confusing thing they are saying, said:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Actually, Judo did branch away from Brazilian jiu jitsu in a manner of speaking prior to the Olympic games post-WWII. Prior to then, it had more emphasis on ground grappling. BJJ and Judo were once a lot more similar. That's actually what I originally thought you meant. BJJ branched off from Judo prior to then, but Judo also got away from BJJ-like practices. No big deal. I do think &amp;quot;Jiu Jitsu&amp;quot; is used enough to mean BJJ that it can be confusing to use it. Mostly I only see the British refer to Japanese jujitsu as &amp;quot;jiu jitsu&amp;quot;.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I replied:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that modern judo focuses on takedowns, because of the Olympics and the rules made for television, but I'm not asking about modern judo. B) Judo got in the olympics and focussing on throws in the 60s, most people had not even heard of BJJ until the 90s. BJJ had nothing to do with the development of Judo.. let alone the bizarre claim you make about branhing off that you got backwards. BJJ branched off Judo, in no way was it the other way around at any time. Modern Judo focussing on throws had nothing to do with BJJ's influence or lack thereof.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then they didn't really explain themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note- I'm not going to write just plain &amp;quot;jiu jitsu&amp;quot; because I understand that could be misinterpreted. As in the UK it means JJJ. And elsewhere (e.g. USA and Europe I suppose), JJJ is only spelt JuJutsu i.e. Japanese JuJutsu. So writing just plain &amp;quot;jiu jitsu&amp;quot; might be taken to just specifically BJJ. So I'll write JJJ and BJJ,  &amp;quot;Brazilian Jiu Jitsu&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;Japanese JuJutsu&amp;quot;!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what I understand, you have JJJ/Jujutsu, then Judo branched off of that and was known as Kano Jujutsu.  And BJJ branched off of Judo, keeping just the Nawaza.  And in the 1960s with the televised olympics, Judo dropped the Nawaza/ground grappling and focused just on throws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am a bit baffled as to what that person was talking about in the chat though?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8624" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2021-07-25T15:53:14.103" LastActivityDate="2021-08-18T10:03:20.920" Title="What is this person talking about on the relationship between judo and BJJ?" Tags="|judo|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|jujutsu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12645" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12644" CreationDate="2021-07-21T20:30:36.647" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you think of martial arts as a tree, we have Judo(old) with descendants Judo(today) and BJJ(today). The other person is saying that Judo(today) is not the same as Judo(old). The groundwork in Judo(old) looks more like the groundwork in BJJ(today) because Judo(today) has changed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You seem to be focused on the precise wording, which could be improved perhaps, but the idea is sound.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-07-21T20:30:36.647" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12646" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12644" CreationDate="2021-07-22T07:19:40.307" Score="10" Body="&lt;h3 id=&quot;the-person-is-perfectly-correct-except-with-the-last-sentence-87ox&quot;&gt;The person is perfectly correct, except with the last sentence.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I guess this is a semantical problem. You can say &amp;quot;X branched off from/of Y&amp;quot;, which says X is a descendant of Y, or &amp;quot;X branched away from Y&amp;quot;, which just means they share roots and developed in different directions. Steve said the latter (common root: classical Kodokan Judo, branches: BJJ and modern Judo), you read the former (modern Judo branching off BJJ) in the first sentence. That is not written there, though. Steve even specified that BJJ branched off of Judo after that. Also, you seem to have no idea what the actual diversity of techniques or histories of the two is, they are both quite old and consist of much more than you make of them, actually.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, Europeans generally refer to BJJ and Jiu-Jitsu/Ju Jutsu as distinct arts, mostly meaning JJJ or descendents (like the German Ju Jutsu self-defense system) when saying the latter. The equalization of Jiu-Jitsu with BJJ is a rather recent and generational development prevalent mostly in the Americas due to the more widespread popularization of BJJ compared to JJJ there IMHO. With regards to spelling, Steve was only being picky there since &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/1520/ju-jutsu-vs-jiu-jitsu&quot;&gt;ju jutsu and jiu jitsu are the same thing with different romanization&lt;/a&gt;. Thus, in that point, I'd say the call for specification is justified, the call for distinguishing by spelling is not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3 id=&quot;kodokan-judo-as-the-martial-art-bjj-evolved-from-27ou&quot;&gt;Kodokan Judo as the martial art BJJ evolved from&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The training of Carlos Gracie under Mitsuyo Maeda (7th dan Kodokan Judo) started in 1917. This is three years before the last major overhaul of Kodokan judo (systematization of Gokyo and several katas) under the supervision of Jigoro Kano himself and 13 years after Maeda left the Kodokan to go abroad, long before &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/8632/6440&quot;&gt;Judo and other Japanese martial arts were intentionally tamed and branched&lt;/a&gt; after WW II.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, it is true that Jiu-Jitsu (Japanese Ryu) and Judo were not clearly separated terminologically back then. Actually not before 1925 even in Japan. But it is clear that Maeda was a Judoka - and not a Jiu-Jitsuka. He was one of the most renowned second-generation students and teachers of the Kodokan. He inspired people like Mifune (later 10th Dan and generally considered one of the all-time greats of Judo) while training and teaching there. He never in his life trained a Jiu-Jitsu Ryu of any kind (only Sumo) before or after joining the Kodokan. He founded a Judo academy in Brazil where he taught Kodokan Judo and was awarded a Kodokan Judo dan rank one day before his death in 1941. Thus, while Jiu-Jitsu as a term for Kodokan Judo was common back then, what the founders of BJJ learned was exactly what is today known as: Kodokan &lt;strong&gt;Judo&lt;/strong&gt;. Only because Judo was not used regularly to refer to the art, it is called Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and not Brazilian Judo. What the Gracies (just like Kodokan students) learned was much more open and fight-oriented in its applications back then, though. So saying that BJJ branched off of Judo, while Judo branched off of Japanese Jiu Jitsu Ryu (even if the terms were not coined this way back then) is perfectly valid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3 id=&quot;why-is-modern-olympic-judo-so-different-from-modern-sports-bjj-0qe6&quot;&gt;Why is modern (Olympic) Judo so different from modern (sports) BJJ?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The confusion may arise due to Maeda's own take on Judo, which was actually common among first- and second-generation students of the Kodokan: He joined Judo because of reports of Judoka winning no holds barred matches against Jiu-Jitsu schools. His later sensei won against a fighter who was considered one of, if not the, strongest Japanese fighters of the time. Thus, Maeda considered all possible applications of Judo, in all ranges, as means to win a fight, no matter the ruleset, whether you fight with a jacket or without, how big your opponents are, or which martial arts background they have. He continuously challenged and fought fighters of various martial arts, including armed opponents, all around the world and further refined applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That Maeda's Judo revolved around a lot more groundwork than contemporary Olympic Judo is probably also due to him being relatively small and light for a fighter challenging people regardless of weight and style, ie. him playing his (technical) strengths and averting his (physical) weaknesses. But he won a lot of his fights by throwing his opponents and was feared (among students no less) for the power of his throws. In no way it is valid to say that BJJ only took the groundwork. Maeda practiced, applied, and taught the whole variety of grappling applications in all phases of combat (ranged, clinch, ground, even weapons).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Kodokan) Judo (still) involves all aspects of fighting, including strikes and kicks, weapons, self-defense, and, of course, ground fighting (which is part of Olympic Judo as well, as beautifully exemplified in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHcoEtLq01w&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; posted by Dave Liepmann in a comment). It is just not trained very often as it is not (an important) part of Olympic Judo as it evolved since its inclusion into the Olympic curriculum in 1964. There even was a change in rules which aimed at encouraging more groundwork in competition again recently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a matter of fact, we now have a similar development of narrowness within BJJ itself, where sports BJJ starts to focus solely on pulling guard and groundwork, completely dismissing the original MMA and self-defense perspectives the Gracies inherited from Maeda. BJJ was much more multi-faceted and still includes throws. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is still much wider with self-defense and all aspects of fighting trained. But this development towards groundwork &amp;quot;only&amp;quot; &lt;em&gt;within BJJ&lt;/em&gt; is actually &lt;strong&gt;very&lt;/strong&gt; recent, more like not before the late 90s. I think the reason why sports BJJ so excessively concentrates on groundwork is that it is the furthest away from striking distance, in which the founders of the style and their teacher naturally felt least comfortable. The famous early Gracie MMA fights, therefore, took place on the ground after distance was covered: To be in the phase of combat &lt;em&gt;strikers&lt;/em&gt; - their most common opponents - feel least comfortable. Thus, groundwork became linked to BJJ and vice versa. It is mistaken to think that it has always been that way, though. And there are voices which call for a change of rules to make throws more versatile in competition. But truth be told, I expect that the groundwork focus remains exactly in order to make it a sport distinct from Judo beyond &amp;quot;we also do no-gi&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3 id=&quot;intersections-between-bjj-and-judo-fz8c&quot;&gt;Intersections between BJJ and Judo&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We do have a lot of mutual exchange between BJJ and Judo. Just think of Travis Stevens, who was awarded BJJ purple belt &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-fighters/travis-stevens&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;after a few lessons&lt;/a&gt; due to his world-class Judo expertise. Grappling is grappling is grappling, so there are quite a few BJJ people training Judo to up their standing game, as well as Judo people training BJJ to up their ground game. Both is part of both sports branches, but both BJJ and Judo (originally) are more than sports and very similar in their technical philosophy of efficiency. Therefore, both techniques, and strategies are repeatedly going both ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3 id=&quot;conclusion-70vd&quot;&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is, in fact, a descendant of Kodokan Judo. Nobody ever stated anything other than that. It has evolved differently as it focused on applicability in all possible fighting situations - with and without a jacket - while Olympic Judo started to focus on throws and very few ground techniques as direct follow-ups when going to the ground without an ippon, fighting in jackets only. They both share the focus on grappling and the omission of striking in order to be able to use full-intensity &lt;em&gt;randori&lt;/em&gt; in training. They both are based on the technical use of body mechanics, efficiency, and positioning. Both classical Gracie BJJ and Kodokan Judo still are more multi-faceted than their sports counterparts and are, as a matter of fact, very similar up to this day, all things considered. Actually, the most extreme differences of technical content besides training focus are a) BJJ training without gi and b) Judo training kata, as far as I am aware.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo was just internationalized much earlier (start of 20th century) and is decades ahead with regards to diluted expertise in all aspects of the art, may it be to it spreading fast or being a codified sport. As a matter of fact, many Judo federations have projects to encourage self-defense and groundwork to be integrated into the training more regularly, including above-mentioned changes of competition rules. BJJ is still in the process of developing as a sport and there already are intentions to establish awareness of the breadth of the original BJJ and train more diversely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, you seem to have a biased view based on the very &amp;quot;sportified&amp;quot; aspects of the arts you get to see in competitions and are propagated as simplified labelling of the arts: Judo - throws, BJJ - groundwork, Muay Thai - clinch/knees/elbows, etc. It is where they excel &lt;em&gt;in average&lt;/em&gt;, not all they are able of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Asking to use &amp;quot;jiu jitsu&amp;quot; for BJJ only is unwarranted in any case, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Sources can be found in this &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsuyo_Maeda&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;surprisingly good and well-sourced Wikipedia article&lt;/a&gt; on Maeda)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-07-22T14:49:12.270" LastActivityDate="2021-07-22T14:49:12.270" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12647" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12637" CreationDate="2021-07-22T08:10:31.373" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will answer from a military/self-defense perspective. Kali is a very limited bubble within (or maybe even outside of) realistic knife fighting. It is used in media a lot because &lt;strong&gt;it looks good&lt;/strong&gt;, not because it is realistic. Given, practitioners generally are superior in knife fighting because...well, it's what they do, right? But this does not mean that their methods are superior or flawless, literally just that they trained more knife fighting and can resort to trained patterns and situational awareness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3 id=&quot;answer-pdka&quot;&gt;Answer&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, knives are held in a forward grip. That is the natural thing to do: Put the pointy end where it is supposed to be. There are some &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; good reasons to retain that regardless of the blade size (except maybe you are an actual expert in knife fighting and have done this a gazillion times with live blades and judged that the advantages outweigh the risks):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Range.&lt;/strong&gt; As you already mentioned, you simply have a smaller range, ie. the time you have to remain within the opponent's range to land some hit is much shorter and with similar timing and speed, you will be injured more often with a reverse grip.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Slashing.&lt;/strong&gt; The natural thing to do with reverse grip is a slash. Slashes do not do any damage at all as soon as the skin is covered with even the lightest kinds of cloth. You don't believe me? Put a shirt on a body doll and use a razor-sharp live blade, see how often and reliably it cuts through and how much force it takes - skin is even more elastic than the dolls, evasive movements not even considered. You'll be surprised. Thus, if you do not specifically aim for exposed body parts (naked arms, hands), slashing is meh. You can slash with a forward grip as well, obviously: instead of up and down on one side, you can only effectively slash down from left and right (given blade is directed down/away from you). Since slashing is more about psychology (keeping distance, provoking reactions, distracting) than actual damage, not a very important difference, though. One of the &amp;quot;weapons&amp;quot; of reverse grip disenchanted.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Force when stabbing.&lt;/strong&gt; The main argument for that reverse grip is the supposed power. But think about it: What is more powerful? Stabbing in a frontwards movement with all your body, momentum, and weight behind it or doing it with rotational acceleration (hinge is your shoulder, which is not very strong in that position and direction) against your original momentum? Since the slashing to the body is pretty useless in most cases, another clear pro-forward-grip argument.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Force when ripping.&lt;/strong&gt; Here, it becomes more interesting. One of the main points pro reverse grip is that the stab-rip-out movement is more fluent and powerful. Since this is what does make the actual, decisive damage in knife fights, this could be a good argument pro reverse grip. The thing is: If you simply turn the knife so that the blade is on the upper side in frontward grip, you gain the same advantages for abdominal hits (which are the most probable). In other words: You lose only the ripping strength when stabbing behind the collarbone while retaining all the advantages laid out above. Stabbing (and ripping) in the rib-cage region is generally a no-no since it is more probable that you will get your knife stuck in or in between rip bones and/or snapped rather than doing actual (physiological/functional) damage.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Forget parrying.&lt;/strong&gt; As I said, I am talking about a case where you are not an absolute expert in knife fights. These Kali fights suggest that you can parry blades and trap arms with a reverse grip like it's nothing. While that is possible, it is much more likely that you get your finger cut (off) and/or yourself stabbed before you manage that even once. Obviously, &lt;strong&gt;blade size covers more of your forearm and makes it easier to parry without risking your fingers as well as to trap the opponent's arm&lt;/strong&gt;. Thus, if the weapon gets too small (or the grip too messy, for example with scissors) to be feasible for this application, I expect every sensible person to only use a forward grip.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If you even have the chance, run.&lt;/strong&gt; Knives are dangerous. Most of the time, on the streets, you get stabbed before or without you noticing anything. That is the sad reality of knife &amp;quot;fights&amp;quot;. If you see a knife, run. A fight with knives in the game is one of the worst situations you can possibly get yourself in.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3 id=&quot;tldr-e978&quot;&gt;TL;DR&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Forward grip, maybe with the blade up instead of down if you go directly for a stab-rip movement to end the fight ASAP. But definitely not and never reverse grip except you &lt;strong&gt;really&lt;/strong&gt; know what you are doing and have years of practice, including live blades. Even in this case, I would say this is more due to &lt;em&gt;you being more used to and better trained in a reverse grip&lt;/em&gt; rather than it actually being objectively better. That does not change with the relative or absolute sizes of the knives. If possible, one should avoid getting into knife fights in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-07-22T09:01:00.940" LastActivityDate="2021-07-22T09:01:00.940" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12650" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="294" CreationDate="2021-07-25T10:14:41.987" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Join a bouldering/rock climbing gym, climb for 1-2 hours once a week. No matter how strong you think your grip is, it will be humbled in 2 hours of bouldering.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The infinite variations of holds and grip load directions will create impenetrable GI holds. There's also tons of isolated grip training techniques and most gyms have a separate training area just for grip strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had been bouldering for 3 months when my brother invited me to try jiu jitsu. No one could break my grip, even much heavier 100kg guys.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11813" LastEditorUserId="11813" LastEditDate="2021-07-25T10:25:52.310" LastActivityDate="2021-07-25T10:25:52.310" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12651" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12620" CreationDate="2021-07-27T09:56:15.433" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's dependent on context.&#xA;Sure, knifes are smaller, swords are bigger. A clear line does not exist. A bronze age sword can be a puny thing compared to a Grosses Messer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In using it as a weapon it depends on the characteristics of the weapon and the user. The way I was trained (Philipino martial arts) knifes are used more for slicing draw-cuts and repeated punctures. There is simply not enough mass to chop with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With a Long Sword you can stab, slice, chop. Of course you'll be in a different range and may want to keep it this way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Machetes can be quite different based on the origin. Longer, thinner blades where the vegetation is lighter. Or heavy choppers. The Phillipines also are home to machete-sized weapons that are designed for war or head hunting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many cultures with different traditions and many blades. You'll handle a 3 cm blade just very different than a 7 inch bowie or a cutlass or a arming sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5572" LastActivityDate="2021-07-27T09:56:15.433" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12652" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-07-27T17:38:15.347" Score="1" ViewCount="1969" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my hometown, a young man was killed this way after his friends lured him out to dinner. On the way back, the killer and the kid were in the backseat. The killer ended up getting the kid into a reverse figure 4 headscissor, and the victim's face and neck were being pressed so hard against the killer's rear end that the victim choked / asphyxiated and died.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any feasible way of getting out of a reverse figure 4 headscissor if the intent is to kill and it's locked in tight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9pQtd.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9pQtd.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Illustration of the reverse figure 4 headscissor&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11981" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2021-07-28T21:34:06.913" LastActivityDate="2021-09-19T00:49:17.260" Title="Is there any way of getting out of a reverse figure 4 headscissor when the other person has the intent on killing you with it?" Tags="|chokes|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12653" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5564" CreationDate="2021-07-27T22:00:39.797" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga is a hybrid of jujitsu, boxing and wrestling because Imi Lichtenfeld, a Hungarian Jew, was a boxer, wrestler and a blackbelt in jujitsu.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;He mixed all three martial arts together to create his own personal style krav maga which is Hebrew for contact combat. He went to Israel where he became a soldier and a police officer and taught krav maga to the IDF and Mossad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11831" LastEditorUserId="10685" LastEditDate="2021-07-28T14:42:15.103" LastActivityDate="2021-07-28T14:42:15.103" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12654" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-07-29T06:59:26.570" Score="2" ViewCount="64" Body="&lt;p&gt;Living in Germany, we have here a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_ju-jutsu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;German Ju-Jutsu&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;It was developed from masters of karate, judo etc. for police, justice staff etc. as a new martial art. Since then several new material had been added.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;It is organised in regional and national associations with a unified curriculum and belt-tests.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So it is nothing a single person invented, just to be a grand master.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there in other countries similar martial art styles?&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;The search engines always give me hits to bjj or offshoots from bjj.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10685" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-07-29T11:20:09.137" LastActivityDate="2021-08-28T12:07:55.733" Title="regional Ju-Jutsu / Ju Jitsu / Jiu-Jiutsu organised Styles" Tags="|jujutsu|style|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12655" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12654" CreationDate="2021-07-29T11:37:46.087" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;We have the Jitusu federation in the UK which is a bit the way you describe... But also a ton of other styles.  Martial arts has been a thing in the UK since 1905 or so so there are a ton of them here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Oddly though police martial arts training has largely been phased out in the uk as I understand it.  The police judo club is long gone.  They learn a little of Tony Blauer's S.P.E.A.R. system but other than that there is very little mandatory martial arts training for the general police.  I believe the armed response teams get more training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2021-07-29T11:37:46.087" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12656" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7732" CreationDate="2021-07-30T07:47:20.900" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's quite easy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go to the open training time, be early.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Ask the trainer, sifu etc., if you may join.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They will ask back if you have some experience.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Tell them what is. They should know. Just don't brag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a sign of respect, take a white belt to the training.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;They may offer you to wear your old black belt as a sign of respect.&#xA;Stick to white.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10685" LastActivityDate="2021-07-30T07:47:20.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12657" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12660" CreationDate="2021-07-31T13:48:31.110" Score="2" ViewCount="112" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've seen enough videos about it and even more marketplaces selling them. But is it really that good? Can't it bring some wrong reflexes/etc?&#xA;Don't want to hit anybody, but men wearing it usually look a bit.. unusual.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm just going to buy one, but is unsure if it worth it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="10065" LastEditDate="2021-07-31T14:01:17.370" LastActivityDate="2021-08-09T05:58:50.497" Title="Is speed ball really effective?" Tags="|training|boxing|speed|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12658" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10506" CreationDate="2021-07-31T19:19:17.870" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Jam an elbow and break a rib. The opponent has presented their chest to your elbows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or poke an eye out. Proper strangling technique is to tuck your head onto the victim's back as to prevent that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is illustrated is extremely poor strangling technique! The victim could even elbow the killer's balls!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="485" LastEditorUserId="485" LastEditDate="2021-08-02T14:19:06.560" LastActivityDate="2021-08-02T14:19:06.560" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12659" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12652" CreationDate="2021-08-04T02:36:33.657" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But it can be even easier. Just sit on their face. Knees on the hands if possible. Deliver a couple of punches to the celiac plexus to make them sleep. Done.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is referred as &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North%E2%80%93south_position&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;North-South&lt;/a&gt; in wrestling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hide the body as this is not self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="485" LastActivityDate="2021-08-04T02:36:33.657" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12660" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12657" CreationDate="2021-08-04T07:49:47.120" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Macaco gave you the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYA-g1Fppyk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;link to a video from R. Dewey&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;I think there is not much we could add to his comment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is fun.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;It trains reflexes.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;It is no training substitute for live training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10685" LastActivityDate="2021-08-04T07:49:47.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12661" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8306" CreationDate="2021-08-05T04:07:37.807" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;I could not get an entry ticket to 'Shotput' because it was sold out&amp;quot; a common complaint, isn't it? No! There are many sports like that which is not a crowd puller. 'Crowd pulling' or 'business' is not a criteria for Olympics. But in fact 'history' is one of the most important criteria for sports in Olympics as stated here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://theconversation.com/how-sports-get-chosen-for-the-olympics-62917&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://theconversation.com/how-sports-get-chosen-for-the-olympics-62917&lt;/a&gt;, and Wrestling has it all!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, imagine you want to watch an important match of a particular game. But Olympics cannot give you a set time. As many matches like Boxing, Wrestling happens match after match. This uncertainty can also take the crowd away and many may never see the highlights either. In my case I just check for a video on twitter feed that defines key moment. Team sports like hockey and football has fixed schedule. So it is almost impossible to verify which sports is the most popular. Income from a sports can of course be measured but then wrestling won't be the last on that criteria.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reasons for exclusion seems to be made up and is one sided, which if applied to other sports in Olympics, might lead to the exclusion of many sports. There is still not enough evidence to what lead to such a decision to take down a popular sports. Unlike some said here, it is very popular in many European countries such as Hungary. And most Eastern European countries have Russia influence and culture and Wrestling is a culturally important sport for Russia.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only conclusion which I could come up with and supported by people here(link below), is that the committee who ever was tasked to do this had people from countries that were not good in wrestling. Or could be those who are jealous of countries who are a powerhouse in wrestling. Or in other words silly human jealousy and hatred could be the reason for such a decision. Olympic committees have had such 'human' fights all the time and will continue to do so. Because not everyone has an MBA degree and if they had they wouldn't be there!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.quora.com/Why-did-the-International-Olympic-Committee-decide-to-remove-wrestling-from-the-Olympics-beginning-in-2020&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.quora.com/Why-did-the-International-Olympic-Committee-decide-to-remove-wrestling-from-the-Olympics-beginning-in-2020&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another issue that could have lead to the exclusion could be the internal fights and biased referring and other mal-practices with in the Wrestling community. eg: Wrestlers can bite and leave marks on the body of the opponent and no punishment will be meted out(even if there are rules preventing it). So if one sports in Olympics take more resources for problem solving('technical criteria') then there is something wrong with that sports and must be eliminated. It could also be that some ex-wrestlers/administrators in the committee could have back-stabbed their own federation. If this was the case then this exclusion gave an opportunity for introspection and then wrestling came back as a new and better sport. Which is something we all prefer in the end too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11857" LastActivityDate="2021-08-05T04:07:37.807" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12663" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12657" CreationDate="2021-08-06T02:59:34.330" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The traditional speed ball with a platform is very effective if you plan to compete in western boxing or just want to simply get better at it. The reason is that the speed ball helps train your shoulders and forearms for prolonged periods of endurance. It will be very beneficial down the road if you decide to seriously take up boxing, since you’ll be able to work through fatigue better when doing pad work with a trainer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11861" LastActivityDate="2021-08-06T02:59:34.330" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12664" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10518" CreationDate="2021-08-07T03:49:04.437" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Incorrect kicking mechanics. I’m a Muay Thai practitioner, and have never noticed a Thai break their leg in Thailand. This might be because in Muay Thai, we are taught to kick from the hip with a straight leg on impact, which is landing with the shin on the opponent. Most of the martial artists that are breaking their legs in the UFC seem to be snapping their kicks, and not throwing their kicks off the hip. This might create the wrong type of tension, and therefore accidents seem to happen if the kick is telegraphed and not set up properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11861" LastActivityDate="2021-08-07T03:49:04.437" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12665" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12629" CreationDate="2021-08-07T07:49:21.893" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The ideal situation would be to have both options. But if your back kick is strong enough, and your timing is good. You'll be very hard to beat in a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's one of my favorite fighters:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9o9FtMYtBw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Samkor Kiatmontep The Lethal Left Kick Legend Muay Thai Highlight&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11861" LastActivityDate="2021-08-07T07:49:21.893" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12666" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12555" CreationDate="2021-08-07T11:03:49.690" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;That's a good approach. But things move fast in there when you're sparring with professionals. They may throw combinations in bunches, and you won't get a chance to see the shoulders. Personally, I just go by feeling now in days. If their right hand lands on my gloves—I figure the left is coming, so I prepare to either move, block or counter. Landing effective punches at a certain level is an act that happens on exchanges, so it's between punches that you're landing. But in the grand scheme of things I'm still learning, and need to learn a lot more. So take my answer as a personal opinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11861" LastActivityDate="2021-08-07T11:03:49.690" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12667" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-08-07T12:44:11.933" Score="2" ViewCount="101" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does anyone know who has made these diagrams?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/00Qis.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/00Qis.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Zmcy1.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Zmcy1.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I reckon that it was a published in German, so the author is probably from Germany.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11864" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2021-08-08T02:04:29.600" LastActivityDate="2021-08-08T02:04:29.600" Title="Author of Kata Diagrams" Tags="|karate|forms|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12668" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12620" CreationDate="2021-08-07T14:38:03.543" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Knife&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;sword&amp;quot; exist on a spectrum, with some things definitely falling on the &amp;quot;knife&amp;quot; end, some definitely on the &amp;quot;sword&amp;quot; end. This means that there's no hard criteria placing things in one category or another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Historically, there seems to also been some legal differences between them, in some areas. It is claimed that one of the reasons for the German &amp;quot;lange/grosse  messer&amp;quot; being that swords were limited either by what guild(s) could make them, or who were allowed to wear swords, because the main difference between a falchion (definitely a sword) and a langmesser is that the falchion tends to have a hidden tang and the messer a full tang.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, in short, there are things that are definitely knives, there are things that are definitely swords, and there are things where you can have an argument what it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If we separate edge weapon attacks into &amp;quot;stab&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;cut&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;slice&amp;quot;, a sword is more towards the &amp;quot;stab&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;cut&amp;quot;, whereas a knife is more towards &amp;quot;stab&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;slice&amp;quot;, but even that is more of a tendency than a hard distinguishing criterion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="96" LastActivityDate="2021-08-07T14:38:03.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12669" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12670" CreationDate="2021-08-08T08:06:38.210" Score="4" ViewCount="520" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been practicing martial arts for quite some time (a tiny bit of TKD, and other stuff from the US army documents), and I currently have no opportunity to spar (actually I almost never did) but I have built some decent instinct for places and distances to attack / defend. I do conditioning and other exercises every day, while regularly hitting the body opponent bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People keep talking about shadow-boxing, but I find it a bit hard to visualize the opponent's movements in a way precise enough for meaningful practice. Are there other ways I could improve without sparring? Any substitudes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2021-08-18T12:50:20.047" Title="Is it possible to improve without sparring?" Tags="|training|self-defense|self-training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12670" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12669" CreationDate="2021-08-08T14:47:05.527" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although sparring is one of the most important elements of any fight training program, it is certainly possible to significantly improve certain aspects of your skillset without sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shadow sparring can be utilised in more than one way, to develop:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Speed&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strategy&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Technique (inc. footwork, defence, striking etc)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aerobic capacity&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muscular endurance&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Create a plan for your sparring session, allocating a specific purpose to each 3 minute round, for example (boxing):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Round 1: Warm-up, general movement, continuous, loose, varied striking. Nothing too explosive or strenuous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Round 2: Footwork. Forward. Back. Left. Right. Circle left. Circle right. Keep hands high. Maintain head movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Round 3: Jab technique. Single, double and even triple jabs depending upon your ability. Punch retraction to defence position. Long jabs. Short jabs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Round 4: Straight left/right combinations. Maintaining posture/height, hip and shoulder rotation, and guard. Don't flare elbows. Don't bounce up and down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Round 5: Speed work. Maintain defensive integrity, posture and balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You get the picture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you get more advanced, you can begin to combine elements in each round. Always maintain good posture and pay attention to technique. Video yourself. You'll quickly realise when you're leaning too far forward, for example, or flaring your elbows or letting your guard down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some great resources on Youtube. Simply search for '(martial art) bag work' or 'shadow boxing' etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember, you can practice most bag work drills &lt;em&gt;without&lt;/em&gt; a bag. There are some significant benefits to this, including the fact that when you practice without a bag, you don't have the bag to hold you up. You can't lean into thin air, so you're forced to maintain your posture and to use your own technique and strength to pull your punches and kicks back. The importance of this reveals itself during sparring and fighting; when many of your strikes miss. Learning how to miss whilst maintaining offensive capacity, defensive integrity and mobility is vital.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a huge topic. I've only grazed the surface of the surface. Google away, but remember that you'll make much more progress if you approach your sessions with specific aims in mind. Don't fall into the habit of working on your best techniques at the expense of your weaknesses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also remember that if any of your techniques are poor, then your shadow sparring will be very effective at reinforcing poor technique. In the absence of in-person instruction, there are some excellent teachers online. Spend time absorbing their knowledge and devote time to practicing individual techniques (using a mirror and/or video footage if possible). Once you come to grasp the mechanics of techniques, you can better learn to recognise when you are executing techniques poorly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you tire, your technique will tend to deteriorate. Focus on maintaining good technique - including breath regulation - as you fatigue. A tired fighter with poor technique is relatively easy to overwhelm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact you're having difficulty visualising is common. Most people do. Visualising is a skill like any other and requires a lot of practice to be effective. If you want to get better at it, gradually incorporate it into your program, one round at a time. I don't consider it a necessary element of shadow sparring. Others may disagree.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shadow sparring is of course only one option. Combat-specific resistance training (when supplemented by skills training) will greatly increase your efficacy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can implement 'conditioning' rounds into your workout, or even incorporate conditioning exercises into the 'rest' periods between rounds. Resistance training is an enormous realm, and there is a lifetime of knowledge available online. Keep things very simple initially. Pushup, squat and chin-up/row variations are all possible with minimal equipment and utilise movements highly relevant to combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Track your progress, so you have an ongoing record of personal bests to surpass, but overtraining is a real danger for everyone, especially an enthusiastic beginner. Learn about physical and mental recovery and recognise the fact that periods of complete and/or partial abstinence from training are essential to long-term, minimal-injury, progress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-08-18T12:50:20.047" LastActivityDate="2021-08-18T12:50:20.047" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12671" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13301" CreationDate="2021-08-09T00:48:48.467" Score="2" ViewCount="293" Body="&lt;p&gt;I expected Japanese karatekas to kick everybody's asses at the Olympics and rake in all the medals. But in reality, the Japanese excelled at kata but pretty much sucked at kumite (only one bronze). Isn't it essentially proof that there's no correlation whatsoever between being able to do kata well and good performance in kumite (let alone being able to effectively defend oneself in real-world circumstances)? If so, then why on earth do we still have it? As I understand it, kata was contrived as a way to disguise your karate practice from medieval law enforcers when practicing martial arts by regular peasants was outlawed (so no purpose remains now).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10664" LastActivityDate="2022-05-15T19:00:25.797" Title="Is there any practical purpose of kata?" Tags="|karate|forms|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12672" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12671" CreationDate="2021-08-09T05:51:59.670" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;At least three relevant questions emerge here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A) &amp;quot;Is there any practical purpose to kata?&amp;quot;,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;B) &amp;quot;Does proficiency in kata translate in any way to proficiency in kumite?&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;C) &amp;quot;Is kata practice an efficient use of one's training time if one is training in order to learn to fight?&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A) Without going into too much detail, Kata has clear purposes, such as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Being a means unto its own end,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Refining individual techniques,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Providing an experiential connection the karate tradition,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Developing powers of concentration,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Increasing aerobic capacity.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Increasing speed/power.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are more you may be able to identify.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;B) Insofar as sharp technique, concentration, aerobic capacity and speed are relevant to kumite, then yes, kata may translate in some way to ability in kumite.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;C) Are there far more efficient, kumite-specific methods of training? Absolutely. Sparring is the most obvious example, but resistance training, bag/pad work and reflex training are other examples.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the weaknesses of kata (and arguably much of traditional karate training), is the way it repetitively emphasises highly-specific, mechanical movements which are executed in the absence of an aggressive stimuli. In short, if kata is overemphasised in training, it can be detrimental to the kumite practioner (assuming training is time is limited and kata practice takes over from more specific fight training).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastActivityDate="2021-08-09T05:51:59.670" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12673" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12657" CreationDate="2021-08-09T05:58:50.497" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many, many forms of training will be effective in some way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A more useful question to ask is, &amp;quot;What training methods make the best use of my time?&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A height-adjustable floor-to ceiling ball (even if the ball is just a tennis ball, which you can make yourself very cheaply) will still train muscular endurance, with the important added benefits of improving reflexes, timing, and - if used properly - technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's important to note that a floor-to ceiling ball can reinforce poor technique if you are a beginner. That being said, it is an excellent tool for the home for the following reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It won't annoy other members of the home and/or neighbours nearly as much (it is much quieter, especially in the case of a tennis ball), meaning you can spend more time training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;All it requires is a small hook in the ceiling and a moveable weight anchor at floor level, so you can dismantle it and erect it easily, any time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastActivityDate="2021-08-09T05:58:50.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12674" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12621" CreationDate="2021-08-09T06:13:26.763" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Consider six elements initially.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Avoidance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Confidence.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Psychological competence (essentially mindfulness, which equips a person to recognise and regulate their own emotional responses in real-time, so that they become more resilient. Note that this is unlikely to happen without confidence).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tactical communication: An understanding of how to employ verbal techniques to avoid/reduce confrontation.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Physical competence: Training in practical forms of martial arts (Jiu-jitsu, boxing, kick-boxing, close-quarters combat).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Psychotherapy (IMPORTANT in the event bullying is already taking place).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would not rely on Stack Exchange here. There is plenty of good anti-bullying material on the net. If bullying is currently unavoidable, seek professional help and if the bullying is proving harmful, &lt;em&gt;remove the person from the source of bullying&lt;/em&gt;, as considerable long-term damage can result.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastActivityDate="2021-08-09T06:13:26.763" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12675" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12639" CreationDate="2021-08-09T08:10:55.120" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Further to Steve's answer...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is also worth analysing what it is, exactly, that you are reacting to. Novice fighters often concentrate on the opponent's fists or feet, whereas more experienced fighters tend to have a more 'total body' awareness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll use boxing as an example here. If I concentrate on the fists, it is easy to get caught up in a dangerous process of prediction, in which you try to guess which hand is going to launch at you. To guess reliably is of course impossible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tremendous progress can be gained simply from changing your point of focus from the limbs to the sternum (roughly, the centre of the chest). When you do this, you begin to identify the ways in which the body telegraphs strikes from the hips and shoulders. It may not seem like much, but the consequences for your ability to react effectively are enormous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another way to gain reaction time is of course to maintain non-predictable (erratic) movement patterns, so that your opponent's strikes are hampered by a constant need to adjust to your location.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the best ways of all is to simply stay out of range. This is not really possible for a purely offensive fighter, but it is for a counter-puncher or a defensive fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, learning to relax in the face of aggression will transform your defensive ability. When you are tense, you slow down a lot. Your ability to evade is almost crippled. I'm not saying you should be able to shed all fear (which can be very useful), but that you learn to defend without 'seizing' up.  This requires an experienced and disciplined sparring partner, one who can challenge you without trying to 'win' or hurt you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-08-10T04:40:34.293" LastActivityDate="2021-08-10T04:40:34.293" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12676" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12629" CreationDate="2021-08-09T14:26:19.520" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;To quit practicing the use of your rear leg kick is, in effect, throwing away a very effective weapon for no reason. Please rethink your decision.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If actual combat most relevant to you (and I sincerely hope you never seek or are forced to experience a serious fight - if you haven't already), it would be very, very rare for a front-leg kick to employed to any significant effect in a close-quarters combat situation, unless you are fighting against someone who is untrained and/or defensively weak and hesitant/unmotivated (in which case, you will often be able to avoid any brutal conflict). Exceptions might include the case in which you are quite talented, fast and possessed of excellent timing. A front-leg kick driving through an opponent's kneecap (frontally or laterally) is potentially effective, but requires significant forward commitment if it is to be delivered with any substantial body-weight momentum. Inaccuracy/inadequate impact is likely. A simple front push kick to the torso is also possible, hopefully giving you time to escape. A sharp snap to the testicles is feasible, but again, sufficient accuracy and contact is unreliable. High kicks using the front leg are are prone traps and can result in terrible take-down injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would spend some time thinking about how skilled you are in avoiding/preventing those situations in which you are required to fight. Do you know anything about tactical communication? Are you able to diffuse volatile situations? Are you able to identify those situations which have potential to become unnecessarily violent? Are you experienced in dealing with the massive adrenaline dump that occurs when you are confronted with extreme danger? It is easy to romanticise the street fight, but the reality is that people sustain brain damage, fractures, loss of teeth, internal organ damage, bites/scratches (which may lead to transmission of infectious disease), and death. Even if you are the victor, how would you feel if, thanks to a freak of timing, you landed an effective punch which caused the other party to crack their head open on a gutter and sustain a permanent cognitive and/or physical disability?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are forced to live in an environment which is particularly dangerous, and you can't reasonably move to a new environment, then yes, learning close-quarters combat is probably important. Never imagine though, that it will go the way you expect, or that people will fight according to your expectations, ability or sense of fairness/etiquette. Cowardly use of potentially lethal weapons/techniques is relatively common.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-08-10T07:11:36.867" LastActivityDate="2021-08-10T07:11:36.867" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12677" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9900" CreationDate="2021-08-09T15:27:42.643" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would be wary of assuming your stance is too wide. Watch some of the best amateur and professional boxers in the world. Their stance is frequently far wider than that which is considered classically correct.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideally you will be able to maintain an awareness of your stance width and know how to use various widths to your advantage during a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whenever you get any advice, respect it, and try it, but reflect critically upon whether it is necessarily applicable to you.  Watching the great fighters who use a style similar to yours is a great way to help you distinguish 'common advice' from 'good advice'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastActivityDate="2021-08-09T15:27:42.643" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12678" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12669" CreationDate="2021-08-10T01:15:46.870" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can certainly get better without sparring. Your movements will become more fluid, and you’ll have better mechanics than before–by hitting the bag and shadowboxing. However, you’ll be at a disadvantage against someone that’s doing those two things, and sparring since their timing and in-ring intelligence will be sharper than yours. I think ultimately there’s no substitute for the improvement that you get from sparring. It’s the old doing vs learning argument, however just by shadowboxing and hitting the bag, you’ll be better prepared than most of the population at the specific skill you’re working on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11861" LastActivityDate="2021-08-10T01:15:46.870" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12679" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6676" CreationDate="2021-08-10T07:13:16.313" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;To provide some insight, most TKD practitioners have one biggest disadvantage: they move in straight lines. I do not know if that is the case for Krav students (since this guy also learns KM), but you can always try stepping to the front-left or the front-right side, depending on your stance (e.g. if you are facing to the left, then step to the front-right, so that you will still be facing your opponent). This defends against side kicks most effectively, and will reduce the power of roundhouse / other high kicks. Also, stepping to the side gives you an opportunity to target the center line or throw kicks in return.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2021-08-10T07:13:16.313" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12680" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6261" CreationDate="2021-08-10T22:22:10.423" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's not uncommon, especially for internal styles.  By my teacher was a Chinese national champion in internal and said it's not necessary.  &amp;quot;Feeling&amp;quot; is essential, and I can elaborate more if interested, but really it just comes down to training hard and consistently over a extended period.  (Years for basic competence, decades for even basic mastery if part time.)  Essentially, you gotta put in your 30,000 hours, so talking a little theory is good, but classes where there's more standing and talking than training are not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Tai Chi takes a lifetime.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I never spent much time on theory because I had an acknowledged master to follow—I learned almost entirely by doing, again and again and again and again—and constantly seeking to improve. But one doesn't need a famous teacher—a teacher who can teach the basics correctly is sufficient starting out. (If you find you want to go deeper, and have outgrown your first school, you can then seek out a more skilled instructor.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, just being honest, a lot of teachers in the Chinese system use theory to cover lack of rigorous training, and that part of why Chinese martial arts have such a diminished reputation at present.  There was always a medicine show element to attract new students, but that's not the core of the arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know a very accomplished Sifu who also has a PhD in physical therapy, and he shares his knowledge as he goes, but doesn't have specific seminars or classes for that.  (There's not enough time for essential training as it is, when most of us also have day jobs!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you want to look at in a teacher is &amp;quot;How good are their stances, how stable is their balance, how clear is their movement, how well do they move, do they look like they've done this movement a million times, literally?&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-08-10T23:21:20.197" LastActivityDate="2021-08-10T23:21:20.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12681" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="241" CreationDate="2021-08-10T23:26:54.163" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience, with straight swords, you have to train those &amp;quot;flinches&amp;quot; to become effective parries because it's such a fast weapon, even longswords. The instinct to flinch is correct, but if you can't channel it into an effective parry, an experienced fencer will exploit the reaction and take you apart.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fearing the blade is rational because swords are insanely dangerous when wielded correctly, but you need to channel that fear into productive response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This only comes with the reps.  But, when it comes, it becomes natural.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-08-10T23:26:54.163" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12682" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-08-11T00:21:31.943" Score="2" ViewCount="99" Body="&lt;p&gt;In push hands, in certain schools, it is not uncommon for a player to collapse their arm into a folded position, such that the elbow extends forward for a strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(This is typically not a finishing move, unless applied in free-sparring from body to body contact, but it hurts in push hands, disrupts the attention, and can do damage if the partner's chest is not properly empty.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My understanding of this strike is that it derives from hsingyi, but I've also seen it in taiji/bagua hybrids.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How to defend against the linear elbow strike in taiji push hands?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-08-17T04:41:08.527" Title="How to defend against linear elbow strike in taiji push hands?" Tags="|technique|tai-chi|application|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12683" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6676" CreationDate="2021-08-11T12:25:19.540" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you need to get close to an opponent with greater reach and/or speed than you, it makes sense to bait them into certain attacks by presenting certain opportunities to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this way:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You reduce the number/type of attacks they are likely to use,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You increase your effective reaction time (because your mind is occupied with a fewer number of required defences),&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You can force your opponent to employ their weaker techniques,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You can provoke attacks which work to your defensive strengths, ​&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You increase your ability to close distance and eliminate their greatest strengths.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are now getting into the realm of strategy. Strategy is probably &lt;em&gt;the&lt;/em&gt; best way to overcome an otherwise better opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A) There is pre-emptive strategy, such as that you would take into a fight after studying and training for your opponent's abilities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;B) There is also real-time strategy, in which you improvise strategically during a fight in response to the dynamic fight environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you concentrate on A for a while, you will gradually increase your ability to incorporate B into your skillset.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's something you might try as a learning technique:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Identify any common offensive patterns in your opponent's technique, such as when he typically employs a rear-leg roundhouse to the torso.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Identify his particular telegraphic weaknesses. Does he 'wind up' his hips? Does he focus on his target with his eyes? Does he position his feet in a slightly different way?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Identify an effective defensive technique that is as dynamically efficient as possible, that enables you to simultaneously counter and which enables you to maintain defensive integrity. In this case it might be a leg trap against the rib-cage combined with a sweep of his other leg. (There are many other options, but be very careful. It is easy to severely hurt someone if you have their leg trapped, especially if you are taking them to ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the fight, replicate the movements/physical conditions which will encourage your opponent to employ the roundhouse, whilst reducing likelihood he will employ other techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;When he employs the technique, react according to your plan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do NOT gamble everything on him performing the roundhouse when you want him to. Do NOT focus upon this one strategy at the expense of your basics. Trust that your strategic mind will kick in when it needs to. This will take time and experience. Keep your defensive posture. Stay calm. Use your peripheral vision rather than staring at his rear leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you progress, you can build up a repertoire of these strategies. As your strategic toolbox grows, you will increase your ability to incorporate them in real-time, during fights, even those fights when you have no foreknowledge of your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastActivityDate="2021-08-11T12:25:19.540" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12685" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12682" CreationDate="2021-08-11T16:47:39.433" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the guiding principles in Taiji is to make sure each joint is able to move in any direction. In other words, in a neutral position. If a joint is too far extended outward, it won't be able to adapt to forces that cause it to extend further. And that causes your body's structure to fail. The same thing is true for when the joint is too far retracted. Remaining somewhere in the middle of the range of motion that a joint permits means that you are able to adapt to forces from any direction without jeopardizing your structure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's a very fundamental principle in Taiji.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you look at the elbow joint, for example, it should remind you of a hinge on a door. When a door is fully open or fully closed, it has no more room to move. It's stuck there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the elbow to perform a direct / linear strike, that means the lower arm must be folded inward close to the bicep of the upper arm. That violates this principle in Taiji that you should have all joints neutral. When a joint is not neutral, then it can't react to oncoming force. You can get lock-ups.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So in practical terms, this means maintaining connection and following his wrist. Step inward while turning slightly to avoid the elbow, forming like a triangle wedge, placing your body weight against his wrist. That will deflect the elbow strike. And it locks his elbow temporarily. Then from there, circle step one of your feet around his legs and plant it down behind him. Make sure your knees are bent, not extended. Push diagonally against his sternum or opposite shoulder with either your palm, your elbow, or your shoulder. He will trip over your leg. If he lifts his leg out of the way, quickly step behind his other leg and push forward again for a sweep.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key is: With that wrist trapped and his elbow therefore locked, it means his arm is now in a bad position. He can't use it to react to your oncoming force. It makes him vulnerable. At least until he wiggles it out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Drill this a bunch of times to get the feel of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2021-08-11T16:47:39.433" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12686" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12682" CreationDate="2021-08-11T17:47:47.150" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a very basic strike/counter combination in the Fu taiji system.  You see it there because Fu taiji developed out of bagua, via &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fu_Zhensong&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Fu Zhensong&lt;/a&gt;, who was reputed to be the only internal master who could rival &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yang_Chengfu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yang Chengfu&lt;/a&gt; at push hands.  (They were great friends:)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fu's son, Fu Wing Fay, a contemporary of Cheng Man-ch'ing, specialized in taiji and leungyi, which is a hybrid taichi/bagua forms.  This is likely why you see this elbow strike/counter in Fu taiji.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The counter is simple, but it requires bagua coiling hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use the forearm for pushing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hand and wrist must be free. Ideally, you maintain contact forearm to forearm, because if you let your partner contact closer to their wrist, they will be able to get a little more distance in that elbow strike before you counter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When the elbow comes, coil the fingers downward around the back of the elbow&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This would be right arm to right arm, or left to left.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Turn the waist outward and empty&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Outward refers to the side of the hand being used.  If right hand, waist turns right. You need to be able to empty the chest in conjunction with the counter, to get sufficient leverage against a skilled partner, and the feeling should be that the movement here derives from the base of the spine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If the opponent's body is turned by the counter, continue coiling the countering hand under their arm until your fingers can grasp the partner's throat.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Be gentle!&lt;/strong&gt; This is not a brute force application! &lt;em&gt;Anyone can squeeze the trachea, but can you apply and maintain this with only the minimum required pressure?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The off-hand controls the base of their spine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using this hold, you can gently keep the partner at the edge of imbalance indefinitely, such that they cannot strike or employ their body in any useful way.  It requires some feeling, b/c then the partner tries to move, you must adjust to keep them from achieving any root.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The counter to the counter is to roll out&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Direction of the roll is the same direction the partners body moved when they were turned around.  I use &amp;quot;roll&amp;quot; here because, while it can look like a bagua spin-turn, it's really more of a body turnover.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Spin turn is difficult/impossible when you have no root, but body roll is natural from the edge of balance, of when off balance, and this is a basic principle of bagua.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When the counter and the counter-counter are employed correctly, the players return naturally to push hands, with no break in continuity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I think the reason it's considered optimal in the Fu system is it &lt;em&gt;establishes superior leverage from from the beginning of the strike&lt;/em&gt;, not waiting for it to develop, but deflecting and and using the force of the opponents body to turn it and step behind to grapple, controlling the neck and spine.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's elegant and it works.  Caveat is that Fu system teaches a core curriculum of taiji/bagua/hsingyi where possible, so it may be difficult to use without that base.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-08-17T04:41:08.527" LastActivityDate="2021-08-17T04:41:08.527" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12687" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-08-11T17:54:38.623" Score="2" ViewCount="44" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been noticing a lot of interest in &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricasso&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;ricasso&lt;/a&gt; work.  This makes sense when facing polearms, where you need more leverage — there's even a theory in Asian sword that the two handed sword techniques derive from rod technique, where the hands can be more widely spaced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It feels dangerous and unnecessary against swords however, so I'm looking for European systems that don't teach grasping one's own blade &lt;em&gt;or&lt;/em&gt; the opponent's blade.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What European longsword systems use swords sharpened the entire length?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Video links are welcome, but an accepted answer should excerpt or cite written material, ideally historical manuals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-08-11T18:14:51.927" LastActivityDate="2021-08-11T18:14:51.927" Title="What European longsword schools use blades sharpened the entire length?" Tags="|historic-european|longsword|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12688" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2021-08-11T17:58:31.523" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longsword&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longsword&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuangshou_jian&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuangshou_jian&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-09-01T17:08:02.630" LastActivityDate="2021-09-01T17:08:02.630" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12689" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2021-08-11T17:58:31.523" Score="0" Body="Refers to straight swords of a certain length, meant to be wielded primarily with two hands.  Can be used for for Historic European or Historic Chinese fencing." OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-08-13T11:51:36.077" LastActivityDate="2021-08-13T11:51:36.077" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12690" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2021-08-11T18:03:27.507" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ideally, martial arts theory reduced to physiology and physics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2021-12-15T16:00:38.103" LastActivityDate="2021-12-15T16:00:38.103" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12691" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2021-08-11T18:03:27.507" Score="0" Body="For questions about theory underlying martial arts principles and applications.  " OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-12-15T16:00:08.567" LastActivityDate="2021-12-15T16:00:08.567" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12692" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12708" CreationDate="2021-08-12T02:32:27.167" Score="3" ViewCount="333" Body="&lt;p&gt;Over the decades, I cobbled together a repertoire of drills from various classes in karate, kickboxing, and a bit of boxing (very little).  I cycle through them, but sometimes I come across something that seems to be sacrilege.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One such combo is to expand one's stance forward by stepping forward with the front leg and throwing a straight punch.  I hesitate to call it a jab because the chin isn't shielded by the shoulder, and boxing drills never have you expand your stance.  The follow-up is a reverse punch (again, hesitate to call it a cross), but notably, with the sacrilegious dragging forward of the back foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to any art, that doesn't make sense because you're back foot isn't driving the cross.  But sometimes, some moves that don't appear sensible at first do have a reason.  For example, from a long-ish stance, you can step the back foot forward by half a step while jabbing, but it's more of a distraction so that you can drive forward a reverse punch from the back leg, which has been brought closer to the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Before I discard the dragging forward of the back leg during a cross, I was wondering if there is any situation in which this would be useful?&lt;/strong&gt;  Because of the dragging forward of the back leg, one is in the finishing position of a cross rather than the more extended position of a reverse punch.  The follow-up to that is a simultaneous soto-uke (inward parry) and leading foot sweep (and there's more follow-up after that).  Perhaps this is in response to an counter-attack.  In the same way that one is loaded for a hook after a cross, one is loaded for the soto-uke and sweep after doing sacrilegious dragging forward of the back foot during a cross.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I only described the 1st two components of a longer combo.  There's no realistic expectation that these moves will actually ever be executed in this exact sequence, but drilling in such combos does help with transitioning between moves.  The leading straight punch and the following sacrilegious cross can be a mixture of high and low.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One use that I mulled over was that the sacrilegious cross baits the opponent's counter-attack and distracts in order to improve the success of the subsequent sweep.  It could more of a distraction if a lands, e.g., fazing the opponent to improve prospects of the sweep.  Since the back foot is coming forward, you have more range with the sacrilegious cross, which could provide a surprise factor.  If you punch through with your body moving forward, it be quite a good fazing, especially with hip rotation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, one can rationalize weak moves, but it depends on the practicality.  One example of a fake that I see as likely is in my third paragraph above (leading jab with a half step forward by the back leg, which better positions you to drive the following reverse punch forward).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another possible saving grace is if one were to plant the back foot on the ground upon impact of the cross.  This assumes that the cross travels forward synchronously with the dragging forward of the back foot.  It would have to be quick slide rather than a slow drag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Afternote&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looks like it's not sacrilege in all circles:  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiVgEWAdIIA&amp;amp;t=215s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiVgEWAdIIA&amp;amp;t=215s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10351" LastEditorUserId="10351" LastEditDate="2021-09-08T03:12:17.960" LastActivityDate="2021-09-08T03:12:17.960" Title="Drag back foot forward during a cross" Tags="|punching|footwork|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12693" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12692" CreationDate="2021-08-12T13:21:10.683" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This comes from a boxing perspective...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You state:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;One such combo is to expand one's stance forward by stepping forward with the front leg and throwing a straight punch. I hesitate to call it a jab because the chin isn't shielded by the shoulder, and boxing drills never have you expand your stance. The follow-up is a reverse punch (again, hesitate to call it a cross), but notably, with the sacrilegious dragging forward of the back foot&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In relation to the step forward and jab, your chin (classically at least), &lt;em&gt;will&lt;/em&gt; be shielded by your punching shoulder if executed correctly. Your shoulder will be in contact with your jaw. Your chin will be tucked low, greatly reducing the chance of knock-out. You should be able to find heaps of examples on Youtube.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In relation to stance, there is a tendency from many trainers to insist on a classical, narrow stance, and this can arguably have some advantages for the novice. However, if you take the time to watch footage of many of the greatest amateur and professional fighters, you will see that their stance is frequently very wide. A well-rounded boxer has the capacity to vary stance as required, in response to, or to dictate to, the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To drag your back foot into the cross is indeed sacrilegious. A dragged foot is a useless foot. It will require repositioning to be used to any effect. Whenever you move your rear leg (or front leg), you do so by powering from the ball of your foot in a manner which enables you at any point to plant the toes/ball to enable a sudden change in direction and/or to anchor the punch. An exception might be (if you are orthodox), pivoting off the front foot and &lt;em&gt;sliding&lt;/em&gt; the ball of the right foot around to follow, particularly if you are trying to lower your centre of gravity/duck a punch. Remember though that sliding or dragging increases friction and therefore requires more effort to execute at a given speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Contrary to your claim, the back foot &lt;em&gt;does&lt;/em&gt; drive an (orthodox) right cross. The power comes up from your toes, through rotating hips and shoulders, the arms, into the fist. If this feels wrong to you at the moment, it may be that you are overcommitting with your cross, shifting all your weight onto the front foot. When you do this, you place yourself within range of your opponent whilst simultaneously making it more difficult to retreat. A good opponent will capitalise on this. Whilst such forward commitment does have application in aggressive combinations, a good philosophy to begin with is to maintain a roughly equal weight distribution over both feet most of the time. This provides you with the ability to efficiently attack, counter, retreat and circle at any time. When you execute the right cross, you obtain reach by &lt;em&gt;stepping&lt;/em&gt; forward and planting the right foot either just before or at the point of impact  (Of course, it is not always appropriate in a fight to step forward. I'm describing a foundational technique. Sometimes you will rotate through a combination from stationary feet, many times it will be inappropriate to throw a right at all).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you learn how to rotate correctly from a good stance, you achieve a nice, long jab (with simultaneous defensive integrity), and the ability to step into a nice long cross, again, using the shoulder as defence. Whilst you won't always be able to employ such perfect technique in a fight context, being able to maximise your effective range whilst maintaining defensive, balanced posture is critical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As with many skills, you need to learn the basics before you understand how to break from them. You will have certain attributes that you will eventually want to build on, but do yourself a big favour and lay the foundation first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-08-12T13:29:30.623" LastActivityDate="2021-08-12T13:29:30.623" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12694" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12698" CreationDate="2021-08-12T15:36:31.143" Score="6" ViewCount="159" Body="&lt;p&gt;With the possible exception of Tameshiwari (breaking) devotees, most people using closed fists during a fight run significant risk of hand/knuckle damage.  Even when striking the body, it is very common for fists to land upon the opponent's limbs at awkward, mechanically unsound angles, and to sustain debilitating injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Open palm techniques, whilst still prone to injury, are recommended by some close-quarters schools as a means of minimising such injury and therefore prolonging combat capacity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The use of open palms usually either decreases range (vertical palm), increases delivery time (circular, horizontal or vertical knife-hand movements), or reduces impact resilience (horizontal thrusts, fingers extended).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The distance from knuckle position in a forward-pointing fist to the heel of the palm - if the fist is opened - represents a range difference of roughly three inches (on a 6'3&amp;quot;, or 186cm frame).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is the increased range provided by the fist sufficient to outweigh the risk of damage when striking to the head?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On a related theme: One of the major impediments to many trained fighters in real-life combat threats/situations is the fear of causing serious damage to an opponent. With this in mind, is the risk of reducing range justified by a desire to reduce harm to an opponent? Is it ever possible to reliably gauge an opponent's ability accurately enough to warrant a 'harm minimisation' approach?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-08-18T07:24:02.893" LastActivityDate="2021-08-18T07:24:02.893" Title="When Executing Head Strikes, Does the Increased Range of a Closed Fist Outweigh the Greater Risk of Knuckle/Hand Fractures (Compared to Open Palm?)" Tags="|injury|safety|striking|streetfight|combat|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12695" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12694" CreationDate="2021-08-13T06:22:22.437" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your claims in the question are quite correct, and none of the contents below intend to refute your statements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a few aspects that should be considered when answering this question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;What is your primary target?&#xA;If your target is below chest-level, it would be virtually impossible to use an palm strike without hurting the wrist. I used to be a big fan of palm strikes when I was a newbie, untill I learned this the hard way doing bag work. Additionally, punches to the solar plexus / ribs were substantially more penetrating than palm stikes (not to mention the decreased risk of broken knuckles).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Angle of impact.&#xA;As far as I know, there is only one angle the palm strike could make contact with your opponent, which is at the front (strikes thrown from the side against targets like the temple could easily be replaced by hammer fists), but punches come in a variety of different angles (reverse, uppercut, etc.). Therefore sometimes punches would come in handy for different points of impact. By the way, strikes that come diagonally were generally harder to track for the brain, considering the acceleration from a different angle, and harder to block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Force vs. Pressure&#xA;Experiments have been done about the force of punches vs palm strikes (from the same angle). Palm strikes generally did better. But the tricky thing here is the area of impact that plays an important role in determining the pressure of punches and palm strikes. Since when we punch we do so with the upper knuckles, it is safe to assume that the punch has a smaller area of impact, therefore higher pressure than the palm strike. This quality of penetration could be utilized according to need.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;BUT, WAIT!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a realistic approach, punches to the chin and face could be replaced by palm strikes according to your personal preference. It does minimize risk and increases force (in this case the area of impace is determined my the physical structures of your opponent, and that means more pressure for the palm strike). Additionally, knife hands (e.g. brachial stun) delivers more force than punches if used correctly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've barely scratched the surface, and I believe that the true answer sould be obtained from experience and sparring, and you will find out what works best combined to your style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps ;-D&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2021-08-13T06:22:22.437" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12696" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12692" CreationDate="2021-08-13T15:19:47.543" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bagua regularly strikes with the jump step, where you jump forward off the back foot and quickly slide the back foot forward to maintain your basic stance. Strikes can be with either or both hands and are based on whipping power where the momentum of the strike all arrives at the same time. The basic idea is you change distance and add the step momentum to stationary strike body mechanics. As you have guessed, you want a quick slide and a solid stance upon impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Q2UABZtl01s?t=461&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here is the basic idea, though in a xingyi context.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-08-14T11:50:47.123" LastActivityDate="2021-08-14T11:50:47.123" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12697" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13385" CreationDate="2021-08-14T16:19:43.197" Score="5" ViewCount="566" Body="&lt;p&gt;A Katana is a single bladed two handed curved sword originating from Japan.  A Longsword or Bastard Sword is a double bladed two handed straight sword originating from various European countries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many of the static stances used for the two weapons appear similar at least on a superficial level.  Can anyone here comment on the actual differences in learning Longsword from ancient manuals and the living styles still practiced in Japan such as Kendo or Tenshi Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-07-11T17:59:11.247" Title="Is a Japanese Katana traditionally used differently from a European Longsword?" Tags="|sword|katana|longsword|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12698" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12694" CreationDate="2021-08-14T22:48:46.407" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm going to rebut some things that you mention. This rebuttal might seem subtle or pedantic, but that subtlety is hugely important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;most people using closed fists during a fight run significant risk of hand/knuckle damage&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It depends on what you mean by &lt;em&gt;most people&lt;/em&gt;. If you include untrained people in that group then yes, they do run a risk of injury - but that injury could be anywhere from slight (i.e. skinned knuckles) to major (i.e. broken wrist).&#xA;But if you are only talking about trained people then I would dispute the claim of &lt;em&gt;significant&lt;/em&gt; risk. Two of the reasons why we train are to reduce risk to ourselves, and to reduce risk to our opponents through using the appropriate level of force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;it is very common for fists to land upon the opponent's limbs at awkward, mechanically unsound angles&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once again, if you are talking about untrained people then I would agree - your assertion is correct for &lt;strong&gt;undirected or uncontrolled&lt;/strong&gt; strikes. But as martial artists we train to hit selectively and appropriately. I am very unlikely to hit an opponent in the head in such a way that I would injure myself because I will be aiming for specific targets; if I miss my shot and hit somewhere unexpected it is because my opponent moved unexpectedly, but even so my chances of incurring a significant injury are low.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the major impediments to many trained fighters in real-life combat threats/situations is the fear of causing serious damage to an opponent. With this in mind, is the risk of reducing range justified by a desire to reduce harm to an opponent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would I replace a punch with a palm strike simply to reduce force? Absolutely not - I would simply reduce the force of the punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would I replace a punch with a palm strike because of the range? No I wouldn't - I use a technique appropriate for what I want to achieve. If I want to use a palm strike then I would simply close the range a little.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for fear of causing damage, it reduces over time as a result of training. When you're new you absolutely do run the risk of using excessive force, but years of training and sparring reduce that fear and replace it with certainty.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it ever possible to reliably gauge an opponent's ability accurately enough to warrant a 'harm minimisation' approach?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are in a position where you &lt;strong&gt;need&lt;/strong&gt; to inflict harm (i.e. self defense) then you should always adopt a harm minimisation approach, irrespective of the perceived ability of your opponent. The ideal outcome is to use minimum force necessary to be able to end the situation with minimal harm to yourself and your opponent - self defense related laws are often structured with that outcome in mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is the increased range provided by the fist sufficient to outweigh the risk of damage when striking to the head?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, because the risk of damage isn't as great as you might perceive, especially when you are using the appropriate strike with the appropriate force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2021-08-14T22:48:46.407" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12699" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12694" CreationDate="2021-08-15T16:00:39.163" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Considering the viability of short-range grappling techniques, the loss of three inches of range should not be a major concern. The basic grappling strategy is to quickly close distance when entering striking distance, and this strategy works for striking as well. You already have to do this to hit someone in the head because you must move through kicking distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-08-15T16:00:39.163" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12700" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-08-16T19:27:27.107" Score="5" ViewCount="153" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm thinking about starting judo.&#xA;I'm 16 almost 17 years old and don't know much about martial arts. I would like to know if I start to practice judo how will the training be? I know that at the beginning you learn the fundamentals (obviously), but I want to know if after that I will train against older people or more experienced people. I live in a small town so I don't think there are a lot of judo beginners here. What if I'm the only beginner/white belt? With whom am I going to train? How does that work?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11876" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2021-08-16T21:01:53.963" LastActivityDate="2021-08-16T21:12:02.567" Title="With whom do judo beginners train?" Tags="|training|judo|beginner|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12701" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12697" CreationDate="2021-08-16T20:43:30.953" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I won't pretend expertise, but I have some HEMA experience, admittedly in parallel to SCA fighting, which has some different techniques due to different rules. My Kenjutsu credentials are slightlier shabbier, in that I did my training in informal classes at work, admittedly from someone who had proper accreditation with the local schools. I actually found my prior experience was a bit of a hindrance because of the difference in styles. I'll provide my input, in advance of more experienced people offering help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;A lot of it comes down to the sword&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than the length, being edged weapons, and generally being wielded with two hands, the swords have several differences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The katana has a single edge while European longswords generally has two.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The katana is traditionally curved, and more tapering while longswords are straight and tend to be the same width for most of the blade.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The katana is sharp along the entire length while the longsword generally has a dull part at the bottom.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The katana has a more abbreviated hand-guard, an oval guard, compared to a European longsword which will range from a simple cross-guard (arming sword) to a more comprehensive basket hilt.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Katana generally do not have a pommel and have a longer hilt&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A katana is a bit less tip-heavy.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first two qualities of the katana basically come down to one major issue, that Japan did not have access to high-quality iron. As a result, they used a folding process to create the katana, which resulted in a better quality of steel compared to what they started with, but still relatively brittle. Thus, the blade was blunt on side, to reinforce it, and the blade was curved to distribute the blow over a longer amount of time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;You don't chop with a katana... for long&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because the katana is more fragile, you really don't so much swing it into your target like a bat so much as that you make contact, and then you move the sword to slice your target. It takes a lot of technique to do this properly, and at higher levels, especially against a stationary target, it does look like a chop because you're doing one fluid movement where the slicing is done in conjunction with the contact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the armor situation. Again, there was a lack of good iron in Japan, which meant that armor moved towards a lamellar design of multiple laced scales, often of leather, rather than the broader plates of metal favored by European medieval warriors. Part of European swordwork involved heavier blows because it was the only way to damage someone through heavy plate, striking them hard enough to dent the plate or to cause internal trauma.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;You have a flat side on the katana to brace with&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Admittedly, this is also something done in European longsword when you have gauntlets and vambraces, but it is more common in Kenjutsu for some techniques to use a free hand or forearm to brace your blade or to move it in a situation where you've become into too close of quarters. It does also mean that you also have to consider which direction you're cutting with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Katana do more deflection than they do direct opposition&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, down to fragility and differences of weight, there is a stronger emphasis on deflection with the katana rather than blocking with the edge (an exception is made here, of course, where you can arrange to block an unarmed strike with your edge). With the longsword, I was taught to block with the edge because the cross-section of the sword was strongest in that direction. With the katana, I was told a direct block would significantly chip, and weaken, the blade.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As more aspects come to mind, I will add them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-09-08T14:29:56.543" LastActivityDate="2021-09-08T14:29:56.543" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12702" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12700" CreationDate="2021-08-16T21:11:25.873" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can only train with the people who are present. If there are a large number of beginners, there may be a separate beginner class, but if not, you can expect to be in the regular class where others will be more experienced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's beneficial to train with more experienced judo partners:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You get to understand techniques directly rather than from a partner exploring.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Experienced partners better protect you while you are still learning to fall safely.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good judo instructors ensure the safety of students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-08-16T21:11:25.873" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12703" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12700" CreationDate="2021-08-16T21:12:02.567" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You'll train with the other students and instructors at the dojo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With specific techniques, good students and instructors will present rank-appropriate material. One &lt;em&gt;strong&lt;/em&gt; benefit of being surrounded by more-experienced classmates is that they've already been through what you're going through. It's easier for higher ranks to feel your mistakes and correct them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With sparring, you're going to lose a lot if you only have high-ranks to spar with :D This may be frustrating, but it's okay: long-term you'll be a &lt;em&gt;far&lt;/em&gt; better judoka for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(You'll generally be safer, too; just had this same conversation with both some BJJ and FMA students. Lower ranks can be scary to work with—some have something to &amp;quot;prove&amp;quot;, some are just out of control. Not &lt;em&gt;malicious&lt;/em&gt;, just unaware.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2021-08-16T21:12:02.567" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12704" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12620" CreationDate="2021-08-16T23:15:30.070" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is just based on ~30 years of research, swinging swords of all weights, with some training. I practiced cutting on objects extensively when I was starting out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What distinguishes a sword is the ability to &amp;quot;snap&amp;quot; a cut&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is meant here is using the weight and balance of the sword itself to create a force multiplier, utilizing an axis point somewhere along the blade as a fulcrum or &amp;quot;lever&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;pivot&amp;quot;.  The focus of this kind of cut is analogous to the physics of cracking a whip—movement in one direction, then oppositional force to generate maximum power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knife strikes use the force of the body only.  A knife is too short to have that pivot, and daggers are too light.  If a knife is long or heavy enough to snap cuts, it is technically a sword.  A machete is a useful tool for cutting brush because of that snap, which leverages the relatively light weight. Bowie knives tend to have tapering blades, so even with the high length &amp;amp; weight, they have less inertia in the top part of the blade, diminishing the force at the end of the blade, but they still seem able to do it. It's a safe assumption that a Spartan hoplite would have considered that a sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Axes use a similar principle, but utilize the haft to generate the force. Cleavers might technically be swords, per the extreme weight to length ratio.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not every cut in sword utilizes this action, but swords are the only bladed weapon with enough weight and leverage to utilize the action of the blade itself to multiply force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-08-17T01:42:33.277" LastActivityDate="2021-08-17T01:42:33.277" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12705" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12747" CreationDate="2021-08-17T00:41:29.730" Score="3" ViewCount="684" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is an old Chinese idiom, but it seems to have a special importance in Chinese martial arts, where it might be said to be a central maxim.  Essentially, some form of:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;To get good gongfu, you must eat bitter.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why is this a part of the Chinese boxing oral tradition?  What is it meant to convey? Is there more than one meaning?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-09-02T01:08:43.547" Title="What does it mean to &quot;eat bitter&quot; in Chinese gongfu" Tags="|training|kung-fu|history|terminology|philosophy|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12706" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12705" CreationDate="2021-08-17T03:31:41.813" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It means hard training, repetitive work, etc. Anything that tests your will and endurance in training. In the past when Chinese traditional martial arts were still aimed for actual combat, this means building muscle (and muscle memory), doing full contact sparring, and essentially anything that increases chances of survival.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Considering China's current policy on martial arts (cutting out effective self defense stuff and advocating traditional forms with no combat value), this &amp;quot;central maxim&amp;quot; is no longer valid in Chinese martial arts, and will likely never be valid again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2021-08-17T03:31:41.813" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12707" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12710" CreationDate="2021-08-17T03:54:34.530" Score="3" ViewCount="228" Body="&lt;p&gt;Note: The word &amp;quot;uppercut&amp;quot; below refers to an uppercut to the chin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the context of self defense (that is to say, no gloves), would it be safer to replace an uppercut with an upward palm strike (the pain / fracture from punching may render the hand ineffective) while maintaining the effectiveness and the efficiency (since the uppercut is somehow notoriously effective)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does the possible decrease of strength and speed outweigh the increased safety while replacing an uppercut with a palm strike?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-08-17T15:09:10.527" LastActivityDate="2021-08-18T07:32:12.997" Title="Replacing the uppercut with palm strike?" Tags="|self-defense|punching|safety|striking|streetfight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12708" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12692" CreationDate="2021-08-18T01:52:29.317" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;My wudang instructor called this &amp;quot;following step&amp;quot; and it's used in advanced taiji, bagua, and hsingyi.  Matt M explicates the function well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hsingyi is probably most appropriate because it's a pure striking form, but very different from boxing and kickboxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the following step seems like it would be useful, where it can be productively applied, in any system for closing distance after a strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here, the main use, aside from potentially increasing power of the strike, is to close distance for the next strike in the combo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-08-18T02:05:51.660" LastActivityDate="2021-08-18T02:05:51.660" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12709" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12705" CreationDate="2021-08-18T02:34:17.693" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Winston's answer got me pondering this, and I'm still pondering, so the answer may evolve.  But instinct is telling me:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It means painful sacrifice, in addition to hard work and physical pain.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My teacher used to say &amp;quot;Whole life. Full time.  Only this.&amp;quot;  This meant giving up most of what the rest of us enjoy, such as active social lives, hobbies, time off, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a saying &amp;quot;Either the family suffers, or the career suffers&amp;quot;, and I suspect there is a parallel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the overwhelming majority of people, martial arts is not a good way to make money, such that even the decision to teach full time for many/most is not an optimal financial decision. It's a hard life, and, for most, there will be very little recognition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is what Olympic athletes do—sacrifice the other parts of their lives to focus solely on that one thing, for as long as they can do it.  And of the potentially hundreds of athletes in an Olympic competition, only a few will win medals, and fewer still the golds.  Yet every single one of them is an extraordinary athlete, the best of the best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think this means the rest of us have to give up everything, because most will not be Wayne Gretzky no matter how hard we work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I've always heard the phrase used to connote &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; skill that anyone who is dedicated enough should be able to attain, not exclusively the &amp;quot;greatest&amp;quot; skill.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It could &lt;em&gt;could&lt;/em&gt; mean that we should try to focus on it to the exclusion of every possible other thing for at least some period of our lives, to have that experience, training and extra edge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Part of it might be realizing we'll never quite get to where we want to, and maybe most of us aren't quite as good as we thought, but we keep on going, regardless.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After all of that, maybe find we have something of value—&amp;quot;good gong fu.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-08-18T03:13:15.303" LastActivityDate="2021-08-18T03:13:15.303" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12710" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12707" CreationDate="2021-08-18T04:06:10.153" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The use of a palm strike does not equate to a loss of strength or speed. A traditional fist may however enable greater effective range if thrown palm-up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps one disadvantage of a typical half-fist palm strike (fingertips curled to top of palm) is that the increased surface area of the hand requires more room to navigate through an opening, and if the finger-edge side gets caught by limbs on the way to the target, the leverage exerted on the hand can be substantial.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One way around this is to maintain a traditional fist, but to cock it back slightly, enabling a palm strike in a more compact form. Depending on wrist flexibility, this may cause the first knuckles to lead the palm slightly, but insufficiently to render such a strike ineffective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the target of the uppercut is the bottom of the jaw/chin, a palm strike is much less likely to incur damage to the striker. The surface of the impact area is however greater, so the force will be spread over a greater area than with a fist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The jawbone is sharp and strong, well-suited to slipping between the knuckles upon impact. In situations enabling an uppercut, the striker will more often than not be able to employ some form of palm strike rather than a fist. Given that a palm strike executed cleanly is extremely effective, it seems a safer uppercut option than a fist in most circumstances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-08-18T07:32:12.997" LastActivityDate="2021-08-18T07:32:12.997" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12711" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12644" CreationDate="2021-08-18T10:03:20.920" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Technically speaking, Judo prior to WW2 was called Kano Jujutsu, as it was Jogoro Kano's style of Traditional Jiu-Jitsu. As some of you history buffs may know, Japan prior to and during WW2 was very nationalistic and very aggressive in the international arena. The Japanese people felt disillusioned and cheated by the military who ran the country during these times, and the adopted narrative was that the emperor was cheated himself by the military. Long story short, Japan took a 180 turn and adopted a pacifistic approach that's still maintained today. At that time, many martial arts styles changed their suffix from Jutsu (skill) to Do (way). So Kenhutsu to Kendo, Aikijutsu to Aikido, and Jigoro Style Jujutsu - to Judo. This projected a holistic way of life rather than a skill needed to be used in combat, and practitioners' approach became that. Once a martial way, needed to be mastered in a short time in order to win battles, became a way of life to keep in good health and cultivate the spirit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So when Count Maeda came to Brazil, he actually taught the Gracies Judo, and in particular, Kosen Judo - still practiced in Japanese universities. It's a Newaza (ground technique) emphasized Judo. So why did Count Maeda introduced his style to the Brazilians as Jujutjsu (Jiu-Jitsu)? The simple answer is due to copyrights. He couldn't use the name Judo for what he taught without permission from the Kodokan. And this is how BJJ got its name.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From there BJJ developed and evolved, and though you'll see many similarities between Kosen Judo and BJJ, there were a lot of techniques that were created and added, different styles and different competition rules that shaped them, and also the development of No Gi Grappling, BJJ with no Kimono, or Pants, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.xmartial.com/products/custom-bjj-mma-shorts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;MMA shorts/spats&lt;/a&gt; instead, and shirtless/rash guard&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11878" LastActivityDate="2021-08-18T10:03:20.920" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12712" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10048" CreationDate="2021-08-18T14:16:37.527" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's plenty of space on a fencing piste to use side-steps effectively. There's even space to pass the opponent and attack them from behind. Neither of these are much appreciated (the former will tend to discombobulate your opponent, the latter is against the rules).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also don't believe &amp;quot;side-step&amp;quot; counts as a change of initiative for foil or sabre.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, you do not have the same options for footwork, as you do fencing in the round, due to the width restriction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source: I have side-stepped epee attacks, and I have (by accident) managed to advance to right beside an opponent on a raised piste.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="96" LastActivityDate="2021-08-18T14:16:37.527" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12713" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10048" CreationDate="2021-08-18T17:42:24.293" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It basically dates back to &lt;a href=&quot;https://duelingsword.wordpress.com/2019/04/14/terrain-v-planche-a-brief-history-of-laa-short-historical-review-of-foil-and-epee-fencing-spaces/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;later 19th century fencing practices&lt;/a&gt; at French military academies. They would drill many soldiers at once, which required a limited space. Initially, they trained outside, and to combat the uneven surface created by repeated bouts, they began using a &lt;em&gt;planche&lt;/em&gt;, literally a board, approximately 5 meters by 0.5 meters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5tmoj.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5tmoj.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Fencing instructor and young student on an early planche&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This was later superseded by joined boards, but kept approximately the same dimensions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/PET0v.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/PET0v.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;1896 photograph of fencers on a planche made of joined boards&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When they began moving the fencing into indoor &lt;em&gt;salles&lt;/em&gt;, they kept the &lt;em&gt;planche&lt;/em&gt; arrangement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/alOIu.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/alOIu.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Moulins Isalle D'Armes&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to why the piste expanded past the size of the planche to its current dimensions, as best I can tell, it happened around 1922 as a result of it being lengthened to allow more spectators, and widened to account for it be raised for easier viewing by the crowds and to make the bout more dynamic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-08-19T12:14:20.387" LastActivityDate="2021-08-19T12:14:20.387" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12714" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10502" CreationDate="2021-08-19T06:11:52.430" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are intoxicated to the point at which your physical ability is significantly compromised, there's a good chance your cognitive abilities are also impaired, and that your behaviour might be different than usual.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider if, when you're drinking, you become more aggressive, or perhaps a little too laid-back. What happens to your impulse control? Are you likely to become more reckless? Do you become verbally provocative? Ask your friends what what kind of drunk you are, as you may not possess the most reliable self-insight. Do you have a tendency to want to show off your abilities? Are you prone to reacting poorly when your ego is threatened?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With practice, and by incorporating mindfulness techniques, you can become more aware of how your psychological processes change as you drink.  By developing this 'real-time' awareness of the process of intoxication, you become better equipped to stop drinking when necessary and to identify/deescalate/avoid any potentially problematic social dynamics that might be present in your environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are forced into a physical confrontation, simple, direct, well-rehearsed, easy-to-execute, compact techniques will likely be most useful; techniques requiring a minimum of balance and coordination. Short, rapid bursts to overwhelm followed by a long sprint will often be the best option. Just remember that the drunker you are, the less likely you and your opponent will  act according to notions of 'reasonable force'. The potential consequences of alcohol-fuelled conflict are often increased due to increased pain-tolerance and poor emotional regulation. People can fall badly and die or suffer permanent brain damage. Disinhibition can lead to grossly excessive use of force. Who wants to be part of that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as strategy goes, one of the dangers of alcohol consumption is the way in which it can impair more complex thought processes and problem-solving capacity. Pre-emptive strategy is therefore advisable. Seat selection (back to wall, environmental scope, proximity to multiple exits, barriers), water consumption throughout the evening, choice of venue, choice of alcohol, environmental familiarity, choice of footwear/clothing etc might help should things turn bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Actual fight strategy will be determined by many factors, including environment, level of intoxication, number of opponents, number of capable/vulnerable allies, use/availability of weapons/implements. As you recognised in your question, deescalation via tactical communication and rapport-building can be the difference between a good night and a very bad night.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you're no doubt aware, alcohol consumption often leads otherwise reasonable people to do unreasonable things. Alcohol is responsible for an enormous amount of violence-related injury. With a bit of foresight and common sense, you will be able to avoid conflict.  If you find yourself routinely getting drunk to a point at which you become especially vulnerable to attack, or if you tend to invite the wrong kind of attention when drunk, consider whether you need to drink as much as you do, or whether you're better off drinking in safer places.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't wait for bouncers to intervene. Ask for their assistance, the earlier the better. And remember your phone. If things look as though they're about to go crazy, call the police. Better to waste their time than to not have them when you need them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-08-19T12:32:05.407" LastActivityDate="2021-08-19T12:32:05.407" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12715" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-08-20T11:10:59.423" Score="3" ViewCount="401" Body="&lt;p&gt;This question does not express an opinion. The author has reached some conclusions of his own, but feels it is a useful question for both those who remain dedicated to traditional arts and those who participate in multi-disciplinary schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What is the value in preserving traditional martial arts in the mixed martial arts era?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Two related, but distinct SE questions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4561/doing-mma-or-a-doing-multiple-individual-martial-arts-which-is-more-effective&quot;&gt;Doing MMA or a doing multiple individual martial arts, which is more effective?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/4379/practicing-mixed-martial-arts-versus-practicing-one-specific-form-of-martial-art?rq=1&quot;&gt;Practicing Mixed Martial Arts Versus Practicing One Specific Form of Martial Arts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-08-20T12:35:55.377" LastActivityDate="2021-08-21T14:19:33.613" Title="What is the value in preserving traditional martial arts in the mixed martial arts era?" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|history|style|tradition|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12716" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12715" CreationDate="2021-08-20T15:16:37.860" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question asks whether or not traditional martial arts practice still holds value in the era of MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From an MMA perspective, TMA still holds some value, as evidenced by MMA people who are still incorporating aspects of traditional martial arts in their MMA training to various degrees of success. They would typically only take a small idea from TMA and then adapt it to MMA. And they can only do that successfully after a strong core foundation of MMA technique has been mastered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lyoto Machida was a good example. He came from a karate background, adapting ideas from karate into his MMA game. For a while, Machida was the best. Nobody could beat him. He didn't take many ideas from karate, but what he did take proved to be very useful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, it didn't last forever. Machida's opponents eventually figured out how to deal with his karate style, and he started losing. But those were elite competitors who seriously study their opponent. To you and me, we might still succumb to that karate flavored MMA, even if we train in MMA for 10 years. It's still useful. And honestly, there is no &amp;quot;unbeatable&amp;quot; technique, period. Sooner or later, someone will figure out counters for everything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I take a long view on this. In the 1990's, MMA wasn't really well defined. Nowadays, MMA has a fairly universal core foundation of skills, and everyone starts with that, with a lot of room for individuality of course. Getting good at that means you're able to add more to your game, taking ideas from TMA. It took a decade before people were ready to do that, because that core foundation wasn't really discovered until fairly recently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now that people are able to quickly come up to speed on MMA skills, they have the ability to explore concepts from TMA. Most will not succeed at incorporating TMA techniques into their MMA game, especially not at first. It takes a particular personality to stick to it and figure out what they could do to adapt it to MMA. Some, like Lyoto Machida, will figure it out. But they're rare individuals. Which is why most TMA techniques don't show up in MMA competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it worth training in a TMA for decades just to be able to extract a tiny fraction of it to use in MMA? That really depends on the individual. I love Chen style Taiji, for example, yet I know I would never get good enough to be able to use it alone as a fighting style. But there are skills in Taiji that are kind of nice to have, which take 10+ years to really get good at. These nice-to-have techniques may be your secret weapon in MMA that gives you just enough of an advantage that you can use it to stand out in a crowd. You can't just look at TMA videos and decide you're going to take something out and use it. It really does take directly training in these TMA styles to get good at it first. And then you have to do the hard work of adapting it to MMA rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At some point, also, you're going to get old. Everyone does. And injuries you took long ago will mean you can't do some of the things you used to be able to do. Maybe your knees will get arthritis, preventing you from doing most things involving kicks or even evading quickly. MMA requires athleticism. So at some point, your body will tell you it's over, you can't train in MMA anymore. Yet, you still want to do something martial. A lot of people seek out TMA training when they realize that. Taiji is a great example of one that many older martial artists gravitate towards. Classical Japanese Jujitsu is another one. These are styles that either don't have or don't emphasize competition and athleticism. Yet, they have techniques that might interest you on an intellectual level while keeping your body active and fit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could imagine a world with no TMA whatsoever, just MMA. In that world, it would take a very long time for new ideas to pop up. MMA trains people to think a certain way, and so they're just never going to conceive of ideas that would have been found in TMA. So in a world without TMA, I'm afraid a lot of ideas simply wouldn't arise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't think TMA will eventually die out and disappear. There will always be people who don't want to do MMA, for whatever reason. There will always be people who think TMA is &amp;quot;good enough&amp;quot; for practical self-defense. And there will be folks who still insist TMA is better than MMA in certain ways (never mind if they're correct or not). But the existence of TMA will only help MMA become better over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2021-08-20T15:16:37.860" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12718" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="563" CreationDate="2021-08-20T17:48:35.003" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A very similar term is used in Capoeira, &lt;em&gt;mestre&lt;/em&gt;, which does indeed mean &amp;quot;master&amp;quot;, and is used as a sex-neutral term for the highest rank (&lt;em&gt;grao mestre&lt;/em&gt; is sometimes bandied about for the more legendary figures, but is generally not awarded as a rank), where you are considered to be teaching your own lineage of Capoeira.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-08-20T17:48:35.003" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12719" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12715" CreationDate="2021-08-21T03:49:03.483" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Martial Arts are encapsulated forms of culture and tradition that usually preserve older methods of training. For example, training Silat in Malaysia with a good teacher will not only allow you to learn the distinct movements, but it will also help your mindset and increase your exposure to a different way of life and culture. The same can be said for other arts, like Kushti, Judo, etc. I find that Mixed Martial Arts gyms are too focused on movements and application, and there’s little work on the building of character and self-awareness. This is something that the traditional Martial Arts put a lot of emphasis on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11861" LastActivityDate="2021-08-21T03:49:03.483" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12720" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12715" CreationDate="2021-08-21T14:19:33.613" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Traditional Martial Arts typically carry a culture and a community parallel to the fighting&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I practice Capoeira. I don't expect to ever use it in a fight, in part because the techniques taught are stylized and practiced in a way to greatly reduce potential harm to practitioners, and in part because I haven't been in a fistfight in over 30 years and I plan to keep it that way. What I get from practicing it is also music (the sparring is done to music, and everyone learns to sing and play the instruments), culture (I have an &lt;em&gt;apelido&lt;/em&gt; nickname which stems from how my teacher sees me, and the lesson is repeated over and over in classes that we should focus on having fun, that &amp;quot;winning&amp;quot; in the &lt;em&gt;roda&lt;/em&gt; isn't about beating the other person up, or even overshadowing them, but rather playing in a way that makes them look good so that you can look even better against them), and community (I'm friends with the people in my Capoeira group, and once this epidemic dies down, we plan to go back to shared beers, potlucks, and movie nights). For some groups, this might extend as far as religion being embedded in the style. For my part, I don't participate in anything with the &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orisha&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;orixás&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, but I know people who take comfort in the idea of guardian spirits watching over them, or use some of the ritual gestures to help them get into the right mindset.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's not to say that these things cannot be part of an MMA group, but as a creole style, it's a much bigger mix of people, which makes it harder to have a cohesive whole, and many groups pare off the &amp;quot;useless&amp;quot; bits of tradition from the martial arts they borrow techniques from, so you're just left with training on how to beat people up within the particular ruleset of the sport you're in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-08-21T14:19:33.613" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12721" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-08-23T16:07:02.143" Score="2" ViewCount="2243" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do martial arts at a gym, and there is this one guy named Dave who weighs 100 pounds more than me, has been training 7 years more than me, and who is a fast as a snake (even faster than me). I want to beat him, but I can't figure it out. Is there any way for me to win without getting slammed on the mat? Also, I train in a full contact (or almost full contact) martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11887" LastActivityDate="2022-12-10T13:26:21.830" Title="How to beat a vastly superior opponent?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12722" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12721" CreationDate="2021-08-23T16:55:02.887" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Realistically speaking, short of smuggling a shank into the gym, no, there is no way to win a match. So just look at what you can learn - break it down into &amp;quot;How do I deal with A?&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;How do I deal with B?&amp;quot;, etc. Learning martial arts is a slow process, and learning how to adapt to the other person takes longer than, say, learning how to throw a correct, powerful round kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2021-08-23T16:55:02.887" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12723" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12721" CreationDate="2021-08-23T17:02:47.223" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;The simple answer is: No. You're gonna lose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may never win against a guy who is much heavier than you, much stronger than you, much faster than you, and much more skilled and experienced than you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, don't let that dissuade you from training with him. When you're up against someone like that, the best you can do is learn to relax, stop thinking so much (put your brain on auto-pilot and in the moment), and let your training kick in automatically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your goal here isn't to win. Instead, you want to be able to experience some progress, no matter how small it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But he's still going to win. What matters is how you perceive your progress. And you will know when you've made progress. It won't be obvious to everyone else sometimes. What matters is you remember you struggled with him before, unable to do anything, and then all of the sudden something in your head just clicks, and today you were able to keep him from doing the worst thing to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of it does come down to what I said above: relaxation and not over-thinking. Go into it with no plan. And, when you're rolling / sparring with the guy, don't try to strategize or think ahead. That hasn't worked for you in the past. Just be in the moment. Relax. Let things happen. If you catch yourself thinking things like, &amp;quot;I'm gonna step in to his side, slip around his back and get a rear-naked hold,&amp;quot; then you're doing this the wrong way. Don't think ahead. Just wait. Relax. Let things happen. Be in the moment. Don't try to think ahead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you are paying attention to what’s going on right now instead of thinking about what you’re going to do, you can begin to see things that you weren’t able to before. That is when progress will happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But you won't win. Not for a long long time. And that should not matter at all right now. Right now, you just want to experience some progress. That's a goal you can achieve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2021-08-24T14:38:55.600" LastActivityDate="2021-08-24T14:38:55.600" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12724" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12721" CreationDate="2021-08-24T03:32:30.113" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Train smarter, train harder, lift weights to get stronger and analyze his game six ways from Sunday. Find out what he's bad at and get good at that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6460" LastActivityDate="2021-08-24T03:32:30.113" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12725" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12735" CreationDate="2021-08-24T07:54:24.457" Score="3" ViewCount="124" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dambe&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; article on the african martial art Dambe, it said that &amp;quot;often the lead leg is wrapped in a chain&amp;quot;, making this brutal martial art even more brutal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking at Google Images, I couldn't find any evidence of this practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How often this practice &lt;em&gt;really&lt;/em&gt; used?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10293" LastEditorUserId="10293" LastEditDate="2021-08-24T12:59:45.953" LastActivityDate="2021-08-26T14:30:51.103" Title="Dambe: the practice of chained wrapped leg" Tags="|kickboxing|equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12726" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12721" CreationDate="2021-08-24T08:45:47.390" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's one strategy in particular that may optimise your chances of success against a more experienced, skilled and faster, stronger opponent. I make absolutely no claim that it will enable you to beat him, but only that it may enable you to significantly improve your ability to spar with him productively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the absence of any information as to what martial art you practice, there's one weakness that many of us have; even those of us who have trained for a considerable amount of time:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;We often train exclusively against opponents who practice the same form of martial art&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial artists who have no experience against other styles are often bamboozled by unfamiliar techniques. I'm not suggesting you abandon your training in search of another style just to beat one person, but I do suggest there is value in identifying techniques typically employed by your style and in researching other techniques from other schools that might render your efforts less predictable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: I'm not suggesting you should always do this. If your goal is to get better at a particular style, you clearly need to work hard at learning how to employ its techniques, but the element of surprise is a treasured strategic goal for good reason. It can be used to force your opponent into reacting in ways that aren't deeply drilled into their reactive system. Even if you are merely able to cause some confusion and force some adjustment from your opponent, you will have slowed them down and achieved something valuable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember too that there are often techniques native to a martial art that are rarely utilised. Practicing these can be an excellent way to generate tactical initiative whilst remaining within the confines of your school's approach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the obvious strengths of MMA is that it trains people in a variety of styles, so that it is much harder to surprise an opponent. If you are in an MMA school already, the advice here may still be of use, for even MMA can be prone to creating combat expectations which can be subverted by creativity and analytic strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watch him spar other people who are as good or better than him. What methods do they use?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you ask nicely, he might honestly reveal what he thinks his weaknesses are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You asked a good question. Many simply avoid sparring those who are far more advanced than them. You may well learn a lot from your efforts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-08-28T13:56:21.563" LastActivityDate="2021-08-28T13:56:21.563" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12727" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-08-24T14:18:59.953" Score="3" ViewCount="323" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was wondering how to take a beating from someone who trains in MMA and Wrestling. There is this guy at my job who regularly follows me home and beats me. I need to know how to take this punishment like a man so maybe he'll stop. How do I take a beating? P.S. My beating normally takes the shape of 100's of punches, kicks, and anytime I try to hit back he just blocks or dodges them. How do I deal with this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11891" LastActivityDate="2023-02-28T19:57:31.317" Title="How to take a beating from a bully?" Tags="|self-defense|self-training|bullying|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12730" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12727" CreationDate="2021-08-25T02:47:55.083" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It seems that this guy is using you as a wooden dummy, and that he does not intend to hurt you (given the information that you are still able to type after receiving 100's of punches and kicks from him). With this in mind, you can try to fight back as fast and as hard as possible. The essential thing would be not to lose confidence so that you can continue fighting if no serious injuries occur. You can also try to carry a tactical pen with you, for that it is an amazingly capable weapon for people with a bit of martial arts training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider learning parkour if you are fit enough to do so. Parkour should help you get rid of any untrained pursuers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, still, the ideal way to solve this is to call the police (and inform them that you will get beaten up worse if the suspect knew you called them). If you live in a country with up-to-standard police forces, then you should be safe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastEditorUserId="9304" LastEditDate="2023-02-27T17:19:10.820" LastActivityDate="2023-02-27T17:19:10.820" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12731" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12727" CreationDate="2021-08-25T08:54:17.370" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Welcome, Mike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is &lt;em&gt;NOT&lt;/em&gt; 'being a baby' to ask for help in your situation. Being victimised in this way can be a horrible, distressing experience. You don't deserve to be going through it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;You need help, and the smartest thing for you to do is to seek help. There is absolutely no shame in this.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't have to answer the following questions, but if you do, it may be possible to provide you with some more specific advice, including a range options for seeking help.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are you deemed an adult in your country/state/province?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which country/province/state do you live in?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What support networks (family/friends/acquaintances/colleagues) do you have access to?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can you remove yourself from the situation, either by changing jobs or by changing the times you go to and from work?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Contrary to one of the previous answers, it may not be wise you arm yourself, as any weapons you try to use may well be used against you, especially if you lack skills and are afraid of your attacker (as you have every right to be). Producing a weapon may also provoke more severe attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will likely be able to resolve this situation eventually, but simply waiting for the abuse to stop may result in you suffering more harm than necessary. Hang in there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-08-25T10:02:30.637" LastActivityDate="2021-08-25T10:02:30.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12733" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12727" CreationDate="2021-08-25T21:11:48.810" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The only way to stop people like this is to hurt them badly enough that they will leave you alone, and if you really think his friends will be a problem you need to hurt him enough to scare them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It would probably violate the Code Of Conduct to give more explicit advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6460" LastActivityDate="2021-08-25T21:11:48.810" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12734" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-08-26T02:08:45.347" Score="1" ViewCount="1093" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was looking at a pair advertised as &amp;quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rivalboxing.us/collections/bag-gloves/products/rival-rfx-guerrero-intelli-shock-bag-gloves-undisputed-edition&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;bag gloves&lt;/a&gt;&amp;quot; and then I realized that they are only offered in 8oz and 10oz weights.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Isn't it typically recommended that bag gloves be heavier? Additionally, how much functional padding could an 8/10 oz glove provide?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10410" LastActivityDate="2021-08-26T10:01:52.460" Title="Isn't it recommended to use heavier gloves for bag work?" Tags="|training|boxing|equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12735" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12725" CreationDate="2021-08-26T08:01:53.110" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;After extensive research, I found some enlightening pieces of information thanks to GoogleFu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only written and half-decent source I could find is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.academia.edu/26508537/Dambe_Traditional_Nigerian_Boxing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;an article by Thomas Green from 2005&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There, we have this bit:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditionally, the lead leg (the left in the case of a right-handed boxer) was wrapped by a chain extending from ankle to knee. Known as&#xA;&lt;em&gt;akayau&lt;/em&gt;, this could be used as a weapon when kicking. Nonetheless, kicks could be executed with either foot. &lt;strong&gt;Although the use of the &lt;em&gt;akayau&lt;/em&gt; has been abandoned in contemporary Dambe boxing, Carambe notes that there is still a preferred kicking leg that is often wrapped in cloth for protection.&lt;/strong&gt; (bolded mine)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is, there &lt;em&gt;used to be&lt;/em&gt; the practice of wrapping the lead leg in a chain, just as there &lt;em&gt;used to be&lt;/em&gt; the practice of dumping the fist into some sticky stuff and glass shards. These traditional practices have been &lt;strong&gt;abandoned&lt;/strong&gt;, especially since Dambe is popularised and developed into a national martial art. The fact that there are no pictures of this practice again strengthens the point that abandonment of practice and popularisation came hand in hand. Also, I actually found some pictures of the lead leg having some cloth protection, so the information seems to be valid.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The source of this information is an email conversation of the author with &amp;quot;Carambe&amp;quot;, which just means &amp;quot;fighter&amp;quot; and refers to some Ibrahim Yahuza (see endnote 1 and last source).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for how that got its way into the Wikipedia article: No idea. Since it was part of the original article of 2007 and never got revised, I would say it was a bad transfer of information from the article cited here, omitting the &amp;quot;traditionally&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;abandoned&amp;quot; parts. Other mentionings saying the same are post 2007 and seem to be either direct copies or paraphrase of the Wikipedia article.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-08-26T14:30:51.103" LastActivityDate="2021-08-26T14:30:51.103" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12736" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12734" CreationDate="2021-08-26T09:31:59.533" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;What weight class are you?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm 6'3&amp;quot; (186cm), 220lb (100kg). A high-quality, leather, 10 oz, dense foam, full-wrist velcro-fastened glove suits me well and lasts approx 2 - 3 yrs of 3 training sessions of 6-9 rounds of bag work per week (Approx. 2,700 rounds without injury), and about 1000 rounds of &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;light&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are much lighter, 8 oz gloves will likely be fine. If you are heavier, 12oz might be suitable. 2 oz to either side of 'ideal' should not present too many issues.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A downside to using bigger gloves for bag work relates to leverage. A very wide glove can lead to your wrist sustaining lateral torque injuries when hitting the bag hard, usually during hook-related strikes, where it is common for the leading inner edge of a big glove to contact the bag first. Hand size relative to glove size is important here. If you have an extra small hand, then the torque exerted upon impact by a bigger glove will be greater, and vice versa.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember too, that glove weight does not always equate to glove size. Density of foam/horse hair influence how big a glove is relative to its weight. In my experience, better quality gloves are constructed more densely, which results in a smaller glove per oz.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Heavier gloves also mean that less power from your punches is transferred to the bag. This means the bag will move less. This can be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on your training goals/style and the weight/size of the bag. If you are hitting a very dense bag, heavier gloves may help prevent repetitive stress injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Heavier gloves can be a great way to increase you local shoulder-muscle endurance and even aerobic endurance, and prepare you better for sparring with heavier gloves, although this is outweighed - in my opinion - by any of the aforementioned wrist-sprains that larger gloves can cause. There are other ways for you to build your endurance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, don't limit your search to 'bag gloves' or 'bag mitts'. Many of the gloves advertised in this way are simply 'lesser gloves' that don't have nearly the quality of support, fit and durability of proper boxing gloves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All this being said, you will likely adapt to whatever you can afford/is available. If possible, try some gloves at a gym prior to purchase. Many gyms have plenty of different gloves to use free of charge. This experience - coupled with advice from any decent trainer who can assess your needs in person  - should point you in the right direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-08-26T10:01:52.460" LastActivityDate="2021-08-26T10:01:52.460" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12737" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8248" CreationDate="2021-08-26T11:59:02.297" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your question is about gloves, but it's a question which leads to some more important considerations. I stand to be corrected, but the content that follows assumes you're relatively new to boxing, or at least to sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your goal is to prevent brain trauma (and I argue here that this &lt;em&gt;should&lt;/em&gt; be your primary goal), the most important factor for you to consider is the &lt;em&gt;way&lt;/em&gt; in which you spar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the previous answers and comments demonstrate, there are a range of views and practices when it comes to glove and headgear selection, and equipment choice is important, but it pales in significance when compared to the question of whether or not you should be sparring in a way that recklessly or intentionally exposes you to regular head trauma.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you're a beginner, and once you've overcome your fear enough to step into a ring a 'fight', you quickly learn that getting hit in the head isn't actually all that painful; that you can shake off relatively hard hits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might be different, but it's been my experience that most boxers are prone to bouts of reckless machismo, especially when they're sparring to an audience in the gym. Playing 'Raging Bull' and fighting on; 'taking the hits like a man (or woman)', is actually not that hard, but it can make you feel like you're tough, a lot tougher than your body actually is. These facts conspire to make sparring a very dangerous activity; especially when considered over the long term. Immediate injury is also quite possible, especially if you're like me and get dehydrated relatively quickly. Dehydration reduces the amount of fluid surrounding your brain and renders it more susceptible to impact-related harms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether the gloves you are using are light or heavy, whether you are wearing headgear or not, if your sparring practice is regular and allows or encourages repeated impacts to the head, you are at risk of causing and sustaining serious cumulative damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may feel as though learning to take a punch is vital; and that's the sad truth about boxing: you &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; need to learn to take a punch if your goal is to become a fighter. But no matter how strong your neck muscles get, and no matter how used to head impacts  you get, &lt;em&gt;you can't train your brain to take a punch&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Much of the pleasure of boxing - indeed one of the responsibilities of a boxer - in my humble opinion, is in aspiring to hit without getting hit. This principle can be extended to your sparring partners too; for if you care about their wellbeing, you should also aspire to learn how to &lt;em&gt;be able&lt;/em&gt; to hit them but, without needing to &lt;em&gt;actually&lt;/em&gt; hit them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to be a competitive boxer, you will need to spar hard; to attack your opponent's head and to defend sincere attempts to knock you to the mat. Ask yourself if this is something your really want to be involved with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, seeing as your question refers to 'friendly sparring', it is entirely possible to gain immense pleasure and release from boxing, and to become very skilled without regularly causing or sustaining damage; to learn movement, defence, offence, strategy and to have a whole lot of fun, by learning to spar safely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With a bit of practice (and some fundamental 'no-go zones', such as the kidneys), body sparring can be very, very intense yet quite safe. Techniques can be learned and the body  can be conditioned in ways that enable your limbs and torso to take a lot of impact safely. Once you have the ability to control your range and to create openings to the head without capitalising fully on them, body sparring can extend to incorporate head shots that are 'pulled'. You will generally know when you have your opponent 'cold'; there is no need to actually make any but very light contact. There is something very satisfying about knowing you could have knocked out an opponent - and knowing that &lt;em&gt;they&lt;/em&gt; know you could have knocked them out - but in restraining yourself from executing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unintentional hits will occur. Freakish clashes will happen. Injuries will be sustained. Egos and aggression will occasionally erupt. Learn to master your emotions and your techniques. Make sure that when you spar with someone new that they share the same notions of safe sparring as you do. If they start hammering away at you without control, leave the ring and find someone else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastActivityDate="2021-08-26T11:59:02.297" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12739" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-08-27T09:14:51.853" Score="1" ViewCount="458" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the optimal fighting stance when confronted by an opponent(s) in real life? Currently I'm not quite sure what stance I should use, but I felt like the Wing-Chun stances are safer guards somehow (and it looks better).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The positioning of the feet and body (weight distribution) seems almost uniform across most street-based martial arts styles. What I'm more interested in is the positioning of the hands to defend against a variety of MA styles. Any advice?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastEditorDisplayName="user11733" LastEditDate="2021-08-27T10:44:45.640" LastActivityDate="2021-08-31T10:24:08.167" Title="Optimal stance for self defense / street fights?" Tags="|self-defense|stance|streetfight|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12740" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12739" CreationDate="2021-08-27T09:38:40.650" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Without having more information about the specific circumstances, and your type/level of training to date:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A classic 45 degree shoulder-width stance (weight distributed evenly upon the balls of your feet, rear foot turned out at 45 degrees) provides you with options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Retreat, pivot, attack, side-step; all can be accomplished to a fair degree from this basic foundation without the need to reposition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In addition, it is a simple stance that can be assumed quickly and relatively discreetly, even if you're in the throes of an adrenaline dump. It is also a stance compatible with many 'street-functional' martial arts you might be studying such as Krav Maga, MMA, Muay Thai, Boxing, Karate, Jiu-Jitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some may disagree, but a good philosophy to maintain when training for the stress of real-life combat is to &lt;em&gt;keep things simple&lt;/em&gt;. This is a principle followed by most of the military and policing training I've encountered, and these institutions are more invested than most in ensuring their members are trained appropriately for a range of dynamic, unpredictable situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, whilst I'm not a fan of all of his material, Bas Rutten advocates a non-aggressive upper-body posture commonly employed by security guards which is &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; useful as a means by which to prepare for incoming strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is essentially a &amp;quot;thinker&amp;quot; pose. For a right hander, the fist is raised to the chin and the left arm is bent so that the forearm rests horizontally across the torso, the left hand cradling the elbow of the right arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this position, your hands are elevated to a useful degree. When combined with the foot position described above, you have the ability to parry, block and strike hand and/or foot attacks with minimal prior movement and without telegraphing your intent to potential opponents. You are far better placed to defend yourself from this position and you avoid the antagonistic attributes of more explicit fight stances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-08-28T15:15:55.437" LastActivityDate="2021-08-28T15:15:55.437" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12741" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12739" CreationDate="2021-08-30T21:27:56.570" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with Futilitarian that a good leg position is the 45-degree stance, which gives you the best range of options for footwork and moving the upper torso. For the hands, I would actually recommend raising the hands to about shoulder height, halfway between extended and touching the shoulders, palms out. It's not a very aggressive positioning, more of a &amp;quot;Hold on, buddy, let's talk this over,&amp;quot; pose, but your hands are up and ready to deflect or strike, and ideally, it may help to forestall the fight entirely by giving an extra moment to talk things over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will add the caveat that this may need to be modified based on the culture you're in. I know that when I was in Russia, our interpreter warned us to be cautious about holding our hands up palm out in a tense situation as it's generally seen as an aggressive move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-08-31T10:24:08.167" LastActivityDate="2021-08-31T10:24:08.167" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12742" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-08-31T10:29:36.157" Score="15" ViewCount="7249" Body="&lt;p&gt;This question admittedly contains a generalisation. There may well be traditional martial arts (especially particular schools/branches) that do seek to evolve and improve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, it seems fair to argue that if a martial art sincerely aims to develop and provide an effective range of fighting skills, then it would make sense for that martial art to incorporate aspects of other martial arts that contribute to or improve upon the style's existing body of knowledge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another way of looking at it is to ask why more traditional forms have not over time gradually moved more towards a contemporary multidisciplinary approach, such as those of MMA/Krav Maga. Even a very pragmatic style such as Goju-Ryu could benefit from incorporating the best elements of other styles, and many of the weapons elements of many traditions seem particularly redundant now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Granted, there may be aspects of martial arts which are distinct from combat application and which are deemed important, such as tradition, identity and sport, but these would appear to be secondary to any serious martial art's aim of providing a effective skill set, &lt;em&gt;especially&lt;/em&gt; as globalisation and information technology now facilitate awareness of alternate techniques so effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps efficacy is simply not the primary driver any more. Perhaps business considerations come in to play. Perhaps this phenomenon is a result of the fact we now live in a much safer society; one in which martial arts are more important as a recreation than as a necessary survival tool. Perhaps pride is a factor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why are traditional martial arts apparently so reluctant to evolve?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: &lt;em&gt;There have been some great responses to this question. It's been pointed out that my use of the word 'efficacy' is vague, because efficacy is so context-dependent. I agree. I was attempting to use 'efficacy' to describe 'real-fight' application; surely the original motivator behind the development of most early martial arts. There are clearly other motivators behind martial art design and practice and it is also clear that the original motivations give way to new ones as society changes and combat application fades relative to notions such as tradition, identity, sport, business and health. I look forward to more answers.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-09-02T05:45:35.910" LastActivityDate="2021-09-22T18:46:30.197" Title="Why Are Traditional Martial Arts Apparently So Reluctant to Evolve?" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|style|combat|tradition|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="22" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12743" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12742" CreationDate="2021-08-31T12:33:53.313" Score="30" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suspect that the primary answer lies between that they genuinely deemphasize pitched fighting, and that it's guided by rulesets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Not every martial art is about fighting, or defending yourself&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For most modern countries today, the odds of actually getting into a fight are pretty low. Even if you do get into a fight, it generally comes down to two people taking a couple of swings at each other, and doesn't result in serious injury. In terms of other forms of assault, often it's as dangerous to fight back as to yield. When the guy with a knife wants your wallet, it's overall cheaper to hand over the wallet than to risk getting cut even once where even if you're not badly injured, you're probably looking at losing more money in medical treatment than you would by handing over the wallet. And reacting to someone throwing a sloppy hook in a bar by aggressively attacking back is likely to lead to charges and/or more people joining in, maybe brandishing improvised weapons since you've now made yourself a threat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, many martial arts really aren't about fighting, but rather about culture, discipline, and general fitness. Heck, just teaching people how to fall probably saves more lives than teaching them how to throw a punch, because all of us are going to fall at some point, but few of us will ever be in a position where we're in a serious fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Rulesets / Strictures&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why hasn't MMA evolved to include use of weapons and guns? It is, after all, more efficient, so it puzzles me as to why they are so reluctant to evolve...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know, kind of a silly way to state it, but martial arts generally involve rules. Sometimes, it's cultural (if a culture feels that feet are inherently dirty, there may be a bias against kicking because it introduces disrespectful behavior into a gentlemanly fight). Sometimes, it's practical (Capoeira deemphasizes closed-hand strikes because most people using it were laborers who made their living with their hands, so broken bones from hitting someone's skull wrong could take them out of work for some time). Sometimes, it's to protect both parties from injury so that careers aren't shortened (various forms of MMA introduce rules about kicking people on the ground, angles of elbows, whether elbows can be used, targeting joints, etc). And sometimes, it's an intentional stricture to make a given martial art unique (why don't they allow grappling in boxing? Or punching in Greco-Roman wrestling? And why are both sports so opposed to a good bite?).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Sometimes, yes, they're just resistant to change&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, sometimes it simply is because people don't want to change. They've been doing it this way for tens or hundreds or thousands of years, and it was effective then, so they're going to keep doing it this way. Introducing new techniques might improve the style, but then again, it might water it down, or introduce new flaws in what is otherwise a unified style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-08-31T13:51:42.280" LastActivityDate="2021-08-31T13:51:42.280" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12744" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12742" CreationDate="2021-08-31T20:49:04.143" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suspect there's a lot of instructors that are more concerned about the techniques of their art, rather than flooding their students with ever increasing amount of styles. This makes sense that they don't want to overwhelm their student as well as not wanting to water down their art with other techniques. Macaco Branco goes into that nicely, so I'll try not to duplicate their answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;-Bruce Lee&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/bruce_lee_413509&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/bruce_lee_413509&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What Bruce Lee is saying here is that someone who knows many different techniques may not have as much skill in each of those techniques, so is more hesitant or has to think too hard about what skill they want to use. Whereas someone who has fewer techniques has what is called &amp;quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_memory&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;muscle memory&lt;/a&gt;&amp;quot; where their reflexes take over to perform a response that's quicker and can be stronger than one done after conscious thought.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training specific muscles in the legs, arms, etc. for different styles is also important. People in the gym might wonder why their biceps don't get larger when they do a bunch of pushups. Well, that's because the pushups are dealing with triceps, not the biceps. The same thing can happen with kicks, punches, throws, and everything else. A low roundhouse kick uses fewer ab, glute, and thigh muscles than a high kick. If you don't train the correct muscles enough, you won't get a strong, or even accurate, kick. So training 10,000 different kinds of kicks doesn't train any muscles specifically for any kick, but training in 1 kick 10,000 times gets those muscles stretched and toned correctly for that 1 kick. (You also need more than just muscle strength, but also tendon and ligament strength and flexibility, which also get trained as you train the muscles.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Counter example&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, we see movies where Jackie Chan, Jet Li, or whomever switches styles during a fight to make it more entertaining, but that's generally not how fights work. Sure, a fighter might change their style to better match an opponent, such as focusing more on legs, arms, groundwork, or whatever, but they generally don't change up their style just to fool around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where that last bit changes is in MMA, literally Mixed Martial Arts, where a fighter is expected to know multiple martial arts so they can seamlessly use whatever techniques, holds, moves, kicks, etc. are necessary without sticking to a single style of fighting at any one time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also been a fairly time honored tradition to be able to train in more than one martial arts master at a time. Some traditions may require approval of the masters/trainers involved, but it's fairly common. And that's also not adding new techniques to an existing martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bringing it back to Bruce Lee, he developed Jeet Kun Do to be flexible and accommodate multiple fighting styles and incorporate new styles as they are found useful. By the same token, it's not a traditional martial art, so doesn't really relate to your question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Generally speaking&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people choose a martial art for the traditional moves of the technique, not because they want to learn &amp;quot;all the new moves&amp;quot;. Then again, if they wanted to do that, they'd probably join something like Jeet Kun Do, kickboxing, or even Tae Bo (sigh). But generally people like the flowery movements of Kung Fu (or specific movements of Tiger, Dragon, Mantis, Monkey, Drunken, etc.), or they want something a little more compact like Karate. Maybe they want something a little more airborne like Tae Kwon Do, or really airborne like Capoeira. Or they want something more practical like Krav Maga or more to throw people around like Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what I'm saying is that there's no really good reason to incorporate new moves into a traditional martial art when you can just &amp;quot;go down the street&amp;quot; and learn a new technique at a different school. People like the traditional constraints of the traditional arts, so why change them? And if you don't like traditional constraints, there's several non-traditional martial arts to choose from that'll get people what they want.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some people attribute this next quote to Abe Lincoln, but it was actually said by a fifteenth-century monk and poet, John Lydgate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.praxity.com/insights/blogs/posts/2018/september/pleasing-all-the-people-all-the-time/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.praxity.com/insights/blogs/posts/2018/september/pleasing-all-the-people-all-the-time/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10889" LastEditorUserId="10889" LastEditDate="2021-08-31T21:02:09.680" LastActivityDate="2021-08-31T21:02:09.680" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12745" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12742" CreationDate="2021-09-01T19:37:20.963" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In addition to the great answers given, I want to provide another angle:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;It's About Philosophy!&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Philosophy behind the martial arts include ideas about how fighting &amp;quot;works&amp;quot; and what the main goals of &amp;quot;fighting&amp;quot; are. If a move runs counter to the founding philosophy, it does not get incorporated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Ignore basic principles of our approach when evaluating the effectiveness of techniques&amp;quot; is a good way to not have a martial art. &amp;quot;Kill the enemy ASAP&amp;quot; (a.k.a. &amp;quot;effectiveness&amp;quot;) may also not be part of the core philosophy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Example: HEMA&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is an easy one to explain. Historic European Martial Arts, or HEMA. A technique has to be both &amp;quot;Historic&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;European&amp;quot; to qualify for consideration. Therefore, new techniques may only arise in HEMA if it is a more &amp;quot;historic,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;European&amp;quot; technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There has been a lot of growth over the past 30 years or so concerning 'techniques', so that old and new versions of a 'technique' are fundamentally different. (Also, within HEMA itself there are different philosophies! Perhaps Italian vs German Longsword is the most well known.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Example: Tai Chi&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Moving away to an &amp;quot;open hand&amp;quot; martial art: Tai Chi. It has a rich background of philosophy which I am totally not prepared to summarize here, but they clearly have things they will and will not do as it runs counter to its core philosophy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Per @Dale, some modern practitioners are willing to adopt techniques as long as done &amp;quot;with proper body structure and movement.&amp;quot; Maybe another martial art is willing to do something that is improper by this Tai Chi standard, and it is 'more effective' (however you measure that- ends a fight more quickly? Induces &amp;quot;flow&amp;quot; more quickly?).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case, the underlying philosophy within a martial art leads them to exclude new techniques and tools without regard to their effectiveness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2021-09-01T21:47:09.883" LastActivityDate="2021-09-01T21:47:09.883" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12746" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12742" CreationDate="2021-09-01T19:57:14.573" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a bit like asking whether a physicist wouldn't only be able to become a better scientist and understand more of the bigger picture if they would do chemistry, biology, geology, etc. as well. The truth is: even if possible, they wouldn't necessarily. And it certainly would take an insane amount of effort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Why there is some truth to what you are saying&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many martial arts claim that they teach great fighting skills and can provide an answer to each threat. Yet, they either focus on only one or some aspects of fighting and omit the rest, or they do only train very specific skills: in some karate styles, you can get very good at kata, or in taekwondo, where you get very good at high kicks, or boxing, where you get very good at...well...boxing. Aikido trains a lot of feeling for forces and how to redirect them, but seldom how to do that against resisting opponents. All of them train how to get really good at some skills that are important for a well-rounded fighter, yet they, for themselves, are not producing well-rounded fighters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Why do they do that?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are, in my opinion, two cases: either the martial art is content in perfecting the skills they teach, or the practitioners are delusional/deceptive. There are people who really believe what they train is a great martial art training superior skills for fighting while they do train choreography or cooperation. Why should they think they should change anything? On the other hand, there are arts like judo who train throws and other stuff because that's what judo is about, after all, knowing full well that self-defense applications have to be trained separately. Does that make judo obsolete? No, it presents separate ends and allows people to train fighting skills without having to worry about bruised legs and broken noses. And they evolve the techniques and training methods that work best for throwing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Why your premises are flawed&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You seem to assume that you can just train &amp;quot;MMA&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;Krav Maga&amp;quot; and become a very good fighter. Or, at least, that there are always other arts which can contribute knowledge or methods which improve the martial artists at what they do. That is, truth be told, not the case. If I want to be the best in a particular fighting phase (striking, infight, clinch, ground), I learn from those who do that best. And look at related arts what they can contribute, maybe. But no coach will be the best coach for all of these aspects of weaponless fight. And that's not even taking in weapons, technical, psychological, and physical optimisation. The best MMA fighters have trained to top levels in traditional martial arts, particularly those who train their game full contact and do sparring. MMA is not a martial art. It is a marketing label used by schools to fill their courses, business considerations par excellence. Krav Maga is also not a martial art. It is a self-defense system that is made for military training and, if not watered down, trains a lot of stuff you get into jail for in most countries if used in civil self-defense situations. Also, they often invite and train with specialists for particular aspects of fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Why hybrids are not evolution&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditional martial arts do also cross-pollute with techniques and methods, eg. wrestling, judo, and bjj, insofar as they are similar. Hybrids, on the other hand, are always born out of an interest separate from the arts they take their techniques and training methods from. Most of them out of merchandise reasons: do your own brand, make your own money. Hapkido was born because Koreans wanted to have a Korean hybrid. German Ju Jutsu was born because they wanted a modern system for police forces. Krav Maga was born because Israelis wanted something similar (but from Israel) for their military and police forces. They did not evolve, they were conceived for a particular reason. And that reason is what they try to realise as well as possible. Therefore, they &amp;quot;evolve&amp;quot; in the same sense as traditional martial arts do: If there are people out there who do things inherent to what they do as well, but better, they will probably be open to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Summary&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts can and do evolve in whatever they do, for better or worse. If they do not fall prey to self-deception, most martial art practitioners are well-aware that they do not train for every aspect of self-defense. That is simply not their goal. Even MMA fighters lack important tactical and psychological skills and will not be able to handle weapons, because that is simply not part of their training. Does that mean it only evolves if MMA adds this? Hardly. Similarly, martial arts do not gain anything inherently valuable by adding other stuff which does not contribute to their end.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-09-02T17:54:07.807" LastActivityDate="2021-09-02T17:54:07.807" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12747" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12705" CreationDate="2021-09-02T01:08:43.547" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;My understanding is that &amp;quot;eat bitter&amp;quot; is perseverance through hardship. There are old Chinese idioms that are 4 characters, like &amp;quot;eat bitter taste sweet&amp;quot; meaning something like suffering now brings rewards later - in this case the suffering is hard training and the reward is gongfu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's another one like &amp;quot;not bitter not tea&amp;quot; which means &amp;quot;if you're not suffering you're not living&amp;quot; - or as you've probably heard it: &amp;quot;no pain no gain&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8354" LastActivityDate="2021-09-02T01:08:43.547" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12748" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9189" CreationDate="2021-09-02T10:40:35.773" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;To preface, static flexibility (the ability to achieve a fixed position at the extremes of a joints ROM and hold it), is not necessarily going to improve mobility (the ability of a joint to move through a full ROM).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is also not necessarily going to impact your ability to kick to certain heights. As a personal anecdote, I am 5'9&amp;quot;, cannot achieve anywhere near a full split, but am able to kick to at least my own head height with minimal lean back in a competition or training environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing people often neglect when they discuss mobility for specific techniques is strength, and it is as important (I would say more important) to work on strength as it is static mobility. I would suggest in a 30-minute session focussed on kicking dedicating maybe 5 minutes to dynamic stretches as part of the warm-up, then spending 20 minutes working on a combination of kicking and traditional strength exercises (glute bridges, standing leg raises, squats, etc.), and finish with 5 minutes of static stretching for the adductors, glutes, and quads as part of the cool down. Increasing ROM in traditional strength exercises will have some carry-over to ROM for kicking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For higher kicks generally the exercises chosen should focus on the hip flexors - the quads being the largest of these, but also the glutes for rotational strength and stability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also a consideration that some people are anatomically unable to achieve a full split due to the shape of the pelvis and the position of the femoral head within it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11766" LastActivityDate="2021-09-02T10:40:35.773" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12749" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12742" CreationDate="2021-09-02T23:02:44.033" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Looking at this from a logical perspective, rather than a martial arts perspective: they cannot.  If someone wants to blend (picking things out of thin air that don't necessarily make sense) karate and judo to make a more effective fighting style, that style will no longer be karate, or judo.  The people who don't join his or her dojo to learn judate will continue practicing karate or judo.  So there will be blended &amp;quot;modern&amp;quot; martial arts, but there will also be other people continuing to practice the traditional ones.  For what you suggest to happen, all the (millions of?) people around the world practicing karate, as part of many different organizations as well as independent practitioners, would have to all decide to change what karate is together.  That just isn't how people work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondly, your assumption that &amp;quot;a martial art sincerely aims to develop and provide an effective range of fighting skills&amp;quot; may not be entirely accurate, or at least complete.  Perhaps that is not a goal, or only one of many objectives and not the most important one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11930" LastActivityDate="2021-09-02T23:02:44.033" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12750" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-09-03T15:06:12.310" Score="15" ViewCount="7295" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am not an expert in Kung fu, but having seen some tutorials it seems to me that it's useless in a street fight because of the following two reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First of all the stances are ridiculous, for example the eagle stance is one of the worst stances I have ever seen, you basically stand on one leg in a squat position, why would anyone want to fight like that?&#xA;The problem with the stances is that they require a lot of training just to be able to sit in the stance, they are very uncomfortable and waste a lot of energy for no particular reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, the other problem is that many moves require a lot of energy and in my opinion it's easy to miss, many moves are acrobatics essentially and I see no reason why to do this unless it's for a show.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please note that I am not trying to insult Kung Fu practicioners but rather trying to understand how this can be useful. Also I am referring mostly to animal style Kung Fu and similar styles like wushu, shaolin Kung Fu etc. I am not referring to wing Chun and Jeet kune do, which I Know are very useful for self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, having said that, can Kung Fu be useful for self defense?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11535" LastEditorDisplayName="user11535" LastEditDate="2021-09-03T15:16:57.727" LastActivityDate="2022-05-14T02:06:45.420" Title="Is Kung fu useful for self defense?" Tags="|self-defense|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="12" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12751" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12750" CreationDate="2021-09-03T16:35:03.117" Score="15" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Stances&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like squats or push-ups, stance training is often not directly about fighting, but in acquiring strength, flexibility, and coordination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Acrobatics&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Modern wushu is closer to gymnastics, a display of athleticism and not really for fighting. Large flashy movements have always been crowd-pleasers with questionable fighting utility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kung fu is a rather large umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of styles, many of them with little in common. As you have already decided that some are useful, without more specificity it's sufficient to say that some kung fu is useful for self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-09-03T21:54:59.213" LastActivityDate="2021-09-03T21:54:59.213" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12752" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12750" CreationDate="2021-09-03T17:01:22.287" Score="14" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think it's possible to give an answer to such a broad question, other than to say something along the lines of&#xA;It can be, to the extent that...&#xA;It trains on realistic, damage-inflicting strikes, with &amp;quot;realistic&amp;quot; indicating targeting realistic targets (e.g., knife hands to the neck are not open if the guy has his guard up), and not many (if any) high kicks or fancy spins. (I do ITF TKD, and wouldn't try such things in a real situation.)&#xA;It builds strength.&#xA;It does a lot of practicing and sparring against resisting opponents.&#xA;It involves striking bags to build up &amp;quot;hitting hard&amp;quot; skills.&#xA;It trains on footwork.&#xA;It involves occasionally getting hit in the head or face so that you don't go down the first time that happens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And what you're really asking is &amp;quot;is it useful for fighting&amp;quot;, but that's only one small aspect of self-defense. Others are not placing yourself in sketchy situations, staying sober, being situationally aware, not arguing with other people, being agreeable to following friendly suggestions such as &amp;quot;get out of here right now or I'm'a kick your a**&amp;quot;, recognizing body language indicating impending attacks, knowing how to place yourself so as to defend against strikes, and being able to run fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2021-09-03T17:01:22.287" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12753" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12750" CreationDate="2021-09-04T01:25:42.807" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Oh hell yes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Very few people on the planet can beat Georges St-Pierre, even today, in a real fight. 99.9999% of the couldn't even go the distance.   But Jet Li, who is not a fighter, can go the distance.  There's nothing GSP can do or try that Jet doesn't have a counter for, and Jet is probably a little faster.  As long as Jet doesn't try to win, Jet can go, and therefore &lt;em&gt;not lose&lt;/em&gt;.  Jet can even probably go longer if he just defends, defends, defends, because he spends less energy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(This is why Jet's portrayal of Wong Feihung is so great, even when the real Wong was Hung Gar.  Jet's portrayal was of the gentle guy who could always go the distance and outlast, because he was so precise and flexible. That's why the action sequences still exceed almost everything we see today. And John Wick is good, but Keanu is still just an &amp;quot;advanced beginner&amp;quot;, maybe &amp;quot;intermediate&amp;quot;.  And Jet got very rich, deservedly, from all that &amp;quot;eating bitter&amp;quot; to be that good.  GSP's recent choreography is also better than almost everyone else. GSP once again reinforces his strengths in &lt;em&gt;all&lt;/em&gt; aspects of the arts:)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chinese martial arts are criticized as being &amp;quot;too strategic&amp;quot;, and perhaps not unfairly, criticized as being less powerful. (My perspective on is Karate is that they may not wrong. Respect Karate—they're the best at what they do.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Chinese reverence for strategy is probably more the influence of &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhuge_Liang&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kongming&lt;/a&gt; than even Sun Tzu, because the history of the Three Kingdoms would be different without Zhuge Liang.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(In the west we have this in with Odysseus, best loved by Athena, Goddess of Strategy, but he young tend towards &amp;quot;the rage of Achilles&amp;quot;—both can be optimal in the correct domains, and dependent on what one is willing to sacrifice.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If strategy wasn't more important than power, the history of insurgencies in the 20th century would be very different.  Strategy can have many dimensions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditional Wushu / Kung Fu (Practical Wushu)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Has maintained the old school training methods and lore&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lifelong teacher student teacher relationships&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A community of practitioners across styles&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Advanced leg-grappling&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hard core isometrics and strengthening&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Basics for internal styles later in life&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Full contact an option&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Contemporary Wushu / Competition Wushu&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Arguably the best core training there is&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Know every type of attack and every counter&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Have practiced said techniques millions of times&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;First rate posture&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;First rate body mechanics&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Advanced footwork&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Quickness/speed&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main function of traditional is to preserve the arts faithfully, while, ideally, continuing to advance them in every generation. The main function of competition is an Olympic sport, that can be judged technically, similar to mens and women's gymnastics.  Both intersect with the film industry, as performing art has never been separate from martial art in Chinese history, so far as we know.  One must study these arts to some depth to separate out the &amp;quot;medicine show&amp;quot; components from the practical martial techniques, which are not usually the things that &amp;quot;wow&amp;quot;, but the little stuff in between.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All martial arts have value!  The caveat is that there must be some martial purpose, even indirect, or it is not martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Train hard.  That is the only true martial art.  And, if possible, find a good teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-09-04T04:43:10.123" LastActivityDate="2021-09-04T04:43:10.123" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12754" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12742" CreationDate="2021-09-04T02:12:48.473" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's the hardest thing to do.  My teacher was celebrated, but said their technique was the product of 3 generations.  That chain seems to be a rare thing, because I don't think anyone in my generation will exceed that generation just prior, BUT, I do think we have the knowledge, expertise, and experience &lt;em&gt;as a community&lt;/em&gt; to maintain the arts for another generation and hopefully, train students who will exceed us.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The generation that inspired the prominence of the arts that I now teach was a product of great masters coming together to exchange information, such as Yang, Fu and Sun and many others.  But it takes a lifetime of dedication and research (train, think, test, repeat ad infinitum) to feel confident about making changes to what worked in previous generations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My teacher closed all the openings in the Tai Chi sword form, but most still do it the old way—they didn't pay close enough attention.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But MMA has forced me to adapt how I do core advanced forms.  Among all of those who trained at my school, in my generation, only a handful can do the advanced leg work (sweeps and grappling).  I have now re-emphasized those techniques, so that people I teach will be expected to be able to do them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those that can do the real thing become even more reticent about changing what they were taught.  But it doesn't mean we can't continue to research, and adapt, and even advance the arts, where possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jackie Chan has correctly called the old style of training &amp;quot;child abuse&amp;quot;, and we can't do that anymore, and we're still adjusting.  That generation has recognized that a single student will not be able to transmit the complete art, so masters have been simplifying, or, as in the old day, having enough lifetime students that each can master at least one aspect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm happy if I can at least preserve the advances of my own teacher in the few domains I've focused on, because they are sufficient for my needs in the current generation, in regard to the total spectrum of contemporary arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These arts have been around for a long time, and it's ultimately an evolutionary process.  Bruce Lee could even be viewed as the guy who got the ball rolling on mixed martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We're all one big family in the arts, regardless of school or style or origin.  We all learn from each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-09-04T04:35:21.433" LastActivityDate="2021-09-04T04:35:21.433" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12755" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9189" CreationDate="2021-09-04T02:40:49.613" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I trained this is the Chinese system when I was in my 20's extensively, and less with each decade.  I regret the loss of some of the flexibility, so I might work back toward greater, because it's really optimal if someone, for instance, gets your leg.  But it's exponentially harder to get my leg than it was when I was in my 20's.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Joints can be a problem—you've just got to relax.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Keep strengthening the muscles around the joints to this end.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I learned floor stretching on hard linoleum and practiced on hardwood, concrete, and stone.  (Today I'll take a carpet if I can gt it, not too soft or deep, but I like to remind myself on flagstone;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;½ hour is good, especially for class, where you want max time for training.  When I used to do full warmup in my 30's and 40's on my own that could stretch to an hour or more.  They say for really doing the split, &amp;quot;watch tv&amp;quot; i.e. do just that as long as you are comfortable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main thing is don't over stress the muscle by pushing too far, too fast.  It's a slow process of isometric strengthening, and &lt;em&gt;gentle gentle gentle&lt;/em&gt; bouncing within your current range of flexibility can be helpful.  &lt;em&gt;Do not do not do not&lt;/em&gt; use bounding to try and increase flexibility—you will tear something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I use front and side splits to gently strengthen my knuckles and wrists for punching.  Since I rarely have gone all the way down, it's always an extended upper body isometric too, because I support my weight with my fists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice to women would be different than my advice for men, because women's hip structure allow them to really &amp;quot;sit&amp;quot; in the floor with total root, making techniques that utilize it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a weapon like jian, this could be determinative (think instant level change below an attack with jian thrust up unto the unguarded guts.  People charge people with straight swords, which is always a poor strategy against a short thrusting weapon.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A male teacher who worked to go all the way down reports hip problems later in life, and is not recommending men be extreme, and I'm adopting that advice, though I still might cheat it if I get back down for one or two moves in a &lt;em&gt;performance&lt;/em&gt; context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a sword sparring context, as a male, I wouldn't use that split because you need that root to &amp;quot;guarantee&amp;quot; the thrust.  I don't know that I could recommend it for women either in sword sparring because the attacker is probably going to damage themselves, even with the blunt sword and protective gear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-09-04T02:40:49.613" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12756" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12757" CreationDate="2021-09-04T02:48:58.553" Score="2" ViewCount="110" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are there possible strategies of defense against an opponent with a moderately light stick in a real life scenario (e.g. baseball bat)? What are the odds of winning the fight? And (just an interesting thought), will it be possible for an opponent be carrying two sticks (not linked) at once?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2021-09-04T15:26:09.787" Title="Defense against sticks?" Tags="|self-defense|weapons|streetfight|defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12757" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12756" CreationDate="2021-09-04T07:04:41.553" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A number of broad strategies/techniques are outlined below. Techniques specific to various attacks are numerous, due to the many, many ways in which such a confrontation might unfold. A Google/Youtube search will provide you with a lot of useful technique-specific information, and of course a lot of suspect information as well. If you find some information about defending against a particular kind of strike that you wish to examine further, SE might prove appropriate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The following are not necessarily ranked in order of priority/efficacy, by no means represent a complete answer, and assume the assailant is armed by a single baseball bat or similar implement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Evade&lt;/strong&gt;: Stay out of range. Run if possible. If someone's willing to hit you with a bat, they could well be willing to kill you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Scan&lt;/strong&gt;: In moments of extreme stress, you can fall prey to a phenomenon called 'tunnel vision', in which your adrenaline-fuelled senses 'zoom in' upon the threat, to the detriment peripheral vision and environmental awareness. This is difficult to overcome initially, but mere awareness of the phenomenon (mindfulness) can be enough to help you reduce its effects. Another effective technique to break out of tunnel vision is to deliberately scan the environment to either side of the threat whilst keeping the threat in view. You ideally want to be aware of any obstacles/people that might trip you up, of implements/barriers you might use to protect yourself, and of escape routes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Breathe&lt;/strong&gt;: Even if you have no prior experience with similar stressors, simple breathing techniques can be employed to great effect when dealing with aggression. Research these techniques elsewhere, but one simple method is to breathe in sharply and deeply through the nose for 1 second, hold for four seconds, release through the mouth for four seconds. Repeat if time allows. No, you will not always get the opportunity to do this prior to an attack, but with practice, it is possible to develop an ability to breathe effectively even during combat. Breath control will also give you much better control of your adrenaline-affected limbs, enable you to think more clearly, reduce panic responses and enable you to move with greater precision.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Close&lt;/strong&gt;: Quickly take advantage of openings in order to approach to within effective range, rendering the weapon far less effective. Timing is of course critical. The typical moments to close would be when (if) the assailant telegraphs his or her swing by 'winding up', or at the moment the bat passes you and enters the follow-through phase. There are inevitable risks, which might be reduced by utilising...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Invitation/Feint&lt;/strong&gt;: A provoked (invited) attack is an attack you can better anticipate and evade, enabling you to close with less risk. A feint - by causing your opponent to adjust - can also increase your effective closing/escape window.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Grab/Trap&lt;/strong&gt;: Again, inevitably risky. It pays to remember that a bat-swing's velocity is greatest at it's striking end. Hovering indecisively at this range is dangerous. By closing during a swing, you can greatly reduce the impact of any contact and make catching/trapping the bat far easier to accomplish. Remember though, that once control of the bat is achieved, it can be a mistake to fall into a wrestle for the weapon. More on this later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Counter&lt;/strong&gt;: Using a bat can actually be a considerable handicap, especially if a person wields it with two hands and/or is untrained. If you manage to close/grab during a two-fisted swing, it will be possible in many circumstances to achieve a degree of control over the bat with one arm/hand whilst countering with your other.  Even if you are required/decide to use two hands (which will be necessary in some situations) you still have your legs, head and potentially elbows to draw upon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Parry/Block&lt;/strong&gt;: If you movement is restricted or if your opponent is simply too quick, blocking/deflecting a blow may be necessary. Again, courage to close can enable you to greatly diminish the impact. Regardless, as a general rule, when you parry you should not do so by presenting a limb perpendicular to the strike (unless perhaps you are quite close), as this will maximise the impact of the bat upon your limb. The aim should be to deflect the strike if possible so that the swing is diverted rather than stopped dead. This effectively dilutes the force of impact, although it may still cause injury/debilitation. A good parry may provide the opportunity to counter or escape. Note that you can learn to parry with your legs as well as your hands/arms, and that - although it's probably rare - an attacker with a bat may decide not to swing it, but to thrust directly at you. If you're prepared for this eventuality, it provides a good opportunity to parry, grab and counter. Beware too, that he or she may decide to throw the bat at you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Attack&lt;/strong&gt;: A well timed closing move can enable an out-and-out attack sufficient to cause a panic response in an opponent who has made the mistake of overcommitting or undercommitting with a bat. As mentioned earlier, an opponent who overswings is momentarily open, as is the opponent who telegraphs their intent by 'winding up' for the swing. If you close successfully, you have relatively free rein to strike/scratch/tear at a number of vulnerable points whilst their hands are occupied with the weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;A note on kicks&lt;/em&gt;: Long-range kicks place you in the danger zone against a bat, although they may still be effective if your timing is good. Simple front/push kicks and long roundhouses may be sufficient to enable escape/deterrence/recovery/repositioning. Kick retraction, maintenance of posture and upper guard is vital in order to maintain balance, height and general defensive integrity against follow-up swings or if the assailant decides to discard the bat in favour of empty hand/leg techniques. If you decide to close, knees, compact roundhouses and sweeps may be of use, although rapid hand/elbow strikes to the face may prove more immediately decisive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;10&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disarm&lt;/strong&gt;: This might sound obvious, but it can be very risky to get into a fight over the weapon. Disarming will often be most easily achieved not by focusing upon the weapon, but by provoking a panic response via attacks to the face/genitals. If you commit both hands/limbs to controlling the bat, there's nothing to stop your opponent releasing it to commence the strikes you might have otherwise have executed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tactical Communication&lt;/strong&gt;: Look it up. Tac Comms represent an extremely valuable range of techniques that can be used effectively to deter/delay attack. I would not be doing it any justice by describing it here other than to say posture and verbal persuasion/assertiveness (including tone and volume of voice) can mean the difference between conflict and deescalation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if what I've stated above is valid, it's probably too much information to be able to process usefully without some form of repetitive training. Prioritise the principles of breath control, tactical communication and evasion/escape, and &lt;em&gt;if&lt;/em&gt; combat is unavoidable:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Close distance,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Attack very hard and fast to momentarily overwhelm, and&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Run/seek police assistance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-09-04T15:26:09.787" LastActivityDate="2021-09-04T15:26:09.787" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12758" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12750" CreationDate="2021-09-04T17:19:24.037" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Knowing kung fu is one thing, applying it is something else.  You have to recognise what to do when you are being attacked.  There is no standard kung-fu: there are lots of different types that are all grouped together and called kung fu.  There is no standards body for kung fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The purpose of a stance is for stability in a particular situation.  The teacher may not always tell you - sometimes it is a secret that they will only divulge when you've been learning under them for 10 years.  I was told a secret after 5 years.  You just think &amp;quot;is that it?&amp;quot;  Sometimes you need to mull over the secret, why it is a secret and what you did before you knew the secret.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of what you learn in most martial arts is 1-2-1 close quarters fighting.  What if you get multiple attackers?  Can your brain think fast enough to handle 3 or 5?  You always need to worry about the opponent's mate who is behind you.  Alternatively line them up so you can handle one at a time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of the techniques defy logic.  It is normal to stay some distance from your opponent.  Sometimes, you have to be brave enough to get closer to your opponent.  If you get close enough, there is no space for either of you to do the kicks. You are down to hand, knee and elbow techniques but you have to be brave enough to get closer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of the techniques are not only for defence, they are for maiming or killing your opponent.  They are attacking you but are you mentally capable of applying the techniques you have learnt to maim or kill them.  It is you or them but can you do it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During practice sessions or when sparring, you do not follow through the moves.  You normally stop at the critical point just before you hit your opponent.  In an attack on yourself, you have to follow through but you've been practicing not following through for so long, can you follow through or will the fact that your opponent knows you could smash his nose be enough to make him stop?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To most people, &amp;quot;he knows kung fu&amp;quot; is enough to deter an attack.  That is as good a form of self defence as any.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9636" LastEditorUserId="9636" LastEditDate="2021-09-05T06:10:04.297" LastActivityDate="2021-09-05T06:10:04.297" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12759" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-09-04T21:19:35.153" Score="1" ViewCount="44" Body="&lt;p&gt;Jian is my focus, and I get criticized for passing on “single drop of red”. This is because most people’s awareness of the concept comes though late 20th century wuxia, is a fantastical genre from its foundations, where new iterations have to top prior treatments.  But Iearned this as a real martial principle, inadvertently, during stretching before a class, and only by inquiring persistently after an off-hand reference.  Single drop of red is ideal all fencers should aspire to: not messy, not frantic, just precise, determinative, and maximally compact and efficient.  Researching the notion, I learned its an idiom that is ancient, first appearing in Classical poetry, referring to the rare women in a male domains.  (Think Mulan—this idiom was still used until recently to refer to women in the workplace.)  Jian was always the weapon of scholars and women-in-particular, because it is subtle, indirect, and the most versatile short weapon.  By contrast, direct and powerful is more suitable for single-edged cutting swords wielded by practitioners with greater physical strength.  And when people tell me it’s a fantasy, I remind them hitman &amp;quot;Kid Twist&amp;quot; (Abraham Reles), whose &lt;em&gt;actual job&lt;/em&gt; was to do that irl. In real Chinese fencing, single drop of red refers to the epitome of the art as inserting the blade into the abdomen to a depth of a few inches, to pierce organs, such that all of the bleeding is internal, and the only indication of violence is “a single drop of red”.  Modern era (early Republic) fencing blades are more flexible spring steel—slicing tendons is the primary objective, such that the blades don’t have to be too heavy or stiff.  In the thrusting context, the blade is just stiff enough to pierce, but the bending before piercing creates a “pop” that arrests the momentum of the thrust, such that &lt;em&gt;not impaling&lt;/em&gt; is guaranteed, and the blade can always be quickly withdrawn. Impaling is considered a low level of technique because of the high chance of losing the blade—by definition, when impaling, the fencer gives us nearly all control of the blade, and only has a single vector to successful withdraw it—very difficult and not worth the risk.  But most of this is oral history, which I pass on because research and practice have reinforced it’s utility, even only as a principle for a real world scenario that will never happen because swords are now an archaic weapon. Thus the art is preserved for its own sake, as something value, worthy of deep study.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think there are other, less direct examples of mythology, history and oral history having a function of different domains in martial arts, across styles.  I see a parallel in the modern re-contextualization of Helio vs. Kimura, where we can look at in a broader context, and see what it led to, to understand the utility of that match.  (Don’t forget that it was trivial for Helio to prevail against Kimura’s top student:)  It could even be said to become sort of a founding myth of modern MMA.  It helps contextualize why Royce vs. Shamrock II is an example of the highest level of martial capability, &lt;em&gt;on both sides&lt;/em&gt;.  It’s also useful for martial artists to know that history and see how it spurred multiple generations of improvement that led to a new flowering of the arts in the current era, improving all martial arts by forcing all arts to similarly advance. It’s a very famous, modern example of the interchange of ideas and how martial arts advance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There should be a formally acceptable answer here if this can be answered in a general sense, constructed on well reasoned, strongly supportable arguments.  It should also be an opportunity to examine this tradition in various styles, and where it might be useful, and where it might be counterproductive.  (For instance, oral tradition that leads students to overestimate their own abilities is never a good thing, for the students or the arts.) It’s a delicate balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-09-04T21:19:35.153" Title="Is there a function of mythology, history, and oral history in martial arts?" Tags="|history|tradition|theory|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12760" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12750" CreationDate="2021-09-04T21:34:48.187" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Although I have not formally done much Kung Fu, I did once use a Wing Chun punch in a real fight and it was effective (this is the short sharp punch where the elbow starts on the hip and the fist drives up into the chest of the opponent).  What I noticed about this punch was that the person was not expecting it at all, as people are normally used to big looping boxing-type punches.  I doubt that Kung Fu would have survived for the length of time that it has if it was not in some degree effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If anything, it probably just helps you to know your limits.  Sometimes people arrive at a martial arts dojo literally thinking that they are invincible.  I have seen someone try to fight a group of people and instantly be pinned to the ground and kicked unconscious.  Perhaps if they did martial arts they would know to walk away.  Videos of ''master such-and-such'' at dojo XYZ getting beaten up in a fight don't change my statement and are irrelevant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11890" LastEditorUserId="11890" LastEditDate="2021-09-08T16:28:59.823" LastActivityDate="2021-09-08T16:28:59.823" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12761" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-09-05T00:19:18.937" Score="2" ViewCount="150" Body="&lt;p&gt;Over the years, I've had many swords I've trained on, light and heavy, good quality and poor, well balanced and poorly balanced, steel of different tempers, and wood.  I never felt a decently weighted Chinese sword for the first several years, using only wood practice swords, steel pipes, and a medieval European replica, serviceable, but not ideal, for Chinese styles. (Swordsmiths have to forge for specific purpose.¹) For a couple of years I was even using a rod I cut from a sapling to try a little Japanese two handed cutting. Even now, when you can get great steel from China, heavy and light, I wouldn't say any of my blades is exactly perfect, balance wise, just better then most, and well good enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now that I have better swords of all weights, I rarely practice with rods or poorly weighted weapons. I don't typically use my decent wooden jian trainer, as an example, even though the action that used to feel non-existent when the wood felt heavy, now feels better than some steel I've worked with, and better than a rod, if less significantly durable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is it important to practice with poorly weighted blades and sword analogs?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Answers from any perspective and dimension of the question are welcome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[1] Sprague, M., &lt;em&gt;Longsword and Saber&lt;/em&gt;, 2013. &lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;A skilled swordsmith was therefore familiar with the particular fighting techniques the swordsman could expect to encounter.&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-09-10T09:55:52.507" Title="Is it important to train with poorly weighted swords?" Tags="|self-defense|sparring|streetfight|historic-european|jian|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12762" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-09-05T09:52:31.437" Score="-2" ViewCount="93" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's a beautiful thing to watch an athlete, outmatched on paper, employ strategy to overcome the favourite.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Effective strategy can enable competitors and participants to overcome otherwise apparently superior opponents, not only in competitive martial arts, but in real-life combat and sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But of course, there's no substitute for in-person training from a good instructor who knows your strengths and weaknesses and can provide feedback specific to your abilities. Given that strategic literacy can take anyone, regardless of their level, to new heights,  it remains strangely absent - a least in my experience - from many martial arts schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judging by many of the questions already posted to this stack, there's clearly a thirst for strategic knowledge in the M.A.S.E. community. Is there scope for greater strategic emphasis in your martial arts training?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-09-06T10:20:39.520" LastActivityDate="2021-09-06T11:39:14.093" Title="Has There Been Sufficient Emphasis on Strategy During Your Martial Arts Training?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|karate|mixed-martial-arts|kung-fu|strategy|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12763" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12750" CreationDate="2021-09-05T14:29:40.880" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Having been to two different traditional Kung Fu schools, I'll say that an average person would not want to get into a fight with any of the more advanced students or masters, at least that I have met.&#xA;So in a nutshell, the answer to the question &amp;quot;Is (training) Kung-Fu useful for self defence?&amp;quot; the answer is &amp;quot;Yes&amp;quot; if the alternative is not training at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any serious Kung Fu training will start you off with basic stances, punches, kicks, blocks and whatnot. The animal forms are usually part of a later and more advanced regimen. You wouldn't want to go into the 'Eagle' stance you pointed out in a street fight, similarly to how you wouldn't want to go into an active war in the desert wearing your parade uniform.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11943" LastEditorUserId="11943" LastEditDate="2021-09-07T15:45:42.993" LastActivityDate="2021-09-07T15:45:42.993" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12764" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-09-05T18:37:08.837" Score="2" ViewCount="100" Body="&lt;p&gt;A &lt;code&gt;seat belt&lt;/code&gt; is a famous and well-known back choke in BJJ. Recently, I heard that there is an additional version for this choke known as Darson's Seat Belt (most probably called by Darson Hemmings). I haven't found any sources for it. Is there an additional/ different name for this? Is there any video/ source that explain what is it and how to do it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="6750" LastEditDate="2021-09-06T05:04:04.983" LastActivityDate="2021-09-06T05:04:04.983" Title="What is Darson's Seat Belt" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|technique|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12765" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12767" CreationDate="2021-09-06T04:53:06.687" Score="2" ViewCount="252" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been renewing my attempts at getting good fist rotation in shadow boxing.  The common wisdom is that fist remain vertical until near full extension, at which point it rotates.  Often, it rotates 90 degrees into a horizontal position, but for training purposes, many people advocate rotating 180 degrees so thumb is facing down.  It also helps with raising to shoulder to protect the chin.  My rotation is often just 45 degrees, though I try to keep the chin beneath the shoulders nevertheless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I came across &lt;a href=&quot;https://expertboxing.com/horizontal-punches-vs-vertical-punches&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;less common advice&lt;/a&gt; to allow the elbows to flare out when rotating the fist for straighter  elbow/fist/wrist alignment.  The article acknowledges the telegraphing and lesser protection on the sides.  The rationale for doing this is that when striking, you are abandoning a full commitment to defending with that arm anyway, and that telegraphing by the elbows is not much of a differentiator for advanced boxers because they are in constant motion and rely on a sense of when an opponent intends to strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will never be an intermediate boxer, much less an advance one, but I do identify tried-and-true combinations that are right for me, for which I hope to build up muscle memory through shadow boxing, regularly but not for a long duration almost every day.  Those are just my time priorities.  So I can't afford to incorporate every possible variant of a technique or combination -- just some core ones that I pick out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For such a limited commitment, is it better to go with arms flaring out (not a whole lot, but noticeable), or staying with the conventional wisdom of not doing that?&lt;/strong&gt;  I'm thinking about this from both a boxing and kickboxing perspective.  For the latter, it may seem that one is accepting the risk of roundhouses to the torso, but I also keep in mind that the elbows flare only when striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In pondering the answer to this, I note that in a lot of videos, I do notice some elbow flaring, so I'm wondering if that's just the practical reality, and whether it is even worth worrying about.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpef50wadk0&amp;amp;t=1088s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt; is an example of where the arm seems to be unhinging on an almost horizontal plane as opposed to the ideal vertical plane.  In some boxing tutorial videos, the arm unhinges along the ideal vertical plan, with fist rotation at the end, but when the tutors speed it up, that goes away.  The opening few seconds &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71nmi6nGcrY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; also show unhinging of the jabbing arm along an almost horizontal plane (watch in half speed).  Also 45-degree flaring &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLqt5VnrSkk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; despite saying not to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;P.S. I notice that muay thai tends to have elbows out even in ready position, and some explanations is that elbows hurt incoming kicks more.  I think that complicates my question too much.  So please interpret my question as being about the situation where elbows are down, close to body when in ready position.  It is about flaring when rotating the first for a jab/cross.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10351" LastEditorUserId="10351" LastEditDate="2021-09-14T01:16:09.073" LastActivityDate="2021-09-14T04:22:59.330" Title="Lifting elbows when rotation fists for jab/cross" Tags="|boxing|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12766" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12750" CreationDate="2021-09-06T07:37:56.363" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The training I was getting was divided in three parts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Traditional&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Acrobatics&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Utility&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Acrobatics were useless in a fight, but built strength and elasticity of the body. That's something you  always want to have in a fight. I dropped that part because frankly I was too fat and too old for this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditional was flashy, sure, but I was able to kick old rusty garage doors shut, when guys larger than me, pumped with muscle mass, couldn't. Would I use this flashy kick in a real fight? No way! But it showed me that traditional flashy moves can have &lt;em&gt;something&lt;/em&gt; in them. Also, traditional training built stamina. Uncomfortable stances and flashy moves require a lot of energy, especially when you begin (some of them became strangely comfortable later).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Utility part was like traditional, but distilled to stances, kicks and hits that are most useful. It wasn't really all that different from my wife's krav maga moves or my friends' kickboxing moves, honestly. It &lt;strong&gt;did&lt;/strong&gt; save my butt a couple of times, and I didn't even needed to really hurt the other guy, and that's always nice if police ma be involved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, can kung fu be useful in self-defence? It always is, just to a different degree and in different ways. It is good to know what exactly your school offers under the term, and if it offers more than one variant, to choose which one(s) you want to train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11948" LastActivityDate="2021-09-06T07:37:56.363" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12767" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12765" CreationDate="2021-09-06T09:18:46.530" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;From a purely boxing position - I would suggest it doesn't matter at all &lt;em&gt;when&lt;/em&gt; the fist rotates as long as it's not affecting the efficacy of your punch (I've noticed in my students that if the fist rotates too soon, it can lead to a &amp;quot;knocking on the door&amp;quot; motion where the strike is with the tips of the middle knuckles rather than the flat section of the 1st knuckles). An earlier rotation will lead to greater flaring but the risk is mostly going to be if the opponent was already in the process of throwing a body shot and you're punching over it, which is advantage you to be honest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regarding the &lt;em&gt;degree&lt;/em&gt; of rotation, I would suggest avoiding rotation greater than 180' as this can in the long term result in damage to the rotator cuff. Rotation should also be dependant on target - if I'm throwing a jab to under the jaw I may rotate out slightly rather than in to get a better angle in the fist to match the line of the jaw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When it comes to kickboxing again the risk from hits (particularly kicks which are generally slightly slower than punches) is minimal during your offensive unless the opponent was already in the process of performing it. This becomes an issue in points fighting where if they make contact before you it could end up with the point going to them, but in light continuous and up yes, they get a point, but if you connect so do you so it evens out and then it becomes more tactical as to how many points you're willing to sacrifice. The same physiological issues (injury risk, targetting, etc) as boxing apply in this situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only real tactical issue with early rotation comes when grappling starts to be involved. This is the reason why the classical pugilism crowd is very hot on vertical fists and late rotation (the presence of grappling in pre-queensbury boxing) which has carried over into modern boxing, and why it's more important in for example MMA, where the opening you provide can give grappling opportunities to an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tl;Dr - For pure boxing and even kickboxing to an extent the timing of rotation is of minimal importance, but the angle of rotation has tactical and injury risk implications.&#xA;For sports which allow grappling as well as striking, there is a risk of counter grappling if the flared elbow position presents too many opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11766" LastActivityDate="2021-09-06T09:18:46.530" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12768" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12750" CreationDate="2021-09-06T09:30:49.193" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;To reframe this slightly: is a &lt;em&gt;traditional martial&lt;/em&gt; useful for self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For all of them, the answer is yes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Traditional martial arts are those where the &lt;em&gt;Tradition&lt;/em&gt; of the martial art is important. This means that the martial artists like to actively keep things more or less as they are, including enjoying the cultural background/&amp;quot;coloring&amp;quot; (for example, rituals like bowing and using certain words or phrases in the originating language, even if nobody in the dojo talks that language naturally). Very often this aspect is more important than changing non-&amp;quot;working&amp;quot; techniques. Also, when the art does not include sparring, this is basically guaranteed, as there is no way to find out whether a technique actually works as advertised.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is nothing wrong with all of that - we have many hobbies and activities where the tradition of doing it is very important, often much more important than improving the &amp;quot;performance&amp;quot; (whatever that may be). For example, some people enjoy shooting simple bows made by hand from a strip of wood much more than using a high tech modern bow which would be &lt;em&gt;much&lt;/em&gt; more easy to actually hit the target with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many martial arts have internal rules which make them not as flexible or optimal in a given setting (say, self defense) as other martial arts which specifically change themselves frequently to do well in such circumstances. For example, Aikido has very formalized hand &amp;quot;striking&amp;quot; which resembles sword strikes much more than any actual strike you would ever see anywhere else. Most striking/kicking arts except noticably Muay Thai forbid certain strikes and kicks, often making a distinction for elbows and knees. And so on and so forth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not &lt;em&gt;that&lt;/em&gt; familiar with Kung Fu - but I do know that the term is a generic one which encompasses a wild variety of concrete arts, so I cannot really tell you if any one of them includes adapting specifically to self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But &lt;em&gt;every&lt;/em&gt; traditional martial art has in common that it takes mental discipline, frustration tolerance and often considerable athletic skill, endurance, mobility and so on. Also, being kind of proficient in a martial art means that you have faced quite some challenge and frustration and came through it, very likely making you just a little bit more relaxed. This alone &lt;em&gt;may&lt;/em&gt; make it so that in an actual self defense situation, while your martial art may not necessarily have any concrete technique in its repertoire which would free you &amp;quot;right now&amp;quot;, it may help you not get into the situation in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might exude a bit more of a &amp;quot;tough opponent&amp;quot; image to your assailant (robbers may ignore you for easier targets). You may be able to run faster or longer and thus get away due to the strenuous training. You &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; just surprise the attacker with a quick attack from the arsenal of your art before you yourself get into a physical defensive position, if you decide that the situation has escalated past talking. You &lt;em&gt;may&lt;/em&gt; have heard in your dojo that being surrounded by multiple enemies is usually fatal, and may position yourself in a way to avoid that.  You &lt;em&gt;might&lt;/em&gt; have learned how to fall correctly and thus survive the first hit just to be able to run away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Things along that line are at least more likely than if you had never trained any martial art whatsoever, so training any martial art at all is better than training none.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7343" LastActivityDate="2021-09-06T09:30:49.193" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12769" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12762" CreationDate="2021-09-06T11:39:14.093" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's an important discussion to be had here on Strategy vs. Tactics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strategy is going to be very dependant on the situation you are training for/find yourself in, and tactics will be dictated by the larger strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To provide examples, if training for self defence the strategy is to avoid putting yourself in dangerous situations, deescalate where possible, and then use force to escape if the first two elements fail.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tactically this means I will avoid poorly lit areas, as well as areas where alcohol is consumed - particularly making sure I am clear of these areas by the time pubs/clubs/etc close. If I can't avoid these areas (for example I work for one of the organisations in London who hand out shoes/water/etc to clubbers and stay with people for safety until their taxi arrives), then I will undertake deescalation training prior to going there, employ LEAPS, etc.&#xA;If I then end up in a physical altercation, my strategy is to escape with as little harm as possible, and the tactics I use will be dependant on my training but may include preemptive striking, covering, disabling my opponent, and then running to a known place of safety.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For your question being more sport focussed, the strategy will be determined by the ruleset and your skill set, for example a BJJ-er in MMA may have the overall strategy of taking the fight to the ground, then applying a submission to effect victory. A kickboxer on the other hand may have the strategy of remaining on their feet and finishing by KO/TKO within the 1st round due to deficits in their conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The tactics used to achieve these victories will then be more granular, so the BJJ-er may decide to attempt to use striking to facilitate a specific grab, throw/takedown from that grab using a technique they're confident with which has a high percentage success rate, manoeuvre to their preferred position i.e. side control and submit from there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strategy in competition is therefore something which needs to be developed over time based on your evident strengths and weaknesses, but which also for professional fighters will account for the strengths and weaknesses of the scheduled opponent. Chuck Liddell is a good example here - decent level of wrestling and strong kickboxing, strategically aiming to stay on his feet and strike to a win, tactically using specific wrestling defences to stay up then high percentage strikes to reach the KO/TKO.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For most of us competing at tournament level we'll only have one set of information to work off of, which is ours, as we're paired with partners on the day, however a decent coach should be able to watch the upcoming opponents and develop a mini-strategy (i.e. &amp;quot;This guy always closes quickly because of his short reach, so our strategy is to stay at a distance and focus on kicking to score).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is in my opinion massive scope for club level martial artists to look deeper into developing strategy on an individual level - this is something often overlooked especially where there isn't a high level talent pathway (in the UK for example wrestling does this much better than most kickboxing or karate clubs).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The issue arises where the club is too large and not enough attention can be paid to individual development - everyone gets taught a very middle of the road method and the strategy often boils down to (especially in points fighting) &amp;quot;be the first one to make contact.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To finish, I often use a training exercise where I will give people different win conditions (we're a self-protection not a sport focussed club - sport club mileage may vary here except in MMA where you can focus on grappling/striking win conditions with different members). For example one person is aiming to achieve a hold and maintain it, the other is aiming to disengage and reach a certain location in the dojo. These would be the strategy level thinking, and then in the moment the students have to work through to the position tactically based on end-state and starting position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT (as the question changed while I was answering and for Tl;Dr)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is more scope for strategic education in most club level martial arts. Professional fighters have the advantage of knowing their opponents in advance and can develop strategies based off of this knowledge and then decide on tactics to achieve the goals set out in the strategic view. While club/tournament martial artists often miss out on this, they should be able to develop strategies based off of their strengths and then amend the tactics used on the day depending on who they face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Coaches need to put in more work in club level settings to develop strategies with their students/athletes and then modify tactics during competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11766" LastActivityDate="2021-09-06T11:39:14.093" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12770" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12750" CreationDate="2021-09-06T14:02:13.100" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Based on experience, I have to say it teaches you to never underestimate opponents, approach situations seriously, avoid conflicts with the best of your ability and if there is absolutely no way to avoid conflict then yes, proceed with resolution, efficiency, and finish it as soon as possible, then get out of the place. Sometimes the best defense is to run, some others (if you're being robbed, for instances) is to give up your wallet, etc as material things can be recovered but loss of life cannot. Keep in mind if you have doubts you shouldn't act. To be absolutely sure you can act, you must train and put yourself under constant tests, enough to become familiar with similar scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Doesn't mean you're invincible. Actually it is a constant learning experience and you have to be humble about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11951" LastActivityDate="2021-09-06T14:02:13.100" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12771" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12765" CreationDate="2021-09-06T17:10:45.917" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;One reason boxing and some other styles (including karate) recommend turning the wrist at the end of a punch is because a fist (gloved or ungloved) that is twisting at the moment of impact is more likely to tear the skin and/or cause subcutaneous damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flaring the elbows is often criticised for:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Telegraphing&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Reducing power&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Reducing defensive integrity&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Telegraphing: The telegraphing complaint seems to stem from an assumption that prior to the punch, the elbows rise from a position closer to the body, but as has been pointed out, this argument does not hold if the elbows are always held out and away from the body, because then no lifting of the elbows needs to occur prior to the punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend asking a training partner to deliver both types of strikes to you, and then to reverse roles. You will then have concrete evidence from which to draw a conclusion. Be aware though, that you might have flaws in your technique which taint the results of such an experiment. For example, you might punch well from an elbows-in position, but me more prone to retracting your fist prior to punching when your elbows are up, or vice versa. Get an expert to analyse your technique. Frequently. Especially when you're starting out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Power Reduction: Even amongst experts, there are competing views here. I'll leave it to the physicists to debate the theory. I find I get significantly more power during straight punches by keeping my elbows close. I attribute this to my body weight staying behind my fist as it is propelled towards the target. Again, try it yourself and measure the results. You will quickly determine which technique is more powerful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Defensive Integrity: This is the primary factor, as far as I'm concerned, especially if you're a beginner. An intermediate or advanced boxer will often be able to take advantage of the significantly bigger opening offered by a boxer with flared elbows. Uppercuts, straight punches to the solar-plexus, hooks to the body; all are made significantly easier when an opponent's elbows are raised.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is true that as you get more advanced, as you get better able to control distance and to read attacks, you are able to diverge from the 'basics' more and more, and with less risk. Becoming confident with eccentric/unorthodox stances, strikes and movement adds a dimension of unpredictability to your repertoire which is very valuable in any fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nonetheless, the old cliche that you should learn the basics before you learn to break them seems sound, for even as an expert boxer you will encounter many situations in which the best thing you can do is revert to foundational skills. Of course, if the foundation is not there, you will get into trouble.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastActivityDate="2021-09-06T17:10:45.917" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12772" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12750" CreationDate="2021-09-06T22:24:12.467" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Yes, but:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kung Fu is an umbrella term for all Chinese martial arts. There's hundreds of them and many are very different from each other.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Whether or not a historical martial art is practical for self-defence depends more on how it is trained than on its techniques. Yes, the techniques need to be practical on a basic level, but most martial arts are effective in the circumstances they were created for (if that circumstance is fighting with a halberd you may not see much use). If you train a martial art with its applications and involve proper and regular sparring and body conditioning it's probably going to work. Sparring and crosstraining are pretty good at filtering out what works and what doesn't. The issue is that martial arts (especially far eastern ones in the west) are often practiced as gymnastics and dance with esoteric and philosophical elements, which makes them useless for self-defence, because martial applications aren't properly taught and never trained on resisting partners. Moreover, in China traditional martial arts were largely eradicated and in their stead modern Wushu was created, which had its combat applications systematically stripped out and replaced with pure acrobatics and showmanship. I do consider many traditional arts less practical for our contemporary use cases, but they're generally good enough for self-defence as long as you train for combat.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It also has to be said that for many martial arts the legends have overwritten the history and a lot of teachers don't actually know themselves how some techniques were practically used or in what context the art was created. That's not to say it's forbidden secret knowledge, but it's not &lt;em&gt;common&lt;/em&gt; knowledge for the typical Friday afternoon karate teacher. As such, sometimes teachers will honestly try to teach some laughably impractical applications. I refer you to the answers of &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8373/why-do-we-teach-unrealistic-bunkai&quot;&gt;this question&lt;/a&gt; for examples. That and bullshido artists exist, obviously.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Most martial arts have more and less grounded (pun intended) techniques. The more spectacular but less practical ones tend to show up a lot in exhibitions and movies, because they just look more impressive than the straightforward practical ones. But almost every martial art has those practical ones as well. This is a natural development as exhibition becomes more important than application, compare olympic Taekwondo and its prevalence of high kicks, because those score the most points.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stances aren't only combat positions. Yes, there are guards that you can take in combat, but that's not the only type. There are stances that are transitional, positions you move through during certain techniques but don't remain in during combat. There are stances intended for training, in order to improve your (especially lower body) strength, endurance and flexibility. I know from experience that trying to practice something like Bajiquan without properly conditioning your lower body can damage your ankle and knee joints, because the muscles aren't strong enough to absorb the shock of your weight distribution rapidly changing. Lastly, in forms a stance can be shorthand for several possible options. A cat stance (all weight on the back foot) for example can signify a retreating motion or a kick.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All in all, while I wouldn't recommend a traditional art to someone primarily looking for self-defence, if you're interested in a traditional art, you can use it for self-defence as long as you find a school that is qualified and willing to train you that way and you're willing to do that training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11954" LastActivityDate="2021-09-06T22:24:12.467" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12773" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="948" CreationDate="2021-09-07T01:49:37.347" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hello Taijiquan advocates,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I enjoyed reading some of the responses especially the detailed one by &amp;quot;anon&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I just wanted to mention that after Push Hands level there is a 2 man fist form called &lt;strong&gt;Taiji Sanshou 88&lt;/strong&gt;.  This gives the practitioners an idea of footwork, techniques &amp;amp; close distance in a continuous flowing manner.  The speed for Taiji Sanshou 88 is moderately slow initially as you learn it, but can be sped up to close to a controlled fighting speed. I learned this Taiji Sanshou 88 from my teacher Ching &amp;quot;Andrew&amp;quot; Li.  He also helped to analyze each technique if you have questions on different situations or intent. Each partner does 88 techniques &amp;amp; when you memorize your side then learn the other partner's side! This fist form can be practiced without a partner also.  After this training you can try controlled free sparring &amp;amp; training with apparatus.&#xA;You can search on youtube or see the reference below. The article mentions that Tian Zhaolin learned the Taiji Sanshou 88 from Grandmaster Yang Jianhou&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reference:&#xA;&amp;quot;A Brief Introduction to Yang Family 88 Taiji San-shou&amp;quot;, by Yao Guoqin translated &amp;amp; edited by Key Sun, Ph.D &amp;amp; Leroy Clark,Tai Chi Magazine Vol 27,No.6 Dec.2003&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11958" LastActivityDate="2021-09-07T01:49:37.347" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12774" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12761" CreationDate="2021-09-07T02:44:05.417" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here's an anecdote from my Chen taiji study: I was looking for a good place near my job to practice on my lunch hour. I found a little beach and was interested in the fact that the ground was uneven and tricky with the thick sand shifting under my feet. I thought, I ought to practice here often, to help me to learn stable footing on difficult surfaces. I brought it up to my teacher the next class, thinking he might agree, but to my surprise and chagrin, he was unimpressed. His take was, &amp;quot;it might be interesting for a short bit until you figure out how to move on the sand, but overall it doesn't add anything useful to your training.&amp;quot; Based on that I would say not to spend time with poorly weighted weapons if you have better ones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal take, as someone with NO noteable rank nor skill, is that you wouldn't have the luxury to find a well-balanced weapon in a dangerous self-defense situation. Perhaps the idea is that if you are well-trained it might take a moment for you to figure out the weight of a random weapon but then you'll be fine. I think it's similar to asking if you should practice a form mirrored (i.e. switch hands and feet), and most teachers I've run into would say don't bother.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8354" LastActivityDate="2021-09-07T02:44:05.417" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12777" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12697" CreationDate="2021-09-08T02:57:49.120" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;One key is the shape of the blades. A curved blade naturally slides more across a target, making it easier to slice. A straight sword doesn't stay in contact as long unless you draw it across the surface. Naturally, then, the cutting technique has to be quite different. Straight swords make thrusting easier, while curved swords make cutting easier. The katana is less curved than some other cutting swords, perhaps to give more balance between cutting and thrusting, but it's more for cutting. The European swords were generally more for thrusting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The stances might look similar because weapons in general have similar ways of wielding.  For example, standing with your weapon in front of you, pointed at your opponents eyes, makes sense for many weapons, because it a) puts something between you and your opponent, and b) makes it harder to judge the exact length when it's pointed right at their eyes.  It works for staves as well as blades.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8354" LastActivityDate="2021-09-08T02:57:49.120" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12781" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9753" CreationDate="2021-09-09T10:00:35.373" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not sure if you are still looking for an answer but I read the previous answers posted and I'd like to add some things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been doing Ninjutsu for about 8 years now and I can say I've had some experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well I do agree with the previous comments about the fact that no sparring does restrict your ability to adapt in a real incounter with a person who wants to win, I would like to point out that every dojo that teaches Ninjutsu teaches it slightly differently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The original form of Ninjutsu was used on the battle field in a multitude of ways, but this was a long time ago and rules and social acceptance of carrying around a 'weapon' has changed. So too must the principal of Bujinkan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each school within the principal of Ninjustu teaches the student different aspects of defence and offense. However, many people walk into a nNnjutsu dojo and expect to be taught how to attack you aggressor. This concept is not used in Ninjutsu. It's not about attacking your aggressor but about controlling them and the situation. As soon as you give into the urge to become aggressive or angry in the situation your judgement of that situation is slowed and therefore your reactions are slowed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, what Ninjutsu teaches you is not necessarily how to use those exact techniques that you have been taught to get out of a situation. What it teaches you is how to adapt and react to those situations as they unfold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, in Ninjutsu, within every school there is an emphasis on Taijutsu (body movement), this helps you by teaching you that moving effectively and quickly is half the battle won. Now some may disagree with that but let me put you in a situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, you are cornered in a ally or maybe just next to a building. There are two attackers. Now you know how to punch and kick, so you've got some basic moves under you belt. OK?&#xA;Now what use is knowing how to punch and kick if you can't move around those people. It's all well and good having a strong punch until you are put in a situation where the person is too close or they're at the wrong angle.&#xA;Not only that but, you have not only one person going for the win but two. So how does Ninjutsu deal with this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well early on in training and through out it, one of the thing you with be taught is Taijutsu and of course reaction time. This can be trained in many ways. Like I said, no two dojos train the same. In my experience, one of the multitude of exercises I did, was were my sensai had a bokken (wooden training katana) and I stood infront of him at cutting distance. We would stand there and at no particular point in time he would cut down. With no idea when the cut is going to come you have to move or roll out of the way. So this with an abundance of other exercises has reduced my reaction time to something that would keep we standing if more than one person attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now to the comment on contact within Ninjutsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once again I emphasise the fact that dojos teaching this principal vary widely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The dojo I trained in and am training in has full and half contact training. While we do not participate in sparring per say, when we train with our partner we hit each other and we resist the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the technique involves a punch to the solar plexus we hit the solar plexus, within reason of course. If you are trying to get your partner off balance they have all rights to move so they are back on balance. This forces you to adapt and move differently. Try something else. Not every principal is going to work on every person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that in the root of Bujinkan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If a person attacks you in the street you're not going to pull out these flashy moves to take them down. You don't know if a certain move is going to effect them. You need to be able to be in that situation, be calm, think clearly, and adapt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are taught to rip with your nails, use pressure points, attack the eyes, nose, ears, you are taught the weak points on the body. A kick to the side of the knee with force will dislocate something, a strike to the temple is dangerous, a strong shuto strike to the collar bone will break it. But it will not always work, so you are taught that the first thing you want to do is distract them so you can get away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are taught that a broom can break bones, your keys can be used as a weapon, if you kick up dirt you can district them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not only that but it teaches you your limits. It teaches you that if you have a gun pointed to you, well you may have been taught to disarm, you can't be macho and try to take them down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It uses the human weeknesses both physical and mentally in order to control yourself, the aggressor and the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now Bujinkan is an old form of fighting but the principals of surviving stay the same. Well we are not in ancient times with the samurai and ninjas who originally trained under Bujinkan Budo Taijustu, the main emphasis in modern Bujinkan is adapting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are able to avoid attacks, you'll be OK. If you distract them and get, away, you'll be OK. If you counter their attacks and get them down, you'll be OK. How you'll reach the point where you are ok will never be the same. You may have to fight. You may have to defend yourself against multiple people. You may be stuck.&#xA;All the techniques that you have been taught, well to be honest, you're going to forget them. But what you won't forget is how to move. How to strike. How to adapt to the person in front of you. And most importantly how to control the situation you are in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many people have said to me that ninjust is useless in a real fight and I disagree.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way I have been taught it has left me the last one standing. Eye gouges, eardrum bursting, clawing, are all part of that learning. Maybe you won't use them, as many things in martial arts aren't ingrained into you, you will still learn how to get out of a situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I'm trying to say in my long answer, is that I myself and the way I have been taught Bujinkan, has taught me how to fight. And anyone who says otherwise is being taught differently. Anyone who says that they don't do training with a partner is missing out on adapting to different people. Anyone who says that you are not taught how to fight dirty (eye gouges, screaming, clawing) is only being taught the techniques and not the root of ninjutsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How to survive and get out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So that's my answer and my opinion. Hope it helped.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11966" LastActivityDate="2021-09-09T10:00:35.373" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12782" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12761" CreationDate="2021-09-10T09:55:52.507" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can see a number of reasons why you might choose to train with a poorly weighted/balanced/constructed swords.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Cost - If all you can afford is a poor quality cheap sword, this is still a superior option to not training at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Novelty - There is some value in training slightly differently to how you normally would, as it will give you some insight into options that you may not have thought of training the same way all the time. Ramsey Dewey has a good video on this about why he has his MMA fighters train BJJ in a gi still - it's similar enough to be relevant, and different enough to force fighters to think about an additional dimension. It's important here to not have too much of the training time dedicated to this though, maybe 5-10%?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Spontaneous/Environmental Weapon use - If you only train with perfectly weighted, perfectly balanced swords then it will be more difficult for you to pick up something to defend yourself with and use it effectively. This is often touted as a benefit of kobudo - the range of weapons gives the practitioner a more adaptable skillset. If your training focus is solely historical interest or competition combat though this is not necessarily a relevant element to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Historical Interest (Contrast/Specific periods) - During WW2, the Japanese flooded their officer class with poor quality machine stamped swords to reinvigorate an image of the samurai in the Japanese Army. It may be of interest to the Kenjutsu/Iaido practitioner to compare the traditional methods of the genuine Samurai using high quality weapons to whatever the Imperial Army's equivalent of combatives was with an appropriate quality sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Because you care less about them - If you're doing some heavy sparring where your weapon is likely to be damaged it may be preferable to use a worse quality weapon with a lower cost. This is obviously the purpose of wooden wasters in most cases, but you may be in a situation where there is a reason to use a metal weapon instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is one reason why you shouldn't use poorly balanced/weighted and particularly over weighted swords, and that is for &amp;quot;Strength and Conditioning&amp;quot; reasons. While this is historically apparent (notable by Roman Legionnaires and certain European Knights) the evidence from sport science is apparent that it decreases coordination, force production, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11766" LastActivityDate="2021-09-10T09:55:52.507" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12784" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12765" CreationDate="2021-09-14T04:22:59.330" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVGgxz6VIpw&amp;amp;t=350s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt; is explicit acknowledgments that a bit of flaring is OK, but &amp;quot;excessive&amp;quot; flaring is not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWeo0Od8xxM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt;, the fist rotation is described as commencing at 75% extension of the striking arm, so if the elbows do point sideways, flaring will be minimal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10351" LastActivityDate="2021-09-14T04:22:59.330" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12785" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12750" CreationDate="2021-09-15T18:16:32.290" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been practicing Kung Fu (Wushu) for 3 years now. Here is my honest take on it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wushu/ Kung Fu can equip you with the tools (kicks, punches etc.) you need to defend yourself. As a matter of fact, I would argue that Kung Fu practitioners are amongst the best athletes and performers in terms of execution. However, it's more about how you use those tools and apply them to a real life situation. This goes for any martial arts style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's like having a big expensive tool chest in your garage with all of the best equipment. However if you have no knowledge of mechanics then its unlikely you will be successful in the use of your tools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The issue, as is noted by people already, is how you are trained. Pure contemporary Wushu does not put a lot of emphases on combat application. It will provide a great foundation for form and execution, athleticism, flexibility, speed and strength. If you can find a coach who was professionally trained, they can usually teach you both Wushu and Sanda, where Sanda is more like a fighting application of Wushu. However these individuals can be hard hard to find.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10044" LastActivityDate="2021-09-15T18:16:32.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12786" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10543" CreationDate="2021-09-15T19:47:09.073" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A Shifu is technically a Master in something.&#xA;It is not only applied to Martial Arts either.&#xA;When someone masters an art, trade or skill, they can be considered a Shifu.&#xA;That is, they have achieved the highest form of a certain skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Being a Shifu generally also means you have enough knowledge to teach others in the art, trade or skill. However, not every Shifu is a teacher or coach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be a Coach and a Shifu, you do need to be able to actually teach the art, skill or trade you mastered. And teaching is a skill in and of itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1395" LastActivityDate="2021-09-15T19:47:09.073" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12789" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12652" CreationDate="2021-09-16T22:35:49.270" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If someone has put your head in a figure-4, usually your head and an arm in what is called a triangle (BJJ) or sankaku (judo) hold, there is very little you can do. The arm in the hold is mostly useless, and the holder has their two arms free to deal with your one. You will not be able to separate the legs with your arms. If you can stand, you can lift them and drive their head into the ground, which may cause them to release the hold. If not, then you suffocate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-09-16T22:35:49.270" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12790" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12797" CreationDate="2021-09-18T05:02:21.007" Score="3" ViewCount="207" Body="&lt;p&gt;The sport pankration in the ancient Greek Olympics is similar to today's mixed martial arts in that it restricted only a few particularly damaging attacks so that competitors will use a mix of stand-up, wrestling, and groundfighting. But something I've noticed in many depictions of pankration is the use of single arm locks (attacking shoulder or elbow) after taking someone's back. It just seems unusual to me because in MMA, back takes usually end up in rear naked chokes, which seems like a much more stable option.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Was this actually a common offense in pankration, or was it just artistic cherrypicking? If it was common, why do we see it in ancient pankration but not modern MMA (e.g. ruleset)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pancrastinae&lt;/em&gt;, a Roman sculpure based on a lost Greek original. It depicts a fighter taking the back of an opponent on 1 hand and knees and using his left hand to hyperextend his opponent's right arm. It's hard to see from this angle, but his left leg is hooked around his opponents' to prevent him from easily turning and relieving the pressure on his shoulder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/25fIF.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/25fIF.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Pancrastinae&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10450" LastEditorUserId="10450" LastEditDate="2021-09-18T08:21:30.630" LastActivityDate="2021-09-20T08:25:56.903" Title="Why is a single armlock common in depictions of pankration but not in modern MMA?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|pankration|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12791" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12652" CreationDate="2021-09-19T00:49:17.260" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bite.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you start spitting chunks of the other guy on the ground, he lets you go. In my personal opinion, this is the biggest weakness inherent in many purely grappling martial arts. Things like armbars, triangle chokes, etc, leave the legs very vulnerable to bites. Worse yet, many of them put the femoral artery very close to the opponents mouth, which can result in exsanguination in just a few minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people don’t train with this in mind, because it’s obviously against the rules in any competition that has any rules at all. However, in my personal experience, any lock or submission that gives the opponent the opportunity to bite you is very risky business.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To summarize; bite, scratch, go for the soft spots, &lt;em&gt;cheat&lt;/em&gt;. When your life depends on victory, there are no rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11987" LastActivityDate="2021-09-19T00:49:17.260" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12792" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12629" CreationDate="2021-09-19T01:27:57.257" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Oh this is my bread and butter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So let’s get the big generalizations out of the way first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Without stepping, kicks with the back leg &lt;em&gt;will&lt;/em&gt; hit harder.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kicks with the front leg will be faster.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kicks with the back leg have more reach.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, I use kicks a lot, and I mean a whole lot, and what I’ve learned is that context and situation matter a whole lot when it comes to what kick you use. For instance, when point sparring I &lt;em&gt;almost&lt;/em&gt; exclusively use my lead leg round kick to score points. I can throw it from almost any position to any target, it’s way too fast to stop if I time it right and I can easily control the power. Conversely, the last time I used my right leg side kick (usually my back leg) I accidentally broke my opponents ribs and bruised his liver.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what do you want to do? Front leg front kicks work like a slightly slower but much longer range jab, while rear leg spin hook kicks are legitimately considered to be potentially lethal. Kicks from the rear leg can be devastating and often end any confrontation as soon as they land. My advice is to find what works best for you and train that, but don’t limit your options. Remember, everything works on somebody, but very little works on everybody.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11987" LastActivityDate="2021-09-19T01:27:57.257" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12793" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12794" CreationDate="2021-09-19T03:52:31.987" Score="4" ViewCount="835" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let's say you are in a hypothetical situation like this: you are facing a stronger opponent throwing a hook punch at you, and the only way to counter it is to block the punch (no protective gear involved). What are the chances that you will break your arm while blocking it (with your forearm)? This seems to be the most likely way to break the arm while blocking punches, so I'm using this as an example to discuss.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if you will get a fracture that way, are there safer ways to block / parry punches?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2021-09-30T17:58:24.220" Title="Is it possible for your arm to break when blocking punches?" Tags="|self-defense|defense|blocking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12794" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12793" CreationDate="2021-09-19T12:37:55.487" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;So assuming both fighters are healthy, adult human beings with no bone diseases and no other outside factors are involved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You aren’t breaking your arm this way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may not be completely impossible, as stranger things have happened, but it would literally be a freak accident if it happened.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When blocking a hook punch, the idea is to position your forearm so it intercepts the opponents strike on his arm, not directly on his fist. To get a better idea, we’ll take a more extreme example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Say someone is swinging a baseball bat at you full force. If you take the full force of this swing, you will be seriously hurt. So what do you do? Well, counterintuitive to human nature, you want to get &lt;em&gt;closer.&lt;/em&gt; Very close to 100% of the power on the swing is located on a very small section of the baseball bat about 2/3rds of the way down. If you get past this point you can easily stop a full force swing with your bare hands without receiving any injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A hook punch is very similar, except the force of the punch is almost entirely concentrated in the fist. If you block correctly, by getting your block past the fist, you are more likely going to hurt your opponents arm than your own. I will caution that other strikes are a bit of a different story. Kicks have a &lt;em&gt;lot&lt;/em&gt; more power than punches, so it’s usually better to just not get kicked if possible. Straight punches still have all the force in the fist, but they are much harder to intercept than hooks and can have equal or greater power. If you take a straight punch directly to your forearm, there is a pretty good chance of a fracture, depending on how and where the strike lands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To summarize, blocking a hook this way is totally safe, and is more likely to harm your opponent than yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11987" LastEditorUserId="11987" LastEditDate="2021-09-30T17:58:24.220" LastActivityDate="2021-09-30T17:58:24.220" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12797" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12790" CreationDate="2021-09-20T08:25:56.903" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;There could be a number of reasons for this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Source confusion - The Greeks did also contest wrestling (to a fall) as a separate sport in the same way they did boxing. It may be that the number of depictions of pankration are therefore lower than expected with some being depictions of wrestling and therefore not showing strangles (for example, if we had 10 depictions, 2 showing strangles, and assumed they were all pankration, we'd think strangles were under represented - this view changes if we then find out 5 of the statues are of wrestling as an individual sport attempting to depict throws rather than submissions).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ruleset - According to Miller, (n.d.) the ruleset of Greek wrestling counted any contact of the back with the ground even while fighting on the ground constituted a fall, which makes head/neck control from the rear dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Artistic reasons - It is conceivable that sculpting a wrestler taking a grip about an arm or shoulder is easier than sculpting one taking a choke, and in the case of painted depictions makes the action clearer and conveys the goals better, and this has therefore influenced the artists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's important to note the majority of artistic impressions of wrestling/pankration are that - art. They're not supposed to be educational or training resources, and so artistic reasons will take precedence over practical ones when decisions are made.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Choking/Strangling techniques are absolutely present from the historical record in pankration/Greek wrestling, and I would suggest it is probably due to reason 3 above that we don't see them as frequently in artistic representations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11766" LastActivityDate="2021-09-20T08:25:56.903" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12798" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12799" CreationDate="2021-09-20T23:26:55.450" Score="3" ViewCount="86" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently watched Birth of the Dragon on Netflix, and absolutely loved it. However, one particular movement caught my eye above all others, simply for the overwhelming appearance that something unfortunate could happen to either party at any moment. The movement is performed by Master Wong during the final fight scene (timestamp included):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/YdsXo_6BlUw?t=186&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/YdsXo_6BlUw?t=186&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand that movies and TV can add interesting concepts to stunts for a &amp;quot;wow&amp;quot; factor, but I can't help but wonder if there's actual naming in the martial arts community for such a movement so that I can learn more about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the spinning movement performed by Master Wong called?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11996" LastEditorUserId="11996" LastEditDate="2021-09-20T23:33:52.997" LastActivityDate="2021-09-21T12:14:31.433" Title="What is the technical name for this movement performed by Master Wong in Birth of the Dragon?" Tags="|terminology|tai-chi|identification|shaolin|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12799" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12798" CreationDate="2021-09-21T12:14:31.433" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;That movement is essentially a mix of a &lt;a href=&quot;https://jiujitsu-news.com/how-to-do-a-flying-armbar/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;flying arm bar&lt;/a&gt; and a &lt;a href=&quot;https://howtheyplay.com/individual-sports/How-to-Do-a-Spinning-Armbar&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;spinning arm bar&lt;/a&gt; with a bit of extra spinning added in to make it look more cinematic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-09-21T12:14:31.433" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12800" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-09-21T16:22:37.573" Score="-1" ViewCount="90" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you look on Google, you will find people talking about how to take a punch (roll with the blow, relax, etc.) But does this really matter? If you get punched, then all that kinetic energy is absorbed into your body, whether you know technique or not. Thus, assuming an opponent is not using a gun or knife, could you just rush forward and attack the guy and win? After all, even a baby absorbs kinetic energy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11997" LastActivityDate="2021-09-22T04:21:42.047" Title="Why do people talk about &quot;ways to take a punch&quot; if your body automatically absorbs the force of a blow?" Tags="|self-training|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12801" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-09-21T17:02:28.037" Score="3" ViewCount="281" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a kind of &amp;quot;last resort&amp;quot; for self defense? I have gone to the authorities, other people, and they haven't cared that I was getting beat up. I weigh very little compared to my aggressors and I am normally outclassed (this is not a duplicate, as I just want the pain to stop, no matter what I have to do). I have learned several martial arts (aikido, JKD, Krav Maga, to name a few) and though my instructor says I am proficient I just get pummeled anyway. No one cares, nothing works, what can I do when I am in this situation!?!?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11998" LastActivityDate="2021-10-06T14:46:19.507" Title="How to defend yourself when everything and everyone doesn't care/work?" Tags="|self-defense|mixed-martial-arts|bullying|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12802" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12800" CreationDate="2021-09-21T17:37:59.007" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, it matters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you roll with a punch, you absorb less kinetic energy from the punch than if you stand still and receive the blow. When you reduce the speed differential at impact, you reduce the kinetic energy transfered upon the collision.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where you absorb the kinetic energy matters too. If someone punches you in the solar plexus, this impairs your breathing. If someone punches you in the arm, it just hurts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-09-22T04:21:42.047" LastActivityDate="2021-09-22T04:21:42.047" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12803" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12804" CreationDate="2021-09-19T01:01:33.173" Score="2" ViewCount="344" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am training in the sport of Muay Thai. I am curious if Muay Thai Boxing Gloves be used on a Punching Heavy Bag? Or should I just use regular Boxing Gloves? Trying to save money when training. Also, I want to protect my wrists, finger, knuckles correctly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" OwnerDisplayName="mattsmith5" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-09-24T12:44:57.710" LastActivityDate="2021-11-07T11:18:27.113" Title="Can Muay Thai Boxing Gloves be used on a Heavy Punching Bag?" Tags="|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|equipment|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12804" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12803" CreationDate="2021-09-21T10:51:19.840" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sure, why not? (Noting that bag gloves are usually lighter than full gloves.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muay Thai gloves generally have more padding on the sides and the padding is more consistent around the entire fist. They’re also more flexible in both how they shape the wearers’ hands and around the wrist because the hands aren’t just used for punching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that said I personally prefer bag gloves for bag work. Since they’re smaller/lighter you might avoid torquing the wrist on glancing blows, while losing a bit of conditioning because of the lighter weight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wouldn’t, however, use boxing gloves in a match (and you may not be allowed to because of the different padding). Boxing gloves do more to hold your hand in a fist position which could make clinching/throwing more difficult.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There would be essentially zero difference in finger/knuckle protection, and on bags, the protection is largely for abrasions. While Muay Thai gloves might provide incrementally less wrist support, I doubt it would be enough of a difference to matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Caveat: I only have Muay Thai and bag gloves; only rarely have I had boxing-specific gloves on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" OwnerDisplayName="Dave Newton" LastActivityDate="2021-09-21T18:38:42.530" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12807" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-09-22T16:55:49.563" Score="3" ViewCount="507" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Lee&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;, Bruce was arrested in 1958 due to a fight with a rival school's student, and as a result, his parents decided it would behoove him to return to the United States (emphasis mine):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;In 1958, after students from Choy Li Fut, a rival martial arts school, challenged Lee's Wing Chun school, he engaged in a fight on a rooftop. In response to an unfair punch by another boy, Bruce beat him so badly that he knocked out one of his teeth, leading to a complaint by the boy's parents to the police. Lee's mother had to go to a police station and sign a document saying that she would take full responsibility for Bruce's actions if they released him into her custody. &lt;strong&gt;Though she did not mention the incident to her husband, she suggested that Bruce, being an American citizen, return to the United States. Lee's father agreed, as Lee's college prospects were he to remain in Hong Kong were not very promising.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In 1959, this idea was solidified and Bruce was sent stateside:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;In April 1959, Lee's parents decided to send him to the United States to stay with his older sister, Agnes Lee (李秋鳳), who was already living with family friends in San Francisco.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, further reading suggests that Lee was no longer studying under Ip Man in 1958:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lee was 16 years old under the Wing Chun teacher Yip Man, between late 1956 and 1957, after losing to rival gang members.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So with that in mind, why did Bruce Lee's studies with Ip Man come to an end?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11996" LastActivityDate="2021-09-22T16:55:49.563" Title="Why did Bruce Lee stop studying under Ip Man?" Tags="|history|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12808" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12742" CreationDate="2021-09-22T18:46:30.197" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some reasons why I only train Judo:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Goals&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;I'm 0-0 in MMA, and will be the rest of my life. I train for fun, and on the off-chance that I ever get attacked.  &#xA;&lt;/p&gt; &#xA;&lt;p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Age&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;Recovery is more difficult the older we get, so MMA classes and MMA conditioning are out for me. MMA is a sport for young people while Judo is a lifetime sport. Plenty of people in their 40s/50s/60s practice regularly.&#xA;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Injuries&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;Striking arts and bone to bone contact result in breaks/injury. Zero percent change I break my leg checking a kick when I simply don't participate in arts with contact.&#xA;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;CTE&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;No thanks. I do not and will not concede to taking blows to my head.&#xA;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;It's Hard&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;I'm far from bored in my training. There's literally a lifetime of improvements to be made to my technique.&#xA;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Techniques were already filtered&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;40 throws were chosen because Kano tested whether each person could throw the other with the technique. Anything relying on strength was removed. Don't need new techniques when you have sharp basic techniques and chain your attacks together. (Why do boxers still throw jab/cross combination? Cause it works).&#xA;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;MMA Rules don't evolve&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;Fighters could grab their opponents and sit down to drive their opponents head into the mat when the opponent shoots for their legs. It's 100% illegal to do this, and so no one sees any holes using wrestling in MMA. Telling traditional schools to evolve while sticking hard to these rules is nonsense.&#xA;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10658" LastActivityDate="2021-09-22T18:46:30.197" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12809" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12810" CreationDate="2021-09-23T05:31:52.203" Score="2" ViewCount="304" Body="&lt;p&gt;I noticed in many Karate sparring videos, they aren't wearing any helmets or mouthguards. It seems like they can get very hurt, if opponent messes up. Is there a reason why?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH-ggTvitbM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH-ggTvitbM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63c3KwGQT4I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63c3KwGQT4I&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2021-09-23T07:57:46.677" Title="Why don't they wear Headgear or Mouthguard in Karate Sparring?" Tags="|training|karate|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12810" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12809" CreationDate="2021-09-23T07:57:46.677" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The WKF style sparring both of these videos display is points/touch sparring, where excessive contact is penalised (see the controversy over a recent Olympic Gold medal being awarded to a fighter who got knocked out).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having competed in this style the risk of serious injury is very low compared even with light continuous kick boxing sparring (which similarly I don't think needs headguards) as you're really only trying to tap your opponent not actually hit them with any degree of force. Accidents/clashes do happen, but they're rare enough that the additional equipment is unnecessary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's important to note that there is some evidence that more protective equipment leads to higher risk - boxing is a great example of this where the heavier gloves lead to more head attacks being used (and similarly the rugby vs. American football comparison), and therefore more concussions/CTEs and long term effects on the fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Outside of very light dojo sparring, gumshields would be almost universally used even in this style of sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also important to note that this style of sparring is not indicative of all karate sparring, some clubs do do more kickboxing style stuff, and pad up accordingly, and many practical karate clubs do all-in sparring with a suitable level of protection including facemasks for headbutts etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11766" LastActivityDate="2021-09-23T07:57:46.677" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12815" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-09-23T17:11:06.470" Score="3" ViewCount="267" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the last Olympic games, I noticed that, in Taekwondo, fighters adopt a stance where both are facing the same direction. Is that forced by rules? Why not have a mirror image stance, so no one has an advantage?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1811" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-09-23T19:39:23.740" LastActivityDate="2021-09-23T19:40:20.317" Title="In Taekwondo why are both fighters facing the same direction?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12816" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12815" CreationDate="2021-09-23T17:27:10.917" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do you mean that one person has their left foot forward and the other their right foot, with their bodies &amp;quot;bladed&amp;quot; so that their chests are pretty much facing one direction? If so, there is no institutional TKD reason; one guy might be a lefty with their &amp;quot;power hand&amp;quot; in back. Or one or the other has reversed their normal stance as part of their sparring strategy, e.g., they think that their opponent might not be as used to moves and attacks from a &amp;quot;southpaw&amp;quot; stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-09-23T19:40:20.317" LastActivityDate="2021-09-23T19:40:20.317" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12817" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12803" CreationDate="2021-09-23T17:35:24.117" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just my opinions from my experience: Lighter MMA-style gloves still let me punch hard and get a fun and satisfying &amp;quot;thwock&amp;quot; sensation back thru my knuckles. I'll never get in a real fight, but I don't wrap my wrists since it's important to learn how to keep straight wrists when hitting hard and when tired.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And open-fingered or lighter gloves will allow you to intersperse some open-handed techniques or faux neck grabs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have pretty good punching power you might find them a bit thin for protecting the striking knuckles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But lighter gloves, at least my brand of glove for my extra-large hands, don't have as much of a padded &amp;quot;center&amp;quot; area to be clenched in the fist. So there is some compression of the fist as a whole, which after a while makes me wonder if I'm asking for future arthritis in my knuckle area as a whole (not the striking surfaces per se).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2021-09-23T17:35:24.117" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12818" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12815" CreationDate="2021-09-23T19:32:10.220" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is the Taekwondo &amp;quot;back&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;side&amp;quot; stance, depending on what any particular Taekwondo school might call it in English. It's where your front leg has toes pointing forward, and your back leg has toes pointing to the side on a 90 degree angle. If you were to bring the feet together, they would form an &amp;quot;L&amp;quot; shape, or a right angle. That naturally means your body will face to the same side as your back leg's toes point, or slightly diagonal is more common.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This stance minimizes targets on your body, making it harder for your opponent to score a point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because of facing to the side, you will have one arm forward and one arm back. If the left foot is forward, then your left hand will be forward. And vice versa. This is the standard &amp;quot;fighting position&amp;quot; in Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo is unique in the fact that it trains both sides of the body to a high degree. In practice, it's still not equal, but schools do make an effort to drill both sides. In other martial arts, being able to do your techniques on the other side of the body is rarely emphasized.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a result, you'll commonly notice Taekwondo people like to switch from left to right facing stances all the time. They may have a preference and may stay facing one side throughout the match, or they might switch back and forth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, it's not required that both competitors face the same side. They can switch at any time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2021-09-23T19:32:10.220" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12819" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12803" CreationDate="2021-09-24T10:04:36.200" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sure you can, but it will most likely not help you achieve your goal of saving money. This is because your gloves will wear way faster if used on a bag, which would in turn make you have to buy new gloves more frequently.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I suggest you use bag gloves or just bandages, which you need anyways. A little less padding/wrist support while working the bag can be a good thing too, since it will teach you proper wrist positioning and hitting with the correct part of your fist instead of relying on the gloves support.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12012" LastActivityDate="2021-09-24T10:04:36.200" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12820" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12829" CreationDate="2021-09-26T11:19:29.743" Score="3" ViewCount="75" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a situation, while fighting, your opponent falls down and draws out a gun. He is on the ground and you stand up. What is the offered solution for such a situation? Is there any? Is there a way to control or retention of the opponent? In Krav Maga, there are several techniques for situations that the opponent threats with gun, but you both in standing position and the gap is relatively small. Is there any solution for the case I mentioned before where you stand and the opponent in the ground holding gun? Demonstration videos are welcome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-09-29T14:48:14.847" LastActivityDate="2021-09-29T14:48:14.847" Title="Is there a way to defense from man on the ground with gun while standing?" Tags="|self-defense|recommendation|safety|krav-maga|firearms|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12821" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-09-27T12:16:19.410" Score="2" ViewCount="40" Body="&lt;p&gt;A gang in town is using restraining methods commonly used by prison officers. They learnt this from experience in jail. They would use the common arm wrap and, if necessary, put the person on the ground, then do what they want with the person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is: What is the best way to get out of a twin arm wrap, with two people on either side? Or better still when you are fully on the ground?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://youtu.be/CFnQ2R7FS5E?t=114&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Twin arm wrap&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12022" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-09-27T18:37:54.730" LastActivityDate="2021-09-28T13:32:34.030" Title="What is best way of getting out of a twin arm wrap?" Tags="|multiple-attackers|escapes|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12822" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-09-27T13:54:51.363" Score="2" ViewCount="75" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my gym, they have this thing called a &amp;quot;20-minute war.&amp;quot; The idea is to fight against 3+ attackers for 20 minutes. However, when I am dealing with 1 attacker, the other two attack me, and so on. I asked my teacher how to deal with this, and he said I need to learn how to take punches from my other 2+ opponents when I am dealing with one. How do I take punches from 3+ people?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12024" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-09-28T11:55:55.630" LastActivityDate="2021-09-28T11:55:55.630" Title="How to take a lot of blows?" Tags="|krav-maga|multiple-attackers|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12823" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12822" CreationDate="2021-09-27T15:21:32.027" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You have to use the concepts you learned in your Krav Maga classes (Disclaimer: this is what I learned in classes and seminars, anyway):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Positioning&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Always try to have the person you deal with between you and at least one of the offenders (both all the time is virtually impossible). Also, try to have your 'active' side (punching/kneeing) turned towards the second offender. This makes it harder for them to hit a sweet spot. As soon as you shocked and grabbed, you can easily turn yourself and your target accordingly. In the ~2-5 seconds until you should have finished your reaction pattern, they will have a hard time to reposition and attack in a coordinated way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Speed and efficiency&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you deal with one person, move in fast and hit fast and hard. As I said, your series of a particular reaction pattern (kick, punch, knife, baton, gun) should take no longer than 2-5 seconds. The less time you are bound there, the less the other two have opportunities to hurt you&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Conditioning&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A huge part of Krav training is physical and psychological conditioning. Sure, you will take blows. And sure, they will hurt, but the point of the exercise is not to be able to prevent all damage, but to be able to suck it up and &lt;em&gt;survive&lt;/em&gt;. Physical conditioning should be a regular part of your training. Psychological conditioning is the main point of these &amp;quot;wars&amp;quot; and other settings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Long story short&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Krav settings like these, like in real fights, there is no &amp;quot;winning the game&amp;quot;. The main proficiency you train, aside from assessing and mitigating the main threat and applying your reaction patterns under high psychological and physical stress, is the mindset of never giving up and continuing till the situation has ended. &amp;quot;Fighting like a dragon&amp;quot;, as an instructor vividly put it. Thus, taking the blows is not mainly a technical ability here. It is about physical, psychological, and tactical abilities. Before anything else, it is mainly about &lt;strong&gt;your will&lt;/strong&gt; to carry through and continue to concentrate on the main threat. That is what will help you most in real self-defense as well...it can be very disturbing and deterring for offenders.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-09-27T15:35:52.653" LastActivityDate="2021-09-27T15:35:52.653" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12824" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12827" CreationDate="2021-09-28T05:02:32.873" Score="2" ViewCount="241" Body="&lt;p&gt;Consider this scene from &lt;em&gt;Saving Private Ryan&lt;/em&gt; (1998). Replace Private Stanley &amp;quot;Fish&amp;quot; Mellish with me, a weak female 16 y.o. teenager. I don't even work out or go to the gym!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/NSRr7wUjLxw?t=183&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/NSRr7wUjLxw?t=183&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assume I'm in the exact same underdog position as Mellish. How can I escape, thwart, and outmanuever this Waffen SS man soldier? I know no martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7vv0C.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user10129" LastEditorUserId="12195" LastEditDate="2021-12-08T23:23:06.483" LastActivityDate="2021-12-08T23:23:06.483" Title="How to defeat a stronger opponent, on top of you, trying to knife into your chest?" Tags="|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12825" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12824" CreationDate="2021-09-28T12:13:34.297" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;(As has been pointed out by MattM, my earlier comment is probably better placed as answer. I have added some more detail below).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Others may disagree, but I don't think this forum is the right place to learn the necessary skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To have any chance at all at coping with such a situation - against a stronger, heavier and determined opponent on top of you (and therefore aided by gravity) - you will require in-person training and lots of highly specific practice. Even then, the chances of coming out unscathed aren't great.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't in any way mean to discourage you from learning to defend yourself. There are many disciplines which can enable you to more confidently navigate the world if you're concerned about physical attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Explore Brazilian Jiujitsu and Krav Maga and perhaps Muay Thai or Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Both have utility in regards to the situation you describe, and in regards to many other, far more likely scenarios, as well as providing many other benefits such as fitness, self-confidence and friendship.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Brazilian Jiujitsu equips you with techniques that utilise principles of leverage to enable you to unbalance an opponent in circumstances akin to the one in the clip you provided, and aims to provide practitioners with the ability to overcome stronger and heavier opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga emphasises 'street relevant' skills, including techniques designed to combat armed opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regular Muay Thai/Kickboxing/MMA training will equip you with a wide range of functional strikes and grappling techniques and a high degree of fitness. I mention these because, whilst they aren't strictly self-defence disciplines, they tend to be more widespread than Krav Maga schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even a generic 'self-defence' class by a competent teacher would be very beneficial.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can't afford lessons or can't access training facilities for any reason, Youtube contains some excellent videos that may be of some use if you practice the techniques. There is also a lot of junk out there. With this in mind, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKg6qU8tu00&amp;amp;list=PLqe7tIqmSgesQJa5xCrZF4vetBzAyvQbi&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this playlist&lt;/a&gt; isn't a bad introduction to Krav Maga. Some other Stack Exchange Members may be able to provide some better links.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your best defence will always be avoidance. You should of course never find yourself in such a situation. I understand your question might stem from curiosity alone, but if you're at risk for any reason, seek police advice as soon as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastActivityDate="2021-09-28T12:13:34.297" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12826" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12821" CreationDate="2021-09-28T13:26:05.907" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming avoiding the gang, and verbal discouragement had failed I would use this technique from my training.  It is called Kiri Gote (cutting restraint)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE57Fy4PJvI&amp;amp;t&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE57Fy4PJvI&amp;amp;t&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As soon as one person attempts the wrist hold shown in the video I would lock my elbow to my body and move my wrist up to this position with a turning step to set up the technique.  Once they are kneeling a kick to the head or body should finish the fight for that attacker.  I would then move on to the next attacker and use punches and kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically you have to make a call as to whether the attack merits a punch to the face.  It depends on the situation and is your call to make.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: Second video in english.  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD2_UtOQp_A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD2_UtOQp_A&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="6503" LastEditDate="2021-09-28T13:32:34.030" LastActivityDate="2021-09-28T13:32:34.030" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12827" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12824" CreationDate="2021-09-28T20:02:15.743" Score="2" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Learn Martial Arts&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dealing with a knife attack is something addressed in many martial arts. This is not the place to learn this skill, so seek out a teacher to do this in real life. I assume this is academic: you don't plan on actually getting this position. (There are a notable lack of SS soldiers nowadays.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;HEMA Perspective&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll address this from a Historic European Martial Arts perspective. The best advice is do not get in this situation!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Seriously, going to ground is not in the game plan for these historic systems- stay on your feet and you have a much better chance of survival.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming that fails, there is a general philosophy of &amp;quot;weak against strong, strong against weak&amp;quot; which applies here. The attacker is dedicated (&amp;quot;strong&amp;quot;) to the stab, so redirect it (be &amp;quot;weak&amp;quot;). Obviously, oppose the force of the stab so you are not harmed, but focus more on redirecting it away from you. If that knife goes into the (wood?) floor, all the better for you to get out from under them and run away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Making stuff bend the wrong way when your opponent is extended like this is a classic move, old as dirt and super effective. Here are two instances of doing it after the redirect:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you luck out and his arm is extended above you, pull the hand with one of yours and push on the elbow so it bends the wrong way with the other. Do this fast and with everything you got to dislocate the elbow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the knife ends up on your side, grab that wrist with one hand and pull or push the elbow so the shoulder goes the wrong way. You're looking to dislocate it, so go HARD and FAST.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do one of these and either the knife drops, your opponent stops attacking, and/or you can squirm out and get away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is just one solution, but based on historic sources. (Fiore Dei Liberi)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Fighting is Complicated : Your Mileage May Vary&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every fight is unique and depends greatly on your opponent. It is (trained) reactions to reactions to reactions to circumstances. It is your &amp;quot;lizard brain&amp;quot; handling minor motions while your forebrain handles overall strategy. Go find a class and have fun!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2021-09-28T20:08:39.223" LastActivityDate="2021-09-28T20:08:39.223" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12828" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10212" CreationDate="2021-09-29T05:55:56.577" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Now that I've sparred outside my school:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Most people holding a straight sword can be disarmed with empty hand striking or grappling b/c there are very few competent people in this weapon from the perspective of sparring.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.quora.com/Can-a-skilled-martial-artist-disarm-someone-with-a-sword/answer/Tom-Musgrove&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.quora.com/Can-a-skilled-martial-artist-disarm-someone-with-a-sword/answer/Tom-Musgrove&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.quora.com/Can-a-skilled-martial-artist-disarm-someone-with-a-sword/answer/Alex-Deva&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.quora.com/Can-a-skilled-martial-artist-disarm-someone-with-a-sword/answer/Alex-Deva&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people will try to attack with cuts&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is always a losing strategy unless it's a beat cut or a feint—otherwise you just get stabbed. And yet, nearly all of the straight sword videos you see today are focused on cutting—you see little to no point work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To get to me, you have to come through my point, and there are definitely people out there advocating sharp swords and teaching, who lack deep or even sufficient understanding of the issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;FIE foil is dismissed as a martial art, but in my experience, anyone with sufficient foil fencing experience is deadly with a straight sword, even if the weight is heavier than they expected, because they know how to use the weapons, and thrusting is instinctual.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People who cut mats or bamboo seem to have to prepare for the cut&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practitioners who have trained sufficiently cut without thinking, and you'll notice there is no telegraphing or extra movement. There may be some arm motion, and some waist motion, but with straight sword it's &amp;quot;all wrists&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most who practice don't train their wrists sufficiently for &lt;em&gt;either&lt;/em&gt; flexibility &lt;em&gt;or&lt;/em&gt; strength.  If you see people cheating their grips, or doing fancy grips, that's the reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People draw back the sword to get more power into cuts&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is instant death against a straight sword, and allows any serious martial artist with some fighting experience to get inside the cut.  Serious strikers or grapplers who train and have some fighting experience can win.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/UE6w3iKRY8g?t=231&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/UE6w3iKRY8g?t=231&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most practitioners cannot get power into a cut without very big motions. If they are not menacing you with the point, you can probably get inside and win.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people require followthrough to make cuts—if they miss, you can win&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Real japanese swordsmen and wudang swordsmen and swordswomen can snap their cuts, and do not require followthrough.  When these practitioners cleave, it is because they choose to cleave, not because it is their only option.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/j0c_1XKJUSQ?t=3&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/j0c_1XKJUSQ?t=3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Most people who practice sword aren't grapplers—grapplers will win by default if they can get inside&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you've train hard and they haven't, they're probably not prepared for a real fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If their on guard looks weak or tentative in any way, you can probably grab their blade&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your palms and fingers may well get cut, especially if their natural reaction is to draw it out of your grip, but it's better than getting impaled. Truth is, if you were able to grab it in the first place, they are not competent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Slapping the blade away by the flat and putting them on the ground is probably optimal&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those that actually know wudang sword always counter with the flat against the flat—that why Chinese jian don't taper. Your slap here is Musashi's &amp;quot;anything can be a sword&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stick wins against sword if the stick wielder is more competent&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you train hard in Wing Chun or Karate or any serous striking art, and you can grab a stick, you can definitely do this to any paper tiger:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/UE6w3iKRY8g?t=252&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/UE6w3iKRY8g?t=252&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And you don't technically even need that windup—using hsingyi with a stick you can generate that power from a guard position in conjunction with a spring forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Put their blade off line, dominate the space, and end them&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;There are many people with sharp swords in 2021, but very few competent swordsmen.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's like any other art—it really comes down to how hard you train.  If they don't look like they train hard, even if they &amp;quot;spar&amp;quot;, they're probably not dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-09-29T06:04:06.270" LastActivityDate="2021-09-29T06:04:06.270" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12829" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12820" CreationDate="2021-09-29T14:20:49.610" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You have very little to work with here. The solution is probably arguably usually to raise your hands and try to placate him &amp;quot;OK, you won, whatever you want, man&amp;quot;. If he started the fight by being in a psycho rage, or you think he's on drugs or a gangbanger, i.e., you think he's going to shoot you, and you're more than a few feet from him, pivot, duck, run, and zigzag. It's hard to hit a target with a pistol if you're adrenalized. Even that trained officer who got in a good stance and shot/executed that limping-away guy in the back in South Carolina in 2015 missed one or two of his ~8 shots.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2021-09-29T14:20:49.610" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12830" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12832" CreationDate="2021-09-30T08:42:04.590" Score="5" ViewCount="669" Body="&lt;p&gt;I noticed in Muay Thai Teep kick, they always recommend to keep same side hand is down. You will notice one hand is up, and another hand is down in picture. Why do they recommend this? In other martial arts, Karate, Krav Maga, they recommend hand stays up. Is there a reason for this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6EaHd.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6EaHd.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-09-30T13:10:15.640" LastActivityDate="2021-09-30T13:10:15.640" Title="Muay Thai Teep Front Kick: One hand is always down reason" Tags="|karate|mixed-martial-arts|kicking|muay-thai|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12831" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13532" CreationDate="2021-09-30T08:57:42.057" Score="6" ViewCount="747" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are two videos on Youtube which, judging by the comments below them, seem to convince people of Bruce Lee's brilliance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both videos are excerpts from a single film, apparently shot at the 1967 Long Beach Tournament and available elsewhere on Youtube.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPAoNPJ2Mas&amp;amp;lc=UgzIXPPuDePMLrqMbY54AaABAg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;'Bruce Lee's Only Real Fight Ever Recorded'&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Surely any experienced fighter watching this would agree: Bruce's opponent here is absolutely terrible, and is a poor opponent against which to demonstrate one's abilities. He telegraphs every punch and kick loudly, not only by retracting his fists, but with unnecessary whole-body movement, often dropping both fists ridiculously low (to waist level) and his head as he moves in (see 2:22 for an example). This is true beginner stuff and no decent fighter would derive any pride from dismantling someone this poor. Many club fighters would have performed better against someone so incompetent. Someone may identify this fighter and point to his belt or reputational status, none of which alters the evidence contained in the footage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce's opponent maintains no defensive integrity and pursues Bruce stupidly, continuing to attack even though this is clearly ineffective. The 'ultra slow motion' section shows nothing but a rudimentary block (executed without any great skill) and also reveals a repeated failing of Bruce's. He displays virtually no lateral movement when under attack, which results in him being forced backwards and to be prevented from employing the counter strikes circular movement would enable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This video seems constitutes no evidence that Bruce is a remarkable fighter (although his fist kick was decent). On the contrary, it suggests he is nowhere nearly as good as is so often claimed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XS5ssBK6gY&amp;amp;lc=UgzYMf2jDbz5_ypbNoh4AaABAg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;'Joe Lewis Tries To Teach Bruce Lee Karate........ Then This Happened'&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anyone at home can replicate what Bruce did in this video. Admittedly the technique demonstrated bears almost no relationship to fighting skills, unless you think fights involve an opponent facing you with their arms at their sides, in an extremely weak stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's examine each punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the first one against Joe Lewis (at the start of the video), Joe Lewis is standing square to Bruce, not in a fighting stance.  The fact he was forced back has very little to do with power and a &lt;em&gt;lot&lt;/em&gt; to do with balance.  If you stand in front of someone with your feet square to them, it takes relatively little power to unbalance you and force you back. Additionally, Bruce's punch was less a punch than a push, which you can clearly see in the footage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce also employs a bit of deceptive stagecraft in the demonstration. Notice, that when he invites Lewis to punch the volunteer, the volunteer has no chair behind him. This allows him to backpedal freely and regain his balance. This is where Bruce plays his trick. Before demonstrating his punch, he positions the volunteer so the chair is behind him. The audience likely assumes this is for safety, but no, the chair actually increases the danger. The chair prevents the volunteer from backpedaling, and so he falls into it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, if you pause the video, you will see the punch is nothing like a 'six-inch' punch (or the 'one-inch punch' for which he is lauded). His brings his fist back at &lt;em&gt;least&lt;/em&gt; twelve inches (it looks like quite a bit more) and uses his whole body to punch through his opponent. There is absolutely nothing remarkable about the result. The fact the chair slid back so far is more to do with the participant's whole body weight falling into it after being unbalanced, and far less with the power of the punch. His display is consistent with claims he was interested in magic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The trick is easily repeated. Try it at home with a friend (Use spotters, for safety reasons, and make sure the receiver is adequately protected both from the punch and the fall).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence which seems to support claims as to Bruce Lee's virtuosity, but testimonials of this sort are worthy of considerable skepticism. It is not uncommon for myths to arise around certain historical figures, and for hyperbole to permeate apparently documentary accounts. We also know that testimony from friends and students and teachers (and others who may have had a personal or professional/reputationally dependent relationship with Lee) is far less reliable than independent testimony. Other analyses seem highly speculative; based upon vague accounts, opinions of 'experts' (such as famous fighters who never saw him fight), and upon tangentially relevant evidence such as Bruce's athleticism.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is also footage - from the same tournament - of Lee performing sticky hand techniques whilst blindfolded. This is interesting and no doubt requires considerable skill, but there are again questions as to the competence of his opponent and to the utility of such skills in real combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have reached no conclusion as to Lee's ability, but none of the footage I have seen reliably supports any claim he was a very good - let alone great - fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does any such evidence exist?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: Member Macaco Branco provides &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcHPche3TXE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this link&lt;/a&gt;, analysing the same footage, including another sparring display Lee performed on the same occasion&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-10-01T04:44:17.500" LastActivityDate="2022-10-28T19:08:34.687" Title="Is there any reliable evidence to suggest Bruce Lee was a great fighter?" Tags="|kung-fu|history|jeet-kune-do|combat|bruce-lee|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12832" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12830" CreationDate="2021-09-30T12:06:36.750" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;From what I can tell from the discussions between Muay Thai-ists(?) that I've seen/known, this is done for the same reasons as dropping the hand back is done in the roundhouse (again something which a majority of karate, kickboxing, etc schools seem to avoid). These reasons are an increase in torque/power, improved balance, and in some cases an element of &amp;quot;we've-always-done-it-ism.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a minimal argument for power generation here (in the same way the &amp;quot;hikite-for-power-generation&amp;quot; people in karate are demonstrably wrong), but the balance argument is a sound one in my opinion. Bearing in mind a single leg is about 1/5th of your total body weight, having it out in front of you will create a moment force at your hip of about 132N (average man) and shift your center of gravity forward away from your body. Having one arm further back (about 1/20th of your body weight) will mitigate this &lt;em&gt;to a degree&lt;/em&gt;, especially in combination with a slight&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From personal anecdotal experience as a karateka, I both kick and teach the roundhouse kick with the hand back, because from experience it allows people (me included) to get into a better kicking position and therefore (because they are better balanced and positioned) kick harder. I am sure there is a biomechanical reason for this but I don't know it. I cannot see there being a similar biomechanical advantage in the linear technique of the front kick/teep.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal opinion would be swing the hand back in the roundhouse kick because the benefits to the kick outweigh the risks, but not to do so in the front kick/teep because I don't see a benefit to this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary, the most common reasons are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Increase power&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Improve balance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&amp;quot;We've always done it&amp;quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The validity of these reasons may vary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11766" LastActivityDate="2021-09-30T12:06:36.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12833" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12830" CreationDate="2021-09-30T12:13:33.157" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;A small addition to exactly-right Rob's answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Such move is not always welcome - some people advising to avoid it for better defense. And for, say, middle-kicks they are right - it can be &amp;quot;eaten&amp;quot; to close the distance - and if your closer hand is down, you are in trouble.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But in this particular situation your head is just out of your opponent's reach - with inclining your torso back you making it even more out of reach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, in case of teeps, it definitely better to increase power - just because you're losing nothing increasing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastActivityDate="2021-09-30T12:13:33.157" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12834" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10212" CreationDate="2021-09-30T18:12:51.370" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I’ll be honest here, if the person with a sword, &lt;em&gt;any sword&lt;/em&gt;, is competent, and the other person is completely unarmed and armored, then disarming them would essentially be a freak accident.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The issue is that, unlike blunt weapons, swords are very dangerous basically all the way down the blade. Now if someone is incompetent, and thus telegraphing and over-committing to strikes, sure you have a chance to disarm them. That won’t be the case with any experienced swordsman though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It all comes down to this, your options are stay away, get your own weapon, or &lt;em&gt;cheat&lt;/em&gt; (throw rocks, throw sand in their eyes, get 30 other people and dog pile on them, etc).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember everyone, never play with pointy things without expert supervision.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11987" LastActivityDate="2021-09-30T18:12:51.370" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12836" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-02T07:08:01.843" Score="2" ViewCount="182" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm just starting longsword sparring and already see application for shoulder strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, many fencers will let you lock or vertically press their blade, where the expected response is an attempt to roll around the other direction and cut. Advancing laterally to make that vertical press allows the shoulder strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hsingyi technique is perfect for apply this strike with minimal distance and leaning.  What I'm doing feels good, and has sufficient power to set up whatever comes next, whether another shoulder strike or a cut. But it's not an application I learned in hsingyi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since Musashi first advised this, and katana can be similar to longsword per two handed bladework, and Karate usually has the most powerful strikes and strikers, I want to know how karateka set up and execute shoulder strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How to strike laterally with the shoulder in karate?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm noticing that when my posture strictly erect, it puts more pressure on lower back muscles around the spine.  When I lean a little, the lower back is stronger. But the strike feels stronger with back straight, and I can repeat the strike more quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My waist technique is similar to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA3q8GVIsrw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;DK Yoo shoulder strike&lt;/a&gt;, and I'd be using it to strike the sternum for exactly the same purpose, but my stance will already be lateral by the time I can execute the strike, because the setup is to press the opponent's sword to either the left or the right side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also interested in other types of shoulder strikes, such as forward shoulder strikes I've seen western boxers sometimes use, but those probably wouldn't be applicable with a sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2022-04-19T14:52:15.520" Title="Striking with the shoulder in Karate" Tags="|karate|striking|xing-yi-quan|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12837" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2021-10-02T07:09:42.450" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2021-10-02T07:09:42.450" LastActivityDate="2021-10-02T07:09:42.450" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12838" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2021-10-02T07:09:42.450" Score="0" Body="For questions on the Chinese internal striking art.  (Also hsingyi and Hsing I Ch'üan.) " OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-10-03T23:54:51.763" LastActivityDate="2021-10-03T23:54:51.763" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12839" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12895" CreationDate="2021-10-02T07:11:29.013" Score="3" ViewCount="117" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's been more emphasis on ground fighting in martial arts since Royce made BJJ supreme for the first few years of MMA, taking any comers of any weight with as few rules as state commissioners would allow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But not everyone likes ground fighting. I was advised to avoid it for the same reason I avoid chin na—if you don't specialize, you're at a huge disadvantage in those particular domains.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How effective is throwing hard into the ground?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How easy or difficult is it to apply dislocations or breaks in conjunction?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-10-13T13:16:57.760" LastActivityDate="2021-10-13T13:16:57.760" Title="Throwing into the ground vs ground fighting?" Tags="|grappling|throwing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12840" PostTypeId="5" CreationDate="2021-10-02T07:12:16.123" Score="0" Body="" OwnerUserId="-1" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2021-10-02T07:12:16.123" LastActivityDate="2021-10-02T07:12:16.123" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12841" PostTypeId="4" CreationDate="2021-10-02T07:12:16.123" Score="0" Body="Chinese grappling, also known as &quot;jacket wrestling&quot;." OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-10-03T23:55:18.923" LastActivityDate="2021-10-03T23:55:18.923" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12842" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-02T07:13:31.510" Score="4" ViewCount="116" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here I'm referring to the concept of timing, which is mentioned at least as far back a Five Rings, and rhythm, which is a concept in boxing and other sparring arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How do you mess with someone's timing, and how effective is it?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-10-02T11:08:14.740" Title="Messing with someone's timing" Tags="|boxing|sparring|strategy|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12843" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12842" CreationDate="2021-10-02T09:48:52.387" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A great question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the most effective ways to control a fight is by maintaining the element of surprise; by confusing, frustrating and by doing so, greatly incapacitating your opponent. By being unpredictable, you take the initiative, and a fighter who is constantly being forced to respond to his or her opponent will always find it a lot more difficult to achieve good timing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember too, that timing extends to defence as well as offence. This will be addressed later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Examples here will centre around striking techniques, as there will be others on M.A.S.E. far better equipped to deal with grappling strategies. Your question relates to boxing, but by extending this answer to include other striking techniques, boxing is addressed whilst expanding the relevance of the answer to a greater audience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many ways to prevent predictability and to maintain the initiative, including but not limited to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Avoid predictable movement and technique patterns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is very, very common to see participants in sparring sessions and fights to fall into a rhythm of sorts. Combination is traded for combination, periods of motion are followed by periods of idleness. Retreat is traded for advance, and so on. It is almost as though there has been prior agreement that each will give the other the opportunity to attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To avoid this, you must first learn identify your patterns and habits, both in a training and a sparring/fight context.  Only once you have done this will you be able to correct these flaws and incorporate less predictable elements into your game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Combinations: Do you ever follow up your jab with anything other than a straight right? Learn to double jab, triple jab, feint jab. What about your hooks? Are you capable of throwing double or triple hooks, high and low? Do you have an overhand right in your arsenal? What about an overhand left? Is your first kick always a rear roundhouse to the leg? Do you tend to separate leg and fist techniques? Are there techniques you rarely or never use? Use them. Horse-kicks, knees to the thighs, sweeps, side-step roundhouses to the solar plexus. Jump and strike for a change. Knee to the thigh. Elbow the chest and arms. What does this have to do with timing? Executing novel combinations makes it very, very difficult for an opponent to maintain effective defensive and counter-offensive timing. By forcing them to continually adjust, their reaction time decreases and their window to strike effectively decreases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tempo, tempo, tempo. It is easy to fall into the habit of always striking to the same pace. Varying tempo of movement and strikes will reduce your opponent's ability to catch/parry/duck/counter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Range: If your opponent can't reach you, timing becomes almost irrelevant. Similarly, if they can't generate enough space to fully extend their techniques, effective timing is removed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Centreline: Staying out of your opponent's direct path sounds obvious, but many of us don't concentrate upon this enough. By presenting yourself at less-than-ideal angles, it will be much harder for your opponent to achieve optimal timing when striking. Combine this principle with unpredictable movement patterns and you're a long way to winning the bout.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Footwork: Do you tend to bob up and down, rhythmically, alerting your opponent to when you'll be unweighted and vulnerable? Do you tend to circle only to one side, or worse still, do nothing but retreat when under attack or stay in front of your opponent? These mistakes make it far easier for your opponent to time their strikes effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stance: Why limit yourself to orthodox or southpaw? Why not train both? You will greatly diminish your opponent's timing if you present them with a target for which they haven't trained.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cardio!: Look at Lomachenko. He needs to be very fit to move the way he does, but it's his astonishing movement that allows him to hit his opponents at will, and to remove from them any ability to time their strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Defence: Do you always defend certain strikes in the same way? Or can you parry, slip, counter, duck, pivot, catch, clinch? Do you always wait until a strike is complete before you counter, or can you counter mid-strike? One of the best ways to destroy your opponent's timing is to put and end to the technique before it reaches full extension. Achieve this by stepping in, attacking the opponents limbs as they come towards you. Remove their weapons. Yes, easier said than done in many cases, but often the most important thing here is the ability to stay relaxed and to trust in your abilities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Counters: A very effective way to put your opponent off their game is by learning to counter effectively, ruining their confidence by removing their ability to strike unimpeded. Watch Genady Golovkin. He is a master at catching with his right whilst simultaneously stiff-jabbing with his left.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of the most effective people I've sparred against are not only counter punchers, but counter kickers. Countering kicks by throwing your own (to your opponent's standing inner leg for example), can be transformational. Proficiency here, via interrupting the timing of their every attack, can actually cause your opponent to become afraid of striking, at which point, you've come close to dominating the session.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Orthodoxy is Your Enemy: Styles tend to perpetuate certain patterns. One of the most difficult things to achieve as an aspiring fighter can be to 'unlearn' thoroughly drilled patterns which render your approach predictable (particularly left-right-left-right patterns), even to people from other styles. Whenever you spar, get into the habit of trying new things. Draw upon your intellect and creativity to experiment. Feint. Not just once, multiple times. Commence a false retreat, only to burst forward when your opponent advances. It is much easier to time strikes against a rhythmic fighter than an arhythmic one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alter your approach each round. Alter your approach mid-round. Do you tend to move in three-technique bursts? Try ten. Many may be fraudulent 'soft' strikes, but these create openings. Most people never learn to deal with such a barrage very well. They tend to have drilled themselves into an expectation of having to defend one to three or four strikes maximum. They rely on predictable pauses in attacks to time their own attacks. Remove this from them. Be sure however to never let experimentation take precedence over defensive integrity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Incorporate techniques from other styles (if they're legal in yours). As mentioned elsewhere on SE, one of the great vulnerabilities of many schools lies in their limited (often non-existent) exposure to other styles, and if the importance of timing extends not only to offence, but defence, an opponent who doesn't recognise a technique will be far less able time their defensive manoeuvres and any counter-measures.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of this may not seem directly relevant to the goal of upsetting an opponent's timing, but again, it is very hard to maintain timing against someone who is never doing what you expect them to do. The fundamental principle here is to make your opponent react to you. Assume the initiative.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watch some of the greats. Lomachenko. Tomey. Pernell Whittaker. Prince Naseem Hamed. Ali. Saenchi. These guys are/were truly elite, and were such masters of range, they were able to drop their hands. Don't make the mistake of doing this until you are far more experienced, or until a trustworthy coach tells you that you are good enough to do so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-10-02T11:08:14.740" LastActivityDate="2021-10-02T11:08:14.740" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12844" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12801" CreationDate="2021-10-02T10:40:33.887" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is what you're not going to get from the dojo people, who view martial arts as a restrained, mannered, and honorable discipline.  That's the best view, but it takes a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication.  The ones who are good make huge sacrifices for their art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The prize fighting enthusiasts understand martial arts even less. For them it's a sport—a way to prove their power, and maybe make some money.  But MMA is divided into two classes: champions and punching bags, and it's 99.99% the latter. The ones who didn't come from tough backgrounds don't understand the real world either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you're going to find across the arts is a lack of dimensional thinking, and an over-emphasis on applications and techniques as opposed to strategy and considered violence.  Violence is abhorrent.  It can feel good at the time, but it takes a toll on the psyche. People become addicted to pain and violence, and seek it out.  Many of them were physically abused.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Marines are a good example of fighters who understand the real world. Martial arts, applied in that field, is not a game or a sport or a mannered pursuit.  It's taught from the perspective of a life or death struggle. There's no guarantee you're going to win, but if you don't you're going to inflict as much damage as possible, with inhibition or restraint.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You need to make it understood that attacking your is not worth it&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your attackers see this as a game.  You need to convey to them that it is not a game to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial artists who reject this notion do so because:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;They haven't experienced real violence, only controlled violence in safe spaces&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Their understanding of the arts is shallow—they think it's about this or that art or application, not sheer determination and level of commitment&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;They don't understand that the decision to enter combat is a calculation, specifically a minimax calculation&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had a friend who used to carry a hammer in her purse because she had to walk in dangerous neighborhoods late at night.  She only had to use it once, and it freaked her out, but very few people want to get hit with a hammer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I used to get attacked all the time because I was skinny and seen as an easy target.  I learned how not to be an easy target, and then how to convey that information.  I've had people twice my size opt not to fight, initially by conveying that I was willing to go to any length, and later via simple confidence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The situation you are in is not good, and it doesn't sound like you have many options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Find a real martial arts school with a teacher who understands the arts&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav was designed to allow non-fighters like diplomats a chance to survive, and maybe get away, until help arrives. Resisting kidnapping was a main objective.  Not suitable for your needs, because no help is coming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aikido is like tai chi only—people are attracted to it because they don't like to fight, and they never test themselves outside their systems.  They don't train to strengthen their bodies sufficiently.  This arts on their own are too courtly and mannered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jeet Kun Do is not a martial art, but a philosophy, so those that teach it are generally frauds—Lee's prominent students like Inosanto had significant martial arts training before they learned Lee's MMA and way of fighting without form. Bruce Lee was talking about strategy, not this or that art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes, if you show sufficient fighting spirit, your attacker will come to respect you, even if you get beaten.  I've even made one or two friends this way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note about real teachers: They don't hand out compliments to their serious students and tell them they're &amp;quot;proficient&amp;quot;. Real teachers look at their students and are generally depressed, because they students have such a long way to go, and very few are going to stick with it and put in the time. Teachers hand out compliments to students who aren't serious about the arts b/c it's all about keeping up enrollments.  I think in 25 years my teacher told me I did something adequately perhaps 3 times.  And yet, I was tasked with teaching.  My teacher gave me special attention because of my commitment.  My si hings would give me brutal lessons on occasion demonstrate how unprepared I actually was, but they respected me because I kept with it. They didn't give those lessons to less arrogant students. I train harder today than I did when I was 25 specifically because I am never confident in my abilities. I always see myself as disadvantaged, but that can't matter. If you don't have a choice, you have to find a way to prevail.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Part of the point I'm trying to make here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If you came to me with this problem, I'd send you to a teacher who specializes and whose credentials I know&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if I taught for money, I wouldn't take your money.  But the teachers you've been going to aren't qualified, and are willing to tell you anything to get you to keep paying them to support their fantasy of being a master.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastEditorUserId="7644" LastEditDate="2021-10-02T18:48:02.583" LastActivityDate="2021-10-02T18:48:02.583" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12845" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-03T02:58:45.633" Score="4" ViewCount="160" Body="&lt;p&gt;Essentially:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_dynasty&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ming&lt;/a&gt; era jian have a rounded guard, with the arc towards the wielder's hand:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/O134O.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_swords#/media/File:Sword_with_Scabbard_MET_DP119025_brightened_2x3.jpg][2]&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The later, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qing_dynasty&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Qing&lt;/a&gt; era jian are reversed:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/RQGht.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/RQGht.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;50&amp;quot; Qing longsword, ~4.5lbs; 30&amp;quot; in Qing straight sword, ~1.8lbs&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm also linking to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.little-raven.com/product-category/eastern/chinese/jian/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;little Raven&lt;/a&gt; for validation because they're reliable, and there's a lot of bad information out there. This can also be validated in &lt;em&gt;Iron and Steel Swords of China&lt;/em&gt; (Jiang Huangfu, 2007).  It's not an strict design rule, but it's how we discuss the two distinct guards today.  Note: Qing can also be spelled &amp;quot;Ching&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are the function of these two basic guard types?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why would a fencer prefer one over the other?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2024-03-27T23:40:43.390" Title="Are there reasons one might favor a Ming Guard over a Qing guard on a Chinese straight sword?" Tags="|jian|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12846" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12847" CreationDate="2021-10-04T08:00:23.730" Score="5" ViewCount="439" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why don't Muay Thai fighters bounce like Karate fighters, with their leg forward? In Karate they teach that gives energy with the bounce. Just curious, not sure what is the best way. It seems Muay thai fighers are more static when they bob back and forth between one leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/w9kxtJpRmw4?t=43&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/w9kxtJpRmw4?t=43&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JyIt5.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JyIt5.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: If Muay Thai fighters were to bounce, probably they should keep front leg facing forward to prevent round house leg trips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-10-04T12:34:56.787" LastActivityDate="2021-10-05T08:26:49.680" Title="Why don't Muay Thai fighters bounce like Karate fighters?" Tags="|karate|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12847" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12846" CreationDate="2021-10-04T09:57:55.553" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This clip is of a points karate match, not a full contact contest. Points karate prioritises speed over impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pronounced bouncing is typically viewed as undesirable in full contact fights, because the rhythm created by the bouncing makes your strikes more predictable, and also allows your opponent to time strikes to land either when you're unweighted (and therefore easier to unbalance), or fully-weighted on the downward, landing, phase (and therefore unable to counter or check when defending a leg kick, for example).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With the exception of certain strikes such as flying knees and kicks which utilise the power of leaps, or the gravitational force of a descending body or limb, most basic techniques are rendered more powerful when launched off a solid base (ie: bodyweight anchored firmly to the ground via one or two legs).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Much of the power generated by punches rises from the feet, to be amplified by the legs, then again by the hips, the shoulders and arms. A kick such as a roundhouse or a front kick also transfers far more energy into an opponent if the opposite leg remains in contact with the ground. Without this contact, some of the energy gets wasted; it is redirected back into the attacker, sometimes manifesting as undesirable loss of posture, balance, offensive and defensive capacity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See this clip of a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq8XqsO0LNU&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kyokushin tournament&lt;/a&gt;. Yes, they still bounce slightly, but just enough to maintain motion; to avoid a static stance and promote explosivity. The reduced bounce means it is easier for them to ground themselves quickly prior to executing a technique when they need to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-10-04T15:01:00.263" LastActivityDate="2021-10-04T15:01:00.263" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12848" PostTypeId="6" CreationDate="2021-10-04T21:28:37.173" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been a member of the Martial Arts SE for over 7 and a half years, including over a hundred days consecutively, gaining me the Fanatic badge. I have a positive voting record, as well as, I feel, a good record in the community queue given the usual site traffic. I have experience with a fairly wide variety of martial arts, and I am always happy to learn more about others. I like to think that I've been a good voice of reason during some of the more heated discussions on the site, and I've been doing my best to keep the current chat room from freezing due to disuse as the previous one did.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also nominated myself a few years back for a pro-tem moderator role. :) Didn't get it, but I was willing to throw my hat in the ring back then.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-10-04T21:28:37.173" LastActivityDate="2021-10-04T21:28:37.173" CommentCount="0" CommunityOwnedDate="2021-10-04T21:28:37.173" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12851" PostTypeId="6" CreationDate="2021-10-05T03:14:09.650" Score="0" Body="&lt;h1&gt;slugster&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hi everyone, I'm pleased to tender my nomination in our very first official moderator election! Woohoo!!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was actively involved when this site was just a &lt;a href=&quot;https://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/4470/martial-arts&quot;&gt;concept in Area 51&lt;/a&gt;. I have been a Pro Tempore moderator from the day this site launched from Area 51. That launch was nearly 10 years ago, and I am the only original moderator left. I have been an active member of the wider Stack Exchange community for more than 12 years, and have contributed significantly on &lt;a href=&quot;https://stackoverflow.com/users/109702/slugster&quot;&gt;Stack Overflow&lt;/a&gt;, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://meta.stackoverflow.com/users/109702/slugster&quot;&gt;SO Meta&lt;/a&gt;, and the higher level &lt;a href=&quot;https://meta.stackexchange.com/users/146015/slugster&quot;&gt;SE Meta&lt;/a&gt;. As an existing mod I am also on the ♦ Mod teams site. As an original I was excited when we finally graduated after 7 years, and I'm just as excited now that we've reached this milestone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would be glad to serve the community going forward, and I have a solid track record to look back on. Not only that, I look forward to working with whoever the community elects, I'm sure we'll have some excellent candidates.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2021-10-05T03:14:09.650" LastActivityDate="2021-10-05T03:14:09.650" CommentCount="0" CommunityOwnedDate="2021-10-05T03:14:09.650" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12853" PostTypeId="6" CreationDate="2021-10-05T04:50:57.537" Score="0" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Noufal Ibrahim&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hello everyone. I'm Noufal. I've been a long time user of stack overflow. Most of my work has been on the [main site where I have a decent reputation](&lt;a href=&quot;https://stackoverflow.com/users/229602/noufal-ibrahim&quot;&gt;https://stackoverflow.com/users/229602/noufal-ibrahim&lt;/a&gt;). I've been active on the site for a long time and have contributed not only answers but also enjoy refining and editing content for form and usefulness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm particular in my attention to detail and because of my real life role as a community organiser for the Python programming groups in my place of domicile and a leader at my own company, I feel I'm suited to handle the kinds of human issues that come up during issues with moderation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm also a long time practising martial artist so I have some knowledge of the domain and can, to some extent, know when the rare situation to take sides presents itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1965" LastEditorUserId="1965" LastEditDate="2021-10-05T04:50:57.537" LastActivityDate="2021-10-05T04:50:57.537" CommentCount="0" CommunityOwnedDate="2021-10-05T04:50:57.537" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12855" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12857" CreationDate="2021-10-05T05:36:40.107" Score="2" ViewCount="82" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the proper technique for down parry in Muay Thai? I come from a Karate background.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Is it just pivot at the elbow, and rotate down? Like a clock? Should arm be near horizontal at the end? (Not too much, so I have time to recover and protect face/body again).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;They always say it's a light tap parry, however when the punches come hard, it seems a slight tap won't work during sparring. Sometimes I have to smack/hit it down, to misdirect its fast momentum. Is there any rule of thumb? Better to parry, than to be hit it seems? Honestly I put in high force, since I never know how powerful the punch is when it meets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any advice would be good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/t5GoH.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/t5GoH.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/FNYWm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/FNYWm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Resources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vxlwFW9JNM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vxlwFW9JNM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHFUN-p-XSE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHFUN-p-XSE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-10-05T16:49:17.550" LastActivityDate="2021-10-06T03:27:24.443" Title="Muay Thai: Down Parry Technique for Head Punch" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|parry|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12856" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12846" CreationDate="2021-10-05T08:26:49.680" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Low kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having one leg forward in a wide stance is an invitation to getting low-kicked, and after taking a couple of kicks to the thigh or calf you generally stop bouncing. That's why Thai fighters are taught to stand in a narrower stance, with the weight more on the back foot, such that they can lift the knee to block incoming low and middle kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, Muay Thai is less focused on fast in-and-out attacks, and more on stalking, cornering and smashing the opponent. The underlying reason for that may well be that the karate approach is not sustainable when low kicks are allowed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9630" LastActivityDate="2021-10-05T08:26:49.680" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12857" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12855" CreationDate="2021-10-05T08:51:27.633" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;1: &lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;Is it just pivot at the elbow, and rotate down? Like a clock? Should arm be near horizontal at the end?&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whilst not always possible, a good principle for parrying is to execute the parry with the minimum movement necessary to diminish the strike's effectiveness to an acceptable degree.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An exception to the 'mimimum movement' rule might be in the case where you want to substantially redirect an opponent's arm with the aim of executing a counter. The tradeoff with large-arc parries such as these is that by opening them up in this fashion, you are also opening yourself up to a much greater extent than usual.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you weren't referring to a chest punch, and you want to parry a strike that's headed to your face, an experienced fighter can render a punch ineffective with a slight rotation of the the glove (often accompanied by head movement to the opposite direction of the fist's rotation). This technique achieves the same advantages as described above, ie: the maintenance of defensive posture and offensive capacity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example in an orthodox vs orthodox encounter, a left jab can be redirected by this slight wrist rotation (anti-clockwise if viewed from above), combined with slight head movement to the right.  A straight right can be redirected in the same fashion by your left wrist (rotating clockwise if viewed from above). In this case, you may decide to shift your head to the left.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This technique enables you to strike powerfully in return, directly along your opponent's centreline, whilst simultaneously shifting your centreline away from the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is of course nowhere as easy to execute as it is to describe, but drilling these movements will pay enormous dividends.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2: &amp;quot;&lt;em&gt;They always say it's a light tap parry, however when the punches come hard, it seems a slight tap won't work during sparring. Sometimes I have to smack/hit it down, to misdirect its fast momentum. Is there any rule of thumb? Better to parry, than to be hit it seems? Honestly I put in high force, since I never know how powerful the punch is when it meets&amp;quot;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The issues you describe here illustrate why it might initially be a good idea to practice catching punches, as a first step towards the greater skill required to parry them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To catch, don't extend your arms towards the opponent. Maintain your guard and simply rotate your palm out to catch the strike as it arrives. This entails you absorbing more of the strikes energy than a parry, but it is safer in some ways and provides a higher margin for error.  As you improve, you can gradually incorporate various parries (inwards, downwards, outwards), which obtain a variety of openings for different counters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your opponent's force is to be utilised when parrying. Exaggerated movement (which - rightly or wrongly - is what I read into your term, 'smacking'), is to be avoided, for the reasons already described.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you keep a close guard, and use your torso to brace your arms, you become far more resilient, stable and safe when catching or parrying. If you extend your arms, you risk having them trapped or slapped down and vulnerable to knockout punches, especially left hooks. Half-extending your arms into a downwards 45 degree 'V' is actually very bio-mechanically weak and experienced boxers will be able to alter the trajectory of their blows very slightly to effectively punch straight past, or even straight through, such a defence. This position also means any strikes of your own will be either very weak, or very slow and loudly telegraphed due to the need to retract prior to punching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reaching forwards in this manner to frustrate punches can be effective, but only if you thoroughly appreciate and can cater to the risks involved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whilst practising defensive movements alone is certainly a good idea, don't neglect to incorporate the counters enable by these defences into your training. An opponent unconcerned with counters can be far more aggressive and is more likely to overwhelm you. In short, counters become an essential part of defence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last point: A very effective and advanced parrying technique is to slip outside (to the right) against an incoming jab, simultaneously parrying it with your left. IF you can achieve this, you have effectively opened up your opponent's side whilst removing their capacity to defend or counter. A key trick here is to get your lead (left) foot immediately to the outside of theirs as you perform the slip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In summary:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Maintain defensive integrity via a strong guard and head movement.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use minimum movement to catch or parry, to maintain both defensive and offensive capacity.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Allow the punches to come to you and let your body help to absorb the force of unavoidable impacts.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Counter simultaneously when possible.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a fight between two excellent Muay Thai fighters, one of them the greatest of all time: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1mEYDKOMII&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Buakaw vs Sato 1&lt;/a&gt;. It is nonetheless an example of two fighters sustaining repeated heavy head blows largely because of their inability or reluctance to parry or catch, and because of their willingness to stay within range with their arms half-extended.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Acknowledging that Muay Thai fighters and kickboxers have to cover more defensive territory with their hands, this slow-footage examination of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zwUcKzWKxE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Gennadiy Golovkin's technique&lt;/a&gt; shows how he tempts his opponent into a poor parry/catch precisely in order to deliver a long hook around their extended fist into the unprotected head (5:40). It also demonstrates how he shifts his head off the centreline whilst countering a jab with his own (4:13), and demonstrates a nice, efficient and compact parry and counter (3:58).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Others on S.E. might have some more specific Muay Thai material, but at first glance, this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqB_szSOQBk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Muay Thai instructional video&lt;/a&gt; provides some good material, and demonstrates the importance of compact parry technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-10-06T03:27:24.443" LastActivityDate="2021-10-06T03:27:24.443" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12858" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9699" CreationDate="2021-10-05T09:49:51.170" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;To ad to what the previous answers have said, having separate belts for kids increases the &amp;quot;value&amp;quot; of adult belts. A blue belt in BJJ is a great grappler (in most schools). Meanwhile the average blue belt in some other martial arts is a 12 year-old kid who's never had a sparring/rolling session.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12041" LastActivityDate="2021-10-05T09:49:51.170" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12859" PostTypeId="6" CreationDate="2021-10-05T15:30:43.307" Score="0" Body="&lt;h1&gt;JohnP&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hey, everyone! I have been a moderator on the site since 2017, and I am excited to put in my nomination to continue serving the community in this role!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2021-10-05T15:30:43.307" LastActivityDate="2021-10-05T15:30:43.307" CommentCount="0" CommunityOwnedDate="2021-10-05T15:30:43.307" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12861" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="631" CreationDate="2021-10-05T16:07:19.060" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tai Chi. It is slower, gentle (mostly), and builds strength and balance, which will improve things overall, as it's the supporting musculature that we need most to work on with Degenerative Disk Disease.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I need to get back to it myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12042" LastActivityDate="2021-10-05T16:07:19.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12862" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-05T17:02:55.187" Score="4" ViewCount="591" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have noticed a lot of essentially toxic content relating to BJJ online.  It ranges from questionable to down right rude to (occasionally) completely unacceptable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here are a few examples.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meme 1 Attacking higher grade members&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7uCk6.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7uCk6.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Meme 1 Attacking higher grade members&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meme 2 Attacking other martial arts styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hl4kc.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hl4kc.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Meme 2 Attacking other martial arts styles.&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meme 3 Attacking lower grade club members.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/z0Z5V.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/z0Z5V.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Meme 3 Attacking lower grade club members.&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It basically gives the impression of BJJ student's as bullies with a chip on each shoulder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this really typical of their attitude?  Is this encouraged as part of a culture within the style?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2021-10-25T19:13:25.587" Title="Why Does Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu appear to have such a toxic culture?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|grappling|culture|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ClosedDate="2021-10-29T03:22:55.327" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12863" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12865" CreationDate="2021-10-06T04:53:27.250" Score="4" ViewCount="659" Body="&lt;p&gt;Which part of leg should be used in Muay Thai Round Head kicks? The Foot, top of Ankle, or Shin? My coach always taught on top of Ankle with it flexed, &amp;quot;bridge between Shin and Foot&amp;quot;. However most online people will say Shin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I saw a video of headkicks, and almost majority of them are using some part of the ankle or foot, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qaww12nR7MI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qaww12nR7MI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xAXee.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xAXee.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;top of ankle flexed, so feet, is not in the way&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-10-06T17:19:19.517" LastActivityDate="2021-10-07T01:37:14.640" Title="Which part of leg should be used in Muay Thai Round Head kicks?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|kicking|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12864" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7387" CreationDate="2021-10-06T07:05:11.970" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know there are gonna be lot of down votes for this answer but anyway I have to speak up. First there was no India before. The age of India is just 60-70 years. This land was occupied by different ethnic groups each having their own culture before British came here. Most of the ethnic groups are formed primarily from the mix of white-skinned Aryan race and dark-skinned native Tamil race. &lt;strong&gt;It was not India well connected with Chinese kingdoms but it was the Tamil lands very well connected because through sea routes with Chinese and other east asian countries.&lt;/strong&gt; The relationship is not just in terms of business but way more than that. For example there was a queen in my place (Ay kingdom) called &lt;strong&gt;Sembavalam&lt;/strong&gt; was married to a Korean and at present atleast millions of Koreans are belong to their generation. There are atleast 100s of words between Tamil and Korean are same with same meaning. You can't say Koreans and Indians are related but more specifically &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.academia.edu/53257329/_Korean_Tamil_Language_and_Cultural_similarities_Maritime_Trade_between_Early_Historic_Tamilakam_and_Korea&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Koreans and Tamilians are related&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tvghz.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tvghz.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Image Source: &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relationship_of_the_Tamils_with_the_Chinese&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relationship_of_the_Tamils_with_the_Chinese&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now coming back to martial arts, as specified by Herodotus the first historians the ancient Palmyra climbers of now southern India were fierce fighters. The ancient martial arts called &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adimurai&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Adimurai&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varma_kalai&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Varmam&lt;/a&gt; were based on fighting with bare hands. The Varmam is basically &lt;em&gt;hitting the vital nerves of your body&lt;/em&gt;. This martial art is practiced with only some ethinic groups and within blood relations and that's why it's nearly dead now. When British invaded they literally cut the fingers of the people who practiced this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Coming to &lt;strong&gt;Bodhidharma&lt;/strong&gt; he is from &lt;strong&gt;Pallava Dynasty&lt;/strong&gt; which got very good relationship with Chinese as specified &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relationship_of_the_Tamils_with_the_Chinese&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&#xA;Bodhidharma learnt these martial arts and other medicinal practices from this place called &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanyakumari&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kanyakumari&lt;/a&gt; and the proofs are carved as stones in the temple called &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitharal_Jain_Monuments_and_Bhagavati_Temple&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chitharal&lt;/a&gt;. Bodhidharma took these teachings and spreaded to chinese kingdoms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other references:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/a-1700-year-old-chinese-connection/articleshow/70968006.cms&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/a-1700-year-old-chinese-connection/articleshow/70968006.cms&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2019/oct/07/chola-kings-delegation-to-china-tamil-nadus-ancient-links-to-the-dragon-land-2044469.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2019/oct/07/chola-kings-delegation-to-china-tamil-nadus-ancient-links-to-the-dragon-land-2044469.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/tamils-and-tamizhakam-in-chinese-eyes-5871413/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/tamils-and-tamizhakam-in-chinese-eyes-5871413/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial Arts:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adimurai&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adimurai&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varma_kalai&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varma_kalai&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.adimuraiindia.org/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.adimuraiindia.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eatmy.news/2021/06/adimurai-mother-of-all-martial-arts.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.eatmy.news/2021/06/adimurai-mother-of-all-martial-arts.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martial-arts-of-tamil-nadu.blogspot.com/2015/09/adi-murai-brutal-and-most-vulnerable.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://martial-arts-of-tamil-nadu.blogspot.com/2015/09/adi-murai-brutal-and-most-vulnerable.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please don't ask Indians about Chinese connection. Ask &lt;strong&gt;Chinese&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Tamils&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o6gKQiIwpY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o6gKQiIwpY&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1dcbMeygxc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1dcbMeygxc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VUl8lMmO60&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VUl8lMmO60&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QffiCQOHfjY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QffiCQOHfjY&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12036" LastEditorUserId="12036" LastEditDate="2021-10-06T07:35:02.343" LastActivityDate="2021-10-06T07:35:02.343" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12865" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12863" CreationDate="2021-10-06T07:09:14.830" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It will depend partly upon how close you are to your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The foot has a greater potential velocity due to the greater arc it traverses en route to the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The shin has a lesser potential velocity, but is far more rigid than the foot, and perhaps less prone to damage than the top of the foot when making contact with a head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The top of the ankle is reasonably robust in the context of head kicks, and provides a good 'middle ground', allowing for a margin of error both up and down the limb when gauging the range of your attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Successful execution of a roundhouse head kick will likely reap dividends regardless of whether contact is achieved via the foot, the top of ankle or the shin, and it is definitely worth incorporating each into your training regimen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When kicking opponent's body or lower leg, the shin will often be more appropriate, depending upon the striker's skill level, conditioning, and the purpose of the kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This brief &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZnJUDQGSpE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Fight Tips&lt;/a&gt; video provides supporting info and demonstration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-10-07T01:37:14.640" LastActivityDate="2021-10-07T01:37:14.640" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12868" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-06T16:34:46.133" Score="12" ViewCount="5000" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is especially important to me because my instructor has us wear masks so I tire much more easily. One of my biggest killers in exhaustion. My instructors have this idea that you should be able to sustain a tempo for 30 minutes. I have worked out and done cardio for years, to no avail, and my instructor says I need mental strength, not physical strength. How do I use mental strength to push my body past exhaustion?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: this is not a duplicate, I am not talking about doing this during training, I am talking about this during an actual fight. Also, I can deal with pain already.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12044" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-10-07T02:53:13.603" LastActivityDate="2021-11-05T05:06:05.633" Title="How to fight even when exhausted?" Tags="|self-defense|mentality|" AnswerCount="9" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12869" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12868" CreationDate="2021-10-06T16:53:20.333" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I doubt that your instructor is an expert in human physiology. When your whole chest is heaving for air and each strike threatens to make you light-headed, that's not a mental issue.&#xA;But mentally: Could you have friends or sparring partners hit you progressively harder over multiple weeks of sparring, so that you have to keep &amp;quot;fighting back&amp;quot;.&#xA;Physically, focus on gross motor actions, and whichever techniques you find easier. (E.g., I have a TKD background, so kicks were less exhausting.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2021-10-06T16:53:20.333" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12870" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12868" CreationDate="2021-10-06T17:22:09.763" Score="17" Body="&lt;p&gt;Regarding cardio, there's a saying in fitness that being fit for cardio in an activity makes you fit for cardio in that area. Take someone who can run for two hours at a time, and tell them to attack the heavy bag non-stop, and they'll be gasping within minutes. Similarly, take someone who has learned to keep punching and kicking the heavy bag for long periods of time and put them in a pro-wrestling ring where they have to constantly run and take falls, and they'll gas out. The best way to train your cardio in an activity is to train your cardio in as close of an activity as you can. Notably, this does get harder if you're training for something like sparring, and don't have a partner to work off of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a purely mental perspective, my usual trick is lying to myself by setting short-term goals. When I'm running, it's telling myself I just need to keep running to the corner, or to the next car, and I'll take a break. When sparring, it's making my way through two more exchanges and I'll turtle up or signal that I want to break off for a bit (in the Capoeira that I do, this is part of the ritual, albeit one that only works when your opponent is willing). In each of these cases, unless I truly can't go on, I break that promise to myself and set another short-term goal. It sounds silly, but it's surprisingly effective to keep yourself going longer than you thought you could.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't abuse yourself, though. You are not fighting for your life (and, as been indicated in other places on this site, you're incredibly unlikely to ever have to fight for your life unless you live in a war zone), and one major negative effect of fighting exhausted is that your feedback loop is blunted, making it much easier to overstrain muscles and ligaments, or miss the early signs of pain and do yourself serious injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, if you're truly dealing with this during a fight, look at tactics for conserving energy in the given fighting style. For boxing, that's what the clinch is about, expending minimal energy to not fight, but rather keep your opponent from being able to fight. Similarly, rope-a-dope is a technique where you conserve energy by using methods to blunt the force of incoming blows while you only do what you have to to survive. In wrestling, that's where you get into rest holds where you can rely on the structure of your body so that the opponent has to exert more effort to actually force you into a position. Fight smart.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And, if you have an instructor who insists that you keep pushing even when you're exhausted, even after you've put in a good effort of getting a second wind, fighting smart, etc, consider quitting, because a good teacher should recognize that fighting while exhausted will lead to injury. If you are a soldier, you're expected to do so because your life is on the line. If you're attending biweekly Karate classes, you are not, and if they are treating it as a life-and-death situation, odds are that they're a bit out of touch with reality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-10-06T17:22:09.763" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12871" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-06T18:04:15.280" Score="0" ViewCount="205" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently got jumped in a parking lot by 3 guys, but when I tried to use every move I know (which is a lot; I.E. sidekick, elbow strike, knee strike, straight punch) and it did NOTHING!!! My Krav Maga instructor says I hit hard enough, but my strikes, grapples, and throws did NOTHING!!! How do I deal with this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12045" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-10-07T18:04:33.883" LastActivityDate="2021-11-03T19:14:45.807" Title="How to deal with an attacker who isn't fazed by anything you do?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12872" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12871" CreationDate="2021-10-06T19:14:52.420" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The three most likely reasons this happened:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Your assailants were too strong&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A common myth of martial arts is that they are an equalizer. If you are fighting someone who is much larger or stronger, you can have the best technique in the world and still fail. There was a video I saw a while back with a sub-100 pound master against a guy who was over 300 pounds and muscular. The master could punch as hard as he tried, even tried using his entire body in a drop kick, and could not budge the other guy. There are techniques you can use to try to equalize the situation, from weapons to targeting vulnerable spots on the opponent, but in general, if people are bigger and stronger, you may not be able to beat that with technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a side note, someone hyped on drugs or adrenalin may not feel pain, which is its own problem. A lot of techniques rely on pain versus actual physical incapacitation, but even broken bones don't necessarily stop an opponent if they're not feeling the pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Your technique may be bad&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know your instructor, or how familiar they are with combat, but they may be giving you too optimistic a report on the combat efficacy of your moves, whether because they want to impress upon you how effective their training is (thereby encouraging you to keep taking classes) or simply because they don't know what it takes to actually fight (unfortunately, an endemic issue in a lot of martial arts where they only test the techniques in controlled situations). Unfortunately, it really can be hard to gauge this in a safe way, but if you and a buddy (preferably one who doesn't train the same style) pad up and fight, do you find you can land the blows sufficiently? While the pads will reduce the force of the blows to reduce injury, the other person should still feel it. You can pick a threshold for what's a &amp;quot;if you weren't padded, this would probably take you out&amp;quot;, but a general rule is that if you hit the padded person, and they're not pushed back a bit, they don't hurt a bit from the hit, you're not hitting them hard enough to actually hurt them in a fight. One of the other things this can teach you is how much your style depends on the other person not getting a chance to hit back, the &amp;quot;one-step&amp;quot; mentality where you unload one simulated technique after another with the assumption that, when you punch the guy, he's not going to immediately punch back, that when you grab his wrist, his other hand won't be pulling a knife, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;You may not have been operating at full efficiency&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know how often you train in a simulated combat situation, but adrenalin is a heck of a drug, and if you don't train to actually hit (padded) people, you're going to pull your punches subconsciously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;So, what can you do?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, first off, you're not going to win every fight. If you have an opportunity to avoid a fight by surrendering your wallet, consider if the $50 you have in there is worth the risk of brain trauma from getting curbstomped, or the medical cost of getting stitches are &lt;em&gt;winning&lt;/em&gt; against an opponent with a knife (because they will cut you). Work on your ability to run, both in a straight line and getting over obstacles quickly. If you do train self-defense drills, make at least some of them involve making a decisive strike and then immediately turning heel and hoofing it. Building up your reflexes to get away from an attacker, rather than having a mindset that you will stay and beat them, will serve you well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-10-07T17:34:15.637" LastActivityDate="2021-10-07T17:34:15.637" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12873" PostTypeId="6" CreationDate="2021-10-07T03:21:14.053" Score="0" Body="&lt;h1&gt;mattm&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am currently one of the three appointed moderators, and I believe the most active in posting and flag handling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I can disagree with you on issues civilly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I feel no need to convince you that you should train the martial arts I happen to train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I have trained a variety of martial arts and appreciate the breadth of viewpoints and ideas from them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I am the only user awarded the research assistant badge for working on the site's tags.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-10-07T03:21:14.053" LastActivityDate="2021-10-07T03:21:14.053" CommentCount="0" CommunityOwnedDate="2021-10-07T03:21:14.053" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12875" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12877" CreationDate="2021-10-07T05:16:20.920" Score="4" ViewCount="158" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Muay Thai, when throwing a jab with left hand, should person rotate/turn the body and hips? I went to a different school when traveling this weekend, and thats what the coach recommended. I notice some schools are recommending, and other are not. Is there a fundamental rule, or more preferential from athlete? I ask these questions after researching different ideas online, and seeing videos of Muay Thai fights (with athletes doing both methods).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LhHna7psWCE?t=59&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/LhHna7psWCE?t=59&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/0vO_623Crys&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/0vO_623Crys&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2021-10-07T06:38:36.393" Title="Muay Thai: Punching Left Jab, rotate body and hips?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12877" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12875" CreationDate="2021-10-07T05:54:46.333" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Incorporate both, and everything in between. Think of jabs existing on a spectrum between no rotation to full rotation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rotating as you describe provides more power and reach. It also shifts your body into an attitude that is more perpendicular to the opponent, which leaves you more vulnerable to dangerous counters, especially roundhouses or hooks to the torso.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jabs with no rotation lack reach and power, but take less time to execute. They are necessary when your opponent is close and are useful when pivoting or retreating. They also enable you to retract more quickly into a defensive posture (leaving you less susceptible to counters), provide a means of distracting your opponent, and prepare you more quickly to throw follow-up techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next time you're training on a bag, throw some short jabs. They will probably feel quite weak. If you never train them, they will remain weak and relatively ineffectual. Doing pushups with your elbows close to your ribcage will help with this. It is also very important to incorporate your legs and hips into these short techniques, even if only minimal rotation is possible. Doing this will help with power, thanks partly to increased torsional rigidity upon impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is good that you are visiting different schools and seeking a variety of advice. Try not to consider different techniques as 'either or' propositions. It is often the case that one technique will have a utility specific to some circumstances, while another iteration of the technique is preferable in others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-10-07T06:38:36.393" LastActivityDate="2021-10-07T06:38:36.393" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12878" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12871" CreationDate="2021-10-07T07:09:10.087" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do you ever watch MMA or boxing? If you do, you may notice that many fights take more than ten minutes, involve dozens or even more than a hundred landed strikes, and the fighters are often not noticeably impaired until well into the fight. Of course, these athletes are exceptionally well-conditioned to take punishment and keep going; on the other hand, their opponents are equally well-trained to hit hard. The bottom line is, don't assume that a small number of landed strikes is going to affect your opponent. They might - a single well-placed, well-executed strike can cause a KO - but there's no guarantee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what do you do? Assuming there's only one assailant, and you cannot avoid the confrontation: work on techniques that put you in a position where it's harder for them to hurt you, and you can keep hitting them - e.g., put them in a Thai clinch and keep kneeing them; or take them down, get mount, and start dropping elbows. Sooner or later, there will be an effect. Or work on techniques that definitely end the fight, like chokes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there are multiple assailants, either use your strikes and kicks to create some space and run (by far the most promising approach - and as Macaco Branco points out, escaping and running should be an explicit part of your training).&#xA;Or train hard to become a knockout artist, i.e., reliably deliver very hard strikes to the most susceptible points (chin, temple, liver). (&amp;quot;Training hard&amp;quot; probably includes competition in full-contact striking styles.) However, with multiple attackers, the most likely outcome is that you will lose if try to slug it out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9630" LastActivityDate="2021-10-07T07:09:10.087" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12879" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12868" CreationDate="2021-10-07T09:24:01.897" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd say your instructor is partly right, but it isn't the whole truth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your muscles need oxygen to work, as does your brain. When you use more oxygen than you resorp through skin and breathing, this means you at least in part run anaerobically (= without oxygen), ie. you first burn creatine in your muscles. This works for about 90 seconds until you massively lose speed and strength. After that, glucose is burnt, with lactate as a by-product, which damages the muscles in the long term. Depending on how high this anaerobic portion is and how much you can recover, the time frame you can use creatine in grows larger. Also, to uphold performance levels, you will have to train anaerobically (with reasonable time frames, ie. no longer than 5-10 mins without &amp;quot;rebreathing&amp;quot;) to train the muscles to switch between oxygen, creatine, and glucose as source of energy faster. This works mainly by having larger muscles that can hold more creatine and glucose =&amp;gt; strength training works best here. There's no mental capacity that can overcome these physical limitations though: if the burning material for the muscles is empty and a different mechanism is not ready yet, they just cannot carry on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, the best way to carry through longer periods of time is to &lt;strong&gt;stay below this threshold&lt;/strong&gt; where you are anaerobic, and especially where you go into glucose burning, for as much time as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Physically, this means &lt;strong&gt;bursting over constant strain&lt;/strong&gt;. Mentally, this means &lt;strong&gt;relax&lt;/strong&gt;. The more tension you got in your body, the higher the base usage of oxygen is since your muscles use up oxygen without any functional gain. This includes the brain, which is, by the way, the main user of oxygen overall. Thus, by 'emptying your mind' and relaxing, you hit two birds with one stone, as your brain and your muscles use less of the precious oxygen. That is why, in a sense, your instructor is correct, despite the obvious physical limitations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What the mask does is making it harder to breathe, thus you have to be even more careful to optimize your activation and relaxation durations. Cardio does several things: 1. It optimizes the processes of energy production in your muscles. 2. It trains the heart and lungs so that the overall capacity to resorp and transport oxygen is improved. This is why &amp;quot;general cardio&amp;quot; does have an effect, but it is very limited in its maximal effectiveness. 3. The main effect though is that it optimizes the coordination of your muscles in the specific movement patterns so that the different muscle fibres become better in their interplay and the single fibres don't have to be active for as long as before. This makes you use less energy (read oxygen) and is why the cardio works better if it involves the specific movements you do in sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you are exhausted, you reached the physical limits of your body. You can certainly carry on by sheer will, but this greatly raises the risk of injury. Thus, you have to learn how not to reach the point of complete exhaustion (or pushing it further away). For this, you need to learn to relax during fights, this is the main thing you can do with your mind. Additionally, anaerobic, movement-specific strength and cardio training will help you to optimize the processes of energy generation in your body so that you can reach higher levels of performance within the physical limitations given by impeded breathing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-10-08T07:53:32.330" LastActivityDate="2021-10-08T07:53:32.330" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12880" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12868" CreationDate="2021-10-07T15:48:14.360" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have to be not politically-correct and point out one of the reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;my instructor has us wear masks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is one of the primary problems to focus on. Not being able to breathe normal, fresh air is going to significantly reduce your stamina during fight. It will lower your blood oxygen saturation much faster, and also make you rebreathe some of the exhaled carbon dioxide -- and elevated carbon dioxide levels in air being breathed in causes fatigue and unpleasant stuffy feeling in the chest. In extreme cases it could result is serious effects, like cereberal hypoxia and loss of consciousness. Besides, it makes absolutely no sense and is outright ridiculous to require wearing masks while training martial arts -- I would suggest finding another place to train, something that is an actual training club rather than a circus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12049" LastActivityDate="2021-10-07T15:48:14.360" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12884" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12871" CreationDate="2021-10-07T19:11:26.117" Score="3" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There are two ways to stop someone: pain compliance and damage.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1a. Techniques that cause pain in a dojo often fail against resisting opponents once they get a little adrenaline or if they're just used to fighting and know how to shrug off a little pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1b. You didn't do enough to damage to stop your opponent.  It's that simple.  You don't shrug off a broken leg, for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;There's no such thing as a one-hit stop.  It's irrational to expect one strike or even a dozen strikes to stop someone in a real fight.  People shrug off multiple stab wounds and multiple gun shots...and those are far more damaging than elbows.  The best you can hope for is to make an opening to run away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It's been my experience that Krav instructors don't really train people to fight well.  They teach people to be aggressive, which is good, but I've not met many krav practitioners that hit as hard as boxer or land throws like a Judoka.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The solution to this is to engage in full contact sparring regularly at varying levels of power.  Especially against people who practice a different art from you and who won't stop or back off when they eat a punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Strength and size beat good technique in unarmed fights more than martial artists like to admit.  There are very good reasons why weight classes exist in combat sports.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Consider carrying a legal weapon and developing situational awareness.  There's no reason you should have been jumped by 3 guys if you were paying attention to your surroundings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Don't go stupid places with stupid people at stupid times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12053" LastActivityDate="2021-10-07T19:11:26.117" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12885" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12868" CreationDate="2021-10-08T07:55:44.600" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;For most people asking how to improve their mental strength, I'd suggest taking up a martial art - mental strength is one of the main benefits of doing so. As you're already doing that, and have been for a while by the sounds of it, if you lack mental strength now it might be a failure by your instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know you, your fitness, your health or your mental strength so it's really hard to suggest anything worthwhile. If your instructor can't help you get to where you want to be, then it might be a good time to speak to a personal trainer who can provide a more bespoke analysis of what needs to improve and how to get there. Often, diet and hydration are just as important as fitness when you're working to the point of exhaustion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a personal aside, from a taekwondo background, if the fight lasts more than a minute then my training has failed. I can't imagine why anyone would still need to be fighting after 30 minutes in the real world. If the adrenaline of a life/death situation isn't keeping you going then you probably don't need to be fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12056" LastActivityDate="2021-10-08T07:55:44.600" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12886" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12868" CreationDate="2021-10-08T12:18:17.060" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some thoughts on it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fights are exhausting. You can see it in competitions all across disciplines. If many highly trained athletes tire within a handful of minutes, despite stalling or round pauses, no need to necessarily blame it on yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Normal street fights are fast and don't last long, many not even a minute.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wearing a mask is a great hindrance during exhaustive sports. Be careful not to exceed your limits!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Trainers are no gods, they don't know everything and often lack medical knowledge. Feel free to respectfully decline doing anything that you are not up to or where you have reason to believe is not good to do. It may take some courage, but you're the paying client.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Listen to the signs of your body. They exist for a reason. I'd rather tap too early than too late, for example, because I know I probably have to live with my body for decades to come without even facing a single street fight. In the end, nobody but you will have to live with the consequences of ignoring the signs of your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12058" LastActivityDate="2021-10-08T12:18:17.060" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12887" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12868" CreationDate="2021-10-08T17:03:30.563" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You don't. Mental strength is for filtering out instinctual messages you don't need, not for ignoring body status information. What messages do you need? In this case you have a sense that you're not getting enough air. Some people feel that way whenever they tire, you're describing it as unusual. You can confirm poor oxygenation with an under $20 O2 monitor that clips on your finger, but its not necessary. If you aren't getting enough airflow, your heart rate increases, you build up lactic acid in your muscles more rapidly and they lose strength sooner, and you may cramp up unexpectedly. Mental acuity, reasoning speed and rapidity of recall tend to drop. If at any point you lose peripheral vision or experience chest pain stop immediately, seek medical assistance, and find a different instructor, in that order.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A cardio instructor always has to exhort people to push past their instinct to keep something in reserve. A group of humans sitting around panting after exhausting themselves would be a buffet lunch for a predator. That instinctive urge is there to keep you alive so it attaches itself to any available rationale to convince you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your cardio instructor can probably recognize the different between a healthy flush and someone who isn't getting enough air, but the business of being a cardio instructor is all about helping endorphin junkies get their next fix. Its up to you to know if you're pushing yourself within your physiological limits or if you're injuring yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My guess is that you have a strong urge to conform to group expectations and you wouldn't be asking this question if you didn't think you were doing yourself more harm than good doing cardio exercises with a mask on. So listen to yourself and find a cardio exercise that doesn't need a mask, or walk for your health and find a different gratifying endorphin release. Learn something new, pet a dog, watch a sunset ... your world doesn't have to revolve around cardio to be satisfying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12060" LastActivityDate="2021-10-08T17:03:30.563" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12888" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12889" CreationDate="2021-10-11T13:18:32.273" Score="5" ViewCount="375" Body="&lt;p&gt;My fitness level and flexibility are fairly poor and I would like to find a martial art that is complementary with yoga to help improve my overall physical wellbeing. Are there specific martial arts that would help me achieve this goal without aggravating sciatica?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12068" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-10-11T14:13:37.943" LastActivityDate="2021-10-15T04:30:03.653" Title="Are there specific martial arts that can help with (or at least not aggravate) sciatica?" Tags="|recommendation|flexibility|health|beginner|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12889" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12888" CreationDate="2021-10-11T17:39:20.040" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question asks which martial arts would improve sciatica.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First off, this sounds like a question for a physical therapist, not a collection of martial artists. Go to your doctor first. And you can easily google for exercises that improve sciatica as well as exercises that make it worse. Read up on what the medical community is saying first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main take-away from what I've seen out there is to simply exercise more to improve sciatica. That means pretty much any exercise and any martial art could help, with some precautions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts that give you the biggest bang for the buck for sciatica might be those that exercise a full range of motion, especially those which flex the glutes and hamstring. And more importantly, they should not be high impact and should not result in loading the lower back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A more gentle and relaxed martial art might be a good choice, one which still emphasizes hip bends. Taiji (Tai Chi) is a good candidate, and the Yang style of Taiji in particular.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you were adventurous enough to try, you might consider Capoeira. It puts an emphasis on the torso and hips, putting them through a full range of motion probably more than any other martial art I've seen. But is it low impact? It can be, if you go slow and listen to your body. Does it put high loads on the lower back? It can, which is why you want to go slow to avoid accidentally loading the lower back. Capoeira is a slow and fast martial art, changing tempo as needed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think something like Capoeira would be good for younger people with sciatica, so long as they are in relatively good shape otherwise. It's not going to be for overweight, middle-aged people. The increased upper body weight you might have, combined with a lack of muscle tone, would make it much harder for you to keep your body under proper control in order to avoid impact and lower back loading.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which leads me into the next point: Lose weight, improve muscle tone and strength. The biggest cause or contributor to sciatica pain is body fat weight. The extra weight puts a heavy load on your back, which can cause higher levels of sciatica pain. So you're going to have to drop that body fat if you want to see yourself improve. Secondly, by increasing muscle tone and strength, in particular around your core, it can hold your spine in place better, which can improve sciatica.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to consider would be yoga. It's not a martial art, but it can be used effectively for helping to treat sciatica.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Swimming is another thing to try.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if you're taking up strength training, realize that you're going to have to focus on your core strength. But because of the fact that many exercises, such as the squat, put high load on the lower back, you should get a personal trainer or physical therapist who knows how to treat people with sciatica. Form is going to be your primary concern right now, and so you need to enlist the help of a really good personal trainer who understands correct form and can keep you from making painful mistakes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whatever you decide to do, always go slow and easy, and listen to your body. If it's making things worse, stop doing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2021-10-11T17:39:20.040" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12890" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12897" CreationDate="2021-10-12T12:40:35.630" Score="5" ViewCount="149" Body="&lt;p&gt;The only martial art I have ever practised is taijiquan, when I lived in Newcastle. The standard of the classes was exceptional and now that I live in a completely different area of the country, I am looking for something of a similar calibre but have limited options nearby. Some teachers an hour or two from me run online classes, no doubt as a necessary alternative to keep things running during the pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What would the advantages and disadvantages of learning a solo martial arts practice online be at different levels?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If online classes are a poor substitute at any level, what would be an effective way to use online classes to supplement in-person classes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12068" LastEditorUserId="12068" LastEditDate="2021-10-12T13:41:09.157" LastActivityDate="2021-10-13T14:56:30.813" Title="What are the advantages/disadvantages of learning a solo martial arts practice online at different levels?" Tags="|training|recommendation|teaching|beginner|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12891" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-12T16:50:54.003" Score="-5" ViewCount="107" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am at a library posting this. I live in a rough neighborhood, and, frankly, the cops can't do much about it. I rarely get enough to eat and I am regularly beat against a wall by some guys in spiked masks. I have begged them to stop, and they never kill me or cripple me, but I end up with dozens of bruises on my body. There is no martial arts gym and no self defense instruction anywhere. I am currently far away from there (I had to be because there is no library there) but if I do not return then the gangs will kill my wife and children (all women and children must stay at the &amp;quot;dog-house&amp;quot; when the man goes away). The conditions there are muddy and there are rats everywhere. The attacks are always unexpected, they normally have guns/bat/knives, and they are bigger than me (plus there are normally 50 of them). Running away is not an option, I have no guns/weapons, and they seem experienced (no martial arts, but refined). How do I fight this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user12074" LastActivityDate="2021-10-13T14:32:37.390" Title="How to defend yourself in horrible conditions?" Tags="|self-defense|self-training|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12892" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12891" CreationDate="2021-10-12T17:25:58.670" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;No martial arts training will prepare you to fight unarmed against multiple armed opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your basic options:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Move somewhere else.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Collective action. You need a functioning government that takes public safety concerns seriously.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-10-12T17:25:58.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12893" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12839" CreationDate="2021-10-13T01:25:14.937" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Throw into armlock is still groundfighting, just as using a palm strike or a kick instead of a jab is still striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11340" LastActivityDate="2021-10-13T01:25:14.937" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12894" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12890" CreationDate="2021-10-13T11:49:21.783" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The primary downside of online training in my experience is much the same as the issue of trying to train by correspondence course, a lack of feedback a good bit of the time. Theoretically, they can view your technique over videoconferencing software, but in general, it's an inferior method because they can only really see from one angle, and only if your movements keep you close to the screen, plus if they have more than one student, they can usually only view one feed at a time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is, in my opinion, better than nothing, particularly if you have difficulty self-motivating (I know I do), and it is much more accessible if you don't have classes in your area, can't leave the house for classes (I'm sometimes in that situation myself due to a new child requiring a lot of my time, with me sometimes only being able to carve out enough time for the class itself), or you can't afford the in-person classes (a lot of teachers are offering discounted Zoom classes since they don't have to foot the bill for studio space or insurance).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For use in supplementation, I'd say to use them on those days you can't attend in person, for so long as they're offering a benefit to you. It's not perfect, but it's better than nothing, and having an actual teacher can push you outside of your comfort zone by suggesting novel movements or combinations. Plus, well, it can be handy if your own personal practice might tend towards &amp;quot;do 10-15 minutes, get bored, do something else&amp;quot; if not in a class that's being run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-10-13T11:49:21.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12895" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12839" CreationDate="2021-10-13T13:16:24.927" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Consider that even when you train throws with mats and intend safety, you can still end up with concussions and dislocated shoulders. In sport judo, standing arm locks are now banned due to injuries. Now switch mats with concrete, and instead of aiming to put the other person on their back, aim for their head and shoulder. Even if you miss these targets, they are still on the ground, and you hopefully have trained to remain standing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a sport context, you try to immobilize your partner to apply a joint lock for safety. If you are fighting with serious intent, there is no reason you need to immobilize them, just apply force with mechanical advantage on the joint.  You also don't need to wait until they are on the ground; you can throw with an arm lock or fall so your weight applies force and breaks the joint.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-10-13T13:16:24.927" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12897" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12890" CreationDate="2021-10-13T14:56:30.813" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've had experience on both sides, instructing and taking lessons via remote/zoom/teams/etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I've found is that it is more useful the higher up in ranking you go, mainly because the refinements that are needed are fewer, and it is easier for the student to hear what the instructor is saying and turn that into application. The understanding of the basic principles is already built in, and doesn't have to be reinforced. For the instruction side, it's less useful as it is hard to enforce discipline in the class, provide more individual instruction, you can't have senior students work a drill with juniors, etc. It's more a &amp;quot;here is an example, do your best&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would not recommend remote/video learning for beginners. There are just too many refinements that can't be seen and corrected without in person examples. One example, we have a form that basically makes a double square in shape, and any time the student is going &amp;quot;away&amp;quot; from the camera, they are trying to look over their shoulder to see the next move, and then wander all over. We experimented with teaching the form in a straight line and no turns, and that was sort of a disaster. Also, you have students that are so far away you can't make out anything, or some that are so close you can't see anything below the waist. It's just not a great avenue for learning a physical capacity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another n=1 for seeing the nuances and small differences - Our organization was finally able to hold an in person high rank (4th degree and up) testing this summer. The pass rate for this was right at 80.6%. There was a virtual high rank testing available for those that couldn't travel still, and the pass rate for that was above 97%.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2021-10-13T14:56:30.813" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12899" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12868" CreationDate="2021-10-14T11:00:55.107" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This answer aims to add to, rather than replace, those which have already been posted. I also wish to distance my comments from issues of mask-wearing and COVID. I acknowledge they are realities of your current situation, but I think there's value in discussing your question in the context of a return to relative normality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Exhaustion is technically an absolute condition, so it can be useful to employ the word 'fatigue' instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We tend to measure exhaustion against the most fatigue we've ever experienced. When we think about exhaustion, it is natural to remember the occasion upon which we have been most tired (for example, in the final stages of a first half-marathon), and find it difficult to conceive of being able to function in an even slightly more fatigued state.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, as is routinely demonstrated to military recruits, we rarely push ourselves to the extremes to which we are capable. The hurdle is largely psychological. When an activity is voluntary (such as the half-marathon), we find ourselves continually at war with the knowledge that there is nothing compelling us to continue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Military training, on the other hand, assumes the responsibility of preparing soldiers for circumstances in which any decision to quit will likely result in permanent injury, imprisonment, torture and/or death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you speak to anyone who has had the good/bad fortune to experience such training, they will likely relate an incredulity at just how far they were able to push themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, whilst I mean in no way to diminish your efforts thus far, or to assume you have not pushed yourself to a similar degree, it is quite possible that - despite your experience of relative exhaustion - you have not come close to your limits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please however heed this warning. I am not posting this with the intent of motivating you to push yourself to ridiculous levels. Exertion of this sort must only ever be done with the full knowledge of a well-trained supervisor or team of supervisors. It comes with a range of risks, including a much higher likelihood of injury, reinforcement of poor technique, possible heart failure and dangerous levels of dehydration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is not wise to push yourself to such an extent on a regular basis. Such effort is actually deleterious to the body and requires far greater than normal recovery time. The purpose of occasional maximal efforts is to educate you as to how far you might push yourself &lt;em&gt;should you ever need to&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even elite fighters (at least those with experienced trainers) during a fight preparation phase rarely push themselves this far with any regularity. Like all forms of training, aerobic and muscular endurance training is best achieved via gradual progression with scheduled 'deloading' phases, so that the body adapts safely to the increasing demands to which you are subjecting it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your teacher is routinely pushing you to levels at which you are experiencing a significant loss of co-ordination, mental acuity, and body water content, and at which you are experiencing nausea and dizziness, I suspect you may be pushed (or you are pushing yourself) too far, too often.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastActivityDate="2021-10-14T11:00:55.107" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12900" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12888" CreationDate="2021-10-15T04:30:03.653" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many (most?) martial arts are concerned primarily with fighting and/or sport, and health benefits are a side effect. With a condition like sciatica, I expect your primary motivation is health and not fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without any personal knowledge of sciatica, I would expect you would want to work on lower spinal mobility. In terms of yoga exercises, this would be moving between the cat and cow poses, rather than more static poses like downward dog. From the martial arts perspective, I think that taiji or bagua would expose you most to this motion in a martial context. Within taiji, I believe one of the Wu styles (sorry, don't know which) is known for a willowy spine motion, more so than the mostly upright Yang style. You can also search for Daoist (Taoist) spine stretch or Daoist spinal wave to see exercises that work this area. In a taiji context, I would want to find an instructor that works these kinds of exercises supplemental to forms training, rather than relying exclusively on forms training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-10-15T04:30:03.653" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12901" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12902" CreationDate="2021-10-15T05:46:09.843" Score="4" ViewCount="2344" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why doesn't Muay Thai incorporate the Karate/TKD Front Snap Kick? Muay Thai instead has a Teep kick with slightly different motion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I understand why Muay Thai has its own roundhouse kick, as its more fluid rotation, faster motion, and more power with hip and legs. Wanted to learn why the Karate/Taekwondo kick is not efficient in Muay Thai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uHkdE.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uHkdE.png&quot; alt=&quot;Front snap kick being delivered to a held pad&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Uy4Ct.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Uy4Ct.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Image of a front teep being thrown at an opponent's guard&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-10-15T23:32:49.343" LastActivityDate="2021-10-27T17:30:31.150" Title="Why doesn't Muay Thai use the Karate/Taekwondo front snap kick?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|kicking|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12902" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12901" CreationDate="2021-10-15T08:21:26.810" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;It comes down to the same reasons which hold for the different roundhouse kick: power and dmg vs. speed and predictability. Thai fighters have a different goal compared to karate and TKD fighters as they have different rulesets: Muay Thai fighters don't want to touch, they want to penetrate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is the reason why Muay Thai doesn't mind if there is slightly more reaction time for the opponent (since their kick cannot be &amp;quot;nullified&amp;quot; by a flick of the arm). Compare MT and kyokushin karate (also full contact and KO rules) front kicks and you will find that they are doing the exact same thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, if you look at the snap kick, you'll notice that your kick direction is mainly up. It may be devastating if you happen to be able to do a snap kick behind and under the rib cage - a rationale I once heard to justify this type of kick in actual fights - but that is virtually impossible against a live, moving opponent. Instead, you want to be as snappy as possible so that your leg isn't caught while having the direction of force to penetrate your opponent, ie. directly frontwards. This necessitates exactly what you observe here: while you also have to lift your knee up, your heel will move in a more or less straight line from your hip towards the point of contact. And since you want to maximize damage (physically, the pressure into the opponent's body), you minimize the area of contact (pressure = force per area). Et voilà, a teep kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, the TKD kick shown above is obviously great to kick between the legs in the groin fast and hard...it's just that this is forbidden by the rulesets of any competitive martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-10-19T06:38:03.303" LastActivityDate="2021-10-19T06:38:03.303" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12903" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12901" CreationDate="2021-10-15T09:38:19.237" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, both approaches are valid and quite useful. A modern martial artist should be able to do both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why the divergent approach? It's hard to say because it's so thoroughly a historical-cultural difference rather than a true philosophical choice, which means it often comes down to luck or personal preferences of unknown people in the unrecorded past.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nevertheless, one explanation that I find persuasive is that the Japanese/Korean karate philosophy is extremely different from Muay Thai judging and its value system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The former is strongly influenced by a military fetish, thus highly valuing orderly regimentation (especially for large groups) and a somewhat unrealistic elevation of the &amp;quot;one hit one kill&amp;quot; philosophy. This happened to evolve into extremely low-volume, partial-contact competitions largely dependent on reaction time, featuring single explosive attacks that one can argue &lt;em&gt;would have been&lt;/em&gt; disabling had the strike &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; been pulled before impact. Under these conditions the snap kick is an extremely low-risk, high-reward tool.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In contrast, muay Thai is strongly influenced by a very specific tradition of frequent, public, full-contact, one-on-one competition that involved getting paid either directly or through betting. This happened to lead to one particular (logical) strategy: avoiding high-risk, high-damage affairs, because the upside of a bloody fight today isn't justified by the downside of not being able to fight next week and thus missing out on future income.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This in turn happened to create judging criteria that valued demonstrating composure and thus a desire to disrupt the composure of one's opponent. Forcing your opponent to stumble or limp thus became a high-value tactic. Two logical tools to reach for in this case are a strong round kicks (whether to the thigh muscle, body, or head) and a push kick, both of which we see in abundance in muay Thai. These strikes are quite good at forcing the opponent out of their stance when the whole point is to no-sell every attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(An aside: the Okinawan karate tradition actually contains both kicks, though its teep-like push kick has fallen out of popularity in proportion to the degree it borrows from the Japanese-style large-group approach.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2021-10-15T09:38:19.237" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12905" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-15T15:47:55.230" Score="-2" ViewCount="129" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know that training will increase the effectiveness of strikes, but is it still possible to damage someone without training/thinking?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: this is not subjective, I am asking if it is physically (objectively) possible and it is a yes or no question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12085" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-10-16T04:41:14.347" LastActivityDate="2021-11-03T19:03:27.780" Title="Is it possible to hit someone without training?" Tags="|self-defense|self-training|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12906" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12905" CreationDate="2021-10-15T16:15:39.963" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Certainly. People throw untrained punches in brawls all of the time, and you need only look at the newspapers to see the number of times some parent has taken a swipe at their kid and caused them injury. It's even very possible to do without intent, turning to point to something and catching someone in the face with your outswung arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-10-15T16:15:39.963" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12907" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12908" CreationDate="2021-10-16T23:38:07.220" Score="3" ViewCount="159" Body="&lt;p&gt;I like the Muay Thai kick as its more fluid rotation, faster motion, and more power with hip/legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing compared to Karate and TKD kick, it takes a lot more balance and friction against the ground to get it working properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am 190 pounds, and to balance on balls of the single foot, and rotate quickly against the ground is not a good feeling. Try rotating the balls of 1 foot against carpet, and you will see what I mean on friction. Or try it on the pavement with shoes in street defense, it doesn't give a good feeling of 'stability' compare to Karate kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any methods to alleviate this issue of friction/instability on floor or on street fight? I heard one strategy is to slightly bounce on foot, while rotating (however when I do that, it looks more like a TKD kick, I will need more practice). Any ideas/suggestions are good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-10-17T05:04:31.847" LastActivityDate="2021-10-17T14:25:09.603" Title="Muay Thai Roundhouse kick: Rotate in stability without friction" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|mixed-martial-arts|kicking|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12908" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12907" CreationDate="2021-10-17T02:15:52.213" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;What follows is relevant most often to kicks in which your opponent is directly in front of you, or perhaps slightly to the right (if in orthodox stance), and when your opponent is within close or medium range&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of the best rear leg roundhouse kicks I've seen have been executed without pivoting (or very minimal pivoting) of the front foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The technique requires the striker to position their front foot at roughly 45-75 degrees to the outside, and the rear leg simply launches and retracts without much front foot movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This requires a certain degree of hip and knee mobility if proper weight transferral is to be achieved and if injury is to be prevented, but the advantages are considerable:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It requires less energy, as less movement is required,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It maintains greater defensive and offensive capacity throughout the motion, as your foot retains the optimal position from which to initiate a variety of follow-up movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It enables faster strikes and facilitates quicker repetition of the same strike. A kind of torque-spring is created in the body which weakens when exaggerated pivoting of the front foot occurs. If you compare both techniques when doing drills, you will feel this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Buakaw illustrates these points beautifully with &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFcG6ZbdRkE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; burst of strikes (0:31). You will notice however that when he transitions (0:41) to right/left combinations and is chasing his partner with close to maximal power kicks, his foot pivots a lot more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, we find an example of how neither technique is more correct than another. Both have application and should be incorporated into your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In relation to your point about it being 'not a good feeling' when you pivot, this likely occurs for a couple of reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Carpet is a non-ideal high-friction surface. Until you condition the balls of your feet to that particular surface, you will likely experience blisters and discomfort. I have resorted to training on carpet in the past, and your feet do become conditioned to it if you train on it regularly. You simply need to endure a couple of weeks of discomfort and remain on the lookout for any infection whilst your feet are responding with blisters, which will almost certainly pop. Wash your feet after these sessions and apply antiseptic if necessary. You may also want to try &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn-C4bL-NB8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;foot wraps&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Training in shoes if you are hoping to practice Muay Thai in a ring is not ideal, simply because to do so is to diminish the specificity of your training. You are unable to grip the floor in shoes as well as you can in bare feet, and this results in you having to make allowances for the resulting lack of stability, which will often mean a loss of repeatable power, range of movement and retraction speed, although the extra weight on your feet may improve your kicking fitness slightly and reinforce aspects of balance which translate well to bare-foot techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is desirable to train in shoes if your goal is to be 'street' ready. If this is the case, you simply need to train frequently in shoes, so that you become accustomed to the instability you describe. Consider buying shoes which have a sole more suitable to your environment. If you can't afford to do so, you will simply have to adapt to what you have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more friction that exists between your foot and the ground, the more you will have to unweight yourself in order to pivot properly and without injury. This does not however require that you begin to &amp;quot;bounce&amp;quot;, for the reasons described in an answer to your recent question about &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/12846/why-dont-muay-thai-fighters-bounce-like-karate-fighters&quot;&gt;bouncing&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more you are unweighted, the more vulnerable you are. You also typically want to be fully-weighted or close to fully-weighted at the moment you make impact with your opponent if maximum power transferral is your goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SUMMARY&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Experiment with minimising foot rotation. This will minimise the problem of friction.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Train as closely as possible to how you expect to fight (ie: barefoot vs shoes, ring mat/gym floor vs asphalt).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you must train on carpet, consider wrapping your feet or else be wary of infection.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you want to train in shoes, try to obtain some with soles that aren't too sticky, but which have useful grip.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Learn to unweight yourself as you kick, to the minimum degree necessary in order to achieve unimpaired rotation, and to re-weight at the point of impact.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Try not to bounce.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-10-17T14:25:09.603" LastActivityDate="2021-10-17T14:25:09.603" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12909" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12913" CreationDate="2021-10-17T22:16:10.217" Score="4" ViewCount="83" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've started reading &amp;quot;Daoist Nei Gong&amp;quot; by Damo Mitchell, but I'm struggling with most of the concepts because I don't share the same metaphysical perspective. What prompted me to read it was having experienced the benefits of standing qigong years ago and wanting to understand it more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there non-dualistic perspectives on qigong? Or is it required to believe in something non-physical?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12068" LastActivityDate="2021-10-19T14:50:12.887" Title="Is a dualistic perspective required to grasp nei gong?" Tags="|tai-chi|philosophy|internal|beginner|qi|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12910" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-18T14:20:16.800" Score="1" ViewCount="50" Body="&lt;p&gt;My teacher always says that a strike always has the maximum power it can have given the exact circumstances, and that my opponents body will always break at the weakest point for grappling. is there any evidence in martial arts or elsewhere to support this saying?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12097" LastEditorUserId="12097" LastEditDate="2021-10-18T14:31:47.490" LastActivityDate="2021-10-18T15:59:37.833" Title="Is what my teacher says correct?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|self-training|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2021-10-18T21:14:24.143" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12911" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12910" CreationDate="2021-10-18T15:59:37.833" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The first statement is technically true. Due to the essentially deterministic nature of the universe, for a given environment, given execution of a strike, and given disposition of the opponent, the strike has precisely one execution, the one happening, with one result, which is both the maximum and minimum power it could have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second is kind of true as well. For that individual situation, by definition, the break happens at the weakest point, which might be psychological. It's basic structural dynamics that a single point fails, and generally cascades into complete failure. That said, it implies that that point is generally weak, which I feel is less true. As with the first quote, it's situational. That first failure will depend upon the execution of the technique, the reaction of the defender, and aspects of the fight, possibly including earlier damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more salient question, is what meaning your teacher intends to convey with these statements. One possibility is that they are just trying to sound profound without a deeper meaning. This is sometimes referred to as an &lt;a href=&quot;https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IceCreamKoan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;ice cream koan&lt;/a&gt;, a play on words on &amp;quot;Zen koans&amp;quot;. Another possibility, is that your teacher &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; trying to use this to make you think more about the technique, thinking less of it as a matter of &amp;quot;this technique is more powerful than this other one&amp;quot;, and more that the situation where they are used determines how useful they are. Similarly, thinking of a grapple succeeding at the then weakest point of your enemy, makes you think about the entire chain of dependencies involved, and that all it takes is the failure of one. Ultimately, this may be a question better suited to discussing with your teacher, as to what he truly means by them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-10-18T15:59:37.833" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12912" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-18T16:50:31.863" Score="1" ViewCount="49" Body="&lt;p&gt;The three depictions of Bruce Lee that I've seen are Jason Scott Lee in &lt;em&gt;Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story&lt;/em&gt;, Danny Chan in the &lt;em&gt;Ip Man&lt;/em&gt; films, and Mike Moh in &lt;em&gt;Once Upon A Time In Hollywood&lt;/em&gt; (although I'd rather forget this last one).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a martial arts actor/actress today who emulates Bruce Lee's fighting style particularly well, regardless of whether they played the man himself?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12068" LastActivityDate="2021-10-18T16:50:31.863" Title="Which martial arts actor emulates Bruce Lee's fighting style most faithfully?" Tags="|history|style|entertainment|bruce-lee|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12913" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12909" CreationDate="2021-10-18T16:56:07.793" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is nothing that anyone can claim about anything which does not manifest. If it doesn't manifest, how can anyone observe it in order to know anything about it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can hold a qigong pose and feel heat on your palms when you concentrate on them. Is that chi? What is chi? Define it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So far, nobody has shown that a metaphysical definition of chi (as a &amp;quot;force&amp;quot;) is real. There's no reason to believe in it other than as a mental tool for improving yourself in some way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it helpful? Then use the concept. But just because it's useful, don't think that makes it real.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only way to read that kind of stuff which you know is based on ideas that are unscientific and wrong, or language from a time when science wasn't a thing, is to see what conclusions they make about how best to live / practice, and then see if it confirms what you already know. How they got to those conclusions is pretty well bogus, or at least there's a better, modern explanation for why it worked out well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And maybe if you understood the scientific explanation for why it works, you could refine it and remove the bits that don't add anything or which make it harder to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2021-10-18T16:56:07.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12914" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12915" CreationDate="2021-10-18T18:14:30.360" Score="3" ViewCount="1597" Body="&lt;p&gt;I noticed during drills, many people shadow box without full extension of arms? Is there a reason for that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Around half the class has full extension, other half does not. I thought when you box, you're supposed to hit at around completion 95% extension (not full extension, however due to overextending, etc). I see some people box at 25-50% extension.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During Karate kata and traditional martial arts, people practice punches with full extension, as opposed to Western boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/cZr907mYBC0?t=69&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/cZr907mYBC0?t=69&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/D6HOR.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/D6HOR.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tBtvP.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tBtvP.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-10-18T19:57:28.827" LastActivityDate="2021-10-19T02:39:36.447" Title="Why do people Shadowbox without full extension?" Tags="|karate|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12915" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12914" CreationDate="2021-10-18T18:28:51.190" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was taught to not strike at full extension because of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.boxingscene.com/forums/boxing-forums/training-nutrition/748684-shadowboxing-opinion?p=24463416#post24463416&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the risk of hyperextending the limbs due to a lack of resistance&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To avoid this sort of injury, never fully extend (or hyperextend) your elbow joints during shadow boxing (especially if you are punching hard and fast). Your jab gets its speed and power from the rotation of your shoulder joint, not from the (hyper)extension of your elbow — always remember that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shadowboxing and bag work essentially work two sides of the coin. Shadowboxing teaches you how to throw your strikes when you miss (no resistance, so you don't want to go full extension) and bag work teaches you how to throw your strikes when you hit (resistance, so you need to make sure your movement is lined up so that your joints, tendons, and muscles are not compromised on impact) with sparring being the acid test for being able to switch based on whether you are about to hit or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, you've modified your question to reference people doing much less extension, 25%-50%. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.infighting.ca/kickboxing/3-common-mistakes-with-shadowboxing/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Some would argue that's a mistake&lt;/a&gt;, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://expertboxing.com/guide-to-shadow-boxing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;others claim that this is to improve flow&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here you’re working on rhythm so it’s ok to minimize the movements to help you find a natural “fighting dance” rhythm in your body, rather then fully extending all your punches and putting 100% power on every movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for why strikes are generally at full extension during karate kata, and many other Asian martial arts, it's a combination of that part of the purpose of kata is to demonstrate each individual technique and that those styles have a focus on &amp;quot;one strike takedowns&amp;quot; (regardless of one's beliefs in how feasible that is), so you're training to show full force, and often to pause after each technique to demonstrate it. Because of the regularity of the movements, there's more control available, and therefore less chance of hurting yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-10-18T21:00:34.820" LastActivityDate="2021-10-18T21:00:34.820" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12916" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12918" CreationDate="2021-10-18T21:53:36.110" Score="4" ViewCount="107" Body="&lt;p&gt;In horizontal elbow rear in Muay Thai (Sok Tad/ ศอกตัด), what is proper positioning of pivot foot and wrist?&#xA;When doing a cross-2 Punch, if target is directly front ahead of you, rear pivot foot is keep vertical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;However in Muay Thai horizontal elbow rear with right hand, I've seen it done ways on pivot foot: rotated 45 inward and vertical. Is there proper foot positioning, or do whatever you want ? I tried both ways, actually prefer inward, as some people do not have optimum chest/shoulder flexibility etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Also, they say to keep wrist kind of limp and downward. Is that correct? Could that cause slight change of injury if opponent hit and jams into body, etc? What is the proper hand/wrist position? Any tips would be helpful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Inward vs Vertical pivot:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fPfmD.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fPfmD.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/44r6K.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/44r6K.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-10-19T03:40:57.263" LastActivityDate="2021-10-24T09:27:37.400" Title="Muay Thai Horizontal Elbow: Rear Foot and hand position" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12917" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12914" CreationDate="2021-10-19T02:39:36.447" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Further to Macaco's answer...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is yet another example of where both techniques have merit. Near-full extension and partial extension both replicate different combat circumstances. To practice only one of these exclusively is to prepare well for one set of circumstances whilst neglecting the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Despite the fact that many top fighters seem to incorporate half-extension into their training, the benefits of partial extension are to my mind best realised when they are seeking to replicate close range techniques as opposed to simply enabling a better 'flow'. The ability to string techniques together smoothly is important and definitely worth training for, but is far more translatable to combat if this flow is generated by the actual techniques upon which you will be relying in a fight as opposed to the non-realistic half-movements many fighters practice when the cameras turn up to their training camps. It feels good to do (it's a kind of fighter's dance) and it looks good, whilst betraying little of any quietly drilled combinations the fighter hopes to smuggle into a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other uses include (but are probably not limited to):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Providing some upper-body context to footwork drills, in which improving footwork is the primary objective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Warming up/cooling down in preparation for more serious work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Incorporating specificity to aerobic endurance training, in which fitness is the primary goal, rather than technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Maintaining the shadow-boxing element of a training routine during periods in which minor injuries (such as repetitive stress, elbow tweaks) have surfaced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Training torso rotation speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastActivityDate="2021-10-19T02:39:36.447" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12918" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12916" CreationDate="2021-10-19T09:53:43.477" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Photo 1:&lt;/strong&gt; Note that the fighter's elbow has travelled past the centreline (as roughly indicated by his nose). He rotates his foot beyond neutral.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Photo 2:&lt;/strong&gt; The elbow has not yet passed the centreline. His foot remains neutral.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can try this now, at home, and feel how twisting the front foot inward facilitates the increased follow-through achieved by the fighter in the first photo. This is typically desirable when you are intending to strike through the target and wish to commit more fully to the technique with the intent of maximising damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keeping the rear foot neutral may be sufficient if you are merely intending to throw a quick elbow designed to stun and/or distract, and if you need to maximise retraction speed for defence or a follow-up technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bringing the tip of the thumb of your striking arm into contact with your opposite shoulder (at or just after the moment of impact) provides a good cue; a reminder to bring your elbow further around than you otherwise might.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In relation to the question of whether or not to keep the wrist relaxed, the whole shoulder and arm should remain sufficiently free of tension to enable you to create a snappy, almost whip like action by collapsing the elbow into the strike. You may however wish to tense at the precise moment of impact, just as you would with a punch. Experiment on a bag or pads.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This &lt;a href=&quot;https://heatrick.com/2018/11/29/muay-thai-elbow-mechanics&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;article and video&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; provides some excellent further information as to the biomechanics of elbow techniques, and in relation to some common mistakes and supplemental training ideas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-10-24T06:47:15.940" LastActivityDate="2021-10-24T06:47:15.940" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12919" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12923" CreationDate="2021-10-19T11:19:51.913" Score="5" ViewCount="3365" Body="&lt;p&gt;The very first time I did standing qigong (8 postures held for 5 minutes each, totalling 40 minutes), my arms and legs started to violently shake, not necessarily at the same time, and then there were moments of stillness before it would start up again. It was a remarkable experience, if a little unnerving, but my whole body felt so light and relaxed at the end and it made me realise how much tension was stored up. The next few times I did it, my body still shook a lot, but less intensely than the first time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is happening physiologically to cause this shaking? Is the intensity of the shaking cumulative, such that it will reduce over time with regular practice? Or does it just depend on how tense you are at the particular time you do it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12068" LastEditorUserId="12068" LastEditDate="2021-10-19T12:45:26.520" LastActivityDate="2021-10-21T00:56:08.127" Title="What is happening physiologically when the whole body violently shakes during standing qigong?" Tags="|tai-chi|beginner|physiology|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12920" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12909" CreationDate="2021-10-19T14:50:12.887" Score="0" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Breathing&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's consider just breathing for the moment. From a qi gong practictioner's perspective, the idea that breathing well will improve your health becomes self-evident. If you have experienced benefits from standing qi gong, I assume you have an understanding of how learning to breathe better improves your wellbeing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you consider breathing from a Western medicine perspective, it's difficult to explain this effect to the mainstream. Breathing is an autonomic process, and even breathing with what a qi gong practictioner would consider suboptimimal technique still results in high levels of blood oxygenation. I recently read the popular science book &lt;em&gt;Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art&lt;/em&gt; by James Nestor, which explains why you should breathe through your nose and slow your breathing, but it will not help inform qigong practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to study nei gong, you have to accept that the roadmap is written in a different cultural context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Movement&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend &lt;em&gt;Awareness through Movement&lt;/em&gt; by Moshe Feldenkrais. I'm still not sure the degree to which this overlaps with qigong/neigong, but it models the body as a collection of opposing muscle groups over which we have learned only incomplete control. It advocates slow, often very small movements as a means of gaining greater control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-10-19T14:50:12.887" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12921" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12919" CreationDate="2021-10-19T14:58:50.743" Score="0" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is happening physiologically to cause this shaking?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sorry, I can only speculate on this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is the intensity of the shaking cumulative, such that it will reduce over time with regular practice? Or does it just depend on how tense you are at the particular time you do it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The shaking goes away with repeated practice sessions. It goes away because you learn not to fight yourself, not because your muscles get stronger, similarly to how a ball player with metaphorical stone hands learns to catch better by relaxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most basic qi gong posture is simply standing with your knees slightly bent and your arms down by your sides. In a practice session you stand still in one place for long enough that your muscles somewhere get tired. This is your indication of where your body is not aligned well with gravity and you are using muscular tension to make. You adjust your posture both in the moment and across sessions to try to reduce the muscular tension needed to maintain the standing position. Over sustained practice, your posture improves and the act of standing becomes easier. In some sense, you are simply learning to relax or rest better, and practicing basic posture should become pleasant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my experience, the &amp;quot;qi blockages&amp;quot; are not so much about shaking, as the difference in body feeling between the state where you are holding the body up with excess muscular tension and not. There is a spectrum of such conditions, but when you first feel the muscles relax, there can be a feeling like you have had a great massage or sauna session.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not every posture should be used for standing qigong. The horse stance, for example, can be done in multiple ways. In wushu, the ideal is with the thighs parallel to the floor. This develops a great deal of leg strength, but it would be a waste of time to use this for a standing qigong session because it is impossible to hold this position without a great deal of muscular tension. If, however, you create an arch with your legs, your structure carries your weight and the muscles just have to hold the bones in place. In this version of the stance, you can learn to use less muscular strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The standard qigong advice is that you should not try to intentionally recreate events like this, but simply experience them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-10-21T00:56:08.127" LastActivityDate="2021-10-21T00:56:08.127" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12922" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12919" CreationDate="2021-10-19T16:41:25.027" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do not have experience in qigong, but I have seen this behavior in yoga, when standing at attention in odd poses in marching band Color Guard, and in some martial arts. It basically comes down to muscular tension in an unaccustomed pose. Almost every static position that humans hold requires some degree of effort to maintain that position, even just attempting to stand still. One the goals in training a static position is to train your brain and muscles to be able to maintain a position with minimal effort, but initially, especially with an unfamiliar position, it requires more effort, and as you start to tire, the balancing pressure of the muscles fail to properly match, and much like overcorrection of steering on a icy road, it's easy for this to grow worse as you try to correct it. This shaking will often stop when your body refinds the equilibrium, goes to a position where it's easier to balance, or simply exhausts itself enough that it's not firing as strongly to maintain that position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My experience is that this has more to do with general familiarity with the positions, and overall lack of fatigue, rather than any particular tenseness in the body, although tenseness (or caffeine) can lead to twitches that start the instability feedback loop.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternately, I'm sure one could form a narrative of how your body is channeling the chi imperfectly and so your limbs are twitching like a garden hose that is suddenly filling with water. &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-10-19T16:41:25.027" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12923" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12919" CreationDate="2021-10-19T16:57:33.273" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Every individual muscle fiber cannot contract for long without being damaged. Therefore, in any static posture or exertion of strength over a significant period of time, muscle fibers within muscle bundles and muscle bundles within muscles coordinate with each other to do the job in turns, as it were.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is normal and the reason why we can exert much more strength in extreme situations than in less existential ones: You activate (almost) all fibers at once, which allows you (or the ones you rescue) to survive but at the cost of doing structural damage to your muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, why do you start to shake? This is a sign of your muscles being stressed beyond their normal parameters: The &lt;strong&gt;muscle fibre and bundle coordination breaks down&lt;/strong&gt; as they cannot recover properly and allow for a smooth transition between activation and deactivation anymore. In other words: You experience what happens when fibers and bundles &amp;quot;fail&amp;quot; to do their job as they cannot sustain the energy generation and others &amp;quot;jumping in&amp;quot; too late (hence the shaking) since they did not fully recover to their normal parameters and were not ready to do the job in time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On one hand, this is good and wanted since that is the training stimulus that leads to stronger muscles (here: via better coordinated muscle fibers and bundles and more efficient energy production so that they outlast longer). It also means that &lt;strong&gt;all&lt;/strong&gt; fibers are used extensively, after which they &lt;strong&gt;have to recover&lt;/strong&gt;, ie. your muscle tension is lower, the muscles can completely relax &lt;strong&gt;since they must&lt;/strong&gt;. On the other hand, it means that you should be aware that &lt;strong&gt;maintaining this overstressing of muscles for longer periods of time necessarily leads to structural damage&lt;/strong&gt;. If you do this for too long or neglect recovery times of 48-72 hours, it can even lead to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sportsmedtoday.com/exerciseinduced-hematuria-va-116.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;exercise-induced haematuria (&amp;quot;red urine&amp;quot;)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words: If you start to shake &lt;em&gt;violently&lt;/em&gt; too early into the eight minutes, say, earlier than 30-45 seconds before they end, I would really consider shortening the time until your muscles adapted accordingly. Also, if it comes to this, at least 48 hours of recovery time should be standard. Otherwise, it can actually be detrimental to both your muscular development and your kidneys (since they are the organs that have to deal with the &amp;quot;waste&amp;quot; produced by structural damage, ie. dead cells and blood).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-10-19T17:35:11.440" LastActivityDate="2021-10-19T17:35:11.440" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12925" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-20T12:05:04.363" Score="2" ViewCount="63" Body="&lt;p&gt;My awareness of martial arts philosophical works is limited exclusively to those of Chinese and Japanese origin. I would like to learn more about martial arts philosophies from other cultures and to know what works are considered classics or authoritative.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not requesting personal recommendations so much as recommendations for what is critically acclaimed or considered authoritative by those who are knowledgeable on the subject.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12068" LastActivityDate="2021-10-21T13:18:23.300" Title="What martial arts philosophy books are recommended for martial arts originating outside East Asia?" Tags="|recommendation|philosophy|books|culture|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12926" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12927" CreationDate="2021-10-20T14:21:40.213" Score="1" ViewCount="325" Body="&lt;p&gt;This quote is from Bruce Lee. I think it means that even if one has no limitation, you can still lose by making the wrong choices (if you can use any move, you can use the wrong one, and your brain has to cycle through more possible moves). I think it implies that even the strongest, most trained people can lose. Is this what Bruce lee meant or am I wrong (or is the logic wrong)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12107" LastEditorUserId="12107" LastEditDate="2021-10-20T14:36:33.373" LastActivityDate="2021-10-20T15:06:17.797" Title="Does &quot;Using no way as way, having no limitation as limitation&quot; imply that there are always limits?" Tags="|bruce-lee|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12927" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12926" CreationDate="2021-10-20T15:06:17.797" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It depends on whether you go by the spirit of Bruce Lee's philosophy or the letter of this quote. If you read commentaries on what exactly he meant by this quote, &lt;a href=&quot;https://brucelee.com/podcast-blog/2019/1/9/132-limitless&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;such as this one as an example&lt;/a&gt;, this will probably yield better understanding, because unfortunately, the wording is ambiguous taken in isolation. It could be read as follows:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;using no [X as X] - i.e. Don't think of the way (X) as the way (X), absolutely; and don't think of limitations (X) as limitations (X), absolutely. This reading suggests that we shouldn't be attached to whatever X is, as something completely fixed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;using [not-X as X] - i.e. Consider the absence of a way as being the way; consider the absence of limitations as a limitation. This reading would suggest that we should take the negation of a thing (X) as the thing itself (X), but depending on what X is, such a sentence could range from insightful to nonsensical. In this case, you could read it as The Way is not the Way (which reads Taoist) and the fact that one has no limitations is in itself a limitation (a commentary on the perils of anarchy, for example).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first reading is the one that appears to be more in line with Bruce Lee's philosophy, but I think the wording is certainly confusing without context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12068" LastActivityDate="2021-10-20T15:06:17.797" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12928" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12932" CreationDate="2021-10-21T06:08:09.860" Score="6" ViewCount="1822" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why do they teach person  to hit with knuckles horizontal in especially MMA and Muay Thai? It seems this can cause wrist damage, and hyperextension over the years. In Krav Maga they say to rotate muscles at 45 degrees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;a) if you test your bare knuckles against wall, for most people&#xA;index/middle knuckles will naturally hit at 45. &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/67fcgggDIDc?t=204&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/67fcgggDIDc?t=204&lt;/a&gt; (there are certain exceptions, as everyone has different anatomical features)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;b) if you hit at horizontal, it will work. However, you may have to bend wrist down so your knuckles naturally hit (this can cause wrist jam or hyperextension)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;c) can also punch with 135 degrees of rotation, with index/middle knuckles down. However, this may cause wrist twist jam and inflexibility. &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/fWeo0Od8xxM?t=117&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/fWeo0Od8xxM?t=117&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Punching uses index and middle knuckles, so not sure why people are going with options b and c. Sure rotating can cause more damage, but by how much? I actually get little more power and flexibility range, with only slight rotation. Any insight is helpful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Resource:&lt;/strong&gt; Complete Krav Maga: The Ultimate Guide to Over 250 Self-Defense and Combative Techniques, Darrin Levine&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hlgGx.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hlgGx.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-10-21T12:00:51.673" LastActivityDate="2021-10-22T15:01:13.350" Title="Punching: Which way to Rotate Knuckles?" Tags="|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|punching|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12929" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12928" CreationDate="2021-10-21T13:03:03.353" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It may have less to do with the wrist, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://expertboxing.com/horizontal-punches-vs-vertical-punches&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;more to do with the elbow and shoulder&lt;/a&gt;. The rotation involved in a horizontal fist tends to stack the elbow and shoulder into the punch more than a vertical fist, making it easier to use your torso musculature to add power to the punch, and providing more of a stiff frame to deal with recoil.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The horizontal fist position is more powerful not so much because of the rotation of the fist but rather the rotation of the elbow. With a vertical-fisted punch, the elbow stays down and doesn’t support the wrist until the very end where the arm is extended straight. Whereas with the a horizontal-fist, the elbow rotates and lifts up immediately supporting the wrist much sooner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having the elbow come up behind the fist is the key difference here. The wrist has so much more support and delivers more power when the elbow is behind the fist to give your forearm a straighter impact angle. It’s important to know that punches can land with the arm bent at varying angles. Rarely does the punch land when the arm is completely straight. It’s more common to land punches with the arm bent (at the elbow) to some degree, even if only minor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;(The author of that article actually sees vertical and horizontal punches as being equally as useful in different situations, but this is part of the horizontal reasoning)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-10-21T13:03:03.353" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12930" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12925" CreationDate="2021-10-21T13:18:23.300" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For Capoeira (admittedly, a somewhat niche martial art), I particularly recommend &lt;em&gt;Ring of Liberation: Deceptive Discourse in Brazilian Capoeira&lt;/em&gt; by J. Lowell Lewis and &lt;em&gt;A Street-Smart Song: Capoeira Philosophy and Inner Life&lt;/em&gt; by Nestor Capoeira.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/R/bo3642264.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ring of Liberation: Deceptive Discourse in Brazilian Capoeira&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based on eighteen months of intensive participant-observation, Ring of Liberation offers both an in-depth description of capoeira—a complex Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines feats of great strength and athleticism with music and poetry—and a pioneering synthetic approach to the analysis of complex cultural performance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will add a caveat that it has been pointed out that this is one of many cases where a white academician has stepped in to &amp;quot;interpret&amp;quot; a piece of culture related to black people, and not everyone agrees with some of his assertions, such as the tie between headbutts and headstands, and the porter culture of Brazil, but I still think it's one of the better looks at the style from an outside perspective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/591469.A_Street_Smart_Song&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;A Street-Smart Song: Capoeira Philosophy and Inner Life&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A Street-Smart Song delves into the boundless philosophical depths of capoeira, the fascinating synthesis of Brazilian dance and self-defense. Drawing from a wide range of sources—the streets of Salvador and Rio de Janeiro, the teachings of the old masters Pastinha, Bimba, and Leopoldina, and the brutal economic realities inflicted on the poorest of Brazil—Nestor Capoeira paints an indelible portrait of this living art, its spiritual heritage, and its vital place in a world hypnotized by media and crushed by poverty. The traditional poems and songs of capoeira are here, along with the author’s lively discussions of everything from the space age and television’s impact on third world culture to Candomble and capoeira’s life-changing lessons. Rounding out this absorbing cultural survey are historical photos, sketches of weapons and instruments, and fully illustrated fighting movements, taught step by step.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Considered to be one of the better explorations of Capoeira from someone from the culture. While parts of the book did come from Nestor Capoeira's dissertation, it's done in a much more conversational style. It was preceded by two other books, &lt;em&gt;The Little Capoeira Book&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Capoeira: Roots of the Dance-Fight-Game&lt;/em&gt;. One minor criticism occasionally leveled at the book is that it definitely emphasizes a particular style of &amp;quot;old school Capoeira&amp;quot; and specifically builds up the &lt;em&gt;mestres&lt;/em&gt; associated with that style while ignoring others. Also, the translation leaves a bit to be desired.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-10-21T13:18:23.300" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12931" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12928" CreationDate="2021-10-21T13:27:20.107" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I see two benefits to rotating the fist to a horizontal position:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You get a little more range, and&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The shoulder is raised automatically as the wrist rotates, providing valuable cover for your chin and, to some extent, the temple.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the knuckles hitting the wall, and bending the wrist, and all that: forget it. In reality, you are not trying to knock out a flat wall. You are punching a hard, roundish, irregularly shaped object, and you can be happy if you land a powerful punch without hurting yourself. Bending your wrist because you want to &amp;quot;hit with the knuckles&amp;quot; is a bad idea. Keep your wrist straight and your fist firmly closed, and hope for the best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9630" LastActivityDate="2021-10-21T13:27:20.107" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12932" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12928" CreationDate="2021-10-21T14:42:15.300" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are lots of different ways to punch: There's perfectly vertical like kung-fu / wing-chun does it, also known as a &amp;quot;half-twisting&amp;quot; punch. There's the 3/4 twisting punch like your krav-maga and Okinawan karate tends to do. There's perfectly horizontal like Japanese karate and Taekwondo does it, also known as the &amp;quot;full twisting&amp;quot; punch. There's the corkscrew punch after that, which you're going to see most often in boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So which is right? Which is better?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is: It depends, all, none.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are advantages and disadvantages to all of them. While the risk of breaking your finger bones or spraining your wrist is higher when punching hard objects like heads, no particular punch does better in this regard. That's provided you're doing them right. And to know if you're doing a punch wrong, you'll want to punch a heavy bag to see whether or not it would cause any problems in real life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's absolutely vital. If you don't train using a heavy bag or some kind of hard resistance, it won't matter if your form is technically perfect, you're just going to end up hurt. You need to condition your body to punch solid objects. And &lt;strong&gt;you can condition your body to punch in any of these ways without getting hurt&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, let's just get that out of the way. None of these punches will end up hurting you any more or less than any of the others, so long as you're hitting a heavy bag and conditioning your body to punch with those punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you do actually find that you get hurt when punching the bag even if you're going light, then it says that the punch you're doing can't be done without hurting you. So you learn not to do that punch. It's just that simple. This takes just a minute or two to figure out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you'll notice with a half-twist punch (the vertical fist that kung-fu / wing-chun likes) is that it requires you keep your &lt;strong&gt;elbows in and pointed down&lt;/strong&gt;. The force you generate is with your legs rather than just punching with the arm. There's very little biceps or triceps involved in the punch. And it feels like you're driving a wedge down the center line of the body. People that use it will just keep walking forward and use the force of stepping itself to attack. Since you're not swinging it from the outside, it lends itself well to short range fighting. Martial arts which use center line theory utilize this punch as their main punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that half-twisting punch has some problems. First, it often relies on short power, which really depends on how skilled you are at it. Beginners will have very weak punches. It's debatable, but even experts at it tend to have weaker punches than western style boxing punches would be. But power is not really the goal with half-twisting punches. Or I'll say it's not the only goal. The main focus is to deliver quick, somewhat powerful strikes down the center line in order to attack your opponent's structure. And for that, it's fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The worst part about the half-twisting punch is that it &lt;strong&gt;leaves you wide open for punches to your face&lt;/strong&gt;. Your elbow and shoulder are down. You can't deflect a hook punch to your head without taking the time to move first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A western style boxer has this figured out by utilizing the extra, downward twisting turn at the end of the strike. Ever notice that about boxing punches? Ever wonder why they do it? It seems &amp;quot;wrong&amp;quot; to most people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ramsey Dewey did a whole video about this, which you should see:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLVj7orEGcs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLVj7orEGcs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;His take is that you do that corkscrew turn at the end of the punch in order to &lt;strong&gt;raise both your elbow and your shoulder&lt;/strong&gt;. That provides a &lt;strong&gt;shield to defend against punches to your face&lt;/strong&gt; while you're performing the punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It has nothing to do with power, but rather, with defense. Or at least, it's debatable whether you can get any extra power or lose power by doing that extra little twist at the end.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, power isn't the only goal of a good punch. It's just one of many goals. If your punch leaves you wide open to punches to your head, then your punch is kind of &amp;quot;weak&amp;quot; in a sense, regardless of how powerful it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's get back to the 3/4-turn punch that you mentioned from krav-maga, and which is similar in some ways to that of Okinawan karate. Now that you understand how important the shoulder and elbow are in defense, do you see now how the 3/4-turn punch might leave you more vulnerable than the horizontal punch or the corkscrew punch would?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In terms of biomechanics, the 3/4-turn punch does cause the bones of your forearm and your first two knuckles to align. Again, it's not super important that those bones align in terms of avoiding damage to your wrists or the bones of your hand. Punching a heavy bag will condition you to punch in any way without hurting yourself. And if the argument is that you can avoid hurting yourself even if you're not conditioned by utilizing this 3/4-turn punch, the answer is no. You will get hurt no matter what, so long as you're not conditioning yourself to punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okinawan karate also adds a dipping motion to the first two knuckles that krav-maga does not. But you can only do that motion when you're doing a karate style lunge punch down the center of your opponent through his torso, rather than punching to the face. It's a very penetrating punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now here's what I think. It's my judgment that boxing has the best understanding and application of punching of pretty much any martial art or self-defense system. They take a very dynamic and realistic approach to it. They're not just looking at power. They're looking at the entire game. I think one year in a boxing gym, going 2 to 3 times a week would give you a better understanding of punching than krav-maga would give you in decades of training. Or at the very least, you would find it complements your krav-maga style and gives you a base you can use for performing other krav-maga skills. My opinion, anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I hope you walk away with after reading this is that there's a lot more to punching than just biomechanical structure. Above all else, put it to the test. See how it does in the ring and on a heavy bag. And speaking of that heavy bag, you need to be hitting it hard in order to condition your body to punch for real, or else it won't matter how technically perfect your punch is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2021-10-21T17:43:49.783" LastActivityDate="2021-10-21T17:43:49.783" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12933" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-22T06:53:59.443" Score="0" ViewCount="353" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to start teaching martial arts (with the help of a Kung-Fu expert) at high school level. In addition, I would like to convince people that it will boost the IQ of students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How far am I from reality? Is there any study which suggests that there is some relation between martial arts and IQ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12110" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-10-22T13:46:38.017" LastActivityDate="2021-10-25T10:41:46.340" Title="Is there any relation between IQ and martial arts?" Tags="|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12934" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12933" CreationDate="2021-10-22T07:25:06.487" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have never heard of that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a lot of research on the benefits of sports in general on cognitive functions, though. This research &lt;a href=&quot;https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31192623/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;suggests that it is mainly the skill acquisition component&lt;/a&gt; which has direct impact on cognitive abilities. This, in turn, is pretty various and over a relatively long period of time in martial arts specifically. Also, so-called open-skill sport &lt;a href=&quot;https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29031474/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;seems to have a positive impact on answer times under time pressure&lt;/a&gt;, which is a crucial aspect of IQ tests. This suggests that martial arts that train live as opposed to being focused on forms are more beneficial.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, I would not say that martial arts are any better than other sports in this regard, though. And there is no boosting the IQ, just being able to perform to one's full potential in tests. These tests are a poor way to test actual cognitive abilities and have less to do with intelligence in the sense of problem-solving capabilities relevant for specific tasks than they should. They simply are too specific as of abilities they test and rely a lot on being accustomed with the form of symbolic representation. In other words: Rather than saying anything about IQ, I'd talk about it being a mental and physical offset which helps to improve study performance in general. That much is covered by research.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-10-22T08:07:53.890" LastActivityDate="2021-10-22T08:07:53.890" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12935" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12933" CreationDate="2021-10-22T08:26:37.287" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why would you want to convince students of something you don't know to be true? There are so many other known benefits to learning martial arts and claiming an increase in IQ specifically caused by practising martial arts is problematic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_intelligence&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;There are several theories of intelligence&lt;/a&gt; and IQ is just one possible metric, not without its drawbacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;'According to psychologist Wayne Weiten, &amp;quot;IQ tests are valid measures of the kind of intelligence necessary to do well in academic work. But if the purpose is to assess intelligence in a broader sense, the validity of IQ tests is questionable.&amp;quot;'&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to say that martial arts improves IQ, then the underlying assumption is that IQ is something that &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; be changed and that isn't proven. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3950413/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This article&lt;/a&gt; is one that outlines many of the problems with establishing whether IQ can be changed. I cite this article only as an example, not as a personal endorsement of the author's view.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My point is that it is an ongoing topic of debate and the major theories of intelligence all have their critics, so there is no easy yes/no answer to your question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12068" LastEditorUserId="12068" LastEditDate="2021-10-22T13:22:46.423" LastActivityDate="2021-10-22T13:22:46.423" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12936" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12928" CreationDate="2021-10-22T15:01:13.350" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some of the claimed differences between horizontal and vertical punches do not exist. There are many competing claims about the utility of each, but you can test these claims and arrive at your own conclusions by analysing each claim at home right now or when you're next at the gym.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;(The claims I make here are based on honest appraisal of my own biomechanics. My physiology might be somehow different than that of most people, but I have no reason to believe this is the case. My background is in boxing and Kyokushin Karate. Both disciplines are respected for the strength of their punching techniques. The arguments I make here are motivated not by any contrarian intent, but by the evidence I observe when examining the techniques under discussion via analysis of my own punches).&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;quot;Rotating your fist to horizontal raises your elbow and shoulder into a stronger defensive position&amp;quot;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;False. Try it now. You can punch with your fist vertical, at 45 degrees, and horizontal and, unless you consciously raise your shoulder, it remains at virtually an identical height with each punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As regards elbow position, you will notice that the difference is so small as to be negligible. A horizontal fist results in the elbow shifting slightly more to the outside of the arm. Hold your fist out with a straight arm and rotate your fist. Note how minimal the change is. Neither technique offers a greater defensive advantage than the other, although a lower elbow position will have greater utility than a wider position in certain contexts, and vice versa.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;quot;Rotating your fist to a certain position results in a better alignment of the forward knuckles and the bones of the forearm&amp;quot;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;False (or negligible). Again, hold your arm out straight. If you rotate your fist &lt;em&gt;independently&lt;/em&gt; of your forearm, you will lose alignment. But if you rotate your forearm and fist together, they stay in alignment, regardless of whether or not your fist is vertical, horizontal, or somewhere in between.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;quot;A horizontal fist results in greater elbow support for the fist&amp;quot;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;False. The angle of the elbow joint remains virtually the same; it is determined not by fist attitude, but by the distance of the fist from the body. Turning the wrist simply shifts the plane of the arm's bend from the vertical towards the horizontal. If the angle of the elbow joint is the same, the amount of support for the wrist provided by the elbow is the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;quot;A horizontal fist results in slightly greater reach&amp;quot;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;False. Hold your arm out. Keep your fist rigid. Turn your fist. Your reach will likely be unchanged.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Horizontal or Vertical Fist?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As has been pointed out, punches can be effective when executed palm down, palm up, vertical, anywhere in between, or even when rotated past horizontal to a thumb-down 45 degree position. A competent boxer eventually learns that there is no one type of jab or straight, hook or rip, overhand or uppercut, but that true skill lies in being able to launch a variety of techniques - from a variety of body-positions and stances - which enable quick exploitation of openings as they appear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://expertboxing.com/horizontal-punches-vs-vertical-punches&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Expert Boxing&lt;/a&gt; presents a relatively thorough article on horizontal vs vertical punches, but like always, there's an immense amount of often contradictory information out there. Be skeptical. Test advice before accepting it. Common advice is not always good advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing I've noticed about many of the greatest fighters is that they are/were all quite intelligent and that many of them employ/ed unorthodox techniques - techniques rarely taught in gyms - to extraordinary effect. I'm not suggesting we disrespect our teachers or that there is not a great deal to be learned from many centuries-old practices, but instead that there is much to be gained from developing a skeptical and experimental approach to our own training, and that if this approach is habitualised, a fighter becomes able to draw on their own capacities in order to competently answer many of the questions which arise during the course of their martial arts journey.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastActivityDate="2021-10-22T15:01:13.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12937" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12953" CreationDate="2021-10-23T23:06:34.750" Score="2" ViewCount="94" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to Damo Mitchell's &lt;em&gt;Daoist Nei Gong&lt;/em&gt;, most people's centre of gravity is the heel, while a four-legged animal's body weight goes through the legs into the front part of the foot only. We &amp;quot;do not want our heels lifted from the floor as this will uproot us but at the same time we do want the majority of our weight to be held over the front of our feet.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a scientific basis for this position? Alternatively, is this position widely accepted in martial arts across the board?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12068" LastActivityDate="2021-10-27T04:33:24.480" Title="What scientific basis is there to support that our centre of gravity should be the yongquan?" Tags="|weight|physiology|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12939" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12943" CreationDate="2021-10-24T08:58:49.000" Score="0" ViewCount="161" Body="&lt;p&gt;I currently go to MMA gym with Muay Thai, Boxing, and Jujutsu. The boxing coach has slightly different advice: wants me to utilize a slightly square/wider stance below (eg Mike Tyson and others used). One thing I learned, everyone has different body type features, so one adjustment won't work for others. No one wants to switch gyms because of one boxing coach, when the other Muay thai and BJJ instructors are great. The boxing coach is great himself (has unique advice sometimes).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How does student respectfully disagree with a coach/sensai while keeping respect in the gym? A change in my stance, makes athlete redo rhythm, spacial location, flow for my punches, it just misaligns person's game. Disagreeing with a instructor at a 'dojo' and refusing to take the advice can get athletes snubbed. So want to be careful. I feel like saying, &amp;quot;well my last boxing coach or the internet resource talk about&amp;quot; however for some reason that sounds silly or seem like really wouldn't care. And at the end of the day, the guy could kick most anyone bu-- in a boxing match. The strongest of men have the highest of egos. I should tell him hell with the advice and man up, but better to deal with things in life diplomatically. Any advice from coaches or pro expert students would be great.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is just one piece of advice different, along couple others. I brought the issue up once casually, he tends to disagree.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xuIsQ.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xuIsQ.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/yysaa.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/yysaa.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Resources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://boxingundefeated.com/stances/orthodox/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://boxingundefeated.com/stances/orthodox/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://expertboxing.com/the-perfect-boxing-stance&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://expertboxing.com/the-perfect-boxing-stance&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxers with a square stance eg: Tyson, Julio Chavez, Floyd Patterson  &lt;a href=&quot;https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/is-anyone-here-a-square-on-boxer.4104647/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/is-anyone-here-a-square-on-boxer.4104647/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-10-24T09:21:38.980" LastActivityDate="2021-10-25T10:13:47.300" Title="How to respectfully disagree with Coach or Sensai?" Tags="|training|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|teaching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12940" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12916" CreationDate="2021-10-24T09:27:37.400" Score="0" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The rear foot drives the strike and is incident to the angle of the elbow. A vertical elbow strike from above or below requires a vertical drive from the foot, into the ground or from the leap respectively. A horizontal elbow strike requires torsion of the foot, ankle and knee to maximise horizontal velocity and force. Flexibility and body type do influence these positions, but the general rule of thumb is the leg drives at the same angle as the elbow to provide optimal force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;When the wrists are strapped, relaxing the body will conserve energy without the loss rigidity. This can however create habits, which will impact behaviour outside of the ring or when the wrists are not strapped. The answer is dependant on your requirements. If it is to optimise performance in the ring and during competition, focus on maximal relaxation for the wrists, as they will be strapped. If you train without strapped wrists, consider a more rigid wrist position as it will avoid injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12120" LastActivityDate="2021-10-24T09:27:37.400" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12941" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-24T15:43:15.943" Score="2" ViewCount="171" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am not a Wing Chun practicioner, but I know a lot of people who swear that Wing Chun is great for self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although I am not an expert in Wing Chun, I have seen that a lot of techniques are similar to Krav Maga, so I assume they work, however I am more skeptical about trapping techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is trapping realistic? I personally doubt it is, it may be effective against an untrained opponent but have you ever tried to trap  boxers arms? It's impossible, so having said that, can Wing Chun trapping be effective in a street fight against a trained opponent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11536" LastActivityDate="2021-10-25T10:55:58.743" Title="Is Wing Chun trapping effective for self defense against a trained opponent?" Tags="|self-defense|wing-chun|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12942" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12941" CreationDate="2021-10-24T18:32:28.430" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I wrote up a brief description of Wing Chun's strengths and weaknesses here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2802/defence-against-wing-chun/2809#2809&quot;&gt;Defence against Wing Chun&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main gist of it is that Wing Chun's original design goal wasn't to make a well-rounded fighter. It was merely to train someone up in a very small amount of time to take advantage of the weaknesses of many kung-fu styles present at the time and location where Wing Chun was created.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because they could very successfully exploit holes in the defenses of kung-fu styles around at the time, it didn't need to train people over a decade to master all aspects of fighting. It wasn't a &amp;quot;complete&amp;quot; system, and it didn't advertise itself as such.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you look at videos on Youtube showing Wing Chun fighters vs. other styles, a pattern will emerge. They tend not to have good responses for styles such as Muay Thai, Boxing, BJJ, and other styles which were not around at the time and place where Wing Chun was created. In particular, they tend to be open to hook punches, high round house kicks, and of course grappling and ground-fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In videos, the most &amp;quot;losing&amp;quot; strategy of Wing Chun is to wait for someone to come close and to try to &amp;quot;bridge&amp;quot; with them. They almost always get KO'd doing that. This is due to a very widespread misunderstanding, in my opinion and in the opinion of many Wing Chun people, that bridging and chi-sao is the way you &amp;quot;enter&amp;quot; in order to begin punching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, chi-sao is what you do when you can't punch. It's the last resort. Wing Chun people spend a ton of time on chi-sao exercises, but in fight videos, chi-sao is what tends to get Wing Chun people knocked out. They're just using it wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, what they need to be doing, as demonstrated time and time again in real fight videos, is to go on the hyper-offensive from the very beginning. That means getting right up close to their opponent and punching relentlessly. When their opponent backs up, they need to follow and keep on them, never giving their opponent a chance to get some distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They shouldn't wait to bridge and chi-sao nicely with their opponent, just like in their Wing Chun classes. That's a big misunderstanding and a bad habit they have. You do chi-sao when you don't have a chance to punch. Chi-sao is not a necessary step before making that punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When they charge forward and get right up into their opponent's face and keep following them with punches constantly coming, their opponents usually do not have a good answer for that. They'll continue to back up, but the wing chun guy keeps closing the gap. Hardly anyone has a good way to deal with someone who's in that short range and who is constantly punching them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many trained boxers know what to do in that situation, though. But most people are not ready for it. That's where Wing Chun can win and has demonstrated it can win somewhat reliably in all fight videos I've watched.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another problem with Wing Chun people is that they don't often guard their heads like they should. That comes from fighting experience, which most Wing Chun people don't really have. You'll often see them in that Ip Man style stance with one arm way out there ready to bridge. That isn't a good guard. It leaves your head wide open. Any boxer would immediately destroy someone who does that, and that's precisely what you'll see in videos where Wing Chun is fighting someone from a boxing or MMA background. Again, this seems to be a very common misunderstanding of how to fight using Wing Chun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So to answer the original question: Is trapping realistic? No, not very. It's often done wrong, at the wrong times for the wrong reasons. It can be used, but not generally as a primary way to get in on an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can Wing Chun defend itself well against trained martial artists? Yes/no. Against many of the kung-fu styles it was originally intended to go against? Sure. Against styles like boxing, Muay Thai, and MMA? Not really. And part of that reason is that those styles do a hell of a lot more actual fighting than Wing Chun people do. Getting good at fighting means you need to fight, often. Or at the very least, you need to do a lot more MMA style sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2021-10-24T18:32:28.430" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12943" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12939" CreationDate="2021-10-25T02:02:02.217" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It might be a little premature for you to be disagreeing with your teachers. Learning what they have to teach you - regardless of whether it differs from other advice - might in fact help you develop into a more well-rounded fighter, capable of drawing upon a variety of techniques to refine your own style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The respect you seek to display might be best demonstrated not by voicing disagreement, but by politely asking questions which seek to understand your teacher's rationale for promoting a particular set of techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An experienced teacher might be justified in becoming slightly frustrated by a student who bluntly challenges them from a position of (relative) ignorance, but a good coach will likely welcome questions and should be able to answer them with confidence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, questions demonstrate respect. Stubborn argument - especially when it comes from a relatively new student - does not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have developed the ability to perform the techniques described by a teacher, and have experimented with them in sparring sessions and/or fights, you will have better grounds for either accepting, rejecting or modifying their advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you decide to specialise (in MMA for example), and once you become proficient in the basics of the various styles you are learning, you might approach your MMA teacher and discuss whether it could be appropriate for him or her to liaise with your boxing teacher in order that the boxing teacher work with your MMA stance when coaching you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you begin sparring in earnest (if you haven't already), you will very quickly learn that during combat, an ability to attack, defend and move from a variety of stances becomes an enormous asset.  Training narrow &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; wide stances might be difficult at first, but if you persist with both, you will be a better fighter for it. Lomachenko credits much of his incredible footwork to the dancing lessons he took during a four year hiatus from boxing. This knowledge was clearly valuable, despite that fact it originated from a world unfamiliar to most fight coaches. The lesson here is that there is no reason to limit yourself to orthodoxy, when you can become capable of maintaining balance, power, speed, defence and movement from almost any position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't be in a rush. There's no point in quickly accumulating a wide range of mediocre skills. You're lucky to go to a gym where you are exposed to multiple styles and teachers. Instead of presuming to know better than them, patiently absorb all they have to offer so that you can gradually incorporate the best they have to offer into your own toolbox. Start by learning the basics of each discipline and grow your skills from there. If you do this, you will likely gain respect, thanks both to the respect you have displayed for your teachers, and to the broad range of skills you will continue to accrue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-10-25T10:13:47.300" LastActivityDate="2021-10-25T10:13:47.300" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12944" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-25T10:15:51.450" Score="3" ViewCount="735" Body="&lt;p&gt;What do they call those chinese button up shirts often worn in Martial arts movies/tv.&#xA;1: Are they still in use&#xA;2: do they serve a purpose in martial practice&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4llMc.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4llMc.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2021-10-25T10:34:21.547" Title="Martial arts Attire (Specific shirt) what do they call it" Tags="|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12945" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12944" CreationDate="2021-10-25T10:34:21.547" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The one pictured &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_chi#Attire_and_ranking&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;can be referred to as a &amp;quot;kung-fu uniform&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;tai-chi uniform&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In practice traditionally no specific uniform is part of tai chi. Modern day practitioners usually wear comfortable, loose T-shirts and trousers made from breathable natural fabrics, that allow for free movement. Despite this, t‘ai-chi ch‘üan has become synonymous with &amp;quot;t‘ai-chi uniforms&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;kung fu uniforms&amp;quot; that usually consist of loose-fitting traditional Chinese styled trousers and a long or short-sleeved shirt, with a Mandarin collar and buttoned with Chinese frog buttons. The long-sleeved variants are referred to as Northern-style uniforms, whilst the short-sleeved, are Southern-style uniforms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts uniforms differ depending on the martial art in question. &lt;a href=&quot;https://littleninjaparenting.com/what-is-a-kung-fu-uniform-called/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This link&lt;/a&gt; provides more details of different types of martial arts attire and their purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12068" LastActivityDate="2021-10-25T10:34:21.547" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12946" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12933" CreationDate="2021-10-25T10:41:46.340" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;While some epidemiological &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3951958/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;evidence&lt;/a&gt; links &amp;quot;Exercise&amp;quot; with cognitive development; as a whole Martial arts can be utilized and enjoyed by all regardless of....iq. High level martial arts skills are byproduct of muscle memory, not intellectual learning in the classical sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2021-10-25T10:41:46.340" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12947" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12941" CreationDate="2021-10-25T10:55:58.743" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun depends on two factors, rapid strike movements and leg work.&#xA;Trapping is just another word for grappling. In the long run, he who is faster and able to escape and trap his opponent, assuming he doesn't kick you......&#xA;Kung fu as a whole employs &amp;quot;Dirty&amp;quot; fighting&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2021-10-25T10:55:58.743" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12948" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7387" CreationDate="2021-10-25T11:05:09.703" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;For starters let's look into the term &amp;quot;Martial Arts&amp;quot;&#xA;Martial, in the dictionary meaning &amp;quot;Of, or to appropriate to war&amp;quot; or warlike.&#xA;Arts: A systemic practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts is an application of techniques to amplify that capacity to &amp;quot;war&amp;quot; or combat. Martial arts goes as far back, as the first human civilization. Greek wrestling and grappling is as old as antiquity. Boxing dates as far back as the Minoans (1,500 BC)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2021-10-25T11:05:09.703" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12949" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12862" CreationDate="2021-10-25T11:24:00.410" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In all martial arts there's a propensity for abusiveness to assimilate to the practice. Anyone who saw the Movie &amp;quot;Karate Kid&amp;quot; remembers the Cobra Kai. Martial arts that focus on brutal physical combat or lethal finishing moves will always tantalize the sociopathic. Martial arts for years have attracting kids with limited self confidence and low self esteem and any School environment, bullying by people who're far stronger or have hints of sadist tendencies. And the economic competitive nature of martial arts schools means many groups will accept anyone. Another thing is apathetic nature since schools don't punish offenders; once you're of age. By age 17-18 you're &amp;quot;Adult&amp;quot; I’m a grown person. Who has the right to punish me? Who has the right to tell me what to do? Hint: no one. If you're an A**hole outside the dojo you're gonna be one inside too. Martial arts, like military service or police work doesn't create sociopaths or bullies, but it does attract them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2021-10-25T11:24:00.410" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12950" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12862" CreationDate="2021-10-25T19:13:25.587" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am not a BJJ student, but based on my experience in Capoeira, another martial art associated with Brazil, the machismo of the originating culture can't be discounted. Brazilian culture carries an emphasis on male virility which can translate out to an atmosphere which at least implies a &amp;quot;dog eat dog&amp;quot; setting where strength is rewarded and the kid gloves are off with an undertone that breaking the rules, or showing disrespect, will lead to you getting punished if only with something like a slap on the wrist. In practice, it's not usually that bad, with the strength being more show and implication than actual attacks, but I've seen enough people who made the mistake of making a &lt;em&gt;mestre&lt;/em&gt;, particularly one from Brazil, look foolish by catching them with a sweep, and the &lt;em&gt;roda&lt;/em&gt; becoming much more serious and you not being allowed to leave until you've been put in your place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not mentioned in the question, but I think germane to the question, is that this can also result in prejudice against women, non-binary folk, and non-heterosexuals (Capoeira is in a weird space in that we revere characters like &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madame_Sat%C3%A3&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Madame Satã&lt;/a&gt;, but with an undertone that he was so manly in his crossdressing that it doesn't count), and when things get really bad, there is the issue of &lt;a href=&quot;https://arodaunida.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/cmc_infographic_web.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;sexual abuse&lt;/a&gt;, which the Capoeira world has been reeling from lately due to recent revelations about CDO leadership. Again, I'm not a BJJ person, so I don't know how prominent this is there, but for Capoeira, the machismo culture results in casual sexual aggression, especially from people of higher rank (and I'm pretty sure that Capoeira has some additional issues due to the &amp;quot;hidden/criminal&amp;quot; history of the style where no one wants to be a snitch, and politics can kill your progress dead if you cross the wrong people), and I've known a few women in BJJ who've commented on getting more than a few &amp;quot;friendly&amp;quot; squeezes during grapples and, again anecdotally, being openly gay can result in a surprisingly large number of heterosexual men engaging in groping as a show of dominance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-10-25T19:13:25.587" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12951" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12845" CreationDate="2021-10-25T20:12:30.003" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here's the basic answer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Qing guard if you want to lock guards with an opponent&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are applications for disarming an opponent with a sword from the guard lock position, often utilizing the handle in a form of chin na.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Be careful with videos showing this. I don't consider the application show here reliable—&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/QymWhvZSIV8?t=38&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the demonstrator in this video&lt;/a&gt; is not controlling the opponent's blade and can be cut.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem with this is, if you're facing someone more skilled at joint locking, like my si hings, you'd be at a disadvantage.  Therefore, some may prefer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ming guard disallows locking guards&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It allows the bearer to better ensure a pure fencing engagement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some caveats, of course—you can still be struck with shoulder or hand, or have your leg swept, but at least you don't have to worry about your guard getting locked up!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7644" LastActivityDate="2021-10-25T20:12:30.003" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12952" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12845" CreationDate="2021-10-26T02:59:43.850" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In sword terms, the guards on Chinese swords are rather narrow. Neither of which is very good for conventional locking in sword fights.&#xA;Chinese never developed complicated hilts on their swords. The swept back design may allow the fingers to keep from going up ANY further than needed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shields: Since swords were often used with shields, rear swept guard did not snag a shield during a thrust. Also unlike Europe: Chinese never developed plate armour and continued to used bows and arrows As such shields remained in their arsenal much longer&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for why sweep back, unlike European swords, Chinese jian did not have much distal tapering (narrowing closer to the tip) compared to conventional swords, its weight was more further upward, and hand guards played a less prevalent role, unlike European swords where diversity and &amp;quot;Typology&amp;quot; constant change was apparent. When a weapon does not evolve with changing styles of warfare and newly emerging weaponry, it is often the scenario that the weapon has more of a adhered cultural value beyond utilitarian purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-10-26T03:21:27.047" LastActivityDate="2021-10-26T03:21:27.047" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12953" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12937" CreationDate="2021-10-26T04:03:16.693" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's common for people to stand with their knees straight, with their center of mass over the heels. When one is in this position, one can be collaquially &amp;quot;caught flat-footed&amp;quot;, where one is slow to react because the the first motions required to move are to bend the legs and shift weight either towards the front or the side. In contrast, if one &amp;quot;stays on their toes&amp;quot;, reactions are quicker because this preliminary motion is already completed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This particular advice is in the context of standing qi gong, and not general fighting stances; it is more directly relevant to workers who stand most of the day standing than fighting concerns. If you stand for minutes with your legs straight and your weight over your heels, you will probably find this creates tension in your lower back and begins to cut off circulation to your feet. Moving the center of mass forward to the center of the foot is meant to  align your body so that you need less muscular tension to stand. This has the caveat that if you retrain yourself to stand this way, you will probably need some weeks to adjust before you perceive benefits; you are likely in a local minimum and need to work to get to a more global minimum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you measure the pressure across your foot, standing with your center of mass over the center of the foot will approximately equalize pressure on the heel and ball of the foot. Standing with your center of mass over the heel increases pressure on the heels and reduces pressure on the ball of the foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-10-26T12:09:23.853" LastActivityDate="2021-10-26T12:09:23.853" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12954" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9238" CreationDate="2021-10-26T14:48:36.760" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, as a disclaimer, it does happen that experts will disagree with each other and that no consensus is reached on what the definitive answer is. That being said, this is typically because the available evidence can be variably interpreted and used to argue for competing theories, none of which can then be taken as conclusive. It may be that conclusive evidence has not yet been found or it may be that no such evidence can exist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the absence of any detailed arguments presented in support of either theory and upon consideration of various evidence, which I will outline below, I will argue in favour of theory 1, that kawazu-gake is named after the famed sumo wrestler, Kawazu Saburo Sukeyasu and that the image of a frog applying a gake was for humorous effect or similar, because “河津” (&lt;em&gt;Kawazu&lt;/em&gt; surname) and “蛙” (frog) are homophones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;The Japanese Language&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chinese characters first came to Japan on official seals, letters,&#xA;swords, coins, mirrors, and other decorative items imported from&#xA;China.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Japanese language had no written form at the time Chinese&#xA;characters were introduced, and texts were written and read only in&#xA;Chinese. Later, during the Heian period (794–1185), however, a system&#xA;known as kanbun emerged, which involved using Chinese text with&#xA;diacritical marks to allow Japanese speakers to restructure and read&#xA;Chinese sentences, by changing word order and adding particles and&#xA;verb endings, in accordance with the rules of Japanese grammar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chinese characters also came to be used to write Japanese words,&#xA;resulting in the modern kana syllabaries. …the two other writing&#xA;systems, hiragana and katakana, referred to collectively as kana, are&#xA;descended from kanji.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In modern Japanese, kanji are used to write parts of the language&#xA;(usually content words) such as nouns, adjective stems, and verb&#xA;stems, while hiragana are used to write inflected verb and adjective&#xA;endings and as phonetic complements to disambiguate readings&#xA;(okurigana), particles, and miscellaneous words which have no kanji or&#xA;whose kanji is considered obscure or too difficult to read or&#xA;remember. Katakana are mostly used for representing onomatopoeia,&#xA;non-Japanese loanwords (except those borrowed from ancient Chinese),&#xA;the names of plants and animals (with exceptions), and for emphasis on&#xA;certain words.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji#History&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji#History&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Kanji&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kanji (漢字, pronounced [kaɲdʑi]) are a set of logographic characters&#xA;from Chinese script which forms a major part of the Japanese writing&#xA;system alongside with Japanese syllabic scripts hiragana and katakana.&#xA;The Japanese term kanji for the Chinese characters literally means&#xA;&amp;quot;Han characters&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.fluentu.com/blog/japanese/onyomi-and-kunyomi/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.fluentu.com/blog/japanese/onyomi-and-kunyomi/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember, while Japanese didn’t have a written language, it did, of&#xA;course, have a spoken language prior to the arrival of Chinese&#xA;characters, and the attempts to merge the two helped to create these&#xA;natural variations in kanji readings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, when a Japanese person reads kanji, how do they then pronounce the character? Do they pronounce it as it reads in Chinese, or do they take the meaning of the Chinese character and use the native Japanese word?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is both. Kanji can be read in different ways, but the two main ones are: kun’yomi and on’yomi.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Kun'yomi&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kunyomi is what’s known as the fully Japanese version of the kanji&#xA;reading. It’s the way that the Japanese culture managed to merge the&#xA;kanji with the existing spoken language they had prior to the written&#xA;one. In this circumstance, the Chinese meaning of the original&#xA;character is kept, but the closest equivalent to the word in Japan’s&#xA;spoken language is associated with it. As you can imagine, these words&#xA;weren’t always a one-to-one match, and the Japanese language added its&#xA;own connotations as needed. Hiragana was later added to kanji,&#xA;tweaking readings and bringing more meaning to each kanji they’re&#xA;associated with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kunyomi is a near guarantee when you’re using proper nouns. Most&#xA;notably, it’s used when you’re using native Japanese proper names.&#xA;Most of the common family names are pronounced using the kunyomi&#xA;version of the kanji.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.fluentu.com/blog/japanese/onyomi-and-kunyomi/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.fluentu.com/blog/japanese/onyomi-and-kunyomi/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The kun'yomi (訓読み, [kɯɰ̃jomi], lit. &amp;quot;meaning reading&amp;quot;), the native&#xA;reading, is a reading based on the pronunciation of a native Japanese&#xA;word, or yamato kotoba, that closely approximated the meaning of the&#xA;Chinese character when it was introduced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji#Kun%27yomi_(native_reading)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji#Kun'yomi_(native_reading)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;On'yomi&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Onyomi translates roughly to “sound reading.” It means that the kanji&#xA;is read the same way that it would in the Chinese language—or at least&#xA;is read as a close approximation of the sounds that are found in the&#xA;Chinese language&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.fluentu.com/blog/japanese/onyomi-and-kunyomi/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.fluentu.com/blog/japanese/onyomi-and-kunyomi/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The on'yomi (音読み, [oɰ̃jomi], lit. &amp;quot;sound(-based) reading&amp;quot;), the&#xA;Sino-Japanese reading, is the modern descendant of the Japanese&#xA;approximation of the base Chinese pronunciation of the character at&#xA;the time it was introduced. It was often previously referred to as&#xA;translation reading, as it was recreated readings of the Chinese&#xA;pronunciation but was not the Chinese pronunciation or reading itself,&#xA;similar to the English pronunciation of Latin loanwords.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji#On%27yomi_(Sino-Japanese_reading)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji#On'yomi_(Sino-Japanese_reading)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Japanese Names&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nanori (名乗り, &amp;quot;to say or give one's own name&amp;quot;; also, by extension&#xA;&amp;quot;self-introduction&amp;quot;) are kanji character readings (pronunciations)&#xA;found almost exclusively in Japanese names.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the Japanese language, many Japanese names are constructed from&#xA;common characters with standard pronunciations. However, names may&#xA;also contain characters which only occur as parts of names.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanori&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanori&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawazu_(surname)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kawazu is a Japanese surname.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Analysis &amp;amp; Readings of 河津掛け&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Having provided some background information on how Japanese uses kanji, I will now provide an analysis of 河津掛け.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first thing to note is that 掛け(-gake) is used to form the names of a number of moves in judo, referring to a “hook”. Since this part is not in dispute, that leaves us with 河津.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;河津 in Chinese&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The word “河津”, in Chinese, means “Héjīn” (a county-level city in Yuncheng, Shanxi, China).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%B2%B3#Chinese&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The character “河”, on its own means “river” and is pronounced “hé”.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%B4%A5#Chinese&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The character “津”, on its own means “ferry crossing” and is pronounced “jīn”.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;河津 in Japanese&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact that the reading of these kanji is “kawazu” means that we are not dealing with an on'yomi reading, which would have to sound something like “Héjīn” and it isn’t even close. The on'yomi reading of the first character is “ka” and there is no on'yomi reading for the second character.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The character “河”, in Chinese, means “river”, while the Japanese word for “river” is “kawa”. So, what we have is a kun'yomi reading here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The character “津”, in Chinese, means “ferry crossing”, while the Japanese word for “haven, port, harbor, ferry” is “tsu”, which is close to “zu”. So, a kun'yomi reading is a possibility. Another possible reading is a nanori reading, which is for the formation of surnames. The nanori reading of “津” is “su”, “zu”, or “tsu”.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We either have a fully kun'yomi reading, which is to say a Japanese translation of the meaning of “Héjīn” from Chinese. Or we have a partial kun'yomi-nanori reading, where a surname has been formed of the Japanese translation of “Hé” and -zu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;蛙 in Chinese&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%9B%99#Chinese&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The word “蛙”, in Chinese, means “frog” and is pronounced “wā”, although in Old Chinese, it was pronounced /*qʷraː/ or /*qʷreː/.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;蛙 in Japanese&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The character “蛙”, in Chinese, means “frog”, while the Japanese word for “frog” is the more everyday “kaeru” or more poetically, “kawazu”.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The ultimate derivation is unclear, with numerous theories. Some of&#xA;the leading ideas include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cognate with 帰る (kaeru, “to return (to a&#xA;point of origin)”), from the way that some species of frogs return to&#xA;their birthplace to spawn&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cognate with 孵る (kaeru, “to hatch (from an&#xA;egg)”), in reference to tadpoles&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%9B%99#Japanese&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%9B%99#Japanese&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While the character “蛙” is pronounced “kawazu”, this is not the character used in the surname Kawazu or in the name of the term kawazu-gake in Judo. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.japanesewithanime.com/2017/12/homonyms.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Essentially, what we have is a homophone and the ambiguity can be resolved in writing because “河津” and “蛙” are heterographs.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would suggest that rather than the name being &lt;a href=&quot;https://ja-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/%E6%B2%B3%E6%B4%A5%E6%8E%9B%E3%81%91?_x_tr_sl=ja&amp;amp;_x_tr_tl=en&amp;amp;_x_tr_hl=en-GB&amp;amp;_x_tr_pto=nui#%E5%90%8D%E7%A7%B0%E3%81%AE%E7%94%B1%E6%9D%A5&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;“derived from the frog (kawazu) because of the shape of the legs”&lt;/a&gt;, that instead, in the 12th century Choju giga (Scrolls of the Frolicking Animals), the name of the technique was deliberately misused alongside the image of a rabbit and frog wrestling for humorous effect, since it was effectively a &lt;em&gt;kawazu&lt;/em&gt; applying a &lt;em&gt;gake&lt;/em&gt; (it could have been any kind of &lt;em&gt;gake&lt;/em&gt;, but it happened to be a &lt;em&gt;kosoto-gake&lt;/em&gt;), rather than a &lt;em&gt;kawazu&lt;/em&gt; specifically applying a &lt;em&gt;kawazu-gake&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12068" LastEditorUserId="12068" LastEditDate="2021-10-26T15:07:14.550" LastActivityDate="2021-10-26T15:07:14.550" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12955" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12937" CreationDate="2021-10-27T04:33:24.480" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your center of gravity is the balance point in your body. It's the point at which your upper and lower body weight is evenly distributed in half. Typically, this is just below the belly button and half way between the lower back and belly for a person of non-obese weight&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2021-10-27T04:33:24.480" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12957" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12901" CreationDate="2021-10-27T17:30:31.150" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Another major reason after speaking with Muay Thai Coach who fought professionally, if you use a snap kick with the toes up, an opponent can simply block place his elbow above, and this may break your toes/feet bones. Using a push teep, will alleviate this issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2021-10-27T17:30:31.150" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12958" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-28T16:56:27.970" Score="1" ViewCount="361" Body="&lt;p&gt;I frequently spar against heavier, stronger opponents at my MMA gym and I was wondering if I could reverse their strength/weight and use it against them. My instructor said some things about circular movements, but I don't really get how that works. How do I reverse someone's strength/weight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12135" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-10-28T17:07:02.680" LastActivityDate="2021-10-28T17:21:02.310" Title="How to use an opponents strength and mass against them?" Tags="|self-defense|mixed-martial-arts|self-training|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2021-10-28T22:28:23.913" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12959" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12958" CreationDate="2021-10-28T17:21:02.310" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;To be perfectly frank, against a trained individual, for the most part, you don't. Most &amp;quot;redirect&amp;quot; techniques are for use against untrained individuals and are fairly trivial to bypass with a bit more training in fighting. People learn to not throw blind haymakers, and how to redirect their movements even as you try to counter. That said, there is one exception that makes sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Wearing your opponent out&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more mass your opponent has, often correlated with their muscle mass and strength, the more energy it takes for them to move. If you can dodge efficiently, especially if you can force them to expend more effort such as throwing more attacks or committing more to those attacks, you may be able to wear them down, giving you the advantage. This may tie into where your instructor is talking about circular movements. By sidestepping an attack, you're forcing the attacker to redirect their momentum more than if they could attack down a straight line, especially if you can avoid them pinning you against the cage/ropes/etc where they'll be better able to use their superior strength and mass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Some submission techniques&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some submission techniques, like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bjj-world.com/calf-slicer/#The_Mechanism_Behind_The_Calf_Slicer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;calf slicer&lt;/a&gt;, are based on compressing the muscle. The more muscle your opponent has, the less distance you need to move the limb before they start being in pain. Similarly, some techniques involve maneuvering your opponent into a position where their own bodyweight and/or involuntary muscular contractions apply more pressure into the hold, and again, there is a case where you can &amp;quot;reverse&amp;quot; their superior strength and mass against them. Caveat here is that until you get it locked in, they have that superior strength and mass to resist and/or redirect that attack and even in the hold, it's sometimes possible to brute force out of a very technically correct hold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;And the redirect techniques can work if your opponent isn't prepared for them&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I noted above that most redirection techniques are dependent on having an untrained attacker (or, honestly, a compliant one in many Traditional Martial Arts). However, &amp;quot;training&amp;quot; is not a single dimension. Someone can be a trained striker and be vulnerable to an opponent taking out their base and sending their larger mass crashing to the canvas. Someone can be a trained grappler and have their wild punch or kick redirected with a nudge to be thrown badly off-balance, or even injure themselves as they overstretch. And sometimes, you'll just catch someone off-guard with a sacrifice throw they weren't expecting, or landing that punch that goes through their guard and uses their forward charge to add force. That said, as your opponent trains against more people, the odds of any &amp;quot;redirect&amp;quot; attack &amp;quot;reversing&amp;quot; their advantage shrinks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-10-28T17:21:02.310" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12960" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12961" CreationDate="2021-10-29T06:17:55.820" Score="3" ViewCount="474" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does anyone have tips for safely Parrying/Blocking the Muay Thai Teep Front Kick? This is specifically to the parry/hand tactic they teach below. This tactic works in practice, but it seems in a real fight, it can twist/shatter my elbow or hand if not done properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Any expert advice in doing this safe and effectively would be great.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, would this tactic work in a real street fight in self defense without boxing gloves? Maybe people in Krav Maga would know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Resource Teep defense: &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/b2GY7k8M_XU?t=58&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/b2GY7k8M_XU?t=58&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/kfmO67CN7fY?t=36&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/kfmO67CN7fY?t=36&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/46a4s.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/46a4s.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BqVcW.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BqVcW.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4Tbie.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4Tbie.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-10-29T07:26:01.633" LastActivityDate="2021-10-29T12:14:49.303" Title="Muay Thai, how to Parry Teep Kick in a Safe way" Tags="|self-defense|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|krav-maga|streetfight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12961" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12960" CreationDate="2021-10-29T08:09:19.973" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The defense is relatively safe without gloves and works perfectly if done correctly. Two points to consider:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Side-step and close a bit of distance to the opponent plus a slight turn to avoid getting hit regardless and open up the possibility for counters. This also means you do not need to do the parry itself as a powerful move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do not try to do the parry as a powerful move (). No, seriously, it is rather a slap with a relaxed hand than an actual strike with force. That way, the parry is more efficient and you do not risk extra strains on the elbow or bones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Background is Krav Maga in this case. That parry is widely acknowledged across every applied self-defense I encountered so far though, may it be in Judo, Japanese Jiu Jitsu, or Gracie Jiu Jitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit to answer comments&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Heavier opponents: The technique works just fine even against heavy opponents and legs. The point of a parry is not to move the leg much. But it still is more than enough since the main defensive action is the side-step anyway. It is to support the side-step with a minimal deflection. The change of direction itself is mainly due to the parry breaking their balance rather than actually moving the leg. And no matter how big they are, muscles able to counter the lateral force against an outstretched leg are non-existing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Timing and injury risk: There is a similar technique for deflecting cross punches that are much faster. Still, you always hit the arm within 20 cm of the arm. Similarly, with minimal training, you will reliably hit at the right spot. As your force comes from the side, it is almost impossible to twist your arm. Additionally, your frontward side-step and reaction time will make it virtually impossible to get your hand in front of the kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-10-29T12:14:49.303" LastActivityDate="2021-10-29T12:14:49.303" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12962" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12963" CreationDate="2021-10-29T17:17:35.237" Score="3" ViewCount="102" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have tried looking in every dictionary I could think of, but off-balanced simply means &amp;quot;losing ones balance.&amp;quot; This is not an English Language Question, because the english definitions I have found are not what I am looking for. When my teacher says to &amp;quot;keep your opponent off balance and distracted&amp;quot; what is he talking about? Note that this is specifically martial arts, as I know the traditional meaning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12138" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2021-11-06T18:32:28.553" LastActivityDate="2021-11-06T18:32:28.553" Title="What does it mean to keep your opponent &quot;off-balance&quot; in martial arts?" Tags="|self-training|balance|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12963" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12962" CreationDate="2021-10-29T17:28:30.103" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's actually a common phrase in English. Keeping someone &amp;quot;off balance&amp;quot; means to &amp;quot;confuse&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;surprise&amp;quot; someone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So this means never letting your opponent know what you're planning to do. You have to keep them guessing. Hide your true intentions. Otherwise they will be ready for it, and you will not be successful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Distraction is part of it. If you can distract your opponent, they will be focused on whatever you are doing to distract them, and they won't see what you're getting ready to do. By the time they figure out what you're doing, it's too late for them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Successful martial artists do employ a lot of distraction and decoying in their strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2021-10-29T17:28:30.103" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12964" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-30T01:52:32.167" Score="6" ViewCount="1313" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was wondering about it because I have recently been watching out for some big men. I think leg sweeps are a good way to defeat them. But do they work with muscular people?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12139" LastActivityDate="2021-10-31T13:40:11.273" Title="Do leg sweeps work with big people with muscles?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|mixed-martial-arts|throwing|takedown|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12965" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12964" CreationDate="2021-10-30T02:50:17.960" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm roughly 105kg. One day at the gym, a guy who was maybe 70kg caught me with a low spinning back sweep which almost snapped my achilles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wasn't very experienced back then, and I like to think I'd never get caught be such a move now, but yes, a sweep can be very effective against heavier opponents. I was unable to continue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The primary reason his sweep was so effective was that I had never trained for them, and was utterly caught by surprise. Any well-executed technique that surprises your opponent will typically be more effective than one which does not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In all the street-fight footage I've watched, and in the few serious street fights I've encountered, a sweep has never been executed, so performing one would likely have some surprise value.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But should you use a sweep in a street fight? There are a variety of sweeps available. I certainly wouldn't recommend relying on the same sweep that proved so effective against me, because it requires excellent agility, is highly energy-intensive, requires relatively fine motor skills and puts you in a very low squat. This renders you extremely vulnerable if you miss or are ineffective, and the margin for error is very, very high. This is far from ideal in any fight, let alone a street fight against multiple opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A more standard close-range standing sweep is also fairly high-risk, low reward against a half-competent opponent who is significantly heavier than you. Physics dictates that unless you successfully combine a perfect sweep with well-executed upper body techniques to unbalance your opponent, they will likely remain untroubled by your attempt and be free to strike you whilst you are occupied and vulnerable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rather than address a variety of sweeps here, it might be sufficient to say that if you go into a fight situation with the intent of executing any single technique, you risk diminishing your capacity to respond appropriately to the situation as it unfolds. This advice is especially relevant for fighters you're unfamiliar with, such as those you will encounter on the street.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you focus on one particular technique, you prime yourself to perform that technique. This can adversely impact upon your ability to defend, attack and move. When you wait for a particular opening, it is easy to neglect other, more appropriate offensive opportunities and to become overly defensive, which enables your opponent to attack you relatively unimpeded.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is a much, much better idea to incorporate sweeps into your training, just as you would with any other technique, until you get to a point at which you are able to employ a strong sweep if an opportunity arises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you say that you are &amp;quot;&lt;em&gt;watching out for some big men&lt;/em&gt;&amp;quot;, I assume you are concerned for some reason that they might cause you trouble. If this is the case, do your best to avoid them. A group of bigger men, even if untrained, will be almost impossible for you to beat. Improving your free-running ability would likely prove more valuable than learning how to sweep.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2021-10-31T13:40:11.273" LastActivityDate="2021-10-31T13:40:11.273" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12966" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12964" CreationDate="2021-10-30T05:08:21.337" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;If it's a sweep that involves trying to kick both legs out from under the opponent (such as the highly cinematic &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfn-cFqIobA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Dragon Tail Sweep&lt;/a&gt;), it becomes less likely against larger and stronger opponents. It's an almost textbook case of strength against mass, and unless you can stack the deck, the mass generally wins and you're crouched down with an aching achilles tendon from crashing it against 200+ lbs of grounded mass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, sweeps can work extremely well once you recognize that they're no more magic than other technique, and require proper setup. If someone is unbalanced, it generally doesn't take much more to unbalance them. If you can sweep the supporting leg as someone is kicking, that helps. If you can give a bit more of a push, that further unbalances them. For that matter, if you can sweep a leg right before someone puts their weight on it (the classic case is pulling the lead foot off-balance as someone puts their weight on it for a jab), you can get a huge tactical advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, in a case where you don't have a strength advantage related to their mass, the key is to time it for when they're most off-balance and yes, in that case, someone with more mass is often going to take more punishment from being off-balance, or falling, because they have to apply force against that mass to recover, or that mass is what's going to fuel the potential energy that takes them to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-10-30T05:08:21.337" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12967" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12968" CreationDate="2021-10-31T08:03:24.357" Score="1" ViewCount="191" Body="&lt;p&gt;How much should a person's torso rotate on cross right hand punch? Generally, on orthodox stance, person's body start angled at 4:00 on clock. When doing cross punch with right hand, I rotate my rear leg forward and torso at 3:00, so I am standing straight forward ahead. Many boxing coaches are saying I should overrotate torso at 2:00 or 1:00. Is that true? This would mean the torso would not be pointing as same direction of back foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Body Direction:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/DTsqY.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/DTsqY.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Appendix Footwork:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/I6LnO.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/I6LnO.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Straight punch examples with Right Hand:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/nJORi.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/nJORi.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ELHj4.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ELHj4.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-10-31T08:35:47.990" LastActivityDate="2021-10-31T11:27:04.353" Title="Boxing, how much to rotate body on Cross Punch?" Tags="|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12968" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12967" CreationDate="2021-10-31T09:41:04.030" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;How much you rotate depends largely upon how much you &lt;em&gt;need&lt;/em&gt; to rotate in order to reach your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The ideal range would allow you to rotate beyond square - or 90 degrees - to approximately 135 degrees, as the greater the rotation, the greater the potential force of your punch. This also allows helps you achieve the boxing ideal of 'hitting without being hit', as you maximise your distance from your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Incorporate torso rotation into almost every punch, rather than relying upon the much weaker combination of shoulder and arm muscles alone. Even a slight twist, when performed correctly, will add considerable force to your strikes. Although torso rotation may seem less important when throwing feints and soft, distracting shots, consistency of torso/shoulder rotation will make various punches harder to read.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Two tips:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Avoid leaning forward to reach your opponent. Rely instead on torso rotation. If you lean forward, you place too much weight upon your front foot which reduces your ability to regain a defensively responsible stance and leaves your head very vulnerable to counters. Using rotation to achieve the required reach will instil your punches with greater and more balanced power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;When sparring, contact is (or should be) substantially lighter than in a real fight. As a consequence, when sparring, boxers tend to execute punches that barely reach their opponent; that merely tap them. The downside to this is that, during a fight, you want to punch &lt;em&gt;through&lt;/em&gt; you target, which requires a different estimation of range. You generally fight as you train, so if when sparring your punches always end the instant leather touches flesh, you risk throwing ineffective punches during a bout.  To help prevent this, you can practice punching through the target when doing pad work and bag work, and practice pulling your punches in sparring; by getting slightly closer to your opponent so that you always have an extra fist's distance in reserve. This habit will also help reduce your miss count, as you will have created additional margin for error.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mayweather routinely showed fullish rotation when he employed his &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRP0YZwzo0g&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;pull counter&lt;/a&gt;. It's an awesome technique to have in your arsenal, but it takes excellent torso flexibility and strength, and immaculate timing. You also run the risk of being countered by a left (and right) hook, and even Mayweather's defence falls short in this regard (see 2:00).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-10-31T11:27:04.353" LastActivityDate="2021-10-31T11:27:04.353" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12969" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12973" CreationDate="2021-11-01T01:08:50.523" Score="6" ViewCount="1458" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Muay Thai, how come the palms hands are rotated more outward like they are trying to catch the punches? However in boxing which is punch heavy, they are not like that and palms are rotated inward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was thinking, maybe Muay Thai wants to catch more kicks, however the kicks come more towards the body or lower leg. Is it maybe for grappling?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Trying to understand the history/reasons behind all the fight stance positions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muay Thai:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/IBTiJ.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/IBTiJ.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0Zrvn.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0Zrvn.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Boxing:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gIRVq.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gIRVq.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/447jO.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/447jO.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-11-01T06:51:45.893" LastActivityDate="2021-11-02T07:29:24.173" Title="Why does Muay Thai stance have its hand position more out for catching vs boxing?" Tags="|training|technique|boxing|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12970" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-10-31T05:51:48.700" Score="2" ViewCount="848" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a water-filled punching bag that I can't use with sand (various reasons, but mainly rodents, this bag also can only be filled with water). It's 55L when full.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for ways to prevent it from freezing during the winter while still using it. The lowest temperature registered in Vancouver, Canada is -17 celsius, so I'm looking for some anti-freeze liquid that won't cost a fortune, that I can keep in the bag many years (so summer + winter) and that doesn't corrode vinyl, which is the inner material of the punching bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What are my options?&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;&lt;strong&gt;What anti-freeze liquids are safe for Vinyl? Would salt be safe?&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;Given the price of some options, I would be ok replacing the punching bag every X years (e.g. every 5)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What I found so far is (all prices are canadian dollars):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h6&gt;Star brite Bio-Safe Non-Toxic PG All Year Anti-Freeze&lt;/h6&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This gives -20 degrees celsius protection. I don't know if this is safe for Vinyl or if it will last many years: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.starbrite.com/item/bio-safe-non-toxic-pg-all-year-anti-freeze-coolant-full-strength&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.starbrite.com/item/bio-safe-non-toxic-pg-all-year-anti-freeze-coolant-full-strength&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h6&gt;Windshield Washer Fluid&lt;/h6&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is what was recommended to me by the company producing the punching bag.&#xA;I found this: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.napacanada.com/en/p/RCE49304W#&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.napacanada.com/en/p/RCE49304W#&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;I don't know how much I should dilute it (what percentage of water) and I'm also terrified of filling it myself: I need to use mask, gloves and eye protection (all stuff I don't have) and I have no idea of how to dispose or where to store the excess. I would leave it outside but I'm afraid of damage it could cause to the property or to the sewers if I disposed through that.&#xA;I would be happy to pay someone for the work, but I don't even know what kind of store would do such a thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h6&gt;Winter Washer Fluid - different brand&lt;/h6&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.amazon.ca/nextzett-94252015-Anti-Frost-Windshield-Concentrate/dp/B004PGS368/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;amp;keywords=Winter+Windshield+Washer+Fluid+Concentrate&amp;amp;qid=1635655664&amp;amp;sr=8-1#productDetails&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.amazon.ca/nextzett-94252015-Anti-Frost-Windshield-Concentrate/dp/B004PGS368/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;amp;keywords=Winter+Windshield+Washer+Fluid+Concentrate&amp;amp;qid=1635655664&amp;amp;sr=8-1#productDetails&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;I also noticed it's made of ethanol. Could I just buy ethanol instead? The company said not to use alcohol because after a certain time it will eat the vinyl.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12154" OwnerDisplayName="Francesco Belladonna" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-11-02T16:07:07.550" LastActivityDate="2021-11-03T15:42:30.530" Title="Water-filled vinyl-based punching bag: How to prevent freezing?" Tags="|equipment|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12971" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12970" CreationDate="2021-10-31T22:57:42.517" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Star-Brite fluid contains &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_glycol&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;propylene glycol&lt;/a&gt;, this is a common additive in foods and is classified as GRAS (generally recognised as safe) by the FDA, at the levels it is used for in food. I don't know about the safety of the concentrations in the product you linked, but it is generally thought to be fairly safe for both you and the environment. Check out the safety data sheet (SDS) at the page you linked, it goes into the safety aspects of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I looked up the effects of propylene glycol on poly-vinyl chloride (the most likely material for your bag) and came across &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.calpaclab.com/pvc-polyvinyl-chloride-chemical-compatibility-chart/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this site&lt;/a&gt;, which is mostly about engineering - so pipes etc, and states:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Propylene Glycol  C1-Fair&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meaning that it is not great for extended use in your bag, as it can leach plasticizers and cause structural weakness. I suspect it would be fine for a year or two, but I can't say for sure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second product, as mentioned in the comments, is mostly composed of methanol and isopropyl alcohol (IPA; check out the SDS on your linked page, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.uapinc.com/msds/PDF/FICHES/RCO01-011%20METHANOL%20ANG.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;linked as MSDS&lt;/a&gt; (for material SDS)). Visiting the same site, I couldn't see IPA on the page, but methanol is there as Methyl alcohol (10%) and states:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Methyl Alcohol 10%    A1-Excellent&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, note the 10%... the product has 80-100% according to the MSDS. If you hover over the label in your linked page, you can see some tiny writing below the words &amp;quot;windshield washer concentrate&amp;quot; that states:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Directions: A mixture of 45% concentrate to 55% water protects to -37 C. 50% concentrate to 50% water protects to -40 C.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So at best you will have about 35% methanol, which isn't on the compatibility chart I found. However, given that ethanol and butanol (methanol = 1 carbon, ethanol = 2 carbon, IPA = 3 carbon, butanol = 4 carbon)  both have a C1-Fair classification, I think it is probably safe to assume that methanol and IPA will both be problematic long-term. I don't know why the company recommends this product, but if they say it works, it would pay to contact them and enquire about how long-term etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As per comment from @fyrepenguin: Methanol is toxic to you and to the environment. It evaporates readily and can be absorbed through the skin, the lungs and via ingestion. If you go down this route, you definitely should make sure that you fill it outside, wear gloves, safety glasses and breathing protection. As it could well affect structural integrity of the bag, filling one with this, then subjecting to repeated impacts is possibly not a good idea .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The last linked product, according to Amazon contains ammonia - this is the stuff you might use to clean your toilet or clear drains. It stinks to high heaven and you should definitely take a lot of care during filling your bag. Do it outside and wear gloves, eye protection, long sleeves etc. It is apparently chemically compatible with PVC:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ammonia, anhydrous    A2-Excellent&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ammonia, liquid   A1-Excellent&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="bob1" LastActivityDate="2021-11-01T07:34:24.500" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12972" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12970" CreationDate="2021-11-01T09:36:17.910" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A bit of a frame challenge: Don't protect against &lt;em&gt;record&lt;/em&gt; lows, protect against &lt;em&gt;typical low temperatures&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Vancouver has a similar climate to &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;where I live&lt;/a&gt;.  Our record low is -14.4°C.  The lowest I've recorded at home is -13°C outside the city in a village, once in 15 years.  The bag will probably never see less than -10°C, which means &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.advantageengineering.com/fyi/114/advantageFYI114.php&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a lower concentration of antifreeze is needed&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It will actually take quite some time for that much water to freeze because of the thermal mass (heat capacity) of 55l of water, so an overnight temperature just dipping below what your antifreeze can handle wouldn't be an issue.  Freezing will be quicker if the bag is black because it radiates heat into a clear sky. If it's under any kind of roof (e.g. hanging under a balcony) that will help with radiative heat loss.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd actually mix antifreeze for around -6°C, and if a prolonged cold spell was forecast I'd remove some water to allow expansion, possibly topping up the antifreeze at the same time.  Covering the bag over clear cold nights with insulation of some sort would be a good idea, as is done with gardens plants at the limits of their range. Horticultural fleece would actually do quite nicely, or even just bubble wrap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then I'd probably go for &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.advantageengineering.com/fyi/114/advantageFYI114.php&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;propylene glycol at about 20%&lt;/a&gt;.  Even with food grade PG this looks like about CDN$60--110 (converting from what I'd pay).  Note that you're aiming for 20% PG, not 20% PG-based antifreeze.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Isopropanol would be my second choice, again at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/ispropanol-water-d_988.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;about 20%&lt;/a&gt; (or ethanol, but note that this would be in the form of denatured alcohol that includes some isopropanol or methanol, as well as other things that might not be so good for the vinyl)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ethylene glycol is another possibility; it's common in car antifreeze.  But it's toxic and attractive to animals so I'd avoid it in case of spillage and disposal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12150" OwnerDisplayName="Chris H" LastEditorUserId="12150" LastEditDate="2021-11-03T15:42:30.530" LastActivityDate="2021-11-03T15:42:30.530" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12973" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12969" CreationDate="2021-11-01T16:42:24.260" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boxing has a very high, very tight guard which is practically in touch with one's own jaw bones. That makes sense, since the gloves only have to protect the head in infights. Few boxers catch punches and most of the defensive work in distance is done by footwork and upper body movement. Those who do catch punches also have a guard which is more open.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Muay Thai, on the other hand, your defense has to be more versatile: you need to be able to parry punches and kicks as well as be able to grab and clinch. If you look at all that, an overly tight and close guard would be detrimental since you'd need to do additional movements for that which make you slower.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can actually be demonstrated by using the the first picture: Since it is almost impossible to foretell whether a roundhouse kick is going to land high or low, Muay Thai fighters close knee and elbow to close upper and lower block and leave no opening on the side. Turning the hands in, and with them the elbows, would mean you have to turn out first for that block. Again, this makes the whole thing slower. Boxers don't have to worry about their lower body or kicks hence they can tightly guard their upper body only.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another aspect has been mentioned by @Frutilitarian in comments: A tight guard can be locked in a clinch so that you cannot get your arms out anymore. That would be disastrous as you have no means to break the clinch or mitigate impact from the opponent's knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overall, it is safe to say that the Muay Thai guard is a perfect compromise for being able to block and parry punches and kicks to anywhere on the body as well as going into clinch all at once. The classic boxing guard is all about mitigating unexpected hits by punches on upper body and head only, protecting the worst spots for being hit there (head, liver, floating ribs, sternum) as a priority. Generally, the more versatile your guard has to be due to different distances and defences, the further away and more open your hands will be. The main reason for Muay Thai having the gloves close to the head is when they use boxing gloves with which you can mitigate a lot of damage when having contact to the head as opposed to thinner mma or no gloves which demands and allows for more parry/catching and grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-11-02T07:29:24.173" LastActivityDate="2021-11-02T07:29:24.173" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12974" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4457" CreationDate="2021-11-02T03:00:13.907" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The short answer to this question: jiu jitsu gi color means absolutely nothing. While BJJ gi belt colors carry some serious significance - primarily in alerting you to the level of shark you're swimming with on the mat - jiu jitsu gi colors don't carry any special significance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, while we're on the topic, it's worth noting the history of the jiu jitsu gi colors, as well as when certain colors are more appropriate than others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First and foremost, &lt;a href=&quot;https://bjiujitsu.com/white-gi/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;white gi&lt;/a&gt; is the most traditional uniform color for many martial arts with Japanese roots. In Japanese culture, the color white signifies &amp;quot;purity&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;truth&amp;quot;, which is likely why it was adopted as the color for martial arts training, particularly judo and jiu jitsu. When judo competitions became popularized, a blue gi was utilized to distinguish one competitor from another, and this was subsequently adopted by jiu jitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Today, white and blue are the only colors available for judo gis (the sale of which is heavily regulated by the International Judo Federation (IJF), which keeps regulation judo gis limited to those two colors). The International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), the largest worldwide jiu jitsu promotion, allows for black gis as well... which is great for those who fancy themselves as modern-day ninjas. However, for the major events, like the IBJJF World Championships, black belt competitors can only wear a white or blue gi in the finals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The greater jiu jitsu community is quite a bit more relaxed when it comes to gi colors. While some academies have strict &amp;quot;white gi only&amp;quot; requirements during class, most academies don't... which is why you'll see jiu jitsu practitioners rocking everything from grey and green, to camo, pink and everything in between. I've even seen a tie-dyed rainbow gi!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Often, the choice to wear a colored gi over the traditional white gi is simply due to personal preference. However, keep in mind that a white gi is always harder to keep clean - and white - than a colored gi. Even if you take all necessary precautions, your academy may use puzzle mats, which have a tendency to discolor a white gi, or it just may not keep the mats clean enough to eat off of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whatever gi color you choose, just remember to tap early and tap often.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12151" LastActivityDate="2021-11-02T03:00:13.907" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12976" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12979" CreationDate="2021-11-02T17:48:10.947" Score="3" ViewCount="159" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are the angles of the Muay Thai teep kick? I noticed&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;a) Hip to Knee angle in highest point of chamber is at 45 degrees for the pictures below.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;b) Knee to Foot angle: 45 degrees in second and third picture, closer to approx 0 degrees in first picture&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;c) Also added notes for different leg extension methods and back leans.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a proper guideline, maybe with physics or biomechanics angles, what would be the ideal angle for push teep? Or again does it depend on person's style and individual flavor? I am assuming Ramsey is going for a complete push kick below below, while MuayThaiPros and FightTips is more 'stabpoint-push kick'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*One thing I did notice after watching Multiple videos of Muay Thai front teep, most athletes stick with the 45-45-30 ratio of Hip to Knee, Knee to Foot, and Back lean.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: I came from Taekwondo / karate background where they really work on Kata, and proper angle positioning etc. Muay thai seems to be more 'free style' which is also nice. Watching these gave me a good idea, although all athletes will slightly deviate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Resources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/G5lTpczNevs?t=73&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ramsey Dewey&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;At highest point,&#xA;Hip to Knee: 0 to 45&#xA;Knee to Foot: close 0 degrees  &#xA;Release Extension: Horizontal&#xA;Back lean final angle: around 30&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pb5uI.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pb5uI.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Q4RC4.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Q4RC4.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/5wBQs-l7yss?t=61&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;MuayThaiPros&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;Hip to Knee: 0 to 45&#xA;Knee to Foot: close 45 degrees&#xA;Release Extension: More pendulum, foot ends at highest point where the highest knee elevation was&#xA;Back lean final angle: around 30&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/G5cit.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/G5cit.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/dIoKG.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/dIoKG.png&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/UkdgrFXmbLo?t=71&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;FightTips&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;Hip to Knee: 0 to 45&#xA;Knee to Foot: close 45 degrees&#xA;Release Extension: More pendulum, foot ends at highest point where the highest knee elevation was&#xA;Back lean final angle: around 30&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4kRsc.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4kRsc.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/I0B9I.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/I0B9I.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-11-02T22:34:11.993" LastActivityDate="2021-11-04T02:22:13.547" Title="Muay Thai Front Teep Kick: Position and Body Angles" Tags="|training|technique|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12977" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12970" CreationDate="2021-11-03T07:24:00.897" Score="0" Body="&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bring it indoors when not in use?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;However, antifreeze is added to water, it prevents the water molecules from forming crystaline ice. So, antifreeze stops water from freezing until the temperature drops well below 0°C. However you must fill the bag half way which is probably expensive.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Failing that, An insulation layer that staves off chill longer. Boil a pot of water and top off the bag before hand.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2021-11-03T07:24:00.897" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12978" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12962" CreationDate="2021-11-03T08:42:59.597" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will describe a technique which I am not skilled at but was demonstrated ON me in front of a large class. The technique was introduced in the context of a police arrest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Throw a couple of punches to daze the opponent for a moment&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use the opportunity to get behind them and apply a choke&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;This is the important part. While choking them, walk backwards. When this was happening to me I couldn't even reach my pocket knife despite my hands being free.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you sense you are losing control, throw them on the ground and stomp them.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="485" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-11-03T11:56:45.697" LastActivityDate="2021-11-03T11:56:45.697" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12979" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12976" CreationDate="2021-11-03T13:53:35.333" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The main difference between the fighters in the images you provide is the angle of the torso.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A forward-leaning or vertical torso enables simultaneous defence (and even offence, in the case of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goepNHMuxYE&amp;amp;t=198s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Verhoeven&lt;/a&gt;, see 01:20). Conversely, leaning back keeps your upper body safer from high counters and, as user Philp Klöcking points out in the comments below, gives your kick greater reach. These benefits can come at the cost of stability if your standing leg is attacked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thrusting your hips forward for maximum power also tends to tilt your torso backwards when you're trying to maintain the centre of balance over the standing foot, but a similar degree of power can also be achieved with a vertical torso if you abandon this balance in order to move forward with the kick. The downside to aggressive forward movement is that you become more vulnerable to counters if your kick is caught or evaded or is otherwise ineffective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What the images do not show is that the shin is typically vertical during the lifting phase. The foot is either angled down, toes towards the ground, which translates into the correct position for a ball-of-the-foot strike during the forward motion, or is held at right angles to the shin, which is better for hard heel strikes (at the cost of reach). A vertical shin also provides for a greater arc of movement, enabling higher velocity to be achieved by the foot at the moment of impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether or not you desire to execute a snap kick or a push kick, the knee is typically raised to the limit of one's comfortable flexibility before being thrust forward. This results in a roughly 45 degree angle between torso and upper leg.  Keeping the leg motion the same for both kicks help makes your intent more difficult to read, although this principle can be discarded if you decide to disguise your strikes. Front kicks can be smuggled in via a roundhouse preparation motion, an axe/circle kick preparation, or even a jumping knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How much the leg is bent at the moment of impact depends on how far you are from your opponent. Even if they are close however, it is good practice to thrust your leg towards horizontal, in the same manner as you try to punch 'through' an adversary (if maximum impact is your goal). It's worth remembering though that the longer your leg is extended, the easier it will be for your opponent to trap it, which is never a good feeling, as it typically results in you winding up on the mat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYwKqz2KfO4&amp;amp;t=313s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Samart Payakaroon&lt;/a&gt;, provides a good demonstration of the potency of relaxed technique and timing (see 00:33 - 01:30). The whole video, a demonstration of 10 techniques is well worth the watch, but see 05:30 for a demonstration of a front kick disguised as a roundhouse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-11-04T02:22:13.547" LastActivityDate="2021-11-04T02:22:13.547" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12980" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12989" CreationDate="2021-11-03T18:09:54.483" Score="1" ViewCount="215" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does anyone know all the different basic type of Sprawl variations and when to use each type?  Is one of them used for a Single leg takedown and another is double leg takedown in images below? We could write a whole essay about this, just wanted to know the basics and its general purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/OgdCL.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/OgdCL.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/cGfAS.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/cGfAS.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Resources: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7snzA0Ibn3o&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7snzA0Ibn3o&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-12-07T22:23:07.527" LastActivityDate="2021-12-07T22:23:07.527" Title="MMA: Different Types of Sprawls" Tags="|training|mixed-martial-arts|grappling|jujutsu|wrestling|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12981" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12984" CreationDate="2021-11-03T18:49:13.467" Score="5" ViewCount="174" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was taught a throw in Muay Thai of all things, which they just call a &amp;quot;foot sweep,&amp;quot; but I recognized it as a Judo throw. It is shown at 2:20 in the video linked below. It could be mistaken for one of the &amp;quot;ashi&amp;quot; throws in Judo, except that Uke's leg is not actually swept. The leg has weight on it, and Tori just blocks it from moving. The throw is accomplished not by moving Uke's leg, but by shifting this body over the blocked leg. I'd like to know the proper name of that throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmlg2uiQtAc&amp;amp;t=140&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmlg2uiQtAc&amp;amp;t=140&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12159" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-08-14T23:54:25.367" LastActivityDate="2022-08-14T23:54:25.367" Title="Want to know the proper name of a Judo throw" Tags="|judo|muay-thai|throwing|identification|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12982" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12905" CreationDate="2021-11-03T19:03:27.780" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A fair bit of research has gone into showing that the person who is most likely to kill or injure you in a violent fight has little or no formal training. This is true even if you are trained. He grew up with violence learned in real fights, on the street. His &amp;quot;promotion&amp;quot; was that he survived. And doing time in prison is like a master class in delivering violence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is actually the untrained sociopath you should fear the most.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12159" LastActivityDate="2021-11-03T19:03:27.780" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12983" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12871" CreationDate="2021-11-03T19:14:45.807" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are something like 31 rules for MMA fighters. 27 or so of them are rules to keep them from seriously injuring other fighters. Think about that in relation to street fighting. You are actually being trained to not seriously injure your opponent. That makes sense in training and sport. It does not make sense on the street and you will fight how you trained.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even then, most decent folk have an inborn instinct not to actually hurt people. It is great for civilizing society, not for self defense. Martial artists may have very good general skills, but they may not have the right mindset and they may not have practiced versions of their techniques that can kill or maim.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Check out these references for in-depth discussions of this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;When Violence is the Answer&amp;quot; by Tim Larkin&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Facing Violence&amp;quot; by Rory Miller&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Violence of Mind&amp;quot; by Varg Freeborn&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These books are eye-opening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12159" LastActivityDate="2021-11-03T19:14:45.807" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12984" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12981" CreationDate="2021-11-03T19:32:51.960" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The judo name is &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/699i--pvYmE&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;sasae tsurikomi ashi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (propping, lifting-pulling leg). Your mechanics description matches this quite well. Done in a minimalist judo style, the leg is not kicked, but simply blocked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-11-03T19:32:51.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12985" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12988" CreationDate="2021-11-04T00:30:06.737" Score="2" ViewCount="393" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to preface this by saying I have virtually zero martial arts experience or knowledge so sorry if I'm not the clearest or if my question doesn't make much sense .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You know that scene in The Karate Kid where Mr Miyagi fights 1 on 5 against a bunch of high school Karate Black belts and completely whoops their asses? I was wondering if that scene is actually a realistic depiction of the difference in skill between different degrees of black belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example could a 65 year old 10th degree black belt who's been training and teaching taekwondo for the past 50 years actually defeat a 20 somthething who's been training for 5 years? Or are high degree black belts mainly an honor bestowed upon someone for how long they've been doing martial arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12160" LastActivityDate="2021-12-30T18:11:33.960" Title="Are old high level black belts actually better than young low level black belts?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|belt|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12986" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12985" CreationDate="2021-11-04T01:19:30.257" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;IMO there's no general answer to this question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two primary competing factors:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Experience brings levels of timing, strategy, tactics, and proprioception that are difficult to compress.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Youth brings stamina (if a fight lasts that long), flexibility, and speed.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My &lt;em&gt;personal&lt;/em&gt; preference would tend towards fighting someone with less experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13" LastActivityDate="2021-11-04T01:19:30.257" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12987" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12985" CreationDate="2021-11-04T02:43:16.030" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Further to Dave Newton's comment:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some schools hand out belts for relatively minor achievement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is often done in order to encourage ongoing participation and boost the self-esteem of students who might otherwise struggle to progress through the ranks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In plenty of other cases, belts are awarded in order to convince gullible students that they are acquiring valuable skills when in fact the opposite is the case.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In these schools, a black belt enables very little if any reliable prediction of a student's competence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To illustrate the difference between schools more starkly, some institutions promise black belts with a certain time frame (such as a year). A Kyokushin school's black belt grading can extend to approximately ten hours, and the opportunity to participate in it typically only arrives after roughly 7 years of dedicated effort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Youtube is awash with footage of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=fake+martial+arts+&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;fraudulent teachers, schools and styles&lt;/a&gt;, many of which get humiliated by skeptical, well-trained fighters. Choose your school(s) with care.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastActivityDate="2021-11-04T02:43:16.030" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12988" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12985" CreationDate="2021-11-04T06:32:57.927" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question asks if an older (65+ year old) who is a 10th dan black belt can &amp;quot;defeat&amp;quot; a younger (say, 20 year old) 1st dan black belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I agree with the other answers here. But I just wanted to clarify one very important detail of the question that was asked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What was asked is whether or not the older, higher ranked black belt can defeat the younger lower ranked black belt. The word, &amp;quot;defeat&amp;quot; implies fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a big distinction between what is a &amp;quot;fighter&amp;quot; and what is a &amp;quot;martial artist&amp;quot;. People often confuse the two. They are not the same.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A fighter is someone who has a good amount of experience actually fighting. Whereas a martial artist is someone who might have mastery of various martial arts skills, but who may or may not have experience actually fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A fight happens when someone is trying to hurt you, and you have to stop that person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, fighting on the street is fighting. But so is boxing and MMA. So is grappling when it's done to hurt you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring nicely, where you know you're not going to get that hurt, doesn't really count as fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I love this video discussing the difference between a fighter and a martial artist:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/d0KfSuB_7bM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/d0KfSuB_7bM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, having clarified the difference between a martial artist and a fighter, let's ask the question now. Can a 65 year old 10th dan fight and win against a 20 year old 1st dan?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The 65 year old is at a big disadvantage. By that age, bodies generally (not always) are much weaker and more fragile than a body in peak condition. And age 20 is about the time when you're in peak physical condition. For many people, anyway. There are obviously exceptions to the rule.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, what the 65 year old 10th dan has is great skill. That's obvious by his 10th degree black belt. You generally don't get that rank without mastering technique. Yes, there are exceptions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But is he a fighter? Most martial arts do not train people to be fighters. By age 65, most people have long stopped practicing for the purpose of getting better at actually fighting. They're in it to be martial artists, not fighters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas the 20 year old probably still has fighting as his central focus. But even the 20 year old may not be a fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the 65 year old used to be a fighter, and the 20 year has no fighting experience, then I might be tempted to put my money on the 65 year old. Experience at actually fighting is the key. That's probably going to make up for a lack of physical strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if both the 65 year old and the 20 year old are legit fighters, then I'll bet on the 20 year old, especially if the 65 year old has not kept up his physical conditioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The extra degrees you have on your black belt generally are meaningless when it comes to fighting ability. Those stripes are there to represent that you've gained skill in the martial art. It doesn't say anything about your experience at fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2021-11-04T06:32:57.927" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12989" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12980" CreationDate="2021-11-04T16:33:07.277" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am far from a subject-matter expert, as I've largely done striking martial arts, and my current art (Capoeira) avoids prolonged grappling for style and tradition reasons (TL;DR, it's considered messy, doesn't tend to go with the music, and isn't terribly clever most of the time), but &lt;a href=&quot;https://mmaactive.com/how-to-sprawl-in-mma/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this page&lt;/a&gt; does a pretty decent job of breaking down the three  major sprawl types I've seen used.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Standard sprawl, legs out, on your toes, even weight&lt;/strong&gt; - This is what almost everyone learns first as a defense against a double-leg, or a tackle scenario, legs shoot back, and you drop your weight on the attacker's torso to unbalance him. By staying on your toes, you maintain more mobility, but are slightly less stable.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Square sprawl, legs out, hips down, even weight&lt;/strong&gt; - This could be characterized as a deeper sprawl than the traditional standard one, with the legs and hips going down to the ground to further ground the opponent.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Single leg sprawl, legs out, one hip dipped to the ground, uneven weight&lt;/strong&gt; - contrary to the name, both legs still shoot out, but this is typically done as response to a single-leg takedown attempt, with the hip down corresponding to the leg that's been grabbed. Depending on how uneven you make the hips, this can be anything from looking a lot like a standard or square sprawl, to one leg crossing over the other.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me, the first image shows square sprawls, although Ramsey currently has his hips lower, while the second one shows a single-leg sprawl.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-11-04T16:33:07.277" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12991" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12993" CreationDate="2021-11-05T00:02:45.497" Score="2" ViewCount="88" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've recently watched the movie &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufUQWpEkbf0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;You're Next&lt;/a&gt; where main character Erin, who &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LQpLMvC7Et0?t=540&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;grew up in a survivalist compound&lt;/a&gt;, manages to &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LQpLMvC7Et0?t=433&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;defend herself&lt;/a&gt; against 4 military trained killers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sure some things have been stretched since it is fiction not reality after all, but it made me wonder at least from the self defense perspective how realistic this character actually is portrayed based on the training she has had.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In parts of &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LQpLMvC7Et0?t=229&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; you see that she is knowledgeable of how to stay safe in several dangerous situations: &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LQpLMvC7Et0?t=229&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LQpLMvC7Et0?t=251&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LQpLMvC7Et0?t=303&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LQpLMvC7Et0?t=424&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've never been to a survival school nor know anyone who has so I am just curious how much actual self defense would be taught there? I can accept how knowledgeable Erin is, but could someone with this sort of training really be competent enough to defend themselves against 4 military trained guys?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastActivityDate="2021-11-08T12:37:53.740" Title="Do survival schools usually teach self defense?" Tags="|training|self-defense|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12992" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12868" CreationDate="2021-11-05T05:06:05.633" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is not to contradict any of the great answers above, just to look at the problem in a different way. What they teach at my Muay Thai gym is that during a fight, you can give yourself a &amp;quot;break&amp;quot; to recover from temporary exhaustion and/or being stunned by a blow by keeping your guard up and active, keeping moving and breathing deeply, but staying on defense and not throwing any offensive techniques for some period. You may throw the occasional light jab just to keep your opponent wary. It may be only 15 seconds, but that may be enough. Mostly just parry and move. Boxers and kickboxers do this in the ring all the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can conserve your energy and regenerate on defense much better than you can on offense. And sometimes it can work in your favor. Your opponent may sense it is time for him to &amp;quot;go in for the kill,&amp;quot; over-commit on a technique and make a mistake you can counter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12159" LastActivityDate="2021-11-05T05:06:05.633" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12993" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12991" CreationDate="2021-11-05T13:24:04.000" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, there may be an issue of difference of comprehension. You mention schools, which brings to mind a summer camp kind of setup, or maybe just a seminar of a few days. Living in a survivalist compound is sometimes a lifestyle choice, with people bringing their families in and living there for years in preparation for what they believe to be an imminent disaster, with a strong correlation to anti-government militias  and doomsday cults, both of which often do train in preparation for armed resistance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.preppercamp.com/class-descriptions/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;combat is trained in paid survival camps&lt;/a&gt;, although I'd argue that it usually hits the level of classes of recreational martial arts rather than serious training for combat situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We will cover common strikes, avoidances, basic footwork and counter strikes that will give you a clear upper hand when using a using any type of staff like object for defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no experience needed to take this class and all fitness levels are welcomed as the movements will be efficient. Don’t miss out on Stick combat 101 – Basic Tools for Winning Non-projectile engagements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I commented above, when the killers appear, Erin acts decisively and kills with very little hesitance or remorse. Assuming she's not just a natural psychopath, this suggests that she has trained in actual combat scenarios, whether simulated or real (not necessarily mortal, but where pain and injury is possible and you're expected to try to inflict the same) and some degree of desensitization (a fair amount of modern military training involves teaching soldiers to treat enemy combatants as targets and to aim to kill or disable without considering the opponent as a human being). This further suggests that the compound she grew up in was one of the lifestyle type where she would have been trained in combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-11-05T13:24:04.000" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12995" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12803" CreationDate="2021-11-07T11:18:27.113" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are quite a few reasons for wearing the appropriate gloves and wraps when practicing on a heavy bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the biggest reasons is to reduce the chance of fracturing or breaking bones in your hands and wrists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As someone who has fractured and broken bones multiple times on heavy bags, I've learned this lesson from hard experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only beneficial part of breaking bones in your hands and wrists is that it gives you plenty of time to improve your footwork while your bones heal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; you use Muay Thai gloves on a heavy bag?  Definitely.  Will you fracture or break some bones?  Depends on how well you wrap and how hard you hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6354" LastActivityDate="2021-11-07T11:18:27.113" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12997" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="12999" CreationDate="2021-11-07T18:54:47.133" Score="3" ViewCount="314" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is the &amp;quot;Corkscrew punch&amp;quot; the defacto/regular punch in boxing? It seems like most boxers are doing this anyways in their jab/cross punch, where wrist is rotated and thumb is slightly angled down. Or is the corkscrew punch a totally different from other jabs/crosses they teach in boxing? This question is more about dictionary terminology in boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Corkscrew punch requires you to rotate your entire arm, right from the shoulder to the elbow, all the way to your fist. The term Corkscrew punch was invented by a popular boxer Charles “Kid” McCoy, active between 1891-1916.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wing Chun and Krav Maga teach slightly different rotations in boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Resources:&#xA;a) &lt;a href=&quot;https://lawofthefist.com/all-inclusive-guide-to-corkscrew-punch-in-boxing-2/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://lawofthefist.com/all-inclusive-guide-to-corkscrew-punch-in-boxing-2/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;b) &lt;a href=&quot;https://expertboxing.com/corkscrew-punch-technique&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://expertboxing.com/corkscrew-punch-technique&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-11-08T07:28:20.640" LastActivityDate="2021-11-08T07:28:20.640" Title="Boxing Corkscrew Punch: Is it the default punch?" Tags="|training|technique|boxing|punching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12998" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12991" CreationDate="2021-11-08T05:34:40.967" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's 3 types of martial arts&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Conventional: Karate, Taekwondo, etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Spiritual: Tai Chi, etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Modernist/Militaristic: USMC fighting program, etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's focus on the last... in more modernistic, survivalist martial arts, often for sake of survival, technique is less important than efficacy. They often involve dirty fighting (groin attack, face digging, eye gouging, biting, stomping), weapons from random objects, stealthy takedowns.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-11-08T12:37:53.740" LastActivityDate="2021-11-08T12:37:53.740" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="12999" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12997" CreationDate="2021-11-08T06:21:59.480" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The term 'corkscrew punch' is familiar, yet I have never heard any boxing coach employ it when teaching how to strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As your link from Expert Boxing states, rotating the wrist to horizontal when punching is normal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Rotating beyond this point is typical mainly during overhand punches, as the extra rotation allows for the elbow to be raised sufficiently to enable these strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If by 'default punch', you mean 'typical' or 'standard' for the foundational boxing techniques of jabs and straight crosses, then yes, such rotation is orthodox. In other words, it is normal to rotate one's fist in such a fashion unless the circumstances warrant a different technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More detail relevant to this question is available in the answers you received in response to your previous question about &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/12928/punching-which-way-to-rotate-knuckles&quot;&gt;which way to rotate knuckles&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastActivityDate="2021-11-08T06:21:59.480" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13001" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9712" CreationDate="2021-11-10T00:48:37.507" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In MMA (any martial arts really), the method is the ONLY difference. In martial arts or competitions, you do not go in with intent of murder.  Even in public if you’re trained, and are attacked, you would focus on a sleeper hold with the bend of your arm around their neck while using your other hand to the back of their head to hurry the process of making the opponent (or criminal) lose consciousness so you win (or make a get away and call authorities).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The sleeper hold cuts off blood to the brain and so the other man can not continue until blood is restored and can become oriented of his surroundings and able to recall what just happened.  That’s a controlled attack on your opponent. You win or you get away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When choking someone to kill them, normally you are on top of them on the ground face to face, and you’re using all the force of your body to your hands and especially thumbs, and you’re putting pressure on their jugular.  This stops air flow to the brain and the person can’t get air either. Even if you intend to put them to sleep and not kill them, this is not the way, because most times the pressure applied will break bones in the neck and possibly bust their jugular, and as mentioned above, can cause the body to also have reactions that can kill them in the process of being choked out (heart attack, Etc.).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long story short, learn to use a sleeper hold if you’re that interested. It’s an amazing technique and easy to apply, ESPECIALLY if some idiot is show boating and decides to push you. If you know what you’re doing, let them push you and do a couple quick maneuvers, apply the correct sleeper hold, and they’ll find themselves waking up wandering what the hell went wrong. And also deterring anyone from bothering you again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12180" LastActivityDate="2021-11-10T00:48:37.507" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13003" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13004" CreationDate="2021-11-13T02:33:26.307" Score="6" ViewCount="520" Body="&lt;p&gt;The US Army hand to hand combat manual gave a solution like this:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vg29o.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vg29o.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I guess that won't work if your opponent is shorter/taller than you or they kept their head slightly to the side.&#xA;So is there a way to effectively counter moves of this kind? Will a parkour roll possibly work?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-11-20T06:20:31.770" LastActivityDate="2021-11-22T18:45:01.727" Title="How to counter a rear bear hug?" Tags="|self-defense|streetfight|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13004" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13003" CreationDate="2021-11-13T11:52:19.820" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I did learn a different approach with more components in Krav Maga. Something very similar can be seen &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhtoxUzqNmQ&amp;amp;t=84s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, with groin strikes (move your hip to the side, hit with a hammer fist between the legs) added before the elbows. I am a bit critical of that video as, for example, you will probably not have enough space to hit the sternum with your first elbow in a real struggle:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A stomp on the foot instead of a hit with your head as a shock move. If I remember correctly, one of the arguments in favor of a foot stomp was in fact that you cannot see where the opponent's head is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Before that, you suck in air to expand your torso as much as possible in order to open up the hug a bit. With the stomp, you rapidly breath out, drop your weight into a low squat, and push your elbows out &amp;quot;punching&amp;quot; forward. The main point is freeing your underarms here, not freeing your arms completely as that won't work in most cases. That way, you are taking advantage of the space you just opened and prevent the hug being tightened again immediately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;With your elbows free, you do a low left elbow towards floating ribs/liver immediately followed by a high right towards the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another possibility I almost forgot about is described in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcJ6TBHSUiU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;: You basically do steps 1 and 2 (the breathing stuff eases the whole loosening part) and then move your hips to the side and one leg behind the opponent, pushing his &lt;em&gt;hips&lt;/em&gt; back with the arm that remains in front of the opponent (can be done with an elbow to the groins as well). Then you straighten your leg behind the opponent's legs and drop your weight, forcing them to the ground. Even better would be to drive the straightened leg and all your weight sideways into the opponent's thigh so that you get your hips behind and below theirs and can hook behind their other foot so that they cannot step out (see &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/tv3CpZYB0c4?t=188&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;). As soon as the opponent starts to fall (sad this is not included in the video), turn your upper body towards the opponent (you always stay footed with the remaining leg, thus you can initiate the turn using the foot). For good measure, I'd land with my elbow first driven into the opponent's abdomen. That way, you minimize the disadvantage of going to the ground and prevent landing in a position with your back still turned towards the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are other videos like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebcD6WblXs4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; where you don't go to the ground but throw the opponent around your hip, grabbing both legs. I don't see why any person in their right mind would let go and not pull you to the ground as they fall in that case, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am generally skeptical when it comes to these techniques as they somewhat depend on pain compliance: There is no guarantee that the offender simply lets go when hit, or doesn't immediately go for a rear-naked choke instead. On the other hand, the position is bad, and using a shock move is better than doing nothing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the parkour roll, I'd say that if you have an offender who knows how to manipulate your structure and balance, this will be hard to pull off. You are very easily lifted and if they step back you are off-balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-11-17T13:21:59.357" LastActivityDate="2021-11-17T13:21:59.357" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13005" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-11-13T23:59:05.063" Score="4" ViewCount="75" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm wondering if those fighters in movies (like Daniel LaRusso) are actually fighting super fast and executing flying split kicks or if the movements are edited to be super fast before the movie comes out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12168" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-11-14T02:16:24.163" LastActivityDate="2021-11-14T02:16:24.163" Title="Are the super fast fighters in movies edited to be fast or are they actually fast?" Tags="|entertainment|speed|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13006" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-11-14T06:09:06.373" Score="3" ViewCount="185" Body="&lt;p&gt;I noticed that the footwork is more Step and Slide in MMA, Western Muay Thai, and Kickboxing. However in Muay Thai Traditional, its more step step and march march (no sliding in Traditional). Rather than asking what is better, what is root cause and reasons behind these different movements? If athlete understands the advantages/disadvantages for each, they can make their own decision when to use. I noticed the deviations as going through footwork stance videos.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MMA and Kickboxing:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/7Cwb-lzzv1A?t=25&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/7Cwb-lzzv1A?t=25&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/7K0nTUVIrvc?t=129&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/7K0nTUVIrvc?t=129&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muay Thai Traditional:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/HHgCf1CnBqY?t=356&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/HHgCf1CnBqY?t=356&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/9UMosqyFgYg?t=125&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/9UMosqyFgYg?t=125&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-11-15T18:41:50.253" LastActivityDate="2022-04-16T13:07:25.853" Title="Muay Thai Stance Footwork: Slide Step vs March Step" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|kickboxing|footwork|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13007" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13003" CreationDate="2021-11-15T12:21:53.953" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is bringing back memories of the &amp;quot;self defense&amp;quot; techniques I learned in Chuck Norris Tang Soo Do some decades ago... unfortunately, I've learned that most of these techniques really don't work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, one additional thing we learned was that, as soon as the hug starts getting applied, to shoot the arms forward and drop our body weight into a squat, the idea being that pushing the arms forward instead of directly against the squeeze, and dropping, makes it more likely that you squirt out underneath the bear hug before they can secure a good grip with the side benefit that even if they still have hold of you, you've got a good start on dropping your center of gravity below theirs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Purely anecdotal, it actually did work for me against a guy about the same size of me in high school, although he wasn't really trying to hurt me, just messing around. When he grabbed me from behind, the drilling kicked in, I dropped my weight, thrust out my arms, and broke the hold. Fortunately, I stopped myself before I continued with the elbow strikes and the throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-11-15T12:21:53.953" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13008" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13003" CreationDate="2021-11-15T21:51:42.150" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here's a method that works (despite height and/or weight difference): as soon as they grab you, grab one of their wrists or lower arms (preferably the arm on your dominant side) and hold it tight to the body. Elbow them sharply in the ribs until their grips loosens, maintaining a hold on the arm. The best throw in this case would be an &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ippon_seoi_nage&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;ippon seoi nage&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, which is a fairly simple throw to learn and the arm/s are already in the proper position for the throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hopefully you never have to use this, but when it happens you'll be prepared.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11643" LastEditorUserId="11643" LastEditDate="2021-11-22T18:45:01.727" LastActivityDate="2021-11-22T18:45:01.727" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13009" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13003" CreationDate="2021-11-16T03:36:45.877" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This position was the teaser lesson to convince students to join wrestling. The position is basic enough that with near-size parity it was expected that everyone could learn to get out with a 15 minute lesson. Unfortunately, I do not remember the terminology for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The escape:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;step forward with one foot, say the left.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In one motion, the left arm and shoulder go up, the right shoulder drops down, and you turn to the right while lowering your level to face the opponent.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lifting the arm starts to create space, and the shoulder movements get your whole body power into manuevering out of the arms. As the person behind, if you have not already started to attack the balance, it's very hard to maintain the hold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From a wrestling point of view, this particular rear position is not actually one you want, so it's not easy to find a wrestling instructional video. You have more control and it is harder to escape if you grip up two-on-one arm. Your head goes to the side with the controlled arm, and you leave the other arm free. It is much harder to escape from this position than the bear hug over both arms, which is why the teaser lesson was from the simpler position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-11-16T03:36:45.877" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13010" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13011" CreationDate="2021-11-16T05:14:45.010" Score="0" ViewCount="91" Body="&lt;p&gt;Consider &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/6CE-lPakRVM?t=90&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1:30&lt;/a&gt;. Let me know if you have another better video of this martial art falling technique. But pretend&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;that white shirt &lt;strong&gt;sturdy, weighty&lt;/strong&gt; man  attacks me &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;wickedly and spitefully&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;and that underdog lad is an INNOCENT, DEFENSELESS, POWERLESS featherweight. I'm actually a girl by the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you can see, that hefty weighty man looks forceful. He pushes that stripling to the ground and pins him down on the ground. How can that underdog lad defend and overwhelm the strapping attacker?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/izWlp.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/izWlp.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12195" LastEditorUserId="12195" LastEditDate="2021-11-16T05:49:52.030" LastActivityDate="2021-11-16T10:37:06.153" Title="How can a lightweight weak girl overcome a weighty man pushing her down on the floor?" Tags="|groundwork|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13011" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13010" CreationDate="2021-11-16T10:37:06.153" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;That is not a question that can be exhaustively answered in a stackexchange answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Short version 1: the first step would probably be for the person on the bottom to frame with their arms on the attacker's neck to take away some of the pressure, and avoid getting choked out. Next, the person on the bottom either needs to turn on their side toward the guy on top, and get to their knees and stand up; or turn their hips toward the attacker and use their legs to create space and control the attacker, then scoot away and get up. Actually doing either requires...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Short version 2: go to a BJJ, MMA or Judo school, learn the basics of groundwork, and focus on training escapes. Nothing anyone can write will help you much unless you've done this plenty of times in training. Escape techniques and strategies exist. Whether they work in a given situation is a matter of practice, size, strength, determination, and conditioning. Bad situations are bad, no matter what.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9630" LastActivityDate="2021-11-16T10:37:06.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13012" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13006" CreationDate="2021-11-17T12:59:08.743" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;What you are seeing is actually not a preference towards sliding the feet or not sliding the feet.  It's actually a tiny shift in where the fighter's balance is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When a person stands they will usually have their weight over the heel of the foot.  When they walk they will put the heel down first.  It's the natural way of walking.  This is the way they are standing and walking in the Muay Thai video.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However many martial arts will advocate keeping the weight over the ball of the foot (that is to say close to the toes) instead.  This is what you are seeing in the 'MMA' style videos.  I believe this is more common in styles with a Japanese influence.  In the style I learn (Japanese Shorinji Kempo) for example we always use this way of standing once we are advanced enough to have learned it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the advantages or disadvantages...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The traditional Muay Thai method allows for very heavy kicks however kicks of this kind can compromise balance and require you to change stance because you are kicking through the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The weight on the ball of the foot is favoured if you prefer a light kick that doesn't follow through.  You might call this a 'snap kick'.  This is particularly useful if you are point fighting rather than full contact sparing because although your kick won't have as much power it will be faster and more controlled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The end of this video by Jesse Enkamp shows the difference in kick style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ6gGWjqhUk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ6gGWjqhUk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muay Thai from what I have seen has a large aspect involving catching legs as well.  Having your leg trapped is probably less hazadous if your weight is further back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion look at the overall stance rather than the contact with the floor.  The stance drives contact or lack thereof not the other way around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2021-11-17T12:59:08.743" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13013" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13015" CreationDate="2021-11-18T09:29:18.247" Score="3" ViewCount="175" Body="&lt;p&gt;Part of the reason I enjoy watching UFC is it allows us to witness combat sports evolve, which styles/techniques are doing well and what kind of counters tend to be most effective. While a lot has changed over the past decade or two, I have noticed that there has not been much innovation in how deception is used. As I see it, deception is a critical tool for the martial arts. I won't go into all its benefits, but its fairly axiomatic that deception creates opportunities that can then be exploited with technique or power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yet as it stands, my assessment of deception in the UFC is heavily skewed towards feints. It's a universal part of the MMA toolkit to probe the opponent's defenses and see how the respond and/or program a response. But even here, I would argue there are levels. There doesn't seem to be a UFC analog of the Muay Thai fighter &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saenchai&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Saenchai&lt;/a&gt; who actually uses misdirection which borders on optical illusion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In an even more dramatic application of deception, I have only seen a few faked 'dazes' or 'disorientations' whereby the fighter acts like he/she has been significantly affected by a strike  but is actually planning a surprise ambush should the opponent re-enter the pocket. Note: I'm not advocating faking eye injuries or other antics to appeal to ref intervention. Though just a handful, I was still surprised that this kind of tactic hasn't caught on. In Verdum versus Emelianenko, Verdum would likely have never landed that arm-bar on Emelianenko had it not been for his faking pain to get Emelianenko to enter his guard. This video shows a few other successful feigns, but note how rare they are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0SfQHXLr_8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0SfQHXLr_8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Question&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why hasn't deception been studied and applied more broadly in MMA beyond just feinting?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;**Tagging &lt;a href=&quot;/questions/tagged/ninjitsu&quot; class=&quot;post-tag&quot; title=&quot;show questions tagged &amp;#39;ninjitsu&amp;#39;&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;ninjitsu&lt;/a&gt; since there is not deception tag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12198" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-11-19T03:13:02.163" LastActivityDate="2021-11-19T19:02:12.440" Title="Why aren't more forms of deception used in MMA" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|ufc|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13015" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13013" CreationDate="2021-11-18T21:08:42.297" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'll admit that I don't have a ton of experience with MMA, but I suspect that there are a few factors:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Feigning being disoriented can lead to a Technical Knock Out&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As discussed by Ramsey Dewey &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Y2lySNPfhY8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, a TKO can be declared in MMA any time a fighter does not seem to be intelligently defending themselves. &lt;strong&gt;This can include cases where the fighter isn't actually dazed&lt;/strong&gt; with cases including fighters being flagged with a TKO because they're trying to act tough, lowering their guard and weathering punches because the symptoms of brain trauma are difficult to determine in the ring, and someone who has taken sufficient brain trauma in the ring such that they're knocked out on their feet can be indistinguishable from someone playing rope-a-dope to wear out their opponent. Similarly, if a fighter feigned an injury, he risks having a referee stop the fight early.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Technically, it could be illegal as &amp;quot;timidity&amp;quot;&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As per &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ufc.com/unified-rules-mixed-martial-arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the &amp;quot;unified rules&amp;quot; of UFC&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Timidity (avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My understanding is that this is more for if you don't attack at all, trying to run out the clock, versus trying to fake an immediate daze/injury lure someone in and then counter-attacking, but just noting that &amp;quot;faking an injury&amp;quot; is specifically called out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Deception can be a risk&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As Steve Weigand pointed out, Anderson Silva is an excellent example of a tricky fighter, constantly moving and faking out opponents, faking being dazed by hits, etc. And, well, when it worked, it worked really well. When &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/BJlsvLCBnIY?t=262&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;it didn't work&lt;/a&gt;... well, UFC 162, Silva versus Weidman had him dropping his guard, seemingly doing his usual &amp;quot;feign getting pummeled&amp;quot; and then his legs went wobbly and he fell to the canvas. Using deception in the ring tends to be a gambit, where you sacrifice to draw out an opponent, or attempt to be unpredictable to avoid your opponent's strategy. That said, it often does leave you in a potentially bad situation, an unlucky dodge could put you moving into an attack, and once an opponent knows you like to use tricks, they'll be expecting them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, a tricky movement might help you secure a victory, but to use it well, you'll have to train it, and one could readily argue that putting that training time into your regular martial arts, or into conditioning, may serve you better. Honestly, I'd say that Anderson Silva got away with it for so long due to a combination of natural athleticism, and good instincts, and eventually, he was brought down to normal and started losing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;It might negatively affect your bottom line by weakening your persona&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people are in MMA for the money. There are a few &amp;quot;blood warriors&amp;quot; who are in it because they like to scrap, but for the most part, fighters want that purse and they want those endorsements. And, of course, the fighting leagues want fighters who will draw in audiences. A fighter who feigns an injury or uses trickery might not sell as well (although they've definitely got a place in professional wrestling or the staged MMA shows).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-11-18T21:08:42.297" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13017" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13013" CreationDate="2021-11-18T22:59:00.190" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A lot of the times especially now the deception will often confuse the ref and he might even stop the fight. Let's say you get a gnarly liver shot. If you bend over in (fake) pain, the ref might jump in and wave it off, rendering the fight over, and you just blew it because you tried to make an attempt to have the opponent come in closer so you could rock his face off to Pluto. Point is, don't fake it because the ref might just call it off when he's just trying to do his job. This is MMA, not wrestling. If you try do the most minimal so you can actually respond with some actual damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12201" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-11-19T19:02:12.440" LastActivityDate="2021-11-19T19:02:12.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13018" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8890" CreationDate="2021-11-21T01:16:29.250" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think that, before saying if it is good for self defense or not, they should be clear, or rather make the differentiation between a sport and a self defense system. In my younger years I practiced Tae Kwon Do and I have practiced DZR JJ for 10 years. In fact, I am in the process of obtaining the degree of Shodan. Today, more than ever, I am clear about the great difference between one and the other. One reads many times that this or that discipline works or does not work for a confrontation in the street. There is also a great nebula there that makes many practitioners get lost.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the first point, it must be clear that a martial art is not time, time, as if a sport has it. A martial art is a way of life, which one joins until his last days. the gray hair of a teacher, sensei or shihan is highly valued in a dojo. I know many athletes who finished their careers and were forgotten.I know many athletes who finished their careers and were forgotten.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now regarding the second point, the approach to training, the way in which he trains, the way in which the mind of a martial artist works when training is very different from that of an athlete. It is not that a BJJ practitioner cannot respond to an attack and thus save his life, what happens is that the approach of a practitioner of a discipline focused on self defense such as Danzan Ryu is something else entirely. Unlike my time at TKD where I actively participated in national, regional and inter-dojo championships, in my years training Danzan Ryu my training has been very different. The techniques, the fundamentals, the approach, the preparation has been and is very different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another aspect is that he who prepares in personal defense, prepares precisely for that, to defend himself against an attack. His mental state is very different. I don't know how to explain it, I have been on both sides of life and I know from experience that a sport is not the same as a personal defense system. To the recurring question, that if the DZR works for reality: I can also tell you from experience, that it does, that it works and in an excellent way. For that I have trained for many years. Now I know and I am clear from what I read from many who write that in the United States, the approach is very different from that of our continent. I think that's why many times they have a bad idea or a misjudgment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12203" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-11-22T18:35:16.280" LastActivityDate="2021-11-22T18:35:16.280" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13019" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13020" CreationDate="2021-11-21T07:41:42.013" Score="2" ViewCount="210" Body="&lt;p&gt;When doing roundhouse kick in Muay Thai, they always teach to overrotate the opposite heel  to around 45 degrees, so pivot heel is facing opponent. However having watched multiple Muay thai matches, more than half the time, athletes never do this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is just few example matches with Rodtang and Sergio. You can view multiple matches with many athletes. Is there a reason behind why this happens less in reality? When doing roundhouse kicks myself, I often find it wasted motion rotating feet too much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Common Resource Lesson:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/MTlEFD2GlmE?t=237&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/MTlEFD2GlmE?t=237&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/omV8X.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/omV8X.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In Actuality:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ChB-nomLGQg?t=337&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/ChB-nomLGQg?t=337&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JGZVp.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JGZVp.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ChB-nomLGQg?t=296&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/ChB-nomLGQg?t=296&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/n6X9I.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/n6X9I.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-11-24T08:13:26.143" LastActivityDate="2021-11-24T08:13:26.143" Title="Muay Thai: Roundhouse Kick Rotate in Practice compared to Actual Matches" Tags="|technique|muay-thai|kicking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13020" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13019" CreationDate="2021-11-21T20:19:32.723" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Don't think of it as wasted motion.  This is a flexibility exercise for the most powerful kicks.  If your opponent was a Pad or other inanimate object this is how you kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However for a kick in a competition or self defence where you have a live opponent or enemy who is trying to read your moves this is not the way to kick.  The reason being that it is easy to read such an attack early by the change in foot and hip position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The key to the hard to reach 'perfect technique' is kicking with this hip position without it being readable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way I have been taught to do this is to change the foot rotation while I kick.  I start off with the foot at 45 degrees to the forwards position and lift the leg forwards as though I was aiming for a front kick.  Next I twist the hips to the position shown in the training video.  At the same time my foot rotates 90 degrees so it is 45 degrees from straight backwards at the end of the kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I am doing a side kick I do exactly the same move.   but I rotate the foot 135 degrees with my leg in the air so the foot is facing straight backwards as I land the kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The approach I describe is not the only way, nor necessarily the best way it sacrifices some power because I don't have the same level of angular momentum as the kicks shown in the training video.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have to start with the powerful method they show in this video because otherwise you will lack the range of movement required to perform these kicks at all.  However what you do in a fight should be different because you have to hide your intentions from the enemy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is not just about flexibility, but about opening the hips for optimal hip acceleration, which then makes the kick more powerful. Since in competitions power is not everything, lots of power is deliberately given up for higher speed and lower readability. Thus, the competitor tends to kick more via the hip flexor and less via hip rotation not because it is the 'better' kick (technically, it is worse), but because it is more appropriate for fights against experienced opponents reading your every move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-11-23T15:04:33.030" LastActivityDate="2021-11-23T15:04:33.030" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13021" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-11-22T03:07:04.100" Score="1" ViewCount="123" Body="&lt;p&gt;Despite Muai Thai being a staple for striking literature in MMA, there is surprisingly little representation of fighters who used to compete in Muai Thai circuits. A few exceptions would be UFC's Shevchenko (of Kyrgyzstan) and ONE's Dejdamrong (of Thailand). While both of these fighters have gone to live out very decorated careers in their respective organizations, on aggregate, the proportion of former Thai-circuit fighters are very small.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was thinking maybe it has to do with culture. Even though I would have loved to see &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buakaw_Banchamek&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Buakaw&lt;/a&gt; in his prime versus the likes of Dustin Porier at 155, Buakaw has reportedly likened his training to a spiritual quest and he claims to fight out of the honor of the Thai monarchy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Question&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Save for groups of loyalists, who would remain Muai Thai no matter what, what is likely preventing wider cross-over between Muai Thai circuit fighters from mainstream MMA organizations, like the UFC?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12198" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-11-26T04:32:44.280" LastActivityDate="2021-11-26T04:32:44.280" Title="Why hasn't there been more crossover from Muay Thai to MMA?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13022" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-11-23T23:12:02.640" Score="3" ViewCount="1574" Body="&lt;p&gt;Recently I have faced abuse in an unusual form. The person would place their face very close to mine and would refuse to move in any way. They would block my exit and just keep their face next to mine for as long as they could regardless of what I did. The experience was truly horrible and the short description above does not do it justice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This got me thinking about what would be the best approach in this situation self-defense wise?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12212" LastActivityDate="2021-12-27T22:48:08.280" Title="How to react when someone gets in your face" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13023" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13022" CreationDate="2021-11-24T06:36:28.040" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Without in any way meaning to diminish your experience, the 'tough guy' 'in-your-face' move has a long, long history, and can be witnessed in nightclubs and pubs the world over with disturbing regularity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The act of placing one's face into the face of another is, with some exceptions, a largely psychological endeavour. It represents an attempt to dominate someone. Such an act says, &amp;quot;Here I am! See? I have no fear of you. I am tougher than you. You should be frightened of me&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is perhaps no one single best way to deal with this situation, as the aggressor may be very skilled or not skilled at all, fearless or secretly very frightened, eager to fight, ambivalent or reluctant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One way to measure the success of your response (I'm assuming by your description that you didn't physically engage), is by its outcome. You remained passive and in this instance, you remained safe (barring any emotional scarring). So, maybe you can congratulate yourself on not making the situation worse. Had you engaged with him, you may have won, but of course, you may have been killed. The other side to this is that remaining passive makes you very vulnerable and had your aggressor decided to attack you, you would likely have sustained some form of injury, including brain damage or even death (I know that sounds dramatic, but you're in very real danger of being knocked out in such a situation, and the risk of falling head-first onto a hard surface such as the ground or the edge of a table is very real).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although it can be a very intimidating manoeuvre, placing your face directly in front of an opponent's face is fraught with danger. It is just as dangerous to allow someone to do it to you. Why? Because it diminishes your ability to maintain observation of your opponent's hands and legs. You will be unable to see any weapon they're holding, and will be far less able to move out of range before any strike occurs. A head butt can be executed very easily, as can hand/fist strikes which emerge from down low and out of view, a knee to the groin, or many other techniques, including grabs and locks. All else being equal, the person who strikes first in this situation typically has an enormous advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, whilst it's not always possible by any means, especially if you have no or little training, &lt;strong&gt;one of the best approaches might be to ensure that no-one ever gets close enough to do this to you&lt;/strong&gt;. This can be achieved by simply moving back or to the side, but again, without training, and depending upon your environment and your adrenaline levels, this can also be risky, and there's nothing to say your opponent won't follow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A short, sharp palm to the chest, combined with some tactical communication, such as a simple, confident &amp;quot;Back off!&amp;quot; will often be enough to make someone think again. Of course, it may also provoke a fight, so the question becomes, do I want to let this guy get up close to me and hope he doesn't knock me out, or do I attempt to deter him/strike first?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are no easy solutions to this scenario. In my mind, a person who finds themselves in your situation is more than entitled to engage in pre-emptive self-defence, and I would have no problem articulating my rationale in a courtroom. This approach however requires confidence and training, and even then, it comes with all sorts of risks, including the nightmare of having half a dozen of the aggressor's mates jumping on you at once.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have the opportunity to move out of range - even just for a moment - you might combine this with some other types of tactical communication, such as, &amp;quot;I don't want to fight you mate, but if you come close to me again, I'll be forced to defend myself&amp;quot;. This is as much for the benefit of witnesses as it is a means of deterrence. If the incident is occurring in a public place, you want people to know that you weren't the provocateur and that you were trying to deescalate the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been in this situation multiple times, both privately and professionally. In each instance, I avoided conflict with tactical communication, a defensive posture and by moving out of range (bar one, when I was forced to use the palm-push described earlier). This being said, I'm relatively experienced and was ready to engage should the need arise. It must be remembered though, I was very lucky that none of my opponents possessed greater intent and/or ability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have no training, I would suggest that you remember the truism that someone who can't reach you can't hurt you. If you have the chance to back off whilst making placatory gestures and statements such as, &amp;quot;I don't want any trouble&amp;quot; etc., or to run (easier said than done, I know), this will often be the best response, although yes, some bullies will only be encouraged by vulnerability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By this stage of my answer, you might be getting a little frustrated by the lack of clarity; by any definite way to approach this situation should it happen again. Fair enough. I'll leave it to others to describe any of the many, many stances/techniques relevant to your question, and limit myself to the following advice: (in no particular order):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Commence self-defence classes at a reputable school if you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Read &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/12739/optimal-stance-for-self-defense-street-fights/12740#12740&quot;&gt;this post&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do your best to avoid/prevent the situation:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Avoid venues with a reputation for trouble.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Avoid places where you've encountered this individual.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Leave a venue if things don't feel right.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Avoid ego-driven staring contests, pool-table arguments and other verbal stoushes.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Resist the urge to play the alpha male defender of your girlfriend (or boyfriend's) 'honour' when you're out at night, when it will only lead to unnecessary trouble.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Go out with trustworthy, sensible friends.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Minimise/eliminate your intake of alcohol and other drugs.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Be ready to telephone for police assistance if you feel threatened. Many people are embarrassed to do this and leave it too late. Police would much rather arrive and not be needed than to have to deal with violence and its aftermath.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-11-24T15:16:17.680" LastActivityDate="2021-11-24T15:16:17.680" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13024" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13025" CreationDate="2021-11-24T08:28:09.433" Score="2" ViewCount="145" Body="&lt;p&gt;Recently I started sparring. In boxing,  the athlete who jabs is told to keep right hand tucked at right side of face (pictures below). Just curious, why the right hand isn't taught to be more in front of the face, tucked below the eyes ready to block or catch/parry the punch? Is there a reason its traditionally taught to keep at side? I seemed to have little more luck in front, as its hard to throw a long hook to left side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pictures below where face is more open to punches, etc&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Resources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/OeedpzLRe2E?t=66&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/OeedpzLRe2E?t=66&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/CmpqqsmiP70?t=226&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/CmpqqsmiP70?t=226&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Bvhjp.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Bvhjp.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/RgFog.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/RgFog.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2021-11-24T12:43:10.843" Title="Punch Jab: Where to Place Right Hand during block" Tags="|self-defense|technique|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13025" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13024" CreationDate="2021-11-24T09:21:57.527" Score="3" Body="&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It protects you from hooks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It is a better position from which to launch a variety of punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keeping your fist further forward as you describe reduces the potential power of your punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Catching or parrying is made more difficult from this position, but only marginally, and this is typically considered a secondary concern to the reasons provided above).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-11-24T12:43:10.843" LastActivityDate="2021-11-24T12:43:10.843" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13026" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13022" CreationDate="2021-11-25T07:41:32.007" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Adding to Futilitarian's answer .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If possible, Take a step back and put your arms in &amp;quot;I give up&amp;quot; position around his shoulder high. Saying something like &amp;quot;chill out man&amp;quot; might help as well.&#xA;Now he can't put his face right next to yours without dealing with your hands in between. This will revel his intentions, without you starting a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If he does not mean to start a fight, he will have to think something else. It's not over yet, but you countered his move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If he does mean to start a fight, now you can see him well, and your arms are well positioned for attack/defence, you have the surprise advantage, since he will think you give up, while actually your hands are in front of you, ready for a fight.&#xA;All who witness the event will see that you didn't started the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10293" LastEditorUserId="10293" LastEditDate="2021-11-25T07:47:13.207" LastActivityDate="2021-11-25T07:47:13.207" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13027" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13041" CreationDate="2021-11-25T17:54:32.533" Score="3" ViewCount="90" Body="&lt;p&gt;Following this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYR43zx3plU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;, Is there a way to release or counter Cutting Armbar from Shoulder Crunch?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2021-11-29T19:01:07.010" Title="Is there a counter for Cutting Armbar from Shoulder Crunch" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13028" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-11-27T10:07:41.803" Score="1" ViewCount="636" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the historical reason Karate and Taekwondo recommend kicking with foot instead of shins for Round kicks (different from Muay Thai)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Krav Maga, they teach to kick with foot, since most of the Israeli soldiers are wearing sturdy thick army boots, and the small bones will not break, while giving longer kicking range. Is there a reason, Karate and TKD recommend this? Maybe warriors wear metal samarai boots during ancient times?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I see many young adults especially in TKD learning, and last thing people want are kids having injury in self defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: Prefer post not be about which martial art is better, and more professional about understanding the historical context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-11-27T11:03:18.783" LastActivityDate="2024-01-31T01:53:04.133" Title="Why does Karate recommend kicking with feet instead of shins?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|technique|karate|muay-thai|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13029" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13028" CreationDate="2021-11-27T11:01:41.063" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Karate doesn't limit its kicks to either foot or shin. Some forms of karate - such as sport-oriented styles - might emphasise feet as a means of maximising reach, but most full-contact and traditional schools train to employ the shin, top of ankle, instep, heel, both sides of the foot, ball of foot and toes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-11-27T12:07:58.160" LastActivityDate="2021-11-27T12:07:58.160" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13030" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="542" CreationDate="2021-11-27T16:37:37.890" Score="-1" Body="&lt;h1&gt;No curriculum but there are some must courses and elective courses.&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Box, Muai Thai and BJJ are like must courses and very mostly these are enough. The other martial arts are like selective courses. A few moves from karate, capoeria, kick box would diverse your kicks. Wrestling and Judo muscle memory is mostly but not totally helpful. A few moves from Wing Chun and Ninjiutsu would help your body movements and reflex and also escaping strikes when necessary but never use the Wing Chun stand/guard position in your legs. You are free to choose any selectives but I repeat box, muai thai and BJJ are must.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12219" LastActivityDate="2021-11-27T16:37:37.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13031" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2415" CreationDate="2021-11-28T05:14:01.830" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrapping in general serves the purpose medically to hold bone in place should you break it. Or tear tissue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2021-11-28T05:14:01.830" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13032" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13034" CreationDate="2021-11-28T06:35:35.240" Score="2" ViewCount="179" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was watching the last episode of the 2021 BBC TV series Vigil. &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/msl9XjVSFyA?t=616&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;See 10:16&lt;/a&gt;. I can't find the whole clip —  if you do, please add it to this post.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lieutenant Commander Mark Prentice on the bottom gets knived many times by  Chief Petty Officer Downard on top. How could've Prentice protected himself, beaten Downard, and come out on top?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JqLeQ.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JqLeQ.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12195" LastActivityDate="2021-11-29T14:42:42.560" Title="How can you — on the ground lying on your back — defend against an enemy on top trying to knife into your chest?" Tags="|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13033" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13040" CreationDate="2021-11-28T08:33:44.957" Score="1" ViewCount="54" Body="&lt;p&gt;Following this &lt;a href=&quot;https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1laU8EeiMXA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;, Is there a way to use the principle with no Gi?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-11-28T09:02:46.053" LastActivityDate="2021-11-29T13:21:12.890" Title="Is there a way to use the distance and catch principle with no Gi" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13034" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13032" CreationDate="2021-11-28T09:03:51.033" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In this situation, Downard is kneeling beside Prentice, not even putting weight on his body. Prentice should try to rotate his body to his right, scoot his body away from Downard and push Downard's hand to the right, deflecting the thrust of the knife past him (in BJJ, this is known as &amp;quot;shrimping&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;elbow-knee escape&amp;quot;); then, either get up and run away, or keep control of the knife hand, and get his legs between himself and Downard's body, maybe securing an armbar (juji-gatame, in judo terminology) on the arm holding the knife.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, all that is easier said than done in real life. As long as the attacker doesn't bother to control the defender's body and just pushes down, it can probably be pulled off, but as soon as the attacker does something different, all bets are off. When someone attacks you with a knife, expect to get hurt or die.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9630" LastEditorUserId="9630" LastEditDate="2021-11-29T14:42:42.560" LastActivityDate="2021-11-29T14:42:42.560" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13036" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13038" CreationDate="2021-11-29T07:11:05.067" Score="2" ViewCount="194" Body="&lt;p&gt;I see there are different ways to cover up/block in boxing. One strategy is wrist pointing towards you, another method is wrist pointing to the sides. Both ways allow athlete vision in pictures below. So what is the various reasons for using these methods? I see different boxing coaches teach differently, etc. Both strategies are used when opponent is doing jab-straights and hooks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LpE35.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LpE35.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/w40PH.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/w40PH.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-11-29T07:17:45.870" LastActivityDate="2021-12-07T00:38:23.043" Title="Boxing: Different ways to Block Cover Up, Wrists pointed towards you or to the Side" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13037" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13039" CreationDate="2021-11-29T07:42:10.773" Score="1" ViewCount="125" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am trying to differentiate the techniques between light sparring and real match fights, both with boxing gloves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;During light boxing sparring, how does one do a very quick punch without hurting their opponent? At one round, I was slowing my hand down at last second almost lingering it so my competitor would not get hurt. Someone observing was saying I was leaving the hand out for too long. They mentioned I should do Pumping the Arm motion to retract.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;So Pump the Arm and Retract: should this technique be done for Both during light sparring and real fights? If this is done in real fights, wouldn't I lose power?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, I was reading that my fingers should not make a fist during light sparring? Would that eventually catch/injure my fingers if they were kind of pointed out?  And then during a real fight, my fingers should be a fist?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If anyone has additional techniques between doing light sparring effectively, and real fight matches, please let me know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-11-29T07:52:05.627" LastActivityDate="2021-11-29T11:49:47.073" Title="Punching: Differences in Light Sparring and Real Fights with boxing gloves" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|sparring|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13038" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13036" CreationDate="2021-11-29T09:44:53.147" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the first pic, the forearms are vertical and the palms are held inward. Vision is severely impaired. Punches are made more difficult. The guard is relatively tight. In the second pic, the forearms are less than vertical, resulting in a more open torso, but vision is slightly better. Mayweather may be trying to tempt his opponent into a body shot in order to counter (likely to the head), or he is merely shifting his guard around in order to make things more difficult for his opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both these 'high guard' postures impair your vision a great deal and make you very vulnerable to hooks that reach around the gloves or even punch &lt;em&gt;through&lt;/em&gt; the gloves. The first photo you provide is an example of a position especially vulnerable to hooks, because it compounds open sides of the head with a (relative) blindness to precisely the attacks that would be used to exploit these openings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The high guard also keeps you more square to your opponent, which almost doubles the amount of available strikes they can launch at any time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The elbows-forward position of the high guard can be used to block body punches and head punches simultaneously, but only if you curl your body slightly forward, which places your head closer to your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regardless of your style, it will occasionally likely become necessary to employ such a posture; when you are under a barrage of blows and feel unable to safely counter and/or when your are fatigued and unable to keep out of range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also worth noting that a high guard is not always held for a long time. It is raised and lowered according to threat, and sometimes shifted from the posture you see in photo 1 to the posture you see in photo 2. Next time you're doing some work with a partner, try these positions. You will likely feel quite vulnerable and anxious initially.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Compensation for the blindness caused by high guards is achieved by a kind of tactile awareness. For example, upon feeling a hook crash into their right glove, a fighter might deduce - on the basis of their opponent's fighting habits - that the next blow is likely to be another hook, but to the opposite side. So, upon feeling the impact of the first punch, the fighter might immediately counter with a straight right or right hook, hoping that they have guessed right and that their opponent's left side is momentarily open. This approach requires considerable experience and poise and results in a fighter sustaining a lot of fatiguing head impact, even though the punches are landing on the gloves. It is also high risk, as there is a high likelihood that you will fail to correctly predict your opponent's follow-up strike. If you place any emphasis on the goal of &amp;quot;hitting without getting hit&amp;quot;, it's not a very attractive style of boxing. It's more about wearing punches than eluding them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This being said, a high guard is often vital if your reach is significantly less than that of your opponent - even if you have excellent body and head movement - as you will need to take some punishment in an attempt to close range. This &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf6p7N2ZWow&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;boxing defence breakdown&lt;/a&gt; is a fairly good analysis of the closed guard, although it neglects much information about countering. I couldn't find a good video on Youtube about countering from the high guard, which is a vital skill to learn if you are to dissuade your opponent from all-out attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;High guard can also be effective for a high-volume puncher who maintains initiative for most of the fight and sustains less punches in return.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is an analysis of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxOVZPMZp9g&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Canelo Alvarez's strategy against an opponent relying on a high guard&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whilst Mayweather is one of the boxers in the photos you provide, he typically employed a 'Philly Shell' stance and would only resort to such a  position when he was trying to tempt an opponent into a certain type of attack (such as a body shot or a hook), and thus be prepared to immediately counter, or for the other reasons described earlier.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although some confuse the two, don't confuse the high guard position in your photos with Tyson's 'peekaboo' style, in which the gloves are held below the eyes, affording greater peripheral vision, and which also relies on constant head and foot movement (and therefore, better than average fitness) to be viable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0__TbcXd6I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Pros and cons of a high guard&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GH7TfTyu1U&amp;amp;t=242s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tyson's Peekaboo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AnWJAz_-9k&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mayweather's Philly Shell&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-12-07T00:38:23.043" LastActivityDate="2021-12-07T00:38:23.043" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13039" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13037" CreationDate="2021-11-29T10:05:23.287" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;In sparring, you should keep your punch technique as close as possible to the technique you will employ in an actual bout, as per the truism &amp;quot;You fight how you train&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep it simple. Don't introduce anything new which will confuse you or create too great a difference between your sparring and fighting technique. To reduce power, simply 'pull' your punch a little so that, rather than punching through the target, you tap it, withdrawing your fist immediately upon impact. You can practice this easily on a heavy bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also lessen the force of your punches by increasing the range from which you strike; so that punching through your opponent becomes far less likely, if not impossible. This is an inferior practice to pulling your punches in my opinion, because again, you fight how you train, and you don't want to train yourself to gauge range incorrectly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're right. If you never train to hit an object hard, the chances are that you will not hit with sufficient force during a fight. This is partly why there are different intensities of sparring. As you work up to a fight, the intensity should occasionally become higher, to both condition you to greater impact and speed, and to allow you to punch with more authentic force. This is of course not without its dangers, especially Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/27/time-to-find-out-who-cares-boxing-brain-damage-tris-dixon&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;(CTE)&lt;/a&gt;. You to consider how far you want to take full contact training, because there's no getting around it; to train/practice as full contact fighter is to invite brain damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for not keeping a proper fist during sparring, I have never heard such advice, and my immediate reaction is that it is poor advice. Whilst a sparring session is ideally more controlled than a fight, it inevitably involves unintentional clashes and excessive contact, including contact with elbows and even your opponent's fists. If you experience this contact without a safely formed fist, you will increase the chance of wrist/hand injury, including fractures. Catching your fingers is a possibility, but most decent gloves prevent against finger extension via the inclusion of a gauntlet between thumb and fingers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good way to become accustomed to full contact in relative safety is via body sparring sessions, where the head is off limits, but full power is allowed (you can also permit light contact to the head in such sessions, but it can prove surprisingly difficult - and therefore dangerous - to switch between light and heavy strikes within a single combination. Heavy head contact may occur inadvertently).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-11-29T11:49:47.073" LastActivityDate="2021-11-29T11:49:47.073" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13040" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13033" CreationDate="2021-11-29T13:21:12.890" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes! This principle is what we call kuzushi (or kusushi) in Japanese martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Judo you use it to set up throws.  Same in Shorinji Kempo.  They use the same idea in Aikido but their terminology is usually unhelpful (and often involves the work ki).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ryNzeo3eoc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ryNzeo3eoc&lt;/a&gt; This video shows the use of kuzushi in Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Shornji Kempo we tend to focus on being grabbed rather than grabbing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The start of this video shows the same method being used against a wrist grab.  (We call this Gyaku-Gote named based on the way the wrist is held.  As opposed to aikido which uses a terminology largely based on foot movements)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72SeDjvpoVg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72SeDjvpoVg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This video shows the same technique but from standing.  Note that the gi is not relevant here as it's a wrist and arm based technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When the end of the arm is being held the use of kuzushi becomes more complicated.  Note the series of 'flicking motions' before the throw.  We have separate names for each stage of breaking the balance in this way, (kuzushi being the name given to the attackers position after the first movement).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially the first movement bends shoulder brings the attacker to the tips of their toes, then as they step the second 'flick' brings them flying as the lock is applied.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is a demonstration by an Aikido Instructor who has cross trained in Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp-Gxzb25iA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp-Gxzb25iA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The gi or lack thereof doesn't change the fact that being slightly further away even just for a moment is an essential tactic for grappling.  Exactly how you capitalise on this movement however, will depend on the rules of your sport or the goal of you self defence scenario.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2021-11-29T13:21:12.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13041" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13027" CreationDate="2021-11-29T19:01:07.010" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;From experience, I can tell you that if the opponent has good distance control - as they should have via their feet at your hips - and do an actual shoulder &lt;em&gt;crunch&lt;/em&gt; it is hard to impossible to escape it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, I stumbled over &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eob_kaWPero&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;. There, the instructor suggests to bypass the leg on the side where your shoulder is held and try to fall to the side so that your forearm ends up between the ground and the opponent's neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, I'd say that the key is to get weight on that arm and the guy is correct. Otherwise, you would have to rely on severe technical mistakes of the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2021-11-29T19:01:07.010" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13042" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-12-01T08:05:42.330" Score="3" ViewCount="94" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are there any tactics in fighting against &amp;quot;inside boxers&amp;quot;? In light sparring, my opponent is always trying to get inside, and deliver small hooks and upper cuts at close range. I decided to do same tactic, and the sparring was getting little messy and crowded.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He is a good opponent, and I asked him why he prefers inside fighting. He is 5'6, not much shorter (me being 5'8). His tactic as amateur boxer &amp;quot;being shorter is go inside against taller opponents&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone have advice against light sparring against &amp;quot;Inside fighters&amp;quot;? I tried delivering inside blows, and then backing up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My overall goal is have good sparring etiquette, do inside, and also play both long and short distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good resources:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxULOHnWbpQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxULOHnWbpQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brnMbFcv9s0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brnMbFcv9s0&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-12-02T21:44:49.387" LastActivityDate="2021-12-05T19:57:03.887" Title="Boxing against &quot;Inside Boxers&quot; Who prefer punching at close range" Tags="|technique|boxing|punching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13043" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13042" CreationDate="2021-12-01T08:40:37.613" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are many, many skills which can prove useful when implementing a strategy against any fighter, however, I firmly believe that trying to absorb all these skills at once can be counter-productive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With this in mind, I'm going to recommend just one skill to work on; one that will prove beneficial against all opponents; a skill which you should practice thoughtfully during every session:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Footwork.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not easy. It takes a long time to develop, which is why you should start concentrating on it now, if you haven't already. Learning how to move efficiently, quickly and unpredictably is vital when trying to keep an inside/pressure fighter at bay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It allows you to maintain your reach advantage, largely by enabling you to maximise the efficacy of your longest punch -your jab - thereby preventing an opponent with inferior reach to land their punches,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It allows you to better dictate ring movement. An inside fighter will typically work on cutting off the ring, severely restricting your movement, trapping you in corners or against the ropes. Footwork enables you to pivot and dance; to maintain space,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Once you get really good, you may even learn to 'pass' your opponent, so that you open up their flanks to relatively unprotected attack.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It enables you to maintain balance and poise even when you are under attack and provides a base from which you can execute evasive moves even when your feet are static,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you develop sufficient fitness, it is possible to 'out-dance' an inside fighter, to seduce them into constant but ineffective and therefore energy-wasting attack, removing their greatest asset; the ability to work you from inside. A fighter with elite footwork can often wear down a less accomplished fighter without throwing many punches at all. It's a beautiful thing to watch,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It also enables you to mix things up; to surprise your opponent by closing on them, only to move quickly back out again and out of range,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Footwork, perhaps more than any other boxing skill, enables a fighter to meet the aspiration of 'hitting without getting hit',&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are almost certainly more reasons, but that should be enough to convince anyone of the importance of footwork. Sadly, it's often underemphasised.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A couple of videos which recognise this fact are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd6RAcq30IE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;7 Boxers With the Best Footwork&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLwWSE9ZU5g&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Smoothest Movers in Boxing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An interesting example of smart and achievable foot/jab work (and all-round strategy) nullifying a powerful inside fighter is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcZUHzE_X6I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lennox Lewis vs Mike Tyson&lt;/a&gt;. Tyson was far from at his best, but he was utterly dominated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-12-03T06:47:10.200" LastActivityDate="2021-12-03T06:47:10.200" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13044" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-12-01T17:05:15.283" Score="5" ViewCount="434" Body="&lt;p&gt;Should I wear a cup for sparring? I've been getting interested in Karate sparring, but I'm still murky on some things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11192" LastEditorUserId="10555" LastEditDate="2021-12-02T05:39:57.820" LastActivityDate="2023-06-11T00:14:43.033" Title="Should I wear a cup for sparring?" Tags="|karate|sparring|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13045" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13044" CreationDate="2021-12-01T17:43:12.843" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;Absolutely. There's no reason not to; I've never had it interfere with kicking.&#xA;I suppose some brands could be disagreeable to your particular anatomy, e.g., I had one once which was too &amp;quot;shallow&amp;quot;, so I suspect that if I got kicked there it would have given shock waves through the entire package. If you try one and it's uncomfortable, just buy a different brand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2021-12-01T17:43:12.843" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13046" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13022" CreationDate="2021-12-01T20:33:04.720" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can't add much to futilitarian's and Alaychem's excellent answers... just that...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Head butts can be very fast, so back up if possible out of HB range, and extend your hands palms outwards to keep him away. Say &amp;quot;I don't want to fight, man&amp;quot;, so witnesses will see him as the aggressor.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Play to your strengths. If you've been in mostly or all striking self defense forms, keep the person a bit farther away so you have time to react.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Say &amp;quot;I was just leaving&amp;quot;, then do it, if possible. The police and a jury will not necessarily see you as &amp;quot;just defending myself&amp;quot; if you strike first.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do not get into a schlong-measuring contest where this dude has no right to tell YOU what to do dammit! An upsetting encounter is much more pleasant than being punched, kicked, table-headered, or life-alteringly injured, and much less upsetting than being arrested, losing your job, thousands in legal bills, or even causing life-altering injuries or death to the guy.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you start self-defense classes, recognize whether they are realistic, not just slowly going thru the motions with a not-really-resisting opponent, and not dependent on your opponent acting a certain way. Many &amp;quot;martial arts&amp;quot; are just cousins of real self-defense.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2021-12-01T20:33:04.720" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13047" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13044" CreationDate="2021-12-02T04:33:55.967" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes. Even if you get bumped lightly and unintentionally, it will take the wind out of you. Feints to the groin are superb distractions, and if you step into it ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4306" LastActivityDate="2021-12-02T04:33:55.967" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13048" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13044" CreationDate="2021-12-02T16:25:26.583" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not just for sparring, but for the entire train session, accidents do happen also when training.&#xA;Even boxers put those on, all the more so you should.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10293" LastActivityDate="2021-12-02T16:25:26.583" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13049" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13050" CreationDate="2021-12-03T08:59:27.800" Score="4" ViewCount="59" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a way to Punch Left Hook properly, while securing and defending the Head/neck or body area? When doing a basic jab or straight-cross, the head is protected from the arms in front, and shoulders delivering the punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However in Hooks, there is wide open space and open gaps. When sparring in Boxing, I felt very uncomfortable doing Hooks (rather stick with the 1-2), and Muay Thai much rather do an elbow as its more protective in guarding the face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/VpWdWstdQ0A?t=8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/VpWdWstdQ0A?t=8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Ejz9HJHQZag?t=74&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/Ejz9HJHQZag?t=74&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hooks:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The hook leaves exposure to the face or body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/aUo48.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/aUo48.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/c7MGY.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/c7MGY.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Regular Jab:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice how in a regular jab, the face is protected&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6RHDP.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/6RHDP.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-12-03T09:12:34.090" LastActivityDate="2021-12-05T22:28:23.040" Title="Punching Left Hooks: While Securing the Face or Body at the same time" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|punching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13050" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13049" CreationDate="2021-12-03T10:08:52.860" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suggest &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7PRrk8QGQ4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; as it also goes into detail for why you use hooks in the first place (Beware: he is a bit sloppy with foot/hip rotation, else very good video). If you look at it, there are some points to consider (everything for the left hook, like in the pictures):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The right side of your body isn't exactly &amp;quot;exposed&amp;quot; as it is &lt;em&gt;turned away from&lt;/em&gt; the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Compared to a jab, your left side is equally vulnerable for an opponent who goes in with a body shot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Most importantly&lt;/strong&gt;: To have your right guard getting away from you and opening up is actually bad technique. Especially the guy from the first video you linked does unconsciously use that arm to gain more rotational momentum in the shoulders. His rotation and whipping are very good and powerful but opening the guard is a technical weakness of his, not tied to hooks as such.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the video linked above, the teacher has better form and tells us to lift up the elbow, create a 90 degree angle between biceps and forearm, and then rotate the knee and hip to initiate the shoulder rotation. He also reminds us to keep the guard up and close:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Uq6Ny.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Uq6Ny.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The trick is to get used to the power generation of hooks so that you learn to get fast in, fast out. That way, it is not any more open than a cross punch. It does have a completely different application in a slightly different range though. With good footwork and slightly pulling a centered jab-cross-combination (so that they have a shorter range but still hit), you can get into range without your opponent noticing. Also, you will force their guard into their center. Then you finish the combination with a hook behind their guard. And this is only a very simple example to give you a rough idea of what is happening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I other words: You have your guard up and close in hooks as well, and it is a tool that can and has to be used in unison with footwork and straight punches. With straight punches only, you will eventually end up hitting the guard only.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-12-05T22:28:23.040" LastActivityDate="2021-12-05T22:28:23.040" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13051" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13058" CreationDate="2021-12-04T06:28:58.783" Score="3" ViewCount="69" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just curious how people deal with punching a heavy bag. My trainer recommended I not only work on long distance jabs, but ones at short or medium distance. Typically at long distance I have fist horizontal or even thumbs down (as learned from earlier question)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When punching at short distance, how do boxers usually punch?&#xA;One option is bend the wrist, which is Not recommended.&#xA;Second is punch at a slight angle or vertical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last is lift the elbow. However lifting elbow shows intention to opponents, and not recommended? After trying all methods, I believe third one is probably best, however doesn't it break a cardinal rule?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Resources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y42MEns6B4s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y42MEns6B4s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.quora.com/Should-the-elbows-not-flare-out-when-throwing-a-punch-in-boxing-Why&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.quora.com/Should-the-elbows-not-flare-out-when-throwing-a-punch-in-boxing-Why&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For short-medium distance punches:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bend the wrist when punching from a short distance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NlKyS.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NlKyS.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Punch at a slight angle, or vertical&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SgNDV.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SgNDV.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Punch normally, however, lift the elbow&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7EhPv.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/7EhPv.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2021-12-06T15:39:24.127" Title="Boxing Jab at Short Distance" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13052" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13064" CreationDate="2021-12-04T12:24:04.840" Score="0" ViewCount="78" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am looking for a boxing bag to practice ground 'n pound, and ground game in general outside (small apartment).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was thinking about a leather one, but I heard that leather might crack in the cold. Is that true? If so, what is a better alternative?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8701" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2023-02-28T12:02:52.840" LastActivityDate="2023-02-28T12:02:52.840" Title="Boxing bag capable of withstanding being outside 24/7" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|self-training|equipment|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13053" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13054" CreationDate="2021-12-04T12:41:27.333" Score="2" ViewCount="106" Body="&lt;p&gt;I noticed some differences between UFC and street fights in terms of tactics after watching some recordings of UFC matches, and I wonder why such differences exist (since those two were kind of similar).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Feints. Many self defence related websites recommends not using feints in street fights and regards them as unnecessary moves that increases risk. But sometimes UFC fighters use them in matches for reasons I am unable to comprehend. So are feints actually realistic/useful in street fights?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Variation in technique (while standing). There seems to be very little variation in technique during UFC fights while standing. Mostly jabs, punches to the left/right temple or abdomen. Is this the optimal technique for street fights? Or should one use a combination of punches, elbow strikes, palm strikes, brachial stuns, etc?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Defense &amp;amp; Offense. The UFC fighters seems to exchange punches blindly a lot, and the results sometimes depend on who were throwing the most punches. Is it the same in street fights (they end significantly quicker)? Is it advisable to counter this type of continuous punches with sidestepping and counterattacking?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Speed vs Strength. Some matches include both sides throwing (comparatively) slow but powerful punches. Are these punches more useful than punches that emphasize speed in street fights? Can one counter them with fast punches?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2021-12-04T20:36:11.520" Title="Questions on street fight tactics in reference to UFC tactics" Tags="|self-defense|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13054" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13053" CreationDate="2021-12-04T20:36:11.520" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;A street fight is nothing like a sports match&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the times, the fight is over before one party realised that there is one. Most probably, one party decides to burst and hits the other one, catching them completely unprepared. The situation of two people standing in distance and raising their fists is reaaaally rare. Also, MMA fights you get to see are between expert fighters knowing their opponent's strengths and weaknesses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, some comments on your points specifically:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Feints are built on the premise that the opponent shows the appropriate reaction to the feinted move. Appropriate reactions are more often than not &lt;em&gt;trained&lt;/em&gt;. Thus, if you cannot presume that your opponent is trained or have to consider whether they took any kind of substance (including alcohol), you cannot build upon a reaction your opponent is most likely not going to show.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;What you see in MMA striking is mostly not primarily punching for effect as such, it is measuring. Measuring distance, measuring reaction speed and defensive patterns. For that, you won't risk much,  especially when you're up against a good fighter. Accordingly, you mostly see jabs and occasional hits that test (the change between) high (temple) and low (body) guard. What one should use heavily depends on the opponent. In MMA it is an expert, well-rounded fighter who will take advantage of every single opening. On the streets, it may be a boxer, or a wrestler, or a simple brawler, or someone who has never had a fight in their life. There is no ultimate set of techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You aren't really asking whether I should risk eating a punch that puts my lights out on the streets, are you? Those MMA fighters are mitigating most of the damage by subtle movement, all the time (or they are close to TKO). Not something you should try when you don't have extensive training, a medical staff behind you, and a ref protecting your health in case you mess up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Again, completely depends on who you are facing. In general, never rely on single hits as the chances are high they won't do as much damage as you imagine even if they hit. But everything depends on your own and your opponent's abilities. Initiative can be gained by speed or power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2021-12-04T20:36:11.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13055" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13057" CreationDate="2021-12-05T03:57:43.277" Score="1" ViewCount="193" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the official terminology for boxing jab hover called? See video below. This is where the boxer hovers/waves his hand in a circle to confuse opponent, in attempts to jab punch. I tried google searching for boxing &amp;quot;hover&amp;quot;, but did not see anymore resources.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/wnzBnwBPcU4?t=172&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/wnzBnwBPcU4?t=172&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Wanted to find the official name/terminology, so I can look into further and its uses, etc. Open to Kung fu/Karate terminology also, if its not really seen in boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MPypU.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MPypU.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-12-05T08:06:33.730" LastActivityDate="2021-12-06T12:42:47.003" Title="What is the Boxing Hover/Wave Hand Technique called?" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13057" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13055" CreationDate="2021-12-06T12:42:47.003" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The term is &amp;quot;Pawing jab&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's an analysis of how &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz8TN3yAh50&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Thomas &amp;quot;The Hitman&amp;quot; Hearns&lt;/a&gt; used it to great effect as a measuring stick, a 'stiff-arm', to manipulate line-of-sight, and to set up his devastating right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastActivityDate="2021-12-06T12:42:47.003" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13058" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13051" CreationDate="2021-12-06T15:18:24.337" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Keep things simple. When working on short and medium range jabs, you needn't need make any changes to your technique other than to tense your muscles earlier (because you will make contact with the bag earlier). Maintain your use of the foot-leg-hips-shoulders-arm kinetic chain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your fist rotation can remain unchanged. By this I mean, rotate your fist as normal. As you are making contact with the bag earlier, your fist will not have rotated as much as if you had you thrown a longer punch. Circumstances may dictate lesser or greater fist rotation; an issue dealt with in reasonable depth &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/12928/punching-which-way-to-rotate-knuckles?rq=1&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not bend your wrist. This will weaken your wrist and your punch. Keep the top of your hand aligned with the top of your forearm, as per photograph 3. When properly taped and cinched into a glove, you will not be able to bend your wrist much anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An orthodox jab does not require conscious lifting of the elbow. The elbow inevitably raises laterally during an orthodox jab, as a consequence of fist rotation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Conscious lifting of the elbow is useful when employing what I call a corkscrew jab (note: some Youtubers use this term to describe very different punches). This punch is similar to an overhand right, in that the raising of the elbow allow a fighter to 'screw' down and over an opponent's outstretched arm, and as such is particularly useful against southpaws. Fist rotation for a corkscrew jab can be as great as 60 degrees beyond horizontal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The video link you provide describes a straight right, not a jab.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-12-06T15:39:24.127" LastActivityDate="2021-12-06T15:39:24.127" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13059" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13060" CreationDate="2021-12-07T17:47:27.653" Score="3" ViewCount="3601" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why do most MMA and Muay Thai fighters not wear Double Mouth Guards on both teeth, both top side and bottom side? They say having a mouthguard on top side with mouth clenched, will prevent damage on bottom. However, it seems like a front teep kick to bottom of head, or a clenched position with knee will cause damage to bottom teeth. Even a slight disruption, pain, or air gasp will make the mouth slightly open, which can cause an issue. It's just amazing that professional fighters do this. If anyone can explain, that would be helpful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not sure if UFC professionals just would rather risk bottom teeth damage, because I know double side mouth guards are harder to breathe in also.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am sparring in Muay Thai, and curious about this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-12-08T21:19:34.007" LastActivityDate="2021-12-15T16:00:52.363" Title="Why don't MMA fighters wear Double Mouth Guards on both top side and bottom side?" Tags="|training|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|equipment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13060" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13059" CreationDate="2021-12-07T18:56:03.473" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The primary reason for mouth-guards is to guard against the damage that happens when they teeth crash into each other. For that reason, a single-mouth guard is generally sufficient, providing a guard between uppers and lowers. So why not get that little bit more protection? As you note, they are harder to breathe in. A major factor in most professional fighting is oxygen and fuel reserves. Fights often come down to superior conditioning as one fighter or the other gets sloppy due to fatigue. The restriction of breathing caused by a double mouth guard is a hindrance to performance, and while every fighter would prefer to get out of their matches with teeth entirely intact, one of their primary concerns is winning, so they can't afford to take that performance hit for a minor benefit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-12-07T18:56:03.473" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13061" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13062" CreationDate="2021-12-08T13:43:16.110" Score="5" ViewCount="483" Body="&lt;p&gt;We all know this common trope in fantasy that expert swordmen and heroes wear their swords sheathed on their backs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Question is: how?!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do own a longsword, blade length about 30 inches. The typical Katana blade seems to be &lt;a href=&quot;https://medievalswordsworld.com/katana-length/#Average_Length_of_a_Katana&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;about the same length&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reference.com/science/long-average-human-arm-62c7536c5e56f385&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;The average man's arm is 25 inches&lt;/a&gt;, probably used to be shorter back in the days as people used to be shorter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, no chance that it is feasible to draw or even resheath a longsword (European or Asian or whatever make) which is strapped to our backs &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.trueswords.com/how-to-carry-a-katana-on-your-back&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;and people seem to agree&lt;/a&gt; that this was used for carrying it, if at all, not for fighting....or am  missing something here?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2023-02-27T08:59:37.293" Title="How is it feasible to wear a proper sword on your back?" Tags="|history|longsword|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13062" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13061" CreationDate="2021-12-08T16:10:20.283" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The short answer is that, for a closed sheath, it is &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; very feasible to draw anything longer than your arm from your back for the mechanical reasons you mention. As per &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EWi2DnDoaI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the Shadiversity link I provided&lt;/a&gt;, it is feasible if you provide an opening on the side, although as others have leveled as a criticism to his video, it partially defeats one of the primary purposes of a scabbard, protecting the sword from the elements. A similar method is sometimes seen for Scottish greatswords where only the bottom part of the sword is sheathed with some of the same drawbacks. As you note, a sheath might have been slung across the back for carrying in a situation where you did not expect have to unsheathe the sword in combat (although the contemporary artwork seems to depict that most warriors would just lean the flat of the blade against their shoulder for shorter distances, and would resort to a cart or strapping the blade to a horse for longer distances).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-06-21T10:03:57.833" LastActivityDate="2022-06-21T10:03:57.833" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13063" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="512" CreationDate="2021-12-08T20:30:34.037" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just to add another data point, Capoeira did not initially have a belt system, especially since it was illegal to practice Capoeira for a fair amount of its early history, so they had no desire to advertise their knowledge with uniforms or belts. Mestre Bimba, creator of &lt;em&gt;Regional&lt;/em&gt; Capoeira, &lt;a href=&quot;https://dendearts.com/the-capoeira-belt-system-explained-by-a-capoeira-teacher/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;issued four different silk scarfs, or &lt;em&gt;lenços&lt;/em&gt;, for mastering different aspects of Capoeira&lt;/a&gt; (the scarfs were a callback to a tradition of people on the street wearing a silk scarf around their neck to ward off knife and razor attacks).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The blue lenço was for basic techniques. The red lenço was for learning more combative techniques, including protecting from surprise attacks. The yellow lenço was for learning how to defend against and use weapons. The white lenço was for music mastery. There was no indication of mastery (Bimba refused to designate anyone a &lt;em&gt;mestre&lt;/em&gt;, as he believed that the community must decide who is suitable to teach, although he left a set of signed certificates to his students to be issued after his death).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The cordao (in English &amp;quot;cord&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;chord&amp;quot;) system &lt;a href=&quot;http://capoeiracork.com/about/belt-cordao-ranking-system/https://www.abcapoeira.com/about/mestre-carlos-senna/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;dates to around 1955&lt;/a&gt; when Mestre Carlos Senna of the group Senavox introduced them, alongside a standardized uniform of the &lt;em&gt;abadas&lt;/em&gt; (white canvas pants commonly worn by laborers) and rules for tournaments. I'm not certain if his justification is documented, but I've heard it said that uniforms and belts were basically introduced because Capoeira was being recognized as a sport by the Brazilian government, and Mestre Carlos was trying to legitimize the style by copying the practices of karate and jujitsu. The &lt;a href=&quot;http://home.znet.com/capoeira_list/systems.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;colors and order of the belts&lt;/a&gt; varies between schools (and many &lt;em&gt;Angola&lt;/em&gt; schools don't use colored belts for rank) with there being two major spectrums, one based on the Brazilian flag, and one loosely based on traditional colors associated with the &lt;em&gt;orixas&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-12-08T20:30:34.037" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13064" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13052" CreationDate="2021-12-09T09:02:51.863" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many high-end/commercial bags now use ripstop (reinforced), UV resistant, crack resistant PVC.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I won't advertise any particular brands here, but an internet search for 'Ripstop boxing bags' will yield a range of useful results.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This material, combined with a sensible storage regimen, such as wrapping it in a tarpaulin and/or blankets when not in use (if outdoor storage is necessary), will likely serve you well for a long time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2023-02-28T03:19:10.427" LastActivityDate="2023-02-28T03:19:10.427" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13065" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9575" CreationDate="2021-12-09T11:56:29.497" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;4:40&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Trainor sets up his flying elbow with his left, causing Budsadee to cover up and duck his head, removing most of his vision and allowing Trainor to execute the flying elbow unimpeded. Trainor either intended to use his left to control Budsadee's head from the outset, or threw a jab and decided to control the head when  Budsadee covered up inside it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;4:43&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Trainor made a basic error here. He was unlikely distracted too much by Budsadee's outstretched right (then again, he may have been), but upon seeing Budsadee burst forward, he covered up and exhibited absolutely no lateral movement, leaving himself vulnerable to whatever Budsadee wanted to do (in this case, a superman punch).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing about flying attacks is that a fighter can't really change direction effectively whilst airborne. A simple step to his right would have allowed Trainor to counter quite effectively, or even to evade and recompose. I'm not claiming that a 'simple' step to the right is easy, but for an elite fighter, allowing yourself to be pressured backwards towards the ropes when you are initially &lt;em&gt;well&lt;/em&gt; out of range is poor form, and dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;8:25&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It wasn't a devastating attack by any means. Vision of any contact is obscured, but Trainor didn't appear to sustain much, if any, damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Budsadee did manage to reach him before he could evade however, and there are multiple contributing factors to Budsadee's success in this regard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first is his quick rebound from the ropes; a position in which fighters will often loiter for a little longer. This gave his attack a degree of unpredictability and surprise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second is that, leaping with hands raised, Trainor would have had difficulty determining whether Budsadee was going to attempt another elbow, another superman, a flying front or side kick, or a knee. This added another degree of unpredictability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thirdly, Budsadee was extremely quick here. From the ropes, he covers approximately 2 metres (and considerable elevation) in roughly a second. This, combined with the unpredictability of his strike, tips the scales in his favour.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;9:18&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We see here quite clearly that Trainor again sets up the elbow by using his left to both obscure vision and pull the head forward. He only misses thanks to a timely leg strike from Budsadee which tips Trainor off balance. Try this in the gym. You will note that, if you manage to get your left behind your opponent's head and are able to pull it forward and down, you find yourself in a very advantageous position, able to launch a range of strikes relatively unimpeded.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;12:45&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We see the same thing all over again. Trainor, for the third time, is able to provoke a high guard response from Budsadee by transitioning a jab-like motion into a head control. He executes this in a fraction of a second.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your opponents are reading your flying attacks early, it could be for many reasons, including but not limited to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;No set-up. Are you feinting? Are you throwing a precursor strike? Are you disguising your attack in any way by utilising ambiguous movements or movements typically associated with different attacks?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Telegraphing. Get feedback from your sparing partners. Ask them why they are able to read your strikes. If they are honest and open, their feedback may well help to solve your issues, and quickly.  It could be just one little 'tell' in your technique that you're not aware of.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Speed. How quick are you?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Distance. How much distance are you trying to cover?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact that your opponents are able to evade you or throw front kicks when you attack suggests you are likely commencing your strike from too far out and/or telegraphing too much. Note how close Trainor is at 12:45. It would be nearly impossible to land a front kick against him in similar circumstances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-12-10T06:35:29.680" LastActivityDate="2021-12-10T06:35:29.680" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13066" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9497" CreationDate="2021-12-09T23:21:18.357" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have used this in breaking competition and for sparring. To strengthen the wrist, one can do push ups on the wrist, starting with a few at first, and then increasing as the wrist becomes more used to the pressure.&#xA;I have found that when sparring, using the wrist is more easier than using a fist since the open hand moves faster than the closed hand.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ruc_fZQ6HU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ruc_fZQ6HU&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12238" LastActivityDate="2021-12-09T23:21:18.357" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13067" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-12-11T20:44:42.910" Score="2" ViewCount="450" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does anyone have Step by Step instructions on how to tie boxing head gear? Enclosed below are two pieces. Can someone post 4-5 picture instructions on how to tie and lace properly? When it came out of the box, it fell out, and I can't remember anymore, I took couple guesses, just want to be sure .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do not see many &amp;quot;How to Tie Headgear&amp;quot; videos on youtube surprisingly, only this, however it does not show back side of the head. There many videos on how to tie boxing hand wraps .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xZbdJ4Cky4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xZbdJ4Cky4&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xIkf0.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xIkf0.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Person who posts, obviously doesn't need to post actual picture of themselves. Just basically how to lace, and tie up equipment, over a couple series, I will figure out the rest. Thanks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-12-13T02:48:14.550" LastActivityDate="2022-01-16T17:13:58.187" Title="How to Tie Martial Arts Headgear for Boxing, Muay Thai, etc" Tags="|training|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|equipment|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13069" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9757" CreationDate="2021-12-13T02:22:26.497" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Cheaters never prosper: But if you really wanna keep your belt on snug and tight, CHeat by pinning it; where permitted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;FAILING that, a softer fabric which can be tightly tied and double knotted like cotton/silk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2021-12-13T02:22:26.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13070" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13052" CreationDate="2021-12-13T02:25:57.353" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Modern boxing bags can be made of synthetic fabric so they can withstand outside environments. I won't get into specific brands, but a &amp;quot;Makiwara&amp;quot; or outdoor rope lined punching board is also way cheaper and more disposable than a punching bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastEditorUserId="9304" LastEditDate="2023-02-27T17:18:35.443" LastActivityDate="2023-02-27T17:18:35.443" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13071" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9575" CreationDate="2021-12-13T02:32:33.973" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Aerial/jump attacks are very over-exaggerated in a street fight. There’s rarely any reason to kick above the waist area; you're broadcasting your leg and balance high way above center of gravity. A nice round kick to the thigh/hip region or a lovely knee to the groin will do a lot of damage and is far more stable. That's not &amp;quot;Muay Thai&amp;quot;&#xA;The Superman punch/Cobra punch  or กระโดดชก&#xA;Uses an elevated position. But any fighter who uses the time to ascend to such a height risks being counter-attacked by a well routed fighter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2021-12-13T02:32:33.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13072" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13059" CreationDate="2021-12-13T02:36:56.963" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The conventional mouth guard cups the upper mouth so the lower jaw can &amp;quot;Sink&amp;quot; into it.&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/OnbXT.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/OnbXT.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;This serves to....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;protect jaw bone from lateral strikes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Cushion teeth shattering against hits&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;prevent fighter from biting tongue&#xA;don't think they serve to protect your teeth against forward strikes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-12-15T16:00:52.363" LastActivityDate="2021-12-15T16:00:52.363" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13074" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13044" CreationDate="2021-12-13T05:37:55.437" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Today's groin protection is a far cry from yesteryear. They're smaller, more rigid and tougher and more comfortable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2021-12-13T05:37:55.437" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13075" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13076" CreationDate="2021-12-13T22:08:08.013" Score="2" ViewCount="209" Body="&lt;p&gt;I’ve been diagnosed with arthritis since I was around 13. Now I’m 15 but my arthritis is in a pretty harsh condition. It affects my ankles, wrists and spine but I have learned how to work around it. The full correct name is Juvenile Idiopatic Arthritis with fibromyalgia.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Due to the sudden flare ups that can happen I cannot take on aggressive and long training. Calmand slow exercises are my best option. Currently my strongest aspect is my reaction and defensive skills. Strongest part of my body would be my legs but I physically cannot put much force in kicks as I start to lose balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The situation with my arthritis is complicated. I’m on many experimental medication as the traditional way of treating does not work. My doctor really is confused but we try to work around it with continuous checkups (week in a hospital every 3-5 months) and tests&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I really don’t want to give in to this illness and I would’ve joined a martial arts club long ago but then the sudden flare ups happened. Any advice would help as I plan to meet with my doctor to ask questions but my goal is to find a martial arts the would help me in defending myself and returning sudden attacks as it has happened before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there are any arts that use weapons that would be even more great as my own physical strength is not the most reliable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit: since few people have asked I will clear up why I cannot carry a pepper spray if I want to defend myself- Again I'm 15. I live in EU, Latvia. Although there is not a specific law stating that it's illegal to carry a can of pepper spray, here in security violation sense coming to school with pepper spray or carrying one around can be seen as a threat to people and can end with someone contacting social services, police ect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thank you so much!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12244" LastEditorUserId="12244" LastEditDate="2021-12-15T15:36:53.860" LastActivityDate="2021-12-15T15:36:53.860" Title="Martial arts for teen with arthritis" Tags="|training|weapons|recommendation|health|beginner|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13076" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13075" CreationDate="2021-12-14T18:26:50.220" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Moving joints suddenly and with force while having arthritis can cause intense pain and wear damage of the joints over time. A qualified specialist is necessary for evaluating what exercises are appropriate for ones particular condition. And that's what I think should be done in this case. This is a very serious condition that requires expert knowledge of what to do and what not to do. Damage to the joints is cumulative, requiring surgery to replace the joint over time unless care is taken early on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, the only two martial arts that I can possibly recommend to someone with this condition are: Taiji and Filipino Martial Arts (FMA / Kali / Escrima).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why Taiji (Tai Chi)? Taiji is a slow moving, meditative martial art that puts emphasis on listening to your body and moving in such a way that it minimizes impact to the joints. It's not a very &amp;quot;mobile&amp;quot; martial art, putting the emphasis on stability first. But is it good for self-defense?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taiji is a widely misunderstood martial art. Most teachers of Taiji don't even understand it. So finding a good teacher is the first thing you have to do, especially if self-defense is the top consideration. And that may not be easy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice is to look into Chen style Taiji in particular. Find a qualified instructor who can teach not just the form but also self-defense. They are quite rare, so you might not find someone immediately. That doesn't mean you shouldn't even begin. You might try just going with the best instructor you can find locally, and then eventually you can go to workshops, look at videos, and seek out instructors who can take you further.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Taiji, there are many aspects to it that are useful in self-defense. One is &lt;strong&gt;soft skill&lt;/strong&gt;. That's where you're sensing with touch what your opponent is doing, and you can redirect his motion before it harms you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another skill is being &lt;strong&gt;stable&lt;/strong&gt; and unable to be pushed or pulled down. They move in such a way that prevents joints from becoming locked. If you imagine a joint like a hinge on a door, the door can no longer move when the hinge is fully extended in either direction. Whereas, the door can move in or out equally when the door is half-way open. So if you can imagine all your joints being half-way open, you can see that you are optimally able to adapt to pushes and pulls in any direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your knee joint, for example, was completely locked, and someone pushed a little further on it in that direction, you won't be able to move that leg any more. It will be frozen in place. And that means your stability is compromised, your heel will start to come up off the floor, and you'll get pushed over. Taiji has a big emphasis on keeping those joints somewhere in the middle so that pushes and pulls don't cause you to fall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And there are many other skills Taiji teaches, but the last one I'll mention is fajing. &lt;strong&gt;Fajing&lt;/strong&gt; is roughly translated as &amp;quot;explosive force&amp;quot;. With fajing, you emit a powerful push / strike on an opponent, sending him up in the air and back. It must be done at the right time, when your opponent is unable to adapt to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Combining just those 3 skills alone, you can defend yourself okay. You won't win fights against street fighters. But you can use it to prevent the most damage to your body and allow you to get away in many common self-defense situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most martial arts aren't going to teach you how to fight, by the way, including Taiji. For that, you need something akin to MMA training. But someone who has arthritis isn't suited for that kind of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a video showing a master level Taiji practitioner vs. an expert Judo practitioner. The Judo guy is generally unable to throw or take the Taiji guy down. But this is after decades of the best instruction in Taiji. Most Taiji people never achieve this level. With a good instructor, you can get close to this in about 10 years:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlhH0PAsaZI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlhH0PAsaZI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, the original poster mentioned weapons training. And the idea here is that if you're physically weak and unable to fight well, then you need a weapon. Weapons are known as &amp;quot;force multipliers&amp;quot; for a reason. A knife, for example, allows a relatively weak individual to overcome multiple aggressive, strong fighters. They give you a big advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Filipino martial arts (FMA) do plenty of weapons training. In fact, you learn weapons before you learn empty-hand fighting in FMA. In Kali, they might give you a pair of escrima first. And that escrima training can be reused in knife and machete fighting. So it's very time efficient and practical. Within about 3-6 months, you will have a good foundation for using a knife or a stick in actual fighting. Stay on for a few years, and you'll have a pretty well-rounded set of skills for self-defense and fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For someone who is disabled or weak in some way, like someone who has arthritis all over their body, I do think it's appropriate to carry a weapon. But here, the original poster is just 15 years old. I don't think a 15 year old has the maturity and experience needed to be able to make good decisions about weapons usage in real life fighting situations. It's not appropriate to use a knife in schoolyard fights against bullies. And doing so will end you up in adult jail with a lifetime of misery to follow, since nobody will hire you after being tagged as a convicted, violent felon. Simply put, weapons and children are a bad mix.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, I still think FMA training is useful for learning self-defense. And eventually, when the OP is an adult and more mature, I think it might be appropriate to carry a knife, a gun, pepper spray, or a taser for self-defense. Obviously, there are legal ramifications to all of these, and so you have to check first with your local police department before doing anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What about FMA training and arthritis? Kali does teach a lot of percussive techniques. You're pounding sticks against each other. You're using punches and kicks. There are joint locking techniques. There are kicks to the knees. All of these have the potential to aggravate existing arthritis conditions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you do have to listen to your body. You'll know fairly quickly if you shouldn't be doing something. And you just have to stop, take a break, and maybe even think about never doing that technique or drill again. You'll learn over time what you can do and what you can't. You just have to tell your instructor ahead of time what's going on. They understand. And maybe ultimately you might decide that FMA isn't for you. That's okay, too. But I think based on my own FMA training, your joints will be fine if you're not overdoing it. All of my injuries I got in FMA training were because I was young and wanted to go harder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those are my thoughts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2021-12-14T18:26:50.220" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13077" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13078" CreationDate="2021-12-14T22:30:01.313" Score="3" ViewCount="146" Body="&lt;p&gt;Currently I go to an MMA gym (Muay Thai with BJJ). After a couple years, I always ponder about going to a traditional school. Just curious what are the benefits of going to a traditional martial arts school (TKD, Karate, Kungfu) my friends always ask me? I think they work more on form/kata, if anyone knows any other reasons feel free to respond.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2021-12-18T03:13:31.090" Title="Going from MMA back to Traditional Martial Arts" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13078" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13077" CreationDate="2021-12-15T10:57:05.893" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;MMA tends to focus on competition and involves a lot of full contact sparring. While this certainly is preferable when it comes to training for actual fighting competence, it has its limits. One of the main drawbacks is that with higher age, the impact this has on the body adds up to pathological statuses (esp. cartilage and joint damages in knee and hip, potentially brain damage). But there are other aspects:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;1. Self-defense against weapons (and cheap shots)&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While MMA should produce competent hand-to-hand fighters, what is completely missing is giving an idea of how to handle weapon attacks. Thus, depending on what traditional martial arts (TMA) you have in mind, it can be beneficial if your goal is self-defense. The same applies to the training of handling cheap shots (groins, eyes, others), which usually become a blind spot for those who train for sports competition, however applicable in self-defense the skills are otherwise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;2. Recreational sports up to a high age&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While BJJ as an isolated martial art allows for that, the focus on competition and sparring in MMA won't let you do this forever. Your body will eventually tell you to stop. TMA generally offer forms of training and aspects to work on up to a very high age, retaining the health benefits of sportive activity without having to let go of the general fighting context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;3. Holistic concepts as a way of life&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TMA tend to involve some kind of worldview which involves moral and other concepts that aim towards making you a better person, not just a better fighter. In fact, that is the reason why Jigoro Kano named his art Ju-Do, where Do means &amp;quot;the way [of life]&amp;quot;: to highlight that it aims at forming the person as a whole, not a competent fighter only.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;4. Balancing of physical and psychological abilities and well-being&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I omitted the problematic word &amp;quot;spiritual&amp;quot; on purpose, as this may sound too esoteric. If we look at it from utilitarian perspectives, even the chi concepts of kung-fu do only aim to achieve physical and psychological balance via meditation and other practices. This may be part of good MMA schools as well, but it is part of the DNA of TMA, even though sometimes intertwined with religious connotations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-12-15T11:37:54.273" LastActivityDate="2021-12-15T11:37:54.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13079" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9420" CreationDate="2021-12-15T12:24:57.127" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boxing gloves need to be maintained for longer life. To clean boxing gloves, spray a vinegar and water mixture onto the outside of the gloves, enough to cover every glove with a light fog. Then wipe them down with a perfect towel to eliminate dirt, sweat, and any additional cleaning arrangement. Condition the gloves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12245" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-12-15T16:23:56.230" LastActivityDate="2021-12-15T16:23:56.230" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13080" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13077" CreationDate="2021-12-15T13:38:41.273" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Parallel to Philip's answer, another major draw is culture. Most TMAs are tied to a particular country and culture. You will learn, and often practice, the traditions and language of another culture. In some styles, such as Capoeira, you will even learn to play and sing the music of the culture, as it's integral to the practice of the art. I'm not going to argue that the MMA community doesn't have a culture of its own, but it is one that, in some ways, lacks those deep roots of being tied to a particular country or society.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2021-12-15T13:38:41.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13081" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13083" CreationDate="2021-12-16T06:30:14.653" Score="1" ViewCount="160" Body="&lt;p&gt;I’ve seen Kung fu (and other) fighting movies and one move that seems to be a staple is countering a punch by either slamming their forearm, hand, or shin area into the attacking opponent’s arm and pushing it outward. The more I think about it though, that seems extremely painful and would be the same as countering the opponent’s punch by punching your fist into theirs and grinding your knuckles together. Especially if you could just dodge. Am I wrong? Is this actually a real move that works?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12247" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2021-12-16T12:25:07.493" LastActivityDate="2022-01-04T21:43:14.437" Title="Is the move in movies where the main either block another person’s punches by countering / blocking with their own arms or legs a real thing?" Tags="|technique|defense|entertainment|blocking|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13082" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13086" CreationDate="2021-12-16T08:52:44.620" Score="4" ViewCount="239" Body="&lt;p&gt;I see many resources on how to prevent a Double Leg takedown from even occurring initially, including Sprawl technique, or knee to head etc.  However, how do I defend against a double leg takedown when an opponent has me on the shoulders and in the middle of the air? Do I just prepare for better luck and go with a Judo fall, or should I attempt to elbow opponent in mid air?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JPmdb.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JPmdb.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2021-12-16T17:19:58.133" LastActivityDate="2021-12-27T22:33:45.067" Title="What to do in Double Leg Takedown while in Mid Air?" Tags="|judo|technique|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|mixed-martial-arts|wrestling|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13083" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13081" CreationDate="2021-12-16T10:12:29.797" Score="1" Body="&lt;h2&gt;It works, but there are some things to consider&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is a question of conditioning and hitting with the right parts into the right parts, ie. for example hard parts (where bones are close to the surface) into soft tissue. To actually block 'bone on bone', you need years and years of painful conditioning, but it is a legit possibility and practiced in martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The alternative is receiving hits executed with bony parts with a relaxed (&amp;quot;soft&amp;quot;) hand and relaxed elbow and shoulder. This takes a lot of the force out of the hits so that you can even block kicks. But 'softer' parries should always be coupled with an evasion move to both get out of harms way should anything go wrong and take even more momentum out of the hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Hard block into soft tissue&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you look e.g. at &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/J16D94NDoVE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt;, you can see the idea behind a block with a hard part into soft tissue and that they actually do hurt a lot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One major problem though: to hit the right spot in actual fights, where you don't just mess around with single punches you know where they are supposed to hit or have choreographed fights, you need to be &lt;strong&gt;extremely skilled&lt;/strong&gt;. It's not something you pick up in some random lessons and it is really hard against fast punches. There is a reason why we don't see that happen in MMA bouts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Bone on bone&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, if you look at e.g. kyokushin fighters, who are really well-conditioned (ie. trained their bones to be more dense by repeatedly blocking bone against bone for years and years with increasing intensity), you see blocks of kicks and punches bone on bone as well, like e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/IezeZSAeR-s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. This is trained mostly in full contact karate styles (goju ryu, kyokushin) and krav maga as far as I am aware.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Low-kicks&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As of blocking low-kicks, this warrants an answer of its own. Only that much here: ideally, you do not block with the shin but the muscle at the outer side of the shin or the thick upper end of the tibia bone. And you receive the kick with your lower leg being apart from your thigh so that there is some suspension effect as your lower leg gets pushed into the thigh.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2021-12-31T01:50:46.833" LastActivityDate="2021-12-31T01:50:46.833" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13084" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-12-16T13:03:39.663" Score="2" ViewCount="246" Body="&lt;p&gt;Some martial arts instructors advocate placing the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth while fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reasons for this that they give vary but include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To avoid biting on the tounge&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To help with balance&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;To join meridians and aid the flow of chi/ki&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any tangible benefit to this?  Where did the idea really come from and what was it's purpose?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="6503" LastEditDate="2021-12-16T15:25:26.097" LastActivityDate="2021-12-18T05:11:16.453" Title="What is the purpose of placing the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth? Where did this idea come from?" Tags="|technique|culture|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13085" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13081" CreationDate="2021-12-16T14:49:48.100" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The idea is to dodge first and then just cover to ensure that the punch is not redirected. However this only works against straight attacks.  Curved attacks are much harder to dodge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can block a curved attack more easily than a straight attack because it's easier to 'read' the attack before it happens.  You still have to have good timing but it's easier.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for blocking an attack without any form of footwork at all and just using the hand... Well it's usually not possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2021-12-16T14:49:48.100" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13086" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13082" CreationDate="2021-12-17T12:56:00.860" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In a self-defense scenario, your primary objective is to protect yourself. Tuck your head forward to avoid it impacting the ground. If possible, pull your shoulders forward to activate the muscles in your back to ensure that the meat of your back, and not your spine, hits the ground, and try to turn slightly to one side so that you don't land flat on your back and get winded. I believe (I don't have statistics) that most self-defense double-legs do not involve much of a lifting off the ground, focusing more on taking the other person down, so there will really not be time to try to secure strikes on the other person before impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the bright side, in a self-defense scenario, you're likely to be dealing with someone who either has learned double-leg secondhand from watching the UFC, or comes from an amateur wrestling background, so once you've ensured you do not sustain serious injury by tucking your head and protecting your spine, you're more likely to have an opening to start pummeling at their head after the impact, and if they do try to lift you, especially for an untrained individual, there's a decent opportunity to try to throw them off by twisting and shifting your weight during the lift.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2021-12-20T04:23:25.473" LastActivityDate="2021-12-20T04:23:25.473" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13087" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13077" CreationDate="2021-12-18T02:50:51.380" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I’ll just add one more answer to the other good ones that are already here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regardless of their effectiveness for self-defense or fighting, traditional martial arts give students a path towards progress. Students can see themselves getting better at whatever it is their martial art has to offer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That’s actually what attracts and keeps many if not most students. The actual material being learned is unimportant when seen that way. It can be anything. And when it comes to  traditional martial arts, it can be all kinds of different, plausible sounding theories, each having varying degrees of real world effectiveness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most TMA don’t teach fighting. For that, you need to fight and fight often. What they do teach are theories which are embodied in the techniques, forms, drills, and other training methods. And those are things you can learn and improve in over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It’s that continuous improvement that would be something most people could look at and decide they’ll join up and see how far they can get.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like I don’t do Taekwondo anymore. I have a black belt in it, though. And every now and then I think to myself how much fun it would be to get back into it and start gaining my physical abilities back over time. Things like speed, flexibility, kicking techniques, being able to reliably hit a precise location with my kicks, winning at sparring, and not gassing out so quickly. That stuff I could totally get better at with practice and hard work. It would be very rewarding having some of my old abilities and my old body back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2021-12-18T03:13:31.090" LastActivityDate="2021-12-18T03:13:31.090" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13088" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13084" CreationDate="2021-12-18T05:11:16.453" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's where you put your tongue to keep your breathing unobstructed. In &lt;em&gt;Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art&lt;/em&gt;, the author James Nestor discusses at length the how the jaw and mouth size of modern humans has decreased due to the invention of cooking and how the this smaller aperture gets obstructed. In reference to this specific point:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He [a dentist] explained that the first step to improving airway obstruction wasn't orthodontics but instead involved maintaining &amp;quot;correct oral posture.&amp;quot; Anyone could to this, and it was free.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It just meant holding the lips together, teeth lightly touching, with your tongue on the roof of the mouth. Hold the head up perpendicular to the body and don't kink the neck...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It should be straightforward to compare other tongue positions. You should find that other positions like tucking the tip into your lower jaw, for example, result in more tension, restricted breathing, or noisier breathing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am not aware of any specific link between the tongue position at the roof of the mouth behind the teeth and fighting; if someone gives this advice it's also the position they will suggest for resting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2021-12-18T05:11:16.453" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13089" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-12-18T06:20:59.330" Score="2" ViewCount="109" Body="&lt;p&gt;Boxing training situation:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;opponent is about 20kg (44 pounds) heavier&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;opponent is faster and has longer arms, and has much more experience&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;sparring is &amp;quot;real&amp;quot;, with full power&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Problem: I lack speed after blocking hard strikes. For example, I'm blocking hard right hook - and I'm just unable to immediately throw straight left.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With opponents of my weight I &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; do it, really - just block and immediately throwing straight punch - before opponent's hand is back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any advice/training technique for better absorbing heavy strikes? My goal is to not lose speed while blocking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10065" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2022-01-20T12:02:26.597" LastActivityDate="2022-01-20T12:02:26.597" Title="Speed after blocking heavier opponent" Tags="|training|boxing|defense|blocking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13090" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13089" CreationDate="2021-12-18T13:10:23.907" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a general principle, experiment and observe.  You can try different things to see how they work (I'll suggest one below).  Another way to experiment is to try to do to a smaller but advanced sparring partner what this sparring partner is doing to you, and seeing how they handle it.  Be aware of everything - position before the hook punch, how the block's done, whether it's better to lean into the hook to strength then block or lightly transition away using the power of the hook, and especially the footwork, counter-attack and target selection for the counter - it might be that a straight counter isn't the best choice here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for concrete things to experiment with... it's a bit hard to recommend something when you haven't said who's orthodox or southpaw, and what kind of block you're employing.  Still - when you have an attack like a hook punch coming at you, when you block it the power of the punch will transfer through your vertical axis of rotation (which will pass through your centre of mass) somewhere: if the punch is caught out in front, then it will tend to rotate your front shoulder away from your opponent, making it hard to counter with a straight punch with the non-blocking arm.  If the punch is blocked in line with your centre, your body will move linearly in the direction of the punch, which also makes it fairly hard to counter, particularly if your feet are forced to move, but if you lean slightly towards the punch then the punch may straighten you up to vertical again ready to counter.  A third possibility is that the punch pushes into you behind your vertical axis of rotation / centre of mass, that means you can use the power of the punch to help the non-blocking side of your body rotate in to a strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastActivityDate="2021-12-18T13:10:23.907" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13091" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-12-19T02:54:35.870" Score="1" ViewCount="223" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am doing Muay Thai Sparring. As a man, what is the proper etiquette of sparring against women? Lets keep this question professional and polite to both genders. I want to be generally respectful and honest about this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I generally do light 10% / air sparring against women (nothing big).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However in one of the classes, they are doing maybe 25%-50% power (or even more). I may rotate against a woman.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me, I don't like it because rule is:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;if you &amp;quot;hit a woman too hard, the man will appear bad&amp;quot;. And other men in the classroom who tend to showboat, get angry.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If a &amp;quot;women beats you up, men still look bad&amp;quot;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;plus chivalry rule, &amp;quot;don't ever hit a woman&amp;quot;. Many dads allow wrestling/grappling between brothers when they are kids. Some dads will never let their brother touch their sister.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Either way, men may lose in some fashion or another. Plus many people I talked to hold back their true will when sparring against women.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Again, airboxing/light sparring against women is fine. Doing BJJ (Jiu Jitsu) is good, since its a non-striking sport. However Muay Thai is different since it can lead to direct bleeding/cuts, which is less likely in BJJ. Let me know your strategies. Something I should bring up with coach, surpised he allowed this in the intermediate class. Open to any good answers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2021-12-27T22:36:20.520" Title="Muay Thai Boxing: Sparring against Opposite Gender Manner/Etiquette" Tags="|training|technique|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13092" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13091" CreationDate="2021-12-19T04:33:43.520" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The opinion of others can certainly be important, especially when those 'others' are people you regularly interact with, such as gym regulars. No-one wants to be painted as a bully or a misogynist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, 'those people' are not in the ring with you, and - outside of the safety standards which should apply to both sexes - they don't have a right dictate how hard you and your partner should spar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many female fighters who are better than you. There are many who are not. Why not remove sex/gender from the equation and simply treat all sparring partners with respect and due consideration for their wellbeing and their goals?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are capable of adapting you efforts to a male who is less capable, less strong and less heavy than you, you are capable of doing the same for a female.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And, if you respect the wishes of a male who wants you to punch harder (within the bounds of safe practice), then you should do the same for a female (or anyone who identifies differently than male).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring is (or should be), and instance of informed consent to violence. Any discomfort you feel sparring a female is your burden to bear. Pay your opponents the respect of treating them equally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If anyone criticises you for this, stand by your approach and ask them why they think they have the right to place arbitrary limits on a female's physical and mental capabilities. If it becomes a problem, let your trainer know. If they have much experience with female fighters, they will know that females are frequently psychologically stronger than their male counterparts. They often have to work harder to prove themselves and the last thing they want is to be molly-coddled by guys who underestimate their capacities and resilience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-12-19T05:42:21.633" LastActivityDate="2021-12-19T05:42:21.633" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13093" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13095" CreationDate="2021-12-23T04:04:14.203" Score="1" ViewCount="1538" Body="&lt;p&gt;When sparring, as far as I can tell, there are many injuries due to a kick hitting the opponent's elbow. The foot gets a huge punch by the sharp elbow bone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We wear protective gear while sparring. Why the protective stuff is not designed in a way to avoid kick-to-elbow injuries. Or maybe we are &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; using the right ones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any idea on that? Thanks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9518" LastEditorUserId="9518" LastEditDate="2021-12-23T10:15:30.067" LastActivityDate="2021-12-23T10:15:30.067" Title="Kick-to-elbow injuries are very common in our school" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|injury|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13094" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13155" CreationDate="2021-12-23T04:36:40.263" Score="4" ViewCount="718" Body="&lt;p&gt;This question is similar to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2617/self-defense-against-a-bigger-charging-opponent&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt; but looks at a more specific scenario. This question also refers to an everyday/street situation, not a controlled bout, and assumes the opponent is bigger/heavier.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wSpwP.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wSpwP.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Firstly, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/C82M30_9ulE?t=12&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this is an example of a shoulder charge&lt;/a&gt;, it's called the same in soccer and a &amp;quot;shoulder check&amp;quot; in hockey (except you're on skates of course). Essentially running towards an opponent but instead of tackling/doing a take down you put your weight into your shoulder and charge through them hoping to knock them over with your superior momentum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The two main ways I would imagine this can come about is (a) someone takes a berserker running start at you from across the room, or (b) it is done from face to face or a few steps away, as more of a &amp;quot;shoulder shove&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking forward to suggestions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastEditorUserId="6502" LastEditDate="2022-01-24T12:51:52.763" LastActivityDate="2022-01-25T13:26:45.973" Title="How to defend a shoulder charge?" Tags="|self-defense|streetfight|strength|weight|strategy|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13095" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13093" CreationDate="2021-12-23T05:30:49.553" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, it can be super painful when your opponent blocks your kick with his elbow. It can happen deliberately or accidentally. To me, it doesn't matter which, because the problem is solved the same way in both cases. But I'll talk about both.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, if it is a deliberate hard block, I'll congratulate your opponent. If they're successfully attacking your foot with their elbow as a form of offensive defense, good for them! Honestly. If they pull that off, it means they've reached a certain level of competence. This is typically an advanced technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These kinds of hard blocks are fun to incorporate into sparring. I often peppered up my opponent with leopard fist strikes to the wrist, arm, arm-pits, and ribs. I used to use elbow strikes to instep and shins when someone did a round kick. I used to use my knees and shins against their round kicks. And I sometimes punched kicks, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is all part of the natural progression in striking based martial arts. That is, if your martial art allows it. Some don't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other side, if you're getting hurt from these kinds of strikes, either accidentally or because your opponent deliberately did that, you have to learn to deal with that. Thicker padding is not the answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And about that padding, yes the standard Taekwondo / karate foot padding will not help all that much. A solid hit against your foot's instep with the pointy part of an elbow will hurt! It will easily penetrate that one centimeter layer of foam. You might find a thicker foot pad, but it probably still won't be enough to protect you, and you shouldn't rely on that anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can try it at home, too. Just put on those foot pads and kick a solid, pointy object. Like maybe the corner of a brick wall. It will help a little, but not if you're kicking with any force. Kicking a pointy elbow will do the same thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So now the question is how to avoid it. You're going to have to work on not telegraphing your kicks and increasing your kick speed. Otherwise, your opponent will have time to move his elbow into position to block your kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're accidentally contacting his elbow, and you don't see why, it's probably because he knows your kick is coming and is adjusting his body to block it. And in doing so, it just happens to be enough of a movement to align his elbow towards your incoming kick. Then it connects by accident. He's not able to get enough time to block, so the block doesn't happen. But with you hitting his elbow, it turns out the block wasn't necessary after all. Lucky for him. Not so lucky for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those kinds of repeated accidental elbow strikes are due to you telegraphing, being predictable, being too slow, and not kicking at a proper angle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Work on your speed. The best thing to train kick speed is seeing how many kicks you can do in 30 seconds against someone holding a kick shield. At first, they hold it still. Later, they can move while holding the shield. Do 5 rounds: 30 seconds left, 30 seconds right, 30 seconds rest. Pick just one kick to work on with each round. Do these kinds of drills once every couple of days.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practice decoying. Make your opponent open up the target area. With that area unprotected, you have a better chance of not having your kick checked by his elbow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try stepping off-angle. If you're always facing your opponent when these hard blocks happen to you, step out on an angle before attacking this time. The different angle will cause the kick to miss the elbow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're kicking using an orthodox round kick coming perfectly horizontal with the plane of the floor, try using a diagonal instead. Or vice-versa.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try half-beat timing. That's where you don't wait until your opponent has finished with his strike before you begin yours. Instead, as soon as he begins his strike, you strike. It will cause him to have to abort his strike to deal with yours. You can land those strikes more reliably, because he's not ready for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try varying your range. Step in close, and then quickly step to the side. As he sees you stepping in, he'll want to back up or step to his side. You can land your kick before he's able to complete his step.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of these are good strategies in general, regardless of the elbow contact problem. Your goal is to increase the probability that your strikes will get through without being blocked. Hard blocks or soft, intentional or accidental doesn't matter in that sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, if these are deliberately done by your opponent instead of accidental, I'll suggest you learn how to hard block and start doing it yourself, too. After your opponent feels how painful they are and knows you can do it too, maybe he'll stop trying to use them on you. Kind of like &amp;quot;mutually assured destruction&amp;quot;. Haha. Or, when he avoids your hard block, you can learn from him and do what he did to avoid his hard blocks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2021-12-23T05:49:09.207" LastActivityDate="2021-12-23T05:49:09.207" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13096" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2021-12-24T09:17:50.023" Score="1" ViewCount="208" Body="&lt;p&gt;I noticed in Muay Thai fundamentals, in Regular Jab they tell to push heel of right foot, to get the extra range power from Orthodox. In Book &amp;quot;Muay Thai Basics: Introductory Thai Boxing Techniques&amp;quot; and many resources incl Silva and others&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/85wRhMbdw6Q?t=74&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/85wRhMbdw6Q?t=74&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Ejz9HJHQZag?t=31&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/Ejz9HJHQZag?t=31&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Regular boxing they do not recommend leaning forward on regular jab. &amp;quot;Leaning too far back or forward can tip the balance&amp;quot; as heard from many coaches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blog.joinfightcamp.com/training/how-do-boxers-stay-balanced/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://blog.joinfightcamp.com/training/how-do-boxers-stay-balanced/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a reason for the discrepancy? just curious, my theory is Boxing is much more jab punch heavy, so doing it continuously can cause balance issues. Any insight is good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0LHiF.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0LHiF.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2021-12-25T02:57:36.690" Title="Muay Thai Jab vs Boxing Jab, Rear foot push forward" Tags="|technique|boxing|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13097" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13096" CreationDate="2021-12-24T13:19:34.330" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whilst your question is justified (your reference recommends shifting the weight to the front foot), Philip Klöcking is right. You do not need to shift your weight onto the front foot to execute a strong jab.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shifting your weight onto the front foot will allow you transfer more wight into your jab, but this necessitates forward commitment, which makes it harder for you to retreat back and out of range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jabbing as Klöcking describes, by pushing off the rear foot and turning your hips, enables knock-out power whilst maintaining much better defensive integrity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this to say transferring your weight onto your front foot whilst jabbing is never appropriate? Not necessarily. If you have forced your opponent into a highly defensive attitude, you might deem the risk entailed by a forward weight distribution to be justified by the extra power and increased reach. You should remember however, that experienced boxers often like to draw forward commitment in order to make counters more effective. Mayweather is a master at this. And if he can do it, your opponent can. Why give away more than you have to?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2021-12-25T02:57:36.690" LastActivityDate="2021-12-25T02:57:36.690" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13098" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13082" CreationDate="2021-12-24T19:08:36.153" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Disclaimer: this comes from someone who doesn't train. At all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self defense: gauge their eyes with your thumbs. One at a time. That's got to hurt. A strike beforehand would aid their cooperation in the endevour.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring: cling on. If you hug the person it's difficult for them to throw you to the ground. And even if they do it gives you wrestling options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="485" LastActivityDate="2021-12-24T19:08:36.153" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13101" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13082" CreationDate="2021-12-27T22:33:45.067" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Obviously, try and fight your way out of it but if your opponent is in that deep? You're going for a ride. In which case, tuck your chin to your chest so as not to smack the back of your head on the mat/floor/ground/etc and exhale as soon as your back hits the mat/floor/ground/etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12264" LastActivityDate="2021-12-27T22:33:45.067" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13102" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13091" CreationDate="2021-12-27T22:36:20.520" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my opinion, regardless of what martial art training, gender does not matter; it's skill level and you treat them accordingly. You don't hold back because of gender that doesn't help them at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12264" LastActivityDate="2021-12-27T22:36:20.520" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13103" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13081" CreationDate="2021-12-27T22:38:25.143" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, blocks are a real thing but one should block and attack, simultaneously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12264" LastActivityDate="2021-12-27T22:38:25.143" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13104" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13044" CreationDate="2021-12-27T22:40:56.560" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes!  Absolutely, whole-heartedly, 100% yesyesyes! I am, however, speaking as a man who loves his bits and wants them to remain functional.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12264" LastActivityDate="2021-12-27T22:40:56.560" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13105" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13022" CreationDate="2021-12-27T22:48:08.280" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Make jokes, especially jokes that attack their intelligence, toughness, sexuality, etc...  This, too, is a good joke:  slide a blade between his ribs, twist the knife hard and walk away. Hilarious!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12264" LastActivityDate="2021-12-27T22:48:08.280" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13107" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3170" CreationDate="2021-12-28T16:26:19.607" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Karate chopped at age 15 on back of neck while standing idle waiting for a bus; loss consciousness for about 10sec. ; was told by witnesses (a gang of 7 young men were running through the streets, practicing on folks). At age 70 developed large orange sized ball-swelling- of fatty content; that’s occasionally painful, slings from the point of contact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12266" LastActivityDate="2021-12-28T16:26:19.607" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13108" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13208" CreationDate="2021-12-29T04:55:13.860" Score="1" ViewCount="180" Body="&lt;p&gt;Who are some prevalent UFC/MMA fighters that spar with an actual Karate stance, not just a little bit. Only one I can think of is Stephen Thompson.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/dqPvi.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/dqPvi.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Resources: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7U1Ai4H9ao&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7U1Ai4H9ao&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-03-02T12:42:47.787" Title="Karate Stance fighters in MMA" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|ufc|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13109" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3170" CreationDate="2021-12-30T17:38:07.023" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Each part of your hand (or foot) is a weapon, depending how you hold it and the technique used for striking. In the case of a karate chop, the locked wrist and tense fingers create a blunt surface, it is referred to as a &amp;quot;knife hand&amp;quot;. Typically, this strike would use a circular, swinging motion to attack (as opposed to a straight-punch).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any strike, whether closed or open hand, can be deadly or cause serious injury if it hits a vital point with enough force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my experience — more than an attack, which often is to the temple or neck — knife hands are most effective for blocking and then rerouting the opponents arms or legs so you can put them in a lock, or guide your hand to the right spot for a takedown.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2022" LastActivityDate="2021-12-30T17:38:07.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13110" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12985" CreationDate="2021-12-30T18:11:33.960" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;At my school, there are 80 year olds still training in tae-kwon-do. Myself, I am 44 years old. The short answer is someone training for 20 years will absolutely defeat someone who has been training for 5 years. This is for two reasons: 1) At 5 years, you have just begun to actually master your art. A black belt indicates you have completed basic training. You might've learned the techniques, but most aren't fluent at using them until they've been training much longer. 2) The older you get, the more you learn to conserve your energy for the right moment, without excess. Younger students tend to jump around and waste energy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like the answer from @steve weigand, because much of what he says is true. Training in martial arts and training in fighting are not the same. And at the end of the day, if a situation were to occur, street fighting — not martial arts — would be the style both sides would employ. The win would depend on who fights the smartest and can keep their energy up until the end.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="2022" LastActivityDate="2021-12-30T18:11:33.960" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13113" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-01-03T14:48:11.137" Score="2" ViewCount="141" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was watching the sad case of Illinois grad student YingYing Zhang being abducted in a car and then later killed by the driver Brendt Christensen, who’s now in prison for life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It makes me wonder: what could someone do when abducted in a car?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Open the car door and roll out onto the road and run away?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user37496" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-01-04T15:35:03.150" LastActivityDate="2022-01-04T20:02:07.153" Title="What can a person being abducted in a car do in self-defense?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13114" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13113" CreationDate="2022-01-03T17:38:17.223" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, abduction by car is a pretty rare circumstance in the U.S. It might be more common in other countries, I can't say. But I think the statistics show it's only on the order of a few hundred abductions per year in the U.S. And most of those are children under the age of 21. For adults, it's even more rare.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So that should put this into perspective. It's rare, so you shouldn't spend too much time and thought on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, if all you learn is one thing from this answer, it should be: &lt;strong&gt;Don't get in the car&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you're in the car, you're as good as dead. They will take you to someplace secluded which will let them rape, torture, and kill you there without worrying about being found out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, don't let them put you in that car. Do whatever you can to struggle and get free. Your life literally depends on this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Situational awareness is important here. Use some common sense. A lot has already been written about this subject, so I won't spend any time on it here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As soon as someone grabs you, if you're a woman, you repeatedly scream, &amp;quot;Help! Rape! Rape! Police! Help!&amp;quot; If you're a man, you yell something like, &amp;quot;Police! Call the police! He's mugging me! Help! Police! Someone call the police!&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for what sort of martial arts training might help you out in this circumstance, there are some skills you can easily train which require very little time investment on your part and which can be remembered very easily without having to keep training at it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most important physical skill to learn is how to get someone to release their hold on you. There are techniques in martial arts called &amp;quot;dissolves&amp;quot; which work to release holds on your wrist and arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main thing to learn is how to apply leverage to the weak part of their grip in order to slide out of their hold. There aren't many of these dissolves. And when you drill them for an hour or so, they become somewhat intuitive and permanently ingrained in your memory. Just learning how to wiggle and how to bend at your elbow is enough if you forget the individual techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you wiggle out of a hold, you're free again, and you need to run as fast as you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If everything goes wrong, and you're in that car, you need to use whatever you can to get out of there. Don't wait until the car reaches its destination. The destination is the end of the road for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even when the car is moving, do whatever you can to attack the driver and escape. Falling from a moving vehicle isn't recommended, but you might be able to cause the car to crash, and then you might get away. Once the car is crashed, hopefully it will draw the attention of the police, also.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aside from that, if you're in a moving car against your will, flash signs with your hands and say &amp;quot;help&amp;quot; with your mouth silently. Maybe someone will see you and will call the police.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a web site showing the hand sign to use to indicate that you need help now:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.verywellhealth.com/tiktok-distress-hand-signal-5210298&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.verywellhealth.com/tiktok-distress-hand-signal-5210298&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can write &amp;quot;HELP&amp;quot; on your palm with a pen, that might also work. Show people your palm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, if you still have your cell phone, use the SOS feature. I doubt most abductors would let you keep your phone, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bottom line: Don't get in the car. And once in the car, get out before you reach the destination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2022-01-03T17:38:17.223" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13115" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13113" CreationDate="2022-01-04T13:54:19.807" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you find yourself in this situation, you've already lost 98% of the battle. But if you're there, you're probably a woman, so will you be able to punch the guy in the jaw to stun him? Nah. If you know how to punch with your knuckles, the temple would cause more pain. Try an eye gouge to distract him, then if necessary lunge towards the steering wheel, clutch it to your chest so that it's not just your arm strength against his, and jerk it to one side to cause a crash. It's better than certain torture and death in a barn somewhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It'd be more of a long shot to be able to do this, but if you're close enough, bite &lt;em&gt;through&lt;/em&gt; his ear, then grind back and forth to cause more pain, then go for the eyes or wheel. Do not be polite about his.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I personally were to jump out of a car, I'd wrap my hands around the back and sides of my head, elbows in tight, to try to protect it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-01-04T15:35:55.770" LastActivityDate="2022-01-04T15:35:55.770" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13116" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13113" CreationDate="2022-01-04T20:02:07.153" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ok, so first you shouldn't get in the car. Even if that person is a friend or a fellow student/worker, TRUST NO ONE. Friends might not be trying to do it, but fellow students/workers may be trying to lure you into the car. If you go in to the car and realize that you are tricked, there might be a lock switch in the door to open it even if the doors are locked. A backup option (assuming you are trained in martial arts) is to quickly get to the front if possible and attack the driver. However, this is risky as they might have weapons. If you have the door's lock opened or broke the window somehow with tools or your feet/hands, try to get out and land in a soft surface such as grass. But mostly, don't get in the car even if it is someone you know. Today, this world is dangerous. Trust nobody. Stay safe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12139" LastActivityDate="2022-01-04T20:02:07.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13117" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-01-04T20:11:32.563" Score="1" ViewCount="186" Body="&lt;p&gt;In a self defense situation, you might need a knife hand strike, but how hard/soft do you have to strike someone's throat with it to just knock them out without killing? Does it have to be relatively soft or hard?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12139" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-01-05T02:41:07.253" LastActivityDate="2022-01-07T13:08:29.513" Title="How hard should your knife hand strike be without killing anyone?" Tags="|self-defense|striking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13118" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-01-04T21:36:50.973" Score="2" ViewCount="95" Body="&lt;p&gt;Heavy bags and speed bags are too expensive because they require some kind of stand/platform. So I have to use a freestanding bag. Is a freestanding bag effective for training (honing your strikes?)? If not, is there an alternative that does not require any bag? (The alternative should not require building, making, etc.)&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/17rkR.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/17rkR.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;This image is the kind of freestanding bag that I have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12139" LastEditorUserId="12139" LastEditDate="2022-01-07T01:33:01.720" LastActivityDate="2022-01-07T01:33:01.720" Title="Is a freestanding bag effective for honing your strikes?" Tags="|self-training|equipment|striking|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13119" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13081" CreationDate="2022-01-04T21:43:14.437" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;They are real, but it can cause pain/injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12139" LastActivityDate="2022-01-04T21:43:14.437" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13120" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2135" CreationDate="2022-01-04T21:58:22.867" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Must be able to modify your position and make sure you do it fast enough (not telegraph it). Usually the people are right handed so move laterally to their respective part to make sure that he  is not being able to align himself with you to hit you, because he's planning to give you the best shot of his arsenal. But if you bypass  the strong side of him then he mast re-arrange in  a  way he  can hit you  better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10811" LastEditorUserId="10811" LastEditDate="2024-01-19T13:15:15.390" LastActivityDate="2024-01-19T13:15:15.390" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13121" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2135" CreationDate="2022-01-04T22:33:21.217" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Keep a lookout for threats and thugs. Try to avoid some places if possible. Plan out routes to avoid them and escape if possible. Also remember that a person who might be drunk might be dangerous, but he can't really think straight, so use strategy and tactic. Plan ahead. Only fight them if necessary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12139" LastActivityDate="2022-01-04T22:33:21.217" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13122" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13118" CreationDate="2022-01-05T03:28:16.290" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;A free standing bag is a very useful training device. It may not provide the movement offered by a heavy hag, but in the absence of anything else, it offers an excellent way to gauge range and power, and - to an extent - footwork.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Never forget though, to train your strikes without a bag. Shadow sparing will improve your core stability, balance, retraction speed and posture more effectively than a bag. It trains you to miss without losing balance or composure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you train with a bag, the bag acts as a support, a brace against which to lean and from which you can more easily retract your strikes. If you do not train without a bag, you will likely become dependent to some degree on this support, which will make you more vulnerable in a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-01-05T09:08:25.203" LastActivityDate="2022-01-05T09:08:25.203" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13123" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13118" CreationDate="2022-01-05T04:06:40.077" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are several benefits you get from punching and kicking a hanging heavy bag. Primarily you do it to &lt;strong&gt;condition your body to make that impact&lt;/strong&gt;. It's absolutely vital for being able to punch hard in real life. Without that conditioning, you can easily hurt yourself if you do have to punch someone for real. Same with kicking and other strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other benefits are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Training full body mechanics.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Being able to drill combinations.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Training proper distancing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Focus and precision targeting.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Speed.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Footwork.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A good workout.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas a free-standing bag like the question mentions is less heavy and probably not as tall. It will give you some resistance, but not as much as you would get in a hanging heavy bag. Is it enough resistance to be able to condition your punch to impact properly? It's much better than punching the air, but you're going to need a heavy bag if you want to do proper conditioning. The heavier the better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another down-side of using a free-standing bag instead of a heavy bag is that it might be too short to practice face/head level punches and kicks. Some are high enough, but they're the weakest at those locations due to being the furthest away from the ground. It means you feel less resistance up high than down low.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The free-standing bags also typically have padding all around them and are pretty soft. Heavy bags are made using canvas and have no padding. Depending on what you fill it with, it can feel like hitting a brick wall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's another advantage of heavy bags. They let you fill them with whatever material you want. You can determine how soft or hard you want it. It just depends on your experience level and how strong your conditioning is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So conditioning is the biggest disadvantage of a free-standing bag. You'll get some conditioning, but not the same as a heavy bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the plus side, most other things you get from a heavy bag also apply to a free-standing bag. You can practice combos, distancing, targeting, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A free-standing bag also is far more portable. You can just set it up anywhere. Pour water or sand into it. If you want to transport it, dump it out. Take it anywhere you want. It's a pain having to do that, though. In my experience, once you set it up somewhere, you won't want to go through the hassle of emptying it out and moving it again. So this is a minor advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas a heavy bag either requires installing an extra support beam in your ceiling just to handle the load, or you need some kind of heavy metal frame to hang it from and weigh down the metal frame with barbell weights or sandbags. It takes a lot more effort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could keep the free-standing bag and just work on conditioning with some other apparatus that doesn't involve setting up a heavy bag. Some like makiwara training. I think makiwara are limited in terms of which techniques you train, so I would look at maybe wrapping a big tree in blankets and padding and using that. Get some bungee cables, some blankets, and buy some yoga or gymnastics mats or something to wrap inside of it. Now you just need to find a big, thick tree somewhere and have at it. Easy to set up and take down. You get to determine how soft or hard to make it. Also, make sure you're not destroying the tree. Trees need love, too. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2022-01-05T04:06:40.077" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13124" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13118" CreationDate="2022-01-06T20:36:59.557" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Taekwondo, we mainly use standing bags for our training. This allows us to kick over the bag if needed and allows for moving of the bags for different drills. These are 6 foot bags that weigh from 105lbs of sand (Versys VS1) on the base to over 270lbs or sand or water (Wavemaster 2XL Pro) making it quite hard to knock over. The base on that Wavemaster holds better to impact than the older 400lbs bases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The standing bags can be just as effective as a heavy bag if you have a good one. Things that constitutes a good bag is one that does not fall over easily and does not move very much when hit. Using a plastic base on a wooden floor for example may not be your best option as it will cause the bag to slide every hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While on the road, I use a sand weighted bag that isn't very sturdy. This is the Century Vesys VS1. It's a great bag but not for delivering power. This is for portability and it is effective enough for training on the road. If you have someone hold the bag, it can take a considerable amount of power but it will fold under heavy loads.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/dulKV.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/dulKV.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Versys VS1.&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While at home or in my dojang, I use a water weighted standing bag that takes a lot of power to knock down like the Century Wavemaster 2XL Pro. These are my bags of preference when training strikes as I can practice delivering punches and kicks at full power without protection and they can withstand them. A truly solid roundhouse, or sidekick, back kick, or other truly heavy power kick will still knock these bags over when full. It is recommended to have someone hold the bag for repetition training on these types of strikes. I find that tipping point on these bags to be a good measure of a truly powerful strike and will often only count a kick in a repetition of power training if it knocks it over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0f7aa.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0f7aa.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Wavemaster 2XL Pro&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Depending on the discpline, training style, and your ability, the bag is just a tool to develop your skills. A heavy bag provides an irreplaceable resistance to strikes but is not mobile. These stand up bags are soft to the touch, but a strong blow will cause damage. Depending on what you are training, a stand up bag can be utilized effectively to give you what you need. If you want to harden your punches, you can always punch wood. We train our techniques on these stand up bags and then develop striking endurance by hitting canvas, trees, and other harder materials. You can most certainly learn and practice with these bags as long as you train with good integrity and discipline.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="4410" LastEditorUserId="4410" LastEditDate="2022-01-06T21:15:31.897" LastActivityDate="2022-01-06T21:15:31.897" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13125" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13117" CreationDate="2022-01-07T13:08:29.513" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been thinking about how best to answer this for a few days.  These particular techniques that involve hitting the neck are problematic for me.  I know the theory of how they work.  I have practised the move hundreds of times.  I can find the spot with my little finger on my own or a training partner's neck.  But I have never actually had the opportunity to actually hit that spot in training.  Nor have I ever been in a self defence situation that requires it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For this reason I can only tell you what I have been taught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a part of the neck called the carotid artery (or two, you have one on the left and one on the right).  It runs up from the heart on either side of the body and divides at the bottom of the neck into an internal branch and an external branch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The external branch has sensitive nerve called the vegus nerve.  This is called 'Matsukaze' in Japanese or Stomach 9 in Chinese traditional medicine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am reluctant to talk about this in terms of acupuncture or acupressure or other Chinese Traditional ideas.  I don't feel it's helpful for two reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Firstly chinese traditional medicine does not hold up well in it's&#xA;own right to clinical trials.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Secondly the number of people (I hesitate to call them martial&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;artists) that claim to be able to do bizarre things using acupressure&#xA;points is quite significant.  I have even seen videos of people being&#xA;'knocked out' from points on the ankle or arm! Obviously this is not&#xA;possible and there is a lot of psychological&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;conditioning/brainwashing going on there to make them believe such a&#xA;thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said there &lt;strong&gt;are&lt;/strong&gt; parts of the body, known as kyusho that are 'tender' and hurt a lot when you hit them, rub them or press on them.  Matsukaze is one of the more extreme examples of kyusho.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To stun someone using matsukaze doesn't take much effort but the point has to be exactly right.  My instructor's instructor demonstrates it here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/BQILtJ3Ravw?t=41&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sensei Bando demonstrating Matsukaze&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The obvious question here though is 'what happens if you miss?'&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I mentioned before Matsukaze is just one point on the carotid artery.  In fact if you strike any part of that artery hard enough you will get much the same effect.  (though too hard and you will cause a spinal injury).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So basically you have a light tap/slap in exactly the right spot or a harder punch/knife hand/arm strike a little above or below.  I have been taught to use a percussive strike similar to hitting a drum for this.  ie. Strike and immediately pull your hand back rather than striking through.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Other Neck Strikes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Worth mentioning here is that the internal carotid artery can also be used.  However this is much more dangerous (potentially lethal) and involves poking your finger deep into the neck, next to the windpipe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The windpipe itself can also be attacked.  If this is crushed it won't reopen due to the cilia acting a bit like valcro.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The back of the neck can be attacked in various ways as well... Strikes here are banned in most competitive sports due to the dangers involved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NB.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please note that other than the above and a few points on the head Kyusho will not generally cause a knockout.  At best you can expect a spinal reflex 'flinch' (similar to a Medical Doctor hitting your kneecap with a hammer).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unless you are trained specifically to capitalise on this kind of movement you are better off avoiding these for self defence...  And certainly stay away from any school who's instructor thinks they can stun you by touching your arm or leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other than that you may want to just hit them as hard as you can if you believe your life is truly in danger. courts in most jurisdictions acknowledge a right to self defence in one way or another.  You may wish to look up the law where you live or consult a legal professional.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-01-07T13:08:29.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13126" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5383" CreationDate="2022-01-07T17:42:02.580" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Leonardo actually uses 2 ninja swords. A ninja sword is NOT a Katana. In this case yes, dual wielding ninja swords is fine. Otherwise dual wielding 2 katanas almost never happened and still does not with modern people training traditional arts/combat. Dual wielding a katana and a smaller weapon like others have mentioned was and is the common scenario for katana use…Again though Leonardo originally used and is suppose to use Ninja Swords. Often and confusingly people think that type or sword is a nick name for a Katana which is incorrect. Two very different types of swords/weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12275" LastActivityDate="2022-01-07T17:42:02.580" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13127" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-01-09T04:52:43.907" Score="6" ViewCount="280" Body="&lt;p&gt;I’ve been watching the old UFC 1, 2 … fights in which Royce Gracie uses his double-leg takedown to then mount his opponent, or to have his opponent on top — always taking the fight to the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why didn’t Gracie’s opponents punch him when the fight went to the ground?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The opponents appear to always hug onto Gracie, perhaps in panic mode, due to their lack of skills fighting on the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I’ve heard the commentator once say something about how people naively assume that Gracie’s opponent should punch.  What is naive about this thought process?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(I have no fighting skills / training, by the way.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12277" LastEditorUserId="12277" LastEditDate="2022-01-09T05:00:39.620" LastActivityDate="2022-03-09T04:54:06.373" Title="In the earliest UFC fights, why didn’t fighters punch Royce Gracie during / after Gracie’s double-leg takedown move?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|ufc|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13128" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13127" CreationDate="2022-01-10T03:19:07.037" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am a BJJ blue belt 4 stripes and also train wrestling about once a week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The double leg attack is usually preceded by a fake or some kind of&#xA;distraction before changing the levels. This creates a reaction that&#xA;opens up an opportunity to change the levels.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Element of surprise is a big component for a successful double leg&#xA;takedown.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The closing of distance is very quick. Only if one anticipates a double leg takedown can they have an opportunity to punch.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Once the distance has close the power of punches reduces significantly. In BJJ we call this the red zone of distance management.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;By the time both hands are behind the calf, attacker has changed his&#xA;levels and his shoulder is in contact with the hip, the takedown is&#xA;almost certain. Even if you get punched, they are not very powerful.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A punch could work if you can anticipate a double leg takedown, at the right time and distance and power. It is not considered right technique to attempt to stop a double leg takedown with a punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best counter move for a double leg takedown is a sprawl and weighing down on the top back/neck area and then transitioning to taking back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: Kinda missed the point when answering first time, but here another attempt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You have control of distance with by pulling and pushing with your closed guard.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When on mount you can make a bridge and keep the opponent off balance and forces the opponent to place hands on the ground for retaining balance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There are many attacks from these positions and are well practiced in BJJ. It could easily be a nightmare for a non BJJ fighter.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12280" LastEditorUserId="12280" LastEditDate="2022-01-11T22:10:14.017" LastActivityDate="2022-01-11T22:10:14.017" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13129" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-01-11T00:06:28.660" Score="12" ViewCount="4612" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are doing the horse stance, doesn't it just expose you to groin kicks? Also, if you want to block the groin kick, you could lift your knee and block it but the horse stance makes it slower as the legs are spread apart. So why do people use the horse stance if it is just going to leave them exposed for groin shots?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12139" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-01-11T04:34:58.133" LastActivityDate="2022-01-11T05:13:59.637" Title="Why do people use the horse stance? Won't it expose you to groin shots?" Tags="|kicking|stance|defense|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13130" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13129" CreationDate="2022-01-11T04:34:17.120" Score="9" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are doing the horse stance, doesn't it just expose you to groin kicks?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So why do people use the horse stance if it is just going to leave them exposed for groin shots?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The purpose of the horse stance is not for fighting, but for training. You use the horse stance during training to develop leg strength, hip flexibility, and body structure. This is similar to how might you use push ups or squats to get stronger, even though they may not directly applicable to fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2022-01-11T04:34:17.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13131" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13129" CreationDate="2022-01-11T05:13:59.637" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question asks why horse stances exist in martial arts in general.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The horse stance gets a lot of bad press. Lots of people just make fun of it, saying that it leaves people vulnerable to kicks to the groin as well as being pushed over. So why do a horse stance?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, why do any stances? What is the purpose of stances in general?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many stances you'll see in different forms-based martial arts such as kung-fu, karate, and Taekwondo. Each stance in a form is kind of like a snapshot in time of some self-defense application. It's best to see a stance merely as a position that's in the middle of some transition going on. That way, you won't get too hung up in the idea that a stance is &amp;quot;fixed&amp;quot; and static. &lt;b&gt;All stances are dynamic.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With regards to the horse stance, again people laugh at this, but you can see a horse stance in Judo and Brazilian Jiujitsu all the time. Nobody makes fun of it or points it out then, do they?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you do a hip throw (O-Goshi Nage in Judo), for example, you have to do a horse stance. You step towards your opponent, reach around his back, turn your back so that it's now against his front, and then lift him onto your back and throw him over your hip. In doing so, that stance you're in is a horse stance. That's the optimal stance for that particular throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The horse stance that's typically done in modern Japanese karate and Taekwondo is very elongated. But the root of both of those styles is Okinawan karate, where the horse stance is quite high and narrow. The high and narrow version of the horse stance is probably a closer approximation of what you'll actually perform in real life self-defense. The reason it's elongated in Japanese karate is to emphasize physical conditioning. It's simply harder to do and builds more muscle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of what you see in forms (karate, Taekwondo, kung fu, etc.) is self-defense. It's not teaching you how to spar. That would be ridiculous. You don't learn to block punches and kicks by doing forms. You learn that from sparring. Instead, forms were meant to be done with partners and teach self-defense techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can learn more about this subject at my answer in the following link:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;UL&gt;&lt;A HREF=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7006/why-is-more-time-dedicated-to-exercises-and-very-less-for-sparring-is-it-for-th/7007#7007&quot;&gt;Why is more time dedicated to exercises and very less for sparring?&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In sparring or free-fighting, you would never stand in a horse stance facing your opponent. That would make no sense other than to maybe decoy him into attacking your groin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the horse stance makes perfect sense in real world stand-up grappling applications, like the ones I mentioned in the link above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've heard others explain that it's actually fairly strong when used from side-to-side. If you push on someone while he's in a horse stance, it's easy to push him over if you push on his front, but you can't budge him if you push against his side. So some people explain that the side-to-side position can be used in sparring or free-fighting. While that is somewhat true, most people don't actually fight in a horse stance like that. So it's really hard to make the claim that this was its original intent. It almost never is the case when you see it done in forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are plenty of self-defense scenarios that you might encounter where you're basically in a horse stance. Most of the time out in the real world just enjoying yourself, you're going to be standing in a perfectly neutral, upright stance like normal. Then let's say someone comes up behind you and gets you in a bear hug. All you do to make a horse stance is to step out a little bit (not a lot), dropping your weight a bit, and bending at the knees. It's an instinctive response. People do it even without any martial arts training whatsoever. You're lowering your center of gravity and making it harder to be thrown.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The karate kata &amp;quot;naihanchi&amp;quot; specializes in the horse stance and these sorts of scenarios. It has nothing to do with free-fighting. It's all about self-defense against these common everyday scenarios you find yourself in. It's as valid today as it was 100+ years ago when it was created.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bottom line, don't use the horse stance in sparring or free-fighting. Do use it in stand-up grappling. But don't focus on the stance. Focus on the self-defense technique. The stance is just what happens in between movements. It's just a snapshot in time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2022-01-11T05:13:59.637" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13132" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13134" CreationDate="2022-01-11T06:19:47.270" Score="1" ViewCount="229" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am training in MMA stance with Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu. What happens if I face opponent using a Karate stance? Should I go for double leg takedown or leg roundhouse kick? What are some options? How come Karate stance is not really used in MMA, is there an exposed weakness that I can use against them?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NGW0H.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NGW0H.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-01-11T19:27:32.603" Title="MMA: Fighting Opponent who uses Karate stance" Tags="|technique|karate|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13133" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13132" CreationDate="2022-01-11T12:23:39.673" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a stance for point fighting not for full contact.  They can pull off very fast attacks but usually don't hit hard from this position (because doing so is against the rules in this style).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might have trouble reaching the back leg for a double leg takedown.  However their stance is very wide so a single leg takedown should be easy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise just hit them.  I don't mean to be facetious but this stance isn't that special.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also sometimes find that as their rule set often doesn't allow points for jabs to the body too so I have found when sparing with karateka's that they sometime don't defend well against this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically most of your favourite tricks should work fine.  Don't let their odd stance put you off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-01-11T12:23:39.673" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13134" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13132" CreationDate="2022-01-11T18:53:33.077" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Even in karate or Taekwondo sparring where this stance is most often used, they teach that the way you deal with a powerful opponent is not to come in range of his kicks and punches. That means you should circle around him towards his outside. Don't move towards his inside.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If he has a back stance with the left leg forward, then you circle to his left. If his right leg is forward, then you circle to his right. That protects you against his opposite leg's kicks and opposite arm's punches. You're sort of using his own body as a shield.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have circled around to his outside, you should attempt to get in close to him. Karate and especially Taekwondo people do not deal well with anyone coming in close to them. They simply don't have control over that close-in range. Usually. It's not where they want to be. So they will try to keep you from circling around to the outside by pivoting and squaring up with you again. And they will step away if you're attempting to get close.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So to prevent him from squaring up with you again and to prevent evasion and getting more distance, you will need to immobilize him. One way you do that is by grabbing his leading arm. Another way is by forcing him to deal with some strikes. The strikes you do would be a distraction while you slip in close. Another way would be to back him into a corner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can take advantage of his movement, too. If he likes to kick, that will temporarily glue him to his current location. Look for patterns. When you know he's about to kick again, rush in. That's your time window where he can't easily adjust to what you're doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I assume being in MMA, you know what to do once you're in close.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2022-01-11T19:27:32.603" LastActivityDate="2022-01-11T19:27:32.603" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13135" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13137" CreationDate="2022-01-12T18:11:55.390" Score="2" ViewCount="214" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why does Karate and Taekwondo side kick have the foot tilt sideways or even downwards? In Muay Thai, the side teep foot is held diagonal. Is there a functional reason between the two? Curious as I have experience in both martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Resources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98boTtEjgfw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98boTtEjgfw&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0l8U9E9e9c&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0l8U9E9e9c&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Karate:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2Tnbk.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2Tnbk.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muay Thai:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/EKgxo.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/EKgxo.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2022-01-13T02:10:42.197" LastActivityDate="2022-01-13T09:27:31.377" Title="Karate vs Muay Thai: Side Kick Foot Rotation" Tags="|training|tae-kwon-do|technique|karate|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13136" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-01-12T23:20:33.597" Score="1" ViewCount="40" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the name of the Muay Thai kick, where the person only rotates halfway on ball foot, and pivots less to not gain reaction from opponent? There was a name for it, if it was &amp;quot;axe kick&amp;quot;, or feint kick. One of my coaches had the specific Muay thai name with written Thai language. can't remember.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am thinking its &amp;quot;diagonal kick&amp;quot; after looking on youtube, not sure, interesting to note these differences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ChB-nomLGQg?t=296&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/ChB-nomLGQg?t=296&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/EEvmi.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/EEvmi.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2022-01-13T03:39:56.797" LastActivityDate="2022-01-13T03:39:56.797" Title="Muay Thai: Halfway - pivot roundhouse kick" Tags="|training|technique|muay-thai|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13137" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13135" CreationDate="2022-01-13T09:27:31.377" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer is similar to the ones to earlier questions: It is mainly practicality in full-contact sparring vs. ideal technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Theoretically, fully opening the hip by more pronounced foot rotation offers you two things: Firstly, you can do a powerful roundhouse kick just as well, with the very same opening, which makes you less readable. Secondly, it is supposed to allow for slightly more stability against forces in that direction and thus help against toppling backwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Practically, this is slightly slower and needs immense hip flexibility and strength in order to not actually weaken the kick due to structural instability. You can actually see how the karate guy's structure is compromised in the picture as he only stands on the ball of the foot to make up for his lack of hip strength/flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2022-01-13T09:27:31.377" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13138" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13139" CreationDate="2022-01-14T21:02:54.527" Score="0" ViewCount="127" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Muay Thai, is the bounce step utilized a lot? I have never seen it taught in my classes, and widely taught more in boxing. Is there a reason for not seeing it in Muay Thai?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strangely enough, I see it little more in MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Resources: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q331B-FoRMc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q331B-FoRMc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/DTyh5.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/DTyh5.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-01-16T17:15:39.343" Title="Muay Thai: Bounce Step not used?" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|footwork|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13139" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13138" CreationDate="2022-01-15T21:17:59.900" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe this is mostly a cultural difference between Muay Thai and Boxing / Kickboxing. Muay Thai values continuous advancement forward and strongly views any backward motion as defensive. The bouncing back and forth is seen as weak and overly defensive in Muay Thai. But it works in boxing, because in boxing the emphasis is on scoring a point, rather than not looking weak.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're not going to see rapid bouncing very much in Muay Thai, either, because it looks frantic and weak to Muay Thai people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's also something to be said for the fact that boxing doesn't have to worry about long-distance kicks coming at the worst time in that bounce. With Muay Thai, a kick can come very fast and strong, and if you're up in the air at the time, you will be knocked over or worse. Being knocked over in Muay Thai has a greater influence on judges than in boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You will see this in kickboxing, though. And that could be because kickboxing is highly influenced by boxing. Whereas Muay Thai is much less influenced by boxing and has their own history behind the way it strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's it as far as I can tell. On the one hand, I think there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to use the bounce step in Muay Thai, but if it's seen as weak, maybe that actually matters. It's considered bad practice, so you probably shouldn't do it in Muay Thai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2022-01-15T21:17:59.900" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13143" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-01-16T20:33:19.240" Score="4" ViewCount="328" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it overall better to use punches on an assailant or palm strikes? I don't want to break my fingers when punching, but is punching safer? Or should I switch to palm strikes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12139" LastActivityDate="2022-01-16T22:05:54.290" Title="If I am in an actual self defense situation, which is better, punching or palm strikes?" Tags="|self-defense|self-training|punching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13144" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13148" CreationDate="2022-01-16T21:22:49.823" Score="0" ViewCount="519" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Muay Thai front teep kick, a person can use 1) balls of feet 2) heel or 3) entire feet to kick. I typically use balls of feet as taught in class, and seems to be most widely used. Just curious in, what situations would person use the heel or entire feet?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Muay Thai Basics: Introductory Thai Boxing Techniques &amp;quot; Christoph Delp&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qC9nI.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qC9nI.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Front Teep Pictures:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/esAxO.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/esAxO.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4I0m0.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4I0m0.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/AK5Rj.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/AK5Rj.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2022-01-16T21:31:52.723" LastActivityDate="2022-01-19T14:19:08.570" Title="Muay Thai Front Teep Kick: When to use heel or balls of foot" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|kicking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13145" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13143" CreationDate="2022-01-16T22:05:54.290" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This depends on a few things&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Are you wearing boxing/mma gloves?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are then punch away! you might have trouble with a palm strike anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are you hitting?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's very different suggesting a palm strike to the face (which makes sense) to a palm strike to the stomach solar plexus or liver (which really doesn't).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes you will hear the phrase: &amp;quot;Hit hard targets soft and soft targets hard&amp;quot;  from Kung Fu practitioners.  It's not always right but it's not bad as a rough guide.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Have you conditioned your hands into calloused lumps with over calcified knuckles?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your hand looks like this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/76RFR.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/76RFR.png&quot; alt=&quot;Calloused hands from punching a makiwara&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;you probably know how to punch to the face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;How good are you with punches compared with palm strikes?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Palm strikes also put the fingers in danger if you leave them extended.  If your punching form is good and you have practiced hitting with the correct two knuckles it may be safer then the palm strike.  If you have practiced the palm strike more then stick with that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-01-16T22:05:54.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13146" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-01-17T17:18:56.160" Score="-4" ViewCount="67" Body="&lt;p&gt;So what do you do if an attacker is under the influence of drugs, he can't listen and hear anything, and you have no choice but to fight. What if your attacker is a trained fighter and you have absolutely no choice but to fight- there is no talking your way out of it or running away- you are cornered. Even worse, you are not a good fighter. How do you survive this situation?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12139" LastActivityDate="2022-01-18T12:08:45.307" Title="What do you do if an attacker is a trained fighter?" Tags="|streetfight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13147" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13146" CreationDate="2022-01-17T21:55:21.390" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your question basically comes down to: if you have absolutely no chance, what do you do? It is hard to come up with a serious answer for that and I was close to casting a close vote as this is highly hypothetical, but decided to answer with general advice for self-defense of the defenseless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The standard advice is twofold:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Scream &amp;quot;FIRE&amp;quot; at the top of your voice. Nobody will react when you scream help as people tend to try to avoid getting themselves into something, but fire is inciting...reactions. Raising attention is the best safeguard for situations where fighting is hopeless as people don't like witnesses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Cover vital parts (head, abdomen) as well as possible and do not fight back. Even if they are mad, most people let go of people who do nothing in return.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you can see, both advices are not particularly 'martial' or give you an edge in a fight. But tbh, you ruled out that there is a fighting chance, thus the best thing you can do is anything that improves your chance of survival or at least not sustaining lasting damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-01-18T12:08:45.307" LastActivityDate="2022-01-18T12:08:45.307" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13148" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13144" CreationDate="2022-01-19T10:23:51.823" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As the lower text says, there are several possible targets besides the abdomen for front kicks, most notably the legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From my experience, using the whole foot is good for &lt;em&gt;moving the opponent&lt;/em&gt;, may it be the leg to compromise balance and rhythm or the whole body (abdomen push kick). Sure, you could do that with the balls (abdomen, maybe even bladder) or the heels (leg) for more damage just as well. But for that, you must have a perfect target. And when you set up techniques by moving the leg or need to make some space by a push kick, your focus is elsewhere and thus it is perfectly valid to make sure you get enough thrust behind that kick and into the opponent. That's easier done when using the whole foot. Instead of the leg you can also aim for the outer grain regions. Goal is to turn the opponent and bring them off-balance, which opens them up for e.g. a hook punch as follow-up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you may have noticed, I mentioned to use the heel of the foot against the leg for damage. This can be done by frontal load with the heel into the muscle or by a &amp;quot;hook&amp;quot;, where you basically do not do a front kick as such, but move your heel above the opponent's leg and then let your heel sink into the thigh from above. The goal here is to damage the muscle and impede footwork. Using the ball of the foot does not make much sense here as the danger of not perfectly hitting the mark and compromising your balance is much higher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also heard people mentioning using the heel with a front kick towards the sternum. Doesn't do as much winding as hitting with the ball of the foot there, but allows for different mechanics which also uproot the opponent and make them topple backwards. Also, blocking arms are less of a problem. Only makes sense if aiming significantly above the hip line though. Personally, I've never used that as a teep kick into the bladder is easier and less risky.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-01-19T14:19:08.570" LastActivityDate="2022-01-19T14:19:08.570" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13149" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10291" CreationDate="2022-01-22T20:15:06.323" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Wing Chun training and also the fight choreography for the Ip Man films is attributed to Sammo Hung who enlisted Master Leo Au-Yeung to assist - see: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4348989/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4348989/&lt;/a&gt; - having discussed the films etc with Leo Au-Yeung, he informed me that the actors abilities and time* were a factor in what could be included. *Forgetting not that Hong Kong / Chinese martial arts films are made over a short period of time thusly, one can not expect to see what could have been included had both Sammo Hung and Master Leo Au-Yeung been the stars of the Ip Man films. Nevertheless, yes the films showcase - choreographed - Wing Chun techniques - BTW, I recommend that anybody who is interested in seeing 'authentic' Wing Chun (choreographed for a table-top), watch 'The Prodigal Son' - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_prodigal_son_1983&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_prodigal_son_1983&lt;/a&gt; - btw, it was co-written, directed, choreographed, and stars ... Sammo Hung  : )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12317" LastActivityDate="2022-01-22T20:15:06.323" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13150" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-01-23T15:18:46.953" Score="2" ViewCount="338" Body="&lt;p&gt;first of all, im 23 and doing boxing for like 3 years now... I'm training seriously, have 8 training sessions per week and also I spar with some good people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just today I had my first 2 fights, the bell rang all of a sudden I forgot everything I knew about boxing, I didn't work with the jab, was flying forward when punching and let my hands down...&#xA;I won my first match but the opponent was a beginner, my second opponent knocked me down in the third round and the fight was stopped by my trainer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel like beating myself up for that, it's nothing like the way I usually spar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it just that I have to fight a couple more times to get used to that feeling or is there any other way to get a clear head when fighting ? I have watched other peoples first matches and they didn't seem to be so bad, even though they were less experienced than me and usually worse than me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks in advance!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12318" LastActivityDate="2022-01-25T13:11:59.537" Title="Sparring looks really good, but as soon as it comes to a real match I can't box" Tags="|boxing|sparring|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13151" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13094" CreationDate="2022-01-24T12:51:24.457" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Going to attempt an answer to try to get this one moving. Happy to get thoughts on any of these strategies:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;First would be to try to evade towards the opponents back and then use their forward momentum to throw or trip them to the ground. Because the lead arm tends to be tucked in close to the body during a shoulder charge I don't imagine grabbing it into a lock or hold would be realistic in the short amount of time available.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Similar to above except half rolling backwards into a Judo &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/n9odlO7y9Mg?t=242&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hikikome Gaeshi&lt;/a&gt;, this would need very precise timing though.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Lastly, which you would need more reaction time for, is to lower your body sideways and employ something similar to a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/8/81/Slide-Tackle-in-Soccer-Step-13.jpg/aid1933612-v4-1200px-Slide-Tackle-in-Soccer-Step-13.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;soccer sliding tackle&lt;/a&gt; (except without the sliding) to sweep the opponents feet while positioning yourself out of the way.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastActivityDate="2022-01-24T12:51:24.457" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13152" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-01-24T13:00:36.813" Score="1" ViewCount="73" Body="&lt;p&gt;I read &lt;a href=&quot;https://talksport.com/sport/mma/779943/khabib-nurmagomedov-broken-toe-ufc-254-justin-gaethje/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this article&lt;/a&gt; recently and was surprised to hear that an MMA fighter was medically cleared to fight even though they had a fractured toe. I understand Khabib is a beast but isn't there usually a medical checkup before each bout, how exactly did this slip the radar? Is it common for fighters in MMA to be cleared with injuries as significant as fractures or was this just a rare occasion?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastActivityDate="2022-01-24T14:08:08.147" Title="Is it common for MMA fighters to fight with fractures?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|injury|medical-advice|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13153" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13152" CreationDate="2022-01-24T14:08:08.147" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't know what the UFC's exact protocols are, but to reliably find all possible fractures, you'd have to do whole-body X-rays, and I'm pretty sure they don't do that. Then you'd also have to do whole-body MRIs to find torn ligaments, etc. ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is important to distinguish the examinations needed to get a license from the checkup on fight day. The former may include MRI scans, ECGs and EEGs, blood tests and other procedures that would detect long-term health issues, but these tests only have to be done every couple of years, so they would not reveal any recent injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what I've seen in amateur organizations, the medical checkup on fight day consisted of visual inspection, pulse/ blood pressure, pupil dilation, and a couple of questions - &amp;quot;are you feeling well? Any recent concussions? Are you taking any medications?&amp;quot; As far as I know, in the UFC, fighters are obligated to disclose any relevant injuries (fractures, torn ligaments etc.), but I have never heard of any punishment for failure to disclose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How often does this happen? No one knows, but UFC-level fighters are incredibly tough and pain-resistant people who fully expect to go into a fight more or less banged-up from their training camps, and the negative consequences of disclosing an injury and having an important fight cancelled may (in their opinion) outweigh the risks of keeping their mouth shut and hoping for the best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9630" LastActivityDate="2022-01-24T14:08:08.147" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13154" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13094" CreationDate="2022-01-25T08:40:54.543" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A shoulder charge generally leaves the charger's groin incredibly vulnerable and ripe for exploitation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A quick step to your attackers exposed side, followed by a hook punch or knee to the groin can an effective counter-attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If a counter-attack is not desired, a side step followed by an ankle trip will often land them on the ground, which may give you an opportunity to evade.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6354" LastActivityDate="2022-01-25T08:40:54.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13155" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13094" CreationDate="2022-01-25T12:33:41.420" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Shoulder charging someone is a very basic way to attack. The attacker is committing their weight forward, and simply not being there is probably sufficient for them to put themselves on the ground. Move your feet and get out of the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The main difficulty is timing and speed. You need to move late enough that the charger is not able to readjust, but not so late that they hit you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You probably don't have the time to grab anything with your hands but can push or wrap with your arms.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You should prefer to stay on your feet because it gives you more flexibility for what may happen next.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I don't think it really matters whether you evade to the front or rear because the charger is already committed; you won't be getting the second punch from a combination by moving to the front.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You can add a trip. In judo this would be a sasae tsurikomi ashi, but it won't look like most examples because judo players don't normally unbalance themselves for you. Normally you would have to get grips and unbalance them yourself.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2022-01-25T12:33:41.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13156" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13150" CreationDate="2022-01-25T13:11:59.537" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Honestly, this is a really common thing to happen when you get into a &amp;quot;real fight&amp;quot; for the first time in a style. The adrenaline kicks in, your brain locks up from all of the possibilities, and all of the drills just don't come to mind, or don't work the way you expect them to. Really, the only way to learn from it is experience. Practicing at half speed is an option (although initially, you will have issues with reacting too fast) to start thinking on the fly but not panicking, as is focusing on a few simple combinations and a generic defense, or specific defense and a generic offense. But ultimately, the only cure is experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've had teachers with different philosophies regarding the length of initial bouts. One school of thought is that if you break the fights down into short exchanges, new fighters get the experience of the fight, but get a bit of time in between to reflect on what they did and how well it worked. The other is that longer bouts are better, because they give you a chance to burn through some of the adrenaline, and as you get tired, sometimes your movements will become more efficient from necessity. That said, fatigue can also make you sloppy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-01-25T13:11:59.537" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13157" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13094" CreationDate="2022-01-25T13:26:45.973" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;From the perspective of my current style, Capoeira, this is typically either an entrance into &lt;em&gt;tesoura&lt;/em&gt;, or an attempt to push you back to get the distance for one of the straight kicks (with the added benefit that the reflex for a lot of people when pushed back is to surge back forwards, which throws them into your kick). The preliminary defense is to not be there, typically by stepping to the outside and shoving their shoulder away from you. If you can't evade, the next best movement is usually to try to get above the charge so that your weight is bearing down on them, forcing them to work harder, and to try to &amp;quot;float&amp;quot; over the push so that you're not off-balance when you land.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can't do that, and you're knocked off balance, the general idea is to fall on your own terms as much as you can, and it's largely the usual advice of making sure you don't try to catch yourself on your fingers, no straight arms, and the like. Because of how Capoeira is &amp;quot;scored&amp;quot; (we don't have unified sporting rules across the style, but people will judge you), you'll want to avoid letting your torso, buttocks, or knees touch the ground, and if you are able to land gracefully and immediately transition into movement, people might not even consider you as having been taken down. For many people, being able to redirect the falling movement into a cartwheel or other &lt;em&gt;floreio&lt;/em&gt; is even better than being forced to a ground position, which might further limit your movement, and has a stronger feeling that you've been knocked down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to how this applies to self-defense (sorry, kind of got down in the weeds), the key takeaways is that you want to evade, probably to the outside, and redirect the movement. If you can't evade, try to keep control and avoid getting knocked to the ground. If you can't avoid getting knocked to the ground, control your fall and try to immediately transition into movement. You'll probably want something that gets you to your feet quickly in case your attacker has some buddies around, or decides to start dropping chairs on you. Turtling on the ground works alright works alright with a single attacker who's committed to getting in close to you, but can leave you vulnerable with multiple attackers, or with someone willing to hit from a distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-01-25T13:26:45.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13158" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-01-25T23:32:44.707" Score="5" ViewCount="1659" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you were fighting someone bigger than you in a street fight (and a possibly trained thug), would it be dangerous to block it if the attacker is also stronger than you? Should you dodge instead? In the same case, is parrying safer?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12139" LastActivityDate="2022-01-26T14:27:02.557" Title="Is it dangerous to block blows from someone bigger than you?" Tags="|striking|streetfight|blocking|parry|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13159" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13163" CreationDate="2022-01-26T00:25:23.720" Score="3" ViewCount="1020" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not trying to say anything controversial here, but looking at the general differences between the female and male bodies I am wondering if there are any general things that are easier for or women are generally better at in martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, it is generally accepted that men are stronger on average, so generating power is easier for them. However most women are generally lighter so could it be easier for them to generate speed more easily during striking, or have better cardio on average? Those are the sort of things I am asking about. I think this is useful when training new students, not by stereotyping based on gender but understanding how the differences of a body type affects training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastActivityDate="2022-01-27T22:22:41.147" Title="In general what are women better at in martial arts than men?" Tags="|training|gender|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13160" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13159" CreationDate="2022-01-26T04:16:51.267" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I was training in my high school Judo club, my instructor was a woman. She was a 5th dan. I think we were discussing differences between males and females in Judo, and she remarked to me that she thought the girls learned more quickly than the boys did and were more technically proficient earlier on. I was surprised to hear her say that, given the size and strength advantage the boys had. Were the girls just smarter than the boys?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason, she said, was precisely because the boys were more muscular. I didn't understand. She said that when you lack the muscle power and size that the boys have, you lose a lot more often. So she said the girls had to learn to use proper technique and leverage in order to win, whereas the boys tended to rely on their size and strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a result, girls usually have to invest in their losses much more up front than boys do. And that gives them a head start in their technique mastery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boys can approach it the same way, she said. It requires that you become aware of when you're just forcing your technique against a smaller opponent. Do that, and you'll make quicker progress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since that time, I have never forgotten her lesson and have always approached my training the way she recommended in all the different martial arts I've trained in. I have lost much more often, and at times have appeared &amp;quot;soft&amp;quot;, but I used those as opportunities to improve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2022-01-26T04:16:51.267" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13161" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13158" CreationDate="2022-01-26T06:50:08.200" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You are never going to know whether the person is stronger than you until you've seen or felt the amount of damage they can do. Bigger guys exist that can't strike if their life depended on it, and there's also smaller guys who will surprise you. It also depends on how you block. A stronger guy may be able to wear down your forearms, but block his fist with an elbow a few times and I'm pretty sure he'll be worse off pretty quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dodging will obviously avoid any damage completely but it will mean you have to be much more mobile (and may run out of steam before they do) and be mentally ahead of them. In a realistic fight it is very difficult to avoid every blow unless you take out the opponent after their first one. And if worse comes to worse, it is always better to cover up just in case then be &amp;quot;dodging&amp;quot; and blocking with your face. Even if it was a baseball bat or knife coming at you, you would probably want to dodge, but I would certainly use my hands to protect the more vital parts of my body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastActivityDate="2022-01-26T06:50:08.200" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13162" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13158" CreationDate="2022-01-26T07:59:51.753" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;In a street fight, physical size and perceived strength have little bearing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a famous example, a petite female MMA fighter (Polyana Viana) was mugged on the streets of Rio by a male.  After she was done with him, he looked like a truck hit him and required medical help... she did not:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JRrOy.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JRrOy.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Polyana Viana and her assailant&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;em&gt;source: mixedmartialarts.com&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a world of difference between throwing a punch (or elbow, knee, or kick) and throwing an &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;effective&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; punch (or elbow, knee, or kick).  Similarly, there's a world of difference between know how to take a punch (or elbow, knee, or kick) and being hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen people of all shapes and sizes involved in street fights with others.  The only consistency I've seen in outcome is how hard the really big guys hit the ground.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whenever possible, it is best to avoid street fighting.  You never know the training of your opponent, or who has a weapon.  And if law enforcement eventually arrives, they often arrest both parties.  But if they only arrest one of the fighters, it's often the victor, regardless of who started it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6354" LastActivityDate="2022-01-26T07:59:51.753" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13163" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13159" CreationDate="2022-01-26T13:51:17.747" Score="8" Body="&lt;h2&gt;On the general difference between genders in martial arts training&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the documentary 'Be strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful', Keiko Fukuda - first woman ever to be awarded the 10th dan in Judo - theorised about women often being better Judoka technically speaking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;She argues that this was not because of their gender as such, but because they tend to simply not have the strength to power through against a partner - a common practice among beginners - and therefore have to learn efficiency early in their career.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is probably a lesson she learned from one of her early teachers, Mifune, who was, as she herself points out, small and with a weak physique even for Japanese men and yet had such a good feeling, timing, speed, and precision that he could not be beaten in competition even by much bigger opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only anatomical difference she mentions is that female muscles were longer and made for more graceful and speedy motions, which I consider to be inherited bias as this does not fit with any anatomical knowledge from certifications and seminars.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, I'd argue that female practitioners (on average!) might not have an &lt;em&gt;inherent&lt;/em&gt; advantage in any dimension of martial arts but rather are forced to train to be faster, and more precise, and with better timing, than male partictioners (again, on average) if they want to properly execute a technique against resistance. This effect is multiplied when training in mixed groups with direct comparability. This way, their initial  disadvantage becomes an advantage as they do not focus on the mere &lt;em&gt;outcome&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;outer form&lt;/em&gt; of techniques, but train the &lt;em&gt;ways&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;principles&lt;/em&gt; to reach their goal, which in the long run leads to a better technical development.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As Steve writes in his answer, though, nothing prevents male practitioners (small or big) from having the same focus and development. And as a friend of mine (some 5 feet, 50kg, 2nd dan Japanese Jiu Jitsu and 1st dan Judo with quite a punch behind her kicks and strikes) had to admit: Despite all her technical and fighting prowess, if someone like me with a solid knowledge and ability as a well-rounded fighter and 50%+ higher weight went all out against her, she wouldn't stand a chance if not for some lucky knock out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;On the consequences for martial arts instructors&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First off, the following has &lt;strong&gt;nothing&lt;/strong&gt; to do with gender as such.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the main consequences is that if you want to have something to offer to all practitioners, you need to understand and be able to develop technical principles for and in your students in various ways. It does not help to just repeat the demonstration of a technique and let your students repeat it as &amp;quot;they will get it on the way&amp;quot;. Regardless of the gender, there are three learning types: Some &lt;em&gt;need to see&lt;/em&gt; (visual learning), others &lt;em&gt;need to understand&lt;/em&gt; (conceptual learning), and some &lt;em&gt;need to be moved correctly&lt;/em&gt; (bodily learning). Everyone needs all components for perfection, but especially for the initial acquisition of a new technique, there is one type dominant in everyone. Accordingly, you need to address all aspects by being a good model in demonstrations, being able to explain what is going on, and correct movements hands on sometimes (movement restriction by forming a barrier or guiding via a stick - no hitting! - if direct contact is socially inadequate).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same goes for training forms: from mere technical drills to competitive forms to cooperative formats (students helping students) to small &amp;quot;games&amp;quot;, the more diverse the technical, cognitive, and social demands, the wider the variety of people your training is able to reach and develop. There always is a certain correspondence needed between instructor and student and you should always remain authentic as you cannot please everyone. But being open to new input and having fun in developing new forms of training will certainly benefit both students and yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another, more general advice is to be open to listening to and addressing any point students are having problems with, including and beyond mere technical weaknesses (in your own demonstration or their reproduction). Not every technique suits every physique and I sometimes see how a proposed solution for a certain situation just does not work for some students due to them having different body proportions and leverage. This sometimes manifests as demarcation roughly between genders but by no means is limited to that as there are e.g. stout men with short limbs as there are tall women with long limbs. This obviously all the more is important when it comes to social problems of group (or your personal) interaction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Referring to the first part, the most &amp;quot;gendered&amp;quot; difference will be muscular development. Accordingly, when it comes to power generation (regardless of whether we talk about strikes, kicks, throws, strangles, bars, or even weapon hits), people need a more technical approach with power generation from the whole body if they have less muscle weight. Thus, you need to reflect your own techniques on how much their success or power relies on muscular strength and, in case they do a lot, omit or improve the technical aspects of them before teaching them. Another, minor aspect that comes with the slower muscle growth in women (has to do with hormones as testosterone is one of the main drivers of muscular growth; main reason why male students between 14 and 19 profit most from strength training per unit) is that building up strength takes longer and muscles tend to be more flexible, ie. women need more strength training and less stretching for the same grade of performance improvement. This should be considered when it comes to planning of lessons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-01-27T11:13:25.637" LastActivityDate="2022-01-27T11:13:25.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13164" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13158" CreationDate="2022-01-26T14:27:02.557" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Really it depends what you call a block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you use 'cover blocking' from boxing in a street fight I would say this is dangerous because you are probably not wearing gloves.  You will have to adapt these to make them work against anyone without damaging your fingers.  You will probably adapt them into something resembling karate/taekwondo before they work well with bare hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RHXCJc7Als&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Boxing Blocks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are using karate/taekwondo blocks (uke) you will not pull them off against a  much physically stronger attacker.  I say this because it requires actually pushing the arm out of the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwE1tj1MDm4&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tae Kwon Do Blocks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you train in Shorinji kempo we teach to dodge and parry (uke again) instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This &lt;em&gt;does&lt;/em&gt; work against a stronger attacker (I weigh about 100kg and can use these sparing with a 140 kg opponent) but you have to carefully control the distance to allow yourself space to read the attack.  This is because you intend to move your entire body (and possibly legs too) in the time your opponent uses to make their attack.  If they are too close you won't have time to do this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOMLJ4ORWr0&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Shorinji Kempo Blocks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are training a Wing Chun or similar style (or Shorinji Kempo at 2nd dan level or above) you may manage to unbalance your opponent using your deflection, but this is really hard to do and gets harder the more training your opponent has.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this point you are crossing the line from striking to light grappling but it's still a kind of block in a way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooqulCVoFsQ&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Wing Chun Blocks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your blocks of this kind are good enough you can actually prevent the second attack in a combination from coming by bringing your attacker to kuzushi with the block from the first attack.  I can't pull this off as yet though, even after 10 years of training but I am beginning to learn this method.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bottom line is, blocking is not an easy thing to do.  It takes time to learn and you have to think carefully about what kind of strategy you are using too.  Also you have to train blocks without gloves if that is how you intend to defend yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-01-26T14:27:02.557" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13165" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13159" CreationDate="2022-01-26T21:51:19.147" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;For striking arts, flexibility comes to mind.  Having a head start there is especially useful for adults starting martial arts training, but even some boys are problematically inflexible.  With proper training most people under 40 can get as flexible as they need to be to  do all the usual kicks head high in two or three months, spending half an hour to an hour a day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And past a point, being more flexible and loose can make it harder to do certain motions as explosively.  Many movements in striking arts rely on plyometrics - e.g. where the arm you're about to punch with moves backwards even as the hip beneath it rotates forwards, until there's a stretch through that side of the body and the nervous system kicks in to force a contraction - to protecting the body from being over-stretched and damaged - that then snaps the punching arm's shoulder forward, and the arm that's been moving backwards itself stretches and then snaps forwards.  It should be like a chain of whips cracking.  Another example - if you're a dancer and can comfortably stand upright and lift your leg up vertically beside your head, then clearly your muscles are so accustomed to that position that they're not going to provide a nice plyometric resistance to help you bring down an axe kick quickly and with devastating power.  You want to be able to bring the leg up without it being a ballistic stretch (likely to injure you), but it should be decelerating the motion and contracting to bring the leg down fast and hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I agree with the point Philip and Steve have made.  Although male, my hapkido master was pretty frail and had to find techniques that would work against much stronger, resisting people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1618" LastEditorUserId="1618" LastEditDate="2022-01-27T22:22:41.147" LastActivityDate="2022-01-27T22:22:41.147" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13167" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9735" CreationDate="2022-01-28T21:48:22.617" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your back/health/life is more important than any fancy throw in a competition. So, do not risk anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12139" LastActivityDate="2022-01-28T21:48:22.617" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13168" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13169" CreationDate="2022-01-29T07:51:41.353" Score="0" ViewCount="131" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Kickboxing front kick, the same side hand does Not go down. In Muay Thai front kick the hand does go down. What is the reason for this difference?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt1wxiH_H9s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt1wxiH_H9s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/lMYhS.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/lMYhS.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wBQs-l7yss&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wBQs-l7yss&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/OtkSe.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/OtkSe.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-02-03T02:21:52.453" Title="Muay Thai vs Kickboxing Front Kick, Same Side Hand differences" Tags="|technique|muay-thai|kicking|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13169" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13168" CreationDate="2022-01-29T09:09:52.793" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think this comes down to different cultures due to scoring systems and should not be generalised.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In kickboxing, it is actively encouraged to keep your guard up at all times, including when throwing a kick. That is because you want to minimise risk as hits taken adding up to dizziness is what is to be avoided at all costs and depending on the rules,  even light hits may count as a score against you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Muay Thai, on the other hand, a display of dominance is your main goal. Accordingly, fighters more often consciously let their guard down in order to show 'look, I don't even need to protect myself against this guy'. Also, if you are not actively trained to keep your hands in front and up, this is the more natural thing to do to keep your balance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, it comes down to slightly more power with the help of this counter-movement of the arm vs. slightly more defensive capabilities with a hand out ready for block/parry. I wouldn't say that these differences generally hold between these two sports though, as the emphasis on power or safety respectively isn't tied to the sport as such, beyond the mentioned cultural difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Accordingly, you will find both in pictures and technical descriptions of both sports, although Muay Thai that is explicitly trained in the context of MMA tends to have their guard/hand up as well, as goals and demands are similar to full contact kickboxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-01-29T10:59:59.153" LastActivityDate="2022-01-29T10:59:59.153" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13170" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-01-31T11:39:47.920" Score="2" ViewCount="197" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have seen some knockout videos of the Rolling Wheel Kick mostly used by Kyokushin Karate practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wanted to know if it was invented just for that sport, or for fighting and brawling as well. It seems that throwing your kick head down is very risky and probably hazardous on rough surface or even hard surface.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or there is special technique and training that needs to be mastered to hit that anywhere?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8501" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-01-31T13:32:12.587" LastActivityDate="2022-02-02T13:06:44.637" Title="Can the Rolling Wheel kick (Kaitan Geri) of Kyokushin Karate be used on hard surfaces?" Tags="|karate|kicking|streetfight|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13171" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13170" CreationDate="2022-01-31T13:46:16.900" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not a Kyokushin practitioner, but my understanding is that the technique was not invented for tournaments. That said, it's also not one generally useful for open combat as it is, as you note, a technique that can leave you in a bad position after the attack. Just to clear up one thing, if you miss with the kick, you are essentially doing a forward roll, which is a technique many martial artists learn to do on hard surfaces. Yes, you do face some additional risk from uneven or broken surfaces, but presumably that's part of what you consider when you decide whether to use it. And if you land it solidly, your opponent helps cushion the impact, so that helps there. What is potentially more dangerous, based on my experiences with similar flipping kicks in Capoeira, is partial hits. Actually hitting with one of these kicks will rob you of some of your momentum, and may change your direction of movement as you are deflected, which puts you at greater risk for landing badly, whether it's on the head or spine, or awkwardly catching yourself with your limbs. Even if you avoid damage on impact, you are likely now on the ground, which is a bad place to be if your opponent is still standing and able to capitalize on it, or they have buddies. Ideally, you should do some training against resistance to learn how to recover, and how to protect yourself in the case of a fall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So where does this kick potentially come in handy? Well, generally it would be used in a one-on-one situation where you have only one opponent. It is a very powerful kick, and might be a decent way to break through a guard, or to strike a larger opponent, in a one-on-one situation. And in the case of a retreating opponent, it has the potential to attack while keeping in attacking distance. Even with a miss, you may be able to roll right back up to your feet and be within striking distance. Lastly, it might be a useful thing to train for those situations where you do lose your footing and want to try to salvage it into an attack. Ultimately, it's not a technique I'd have in my usual arsenal for a fight, but I see a definite benefit in learning it, both so that it could be used where appropriate and also, as with other flipping techniques, to teach air awareness for the situation where you have no choice but to be inverted during a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, there is one other aspect to jumping, flying, and flipping kicks like this that's relevant to self defense, but less directly. Namely, because these attacks look impressive, they can sometimes be used to intimidate attackers to convince them not to fight you. Personally, I think the converse can also happen, where doing an impressive technique can lead to people &lt;em&gt;wanting&lt;/em&gt; to fight you because of that, but there is a degree to which a drop-kick or even a non-offensive flip can lead to people going &amp;quot;Hey, that guy knows some moves... maybe I will take him up on buying me a beer to replace the one I spilled when he bumped into me.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-01-31T14:22:42.920" LastActivityDate="2022-01-31T14:22:42.920" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13172" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13168" CreationDate="2022-02-02T12:45:37.487" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think you will find that it is simply a stylistic difference. Muay Thai tends to drop the arm and use it to pump in the opposite direction for a few of their kicks, most notably the front kick and the roundhouse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I did some (limited) training in muay thai I was told that this pump action in the opposite direction to the kick is to increase power, however based on experience I don't believe the movement itself does add power - it tends to help balance more than anything. As you'll see from kickboxing and karate, the pump motion is unnecessary and you can generate significant power without it, although it does take considerably longer to master the technique. So it could be argued that using the pump motion assists with balance enough that beginners or junior students can increase the power of the kick at a faster rate with less training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2022-02-02T12:45:37.487" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13173" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13170" CreationDate="2022-02-02T13:06:44.637" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;To answer your question quite literally: yes it can, but you risk injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's important to note that kicks like this are simply one of the options available to you, they're one of the tools in the toolkit. But in reality you will have very few - if any - opportunities to use this type of kick because it requires both significant practice, and careful setup or distancing. The kick itself is quite slow and works best as a fight finisher against an opponent who is already almost finished.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/xr2StCdq4M0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this linked video&lt;/a&gt; is cherry picked because it suits my argument, it still illustrates a number of important things about the kick:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;it is considerably slower and less accurate than other kicks you have in your arsenal&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the opponent only has to move slightly off line for the kick to become mostly or wholly ineffective&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you can easily injure yourself even when hitting the opponent flush due to connecting with the wrong part of your foot/heel&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;it is best used on a padded floor, i.e. in a tournament setting&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the video looks spectacular but can be misleading as it shows only successful usage of the kick, it doesn't show any instances of the kick failing (nobody wants to compile a collection of failed kicks!)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;but even in this video, if you look closely you will see a number of times the kick doesn't land well (the kicker hits with the calf, the soft part of the heel, side of the shin, the ankle)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2022-02-02T13:06:44.637" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13175" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-02-03T19:05:08.987" Score="4" ViewCount="173" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 23, boxing for about 3 years, and I am always looking for ways to get on the next level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to strengthen my fast twitch muscle fibers (become faster) I know that you can improve that with speed strength training, but it's said that therefore you need a good maximum strength base.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How important is maximum strength for boxing and how do I begin to train it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Best regards&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12318" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2022-02-08T20:34:06.313" LastActivityDate="2022-02-08T20:34:06.313" Title="Maximum strength for Boxing" Tags="|boxing|speed|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13177" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13175" CreationDate="2022-02-03T22:01:49.007" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick answer:&lt;/strong&gt; roughly 1-1.25xBW is sufficient for most strikers, but you should also deadlift about 2xBW.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Longer answer:&lt;/strong&gt;&#xA;So, I've done a bit of research on performance indicators for martial arts previously as I do S&amp;amp;C work and teach martial artists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There isn't a huge correlation between pressing strength (overhead or bench) and punching power. This applies across striking sports, not just to boxers. That said while there aren't many studies on it anecdotally most coaches recommend a 0.7xBW Press, or 1-1.25xBW Bench for athletes reliant on their upper body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a greater correlation between expressions of lower body power such as the countermovement jump (CMJ) or mid-thigh pull (rack deadlift) than there is the upper body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In top level boxers (Olympic competitors) a rack pull of about 200-300kg (at the highest levels of strength) is achievable, however for most amateurs a mid-thigh pull of around 2.5xBW or a deadlift from the floor of around 2xBW is both achievable (long-term) without requiring specialisation as a powerlifter/strongman. Raw numbers somewhere around the 180kg mark is good for most adult men who don't have a strength-sport focus (and 120kg-ish is solid for most women).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The countermovement jump is another test which can be used - and is a little more forgiving on the body than max effort deadlifts. A vertical jump is easy to set up with some stickers and a ruler (example: shorturl.at/pGMXZ).&#xA;You can then use something like Lewis' formula* to estimate your power output using your weight and the distance. The results of the various calculations are different, but as long as you use the same one each time you should be set.&#xA;The CMJ can be built with progressive jump training, moving from 1-legged hops, through exercises like broad jumps, then box jumps, finishing with depth jumps. Make sure you know how to jump and land safely before you take part in this, or you'll destroy your knees.&#xA;It can also be built with compound lower body lifts - favour something like the front squat over a back squat for the body position. Approximately a 1.2xBW front squat is a good target, it should largely match your bench.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, don't forget power development exercises for the upper body. Med ball throws are great and concentric only so easy to recover from. A two handed &amp;quot;chest pass&amp;quot; style throw from a kneeling position is the standard test, and 380cm+ is the goal here. This can be trained using med ball throws, but will also be built with explosive press-up variations, and by increasing your bench and press. The above bench values should have no trouble meeting this as a metric.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11766" LastActivityDate="2022-02-03T22:01:49.007" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13178" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13175" CreationDate="2022-02-04T11:49:20.007" Score="5" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Short answer&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your only goal is speed, you should not consider &lt;em&gt;classical strength training&lt;/em&gt;, as it will not improve your speed. That is, it will, but only initially and marginally. Although both kinds of training do train fast-twitch fibres, it is fast movement against resistance that trains speed performance, and slower movement with higher weight/intensity that trains strength performance. &lt;strong&gt;They are two different kinds of strength trained differently.&lt;/strong&gt; Since your goal is to reach maximum velocity with low resistance, this is what you should train like (Specific Adaption of Imposed Demands, or SAID principle). What classical strength training may do for you, though, is improving the circumference of your muscle and allow for it to hold more energy reserves, hence if your problem is fatigue over longer periods of time, go for it. Also, it will eventually allow you to use exercises and weights for speed training you previously just couldn't do fast enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Long answer&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Two kinds of strength&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fast-twitch muscle fibres are made for explosive tension. This can, depending on resistance, take two forms. As &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elitefts.com/education/speed-vs-speed-strength/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this article&lt;/a&gt; explains (including corresponding research), this translates to two different kinds of strength trained differently (here, using benchpress as example):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There have been a large number of people lately who have been using the terms &amp;quot;strength-speed&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;speed-strength&amp;quot; interchangeably. Unfortunately, this is incorrect.  At its base, strength-speed means strength in conditions of speed. Speed-strength, on the other hand, means speed in conditions of strength (Ajan, 1988; Roman, 1986). &lt;strong&gt;What this essentially means is that strength-speed means that you move a heavy(er) weight as fast as you can.&lt;/strong&gt; Typically, this is around 60% of a 1RM, and the bar moves at a specific velocity of .8-1.0m/s. &lt;strong&gt;In turn, speed-strength essentially means that you are trying to move as fast as you can, but your are moving a light(er) weight.&lt;/strong&gt; Typically, this is around 25-40% of a 1RM, and the bar moves at 1.1-1.5m/s. (bolded mine)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point is that the fast-twitch muscle fibres do, in a sense, try to do the same in both cases: move as fast as possible against a given resistance. Strength is strength is strength, isn't it? Yes, to an extent. But depending on resistance, the fibres have to &lt;em&gt;coordinate and work differently&lt;/em&gt;. That is why (maximum) strength training should be different from speed training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;How to train maximum speed, specifically&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the article quotes from a paper (Jidovtseff, Quièvre, Hanon, &amp;amp; Crielaard, 2009), if  your goal is to raise your maximum speed, you should train with &amp;quot;25-54% of [your] 1RM as fast as possible, which [should lead] to velocities of about 1.4 m/s to about 1.0 m/s&amp;quot;. RM stands for Repetition Maximum, ie. the maximum weight (or resistance, or, more generally, intensity) with which you are barely able to perform one clean repetition. It does not matter which exercise we are talking about. As the article points out, the same figures have been found for squats. Your main takeaway should be that &lt;strong&gt;higher weights and/or slower execution do not result in improvements of maximum (!) speed performance using the very same exercise&lt;/strong&gt; (if you already have some training).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Why use strength training at all, then?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strength training will, over time, let you move higher weights faster, even if it does not directly improve your maximum speed. Thus, what it will eventually do is that it allows you to use weights and exercises that used to be too hard for you to do with velocities of 1 m/s and above in effective maximum speed training. Much less efficient than going for maximum speed training with appropriate resistance and velocity right from the start though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, if you have limited means to generate resistance in terms of material, say given weights of medicine balls, given dumbbell weights, your own body weight, etc., it might be necessary to do maximum strength training first to enable you to use what you got in effective speed training later. Like if you want to use body weight (push-ups) but can't execute the exercise fast enough yet. Using appropriate resistance and velocities is to be preferred &lt;em&gt;where possible&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;A punch is not a benchpress&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, punch speed (especially for cross punches) is not only a matter of arm and shoulder strength, but is based on a kinetic chain which involves feet, legs, hips, core stability, and torso rotation. As &lt;a href=&quot;https://sweetscienceoffighting.com/does-the-bench-press-increase-punching-power/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this article&lt;/a&gt; suggests, you will need to do exercises which train the specifics of &lt;em&gt;all of the movement&lt;/em&gt;, which mainly involves: punching. A lot. Supplemented with high-speed exercises with the loads mentioned above. I would take this article with a pinch of salt as it lacks the insight mentioned above and thus bases its program on &lt;strong&gt;incomplete information&lt;/strong&gt;. Using medicine balls with a specific weight as resistance in biomechanically very similar push-throws and distance thrown as speed parameter is a very sound suggestion though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Some remarks on 'benchmarking' vs. individual training regimen&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It does not make sense to base suggestions on body weight if not as rule of thumb for goals to reach for a basic fitness when it comes to maximum strength. If you do not use your body weight in speed exercises, it is irrelevant for your speed training. A training regimen should be all about your individual physiological conditions. That helps you most and fastest. A functional test should give you your personal repetition maximum per exercise, which you should evaluate on a regular basis (at least monthly). Knowing that, you can plan your exercise intensity (weights, resistance via rubber bands, angles if you use body weight, etc.). Knowing them, do as many reps per set as you can perform within the exercise parameters (clean, fast enough), 3-5 sets each. Once again:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jidovtseff et al found that there were two separate and more explosive strengths on the bench press that they referred to as &amp;quot;power-velocity&amp;quot; [aka speed] and &amp;quot;strength-power&amp;quot; [aka (max) strength] (Jidovtseff, Quièvre, Hanon, &amp;amp; Crielaard, 2009). Interestingly enough, they found that power-velocity occurred when moving 25-54% of their 1RM as fast as possible, which led to velocities of about 1.4 m/s to about 1.0 m/s. Also, strength-power was found to be developed from 54-82% of their 1RM when moved as fast as possible, and it related to velocities of .8 m/s down to about .7 m/s. (from the first article)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This was known in Soviet sports science since the 80s, btw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-02-08T18:15:25.497" LastActivityDate="2022-02-08T18:15:25.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13179" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-02-09T00:01:21.630" Score="3" ViewCount="79" Body="&lt;p&gt;So let's say that somebody aimed a low side kick or low front kick at your leg. Not all low kicks are roundhouse kicks, right? So can the regular low kick shin-lift block be used against low side kicks and low front kicks?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12139" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2022-02-13T10:01:06.563" LastActivityDate="2022-02-13T19:43:46.517" Title="Can the low kick check be used against low front or side kick?" Tags="|blocking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13180" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13181" CreationDate="2022-02-09T00:43:17.647" Score="1" ViewCount="109" Body="&lt;p&gt;Years ago, I tried a beginner's boxing class in college.  One of the moves taught was parry an incoming jab with your back hand.  This is for when both partners are in orthodox position.  I think there may have been a counterjab at the same time.  Since it was a beginner class, we didn't learn slipping.  I picked that up later in kickboxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I thought, why not synchronize all three?  The parry assists the slip (a bit) -- as you move your right hand leftward toward the centre line, it can help you move your upper torso rightward away from the centre line.  This moves your left shoulder toward the centre line, a bit to the left of the incoming jab, and well positioned to unleash a jab of its own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I haven't trained in years, but I try to keep up the drills in isolation.  It's hard to know how practical the above drill is in a live interactive situation, even in a friendly drill, much less an unchoreagraphed situation.  &lt;strong&gt;Can anyone comment on this?  I haven't found examples online, and I'm afraid that this means it's not all that practical.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also have a similar drill for an incoming cross, but with everything in mirror image, i.e., leading left hand parries, upper torso rotates a bit to the left, and the simultaneous counter is my own right cross.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For both of these, I sometimes lean or shift forward a bit, and sometimes backward a bit.  There are, of course, follow-up strikes to the simultaneous counter, which can vary depending on one's creativity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What I found about parrying on YouTube&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeavLySNYRw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Boxing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqB_szSOQBk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;MMA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://expertboxing.com/how-to-parry-punches&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Boxing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Only the final video shows a slip-ish motion, specifically accompanying a side parry. To me, this makes sense because slipping wouldn't really complement the other parries that are demonstrated.  The demonstrator didn't actually say to slip at the same time, but you can see him doing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The demonstrator only talks about a side parry against a cross, so there is no footage of him parrying a jab.  I'm wondering whether slipping also makes sense for the latter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have yet to encounter a video on simultaneous parrying, slipping, and counter-striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10351" LastEditorUserId="10351" LastEditDate="2022-02-10T03:43:59.450" LastActivityDate="2022-02-10T20:25:36.073" Title="Practicality of simultaneous parry+slip+counter?" Tags="|parry|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13181" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13180" CreationDate="2022-02-10T10:00:39.847" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think you will not find anything on simultaneous parry, slip  and counter for a jab if not in some of these 'arts' that don't test their teachings in hard sparring but only do cooperative drills instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The reason is simple: reaction times and inertia.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good jab is in an out in about one second. A very good reaction time is about half a second. And a jab can come almost without prior movement signalling what is about to come. All this under the condition of a real fight, ie. utter chaos. In other words: It already is a great feat to parry a jab in a fight. Like at all. Mostly, that is done by fighters who sacrifice guard and powerful jabs for half-extended lead hands and rely on crosses to make damage. They are usually guys with range advantages where their opponent's jabs take longer since they need to cover distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you suggest, though, is basically moving your power hand inwards and start and land a jab while the opponent extends and retracts in a straight line. That is not going to work. Even if you, somehow, hit, you will not hit with any power as you acceleration is out of line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In either case, you would basically have to move twice as fast as your opponent. And that doesn't even count in that your opponent can move and counter as well. Can work against people who don't know how to jab (fast and with power) and get out of balance doing so, not advisable against fighters with experience imho.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-02-10T20:25:36.073" LastActivityDate="2022-02-10T20:25:36.073" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13182" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-02-12T01:43:07.000" Score="0" ViewCount="105" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ok correct me if I'm wrong but bullies tend to kick (low kick) instead of punching. I know this because there's this bully/thug (I can handle him, leg kicks are just his main attacks) who likes to kick people in the legs. So is it correct that thugs kick more than punch?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12139" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-02-14T11:28:30.803" LastActivityDate="2022-02-14T14:18:51.740" Title="Are thugs more likely to kick or punch?" Tags="|kicking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13183" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13179" CreationDate="2022-02-13T17:40:30.673" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes. Assuming that the low front or side kick was aimed at the knee (my experience with people suggesting such a technique, although admittedly in TMA classes without stress testing) in order to damage the joint, lifting that leg not only lifts the vulnerable joint above the attack, but also lets you distribute the force of their attack against the length of your shin, which can now bend at the knee to further blunt the force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-02-13T19:43:46.517" LastActivityDate="2022-02-13T19:43:46.517" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13184" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13182" CreationDate="2022-02-13T18:57:07.933" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;I take your premise to be that low kicks are the standard attack of thugs in assault situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An extensive quantitative study on injuries from assault in the US &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5121a3.htm&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;suggests otherwise&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most injuries were diagnosed as contusions (31%) or lacerations (23%), followed by fractures (10%), internal injuries (7%), punctures (7%), and strains or sprains (7%). &lt;strong&gt;The parts of the body affected most were the head (54%), arms/hands (19%), and upper trunk (10%).&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, at least assault that lead to injuries bad enough to be treated in hospital seems to be aimed mainly at the head and generally the upper body. Hand injuries suggest lacerated or broken fingers/knuckles, which is a common injury in street fights, especially when the head is attacked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, contusions of the legs would count in and apparently make up less than 10% of the cases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is, admittedly, only counting in hospitalizations. On the other hand, police does suggest to go to the hospital if it is registered as an assault to make sure injuries are properly documented, even if the injuries are not that severe. So it should give a pretty good overall picture nevertheless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My conclusion would be that your experience is anecdotal and cannot validly be taken as a standard case. My anecdotal experience is that most people try to use their arms and body to bring people down by pushs or wrestling and pummel them once on the ground, btw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-02-14T14:18:51.740" LastActivityDate="2022-02-14T14:18:51.740" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13185" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-02-14T03:41:07.920" Score="3" ViewCount="95" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suburit%C5%8D&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;suburito&lt;/a&gt; but have recently discovered that I don't have the ceiling height to practice much indoors. For instance, an overhead strike is quite unfeasible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Area of study&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Mostly Iaido&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Potentially open to other disciplines&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the moment, I seem to be limited to draw and horizontal slash.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Question&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any disciplines that can use a full length blade in close quarters? Or, at least one that doesn't have too much emphasis on overhead strikes?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12198" LastActivityDate="2024-02-25T17:10:51.057" Title="Suburito - practicing indoors" Tags="|recommendation|kendo|bokken|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13186" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-02-16T02:58:14.753" Score="4" ViewCount="473" Body="&lt;p&gt;I love taekwondo (and am writing this as I am waiting for my class to start), but I have never been fond of sparring. I’m not the best at it, it’s tiring, and forms just appeal to me more. I do want to improve, but I want to focus and compete in forms. But I’ve always had the impression that sparring is more important, and it’s more impressive if you win a medal for sparring anyways. But I really don’t want to fight, I’d rather master kicks and forms. Is it okay if I pursue that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12365" LastActivityDate="2024-01-03T18:21:30.573" Title="Is it wrong if I don’t want to spar in taekwondo?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|sparring|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13187" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13186" CreationDate="2022-02-16T13:57:10.480" Score="4" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Everyone gets something different from martial arts&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If sparring doesn't do anything for you, it doesn't do anything for you. Some people do martial arts to learn how to defend themselves. Some learn it as a competitive sport. Some do it for exercise. Some just like to collect new techniques and trivia. Ultimately, no one can tell you that your way of doing a martial art is wrong for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Sparring is useful, though&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From the perspective of defense, sparring puts you under some degree of pressure testing. Within the rules, you learn what works and what does not. You learn instinctive reactions and how to plan during the fight. You practice throwing techniques spontaneously, and often from non-standard positions, which will also exercise parts of your body that you might not have. And it is good for stamina.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Your organization can require sparring&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, while no one can tell you that you're enjoying a martial art the wrong way, they can tell you that what you're doing doesn't work for your school or organization, and may refuse to promote you. If sparring is part of the curriculum, then teachers may not be happy if you refuse to take part in part of the class, and if some amount of sparring is part of testing (usually not &amp;quot;you must score more points than your opponent to be promoted&amp;quot;, but a more general &amp;quot;you must demonstrate you've learned fundamentals of distance, choice of technique, and defending yourself under pressure&amp;quot;), well, that's part of the test that you are not completing. I don't think I've seen a competition where everyone is required to spar to complete other parts of the competition like forms, but I could see a possibility of tournaments being run in an &amp;quot;iron man&amp;quot; format where you must participate in all events, forcing participants to train overall, and conserve their efforts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;It might be worth figuring out whether there's a way you can make sparring work for you&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As others have noted, it's worth examining exactly why you don't like sparring. You note that it's &amp;quot;tiring&amp;quot; and I totally get that. Not only is most sparring fairly continuous movement for several minutes at a time, it's also being forced to throw techniques at a moment's notice, which not only involves more energy expenditure but also having to keep yourself in a state of readiness, which is wearying in and of itself. And lastly, there is that stress of the risk of hurting someone else, or being hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you think you might enjoy sparring more if you didn't feel as tired? That's sometimes just a matter of conditioning, sometimes a matter of learning good habits in terms of a proper amount of tension and proper breathing (it's amazing how many people hold their breath for significant amounts of time while sparring), and sometimes a matter of getting more comfortable with it. Maybe you'd enjoy sparring more if it was less unpredictable? While free sparring is, by its nature, a bit unpredictable, running through sparring drills where you practice responses to specific attacks can make it more predictable by giving you the tools. You start off at slower speeds, knowing when the opponent will attack , and gradually bring it up to speed, eventually allowing the opponent to attack without warning, and to start throwing in other techniques (just having them throw one of a set, like they can throw a front kick, side kick, or roundhouse, and you have to recognize and respond to it, can cut down on the stress while teaching you to see what's coming).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, like I said at the beginning, the most important thing is what you enjoy, with the caveat that your school can also decide what's important to them. If possible, try to find some ways to make the sparring more enjoyable for you so that you can experience more of the full gamut of what your style has to offer, and to keep your teachers happy. And maybe see if there's some room for compromise. Most teachers will make accommodations. I know that I have lousy stamina, and am prone to injuring myself if I try to work tired, so my current teacher in Capoeira understands that I may not stay in the &lt;em&gt;roda&lt;/em&gt; for as long as others, and that, if tired, I will engage in non-fighting techniques (Capoeira has a number of semi-ceremonial movements that are kind of a mix of &amp;quot;I need a break here&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;we need to take a break to cool off&amp;quot; (usually after things have gotten heated or someone took a blow), and &amp;quot;I'm leaving an opening here. I dare you to try it&amp;quot;) or something more &amp;quot;clumsy&amp;quot; (much like the boxing clinch, it's possible to jam an opponent up by staying too close to them, and when I'm tired, I will do that because it takes less energy, and requires less thinking on my part because I'm not really throwing attacks). Participating in the sparring is basically required (he doesn't actually force people into it, but it is considered an integral part), but he recognizes that everyone engages on a different level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-02-16T13:57:10.480" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13188" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13190" CreationDate="2022-02-16T20:45:32.937" Score="3" ViewCount="152" Body="&lt;p&gt;When observing people shadowboxing, it seems like Karate is a more pretty, artistic, and fancy martial art. Muay Thai seems more brutal and ugly looking at some times (even though I practice it). Did Karate purposely try to make kicks more artistic/fancy or is something that happened unintentionally?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2022-03-25T19:16:13.957" LastActivityDate="2022-03-25T19:16:13.957" Title="Is Karate artistic on purpose or is it unintentional?" Tags="|karate|muay-thai|forms|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13189" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-02-16T23:40:15.590" Score="0" ViewCount="150" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it normal to hide your fighting abilities in front of people? For example, I don't let my enemies(bullies) know my abilities and pretend to be weak. Do you encourage hiding your abilities in front of thugs?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12371" LastActivityDate="2022-02-18T02:02:14.877" Title="Hiding my abilities" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13190" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13188" CreationDate="2022-02-17T10:50:36.607" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;As ever so often, this is a result of the ways of training prevalent in the respective arts. Even if not &lt;em&gt;intentional&lt;/em&gt; as such, it is a logical outcome of the history of (Shotokan) Karate:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Originally, (Okinawan) karate did (and to this day does) contain much more partnered exercises and full contact sparring in small training groups with intensive use of individual instruction (used to be classical in-house training). This changed when Gichin Funakoshi (himself a rather mediocre practitioner in Okinawa) introduced his &amp;quot;Shotokan Karate&amp;quot; in mainland Japan. It was seen as the perfect &amp;quot;Japanese&amp;quot; complement to Judo, containing mainly strikes and kicks - the main reason why Shotokan lacks all the grappling and close-combat application that is part of Okinawan karate in order not to &amp;quot;compete&amp;quot; with Judo there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Funakoshi may not have been the best Karate student himself, but he certainly was a cunning political and economical mind. Thus, he attracted a lot of students and acquired help for the spreading of his new style all across mainland Japan. He introduced the belt system known from Judo. And as the groups were so huge, the training of technique, much as the grading, shifted from partnered exercises and conditioning to be almost entirely based on individual forms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a consequence, the techniques developed a more prominent aesthetic dimension as they embodied an &amp;quot;ideal&amp;quot; technique which, following kinaesthetic and physical principles, maximized the speed of and control over the individual technique, but at the same time increasingly developed it away from actual practicality and applicability in a fight, as it was never incorporated into a system tested in and fit for fighting. For example, the classical long, low Shotokan stance is good as strengthening, flexibility, and coordination exercise but completely impractical for fighting; other karate styles have higher, more natural stances. A lot of the alleged mythical principles of &amp;quot;karate&amp;quot; like the one-hit-victory through a single perfectly executed technique are actually an after-the-fact justification for this kind of training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Up to this day, speed and control are what is valued the most regarding the grading of a technique, may it be in Kata, Kihon (repeated execution of individual technique), or even Kumite. In Kumite, people can be disqualified if they hit their opponent too hard as it is interpreted as a lack of control and restrain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a matter of fact, Funakoshi time and again was ridiculed for his forms of training by former fellow karate masters from Okinawa, pointing out that what they learn was not how to fight but how to look good by pretending to do so. He was even challenged and beaten in his own dojo, repeatedly, within seconds, to make exactly this point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This did not stop the success of his Shotokan Karate, which is the most spread and influential form of Karate up to this day and, eg. in the form of Taekwondo, gave birth to other branches and arts (which inherited its problems and virtues).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, compare this to Muay Thai: Continuous stress testing of techniques which leads to the omission of once-in-a-lifetime moves and a reduction to fast, effective, non-telegraphing techniques. It is only natural that this looks very different and less aesthetically appealing since the beauty of the form does not bear any advantage at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Disclaimer: I do think that Shotokan karate has its virtues as it can optimize a lot of lacking technique which was never questioned as it &amp;quot;worked&amp;quot; well enough. At the same time, it has overdone doing so without re-incorporating them into full-contact stress tests, which means most practitioners cannot actually fight as they never did. Also, there used to be full-contact Kumite and there is a lot of drive towards re-incorporation of full-contact application in the Karate community both in the form of full-contact Kumite and Bunkai (teaching the original or alleged full-contact self-defense application of Kata).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is a write-up from a lot of documentaries seen and books read, so please do not ask for individual sources ;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-02-17T11:49:36.310" LastActivityDate="2022-02-17T11:49:36.310" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13191" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13189" CreationDate="2022-02-17T11:39:47.853" Score="3" Body="&lt;h1&gt;No, definitely not!&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People who make the first attack on the streets are what is usually called a predator in self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These kinds of people, like predators in the animal realm, pick their fights carefully. They will only attack as long as they are either sure of their success or desperate. And they will rather retreat than risk serious injury if they realise they misjudged the situation. That is why they often attack out of a group since that makes them feel stronger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accordingly, it is not a good idea to appear weak, as this will raise the chances you are going to be picked.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And in all seriousness, because you can never know which abilities or means (weapons) your opponent has, and due to the chaotic nature of a real fight, nobody should ever risk a fight where it can be avoided, even if they are the most capable fighters. You have to look strong and confident. Always. This is the psychological aspect. On the other hand, there are legal and strategic considerations to be made.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;As for legal matters, it is important that you &lt;strong&gt;do not look aggressive&lt;/strong&gt;. As long as you keep your cool, take a defensive stance, and do not attack first, you can be pretty sure that you will not face assault charges at the end of the day. Never be the aggressor, even if it would help to pre-emptively intimidate a predator all too sure of themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;As for strategic matters, I would always recommend taking a &lt;strong&gt;neutral stance&lt;/strong&gt; that does not disclose your MA background too openly: natural stance with shoulder width, hands open and to the front. The reason is that even if most of the thugs will be hotheads without extensive training, a seasoned fighter can read your stance and eg. tell if you are a boxer only or can grapple or kick as well. That can potentially allow them to know your weaknesses before anything happened.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Apart from that, &lt;em&gt;if you cannot avoid a fight&lt;/em&gt;, it is imperative you do show the full extent of your capabilities, as the only thing that can stop the fight fast now is showing them they have made a mistake and will regret any further engagement. Do not corner them by going after them, ever (see the &amp;quot;desperation&amp;quot; part above). But as long as they keep coming, use all your arsenal, which includes &amp;quot;dirty&amp;quot; means like tearing ears, biting, scratching, etc. There is a reason why self-defense instructors emphasize that you should fight like &amp;quot;a madman&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;a dragon&amp;quot;, ie. like someone they just cannot overcome. Deterrence is what you aim for, thus holding back does not make any sense at the moment a fight was started by them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, weakness is the one thing you should never ever show, even if you sustain serious injuries during a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-02-17T13:46:29.783" LastActivityDate="2022-02-17T13:46:29.783" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13192" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1905" CreationDate="2022-02-17T12:43:43.927" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;From the &amp;quot;Book of Five Rings&amp;quot;, by Miyamoto Musashi, a Ronin Samurai in the 17th century. Some of his comments on standing against many opponents are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Discerning the order in which opponents attack, deal with those who&#xA;press forward first; keeping an eye on the whole picture, determining&#xA;the stands from which opponents launch their attacks, swinging both&#xA;swords at the same time without mutual interference, it is wrong to&#xA;wait.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Intent on herding opponents into a line, when they seem to be&#xA;doubling up, sweep right powerfully, not allowing a moments gap. It&#xA;will be hard to make headway if you only chase opponents around en&#xA;masse. Then again, if you think about getting them one after another&#xA;as they come fourth, you will have a sense of waiting and so will also&#xA;have a hard time making headway. The thing is to win by sensing the&#xA;opponents rhythms and knowing where they break down.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He also recommends:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;If you get a group of practitioners together from time to time and&#xA;learn how to corner them, it is possible to take on one opponent, or&#xA;ten, or even twenty opponents, with peace of mind. It requires&#xA;thorough practice and examination.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some assumptions are made here, where one) you are wielding 2 katanas, a sword in each hand. Which I highly doubt you have on your person when being cornered. Two) There is an assumption you have enough expertise to take down an attacker in a single move. Giving you the opportunity to move onto the next one without hesitation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Swords aside, I think some principals you can take away from this are the idea of herding your opponents into a line, understanding the groups rhythm and avoiding hesitation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reality of the situation will most likely be that you do not have enough expertise to sequentially take down targets one after another. If that is the case, I would look at breaking the line (line of opponents blocking your escape, or if circled) without a moments hesitation. You may need to trust your gut on this one, which is where your training comes in. What move to apply, and who to apply it too. What opponents stance or position is the weakest? Freezing, and letting them move in one you is a mistake. If you are successful in breaking the line, RUN!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Track and Field, the most effective martial arts in my opinion. If they can't run a mile in 7 minutes then you've got them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10044" LastActivityDate="2022-02-17T12:43:43.927" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13193" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13189" CreationDate="2022-02-18T02:02:14.877" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;IMVHO this seems to be a contrived question, but let's break it down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it normal to hide your fighting abilities in front of people?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me turn that question around: how exactly would you exhibit your fighting abilities? And if you exhibit those abilities:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;do you really have them, or do you have an inflated opinion of your abilities?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;what purpose do you achieve by exhibiting them?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first answer might seem provocative but it is important - if you have an inflated view of your own abilities and you flaunt it then you could get yourself into a pile of trouble very quickly. This is also known as talking the talk but can't walk the walk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second question is equally important. If you have no need to show off then don't do so. In fact many styles and instructors will actively guide their students to avoid posturing (or &amp;quot;flexing&amp;quot; as the kids call it) because it achieves very little except to get others to dislike you. Real life is not like the movies, showing off or flexing is unlikely to win you many friends.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The general theme of your recent questions has been how to deal with &amp;quot;thugs&amp;quot;. If you are well practiced and actually know what you are doing then you will have a certain body language, a certain amount of assertiveness, and (most) others will pick up on this an not bother you (&amp;quot;thugs&amp;quot; tend to target people who are perceivably weaker). There is no need to highlight this, it is already there. Having said that, if you find that you are still being targeted or bothered then follow the golden rule: don't be there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, following that up:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do you encourage hiding your abilities in front of thugs?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, because once again that encourages artificially changing your behavior in front of others. I don't flaunt my skills in front of thugs, but nor do I hide them. Pretending to be weak achieves nothing, and acting tough is likely to inflame a situation. Be yourself, nothing more and nothing less.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But most importantly, stop hanging out with &amp;quot;thugs&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2022-02-18T02:02:14.877" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13194" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13195" CreationDate="2022-02-18T06:30:49.437" Score="1" ViewCount="81" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do these self defense flashlights work well through car windows? Sometimes I have people bang on my car window in the shady parts of town. I definitely don't want to open the window, however want some level of defense. These flashlights work well in sun daylight too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7b7uH9Bfxs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7b7uH9Bfxs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Utv2x.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Utv2x.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-02-18T15:20:31.653" Title="Self defense flashlights through car windows" Tags="|self-defense|weapons|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13195" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13194" CreationDate="2022-02-18T08:57:47.910" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Would they work? Certainly. Would they work as intended? I doubt it. Two things to consider:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Refraction and reflection. The light density of these flashlights is extreme and you will have to be very careful not to be blinded by your own light, which would be especially problematic while driving in the dark.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Provocation leading to unintended outcomes. They bump your windows to tease you, so what? You will probably provoke these guys to smash your window if you play their game, which means that you gain nothing. They are teasing you to do something which justifies escalation or they would smash the window straight away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2022-02-18T15:20:31.653" LastActivityDate="2022-02-18T15:20:31.653" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13196" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13199" CreationDate="2022-02-19T08:04:07.053" Score="1" ViewCount="115" Body="&lt;p&gt;For Boxing and Muay Thai, Slipping requires an athlete to go shoulder to knee, or move forward diagonal left, or forward-diagonal right.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In real-life defense situations, is this a good strategy? Moving into a tactic seems risky and dangerous in real life, with one knockout punches where opponent does not have cushioned gloves or possibly holding a knife/weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-03-09T04:32:50.003" Title="Slipping into a target in Boxing vs Real Life Defense" Tags="|technique|self-defense|boxing|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13197" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-02-20T17:45:25.797" Score="0" ViewCount="91" Body="&lt;p&gt;So I heard that you can block punches with the long guard (especially overhands), so does that mean that you can block any type of punch with the long guard?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12139" LastActivityDate="2022-02-21T10:54:01.837" Title="Can the long guard block any type of punch?" Tags="|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13198" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13197" CreationDate="2022-02-21T10:47:12.137" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Obviously, no kind of guard helps against &lt;em&gt;every&lt;/em&gt; type of punch. The long guard is particularly well-suited to limit the tactical options of an opponent, covering a lot of the possible punches. But &lt;a href=&quot;https://engageind.com/blogs/articles/how-to-fight-with-a-long-guard&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;it has its limits&lt;/a&gt;, especially as soon as people slip past it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When using the long guard, you must watch out for overhand rights, hooks, and low kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, as you &lt;em&gt;know&lt;/em&gt; these limited options, you can watch out for them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-02-21T10:54:01.837" LastActivityDate="2022-02-21T10:54:01.837" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13199" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13196" CreationDate="2022-02-22T11:45:14.940" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will try to answer that question as objectively as I can, but obviously, it is highly situational.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Going into an infight without seeing both hands is always problematic due to hidden weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Given you can rule out that the opponent does hold or is able to draw a weapon in time, there is nothing in principle which speaks against covering distance. A good slip brings you into a zone where effective striking is difficult for them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You should only do this when you know what you are doing this for, ie. if you can control the situation from there on. Mainly in order not to allow the use of hidden weapons and end the fight ASAP.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, I myself am a grappler mainly. Thus, if I get the opportunity, I would always go in and compromise the opponent's structure so that I can control their movements. If my background was boxing, it would depend on whether I felt comfortable in infight situations and knew how to land hits without hurting myself. If it was Karate, I'd not even consider it, for Muay Thai I'd certainly feel much more comfortable as I can use knees and elbows and control the opponent in clinch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short: The key to the decision is a good assessment of the situation and your own abilities. If you know what to do and have trained for that, the risk is pretty low. If you never trained for tactical assessment or fighting without gloves, this is not the time to start with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-02-22T11:52:43.977" LastActivityDate="2022-02-22T11:52:43.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13200" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13201" CreationDate="2022-02-23T06:43:48.350" Score="2" ViewCount="86" Body="&lt;p&gt;We are doing solely kick sparring in our Muay Thai Class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know basic combinations with Punches and Kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jab1-Cross2-LeftHook3-Right Roundhouse&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Cross2-Hook3-Cross2-Left Roundhouse&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However in Kick Sparring only Kicks are allowed. What are some good kick solely combinations?  We only can use Front Teeps and Roundhouses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Maybe 3-4 combinations from answers would help.&#xA;Thanks !&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2022-02-23T23:39:13.293" LastActivityDate="2022-02-24T11:57:53.907" Title="Muay Thai Only Kick Sparring combinations" Tags="|training|technique|muay-thai|sparring|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ClosedDate="2022-02-24T19:49:16.560" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13201" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13200" CreationDate="2022-02-23T18:50:52.293" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;God do I love setting up a good question mark kick (starts like a front kick, turn the hip over midway and throw a round kick to the head) with a few front kicks. Low targets are best for the front kicks - the gut or pelvis are good choices. The combination only really works once but even after the opponent is wise to it they have to devote small but significant brain processing time to watching for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2022-02-23T18:50:52.293" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13202" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13200" CreationDate="2022-02-24T00:41:25.720" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is another one, adding to the list, feel free to add more answers&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Left Front Teep, then Left Switch Roundhouse Kick&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wHJK-xxL1I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wHJK-xxL1I&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-02-24T00:41:25.720" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13203" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13200" CreationDate="2022-02-24T11:44:54.007" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;After there being answers, I would like to give my own, rather generic and abstract perspective on this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;What are combinations done for?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Combinations involve a twofold effect for a single goal: They both keep the opponent busy and limit their own tactical options as they do not let them gain initiative &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; they call for the defense of one attack while opening the guard for another. The latter also involves the establishment of &lt;em&gt;expectations&lt;/em&gt; regarding what comes next. Both aspects serve the goal of setting the opponent up for a hit that is able to penetrate their defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;How can we transfer this insight into kick-only combinations?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Combinations work if they open a hole in the opponent's defense. For that, we can vary height, angle, and side of the attacks. It does not matter whether we actually carry through each attack or use feints, the important part is that our opponent reacts in a certain way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, lets assume we do right roundhouse, right roundhouse, left roundhouse, front teep two or three times. This does two things: It attacks from different sides and angles, thus forces our opponent to shift their guard. Sometimes, for inexperienced fighters, this suffices to open a hole in their defense. &lt;em&gt;But it also sets what is called a psychological anchor&lt;/em&gt;, ie. it establishes a certain rhythm and pattern that is expected. Now, if we suddenly break this pattern in the 3rd, or 5th time, like for example using the question mark kick instead of a front teep at the end, or a third right roundhouse instead of a left, there is a high chance our opponent will half-automatically follow the same rhythm and pattern as before, ie. they will fall for the trap.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could just as well vary your combinations each time, making yourself completely unpredictable. But truth be told, this a) is way more cognitively demanding for you and will probably lead to hesitation in between which lowers the effectiveness of your combination and b) is less effective the more experienced your opponent is. Accordingly, you best go with 2-4 presets that you have trained beforehand and vary the number of consecutive attacks with the same preset with occasional surprise variations like just described.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long story short, the expectation is to use variations in directions, angles, rhythm, and technique to set your opponent up without letting them gain initiative in between. They should be busy and not know what comes next since that is what extends their reaction times. The options are limitless, even with this limited set of techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-02-24T11:57:53.907" LastActivityDate="2022-02-24T11:57:53.907" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13204" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13196" CreationDate="2022-02-25T03:42:17.750" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Once you have entered a situation where you can slip a strike, you are already in a risky and dangerous situation. Defending strikes is not trivial; remaining stationary is not clearly safer than moving the target, which is usually your face. My personal preference would be to move outside to prevent the expected second strike from landing; I have more confidence adding movement to defense than hands alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At this close range, I'm not sure you have a choice about engagement, regardless of whether the attacker has a weapon.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2022-02-25T03:42:17.750" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13205" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13207" CreationDate="2022-02-26T00:43:49.613" Score="4" ViewCount="159" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a way that complete beginners (varies in strength and agility) can learn to defend themselves against common attacks / abductions in a few days, given that they do not have access to instructors nearby? The primary goal would to maximize chances of survival.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If there is, then what should they learn as a priority (except for avoidance and de-escalation)? And how? Training martial arts would take far too much time, but those so-called &amp;quot;self-defense&amp;quot; courses online usually consists of theory techniques that will put someone in worse danger. So are there any useful strategies / tactics (such as using the element of surprise) that will directly improve chances of escape in situations where de-escalation is virtually impossible?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2022-03-02T15:31:27.010" Title="How to train beginners to do basic self defense in a matter of days?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13206" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13205" CreationDate="2022-02-26T18:08:52.107" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You will not be able to teach them to become able to defend themselves against trained fighters in that short amount of time, but what you can do is to teach them how to throw up a guard, how to punch without breaking their fingers, and then drill them over and over again to respond to a sudden attack with utter ferocity and then running. Most attackers aren't looking for someone who can hurt them. Most people are not able to attack with the intent to hurt others. And too many people don't take the benefit of running once they have the other person on the back foot. You're not training technique so much as you're teaching reflexes and getting people to learn to go nuts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-02-26T18:08:52.107" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13207" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13205" CreationDate="2022-02-28T13:28:22.507" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;First-off, so-called &amp;quot;self-defense courses&amp;quot; that consist of some lessons over a few days are mostly a scam and, in my opinion and experience, are often doing more harm then good. These courses tend to lead otherwise untrained persons to the delusion that what they trained a few times in (oftentimes cooperative) drills could be applied effectively in actual self-defense situations by them. This kind of misplaced self-confidence tends to make people more careless than they should be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, if you only have a few units available and want to maximise the survivability, what should the contents look like?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tactical and psychological assessment:&lt;/strong&gt; People should be trained in the assessment of potentially dangerous situations and how to avoid them, including situational variables like social aspects, escape route planning, positioning, leadership structure assessment (target priority), and the spotting of potential weapons.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stirring attention:&lt;/strong&gt; People should learn what to do to raise public attention and actually get help. For example, shouting &amp;quot;FIRE!&amp;quot; instead of &amp;quot;Help!&amp;quot;, when to call which number with which informations given (faked loud calls like &amp;quot;Hey I'm in ... Street on my way to you, you should see me from your window by now!&amp;quot; can work wonders), how to assess the nearest public building and services, etc.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Body language:&lt;/strong&gt; People should be able to read body language and know how to play with it, ie. know how aggression, calmness, self-certainty, etc. show in pose and walk.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Basics in guards and mitigation linked with stress situations:&lt;/strong&gt; Since offensive options will be limited to &amp;quot;freak out and scare them with ferocity&amp;quot;, it is important to prepare people for how it feels to actually be attacked (eg. full body armor, multiple attackers), how to minimise damage taken, and how not to panick in that situation. This also leads to the kind of humble caution that is needed in self-defense, even in the persons who brag the most in advance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are the most important abilities you can transfer to untrained people in a limited amount of time. More is not possible due to the limited time and training status of your average group.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you got more time and a comparatively fit group of people, viable defensive motion patterns like the triangle engagement of Krav Maga (high shoulders and arms forming a triangle, going in between arm and head for grab and knees; works against a variety of attacks) could be considered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2022-02-28T13:28:22.507" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13208" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13108" CreationDate="2022-03-02T12:42:47.787" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Guy Mezger did - you can see the bounce and the &amp;quot;rush&amp;quot; that karate points fighters have, he came from a kyokushin background though so not as long a stance as the more shotokan influenced stylists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Robert Whittaker is another - longer stances the Guy Mezger and you can see that blitz/rush style a bit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Machida's the obvious one, he's also the main shotokan stylist who competed, the others tend to come from other styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kyoji Horiguchi is a less well known one - 3 years in the UFC, now a bellator fighter, also a shotokan stylist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Gunnar Nelson's another Goju guy, with a noticeable karate influence in his stances. I think it's his main striking background combined with BJJ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you look at Japanese fighters, especially at the lighter weights, there's an unsurprising number of karate guys.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11766" LastActivityDate="2022-03-02T12:42:47.787" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13209" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13205" CreationDate="2022-03-02T15:31:27.010" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;As already stated, the main thing that I would focus on is mindset and preparation, as they are two of the biggest factors in avoiding an incident. Also, I would gear my presentation with slightly different emphases depending on the gender bias and ages of the group.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Situational awareness - Google the address ahead of time for meeting invites, see the area, look at lighting if at night, typical clientele, number of exits, proximity to other open businesses, things of this nature.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Walk/Attitude - head up, looking around, confident will deter many casual thieves, but huddled, tentative can attract&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Let others know - When you are going, how long you plan on being there, leaving, availability. This is typically more for women than men, esp on tinder dates or similar, but applicable for everyone.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are all approach and mindset, then I will go into the physical portion of it. Typically I will teach basic weak link releases and grab defenses (they grab the pony tail/hair, etc), and some of the most basic places to strike to distract or try to weaken grips. Soft on hard, hard on soft, how to punch, how NOT to stick your keys in your fingers (I get that in about 60% of my classes, the &amp;quot;I heard that&amp;quot;) so that they have an idea of what to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My closing spiel consists of &amp;quot;go DO what you learned&amp;quot;, take more courses, practice practice practice. Mom, dad, partner, friend, whatever. Practice, hit a heavy bag so you know what it feels like, and so on. But the biggest emphasis is on mindset/attitude and situational awareness/approach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2022-03-02T15:31:27.010" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13210" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-03-03T06:42:53.400" Score="0" ViewCount="236" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are there any Brazilian-jiu-jitsu (BJJ) techniques that can be used in real life street fights? Is there any source that lists them all?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2022-03-03T06:42:53.400" Title="What BJJ techniques are practical in real street fight" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|streetfight|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13211" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13188" CreationDate="2022-03-03T12:54:34.897" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;When you see someone &amp;quot;shadowboxing&amp;quot; they are practicing their kata. It's a series of movements that represent blocks and strikes (feet and hands).&#xA;They practice these katas to improve muscle memory. When a person is under stress, as in a real-life situation (fight), they will revert to their training automatically. This is why they perform these katas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12396" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-03-03T17:34:51.223" LastActivityDate="2022-03-03T17:34:51.223" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13212" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="14808" CreationDate="2022-03-04T00:35:26.017" Score="3" ViewCount="96" Body="&lt;p&gt;Has there been any evolution in Muay Thai technique and style from the 1980s, 90s to present day? In basketball in the 90s, for example, they had strong centers, with half court games. Now it is more 3 point shooting, run up/down the court. Curious if any changes occurred in Muay Thai style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: a) Sometimes competition rule changes initiate differences in style, b) other reason people figure what works better over time, and incorporate new strategies&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2022-03-04T07:08:41.453" LastActivityDate="2023-12-13T19:31:41.700" Title="Muay Thai Evolution since the 1980s" Tags="|muay-thai|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13214" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13216" CreationDate="2022-03-07T06:50:21.943" Score="5" ViewCount="5967" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the main reason that using the pistol grip in judo is forbidden? Is it the restriction of the movement or another one?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10811" LastEditorUserId="12356" LastEditDate="2022-07-07T14:11:45.027" LastActivityDate="2022-07-07T14:11:45.027" Title="Why is the pistol grip banned?" Tags="|judo|competition|sport|grips|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13215" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13214" CreationDate="2022-03-07T11:20:38.987" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will start with a disclaimer.  This is a little bit outside my area of expertise since I am relatively new to judo.  That said:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From what I can tell a pistol grip does appear to be legal in Judo, but you have to launch an immediate attack from that position.  But there is the rub right?  What attacks are available from a pistol grip?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could lift the arm to initiate seo nagi or tai otoshi or whatever but the pistol grip is probably suboptimal for this compared to a standard grip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could attempt a weird version of san gyaku but again it's not exactly a good starting point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I was rolling the other day (groundwork sparing) and the 5th dan I was paired with did actually use the pistol grip.  Needless to say he submitted me multiple times, but the interesting point is that in the other style I practice (Shorinji Kempo) the Pistol grip is not only legal but relatively common...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a result when he moved into the pistol grip I was immediately able to use a technique to reverse the grip by making a circular movement with my wrist.  But then I realised, the next move of the technique was illegal in judo as it was a kantetsu waza (joint lock) to the wrist.  I had made the grip fairly ineffective and so my opponent let go and took a new grip, but I was unable to capitalise on this advantage without breaking the rules.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This got me thinking, if wrist locks are banned and wrist locks are the natural counter to pistol grip perhaps pistol grip was banned to balance the standing techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-03-07T11:20:38.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13216" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13214" CreationDate="2022-03-07T12:27:07.597" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo competitions have a lot of rules, and these rules are tweaked for most Olympic cycles. A primary driver of rule modifications is to promote attacking for a positive score and discourage &amp;quot;negative judo&amp;quot;, that is winning by stalling or forcing the opponent to accumulate penalties.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pistol grips used to be banned while standing. My understanding is that this was because the pistol grip is more effective in preventing the opponent from attacking than it is in helping you to attack. Under current rules, pistol grips are allowed if you attack quickly enough.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rules.ijf.org/#_idTextAnchor018&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;From the section on shidos (minor penalties) from the International Judo Federation (IJF) refereeing rules&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;8&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;To intentionally avoid taking kumi-kata in order to prevent action in the contest. Normal kumi-kata is taking hold the right side of the opponent’s judogi, be it the sleeve, collar, chest area, top of the shoulder or back with the left hand and with the right hand the left side of the opponent’s judogi be it the sleeve, collar, chest area, top of the shoulder or back and always above the belt or vice versa.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As long as a contestant makes a cross grip, that means with two hands, one hand on the opposite side of the back, shoulder or arm of the other contestant, he should attack immediately, or the referee must penalise with shido. Under no circumstances it is permitted to grab below the belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cross gripping should be followed by an immediate attack. Same rule as for belt gripping and one side gripping.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;9&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Unconventional kumi-kata (cross grip, one side grip, belt grip, pocket grip, pistol grip etc.) will be penalised if there is no immediate attack (see the following examples of unconventional kumi-kata).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/news/show/judo-rules-olympic-cycle-2022-2024&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this wording has been slightly modified for the 2024 Olympics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Belt grip, one side grip, cross grip, pistol grip and pocket grip are not traditional grips. If taken, time will be allowed for the preparation of an attack&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With a traditional grip, you can grip for a while without being penalized. With a non-traditional grip such as a pistol grip, you must attack quickly to avoid penalty.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the ground, these gripping rules do not apply because you are allowed to stall on the ground. When referee determines that no one is making progress, they will stand you back up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2022-03-07T12:27:07.597" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13217" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-03-08T06:55:07.093" Score="1" ViewCount="69" Body="&lt;p&gt;What we see with MMA wrestlers of similar ability, vis-a-vis the UFC, is that their wrestling tends to cancel-out each other out. This was the default behavior seen in:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Covington vs Usman (1 &amp;amp; 2)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Covington vs Maia&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Weidman vs Soza&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ect&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In situations where one fighter has an edge on the ground, offensive wrestling can become the dominant tactic. Khabib, Makhachev et all are prime examples here. Over the past decade or so, rugged conditioning and elite-level sambo have led to these types of fighters to bulldoze their way past pretty much all other styles. That just leaves one question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Suppose Zabit moved up to lightweight or Umar Nurmogemedov moved up to lightweight and had to face Islam Makhachev. I don't believe the MMA community has seen what happens when two ultra-elite sambo fighters square off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Question&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In a ultra-elite sambo vs sambo context, would the same wrestler vs wrestler logic apply or should we use a different analytical framework? Why or why not?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note:&lt;/strong&gt; I'm clearly assuming the fight would happen in the first place. There could be cultural / ethical reasons as to why two Dagestanis wouldn't fight each other, but let's suppose they did purely for the sake of analysis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12198" LastActivityDate="2022-03-09T04:47:17.590" Title="What usually happens when sambo fighters fight each other?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|sambo|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13218" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13227" CreationDate="2022-03-08T06:59:10.057" Score="1" ViewCount="5822" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the proper name of the shin conditioning sticks used in Muay Thai?&#xA;I am trying to find a stick for this very purpose to harden the legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I searched for &amp;quot;shin condition stick&amp;quot; on amazon, no results.&#xA;I am NOT looking for product recommendation, but rather proper term, so I can search by the name.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8CgUe.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8CgUe.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2024-01-24T05:05:32.163" Title="Muay Thai shin conditioning stick name" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13219" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-03-09T01:02:09.497" Score="2" ViewCount="99" Body="&lt;p&gt;In a street fight without gloves, which way should the hands be turned? Fingers pointing towards you or fingers pointing outwards? I just noticed if the fingers point inwards, they can jab/poke eye accidentally. Just learned this while doing light sparring with friend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Boxing and Muay thai (different from street fighters), it doesn't matter with varied styles, as there are gloves, so this issue does not occur as much. I noticed in Krav Maga its more outwards&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QSjrr.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QSjrr.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qxWDU.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qxWDU.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2022-03-09T01:10:05.200" LastActivityDate="2022-03-09T04:42:16.820" Title="Street Fight Stance, which ways to rotate hands and fingers" Tags="|technique|self-defense|mixed-martial-arts|streetfight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13220" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13196" CreationDate="2022-03-09T04:32:50.003" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's pros and cons of each defense which is why you want all of them in your toolbox &amp;quot;just in case&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both your examples suggest things where you probably don't want to get hit if you can avoid it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11340" LastActivityDate="2022-03-09T04:32:50.003" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13221" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13219" CreationDate="2022-03-09T04:42:16.820" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Both stances are fine for bare knuckles fighting. It mostly just depends on your own personal style and what you're trying to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main thing you'll notice from the two pictures included in the question is that one has elbows in, while the other has elbows out. When your elbows are in, it's harder to face hands towards your opponent. But that's a superficial reason for why that happens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first picture is obviously a Muay Thai pose. The second is a boxing pose. Muay Thai rules allow for clinching around the back of your opponent's neck, while boxing rules do not allow clinching at all. So in boxing, there's no advantage to keeping hands open and ready to grab an opponent, because you're not allowed to do that. But it's fine in Muay Thai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Furthermore, Muay Thai allows for kicks and elbows, but boxing does not. For Muay Thai, having arms out like that allows for heavy round kicks and elbow strikes. For kicking, it improves mobility, speed, power, and balance. If his elbows were in tight like the boxer's pose, then he would find it's much more awkward throwing the round kick. He might lose his balance. He might find it's hard to raise his leg up high.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But perhaps most importantly, if a Muay Thai guy's elbows are in, when he does launch the round kick, a big open area on the side of his head would be exposed due to his arms being in and his body turning to the side now. By keeping his arms out like that, he can use them to guard against other strikes while he's turning to complete the round kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Elbow strikes are also something Muay Thai people are allowed to do. And having your elbows slightly out instead of tucked in makes it a lot easier to launch elbows. That's something boxers don't have in their arsenal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So now the picture is a bit more clear. You keep your elbows in if you've got a boxing style. It's defensive by minimizing your body's targets yet allows you to get quick shots off and keep moving. And by letting your arms stay in like that, you're conserving energy (useful for boxing, less important for street fights).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The down-side of the boxing pose in street fights is that it requires quick footwork to avoid someone rushing in and grabbing you. Grabbing isn't allowed in boxing rules, so this might surprise a boxer in a street fight. The more upright stance and lack of any kicks means it invites people in closer where they might be able to grab and tackle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas the Muay Thai pose is relatively less mobile and more vulnerable to close range punches. The clinch is there, though, for when an opponent gets too close.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So overall, I'd say this really depends on your own style, what you're good at, and how well you've trained for street fighting scenarios. There are many videos showing pure boxers doing astoundingly well in street fights, even against multiple attackers, because they very quickly move around their opponents and land straight or over-hand rights to their opponent's jaws, knocking them out really quickly. The key to their success is their ability to move fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And there are great examples of Muay Thai people in street fights, just chopping down their opponents at their legs or landing round kicks to their heads. I would imagine having a decent clinch and being able to resist getting tackled helps a lot, too. As would elbow and knee strikes in the clinch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for accidentally poking yourself in the eye with your own fingers because they're turned inward, that probably happened at just the wrong moment and may not be something repeatable. Hopefully. It is less of a concern if you just make sure to keep your fists tight or at least not too loose. It's common to keep them loose and then tighten them as you're striking. Just don't keep them open or allow them to open. And, as I said, always be on the move. Never stay still. That way don't give them a chance to startle you with a strike and then cause that eye poke to happen by accident.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My thoughts anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2022-03-09T04:42:16.820" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13222" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13217" CreationDate="2022-03-09T04:47:17.590" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If they actually are evenly matched up then it would probably come down to&#xA;other skills (ie striking) and/or opportunity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11340" LastActivityDate="2022-03-09T04:47:17.590" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13223" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13127" CreationDate="2022-03-09T04:54:06.373" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's hard to strike effectively off your back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11340" LastActivityDate="2022-03-09T04:54:06.373" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13224" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-03-09T18:59:04.233" Score="1" ViewCount="26" Body="&lt;p&gt;This might be a slightly odd question. Does boxing, Muay thai, and MMA build bad posture eventually? I noticed after long periods of time, training 2 hours a day, 4-5 times a week, the back is not placed in a straight, good upright position. These fighting sports require a very slight hunch in shoulders upper back, to prevent blows, but also causes wear, tear, and exhaustion for me in this position. See the hunch below.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I play basketball or flag football, my back is a straight upright position, whether it be diagonal and my knees are bent. Karate has less of this issue. Curious if anyone has any thoughts or way to alleviate this issue?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Boxing and MMA:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/klknc.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/klknc.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ohIo6.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ohIo6.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Karate: (more upright and straight)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wxWFE.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wxWFE.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Basketball:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(even when knees bent, back diagonal is generally straighter than fighting sports)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ymti6.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ymti6.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2022-03-09T19:08:03.723" LastActivityDate="2022-03-09T19:08:03.723" Title="Fighting stance in Boxing and MMA, requires hunch and curved back position" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2022-03-09T20:47:47.490" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13225" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13235" CreationDate="2022-03-12T22:24:25.460" Score="3" ViewCount="174" Body="&lt;p&gt;It feels like doing Muay Thai roundhouse kicks on Kickshields and Heavy Bags is different than doing on Muay Thai Pads.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kickshields and Heavy Bags are vertical perpendicular against the body.&#xA;Muay Thai Pads are held at 45 degrees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This creates a different level of contact, with slighty different technique. Kickshield seems like it follows opponent body contour better, and feels more like a roundhouse. Thai Pads feels like front kick with 45 deg variation. Are they supposed to be different kicks with different angles, or should I keep the exact same technique?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kick Shield:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/FkbBk.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/FkbBk.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muay Thai Pads:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/DmIae.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/DmIae.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2022-03-12T22:35:46.560" LastActivityDate="2022-03-20T10:08:23.447" Title="Muay Thai Roundhouse Kick: Using Kick Shields vs Thai Pads, different technique?" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13226" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-03-13T02:41:43.173" Score="0" ViewCount="896" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a way, for people who have comparatively little strength to incapacitate an opponent efficiently through striking certain pressure points in combat?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stuff like eye gouges, palm strikes to the nose, etc would work, but are there other choices / targets that will end a fight efficiently in a time of crisis? What I'm asking is basically the effective techniques that requires the least strength to execute (in a no-rules situation).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2022-03-22T16:26:25.840" Title="Ways to incapacitate an opponent with little force?" Tags="|self-defense|streetfight|striking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="13" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13227" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13218" CreationDate="2022-03-15T11:56:32.810" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will state first that I have no direct experience with shin conditioning, Muay Thai or otherwise. However, I tried to do some research on this and ran into some interesting information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First of all, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLoCic8y2lA&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;a lot of shin conditioning doesn't really work&lt;/a&gt;. Bone remodeling works by osteoclasts breaking down old bone tissue and osteoblasts rebuilding it in accordance to Wolff's Law. Bone is rebuilt according to stress, the force exerted on the bone, rather than strain, how much they bend or buckle under the stress. And, unlike common folk science, broken bones do not heal back stronger overall. Early repairs create a callus that is stronger, but it goes away relatively fast, and the resulting microfractures actually create a weaker structure because the osteoblasts have to work to both do regular repair, and repair the break. If you're constantly damaging the bone, the osteoblasts don't get a chance to &amp;quot;catch up&amp;quot; and the resulting repairs will be less strong than the original bone. The good news is that bones under compression do tend to regrow thicker. Unfortunately, more directional forces, such as time spent &amp;quot;conditioning&amp;quot; the bone via striking tend to create a more unbalanced structure, which weakens the bone for regular movement such as foot movement during the fight. It will deaden the nerve cells, which means you're less likely to feel hurt, but it doesn't do much to improve the actual bone strength (and may actually make you more likely to injure yourself because you don't feel the warning of pain).  Plus, because the bones are constantly rebuilding according to current stresses, any conditioning to the shins against blows is likely to be overcome by the more regular compressive stress from walking around. Overall, you're better off training compressive forces via gradual compressive loads such as weight-training and high-impact bodyweight stress such as sprinting. It's about using your muscles to create the strain so that both the bones and muscles grow in accord to create a safe structure. Lastly, as a caveat, after the age of 30, bone reconstruction drops off sharply, so the odds are low that you will be able to build greater bone mass. The best you can do is regular exercise to maintain your bone density.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More directly answering the question, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.makemefine.com/fitness/shin-conditioning-at-home/#Stage_3_Shin_Conditioning_at_Home_With_Stick&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;there does not seem to be a generally agreed upon name&lt;/a&gt; for the stick, with all that is required is a stick with a smooth surface. &lt;a href=&quot;https://dojomart.com/shin-conditioning-stick/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;This fellow&lt;/a&gt; used (and linked) a kendo stick (side note, it sounds like he may have been focusing as much on striking the shins as rolling).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-03-15T11:56:32.810" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13228" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13229" CreationDate="2022-03-16T15:53:16.770" Score="1" ViewCount="105" Body="&lt;p&gt;The BJA syllabus lists a number of non-kodokan names for throws. Some of them are clearly names for common competition variants,&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; but some I have never heard of e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/_digitaldocs/KyuGradeSyllabus/90/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;ashi-dori&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, which looks to me like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/judo/comments/bdoyzi/is_there_a_difference_between_kuchiki_taoshi_and/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kuchiki-taoshi&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is the origin of these technique names?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;BJA technique&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Kodokan technique&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Description&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/_digitaldocs/KyuGradeSyllabus/90/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kata-uchi-ashi-dori&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kuchiki-taoshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Single leg grabbing from &lt;em&gt;the inside&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/_digitaldocs/KyuGradeSyllabus/98/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Uchi-kibisu-gaeshi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kibisu-gaeshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ankle pick from &lt;em&gt;the inside&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/_digitaldocs/KyuGradeSyllabus/90/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Soto-kibisu-gaeshi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kibisu-gaeshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ankle pick from &lt;em&gt;the outside&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/_digitaldocs/KyuGradeSyllabus/98/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Soto-ashi-dori-ouchi-gari&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ouchi-gari&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ouchi-gari performed &lt;em&gt;after a single leg grabbed from the outside&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/_digitaldocs/KyuGradeSyllabus/103/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kata-hiza-te-ouchi-gake-ashi-dori&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ouchi-gari / Kuchiki-taoshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ouchi-gari, finished with kuchiki-taoshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/_digitaldocs/KyuGradeSyllabus/96/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Yoko-kata-guruma-otoshi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Yoko-otoshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;A &lt;em&gt;drop&lt;/em&gt; &amp;quot;kata guruma&amp;quot;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/_digitaldocs/KyuGradeSyllabus/102/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Yoko-tomoe-nage&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;em&gt;morote-seoi-nage&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;te-guruma&lt;/em&gt; are well established [unofficial] names for other throw variants. The following names are new to me though:&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/_digitaldocs/KyuGradeSyllabus/108/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;ryo-hiza-seoi-otoshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is a &amp;quot;drop knee&amp;quot; seoi otoshi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/_digitaldocs/KyuGradeSyllabus/79/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;morote-eri-seoi-nage&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is a seoi-nage with a two-handed lapel grip&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/_digitaldocs/KyuGradeSyllabus/113/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;kata-eri sode-tsuri-komi-goshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is a sode with a sleeve and collar grip (as opposed to double sleeve?)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/_digitaldocs/KyuGradeSyllabus/116/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;ko-uchi-gake-mata-maki-komi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is a kouchi-makikomi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/sup&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-20T11:16:24.460" LastActivityDate="2022-03-20T11:16:24.460" Title="Non-kodokan throws in the BJA syllabus?" Tags="|judo|terminology|throwing|competition|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13229" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13228" CreationDate="2022-03-16T15:53:16.770" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;These are indeed a proposed classification for competition variants. It was devised by then director of the British Judo Association Roy Inman in 2005, hence the inclusion of leg-grab techniques:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All judo techniques have their variations. For example, the 'circle throw'&#xA;(tomoe-nage) may be performed either in the traditional way or to the&#xA;side. This raises the issue of whether the two methods should be named&#xA;as separate techniques. One school of thought is that they are simply&#xA;variations on the same technique, while the other presents the view that,&#xA;&lt;strong&gt;although the basic principle of the two variations may be similar, the&#xA;different grip or direction of movement justifies them being regarded as&#xA;distinct techniques&lt;/strong&gt; (in this case, the 'circle throw to the side' should be&#xA;called yoko-tomoe-nage).&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;...&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;This presentation supports the case for specifying and naming contest&#xA;waza that have previously only been recognised as variations of the&#xA;established techniques. The rationale for this is that it will assist coaches&#xA;in the teaching and demonstration of contest techniques. To give an&#xA;example; &lt;strong&gt;any leg-grabbing action&lt;/strong&gt; (one of the highest scoring actions in&#xA;major tournaments) &lt;strong&gt;will be termed simply 'ashi-dori'&lt;/strong&gt;, but the specific&#xA;variation used may require different direction of force and/or hand&#xA;placement.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;...&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;strong&gt;The names used to describe the techniques in this research poster are&#xA;not intended to be definitive, merely indicative.&lt;/strong&gt; The paper proposes that&#xA;appropriate bodies such as the International judo Federation or the&#xA;Kodokan should look towards expanding the number of officially&#xA;recognised techniques and addressing the issue of the correct names rests&#xA;with them.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;...&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/D9hIU.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/D9hIU.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.soton.ac.uk/%7Ejudo/bja/IJFPRESENTATION2005.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;SHIN-KOKUSAI-SHIAIWAZA&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;(Classification of Innovative International Competition Techniques)&lt;/a&gt;, Roy Inman OBE 8th Dan (2005)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The apparent renaming of &lt;em&gt;Kuchiki-taoshi&lt;/em&gt; to &lt;em&gt;kata-ashi-dori&lt;/em&gt;, while retaining &lt;em&gt;kibisu-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;, was done presumably to use only explicitly descriptive names (and not &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9681/etymology-of-yama-arashi&quot;&gt;metaphorical ones&lt;/a&gt;). I presume &lt;em&gt;yama-arashi&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;tsubame-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt; would similarly be relabelled &amp;quot;kata-eri-harai-goshi&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;de-ashi-gaeshi&amp;quot; if they were included. &lt;em&gt;Tomoe-nage&lt;/em&gt; is ubiquitous enough to have escaped such renaming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similar variant classification can be seen in the BJA terms for katame-waza:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;mune-gatame&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9704/how-are-the-clock-choke-and-bow-and-arrow-choke-classified-in-judo/9706#9706&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;koshi-jime&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;kata-te-ashi-koshi-jime&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-16T19:53:01.433" LastActivityDate="2022-03-16T19:53:01.433" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13230" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-03-16T16:52:42.257" Score="-2" ViewCount="121" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Kung fu fighting sometimes fighters use lethal weapons. Sometimes two fighters fight and sometimes a group of fighters fight. Can Kung fu fighters fight with weapons in international tournaments?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11968" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-03-16T22:16:06.767" LastActivityDate="2022-03-17T15:13:07.190" Title="Can Kung fu fighters fight with weapons in international tournaments?" Tags="|kung-fu|weapons|competition|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13231" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13230" CreationDate="2022-03-17T04:14:45.027" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In almost all kung-fu tournaments, weapons are not used in sparring competition. Instead, competitors demonstrate their skill in various weapons through the performance of forms (taolu).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Forms are routines, like dance choreography, that get performed by the competitor. These forms may be traditional or contemporary. Traditional forms generally emphasize practical fighting skills. Contemporary forms generally emphasize performance. Each type has technical qualities that the judges are looking for. Competitors all aspire to excellence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The IWUF has a web site that goes over all the details about what the judges look for, and how it is scored:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iwuf.org/sport-wushu/taolu/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://www.iwuf.org/sport-wushu/taolu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are plenty of IWUF videos there and on Youtube to look at. They show how each technique should be done. And they show entire forms there as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for sparring with weapons, kung-fu styles almost always forbid it and only engage in &amp;quot;two-man sets&amp;quot; which involve two people performing predetermined movements against each other. With two-man sets, there's still some risk involved, but they go slow until they can reliably avoid getting hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Only on occasion have I found kung-fu groups which do practice sparring with weapons, but they will use padded weapons, armor, protective masks and goggles, etc. A sword is roughly approximated as a padded stick, for example. When they do this, the sparring generally doesn't look like the movies or even much like kung-fu. But it's very useful, nonetheless. And there are tournaments (though rare) that do involve these kinds of weapons sparring. I have not seen them at the international level, so this would be in local / regional tournaments only.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2022-03-17T15:13:07.190" LastActivityDate="2022-03-17T15:13:07.190" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13232" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-03-19T15:24:47.230" Score="4" ViewCount="127" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR:&lt;/strong&gt; why are boxing gloves so wide?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've searched for this but can only find texts about glove weight and padding, but not about width.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate, ITF Taekwondo and MMA training gloves have more or less the same padding as boxing gloves, but tend to be as wide as the hand and not much more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The width of boxing gloves makes them &lt;em&gt;easier&lt;/em&gt; to parry or block than narrower gloves, so I guess that width is intended for a purpose what I can't find which one is it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS: I can imagine that narrower gloves may allow the index's knuckle to hit sideways without padding in an odd situation. But anyway, if you see some boxing hooks in slow motion they sometimes end up hitting the temple with the wrist-palm in the &lt;em&gt;heat of the battle&lt;/em&gt; so I guess you can't make the perfect protection for combat sports anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;PS2: I don't even care about the ability to grapple, let's just focus on hitting, so no matter if gloves are open handed, open palm, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JkOdS.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JkOdS.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YHNA7.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YHNA7.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/q8FKK.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/q8FKK.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SMnMt.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SMnMt.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10701" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-03-19T16:33:18.887" LastActivityDate="2022-03-20T01:53:40.850" Title="Why are boxing gloves so much wider than an average hand?" Tags="|boxing|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13233" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-03-19T19:55:12.033" Score="0" ViewCount="32" Body="&lt;p&gt;So I have recently taken up BJJ.  I have only taken a couple of classes but would love to go almost every day.  The only problem is that my current gyms class schedule doesn't fit in with my work and my school schedule.  I've tried looking for other gyms in the area, but they all seem to have very similar schedules.  What would be a good way to go about this?  Should I go to open mats which are usually in the morning (I work at night)?  Or is that annoying to the more experienced people?  I don't want to go to open mats either and hurt myself or someone else because I don't know what I'm doing either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12426" LastActivityDate="2022-03-19T19:55:12.033" Title="How to Fit in Training Scheduele" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13234" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13232" CreationDate="2022-03-20T01:53:40.850" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As per my answer to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/5325/1780&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;Modern&amp;quot; Boxing Gloves &amp;amp; Punching Technique&lt;/a&gt;, one of the primary reasons for the introduction of the modern boxing glove was restricting the ability to grab and grapple. Secondarily, the increased size of the glove adds more padding, to protect the person punching, and increases the weight of the punch, which increases the chance of an exciting knockout punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-03-20T01:53:40.850" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13235" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13225" CreationDate="2022-03-20T07:43:23.307" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You should generally tweak your technique in response to the target at which you are aiming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The greatest force upon impact will typically be achieved by striking perpendicular to the strike zone, which is why different pads are often held in positions which facilitate this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But of course there is nothing to prevent Muay Thai pads being held vertically and high. The consequence of this however will be that the striker's leg will be more prone to travel up along and off the pad (unless the striker is very flexible/mobile and can achieve horizontal impact at height). This slippage can also endanger the holder of the pads. They can also be held at an upwards angle to accommodate overhead punches, axe-kicks, crescent kicks and high, downwards roundhouses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly, there is also nothing to prevent a kick shield from being held at an upwards angle (such as on the thigh above a bent knee) which is in most circumstances safer and accommodates downward roundhouses well, ie: it provides a perpendicular target. A kick shield can also be held at downwards angles to allow for upwards front kicks and roundhouses, and vertically to cater to strikes which travel in the horizontal plane.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your training will ideally replicate your combat strike techniques as closely as possible (an exception being when you are training purely for anaerobic/aerobic endurance). Given that in a fight, you will routinely land upon parts of your opponent's body which are not ideally positioned, your pad work should reflect this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember too that pad work often ignores the 'offensive defence' of knee-checks and elbow drops, which can quickly rob you of - or dissuade you from using - your go-to techniques. This is why training without pads is also essential; so that you become accustomed to negotiating those parts of your opponent's body which can inflict harm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In short, the pads you are using should not dictate technique. You should adapt your pad use to the techniques you wish to train&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-03-20T10:08:23.447" LastActivityDate="2022-03-20T10:08:23.447" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13238" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-03-21T16:19:39.747" Score="2" ViewCount="64" Body="&lt;p&gt;As I have participated in martial arts for a while, I have observed that a big part of any match is moving around your opponent, finding the best angle to attack. In addition, my personal experience shows that the best position for defending any strike is standing face to face with your opponent, but in reality, this position is hard to achieve as you and your opponent are always moving. So in a match where your opponent is circling around you, what strategy of footwork should you use to not waste all the energy in moving around, but still be able to stand face to face with your opponent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Noted: All assumptions that I made above are from my personal experience, and please correct me if I made any mistake.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12429" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-03-21T16:56:01.550" LastActivityDate="2022-03-21T17:53:19.877" Title="How to move when your opponent is circling around you?" Tags="|footwork|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13239" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13241" CreationDate="2022-03-21T17:31:58.097" Score="3" ViewCount="205" Body="&lt;p&gt;When doing a roundhouse kick, is there a rule for what angle the knee should come out at ? My coach says to bring the knee over at straight vertical angle 0 deg, and rotate the leg over while you extend.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this angle below, the knee is out at a 45 degree right, while he extends the leg. My coach says not to do this. Is there a general rule for kicking? Or is each variation okay? green line below for reference&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another angle question, last question (&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/13225/muay-thai-roundhouse-kick-using-kick-shields-vs-thai-pads-different-technique&quot;&gt;Muay Thai Roundhouse Kick: Using Kick Shields vs Thai Pads, different technique?&lt;/a&gt;) was about final Rotation of leg. This is how about to bring it out initially.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/lKIPt.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/lKIPt.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-03-21T18:49:25.897" Title="Muay Thai Roundhouse kick, what angle to bring out knee and leg" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|kicking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13240" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13238" CreationDate="2022-03-21T17:53:19.877" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a few things to consider here. First, almost by definition, your opponent circling you will be expending more effort than you if you are staying in place. Imagine that you're at the hub of a wheel and your opponent is at the rim. You will be traveling a shorter distance to turn a given arc than the opponent. This, of course, may vary if you, in turn, circle them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, you will want to be careful about how you step to avoid tangling yourself up. Obviously, most trained people will not try to just pivot in place and wind up crossing their ankles so that both legs can be swept at once, but it's not terribly uncommon for people to put themselves in an unstable position for &amp;quot;a moment&amp;quot; before correcting their balance. It seems harmless, but if you are attacked in that moment of unbalance, you are much more likely to react in a way that will keep you unstable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Third, you will want to avoid being too predictable in how you move or else your opponent will learn that when they circle you in a particular direction and speed, they can predict where your feet and balance will be so that they can throw an attack when you are unstable or at the least in a particular stance. This kind of follows from the advice above about not tangling your feet up or putting yourself in a position of unstable balance, but overall, it's more of a general bit of advice to introduce variation in your movements. Honestly, this also kind of fits into that you may not always want to turn to face your opponent. Sometimes, being a bit sideways will help you to provide a smaller profile as they attack, or lead into using momentum or twisting your body as a spring to drive an attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, be aware of your environment, particularly what's behind you that you can't see immediately. In a ring, an opponent may circle you to trick you into backing into a corner, the ropes, the fence, or the boundary that indicates a ring out. On the streets, they might try to maneuver you onto more unstable ground, a solid surface, or even a drop, which will reduce your movement options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;So, what should you train?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fundamentally, you will want to practice a few different movements so as to not be too predictable. You will want to try to find a movement that keeps your feet stable at all times. You will want to practice the movements until they feels so natural that it's virtually effortless. Personally, I like to try to lift my feet a fraction of an inch above the ground and trail a small part of my foot on the floor so that I'm not wasting effort with friction by sliding my feet, it's easy to set my foot down, and if I run into an obstacle, I know immediately and can deal with it. My default involves sliding the foot opposite the direction they're circling back, and then the other foot forward because it keeps my legs more apart, but I'll generally mix that up with stepping other directions or doing a quick shuffle. In the latter case, I won't always turn in place, or circle their direction, but will sometimes instead step into their arc to create a threat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-03-21T17:53:19.877" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13241" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13239" CreationDate="2022-03-21T18:49:25.897" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a good video resource from Damien Trainor after research: (feel free to add more answers)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZkRZp3AUtm/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZkRZp3AUtm/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In Summary:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Straight kicks are less noticeable and less telegraphed&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Round kicks may have more power and allow to kick &amp;quot;wide to get past someone’s defense&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both kicks start at the same time, but the key differences to notice&#xA;are, the angle of the knee as it starts and which kick strikes first.&#xA;⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Even though it’s called a roundhouse kick it’s important to&#xA;remember when throwing it that you don’t want to throw it too round.&#xA;By doing this you’re telegraphing what you’re doing, it takes too long&#xA;to get to the target and you’re losing power.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Think of a&#xA;circle, you want to get from one side to other as quick as possible,&#xA;fastest way to do that that is straight through the middle. Same&#xA;applies for the kick, your want the kick go at a relatively straight&#xA;angle and then turn your hip over at the last second. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Key&#xA;points when throwing the kick are pivot the standing foot, throw the&#xA;leg direct to the target, turn the hip and shoulder over, guard, make&#xA;contact with your shin. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Just remember EVERY technique has a&#xA;textbook way of throwing it.... however, fighting can be&#xA;unpredictable. So with that in mind, there will be times when you have&#xA;to adapt to the situation at hand in order to land something. In other&#xA;words at some point you may have to swing wide to get past someone’s&#xA;defence. That adaptation comes from experience....someone left a&#xA;comment not too long back which I thought was great “learn the rules&#xA;well before you break them”. ⁣⁣⁣&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-03-21T18:49:25.897" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13242" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12592" CreationDate="2022-03-21T18:59:02.707" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It appears this version is considered valid, and has been used multiple times at high level competition:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/loDR0.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/loDR0.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ab2GqDeKJU&amp;amp;t=210s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Agbegnenou vs Vermeer | -63kg | World Championships 2021&lt;/a&gt; (3:30)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSSfFu-Fx60&amp;amp;t=400s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Van T End vs Gviniashvili | -90kg | Doha Masters 2021&lt;/a&gt; (6:40)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2022-03-21T18:59:02.707" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13243" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-03-22T13:25:16.577" Score="1" ViewCount="184" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let's say, if I am mostly untrained (with strength below-average) and I have a hypothetical strategy involving delivering fast and continuous attacks to the vital (weak) points of the body (not 100% effective, and includes a few accidental useless strikes / slaps), used in a self-defense situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it likely that the opponent will become temporary baffled so that I can have the chance of delivering a few injury-inducing critical blows among the partly-effective strikes, given that the opponent has no realistic sparring / combat experience? Some resources say it is possible that this strategy will work by forcing the opponent to continuously bounce between the Observe and Orientation phase of the OODA Loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act), and therefore unable to proceed. In other words, this raises a psychological barrier, temporarily preventing the opponent from using his physical advantages.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if this does not work, are there other tactics that might partially compensate for the inability of delivering completely effective strikes caused by lack of training and strength?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-03-22T16:49:41.127" LastActivityDate="2022-03-22T16:49:41.127" Title="Effectiveness of fast and continuous attack?" Tags="|self-defense|streetfight|striking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13244" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13243" CreationDate="2022-03-22T16:06:13.557" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This is unlikely to be successful.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most vital areas (which in my mind are literally the same as vital points/kyusho) are really hard to hit.  You don't need strength to hit them but you do need good technique and that only comes through training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's be absolutely clear about the parts of the body we are talking about though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's the eyes, the neck, the jaw the solar plexus, the liver and kidneys (floating rib area) the groin the thighs and the knees.  These all need to be attacked in slightly different ways and at different angles.  You can't just flail wildly and expect to hit one of them effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people can't even throw a punch safely without training.  What you're suggesting is a step beyond that, you want to punch quickly and hit some part of a person accurately enough to do them damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Quick attacks are hard to pull off.  Again it requires training.  Accurate attacks are also hard to pull off for the same reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In Shorinji Kempo&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(a martial art I practise that &lt;em&gt;specialises&lt;/em&gt; in hitting vital areas)   We talk about the five elements of atemi (hitting a body)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Target (the part of the body you are going to hit)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Angle (some points eg floating ribs and solar plexus only work if you hit them at say and upwards angle)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Speed (as fast as possible)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Distance (punches and other strikes have very limited range as they have a minimum and a maximum range)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Kyo-Jitsu (This one is a bit hard to explain but basically you need a good punching structure in your stance and a way to get past opponent's dodges and blocks)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other martial arts have slightly different ways of looking at this, but what I am trying to explain is that even from a vital point/vital areas perspective you still need a good physical technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-03-22T16:06:13.557" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13245" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13226" CreationDate="2022-03-22T16:26:25.840" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a technique for someone with little strength to incapacitate an opponent at least long enough to start running.  This technique is called &lt;em&gt;meiuchi&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;me uchi&lt;/em&gt; in Japanese as seen at the start of this video&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXHypJZNetI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXHypJZNetI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may want to watch the full speed strikes in slow motion to really understand what is happening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a strike to the eyes, but it is not an eye gouge.  Instead you slap the eye lids with the back of the fingers at high speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The technique is similar to a basic punch, the same movements of any good punching technique will be required.  So you start from the feat push through the hips move the shoulders and then throw the hand forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However rather than striking though the target you must pull back your arm just as you connect with the target and allow the fingers to continue forward in a whipping action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When practising with a heavy bag or a hand held pad you don't aim to move the bag or pad with this techinque.  Rather you know you have it correct if you make a loud clapping noise with each strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a non-lethal self defence technique.  It is extremely painful, but unlikely to do any serious damage.  It creates an opening to escape or set up a grapple.  It almost certainly will not do more than this.  It won't for example knock someone out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-03-22T16:26:25.840" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13246" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13248" CreationDate="2022-03-24T20:10:33.730" Score="2" ViewCount="1175" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why do people say &amp;quot;ooh-wee,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;oh-way&amp;quot;, or &amp;quot;ay&amp;quot; when sparring in Muay Thai? I know what it means, however it keeps the mouth slightly open, and should be Closed for single sided mouth guard for safety / prevent teeth damage. Is that correct? In boxing, they recommend people whistle out air with mouth closed &amp;quot;shhh&amp;quot;. Just curious, thanks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-03-30T15:20:24.347" Title="Does saying &quot;ooh-wee&quot; in Muay Thai Sparring make mouth susceptible to damage?" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13247" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-03-25T09:30:34.050" Score="1" ViewCount="183" Body="&lt;p&gt;Being an orthodox stance fighter, there is a &amp;quot;right cross&amp;quot; that counteracts an opponent left jab.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does a &amp;quot;left cross&amp;quot; also exist for orthodox fighters? It would seem to counteract an opponent's right punch straight. I tested, and it works sometimes in sparring. However I never read about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*Only seen it for southpaw stance fighters obviously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgiFPvOI8rM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgiFPvOI8rM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3343mBxM8E&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3343mBxM8E&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zDNDr.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zDNDr.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hCqzp.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hCqzp.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-03-29T07:12:01.173" Title="Does Left Cross Punch exist for Orthodox stance fighters?" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13248" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13246" CreationDate="2022-03-25T12:41:50.380" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As I understand it, the boxing exhalation, as much through the nose as through the mouth, is a function of the mouthguard itself (I've seen some references to a required form factor for mouthpieces and others saying it's entirely unregulated. I'm not a boxer myself). Function follows form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As regards the Muay Thai noises, it basically works a lot like the Japanese &lt;em&gt;kiai&lt;/em&gt;, the Korean &lt;em&gt;kihap&lt;/em&gt;, or the like. As a forceful exhalation, it teaches fighters to tighten their core with their strikes, it reminds them to breathe by force periodic evacuation of air, and it focuses the mind on that final moment of the strike. Lastly, there is an aspect of calling the hits for scoring. Shouting while striking serves as a signal to the judges of &amp;quot;here's a hit for you to score&amp;quot; and the corresponding grunts when hit is partly a carryover of the acknowledgment in training that a hit was scored (since there often is not a judge) and also as a dismissal of the hit, basically indicating &amp;quot;Yeah, that hit, but it didn't really hurt&amp;quot;, which might influence whether the hit is scored.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you note, an opened mouth can be dangerous, particularly for the purpose of keeping a mouthguard in. Therefore, I've seen numerous recommendations, including from Muay Thai practitioners and teachers, to go for more of a closed-mouth grunt, including some opining that it can lead to a positive habit of the grunting yell also involving biting down on the guard at the same time, reminding the fighter to do that step to protect from a counterstrike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-03-30T15:20:24.347" LastActivityDate="2022-03-30T15:20:24.347" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13249" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-03-25T13:25:33.560" Score="3" ViewCount="667" Body="&lt;p&gt;Classical &lt;em&gt;uchi-mata&lt;/em&gt; involves reaping uke's back leg up and twisting them over their grounded off-balanced leg. However a common competition variant involves loading uke on tori's waist and reaping through the middle of uke's legs / against their far leg, effectively lifting with the hips before turning to throw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How is this technique distinguished from &lt;em&gt;hane-goshi&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-25T14:48:54.137" LastActivityDate="2022-03-31T12:32:12.760" Title="What is the difference between Uchi-Mata and Hane-Goshi?" Tags="|technique|judo|terminology|throwing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13250" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13249" CreationDate="2022-03-25T13:25:33.560" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For the &lt;em&gt;koshi-waza&lt;/em&gt; style uchi-mata, what distinguishes it from &lt;em&gt;hane-goshi&lt;/em&gt; is the position of the leg (whether straight through uke's legs, or bent):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the original uchi-mata, tori sweeps up uke's left leg with his right leg, which brings it under ashi-waza techniques.  But increasingly, we see a kind of koshi-waza technique where tori loads uke onto his waist and sweeps him up.&#xA;#&amp;gt; Consequently, uchi-mata is classified under both ashi-waza and koshi-waza, but the koshi-waza type of uchi-mata described here is a practical technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This technique is similar to hane-goshi. If tori scoops uke up using the waist and leg, from a posture with his right knee bent, it is then classified as hane-goshi (photo 37).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/1lN3Dm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/1lN3Dm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;uchi mata&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mjiUMm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mjiUMm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;hane goshi&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&amp;quot;koshi-waza&amp;quot; uchi-mata&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;hane-goshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/KODOKAN_JUDO_THROWING_TECHNIQUES/HGpbICBZdGwC?hl=en&amp;amp;gbpv=1&amp;amp;dq=%22classified+as+hane-goshi%22&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kodokan Judo Throwing Techniques&lt;/a&gt;, Toshiro Daigo (2005)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note the &lt;em&gt;Kodokan New Japanese-English Dictionary of Judo&lt;/em&gt; makes allusion to the overlap between these two techniques:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;haneru &lt;strong&gt;(to spring/jump)&lt;/strong&gt; A situation in which the powerful effect of a hane goshi or uchimata sends your opponent's body high into the air.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-31T12:32:12.760" LastActivityDate="2022-03-31T12:32:12.760" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13251" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13252" CreationDate="2022-03-25T17:12:56.460" Score="0" ViewCount="1269" Body="&lt;p&gt;I currently practice Wushu and Sanda, and have been for 4 years now. I'm looking to learn more about joint locks and how to break an opponents bones. I know that sounds violent, but in my area there has been a steady increase of car jackings carried out by groups of people. I feel like I need to up my arsenal. I've learned a few joint locks in Kung Fu, but it's not the styles main focus. In other words, how to incapacitate an opponent ASAP. In my mind, a broken arm or wrist will do that faster than a broken nose. BJJ and wrestling both require you to be static or on the ground. That doesn't seem like a good idea when dealing with multiple assailants.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Krav Maga sounded like it might be a good candidate, however I'm open to other suggestions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10044" LastActivityDate="2022-03-25T18:23:17.783" Title="What Style Teaches you to Break Bones/Joints?" Tags="|joint-lock|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13252" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13251" CreationDate="2022-03-25T18:23:17.783" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, there's joint snapping, and then there's bone breaking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Joint snapping involves hyper-extending the joint until the tendons holding the joint together snap, or the end of the bone pops out of its joint and becomes dislocated. It's painful, and it can damage the ends of bones at the cartilage. It can rip tendons and muscles. And it's relatively easy to do compared with actually breaking a bone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then there's bone breaking. That's where you snap the bone itself, either fracturing it or breaking it in two. This often is accompanied by joint dislocation and tendon / muscle damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both joint snapping and bone breaking are incorporated into most martial arts. And it's similar to vital point striking, in the sense that it should already be in the martial art and requires no additional or supplementary skills to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me give you an example. You can see standing arm-bars in most martial arts. You grab a hold of someone's wrist and extend his arm outwards so that his elbow is now locked. Then you keep that hold while pressing down on his arm at the elbow or mid-upper arm. That will hyper-extend his elbow and allows you to get leverage to push him down to the ground, perhaps with some extra foot-work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But what if you didn't just apply leverage to that joint while taking him down to the ground? What if you did a hard, heavy hammer-strike to the point just above the elbow? Then that joint can easily snap. And you can still take him down to the ground with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So this is really just a difference in how much force you apply. There's very little, if any, change in the mechanics of the technique. You're changing a push into a strike. But mechanically, it's doing the same thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that's not actually breaking any bones. It could if you do it hard enough, sure. But it's not optimally designed to break bones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are martial arts that sort of specialize in joint snapping and breaking bones. Or at the very least, they do train to do it very specifically, as opposed to martial arts that merely imply it and don't develop the kinds of strikes needed to accomplish bone breaking. And they even will often use it as a marketing tool to attract students. Haha.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Two martial arts you might want to look into for this are: Okinawan karate (naihanchi kata bunkai), and Koppo Jutsu (which is often linked to Bujinkan budo taijutsu or Koto Ryu). Of course, these are just off the top of my head. Pretty much any martial art will have these kinds of applications built into them, but perhaps there are some that make it their point to train to be able to do this and explicitly teach it rather than merely implying it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Okinawan karate comes from White Crane and Incense Shop Boxing kung-fu and other styles. Bujinkan takes from classical Japanese samurai ryu, and most of them do have their favorite bone breaking techniques in them. So you don't necessarily need to look at karate or Bujinkan. You can start to notice these techniques everywhere. But I gave you those two styles as a starting point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the things you'll notice about styles that do train people in how to break bones is that they'll emphasize conditioning their strikes. So they'll do a lot with punching bags and punching hard objects (I've even seen people slamming hands and fists against brick walls). The goal is to be able to hit hard and heavy without breaking your own hand, wrist, foot, or arm. If you're attacking your opponent's shin bone by performing an oblique stomp downwards and on an angle, then you have to be able to do that without injuring yourself. It's not easy, because their bone is as hard as yours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And just like with vital point strikes (strikes to weak areas on the body), the technique you use has to be able to work even if it doesn't break bones or snap joints. So for example, that standing arm-bar that I wrote about above will work even if his elbow doesn't snap, even though you were trying to snap that elbow. It's okay. It doesn't have to break the bone or snap the joint in order for it to be an effective technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If, on the other hand, you're just focusing on breaking bones, and you don't care that the technique still works even if it doesn't break bones, then you're probably training the wrong way. And most martial arts know this and don't specifically target breaking bones. It's gotta work even if the bone doesn't break.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2022-03-25T18:23:17.783" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13253" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13249" CreationDate="2022-03-26T04:35:40.943" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can distinguish between uchi mata (内股) and hane goshi (springing hip) (跳腰) by examining the action of tori's hips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In hane goshi, tori's hips displace uke's hips. This is the hip spring described in the technique name. I think it's easiest to do this if tori's hips are perpendicular to uke's hips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/judo/comments/f6uviy/trying_one_step_hanegoshi/?utm_source=share&amp;amp;utm_medium=web2x&amp;amp;context=3&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;I can imagine a one-legged tori being able to perform throw hane goshi in this manner.&lt;/a&gt; The leg contact is incidental and there is no power if tori tries to lift their leg out to the side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;In uchi mata, tori bends at the hips and tori's leg reaps uke's leg. If tori attacks the near leg, everyone sees the traditional uchi mata, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYd7h64bBjY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;tori can perform the same body motion to attack the far leg and it's still an uchi mata (内股)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think it's easiest to perform this action if tori's leg is going straight back into the target leg, which makes tori's hips face basically the same direction as uke's hips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are the two examples I think most clearly illustrate the two principles. The principles can be mixed however, in which case I'm personally no longer interested where the line between the two techniques should be be drawn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/IqhpUWgAZYk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Kodokan has recently started a series of videos for judo pedants for Kodokan throw classification&lt;/a&gt;, but this one has not been published yet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2022-03-26T04:35:40.943" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13254" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13255" CreationDate="2022-03-27T02:49:21.767" Score="0" ViewCount="416" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are the consequences if I did this jumping side kick in Muay thai? Would it work, or would a professional Muay Thai opponent do a big counter from that? See this link from Jeff Chan channel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/txL6VIz7fOk?t=258&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/txL6VIz7fOk?t=258&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9Mhwm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9Mhwm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-03-28T02:19:02.090" Title="Karate Side Kick in Muay Thai" Tags="|technique|karate|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|kicking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13255" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13254" CreationDate="2022-03-27T19:02:44.970" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Side kicks are more rare in Muay Thai fights, that is for sure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everything can work. But it depends on how good the kicker is at that technique and how good the defender is with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just on a side note, that's not a jumping side kick seen in the video link. In Taekwondo, that's called a hop-side kick. Hopping means you're shuffling towards your opponent and execute the kick with one foot still on the ground. Whereas, jumping means both legs are off the ground when the kick is executed, and you don't travel across the floor at all (the direction is straight up). There's also jumping-hopping (more commonly called &amp;quot;flying&amp;quot;) which involves moving towards an opponent while jumping. I go over this more here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2935/how-does-one-train-for-a-spinning-reverse-kick/2937#2937&quot;&gt;How does one train for a spinning reverse kick?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muay Thai has side kicks, but they don't often encounter them in sparring due to a number of reasons. First, Muay Thai's stance is more squared forward and more upright than martial arts like Taekwondo that utilize this kick more often. That makes it awkward to perform in Muay Thai. They have to lower their body, widen their stance, and turn to the side. It takes time to do that, and that's a problem. But that side-facing stance is also something that just feels wrong to a lot of Muay Thai people, perhaps because it makes you more vulnerable close in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Which brings me to the next issue: The preferred distance in Thai boxing is another reason why you don't see a lot of hopping side kicks. Hopping requires a good amount of distance. And long distance techniques are not generally preferred in Muay Thai. You might see it used more often if someone is knocked backwards, quickly recovers, and then uses the hop to get back to the center of the ring more quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Side kicks can be very powerful. They're Taekwondo's most powerful kick. Done to the abdomen, it can knock an opponent's wind out and can pick them up and send them backwards. It can break ribs. Hitting with the blade edge of the foot or the heel instead of the entire foot can also create a more damaging impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The biggest down-side of the side kick is that it takes time to pick that foot up, turn the hip over, snap it out, pull it back in, turn the hip back, and then put it back down. Meanwhile, the longer your leg is out there with your hip turned over, the more likely it is your opponent will either grab it or use it as an opportunity to unbalance you and knock you down. And if your opponent steps to your outside while you're doing the side kick, you have no defenses available to your head on that side, making you susceptible to elbow strikes and punches to your head. All of this means you're more vulnerable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So when using the side kick against a Thai boxer, you really have to have excellent technique. It needs to be super fast, and you need to have enough experience with it that you have automatic reflexes for dealing with everything that can go wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A Taekwondo black belt might be able to pull it off, because they practice that kick to a high degree. But I don't think Muay Thai puts enough time into practicing it. And that's probably why you don't see too many Muay Thai practitioners doing it in practice. It's too slow and too risky. Not being good at it also means the reward is low, too, because it's not going to be nearly as damaging as, say, a round kick to the legs of their opponents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you wanted to take this kick and really make it your secret weapon in Muay Thai, you probably need to do some Taekwondo as supplemental training and bring that into your Muay Thai practice. Maybe get some private lessons with a TKD instructor who can work with you on it over a year or two. They'll first go over the proper technique which they will continue to drill into you throughout the entire time you're there. A lot of their training will involve punching bags and those blue blocking shields. Punching bags are for focus and power. Whereas your instructor will move the blue blocking shield around as you're kicking, making your kicks faster and more accurate, and increasing your stamina. Repeating the kick as fast as you can for 30 seconds each leg against the blue blocking shield is another Taekwondo favorite training technique, which results in much faster kicks. They then work on drilling different scenarios (you vs. the instructor). Finally, they will spend time on sparring with it. You'll need to learn how to use it against a moving, resisting opponent. Training should be 2-3 times a week, with two days to recover between sessions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My thoughts anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2022-03-28T02:19:02.090" LastActivityDate="2022-03-28T02:19:02.090" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13256" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13257" CreationDate="2022-03-28T08:02:55.160" Score="1" ViewCount="146" Body="&lt;p&gt;Following this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2st5eb7qwRc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; of Ghost Kick. Is there a way to defend and anticipate this kick? Is it applicable to real street fight? Is it the same as close range roundhouse, Brazilian kick&#xA;and kick from the pocket?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2022-03-29T20:17:16.557" Title="Is Ghost Kick applicable in street fight and how can we defend and anticipate it" Tags="|self-defense|kicking|streetfight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13257" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13256" CreationDate="2022-03-28T19:59:07.377" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The ghost kick as demonstrated here is actually taught in standard Taekwondo. I recognized it right away. You occasionally see these sorts of unusual techniques from traditional martial arts creep their way into MMA fights. It's good to see.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Taekwondo, this sort of kick is done routinely as a way of not telegraphing the kick and decoying. You lift up your leg at your knee only, keeping your knee bent and pointing it towards your opponent's solar plexus. This causes your opponent to think you're about to do a front kick to his solar plexus. So his guard comes down from his head to his torso. Then, you turn your hip over and switch it up to a high round kick to the head. Since his guard is down low, his head is unguarded, and you score.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This way of chambering the kick in a standard front-kick chamber position before doing the real kick you want is all part of standard Taekwondo. You don't just have the ability to do a round kick here. You can do a hook kick on the other side of the head. One of my favorites was to switch it up to an &amp;quot;axis&amp;quot; kick which is kind of like a front kick, but twisted at an angle, and it would be to the opposite side of the head as the round kick would do. You can do an axe kick. Or a crescent kick. Or a side kick. There are many possibilities. And by keeping your chambered leg low and bent, you can recover more quickly if your opponent catches you by surprise with something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only problem here is that these kicks don't involve a lot of momentum and body weight behind them. They're flicky kicks. But with training, you can get your kick power up enough that it can do real damage. Targeting the jaw (the &amp;quot;button&amp;quot; in boxing parlance) will increase the odds that you can get a knock-out from something like this. Although, honestly, it's still unlikely you'll do much except confuse or annoy your opponent. But maybe that's fine if it allows you to follow up real quickly with something that has more force behind it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally would never use this kick in a real fight. It's good if you have a long game like an MMA fight would allow for. Then you might use it strategically and mostly to create an opening for a stronger technique. But in real fights, the fight is over in seconds. If you use this kind of technique, you can easily become unbalanced and fall. All he has to do is grab a hold of you and move towards you while your leg is still out there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for how to defend against this sort of kick, it's hard to defend against it specifically because it looks like a front kick to the solar plexus. It's a decoy, and it prevents telegraphing where the real kick will land. You learn to deal with this in Taekwondo sparring after a while of getting tagged with it. It will force you to increase your reaction speed, for example. You'll need to anticipate that the kick is a decoy and keep one hand up high to guard the head while the other hand drops to protect the abdomen. Most of the time, a step to the side (either side) would work, because it causes your opponent to have to recalculate your position. Counter-attacking the moment you see the leg going up while using half-beat timing is going to prevent or intercept the kick before it reaches the chamber position. Stepping into your opponent just as he's beginning to kick is a great idea, because you can knock him over. Most people don't like that idea, because their groin is vulnerable to a potential front kick in that case. So to prevent your groin from taking a hit, you would pivot and shoulder-check as you're stepping in, but remember to keep one hand high to guard in case he slips that ghost kick through. And if he does slip the ghost kick through, be ready to grab it and perform a leg sweep. This should give you plenty of ideas for how to drill these defenses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just one more note about this kick. What I said is correct. You learn this as a front kick style chamber and then go from there. But in practice, you rarely see much of the front kick chamber position. In the video, you see that the ghost kick here smoothly transitions right to the final kick. You can't even see the chamber position as a distinct, separate position very well in that video. Maybe only a couple times do I see it more clearly in that video, for example at 0:03. And that's what you expect from someone who has trained this kick to a high degree. But when training to do this for the first time, you're going to break it up into two separate movements. Later on you'll smooth it out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2022-03-29T20:17:16.557" LastActivityDate="2022-03-29T20:17:16.557" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13258" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13321" CreationDate="2022-03-29T07:10:25.310" Score="3" ViewCount="460" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the proper good bad comparison for Muay Thai Leg block?  There are two camps of thought in Thailand, feet toes up and toes down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;feet toes up - make its more resilient to leg blocks, however someone can accidently hurt damage the toes sticking out&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;feet toes down - less sturdy leg block, but much less chance of feet toes damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I originally thought feet/toes up was good, but almost got hurt really badly damaging toes during sparring, and thinking of going to toes down camp to prevent injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;** Most important, Are there any injuries which can occur with feet down besides hurting the shin? Maybe hyperextending the foot the other way?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5TKlz.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5TKlz.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0TjLT.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0TjLT.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-05-20T19:21:57.440" Title="Muay Thai Kick Block: Feet Toes Up or Down" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13259" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13260" CreationDate="2022-03-29T08:46:12.847" Score="0" ViewCount="86" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a specialised training for self  defense with pepper spray? Obviously, some techniques can be copied from self defense with a gun, but did someone actually worked it out?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10293" LastActivityDate="2022-03-29T14:23:38.347" Title="Self defense with pepper spray" Tags="|self-defense|weapons|streetfight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13260" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13259" CreationDate="2022-03-29T14:23:38.347" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;From quickly browsing around various online essays on pepper spray defense, there seem to be:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;As with any self-defense weapon, if you can't get to it quickly, it's useless.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Deploy the pepper spray with an outstretched arm to reduce the amount of pepper spray that will get back to your face. The advice is to have it on the level of your nose to ensure you're aiming for the face and that you're sighting the spray.&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Some essays suggest holding the canister with your fingers and depressing the trigger with your thumb to reduce the risk of dropping it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Your off arm should also be extended, a little further than the pepper spray canister, to fend off the attacker, to keep them from just snatching the canister or knocking it outside, and to help shield you from blowback.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Sweep the spray from side to size (some essays suggest a &amp;quot;Z&amp;quot; pattern) to adjust for poor aim and to account for attacker movement&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Immediately move laterally and away from the attacker because the spray takes several seconds to act, and they can still blindly lunge at you.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, I don't know how pressure-tested these techniques are, or if people are just parroting each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-03-29T14:23:38.347" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13261" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13262" CreationDate="2022-03-29T23:46:30.190" Score="3" ViewCount="1291" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the IBJJF rules, performing a single leg while placing your head outside the opponent's body (as opposed to across their abdomen) is &lt;a href=&quot;https://ibjjf.com/books-videos&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;prohibited&lt;/a&gt; for juniors and adult white belt:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Single leg takedown while the attacking athlete has his head outside his opponents body.(**)&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;...&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;** Although it is a prohibited technique, the athlete will not be penalized. &lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://ibjjf.com/books-videos&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Technical Fouls and Illegal Moves&lt;/a&gt; (ibjjf.com)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other techniques which are prohibited at this level (such as wrist locks, body compressions,  heel hooks etc) are due to them being potentially dangerous submissions, and reducing the chance of inexperienced competitors injuring eachother.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;But I do not see the inherent danger in this type of single leg. Why is it also prohibited?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2022-03-30T02:22:49.620" Title="Why is a single leg with your head outside the opponent's body prohibited (at white belt) in BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|sport|takedown|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13262" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13261" CreationDate="2022-03-30T02:22:49.620" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I haven't found a direct answer regarding why it is prohibited, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/4jqpn0/comment/d392rvp/?utm_source=share&amp;amp;utm_medium=web2x&amp;amp;context=3&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;according to this Reddit post&lt;/a&gt;, apparently IBJJF rule 6.3.2 (actually 6.2.3) states:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;IBJJF Rule 6.3.2 - Technical Foul: When the athlete who is defending a single leg takedown, while the athlete attacking has his head outside his opponents body, intentionally projects his attacker to the ground, by grabbing his opponents belt, to make him hit the floor with the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That suggests that they might be trying to guard against the danger of an opponent, accidentally or intentionally, doing the above, and causing a serious head or spinal injury to someone who is junior, or of lower rank, and doesn't know how to save themselves from the fall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Side note, a further elbaoration in the rule book on the page you quote under 1.3.10:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Whenever the situation depicted in picture 11 of item 6.2.3 (Single-leg with head on the outside) arises, by attempt&#xA;to takedown or any other move coming from the ground, with the athletes on they knees or with a sweep motion, the&#xA;referee shall act in the following way:&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;For juveniles and younger divisions and white belts, the referee will stop the fight and restart the match with both&#xA;athletes standing. No penalties will be given to either athlete.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;For the other divisions the referee shall not interfere with the match.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-03-30T02:22:49.620" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13263" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10215" CreationDate="2022-03-31T11:47:47.290" Score="0" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it purely focused on competition Judo, or does it include techniques not utilized or allowed in the modern sport, and which pre-date Olympic Judo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To answer in terms of specific techniques: yes, &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/waza/list/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kodokan waza&lt;/a&gt; comprise not only competition-legal techniques, but also:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;classical techniques involving leg grabs&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;(e.g. &lt;em&gt;morote-gari, kibishu-gaeshi, kuchiki-taoshi, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9329/origin-of-kata-guruma&quot;&gt;kata-guruma&lt;/a&gt;, sukui-nage&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;kinshi-waza&lt;/em&gt;: classical techniques banned from randori and competition for injury concerns&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;(e.g. &lt;em&gt;ashi-garami, do-jime, kani-basami, &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9238/origin-of-kawazu-gake&quot;&gt;kawazu-gake&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As mattm says, while these techniques are forbidden in randori and competition, they are preserved in the form of &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/waza/forms/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;kata&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, and many Japanese competitions follow non-IJF rulesets permitting leg grabs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note Kodokan waza does not include any other &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9379/are-biceps-slicers-legal-in-judo&quot;&gt;leg locks, neck locks, or small joint locks&lt;/a&gt; which pre-date the first formalisation of &lt;em&gt;katame-waza&lt;/em&gt; in 1920.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Interestingly, the current Kodokan syllablus &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/9610/8910&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;no longer contains&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;em&gt;daki-age&lt;/em&gt;, a &lt;em&gt;kinshi-waza&lt;/em&gt; previously banned from competition only but as of 2017 has been removed from the Kodokan list of waza entirely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-03-31T12:12:46.477" LastActivityDate="2022-03-31T12:12:46.477" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13264" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-03-31T14:26:22.403" Score="4" ViewCount="974" Body="&lt;p&gt;How strong does one generally have to be to compete at elite level at judo?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2022-04-01T11:36:41.683" Title="Strength standards for elite Judo" Tags="|judo|competition|strength|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13265" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13264" CreationDate="2022-03-31T14:26:22.403" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Judo Australia&lt;/strong&gt; has published the following &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ausjudo.com.au/athlete-development&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;strength and fitness guidelines&lt;/a&gt; for its cadet judoka (lifts in terms of 3 rep max):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In this document are a series of tests you can use to check your progress with Gold, Silver and&#xA;Bronze targets that are based on the standards achieved by elite Australian and International cadet&#xA;judo athletes. &lt;strong&gt;The Bronze targets are the minimum standards that you should be attaining in&#xA;order to consider yourself a high-performance Australian judo athlete.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/sVYvJ.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/sVYvJ.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5e7CA.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5e7CA.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The following website (link dead) had a similar breakdown of core strength exercises in three skill bands (data taken from &lt;a href=&quot;https://exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this site&lt;/a&gt;, lifts in terms of 1 rep max):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/HTFv2.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/HTFv2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;German Judo Federation&lt;/strong&gt; gives a similar &lt;a href=&quot;https://assets.judobund.de/public/uploads/djb-athletikkonzept_240821.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;list of benchmarks&lt;/a&gt; for elite performance:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mTD3Q.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mTD3Q.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-04-01T11:36:41.683" LastActivityDate="2022-04-01T11:36:41.683" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13266" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-04-01T12:12:56.207" Score="2" ViewCount="32" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a few components of momentum generation in strikes that I find difficult to understand, and it is hard to find out via trial and error since I do not have a sparring partner or a heavy bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some instructions of strikes emphasize utilization of body weight. In strikes such as the brachial stun, are there any ways to actually &amp;quot;use body weight&amp;quot; since it is impossible to &amp;quot;fall on&amp;quot; the opponent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;I have seen a lot of tutorials that include rotation of the torso during the strike, but I find it complex and hard to understand in improvised strikes, such as a downward elbow strike to the head / collarbone. Are there simple instructions I can follow to find the right way to do it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I have mentioned above, I do not own a heavy bag, so how should I practise generating momentum and power so that it would actually work on an opponent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-04-01T13:24:56.433" LastActivityDate="2022-04-01T14:47:11.657" Title="Questions on momentum generation" Tags="|striking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13267" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13266" CreationDate="2022-04-01T14:47:11.657" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a genuinely difficult problem that is central to striking martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Essentially the idea is to generate momentum in the body using the legs and hips transfer it into the arm.  So the large momentum (which is equal to velocity times mass) transfers to a smaller mass and hence a larger velocity as momentum is conserved.  So your 'body weight' or perhaps better 'torso momentum' is behind a punch if you have transferred the momentum from your body to your arm.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I could explain in detail the equations involved but I don't think they would help.  After all you could understand all the equations and still not be able to do the movement.  And most good martial artists don't know the equations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is why martial arts are best thought of as an aural tradition.  You have to learn the movement from a teacher who can observe and correct your movements.  Eventually you can do the technique as well as they can (or as well as they could when they were younger).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can't learn this well from videos because of the lack of feedback.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that different styles do this slightly differently.  I recomend looking at boxing form for this as they tend to have a fairly intuitive way of striking as opposed to say karate which is actually fairly stylized.  That said, learn from a teacher and do it their way.  No point trying to create your own punching style before you know the basics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Probably best not to get hung up on this particular strike.  It's not used much in most styles as it's very short range.  That said the elbow is still on the side of the body, it's still part of the arm and the 'full body' twisting movement still applies.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-04-01T14:47:11.657" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13268" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="948" CreationDate="2022-04-01T22:00:38.500" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I made a diagram to represent Taiji Push Hands (gong fu) in the general continuum of sports fighting and street defense. In summary, Tai Chi is a small fraction in the continuum of self-defense, as is sparring itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://coggle.it/diagram/XfPzXK6K4jBO5BL9/t/civilized-street-defense/a70c97c13efef44bb2d834397b51f36b2ddc38509736ac10ac0d26983e0e7c5d&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://coggle.it/diagram/XfPzXK6K4jBO5BL9/t/civilized-street-defense/a70c97c13efef44bb2d834397b51f36b2ddc38509736ac10ac0d26983e0e7c5d&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I welcome your comments and feedback&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10131" LastEditorUserId="10131" LastEditDate="2022-04-04T01:28:14.500" LastActivityDate="2022-04-04T01:28:14.500" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13269" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6133" CreationDate="2022-04-02T05:07:48.750" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You do deliver a round kick with the thick bone. The tibia (thick bone) is anterior (in front), and the fibula (thin bone) is posteriolateral (behind, to the outside). The reason it looks reversed in that diagram is because you’re looking at the back of the leg. The crest of the tibia (what people usually mean by “the shin”) is the striking surface for a Muay Thai round kick. It’s not very difficult to look this stuff up. In order to deliver a kick with the fibula, you’d have to land it with the outside part of your calf, and you would be hitting them through a layer of calf muscle, unlike during a kick with the tibia. An outside crescent kick delivered incorrectly might be the only time that happens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12443" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-04-02T16:01:58.833" LastActivityDate="2022-04-02T16:01:58.833" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13270" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13272" CreationDate="2022-04-04T06:26:12.760" Score="5" ViewCount="3442" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it practical to target arteries or tendons in a knife fight? For instance the brachial artery, the carotid artery and the femoral artery are all listed as targets in the MCMAP Manual (MCRP 3-02B). And some sources mention that you can slit the tendons in the wrist to render the hand ineffective. Will this work in a real fight? What should the main targets be if you are in a knife fight facing an unarmed opponent?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2022-04-08T01:51:04.660" Title="Targeting arteries / tendons in knife fights?" Tags="|knife-fighting|anatomy|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13271" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13270" CreationDate="2022-04-04T12:33:22.500" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;With the caveat that I never did any substantial knife training, and most of it in traditional martial arts like Escrima, you are unlikely to have the opportunity to really target anything because it goes &lt;em&gt;fast&lt;/em&gt;. The exception might be during grappling (which some would argue that you're already failed at keeping your opponent at knifepoint in the fight) where one of the ways to counter people trying to grab hands and wrists is to turn the knife enough to cut at the arms and wrists. Additionally, the light weight of a knife means that most slashes are not very effective against even a lightly clothed area. You'll open some small cuts, and you might get lucky, but it's much less likely that you're going to cut into a tendon or artery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Against an unarmed opponent (as I noted above, this might be defensible if you're using a weapon due to a large size or numbers disparity), again you're not going to really have the opportunity to really target anything, but the principle remains about the same. Don't keep your knife extended in front of you, use the other arm to judge distance, to distract your opponent, and to fend them off. Slash at anything that comes into range. Most cuts are likely to be superficial, and it's not uncommon for it too take a long time for people to fall to slash or stab wounds, but time will be on your side due to gradual blood loss. Most importantly, if you get a chance to run, take it. Because you're carrying a weapon, the onus is on you to not continue the fight once you have the upper hand. Frankly, if it comes down to a life or death situation, a trial may be better than a funeral, but juries don't tend to look well on &amp;quot;self defense&amp;quot; involving stabbing someone when they're bleeding to heavily to pursue you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-04-04T12:38:42.667" LastActivityDate="2022-04-04T12:38:42.667" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13272" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13270" CreationDate="2022-04-04T14:07:15.043" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just to add to the discussion, I trained in escrima back in college from a student of Danny Inosanto's and someone who went to Dog Brothers gatherings. We did a very simple exercise to show how knife fights would turn out. You get two people together. Give them each two magic markers, one for each hand. These represent knives. Then have them attack and defend for a total of 15 to 30 seconds. After the bout, stop the fight, and have them both look at each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What we saw was that each person came out of this with dozens of slash marks across their hands, wrists, arms, torso, face, neck, etc. When we compared the location of the slash marks with major arteries, almost invariably each person had slashes to about 3 or more arteries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We concluded from this that even the best trained kali / escrima fighter would likely end up dead from loss of blood without quick medical intervention if they ever fought against another kali / escrima fighter who was armed with knives.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing about our escrima training, and perhaps all escrima training, is that it has built-into it slashes that directly target these major arteries. You don't even have to think about it or focus on those locations. Just keep slashing. Your knife will find them all on its own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We had many sparring sessions, each with a different strategy. No strategy seemed to be completely successful at eliminating the risk of a slash to a major artery. You would think that by grabbing a hold of the attacker's arms, that might prevent the slashes, but that usually results in getting your arms and body knifed even more as you go in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As they said in that old classic movie, &amp;quot;War Games&amp;quot;, the only winning move is not to play.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2022-04-04T14:07:15.043" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13273" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13270" CreationDate="2022-04-04T15:19:37.587" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are in a 'knife fight' the first thing to realise is that this is an extremely high stakes fight.  One or both of you are probably going to die.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unlike unarmed combat it doesn't really matter to a large degree what you hit. Almost anywhere is a target and potentially lethal.  When training with plastic practice knifes I tend to go for the veins on the inside of the wrist for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for fighting an unarmed opponent... even if you don't know what you are doing, even if they are trained even if the knife is small you have an enormous advantage.  Just stab and stab and chances are you will probably win.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A note on Legality&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As others have brought this up:  I can't speak for other countries but I did take a course from a practising lawyer on the legalities of self defence including the use of weapons in the UK.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It &lt;em&gt;is illegal&lt;/em&gt; to &lt;em&gt;carry&lt;/em&gt; a weapon here (that is anything made to be a weapon, anything adapted to be a weapon or anything carried with the intention of use as a weapon).  Without a lawful reason (and self defence is not a lawful reason).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However &lt;em&gt;it is not illegal&lt;/em&gt; to &lt;em&gt;use&lt;/em&gt; a weapon or any other object for self defence purposes in the UK.  Your response still has to be 'reasonable given the circumstances as you believed them to be'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is quite a complicated notion but basically&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;if you walk around with a knife for self defence you are breaking the law.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;if you have a knife with you because you (for example) also have a picnic and are going to eat you are not breaking the law.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In either case 1 or 2 you can use the knife if you are attacked and still make a 'self defence' defence against anyone prosecuting for assault.  But in case 1 you may face separate charges for having an 'offensive weapon'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-04-04T15:19:37.587" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13274" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13270" CreationDate="2022-04-05T02:30:01.423" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;My... quick notes for some off-the-point points raised:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The videos you see of a knife-wielder overcoming a man with a gun ALL presuppose one thing:  the knife-wielder acts before the man with a gun does. Not unreasonable if within 21 feet of him the first really famous point-maker used to give. IF and ONLY IF... there's the rub... you have the skill to achieve your goal (not necessarily a high bar, depending upon that goal) and if you are not frozen or buying into gun situation always wins over knife situation... then you have the pre-reqs to succeed, but the actual key to doing so is you act RIGHT NOW, the moment you realize the situation. Let the man with a gun chill and settle the situation and you're dead, or otherwise the loser.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point is you take advantage of his not knowing you are about to burst into a direct attack upon him and the moments that gives you to close the distance and damage him to the point of losing before he realizes he just has to shoot you. On your side:  1) He, like most, thinks he has an overwhelming edge and that you likely won't even try anything because you know it too, 2) He doesn't realize the ground one can cover during his reaction time, 3) He is so sure of his supremacy that he is not bothered by the knife (same fellow mentioned above also made a good point, that most people seem more terrified by a knife than by a gun, strange as that seems), 4) Since he thinks he has you well in hand, and that you do too, he will be slightly slower yet in reacting as it is almost completely unexpected that you will, 5) He might expect some reaction, but not an aggressive, launch-into-him, reaction so that might slow him as he gets a grip on it and reacts back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The essence being that you know what you are doing and it is a shock to him that you are doing anything at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that he might just shoot you dead before you move three feet anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Arteries? Organs? Paper trail showing you researched and planned about such things? The jury, and there WILL BE a jury (if you live) may not consider those things the actions of a man who bought into the Boy Scout motto, but rather the actions of a man who maybe went looking for a chance to kill or maim someone stupid. Like putting out signs saying &amp;quot;Trespassers will be shot&amp;quot; on your property.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do you have the training to know where interesting arteries and organs are? How something a half-inch wide at best can be not where you expect in a given body? Is the aorta on the left side of the fellow's face or is that the jugular? One's not an artery. How much does thinking about these things slow you down since you are not a skilled knife-fighter? Usually in a fight of any kind, &amp;quot;thinking&amp;quot; is &amp;quot;overthinking.&amp;quot; Most thinking is best done before the fight, and then you follow your plan to happiness for one of you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What size knife do each of you have? One edge or two? Cross-bar? I'll link a couple videos soon, that you'll hopefully watch. If you do, the first uses pig-stickers, rather long knives. Bayonet long. Because it's Army and antagonists aren't so likely to have short knives. You'll notice a lot of blocking the blade... one thing with two long blades, another altogether if one or both of you have short blades. Like 3-4 inch street-legal (maybe) blades. Little things matter. Differences matter. Like in boxing, some styles/situations will beat some others kinda no matter what.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the video &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpzwAMP7C54&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; the Marine Corp. is teaching the general marine drawn from the general population basics for using a knife to deal with an opponent with a knife. Their direction is clearly &amp;quot;keep it simple&amp;quot; for the new men who have no experience with any nasty business. They mostly figure &amp;quot;block his blade with yours, try to immediately damage his hand while you're so close to it, move immediately into at least one, better though two body attacks, disengage before he gets a grip on things and attacks again.&amp;quot; At no point do they bother about arteries or organs, or even details like avoid the chest (the entire rib cage). Nor even trying to get the marines to drive frontal penetrations up into it behind the ribs. No niceties like that at all. Just &amp;quot;stop him from sticking you.&amp;quot; &amp;quot;Try to hurt the thing that's right there, and incidentally, holds the thing that can kill you.&amp;quot; &amp;quot;Take advantage of his knife being out of place to stop a body attack to get one or two strikes he cannot block except with body parts.&amp;quot; &amp;quot;Repeat.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, &amp;quot;Stop him. Quick try to make him lose the knife. Aggressiveness:  stick him NOW while you're past his knife. Nothing lasts forever, so break off if not immediately successful.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll see, in particular, that they show several things bearing right on your interest:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;One attack would result in the enemy being knifed in the back, around the kidney. They don't mention the kidney as a TARGET at all, or actually ever mention anything except the straightforward idea of driving the knife into his back.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Later, a position shown shows the instructor sticking his knife into the front of the enemy, into soft tissue (liver area here), and he has it angled up so it would drive up into a lung. Not a word is mentioned about anything at all past sticking him in the body.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;They mention the neck as a target several times and demonstrate. Never once do they mention arteries, veins, or spinal chords. Just &amp;quot;neck.&amp;quot; And even though the video covers club fighting as well in which driving the end of the club into the enemy's throat is shown, they never really give that as a target for a knife. One rather thinks they figure it risky, maybe just because of the effort and time to aim, and not necessary to risk when you have a knife, but important to have in your arsenal if &amp;quot;all you have&amp;quot; is a club.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, as a question of interest to someone with no experience with the jitters and terror of a fight, and overcoming such, as well as someone with no particular skill at locating such targets, &lt;strong&gt;no&lt;/strong&gt;, do not aim for such things. Simply stick the other guy as much as you can. At most, give cutting into his hand so he loses his weapon a try, but not aiming at things like tendons. Just aim at slicing flesh and getting lucky with anything sliced under it. Be aggressive, after getting past his knife, so as to succeed in sticking him and to generate jitters and terrors in him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Folks mentioning things like tendons in the wrist are almost surely doing so in the vein of &amp;quot;if you cut him on the underside of the wrist, you might cut a tendon or two that makes the hand useless.&amp;quot; Not as a goal, but rather to convince you that striking at such a target is worthwhile because it isn't like nipping a bit of ear off him while he then guts you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And hopefully they mean after you get past his knife, not that you should somehow dance your blade around his swiftly moving blade to nip inside and cut his wrist tendons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, stabbing would seem to be the moneymaker. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkHwe0anWnk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The next link&lt;/a&gt; shows a competition (of some kind, I didn't look into it in particular, but you might find the whole series interesting) featuring professionals. Stabs get two points, slashes one point. Professionals. 'Nuff said.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think of sticking the knife in, not slashing. But please don't think of things like mugging for the camera while it watches you wiggle the blade around after stabbing... and then take six stabs into your lower back and kidneys from the not-actually-subdued enemy. If you DO have the time to do something extra, make it continued movement to throw off his possibility of such a surprise and include a second stabbing now on his backside, then break off so a wild swing won't take you. Let nature then drop him without re-engaging.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You know, or dial 911 on speakerphone so he can hear the operator sending the police.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then get ready to spend all your savings, mortgage or second-mortgage (or both) your house, and maybe be convicted by a jury, then lose your job 'cause CoVid or not, they don't allow remote working from prison.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A loser (his nickname was actually &amp;quot;Waste&amp;quot;) in my hometown got angry at a hotel and started a fire in a linen closet. 12 people died. His parents triple-mortgaged their home and all their retirement savings and he still went to prison for life. Your case might be less slamdunk than his was, but... prison. Anal rape. Bad food. Never work outside the homeless man pushing a cart selling socks when he can industry. So I hope this is all theoretical for you, or that you're an author doing research.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12448" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-04-05T11:53:05.423" LastActivityDate="2022-04-05T11:53:05.423" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13275" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-04-05T20:15:16.220" Score="1" ViewCount="33" Body="&lt;p&gt;In this video &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJsj5BBjNtg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The Balestra and Quartata&lt;/a&gt; two moderately advance pieces of fencing footwork are shown.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are these still relevant in the Olympics and other Fencing tournaments or are they the remains of footwork used in earlier styles of fencing that have since become outdated.  (but are still taught for traditions sake).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-04-05T20:15:16.220" Title="How often is the Balestra and Quartata Used in Olympic or other fencing tournaments" Tags="|competition|fencing|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13277" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8313" CreationDate="2022-04-07T10:21:38.903" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Historically both JKA Karate and AJJF Judo used red and white belts in competition (the colours of the Japanese flag).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However red and blue are contrasting primary colours that &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/q/9198/8910&quot;&gt;look good on TV, easily distinguish opponents&lt;/a&gt;, and have a history of use in combat sports, and hence have been adopted as international competitive standards:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/h1Ksus.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/h1Ksus.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/i1UpMs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/i1UpMs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ksnhjs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ksnhjs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Y9pZOs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Y9pZOs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/15iuGs.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/15iuGs.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Boxing&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Sambo&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Greco-Roman Wrestling&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Freestyle Wrestling&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;MMA&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2022-04-07T10:21:38.903" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13278" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13270" CreationDate="2022-04-08T01:51:04.660" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Targets for an unarmed target.... I would say the tendons behind the knees, but it depends on the length of your blade. The only time I've been stabbed I didn't feel it and it wasn't until after the fight that I found out and started going through shock. That said, you might want to think about how you can trigger a flight response and shock in your enemy as soon as possible while creating distance (slash at their wrist so they see the blood).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5930" LastActivityDate="2022-04-08T01:51:04.660" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13279" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-04-08T18:40:46.193" Score="2" ViewCount="137" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many judo techniques are defined as counters to attacks by uke (&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/13280/definitions-of-judo-kaeshi-waza&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;kaeshi-waza&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;). However &lt;em&gt;osoto-makikomi&lt;/em&gt; is the only one I'm aware of that is described as a &lt;strong&gt;combination&lt;/strong&gt; or sequence of techniques (&lt;em&gt;renzoku-waza&lt;/em&gt;): a &lt;em&gt;soto-&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;uchi-makikomi&lt;/em&gt; following a failed &lt;em&gt;osoto-gari/-otoshi/-guruma&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any other judo techniques which are defined as combinations of other techniques?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&amp;quot;The final technique is &lt;em&gt;soto-makikomi&lt;/em&gt;, but as it follows &lt;em&gt;osoto-gari&lt;/em&gt;, the throw is called &lt;em&gt;osoto-makikomi.&lt;/em&gt;&amp;quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BbaUmMHLz4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kodokan Judo Nage-waza - Various techniques and their names&lt;/a&gt; (1994)&#xA;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-04-13T07:10:39.837" LastActivityDate="2022-11-26T16:02:35.353" Title="Judo throws which are defined as combinations of techniques?" Tags="|technique|judo|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13280" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-04-09T09:50:16.017" Score="2" ViewCount="147" Body="&lt;p&gt;Many judo &lt;em&gt;kaeshi-waza&lt;/em&gt; are not fundamentally different from other techniques, except that they are used as a counter to a specific attack by uke (e.g. &lt;em&gt;tsubame-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt; is a &lt;em&gt;de-ashi-barai&lt;/em&gt; used to counter a leg sweep). However there are many ways one can counter various attack attempts. Which counters are canonically considered &lt;em&gt;kaeshi-waza&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-04-13T04:16:12.397" LastActivityDate="2023-05-05T08:10:48.597" Title="Definitions of judo kaeshi-waza" Tags="|technique|judo|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13281" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13280" CreationDate="2022-04-09T09:50:16.017" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo nage-waza - Various techniques and their names&lt;/em&gt; lists various counters falling under the kaeshi-waza technique names. For the counters to turning throws, they mostly consist of&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kosoto-gari/ -gake&lt;/em&gt; attacking uke's far (planted) foot/leg&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Twisting uke continuing their forwards motion towards the left or right (&lt;em&gt;uki-otoshi&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Kaeshi-waza&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Uke attack&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Tori counter(s)&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Tawara gaeshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ashi-dori / Morote-gari&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(Tawara gaeshi)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Tsubame gaeshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;De- / Okuri-ashi-barai&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;De-ashi-barai&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Osoto gaeshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Osoto-gari&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Osoto-gari&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Uchi-mata sukashi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Uchi-mata&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Uki-otoshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kouchi gaeshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kouchi-gari&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Uki-otoshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ouchi gaeshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ouchi-gari&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Uki-otoshi &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; Kosoto-gari / -gake&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Uchi-mata gaeshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Uchi-mata&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kosoto-gari / -gake&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Harai-goshi gaeshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Harai-goshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kosoto-gari / -gake&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Hane-goshi gaeshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Hane-goshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kosoto-gari / -gake &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; Ushiro-goshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally there are the situational hip throws:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Kaeshi-waza&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Uke attack&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Tori counter(s)&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Utsuri-goshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Koshi-waza, uchi-mata etc&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;[Lift +] O-goshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ushiro-goshi&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Koshi-waza&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(Ushiro-goshi)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Daki-age&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Do-jime / Guard&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;(Daki-age)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sub&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note: Similarly named techniques&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While some other techniques have the word &lt;em&gt;kaeshi&lt;/em&gt; in the name, I suspect these may be examples of the meaning of &amp;quot;reverse&amp;quot; as opposed to &amp;quot;counter [attack]&amp;quot; e.g. &lt;em&gt;kibisu-gaeshi, sumi-/obi-tori-/hikikomi-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt; (in the same vein as &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhP3wL1yS2s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;ude-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/sub&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-05-05T08:10:48.597" LastActivityDate="2023-05-05T08:10:48.597" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13282" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13283" CreationDate="2022-04-12T13:18:20.173" Score="3" ViewCount="278" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51O_f1QKuyg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; attack called Truck Attack/Position in BJJ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-04-12T18:39:08.020" LastActivityDate="2022-04-12T18:39:08.020" Title="Why is it called Truck Attack?" Tags="|technique|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|terminology|attack|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13283" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13282" CreationDate="2022-04-12T14:04:57.513" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to a quote in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.10thplanetjj.com/threads/23551-Why-do-you-call-the-position-The-Truck?s=b5d72f662176269769c196413582b4fe&amp;amp;p=272883&amp;amp;viewfull=1#post272883&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this post&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Suddenly there were all these roads you could take, which is the reason I ended up calling the position the truck.&amp;quot; Master also says he spent a great deal of time in the producer's truck while working for the UFC, where tons of options and split second decisions are made, just like in the truck. &amp;quot;It's just like trying to orchestrate a UFC pay-per-view - unless you understand how to put it all together, it's going to come out looking like shit.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-04-12T14:04:57.513" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13284" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-04-13T03:15:51.130" Score="1" ViewCount="121" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the document &lt;em&gt;US Army FM 21-150 Hand to Hand Combat&lt;/em&gt; the biceps are listed as vital targets, used mainly to disarm an armed opponent. The problem is, striking the biceps (e.g.with a knife hand / elbow) will work when the muscle is relaxed, but the effect is greatly diminished when the muscle is tensed (try it on yourself, just not too hard). So when is it advisable to target this area, or is it advisable at all?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is to say, will it work against certain chokes &amp;amp; holds as well as a weapon threat? Or are there othere usages as well?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2022-04-17T07:34:06.093" Title="Is targeting the biceps an effective method of incapacitating the arm?" Tags="|self-defense|striking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13285" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13286" CreationDate="2022-04-14T10:25:12.357" Score="2" ViewCount="258" Body="&lt;p&gt;Following &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/10thPlanetJiuJitsuMelbourne/videos/876223035802778/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; video, I would like to know what is the Apollo Choke? When is it recommended to use this choke? Are there any detailed instructions how to do it? Why is it called the Apollo Choke?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-04-14T18:25:41.967" LastActivityDate="2023-10-14T22:35:00.260" Title="What is the Apollo Choke?" Tags="|training|technique|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|chokes|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13286" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13285" CreationDate="2022-04-14T17:34:38.887" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Apollo choke&amp;quot; is the 10th Planet term for an arm triangle from bottom half guard:&lt;sup&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ultimatejujitsu.com/forum/695/apollo-choke/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.10thplanetjj.com/threads/20753-Apollo-choke&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Apollo Choke&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;The Apollo choke is an arm triangle done when holding a lockdown half guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://jiujitsulegacy.com/bjj-lifestyle/10th-planet-jiu-jitsu-terminology/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://jiujitsulegacy.com/bjj-lifestyle/10th-planet-jiu-jitsu-terminology/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many instructional videos on this position e.g:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p7JM1CedBg8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lockdown 101 - Apollo Series - Jaws of Life to Apollo Control&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byl_lvMQYA0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Arm Triangle Choke from Bottom Half Guard | MMA Submissions&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for why it is called this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main reason that Bravo began using different Jiu Jitsu terminology was for coaching purposes. Only he and his student know the instructions he’s given during a fight or match.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-04-14T17:48:16.223" LastActivityDate="2022-04-14T17:48:16.223" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13287" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-04-14T22:31:26.727" Score="4" ViewCount="186" Body="&lt;p&gt;Have been teaching hybrid martial arts with a self defence focus for quite a few years. My kids syllabus is different to my teens &amp;amp; adults in that I don't teach the juniors locks or submissions due to safety. I'm currently reviewing my syllabus and need clarity on whether or not it is advisable to be be teaching kids these techniques. I would welcome the input of someone skilled in the field of Aikido, JiuJitsu, BJJ, Judo etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12464" LastActivityDate="2023-06-06T15:04:08.210" Title="Is it safe to teach kids submissions / locks?" Tags="|safety|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13288" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13287" CreationDate="2022-04-15T02:15:55.680" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;For judo, I know what, but not really why.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;chokes for age 13+&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;arm locks for ages ~16+&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;wrist and leg locks in kata only, studied by no kids&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2022-04-15T02:15:55.680" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13289" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12836" CreationDate="2022-04-15T10:20:05.307" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been a shotokan practitioner for 2 years now and my style is focused on going in and out quickly. As my sensei says: the essence of a single strike. However, when looking at other styles, specifically kyokushin, where they keep a shorter distance than shotokan, I see many openings for shoulder strikes, much like in muay thai when clinching. From my limited experience in jiyu-kumite (two years), and not following the traditional shotokan form but a more shotokan-kyokushin hybrid stance, I have noticed that the main use for shoulder strikes is to either create distance or unbalance your partner, although that's a side shoulder strike (or should I say, push), not a front strike. This can be useful to push them away, followed by an ashi-barai and/or a ushiro mawashi-geri (both follow ups with the leading leg). Front shoulder strikes are great if you want to be thrown or get a knee to the ribs. Instead, try combining shoulder and elbow for control and kuzushi-waza. Remember that karate is stupidly versatile and originally included many techniques used in different types of jujutsu, like aikido, judo and bjj, so having a look at different arts may be key to improving your own. I strongly recommend bjj, if you want to improve your martial &amp;quot;puppeteering&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have a partner willing to try out these control techniques, try coming up with some forms. Improvise, or try interpreting the kata. Take the last four movements in the heian yondan as an example;  start lightly, create a sequence, do it a few times both attacking and being attacked (with little resistance, since you're developing your strategy) and when you're both feeling more confident about it, pressure test what you've have created. From the results you'll have feedback about how to counter and, knowing how it can be countered, you can work further on how to make it even more effective (if it works, that is).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that said, I've practiced HEMA for a couple of years and I can say that shoulder strikes are very much a thing, but only whilst grappling (or being grappled). It's a good strategy to shorten the distance and, at the same time, keep control over your partner but obviously you can't just dash into them to perform that; you have to &amp;quot;lock&amp;quot; their weapon first (I like using the guard, with the blade pointing downwards and threatening the face with the pommel). Suffice to say that can only be done well with a one-handed or bastard sword. A katana could do the trick but the tsuba (I personally think of this more as preventing the user's hand from sliding onto the blade, rather than a guard protecting against the opponent's blade) makes this locking much harder. I'm making an assumption, as I've never used a katana before; the steel sword biting into each other may do the trick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12466" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2022-04-19T14:52:15.520" LastActivityDate="2022-04-19T14:52:15.520" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13290" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13287" CreationDate="2022-04-15T15:02:27.513" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Shorinji Kempo we teach wrist locks from 16+.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We do these mainly as takedowns rather than as submissions, although they can be either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I understand it this is to protect the joints of children who's bone structure is still forming.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chokes and strangles are fairly rare in shorinji kempo anyway so we don't tend to teach these to children.  On the other hand I have seen them taught (to children as young as 10) very well in judo classes.  You have to take precautions for this though.  No free sparing applications at this age.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-04-15T15:02:27.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13291" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13284" CreationDate="2022-04-17T07:34:06.093" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;yes it is very much applicable but it's not necessarily the biceps. you could instead go for the inner part of the arm, between the biceps and triceps, where you'll touch directly the humerus, along with the brachial artery and nerve. I have been hit there lightly a few times and mate, as if it wasn't bad enough for the arm to &amp;quot;die&amp;quot;, it hurts so much, and it's a very different kind of pain. horrible.&#xA;the same goes for the armpit (right there in the joint with the arm) and upper ribs. (words cannot describe how mindbreaking the pain of getting a punch or kick in the armpit is)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;what you seem to be pointing out is that reflex, similar to a tap on the knee when the quadriceps is relaxed. plausible but in a fight, for sport or self-defence, the body naturally stiffens.&#xA;that's why such techniques are viable but unlikely. testing on yourself and then on a partner is good, but the real proof of concept is pressure testing, that is, trying to apply a move while your partner is resisting and the least effort they need to make to cancel your technique, the less likely it'll be to apply in an actual situation (again, sports or self-defence)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;another option is to knife hand it, just to give that short unbalance and, since your hand is open, grab the muscle or the skin to follow up by a body strike, elbow to the sternum for example. (I thoroughly recommend training grip and pinch strength for any martial artist. a good start is push-ups but holding a towel thrown over the bar). the point of aim would be in the upper part of the biceps, next to the tendons attaching it to the bone, almost shoulders and if you're a featherweight like me, it feels like hitting pure bone. you'll see that part being targeted a lot in chamber blocks, called sen-no-sen in karatê, where you act before your opponent, normally impeding them to either strike or move around&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;so long text short: if you want to cause pain and play puppets, nah yea mate, sure. if you want to go ninja pressure point, yea nah mate, nope.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;all this is from personal experience and studying/watching both the technique and the&#xA;human morpho physiology. and I hope this is understandable enough to convey the message. sometimes my English simply fails me&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12466" LastActivityDate="2022-04-17T07:34:06.093" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13292" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13293" CreationDate="2022-04-18T15:00:37.890" Score="5" ViewCount="369" Body="&lt;p&gt;I used to think that an untrained person couldn't do much with a knife against someone who's stronger than him, but recently I heard about the case which Jodi Arias stabbed Travis Alexander 29 times and slit his throat and shot him in the head (I'm sure you've heard about &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Travis_Alexander&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; case). After Travis was stabbed, he was still able to walked to the bathroom sink, bleeding, then got hit from the back of his head. He was then dragged out of the bathroom and killed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We know that Jodi stabbed him standing in the shower, and he resisted. I find it very difficult to imagine the scenario that she can stab a relatively fit male to death. Even if she walked to him with a knife unnoticed, if his body didn't shut off after one or two stabs, I don't see how she can win the fight after it. From the &lt;a href=&quot;http://murderpedia.org/female.A/images/arias-jodi/travis-alexander-autopsy-report.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;autopsy&lt;/a&gt;, one of the 1.5 inch wound did reach the heart (penetration of superior vena cava).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How well can the rib cage protect the heart from untrained knife attacks? Was she really lucky to penetrate the ribs? Surely without this wound, Travis would be able to win the fight in my mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I couldn't find any detailed description of what happened exactly when she first attacked with the knife. If a knife expert can explain to me how this could possibly happen, or a knife attack is just much more dangerous than I thought, that would be much appreciated.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12472" LastActivityDate="2022-12-26T20:15:10.727" Title="How dangerous can an untrained knife assailant be?" Tags="|knife-fighting|attack|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13293" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13292" CreationDate="2022-04-18T18:00:10.963" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;Knife fighting is something a lot of people don't really understand, both being the one with the knife and the one defending against someone with a knife.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Someone with a knife, whether they're trained or untrained, is one of the most dangerous people anyone can face. That's because it's very easy to flail a knife around and slash and stab people. Someone that attempts to grab the arm of an attacker with a knife will end up having that arm slashed several times and still not be able to grab that arm. That's because hands are the fastest moving parts of the body, so they're very hard to target and grab a hold of, especially in struggles like this. Instinctively, we flail our hands and arms around the moment we see anyone reaching for our arm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knives and all weapons are &amp;quot;force multipliers&amp;quot;. One of the problems most people have in assessing their ability to deal with someone with a knife is that they often give too much weight to their own physical attributes in comparison with the attacker with a knife. If you're a man, 6 foot tall, and weigh 240 pounds, you might think you'll just be able to walk up and take that knife if the attacker is a woman, 5 foot tall, and weighs 120 pounds. You'll end up getting stabbed and slashed a dozen times before you get the knife. And yes, you can easily die from loss of blood due to this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It doesn't really matter how big and strong someone is when they have a knife. How much deeper will a stab go if the attacker is 10 times stronger? Right, it goes just as deep no matter how strong that attacker is. Stabbing someone is really easy with a pointy knife.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for slashing, how many more slashes can someone do who is stronger? It's about the same. They might be able to slash through clothing more easily, though. But chances are that a smaller, weaker knife wielder can do enough damage that you'll end up dead due to blood loss.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The scenario the original question posed involved multiple stabs first, followed by slashing the throat. And the victim in this case was still able to walk after getting stabbed. Here's the thing. Blood loss takes a minute or two before they begin to pass out. Being stabbed that many times assures that a major artery was hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And you may wonder how a weaker individual can get off 29 stabs without being stopped. The thing is, most people can easily pick up a knife and just start stabbing and slashing violently. It takes no training to do that. It's just instinctive. If you have a knife in your hand, and you're insane with anger and want the guy in front of you to die, you will probably be successful at it. But on the other side, the defender would have to be so amazingly skilled in knife defense to be able to avoid getting any damage. The best trained escrima / kali fighters can't even do it, so there's no chance an untrained person can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might be interested in my answer to another question on this subject: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/13270/targeting-arteries-tendons-in-knife-fights/13272#13272&quot;&gt;Targeting arteries / tendons in knife fights?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A typical defender who's barehanded against someone armed with a knife will not know how to deal with that situation, especially not quick enough. At no point should a defender engage a knife fighter directly in close range. They need to keep their distance and create obstacles to shield them while trying to run away. Or they need to use a gun. That is, if the attacker actually allows it. In most cases, someone with a knife isn't going to give you time to assess the situation and get some distance. Knife fights go down fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So imagine you're in an enclosed area like an apartment, and someone pulls out a knife on you. You won't even be able to process this mentally. The first stab will happen, and you'll be like, &amp;quot;What just happened?&amp;quot; You'll just be standing there. Then a dozen more stabs happen, and you're barely able to turn around and start walking away, trying to get to a room with a door you can use to shield yourself from them. That's what it's like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In real life situations, a knife can come out without any warning. A guy in front of you seems aggravated and nervous, but he's minding his space and not acting in a confrontational way. Then he turns away a little, and when he turns back to face you, suddenly he's stabbing you. You won't even see the knife in his hand it happens so fast. And once again, that takes zero training on his part to know how to do that. Whereas for you to defend successfully against it, it would require a super-human level of skill. Nobody really can. If you survive, it's because of luck or because he didn't want to do the worst to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Knife fights are a martial artist's worst nightmare. Many martial arts teach a bunch of techniques to deal with people with knives, like knife disarms and such. Those techniques work in some cases where an attacker is just showing a knife and doesn't really want to use it. But they will not work in cases where someone really wants to kill you with their knife and has already started using it against you. The problem is that martial arts often leave out the second scenario and just concentrate on the first. That gives students a fatally false sense of confidence in their knife defending abilities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2022-04-18T18:00:10.963" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13294" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1371" CreationDate="2022-04-22T13:33:31.027" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.combat-sports.net/en/judo/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Adidas&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://emea.mizuno.com/uk/en-gb/sports/other-sports/judo/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mizuno&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.kappa4judo.com/collezione.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kappa&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://fightingfilms.com/collections/kits/products/olympic-kits-ss750s?variant=39379873202225&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Fighting Films&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.essimo.co.uk/product-page/gold-ijf-approved-white-adult-suit-2021&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Essimo&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ippon-shop.com/en/judo/equipment/judo-uniforms/competitors/512/ippon-gear-ijf-judo-jacket-olympic-slim-fit?number=JJ691SW-145&amp;amp;c=2074#8b03d654bc778d08a79585f9705fc26e&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ippon Gear&lt;/a&gt; etc all make &amp;quot;regular&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;slim&amp;quot; versions of their IJF Red Label gis (i.e. narrower jacket):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Brand⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Size chart&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Height/Weight chart&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Adidas &lt;br&gt;(Champion II &lt;strong&gt;Slim&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/nwFnU.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/nwFnU.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KrwXy.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/KrwXy.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Mizuno &lt;br&gt;(Yusho IJF &lt;strong&gt;Y&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ts2gY.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ts2gY.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Q2Sam.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Q2Sam.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Kappa &lt;br&gt;(Atlanta &lt;strong&gt;Slim&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xyQtV.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xyQtV.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Ippon Gear &lt;br&gt;(Legend &lt;strong&gt;Slim&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tBPr4.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tBPr4.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Fighting Films &lt;br&gt;(Superstar 750 &lt;strong&gt;Slim Fit&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5ivUV.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5ivUV.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.kusakurashop.com/products/judogi-jacket-ijf-competition-white-jofc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kusakura&lt;/a&gt; have more granular sizing for their gis (over 100 cuts), and you can choose your fit based on height, weight, and arm length.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-04-28T11:09:54.767" LastActivityDate="2022-04-28T11:09:54.767" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13295" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-04-23T06:20:50.143" Score="2" ViewCount="1366" Body="&lt;p&gt;How long should a judo belt be? Taekwondo and Karate belts for example are often quite long, with both ends dangling below the skirt of the gi, but judo belts are often worn a lot shorter. Is there a standard?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Taekwondo&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Judo&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xQQN3m.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xQQN3m.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Koz5Hm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Koz5Hm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2022-04-23T06:20:50.143" Title="How long should a judo belt be?" Tags="|judo|belt|uniform|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13296" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13295" CreationDate="2022-04-23T06:20:50.143" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to IJF regulations:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Belt (see picture 13)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The thickness must be between 4 and 5mm.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The tips starting from the central knot must have a length between 20 and 30&#xA;cm.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The belt must not be made of a stiff and/or slipping material and the knot must&#xA;be correctly and tightly made.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9x8TSm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9x8TSm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/documents&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt; IJF Judogi rules - 09.03.2022&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To meet regulations, Mizuno recommends buying a belt of the following length relative to your waist circumference:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;SIZE OF BELTS&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To choose the right size for your judo belt, there is a formula. &lt;strong&gt;Take your waist, multiply it by two and add 95 cm.&lt;/strong&gt; If you are between two sizes, take the one above. This formula takes into account the standard of the International Judo Federation which says that it is necessary to let the belt exceed 20 to 30 cm from the knot. Example of a judoka with a waist of 73 cm: (73 x 2) + 95 = 241 cm. We recommend a size 2.5 judo belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2022-04-23T06:20:50.143" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13297" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9587" CreationDate="2022-04-24T14:39:03.440" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Not sure what you mean by &amp;quot;faking it,&amp;quot; but the group in the video seems to be recreating techniques recorded in the historical Korean manual, the Muyedobotongji/무예도보통지/武藝圖譜通志 (wikipedia article link: &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muyedobotongji&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muyedobotongji&lt;/a&gt; ) which does indeed include a section on dual-wielding swords on horseback in it:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mfx1n.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mfx1n.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Dual Swords on Horseback&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;But that's not all, there are also sections for using &lt;strong&gt;two-handed weapons&lt;/strong&gt; on horseback like flail and glaive:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SFDI1.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SFDI1.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Flail on Horseback&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/E80hJ.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/E80hJ.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Glaive on Horseback&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;While it seems unbelievable, it is possible to steer your horse without using the reins by training the horse to ignore certain movements and using the momentum of the horse to do most of the work for you which will allow you to reduce the amount of weight shifts needed to perform your cuts.  Fairly recent tests in the HEMA community have proven this to be possible even with a &lt;strong&gt;poleaxe&lt;/strong&gt; on horseback of all weapons: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5kiJrSC7SU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5kiJrSC7SU&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that said though, the Muyedobotongji does seem to indicate that such skills are mainly tests of horsemanship and require a large amount of training to do well.  It has to be kept in mind that the horseback sections of the manual seem to have been added in as an expansion of certain weapon forms already present in the Muyedobotongji's Ming dynasty Chinese predecessor manuals like the WuBeiZhi/武備志 and JiXiaoXinShu/紀效新書 which had those weapons on foot but not on horseback and there are other non-martial horse exercises listed in the manual like polo and &amp;quot;trick riding&amp;quot; skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, when asking if there's a &amp;quot;legitimate fighting technique using dual sword on horse,&amp;quot; I think a bigger question to ask is &amp;quot;what do you mean by 'legitimate'?&amp;quot;  If you consider a historically recorded technique that is indeed part of a historically verifiable military martial arts curriculum as &amp;quot;legitimate,&amp;quot; then without a doubt, &lt;strong&gt;yes&lt;/strong&gt;.  If you mean by &amp;quot;legitimate&amp;quot; a practical and commonly used technique on the battlefield or any violent encounter, then probably not likely since there aren't that many contexts where that would be useful and the amount of skill needed to perform such a feat would be generally not worth it.  But then again, I don't know since I cannot personally verify that indeed such skills were &lt;strong&gt;never&lt;/strong&gt; used in combat since I've never personally witnessed any Joseon dynasty cavalry engagements which leaves the possibility for some unknown and unrecorded crazy general Kim who one day felt like cutting up a bunch of drunk Wokou on his horse using ssangdo in some unrecorded engagement lost to history... :P&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11107" LastActivityDate="2022-04-24T14:39:03.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13298" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7589" CreationDate="2022-04-24T17:36:37.863" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;When it come to sword-fighting, the most commonly brought up variables to consider that a woman would have differently vs. a man are that in general women don't have as much muscle mass as a man and are generally shorter (with consideration of course for obvious exceptions like a particularly tall, swole woman fighting a particularly short, wimpy man, etc.  People's bodies regardless of gender have a surprising amount of variety in them you know... ).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The muscle mass issue matters in regards to two things:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, it may limit the kind of sword you can use comfortably.  This point is a bit complicated since there is a surprising variety of swords with differing weights, balances, profiles, etc. within a specific class of sword and having less muscle mass isn't a handicap per se since you can just pick out a sword that you feel comfortable using and focus on attacking certain targets more than others depending on what the situation calls for.  This discussion of the different types of swords within a specific class and whether any one of them is &amp;quot;better&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;worse&amp;quot; could be an entire discussion in-of-itself, but to give you just a brief example, take a look at these two longswords:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qLGsV.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/qLGsV.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Two longswords from Reddit&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;Both those weapons are types of longswords, but one is very thin, pointy and light while the other is wide and chunky and a beefy chopper.  The former will be much easier for someone with much less muscle mass to wield vs. the later, but both can kill equally well; just in different ways.  The chunkier sword is nice if you want to guarantee an easier cut and the thin one will have deadly thrusts, but that doesn't mean the lighter sword &lt;strong&gt;cannot&lt;/strong&gt; cut at all if you hit the right target and accelerate it enough to deliver an effective cut.  One of the most commonly targeted hits in HEMA longsword is often the hands and in a man vs. woman fight over who can hit who's hand more easily, the gender of the hand holding the sword doesn't matter that much at all and what's more important is the sword itself and the speed at which the hand holding the sword can hit.  Theoretically, yes, a stronger person could wield a longer sword and potentially wield it more easily than one who isn't as strong, but you have to keep in mind that swords are primarily sidearms and there is a point of diminishing returns regarding how long of a sword any individual will want to carry around and remain practical for everyday wear and use (unless of course you're talking about greatswords which cannot be comfortably worn, but that's an entirely different kettle of fish to get into :P ).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second issue regarding strength is that it will make grappling more difficult if you have less muscle mass.  There are a number of styles of longsword (Fiore comes to mind) that emphasize grappling and not having the strength can be a detriment.  With that said though, depending on the sword you choose and how comfortable you are at using it, you can compensate for the grappling weakness by either keeping the opponent at bay to prevent a grapple from occurring in the first place, or if a grapple does occur, choke up on or retract your sword into a stance like half-sword or schlussel to enhance your grappling game.  Muscles are nice in grappling, but they make a poor defense against a sharp blade applied up close if you know what I mean...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the height difference, this also can be quite complicated, but what that usually entails is that certain targets are easier/harder to hit and this actually goes both directions.  A shorter person can more easily hit a taller person's legs, but a taller person can more easily hit a shorter person's head.  A shorter person can more easily duck and evade attacks and hit the larger person since the opponent is a bigger target, but a taller person can keep a shorter person away from their core more easily due to their longer arms and reach.  Again, this may not matter that much if you're primarily targeting an opponent's hands or arms since those are fairly easy to hit regardless of height when your opponent inevitably tries to attack you by stretching out their arms toward you during a cut.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TL;DR&lt;/strong&gt; Women due to size and strength differences are generally at a slight disadvantage, but in the mess of other variables like the type of sword you're using, reaction time, skill level, fitness level, different martial arts philosophies, personal psychology, how sharp your sword is, how easy your opponent's clothing is to compromise with your sword, what guard you're currently in vs. your opponent's, etc. it's not actually that big of a disadvantage and some of these things aren't always a clear black or white advantage/disadvantage.  In other words, gender is just another variable in a sword fight that makes things complicated just like everything else an individual who is not the same as you brings to any martial encounter and a good martial artist/swordsman/swordswoman will be able to compensate for these variables to hopefully come out on top.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11107" LastActivityDate="2022-04-24T17:36:37.863" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13299" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-04-25T21:19:55.360" Score="1" ViewCount="78" Body="&lt;p&gt;Japanese sword forms, Judo and Shorinji Kempo all have a technique called Tsubame Gaeshi (which roughly translates to swallow counter).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why is the phrase Tsubame Gaeshi considered sufficiently important by the founder's of these three styles for them to name a technique this way?  According to this source &lt;a href=&quot;https://japancraft.co.uk/blog/hidden-language-japanese-embroidery/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://japancraft.co.uk/blog/hidden-language-japanese-embroidery/&lt;/a&gt; swallows are considered lucky amongst their other connotations.  Does the choice of name symbolise luck?  Or is it perhaps to do with how swallows fly?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-04-25T21:19:55.360" Title="Why do so many Japanese Martial Arts have a (different) technique called tsubame gaeshi?" Tags="|technique|terminology|japanese|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13300" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12671" CreationDate="2022-04-26T15:52:48.097" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Disclaimer: I'm new.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Right now I see the whole set of kata, my discipline has 18+1, as sequences of movements that together contain the components of form, like you build a house.  If you do not have all of them, then you don't have the beams, pillars, or shingles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The goal is not to memorize the symbols, but to exercise the fundamentals behind them.  If you aggregate all the blocks in all the katas, you span blocking.  From that set you can have an appropriate block in a moment in sparring.  If you aggregate all the kicks, you can have the best kick to use. Rote memorization precedes learning, so having it is not the same as using it well.  Using it well requires having it in your repertoire.  If you were to sort the katas into one with all upper blocks, one lower blocks, and so forth, you might have a practice of the elements, but the diversity per method, the balance of defense and counter, and the flow between them would be compromised.  The span is not just the maneuver element, but the transitions between maneuvers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the challenges is that many kata are built around facing up to a dozen active opponents.  It takes choreography to have opponents bring those maneuvers against you in the ring.  Many folks do not have even one other human expert in their personal practice area to face for the elements of the kata.  If you have the fundamental of knowing an enemy, then you are NEVER about practicing the robot, because that is to build weakness into yourself, so you practicing the thing you have not faced.  In statistics it is called giving yourself a non-(falsely)informative prior, you make yourself capable in all situations so you have expected and prepared for all surprises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Best of luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12483" LastActivityDate="2022-04-26T15:52:48.097" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13301" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12671" CreationDate="2022-04-26T17:21:01.753" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The opinions of me, an ITF TKD guy who's a lot better at forms (&amp;quot;hyung&amp;quot;) than sparring. (Kind of disjointed, as I read over the finished product.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, I've ready that many parts of kata originated as memory devices for more wresting moves than fist-fighting moves. And I know that the purposes of this or that move have been lost to time or are debated endlessly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Replying to a few of @futilitarian's points...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If you want to get better at kata/hyung for their own sake, for the &amp;quot;art&amp;quot;, sure. For adults, they help a bit with concentration. For kids, they give a sense of accomplishment, that they have to get ok at to pass testing. For smaller ADHD-y kids they are, IMO, just something different from exercises and sparring so the kids don't get so bored and act up.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But &amp;quot;as a means to an end&amp;quot;, what is the &amp;quot;end&amp;quot;... doing forms to get better at forms? ....wwwwwwhy bother, what is the point apart from the above? (And the joy of physical exercise.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Refining individual techniques, increasing speed &amp;amp; power? You'd be a LOT more efficient at that if you practiced with a partner or on a bag or kick pad. And you'd learn to punch a lot more powerfully and more realistically, hitting with 2 knuckles and keeping your wrist straight.&#xA;Trying to learn techniques from kata/hyung is like learning to be a master swimmer from lying on bench moving your arms and legs the way oriental masters from hundreds of years ago laid down. You throw such a person into a pool, or a kata/hyung proficionado (new word) into a real fight, and they'll both be in trouble.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Increasing aerobic capacity? A lot less than real sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Imagine asking a boxer to practice a defined set of techniques, some extremely slow, to learn how to box. Or a cop to practice a defined stylized set of exact steps, gun draws, pointing, doing fake pistol recoil movements, make &amp;quot;ducking behind cover&amp;quot; movements on the mat and yelling 5 times as they pretend to shoot an armed assailant 5 times center-mass. They'd look at you in astonishment or laugh in your face.  People value kata because that's how they were brought up in martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know there'll be people who tell me that I'm a philistine who understands nothing of real martial arts. Whutever. We're talking about the practical application.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;E.g., @EngrStudent mentioned practicing all of the blocks since each part of the house is essential. OK, but this is for fighting, are they realistic? Do Muay Thai fighters do more than bring up their knee and their elbow down to cover their whole body? Do boxers do more than cover up, duck, and weave? Does any street fight you have ever seen consist of any blocking other than maybe bringing both hands up to try to get in the way of wild punching?  OK, yes, at some point in history exact karate moves from a kata have probably worked in a fight, in the same sense it could happen that a World TKD student in a crowded bar does a jump spin hook kick and knocks a guy out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastEditorUserId="6769" LastEditDate="2022-04-27T16:55:06.410" LastActivityDate="2022-04-27T16:55:06.410" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13303" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="330" CreationDate="2022-05-04T12:42:13.847" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Having worked as a bouncer for almost 40 year off and on before finally retiring from it, I don't believe focusing on any one martial art is the correct course of action.&#xA;Developing methods that pull aspects from multiple arts is a far better approach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most important part to being a good bouncer is learning emotional discipline, the ability to remain calm and maintain situational awareness is vital.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Focusing on and blending techniques from various arts allow the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The ability to stay on your feet, while groundwork is not your friend in a bar environment, you should know basic techniques if it occurs.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Adopting joint locks and pressure points that focus on only enough force to control, without intent to cause damage.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If escalated by the subject and strikes become a last resort, only using soft tissue strikes that focus on &amp;quot;pain compliance&amp;quot; versus moderate to serious injury.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Don't create a scene through use of flamboyant techniques that draw attention, as that can pull other people into the situation making it worse.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The importance of de-escalation techniques being the most important part of effective bouncing can never be ignored, our job is to reduce and remove the threat so that everyone else is safely able to enjoy their experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My experience is that there is a skill set learned by the most effective bouncers, that could almost be considered an art unto itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12496" LastActivityDate="2022-05-04T12:42:13.847" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13304" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3163" CreationDate="2022-05-06T06:16:50.747" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I read somewhere that this product is very good for Plastic Do. Btw Let me inform you that I have practiced kendo for well over a decade and half. I have run Kendo Dojos and seen all kinds of kendo equipment. Bamboo, lacquer on Do's are very very rare, prized and well taken care of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chances are that your Do is plastic. What you can do is try this sort of novus polish or rubbing compound on the inside of the do in a square centimeter area and see how it removes similar scratches. If you do not have scratches, try adding a couple of minor ones, inside, and if it cleans it up, try adding this treatment on the problem area in minute amounts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also try chatting up any of the kendo bogu manufacturer's in the western world and see if they will advise you about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Btw I live in South Asia and do not have access to the product below, but If I had, I would have tried it, I have a lot of donated equipment from Japan for the educate kendo cause, that I would like to bring a shine to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I read somewhere that this product is very good for Plastic Do. But its an internet suggestion, I would only try it if I was really desperate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.novuspolish.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.novuspolish.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's an endorsement that sounds pretty convincing to me but I am not a detailer so I am guessing here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.carwindshields.info/saving-the-day-with-car-scratch-removers&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.carwindshields.info/saving-the-day-with-car-scratch-removers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12497" LastEditorUserId="12497" LastEditDate="2022-05-09T06:29:23.350" LastActivityDate="2022-05-09T06:29:23.350" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13305" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="685" CreationDate="2022-05-06T06:24:45.203" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you cannot get to a teacher, do HIIT for the legs; for the hands, practice by slicing veggies (hard and soft ones) mindfully. Understand the cutting motion and study it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you can or have one nearby, practice golf swings thousands of times for the grip and shoulders; it is as close to the firm but relaxed posture and grip needed to do kendo properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12497" LastEditorUserId="1159" LastEditDate="2022-05-09T11:40:53.763" LastActivityDate="2022-05-09T11:40:53.763" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13306" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13313" CreationDate="2022-05-07T23:50:30.397" Score="1" ViewCount="219" Body="&lt;p&gt;In boxing, I learned to relax your muscles, Learning to keep muscles loose, helps with speed and quickness. At the very end, clench and tense your fist before moment of impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you tense/clench your fist,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;do you also tense/flex your forearms, arms, and shoulders along with it?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;or only the fist hand?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Trying to research this subject.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAfePImHFbQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAfePImHFbQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-05-19T08:09:58.120" Title="Which Muscles are Flexed in a Punch?" Tags="|technique|boxing|muay-thai|punching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13307" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-05-08T10:15:51.920" Score="1" ViewCount="1147" Body="&lt;p&gt;It can be difficult to gauge whether you are in the 'right' weight category, i.e. whether you should stay around the same weight, try and lose some fat to drop a weight category, or try and gain some muscle mass to move up one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any information on the average height of competitive judoka in each weight class?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2022-05-08T10:15:51.920" Title="Average height of competitors for each weight category in Judo?" Tags="|judo|competition|weight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13308" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13307" CreationDate="2022-05-08T10:15:51.920" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The following study recorded average height (as well as other body measurements) for a sample of national/international level male Brazilian judoka:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/G7qe6.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/G7qe6.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This study compared the anthropometrical characteristics in judo athletes of different weight categories. The sample was composed by 104 Brazilian male judo athletes of national/international level from all seven official weight categories: extralightweight (-60 kg; n = 16), half-lightweight (-66 kg; n = 12), lightweight (-73 kg; n = 24), half-middleweight (-81 kg; n = 25), middleweight (-90 kg; n = 15), half-heavyweight (-100 kg; n = 7) and heavyweight (+100 kg; n = 5).&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;...&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;The main results of the present study was that: (1) height differed across&#xA;non subsequent weight categories, except for the difference between -60 kg and -66 kg;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.scielo.cl/pdf/ijmorphol/v32n1/art07.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Anthropometrical Profile of Judo Athletes: Comparative Analysis Between Weight Categories&lt;/a&gt; (2014)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2022-05-08T10:15:51.920" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13309" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-05-08T16:19:59.653" Score="0" ViewCount="21" Body="&lt;p&gt;I’ve been practicing BJJ for a few months now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does anyone have any expertise with what’s best for gaining skill if both martial arts were to be combined weekly?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Q: Should I continue my BJJ and bring Taek-won-do alongside my weekly training?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12500" LastActivityDate="2022-05-08T16:19:59.653" Title="Should I do both BJJ &amp; Taek-won-do weekly?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|health|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2022-05-08T19:54:34.123" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13310" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-05-09T16:36:17.170" Score="1" ViewCount="79" Body="&lt;p&gt;My daughter will soon test again for her brown belt in taekwondo. On her first attempt months ago, she did not pass but they provided a &amp;quot;report card&amp;quot; of sorts. One of the notes written was that her belt was &amp;quot;well tied&amp;quot;. Even so, in that category, it was possible to score higher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am considering helping her to do better in that category (this alone will not enable her to pass the rank exam).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was thinking that a new gi specifically for tests might help in that regard. Something that looks nice. Can these (or should these) be ironed/pleated? Can/should these be starched, would that help with making her punches and kicks sound snappy?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a specific type of gi that I should look for, for this? The only requirements her school has ever given is that during rank exams, the students' gis should be all white. She would be sparring, performing poomsae, and other drills/techniques without any pause to change (if that matters).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10157" LastActivityDate="2023-07-05T19:14:22.140" Title="Gi considerations for rank tests?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|gi|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13311" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13310" CreationDate="2022-05-09T17:25:19.280" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is likely something highly dependent on her school. When I did Chun Kuk Do, the criteria for uniforms were:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Clean&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Unwrinkled&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bearing proper patches (we had specific patches that were required for our organization, and also a list of allowable additional patches)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Properly tied:&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Uniform ties tied such as to keep the uniform closed without the belt&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Belt not hanging loose&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Belt ends equal length&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Belt tips (electrical tape tips showing that we'd passed interim tests during classes) on the correct side&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For competing, we were generally advised to wear a starched heavy uniform for form demonstrations, indeed because it provided a &amp;quot;snap&amp;quot; with punches and kicks, and to wear a lighter-weight &amp;quot;soft&amp;quot; uniform for faster movement, but we were not graded on the type of material or whether it was starched for testing purposes, so I think I wore a heavy uniform for my first two years, and then a soft one for the rest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Primarily, the uniform should be clean, unwrinkled, and neatly worn (and often this rolls in things like presentation and grooming). Unfortunately, this can be a very subjective thing, and one where my experience is that a lot of biases can creep in, from more well-off students being able to afford more frequent replacements and better cleaning methods to teachers &amp;quot;grading&amp;quot; on things like hair-ties, hairstyles, and whether the the student has bleached or re-dyed their uniform, and not applying those criteria to everyone. Not saying that would be the case for your daughter, but sometimes it is worth pushing back if you're not being provided a reason for a lower rating. Often, when someone is forced to justify their grades, they realize that they're not grading objectively (or in some cases, will inform you of what you're facing, if you find out that they downgraded for things like &amp;quot;ethnic hairstyle&amp;quot; or their reasons clearly weren't applied to other people).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-05-09T17:25:19.280" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13312" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12750" CreationDate="2022-05-14T02:06:45.420" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's variable..... reforms made during and after the Cultural Revolution in China. During this period militant efforts to purge &amp;quot;traditional Chinese&amp;quot; culture to reinforce Maoism, which led to the destruction of a lot of martial arts manuals, documents, and treatises. Three million people were subject to be killed specifically because they were well known teachers of traditional Chinese culture, and this included well known martial art practitioners. That's not mentioning its anti-Buddhist purges that targeted many Buddhists (and martial practitioners).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most Kung Fu nowadays is byproduct of extensive improvisation and adapting highly stylish gymnastics and traditional  boxing and fisticuffs. Nevertheless it's a shell of its former self. Masters struggled to exploit new teaching tools and rediscover what they knew. Much like karate and martial schools, in US opening a strip mall business...... is easy. The Chinese government used martial arts as a tourist draw, to market their teaching styles, and prospective students are being lured away by the draw of mixed martial arts (MMA), a combat sport that is exploded in popularity and requires no standard techniques to implement. As a result, few fighters think of kung fu as a legitimate martial art any longer. Buddhist monks still adept in the practice fled China decades ago for Hong kong or western world. Students were few and far between.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a fighting art Kung fu is marginally useful in street fights,, not in honor rule based fighting.. Authentic fighting has NO RULES so moves like crotch kicking, eye gouging, face clawing, and improvised weaponry like broken bottles and inanimate objects.....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2022-05-14T02:06:45.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13313" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13306" CreationDate="2022-05-15T13:35:30.800" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tense your arm and shoulder at the moment of impact when jabbing (unless you are throwing light, distracting feints). You will find that doing this will often cause one or both pecs (chest muscles) to tense, as well as muscles in your neck and back, such as your trapezius, your punching-side lateralis, and the smaller muscles supporting your scapula.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When punching whilst moving and when punching for reasons other than maximum power much of your body can remain loose and mobile, but when throwing a very hard punch such as a well-planted straight right or a stiff jab, you may actually tense your whole body momentarily upon contact, optimising the impact of your strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note though that this tensing of the muscles will ideally become an unconscious process. Next time you hit a heavy bag, you may feel your body automatically bracing for the impact. If you don't do this, your punches will likely feel weak and you will may feel as though you are losing balance and/or being forced backwards. You will also find that no matter how well you brace at the moment of impact, your will lose power and balance if your posture is incorrect, and small improvements here (together with range and timing) can lead to substantial gains in your punching power and efficiency.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-05-19T08:09:58.120" LastActivityDate="2022-05-19T08:09:58.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13314" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12671" CreationDate="2022-05-15T19:00:25.797" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a karate practitioner and also an amateur calligrapher. I have noticed some parallels in my practice in both areas which might be instructive to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In calligraphy, we often practice artificial sentences for specific purposes. One is to write a panagram out repeatedly so that you practise all letters of the alphabet in the hand you're training in. Another (especially in blocky hands) is to write a word like minimum the letters of which can look very similar and make it unreadable if not done right. None of these is &amp;quot;real world calligraphy&amp;quot; which involves much more like placement, composition, dominance etc. However, these things ingrain skills in your muscles which manifest when you do &lt;em&gt;anything&lt;/em&gt; in the field which makes you a better calligrapher.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kata, in my mind, are like these exercises. If you practice them repeatedly for rhythm/flow and separately for analysis, you will develop things like transition between stances, optimal use of your breathing and energy during a move, correct form and after a while, when you're doing kumite, you'll notice how your movements fall back to what you trained in your kata and see the value in it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also a useful technique (and this is one of the reasons why it was traditionally done) to remember a sequence of combos or moves. If you, as a karateka, pick up muay thai and want to memorise (in your muscles) a combo of moves, I can think of worse ways to do it than create a kata with those moves by yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whether it's finally &amp;quot;practical&amp;quot; or not really depends on what you're looking for. If you're looking for the ability to hold your own in a street fight, kata alone is definitely going to be close to useless. You have to practise scenarios and moves with an non-cooperative opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1965" LastActivityDate="2022-05-15T19:00:25.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13315" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13320" CreationDate="2022-05-16T16:51:00.313" Score="2" ViewCount="79" Body="&lt;p&gt;Equipment question: Why are most boxing/muay thai hand wraps 100% cotton? They take so long to dry and remove sweat. Why aren't they made using wicking, dri-fit fabric as you seen now in gym shirts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-05-20T08:33:53.533" Title="Why are Hand wraps not made from wicking, dri fit material?" Tags="|boxing|equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13317" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-05-18T10:59:04.490" Score="3" ViewCount="905" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are there sword forms that hold the sword in reverse grip or is it just hollywood/anime garbage&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MeGwv.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MeGwv.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2022-07-16T07:51:48.423" Title="Reverse grip swords" Tags="|sword|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13318" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13317" CreationDate="2022-05-19T01:25:20.927" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Short answer is that, as discussed in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/SWORDS/comments/30d9et/is_there_actually_any_style_that_incorporates/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this Reddit thread&lt;/a&gt;, there are no traditional sword forms involving a reverse grip, although some styles include occasional use of it on a situational basis (usually in service of hiding the blade, striking when you have your blade reversed to indicate that you are not holding it ready to strike, or your grip becomes reversed in the course of the swordwork (such as when the sword has been knocked out of your hand and the way in which you caught it was reversed). As to why it's not generally used, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/SWORDS/comments/30d9et/comment/cprbepn/?utm_source=reddit&amp;amp;utm_medium=web2x&amp;amp;context=3&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this fellow&lt;/a&gt; has a good explanation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will add my input as to why there is no style dedicated to it. For starters- it is completely predictable. You are limited to an up strike and one from the side. You can even manage one from the top, but that forces you to turn your body in an awkward way and not only tells your opponent exactly what you're doing, but you will not recover in time for a consecutive strike, nor will the initial one have enough force behind it. In terms of defense, since the sword is either facing tip down or across, you now have every vital position at risk with a faulty guard. It doesn't matter how strong your arms are, if the opponent takes a good whack, the guard will break simply due to physics.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Note: when I say &amp;quot;you&amp;quot; I mean generally; I'm not saying this in a convicting manner at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-05-19T01:25:20.927" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13319" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-05-19T03:16:47.743" Score="2" ViewCount="103" Body="&lt;p&gt;It seems the Ip Man syllabus removed deep breathing for Siu Lim Tao part 1. Anyone has idea why the part is removed?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/lm4GEm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/lm4GEm.png&quot; alt=&quot;Front cover of Traditional Wing Chun: The branch of great master Yip Man by Igor Dudukchan&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/books/edition/Traditional_Wing_Chun_The_branch_of_grea/1P5CDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Google Books link&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.kungfufxbg.com/blog/speeded-up-slow-siu-nim-tao-ving-tsun-wing-chun-kung-fu&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this blog entry&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This video shows the Ving Tsun (wing chun) Kung Fu form, Siu Nim Tao,&#xA;with a certain part played at a very slow rate of movement. To an&#xA;observer, it appears the practitioner may simply be standing still,&#xA;but the student practicing feels the whole body alive with movement&#xA;and energy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This exercise develops discipline and mental focus, as well as&#xA;Centerline awareness, relaxed deep breathing, and powerful legs with&#xA;good balance from the horse stance training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12519" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-05-19T20:04:26.423" LastActivityDate="2022-05-19T20:04:26.423" Title="Ip Man Wing Chun book didn't cover deep breathing" Tags="|tai-chi|wing-chun|breathing|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13320" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13315" CreationDate="2022-05-20T08:12:42.233" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I suspect that this is mainly due to the main function: providing stability and protection. Secondarily, it may be a matter of hygiene.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For stability, the fabric has to stay in place and not move against each other much. While flexibility as such, within certain bounds, is not only tolerable but even helpful for that as you can see from medical bandages used to stabilize joints with traumas, slipping of layers against each other is not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you tried to fixate something with, say , a band of silk, and you wrap it several times around really tightly, you'll see that the slightest movement will loosen it and make it ultimately fall off in no time. The same would happen with modern dry textiles, even if not as fast.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's the main reason why medical bandages, just like hand wraps, still feature a high percentage of cotton and a rather coarse fabric, as it is a good compromise between thickness, flexibility, and stabilisation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other one is hygiene: traditionally, you would wash them at high temperatures in order to get rid of bacteria that love sweat and make them stink eventually. If you cannot wash a fabric above 40 degrees celsius and you need more than 65 for that, you have to use other means.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-05-20T08:33:53.533" LastActivityDate="2022-05-20T08:33:53.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13321" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13258" CreationDate="2022-05-20T19:21:57.440" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Speaking strictly from a physiological point of view here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;When you use a shin block, the leg should be taken with the upper end of the tibia as this is the thickest part of the thicker bone. This means not the &lt;em&gt;outside&lt;/em&gt; but the &lt;em&gt;upper third of the front&lt;/em&gt; of your lower leg since on the outside, there is the much weaker &lt;em&gt;fibula&lt;/em&gt; bone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Tibia and fibula can be used together if you don't take it upfront exactly, but slightly to the outer side from the center (where your tibia bone is). In between are the thickest muscles on the front of your lower leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;These muscles are only engaged if you pull your toes up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, you should a) never take any low kick with a point of your lower leg low enough to endanger your toes in the first place and b) in an ideal world, your take it with both tibia and fibula plus the muscles in between as cushion. Hence toes up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason why some people favour toes down comes down to technique imho: Muay Thai fighters are light on their front feet and you can use your foot like a spring pushing from the ground to raise your leg faster and get the block where it should be easier in time. That way, you naturally end up with lowered foot. If you raise your leg by means of the hip flexor mainly, this is no necessity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, is there a risk of injury with toes down? Definitely. If you meet a proper low kick with shin against stretched foot, you may well break some bones on the upper side of your foot as there is no cushioning muscle or other tissue and these bones are not made to resist forces from there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I had to choose, I'd rather take one or two broken toes if I mess up my block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2022-05-20T19:21:57.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13322" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-05-26T04:01:04.643" Score="3" ViewCount="161" Body="&lt;p&gt;In boxing, they say on the Hook punches 5-6,  you are not supposed to extend your arm (like cross jab). You keep your arm steady-static, and rotate the from the hips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this same principle true for the uppercut?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0jdfT.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0jdfT.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2023-08-02T10:08:21.027" Title="Boxing Uppercut Motion: Is Arm steady?" Tags="|technique|boxing|muay-thai|punching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13323" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13324" CreationDate="2022-05-27T07:58:49.040" Score="2" ViewCount="762" Body="&lt;p&gt;I noticed that some people teach to make a fist like picture below, and clench fingers at the visible top part of hand (green line). However, doing this even after practicing flexibility, makes my hand stiff and unrelaxed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I curled fingers somewhat below green line now (say .5 to 1 centimeter below - slight adjustment).  Now my hand is Lot more relaxed, and punches are 25% Faster and powerful. Is there an issue with doing this? Does this cause hand injury? Punching the heavy bag (with and without glove), my hand feels there is no problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wl1YU.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wl1YU.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-05-27T11:21:51.987" Title="Punching: Make a fist and curl fingers correctly" Tags="|technique|boxing|muay-thai|punching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13324" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13323" CreationDate="2022-05-27T11:21:51.987" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is absolutely nothing incorrect about forming a fist as you describe in paragraph 2.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I fold my fingers naturally, the tips of my fingers reach approximately 1 cm below the finger-palm line (the green line in your photo). I have never injured my fingers in over 2 decades of hitting heavy bags.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In fact, if your fingers naturally curl to this point, it will probably be impossible for you to curl your fingers correctly and keep them &lt;em&gt;above&lt;/em&gt; the line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you form the proper fist, the tips of your fingers will likely be pressed into the middle of your palm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most important aspects of the fist are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It is as compact (free from voids) as possible,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The bones of the top of the fist are parallel with the bones of the forearm&lt;/strong&gt;, and&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The thumb is curled around the middle phalanxes of your first two fingers (The thumb will likely reach only to the centre of the second finger, closer to the second knuckle).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you probably know very well - and as most coaches point out during a student's first lesson - the thumb should never be kept &lt;em&gt;inside&lt;/em&gt; the fingers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The fact you experience no discomfort when punching using a fist as you describe is a good indication that your fist is adequate. It is very difficult to execute a powerful strike using a poor fist without experiencing discomfort/pain/injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastActivityDate="2022-05-27T11:21:51.987" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13325" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13322" CreationDate="2022-05-27T12:17:34.697" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you rely solely upon hip rotation for power when hooking or uppercutting, you will be punching with &lt;em&gt;far&lt;/em&gt; less power than you might with better technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even when performing relatively strict, orthodox, compact hooks and uppercuts, the momentum generated by the hips and legs is substantially augmented by what is sometimes an almost imperceptible quasi-slingshot movement of the arm and fist which is generated by the hips, back, chest, shoulder and arms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The biomechanics are tricky to describe without footage. I will start with the hook, as the OP incorrectly states the arm should remain static:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After the foot and knee pivot, the hip-turn commences, which leads into the upper-body mechanics of the punch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the torso rotates, let your punching-side shoulder open up very slightly from your chest as you raise your forearm towards the horizontal. It should feel as though you are letting your shoulder lag slightly behind your pectoral as you twist (Note: the extent to which you do this determines the extent to which you leave yourself momentarily open. Don't let your fist float out and away from your body). This creates a kinetic tension between tge pec and shoulder you can then exploit when completing the strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the moment of impact nears and as the torso rotation slows, use your back and shoulder to 'whip' your arm around, driving the fist into the target as the elbow reaches its full height. It might take a little while to get the timing right, but the increase in power is well worth it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although he doesn't describe it during this video, &lt;a href=&quot;https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4HHhlvsOLkI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Jeff Mayweather&lt;/a&gt; is employing this technique in his demonstration of the left hook. Keen observers will note that the shoulders open slightly before the arm motion commences and that the arm continues moving once torso rotation has ended.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the uppercut, note the following important differences:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your shoulder-line will often dip towards your punching side, as much as 45 degrees (This dip is often useful when slipping and countering an opponent's jab; punching up and under their extended jabbing arm).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Power comes from driving up from your feet (your rear foot in particular), through your legs and into your rotating hips.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A key to maintaining good, compact, efficient technique here is to imagine the top of your punching side hip is driving your elbow forward as the hip rotates. This has the advantage of training you to keep your elbow in tight, which in turn keeps your technique direct and efficient and maintains defensive integrity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the hips become square, the elbow leaves the body and continues forward and up. It is at this moment that technique similar to the 'whipping' or 'slingshot' described for the hook can be achieved, improving power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;REMEMBER: When performing both punches, maintain guard with your opposite hand and don't try to generate power by punching in unnecessarily big arcs which telegraph your efforts and leave you more open to counters. When you do this, your punches become more recognisable, slower, and less defensively responsible. It is okay to wind up more for power shots when circumstances permit it, as long as you realise the risks of doing so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try it on a bag and see how you go. Avoid tensing your body until the moment of impact. Aim for compact efficiency of effort. The motions I am describing are very subtle and almost impossible to detect in footage of good fighters, but believe me, they are there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a point of comparison, try hitting the bag with no arm movement at all; using only the motion of your hips. It will likely feel a &lt;em&gt;lot&lt;/em&gt; weaker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Much of the footage you will find of good boxers performing uppercuts in bouts shows fighters 'winding up' and punching a lot more wildly than I describe. This is often because they utilise the uppercut at times when they are dominating their opponent; at moments in which their opponents have retreated into a defensive posture and stopped attacking. Learn the strict version first and, as usual, you can break the rules later as appropriate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With this in mind, look at some of your favourite fighters doing bag and mitt work. Click here for &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_2B7o1NNkE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Golovkin&lt;/a&gt; demonstrating some nice 'easy' hooks and uppercuts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And here for &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRygZnrVPQg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Lomachenko&lt;/a&gt; on the heavy bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note there are long hook variations which involve substantially different technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-11-05T09:21:27.370" LastActivityDate="2022-11-05T09:21:27.370" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13326" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13328" CreationDate="2022-05-29T00:30:08.217" Score="4" ViewCount="134" Body="&lt;p&gt;This question is more about etiquette. Years ago I took some martial art classes that focused on striking. The other day I tried an intro class to &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambo_(martial_art)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Sambo&lt;/a&gt;. Overall it went well. The last thing we did was a &amp;quot;fun game&amp;quot; (words instructor used) where we saw who could tag their partner on the knee without having theirs tagged. We rotated partners and at one point I ended up with a guy who seemed to have a lot of experience in some grappling martial art. He started putting me in headlocks and clinches. We didn't cover these in class. I said to him &amp;quot;aren't we doing the knee slap drill?&amp;quot; and he said &amp;quot;we're just messing around&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, if the instructor says &amp;quot;game to touch other person's knee&amp;quot; is it pretty clear the idea isn't to put your partner in a headlock, even if he didn't explicitly prohibit it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What (if anything) should I say to the partner or instructor?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an aside a long time ago I took an intro judo class. The instructor asked 2 senior students to give a demo. They agreed not to use sweeps but one did anyway. When he pointed this out, the instructor said &amp;quot;it's against the rules to speak&amp;quot;. I thought this was bad sportsmanship.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12529" LastActivityDate="2022-06-03T10:46:45.863" Title="If partner is using additional moves in drill, should you tell him not to?" Tags="|grappling|etiquette|beginner|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13327" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13326" CreationDate="2022-05-29T11:29:23.550" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, if the instructor says &amp;quot;game to touch other person's knee&amp;quot; is it pretty clear the idea isn't to put your partner in a headlock, even if he didn't explicitly prohibit it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, it's not clear. In some contexts, it's encouraged to creatively interpret instructions. In others, this undermines the purpose of the activity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What (if anything) should I say to the partner or instructor?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this a game that is regularly used? If so, then you might want to understand exactly what the parameters are. If not, just let it go.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2022-05-29T11:29:23.550" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13328" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13326" CreationDate="2022-05-29T15:53:42.607" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Anyone who is not doing what the instructor is asking the class to do is disrespecting the instructor, the partner,  and the class. It is most inappropriate to have the student - a new one - be introduced to a new technique,  then expect them to execute it effectively as if they were an expert.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should learn a technique the first time in a favorable environment with no distraction.   Of course that's not realistic,  but realism isn't the goal at first. When you get more proficient,  then it is time to introduce variations to help you deal with the unfavorable environment and distractions in real life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think of it like this: ever get lost and ask someone for directions and,  with helpfulness in their intentions, you get explicit details down to all the nearby stores, color of the buildings, landmarks you'll pass, signs for this and that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All you need is the basic &amp;quot;go this way 10 blocks, left on main St 5 blocks, right on 1st st 3 blocks&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To much information will overload the beginner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's disrespectful to the class,  because they're seeing you doing something different. That's a distraction. Some will do what you're doing,  others will get confused.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's disrespectful to the instructor because you may be jumping ahead,  sending  a not-so-subtle message &amp;quot;I'm doing what I think you want me to do&amp;quot;, or &amp;quot;I know better than you&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm sure you understand all this,  that's why you're here asking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I said all that in case there are folks who read this and do what your partner is doing,  however well-intentioned they think they may be; but also to give you the justification you need to tell your partner to just stick to the instructions,  you're having a hard enough time without the distraction.  If it doesn't work, avoid the partner in the future, or, finally have a private convo with the instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2022-05-29T15:53:42.607" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13330" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13317" CreationDate="2022-05-31T16:01:44.853" Score="5" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Overall, It Is A Silly Grip For Combat&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Coming from a Historic European Martial Arts perspective, I can say this is &amp;quot;Hollywood/Anime Garbage&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, you lose reach, leverage, and speed while you gain... dubious forearm protection and the scorn of your peers? &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/hmPyD9-q7Rg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Historians&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/4r1jP1JOMVs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;enthusiasts&lt;/a&gt; on YouTube goes in much more detail. In short, it is just not as effective as forward grips in most situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;What IS It Good For?&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Against humans, there is a notable exception here: attacking targets already on the ground via stabbing. At that point, you have mostly won armed combat against humans, so this is pretty niche.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This reverse grip allows you to get a lot of body weight behind a thrust downwards, when the target is close. Maybe there is space for this when attempting to go hilt-deep into a massive creature or some sort of ankle biting foe, but is a sword a practical choice here? Especially when other ancient weapons have more reach, better leverage, and/or more force? (Like a staff, spear, partisan, club, etc...) This is really outside the scope of this (martial arts) site and I cannot really cover all fantastic settings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;But Daggers!&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Using daggers in reverse grip is well documented and accepted. This is due to certain systems combining wrestling with the use of the dagger. These daggers are generally very robust and sometimes quite large, but the fact is that the closer you bind to your fist, the more power/control you can exercise. The majority of a reversed-gripped swords is generally too far/long to gain control in a bind or effectively move around in a grappling setting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Techniques for swords in grappling usually demand you half sword, which is grabbing your own blade, or grab an opponent's blade, which is an entirely different way to hold a weapon. Even so, the dagger is usually better in grappling than a sword! (Why else would knights have daggers in addition to their swords?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In theory, you could use a very short sword in the same way as a dagger, although this opens the &amp;quot;what is a dagger?&amp;quot; debate and questions about &amp;quot;can this technique be used with a blade of X length?&amp;quot; We do not have room for this here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2022-06-06T12:08:54.340" LastActivityDate="2022-06-06T12:08:54.340" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13331" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13326" CreationDate="2022-06-01T14:13:03.123" Score="5" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Short answer&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like to mention five takeaways for you that these situations exemplify and are important for every martial arts student before I go into the specifics of the described situations:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Instructors are humans.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Therefore, even if they should be more explicit and explain their decisions and forms better this is often not the case.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Therefore, it is partly your own responsibility to ask if any questions are open, even if it is hard for beginners to know the questions in the first place.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There is often/always a good reason behind what and how they do it even if it is not mentioned and the best practice is to ask instructors why they do what they do/how they do it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If they cannot or are unwilling to answer this explicit question, they are bad instructors.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Long answer&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;General remarks on expectations vs. reality in martial arts&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. Unwritten rules&lt;/strong&gt;: If the place is very competitive and playing rough, full of young people with too much energy, it may well be that this is the way how they train and that the unwritten rule is &amp;quot;that which is not forbidden is allowed&amp;quot;. I myself came to some places that trained this way and did not make any difference between strong, experienced people or others with weak physique and obviously less experience. This can be very intimidating and not that much fun for inexperienced players but it often also means that the training there is high-level and if you stick to it, it will benefit your game in the long run. The &amp;quot;messing around&amp;quot; comment fits this attitude perfectly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. Hierarchy of rules&lt;/strong&gt;: When I read your second anecdote at the bottom, I immediately thought that the instructor was correct, in a sense: When you talk in a fight, you can get disqualified and immediately lose the competition. It doesn't matter if it was unfair at that moment (and it was), the more important lesson to be learned here was that whatever happens, you should never complain in a fight. And the instructor decided that this is what was more important here. There are little breaks of rules all the time and you won't get anywhere if you do not learn to get over it and fight. I, personally, prefer to explain these situations and my decision to the group after the fight has ended. Not every instructor thinks this way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3. Sambo is itself pretty rough.&lt;/strong&gt; At first sight, it may be very similar to Judo but it in fact is much more straight to the point about winning, less about education and values than Judo. Therefore, entry into an established group without much experience or physical training may not be what the group is good for. But if you bite through it may well be worth it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, everything comes down to your own ideas and values versus what is lived in the respective places. Yes, martial arts are about mutual respect. But it is also - first and foremost to many - learning how to win in a sports match and especially for grapplers it is often about the direct physical contest. So if your goal is more about having fun and some relaxed rolling, maybe these places were simply not fitting you and your goal as they were too competitive. I know for sure that there are Judo places that fit a more relaxed attitude but cannot vouch for Sambo as I lack the experience there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;On the exercise and situation specifically&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As @DaveLiepmann pointed out in his comment, purely slapping the knees might be a nice little exercise for beginners to learn footwork and hand-eye coordination. But if you add a little &amp;quot;messing around&amp;quot;, ie. not-too-serious clinching and control, it suddenly becomes a very good warming up exercise for grapplers that is physically challenging and both intuitive for beginners as it only involves basic brawling and a clear goal without too many technicalities and fun for more advanced players as it is a bit out of the box.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, keep an open mind and never presuppose anything. It is always a good idea to be open about new input and possible advantages of ideas, input, and exercises that are completely new to you. What this should have taught you is to ask very specifically about what is allowed when confronted with new groups/exercises since there are &lt;strong&gt;very few&lt;/strong&gt; instructors that are fully explicit about it after some decades of using the same drills over and over. It is hard to keep in mind that not everyone takes all these details for granted that so became blood and bone to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-06-03T10:46:45.863" LastActivityDate="2022-06-03T10:46:45.863" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13332" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13333" CreationDate="2022-06-03T05:34:16.270" Score="3" ViewCount="757" Body="&lt;p&gt;It seems like when I punch and need to punch with knuckles first, I have to angle down, otherwise, it hits the bottom of fingers first and not the knuckles, when practicing against heavy bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Check the angle of pictures below,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;is this true for you all? Or how do you deal with the angle of knuckles and first contact? See how it hits the green line below.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kMifp.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kMifp.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stock photos above (not of me, which show what I mean) :&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2022-06-07T20:57:17.230" LastActivityDate="2023-12-12T08:04:55.763" Title="Punching with knuckles first correctly" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|punching|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13333" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13332" CreationDate="2022-06-03T14:19:50.973" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is normal for the middle knuckles of your fingers to lead your first knuckles (top knuckles). This protrusion of the middle knuckles is exaggerated when wearing gloves. Your middle knuckles will be pushed back in towards your palm upon impact whilst your first knuckles will move very little, providing your wrist is firm and straight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not compensate by tilting your wrist, or you will be at far greater risk of wrist injury and much of the potential power of your strike may be lost by your wrist buckling upon impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Concentrate on aligning the bones which run along the top of your hand - from the knuckles of your first and second fingers to your wrist - with the bones of your forearm. Focus on maintaining this alignment at the point of impact and on directing your power through the top knuckle of your second finger alone, or in combination with the top knuckle of your first finger. The sharper the tip of the spear, the more easily it will penetrate the body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Remember that in a fight, there are many target areas of a body which protrude, unlike a heavy bag's relatively flat surface. This, along with punch angle, means it is sometimes possible to land cleanly with your first knuckles alone, but it is otherwise normal for your middle knuckles to reach the target first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-06-05T14:26:45.083" LastActivityDate="2022-06-05T14:26:45.083" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13334" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13352" CreationDate="2022-06-06T23:12:15.557" Score="3" ViewCount="144" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can you ever reduce your reaction time? As a martial arts practitioner, you can learn to spot certain tiny movements of your opponent ahead of their attack and start your countermove earlier, but your reaction time stays the same, doesn't it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10664" LastActivityDate="2022-06-17T08:07:49.210" Title="Can you ever reduce your reaction time?" Tags="|reaction|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13335" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-06-07T18:25:57.037" Score="4" ViewCount="236" Body="&lt;p&gt;Coming from a striking focused martial art, it seems to me that grappling can only be practiced with a partner. Is there any thing I can do to practice by myself for martial arts like judo, BJJ and sambo? Obviously there is strength training but I would like to focus on technique and learning how to do the moves. I guess watching YouTube videos would help a little. But is there anyway I can practice an arm bar or getting out of headlock alone?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12529" LastActivityDate="2022-12-31T00:54:38.990" Title="How to get better at grappling without a partner? How to practice locks alone?" Tags="|training|judo|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13336" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13335" CreationDate="2022-06-07T20:15:49.167" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;No, there isn't a way to improve technically without a partner in grappling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need a good partner for everything in grappling and an experienced instructor to learn a grappling technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No grappling dummy will give you resistance and context the way you need it. No training without a partner will give you an idea of actual forces and mechanics. You actually do need multiple partners to learn how to deal with different leverages, different strength levels, different levels of flexibility, speed, etc. And no training without an instructor will be able to make you aware of what you are doing wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The only thing you &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; do alone, with a grappling dummy, is doing certain &lt;em&gt;speed drills&lt;/em&gt; that only make sense &lt;em&gt;after&lt;/em&gt; you established proper technique. These are not really good for technical improvement either, they are rather a kind of cardio/coordination training that uses sport-specific movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Learning technique should never be done alone since there is a high percentage, even for simple strikes, that you start with minor or major imperfections that will be harder to correct with every wrong repetition. In other words: all you will achieve is becoming really good at being bad. Training for technical improvement without feedback by a partner and corrections by an instructor (these roles can be fulfilled by the same person) is equally a recipe for disaster in grappling since grappling is all about physical feedback.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-06-07T21:11:01.373" LastActivityDate="2022-06-07T21:11:01.373" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13337" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13339" CreationDate="2022-06-08T07:48:14.033" Score="4" ViewCount="3472" Body="&lt;p&gt;Can an airbag be activated by a powerful kick (eg. jumping side kick)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10293" LastActivityDate="2023-12-09T18:59:19.570" Title="Activate a car's airbag with a kick" Tags="|kicking|strength|power|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13338" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13337" CreationDate="2022-06-08T11:51:32.063" Score="5" Body="&lt;h1&gt;No, at least not modern airbags.&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since the activation depends on several sensors switching at the same time, and they &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hella.com/techworld/uk/Technical/Car-electronics-and-electrics/Car-airbag-system-3083/#&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;typically need that the whole car is accelerated with 3-5g&lt;/a&gt; including the corresponding deformation of the frame, no force a human can produce will suffice due to the inertia of the immense mass of the car. Kicking the steering wheel won't do much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just to put this into perspective, in order to accelerate a very light car of one metric ton so that the sensors go off, you'd need to produce at a minimum &lt;strong&gt;29.34 kN&lt;/strong&gt; (1000 kg, 3g acceleration) while a very powerful kick &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5571909/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;seems to typically top out at about &lt;strong&gt;2 kN&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. That doesn't even count in roll resistance and that most of the force won't go into an actual acceleration of the car but rather into deformation of the front (or back).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long story short, a kick can produce not even a tenth of the force needed to accelerate a very small car so that its airbags go off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-06-08T21:47:31.983" LastActivityDate="2022-06-08T21:47:31.983" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13339" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13337" CreationDate="2022-06-08T11:58:22.950" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.quora.com/How-do-airbags-know-when-the-car-has-crashed/answer/Brian-Stover-5&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Possibly in an older car&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are driving an early 1980’s car with airbags, then the little metal ball in the little tube behind the grill was forced to push the spring all the way back to the contact which allowed electricity to flow to set off the ignitors (tiny explosive devices) which started the burning of material that quickly produced hot gasses that filled the air bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since I could set off an airbag with a hammer to the grill (the idea is a rock, thrown up by the tires of a vehicle in front of you) this type of sensor is not allowed nor has been for about 35 years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, as Phillip notes, modern airbags generally require much more force, and often only deploy at higher speeds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-06-08T11:58:22.950" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13340" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-06-09T04:20:47.097" Score="7" ViewCount="819" Body="&lt;p&gt;On various internet forums and websites over the years, I have managed to acquire the impression that there are elements of wrestling/grappling (and perhaps even striking) within Tai Chi, though it is no longer taught in that manner in most places in North America. Instead, it has become ridiculed as slow motion karate, and low impact exercise for the elderly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there any useful techniques, or even exercises within this martial art, and can anyone summarize what these would be? I'd be happy if the answer compared Tai Chi to techniques considered useful within other systems, but if someone has a better way of structuring the answer that'd be great too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Trying to figure out what to focus on so that the mystical woo-woo stuff can be (politely) ignored.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10157" LastActivityDate="2022-06-15T21:17:46.203" Title="What elements of a typical Tai Chi curriculum are useful for fighting or combat sports?" Tags="|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13341" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13340" CreationDate="2022-06-09T06:41:27.013" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;You're not alone. Many Taiji (also spelled T'ai Chi) practitioners are not interested in the esoteric, mystical topics that often come along for the ride. They want practical, real skill that can be demonstrated on a resisting opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Trouble is, finding a teacher who can show you this is rare. About 99% of all taiji teachers teach a version of taiji that is primarily oriented towards health and qigong. They will answer questions about the fighting applications of taiji incorrectly, because their teacher never taught them it. They've had to essentially guess at it or pick it up from folklore and whatever they've read or watched on the internet. But they won't tell you that, because they want to save face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason for this is due to the fact that taiji started off as a kind of secret martial art. It was closely guarded by the Chen family (the founders of the art) in China. They doled it out in tiny amounts to those who paid for the knowledge. Like every other martial family in China, that was how they made money. They withheld the knowledge to ensure their family could provide for themselves. So it was never taught in public, only behind closed doors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, as oral tradition tells us, Yang Lu-chan would observe some Taiji training from a crack in the wall. And he would later go on to be accepted as a student of Chen taiji. But, he was forbidden from teaching the martial art aspects to the public. Instead, he taught it as a &amp;quot;health&amp;quot; and meditation form, without any real explanation of what was going on martially. From this came most people doing taiji we see today. Which is why when you go to a taiji school, you may walk away thinking that what they teach is fantasy and unrealistic for actual fighting. Because it is, and they don't know better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I trained in Wu style first for a year. Then I trained in Yang style for a year and a half or so. I thought I knew what taiji was. But then I met up with a Chen style taiji practitioner who taught me more in just 30 minutes than anything I learned before. It was transformative. Suddenly everything made sense. I could feel it first hand for the first time. And I realized that my previous Wu and Yang style groups had people in them who were training for 20 years and still didn't know the first thing about it!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Please read the following two links, where I go over some of the concepts of taiji and what's really going on it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/10460/how-is-tai-chi-different-as-a-martial-art-in-terms-of-self-defense-combat/10464#10464&quot;&gt;How is Tai Chi different as a martial art in terms of self defense/combat?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6191/how-long-should-the-tai-chi-basic-24-form-take/6198#6198&quot;&gt;How long should the Tai Chi basic 24 form take?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The biggest take-away from the links above is that taiji is an internal art, which means that stuff is going on inside of the body that you can't see very easily. It's not mystical. It's not about chi. It's about the body and using it in a different way from external styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, how you use that stuff in fighting is that you need to be sparring with it. Taiji has the concept of push-hands practice first. In push-hands practice, you learn to apply internal mechanics on a moving, resisting opponent. But there are some rules that limit you from doing just anything. With more competitive practitioners, it resembles judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring is also something that takes place in taiji training. It's different from push-hands. In sparring, you have less rules. It's more &amp;quot;anything goes&amp;quot; than push-hands. So this is where you get good at the boxing aspects of it, where people are defending against punches and kicks while also having to deal with grappling, joint locking, and throws.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although it does depend on your instructor, traditionally you're not going to get to the level where you can even begin sparring until you've spent almost a decade or longer training everything else before that. It's because internal martial arts require a lot more concentration and attention to details.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In external arts, it's very easy. You can watch stuff and repeat what you see. But with internal arts, it's what you don't see that's important. That requires a patient student and instructor. It can take years to build a good foundation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the basic principles of taiji is that you're never extended in any direction. You want all your joints to be a neutral position, neither fully extended or retracted. This is because if a joint is locked, it can't adapt to forces. If your opponent pushes on you, having your joints perfectly neutral means they can easily adapt to those forces in whichever direction the force is coming from. It's when your joints are locked that you can't adapt. It will cause you to become unbalanced and fall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that's basically taiji's main defense and offense strategy. It's trying to remain neutral at all times while simultaneously looking to unbalance ones opponent by making them extend their joints too far. Once their opponent is in a vulnerable state, they can unbalance and throw them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many other concepts in taiji that are applied to fighting. For example, sensing and yielding to pressure. This is known as soft skill. Soft skill is the bread and butter of taiji. Someone pushes on you, but instead of stiffening up and pushing back, you feel the force, you receive it, you give a little to the force, capture it, and redirect it for your own gain. Someone who is not trained will be easy to throw this way. I've personally done it many times in real life in playful and very real self-defense situations. This skill comes from push-hands practice, primarily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other day someone asked me about all the different styles I've learned, which one is the most useful? I replied, &amp;quot;Taiji&amp;quot;. In just about all situations I've ever been in, I've used taiji primarily, at least at first. It's especially good for when you're not ready to get into a full-on boxing match with someone. You're trying to stop them from hurting you, but you don't want to lay into them with strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Someone I was/am good friends with once got really angry with me and started becoming violent. She was going through some problems in life, and I really had no desire to hurt her. So she started shoving me and grabbing me. She was threatening to punch me, too. I just wiggled out of her holds and stuck to her arms, just like in push-hands practice. She tried punching me, and I just controlled that arm and deflected it just enough that it barely grazed me. And while I was doing that, I was causing her to become unbalanced. It really frustrated and confused her. Eventually I saw she was vulnerable and off balance, so I gave her a tiny bit of force that caused her to fall a little and to realize that she could not do anything to me. That's when she just gave up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've done that with a bunch of others in my past. Their reactions are quite priceless when they realize they're only making themselves more unbalanced and can't harm me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There have been others with more weight and more strength, though. Men. They aren't as easy to deal with. You have a small window of time where taiji push-hands can work. After that, you better switch yourself on and get ready for a real fight. Most taiji students never reach that level of training to be able to fight for real with it. I never got to that point, either. It's there in the advanced stages of training, but we're talking 10-20 years of training before you start, with a good instructor. You're better off learning boxing, muay-thai, BJJ, wrestling, Judo, etc. for that, until you can get to that level in taiji.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But that aside, like I said, most of what I've used successfully in the past has been taiji. And it's not fighting. It's more like some useful concepts, at least at first until you get to be good enough to start sparring with it. But those concepts are great. You won't know that until you've had a chance to test it yourself in real life. It won't win real fights by itself, but most situations we get into in life aren't &amp;quot;real fights&amp;quot;. They're encounters, usually with people we know and don't necessarily need to fight full-on. And in those situations, taiji is perfect. It's going to frustrate them and cause them to give up. That's the best possible outcome in those cases. It's not about winning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2022-06-09T18:04:07.530" LastActivityDate="2022-06-09T18:04:07.530" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13342" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13340" CreationDate="2022-06-09T21:15:22.077" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you think about taiji (tai chi) as a source for techniques like jabs, hook punches, or leg sweeps, you are missing the point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most striking systems have a concept of punching from a strong stance, rotating the hips, and rooting through the back foot. At the moment of impact, you have lined up a structure that transfers force from your back foot, through your body, and into the striking hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taiji develops the ability to resist and express force in this way more generally. Instead of having solid structure just upon impact, you want this structure at all times. If someone pushes on your arm or chest, you want to be able to transfer this force through the body into the feet without preparation. You also want the ability to move while maintaining this structure and the ability to switch it off so that you are yielding and redirecting and no longer resisting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This kind of ability is directly applicable to fighting or combat sports, but it's not a technique like a punch, kick, or throw. It's developing power to impose your will and prevent others from imposing theirs. It's also not something you can just pick out and acquire without in-depth study.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I understand the fighting aspect of taiji better from study of bagua than taiji directly, but this is probably due to the quality of instruction from the respective schools. I don't practice taiji anymore, and I definitely do not consider myself an expert.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2022-06-09T21:15:22.077" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13343" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13340" CreationDate="2022-06-10T02:14:32.810" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Tai Chi helps you to learn to move, and very importantly, GROUND. IIRC, the foundation of all Kung Fu is the Horse Stance, not back flips or eye gouges.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Strength is essential to the proper execution of techniques, as well as posture, skeletal alignment, whatever you want to call it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, in regards to strength martial arts can be very similar to rock climbing - generally you must have a balanced strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, the application of force is not about muscle size but execution, i.e. speed and fluidity - Tai Chi can cultivate an ability to flow and improve all aspects of your physical performance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I cannot say it is 'MOST' important, but generating power is not sufficient alone, you must be able to control and project it with a stable foundation, this is the idea of 'GROUNDING'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Related to grounding is alignment of your skeleton, and while this may not be Tai Chi specific, I thought it needed mention for completeness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another crucial element is relaxation, and relaxation of the shoulders in particular, as well as striking from the Dan Tien, or your belly. When you raise your arm for a block or strike, it should be initiated from your CORE, or perhaps your feet (GROUND FORCE). These are aspect of Tai Chi used in fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is not a list of hooks - shovel, corkscrew, etc. but a full body conditioning that will allow you to execute these techniques better, through relaxation and grounding and Dan Tien.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have ever golfed, you will know that there are VERY MANY, VERY SMALL tweaks that have a VERY LARGE impact on your performance - one shoulder hitch can make the difference between the PGA and the bread line. In martial arts it can be difficult to get the same kind of feedback, which is why I mention golf.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These things cannot be shared with words, but must be personally experienced, and while this may be off topic of Tai Chi I must recommend you try the Flying Crane Gong described in Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming's 'The Essence of Shaolin White Crane Martial Power and Qigong'. Learn to relax, learn the 'bows of the body' (shoulder, back).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In many ways, grappling and wrestling are about disrupting another persons ground, and learning to ground yourself is probably the best first step in this. All good Tai Chi teachers will teach you to ground, regardless of their martial disposition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, Sticky Hands! Detecting an opponents energy, physical/mystical/whatever, is a very nice ability to add into you repertoire.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One more thing worth mentioning, Tai Chi practice should lead to a knowledge and relaxation of the Kua, which I have felt, but am not knowledgeable enough to explain properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12552" LastEditorUserId="12552" LastEditDate="2022-06-10T02:23:16.790" LastActivityDate="2022-06-10T02:23:16.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13344" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4790" CreationDate="2022-06-10T15:36:35.970" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice Krav Maga here in Brazil and I have a Fenix 6 sapphire.  Yesterday I got a HRM PRO and used it during class. It tracked my steps and heart rate. I Wonder wich Activity should I set on my watch to best register my workout data at KM practice. HRM PRO can be used stand alone af sych after class. Ano suggestion? Tks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12554" LastActivityDate="2022-06-10T15:36:35.970" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13345" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13353" CreationDate="2022-06-10T19:02:28.510" Score="1" ViewCount="93" Body="&lt;p&gt;When doing a close range jab, someone mentioned to keep your elbow more horizontal as it allows you to bend your elbow further back. Is it proper to do a short range jab like this? I usually keep it in the vertical position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elbow Horizontal:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/WXqwL.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/WXqwL.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elbow Vertical:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/im5qf.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/im5qf.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2022-06-10T19:53:55.110" LastActivityDate="2022-06-16T07:03:05.623" Title="Boxing: Short Range Jab" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|punching|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13346" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13345" CreationDate="2022-06-10T19:15:36.203" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm not sure what is meant by 'a deep back flexion of the arm'.  Which of the two positions you use should depend on what the best way to get through the opponent's guard is.  The Japanese styles (karate etc.) tend to teach the elbow down.  From what I have seen of boxing they tend to prefer a horizontal elbow (although I have seen vertical elbow used too).  There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keeping the elbow down makes it harder to read that a punch is coming and harder to read the speed of the punch because the fist or glove can conceal the rest of the arm.  This prevents monocular depth cues from working.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A Horizontal elbow creates a 'corkscrew' like motion instead of a true straight punch.  This can help get past the opponent's guard.  It's also a more natural movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words I would prefer the elbow down against low guards as it decreases the time the opponent has to react.  If they are guarding their face already the horizontal elbow punch might get past that guard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-06-10T19:15:36.203" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13347" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-06-12T15:23:08.510" Score="3" ViewCount="861" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am 33 and I have been doing Shotokan Karate for 9 months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And I am also considering starting Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have read that Karate and Judo can compliment each other nicely and that it was quite normal in Okinawa for people to cross train Karate and Judo in the same Dojos.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do understand that learning 2 martial arts could be confusing and will also slow progression. But I am a patient and hard working person and I expect this journey to take many years.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have committed to a fairly intensive gym regime 4 days per week for 15 years and I enjoy learning, improving and challenging myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to be a well rounded martial artist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or is this just a stupid idea?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Marcus&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12555" LastEditorUserId="12356" LastEditDate="2022-08-08T19:48:33.987" LastActivityDate="2022-08-08T19:48:33.987" Title="Cross Training Judo with Shotokan Karate" Tags="|judo|karate|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13348" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13347" CreationDate="2022-06-12T16:11:31.137" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You'll probably have no difficulty learning Karate and Judo at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The danger in studying more than one martial art at the same time is that you can confuse the two. When the martial arts are more alike, it's easier to confuse them. When they're more dissimilar, they're easier to learn together.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, practicing Shotokan karate and Taekwondo at the same time could be confusing. Both have roughly the same stances and techniques, because TKD comes from Shotokan. But TKD changes everything in subtle ways. The stances in TKD are more upright than in Shotokan. You will also notice that the center of gravity in a TKD practitioner bobs up and down, unlike in Shotokan. The sparring rules are different between the two. And the emphasis Shotokan has on one highly focused, fast, clean attack is tossed out the window in TKD. As a result of all these differences and more, it's easy for you to confuse the two and find yourself doing a technique in a TKD way while in Shotokan class, or vice-versa. Your instructors will realize you're training in another martial art at the same time, and they will ask you to stop doing the other one in order to learn the first one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's confusing learning Judo and BJJ at the same time, too. BJJ sorta comes from Judo. They share a lot of techniques. But like Shotokan and TKD, the two emphasize different things and have subtle differences that make it hard to learn them both at the same time without confusing them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But when you have two very dissimilar martial arts, it's easy to learn them both without confusing them. In your case, Shotokan karate and Judo are completely different. You won't have any issues confusing them. They are perfectly suited to be learned together. And yes, they complement each other well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You'll also learn later on that Shotokan karate kata is composed of grappling primarily. All those blocks and strikes aren't necessarily doing what you think they're doing. You'll find that there are judo-like throws in the kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I go over this in another answer, which you can read at the following link:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7008/name-and-meaning-of-stance-where-you-stand-with-fists-on-hips/7010#7010&quot;&gt;Name and meaning of stance where you stand with fists on hips?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another approach you might consider is to learn classical Japanese jujitsu instead of Judo. The knowledge you gain in jujitsu would help you understand your karate kata to a much greater degree than Judo would.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What Judo practice gives you, though, is the ability to fight. It's how you train that matters. Training against someone who is determined to beat you and who will resist everything you do is the way you gain fighting ability. BJJ would also give you that. But both Judo and BJJ would not give you as much insight into your karate kata as classical jujitsu would. So it just depends on your goal which one you decide to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, you have to consider your time. Most people who do two martial arts eventually burn themselves out. They find that they just don't have the time to do both well. So they drop one and go with the other. And actually, eventually they give up martial arts altogether when their lives get really tight for time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It sounds like time is not your problem right now, though. In that case, the risk for you would be overtraining. Overtraining means you workout too many times a week and for too long. Your body may not get a chance to recover. And so your progress over time is hindered. Keep that in mind. You might do better scheduling both martial arts practices on the same 2 or 3 days a week. Then put one or two days of rest between those days. That way, you can recover in time for the next class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2022-06-12T16:11:31.137" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13349" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13347" CreationDate="2022-06-12T17:40:47.057" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will answer as a hobby historian of Japanese martial arts and a Judo practitioner and instructor for almost 20 years who also trained in BJJ, Okinawan karate, and several other arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Judo and Shotokan Karate won't interfere with each other.&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They will rather complement each other as they are, in a way, two different sides of the coin that is a complete martial art. The problem will rather be that many Shotokan schools teach a very stylized, hands-off type of martial art that lacks practicality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, you might be better off if you take up Goju/Shorin/Uechi Ryu Karate (classical Okinawan Karate, influenced by Chinese King Fu and presupposing, not explicitly teaching pure grappling skills) as they tend to provide better contact points to grappling to close the gap between the two arts. I suspect that the reason why karate and judo are trained together in Okinawa is exactly that the Okinawan Styles and Judo are almost perfect complements. Another alternative would be Kyokushin as it is much more realistic in terms of transfer of sparring into actual fighting due to full contact rules and in this sense similar to Judo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Short history lesson and longer explanation&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a matter of fact, Gichin Funakoshi, when systemizing and labeling Shotokan Karate in 1920 as a condensed version of Okinawan Karate, designed it so that it deliberately does not contain a lot of shared content with Judo. Throws come into play at a very late stage both in grading and sparring and in very limited ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason for that was that Judo has shown its superiority in grappling and generally weaponless fighting compared to traditional ways of training in jiu-jitsu Ryu in Japan and had excelled and refined in doing so for almost 40 years before Karate was spread in mainland Japan. Judo basically was the only widely respected martial art in Japan at the time and so Funakoshi had good intuition when he thought it was about time to introduce a &amp;quot;Japanese&amp;quot; (see Chinese roots above) pure striking art as a complement, carefully avoiding any competition or contact point with Judo and rather offering an alternative with a completely different skill set.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Due to the immediate success of that strategy since people wanted to train striking arts, the instructor-student-ratio was very bad and only basics without much application could be taught so the outcome is what you see in most karate classes these days: Lots of students uniformly and repeatedly doing the same moves over and over without much application against a moving, resisting partner, conditioning, or sparring. This kind of training may be okay depending on your goals, but it does not help much in terms of building a body memory and skill set that improves your performance in an actual fight or a very open ruleset like in MMA. Also, the omission of grappling lead to a lot of moves in kata becoming meaningless or reinterpreted and possibilities for a self-defense application of grappling and transitions between ranges were deliberately omitted in the curriculum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Originally, Okinawan karate was built on the premise that martial arts practitioners would have trained in the local Okinawan wrestling style from a very early age on, so these basics of grips, power generation, and throws would not be trained anymore but nevertheless be applied in the context of striking and kicking. That is why it makes sense to train these styles and Judo alongside if you are not already very proficient in grappling. Also, the head teachers of the respective styles mostly still do the traditional in-house teaching with no more than a handful of students so lineage is an important criterion in terms of the quality of the training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Conclusion and TL;DR&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As mentioned above, if your goal is fighting competence as opposed to more recreational and aesthetic arts, maybe Shotokan isn't a good choice for you and you should rather look for Okinawan styles, Kyokushin, or Muay Thai. If self-defense applicability is not your main concern and you rather like some introduction to the basics of kicking and striking techniques in addition to your Judo training, Shotokan may be the perfect choice for you. In either case, a striking art is a good complement and will not interfere with your Judo training as the set of techniques and fighting range are very different. If you observe carefully, the power generation in throws and kicks/strikes often is very similar (due to body mechanics) and you may additionally profit from different instructors emphasizing different aspects because of different viewpoints there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-06-13T07:44:29.850" LastActivityDate="2022-06-13T07:44:29.850" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13350" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13340" CreationDate="2022-06-14T21:59:30.187" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It all comes down to &lt;em&gt;how&lt;/em&gt; you train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the outside observer, &lt;em&gt;Taijiquan&lt;/em&gt; has mostly all the same basic techniques as any given martial system. You have punches, ward-offs, kicks, pulls, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some sense it is not at all dissimilar than learning &lt;em&gt;Mui Thai&lt;/em&gt; for example — body mechanics and the way they both generate power is quite different when you get down to the technical level, but most basic techniques are there and the combos from one can sometimes be quite easily be adapted to another.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main difference comes from the method of training and the overall &lt;em&gt;strategy&lt;/em&gt; (for the lack of better word).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;em&gt;strategy&lt;/em&gt; of &lt;em&gt;Taijiquan&lt;/em&gt; is to join with the attacking force, re-direct the it  with as little effort as possible and counter as a continuation of that re-direction. The effect is quite remarkable if performed well, but it takes a lot of practice. To that end, we have special exercises called push-hands, that are supposed to teach skills of “listening” (sensitivity), yielding and neutralising and returning with a counter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There’s also sparring. Many health and meditation oriented practicioners might even not be aware that sparring is part of &lt;em&gt;Taijiquan&lt;/em&gt; curriculum, but it most certainly is. Without sparring, there can not be any real martial development. Anyone telling you otherwise is just fooling you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastEditorUserId="424" LastEditDate="2022-06-15T21:17:46.203" LastActivityDate="2022-06-15T21:17:46.203" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13351" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13334" CreationDate="2022-06-15T14:03:54.120" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can train to reduce reaction time, but there are fundamental limits originating from the human visual system, for example. Untrained individuals generally have slow reaction times because they are trying to identify what is happening to them and make decisions. You can train to eliminate this delay, but you can't reduce human visual system reaction time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are also well-known ways to impair your reaction time such as drinking alcohol or sleep deprivation. If you want to reduce your reaction time, get enough sleep and avoid alcohol.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-06-15T15:13:07.257" LastActivityDate="2022-06-15T15:13:07.257" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13352" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13334" CreationDate="2022-06-15T20:53:22.170" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;First off, as @mattm rightfully points out, you need to sleep well and enough, drink enough water and eat well, live an active life etc. All these factors are necessary conditions for good reaction times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Reacting to visual stimuli: time frames&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here, what cannot be overcome is the need to process the visual data through pattern recognising routines and then send the signal through the motoric central in the brain and the Central Nervous System to the muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, there is a lower limit &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4456887/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;of about 180ms even for the simplest possible visual and motor patterns&lt;/a&gt;. Since attacks in martial arts are much more complex visual patterns, as well as the motoric patterns that are proper reactions are, this can go well beyond 500 ms: there are studies &lt;a href=&quot;https://ojs.ub.uni-konstanz.de/cpa/article/view/3352/3152&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280383998_A_comparative_study_of_specific_reaction_time_in_elite_boxers_differences_between_jabs_and_crosses&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2&lt;/a&gt; which suggest that even when reacting to a very &lt;em&gt;simple&lt;/em&gt; visual stimulus you are waiting for with a very &lt;em&gt;simple and predetermined move&lt;/em&gt;, we are already well beyond 300ms for professional boxers (320+ms for a &lt;em&gt;fast&lt;/em&gt; jab, 500+ms for a &lt;em&gt;powerful&lt;/em&gt; jab as a goal).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Now, how to train the reaction time?&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically in three ways:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You train to see the tension and kinetic chain built up in your opponent's body by learning about all these little clues (visual pattern recognition training). That way, you can react before the technique is even coming at you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You train the motor pattern (move) of the suitable reactions to become as fast as possible. That way, you both become faster in the execution and in the time it needs to build up the corresponding action potentials in your motor cortex (brain). This is often called &amp;quot;building muscle memory&amp;quot; these days.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You train the link between them by being exposed to the visual stimulus and doing the corresponding reaction pattern over and over. This way the link between them becomes stronger to the point where you don't have to &lt;em&gt;think&lt;/em&gt; about it anymore (neurologically speaking, thinking is a reroute via the frontal cortex). Also, neural links are established.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We are speaking about time frames of months to years here though. There is no fast track.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Conclusion and TL;DR&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While there are lower bounds to reaction times due to the way our brains work, we can certainly train reaction times. Skill training &lt;a href=&quot;https://medium.com/oxford-university/the-amazing-phenomenon-of-muscle-memory-fb1cc4c4726&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;does establish neural structures&lt;/a&gt; that enable us to make use of trained reaction patterns much faster and without having to think about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-06-15T21:06:43.933" LastActivityDate="2022-06-15T21:06:43.933" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13353" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13345" CreationDate="2022-06-16T07:03:05.623" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I think what you heard is based on a misunderstanding, putting the valid point of the different applications Huw described aside.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A jab is primarily a move of control. It controls/checks range, rhythm, and guard position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pulling your elbow further back only makes sense if you think that the additional space gives you more way for acceleration and hence more power. Now, this seems to be wrong in four senses:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;That's not what jabs are for in the first place, especially in short range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It opens your side to hooks, which is especially dangerous when you already are in short (= hook) range since they are fast and devastating there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Power isn't just about acceleration. You also need the structure behind your fist to transfer the power from your whole body into the punch. This is much better when your elbow is in front of your hip/body compared to an arm that hinges only at some pretty extended (and hence weak) shoulder muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;It is &lt;em&gt;slow&lt;/em&gt;. Opposing directions of movement, the need to build a proper pre-tension through your whole body, etc. And all this for a &lt;em&gt;jab&lt;/em&gt; that because of stance  can't be as powerful as a cross in the first place?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, I would probably &lt;em&gt;never&lt;/em&gt; raise my elbow in short range in the first place. In that range, if what you want is power, you do hooks. And even to set them up, a fast jab with elbow down makes much more sense. You basically do a hook move and waste all the potential power by molding it into some more or less linear move with elbow up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2022-06-16T07:03:05.623" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13354" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13334" CreationDate="2022-06-16T16:52:55.923" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;*Can I offer a simplified answer - the instinctive centre of the human body is where our survival perceptions and processes are sited. So any self-defence actions may be traced here; in contrast 'thinking' what to do, and emotions will nearly always make a person slower in perceptions and actions. So to centre the mind in the instinctive centre is optimal. How to learn to do this? Practice of the forms and skills of martial arts until they become second nature; and following the precepts of tai chi regarding 'quieting the mind' enable greater sensitivity to the bodies rhythmns and instincts.  In a serious and threatening situation (you are hopefully not responsible for), the instinctive centre is way ahead of your conscious mind. It will perceive not only someone's actions, but even intentions towards you, perceptions which are felt in the stomach. As soon as this is felt you can act decisively however that may be. This ability to instinctively 'sense' should be worked towards in life daily, as 'where the mind is, energy is'... Always trust your instinct. If you feel someone is going to attack you it is probably in their mind.&#xA;Sooo, if someone is acting aggressively towards you and you feel physical attack is intended, you may act in self-defence to stop it. If they start to take something out of their pocket, end it before it begins, nothing good can come of allowing someone to take a weapon out. Legally it is justifiable if warning signs have been displayed;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*creating an argument about nothing;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*excessive eye-contact;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*negative emotions of any sort/ heightened emo. state;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*invading personal space. (put your arm out full-length, and say 'this is my personal space - do not enter it again';&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*verbal threats of violence/ increase of obscene language;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*NVC indicators; voice tone,'muscular' posture, chest out,chin forward, etc;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*positioning, ie trapping you in a corner/blocking your exits;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*pointless discussion on their terms;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so on. Stay relaxed and ready to act; don't get caught out by appearances, or anything else. Readiness and confident relaxation will ensure you have a head-start. Best of luck and enjoy the martial arts, they're amazing systems of betterment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12563" LastEditorUserId="12563" LastEditDate="2022-06-17T08:07:49.210" LastActivityDate="2022-06-17T08:07:49.210" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13355" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10173" CreationDate="2022-06-17T10:24:38.987" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Wudang monastery documentaries I have seen show the monks teaching the young students balancing exercises ie on one leg, as well as landing on the feet when jumping from increasing heights! Also climbing up a pretty high wall. In more general terms balance is a Taiji energy which practice of the forms etcetera should therefore improve. It is also a tenet that when being demonstrated upon by the teacher, a student should seek to always remain on his feet when thrown or whatever. This becomes a highly useful skill in itself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12563" LastActivityDate="2022-06-17T10:24:38.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13357" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7790" CreationDate="2022-06-19T00:17:41.803" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my experience dual-wielding swords, I would say the things you really need to get good at it are strength, cardio-vascular endurance, and coordination.  To build your strength and endurance, I highly recommend getting a pair of Indian clubs and just trying out slowly some patterns of movement.  For your clubs, don't go over 5 lbs; it's unnecessary to use over-heavy clubs since no one-handed sword is that heavy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're mainly into swordsmanship, I half-recommend but would caution against getting too deep into things like kali or escrima.  While their cutting pattern drills are helpful to build coordination and does work for sticks and knives/short blades, one issue I find with the stances they use is that it tends to not cover yourself well enough for sword-work and they mainly train striking and counter-cutting and not really focus on the subtle parrying, blade-engagement, and defensive moves need to protect yourself well against swords.  That and the sticks will give you a false impression of how quickly you can move a sword around when dual-wielding since they are too light.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To get the coordination you need for sword-work, a trick I find to be really helpful is to not think about it as using both swords at the same time, but instead use one sword as a shield/blocking device by keeping it in front and the other sword in the back as a striking/attacking implement.  If you're just starting off, then you can just use your non-dominant hand as the &amp;quot;blocker/parrying item/shield&amp;quot; and your dominant hand as the &amp;quot;attacker&amp;quot; and just focus on trying to block and defend well with your non-dominant weapon then attacking with your main hand.  Once you get comfortable with that, mirror your stance and then try practicing using your dominant hand as the &amp;quot;blocker&amp;quot; and the non-dominant hand as the &amp;quot;attacker.&amp;quot;  Once you're good at that, practice quickly swapping your stance and footwork between your two sides and throwing a cut, attack or defense while doing the swap and you should have everything you need to be a good dual-wielder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, get a full body mirror so you can see yourself and your stance and what openings you create when attacking/defending with both weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11107" LastActivityDate="2022-06-19T00:17:41.803" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13358" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="771" CreationDate="2022-06-20T00:31:31.420" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It works great,If it's all you have at the time. Try doing a Brabo or an anaconda on nothing but air. Dummies are awesome (**if they're all you have).  Getting used to where the limbs are and what they feel like when you grab them and wrap them up is invaluable,compared to nothing at all.On a scale of 0 to 5 with 5 being the best training partner you could have anything at all is better than a 0.  When you finally do find a place with people you can work with you can worry about putting it all together then, but at least you'll have all those reps with some familiarity already planted in your mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12567" LastActivityDate="2022-06-20T00:31:31.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13359" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-06-20T14:34:39.883" Score="2" ViewCount="94" Body="&lt;p&gt;I remember reading in a Black Belt magazine a number of years ago an interesting in hindsight comment by Royce Gracie. He said that because his family had been holding NHB fights for so many years that his family would always have the edge over everyone else. That while everyone was trying to land on the moon, they'd be landing on the sun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course we now know that the complete opposite is true. That the techniques and athleticism evolved so rapidly in MMA that the one-dimensional athletes of just a generation or two ago would be completely overmatched by todays fighters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So why were these fighters able to hold their dominant position in Vale Tudo in Brazil for so long? Why were fighters representing only BJJ able to be relevant in Brazil for half a century only to be eclipsed in a decade after UFC1? Why would a Rickson Gracie be able to hang with anyone in Brazil in the 80's, but most likely not be a match for an Anderson or a Wanderlei today?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12252" LastActivityDate="2022-06-20T20:07:52.090" Title="Why Didn't MMA Evolve In Brazil The Way It Did In America?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|mixed-martial-arts|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13360" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13359" CreationDate="2022-06-20T19:03:37.950" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are three factors at play here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;As already mentioned in the comments, the Gracies have never been the unbeatable martial arts superpower they claimed to be. They sure trained and fought a lot so they became extraordinarily good at fighting but theres always someone as strong or stronger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;They fought and picked their fights in a particular cultural and geographic context. Current MMA is a big melting pot of different styles from all over the world. You can't expect one country or rather one network of rather local people to have a similarily fast development and variety. The Gracies were confronted with a certain recurring pool of styles and backgrounds of the fighters. So they had the possibility to adapt. Also, they certainly knew which fights to pick and which not because they knew what they had to face. Imagine you're the local superhero of martial arts. You know there's this nobody, Al, next door who could absolutely wipe the floor with you because he is simply a freak. Would you pick a fight with him? No. Not much chance to be that picky in public limelight when others bring fighters to you. So it's evolve or lose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;When looking at the UFC, you basically got a bunch of absolutely freak peak athletes in terms of build, training, and natural gifts. The first UFCs were about some people wanting proper fights and testing themselves etc. There certainly were good fighters among them but as soon as a business with loads of money grew around that, you started to have the absolute best from all over the world drawn into that. This includes the means of training, top coaches, and training science that come with it, adapting fast and adding all kinds of skill sets into the game, all at top level. Expecting that one family, no matter the quality of their style, can match that consistently is delusional.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So basically, what you see here is that professionalisation with an insanely big talent pool from all over the world naturally overcomes anything some local lineages can ever produce.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-06-20T20:07:52.090" LastActivityDate="2022-06-20T20:07:52.090" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13361" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-06-23T19:45:33.003" Score="3" ViewCount="80" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are there any comfortable hand wrap styles for Boxing / Muay Thai ? I literally feel exhausted with wrapped hands and putting on my gloves everyday ( I wrap properly and don't wrap too tight), its always felt uncomfortable for the last 3 years doing this. Better to protect your hands, than break them I guess. I have preference for free-limb sports like basketball and gymnastics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just curious if anyone has thoughts how to prevent this issue? Its almost like sometimes I want to dare-say quit this sport, and do bare hands karate etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2022-06-23T19:53:17.427" LastActivityDate="2022-09-01T07:15:01.590" Title="Hand Wraps: How to wrap comfortably" Tags="|technique|boxing|muay-thai|equipment|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13362" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-06-26T14:54:31.587" Score="3" ViewCount="67" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I took a Shotokan class, sensei always had us completely stretch out before the class, which usually had tenokata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The master (Gichin Funakoshi) writes that one can enjoy and benefit from karate-do, especially kata, an entire life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I haven't found stretches in any of his writings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12328" LastActivityDate="2022-06-27T13:48:17.480" Title="What stretches should be done before performing Shotokan kata?" Tags="|karate|self-training|stretching|shotokan|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13363" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13362" CreationDate="2022-06-27T13:48:17.480" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Stretching is somewhat of a personal thing, however there are a couple things to know. There are four different types of stretching, each with their own recommendations and hazards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Static stretching&lt;/strong&gt; - this is the &amp;quot;sit and reach&amp;quot; that most people think of when you say stretching. Done more to extend how far you can stretch, and is contraindicated on muscles that have not been warmed up yet. Also, static stretching done before workouts has been shown to decrease muscle response and strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dynamic stretching&lt;/strong&gt; - Active, moving stretches that mimic the activity about to be performed. Increasing height stretch kicks, light bag work, anything that raises the core temperature and engages the limbs and involves motions from what you are about to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching&lt;/strong&gt; - This is a very intensive type of stretching, designed specifically to increase range of motion (ROM). Basically it is a partner assisted stretch, where they assist you into a stretch, hold for a short period, contract against the stretch for a short period then stretch deeper. The most common I've seen in martial arts is the laying on the back with an upraised leg being pushed towards the head. Can increase the risk of muscle tears, esp with untrained partners/individuals. Should only do once, maybe twice a week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ballistic stretching&lt;/strong&gt; - This is the older lean and bounce/pulse type stretch. This has been not really banned, but frowned upon for a long time due to the high level of injury risk. The risk is that in the bounce, you active the tendon reflex (Think of what your knee does when you get it whacked by the doc with a hammer), and the muscle will suddenly contract while you are trying to stretch it out. However, there have been a few studies in the past 5-10 years that suggest ROM gains are higher with ballistic than static stretching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, what I would probably suggest before kata (And what I do before competitions) is jumping rope or similar for a few minutes, followed by some light shadow sparring and stretch kicks of various sorts. You aren't going to gain any extra reach with static stretches and may reduce your power. Figure out a routine that works for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2022-06-27T13:48:17.480" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13364" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13411" CreationDate="2022-06-29T07:46:44.857" Score="3" ViewCount="129" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it good form/technique to punch and parry at the same time? Sometimes in Orthodox stance, I throw a left jab, and my opponent throws a jab simultaneously, I want to parry with my right hand.  It becomes a double collision, and trying to prevent this. I have never seen this trained in practice, however seems reasonable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-08-03T12:52:28.423" Title="Punch and Parry at the Same time" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|punching|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13365" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-06-29T09:08:27.873" Score="1" ViewCount="103" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am interested in effects of armlocks with bent elbows. Depending on the typical two classes (external or internal rotation of the arm), I would like to know the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What exactly happens in the arm/shoulder, when an armlock is applied to the bent arm?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;What are typical injuries?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Under which circumstances are shoulder or elbow injured?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is there a difference between parts of the body that hurt and parts that get injured?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12356" LastActivityDate="2022-06-29T09:08:27.873" Title="Injuries from armlocks with bent elbow" Tags="|injury|joint-lock|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13366" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13279" CreationDate="2022-06-29T13:56:33.787" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a few that are naturally a combination (Uchi-mata-makikomi following an Uchi-mata), but they can also be thrown directly. If you throw an O-soto-makikomi directly, without preceding O-soto-gari (or similar technique), then it is called Soto-makikomi.&#xA;If I have not overlooked anything, O-soto-makikomi is the only technique with this property.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12356" LastActivityDate="2022-06-29T13:56:33.787" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13367" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13369" CreationDate="2022-06-30T04:39:42.247" Score="2" ViewCount="678" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are theories that claim that defending and counterattacking at the same time is superior due to its speed advantages. But will it divide one's power and accuracy, causing a decrease in efficiency? Is it recommended to defend and counterattack separately in a real-life situation? And will that decrease the chances of being able to counterattack at all?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastEditorUserId="9304" LastEditDate="2023-02-27T17:20:33.637" LastActivityDate="2023-02-27T17:20:33.637" Title="Is it efficient to defend and counterattack simultaneously?" Tags="|striking|defense|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13368" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13367" CreationDate="2022-06-30T06:00:23.083" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your question can evolve into a philosophical discussion very quickly, and each person's viewpoint will depend largely on what and how they were taught.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point of view I am about to put forward is based on philosophies taught in karate, where it is expected that you will &amp;quot;win&amp;quot; the &amp;quot;fight&amp;quot; as soon as possible - this philosophy can still apply in part to ring combat but might be harder to execute due to rules and equipment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was taught very early on that there was no point defending, if you defend then you haven't progressed the fight at all. The opponent attacks, you defend, you're now both back to where you started - what is better is if your defense is actually an attack.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;In a subsequent school I was taught there is no such thing as &amp;quot;defending&amp;quot;. Our defensive moves - i.e. &amp;quot;blocks&amp;quot; or &lt;em&gt;uke&lt;/em&gt; in karate parlance - were in fact attacks. Once I reached a belt level where bunkai was taught, I started to understand how a block was actually an attack. From that point on I never defended.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So going back to your question:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it efficient to defend and counterattack simultaneously?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would answer that no, it is not efficient and there should only be counterattack, no defense.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Think of it this way: when an opponent throws a punch or a kick, they are extending an arm or leg towards you. My response will be to move and use a &amp;quot;block&amp;quot; against the incoming limb - i.e. like my description of the application of soto uke in &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/262/70&quot;&gt;this previous answer&lt;/a&gt;. When &amp;quot;blocking&amp;quot; most people initially think that you're only using the striking hand or forearm, but there's more than that - what do you think the other hand is doing? In most cases it is catching or parrying and it is an integral part of the &amp;quot;block&amp;quot;. It could be argued that the parry/catch is a defense, but when executed with the rest of the move it is all attack, not defense. Your attack &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; the defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2022-06-30T11:26:50.680" LastActivityDate="2022-06-30T11:26:50.680" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13369" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13367" CreationDate="2022-06-30T08:59:35.703" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a matter of fact, fighting does not work without defensive options. But at the same time, a sequential application of defensive and offensive moves does leave you with two options &lt;strong&gt;because your opponent typically does not stop with their attacks if not forced to do so&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You are &lt;em&gt;faster&lt;/em&gt; than your opponent, so much so that you can squeeze in an offensive move between two defenses&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You are more or less equally fast, so you end up defending and defending endlessly without ever getting an advantage&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since the latter does inevitably end up in an eventual mistake by you and thus being hit and even more of a tactical disadvantage, sequential application obviously is not an option. You could try to be the first to attack and keep them busy with defending all the time but truth be told, how realistic is that? Apart from being the first to go into the offensive obviously can cause legal problems in self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Therefore, you have no other option than doing both at the same time if you are to ever get out of the defense once an attack is coming at you.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This can take two forms:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You defend and attack in the same move, e.g. shifting sidewards and forwards and deflecting to avoid a cross and gripping/kneeing/hooking from your new, better position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;You use your defensive move in a way that offers you a strategic advantage, ie. you do not exactly attack at the same time but enable attacks, for example by pushing a low-kick-block out forwards and thereby breaking the opponent's balance. Or by evading a roundhouse and giving it a bit of extra-inertia with your hand to mess up your opponent's positioning and balance. Or by moving with a roundhouse or swinger to dampen the impact and blocking plus catching the limb for throws or joint manipulation. Endless options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way you posed your question seems to imply that the first option would basically overcharge us cognitively. That is not true. If you train both aspects as one move, your body learns the thing as one movement and acts accordingly, no matter whether you only move and deflect or move in and attack with the same move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, just train to do both at the same time and that is exactly what you will be able to do when attacked for real.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2022-06-30T08:59:35.703" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13370" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10124" CreationDate="2022-06-30T13:13:58.710" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In judo, this is called &amp;quot;Ude hishigi te gatame&amp;quot;, or &amp;quot;Te gatame&amp;quot; for short, see &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/6DnvhY0tQVM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video from Kodokan&lt;/a&gt;. Te gatame is an armlock, where you apply the technique solely with your hands (or arms), but without grapping your own wrist (then it be called &amp;quot;Ude garami&amp;quot;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12356" LastActivityDate="2022-06-30T13:13:58.710" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13371" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9648" CreationDate="2022-07-01T05:30:32.093" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Kodokan now publishes short videos explaining the differences between techniques. &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/g3xPwcNEt5A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here is the difference between O-soto-gari and O-soto-otoshi and O-soto-guruma&lt;/a&gt;. (For some techniques, earlier videos exist, but the video linked here is from 2022.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12356" LastEditorUserId="12356" LastEditDate="2022-07-01T12:02:33.807" LastActivityDate="2022-07-01T12:02:33.807" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13372" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2716" CreationDate="2022-07-01T05:32:53.007" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Kodokan now publishes short videos explaining the differences between techniques. &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/g3xPwcNEt5A&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt; is the difference between O-soto-gari and O-soto-otoshi and O-soto-guruma:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0LuP4.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0LuP4.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gwMEd.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gwMEd.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12356" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-05-12T21:35:11.000" LastActivityDate="2023-05-12T21:35:11.000" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13373" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-07-04T00:34:53.870" Score="3" ViewCount="80" Body="&lt;p&gt;With the rise of HEMA and historical martial arts in general, there seems to be more interest in looking into historical written sources and old texts for martial arts from the various fechtbuchs and treatises in Europe, to texts like the WuBeiZhi or Bansenshukai in East Asia.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;India obviously has a long history with its own writing systems and texts.  It also has a number of living traditions of martial arts like Kalaripayattu and Gatka.  But are there any written historical Indian martial arts texts out there comparable to things we find in Europe and Asia or is it all living tradition?  In addition, do the surviving Indian living traditions of martial arts have any historical basis that we have written document evidence for?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11107" LastActivityDate="2022-07-14T10:31:35.063" Title="Are there any historical written sources for Indian martial arts?" Tags="|history|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13374" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10543" CreationDate="2022-07-04T01:43:42.180" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The first hanzi/character for ShiFu Shi/&amp;quot;师&amp;quot; has the meaning of someone who is a teacher or adviser like a teacher you address in school which in Chinese is LaoShi/老师 or &amp;quot;old teacher.&amp;quot;  The &amp;quot;Fu&amp;quot; in &amp;quot;ShiFu&amp;quot; seems to have two different possible meanings depending on which hanzi/character you interpret the word to have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first &amp;quot;Fu&amp;quot;(父) has the meaning of &amp;quot;father.&amp;quot;  Ergo, ShiFu has sort of a meaning of &amp;quot;teacher dad&amp;quot; if you go with the first interpretation and to some a ShiFu is like a father figure or almost like extended family.  With that said, people will use the term &amp;quot;ShiFu&amp;quot; in Chinese culture to refer to people they've just met who are skilled in something like say a really skilled taxi driver, so it doesn't always carry a close familial feeling to it.  The father connotation is just a bit more customary in Asian culture as a form of respect like how some may refer to a close male friend of a parent of yours as an &amp;quot;uncle&amp;quot; as a respectful title even if said person isn't your biological uncle in some families or like how &amp;quot;Uncle Sam&amp;quot; isn't exactly your actual biological uncle if you're an American citizen. :P&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other &amp;quot;Fu&amp;quot; (傅) also has a meaning of teacher or assistant which is just an example of a Chinese word made up of two characters that have redundant meanings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TL;DR The best translation of ShiFu into English would be probably &amp;quot;teacher,&amp;quot; but with a strong implication of great respect or even endearment for the teacher in question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11107" LastEditorUserId="11107" LastEditDate="2022-07-04T01:49:26.490" LastActivityDate="2022-07-04T01:49:26.490" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13375" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9586" CreationDate="2022-07-04T02:34:04.643" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Answered this in my answer to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9587/is-there-a-legitimate-fighting-technique-using-dual-sword-on-horse/13297#13297&quot;&gt;Is there a legitimate fighting technique using dual sword on horse?&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;Yes.  It's the Korean manual Muyedobotongji/무예도보통지/武藝圖譜通志 (wikipedia article link: &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muyedobotongji&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muyedobotongji&lt;/a&gt; )&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/E80hJ.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/E80hJ.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11107" LastActivityDate="2022-07-04T02:34:04.643" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13376" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13381" CreationDate="2022-07-04T04:47:13.600" Score="1" ViewCount="372" Body="&lt;p&gt;In a self defense situation, what kind of groin strikes would be the easiest for a beginner to execute under stress?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, In terms of kicks, should the toes be pointed up and the heels be used for contact? Or should the toes point forward while using the instep to make contact?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At close range, is it best to attack with the hands or the knees? And how? If the hands are concerned, should it be a punching motion or a squeezing motion?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastEditorDisplayName="user11733" LastEditDate="2022-07-05T00:52:56.927" LastActivityDate="2022-07-05T17:35:32.083" Title="The most effective way of striking the groin for a beginner?" Tags="|self-defense|striking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13377" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13380" CreationDate="2022-07-04T05:05:26.550" Score="1" ViewCount="1343" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is it possible for an untrained person to incapacitate someone else with a strike to the solar plexus? If not, what kind of training does it require? If so, what is the most effective way to strike (with a punch or a knee) ? And how should you locate the solar plexus (maybe it is different in different people) ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2022-07-05T10:36:11.997" Title="How hard is it to incapacitate someone with a strike to the solar plexus?" Tags="|striking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13378" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13377" CreationDate="2022-07-04T15:52:59.150" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is possible but very unlikely that an untrained person will incapacitate someone with a strike to the solar plexus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The solar plexus is easy to find.  It's about 2&amp;quot; to 3&amp;quot; below the sternum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem for the untrained is that it has to be hit fairly hard and ideally at an upward angle to be effective.  It's too high up for a knee strike unless you are very flexible or much taller than your enemy.  A punch will do but that requires you to know how to punch.  Likewise a kick will do but you need to know how to kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another issue is that if your opponent has worked out enough the solar plexus gets toughened by the structure of the muscles.  This is not a problem for most people you will come across but still worth mentioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you hit someone there correctly it has two effects.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;They will struggle to breath&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;They will fall to their knees&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It doesn't last long though.  I once got hit there in sparring by a 3rd dan Shotokan Karate instructor.   He hit it absolutely perfectly with a simple front kick.  I was on my feet again in about 2 minutes and breathing normally after about 15 minutes. That's a pretty exceptionally long time for a strike of this kind as far as I know.  I would recommend following through with other strikes to actually give yourself time to get away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-07-04T15:52:59.150" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13380" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13377" CreationDate="2022-07-05T10:36:11.997" Score="4" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Short answer&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An untrained person will probably not be able to hit a live, moving opponent there meaningfully since they lack the technique, power, and accuracy to make this work. It would be better to simply aim to hit in the general abdomen area since while not as effective, it should make an effect and with a bit of luck, it can hit the solar plexus as well. Also, the elbow, front knuckles of the fist, toes/ball of the foot, and anything that looks or works like a stick are the means to properly trigger the solar plexus. A knee will hurt but mostly does other things via collateral damage as it is just too big to hit there directly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Long answer&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;What is the solar plexus and where is it?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I described &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7126/solar-plexus-how-to-reinforce-it/7128#7128&quot;&gt;in this answer of mine&lt;/a&gt;, the solar plexus is a point where a lot of nerves and other tissue come together. It is positioned behind and just below the sternum regardless of the person as this is vital anatomy. The structure is actually pretty close to your spine with only your aorta in between, which means you need some penetrative power to reach it. Also, the rib cage does a good job of protecting vital areas, so the hit has to be as close as possible to the sternum without being hindered by the surrounding bones.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;What is the effect of hitting it?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A direct hit will let the nerves fire. Since a lot of nerves come together, a plethora of things can happen, including&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;nausea, since the stomach is directly in front of the solar plexus, so you obviously have to hit this organ hard in order to reach the latter at all&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a spasm of your diaphragm, meaning you are unable to breathe in until you stretch it by fully breathing out&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a rapid fall of your blood pressure via the vagus nerve, which can lead to dizziness, disorientedness, and sometimes loss of consciousness&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;in very rare cases death, as your heart can come out of rhythm due to the neural shock and, if you are able to compress the aorta, the interruption of the blood flow into the anterior chambers. So it can literally stop your heart but this is indeed very rare&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;What does it need to incapacitate someone with a hit there?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, you need enough force to compress the tissue and organs that lie &lt;em&gt;in front&lt;/em&gt; of the solar plexus. Also, you need to hit the right spot, just under the sternum and between the bows of the rib cage. This means you need&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;power via a good technique&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;penetration via a small area of impact (toes/ball of the foot, front knuckles, pointed elbow, or ideally the end of a bat/stick)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;good aim&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideally, you have also set that up by a hit into the abdomen area directly before the impact so that the abdominal muscles are in a process of &lt;em&gt;relaxation&lt;/em&gt; and put up less resistance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Can an untrained person do that?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Theoretically, yes, of course. But as you will know by now, this would be quite a feat and definitely not something that you can rely on. Hitting someone hard there is not easy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;What can you do to train this?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You have to train a lot of technique for aim, proper area of impact, and power as well as spar a lot to get a feeling for movement and distance. This will include a lot of work on the heavy bag where one can mark a target area with tape for teep kicks, punches, and elbows in the appropriate height. As often in martial arts, there is no shortcut. If you have some sort of stick (e.g. solid umbrella) for self-defense purposes, you can repeatedly try to hit a random spot on a piece of wood while moving around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2022-07-05T10:36:11.997" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13381" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13376" CreationDate="2022-07-05T11:32:09.823" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Sorry for the comedic fluff in between but the question and possible scenarios just invoked some images...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Short answer&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given you are an average bloke without much experience in martial arts, you should make contact with your shin or, for close range, your knee or thigh in an upward direction. Add some distraction in form of an upper-body movement as an opener to cover what you are about to do. Squeezing with your hand is a thing of manga and fantasy in any normal fighting situation (except sometimes on the ground, see comment section), and hitting with a punch requires a change of level and accuracy that cannot be expected.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Long answer&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Why and how to kick?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given your opponent is stupid enough to have an open stance with his front turned towards you, a kick to the groin is the easiest thing in the world: Raise your leg. From farther away, a soccer kick (high kick to and with the ball(s)) is good enough: It is fast, it can barely miss as the inner thighs lead the way, and everybody can reach this height regardless of flexibility. I would recommend hitting with the shin as the chance to miss or hurt yourself when hitting with the toes or instep is just too high. When in close range, you raise your knee as fast as possible, and that's about it. It does not matter much whether you connect with your actual knee or your thigh, your opponent will appear to grow some inches before they welcome the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Trying to hit the groins with a teep kick or the heel from the front is not advisable for two reasons: Firstly, it needs a good amount of accuracy and technique to do so properly and secondly, the balls are &lt;em&gt;hanging&lt;/em&gt; freely, so hurting them from the front does not make much sense and hitting them so that they get squeezed (which is the main reason for pain) is not a trivial thing to do from there. You can still connect in the general pubis area (this hurts women just as well, btw, just like the groin kicks described in the last paragraph) but if you have a good teep kick, you aim for the bladder as the pain there can be just as excruciating but it aligns better with the direction of force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In any case, you should set it up with some jab or boo or whatever to set the attention to your upper body. That way, you make sure that they don't see it coming and instinctively defend against the hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Why not punch?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first reason is the same as in my last paragraph: The amount of accuracy and technique needed, as well as the direction of force, just make it lose viability. If anything, a hook punch &lt;em&gt;from behind and below&lt;/em&gt; (connecting with your biceps) makes sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This leads us to the second reason: &lt;em&gt;if&lt;/em&gt; you want to punch from the front, you would have to change levels by squatting or going on your knees (I advise against jumping into a full split) in order to have the correct direction of force and this leaves you vulnerable to knees from your opponent connecting directly with your head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;If it is so easy and intuitive, why don't we see many more groin kicks?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because of the premise I made in the very first sentence (of the long answer): This depends on an open stance. As soon as your opponent has a lead leg and is tilted away, it becomes exponentially harder to hit the groins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, depending on the legislature of the place you are in, it can cause legal problems as a groin kick is a pretty harsh escalation of violence with potentially life-long consequences (infertility).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-07-05T17:35:32.083" LastActivityDate="2022-07-05T17:35:32.083" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13382" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="875" CreationDate="2022-07-06T04:41:31.137" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If your fingers are broken, then you are done for. Fists closed always. Fist blocks can be fast too &lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/4pu6ceMh4Lk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/4pu6ceMh4Lk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12588" LastActivityDate="2022-07-06T04:41:31.137" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13384" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13390" CreationDate="2022-07-10T15:30:11.243" Score="2" ViewCount="184" Body="&lt;p&gt;I often hear this idiom from karate YouTube channels.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A strike is a block is a lock is a throw&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my experience the movements for blocks, throws, strikes and joint locks are completely different (although joint locks and throws have similarities in that you often use the lock to throw).  But then I'm not actually experienced in Karate but rather in other Japanese martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is the idiom true generally and I just can't see it?&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Is it true for karate moves only?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or am I taking it too literally?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-07-13T13:00:37.650" Title="Is it true that 'A strike is a block is a lock is a throw'?" Tags="|karate|striking|throwing|joint-lock|blocking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13385" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12697" CreationDate="2022-07-11T10:47:29.987" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;To answer your question straight and simple: &lt;strong&gt;yes, they are &lt;em&gt;traditionally&lt;/em&gt; used differently.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But to answer it with a bit more detail: &lt;strong&gt;yes, but it depends on a lot of things not necessarily related to the fact that you are comparing katanas and longswords per se.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind that there are many traditions of Japanese swordsmanship (including ones with historical records) with different philosophies and goals as well as many historically recorded traditions of European longsword.  To get a more accurate answer, you need to specify which traditions of both you are comparing.  It's very difficult to put this simply, but there is a surprising amount of variety even within the respective traditions for the two weapons even if their stances on the surface look similar to each other.  Just to illustrate the point, here's two images of a small sampling of stances from two different European longsword traditions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fiore dei Liberi:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ScCGI.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ScCGI.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Paulus Hector Mair:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/dHOEv.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/dHOEv.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice how some stances that are superficially similar to one another have slight differences.  Porta di Ferro Mezana while superficially identical to Alber, has some differences like how retracted Fiore likes to hold that guard vs. how Mair likes to lean forward and put it out in front.  In addition, Fiore treats Porta di Ferro Mezana as a variant of the Iron Gate stance which includes an alternate variant called Tutta Porta di Ferro while Mair categorizes Alber as a completely separate stance from the rest in his system.  In addition, some stances are missing from each others' systems like how Fiore doesn't technically have a guard identical to the Vom Tag in Mair's longsword and how Mair doesn't have a guard like the two Posta di Donna's in Fiore's longsword.  These differences are important since they highlight a different mindset to using the stances between these two schools of longsword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now lets look at two different traditions of Japanese swordsmanship's kamae:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kendo Kamae:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ICg8u.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ICg8u.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Katori Shinto Ryu Kamae:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jFcRw.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jFcRw.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice again that while some stances are superficially similar and even share the same names, there are differences. The feet in Kendo's Jodan no Kamae are much closer together with the back heel lifted and the body facing forward vs. Katori Shinto Ryu's Jodan which has the body more turned sideways and the feet wide apart but firmly planted.  Again, some stances are missing in each others' systems like no Tori kamae variants in Kendo and no edge up variant of Waki Kamae in Katori Shinto Ryu and other kamae that are kind of similar are shuffled around or named differently.  Again, these differences are a result of differences in mindset regarding how the sword is to be used in these different schools of Japanese swordsmanship.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It may be tempting to look at stances and superficially draw similarities between them and assume they are used in the same way:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xKz1m.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xKz1m.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But you have to keep in mind that these are static comparisons while swordsmanship is an activity that is in motion.  It's very difficult to give generalities about how using a longsword is different vs. using a katana without more specifics about which styles you are comparing since there's a staggering amount of variety of subtle differences even within the same weapon type.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that said, if we must talk generalities, we will have to look at the weapons themselves and point at the differences we can observe between them and assume these differences will lead to differences in use.  In theory, just by pure physical differences in the weapons, there are some things that you can fundamentally do with a katana that you cannot with a longsword and vice versa.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;GRIPS&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, the &amp;quot;German grip&amp;quot; as seen in the Lichtenauer tradition and shown by &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hka7TrAXLF8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Skallagrim here&lt;/a&gt; is generally impossible to do with a katana since traditionally katanas have a tsuba/disc guard that gets in the way of such a grip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jSuyL.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/jSuyL.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I must caveat that not all traditions of longsword use the German grip (e.g. Fiore and Italian traditions don't seem to use it as often) and there are some longsword designs that wouldn't allow an easy German grip:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/bfEjC.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/bfEjC.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Plus there are niche styles of katana that could theoretically allow a thumb grip:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kuKlj.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kuKlj.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;And there are some unconventional, but similar grips shown in Japanese artwork depicting swords that involve fingering the blade in some way:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pnZ2W.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pnZ2W.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BLADE DESIGN&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another difference that seems apparent is the number of edges of the swords and blade design.  The katana is curved and the longsword is straight which to some may indicate that a katana is a better cutter and the longsword is a better thruster and that you should optimally use one type of attack more on one than the other.  There is some truth to this, but realistically both the katana and longsword are cut-and-thrust swords and traditions from both show both cuts and thrusts being used and the amount of what attack to use will depend on the tradition:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A longsword cutting:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BarUN.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BarUN.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A katana thrusting:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/t5sDY.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/t5sDY.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that said, the curvature on a katana does somewhat off-put the angle at which thrusts can be performed vs. the straighter blade of the longsword which is more intuitive to thrust with.  In addition, most longsword designs tend to have highly tapering blades which can be used to pierce mail armor more easily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ognqn.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ognqn.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Contrast that with katana blades which are generally quite thick and stiff blades with wide hatchet points which are good for cutting.  Plus, the curvature does aid in extracting the blade from a target more easily during a cut.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0Lls1.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/0Lls1.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The curve in addition to aiding cuts can sort of act like a weird shield since the curvature covers a wider line of attack when compared to the linear blade of the longsword when trying to parry a cut or can even act to passively displace a blade sideways when thrusting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It has to be mentioned though that not all katanas are curved enough to have the above benefits/disadvantages of curvature since some can be almost straight:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JfQoK.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/JfQoK.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And the katana's ancient predecessor, the chokuto (which in Japanese means straight katana) was straight:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QQ4Ap.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QQ4Ap.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Plus, there exists some longsword designs with almost no thrusting capacity whatsoever and are designed to purely be cutters.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/koEWc.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/koEWc.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And there are katana blades which are clearly designed to be pointy thrusters.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/S2mF7.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/S2mF7.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;EDGES&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The double-edged blade of the longsword allows false edge cuts to be performed by flicking the hand upward vs. a single-edged blade which can only cut with the true edge and requires flipping the sword around to perform similar rising cuts.  Certain techniques however that involve touching the blade may be more risky to perform with a double-edged sword.  Iaijutsu/Iaido are a bit more risky to do with a conventional longsword since the two edges could lead to cutting oneself if done in the traditional fashion shown in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RVrqpmOr6w&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;iai here&lt;/a&gt; since it involves placing the spine of the blade against the hand and sliding it across the skin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/V0EfT.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/V0EfT.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that said though, yes people did historically grip sharp longsword blades with their bare hands and it could be possible to perform some blade-touching techniques like iai if you're very careful:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/p0bvF.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/p0bvF.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;And, there were double-edge katanas historically:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8ezxi.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/8ezxi.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;And single-edge &amp;quot;longswords&amp;quot; (if you play a little loose with the semantics of what a &amp;quot;longsword&amp;quot; is and count langesmesser and kriegsmesser as &amp;quot;longswords&amp;quot;):&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MZKWi.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MZKWi.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5EBQ4lUvEI&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;And people have come up with ways of sheathing double-edged katanas in modern practice&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WEARING METHOD&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another difference some may state is that the way that the katana is worn traditionally (i.e. edge up in an obi) does provide some benefits vs how a longsword is worn since the obi does hold the sword very securely and comfortably to your core and allows easy manipulation of the scabbard through the belt for iaijutsu/iaido vs. a longsword which traditionally is worn from a belted suspension system:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xeISy.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/xeISy.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that said, the katana's predecessor and look-alike, the tachi, was worn like a longsword:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gZhKf.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/gZhKf.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;In addition, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whSEcvOxEGM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;it's not impossible for a person to quick-draw a longsword like a katana with a suspension system.&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;Plus there's nothing stopping you from sticking a longsword in an obi as long as the fittings don't get in the way of saya-biki, it just wouldn't be traditional.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing to consider regarding obi wear vs. suspension wear is that it is generally easier to carry larger swords from a suspension system since there is more space available to draw a longer blade since the sword hangs beneath the waist while obi wear tends to put the sword at or above the waist.  However, it must be mentioned &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eFPy0gsKfc&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;you can still draw and use really large swords even if wearing a sword from the obi.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;GUARD DESIGN&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other seemingly obvious difference is that most longswords have a large crossguard or variant of that which in theory provides more hand protection.  In actuality though you need to &lt;strong&gt;actively&lt;/strong&gt; intercept cuts with a crossguard by positioning the sword so that the guard gets in the way of a cut and denies the line of attack to the fingers which is something that you don't need to do as much if you have a round disc guard above the hand since it passively covers the top of the hand pretty evenly all around.  Really though, relying on the crossguard, let alone any guard, by itself can be quite unreliable hand protection without addition of side-rings or other extensive furniture on your guard which means your fingers are still quite vulnerable to being hit with a traditional longsword.  That's why HEMA longsworders wear these in competitions and don't just rely on the crossguard to protect themselves from cuts:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4Pkfd.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4Pkfd.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;If you ignore &amp;quot;traditional longswords&amp;quot; though you do get swords with generally more hand protection than katanas which allow more point forward guards without presenting as much of a risk to your hand getting hit.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uvdUE.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uvdUE.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;However, historical Japanese disc guards can reach rather large sizes that would be more than sufficient to protect the hands; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/33382&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;up to 4 inches in diameter or more in some examples&lt;/a&gt; and there are historical examples of katana/tachi with guard extensions that could potentially protect the hand sort of like a crossguard:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/DQYhV.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/DQYhV.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;Plus there are longswords with minimal disc-shaped guards like katanas:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/erPw7.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/erPw7.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With all that said though, it should be obvious that all these examples of niche longswords and katanas are &lt;strong&gt;NOT&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;quot;traditional&amp;quot; and if you are mainly focusing on the &amp;quot;traditional&amp;quot; forms of both these weapons, it will ultimately depend on what traditions of longsword or katana in question you are comparing.  But I hope the above ramble has highlighted some generalities of how the two are used differently depending on their &amp;quot;iconic&amp;quot; forms and how &amp;quot;non-traditional&amp;quot; versions of those respective weapons could lead to both swords being used in more or less a similar manner at times!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11107" LastEditorUserId="11107" LastEditDate="2022-07-11T17:59:11.247" LastActivityDate="2022-07-11T17:59:11.247" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13386" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13317" CreationDate="2022-07-11T19:08:53.607" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There really isn't a style of swordsmanship that uses it all the time, but there are situational uses for the reverse grip that are historically documented.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fiore dei Liberi holds the sword in a reverse grip with the purpose of wanting to throw the sword like a javelin which &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYVIsMQPKzY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Skallagrim has demonstrated before on his channel.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/sxrMc.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/sxrMc.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Historical Japanese and Chinese swordsmanship occasionally seems to show it used for certain situations:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UahAx.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/UahAx.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uUQHz.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uUQHz.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And in iaido/iaijutsu it is occasionally done, but primarily as a method of returning the sword comfortably and also during very specific situations when the sword can &lt;strong&gt;only&lt;/strong&gt; be retrieved in a reverse grip:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CYWzP.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CYWzP.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reverse grip is especially important if you want to comfortably draw and sheathe an especially long sword since it will allow a tighter angle to be made when drawing/sheathing without putting too much strain on your wrist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/DFc4k.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/DFc4k.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also is occasionally done on particularly short &amp;quot;swords&amp;quot; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaLlwBb38FQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;like butterfly swords from Wing Chun&lt;/a&gt; and are a way to use your forearms as a blocking tool kind of like how a tonfa would work or &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BkOvhwDKDs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;as a method to use your swords at extremely close ranges where you would be throwing elbow strikes.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.shopwingchun.com/wp-content/uploads/screen-capture221.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://www.shopwingchun.com/wp-content/uploads/screen-capture221.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep in mind with all the examples given though; they are situational moves designed to supplement holding the sword the normal way and not something that is done all the time like seen in fiction-land. :P&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11107" LastEditorUserId="11107" LastEditDate="2022-07-16T07:51:48.423" LastActivityDate="2022-07-16T07:51:48.423" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13387" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-07-12T11:41:21.820" Score="0" ViewCount="115" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for graduations in kung-fu for kids. Something similar to the program of ABRSM in music or the judo-kan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think there must exist a curriculum already in different schools and different Styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12617" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-07-12T12:54:51.373" LastActivityDate="2023-12-11T00:05:00.620" Title="Graduations in kung-fu for kids?" Tags="|training|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13388" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13387" CreationDate="2022-07-12T15:56:01.173" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There exist many such graduations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The majority of martial arts styles have their own system of graduation and Chinese styles are no exception.  However these rarely align with each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also note that while Japanese style at least agree on names for grades (some number to  1st kyu and then 1st to 9th dan) I have never seen a standardised Chinese grading system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I practice a Japanese kung-fu style which uses the Japanese grading sequence but that's very rare of course.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally you will get various coloured sashes... and that's about all you can be sure of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-07-12T15:56:01.173" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13389" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13384" CreationDate="2022-07-12T18:39:36.620" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes. You are probably taking it too literally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don’t know much about Karate or any other Japanese martial system. But in my experience with various Chinese martial arts schools there’s a similar concept that my current teacher translates as deflect-attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The idea is that you should not see deflection (or blocking) and attack (be it a punch, or a kick or a throw as two unconnected moves that just happen to follow each other in a sequence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the arts I am practicing (and I have a strong suspicion that in all martial art practices beyond beginner level), this means that when blocking or deflecting the opponent’s attack, you should also lay the foundation of your counter. The best deflection is the one that not only protects me from your punch, it also lines up my counter punch and disrupts your follow up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In that sense, deflection (or blocking) is part of the same move that becomes an attack or a throw or whatever is going to be your countermove. And thinking of these things as one continuous move regardless of its final shape is the mental model one should assume when free-playing. One should flow right into the other that should flow seamlessly into the next move and so on and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="424" LastActivityDate="2022-07-12T18:39:36.620" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13390" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13384" CreationDate="2022-07-13T13:00:37.650" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The phrase comes from karate's unfortunate history:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;as karate popularized rapidly, first across Japan and Korea and then to the USA via GIs, it became common for students to learn forms without applications or with cursory explanations&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;those who learned the meaningless movement in turn teach their students the movements as strikes or &amp;quot;blocks&amp;quot;, as invented applications or simplifications to teach large groups (especially children)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a subset of karateka realize that some movements in the forms make no sense as strikes or blocks, sparking a widespread effort to reverse engineer applications from their neutered curriculum&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;these reverse-engineering projects exist in a social-political context in which high-status people still teach the now-standardized forms as a series of strikes and blocks; thus &amp;quot;a strike is a block is a lock is a throw&amp;quot; is invented as a polite euphemism so alternative applications can coexist without stepping on anyone's toes or admitting broken transmission&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even though this widespread reverse-engineering project sometimes arrives at a correct application, I find it a low-reward way to organize training, and so I find this phrase's hand-waviness rather unappealing. It is mostly useful as a way to teach large groups a dance based on false pretenses of (often nonsensical) punches and blocks, while leaving open the option to teach select students &amp;quot;hidden&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;alternative&amp;quot; applications involving techniques borrowed from other arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastActivityDate="2022-07-13T13:00:37.650" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13391" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13373" CreationDate="2022-07-14T10:31:35.063" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Short Answer&lt;/strong&gt; - It will probably be transmitted wholly through oral tradition/living tradition due to India's history.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Long Answer&lt;/strong&gt; - It's highly unlikely that there will be anything published on Indian martial arts, due to the relatively small scale of publishing in Indian around even the early 1900s (Pritchett 1983). Publishing was an activity controlled by the elite in India, often with fewer than 100 books being published in a year, and with fewer publishers in 1800s India than there were in England in the 1600s - despite the number in England being tightly controlled by the government (Britannica).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also important to note that India was essentially subjugated by Islamic Sultanates and then the Mughal Empire from around the 9th Century until the British moved in to drive the Mughal Empire out in the late 1500s/early 1600s at the Indian's request. This means much of the middle ages period which HEMA focusses on is a period where the Hindu Indians were not the dominant power and therefore would not have been in a position to create manuscripts - particularly with the negative effects Islamic occupation had on Hindu temples and centres of learning - which typically is where either books are created, or the education to the higher castes would have been given to allow them to publish these works.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Following this period the primary method of conflict would have been modern (for the time) European warfare with a focus on musketry and European swordsmanship and a de-emphasis on unarmed combat/traditional martial arts - though there are again no published books I can find from this early, there are examples from the 18th-20th century specifically published aimed at training Indians in the methods of fighting of the British military.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The closest I have been able to find (though I did not find it myself) is this which was published in 1927 on Pahlvani/Wrestling: shorturl.at/emPUY&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is primarily focussed on the training at the time, and could be considered akin to &amp;quot;The Science of Wrestling&amp;quot; by Earl Liederman in terms of historic provenance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11766" LastActivityDate="2022-07-14T10:31:35.063" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13392" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13410" CreationDate="2022-07-15T02:48:07.963" Score="3" ViewCount="114" Body="&lt;p&gt;One of the fascinating aspects about martial arts, at least to me, is that there's so many different dimensions to it. Of course there is technique, cardio and fight IQ, but what I find less information on is the physiological transformation your body goes through. Practitioners that have been fighting for years will have conditioned their limbs and torso to dish out as well as absorb damage. However, it only goes so far; there are limits to what the body can be put through and there are plenty of instances where pros have had to hang up the gloves due to injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Floyd Mayweather despite his defensive and evasive prowess has admitted his hands have grown more brittle due to all the training and fights. Same may apply to other parts of the body too. One of the half-joking axioms out there is &amp;quot;one cannot condition one's chin.&amp;quot; But on balance, I think the point still stands that fighting entails a unique kind of physiological conditioning. And without it, holding all other factors equal, we might see very different results if one combatant had the bone and muscle conditioning for fighting while the other did not. Two examples off the top of my head:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Exhibition match of Pacqiao vs Shaquel O'Neil. Of course it was&#xA;mostly in good fun, but Pacqiao is reported to have felt fine&#xA;afterwords whereas O'Neil despite his size advantage was in&#xA;considerable pain. After all, in basketball contact results in a&#xA;stop of play and a foul.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The early days of the UFC where pure karate / taekwando athletes&#xA;would square off against muaithai and wrestlers. While there may be&#xA;some expertise deficiencies for take downs and ground game, but I'd&#xA;wager if taekwando practitioners had more hours invested in full&#xA;contact sparring and less stylized striking or hitting a&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makiwara&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;makiwara&lt;/a&gt; the result might&#xA;surprise us. For it was quite easy to see that the muaithai strikers&#xA;were way more resilient to getting hit because of the training&#xA;style; there bodies were more acclimated to MMA.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Question&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;Given the observations in competitive martial arts, namely MMA, over the years, is there a widely agreed upon amount of conditioning for one's fist and how might one know if he/she has reached this &quot;goldilocks&quot; level where it's enough to hold up to use and abuse during application but not overly conditioned to the point of brittleness? And how does one condition it (Hit what kind of thing for how long per day)?&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12198" LastActivityDate="2022-08-02T11:12:35.257" Title="Conditioning one's fist for striking" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|punching|conditioning|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13393" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13399" CreationDate="2022-07-15T08:41:04.407" Score="2" ViewCount="169" Body="&lt;p&gt;They always talk about stepping foot out at 45 degree angle to get ahead rotation on Muay Thai roundhouse kick. Is it okay, to step out with more rotation than that, 60,75, or 90 degrees? I have good flexibility and rotation, former soccer player and gymnast. What are the consequences of doing this, and then kicking?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Pivot the lead/left leg on the ball of the foot and open up the rear/right hip as you begin your motion. This can be performed by stepping with the lead leg to a 45-degree angle or skip stepping to generate more power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, I noticed my lot of professional fighters feet looks like this, Toes stretched in different directions. I don't think its healthy long term in walking, just curious if any way to prevent this. Thats why I am trying to remove the stretching of toes when rotating quickly against floor friction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://evolve-mma.com/blog/muay-thai-101-the-roundhouse-kick/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://evolve-mma.com/blog/muay-thai-101-the-roundhouse-kick/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://breakingmuscle.com/swinging-the-bat-how-to-do-the-muay-thai-roundhouse-kick/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://breakingmuscle.com/swinging-the-bat-how-to-do-the-muay-thai-roundhouse-kick/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/DdOFd.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/DdOFd.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-07-19T23:41:52.660" Title="Muay Thai Roundhouse, step out at 45 degrees and preventing feet injury" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|kicking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13394" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13395" CreationDate="2022-07-18T01:58:21.967" Score="5" ViewCount="1332" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the movie Apocalypse Now towards the beginning where the protagonist is in his Vietnamese hotel/dorm there is a mental breakdown sequence. During this montage he is seen to be ingesting alcohol, muttering to himself and intermittently performing some kind of martial arts kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For those who haven't seen it, there is a short clip &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LXL5_tc8UyY?t=97&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems to be performed quite slowly and as far as distinguishing characteristics go, the hand/arm moves appear to be very restricted, virtually hugging the body and/or his head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Question&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is this style and what is the name of that specific form?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12198" LastActivityDate="2022-07-18T14:24:41.180" Title="What is the Apocalypse Now kata?" Tags="|forms|identification|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13395" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13394" CreationDate="2022-07-18T04:24:54.620" Score="9" Body="&lt;p&gt;Martin Sheen was apparently drunk during the scene in question, for real. It was all improvised, and the bloody fist scene after he punches the mirror was not planned, but the director let the filming continue and kept it in the final production. His bio says he has no martial arts training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It appears to be what you would get if you told someone who has no training in martial arts to act like they know stuff. Completely made up. It bears some resemblance to karate and tai chi. But that's what you would expect from someone who is badly mimicking what he's seen on TV and in movies. I would say his primary influence is &amp;quot;Kung Fu&amp;quot; the TV series starring David Carradine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2022-07-18T14:24:41.180" LastActivityDate="2022-07-18T14:24:41.180" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13396" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-07-18T18:40:38.113" Score="0" ViewCount="35" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let me preface by saying this is a very open ended question What I'm looking for in the answer is the general approach the mental aspect of how you should fight someone like this. For example when the fight starts should you try to catch the person of guard and try to end it as quickly as possible, Should you try to lure your opponent into a false sense of security, endure and look for an opening to risk everything on? The second part is specific techniques like certain kicks or submissions or overall like martial arts styles Muay Thai or Jujutsu would be best. Another way I could to think of this is trying to figure out the best way for technique and combat intelligence to overcome physical superiority.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assume that the physically advantaged person in question is also a mixed martial artist who has proficiency in a variety of martial arts technique. What are the best things to learn in order to best beat someone who beats you on all physical fronts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't factor it difficulty of learning the techniques you recommend for the physically disadvantaged person. I want this to be about an optimal scenario where technique for the smaller person isn't an issue and more about how to use it instead of if they can learn it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12628" LastActivityDate="2022-07-18T18:40:38.113" Title="How do you beat someone who is bigger faster and stronger than you" Tags="|training|technique|recommendation|style|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="5" ClosedDate="2022-07-19T12:24:13.083" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13397" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-07-18T19:27:40.100" Score="0" ViewCount="130" Body="&lt;p&gt;How practical is it to dodge punches by leaning back table top like similar to how Neo did in the first matrix movie during a boxing match and also counter from that position. It has always been one of my favorite scenes in media and I have seen it being used in fictional boxing media of watch and read such Hajime no Ippo and the Boxer. I know that trying to copy moves you seen in fantasy is generally looked down upon and can be unsafe and generally not realistic. But it seems at least somewhat possible so I'd to see to what degree just for the sake of my curiosity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12628" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-07-19T14:09:08.183" LastActivityDate="2022-08-17T21:45:25.183" Title="Using the move from the matrix as a fighting technique" Tags="|technique|boxing|stance|entertainment|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13398" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13397" CreationDate="2022-07-18T20:30:10.233" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can dodge punches but doing so by leaning backwards is usually a really bad idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I believe I have seen some boxers do it when against the ropes, but only really to show off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The issue is that you risk taking a punch to the stomach that you can't easily see.  Also you are obviously off balance because physics will apply to you in a way it doesn't in the matrix movie.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's bad structurally and it's bad for your view of the opponent.  There is no payoff other than looking cool (and you won't look cool when you get hit).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-07-18T20:30:10.233" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13399" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13393" CreationDate="2022-07-19T23:41:52.660" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The risk is not to the feet, but to the knees - and it is more likely to come from under rotation than over rotation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you execute a roundhouse kick the torso rotates around with the hips turning &amp;quot;over&amp;quot; to put the leg in the correct position. This is made possible by the foot pointing to the side or rear during the execution of the kick (I tend to say minimum 90' from the target).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the foot is not turned sufficiently you will create a pivot point in the knee which your leg will try to rotate around to get the hips into the correct position, and this will be more pronounced the higher a kick is attempted as the leg position contributes to mobility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This forced rotation about the knee can result in ACL/MCL tears, cartilage damage, and in very severe cases rotational dislocation of the knee.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There doesn't seem to be anything special about the 45' recommendation - that just seems to be the Muay Thai standard - the main risks would come from impact to the inside of the knee (i.e. from an opponent's shovel kick) during the technique execution - but this risk is also present with the knee more forward. And again, most reputable muay thai instructors online who demonstrate with a 45' step then pivot into a much greater rotational position afterwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One final tactical point - a greater step may be slower than a small step, and may therefore need to be concealed with another technique. I quite like throwing a cross as I step out with the front foot, before kicking with the rear, just as an example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11766" LastActivityDate="2022-07-19T23:41:52.660" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13400" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13401" CreationDate="2022-07-21T02:56:50.253" Score="2" ViewCount="94" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is there a routine warm-up exercise that I can do (probably at the start of the day) to ensure that I can perform in peak condition if a situation occured later on and demands immediate response (in terms of combat)?&#xA;I want the exercise to be as simple and efficient as possible, preferably without equipment ('cause I don't have any).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2022-07-25T09:00:10.073" Title="Quick and efficient warm up excercise for routine preparedness?" Tags="|training|exercise|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13401" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13400" CreationDate="2022-07-21T05:40:40.577" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm afraid the body doesn't work that way, especially if you're no longer young. You can't just exercise once in the morning and remain warmed up and flexible throughout the day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I was training in Taekwondo in my teen years, I would stretch frequently throughout the day. First, I would wake up in the morning, get out of bed and very quickly go through a small series of stretches lasting about 30 seconds. These stretches and movements had the most benefit. After breakfast, I would do a more complete stretching and movement routine for 15 minutes or so as I watched TV. It also warmed up my joints and muscles. As I went through my day, I would find myself doing stretches and high kicks just walking around from one room to the next. It would be completely at random, and I probably looked like a dork to most people if they saw me doing high kicks at random. I'd also stretch 15 minutes mid-day and maybe another 15-30 minutes at night before dinner, certainly before and after TKD class at night. If ever I found myself bored, waiting around, or in need of a break, I'd just do some stretches and movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main thing to take from that is that you won't generally be warmed up and flexible throughout your regular day. And you'll be aware of it. You'll know what it feels like if you're feeling tight and unflexible. Stretching and moving during the day will feel like an addiction. You'll be addicted to the feeling of being warmed up and loose. By taking whatever time you have out throughout the day (10 seconds even) to stretch and move around, you can get yourself to the point where if you need to fight, you won't need more than a little bit of a warm-up to be able to do your most athletic / flexible things. And without that warm-up before a fight or an encounter of some sort, you're still probably good enough that you can at least do stuff that doesn't require great amounts of flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you age, though, your joints may become your limiting factor. You'll need to spend much more time warming up gently. And you'll need to keep doing strength training to make sure you can handle spontaneous loads on your joints. But you'll adapt to that. You'll learn what you can do and what you can get away with if you don't warm-up first. And you'll know how to move and how to limit your techniques to stuff that won't cause your knees to give out or won't pull your groin. It's mostly about knowing your limitations. An older fighter isn't flashy and doesn't waste time with athletic techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But even if you're elderly, stretching and moving around throughout the day is going to improve your physical resiliency a lot. It applies universally to people of all ages.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for what routine to use to warm up and gain flexibility, that's entirely up to you and what you prioritize. If you rely on Taekwondo-like high kicks, then you're going to target groin flexibility a lot. So do some splits, do some leg raises, etc. If you're a grappler, you're going to want to do a lot more with the upper body, the shoulders, the elbows, the neck, the torso, wrists, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are youtube videos showing warm-ups and stretching for just about every martial art imaginable. Take from those what you find useful and make your own routine. Over time, you'll probably find the most beneficial mix of techniques for however much time you have.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wrote an answer on a similar topic at the following link, but for maintaining flexibility in kicks as you get older:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5525/when-training-spinning-kicks-is-it-more-important-to-prioritize-control-or-heig/5527#5527&quot;&gt;When training spinning kicks, is it more important to prioritize control or height?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for equipment, you'll just need to prepare your body by continuing to do strength training and by punching / kicking a bag at minimum twice a week. And for strength training, you can get away with just doing body weight exercises. There are youtube videos showing how to do them. But the bag work is really essential if you're doing kicks or punches at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2022-07-21T05:40:40.577" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13403" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13400" CreationDate="2022-07-25T09:00:10.073" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well this one is not quick, but there's really no better method for preparing for a day:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;Sleep well for a solid 8-10 hours.&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sleeping well requires the following actions taken seriously: Exercise, stretch, eat healthy and work ergonomically. Avoid stress, excessive screen time and alcohol before going to bed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This way your body will be rested, healed and able to take more &lt;em&gt;punishment&lt;/em&gt;, and your brain is much more capable to tackle any challenges coming up the following day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any warm-ups, stretching or exercises will lose their effect really fast and may in some cases only make you weaker (muscles being tired after strength exercise or energy reserves low after endurance training). I'd suggest you do any exercises 2-3 hours before bedtime, eat a healthy protein-rich meal within an hour after exercise and go sleep early.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;DO NOT SNOOZE YOUR ALARM. EVER. Just get up!&#xA;&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Snoozing will only promote more snoozing and fragmented, worthless sleep.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6488" LastActivityDate="2022-07-25T09:00:10.073" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13404" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1246" CreationDate="2022-07-25T09:39:45.340" Score="1" Body="&lt;h1&gt;On-tatami exercises&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Explosive ashi-waza&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are Tori:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Grip uke by the collar and sleeve as in kumikata.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Squat down. From there, spring up and perform o-soto-gari (kuzushi and uchikomi only).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step back and squat again. Spring up to ko-uchi-gari.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Squat, spring up to o-uchi-gari.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Switch to hidari/migi grips and repeat steps 2-5 until your legs are burning.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Uke only holds his grips and keeps his balance.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Pulling kuzushi&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are Tori:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You both take grips, but this time Uke drops down to squat.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You take a step near Ukes feet, pull him up with both hands (but actually using more of your legs), all the way up and very close to you. Remember to hold a good posture and end in kuzushi (you could follow with uchi-mata from here).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Uke probably needs to take steps to keep his balance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Uke drops back down and you take a step back. Repeat until you have &lt;em&gt;towed&lt;/em&gt; uke across the tatami. Switch roles and also repeat on hidari.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Uke holds his grips, tries to maintain balance and provides some resistance when Tori is pulling him up. Discuss about the desired amount of resistance from uke.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Carrying throws&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are Tori:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Pick ANY judo throw (well, not most sweeps and drops).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Perform tai-sabaki, kuzushi and &lt;em&gt;stop at uchikomi&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Walk across tatami with Uke lifted up (or just hold Uke up in the air for an extended time if you picked &lt;strong&gt;tomoe-nage&lt;/strong&gt; etc.).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Finish the throw.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Switch roles and repeat.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Uchi-mata would be a very, very hard, but not impossible in theory..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6488" LastEditorUserId="6488" LastEditDate="2022-07-25T10:20:54.313" LastActivityDate="2022-07-25T10:20:54.313" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13406" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13409" CreationDate="2022-07-29T08:35:03.613" Score="3" ViewCount="187" Body="&lt;p&gt;Has anyone seen other studies of Muay Thai kick vs Karate in terms of strength and force impact? They say Muai Thai is Lot stronger but by how much? Couple of my muay thai teachers said its 2 to 4 times stronger. However, this is the study I saw. Has anyone seen other studies on the internet?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2.0/1.5 = 33% stronger&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5571909/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5571909/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/G42fe.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/G42fe.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2TYLh.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2TYLh.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2022-07-29T16:17:18.300" LastActivityDate="2022-08-03T05:25:15.277" Title="Muay Thai vs Karate Kick Force" Tags="|technique|karate|muay-thai|kicking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13408" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9985" CreationDate="2022-07-30T14:42:58.887" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe the idea of Shu Ha Ri could come into play for this.&#xA;Shu (learning and practice of basics) Ha (progress of the techniques sticking to basics)and Ri (keeping the basic but learn to adjust to your size and your Kenshi's&#xA;size to work to together ( Hito) to reach a higher level together while training. A good example of this is when working together in a Embu. Sometimes for a technique to work on someone who is maybe bigger or smaller heavy or light...maybe double jointed (when doing Juho)ECT... as long as you stick to the basic fundamentals you make adjustments to have the technique work close to the way it was taught. The lines you and your partner start with should finish close to the area for the Embu to look good , lets say for a demo purpose.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Thank you Kenshi Vince Faiella Ni Dan&#xA;NYC DOJO Sensei Miyata 28 years&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12643" LastActivityDate="2022-07-30T14:42:58.887" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13409" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13406" CreationDate="2022-08-01T16:55:10.550" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Thorough analysis of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5571909/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;study&lt;/a&gt; you provide would take considerable knowledge and a very long answer, but there a some factors evident in the article which bear mentioning:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. Number of Participants&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eight participants for each style is a &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; small selection. Just think of the intra-belt skill range that (likely) exists within your own training facility. There are black belts who terrify heavy bags and black belts who tickle them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. Selection of Participants&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Very little information is provided as to how the participants were selected. The study doesn't provide much information on participants other than their belt level, age, height, mass and training time (in years). Training time can be very deceptive. How many sessions per week? How long per session? How intense are the sessions? How well practiced are the techniques? Many variables exist, which is why a study based upon such a tiny sample size should be treated with skepticism.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3. Body Mass to Power Ratios.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The study states, &amp;quot;&lt;em&gt;The Muay Thai group had significantly less body mass than the Taekwondo group, but not compared to the Karate group&lt;/em&gt;&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even if we pretend for a moment that all other variables were equal, a higher power reading for the Muay Thai participants (per kilogram of athlete weight) makes perfect sense given that light adult athletes are typically more powerful per kilogram than heavy adult athletes. This can be verified by looking at power measurement stats across sports and is exemplified by gymnasts who are usually small and compact, by most elite climbers who are very light and very lean, and by lightweight powerlifters, who typically lift far more weight per kilogram of body mass when compared to their heavier counterparts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4. Technique by Style&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Specificity of technique is far from guaranteed by the kind of uniform an athlete wears. For all we know, some of the karate practitioners kicked in a style more typically associated with Muay Thai and vice versa. Technique varies not only between style, but between gym and between athlete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Summary&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A much more carefully controlled study with a &lt;em&gt;much&lt;/em&gt; higher number of participants is required before any significant conclusions can be drawn about differences between styles. Some of the other important factors are addressed during the 'Discussion' portion of the paper.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Academic analysis is interesting and can provide valuable clues as to how techniques and training methods compare and can be improved, but you might find that it is at least as valuable to visit a range of reputable gyms and to casually assess techniques of various styles by observing and/or training with skilled athletes in each discipline (poor practitioners can also provide clues as to what to avoid).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Muay Thai may well prove to offer the strongest technique overall, but this means very little in relation to what &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt; can achieve as a Karate, Muay Thai or Tae Kwon Do (etc) practitioner. There is little inhibiting the karateka or anyone else from employing the best of Muay Thai roundhouse technique into their own roundhouse arsenal. Traditional classes may insist upon certain practices, but when sparring and fighting, a good teacher will not criticise you for utilising minor variations which prove more effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most useful findings from the study might be those provided within its conclusion:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Effective roundhouse kicking performance in our population was characterized by a combination of rapid pelvic axial rotation, hip abduction, hip flexion and knee extension velocities, combined with rapid movements of the COM [Centre of Mass] towards the target. While subtle differences exist for each of these key variables across our sample, we suggest that these elements have the potential to constitute key performance indicators for this fundamental martial arts skill.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The take-away? The key characteristics of powerful roundhouse technique can be achieved regardless of whether you practice Karate, Muay Thai or Tae Kwon Do and - as is alluded to by @HuwEvans - force is but one component of an effective strike. It is sometimes prioritised at the expense of strike selection, precision and timing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;[Note: Estimates of a 200% - 400% power discrepancy between competent practitioners of (full-contact school) roundhouse 'styles' seems &lt;em&gt;highly&lt;/em&gt; suspect. The roundhouse kick is a relatively well-defined movement (or series of movements) which is replicated across full contact styles with only moderate variance when a particular target area is specified].&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-08-03T05:25:15.277" LastActivityDate="2022-08-03T05:25:15.277" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13410" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13392" CreationDate="2022-08-02T10:59:03.540" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I mention the following only to provide context and validity to my later comments:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have trained on and off for over two decades (boxing and Kyokushin karate). This training included frequent, high intensity, long-duration heavy bag work, both gloved and ungloved. I also trained with many people who trained in a similar fashion, including adolescents and people well into their fifties, and occasionally older.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I never encountered anyone who was forced to pause or halt training due to chronic hand or wrist injury &lt;em&gt;caused by bone deterioration&lt;/em&gt;, and only one person who suffered a chronic hand injury of any kind, which was sustained when he hit an opponent in the forehead without gloves on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This suggests to me that even in full-contact circles, where regular, high impact is the norm, normal precautions such as those I list below seem sufficient to enable adequate conditioning through bag work alone, and to provide for a long punching life. It also leaves me with no evidence to conclude that bone brittleness is a common issue amongst fighters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mayweather's issue is quite likely atypical typical and may relate to any number of factors, including diet (insufficient calcium, for example), genetics, illness, and/or a series of injuries. It is unwise to draw too many conclusions based upon a sample size of one. Admittedly, my experience does also not constitute a particularly large sample size either, but it is probably reasonable to conclude that given the amount of time I've spent in relevant environments, that a greater incidence of injury related to bone brittleness would likely have been apparent were it a common issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To conclude, with the wellbeing of readers being my priority, I feel comfortable (until I hear of contrasting experiences from others) in stating that fighters will most likely adapt perfectly well to the demands of punching by adhering to the following principles during a regimen of regular heavy-bag training:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Good punching technique, including fist formation,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Gradual increase in punching intensity, duration and frequency,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Adequate rest periods (intra-session and inter-session), and&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Consistent, good-quality hand-wrapping.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More information on these can be found in this stack and elsewhere online.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-08-02T11:12:35.257" LastActivityDate="2022-08-02T11:12:35.257" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13411" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13364" CreationDate="2022-08-03T09:44:25.233" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is quite common in orthodox approaches to parry and counter jab or catch and counter jab. It is a very useful technique in many circumstances.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The catch or parry can also be used to protect you very well from an opponent's counter whilst performing a basic jab, providing you don't overcommit and leave yourself open in other ways (described in more detail later).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideally, the parry or catch - at least in this approach - is a very minimal movement originating from the default defensive position of the right hand, which typically is attached to the right jaw, palm in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From here, the hand is rotated clockwise 90 degrees and pushed slightly forward to catch, countering the incoming force, or pushed forward slightly with a simultaneous twisting and/slight downward motion to parry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be careful of parrying/catching more than a fist's distance from your chin. It should be a quick compact movement which enables rapid return to defensive position at the side of the head/jaw to protect against follow-up punches, especially hooks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some fighters will deliberately draw you into a parry or catch in the hopes of hooking around your right hand while you still have it forward of your head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you catch or parry, &lt;em&gt;simultaneously throw your jab&lt;/em&gt;, for this is when your opponent is typically most vulnerable. An exception might be when you have fallen into a rhythm of sorts, and your opponent is beginning to anticipate your jab. In such a case it might be appropriate to delay your jab slightly, to ruin their timing and confuse their defence.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Keep your elbow in tight so that much of the impact is absorbed by your arm being braced against your torso.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;May of the videos I've seen ignore these points, but I've attached some related material below:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's a &lt;a href=&quot;https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CQztq97Or_8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;jab-catch-jab&lt;/a&gt; combo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A &lt;a href=&quot;https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6G2z17P94Tw&amp;amp;t=130s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;catch and counter&lt;/a&gt; with the right hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-08-03T12:52:28.423" LastActivityDate="2022-08-03T12:52:28.423" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13412" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-08-04T13:32:45.010" Score="2" ViewCount="72" Body="&lt;p&gt;Once I am 18 years years old I will test for my 3rd Dan black belt in Tang Soo Do. After this, I will likely move up to Boston to pursue theoretical physics. However I want to continue martial arts. And I was wondering how I can still increase my belt(4th dan, 5th dan etc.?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12649" LastActivityDate="2022-08-04T21:13:40.543" Title="How can I still get higher belt while I no longer attend my dojo" Tags="|tang-soo-do|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13413" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13412" CreationDate="2022-08-04T14:03:53.997" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You have a couple options here, both of which involve a discussion with your instructor:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Train when home - If you intend on coming home for winter breaks, summer, etc then talk to your instructor about getting drills, form work and other expectations for you to do while at college. Invest in a gopro or similar, send regular videos from various angles of form and other drills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Transfer schools - Discuss your intentions with your instructor, and see if they have any knowledge of instructors local to the school area that would be willing to take you as a student. If they don't have that knowledge, let them know that you would like their support in finding a new school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hybrid - Find a dojo local to the school area that would let you train there while at school. Talk to &lt;em&gt;both&lt;/em&gt; instructors and see if they would be ok with you training at both schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your other option is to tell your current instructor &amp;quot;See ya, I'm off to school!&amp;quot;, but that's a little rude and insulting to someone that has put in the time to get you to 3rd dan. Also, I don't know how the TSD Federation works, but some systems (Such as ATA) count the person you are training under for lineage purposes when you get to milestone events such as certified instructor, Master rank, etc., so they may still want you under them when you get to that credit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2022-08-04T21:13:40.543" LastActivityDate="2022-08-04T21:13:40.543" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13415" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13416" CreationDate="2022-08-06T05:16:50.317" Score="3" ViewCount="142" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am working on distancing between Punches and kicks. These are common  punch-kick Muay Thai combos below. When going punch from to kicks, since I'm in closer range to land punches, when starting the kicks, I am already in such close range, the kicks are too close to land , and they feel very uncomfortable (rather would be doing knees).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1 Jab - 2 Cross - 3 Hook Punch, Right RoundHouse kick&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;2 Cross - 3 Hook - 2 Cross Punch, Left Switch kick&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any advice going punches from to kicks in a combo for distancing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-08-13T05:01:31.703" Title="Muay Thai Combos, going from Punches to Kicks" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|kicking|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13416" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13415" CreationDate="2022-08-06T10:50:12.777" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a massive topic, and there might be at least two questions here, aside from the combination-specific advice you seek:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;&lt;em&gt;How do I implement effective kicks into close-range combos?&lt;/em&gt;&amp;quot;, and&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;&lt;em&gt;How do I maintain sufficient distance to kick 'normally'?&lt;/em&gt;&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will outline some ideas which will enable you to do further, more specific research.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kicking at Close Range&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Develop good mobility (range of movement in joints), particularly in the hips, but also knees.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Develop good flexibility (the ability of the muscles to stretch), particularly in the lower back, gluteals and hamstrings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mobility and flexibility enable you to add more kicks to your close-range repertoire (as per point 3). This in turn makes your attacks less predictable and much harder to defend. Crescent kicks, axe kicks, high (down-kicking) roundhouses, sharp upward roundhouses to the floating rib, even tight front-kicks and leg kicks are all potentially very effective at close range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Increase your kicking repertoire (the number of kicking techniques available to you). Aside from the kicks above, remember the value of inside leg kicks. They are often under-utilised, are relatively easy to execute, require little energy and can be performed quickly without much commitment. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbPL28yrRcg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Verhoeven&lt;/a&gt; understands this, but remember it can be executed off both legs and from close and long ranges. Also develop specific close-range round-house&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Train for close-range (such as when doing heavy-bag work, shadow-boxing and sparring). This sounds obvious, but it is very rare (at least in my experience) to see fighters train the techniques mentioned above with any regularity. You tend to fight as you train, so your training should reflect the diversity of techniques you aspire to use in fights. Don't train these elements as an afterthought either, or as an option, but regularly, with the understanding that many people don't train to defend against them, so the reward to effort ratio is potentially higher than for standard techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Develop legal &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5QLf9yN5t8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;clinching&lt;/a&gt; techniques which diminish your opponent's ability to read and react to your lower-body movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Maintaining Range&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a big topic in itself. Some points to remember:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Discourage your opponent from closing range (unless you want them to), by drawing upon fast jab-like teeps, inner-leg counters to their standing leg when moving/kicking, and of course, with a nice, long, fast jabs to the face. Remember, once you've developed an arsenal of close range techniques, you might &lt;em&gt;want&lt;/em&gt; your opponent to get nice and close.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Utilise fast lateral and backwards movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Take the initiative every now and then. Instead of countering all the time, put your opponent under forward pressure. Make them retreat. It is easier for you to close in than it is to counter or retreat. I'm not advocating a relentlessly forward style at all, just that you remember the advantages to be gained by being unpredictable, which includes being aggressive on occasion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Incorporate intense pushing-based rounds into your heavy-bag work. Try this: Find one of the heavier bags in your gym (within your strength ability), and try to maintain position in the spot where the bag would usually hang. In other words, your task in this exercise is to keep the bag away from you, even though it is constantly wanting to fall back into you and topple you over. Combine pushes with a range of strikes, and you will see that this drill will improve your fitness quite rapidly. It is not trained enough and replicates the stresses of some fight situations uniquely well (in the absence of a partner).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Combinations&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jab, Cross, Hook, Right RoundHouse kick&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cross, Hook, Cross, Left Switch Roundhouse&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Watch a range of elite fighting videos and record how often you see these combinations being implemented. If you wish and/or your coach want you to persevere with them as stepping stones towards a library of combinations, be aware that its easy to fall into some bad habits when training them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, your &lt;strong&gt;jab&lt;/strong&gt; and/or &lt;strong&gt;cross&lt;/strong&gt; might be very effective, causing your opponent to move back or laterally, in which case your &lt;strong&gt;hook&lt;/strong&gt; will require at least one or two chase steps to have any chance of landing. Your &lt;strong&gt;roundhouse kick&lt;/strong&gt; might need to be long or very short. If you constantly train this combo in the same way, on the same bag, it will be of limited use in fight contexts, in which each of your techniques will often produce different opponent reactions every time you execute them. You need to train on bags which hardly move at all, bags which swing like mad, and ideally with pad/sparring partners who move unpredictably and force you to adjust on the fly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training combinations is important, but (perhaps obviously) a combination becomes far more effective if it exists within a wide range of combinations. It might be argued that, whilst certain well-selected combinations - especially if unexpected - can prove very effective against certain fighters, even when relied upon almost to the exclusion of other techniques, the 'ideal' fighter, at least in my mind, is the fighter who transcends combinations and enters a flow state in which almost any technique can follow from any other. This is admittedly a very high standard to aspire to; one that will take years and years of smart, consistent, structured and cumulative work, but it is achievable &lt;em&gt;if&lt;/em&gt; you constantly challenge yourself to train outside your comfort zone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One problem with overtraining combinations is that you drill yourself into a habit of throwing an entire sequence without thought and without consideration of each opponent's unique reaction(s) to your attacks. This is partly why lots of well-protected, medium-contact sparring is essential; because you learn this rather quickly in the ring and come to understand how vital adaptation is in a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might want to try training your combinations first by emphasising each strike equally, so that they begin to flow. You reap power from fluidity. Once each technique 'fits' as part of the whole, experiment with emphasising different strikes. For example, if you want to finish on a long, powerful roundhouse, you might want to throw a quick but light and long 'ghost' hook to raise the opponent's gloves whilst avoiding forward commitment and maintaining range. Alternatively, you could step aggressively in with a nice tight short hook and throw it very hard, following up with a close-range, chopping roundhouse to mid thigh.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The switch roundhouse is useful for range control because it can be used to burst forward, remain neutral, or move back. If you are coming off a right cross, remember to practice fully rotating your hips, so that you maximise the potential range of your cross (keeping your chin tucked behind your right shoulder). Many people only rotate half way and lose range here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You probably feel as though I'm not addressing your specific combos enough. I'm trying to avoid being too prescriptive here, and to emphasise tactical thought, as there are simply far too many permutations to go through.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any advice for going from punches to kicks in a combo for&#xA;distancing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Much of what is written above is applicable to this, but general training principles to concentrate on here would be:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Start thinking about your initial punches as a means to set up following strikes (either immediately or with strategic intent).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Start thinking about whether what you now consider as 'optimal range' is actually optimal. If you become comfortable fighting at all ranges (perhaps via the methods outlined above), then you become a &lt;em&gt;much&lt;/em&gt; more capable fighter; a fighter able to comfortably and effectively adjust to different techniques, styles and contexts. Most fighters in my experience don't do this, so you'll be at an advantage if you take the steps recommended here. It takes time of course, but also reinforces the notion of training 'smart' and efficiently as opposed to merely 'hard'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Remember not every punch needs to be thrown with near maximum force. If you want an opponent to stay in range after a series of jabs for example, it makes sense for these jabs to be lighter, used a means primarily of raising the hands and obscuring vision to enable more effective kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;If an opponent is at the end of jab range, they are in perfect position for many kicks, including teeps and roundhouses so the jab provides a nice gauge. The teep provides a slightly greater 'defensive' range if you want to stay a little further away, whether it be for rest, to deter an aggressive fighter or to control the timing of your attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Very few opponents are used to receiving kicks near-simultaneously with punches, as Verhoeven has demonstrated. When we fight and train, we get into rhythms of sorts, and any disruption of this rhythm can prove to be quite useful. So, to follow from the above example, if you throw your jab out a few times then, on the final jab - sacrificing any real power, try an inside leg kick (off the same or opposite side). There is a very good chance that if you are successful here, your opponent's posture will fail and you will for a moment have good access to their head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-08-13T05:01:31.703" LastActivityDate="2022-08-13T05:01:31.703" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13417" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13415" CreationDate="2022-08-06T15:19:18.293" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In these combinations when practiced in other styles the assumption is that the opponent is moving backwards.  No-one is just going to stand there and take a jab and a cross.  By the time they have dodged the first two attacks the kick, whatever it might be should be in range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-08-06T15:19:18.293" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13418" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13419" CreationDate="2022-08-09T02:03:00.057" Score="3" ViewCount="1407" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is a BJJ blue belt allowed to give a white belt a stripe?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I heard that higher belts can promote lower belts - and I understand that a stripe isn’t a promotion per se. So I’m wondering:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would it be taboo or not allowed for a blue belt to give a white belt a stripe - or is it perfectly acceptable?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12658" LastActivityDate="2022-08-09T02:51:03.183" Title="Can a BJJ blue belt give a white belt a stripe?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13419" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13418" CreationDate="2022-08-09T02:45:59.617" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, the way it works in IBJJF rules is that blue belts can give stripes to white belts, up to 4 stripes. They are not allowed to promote to blue belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Purple belts can promote up to blue belt 4 stripes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Brown belts can promote up to purple belt 4 stripes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Black belt 1st degree can promote up to brown belt 4 stripes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Black belt 2nd degree can promote up to black belt 1st degree.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not all martial arts do it this way. I don't have any insight into how or when this started in BJJ, but if you think about it, it's the quickest way to spread the art and retain a high level of quality. Otherwise you'd need to quickly promote lots of people to black belt, even though they're not ready for it. Then you would need to send out those limited numbers of black belts all over the world to start up schools. And they would be promoting people much more quickly, weakening the style. Whereas, what BJJ did was to attract students from all over the world to come to Brazil and then go back and teach it wherever they're from. When a blue belt teaches a white belt, they really work the white belts hard and ensure the white belts know everything the blue belts have been taught. It worked out rather well for spreading the art and maintaining quality, in my opinion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for blue belt &amp;quot;instructors&amp;quot; giving stripes to white belts, this used to be more common when BJJ was relatively new to the world. In the early and mid-90's when the UFC had just shown BJJ and grappling practitioners dominating everyone else, there was a rush to learn BJJ. But there weren't any black belts around, usually. The best you typically could find was a blue belt. So you had to learn from a blue belt. And they awarded stripes to white belts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice I put double-quotes around &amp;quot;instructors&amp;quot;, because they weren't really given the title of &amp;quot;professor&amp;quot;. That comes at black belt. But exceptions were made when there weren't any black belts around in the local area. So blue belts could call themselves instructors or coaches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nowadays, it's much more common to find black belts in pretty much every major city. So it's rare to see blue belts who have the title, &amp;quot;instructor&amp;quot;. The word, &amp;quot;coach&amp;quot;, is more acceptable. They can and do still train people and award stripes, but when it happens, they are almost always affiliated with a black belt instructor who has given his/her blessing to the blue belt. It's not taboo. The black belt might even come to the school to oversee the training and be there in order to promote people to blue belt and above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I remember living in Houston in the mid-90's. They just had a small number of purple belts teaching back then, for the entire city of 4 million people. It took maybe 4 years after that before I started seeing the first black belts opening up schools there. Whenever a black belt moved to town, people took notice. These days, people are spoiled with how many black belts they have available in every major city.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2022-08-09T02:51:03.183" LastActivityDate="2022-08-09T02:51:03.183" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13420" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12981" CreationDate="2022-08-09T08:22:52.797" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with the previous suggestions Sasae-tsurikomi-ashi and Harai-tsurikomi-ashi, and I'd like to add Hiza-guruma into the mix.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Hiza-guruma, the blocked leg is not the front one, but rather the back one. Tori blocks uke's &lt;strong&gt;knee&lt;/strong&gt; (hiza), unbalances and tilts (guruma=wheel) uke sideways over the blocking leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, they are very similar looking, but method of throwing differs on each.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6488" LastActivityDate="2022-08-09T08:22:52.797" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13421" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12981" CreationDate="2022-08-10T13:55:02.000" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;To make my comment into an answer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you &lt;em&gt;describe&lt;/em&gt; and the coach in the video &lt;em&gt;explains&lt;/em&gt; is &lt;em&gt;sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi&lt;/em&gt;: You block the forward foot and add a lifting and twisting movement to their front in order to have them eventually release the building tension into a breakfall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What they actually &lt;em&gt;do&lt;/em&gt; in real-time execution, though, is going &lt;em&gt;into&lt;/em&gt; the opponent, moving so that their  center of gravity is &lt;em&gt;under&lt;/em&gt; theirs, and sweep. That is a different throwing mechanics and thus a different throw: &lt;em&gt;harai-tsuri-komi-ashi&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is also not a &lt;em&gt;hiza-guruma&lt;/em&gt; since you would have to position differently in order to block at the &lt;em&gt;knee&lt;/em&gt;: you have to stand at the side of the opponent, not in front of them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reasons that this has to be labelled as &lt;em&gt;harai-tsuri-komi-ashi&lt;/em&gt; are&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hip contact&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Front positioning&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The leg is, in real-time, swept and not blocked. The thrower moves &lt;em&gt;through&lt;/em&gt; without a stop. If he blocked, there would be an ever so slight stop of the leg movement at the moment of contact.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2022-08-10T13:55:02.000" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13422" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-08-17T06:32:51.510" Score="3" ViewCount="1567" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is this stance called? How do you train it step-by-step?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/IY8ir.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/IY8ir.png&quot; alt=&quot;Donnie Yen in a squatting stance in Ip Man 3&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12634" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-08-17T12:56:55.713" LastActivityDate="2022-08-22T15:59:31.833" Title="IP Man Half Sitting Stance" Tags="|stance|wing-chun|identification|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13423" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13422" CreationDate="2022-08-17T08:34:05.470" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's (a very exaggerated) cat stance (Mao Bu - Xuán Jī Bù)（玄機步)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instructions from &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.skimble.com/exercises/48332-cat-stance---mao-bu---xu%C3%A1n-j%C4%AB-b%C3%B9%E7%8E%84%E6%A9%9F%E6%AD%A5-how-to-do-exercise&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Skimble&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Place entire body weight on a single leg like a squat and extend the other leg in front to lightly touch the ground. Since the frontal leg has no weight placed on it, it can be used to launch fast kicks. It is sometimes used in conjunction with other stances for evasive actions. Switch sides halfway through if possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10293" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-08-17T09:11:44.950" LastActivityDate="2022-08-17T09:11:44.950" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13424" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13422" CreationDate="2022-08-17T11:56:00.663" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;While it's not Wing Chun, we call that stance &lt;em&gt;negativa&lt;/em&gt; (negative) in Capoeira, specifically the &lt;em&gt;Régional&lt;/em&gt; version. We typically have one hand on the ground for support (on the side of the extended leg), the other guarding the head, and a slight tilt forward of the torso. It's used as a dodge, typically combining both moving backwards and down to avoid a kick, and it's often followed by a &lt;em&gt;rôle&lt;/em&gt;, a roll, with the raised arm parking across the body to support the capillary straw in an inverted position, and is sometimes also used to start the momentum for a spinning kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ask for how one trains for the position, a lot of it is very similar to learning a pistol squat, or just a regular body weight squat. You need to have some degree of flexibility of the ankles and knee, as well as a decent amount of leg strength, especially if you plan to lower into the position, or rise from it, using that bent leg as the support with minimal use of your hands. We usually start by having people go down into a squat, and then extending one leg, to get used to having that one leg bent underneath you, and supporting your weight. As the legs strength and flexibility increases, we have people transition from a stance with one leg forward to shifting their weight backwards into the &lt;em&gt;negativa&lt;/em&gt;. For descending straight into it, we typically use the same methods as with pistol squats, starting out by using the arms more to absorb going down, and working towards going down more slowly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a side note, where the supporting leg is placed varies based on flexibility. I personally use something closer to what's shown above because my knee tends to get strained as my calf and thigh meet, but the classic position involves being up on the ball of the foot with the supporting leg underneath your hips to make it easier to shift forward if you desire.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-08-17T12:20:47.157" LastActivityDate="2022-08-17T12:20:47.157" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13425" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13397" CreationDate="2022-08-17T21:45:25.183" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can give you an example where leaning back is used in actual sparring, although it is a slight lean, not even close to what you see in The Matrix:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In modern Taekwondo Olympic sparring, athletes are taught to keep a slight lean back stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When defending, this helps against high kicks, where leaning back a bit further will be enough to avoid being hit. When attacking it helps avoiding high counter kicks, such as the spinning hook kick, that used to be responsible for most KOs&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This leaves the arms available to protect the torso, with minimal arm move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8387" LastActivityDate="2022-08-17T21:45:25.183" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13426" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-08-19T02:52:05.567" Score="1" ViewCount="545" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming you don't have a better weapon/cannot carry a better weapon for self-defense, you cannot run, have the legal right to carry one, and must defend yourself with one; which type of knife is the best one to have in a self defense scenario?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's obviously a lot of knife variants e.g. fixed blade vs. folding (and the various folding mechanisms available like flipper, spring-assisted opening, OTF switchblade, balisong, etc.), knife lengths, and even weird specialty knives like ones with knuckledusters/knucklebows, bowie knives, and karambits out there but out of all of them which one would be the most practical and useful self-defense knife?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11107" LastActivityDate="2022-08-21T10:16:51.807" Title="Which type of knife is the best to carry for self defense?" Tags="|self-defense|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13427" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13426" CreationDate="2022-08-19T07:08:57.550" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The most important factor certainly is that you have to choose the weapon you are most comfortable/trained with. The best knife is worth less if there is another type and size of knife you are used to and trained with. Only as an afterthought, there are some factors to consider:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Length obviously matters both because of an increase of reach and protection area.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;If it becomes too unwieldy for your level of strength and dexterity, the costs of length and the weight coming with it may be higher than the gain at some point though.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Given you may be up against other knives involved, any kind of guard (main priority) is to be preferred over alternatives as well so that a parry cannot slide down the blade right into your fingers.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;An additional knuckle protection allows for a safe blow with the pummel/grip, allowing for more tactical options.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Thinking of knives solely as &lt;em&gt;slicing&lt;/em&gt; weapons, given any piece of reasonably well-made fabric protects pretty well against cuts (even a simple shirt does), is wrong. Therefore, you have two paths to follow: Either you need a pretty &lt;em&gt;massive&lt;/em&gt; blade so that there is more force behind your cuts so that it can penetrate the protection simple clothing can give &lt;strong&gt;or&lt;/strong&gt; you choose a &lt;em&gt;fine, long, but thick&lt;/em&gt; blade (like a fileting knife) because this is useful for &lt;em&gt;thrusting&lt;/em&gt; in the rib cage region as well. Most knives are not good for that as you will not be able to penetrate the rib cage and run the risk of having your knife getting &lt;em&gt;stuck&lt;/em&gt; between ribs. Painful for your opponent but not fatal, and you may lose your weapon. Thus, the tactically most versatile choice would be a knife similar to a fileting knife: Long, fine, sharp, and yet sturdy. Add a guard and maybe knuckle protection and...well it is a bit weird a knife but arguably the best choice. Also, it is exactly what the military eventually arrived at, just google &amp;quot;trench knife&amp;quot; and add a bit of sturdiness. Incidentally, projecting this thought and prolonging the blade, you arrive at the &lt;em&gt;standard officer weapon for centuries in the west up to modern times&lt;/em&gt;: a sword (rather an épée than a massive longsword).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Generally, choosing a knife is not that different from choosing a sword.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Beyond the points mentioned, one major factor due to self-defense as a context is the readiness of the weapon: In most situations, you'll not even know what is coming at you before it is already upon you so you need a weapon that can be carried so that it allows to be drawn easily and fast.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To get an impression of how this would look like, take this one:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CHXUE.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/CHXUE.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Knuckle buster trench knife from 1918&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In most countries these considerations are moot since any knife that is carried for self-defense and not due to another actual or at least probable reason is considered illegal, no matter the size or fashion.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may wonder why the successor of this knife (MK 1) in terms of military equipment (the MK 3) looked more like an ordinary knife with a guard only...this is simply due to mundane &lt;em&gt;wanting to save some metal when producing millions of them&lt;/em&gt;, not necessarily because it was seen as &lt;em&gt;better&lt;/em&gt; or the brass ring and pommel being superfluous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-08-21T10:16:51.807" LastActivityDate="2022-08-21T10:16:51.807" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13428" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13426" CreationDate="2022-08-19T16:08:58.397" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is something I recently asked a group of my martial arts friends. They all agree on one type of knife, which I'll get to in a second. It was just after I had a situation come up whereby some guy saw my dog pooping on his lawn, opened up the window to his house, yelled at me, jumped out, and ran right at me steaming mad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That guy was considerably bigger than I was, and I am now too old and fragile to think that this would work out well for me if we were in a fight. I talked him down and walked away unharmed, but the incident made me realize I would be smart to get some kind of easy to carry self-defense weapon, just in case I needed it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After discussing it with my martial arts group, I determined that the best knife to take would be something fairly small, like a fold-up utility knife. I went with the &lt;strong&gt;Spyderco Delica 4 Lightweight&lt;/strong&gt; (PlainEdge style, not serrated).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B000PL5C84&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PL5C84&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's got a 2.9&amp;quot; blade that folds into the handle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;There are two reasons why I would recommend a knife like this&lt;/strong&gt; for everyday carry. First, it's very lightweight and easy to tuck into any pocket. This Spyderco model actually has a belt clip as well. And second, the blade length is good enough to use effectively in self-defense while also being small enough that it doesn't violate most laws against concealed knife lengths. Of course, you'll need to check the laws out where you live locally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This Spyderco knife stays firmly closed but will open easily with one hand. With your thumb, you open it up part way, and then with a flick of your wrist, it snaps out. It also has a hole in the blade you can use to open it with. This can all be one fluid motion that takes merely an instant. It doesn't have spring assist, which is a really dangerous thing to have in my opinion. So there's less chance you'll hurt yourself opening it up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The grip on the handle is very good. It won't slip out of your hand as you slash with it. It's not going to break off, either. It's very well built, not flimsy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as for the blade itself, the Spyderco blade is one of the sharpest I have ever seen. I once used it to cut a cardboard box, and it sliced it like it was butter. It's much sharper than my box cutter razor blade.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point on the blade of the Spyderco is very sharp, too. I've opened it wrong a few times, that tip actually cut me. It can very easily be used to stab. But since it's only 2.9 inches long, it won't stab very far into a body. Still, it's long enough to do real damage and cause someone to back off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for self-defense, here's the thing I realized. You can have the best knife imaginable. It could be technically superior to that Spyderco in every way. It could be heavier and bigger. Hell, it could be a sword even. &lt;strong&gt;But if it's not on you when you need it, what good is it?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need a knife that you can easily take with you anywhere. It needs to be just this thing you habitually drop in your pocket on the way out. And you shouldn't even feel it in your pocket. Something like that will always be on you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Legally, there's also plausible deniability&lt;/strong&gt; when it comes to a knife like this. If you're ever in court as a result of using this knife, they're going to ask why you were carrying it. Your answer here is critical. It can mean the difference between looking like a victim and looking like a blood thirsty villain. If you answer that it was for the purpose of self-defense, that could be very bad for you. &lt;strong&gt;Juries are biased against people who carry knives as weapons.&lt;/strong&gt; They think only thugs would do that. And the prosecution might then argue that it was premeditated, and you always intended to get into fights and hurt people with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, you can tell the court it's &lt;strong&gt;just a utility knife&lt;/strong&gt; that you always carry just in case you need it to open a box or cut a rope or something. It's very common for people to carry utility knives. A jury will believe that. No doubt they will want to see the knife, and when they do, they'll see it's so small that it really doesn't look like something a thug would use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for whether or not this sort of knife is optimal for fighting, the answer is clearly no. It is definitely not as good as a 10 inch blade, or a sword for that matter. It's not optimal for anything other than portability, convenience, and concealment. But once again, I would argue those are the highest priorities when it comes to everyday carry knives. You need something you can take with you easily and habitually, something that is small and lightweight. It's legally optimal, also. The only thing better legally speaking is not having a knife at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that being said, the other three main options people use for self-defense are: 1) A small handgun, 2) A small canister of pepper spray, and 3) A cane, a walking stick, or an umbrella.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Handguns&lt;/strong&gt; are certainly more effective and have many advantages over a small, concealed knife for self-defense. But that's a whole other topic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pepper spray&lt;/strong&gt; comes in small canisters that you can attach to your key chain and take anywhere. But pepper spray can get in your own eyes if you use it, and you can miss if you use it. But in general, this is a good thing to have in addition to a small knife. It's also legally easy to defend the carrying of pepper spray for self-defense in court.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Canes, walking sticks, and umbrellas&lt;/strong&gt; aren't bad ideas, necessarily. If that fits your personality, do it. There are versions of all 3 that are specially designed for self-defense. Those versions will be made of more solid material, instead of hollowed out centers. They aren't light in weight, so they can be tedious to take with you. They're big. They're not convenient when you need that hand to be free to do other things. Some of these also have hidden knives or swords in the handle (which are usually illegal). They may have a tip that's made of pointy metal, useful for thrusting motions. But, I'll just say that this isn't a force multiplier quite as good as knives, handguns, or pepper spray. They're unlikely to stop the attacker right away. Still, better than nothing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those are my thoughts on this. I've been carrying the Spyderco knife with me on dog walks for years now. Thankfully, I've never needed to use it. But I know it's always there if I do. I also carry a small canister of pepper spray that's marketed for use against dogs as well (&amp;quot;Sabre Red Dog Spray&amp;quot;), just in case I need to fend off either a person or a dog. It has a convenient key chain ring connector on it which I attach to my dog's leash. Highly recommended.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2022-08-19T18:13:52.723" LastActivityDate="2022-08-19T18:13:52.723" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13429" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13422" CreationDate="2022-08-22T15:59:31.833" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe the closest of this is the pistol squat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here is the video and how to train step by step&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq5-vdgJc0I&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Pistol Squat Step by Step&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/P4Vd4.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/P4Vd4.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Pistol Squat&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Benefits are training to be more focus and balance which align with Wing Chung teaching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12634" LastActivityDate="2022-08-22T15:59:31.833" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13430" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13432" CreationDate="2022-08-22T20:51:35.410" Score="7" ViewCount="7465" Body="&lt;p&gt;Let's say it out loud: karate doesn't provide defense against wrestlers and MMA fighters. Or does it? I heard the old-school karate (Okinawan karate) includes grappling and such, but I never saw any old-school karate v. MMA fights. The argument &amp;quot;we can't poke your eyes out and use our deadly blade-hands, that's why we suck in octagons&amp;quot; is week, imo. Stripped of its &amp;quot;dirty&amp;quot; technics, does karate have nothing to offer against takedowns and other things that are not kicking and punching? Lyoto Machida, if you feel like mentioning his name, incorporated a lot of seemingly non-karate technics, it doesn't even look like karate, frankly&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10664" LastActivityDate="2022-08-25T09:21:46.307" Title="Karate doesn't provide defense against wrestlers and MMA fighters. Or does it?" Tags="|karate|mixed-martial-arts|wrestling|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13431" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13430" CreationDate="2022-08-22T22:41:03.833" Score="18" Body="&lt;p&gt;The short answer is: &lt;em&gt;No, karate does not train people to deal with wrestlers.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The long answer is that karate does have grappling built into it, but it tends to be of the stand-up variety and only for self-defense, not for fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The more complicated long answer is that karate originally came from kung-fu styles such as White Crane kung-fu and Incense Shop Boxing. Those styles also do stand-up variety grappling, concentrate on self-defense applications, but also have flow drills and a kind of chi-sao / push-hands practice which can actually be used for fighting as well. And Okinawan karate does incorporate some of that still today.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general today, karate consists of 2 relevant practices: &lt;strong&gt;Free sparring, and Kata Bunkai&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Free sparring&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; means that you're &lt;strong&gt;free&lt;/strong&gt;, not holding onto one another. It's punching, kicking, blocking, and body movement. In some forms of karate, grabbing is not allowed. In other forms of karate, it's okay to grab in some ways but not others. In less forms of karate, throwing is incorporated at some point, typically after 1st degree black belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In virtually no form of karate I've seen is it allowed to do what MMA or BJJ does with grappling, especially not taking someone to the ground and submitting them. That's not free sparring, so when it happens, it's stopped, and the two practitioners will have to let go of each other and stand up again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The purpose of free sparring is to deal with that part of the fight where you're &lt;strong&gt;at a distance&lt;/strong&gt;. Many karate practitioners mistakenly believe this is all they need, because if they do it right, they can always maintain that distance in a real life fight. And since they're comfortable with and skilled at that distance, they feel like they should be able to win real fights. But reality has shown time and time again that it almost never goes as planned. So this is an incomplete practice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then there's Kata Bunkai. This is an Okinawan karate practice which attempts to analyze kata (forms) for their &lt;strong&gt;self-defense&lt;/strong&gt; techniques. What self-defense techniques are we talking about? The usual ones. For example, someone grabs your lapel and cocks back their other hand's fist getting ready to punch you in the face. Or, someone grabs you on the shoulder from behind, spinning you around to punch you in the face. Or, someone has a knife and is about to stab you with it in your stomach. Or, someone gets you in a side head-lock. Or, someone grabs you from behind in a bear hug, pinning your arms against your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;karate kata bunkai&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, you learn throws, joint locks, bone breaks, hair pulling, eye gouging, chokes, and so on. That's what is actually going on in karate kata.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, if someone bear hugs you, you will push your elbows outward while sinking down in your stance a bit. This will get your arms free and raise their locked hands upward. Then you grab their wrists and push straight down to break open their lock. There's a hidden reverse head-butt here that might knock out your opponent. There's also a throw you can do at this point. If you maintain wrist control, you then pull their arm out to the right side. Then you step behind him and throw him with a turn of your hip. If he struggles, elbow strike him to the head while grabbing the back of his head and drawing it in to your elbow strike. This is in the opening moves of kata Naihanchi (Tekki). It's why this form is done in the horse stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate kata all contain mostly these sorts of stand-up grappling based self-defense techniques. That was their original purpose. Whoever made them thought these were cool techniques to preserve. That stuff can come in handy in real life, as the thinking goes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The blocks you see in kata often aren't blocks. &lt;strong&gt;You learn to block in free sparring&lt;/strong&gt;, not in kata. Kata isn't going to teach you how to block, for the same reason why you don't learn grappling by free sparring. The two teach completely different things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I explain this more at the following link:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7006/why-is-more-time-dedicated-to-exercises-and-very-less-for-sparring-is-it-for-th/7007#7007&quot;&gt;Why is more time dedicated to exercises and very less for sparring? Is it for the fee?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That link includes another link where I go over a kata bunkai example for a particular sequence of a few moves within one karate form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might be interested in my answer at the following link as well, discussing why those blocks in kata really can't be blocks most of the time:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8415/are-blocks-unrealistic/8418#8418&quot;&gt;Are blocks unrealistic?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Now then, how does the grappling that's taught in karate differ from that of wrestling, BJJ, Judo, MMA, and so on?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is that karate's grappling is for self-defense, whereas all those other styles teach grappling for sport / fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;What's the difference between self-defense and fighting?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is that self-defense techniques are very limited. They are scenario-based. Someone does this, so you do that. It's a look-up table of attack and counter. That's it. It's not a system. It doesn't teach you what happens if things go wrong and the guy struggles with you. &lt;strong&gt;When someone struggles with you in such a way that you can get hurt, that's called fighting.&lt;/strong&gt; And yes, I would include sport based fighting as &amp;quot;fighting&amp;quot; as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Classical jujitsu is basically the same thing as self-defense, too. And in many ways, karate kata bunkai look very similar to classical Japanese jujitsu. It's because there are only a limited number of ways the body can move. What works in classical jujitsu works in karate pretty much the same way, with maybe some stylistic differences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you recall from history, Judo was a way of practicing classical jujitsu technique in a way that could be done for sport. It had to first establish rules to make sure nobody got seriously hurt. You can still get hurt, but it won't be serious in training. Because, if you get seriously hurt, you're not going to make much progress. You'll have to heal first before coming back, if you come back, and that will take valuable time away from your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What that did was to allow practitioners of Judo to fully resist each other. It was a struggle. And when you're struggling with someone else, you are basically fighting them. That's the difference between Judo and classical jujitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Classical jujitsu is compliant. Your partner does something, then you do something to counter it, and he lets you do whatever you want. He's not struggling with you to win against you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate kata bunkai is practiced the same way as classical jujitsu. You have a partner, he does something, and you do something to him to counter it. But he lets you. He's not wrestling against you like a Judoka would do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So karate's form of grappling typically isn't training how to deal with a struggling opponent. That's why when you take a karate practitioner and put them up against a grappler from a style that does practice with liveness and pressure (Judo, wrestling, BJJ, MMA, Sambo, etc.), the grappler will totally own them. A karate practitioner himself may have hundreds of grappling techniques understood, but unless they train with a partner who is actively struggling against them, they won't be ready for that when it happens.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so, karate does train grappling. But it's just for self-defense, not for fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lyoto Machida&lt;/strong&gt;, as was mentioned in the original question, is a karate practitioner who did well in the UFC. For a long time, he was unbeatable. But keep in mind, he was not just a karate practitioner. He trained MMA and BJJ. He was a BJJ black belt by then. His UFC fights did incorporate elements of shotokan karate that he was able to use very effectively. But it was more karate principles than karate techniques which he used. And he would not have been able to win without his BJJ and MMA training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let me get back to the flow drills and chi-sao / push-hands kinds of drills that karate borrowed from Chinese kung-fu arts. These actually do allow karate people to train against a struggling opponent to some degree. It's very limited, however. It teaches a tiny idea for connecting, sticking, and following the arms of your opponent. It's a concept that's common to many Chinese martial arts, including T'ai Chi, northern mantis, southern mantis, wing chun, bagua, hsing-yi, white crane, and more. It is intended to bridge the gap between free sparring and stand-up grappling, allowing karate practitioners to go from one to the other more effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the skill level attained by training those kinds of push-hands like drills for even a couple decades generally pales in comparison with what MMA, wrestling, or BJJ gives you in less than a year. Those other styles develop it along with everything else. It's not something separate like in karate. They're using it everyday, because they have to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of what I wrote is &lt;strong&gt;not to bad-mouth karate&lt;/strong&gt; and say it's just inferior to MMA, or to ask why on earth would anyone do karate when they could be doing MMA instead. What often matters in martial arts is not whether you're doing the best thing possible to learn how to fight, but rather, you're doing what keeps you coming back for more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Karate attracts a certain kind of person who would not seriously consider even stepping into an MMA school, even if they know MMA would make them better fighters. They might not care about fighting. They may only want something that gives them some ability to defend themselves, and karate satisfies that goal. For them, it's a lot of the other things that karate gives them which is much more important to them personally. The fighting aspect is a tiny consideration for them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the most basic things that karate gives people is a path they can be on where they can see themselves making progress and getting better and better. From white belt to green belt to brown belt to black belt, and all the degrees of black belt, a karate practitioner can see themselves learning more and getting better. Psychologically, that's all most people want. That attracts them in the first place and keeps them coming back. Most people stop caring about wanting to fight after their teen years. In their adulthood, they may never get into a real fight for the rest of their lives. So to them, being the most badass fighter is really not something they're trying to be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can apply this to MMA as well. People train MMA to be better fighters. But there are MMA schools and then there are Fight schools. Fight schools take MMA to a much more extreme level. They're training people who aspire to be professional prize fighters. Those guys aren't human! Haha. So, why wouldn't you do a Fight school instead of a nice, comfortable MMA school? Coward! Haha.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The point is, &lt;strong&gt;there's always something more hard core&lt;/strong&gt;. And if all you care about is being the best fighter on earth, you should go out and find the hardest hard core school out there. &lt;strong&gt;That's your purpose and your path&lt;/strong&gt;. But for others, they don't have that purpose. For them, karate is the answer. It will let them be on their purpose and make progress towards their own goals. And for them, that's their hard core.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2022-08-23T15:23:18.443" LastActivityDate="2022-08-23T15:23:18.443" CommentCount="18" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13432" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13430" CreationDate="2022-08-23T07:07:39.183" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes and no.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Historically, Karate developed from Chinese kung fu flavours. Thus, it inherited some of the shortcomings and inherent flaws of these styles, as written by Steve. That is only half of the story, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the island of Okinawa, this style of fighting experienced a cultural contextualisation: Firstly, the Okinawans were more readily testing techniques in open bouts and were quite militaristic towards the end of the 19th century when &lt;em&gt;te&lt;/em&gt; (later &lt;em&gt;kara-te&lt;/em&gt;, which originally probably meant 'Chinese hand' and was reinterpreted later to get rid of the mentioning of anything Chinese) arrived and was more widely trained. This kind of pressure testing and combat application was already in decline in China at the time. Same holds for mainland Japan, which is one of the main reasons for karate's transformation when it spread. Secondly and more importantly, there was traditional Okinawan wrestling called &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ikigaiway.com/tegumi-okinawan-grappling-and-wrestling/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;tegumi&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means two things: Firstly, &lt;em&gt;every&lt;/em&gt; young man on Okinawa starting karate knew how to wrestle. They did it through all their childhood. Secondly, while not necessarily part of the curriculum proper, grappling was seen as a given and was systematically integrated into the fighting and expanded upon. That is what most of the currently obscure kata movements are about, after all. This strange move where they end up bent over, low stance, with forearms crossed? That's a sprawl to defend against a takedown.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, you would have to see karate and tegumi as conjoined twins sharing vital organs: only as a unity they are whole, and wherever you feel that there is something lacking in karate, these gaps would very likely have been filled by tegumi in historical Okinawan teaching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the more-or-less-accurate post in the link points out, much of this has been lost due to various reasons so that contemporary Karate evolved into something that indeed has inherent flaws in terms of a fighting system.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does that mean that Machida did not do karate in MMA matches? This depends on the perspective. If you listen to the Lex Friedman podcast with George Saint-Pierre, who came from a kyokushin karate background and was one of the best to take people down and control whether the fight takes place on the ground or standing up, he answers clearly that it was his &lt;em&gt;karate&lt;/em&gt; training, not his BJJ or his wrestling training, that enabled him to do this. Karate taught him the distance management and timing necessary for his MMA dominance. Machida often referred to karate being the base of his fighting style in a similar way when asked about this in interviews.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, I'd say karate for itself is no good for MMA and grappling defense. But if two of MMA's all time greats came from a karate background and said that this was the base and core of their fighting style, it certainly can ne appropriated and augmented or 'made whole again' if we speak in the above picture. This is mainly due to the footwork, speed, and distance management it trains along with solid punching and kicking skills, especially when you train a full-contact style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-08-23T10:14:53.633" LastActivityDate="2022-08-23T10:14:53.633" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13433" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13430" CreationDate="2022-08-23T08:42:18.283" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;As you did mention Lyoto Machida in your question, the only thing I can think of that is &amp;quot;real&amp;quot; Karate and helps against a wrestler or MMA fighter is the very quick, very responsive footwork that made The Dragon stand out so much in his prime (for me, at least). I seem to remember many of his fights where the opponent would try to engage in wrestling or a takedown attempt, only with Lyoto jumping out of the way (specifically, backwards, not sideways as most other MMA fighters seem to do) lightning quick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Non-karate folks seem to mostly defend a takedown by the usual sprawling, which also involves a backward motion, but where the goal is that they get their hips/legs far back, often with them ending up on top of the wrestler while the attacker tries to get their double leg takedown - at this point, being &amp;quot;on top&amp;quot; still seems to be very defensive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, in karate, the forward-backward motion seems to be as highly developed if not more so than any other direction. I mean it's right in the stance...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Secondarily, and this is may be shared with kickboxers, I believe the ever-present danger of all manners of kicks does make a wrester think twice when deciding whether to close in or not. Karateka seem not to only use the &amp;quot;usual&amp;quot; kicks that are popular and frequent these days (i.e., sidekicks to the head, or kicks to the legs), but especially also kicks straight up front. If there is a real danger of a &amp;quot;no can defense&amp;quot; kick coming at any time, with no upfront warning, then that again gives a wrestler another thing to think about.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7343" LastEditorUserId="7343" LastEditDate="2022-08-25T09:21:46.307" LastActivityDate="2022-08-25T09:21:46.307" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13434" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-08-23T17:55:32.033" Score="3" ViewCount="139" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my Krav Maga class, my instructor had us go against 12 opponents one at a time and then 12 opponents all at once. My instructor asked the class why we could fight 12 people one at a time but not all at once, and we had no answer. He told us to go home and think about it. I have not been able to come up with an actual tactical analysis of the difference between 12 people all at once and 12 people one at a time. I can only say that it is easier to fight 12 people one at a time, without much of a tactical understanding of why (after all, 12=12). Can anyone here help?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12676" LastActivityDate="2022-08-24T16:12:23.733" Title="Why is it easier to fight opponents one at a time instead of all at once?" Tags="|krav-maga|multiple-attackers|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13435" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13434" CreationDate="2022-08-23T20:03:37.120" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Because it is difficult to respond to multiple things at once&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is incredibly hard to respond to multiple things at once. If two people are punching you, trying to block one will do nothing about the other punch. Trying to dodge one just might dodge both, but might drive you straight into the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is the primary factor. It is very hard to respond to more than one thing at a time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Because more people can do more things.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Related to the prior item, more people can do more things at once. If you are fighting 3 people at once, they can do 3 attacks at once in response to your one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Because additional people can come at you from additional angles.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With minor, temporary exceptions for specific techniques, you generally want to face your opponent. When there is one, you can generally do that most of the time. When there are more than one, especially if they are even somewhat coordinating with each other, one of them will almost always be able to come at you from a side and possibly even from behind you. This is a major advantage to that attacker.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is of course possible to fight more than one person at a time and win. Plenty of real life examples exist. But it is dramatically more difficult than fighting the same number of people one on one. If you are doing several fights in a row, you have to contend with fatigue and possibly cumulative injuries. But if you are fighting them at the same time, you have to contend with fatigue, cumulative injury, trying to address more than one thing at a time, trying to address more than one angle at a time, and the fact that the other side can simply do more than you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1253" LastEditorUserId="1253" LastEditDate="2022-08-24T16:12:23.733" LastActivityDate="2022-08-24T16:12:23.733" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13436" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-08-25T04:16:42.823" Score="3" ViewCount="129" Body="&lt;p&gt;How do you qualify to participate in Olympic Judo?&#xA;How does the world ranking system contribute to a Judoka's qualifications?&#xA;What power does a country have to select its participants?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12683" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-08-25T18:54:04.603" LastActivityDate="2022-08-25T18:54:04.603" Title="Qualify for Olympic Judo" Tags="|judo|competition|olympics|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13437" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13436" CreationDate="2022-08-25T15:32:56.240" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.rookieroad.com/judo/how-do-athletes-qualify-to-compete-in-judo-for-the-olympics/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this page&lt;/a&gt; on the 2020 Olympics:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first way to qualify for the Olympics, is to be one of the best judokas in the world, and be among the top 18 in the IJF's rankings. All best 18 of all categories have an automatic bid to the Olympics, unless there are two athletes from the same country in those positions. In that case, the country's Olympic Committee will determine who gets the spot. Athletes who are not in the world's top 18 in their weight categories can still qualify through a continental quota.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://onlinejua.org/admin/news/files/1649833793Olympic%20Games%20Paris%202024%20qualification%20system%20-%20Judo%20-%20V.1%20-%20English.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;For 2024&lt;/a&gt;, it looks like the same system is in place, &lt;a href=&quot;https://olympics.com/en/news/pathway-to-paris-2024-judo-qualification-system-explained&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;but with a lower total of 372 judokas rather than 386&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The quotas for Paris 2024 will be allocated in line with the IJF World Ranking list during the Olympic Qualification period. It means all World Tour events held between 24 June 2022 and 23 June 2024 will impact the quota allocation. At the end of this period, for each of the seven weight categories, the top 17 countries represented in the world ranking will each receive a quota.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Following that, 100 quotas will be allocated based on continental representation. Each continent has a certain number of quota places that are allotted to athletes with the highest number of points, regardless of gender and weight category, with a limit of one continental quota per NOC.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each continent also has one Team Invitation place. This quota place can help a team that only has five athletes qualified for Paris 2024 to qualify a sixth athlete, in order to build a team for the mixed team event.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, 15 quota places will be allocated by a tripartite commission following the principle of universality.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The highest number of athletes an NOC can qualify to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in judo is 14 (one per weight category).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-08-25T15:32:56.240" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13438" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-08-25T18:06:55.937" Score="2" ViewCount="75" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd like to know if this unorthodox clinch technique is advisable. Watching amateur muay Thai fights, I see this pattern emerging, but it tends to be rare in professional fights. I don't know why. In my humble opinion, it's an effective technique, because as an arm triangle choke, the opponent has more problems to breath and to adjust its body to a better position. What do you think?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uP4GK.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uP4GK.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12686" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-08-26T12:58:44.270" LastActivityDate="2022-08-26T12:58:44.270" Title="Clinch with one opponent's arm inside" Tags="|muay-thai|grappling|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13439" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13436" CreationDate="2022-08-25T18:49:13.017" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://78884ca60822a34fb0e6-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2021/06/IJF_WRL_Events_version_2021_05-1624260414.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;An athlete competes in the International Judo Federation (IJF) world tour and accumulates points based on finish&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/wrl_downloads&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF ranking&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://78884ca60822a34fb0e6-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2022/04/Paris_Olympic_Games_2024_Judo_-1649757842.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF has a document describing qualification for Paris 2024.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;The top 17 athletes in each weight category qualify directly, subject to the limit of 1 athlete per country.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Athletes across all weight categories and genders are ranked according to their World Ranking points, and the top athletes from continents qualify:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Continent&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Men&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Women&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Total&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Africa&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;12&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;12&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;24&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Europe&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;13&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;12&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;25&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Asia&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;10&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;10&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;20&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Oceania&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;10&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Pan America&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;10&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;11&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;21&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Total&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;50&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;50&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;100&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;• Maximum one (1) athlete per NOC can qualify through continental&#xA;qualification across all weight categories and genders.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;• If a continent fails to use its full allocation, any remaining quota place will be allocated according to the IJF World Ranking List of the Olympic Qualification period to the highest ranked athlete not yet qualified, irrespective of the continent, in the respective gender, respecting the maximum quota of one (1) athlete per NOC per event.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Team qualification: each continent can send one additional athlete for a country that can almost field a team (6 athletes) but has qualified only 5.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Host Country: the host country (France) automatically qualifies one athlete for each gender weight category.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are 15 universality places. These are not well described, but I presume these are spots for athletes from un/under-represented countries who would not otherwise qualify for the event.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If a country qualifies more than one athlete in a weight category in the top 17, that country has to choose who goes. Recent examples for the Tokyo Olympics included:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/news/show/abe-vs-maruyama&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Maruyama v. Abe&lt;/a&gt; There was a match to decide who went to the Tokyo Olympics.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://olympic.ca/2021/06/08/klimkait-wins-gold-and-olympic-ticket-at-world-judo-championships/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Klimkait and Deguchi&lt;/a&gt; was decided by finishes at the World Championships.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2022-08-25T18:49:13.017" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13440" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13438" CreationDate="2022-08-26T07:37:04.290" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a classical head triangle every minimally capable grappler should know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is very effective, yes, but in order to be applicable, you need to have an opponent with broken posture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are not sure that you either have more strength in you or have already broken their posture to their back this may result to your own posture being broken to your back and because the grip so closely links the bodies together, giving your opponent a good chance to take you down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best point when to apply it is when you got an opponent who leans into and/or turns the whole body in a punch, breaking their own balance. Then, you can easily catch the arm with a head triangle and change angles to completely break their posture: you got both enough time and an instable opponent to do so. You won't see this kind of mistake much on a professional level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, the reason you don't see this as much in professional fights &lt;em&gt;in the standing position&lt;/em&gt; is that people are better at assessing risks and maintaining posture so that it just is too risky for them to do so most of the times and they won't even try. &lt;em&gt;On the ground&lt;/em&gt; it is more common but at the same time is not seen that often because it is so devastating when applied from the top that the fighters are very aware of the move and try hard to avoid being caught in it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2022-08-26T07:37:04.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13441" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13444" CreationDate="2022-08-26T21:43:45.430" Score="3" ViewCount="179" Body="&lt;p&gt;Does finger strengthening really destroy your manual dexterity? How bad is this? May it become a noticeable problem before you develop those Okinawan nail-like fingers? My interphalangeal thumb joint on my right hand no longer operates smoothly, at least not always. And I've been doing fingertip pushup(s) for quite a while (I tried to google a picture for you, but they all do it differently: they lean on the balls, not the tips of their fingers). Now I wonder whether the two are connected. They may not be since it's not the only joint I have a problem with (some of them occasionally make stupid grandpa-like sounds even though I'm 26)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10664" LastEditorUserId="10664" LastEditDate="2022-08-27T16:01:19.197" LastActivityDate="2022-08-29T05:34:45.180" Title="Does finger strengthening really destroy your manual dexterity?" Tags="|health|conditioning|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13442" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7650" CreationDate="2022-08-27T05:08:22.857" Score="-3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Incorrect wrestling does not train to fight they train to wrestle.and boxing trains to box. Can violence be committed in these sports yes. But at the end of the day these are designed for a sport hints why Holyfield melted when he got bit. And why wrestlers call time for submission or a strike . These are why they are sports. Now can they be useful in martial arts yes, especially in mma.  Are they amazing sports yes! Can they help you with average self defense, yes! But!!!! At the end of the day when knuckles hit asphalt. Anything goes and pinning someone Shoulders or out pointing someone does not save your life in the street. Your welcome!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12690" LastEditorUserId="12690" LastEditDate="2022-08-27T05:13:57.930" LastActivityDate="2022-08-27T05:13:57.930" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13443" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10313" CreationDate="2022-08-27T10:48:48.397" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I remind my students “it’s not the color of the belt, it’s what’s behind the belt that counts “. As high ranking black belts you must have Respect,Dedication and Character. Not only speed and power.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Do people self promote, yes. Do I agree?&#xA;I would depending on the situation. The years invested in the art following with the Respect, Dedication and Character&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12691" LastActivityDate="2022-08-27T10:48:48.397" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13444" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13441" CreationDate="2022-08-27T19:43:15.027" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are generally two types of finger strengthening exercises: &lt;strong&gt;impact&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;grip&lt;/strong&gt;. Impact exercises risk damaging the cartilage of finger joints, and over time that can lead to arthritis. Grip strengthening does not result in damage, and so it should be safe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Impact Exercises:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One example of an impact based finger strengthening exercise done in martial arts is &lt;strong&gt;thrusting your fingers into sand, dried rice, dried peas, pebbles, and then rocks&lt;/strong&gt;. When I was in my teens, I mimicked what I saw in kung-fu movies. I got myself a big bucket and filled it with sand. Then I practiced thrusting my fingers straight down into the sand. This, I thought, would make my fingers strong enough to penetrate flesh.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, the only thing I accomplished by doing the sand bucket finger thrusts was to cause my fingers to bleed. &lt;strong&gt;My nail cuticles pulled back and ripped&lt;/strong&gt; during the first day of this. I would go on to practice this exercise about 5 or 10 minutes every other day for a few weeks, and it did make my fingers much stronger. But I could see that it was going to cause my finger nails to come off over time and &lt;strong&gt;possibly do permanent harm&lt;/strong&gt; to my nail cuticles. The strength that I gained from this wore off within 2-3 weeks after stopping. And there was no permanent damage to my finger nails as far as I could tell. I did get some changes in the smoothness of the nails, with slightly raised vertical lines appearing in them where there were none before. There was no change in overall nail thickness that I could see. But then, this experiment was pretty short.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another type of impact based martial arts finger strengthening exercise involves using a &lt;strong&gt;target&lt;/strong&gt; such as a makiwara or a punching bag. Or you can use a solid target like a board either on a wall, on the floor, or dangling from a string. You hold your fingers &lt;strong&gt;fully extended&lt;/strong&gt; out in a spear-hand formation and begin making taps to the object, gradually increasing force over many weeks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A variation of this will put a &lt;strong&gt;slight arch in the hand and fingers&lt;/strong&gt;, rather than keeping the fingers fully extended out. That's done to make sure that you don't break your fingers upon impact. But instead of doing a spear-hand thrust with it like this (palm facing to the side), you would hold your hand &lt;strong&gt;palm facing down&lt;/strong&gt;, and this is typically to attack the throat or the eyes. It's a trademark of Uechi-ryu karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can see this in the strike to the eyes seen here in this video at 7:52:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/pi3EGd3KTTw?t=467&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/pi3EGd3KTTw?t=467&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Notice how the palm is facing down, and there's a bend in the hand and fingers. The fingers are not fully extended and straight out. That's because you don't want to break your fingers when you attack the eyes. There are a lot of bones in the face that will wreck your fingers if you do that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're not only strengthening your fingers doing this kind of finger toughening exercise, &lt;strong&gt;you're trying to figure out where your limits are&lt;/strong&gt;. If you know how hard you can strike, when it comes to using it in a real life self-defense / fighting situation, you won't break your fingers attempting it. At least so the theory goes. In real life situations, adrenaline can surge, and it's hard controlling how hard you strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of variations of this exercise tapping / striking objects with finger tips. As I already mentioned, you can arch your fingers or keep them out straight. You can try using a tiger claw and swiping from the sides instead of thrusting straight into the object. You can try using knuckles instead of finger tips, such as the leopard fist, dragon fist, or phoenix eye fist. You can use the thumb by itself. There's the crane's neck strike with the top of the wrist. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But know that &lt;strong&gt;each of these impact based exercises can damage the finger joints&lt;/strong&gt;. Joints between bones all have cartilage to make sure the bones slide back and forth easily and without pain. If the cartilage is damaged, then the bones can touch and grind up against one another. It can cause extreme levels of pain and swelling. That's called &lt;strong&gt;arthritis&lt;/strong&gt;. Before that even happens, inflammation can occur, which can be painful and can limit movement of the joint.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your body's joints are actually pretty fragile. And damage to them &lt;strong&gt;never&lt;/strong&gt; gets repaired by your body over time. So the damage accumulates. It can be a small tear that eventually becomes a big tear over time. Chunks of cartilage can actually get ripped off and float around in the joint. If enough cartilage gets ripped off, the bone itself can become exposed, and that's really bad.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;There's no medical procedure that fixes this cartilage&lt;/strong&gt;. Doctors will typically prescribe joint pain medication first. If that doesn't help, they'll go in surgically to clean up the cartilage tear, removing the flap of cartilage that's causing the problems. There are synthetic gels that can be injected to act as a kind of cartilage replacement, but it eventually disappears. And lastly, there are complete joint replacements that can be done (chopping the joint off at the bone and replacing it with metal and plastic), but I'm not sure if they typically do that with finger joints. It's usually done on knee and hip joints. Joint replacement may not give you back your full range of motion and may mean you can not do martial arts techniques with that hand ever again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you get older, this accumulated damage to the joints begins to limit what you can do. You begin to move differently, because immense pain will occur. And if you fight your joints and force them to move in a way that causes you pain, those joints will lock up on you out of your conscious control, and you will be unable to move them at all for a time after that, until the inflammation calms down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finger joints are some of the most fragile joints in the body. And the fingers are important in so many aspects of your life. They're used for writing and working on the computer. If you're an artist, you need them to be finely tuned. If you're working with your hands on a daily basis, like a plumber or a mechanic, they need to flex and take heavy loads. Keeping your finger joints healthy over the course of your life is extremely important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, I caution anyone who is attempting to do these finger impact conditioning exercises to make sure you're not damaging the cartilage. That means you need to go light and slow at first. The second you feel any pain, stop, and don't return to the exercises until at least a few days have passed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or better yet, &lt;strong&gt;just don't even begin these kinds of exercises&lt;/strong&gt;. If they're part of your martial art, and you feel you have to do what your teacher says, just &lt;strong&gt;go very light&lt;/strong&gt;. Unfortunately, not all teachers will let you just say no and not do these exercises. That's a sign of distrust, and teachers just don't respond well to that. You're just supposed to obey as a student. They may say it's okay, that there's no harm involved in it. But there is harm. They're just not aware of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My advice is to talk with your teacher ahead of time and explain that you will have to go very gentle with the types of exercises that impact the fingers due to medical reasons. You can even talk with your doctor about it ahead of time, and your doctor will almost certainly tell you the same thing I just told you. That way, you won't be lying when you tell your teacher you have to go easy for medical reasons. And if your teacher then inquires further, tell him it's your doctor's orders. I think then most martial arts teachers will understand and won't feel disrespected by you when you refuse, nor will they try to pressure you into going harder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There certainly are examples of 80+ year old karate masters who have these huge knuckles and who don't seem to have problems with arthritis. At least, they're not going to admit it, and it's not something that usually gets talked about out loud. But those people are the exceptions. Something like 99.99% of all martial arts students stop doing martial arts decades before they reach ages where you're going to see arthritis appear. The ones that remain active in martial arts are probably very different from most people and may have genetic advantages that others don't, or just happened to learn how to do it right without causing damage. I wouldn't think their results are typical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of the slapping kinds of impact exercises, as opposed to the thrusting ones, are attempting to &lt;strong&gt;deaden the pain nerves&lt;/strong&gt; in the finger tips. Those don't damage the cartilage. And so those should be fine. The nerve deadening is not permanent, so long as you're not overdoing it. I think it's rare that any permanent damage would occur in these cases. And the training wears off within 2-3 weeks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Grip Strength Exercises:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Grip strength is a big part of finger strengthening. It's the muscles of the forearms that really matter for grip strength, because those are responsible for flexing the fingers. So to strengthen fingers, you're going to want to work on forearm strengthening exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One example from karate is to use your fingers to grab a &lt;strong&gt;wide-mouth jar&lt;/strong&gt; filled with water, sand, or stones. At first you start with nothing in the jars, and then work your way up to a completely filled jar. At first, you'll just raise them an inch off the ground, and then work up to being able to lift them all the way up until you're no longer crouched down. And if you go further, you can raise your arms up from the shoulders either towards your front or towards the sides. That works the shoulders and trapezius muscles as well as the forearms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can see this at 0:56 in the following video:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Kgsc-L3qbxk?t=56&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/Kgsc-L3qbxk?t=56&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another method of training finger strength in martial arts involves &lt;strong&gt;finger push-ups&lt;/strong&gt;. There are many variations of this. You can attempt to arch your entire hand and fingers as if you placed a small bowl under each hand. That's a &lt;strong&gt;convex&lt;/strong&gt; shape. Or you can allow your fingers to curve inwards in a &lt;strong&gt;concave&lt;/strong&gt; shape, which seems easier to me but does increase the risk of joint injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Start on your knees if you can't do a full push-up, and then straighten your legs out later when ready. Then you can move on to using the thumb, index, and middle fingers only. Then get rid of your middle finger. Then only thumbs. Then repeat all of that by doing Archer style push-ups, leaning over one side more than the other. If you really advance, you can try handstand push-ups on your fingers. Look at calisthenic videos for tips on how to work up to a handstand push-up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are weight lifting exercises that emphasize forearms, such as the &lt;strong&gt;dead-lift&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;pull-up&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dynamic tension&lt;/strong&gt; is used in many martial arts, for example Goju Ryu karate's Sanchin kata. Using dynamic tension, you tighten your fist and forearms as much as possible, and then release. It's this tightening and releasing that works on grip strength, among other things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Clearly, finger grip strength is a topic of some importance in many if not most martial arts&lt;/strong&gt;. There are plenty of exercises I didn't mention. Martial arts are full of them. For example, in Chen style T'ai Chi, there's something called a bang. It's a &amp;quot;V&amp;quot; shaped piece of wood that you hold and practice gripping while bending your wrists. Other martial arts use ropes attached to pulleys and weights. There are rubber bands used in some martial arts. I've seen some using springs with finger holes at the end. Some use very long, heavy poles. Some use weights attached to the end of short sticks. Martial arts like Judo, BJJ, and Wrestling work on grip strength just by practicing on a partner, by grabbing a hold of their partner's gi, arms, legs, and neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for whether or not these exercises hurt your finger joints at all or cause arthritis over time, my feeling at this time is that they're &lt;strong&gt;generally safe&lt;/strong&gt; so long as you're not hyper-extending the finger joint by overloading it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where you can potentially harm your cartilage with grip strength exercises is if you're doing something like a concave finger push-up, and your joint gives out. In that case, you're &lt;strong&gt;overloading the joint&lt;/strong&gt;, and then your entire weight causes the joint to bend inward and snap. If you do that, you can tear the cartilage in the joint, as well as the ligaments and tendons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So when practicing grip exercises with the fingers, be careful not to overload them or cause them to hyper-extend. Work your way up to higher loads.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion, I do not recommend impact based finger strengthening as it can cause damage to joint cartilage over time. Instead, think about working on grip strength more than anything. With everything, be cautious not to overload the joint and gradually work up to higher loads.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2022-08-29T05:34:45.180" LastActivityDate="2022-08-29T05:34:45.180" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13445" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13441" CreationDate="2022-08-28T09:09:21.617" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This depends a lot on how you approach finger strengthening and yes, for most cases it does because it is done &lt;em&gt;wrong&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As of impact training, just about everything important is said in Steve's answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would like to add an important aspect on strengthening exercises in general which is very important for anything regarding the fingers in particular, no matter whether you choose jars, finger push-ups, grip trainers, weights and bars, or bouldering for that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It takes about three times the time frame for your cartilage and ligaments to adjust to new training stimulus, compared to the muscles.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This means that while your &lt;em&gt;muscles&lt;/em&gt; in the fingers may be able to cope with a lot of hard exercise already, you should be very careful not to overdo it, start with low loads, and only add load and reps slowly &lt;strong&gt;over weeks and months&lt;/strong&gt;. This is especially important for the fingers as while they can support or hold your body weight if need be, they won't be used to it and the leverage and relative fragility of the passive mobility apparatus (bones, joints, ligaments, cartilage) make it prone to stress injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, most of the damage in fingers that impede mobility are because of peak strain not because of steady conditioning so that any amount of things that can go wrong, especially muscular failure under full load and external peaks of force, should be avoided.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-08-28T09:35:49.420" LastActivityDate="2022-08-28T09:35:49.420" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13446" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-08-29T15:53:14.350" Score="0" ViewCount="195" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are several lethal techniques I learned in my self defense class. One is a chop to the back of the neck, another is slamming the head on the floor. What makes the lethal techniques lethal? Why do the kill a human being? Is there a commonality between them that makes them fatal? I already have a whole bunch of them, I am not asking for &amp;quot;how to do them&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;what are they.&amp;quot; I would like a theoretical knowledge of them, like what is the principle or science behind why they are lethal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12696" LastActivityDate="2022-08-30T08:10:00.580" Title="How do lethal martial arts techniques work?" Tags="|theory|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13447" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13446" CreationDate="2022-08-29T16:32:09.033" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, &amp;quot;lethal&amp;quot; techniques are like &amp;quot;lethal&amp;quot; injuries in that sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't depending on the target, your execution, and random factors. Secondly, martial arts have a bad habit of labeling certain techniques as &amp;quot;dangerous&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;deadly&amp;quot; without any real basis whether it's spreading mythical techniques like &amp;quot;smashing the nose into the brain&amp;quot;, discussing techniques that could be deadly, but probably not immediately or reliably like crushing the windpipe with a strike or hitting the solar plexus and causing whole-body paralysis, or simply over-estimating the danger like &amp;quot;12 to 6&amp;quot; elbows to the head in MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Past that, the commonality of &amp;quot;lethal&amp;quot; techniques is basically more or less what you'd expect, that they interrupt a vital process in the body, although they tend to do it by different methods. A sharp blow to the chest can stop the heart (but you have to hit it just right, in between beats). A sharp blow to the solar plexus can cause a storm in the nerves that causes whole-body paralysis, including inability to breathe (but more often only temporarily &amp;quot;knocks the breath out of you&amp;quot;). A sharp blow to the back of the neck can cause spinal cord issues that will paralyze the heart and lungs or a blood clot that will migrate into the brain and cause a stroke. Blows to the temple similarly can cause blood clots that will migrate into the brain.  A sharp blow to the inside of the thigh can cause the blood clot. Crushing the trachea can make it impossible to breathe without a tracheotomy.  Sufficient cranial trauma can create pressure build-up in the brain or destroy parts of the brain that govern autonomic things like breathing and having the heart beat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And lastly, any sufficiently traumatic attack (say, the classic &amp;quot;monkey seizes the grapes&amp;quot; where you rip off the testicles with an Eagle Claw attack) can cause blood loss and shock that can lead to death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, long story short, they generally aren't all that lethal, they don't all share something in common, and when they do, it's the same as any other traumatic injury in that it's enough damage to cause the body to shut down or side effects that lead to death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-08-29T16:38:29.330" LastActivityDate="2022-08-29T16:38:29.330" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13450" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13446" CreationDate="2022-08-29T18:18:59.720" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Firstly, don't expect you will be able to apply any of these moves in a real self-defense scenario. Why? Because you never trained to apply them with full force under similar levels of stress, ie. your training stimulus was very different from the situation you will find yourself in. And the brain is particularly bad at transferring stuff learned in a different situation when under stress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, the body is pretty well built to protect any vital organs and areas.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Can&lt;/em&gt; you kill a person by chopping their neck? Yes. But the force needed to actually &lt;em&gt;kill&lt;/em&gt; a healthy person is comparable to hitting full-force with a baseball bat. You would need to cause a significant trauma to the spine and/or blood vessels or force the brain into a double bounce (forward backward) and thereby cause enough swelling to impede blood flow or cause blood vessels to pop. Same with smashing a head on the floor. Even a broken skull is not necessarily lethal, those things may render a person &lt;em&gt;unconscious&lt;/em&gt; but it is quite a different story to &lt;em&gt;kill&lt;/em&gt; them. Hits to the temple and the neck are simply more &lt;em&gt;likely&lt;/em&gt; to induce death because of how they tend to induce severe head trauma due to how they move the head and thus the brain inside of it. It still takes time before they actually die because of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most &amp;quot;deadly&amp;quot; techniques depend on delivering an insane amount of force directly to or nearby the brain. They are not reliable by any stretch. Other supposedly deadly attacks that try to trigger nerves are even less reliable as the timing and amount of accuracy needed to have them be so devastating that the shock can or comes close to killing is not realistically achievable in a real fight with a live, moving, resisting opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Causing blood clots that cause a stroke in vital organs is a myth, won't happen (aside from anecdotal, very rare cases). You'd need a target that already suffers under health conditions and aim perfectly, so nothing you can or should train for.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reliable are low-effort high-damage moves like poking &lt;em&gt;through&lt;/em&gt; the eyeballs up (directly into the frontal cortex), snapping the neck, or breaking the trachea. Two directly severe the central nervous system, one the breathing. All have in common that the target is directly accessible for physical manipulation, from the outside. All have in common that it is highly improbable up to nigh impossible to pull them off against a resisting opponent who has the attention directed towards you. Simply because not only the body is built to protect vital areas, it also has &lt;em&gt;reflexes&lt;/em&gt; that will help in doing so through movement. Whenever something is coming towards the eyes/trachea &lt;em&gt;at speed&lt;/em&gt;, people will react with turning the head and tucking the chin. It's natural, involuntary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long story short, there &lt;em&gt;are&lt;/em&gt; things all &amp;quot;lethal&amp;quot; techniques have in common:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;There is no way to train them properly, so you will not be able to apply them in any serious encounter and much more likely just freeze as you never trained for this high-stress, full-power scenario. If you trained stuff in this scenario, it is not lethal techniques, and you will automatically resort to this stuff.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;As if that wasn't bad enough, the few that would work through direct physical manipulation of vital points would be exceedingly &lt;em&gt;hard&lt;/em&gt; to apply as you would have to &lt;em&gt;get to them despite movement, resistance, and very fast involuntary, reflexive defense&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&amp;quot;Lethal&amp;quot; techniques are mostly about techniques that have a high percentage of &lt;em&gt;incapacitating&lt;/em&gt; an opponent with a slight chance of leading to their death &lt;em&gt;eventually&lt;/em&gt;. This is why they are not trained full-force and taken out of any curriculum aiming at the ability to apply techniques.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Besides obvious legal problems, this is why any serious self-defense instructor I ever worked with never trained any supposedly lethal technique. If you &lt;em&gt;want&lt;/em&gt; to kill a person without the use of a weapon, you smack their head and/or hit deep into the abdomen many, many times so that internal injuries (head trauma or internal bleedings due to ripped tissue) eventually lead to death, long &lt;em&gt;after&lt;/em&gt; they are rendered unconscious. This involves extreme levels of readiness to be violent and recklessness. It is way beyond martial arts or the goal of self-defense, which is to &lt;em&gt;avoid, mitigate, or incapacitate&lt;/em&gt; a threat. There is no human kill switch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-08-30T08:10:00.580" LastActivityDate="2022-08-30T08:10:00.580" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13451" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13446" CreationDate="2022-08-29T18:38:54.677" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question is: &lt;em&gt;What makes a martial arts technique considered &amp;quot;lethal&amp;quot; by martial arts?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My answer to this question is very simple: &lt;strong&gt;Intention.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I punch someone in the face, is that a lethal technique? There are times when punching someone in the face has caused death. The brain gets a concussion, and there's bleeding in the brain which causes pressure to build up. That could cause a person to die as much as 24 hours later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or perhaps I punch them in the face so hard that it snaps the guy's neck. That could result in death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or, more realistically and actually much more common, if I punch someone and knock them out or cause them to lose their balance, they could fall and land on their head, and that could very easily kill them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So is punching someone in the face considered a lethal technique in martial arts? No. Because, that isn't the &lt;strong&gt;intention&lt;/strong&gt;. I don't intend to kill someone by punching them in the face. And if I did want to kill someone, there are techniques I could choose which have a higher chance of doing so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An example of a technique that is considered lethal within martial arts or by martial artists is something like grabbing the head and twisting to break the neck. The intention is to snap the neck, and that would be lethal if successful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The knife-hand chop technique to the back of the neck, if intended to break the neck, would be considered a lethal technique. It's actually not so easy to break neck bones, by the way, and the knife-hand chop rarely actually does break the neck bones themselves. Instead, the knife-hand chop to the back of the neck usually results in the head recoiling back which is what can either snap the bones of the neck, tear the spinal nerves, or cause tearing of the arteries of the neck. So those could potentially cause death. It would need to be extremely quick and powerful. Not likely, but possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most knife-hand chops to the back of the neck just result in a KO. That's because the head jolts backwards, and that causes a KO. And again, knocking someone out can result in death if the person falls and hits their head on the ground or something.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Striking the front of the neck is considered a lethal technique in martial arts, too. The intention is to collapse the throat. That can certainly result in death. It might require quick medical intervention to allow a person to breathe again, through a tube.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some martial arts consider it a lethal technique to kick the testicles. And there have been examples of people dying as a result of testicles being smashed. It's possible, although unlikely. This is an example of a case where martial arts &lt;strong&gt;folklore is wrong or highly exaggerated&lt;/strong&gt;. Kicking the testicles almost never should result in death, although the recipients of the kick may feel otherwise. Haha.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many other cases where martial arts folklore says that some technique is lethal, but in reality it almost never is. Clapping on the ears, poking out eyes, punching arm pits, kicking testicles, and so on are examples of this. Those hurt a lot, though! And they could cause irreparable damage, like poking out the eyes or losing your hearing. But they don't cause death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps in the past, someone was observed dying after getting hit with one of these techniques. And so since it occurred &lt;em&gt;after&lt;/em&gt; it, then some might have concluded that it was caused &lt;em&gt;by&lt;/em&gt; it. That's a logical fallacy, and something people are guilty of quite often.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like you can watch someone getting into a fight, and it ends after a guy gets knocked out. That guy goes home and dies before the day is up. Since this occurred hundreds of years ago, people are unfamiliar with concussions and the dangers of bleeding on the brain as a result. So they think back to the fight and try to figure out what technique caused his death. They overlook the knock-out and instead focus on maybe some secret dim-mak death strike that they saw his opponent doing. It might have been a finger tip strike to the armpit. And so now word spreads that attacking the armpit is a lethal technique. When in fact, it was the concussion as a result of the knock-out which caused the guy's death. But they didn't have modern medical science to know that was what really happened.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So a lot of what's considered &amp;quot;lethal&amp;quot; in martial arts is the result of &lt;strong&gt;folklore&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Legally, there's another answer: &lt;strong&gt;Consequences.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Legally, the intention does also matter, but it's the consequences of actions that matter the most. So if what you did results in death, legally you're in trouble. It doesn't matter whether your intent was not lethal. What matters most is what actually happened as a result of what you did.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like in the case of punching to the face, you probably didn't intend for it to be lethal. But your opponent fell down, smashed his head on the ground, and died later on as a result. So you caused his death. Legally, you're in deep trouble.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="70" LastEditDate="2022-08-30T03:02:51.393" LastActivityDate="2022-08-30T03:02:51.393" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13452" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-08-30T15:53:45.527" Score="6" ViewCount="5393" Body="&lt;p&gt;Consider hammers, clubs, guns, knives, brass knuckles, blackjacks, spikes, and swords. What are the advantages of using a weapon in a fight as opposed to just using your bare hands?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: I have heard on this site that &amp;quot;Knives and all weapons are &amp;quot;force multipliers&amp;quot;. &amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12701" LastEditorUserId="12701" LastEditDate="2022-08-30T16:31:22.797" LastActivityDate="2022-09-04T12:50:34.263" Title="How do weapons work?" Tags="|weapons|" AnswerCount="7" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13453" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13452" CreationDate="2022-08-30T16:47:57.347" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whut. Surely you've noticed that wood and metal are harder than your fists? If not, punch a sword and assess the damage to your hand and to the weapon.&#xA;Let's break it down:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You hit or stab evildoer with weapon.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You win fight.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;IRL, you'll very possibly be arrested and charged with unlawful use of force.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2022-08-30T16:47:57.347" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13454" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13452" CreationDate="2022-08-30T16:54:13.357" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are several advantages:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Any blade/spike will do vastly more damage to a person than a blunt fist.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Any heavy object will allow more force to be applied to the opponent.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Any object with length that you can pick up will give you a reach advantage allowing you to hit without being hit.  A rolled up newspaper will do as a weapon if you have nothing else.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially weapons are vastly more powerful than anything a human can achieve unarmed.  Even boxing gloves help with this, let alone a knife or a staff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However beware of the laws of the country you are in.  Carrying a weapon may or may not be illegal and using one may have other legal complications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-08-30T16:54:13.357" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13455" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10313" CreationDate="2022-08-30T16:54:14.253" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;It can happen for the reasons above, but is not always rank fraud. The second dan instructor I took my first non-credit recreational ITF TKD course from broke away from our association to start his own school rather than running a branch dojang under our Grand Master. I don't know what the financial situation was - possibly the G.M. no or very little financial support for branch instructors, so I could see reasonable people wanting to go out on their own.&#xA;He has promoted himself (at least I haven't heard of any outside validation) to 5th or 6th dan, but, knowing him, I'd think that he deserves it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6769" LastActivityDate="2022-08-30T16:54:14.253" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13456" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13452" CreationDate="2022-08-30T17:29:14.730" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;How weapons work is complicated. We have different ways we can consider &amp;quot;how weapons work.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;The Overview of Weapons&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Humans devise tools to enhance their abilities. Weapons are just the tools humans devised for harming other animals and people. Some of them are explicitly for that purpose, such as many swords and polearms, while others have utilitarian uses as well, like camp knives or hatchets. The end goal for weapons is the same: &lt;em&gt;do enough damage to a target(s) such that they cannot participate in combat or function any longer&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;How Damage is Done&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Weapons, especially of the non-explosive and non-chemical variety, generally rely on breaking bones, disabling muscles (by cutting or thrusting), or decreasing blood supply (bleeding) to achieve &amp;quot;damage.&amp;quot; Each weapon will have varying capacities for each of these modes of damage-dealing. Understanding what a weapon is good at and relative advantages against an opponent is also very important to being an effective martial artist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Frequently, weapons achieve these modes of damage by generating a lot of energy and focusing forces. Points and even blades act to focus forces, weight and center of mass manipulate how quickly it can accumulate kinetic energy and how much of that goes into the target (instead of, say, rotating the weapon after impact). Some other considerations exist, too, like recovering from a blow and not getting stuck in the target. In any case, weapons generally allow for more focused forces and/or quicker energy generation. This is one of the main advantages over hands and legs. Consult the &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strain_energy&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Strain-Energy Equation&lt;/a&gt; if you want a more rigorous approach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, interrupting other life-critical systems is also an option (such as beheading, paralyzing, poisoning, etc). These are not as reliable against opponents who can resist. So I am just acknowledging that they exist, not the primary methods.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;How a Weapon is Used&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many, many techniques for using weapons. Enough for a lifetime of study and practice. There is also an equally large number of weapons to train and to master. There are some concepts that run through all of them, like distance, timing, and technique. In this respect, there is no one way that weapons work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even something like a European longsword (or &amp;quot;bastard&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;hand-and-a-half&amp;quot; sword) has multiple grips and literal books worth of techniques! Each grip and technique caters to one or several situations. There are good times to use them and bad times, and that's the &amp;quot;art&amp;quot; part of martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2022-09-01T14:01:25.083" LastActivityDate="2022-09-01T14:01:25.083" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13457" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13452" CreationDate="2022-08-30T17:30:57.153" Score="19" Body="&lt;h3&gt;Range&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any weapon (well maybe except brass knuckles) will keep an opponent farther away than they would come if you had none - given you use it appropriately. This is a major advantage since it narrows their tactical options to harm you considerably. Historically, when two fighters similarly proficient with their weapons fought, the one with longer range typically won most of the times (given similar ranges and mobility, ie. not necessarily spear vs. rapier). That is because if your range is shorter, you need to accept more risk in order to get into range.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Leverage&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main reason why any weapon (except brass knuckles, or perhaps a spike or spear), blunt or sharp, does more damage and is literally a 'force multiplier' is due to physics: The end of the weapon will have more leverage/speed compared to the movement of your fist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Pressure = force per area&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another physical reason for them doing more damage is a focus of force into a very small area of impact, namely a blade or a spike or a small area of the rounding of a nunchuck. Thereby, the acceleration of tissue in the impact area and the relative gradients of acceleration compared to surrounding tissue are much higher, even if it was hit with the same amount of force. This is also what allows blades and spikes to &lt;em&gt;penetrate&lt;/em&gt; the skin and body, or blunt weapons to tear skin and break bone, all of which is actually pretty hard to nigh impossible to achieve with your bare hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Durability&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's face it: The human body is not designed for high-velocity impact with any of its parts; it is relatively fragile. Thus, you can hit more recklessly and therefore harder than you would ever be able to with your bare hands, which actually break pretty easily especially if they happen to hit anything hard like a bone. Most boxers having their first serious fight break their hands because they are used to the damage being mitigated by a seriously thick glove.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Summary&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With a weapon, you can keep an opponent farther away and hit harder and do pound for pound much more damage with essentially the very same move. It doesn't matter much whether you punch or thrust with a knife, it is the same kind of force generation, biomechanically speaking. The knife thrust will do a lot more damage if it connects, compared to a connecting punch though. That is why they are considered force multipliers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="-1" LastEditDate="2022-08-31T19:20:41.213" LastActivityDate="2022-08-31T19:20:41.213" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13458" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13452" CreationDate="2022-08-31T14:33:13.467" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note: I am trying to present a physical idea in non-physical terms in the hope it will help grasp the concept of heavy weapons.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recently thought about why hammers work, or why stones work as hammers. My thought was: Why can I hammer more heavily with a stone than without it, if at any moment, the hammer does not multiply my strength magically?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer lies in the &lt;em&gt;moment&lt;/em&gt;. A hammer is not used in a &lt;em&gt;moment&lt;/em&gt;, it is used &lt;em&gt;after a period of acceleration&lt;/em&gt;. In simplified terms, while accelerating the hammer or stone, you continously charge it up with the momentary force you apply to it. A hammer (or stone) is not useful because of heaviness alone. It only becomes useful upon strike when it has a history of applied force in it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Time and mass are essential. Upon accelerating a stone in your hand, you transform potential energy from your body into kinetic energy in the stone. Speaking non-physically, the total amount of energy in the accelerated stone is the product of time and force put into the stone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a certain distance or time you can put into accelerating the stone - hammer throwers increase it by spinning, javelin throwers increase it by sprinting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now imagine a feather: You have may have distance, but because it is so light, you cannot apply much force to it before running out of distance or time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's where the stone's mass comes into play: Mass allows you to apply more force before running out of time/distance. The heavier the stone, the more energy you can transfer to it before running out of time/distance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, to be useful, the maximum mass of the stone is capped by your physical strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12707" LastEditorUserId="12707" LastEditDate="2022-09-04T12:50:34.263" LastActivityDate="2022-09-04T12:50:34.263" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13459" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13452" CreationDate="2022-08-31T14:53:09.157" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Besides all the advantages the other answers mention, there is another one, which is true especially for edge weapons: the time your attack is a threat is maximized. (not sure if it's the correct way of saying this)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll give an example of what I mean with that:&lt;br&gt;&#xA;a punch is mostly effective if it hits at the maximum speed, when the arm is almost extended. If you hit while you are starting your movement, it is not doing much damage. Also, while you are pulling your arm back, your punch is not a threat to the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, if you think the same movement, but with a knife in your hand, your hand is a threat 100% of the time: your opponents close the distance? He gets cut. You hit him before the apex speed? He gets cut. If you miss, you can still cut him while pulling your arm back. The knife cuts anyway.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This makes a weapon a great advantage in a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11947" LastActivityDate="2022-08-31T14:53:09.157" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13460" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13462" CreationDate="2022-08-31T15:30:54.417" Score="0" ViewCount="258" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why is curbstomping dangerous?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12709" LastEditorUserId="12709" LastEditDate="2022-08-31T16:57:24.857" LastActivityDate="2022-08-31T17:55:06.630" Title="Why does curbstomping work?" Tags="|self-defense|self-training|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13461" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13452" CreationDate="2022-08-31T15:34:40.870" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Weapons work primarily by offering a different object/surface that hits or is exposed to your opponent than your fist. If you use your fist, for example, your fist can be cut, bludgeoned, etc. The range advantage works by exposing a different thing to your opponent (if your opponent hits your sword it is not injuring you). The surface or material or other properties (hot or cold, electric, etc.) can have damaging effects, whereas your fist may not. Think about it: if a bat with spikes collides with your neck, it is more devastating than a fist colliding with your neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12709" LastActivityDate="2022-08-31T15:34:40.870" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13462" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13460" CreationDate="2022-08-31T17:55:06.630" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming you're referring to the traditional &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curb_stomp&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;curb stomp&lt;/a&gt; attack of setting a person's jaw along the curb, and then applying a heavy stomping blow to the back of the head, it basically applies the force along a fairly weak joint (the jaw), generally involves cranial trauma between possible skull damage and the brain getting bounced around, and creates some severe dental trauma. If the stomp is not directly to the back of the head, there's a decent chance of neck and spinal injuries as well, as the body is forced below the level of the curb while the head is kept in place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, even if the initial attack doesn't cause death due to cranial trauma, the combination of likely unconsciousness or paralysis with mouth trauma can lead to the victim choking to death on their own blood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also dangerous to the person performing it because it is a very deliberate move with known deadly consequences, so the odds are good that you will be charged with premeditated murder.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-08-31T17:55:06.630" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13464" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7650" CreationDate="2022-09-01T06:44:57.790" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrestling is often not viewed as a martial art because it is seen more in light of a sport rather than being a fighting technique or a style that offers merit as a means of self-defense. Most other fighting styles are promoted as a self-defense activity that precludes wrestling in the public eye&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12712" LastActivityDate="2022-09-01T06:44:57.790" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13466" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-09-01T11:53:37.027" Score="4" ViewCount="128" Body="&lt;p&gt;By &amp;quot;flinch reaction&amp;quot; I meant flinching and closing your eyes/blinking when you see a strike thrown at you (especially your face).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it possible to erase the natural &amp;quot;flinch&amp;quot; reaction under all circumstances through training? If it is possible then is it beneficial at all times? Especially if you get caught off guard in a self-defense situation unprepared, is it possible that the assault will cause less damage if the flinch reaction is active? (Surely the reaction itself holds a certain value if it was chosen by evolution?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-09-01T13:25:50.573" LastActivityDate="2022-09-06T08:59:18.160" Title="Is it possible/beneficial to erase the natural &quot;flinch&quot; reaction completely?" Tags="|training|self-defense|reaction|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13467" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13470" CreationDate="2022-09-01T14:29:44.240" Score="2" ViewCount="881" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a question following this post: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8889/double-jointed-martial-arts&quot;&gt;Double jointed martial arts?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wanted to ask @Philip Klöcking about this, but could not comment as I did not have the reputation points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been double jointed/hypermobile my entire life. This makes me injury prone, recovery after exercise takes longer, and I have never been able to keep to a sport without giving me some injury that meant I had to stop.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been getting into BJJ, and finding it incredibly fun. I really do not want to get injured, and want to do everything required to maintain my longevity. Reading this &amp;quot;Thickened joints with osteoarthritis and prolapsed discs as early as in their twenties or thirties are not uncommon among grapplers with this physical condition.&amp;quot; was pretty terrifying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Would you recommend against BJJ/Martial Arts for people that are hypermobile/injury prone?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; My intuition says putting someone injury prone in an area that involves high risk of injury is probably not sensible, but I'm looking for ways in which I can practise and remain healthy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12716" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-09-01T15:17:29.970" LastActivityDate="2022-09-01T16:21:33.340" Title="Should people that are hypermobile/injury-prone avoid BJJ?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|injury|health|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13468" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13469" CreationDate="2022-09-01T14:39:15.713" Score="3" ViewCount="227" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100-man_kumite&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;In this Wikipedia article&lt;/a&gt; and in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9e_iO0odR0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the beginning of this video&lt;/a&gt; they reference a 100 man kumite, in which you have to fight over and over again against a new opponent that is of similar or higher skill for 100 rounds. What are the specific details of the matches and how would I prepare or train or strategize for this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12717" LastActivityDate="2022-09-04T08:30:19.027" Title="How to prepare for/win the 100 man kumite?" Tags="|karate|kumite|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13469" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13468" CreationDate="2022-09-01T15:50:53.223" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This &lt;a href=&quot;https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ExzDMT8DSCg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt;, documenting Australian Judd Reid's successful completion of the 100 Man Kumite, should give you some indication of how difficult it is. In some ways it is the ultimate achievement and honour for a practitioner of Kyokushin Karate, and is widely respected by experienced fighters of many discplines who are familiar with it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reid, who is a lifelong practitioner of Kyokushin, is an immensely powerful, dedicated and gifted athlete. I mention this only to add weight to how close he came to failing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you've ever tried to hit and kick a heavy bag with intensity for 2 minutes, or better still, sparred or fought full contact without pads or gloves for one round or more, you can begin to &lt;em&gt;contemplate&lt;/em&gt; what 100 rounds of similar exertion against elite black belts might require. Most of these fighters would likely deem it a severe insult to the candidate - and impolite of them - to fight him or her with less than maximum effort; to try to assist in any way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To describe the training requirements for such a task here would require too much information. Suffice to say, it is likely a 30-year project. Preparation must address the mental resilience and determination as much as the physical. As the video shows, it is largely a mental endeavour once you have obtained sufficient skill. Accruing the necessary physical skills and endurance will be unachievable for many or most, which is partly why this is an invitation-only test.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Start training. If you enjoy it, keep training; consistently and with a concentrated emphasis on continual improvement. Make sure you have access to a number of excellent teachers and sparring partners. Learn about nutrition, flexibility, mobility and strength training. Start competing in full contact events as soon as your teacher deems you ready. Compete as often as you can whilst bearing in mind the need to avoid chronic injury. Don't compete if you're injured. Play the long game. Be patient. Build slowly but steadily. Rushing will lead to injury and possibly to burnout. Speak to 30, 50 and 100 kumite veterans. Let your ambition be known, and you will likely be told of the many precursor events, qualifications, tasks and assessments which you must complete first.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the most important factors for any participant in high-volume fighting assessments such as this is an ability to fight efficiently; ie. to conserve as much energy as possible. This requires an ability to relax (as much as possible) during combat, to master breath, and to employ a wide variety of simple, effective techniques which finish fights as quickly as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many of the better Kyokushin schools have live-in, high-frequency, rapid-progression 'ushi-deshi' programs. This would be a good way to test your dedication to the style. As far as I know, the Headquarters of the founding Kyokushin organisation remain in Tokyo, where it offers elite Ushi Deshi programs to students from around the world who show exceptional promise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-09-04T08:30:19.027" LastActivityDate="2022-09-04T08:30:19.027" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13470" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13467" CreationDate="2022-09-01T16:00:20.367" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As these have been my words terrifying you, I will happily put them into perspective. After all, I am double-jointed myself with more than two decades on the mat (Judo/BJJ mainly) and in training to become a physiotherapist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main question should be: &lt;strong&gt;What is your goal in BJJ?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it is for &lt;em&gt;recreational reasons and/or a little bit of self-defense and confidence&lt;/em&gt;, I see no problems. If it is &lt;em&gt;going hard and often and doing competition&lt;/em&gt;, I'd advise against that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everybody has to use the muscles and move in odd ways sometimes &lt;em&gt;to keep their joints healthy&lt;/em&gt;. This is just as, if not more important with this condition. The problem is that due to ligaments being more elastic than usual, the fascia glue together and the muscles overstress much faster given &lt;em&gt;consistent one-sided use of the joints or consistent external stress&lt;/em&gt; in order to &lt;em&gt;stabilise&lt;/em&gt; the joint and make it &amp;quot;fit&amp;quot; for how you use it. This leads to the joints being pressed together by cramping muscles in certain positions and eventually, the cartilage dies since it only gets nutrition through liquid flowing in when it is properly freed from pressure at any given point. Therefore, ypu need to use the full range of motion but your body works against that since it wants to keep things together, as it were, because of weaker ligaments. As if that wasn't enough, external stress also more often directly damages the passive structures which are much slower to heal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The consequence for you is not that you should not train BJJ. It is that you should&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Tap rather sooner than later&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Keep it smooth and try not to go full strength.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Avoid partners going all-out and competition.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Plan to do extensive stretching and/or yoga/pilates to counter the potentially one-sided load and moving angles of certain joints. This should include a full mobilisation of as many joints as possible in as many and great angles as possible.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The latter should be what everybody does but is even more important for you. If you do not keep your fascia and muscles smooth, you will eventually be in pain and have degraded joints.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;And this is true no matter whether you do BJJ or not.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-09-01T16:21:33.340" LastActivityDate="2022-09-01T16:21:33.340" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13471" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13466" CreationDate="2022-09-01T17:28:06.977" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Synopsis&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training, especially sparring in various forms, constitutes an exposure therapy of sorts. It is a process of gradual desensitisation, in which frightening stimuli are rendered less stressful via consistent, repeated exposure to the relevant threats over time. As the fighter adapts slowly to the sensations and reactions which accompany the experience of combat, the intensity and frequency of combat can be incrementally increased, until the flinch response has been replaced by more appropriate and relatively calm defensive and offensive responses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Detail&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flinching is very close to defensive reaction. Flinching typically involves uncontrolled, unsafe, unreliable responses to attacks, whereas good defence of course channels that instinct into well-drilled, pragmatic reactions, including counter-attacks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let your coach know that you want to learn to spar. Once your understanding of the basics is sufficient, he or she will might judge it safe to allow you to do so. (Some sparring practices are much safer than others. Sparring can be a significant cause of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy/#:%7E:text=Chronic%20traumatic%20encephalopathy%20(CTE)%20is,are%20based%20on%20ex%2Dathletes.&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy&lt;/a&gt; (CTE), ie. brain damage*.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're a novice or otherwise unwilling to experience contact, distance sparring or 'mirror sparring' can be very useful. It is essentially no-contact sparring, in which you maintain a safe distance from your opponent at all times. This is a nice, easy way to get used to the motions of fighting without fear of getting hurt. It can help ease you in to the art of judging range, and can help you learn to recognise different punches as they are thrown, which is essential when trying to master your flinch response.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From here - the advice and supervision of a good coach is highly recommended - you can progress to very light-contact sparring. It's a nice progression, because now, there is 'something on the line' in that you will get hit and feel discomfort, stress and even pain, whilst the risk of serious injury remains low. Providing light contact is maintained, you will adapt to it, master the anxiety of being hit, and learn to channel your flinch reaction into solid defence (instead of into clumsy, dangerous and counterproductive evasion).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you get comfortable with light sparring, the intensity can be increased. Body-only sparring can be great fun, a great workout, and relatively safe, although if you don't train against strikes which target the head in some way (whether with contact or no contact), you will likely continue to react poorly to head strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have accumulated a lot of sparring experience, practice counter-attacks to further disinhibit yourself. Why? Counter-strikers learn to see an opponent's attack as an opportunity as much as a threat. An attack becomes less something to be feared than something to be invited and exploited.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you continue to flinch at every punch, train yourself out of it by striving to master a sense of range, so you maintain poise even when a fist comes within half an inch of landing. To do this, develop a good sparring relationship with a fighter who has similar interests and who does not let ego and emotion interfere with the goals of intelligent training. Start light and slow. Build up to hard and fast. Drill one punch at a time. Spend 10 minutes learning to catch, parry or slip a jab with your left. Then another ten with your right, and so on. Again, a good coach is desirable here, or at least someone experienced who can provide sound feedback. It is also imperative that you and your partner know how to throw sharp, accurate punches which land, but do not penetrate. Mistakes will happen, but you should aim to minimise how often you accidentally hit someone harder than necessary. It will take a while. Be patient.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you've learned how much you can weaken an attack by countering it, confidence begins to grow. Consistently effective counter attack will often lead to your opponent's offence becoming hesitant, weak and ineffectual. This of course provides you with an invaluable psychological and tactical advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a more detailed example: If you teach yourself to be an excellent catcher of the jab, it ceases to become as much of a threat to you. You cease reacting with evasion and learn to use it as an opportunity to launch your own strike. The same can be said for kicks. A good counter-kicker can significantly reduce the efficacy of an aggressive fighter's roundhouse attacks by using quick inner-leg kicks which target the standing leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once your opponent's confidence has been tempered in this way, they become more vulnerable, because their range, power and effectiveness has been diminished. This in turn has the effect of reducing your fear of attack, which in turn reduces your flinch response and frees you up to deliver your own strikes as effectively as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Safety Note&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;High and medium contact full-body sparring is very dangerous. Even when good protective equipment is worn, the brain sustains impacts which can result in significant immediate and cumulative trauma. If you wish to become a competitive boxer, mixed martial artist of full-contact fighter of any sort, you are inviting injuries of this sort. Ask yourself if you really wish to inflict this damage upon yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial arts, including self-defence, can be practiced in relative safety. If full-contact competition is not your goal, you might want to consider styles which do not demand regular high-impact training and combat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-09-06T08:59:18.160" LastActivityDate="2022-09-06T08:59:18.160" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13477" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13478" CreationDate="2022-09-04T01:22:20.587" Score="1" ViewCount="75" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/cT3QJ_hvIb4?t=317&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/cT3QJ_hvIb4?t=317&lt;/a&gt; hails from &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunters_(2020_TV_series)#Episodes&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Episode 1 of Hunters (2020 TV series)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How did the old Nazi man get the upper hand over Heidelbaum? I am rattled because whilst holding the knife at the Nazi's throat, Jonah does not appear to have lost his grip or force! Jonah does not appear to be distracted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user12725" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-09-04T11:17:07.887" LastActivityDate="2022-09-04T11:17:07.887" Title="How did the Nazi toy shop owner (acted by Kenneth Tigar) turn the knife on Jonah Heidelbaum (Logan Lerman)?" Tags="|knife-fighting|entertainment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13478" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13477" CreationDate="2022-09-04T10:47:42.330" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This does not in any way reflect reality.  Don't read too much into movie fight scenes.  It's very rare that they actually have realistic martial arts techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are moves that will reverse a knife back onto the opponent but they don't look like this and are also very hard to pull off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Movie fights go the way the plot wants them too.  There's not much else to say about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2022-09-04T10:47:42.330" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13479" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13480" CreationDate="2022-09-05T02:22:21.873" Score="6" ViewCount="740" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/rtUD5EBMWOg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;This&lt;/a&gt; guy says some karate kata movements are to meant to represent defense against takedowns: frames, even sprawls. In other videos (&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/8PtYD_6W7BY&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;example&lt;/a&gt;), his interpretations of kata, or kata bunkais, usually involve non-punching technics too: stand-up grappling, joint locks, and throws. Okinawan karate did include all that, I know, but it still baffles me a bit since it very much differs from what they told us in shotokan dojos&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there &amp;quot;right&amp;quot; kata bunkais, or is anyone free to just made those bunkais up with no &amp;quot;right&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;wrong&amp;quot; interpretations? Did the original creators of those katas pass down their intentions, like &amp;quot;This move was supposed to represent this, that move that&amp;quot; and so forth (the &amp;quot;right&amp;quot; interpretations, bunkais)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10664" LastActivityDate="2022-09-05T13:36:41.590" Title="Are there &quot;right&quot; and &quot;wrong&quot; kata bunkais?" Tags="|karate|forms|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13480" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13479" CreationDate="2022-09-05T04:54:01.290" Score="8" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a good question. To paraphrase, are there official / definitive kata bunkai, or are people free to interpret their kata however they like?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is: &lt;em&gt;The latter, mostly.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, Okinawan karate originally came from Chinese kung-fu. That much we are 100% sure of. And Japanese karate derived from Okinawan karate. Of course, there were lots of other influences, such as classical Japanese jujitsu on Japanese karate. And Okinawan karate had been influenced by Okinawan wrestling styles which themselves may have come from other nations. But the transmission from Chinese kung-fu to Okinawan karate to Japanese karate is the main thing to understand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The problem is, whenever a martial art is passed down from teacher to student, the transmission can be incomplete. As was often the case, the full Chinese kung-fu art generally would not have been passed on. That full transmission was often limited to the family teaching the art. It was a way of ensuring that the family continues to make money.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Forms are easy to learn, but hard to understand without being taught the meaning behind the movements. And typically, that was where all of the knowledge was. The movement is cheap. Anyone can learn that just by observation. But the application and meaning behind it is going to be taught only to those who could afford it, and usually the family members withheld some of the more advanced or practical interpretations for themselves while publicly teaching the less practical or more basic applications. At least that was the case for Chinese kung-fu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for Okinawan karate, not much is really known about how much of each style was truly transmitted to each of the original founders of Okinawan karate. We do know that different forms (kata) would come from multiple different teachers of potentially many different styles over hundreds of years. So karate has a lot of different original teachers. It's a blend of different ideas and styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What's more, it's common in Okinawan karate that the complete art was only passed down from teacher to one or two students who will then go on to lead the art for the next generation. This is what I've been able to gather over the years. It's not discussed much. But the idea is that maybe only one or two people of high moral character and dedication to the art would be trusted enough by the master to pass down the complete art to them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a result, a lot of the &amp;quot;official&amp;quot; bunkai are lost. There simply aren't enough people being taught it from generation to generation for the bunkai to survive to modern day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And pretty much all karate masters today do not specify an &amp;quot;official&amp;quot; list of kata bunkai for each movement. I've always said that they really need to do this. Instead, it's left to the student to study and figure it out on their own. And the tradition of gaining the trust of a master enough for him to show you his bunkai lives on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mind you, it's not that hard to figure it out. Form and function go hand in hand. If you study something like classical Japanese jujitsu, you will be able to just see it. That's because that's what it is, basically. It's all classical jujitsu-like technique, with maybe stylistic differences.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, let me walk that back a bit. What makes kata bunkai harder is the fact that the kata are not the same as the original kata. Instead, kata change over time. Errors creep in. It's like playing the &amp;quot;telephone game&amp;quot;. Techniques that seemed strange and maybe even &amp;quot;weak&amp;quot; were often changed into techniques that made more sense or seemed stronger to those who simply had no idea what the strange looking techniques actually were. And those teachers passed it on to their students who did the same. Today, we have examples of different branches of karate doing the same kata differently. It certainly happened.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so, if the kata today are not exactly the same as the kata as they were originally performed, then all bets are off. There are karate historians who look at the differences in the kata over time in an attempt to piece together what the original kata must have looked like. And they go all the way back to China, looking at the original kung-fu arts that karate was based on. And I have to tell you, some of the basics remain intact in karate. It's recognizably from, say, White Crane kung-fu or Incense Shop Boxing. But there are often many details that are changed. Some karate kata represent only the first half of the original Chinese kung-fu form, for example. The missing half was simply dropped from karate, or maybe it was never taught to whoever it was that brought it into Okinawan karate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, if you take a very simplistic approach and just look at the kata as they are today, you can still derive bunkai using a knowledge of classical jujitsu. Some techniques done in kata can only be one possible thing in jujitsu. Others are more open to multiple possible interpretations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are some bunkai that are taught by the current day heads of each branch of karate. Those seem &amp;quot;official&amp;quot; enough. But even then, it's usually never stated as such, which does make it confusing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With regards to how to know if a bunkai interpretation is &amp;quot;right&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;wrong&amp;quot;, this is a grey area, as you might suspect. What does it mean to be right or wrong when it's completely subjective?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is that &lt;em&gt;it's not completely subjective&lt;/em&gt;. There are bunkai that work when &lt;strong&gt;pressure tested&lt;/strong&gt;, and there are bunkai that don't. There are bunkai that are &lt;strong&gt;too basic&lt;/strong&gt; to believe might be a candidate for the original bunkai. For example down-blocking a low kick. You learn to block from sparring, not from kata. The original kata, one presumes, would be designed to contain only techniques that were not obvious. They could not be learned from sparring. These would need to be cool enough to want to encapsulate and preserve in a kata for all eternity. A down-block to a kick probably wouldn't be high on the list of things to want to pass down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So kata bunkai can be &amp;quot;wrong&amp;quot;. In the end, it's up to the individual student to learn better bunkai for the same technique and then discard bunkai that seem wrong. And after a good amount of experience, they all know the difference when they see it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for Shotokan karate, I go over this more at my answer at the following link: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8229/styles-of-karate/8231#8231&quot;&gt;Styles of Karate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, kata bunkai simply wasn't taught in Shotokan originally. It wasn't passed on, because it was taught merely as a form of physical exercise to school children in Japan. The more violent aspects had to be suppressed. They didn't want kids going around seriously hurting each other with it. So kata bunkai was not taught to most of the original Japanese shotokan students. In modern days, people in Shotokan karate are actually learning it through the internet, videos, and Okinawan karate instructors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's all I wanted to say on it. I wish I had some more authoritative references to give you. Most of that is from me reading articles and books about it over time. If you really want to know more, I'd refer you to a well known man, Patrick McCarthy, who is an Okinawan karate historian. He has many books and articles on this subject. I think everyone looking to get into the history and origins of karate would do well to read what he has to say.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2022-09-05T04:54:01.290" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13481" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13479" CreationDate="2022-09-05T13:30:22.810" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes and no. Yes, there are right and wrong bunkai if you take a historical perspective. No, there aren't as long as they make sense as a self-defense application or are well-choreographed (in an aesthetic sense) for bunkai competition. &lt;strong&gt;So the question should be what your goal with bunkai is in order to evaluate the appropriateness&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Look for example at Iain Abernathy. He is someone who put decades into research with documents and eye-witnesses and tried to reconstruct the historical bunkai, which was for a vast part about grappling, joint-locks, throws, etc. The stuff Jessie shows in this video looks a lot like what Iain would teach. He also has videos on karate throws etc., everything is solid and he honestly tried to fill the gaps as well as possible to get to the &lt;strong&gt;archetypal, historical&lt;/strong&gt; bunkai in particular and karate in general.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Does this invalidate any other bunkai and karate? No, out of two reasons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Firstly&lt;/strong&gt;, as self-defense exercise, everything that works is valid. You can, in fact, use biomechanically identical or very similar moves in a number of very different applications. In this sense, you could say a lot of the very stylised stuff is simple nonsense despite the best efforts of whoever worked it out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Secondly&lt;/strong&gt;, as a tournament competition, it is mainly about a highly formalised showcase of athleticism and coordination between athletes. Here, bunkai is simply understood to be about very different stuff with a very different goal. Self-defense application with proper attacks and defenses just does never look pretty and flashy enough for this 'show' aspect of bunkai competition, which is very much like wushu 'sparring'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, Jessie was a bit polemic here to highlight a detail most karate practitioners would be completely ignorant about, ie in order to produce a high grade of &lt;em&gt;cognitive dissonance&lt;/em&gt;, which will give you more clicks and more discussion. A rhetorical means, in a sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-09-05T13:36:41.590" LastActivityDate="2022-09-05T13:36:41.590" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13483" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13484" CreationDate="2022-09-07T17:27:35.567" Score="1" ViewCount="114" Body="&lt;p&gt;I always look for an &amp;quot;unbeatable&amp;quot; thing, I sometimes am unrealistic, and I come up with things such as &amp;quot;What if the opponent is stronger than a normal human?&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;How to fight an opponent when my hands are tied&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;what to do if attacked by God.&amp;quot; Every problem has another problem and every solution has another problem. How do I stop being a &lt;a href=&quot;http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/WIMS.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;What If Monkey&lt;/a&gt; and how do I stop trying to be unbeatable/invincible/unstoppable in every conceivable scenario?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: I am looking for an answer that describes the source/root/crux of my problems as well as how to fix them without simply giving an answer of &amp;quot;you can't win everything.&amp;quot; I am not asking for a fail-safe method, I am asking how to not try to get a fail-safe method, or even think about it. I have understood and accepted that I cannot win every fight, but I still am a what if monkey, as I cannot seem to actually stop my coming up with scenarios and trying to be invincible. Can someone please help?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12729" LastEditorUserId="12729" LastEditDate="2022-09-07T18:38:52.030" LastActivityDate="2022-09-09T11:42:14.680" Title="How do I stop trying to be unbeatable/invincible?" Tags="|self-defense|self-training|streetfight|knife-fighting|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13484" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13483" CreationDate="2022-09-07T18:45:43.473" Score="2" Body="&lt;h1&gt;A Misunderstanding&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial Arts, in a very broad generalization, isn't about an &amp;quot;ultimate technique&amp;quot; or a single &amp;quot;perfect move.&amp;quot; Being a &amp;quot;what-if monkey&amp;quot; and desiring a perfect, one-size-fits-all move stems from a misunderstanding about the &lt;em&gt;art&lt;/em&gt; part of martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Martial Arts are about choosing the correct technique for the situation. Out of the seemingly infinite possibilities which arise from two people striving against each other, armored and unarmored, regulated and spur-of-the-moment, the &lt;em&gt;art&lt;/em&gt; is choosing the actions which lead you to victory at minimal cost. Banish the thought that there is one perfect thing to do every time, but think instead that every action lies on a continuous scale of &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;bad&amp;quot; in that specific context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Martial Arts give us frameworks and understanding of what is good and bad in a fight, what to pay attention to, and what to look out for. They are guides. They cannot and do not account for every situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;What-ifs are good, ish&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Posing hypothetical questions is good when those possibilities are likely. Grappling someone who is stronger and more angry than you? That's likely and worth learning about. Grappling a giant squid while armed with crochet needles? That's unlikely enough that any investigation is simply not worth it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;What-ifs are good is they are likely to happen.&lt;/em&gt; Alternatively, &lt;em&gt;what-ifs are bad if they prevent you from learning.&lt;/em&gt; It's better to learn something that applies 80% of the time than worrying about that other 20% and learning nothing!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;When Analysing Fights&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think less on &amp;quot;what if things are different?&amp;quot; and more &amp;quot;why did they [a fighter] chose this?&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;what are the strengths/weaknesses of this technique?&amp;quot;, and &amp;quot;does this comply with ideas from my/their Martial Art?&amp;quot; These questions give insight and promotes understanding. These questions are also handy for when you are in a fight: it helps you recognize the good and bad in you and your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2022-09-07T19:11:15.027" LastActivityDate="2022-09-07T19:11:15.027" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13485" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13486" CreationDate="2022-09-07T20:46:18.593" Score="1" ViewCount="137" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of websites out there that tell you how to &amp;quot;win a fight,&amp;quot; but they never actually define it. Is it incapacitating an opponent, escaping an opponent, killing an opponent, disarming an opponent, knocking out an opponent, etc.? What do martial artists and self defense instructors mean by &amp;quot;winning a fight?&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12730" LastEditorUserId="12730" LastEditDate="2022-09-07T21:01:24.603" LastActivityDate="2022-09-07T21:13:35.990" Title="What does it mean to win a fight?" Tags="|self-defense|mixed-martial-arts|weapons|self-training|krav-maga|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13486" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13485" CreationDate="2022-09-07T21:13:35.990" Score="2" Body="&lt;h2&gt;It's highly subjective&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some scenarios:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Self Defense&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, for self-defense, &amp;quot;winning&amp;quot; a fight involves getting you and yours out of danger with minimal losses including property and health. Sometimes that will involve tossing your wallet at the mugger and running. Sometimes it involves accepting multiple stab wounds to wrestle the knife away from an attacker so that your loved ones can flee out the back. Sometimes it simply involves running. The general case involves not dying or being badly wounded and may include surrendering up goods or even yourself (c.f. the occasional advice in sexual assault that you may be safer allowing the attacker to take liberty of you and then to escape).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Sports fighting&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most sports fighting is graded on one or a combination of elimination and points. The former is usually things like one person being removed from the defined area (say, a sumo wrestler who is knocked out of the ring) or them being unable to continue (knock-out or being unable to continue the fight). In the absence of such a definitive win, it's often settled by some points system that tries to judge who &amp;quot;won&amp;quot;. UFC, for example, can end by knockout, by disqualification, or by judge decision.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Demonstration fighting&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In some styles, such as Capoeira, the judgment may be much more subjective with &amp;quot;winning&amp;quot; often involving not necessarily being dominant, but rather simply showing your skill. Someone with less skill who nonetheless reacts properly against attacks, shows novelty of movement, and remains in control. Someone more skilled may leave holes in their attacks and defense to avoid shutting down the opponent, and allowing both sides to demonstrate their full skill. And there's an entirely separate game involving trickery by providing seeming vulnerability and then capitalizing on the opponent trying to take advantage of it, as well as the acrobatic and dance aspects where you are judged on the impressiveness and fluidity of your movement to the music. (Note that there do also exist &amp;quot;sport&amp;quot; Capoeira competitions that use a more strict point systtem)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly, if you're sparring with your mates, you're not necessarily fighting for dominance, but rather just showing what you can do. You will &amp;quot;lose&amp;quot; if you and a friend are sparring with each other and you knock them unconscious. And if you use a cheap tactic, then you may remain dominant, but people won't think too highly of you in the process.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-09-07T21:13:35.990" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13487" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="4295" CreationDate="2022-09-07T21:23:20.947" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Adding one more point, a common aspect of unarmed defense involves disarming an opponent (which, admittedly, in practice often involves a lot of undignified struggle and possibly whack limbs across spare objects in the environment) and, as my Escrima teacher used to tell me, &amp;quot;If you disarm an opponent with a knife and you don't know how to pick up the knife and use it, the opponent will just pick it back up again&amp;quot;. Of course, we can't learn to use every weapon, but knowing something is better than nothing, and the basics can be very transferable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alternately, of course, once you disarm someone, it may make more sense to just run before they can get the weapon back, but there will not always be a situation where you can run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-09-07T21:23:20.947" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13488" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-09-08T21:20:37.900" Score="2" ViewCount="155" Body="&lt;p&gt;I cannot fight, I cannot run fast or long, and hiding in one place will not save you for long. I am basically helpless against violent situations. How do I cope with being helpless?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12731" LastEditorUserId="12731" LastEditDate="2022-09-08T22:36:10.060" LastActivityDate="2022-09-12T22:05:59.963" Title="How to cope with being helpless?" Tags="|training|self-defense|self-training|weapons|recommendation|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13489" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13488" CreationDate="2022-09-08T22:47:36.137" Score="5" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Avoid The Situation&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Really, this is &lt;em&gt;the&lt;/em&gt; key, and I would bet big money that a near-universal sentiment among self defense instructors. No one can deprive you of life if you are simply not there! Not to say that trouble cannot find you, but it's a good strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Avoidance includes and is not limited to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;be aware of your surroundings and the body language of others.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Stay in populated places at popular times to maximize the social cost of murder. (Not to mention &amp;quot;hiding in the crowd.&amp;quot;)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Know which parts of town are &amp;quot;bad&amp;quot; and avoid them.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that these are just the things you can do &lt;em&gt;without&lt;/em&gt; training in a martial art. No strength required!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Martial Arts for Defense&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many martial arts focus on this. They can give techniques and approaches for surviving any attempts on your life in spite of many of the disadvantages you may have. I happen to study one that doesn't specialize in modern self defense, but these exist!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will say, however, that being weaker does not mean helpless. Additionally, training may fix the whole &amp;quot;helpless&amp;quot; thing!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2022-09-12T22:05:59.963" LastActivityDate="2022-09-12T22:05:59.963" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13490" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13483" CreationDate="2022-09-09T11:42:14.680" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best way to get rid of this mindset is, IMHO, the humility that develops through being beaten despite giving all you got and having tried anything possible, ie. experiencing the futility of this endeavour with all your senses. Again and again, thousands of times. And then you have those people you stand no chance against and they get beaten time and again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is one caveat though: You cannot experience what I described in a martial art (or training group - this does not have to be linked to a particular art) that does not allow for going all out. Those who do are not that numerous in general. And those who do not are frequently those who cherish in an &amp;quot;invincible&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;ultimate technique&amp;quot; mindset.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Over time, &lt;em&gt;given you pressure-test what you do&lt;/em&gt;, you will realise that there is no absolute top dog technique. It is just not possible. And if you look at some dominator in a given sport, ie. Roger Gracie or Ryan Hall in BJJ, Mayflower in boxing  or Teddy Riner in Judo, who did or do not lose a single competition match &lt;strong&gt;in years&lt;/strong&gt; in their prime, you see how they combine genetical advantages (fast-twitch muscle fibres, hormonal system, etc.) with a refinement of &lt;em&gt;the absolute basics&lt;/em&gt; that is just beyond words. In other words: They use what any practitioner learns within the first six-ish months but in perfection.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2022-09-09T11:42:14.680" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13491" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13493" CreationDate="2022-09-09T17:05:52.133" Score="4" ViewCount="1679" Body="&lt;p&gt;Is numbing of the nerves generally healthy for a person? What are the long term of effects of doing this? I only do light sparring, but my legs are little bit desensitized.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See contents below: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.muay-thai-guy.com/blog/safe-natural-shin-conditioning&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.muay-thai-guy.com/blog/safe-natural-shin-conditioning&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Something happens when you continuously apply pain to, for example, your shin – you get used to it. Kicking the bag might have hurt the first few weeks but afterwards, some of the nerves on your shin become numb and eventually “deaden.” After years of training, many people don’t feel much sensation at all on their shin anymore.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The deadening of the nerves is the first step of something called shin conditioning. Shin conditioning is a process that happens as you train, and is exactly what it sounds like: your shins become conditioned to the training and don’t hurt as much. This is very important. Imagine wincing in pain every time you kicked pads or a bag — that would take all the fun out of training!&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-09-09T18:27:19.233" LastActivityDate="2022-09-12T15:04:25.407" Title="Muay Thai: Is Numbing of Shin Nerves Healthy?" Tags="|technique|karate|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|conditioning|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13492" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3095" CreationDate="2022-09-10T03:56:16.253" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Unless you have an enormous hand about the size of your pelvis, I don’t believe you can protect the R) and L) Femoral veins simultaneously using only one hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12734" LastActivityDate="2022-09-10T03:56:16.253" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13493" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13491" CreationDate="2022-09-11T04:36:30.467" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The numbing of nerves in the knuckles and shins which occurs through continuous, gradual training (where intensity intensifies incrementally over a long duration) typically proves reversible in my experience. I have never encountered a martial artist who reported total or permanent loss of sensation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If by 'healthy' desensitisation, you mean something like 'impermanent damage', then regular bag work and sparring would seem healthy enough (acknowledging the likelihood of occasional acute injury).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One difference between shin and knuckle conditioning is worth noting. The reduction in pain caused by repeated exposure to knuckle push-ups on hard surfaces for example, may largely be due to the relatively rapid manner in which knuckles typically develop a scar tissue of sorts. So, rather than a numbing of the nerves alone, the nerves may simply become more insulated from what would ordinarily be a pain stimulus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shins don't seem to accumulate similar tissue during the course of normal training. By 'normal', I am referring to regular bag work and light-to-medium sparring. This might explain why desensitising the shins seems far harder to achieve, and why some practitioners decide to roll and beat their shins with wooden rods. A heavy bag provides a wide contact surface area, whereas an opponent's shin is more knife-like; acute. A rod better emulates the forces delivered by an opponent's shin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this form of conditioning healthy?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's worth asking why pain, including shin pain, might occur in the first place. Essentially, it's there to deter us from sustaining damage. If we had no nerves in our hands, what would compel us to remove our hand from scalding water in time to prevent serious burns? Secondly, &lt;strong&gt;it can be dangerous to assume that because desensitisation has occurred, that your bones have become stronger, or at least, sufficiently strong to endure the extreme tasks you wish to demand of them&lt;/strong&gt;. It is quite possible, for example, to numb your shins by rolling them hard with a stick for a year, and to develop greater confidence as a result, but there is nothing to suggest that your shins would be any denser than those of another athlete who practices a similar bag work and sparring routine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thirdly, you have to endure pain at some point, whether through training and/or through fighting. Rolling or beating your shins (it's actually often closer to tapping than beating. It's initially excruciating) is unavoidably painful. Just as you can prepare for pain in training, you can prepare for pain in a fight and shift from a fear/hesitancy to anticipation/confidence. Pain can provide you with energy if you channel it correctly, or inhibit you if you let it fill you with apprehension.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Actual hard beating of the shins with a rod of some sort might condition your shins (make them denser and harder), but without sufficient research, it might be wise to acknowledge that whilst such training might result in the microfractures and recalcification described in the O.P.'s blog link, such training might also cause less desirable stress fractures and/or density imbalances which actually make your shins more vulnerable, particularly when such training is rushed. If you combine these outcomes with a loss of the nervous system's warning cues, the results might be catastrophic (ie: the severe fracture of a tibia from a low roundhouse kick).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, there are videos of people who break bats and bricks with their limbs, but the footage of the injuries many likely sustain during such extreme training is rarer. It is also important to note that such training may result in scar tissue and/or chronic injury which does not typically follow from less extreme practices (see &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9332/iron-palm-monster-hand-training&quot;&gt;Iron Palm Monster Hand Training&lt;/a&gt; for an extreme example).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whilst having denser/more calcified bones than an opponent &lt;em&gt;theoretically&lt;/em&gt; makes you less prone to a tibial fracture, there are other variables which determine the outcome of tibia-to-tibia contact (such as angle of impact, relative velocities, relative directions of movement, relative location of impact and so on). &lt;strong&gt;One of the best ways to minimise the chance of a tibial break is via skill accumulation&lt;/strong&gt;. Whilst skill will never eliminate the chances of a severe fracture, it it possible to learn to check your opponent's kicks, to counter strike and to anticipate and move in ways which substantially reduce the risk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is tempting to want to desensitise your body as quickly as possible, but this approach is fraught with danger. Think incrementally. Move from a mild heavy bag to a heavier, denser bag. From there, you might try a worn car tyre wrapped in foam/fabric. Then a car tyre with less foam. Then a naked car tyre. Patience will be rewarded. Impatience comes with a high risk of  injury. The 'health' of such conditioning practices likely corresponds with how gradually you expose your body to greater and greater levels of stress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-09-12T15:04:25.407" LastActivityDate="2022-09-12T15:04:25.407" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13494" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-09-11T19:28:16.587" Score="3" ViewCount="73" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do backhand pushups ever make sense? Is it practiced in any martial arts?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recall I did them once (where I got that idea, I don't remember). I couldn't even lean on the backs of my hands at first, but then I learned to do a substantial amount of pushups in that position and gave it up (it simply became a tricep exercise, and I worked on my triceps separately). But now I'm wondering, where does it come from, what was it designed for? One of my guesses is that it has something to do with martial arts, specifically hand conditioning. On the other hand, you don't punch with the back of your hand, for all I know (even in reverse punches, you employ knuckles). If the exercise is actually useful, I could theoretically make it harder and resume&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/b99r3.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/b99r3.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10664" LastActivityDate="2022-09-12T11:50:21.813" Title="Do backhand pushups ever make sense? Do martial artists even condition the backs of their hands?" Tags="|conditioning|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13495" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13488" CreationDate="2022-09-12T07:49:55.460" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;A lasting feeling of helplessness can have detrimental impacts upon your mental health. It can lead to depression and isolation, each of which may exacerbate the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personal experience and a mountain of anecdotal evidence suggests the avoidance and training advice provided by @Pipperchip's answer is sound.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is important to realise that the psychological benefits of martial arts training are often as great or greater than the physical benefits. A feeling of helplessness - whilst sometimes reflective of physical capacities and sometimes causal of physical difficulties such as lethargy and weakness - is a psychological issue, so any contemplation of whether or not to commence martial arts training should be undertaken with an awareness of the potentially enormous psychological benefits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This answer is designed to supplement Pipperchip's by pointing out that a feeling of helplessness can stem not only from a lack of physical confidence, but from other psychological and even educational issues.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of the most charismatic, interesting and confident people you will meet are sub-alpha physical specimens. This might be due to the fact that, given their physical shortcomings, they have had to develop other resources  by which to attain respect and status in societies which can often award status for trivial, arbitrary and/or limited 'attainments', such as sporting/fighting prowess, physical beauty and monetary wealth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some of these 'other resources' are a sense of humour, curiosity, depth and breadth of knowledge, determination, confidence and creativity. These traits can all contribute to an increase in a person's ability to de-escalate and reshape verbally and physically violent situations and can help a person to feel more at ease in their environment; particularly in their interactions with other people. Vitally, they also help a person to realise that the sense of worthlessness which often accompanies helplessness can be overcome; that the capacities of resilience, strength and courage are relevant not only to physical conflict, but also to other occasions when our emotions and intellect are tested; during social events for example, and when encountering strangers, whether it be professionally, casually or during the course of other challenging interpersonal interactions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consequently, strength, resilience and courage can be exhibited by people who lack any special physical prowess and of course by those who are physically atypically weak and vulnerable. These qualities can be trained and nurtured in one's character just as biceps, pecs and quads can be trained in the gym. A person who can remain emotionally and strategically calm when confronted by conflict will often be adequately equipped to deal effectively with that conflict.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Am I suggesting that boosting your emotional and intellectual fortitude will always save you from a psychopath with a knife in an alley, or a drunk idiot in a bar? No. But I do hope to convey that a lack of natural athleticism need not be a lasting cause of the helplessness you feel.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The internet is an incredible educational tool. Learn to use it with discernment and you will find that many if not most of the resources necessary to become knowledgable and emotionally and intellectually resilient can be found on the web, or via the web.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By all means address your physical shortcomings. But don't make the mistake of thinking that learning how to fight will necessarily be the answer to all your problems. In my experience, the best martial artists are often not the most gifted physical athletes, but those who approach their endeavours with an intellectual mindset and with determination, creativity, curiosity, humility, kindness and a robust emotional equilibrium.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whilst it is not necessarily an easy thing to do, try to develop friendships and associations with people who exhibit these qualities. It is often far easier to develop new attributes when you are surrounded by people who model them and who respect and encourage them in others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-09-12T14:59:19.370" LastActivityDate="2022-09-12T14:59:19.370" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13496" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13494" CreationDate="2022-09-12T11:50:21.813" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have never actually performed them as part of a martial art, but in other forms of exercise that I have done, the emphasis has been on building up strength and flexibility in the wrist in all directions. By learning to push back in that direction for support, you decrease the likelihood of spraining your wrist on a punch, or while catching yourself in a fall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-09-12T11:50:21.813" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13498" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10009" CreationDate="2022-09-13T15:59:24.777" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is absolutely possible to continue to fight while sober and rendered unconscious. You will be missing time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you maintained form and protected yourself, you are likely in an area to physically keep yourself close to your attacker.&#xA;Fighting when you have too much room and no senses leads to wild sloppy embarrassing movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is even more strange to slowly put together the clues from the moment you were attacked to when you stopped, usually due to a crowd gathering in a high enough density to have people intervene.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I can hear&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I can see&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Where am I?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Why are my arms in a fighting form?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Why is my attacker silent and unusually passive?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Where did this crowd come from?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Typically waking from a knockout is PAINFUL. If you behave more normally: You drop to the ground. Your heart's erratic. You may have see a few interesting visions, dreams, or memories. As those mildly entertaining affectations dissipate, your heart starts up. This isn't smooth. This makes the blood distribution uneven and you are flopping around like a fish out of water. This is assuming you are not having a seizure-like event.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the nerves get blood and FLARE back to life in an irregular fashion causing the shaking.&#xA;Once the nerves reset, the wave of pain screams through your body, announcing clearly to you that you hit the hard ground at speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if you are rendered unconscious and your reflexes take over on auto pilot, then a portion of the above will remain hoping your unnatural stance kick in. New martial arts students experience the slight terror of controlling fight reflexes. Just walking around. Until they learn more control. Until the students obsession With speed and power play against control precision and purpose&#xA;It’s like fighting in your sleep but with full kinetic linkage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12742" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-09-19T17:47:58.630" LastActivityDate="2022-09-19T17:47:58.630" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13499" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-09-13T21:45:59.077" Score="0" ViewCount="146" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are things like strength, speed, durability, reflexes, agility, lung capacity, cardio, endurance, stamina, and size important in a fight? I am not talking about a small strength/speed/durability/etc. difference, I am talking about a large one. Are such things important when it comes to fights?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;*Please note that I am not talking about conflicts involving weapons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12743" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-09-14T05:37:03.737" LastActivityDate="2022-09-14T05:37:03.737" Title="Are physical attributes important in a fight?" Tags="|self-defense|streetfight|strength|speed|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13500" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13499" CreationDate="2022-09-14T02:27:02.210" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's pretty obvious, isn't it? It's why there are weight classes in all competitive fighting sports.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The Gracie family says that &lt;strong&gt;for every 20 pounds heavier, you need to be one belt higher ranked than your opponent&lt;/strong&gt;, all other things being equal. The &amp;quot;20 pounds&amp;quot; figure is not to be taken literally or scientifically. It's just a general concept. There have been cases of white belt men weighing 250 pounds beating black belt women weighing 120 pounds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All physical attributes matter in fighting. Your age, height, weight, sex, strength, speed, and stamina all matter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Skill matters, too. But if you have two people with equal skill, and one of them is just bigger and stronger, then the bigger and stronger one usually wins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why this is even a question is because traditional martial arts have promoted the idea that all that really matters is skill. You see it in kung-fu movies all the time. The little guy is always beaten up at first, and then he meets a martial arts master who takes pity on him and teaches him the &amp;quot;real&amp;quot; stuff. In the end, he takes on his bullies and wins easily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's not the way it works out in real life. More realistically, a smaller, weaker person will learn enough over many years of hard training to survive a fight and get out of there before he gets seriously hurt. And it will be very unreliable until he gains much more fighting experience, which is typically not how traditional martial arts train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's nothing more than magical thinking and delusion to believe there's some secret, super effective technique out there known only by some true master, and if you just learn it and train with that master earnestly, you'll be more or less invincible. That's just a nice fantasy, something you can picture in your head as you're drifting off to sleep at night.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2022-09-14T02:27:02.210" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13501" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-09-14T10:55:06.597" Score="6" ViewCount="1409" Body="&lt;p&gt;Judo has a lot of terms inherited from Japanese. Two such are &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%80%A3%E7%B5%A1#Japanese&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;renraku&lt;/a&gt;-&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%80%A3%E7%B6%9A#Japanese&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;renzoku&lt;/a&gt;-waza&lt;/em&gt;. In the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/_digitaldocs/KyuGradeSyllabus/53/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;BJA syllabus&lt;/a&gt; these are translated as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Renzoku-waza is the Japanese terminology for combinations of attacks that continue in the same direction. Renraku-waza are combinations of attacks where you CHANGE direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But this doesn't seem obvious from the usual meanings of the words in Japanese (&amp;quot;sequence [of techniques]&amp;quot;, and &amp;quot;connected [techniques]&amp;quot; respectively). Is this an accurate description of how these judo terms are used in Japan? If not, how are they used?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2023-11-08T05:46:27.100" Title="Difference between renraku-waza and renzoku-waza" Tags="|judo|terminology|japanese|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13502" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3095" CreationDate="2022-09-14T11:09:36.817" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Audience&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Those who have some non knife-specific martial arts training and who are unlikely to properly drill any of the knife defence advice they glean from Youtube or other sources.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Synopsis&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;When faced with the immense stress of a knife attack, a person is very unlikely to be able to perform or use un-drilled movements with success if they differ greatly from movements they have already trained to perform.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Detail&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The video linked in the OP shows a stance that is simple and achievable, but highly unusual (&lt;em&gt;and extremely dangerous in the absence of follow-up movement and strategy&lt;/em&gt;). If a person was to respond to a resolute knife attack in this fashion, they are prioritising defence of the vital organs over counter-attack/active defence. The likely outcome is that they will suffer serious (fatal?) injury as a result and - if they survive the initial onslaught - will find themselves in a position in which they are now forced to fight whilst injured and less capable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A person who has trained to respond to threats with a version of a fairly generic, approximately 45-degree, bladed stance, in combination with a corresponding high hand position (a stance common to many martial arts), may very well cause themselves to hesitate - fatally - if they burden their mind with a new, un-drilled, passive guard which in some ways is the polar opposite of how a boxer, or practitioner of muay thai, karate, (other) krav maga style, or grappling might ordinarily respond to a threat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If running is not an option, and you are forced into knife defence, you probably have a much better chance of survival/minimising injury if you react in ways which align with your most drilled responses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Example 1: Boxers do not train against knives, but a basic boxing stance (albeit with open hands) lends itself to very relevant avoidant/counter-attacking movement patterns. This potential strength is almost entirely sabotaged in an instant if when attacked, you suddenly ask your body and mind to do things it has never trained to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Example 2: &lt;em&gt;The following example works from the assumption that most knife attackers a person is likely to face will be untrained and likely unconcerned with leg attacks or with attacking a leg artery. Admittedly of course, this &lt;em&gt;may&lt;/em&gt; not be the case on some occasions&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A person who has learned to front kick well possesses a useful initial defence against a knife attack &lt;em&gt;if&lt;/em&gt; initial range is sufficient (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUo00gU_Q_E&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;See here&lt;/a&gt;). The forward weight of the extended leg allows for a defensive torso lean away from the knife. If you possess this skill already, but sacrifice it in order to employ a technique you've never or very rarely practiced, you may well be inviting a worse outcome.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short: If you already have some good fighting skills and are interested in exploring the many and varied knife defence strategies available on the internet, &lt;strong&gt;consider selecting those techniques which build upon movement patterns with which you are already familiar&lt;/strong&gt;. In this way, you minimise the risk of 'freezing' or hesitating when attacked and maximise your chances of taking control of the situation, whether this be by overcoming your opponent entirely, or merely sufficiently in order to escape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To finish up: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGEneFBxkq8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;This&lt;/a&gt; is a useful video, less because - if the instructor is telling the truth - it represents an evidence-based approach to an (incomplete) defence against one particular form of knife attack, but because it explains the role of cognition and gross motor skill in combat. Fine motor skills can be trained sufficiently to be of use in combat, but in circumstances where training desire and/or opportunity is minimal, gross motor skills should be prioritised.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-09-17T15:59:19.470" LastActivityDate="2022-09-17T15:59:19.470" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13503" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13501" CreationDate="2022-09-15T08:03:40.537" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Kodokan has expressed &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/2015/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;similar thoughts&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In parallel, there were request and discussions for the unification and explanation of Judo terms. Terms casually used such as Uchi-komi, Kakari-renshu, Yakusoku-renshu, Nage-komi, Sute-geiko, &lt;strong&gt;Renraku-waza&lt;/strong&gt;, Henka-waza, Tachi-waza, Ne-waza, Suri-ashi, Ayumi-ashi, and Tsugi-ashi can be more or less understood by the kanji meanings but foreigners must understand these terms when these names are written in alphabets. Therefore, &lt;strong&gt;it is necessary to explain the meanings of these Judo terms in accurate English.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the requests up until now, the Waza Research Committee classified them after repeated discussions and responded after translating into English. After this, production of a &amp;quot;Judo Glossary&amp;quot;, that is an enhanced version of the &amp;quot;Kodokan New Japanese-English Dictionary of Judo&amp;quot; that was published in 2000, will be undertaken immediately.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While the aforementioned &lt;a href=&quot;http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/waza/dictionary/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;judo glossary&lt;/a&gt; is still unpublished, the original dictionary says this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;連絡 &lt;br&gt;(renraku)&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;連続 &lt;br&gt;(renzoku)&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/aRag6.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/aRag6.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pwlFv.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pwlFv.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2022-09-16T07:33:40.120" LastActivityDate="2022-09-16T07:33:40.120" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13505" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10106" CreationDate="2022-09-20T00:10:57.937" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Mohammad bastone anaisa. I grew up in afaf which was an off shoot from ufaf (chuck Norris’s association). This Bo kata was taught as a testing kata for 4th brown and then later for First degree black belt. I can not find a video anywhere on the internet. You are not crazy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12755" LastActivityDate="2022-09-20T00:10:57.937" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13506" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-09-27T02:40:25.193" Score="1" ViewCount="607" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushin_(mental_state)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Mushin on Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mushin in Japanese and Wuxin in Chinese (無心 &amp;quot;no mind&amp;quot;) is a mental&#xA;state. Zen and Daoist meditators attempt to reach this state, as well&#xA;as artists and trained martial artists. They also&#xA;practice this mental state during everyday activities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this a real thing? It can be trained ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12634" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-09-27T14:46:30.377" LastActivityDate="2022-09-27T17:01:40.393" Title="Mushin (無心 &quot;no mind&quot;) is a truth?" Tags="|kung-fu|mentality|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13507" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13517" CreationDate="2022-09-27T05:57:49.787" Score="3" ViewCount="400" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've read a lot about iron hand training on the internet, and there is heavily conflicting advice. I want to try to clear that up here, as I started iron hand training 3 weeks ago and I'm not sure if I should continue. I'll try to make my question as organized as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;What I currently do:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is my daily routine, for &lt;strong&gt;each hand&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I punch downward into a bucket of sand with a closed fist so all my knuckles contact and dig into the sand, 300 times.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I strike &lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B08K37NG79&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this canvas bag&lt;/a&gt; (filled with sand) with my palm, backhand, blade, and fingertips, 200 times (for each part of the hand listed).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;I strike &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.homedepot.com/p/8-in-x-4-in-x-16-in-Concrete-Solid-Block-401500100/202524817&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this concrete brick&lt;/a&gt; just like in step 2, but 100 times only.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The total number of strikes for all parts of the hand combined is 1500 strikes &lt;strong&gt;per hand&lt;/strong&gt;, daily. I don't hit so hard that it hurts, just enough so it's uncomfortable. By the end, my hands are red, superficially scratched up, and slightly swollen, but NOT painful or bloody.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Why do I train iron hand?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I stopped training martial arts (boxing and jiu jitsu) 2 years ago due to a serious heart condition, which I don't need to go into. Recently, I became very interested in the idea of toughening my hands so they don't hurt when I strike hard surfaces, and so I can break bricks with my bare hands. I also saw it as a way to get back into some form of martial arts training again. Also, on two separate occasions, someone tried to rob me but I was able to flee both times; I was lucky they weren't armed, but if I ever need to strike someone, iron hands would be useful. While I'm not a professional, I am serious about wanting to build tough hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;My concerns:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I play piano almost everyday, and my job requires me to type on a keyboard all day. I have read online that improper iron hand training, &lt;em&gt;or even proper training,&lt;/em&gt; could cause nerve damage over time. My main concern is avoiding this nerve damage, obviously, and other such long-term injuries like arthritis. So far, after 3 weeks of iron hand training, I haven't noticed any deficiency in my piano or typing ability.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Some of the sources I looked at:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;h5&gt;Sources AGAINST iron hand:&lt;/h5&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/8065/how-to-condition-knuckles/8075#8075&quot;&gt;Another SE answer claiming that as the surface of bones calcify, the bone underneath becomes more brittle, citing Wolff's Law.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-41712.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Someone claiming iron fist gave them arthritis.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h5&gt;Sources FOR iron hand:&lt;/h5&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://eastmeetswest.com/hands-like-stone-in-100-days/#:%7E:text=The%20fourth%20method,morning%20and%20evening.&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;A suggested method that is similar to my routine, but not exactly (scroll to &amp;quot;The fourth method is called the slapping method...&amp;quot;).&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.martialartsplanet.com/threads/iron-conditioning-the-myth-buster-post-makiwara-iron-palm-iron-fist-breaking.58779/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;A (pretty long) forum post claiming that iron hand doesn't cause arthritis, and may prevent it, also citing Wolff's Law, and many other things.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know these sources aren't medical studies, but honestly, I couldn't find anything that academic on iron hand training. Mostly anecdotal stuff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;My questions:&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is your advice about iron hand training? Based on what I've written here (and your knowledge), do you advise me to stop it? If not, do you think it's ok to continue my routine above or should I change my routine?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12763" LastEditorUserId="12763" LastEditDate="2022-09-27T12:54:13.717" LastActivityDate="2022-10-13T02:14:21.460" Title="What is your advice on iron hand training? To what extent should anyone do it?" Tags="|striking|conditioning|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13508" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13507" CreationDate="2022-09-27T07:40:11.833" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From a medical standpoint, I would advise against doing this &lt;em&gt;daily&lt;/em&gt; and would also put the same amount of vigour on &lt;em&gt;joint mobility&lt;/em&gt;. If you want your body to be both durable and mobile, you need to provide it with the corresponding stimuli. It will adapt functionally automatically.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you want to achieve is that your structures &lt;em&gt;adapt to a certain stimulus&lt;/em&gt;. That takes time. If it is swollen, that speaks for inflammations and a lot of lymph in the hands to get rid of that and breakdown products of damaged structures. Doing that the next day, again, means this can add up. This is what will probably, over time will lead to arthritis and chronic joint pain because it leads to stiffening and contraction of the extracellular matrix in your fascies and that makes it harder to properly nourish the cartilage of the joints so that it ultimately degenerates.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, the first point will be to give your body 2-3 days between routines, just as you would (sorry, &lt;strong&gt;should&lt;/strong&gt;) with sore muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This directly leads us to &lt;em&gt;mobilisation&lt;/em&gt;. Mobilisation includes the &lt;em&gt;activation&lt;/em&gt; before the routine by moving all joints (especially fingers and wrist, but generally the whole body), streaking of the hand after the routine (towards the heart!) to activate perfusion and move the lymph, and stretching of the joints on off-days &lt;em&gt;within functional angles&lt;/em&gt; (hypermobility in hand joints is &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; desirable). All this helps to preserve and/or improve the smoothness of fascial structures gliding on one another and moving undesirable metabolic products away, both of which are necessary for a healty extracellular matrix that, in turn, is necessary for proper nourishment of cartilage and healthy adaption of the structures to the stimulus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said: If you punch hard things a lot, you will force your body to form calcaneus structures to protect the joint. There are always small &amp;quot;boney&amp;quot; structures in the cartilage near the joint and if there is consistent stress, part of the cartilage will start to calcify. Trabeculae will eventually form boney calusses. &lt;em&gt;Those&lt;/em&gt; will eventually impair joint mobility, no matter how careful you are with the management of stimulus amplitude.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, you will, over the course of &lt;em&gt;years&lt;/em&gt;, impair your mobility and fine motor skills of your hands. There is no way around it. The slapping is different here as there is no direct pressure stress &lt;em&gt;into the joint itself&lt;/em&gt; and it will improve bone density (up to a certain age) and the resilience of fascial structures. Too dense a fascial structure can also impair cell and cartilage nutrition that can, in part, be mitigated by the means I described but punching hard things, over years, will definitely have unwanted consequences, even if you do the mitigating stuff I described.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-09-28T07:14:03.813" LastActivityDate="2022-09-28T07:14:03.813" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13509" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13506" CreationDate="2022-09-27T13:34:50.137" Score="4" Body="&lt;h1&gt;By Another Name: Flow&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This sounds &lt;em&gt;exactly&lt;/em&gt; like the well documented, psychological state called &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;flow&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/em&gt; It can also be called &amp;quot;being in the groove&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;becoming one with [some task].&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flow is this state where training and reactions take over, where one is fully immersed in a particular activity. Self-conscious is lost and it feels like you are just &lt;em&gt;doing.&lt;/em&gt; Your awareness is entirely or deeply focused on the task at hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Can It Be Trained?&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes, as one can achieve flow in particular circumstances, especially when the task one is engaged in is something one has practiced consistently and involves motor skills. It is not special to eastern martial arts, nor to martial arts in general. One can see it in runners, weavers, gamers, cooks, pianists, and more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Benefits&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The benefits of flow for martial arts is enormous. With proper training, your whole mind is bent on the fight. You can perform techniques properly and immediately. Your reaction times are better. There is less (or no) hesitation. These are all excellent things!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also plays nicely with certain philosophical aspects of eastern martial arts and religion, especially Buddhism! I won't go into that here, but it is important to note that this particular mental state is a real thing. (Additionally, note that eastern religious views have a &lt;em&gt;huge&lt;/em&gt; impact on their martial arts!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastActivityDate="2022-09-27T13:34:50.137" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13510" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13506" CreationDate="2022-09-27T17:01:40.393" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Mushin is a term in Japanese martial arts whereby the practitioner has reached a state of &amp;quot;no mind&amp;quot;. &amp;quot;Mu&amp;quot; means negation, or &amp;quot;no&amp;quot;. And &amp;quot;shin&amp;quot; means &amp;quot;mind&amp;quot;. It is a state of mind whereby the practitioner is able to instantly react to an opponent without the conscious mind getting in the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the time, the conscious mind is busy thinking about what to do next. We like to strategize and plan. &amp;quot;If he does this, then I will do this thing in response. But if he does that, then I will do this other thing.&amp;quot; Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While we're thinking and planning what we're going to do next, our attention is taken away from that part of our mind we call the subconscious. The subconscious part of our minds is always listening. All of our senses go through the subconscious mind first: hearing, sight, touch, taste, and smell. And it operates independently of the conscious mind. It takes in all of these senses and figures out if there's a reason to alert the conscious mind of danger. And so, we martial artists need to allow ourselves to consciously pick up on the signals that our subconscious is sending. We can't do that if we're too focused on whatever we're thinking at the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a delicate dance between the conscious and the subconscious. Where one starts and the other begins is sometimes blurred. It becomes more clear in certain situations. When you need to pee, for example, the conscious mind tells the subconscious mind to release the bladder, but it's the subconscious mind that actually relaxes and opens up one of the sphincter muscles stopping the flow of urine in the urethra. You can't just &amp;quot;will&amp;quot; it to happen. Which is why you might have had trouble peeing when others are in the bathroom looking at you, or there are loud noises and lots of movement nearby. Your subconscious mind is watching everything and has determined that it's too dangerous right now to allow you to start peeing. You're very vulnerable when you're peeing, and the subconscious mind knows it. But your conscious mind can't just tell it that everything is okay. That's because your subconscious mind operates independently and is free to reject whatever your conscious mind tells it! You think &amp;quot;you&amp;quot; are in control, but it's really your subconscious that's the one that's mostly in control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;What does this have to do with martial arts?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Imagine you're grappling with someone in a BJJ rolling session. This guy is always able to beat you. He's bigger and stronger. He's a purple belt, and you're a white belt. When you go up against him, your mind is racing. You are trying to think 3 steps ahead. You're strategizing. You're planning. Yet, none of that ever seems to work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I actually go over this exact scenario here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/12721/how-to-beat-a-vastly-superior-opponent/12723#12723&quot;&gt;How to beat a vastly superior opponent?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, don't think. Don't plan. Just relax. Listen to your subconscious. Suddenly, you find yourself moving almost as if without any thought whatsoever. Your training just kicks in, and you do something. And to your utter astonishment, you were able to stop him from doing the worst thing to you. It's more progress than you've made all this time trying to think harder and harder. Something just &amp;quot;clicked&amp;quot;, and you did the right thing without thinking about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's &lt;strong&gt;Mushin&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's acting without thinking about it. You're calming your conscious mind down enough for you to allow your subconscious mind to take over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your subconscious mind is strange. It's vast. It's not a mind as such. It's more like a bunch of systems of parallel neural networks all operating at the same time and which figure stuff out without you consciously knowing it. It often knows the right answer way before your conscious mind has figured it out. Your conscious mind is totally unaware of most of it. Which is why sometimes you just have to stop thinking and allow yourself to be controlled by the subconscious, instead. You have to silence your mind, because the subconscious whispers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sorta. I'm not an expert in brain science. But that's as good as I can explain it. Take that with a grain of salt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Japanese martial arts, the concept of mushin is used to explain how you know when someone is creeping up on you, or there's something strange about the room you walked into. It's a weird feeling you're getting from your subconscious mind. It's saying this situation is different, suspicious, or dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, if you enter a room that you've seen many times before, but there's a slight change in the way the air is moving around the room, you won't consciously notice it. It's not something you're consciously looking &lt;em&gt;for&lt;/em&gt;. But your subconscious notices it, and it has already determined there's an object somewhere in the room that could be someone hiding. It is sending you a signal that the room is dangerous. Allowing yourself to listen to these subtle signals can save you from being ambushed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A lot of the times you get these signals, it will turn out to be nothing. There are many false alarms. Your subconscious isn't perfect. It's just noticing something strange. What that strange thing is could be benign or dangerous. Like in the previous example, was that &amp;quot;object&amp;quot; that changed how the air moved in the room a hidden person or maybe just a change in the position of one of the sofas?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We would be wise to develop our ability to silence the mind and listen to these subtle signals coming from the subconscious. In my experience, when I have let my subconscious take over, it has led to very surprising breakthroughs. When you experience it for the first time, it feels almost spiritual.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2022-09-27T17:01:40.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13512" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13514" CreationDate="2022-10-07T16:35:27.837" Score="3" ViewCount="100" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm 52 and have recently started Judo training which I really enjoy, but have considered trying boxing training for abit more excitement/danger side of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did boxing training for a year when I was a boy, but didn't really enjoy hitting people then, so I gave it up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So just wondered if I could spar defensively without attack, whilst keeping in mind the fighters would hopefully look after me, given my inexperience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Would the trainers be OK with that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, what do you think about the health side of boxing for over 50's?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12784" LastActivityDate="2022-10-25T06:56:55.283" Title="Boxing sparring without punching back" Tags="|boxing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13513" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2498" CreationDate="2022-10-07T22:20:03.280" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you can find a book from the 1960s about Tae Kwon Do, you will find your answers.&#xA;TKD comes from Shoto Kan.  I am not being dismissive.  TKD has evolved, and it is up to the practitioners to care and evolve it farther.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12785" LastActivityDate="2022-10-07T22:20:03.280" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13514" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13512" CreationDate="2022-10-08T05:57:57.077" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Any decent coach will ensure the safety of fighters remains their top priority.  If you ever feel as though your wellbeing or that of other fighters is being neglected, find a new gym.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as sparring goes, offence is actually a vital component of defence, so you're better off learning to throw punches as well as how to block, parry and move, even if defence is your primary objective. Your sparring partners will want to learn defence as well, so they will need you to provide an offensive challenge. Trust that your trainer will keep the intensity of your efforts in check.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most good coaches will not let you spar until you have at least a rudimentary grasp of the basics and will gradually expose you to more intense sessions as you become more skilled and conditioned. It's not a process to be rushed, and one that can be conducted with a fair degree of safety for both fighters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regular sparring contains considerable risk of not just minor injury, but &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy/#:%7E:text=Chronic%20traumatic%20encephalopathy%20(CTE)%20is,are%20based%20on%20ex%2Dathletes.&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparring for recreational fighters is in my opinion best performed lightly, where the emphasis is on technique,  strategy and movement rather than damage. Don't get sucked into a macho environment where 'being tough' is associated with being silly enough to fight on despite repeated concussive blows (this isn't common in good gyms, but the warning is worthwhile).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for being over 50, boxing can offer an excellent physical and mental regime. Consult a doctor and get a medical check if you are overweight or have any concerns about your health.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, many trainers know a lot about boxing but little about exercise physiology, especially how it relates to the often unique demands of older athletes. Emulate the tortoise rather than the hare and have confidence in your ability to read warning signs of injury or overexertion. Push yourself, but don't let yourself be pushed beyond what feels safe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Otherwise, go for it. The benefits can be wonderful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-10-08T12:07:03.877" LastActivityDate="2022-10-08T12:07:03.877" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13515" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-10-08T07:33:12.037" Score="3" ViewCount="151" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been instructed to do short* steps. This is intended to provide agility in close quarters. When changing the direction of travel rapidly - for example from advancing to retreating - I have observed two approaches work reasonably well:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;always contact the ground with the toes first; for quick steps the heel doesn't even hit the ground&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;at the moment of rapid change of direction, strike the ground with the heel as to transfer maximum momentum onto it.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Number 2. sounds suspiciously like a bad practice. Is it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I feel this is going to take some years to resolve. Terrain is possibly the king. On floor tiles with heavy-duty hiking boots it's trivial to plant the heel. Not so much when barefoot over broken glass.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Contemplating the issue: heel planting produces more rapid response than toe stepping. Has tons of disadvantages but provides really rapid short steps useful for sport fencing; parrying a knife or whatever; even getting behind someone's back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;sub&gt;* - distance from heel of leading leg to toes of trailing leg shorter than one foot&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="485" LastEditorUserId="485" LastEditDate="2022-10-31T21:58:37.893" LastActivityDate="2022-10-31T21:58:37.893" Title="Heel planting to change direction of travel rapidly" Tags="|footwork|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13516" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13515" CreationDate="2022-10-09T12:11:36.370" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the absence of any further detail, I'll answer as if the O.P. was related to striking arts such as full-contact Karate and Boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;'On your toes!' is a mantra of many a fighting coach, and for good reason, but it is possible to take the advice too far and to try to remain 'en pointe' all the time, high up on the toes like a ballet dancer. This is unnecessary and may even slow/reduce the power of your movements (because you are forced to either lower the heel prior to pushing with full force, or to push with less than optimal movement of the muscles/joints). Remaining too high and stiff will also likely unnecessarily increase muscular fatigue in the calves and quads and can lead to repetitive stress in the knees and knee ligaments (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/-/media/ksw-images/anatomyoftheknee328032.ashx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;ACL, PCL and LCLs&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The heel need only remain slightly off the ground (roughly an inch/2.5 cm). It is inevitable that you will make contact with your heels at times; when defending, when fatigued and when resting out of range, but particularly when planting the front foot to promote maximum force on impact during some punches (such as stiff jabs or straight rights), or the rear foot to promote maximum force on impact when kicking (such as during low roundhouses and axe kicks).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you lazily walk around the ring when in range, you will likely be caught on your heels, unable to evade, but don't be too concerned if your heel occasionally hits the ground when performing especially powerful movements. If you constantly feel your heel tapping the mat, you might want to start working on your calf strength via skipping, tyre/trampoline work, shadow-boxing and/or calf-raises, and to simply focus more on your footwork when training. Shadow-boxing is a great time to hone your footwork (or any technique), as you aren't encumbered by the additional cognitive stresses of complicated pad-work, sparring, fighting or high-intensity physical drills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Deal with this problem sooner rather than later. As with all habits, the longer you train them, the more difficult it becomes to correct them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-10-09T15:25:52.477" LastActivityDate="2022-10-09T15:25:52.477" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13517" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13507" CreationDate="2022-10-13T02:05:50.880" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would advise against some of what you are doing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I sourced the Wolff articles in the &amp;quot;anti Iron fist&amp;quot; post you referenced,  and so I won't source again,  you do seem to understand the concept.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that needs to be said about arthritis can be easily digested in this article:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/osteoarthritis&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Essentially, if you damage the cartilage, you are at high risk of osteoarthritis (OA). I have severe OA in the left hip and moderate in the right.  I'm a lefty.  My favorite kick was the side kick; I was quite good at it, I used it a lot in breaking, sparring, demonstration,  and warming up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The hip is a ball-and-socket assembly,  and there is cartilage that surrounds both the ball and the interior of the socket.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I lost the cartilage at the base of the ball and rim of the socket, my doctor surmised, because of all the air kicking I did in practicing taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What happens is newton's first law (inertia) - &amp;quot;a body in motion tends to remain in motion until a force acts upon it&amp;quot;. Well, in my case, the force that acted upon the mass of the leg moving in the direction of a common side kick was the rim of the hip socket.  That caused the deterioration of cartilage at that area on both the ball and socket.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also lost cartilage at the top of the ball and at the back of the socket, my doctor again surmised, because of all of the bag kicking I did:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you kick a bag via a side kick, newton's 3rd law predominates: &amp;quot;for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction&amp;quot;.  When the bag is kicked, 1st law applies, as the bag wants to remain where it is. But also, 3rd law kicks in too: the bag exerts an equal and opposite force upon the foot, which transfers all the way back to the hip.  (This could have been mitigated, but wasn't; and the details of how are out of scope for the question).  Needless to say,  I screwed up my hips pretty badly. As a lefty, my left hip is severely arthritic, and my right is moderately so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what I learned is that my injury was caused by the pinching of cartilage in the hips' ball and socket mechanics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But the hand has no such ball and socket,  and your exercises are not pinching any cartilage, except in the case of your fingertip strikes, and that places you at risk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ah, but &amp;quot;injury&amp;quot; is a broad term, and herein is where Wolff's law could lead to OA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As I noted in my answer to the previous question you linked, Wolff works kind of like this: osseous pressures cause microfractures.  The body responds by cementing those fractures in order to heal. The cement it uses is calcium.  In bone, calcium exists primarily in the form of hydroxyapatite (Ca10 (PO4)6 (OH)2), and bone mineral is almost 40% of the weight of bone. Bone is a dynamic tissue that is constantly undergoing osteoclastic bone resorption and osteoblastic bone formation.  You can read about that in more detail &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK109827/#:%7E:text=In%20bone%2C%20calcium%20exists%20primarily,resorption%20and%20osteoblastic%20bone%20formation.&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Osteoclastic refers to a large multinucleate bone cell which absorbs bone tissue during growth and healing.  Bone resorption is the process by which osteoclasts break down the tissue in bone and release minerals resulting in transfer of calcium &lt;em&gt;from&lt;/em&gt; bone tissue to blood.  Osteoblast is the same, but in the reverse direction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In other words, there are specific kinds of bone cells which receive or transfer calcium.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Osteoclasts are responsible for aged bone resorption and osteoblasts are responsible for new bone formation. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5612831/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;The resorption and formation is in stable at physiological&lt;/a&gt; conditions. However, when the balance is disturbed, bone architecture or function will be &lt;em&gt;abnormal&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;OK, so what this all means is, under normal conditions osteoclasts and osteoblasts maintain normal bone formation, until this balance is disturbed - as in injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All this is stating what Wolff said, although he did not describe it in these terms since he did not have the science we now have today: he merely observed what we today explain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Back to you:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you condition, you create these microfractures which disturb this osteoclast and osteoblast imbalance, and bone architecture becomes abnormal. The result is different for each person, due to the available hydroxyapatite in the body and the amount, duration, and repetition of injury to the hand. But several things are possible: if the microfractures occur in the bones of the hand where there is cartilage (see a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mayoclinic.org/bones-of-the-wrist-and-hand/img-20006951#:%7E:text=Your%20wrist%20is%20made%20up,metacarpal%20bone%20and%20two%20phalanges.&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;description of the hand here&lt;/a&gt;) OA can result here if the uneven bone formation injures cartilage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Equipotentially, bone malformation can cause soft tissue (specifically, nerves) to rub against the malformations resulting in painful or numb sensations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, as to your workout, I have several observations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nix the bucket of sand. Not that it's dangerous, but you're wasting time. Just hit a punching bag instead because it's more realistic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, nix the fingertip conditioning.  There is a myth that fingertips are used to yank spleens out of the gut or disgorge the larynx out of the throat. That's not what the fingertip is for. You would never use this technique in self defense this way due to the damage it could cause you if you don't do it right.  (Which is that you're hand would be rendered useless)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For everything the fingertip is purported to be used against, there is always a safer and stronger body part you should be using instead. (You didn't ask, but the fingertip you see in forms is actually a throw, and the manifestation of the fingertip shows the position of the hand in that throw).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to increase hand strength, as for grappling, then carrying heavy clay pots would be perfectly safe and fine - and realistically appropriate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, piss or get off the pot: break the damned brick or put it in your garden to tell the world you weren't strong enough to break it with palm or elbow.  But slapping the thing a hundred times is an exercise in futility. Just use the punching bag.  (Then you won't have to admit to not being able to break it).  You can punch it, slap it, kick it, or whatever fancies your mood that day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last. Don't try to condition the back of the hand. You shouldn't be using it to break skulls, and with no conditioning at all, you can certainly use it to smack the nose or solar plexus to a very effective result. If you condition the backhand, I can assure you that Wolff's and Davis' laws will condemn you to painful hand movements. Your typing days would end,  and good luck trying to impress with Mozart's K545 Piano Sonata 16 1st Movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastEditorUserId="8201" LastEditDate="2022-10-13T02:14:21.460" LastActivityDate="2022-10-13T02:14:21.460" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13518" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-10-14T20:37:56.840" Score="4" ViewCount="225" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the most effective way to stop bullying or cope with it? I am not asking about a fighting solution, since fighting gets you in trouble and is generally impossible to achieve 100% of the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am bullied a lot, in a lot of ways, from yelling, to mocking, to spam/abusive texts/emails/calls, to physical hits and sexual comments. I want to not be bullied anymore, or at least be able to cope with it. I have been bullied for 3 years now, and I've had enough. What do I do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12792" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2023-09-22T11:49:43.603" LastActivityDate="2023-09-22T11:49:43.603" Title="How do you deal with bullies?" Tags="|self-defense|bullying|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13519" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13518" CreationDate="2022-10-14T23:52:15.800" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;This looks like it might be a duplicate question that's already been answered here, as Macaco Branco mentioned in the comments. But I did want to give a unique perspective on this, as someone who was once bullied as a child myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm going to assume you're in school still, and that you're a boy. Hopefully that assumption isn't wrong. My advice would still generally apply if you were a girl or an adult, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The obvious answers are stuff you already know: Avoid the bullies, keep your head down, don't provoke anyone, and try to blend in and not stand out. Beyond that, get stronger and take MMA, BJJ, or Muay Thai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But honestly, do you want to know the thing that has the greatest chance of actually working? Something that will sort of immunize you from ever being targeted by a bully again?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is: &lt;strong&gt;Make friends. As many as you can. The more the better!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bullies pick on people who are easy targets. Those would be people who stand out and who don't have lots of friends, or no friends at all. They don't pick on the popular kids. They don't pick on the jocks. They don't pick on kids who look normal, act normal, talk normal, dress normal, and have normal interests.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, to some degree it has nothing to do with looking and acting like everyone else. It's all about making friends. Making friends often means not being weird and not being the sort of kid nobody wants to be seen with. Those kids simply lack friends because they're different. Not a lot of kids are going to accept kids that are unusual. So those kids who are different will often struggle to make friends.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And the more a kid goes through life feeling different and acting different, the more likely that kid is to be introverted and therefore only need one or two good friends. Those kids with one or two friends are targets for bullies. Chances are, their friends are also like them, weird and different. Bullies won't be deterred by those one or two friends of theirs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, I know it's unfair. I know you're probably different from others. You stand out in some way. Maybe you're weaker physically. Maybe you look younger than the rest of the kids in your class. Or you wear feminine clothing, or clothing that's really colorful when the other boys don't. Maybe you color your hair. Or you wear earrings. Maybe you listen to music that nobody else does, and you're not afraid to show it by wearing that band's t-shirt. Or you have interests that are uncommon that nobody else can relate to. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of those things are the way you express your individuality. Or they're not an expression, it's just who you are. And it's not fair to ask that you change just to satisfy a bully.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But I think that's the wrong way to look at it. I would reframe that in your mind a bit. Instead of changing to satisfy someone else, &lt;strong&gt;think about wanting to do whatever you can to make new friends and be the sort of person who everyone wants to be around&lt;/strong&gt;. Do it not to satisfy others but because you personally want to be someone who everyone likes. That goes beyond what you wear and what you look like. It's also and mostly about being friendly and warm, and taking a genuine interest in and appreciating others, who they are, what they're into, as well as their problems in life. And not judging them for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And I want to be clear here. It doesn't mean changing who you are and your interests. It does mean that you will be less concerned with conveying to others who you are and, rather, shifting the focus onto them and discovering who they are, their uniqueness, their interests, and so on. &lt;strong&gt;It's less about you and more about them.&lt;/strong&gt; Let them shine. Let them do the talking. Let them tell you all about their favorite subject: themselves. And listen to them, really listen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The worst thing you can do is put up some kind of &lt;strong&gt;barrier&lt;/strong&gt; that prevents them from opening up to you or getting closer to you. You need to be better about gauging their reactions to you. If you're wearing a t-shirt that offends them, for example, maybe you should stop wearing those t-shirts or tone that down a bit. That's less about you repressing your individuality and more about caring about others around you. That's it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And you might be very passionate about some subject and can talk for hours about it, but know that most people get bored beyond a few sentences. Keep it short and only give them more if they ask you for it. The more time you're spending talking, the less you're able to find out about them, and the less they want to be with you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You don't want to anger them if they believe something that's against what you believe. So just keep those things to yourself. You don't want to make them feel less than you in any way, so stop trying to play yourself up. You don't want to make them feel awkward around you, so don't do or say stuff that other kids aren't doing or saying.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead, make it so that they feel like they can really open up and tell you their interests. That should be your focus. Take the focus away from you and put it on them. It's not about you trying to be someone you're not. It's about you trying to put the focus onto them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;School can be brutal. I remember trying to make friends with kids that seemed like they could use a friend. I figured we were in the same boat, so the more the merrier, right? And I would try to befriend them, only for them to lash out at me and push me away. They didn't want me near them, either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a reason why those kids are alone. They're not friendly, not nice, and they don't put in the effort to make friends. Many also have mental or personality problems, unfortunately, and push people away. Other kids see them alone and know not to approach. Like I said, it's brutal sometimes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'll just say you have to break out of that. Start making new friends. Easier said than done. Chances are you don't know how to do that. That's great! Be aware of that fact. That will lead you to asking the right questions. There are books on how to make friends. Search for them and read some of them. Take from them what you think you can apply. And then little by little, make changes in your behavior that increase the chances of you making new friends.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Don't worry if you're not successful right away. It can take a whole year or even longer before people start coming around, and you get in with the right social circle. Acting all friendly all of the sudden makes other kids suspicious. It takes time before they get used to the new you and begin to accept you into their friend groups. Then once you're in one group, it becomes easier to branch out to others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For you even, it's going to seem like trying to be someone you're not, at least at first. When you're far enough along in this process, I'm just gonna tell you that you won't have to worry about that anymore, because it will be genuine. That will be who you genuinely are. It won't be an act. And kids will feel that and will begin to trust you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By the time you find yourself in a larger social circle, you'll have forgotten about that bully. The bullies will simply vanish, because you're no longer a target. You have friends. And if you do still get bullied, your new friends won't stand for it. They'll push back on the bully for you. That's what bullies fear the most. Bullies don't want to be the ones who are ostracized by the group, because that would make them just like the ones they bully.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whatever you do, don't become violent. Just channel all of that emotion into motivation for becoming the one everyone wants to be with. That's your goal. And do reach out to adults that can help if it becomes too much to handle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is my perspective. I hope it helps. Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2022-10-15T05:42:22.017" LastActivityDate="2022-10-15T05:42:22.017" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13520" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-10-16T13:02:41.117" Score="2" ViewCount="126" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to know the name of 108 form, tai chi Wu style, in cantonesse&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12793" LastActivityDate="2022-10-18T14:18:31.890" Title="What are name of Tai chi 108 form Wu style in Cantonese?" Tags="|tai-chi|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13521" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13520" CreationDate="2022-10-18T14:18:31.890" Score="2" Body="&lt;h3&gt;I would like to know the name of 108 form, tai chi Wu style, in Cantonese&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The 108 forms of the Wu family style of T'ai chi ch'uan are listed at&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/108-form_Wu_family_tai_chi_chuan&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;108-form Wu family tai chi chuan - Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For each unique form name there is a literal translation, the Hong Kong school's translation and then the Shanghai school's translation in italics where they differ, followed by the original Chinese characters.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Example:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Begin T'ai Chi Form - The Beginning of T'ai Chi - The Preparation Form 太極起式&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6377" LastActivityDate="2022-10-18T14:18:31.890" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13522" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-10-25T05:51:13.210" Score="6" ViewCount="177" Body="&lt;p&gt;How do I set up a proper so-called cross collar choke? Especially, I wanna' know how to position my hands, how to rotate them and my forearms.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/XI8yd.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/XI8yd.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;img&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5mmudlTLcw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;source&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm mainly focusing on applying it from the closed guard position (bottom). Some aspects I would like to clearify:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Where exactly do I have to grip the collar?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;In which direction do I rotate the hands &amp;amp; arms?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do I have to &amp;quot;squeeze&amp;quot; my arms together?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Shall I pull the opponent down onto my body (with my body weight and/or with my arms)?&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thinking further: What to do when it is not working? Adjusting (how) or is there a promising alternative/following up technique to go for in the heat of the moment?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8608" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-10-28T01:11:31.347" LastActivityDate="2023-01-12T22:54:02.540" Title="How do I set up correctly a collar choke?" Tags="|judo|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|jujutsu|chokes|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13523" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13512" CreationDate="2022-10-25T06:56:55.283" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Any health advice depends on your individual health condition. In principle, I would say you'll definitely benefit from it, especially, as boxing emphasizes on cardio whereas judo is more strength endurance. Hence, I'd say boxing will be easier/better to learn from a physical point of view. It is, at least, definitely safer for your body.&#xA;However, this excludes sparring which is also very dependent on the specific gym. A proper gym/coach/athlete would respect your skills and condition but from my experience this is much less present in boxing than e.g. in judo. The people in judo are the most considerate ones I've experienced whereas in boxing, thai boxing and the like are the least ones. I wouldn't expect too much consideration in sparring. I don't think they will hit you (very) hard but once you hit them multiple times (even a bit harder than you wanted to), they will tremendously take less care.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my advice: I would focus on Judo and Boxing but for sparring in boxing wait 6-12 months to get a proper feeling of the people and gain according skills.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8608" LastActivityDate="2022-10-25T06:56:55.283" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13524" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13526" CreationDate="2022-10-27T13:53:10.413" Score="2" ViewCount="625" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am not flexible, never have been, and most likely won’t be. I have attempted to do it before it ultimately ended in failure. I have searched this up and there are mixed answers. I'd like to try some more sources, so are the splits necessary or should I try to become more flexible?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12815" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-10-27T18:41:02.867" LastActivityDate="2022-10-27T20:07:07.130" Title="Is the splits necessary for Tae Kwon Do?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|flexibility|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13525" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13524" CreationDate="2022-10-27T18:40:48.383" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is definitely good to be more flexible, as it not only allows you to kick higher in general, but also improves your ability to recover when something goes wrong, such as your kick getting deflected upwards. However, in my opinion, a full split is not necessary since you should be able to kick most targets without having to stretch that far. Splits are more a stunt than anything else, although it is one that most people can achieve within a few weeks of consistent practice (I'll admit that I haven't been able to do them for a few decades because I haven't put that practice in).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a slight scope challenge, I think that dynamic flexibility is the more important part of training. Splits tend to be more static, especially initially, but where you need to have flexibility is during the movement, especially being able to maintain your stretch against the resistance of your bodyweight shifting, against impact on a successful kick, and to adjust on a miss or deflection. Most of the static stretches can be done dynamically simply by doing them as a movement. Just be careful to not push yourself too far past your limits by throwing your weight into it. Every movement should be as controlled as you can make it, particularly since you will have to learn to maintain your control on impact, so you can't just loosen up the leg, swing, and hope for the best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-10-27T18:40:48.383" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13526" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13524" CreationDate="2022-10-27T20:07:07.130" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I agree with Macaco Branco's answer. Just wanted to add to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No, splits are not required in order to do Taekwondo, even as a high ranking black belt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Flexibility is something Taekwondo schools work on quite a lot. A good 1/4 to 1/3 of all class time is spent doing something that directly affects flexibility. And most of the rest of the class will often indirectly work on flexibility in some way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Outside of class, students are expected to stretch everyday at least twice a day, if not more. For a lot of students, it becomes kind of an obsession.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I was very active in Taekwondo, I would get up in the morning and stretch. Then I would eat breakfast. After breakfast, I would stretch. I'd stretch before TKD class, during TKD class, and then after TKD class. Before bed, I'd stretch. And all throughout the day, I would take any opportunity I could to stretch. Even if I was sitting down at a desk, I might grab my hands and stretch my wrists. I'd rotate my neck. I'd get up every now and then and rotate my spine. At home, I'd get up and do high kicks when walking from room to room. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So stretching is a big part of Taekwondo training. For many, it's something that becomes a way of life. And the more you stretch, the more flexible you'll become over time. Many, but not all, will reach the point where they can get a full split (side split and front split). It's not required, but it's something that Taekwondo people are often able to do with lots of effort over time. It just comes with the practice. It's not something you need to set as a goal, although many do have it as their own personal goal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two major pain points for leg flexibility. The first is hip/groin flexibility. Without that, you're going to feel unable to get into a low horse stance, or any low stance, that's correct to form. And kicks will be limited to waist level only, without bending your base leg (cheating). So that is the first place to work on if that describes you. And hip and groin flexibility are topics you can search on YouTube for advice on how to become more flexible there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second pain point for leg flexibility is the hamstrings and glutes. When these are too tight, it will restrict raising your leg up without bending your base leg. This is often due to strength training without doing enough stretch work after lifting weights. Again, there are many videos showing exercises that work on increasing flexibility in these muscle groups.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The good news is that most of the things in your Taekwondo class already work on this. You just need to keep at it. Over time, it will improve. The amount of effort you need to put into it depends on your body's condition and your genetics. Some people are just innately more flexible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Always warm up first. And don't use ballistic stretching. You want to go to your limit, and very gently push past it in a controlled way. You can't do that with ballistic stretches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I go over stretching more at the following link:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/5525/when-training-spinning-kicks-is-it-more-important-to-prioritize-control-or-heig/5527#5527&quot;&gt;When training spinning kicks, is it more important to prioritize control or height?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These other answers of mine are also appropriate and worth reading:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/6481/daily-tae-kwon-do-routine-to-improve-kicks/6482#6482&quot;&gt;Daily Tae Kwon Do routine to improve kicks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/13400/quick-and-efficient-warm-up-excercise-for-routine-preparedness/13401#13401&quot;&gt;Quick and efficient warm up excercise for routine preparedness?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might also look into muscle imbalance. It's not often very well understood, and it does affect flexibility. It's at least something to watch out for. I go over that topic at the following link:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2548/taekwondo-and-muscle-imbalance/2563#2563&quot;&gt;Taekwondo and muscle imbalance&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think not being flexible is something that affects Taekwondo students quite a lot. You see everyone kicking high, and you want to be able to do that. Your instructors will hold focus pads up high and expect you to kick it. If you're unable to kick that high without sacrificing form, balance, and power, you begin to feel like there's something wrong with you. There isn't. You just aren't flexible (yet).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And while they do want you to target up high, understand that it's because they're always pushing the limits. In self-defense, kicking high is usually ill advised for a variety of reasons (not warmed up enough, clothing too tight, too slow, too telegraphed, easy to lose balance and fall, etc.).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where it might begin to affect your ability to progress in Taekwondo is if you can't score enough points in sparring. Some schools make sure you're scoring consistently higher than students below your rank in order to gain rank. And in Taekwondo, higher kicks often have higher point counts. But don't worry too much about that just yet. It will come in time. And schools generally award higher rank on balance. It's not just sparring that they look at.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2022-10-27T20:07:07.130" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13527" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13533" CreationDate="2022-10-27T23:26:49.957" Score="2" ViewCount="185" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you were to be in school (If you are younger) or perhaps on the streets at night (maybe day), and you do something to offend someone. You don’t necessarily want to go all bruce lee on him, but be cautious, right? If he pulls out a weapon, a broken bottle, a stick, a knife, it gets serious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What’s the best thing to do in this situation? If he/she’s drunk or very angry, it is very hard to calm down or stop him/her from attacking. Running away is your best option, but what if you are in a corner or there is many people, how do you deal with this? Are you pretty much toast?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12815" LastEditorUserId="12815" LastEditDate="2022-11-22T16:19:24.017" LastActivityDate="2022-11-25T09:23:24.557" Title="What to do in a fight that might turn deadly?" Tags="|weapons|streetfight|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13528" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13522" CreationDate="2022-10-28T01:11:17.670" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here is my general advice for cross chokes in the absence of any other answers. I don't personally play closed guard, but I think most of this advice should still be applicable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The goals for a blood choke are roughly, in descending importance:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Target carotid arteries&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;close space&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;maintain pressure&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;maximize pressure&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For cross (your arms are crossed) collar chokes, I want my hands as far around the back as possible, to the point where fingers from my two hands are touching. This puts the pressure from the forearms on the carotid arteries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In judo, there are three recognized variations:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;nami juji jime (both palms down)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;kata juji jime (top hand palm down, bottom hand palm up)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;gyaku juji jime (both palms up)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What's missing is the combination where the bottom hand is palm down, and the top hand is palm up. For the top hand palm down variations, you can lift the chin to expose the arteries and get pressure off the jawbone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To maximize pressure, you want the smallest surface area in contact with the arteries, so use the side of your forearm or wrist and not the flat surfaces.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my opinion, once you cinch the choke, it's more important to simply maintain the cinch than to apply more pressure. In this view, scissoring the arms is about cinching, rather than about applying overwhelming force. You need to make sure the opponent does not have the space and opportunity to break the cinch, either by inserting arms between you, moving their body, or pressing your elbows in. Pulling them in is one way to make it harder for them to move. Another way is take away their base and cause their weight to be partly supported by the choke.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Personally, I think the both palms down version is simplest to understand the principles of a cross choke, but is the least realistic to actually get in live situations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also frequently beneficial to sweep and finish the choke from top position. The choke draws attention and makes sweeping easier.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2022-10-28T01:11:17.670" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13529" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13522" CreationDate="2022-10-28T07:52:32.623" Score="1" Body="&lt;h2&gt;1. You typically don't do that from closed guard directly.&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason is twofold: Firstly, you miss the opportunity to bring your whole body and weight behind the choke. Secondly, it needs sevear mistakes from your opponent in order to make it work. Works only against beginners who are bad at distance management and choke defense, basically. You could try it from an arm wrap but that is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lLXzt9Hg-s&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;pretty easy to defend against as well&lt;/a&gt;. What you can do is use one side of the collar grip as a threat that enables you to do &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLPVmnEBGtA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;other neat stuff&lt;/a&gt; though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, rather learn a good sweep and apply it &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wLWTw8G0c0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;from mount&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;2. Regarding the mechanics&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ideally, you use the sides of your wrists to minimise the area of application of force. This means that although you apply the same force, the pressure is much higher (Pressure = Force per Area). Therefore, you need to have grip accordingly deep into the collar so that your wrists are where the carotid arteries lie. Contrary to popular belief, a cross collar choke should not be applied mainly through a movement of your arms. It needs strong wrists (like for all collar chokes where you grip deep) as you mainly choke through a twist of your wrists into the carotid arteries. Elbows and grip are fix points there. That way, it is much harder to defend against and the effect is immediate. For an in-detail analysis of the basic mechanics, I suggest you watch this video:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiWsKFY88Bw&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Roger Gracie explains the cross collar choke&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2022-10-28T07:52:32.623" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13531" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13518" CreationDate="2022-10-28T10:58:30.187" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, I know, it may sound cheesy to students in school but... Tell a trusted teacher. Most likely, teachers &lt;strong&gt;will&lt;/strong&gt; help. They at least will try to help you. If you feel too shy or embarrassed to tell a teacher, you can talk to a parent or a trusted friend. If you really express it and say something, it will be stopped. And if you are brave enough, you can go up to the bullies (cyber bulling is different, try to stay away from devices for a little bit) and tell them to STOP. For more help, visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.stopbullying.gov/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.stopbullying.gov/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12815" LastActivityDate="2022-10-28T10:58:30.187" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13532" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12831" CreationDate="2022-10-28T19:03:21.357" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;This depends on what you call &amp;quot;reliable evidence&amp;quot;. There are a few first-hand reports that the &lt;em&gt;Inside Karate Magazine&lt;/em&gt; researched 20 years after his death, and they suggest he was a legit fighter, to the point that he refused any sports competition because it would limit his abilities by rules, going against the spirit of martial arts (not because he deemed himself &amp;quot;too deadly&amp;quot;).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As the only source of said article that I could find was an obscure, Swedish forum I will cite the article in full for convenience. The caveat is that it fully relies on reports of people near him, probably all of them given after his death.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So there is a strong possibility it partly is more about the myth than the man. The sum of it, his training regimen and his own understanding of what martial arts should be like suggest some grain of truth, though:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee: Real Fighter Or Mere Showman?&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;By Paul J. Bax&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Though it has been over 20 years since his death, Bruce Lee, the late martial arts movie action hero, continues to generate interest in his life and thrill audiences who view his on-screen performances. Despite his obvious fighting prowess on film, people still speculate that Lee was only an actor who had little, if any, real fighting ability. In contrast, people who actually knew and trained with Bruce Lee will vouch for his superior combative skills and attest to his explosive speed and power. Was Lee only a showman who only fought in movies, or could he actually end a real fight in a matter of seconds?&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;It is common knowledge that Lee never participated in tournament fighting. The late star felt such events proved nothing about one's fighting skills since a fighter's arsenal of weapons was limited, due to the rules of the match. How can one look at tournaments as realistic fighting when only certain areas of the body could be struck? Why were participants automatically disqualified for excessive contact when the goal of fighting is to annihilate their opponents? These were the factors that kept Lee away from sport competition. When evaluating Lee's fighting skills, one must first has to consider how he trained. His training equipment back in the 1960's was so advanced, it is still being used by his students. Considering the results that Lee trained for when using such equipment, one might begin to see that he was training to totally incapacitate his opponent. An example would be the punching devices Lee used in his training. They were constructed out of metal which simulated different parts of the head, such as the eyes, jaw and throat. While most martial artist were punching air, Lee was practicing to strike the most vital parts of the body. While most martial artist were simulating fighting by practicing kata's. Lee was participating in all out sparring matches with protective gear. While most martial artist were training to kick people in the face, Lee concentrated on kicking low and destroying his adversary's knee caps, groin and shins. Besides being respected as an innovator in martial arts training, Lee also was revered by top Karate champions of his era. Mike Stone, a top fighter in the sixties, once stated in the book, The Legend Of Bruce Lee, that, &amp;quot;For his size and weight, Bruce was one of the strongest people pound for pound, I have ever met. I think he would have beaten a lot of people much heavier and much stronger than he was. He would have done extremely well in competition. If anything, he would have been too fast for the officials. He was that skillful.&amp;quot; Joe Lewis, voted the greatest karate player of all time, once noted in &amp;quot;Black Belt&amp;quot; magazine that Lee, &amp;quot;was probably the fastest man I've ever seen and by far the most intelligent fighter I have worked with. If Lee wasn't the greatest martial artist of all time, he was certainly the number one candidate.&amp;quot;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;The respect Lee garnered from other martial artist is obvious, but how did Lee actually do in the few fights that he had? Throughout his 32 year life he was challenged many times. Be that as it may, Lee fought very infrequently. In his youth, Lee claimed to be a street punk who went looking for trouble. Only two eyewitness accounts exist about his fights before he came to the U.S. at the age of 18. One was by his friend and training partner, Hawkins Cheung. In an article for Inside Kung Fu magazine, Cheung claims Lee fought another martial arts practitioner who used a style called Choy Li Fut, while Lee adhered to the art of Wing Chun. The fight was set up to last two rounds, with one opponent attacking in the first round and the other attacking in the second. Lee's opponent attacked first with a wild flow of techniques. Bruce handled the situation the best he could. At the end of the first round, Bruce wanted to quit. After much encouragement from his friends he channeled his fear into positive adrenalin and ended up breaking his opponent's jaw. In another account, Cheung witnessed Lee in a boxing match with the champion high school boxer of Hong Kong. Though Lee had never boxed before, he easily knocked out his opponent who had been champion for three years. After being encouraged to leave Hong Kong by his parents due to his constant fighting, Lee came to America a much more mature person and less of a trouble making individual. The days of roaming the streets looking for trouble were now only a memory.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Shortly after arriving in the states, Lee began teaching martial arts. (First to keep his skill and later for money) Since he was always giving demonstration to attract more students, he also stirred up controversy. A particular black belt Karate man took exception to some of Lee's claims regarding kung fu and challenged him to a fight. Though he declined the match, Lee was the constant target of rude remarks from this particular individual. Finally, the man had the nerve to shove Bruce out of the way in a crowded hallway which resulted in Lee accepting his previous challenge. According to Jesse Glover, Lee's first student, the fight took place at the local Y.M.C.A. handball court. After a brief warm-up, the two faced off to begin their match. Lee's opponent began the altercation with a front kick that was easily blocked. Bruce proceeded to straight punch his opponent the full length of the court when finally the man's back ran into the wall. At this point, Lee's foe tried to grab him to which he responded with a double punch that lifted the now bloodied opponent off his feet. As his opponent's body hit the ground, Lee connected a front kick to his nose. Glover yelled for Lee to stop his attack. The karate man lay motionless in a pool of blood. Ed Hart, another one of Lee's students, reported in Black Belt magazine that the fight only lasted eleven seconds. Lee's first official fight in the U.S. was a success.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Another encounter happened as a result of Bruce Lee's non-conformance to a Chinese tradition of not teaching non-Asians. While preparing for class in his Oakland school, Lee was approached by a group of men who ordered him to stop teaching whites or close his school down. Bruce denied this request and bluntly said he would teach those he wanted to teach. After several minutes of discussion, the group of men decided Lee would have to fight one of them in order to defend his right to teach whites. If he won, they would leave him alone. If he lost, he would have to close his school down. Lee's wife, Linda, recalls in her book, The Bruce Lee Story that after her husband faced off with his opponent he produced a series of straight punches. Within a minute, Lee was already gaining the upper hand in the fight. Suddenly, the friends of the rival began to say the fight should be stopped but the fight continued. Finally, the confrontation ended with Bruce dragging his opponent to the ground pounding him into submission.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;Though these are the only known fights that Bruce Lee had in the U.S., he also encountered trouble when he became a major movie star in the far east. On the set of his last movie, Enter The Dragon, co-star Bob Wall confirmed [in an interview for Black Belt] two incidents he witnessed where Lee had successfully defended himself. The first match was handled quickly and easily. Lee simply performed a choke hold after forcing his opponent to the ground. In the second, the challenger was a well known martial artist in Hong Kong who wanted to prove that Lee was just an actor and not a fighter. After becoming tired of the man's excessive derogatory remarks, Lee finally ordered him to, &amp;quot;Come over and have apiece of me.&amp;quot; Lee's opponent tried everything he possibly could do to hit Bruce, but he couldn't touch him. Finally, Lee punched him and followed up with a foot sweep which landed the man on his back. After the man stood up again, Lee continued to pound him and eventually slammed the foe against a wall. The man, who was bigger and taller than Bruce, eventually begged him to stop. After this incident, Wall claimed there were no more challenges.&lt;br&gt;&#xA;&lt;br&gt;&#xA;When considering the fights that Bruce Lee engaged in throughout his life, it is safe to say he was an actual fighter and not just an actor who performed martial arts, as many people have claimed him to be. Lee lived and breathed the martial arts. There will doubtfully ever be another practitioner who comes close to his dedication to the philosophy, teaching and disciplines of the martial way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-10-28T19:08:34.687" LastActivityDate="2022-10-28T19:08:34.687" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13533" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13527" CreationDate="2022-10-28T21:25:40.880" Score="5" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Don't Pick a Fight&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is one of the fundamental rules here: do not fight unless you need to. Even with proper training, attempting to handle a drunk man with a knife while unarmed is a deadly task.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll be answering this from a historic European martial arts perspective, which has a surprising amount of things to say about drunks and street fighting. Until someone pulls a gun, these techniques are &lt;em&gt;highly&lt;/em&gt; applicable. Their society was full of people with easy access to knives, clubs, and booze.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So please consider these options. I leave the actual techniques to practice in your local club or dojo; these are fairly applicable with other systems too! Live training is better than any post on the internet will ever be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The major point here is that fighting is inherently risky. A mistake can mean an incurable condition for you or your opponent. &amp;quot;Incurable conditions&amp;quot; range from a small ache that pesters you forever to immediate death. It's really better (well, &lt;em&gt;less risky&lt;/em&gt;) to avoid fights whenever possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Drunks Are Dangerous&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It has been recognized throughout the ages that a drunk man with a weapon is super dangerous, even more so than a sober man. Why? Because their normal inhibitions and &amp;quot;I-want-to-live&amp;quot; instincts are dulled or entirely muted. Doing an all-out attack that kills both parties seems like a better idea when drunk. Some medieval fencing schools required an armed fight with a drunk to graduate. That's a raw deal!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Grab A Weapon&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This levels the playing field a bit more. This opens up parrying, &amp;quot;beating&amp;quot; their weapon away, and maybe even giving them pause before commiting to an attack. The calculus of engagement disfavors assaulting armed opponent over an unarmored one. It requires a certain level of drink or rage to overcome that instinctual inhibition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Use Your Coat&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is a classic defense against knives and sticks. You can gain &lt;em&gt;some&lt;/em&gt; degree of protection from knives and other weapons by wrapping your forearm several times with a coat. Also, kiss that coat goodbye, as it will get ripped and slashed instead of you! Use it to deflect cuts and thrusts, control their weapon, and make your move to get them disarmed and out of the fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Use Their Tells&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A drunk, unless a well practiced fighter, is going to have some big tells. It comes with inhibited executive function of the brain. Read the windups and shifts of weight: interrupt them and put them on the defensive.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Put Them Down&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The general medieval consensus is that you put neutralize enemies as soon as possible. That doesn't always mean killing. Fiore Dei Liberi recommends, especially in a grapple or wrestle, that you break the arms (or other joints) and send them to the ground. Pins, locks, as well as yanks/cranks are all not-inherently-lethal options here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Advocating for extreme violence off the bat does seem bad, but the fact is that you do not know what the other person is capable of. They could injure or kill you, given the chance. Any leniency shown to your opponent while they are still combat-capable gives them a chance to injure or kill you. This is the primary reason why old masters (and I) advocate to &lt;em&gt;put your opponent out of the fight, and fast.&lt;/em&gt; Once again, this doesn't mean &lt;em&gt;kill them,&lt;/em&gt; it means &lt;em&gt;remove their ability to fight.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Have Friends&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Numbers is a HUGE advantage! If you look at professional bouncers, they do not actually use much combat expertise when applying force. They use numbers. One on one, it can be unclear who would win. Three on one is pretty much guaranteed to have the three walk away alive and mostly unharmed!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2022-11-25T09:23:24.557" LastActivityDate="2022-11-25T09:23:24.557" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13534" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-10-29T05:39:37.590" Score="1" ViewCount="78" Body="&lt;p&gt;After being kicked in the ribs, my hand went numb. It felt like a stinger in Football. The sensation travelled down my arm. Has anyone else experienced this? Is this &amp;quot;normal&amp;quot;? Do I need to see a specialist?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12820" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2022-11-08T23:04:54.033" LastActivityDate="2022-11-09T09:23:04.143" Title="Numbness in hand after impact in ribs" Tags="|muay-thai|injury|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13535" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13534" CreationDate="2022-10-29T08:12:49.417" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From my anatomical understanding, the only mechanical possibilities for that to happen are either a trauma to the cervical spine (above the shoulders) due to sideways acceleration or a shift of the sternum affecting the upper ribs and the collar bone with surrounding tissue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is, given your arm was not above your ribs and hit directly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Both possibilities involve some impingement of nerves. If there is nothing permanent, like a slight tingling or even numbness in the pinkie, no biggie. If you experience that or pain in the chest or arm while moving full range of motion a day or two later, see a doctor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2022-11-09T09:23:04.143" LastActivityDate="2022-11-09T09:23:04.143" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13536" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13534" CreationDate="2022-10-30T03:55:18.697" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;My recommendation is to see a medical specialist right away.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You experienced an impact in one area of your body.  You then experienced numbness in another part of your body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A medical specialist will hopefully be able to help determine what occurred.  Their diagnostic testing may include imaging and/or nerve tests.  Neither is particularly painful (and both are much less painful than being kicked in the ribs).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note that, in my experience, doctors &lt;em&gt;- just like fighters -&lt;/em&gt; vary greatly in skill level (and their personal opinions of their own skills rarely reflect their actual skills).  Getting a second or third opinion is sometimes needed to help correctly diagnose an issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wish you the best of health.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6354" LastActivityDate="2022-10-30T03:55:18.697" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13537" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1934" CreationDate="2022-10-31T11:56:19.413" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ask ten different coaches to describe a 'heavy jab', and I suspect you'll get somewhere close to ten different answers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some refer to heavy jabs as 'stiff jabs'. For others, a 'stiff jab' relates more to technique and for others still, it relates to the 'natural' power some fighters' jabs generate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To address the jab demonstrated by your instructor:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm not a big fan of telegraphing at any time, but there are instances in which it might be deemed acceptable by some. These instances are those in which your opponent is overwhelmed and/or overly defensive, presenting no obvious offensive threat. Some fighters take this as an opportunity to 'wind up' a little more, especially if they themselves are fatigued and losing coordination and power. Occasionally though, these lapses of discipline cost them dearly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your instincts about the instruction may well be right. No well-thrown punch (or kick) I can think of ever looks ridiculous. It looks honed, the ultimate evolution of centuries (millennia?) of trial and error and design. The time it takes to retract or 'cock' an arm, and then to return it to it's ordinary starting position is a very long time in the lightning-fast context of expert striking. Was any advice given as to the occasion in which you might use such a punch? I'm not aware of any great fighters who routinely telegraph the jab (except perhaps when exhausted).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Clearly, all punches exist on a power spectrum. Jabs can be thrown as feints, quick distracting flicks, sharp stun shots, stiff range-holders, and yes, as very heavy blows (of knock-out effect in skilled hands). So, a 'heavy' jab is arguably any in which the power intended and/or delivered is close to maximal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A very heavy jab can be developed without resort to retracting the arm. The best heavy jabs are motions of violent beauty which shun unnecessary movement and achieve maximum effect through efficiency of movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Key ingredients to a truly heavy jab include (in no particular order):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Speed&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Body-weight transference&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Timing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Range&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accuracy&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These elements can be understood in the context of force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Force = Mass x Acceleration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Speed and range: The faster you punch, the faster the acceleration of your fist will be, usually just before the end of the jab. The vital thing to remember here though, is to realise that the range from which you throw the jab and the way you envisage your target have a massive impact here.  Why? Because if your target is merely the &lt;em&gt;surface&lt;/em&gt; of the body, your fist will have moved beyond its maximal accelerative phase by the time contact occurs. Inhibitory mechanisms designed to prevent overextension of the elbow come into play and slow the fist down towards the very end of its motion. To counter this effect, it is necessary to aim &lt;em&gt;beyond&lt;/em&gt; the surface of the body (about the depth of your fist). In other words you want to be punching into or through your opponent, to cause maximum damage via the maximisation of force, which is partly achieved through maximising the acceleration of your fist at the point of impact. By punching through your opponent, the inhibitory processes described above have not yet interceded and the transferral of your body mass's momentum is allowed to 'penetrate' the opponent's body.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Timing, accuracy and body weight transferral also work together. You want your punch to represent the accumulation of the power generated by your feet, legs, torso, shoulders and arms. If there is a staggering of these motions - if the flow of this kinetic chain is broken/hindered in any way - maximum weight transferral is diminished.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Timing is maximised when the successful execution of this complex movement coincides with forward momentum via a step and via the rotation of the trunk and shoulders, the tensing of the arm and shoulder at the precise moment of impact, the position and motion of your opponent at the moment of impact, the grounding of the body's weight at the moment the stepping foot lands, and the accuracy of the blow (ie. onto a part of the face from which it does not lose force because of glancing caused by inaccuracy).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is much more detail to go into, but if you work on these principles consistently, you should go a long way to maximising the potential power of your jab and no 'winding up' should be necessary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I realise your question is about jabbing in a Muay Thai context, but the jab-specific Muay Thai footage available is relatively scarce, so I thought you'd enjoy this video of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=best+jabs+in+boxing&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;'The 10 Best Jabbers in Boxing History'&lt;/a&gt;. Some of these fighters threw extremely heavy jabs, and you'll notice they keep telegraphing to an absolute minimum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2022-10-31T14:38:18.440" LastActivityDate="2022-10-31T14:38:18.440" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13538" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5860" CreationDate="2022-11-03T23:57:06.510" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Wrist locks are the new leg locks. Close-minded know-it-alls sometimes wear black belts:) Experiment for yourself. Stay open-minded and free. Have no style but your own - if that appeals to you. They used to frown on wrestling, leg locks, judo, striking and everything else they aren’t familiar with. I know. I was there. And, I used wristlocks to high percentage levels. When you figure out how to apply them in your JJ game, be really careful, and never “snap”. Keep it slow and steady. The wrist does break. If there’s a good reason to not do it… it’s because it’s dangerous like a heel hook. Luckily, most people are doing the aikido style wrist folding, and abandon that as useless. It’s not totally a bad thing. I’ve felt a wrist break in my hands. I don’t want to feel that ever again. Oh, and, starting to do a wrist-lock is a great set-up to more standard moves, when they pull away. Be sure to integrate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12830" LastActivityDate="2022-11-03T23:57:06.510" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13540" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13542" CreationDate="2022-11-08T16:47:42.737" Score="2" ViewCount="80" Body="&lt;h1&gt;The Goal&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am trying to resurrect the long tradition of holiday Sword and Buckler sparring with minimal equipment purchases.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are meant to be friendly sessions: only pride is on the line. The aim is to mostly have fun hitting each other with sticks, informed by the basics of a few buckler treatises, without going full force on people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;The Background&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At my club, I have seen instructors wear very minimal gear for some sword and buckler sparring: hoodies, plastic Bucklers, and synthetic padded swords. Of course, instructors know the benefits of restraint, when hard is too hard, and are honest about hits. It has got me thinking how I can bring the joy of HEMA to my relations during the holidays...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming I can convince them to join me in a little ring out back and learn &amp;quot;an outdated skill,&amp;quot; I need basic gear for fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;What Do I Need For Reasonable Safety?&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Specifically for sword-and-buckler!&#xA;Currently, I have...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Two Cold Steel (Plastic) Bucklers&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Arming-sword length, round wooden rods.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A fencing mask&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Hoodies&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Wintery clothes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to keep the costs down, so I think a second fencing mask coupled with winter-ish clothes gives reasonable protection against ye olde stick during cuts and most thrusts. What more should I do to ensure a bit more safety?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastActivityDate="2022-11-23T12:00:19.707" Title="Minimum Sparring Gear For Sword and Buckler" Tags="|training|protective-equipment|historic-european|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13542" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13540" CreationDate="2022-11-10T13:22:55.360" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;When you do not use full force and are mindful of each other the main cause of injury/pain are mistakes. Most vulnerable are your eyes for thrusts and your fingers for hits. So as &lt;strong&gt;minimal&lt;/strong&gt; equipment for safety I recommend&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A fencing mask.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Protective gloves, esp. on thumb - We have tried different kind of gloves. Some use military gloves with padding, others use motorcycle gloves which have hard padding, too. There are special gloves for fencing, but more expensive. Maybe thick winter gloves will do.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We often practice without mask if no thrusts or hits to the head are planned. Gloves are always a good idea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12625" LastEditorUserId="12625" LastEditDate="2022-11-23T12:00:19.707" LastActivityDate="2022-11-23T12:00:19.707" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13543" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13544" CreationDate="2022-11-11T04:53:17.617" Score="6" ViewCount="841" Body="&lt;p&gt;The IJF recently banned &amp;quot;reverse&amp;quot; seoi-nage in competition, due to the difficulty of breakfalling safely. But how exactly is a reverse seoi-nage defined? What variants are/aren't legal?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-11-11T12:01:45.370" LastActivityDate="2023-05-16T16:06:07.293" Title="What is a &quot;reverse&quot; seoi-nage?" Tags="|judo|terminology|throwing|sport|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13544" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13543" CreationDate="2022-11-11T04:53:17.617" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;&amp;quot;Reverse&amp;quot; seoi-nage&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The IJF define it as a seoi-nage like technique where you grab the &lt;strong&gt;same side lapel with both hands&lt;/strong&gt;, and rotate &lt;strong&gt;away from&lt;/strong&gt; uke i.e. similar to&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a morote-eri-seoi-nage rotating in the &lt;em&gt;opposite&lt;/em&gt; direction, or equivalently&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;a morote-eri-seoi-nage gripping the &lt;em&gt;opposite lapel&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol start=&quot;31&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;No score and shido for reverse seoi-nage. The application of seoi-nage techniques when uke can perform ukemi and tori can control is allowed. In the variation of seoi-nage techniques when tori turns away from uke, twisting their tsurite and hikite using the sake [sic] lapel of uke’s judogi, without controlling uke, standing or dropping down in an unknown direction, without giving the possibility to the opponent to perform ukemi and sometimes with uke falling with the neck on the mat, is forbidden.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/ijf/documents/24&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF Sport and Organisation Rules (SOR)&lt;/a&gt; (24.04.2023)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/nnsfYdyzVVQ&amp;amp;t=21176&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lascau:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; In the moment you grip on the same side with both arms we start to talk about Reverse Seoi Nage...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/nnsfYdyzVVQ&amp;amp;t=18180&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;DAY 1: Lisbon EJU Refereeing &amp;amp; Coaching Seminar 2022&lt;/a&gt; (062 - 080) (5:52:56)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They explain this is an unambiguous definition based on the actions of tori (easily reviewable by referees), whereas the actual direction uke falls in is unpredictable and shouldn't be considered.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4k61a.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/4k61a.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LYueJ.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LYueJ.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/71wPZ.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/71wPZ.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Similar techniques&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are similar competition throws which involve turning from the outside with a seoi-like grip:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/smcIm.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/smcIm.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NCrDS.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NCrDS.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IErd5fF-Tkk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;sambo&amp;quot; seoi nage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlEzmjcmka8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;drop&amp;quot; kata-guruma&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since they typically involve holding both the lapel &lt;em&gt;and sleeve&lt;/em&gt; of the same side (and not a two handed grip on the lapel) ending up in an &lt;em&gt;ippon&lt;/em&gt; style grip, they would appear to be legal given the discussion above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Source:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/m5Zmpvs7S4E?t=860&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;2022 - 2024 IJF Judo Rules Information&lt;/a&gt; (Decision 6: Reverse Seoi Nage)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-05-16T16:06:07.293" LastActivityDate="2023-05-16T16:06:07.293" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13545" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13387" CreationDate="2022-11-15T20:54:48.370" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The EWTO (European Wing Tsun Organisation, under GM Keith Kernspecht) has a strong focus on children and teens in their &amp;quot;Kids-WT&amp;quot; programs together with graduations. Some places have more classes for kids than for adults. They are mostly active in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12625" LastActivityDate="2022-11-15T20:54:48.370" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13546" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5647" CreationDate="2022-11-20T23:37:29.140" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Honestly, if you're new to swordsmanship, I highly recommend getting a feder of some type first.  If you want the most &amp;quot;sword-like&amp;quot; feder possible, I highly recommend looking into &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.woodenswords.com/category_s/1960.htm?searching=Y&amp;amp;sort=1&amp;amp;cat=1960&amp;amp;show=30&amp;amp;page=1&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Purpleheart Armoury&lt;/a&gt; which is based in Texas and their &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.woodenswords.com/searchresults.asp?Search=technique%20feder&amp;amp;Submit=&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Technique feder line&lt;/a&gt; which comes in a variety of pommel designs at a really affordable price of $220 at time of writing:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kjUlR.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kjUlR.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I also recommend their &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.woodenswords.com/Fiore_Tournament_Feder_p/feder.vb.fiore.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Fiore Feder&lt;/a&gt; if you got some extra cash ($269 at time of writing) and want a nice blunt sword/feder that can be easily fixed and disassembled:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GHWD2.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/GHWD2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're really keen on getting a sharp sword on a budget though, look into &lt;a href=&quot;https://roninkatana.com/medieval-swords-for-sale/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Ronin Katana&lt;/a&gt; who's also based in Texas and despite its name also has a really affordable and well-built medieval line of sharp longswords that range in price from $275-$450 (but can be cheaper if you don't mind some minor aesthetic issues on your sword and keep an eye out for their annual scratch and dent sale that usually occurs in spring).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uKvQV.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/uKvQV.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other companies that produce decent budget sharps to mention are Cold Steel, Windlass, and Hanwei.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's start with CS; some of their swords are clunky and not great, but their Italian longsword is ubiquitous, reviewed by many, and is pretty decent given its relatively cheap $250-$300 price point if you look around on Google for it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/z2Alz.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/z2Alz.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then there's Windlass.  The only bastard/longsword I own from them which I would recommend is no longer available on their website but is available on Kult of Athena, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.kultofathena.com/product/sword-of-roven/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the Sword of Roven&lt;/a&gt;.  Admittedly, it is a bit big and clunky for a so-called &amp;quot;bastard sword&amp;quot; and more of a true two-hander, but it is decent for a sub $300 sword and pretty good bang for your buck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MBnz4.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MBnz4.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally there's Hanwei.  Hanwei's Rhinelander Bastard Sword is in your price range, is found in various places for about $250-$300 and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAmjbVQzsOk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Matt Easton reviewed it&lt;/a&gt;.  What's unique about it is that it's one of the few production bastard/longswords out there that has a sidering if you're interested in that type of sword but it seems to unfortunately quickly go out of stock at time of writing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/26KOr.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/26KOr.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One final thing: if you really want to have your cake and eat it too on a budget (i.e. a sword that can be both sharp and blunt at the same time with a simple unscrewing of a nut and a bit of work) look into the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.kultofathena.com/product/hanwei-tinker-pearce-blunt-trainer-longsword/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Hanwei Tinker Pearce blunt longsword&lt;/a&gt; and purchase &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.kultofathena.com/product/hanwei-tinker-longsword-blade/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;a separate blade&lt;/a&gt; for it.  Yes, there are people (who usually are also the types to brag about the number of Albions or Regenyeis or whatever they own...) who have criticized this sword, Hanwei, and their somewhat spotty quality control, but if you're a beginner who has only worked with wasters/synthetics and are on a budget for swords (which OP seems to be given his $400 limit), I can see the appeal of this sword as long as you don't plan on using it for heavy sparring.  For someone who is unsure about having to dump about $250-$350 or more twice on both a good feder and a good sharp longsword (which you honestly need both of if you want the full sword experience) it's just more cost efficient to buy that sword and a separate cheaper blade that come out to about $470 or so with shipping on Kult of Athena.  Say what you will about quality, but money saved is money saved at the end of the day and swords are not getting any cheaper especially given the supply chain problems we have nowadays...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, maybe those issues I brought up are not a big issue or something for OP.  Maybe he just wants a sharp and is fine sparring with his synthetic and doesn't need a feder.  Maybe he's OK with owning just a sharp and lightly moving it around for drills and doesn't plan to be doing any sparring or risky things with his swords.  Maybe he can get more cash and buy both a good sharp and good feder.  Maybe he can get a sharp, blunt it for safety, and then do some test cutting drills with it by cutting easy mediums like fruit or clay or something to safely and enjoyably experience what test cutting is like with minimal chance of injury to self or others.  I don't know what OP wants and how owning a fully sharpened and functional sword will help him accomplish what he wants, but I hope the above suggestions help with his very important decision of buying his first steel sword because all sword enthusiasts have been there and for better or worse you never forget your first if you know what I mean... :P&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11107" LastActivityDate="2022-11-20T23:37:29.140" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13547" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13550" CreationDate="2022-11-21T01:10:01.077" Score="3" ViewCount="1419" Body="&lt;p&gt;Finally, after a long journey, and still more, I will finally be a first degree black belt (If I pass, Taekwondo). For a black belt ceremony, are there any must-does to pass? How can I further my skill after this too?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12815" LastEditorUserId="12815" LastEditDate="2022-11-21T11:35:50.133" LastActivityDate="2022-11-21T13:50:09.560" Title="I am about to become a black belt, how can I make an impression?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13548" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13547" CreationDate="2022-11-21T02:41:22.097" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You too will learn someday, that getting your black belt (1st dan) is the start of the journey. Everything before was just an introduction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But as far as you question goes, different schools will have differing ceremonies. Ask a fellow black belt, or your instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12854" LastActivityDate="2022-11-21T02:41:22.097" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13549" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-11-21T04:35:52.980" Score="2" ViewCount="119" Body="&lt;p&gt;When punching, the face is a high value target - thus it's a good idea that the hands, when not used, be parked somewhere in front of it. However:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;they obstruct vision&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;there are other high value targets e.g. solar plexus, hook to the ribs, any kick.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What other factors determine guard height in an &amp;quot;I need to kill those people, I wish I had at least a knife or a brick&amp;quot; context?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="485" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2022-12-28T13:26:14.043" LastActivityDate="2023-02-03T21:27:55.310" Title="Is there ever a reason for higher-than-eyes guard?" Tags="|self-defense|boxing|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13550" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13547" CreationDate="2022-11-21T13:50:09.560" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;For first degree black belts, it will vary between different arts and instructors if there is a ceremony and if there is what form it takes. Our art has something we call the Soap and Candle ceremony, but we walk you through it beforehand and we don't take away a rank if you mess it up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as for what you can do after, just keep going and learning. As the other poster says, you've graduated high school and now the real learning begins. As you progress in black belt ranks, start looking at other programs (weapons, tournaments, targeted self defense seminars, and so forth) that interest you and get involved. Look where you can give back to the art and the people coming after you. Making sure that you build your art to keep it going is more of a responsibility the higher you go in rank.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2022-11-21T13:50:09.560" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13551" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13552" CreationDate="2022-11-21T21:56:10.410" Score="1" ViewCount="138" Body="&lt;p&gt;In fights, is size or agility more important? Of course there can be big people who are agile, but I'm asking in general. A big person usually has harder blows and is able to tackle the smaller, more agile person and pin them, but they can usually dodge the bigger person. So what matters here, is there a clear winner? There are many variables so here is a situation:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;a 6 ft 4 man 310 pounds (not in 'shape')&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;a 5 ft 10 man 150 pounds (in 'shape')&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;a big surrounding like a park&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;no weapons or other people&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12815" LastActivityDate="2022-11-26T20:20:27.700" Title="What would be more important, size or agility?" Tags="|streetfight|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13552" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13551" CreationDate="2022-11-22T16:07:45.343" Score="4" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Assumptions and Background&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's assume we have an impossible situation: two people who are identical except the aforementioned difference in weight and conditioning. Additionally, let's assume these two are aware of each other's intent. No getting the jump on the other guy!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, I am also using my experience with Historic European Martial Arts and other sports to inform my answer. That covers a lot of things, such as wrestling, knife fighting, spear fighting, all the way through to mounted sabre combat of WWI.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Factors&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you have identified, strength and agility of combatants are major factors in combat. People have recognized this for a long time. People have also recognized that these are far from the only factors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In fact, Fiore di Liberi, a 14th century swordmaster, adds &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flos_Duellatorum&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;two more fighting factors/virtues&lt;/a&gt;. Addmittedly, people translate his values as &amp;quot;prudence,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;celerity,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;audacity,&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;fortitude.&amp;quot; There is an argument for translating then as &amp;quot;skill,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;agility,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;bravery,&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;strength.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Other significant factors exist, like terrain and awareness. In reality, these factors are &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;hugely&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; important. Our improbable situation has isolated for this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;My Money is On The Big Guy&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why? Simply because of the extra mass he has to lug around. Sure, the small guy is fit, but this is unarmored combat. As you assumed, the big guy will likely be able to take a lot of punches and kicks. The extra weight and strength is just too important when it comes to unarmored fighting. Boxing and similar sport-combat events have weight classes for this exact reason!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This being said, the small guy's most likely route to victory is &amp;quot;dirty&amp;quot; fighting. He needs to yank/crank joints, use arm and body locks, and generally rely on the weak points of the human body. Odds are that his open-handed martial arts training has informed him of these and his athleticism will allow him to get where he needs to be.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Is There a Clear Winner?&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I like the Odds for the Big Guy,&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; but upsets happen. If we ran this many times, I would give the big guy(s) about 70% win rate. It's an uphill battle for the agile guy, but the big guy needs to take him very seriously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All this to say martial arts are &lt;strong&gt;arts&lt;/strong&gt;: the art is in making correct/good choices in the heat of combat. Too many things happen too quickly for this to be a chess match or be anywhere close to deterministic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastActivityDate="2022-11-22T16:07:45.343" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13553" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13551" CreationDate="2022-11-26T20:20:27.700" Score="2" Body="&lt;h3&gt;Is there a clear winner?&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It depends.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first rule in staying safe is to remove oneself from the situation if possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With almost 1/2 the weight the agile person should be able to outrun his heavier &amp;quot;not in shape&amp;quot; opponent and find a place of safety ...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6377" LastActivityDate="2022-11-26T20:20:27.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13554" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13555" CreationDate="2022-11-29T18:42:59.417" Score="6" ViewCount="557" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.swordschool.com/wiki/images/thumb/5/5e/Longa.jpg/600px-Longa.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://www.swordschool.com/wiki/images/thumb/5/5e/Longa.jpg/600px-Longa.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although longsword is also of interest to me, the focus of the question is sword and buckler duel scenario.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To me the long guard with sword and buckler was taught event shorter and lower than in the picture above. Hence the idea that someone could hold it for an hour; no problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thearma.org/Manuals/I33-guards_files/image025.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://www.thearma.org/Manuals/I33-guards_files/image025.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've been taught that the &amp;quot;I could stab you in the throat&amp;quot; makes the long guard the by far preferred guard. Aditionally hand movements are &amp;quot;expensive&amp;quot; while tip of the sword movement is not(due to the lever principle).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And now for the question.&#xA;What stops the opponent from slapping the tip away? And then proceeding for a stab or an overhead swing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="485" LastEditorUserId="485" LastEditDate="2022-12-02T14:03:51.250" LastActivityDate="2022-12-02T14:03:51.250" Title="How does Long Guard intercept weapon knock off?" Tags="|sword|historic-european|fencing|longsword|shield|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13555" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13554" CreationDate="2022-11-30T00:42:38.060" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is an interesting question with some pretty complex answers, but the general fencing theory behind it is this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What stops the opponent from slapping the blade away is simply that a slap/beat is more or less a small cut at an opponent's blade which takes time/tempo.  Assuming you start point forward toward your opponent, launching a good cut requires two actions: a raising of the point and a downward strike towards the opponent's blade.  In the two actions/tempos of performing the beat, someone in long guard could counter you with a number of actions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One is a small hand movement downward to evade the beat (what would be called a disengage in rapier) which takes about the same time or can be even quicker than a beat depending on what stance the opponent launches the beat from.  The disengage is a primarily defensive action though which puts your point offline so your opponent can't hit it and the only real offensive action that could really follow a disengage within a single tempo would be a quick rising false edge cut or a thrust to the lower torso or legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another counter is riskier, but pushes the offense: assuming both you and your opponent are in long guard, in the tempo/time an opponent launches the raising action of the beat, you could theoretically stab the opponent during the beat if you predict that he will do so since his point is offline and a thrust is simply a tempo of moving the point forward.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, having a pointy piece of steel directed at one's throat usually is enough to discourage an opponent from advancing or opening themselves up in general since it is intimidating to people who aren't used to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A word of caution though, what I said above is what could be done on a &lt;strong&gt;theoretical&lt;/strong&gt; level.  In practice, long guard is not a perfect defense and does have some vulnerabilities; one of which is indeed the opponent slapping/beating the blade away.  There are simply times during a sword fight where you may not be perfectly on your game to capitalize on every opening your opponent gives you, there may be times when you &amp;quot;fall asleep at the wheel&amp;quot; so to speak, and there are times when simply your opponent is good at outplaying you and hiding when he will beat your blade.  This is where long guard can be a vulnerability since you need to be proactive when using it and not rely on it passively as a perfect defense.  It's also a guard that often makes you vulnerable to opponents who like to grappling with or grab the sword.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would actually argue that the most defensive and &amp;quot;safest&amp;quot; guard to assume that discourages the opponent from advancing via an &amp;quot;I could stab you in the throat&amp;quot; defense isn't actually long guard, but for sword and buckler guards like 6th ward:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thearma.org/Manuals/I33-guards_files/image015.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://www.thearma.org/Manuals/I33-guards_files/image015.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or Ochs:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thearma.org/Manuals/I33-guards_files/image019.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://www.thearma.org/Manuals/I33-guards_files/image019.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And for longsword, guards like pflug:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thearma.org/essays/newstancepics/LPDls.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://www.thearma.org/essays/newstancepics/LPDls.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or posta breve:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/IfCiQ.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/IfCiQ.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since those guards keep the point on-line while keeping the blade back far enough to prevent strong beating actions from being done to it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that said though, I think that long guard is the most preferred guard by a large number of people for a few other reasons other than the &amp;quot;pointiness&amp;quot; of it:  First, it's simple and intuitive.  Secondly, it's a good balance of offense and defense since the blade is the closest possible to your opponent which makes any attack you launch from it reach your opponent more quickly and allows you to put the blade in the way of an attack more quickly when compared to other stances.  Thirdly, it generally makes fencing easier since it's the perfect platform from which to start a bind/initiate blade contact with the opponent and from the bind, try to better predict what your opponent will do next.  Long guard isn't perfect by any means, but it's a great guard for both novices and experts to fence from and something that shouldn't be carelessly &amp;quot;slapped&amp;quot; at. :P&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11107" LastEditorUserId="11107" LastEditDate="2022-11-30T00:52:07.180" LastActivityDate="2022-11-30T00:52:07.180" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13556" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13554" CreationDate="2022-11-30T10:35:37.163" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Adding to JZBai comprehensive answer, there is one further problem with the long guard:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can wait it out. It's more tiring to keep your sword up and extended like that than if you just have it in Pflug or Tag von der Schulter. It's also not that easy to develop an offense. So your opponent can just keep away until your arm drops. Not super fun, so it might not come up in sparring, but it's a factor. Depending on how trained you are and how heavy your weapons are, that can take more or less long. But it definitly means you have to be willing to take the offense, because waiting will be a losing proposition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10971" LastActivityDate="2022-11-30T10:35:37.163" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13557" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10165" CreationDate="2022-12-03T03:56:29.003" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here's a good video on Youtube about the origin of the tassel: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl4PtViHEpM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl4PtViHEpM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The short of it: they originate primarily from theatrical conventions of Chinese martial arts practice.  However, what they may be representative of are historical jian lanyards which often are adjustable with a bead or loop and have tassel-like ends from the frayed cord.  Historical jian on occasion do have holes in the grip for lanyards to secure the sword to the wrist like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/27931&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this very famous example from the Metropolitan Museum of Art&lt;/a&gt;:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Sword_with_Scabbard_MET_DP119025_brightened_2x3.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Sword_with_Scabbard_MET_DP119025_brightened_2x3.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;And there are some examples of historical presentation jian with tassels like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.swordsantiqueweapons.com/s1246_full.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt;:&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Dz5hs.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Dz5hs.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;It wouldn't be that far of a stretch for the functional lanyard to evolve into the ornamental tassel over time for the modern performance aspect of Wushu and other Chinese martial arts.  So originally the function of them was to secure the sword to the wrist, but now it's mainly ornamentation.  Also a bit of niche benefit to them is that they add an extra weight to the end of the sword that can sort of counterbalance the entire weapon when it's swinging around loosely, but that's honestly a minor benefit if any. :P&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11107" LastActivityDate="2022-12-03T03:56:29.003" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13558" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-12-04T20:51:20.367" Score="2" ViewCount="35" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to and actually I need to add proper setups to launch and land attacks. Do you know any source, be it a dvd, a youtube clip/channel, a text file or whatever where one could look up some opening techniques, fakes, setups and the like?&#xA;I'm also happy about &amp;quot;general&amp;quot; approaches to set up attacks.&#xA;Thanks in advance!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8608" LastEditorUserId="8608" LastEditDate="2022-12-12T06:44:20.193" LastActivityDate="2022-12-12T06:44:20.193" Title="Source for feints, fakes and setups" Tags="|boxing|muay-thai|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="9" ClosedDate="2022-12-06T03:35:00.443" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13559" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2410" CreationDate="2022-12-05T08:19:05.153" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is more how to deal for training so long: When you're taking e.g. two classes in a row, you should add electrolytes to your water, especially Zinc, Calcium and Magnesium.&#xA;I would suggest not to eat anything, maximum a power bar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To the question: As the others wrote it depends on how you are training within this period of time. But yeah, you should take breaks but for some reasons they shouldn't be too long. I would say sitting for 5 minutes is already too long, something between 1-3 minutes is good.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8608" LastActivityDate="2022-12-05T08:19:05.153" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13561" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13562" CreationDate="2022-12-07T18:50:14.703" Score="0" ViewCount="956" Body="&lt;p&gt;There are TV shows that show martial art masters paralyze a person by hitting them on certain points. Personally, I thought this was cool and did a little digging. I want to know, is there a style of martial arts that does this through pressure points, and not just through brute force? Thanks!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12815" LastActivityDate="2022-12-08T04:13:34.010" Title="Is There a Style of Martial Arts That Can Paralyze?" Tags="|style|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13562" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13561" CreationDate="2022-12-08T04:13:34.010" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The short answer is: no.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The longer answer follows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, as Macaco Branco mentioned in the comments, please see my explanation (debunking) of pressure points here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7752/how-do-you-knock-someone-out-using-pressure-points/7754#7754&quot;&gt;How do you knock someone out using pressure points?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now as for paralysis, that's a different subject. Paralysis is caused by the signals from the brain not reaching the muscles. The only way that happens is by damaging the nervous system somewhere along the way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some pressure points are located close to a nerve complex. Nerves are pretty much everywhere in the body, so your chances of hitting one are pretty good. But pressure point theory doesn't actually deal with nerves. If you're hitting a nerve while targeting a pressure point, it's by accident.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can attack the nerves specifically. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, Leopard style kung-fu actually makes it a point (no pun intended) to attack the nerves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But will attacking a nerve actually cause paralysis? No. It would be extremely rare and nothing you could rely on as a method of self-defense. Most of the times a nerve is damaged, it's only going affect sensation. Part of your body will feel numb, some time after the initial electric shock feeling and pain subsides. And it might take weeks to regain that sensation, as the nervous system intelligently routes signals around the damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But losing motor control of a limb (paralysis) is very rare. Attacking a nerve on a limb can cause numbness and pain for a while, during which time they can still move their limb, but it might feel awkward and painful to them. Then they might simply decide not to use that limb, which accomplishes your goal even if it's not actually paralysis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Severing a nerve is really hard, too. For the most part, hitting a nerve means damaging it temporarily, not actually destroying it. And motor function still works even if it's damaged.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you really wanted to paralyze someone, you would attack the spine. But the bones of the spine have evolved to that particular shape for a reason. It's actually quite difficult to strike the spine, break it, and damage the spinal cord itself. It's possible, but usually not with bare hands or feet alone. And if someone is able to move and avoid your attacks, that makes it even more unlikely that you're going to be able to cause paralysis that way. Once again, this is an unreliable method of self-defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So no, there's not much truth to the way this is portrayed in movies and on TV, such as the new &amp;quot;Cobra Kai&amp;quot; series. In Cobra Kai, you see Daniel temporarily paralyze the arm of someone using a crane's neck fist strike to attack the underside of the arm. It would merely make the arm feel a painful shock and then sustained pain and numbness. Your opponent would still be able to use their arm, but they wouldn't want to because everything would feel painful - like prickly, painful needles everywhere. And it would require a decent amount of force to attack those nerves in order to have this kind of effect. You don't get it with a light touch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like I said, this is a valid thing in martial arts, attacking nerves. Some martial arts may say it's a pressure point strike, but they're really just using the location of the pressure point as a way of describing where to hit. Most of the time, you actually don't need to hit a specific point, because the nerves go all along the underside and inside parts of the arms and legs. But there are places which maybe give you the biggest response. There's nothing mystical going on in that case. It's just where the nerves are most accessible (easiest to hit).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2022-12-08T04:13:34.010" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13563" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-12-08T22:18:35.840" Score="0" ViewCount="87" Body="&lt;p&gt;Meditation is when you focus your attention on a clear mind. You eliminate thoughts that may be distracting and cause stress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I meditate for around 30 minutes a day, it is a great way to prepare for something hard/challenging.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, when was the first time someone did this? It seems like this could have been going on since the dinosaur age, but I want to know if there is any solid proof.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know there is probably not going to be an answer that is exactly correct, but I am asking for one that has proof. Thanks for the time and effort put in to answer!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12815" LastActivityDate="2023-02-28T12:58:41.233" Title="What is the oldest known record of meditation?" Tags="|meditation|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13564" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12721" CreationDate="2022-12-10T13:26:21.830" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is important to remember that martial arts is not just about physical strength and speed. It also involves strategy, technique, and the ability to outsmart your opponent. In order to win against Dave, you could focus on improving your own skills and strategy, and studying his weaknesses. You could also seek the guidance of a coach or experienced training partner who can offer advice and support. Ultimately, the key is to stay focused, work hard, and stay determined. With dedication and persistence, you may be able to overcome the challenges and come out victorious.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12902" LastActivityDate="2022-12-10T13:26:21.830" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13566" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2022-12-13T17:34:40.927" Score="2" ViewCount="968" Body="&lt;p&gt;Are male pro boxers allowed to wear shirts or must they fight topless?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I know that they usually don't wear shirts, but are shirts actually prohibited by the WBA, WBC, WBO, or IBF?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12911" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2023-01-03T14:50:25.027" LastActivityDate="2023-01-03T14:50:25.027" Title="Are shirts allowed in pro boxing?" Tags="|boxing|uniform|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13567" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13566" CreationDate="2022-12-13T20:07:24.833" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://apbcboxing.com/?page_id=28&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Association of Boxing Commissions rules&lt;/a&gt; prohibits shirts for their boxers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1.17    Contestants may wear only boots and shorts approved by the Inspector and the Referee.  Male Boxers must be stripped to the waist. Female Boxers will wear above the waist a singlet under which such protective cover as sports bra with breast protector inserts or a one piece breast protector must be worn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wbaboxing.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/World-Boxing-Association-Rules.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;The WBA do not seem to have any rules on apparel&lt;/a&gt; (although they do address bandaging and protective cups). &lt;a href=&quot;https://wbcboxing.com/en/descarga/rule-1/?wpdmdl=3416&amp;amp;refresh=6398dc7ad4c3a1670962298&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Nothing from WBC&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://wboboxing.com/wp-content/pdf/wbo-regulations.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;WBO&lt;/a&gt;. I don't see anything in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ibf-usba-boxing.com/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;IBF&lt;/a&gt; rules about shirts, although their &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ibfusbaregistration.com/ibfusba_02APR2014/images/pdfs/BoutRules.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Bout Rules&lt;/a&gt; do require the color of the fighter's trunks to be noted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, male boxers do not wear shirts because they provide a way to be grabbed, they can reduce freedom of movement, and they decrease heat dissipation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2022-12-13T20:19:26.473" LastActivityDate="2022-12-13T20:19:26.473" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13568" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13569" CreationDate="2022-12-20T05:19:49.600" Score="3" ViewCount="108" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am at a Muay Thai Gym. Before class, coach pairs up everyone into partner groups for drills and pad work. Sometimes there are odd number of people, so some people are in a 3 group (which is totally fine). Recently I downgraded my membership to Level 2 Tier, so I come in few times a week, instead of everyday.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As soon as I downgraded my membership, I was placed into the 3 group, multiple weeks in a row. For some reason, our gym always gets odd number of people. Mind you, before I downgraded, I was always placed in a partner 2 group last few months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;After practice, I approached my coach, and asked, &amp;quot;I understand there's going to be odd number of people in the gym, and I'm happy to be paired in a triple group. However, from time to time, can we rotate who is placed in 3 people, so people take turns each session? I understand there are couple competitors in the gym, and I don't need to be paired up with the best people, but I want to get a fair time/cardio workout with anyone else&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then he basically told me, there is a hierarchy in the gym. That I need to bring value to the partner. He is sticking 3 of the lowest beginners in the triplet, and they can figure out. I'm thinking in my head, I've done this for couple years, was always in a 2 group, until membership downgrade. In addition, how are three beginners going to figure things out? In my last gym, I would pair with Both people who are Lower Skillset and Higher skillset. Anyways, I am going back to my old gym. No need to debate, its his gym. The new gym after trial run doesn't do this plus, it wins many competitions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, is this behavior typical in gyms or in America or Thailand, or not representative of the Muay Thai culture? Trying to understand both perspectives, Thanks&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2022-12-31T00:27:32.793" Title="Gym Dojo Etiquette, Pairing people up" Tags="|training|karate|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13569" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13568" CreationDate="2022-12-23T04:23:49.363" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I can't speak to Muay Thai, but the practice of putting beginners in the trio has not been uncommon in my classes in the United States in Capoeira, Karate, and Tang Soo Do. The idea behind putting beginners into the trio is that they have an opportunity to view from a third person perspective, rather than always being either in the midst of attacking, or in the midst of defending. That said, there's been even chances of having a more experienced person as a third person, often the instructor. And, when it is the instructor, often they will not take the observer position of watching the two beginners do it most of the time, but rather always be demonstrating the correct way to attack or to defend, with the &amp;quot;out&amp;quot; beginner watching. This may depend on how much the instructor feels they need to watch the other people doing the exercise, in order to provide guidance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the two beginners do basically understand the technique, it can be helpful, them being the two people performing it, because both of them will be moving with sufficient slowness and deliberation, compared to a more experienced person who may attack, or defend, at full force and speed, not matching the speed of the other person. As you note, if neither of them really understand the exercise, that is where the instructor should be stepping in to ensure that things are done correctly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Honestly, as you stated, it does sound like you are being punished for having downgraded your subscription. I honestly cannot say that it has been a typical experience for this to happen. Most of my instructors have been as much in this for the love of instructing other people as making money. That said, people who prioritize the money do exist.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-12-23T04:23:49.363" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13570" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13609" CreationDate="2022-12-24T00:02:00.800" Score="3" ViewCount="187" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm a student teacher in Karate. I try to teach younger students, but they don't take me seriously as an instructor. I've tried countless of times to get them to listen to me, but they don't. I've also spoken to my instructor about it and when he tried to get them to listen, they would for about a week then it's like they threw it all in the trash. What do I do to fix it?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12928" LastActivityDate="2023-02-28T20:32:34.717" Title="How do I keep everyone's attention?" Tags="|karate|teaching|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13571" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5728" CreationDate="2022-12-25T11:09:47.890" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, it is VERY good for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There’s two different key components that go into this type of training though, and there’s two different variations (both of which I will speak on because they are still very common). First is control over yourself (so you don’t wind up bashing your head and brains into your throat going into your 2nd hour of training your skull on an endorphin and testosterone rush) and the second is endurance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Control as I stated also ties into being able to determine when too much is too much. You don’t want your bone dangling out of your leg or arm, but you want the most out of your training. Watch a few videos on how people train in those fashions on YouTube, and determine for yourself, as no one on here can truly tell you what is healthy for you but YOU! Everybody’s body is different, so I can guarantee you that if they say it’s unhealthy, it’s because they didn’t make the cut at the last shaolin temple tryouts or they don’t have the discipline in themselves to train in those ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I HAVE! :D&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second is endurance. That’s where you really have to have disciplin. You’re going to karate chop brick walls, like those painted white brick walls that hurt like hell of you bump your head on them, or bark of trees, or whatever else, to build your iron fist and iron body into something that totals trains at 80 mph. To do that, you have tp gauge how you want to start and when too much pain is too much pain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I started on gym bags makin’ thunder; I’d hit the bag so hard it’d make the sound of thunder, just as loud too. Used to worry that my buddy who owned the gym would get pissed and throw me out. My&#xA;Hands swelled up to near double the size. Now, I can bear cold, hit my hands on granite without it hurting as much, even better functionality (with the girls too heh ;)  ) in typing and working, stronger grips, even after it being 5 years since.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then I went onto the ouchie brick; as dense and tough and hard as they were, I was able to get thru a few minutes of training my hands on the walls, waning myself into what I had seen on YouTube martial arts and shaolin videos. I trained my hands to be able to handle about 3 minutes worth of training (some WOULD say abuse in place of training, I was about to, but then I decided that the proper word for the description of which I am conveying with this statement is training) and then I sat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My hands shook, they were a bit in pain, it was initially difficult to grasp things with my hands because of how sore they were, but I felt GREAT!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The outside of my hands, like the pinky side where you would connect with a karate chop (or judo chop if you like Austin Powers) was where I started with it, and even now, thank God, it ceases up from time to time to remind me that the training has taken place and not being undone, and that I still need to keep training them, my hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That’s my thing: where I trained, ceases up and cramps up to remind me that the product of my diligence is still there, and it wants even more, just like me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps, and really train yourself in iron fist if you want, but truly get to know you (like I do) thru chi Kung (qi gong, etc. [name spelling wise]) and see what your capable of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, don’t ask about scientific answers and all of that shit. Science is a broad gist of an effect something has over a general populace, it is NOT a gauge of an individual persons will, will to endure, will to persevere. Do NOT ask about “physiological changes” or “issues” that arise from this. The reason people have an issue with it is because of what I explained as what type NOT to do with a testosterone rush.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Idiot little kids and their idiot parents probably saw something like it on tv, thought they could ram their heads thru a wall, hurt their head (because they didn’t start with the micro-fracture creating karate chops until their skulls were strong enough to be run thru the wall), cried to their idiot parents, idiot parents see skull training, and ask doctor while explaining what they saw on tv as “is it really healthy to cause micro-fractures to your skull?”, and then a few people (possibly) attack other few people to where we have statements coming out of questions like yours about whether it’s healthy or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you break a bone, it heals up stronger right? Same thing here; causing yourself micro fractures in skull is VERY healthy and safe for your skull and brain, and (like I have to get back into doing) you should practice it everyday for at least 2 hours.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then you’ll be strong enough to run your head thru an ouchie wall LOL.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Never ask about “physiological” effects of something in martial arts, and never ask it on forums like these. 90% of the people on here are those damn, tiger schulmans assholes with no discipline, throw a few moves around, and call themselves a red sash in wushu or a 5th Dan black belt in Shotokan. I’m not, and another 5% will only view and laugh at all the questions on here because they see how pathetic the questions and explanations are, and the other 5% aren’t even on here LOL :P because they don’t waste their time answering questions because they know what a person will experience through training themselves in iron fist, drunken master, crane, tiger, and all of the big ones, and even hidden arts like battoujutsu, currently broken down into two strains of its former glory from pussies with no discipline and Japanese government upheaval: kenjutsu and iaijutsu, but don’t expect to get anything good from any teachers that you find. To hell with iaedo as well, it’s such a new style. Last I heard of a true master in battoujutsu was from a member of the white dragon society who said he knew of a master who lived on an island who would only teach me if I could build him a house on the island he lived on. Then they also (which I call bullshit on) said that it’s not the age of the sword anymore.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The biggest thing to remember is discipline; martial arts is about killing your opponent or a perpetrator or a person trying to kill you on the streets in one (1)(ONE) blow. If you can get away from whatever confrontation you’re in, do it, at least as a general front for saying that we are “peaceful” people, even though we know how to kill you 1000 ways to none and would prefer to die to the potential you have for going after someone weaker and possibly taking their life, we still will do what we can to walk and/ or run away from you to avoid confrontation, or de-escalate the situation should we be unable to walk or run away, or defend ourselves to the maximum extent possible before we lash back out at you as a form of self defense so that you don’t keep coming back at us to either hurt, kill, or mug us, causing for our day and/ or night to go to shit because of a retard like you. Have a nice day. :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Who knows? You might do better than me quicker! But no one is FASTER than me!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cheers and good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sanjay Sharma&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12929" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2022-12-26T14:03:07.287" LastActivityDate="2022-12-26T14:03:07.287" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13572" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13292" CreationDate="2022-12-26T20:06:11.500" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The problem is that size really does not matter much ( at least not on its own )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people really have no ability to fight at all.&#xA;If they try they are ether going to do nothing or start flinching, blinking an other nonsense and if they do manage to engage with their attacker its going to be non committed and useless.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is so important that any fighting strategy, even one that would be super effective against the attacker, becomes void.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If this had been a case of a a 300lbs wife beater who has been violently assaulting people for years defending himself against a 140lbs woman who has never been in a fight in her life picking up a knife and rushing him in the heat of the moment he would almost certainly overpower her and be able to use the knife against her.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Frankly i have been doing boxing for years and such as person would take a knife away from me or make me drop it in an instant if i tried to attack them with a knife.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However this case was not like that&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as we can tell Travis did not have any history of fighting of violence and so its unlikely that he would be able to do anything about any committed attack - armed or unarmed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12931" LastEditorUserId="12931" LastEditDate="2022-12-26T20:15:10.727" LastActivityDate="2022-12-26T20:15:10.727" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13573" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10106" CreationDate="2022-12-27T14:48:06.963" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I found my book of materials from Virgil Davis's school:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Weapons - Bo Staff Kata #1&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;MOHAMMED BASTONE ANA ISA&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SET 1:&lt;/strong&gt; V-stance, BO in left hand, Bring BO into cup of right hand, left arm is horizontal with palm down, now come to under arm set motion by rotating the BO 1/2 revolution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Turn body left and rotate the BO upward and grasp it with your left hand, step out with your right foot to straddle leg stance and low two-handed block - KIAI Pause two seconds, drop right foot back to forward stance, execute a two-handed high block, drop down to right knee and side strike to opponent's knee, stand up reverse side strike, downward strike, upward strike, and side strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SET 2:&lt;/strong&gt; Overhead reverse low block in a one-legged stance (right leg is up) as you turn 90° to left, pause one second, look left at 90°, step back with your right leg into a forward stance and do an upward strike, side strike, reverse side strike, and downward strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SET 3:&lt;/strong&gt; Step through with your right leg and look over your left shoulder, turn 180 and execute an overhead side strike, step through with right leg to forward stance and do three (3) figure-8 revolutions, step back with right leg and do a downward strike, drop to right knee and overhead low side strike, stand up reverse side strike (full hip). and side strike (full hip).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SET 4:&lt;/strong&gt; Look 90° right, jump into a cross stance, left leg behind. At the same time, do an overhead low reverse strike, bring the BO right hand up into a vertical position, pivot and spin toward your left 270° into a left leg out forward stance and do an outside vertical block, pivot (right) both feet 90° and do another vertical block.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SET 5:&lt;/strong&gt; (Left 90°) lift your left leg up into a one legged stance and do a side strike, step down with left foot in front and do a low sweeping motion into a set with the right knee up, step forward with right leg and do a high thrust.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Turn 180° to the left rear and do as first half of SET 5. SET 6: Look left 90°, step back with right leg into forward stance, do a downward strike, upward strike, side strike, step forward right leg and middle thrust - KIAI&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Turn 180° to left rear and side strike, step forward with right foot and do an overhead low block, step back (right), do another overhead (left) low block, step forward again and middle thrust - KIAI&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SET 7:&lt;/strong&gt; Turn 180° to left rear, do a side strike, reverse side strike, downward strike, upward strike, and side strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SET 8:&lt;/strong&gt; Look left 90°, step forward with right foot and pivot into a forward stance facing 90° left. Do same exact moves as SET 1.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SET 9:&lt;/strong&gt; Step through with your right leg and look over your left shoulder, pivot into a forward stance. Do same exact moves as SETS 1 and 8.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SET 10:&lt;/strong&gt; Step through with right leg and reverse low side strike, pivot both feet left 90 and side strike, reverse, down, up, and side strike - KIAI&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Return to ready, back to horse, and salutation, bow and set.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://photos.app.goo.gl/9pKXWM7Sguv3UXMZ8&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Photographed page&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2022-12-27T14:48:06.963" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13574" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6761" CreationDate="2022-12-29T09:10:03.957" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;In nearly every other competitive sport, it is understood that you only improve by drilling specific basic skills in mostly noncompetitive, skill building scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, Football, Basketball and Tennis players focus on scenarios and drills which develop their feel, their body awareness, timing and proper form. They do not merely practice hard against tough players every day. If they did, they would never develop new skills. And the rough exhausting practices would lead to tons of injuries and sloppy skills. Instead, world class athletes drill to improve their basics. They know that learning and improvement only come from exploring and drilling in ways that fix and develop the weak areas in their technique. Practice means learning, not competing.&#xA;Hard competitive practice in Judo goes against everything we have learned in the last hundred years about developing skill. The better BJJ schools know this and practice using less effort and fewer techniques. The way Judo Randori is practiced shows that the players and coaches know very little about how to improve quickly, safely and effectively.&#xA;There are many large improvements that could easily be made to Judo practice once players understand how learning happens.&#xA;For example, the setup is never practiced in Uchi-Komi and hardly ever used effectively in Randori, yet it is the MOST important part of every technique.&#xA;Learning to overcome stiff arming is almost never taught or practiced yet players at all levels waste most of their match struggling and failing to deal with it effectively.&#xA;Randori is supposed to be a learning situation, not a simulation of the roughness found in tournament fighting. Like wrestling, it should be based on common situations and how to win using specific setups that cause specific reactions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12936" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2022-12-29T13:30:38.487" LastActivityDate="2022-12-29T13:30:38.487" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13575" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13568" CreationDate="2022-12-31T00:27:32.793" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It sounds like a cultural thing, whether it driven by Muay Thai tradition or your Coach I'm not qualified to say.  Some martial arts gyms are driven by competition results, others want to help all members master the art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've trained BJJ under a few Coaches and the common theme is that the school as a whole benefits from mixing ability / experience levels.  Lower belts don't learn properly from each other, higher belts benefit from passing on their learnings as well as training against a less experienced partner.  Lower belts also learn to trust BJJ through putting their wellbeing in the hands of a more competent partner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Relationships build, expertise builds and the gym as a whole grows from this approach.  The approach you describe may ultimately lead to a decline in numbers as beginners don't learn and advanced members run out of training partners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12595" LastActivityDate="2022-12-31T00:27:32.793" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13576" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13522" CreationDate="2022-12-31T00:40:08.523" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The first step in setting up the cross collar choke in closed guard is realising most of the work is done with your legs.  Working on upper body mechanics (grips, rotations etc) before breaking posture results in significant loss of energy and effectiveness - your forearms will burn out long before their triceps and lower back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Set up the foundations for a good cross collar choke by climbing your guard to a point where your legs are crossing around the rib-cage and draw them down so your opponent's shoulder line is below yours.  This eliminates their lower back and much of their arm movement from their defensive arsenal.  They are placed in a compromised position giving you the time and energy to sort grips and commence a successful attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Edit re Grips&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first grip is the palm up grip into your opponent's collar.  Spend some time getting deep into the collar.  You'll know if it's deep enough if you opened your thumb (don't do that though - you'll lose the grip!!) the end of it would be on the back of the opponents neck.  Use your legs to keep opponent in a compromised position, they'll be defending like crazy now - keep posture broken limits ability to break your grip.  Use your free hand to feed the gi collar as necessary.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once the grip is deep, swing your free hand around the other side of the head connecting your forearm to the neck under the ear.  Slide your forearm down the side of the neck until your fingers grasp the gi on the nape of their neck.  Both hands should be next to each other, full of gi, on the back of their neck.  Really flatten them out with your legs and use your back muscles to open your shoulders and pull your elbows down to your ribcage and flaring slightly.  With deep grips, broken posture and using your back the choke will finish without wrist rotation.  If your grip isn't deep enough or posture not broken you will need to rotate your arm so the little finger side of your forearm adds pressure on their neck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12595" LastEditorUserId="12595" LastEditDate="2023-01-12T22:54:02.540" LastActivityDate="2023-01-12T22:54:02.540" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13577" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13335" CreationDate="2022-12-31T00:54:38.990" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The best way to improve your grappling without a partner is to have individual sessions that are purely focussed on the underlying body movements associated with jiu jitsu.  In the free &amp;quot;Self Mastery&amp;quot; video John Danaher released during COVID he identified a number of specific body movements that can be practiced (repeatedly) solo.  These movements when combined, form the basis of many jiu jitsu techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Movements like bridging, hip escaping, shoulder rolls and Granby rolls, technical stand-ups and sit-throughs, BJJ-specific hip and leg mobility drills -- can be practiced alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Agreed, difficult to practice technique (locks etc) without a partner but drilling the underlying mechanics will accelerate your technical improvement when you do have a partner to work with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12595" LastActivityDate="2022-12-31T00:54:38.990" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13578" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13580" CreationDate="2023-01-01T03:53:32.663" Score="3" ViewCount="193" Body="&lt;p&gt;(I understand that this scenario is unrealistic. This discussion is based purely on theory.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Let's say, if such an opportunity presents itself in an unregulated fight, what is the most effective and fail-safe method to break someone's fingers (through small joint manipulation, of course)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From which angle should one bend the fingers? And is it necessary to fix the position of the hand? Is it possible to execute with only one hand available?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2023-01-01T20:10:14.893" Title="Efficient small joint manipulation?" Tags="|self-defense|streetfight|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13579" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13578" CreationDate="2023-01-01T19:46:59.690" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question asks for high percentage techniques against the finger joints. By &amp;quot;high percentage&amp;quot;, I mean higher chance of getting it to work successfully and effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first thing to realize is that hands are low percentage targets in the free fighting range. By &amp;quot;free fighting&amp;quot;, I mean both people are free to move around, and nobody is holding onto the other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the free fighting range, your focus will be on punching, kicking, blocking, evasion, strategy, timing, etc. You shouldn't be thinking about grabbing a hand out of thin air. Your opponent's hand is flailing around quickly, and if you go to reach for it, he's just going to pull it out of the way and then knock you out because you're too busy thinking about that hand that you're not defending against his other hand or his feet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the free fighting range won't work. What will?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is that you have to be in the clinch or ground fighting range. One or both of you are holding onto each other. At this point, you can find your way to his fingers, prying one of them apart from his clenched fist, and snap it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, how you do that while defending yourself is the subject for grappling arts. Usually they say don't try to do it, because there are more reliable techniques to use, instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In my opinion, there's almost always a better thing to do besides focusing on fingers to attack. Even if you happen to find yourself able to attack a finger, chances are there are more effective ways to end the fight from that position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And so I mostly see finger attacks as a last resort kind of a thing in order to break an &amp;quot;unbreakable&amp;quot; hold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They can also be used very effectively by someone who is a high level grappler. Someone who does the work of incorporating finger attacks in their grappling is able to use them more effectively than someone who's just doing them as a last resort. The same is true for wrist locks, which you only see BJJ people doing around black belt level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So let's talk about attacks on fingers as a last resort...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes when someone has an unbreakable hold of someone else, the only way out of the hold is to make it really painful for your opponent to continue holding. So you pry open one finger and snap it. The guy probably will release the hold before that happens. Biting and pinching is another thing people do. Eye gouging. Fish hooking. Using elbow strikes or headbutts. Etc. These are last resort methods of getting out of holds. Some are more effective than others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How easy is it to just pry a finger open from a clenched fist? It depends on the hold. If he's holding onto your clothing, you can sometimes just pull your clothing up and away from his pinky joint to get it to open a little. And then you feel it with your other hand and get right in there to pry open that pinky as soon as you can.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's another thing. Which fingers should you target and how many? The answer is usually the weakest finger, the pinky. But really it's whichever finger is going to be easiest to pry open at the time, the one that's most available to you. And you just need one finger. More than one finger will just make it more difficult for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some kung-fu stylists, for example, have a bad habit of leaving their index finger pointing out even when they're holding onto your wrist or your lapel. They're often told that they need to do that in order to allow the chi to flow through the hand, making it stronger for chin-na technique. Maybe there is an application where that makes sense, but it also makes that finger very vulnerable. Grab that sucker and twist!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing you can do instead of prying open a finger is to squeeze down on the finger while pressing his joint in on itself. It's hard to describe. Bujinkan does it a lot. Here's a video showing it against the thumb, which is probably the most common target of this technique:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ccdZYaAPgM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ccdZYaAPgM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another thing you can try in cases where you're trying to get that hand to release enough for you to grab a finger is to slam the hand against a hard object or use your knuckle and jamb it right into a pressure point on his hand. The pain or shock just might be enough for him to react long enough for you to get one of his fingers loose. Again, this is going to take time, and usually it's just a last resort kind of thing. There are usually better things to do than concentrating on prying open the hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for advanced grapplers utilizing attacks on fingers, I have seen this before often in classical jujitsu. Wally Jay's &amp;quot;small circle jujitsu&amp;quot; tutorials are probably a must see if you really want to learn this:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM0pTpK7SeQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM0pTpK7SeQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of &amp;quot;sneaky&amp;quot; ways of attacking the fingers, which you'll learn over time if you want to make it part of your training. And advanced grapplers, BJJ people, etc. can learn to incorporate them in their regular ground game.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, finger locking / small joint manipulation is not allowed in competition BJJ and submission grappling in most tournament venues. You can, however, use these if your school allows them. And usually it will only be the more advanced students who are allowed to use them, because it's too easy for beginners to torque those fingers and do real damage to an opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now notice the contradiction I seemingly just made. I said finger attacks were low percentage techniques and should only be done as a last resort. But then I said that these shouldn't be used by beginners in BJJ class, because the chances of doing real damage is too great. Both of these statements are true. How?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason why is because BJJ class is not the same as a fight. Your partner in class may not be trying to hold on as strong as he can. He's not going to be going full force. He's going to be thinking about the techniques he just learned, trying to find ways of using them. He's going to be loose and won't be thinking about defending against finger attacks. Furthermore, you have plenty of time to find a situation where he gives you his fingers. So when you're rolling against him, you probably will find that opportunity. This is not like a self-defense situation in real life where things are much more intense, happen very quickly, and have severe consequences for choosing the wrong technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And by the way, if you do crank on your partner's fingers in BJJ class, good luck coming back to the school again. Haha.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's all I really wanted to say about this. In conclusion, most people should think of these as last resort kinds of techniques that aren't things you should try normally. But for advanced grapplers, adding finger attacks to their game would make sense because they understand when it's possible to use them effectively.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2023-01-01T19:57:02.413" LastActivityDate="2023-01-01T19:57:02.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13580" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13578" CreationDate="2023-01-01T19:48:32.220" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The biomechanically easiest way is to grab a single finger with your whole hand from the palm of the targeted hand. From there, it only needs a &amp;quot;hammer swing&amp;quot; motion with all of your body: upwards if the finger grabbed is pointing down, downwards if the finger grabbed is pointing up, ie. you bend them onto the back of the hand. The latter movement (finger pointing up, you pressing down) is biomechanically slightly easier as it goes with the gravity.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically, it is not as fine or technical as &amp;quot;small-joint manipulation&amp;quot; might suggest. You just grab one, two, or even three fingers and jerk them violently towards the side (works for single fingers, esp. pinkie) or, much better, back of the hand it hangs at. You will pop the joints (most of the times the metacarpophalangeal joint) pretty easily. You do not even have to fixate the wrist or hand as the basic tension in the wrist will suffice as counter-force to have the joint pop simply because of leverage. As long as they do not &lt;em&gt;actively relax&lt;/em&gt; their wrist and arms, it works. Even if they do, it will still be too fast most of the times. The thumb is harder to come by due to other strength-leverage ratio but is a valid target as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is also the main reason why many self-defense teachers are so adamant on pointing out that you block/parry with closed fists: It is pretty easy to break fingers if you can single one out in a straight or almost-straight position. Therefore, &lt;em&gt;every&lt;/em&gt; move towards the opponent, no matter whether it is block/parry, punch, or grab should involve keeping your fingers together and thumb close and ideally close the hand to a fist while approaching or on contact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, it is not an easy feat to grab a finger, like at all. The easiest way is literally having them grab you first: you can fixate the hand - not to make the finger manipulation work but to get hold of the finger in the first place - and go on from there. Thus, my highest bet would be on: let them grab you, fixate the hand and work into some form of arm-bar (turning towards the side of the opponent and their body away to get out of range of the other hand) and pull one finger out. Not really high-percentage in any case. Fingers that don't grab are the fastest part you have tondeal with, after all...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, as there is theory out of the way, I would like to add that I myself have pretty strong hands and like to use them in various ways so that while I do never &lt;em&gt;spread&lt;/em&gt; my fingers when I am teaching or being in a position where I have to use self-defense, I certainly am not dogmatic about having a closed fist since my hand is always &lt;em&gt;under full tension&lt;/em&gt; at the moment of (or, depending on technique, slightly after) contact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will also have to add a disclaimer: While a broken finger &lt;em&gt;does&lt;/em&gt; hurt, it may well be that in an all-out fight with an enraged, maybe intoxicated person, all you achieve is making someone &lt;strong&gt;really, really angry&lt;/strong&gt; and - equally if not more important - does add a &lt;strong&gt;ton of adrenaline&lt;/strong&gt; to their system within seconds, which makes them faster, stronger, and more pain-resistant. A broken finger does not diminish the fighting ability of a person as much as one might think. And there is a good chance that it makes the whole encounter &lt;em&gt;harder, nor easier&lt;/em&gt; to survive unscathed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2023-01-01T20:10:14.893" LastActivityDate="2023-01-01T20:10:14.893" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13581" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="3114" CreationDate="2023-01-02T04:48:46.757" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;BJJ is hierarchical.  If you don't continually attempt to move through the hierarchy to the end of the process (submission) your guard will ultimately be opened (in the case of closed guard) and passed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Give your opponent other priorities to deal with - for example sweep or submission attacks - and they won't be in a position to open or pass, they will be focussed on defending.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12595" LastActivityDate="2023-01-02T04:48:46.757" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13582" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-01-02T09:55:37.913" Score="5" ViewCount="158" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had a talk with a pupil a couple of weeks ago about, who complained that she did not have the finger strength to grip an attacker for a subsequent sweep, because of arthritis. My suggestion to her was to use the elbow joint instead, which she tried and found slightly easier, but still not optimal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This has started a thought process for me: as the question &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/7509/self-defense-with-one-arm-full&quot;&gt;Self Defense with One Arm Full&lt;/a&gt; also states, you never know what situation you will be in if you are ever attacked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like to grab the attacker, as a way to disable that limb/steer his/her next attack - but without grip strength, what kind of controlling operations could I implement?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am aware of kyuhsu as an alternative, but I make my pupils aware that if their attacker is affected by e.g. drugs, they may have a higher pain threshold.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Jabs to the thorax, to stop the attacker I would not prefer for an initial control - I see this as an escalation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5848" LastActivityDate="2023-01-03T23:19:07.267" Title="Teaching self defense techniques to people with arthritic joints in hands and elbows" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13583" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13582" CreationDate="2023-01-02T15:29:26.343" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Might it be easier if they grab a different part of the arm or perhaps the sleeve?  For example it's easier to grab the wrist further towards the hand.  Grabbing half the hand and half the wist is even easier.  You could also try having them grab the sleeve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What works is going to depend a lot upon the individual.  This is the point of the Japanese Expression Shu Ha Ri as found in many Japanese martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am sure you are familiar with this but for any other readers:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shu is the first stage of learning where you imitate the instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ha is the second stage of learning where you adapt and experiment with different ways of doing the technique as you understand it better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ri is mastery where you adapt the way you do the technique &lt;em&gt;to work best with your own body&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's great that as an instructor you are thinking about this.  Ultimately though it's for the student to learn how to do the technique for themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Famously among Shorinji Kempo students there is a 9th dan who lost his arm below the elbow.  He can still do most of the techniques, but has to be a lot more brutal when he does wrist locks.  I have a pdf of a magazine excerpt (with translation) where he has a breakdown of how he adapted his techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll include a link to this as an edit if I can find one.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2023-01-02T15:29:26.343" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13584" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-01-03T07:17:41.257" Score="1" ViewCount="50" Body="&lt;p&gt;From the 1972 martial arts film &amp;quot;The Way of the Dragon&amp;quot; written, directed and acted by Bruce Lee. It was also mentioned in the dialogue between Zhou Xingchi and Wu Mengda in &amp;quot; Shaolin soccer &amp;quot; . &lt;a href=&quot;https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E8%85%B0%E9%A9%AC%E5%90%88%E4%B8%80/8587845#:%7E:text=%E8%85%B0%E9%A9%AC%E5%90%88%E4%B8%80%E6%98%AF,%E5%8F%8C%E8%85%BF%E5%8F%AB%E5%81%9A%E2%80%9C%E9%A9%AC%E2%80%9D%E3%80%82&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am translating the Chinese to English using google from this web site &lt;a href=&quot;https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E8%85%B0%E9%A9%AC%E5%90%88%E4%B8%80/8587845#:%7E:text=%E8%85%B0%E9%A9%AC%E5%90%88%E4%B8%80%E6%98%AF,%E5%8F%8C%E8%85%BF%E5%8F%AB%E5%81%9A%E2%80%9C%E9%A9%AC%E2%80%9D%E3%80%82&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Waist and horse in one&lt;/a&gt; I can't find anything similar or official from English source.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The unity of the waist and the horse is mainly a requirement for the strength of the fist. &amp;quot;Horse&amp;quot; means walking on two legs, sometimes horse gait . In Nanquan, the hands are called &amp;quot;bridges&amp;quot; and the legs are called &amp;quot;horses&amp;quot;. &amp;quot;Waist and horse in one&amp;quot; means that when exerting strength, the strength of the waist and the strength of the legs should form a joint force, so as to attack the opponent with a more complete whole strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The unity of waist and horse is a term in martial arts, which mainly refers to a requirement for Nanquan to exert strength. Exploding the strength of the waist, the strength of the legs and the strength of the feet together is a way of exerting force in martial arts (fighting).&#xA;&amp;quot;Horse&amp;quot; refers to walking on two legs, sometimes directly to the horse 's gait . In Nanquan, the hands are called &amp;quot;bridges&amp;quot; and the legs are called &amp;quot;horses&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The unity of the waist and the horse means that the center of gravity of the human body must cooperate with the limbs; the second is to mobilize the muscles of the body to participate in the blow. For example punching, in order to be fast and powerful, it is necessary to exert the combined effect and coordination of feet, legs, hips, waist and shoulders. And according to the principle of muscle power sequence, the large muscles work first, so that the body changes from static to dynamic, so as to facilitate the body to start: the medium muscles exert force secondly, so that the muscles can obtain a certain speed and the body is further accelerated; the small muscles work last Force is mainly to control the movement route and range of punches. At the same time, at the moment of exerting force, cooperate with exhalation, hold your breath to accumulate strength, and use breath to stimulate force, so as to achieve the integration of mind, energy and force, and finally achieve the goal of increasing the blow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Question:&#xA;Where can i get the source to do this below? i.e. reliable website, youtube&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the same time, at the moment of exerting force, cooperate with&#xA;exhalation, hold your breath to accumulate strength, and use breath to&#xA;stimulate force, so as to achieve the integration of mind, energy and&#xA;force, and finally achieve the goal of increasing the blow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12634" LastActivityDate="2023-01-03T07:17:41.257" Title="Waist and the horse in one" Tags="|kung-fu|fist|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13585" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13582" CreationDate="2023-01-03T08:08:31.043" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Self-defense has to be individual. If this person cannot grab with their fingers, any technique that involves grabbing with the fingers simply does not make sense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My personal intuition would be to build more around trapping (entangling) the arm for direct (hard) control and balance manipulation, and use a more simple and (soft) grip strategy where you slide along the arm and &amp;quot;get stuck&amp;quot; at the elbow or wrist with a pincer grip between thumb and fingers (mostly 2nd and third, pinkie nad index are not involved much). This is &lt;em&gt;much&lt;/em&gt; easier on the joints and requires &lt;em&gt;a lot less&lt;/em&gt; grip strength than grabbing cloth. And it is enough for guiding opponents' movements and manipulating their balance. Another plus point  is that it works perfectly without clothing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So basically, you either trap limbs completely or you use a pincer grip with less &lt;strong&gt;hard&lt;/strong&gt; control (keeping where you want it) and more &lt;strong&gt;soft&lt;/strong&gt; control, where you do not stop movements but redirect and steer them the way you want. This requires much less strength and joint stress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go-ju Ryu - hard-&lt;em&gt;soft&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit to address the sweep: You can, for example, redirect a straigth right-hand punch diagonally with left, entangle with your right arm, and use your left to turn the head with an open hand strike and control the throat for backwards-force. If you have good timing and tai-sabaki (re-positioning to the right side of your opponent) while doing that, it is quite easy to sweep their right leg with your left using this position and control. Also, you are pretty safe there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mind, you need to control the &lt;em&gt;shoulder&lt;/em&gt; on the side you sweep to move it forwards/sideways. Whether you do that with a (lapel) grip on the chest, a diagonal arm entanglement, a straight arm entanglement/grip, or even an underhook does not matter much for the mechanics of a sweep. The main difference is the different relative body position and direction of the sweep for each type of shoulder control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2023-01-03T17:10:59.257" LastActivityDate="2023-01-03T17:10:59.257" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13586" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13582" CreationDate="2023-01-03T23:19:07.267" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Your question reminds me that children are occasionally taught techniques using open tegatena so as to specifically avoid grabbing.  This is done for the purpose of teaching the shape of the movement, rather than the technique itself, since among other reasons this reduces the technique to a more basic level without interference from a poor posture by uke, and reduces chances of over- or under-performance of a movement which might injure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But your question also reminds me that arthritis - which I suffer horribly from, albeit in the hips - is but one of a myriad of things that can go wrong.  One may have a sickness, or injury, or a hand that is occupied (eg, holding a child or a weapon).  In these situations, one must take care to understand the underlying focus of the technique and then adapt when the optimal body part used to effect the technique is not able to perform its function.  Hands and fingers can become jammed, smashed, cut, burnt, or over extended during any altercation.  Maybe even you have a weapon, are you going to give that up to effect a grab?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Your instruction would be incomplete without coming up with scenarios that a student might encounter - injury typically, but an ailment like arthritis is just as good.  What does a one-armed student do?  Or a student without a hand?  Or Leg?  As such, this is an excellent question to bring up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is no easy answer, since no one answer covers for all scenarios, but you could make the argument that the opponent's own momentum should dictate how they are handled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, using your example, some throws which you might have done by sweeps and grabs could be effected by lowering to the knees, forcing the advancing opponent to trip over you.  In fact, that lowering of your body by kneeling can often be substituted for many grabs and throws.  As you are an instructor, I trust that you could easily come up with many scenarios which you could swap out the grab for a kneel, a spin, a duck, a step here or there.  Where you might have issued an atemi to slow the advancing opponent, you omit it in order to keep them moving so that they entrap themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This won't easily work all the time, and you might have to break rules here and there.  Perhaps, one hand is no good, but other is fine, so maybe issue a technique allowing a shift to the other side might work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An example of breaking a rule: instead of stepping away from an opponent, you simply turn the torso to the direction of the would-be step.  Try this when you have no functional issues, and your instructor is liable to spend time making corrections about stepping.  But if a student cannot turn and step, and turning the torso is all that can be done, then that's what will have to do, even at the cost of having to muscle through a technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As it is, I am myself exploring how to adapt with occasionally debilitating arthritis.  No more kneewalking or suwari waza for me.  And my taekwondo kicking days are all but over.  So I am curious as to what other answers you may get.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2023-01-03T23:19:07.267" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13587" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13218" CreationDate="2023-01-04T08:44:50.303" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I believe they're called &amp;quot;Kali&amp;quot;&#xA;But I could be mistaken.&#xA;I heard Bamboo is often used, as well.&#xA;But really I'm sure it's just whatever's practical. Just walk outside and grab a stick and start whacking your shins lol&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12947" LastActivityDate="2023-01-04T08:44:50.303" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13589" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13590" CreationDate="2023-01-09T16:11:16.563" Score="0" ViewCount="67" Body="&lt;p&gt;On January 2, 2023, American football Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, in a Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, collapsed on the field at 8:56 p.m EST after tackling wide receiver Tee Higgins and required immediate emergency medical treatment, apparently for &lt;em&gt;commotio cordis&lt;/em&gt; (Latin for “agitation of the heart,” where ane impulse from a colliding object disrupts the normal heart rhythm and leads to sudden cardiac arrest).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I could not see the tackle clearly on the video I watched, but I thought I saw Higgins with an arm straight out with hand in palm heel strike form hit Hamlin as he tacked him (otherwise known in football as a &amp;quot;stiff arm&amp;quot;). Descriptions in media say it was Higgins using his right shoulder (I note that I was taught in &lt;em&gt;kyokushin&lt;/em&gt; to use the shoulder to strike also, useful when your hands are bound).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can anyone confirm my suspicion that this was a palm heel strike to the heart?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6801" LastActivityDate="2023-01-10T17:46:39.400" Title="Was January 2, 2023 Damar Hamlin NFL safety collapse result of stiff arm palm heel strike to his heart?" Tags="|technique|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13590" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13589" CreationDate="2023-01-09T18:53:50.097" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;No. If you watch the footage, Higgins hits with his shoulder to Hamlin's chest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SVC9h.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/SVC9h.png&quot; alt=&quot;Image of Higgins right before impact&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fSsoYm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fSsoYm.png&quot; alt=&quot;A still from the other side&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That makes sense because one of the most important things about carrying the ball is not dropping it before you're down, or have made a touchdown, so you cradle it unless you don't have a choice, especially right before an imminent collision.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2023-01-09T18:53:50.097" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13591" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13589" CreationDate="2023-01-10T08:59:17.300" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There seems to be an underlying misconception:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hearts don't reliably stop due to some physical impetus from outside the thorax &lt;em&gt;at that age&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While this can an does happen at a younger age and has to happen at &lt;em&gt;exactly the right speed, in the right angle, at a very specific time in the cardiac cycle&lt;/em&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/circep.111.962712&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;cheers to JohnP for a proper source&lt;/a&gt;), it is pretty unlikely in that age without underlying conditions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, it does not matter much whether the impact was due to a palm strike or a shoulder check (it was the latter). That condition was not primarily due to the impact, it was due to another, underlying cardiac condition like an extreme case of cardiac muscle hypertrophy or other ischaemic conditions affecting the innervation and/or the muscle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long story short: nothing martial arts here, really. While it &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; happen in younger athletes during testosterone-rich growth given &lt;em&gt;very&lt;/em&gt; specific timing and impact-characteristics, this was probably due to conditions that are &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; normal in his age and can certainly not reliably be exploited.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2023-01-10T17:46:39.400" LastActivityDate="2023-01-10T17:46:39.400" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13592" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1357" CreationDate="2023-01-11T16:42:27.873" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Taking notes is absolutely a good idea. As general rule, the more ways you can format information in the brain, the better you will retain it. This is a psychological and neurological point of research and study with well documented results. Seeing information written down and reading it,stores the information in one part of the brain and writing it down stores it in another. The same is true for hearing the information told to you and speaking it aloud yourself. Doing the task physically and walking through it mentally. Even teaching another can reinforce and develop new pathways in the brain from which to retrieve such information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note taking is essential for increased capacity for and efficiency with learning a new skill.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On how to take the notes themselves I would suggest that you follow whatever form of note taking is most natural to you and then expanding upon it later. If simple pictures are easy and natural for you then I would start there and then later write down some notes describing the process of actions depicted there-in. If its more natural to write it down then I would start there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The notes don't initially need to be overly detailed as you can adjust and expand upon them later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would separate things by category and leave space for alteration and notation later on down the line as you will find that continuing to train through these drills and techniques will bring to light new insights and inquiries as to the minutiae of the techniques themselves as well as how you personally can best incorporate them into you're individual style of application within the confines of that art and your particular body type.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Returning to these notes can be useful for at home training and ensuring that practicing older and partially forgotten drills can be done properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally its important to note that the simple act of writing these things down is in itself a powerful tool for cementing the information in the brain and creating alternative neurological pathways from which to retrieve the information. While studying the notes may help improve your recall, creating these NEW pathways is a significantly stronger method for creating long term memory and reflexive knowledge of the information in question. So reinforce it in as many ways as possible by writing, reading, speaking, drawing AND doing whenever possible. Though the first few instances of each method will provide the biggest boost to information retention and recall speed. So continual study is good but not strictly necessary as it becomes a less effective use of your time with each instance (with the exception of &lt;strong&gt;doing&lt;/strong&gt; which creates muscle memory and reflexive action through continual use)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12958" LastEditorUserId="12958" LastEditDate="2023-01-11T16:59:04.353" LastActivityDate="2023-01-11T16:59:04.353" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13593" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1357" CreationDate="2023-01-17T23:02:51.257" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my experience I find it very useful when people take videos of famous fights and fights that I've participated in, and afterwards review them. There are certain aspects in mixed martial arts that you can't see for yourself when you face somebody else, and the more you watch the more you realize certain mistakes that are happening in front of you. Writing notes sure does help but of course only in theory; it's very easy to approach a fight to a pinpoint, but more difficult to react to counter measures that your opponent is doing against you. I'd suggest (wherever you are since it's been 10 years!) that you observe yourself and focus on semantics that aren't necessarily fight related, but more for techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12970" LastActivityDate="2023-01-17T23:02:51.257" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13595" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13596" CreationDate="2023-01-24T18:41:42.607" Score="4" ViewCount="84" Body="&lt;p&gt;My Muay Thai coach showed a technique where we move backwards&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Punch with right hand, cross punch,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;and step back with same side right leg.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I'm trying to evade a flurry of punches/kicks, I generally jab with left hand continuously first to punch/block/deflect (instead of a cross), and step back with right leg .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Moving back, while doing Cross punch seems counter intuitive to me, since I have to rotate my body forward , while moving backwards. It feels slower. Can someone explain why this is done? Trying to understand&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Videos here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/wqUVfE77k8M?t=85&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/wqUVfE77k8M?t=85&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/_xERtLkw8Kc?t=80&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/_xERtLkw8Kc?t=80&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mKkuL.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/mKkuL.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5WklZ.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5WklZ.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="11991" LastEditDate="2023-01-24T21:09:35.980" LastActivityDate="2023-01-25T11:41:34.413" Title="Moving Backwards, Cross Punch and move Right Leg" Tags="|technique|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13596" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13595" CreationDate="2023-01-25T04:39:58.890" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;A fighter is better off being able to execute as wide a range of strikes and defensive maneouvres from as many positions as possible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You identify in your question that you have a habit of using the jab when stepping back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Over the course of a bout, a good opponent will identify this habit and may take advantage of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Utilising your right gives you an extra tool. You can use this tool to reduce your predictability; reducing your vulnerability by presenting a greater offensive and defensive challenge to your opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One situation in which the right can be useful when stepping back is when your opponent is stepping in to you with repeated jabs. You can slip and use a surprise overhand right, although this is difficult to pull off and is risky, particularly if mistimed and if not followed up with further offensive and/or defensive manoeuvres.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can also counter your opponent's right, surprising them by stepping in (left guard up, chin down), upsetting their timing by meeting their forward momentum with your own. (These are only two applications, but more than enough to work on for a while).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In both these situations, the backwards movement is only half the story; you utilise backward motion to suddenly generate forward momentum via a stable base, planting the ball of your rear foot as you launch forward (It is often employed as a 'bait and switch'). Fighting whilst reversing is not so much about throwing strikes in the midst of panicked back-pedalling as it is about integrating backwards motion with well-grounded forward attacks, which are launched as the retreating foot lands (see Video 1), much in the same way as a forward punch is empowered by coordinating the moment of impact with the weighting of either the front or rear foot. Note in Video 2 (1:20), his drop step back is not actually increasing his distance from his opponent. It is only when he follows up with his left leg that distance is created. In Video 1 (1:35), that distance-creation is combined with a left hook.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When drilling these moves, de-emphasise power and aim initially for timing and flow, being sure to maintain defence with your opposite hand. Practice the right step first, being sure to coordinate foot weighting with punch impact, then introduce the hook follow-up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This process of stepping back before punching seems slower initially as it takes time to train your coordination. When mastered, it is an incredibly valuable asset that can help to blunt a volume puncher's efforts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One of the most important tips comes in Video 1 (2:18), where he emphasises the importance of circular, as opposed to rearward movement. Lateral movement triples your retreating options and again makes you less predictable and vulnerable, and equipped with more offensive variation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2023-01-25T11:41:34.413" LastActivityDate="2023-01-25T11:41:34.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13597" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13549" CreationDate="2023-02-02T05:22:47.860" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A high guard has pros and cons.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First off, the pros:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Protects your eyes&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Protects most of your face&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And now, the cons:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;may obstruct vision&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;May not protect your mouth&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's more, but those are just some examples. Personally, I prefer to take a stance that allows me to block just below my eyes so I can see, but if I see them coming, I can quickly move my hands up. Unfortunately, there may not always be enough time to do so, and you may have to take a hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Me being only a white belt and being involved in martial arts for a full 3 weeks now, I don't have much experience, but I have sparred before, and this strategy has saved me from losing a few times.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But you don't have to listen to a noob like me if you don't want to :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;for future readers: look at the age of this post :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12991" LastEditorUserId="12991" LastEditDate="2023-02-03T21:27:55.310" LastActivityDate="2023-02-03T21:27:55.310" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13598" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13600" CreationDate="2023-02-02T05:36:58.630" Score="4" ViewCount="135" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am learning martial arts (specifically, Kajenkenbo, someone correct me if I misspelled that) and in class, we went over a move called a mule kick, which is where you look backwards, and then strike behind you with your leg. I don't know exactly where this would be helpful, considering if my target was in front of me, I could just use a push kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12991" LastActivityDate="2023-02-03T15:37:21.620" Title="Under what circumstances would a mule kick be useful?" Tags="|kicking|forms|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13599" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13598" CreationDate="2023-02-02T14:19:41.367" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;One strong use case is striking a pursuing opponent whether because you've faked a retreat, or because you started one, and then realized that it was not feasible (the opponent will catch up to you, your route is blocked, etc). As you turn to retreat, the opponent moves to close the distance, pulling them into your mule kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Speaking from Capoeira experience (admittedly an art that's more ritualized in general use rather than oriented toward the most efficient self defense techniques), we also sometimes use it when an opponent is too close for a regular forward kick. The turning backwards creates additional space to deploy the kick, and if you're doing a traditional mule kick involving placing your hands on the ground and kicking up, you're also often kicking up inside their guard, particularly if they've overshot their mark in stepping into you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2023-02-02T14:19:41.367" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13600" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13598" CreationDate="2023-02-03T14:00:42.597" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I only encountered this kick in combination with a turn, ie. in combination with a (faked or real) roundhouse kick or the like. Can be used as a recovery movement for a properly missed, committed roundhouse as well since it clears the range, interrupts the rhythm and gives you time to fully recover, even if it does not connect. The basic movement can be seen in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmbDkWru1UY&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; but as explained, I have seen it rather as a recovery or combination than a standalone technique, so the coach's main criticism is moot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are three rationales involved in that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;It is probable that your opponent tries to capitalise on the fact that you shortly lose line of sight and tries to move in. If so, they will be caught by surprise by a kick executed after only half a full turn with rather good range.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;The turn adds some extra inertia that goes into the power of the kick.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Most people expect a high spin hook kick as a combination in that situation, so they will be caught with open body due to the different attack angle.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have been caught by that in full-contact sparring once or twice by a guy who used it quite expertly, so I can attest to the fact that it works.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I see no reason to train it without proper setup and turn, though. The applications will reduce drastically to some theoretical &amp;quot;multiple attackers&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;pursuit&amp;quot; scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2023-02-03T15:37:21.620" LastActivityDate="2023-02-03T15:37:21.620" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13601" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5698" CreationDate="2023-02-05T11:02:32.240" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Chambering a kick means &lt;em&gt;mainly&lt;/em&gt; actively pulling your heel to your glutes, ready to 'shoot' as explained in the other answer:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/b0lxH.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/b0lxH.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;By doing that, you prepare your body to produce as much power as possible. Where your knee should be (the picture being a bad example) depends on whether you extend (straight/hook/push kicks) or flex your hips (roundhouse) during the execution of the kick. Why that is the case will hopefully be clear after the following remarks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Two biomechanical principles of chambering&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Besides the points mentioned in the other answer (longer way of acceleration,  (more) straight trajectory), there are also other, biomechanical reasons why chambering makes sense in terms of power:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;1. You pre-stretch the muscles that are about to work for your kick.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That means that since you extend (straighten) your knee in the kick, flexing it maximally always makes sense. That way, you pre-stretch your main knee-extensor, which is the quadriceps. As soon as you loosen the chambering, the elastic muscle will automatically go to neutral length without you having to do anything, ie. you get some acceleration &amp;quot;for free&amp;quot;, as it were, since the muscle does not have to exert any energy for that and any contraction will only add speed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But what about your knee position? If you do a roundhouse, you engage your hip flexors, ie. the muscles that pull the knee towards the chest. Accordingly, a good chamber for a roundhouse will involve some hip &lt;em&gt;extension&lt;/em&gt;, ie. pulling your knee back to achieve this pre-stretch. Conversely, a push/hook kick will &lt;em&gt;ideally&lt;/em&gt; be chambered with your knee close to your chest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;2. Due to antagonistic inhibition, you will have more rested, available muscle fibres that can add power to your kick.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All the time, the muscles work to hold your weight and the position of the joint. Since individual muscle fibres have a refraction time, ie. need to rest for a bit after each contraction, there is a constant interplay of muscle fibres waiting, resting, and contracting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, when you &lt;em&gt;properly&lt;/em&gt; chamber a kick, you actively engage the antagonist of the muscle you need for the kick. That not only means that this muscle you will need has less work to do for that moment, due to neural reasons it also means that there is a &lt;em&gt;neural inhibition&lt;/em&gt; of that muscle, ie. all (or at least most) of the fibres have time to rest since no (to be exact: less) neural signal comes through that tells them to contract. This mechanism is in place so that the muscles do not constantly work against each other in movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The outcome is that the moment you loosen the chamber, not only the pre-stretched muscle will add power due to elastic retraction, there will also be &lt;em&gt;a higher percentage of rested muscle fibres not in refraction time&lt;/em&gt; so that you can engage more muscle fibres at once for your kick. The kick can be more powerful.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;A remark on the problems and limits of chambering&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, the very same principles apply to punches. And it certainly adds power and end-speed. While this is all well and good, chambering perfectly is rather for forms than sparring since obviously, having a longer way of acceleration and an additional move before you execute your technique also means your opponent has more reaction time available. They will simply be able to see what is coming in what direction with which limb.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2023-02-06T07:31:50.100" LastActivityDate="2023-02-06T07:31:50.100" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13602" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5698" CreationDate="2023-02-06T14:00:45.807" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;In addition to the existing excellent answers, in my experience, chambering the kick is also heavily emphasized in early training in a number of martial arts because the act of chambering makes the kicks more standard and neat, helping to eliminate sloppy technique or just throwing a kick out. It's perfectly natural (and sometimes best) to just pick the foot off of the floor and immediately extend it out into a kick, but as noted by others, this removes a bit of the potential power, and may result in a less stable technique compared to properly chambering (my instructor used to refer to it as &amp;quot;cocking&amp;quot; the kick, furthering the gun analogy) the kick, delivering it, re-chambering, and then setting the foot down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's a bit of a chicken and an egg in that, as noted in the the other answers, there are strong benefits to a properly chambered kicks, but in my experience, the primary way in which many students encounter the question of chambered kicks is in getting docked points when doing forms for testing for not having properly chambered the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One additional physical benefit to chambering the kick that I haven't seen mentioned yet is that it can also aid in avoiding the kick getting stuffed before it can start. The chamber happens close to your body, which means it's less likely to hit some part of the environment (or a stray limb of the opponent), or be blocked by the opponent before it can build up power.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2023-02-06T14:00:45.807" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13603" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13604" CreationDate="2023-02-06T14:40:44.707" Score="1" ViewCount="77" Body="&lt;p&gt;I watched the February 4, 2023 Friday night MMA Bellator 290 Johnny Eblen vs. Anatoly Tokov fight off and on. Eblen appeared superbly trained and conditioned, as did Tokov. They were both so fast that I had difficulty at times seeing the technical details of the strikes, holds and breaks. At any rate, I was surprised to see Tokov, appearing a bit worn with punishment, suddenly catch Eblen coming up from the floor with his back to Tokov in the final round (5) and lock in a guillotine choke on Eblen, who was facing him at about waist level. Within a few seconds Tokov appeared to simply release Eblen, who went on to win the fight in a decision. What did I miss? From my own experience (in fights and witnessing fights in and out of the ring) it is extremely difficult to escape a choke hold, particularly in that configuration (but I am not a grappler really).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6801" LastActivityDate="2023-02-09T13:05:06.317" Title="how did Eblen escape Tokov guillotine choke in last minute of round 5 fight MMA Bellator February 4, 2023" Tags="|chokes|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13604" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13603" CreationDate="2023-02-07T14:29:09.623" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Having seen footage of that particular choke, the reason is simple:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;He did not have him in a proper choke in the first place.&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/BellatorMMA/status/1622073568698765316?s=20&amp;amp;t=Pgc44vhCbPZa7lsLc6ZfZA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;look at the positions&lt;/a&gt;, Eblen's neck was on waist height when Topov closed his grip. Accordingly, there was no counter-pressure on the back of the neck and thus no effective choke at all. Tokov would have had to drop (and control the hip with his feet) in order to get Eblen's neck into his axle region, gain control, and exert pressure from two sides. That is pretty hard to pull off when pressed into the cage wall, and that was the position Topov found himself in before he could establish his grip. Instead, he tried to pull his neck up, which he failed at as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, Eblen escaped by keeping his neck low and tight and Tokov's hip pressed against the cage. That way, he made it hard for Topov to exert pressure or even improve his positioning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, Topov did lack the skill and/or wind to make the choke happen, realised that himself, and thus let go of it, maybe to have a final k.o. chance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2023-02-09T13:05:06.317" LastActivityDate="2023-02-09T13:05:06.317" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13605" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-02-10T13:13:59.923" Score="1" ViewCount="59" Body="&lt;p&gt;The concept of retzev (in krav maga) is kind of vague to me at the moment, and I'm wondering if there is a difference between retzev and a normal trained combo (in other martial arts).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it that the strikes in retzev are not pre-arranged like those in a combo? Or are there other major differences?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2023-02-10T14:04:29.550" LastActivityDate="2023-02-10T14:04:29.550" Title="What is the difference between retzev and a combo?" Tags="|terminology|krav-maga|striking|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13606" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-02-11T04:55:21.473" Score="3" ViewCount="285" Body="&lt;p&gt;Recently I did a small experiment on the brachial stun. I hit myself on the side of the neck with considerable force, trying to replicate a disorienting effect. What happened was that I felt a jolt sent through my body down to the legs, but no obvious incapacitating effect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am wondering how much force is needed to execute a brachial stun, and if it actually works on the vast majority of people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user11733" LastActivityDate="2023-02-12T18:13:46.913" Title="Amount of force needed to execute the brachial stun?" Tags="|technique|striking|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13607" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13606" CreationDate="2023-02-12T18:13:46.913" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I really have my doubts about this particular technique.  If we are talking about striking the 'brachial plexus' it's a large nerve cluster covering most of the neck and shoulder that connects the arm muscles and nerves to the spine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However several things to note.  It's a pretty big nerve cluster, but most of it is under the muscles on the neck.  Hitting muscles is usually not a good tactic in martial arts because the pain this causes is fairly superficial.  Hitting the side of the neck seems unlikely to do anything much for this reason.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Shorinji Kempo (a martial art with something of a speciality in nerve attacks) does not even list this as a target.  They have 138 distinct targets, many of these are on the neck but these muscles on the side of the neck are not considered a target in themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What they do list as possible targets are several points on the back of the spine. Some of these are on parts of the brachial plexus&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NB. I really don't think you should go hitting yourself there.  The spine is a fragile thing and nerves even more so.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another part of the neck that really does cause disorientation when hit is the carotid artery.  My guess is that this is usually what is going on when people say they are doing a 'brachial stun'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The internal carotid artery can be damaged, but this is very dangerous and requires pushing your finger an inch or two into the soft part of the neck to attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don't do this either, my instructor randomly fainted several times over the course of the next month after this technique was demonstrated on him&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The external carotid artery is often used as a target for strangles.  I have been taught a method of striking this the vagus nerve on this artery to cause a stun.  Though there are some people on this site that contest this techniques efficacy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Even just touching this point is very uncomfortable.  I would usually show my training partners in class where to find it by touching it with my smallest finger.  In all honesty I don't know 100% that you can cause a stun by striking it because I haven't ever had a chance to try this.  But on the balance of probability it seems not just plausible but likely that this would cause a large effect of some kind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The bottom line is the neck is a very fragile part of the body.  You are lucky you didn't hit anything important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2023-02-12T18:13:46.913" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13609" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13570" CreationDate="2023-02-17T18:17:19.017" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is common to have this issue with kids.  As teachers we are so focused on helping the kids, keeping the parents happy, trying to pass on the incredible art we learned that we forget how to be kids!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Preamble:   Don't use any of this to punish the kids use these rules in the spirit of creating a community accepting of different learning styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Announce these rules at the beginning of class and tell each new&#xA;student when they join&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Start every class leading the kids in jogging in a line around the&#xA;room. Not racing, jogging.  Everyone will subconsciously move toward&#xA;group participation.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;When kids stop paying attention and start playing ask them to step&#xA;out of the &amp;quot;focus area&amp;quot;.  Tell them it's OK if they need to rest but&#xA;you need enough mat space for those who want to participate to&#xA;safely participate.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Focus on the kids whose attention you think you have.  At different&#xA;times different kids learn better on the side lines. Maybe they&#xA;aren't ready for the intensive focused attention required for &amp;quot;adult&#xA;like&amp;quot; training at that moment.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Use games that built around the basic skills.  Jumping games are&#xA;good. You'd be amazed at how focused they get on winning the game&#xA;and you can referee (Keeping your focus on fairness and fun!) so&#xA;that the techniques they use in the game are high quality.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Do an age appropriate &amp;quot;impressive demonstration&amp;quot;.  My wife and I were&#xA;shocked when after 3 years of teaching kids classes we decided to&#xA;have a demo day.  After the kids did their demos we did something&#xA;fairly simple just so the parents would have an idea of who we were.&#xA;The kids came back and said &amp;quot;Wow!  We didn't know you guys were that&#xA;good!&amp;quot;. They were more respectful after that.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="923" LastEditorUserId="7808" LastEditDate="2023-02-27T04:13:20.513" LastActivityDate="2023-02-27T04:13:20.513" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13610" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13570" CreationDate="2023-02-18T18:34:06.730" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Kids have a short attention span. So keeps things short and sweet and to the point. Teach them only one or two concepts per class, since they won't remember more than that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7848" LastActivityDate="2023-02-18T18:34:06.730" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13612" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13613" CreationDate="2023-02-22T08:52:15.187" Score="12" ViewCount="4381" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the best way to deal with unteams like sparring partners?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm an intermediate Muay Thai in class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Everytime, beginners and intermediate pair up with a certain 'advanced' fighter in class for light sparring, the guy has somewhat unsportsmanlike conduct, since he is better. He'll put both his hands down, take punches laugh, hardly do anything, do a quick combo, and then step back. Hard to explain, but he smirks, smiles, and does very nonchalant behavior. Its not just me, but others in class that complain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be fair, I'm appreciate of most advanced fighters in the class, they respect the sparring partner, work with them, give advice, even they though they can beat their opponent. I try to be respectful with others in return, there was a 60 year old woman who stepped into class, and I helped her in padwork and did light sparring.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My options are&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;continue working with the bad sparring partner, I feel like allowing a person to disrespect you, breaks the first rule of any martial arts or life,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;punch the guy sort of hard, but that's bad since he's more advanced, and it just provokes more behavior&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;third option, is just walk out and ignore him, or take a drink refresher, during that 3 min sparring round. My coach ask me why I left. I said I took a drink, and he looked at me funny.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Last is tell teacher what's going on , but I don't feel like taddle taling, not my thing, but maybe one day I should&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I Prefer third option. Anyways, open to more options, feedback, or suggestions how to deal with this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastActivityDate="2023-02-24T22:04:47.987" Title="How to Deal with Unprofessional Sparring Partners" Tags="|training|technique|mixed-martial-arts|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="4" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13613" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13612" CreationDate="2023-02-22T11:51:14.373" Score="15" Body="&lt;p&gt;An opponent of this demeanour can be viewed as a curse or a blessing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you've probably figured out by now, the development of mental strength represents one of the greatest demands of martial arts, and one of its greatest benefits.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regardless of whether you like your sparring partner or not, the opportunity to spar with someone who is better than you is often an opportunity to learn. Even if this person is less interested in teaching you than in simply dominating you and being cocky and rude, ask yourself:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How can I benefit from this situation? How can I use this situation to become a better fighter?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If a person can get 'inside your head', it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's a proven technique that many fighters - perhaps most famously Muhammad Ali - have used to overwhelm some of the toughest athletes the fight game has produced.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Think of it as any other technique; as an attack you need to become conditioned to; to become able to defend. Just as you can learn to process pain, and to respond to physical assault, so you can learn to toughen your mind; to become mentally resilient.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next time you encounter this person, do so less with a sense of dread than with a resolve that you won't let his bravado put you off. Remind yourself that it is merely another form of attack you need to learn to offset.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's not an easy task. I'm not suggesting this should come naturally to you and that you can transform this situation over the course of one three minute round. Don't try to. You have identified a weakness in your arsenal and this is a great thing, because now you can learn to address it, session by session, in the same way that you would hone your other defences, like parries and checks and catches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have a quick wit, you might try talking back, but if this is not your forte, you will likely just be playing into his hands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Focus on your breathing, and on keeping your emotions in check. Don't let his barbs draw you in; to dictate the flow of the fight. Try to regain the initiative. Try strategy and tactics. Think about his strengths before your next session and research ways of countering them. Speak to other good fighters. What would they do? If he's way out of your league, so be it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try attacking when he's in the middle of talking at you, as it is harder for someone to cognitively balance the act of speech with the act of precise and rapid physical movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Set yourself attainable goals. If it's primarily the mental game that's putting you off, then that is where you need to direct your efforts. Aim to complete a session more calmly than you have in the past; focus less on his words and eyes than on his torso (and peripherally his limbs). Until your mind is calm, you will likely be unable to fight at anywhere near your capacity. Concentrate on making it through the round with composure, poise, resilience and above all, determination. Congratulate yourself on any small successes you experience in this regard, because they are vital to your growth as a fighter and because you can draw upon them during your next encounter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, remind yourself that your situation also has real-world relevance. The mouthy sparring partner sometimes has a lot in common with the drunken thug who likes to start fights in public. The mental gains you make in the gym can translate very well to actual conflict.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He may be a better fighter than you. So what? There's probably hundreds of thousands or even millions of fighters better than you. Most of us are in a similar situation. Give yourself time and come to see him as a resource; as a unique training opportunity that no-one else in the gym is providing you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2023-02-22T12:06:22.950" LastActivityDate="2023-02-22T12:06:22.950" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13614" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13612" CreationDate="2023-02-22T13:39:21.873" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'd look at this a slightly different way, why is this martial artist sparring you (and others) this way?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As an experienced fighter, I often spar lower grades with my hands down - it allows me to move my feet quicker - and they often won't hurt me if I get my movement wrong. Lifting my hands looks &amp;quot;more aggressive&amp;quot; - people will automatically back off if I do this, especially if they believe they are overmatched. While I don't often say it explicitly - I want the beginners to attack me, throw everything they have got - if they hurt me then it's my fault as I am the senior grade and have the experience to protect myself, I could just have lifted my guard and shut the attacks down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may find that this person is trying to work on their defence, movement and conditioning. The more of a challenge you present to this person the more they will have to work, their hands will come up and they will get quieter. This does not mean hit harder - someone will get hurt that way - but faster attacks, different combinations, varied targets.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a note on the laughing or smirking from this fighter - I often set myself a challenge in sparring in class, landing a particular attack, lead with my weaker leg, no punching etc. focusing on these can lead me to get caught with things or walk onto techniques (that in a pure spar I would avoid). My normal reaction is to laugh, I have just done something silly and been punished for it, in this instance its actually that my opponent did something good!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd advocate for trying to talk to them, they probably don't realise they are upsetting people (or at least to the level they are), if they are a good sparrer then I wouldn't throw that relationship away if I could avoid it - talented sparrers are a fantastic resource for your own development!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2023-02-22T13:39:21.873" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13615" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13612" CreationDate="2023-02-22T20:17:41.237" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's possible that I am misinterpreting the situation, but nothing you've posted suggests this person is being disrespectful or unprofessional, rather they are being relaxed. You consider this a stressful situation and your opponent, with much more experience, does not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've trained in martial arts for over ten years, primarily in variants of Tae Kwon Do that usually included grappling elements, but also a lot of striking. Due to moving around the country for work and school, I've trained in 5 or 6 different schools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some places spar a lot, some spar hardly at all. Over the years, I've encountered a lot of different styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At the first school (white to 1st dan) I trained at, the sensei was well over 6'3&amp;quot; tall and most of that was legs. He would almost always spar hands down, which seemed to be a blessing because he'd always have the kicking advantage. He wouldn't say anything, but from experience, I knew he was both trying to draw me in because he could land a very fast back kick; in the same regard he was teaching me how to avoid getting drawn in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second school (white to brown) I trained at, the sensei kept hands up most all of the time and provided a lot of commentary. Some of it was just to distract me, some of it was to provide critique, some of it was just for fun (because really how was my day).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The third school (white to green) I trained at, we would talk all the time. I'd critique right back at my instructor (granted at this point in time, I probably had an equal amount of experience).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Over the years and various schools, I developed my own sparring stance. I often drop my hands, to preserve my energy. I often will take punches that aren't going to hurt me (i.e. hits to my arms), because I don't need to worry about that. I often will hold back against lower belts because there is no point to me unloading an extended combo on them, it would only unnecessarily intimidate them or possibly hurt them (though, I may do a quick combo without intent to hit hard on a lower belt when they've left themselves overly exposed as a reminder to not get lazy).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overall, the person you're fighting sounds similar to me. Someone with a lot of experience, who isn't stressed by the situation, and that's developed their own style. They are teaching you something, but they're doing it non-verbally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My best advice to you is you need to attack and experience how fast a back kick can come out and how to react to that. You need to learn how to move and control space. You need to learn which hits you can take and which you have to parry or block. You need to learn how to conserve your energy. And you need to take a deep breath and really think about the answer to the question of, 'how was your day?'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8337" LastActivityDate="2023-02-22T20:17:41.237" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13616" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10527" CreationDate="2023-02-24T01:39:51.113" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Those who stay cool, calm, and collective are the ones who prevail in situations like this. Obviously easier said than done, but it is the only option.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13039" LastActivityDate="2023-02-24T01:39:51.113" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13617" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13612" CreationDate="2023-02-24T14:34:10.580" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;My experience in a different martial art: this is just a fact of life. You will &lt;em&gt;always&lt;/em&gt; meet less savoury people on the mat. The idea that martial artist are just special people which are better than outside of the dojo is just wrong, patently so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, my experience is that it is neigh impossible to change them. It simply cannot be done for 99% of the cases. They may have a reason to behave like that (i.e., to confront you with confusion or frustration and make it possible for you to learn applying your art even if your feelings are boiling), or they may just be unsportsmanlike out of their base nature. In neither case will you be argue them out of it; and if you &amp;quot;punch them real hard&amp;quot;, they will very likely also react in ways you are not intending.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What you &lt;em&gt;can&lt;/em&gt; do though - and albeit not being easy either, at least possible - is change yourself. Let their afronts pass you buy; develop a casual disinterest in their shenanigans. Be larger than them. Stay professional and honorful. If there are onlookers they will see who is the fool and who is not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This was one of the biggest learnings I took from my martial arts training - to become more relaxed in these situations, to watch and accept my emotions, to still control my outward behaviour and so on and forth. This may sound cheesy, but find some hero from some martial arts movie you like who is always cool and composed; and think of them in this situation. Act like there's a camera pointed at you and you are just shooting a movie. Be heroic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A wholly different issue for you would be: can you do their drill with them? It is one thing for them to upset your emotional balance, but another thing altogether if they refuse to practice with you. If they still let you perform your part of the drill, then that's great. If they make it too hard for you, calmly ask them to make it easier since you're still a beginner. If they adapt, great.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they do not cooperate in this way at all, and you feel that you are not actually learning what sensei is trying to teach you, ask your teacher over and ask them what &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt; need to do better to be able to perform your technique, whatever it is you are training this evening. Don't even mention with a single word that &lt;em&gt;they&lt;/em&gt; are refusing to cooperate, but ask your teacher what you are supposed to be doing. Ask them to watch you fight a bit, and ask them what you are doing wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Best case scenario, you get the information about how to handle your partner. Maybe they'll tell your partner to do something else. Even if your partner simply plays along when watched by the teacher, you can at least take these few seconds of your drills as learning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(All of this assumes that you are indeed doing cooperative, light sparring; and that there are not really awful issues going on - i.e. they are not &lt;em&gt;actually&lt;/em&gt; threatening you in a real-life fashion, and they are not &lt;em&gt;actually&lt;/em&gt; bullying you.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7343" LastActivityDate="2023-02-24T14:34:10.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13619" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13570" CreationDate="2023-02-27T13:01:30.170" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Younger kids typically are attracted to the spectacular, the 'cool', the heroic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With this in mind, you could try:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Introduce each class by 'selling' them an impressive technique or sequence of techniques which rely on the very basics you need to teach them. You are doing this to gain their attention so they pay attention to the less exciting things they need to learn. Promise them that if they pay attention, that by the end of the class they will have come a step closer to being able to do the special thing you've shown them. Paint them a picture of how the technique might be employed by a hero/superhero to defeat a villain. Explain why a real hero needs such a technique in his or her arsenal (of course reminding them that no-one should ever use such a technique unless absolutely necessary).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Now, explain to them that no-one learns to execute such technique without learning a series of special steps first. Explain that even Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan (if kids still know these names), Batman, Deadpool... you get the picture all spent time and effort learning the fundamentals before they could lean to do the really cool stuff. Let them know that they too can learn to do amazing things if they are smart enough to practice the things they need to practice; that what separates the heroes from the zeros is often dedication and determination; and that they are smart enough to know that they need to learn to walk before they can run.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Now. Break down your 'amazing' technique or sequence into the elements of the technique/sequence. Show them how the basic technique relates to the development of the 'special' technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Start by teaching them the first step. You will hopefully now have their attention.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Move around the class, congratulating each student on whatever small progress they have (or haven't) been able to make. Remind them of their goal. Recognise their effort.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Return to the front of the class and comment on all the ways you've been impressed by them. Express your confidence that they are moving towards their goal. Demonstrate how they can make their basic/s even better. Relate it back again to the special technique/s.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow this pattern throughout the lesson (Demonstration/encouragement/refinement/goal).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;When concluding a session, remind them of:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;a) what their goal was,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;b) of how the things they have learned in pursuit of their goal,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;c) what to practice before the next lesson, and&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;d) what they will be learning in the next lesson.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This process is summarised more succinctly by Anderson, N.J. (2021), &lt;em&gt;Principles for Lesson Planning&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118784235.eelt1003&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118784235.eelt1003&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The three principles [of lesson planning] are:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(a) Initiating the lesson planning process by articulating a clear learning outcome (LO);&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(b) Designing learning opportunities that lead to accomplishing the LO; and&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(c) Including an appropriate formative assessment that provides tangible evidence of achievement of the LO.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With kids, you have to keep reminding them of how their efforts are working to an interesting, impressive goal. It's not a dissimilar problem from that faced by many math teachers. For a lot of kids, math is rendered boring because the teacher is unable to draw relevance between equations and real-life problem-solving. You need to demonstrate how the basic equations of martial arts fundamentals lead to the complex equations of martial arts 'mastery'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All this is by way of demonstrating that a teacher is a performer. You task is not merely to possess knowledge, but to learn how to engage students so that you are able to impart the valuable lessons to want to share with them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have provided one technique here. I suggest that if you want to improve as a teacher, you research not only on martial arts forums, but on teaching forums and websites with talk more generally about the art of teaching performance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The skill of teaching does not come with a particular belt. True, you have the benefit of having spent many hours with teachers during your development and you can learn from this; you can remind yourself of what your found most powerful and entertaining, and of those teachers which failed to engage you, and why, but no-one has likely yet taught you how to teach and you must take teaching as a distinct, highly demanding skill which will take you years to develop, just as it has taken you years to develop your fighting arsenal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2023-02-27T14:01:17.117" LastActivityDate="2023-02-27T14:01:17.117" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13620" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13052" CreationDate="2023-02-28T02:45:52.947" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The other answers do a good job with material suggestions; I'll answer the other question: &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Will leather crack in the cold?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The answer is that it depends on how often you use the bag and how well you keep it conditioned.  I had a leather bag that I kept outside through all seasons (including many, many days of freezing weather) and it was fine.  But I trained with it 6 days per week.  I also wiped my sweat off of it when I was done (they will mold if you do not).  I also kept it properly conditioned with oils.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, I've seen neglected leather training bags that don't even make it through a few weeks in freezing temperatures.  Lack of use, excessive moisture or dryness, and lack of conditioners are usually to blame.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Leather bags like to be used frequently and dried off after each use.  When humidity is extremely low, they require more conditioners; when humidity is high, they usually don't require any conditioners, but do require steady airflow and more room to breathe and dry off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6354" LastActivityDate="2023-02-28T02:45:52.947" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13621" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13563" CreationDate="2023-02-28T12:10:20.793" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Positive Psychology's heavily-referenced article, &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The History and Origin of Meditation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; (2019) states:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The oldest documented images of meditation are from India and date back to 5000 to 3500 BCE. Wall art paintings depict people sitting in meditative-like seated postures with their eyes half closed, presumed to be deep in meditation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The oldest documented text of meditation is also from India, from the Hindu traditions of Vendatism, from around 1500 BCE. Although the Vedas created texts describing meditative practices it’s important to know that these had previously been passed down orally through storytelling practices for centuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A comment from a reader beneath the main article's text claims:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meditation &amp;amp; yoga date back to before humanity left Alkebulan. Indian writings found date back to before 10,000 BC.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I couldn't find any reputable sources which backed up this claim, but it is quite possible that meditation existed in some form or another long before anyone decided to record the practice via art or text, or that the earliest depictions of meditation in art that have survived are far younger than the earliest depictions that were ever created.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Meditation is a loose term describing a lot of similar practices; some of which attempt to expel thought, others of which attempt to simply be mindful of how thoughts enter and exit the mind. Some practices are performed in peace and quiet. Other forms are practiced throughout the moment-to-moment waking experience and yet others attempt to move the practice into sleep. With this in mind, meditation likely existed long before any name was given to the practice, and possibly even before people were even aware that they were 'doing a thing' that might be worthy of a name.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the earliest practices of meditation as an element of the martial arts, easily accessible 'evidence' online is poorly referenced. Claims of a relationship with Taoism and Buddhism seem common, along with links to the 5th Century AD and later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2023-02-28T12:58:41.233" LastActivityDate="2023-02-28T12:58:41.233" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13622" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12727" CreationDate="2023-02-28T19:57:31.317" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, I would like to remind you that if you think that the life of you or others is in danger, do not try to take the threat on by yourself. Get to a safe place and call the police.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if you are cornered, and there is absolutely no other option, you may have to fight. I'm only a white belt right now, but I know a few things that I would trust a person to use to protect me if I were in your position. Here are a few basic kajukenbo moves that I know:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;punch 1. Punch one is a normal nothing special move with your left hand. Try to place it in the stomach or face. Punch 2. Punch 2 is a punch 1 but with your right hand. Punch 3 is basically where you strike the side of your target, either on the side of the head or on the side of the body with your left hand. Punch 4 is an uppercut with your right hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kicks are very simple. Basic: Just kick! But be sure to keep your block up at all times. Also be sure to hit them with your heel and not your toe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sidekick: No, not like robin. A sidekick is where you take a sideways fighting stance and kick to your side at or near the bully's stomach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Roundhouse: I'm sure you've heard of this one before. Like a sidekick, but you keep yourself at the forward and rotate your body to move your leg with it. Be sure to turn your leg sideways when you do this, as striking somebody using your hamstring will likely not be a pleasant experience, and it won't actually do much. Use a tough part of your shin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Groin: quick sidenote, this is the ONLY kick that I know of where it is acceptable to strike with the top of your foot, for all other kicks unless an instructor tells you otherwise, use your heel. A groin kick is exactly what it sounds like (Works best if you're wearing a boot). A groin kick will inflict a lot of pain and I feel sorry for anyone who was on the wrong end of one. Use the top of your foot and strike upwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Alright, pay close attention to this part, as it may save your life one day. Blocks. What I've said so far is telling you how to kick butt, but from what you've said, you probably need more advice on what to do when you're getting your butt kicked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Guard: You should be doing this the entire fight anyway. Hold both hands above your jaw but just below your eyes so you can see. Only take your hands away from your face if you are attempting to strike, as soon as you are done, return to your guarding position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Block 1: Counter an oncoming punch by taking it with the side of your left arm. Then offset the bully's arm away from you and hold it there, then hit 'em with a punch 2.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Block 2: Block 1, but with your right arm, and end with punch 1.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Block 3 (body block): Position one of your arms to cover your entire lower body while keeping your other arm in guard. This can be used to take a kick or if your opponent also uses kajukenbo or another martial art, it can also be used to counter block 1/2 or punch 1/2.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now I'd like you to remember that fighting should be your absolute last resort. Only do so if you think you are in real danger and the police will not arrive in time to stop them from killing you. It is true the police will usually arrest anyone and everyone involved in a fight (guilt by association) including the one who was being attacked. While I believe this system is flawed, it is how it is, and I can't change that. You mentioned that he may beat you harder if you call the police, but if you call them again, he will probably go to prison for repeat offences if not immediately for criminal assault.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12991" LastActivityDate="2023-02-28T19:57:31.317" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13623" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13570" CreationDate="2023-02-28T20:32:34.717" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;My current Dojo has a program where belts purple and higher, who are also 13+ years of age can help to train white belts. We had a blue (recently received his green) belt doing it and I think he's around 14 or 15. No one took him seriously at first, but Grandmaster explained to us he was helping, and nobody's dared to let their guard down since. I think your instructor may be your best bet, explain to him that they still don't listen. NOTE: I'm not a member of this program, I'm a white belt. So I don't qualify.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they STILL don't listen, you may have to take things into your own hands. Methods you can use are make everything look cooler than it is. I usually arrive at my dojo about 20 to 30 minutes early, which is when the younger kids are in there, and the green belt usually is keeping the kid's attention by making references to heroes (like another answer said may work) and saying &amp;quot;pow&amp;quot; every time they hit the bag (during one-on-one only, there's no human that can talk fast enough to compensate for the entire class!). This method works best with littler kids, if you try it on teens they'll probably just think you're lame/childish/some other insult.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also, try to be actively instructing throughout the lesson, make it hard to not listen. That's the biggest way how you can keep anyone's attention. It's very hard to get distracted or not listen if the instructor is right there in front of you and actively showing everyone something. One example is again from my Dojo, and what they have people do, and they do this for everyone, is to have a dedicated time of each lesson where the instructor has everyone line up in neat rows and the instructor has everyone do the same move all at the same time. You can't not listen to this, because usually if you don't listen, you can be called out.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I hope this works. By the way, I have never actually instructed anyone before, these are all methods that I have actually seen and actually work.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12991" LastActivityDate="2023-02-28T20:32:34.717" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13625" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-03-07T02:26:36.163" Score="2" ViewCount="114" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do you find HEMA unarmed tactics viable self defense? Stuff like turn of the century pugilism, Grappling, Baritsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I find the weapons and unarmed combats to look very very interesting but are they actually useful for today?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13080" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2023-03-07T16:06:17.367" LastActivityDate="2023-03-07T16:06:17.367" Title="Do you find HEMA unarmed tactics viable self defense?" Tags="|self-defense|historic-european|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13626" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13625" CreationDate="2023-03-07T16:03:58.783" Score="4" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Generally Yes&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For most instances, various schools of pugilism, treatises on grappling, and so on were and still can be totally valid in a modern context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;But Why?&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may not be carrying a cane or gentleman's sidesword, but human bodies have not significantly changed since these sources were published! You can use the same approach to fighting as they did today.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For what it's worth, this is the same reason why many eastern martial arts, some claiming ages in the hundreds of years, are still applicable today. Human bodies then were, at worst, malnourished versions of human bodies now. Otherwise, they were pretty much the same size and structure as most people who can read this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The old-school western grappling styles/schools will result in a competent fighter. Pugilism in Europe was generally bare knuckle, and arguably better than modern boxing for self defense. (Also why the lower-arm stance is commonly seen in black-amd-white pictures of pugilists. It's a &amp;quot;long guard&amp;quot; to buy more time to react!)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Do Your Homework&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To determine how well a historic source translates into the modern day, you need to understand its purpose and context.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, Fiore dei Liberi assumed that most people would have daggers or batons on hand, and that isn't the world I live in. This being said, his unarmed techniques will still provide a solid defense and most offenders will regret their choices afterwards.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastActivityDate="2023-03-07T16:03:58.783" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13628" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-03-13T15:12:48.147" Score="5" ViewCount="113" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was looking to add this premise of a weapon for a character I'm writing. I remembered this style existed in Breath of the Wild as an Eightfold Blade. While it does have a hilt, it is only a very small circular guard with no ricasso. The main thing that I'm focusing on is the name of swords that have the little hook mini-blade near the hilt, &lt;em&gt;similar&lt;/em&gt; to a hook sword in strategy yet more simplified.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/OnJgN.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/OnJgN.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Eightfold Blade&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At first, I thought the hook was a Schilden, but Schilden tend to have their tips pointing perpendicular to the blade (below), and not like the Eightfold Blade in the picture.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NL95U.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/NL95U.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Greatsword featuring a Schilden&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any historical name for this type of sword, or is it just fantasy? If so, what is the closest historical classification?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YLOiN.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/YLOiN.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Eightfold Blade&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13091" LastEditorUserId="13091" LastEditDate="2023-03-13T15:13:17.310" LastActivityDate="2023-03-15T13:18:33.740" Title="Is there an existing name for this hook-sword-like shortsword design?" Tags="|history|weapons|terminology|equipment|style|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13629" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13628" CreationDate="2023-03-14T00:41:12.957" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The sword in the last of the pictures you list shows a Japanese style blade with a &amp;quot;kagi&amp;quot; (hook) before the tsuba (guard). Hooks like this were not ever found on swords in Japan, I don't think.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And I wouldn't think it would even be possible to construct a blade with this as part of the same piece of metal as is shown in that picture. It would likely have to be part of the tsuba, attached separately. Either that, or the blade itself would need to be constructed using inferior methods, stamping it out from spring steel or something, and then polishing and sharpening. But I can clearly see from the picture that this is a Japanese style sword, including the curve which results from Japanese sword making processes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Typically, a kagi would appear on Jutte (also spelled &amp;quot;Jitte&amp;quot;). Jutte were straight bars of solid iron with the kagi just above the handle. They were not swords and did not have any sharp edges. They were used a number of ways, mostly by police in Japan after swords were banned. Most people believe this was used to trap a sword and break it. But in reality, it was used to hook into clothing and pressure points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In your video game sword, my guess is they wanted something that looked cool and could be used in the game to hook and trap either swords or chains.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen hooks on the guards of other swords as well. Such as a butterfly sword popular in wing chun and hung gar kung fu. You'll see them using the butterfly sword by switching the hold from regular to reverse hold, back and forth. When switching to the reverse grip, the guard must allow it to be held that way. And that is perhaps the main reason for why the butterfly sword has that hook on it. It also adds weight to make the sword balanced. Less convincingly, it can be used to trap other swords.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Swords from Europe and the middle east might also have little or sometimes big hooks on them, usually curved with balls on the end. They're usually ornate and merely add to the appearance, not the function. They're not sharp, either. They can add weight to help balance the sword. And they can allow for a reverse grip more easily, in the case of short swords.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Just my thoughts. I'm not an expert on historical swords. Most of my knowledge is from Japanese swords.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2023-03-14T00:41:12.957" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13630" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13631" CreationDate="2023-03-14T18:15:08.450" Score="5" ViewCount="1278" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a situation I've already witnessed twice in my life.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;People responsible for ensuring safety and authorized to use force if necessary were detaining an uncooperative subject and forcibly moving him to to another place.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, the way they were doing so raised my eyebrow. Each of the officers grabbed a separate limb of the subject and that way they all carried him where they wanted. Words may be failing me; if my description is unclear, here is an MS Paint sketch of how it looked like:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/R0ZMn.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/R0ZMn.png&quot; alt=&quot;Stick figure image of a person being carried by four people, one for each limb&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(sorry for poor quality, I draw with a mouse even worse than I draw with a pencil)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first time I saw this it seemed to me to be grossly inelegant. I assumed the officers were clearly incompetent and did not receive basic training, since I assumed there had to - just HAD TO - be a better, more elegant, more right-handed way to force move someone to a destination. I also assumed that one person, two at most should be needed to perform this task, but not four.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But then I saw it the second time it made me doubt my judgement. It would be a weird coincidence if two separate groups of officers I saw in a row were incompetent. Also I don't know of any better way to forcibly move a completely uncooperative subject. My previous judgement may have been baseless and incorrect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps this is, indeed, the best possible way to move a person from place to place?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If not, then what are more well suited techniques to forcibly move an uncooperative subject? Also is it possible for a single person, or two at most to perform this task, or is it indeed necessary for no less than four people to do so?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reason I'm asking: Sometimes I'm trying to do some writing as a hobby. And I wrote a scene where the main character witnesses this very situation and, on this basis, assumes incompetence of officers involved and this is plot important. Main character is supposed to be well versed in martial arts. I wonder if this scene makes any sense?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9326" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2023-03-15T12:13:36.367" LastActivityDate="2023-03-15T12:13:36.367" Title="Is there a better way to force move someone to a destination than by grabbing each of that person's four limbs?" Tags="|technique|application|fiction|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13631" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13630" CreationDate="2023-03-14T20:15:01.817" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Ideally just one officer is needed to apprehend and move someone under arrest. The officer will use handcuffs on the wrists to prevent being punched. Compliance is achieved by force if necessary with the use of striking, a club, or a taser.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But of course that's not easy when the person under arrest is physically much stronger or heavier and is putting up a fight. So, more than one officer may be needed to gain control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the case where 4 officers were needed, one for each limb, I've seen that happen in three different situations. First situation is when the one they're arresting is high on something like PCP and is unusually strong and energetic. They're actually out of their minds when they're like this and see the officers as trying to kill them. You can't even hold their arms close enough together to place them in handcuffs. This happens with doctors in hospitals, too. It might take 4 nurses to subdue someone who's freaking out due to an adverse reaction to a sedative or something, long enough to inject them with something that knocks them out. And it requires all their body weight placed on each limb, believe it or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second situation I've seen come up is when there are no handcuffs available, and nothing to bind wrists and legs. Some people comply and go along with the officers regardless. But you need more than one officer when they're resisting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The third situation happens probably the most. That's when you have a riot or a protest with lots of people that need to be arrested all at once. The officers will just gang up on one of them and physically carry them off to a van where they are detained. Then they go back and get the next one, and the next one, etc. It's quicker and safer to do that, rather than having a single officer struggling to place them in handcuffs. There's probably not enough handcuffs in these situations as well. And the ones that really resist and refuse to walk are the ones that need 4 officers sometimes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for whether or not this can be improved and only use one or two officers, yes of course there are more efficient ways. The use of handcuffs and tasers to gain compliance is the primary way of apprehending someone. Then you need less officers. Using pepper spray or tear gas is something else you see. People sometimes just need time to calm down and for officers to calm them down with their voice and deescalate the situation. That's effective, too.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're asking because you want to know if there are special techniques or maybe pressure points that can be applied from martial arts, you're mostly out of luck. In a book you're writing, sure. In reality, not so much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But if your main character knows martial arts, I'd say one of the more interesting and applicable martial arts to look at is Bujinkan Budo (also known as ninjutsu). They have training in rope binding (hojo jutsu), which you can sometimes see in movies. Pressure points are integrated into all of what they do. They typically flip someone over onto their stomach using leverage on one of their outstretched arms and then press down using their knee onto a pressure point on their back under the shoulder blade where it causes breathing to become painful and difficult. At this point, it's difficult for someone to move. They enforce compliance by then twisting at the wrist, elbow, or shoulder. Or they might press into a pressure point behind the ear or grab a hold of the neck as a way of saying they can squeeze and snap the windpipe if they move. With rope binding techniques, they may take someone down using the rope, and then tie up their arms, ankles, and then both arms and ankles together, along with the neck. They basically get &amp;quot;hog tied&amp;quot; Japanese style. Everyone training in Bujinkan is taught how to quickly fashion handcuffs from rope, and then they integrate the rope binding technique with their taijutsu. It originally came from one of the 6 traditional samurai ryu that Bujinkan incorporates. Fascinating stuff. And the idea is that when the ropes are put on, any struggling will actually cause pain to the one struggling. Essentially, they're just fighting themselves at that point. Then it becomes easy to take them away. Sometimes I see Bujinkan teaching to slide a staff through the rope binding, and two people carry him away, one on each side of the staff.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2023-03-14T20:32:30.680" LastActivityDate="2023-03-14T20:32:30.680" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13632" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13628" CreationDate="2023-03-15T13:18:33.740" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;It resembles a dirk-type &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabutowari&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;kabutowari&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (also known as &lt;em&gt;hachiwari&lt;/em&gt;), a side arm used for parrying. The hook could be used to hook the cords of armour or for prying armour plates apart.&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similar weapons include (as &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/13629/8910&quot;&gt;Steve Weigand says&lt;/a&gt;) the non-bladed &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jitte&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;jitte&lt;/a&gt; (with a single kagi).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Image&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;Description&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QTbGJ.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QTbGJ.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Antique Japanese &lt;em&gt;hachiwari&lt;/em&gt; with a nihonto style of handle.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://hareitiba-japanese-antique.com/products/y4990-jitte-edo-police-iron-jutte-japan-traditional-equipment-antique-vintage&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/iW8dk.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;Late Edo period police iron &lt;em&gt;jutte&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Taiho-Jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;/sup&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2023-03-15T13:18:33.740" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13633" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-03-17T19:54:03.100" Score="3" ViewCount="387" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have been training in martial arts such as Taekwondo and Boxing for several months. I know a friend who just watches youtube videos to learn to fight. Even though I did my techniques correctly, I got beaten. How does youtube videos help a person fight anyway? I thought you actually needed practice/sparring. Also, he has said himself that he had never sparred. How is this possible?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13108" LastActivityDate="2023-07-28T06:23:45.403" Title="How does a person who just watches youtube videos to learn martial arts beat me in sparring?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|boxing|sparring|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13634" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13633" CreationDate="2023-03-17T21:52:11.243" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question asked is how can someone who hasn't trained in any martial art do better than someone who has been training somewhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This actually occurs all the time in martial arts. It happened to me, too. I'll relay a personal story here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I was just starting out in martial arts, I was learning Taekwondo. I had been there for a few months, earning my yellow belt. This was back when I was 13 years old. Prior to then, I had a 3 month long Aikido self-defense class that I trained in. So I had some knowledge, and I was a very dedicated and serious student. But it wasn't enough for what was to happen to me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I got beaten in a fight by a kid who didn't study any martial arts at all. The fight happened because I stood up for a kid that was being bullied, by the way. I thought that was the right thing to do. And because the bully was younger than I was, everyone hated me and taunted me for fighting him. He was also a popular kid, and I wasn't. I was bigger and older than he was. So everyone was against me, even kids much older and bigger than me coming up to me and telling me if I do any harm to the bully kid, they're going to come after me. All of that psyched me out even before we began the fight. And after the fight, I had no friends. They all abandoned me. It was a horrible situation that turned out real badly for me and affected me for the next several years. Just horrible.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what did I do wrong? When I got into that fight, I realized nothing had prepared me for this moment. I was a fish out of water. Sure, we did sparring in class. I knew the basics of kicking, punching, blocking, and evading. And I felt I was pretty good, better than my yellow belt would suggest. None of that mattered. I got into a karate stance and waited, just like my training. He started circling around me, and I let him. Next thing I knew, he sucker punched me in the nose from outside of my visual range. I fell to the ground and found myself on my back staring up at the sky. I gave up at that point, with blood dripping down from my nose and all over my shirt. I was pretty humiliated and didn't see the point of fighting anymore. To tell you the truth, I didn't want to fight in the first place. It had gotten way out of control.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It was a harsh reality check. Later I realized that I probably would have done better had I not trained at all in Taekwondo. Hilarious, I know. But here's the thing. I had only been training a few months. It wasn't enough to prepare me for actually fighting. &lt;strong&gt;But it was enough to override my innate fighting instincts. And that was the problem.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So what is fighting, and how do you train to fight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For anything to be called &amp;quot;fighting&amp;quot;, it must involve &lt;strong&gt;aliveness, pressure, and fear&lt;/strong&gt;. Aliveness is when your opponent is able to think and change what he's doing. He's not a robot, programmed to do something to you and then stop. He's going to choose what to do to you without you knowing it. And when you try to counter it, he adapts and does something different. His goal is to win against you, not to just let you have some success.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most martial arts train the opposite way. They have a partner who throws a punch at you, and they stop. Then you do your thing, which can consist of 5 different techniques done one right after the other. And while you're doing that, your partner is staying still, letting you do it. That is the first level of learning, and a &amp;quot;fighting&amp;quot; martial art would quickly move beyond that. But most traditional martial arts stop there. That's all they do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pressure and resistance is another factor. That means your opponent isn't letting you go easily. You're going to feel like this is a struggle. It's going to feel dangerous. And that's where the fear comes in. If you don't fear anything, you're not going be ready in a real fight when it happens. In a real fight, your opponent is going to be relentless. He's going to be on top of you, pushing and punching, kicking, grabbing, etc. He won't slow down, go easier on you, or stop just because you looked like you were afraid or uncomfortable. He won't stop just because you're not fighting back. That's pressure. And the fear comes in when you realize you could get hurt unless you fight back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you train with those elements in mind. You need an opponent who's going to keep the pressure on you, and you're going to have work hard, because it's a struggle. Not only that, you could get hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most martial arts don't train that way. In Taekwondo, there's sparring. Sparring is good. But you always have boundaries in sparring in Taekwondo. And yeah, you could get a little hurt, but it's mostly point sparring at least at first. Point sparring means you and your opponent are going very light, tapping each other only. You won't go super fast, because your opponent isn't going super fast either, and you don't want him to. So you both have a kind of mutual, implied agreement not to really go all-out with each other. There's no real fear there of being hurt. Occasionally you get your wind knocked out, or maybe you get kicked in the nose or something. But it's rare. And when it happens, all the action is stopped, and you're safe again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Boxing is a little better. You can get hurt a bit more there, because punching is done closer to each other, and the face is a target from day one. They won't just stop the action once you get punched in the face and indicate you're hurt. They'll encourage you to keep fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Taekwondo, the distance between partners is greater, and punches to the face are not allowed from day one. You are allowed to punch to the face later on in Taekwondo, though, after about black belt level. And most Taekwondo schools will have a rule that you can't cause blood or knock anyone out with a punch to the face.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But boxing is still pretty light at first. They're not going to train kids below about age 16 to actually hurt each other in sparring. It's going to be very friendly and &amp;quot;feel good&amp;quot;. It will emphasize basics, rather than the fight. Although, that is entirely up to you and your coach and the type of boxing place you go to. You have to want to risk getting hurt in order to get better at fighting. And you need to have that understanding between you and your coach.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, getting hurt sucks. Nobody wants that. If you get &lt;strong&gt;seriously&lt;/strong&gt; hurt, you're not coming back tomorrow or maybe even months. So getting seriously hurt doesn't help you. You want to be able to come back day after day, so that you can get better. It's the only way. So boxing, MMA, wrestling, BJJ, Judo, and other &amp;quot;fighting&amp;quot; schools all have rules. &lt;strong&gt;The rules exist to allow partners to go harder without seriously hurting each other.&lt;/strong&gt; You may still get hurt, but because of the rules, it won't keep you from coming back tomorrow. And the goal of training is to help each other get better, not to just win at all costs. There's a time and place for going all-out, and it rarely happens in class. You might see it more in competition. Even still, class will feel much more like fighting than maybe you've ever felt before.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The rules of the martial art matter a lot, too. In real life, there are no rules. Boxing teaches something really useful, but it has weaknesses. Boxing rules don't permit grabbing, so they have an upright stance which makes them susceptible to being grabbed and taken to the ground. When a boxer is tackled to the ground, they don't have much they can do. They don't recognize the situation. They haven't trained for it. So they're not going to be good at it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same is true with all martial arts. In Taekwondo, for example, you can't grab anyone at all, so if you get grabbed, you won't know what to do. In wrestling, you can't punch anyone, so you don't have anything to deal with that when it happens to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's an old quote that applies here: &amp;quot;We don't rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level of our training.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's the way you train that matters. And there are many martial arts which don't train how to fight. They train in theory, which is another way of saying expectations - or wishful thinking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;MMA is one of the only martial arts which allows pretty much everything (with the exception of weapons). It has the least set of rules. And the rules exist only to prevent serious injury.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, training anything, even MMA, doesn't guarantee anything about being able to fight for real. It all depends on you, your mindset, maturity level, and goals. When you go into class, you can look at it like it's just a fun thing to do. You're there to exercise and to learn, but you don't seriously feel like anything is a fight there. When you do get into a fight-like situation there when your coach decides you need to feel what it feels like, you might quickly back down and show little interest in hitting back. In short, it's you who doesn't have the fight in him. That has to change first. Then you can make progress. Until then, you can do well in MMA and anything else. You can get an 8th degree black belt in karate. In other words, you'll be an expert in martial arts theory and technique. Nothing wrong with that. But you still won't be a fighter. Most martial artists don't understand that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So combine what I just told you with time. Your innate fighting instincts go away pretty quickly after starting to learn martial arts. That makes you very vulnerable. You're tossing out your fighting instincts and replacing them with stuff you've just begun to learn. It could be years before you're able to fight better than you did before you learned anything. The quicker you switch your frame of mind to a fighting frame, the quicker you gain proficiency at fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One other thing I'll add here. When you get into a fight for real, you need to be able to &lt;strong&gt;switch it on&lt;/strong&gt;, in your mind. What that means is realizing instantly that you need to fight back and fight hard, like your life depends on it. Until you are an experienced fighter, let your instincts drive you. Don't think. Don't be worried about using correct technique. Don't limit yourself to just what you've been trained to do. Don't wait for him to come to you. Do whatever your instincts tell you to do. Rage. Or at least keep moving, don't stay still. Otherwise, you're going to lose. And you might lose more than just your pride.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The guy you're up against may be compassionate and may let you off easily if you show that you don't want to fight. But in many cases, they won't stop hitting you just because you're not hitting back. They might not even stop after you've been knocked out unconscious. &lt;strong&gt;Kids and adults today are full of trauma and rage that has nothing to do with you, but you're going to be their target.&lt;/strong&gt; You could end up seriously hurt, maimed, paralyzed, blind, deaf, or even dead. And fighting is not fair at all. Usually one guy is bigger than the other, and usually it's not you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, you have to remember above all else that if you find yourself in a fight getting pummeled, you need to switch it on. That means you decide right then and there that this is life or death, and there's no way out but to fight. You need to get focused, fight back, and win. Or at least reach a point where you can run. If it helps, imagine this guy attacking you is a zombie. He's going to try to kill you, and he won't let up. He's just going to keep coming. Once you make that connection in your mind, your fighting instincts should kick in. Because, if you think there's a chance he'll take pity on you and stop fighting if you back down, then maybe you won't fight back at all. You have to realize there's no way out. He won't back down at all just because you're giving up. So you have to fight back and hit him hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may be outclassed. You may think you have no chance of winning. But fight back anyway. Don't let the guy get away easily, with no damage. He has to learn that there are consequences to fighting you, even if he wins. You need to hurt him. Then maybe he'll think twice before getting into a fight with you again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'll leave you with a video that I like explaining the difference between a fighter and a martial artist. He's coming at it from a Chinese martial arts background, but it applies universally:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/d0KfSuB_7bM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/d0KfSuB_7bM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2023-03-20T16:34:16.303" LastActivityDate="2023-03-20T16:34:16.303" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13636" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-03-21T01:35:49.377" Score="2" ViewCount="408" Body="&lt;p&gt;I often see TKD and Karate folks sparring with these types of open-palm glove, made of some sort of plastic-dipped foam that seems common for those styles' equipment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How much do they weigh?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(I understand they're not directly comparable to the &amp;quot;oz&amp;quot; weight system of boxing gloves, but I'm curious of their weight just to get a ballpark idea of their padding, since they always looked pretty flimsy to me.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/VuxKR.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/VuxKR.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10815" LastActivityDate="2023-03-21T04:04:05.740" Title="What is the weight of dipped-foam TKD/Karate sparring gloves? (see photo)" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|boxing|equipment|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13638" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13636" CreationDate="2023-03-21T03:46:25.173" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;With regards to open palm, dipped foam sparring gloves that karate and taekwondo typically use in class, the weights are usually much lighter than typical boxing gloves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Weights for boxing gloves are measured in ounces. And it's for one glove by itself. Adult gloves will weigh more than child sized gloves. A typical child sized boxing glove would be 6-8 ounces. A typical adult sized boxing glove would be 14 ounces.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's the weight that matters. If you imagine a &amp;quot;weighted&amp;quot; glove that weighs 5 pounds, it's the same as having a 5 pound dumbbell in your hand when you throw a punch. You are basically throwing a big weight at your opponent. It's a weapon. So the gloves are standardized by weight to ensure nobody has that kind of an advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For karate and taekwondo, the glove is very different from a boxing glove. It doesn't go all the way around the hand. It's open at the palm and allows finger tips to stick through. These weigh typically 3-7 ounces. For a typical adult sized karate glove like this, you're looking at around 5 ounces. Again, it depends on whether it's a child sized glove or an adult sized glove.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other thing about these karate / tkd style gloves is that they don't have standards. Mostly they're just designed to cover certain areas with a certain thickness of foam. The weights aren't standard, because basically there shouldn't be any way they could weigh much if they are just made out of a thin layer of foam. (Although that assumption is exploited by cheaters every now and then.)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Where you'll see some standardization of gloves is at the tournament level. Like you'll see &amp;quot;ITF Taekwondo Certified&amp;quot; gloves listed in the tournament requirements, and each competitor needs to have a glove that's from one of the certified suppliers. But local tournaments and individual schools can use whatever they want. It doesn't have to be certified.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2023-03-21T04:04:05.740" LastActivityDate="2023-03-21T04:04:05.740" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13639" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13640" CreationDate="2023-03-26T15:09:48.120" Score="1" ViewCount="324" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my work, there is a person that disturbs me really harshly: he always bumps into my shoulder on purpose, he always curses me when he sees me, he always does from distance moves like he is punching me, he gives punches to my direction from distance every time he sees me, he blocks my way whenever I go downstairs, he gossips about me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I talked to him many times to know what I did to him and I apologized, he promised that he will stop but he continues every time with his bad actions, I talked with many people about this problem and sadly, nobody could help me with him, luckily, I was in karate for 2.5 years and JKD for 1 year, I am pretty fit I am 5'10 and he was in boxing but he is obese and not in shape, he is 5'8, should I beat him? this guy really gets under my skin. Even after I changed job, he picks on me whenever he has chance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13125" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2023-03-26T17:31:58.220" LastActivityDate="2023-03-26T17:31:58.220" Title="What should I do about a bully at work?" Tags="|self-defense|safety|streetfight|defense|bullying|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ClosedDate="2023-03-30T06:07:30.507" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13640" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13639" CreationDate="2023-03-26T17:18:19.330" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;This is a work environment apparently, not a school bullying situation. That's rare. Typically work bullying isn't physical in nature, but this one is. There's also a non-physical / verbal aspect to this, which is pretty typical in a work environment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, before anything I say next, I recommend just leaving the company. Get out of there. You don't have to make a fuss. Just find somewhere else to work where that guy is no longer an issue. You may want to tell HR about the guy after you resign. That's up to you, but anything you say which is negative will be recorded by them and can prevent you from being hired back to work there later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Assuming you still want to work there, here's what I suggest:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you have a problem with someone harassing, threatening, or assaulting you at work, first get evidence of it. Then go to HR with the evidence. And if HR isn't fixing it, then go to a lawyer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Document, document, document. That means you record each time something occurred to you: dates, times, and what you observed. If there were witnesses, record who they were and ask them what they saw. Get a voice recorder and record everything they say. In most states in the U.S., you don't need to let them know you're recording their voice. So check your local laws to make sure you're okay to record without them knowing or approving it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you see this individual harassing others, document it and get those others to document it as well. Join with them. Usually bullies aren't just bullying one person.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have enough evidence, go to HR with it and demand something be done about it. Document your meeting with HR. Give HR a copy of your evidence. Ask HR what specific actions they intend to take regarding this, and make sure to follow up with them once a week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Continue to document.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're a member of an employee union, go to the union grievance committee and file a report with them first before going to HR. They can often get results much more quickly than going to HR.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If the harassment continues, get a lawyer and discuss it with him/her. There may be legal steps that can be taken to prevent it from happening. Sometimes all it takes is a letter from a lawyer demanding that the company take action to prevent their client from being harassed at work. Sometimes it takes the threat of a lawsuit to get them to comply.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anytime you go to HR, know that HR is not on your side. They only care about minimizing risks to the company. So they're going to listen carefully to what you say and figure out what risk there is to the company in different scenarios.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be warned. One of those scenarios HR considers will be your firing. They may decide you're the threat to the company and will then fire you. So, it is in your best interest to have documentation that will defend you from being fired unfairly. Make sure you have documents showing your raises over time, performance reviews, emails from management praising you, etc. This can help later on if they try to say you're being fired for not performing well. A lawyer will see that it's bogus and will have evidence to give to a jury showing that you were fired in retaliation for ratting on your coworker who was harassing you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In most companies, HR is weak. They often don't want to or can't take meaningful action. So follow up with them. Ask them what actions they will take. Keep going to them and put pressure on them. If they are dragging their feet, present to them a list of all the dates and times you went to them, and tell them you've attempted to work with them but they appear to be unwilling or unable to help. Then say the next step is for you to go to your lawyer. That threat will put a fire under their feet. It escalates the risk level and allows them to take further action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make sure you get a voice recording of each meeting with HR, also. Again, make sure it's legal to do so where you're from.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hiring a lawyer is not cheap. They'll probably want a retainer, which is a large fee up front to cover future work with them. It's typically $5,000. They can waive the retainer if you're in the low income category. Some may even work for free in some cases. But, know that if you do go all the way to filing a lawsuit with the company, then you can usually get them to settle out of court which will pay for your attorney fees and give you some cash in your pocket. So you may ultimately never pay a dime. HR knows this, which is why they will attempt to resolve it quickly before it even gets to a lawsuit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for fighting, come on, you're an adult, right? Do you really want to do that? Once you get in a fight on company property with a coworker, it will be easy to fire you. Your bully might not even be fired, but you certainly will.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if you do get into a fight with that guy, guess who wins? He does. He's not as tall as you. But he's got a weight advantage on you. And unlike you, he studied something (boxing) which actually trains people how to fight. You studied something that was more theory oriented (karate and a bit of JKD). I don't think you're a fighter. And I bet you that guy is more of a fighter than you are. At the very least, he's much more aggressive than you are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The old saying that if you stand up to a bully, he'll back down is rubbish. It's not usually the case. Bullies are bullies because they have unresolved aggression due to some childhood trauma. Not to mention their brains might be wired to be more aggressive to begin with. The fact that they pick on you just means you look weak to them. And they're usually right. Now, if you fight back and prove you're not weak, do you think they'll just back down? No. Not in my experience. Some will. Most will just go nuts on you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You might be interested in learning about what makes someone a fighter, as opposed to just a martial artist, in my other answer here:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/13633/how-does-a-person-who-just-watches-youtube-videos-to-learn-martial-arts-beat-me/13634#13634&quot;&gt;How does a person who just watches youtube videos to learn martial arts beat me in sparring?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my advice is to avoid the guy from now on. Don't look for a fight. And if he's still bothering you, go through the process I described above. Or consider leaving to go work somewhere else if possible. Switching companies will also have the benefit of getting you promoted faster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2023-03-26T17:18:19.330" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13641" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2712" CreationDate="2023-03-28T13:10:46.077" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As per the IBJJF's current ruleset, chokes involving spinal locks (i.e. neck cranks) are &lt;strong&gt;legal&lt;/strong&gt; at all adult belt divisions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MIr3A.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/MIr3A.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://ibjjf.com/books-videos&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IBJJF Rule Book (v5.2) | Technical Fouls&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So as long as there is clearly a choke in the technique (e.g. D'Arce, Anaconda, kata-gatame) it's valid. The ruleset provides examples of illegal spinal locks &lt;em&gt;without&lt;/em&gt; a choke:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/k8ND6.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/k8ND6.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2023-03-28T13:10:46.077" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13642" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-03-31T21:33:11.747" Score="4" ViewCount="286" Body="&lt;p&gt;In the video game &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like_a_Dragon:_Ishin!&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Like A Dragon: Ishin&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, a major plot point is finding information about the &lt;em&gt;Tennen Rishin&lt;/em&gt; style practiced by members of the Shinsengumi during the Bakumatsu period (1853-1867) in Japan.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One distinct characteristic of the &lt;em&gt;Tennen Rishin&lt;/em&gt; style in-game is that the starting fighting stance has users place their palm flat against the hilt of their sword. While it is true that the real Shinsengumi practiced the &lt;em&gt;Tennen Rishin-ryū&lt;/em&gt; style, I couldn't find any evidence of them putting their palm flat against their sword. In fact, I cannot find any sword style that adopts this stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there any evidence users of the &lt;em&gt;Tennen Rishin-ryū&lt;/em&gt; style put their palm flat against the hilt of the sword? If not, is there any sword style where this was done?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/rcP31.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/rcP31.png&quot; alt=&quot;Character with palm against sword&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://sirusgaming.com/like-a-dragon-ishin-chapter-3-mibu-wolves/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Image from Sirus Gaming&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13132" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2023-03-31T22:31:08.673" LastActivityDate="2023-03-31T22:31:08.673" Title="Is the sword stance in Like a Dragon: Ishin where swordsmen place their palm flat against the hilt a style of Tennen Rishin-ryū?" Tags="|style|sword|japanese|entertainment|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13643" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9200" CreationDate="2023-04-02T15:34:49.250" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Short answer: no.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Long answer: Noooooooooooo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a few resources that show a full curriculum, such as The Gracie Jiu Jitsu handbook that Helio &amp;quot;wrote&amp;quot;, Jiu Jitsu University by Saulo Ribeiro, various online curricula (Gracie University; Gracie Barra has a complete curriculum, on their paid website; Various &amp;quot;fundamentals&amp;quot; dvds available from various locations such as Keenan Online, SubMeta, BJJ Fanatics, etc.), etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd speculate that the reason for this has more to do with the relative education/income levels of the Brazilians training the art themselves, coupled with the Gracie's marketing machine not wanting to &amp;quot;give away the store&amp;quot; when it comes to techniques in the early days. This is mimicked by the way most &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko-ry%C5%AB#Martial_Arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;koryu&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; arts in Japan were recorded as well: with imagery that made sense only to those who were already familiar with the technique – &lt;em&gt;i.e.&lt;/em&gt; as a sort of mnemonic to remember the move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The real question I think is &amp;quot;will BJJ as a sport migrate more in a similar direction that collegiate-style wrestling is taught, or will it still maintain a &lt;em&gt;technique-focused&lt;/em&gt; curriculum?&amp;quot; I believe that in 2-3 generations of practitioners (particularly as it continues to spread as a sport), it will move further away from &amp;quot;do this when this happens&amp;quot; and allow sessions to be more free-form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12659" LastActivityDate="2023-04-02T15:34:49.250" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13644" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-04-03T13:34:46.207" Score="3" ViewCount="163" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a competition throw in judo which resembles:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;an &lt;em&gt;uchi-mata&lt;/em&gt; lifting with the front of the thigh, or equivalently&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;an &lt;em&gt;obi-tori-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt; where you continue the turn after lifting (as opposed to reversing uke in the opposite direction).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;an &lt;em&gt;uki-goshi&lt;/em&gt; with tori lifting their leg off the ground&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xox1wWPVTrQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;tends to be called&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzDCuJMWIuk&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;yagura-nage&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; in Japan (since this is what the throw is called in &lt;a href=&quot;https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%AB%93%E6%8A%95%E3%81%92&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;sumo&lt;/a&gt;), and '&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQplsEnXwmg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;front uchi-mata&lt;/a&gt;' in the west. Does the kodokan have a position on how this is classified?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen some variants which are effectively an &lt;em&gt;utsuri-goshi&lt;/em&gt;, but I'm talking about ones with a direct entry lifting and throwing with the same hip.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/sup&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-06-06T19:00:21.523" LastActivityDate="2023-06-06T19:00:21.523" Title="How is &quot;front&quot; uchi-mata (Yagura-nage) classified?" Tags="|judo|terminology|throwing|sumo|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13645" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13646" CreationDate="2023-04-04T14:15:06.950" Score="2" ViewCount="390" Body="&lt;p&gt;In competition judo people often talk of a &amp;quot;drop&amp;quot; &lt;em&gt;seoi-nage&lt;/em&gt;. How is this different from a &lt;em&gt;seoi-otoshi&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-04-04T14:29:02.477" LastActivityDate="2023-04-06T02:15:51.403" Title="What is a &quot;drop&quot; seoi-nage?" Tags="|judo|terminology|throwing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13646" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13645" CreationDate="2023-04-04T14:15:06.950" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Note that &lt;em&gt;otoshi&lt;/em&gt; (落とし) means &amp;quot;drop&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;&amp;quot;Drop&amp;quot; Seoi-Nage vs Seoi-Otoshi&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, the kodokan distinguishes these throws by whether tori extends their knees to lift and throw uke (&lt;em&gt;nage&lt;/em&gt; - throw) after dropping to one/both knees, or keeps them on the ground pulling uke straight down over their back (&lt;em&gt;otoshi&lt;/em&gt; - drop):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In seoi-nage you throw your opponent by lifting him over, but in seoi-otoshi you throw him by pulling him down over you. [Seoi-otoshi on both knees.] Whether it's seoi-nage or seoi-otoshi is decided by whether your opponent was lifted or pulled over.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/RTPxyhdy4qs?t=400&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;...&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Standard&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Cross grip&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Wide step&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Drop both &lt;br&gt;knees ⬇️&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Ippon grip&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ippon-seoi-nage&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;➖&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;➖&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pytcu.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pytcu.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hXKtX.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/hXKtX.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Seoi-nage&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BRhEk.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/BRhEk.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2dde8.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/2dde8.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5tJrd.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/5tJrd.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wndUi.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/wndUi.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;➖&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Seoi-otoshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/yURje.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/yURje.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;➖&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Gr6Ok.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Gr6Ok.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QBMYD.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/QBMYD.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Differences between seoi-otoshi, seoi-nage and ippon-seoi-nage&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These techniques bear similarities in the way in which tori loads uke up, but the principle of throwing is different.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sᴇᴏɪ-ɴᴀɢᴇ&lt;/strong&gt; - Tori loads uke's body from below and throws him directly forwards over the right shoulder.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;Accordingly, If one or both knees are dropped onto the mat, in seoi-nage tori will raise the knees from the mat, raise the waist, load uke onto his back, and throw him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sᴇᴏɪ-ᴏᴛᴏsʜɪ&lt;/strong&gt; - At the moment tori loads uke onto his back, he drops to one or both knees, lowers his body, pulls uke over the right shoulder, and throws him straight down.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is important to discern the subtle differences between these two techniques. Although it may be difficult to tell them apart at first glance, looking at the concept of the throw will enable you to determine which technique it is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, tori should pull downwards with the body lowered when throwing with the knees dropped but tori should load uke onto the back throwing with the knees not touching the mat. Therefore we can define seoi-otoshi as throwing with the knees dropped and seoi-nage as throwing from a posture where the knees are not dropped.&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;This is also true of seoi-otoshi from the form of ippon-seoi-nage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/KODOKAN_JUDO_THROWING_TECHNIQUES/HGpbICBZdGwC?hl=en&amp;amp;gbpv=1&amp;amp;printsec=frontcover&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kodokan Judo - Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As such, most 'drop' seoi-nage are actually seoi-otoshi, with the exception of those where uke extends their knees after dropping to drive uke up and over onto their back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Ambiguous throws&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In practice, what a throw ends up being can be different from the intent of tori - someone may enter for an &lt;em&gt;seoi-nage&lt;/em&gt; but in the moment depending on uke's reaction it may end up being executed as an &lt;em&gt;seoi-otoshi&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;uchi-makikomi&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Similarly with &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/13249/what-is-the-difference-between-uchi-mata-and-hane-goshi&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;uchi-mata&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;hane-goshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9648/what-is-the-difference-between-osoto-otoshi-and-osoto-gari&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;osoto-gari&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;osoto-otoshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;em&gt;-guruma&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-04-05T10:03:22.080" LastActivityDate="2023-04-05T10:03:22.080" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13647" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6270" CreationDate="2023-04-04T17:43:05.877" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The sweep is very effective in street combat.&#xA;The famous &amp;quot;direct right then broom&amp;quot; remains a popular combo among thugs and it's not for nothing, they don't have fun doing ura mawashi..&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Genital or head kick and ect ok it's always an advantage to have as many options as possible.&#xA;BUT being given the irregular ground, the jean pants, and the impossible warm-up in street fight I favor low kicks which are less risky.&#xA;Without closing myself to a miraculous option to kick high of course.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Not all options have the same relevance coefficient. A man who attacks you and who is physically average with an average martial level, what is the relevance of training to do complicated techniques to counter this kind of individual?&#xA;Scored points for the judges?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;(Make it complicated when you can make it simple)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In reality you would never be as good as in training.&#xA;And the more complicated the technique is in training, the more difficult it will be to perform on the street.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, be satisfied with the minimum, choose the moves with the best benefit/risk ratio, and practice mastering them will be more than enough to defend yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have mastered the basics, if you feel like it, you can have fun training with hight kicks, mawashi, etc. (we never thought that one day you will be dressed in sports clothes and that you will be assaulted by a practically martial art combat sport on a tatami...?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13140" LastActivityDate="2023-04-04T17:43:05.877" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13648" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13645" CreationDate="2023-04-06T02:15:51.403" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The Kodokan has a definition of &lt;em&gt;seoi otoshi&lt;/em&gt;, which is described correctly in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/13646/5961&quot;&gt;answer by brazofuerte&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Seoi otoshi&lt;/em&gt; can also refer to a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG0zyI9ydw4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;standing throw that crosses seoi nage hands with tai otoshi legs&lt;/a&gt;. The Kodokan would classify this as a &lt;em&gt;seoi nage&lt;/em&gt;. Someone using this version of the term &lt;em&gt;seoi otoshi&lt;/em&gt; probably uses drop &lt;em&gt;seoi nage&lt;/em&gt; to refer a Kodokan &lt;em&gt;seoi otoshi&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could insist practitioners using this alternate terminology are simply wrong, or you could accept that not everyone agrees on the same names.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This situation is not so different from &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-4HUgB_rK4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;te guruma&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, which the Kodokan classifies as a &lt;em&gt;sukui nage&lt;/em&gt; variant. It's a throw variant that in some places is widely recognized under one name that the Kodokan calls something else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also similar to how the word biscuit will be interpreted differently in English or American contexts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2023-04-06T02:15:51.403" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13649" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13650" CreationDate="2023-04-08T01:18:57.897" Score="2" ViewCount="517" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't practice in a club, so I just try to work on muscle memory for combinations, at home, with no equipment like impact targets or hanging bags.  It is a rental apartment with stipple plaster ceiling, so no hanging things from the ceiling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I haven't found a way to practice kickboxing combinations with roundhouse kicks.  This is because the combinations assume that the roundhouse hits a target, which resets your body position.  Without a target, the kick follows through, unlike for the karate roundhouse, which is like a flick followed by a rechamber.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some examples are &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVZ_qAS0NzU&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIZfaZKQkDM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.  These are particularly good examples of the difficulty because the are switch-kicks, where the kicking leg is repositioned to momentarily be the back leg.  The ensuing roundhouse is therefore meant to be a powerful drive-through rather than a snappy slap.  The kick is followed by a cross, which I can't do without a target for the kick because I spin through.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is there a trick that would permit me to drill on such combinations without a striking target?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10351" LastEditorUserId="10351" LastEditDate="2023-04-08T14:40:46.900" LastActivityDate="2023-04-10T10:21:41.357" Title="Practice switch-kick combinations with no bag or target pad?" Tags="|kickboxing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13650" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13649" CreationDate="2023-04-08T04:43:38.380" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;When you're doing solo kick/punch drills and lack a bag or a target of some sort to give your impacts some resistance, your only choice is to practice the drills with a bit of acting and imagination. It's less about conditioning your body than it is about training your mind / body connection. It's about getting those combinations drilled to the point where you can use them without thinking about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can stop yourself in the air in the same position that your leg would naturally be in after kicking a bag. It won't feel the same, of course, but for what you're actually training, it's okay. All you're doing is working on the right sequence of movements. You can do that with your imagination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now the worry is, if you do a proper Thai round kick, it will cause your round kick to go through the imaginary target, which will result in you having to reset your body position after that kick lands on the ground where it's not supposed to be. So to fix that, you're not going to let it go past that imaginary target. It's an imaginary target, so imagine your leg being stopped by it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're worried that's going to change the way you do your kick, well it will. At least for this drill, it will to some degree. It will mean you have to start the kick the same way, but you'll have to slow it down in the air as it hits that imaginary target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is not a problem. You're still not doing the &amp;quot;slap&amp;quot; style kick of, say, Taekwondo. You're still performing the kick the proper way in Muay Thai. It's just that you're slowing it down in the air as you imagine it hitting that target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The purpose of this kind of training is to train your mind body connection. It will drill those combinations. It's fine, but it's not done for conditioning. If you want conditioning also, you need a heavy bag.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Incidentally, there are options for when you need a bag to use for conditioning but don't have access to one. You can try open gyms which typically cost $10 to use the bags, weights, and other equipment. You can rig your own bag at home if it's possible to do without annoying your neighbors (no apartments). You can also try wrapping trees with mats and bungee cord. Or get a friend to come over and hold one of those foam body shields.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2023-04-08T04:43:38.380" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13651" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13649" CreationDate="2023-04-08T14:31:51.273" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;A surprisingly effective middle ground method is to suspend a blanket or rope from the ceiling. The fabric actually provides a decent amount of resistance for you to work against, and if you hit too hard, the blanket just slips off of wherever you're talking it to, rather than pulling down part of the ceiling. A blanket or rope is also useful in general to train against because it provides resistance, but also allows pass through if your balance suffers.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It of course does not provide as much resistance as a proper striking target, falls down more often, and has a slight risk of getting entangled at the wrong angle, but 90% of the time it's pretty decent. At the least, it will be a bit better than shadow boxing the movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2023-04-08T14:31:51.273" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13652" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13649" CreationDate="2023-04-08T15:12:23.093" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;'Shadow' kicking (a la shadow boxing) is an incredibly valuable training method. Without a bag or other target to catch your kick, you train muscles throughout your body to stop the kick in midair and return it to a useful position.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This trains you to maintain composure when you miss your target (which happens often in fights), and greatly improves your retraction speed and balance, which is of immense value in combat situations. It effectively increases the speed of your combinations, equips you to perform multiple kicks with greater speed, helps you to maintain poise when countered and also trains you to feint kicks, such as when transitioning from a front-kick feint to an upper roundhouse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most fighters who train solely on bags never develop these abilities to any great extent, and whilst they may learn to develop great power, they miss out on the benefits outlined above.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The absence of facilities you are experiencing likely mirrors the absence of facilities which necessitated the more traditional, bagless training styles still present in many traditional curricula. Take advantage of this to hone yourself into a precise, sharp, poised kicking machine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tip: Get a chair. Place it in front of you so that the back of the chair is positioned where the apex of a mid-roundhouse would be. Begin by performing a mid-roundhouse over the chair and landing on the other side, as you would when following through. Once this can be done with ease, practice retracting the kick back to the starting position, maintaining form the whole way. Then, as you get stronger and more balanced, try pausing the kick at the apex or just beyond, and retract from there, so that there is no floor to push off. It's tough. The slower you do it, the more you'll be working kinetic chain strength. Try holding the kick at the apex for a couple of seconds. Depending on your build, flexibility and strength, this can prove enormously challenging to do with good form. The faster you do it, the more you'll work balance and retraction ability. You can of course increase the height of the chair by standing it on phone books or by using a bigger chair for more of a challenge. Don't forget to work both legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Regardless of whether or not you use the chair drill, training without a bag regularly - providing you maintain good technique (a full-length mirror is an excellent, space-efficient training tool) - will pay big dividends. What seems to be a burden now may in the end be of great benefit to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2023-04-10T10:21:41.357" LastActivityDate="2023-04-10T10:21:41.357" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13653" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-04-10T11:24:40.507" Score="5" ViewCount="1179" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would like to improve my kicking as well as my punching in terms of power / strength. For kicking I would especially distinguish between teeps (front kicks) and low kicks. Which single exercise(s) would improve the kicking power accordingly for both kicks?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When it comes to punching it's probably a bit more diverse as jab &amp;amp; cross, hooks and uppercuts are very different from each other, I'd guess? However, which exercises would improve these?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;An obvious way to improve above techniques is likely to just do them. Which I do. However, is there, for example, a physical exercise that has a great influence on their power?&#xA;I'm open for anything but I would like to get to know 1-2 very efficient methods, if there are any?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8608" LastEditorUserId="12991" LastEditDate="2023-04-17T09:26:08.553" LastActivityDate="2023-04-17T09:26:08.553" Title="Single exercises to improve kicking and punching power" Tags="|muay-thai|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13654" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13653" CreationDate="2023-04-10T15:22:52.627" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's as much technique and flexibility as it is strength. That being said, you need to look at the mechanism of action for each kick, and strengthen the muscles that control that action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For the front kick, the basic muscles will be the abdominals for stability, hip flexors to raise the upper leg and the quadriceps to extend the leg out for the kick. The quadriceps are the large group of muscles that cover the front of the leg. Depending on the type of front kick (Ball or instep) the calves will come in to play.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Punches are going to be a little more involved, but the main motivators are going to be abdominals, chest (pectorals), and triceps which are the muscles at the back of the arm. With a proper technique punch, however, it's pretty much all the muscles from the feet up in various contributions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All that being said, a good basic strength training program such as stronglifts 5x5, starting strength or similar will cover most of what you need. Squats (or a variant) for quads, deadlifts for hamstrings, bench press/dumbbell fly, tricep extensions, bicep curls should be the foundation of your program. If you are new to weights, absolutely recommend stronglifts or starting strength. Don't try to design your own until you have more experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2023-04-10T15:22:52.627" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13655" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13653" CreationDate="2023-04-10T20:49:31.023" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Just do them&amp;quot; actually isn't as simple as that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The biggest effect on your punches and kicks isn't how much muscle you have, but how much muscle (and body momentum) is recruited. In other words, technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The best way to build technique is to forget about power and speed. Instead, do your techniques smoothly, with minimum stress in your limbs. As you're doing it, focus on whether your hand or foot is following the shortest path to the target. Focus on whether your rear leg is being used to push into the technique. Focus on whether any rotation of your body is smooth and not hindered by your hips, knees, or foot position. Analyze the hell out of all of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you've got that, then sure, you can analyse whether any particular muscle groups can be improved on. But this is radically unlikely. It's virtually certain that if you feel your technique isn't powerful enough, the issue is with how you're doing it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You describe this as naive. It would be naive if you carried on just doing what you're doing the same way and expecting a different result. The non-naive version is to keep doing it but analyse what you're not getting right and fix it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And with all of this, you &lt;em&gt;must&lt;/em&gt; do it without tension in your muscles. The main thing stopping your triceps extending your arm fast is your bicep. You need to drill the hell out of your movements in a relaxed way, so that they stay relaxed when you add power. Again, the naive way would be to keep going hard and expect to get better. You won't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've recently started a kickboxing-based style, after a background in Japanese styles. I'm currently in the process of completely rebuilding my footwork for how boxers move and punch, launching a cross from the ball of the back foot instead of the karate style of having your feet flat on the floor. So I feel your pain! :) but I know the process will pay dividends. It just needs me to drill the technique and be my own worst critic at picking up everything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6517" LastActivityDate="2023-04-10T20:49:31.023" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13656" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13653" CreationDate="2023-04-11T09:06:08.430" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;What follows is meant to supplement some of what has already been written, and endorses an emphasis upon technique as primary, acknowledging significant gains can be made with appropriate high-specificity exercises. This answer relates to punches only, and describes transformative techniques I was taught by a student of biomechanics.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jabs&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Instead of trying to &lt;em&gt;push&lt;/em&gt; your fist forward, instead imagine there's a rope tied around your wrist and that someone is &lt;em&gt;pulling&lt;/em&gt; your fist away from you, towards the target.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why it works (for me).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The jab is typically utilised as a fast, rangy punch; as a range-finder, a deterrent counter and as an outright offensive weapon. When beginners try to infuse this punch with power and speed, they tend to do at least four things wrong which hamper its effectiveness. A) They tense up, which slows the motion. B) They retract the punch before throwing it, which telegraphs the punch and almost doubles its execution time. C) They don't rotate the shoulders, losing invaluable range and considerably restricting power. D) They don't punch &lt;em&gt;through&lt;/em&gt; the target, greatly reducing the impact of the strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When I began to imagine my fist being pulled forward, it became easier to keep my body relaxed until the moment of impact (increasing speed dramatically), the temptation to 'chamber' the jab disappeared (so my punches became far more difficult to read) and my punches grew longer (maximising my effective range and making it easier to avoid my opponent's attacks). At first, I neglected to punch through the target, but by learning to focus about a fist's length &lt;em&gt;beyond&lt;/em&gt; the bag, my jabs soon grew much, much faster and heavier. They key is to tense at the moment of impact so that you maintain acceleration for as long as possible prior to impact, but simultaneously ensure your wrist is rigid enough upon hitting the bag to transfer your body weight properly 'through' it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another tip: Work on doubling and tripling your jab, being sure to retract it properly to your jaw every time, &lt;em&gt;as quickly as possible&lt;/em&gt;. Studies have shown that training the negative motion of an explosive movement is highly beneficial to the positive motion. When you repeatedly throw the jab, the retraction/forward bounce effectively becomes a form of plyometric training which has long been recognised as one of the primary methods by which to achieve athletic explosiveness. Retraction speed of course also allows you to regain a defensive posture more quickly and increases the potential speed of your combinations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can add very light (1/2 - 1 kilo to start) dumbbells when shadow boxing if you wish, but exercise great caution with higher-resistance plyometrics. It is very easy to injure yourself and elbow hyperextension is a real danger. A safer alternative can be to use a loop of lightweight resistance band. Hold one end of the loop in each hand and wrap it around your back so that when you punch, the band adds resistance. Key to this form of training (or any highly motion-specific exercise when added resistance is used) is the maintaining of proper form. It is easy to let tired muscles fall into bad habits, and for your hard work to translate into the reinforcement of these bad habits, and into injury from poor form.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Crosses&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same principles and drills/exercises apply here, but there's one very useful and under-utilised aspect of technique which comes into play when transitioning between hands during combinations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Imagine you are attached to the ground via a pole which extends through the top of your head, down through your neck and torso, to between your feet at the ground. In ideal circumstances, that pole represents the axis point around which your shoulders rotate when punching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many beginners throw one punch and retract it before launching with their opposite hand. Whilst this can be appropriate if during a fight you are throwing sporadic punches, if maximisation of power during combinations is the goal, the retraction of one hand should be accompanied by the forward thrust of the opposite hand. This is where the pole comes into play. Imagine throwing a jab with full extension, so that your shoulders rotate around the pole to be parallel with the line of the punch. Now, as you retract that punch, you will notice that you can allow your shoulders to operate relatively passively, rotating around the axis to throw a long cross, which is what many people do, emphasising the arms instead of the torso, losing a &lt;em&gt;lot&lt;/em&gt; of power in the process. Instead, imagine pulling back firmly with your jab-side scapula and shoulder as you punch forward with the cross. You are (almost) doubling the force applied via the rotation of the shoulders when you do this, resulting in a quick performance gain. Note the aforementioned exercises with light dumbbells and resistance bands apply to crosses as well as jabs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2023-04-12T02:55:12.400" LastActivityDate="2023-04-12T02:55:12.400" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13661" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6270" CreationDate="2023-04-15T03:34:32.903" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The danger of high kicks, is being caught. Now you're on one leg, opponent can attack you and you can't run or dodge. Worse pit you in a lock. that's why high kicks are impractical in fights. Mixed martial artists prefer mid level kicks to hips and legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2023-04-15T03:34:32.903" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13662" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-04-15T03:36:21.213" Score="0" ViewCount="76" Body="&lt;p&gt;What are those button up martial arts shirts called seen in anime or kung-fu movies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/3MNzm.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/3MNzm.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2023-04-15T03:48:22.103" Title="Martial arts Kung fu attire" Tags="|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13663" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13662" CreationDate="2023-04-15T03:48:22.103" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The figure on the left is shown wearing a traditional kung-fu style uniform shirt with frog buttons. You may also have seen them referred to as &amp;quot;Mandarin&amp;quot; style shirts. In Mandarin, they're referred to as &amp;quot;Yi-Fu&amp;quot;, which translates to &amp;quot;clothing&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These actually were the style of clothes worn traditionally by everyone in China up until the 1940's or so. It wasn't particular to kung-fu. But kung-fu styles have kind of adopted it over time as the standard uniform. It's just traditional. Nowadays people in China wear Western style clothing more often than traditional Chinese garments, especially in big cities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2023-04-15T03:48:22.103" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13664" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-04-15T10:33:07.010" Score="7" ViewCount="781" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;a href=&quot;https://ibjjf.com/books-videos&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;the IBJJF&lt;/a&gt;, knee-on-belly happens:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When the athlete on top and free of the opponent's guard, places the knee or shin (closest to the opponent's hip) on the opponent’s belly, chest or ribs, without the opposite knee touching  the ground, maintaining the position stable for 3 seconds, while the opponent is lying on his/her back or side.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9Ss3O.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9Ss3O.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As far as I know, this position exists only in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I'm curious to know what the origin of this position is. Different positions like mount and back-take, knee-on-belly look to me like they originated from Jiu Jitsu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-04-16T08:25:41.723" LastActivityDate="2023-07-08T10:53:04.610" Title="Where did knee-on-belly come from?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|history|pins|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13665" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13664" CreationDate="2023-04-15T14:09:27.617" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;Knee-on-belly in BJJ likely &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/9655/8910&quot;&gt;originates from judo&lt;/a&gt;, as it is depicted in several early 20th century judo manuals (under the name &lt;em&gt;uki-gatame&lt;/em&gt;, &amp;quot;floating hold&amp;quot;):&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/g8B9Rm.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/g8B9Rm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=a_G1AAAAIAAJ&amp;amp;q=uki-gatame&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;My Method of Judo&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (p.154) (1955)&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However the restraint itself is found in many combat disciplines around the world predating judo and (like many &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9717/when-was-throwing-introduced-to-martial-arts/9718#9718&quot;&gt;throws&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/8910/brazofuerte?tab=profile&quot;&gt;joint-locks&lt;/a&gt;) was likely independently developed in many cultures and sports:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/eOS04m.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/eOS04m.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Solider on ground attempts to counter opponent's knee-pin. Bas-relief at Angkor Wat, Cambodia (c.1100).&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-04-15T20:09:35.190" LastActivityDate="2023-04-15T20:09:35.190" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13666" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13668" CreationDate="2023-04-17T20:47:21.050" Score="2" ViewCount="174" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice kickboxing and panantukan for about 6 months twice a week, during those months, I go to the gym 5 times a week, on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday I do strength training for 1 hour, like bench 65 kg, biceps, triceps, shoulders, crunches, sit ups and legs, after that I run for 10 minutes 2 km, after that I jump on a rope for 1 minute. on Monday and Wednesday I do aerobics - I run 5 km on 25 minutes and I jump on a rope 3 sets above a minute each set, then I punch the bag for 3 minutes. My goal is to be stronger, more fit and improve my endurance for sparrings. I asked the gym instructors and they said that my work out is good. But do you think? should I add more exercises or should I do less, and I want to be martial artist not powerlifter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13125" LastActivityDate="2023-04-23T20:04:05.117" Title="Is my training good for martial arts?" Tags="|training|fitness|weight-lifting|endurance|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13667" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13666" CreationDate="2023-04-17T23:00:07.550" Score="4" Body="&lt;h1&gt;A quick disclaimer&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A good workout for you may not be a good workout for others. For the other people who look here, remember that your body and training routine must push you, not break you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am also not a fitness trainer, just a guy who is also trying to keep fit. That being said, I also train to improve my martial capabilities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Get Some Metrics&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For very serious training, you will need some metrics and to track them over time. Choose a set of them and a way to record it! Once you have chosen those, you can execute your training program and give yourself 2-3 months to see if your metrics improve.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some ideas for metrics:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Is it how you feel after sparring? That is, can you spar and not feel overly fatigued? It's not precise but it's easy to record!&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Weights provide a nice measure: increasing weights (or increasing speed of your exercise) can become your new metric&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Running times are a favorite, but it can also be distance or even &lt;em&gt;how you feel after the run&lt;/em&gt;, depending on how precise you want to be.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;My Impressions&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It looks like your regimen is doing alright compared to most people! I really cannot comment more unless I know your age and fitness level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should feel tired after a workout, but not push your body too much so you cannot sustain your routines. That's a personal thing, so you gotta pay attention to the signals your body produces!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;High Reps, Lower Weight for Power/Endurance&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You are going for power and endurance while weightlifting, not hypertrophy!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a general rule, this means choosing to do higher reps at lower weights. Obviously, you still need to feel like you have done work after lifting weights, but you need not max out on a single rep. Aiming for like 20 reps at a moderate pace and about 40-60% your one rep max will help you build power and endurance for most exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;You Improve What You Do&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have received this advice from another source, but it's &amp;quot;you improve what you do&amp;quot;... So weightlifting and running only helps your martial art when it engages the same systems you use when performing your martial art. This means you should prefer exercises that have a clear analogue to you martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For instance, you may want to switch up your running into something else: this could be parkour, gymnastics, yoga, dancing, kata, battle ropes, rowing, or other things. Something to engage all those little muscles you use while sparring and bringing that endurance up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, I find free weights and exercises that engage many muscle groups at once are ideal. That is in comparison to machine exercises which generally work on one or two muscle groups.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, don't be afraid to switch things up. It keeps things interesting and can exposes weakness you did not know you had.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastEditorUserId="6374" LastEditDate="2023-04-18T16:05:37.797" LastActivityDate="2023-04-18T16:05:37.797" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13668" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13666" CreationDate="2023-04-23T20:04:05.117" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;You've only painted a snapshot, a picture in time.  If this were your complete workout, I'd say it's not sustainable.  You need to change your routine, and you need to add a few things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You made no mention of plyometrics as far as I can tell, nor have you included anaerobic exercise, both of which are absolutely necessary for kickboxing.  You're generally only focusing on strength training.  And you made no mention at all about (proper) stretching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In short, you're missing:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Plyometric / Isometrics&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Anaerobic exercise&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Dynamic stretches&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Static stretches&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Plyometric - Isometrics&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Plyometric and isometric exercises are needed in martial arts in order to build explosive power - like punching and kicking.  A basketball player needs explosive power to improve on jump height, so he'll work on plyo exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/a-z/what-is-plyometrics&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;More info on Plyometric exercises&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Aerobics - Anaerobics&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Aerobic workouts are typically running at a pace where you can generally have a conversation without getting winded.  So, marathon, mile runs, 5- and 10k runs - they're all aerobic.  This is great for improving lactate buildup control and as well, reduces injuries.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Anaerobic workouts, on the other hand, help to build endurance.  Here you're doing sprints over much shorter distances - like 100 yards, etc.  No, you don't (and can't) hold conversations during these runs.  That's the test, sort of, which differentiates aerobic from anaerobic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://marathonhandbook.com/aerobic-vs-anaerobic-training/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;More info on aerobic and anaerobic exercises&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Stretching&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing that people always say is to &amp;quot;stretch before you workout, or else you injure your muscles&amp;quot;.  If this were true, then stretching itself would injure muscles - and they will, if you do the wrong ones.  The golden rule on stretching is this: &lt;strong&gt;never stretch a cold muscle&lt;/strong&gt;.  So all this crap you see people doing before a run or a martial arts class, like doing hurdler's stretches, splits, etc, is actually injuring yourself.  Certainly the explosive  high kicks a lot of Taekwondo students do is extremely risky.  For children, it's okay - they've been running around all day, so their bodies are generally warmed up anyway.  But for us working-class adults who are sedate during the day, then show up to class and start with ballistic stretches or splits, that's a recipe for disaster.  At best, you will not see improvement.  At worst, you'll tear something that ought not be torn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Dynamic stretching, a misnomer actually, because there's no real stretching, is the best before a workout.  Static stretches to &amp;quot;squeeze out the lactic acid&amp;quot; after a workout is definitely in order.  Your workout ought to be the plyo or isometric exercises, certainly not combined with high and hard kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://stadion.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;For more information on Dynamic Stretches, read Tom Kurz&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Change It Up&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You need to change things up.  Either every workout or every few weeks.  The best way is to list your workout as you've done (and add in the missing elements), but then, for each workout piece, write down as many variant exercises which accomplish the same goals.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, for example, you're running; but why not occasionally replace it with swimming, bicycling, hiking, skiing, soccer?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lifting weights:  Move from the machines to free weights.  Change from adding reps to adding weight, and vice-versa.  Use kettlebells, free weights, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For plyo, use bands, lift/push/pull tires.  There are entire books dedicated for basketball players improving their jump height, you should be following these exercises.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another way to change things up is to play sports - softball/baseball, soccer, wrestling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The idea of changing things up is twofold: first is to ward off the body's inclination to resist what you throw at it - this leads to plateaus.  Also, to ward off boredom.  The idea of using other sports is mostly to ward off boredom, but also, to subtly use the body's muscles in different ways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a final note, you made no mention of things like diet.  Diet, behavior, spirituality, exercise, etc - they're all small parts to a bigger picture, but are probably beyond the scope of your question.  Do consider them, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2023-04-23T20:04:05.117" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13669" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9400" CreationDate="2023-04-24T11:08:58.243" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The knee-on-belly variant of &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9614/what-is-uki-gatame&quot;&gt;uki-gatame&lt;/a&gt; can be used to submit uke by pressuring into their abdomen with the knee while pulling their jacket towards you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastActivityDate="2023-04-24T11:08:58.243" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13670" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13287" CreationDate="2023-04-26T01:35:42.177" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;The main federation in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has these rules for completion.&#xA;There are no rules about when you can teach or not your kids. These are competition rules only and I use it as a guide to my classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Also about competitions, for kids from 4-12yo the referee shouldn't expect the kid to tap. When one of the kids gets in the right position for a submission it is ok to stop the fight. (What make some parents call the referee names because their kids are warriors and know how to scape from every single movement :) )&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Z0qnB.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/Z0qnB.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastActivityDate="2023-04-26T01:35:42.177" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13671" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-04-30T10:01:05.620" Score="1" ViewCount="114" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the standard hand form for fighting stance, Man Sao or Tan Sao?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For me, Tan Sao should be more appropriate as more flexible to dodge, absorb energy and attack as Wing Chun is a softness technique. Or just a relax mode to preserve energy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Donnie likes position his hand like man sao or more like a karate style for me. His left hand not with wu sao or defense position or seem meaningless?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/FwPTq.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/FwPTq.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Ip Man often show as tan sao.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/phqGF.jpg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/phqGF.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tHOXz.gif&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/tHOXz.gif&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Post Note:&#xA;As some of the comments below, this Tan Sao seems seems as a defense and waiting hand for a strike from opponent, absorb energy and return with a blow or grabbing or whatever.&#xA;Reference&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWDkBePpE0Q&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWDkBePpE0Q&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LlTXd.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/LlTXd.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12634" LastEditorUserId="12634" LastEditDate="2023-05-07T12:34:35.583" LastActivityDate="2023-05-07T12:34:35.583" Title="Wing Chun - Fighting Stance" Tags="|kung-fu|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13673" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13674" CreationDate="2023-05-02T12:00:20.373" Score="1" ViewCount="291" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a gym instructor that was in karate and half year in boxing. He sparred in boxing against someone who weighs less and shorter than him and that guy was 7 years in boxing and even so my instructor easily beat him. He said that martial arts are useless because you can run away from the attacker. I want answers not opinions only real facts that martial arts are effective or ineffective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13125" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2023-05-03T12:08:48.363" LastActivityDate="2023-05-03T12:08:48.363" Title="Why some people think that martial arts are useless?" Tags="|training|karate|boxing|sparring|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13674" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13673" CreationDate="2023-05-02T13:06:01.100" Score="5" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Useful or useless &lt;em&gt;for what&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Plain sentences like &amp;quot;XYZ is useless&amp;quot; do not make much sense since they do not specify what the use in mind is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your only goal is to get home without being harmed in most realistic situations, running may indeed be &lt;em&gt;more&lt;/em&gt; useful to attain that goal. If my goal is to beat every bigger and stronger person out there, nothing can help me (not because martial arts are bad per se but because the goal is not attainable by whatever means). Most people mean &amp;quot;active self-defence in situations where I cannot escape the situation without harm other than through fight&amp;quot; when they talk about the usefulness of training martial arts for self-defence, though. Running will not help you much there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, the question should always be &lt;em&gt;what is your goal&lt;/em&gt;? For that, it helps to formulate SMART goals:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;S - specific&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;M - measurable&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;A - attainable&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;R - realistic&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;T - timely&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are many goals of this kind that martial arts (in general) are very useful for. Most people who say such things as &amp;quot;martial arts are useless&amp;quot; have traditional arts for &amp;quot;self-defense 4 da streetz&amp;quot; in mind. And yes, a lot of martial arts have problems justifying or showing empirical results when it comes to &amp;quot;becoming better at self-defence&amp;quot;. Others are pretty good for that. The more transparent they are about the caveats and the timeframes it needs to become proficient, and the more free sparring at full speed and strength they have with as few rules as possible, the better they tend to be for learning self-defence. The question of martial arts and self-defence is discussed e.g. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/a/5759/6440&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; in more depth and I broadly agree with the linked answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The takeaway should be: Do never believe simple sentences about complex matters, especially from someone who obviously never cared to really get a grip on how complex the matter really is (e.g. through dedicating a lifetime to it).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2023-05-02T17:18:02.903" LastActivityDate="2023-05-02T17:18:02.903" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13675" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9313" CreationDate="2023-05-03T14:08:52.103" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think that there are enough studies on this idea, but I'd use common sense to say, 'yes, it definitely can.' But the better you wrap your hands and wrist with proper hand wraps and gloves, you can make your joints last much longer. It's a risk that you have to take if you want to become tougher through training, but proper handwraps and gloves will definitely help your hands last much longer. You should have never used only mma gloves or just boxing gloves alone. Always use hand wraps underneath.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13175" LastEditorUserId="13175" LastEditDate="2023-05-03T14:09:27.917" LastActivityDate="2023-05-03T14:09:27.917" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13676" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9313" CreationDate="2023-05-04T08:42:17.760" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The general scientific status of arthritis, its causes and why it is causing pain is still &amp;quot;we do not know for sure&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In general, the current overall understanding about arthritis that is causing problems is that it &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; caused by loading the tissue (impact, traction, torsion) as such.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main risk factors are loading it too much too soon, ie. peak stress without your body being used to these stress levels at all (not giving it time to &lt;em&gt;adapt&lt;/em&gt; to forces, which takes weeks to months with connective tissue, bones, and joints even for little steps), connective tissue disorders, and bad nutrition/systemic disorders.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, as long as you do not have a &lt;em&gt;systemic&lt;/em&gt; problem like diabetes or hypermobility, good nutrition, and start slow, building up the impact and generally the amount of stress &lt;em&gt;over years&lt;/em&gt;, you are fine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;Generally, the ability of and time needed to adapt is underappreciated when it comes to tissue other than muscles!&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If your idea is to start punching a bag 3-5 days a week at full force without ever having done it, you are bound to have problems regardless of your overall health status.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sources: Being in training as a physiotherapist and having listened to countless podcasts with world-leading scientists and specialists in the treatment of arthritis.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2023-05-05T07:12:59.093" LastActivityDate="2023-05-05T07:12:59.093" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13677" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6826" CreationDate="2023-05-10T05:01:19.603" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yo tengo 18 años y tengo poca flexibilidad, para tratar de mejorar todas las mañanas realizo estiramientos suaves, tal vez podrías comenzar y ser persistente con tu entrenamiento y algun día podras convertirte en maestro&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13186" LastActivityDate="2023-05-10T05:01:19.603" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13679" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8477" CreationDate="2023-05-11T19:53:09.847" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know this is an old question with an accepted answer but I'd like to add an important aspect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The questions states&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;...where your knee goes to the side and such, &lt;strong&gt;where I feel like my femoral head is hitting my pelvis&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Although it is the &lt;em&gt;neck&lt;/em&gt; of the femur and not the &lt;em&gt;head&lt;/em&gt; as such, this actually is a thing. It is called a &lt;a href=&quot;https://radiopaedia.org/articles/femoroacetabular-impingement-syndrome?lang=us&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI) Syndrome&lt;/a&gt;. Happens mostly with young, strong, sportive men. It means either the pelvis side or the femur side of the joint has some excess bone structures that impair the range of motion because bone hits bone when it shouldn't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since this is a biomechanical condition, given if it is the case (radiological diagnosis should be seeked), one would just have to design the training regimen (given it induces pain) and techniques one trains and uses around that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2023-05-12T18:34:58.187" LastActivityDate="2023-05-12T18:34:58.187" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13681" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-05-14T04:04:22.510" Score="3" ViewCount="114" Body="&lt;p&gt;Do Muay Thai professional fighters use the Shuffle Step? Bazooka Joe Valtellini is a professional fighter, and teaches both Boxing and Muay Thai. I can' tell if this can be used in Muay Thai, but it definitely can be used in Boxing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I need to be careful what can be used between two sports, example if you can't bob or weave too low in Muay Thai, due to knees and low kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See video here: It can be used with both left and right hand directions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is a certain point where the legs come close together. It may work in boxing, not sure how it works in Muay Thai with being thrown off balance with kicks.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/7PQUQIFhxSg?t=297&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/7PQUQIFhxSg?t=297&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Step images below:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pIbFl.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/pIbFl.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/IMERf.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/IMERf.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9HUbz.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/9HUbz.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2023-05-16T11:35:50.013" LastActivityDate="2023-09-30T16:30:11.073" Title="Boxing Shuffle Step in Muay Thai?" Tags="|technique|boxing|muay-thai|footwork|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13682" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-05-19T22:34:51.207" Score="3" ViewCount="237" Body="&lt;p&gt;What is the submission called that forces the thighs apart from the pelvis in opposite directions?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13215" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-05-20T11:52:28.380" LastActivityDate="2023-12-06T12:14:32.427" Title="What is the hold called that forces the thighs apart in opposite directions from the pelvis?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|joint-lock|submissions|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13683" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13682" CreationDate="2023-05-20T01:32:03.003" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I imagine you are referring to wrestling's &lt;a href=&quot;https://fanaticwrestling.com/blogs/news/banana-split-wrestling-move&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;banana split&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2023-05-20T01:32:03.003" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13685" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10318" CreationDate="2023-05-27T14:19:25.600" Score="4" Body="&lt;h2&gt;Historically...&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Until recently, yes, throwing the opponent with control and speed onto their back was the criteria for scoring a point, whether or not the technique had a classification in the Kodokan syllabus. As such, historically innovative techniques such as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;obi-tori-gaeshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ippon&lt;/strong&gt;-seoi-nage&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;sode&lt;/strong&gt;-tsuri-komi-goshi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As well as &lt;em&gt;makikomi&lt;/em&gt; variants of throws (and common &lt;em&gt;kaeshi&lt;/em&gt; counters to throws) have even been &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9609/how-has-kodokan-technique-classification-changed-over-the-years&quot;&gt;added to the syllabus&lt;/a&gt; due to their prominence. Other innovative competition techniques exist and have been used to score such as:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&amp;quot;Khabarelli&amp;quot;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&amp;quot;Maruyama special&amp;quot; (no longer scoring due to the leg grab)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9322/what-type-of-throw-is-the-laats-dive-in&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;Laats dive-in&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/13644/how-is-front-uchi-mata-yagura-nage-classified&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;front&amp;quot; uchi-mata&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/13543/what-is-a-reverse-seoi-nage/&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;reverse&amp;quot; seoi-nage&lt;/a&gt; (now banned)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&amp;quot;sambo&amp;quot; seoi-nage / &amp;quot;drop&amp;quot; kata-guruma&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Korean tai-otoshi&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While many of these may be variants of existing techniques, they are distinct enough in their entries/execution to have earned their own names in the judo community.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h2&gt;2022&lt;/h2&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In 2022 the IJF introduced the following rule however:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A judo technique which is present in the judo accepted&#xA;repertoire (gokyo) must be identified. Just landing and rolling over and falling on the side/back in the process of the contest, without applying a clear technique, is not enough to score. It must be within the bounds of the published list of Kodokan judo techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ijf.org/ijf/documents/24&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;IJF Sport and Organisation Rules (SOR)&lt;/a&gt; - 24.04.2023 - ENG&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;hr /&gt;&#xA;&lt;sup&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See also &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/m5Zmpvs7S4E?t=763&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Decision 5: &amp;quot;Rollover counter techniques&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No score for counter techniques where the initial attack is rolled to the back, towards the counterattacking or defending judoka. There has to be a difference between the correctly applied counter-technique and falling on the mat and turning/rolling over the opponent. In the case of correct technique like uchi-mata-gaeshi, harai-goshi-gaeshi or hane-goshi-gaeshi, but also uchi-mata-sukashi, ura-nage, yoko-guruma, tani-otoshi, ko-soto-gari and ko-soto-gake, if we can identify the technique with a proper 90° landing there will be a score. In the case of a front landing or one less than 90°, the rolling to the back will be considered as transition to ne-waza.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Ibid.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;/sup&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8910" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-05-30T19:57:46.417" LastActivityDate="2023-05-30T19:57:46.417" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13686" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10078" CreationDate="2023-05-28T16:55:31.007" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;During my sparing training, we group against each other. Tbh the sparing doesn't require us to be serious or let the hit land. So I end up just increase my kicking speed without the intention of hitting. My sparing partner however lift his knee out of surprise and my toe bended after hitting the knee. If I was truly serious kicking that guy and know he would defend a kick that beyond his body reach, I would seriously give a power front kick and knock him out for being stupid. I suffer a permanent injury where I cannot fold my toe (for praying, I am Muslim btw) without feeling pain. After that I retired, I feels so stupid joining the spar just because of someone try to Def seriously in a spar where the senior just asked us just practice hitting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Edit&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is a practice where we are required to switch sparing partner every 1min with different people each switching. So it is very dumb to defend/land hit unless each other already give consent. The one who raised his knee actually a newbie, and he doesn't know about the rule and act on reflex. That's why I cannot be mad at him for doing so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Imagine kicking wall corner and only your toe land on it with high speed without holding back. Fuck it hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13240" LastEditorUserId="13240" LastEditDate="2023-05-28T17:06:33.497" LastActivityDate="2023-05-28T17:06:33.497" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13688" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13287" CreationDate="2023-06-01T04:40:39.527" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Neck or head, I don't recommend.&#xA;That recent NYC incident where Ex marine choke holded a deranged man to death. Do not teach children any techniques involving head or throat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="10877" LastActivityDate="2023-06-01T04:40:39.527" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13689" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="7408" CreationDate="2023-06-02T16:15:15.107" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've studied martial arts off-and-on since 1988, and the majority of my training has been in Wing Chun. I also studied JKD, weaponry and kickboxing at a Jeet Kune Do oriented school, and various traditional styles over the years. If you liked Wing Chun, here are some other styles you might enjoy training in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hsing-Y (Xing Yi) kung fu. Hsing-I is an internal art like Tai Chi, but it is very linear and self defense oriented like Wing Chun. Unlike many Chinese styles you spend more time practicing individual movements than forms. In application, Hsing-I might be a little more aggressive than Wing Chun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Southern Praying Mantis (Chow Gar) of White Eyebrow (Bak Mei). I've lumped these two styles together because they are very similar. Both are aggressive, short range styles that focus on dominating the centerline. They use a toe-in stance, similar to Wing Chun by not identical to. These two styles are a bit less streamlined, so they have a wider rane of strikes and weapons than you will find in Wing Chun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Uechi Ryu Karate. I studied Southern Praying Mantis, then later studied Uechi Ryu Karate. I think of this Okinawan style as a simplified version of Southern Praying Mantis. A lot of the elements of centerline dominant couthern Chinese styles such as Chu Gar, Bak Mei and Wing Chun are present in Uechi Ryu. They're just presented and organized in an easier to understand format. I think that if I had studied Uechi Ryu  for a few years before I ever tried Chinese Martial arts, I would have made much faster progress.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13248" LastActivityDate="2023-06-02T16:15:15.107" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13690" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9300" CreationDate="2023-06-03T08:32:57.167" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Because of CTE.  I would not want my kid boxing, or any other full contact, continuous impacts to the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13249" LastActivityDate="2023-06-03T08:32:57.167" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13691" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-06-04T11:17:06.850" Score="15" ViewCount="7197" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a hobby I wrote a short story where Character A wanted Character B unconscious for a few hours and to this end A punched B to the chin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A reader, who claimed she was a doctor, said this was a stupid cliche that triggered her each time she saw this in fiction. She claimed it is not viable to try KO'ing others by punching them. She said that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Punches are unreliable; their strength cannot be reliably adjusted to get the intended result. Once a sufficiently powerful punch lands, there's no telling whether the punch will (a) have no visible effect (b) render the victim unconscious (c) kill the victim.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Even if by means of pure luck the punch does result in a KO (and not death or an alerted but undamaged opponent) unconsciousness from traumatic concussion lasts very shortly, seconds to minutes, tops, so the time is insufficient to transport the victim anywhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, according to her, the cliche, despite its ubiquity, is pure nonsense and should be avoided by anyone who wishes to write sensibly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did some research by reading Wikipedia and Googling and it seems that she was correct at least at point 2.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if, as she claims, one cannot attempt to land a knockout punch without a significant risk of the receiver's death, then what about boxing, MMA, and other such sport competitions? If what she said was true, I suppose we would keep seeing fighters killing each other during tournaments and matches, but this just doesn't happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it correct that a punch with knockout power cannot be reliably expected to KO the receiver, but may always kill the receiver or have little visible effect?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9326" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2023-06-06T11:37:51.213" LastActivityDate="2023-08-29T10:28:36.187" Title="Does a knockout punch always carry the risk of killing the receiver?" Tags="|punching|safety|health|entertainment|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13692" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13691" CreationDate="2023-06-04T13:44:02.353" Score="11" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is technically correct that any knockout punch carries with it the risk of killing the target. Rendering someone unconscious essentially involves disrupting the brain, whether it is by rattling the brain around in the skull, or by disrupting blood flow to the brain. Doing this could cause internal bleeding within the brain, or could send a blood clot through the system. Both of those could kill a person. On the other hand, that is technically true of almost any attack inflicting a decent amount of force. Punching someone in the chest could induce an arrhythmia. Kicking someone in the thigh could create a blood clot that will rush to their heart or brain. Stomping someone's toe could lead to a one in a million situation where the nerve signals for the pain don't quite transmit right and the person's heart stops. Brains are just very dangerous to mess with because they are extremely essential to our existence - despite what watching Congress might make you think - and they don't really heal on their own very well, which means that repetitive trauma will definitely add up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's the &amp;quot;for a few hours&amp;quot; that is more the issue here. In terms of professional fights, such as MMA, you'll notice that most of the time, when someone is knocked out, they are able to be immediately revived. If left on their own, they would likely snap to it a moment or two later. When someone doesn't wake up shortly after being knocked out, that generally involves much greater trauma having been inflicted on them. Essentially, they are in a coma, which they may or may not wake up out of.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, as you note, in actual fights, rendering somebody unconscious is unpredictable. Fighters get struck from every conceivable angle with great amounts of force, and still stay on their feet (although, in some cases, fighters do get rendered unconscious, and continue fighting, because the reflexes kick in). It's worth noting that some of the methods of rendering somebody unconscious, such as a strike to the back of the neck, are illegal in MMA chiefly because they are so potentially dangerous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;While it is on an entertainment site, the TV Tropes entry for &lt;a href=&quot;https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TapOnTheHead&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;A Tap on the Head&lt;/a&gt; actually gives a pretty decent rundown on why the media depiction is dangerous as well as &lt;a href=&quot;https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Analysis/InstantSedation&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Instant Sedation&lt;/a&gt; expanding on the other common chemical dodges.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2023-06-05T21:19:33.260" LastActivityDate="2023-06-05T21:19:33.260" CommentCount="20" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13693" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13691" CreationDate="2023-06-04T14:52:20.957" Score="19" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if, as she claims, one cannot attempt to land a knockout punch without a significant risk of the receiver's death, then what about boxing, MMA and other such sport competitions? If what she said was true I suppose we would keep seeing fighters killing each other during tournaments and matches, but this just doesn't happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fighters die in matches. It's infrequent enough not to be banned, but it definitely happens. This happens in sanctioned events with protective gear, referees to help protect fighters, and medical staff on hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.grunge.com/168919/mma-fighters-who-died-during-a-fight/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;MMA deaths in fights&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/17/sport/boxing-deaths-patrick-day-spt-intl-trnd/index.html&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;CNN estimates an average of ~13 boxing deaths per year: 1890-2011&lt;/a&gt;&#xA;based on data in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://ejmas.com/jcs/velazquez/Death_Under_the_Spotlight_2011_Final.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Manuel Velazquez collection described here&lt;/a&gt;. This includes a breakdown of deaths by year.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it correct that a punch with knockout power cannot be reliably expected to KO the receiver, but may always kill the receiver or have little visible effect?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yes. The chances of landing a knockout blow against a defending opponent are low, if you just consider how many punches get thrown and how often fighters are knocked out. There is a non-zero chance of death evidenced by the fighters that have died, though as Macaco Branco points out, this may be independent of where blows land.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2023-06-04T14:52:20.957" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13694" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13287" CreationDate="2023-06-06T15:04:08.210" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I personally think that you have to be careful teaching proper joint locks to children for the simple reason that children often have poor impulse control and coordination compared to adults, and may apply technique with too much force or fail to monitor the situation while applying the hold, potentially resulting in permanent damage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;TL;DR, if you could imagine the kid saying &amp;quot;Hey, look at this cool thing I learned,&amp;quot; and then applying the technique at full force to someone unawares, it's probably not the right time to teach the kid the technique.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2023-06-06T15:04:08.210" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13695" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13044" CreationDate="2023-06-11T00:14:43.033" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Always wear a hard athletic cup before walking onto the mat. My system is boxer briefs with pouch as base layer, regular 3” waistband jockstrap as next layer. Then insert banana style hard cup between jock and base layer. Make sure the cup is in place with the jock pouch completely covering the cup. Press cup to your groin making sure scrotum is inside cup.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stay away from flex cups, soft cups and old fashioned triangle flat cups, they are not designed for upward kicks to the groin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sparing at less than 30% strength, you will be well protected from most direct strikes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No one should want to hurt training partner and a good training partner should protect themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13273" LastActivityDate="2023-06-11T00:14:43.033" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13696" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13697" CreationDate="2023-06-13T12:31:34.317" Score="3" ViewCount="918" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to Wikipedia, Japanese &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karate&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;karate&lt;/a&gt; was first practiced in 1936:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Funakoshi had trained in two of the popular branches of Okinawan karate of the time, Shorin-ryū and Shōrei-ryū. In Japan he was influenced by kendo, incorporating some ideas about distancing and timing into his style. He always referred to what he taught as simply karate, but in 1936 he built a dōjō in Tokyo and the style he left behind is usually called Shotokan after this dōjō.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;South Korean &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;tae kwon do&lt;/a&gt; was first practiced in 1966:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a response to this, along with political disagreements about teaching Taekwondo in North Korea and unifying the whole Korean Peninsula, Choi broke with the (South Korea) KTA in 1966, in order to establish the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF)— a separate governing body devoted to institutionalizing his Chan Hon-style of Taekwondo in Canada.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And Chinese &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_martial_arts&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;kung fu&lt;/a&gt; was first practiced in 1979:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In 1979, the State Commission for Physical Culture and Sports created a special task force to revaluate the teaching and practice of Wushu.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is the invention of South Korean tae kwon do based on Japanese karate? And then what about the invention of Chinese kung fu? Is kung fu based on either karate or tae kwon do?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have tried to do some research online, but have not been  able to find an answer.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12378" LastEditorUserId="12378" LastEditDate="2024-01-24T17:46:46.663" LastActivityDate="2024-01-24T17:46:46.663" Title="Is South Korean tae kwon do based on Japanese karate? And then what about Chinese kung fu? Is kung fu based on either karate or tae kwon do?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|kung-fu|history|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13697" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13696" CreationDate="2023-06-13T14:41:21.790" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;The origins of Tae Kwan Do are mildly controversial, in part due to politicization. To quote &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;the Wikipedia article&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The historical influences of Taekwondo is controversial with a split between two schools of thought: traditionalism and revisionism. Traditionalism holds that the origins of Taekwondo can be traced through Korean martial arts while revisionism, which has become the prevailing theory, argues that Taekwondo is rooted in Karate. Traditionalism has mainly been supported by the Korean government as a concerted effort to divorce Korean martial arts from their Japanese past to give Korean a &amp;quot;legitimate cultural past&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As regards Kung Fu, the influence likely went the other way with &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karate&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Karate&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Members of the Okinawan upper classes were sent to China regularly to study various political and practical disciplines. The incorporation of empty-handed Chinese Kung Fu into Okinawan martial arts occurred partly because of these exchanges and partly because of growing legal restrictions on the use of weaponry. Traditional karate kata bear a strong resemblance to the forms found in Fujian martial arts such as Fujian White Crane, Five Ancestors, and Gangrou-quan (Hard Soft Fist; pronounced &amp;quot;Gōjūken&amp;quot; in Japanese). Many Okinawan weapons such as the sai, tonfa, and nunchaku may have originated in and around Southeast Asia.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, it's a pretty fundamental rule in martial arts that everyone borrows from everyone, and that there are only so many ways to propel your hands and feet into another body, so the primary differences are often more philosophical than a matter of that &amp;quot;this style originated this technique, which was acquired by this other style&amp;quot;. And, of course, almost every martial art style has had a long history of development before someone sat down and said &amp;quot;We're going to call it this name and agree on a standard set of movements&amp;quot;, so the definition can be very fluid, with iconic techniques often being added much later in the usage of the style, and the techniques of a style often narrowing due to agreement on an official set of recognized techniques, particularly once competitions start becoming prominent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2023-06-13T14:41:21.790" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13698" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13696" CreationDate="2023-06-13T16:11:51.857" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;You can read my answer at the following link which goes over the history of how Taekwondo came directly from Shotokan karate: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/10255/main-differences-of-karate-taekwondo/10256#10256&quot;&gt;Main differences of Karate &amp;amp; Taekwondo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for kung-fu arts, no. There was no transmission directly from Chinese kung-fu to Taekwondo. The only transmission was indirect by way of kung-fu to Okinawan karate to Shotokan karate to Taekwondo.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There have been a number of Korean styles over the years which have claimed to have come in part from Chinese kung-fu. For example, Tangsoodo, Kuk Sool Won, and Hwa Rang Do. These styles often look nothing like the Chinese kung-fu arts they say they have in their system. What they have from kung-fu often looks like pretty basic kung-fu. Their performance of kung-fu often lacks &amp;quot;whole body&amp;quot; power generation mechanics, so it tends to look kind of weak. And they often can't provide any definitive documentation connecting their styles with the kung-fu arts they say they're connected to.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I would take those claims of kung-fu connections with a grain of salt and just ask yourself if what you're seeing looks useful or interesting on its own merit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I analyzed Kuk Sool Won's kung-fu connection here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/9707/what-martial-arts-are-part-of-kuk-sool-won/9708#9708&quot;&gt;What martial arts are part of Kuk Sool Won?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for Taekwondo, you're not going to see anything that resembles kung-fu in it (aside from its karate technique). If you do see a Taekwondo group doing some kung-fu, it's because the teacher went out and studied it separately on his/her own.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2023-06-13T16:24:57.393" LastActivityDate="2023-06-13T16:24:57.393" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13700" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-06-27T09:54:11.400" Score="5" ViewCount="102" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm super new to boxing (or any kind of martial per se), am taking two, one hour long, (English) boxing classes per week, supplemented by four hours of weight training per week.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was wondering whether triceps extension with a low weight (say 12-15 kg, so roughly 25-35 pounds), using both hands together, but with high intensity (=speed, so let's say one complete extension takes 1.5 seconds, and doing like 30-40 in a row, in about 45-60 seconds) will improve my jab (I'm right handed) in boxing and also back fist (in other martial arts that I haven't practiced yet)? It just feels like the same movement as jab or back fist (but not spinning back fist), unless I take a step with my left leg to generate extra momentum? I guess my assumption here is that triceps (as opposed to biceps) is more engaged in jabs and back fists.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I could be wrong, and please correct me in this case :)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5754" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2023-06-28T11:20:09.680" LastActivityDate="2023-06-28T11:28:28.413" Title="Will triceps extension with a lower weight but with speed and intensity help me get more power in my jab and back fist?" Tags="|boxing|punching|strength|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13701" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9753" CreationDate="2023-06-27T18:12:12.513" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Bujinkan first is not a sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Focus is using all methods of the martial skills of old and new it is ever developing to adapt to the ideal of surviving a conflict.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Utilizing the Mind Body and Spirit to envelope the evil intent of a situation;&#xA;destroy it completely and return to peace.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Evade and remove onseself from the situation by what ever you have to do is foremost.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are traditional methodologies practiced, most certainly; how else do you learn to use a 3ft razor blade without hurting yourself&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Become acclimatized to all environments and weather wearing all types of clothing.&#xA;Training sessions dressed in heavy winter gear while on a frozen lake is a lot of fun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go full out on trees and related equipment it's hard to use on your partners.&#xA;Use appropriate sparring equipment - yes I did say sparring. Love the 8 man circle continued attacks on the piggy in the middle, team battles 2v2 4v4 2v4 4v8 8v8; fight to push your partner to submit or back against the wall.&#xA;Evasion and escape practice is a lot of fun hard work but rewarding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Any martial experience is what you as the participant make of it.&#xA;All martial arts have lessons to share.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Bruce Lee: Keep what is useful to you, discard what is useless&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tools and equipment become second nature as breathing&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some may see this as  &amp;quot;dirty fighting&amp;quot;; yes, it is the ground - it can become dirty and messy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Conflict is not about ones own protection but ensuring the protection of others around you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Self reliance not self defence so we do hit first if needed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The ultimate goal of bujikan is to live without fear. Help when needed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Go find a shibu or dojo; spend some time sharing ideas; see for yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13312" LastEditorUserId="9304" LastEditDate="2024-03-30T23:05:25.827" LastActivityDate="2024-03-30T23:05:25.827" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13702" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13700" CreationDate="2023-06-27T20:15:17.607" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Anything is better than bed rest. Your proposal might improve your muscle endurance for the specific tricep-extending movement, which is relevant to boxing training and competition. It's a fine exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, two aspects of your proposal have some notable trade-offs. For one, doing so unusually many reps has diminishing returns for many purposes, including power production. Secondly, choosing an exercise designed to isolate one muscle is not common in sport training because compared to full-body or compound movements it doesn't effectively develop athletic coordination, power, or other attributes. Depending on the context of the rest of the workout it may or may not be a good choice for developing muscle.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;We also know that trainees differ in which of their attributes need the most work, meaning an exercise might be a good idea for one person but not another. For instance it might be that your muscle endurance is good enough (given your other current physical attributes), so more work in that direction is largely wasted, whereas work on another attribute (e.g. cardio endurance, power, or lower body muscle) would give you better return on workout investment. On this front, it might help to invert the question: given goal G, constraints C1..N, and current physical condition across attributes A1..N, what should one do? This naturally leads to study of general training for sport. For instance, we have a pretty good idea of how different training should be to develop different attributes like power, but also speed, strength, muscle endurance, cardio endurance, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="347" LastEditorUserId="347" LastEditDate="2023-06-27T20:36:24.913" LastActivityDate="2023-06-27T20:36:24.913" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13703" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13700" CreationDate="2023-06-28T11:28:28.413" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to sports medicine studies, you need to reach movement speeds of about 1 m/s in order to train explosiveness as particular strength component, compared to general strength improvement. Ideally, you need to reach these speeds with about 60% of your 1 rep max for good outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, your proposed workout certainly helps in some way to improve aspects of strength, endurance, and speed but it is not optimal for explosiveness.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2023-06-28T11:28:28.413" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13705" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-07-05T02:01:21.603" Score="4" ViewCount="1573" Body="&lt;p&gt;In MMA/UFC, throat strikes are illegal but chokes are legal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are throat strikes much more dangerous than chokes or any other acts of violence that are legal in MMA/UFC?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm looking for a medical explanation for why throat strikes might be considered much more dangerous than all the other violent acts that are legal. (Can't you also kill someone with a choke or pretty much any hit to the head? Why are those allowed but not throat strikes?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user13330" LastActivityDate="2023-08-29T10:19:34.033" Title="Are throat strikes much more dangerous than other acts of violence (that are legal in say MMA/UFC)?" Tags="|safety|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13706" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13705" CreationDate="2023-07-05T04:58:26.947" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Deliberate strikes to the front of the throat can result in a collapsed trachea, the inability to breathe, and in some cases death because of that. It requires emergency surgery to fix. So for that reason, it's illegal in most MMA competitions including the UFC.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why isn't choking illegal also? It's because it's more controlled and doesn't generally result in a collapsed trachea. There's usually enough time for the opponent to tap out. Most chokes also tend to be blood chokes which don't target the trachea and result in someone passing out due to loss of blood pressure, instead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Air chokes are those that attempt to suffocate an opponent, sometimes by putting pressure on the trachea. One might wonder why that's not illegal, also. The answer is that once that is felt by an opponent, they usually have enough training or instinct (and time) to get out of immediate danger. Air chokes are considered not very effective by MMA fighters. Blood chokes are more reliable, followed by submissions, and then air chokes far behind that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Whereas, strikes to the throat are instantaneous.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Accidental strikes to the throat happen all the time, but they're not generally enough to cause serious injury. And it has to be intentional and cause serious pain or injury in order to disqualify someone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also illegal to eye gouge. It's because that technique is instantaneous and causes serious injury (loss of vision) which requires immediate surgery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The number of rules in MMA / UFC has gone up over the years as they get better at understanding what can cause injuries. The basic philosophy is that you need rules in order to keep people more or less safe. Why is that important? Because if people get seriously injured each time they train at MMA, they'll never get better at fighting. You need to keep coming back day after day in order to get better. You can't do that if you keep getting injured.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Eye gouges, trachea strikes, testicle grabs, and so on are not core techniques. So their importance in fighting is secondary. And once someone has that core foundation, they rarely need to use those kinds of techniques such as eye gouges. They have other options. But they can easily do them if they wanted.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is a core technique? The foundational / core skill of MMA is the ability to get into positions while fighting against a struggling opponent. This allows them to then go on and reliably apply secondary techniques such as a submission or an eye gouge.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Without that core foundation, you don't have the ability to get into proper position to apply these &amp;quot;deadly&amp;quot; techniques reliably against a struggling opponent. You might still pull it off in a real fight, but it's mostly by luck.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most MMA people will tell you that they can very easily apply these techniques if they wanted to. And it's not like it would never occur to them in a real fight to do something like an eye gouge or a throat strike. But in an MMA gym or an MMA competition, they know they can't do those techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2023-07-05T04:58:26.947" CommentCount="13" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13707" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10448" CreationDate="2023-07-05T17:25:50.307" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;For superficial cuts, the easiest answer is to go outside. There are arteries running through all of your body but for the most part, they are protected by bones. Outside of the arm or leg, a slice across the ribs (not a stab through the ribs,) or cuts to the back, can be painful but won't do long-term damage or slow down a fight.&#xA;The neck, inner arm or leg, or organs, would all cause much heavier bleeding and slow down or stop a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13333" LastActivityDate="2023-07-05T17:25:50.307" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13708" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13633" CreationDate="2023-07-05T18:52:45.040" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Steve Weigand's answer is correct, but I would like to add that &amp;quot;a few months&amp;quot; isn't really enough to learn your martial art. Once you have a black belt, after perhaps three years of training (more or less) you have &amp;quot;mastered the basics&amp;quot; and have many tools at your disposal. A black belt still has much to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is not enough to learn how to do a technique. You may think you're doing it correctly, but your technique will be refined with lots and lots of practice. I didn't do a correct front stance, a beginner's stance, until I was about half-way to black belt, when it finally clicked.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Finally, the most useful part of martial arts is the mental training, which is also the hardest to learn. This will be instrumental in turning your fight mode on and off when needed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13334" LastActivityDate="2023-07-05T18:52:45.040" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13709" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13310" CreationDate="2023-07-05T19:14:22.140" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;We were always told to iron our uniforms, especially for a test. I never did, and always passed. And her instructor already probably knows whether she will pass, or they would not let her go up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Yet different schools are different, and may stress different things. If she were told in advance some details to get right and did not get them right then she might fail. It sounds like her school has relatively objective passing requirements, with a scorecard. Though the marks individually may be subjective, the total score is perhaps a fair average.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Macaco Branco's answer seems to hit the correct items for getting the presentation well, though I cut my dobak strings off my uniforms, so that will vary per school as well. We also require girls to wear a light-colored (ideally white) t-shirt under their dobak top.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13334" LastActivityDate="2023-07-05T19:14:22.140" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13710" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13705" CreationDate="2023-07-05T20:15:37.777" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The larynx (commonly called throat) is a complex thing made up of small bones and cartilage structures which are in an intricate interplay in order to coordinate speech, breathing, and swallowing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;High-impact trauma to the throat can break or rupture these bones or cartilage structures and make them lose function. This means that either speech, or the interplay of breathing and swallowing do not work anymore. Since healing times are pretty long (months to years) for these kinds of tissue, and impaired breathing leads to death pretty fast, none of these cases is desirable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Through chokes, these structures are at potential risk as well. But they are &lt;em&gt;always&lt;/em&gt; protected through tensed muscles and potentially hands etc. when the force is applied. Therefore, I never heard of actual throat injuries through chokes other than by hearsay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Therefore, as there are pretty serious consequences if something breaks and the odds of it happening are very different between strikes and chokes, the former are forbidden and the latter are not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2023-07-05T20:15:37.777" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13712" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-07-12T20:00:34.550" Score="3" ViewCount="105" Body="&lt;p&gt;My WT dojang uses a different name for the downward kick (axe kick, hammer kick). Instead of naeryeo chagi (내려차기), we say something that to my Spanish-speaking brain sounds like chiko chagi. I've found a couple of references online, but none of them included the Hangul spelling. I'm curious, does anyone know about this other name and what the actual Korean word is, if it is at all Korean?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13351" LastActivityDate="2023-07-28T18:58:09.580" Title="Alternative name for downward kick?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|terminology|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="5" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13713" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-07-13T13:27:51.920" Score="1" ViewCount="107" Body="&lt;p&gt;In Shorinji Kempo instruction we are often told to practice a counter with a specific timing.  These timings are named as follows:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;go-no-sen, block and then counter attack, (usually requires unbalancing the opponent to work well)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;tai-no-sen, simultaneous block and counter attack,&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;sen-no-sen, last moment pre-emptive attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are these concepts common to Japanese martial arts?  Does the interpretation change across styles?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2023-07-13T14:24:23.787" Title="Are the names of the timing of counters eg Tai-no-Sen, Go-no-Sen used in martial arts other than Shorinji Kempo?" Tags="|terminology|japanese|shorinji-kempo|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13716" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13713" CreationDate="2023-07-13T14:19:18.683" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/judo/comments/rx5ivm/sen_go_no_sen_sen_no_sen_and_sen_sen_no_sen_what/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Judo&lt;/a&gt; definitely uses &amp;quot;go no sen&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;sen no sen&amp;quot; in the same maner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In martial arts, one player takes the initiative sen to attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Responding to that attack &lt;em&gt;after&lt;/em&gt; it is initiated is go no sen, 'after the initiative', and is typical in Japanese martial arts training, particularly classic swordsmanship - your opponent raises their sword to attack, then attacks, typically stepping forward and swinging their sword forward in a downward arc. Once the attack is initiated, the defender steps off the line only &lt;em&gt;after&lt;/em&gt; the attacker has committed to the attack and the sword begins its downward stroke. Watch a mongoose fight a cobra - the mongoose carefully gauges the distance, and is just fast enough to dodge the cobra's strike and bite the cobra at the base of its head, but always waits for the cobra to commit to and initiate a full strike. With the proper spacing interval maai you don't have to be faster than your attacker, just prepared and able to move with purposeful alacrity. The proper spacing gives you time to react effectively after the attack begins.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sen no sen is taking the initiative &lt;em&gt;with&lt;/em&gt; the attacker's initiative - again, in swordsmanship, say the attacker readies his body for the attack by raising his sword into position to strike / but the defender takes the initiative to use that moment to attack (in military terms, a spoiling attack) &lt;em&gt;before&lt;/em&gt; the sword begins its downward arc. As the original attacker is focused on executing their own attack, it is all the more difficult to counter, as it is impossible to attack and defend simultaneously.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As does &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.kendo-guide.com/terminology_sen.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Kendo&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Sen no Sen&amp;quot; is that you know what your opponent is going to do so you will strike before your opponent moves.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;....&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Go no sen&amp;quot; is that you know what your opponent will strike, so you let them strike and then you strike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, it's also used by &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aiki-shuren-dojo.com/pdf/Go%20no%20sen.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;karate&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To start from the beginning, let us look at go no sen. Go means &amp;quot;after.&amp;quot; Go no sen is the timing that is often used in budo when responding to an attack. In aikido, an example would be stepping to the inside of the line of attack, parrying the attacking hand and executing shihonage when defending against yokomen uchi. In aiki-ken it could be exemplified by migi awase, with uke tachi stepping off the line of attack to the right and counterstriking with shomen uchi. In migi awase, we move in harmony with the attacker, but it is the attacker that is taking the initiative in the attack and we are mirroring his or her movements.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sen no sen means before the attack. Sometimes this timing is also called mae no sen, mae also meaning before. Sen no sen implies that, for example in weapons practice, uke is aware of uchi's intention of attacking and right at the time when uchi is starting to attack, steps in and stops the attack. This could be exemplified in aiki-ken by the movement in which uke tachi steps directly in with tsuki at the moment when uchi tachi lifts his sword up to strike shomen uchi. This movement can be seen beautifully executed by O-Sensei in many of the old films. In aiki-jo, the movement in kumi jo number eight is a good example of sen no sen: uchi is standing in tsuki no kamae, as is uke. Uchi does hayagaeshi, intending to attack with yokomen uchi. As uchi steps forward while lifting the jo up and around in jodan gaeshi uchi, uke slide-steps straight in under uchi's jo, thrusting directly forward at uchi. In tai jutsu, the outward parry used against yokomen uchi is a good example of sen no sen: as uke lifts his hand up over his head and starts to swing his handblade forward in yokomen uchi, nage slide-steps forward to the outside and stops uke's hand before it gains too much momentum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a bonus, that document also opens with a mention that Aikido recognizes the terms, but does not consider them part of the art, since one should not anticipate the attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2023-07-13T14:24:23.787" LastActivityDate="2023-07-13T14:24:23.787" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13718" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-07-14T14:35:43.863" Score="2" ViewCount="57" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm looking to buy a device or an app or install an app on my phone that'll count the number of punches I'm throwing in a certain interval on the heavy punching bag. I'm not trying to spend a lot of money, so this means I'm not looking to measure the force or the type of punches etc; just some device/app that will help me improve my speed by telling me how many punches I'm throwing in a certain interval. I don't think it should be that expensive, since it can count the number of punches by listening to the sound that corresponds to punches (provided I'm the only one punching the bag, otherwise it might be misguided...).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm based in Europe, but looking for European or global recommendations that are below 50€ for now. Of course, you can mention more expensive ones too, and I may buy them later.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thank you in advance!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5754" LastActivityDate="2023-07-14T14:35:43.863" Title="Apps or cheap device to count the number of punches thrown on a heavy bag (but not necessarily the force, or the type of punches)" Tags="|boxing|punching|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13720" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-07-16T19:19:23.027" Score="2" ViewCount="164" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to Judo textbooks and diagrams there are 8 points of balance that can be used to topple an opponent/bring an opponent to kuzushi.  When Aikido practitioners talk about kuzushi (which not all do) they talk about the same 8 points of balance and draw out much the same diagram.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However when we talk about the same concept (kuzushi) in Shorinji Kempo all the diagrams show 6 points of balance instead!  The two missing ones are directly to the left of the person's left foot and directly to the right of the person's right foot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In judo the extra points make a lot of sense because kuzushi is achieved by directly applying a force to the opponents body.  From a position of manipulating only the wrist and arm I can't actually see how kuzushi through these two points can be achieved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Can anyone help with this?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;div class=&quot;s-table-container&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;table class=&quot;s-table&quot;&gt;&#xA;&lt;thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fQLTMm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/fQLTMm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;th&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kolmnm.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/kolmnm.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/thead&gt;&#xA;&lt;tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;This image shows the part of the feet where the centre of gravity is for each point of kuzushi in judo.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;td&gt;This second image shows their use in aikido techniques... But I can't actually tell what is going on in the two diagrams relating to migi yoko and hidari yoko.&lt;/td&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tr&gt;&#xA;&lt;/tbody&gt;&#xA;&lt;/table&gt;&#xA;&lt;/div&gt;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="8910" LastEditDate="2023-08-12T19:12:48.920" LastActivityDate="2023-08-12T19:12:48.920" Title="When bringing an opponent to kuzushi from a wrist/arm manipulation technique can all 8 points of balance be used?" Tags="|judo|aikido|japanese|shorinji-kempo|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13721" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13720" CreationDate="2023-07-17T06:15:43.880" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Most judo references use eight directions (&lt;em&gt;happo no kuzushi&lt;/em&gt;): front, back, left, right, and the corners between these directions. This divides directions about uke's body in equal sectors.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The number of directions is not exclusively considered to be eight. Kazuzo Kudo 9th dan, in &lt;em&gt;Dynamic Judo Throwing Techniques&lt;/em&gt; chooses to present 14 directions:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;front, back, left, and right&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;two directions for each rear corner&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;three directions for each front corner&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many judo instructors stop with discussion of eight directions. However, off-balancing a static, non-compliant person is not equally easy in all directions. It's easiest perpendicular to the line between their feet, and hardest in the line between their feet (left and right). If you were to prioritize some angles over others, the left and right directions are the most logical to eliminate because trying to off-balance someone in those directions is the least efficient.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With movement, the description of how someone is off-balanced is very complicated. The direction that tori applies force may change, uke may turn or step, and it's never been clear to me how the static &lt;em&gt;happo no kuzushi&lt;/em&gt; concept is interpreted in this situation. If uke ends up off-balanced to what was originally their front corner, but only after uke steps back to make that direction now their front, is this the front or front corner? I have not met anyone who cared about that level of detail; most consider only the static model and consider it sufficient to say you can off-balance in eight directions, leaving students to work out the rest.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So can all eight directions be used? Yes, depending on how you count directions with movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Examples to attack balance to side:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;side with arm control: make partner step, extend step to side. This is easier with elbow control than wrist control because there will be more slack from the wrist.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;far side with arm/wrist control: push arm across partner's body, follow with cross-body &lt;em&gt;osoto gari&lt;/em&gt;. For left-versus-right gripping situations where you are lined up more side-to-side than straight on, you won't be able to attack towards the rear before losing the advantage of the cross arm.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2023-07-17T16:09:30.103" LastActivityDate="2023-07-17T16:09:30.103" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13722" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13720" CreationDate="2023-07-19T18:15:02.247" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;These points of balance should be understood as points (or areas) over which the center of gravity can transverse in order to break balance. Therefore, as the balance is evidently broken when the center of gravity passes that point, leaving the area supporting the weight, it is valid (in a sense).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, how could the balance possibly be broken over the &lt;em&gt;outer sidelines&lt;/em&gt; of the foot with controlling just the arm/wrist? A natural reaction when your arm or wrist is trapped is to &lt;em&gt;pull&lt;/em&gt;, ie. square with the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But, for example: if you have their left wrist 2 on 1 and their left foot in front, kick away their right leg even further with a low kick to the inner thigh and turn directly right on you right leg as soon as it touches the floor, into a kote gaeshi (having that in mind, you obviously need to manipulate the balance accordingly on the way). There is quite the chance the due to the feet being further apart, it will result in kuzushi over this balance point.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Variants of o-soto-gari, as mattm mentions, can also result in that (only found &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/-cG53_nsTbM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; in a short search where you can see, especially in the last take, that it can be very much sideways and could just as well be thrown with two arms controlled). The most common example in Judo textbooks is yoko-otoshi. Both require &lt;em&gt;at least&lt;/em&gt; one wrist and one (upper) arm controlled.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2023-07-19T18:15:02.247" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13725" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13633" CreationDate="2023-07-28T06:23:45.403" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;We can simplify your question. Just imagine that guy didn't watch any videos at all and beat you. How is this possible? Easy - because he is for example more aggressive, stronger, psychologically more conditioned, faster.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training, especially training for several months doesn't give you superiority above another person by itself, cause it's only a part of a deal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11135" LastActivityDate="2023-07-28T06:23:45.403" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13727" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13712" CreationDate="2023-07-28T18:58:09.580" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;As Steve noted above, &amp;quot;Chikyo Chagi&amp;quot; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.reddit.com/r/taekwondo/comments/14yof3e/comment/jruahn0/?utm_source=reddit&amp;amp;utm_medium=web2x&amp;amp;context=3&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;possibly&lt;/a&gt; &lt;em&gt;치쿄 차기&lt;/em&gt;), also called &amp;quot;Chiko Chagi&amp;quot;, is a term used for an axe kick in multiple TKD federations, although the provenance of the name is unknown (although there is a place in South Korea named &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.getamap.net/maps/south_korea/kangwon-do/_chikyodo/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chikyō-dō&lt;/a&gt; which could relate to the name).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2023-07-28T18:58:09.580" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13729" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-08-08T10:15:02.623" Score="1" ViewCount="453" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been watching the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/9DBRbx-qvgE?t=241&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;following breakdown&lt;/a&gt; of Jet Li's famous final fight in the Kiss of the Dragon, and it made me question whether if you're being attacked by a certain type of opponent if a viable strategy would be to use a confined space to your advantage in a similar way?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Specifically what kind of attacks would be harder for the opponent to use against you (kicking is featured in the clip), and how would you have to fight to make sure you get the most out of the confined space? For example I would think using a bladed stance would make movement easier in a long confined space such as this since it is ideal for moving forward and backwards, and it is easier to slip through narrower areas when more sideways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ed6b2X1De4I?t=67&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;another fight scene&lt;/a&gt; (also with Jet Li) a different type of confined space is used which I feel is quite interesting in that in the first clip ground grappling would probably not work very well, yet in the low clearance clip it could be very effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What is a more viable strategy? Is it always better to fight in an open space, or can luring an opponent into a confined space also be a good strategy?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6502" LastActivityDate="2023-08-15T18:15:53.353" Title="Can fighting in a confined space be a realistic strategy?" Tags="|self-defense|streetfight|strategy|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13730" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13729" CreationDate="2023-08-08T11:34:08.690" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;It really depends on who you are fighting and why.  Most people don't get into fights much.  In any self defence situation the last thing you want to do is get into a confined space.  This is because injuring the attacker is not your goal.  Your goal is to avoid harm.  Usually the best way to avoid harm is to escape (ie get as far away from the source of harm as is practical).  Similarly there is no reason to do this in a situation involving weapons (any war/military situation).  In combat sports it's obviously not possible either unless you are doing Car Jujitsu or similar.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Much as I love Jet Li films they are not at all realistic in terms of what violence looks like... Just look at how contrived the plot has to be to make him fight at all.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said... Using a doorway or narrow corridor to your advantage is a viable self defence strategy against multiple attackers.  So long as one is available and so long as there are no better escape options.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2023-08-08T11:34:08.690" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13731" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13729" CreationDate="2023-08-15T18:15:53.353" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;From an armed fighting, specifically Historic European Martial Arts, &amp;quot;HEMA,&amp;quot; perspective, opting for a limited space is a totally valid choice. &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Context&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; is important here!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Limited space allows for you to fight multiple opponents by simply limiting the number of people you must engage at once. When you see one person fighting multiple opponents in open spaces, this is the exact reason there is so much movement. An narrow ally or doorway produces the same effect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, certain weapons do better or worse in certain environments. Spears may be the king of the open battlefield, but a dagger or short sword will serve you better indoors. Confined spaces also affect things like grappling: the wall is a reasonably hard surface one can use for support or to smash enemies against.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As a final note about confined spaces, they are great to enter when attempting to counter ranged or mounted foes. The word &lt;em&gt;mounted&lt;/em&gt; will also apply to vehicles here.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Tanks &lt;em&gt;could&lt;/em&gt; burst through houses like they are made of paper, but a humble root cellar will trap them. A car &lt;em&gt;may&lt;/em&gt; drive through a wall, but it is unlikely to go much further. A horse &lt;em&gt;could&lt;/em&gt; go into a city, but it's not going down steps or into too-narrow doorways.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Limited sight and maneuverability in cities are still a bane to modern militaries trying to move through them, as one can easily be flanked or ambushed. This applies to most ranged weapons at the individual level, too. It doesn't take much imagination to see why a dagger is as good or better than a gun in an apartment or home.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6374" LastActivityDate="2023-08-15T18:15:53.353" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13732" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-08-16T05:23:03.937" Score="-1" ViewCount="132" Body="&lt;p&gt;First off I like to say I am an hardcore MMA fan. My name is Rouzbeh Karimkhani, I used to be a reporter for &lt;em&gt;Mixed Martial Arts In Canada&lt;/em&gt;. I did this 15 years ago only as a passion. I would like to get back into being a reporter and coverage of the sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My Favourite fighters of all time. GSP, Chuck Liddell, Ken Shamrock, and a bunch of others. My favourite Martial Art Aspect is the boxing/striking .My question is how do I get back into this field I really would like to work for the major mma media companies.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In the past I have interviewed. Royce Gracie, Gsp, Rampage Jackson. I watch and study MMA like no other person, every aspect of the game. I had very strong confidence in my interview style when I did it 15 years ago.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recently got my  degree in Radio, TV and Digital Broadcasting. I look up to guys like Ariel Helwani. I'm much older today and was curious how I can get a jump into the game of media coverage and how can I get a hold of the major outlets. Thank you for your time I hope someone can answer my question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13425" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2023-08-16T12:47:14.253" LastActivityDate="2023-09-23T22:02:49.510" Title="How do I get back into being an MMA Journalist?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|mixed-martial-arts|boxing|kickboxing|ufc|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13733" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13732" CreationDate="2023-08-16T15:49:19.170" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, this is not a subject area in which I have any experience. My naive first thoughts would be to google MMA web sites and then send them introduction letters asking if they were interested in hiring you for field reporting. But that's kind of a shot in the dark.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You could also check out LinkedIn and network there with people you know in the business. That's always a good idea. Especially try writing articles there and see if anyone in your network likes on it or comments. Keep track of those people, and then later on you can message them or tag them on articles asking if anyone could use your talents.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's just the most obvious sort of things you can do. And it applies to pretty much any career.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Beyond the obvious, if I was in a similar position, I think my approach would be to start Liking on different MMA posts on Facebook. Facebook's algorithm will then start serving you with more and more MMA material. As you get these, look at the Like counts of each post and write them down. Keep track of each organization's Like counts. After a short while (probably just a couple weeks to a month), the major players will likely be obvious. Those would be the ones with the most Likes. You'll want to go to them and offer your services. They probably have the most ad revenue and can actually pay you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They're going to want to see your work. Have that ready to go. But mostly these guys are going to want to know how many Likes you're going to bring to them. That translates to ad revenue for them. If you have anything on social media already that they can look at which has high Like counts, you're good to go. That's all they need to see.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you don't have that yet, then you'll want to see if you can get that started and promote yourself. You can do a Youtube channel or setup an Instagram account. If you can get enough Likes and subscribers, you can start making money on your own. You can purchase Facebook ads. You can of course send links to everyone you know and ask them to Like on your stuff and send it to everyone they know.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's kind of how I think this game is played today on social media. I could be way off. But I figured I'd at least toss in my 2 cents on the subject. If you can locate someone in the business to mentor you, that would be ideal. Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2023-08-16T15:49:19.170" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13734" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13735" CreationDate="2023-08-22T14:23:25.670" Score="0" ViewCount="196" Body="&lt;p&gt;Related to &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/13712/alternative-name-for-downward-kick&quot;&gt;Alternative name for downward kick?&lt;/a&gt;, what is the origin of the kick name, &amp;quot;Chikyo Chagi&amp;quot; (possibly &lt;em&gt;치쿄 차기&lt;/em&gt;)? Is it named after the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.getamap.net/maps/south_korea/kangwon-do/_chikyodo/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Chikyō-dō&lt;/a&gt; region? Does it come from the Japanese Chikyo (&lt;em&gt;血居&lt;/em&gt;), apparently translated as &amp;quot;blood house&amp;quot;?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2023-08-23T13:59:39.533" Title="What is the origin of the kick name, &quot;Chikyo Chagi&quot;?" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|terminology|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13735" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13734" CreationDate="2023-08-22T16:06:18.443" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;According to the &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;notoriously inaccurate Google translate&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chikyo 치쿄 translates to 'first time'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Chagi 차기 on the other hand has no English translation from Japanese to English.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;From this you might guess:  The first time this kick was done in that particular school, someone called Chagi did it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://japanese-names.info/last-name/chagi/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://japanese-names.info/last-name/chagi/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This link confirms that chagi can be a surname in Japan... However note that the characters are different:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;チャギ&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'm going to conclude that this is incorrect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Probably what is going on is that this is a kick that you start a drill with.  Chagi 차기 is basically not a Japanese word so this is probably only used in martial arts which have a both a Japanese and Korean influence (Like Taekwondo).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;地球けり or Chikyūkeri is Earth Kick!&#xA;Earth Kick in Korean is... 지구 차기 jigu chagi&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As this is a downward kick this is probably the more accurate translation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2023-08-23T13:59:39.533" LastActivityDate="2023-08-23T13:59:39.533" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13736" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5334" CreationDate="2023-08-24T00:56:13.900" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have no idea how you came up with $1500/month in total expenses, but that’s not realistic at all. I work at a martial arts school where we receive over 50k a month, but the owner doesn’t get even 10k. And all our instructors are 100% volunteers. I started working there in admin and then became an instructor. One of the reasons to become an instructor was my curiosity about why the instructors were all volunteers. Now when I clock out to go teach classes I know. I love teaching and encouraging and helping my students develop.&#xA;I make no money for that and have to make money somewhere else, but man, that gives me so much joy.&#xA;Maybe being an instructor is not in you. Maybe you need a career to make enough money to give you the freedom to teach for free.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13436" LastActivityDate="2023-08-24T00:56:13.900" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13737" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13732" CreationDate="2023-08-24T17:44:42.883" Score="-1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Contact the media show them your past work, interviews and see if they want to hire is probably the best way to go. I myself am a hardcore fan and I seen your past interviews great job keep at it&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13425" LastActivityDate="2023-08-24T17:44:42.883" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13740" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13518" CreationDate="2023-08-28T01:45:01.857" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I was bullied many times as a young person. Nomadic upbringing. New kid. I found that fighting back immediately, whether I won or lost, made a statement bull(ies) understood. They then did not focus on me. Just let your proud instinct go and fight. Strike quickly with determination, force and pre emptively. First target the throat with a knife hand, 2nd knuckle punch, grab or fist. Bloody the nose or lip which is good publicity. Avoid fighting if you can. If you cannot avoid, fight aggressively with determination.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13446" LastActivityDate="2023-08-28T01:45:01.857" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13741" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5896" CreationDate="2023-08-29T07:35:53.227" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;When I was still doing some traditional martial art with a side dish of strength training, there were plenty of female trainers. I am a tall, strong male; and all those females were much smaller, and definitely weaker in terms of raw strength.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At no point did I get into a situation where any of those factors played a role. Granted, it was more a kata-based art, and there was no sparring, but the role of the teacher was to &lt;em&gt;teach&lt;/em&gt;, not to beat us up (or resist getting beat up). I would assume that most MA teachers do not spar with their pupils in any case, so your build or gender should not play a practical role.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have never witnessed disrespect towards a trainer in the dojo(s) or seminars I visited, and particularly not based on gender, size, strength etc. I do not know the culture where you life, so unless you are in an area where machoism is very prominent, I would not worry too much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If I &lt;em&gt;were&lt;/em&gt; to witness a male to give a female trouble on the mat, this would be an issue in any case - no matter if the female is the trainer or not. Respect is generally the most important thing for me - &lt;em&gt;any&lt;/em&gt; kind of disrespect, towards anyone, is an absolute no-no on the mat, in my opinion, considering  everybody has to trust everybody else to take care of each other.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7343" LastActivityDate="2023-08-29T07:35:53.227" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13742" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="5334" CreationDate="2023-08-29T07:44:33.000" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would advise not to worry about what others make, but look &lt;em&gt;only&lt;/em&gt; at yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Frankly, it does not matter how much money your boss makes, as long as you have the feeling that you are recompensated fine, either in money, or fun, or experience, or whatever it is you are getting out of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The flip side to this is: if and when the cost-benefit calculation does not work out for you anymore, no matter what it is that you do, then it is time to do some soul-searching and possibly look for alternatives. This could be many things. Maybe you can talk with your boss and see if they can sweeten the deal. Or you make clear that you at least do not take on the extra mandatory volume (and see what happens). Or you check with yourself - maybe teaching &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; in itself so rewarding that if you are able to forget how much the owners are making, it becomes acceptable for you again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And if none of that works out for you, it's time to look for a new space to practice your martial art in. Here comes the rub: if you are &lt;em&gt;so&lt;/em&gt; invested in your old place that it is hard for you to leave, then this is - in my opinion - a sure sign that something is wrong. This kind of addiction can be exhilarating as long as everything is fine, but can become a real problem when it is not. I've been there - money or &amp;quot;being used&amp;quot; played no role in my case, but I did not gel with the other people very much, anymore. It took me quite some time to make the decision to leave; but eventually I did a cold turkey (without even telling them why I did so), and it was a very liberating experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If and when you talk with them and make clear that something is up, pay attention to how they react. If they try to blame-shift, or make you feel bad for even deliberating leaving (or not accepting their terms), or play the &amp;quot;wise dojo master&amp;quot; card or any other kind of game, then this is a 100% red flag for me.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7343" LastActivityDate="2023-08-29T07:44:33.000" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13743" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13705" CreationDate="2023-08-29T10:19:34.033" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes, throat strikes carry a high risk of injury in a way that is not that &amp;quot;fun&amp;quot; in a fight. You hit the throat, the victim is incapacitated (might need onsite intervention to enable them to breathe again), and it's over. Remember that fights are regularly ended for much less - as soon as a fighter cannot intelligently defend themselves anymore, sometimes even just for a second (especially in the heavier weight classes). Famously, in a legal liver hit, you see that people &amp;quot;shut down&amp;quot; immediately, and the fight is over. Sure this is somewhat exciting, but having a 25 minute highlight end after 5 minutes for a liver shot... not so fun. That said, the liver is a legal target probably because it seems to be very rare to carry permanent injury, and people do recover within minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When fights end due to (accidental) injury, it is &lt;em&gt;never&lt;/em&gt; fun - not once have I seen a fight where both fighters and everybody else were not quite unhappy about that. A fighter cannot show their real prowess if the other guy is not available as target anymore. Winning the fight (and the money) is the one part, but at least the high level athletes are driven my much more, as far as I can tell. This is shown time and again on accidental eye strikes where the &lt;em&gt;victim&lt;/em&gt; argues that they want to continue the fight, even if they are clearly incapable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;UFC MMA is a &lt;em&gt;sport&lt;/em&gt;. The athletes are doing it professionally - that means, to earn their livelihood. From the point of view of the UFC organization, having athletes become damaged in a debilitating fashion (beyond the current bout) is harmful to business - not only because it may sway public opinion, but because it is really hard to come up with fighters who are able to pull in many viewers on their own. Each weight category has a select handful of really known &amp;quot;stars&amp;quot; who guarantee big numbers. Many other fighters are still in a stage where they have to learn a lot, and might not draw a big viewership on their own, necessarily.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So. The few rules forbidding things like eye gouging, hits to the back to the head/spine, and hitting the throat are more or less specifically because a) official organizations want that to not let the sport become &lt;em&gt;too&lt;/em&gt; bloody and arguably b) because the UFC (and similar orgs) realize that if their athletes regularly get damaged beyond repair, they will quickly run out of athletes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A tertiary reason might be that the character of the sport might change significantly if really damaging techniques were allowed. People would have to shift their training to a) be able to do those techniques and b) be able to defend against them. I &lt;em&gt;assume&lt;/em&gt; that this would, again, remove possible athletes from the pool - it would never be allowed in amateur leagues, and those are important as &amp;quot;fuel&amp;quot; to become a professional.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7343" LastActivityDate="2023-08-29T10:19:34.033" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13744" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13691" CreationDate="2023-08-29T10:28:36.187" Score="1" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it correct that a punch with knockout power cannot be reliably expected to KO the receiver, but may always kill the receiver or have little visible effect?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are wildly different scenarios; all carry some kind of probability. A punch with knockout power should have a high probaility to KO the receiver (or how would you define &amp;quot;knockout power&amp;quot; otherwise). It may very seldomly directly kill the receiver on its own (maybe if the head gets rotated very violently and the receiver has very little muscle to protect them, basically snapping their spine). It will have a medium probability of killing due to circumstances (hitting their head on a sharp edge when falling over...). And a high probability of being visible due to the &amp;quot;black eye&amp;quot; or whatever discoloration.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of that said, you are primarily talking about the KO as a story device, and there I'm 100% with your friend - this would be an instant, ludicrous turn-off for me. Knocking someone KO is fine, but I expect quick recovery. You see this all the time in MMA fights; the KO is instant, and the recovery happens within seconds or few minutes 100% of the time. I have probably seen 1000s of fights over the years, and the only times where a fighter had to be carried out was when they broke their leg. Not once due to KO.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Make them go to sleep. Sleeping pills. Knockout drops. Done. Very easy plot device, very believable, very realistic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7343" LastActivityDate="2023-08-29T10:28:36.187" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13745" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13746" CreationDate="2023-08-29T16:23:45.697" Score="3" ViewCount="148" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wayofninja.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-learn-a-martial-art/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;According to a study by Martial Arts: Time Needed for Training (2010), it takes an average of 29 hours to learn a martial art with basic proficiency,  so if I train two sessions of one hour each week, I will take around 3 to 4 months to master.&lt;/a&gt; However, this also depends on the quality of instruction. A martial art with a good quality instructor will take lesser time to learn. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mmaturtle.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-learn-martial-arts/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;For example, it may take around 5 to 10 years to achieve a black belt in karate, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, or taekwondo.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&#xA;How can I find a good instructor for my martial art?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12378" LastEditorUserId="12378" LastEditDate="2023-08-29T16:30:19.697" LastActivityDate="2023-08-29T21:36:59.503" Title="How can I find a good instructor for my martial art to take less time to learn?" Tags="|training|safety|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13746" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13745" CreationDate="2023-08-29T18:44:46.113" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Finding a great instructor is, indeed, the quickest route to proficiency. That can't be emphasized enough. In martial arts, there's no shortage of instructors. But they can't all be good, can they? Some will be better than others. How can you tell?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First, let me relay a personal story. I started training in Tai Chi back in college. There was a young man who was a grad student there who taught a class on Wu style Tai Chi. He was from China and had been training in Tai Chi for all of about 18 months before coming to the U.S. and becoming an instructor. He was honest and up front about his lack of knowledge and experience. He just wanted a group of others to practice the form with.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I trained for a year or so doing Wu style Tai Chi. After that, I graduated college and moved to another city where I trained in Yang style Tai Chi under an instructor who was well known in the martial arts community and who everyone said was an authority on the subject. He had a lot of students, some of whom had been training there for 20 years. I trained under him for over a year and thought myself pretty good, or at least on the right track.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then I moved to Austin where I found a guy teaching Chen style Tai Chi in a small group of just 2 or 3 students that met in a park for free. He was a direct student of one of the grandmasters of Chen style Tai Chi (Chen Qingzhou). And he had been training for about 4 years at that point. I didn't know what to think of him at first. But I kept an open mind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In his first 30 minutes with me, that Chen style Tai Chi guy taught me more about Tai Chi than I had learned from any of my other instructors for the previous 2+ years I had been training in Tai Chi. I thought I knew the basics of Tai Chi and had a pretty good grasp of how it worked prior to this experience. I read a lot, too. And what I read confirmed to me that I had been thinking about it correctly. But that Chen style Tai Chi guy showed me that I didn't even have the most basic things understood.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What he showed me was simple. I could feel it. There was no complex theory or mumbo jumbo about chi and energy and rooting and blah blah blah. His demonstration not only made me feel his technique but also gave me the technique as well, within the first 10 minutes. I was able to do what he was doing. There was no magical &amp;quot;chi&amp;quot; kinds of things going on. It was mechanical.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, I wasn't anywhere near being an expert at it after that first lesson, but it was infinitely more than what I learned in my previous Tai Chi training. I could have been training at those places for 20 years and still wouldn't have known more than what I learned from this new instructor in the first day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, the point is, you need to find yourself a good instructor if you don't want to waste your time. And, it's not easy to know who's decent and who isn't.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I stumbled upon a decent instructor. I got lucky. If I had asked around and asked who is the best at this, who has been here teaching the longest, who has the most students, etc., I wouldn't have found that guy. I would have found a teacher who was probably not very good at all but had managed to sell everyone on the idea that he was the best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So how do you know who to go with? Well, the only way you can figure out who really knows their stuff and can teach it is by meeting them and taking a class or two from them. After each one, ask yourself if you learned something the other teachers didn't teach you. Sometimes you hit the jackpot. And with those instructors, you keep going to their classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It helps also if you know what sort of things you're looking for from the martial art you're taking. Like in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, if you're looking for a group that concentrates heavily in the self-defense aspects of the style first and foremost, you're going to be more impressed if you find a teacher who can show you very quickly how it can be used for that. They're coming out right away showing you what you want. You won't be an expert at it after that first lesson, but you should walk away from that class knowing the simple mechanics of the technique and how to use it. From day one, what you're learning is directly applicable to the thing you want to learn. That's a good indication that you've chosen a good instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You may also run into a lot of &amp;quot;bait and switch&amp;quot; types of schools. They advertise teaching multiple different martial arts, so you think that's really cool and join. But you quickly learn that it really only teaches one martial art. Like the school I joined as a kid said it taught Taekwondo, Karate, and Aikido. But it only taught Taekwondo with the occasional (once or twice a year) classes that discussed wrist grabs and throws, presumably from white belt level Aikido. I joined specifically for the Aikido, because I couldn't find an Aikido school near me. So that was a bit of a let-down, but I did like its Taekwondo classes and stayed for that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Looking at other students is another way of determining how good an instructor is. If the quality of their black belt students is poor, then that will basically be what you look like after getting a black belt there. If you're wanting to lose weight and get fit, yet you see a high percentage of black belts who are out of shape, then maybe that's not the right place for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Many instructors will list their own awards and achievements. It can give you a false impression that they're actually better than they are. Try not to be influenced by this. It's very deceptive. For example, we had a multiple degree black belt BJJ instructor in town who listed himself as a Brazilian national champion, but it turned out his division only had one other competitor, and he won on a technicality, or maybe a tie (I forget). Also, a lot of awards and honors given to martial artists are essentially bought by them, by making contributions to whatever the organization is that's awarding them. So it's best not to allow yourself to be too influenced by these.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lineage is another thing you can look at. In BJJ, for example, you'll want to trace their lineage back to one of the Gracie family members. Especially determine who awarded that instructor their black belt. There are fakes out there. Some award themselves their own black belt in their own style that they just made up. That's especially popular in Taekwondo. There are thousands of Taekwondo 9th and 10th degree &amp;quot;grandmasters&amp;quot;. They all appointed themselves as grandmaster of their own branch of Taekwondo. So ask them which organization awarded them their black belts, what rank they were awarded by the organizations, and what titles they were given. You can weed out a lot of frauds that way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training directly under the grandmaster in any martial art is theoretically ideal. That's their martial art. They're the highest authority. And generally speaking, they can teach it better than anyone else. But most people can't train directly under a grandmaster for a lot of reasons. They may already have too many students and can't take you as a new student, for example. The grandmasters tend to not teach beginners, too, so you'll end up training from one of his junior instructors. The further you are removed from the grandmaster, the more likely you won't be taught as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, as a beginner you probably won't know much about what kind of technique is good technique. So you might train at a place that just seems decent to you at the time. And after you've spent a good amount of time there (2, 3, 4 years), you should go look at other schools again. Now that you aren't a beginner anymore, you can more appreciate what you see. Not only that, you will have had enough training that you begin to know what you really want from martial arts. And when you find a place that really clicks with you, switch. Be loyal to your journey in life, not necessarily to your instructor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2023-08-29T21:36:59.503" LastActivityDate="2023-08-29T21:36:59.503" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13747" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-09-13T13:00:33.273" Score="2" ViewCount="46" Body="&lt;p&gt;A common &lt;em&gt;esquiva&lt;/em&gt;, and bridging movement, in Capoeira is the &lt;em&gt;negativa&lt;/em&gt; (in this case, the &lt;em&gt;regional&lt;/em&gt; version) where you you have your weight primarily on the ball of one foot, directly underneath your buttocks, with your knee fully bent, with the other leg extended in front of you. Recently, my left knee has been acting up, hurting when I bend it past about 135 degrees, which makes &lt;em&gt;negativa&lt;/em&gt; painful. In class, I've been trying to do it higher on the one side, and concentrate more on upright dodges during the &lt;em&gt;roda&lt;/em&gt;, but I don't always remember to do so in the heat of the moment. Is there a good movement for me to substitute in for, say, &lt;em&gt;role&lt;/em&gt; for entering and exiting while dodging a kick, at least until my knee is back up to snuff?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2023-09-13T13:00:33.273" Title="Negativa alternatives when the knee can't bend as far" Tags="|technique|capoeira|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13748" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10448" CreationDate="2023-09-18T05:29:56.303" Score="-4" Body="&lt;p&gt;A blade larger than 3 inches can puncture an organ. Most people will collapse after being stabbed even once. The only person to be the exception is Mark 'Chopper' Reed and that's it.&#xA;People proficient with knives also know that cutting takes less effort than stabbing.&#xA;Slicing open the brachial or radial artery is going to be far easier than trying to stab a torso. Arms are often going to be in contact with you as they are, naturally, the thing people use to defend themselves. A persons focus is also usually on defending centre mass as all of their vital organs are there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13473" LastActivityDate="2023-09-18T05:29:56.303" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13749" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-09-22T16:58:55.757" Score="4" ViewCount="102" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hey everyone I like to introduce myself my name is Rouzbeh Karimkhani, I've been doing Mixed Martial Arts training for nearly 13 years. I love all aspects of Mixed Martial Arts maybe not so much wrestling but still have years of experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will be having my first Mixed Martial Arts fight in about two weeks and I must say I am very nervous. For me Mixed Martial Arts is a way of life, self defence is the reason I got into it but now love the sport.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My question is what can I do to calm my nerves for my first professional fight. I have reached out to some fighters via instagram to got some input but no response. Any input on anyone who's every had any fighting experience in the cage/ring would be highly appreciated .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13482" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2023-09-23T21:52:34.197" LastActivityDate="2023-09-23T22:16:54.583" Title="How can I calm my nerves for my first professional fight?" Tags="|mixed-martial-arts|ufc|mentality|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13752" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6490" CreationDate="2023-09-23T12:22:49.887" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Next time you see someone break a brick with their head, don't believe him/her just yet. That's a physics defying phenomenon worthy of independent tests. Before you start &amp;quot;conditioning&amp;quot; your own head to do the same, take a brick from your own backyard to that person and ask for that brick to be broken. If the person refuses, never watch YouTube again.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13484" LastActivityDate="2023-09-23T12:22:49.887" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13753" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13749" CreationDate="2023-09-23T16:13:31.143" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;First of all, nerves before a fight are more common than not. If you find a fighter who has no fight nerves, that's a guy you should be very afraid of. Most fighters talk about it. You would do well to start reading what other fighters did to deal with their fear.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mike Tyson famously said he felt like a wreck before every fight. It was so bad for him that he would be in tears crying. His fight trainers spent hours trying to talk him through it and calm his nerves down. The way he ultimately dealt with it was to just say, &amp;quot;Let's go!&amp;quot; when the time came. He would become angry and more focused on winning his fight and just put all of his heart into it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason why you feel nerves before a fight is because your subconscious mind knows it's a dangerous situation. And it might not be dangerous in just the obvious way, but rather maybe also dangerous to your ego if you lose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The subconscious mind is like a separate brain within your brain. It's not under your direct, conscious control. In other words, there are two of you living in your head. Both communicate with each other, but both exist more or less separate and independent of one another at the same time. It's strange when you realize how true this is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, try to remember a time when you had to pee and went into a bathroom where there was something going on that prevented you from peeing. Usually it's something your subconscious perceives as dangerous. Maybe there are some nasty looking guys who look like they're on their way to a satanic ritual sacrifice. Haha. You try and try to pee, but nothing is happening. You walk away pretending that you peed, and you come back to the bathroom after those dudes leave. Now you're able to pee again. Strange, huh?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What's happening in these situations is that your subconscious mind is actually in control of your emotions and parts of your body. In the example I gave, you can only pee if your subconscious mind agrees to open up one of the sphincter muscles surrounding your urethra in order to allow the pee to start. Normally, it just seems like your conscious mind controls that, because your subconscious mind is listening to your conscious mind and agreeing to open that sphincter muscle up. But when your subconscious mind thinks the situation is dangerous, it's not going to do it. These are the times when you realize you actually aren't in direct, conscious control over much of your body. It's your subconscious that's really in control. And it can't be reasoned with!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I like to think of my subconscious mind as a little child. It gets scared or anxious easily. There are times when it thinks the situation is dangerous when it really isn't. But I can't tell it that. Instead, what I've realized over time is that I have to take that little child by the hand and gradually expose it to the danger to show it that it's actually okay.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is known as graduated exposure therapy in Psychology. If you have a fear or anxiety that's taking control of your mind, you want to gradually expose your mind to the thing that causes it. For people who have a great deal of anxiety with regards heights, for example, that means you start by looking at a ladder from 20 feet away. Then you approach the ladder, getting closer and closer to it. That might take several days. Over time, you start to realize it's okay, so you can get closer to that ladder without the feeling of dread. Finally, you reach the ladder and touch it. That might have taken you a month to be able to do. And so on, until you've been able to climb the ladder without the feeling of dread.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The same is true about fighting. You begin with sparring lightly in an environment you're comfortable with. Nobody is really trying to hurt you, and it doesn't matter if you win or lose. Then over time, you increase the level of force and begin recording the wins and losses. You begin sparring with people from other MMA gyms. You start entering tame, low key tournaments that don't offer prize money. You're trying to approximate the conditions you'll be in once you enter a fight competition for real.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, maybe that does you very little good in the immediate term, because this a process that takes a lot of time. Now you know why I said in the beginning, if you ever find a fighter who doesn't have nerves before a fight, be very afraid of that guy. It's because he's been through so many fights successfully that he no longer fears them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So that being said, the only way around your nerves in the immediate future is to try to put your mind in a hypnotic state in order to cause your subconscious mind to stop dwelling on what's about to happen, and instead, to focus on the here and now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can do that by doing something that requires your attention. Bounce a ball. Hit the punching bag. Skip rope. Go for a run or a walk. Listen to music. Watch a movie. Go for a swim. Solve a puzzle. Beat on some drums. Bike. Climb. Compose a poem. Do some gardening. Lift weights. Go on a trampoline. Etc. Mike Tyson said what often worked for him was having sex.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;All of those things will temporarily alleviate your anxiety. Eventually it will come back when you stop doing those things. But just taking your mind off of the fight will help lower your anxiety and prevents it from worsening over time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Good luck! Fighting is the road less traveled. But by taking that path, you can learn more about yourself than perhaps you would have otherwise. Fighting is about growing, not just about who wins and who loses.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2023-09-23T20:03:40.417" LastActivityDate="2023-09-23T20:03:40.417" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13755" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13749" CreationDate="2023-09-23T22:16:54.583" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;The way I like to calm my nerves is through meditation and preparing my mind body and soul. Also eating health and on a good diet works&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13488" LastActivityDate="2023-09-23T22:16:54.583" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13756" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-09-24T05:26:29.090" Score="2" ViewCount="6840" Body="&lt;p&gt;So today my child got beat in all of her events. I'm frustrated because she goes to every class, takes several private lessons a month, and trains every day at home...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And yet she still does not place. I almost feel like having her quit. I know winning isn't everything, but it's so frustrating that she puts in all this work and still can't ever place --forms, combat, sparring. Most people say as long as she's having fun, let her continue. But as a parent, it sure isn't fun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13489" LastEditorUserId="548" LastEditDate="2023-09-25T17:11:41.143" LastActivityDate="2023-10-13T12:59:10.083" Title="9 year old ATA red belt got beat at tournament" Tags="|competition|children|" AnswerCount="6" CommentCount="9" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13757" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13756" CreationDate="2023-09-24T14:52:11.600" Score="10" Body="&lt;p&gt;A lot of it depends on your goals (and possibly also those of your daughter). Is she in the sport for fun? For physical health? Self defense? Stuntperson training? Scholarships? National acclaim? Honestly, unless the last two are what you're going for, the competitions don't mean all that much as long as it's not dispiriting for her. And if competitions are something that bums her out, it's possible that she'll be happier not competing, or even joining a school that doesn't emphasize competitions. Unfortunately, it's a fact in almost all sports that winning is a combination of natural talent, training, and mental drive (and a small degree of luck), which means that trying your best does not guarantee success, because there is always someone out there who is more physically talented who has trained just as hard.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, what does your daughter enjoy most about her martial art? Sparring? Forms? Learning new things? The sheer physical joy of know that she's among the select group who can break a board over their head with a single kick? You may consider focusing her efforts and private training on those things. If competitions &lt;em&gt;are&lt;/em&gt; what drives her, she may want to try focusing on a particular area for a bit to see if that helps her there. Also, she should talk to her teacher about where she might be able to improve her performance. If she's really serious about it (and I don't recommend this as much if &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt; are the person concerned about her winning), she might review what video she has of her performance and that of others, and seeing what she can improve on specifically. And if she is in it more for the fun, you might consider cutting back on the private lessons. It doesn't sound like she has any issue with practicing on your own, and cutting out an extra expense may help prevent you from resenting the investment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Lastly, as a bit of a palate cleanser, you guys might consider attending a competition away from home and your organization so that she's facing different people. If you do have an exemplar martial artist in your school, it gets her away from a Sisyphean goal, and facing people who've trained differently might lead her to pick up some new tricks that will work in her regular school.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2023-09-25T13:48:53.813" LastActivityDate="2023-09-25T13:48:53.813" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13758" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13756" CreationDate="2023-09-24T19:02:35.767" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here's what I've noticed about myself and with others growing up with Taekwondo. Winning is often rare in the beginning. And red belt is still pretty much beginner level, although you probably think of it as advanced. But over time, all the training, the skill, the physical abilities, the way someone moves, their emotional and mental maturity, everything will come together. And when that starts happening, you're going to notice more and more wins in competition.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's just part of the process. You'd like maybe a taste of winning every now and then until then. But sometimes that just doesn't happen, despite working so hard. It can wear you down and make you think this isn't for you. I get it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But like I said, everything comes together at some point for everyone so long as they keep at it. For some it occurs sooner than for others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There's a reason for everything. When someone isn't winning at all, there's a reason for that. It may not be that the person isn't training hard enough, or isn't serious enough. Someone just might not have something figured out yet. Or, maybe there's just one small detail that's making all of the difference.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Often times, someone may be technically better skilled, but the win will go to the competitor who merely &amp;quot;looked&amp;quot; better doing it. Judges are definitely biased and can be fooled. No doubt about it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes people need to stop and ask an instructor what do they see that the student needs to work on. And if that instructor can't tell you, go to another one and ask. Get lots of eyes looking at you, and you'll hear some good, constructive criticism. A red belt is going to get lots of criticism.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Here's another thing to realize. Child divisions in Taekwondo tournaments sometimes combine red belts with black belts and brown belts. Together, they make up an &amp;quot;advanced&amp;quot; division. The black belts will generally win more often. It seems unfair. But that's how divisions work. Even if black belts are not included, it's still brown and red belts together. And so the red belts should generally win more often than the brown belts. Which explains why you might not have won when you were a brown belt. And maybe you're really new in your red belt, so it's like being a brown belt still. You might not win until you're almost at black belt level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I'll say it again. Just keep at it in earnest. Ask for critical feedback. Record video and play it back to see your problems. Work on physical attributes, too (speed, strength, sharpness, focus, timing, etc.). Eventually, things will come together. The wins will start happening.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2023-09-24T19:02:35.767" CommentCount="8" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13759" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2830" CreationDate="2023-09-25T02:32:38.310" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have done Bushin Ryu in New Zealand for 30years. WE here are a school of Karate but would be closer, in modern language, to 2nd era Ju Jitsu (goshin jutsu), but Aikijutsu is also part of our syllabus...we were a MMA school before MMA was a thing and in NZ we had the early MMA people come in and train.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Our system is based in Ryu Kyu Kenpo kata practice (as is shotokan karate) and the application of those techniques - Bunkai. The Aikijutsu and Ju Jitsu inform our close quarter combat and ne waza. Hard sparing and nasty fitness ruled the Nelson Bushin Ryu school under our instructor Mike.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Cheers Simon Tarrant 4th dan Bushin Ryu&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13492" LastActivityDate="2023-09-25T02:32:38.310" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13760" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13756" CreationDate="2023-09-25T10:13:25.843" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The one thing in any endeavor that takes a lifetime to perfect that will win out against talent, ambition, genes in the long run is being able to enjoy yourself, and particularly being able to enjoy yourself losing against bad odds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You say your daughter is enjoying yourself, and you are not.  If your judgment is accurate, then her prospects as a martial artist are better than your prospects as a martial artist parent are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And that's the largest danger to her eventual progress at the speed that feels right to her.  How important are the private lessons to her enjoyment?  Because it appears that those are large contributors to your frustration.  If you need to economize your efforts to avoid your frustration rubbing off on her, fading them out until a time where she herself feels a need for them for her own goals may make this more sustainable for both of you.  Just don't make this a matter of great drama and one-sided &amp;quot;discussions&amp;quot; and whatnot.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The one thing her skill level has to be at in terms of whatever she trains or competes in is to be able to avoid injury to herself and others.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerDisplayName="user13493" LastActivityDate="2023-09-25T10:13:25.843" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13761" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="2360" CreationDate="2023-09-25T12:32:15.530" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a funny little story (probably a legend) about it, but I like to think it's true: when Funakoshi was invited by Kanō Jigorō to his dojo, he showed up dressed in &amp;quot;country attire&amp;quot; - Kano decided to &amp;quot;lend him&amp;quot; his gi to give a demonstration in front of his students, and that's why karategi are very similar to judogi&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6484" LastActivityDate="2023-09-25T12:32:15.530" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13762" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13756" CreationDate="2023-09-25T14:53:49.787" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am in the ATA, and here is what I tell the kids when I judge them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The scores tell a story. The person to the right of the center judge (As they sit in the chairs) is the upper body. Blocks, strikes, etc. The other corner judge is kicks, stances. The center judge is presentation, form memory, etc. The scores are not a reflection of them as a person, they are comparison scores for the performance of that day against the other competitors in the ring that day.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Scoring is a comparison against other competitors in the ring. The first three competitors set the high/low/middle standard, and all other competitors are judged in comparison to them. If your daughter is getting scores such as 6, 8, 5 then the presentation is great, but the techniques themselves are not as good as the other competitors, and so forth.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I would highly recommend video taping the entire ring from beginning to end. Take that to your instructor, and go through it with them and see where there are areas that can be improved.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="548" LastActivityDate="2023-09-25T14:53:49.787" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13763" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13756" CreationDate="2023-09-25T16:59:07.437" Score="21" Body="&lt;p&gt;This isn't a question about martial arts, it's a question about parenting.  This answer is going to feel judgemental, for the simple reason that it &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;is&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; judgemental about anyone uttering the sentence &amp;quot;I know winning isn't everything, but...&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most people say as long as she's having fun, then to let her continue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And they're right.  That's what positive parenting looks like.  Do you stop her playing an instrument if she can't make the national youth orchestra?  Stop her going to school if she doesn't get straight A's?  As a parent myself, the concept of doing anything other than encouraging my child in their interests (so long as those interests are wholesome and within our budget) is a &amp;quot;does not compute&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's also what positive participation in &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;any&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; sport looks like.  Sure, everyone wants to win.  And sure, everyone wants their kid to win.  But the point of positive participation in sport is learning that really the only person you're competing against is yourself.  If you're doing better this month than you were last month, you're winning - never mind whether you're the best person in your club.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And even if you're not getting any better, if you're enjoying doing it then you're still winning.  You're fitter than you would be if you sat on the sofa watching TV, you have better concentration, better mental health, better sleep, and a whole host of other benefits.  If you're doing this as a child, it's well-proven that your health over the entire rest of your life will be better.  And even if, as a child, you don't keep going with that particular sport, the lessons you internalise about &amp;quot;sport is fun&amp;quot; are proven to increase your chances of participation in sport for the entire rest of your life, which gets you even more of all those good things.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But as a parent, it sure isn't fun.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why isn't it fun?  You're watching your daughter doing something she enjoys, and you know that she's really giving it her best shot.  Simply making red belt is an achievement well past most 9-year-olds - it's a safe bet that few if any other kids in her class have put that much effort into something.  If she's keen enough to even be doing competitions at that age then that's even more impressive.  She's doing great.  If supporting her achievements is in any way conditional, then you need to take a good look at yourself as a parent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So look at why you're not finding it fun.  Is it because you can't brag about her winning?  Is it that you do actually only value winning?  Do you have some hang-ups from what your parents told you?  Are you jealous that she's getting to do something you didn't?  Whatever it is, figure it out, and you'll be a better parent to her.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6517" LastActivityDate="2023-09-25T16:59:07.437" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13764" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-09-27T07:12:23.783" Score="5" ViewCount="90" Body="&lt;h1&gt;Beomseogi&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Gr_Je2ZkgkI?si=hpIewWoEF3Q781ix&amp;amp;t=559&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;An official video&lt;/a&gt; mentions the name of &lt;em&gt;Beomseogi&lt;/em&gt; when the right foot is in front as &lt;em&gt;Oreun Beomseogi&lt;/em&gt;. Also, in other times of the video, the naming is consistent:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Right foot is front: &lt;em&gt;Oreun Beomseogi&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Left foot is front: &lt;em&gt;Oen/Wen Beomseogi&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h4&gt;Weight distribution&lt;/h4&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/6FUM1p6qqhQ?si=-o1ypAXjv65S2E4n&amp;amp;t=588&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;another official video&lt;/a&gt;, it's mentioned that the weight is distributed 9 to 1 by Beomseogi. The back leg takes 9 and the front leg takes 1.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vvOVR.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/vvOVR.png&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot: Beomseogi&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Dwitgubi&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ksSqKt0UkWo?si=9ZPoATBLbYukTjWt&amp;amp;t=528&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Another official video&lt;/a&gt; mentions the name of the Dwitgubi when the right foot is back as &lt;em&gt;Oreun Dwitgubi&lt;/em&gt;. So, basically:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Right foot is back: &lt;em&gt;Oreun Dwitgubi&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Left foot is back: &lt;em&gt;Oen/Wen Dwitgubi&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Weight distribution&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most of the body weight is on the back leg. Maybe the ratio is 4 to 1. I don't remember the exact ratio number.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zsUMu.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/zsUMu.png&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot: Dwitgubi&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h1&gt;Question&lt;/h1&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I asked some instructors why the left/right name of Dwitgub is based on the back leg and not the front leg. They answered that's because the back leg takes a larger ratio of weight distribution.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, I wonder why the same principle is not applied to Beomseogi. I mean, why is Beomseogi named based on the front leg, not the back leg? Despite the fact that in Beomsegi back leg takes most of the weight load.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="9518" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2023-09-27T12:33:50.010" LastActivityDate="2024-03-26T15:10:34.923" Title="Name of two stances and their weight distribution" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|terminology|forms|stance|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13765" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8291" CreationDate="2023-09-27T21:06:47.647" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't have an answer to this question but thought I'd add my experiences with a seemingly natural &amp;quot;immunity&amp;quot; to getting knocked unconscious and/or getting a concussion (I know that no one is ACTUALLY immune to these) I am and have always been tall and thin (at 43 I'm 6'/ 165lbs, which is heavy for me) I don't have a super muscular frame so the thick neck doesn't help me, I'm not nor have I ever been a fighter. Took some different martial arts growing up but nothing too serious. I also was able to avoid most fist fights as a kid. I was however often hit in the head but have not once been knocked unconscious nor suffered a concussion. I've been hit in the head with baseball bats, skateboards, rocks, bottles, basketballs, baseballs, golf balls, logs and the list goes on. I've been hit in the head hard enough to have seen &amp;quot;stars&amp;quot; and/or hear &amp;quot;ringing&amp;quot; yet never have I been knocked out. I even had an incident happen in which am amateur MMA fighter whom was substantially bigger, stronger than I (roughly 6'3&amp;quot; or 6'4&amp;quot; and a very muscular 240 to 260 lbs) hit me so hard with one punch it ended up breaking my nose, my ocular bone, chipping three of my front teeth AND splitting the back of my head open (splitting my head because I was backed up to a stucco cement wall) I dropped to one knee but immediately was able to stand right back up...no blacking out, no memory gaps or anything. I was pissed off but completely clear minded otherwise. I was also slightly intoxicated, by maybe two or three beers. EMT's had been called and they looked me over and other than the obvious damage (left eye was completely swelled shut and blackened, laceration under the eye as well, also swollen and lacerated nose, and head plus bleeding orally because of the chipped teeth and all) said I didn't appear to have a concussion. They of course highly recommended I go to the ER but not having medical insurance at the time and having a job I had to be to just a few hours later prevented me from going. I didn't actually know anything other than my teeth had been broken until the next day at 5a.m. I showed up to my job(forklift operator loading and unloading trucks at the time) just to have my boss force me to go see a doctor.... apparently it's &amp;quot;unsafe&amp;quot; to operate a vehicle of any kind with only one eye functioning fully lol! (I knew it wasn't but I needed the money cuz I had a wife and four kids to take care of so I was gonna try to work regardless) Anyway, the doctor did his thing to find out about all the broken stuff and what not but still no signs of concussion, brain bleeding, swelling or any of that. I've fallen from some pretty high heights landing on both my feet and not on my feet and have been in an auto accident in which I hit a brick wall at about 45-50 mph sitting in the front seat, passenger side (no airbag deployment on my side) and the wall just had earth behind it meaning was didn't go through we just abruptly came to a stop.... No whiplash or anything then either.&#xA;I don't have any explanation for any of this and don't know if it helps anyone in any way in coming to some sort of determination as to why this can happen but this seemed as good a place as any for me to share this info.....oh yeah, this is prolly completely unrelated but I am also completely immune to &amp;quot;brain freeze&amp;quot;(I've never experienced it) and &amp;quot;hangover&amp;quot; symptoms.  I've only rarely ever had any kind of headache and on those very few rare occasions I did experience a headache it only lasted a few seconds up to a minute, maybe. I apologize for the length of my response btw.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13509" LastActivityDate="2023-09-27T21:06:47.647" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13766" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13681" CreationDate="2023-09-30T16:30:11.073" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;For traditional Muay Thai, the answer is no. Traditional Muay Thai rule sets favour a block and exchange type approach, not bobbing and weaving or fast shuffling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As you’ve mentioned, one of the reasons why this puts a fighter at a disadvantage, is the constant movement makes it much more difficult to check kicks, which are high scoring points on the body/head and painful on the legs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Find some Thai Muay Thai fights on from Channel 7 or Lumpinee stadium for reference and study the style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This type of move features better in Dutch-style K1 Kickboxing which naturally requires much more movement.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13523" LastActivityDate="2023-09-30T16:30:11.073" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13768" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1367" CreationDate="2023-10-05T20:26:47.553" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I don't think the instructor should be promoting his/her political/religious beliefs to the students, especially as a part of classes.&#xA;As an instructor, you are in a position of authority and shouldn't be using your position as a &amp;quot;soap box&amp;quot; to influence the beliefs of your students in this manner.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13537" LastActivityDate="2023-10-05T20:26:47.553" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13770" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13775" CreationDate="2023-10-12T08:57:50.200" Score="3" ViewCount="155" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am new to the world of Martial Arts, every since my childhood, learning one has captivated me. But due to lack of financial means I couldn't. Now as an adult I am still eager to learn one. I want to learn to gain the benefits of mental focus and Body control&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Could you guys share a list of Martial art forms where the movement is slow with no punches like flow of water (like in yoga) instead of fall of hard rock with punches and kicking (like kungfu)? Also that can be practised at home without any tools.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The goal is to appreciate movement with breathing (again like in yoga) but in Martial Arts form that can be practised at home.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I will do due diligence from the list and get familiarised with them to make a decision myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sorry, I am total noob and don't even know where to start.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13555" LastEditorUserId="13555" LastEditDate="2023-10-15T02:18:30.313" LastActivityDate="2023-10-16T02:38:10.323" Title="Martial Arts Forms that can be practised at home without tools" Tags="|training|self-defense|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="7" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13771" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13756" CreationDate="2023-10-13T12:59:10.083" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;YMMV, but I have found competitions generally to be fund-raisers. Judges can even favor their own students. It isn't necessarily a measure of the competitors abilities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What did YOU, objectively, think of your child's performance? Do you think the others actually performed better? If so, let your child know how to improve, with specifics. If not, realize the place in the competition doesn't measure actual performance, and decide, with your child, whether your child will continue to compete.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's kind of like belt-ranking. The belt indicates to &lt;em&gt;other people&lt;/em&gt; what your approximate skill level is, so they can know what to expect. Did you know you can just &lt;strong&gt;buy&lt;/strong&gt; black belts? Wearing one, or a red belt, doesn't make you a black belt (or red belt). Doing what a black belt can do makes you a black belt. And if a black belt puts on a white belt, it doesn't change the martial artist's abilities.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do not put emphasis on winning.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13334" LastActivityDate="2023-10-13T12:59:10.083" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13772" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6079" CreationDate="2023-10-13T16:05:44.733" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It isn't actually possible to take away a belt once it is earned. One cannot remove someone's knowledge and experience, which is what the belt merely represents. All one can do is change the place the student lines up, where the respect goes, etc. As has been mentioned, if the student quits and joins another school they would join with the rank &amp;quot;taken away&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Of course, the way it is perceived is different. Most students don't realize that the belt is only symbolic. The &lt;em&gt;threat&lt;/em&gt; of losing it can indeed influence the student's behavior.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Since the instructor threatened the student with the loss of the belt, the instructor must follow through with that threat, if the instructor has integrity. But a better way is to leave the final decision up to the instructor. Like discipline at work always includes penalties &amp;quot;up to and including termination&amp;quot; it would be better to say something more like, &amp;quot;if this happens again you will be disciplined, even including demoting your belt level&amp;quot;. Then the instructor can appear lenient with the discipline, deciding not to demote the student &lt;em&gt;this time&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13334" LastActivityDate="2023-10-13T16:05:44.733" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13774" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13285" CreationDate="2023-10-14T22:35:00.260" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Why is it called the Apollo?&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.10thplanetjj.com/techniques/mts-170-samurai-calf-slicer/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.10thplanetjj.com/techniques/mts-170-samurai-calf-slicer/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;1 hour in&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13564" LastActivityDate="2023-10-14T22:35:00.260" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13775" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13770" CreationDate="2023-10-16T02:38:10.323" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;First, going with the obvious, &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_chi&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Tai Chi&lt;/a&gt; is a slow flowing martial art that is generally practiced in a non-combative manner and without hard strikes. And there are &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.taichifoundation.org/videos/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;free resources&lt;/a&gt; to learn it. There are a number of &amp;quot;Chi Gong&amp;quot; styles that focus even more on breathing and stances. I have very little experience with them, in part because they tend to dip more into the &amp;quot;woo&amp;quot; part of martial arts of chi meridians and the like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are looking for something a bit more intensive, but still flowing, you might take a look at &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capoeira&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Capoeira&lt;/a&gt;. Proper capoeira is done as a conversation with a partner, but a fair amount of the movement can be trained alone, and the body benefits of learning how to flow from pose to pose, often with turns and inversions, is excellent for the health, and will definitely work your stamina.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2023-10-16T02:38:10.323" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13776" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13778" CreationDate="2023-10-18T23:50:54.210" Score="1" ViewCount="326" Body="&lt;p&gt;If a man suddenly rushes at me, how do I push him away fast and hard?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13572" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2023-10-19T12:44:58.850" LastActivityDate="2023-10-27T11:57:37.777" Title="How do I suddenly push someone away fast and hard?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13777" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13776" CreationDate="2023-10-19T12:52:28.623" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The first step is readiness. It's sometimes half-joked that the most effective way to win a fight is for the other person to not know that it's a fight (knives, specifically, when analyzed, show that there's usually several stabs before the other person realizes there is a knife involved). And once you realize there is an attack, you need to act immediately and not freeze up. Second, for an effective push, you generally need to drop your center of gravity, get your arms free and clear, and push off the axis of the attacker so that you're not putting force directly against force. Other than the first step of being aware of your surroundings, and training yourself to act calmly and reflexively in the face of a threat (which generally does require a degree of live training), you're going to want to do the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bend your knees and drop your weight an inch or two to lower your center of balance.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Bring your hands up to at least shoulder height with bent elbows so that you are ready to shove or block&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Step off axis and move into the attacker at an angle, putting your body weight behind the shove, keeping your arms a bit flexed so that you can absorb the impact enough to not injure your arms. I've seen some people argue that pushing on two different levels (one hand higher than the other) makes it harder for the other person to push back against you without putting themselves off-balance, but it will also likely reduce your own force.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Take steps to either finish the fight (attacking the hopefully off-balance attacker, or start your retreat)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2023-10-19T12:52:28.623" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13778" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13776" CreationDate="2023-10-20T06:57:38.973" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will present a frame challenge here. Why push them at all?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As someone who is fairly light - it is very unlikely I could shove an attacker very far, even with perfect technique. And it is also unlikely to dissuade them from attacking me further (I have probably just made them angry/angrier).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I present my alternative:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;COVER - hands on head, elbows tight&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;MOVE - if someone is rushing at me - I only need to get out of their path -  a couple of feet to the side is usually plenty.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They will end up at least as far away as a decent shove would manage, you haven't laid a hand on them, if they had braced for contact they will likely be off balance and may fall.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Obviously the follow up is now the same as the shove would have been - make sure you are safe before you switch off&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2023-10-20T06:57:38.973" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13779" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-10-22T14:14:45.567" Score="4" ViewCount="1251" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have a free free-standing bag with the water water-filled base.&#xA;I planning to move in a month to a different location.&#xA;What's the best way to take out the water from the base?&#xA;Do I need a pump or there is a better way?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Note: The bag is indoors and in a room that is 30 feet away from the shower room.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The internet is full of instructions on how to fill it up, but how to get it out is nowhere to be found.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thanks in advance for your assistance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13578" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2023-10-22T20:57:03.653" LastActivityDate="2023-11-06T21:47:59.977" Title="removing water from your boxing bag base" Tags="|equipment|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13780" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13779" CreationDate="2023-10-22T15:41:46.880" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;Slide it into the shower and turn it over to drain it. If you can't budge it, then you may need someone to help you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can buy some moving pads to help, also. Like these, which I would only use on carpet:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B0757HTDG2&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.amazon.com/Furniture-Carpeted-Surfaces-Suitable-Sliders/dp/B0757HTDG2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or if you have wood or tile flooring, you can just put a towel under it and use that to help slide it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you need to lift it up over the outside edge of the shower or bathtub, and it's too heavy, think about shoving books or something under it one by one to raise it up a little at a time until it can be pushed over the edge of the shower or tub.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A pump would work also. There are water pumps you can buy. They don't cost a lot. You would just have a pot next to it and fill the pot up, then dump, then return for more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2023-10-22T15:41:46.880" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13781" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13779" CreationDate="2023-10-22T22:54:26.053" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;There's a type of vacuum cleaner that can suck both dust and water, commonly called &amp;quot;shop vac&amp;quot;. Looks like a big bucket on wheels. Very useful for DIY stuff, sawdust, sanding drywall, and sucking water out of a toilet when you want to replace it without making a mess. If you can get or borrow one, it'll solve your problem.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ytita.png&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/ytita.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13581" LastActivityDate="2023-10-22T22:54:26.053" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13782" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13776" CreationDate="2023-10-27T11:57:37.777" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;The push kick technique is specifically for this purpose. You bring up your knee (either one) as high as you can, and push out with your foot when the opponent is in proper range. The act of doing so may even intimidate the opponent to aborting the attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you are smaller, actually executing the push kick may push you away instead of pushing your opponent away. This is fine, if you have balance, as you are still increasing the distance between you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13334" LastActivityDate="2023-10-27T11:57:37.777" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13784" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13804" CreationDate="2023-10-29T21:38:24.517" Score="4" ViewCount="367" Body="&lt;p&gt;I have studied mma for 1 year and sometimes I spar in my gym against some who has 7 years of experience in mma, he is bigger than me, he is 6'1 and I am only 5'10, he always hits me a lot and he once kicked me in the face and I can barely hit him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How do I improve and does it has any benefits spar with guys like him that are advanced and big?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Overall we are like friends and he teaches me techniques that I don't know and I ask him a lot of questions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13125" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2023-10-31T01:44:37.140" LastActivityDate="2023-12-13T03:12:33.253" Title="How do I spar with this guy?" Tags="|training|sparring|strategy|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13785" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13784" CreationDate="2023-10-30T09:29:47.787" Score="5" Body="&lt;p&gt;Firstly, unless you are at a competition - sparring is &lt;strong&gt;not a competition, or a fight&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Unless you are some sort of martial arts god - &lt;strong&gt;you are going to get hit&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I can't count the number of students who seem to forget these two crucial points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can learn and improve from every spar, even if in an actual fight it would be one-sided.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Pick 1 at most 2 things to work on, I usually pick some techniques that we did in the class prior to sparring as that is fresh in my mind, and repeat repeat repeat until it &lt;em&gt;works for you&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I frequently have smaller, lower grade students land shots on me - that's a good thing - they have shown me what I am doing wrong in whatever I was practicing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As to the benefits of fighting a higher grade opponent - well, its a bigger learning curve for sure, but they will show you gaps in your guard that the lesser experienced may not have been able to hit. They will show you movement that the lesser experienced may not know or be able to pull of smoothly. They will show you how to effectively use techniques that the lesser experienced may not. They will show you how the attacks you throw can be blocked, evaded, negated or countered. Generally, &lt;em&gt;the better the quality of opposition you face the better you will become&lt;/em&gt; - You just need to accept that each spar against an opponent like that will be a lesson.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5926" LastActivityDate="2023-10-30T09:29:47.787" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13786" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="13789" CreationDate="2023-11-02T01:12:05.677" Score="0" ViewCount="81" Body="&lt;p&gt;Would there be any use for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol8/iss5/39/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;split-step&lt;/a&gt; or the principles it uses in martial arts or self-defense? Is anything like that utilized in martial arts or self-defense?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13572" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2023-11-03T03:26:55.653" LastActivityDate="2023-11-03T03:26:55.653" Title="Is “split-step” used or can it be used in martial arts or self-defense?" Tags="|self-defense|footwork|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13787" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13786" CreationDate="2023-11-02T11:24:18.283" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If I'm not mistaken, this is what we call &amp;quot;bouncing&amp;quot; in our school. You maintain balance on the balls of your feet, with upward motions, keeping your balance. Your feet shouldn't leave the ground while doing this; the point is to be ready to react to your opponent, staying balanced and ready to move how you ought to move.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is tae kwon do, and we use it in sparring. I doubt it could be used in self-defense, since if you have advance warning someone is going to attack you, you probably have other things you can do (like running away). Self-defense is more about reacting to an attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13334" LastActivityDate="2023-11-02T11:24:18.283" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13788" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-11-03T00:55:01.913" Score="1" ViewCount="44" Body="&lt;p&gt;How do I train myself to be aware of potential threats, or when the threat occurs, to be able to notice when additional threats arise, like the attacker’s gang or his/her friends?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13572" LastActivityDate="2023-11-03T00:55:01.913" Title="How should I use my eyes for situational awareness or while defending myself?" Tags="|awareness|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13789" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13786" CreationDate="2023-11-03T03:26:47.053" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Assuming you mean something like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mytennishq.com/tennis-split-step-a-comprehensive-guide-with-videos/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;tennis split step&lt;/a&gt;, this is not going to help you fight/spar. When someone attacks, there is not enough time to split step into a better stance. From your basic stance you need to be able to react in multiple directions already. Start from this stance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In tennis you can predict what will happen and you have space. Your opponent has to strike the ball with their racquet. You know where the ball is, how it is moving, and when the ball will be struck. The net means your opponent can never get close to you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When you are fighting, your opponent can close distance to the point where you will not be able to react to an attack. You have to maintain distance or take initiative to engage yourself. You cannot rely on being able to take two steps to avoid being hit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2023-11-03T03:26:47.053" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13790" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-11-03T04:06:24.280" Score="1" ViewCount="112" Body="&lt;p&gt;What can you tell me about breath work for times of self-defense? How would I prepare and train for a sudden ambush? There are current concepts I could call technology except it is in the form of skills and techniques, and principles and concepts. I have heard of James Nestor and also of Brian MacKenzie, current experts on breathing. They both teach that we need plenty of carbon-dioxide in order for the oxygen to be released to the body. Have any of you ever had a violent encounter and noticed your breathing?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13572" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2023-11-06T13:50:33.343" LastActivityDate="2023-11-06T13:50:33.343" Title="How do you train concepts for breath work during an actual fight for self-defense?" Tags="|self-defense|breathing|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13791" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13790" CreationDate="2023-11-04T18:16:52.460" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Just like muscle conditioning and flexibility, the best way to ensure available breath is to train in mild to moderate stress for your current health level. Build up your general cardiovascular health via exercise and drills, and train in situations where you have to react quickly to unpredictable stimuli via sparring. Short of actually training in a situation where you get attacked randomly, it's not a perfect solution, but it will get you 90% there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastActivityDate="2023-11-04T18:16:52.460" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13792" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13790" CreationDate="2023-11-06T13:50:25.970" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;If you are training breathing, don't focus on self-defense. You will not have the attention available for breathing when something happens, you will simply use whatever foundation you have built. You breathe all day, and improvement of this basic human function will improve performance, self-defence or otherwise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Stress causes changes in breathing. In general, breathing rate goes up with stress, though it's often unclear which is the cause and which is the effect. At high levels of stress, however, it's common for people to hold their breath, which is not good for an encounter that lasts more than a few seconds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;we need plenty of carbon-dioxide in order for the oxygen to be released to the body&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have read James Nestor's book &lt;em&gt;Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art&lt;/em&gt;. I would not characterize the message as this. Under normal circumstances, a person will get all the oxygen they need regardless of whether they are breathing well or not. Nestor argues that health improves with breathing slower/less. One explanation for this is the level of carbon dioxide in the blood goes up, which he explains can improve blood flow and chemistry.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have personally trained in the Daoist style of breathing, which in the basic form is simply long, even, continuous, and quiet. It's simultaneously boring and life-changing. Anecdotally, I think breath training provides major advantages in sparring situations, but progress is slow initially and it's very hard to convince someone they should do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2023-11-06T13:50:25.970" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13793" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13779" CreationDate="2023-11-06T21:47:59.977" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Place it on a pile of wood (eg, several squares of stacked plywood) as high as you can get it, no more than a foot.  Then siphon the water out into a bucket.  Use several buckets so that when emptying one, the other is filling.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Total equipment is plastic tubbing 3' long from a fish pet store, 2 buckets or wash basins, and something to hold the unit 8&amp;quot; to 12&amp;quot; up off the floor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You can (and should, if available) use a staircase instead, so rather than lifting the unit, you lower the bucket.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8201" LastActivityDate="2023-11-06T21:47:59.977" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13795" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13682" CreationDate="2023-12-06T12:14:32.427" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes that would be a &amp;quot;Banana Split&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There is also the &amp;quot;Croch Ripper&amp;quot;; difference is where the knees are pointing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If they point away from each other, its an banana split.&#xA;If thes point at the same direction, its a crotch ripper.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyQfzMiFZwM&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyQfzMiFZwM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13675" LastActivityDate="2023-12-06T12:14:32.427" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13796" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-12-06T16:48:26.643" Score="3" ViewCount="89" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am learning Western Boxing and one of the most difficult parts of training for me is I tend to struggle quickly learning long combos &amp;quot;in-the-moment.&amp;quot; For example, at training we will first do something like &amp;quot;Jab, cross, lead hook&amp;quot;, then 5 mins later, add &amp;quot;cross, slip, lead hook, cross&amp;quot;, and finally add &amp;quot;roll, roll, hook, cross&amp;quot;. So, all of this together is a combination of 11 movements, and I will often struggle to remember bits and pieces of this, and even throw the wrong punches or moves, or completely freeze up. However, after probably repeating it correctly 10 times, I will get it... But then, we're moving on to another long combo already.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It seems according to the coach and people I train with that once I do actually execute the punches or defense moves, I do them pretty well, but it got me thinking: Is there any practical reason that the skill I am struggling with matters in a boxing match? I believe that in a match or even a sparring session, rather than trying to quickly memorize long combos, it's more about reacting, reading the opponent, and adjusting accordingly. Why bother with switching so many of these very long combos during training? Is this about the memorization or the repetition of the movements? Can the short-term memorization be improved?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8912" LastActivityDate="2023-12-13T10:35:22.700" Title="Is short-term combo memorization a useful skill in fight competition?" Tags="|training|boxing|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13797" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13796" CreationDate="2023-12-07T01:44:10.343" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;I will admit to not being a boxer, but as someone who has practiced a number of martial arts, learning longer combos isn't really all that useful for fighting. Short combos make sense, because they basically teach you what moves might go well together, and builds up your muscle memory so that you don't have to stop and think about what you're going to do next. Learning a wide variety of three to four move combos is handy because you will instinctively switch them up periodically. Longer combos, though? Very seldom useful. The average opponent isn't going to wait for you to finish your ten hit combo, so you'd only be able to complete it if you're managing to tag them with the hits. If you're hitting them with all of them, then the fight is probably practically over. If they're dodging, then your next movements are going to be informed by how they're dodging.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What the longer sequences are useful for is in mass drilling where the teacher has several students to watch and they're doing more training for endurance. In an actual fight, you might be throwing a dozen techniques in succession, so you need to be in shape to move constantly through them. Making it the same moves for everyone means most people will be around the same movement in the sequence, so the teacher has a better chance of, say, noticing that someone is doing their uppercut in a way that will likely lead to a separated shoulder when that part comes up. And having some specified set of movements helps prevent people falling back into rhythms of only doing a series of straight punches, or always following their left hook with a right uppercut. But actually memorizing these sequences doesn't really do anything practical for you other than maybe a bit of mental exercise.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for improving short-term memorization, that's generally done by doing it, practicing with shorter sequences and building them up. You can train with a partner in a sort of game of &amp;quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://jr.nba.com/how-to-play-horse/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Horse&lt;/a&gt;&amp;quot; where you alternate adding one movement until someone messes up. Alternately, I've been told that digital assistants like Alexa and Siri can often generate random lists of movements, you could build something on a generator site like &lt;a href=&quot;http://perchance.org&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;http://perchance.org&lt;/a&gt;, or you could simply come up with the sequence on your own during practice, and do your best to follow it (recording yourself will let you check to see how accurate you were).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1780" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2023-12-07T20:09:03.570" LastActivityDate="2023-12-07T20:09:03.570" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13800" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13332" CreationDate="2023-12-12T07:49:07.940" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;You are right, the fist on moment of contact must be very slightly angled downward, just to the point to make sure that upper knuckles are making contact first. This is good, also, because it provides a greater contraction of forearm muscles on impact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13691" LastEditorUserId="5926" LastEditDate="2023-12-12T08:04:55.763" LastActivityDate="2023-12-12T08:04:55.763" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13801" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-12-12T19:41:36.103" Score="2" ViewCount="101" Body="&lt;p&gt;My 13 year old son has started BJJ and MMA classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The lessons are 45 minutes long, he goes 4 times a week, twice for BJJ and twice for MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The classes are for kids 8+, This costs £55 a month.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'm completely ignorant about marital arts or how it's coached. However, from what I've seen it doesn't really appear to be very good. But I admit I just might have the completely wrong impression.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These are the things I regard as problematic.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next to no coaching, the coaches are spending an inordinate amount of time with a select few of the kids that are already very skilled but very little time with anyone else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;They get shown an example of a technique, usually twice, in front of the class and then just get told to do it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But they are not coached on how to do it. No one seems to be going around observing and then correcting mistakes or giving feedback.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;More than half the time is spent not doing jiu jitsu. 45 minutes lessons and I would say they spend about 20 minutes doing actual BJJ. The rest of the time they're running around, doing exercises, playing games. I understand there has to be a warm up period but it seems weird.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Kids putting themselves in danger. They were told to do rolls, basically the coach just did this roll one time and told the kids to do it. They then proceed to do so with some of the kids jumping forward and using their heads/necks to land on. Three coaches were standing around chatting while this happened and no one stopped it and made sure they were doing it safely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He's been there for 3 weeks now and he's hardly spent more than a handful of minutes with the coaches or being shown anything.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is this normal ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What should my level of expectation be ?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The gym looked pretty reputable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13693" LastEditorUserId="13693" LastEditDate="2023-12-13T14:01:04.097" LastActivityDate="2023-12-13T14:01:04.097" Title="How can I judge the quality of my son's BJJ/MMA coaching?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|children|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13802" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13801" CreationDate="2023-12-12T21:41:34.970" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;As a licenced instructor who has worked with children for over 20 years, I'd like to differentiate between things that are &amp;quot;normal&amp;quot; and things that are &amp;quot;questionable&amp;quot;, at least in your description.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I do in no way feel qualified to judge a specific place from third-person descriptions here. The following remarks are to be understood as general in nature.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Normal for children and martial arts (in western societies at least)&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It is quite normal to have at least half of the time spent with unspecific movements and games.&lt;/strong&gt; This is not only because there needs to be a warm-up - which generally can be shorter when it comes to children compared to adolescent and especially mature students. It is mainly due to the fact that children have a shorter span of attention and that any sport at that age should aim to improve general athleticism and coordination just as well as sport specific abilities. This is even taught in many instructor licensing materials.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It is also quite normal that movements are shown a few times in front of everyone and the class should get going.&lt;/strong&gt; This is partly due to the history of martial arts, where classes were much smaller and concepts like different learning types had not been a thing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;What is questionable&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Coaching means constant interaction during repetitions, ie. observation and correction.&lt;/strong&gt; You need to have an eye on everyone and usually move from &amp;quot;worst/most dangerous mistakes&amp;quot; towards &amp;quot;needs refinement&amp;quot;, even interrupting training phases if you see some bad (or just &amp;quot;not good&amp;quot;) things happen across several students.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rolls (and everything else) should be taught from safe movements and positions (close to the ground, with hands-on help) up to more complex and dangerous movements.&lt;/strong&gt; Just showing a complex movement and not providing safety and help is reckless. But, truth be told, instructors are somewhat in a bad place due to sexual abuse/assault regulations vs. actual manual help in these movements, up to the point where guidelines basically say it's best not to touch children at all. Kind of makes good coaching impossible in martial arts, especially for bodily learning types, but that's that.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h3&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Coaches should be in constant interaction with their students - all of them  equally - and have the responsibility to provide a safe form of learning techniques. Not doing so suggests not being qualified well for teaching children in particular. Since children classes are the cash cows of martial arts schools (as for every sports club), you will often see people not personally or otherwise qualified for training children doing so nevertheless, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2023-12-12T21:41:34.970" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13803" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13796" CreationDate="2023-12-13T03:07:23.810" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Covering a few points here, the point of the long combos that are done in classes is more so to just get you put punches together and get a feel for the way different punches work consecutively, give you some examples of combos, etc. You don't really need to memorize the full combos, I'd say it's much more important to just understand concepts that those long combos help you practice like if I throw my right hand it puts me in position to roll right, or throwing my left jab gives me the opportunity to slip my head right. Things like that will be very important down the line in an actual match situation.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You're very right that a match would rely a lot on reading and reacting to your opponent but also ultimately you need to be able to put combos together on your own, for example if you were to throw a left hook in a match and watch your opponent's head moves as a result of it, drilling those long combos helps you get a sense for what movement or what next punch to throw based on where you are relative to where your opponent is.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And then as well, the repetition is what is important here. You basically improve getting these super long combos right by getting more familiar with the different movements that they require, and then as you start getting more and more comfortable with putting the pieces together it gets easier to remember the combos and do them on the fly. As far as actually going to memorize combinations, some short ones are always good to know, which you can also be able to identify by breaking down some of these long combos into shorter ones, and seeing that some of the broken down sections of the combos get reused a lot throughout all sorts of combinations. ex. 1-2, 2-3-2, 1-2-3-4, 1-1-2, etc. Hope this helps a bit and good question!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13694" LastActivityDate="2023-12-13T03:07:23.810" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13804" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13784" CreationDate="2023-12-13T03:12:33.253" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is definitely a lot of upside to sparring fighters who are better than you, it's the same idea as if you don't challenge yourself you won't get better.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;However&lt;/strong&gt;, if you are sparring this guy and he is hurting you or hitting you way too hard then he should be, then that is an issue and needs to be brought up with him or your instructor. Someone with so much more experience should not be going too hard on guys that they know they are better then, that is a big no-no.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Try to focus on learning, working on improvement areas, and building confidence when you spar and take the opportunity to spar with guys who are better than you, that's when you'll really be able to test yourself and learn more, but also make sure to stay safe and spar controlled!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13694" LastActivityDate="2023-12-13T03:12:33.253" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13805" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10480" CreationDate="2023-12-13T03:28:56.333" Score="4" Body="&lt;p&gt;In boxing when ducking your head or doing any sort of level change, the main concern is watching out for some sort of uppercut or body hook, the same applies to MMA or Muay Thai but there's a ton more to watch out for. A round kick covers a much bigger area than a punch and if you ground yourself and start ducking your head, it's gonna be tough to try and get out of the way of a round kick in time. Plus, with bobbing and weaving, this usually involves closing in the distance on an opponent which makes it so that if they were to throw a round kick, you run the risk of getting clocked by their knee instead of their shin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Apart from kicks, knees are the prevalent reason why you are told not to duck your head in MMA or Muay Thai, these can come just as fast as an uppercut and follow a similar trajectory but can have much more devastating consequences than punches.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Clinching is another big reason why we don't see this, mostly in Muay Thai where ducking your head is almost non-existent. In Muay Thai, giving up the back of your head/neck is the perfect scenario for an opposing clinch fighter. Even if you were to land a nice shot by bobbing low against a clincher, under Thai rules him getting full control of you in the clinch gives him more points.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In MMA, on the other hand we see bobbing and weaving a lot more especially because of the necessity of level changing in order to wrestle, but this also has the same risks as above with getting caught with a sneaky uppercut/knee/kick that lands on the knee which get seen pretty often in MMA, the Masvidal Askren fight is a famous example of that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13694" LastActivityDate="2023-12-13T03:28:56.333" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="13806" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6403" CreationDate="2023-12-13T03:38:47.820" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Lately you see a good number of MMA fighters who take influence from guys like Prince Naseem. This is also because of the increased freedom that MMA gives in terms of being able to keep your hands down and throw more unorthodox strikes compared to boxing. Sean O'Malley, especially in his earlier fights had a very similar, loose, light on his feet, hands-down stance. Also used the jab uppercut a lot, threw from lots of weird angles, big excessive feints, etc. Plus he is still a switch hitter!&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In boxing however, I don't think I've ever seen anyone who ever did it like Naz, but then again Naz's had a shorter career after he took a bad beating and retired soon after, so it doesn't seem like lots of boxers are too keen on going the same route. Jaron Ennis however is a guy who has the capability to fight like that and mess with his opponents. He's a very efficient switch hitter but the flashy, jerky movements are more just something that he likes to show off every once in a while rather than actually fight like that all the time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13694" LastActivityDate="2023-12-13T03:38:47.820" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14806" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13796" CreationDate="2023-12-13T10:35:22.700" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Training longer combinations increases the variation that can be achieved within combinations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A basic double-jab, straight right, left hook combo can be very useful, but there's only so many ways it can be usefully rearranged.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Why does this matter? Well... what is the ideal fighter would be able to do? Hopefully you'll agree that they become capable of throwing not just combinations they have drilled, but can adjust very quickly to the precise demands of the fight and launch whatever punches are ideal given a particular circumstance. In short, they are able to &lt;em&gt;improvise&lt;/em&gt; at speed, drawing upon a diverse arsenal of attacks to adjust the particular demands presented by any given opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Training longer combinations allows an instructor to create more variety within the combinations, which in turn can better prepare a fighter to react in a greater variety of ways to the demands of a fight. When a greater variety of longer combinations is trained, the more efficient neural pathways become at throwing not just the drilled combinations, but at improvised rearrangements of those techniques. A fighter who is able to improvise under pressure is far better placed to exert control than a fighter who relies on a limited repertoire of short combos.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Longer combo training is also very useful for high intensity fights where punch volume is high. In these contests, the puncher who stops throwing (and moving) first is often at a disadvantage. A fighter who has trained longer combinations might well be better conditioned to succeed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you keep at it, you may well find that your rate of adjusting to new combos increases greatly. Familiar portions of the combos become well drilled and easier to remember, freeing up mental space for the newer portions. Eventually, good fighters become capable of executing pad work combinations that are unfamiliar to them instantly, and to react to openings and attacks instantly in a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastActivityDate="2023-12-13T10:35:22.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14807" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="6403" CreationDate="2023-12-13T14:03:05.087" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Others may disagree, but it wouldn't surprise me if Prince was inspired by Argentinian Nicolino Locche, Junior Welterweight champion, 1968-1972, (117W/4L/14D).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;See &lt;a href=&quot;https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uzuomBmWOus&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; for a breakdown of his extraordinarily evasive style.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;According to Wikipedia, he was sometimes a lazy trainer a was also seen on occasion smoking &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&amp;amp;client=ms-android-samsung-rev2&amp;amp;source=android-browser&amp;amp;q=nicolino+locche&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;between rounds&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2023-12-14T05:34:13.827" LastActivityDate="2023-12-14T05:34:13.827" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14808" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13212" CreationDate="2023-12-13T19:31:41.700" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Definitely! The 80s to 90s in Thailand was considered the golden age of Muay Thai. At that time fighters were very traditional and fights were scored predominantly on kicks, knees, elbows, and clinching. Punches were the least valuable of the strikes and seen as more of a set up to land higher scoring strikes or to enter into a clinch. The techniques taught in basic/intro Muay Thai classes now is what was seen a lot back then with things like the high guard kept with the gloves very close to the forehead, big emphasis on checking kicks, weight on the back foot, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Over the years though, largely with the introduction of western fighters into Thailand led by guys like John Wayne Parr, they brought along Dutch kickboxing with them. This also would lead to the big Muay Thai/kickboxing scene that they have in Europe but that is unrelated. These European fighters though came to Thailand and introduced a Dutch style of kickboxing that was very punch heavy and used punches as a more effective weapon and then followed up their punching combos with kicks. That in addition to more influence from western boxing started changing up the style in Thailand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Fast forward to today, we have all sorts of different ways that people fight in Muay Thai/kickboxing. The main schools though are that the Netherlands still have Dutch kickboxing which is pretty popular in American and British gyms now too. Thais usually still have their five fighting styles Muay Femur, Buok, Tae, Mat, and Khao which is still taught outside of Thailand around the world too. As well with the increased popularity in MMA, American gyms will often teach a modified version of traditional kickboxing that is more in line with the Dutch style but also tweaked to make it more compatible with MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13694" LastActivityDate="2023-12-13T19:31:41.700" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14809" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9023" CreationDate="2023-12-14T00:45:13.223" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Defense is key if you don't want to get hit as much. Every shot you take to the head adds up in the future. In pro wrestling they call it a bump counter, where the saying goes that you only have so many bumps on your bump counter until you have to hang it up. How often your legs or body get targeted instead of your head is more so up to your opponent and how they choose to fight, the most you can do is focus on defense and minimizing how much you get hit to the head.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13694" LastActivityDate="2023-12-14T00:45:13.223" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14810" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9023" CreationDate="2023-12-14T12:03:53.050" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;With any luck, you'll already be able to decide whether you want to fight regularly,  whether as an amateur or professional.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you want to fight, then you'll have to expose yourself to the inevitable head trauma that accompanies inense sparring. As cmpunk advises, you can mitigate this by honing your defensive skills and by adopting an evasive style. There is a big difference between the damage sustained by a fighter who wades through kicks and punches to reach his target and the fighter who parries and slips, waiting for - and setting up - openings.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, if you don't want to become a serious fighter (ie. If protecting yourself from head trauma is primary), then you can spar in ways that minimise head trauma, either by banning head contact altogether, or by mandating light contact.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Consider the proportion of fighters who achieve any level of professional success and then ask yourself whether you want to confront those odds - and sustain the associated damage - or whether you merely want to have fun and keep fit.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A note: protective head gear has been found to be less safe than might be imagined. The cushioning of impacts may enable a fighter to endure more impacts than they would if they were knocked out, and as such may actually increase head trauma, so don't let the fact you use headgear lull you into a false sense of security. When you use headgear, your brain still shakes inside your skull, and if you're dehydrated, the protective fluid inside your cranium becomes diminished, worsening the impact of each blow.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11866" LastEditorUserId="11866" LastEditDate="2023-12-14T12:12:05.617" LastActivityDate="2023-12-14T12:12:05.617" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14811" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2023-12-17T13:56:26.417" Score="16" ViewCount="5614" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am currently studying and researching good self defence techniques, and the subject of eye contact has arisen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found on this Martial Arts forum here that one of the users claims that his Master advised the class to never break eye contact with someone you are fighting. However almost absolutely nobody else on this forum agrees with this Master's advice, and are almost in 100% unanimous agreement that this Master is obviously over eagre to put his Martial Arts techniques into play as the consensus appears to be that eye contact is not a good method for avoiding a fight.&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.martialartsplanet.com/threads/eye-contact-confrontation.29188/&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;Martial Arts Planet&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However the above is just a forum with anonymous users, and the opinions are not necessarily scientifically accurate, nor opinions necessarily shared by psychologists or trained martial artists, so my question is, what is the general rule in the Martial Arts world regarding eye contact? Is making eye contact good or bad for avoiding fights?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11400" LastActivityDate="2024-03-21T00:33:25.427" Title="What is the general rule in the Martial Arts world regarding eye contact? Is making eye contact good or bad for avoiding fights?" Tags="|self-defense|" AnswerCount="5" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14812" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14811" CreationDate="2023-12-17T18:14:06.013" Score="13" Body="&lt;p&gt;Here's what I did to figure out how fights happen and how to predict who will win: I watched a ton of YouTube videos showing real, actual fights that happen in real life. Others have done a similar thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The main thing I walked away with after watching many dozens of street fight videos is this: &lt;strong&gt;The one who loses the fight is usually the one who signals he doesn't want to fight.&lt;/strong&gt; You can usually predict what will happen within the first few seconds of the interaction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What does it mean to signal that you don't want to fight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Typically, street fights go down like this. The aggressor gets really upset about something some other guy did and quickly walks up to him and gets within punching range. The aggressor then stares straight at the other guy's face menacingly, pushes out his chest, hangs his arms down at his sides and clenches his fists while raising his voice in anger. The aggressor usually does micro aggressions which twitch his shoulder or forearms in a manner that indicates he's starting to punch, and he's watching the defender's reaction to it to gauge whether the defender will fight back. Sometimes if the aggressor gets closer, he begins shoving the defender's chest, pushing him back. This is pretty common. He's again trying to gauge whether the defender will fight back or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The defender then has two options. He can back down or stand up to the aggressor. If he backs down, he typically steps back, lowers and calms his voice, and says he doesn't want to fight or asks him what his problem is. His eyes usually stare at the guy, but occasionally you can see he's looking to the side to indicate that he doesn't want to be there and wants to leave. That's pretty typical of what someone looks like backing down and not wanting to fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes it's just that the defender stands there looking kind of weak and &lt;strong&gt;averts his eyes&lt;/strong&gt; from the aggressor. His body just kind of turns to jello, very weak. He's making it very obvious with his body language that he won't fight back, and he's hoping this will be accepted by the aggressor and that the aggressor will take pity on him and leave him alone. He's putting himself at the mercy of the aggressor.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What it looks like for the defender to stand up to the aggressor is for the defender to posture up, stand his ground, and &lt;strong&gt;stare right into the eyes&lt;/strong&gt; of the aggressor. He doesn't take his eyes away. He won't occasionally look to the side. He just keeps staring straight at the aggressor. He might even take a step towards the aggressor instead of stepping back. He often looks relaxed. This says to the aggressor that if he attempts to fight, the defender is ready for it and will fight back. Having a relaxed posture also indicates that he's got the skill to back it up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Who wins the fight?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The one who wins is the one who punches first, typically.&lt;/strong&gt; If the aggressor walks right up to the defender and basically talks trash to him, starts shoving him back repeatedly, all while not throwing any actual punches, and the defender is looking like he's ready to fight, then the defender might throw the first punch and win. This is because the defender realizes that the aggressor doesn't really want to fight. You see, if the aggressor hasn't actually thrown any punches after a while of just going off verbally on the defender and maybe even shoving him back repeatedly, then that is a signal to the defender that the aggressor isn't really going to attack. The defender realizes that he has an opportunity to throw the first punch and beat the aggressor, so he does.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, if the aggressor goes up to the defender and realizes that the defender is weak and doesn't want to fight, the aggressor may throw the first punch fairly soon in the interaction. That's because the aggressor knows the other guy isn't going to fight back, and the aggressor wants to fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So from a self-defense perspective, &lt;strong&gt;it's important that you signal readiness to fight&lt;/strong&gt; to your opponent. That means you &lt;strong&gt;don't look away from your opponent&lt;/strong&gt;. You don't try to back away. You do need to posture up by pushing out your chest, pulling your shoulders up, tucking your chin, and getting into a stance that's ready to punch and ready to sprawl. Get your arms up and ready to guard your head from a strike. You can get your hands up without getting into a boxing punching position, too, so that your opponent doesn't take it as an immediate threat.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's then up to you as a defender whether or not you're going to throw the first punch. Legally, that could be a problem for you. But just speaking for myself, if it's clear that the aggressor isn't ready to fight at that moment but may still attack me soon enough, I might use that opportunity to throw the first punch. That's because I know that if it connects, generally the odds of me winning and surviving go up a lot. Whereas, if I wait and let him attack me, my chances of survival go down a lot. It all depends on whether or not you think he's going to attack for real. It's not usually obvious, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for what you're doing with your eyes: Think of it like this. If you're not looking at his eyes, you can't &lt;strong&gt;read&lt;/strong&gt; what he's going to do. You're a sitting duck. You're just hoping he's seeing that you're not interested in fighting, calms down, gets bored, and walks away. Yeah, he's yelling at you and maybe shoving you, but you figure that's okay so long as he doesn't start punching you. But that's generally not something you can rely on. Instead, they often will take that opportunity to attack you, because you're indicating that you're weak and won't fight back.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you need to stare at his eyes. That's very important from a self-defense perspective. It's going to signal that you're not weak, and you're ready to fight. It's also going to allow you to read him and give you a heads up before he makes a move. This is a proven concept in almost all martial arts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, many martial arts will teach you that when someone comes up to you aggressively, you should immediately take a step back, get into a stance, put arms up, palms facing out, and stare at the guy while saying to him that you don't want to fight. This is for two purposes. First, it attempts to deescalate. Fights are bad. Even when you win, you might get hurt. You might even die. So it's best not to fight if it can be avoided. And so deescalation is a pretty good idea. Second, while saying you don't want to fight, you're actually in a position to be able to defend yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Legally, this is the best approach. You're waiting for the aggressor to attack, but you're ready to defend if so. You're relying on your martial arts skill to be able to maintain the distance, read your opponent, and react fast enough to avoid his attack while also allowing you to counter-attack.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That is a popular martial arts &lt;strong&gt;theory&lt;/strong&gt;. The theory isn't necessarily wrong, but it often &lt;strong&gt;fails&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It fails for two reasons. First, it overestimates your skill and ability to see an attack coming and be able to react to it quick enough and decisively enough. You think you have enough distance between you two to be able to see anything coming, but it's often not enough. You think you can block a very powerful punch coming, but you may only deflect some of its force before getting hit. Even a grazing hit to your jaw can leave you nearly knocked out and much weaker, unable to fight back. And even if you managed to defend against that strike, you don't know what to do next. Some people just freeze, because this is something they're just not trained to do. It's real life, not play sparring. They don't know what to do. The other guy, however, doesn't care. He just keeps coming. You just bought yourself a few extra seconds before lights out for you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Second, what is often left out of martial arts training is that you shouldn't actually &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; want to fight. You're taught to deescalate and indicate to the other person that you don't want to fight. What is left out of martial arts training, in my experience, is that you should just &lt;strong&gt;look&lt;/strong&gt; like you don't want to fight. Inside your head, however, you should have already thrown a switch that puts you in a fighting mindset, so you're ready to fight right then and there.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You actually have to &lt;strong&gt;want&lt;/strong&gt; to fight, and you're just holding yourself back for the right opportunity or until he backs down. If you don't want to fight, you're going to lose. This is an aspect of martial arts training that is often not taught or explained, to the detriment of their students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion, staring at your opponent is an important aspect of self-defense. It signals your readiness to fight and makes it less likely you'll be attacked. It also allows you to read what your opponent is going to do before it happens, which is vital for giving you enough time to react and defend yourself. Looking away indicates that you don't want to fight, and your opponent can use that as an invitation to attack, since they know you won't fight back. Who wins in real street fights can usually be predicted by looking at this and other elements of body language within the first few seconds of the interaction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;EDIT: I went back to read the forum in the question's link. They were talking about situations which didn't involve an immediate fight. You're maybe sitting at a bar and someone is staring at you from across the bar. Then it is acceptable to break eye contact. You're not in an encounter just yet. You don't want to provoke him. He's maybe looking for any reason to go over and pick a fight with you. So you just ignore it, look away, go back to what you're doing. If he then wants to come right up to you and start a fight, that's when what I wrote applies. Of course, there are a number of verbal deescalation methods to use before that even starts. But you have to do it before he postures up. You can get a hint of at the following link:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/-4UEgtt4ZPM?si=1PR0shejEmyMtApK&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/-4UEgtt4ZPM?si=1PR0shejEmyMtApK&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2023-12-17T23:32:04.017" LastActivityDate="2023-12-17T23:32:04.017" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14813" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14811" CreationDate="2023-12-18T03:44:37.677" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;The answer provided by Steve Weigand is an excellent and thorough answer and I believe it is the correct answer. I do not have enough points to add a comment to his answer, and there is one major aspect of your question that was left unclarified. I think it's extremely important that the OP understand this distinction, as it seems to be the center of his confliction. So I am providing this answer to hopefully help explain why you're perceiving a major conflict in the advice from your Master, with the advice of the forum.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In your question, you first state that your Master has advised you to never break eye contact with a person you are fighting.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Next, you refer to the dissenting advice of the linked martial arts forum. However, you appear to be comparing two different situations, and this is likely why the advice you received differs so much.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I don't know what question you posed to the martial arts forum, or how you posed it, but the advice &lt;strong&gt;does not&lt;/strong&gt; actually conflict with the advice of your Master. In this case, wording is important.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You stated that your Master advised you never to break eye contact with &lt;strong&gt;someone you are fighting.&lt;/strong&gt; This is true for as long as you are actively engaged in a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, the advise you are viewing as conflicting, is not actually. Keep in mind that I am taking your wording at face value. The advise from your Master is indicative of your behavior &lt;strong&gt;during&lt;/strong&gt; a fight. The advise from the forum is indicative of your behavior either &lt;strong&gt;before&lt;/strong&gt; you're engaged in a fight, or when you're trying to escape from or deescalate a fight. Your Master's advise is specifically regarding self defense and is likely based on a very basic assumption with self defense; you are beyond the point of de-escalation, and your opponent has engaged you. You are being taught to defend yourself when attacked and forced to fight, or if you've assessed the situation and fighting is the only option that you stand a chance of winning or surviving. Once an opponent has, in their mind, engaged you in a fight, you are in a fight. Some people think that pre-fight tactics for avoiding a fight are self defense. My opinion is that those tactics are important and it's always best to be able to avoid a fight, but I consider self defense to be combat and defending yourself from active threats.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It might be good to address your Master individually and ask him respectfully if he could explain to you what self defense is to him. Does he consider de-escalation or avoidance tactics to be part of self defense? Knowing this will help you fully understand what he will be teaching you, what he won't be teaching you, and what courses you should consider to compliment these skills he will teach you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So just to recap, the advice, as you described it, is not conflicting. They address two different scenarios, and it's important to understand that distinction. A person's eyes tell an immense amount of information about the general mood, thought process, and behavior of the person at that moment. And it's important to understand whether a fight is avoidable or not, and when you've been engaged. Like Steve said, if you avoid eye contact when your opponent has already engaged you, you're going to get hit, get hurt, and your chances of survival are lessened.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Best of luck with your training.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13700" LastEditorUserId="13700" LastEditDate="2023-12-18T03:49:54.817" LastActivityDate="2023-12-18T03:49:54.817" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14814" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14811" CreationDate="2023-12-18T20:52:23.073" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Hands kill people. Eye contact has nothing to do with that. If you're in a situation that is about to come to blows and you have tunnel vision on their eyes, you're going to have far less reaction time to avoid, counter, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13708" LastActivityDate="2023-12-18T20:52:23.073" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14815" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14811" CreationDate="2023-12-20T03:30:58.787" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;There is a video clip of Mike Tyson showing how to box and he doesn't look at opponents eyes because &amp;quot;his face can't hit me&amp;quot; (c)&#xA;He seems to know about punching, before a fight stare each other down, during a fight look at frame/shoulders.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13718" LastActivityDate="2023-12-20T03:30:58.787" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14816" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14811" CreationDate="2023-12-20T06:33:46.130" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I know no general rule for how to use eye contact to avoid fights. Eye contact is intimate, and the way one person responds to eye contact may not be the same as another. Maybe the other person finds you attractive, or maybe they take your eye contact as a challenge. You cannot expect to go through public urban spaces making eye contact with everyone you find a vague potential threat without garnering unwanted attention. You also cannot avoid eye contact with everyone and expect bullies seeking a mark to leave you alone.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once someone has invaded your space, eye contact is warranted, but this seems late for taking action.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Once you have come to blows, eye contact is not a good idea. Fixating on the eyes makes it more difficult to use peripheral vision to see threats away from the face, whether low kicks, another attacker, or something else.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2023-12-20T06:33:46.130" CommentCount="4" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14817" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10480" CreationDate="2023-12-29T07:06:31.533" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;Qiu &amp;quot;Tank&amp;quot; Jianliang and Ramon Dekkers might be what you're looking for?  Not as much due to more types of attacks, but still something akin to the evasion and countering.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Randy Couture's &lt;em&gt;Wrestling for Fighting&lt;/em&gt; highlighted using head movement to set up takedowns, and that focusing on level change etc. may make it &amp;quot;easier&amp;quot; for a striker to learn wrestling and vice-versa.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11340" LastActivityDate="2023-12-29T07:06:31.533" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14818" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13186" CreationDate="2024-01-03T18:21:30.573" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Nothing is wrong with not &lt;em&gt;wanting&lt;/em&gt; to spar, but in order to make progress, yes, you must spar. Sparring makes you learn things you don't learn in other aspects of the art, such as footwork, timing, and pacing (you can learn to manage your activity to mitigate getting tired).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;When my instructor learned my least favorite form, my instructor told me to practice that form even more. This is part of the discipline of the art. Eventually, I no longer considered it to be my least favorite form. This doesn't mean you must eventually learn to like sparring, but you should come to see the value in it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Forms is stylized sparring against multiple opponents, where you know in advance how each opponent is going to approach you and what you must do when they do. You may think of sparring as spontaneous forms against single opponents, if you like.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It makes no difference if you aren't good at sparring, winning no tournaments. Whether you do your best at it is the important thing. The biggest benefits of tae kwon do are mental, though the physical ones don't hurt to get, either.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13334" LastActivityDate="2024-01-03T18:21:30.573" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14819" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13028" CreationDate="2024-01-03T18:33:37.357" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;For tae kwon do, it basically stems from physics. If you kick with the ball of your foot for a roundhouse kick, then the bones of your foot all face your target, so support the kick. If you kick with the shin or instep (we teach to kick with the instep to start with), then you could injure your shin or instep if you kick a solid enough target with enough force.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It is also true that kicks with the feet have inherently longer range than with the shin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You specifically asked about roundhouse kick, but the pe-chagi, or slash kick, does use the shin. That is the only tae kwon do kick I know of that uses it. Other parts of the foot are used for other kicks, though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13334" LastActivityDate="2024-01-03T18:33:37.357" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14820" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2024-01-09T09:19:54.777" Score="3" ViewCount="54" Body="&lt;p&gt;Disclaimer: I don't consider anything here to be professional advice.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I want to start Muay Thai but I don't want to get hits to the eye due to an eye condition called keratoconus.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I was considering going for caged headgear, but I'm not sure I want to sacrifice that much peripheral vision if there are alternatives, and I've read the use of headgear may increase brain damage long term than not using it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So now I'm leaning onto sports goggles like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07KX651JP?psc=1&amp;amp;ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt;. I've used this one before when playing soccer, and I once took a full hit to the face from a very fast ball at close range. My eyes suffered no damage and I only sustained a minor cut on the bridge of my nose.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've also been testing them by punching myself in eyes with 16oz gloves. I gradually increased the punching power and I didn't feel anything too adverse and the goggles remained intact. Of course I understand I'm limited in how much I can fully test this out by myself.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I wanted to know if this could be worth it or not before I actually turn up to a club or if there are risks I should be considering here?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13748" LastActivityDate="2024-01-09T09:19:54.777" Title="Are impact protection goggles worth it for Muay Thai for someone who can't take hits to the eye?" Tags="|muay-thai|injury|protective-equipment|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14821" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2024-01-10T01:32:34.017" Score="4" ViewCount="63" Body="&lt;p&gt;I am practicing &amp;quot;American Boxing&amp;quot; I believe it's called. I have a very well-respected and experienced coach who has a seasoned amateur and professional record, and who has trained some successful boxers, and I am under 1:1 instruction by him.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;One thing we've been working a lot lately is my lead hook, which currently is quite rough. From my coach's perspective, I need to put my elbow up higher, really snap my hip, and he's been instructing me to &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;exaggerate&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; the elbow height even, to get into the habit of it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, I have a problem that is less-visible to my coach, and that is that when I've been performing my lead hook, much of the time, it causes a lot of acute hand pain and it is the only punch where this occurs in my boxing regimen. The best way to describe it is that it feels like when I am throwing the punch that my fist is either not fully clenched/supported, or that somehow the strike angle of the punch is catching my thumb or a part of my hand that it probably shouldn't be. This creates shooting pains through my hand as if for example one may feel if they were to only clench their fist half way, and with sloppy form sorta slap a heavy bag (or a human, frankly) with an area of the hand other than the striking knuckles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The thing that's weird is that this never happens with the jab or right hand for me, this issue vaguely occurs on some uppercuts as well...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;To be frank, this is the first time where I'm experiencing a quite high force being placed on my hands in these positions (my coach is &lt;strong&gt;thrusting&lt;/strong&gt; the practice mitts into my hand quite hard), and part of me feels that some of this I just have to push through until my hands &amp;quot;toughen up&amp;quot; a bit (ligaments, tendons, etc get used to the force applied), but I also just wanted to ask if there were any specific tips to mitigate these described issues &lt;em&gt;inside the glove&lt;/em&gt;? I have obviously tried actively focusing my mind on clenching my fist harder as I throw the lead hook, and another thing I've tried which actually did help quite a bit was to throw the punch as high as possible, exaggerating as my coach stated... I think that the lower throw was somehow affecting the strike angle and potentially contributing to the issue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I have not tried separate gloves, but I suspect this isn't really &amp;quot;the gloves fault&amp;quot; regardless, I currently use Hayabusa T3 and haven't had any other issues with them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NOTE: I am not looking for any medical advice, this question pertains to the technique and form of the punches in order to make then effective and help avoid future injury, rather than asking for treatment (there is no current injury anyway).&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8912" LastActivityDate="2024-03-26T11:53:14.840" Title="How can I improve my hand's strength and form when performing a lead left hook in boxing?" Tags="|training|boxing|injury|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="3" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14822" PostTypeId="1" AcceptedAnswerId="14825" CreationDate="2024-01-13T20:41:18.957" Score="6" ViewCount="2463" Body="&lt;p&gt;I watched a YouTube video where some martial arts guy compared &amp;quot;martial arts weapons&amp;quot; with modern self-defense weapons (possibly &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4j7BuQBacQ&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this one&lt;/a&gt;). The guy he did this with, apparently some &amp;quot;weapons enthusiast&amp;quot; (and if I remember correctly, he was a cop or something like that), had a surprising opinion:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;He claimed that the self-defense flashlight was the best modern self-defense weapon.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;He argued that it would temporarily blind the opponent, effectively giving the user some &amp;quot;free time&amp;quot;, while not causing as much bodily harm as a gun, which would obviously also stop the opponent.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Excited about the seemingly underrated concept of a self-defense flashlight, I noticed the following arguments in favor of the concept:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You can have an optic about evenly scattering the light across a big cone, making aiming really easy, provided the light source is bright enough and the distance is not too large.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;You can probably easily blind multiple opponents in front of you consecutively in about a second or so, and then run away in a random direction while they can't see, provided you are not encircled, but I think you usually won't be encircled without noticing if you're alert enough.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;These oversimplified quick thoughts lead me to suspect that a self-defense flashlight bright enough with enough spread may just be enough to get out of most assailant-induced dangerous situations normal people regularly face, making martial arts obsolete for them.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, &lt;strong&gt;I neither know martial arts nor self-defense well at all&lt;/strong&gt;, so I do not know whether my opinion is practically accurate or not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Thus, I would like to ask:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Assuming a &lt;strong&gt;reasonably alert subject&lt;/strong&gt;,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;exposed to an &lt;strong&gt;&amp;quot;average&amp;quot; assault&lt;/strong&gt;,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit 3:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;with the &lt;strong&gt;assault scenarios weighed by the risk they pose&lt;/strong&gt;, (so if for example being slapped is 10 times more common than being stabbed, being stabbed actually is the &amp;quot;average&amp;quot; assault because, accounting for the damage, being stabbed poses the far greater risk)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;in a European country where &lt;strong&gt;guns are &amp;quot;illegal&amp;quot;&lt;/strong&gt;,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;how likely do they get away unscathed, if they have an optimal (maybe even home built) self-defense flashlight ready to hand?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Are there common assault scenarios (for the reasonably alert, otherwise average Joe in Europe) where the optimal self-defense flashlight is not gonna cut it, and martial arts is required?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did not consider the issue of domestic violence, because in my environment, this is no issue. In his answer, &lt;strong&gt;Huw Evans nicely pointed out that in the case of domestic violence (which sadly is quite common, even in Europe), martial arts is the better option&lt;/strong&gt;. This technically solves the original question, but does not help me personally, because luckily in my environment this is not an issue, so I decided to edit the question to exclude this case, as opposed to creating a new one that's 90% duplicate.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So I now additionally restrict my question to the case that:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;the subject lives in an environment where &lt;strong&gt;domestic violence is not an issue&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Edit 2:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Reading the comments, I'd like to clarify the following:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Obviously, &lt;strong&gt;avoiding conflict is best if it can be done safely&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;This question only considers &lt;strong&gt;the cases where avoiding conflict is not possible or not safe&lt;/strong&gt;. (Because the other cases are not an issue, as one can simply avoid the conflict to get away unscathed.)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13753" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2024-01-29T12:23:40.170" LastActivityDate="2024-01-29T12:23:40.170" Title="Tactical flashlight vs martial arts for self defense?" Tags="|self-defense|weapons|recommendation|streetfight|style|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="12" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14823" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14822" CreationDate="2024-01-13T22:17:24.700" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;In terms of actual self defence capabilities.  Yes, it's not bad.  It's a club if nothing else and blunt instruments are useful in a fight.  Yes if it's already dark or if it's extremely powerful it could also be used to ruin people's night vision.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, are you going to carry this thing around with you 24/7?  It's a odd thing to do considering how rare assault is in most parts of Europe.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The most common type of assault to my knowledge is Domestic Abuse related.  Are you really going to use this in such a scenario?  Most other violence is gang related.  Being in a gang has it's own issues and dangers.  If you were involved with this kind of thing though, you probably wouldn't have to ask this question.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Basically normal people in Europe and the UK don't really need self defence solutions for the streets.  Even though many people, and women in particular, feel vulnerable a better solution is to simply not travel alone where possible and be polite to people.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Laws vary by jurisdiction.  &lt;strong&gt;In the UK&lt;/strong&gt; (not in European Union at present but I live there so I know the score) the word 'weapon' includes three types of object.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Objects designed to be weapons.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;Objects not designed to be weapons but adapted to become used as weapons.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Any other objects carried with the intent of being utilized as weapons&lt;/strong&gt;... Including flashlights (also kitchen knives and baseball bats).&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The way this works is that you can't carry &lt;em&gt;anything&lt;/em&gt; with the intention of using it as a weapon.  However if you happen to be carrying any object (including a knife or flashlight) for some other reason you can use it for self defence so long as the way you do so constitutes 'reasonable use of force'.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So carrying a flashlight to use as a weapon is not legal here.  Carrying a high grade flashlight in particular will look very poor in the eyes of the judiciary unless you have some other good reason for carrying it.  Say because you work in a mine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Every functioning judiciary regardless of origin has an idea of premeditation. Carrying weapons may be legal, but usually getting into fights is frowned upon.  Being in the position of pleading self defence as a legal defence is not something you want to have to do anywhere in the world. In most places outside the USA having a gun (or for that matter a 'self defence flashlight') to hand just looks like you wanted to fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6503" LastActivityDate="2024-01-13T22:17:24.700" CommentCount="10" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14824" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14822" CreationDate="2024-01-14T12:52:47.137" Score="3" Body="&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;how likely do they get away unscathed, if they have an optimal (maybe even home built) self-defense flashlight ready to hand?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If it's daylight, it may not do much good. The darker it is, the more likely they will be to get away unscathed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It also depends how easy the flashlight is to get to and use. I assume it is very easy to use, being designed for this purpose, but if it's hidden away in a purse or a backpack it may do little good. You may want to practice drawing it, which includes pointing it in the direction of the anticipated attacked, and finding the ON switch.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For self defense, the more effective your weapons, the more effective they will be. Martial artists are never without the self defense weapons they have trained to use, no matter the time of day, and I think they are never illegal to have, though may possibly be illegal to use.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given reasonable conditions, it is very likely the defender in your situation will get away unscathed. The likelihood decreases the brighter it is and the less capable the defender is of getting the flashlight in hand and assuming and using properly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13334" LastActivityDate="2024-01-14T12:52:47.137" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14825" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14822" CreationDate="2024-01-15T03:16:10.273" Score="7" Body="&lt;p&gt;First a small disclaimer and apology: I didn’t feel my post rises to the level of an &lt;em&gt;answer&lt;/em&gt;, but I couldn’t shorten it to fit as a comment.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Theory and speculation are fun, but does anyone have first hand experience?&#xA;Mine may be relevant, though not quite a match:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Late one night I heard a curious sort of sound outside my house and went to investigate.  I had my new million candlepower light in hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I am neither big nor confrontive, and certainly not a fighter, but I didn’t anticipate a confrontation with anything more fearsome than a raccoon raiding a trashcan.  I hadn’t even thought to bring my phone, let alone call the police.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sweeping the beam around the yard next door, I spotted a man laying face down in the grass.  I trained the beam on him and asked if he was alright.  To cut to the chase, it seemed he had broken into a car (making the strange sound), but then dropped to the ground when he saw my beam, and feigned illness.  He kept his eyes closed and tried to shield them with his hand.  I held him at bay with the blinding light until I went back inside my house to summon the police, and so he escaped.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I doubt the man - who had broken into a car, making the sound that had intrigued me - would have obeyed or been the least bit intimidated by the likes of me, had he not been blinded by the light.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Upon their arrival, the police officers meant to search for the man with their own zillion candlepower tactical light - but it was dark because no one had remembered to charge it.  Something to consider if you’re counting on it for your defense.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13755" LastActivityDate="2024-01-15T03:16:10.273" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14826" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13696" CreationDate="2024-01-20T12:33:41.447" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I do some research that Taekwondo WTF is Base on Northern Chinese Martial Art is call Long Fist Kung Fu was created by Zhao Kuangyin and Shotokan Karatedo FSKA is originally from Southern Chinese Martial Art also created by Fang Qinian.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13767" LastActivityDate="2024-01-20T12:33:41.447" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14827" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8942" CreationDate="2024-01-23T04:05:32.043" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Solo dancing and freestyle is still dancing but the main detractors here talk about ballroom dancing.&lt;/strong&gt; So I'll emphasize that ballroom dancing isn't the only dance.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ol&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Have you ever done any improvisational dancing with someone and you're not even touching? Or if you do touch it's not that one person is &amp;quot;leading&amp;quot; and the other simply &amp;quot;following&amp;quot; but rather you're both energetically, equally contributing, creating and working off of each other? This can be any style of music and dance; think break dancing, hip hop or modern-contemporary dancing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ballroom dance studios tend to teach in a very &amp;quot;lead versus follow&amp;quot; manner and I don't see that much improv when you compare it to most Afro-Latin dances. I'm a dance instructor of Afro-Latin partner dances (Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, UrbanKiz). All of these Afro-Latin dances have moments of improv. Normally improv isn't taught in a studio, but what usually happens is that a student has learned enough or is bold enough to try it on the dance floor. In Afro-Latin dances I see - mostly among advanced dancers - a lot more balance between the lead and follow and a lot of fun improv where they're mirroring and challenging each other. Something like &amp;quot;Rumba&amp;quot; Cubana comes to mind, where the goal essentially is to &amp;quot;get the girl,&amp;quot; while she is coy. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaNfdh0iWCg&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Check it out&lt;/a&gt;! You see improv a lot in Salsa (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9McYHX7DdHA&amp;amp;list=PL64JBFcXhlnUB8u1PnUmkk1L9yQtCarHZ&amp;amp;index=4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;this video opens with some of that improv&lt;/a&gt;), Semba (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0KsEaH97O4&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;here they break a few times to improv apart&lt;/a&gt;) and sometimes UrbanKiz. OH! I almost forgot West Coast Swing! Of course, in these dances there still seems to be a lot of arm contact, but still. Improv like this where you're using eye contact and peripheral vision - not staring down at the feet - to react to what they're offering and proactively offer. This instinct to know where the other person's weight is, what they're doing with their arms, be able to reply quickly and also offer something has got to be helpful. Practice and it becomes second-nature to predict what your partners' (opponents') body is going to do.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Please don't rule out dance classes because ballroom is stricter, more lead-follow focused and isn't as improvisational. Of course, not all ballroom studios teach exactly the same way.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ol&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13771" LastActivityDate="2024-01-23T04:05:32.043" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14828" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2024-01-23T14:30:23.807" Score="2" ViewCount="63" Body="&lt;p&gt;I need a fukuro shinai to practise kenjustu (Kashima no tachi). I’m vegan and Fukuro shinais are typically covered with leather, and I think the shinai itself contains some parts that are made of leather. Is there any version of this weapon that is made without using any animal product? If not, is there any other training weapon that I can use instead?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13772" LastActivityDate="2024-01-23T18:47:50.987" Title="Vegan Fukuro Shinai" Tags="|weapons|kenjutsu|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14829" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14828" CreationDate="2024-01-23T18:47:50.987" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's a pity I didn't write it down, but I do recall there was a place selling non-leather fukuro shinai. But that was probably 25 years ago. And I didn't find anything in a google search just now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So then the next best thing is to construct your own fukuro shinai, which is actually not that difficult! Here are some links that go over it:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://content.instructables.com/pdfs/E4I/ZI4O/GRTHT02X/Make-a-Fukuro-Shinai-15th-century-Japanese-traini.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://content.instructables.com/pdfs/E4I/ZI4O/GRTHT02X/Make-a-Fukuro-Shinai-15th-century-Japanese-traini.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK46aT3H5YE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK46aT3H5YE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz6k1EG-tGA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz6k1EG-tGA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.e-bogu.com/Specialized-Shinai-s/535.htm&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.e-bogu.com/Specialized-Shinai-s/535.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That last link is to a store that sells just the bamboo. So the idea is you buy the bamboo from them or someone else who sells it, and then add your own cover and grip yourself. And if you get raw bamboo instead of fukuro shinai bamboo, then you just need to split it in the way a fukuro shinai would be split. And there are videos on the web showing how to do that.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now you'll just need to cut a section of vegan leather to use. A video I linked to above shows what to do for normal leather, but you'd just use vegan leather instead. You can find vegan leather at crafts and fabric stores. You can find it for sale on Amazon as well. If it's not called &amp;quot;vegan leather&amp;quot;, look for &amp;quot;synthetic leather&amp;quot;. Get something that's thick. Probably need something on the order of 2mm thick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I've seen fukuro shinai with canvas material used on the outside instead of leather, also. To make that kind of shinai, you would first create a cover in vegan leather on the inside, and then cover that in a canvas cover.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are two methods for stitching the leather, as you can see in the links I gave above. First method is to do it the traditional way which involves punching holes in the leather and stitching leather rope into them to tie it off.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That won't work for vegan leather, because vegan leather is weaker and needs shoe eyelets added to protect the holes from tearing. Because shoe eyelets are made from metal, they would not be allowed on a fukuro shinai.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So the only other option is to stitch the vegan leather in the modern way by using a sewing machine and thread. One of the links above shows that method. You can do it by hand if you don't have a sewing machine, if you're good at that sort of thing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I think the next step is to then turn the cover inside out and insert the bamboo into the cover. Before you do that, you might want to add some extra padding to the bamboo, by wrapping it in some cotton fabric. Old t-shirts you plan to throw away, for example.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then once the cover is on, you have to fasten it to the bamboo. The links above go over some methods. The easiest is just to use tape.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And finally, you can use tape or rope to fashion a grip. Some people add a tsuba from a regular kendo shinai (the round shaped one).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you get the hang of it, you have the possibility of forming your own e-store. You could make these for others. There might be a market for this.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastActivityDate="2024-01-23T18:47:50.987" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14830" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2024-01-23T21:38:42.777" Score="6" ViewCount="135" Body="&lt;p&gt;I've been teaching karate for about 10 years now, and business has been going well. All of my advanced classes have 40-50+ kids on the mat, and I normally run the class myself. The problem I run into is some parents complaining, 'How come my kid isn't getting any attention?' and 'Why do you always call on this kid more?' I'm trying to figure out if I should change how I teach or should I just address the parent. I’ve only been taught one way and it seems to work for me and the benefit of the school just want to hear from other people. Thank you&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13774" LastEditorUserId="6354" LastEditDate="2024-01-24T20:44:53.797" LastActivityDate="2024-01-25T12:49:48.687" Title="As an instructor, how to deal with complaining parents?" Tags="|karate|teaching|children|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14831" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13218" CreationDate="2024-01-24T05:05:32.163" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I use 2 miniature baseball bats. They're sold on Amazon. 1 min hitting, 1 minute rubbing up and down, 5 reps each leg, every other day to give recovery time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13775" LastActivityDate="2024-01-24T05:05:32.163" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14832" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14830" CreationDate="2024-01-24T21:42:16.043" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm going to tell you how we used to handle teaching large classes.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally the way we handled classes of any size is to have the beginning and the end of the class whereby everyone has lined up and is doing what the head instructor says all together. But in between the beginning and the end of the class, you should be breaking up the students into small groups to work on stuff more individually.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each group can be composed of, say, 8 students max. The actual number doesn't matter, but you'll figure it out after a while of teaching and observing what works the best.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Each group would have a student or an assistant instructor who is of a higher rank than the rest of the group. That person will lead the group after the head instructor has given him/her instructions on what to go over. The lower the rank of this person, the less students he/she will lead.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So if you have 10 white belts, you might take a brown belt (advanced student) and have him teach all 10 white belts. If, instead, you have a yellow belt lead, the yellow belt should only teach one to two students at the same time, max. That's because yellow belts are just one higher than white belt. So you would need 5 yellow belts to teach 10 white belts.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Now, as head instructor, your job is also to ensure that your &amp;quot;leaders&amp;quot; are able to work on their stuff, too. You're not paying them to teach the entire time. They want to work on their stuff, too. So, after 5 minutes or so, you have everyone stop and come to attention, bow to their leader, and the leaders get put into their own groups where other leaders will be appointed to teach them. The original groups can stay the way they are, but new leaders are appointed for the group. If at all possible, you want to break the group up and have them put into other groups. That way, students get a chance to practice with other students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The head instructor is usually going to be going around the class at this point to observe all the different groups. So he/she should be making the rounds. And sometimes that means not every group will be visited within that 5 minutes that everyone is doing stuff. But in a typical class, each student will have been under the direct supervision of the head instructor probably several times. That's because the groups will rotate around, and the head instructor will get around to all the students eventually during the class.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are other times in the class where everyone is doing the same thing. For example, if the head instructor calls everyone around the ring to spar and watch sparring. So for 10 minutes or so, everyone is sitting down around this ring waiting for two people to be called up and to spar. It could be any two people. And with a large class, only a small percentage of students will get a chance to spar in front of everyone. The head instructor will give those two sparring partners coaching and correction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for favoritism, this happens sometimes even subconsciously. An instructor might single out one or two students as the best students or the worst students. So those students might get extra attention. Here's what I think about that...&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;First of all, students that are putting in extra effort and genuinely showing more interest in the martial art are going to get more attention. That's fine. They've earned it. And it should be rewarded. These students are able to progress more quickly and ask more and deeper questions. So they need more and better instruction.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's similar to having a &amp;quot;gifted&amp;quot; program in regular, academic school. Gifted kids in school are identified and given special attention. They can absorb the material more quickly and need a deeper explanation that would come from more advanced and individualized teaching. The same is sort of true about these students in martial arts. They may be &amp;quot;gifted&amp;quot; in martial arts, but usually they're just very interested in it and do a lot of work at home that the other students aren't doing. So they tend to advance more quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;As for the students that are lagging behind, you need to give them more attention as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How you achieve balance with regards to how much attention you're giving to individuals vs. the rest of the class is really subjective. But one thing you can do to help prevent favoritism and jealousy is to assign assistant instructors to focus more on those individuals that need the attention. Let the head instructor be free to move around and give attention more equally.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It was not uncommon for our class to have maybe a couple students who were just better than everyone else. And for those students, the head instructor would assign one of the best senior black belts in the entire school to work with them more individually and give them more time with those senior black belts. But the head instructor would always be moving around during the class, observing and coaching real quickly before continuing to move around.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What about the parents? Parents often confront instructors when they believe their kids aren't being advanced quick enough or aren't being given enough attention.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes the parents are right. They may see their kid standing around looking lost, and no instructor comes around to help for the entire 5 minutes that the group is doing stuff. That's an eternity for those kids, and the kids are going to feel horrible, like a spotlight is on them, and like they're wearing a dunce hat. That should never happen.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's why the head instructor needs to assign a leader to each group to make sure each kid is not lost. And if the leader of that group can't help the kid, then that leader needs to raise his/her hand and wait for the head instructor to come by. It's that simple. But that should be pretty rare.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If, instead, there is no group leader, and the head instructor is responsible for leading each group and the entire class all at once, then that's a recipe for disaster. There are going to be lots of kids getting lost and not getting help. So that's important to realize.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But here's the other thing to realize about parents. They do want the best for their kids. And to them, that means they get promoted to the next belt color very quickly. That's what they want. To the parents, it's all about the experience the kids are getting. They want their kids to feel like they're making progress and getting better, more confident and so on. So when they see their kids not getting promoted, it makes them feel like their kid is getting a raw deal. They worry their kid is going to get bored, get frustrated, get low self-esteem, and give up. It's not uncommon for parents to switch schools to a &amp;quot;better&amp;quot; martial arts school down the road that hands out rank like it was candy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, when you get parents who are upset that their kid isn't getting promoted as fast as the other kids that they started out with, you have to explain to them exactly why they're not getting promoted as quickly as the other kids.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's usually not that the instructor is ignoring the kids. It's usually that the kid isn't doing enough outside of class to work on stuff. Or, it's just that some kids will take longer than others because of just who they are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I did Taekwondo growing up and have a black belt in that. I would take it upon myself to stretch several times a day outside of class. I did all my forms outside of class many many times a day. I would go from room to room in my house kicking as I went. Any free time I had, I would fill with practice. They didn't have to tell me to do that. I just knew to do that on my own, because I wanted to get better as fast as I could.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;But there are many kids who don't do any of that outside of class. They don't even know that they should. Nobody has ever told them what to do. And if they have been told, many still won't do it, because that's just who they are.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For those kids that don't practice outside of class, it's going to be reflected by how slowly they get promoted. And so you have to tell parents this is what's required in order to go faster. If their kid isn't doing that, then that's something they can do to get promoted more quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Mostly, parents just want to feel that they can help their kids. They see their kids not doing as well, so they feel helpless and not in control. They complain to the instructor and kind of threaten them that they'll pull their kids out of the school unless they get more attention and get promoted more quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So instructors need to give them some other way they can help their kids, something they can control. Tell them how their kids can do better on their own by simply working on it at home, and what that would look like. Tell them this is why other kids get advanced more quickly, and it's not something you can see just by observing the classes. It's doing stuff outside of class that gives them that advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And then tell the parents, it's okay if their kid doesn't work at it at home. Not every kid wants to do that, and parents that push their kids into doing it at home might be turning their kids off to it. That's just something each parent needs to gauge themselves. The parents know their kids the best. But that just means they're going to get promoted at their own pace, and that's fine. It's not a race.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend saying all of that up front to parents from day one. The moment they come to sign their kids up, you tell them what I just said. Doing that will prevent the confrontations in the first place. It changes the parents' expectations. And tell them that if they ever have a question about why their kid isn't ready for testing, they can just come to you, and you'll tell them what their kid needs to work on. Tell them what they can expect.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Well, I'll just end this here by saying leading a martial arts school is hard work. It can be very rewarding watching people gain success as a result of your teaching. That's what every instructor wants. But it can also be very frustrating, because you're not perfect. Sometimes you won't be able to teach certain people. They won't be successful no matter what you do, and you will try. They'll eventually drop out. Don't let it get to you. They'll find something else they can do that will bring them joy. In the meanwhile, you can use those experiences to learn how to improve your teaching.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2024-01-25T12:49:48.687" LastActivityDate="2024-01-25T12:49:48.687" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14833" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14830" CreationDate="2024-01-25T10:41:02.937" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;Possibly both choices, you need to change a bit and parents need to shut up more.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Some instructors deal with this by not allowing outsider spectators in class, but I think this method is a lazy cover up for possible problems. However, I am very strict about the instructor being the top-most authority during class. Feedback after class is fine, interruptions and yelling during class is not.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd keep a diary for a few weeks, who received what and why. Then it is simple to point out that good kids get good attention while troublemakers receive negative feedback.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6488" LastActivityDate="2024-01-25T10:41:02.937" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14834" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13028" CreationDate="2024-01-29T04:12:39.013" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;From what I was taught, we kick with the feet instead of the shin because of physics. The longer a lever is, the more force it can apply. Kicking with the shin shortens the lever thus decreasing the amount of force applicable. The idea being to generate the greatest amount of force using the least amount of energy.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you ever want an example of how much force can be applied look up &amp;quot;Insane KO Hook Kick&amp;quot; on youtube.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Furthermore when we would kick with the shin it would usually be done to leg check an opponent and weaken their leading leg.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Another reason why it's taught this way is partially because these disciplines are traditionally rigid in technique, my dojo growing up stemmed from the International TKD Alliance (afaik an off-shoot of South Korean TKD), and then our next off-shoot of that broke away from the rigidity and taught MMA.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="8779" LastActivityDate="2024-01-29T04:12:39.013" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14835" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="8169" CreationDate="2024-01-29T19:27:48.770" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I would not stop your tai chi practice . Hapkido is perfect cross training . If your tai chi teacher understands application you will finds locks in your forms . Hapkido will get to it sooner . Both share circular motion and blending and flowing as well as deflections . As time goes on you will see the connections and both will compliment each other .&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13784" LastActivityDate="2024-01-29T19:27:48.770" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14837" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="9135" CreationDate="2024-01-31T01:41:18.880" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Yes they are allowed to compete in UFC if they are skillful enough that the UFC wants to sign them. Tons of &amp;quot;Pankration&amp;quot; practicioners &amp;amp; &amp;quot;King of Pankratia&amp;quot; winners have already competed in UFC. Its a fighting style that only allows open hand striking no closed fist, &amp;amp; subsequently is heavily focused on grappling &amp;amp; submissions. Bas Rutten, Ken Shamrock, Mighty Mouse Johnson, etc were all competitors in Pankratia. However it does not count towards your MMA records, it will be listed on some of your combat sport/fighting overall records like Sherdog, but won't show up in your W/L record competing in MMA organizations. So if you are 11-3 in MMA then compete &amp;amp; win a Pankration title going 7-0, &amp;amp; then join UFC your next fight Bruce Buffer will introduce you as 11 wins 3 losses still not 18-3. Hope this helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13786" LastEditorUserId="13786" LastEditDate="2024-01-31T01:42:19.237" LastActivityDate="2024-01-31T01:42:19.237" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14838" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13028" CreationDate="2024-01-31T01:53:04.133" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It is much easier to break your shin against someone who checks a kick than it is to break your foot. With your foot the impact is cushioned &amp;amp; absorbed some by your ankle &amp;amp; foot bending when checked. Your shin however has no means to disperse with some of the impact therefor taking a localized 100% of the trauma. If you are solely wanting to cause more damage with your kicks against an un trained attacker then you can dig with your shins on your kicks as it will hit &amp;amp; impact harder than your foot, but if you are fighting someone that knows how to check a kick then always hit with the foot, as the damage is not quite as much as your shin can cause but you aren't at risk of getting your leg broke in half either. Even without breaking your leg, the pain from a normal leg kick check with your shin will do some damage &amp;amp; cause swelling, welts, pain, &amp;amp; problems posting &amp;amp; applying weight to it properly. Alex Peirera is THE BEST at it. Watch his fights once he checks 1 leg kick sometimes you can see how bad it hurts his opponents that are kicking him with full shin, even as he is tearing their leg off with leg kicks himself. You can see a clear grimace on their face when he checks a leg kick &amp;amp; they start limping slightly just from ONE check. Watch his fight against Jiri Prochazka.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13786" LastActivityDate="2024-01-31T01:53:04.133" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14840" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2024-02-02T15:00:32.163" Score="-1" ViewCount="147" Body="&lt;p&gt;How hard would it be for a 160 pound person to break a 200 pound person’s neck? How to do that?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13572" LastActivityDate="2024-02-05T12:43:18.107" Title="How hard to break someone’s neck?" Tags="|technique|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="4" ClosedDate="2024-02-05T14:29:05.217" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14841" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14840" CreationDate="2024-02-02T15:35:00.860" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;Throughout martial arts of various styles, there are either implied or stated neck breaking techniques. These are sometimes reserved for advanced students. Sometimes it's taught from very early on. It just depends on the martial art.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;How realistic are these techniques? The answer is probably not very realistic. I'll explain.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Most martial arts that have explicit neck break techniques in them are conceptual martial arts. Or at least that part of their martial art is conceptual. And by conceptual, I mean that these are theoretical techniques. By their nature, these techniques can not be practiced in class even with very light force. They're for show only, with the &amp;quot;hope&amp;quot; that they'll work the way you think they'll work when you need to use them. But we know that techniques you don't practice realistically aren't generally reliable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So while in theory a neck break is possible, in real world self-defense, it's probably not something you can rely on. You simply don't know if it will work or not. And you should probably stick with things that you know are effective.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That said, there are martial art sports where neck breaks have happened as a result of an accident. That would be arts like judo or wrestling, whereby an opponent is thrown onto their neck, resulting in a broken vertebrae.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I found this research paper documenting the statistics regarding neck breaks in judo competition:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Catastrophic Head and Neck Injuries in Judo Players in Japan From 2003 to 2010&amp;quot;&#xA;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237840217_Catastrophic_Head_and_Neck_Injuries_in_Judo_Players_in_Japan_From_2003_to_2010&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237840217_Catastrophic_Head_and_Neck_Injuries_in_Judo_Players_in_Japan_From_2003_to_2010&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Citing from the paper:&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;A total of 72 judo injuries (30 head, 19 neck, and 23 other injuries) were reported between 2003 and 2010... Among neck injuries, 18 players were diagnosed with cervical spine injury, 11 of whom had fracture-dislocation of the cervical vertebra; there was also 1 case of atlantoaxial subluxation. The outcomes of neck injury were as follows: 7 players had complete paralysis, 7 had incomplete paralysis, and 5 had full recovery.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So you can see that, at least in arts like Judo which throw people, there is an accidental risk of neck injuries leading to paralysis. If there's an accidental risk of neck injury, it should be possible to use Judo techniques to deliberately target an opponent's neck, leading to a fracture of the vertebrae.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And as for the weight of one vs. the other, it really doesn't matter in this case. One of the things Judo players often say is that this is the art of throwing a planet at a person. You're essentially using someone's own weight against them, throwing them onto their head or neck in self-defense situations for the most devastating effect. This can be done against a 200 pound person by someone who weighs 80 pounds almost as easily as someone who weighs 160 pounds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And this is not theoretical or conceptual. It has been observed actually happening for real in Judo competition, which involves a resisting, live opponent. That's as close as you can get to an actual fight. The techniques are reliable. They're being trained against a resisting, live opponent. It just takes intent to change the way an opponent is landed.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The other difference between Judo and a conceptual martial art is that in conceptual martial arts that explicitly try to perform a neck break, if the neck break doesn't work, there's no real back-up plan. But in Judo, if the throw doesn't result in a head or neck injury, that doesn't matter. They can easily follow up with a submission, or just run away. That's what they're trained to do, so it should be effective and reliable.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Judo itself is a sport that was never meant for this purpose, however. It trains students to take great care in making sure they control their opponent so that they don't land in a way that results in serious harm. But, if they wanted to in a real life self-defense situation, they can easily control a person in such a way that does result in that harm.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2024-02-02T16:24:49.023" LastActivityDate="2024-02-02T16:24:49.023" CommentCount="11" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14843" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10031" CreationDate="2024-02-04T06:44:47.180" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;In my opinion the softest target is also a guys greatest weakness, I’m referring to the testicles.&#xA;A hard direct strike there will inflict excruciating pain while also preventing damage to your foot, knee, or hand.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13792" LastActivityDate="2024-02-04T06:44:47.180" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14844" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14840" CreationDate="2024-02-05T00:27:06.243" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Breaking the neck&amp;quot; (what people understand under the term) means breaking &lt;strong&gt;and dislocating&lt;/strong&gt; the &lt;em&gt;dens axis&lt;/em&gt;, a part of the second cervical bone that literally sticks up into the first cervical bone on which our skull rests. The stability of the bone there does not vary much between persons but it is well-protected by bones, ligaments,  and muscles. Indeed, the ability to break it depends mostly on the tension of the person's neck muscles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That's why &lt;em&gt;within a fight&lt;/em&gt; and being faced with an &lt;em&gt;active aggressor&lt;/em&gt;, breaking their neck against passive and reflexive muscle tension is nigh impossible. Considering it as a valid self-defence strategy would be delusional because&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;you can't train that realistically, for obvious reasons,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;it's really hard to do in an ongoing struggle,&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;it's not reliable since there is not much of an effect without dislocation of the bone, and&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;if you aim to do that, and are successful, you probably had other, less drastic alternatives at your disposal, hence you may end up in legal trouble.&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Generally, a broken neck does not mean death. You can break your neck and not even notice it. Given the &lt;em&gt;dens axis&lt;/em&gt; gets dislocated, there is a high probability of complete paralysis though.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastEditorUserId="6440" LastEditDate="2024-02-05T12:43:18.107" LastActivityDate="2024-02-05T12:43:18.107" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14845" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2024-02-10T18:08:45.820" Score="2" ViewCount="136" Body="&lt;p&gt;In any case that I or anyone else should be engaged in a violent encounter by any man in general, should he fall, what position would he most likely fall and what position would he naturally be when he lands and what positions would he be after he lands?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I ask because some martial arts teach moves against a person that is lying flat with his back to the ground. Should it become necessary to inflict harm on the attacker once he is on the ground, it would be important to prepare ahead and practice against an attacker in positions he would most likely be in.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In rare situations most people would never want to be in, when attacked by such a violent attacker, it would be necessary to injure the attacker in order to walk away from the encounter.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I ask specifically about a man being the attacker. I most likely would be attacked by a man.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13572" LastActivityDate="2024-02-10T19:11:57.163" Title="What is the natural position that a person normally falls in a violent encounter?" Tags="|falling|positions|attack|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14846" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14845" CreationDate="2024-02-10T19:01:09.210" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question asks in what position do people most often land in after falling down during a fight.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Given a lack of statistics about real world fights in general, I don't think we'll have a definitive answer here. So a lot of what you'll get are going to be opinions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Based on my observation only (not statistical), I've witnessed people falling to the ground in 3 common variations. First variation is when someone gets punched in the face (usually a sucker punch), then they tend to fall and end up on their backs if they're knocked out. If they're still conscious, they quickly get onto their knees and hands to try to get back up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second variation is when they slip and fall, they usually land on one of their hands and push themselves back up quickly. They might land on their butts and one hand to brace themselves. I've seen this happen over and over again in real fights. It's rare they're going to use both hands to prevent their fall, because they're usually going down on one side. They might begin to fall backwards, too, but twist themselves and use one arm to break the fall and push themselves back up. They can also break their arms this way, by stiff-arming the landing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And the third variation is when they're tripped or thrown, they land on their butt, back, or head. If they land on their butt, then they often continue rolling backwards onto their back before rocking themselves immediately back up to a standing or crouching position. And instinctively, people often grab onto the person throwing them or taking them down in order to prevent themselves from falling too badly.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;There are a lot of other possibilities beyond those. Some may land belly down, especially after being taken down from a standing arm-bar, for example. Some may land in a seated position. Some land at your feet and can now snake their legs around yours to trip you. Some just sort of bounce right back up instantly instead of staying down. Some roll away. Etc.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you're dealing with a trained grappler, there are a lot more possibilities than that, too. They might cartwheel out of it (damn ninjas!). They might grab on to you to reorient themselves as they're falling, and then use that momentum to pull you down, instead. They can land in a squat position. They can do a hand spring or even a somersault and land on their feet. Believe it or not, all of these spectacular landings have been seen in competitive grappling of all kinds.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So my advice if you're trying to study this situation is that you probably want to train in a martial art that does a lot of throws and take-downs against a non-compliant partner. That would be stuff like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, Judo, Shuai-jiao, Pankration, and Sambo. These styles are competitive, and so your opponent can often fall in unpredictable ways. By training this way frequently and for many years, you can gain skill in almost all conceivable positions in which someone lands.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2024-02-10T19:11:57.163" LastActivityDate="2024-02-10T19:11:57.163" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14847" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2024-02-22T04:37:52.960" Score="3" ViewCount="130" Body="&lt;p&gt;Beginner judo classes emphasize learning low-exertion, solo falling technique (&lt;em&gt;ukemi&lt;/em&gt;), which involves rocking motions in multiple directions (back, left, and right) and generally progresses to rolling &lt;em&gt;zempo kaiten&lt;/em&gt; breakfalls. A small fraction of adult beginners feel nausea from this training. In my experience, beginners who feel nausea do so on the first day, and they never make it to a second day because the first class experience was so unpleasant.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;What can instructors do for these beginners?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5961" LastActivityDate="2024-02-24T17:02:58.410" Title="How can beginner adults overcome initial nausea when learning rolling falls?" Tags="|judo|teaching|falling|beginner|" AnswerCount="2" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14848" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14847" CreationDate="2024-02-22T14:20:10.350" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;It's important to identify the cause of the nausea.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Is it fear?&#xA;Is it incorrect breathing technique?&#xA;Is it fatigue (too many ukemi for a beginner)?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;At my Aikido Dojo an advanced student was placed in charge of each beginner to let them enjoy their first classes at their own pace, with good coaching (no head bumps or shoulder strain).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="7943" LastActivityDate="2024-02-22T14:20:10.350" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14849" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14847" CreationDate="2024-02-23T12:06:38.753" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The two main causes for nausea after rolls are&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;problems with your vestibular system (balance organ in your ear)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;li&gt;problems with your blood pressure adaptations (orthostatic nausea)&lt;/li&gt;&#xA;&lt;/ul&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The first could be looked at and solved by an otolaryngologist. In less severe cases, it could also become less over time just by training it more and enduring it, since the vestibular sense organ can, in principle, be trained as well.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The second can be addressed by cardiovascular training (endurance training).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;No matter the real cause, I would check my blood pressure and make a check on the ear if the problems remain on a constant level.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;That being said, it is to some extent normal, especially for completely unconditioned adults. The key here is to limit the amount of subsequent rolls (and/or expand the time between them) and education.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you tell them from the start that they might experience some nausea and if that does not get better over time you could give them further advice, this lifts a lot of the pressure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Last bit of advice: It helps some people if they jump up and land not with soft knees but a bit forcefully, so that there is an impetus into the ear that kind of &amp;quot;resets&amp;quot; the movement in the vestibular organ.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6440" LastActivityDate="2024-02-23T12:06:38.753" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14853" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13185" CreationDate="2024-02-25T17:10:51.057" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I love the Suborito, it is large and heavy. Besides all the comments which are valid (e.g. diagonal cuts), from HEMA the first thing that comes to my mind if you want to practice using a large, heavy sword in confined spaces is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP-tjSx2KBA&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Half-Swording&lt;/a&gt; (short YT introduction of the technique) which is useful for close quarter distance and includes joint lock and even take downs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="12625" LastActivityDate="2024-02-25T17:10:51.057" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14854" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2024-02-27T07:16:45.240" Score="2" ViewCount="206" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whats the name of this Kick in Karate or Taekwondo?&#xA;Chris Leben called this the &amp;quot;Heel Hook Head Kick&amp;quot;. However, he does it with the right outside of the heel foot, instead of the inside.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWimUPn7_aE&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWimUPn7_aE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/J9U6b.png&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.stack.imgur.com/J9U6b.png&quot; alt=&quot;enter image description here&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="11991" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2024-02-27T13:58:30.820" LastActivityDate="2024-02-27T13:58:30.820" Title="Heel Hook Head Kick in Karate or Taekwondo" Tags="|tae-kwon-do|karate|mixed-martial-arts|terminology|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14855" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14854" CreationDate="2024-02-27T09:08:59.920" Score="3" Body="&lt;p&gt;The kick demonstrated is known in karate as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://blackbeltwiki.com/outside-crescent-kick&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;Outside Crescent kick&lt;/a&gt;, or Soto Mikazuki Geri. The linked page mentions that this is know as Bandal Bakkat Chagi in TKD, although that may be referring to the inner version (I'm not familiar with TKD names).&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This kick is supposed to use the outside blade of the foot, and when performed poorly (or in a fight situation) may turn into more of a swinging axe kick (which would use the heel) rather than a crescent kick.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="70" LastActivityDate="2024-02-27T09:08:59.920" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14856" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2024-03-03T10:44:27.503" Score="1" ViewCount="52" Body="&lt;p&gt;If disqualified due to not doing bow after completion of kata? Can we defend and apply to qualify?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13841" LastActivityDate="2024-03-04T02:11:54.363" Title="Karate kata event regarding disqualification" Tags="|karate|forms|" AnswerCount="1" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14857" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14856" CreationDate="2024-03-03T17:49:21.423" Score="6" Body="&lt;p&gt;Whenever a competitor is disqualified due to an unfair ruling, it is the job of that competitor's coach to step in immediately and appeal the ruling. But, the coach must provide a good reason for why the decision should be overturned.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;For example, if a competitor is disqualified because he/she forgot to bow at the end of the kata, the coach could step in and appeal on behalf of the competitor by reminding the judges that the rules state the penalty for forgetting to bow should be a half point deduction, not a disqualification. That appeal is valid, and the judges can change their decision based on it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;However, if the coach merely asked the judges to reverse their decision because it's the competitor's first time competing, that probably won't change their ruling. It wouldn't be a valid reason for appealing the decision, in other words.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Disqualifications happen a lot, especially to young and inexperienced competitors. It's upsetting to be disqualified, but it can be a valuable learning experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2024-03-04T02:11:54.363" LastActivityDate="2024-03-04T02:11:54.363" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14858" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="1835" CreationDate="2024-03-06T06:34:08.953" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;I had a lot of trouble with relaxation too. I belong to a very traditional Kung Fu school, with only two belt (sash) levels and Sifu only very occasionally promoted someone to be a black sash.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I had been studying with weekly practice for over 20 years before I also started doing Tai Chi (Sifu changed his mind about allowing people to do both). Within 5 years I had improved my relaxation and centring enough that he gave me my black sash.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Nowadays I teach both styles.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I recommend you learn at least a bit of tai chi, under close supervision (you cannot do it from books or videos) so someone can teach you at least how to relax when standing and moving.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="179" LastActivityDate="2024-03-06T06:34:08.953" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14859" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2024-03-07T10:38:05.840" Score="0" ViewCount="48" Body="&lt;p&gt;I'm planning to write a comic book about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. All the characters are fake, but they talk about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu history. They explain the origin of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and mention the masters Helio and Carlson.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;I didn't find a forum about writing books, and this is the closest I found.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Do I need to pay royalties or ask for some kind of permission to the family?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="5818" LastEditorUserId="1780" LastEditDate="2024-03-07T17:49:11.907" LastActivityDate="2024-03-07T17:49:11.907" Title="Do I need to pay royalties to the Gracie family if I write a book about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?" Tags="|brazilian-jiu-jitsu|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="6" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14860" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2024-03-07T22:18:51.800" Score="0" ViewCount="88" Body="&lt;p&gt;I recently started my career as correctional officer, and these past 6 months have shown me I need to learn some type of self defense so that not only am more capable, controlled, and with the fight IQ to further my confidence to deal with specific reoccurring situations at my job.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;With that being said, I was taking some lessons, but once my car broke down, and ended up getting scrapped after finding out the frame was messed up, I have not been able to go to the classes. I recently bought some stuff online to use at home, and I go to my neighborhood Y. However, I ran into the problem of not having a training partner to help with mitt training or sparring. What is the best way to train with the lack of training partners?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13851" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2024-03-11T16:56:35.507" LastActivityDate="2024-03-21T00:01:27.593" Title="Lack of training partner" Tags="|boxing|self-training|beginner|" AnswerCount="3" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14861" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14860" CreationDate="2024-03-08T03:37:18.880" Score="2" Body="&lt;p&gt;The question asks how does a beginner level martial arts student continue training entirely on his own without a regular school to train at and without partners.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;My simple answer is: Don't train martial arts on your own at all at this point as a beginner. Instead, consider working just on your physical conditioning for now.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;The reason why I say not to train martial arts on your own is because you're a beginner level student who hasn't gotten enough correction to begin training on your own. That's important, because what happens with beginners who do this is that they drill the wrong technique into muscle memory, and it becomes a habit that's very hard to correct later on.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If you were to ask someone to partner with you on your own, that might also mean you hurt yourself or your partner by accident without the proper technique and without understanding how to do it safely.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;It's far better to wait until you're being watched by a competent instructor who will see to it that your technique is good. That is crucial for all beginning level students.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I'd even go so far as to say everyone needs frequent correction, even advanced black belt students. It's bad even for them to do a lot of training on their own without anyone looking critically at their technique. Martial arts aren't simple exercises. They're very complex and require an experienced, careful eye watching you.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;This is different from an instructor telling beginners to go home and practice something as homework before the next class. That's fine. In that case, you're still attending regular classes, and your instructor will make corrections when you go back to class. Practicing the wrong technique at home once or twice isn't going to mess you up. But if the student is no longer attending classes at all and is truly on his/her own, that's when bad habits become nearly permanent and hard to correct.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Be patient. Your life circumstances are temporary. You'll have opportunities to attend a martial arts school soon enough. In the meanwhile, doing physical conditioning won't be wasted time.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Hope that helps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="1555" LastEditorUserId="1555" LastEditDate="2024-03-08T12:56:16.157" LastActivityDate="2024-03-08T12:56:16.157" CommentCount="2" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14862" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2024-03-16T17:11:41.943" Score="1" ViewCount="61" Body="&lt;p&gt;Following this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/reel/782726937068354&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow noreferrer&quot;&gt;demonstration&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/10397/is-there-an-effective-way-to-defend-from-a-nunchaku&quot;&gt;this&lt;/a&gt; question. Is the demonstrated defenses (using the folded arms) effective against nunchaku and other flexible instruments such as belt?&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="6750" LastActivityDate="2024-03-16T17:11:41.943" Title="Efectiveness of defenses against nunchaku and other flexible instruments" Tags="|self-defense|krav-maga|nunchaku|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="1" ClosedDate="2024-03-22T14:56:03.910" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14863" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14860" CreationDate="2024-03-19T04:29:22.750" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;Well, sadly i must say, this problem cant be fixed&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;If, somebody asks you for only one, thing that makes you a master&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Then, you must say , what is facts in literature, that people call, history&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Like, what you think is motive in literature&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, you understand that you cant repair definition here&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And also, situations called, fight dont have Iq, because its theory&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;And, you see in theory you need, partner , in practice you cant find any&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Because, if you show knife in such situation, you cant expect such person to withdraw&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;So, this is about places, where you can visit and play soccer for example&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Or, basketball , because i live in poland&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;You should, remember one thing, that names like, aikido or taekwondo , exist only in books&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Taekwondo , for example is way that really poor people, belive can bring some success&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Techniques, in taekwondo are terribly poor, so i suggest watching movies because, martial arts is closer to dancing&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In aikido you learn, shiho nage, or kote gaeshi, its far too simple to explain for example, Hsing - i, style of 12 animals&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;I personally, try to learn Baguazhang, which is 300 pages book, and its worth considering, if there is book that you can read because its things you can learn&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13869" LastActivityDate="2024-03-19T04:29:22.750" CommentCount="1" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14864" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="14860" CreationDate="2024-03-21T00:01:27.593" Score="0" Body="&lt;p&gt;It you can find 1 person as a test subject for your techniques to practice is much better than nothing. A class is best of different body sizes and abilities to practice against. If you are trained at boxing you could do shadow boxing, a mirror is a great investment. you can also buy or make a  bag work to use for striking.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13872" LastActivityDate="2024-03-21T00:01:27.593" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14868" PostTypeId="1" CreationDate="2024-03-26T23:10:45.967" Score="0" ViewCount="30" Body="&lt;p&gt;I want to know how to paralyze someone using the same stuff Ty Le used like chi blocking,but I can't find anything on the web.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13877" LastEditorUserId="5961" LastEditDate="2024-03-27T04:25:29.457" LastActivityDate="2024-03-27T04:25:29.457" Title="I've been watching a lot of avatar lately and i've been wondering can we do what Ty Le did in the avatar in real life {I know bending isn't real}" Tags="|training|entertainment|" AnswerCount="0" CommentCount="3" ClosedDate="2024-04-04T04:08:43.310" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14870" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="12845" CreationDate="2024-03-27T23:40:43.390" Score="1" Body="&lt;p&gt;I practice a lot of jian, and based on experience, the swept back guards prevent snagging on clothing during &amp;quot;flowers&amp;quot; or thrusts. The forward Qing guards have better hand ergonomics due to how the fingers fit against the hilt. Stuff like trapping or even hand protection is a non-issue because of how Chinese jian technique works. It's not like Western fencing, and if the other blade comes anywhere near your hand, you've already screwed up.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;Interesting to note that the clothing styles in China changed from the Ming to Qing dynasties as the people were forced to adopt the more &amp;quot;buttoned up&amp;quot; Manchurian dress. This may be why hilt snagging ceased to be an issue, and the guards favored ergonomics over streamlining.&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13880" LastActivityDate="2024-03-27T23:40:43.390" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
  <row Id="14871" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="10448" CreationDate="2024-03-31T03:19:51.653" Score="-2" Body="&lt;p&gt;You would be really surprised by the durability of people. Especially with something like a steak knife, in the heat of combat people can survive crazy injuries. One great example of a knife fight is in Last of Us Part 2. &amp;quot;&lt;em&gt;SPOILER WARNING&lt;/em&gt;&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;&lt;p&gt;In Ellie and Abby's final confrontation, Ellie fights Abby using switchblade. While I think their fight is just a little dramatized with their wild swings and movements, the amount of punishment Abby endures I think is very realistic to a knife fight. The only reason the fight stops is because Abby bites off Ellie's finger and she cries(?)&lt;/p&gt;&#xA;" OwnerUserId="13887" LastActivityDate="2024-03-31T03:19:51.653" CommentCount="0" ContentLicense="CC BY-SA 4.0" />
</posts>